The New Book Review

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Slum Dog Millionaire Writer Pens New Novel

Title: Six Suspects
Author: Vikas Swarup
ISBN: 878-0-385-60816-9

Reviewed by Aakanksha Singh, Mumbai, India
The dearth of Indian crime fiction has been partially saved by the novel 'Six Suspects' written by Vikas Swarup, better known for his novel, 'Q and A' that was adapted into the Oscar winning film, 'Slumdog Millionaire.' While 'Q and A' was a rather amateurish, not at all researched book with bits of faulty writing, 'Six Suspects' is a tad bit better. While it has its own flaws, it is nonetheless a pretty good detective/thriller story that exposes the corrupt India and has a story that will be lavished by detective fiction lovers/fans.

: Taken from fantasticfiction.co.uk

The plot revolves around Vicky Rai's (the son of the Home Minister of Uttar Pradesh) murder that took place while he was partying at his farmhouse in Delhi to celebrate his acquittal in a Jessica Lall style murder case(only in the book, the girl who was shot dead by Vicky was named Ruby Gill). There are essentially six suspects that are detained by the police as they were found carrying guns. Then, aptly, Swarup goes on and gives elaborate descriptions about all the six suspects and their motives to kill Vicky Rai. The six suspects are a motley crowd-including a sexy actress, an American,a mobile thief, Vicky's own father, a tribal from Andaman and a former chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh. These stories are cleverly interconnected and intelligently converge at Vicky Rai's farmhouse. In the end, an investigative journalist, Arun Advani, solves this murder mystery and the end is, I might say, quite unanticipated! The murderer is an unexpected one.

The story is well structured, with quite a few twists and turns that are definitely surprising.

Along with giving massive details about the life stories of all the six suspects, which by the way takes up a large chunk of the novel, Vikas Swarup also highlights the corruption rampant in India's politics, displays the divide between the rich and poor and the different classes, the world of powerful contacts and influences and several more such instances that reveal the sleazy side of India.

Despite 'Six Suspects' being a good detective read, it still has certain weak spots. Firstly, Vikas Swarup tries to put in a lot of information about India in the novel and most of it is sadly lifted from 'breaking news' sessions of the Indian TV channels that can get monotonous. This aspect makes it look like 'Six Suspects was written for foreign audiences and Swarup was aiming for this book to be made into a film as well. It seems there is a lack of originality. Secondly, certain ideas are rather stereotyped like the American's view of India when he comes for the first time, the bit about Islamic fundamentalists is also very cliched(all Muslims are terrorists and all that crap). Although the story has an unpredictable end, there are times when the stories of the six suspects get predictable-for example, the tribal from Andaman has to be foolish and get duped by several people in India. Why can't the tribals be intelligent for once?And there are several such examples.

There are certain creative bits as well like the English Literature professor ,which the former Chief Secretary met in jail, who expresses himself by uttering book titles only.

So the final verdict would be that 'Six Suspects' is definitely worth a read, a good crime novel that unfortunately shows only a newspaper version of India and does not delve deeper into India's chaotic soul. From the writing it becomes apparent that the India of 'Six Suspects' though very real still has a touch of being seen from a distant lens. The lack of research shows through. So if one knows nothing about India, one can probably grab this book to know about its underbelly and get some background on all the wrong things that happened in the country in the past decade or so.

.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

California Journal Features Calaveras County-Flavored Works

Unknown 20:28 literary journals, poetry 0

Title: Manzanita, Poetry and Prose of the Mother Lode and Sierra
Edited by Monika Rose and Julia Holzer
Genre: Literary Journal
Website: www.manzanitacalifornia.org

Manzanita Features Author's Poetry

Los Angeles, CA--Editors of the literary journal Manzanita, Poetry and Prose of the Mother Lode and Sierra published an anthology of poetry including the work of of UCLA Extension Writers’ Program instructor Carolyn Howard-Johnson in its sixth issue.

The journal is an affiliate of Calavaras Arts Council. It is a printed literary collection of poetry, prose, art and photography of the Mother Lode and Sierra regions of California and features work that appeals to the sensibilities of readers in that area from writers and artists across the U.S. It is edited by Monika Rose and poetry editor is Julia Holzer.

Howard-Johnson's poem is "Sacred Lessons from the Sierra Madre" and features impressions from the poet’s travels in the Sierras in Mexico. Howard-Johnson’s poetry has appeared in literary journals like the Mochila Review, Banyan Review, Pear Noir, Solo Novo, and Poetic Voices. One of her poems won a reader award at The Pedestal Magazine.

