Author of "Cinema Stanzas" Shares Second List of Favor Books About Movies

#TheNewBookReview is most always happy to try something new when it will benefit our visitors and subscribers and with so many fans of my registered hashtag, #MovieReviews, I feel sure this is one of those times. Thus, not one but two lists of Film Poet Betty Jo Tucker's favorite books about the movies. Find the first on this blog at https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2022/11/rotten-tomato-critic-shares-0-favorite.html. 

And, of course, enjoy this one before you go! 

TITLE Favorite Books about Movies: Part Two

AUTHOR: Betty Jo Tucker

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: www.BettyJoTucker.com  

GENRE Nonfiction

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL Adult

AWARDS: Author received five awards for books about films (see Bio below)

A LINK TO THE ARTICLE SUBMITTED:  https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=82551

                      FAVORITE BOOKS ABOUT MOVIES: PART TWO

By Betty Jo Tucker, author of Cinema Stanzas, occasional reviewer for Rotten Tomatoes, and thymed reviews and related material on her Facebook stream.

 

As I mentioned before, most movie addicts enjoy reading books about films and filmmaking. That’s why I am pleased to add the 10 books below to my list of favorites.  Part Three coming soon!

A Poet Among Critics. Richard Jack Smith (UK, 2016) What a treat to read an entire book of impressive movie poems from this prolific British film critic and poet! A diverse collection, the book showcases this author’s extensive film knowledge and unbridled passion for the cinema. Unique and candid, Smith’s poems cover many genres and eras. Plus, Smith’s use of lush language makes every poem come alive and emerge as a gem on its own.   

A Screenwriter’s Notebook: Reflections, Analyses and Chalk Talks on the Craft and Business of Writing for the Movies. Bill Mesce Jr. (Serving House Books, 2020). The author shares his personal experiences and intriguing insights as a screenwriter and teacher of this subject. While extremely helpful to wannabe screenwriters and people already working in this field, the book boasts considerable appeal for film critics and for avid movie fans. It’s highly entertaining and packed with details about all kinds of movies.            

 CLAPTRAP: Notes from Hollywood. Stephen Gyllenhaal (Cantara Books LLC ) Movie and television director Gyllenhaal, father of Jake and Maggie, takes readers on a profoundly humanistic journey in his first book of poetry. This impressive offering includes 46 poems that evoke marvelous cinematic images and stir the emotions, two things I always expect good poetry to do.  

Hollywood Haunted. Laurie Jacobson (Angel City Press, 2014) This acclaimed book covers more than 100 years of ghostly goings-on in filmland. Spooky tales about haunted houses, hotels, studios and theaters abound in Jacobson’s entertaining exploration of Hollywood hot spots and famous ghost sightings, including such stars as Bela Lugosi, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift and Errol Flynn.

 I’ll Be in My Trailer: The Creative Wars Between Directors and Actors by John Badham and Craig Moddorno (Michael Wiese Productions, 2006) Veteran director Badham passes on helpful information about how to work with actors, and not just from his own point of view. He also includes advice from numerous directors and actors. This impressive book is now being used in film schools worldwide.   

John Badham On Directing. 2^nd Edition: Notes from the Sets of Saturday Night Fever and War Games and More. John Badham (Michael Wiese Productions, 2020). Badham adds more fascinating and valuable information from and about directors and actors in this welcome new edition. Television and streaming projects receive considerable attention here because of their widespread content now. Like Badham’s first On Directing, this book is a must-read for people in the business but also for serious movie addicts like me.

The Force Is with You. Stephen Simon (Hampton Roads Publishing Company, 2002) The producer of such acclaimed films as Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Comeexplores over 70 movies that deal with such important topics as the nature of love, the meaning of life and death, the concept of time and space, and the visions of our future. Simon believes there are mystical messages in movies that inspire our lives -- and he has a wonderful way of illuminating these films.   

The Liveliest Art. Arthur Knight (The MacMillan Company, 1957) Would you like a panoramic history of movies through the late1950s -- one that emphasizes the growth of film from an 1895 novelty to an important 20th century art form? Then this amazing book is definitely for you.

