The New Book Review

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.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Reader's Favorite Gives Five Stars to Fiction Set in China

Author:  Catherine Aerie
Title: The Dance of the Spirits
ISBN:
978-09-89690928 (paperback)  
978-0989690911 (eBook). 
Price: $12.80 (print) 
$2.99 (eBook)
Stores:   Amazon.com.     
BN.com (print only). 
Walmart.com (print only).
Smashwords (eBook).
Goodreads (eBook).
Bookhitch (eBook).Review:  Rating: 5.0 stars

Reviewed by Patricia Reding originally for Readers' Favorite

“The Dance of the Spirits, by Catherine Aerie, is the story of Jasmine Young who is raised in a well-to-do home in China. Her life is punctuated by experiences of wealth and plenty on the one hand, and family misery on the other. Throughout Jasmine’s young years, her mother continually encourages (bullies?) her to become a doctor so that she will be self-sufficient and not have to depend upon an unfaithful man, as has Jasmine’s mother. Into the mix of family life is added Tin-Bo, a street waif whose ability to learn quickly makes him a favorite amongst the servants… When communism comes to China, Jasmine, to save her family’s honor, goes to the war in Korea. While there, she meets an American, Wesley. Through the death and misery of a war-torn land, Jasmine and Wesley find love, while Tin-Bo concludes that Jasmine is to be his or she is to belong to no one else.

On the surface, The Dance of the Spirits is a story of love and of war, but on a deeper level, it is a story of the misery that the communist ideology brought to millions of souls in the twentieth century. Whether that philosophy is related to nationalism, internationalism or faith, Catherine Aerie reminds readers that when a system that will entertain no contradiction in thought or deed comes to power, no one is safe — and no one is free. Aerie draws a vivid picture of war and its price, and a tender image of love. This is a story to be read…with an eye toward seeking a meaning greater than just that of the lives and events that visit its pages.”

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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.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Readers' Favorite Reviews Legal Thriller

False Prophet, a Legal Thrillerby Jeff RasleyAuthor's Web site: http://www.jeffreyrasley.com

Genre: Legal thriller, mystery
ISBN 978-1-4524-1027-2
ASIN for Kindle: B005ECBYAE
Buy link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ECBYAE

Reviewed by Ray Simmons  originally for Readers' Favorite
5-Star Rating


False Prophet, A Legal Thriller is the story of a defamation lawsuit brought against a big newspaper by a charismatic African-American minister in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is also the story of Jack Ross and his struggle to save his marriage, save his struggling partnership and most of all, save his idealism and belief in justice after working too long in a legal system he doesn't believe in anymore. Jeff Rasley has created a very likable and credible character in Jack Ross, someone who fights for the underdog while actually being something of an underdog himself. Jack's most redeeming qualities are his strength and determination, something nurtured during years of high school athletics, and his loyalty, demonstrated by his walking away from the largest and most prestigious law firm in the state in support of his best friend.

Jeff Rasley's novel is as good as anything written in this particular genre and better than most. He takes his time developing his plot and setting up the situation. There is a compelling sub-plot - Jack's threatened marriage - which is woven alongside the lawsuit and dispersed in timely increments that complement the main thread of the novel. The politics, greed, and ruthlessness of those in the top tiers of society in modern day Indianapolis ring true. The strengths and frailties of the characters are subtly but effectively portrayed and the portrait of our legal system in action is vividly rendered. This is a legal thriller indeed and I eagerly await the next one by Jeff Rasley.
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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.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Intenet Review of Books Lauds Ester Benjamin Shifren

HIDING IN A CAVE OF TRUNKS:
A prominent Jewish Family’s Century in Shanghai and Internment in a WWII POW Camp
Author: Ester Benjamin Shifren
Non-fiction/memoir/history
ISBN 978 1479165384 and ISBN 1479165387
Available on Amazon.com: http://amzn.com/1479165387
RReviewed by Katherine Highcove originally for  Internet Review of Books (IRB)
 


Hiding in a Cave of Trunks is the saga of British family's century-long residence in Shanghai. Author Ester Benjamin Shifren is the descendant of Sephardic Jewish émigrés to the eastern city. Her ancestors sailed into Shanghai from India in the early 1840s and from Persia and the Mideast in 1917. For the next century, family members were active participants in Shanghai's multi-ethnic cultural life and commerce, while remaining faithful to the rites and rituals of their religion.

In Shanghai, Jews were not hampered by Christian prejudice, which enabled the immigrants to flourish. But like other Shanghai émigrés who chose to retain citizenship in their home countries, the Benjamin clan steadfastly maintained British citizenship during their hundred-year residency in the International Settlement - the section of the city where wealthy foreigners built and maintained spacious homes.

