This review doesn't quite fit the usual guidelines for reviews on this blog but one of the joys of being a blogger is that it's yours. (-: I liked the personal quality and hope you will, too. It's sent by writer, publicist and reader, Diane Ward.
Hi Carolyn:
As Thanksgiving draws near. I want to thank you for all the tips and encouragement and leadership you share with all us wannabe writers.
Sometimes I look back at things I've written and think "thank goodness nothing came of it." Anyhow, I want to share the very minimal and basic
book review I said I'd write on Notes on Life, by Eleanor Coppola as well as one by Dee Dee Myers called Why Women Should Rules The World. Dee Dee is former white house press secretary for Bill Clinton, and as many know, Eleanor is the wife of Francis Ford Coppola.
What strikes me as significant, is that both women have an amazing capacity for being around very powerful and successful men. In a strange way, I see these women as being flip sides of the same coin. Eleanor, by nature of her marriage to Francis and raising his three children - is feeling unrequited and somewhat of a second class citizen since the glory and the accolades are always bestowed on her husband. When her daughter Sophia Coppola begins to navigate a career for herself in his film world, Eleanor, expresses a quiet jealousy and competitiveness that mothers and daughters have anyway but this relationship seems doomed from the get-go.
As a parent, it is always assumed that our children will succeed us in life, but when death takes away Eleanor's first-born son, I don't think she ever quite recovers. There is a subtle depression that permeates the entire work and overshadows her thoughts and her ability to engage with her husband and his
entourage. She is in a tough spot. She shares the fact that her husband is the prodigy of Italian men who feel a woman's place is in the kitchen and for raising children.
Yet, Eleanor does not dispel the double standard this myth creates by pointing out that Francis' sister Talia, certainly has a first rate acting career and has been helped by roles she was given by her brother. Talia, has also married rich and successful men and this point is not mentioned or even addressed. Nepotism plays such a heavy hand in the Coppola family that it seems as though it is an entitlement and any one who wants to criticize this fact will be ostracized from the possibility of ever being included in the inner-workings of this entertainment family dynasty.
No one really talks about it except when Eleanor loosely brings it up as she reflects on Sophia's being cast as replacement actress for Winona Ryder in the Godfather series when Winona becomes ill and has to drop out of the shoot. Sophia is made to look like the victim when certain press releases include the fact that Sophia was really too young for that part and only earned it because her father was the director.... Eleanor herself is always included in the budget of the film, either by doing consultant work and/or taking photographs for the possibility of making a documentary on the work. The price one pays for privilege is almost more than one can bear.
Dee Dee Myers on the other-hand, seems more angry than depressed. She finds herself in a job surrounded by sycophants and hangers on, not unlike the circus feeling that permeates the environment Eleanor Coppola has found herself in. To be the most important person in a job next to the President of the United States of America and have staff constantly undermining her authority and her position is not without its own kind of pain.
Outside of the Honorable Senator Dianne Feinstein and a few other women in her political circle, Ms. Myers was alone and abused. She had no one to turn to and no one trust.
The same climate seemed to filter around Eleanor, although with all her personal misgivings, she had at least one or two true girlfriends that she could count on when things got tough. For Dee Dee, the circumstances she found herself in seemed to be way more than she could handle without knowing who she could truly trust in tough times. Both women were in circles that attracted insincere people who pretend to be what they are not. That would make anyone paranoid and untrusting.
I came away feeling mixed emotions about what, if anything, both these women could have done to make their situation better. Once Dee Dee Myers got away from her job and found a husband and family of her own, she seemed to be stronger and less impacted by the negatives in her Washington world. Eleanor, on the other hand, is still the wife of Francis, still the mother for Roman and Sophia. Her blessings, may be her curse. I wish for both women to be strong and happy in their work and their lives. I want them to make my life better because of what they are going through. Maybe it's too much pressure on them.
Technorati Tags:
Nonfiction: Memoir, , eleanor coppola, dee dee myers, Diane Ward (Reviewer), bill clinton, diane feinstein, sophia coppola, frances ford coppola, depression, women's nonfiction, feminist nonfiction,
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Reviews for "Off Kilter" by Linda Wisniewski are On Target
Title: Off Kilter: A Woman's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother, & Her Polish Heritage
Author: Linda C. Wisniewski
Genre: Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-59719-012-1
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
Publisher: Pearlsong Press
Reviewed by: Duffie Bart for StoryCircle Book Reviews
Wisniewski begins her memoir, "My mother was unconscious at the moment I was born and I longed all my life to make her see me." She describes her mother as a woman bullied by her husband, overwhelmed by life, who chose to hide, to ignore her daughter (or, still worse, put her down), and to escape into silence and passivity. Having had an emotionally cold mother myself, I have boundless admiration for this author's ability and willingness to confront a painful relationship. With her exceptional sensibilities, she excavates her memories with courage and tenacity. Her words are sometimes painful to read. At the same time, I feel a kind of healing power emanating from her honest recollections, a healing power perhaps for both writer and reader.
