The Stories of Scott D. Southard

December 3, 2015

NEW WKAR Book Review: The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
There is this misconception out there that reviewers like to write bad reviews. Like they get some weird pleasure out of it. Well, maybe that was true for Dorothy Parker, but it definitely is not for me. I hate writing bad reviews. So today’s review of Margaret Atwood’s new novel, The Heart Goes Last, is not fun for me…. Still I hope the review is fun to listen to.

You can listen to my review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-margaret-atwoods-heart-goes-last

If you would rather read my review, you can do so below.

Hey, did you know Current State has a podcast? If you subscribe, you can download episodes and segments (and you can find me every other Thursday). Here is a link to find it on iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wkar-fm-current-state/id594609653?mt=2

If you want to check out my other book reviews for WKAR’s Current State, you can do so via links on this page. (more…)
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November 12, 2015

NEW WKAR Book Review: John Irving’s Avenue of Mysteries
I got a really big kick out of getting this book in the mail for review. I always enjoy John Irving and today on WKAR’s Current State I reviewed his latest, Avenue of Mysteries.

You can listen to my review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-john-irvings-avenue-mysteries

If you would rather read my review, you can do so below.

Hey, did you know Current State has a podcast? If you subscribe, you can download episodes and segments (and you can find me every other Thursday). Here is a link to find it on iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wkar-fm-current-state/id594609653?mt=2

You can snag a copy of Irving’s latest novel here on Amazon.com If you want to check out my other book reviews for WKAR’s Current State, you can do so via links on this page. (more…)
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October 30, 2015

Monsters, Vampires and Chewbacca: Some Halloween Posts
So when I was a kid, my mom used to make me Halloween costumes (I’m the Chewbacca behind the Pac Man). They were really quite impressive. Sadly, I don’t have that skill, nor do I even try to pull something like that off. And it’s gotten to such a point that if I brought up the idea of a homemade Halloween costume, my kids would probably revolt.

…And there might be torches and pitchforks.

Which got me wondering, is something lost in not going to that trouble anymore? Yes, all of the kids walking around look exactly like their target, but has a bit of the heart been lost in the endeavor? Of course, if the kids have no idea of what I am talking about, maybe this is me just being grumpy.

Yeah, I’m probably just being grumpy.

I mean, look at pumpkin carving these days. I like to do a simple face, but when you see all the tools and skills out there, well, I look lame. And telling the kids this was fine a few decades ago doesn’t cut it.

Okay, where was I? Halloween posts!

I’ve had the pleasure of being on WKAR’s Current State for three Halloween episodes now. I’ve reviewed and talked about (with links):
- The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. A book that should be a holiday standard (and Tim Burton should turn into a movie).
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. A classic, one of my favorites to read.
- Dracula by Bram Stoker. Not so much.
Here are some other posts (with links too) I have written about one of my favorite holidays:
I hope you have a great holiday (with or without a handmade costume).
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October 29, 2015

New WKAR Book Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker
This is my third Halloween on WKAR’s Current State, and I decided to sink my teeth into Dracula by Bram Stoker. (I know… I know… bad joke. Sometimes I can’t help myself.)

You can listen to my review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-bram-stokers-dracula

If you would rather read my review, you can do so below.

Hey, did you know Current State has a podcast? If you subscribe, you can download episodes and segments (and you can find me every other Thursday). Here is a link to find it on iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wkar-fm-current-state/id594609653?mt=2

If you want to check out my other book reviews for WKAR’s Current State, you can do so via links on this page. (more…)
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October 15, 2015

NEW WKAR Book Review: A Cure for Suicide by Jesse Ball
New book review today on WKAR’s Current State. This time I take on the new literary fiction by Jesse Ball, A Cure for Suicide.

You can listen to my new review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-jesse-balls-cure-suicide

If you would rather read my review, you can do so below.

Hey, did you know Current State has a podcast? If you subscribe, you can download episodes and segments (and you can find me every other Thursday). Here is a link to find it on iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wkar-fm-current-state/id594609653?mt=2

If you would like to check out A Cure for Suicide (and you should) you can find it on Amazon here. If you want to check out my other book reviews for WKAR’s Current State, you can do so via links on this page. (more…)
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October 2, 2015

“Artistic and Engaging” Rabid Readers Review PERMANENT SPRING SHOWERS
Rabid Readers was one of the first book review sites to take on my last novel A Jane Austen Daydream. Today I was thrilled to discover that they reviewed my latest novel, Permanent Spring Showers. My new book is definitely not in the same time period as my last one. I’m incredibly happy they enjoyed it as well.

