Book Review: Tomboy

Katie November 5, 2014 0 Comments

Liz Prince may be female, but she didn’t relate to her “girly girl” side and would rather wear pants, tshirts and a baseball cap all of the time.  She didn’t fit in with the boys really and she didn’t fit in with the girls either.  This book is the story of Liz and growing up as a tom boy – but is told in a graphic novel form.

Each of the chapters has an anecdote of Liz’s life growing up – whether it was being teased for wearing a dress on church day (and getting the school to allow her to wear a shirt and tie instead), being picked on for being a lesbian with her other tom boy friends, being on the boys little league team but the whole team hating her, etc.

An interesting approach to a memoir and one that I related to and enjoyed reading. It being in graphic novel form made it a quick read and funny as well (even if the situations she was in probably were not amusing at the time!)

I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Growing up, Liz Prince wasn’t a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing Pretty Pretty princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn’t exactly one of the guys either, as she quickly learned when her Little League baseball coach exiled her to the outfield instead of letting her take the pitcher’s mound. Liz was somewhere in the middle, and Tomboy is the story of her struggle to find the place where she belonged.

Tomboy is a graphic novel about refusing gender boundaries, yet unwittingly embracing gender stereotypes at the same time, and realizing later in life that you can be just as much of a girl in jeans and a T-shirt as you can in a pink tutu. A memoir told anecdotally, Tomboy follows author and zine artist Liz Prince through her early childhood into adulthood and explores her ever-evolving struggles and wishes regarding what it means to “be a girl.”From staunchly refuting anything she perceived as being “girly” to the point of misogyny, to discovering through the punk community that your identity is whatever you make of it, regardless of your gender, Tomboy is as much humorous and honest as it is at points uncomfortable and heartbreaking.

Book Review: The 6 Steps Plan to E-Publishing

Katie November 1, 2014 0 Comments

It’s no secret that I’ve been saying I’m writing a book for YEARS now, I’ve stopped and started, thrown everything away and started all over again more times than I care to mention.  But this November – instead of fiction for NaNoWriMo I am writing my book and hopefully will have it done and ready to go sometime in 2015. (And if I don’t, feel free to leave me many comments pestering me about it!)  Since I will most likely be e-publishing (and really, it’ll be more of a pamphlet than a book…) I decided to check out the 6 Steps Plan to E-Publishing so I knew what I’d be getting myself into.

I liked that the author not only mentioned how she did things, but other options as well just to give you a variety of information so you could pick what would be best suited for how you are comfortable doing things.  I also liked how she mentioned the KDP guidelines – something I knew nothing about – and special things to keep in mind when putting the book together.

The book also mentions Amazon and the pricing structures which is another thing that I’ve never thought about (which is making me realize I have a LOT still to think about besides content!)

I feel more prepared now to actually do this after reading this book and if you have ever wanted to write and release your own book you should check out this book to find out all that you’ll need to know!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Is the only thing stopping you from e-publishing your book is the “how” to get it done?
The ultimate beginners guide on how to publish and market your e-book with Amazon KDP.
Do you have a great idea for a book but don’t know how to get it published?
Are you ready to fulfill your dream and become a published author?
*Written by Amazon’s #1 best seller author Ally Nathaniel*
In this book you will learn, step by step, how to make your dream of publishing an e-book a reality. Whether you write a children’s book, a fiction/nonfiction or a “how to” book, “The 6 Steps Plan to e-Publishing” will guide you through all the steps you need to follow. From writing your book, publishing it in a kindle format, to marketing it with Amazon, the ultimate e-publishing guide is your road map to fulfilling your dream and publishing your book.
Say good bye to rejection letters and take your destiny to your own hands.
You will learn how to:

• Transform your idea into an e-book
  Create and publish your book in a Kindle format
  Find the perfect illustrator / editor/ ghost writer for your book
  Select the best keywords for your genre
  Choose the right categories for your book

˃˃˃ Are you ready to sell more copies?
This guide will teach you how to :
1. Create an attractive book cover
2. Write a book description that sells
3. Market your e-book

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.