The mother-daughter relationship, seminal though it was, is by no means the singular focus of this memoir. Wisniewski honors all the members of the family into which she was born, in spite of its often dysfunctional dynamics. She honors the past, her Polish heritage. She writes about her Catholic education, the insensitivity of the nuns her failed marriages, and so much more. She writes of her life spent pleasing "teachers, employers, parents, boyfriends, husbands, twisting myself into someone I can’t be. I hurt when I do this, because it’s not natural." She relates her journey moving away from this futile way of being. The path she chose was to become herself, accept her emotional and physical handicaps, stretch herself, and take bigger and bigger risks despite her shyness.
Ultimately, the author comes to a place of inner peace: "The good memories return, like a tide that has been out for decades. Freed from some long-forgotten dam, they return to me, washing me in their healing waters. More and more often, I remember a golden day. I hear my people laughing. I am supported and surrounded by love."
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Reviewed by: Susan Tiberghien
Off Kilter opens a window into a woman's life as she comes to peace with her Polish ancestry, her mother’s depressive behavior, and her own scoliosis, a side-to-side curvature of the spine, discovered when she was thirteen. Linda Wisniewski weaves the threads beautifully together, sometimes on a slant, as she leads the reader into the compelling story of a survivor. After a few pages, the reader is captured by the author’s voice--both heartfelt and perceptive, that of a friend--and by the narrative itself.
Wisniewski's memoir is a tapestry, each thread connecting back to memories of her Polish Catholic childhood in a postwar mill town in upstate New York--the two-story clapboard houses, the polka weddings, the house full of talking relatives, the best kielbasa from the Polish butcher--struggling to find herself in the midst of her father's torments, her mother's tears, and the discipline of the Sisters at school, their voices cold as ice.
As the author writes her way through the remembered moments of her life, she finds herself no longer at loose ends with her childhood, but instead fitting the ends into the pattern of her life. Even her mother finds her place. When Linda sews, each sound, each touch, becomes a thread to her mother. "The feel of the tissue paper pattern, the placement of the pins attaching it to the fabric just the way I watched her do it. The chop, chop of the scissors taking me back to the kitchen table that was her cutting board."
The broken yardstick from her mother's sewing becomes the talisman of her life. "The yardstick resembles my life; it has broken parts. Nothing has been a straight line from here to there." Her back has been twisted by scoliosis. Her body and life have been off kilter. But the yardstick, mended and carefully glued back together, is now hers. It measures her struggle to stretch not only her spine but also her Self.
Bravo for this well-written, well-conceived memoir. The many different scenes of Wisniewski's life are beautifully described--specific details that the reader sees, touches, and feels. And always with honesty and integrity.
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To find out more about Off Kilter and Linda Wisniewski, please visit: http://www.lindawis.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Author: Linda C. Wisniewski
Genre: Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-59719-012-1
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
Publisher: Pearlsong Press
Reviewed by: Duffie Bart for StoryCircle Book ReviewsWisniewski begins her memoir, "My mother was unconscious at the moment I was born and I longed all my life to make her see me." She describes her mother as a woman bullied by her husband, overwhelmed by life, who chose to hide, to ignore her daughter (or, still worse, put her down), and to escape into silence and passivity. Having had an emotionally cold mother myself, I have boundless admiration for this author's ability and willingness to confront a painful relationship. With her exceptional sensibilities, she excavates her memories with courage and tenacity. Her words are sometimes painful to read. At the same time, I feel a kind of healing power emanating from her honest recollections, a healing power perhaps for both writer and reader.
The mother-daughter relationship, seminal though it was, is by no means the singular focus of this memoir. Wisniewski honors all the members of the family into which she was born, in spite of its often dysfunctional dynamics. She honors the past, her Polish heritage. She writes about her Catholic education, the insensitivity of the nuns her failed marriages, and so much more. She writes of her life spent pleasing "teachers, employers, parents, boyfriends, husbands, twisting myself into someone I can’t be. I hurt when I do this, because it’s not natural." She relates her journey moving away from this futile way of being. The path she chose was to become herself, accept her emotional and physical handicaps, stretch herself, and take bigger and bigger risks despite her shyness.
Ultimately, the author comes to a place of inner peace: "The good memories return, like a tide that has been out for decades. Freed from some long-forgotten dam, they return to me, washing me in their healing waters. More and more often, I remember a golden day. I hear my people laughing. I am supported and surrounded by love."
