Cheryl Peck

she's funny, has a distinct and solid voice, and is mostly a decent writer. this is a pretty fun read, nice to read for a break. my issues with it are that it's a little repetitive and many of the essays aren't wrapped up well at all. she either tries too hard to go full circle or doesn't get there satisfyingly at all, and the transitions throughout need work. still, though, it's enjoyable as a fluff read, i just wanted some improvement in those transitional areas from her first book.

but, good for me to remember sometimes: "Adults forget that something they say once on a bad day when they should have just given up whatever they were doing and taken a nap - and spoke to a small child instead - may be the one thing that child will remember, in full and gloriously unforgiving detail, forever."… (más)

between 2 and 2.5. this series of stories/essays started out really strong. i almost never laugh out loud when reading, but early on in this book i did, a number of times. after the first handful of stories, either my mood changed or the quality dropped, i'm genuinely not sure which. but they seemed less well written, less pointed, and less well-wrapped up (with a few exceptions as the book went on) the more i read.

there are definitely some very good, very funny vignettes here, and i'd even read her again, but i am more impressed with the beginning of this book than the rest of it.… (más)

There is much to love in this book. Writing teachers are forever talking about "finding your voice". Its not something you can actually teach, more like something a writer falls into naturally or stumbles upon and with any luck, someone is there to point and cheer and say "That's it!". For those who have it, it seems obvious (what other voice would I write with?) and for those who don't, it seems like some elusive, mystical gift. I mention this now, because Cheryl Peck is one of those writers whose voice is so specific and so strong, that five pages into "Revenge of the Paste Eaters", I wanted to offer her another cup of tea, insist that she stay for dinner and ask her to be my friend forever.

… (más)