Wednesday Spotlight | Game Changers of the Apocalypse by Mark Kirkbride

7 Jan. 2019
Omnium Gatherum Media 

About the Book:

It’s always the end of the world when you break up with someone. This time it really is...

Everyone on the planet has mysteriously disappeared, leaving exes Greg and Polly. They've survived the apocalypse, yet shouldn't have. Battling each other and a malevolent entity that teases them with their fate, how long can they remain ahead? Even more terrifying than everyone else on the planet disappearing is what’s about to take their place…

About the Author:

MARK KIRKBRIDE lives in Shepperton, England. He is the author of two novels, Game Changers of the Apocalypse (coming soon) and Satan’s Fan Club, both published by Omnium Gatherum. His short stories can be found in Under the Bed, Sci Phi Journal, Disclaimer Magazine and Flash Fiction Magazine. His poetry has appeared in the Big Issue, the Morning Star, the Mirror and Horror Writers Association chapbooks.

You can find him here.

*Content sent by the author for this blog's publication. This is a free ad.

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Book Review | WHEN ALL IS SAID by Anne Griffin

January 24th, 2019,
Sceptre

Five toasts. Five people. One lifetime.

"I'm here to remember -all that I have been 
and all that I will never be again."

If you had to pick five people, to sum up your life, who would they be? If you were to raise a glass to each of them, what would you say? And what would you learn about yourself, when all is said?

At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual - though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.

Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories - of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice - the life of one man will be powerful and poignantly laid bare.

Beautifully heart-warming and powerfully felt, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said and done.

Brilliant!

WHEN ALL IS SAID is achingly beautiful. I can employ all the superlatives, but they will not suffice, I suppose. So, let me try again… Brilliant!

Maurice Hannigan is one solid farmer and family man. Rough on the edges and irascible at times, but appreciates hard work and recognizes a good soul. Tonight though, he’d be sitting alone, raising toasts to people who made his existence significant in distinctive ways, while exploring every nooks and cranny of his life –including his ghosts and regrets.

Anne Griffin employed the simplest of language, unassumingly raw, but razor-sharp. From the blurb alone, I knew this book will be piercing, although, I was never prepared to bawl over it at two in the morning. With her words, it was not hard to like Maurice and relate to him –all 84 years of him. I felt this old man like I was there sitting next to him in that bar.

"She was so self-contained that sometimes I think I missed the full extent of the hurt and guilt. I did my best to be on guard for it. But having spent half my life distracted by what was outside – my deals, my empire – I often forgot to see what lay inside and how precious it was."

This is one of those books I never wanted to end. It did, nevertheless. It was done but verberates in echoes and booms. I highly recommend it.

Book details:

Title: When All Is Said

Author: Anne Griffin

Publication: January 24th, 2019, Sceptre (UK)
                       March 5th, 2019, Thomas Dunne Books (US)

Genre: Literary Fiction

Rating: ★★★★★


*Thanks to Thomas Dune Books, Sceptre,  and NetGalley for the DRM, in exchange for this unbiased book review. 

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THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF NICOLÒ ZEN by Nicholas Christopher

   

A richly detailed historical novel from master storyteller Nicholas Christopher that School Library Journal calls “[A] lush tale of music, magic, and intrigue”!

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Book Review | TWOSPELLS by Mark Morrison

February 23, 2018

Sarah and her twin brother Jon are heirs to an ancient magical realm and its most valuable treasure: an enchanted library. The library endows readers with the supernatural means of crossing into the uncharted inner sanctum of the second-dimension, inhabited with peculiar and sometimes perilous creatures. Both children are emboldened with a wondrous, mystical gift that no being has ever possessed before. But fate intervenes and triggers a disastrous war that disrupts the fabric of time and space, spanning multiple universes and tearing destiny a new and savage pathway. The two must rescue their world from a phantom hybrid alien race controlled by the demented dark wizard, Jeremy Sermack. They'll either assimilate or be exterminated. Will they be the saviors that the prophets envisioned, or will they retreat to the perceived safety of their distant homeland?

If you have Middle Graders, they will absolutely enjoy this adventure.
Enchanted library,
Stepping into books,
Meeting book characters,
And mythical creatures,
With magical twins,
And, it’s set in Wales, where adventure is thick and the magic is even thicker.

Everything was nicely narrated, except for the first three chapters, which was a tad slow for me. The good thing was that the plot steadily progressed, and then escalated into a huge battle. It was utterly fast and robust in detail. The battle was both exciting and terrifying!