-----
Reviewed by: Susan Tiberghien
Off Kilter opens a window into a woman's life as she comes to peace with her Polish ancestry, her mother’s depressive behavior, and her own scoliosis, a side-to-side curvature of the spine, discovered when she was thirteen. Linda Wisniewski weaves the threads beautifully together, sometimes on a slant, as she leads the reader into the compelling story of a survivor. After a few pages, the reader is captured by the author’s voice--both heartfelt and perceptive, that of a friend--and by the narrative itself.
Wisniewski's memoir is a tapestry, each thread connecting back to memories of her Polish Catholic childhood in a postwar mill town in upstate New York--the two-story clapboard houses, the polka weddings, the house full of talking relatives, the best kielbasa from the Polish butcher--struggling to find herself in the midst of her father's torments, her mother's tears, and the discipline of the Sisters at school, their voices cold as ice.
As the author writes her way through the remembered moments of her life, she finds herself no longer at loose ends with her childhood, but instead fitting the ends into the pattern of her life. Even her mother finds her place. When Linda sews, each sound, each touch, becomes a thread to her mother. "The feel of the tissue paper pattern, the placement of the pins attaching it to the fabric just the way I watched her do it. The chop, chop of the scissors taking me back to the kitchen table that was her cutting board."
The broken yardstick from her mother's sewing becomes the talisman of her life. "The yardstick resembles my life; it has broken parts. Nothing has been a straight line from here to there." Her back has been twisted by scoliosis. Her body and life have been off kilter. But the yardstick, mended and carefully glued back together, is now hers. It measures her struggle to stretch not only her spine but also her Self.
Bravo for this well-written, well-conceived memoir. The many different scenes of Wisniewski's life are beautifully described--specific details that the reader sees, touches, and feels. And always with honesty and integrity.
-----
To find out more about Off Kilter and Linda Wisniewski, please visit: http://www.lindawis.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Debra Gaynor Reviews Memoir Full of Humility
A Full House But Empty
By Angus Munro
ISBN: 9780595437191
IUniverse, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com
5 Stars
Inspiring…
A Full House—But Empty is a story that will bring a smile to your face and tears to your eyes. Angus Munro writes with great humility. I found myself respecting him more and more as I read his memoir.
He calls himself a neat freak. As a child, he was responsible for cleaning the house, cleaning up after poker games, and after the many frequent guests. As an adult, he never felt himself above cleaning the office on weekends. I know some neat freaks. Most complain the whole time they are cleaning up after someone else. Munro does not appear to have that type of personality. He sees something that needs to be done, and he just does it. His mantra is “Whatever you do follow through.” His work ethic is one that is to be admired. Rarely in this day do you meet someone that believes it is a privilege to have a job.
His father’s mantra of “do the right thing” has play a big part in Munro’s life as it should in all lives. It is an honor to recommend A Full House—But Empty to fellow readers. I commend Mr. Munro for living a life worth looking up to. There are not many heroes left in this world, but I deem Mr. Munro a hero.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
By Angus Munro
ISBN: 9780595437191
IUniverse, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com
5 Stars
Inspiring…
A Full House—But Empty is a story that will bring a smile to your face and tears to your eyes. Angus Munro writes with great humility. I found myself respecting him more and more as I read his memoir.
He calls himself a neat freak. As a child, he was responsible for cleaning the house, cleaning up after poker games, and after the many frequent guests. As an adult, he never felt himself above cleaning the office on weekends. I know some neat freaks. Most complain the whole time they are cleaning up after someone else. Munro does not appear to have that type of personality. He sees something that needs to be done, and he just does it. His mantra is “Whatever you do follow through.” His work ethic is one that is to be admired. Rarely in this day do you meet someone that believes it is a privilege to have a job.
His father’s mantra of “do the right thing” has play a big part in Munro’s life as it should in all lives. It is an honor to recommend A Full House—But Empty to fellow readers. I commend Mr. Munro for living a life worth looking up to. There are not many heroes left in this world, but I deem Mr. Munro a hero.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Vixen's Daily Reads Reviews "Murder Takes the Cake" by Gayle Trent
Title: Murder Takes the Cake
Author: Gayle Trent
Genre: Southern (Cozy) Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-9802453-6-3
Format: Paperback, 260 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books, an imprint of Belle Books
Awards: Murder Takes the Cake was a semi-finalist in Amazon.com's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest
Reviewed by Vixen's Daily Reads
Murder Takes the Cake is a fast read and starts and ends with a "What the .....?" The bang starts when Daphne of Daphne's Delectable Cakes brings what she hopes is the cake to win Yodel Watson's approval. Instead she finds the body of Mrs Watson on her couch...the dead body of Mrs Watson.
Daphne calls 911 and her life as she knows it is changed and not for the better. Her credibility is suspect as are her cakes. This is not good since she has moved back to her hometown of Brea Ridge, Virginia to rebuild her life after a failed marriage and a dead-end job.