The chapters of Hiding in a Cave of Trunks are split into four sections: Early Childhood Days in ShanghaiFrom Freedom to CaptivityHomecoming, and Hong Kong. In preparation for the book, Shifren researched family records, copied photographs, sorted through correspondence, and interviewed old friends and living relatives to flesh out her own Shanghai memories.

The first section, Early Childhood Days, introduces the author's grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and servants. She reviews important incidents and devastating events in the family history, and outlines how the Benjamin family, generation by generation, integrated into the highest circles of Shanghai society. Shifren recalls her chaperoned excursions into exotic street scenes and the émigré community's social occasions at private clubs, weddings, funerals and the racetrack. Many members of her family owned racehorses and enjoyed that level of the city's sporting life.

Much of Shifren’s research for this book was based on several interviews, done over a period of seventeen years, with her parents. Their-first person input makes this story a poignant account of courage and parental fortitude in a time of high stress and danger.

The From Freedom to Captivity section recounts the family's traumatic experiences during WWII. After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese military swiftly invaded Shanghai and took over all of the city's profitable enterprises. The Allied nationals, who had owned many of the banks, shipping warehouses and businesses, lost much of their savings and possessions - even their family cars - to the invaders. Even worse, families who had retained citizenship in Allied countries were labeled security risks by the Japanese. All Allied families were soon forced to leave their luxurious homes and take up residence in a hastily prepared prisoner of war camp.

The author's family members, as British citizens, were also considered enemies of the Emperor. This poignant passage from Hiding in Cave of Trunks relates their last evening in their spacious ancestral home:

On the first morning of Pessach (Passover) in April 1943, we tearfully celebrated the Seder, eating matsoch and performing all the rituals. This was to be our last wonderful home-cooked festival meal for a long time.

The next morning Mummy and Daddy looked around our home for the last time…. Some Chinese men with large wheelbarrows arrived to collect our things. They grunted and groaned while they transported all our cases, kitbags, beds, and bare necessities to the Public Boys and Girls School on Yu Yuen Road, our designated camp, and “home” for the unforeseeable future.

The incarceration of Allied civilians in the Far East has been dramatized in several movies and television shows. The dramas usually emphasize extreme hardships: torture, forced marches, rapes, and other types of inhumane treatment inflicted by the merciless Japanese military. And the movies re-create, or a scriptwriter fantasizes, dramatic acts of resistance by heroic civilians. Extreme cruelty is easy to dramatize. But everyday tedium, limited bland nutrition, and less onerous deprivations - like never providing kosher meat to the Jewish families - are considered ho-hum matters to a movie director.

Shifren provides a vivid picture of real life in the POW camp. Although Hiding in a Cave of Trunks chronicles cruel and sadistic acts by the Japanese Commandant, the author puts the emphasis on the subtle mind games that were played every day between the military captors and the Allied prisoners.

All through their three-year captivity, the inmates of the prison camp found ways to work together and make their imprisonment bearable. For example, they had a secret communication system that imported outside news of key battles and Allied victories, even though the Japanese threatened death to anyone who participated in this grapevine. And the community resisted their captors and demonstrated loyalty to the Allied forces by staying physically and mentally active. The women of the camp found ways to nourish and educate the children; the men did heavy work and repaired their ramshackle housing when the Japanese allowed such activity. This daily effort to maintain esprit de corps and community well-being was heroism on a less flashy level.

When the Allies began to win key battles in the Pacific arena, the news eventually sifted through the camp news sources. Hope grew weekly. But the closer the battle came to Shanghai, the more recalcitrant the camp's Japanese commandant became. New rules and requirements amped up the mind games until the last day of incarceration.

After the official Japanese surrender, the truth could no longer be denied. One morning the captors melted away into the postwar mayhem and confusion in the city, and the Allied families slowly realized they were free to leave their prison. They eased their way back into the streets of Shanghai and rejoiced.

And yet, the former captives soon realized that they couldn't simply take up where they left off before the war. Their property was now in other hands. The Communists were on the horizon. Shifren's parents, like many other camp survivors, came to understand that they had to start over again … but not in Shanghai.

In the last two sections of this memoir, Homecoming and Hong Kong, Shifren relates how her family slowly let go of their friends and the Jewish community in Shanghai, and moved to Hong Kong. But as mainland China steadily morphed into a repressive Communist society, the family decided to break with their ancestral home. They boarded a plane to Israel. Émigrés once again.

