Title: Whom God Would Destroy
Author: Commander Pants
Author's website link: http://www.whomgodwoulddestroy.com/
Genre: Black comedy/Satire (w/a wee bit of science fiction thrown in for good measure)
ISBN: 978-0-578-01889-8
Reviewed by Al Chase
Reviewer rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
"How could I not be intrigued about a novel written by someone who calls himself "Commander Pants." The novel deals with a variety of issues in a "novel" way: a vengeful God, the foibles of consumerism run amok, aliens, abuse of medication, psychiatry and mental illness. The cover of the book adds a nice fillip: "A novel about taking reality with a pillar of salt." That tells you just about everything you need to know about the author's sense of humor and sense of irreverence.
Dostoevsky, in the monumental Grand Inquisitor section of "The Brothers Karamazov," deals with the question of what would happen if Jesus came back to earth in human form. This book takes a slightly more twisted approach to the same line of inquiry. The result is a rollicking romp through Jeremy's impact on a world much in need of a Messiah. There is a bell - think of the Gold's horseradish commercials! -that plays a significant role throughout the narrative. There is a motley assemblage of characters, beginning with the over-the-top Yiddishisms of Mrs. Zeidel, the long-suffering widow who has the misfortune to live a floor below Abbey. Abbey has issues, some of which are being attended to by her "worker" - her "Outreach Counselor" Oliver. There are the denizens of The Peaceful Breeze Inn halfway house, described as the "last refuge of Ripley's lunatics, drug addicts and alcoholics." (Page 7) One of the most colorful of those residents is Doc, a Vietnam era vet who is still fighting multiple wars in his head. His psychiatrist, Dr. Smart, is trying to make sense of Doc's ravings about alien visitations while trying to find a therapeutic dose for the Prolixin that he has prescribed. Throw in a few more characters from Oliver's agency, a mysterious letter-to-the-editor that gets several pairs of knickers in a twist, a local access cable TV show hosted by Jeremy and you have the makings for a wild and crazy ride.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot, because it is delicious fun - as delicious as, say, "two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun"! That quotation will make sense to you as you near the novel's denouement.
Reading this book felt much like reading the good-humored blasphemies of Christopher Moore's "Lamb," or the innocent insanity of "A Confederacy of Dunces."
Here's how you will know if this book is for you. If you smile and nod knowingly when you read this quotation by Voltaire that adorns the first page of the novel, then you will be safe in ordering this book from Amazon:
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
Drink the Kool-Aid! Laugh -at the book and at yourself.
Enjoy!"
-----
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 :
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.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Help for Unlearning Pain
Unlearn Your Pain: A 28-Day Process to Reprogram Your Brain
By Howard Schubiner, MD
Author's Web site: http://www.unlearnyourpain.com/
271 pages
Mind Body Publishing, Pleasant Ridge, MI
Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Retail price: $25.00
ISBN # 978-0-9843367-0-8
Synopsis
Based upon cutting-edge research and written by an esteemed research physician, Unlearn Your Pain demonstrates that most chronic pain is caused by learned nerve pathways. Learned nerve pathways produce real pain that is typically triggered by injury and/or significant stressful events. This simple, yet revolutionary concept is the basis for a treatment approach that has been proven to be effective in research studies. Unlearn Your Pain provides the reader with the scientific basis for understanding the cause of their pain and a comprehensive step-by-step self-help guide that includes therapeutic writing exercises and meditations to reverse it.
About The Book
Do you suffer from chronic pain that appears to have no medical cause? Many of us suffer needlessly from pain diagnosed as migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, or chronic neck, back, abdominal, and pelvic pain, when the real cause is Mind Body Syndrome.
Using cutting-edge research, this book demonstrates that the underlying reason for much chronic pain is nerve sensitization and learned nerve pathways, rather than actual tissue destruction. Dr. Schubiner has used this new understanding to develop a unique program to actually reverse pain and research studies support the effectiveness of the program. By reading this book, you'll be able to determine if you have this syndrome and then learn how to overcome it. The program in this book gives you therapeutic writing exercises, a CD with four meditations, and everything else you need to unlearn your pain.
