Deb Hockenberry Reviews Fantasy

TITLE: Ferry Tales

AUTHOR: Brendan Gisby
PUBLISHER: Black Leaf Publishing http://www.blackleafpublishing.com/  
FORMAT: Paperback, Kindle
PAGES: 100
PRICE: Paperback: $9.34 (US), £6.29 (UK), CND$ 10.16 (CA)
Kindle: $6.99 (US), £4.99 (U.K.)
ISBN-10: 190740712X
ISBN-13: 9781907407123

Originally reviewed by Deb Hockenberry for Amazon
Brendan Gisby has done it again! In this touching memoir, we’re transported back to 1950/60’s Scotland where the author grew up and are given a glimpse of his childhood.


I highly recommend this collection of short stories for anyone who enjoys travelling back to a simpler time. Both adults and young adults will like this humorous, sometimes sad but very relatable memoir.


In this collection of short stories, we meet his family and his friends and know everybody. If we don’t know them personally, we’re close to people very much like them. We suffer the hardships he and his family (and so many other families at the time) had to endure. We go on childhood adventures with him. We work alongside Mr. Gisby and his father. We even take his Dad’s place at work at one point in the book.

While this reviewer was reading Ferry Tales, she couldn’t help but think things like: “You’d think he’s talking about my sister.” Or, “I had a friend just like that.” There were several times throughout the book when I’d think, “I used to do things like that!” What is best about this book is that you don’t have to be from Scotland to relate to these stories or the cast of characters. Ferry Tales shows you throughout the book that people are the same the world over. Like Mr. Gisby’s other books, the characters and places are painted so realistically that we can reach out and touch them.


If you would like to learn more about Mr. Gisby and his works just visit his website at: http://www.brendangisby.com/ . He also has two Facebook pages! Just sign in at http://www.facebook.com  and search for either Brendan Gisby, Scottish Author or Brendan Gisby.


~Reviewer Deb Hockenberry blogs at http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com/ and
http://debsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

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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 :

Laura L. Mays Hoopes Breaks Spiral Ceiling with New Nonfiction Book

Title: Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling
Subtitle: An American Woman Becomes a DNA Scientist.

Author: Laura L Mays Hoopes
Author’s web site links: http://www.lauralmayshoopes.com/ ,
http://www.westcoastwriters.blogspot.com/  
http://www.scitable.com/forums/women-in-science 
Genre or category: memoirs and biographies
ISBN-10: 0557923204
ISBN-13: 978-0557923205
Publisher: Lulu.com

Reviewd by Rossana G. D’Antonio originally for Amazon
Reviewer’s rating: 5 stars


Laura L. Mays Hoopes takes us on a colorful journey through time and science as she candidly describes her courageous story of a young woman, who unbeknownst to her, sets off on a trailblazing venture. Experiencing discrimination at a tender age in an era when women were still relegated to a few token professions, her sheer determination drives her to face her obstacles head on. It is this loss of innocence that pulls us in early in her memoir and keeps us rooting for her throughout the story. Hoopes recounts her experiences with humor, sheer honesty, and courage. These are the stepping stones she sets for us to travel alongside her in a path often riddled with self-doubt, guilt and tears as she tries to live her dream of having it all.


Having attended engineering school in the late eighties, I can attest to the difficulties of venturing into a profession that is still very much male-dominated. The obstacles still exist albeit they are much more subtle than Hoopes describes. So I am inspired by her grace, poise, and determination when facing and overcoming these prejudices.


There is still so much inequity in the world of science, math and engineering. To read about someone who has succeeded in these fields is encouraging. To learn about the many obstacles Hoopes overcame to get there is inspirational. To know that she nourished her dream allowing it to grow into something deeper and now she actively impacts future generations is a powerful concept.


In the end, Hoopes succeeds in baring her soul to the reader. A soul that has undergone a transformation with each page. A soul that has experienced love, success, a few tears, and self-discovery...and survived it all! Bravo!
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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 :

Tony Eldridge Reviews Book on Tweeting

Frugal and Focused Tweeting
Subtitle: Tweaking Your Tweets and Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media
The HowToDoItFrugally series of books
ISBN 9781451546149
Paperback or Kindle
129 pages


Reviewed by Tony Eldridge originally for Book Marketing Tips, http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/


Twitter is not just for letting people know the type of cereal you are having for breakfast anymore. Savvy professionals are learning how to use it as a powerful marketing asset in their corner. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources that will help you learn how to harness the power of Twitter for your business. Carolyn Howard-Johnson is one of those people. In her newest Frugal series book, she tackles Twitter for retailers head-on, and the result is a focused, easy-to-follow plan for any retailer when it comes to incorporating Twitter into their business plan.

Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers: Tweaking Your Tweets and Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media is a wealth of information packed into a easy to navigate book. It will take a retailer from the initial stages of establishing a Twitter presence all the way through the strategies they will need to employ to make Twitter an effective marketing machine.


Carolyn goes beyond the "how-tos" of Twitter by walking through how your Twitter decisions affect the impact of your Twitter presence. For example, she gives great advice on how to set up your tiny biography in a way that reinforces your brand. And this is the kind of business savvy help you get from every page of this book.
By now, you probably have a website up for your business. Most people admit that it's a must-have for any business. But finding traffic to your site is another animal altogether. If you are worried that a Twitter account is another website project you will have to spend time marketing for, take heart. Carolyn spends time in her book showing you how to find followers for your Twitter account. And if you find good followers for Twitter, you will increase your website's presence at the same time.


Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers is far more than just a simple "how-to" book. Carolyn goes on to show you how to implement marketing strategies that are unique to Twitter. She also discusses some Twitter-specific tools you can can use. With tens of thousands of tools out there, it's worth a lot to have a Twitter expert weigh in on where to look for the tools you need.



If you are looking for a Twitter guide that cuts through the fluff, gives you exactly what you need to make Twitter a brand-enhancing tool, and is written in an easy to follow format, Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers is a must for your shelf. It will have you up and running on Twitter in no-time.


~Reviewer Tony Eldridge tweets at www.twitter.com/TonyEldridge

----- 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 :

Could Self-Help Really Be This Fun?

Title: Your Degrees Won't Keep You Warm at NightSubtitle: The Very Smart Brothas Guide to Dating, Mating, and Fighting Crime
Authors: Damon Young and Panama Jackson
Author's Web site link: http://verysmartbrothas.com/
Genre: Nonfiction: Relationship humor, satire, advice, self-help
ISBN: 978-1453708767



Reviewed by Helena Andrews for The Root http://www.theroot.com/

Reviewer's Rating: 5 of 5


It's an unfortunate universal fact that common sense is neither common nor sacred. Too often, men and women make uncoordinated missteps because whacking the angel on their shoulder is easier than worshipping it. Plus, doing "hood-rat stuff with your friends" is fun. But for those of you lacking in the friends-with-some-sense department, there's Your Degrees Won't Keep You Warm at Night: The Very Smart Brothas Guide to Dating, Mating and Fighting Crime.

Written by Damon "the Champ" Young and Panama Jackson, the two "very smart brothas" behind the blog of the same name, Your Degrees isn't the latest literary money pit for pitiful women looking to "find, keep and understand a man." Instead, the book, which reads more like a "best of" blog series (in a good way), is a case study in new-millennium mating for like-minded folk who live near a metro. The book is playful without being patronizing.
In 30 chapters with titles like, "The Tenets of Grown-ass-ness," "Love Actually ... Sucks" and "The Do's and Don'ts of Breaking Up," Young and Jackson make an excellent case for common sense when dealing with the opposite sex from both sides of the aisle. "Every grown-ass sista should at least have one *heterosexual!* male in her life that'll give it to her straight with no chaser," explains the Champ. Steve Harvey allusions aside, he's obviously right. Another universal law of attraction goes something like, "You already know the truth, but somehow hearing it come out of a deep voice helps." It's like the Great Oz phenomenon of fornication.
Fooling around also gets a lot of play in Your Degrees. In one of the longest chapters in the book, the Champ's exposition on the "19 Things About Sex I Definitely Didn't Learn in Sex-Ed," we learn that men easily trump women when it comes to bedroom neurosis. They are hyperaware of how many glasses of malbec a woman's had, whether she bothered to Swiffer the place and if she's wearing My Little Pony pj's or something "a little more comfortable."
Most of the chapters in Young and Jackson's first-person field study on "dating, mating and fighting crime" aren't for the faint of heart -- or for those wearing chastity belts. For example, "If guys you're dating always seem to turn into magicians after you've had sex, maybe they're just not that into your vagina," and "clubbing while horny is no different than grocery shopping while hungry."
But Your Degrees isn't all gynecological punch lines (although "penis politician" is hands down my favorite). "Remember; happy woman means happy man, and happy men mean less crime," writes the Champ in his exposition in 21st-century chivalry, which, according to him, is very much alive. He advises men to open the door for any woman within 15 to 20 feet, give up their seat on the bus and be the first to change their relationship status on Facebook. When his daughter is all grown up, Jackson plans to advise her to stick with a man who's loyal -- to his barber, his boys and a basketball team. "One mark of a good dude is the fact that he's able to keep stable relationships with certain male institutions."