Unsinkable: A Memoir. Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway (William Morrow, 2013) Good mornin’, good mornin’!  I stayed awake the whole night through -- reading this fascinating book until I finished it. Thanks to these two authors for giving me such enjoyable insomnia. But describing Unsinkable is not easy. Is it a thriller? A modern Book of Job? A humorous showbiz romp? A behind-the-scenes Hollywood exposé? A heartfelt love story?  I think the answer has to be “Yes” to all of the above.            

 What’s It All About? An Autobiography. Michael Caine (Turtle Bay Books, 1992) This is one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read. Caine writes with a humorous style as he reveals how he overcame his impoverished London childhood that included growing up with an eye disorder, rickets and a name like Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. But, for movie buffs, the most important part of this terrific book involves the wonderful detailed  stories about Caine’s many films.           

INFORMATION ABOUT THE REVIEWER

NAME OF REVIEWER: Betty Jo Tucker

ORIGINAL PLACE THE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED (ReelTalk Movie Reviews)

BIO: Betty Jo Tucker served as editor/lead film critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews for 20 years. She also writes film commentary for AuthorsDen and the Colorado Senior Beacon. She is the award-winning author of Confessions of a Movie Addict, Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick, Cinema Stanzas: Rhyming About Movies, and Cinema Stanzas Two: Poet Laureate of the Movies. Using the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, Betty Jo and her husband Larry co-wrote It Had To Be Us, a romantic memoir adapted for the screen under the title of CAKE: A Love Story, which earned First Place in the Short Film category at the NSAEN Online International Film Festival. She is a co-founder of the San Diego Film Critics Society, a member of the Online Film Critics Society and an approved Rotten Tomatoes critic.

TWITEER MONIKER: Betty Jo Tucker @MovieAddictRevu

EMAIL ADDRESS: reeltalk@comcast.net

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 #AuthorsHelpingAuthors 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

Rotten Tomato Critic Shares !0 Favorite Books About Movies

The New Book Review has a special treat for you today. Author and Reviewer is doing a series of reviews of her favorite movie-oriented books for my subscribers and visitors.

CHJ 

TITLE Favorite Books about Movies: Part One

AUTHOR: Betty Jo Tucker

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: www.BettyJoTucker.com  

GENRE Nonfiction

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL Adult

AWARDS: Author received five awards for books about films (see Bio below)

A LINK TO THE ARTICLE SUBMITTED:  https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=82497 
                     

     FAVORITE BOOKS ABOUT MOVIES:

 PART ONE 

LIst from Betty Jo Tucker, Author, Poet, Reviewer

(AKA @MovieAddictRevu) 

When you love movies as much as I do, you want to read everything you can about films and filmmaking. Below are ten of my favorite movie-related books. Two more lists will be submitted soon.  

150 Timeless Movies. Susan Granger (Hannacroix Creek Books, 2016) This is a marvelous collection of film reviews by noted cinema critic Susan Granger. The author chose her critiques of many films made since the turn of the 21st century as well as 25 classics that she believes will stand the test of time. What they all have in common is that they’re a successful creative collaboration, often revolving around love, family and the indomitable human spirit. Among the films included in this excellent book are: 2001: A Space Odyssey, African Queen, Avatar, The Bucket List, City Lights, Saving Private Ryan, The Lives of Others, The Social Network, Slumdog Millionaire , The Wizard of Oz, and 140 more must-see movies. 

Everyone Wants My Job! The ABC’s of Entertainment Writing. Diana Saenger (Picadilly Books, Ltd., 2000). Saenger offers her helpful professional advice about how to review films, conduct interviews, market your work, and perform other tasks associated with this competitive field. Author sprinkles each chapter with celebrity quotations and anecdotes that make her book a delight to read. No wonder people want Diana’s job. But she does caution wannabes about the hard work involved.    

For Keeps. Pauline Kael (Dutton - Penguin Books, 1994).  In this impressive compendium, America’s most renowned film critic, the late Pauline Kael, presented the best of her New Yorker reviews and other writings on movies from 1965 through 1991. More than 275 reviews are arranged chronologically, forming a 30-year history of the movies. (At over 1200 pages, For Keeps also makes a terrific doorstop.)    

