By Phil Cousineau, Viva Editions, $15.95, 310 pages
Writer’s block isn’t always just staring at a blank page. Sometimes it creeps up on you in the form of not finding the one right word to bring those sentences or meanings together. Word Catcher: An Odyssey Into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words offers words using root definitions to find meaning that wasn’t there before. It provides the history, origin and usage of each word genuinely training your brain to analyze words for their truest form. Laid out in alphabetical order, each chapter offers a few to multiple words, history, fun trivia, examples and definitions for that particular letter of the alphabet.
If you are a writer, wordsmither or even just a wannabe, this book is an awe-inspiring reference to guide you through those scary moments of finding just the right word to woo your readers and show-off your knowledge panache.