There was a lot of action that occurred in a small amount of time, but that didn't seem to bother me as it might have in another book. Cozies have to move fast, only so many pages to git'r'dun. I liked all of the nice characters and laughed at the funny ones. There were some shady characters too, that received my dislike. I absolutely was startled to find out whodunnit at the end and it was not one of those lame-o choices so the author could hurry and finish up.
I could identify with Daphne's relationship with her family. I think this was the part I liked best. Daphne has a cautious and teeth gritting relationship with her mother, a loving warm one with her father and her sister.
And the cake baking and decorating!!! I didn't get the recipes in the copy I reviewed, so will get the book just for those. This is one of my criteria for a cozy, it makes me want to learn how to do the activity that's the basis of the character and story... This one makes me want to learn how to decorate cakes.
Four frosted beans!
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To find out more about the Gayle Trent and Murder Takes the Cake, please visit: http://www.gayletrent.com
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Author: Gayle Trent
Genre: Southern (Cozy) Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-9802453-6-3
Format: Paperback, 260 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books, an imprint of Belle Books
Awards: Murder Takes the Cake was a semi-finalist in Amazon.com's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest
Reviewed by Vixen's Daily ReadsMurder Takes the Cake is a fast read and starts and ends with a "What the .....?" The bang starts when Daphne of Daphne's Delectable Cakes brings what she hopes is the cake to win Yodel Watson's approval. Instead she finds the body of Mrs Watson on her couch...the dead body of Mrs Watson.
Daphne calls 911 and her life as she knows it is changed and not for the better. Her credibility is suspect as are her cakes. This is not good since she has moved back to her hometown of Brea Ridge, Virginia to rebuild her life after a failed marriage and a dead-end job.
There was a lot of action that occurred in a small amount of time, but that didn't seem to bother me as it might have in another book. Cozies have to move fast, only so many pages to git'r'dun. I liked all of the nice characters and laughed at the funny ones. There were some shady characters too, that received my dislike. I absolutely was startled to find out whodunnit at the end and it was not one of those lame-o choices so the author could hurry and finish up.
I could identify with Daphne's relationship with her family. I think this was the part I liked best. Daphne has a cautious and teeth gritting relationship with her mother, a loving warm one with her father and her sister.
And the cake baking and decorating!!! I didn't get the recipes in the copy I reviewed, so will get the book just for those. This is one of my criteria for a cozy, it makes me want to learn how to do the activity that's the basis of the character and story... This one makes me want to learn how to decorate cakes.
Four frosted beans!
-----
To find out more about the Gayle Trent and Murder Takes the Cake, please visit: http://www.gayletrent.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Mark Chitty Reviews Sci-Fi Pubbed by Myrmidon
Title: Space Captain Smith
Author: Toby Frost
Website: http://www.spacecaptainsmith.com/
Genre: Science Fiction/Humour
ISBN: 1905802137
ISBN-13: 978-1905802135
Format: Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Myrmidon Books
Rating: 9/10
Reviewed by Mark Chitty for Walker of Worlds, http://walkerofworlds.blogspot.com
Isambard Smith has been drafted for a mission - to collect a passenger, Rhianna, for one planet and take her to another. He's given a small, pretty pathetic ship, the John Pym, a pilot in Carveth, an android and former sex-bot that is on the run, and he brings along his alien friend, Suruk the Slayer, an M'Lak with an unhealthy obsession with collecting skulls.
With this mission, and representing the British Empire, he goes off with tea in his cup and not much of a clue. Picking up Rhianna he ends up running into the Ghast, who want nothing more than to destroy humanity, and John Gilead from the religiously fanatical Republic of Eden.
Can Captain Smith complete his mission, can he put the Ghast in their place for interfering in his mission, and can he have biscuits with his tea?
Space Captain Smith is Toby Frost's debut and a thoroughly enjoyable and very British space adventure, somewhat describable as a high seas British Empire novel in space. Despite how this sounds, it just works so well. The humour, which is decidedly British, is prevalent throughout and not a page goes by without a smile coming to my face in some way. It comes from not only the dialogue, which is witty and fun, but also from the scenarios that the crew are put in.
Talking about the crew (and characters in general): they are so well suited to exactly this sort of situation. Isambard Smith is completely British, right to the bone, and some of his views of the universe and other life living within is completely ridiculous - but it just works. Carveth is great to read simply because you don't know what you'll get next, but it's sure to be amusing. And Suruk, well, he steals the novel. Completely obsessed with war, killing and collecting skulls he can turn any situation in to an opportunity for battle and glory.
Here are just some reasons why I enjoyed it so much:
Suruk the Slayer on racial issues:
"Petty prejudice does not interest my people. A wise warrior once told me: 'Respect your brother M'Lak, no matter what shade of greenish-grey he may be'."