It’s a Bitter Little World: The Smartest, Toughest, Nastiest Quotes from Film Noir. Charles Pappas (Writer’s Digest Books, 2005).Film historian Charles Pappas loves "film noir," those cynical movies about sex, violence and money featuring losers who seek the very thing that gets them killed. In this well-researched  book, he  highlights the terrific dialogue that makes these films so memorable. 

The Citizen Kane Crash Course in Cinematography. David Worth (Michael Wiese Productions, 2008). Drawing upon his own creativity and experience as a Director or Director of Photography on more than thirty films, David Worth lets his imagination run wild in this fabulous tome. The result? One of the most eye-popping books you'll ever read about filmmaking. Written mostly in screenplay format, the story focuses on how legendary cinematographer Gregg Toland taught “Boy Wonder” Orson Welles all he needed to know about cinematography before Welles began shooting Citizen Kane. It's a fun and enlightening read! 

The Golden Age of Movie Musicals and Me. Saul Chaplin (University of Oklahoma Press, 1994).  This revealing memoir is the man who served as songwriter, vocal arranger, pianist, musical director, or producer on more than sixty films during the Hollywood musical heyday. Chaplin writes candidly about the major performers and filmmakers he met while working on such movies as High Society, On the Town, Seven Brides for Seven  Brothers, American in Paris, and The Sound of Music. (Gossip tidbit: no love lost between Chaplin and Al Jolson, despite their collaboration on “The Anniversary Song.”) 

The Making of the Wizard of Oz. Aljean Harmetz (Hyperion - Special 60^th nniversary Edition, 1998), Here is the inside story behind the filming of this American movie classic. Harmetz describes how the film survived four directors, serious problems on the set, and changes in casting to become an all-time family favorite. Buddy Ebsen as the Scarecrow? Shirley Temple as Dorothy?  Cut Dorothy singing “Over the Rainbow”?  And other close calls.       

Reel Spirit: A Guide to Movies That Inspire, Explore, and Empower. Raymond Teague (Unity House, 2000) Teague’s analysis of spirituality in the movies includes almost 400 films, with reviews of such movies as It’s a Wonderful Life, The Lion King, When Harry Met Sally, , Malcolm X, and the Star Wars series. (Guess who this author considers the most admirable character in Hollywood films?  Here’s a clue -- it’s a woman.)  

Romantic Comedies: These Films Can Save Your Love Life! Pamela Jaye Smith (Michael Wiese Productions, 2017) This unique book is a tribute to love and the movies that show us how to find, hold, and relish it in our romantic relationships. The author’s intriguing movie guide is filled with some of the best-loved and most popular romantic comedies, including Sabrina, Sleepless in Seattle, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Princess Bride and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Lessons learned from watching movies like these offer valuable advice about keeping your love life healthy. 

Screening History. Gore Vidal (Harvard University Press – Reissue Edition, 1994). Vidal recalls the films he loved while growing up in Washington, D.C. during the 1930s and reflects on the movies that meant the most to him, such as The Prince and the Pauper and Young Mr. Lincoln. (Funny, I saw those films too -- but they didn’t impress me as much as King Kong and Frankenstein. Could this explain our different career paths?) Vidal admits that as he looked back over his life, he realized the only thing he really liked to do was go to the movies. That makes two of us.     

INFORMATION ABOUT THE REVIEWER

NAME OF REVIEWER: Betty Jo Tucker

ORIGINAL PLACE THE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED (ReelTalk Movie Reviews)

BIO: Betty Jo Tucker served as editor/lead film critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews for 20 years. She also writes film commentary for AuthorsDen and the Colorado Senior Beacon. She is the award-winning author of Confessions of a Movie Addict, Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick, Cinema Stanzas: Rhyming About Movies, and Cinema Stanzas Two: Poet Laureate of the Movies. Using the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, Betty Jo and her husband Larry co-wrote It Had To Be Us, a romantic memoir adapted for the screen under the title of CAKE: A Love Story, which earned First Place in the Short Film category at the NSAEN Online International Film Festival. She is a co-founder of the San Diego Film Critics Society, a member of the Online Film Critics Society and an approved Rotten Tomatoes critic. 

