Sketching School
By Judy Martin
Quarto Publishing, plc. 1991
Reader's Digest, Association, Inc.
Third printing (January, 1994)
Hardcover, 176 pages
Rated 3 Stars of 5 Possible
To begin with, I must take issue with some of the promotional material which was prepared for this book. Specifically, the back cover states "40 specially designed projects." Inside the book, I've only been able to locate 39 projects. Additionally, there are four sections titled "Focus On" which are focused on four different topics. These "Focus On" sections may be helpful, but, do they, I wonder, constitute the missing project #40? Another statement from the back cover promises "Sketching demonstrations by leading artists." There are, indeed, three demonstrations included, yet none of the three demonstrations goes into as much depth as I would like to have seen.
The back cover also states "For artists of all levels", yet there is very little content here for the inexperienced artist. The promised step-by-step instructions are quite vague rather than specific, and not too detailed. That type of instruction might be okay for intermediate or advanced artists, but I would not recommend it for beginners at all. I'm rating the book as three stars because I think, after seven years of working on my drawing that I might be able to take advantage of some of the techniques included here; but I can't recommend the book to artists at less than an intermediate skill level, and at least a few years of experience. Can we say disappointed?
This review has been posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com. and has not been solicited by either the publisher or the author/artist.
Showing posts with label 3 star. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 star. Show all posts
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Forgettable Historical Fiction
The Blighted Troth: A Historical Novel of New France
By Mirella Sichirollo Patzer
History and Women (2011)
Kindle Edition
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Set early in the 18th century, this historical tale of New France tells of the trials and tribulations a young couple face. They wish to marry each other but their priest refuses, because, unknown to the young couple, the priest has been threatend by a prominent man of higher status whose attention has been fastened to the young bride-to-be. Naturally, the man covets the young woman for himself and sets out to make certain the young couple cannot be married.
The premise was very good - which is what attracted my attention to this book. The plot is complex, with twists, and turns and a large cast of characters that one almost needs a cheat sheet to follow closely, so marks off for that... The long, involved sequences between the parts with real action also challenged me to keep reading, and also caused me to mark down this book's rating. There were a couple of points near the middle of the book where I almost laid it aside forever. I kept on, because I wanted to know if the young couple overcame the difficulties, and how they managed to do so.
Large portions of this tale are forgettable, not something that makes the book stand out in my mind for recommendation. Though I normally love historical fiction, this book turned out to be less special than I thought it would be. Not recommended.
This book was provided to me free by the author in exchange for review. This review is being published on Dragonviews, Amazon.com and LibraryThing.
By Mirella Sichirollo Patzer
History and Women (2011)
Kindle Edition
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Set early in the 18th century, this historical tale of New France tells of the trials and tribulations a young couple face. They wish to marry each other but their priest refuses, because, unknown to the young couple, the priest has been threatend by a prominent man of higher status whose attention has been fastened to the young bride-to-be. Naturally, the man covets the young woman for himself and sets out to make certain the young couple cannot be married.
The premise was very good - which is what attracted my attention to this book. The plot is complex, with twists, and turns and a large cast of characters that one almost needs a cheat sheet to follow closely, so marks off for that... The long, involved sequences between the parts with real action also challenged me to keep reading, and also caused me to mark down this book's rating. There were a couple of points near the middle of the book where I almost laid it aside forever. I kept on, because I wanted to know if the young couple overcame the difficulties, and how they managed to do so.
Large portions of this tale are forgettable, not something that makes the book stand out in my mind for recommendation. Though I normally love historical fiction, this book turned out to be less special than I thought it would be. Not recommended.
This book was provided to me free by the author in exchange for review. This review is being published on Dragonviews, Amazon.com and LibraryThing.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Werewolf Romance
Quicksilver
Joy Spraycar
AuthorHouse (2010),
Paperback, 360 pages
Rated 3.5 stars of 5 possible
Quicksilver is a slightly above-average paranormal romance that begins in the 1850s. However, after just two short, interesting chapters, we fast-forward to the present day. Therein lies my first disappointment. I really wanted the story to be a historical romance.
The second problem I had with this story was at the point where Serry's husband dies in the automobile crash that Quinton survives. The death of the abusive character so early in the story seems to be just a little too convenient, at least to me. And besides... he could have been useful in providing a bit of conflict at the start of Serry and Quinton's relationship. Yes, I know, the evil father provides conflict, but that's a different sort of conflict which doesn't keep our two main characters from coming together.
My third major problem with the story is that Serry repeatedly ignores the instructions given to her for her own safety, which results in me respecting her a bit less due to the hare-brained decisions she makes that result in her being in danger. Yes, this situation brings more conflict - but of the kind which an intelligent character should have been able to avoid to some extent. I would have preferred a type of conflict that arose despite an intelligent character doing the prudent thing.
I like that the characters are flawed, as this makes them seem more human, and I like that Quinton does not accept being a Werewolf and is searching for an answer to that problem. This provides an unusual and intriguing aspect to the story; one that I have not seen before. Still, the good points are not quite strong enough to override the problems with this story, so I can't quite give it a full four stars... but yet it seems better than a three star novel, thus, for me, an unusual 3.5 star rating.
Recommended to those who love paranormal romances, and to those looking for something a little different than the normal fare. Quicksilver was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. As always, this review has been posted on Dragon Views, Amazon.com, LibraryThing and wherever else I may decide is appropriate.
Joy Spraycar
AuthorHouse (2010),
Paperback, 360 pages
Rated 3.5 stars of 5 possible
Quicksilver is a slightly above-average paranormal romance that begins in the 1850s. However, after just two short, interesting chapters, we fast-forward to the present day. Therein lies my first disappointment. I really wanted the story to be a historical romance.
The second problem I had with this story was at the point where Serry's husband dies in the automobile crash that Quinton survives. The death of the abusive character so early in the story seems to be just a little too convenient, at least to me. And besides... he could have been useful in providing a bit of conflict at the start of Serry and Quinton's relationship. Yes, I know, the evil father provides conflict, but that's a different sort of conflict which doesn't keep our two main characters from coming together.
My third major problem with the story is that Serry repeatedly ignores the instructions given to her for her own safety, which results in me respecting her a bit less due to the hare-brained decisions she makes that result in her being in danger. Yes, this situation brings more conflict - but of the kind which an intelligent character should have been able to avoid to some extent. I would have preferred a type of conflict that arose despite an intelligent character doing the prudent thing.
I like that the characters are flawed, as this makes them seem more human, and I like that Quinton does not accept being a Werewolf and is searching for an answer to that problem. This provides an unusual and intriguing aspect to the story; one that I have not seen before. Still, the good points are not quite strong enough to override the problems with this story, so I can't quite give it a full four stars... but yet it seems better than a three star novel, thus, for me, an unusual 3.5 star rating.
Recommended to those who love paranormal romances, and to those looking for something a little different than the normal fare. Quicksilver was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. As always, this review has been posted on Dragon Views, Amazon.com, LibraryThing and wherever else I may decide is appropriate.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Blend of Satire and Romance
Pride and Prejudice: The Illustrated Edition
Jane Austen
Sourcebooks Landmark (2010)
Kindle Edition
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice was initially popular, going into a second edition before the first year concluded. However, when her novels went out of print in 1820, Pride and Prejudice remained unavailable for 12 years, as did the other novels written by Miss Austen. In 1832-33, the entire works of Jane Austen came back into print and have remained continuously available in various editions since then.
In the Fall of 2010, the publisher detailed above gave away ebook editions of Jane Austen's works in honor of her birthday. Having neglected to read any of her work for - well, lets just say a few decades - I decided to see what all the excitement was about, and chose Pride and Prejudice at random and because it is said to have been her most popular novel during her lifetime.
Print length varies by publisher, but is usually between 300 and 450 pages, depending on format (hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, etc.) Reading through the ebook edition seemed to take forever, appearing to be more like 700 pages. Now, when I'm enjoying myself, I don't mind novels being long... However this story could have used some major editing, as some parts are far too long for what they mean to accomplish. That said, the novel has its good points, too, though they seem to be far between.
