This novel "follows an American soldier across decades and continents - from the Pacific jungles during World War II to Cold War-era Vietnam." Yawn. Another American war story. How original. Get a plot. I may be wrong, but I honestly don't think there's any nation on Earth as obsessed with its military history as is the USA. Why is that?
Saturday, June 5, 2021
The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson
The author is described by The Sun newspaper as a "crime-writing colossus." He's so big I've never heard of him. The story is that "Six-year-old Olivia Adams vanished from her own back garden. Thirteen years later, she returns. But is this the real missing child… or an impostor?" Check her DNA. There. I solved it. You're welcome. Yawn.
Dragon's Code by Gigi McCaffrey
"A fresh reboot...of the Dragonriders of Pern series from Anne McCaffrey's daughter!" Seriously? In what world is a reboot fresh? Ride coat-tails much Gigi? Couldn't come up with an original idea? Barf.
Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke
"As a baker, Hannah knows her craft inside out… But when she becomes a murder suspect, can she find the recipe for proving her innocence?" Innocence doesn't have to be proved. Guilt does. But this story is just a fluke so don't sweat it.
That’s Not a Thing by Jacqueline Friedland
In yet another plot that's been done to death: "Set to marry another man, Meredith finds herself at a crossroads when fate throws her back together with Wesley — the ex-fiancé she never forgot." Why is there a problem? If she's hooked on her ex why hasn't she pursued it? If she's not, why is it a problem? Shit or get off the pot, Meredith. Any other behavior just makes you a bitch. This is another big no.
Winner Take All by Laurie Devore
"At Cedar Woods Prep Academy, ambitious Nell and privileged Jackson are drawn into a fierce rivalry that gives way to a whirlwind romance" Why wouldn't it? Inevitably rivalries end in marriage. It's just that this exact story has been told a billion times already, yet here we have yet another author chomping at the bit to ram it down our throats again. No. No! NO!
Annalynn the Canadian Spy by Shawn PB Robinson
"After she’s visited by a curious band of thieves, 10-year-old Annalynn is recruited as a spy for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service." Way to insult the Candian intelligence services! This is a non-starter.
Beachside Beginnings by Sheila Roberts
"After fleeing her abusive past, can Moira find a fresh start in Moonlight Harbor — without getting her heart broken?" My guess is yes, as another female author creates another weak and chickenshit female character. Why do women abuse women in this consistent and repugnant manner?
Layover by Becca Jameson
"After a red-hot night of passion, flight attendant Libby skips out on former soldier Jason — even though his dominance gives her the ultimate pleasure. But when he moves to her hometown, the temptation is too great to resist!" Why? She skipped out on it without a seocnd thought before. Which begs the question why? What's changed? Her underwear? His condom? Did she have a venereal disease and was too chickenshit to tell him? If not, don't worry - she'll soon get one with her behavior. No. Just no.
Knight Life by Peter David
Publisher's Weekly calls this reimagining of King Arthur’s story a “hilarious romp." I guess that tells me all I kneed to know about Publisher's Weekly, going forward. The story sounds stupid to me, and completely senseless. The idea is that "After disappearing from Avalon, King Arthur returns - and is running for mayor of New York City! Reuniting with his friends and trusty advisor Merlin, Arthur prepares to stand his ground as familiar dark forces threaten his campaign"
Why? Why New York and in what world would New Yorkers elect an Englishman as mayor? It's just stupid from the very concept onward, and since Merlin and Arthur were not actually contemporary (except in later fiction, the idea of them working together is nonsensical. Set in the USA, and written by an American writer, look for this to bear zero relationship whatsoever to any legend of Arthur.
The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen by Ada Bright, Cass Grafton
In another unoriginal, coat-tail riding episode, "Rose has dedicated her life to celebrating the legacy of her favorite author, Jane Austen. But when Rose’s mysterious new neighbor is revealed to be the time traveling novelist herself, the two women must work together to help Jane get back home… before it’s too late." Seriously? Barf.
Can we not let her rest in peace? Do we have to have yet another rip-off after all the endless derivations and rip-offs we've already had? And if we do have to have a rip-off, can it be something along a path not traveled - something that contributes rather than rips-off? I gues snot. But no for me.
Beyond Dead by Jordaina Sydney Robinson
The blurb spouts mindlessly, "New to the afterlife, Bridget ends up in hot water when a dead ghost is found in her locker." A dead ghost? Seriously? What, the afterlife has an afterlife? Where do ghosts go when they die? How do they even die if they're dead already? There might even have been a story there, but this sure as hell ain't it! This strikes me as one of those dumbass ideas that is worthy of a Saturday morning cartoon - where the story has a patina of difference to it, but really it's the same old thing and the patina is the only "difference." Yeah, we're all ghosts, but otherwise everything is exactly the same as if we were alive - so what's the fucking point, honestly?