And of human racial issues:
"Many colours of skin are there, many different shades of face. But if you look within, deep inside a person, human beings are all alike. Red and squelchy."
Carveth, the former sex-bot, on how their ship was damaged and what happened:
"Well, we were cruising, hardly looking for action at all, when suddenly the Ghasts jumped us from behind, stuck a torpedo up our back end and blew our motors out. They must have seen that we were exposed at the rear because they stuck out their tube so they could come inside, but the captain ordered us to get our tools ready and beat them off if they tried to enter us by force. They all came at us at once down the passage, but what with Smith shooting off from the hip and me pumping my piece for all I was worth, we were able to give them a good seeing-to until they had to withdraw. We were knackered, though. We could hardly pull off, let alone thrust, so we saw this lake and decided to dump in the water until we were able to repair the ship and get it up again. That's pretty much the size of it."
Space Captain Smith is a great, refreshing read and is very highly recommended.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Author: Toby Frost
Website: http://www.spacecaptainsmith.com/
Genre: Science Fiction/Humour
ISBN: 1905802137
ISBN-13: 978-1905802135
Format: Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Myrmidon Books
Rating: 9/10
Reviewed by Mark Chitty for Walker of Worlds, http://walkerofworlds.blogspot.com
Isambard Smith has been drafted for a mission - to collect a passenger, Rhianna, for one planet and take her to another. He's given a small, pretty pathetic ship, the John Pym, a pilot in Carveth, an android and former sex-bot that is on the run, and he brings along his alien friend, Suruk the Slayer, an M'Lak with an unhealthy obsession with collecting skulls.
With this mission, and representing the British Empire, he goes off with tea in his cup and not much of a clue. Picking up Rhianna he ends up running into the Ghast, who want nothing more than to destroy humanity, and John Gilead from the religiously fanatical Republic of Eden.
Can Captain Smith complete his mission, can he put the Ghast in their place for interfering in his mission, and can he have biscuits with his tea?
Space Captain Smith is Toby Frost's debut and a thoroughly enjoyable and very British space adventure, somewhat describable as a high seas British Empire novel in space. Despite how this sounds, it just works so well. The humour, which is decidedly British, is prevalent throughout and not a page goes by without a smile coming to my face in some way. It comes from not only the dialogue, which is witty and fun, but also from the scenarios that the crew are put in.
Talking about the crew (and characters in general): they are so well suited to exactly this sort of situation. Isambard Smith is completely British, right to the bone, and some of his views of the universe and other life living within is completely ridiculous - but it just works. Carveth is great to read simply because you don't know what you'll get next, but it's sure to be amusing. And Suruk, well, he steals the novel. Completely obsessed with war, killing and collecting skulls he can turn any situation in to an opportunity for battle and glory.
Here are just some reasons why I enjoyed it so much:
Suruk the Slayer on racial issues:
"Petty prejudice does not interest my people. A wise warrior once told me: 'Respect your brother M'Lak, no matter what shade of greenish-grey he may be'."
And of human racial issues:
"Many colours of skin are there, many different shades of face. But if you look within, deep inside a person, human beings are all alike. Red and squelchy."
Carveth, the former sex-bot, on how their ship was damaged and what happened:
"Well, we were cruising, hardly looking for action at all, when suddenly the Ghasts jumped us from behind, stuck a torpedo up our back end and blew our motors out. They must have seen that we were exposed at the rear because they stuck out their tube so they could come inside, but the captain ordered us to get our tools ready and beat them off if they tried to enter us by force. They all came at us at once down the passage, but what with Smith shooting off from the hip and me pumping my piece for all I was worth, we were able to give them a good seeing-to until they had to withdraw. We were knackered, though. We could hardly pull off, let alone thrust, so we saw this lake and decided to dump in the water until we were able to repair the ship and get it up again. That's pretty much the size of it."
Space Captain Smith is a great, refreshing read and is very highly recommended.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Fantasy Expert John Ottinger Reviews "Wind Follower"
Title: Wind Follower
Author: Carole McDonnell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
ISBN: 0809557797
ISBN-13: 9780809557790
Format: Paperback, 248pp
Publisher: Juno Books an imprint of Wildside Press
Reviewed by: John Ottinger (http://otter.covblogs.com) for Grasping for the Wind
The standard fantasy is usually set in a world based on medieval Europe. Sometimes you get a Greco-Roman base, or the rare Asian/Chinese setting as with the Tales of Otori novels by Lian Hearn, or the Arabic tales of the Arabian Nights. But no one, to my knowledge, has ever based their fantasy novel on a medieval Africa. Some have used Africa�s jungles as the setting for a story, but its characters were usually white adventurers and the black natives were the evil ones (think Indiana Jones).