The title was well chosen and very apt for this book. The astute reader will have no problems seeing how the title applies to this novel's content. Pride and Prejudice is a study of human nature, as well as being a satire. The interaction between characters was well-done and seemed realistic, if a bit idealistic in some cases. Some readers may be put off by the nineteenth century language used... but one must remember, the English language is a living language. It has changed quite a bit in the 200 years since this book was written.
I found I had to be in the mood for Miss Austen's prose, or I couldn't have gotten through the book. Pride and Prejudice is one of those books I class as being worth reading - once. I probably won't read it again. Recommended to Jane Austen fans and those who like satire, as well as those who like romances. This review has been posed on Dragon Views, Amazon.com, LibraryThing and wherever else this reviewer finds appropriate.
Jane Austen
Sourcebooks Landmark (2010)
Kindle Edition
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice was initially popular, going into a second edition before the first year concluded. However, when her novels went out of print in 1820, Pride and Prejudice remained unavailable for 12 years, as did the other novels written by Miss Austen. In 1832-33, the entire works of Jane Austen came back into print and have remained continuously available in various editions since then.
In the Fall of 2010, the publisher detailed above gave away ebook editions of Jane Austen's works in honor of her birthday. Having neglected to read any of her work for - well, lets just say a few decades - I decided to see what all the excitement was about, and chose Pride and Prejudice at random and because it is said to have been her most popular novel during her lifetime.
Print length varies by publisher, but is usually between 300 and 450 pages, depending on format (hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, etc.) Reading through the ebook edition seemed to take forever, appearing to be more like 700 pages. Now, when I'm enjoying myself, I don't mind novels being long... However this story could have used some major editing, as some parts are far too long for what they mean to accomplish. That said, the novel has its good points, too, though they seem to be far between.
The title was well chosen and very apt for this book. The astute reader will have no problems seeing how the title applies to this novel's content. Pride and Prejudice is a study of human nature, as well as being a satire. The interaction between characters was well-done and seemed realistic, if a bit idealistic in some cases. Some readers may be put off by the nineteenth century language used... but one must remember, the English language is a living language. It has changed quite a bit in the 200 years since this book was written.
I found I had to be in the mood for Miss Austen's prose, or I couldn't have gotten through the book. Pride and Prejudice is one of those books I class as being worth reading - once. I probably won't read it again. Recommended to Jane Austen fans and those who like satire, as well as those who like romances. This review has been posed on Dragon Views, Amazon.com, LibraryThing and wherever else this reviewer finds appropriate.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Comparing Two Editions
Drawing for Dummies
by Brenda Hoddinott
Wiley Publishing (2003), Edition: 1,
Paperback, 360 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
and:
Drawing For Dummies
by Jamie Combs and Brenda Hoddinott
illustrations by the authors and
Kensuke Okabayashi, Barbara Frake, Mick Gow, and Rosemary Sidaway
Wiley Publishing (2011), Edition: 2,
Paperback, 384 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Comparing Two Editions
Drawing for Dummies was first published 8 long years ago, but the core concepts of learning to draw haven't changed; in fact, those concepts have remained steadfast for centuries. So why an updated edition? Wiley publishing must have seen the chance to sell more books. I usually settle for owning just a single edition of any book... but this time, I was attracted for some reason to the updated edition, and bought it, despite the fact that my first edition is perfectly servicable.
Over the years, I have learned that knowing where to find certain information is easier than trying to memorize everything. My copies of the both editions of Drawing for Dummies are extensively bookmarked, both for reference sections and project instructions. After skimming through the second edition, I'm seeing much difference between the two editions. In the following paragraphs, I'll try to put my thoughts in some kind of coherent order. Those who don't like long reviews might want to skip to the final paragraph of the Notable Differences section of this one for a more succinct but less detailed consensus.
The First Edition
Originally written and fully illustrated by Brenda Hoddinott, the first edition of Drawing for Dummies was published in 2003. It contains many drawing projects, as any good book on drawing will. The projects are scattered throughout the book, each project emphasizing one or sometimes more of the core concepts of learning to draw. The concepts of one project are built upon by the next, so drawing your way through the book is a good approach if you don't know anything about drawing.
Many of Brenda's drawing projects are cartoonish, and thus fun to draw, as well as making the book entertaining to read. The projects are explicitly explained so that even someone who knows nothing about drawing can follow her instructions and learn something along the way. There's also an extensive and informative section on drawing people, for those interested in portrats or caracatures. Along the way, the reader encounters much reference material to which he or she may wish to return time and time again.
The Second Edition
The second edition of Drawing for Dummies was mostly written by Jamie Combs. Jamie did not just rehash what Brenda Hoddinott wrote 8 years ago, she brings her own voice to the book, retaining a small portion of Brenda's text and illustrations from the first edition. However, Jamie has nearly written the whole book over again and including some of her own illustrations as well as art from four other illustrators. While many of the same concepts are explained again, the point of view is very different.
More theory (and thus more reference material), and fewer projects for an artist to try his/her hand at sketching are included in the second edition. The projects that are included in this edition are mostly different than those contained in the first edition; however one of Brenda Hoddinott's best explanations from the first edition - planning a composition - has been retained.
Notable Differences
Both editions contain a section on drawing people, however, Jamie Combs has heavily condensed that section and instead of using Brenda Hoddinott's excellent drawings from the first edition, has substituted illustrations by Kensuke Okabayashi. In exchange for this condensation, Jamie Combs has expanded the section on perspective, better explaining that very key concept than Brenda Hoddinott did. Brenda Hoddinott's cartoon drawings have all been replaced by the non-cartoonish work or other artists, making the second edition to appear as a much more serious work than the first... and consequently not nearly as much fun to read. Jamie's version of this book also contains a chapter on digital drawing, a subject that was not included in the first edition.
So, now anyone who has read this far is probably wondering which edition of this book I prefer. I'll have to say that the first edition is my favorite, hands down, but that I also think the second edition is a worthy effort. If you can afford both versions of this book, I think you'll benefit from having them. I feel that the differences are extensive enough that the second edition should have been given a different title and be considered a work of it's own rather than merely a revision of the first edition.
Recommended
For artists looking for more in-depth explanations of concepts, and more art theory to go with the projects, the second edition is for you. On the other hand, if you like a laid-back style and cartoonish projects, then hunt down a copy of the first edition. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and other sites deemed appropriate by the reviewer.
by Brenda Hoddinott
Wiley Publishing (2003), Edition: 1,
Paperback, 360 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
and:
Drawing For Dummies
by Jamie Combs and Brenda Hoddinott
illustrations by the authors and
Kensuke Okabayashi, Barbara Frake, Mick Gow, and Rosemary Sidaway
Wiley Publishing (2011), Edition: 2,
Paperback, 384 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Comparing Two Editions
Drawing for Dummies was first published 8 long years ago, but the core concepts of learning to draw haven't changed; in fact, those concepts have remained steadfast for centuries. So why an updated edition? Wiley publishing must have seen the chance to sell more books. I usually settle for owning just a single edition of any book... but this time, I was attracted for some reason to the updated edition, and bought it, despite the fact that my first edition is perfectly servicable.
Over the years, I have learned that knowing where to find certain information is easier than trying to memorize everything. My copies of the both editions of Drawing for Dummies are extensively bookmarked, both for reference sections and project instructions. After skimming through the second edition, I'm seeing much difference between the two editions. In the following paragraphs, I'll try to put my thoughts in some kind of coherent order. Those who don't like long reviews might want to skip to the final paragraph of the Notable Differences section of this one for a more succinct but less detailed consensus.
The First Edition
Originally written and fully illustrated by Brenda Hoddinott, the first edition of Drawing for Dummies was published in 2003. It contains many drawing projects, as any good book on drawing will. The projects are scattered throughout the book, each project emphasizing one or sometimes more of the core concepts of learning to draw. The concepts of one project are built upon by the next, so drawing your way through the book is a good approach if you don't know anything about drawing.
