One essence of poetry is the elegant and economical use of words. Mr. Mac’s poems are short and dense with meaning, often with a wry twist. “I could never lose someone as much as I lost you.” Who needs more? Even the simplest of his poems is worth a second read to appreciate the shades […]
“Captain Arnold Other Tales of the Abnormal” by Arthur M. Doweyko
This compilation of short stories is best described by comparison. It has the same style and intent as the old “Outer Limits” TV show. Always questioning our everyday reality. Always wondering, “What if…?” The stories run the gamut of Sci-Fi: a few UFOs, a touch of time travel, a shot of dystopian life of various […]
“King Genghis I” by Jonathon Yalon
As you might guess from the title, “King Genghis” is a rom-com with a twist, A cross between “Anna and the King of Siam” and “The Mouse that Roared.” It involves an imaginary kingdom in the middle of Asia ruled by a clone of Kim Jong-un. The hero, Turan, was born there but brought up […]
“Cheat Sheets for Life” by Ayesha Ratnayake
This is the ultimate self-help book, covering all the topics anyone would ever want. Of course, at under 200 pages (plus 50 pages of references!). It doesn’t cover anything too deeply, but it’s all there: wealth, happiness, love, parenting, work, leadership, you name it. There’s even a “Green Living” section. The book consists of snippets of […]
“Genesis: Prophesy Rock Book 1” by T. Sae-Low
The author has taken a big chance in setting out this book, and for the most part, it has paid off. The conflict is shown from the points of view of both sides in the battle. Thus people are not assumed to be good guys because they are on the right side. There is no […]
“The Return of the Osprey” by DJ Albrecht
This book divides itself neatly into two sections, each encompassing a different genre. Sci-Fi This is a standard soft-science Space Opera. No ink is wasted on the physics of space travel such as speed, time or distance, which is fine. Star Trek didn’t do any different. Characters are likeable, sympathetic and more individualistic than the […]
“Meraki” by Tobi-Hope Jieun Park
A picture is worth a thousand words unless a poet turns the old platitude on its head and creates an image that is worth a thousand pictures. This poet is one of the few I have read lately who speaks in pictures that drive straight to your emotions. It is a book about childhood, so […]
“The Trafficking Murders” by Brian O’Hare
This novel is a rather light approach to a gritty subject. The reason I use the term ‘light’ is that it tells a realistic story of a horrible situation but never goes into the grimy details. The details of the offences are balanced by the interactions of the members of the police squad, and again, […]
“A Tracker’s Tale” by Karen Avizur
This story is fast paced and action oriented, with sympathetic characters in a straightforward good-guys-vs-bad-guys conflict. The plotline is episodic in nature, but the events gradually tie together to lead up to a tense climax. There is a general rule in fantasy of all types not to mix magical styles. Paranormal separate from witches and […]
“Surviving Crazy” by Frank Crimi
The title of “Surviving Crazy” may give a good idea of the main conflict of this novel, but it’s also a good description of the experience of reading the book. When you have baseball teams named the “Raleigh Tar Stains” and the “Arizona Prickly Heat,” that gives a pretty good idea of what you’re in […]