TWITEER MONIKER: Betty Jo Tucker @MovieAddictRevu

EMAIL ADDRESS: reeltalk@comcast.net 

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 #AuthorsHelpingAuthors 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

Review of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, a sixteen segment Netflix Special

During these many months of Covid isolation, I’ve read more books and watched more TV than ever before. Sometimes isolation isn't so bad, as it gave me time to savor Extraordinary Attorney Woo, a sixteen segment Netflix series, worth every moment of my time. 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo tells the story of Woo Young-woo, a young lawyer on the autism spectrum. Abandoned by her mother at birth, Woo is raised by her devoted father. She grows up with his support and that of a quirky girlfriend who understands and protects her from bullies and confounding situations. Woo graduates at the top of her law school class, but because of her condition, no one will hire her. Then, through one of her father’s connections, she lands her first job at Hanbada, a large Seoul law firm. 

At first, Woo's odd robotic-like speech and movements are what jump out at others, and are so off putting to them that they are unable to see beyond the surface. Woos’ legal skills and knowledge remain unrecognized for a time, but as she repeatedly is faced with difficult and challenging legal issues, her font of knowledge helps her resolve cases where others have failed.

Once Attorney Woo begins to exhibit her near perfect recall of almost anything she reads, sees, or hears, her value to her law firm team becomes evident. Gradually her supervising lawyer and other legal support staffers adjust to her otherness and appreciate her skills, yet she also encounters people who are prejudiced against her and others with disabilities.

Many of the legal cases in the series involve finely balanced legal issues and sometimes difficult ethical questions. Attorney Woo’s unique approach and telegraphic recall help her resolve cases in unexpected ways that escape her colleagues.

One of the light hearted themes running through this series is Young-woo’s light bulb moments where her strong interest in marine mammals surfaces. She constantly fantasizes about them, making comparisons between situations she faces in her professional and private life with the lives and characteristics of whales and dolphins. These outburst sometimes amuse, but more often confound the people who surround her. 

Several other themes run through this series to keep viewers intrigued, including the discord between Woo’s father and absent mother, the rivalry between two major law firms, the jealousy and mean spirited actions of one of Woo’s colleagues, and the blossoming mutual attraction between Woo and one of her firm's investigators. 

So although the emergence of Covid is hardly something I am thankful for, it did present me with a couple of welcomed opportunities, with Extraordinary Attorney Woo being one of them. So you see, I'm not just about books, but did I mention, you'll still be doing some reading, as this series is filmed in its native Korean language with English subtitles.

Your NewBookReview Book Review Acquisition Coordinator

Highly Rated Translation of Aristotle's Poetics for Busy Authors--Finally!

Jim Cox, Editor and Chief of Midwest Book Review gives me (and everyone else) permission to reprint the reviews he publishes in his glorious newsletter for writers (my words, not his! (-:  ) I am particularly fond of this one because classic literature is rarely translated in a way the works well for our busy world.  I you keep telling yourself that you would like to read this to benefit your own writing career, Jim and I think the time has finally come for you to do it! 

 Reviewed by Jim Cox for his Midwest Review newsletter and other Midwest publications

How to Tell a Story
Aristotle, author
Philip Freeman, translator
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
http://press.princeton.edu
9780691205274, $16.95, HC, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Tell-Story-Ancient-Storytelling/dp/0691205272

Synopsis: Handed down from ancient Greek literature, Aristotle's Poetics is arguably the most important book ever written for writers and readers of stories -- whether it be novels, short fiction, plays, screenplays, or nonfiction.

Aristotle (384-322 BC) was the first to identify the keys to plot, character, audience perception, tragic pleasure, and dozens of other critical points of good storytelling. Despite being written more than 2,000 years ago, the Poetics remains essential reading for anyone who wants to learn how to write a captivating story -- or understand how such stories work and achieve their psychological effects.