Howard-Johnson has studied at UCLA with Suzanne Lummis, editor of Speechless the Magazine (http://www.speechlessthemagazine.org/ ) where work from her chapbook Tracings, winner of Military Writers Society of America’s Award of Excellence and published by Finishing Line Press, was featured.

The poet's literary novel, This Is the Place (www.budurl.com/ThisIsThePlace) , has won eight awards. Her book of creative nonfiction has won three. She is developing a new Celebration Series of poetry chapbooks with Magdalena Ball. Among them are She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook) and Cherished Pulse: Unconventional Love Poetry (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse). She also advocates with authors as the author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers (www.howtodoitfrugally.com).

Learn more about the Manzanita and how to order a copy at: http://www.manzanitacalifornia.org/ .

Learn more about Carolyn Howard-Johnson at http://carolynhoward-johnson.com.

# # # #

Support Materials available on request. Contact: HoJoNews@AOL.com

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Editor Reviews New Jason Jepson Work

Unknown 01:42 Fiction, Nonfiction: Memoir 0

When We Were Young

By Jason Jepson

Authors' Website: www.jasonjepson.com

Genre: fiction, memoirs

ISBN 978-159858-757-9

Publisher: Doge Ear Publishing

Reviewed by Mike Wever, editor Wandering Magazine

When We Were Young

by Jason Jepson

When We Were Young is described by the author as a fictionalized account of his youth, and indeed it reads much more like a memoir of a common man than a novel. Although the main character Jonah learns lessons and grows from his experiences, there is not much sense that Jonah’s biggest problems are resolved and the man’s situation at the end seems little changed from that of the teen at the beginning.

More than anything, this book is an in-depth examination of Jonah. Nothing especially remarkable happens to him between the end of his time in high school and the beginning of his truly adult years, but the steady beat of mundane events work on him like water against a stone. Jonah’s roughest edges are smoothed while the central core of his personality remains intact. It’s hard not to admire Jonah for the convictions he sticks to and easy to forgive the faults he can’t escape.

The writing at times seems a bit self-indulgent, and the things that are important to Jonah come across more from sheer repetition of ideas than masterful description of his emotions or thoughts. Just like with Jonah, however, a number of admirable traits exist among the faults. At a number of critical points in the story Jepson turns a phrase that makes several pages worth of writing click, creating a firm, memorable impression. There are also a number of descriptive passages that rise far above the rest, suggesting that Jepson will be an author who will be even more enjoyable to read with each successive book.

When We Were Young is published by Dog Ear Publishing and is available now through Amazon.

Monday, 27 June 2011

Mystery/Romance Given Rave Review

Unknown 01:51 Fiction: Mystery, Fiction: Romance 0

FIRST STONE ON THE RIGHT

By B. J. Mohr

contact@glenedenpress.com

Genre: mystery/romance

ISBN: 978-0-615-47641-4

Reviewed by Vi Grimba, originally for Amazon. com

I loved this book; could not put it down. This was a beautiful love story. I could actually feel the passion between Jenny and Will. The character development was so vivid that I felt as if I personally knew everyone.

As far as the mystery: It was the best thriller I have read in a very long time. The ending was a complete surprise. I could definitely read this book again.

~Read the First Chapter of First Stone on the Right for FREE by request at: contact@glenedenpress.com."

Saturday, 25 June 2011

Unknown 01:47 Fiction: Horror, Fiction: Mystery, Fiction: Romance 0

Title: Visions

Publisher: Sugar and Spice Press

Publisher's Web site: http://www.sugarspicepress.com

Author: Anna James

ISBN 978-1-936668-19-9

Available from Sugar and Spice Press

Reviewed by David Russell

Once again Anna shows herself to be a consummate ‘crossover’ artist, in this work fusing the genres of detective, horror and romance, with a bit of ghost story thrown in. It sustains drama and suspense throughout, with an intricate plot and fastidious attention to detail.

Very effective use is made of ‘flashback’ technique, which is highlighted in italics – highly reader-friendly. They combine dreams and visions with ‘real’ temporal flashbacks to Prus’s childhood.