Many of Brenda's drawing projects are cartoonish, and thus fun to draw, as well as making the book entertaining to read. The projects are explicitly explained so that even someone who knows nothing about drawing can follow her instructions and learn something along the way. There's also an extensive and informative section on drawing people, for those interested in portrats or caracatures. Along the way, the reader encounters much reference material to which he or she may wish to return time and time again.
The Second Edition
The second edition of Drawing for Dummies was mostly written by Jamie Combs. Jamie did not just rehash what Brenda Hoddinott wrote 8 years ago, she brings her own voice to the book, retaining a small portion of Brenda's text and illustrations from the first edition. However, Jamie has nearly written the whole book over again and including some of her own illustrations as well as art from four other illustrators. While many of the same concepts are explained again, the point of view is very different.
More theory (and thus more reference material), and fewer projects for an artist to try his/her hand at sketching are included in the second edition. The projects that are included in this edition are mostly different than those contained in the first edition; however one of Brenda Hoddinott's best explanations from the first edition - planning a composition - has been retained.
Notable Differences
Both editions contain a section on drawing people, however, Jamie Combs has heavily condensed that section and instead of using Brenda Hoddinott's excellent drawings from the first edition, has substituted illustrations by Kensuke Okabayashi. In exchange for this condensation, Jamie Combs has expanded the section on perspective, better explaining that very key concept than Brenda Hoddinott did. Brenda Hoddinott's cartoon drawings have all been replaced by the non-cartoonish work or other artists, making the second edition to appear as a much more serious work than the first... and consequently not nearly as much fun to read. Jamie's version of this book also contains a chapter on digital drawing, a subject that was not included in the first edition.
So, now anyone who has read this far is probably wondering which edition of this book I prefer. I'll have to say that the first edition is my favorite, hands down, but that I also think the second edition is a worthy effort. If you can afford both versions of this book, I think you'll benefit from having them. I feel that the differences are extensive enough that the second edition should have been given a different title and be considered a work of it's own rather than merely a revision of the first edition.
Recommended
For artists looking for more in-depth explanations of concepts, and more art theory to go with the projects, the second edition is for you. On the other hand, if you like a laid-back style and cartoonish projects, then hunt down a copy of the first edition. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and other sites deemed appropriate by the reviewer.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Interesting But Somewhat Predictable
Heirs of Mars: Preludes
By Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2011)
Kindle Edition; Print length: 50 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
This short anthology contains a series of three inter-linked short stories that provide a prelude to the novel, Heirs of Mars. These three stories from three unique perspectives describe life on Venus, Earth, and Mars in the years and days before the novel begins. Following the three short stories, there is an excerpt from the novel, Heirs of Mars.
Taken one-by-one, the short stories don't reveal much, but togther they build toward the opening of the novel in a way that grabs the reader's interest. None of these stories turn out as the reader might expect, yet the latter two seem at least predictable in some ways. The first, to me, seems the best of the lot - perhaps because the characters were better developed and/or the plot more planned than the latter two stories.
The second story builds a bit toward an ironic ending in which the main character gets exactly the kind of life from which she is attempting to escape... nice suspense builder, but I find that I couldn't care for the characters much.
The third story, which is also ironic, also failed to make me care for the main character; but his family... well, if the story were longer, and if I was given the chance to understand them better...
These shorts can be skipped or you can read them after the novel as well as before. There's nothing here that's required reading before you read the novel, and no major spoilers either. The choice is up to the reader...
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, Library Thing and Amazon.com as well as wherever else might be deemed appropriate by me.
By Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2011)
Kindle Edition; Print length: 50 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
This short anthology contains a series of three inter-linked short stories that provide a prelude to the novel, Heirs of Mars. These three stories from three unique perspectives describe life on Venus, Earth, and Mars in the years and days before the novel begins. Following the three short stories, there is an excerpt from the novel, Heirs of Mars.
Taken one-by-one, the short stories don't reveal much, but togther they build toward the opening of the novel in a way that grabs the reader's interest. None of these stories turn out as the reader might expect, yet the latter two seem at least predictable in some ways. The first, to me, seems the best of the lot - perhaps because the characters were better developed and/or the plot more planned than the latter two stories.
The second story builds a bit toward an ironic ending in which the main character gets exactly the kind of life from which she is attempting to escape... nice suspense builder, but I find that I couldn't care for the characters much.
The third story, which is also ironic, also failed to make me care for the main character; but his family... well, if the story were longer, and if I was given the chance to understand them better...
These shorts can be skipped or you can read them after the novel as well as before. There's nothing here that's required reading before you read the novel, and no major spoilers either. The choice is up to the reader...
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, Library Thing and Amazon.com as well as wherever else might be deemed appropriate by me.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Arguably Improved
Storylandia 2: The Wapshott Journal of Fiction
Wapshott Press
CreateSpace (2010), Paperback, 94 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible.
As you can tell by the title, Storylandia 2 is the second issue of The Wapshott Journal of Fiction. This issue contains 4 very short stories and one longer piece which is almost equal in length to the other four stories. Each story has literary merits of its own, but the quality of the writing varies greatly. As with the first issue of Storylandia, the authors whose work is featured in this issue are all new to me.
I said of the first issue of Storylandia that the cover might be the best part of the issue... well, that's certainly not true of this issue. While the cover of Storylandia 2 is wonderful and does match the "flavor" of these stories, I see some improvement in this issue over the previous one, however, that might be a bit subjective on my part. I'm keeping my rating of this issue at three stars because I don't do fractional ratings and because there's not yet enough improvement to warrant a 4 star rating. Others will have a different opinion, I'm sure. A list of titles and authors follows, but I'll confess I skipped the synopsis of each story out of laziness. Or maybe it was because of the vague subject matter of some of these stories...
"Poetry and Red Phosphorus" by Kellie R. England
"Assassin" by Adam Bourke
"Escaping the Apoidians Hivault" by Christopher Husmann
"Kiva" by Cinsearae S.
"Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" By Mylochka
While "Poetry and Red Phosphorus" had some interesting moments, it was too disconnected to ever catch my interest for more than a paragraph or two. "Escaping the Apoidians Hivault" was equally confusing. The biggest asset of these two stories is that they are short. In the case of both of these stories, some explanation and development may help. "Escaping the Apoidians Hivault" has some rather hidden potential, that premise could be developed into an excellent story, but it definitely needs more work.
"Kiva" is very surreal, but again, could be enhanced by some additional explanation... additionally, this story has some great literary potential, but the reader needs some basis of understanding the story for the potential to be exploited properly. More development could definitely be an improvement.
My two favorites of this issue are "Assassin" by Adam Bourke and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" By Mylochka. I would love to see more work from both of these authors. While neither "Assassin" nor "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" are without their faults, these authors managed to do something the other three could not do. These two authors hooked me into their worlds and held my attention in every paragraph, sentence and word until the stories ended. Kudos to Adam Bourke and Mylochka.
Now, on to the final observations. "Assassin" could definitely stand some explanation on a point or two, especially involving the reasons for certain things. If I were a bit more clear on what I'm talking about here, I might spoil the story for others, something I'd rather not do if it can be helped. I hope I am suitably vague enough to avoid the spoiler but also specific enough that the author will understand. The other point I wanted to bring up in relation to "Assassin" is the character development. The main character is well developed, but the secondary characters in this story are mostly no better developed than a photograph on the wall... more work here could be an improvement. I think this premise might even be good enough that it could be developed into a novella of roughly 100 to 150 pages.
There are two main things that bugged me about "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?". The first of these two things is the title. I never quite figured out how rain connects with the story... The other point I want to mention is the ending that seemed to come out of nowhere and blindside the reader; it seemed as if this conclusion wasn't foreshadowed at all... or that, if it was, I missed out on some of the detail in the story. More connection of the title to the story and of the ending to the rest of the story would improve this story immeasurably. Additionally, some attention to characterization of the story's main character, Del, would be an improvement. There seems to be a bit of inconsistency in the way he speaks.
