Superstitions for writers

Never end a sentence with a preposition.
Never split an infinitive.
Never split a verb phrase.
Never begin a sentence with And or But.
Never write a one-sentence paragraph.
Never begin a sentence with Because.
Never use since to mean because.
Never use between with more than two objects.
Never use the first-person pronouns I and me.
Never use contractions.
Never use you in referring to your reader.

(Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Usage, Oxford, 1998)

The Ritz

Jing Si aphorisms

When we make great vows, not only do we vow to benefit all sentient beings, we put those vows into practice in our daily lives.

The greatest opportunity is here and now!

We cannot make do without courage, we cannot make do without faith. There is nothing in this world that is impossible, nothing we cannot do. There is only what we are unwilling to do.

When we encounter challenges, it is not because the situation is difficult, but because our minds have become stuck.

Stopping the journey halfway is more troublesome than just reaching the end of the path.

Learn to keep an unwavering mind when dealing with the challenges of the people and things around us; learn to maintain quietness and stillness in movement.

2011 readings

Adams, Douglas. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide, #1-5)
Adler-Olsen, Jussi. The Keeper of Lost Causes (Serie Q, #1)
Ansary, Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes
Benn, James R. Billy Boyle, A World War II Mystery (Billy Boyle World War II, #1)
Black, Cara. Murder in Clichy (Aimee Leduc Investigations, #5)
Black, Cara. Murder in the Palais Royal (Aimee Leduc Investigations, #10)
Camilleri, Andrea. August Heat
Camilleri, Andrea. The Wings of the Sphinx
Churchill, Winston S. Memoirs of the Second World War
Coben, Harlan. The Woods 
Connelly, Michael. Nine Dragons (Harry Bosch, #14)
Connelly, Michael. The Reversal (Mickey Haller, #3)
Cotterill, Colin. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave (Dr. Siri Paiboun Investigation #7)
Cotterill, Colin. Slash and Burn (Dr. Siri Paiboun Investigation #8)
Dawkins, Richard. The God Delusion
DeLillo, Don. Falling Man
Disher, Garry. The Dragon Man (Inspector Challis, #1)
Downing, David. Zoo Station (John Russell, #1)
Drehle, David von. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America 
Edwardson, Ãke. Frozen Tracks (Inspector Winter, #5)
Edwardson, Ãke. The Shadow Woman (Inspector Winter #2)
Eriksson, Kjell. The Cruel Stars of the Night 
Eriksson, Kjell. The Princess of Burundi 
Fairstein, Linda. Killer Heat (Alexandra Cooper, #10)
Fitzgerald, Conor. The Dogs Of Rome (Commissario Alec Blume, #1)
Fossum, Karin. He Who Fears the Wolf
Fossum, Karin. When the Devil Holds the Candle 
Hale, John R. Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy & the Birth of Democracy 
Hastings, Max. Bomber Command 
Hastings, Max. Winston's War: Churchill, 1940-1945 
Heim, Scott. We Disappear 
Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption 
James, Peter. Dead Like You (Roy Grace, #6)
Joss, Morag. Funeral Music
Kneale, Matthew. English Passengers
Knowles, John. A Separate Peace 
Kohl, Christiane. The Witness House: Nazis and Holocaust Survivors Sharing a Villa during the Nuremberg Trials 
Larsson, Stieg. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, #3)
Leon, Donna. A Noble Radiance (Commissario Brunetti #7)
Leon, Donna. A Sea of Troubles 
Lewis, Sinclair. It Can't Happen Here
Mankell, Henning. The Pyramid: And Four Other Kurt Wallander Mysteries 
McCann, Maria. As Meat Loves Salt
Moore, Christopher. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal 
Nesbo, Jo. The Devil's Star (Harry Hole, #5)
Nesbo, Jo. Nemesis 
Nesbo, Jo. The Redbreast (Harry Hole, #3)
Nesbo, Jo. The Snowman 
Nesser, Hakan. Borkmann's Point (Inspector Van Veeteren #2)
Nesser, Hakan. The Inspector and Silence (Inspector Van Veeteren #5)
Nesser, Hakan. Mind's Eye (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Nesser, Hakan. Woman with Birthmark (Inspector Van Veeteren #4)
Philbrick, Nathaniel. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Queijo, Jon. Breakthrough!: How the 10 Greatest Discoveries in Medicine Saved Millions and Changed Our View of the World
Rankin, Ian. Watchman: A Novel
Rees, Matt. The Samaritan's Secret
Rendell, Ruth. The Monster in the Box 
Rendell, Ruth. Not in the Flesh 
Robinson, Peter. Aftermath (Inspector Banks, #12)
Robinson, Peter. Bad Boy (Inspector Banks, #19)
Robinson, Peter. Blood at the Root (Inspector Alan Banks Series #9)
Robinson, Peter. Close to Home (Inspector Alan Banks Series #13)
Robinson, Peter. Cold Is The Grave (Inspector Banks, #11)
Robinson, Peter. The First Cut
Robinson, Peter. In a Dry Season (Inspector Alan Banks Series #10)
Robinson, Peter. Innocent Graves (Inspector Alan Banks Series #8)
Robinson, Peter. Playing with Fire (Inspector Alan Banks Series #14)
Sandford, John. Broken Prey (Lucas Davenport, #16)
Sandford, John. Phantom Prey (Lucas Davenport, #18)
Sandford, John. Rough Country (Virgil Flowers, #3)
Sandford, John. Storm Prey (Lucas Davenport, #20)
Shriver, Lionel. Checker and the Derailleurs: A Novel (P.S.)
Shriver, Lionel. We Need to Talk About Kevin
Sloan, Brian. Tale of Two Summers
Sonnenfeldt, Richard W. Witness to Nuremberg
Stabenow, Dana. A Night Too Dark: A Kate Shugak Novel (Kate Shugak, #17)
Thompson, James. Snow Angels (Inspector Kari Vaara, #1)
Waddell, Martin. The Park in the Dark
Welch, Denton. In Youth Is Pleasure & I Left My Grandfather's House
White, Edmund. City Boy

Holstee Manifesto

Orwell's six rules for writers

• Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. 
• Never use a long word where a short one will do. 
• If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. 
• Never use the passive where you can use the active. 
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. 
• Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

from Politics and the English Language (1946)

Cathy