I asked the author what had inspired her memoir. She replied:

 "I wrote the book because I felt I had to tell the little-known story of the history of the multi-ethnic groups living in Shanghai, "The Paris of the East," and the brutal Japanese occupation of the Far East during WWII. Of great importance was letting the world know about the internment of all Allied civilians, and the resultant losses of material wealth, optimum health, and dislocation that we endured."

With the completion and publication of this intimate memoir, Ester Benjamin Shifren has given the reader a valuable eyewitness account of a little-known historical event. Her story is especially valuable for those who study and seek to preserve Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Eastern Jewish history.

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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.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Miracle in Fiction Gets Goodreads Attention

The Most Unexpected Course in Miracles
 
Title: Life Can Be a Miracle
Author: Ivinela Samuilova
Author's Website: http://ivinela.webs.com
Genre: Fiction/Inspirational/Self-help/Spiritual
ASIN: B00CZCCQ3U
Reviewer: Leila Summers
Reviewer’s link: http://www.leilasummers.co.za/blog
Reviewer's Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
 
Reviewed by Leila Summers, originally for Goodreads
 
This book will appeal mostly to people who enjoy reading self-help, psychology, metaphysical and spiritual books or inspirational novels with a message. It does not necessarily read as a typical novel, though there is an enjoyable storyline that surrounds the insightful information. The book was translated into English from Bulgarian and the translation and the writing are excellent.

The story revolves around Adie, a woman who is searching for her purpose and Alexey, an unusual psychologist who runs seminars that Adie attends. I was most interested to discover that Alexey is a real person whom the author received permission from to use his real name and share his distinctive methods. This made the book all the more interesting for me because the information is authentic, and after trying out some of the techniques myself, I found that they actually work!

Alexey’s seminars are sometimes described in detail which I found fascinating. It was almost as though I was attending the seminar myself, which would be impossible under any other circumstance, because Alexey Bachev lives in Bulgaria and speaks Bulgarian. I read many non-fiction books, articles and listen to various speakers on these topics, so for me this was a unique experience.

Here is an edited section from one of Alexey’s seminars - We all hold a mental map in our heads about what life is, how to live, who we are, what is possible, what is not possible and so on. This mental map determines our perception of the world, but what it shows us in not the world… It is like when you pour liquid into a container: the liquid takes the form of the container. In the same way, reality flows into our (mental) maps, and thus our maps shape our reality. When we fill our mind with something, like a problem for example, then our mental map will take the shape of the problem… In other words, the mental map that we hold shapes our reality that we experience… (But) we can go beyond the limits of the reality that we have shaped.
There are so many interesting insights that the book took me longer than usual to read, as I stopped to take notes and digest them. I do hope that the author considers translating her other novels in English so that I can read them too.

I think that this book will appeal to anyone who has an open mind, a sense of adventure and humor, an interest in psychology, believes that we can shape our reality, and would like to learn some different and fun ways on how to handle a problem.
 
About the Author
Ivinela Samuilova lives in Sophia, Bulgaria. She has an MA in Theology and a strong interest in the inner world of human beings. Ivinela's books turned out to be a phenomenon on the Bulgarian book market where she is considered to be an influential, original and spirited new voice. Ivinela’s debut novel ‘Life Can Be a Miracle’ was released in English as an e-book in spring 2013.
 
Follow Ivinela on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Ivinela.Samuilova or on Twitter @ivinela
 
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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.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Sneaky Art for Adults and Children Reviewed

Title: Sneaky Art:
Subtitle: Crafty Surprise to Hide in Plain Sight
Available on Amazon
Author: Marthe Jocelyn
Genre: Crafting for Kids
ISBN: 978-0763656485


Reviewed by Elizabeth Tropp

Sneaky Art is a unique book that is perfect for families to use together. It's a cross between crafting and playing practical jokes. What kid doesn't love that?

As the oldest grandchild in my family, I'm often called upon to keep the younger ones entertained during big family get togethers. This thankless job has suddenly become tons easier now that I've been introduced to "Sneaky Art". I feel like this book will appeal to all my young cousins because, even if they aren't that into arts and crafts, they'll love part two of each project which is sneaking it into an unlikely place and waiting for people to discover it (for example, a tiny wine cork boat set sail in a bathroom sink). I just have to make sure the boys don't launch a boat in the toilet bowl.

Each basic craft is simple and can be done with supplies everyone has around their house but more "crafty" or older kids can make their projects more detailed. The book is full of photographs that will get kids excited about the projects and templates to make everything easy. Thanks Marthe! New Year's Day dinner at my Nan's house will be a breeze this year!
 
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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.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Dr. Bob Rich's Award-Winning Sci-Fi Reviewed

TITLE Ascending Spiral: Humanity's last chance
AUTHOR Bob Rich http://bobswriting.com/ascending.html
AWARD WINNER: Carolyn's Noble Award for 2013 (sponsored by MyShelf.com Back To Literature column)
GENRE Inspirational fiction + historical adventure + science fiction :)
ISBN 978-1-61599-186-0

Review by Florence Weinberg originally for Bobbing Around newsletter
 

Bob Rich’s remarkable novel is a valiant, vivid, at times brilliant attempt to solve the puzzle of the human animal. Consisting of gripping, interconnected narratives of the many lives of Pip Lipkin, the novel retells, in a most original way, the myth of Original Sin and the possibility of redemption. We humans have a broad streak of greed, malice, and willful destruction within us. “Humanity is a toddler” we are told, and our two dominant words are NO! and Mine! Nietzsche recognized this and called it the Will to Power, present in all life forms, all of us striving to grow by devouring the Other—only in the case of human beings, the Other is planet Earth. The lesson of the novel/primer/metaphor/parable is that we alone, among the interconnected species that make up the living surface of this ball of energy that is Earth, are capable of recognizing the final and horrific result of No! and Mine! We alone can curb our primitive impulses and learn to love unselfishly. Unlike Nietzsche, Bob is an optimist. He shouts a warning: We must and can act to halt the destruction of our Earth. Pip/Bob is a very old soul who has learned to heal with love, to build rather than devour. But what to do about the exploitative and destructive youngsters, “toddler souls” like Bob’s Vikings, his English in Ireland and Australia, his Mr. McQuade, our own entrepreneurs? Teach love. Give, not Gimme. Bravo, Bob! May you draw many readers, and may they join the healing effort!
 
MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER
 
A native of Alamogordo, New Mexico, Florence Byham Weinberg traveled extensively with her military family during World War II. Travels continued after marriage to scholar-critic Kurt Weinberg in Canada, France, Spain, and Germany. After earning her PhD, she taught for twenty-two years at St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York, and ten at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of "Anselm: a metamorphosis"
 
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Bob Rich
http://bobswriting.com
http://anxietyanddepression-help.com
http://mudsmith.net
MY BEST BOOK: http://bobswriting.com/ascending.html
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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.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Novel Explores Dysfuntionalism, Clergy Pedophilia, Suppressed Sexuality

OF LITTLE FAITH
A Novel
By Carol Hoenig
www.carolhoenig.com
Publisher: Steel Cut Press
Publication date: October 22, 2013
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-936380-05-3

Published with permission from ForeWord Review Magazine


A raw yet sensitive portrayal of hypocrisy set against the backdrop of the
tumultuous 1960s presents the struggles of a liberal woman in the context of
her conservative family and upbringing.

Brutally frank and devastatingly real, this exceptional novel explores the
dynamics of a dysfunctional family while calling attention to hypocritical
behavior. Dredged memories of clergy pedophilia during the 1950s mingle with
suppressed sexuality and feminist perceptions of a biblical world. Narrated
from the distinctive viewpoints of four protagonists, the story reveals that
interpretation of religious structure is highly personal, not a matter of
dogma.

Two sisters, a brother, and a sister-in-law cannot agree on whether to sell
their childhood home that is occupied by the sibling with a zealous attitude
toward fundamentalist religion. Pitted against this woman are her liberal
sister, Laura, who wishes to have a child without the entanglement of marriage
during a time when it remains unacceptable, and her brother, who is a married
minister who remains childless.

Laura, having been molested by a pastor, maintains a straightforward, carefree
lifestyle that showcases the flaws of conservative purists who resist change.
Through Laura's eyes, a sincere desire cannot tolerate a "should" or a "must"
in a preordained plan; rather, it is the spontaneity of living that enlightens
those who seek the guidance of a higher power.

Filled with twists and surprises, this absorbing novel fulfills expectations
without giving itself away. The end will astound even the most jaded.
Meticulous effort, as well as personal experience, enhances the authenticity of
Hoenig's work, bringing to light a captivating though frightening decade.
Women's rights, the Vietnam War, and civil-rights protests set the backdrop for
this engrossing exploration of human character.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carol Hoenig is president of her own publishing consultant firm and an
award-winning author with a gift for insightful storytelling. Her involvement
in fundamentalism and later rejection of the church bring to light this
sensitive portrayal of a fascinating cast of characters.

*Of Little Faith* delivers a punch to old-school beliefs while spotlighting the
period when progress for women battled nightmarish condemnation and
self-centered ritual.

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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.