FEAST OR FAMINE

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Hasmik Mkhitaryan’s  Café for Two: Decoding Masculinity – What Men Live By ( 2024) is set in Manhattan and is a conversation over coffee between two elderly male friends on Wall Street.   They discuss work burnout, loss of love, the weariness of divorce, and loneliness. A chapter is dedicated to each emotional phase. As they talk, they make intellectual references to classical literary novels and society’s changing norms, particularly what masculinity means in the modern age.   I like the strong introduction to the novel, setting a powerful atmosphere of the bond between the two men. I like the dialogue between them. Sometimes, it feels scripted and repetitive, but overall, the tone is conversational storytelling in a gentle, philosophical way – sometimes sad, but always open and honest.    To each other, they have nothing to hide. Their emotional pain is raw and real. The narrator’s friend talks of keeping up appearances and expectations in the professional wor...

    The Writer’s Compass: 50 tips to help navigate your storytelling journey (2025) is written in 10 parts, including: writer’s mindset, writing process, motivation, techniques, balance, advanced skills, style, reader engagement, editing, writer’s block, writing pitfalls, and moving the story forward.   I particularly liked the overwriting section (i.e. removing excess writing) with examples, including “how to fix it.” Keeping the story intriguing and converting the passive voice into the active voice are also good sections. The author also provides helpful apps for organizing manuscripts and editing.     This book is well presented, with clear, insightful, and useful advice and tips, covering everything from the importance of taking breaks, freewriting, and overwriting.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. MARTINA NICOLLS MARTINA NICOLLS   is an Australian author and international human rights-based consultant in foreign ai...