Carole McDonnell (website, blog), in her fantasy Wind Follower, has turned all of that on its head. Based on an African medieval culture (and by medieval I mean between ancient and colonial) with its own kingdoms, culture, and politics, Wind Follower uniquely portrays some very human struggles.
The story follows a married couple, Loic and Satha, as they find themselves embroiled in a cultural and spiritual war. Ancestor worship is common in this world, and politics is a highly complicated affair with many detailed rules and customs. Beyond that, there are three distinct races, with different skin colors and personality types. Each tribe and clan shows a fierce loyalty to the others of their groups, and the smallest slight can lead to petty vengeance. When Satha's honor is ruined, Loic seeks murderous vengeance.
Wind Follower is so unique in my own experience that I find it hard not to gush all over this novel. The tribal system is vividly portrayed by McDonnell, showing her intimate knowledge of African tribal systems, and the customs she gives the peoples of Wind Follower, while frustrating, are ones commonly ascribed to tribal cultures around the world. As is common with such systems, ancestor and spirit worship rules their daily lives. Loic has rebelled against that system, embroiling him in a spiritual war from which only the Creator can save him.
McDonnell packages the novel as an oral story being told by the same Loic and Satha who lived the events described. But unlike the thin veneer of storytelling common in other fantasy books (i.e. the prologue and epilogue mention the book being written down or transcribed from the words of the characters in their old age, but the rest of the book is standard third person) the oral nature of the telling of the book is embedded into its very fabric. Each chapter is told either from Loic or Satha�s perspective, each one alternating with the other. At times, the storyteller will make an aside that fills in gaps in the story, but doesn't break the flow of the narrative. Some readers will find this hard to understand, (I had to keep reminding myself that this was an oral history of sorts) especially in the initial pages, but will settle in after the first or second chapter. This is a creative way to structure the novel, and it is done very well. I felt I was sitting at the feet of Loic and Satha as the told me the story of their lives.
The story is sexually and violently graphic. McDonnell has not feared to display wonderful acts of love and gruesome acts of violence in a disturbing and pointed way. She did not shy away from depicting any of the horrors of the evil spirits, or the sinful acts of man. Yet she does it in such a way that you are emotionally wrapped up in both the wonders and horrors of the events surrounding Loic and Satha. When they react in predictably human ways to both good and bad events we empathize to the point of remembering situations our own lives.
Some of the things about the novel that are difficult are its oral storytelling, as I�ve already mentioned, but that can be overcome with familiarity. There are a few major grammatical mistakes towards the end of the story, which interrupt important events, and are jarring for the reader.
McDonnell unashamedly calls this novel a Christian fantasy, and while that is not evident on the cover or in the back blurb, McDonnell's Pentecostal Christianity is part and parcel of the entire story. Those readers who are not Christians may be offended by the obvious references to a Creator and a Savior, a Trinitarian God, and the evil spirits (i.e. demons) who are at war with Him. However, I found that of all the explicitly Christian fantasies I have read, this one has best weaved the author�s worldview into the story without becoming preachy. The story stands alone as a good fantasy, even without the references to God. A Christian will enjoy the Scriptural elements of the novel, and dislike the explicit sex and violence, whereas the non-Christian may find those things powerful, while being offended by the Christian aspects of the story. Wind Follower is not a book that can be pigeon-holed and every person will find something he or she loves, and something he or she dislikes. And that is Mcdonnell�s greatest triumph. No matter your reaction to the novel, you will be called to an emotional response of some kind to the characters.
Other readers may be offended by the portrayal of the Angleni, a white skinned conquering race of people. However, white readers should not be offended. McDonnell does not, in the book hold up any one race as better or worse, In fact, Loic is light skinned and Satha very dark skinned. The theme of the story is the transcendence of the Creator over an above custom, race, and the evil schemes of the spirits. So while race is an important element to Wind Follower, it is not the primary theme of this fantasy.
I highly recommend this book. Wind Follower struggles with the religious nature of man, the effects of racial hatred on belief, the intimacy of a marriage ruled by custom, and ability of forgiveness to transcend all transgressions. If you leave this novel on the bookstore shelf, you will be the poorer for it.
--
Learn more about the reviewer John Ottinger III at
http://otter.covblogs.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and the index. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer nanmes and review sites. You'll also find it handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Author: Carole McDonnell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
ISBN: 0809557797
ISBN-13: 9780809557790
Format: Paperback, 248pp
Publisher: Juno Books an imprint of Wildside Press
Reviewed by: John Ottinger (http://otter.covblogs.com) for Grasping for the Wind
The standard fantasy is usually set in a world based on medieval Europe. Sometimes you get a Greco-Roman base, or the rare Asian/Chinese setting as with the Tales of Otori novels by Lian Hearn, or the Arabic tales of the Arabian Nights. But no one, to my knowledge, has ever based their fantasy novel on a medieval Africa. Some have used Africa�s jungles as the setting for a story, but its characters were usually white adventurers and the black natives were the evil ones (think Indiana Jones).
