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.

Friday, May 21, 2021

Discussion Questions for U.P. Reader Volume #5 Free PDF Download

Title: U.P. Reader -- Volume #5: Bringing Upper Michigan Literature to the World

Authors: Mikel Classen and Deborah K Frontiera

Publisher: Modern History Press

Publisher Website Address: www.ModernHistoryPress.com

Publisher Email Address: info@ModernHistoryPress.com

ISBN-10: 1615995714

ISBN-13: 978-1615995714

ASIN: B09253976L

Price: $17.95 paperback, $28.95 hardcover, $5.95 Kindle

Page Count: 308 pages

Formats (P.B., H.C., Kindle)

Discussion Questions for U.P. Reader Volume #5 Free PDF Download

Discussion Questions for U.P. Reader Volume #5 Free PDF Download

Click on this link for your free instant download with the discussion questions. 

This anthology is one of the very best collections I have ever read. It is a satisfying long read including poems, stories, interviews, and writing pieces by young authors. It helps to understand the Yooper culture (Upper Peninsula area of Michigan).  Some of the stories are laugh-out-loud funny. Some stories are so sad you might need a kleenex. It is all highly captivating reading. 

You'll want to grab a pasty and eat some smelt soon after reading. Pasties were the lunch women would make for the miner's on lunch hour as they require only one hand to eat, being like a turnover but with meat and vegetables. Have you ever been smelting? The picture in the book shows a fishing boat, but when the smelt are running a bucket is all that is needed. Run it through the water, easily catch a bunch at once, put the smelt in a container, and get some more. It happens once a year. For some people, it is one of the highlights of the year. 

Lake Superior features prominently in the book which is easily understood as the UP is surrounded by the lake. The UPers refer to the lower Penninsula people as "trolls" as they live under the Mackinac Bridge. This book was written by yoopers, not trolls. Maybe you are one of thfudgies who visit the area for fudge (tourist) -- hey, not a bad idea. 

Discussion Questions


*Note: Only ten stories were selected as I try to keep discussion limited to ten questions. However, book groups will probably have no problem finding much to discuss in all the stories. people will probably want to discuss the interview about a book being made as a movie.

1.        “Your Orbit” by Barbara Bartel – the author is working through writing an obituary and manages to make it humorous. Did you like this writing piece? Could you apprentice yourself to write a similar story? What would you say?

2.       How to Hunt Fox Squirrels” by Don Bodey -- is another humorous story. What struck you as funny? How do mother squirrels put their children to sleep at night? How does the author suggest a person should go about getting a good squirrel recipe?

3.       “A.S.S. for State Slug” by Larry Buege – is really about what topic? How does Officer Koski end the last protest?

4.       “Matter of Time” by Tricia Carr – seems to be about a senile old woman. Who is scheming against her? How does she get back at the schemers?

5.       “The Lunch Kit” by Deborah K. Frontiera – instead of being snowbirds with their friends in Arizona, a couple begins to care for a child they knew nothing about. How did this happen? How does counseling help? What do they decide to do about schooling?

6.       Pictures throughout the book – which pictures remind you of living in, visiting, or understanding the Upper Peninsula? Have you ever gone smelting? Eaten a pasty? Seen a mine? Watched deer in the woods? What other observations regarding the images would you like to share?

7.        “The Rescue of the L. C. Waldo” by Robert Grede – this story is almost an odyssey as there are so many problems faced by the seaman and those on shore. How did people help? Would telephones have been helpful? Why did some people try to help and not others?

8.       “A Night to Remember” by Charles Hand – have you ever had car trouble on a remote stretch of road? What did the students think was going to happen to them? Gitche Gumee and Big-Sea Waters refer to what? What did you think of the plowing? The resolution? The jailer’s office night policeman forgot to do what?

9.       “Right Judgment” by Tamara Lauder – what did the flowers represent?  

1       “Requiem for Ernie” by Hilton Moore – did you realize people thought polio was catchy? Do you remember anything about the time before polio vaccines? Even now people are being told they maybe had it when they were young. Compare and contrast polio and the coronavirus. 

Carolyn Wilhelm

Wise Owl Factory


More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Taking the Pain Out of Writing Book Reviews, While Adding a Touch of Glory


Taking the Pain Out of Writing Book Reviews, 
While Adding a Touch of Glory

by Lois W. Stern
 
Review Acquisition Coordinator for TheNewBookReview 





ADDING THAT TOUCH OF GLORY WHILE WRITING A REVIEW FOR A FELLOW AUTHOR


* Don't forget to include a byline or tag line as part of your review. For example, I end each Amazon review I post with the words: Lois W. Stern, Creator of Tales2Inspire®.

* In the body of your review, try to add something personal about yourself, something that helped you relate to this book. For example, a physical therapist might include a few words about how and why they related to the book's karate champion because of their understanding and appreciation of the relationship between strengthening the body and both physical and mental health. 