The blurb claims that this is an "inventive supernatural mystery that's first in a series!" of course it is, because why do the work of writing a host of original nvoels when youc an retread the friost one into a series of sameness? I'll pass. No thanks. No more dumb-ass series.
This Way Home by Wes Moore with Shawn Goodman
What is that - when you're 'with' another author? Is that a cute way of saying it's ghost-written? If that's not it, then what exactly does it mean? I think it means author 'A' didn't do shit.
The blurb begins: "If you were moved by The Hate U Give...." I was - I was moved to avoid a novel with a title like that, like the plague. I never read it; I never saw the movie, so I doubt I will be "sure to be swept up by this," especially if Kirkus reviews reports that it's a "taut, haunting tragedy”.
KR coulldn't distinguish a taut, haunting tragedy from a taunting haughty travesty if it came out of its ass sideways, and even if they could, they'd still rate both of them highly because they never don't. If all your reviews are positive and gushing, then your voice is worthless.
I make it a point to avoid novels that are compared to other novels, especially if the comparison is in the form of "X" meets "Y" where X and Y are two novels that your novel is being likened to - as a mashup, otherwise known as a rip-off. I would be equally repelled if an author were listed as the new "Z" where Z is an established author. It's insulting to authors. This is a deifnitelt no.
Command Me by Geneva Lee
The blurb tells us that "Clara shares a kiss with Prince Alexander of Cambridge - a dominant bad boy and exiled royal heir - and their sexual chemistry is off the charts…" Which charts, exactly, is their sexual chemistry off? Thinking people want to know. Who created those charts? How did they measure them? And why were they so narrow in scope that so very many people in the world of fiction are not even on those charts? Hmm?
And who the hell is Price Alexander of Cambridge for fuck's sake? This is another bullshit royal (non-)romance that is, I can promise you now - and without evne reading it - is an exact cookie-cutter of every other royal romance and bad boy novel that's ever been written. There is quite literally nothign new here. It's a definite no.
Murder By Page One by Olivia Matthews
The book description was enough to rate this a zero: "After relocating from Brooklyn to Georgia, librarian Marvey expected her life to slow down. But when a dead body turns up at the local bookstore, and her friend becomes a suspect, Marvey teams up with newspaper owner Spence to uncover the truth." Ri-ight. Because no one is better qualifed to solve a murder than a librarian looking for a quiet life and a newspaper reporter. Teams of librarians and reporters are are solving crimes with a record success-rate all over the world because the police are utterly useless. R-ight! Barf. Definitely no on this one.
The Fragile Ordinary by Samantha Young
The fact that Kirkus Reviews claims this is a "powerful roller-coaster ride" tells me I should avoid it like the plague, since Kirkus is utterly clueless. The book description does nothing save confirm it. The main character's name is the barf-worthy Comet Caldwell, which is a definite 'no' from me, and it's an unimaginative chalk and cheese story that's already been done to death ad neauseam. She's a "painfully shy bookworm" who "meets Tobias King, a new student with a bad reputation." In short it's YA garbage that's been retreaded and recycled far too many times to count and the author should be ashamed of herself for even thinking of writing it. A definite warty on this one.
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Living With Viola by Rosena Fung
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
I loved this graphic novel. Having dealt very recently with an anxiety situation which did not end well, it really spoke to me with all its messy art and confused panels, but it told a real story of problems and issues that can overwhelm a person so easily and without warning.
Based on the author's personal experience, we meet Livy, who is dealing with a new school, parental expectations, making friends, and growing into a young woman of color all at the same time. She does not expect Viola to show up - Livy's highly critical and judgmental alter-ego who only she can see, and who is a constant presence, delighting in her every failure. Making friends seems to provide some escape, but even that starts going sideways and Viola never lets up.
Fortunately in Livy's case, there is help; she's smart enough and strong enough to avail herself of it, and the outcome is good. I wish it could be that way for everyone. This book scorched some raw nerve-endings for me, but it told an honest and revealing story in graphic in enlightening terms, with inventive and provocative graphics and a sincere heart, and I commend it as a worthy read.
Soccernomics by Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski
If you look at an older version of this book, which is what I read, you will see this on the cover: "Why England Loses, why Spain, Germany and Brazil win, and why the US, Japan, Australia, and even Iraq are destined to become the kings of the world's most popular sport." A more recent edition had this: "Why England Loses, why Germany and Brazil win, and why the US, Japan, Australia, Turkey, and even Iraq are destined to become the kings of the world's most popular sport."