-----
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 :
By Howard Schubiner, MD
Author's Web site: http://www.unlearnyourpain.com/
271 pages
Mind Body Publishing, Pleasant Ridge, MI
Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Retail price: $25.00
ISBN # 978-0-9843367-0-8
Synopsis
Based upon cutting-edge research and written by an esteemed research physician, Unlearn Your Pain demonstrates that most chronic pain is caused by learned nerve pathways. Learned nerve pathways produce real pain that is typically triggered by injury and/or significant stressful events. This simple, yet revolutionary concept is the basis for a treatment approach that has been proven to be effective in research studies. Unlearn Your Pain provides the reader with the scientific basis for understanding the cause of their pain and a comprehensive step-by-step self-help guide that includes therapeutic writing exercises and meditations to reverse it.
About The Book
Do you suffer from chronic pain that appears to have no medical cause? Many of us suffer needlessly from pain diagnosed as migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, or chronic neck, back, abdominal, and pelvic pain, when the real cause is Mind Body Syndrome.
Using cutting-edge research, this book demonstrates that the underlying reason for much chronic pain is nerve sensitization and learned nerve pathways, rather than actual tissue destruction. Dr. Schubiner has used this new understanding to develop a unique program to actually reverse pain and research studies support the effectiveness of the program. By reading this book, you'll be able to determine if you have this syndrome and then learn how to overcome it. The program in this book gives you therapeutic writing exercises, a CD with four meditations, and everything else you need to unlearn your pain.
-----
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, January 25, 2011
Writers' Services Editor Reviews Handy Editor's Helper
Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Author's Web Site: www.howtodoitfrugally.com
ISBN 978 2450507653
Genre: Reference/Writers
54 page booklet
$6.95
Available for Kindle
Reviewed by Jennifer Akers for Squidoo
Writers know that their stories come to light after the editing process. You tighten sentences, fix typos, look for flow and correct errors. There are plenty of words that can be confusing, and author Carolyn Howard-Johnson offers a list of “word trippers” – words that sound alike and words often confused or commonly misused.
This 54-page booklet includes word trippers like:
alright / all right
anxious / eager
every day / everyday
further / farther
gage / gauge
lose / loose
to lie / to lay
peddling / pedaling
peaked / peeked / piqued
setup / set up
sight / site / cite
waiver / waver
Some entries include words we probably know, such as the difference between lose and loose, yet they often are mistyped and not corrected. The book lists words in alphabetical order, and each entry includes a short explanation on the proper usage. Sometimes, the word is antiquated and shouldn’t be used anymore. Other times, it’s a difference in American versus British English. It also explains the best word choice, so you don’t rub an editor (or other gatekeeper) the wrong way.
In addition to the word combination, the book includes singular words that are often misused. Have you used “enable” or “mischievious” in your writing? Find out why you shouldn’t use either one.
It’s hard to get our words into the hands of readers. At the very least, your work shouldn’t get tossed at the starting gate. Your copy needs to be error free, which shows professionalism and experience.
This booklet isn’t the final word on editing, and it’s not meant to be. Howard-Johnson shares these common word trippers from her experience as an editor and author. The booklet is a valuable resource, and one you should have in your purse, briefcase or book shelf.
You can flip through the book to look for a word you’re struggling with, or you can do what I did: read the entire book in one sitting. I found some gems I wouldn’t have otherwise seen if I skipped through entries. It’s short, easy-to-use and peppered with Howard-Johnson’s vast knowledge in publishing. This booklet is now sitting on my desk and always within arm’s reach. I highly recommend Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy for your library.
~Jennifer Akers is a Squidooer extraordinaire and runs a copyright service at http://jenniferakers.com/professional-writing-services/ She edits many online sites including MyShelf.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 :
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Author's Web Site: www.howtodoitfrugally.com
ISBN 978 2450507653
Genre: Reference/Writers
54 page booklet
$6.95
Available for Kindle
Reviewed by Jennifer Akers for Squidoo
Writers know that their stories come to light after the editing process. You tighten sentences, fix typos, look for flow and correct errors. There are plenty of words that can be confusing, and author Carolyn Howard-Johnson offers a list of “word trippers” – words that sound alike and words often confused or commonly misused.