This review is based on a free copy of Storylandia 2 provided to me by the publisher for review purposes. This review has been simultaneously posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
Wapshott Press
CreateSpace (2010), Paperback, 94 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible.
As you can tell by the title, Storylandia 2 is the second issue of The Wapshott Journal of Fiction. This issue contains 4 very short stories and one longer piece which is almost equal in length to the other four stories. Each story has literary merits of its own, but the quality of the writing varies greatly. As with the first issue of Storylandia, the authors whose work is featured in this issue are all new to me.
I said of the first issue of Storylandia that the cover might be the best part of the issue... well, that's certainly not true of this issue. While the cover of Storylandia 2 is wonderful and does match the "flavor" of these stories, I see some improvement in this issue over the previous one, however, that might be a bit subjective on my part. I'm keeping my rating of this issue at three stars because I don't do fractional ratings and because there's not yet enough improvement to warrant a 4 star rating. Others will have a different opinion, I'm sure. A list of titles and authors follows, but I'll confess I skipped the synopsis of each story out of laziness. Or maybe it was because of the vague subject matter of some of these stories...
"Poetry and Red Phosphorus" by Kellie R. England
"Assassin" by Adam Bourke
"Escaping the Apoidians Hivault" by Christopher Husmann
"Kiva" by Cinsearae S.
"Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" By Mylochka
While "Poetry and Red Phosphorus" had some interesting moments, it was too disconnected to ever catch my interest for more than a paragraph or two. "Escaping the Apoidians Hivault" was equally confusing. The biggest asset of these two stories is that they are short. In the case of both of these stories, some explanation and development may help. "Escaping the Apoidians Hivault" has some rather hidden potential, that premise could be developed into an excellent story, but it definitely needs more work.
"Kiva" is very surreal, but again, could be enhanced by some additional explanation... additionally, this story has some great literary potential, but the reader needs some basis of understanding the story for the potential to be exploited properly. More development could definitely be an improvement.
My two favorites of this issue are "Assassin" by Adam Bourke and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" By Mylochka. I would love to see more work from both of these authors. While neither "Assassin" nor "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" are without their faults, these authors managed to do something the other three could not do. These two authors hooked me into their worlds and held my attention in every paragraph, sentence and word until the stories ended. Kudos to Adam Bourke and Mylochka.
Now, on to the final observations. "Assassin" could definitely stand some explanation on a point or two, especially involving the reasons for certain things. If I were a bit more clear on what I'm talking about here, I might spoil the story for others, something I'd rather not do if it can be helped. I hope I am suitably vague enough to avoid the spoiler but also specific enough that the author will understand. The other point I wanted to bring up in relation to "Assassin" is the character development. The main character is well developed, but the secondary characters in this story are mostly no better developed than a photograph on the wall... more work here could be an improvement. I think this premise might even be good enough that it could be developed into a novella of roughly 100 to 150 pages.
There are two main things that bugged me about "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?". The first of these two things is the title. I never quite figured out how rain connects with the story... The other point I want to mention is the ending that seemed to come out of nowhere and blindside the reader; it seemed as if this conclusion wasn't foreshadowed at all... or that, if it was, I missed out on some of the detail in the story. More connection of the title to the story and of the ending to the rest of the story would improve this story immeasurably. Additionally, some attention to characterization of the story's main character, Del, would be an improvement. There seems to be a bit of inconsistency in the way he speaks.
This review is based on a free copy of Storylandia 2 provided to me by the publisher for review purposes. This review has been simultaneously posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
No Clear Nemesis, Neutral Characters
Elephant Milk
By Diane Sherry Case
Miraculous Books (2010),
Paperback, 164 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Elephant Milk is a surreal, coming of age story that takes place in 1969, mostly in Mexico. Amid her experiments with sex, drugs and finding herself, 17-year-old Sean also has to deal with her dysfunctional family and her mother's obsession with being a famous movie star. After finding some black clothes beside the road that are wet with blood, Sean makes the decision that the best way to deal with her problems is to run away to Mexico, after her boyfriend. Once in Mexico, Sean needs a way to get around, so she joins a traveling Circus... and that's where the real fun begins.
I should preface my remarks about this book by saying I'm not the intended audience for this book. Still, I appreciated some of the events in the story and the characterization. Diane Sherry Case has created some interesting characters, and has caught the flavor of the time depicted. So, with that said, why did I rate the book only 3 stars? Admittedly, this story even had 4 star potential, but the good characters just weren't likable enough... in fact, with the exception of Sean and her circus master/boss, and his wife, Ana, I found all the characters to be fairly neutral. There also is not any clear nemesis in the story, which could have made the book more interesting, if a bit longer. I had such high hopes for that too, when Sean found the bloody black clothing.
There are points in the story that would make for good discussion group material and the intended audience may appreciate Sean and her confused time of self-enlightenment more than I could. Oh, and the cover art - absolutely wonderful. That's what drew me to this book in the first place.
This book was received free from the author in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously posted at Dragon Views, LibraryThing, and Amazon.com
By Diane Sherry Case
Miraculous Books (2010),
Paperback, 164 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Elephant Milk is a surreal, coming of age story that takes place in 1969, mostly in Mexico. Amid her experiments with sex, drugs and finding herself, 17-year-old Sean also has to deal with her dysfunctional family and her mother's obsession with being a famous movie star. After finding some black clothes beside the road that are wet with blood, Sean makes the decision that the best way to deal with her problems is to run away to Mexico, after her boyfriend. Once in Mexico, Sean needs a way to get around, so she joins a traveling Circus... and that's where the real fun begins.
I should preface my remarks about this book by saying I'm not the intended audience for this book. Still, I appreciated some of the events in the story and the characterization. Diane Sherry Case has created some interesting characters, and has caught the flavor of the time depicted. So, with that said, why did I rate the book only 3 stars? Admittedly, this story even had 4 star potential, but the good characters just weren't likable enough... in fact, with the exception of Sean and her circus master/boss, and his wife, Ana, I found all the characters to be fairly neutral. There also is not any clear nemesis in the story, which could have made the book more interesting, if a bit longer. I had such high hopes for that too, when Sean found the bloody black clothing.
There are points in the story that would make for good discussion group material and the intended audience may appreciate Sean and her confused time of self-enlightenment more than I could. Oh, and the cover art - absolutely wonderful. That's what drew me to this book in the first place.
This book was received free from the author in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously posted at Dragon Views, LibraryThing, and Amazon.com
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Not Consistently Interesting
Slumdog Millionaire
Vikas Swarup
Scribner (2008),
Paperback, 336 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Slumdog Millionaire is a take-off on the famous quiz show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire. When an 18 year old waiter incredibly answers all 12 questions correctly, he is arrested and locked in jail while the company sponsoring the show tries to prove the waiter cheated so they won't have to pay him. Each chapter of the book is a chapter of the young waiter's life, and it illustrates how he knew the answers to the valuable questions.
The questions asked covered a variety of subjects. The possiblity that our protagonist could have enough knowledge of to answer the questions correctly, seemed like a long shot, yet each and every time, the young man was able to give the proper answer. As each question was asked, I was thinking, someone from that game show must have known the protagonist's life story to always be able to choose a question he could answer... yet this was never revealed in the book.
While I did find a few points of interest in this overly long tale, I did not find this novel consistently interesting. In fact some chapters were long enough to tempt me to skip some of the tale, which temptation I mostly resisted until the end, when I did skip some of the chapter just before the finale. I found that long chapter to be just too uninteresting. The ending itself was predictable, the book nothing I would recommend to most readers.
This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
Vikas Swarup
Scribner (2008),
Paperback, 336 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Slumdog Millionaire is a take-off on the famous quiz show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire. When an 18 year old waiter incredibly answers all 12 questions correctly, he is arrested and locked in jail while the company sponsoring the show tries to prove the waiter cheated so they won't have to pay him. Each chapter of the book is a chapter of the young waiter's life, and it illustrates how he knew the answers to the valuable questions.