Carole McDonnell (website, blog), in her fantasy Wind Follower, has turned all of that on its head. Based on an African medieval culture (and by medieval I mean between ancient and colonial) with its own kingdoms, culture, and politics, Wind Follower uniquely portrays some very human struggles.
The story follows a married couple, Loic and Satha, as they find themselves embroiled in a cultural and spiritual war. Ancestor worship is common in this world, and politics is a highly complicated affair with many detailed rules and customs. Beyond that, there are three distinct races, with different skin colors and personality types. Each tribe and clan shows a fierce loyalty to the others of their groups, and the smallest slight can lead to petty vengeance. When Satha's honor is ruined, Loic seeks murderous vengeance.
Wind Follower is so unique in my own experience that I find it hard not to gush all over this novel. The tribal system is vividly portrayed by McDonnell, showing her intimate knowledge of African tribal systems, and the customs she gives the peoples of Wind Follower, while frustrating, are ones commonly ascribed to tribal cultures around the world. As is common with such systems, ancestor and spirit worship rules their daily lives. Loic has rebelled against that system, embroiling him in a spiritual war from which only the Creator can save him.
McDonnell packages the novel as an oral story being told by the same Loic and Satha who lived the events described. But unlike the thin veneer of storytelling common in other fantasy books (i.e. the prologue and epilogue mention the book being written down or transcribed from the words of the characters in their old age, but the rest of the book is standard third person) the oral nature of the telling of the book is embedded into its very fabric. Each chapter is told either from Loic or Satha�s perspective, each one alternating with the other. At times, the storyteller will make an aside that fills in gaps in the story, but doesn't break the flow of the narrative. Some readers will find this hard to understand, (I had to keep reminding myself that this was an oral history of sorts) especially in the initial pages, but will settle in after the first or second chapter. This is a creative way to structure the novel, and it is done very well. I felt I was sitting at the feet of Loic and Satha as the told me the story of their lives.
The story is sexually and violently graphic. McDonnell has not feared to display wonderful acts of love and gruesome acts of violence in a disturbing and pointed way. She did not shy away from depicting any of the horrors of the evil spirits, or the sinful acts of man. Yet she does it in such a way that you are emotionally wrapped up in both the wonders and horrors of the events surrounding Loic and Satha. When they react in predictably human ways to both good and bad events we empathize to the point of remembering situations our own lives.
Some of the things about the novel that are difficult are its oral storytelling, as I�ve already mentioned, but that can be overcome with familiarity. There are a few major grammatical mistakes towards the end of the story, which interrupt important events, and are jarring for the reader.
McDonnell unashamedly calls this novel a Christian fantasy, and while that is not evident on the cover or in the back blurb, McDonnell's Pentecostal Christianity is part and parcel of the entire story. Those readers who are not Christians may be offended by the obvious references to a Creator and a Savior, a Trinitarian God, and the evil spirits (i.e. demons) who are at war with Him. However, I found that of all the explicitly Christian fantasies I have read, this one has best weaved the author�s worldview into the story without becoming preachy. The story stands alone as a good fantasy, even without the references to God. A Christian will enjoy the Scriptural elements of the novel, and dislike the explicit sex and violence, whereas the non-Christian may find those things powerful, while being offended by the Christian aspects of the story. Wind Follower is not a book that can be pigeon-holed and every person will find something he or she loves, and something he or she dislikes. And that is Mcdonnell�s greatest triumph. No matter your reaction to the novel, you will be called to an emotional response of some kind to the characters.
Other readers may be offended by the portrayal of the Angleni, a white skinned conquering race of people. However, white readers should not be offended. McDonnell does not, in the book hold up any one race as better or worse, In fact, Loic is light skinned and Satha very dark skinned. The theme of the story is the transcendence of the Creator over an above custom, race, and the evil schemes of the spirits. So while race is an important element to Wind Follower, it is not the primary theme of this fantasy.
I highly recommend this book. Wind Follower struggles with the religious nature of man, the effects of racial hatred on belief, the intimacy of a marriage ruled by custom, and ability of forgiveness to transcend all transgressions. If you leave this novel on the bookstore shelf, you will be the poorer for it.
--
Learn more about the reviewer John Ottinger III at
http://otter.covblogs.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and the index. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer nanmes and review sites. You'll also find it handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Cheryl Ellis Reviews New Inspirational Fiction by Donald James Parker
Title: All the Stillness of the Wind
Author: Donald James Parker
Author Website: http://DonaldJamesParker.com
Genre: Inspirational Fiction
ISBN-13: 978-1-2345-6789-7
Publisher: Sword of the Spirit Publishing
Rating: 5 star
Reviewed by Cheryl Ellis for All Book Reviews
Whether seeking personal peace, finding the path to redemption or satisfying a need for knowledge; your journey could begin by reading this book!