This 54-page booklet includes word trippers like:
alright / all right
anxious / eager
every day / everyday
further / farther
gage / gauge
lose / loose
to lie / to lay
peddling / pedaling
peaked / peeked / piqued
setup / set up
sight / site / cite
waiver / waver
Some entries include words we probably know, such as the difference between lose and loose, yet they often are mistyped and not corrected. The book lists words in alphabetical order, and each entry includes a short explanation on the proper usage. Sometimes, the word is antiquated and shouldn’t be used anymore. Other times, it’s a difference in American versus British English. It also explains the best word choice, so you don’t rub an editor (or other gatekeeper) the wrong way.
In addition to the word combination, the book includes singular words that are often misused. Have you used “enable” or “mischievious” in your writing? Find out why you shouldn’t use either one.
It’s hard to get our words into the hands of readers. At the very least, your work shouldn’t get tossed at the starting gate. Your copy needs to be error free, which shows professionalism and experience.
This booklet isn’t the final word on editing, and it’s not meant to be. Howard-Johnson shares these common word trippers from her experience as an editor and author. The booklet is a valuable resource, and one you should have in your purse, briefcase or book shelf.
You can flip through the book to look for a word you’re struggling with, or you can do what I did: read the entire book in one sitting. I found some gems I wouldn’t have otherwise seen if I skipped through entries. It’s short, easy-to-use and peppered with Howard-Johnson’s vast knowledge in publishing. This booklet is now sitting on my desk and always within arm’s reach. I highly recommend Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy for your library.
~Jennifer Akers is a Squidooer extraordinaire and runs a copyright service at http://jenniferakers.com/professional-writing-services/ She edits many online sites including MyShelf.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 :
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Satire and Science Fiction Blend Reviewed
Title: Whom God Would Destroy
Author: Commander Pants
Author's Web site link: http://www.whomgodwoulddestroy.com/
Genre: Black comedy/Satire (w/a wee bit of science fiction thrown in for good measure)
ISBN: 978-0-578-01889-8
Reviewed by Al Chase for WhiterHinoReport
Reviewers link: /2010/12/mini-review-of-whom-god-would-destroy.html
Reviewer rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
I have permission from the author of the review to send it to you.
Here is the review (and thanks in advance):
"How could I not be intrigued about a novel written by someone who calls himself "Commander Pants." The novel deals with a variety of issues in a "novel" way: a vengeful God, the foibles of consumerism run amok, aliens, abuse of medication, psychiatry and mental illness. The cover of the book adds a nice fillip: "A novel about taking reality with a pillar of salt." That tells you just about everything you need to know about the author's sense of humor and sense of irreverence.
Dostoevsky, in the monumental Grand Inquisitor section of "The Brothers Karamazov," deals with the question of what would happen if Jesus came back to earth in human form. This book takes a slightly more twisted approach to the same line of inquiry. The result is a rollicking romp through Jeremy's impact on a world much in need of a Messiah. There is a bell - think of the Gold's horseradish commercials! -that plays a significant role throughout the narrative. There is a motley assemblage of characters, beginning with the over-the-top Yiddishisms of Mrs. Zeidel, the long-suffering widow who has the misfortune to live a floor below Abbey. Abbey has issues, some of which are being attended to by her "worker" - her "Outreach Counselor" Oliver. There are the denizens of The Peaceful Breeze Inn halfway house, described as the "last refuge of Ripley's lunatics, drug addicts and alcoholics." (Page 7) One of the most colorful of those residents is Doc, a Vietnam era vet who is still fighting multiple wars in his head. His psychiatrist, Dr. Smart, is trying to make sense of Doc's ravings about alien visitations while trying to find a therapeutic dose for the Prolixin that he has prescribed. Throw in a few more characters from Oliver's agency, a mysterious letter-to-the-editor that gets several pairs of knickers in a twist, a local access cable TV show hosted by Jeremy and you have the makings for a wild and crazy ride.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot, because it is delicious fun - as delicious as, say, "two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun"! That quotation will make sense to you as you near the novel's denouement.
