Teeth in the Dark by Sean Roney

Real Life vs. Reality

What a different kind of story this was for me! I don’t play video games, however, Teeth in the Dark was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.

Saraj and her co-worker friends are creating a virtual reality game. Saraj takes the game to an extreme level and thinks the game is real. From snow-covered dirt roads, to the scents of evergreens, to the aromas of baked goods, Sean Roney delights his readers with extraordinary descriptions.

Elk’s Crossing has official colors of green and black which are displayed and sold by merchants. And what characters the merchants are! To name a couple, a sexist rat and a perverted brute come to mind.

I had the feeling of standing right next to Saraj as she tried to avoid traps and pranks created by her co-workers in their effort to perfect the game.

This short story came to life for me.  It was fun to read something where I actually felt anxious as Saraj was crazily thinking this was real life. I wondered how far she was willing to go.

I was left with the impression that Saraj struggled with her identity. In the game she looked completely different and seemed to like her virtual self a bit more than her real life. I wonder about that . . .  how far can programmers actually take their skill?

Septimity by Derek Haines

A Trilogy at last!

After reading Hal and February the Fifth, Derek Haines has finally honored his readers with the last of his trilogy, Septimity!

Septimity is September's grandson. September is the eldest son of December the Ninth, and a grumpy old man. September thought he was going to be the new Supreme Potentate of Gloth. However, due to running into a brick wall, literally, this did not happen. His unexpected death gives Septimity and his six brothers a shot at the title.

This family is absolutely hysterical! Not only will it remind you of your own family, morons and imbeciles included, but the situations they encounter trying to obtain the Supreme Potentate of Gloth will in no doubt have you relating your own family situations to this science fiction story. Kids are kids even on the planet Gloth!

Derek Haines entertains his readers with his two most amazing traits. First is his sense of humor, and second is his strength of building his characters even if they look like lizards!

After reading Derek Haines books I think I have come to realize he expresses his own personal views on life through his apropos vocabulary in his characters and excellent writing skills. Reading between the lines and having a good laugh is a treat.

Goblin Tales for Adults by Jack Eason

You'll change your mind about goblins!

Obadiah introduces Glob to the mother of all goblins, Hermione Fingletook. She explains why goblins never know where they came from. She says each new goblin is born from a specially selected acorn which she picks. Once born, she determines their purpose then fills their minds with knowledge they need to survive before sending them out into Goblindom.

I never thought I would enjoy a story book about goblins! Jack Eason brought a family of goblins alive with such writing skill I felt a warm place in my heart for each goblin. They are described so vividly it's hard not to love each character in every tale Eason tells.

The fantasy tales told are one exciting adventure after another of five goblin brothers. There are humans involved, called 'humins' to the goblins, but these are friendly humans! 

The tales are truly enjoyable to read and have fun with. I think it would be a wonderful book for all ages.

Spy Hunt in Dixie by Max Connelly

I was looking forward to reading this book but was very disappointed. The beginning was terrific and I was hooked. Then out of the blue it started reading like another author took over. That is when I lost interest. However, when I am asked to review a book by an author, I have an open mind and was dedicated to finish the book hoping for a return to the beginning hook. I'm sorry to say it never happened.

 

I started reading the book on my flight to visit my mother. I was so confused 35% of the way into the story, that I thought I would reread it from the beginning to my mother. She is an avid reader and loves history. I said nothing to her about my thoughts, just telling her it's a book I said I would read and review.

 

We thought we were either stupid or going crazy with how the book was written. Like I mentioned before, the difference in writing styles were integrated into the story and it was extremely confusing. We weren't sure who was doing what or what was going on much of the time. There were so many points of view, but I don't think Max Connelly has mastered how to write whose point of view the reader is supposed to be reading.

 

There were also many times I thought I knew what a word or phrase meant, but it was used incorrectly, therefore continuing to make the story more confusing.

 

By the time we were 73% into the book, we were both counting the pages to be finished. The end of the book being the most confusing, we had no idea what was going on with which characters. There were so many characters and so many name changes, it was just absurd.

 

Avoiding naming certain political characters in the very end I'm figuring was a bias on Max Connelly's part, but once again, not really sure.

 

Most of the book felt like I was reading what I would read from a political reporter. This was supposed to be historical fiction. I felt like I could tell when Max was writing (which I actually enjoyed) and when this phantom writer took over.

 

I am sorry to say I cannot recommend this book for anyone in particular because of the writing, point of view confusion, and too many characters without enough depth to make the story enjoyable and not confusing.

Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus by Joyce Magnin

Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus is a fun story about a 72 year old widow who loses a bet resulting in her moving across the country to live with her only son and his wife.