The characters were all strongly fleshed-out and defined. Twins Sarah and Jon are distinct opposites but bonded in a way only twins can ever be. Both Grandpa and Grandma are a hoot. Even the other minor characters are vibrant additions; they surely added diverse layers to this story.

It is absolutely hard not to put spoilers here. But is fair to divulge, the cliffhanger is a knot that will be difficult to untangle, until the next book.

If my darling daughter is still in middle grade, we’d be reading TWOSPELLS together too, I’m sure with the same excitement as when we read the Magic Tree House and Deltora Quest series.

A perfect gift idea this Christmas!


Book details:
Title: TwoSpells
Author: Mark Morrison
Publication: February 23, 2018; Self-published
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★


*A digital copy was sent by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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OVER SEA, UNDER STONE by Susan Cooper

“But the grail may not leave this land,
but must wait the Pendragon,
till the day comes.”

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Book Review | THE FOREVER KING by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy

Arthur Blessing is more than just a ten-year-old boy, for his mere name defines myth and magic. To keep the power, as ancient as time itself, is his by right. But forces beyond the grasp of humanity are after that same power. With Hal Woczniak as his guardian, Arthur must cross time and continent to stay alive- battling a mad sorcerer and his minions -long enough for him to reign once more.  If he ever chooses to…

Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy offered a new twist to the Pendragon legend, filled with actions and mysteries.  The setting interweaves between the present and ancient.  The characters were all interestingly presented and well-built in progression.  The story made me laugh, cry, and (most often) left me hanging at the edge of my seat. You wouldn’t want to put this down until you’re done. I never get tired of reading this over and over again. 

THE FOREVER KING series comes in three (3) books. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Book details:
Title: The Forever King
Author: Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy
Publication: July 1st, 1992 by Tom Doherty Associates (NY)
Genre: Fantasy, Arthurian, Mythology
Ratings: ★★★★★/ ♥

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Book Review | SPEECHLESS by Adam P. Schmitt

November 6, 2018;
Candlewick Press

How do you give a eulogy when you can't think of one good thing to say? A poignant, funny, and candid look at grief, family secrets, difficult people, and learning to look behind the facade.

I highly recommend this book.

Jimmy is at his first wake. If that isn’t shocking enough for a 13-year old boy, he was just informed that tomorrow he has to deliver his first eulogy. His first. In front of everyone in a church full of grieving people. He tried every pleading to get away from it but shot down every time.

Jimmy’s been racking his brains for what to say about his cousin, Patrick if there’s anything good at all. Searching, he recalled every special moment his cousin had somehow wrecked. All his 13 years, he had to put up with Patrick. So, giving this eulogy is not merely nerve-racking for Jimmy, it is an imposition. An imposition preceded by so many before it. 
It made him angry and defiant. 
It made him question his family. 
It made him realize who Patrick was. 
And how they aren’t so different after all.

One of the many reasons I love Middle-Grade books is that they give me a whole new set of lenses to look through. Viewing things from a child’s perspective is always unique and reawakening. Giving a eulogy for an unlikable person who died is a very unusual subject for children, but induces a profound awareness for any reader –including parents, relatives, friends, even for educators.

SPEECHLESS is a very well-written, memorable story.

Book details:

Title:  Speechless

Author: Adam P. Schmitt

Publication: November 6, 2018; Candlewick Press

Genre: Fiction, Middle-Grade

Rating: ★★★★★

*Thank you Candlewick for this galley in exchange for an honest review.

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Wednesday Spotlight | LITERARY BOOK GIFTS

Hi, friends! Today’s post is something rarely special.

I came across this amazing literary gift shop that highlights some exemplary items that not only fits snugly into everyday life but stoutly promotes books and reading, as well. LITERARY BOOK GIFTS sells high-quality products I’m sure every bookworm would like to have. I should know, right?

And hey, there’s a huge discount for you. 😉 *wink 

About the Gift Shop:

I started the small web-based gift shop Literary Book Gifts as a way to turn some of my favorite classic novels into vintage designed tote bags and tees. The store is quite new, less than a year old. I do all the design work in-house to make sure each and every piece captures the story, characters, or feeling of the novel.

I was inspired to start this business because I believe that amazing novels, like the ones in the collection, deserve to have a place in today's society. This way we can discuss them and ultimately pass our favorite books onto new readers.

Each tote bag comes in three different sizes. These are not your standard cotton canvas totes, they are made of high-quality polyester with black cotton handles. The entire outer fabric of each tote bag is in a different color. So the Black Beauty Tote Bag has a khaki color as the background, while the Moby Dick Tote Bag is in a dark navy. This way you can choose not only the design but the background color, this really helps to customize the design and color that is best for your personal style.