This is a really fast-paced narrative – really dynamic opener of a nightmare vision of someone being murdered. My curiosity was immediately aroused as to what triggered off the nightmares. The setting is Salem, Massachusetts. This could not have been more appropriate. This was the scene of some notorious witch hunting in the 18^th Century, celebrated in the 20^th by Arthur Miller’sThe Crucible (Penguin Classics) (otherwise known as The Witches of Salem) which drew analogies between those persecutions and the activities of the Un-American Activities House under Senator Joe McCarthy in the 1950s. Rightly, there are references to this context in the narrative.

Salem turns out to be the birthplace of the heroine Pru (Prudence). Pru revisits her birthplace, and is surprised to find it in good condition, although it has been deserted for many years. Pru has very belatedly discovered that she was adopted, and that her natural parents were murdered, reputedly in the same house. Pru is met by MaryEllen who tells her the place is haunted, and that the murders took place there.

Matt, the detective, had been resident in the vicinity since childhood. He had access to the case files relating to the murder. There had been a serial murderer, Joshua Adams; and after his death a ‘copycat murderer’ who repeated the pattern. There was one vital clue, a piece of plastic stuck to the victim’s shirt.

Excellent fusion of detective and romance with Pru immediately fancying Matt the detective. Highly dramatic when their first tryst is cut short by a violent storm which causes a power cut and a tree to be blown down. (Passion continues to rise in between the interruptions. Lovely sensual description later on, ‘her hips meeting his’. A touch of the domestic too; Pru helps entertain Matt’s parents when they come to dinner.) In the course of the storm, a wall board is damaged, to reveal a staircase leading up to the attic, which could have offered the killer an escape route. Because this route had not been discovered at the time of the murders, it was assumed that there had been a suicide-murder, of man and wife. An escape route called all this into doubt. I was most impressed by the thoroughness of the architectural details.

Pru is determined to go to the attic, to be confronted with a dream assailant, who accuses In her nightmare, of practicing witchcraft. The ‘encounter’ in the attic, to me, fuses vision and reality, past in flashback and present. Traumatized by her realization of the true murderer, Pru has a fall, into unconsciousness, and has to be rushed to hospital.

When she recovers, the killer is revealed. I won’t reveal the killer’s identity here: that must be discovered by reading the book in its entirety – though I’m sure some readers of this review will be making some good guesses. I’ll just drop a hint that jealousy took its part, and that a telltale pen was found in a key location.

After the revelation, the story has a conventional ‘happy ending’ in the form of Pru and Matt deciding to get married. To me this was something of an anticlimax after the intensity of the story itself.

Here is the blurb and short excerpt that can also be included with the review:

Prudence Bailey has just learned that Laura Bailey, the woman she has always believed to be her mother, is in fact a distant cousin. Laura adopted Prudence when she was four years old after her father, Joshua Adams, brutally murdered her mother, Jane, then killed himself.She has no memory of the past and, after Laura’s death, decides to return home to Salem Massachusetts to learn more.

Twenty years have now passed since the murder / suicide took place.

Almost immediately she meets Detective Matt Cavanaugh, her neighbor. Matt is gorgeous and sexy and Pru is instantly attracted to him. Matt is also linked to her past. His father, now a retired police officer, was first on the scene the night of her parents’ deaths.

From the moment she returns Pru experiences visions that lead her to believe that the circumstances surrounding her parents’ deaths are not as they seem. The facts don’t add up. And when a recent murder that Matt is investigating is linked to the past they discover that Pru is right and the killer is still on the loose.

Will they discover the killer’s identity in time or will history repeat itself?

Prologue
Sweat trickled down the sides of her face. Her eyes were huge with fear and tremors racked her body. “No! Please don’t.” Prudence Bailey could hear the terror in the woman’s voice as she begged for her life. Someone came toward the woman; he was holding a knife. Or was it a she? Pru couldn’t tell from this angle. She saw the woman’s arms shoot up to try and ward off her attacker. It was a futile attempt. He overpowered her easily. Then it happened. The knife plunged deep into her chest. The screams were terrifying. She saw the woman crumple but it wasn’t over. The knife plunged into the woman again and again. Finally, the screaming stopped.

Pru shot straight up in bed. She too was drenched with sweat and her body shook with fear. This was the third night this week that she’d had the nightmare. It was the same each time. She pulled the blankets aside and got out of bed. Why is this happening to me? she wondered as she went down the stairs to double check that the windows and doors were locked. She didn’t know but she was sure as hell going to find out.

Thanks you for your consideration.