* As an author, you can probably think of a way to express your admiration for the book you are reviewing by saying something about how your personal experiences as an author make you keenly aware of (something about the craft of writing). For example a reviewer of  Tales2Inspire ~ The Garnet Collection (Stories in Feathers and Friends), wrote that because of his own writings ("scientific treatises of animal consciousness, my appreciation for the stories in this book runs deeply . . . and have been a pleasure to have read.") This reviewer appears to be from Peru, so his language wasn't perfect, but nonetheless his thoughts ran true.

I have included a page titled, "Book Club Discussion Question to Spark Your Creativity"  at the end of each of my Tales2inspire® books. Even if it is too late to add such questions to the end of your book, you might try writing questions specific to your book to include as a helpful guide to future reviewers.

* For those of you who have bought into our "Authors Helping Authors" project and are ready to write a review for another of TheNewBookReview listed authors, you might find the following questions helpful stimulants to reviewing a book of most every genre.



Friday, May 14, 2021

Dr. Wesley Britton Review 4th in Dense Science Fiction Series by Fabrice Stephan

Title: A Child of the Federation 

Series: Human Star Pilots Book 4 

Author: Fabrice Stephan

ASIN B08TZJCST1

ISBN: 9798700286237 

Published February 2nd 2021

Available on Amazon


 

Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton originally for BookPleasures.com

 

While I sometimes feel like I’m drowning in an overwhelming flood of new novels in science-fiction,   I am often surprised how impressive so many new efforts are.  That’s especially true when authors present universes and multi-verses painted on wide and deep canvases full of ideas that are tantalizing, if not always easily comprehensible. In other words, impressive doesn’t always mean engaging.

 

One problem reviewing such sagas is trying to squeeze a useful summary into one or two paragraphs. It’s possible to list some of the major plot points, spell out the major conflicts and main players, but does that tell readers much about the spirit and flavor of the books?   

 

In this case, that’s even more tricky as I’m jumping into the “Human Star Pilots” epic four books into the series. Before A Child of the Federation,   Stephan gave us Human Star Pilot: Human Star Pilots Book 1, Interstellar Star Pilot: Human Star Pilots Book 2,  and Space Station Acheron: Human Star Pilots Book 3.   And I’ve read none of them.

 

Over the four tomes so far, the universe Stephan created is so vast, ageless, and sprawling,  odds are few readers will quickly wrap their minds around what is involved, no matter in which book they first jump into the saga.  It’s a story with many plots and sub-plots. The main rudder for the fourth novel is the main character of the forty year old star pilot, Isara. As a “child of the Federation,” she knows next to nothing about who she is until a surprising journey of self-discovery takes her back to the planet of her origins, Filb, the planet which witnessed a horrible ecological catastrophe. She is more special than she knows, even moreso than being one of only six pilots capable of surviving the training of managing hyperspace jumps learned from a borrowed Alien technology. That means she has to live with nanobots in her body that keep her alive during warp jumps.

 

To describe a few things about the Federation, it’s worth noting this isn’t a Federation Gene Roddenberry would recognize: it’s mainly an economic confederacy of which earth is a relative newcomer. Also facing ecological disaster, earth needs the technology of ancient aliens who apparently no longer exist.    The interplay between members of the Federation and the levels of political maneuvering are, well, confusing.  While Stephan is masterful at world-building, the further away the story moves away from Isara’s personal evolution, the more lost in the trees I got. 

 

So my final reaction to the book is that it’s a challenge worth exploring if you really like complex universe building, multiple story-lines, very dense back-stories,    and occasional memorable scenes in between all the description of a universe easy to get lost in.  And, no doubt, more to come.

 

 

More About the Reviewer

Dr. Wesley Britton is an author and frequently contributes reviews to #TheNewBookReview, especially those in the science fiction genre. He also reviews for BookPleasures.com.  



Dr. Wesley Britton Review 4th in Dense Science Fiction Series by Fabrice Stephan


More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 


 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Author Idelle Kursman Shares "The Paris Library" with #TheNewBookReview Readers


Title: The Paris Library
By Janet Skeslien Charles 
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Atria Books 2021 
ISBN: 978-1-9821-3419-8
Published on February 9, 2021
Available on Amazon

Reviewed by Idelle Kursman

Book lovers everywhere will savor reading The Paris Library.  During the years leading up to the Second World War, Odile Souchet is a young girl living in Paris who relishes her job as a librarian at the American Library in Paris. She is also developing strong friendships and finding love, but then the Nazis invade France and thrust hardships upon French citizens--food is scarce; curfews are imposed; and Jews, communists, so called “enemy aliens,” and anyone opposed to Nazi rule are imprisoned or worse.    
 Odile tries hard to carry on but she inadvertently betrays a friend at the closing of the war. Odile eventually leaves the country and settles in Montana, where years later she becomes a mentor to a young girl experiencing growing pains and family issues.  I found it moving to read about a caring, sincere person who has made terrible mistakes and yet uses those experiences to help another person make wiser decisions.  A winner!
About the Reviewer
Idelle Kursman is the author of True Mercy and The Book of Revelations. She also does editing and SEO copywriting. To contact her, please log onto her website at https://www.idellekursman.com.