The questions asked covered a variety of subjects. The possiblity that our protagonist could have enough knowledge of to answer the questions correctly, seemed like a long shot, yet each and every time, the young man was able to give the proper answer. As each question was asked, I was thinking, someone from that game show must have known the protagonist's life story to always be able to choose a question he could answer... yet this was never revealed in the book.
While I did find a few points of interest in this overly long tale, I did not find this novel consistently interesting. In fact some chapters were long enough to tempt me to skip some of the tale, which temptation I mostly resisted until the end, when I did skip some of the chapter just before the finale. I found that long chapter to be just too uninteresting. The ending itself was predictable, the book nothing I would recommend to most readers.
This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Not Serious or Credible, but Still Fun
The Dragon at the Edge of the World
Charles White
Charles White (2009)
Pdf, 318 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
When I began reading this book, I had such high hopes for a new historical fiction novel. Those hopes were soon to be dashed to pieces though, because there is little believable historical content in The Dragon at the Edge of the World. That said, the novel is worth reading for entertainment purposes, as the humorous situations and the likeable characters create an interesting, if, at times, almost unbelievable story.
While I noticed a few grammatical and typographical errors in this book, they did not majorly detract from the story, so I didn't note the exact location of these errors. The characters in this story are a hodge-podge of unlikely companions of different ethnic backgrounds and from different parts of the world working together and against one another in the name of survival. The end of this novel screams sequel...
Recommended for laughs, but not for those looking for serious historical fiction or credible fantasy. This eBook was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing
Charles White
Charles White (2009)
Pdf, 318 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
When I began reading this book, I had such high hopes for a new historical fiction novel. Those hopes were soon to be dashed to pieces though, because there is little believable historical content in The Dragon at the Edge of the World. That said, the novel is worth reading for entertainment purposes, as the humorous situations and the likeable characters create an interesting, if, at times, almost unbelievable story.
While I noticed a few grammatical and typographical errors in this book, they did not majorly detract from the story, so I didn't note the exact location of these errors. The characters in this story are a hodge-podge of unlikely companions of different ethnic backgrounds and from different parts of the world working together and against one another in the name of survival. The end of this novel screams sequel...
Recommended for laughs, but not for those looking for serious historical fiction or credible fantasy. This eBook was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Mirror, Mirror
Again
By Diana Murdock
Diana Murdock (2010),
Mobi format for Kindle
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Lady Catherine is a 16th century noble woman bound to marry the knight, Sir Galen, but in love with Jonathan, a merchant who is nowhere near her social equal... the eternal love triangle. Catherine's 21st century counterpart is Eryn Rexford, married to Bryce, whom she has come to realize she does not love, but Eryn is not willing to settle for less than being head-over heels in love with someone, especially after she meets a handsome stranger whom she is sure she has seen before. The story is told by Eryn and Lady Catherine in turn, flipping between one time period and the next, which is disconcerting enough, and then you discover that nearly all the main characters have a mirror-image in the other century.
I found the characters well developed and interesting (for the most part); their reactions to each other mostly believable. However I think the over-the top jealousy displayed by Bryce and Galen, though probably realistic in some ways, was carried a bit too far to make this story really good and believable. The unexplained antagonism that Brandi (a supposed friend to Eryn) displays is also a bit much. Catherine's sister, Sara is clearly Brandi's 16th century counterpart, right down to the same antagonism. In fact, that jealousy and antagonism almost entirely ruined this story for me because it was carried to such extremes. With some moderation, jealousy and or antagonism in one or even two characters can be believable and even a decent literary device...
If you believe in reincarnation (or if you can pretend, for the moment, that you do,) then this story might work for you and perhaps be good entertainment. If you don't believe, and cannot pretend to believe, then the story falls flat, like it did for me. I honestly cannot recommend this debut effort, but will be keeping an eye out for this author's next novel, as I believe she does have potential to be really good, if not outright a great storyteller.
The author of this novel sent me a Smashwords 100% off discount code so that I could download my choice of formats and read this novel free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
By Diana Murdock
Diana Murdock (2010),
Mobi format for Kindle
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Lady Catherine is a 16th century noble woman bound to marry the knight, Sir Galen, but in love with Jonathan, a merchant who is nowhere near her social equal... the eternal love triangle. Catherine's 21st century counterpart is Eryn Rexford, married to Bryce, whom she has come to realize she does not love, but Eryn is not willing to settle for less than being head-over heels in love with someone, especially after she meets a handsome stranger whom she is sure she has seen before. The story is told by Eryn and Lady Catherine in turn, flipping between one time period and the next, which is disconcerting enough, and then you discover that nearly all the main characters have a mirror-image in the other century.
I found the characters well developed and interesting (for the most part); their reactions to each other mostly believable. However I think the over-the top jealousy displayed by Bryce and Galen, though probably realistic in some ways, was carried a bit too far to make this story really good and believable. The unexplained antagonism that Brandi (a supposed friend to Eryn) displays is also a bit much. Catherine's sister, Sara is clearly Brandi's 16th century counterpart, right down to the same antagonism. In fact, that jealousy and antagonism almost entirely ruined this story for me because it was carried to such extremes. With some moderation, jealousy and or antagonism in one or even two characters can be believable and even a decent literary device...
If you believe in reincarnation (or if you can pretend, for the moment, that you do,) then this story might work for you and perhaps be good entertainment. If you don't believe, and cannot pretend to believe, then the story falls flat, like it did for me. I honestly cannot recommend this debut effort, but will be keeping an eye out for this author's next novel, as I believe she does have potential to be really good, if not outright a great storyteller.
The author of this novel sent me a Smashwords 100% off discount code so that I could download my choice of formats and read this novel free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Varied But Senseless
Porcelain
Jess C Scott
Jess C. Scott, (July 2010)
Pdf e-Book
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Porcelain is a "bits and pieces" collection of various types of writing. Short stories, poetry, essays... However, there's no central theme to mold this collection into a whole, so it remains nothing more than pages upon pages of miscellaneous pieces that really have no relationship to each other, aside from the fact that they are all the work of one author. Some are bad, some are mediocre, some are better than others; but none of the pieces in this collection are great. Taken as a whole, these pieces do show the growth of the writer... but she has a long way to go if being a professional writer is her goal.
Additionally, this PDF file included far too many pieces for me to offer individual critiques of each piece as I normally like to do with anthologies. The large file should be broken up into at least three smaller files, one each for fiction, poetry and essays. This would enable reviewers to do a better job because they could more likely critique individual pieces.
On the whole, many pieces included in this collection could stand some editing, some of the stories could stand a full re-write as they don't make much sense in their current state. There's an old adage that goes something like this: "Write what you know". This author seems to know poetry best so perhaps she should stick with that.
Not recommended for the average reader.
A PDF file was provided to me by the author free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Jess C Scott
Jess C. Scott, (July 2010)
Pdf e-Book
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Porcelain is a "bits and pieces" collection of various types of writing. Short stories, poetry, essays... However, there's no central theme to mold this collection into a whole, so it remains nothing more than pages upon pages of miscellaneous pieces that really have no relationship to each other, aside from the fact that they are all the work of one author. Some are bad, some are mediocre, some are better than others; but none of the pieces in this collection are great. Taken as a whole, these pieces do show the growth of the writer... but she has a long way to go if being a professional writer is her goal.
Additionally, this PDF file included far too many pieces for me to offer individual critiques of each piece as I normally like to do with anthologies. The large file should be broken up into at least three smaller files, one each for fiction, poetry and essays. This would enable reviewers to do a better job because they could more likely critique individual pieces.
On the whole, many pieces included in this collection could stand some editing, some of the stories could stand a full re-write as they don't make much sense in their current state. There's an old adage that goes something like this: "Write what you know". This author seems to know poetry best so perhaps she should stick with that.
Not recommended for the average reader.
A PDF file was provided to me by the author free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Monday, August 2, 2010
Doesn't Quite Live Up To Promise
Powerless: The Synthesis
Jason Letts
Powerless Books (2010) PDF format, 228 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Powerless: The Synthesis is the first of a new YA fantasy-adventure series, and is apparently also the author's first book. Mira Ipswich is 15 years old and tired of being kept at home by her overly protective parents. She wants to go out into the mist and find out what life is like on the outside. But Mira lacks one thing everyone else has and that lack makes her different than everyone else, and vulnerable as well.