All the designs that come on totes also come on tees for men and women. Take your pick of designs. There is a wide range from Frankenstein to Pride and Prejudice. There is a wide variety of sizes and colors for each and every design. - Melissa, LBG

THEPAGEWALKER20 is an exclusive promo code that can be used at checkout. It is good for 20% off anything, and it does not expire! 

Thanks, Melissa.

*Content sent by the owner for this blog's publication. This is a free ad.

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Book Review | NEWS OF OUR LOVED ONES by Abigail DeWitt

October 2, 2018
HarperCollins

Set in France and America, News of Our Loved Ones is a haunting and intimate examination of love and loss, beauty and the cost of survival, witnessed through two generations of one French family, whose lives are all touched by the tragic events surrounding the D-Day bombings in Normandy.

What if your family’s fate could be traced back to one indelible summer?

The book club agreed to read historical fiction for the month of September. I decided to read just a couple of books, but, then, this copy came to me fortuitously. I received an email from the publisher, advising me to follow a link. I asked myself, “Do I really need to read another war story, after getting off from the American Civil War?”

I’m glad I did. I don’t regret following that link.

This is a World War II story, revealing the lives of the Delasalle family and those who have crossed their paths before and after the D-Day Landing at the port city of Caen, in France’s Normandy region. It showed many ways war takes its toll and how death can leave irreversible effects, tearing families apart. Remaining family members revisit memories; retell events, desperately trying to chase the ripples of their tragedy down the next generations. The guilt of being alive, while many have perished, followed them. They acutely cling to every life tangible to keep them afloat.

NEWS OF OUR LOVED ONES is handsomely imagined, with engaging characters and stirring events. Ms. DeWitt managed to bring together a generational family story from individual narratives, creating a mosaic of love, death, estrangement, resilience, and remembrance.

This striking book is perfect for historical fiction lovers.

Book Details:

Title: News Of Our Loved Ones

Author: Abigail DeWitt

Publication: October 2, 2018, HarperCollins

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating:★★★★

*Thank you HarperCollins for this Flash Giveaway.

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Book Review | DR. GRASS by Grania Davis

DR. GRASS

BY GRANIA DAVIS | PUBLICATION: MARCH 1978
AVON BOOKS | GENRE: ADULT FICTION
RATING: ★★★★✬

"One of those cheer-me-up books."

____________________________________________________________________

An MD as outrageous as your doctor's bill.

Ernie Spiegelglass gets high, gets involved, and is about to complete his residency ... he hopes.

Brash, brilliant, and often profane, Ernie (alias Doc Sparrowgrass) enters the world of a San Francisco clinic and turns the entire place upside down with his riotous romances and his own unique style--which includes treating patients like people. The medical establishment is turned off to his idea of medicine--from the heart, not by the book--but Ernie can't turn his back on anyone who comes to him for help, even if it means jeopardizing his career.

DR. GRASS is a funny, honest, poignant book about a refugee from the 1960's growing up and not selling out in the 1970's.

____________________________________________________________________

Grania Davis died last April 28 of 2017. I know that seems a gloomy way to start a blog post. But today is a gloomy day here in our small spot in the globe. It's been cloudy all day and the temperature dropped to 2°C. And gloomy days make me want to reach out for my comfort books. Books that are still buried inside boxes in the basement. Which box? I am not entirely sure. Anyways, DR. GRASS by Grania Davis is one of those cheer-me-up books.

Dr. Ernest Spiegelglass, MD, is a family practice resident at Carmel Hospital in San Francisco. His friends call him Doc Sparrowgrass. He is a hippie to the core and rides his skateboard to work every day. Unlike any other doctor, Dr. Grass treats his patients in a very unique manner, not the usual “by-the-book” procedures. He believes that heart-to-heart is the best way to go. But oftentimes, his unconventional ways fish him troubles. And his weed-induced fantasies are odd, bordering shameless.

Dr. Grass is one of the those cherished books I got during high school days. The texts are vivid and explicit. I’ve reread it many times and it's always good to know that it can still make me laugh, like bwahahaha out loud.

It is a sad thing that Ms. Davis is no longer with us and nobody ever bothered reprinting copies since 1978. But if you do find one, consider yourself lucky. DR. GRASS can cure your gloomy day for sure!

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About the Author:
Grania Davis (nee Grania Kalman) was an American author and editor of science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. She was also the primary editor of the posthumous work of her former husband, Avram Davidson.

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