Notice the changes? That's because this book is full of shit. It cherry picks its data (and there's precious little of that) to support the predetermined theses of the authors. Once in a while there's a rare nugget, but most of the good advice in this book is nothing more than commonsense, and most of the 'data' is nothing more than a few choice anecdotes which prove nothing. I don't think anyone with common sense would try to argue that statistics cannot be of value to the soccer world, but the authors really don't make that case here.
The big problem is that the book is regularly self-contradictory, negating in a later chapter what it only just got through asserting as a 'solid fact' in an earlier one. In short, it's a mess. It's way too long and rambling. It could be literally half as long and make the same points, but it would still be wrong. The volume I read was last updated in 2014, and here we are, and the US, Japan, Australia, Turkey, and even Iraq are not kings of the sport or anywhere near. I was just reading a coupel of days ago that United States will miss its third straight Olympic men’s soccer tournament. And Brazil hasn't done so much winning lately, either! Not that the book really makes an effort to explain why they're supposed to - and not that it really talks much about south American football.
One thing they really didn't cover in terms of international football, is something they mentioned briefly in team sports which is that picking the best players doesn't necessarily mean you have the best team. The players have to work well together, so it's not enough to buy the best forwards, midfielders and defenders, you have to buy the best who can integrate into a team to really get the results you want. I don't think they pursued that anywhere near as strenuously as they ought to have. Instead they seemed to be focusing on everything else, some of which was nonsense.
The book's main thrust is almost entirely on Europe which is quite plainly wrong. Europe has a strong football tradition, but it's far from the only region of the world which has such a tradition these days, and the book says literally nothing about women's football, like it doesn't exist, which begs the question: why the sexism? And why are women's international games producing significantly different results than the men's games? That's certainly a question worth exploring but it's not even touched on here. I can't commend this because it's very poorly done and does nothing to offer original or penetrating answers to the questions it poses.
Vulnerable AF by Tarriona Ball
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
Written and read by Tarriona "Tank" Ball, this book of hard hitting poetry tells a very personal story of relationships and the attendant hurt, and I enjoyed it a lot. It's very short - only about 40 minutes in audiobook form. The author is talented, with a strong poetic voice and a good reading voice, and her choices of words and phrasing are lively and challenging.
The actual audiobook apparently comes with PDFs of the illustrations from the print book, but my review copy had no such augmentation, so I can't speak to those. The subject matter is relationships, so the 'vulnerable' in the title has a very limited meaning. No prizes for guessing what the 'AF' means! The poet behind this has a slam poetry kinf of a background - not my faovrite, but this isnlt quite that. Some of the couplets might seem a bit off here and there, but you cannot deny the depth of feeling that underlies this. amd the relationship resonance that powers it.
Having said that, I had two issues with the audiobook version that I should mention. The first is that the author, who read this herself (for which I commend her), would often launch into a poem strong and loud, only to tail off into a whisper at the end, so this was an issue in that you'd have to have the volume up to hear the end, but then the start of the next poem was too loud and brassy, or you'd have the start at a comfortable volume only to miss the ending because it was so sotto voce. I listen to audiobooks when driving, and this book is not suited to that at all because of the volume changes, but even when parked I was still uncomfortable with the significant changes in volume.
The other issue I had was with the piano accompaniment, which to me was an annoyance. The author's voice is a fine one and it felt like gilding the lily to add a rather monotonous piano accompaniment to it. I'd rather it was just me and the author. I'm a big advocate of an author reading their own work although I understand that there are often valid reasons why an author will not or cannot do this. It seemed a shame to me, therefore, that I went into this with a joyous 'play Ball!' in my mind only to have my expectations sometimes overshadowed or diminished by the rather tuneless piano playing.
But that could not hide the inherent power, inventiveness, and strength of these words, which is why I consider this a worthy read despite the distractions. I commend it fully. Tank Ball is a poet to watch - and to listen to!
The Explorer's Code by Alison K Hymas
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
This was read decently enough by Laci Morgan, but that couldn't help a story which dragged and which felt all over the place to me. Nor could it help one of the characters, who I found obnoxious. Obviously this story isn't written for me, since I'm far from a middle-grader, but I've listened to and read many such stories before, and enjoyed a lot of them, so it wasn't the age range; it was the story itself.
Let me put in a minor qualification in here. This was an audiobook, and I listen to my audiobooks while out in the car commuting and doing other stuff. A book which deals in alphabetic cyphers and math problems really doesn't lend itself to that sort of listening, because you cannot see the printed word and study it, so the advisability of having this as an audiobook in the first place became questionable to me once I'd listened to a significant portion of it.
