The Yiddish Policemen's Union

The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Michael Chabon
Harper Perennial, 2008

This is a hard book to describe.  It's highly readable, but also definitely strange. It's an alternate history -- imagine a world in which Israel does not exist and instead displaced Jews were given southeast Alaska as a refuge, an autonomous territory within the United States.

Alternative history has been around for a long time.  It's a staple in utopian fiction, and it's also a tried and true technique for science fiction and fantasy -- time lines and/or universes where Lincoln wasn't shot, various monarchs either died young or lived a lot longer than in our world, different discoveries were never made.  The possibilities are endless.  Somehow, though, Chabon came up with a scenario that I'm sure has to be one of the most implausible I've seen in a long time.  Even more implausibly, he makes it work.

In short, the book is a really good read.  I'm not sure what inspired me to buy it, but I was glad I did -- and now I'm ready to pass it along, for a price.  The book is a trade paperback.  $6.50 plus $3.00 for media mail shipping, and it's yours.

The Art and Craft of Novel Writing

The Art and Craft of Novel Writing
Oakley Hall
ISBN 1-884910-02-5
Cincinnati, OH: Story Press, 1994.

Once upon a time I fantasized about writing fiction.  I used to have a shelf full of books with titles similar to this one.  Over time, I realized I was not going to grow up to be Margaret Atwood (or even Barbara Cartland).  My wordsmithing talents fell in another area, that of not-so-creative nonfiction (i.e., translating scientific jargon into language 7th graders can understand), and I gradually jettisoned the various "how to" manuals dealing with fiction that I had acquired.  This is the last one. 

The Art and Craft of Novel Writing was first published in 1989.  This copy is the trade paperback edition from 1994.  I've hung on to it because it's good, lots of useful advice on plotting, dialog, and the various other components of a readable novel illustrated with snippets from works by authors in a variety of genres and time periods.  If you're still cherishing the fantasy of being next year's Stephanie Meyers, this book can be yours for $4 plus shipping ($3 for media mail, $6 for priority, $12 for international).