Finding the #Write #Words? No. 12 Divided by a Common Language

Continuing the description of books on words in the list from post 1, which you’ll find here. Book 12: Divided by a Common Language Paperback, 248 pages, including an index. It was published by Mayflower Press in 1997; my version is the edition published by Houghton Mifflin Books in 2007, and I bought it for …

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Bridport Prize Anthology 2019, by: The Bridport Prize #BookReview.

164 pages Literary/Contemporary Fiction/Poetry Anthologies This anthology contains the prize-winning entries into the 2019 contest run by this prestigious organisation. There are judge’s reports on the entries for Poetry, Short Story and Flash Fiction. The book showcases those pieces of work that won the major prizes or were highly commended. So, there are thirteen poems, …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No. 11 Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary

Continuing the description of books on words in the list from post 1, which you’ll find here. Book 11: Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary Paperback, 560 pages, including a comprehensive index. It was published by Checkmark Books in 1992; my version is the Second Edition, published 2000, and I don’t recall what I paid for it. …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No. 10 Current English Usage

Continuing the description of books on words in the list from post 1, which you’ll find here. Book 10: Current English Usage by Frederick T. Wood Paperback, 304 pages, including one appendix giving the plurals of common foreign, and some English, words. It was published by the Macmillan Press Ltd in 1962; my version is …

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The Star Protocol, by the Marett Brothers: #BookReview.

318 pages Science Fiction Adventure/Military Science Fiction As flagged by the sub-genres in which this book is listed, it’s a science fiction tale full of action, much of which is military in tone. But it’s also a lot more than that. The story combines ancient history, via an archaeologist and his daughter, with the idea …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No. 8 Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors.

Continuing the description of books on words in the list from post 1, which you’ll find here. Book 8: Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors On with the info. Hardback, 454 pages, including eight appendices covering topics from “Words ending in ‘able’ and ‘ible’” to “Numerals,” via “Metric prefixes” and “Main units of currency”. It …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No. 7 Brit-Think/Ameri-Think

Continuing the description of books on words in the list given in post 1, which you’ll find here. Book 7: Brit-Think/Ameri-Think (sub-titled – A Transatlantic Survival Guide) On with the info. Paperback, 176 pages. It was published by Harrap Books Ltd in 1986; my version is the 1992 edition and cost £5.95. It’s available in …

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84K, by Claire North: #BookReview.

480 pages Political Fiction/Dystopian/Literary Fiction Not for the faint-hearted. And, definitely not for the perennially depressed. But this is a book that should be read by everyone (I’m conscious of the contradiction). Set in a future UK too close for comfort, it examines the inevitable consequences of unfettered capitalism. The writing style is clever, sometimes …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No.6 A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang

Continuing the description of books on words in the list given in post 1, which you’ll find here. Book 6: A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang, by Julian Franklyn. On with the info. Paperback, 200 pages. It was published by Routledge & Kegan Paul in 1960 (yes, really!); my version is a reprint from 1981. Original …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No.5 American English English American

Continuing the description of books on words in the list given in post 1, which you’ll find here. Post 2 is here, post 3 here, and post 4 here. Book 5: American English English American On with the info. Paperback, 47 pages. It was published by Abson Books London in Nov 1971; my version, revised …

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Your Thyroid, by Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield: #BookReview.

264 pages Family and Lifestyle Endocrinology/Popular Medicine ‘Your Thyroid’, subtitled ‘and how to keep it healthy’, is the second edition of ‘The Great Thyroid Scandal and How to Survive it.' I expect readers may be curious about why I read and reviewed this book. It’s a short story, but you can skip it if you …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No.3 A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English

Continuing the description of books on the list given in post 1, which you’ll find here. Post 2 is here. Book 2: A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, by Eric Partridge. On with the info. Hardback, 1,400 pages, approximately 61,600 word definitions (a guestimate). It was published by Routledge & Kegan Paul in 1984. …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No.2

Beginning the description of books on the list given in post 1, which you’ll find here. On with the info. ‘A Dictionary of Misunderstood Misused Mispronounced Words’ Edited by Laurence Urdang, is the first book on my list of word books to bring to your attention. I’m doing this alphabetically; laziness, I guess, although calls …

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Why Did I Write Breaking Faith That Way?

It occurred to me recently that I’ve never explained what drove me to write the books I’ve had published. My hope was the intention would be clear from the story. But it seems that’s not very realistic. I know what motivated me, so I can hardly judge how effectively that motivation was transferred to the …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No.1

For a few years I’ve been posting about word choice here. It seems timely to let you know the sources for the information and ideas I’ve presented. Before I started writing seriously, which preceded mobile phones, personal computers, and even electronic typewriters, I developed an interest in words: a fascination for the huge variety of …

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