Reading this book felt much like reading the good-humored blasphemies of Christopher Moore's "Lamb," or the innocent insanity of "A Confederacy of Dunces."
Here's how you will know if this book is for you. If you smile and nod knowingly when you read this quotation by Voltaire that adorns the first page of the novel, then you will be safe in ordering this book from Amazon:
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
Drink the Kool-Aid! Laugh -at the book and at yourself.
Enjoy!"
-----
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 :
Author: Commander Pants
Author's Web site link: http://www.whomgodwoulddestroy.com/
Genre: Black comedy/Satire (w/a wee bit of science fiction thrown in for good measure)
ISBN: 978-0-578-01889-8
Reviewed by Al Chase for WhiterHinoReport
Reviewers link: /2010/12/mini-review-of-whom-god-would-destroy.html
Reviewer rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
I have permission from the author of the review to send it to you.
Here is the review (and thanks in advance):
"How could I not be intrigued about a novel written by someone who calls himself "Commander Pants." The novel deals with a variety of issues in a "novel" way: a vengeful God, the foibles of consumerism run amok, aliens, abuse of medication, psychiatry and mental illness. The cover of the book adds a nice fillip: "A novel about taking reality with a pillar of salt." That tells you just about everything you need to know about the author's sense of humor and sense of irreverence.
Dostoevsky, in the monumental Grand Inquisitor section of "The Brothers Karamazov," deals with the question of what would happen if Jesus came back to earth in human form. This book takes a slightly more twisted approach to the same line of inquiry. The result is a rollicking romp through Jeremy's impact on a world much in need of a Messiah. There is a bell - think of the Gold's horseradish commercials! -that plays a significant role throughout the narrative. There is a motley assemblage of characters, beginning with the over-the-top Yiddishisms of Mrs. Zeidel, the long-suffering widow who has the misfortune to live a floor below Abbey. Abbey has issues, some of which are being attended to by her "worker" - her "Outreach Counselor" Oliver. There are the denizens of The Peaceful Breeze Inn halfway house, described as the "last refuge of Ripley's lunatics, drug addicts and alcoholics." (Page 7) One of the most colorful of those residents is Doc, a Vietnam era vet who is still fighting multiple wars in his head. His psychiatrist, Dr. Smart, is trying to make sense of Doc's ravings about alien visitations while trying to find a therapeutic dose for the Prolixin that he has prescribed. Throw in a few more characters from Oliver's agency, a mysterious letter-to-the-editor that gets several pairs of knickers in a twist, a local access cable TV show hosted by Jeremy and you have the makings for a wild and crazy ride.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot, because it is delicious fun - as delicious as, say, "two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun"! That quotation will make sense to you as you near the novel's denouement.
Reading this book felt much like reading the good-humored blasphemies of Christopher Moore's "Lamb," or the innocent insanity of "A Confederacy of Dunces."
Here's how you will know if this book is for you. If you smile and nod knowingly when you read this quotation by Voltaire that adorns the first page of the novel, then you will be safe in ordering this book from Amazon:
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
Drink the Kool-Aid! Laugh -at the book and at yourself.
Enjoy!"
-----
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, January 22, 2011
Humor Mixes with Literary in My Barsetshire Diary
My Barsetshire Diary: The Daily Events of the Gentry Recorded for Posterity (Volume 1)
By Lord David Prosser
Publication Date: Dec 30 2010
ISBN/EAN13: 1456479776 / 9781456479770
Page Count: 184
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 5.25" x 8"
Language: English
Related Categories: Humor / General
Blurb by Gary Morgenstein. Mediablvd.com
"An extraordinary new book. combining great charm with biting wit. Life in a small village unfolds in the timeless fashion that unites the great British writers past and present." ~ Gary Morgenstein. Novelist/Playwright.