Powerless has a nice balance of dialogue and description, well-developed characters of the kind you love and the kind you love to hate, and an interesting plot. I liked the story and can't wait for the next book to see what happens with Mira and her friends and family... but I hope to see some improvement in the writing too.
Some parts of the story aren't as well thought out as might be the case. For instance, an incident in chapter nine seems to happen without enough foreshadowing and hits the reader like one of the rocks thrown by a supporting character in a later chapter... I won't say which incident as I like to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible in case someone is reading the review prior to having read the book. Additionally, Mira's class ranking changed dramatically from the beginning of the school year to the end... which stretched my suspension of disbelief, perhaps just a little too much given that she started 9 years behind the other students and so was not as prepared as her fourteen class mates...
Also as mentioned by at least one other reviewer, the young teens of Mira's class sometimes act younger than they are. I won't say that makes the story less appealing to the targeted age group, but having the teens act a bit more mature certainly wouldn't hurt anything. The other thing I noticed which distracted me from the story some is that there are occasional errors of a typographical nature scattered throughout the book... Errors such as these really should be corrected prior to publication. So, two stars deducted for the flaws mentioned.
I'll make a note here for those bound to disagree with my rating of this book. My ratings are based solely on the quality of the writing: plot, characterization, (and if reviewing a finished copy) grammar, spelling, factual or other types of errors noted in a book will all count for or against the rating of a particular book. The author's ethical conduct and/or political views have no place in a review, as far as I am concerned, so I don't even take them into consideration. I am capable of evaluating the writing without agreeing or disagreeing with the author's ethics and politics.
I received the PDF of this book free from the author via LibraryThing Member Giveaways in exchange for this review. This review was simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, YABooks Central, and Amazon.com
Jason Letts
Powerless Books (2010) PDF format, 228 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Powerless: The Synthesis is the first of a new YA fantasy-adventure series, and is apparently also the author's first book. Mira Ipswich is 15 years old and tired of being kept at home by her overly protective parents. She wants to go out into the mist and find out what life is like on the outside. But Mira lacks one thing everyone else has and that lack makes her different than everyone else, and vulnerable as well.
Powerless has a nice balance of dialogue and description, well-developed characters of the kind you love and the kind you love to hate, and an interesting plot. I liked the story and can't wait for the next book to see what happens with Mira and her friends and family... but I hope to see some improvement in the writing too.
Some parts of the story aren't as well thought out as might be the case. For instance, an incident in chapter nine seems to happen without enough foreshadowing and hits the reader like one of the rocks thrown by a supporting character in a later chapter... I won't say which incident as I like to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible in case someone is reading the review prior to having read the book. Additionally, Mira's class ranking changed dramatically from the beginning of the school year to the end... which stretched my suspension of disbelief, perhaps just a little too much given that she started 9 years behind the other students and so was not as prepared as her fourteen class mates...
Also as mentioned by at least one other reviewer, the young teens of Mira's class sometimes act younger than they are. I won't say that makes the story less appealing to the targeted age group, but having the teens act a bit more mature certainly wouldn't hurt anything. The other thing I noticed which distracted me from the story some is that there are occasional errors of a typographical nature scattered throughout the book... Errors such as these really should be corrected prior to publication. So, two stars deducted for the flaws mentioned.
I'll make a note here for those bound to disagree with my rating of this book. My ratings are based solely on the quality of the writing: plot, characterization, (and if reviewing a finished copy) grammar, spelling, factual or other types of errors noted in a book will all count for or against the rating of a particular book. The author's ethical conduct and/or political views have no place in a review, as far as I am concerned, so I don't even take them into consideration. I am capable of evaluating the writing without agreeing or disagreeing with the author's ethics and politics.
I received the PDF of this book free from the author via LibraryThing Member Giveaways in exchange for this review. This review was simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, YABooks Central, and Amazon.com
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Lacks Detail
Still Life
Joy Fielding
Atria (2009),
Hardcover, 384 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Casey Marshall survives a hit and run accident, but she is in a coma... or so the doctors think. In reality, Casey can't see, move or speak, but she can hear everything that goes on around her. What Casey hears is enough to put anyone in shock.
Interesting premise that could have been quite suspenseful, but the author reveals the bad guy way too soon, ruining the best thing this novel had going. Because Casey was bereft of her senses for so long, the author was handicapped in the point of view available since this story is told mainly from Casey's perspective, which leads to a lack of detail in the story. At first, I was going to rate this novel 4 stars, but decided that the revelation of the evil character at the early point and the lack of interesting details would have meant that I was over-rating this novel... so three stars it is.
Yes, I'll recommend Still Life to those who don't watch too much television... and maybe to the author's rabid fans... but those looking for something REALLY interesting to read need to look elsewhere. Still Life is a pleasant time-waster, but not much more than that.
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and Library Thing.
Joy Fielding
Atria (2009),
Hardcover, 384 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Casey Marshall survives a hit and run accident, but she is in a coma... or so the doctors think. In reality, Casey can't see, move or speak, but she can hear everything that goes on around her. What Casey hears is enough to put anyone in shock.
Interesting premise that could have been quite suspenseful, but the author reveals the bad guy way too soon, ruining the best thing this novel had going. Because Casey was bereft of her senses for so long, the author was handicapped in the point of view available since this story is told mainly from Casey's perspective, which leads to a lack of detail in the story. At first, I was going to rate this novel 4 stars, but decided that the revelation of the evil character at the early point and the lack of interesting details would have meant that I was over-rating this novel... so three stars it is.
Yes, I'll recommend Still Life to those who don't watch too much television... and maybe to the author's rabid fans... but those looking for something REALLY interesting to read need to look elsewhere. Still Life is a pleasant time-waster, but not much more than that.
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and Library Thing.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Adventure Here At Your Own Risk
Storylandia:
The Wapshott Journal of Fiction, Issue 1
Wapshott Press
CreateSpace (October, 2009)
Paperback, 86 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Storylandia is a new periodical published on an irregular basis. The first issue contains the following stories by relatively unknown authors, all of which are new to me. The stories in this issue suit each other, since they are all somewhat dark and gloomy, and the cover matches them very well, with its dark, moody feel. In fact, the cover graphic may be the best part of this issue.
"Kittycat Riley’s Last Stand", by Kelly S. Taylor
"Not Quite a Prince", by Kathryn L. Ramage
"More Minimalist Fiction", by Lene Taylor
"Road Kill", by Lee Balan
"Sunday Mornings", by Colleen Wylie
"I, by Chad Denton"
"Practice", by Anne Valente
"Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow", by Kitty Johnson
The first two stories, "Kittycat Riley’s Last Stand", and "Not Quite A Prince", are, I think, the strongest of the stories included here. The first, which qualifies as science fiction, has a twisted but somewhat weak ending. The second piece almost qualifies as dark fantasy... but the wizard in the story seems a bit less than magickal and he disappointed me somewhat. Several of the stories contained in this issue incorporate what might be considered objectionable material, rendering this publication unsuitable for those under the age of 18.
Three of the stories "Road Kill", "More Minimalist Fiction", and "Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow" were previously published elsewhere and due credit is given for that previous publication. I wasn't overly impressed by any of them. More Minimalist Fiction appears to be a short collection of "flash fiction" or what is otherwise known as filler material... very short stories where most of the plot is implied by the actions and dialogue of the characters. I know this stuff is very difficult to write... I've tried more than once myself, so kudos to Lene Taylor for trying, but in my considered opinion, these pieces just aren't strong enough to fill their intended role. They do show some potential though; especially the longer ones. "Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow" brings up the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky affair of which I heard far more than I wanted while that affair was going on... so truthfully, I didn't do more than skim a bit of this piece... the hook never appeared to me, let alone sunk in.