Happy Reading,

Anna James

Visit me at: http://annajames1.wordpress.com/

Visit me at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001402819536

Friday, 24 June 2011

Deborah Hockenberry Reviews New Linda Nance Book

Unknown 01:13 Fiction 0

TITLE: Life Goes On

AUTHOR: Linda Nance
PUBLISHER: Createspace (October 5, 2000)
FORMAT: Paperback, Kindle
PAGES: 256
PRICE: $12.99 – Paperback, $4.95 – Kindle, C$12.64 (CA), £8.19
ISBN – 10: 1453780130
ISBN – 13: 9781453780138

Reviewed by Deborah Hockenberry

John and Becky had a wonderful life until one day disaster struck. John was laid off at the factory and they all had to move into a rundown apartment building in a very bad neighborhood. Unknown to their children, John and Becky have received an eviction notice to vacate the apartment in ten days.

Their two oldest children were caught up in the neighborhoods activities. Bobby was learning the tricks of the trade of running drugs with the gang he considered his family. The oldest daughter, teenaged Donna, was caught up in the wrong type of crowd constantly partying, doing drugs and drinking. The youngest child, Stacy, was still a good kid but was beginning to following in her older sibling’s footsteps.

It looks like all hope is gone for the family. Ah, but John has a plan. He secretly contacts a relative for help. The relative is more than helpful and offers John more than he could ever hope for.

Neither John nor Becky wanted runaway kids on their hands. They love their children too much and knew the life their kids would be running too. But John and his relative have a plan already in motion to prevent that.

I have to admit that at first I didn’t like Life Goes On since there’s so much attitude and disrespect from the kids. Although this is very realistic, it doesn’t make a relaxing read for me. So, I started it over and was pleasantly surprised after I read on just why Linda Nance started the book the way she did. Soon, I couldn’t put Life Goes On down.

I highly recommend action packed story for both adults and young adults. Life Goes On is a story about what real families can do in the toughest times. Even if the families are separated by states!

You can learn more about Linda Nance by visiting her blog at: http://linda-nance.blogspot.com. You can also find out about Linda at her Amazon Page at: Life Goes On.

Learn more about the reviewer at http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com and
http://debsbookreviews.blogspot.com

-----

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Thursday, 23 June 2011

Cross Genre Fantasy Presented by MuseItUp Publishing

Unknown 01:08 Fiction: Science Fiction/Fantasy 0

Title: Magic Is Faster Than Light
Author: James Hartley
Author's Web site: http://teenangel.netfirms.com.
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-926931-42-5.
Genre: Science-Fiction Flavored Fantasy

" ... Once upon a time there was a spaceship full of witches ..."
Reviewed by Ginger Simpson

Magic is Faster Than Light is not your mother‘s normal romantic fiction. Or, maybe it is if she‘s a fan of quirky scifi stories told by a narrator instead of stepping into the character‘s shoes and seeing the story firsthand. This is my first experience with this style of writing, and I must admit that author, James Hartley, has a remarkable imagination. He has created a story bound to capture the interest of those who like books featuring more than one point of view in a scene. Witches traveling via spacecraft to a new world in a ship destined to kill them, use their magic to save themselves and their family members and land the vessel safely. You don’t have to follow the yellow brick road to get to Oz, and you don’t have to rely on Captain Kirk to steer the Enterprise to a land of people covered with blue fur. Romance? Of course. How else can they repopulate their new home. Magic IS faster than light, and James Hartley proves it with his latest release.

-----

Wednesday, 22 June 2011

Love That Horror...and Sci-Fi...and Romance!

Unknown 02:24 Fiction: Horror, Fiction: Romance, Fiction: Science Fiction/, Fiction: Short Story Collection 0

TITLE: Take One At Bedtime

AUTHOR: Jenny Twist
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: https://sites.google.com/site/jennytwistauthor/
GENRE/CATEGORY: Story Collection of horror, sci-fi and romance
PUBLISHER: Melange Books
ISBN: 978-1-61235-064-6

Reviewed by Mysti Parker on GoodReads.com

If you love easy-to-read short stories, you'll enjoy Jenny Twist's Take One at Bedtime. This anthology of tales ranging from romantic to horrific is the perfect accompaniment for your bedside table.

In fact, for many of the stories, I took Dr. Twist's advice and read one (sometimes two or three on a good night) while I rested in my bed. They're the perfect length for a quick tale before you turn out the light, or during your lunch break, or when you're in a waiting room, or riding on the bus...I think you get my drift.