-----
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 :
By Lord David Prosser
Publication Date: Dec 30 2010
ISBN/EAN13: 1456479776 / 9781456479770
Page Count: 184
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 5.25" x 8"
Language: English
Related Categories: Humor / General
Blurb by Gary Morgenstein. Mediablvd.com
"An extraordinary new book. combining great charm with biting wit. Life in a small village unfolds in the timeless fashion that unites the great British writers past and present." ~ Gary Morgenstein. Novelist/Playwright.
-----
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 :
Friday, January 21, 2011
Deb Hockenberry Reviews Based-On-A-True Story Fiction
TITLE: Coming Up For Air
AUTHOR: Rose Mary Boehm
PUBLISHER: The Black Leaf Publishing Group http://www.blackleafpublishing.com/
PAGES: 346
FORMAT: Paperback, Kindle
PRICE: Paperback: $18.71 (US), £14.24 (UK), Kindle: $9.99 (US), £7.46 (UK)
ISBN-10: 1907407073
ISBN-13: 9781907407079
This is the story of Anne Marie Becker who grew up during World War II. She was only two-years-old when the bombs started falling. As the author states, part of this novel is fiction, part fact and part autobiographical. In any case, Coming Up For Air is a hard book to put down.
Through her excellent writing, Ms. Boehm transports us right into the war and shows us all the horrors and atrocities that happened then. As we watch Anne Marie grow up we experience her first love and then date rape. When she is old enough to get a job, older men have some particular ideas. Rose Mary doesn’t just describe to us what happens; she shows us in such detail that we experience everything that Anne Marie goes through!
This page turner just isn’t a story of growing up through that terrible war either. It’s a story of growing up fast and finding your own freedom. It’s about shaking off the chains of a previously rigid existence, coming up for air, taking a deep breath and finding your own life.
This reviewer was transported back to live through that terrible time. I highly recommend Coming Up For Air to all young adults and adults.
About the Author
Ms. Boehm was born in Duisburg, Germany and is a German born UK national. She now resides in Lima, Peru but she’s more than a writer! Rose Mary is also a photographer, painter and a copywriter.
If you would like to learn more about Rose Mary Boehm, please visit her book blog at: http://www.coming-up-for-air.com/ . If you would like to read the first 24 pages of Coming Up For Air please follow this link: http://bit.ly/aFdnzA .
About the Reviewer
Deb Hockenberry blogs 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 :
AUTHOR: Rose Mary Boehm
PUBLISHER: The Black Leaf Publishing Group http://www.blackleafpublishing.com/
PAGES: 346
FORMAT: Paperback, Kindle
PRICE: Paperback: $18.71 (US), £14.24 (UK), Kindle: $9.99 (US), £7.46 (UK)
ISBN-10: 1907407073
ISBN-13: 9781907407079
This is the story of Anne Marie Becker who grew up during World War II. She was only two-years-old when the bombs started falling. As the author states, part of this novel is fiction, part fact and part autobiographical. In any case, Coming Up For Air is a hard book to put down.
Through her excellent writing, Ms. Boehm transports us right into the war and shows us all the horrors and atrocities that happened then. As we watch Anne Marie grow up we experience her first love and then date rape. When she is old enough to get a job, older men have some particular ideas. Rose Mary doesn’t just describe to us what happens; she shows us in such detail that we experience everything that Anne Marie goes through!
This page turner just isn’t a story of growing up through that terrible war either. It’s a story of growing up fast and finding your own freedom. It’s about shaking off the chains of a previously rigid existence, coming up for air, taking a deep breath and finding your own life.
This reviewer was transported back to live through that terrible time. I highly recommend Coming Up For Air to all young adults and adults.
About the Author
Ms. Boehm was born in Duisburg, Germany and is a German born UK national. She now resides in Lima, Peru but she’s more than a writer! Rose Mary is also a photographer, painter and a copywriter.
If you would like to learn more about Rose Mary Boehm, please visit her book blog at: http://www.coming-up-for-air.com/ . If you would like to read the first 24 pages of Coming Up For Air please follow this link: http://bit.ly/aFdnzA .
