Category Archives: Books

The Search for Words

When You Cannot Remember the Word (Lethologica)

By Annette Rey

When you are writing, it seems inevitable, interruptions occur that waylay your train of thought; the jangling of the telephone, the doorbell rings, a family member talks to you. That’s bad enough.

What about the pauses in your writing when you can’t remember the right word you know should go right in that spot in your sentence? You’re on a roll and your fingers are moving deftly, except for that!

I have two very good tools to help shorten that unwanted pause, and to get your mind back on writing.

Continue reading →

A Reference Book Suggestion

A Useful Tool

By Annette Rey

A book I support for writers and for just any person who wants to increase their vocabulary is: The Penquin Rhyming Dictionary. On first glance, a person who is not a poet might think this book has no use for them. But this is a great source for expanding your knowledge of words.

Continue reading →

Helpful Reference Books for Writers

Who’s (oops) Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway? by C. Edward Good

The Big Ten of Grammar by William B. Bradshaw, PhD

Woe is I by Patricia T. O’Conner

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White

The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing by Thomas S. Kane

Punctuation, Plain and Simple by Edgar C. Alward and Jean A. Alward

Prentice Hall Reference Guide by Muriel Harris

Getting the Words Right, How to Rewrite, Edit, and Revise by Theodore A. Rees Cheney

 

Grammar Matters

By Annette Rey

A myriad of grammar guides exist and I have half a dozen of them. The one I find most extensive and simply written is Who’s (oops) Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway? By C. Edward Good. This book was originally published as A Grammar Book for You and I (oops! Me). This is my go-to resource for sentence construction.

Continue reading →

CSI Books for Kids

By Annette Rey

Most writers have children. If you are a crime/mystery writer, you might want to share what you do with your appropriately-aged kids. It never hurts to have more understanding between parents and children. And all parents should encourage their children to read.

Following is a list from my local library of CSI books for kids.

Crime Scene by Vivien Bowers

Forensic Science by Ron Fridell

Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries by Elizabeth MacLeod

Crime Scene Science Projects by Elizabeth Harris

Dusted and Busted!: The Science of Fingerprinting by D. B. Beres

Fingerprints: Crime Solving Science Experiments by Kenneth G. Rainis

Hair, Clothing and Tire Track Evidence by Kenneth G. Rainis

Blood and DNA Evidence by Kenneth G. Rainis

Forgery: Crime Solving Experiments by Brian Lane

Crime and Detection by Brian Lane

Gut-eating Bugs: Maggots Reveal the Time of Death by Danielle Denega

The Human Body: Investigating an Unexplained Death by Andrew Solway

And, finally:

Forensics: Uncover the Science and Technology of Crime Scene Investigation by Carla Mooney

These books sound exciting. The ones on science experiments should appeal to both you and your children. What parent isn’t looking to guide their child for the annual Science Project at school?

There’s more to learn where this came from. Visit your public library.

 

 

 

Crime Investigation Book List

By Annette Rey

Writers can always use a concise list of category-specific books. Following is a list from my public library.

FBI Handbook of Crime Scene Forensics

Forensic Science (3 volume reference set)

The CSI Effect by Katherine Ramsland

The Real World of a Forensic Scientist by Henry Lee

Forensics the Easy Way by Harold Trimm

The Mammoth Book of Crime Scene Investigation by Roger Wilkes, B.A. (editor)

Aftermath, Inc.: Cleaning Up After CSI Goes Home by Gil Reavill

Teasing Secrets from the Dead by Emily Craig

Murderous Methods: Using Forensic Science to Solve Lethal Crimes by Mark Benecke

Cracking More Cases: The Forensic Science of Solving Crimes by Henry C. Lee

Shocking Cases From Dr. Henry Lee’s Forensic Files by Henry C. Lee

A Question of Murder by Cyril Wecht

Tales from the Morgue: Forensic Answers to Nine Famous Cases by Cyril Wecht

The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds by Katherine Ramsland

Ultimate CSI by Catherine Marrinan

Dead Center: Behind the Scenes at the World’s Largest Medical Examiner’s Office by Shiya Ribowsky

And finally:

Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution of Forensic Science by William Bass

I don’t know about you, but I want to read all of these!