Four of the shortest pieces, Road Kill, Sunday Mornings, I, and Practice, left me cold. They never "hooked" me as I expect a good short story to do. And being as short as these pieces are, that "hook" needs to be set early; first paragraph or first sentence if possible. If none of these stories were exceptionally bad, neither were any of them exceptionally good. I rated the collection 3 stars because the biggest fault with all of these stories is that they are distinguished by their averageness.
While I can't honestly recommend this collection of stories, neither will I especially warn readers to stay away from it. Those adventurous souls who are willing to risk being disappointed might want to try reading these stories. There might be appeal in them for someone with different reading tastes than mine. Storylandia was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
The Wapshott Journal of Fiction, Issue 1
Wapshott Press
CreateSpace (October, 2009)
Paperback, 86 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Storylandia is a new periodical published on an irregular basis. The first issue contains the following stories by relatively unknown authors, all of which are new to me. The stories in this issue suit each other, since they are all somewhat dark and gloomy, and the cover matches them very well, with its dark, moody feel. In fact, the cover graphic may be the best part of this issue.
"Kittycat Riley’s Last Stand", by Kelly S. Taylor
"Not Quite a Prince", by Kathryn L. Ramage
"More Minimalist Fiction", by Lene Taylor
"Road Kill", by Lee Balan
"Sunday Mornings", by Colleen Wylie
"I, by Chad Denton"
"Practice", by Anne Valente
"Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow", by Kitty Johnson
The first two stories, "Kittycat Riley’s Last Stand", and "Not Quite A Prince", are, I think, the strongest of the stories included here. The first, which qualifies as science fiction, has a twisted but somewhat weak ending. The second piece almost qualifies as dark fantasy... but the wizard in the story seems a bit less than magickal and he disappointed me somewhat. Several of the stories contained in this issue incorporate what might be considered objectionable material, rendering this publication unsuitable for those under the age of 18.
Three of the stories "Road Kill", "More Minimalist Fiction", and "Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow" were previously published elsewhere and due credit is given for that previous publication. I wasn't overly impressed by any of them. More Minimalist Fiction appears to be a short collection of "flash fiction" or what is otherwise known as filler material... very short stories where most of the plot is implied by the actions and dialogue of the characters. I know this stuff is very difficult to write... I've tried more than once myself, so kudos to Lene Taylor for trying, but in my considered opinion, these pieces just aren't strong enough to fill their intended role. They do show some potential though; especially the longer ones. "Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow" brings up the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky affair of which I heard far more than I wanted while that affair was going on... so truthfully, I didn't do more than skim a bit of this piece... the hook never appeared to me, let alone sunk in.
Four of the shortest pieces, Road Kill, Sunday Mornings, I, and Practice, left me cold. They never "hooked" me as I expect a good short story to do. And being as short as these pieces are, that "hook" needs to be set early; first paragraph or first sentence if possible. If none of these stories were exceptionally bad, neither were any of them exceptionally good. I rated the collection 3 stars because the biggest fault with all of these stories is that they are distinguished by their averageness.
While I can't honestly recommend this collection of stories, neither will I especially warn readers to stay away from it. Those adventurous souls who are willing to risk being disappointed might want to try reading these stories. There might be appeal in them for someone with different reading tastes than mine. Storylandia was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Reference Service Q & A
The Book of Answers:
The New York Public Library
Telephone Reference Service's
Most Unusual and Entertaining Questions
By Barbara Berliner
Fireside (1992)
Paperback, 311 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Well, the subtitle says it all, folks. This book is a compilation of unusual questions and the entertaining answers as researched by The New York Public Library's Telephone Reference Service. Questions on topics such as American History, Crime and Criminals, The English Language, Geography and more are included in this book and grouped according to topic. The book is fully indexed so the topics can be quickly located for the curious or for a springboard into deeper reserach.
This book would be tedious reading if one attempted to read each page in order as with a novel, but as a point of curiosity, it appeals to trivia buffs, young or old, who wish to look up answers to questions that plague the mind. I found this book to be an entertaining aside from my usual non-fiction reading, but not something I need to keep or read again.
Recommended for trivia buffs and the curious with the caviat that I spotted a typographical error or two while reading some of the questions so don't depend on this as a reference if you need authoritative answers. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
The New York Public Library
Telephone Reference Service's
Most Unusual and Entertaining Questions
By Barbara Berliner
Fireside (1992)
Paperback, 311 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Well, the subtitle says it all, folks. This book is a compilation of unusual questions and the entertaining answers as researched by The New York Public Library's Telephone Reference Service. Questions on topics such as American History, Crime and Criminals, The English Language, Geography and more are included in this book and grouped according to topic. The book is fully indexed so the topics can be quickly located for the curious or for a springboard into deeper reserach.
This book would be tedious reading if one attempted to read each page in order as with a novel, but as a point of curiosity, it appeals to trivia buffs, young or old, who wish to look up answers to questions that plague the mind. I found this book to be an entertaining aside from my usual non-fiction reading, but not something I need to keep or read again.
Recommended for trivia buffs and the curious with the caviat that I spotted a typographical error or two while reading some of the questions so don't depend on this as a reference if you need authoritative answers. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Arranged Marriage
The River Between
Jacquelyn Cook
Bell Bridge Books (1985)
Paperback, 166 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
The River Between is a historical fiction novel set in the pre-civil war south. It is also a light, fluffy, formulaic romance with a slightly over-used plot, and a few problems. I like the historical aspect and the setting; however, these lead to problem #1. There was not enough history and description to make for a really nice setting. The historical information becomes a backdrop in this situation; not entirely bad, but it does not add much to the story.
Eighteen-year-old Lily Edwards is likeable, as are several other characters in the story, but she is far too docile, which leads to the story having less action and therefore less appeal; which becomes problem #2. There is no clear villain in the story. The conflict between Lily and her parents does not stand out enough to move the story along quickly; problem #3. Resolution for problems two and three would be to provide more action and more conflict, and perhaps a bit of drama. These would have made the story much more appealing.
Problem #4. Lily's strong Christian faith seems to be off-putting to some reviewers who were probably, like myself, attracted to the historical aspects of the story. This is a lot for such a short novel, especially since the last half comes on stronger than the first half; perhaps moderating the preachiness would have been helpful.
Despite these problems, however, The River Between does raise a few points that would be good for discussion in a reading group or classroom situation. Arranged marriage vs. marriage for love; the concepts of social equality (and the assumption that some are more socially equal than others); the attitudes of Lily's parents, especially the mother; and Lily's own statement of realization that she cannot be both her mother's baby and an adult at the same time. I was glad to see that Lily's mother finally realized that's what she was expecting Lily to do, yet I would liked to have seen this be more of a conflict.
Given the above, and recognizing that The River Between is but one third of a trilogy, I'd say this book would appeal mostly to those readers who like the light and fluffy romances. Readers looking for something with historical content should probably pass this by in favor of something longer and more detailed. The River Between is a sweet, likeable story but just doesn't constitute the detailed historical novel that many readers appreciate.
The River Between was provided to me free by the publisher in PDF galley format for review. This review was simultaneously published on LibraryThing, and Dragon Views.
Jacquelyn Cook
Bell Bridge Books (1985)
Paperback, 166 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
The River Between is a historical fiction novel set in the pre-civil war south. It is also a light, fluffy, formulaic romance with a slightly over-used plot, and a few problems. I like the historical aspect and the setting; however, these lead to problem #1. There was not enough history and description to make for a really nice setting. The historical information becomes a backdrop in this situation; not entirely bad, but it does not add much to the story.
Eighteen-year-old Lily Edwards is likeable, as are several other characters in the story, but she is far too docile, which leads to the story having less action and therefore less appeal; which becomes problem #2. There is no clear villain in the story. The conflict between Lily and her parents does not stand out enough to move the story along quickly; problem #3. Resolution for problems two and three would be to provide more action and more conflict, and perhaps a bit of drama. These would have made the story much more appealing.
Problem #4. Lily's strong Christian faith seems to be off-putting to some reviewers who were probably, like myself, attracted to the historical aspects of the story. This is a lot for such a short novel, especially since the last half comes on stronger than the first half; perhaps moderating the preachiness would have been helpful.