The story is of three youngsters, "math whiz" Charlie, his sister Anna, and another girl who they meet, named Emily. All three are with their families, spending time at an old house which has been turned into a hotel. I do believe it was explained how they came to be there, but I either missed the details or I've forgotten it, so I can't tell you. It's not really important.
In the course of their exploring the place, all three find clues to a mystery, but by the time I quit the story, they had solved nothing despite getting into everything, and the story really was dragging for me by then. The description indicates that they work together, and I'm sure they do, but the fact that by almost two-thirds the way through, they were barely on speaking terms was a problem and evinced very little in the way of cooperation or faith in them as a team.
On top of that one of them finds some old letters which were read out in full in the story and were tedious to listen to. They felt like a ball and chain on the story. Maybe they were supposed to be clues, but they sounded more clueless to me. Consequently, around sixty percent in, I decided I'd had enough of this and DNF'd it without any regrets. Younger readers might have more patience with it than I, but I wouldn't bet on that.
I was put off the story quite early by Anna, who was frankly a nightmare. She had no boundaries, no sense of personal space or privacy, and was an unrepentant pain-in-the-ass troublemaker of a child who would wander around routinely into places she didn't belong - and knew she wasn't supposed to be there - yet she never felt bad about it or had any problem with being a busy-body, an unregenerate rule breaker, and a meddling little demon. I disliked her pretty much from the start.
How you can pretend there's an explorer's "code" and then feature a hobgoblin like Anna was the only real mystery here for me. Charlie and Emily, by contrast were such bland characters that they never really registered with me as anyone to pay that much attention to. Emily was mildly obnoxious, but was a milksop compared with Anna. Charlie was a one-note character as were most of the people in this story for that matter. Charlie was bland to the point of fading into the woodwork he studied so intently.
So, overall, not a good experience, and I certainly cannot commend this as a worthy read.
Thursday, May 27, 2021
It's OK to Need a Friend by Annelies Draws
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
I don't know squat about this author except that she (or maybe he!) draws and illustrates a treat, and presents us with a cute chubby Little Brown Bear who happily goes through life being a friend, helping out, and passing on and learning lessons. As the description has it, friendship is both a gift and a skill and this book helps youngsters to discover how to offer the one while picking up the other. I commend this as a worthy read.
It's OK to Make Mistakes by Annelies Draws
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
As the description has it, mistakes give us the power to learn and grow, and as long as we're doing that we're on a winning path. All it takes is a cautious sense of adventure and a willingness to try even if you may fail. I commend this as a worthy read.
ABC for Me: ABC Let's Celebrate You & Me by Sugar Snap Studio
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
This was a cute and positive book, nicely illustrated, which goes A to Z on, as the description says, "either a physical or character attribute, and each page promotes self-love and kindness to others." This is delightfully true, and the attitude of kindness and acceptance which permeates every page is a joy and a treat. I commend this as a worthy read.
Andy Warhol by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Timothy Hunt
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
I've read many of Vegara's books. This author must be a little demon workhorse to turn out so many of these ebooks. I believe there are like five dozen of them now, and I sure haven't read that many, but I have read quite a few. There has been only one, if I recall correctly, that I have not liked. This one was no exception to the likeability rule.
Andy Warhola, as he was originally, was the child of Slovakian immigrants who was shy and had an artistic leaning from an early age. He finished college and moved quickly to New York where he was able to find work as an illustrator, before he branched out into celebrating the mundane and became a world-famous artist, inspired by the soup cans from which he made his lunch each day.
This book tells a short, sweet, and nicely illustrated (by Hunt) story of his life and work and I commend it.
Piperlicious Goes To Hawaii by Teresa Hunt, Aneeza Ashraf
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
I'm not sure about the main character's name or the idea of herself and her younger sister going off unsupervised, but clearly this is a pure fantasy story not remotely tied to reality, which then begs the question as to how it can highlight Hawaii's attractions when it's so disconnected. There also seemed to be a lot of convenient things falling improbably place: Piperlicious winning a vacation to the very place she wanted to go, and her effortless finding of the treasure.
The story was upbeat and fun, and the illustrations by Ashraf were cute, brightly colored, and satisfying, and Piperlicious's dedication her quest was quite admirable, but given how spoiled she seems to be and how easy everything is for her, I really don't see how I can commend this a worthy read.
I'd like a little more realism, even in a fantasy story. I have to wonder how Piperlicious would cope if she ever had a day when things didn't automatically and predictably go precisely the way she wants them to. I can't commend this for that reason. It just felt wrong and too 'lucky' when others are having a hard time, especially right now. This was too 'Disney Princess' for my taste.
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