Yet for all its influence, the Poetics is too little read because it comes down to us in a form that is often difficult to follow, and even the best translations are geared more to specialists than to general readers who simply want to grasp Aristotle's profound and practical insights.

With the publication of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" ably translated into English for an American readership by Philip Freeman contemporary and aspiring authors and readers are provided with the most readable translation of the Poetics ever yet produced, making it an indispensable handbook that is more accessible, engaging, and useful than ever before.

In addition to its inviting and reliable translation, a commentary on each section, and the original Greek on facing pages, this edition of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" features unique bullet points, chapter headings, and section numbers to help guide readers through Aristotle's unmatched introduction to the art of writing and reading stories.

Critique: A complete course of Aristotelean instruction that is impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" must be considered essential reading by anyone aspiring to write stories that would be successfully attractive to an author's intended audience. This splendid edition from the Princeton University Press is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Literary Studies collections and as a textbook for creative writing workshops curriculums.

It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, aspiring (and experienced) writers that "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note #1: Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Lyceum, the Peripatetic school of philosophy, and the Aristotelian tradition.

Editorial Note #2: Philip Freeman is the author of more than twenty books on the ancient world, including the Cicero translations How to Think about God, How to Be a Friend, How to Grow Old, and How to Run a Country (all from Princeton University Press). He also holds the Fletcher Jones Chair in Humanities at Pepperdine University.

Watch for the 3rd Edition coming in September! 

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

Karen A. Wyle Releases New Nature Picture Book

Title: Wind, Ocean, Grass

Author: Karen A. Wyle

Illustrator: Tomasz Mikutel

Author's website: http://www.KarenAWyle.com

Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction: Nature \

Age/Interest Level: ages 2-8

Page #: 50

Publisher: Oblique Angles Press

Purchase the paperback at Amazon,  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1955696004 and other retailers

 Kindle edition coming soon. 

Reviewed by Jill Franclemont originally fort All Things Jill-Elizabeth.

By now, readers of my blog are familiar with the work of the talented Karen Wyle. From adult books to children’s picture stories, Wyle’s work is consistently original, lovely, and magical. (If you need a refresher, check out my posts on a number of her previous adult titles and her writing experiences – Twin-Bred, Wander Home, Division, Leaders, and Water to Water in a two-part series of posts – as well as her first few forays into children’s books – You Can’t Kiss a Bubble and When It’s Winter. This latest book is no exception. The focus is on nature, and the results are as lyrical as the movement of the eponymous wind.

In her own words: This unique picture book has neither human nor animal characters, but instead features the wind speaking to the grass, explaining how long grasses are both like and unlike the waves of the ocean. Through lyrical prose and breathtaking impressionist-style paintings, the reader follows the wind’s journey over sea and land: the many moods of the ocean, the different seasons of the grassy field. We see glimpses of the birds that live off the bounty of the ocean, and the birds and flowers that live among the  grasses.

Through this nature metaphor, the story, without becoming didactic, teaches children about seeing commonality and celebrating differences.

And if that description doesn’t encourage you to take a look, the lush and evocative illustrations certainly should. For each of her children’s books, Wyle has done an absolutely magnificent job finding the perfect illustrator – and illustrative style – to convey the wonder of her story. Mikutel’s art is visually stunning and provides a counterpoint to the language of the tale that makes both more robust an experience.

I really love the message here. The back and forth between the elements reminded me of the way a parent talks to multiple children about how it is possible to love them each differently but equally – and  how the happiness of the parent requires the thriving happiness of each child. I am constantly amazed at Wyle’s knack for taking complex subjects – life, death, love, nature – and putting them into narratives that children can appreciate and that can help parents teach life lessons. It is no easy task, and I applaud her willingness to tackle the large subjects – and her deft hand at managing them.

The book is truly lovely and I encourage you to take a look!