About the Reviewer
Deb Hockenberry blogs 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, January 20, 2011
Award-Winning Journalist's Memoir a Minefield
Minefields of the Heart
: A Mother’s Stories of a Son at War
By Sue Diaz, http://www.minefieldsoftheheart.com/
Memoir
ISBN 978-1-59797-515-5
Reviewed by Chuck Leddy for the Christian Science Monitor, www.csmonitor.com
Several visceral, difficult-to-forget books, like David Finkel’s “The Good Soldiers” and Dexter Filkins' “The Forever War,” have chronicled the daily bravery, fear, and pain of American troops in Iraq as they struggle with the enemy, the meaning of their mission, and the loneliness of being away from home. Few books, however, have examined the pain of those loved ones on the home front, the people who stay up late worrying about a soldier’s well-being. Sue Diaz’s absorbing and intimate memoir Minefields of the Heart looks at a mother’s relationship with her soldier son (Roman) as he spends two deployments fighting in Iraq.
Award-winning journalist Diaz, at home in San Diego, reads and watches the news about Iraq every day, trying to understand what her son is going through. She realizes that he could be killed any second, and there’s little she can do about it. She’s compassionate enough to understand that this possibility of instantaneous loss extends to all families of soldiers: “A young private takes a bullet; back at home his father’s heart bleeds. A soldier loses a leg; his wife struggles in the days that follow to simply keep putting one foot in front of the other. A sergeant’s eardrum is perforated [something that happens to Roman]; his mother hears the explosion in her dreams, time and time again.”
Diaz goes back in time to explore her son’s early life. She admits to having been overprotective at times. She tells of his first day of school, of family trips, of the many ways she worked to nurture and protect her boy. Once he’s in Iraq, exposing himself to combat, her worries justifiably deepen: “I couldn’t help but be aware of the physical dangers that surrounded him [and also] ... the toll that war can take in other ways. The invisible shrapnel that tears up souls, lodges in memories, hardens hearts, wounding in ways no one there can see nor the rest of us really understand.”
It would be wrong to think that Diaz sentimentalizes her relationship with her soldier son. Her book is unblinkingly determined to dig deep, to ask big questions and move toward the answers. She’s also wise enough to see far beyond her own worries, to ask if the sacrifice of so many young soldiers has been worth it: “We as a country lose,” she says, “when even one of them falls.” The mother in Diaz competes with the journalist in her, and the book benefits mightily from this unique combination of heart and head. As Diaz focuses her lens on Roman, she simultaneously widens it to encompass all families of Iraq soldiers. While she loves her son, she’s against the war.
She knows that combat will forever change Roman, and misses her boy: “I wished it were possible to somehow catch and hold again the innocence that was once ours. To grasp, in more ways than one, what we had when we had it.” Part of what Diaz learns is how to let go, but it’s never easy. Diaz offers us her son’s letters home and describes his visits on leave. She sees him changing, becoming physically and mentally stronger. She rightfully worries about some of what he’s learning, like “what it feels like to be awakened by the whistle of falling mortars, to hoist a heavy machine gun in the searing heat, to be looking in the rear-view mirror of the Humvee you’re riding in and see the one behind you disappear in a fiery flash.”
Diaz feels her heart thumping when an officer calls to inform her that Roman has been injured by an improvised explosive device. His injuries aren’t life-threatening, but Roman is also forced to confront the deaths of 10 of his comrades. When communicating with his mom, Roman tries to minimize the horrors of war, but she knows enough to see through it; and she’s strong enough not to force him to share more than he wants to.
Diaz’s memoir provides unique insights into the challenges faced by military families. Diaz’s emotional honesty is matched by her stellar writing: her prose is polished and, at times, achieves a quiet, soaring lyricism. In the end, Roman comes home. But his war is far from over, writes Diaz: “he’s been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder ... and traumatic brain injury.” Roman has difficulties remembering, but he’s getting treatment. As Diaz puts it on the final page: “There are battles he has yet to fight ... these things, I know, take time.” Both mother and son have been through more than they expected, or wanted.