Here is my favorite bit from this great review:

Southard exposes the sometimes illogical nature of human interactions while questioning many of the concepts that are considered absolutes in our daily lives. When is the cost of the choices we make too high? Is that a consuming feeling love or attraction? Southard’s writing style is smooth and lyrical so that a subject that might be incomprehensibly difficult becomes plausible. Southard writes men and women and their motivations with an equally light hand.

You can read the entire review here. Check it out!

This is a great time to grab a copy of my latest work. The eBook is only $3.99! You can find it on Amazon here. Permanent Spring Showers is published by 5 Prince Books. You can also find out more about it (and read an excerpt) on this page on my site.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Permanent Spring Showers

by Scott D. Southard

Giveaway ends October 28, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/155531
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September 28, 2015

Banned Books Week (Sept 27 – Oct 3)
We are in the midst of Banned Book Week, that time each year when readers and authors alike scan articles and essays about attempts to ban books from libraries and schools over the last year and wonder “What the heck is going on here?”

I’ve had the pleasure for the last three years of doing the book reviews for my local NPR station (WKAR) as part of their show Current State, and each year I try to take on another book that has faced the always surreal argument for censorship.
- This year I reviewed The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. You can listen to my discussion or read my review via this page.
- Last year, I reviewed Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. You can check that our here.
- During my first year as part of Current State, I discussed the importance of this holiday and why we need to reflect on it via this audio essay.
I’ve also snuck in over the years other authors that have faced censorship, including (with links) Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Judy Blume, Harper Lee, and J.K. Rowling. In the future, I will be reviewing Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie, so this is not slowing down for me anytime soon.

I hope you enjoy checking out some of these book reviews and try to read something a little controversial this week.
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September 24, 2015

New WKAR Book Review: J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye
Next week is Banned Books Week, so today on WKAR’s Current State I took on one of the most banned books in American Literature, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

You can listen to my new review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-jd-salingers-catcher-rye

If you would rather read my review, you can do so below.

Hey, did you know Current State has a podcast? If you subscribe, you can download episodes and segments (and you can find me every other Thursday). Here is a link to find it on iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wkar-fm-current-state/id594609653?mt=2

If you want to check out my other book reviews for WKAR’s Current State, you can do so via links on this page. (more…)
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September 13, 2015

Book Review: Star Wars Aftermath by Chuck Wendig
Book Review: Star Wars Aftermath by Chuck Wendig

A lot of people are going to be disappointed in this book.

Some are going to hate the fact how little it sets up the next movie, answers questions we have, tells us what happened to our favorite characters in our favorite galaxy.

Others are going to be bothered by how this book is made for fans, not the everyday, casual reader. Alien names are thrown around with abandonment, assuming the readers know what they look like. Minor characters from the movies walk in and out of scenes as if we should know who they are. It is not a friendly book and will not draw new readers to future books. Even I, a lifetime fan of Star Wars, would probably need convincing before picking up another Star Wars novel.

For me though my biggest disappointment was with the writing. The author lists himself as a screenplay writer and that is obvious since it feels like a screenplay in many ways. Simple. Straight to the point. Dry. There is no literary art here, no sweeping moment of prose that will take you away. Nothing that embraces what makes books and literature a unique medium for telling a story. Honestly, I don’t think I could pick out any of the characters in a police lineup if I had to.

Then there are the “cute” moments in the book. The slight nod to Game of Thrones (the “Shooty” end of a blaster), the dialogue that sounds a little too contemporary as compared to from a galaxy far, far away. With such great writing done for The Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows, it is sad they couldn’t have found one of those writers to take it on. But you know with the love of Star Wars now, imagine if they could have gotten a real author to do it? The mind boggles at the idea. I cannot imagine any author from Generation X and younger saying no to the possibility. Why not try that in the future Disney? (Of course, I would rather write an Indiana Jones adventure, but that is just me.)

In the end, everyone will be disappointed… well, everyone probably but the author, his agent, and Disney’s pocketbook.
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September 10, 2015

NEW WKAR Book Review: Another Day by David Levithan
I don’t often say this, but this was a negative book review I didn’t want to write. On WKAR’s Current State, I took on Another Day by David Levithan, the “companion” book to his wonderful YA novel Every Day.

You can listen to my new review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-david-levithans-another-day

If you would rather read my review, you can do so below.

Hey, did you know Current State has a podcast? If you subscribe, you can download episodes and segments (and you can find me every other Thursday). Here is a link to find it on iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wkar-fm-current-state/id594609653?mt=2

If you would like to check out Another Day you can find it on Amazon here. If you want to check out my other book reviews for WKAR’s Current State, you can do so via links on this page. (more…)
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