Most of these stories are set in England or Spain, and Ms. Twist employs her knowledge of both locales very well. The settings and personalities really come to life with her vivid language. Every story begins in a way that pulls the reader in and brings you to a conclusion you usually don't expect. Each tale is unique and paced nicely. I enjoyed them all and was sad when I reached the last page. I think you'll see what I mean when you buy your copy.

You can find Take One at Bedtime at Melange Books in e-book or print format.

Tuesday, 21 June 2011

Well Known Mystery Author Reviews Fellow Author's Book

Unknown 02:32 Fiction: Suspense 0

Title: Night Corridor
Author: Joan Hall Hovey Publisher: BWLPPGenre: Suspense, 258 pagesASIN: B004NSV6TY Price: Kindle eBook: $2.99 Print Book: $10.79Publisher website address: http://bwlpp.com/mysteries.php
Author’s personal website: http://www.joanhallhovey.com

Reviewed by Aaron Paul Lazar

Caroline Hill, a fragile woman who’s seen more than her share of heartbreak, has just been released into the “real” world by the Bayshore Mental Institution, an aging facility recently doomed to closure. Trembling with fear after nine years of incarceration, at the age of twenty-six Caroline is armed only with a handful of memorized phrases from her psychiatrist and a small bag of hand-me-down clothing. She shows up as pre-arranged to a rooming house with a nosy landlady and her marginally challenged nephew, Harold. Once settled, Caroline makes her entrance at Frank’s, a local diner in the small town of St. Simeon, Canada where a dishwashing job awaits her.

Although the Bayshore institution offered safety and familiarity, Caroline is determined not to fail. The last thing she wants is to return to the place where she shared a room with a woman who clicked imaginary knitting needles 24/7.

Caroline’s timing is unfortunate, because the day she arrives in town, a serial killer has left yet another victim for police. And it so happens, the first victim—an aspiring actress on the verge of a breakthrough—lived across the hall from Caroline’s new room. Police and neighbors wonder – could the killer be someone in the rooming house? How did he gain access to the facility? How did he know the first woman? And the second? Both victims were pretty young ladies with brunette hair and blue eyes, Caroline’s exact appearance.

The mystery and suspense in this novel is outstanding, truly top notch, in the vein of Mary Higgins Clark, but—dare I say—even better? What really struck me as brilliant was Ms. Hovey’s ability to paint the picture of an innocent, a woman who’d been raised by an institutional staff since the age of seventeen, when a horrendous event tore her heart out and separated her from reality. Caroline’s inner thoughts, her hesitant and sometimes awkward speech, the turmoil she feels with each simple step toward freedom, her frail courage…each of these felt real and authentic. I grew incredibly fond of this protagonist, and with each brave step she took, I found myself cheering her on.

When Caroline notices a man following her, she wants to tell someone, but what ex-mental patient wouldn’t be afraid to share this news, knowing they’d probably classify her as paranoid and maybe send her back to Bayshore? She squares her shoulders and fights through the fear, soldiering on.

Against the backdrop of Caroline’s painful yet courageous re-entry into society, the low growling drumbeat of violence escalates. More women die, and the pattern heats up. We are given glimpses inside the mind of a seriously sick killer, and realize his delusions stretch far into his past. When Caroline becomes embroiled in the middle of the killer’s elaborate and insane plot to return to a chapter in his history where he was once happy, the action escalates and takes us on a heart-pounding rollercoaster ride to a satisfying finish.

Joan Hall Hovey has written yet another winner. I highly recommend it to any lover of suspense, mystery, romance, or thriller. You’ll not only race through this book, but clamor for more works by this talented and polished author.

The reviewer is Aaron Lazar who writes the

LEGARDE MYSTERIES

DOUBLE FORTE' (2004)

UPSTAGED (2005)

TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON (2007)

MAZURKA (2009)

FIRESONG (COMING SOON! JULY 2011)

DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (APRIL 2012)

MOORE MYSTERIES

HEALEY'S CAVE (2010)

TERROR COMES KNOCKING (JAN 2012)

FOR KEEPS (FEB 2012)

TALL PINES MYSTERIES

FOR THE BIRDS (COMING SOON! OCTOBER 2011)

ESSENTIALLY YOURS (COMING SOON! MARCH 2012)

Awards:

WINNER 2011 Eric Hoffer BEST Book, COMMERCIAL FICTION * GRAND PRIZE FINALIST Eric Hoffer Book Award 2011 * Preditors & Editors Readers Choice Award – 2^nd place 2011* Winner of Carolyn Howard Johnsons’ 9^th Annual Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize for Literature 2011 * Finalist Allbooks Editors Choice Awards 2011 * Preditors&Editors Top 10 Finalist * Yolanda Renee's Top Ten Books 2008 * MYSHELF Top Ten Reads 2008 * Writers' Digest Top 101 Website Award 2009 & 2010

www.legardemysteries.com

www.mooremysteries.com

www.murderby4.blogspot.com

www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com

----

Monday, 20 June 2011

In Celebration of Father's Day

Unknown 17:45 chapbooks, poetry 0

Imagining the Future: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions

Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball have woven their Imagining the Future: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions (Volume 1) on March 22, 2010, together like sisters of the same mind when it comes to the men in their lives. Carolyn begins her medley of childhood memories beginning with “All the sound in the world sucked to a waving wailing note as I perch on my father’s knee.” Later giftedly pondering, “The things I didn’t know about my father, his coming and goings, the fearing he would not return. One day, only a dawn or decade ago, he didn’t.”

“Then, then!” writes Carolyn, “Decades of dread (conflicts?) with names we remember and some we don't. Bosnia, Kosovo, First (!) Gulf War, Korean, Bay of Pigs, Rwanda,

Afghanistan, the Berlin Crisis for god's sake. More than 300 of them, words like the bass beat of drums. Vietnam when those troops who did come home couldn't walk or wouldn't talk. I tell my grandson, then only 12, how we who remember the grunt of that war see it differently from those who marched in the Double W Wars, wars when we wanted to be there.”

Carolyn Howard-Johnson's grandson served two tours in Iraq. Her husband is a retired Army officer who served in the 1960s Berlin call up. I can hear the sober sounds of the National Anthem in the background of all her poetry, with the throat voice of Uncle Sam warning, “I want him. He’s mine. You can’t have him!” All wives and little girls cry.

Magdalena pulls metaphors out of the air with, “You recede a little more. I reach for you over thought waves little girl’s hand hung in the air your absence, finally, matches reality to imagination trying to get truth from pretty metaphors that can’t touch your flesh still young somewhere while the precious science you drank like fine wine grinds your atoms to dust.”

Carolyn Howard Johnson and Magdalena Ball have written a wonderful little memoir celebrating Father’s Day and all their sacrifices as girls and women growing up in the 50’s and together they swam through a remembered past. I recommend this little gem and I give it Five Stars for Amazon. Happy Father’s Day to all…wives, children and our husbands who take care of our very basic needs while we write poetry.

By Joyce White

Sculpting the Heart Book Reviews

Joyce White
Author
Sculpting the Heart with Art Therapy
Read Now - http://bit.ly/d1jGLN
Twitter - @wjoycewhite

Joyce White

Barbara Bailey Reviews Laura Mays Hoopes New Book

Unknown 01:50 Nonfiction: Feminist, Nonfiction: Women's 0

Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling: An American Woman Becomes a DNA Scientist
Laura L Mays Hoopes Author's web site: http://www.lauralmayshoopes.com
paperback
176 pages
Lulu.com
# ISBN-10: 0557923204
# ISBN-13: 978-0557923205
Memoir

Reviewed by Barbara Bailey, Oak Hills, CA for Amazon.com
Five stars

Laura Hoopes tells us her life story in Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling that is similar to so many women of her time and still to many women today.

If you are expecting a flaming feminist report on the unfairness of women's treatment in academia, then you've come to the wrong place. Her story is not riddled with blame but a play-by-play interpretation of her quest as an intelligent and motivated young woman of the 1960s who fought to reach her goal of becoming a DNA scientist. She tells us about the snubs and betrayals, but we are not invited to see bitterness and anger. Instead, Hoopes invites us to take a look at what kind of person her journey has molded her into. And, the humor and gentleness in explaining complex biological concepts shows that Hoopes found her niche as a teacher and mentor to her students.

It's that insightfulness that makes this a charming read. Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling should be required reading for every young woman to see that they are standing on the shoulders of women who fought the first battles of having a career, family, friendships, and love despite the trials they faced and came out with battle scars but still hopeful and still smiling.