A ‘parable’ is an avenue used to get a point across, by telling a fictional story, allowing the listener to make their own conclusions. It usually pertains to a moral or spiritual idea. Jesus was famous for his use of parables, and I believe that this fictional story would best be described as a modern day parable.
Jeremy is dating Maria and coincidentally, his father, Paul is dating Maria’s mother, Lisa. The women are devote Christians, who know their futures lie with men of similar beliefs. Jeremy has already studied the theory of evolution and concluded that there must have been a creator. The men set out to research religion and it’s many viewpoints, with special focus on Christianity, the arguments for and against. They share their newfound knowledge and acceptance with the women, as their beliefs are discussed or debated.
The comfort level and bantering conversations between the four characters made me laugh, as I learned right along with them. Throughout their search, they ‘weed through’, accept or reject different viewpoints on what man must do, to inherit eternal life. Along the way, they discover there are numerous ways to reconnect with God and inner peace, by way of music, prayer and more.
The couples celebrate their first Christmas together, the happy memory quickly shattered by a horrific accident, which would shake even the strongest of believers’ faith. It is then that we learn about grace, “the ability to forgive people for messing up” and about the five steps of grieving. This is one of the many times that Satan feeds our anger and, only once he has been renounced, is the burden lifted. Love and faith are a true believers path to a good life, and the key to the much believed in, Heaven.
The author, Donald James Parker, has told a brilliant version of a parable, and shown us a way to begin the search for truth. It is easy to read and identify with, not heavy on scriptures. He provides a few web sites as well as scriptures for future research.
Donald James Parker, graduated from Dakota State University with a degree in secondary education, then went on to study computer programming. After 25 years of IT work, his passion for writing took over. The outcome, to our benefit, is a book series involving two generations of the Masterson family. One never knows what the future holds, but I am sure more books are to follow. He is currently working on other books “engaging the cultural climate of the 21st century.”
To review this book was incredible timing. Either divine intervention or just plain coincidence, as it came to me in a time of many questions. It has had a positive influence on my life, by encouraging me to reconnect with my roots and beliefs, on my own search for peace.
I highly recommend reading this book.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Author: Donald James Parker
Author Website: http://DonaldJamesParker.com
Genre: Inspirational Fiction
ISBN-13: 978-1-2345-6789-7
Publisher: Sword of the Spirit Publishing
Rating: 5 star
Reviewed by Cheryl Ellis for All Book Reviews
Whether seeking personal peace, finding the path to redemption or satisfying a need for knowledge; your journey could begin by reading this book!
A ‘parable’ is an avenue used to get a point across, by telling a fictional story, allowing the listener to make their own conclusions. It usually pertains to a moral or spiritual idea. Jesus was famous for his use of parables, and I believe that this fictional story would best be described as a modern day parable.
Jeremy is dating Maria and coincidentally, his father, Paul is dating Maria’s mother, Lisa. The women are devote Christians, who know their futures lie with men of similar beliefs. Jeremy has already studied the theory of evolution and concluded that there must have been a creator. The men set out to research religion and it’s many viewpoints, with special focus on Christianity, the arguments for and against. They share their newfound knowledge and acceptance with the women, as their beliefs are discussed or debated.
The comfort level and bantering conversations between the four characters made me laugh, as I learned right along with them. Throughout their search, they ‘weed through’, accept or reject different viewpoints on what man must do, to inherit eternal life. Along the way, they discover there are numerous ways to reconnect with God and inner peace, by way of music, prayer and more.
The couples celebrate their first Christmas together, the happy memory quickly shattered by a horrific accident, which would shake even the strongest of believers’ faith. It is then that we learn about grace, “the ability to forgive people for messing up” and about the five steps of grieving. This is one of the many times that Satan feeds our anger and, only once he has been renounced, is the burden lifted. Love and faith are a true believers path to a good life, and the key to the much believed in, Heaven.
The author, Donald James Parker, has told a brilliant version of a parable, and shown us a way to begin the search for truth. It is easy to read and identify with, not heavy on scriptures. He provides a few web sites as well as scriptures for future research.
Donald James Parker, graduated from Dakota State University with a degree in secondary education, then went on to study computer programming. After 25 years of IT work, his passion for writing took over. The outcome, to our benefit, is a book series involving two generations of the Masterson family. One never knows what the future holds, but I am sure more books are to follow. He is currently working on other books “engaging the cultural climate of the 21st century.”
To review this book was incredible timing. Either divine intervention or just plain coincidence, as it came to me in a time of many questions. It has had a positive influence on my life, by encouraging me to reconnect with my roots and beliefs, on my own search for peace.
I highly recommend reading this book.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
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