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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 :
: A Mother’s Stories of a Son at WarBy Sue Diaz, http://www.minefieldsoftheheart.com/
Memoir
ISBN 978-1-59797-515-5
Reviewed by Chuck Leddy for the Christian Science Monitor, www.csmonitor.com
Several visceral, difficult-to-forget books, like David Finkel’s “The Good Soldiers” and Dexter Filkins' “The Forever War,” have chronicled the daily bravery, fear, and pain of American troops in Iraq as they struggle with the enemy, the meaning of their mission, and the loneliness of being away from home. Few books, however, have examined the pain of those loved ones on the home front, the people who stay up late worrying about a soldier’s well-being. Sue Diaz’s absorbing and intimate memoir Minefields of the Heart looks at a mother’s relationship with her soldier son (Roman) as he spends two deployments fighting in Iraq.
Award-winning journalist Diaz, at home in San Diego, reads and watches the news about Iraq every day, trying to understand what her son is going through. She realizes that he could be killed any second, and there’s little she can do about it. She’s compassionate enough to understand that this possibility of instantaneous loss extends to all families of soldiers: “A young private takes a bullet; back at home his father’s heart bleeds. A soldier loses a leg; his wife struggles in the days that follow to simply keep putting one foot in front of the other. A sergeant’s eardrum is perforated [something that happens to Roman]; his mother hears the explosion in her dreams, time and time again.”
Diaz goes back in time to explore her son’s early life. She admits to having been overprotective at times. She tells of his first day of school, of family trips, of the many ways she worked to nurture and protect her boy. Once he’s in Iraq, exposing himself to combat, her worries justifiably deepen: “I couldn’t help but be aware of the physical dangers that surrounded him [and also] ... the toll that war can take in other ways. The invisible shrapnel that tears up souls, lodges in memories, hardens hearts, wounding in ways no one there can see nor the rest of us really understand.”
It would be wrong to think that Diaz sentimentalizes her relationship with her soldier son. Her book is unblinkingly determined to dig deep, to ask big questions and move toward the answers. She’s also wise enough to see far beyond her own worries, to ask if the sacrifice of so many young soldiers has been worth it: “We as a country lose,” she says, “when even one of them falls.” The mother in Diaz competes with the journalist in her, and the book benefits mightily from this unique combination of heart and head. As Diaz focuses her lens on Roman, she simultaneously widens it to encompass all families of Iraq soldiers. While she loves her son, she’s against the war.
She knows that combat will forever change Roman, and misses her boy: “I wished it were possible to somehow catch and hold again the innocence that was once ours. To grasp, in more ways than one, what we had when we had it.” Part of what Diaz learns is how to let go, but it’s never easy. Diaz offers us her son’s letters home and describes his visits on leave. She sees him changing, becoming physically and mentally stronger. She rightfully worries about some of what he’s learning, like “what it feels like to be awakened by the whistle of falling mortars, to hoist a heavy machine gun in the searing heat, to be looking in the rear-view mirror of the Humvee you’re riding in and see the one behind you disappear in a fiery flash.”
Diaz feels her heart thumping when an officer calls to inform her that Roman has been injured by an improvised explosive device. His injuries aren’t life-threatening, but Roman is also forced to confront the deaths of 10 of his comrades. When communicating with his mom, Roman tries to minimize the horrors of war, but she knows enough to see through it; and she’s strong enough not to force him to share more than he wants to.
Diaz’s memoir provides unique insights into the challenges faced by military families. Diaz’s emotional honesty is matched by her stellar writing: her prose is polished and, at times, achieves a quiet, soaring lyricism. In the end, Roman comes home. But his war is far from over, writes Diaz: “he’s been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder ... and traumatic brain injury.” Roman has difficulties remembering, but he’s getting treatment. As Diaz puts it on the final page: “There are battles he has yet to fight ... these things, I know, take time.” Both mother and son have been through more than they expected, or wanted.
-----
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 :
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