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Saturday, 18 June 2011

Unknown 02:07 Fiction: Fantasy 0

Title: The Fiddler’s Talisman Subtitle: Book 1 of The Fairy Godmother Diaries
Author: Izolda Trakhtenberg
ISBN: 978-0-9802298-1-3
Category: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
Release Date: March 25, 2011
Length: 344 pages
Retail price: $7.99 (3.49 shipping and 6% tax if ordered in Maryland)
Binding: perfect pocket paperback

Reviewered by Elena Khazanova, orignially at amazon.com

A scotch-drinking, boots-wearing fairy Godmother, her brilliant but fragile charge who loses her sunny disposition as a result of a heartbreak, and a couple or sexy, talented yet sweet guys thrown into the mix - what fun! The writing is light and rich, speaks to your senses (even the detailed description of classical performances were engaging, which surprised me - I am not really the one to listen to classical music, let alone READ about it), and the food! I'd buy the book just for the wonders of that magical ice cream shop and to drool over the spectacular meals and desserts, and to dream about a cute Irish bartender building me a perfect Guinness!

Hope in the next book we'll get to travel again (the Ireland scenes were spectacular), and see the young Jo blossom even more into a fiesty, gutsy woman she is meant to be. I love reading about the intricacies of the fairy society: their relationships, how the fairy rules are enforced, who takes care of their charges when a Godmother needs a break, all that geeky stuff. -Elena Khazanova

Overall impression of the book: entertaining, funny, unsentimental though tender at times, well-paced, engaging, quirky and fun!

Friday, 17 June 2011

Ray Clenments Pens New Book on Spirituality

Unknown 01:58 0

Title Zor

Author Ray Clements (J.B.)

Author's Web Site: www.GoToZor.com

Genre: Spirituality-mind,body,spirit

ISBN: 978-1452895406

Reviewed by Lisa Brown for the Book Worm Society

Reviewers Rating: 5 Star

Review

Zor by JB is a sagacious novel that ingeniously combines the worlds of the Consciousness, Spirituality and Quantum level science as definitive proof of the capabilities of human beings. The novel's main character - John is in deep need of spiritual guidance and Zor is the protagonist and spiritual guide that enlightens John into a new understanding of life and reality. The book is clear, concise and very easy to relate to.

As a devoted spiritualist and bookfreak for many years I have had the opportunity to read and study some of the most profound spiritual documents ever written. Some of those books left me with dangling unanswered questions. Other books inspired me to seek more information for further enlightenment and some books just left me confused, however Zor is one of the few books that has everything so well put together. I have finally found the book that I am sure one day will be considered a modern day gospel by all those that have the opportunity to read it. The book sums up and explains many theories that are normally expressed as separate doctrine. I found this book to be a god send and many others will find it just as valuable as there are many of us that are losing our faith because of the onerous road that life is to travel.

Zor encompasses all the main tenets of every possible spiritual belief and tangent scientific spiritual theories as we may or may not know them. Zor does not just lay out spiritual theories for the reader to make their own connections to, Zor demonstrates the theories in living color for the reader to absorb and understand. Although some of the theories are familiar this book is a great expression of all of the theories. The novel encompasses the following teachings: the effects of negative thinking, how our thoughts effect our realities, the energetic interconnection of all living things, the true affects of placebos on the mind and body, the comprehension of evil and dispelling it, the power of prayer, the power of meditation, the real reason for the building of the Hadron Collider and even Quantum physics and its relation to our spiritual being. Additionally, the book contains many more spiritual teachings but to name them all would do a disservice to the author and potential readers you need to experience this book for yourself.

From the outset, the book draws you in with the initial meeting between John Brewster and Zor. Zor is a dwarf and is targeted and insulted by some ignorant people. Zor does not respond to the insults and this lack of a reaction amazes John. Zor's refusal to indulge in the negative behavior brings about a perfect explanation of the damaging effects of negative thoughts and actions. The descriptions that are used to explain the debilitating effects of negative energy are to say the least completely accurate. Negative energy corrupts and destroys. I can say this because I have personally watched how negative energy destroyed someone's mental well being and health until it caused their suffering and death.

I could compare this book to other books pertaining to spirituality in modern day but this book bears no exact likeness to other books of this nature as it is a compendium of spiritual knowledge. This book really hit home with me because as I read it, I saw the connections that I made through my own pursuit of spiritual enlightenment come together as a whole. Without giving away too much more of the book I would like to emphatically endorse this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether they are spiritually enlightened or just trying to make due while healing your life borne wounds, this book contains the spiritual "band aids" that we all need. (Reprinted with permission)