----------

More About the Reviewer

The reviewer is Jill Franclemont, who blogs at All Things Jill-Elizabeth. Here's the link to the review: http://blog.jill-elizabeth.com/2022/05/09/book-review-wind-ocean-grass-by-karen-wyle-author-and-tomasz-mikutel-illustrator/. The general blog URL is http://blog.jill-elizabeth.com/. Jill has given permission for the review to be reprinted. She's on Twitter as @jill_a. Her email address (which she's allowing me to provide) is jillelizabeth@jill-elizabeth.com.

Author bio:

Karen A. Wyle is an appellate attorney, author, and photographer. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in English and American Literature. Also interested in both logic and psychology, she applied to law school in the hope of combining those subjects with her love of writing. She has been writing novels since 2010, and has published eleven of them, their genres including science fiction, afterlife fantasy, and Western historical romance. Wind, Ocean, Grass is Wyle’s third picture book, with more on the way.

Learn more about her at:

http://www.KarenAWyle

https://www.facebook.com/KarenAWyle 

https://www.twitter.com/KarenAWyle

Illustrator bio:

Tomasz Mikutel is an independent artist living and creating art in Northampton, UK. He was born in Lodz, Poland, and began drawing as a child, inspired by his oil painter father. He often paints animals, but his favorite watercolour artists include Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic. He describes his style as classic and traditional. He prefers painting “loose,” as opposed to photorealism: the looser style allows him to express more emotions and to “leave part of himself inside the painting.”

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

Kudos to Emily Jane Hills Orford - Winner of the Tales2Inspire Reviewer of the Month Award

TITLE: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series V

SUBTITLE: Stories of Turning the Page 

SERIES TITLE: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection 

AUTHOR: Anthology of authors of contest winning inspiring stories

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: https://www.tales2inspire.com 

GENRE: Inspirational, non-fiction personal stories 

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: 21 + 

PAGE COUNT: 236

PUBLISHER: Independently Published

PURCHASE LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Tales2inspire-Diamond-Collection-Moonstone-Collections/dp/B09MBVRB2S/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Tales2Inspire+Collection&qid=1649016550&s=books&sr=1-3

REVIEWED BY: Emily Jane Hills Orford

REVIEW LINK: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/tales2inspire

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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

“Change is the current that drives our lives.” Janet Rice wrote these poignant words in her creative nonfiction story, Bygone Brooklyn. Change is also what makes our stories so empowering, so sensitive and compassionate, and so important. Life is all about stories; it’s what defines us as humans. Stories reveal our history, but stories also heal, nourish, and make us whole, make us complete, like the protective powers of the moonstone. Stories like a father hearing for the first time from an adult daughter he never knew existed; a woman who explores her connection to Holocaust survivors after attending a talk given at her grandson’s school; a child who blends in well with children of different races and doesn’t experience her own sense of alienation until her comfort zone, her home, changes; a teacher struggling with the pandemic-infused new teaching format and, stressed to the limits of endurance, seeks another path to follow. Powerful stories and there are many, many more that will open your hearts and minds to the depth of the human spirit and the strength to survive against all odds.

Lois W. Stern’s book, Tales2Inspire – The Diamond Collection - Series V, is a compendium of stories from the two Moonstone Collection anthologies. The stories collected cover a number of topics, from grief to love, from family tragedies to triumphs, and so much more. The binding theme of these stories is the ability of the author of each story to overcome the trials, the challenges, and to find another way forward, to accommodate the change that life presented. Like the heartwarming stories of Chicken Soup for the Soul and many others like Trisha Faye, these stories will have you laughing and crying and often cheering on the author, as we all can relate to these life-changing, challenging moments. Coupled with photographs, these stories are meant to be savored and enjoyed, one at a time.

Dr. Wesley Britton Reviews "Tales of Rock Legends"

TITLE: Cover Stories 

SUBTITLE: Tales of rock legends and the albums that made them famous

Author: Robert L. Heimall

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (June 13, 2019)

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1096400448

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1096400448

Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton

Available on Amazon 

    

As former Electra Records president Jac Holzman reminds us in his introduction to  Robert L. Heimall’s Cover Stories, the cover art for those 7” musical artifacts were often the most important and sometimes only marketing tool a given album would get to capture the eye and then hopefully ear of the record buying public. While the musicians, producers, engineers etc. invested their time in creating what would appear in those old grooves,   the equally creative visual artists like Robert L. Heimall were hard at work finding just the right cover art to visually represent something of the flavor of the music to us, the buying public.