Harriet Beamer lived a quiet life in Philadelphia with her dog, Humphrey. She has a best friend, Martha, who she loves very much. Her son, Henry, and his wife, Prudence, live in California with their cat, Sandra Day.

When hanging Christmas decorations at home, Harriet falls and breaks her ankle. She didn’t think it was broken, so she felt confident when she made a bet with Prudence that if it was indeed broken, she would sell her home and move to California to live with them. She lost the best.

Harriet didn’t want to squelch on her bet, so she sold her home and most of her belongings, and moved to Henry and Prudence’s home in California. She made an astonishing decision to take a bus to California, vs. a quick plane ride. She wanted to live a little and experience life before settling in with her family in her new home.

She collected salt and pepper shakers and realized her collection was accumulated from other people’s travels. She wanted to obtain her own collection and planned her trip around this new quest.

Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus is full of unexpected adventures readers of every age will enjoy. It’s great fun to share Harriet’s journey across the country where she discovers a lot about herself. She thinks she has a future and that God has a plan mapped out just for her.

I felt Joyce Magnin enjoyed writing this book. It flowed beautifully and was a page turner till the end. I particularly enjoyed learning a bit about our country’s historical places where Harriet visited on her trip.

It’s an enjoyable quick and easy read with memorable characters.  I would love to see a sequel to this book to see how Harriet’s life turns out living in California with Henry, Prudence, Humphrey, and Sandra Day.

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

A family coping with everyday struggles is the gist of Need You Now. A stay at home mom, a dad working his way to partnership, and three children who are not perfect describes this religious family.

The story begins with the family’s move from the city of Houston, TX to out in country in an effort to improve their life. Their son, Chad, was in trouble, and they thought leaving the city would be a fresh start.

Chad improves, but their daughter, Gracie, develops major life threatening problems, brought on by stress. Their youngest daughter has special needs, and the marriage is in trouble at one point. So all is not well and Beth Wiseman takes us through the journey of these struggles.

The book is a nice wholesome story where families may read together and discuss what they would do if they were in any of the situations. There are lessons to learn.

However, I thought it was a bit too perfect. For the situations Beth Wiseman introduces and includes in her story, I feel they should have been expounded on. I feel more realistic dialogue was needed.

I was disappointed with the ending. I felt the characters needed more closure for the readers. It left some characters and their struggles hanging.  This may be the author’s purpose, if she has a sequel in mind.

The best friend of Darlene, the mother, was a strong character in the story. Once again I would have liked her to have been given more depth.

I recommend Need You Now for families who read Christian based books. It certainly is a nice story, especially to those who pray to God and have a strong faith.

Willow Pond by Carol Tibaldi

A crime story set in the 1930’s complete with speakeasies and gangsters. A toddler, Todd, is kidnapped while playing at Willow Pond with his nanny. His mother, Laura, a suppressed housewife at the time, and his father, Phillip, a famous actor, try to find their missing boy.

Crimes in the 1930’s were solved by police and newspaper reporters. In this investigation, it took about a year and a half because of incompetence by both.

Laura lived with her Aunt Virginia for most of her life after her parents died in an accident. Virginia was the owner of a speakeasy and had questionable connections. She used them to help find Todd.

Most of the story’s tension comes from the relationship between Laura and Virginia. Laura wants to become her own woman after being stifled in her marriage, and Virginia is a very strong and powerful woman. They clash during their efforts to find Todd, each using different methods, and Laura has a hard time in the end when Virginia’s hidden tactics comes to light.

Willow Pond flows beautifully as Tibaldi masters introducing and building her characters. She integrates the history of the era when apropos.

Tibaldi sheds light on how a woman owner of a speakeasy spends her day, how cops and reporters try to solve crimes back in the day, and how women are perceived in and out of marriage.

Tibaldi includes romance to Willow Pond. What would a good story be without lovers and tough decisions? Laura has her share of ups and downs and readers will enjoy the ride.

I recommend Willow Pond for readers who enjoy romance and crime. It’s a quick and easy read.

I would have liked to see more history of the time period integrated throughout the story.

As far as Laura’s character is concerned, for me, I just didn’t like her. She drove me crazy! There was not enough effort being done to find her son and she went on with her life way too fast and cheerfully to suit me during the year and a half. I realize one must go on, but I thought Laura should have experienced more anguish during such a time. Instead she had it pretty easy and it seemed her character would have been more realistic if the scale was tipped more in hardship than good times.

I was born and raised on Long Island so I was very familiar with Suffolk County and all the towns in the story. With this in mind, it was quite the read for me.