Our two bloggers-turned-blogging authors also offer up a myriad of new terms for the crazy characters we should all stay away from. Diva Dude (any black man who watches Nightline, thinks he's an endangered species and acts accordingly), Kryptonite Chick (the psycho chick with great legs who's still psycho) and the Crazy Bastard ("the relationship terrorist holding your sanity hostage") are all familiar archetypes that anyone -- regardless of degree, ethnicity or naiveté -- should run from.
"Young and Jackson" sounds like a detective show set in 1970s Detroit. I picture the authors fighting crime with functional but revolutionary-appropriate Afros, red leather trench coats and black mock turtlenecks. They say things like, "You've just been close-bused, sucka" (page 113) or, "Take those 'work googles' off before you go home with the elevator operator ... sucka!" (page 63).
In the series finale, though, beneath the one-liners and leather armor, both guys have a lot of heart: "Most men aren't scared of commitment and we actually welcome it. We're just scared to death of committing to the wrong person. Big difference."
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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 :

Banned Book Given Green Light Review

Title: Such A Long Journey

Author:Rohinton Mistry
ISBN: 9780571245888


Reviewed by Aakanksha Singh for his Book Review Galore blog 

'Such A Long Journey', the debut novel of Rohinton Mistry was in the news due to it being banned by the esteemed vice chancellor of Mumbai University. Leaving aside all the political crap raked up by the Shiv Sena, the book is an exceptional work of literature and no one should be denied the right to read such a fantastic book.


Taken from faber.co.uk'Such A Long Journey' in general is a story of a Parsi man, Gustad Noble, livng in the then Bombay in a Parsi Khodadad Building. It is set during 1971 when East Pakistan was at war with West Pakistan and millions of refugees poured into India, particularly Bengal, due to unspeakable crimes committed on them by brute forces of West Pakistan.


Gustad is a bank clerk whose eldest son, Sohrab, gets into IIT but wants to continue his BA much to the dismay of Gustad, his other son, Darius is a sort of a body builder while his daughter, Roshan, falls ill constantly with bouts of fever and diarrhea. Gustad had known better times, more prosperous times. If his family troubles weren't enough, his old friend Jimmy Bilimoria sends a letter asking him to help out in a preposterous, somewhat heroic, somewhat illegal manner.


In between all these happenings of Gustad's life, Mistry exposes the reader to an assorted motley of characters whose lives are entwined with Gustad's. For eg, his homely , superstitious wife-Dilnavaz,the fumbling, handicapped-Tehmul, the bipolar Ghulam Mohammad, the philosophical pavement artist, his college friend-Malcolm etc. The best thing about Mistry's novel is the apart from the realistic and episodic descriptions of the main character's lives, he also imbues even the most trivial and seemingly unimportant character with stark and singular qualities that immediately make them memorable. He is skilled in the way of characterization.


Mistry provides the reader with a glimpse of the way of life at that time, gives fleeting images and vast descriptions of certain peculiar aspects of Bombay like the House Of Cages, Mount Mary Church and most importantly, a middle class Parsi way of life in Bombay.