Despite these problems, however, The River Between does raise a few points that would be good for discussion in a reading group or classroom situation. Arranged marriage vs. marriage for love; the concepts of social equality (and the assumption that some are more socially equal than others); the attitudes of Lily's parents, especially the mother; and Lily's own statement of realization that she cannot be both her mother's baby and an adult at the same time. I was glad to see that Lily's mother finally realized that's what she was expecting Lily to do, yet I would liked to have seen this be more of a conflict.
Given the above, and recognizing that The River Between is but one third of a trilogy, I'd say this book would appeal mostly to those readers who like the light and fluffy romances. Readers looking for something with historical content should probably pass this by in favor of something longer and more detailed. The River Between is a sweet, likeable story but just doesn't constitute the detailed historical novel that many readers appreciate.
The River Between was provided to me free by the publisher in PDF galley format for review. This review was simultaneously published on LibraryThing, and Dragon Views.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Historical, but Obscure
Flesh and Grass
Libby Cone
Available In various e-book formats,
Published by the author
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible.
Flesh and Grass is loosely based on an ill-fated Dutch colony in late 17th century Deleware. The tale is told from the perspective of a young blind man. I like this perspective and I like that the story is told as if it had been written in a journal. The old-fashioned spelling and sentence structure give an authentic feel to the story as well. Despite the good premise and unusual subject matter, this story has a few problems... thus my three star rating of a potentially five star subject.
The capitalization in unexpected places makes for awkward reading. Even if this inconsistent capitalization would have been authentic late 17th century style, the capitalization of the words should be consistent with today's English.
The mostly unexplained useage of Dutch words makes the story a bit difficult to comprehend in places for someone who only speaks and reads English - or for that matter, any language other than Dutch. Footnotes or, even better, a dedicated glossary at the end would add value to the book and provide the needed explanations without interruption of the story.
The blind protagonist gives the author a tricky plot device. Since the young man telling the story can't see, the author cannot use visual data in most of the story... but many blind persons have their other senses compensate by becoming more intense. The author uses smells to provide some of the detail, but taste, touch and hearing could be used to help bring more detail into the story.
One other thing that I didn't quite notice until the end... I was so wrapped up in the story that most of the dates went by without me taking notice, but at the end, the final chapter is dated about six years before the previous chapter. I'm not certain why the dates aren't all chronological. For me, reading the events in chronological order makes more sense.
In all, the story is intriguing and I was rather hoping for a longer tale... perhaps 200 pages. I'll recommend this as a good story, but only to those who don't mind dealing with the problems. This review has been simultaneously posted on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing. I received a 96 page PDF format document free from the author in exchange for this review.
Libby Cone
Available In various e-book formats,
Published by the author
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible.
Flesh and Grass is loosely based on an ill-fated Dutch colony in late 17th century Deleware. The tale is told from the perspective of a young blind man. I like this perspective and I like that the story is told as if it had been written in a journal. The old-fashioned spelling and sentence structure give an authentic feel to the story as well. Despite the good premise and unusual subject matter, this story has a few problems... thus my three star rating of a potentially five star subject.
The capitalization in unexpected places makes for awkward reading. Even if this inconsistent capitalization would have been authentic late 17th century style, the capitalization of the words should be consistent with today's English.
The mostly unexplained useage of Dutch words makes the story a bit difficult to comprehend in places for someone who only speaks and reads English - or for that matter, any language other than Dutch. Footnotes or, even better, a dedicated glossary at the end would add value to the book and provide the needed explanations without interruption of the story.
The blind protagonist gives the author a tricky plot device. Since the young man telling the story can't see, the author cannot use visual data in most of the story... but many blind persons have their other senses compensate by becoming more intense. The author uses smells to provide some of the detail, but taste, touch and hearing could be used to help bring more detail into the story.
One other thing that I didn't quite notice until the end... I was so wrapped up in the story that most of the dates went by without me taking notice, but at the end, the final chapter is dated about six years before the previous chapter. I'm not certain why the dates aren't all chronological. For me, reading the events in chronological order makes more sense.
In all, the story is intriguing and I was rather hoping for a longer tale... perhaps 200 pages. I'll recommend this as a good story, but only to those who don't mind dealing with the problems. This review has been simultaneously posted on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing. I received a 96 page PDF format document free from the author in exchange for this review.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Interesting Confusion
Xenolith
A. Sparrow
Smashwords, (2009)
E-book, (PDF format) 217 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Each of several characters is followed for part of the story. The transitions from one world? to another for unclear reasons assist the reader in becoming more confused as the story progresses. That said, most parts of the story remian interesting enough to complete the reading, however, connecting the sections about Frank, who had been searching for his wife, who has been missing for twenty years and his captor, Tezhay, with the sections about Seor and Canu and their compatriots didn't seem relevant... almost like there are two or even three stories that are interwoven into one but still separated or unclearly joined.
I wanted to like this story and enjoyed reading about Frank's search for his wife, but the parts regarding Seor and Canu and their compatriots interfered with that enjoyment a bit because of my not understanding why those characters were in the book at all. If there is a connection between the plot lines, making such connection more clear to the reader could be a good thing.
Xenolith was given to me free by the author in exchange for this review, which has been posted on Dragonviews and LibraryThing.
A. Sparrow
Smashwords, (2009)
E-book, (PDF format) 217 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Each of several characters is followed for part of the story. The transitions from one world? to another for unclear reasons assist the reader in becoming more confused as the story progresses. That said, most parts of the story remian interesting enough to complete the reading, however, connecting the sections about Frank, who had been searching for his wife, who has been missing for twenty years and his captor, Tezhay, with the sections about Seor and Canu and their compatriots didn't seem relevant... almost like there are two or even three stories that are interwoven into one but still separated or unclearly joined.
I wanted to like this story and enjoyed reading about Frank's search for his wife, but the parts regarding Seor and Canu and their compatriots interfered with that enjoyment a bit because of my not understanding why those characters were in the book at all. If there is a connection between the plot lines, making such connection more clear to the reader could be a good thing.
Xenolith was given to me free by the author in exchange for this review, which has been posted on Dragonviews and LibraryThing.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Don't Waste Your Time
Fireside
Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 5
Susan Wiggs
Mira (2009)
Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Fireside is a sweet, sticky, formulaic romance with a little more plot than most books of this type, but still not my cup of tea. 5th in a series, yet stands alone too. Not really bad (the author does a good job with grammar, spelling, and punctuation), but not good enough to make me want to look for the previous four books, nor any that may come after... or anything else by this author.
Character development is far too slow and tentative in this book, almost experimental, or so it seems. Too much description, too little action, and too little dialogue to the story for it to be really good. Fully half of the book was past before I sensed any realistc characteristics to the people involved in this story... and then I could not bring myself to care overly much for any of them. Why'd I finish reading this if I don't like it? I'm clueless about that myself... it surely wasn't worth wasting my time.
Recommended to those who like sweet and sticky, mostly plotless and formulaic romance novels; anyone else should steer clear of this... This review has been simultaneously posted on Amazon.com, Dragonviews and Library Thing.
Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 5
Susan Wiggs
Mira (2009)
Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Fireside is a sweet, sticky, formulaic romance with a little more plot than most books of this type, but still not my cup of tea. 5th in a series, yet stands alone too. Not really bad (the author does a good job with grammar, spelling, and punctuation), but not good enough to make me want to look for the previous four books, nor any that may come after... or anything else by this author.
Character development is far too slow and tentative in this book, almost experimental, or so it seems. Too much description, too little action, and too little dialogue to the story for it to be really good. Fully half of the book was past before I sensed any realistc characteristics to the people involved in this story... and then I could not bring myself to care overly much for any of them. Why'd I finish reading this if I don't like it? I'm clueless about that myself... it surely wasn't worth wasting my time.
Recommended to those who like sweet and sticky, mostly plotless and formulaic romance novels; anyone else should steer clear of this... This review has been simultaneously posted on Amazon.com, Dragonviews and Library Thing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)