Untimely Book Reviews: Smelters, Screech Owls, and Sunrises in the Saddle

Happy National Book Lovers Day to those who observe. Celebrate with our inaugural UBR

Becoming a writer doesn’t happen without first becoming a reader. I kept a flashlight hidden by my bed for years as a child. I’m not sure whether I was a bad sleeper or just an extremely devoted bookworm. Once the lights were off, the flashlight clicked on. I would read until 4 a.m. sometimes, drunk on the majesty of worlds beyond my own.

These days, I d…