'Such A Long Journey' has no clear cut divisions, like many other novels, of prologue, climax, epilogue or conclusion. The story goes on with a smooth flow, carrying the reader through Gustad's and others' lives. There is no obvious climax, no resolute conclusion. In fact, the end of the book suffuses one with a sweet lingering feeling of nostalgic happiness and sadness. There are no shades of excitement in the book except for parts when Gustad is engaged in helping out Jimmy. There are flecks of suspense in those parts. Other then that, 'Such A Long Journey' has no proper plot, no climax, no thrills and frills. This is not a disadvantage but for those who prefer the above aspects may find the book largely monotonous. 'Such A Long Journey' depicts Gustad's life. It portrays it realistically and it is as if the reader is being taken through his life. And in real life, there are hardly any clear distinctions of plot and climax and such stuff. Thus the story tries to mimic this aspect and Mistry has thus created a unique novel.


The rest can easily pick up the book, sit cozily on an armchair, cuddle up and let Mistry draw you into the ups and downs, highs and lows of Gustad's life. Let yourself journey through 'Noble' Bombay.
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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 :

Title: The Insurgency in Chechnya and the North Caucasus, From Gazavat to Jihad

Author: Robert W. Schaefer
Author's Web site link: http://www.insurgencybook.com/
Genre: Nonfiction: Chechnya, Russia, Foreign Policy, Insurgency, Terrorism, Politics
and Government
ISBN: 978-0313386343

Reviewed by Margus Kuul for The New Book Review

Reviewer's Rating: 5 of 5


Do you want to know why terrorists bombed the Moscow airport in February 2011?
The Insurgency in Chechnya and the North Caucasus, From Gazavat to Jihad (Praeger, 2011) is a "must read" for those who are looking for answers about how to stop the brutality and violence in Southern Russia and learning more about the ongoing insurgency in Chechnya and the rest of the North Caucasus.

A wise man once said: "humanity's greatest need is not for money but for more understanding." In his introduction on page 6, Schaefer points out how much money the Russians will spend over the next four years to fight the insurgents in Chechnya alone, and yet, he makes the point clearly throughout the rest of the book that successful counterinsurgency campaigns first of all require a deep understanding of insurgency practice and doctrine followed by detailed historical and cultural knowledge of the region and its people.

Money doesn't fix problems; knowledge solves complex issues like the fighting in Russia.

Although Schaefer's book should be read by everyone following the conflict - or who simply want to know more about the terrorism, the enforced "disappearances" of civilians, why the 2014 Sochi Olympics will be in danger, or how insurgency and counterinsurgency work overall, the people who REALLY need to buy, read, and re-read this book are the who are still fighting battles (yet losing the war) against the insurgents along their southern border.

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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 :

Title - And One Last Thing...
Author – Molly Harper
Author’s Website – http://www.mollyharper.com/
Genre - Chicklit
ISBN-10: 1439168776
ISBN - 978-1439168776

Reviewed by Lyndsay Digneo for her blog

And One Last Thing by Molly Harper is funny, light-hearted at times, and above all else entertaining. I was looking for a book with a certain element of "fluff," and this fit the bill perfectly!

From the first page, you're thrust into the heart of the story when thirty year old Lacey Terwilliger mistakenly receives a bouquet of flowers from her husband that was intended for his mistress. Suddenly, the life she knew comes crashing down as she deals with the realization that her husband has been having an affair with his assistant. Lacey's pain, rage, and embarrassment are characterized so well. In her fit of anger, she sends a mass email detailing her husband's affair to his clients, friends, and family. As the email goes viral and becomes an Internet sensation, she escapes to her grandmother's lakefront cabin to avoid the media frenzy and the craziness of the divorce.
While it's a predictable theme in most chick lit books, she went to the cabin seeking solitude, but of course she meets Monroe, her sexy, new neighbor. However, it's not as cut and dry as boy meets girl and they live happily ever after. Monroe has a rule to keep his distance from divorced women, and that suits Lacey just fine. But in time, they develop a friendship that eventually leads to intimacy, and in the end, Lacey ultimately has to decide if she can take a chance and love again.


As the reader, you're in Lacey's head for the entire book. You know what she's thinking and why she's doing what she's doing, no matter how crazy it may be. (Skinning dipping in the middle of the night? You'll know why! And you'll laugh through the ordeal, which involves Monroe thinking she is committing suicide!) And that mass email is so carefully written as the typical wronged wife. However, as crazy as Lacey is at times, I found myself cheering and laughing as she said "one last thing."

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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 :