 

Not surprisingly, Heimall’s fast-paced memoir is a long series of anecdotes telling us just how many album covers came to be.  That means behind-the-scenes stories of his working relationships with the likes of The Doors, Carly Simon, David Peel, Paul Butterfield,  Patti Smith, The Kinks and lesser known names like the highly influential Mickey Newbury and  Lonnie Mack. Did you know Mack not only played bass throughout the Doors’ Morrison Hotel but also the bluesy guitar on “Roadhouse Blues”?

 

Especially revelatory to me were stories of bands I never heard of like Wild Things, Gulliver and Bamboo. The chapter on Barry Manilow was entertaining where we learn New Zealand shopping mall execs learned playing Barry Manilow music discouraged the presence of rowdy teenagers. A Colorado judge learned sentencing loud noise offenders   to an hour of loud Manilow albums greatly reduced the number of repeat offenders.

 

Along the way, we learn much about the artistic decision making process of album designers,   a lot about  Heimall’s private life, like the protracted disillusion of his marriage to his bosses’ daughter, and his increasing religiosity.

 

Judging from some reviews at Amazon, there are readers who will be turned off by the growing evangelism in the latter chapters. Perhaps some readers might be miffed by the amount of repetition. Did I mention he married the bosses’ daughter?  He points that out so often there’s no way you’ll ever forget that fact.

 

Of course, one dimension of the book not typical of most rock memoirs are the record covers being discussed, front, back, gatefold. So if you’re a fan with a nostalgic love for the music of the ‘60s and ‘70s and have a fondness for the packaging the old vinyl was protected in, Cover Art  might just fit a slot on your rock and roll bookshelf.

 

           MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

  Dr. Wesley Britton is a reviewer for BookPleasures.com and #TheNewBookReview. He is the author of four nonfiction books on espionage in literature and the media. Starting in fall 2015, his new six-book science fiction series, The Beta-Earth Chronicles, debuted via BearManor Media. In 2018, he self-published the seventh book in the Chronicles, Alpha Tales, 2044, a collection of short stories, many of which first appeared at a number of online venues.  

For seven years, Britton was co-host of online radio’s Dave White Presents where he contributed interviews with a host of entertainment insiders. Before his retirement in 2016, Dr. Britton taught English at Harrisburg Area Community College.  H

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

Lois W. Stern Reviews Write Right by Joy Lynn Goddard

Write Right is a book packed with clearly defined, easy to digest relevancy. Although primarily geared toward striving novel writers, I discovered much within its covers of equal relevancy to more experienced writers - writers of both fiction and nonfiction. And since TheNewBookReview has a huge audience of writers of all genre and levels of expertise, I wanted to point it out to our readers here.

Once you open this book, first check out the GETTING STARTED section. In her chapter, What’s Your Big Idea, Ms. Goddard writes, “Readers are drawn to a book by the way it makes them feel.  . . .”  Such a simple concept, perhaps easy to overlook, but Ms. Goddard brings it home with her personal reminiscent of the day her mother witnessed blatant racial discrimination and took action against it to right the wrong. And this is the mantra of all polished authors, SHOW, DON’T TELL.

Ms. Goddard continues to SHOW her readers by citing excerpts from well proven treasured works, such as those from To Kill a Mockingbird, The Push, and her own Charlie’s Song, along with pithy statements from beloved authors as J.K. Rawling, Stephen King and even Ernest Hemingway, on what makes strong characters. 

The final section of Write Right, with its chapters on Perfect Punctuation, Parts of Speech, Effective Editing, might appear a bit simplistic for the seasoned writer, but her final chapter offers something of value to them as well. Techniques from alliteration and allusion to symbolism and understatement, are topics even the most seasoned of authors might incorporate into some of their well crafted works, just to give them a bit of extra punch. 

It gives me much pleasure to recommend this book to seasoned authors and aspiring newbies alike.