Author Idelle Kursman Shares "The Paris Library" with #TheNewBookReview Readers


More About #TheNewBookReview Blog




 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Friday, May 7, 2021

Finding Great Professional Reviewers Using Repected Cision List and More!

  • I use this Writers & Publishers Network service from for my new books just as often as I can.  And I have a new AUDIO book I want this list of professional reviewers (meaning there is no charge to authors or publishers!)  to see! Deadline May 25, 2021. 




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More About #TheNewBookReview Blog


 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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

#TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide

News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide 

  • Author: Paulette Jiles
  • Publisher: William Morrow
  • Language: English
  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • ISBN-10: 0062409204
  • ISBN-13: 978-0062409201
  • Pages: 224

News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide

Oh, this book made quite an impression on me and I cannot stop thinking about it. I had no idea the situation this story presents happened many times. Let's just say a child taken from her family for years, and is then returned, but her parents are dead. The story takes place five years after the end of the Civil War. The hero, Captain Kidd, fought in two wars and lived through the third. He raised two daughters and felt his parenting days were over. He promises to take a girl back to her aunt and uncle which requires traveling 400 miles through dangerous territory. It was indeed the wild west at that time, and they face dangers and unpleasant conditions. 

First, please note the book does have some discussion questions in the back. Those may be preferable. Here are a few more possible questions. 


News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide
The author adds a note about a book by Scott Zesch's book, The Captured. What was the astounding information she included? Do you think that book would be interesting? Why or why not? 

The movie was very different from the book. Many details were changed. Here are the movie questions, without giving away too much in the way of spoilers. It had basically the same ideas as the book, with different details. 

News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide
I hope you find the story as interesting as I did! 
Thank you for reading, 
Carolyn Wilhelm
Carolyn Wilhelm is the author and sole owner of The Wise Owl Factory LLC site and blog. She has a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents. Her children's books are available on Amazon. She was a public school teacher for 28 years. She writes for The New Book Review and Sharing with Writers and Readers.

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Saturday, May 1, 2021

The New Book Review Reviewer Wesley Britton Shares “Fast-Paced” Fantasy

 

Toxic - Adult Edition

Karina Kantas

Publication date : April 12, 2019

Publisher: Electric Eclectic 

ASIN : B07QN8S1YZ

https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Adult-Electric-Eclectic-Book-ebook/dp/B07QN8S1YZ

 

 Reviewed by Wesley Britton originally for BookPleasures.com 


In this short, tight dystopian novella, author Karina Kantas touches on some hot button bases with extremely economical storytelling.


The New Book Review Reviewer Wesley Britton Shares “Fast-Paced” Fantasy


The core of the feminist story is the coming-of-age of a girl named Lexi who is living with a controlling boyfriend named Aron. While they have hot sex, and readers of the Adult Edition of this tale will get to experience a long, vivid description of that hot sex, Lexi’s growing independence and distaste for her restrictive life as a Malok in the mountains sends her on the road to becoming a Ranger, one of the fighters being trained to battle the Outcasts, quasi-humans who live underground and compete with the Maloks for control of the addicting and life-supporting Terra plant.


At the same time Lexi is affirming herself,  the man of her childhood dreams returns to be the new leader of her people. An old foe of Lexi’s, a woman named mae, is by his side and Lexi assumes the two are a couple.    So one subplot to the saga is Lexi slowly learning the truth about her would-be suitor with whom, ah, back to that hot sex thing. Almost.

    

The final third of the book, and I’m not providing any spoilers here, sends all the main characters into a violent and vicious battle with the Outcasts where Lexi discovers many truths about herself, her future, and the most important people in her life.

 

So, in one fast-paced adventure, readers get a feminist champion, some erotic, sensory passages, a futuristic society with a spartan culture, an extended vicious battle—what more could you ask for in a read that can be completed in one evening? How about a happy ending?     How about the author’s promise to give us a second volume so we can follow the fates of the warriors we got fascinated by in volume one?

 

If you like your reading fast, furious, and unrestrained, Toxic is well-worth an evening of your time.  I gather there’s a milder version of the book that might appeal to readers not accustomed to rough and ready fiction, but I can’t speak to it. I like being entertained by sex and violence and interesting characters in an interesting world.

 

 

This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on April 20, 2021:

 

 

https://waa.ai/m3x2

 

 

 More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 


 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing