Review: Judgment Simulation by Dennis Michael

 

Genre: Philosophy/Self-Help

Description:

“Everyone needs this book! It answers why life is so hard. It explains why things will get better. It's because: Our universe is a simulation. We are all criminals of the civilization that created it. This is our last chance to prove ourselves. We are meant to improve and get better.

Call it ‘original sin’. Call it ‘Adam and Eve taking a bite of forbidden fruit’. These are historical notions. This book is the update. This book provides the modern view of a higher power. It cites scientific studies along with personal stories. It fills in the blanks that everyone has wondered about for centuries.”

Author:

Dennis Michael, or whatever his real name is, doesn’t say much about himself except, of course, for the story and other personal stuff in the book. This appears to be his first book, at least writing under this name. I suspect he wants the book to speak for itself.

Appraisal:

For a while my stance on religion has been that if some deity put humans on Earth with the expectation that we do certain things to get good treatment in some next life and those expectations were more than just being reasonably decent people, basically following the “golden rule,” that this deity is incompetent and I want nothing to do with him, her, or it. This relatively short read has a different twist as to what we’re all doing on Earth while giving some perspective on how many of the world’s religions came to have the viewpoints they do. Early in the book I was getting a cultish vibe, it felt much like a lot of religious indoctrination in some ways. I also question how the author came to knowing these things. But ultimately, while the reasons and the explanations for why we are here and what we’re supposed to do while here may be lacking in proof in my mind, the author’s final answer as to what is expected of us isn’t unreasonable, regardless of his rationale, and not much different from what I proposed makes sense above. Ultimately, if nothing else, it is an interesting theory and certainly got me thinking.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A single use of an adult word.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Review: Persephone by Kevin J Anderson & Jeffrey Morris

 

Genre: Hard Science Fiction

Description:

The book opens as the arkship Odyssey, containing the last ten thousand humans from a ruined Earth, approaches her designated new home, Proxima B, dubbed Persephone (for reasons which remained opaque to this reader). Very soon it will be time to thaw the hibernating passengers (‘popsicles’), transfer down to the planet and being settling in. It has been a tough 50 year journey. Odyssey is blowing fuses all over. It becomes a race against time to offload the popsicles before the starship disintegrates.

Persephone is a hostile planet, with a beautiful geoglyph running across much of it. The geoglyph looks a little like the Nasca lines on Earth. But nobody knows what it is yet. It will be exciting to find out. So much awaits them!

An automated mission – Forerunner – was sent ahead to Persephone to put a radiation shield grid in place and set up habs for the colonists. This was successfully done, but now it is not functioning. And without the radiation shield no human can survive down there. The mission to fix the shield grid is where the story really starts.

Author:

Joint authorship, you will note. This is particularly interesting as Kevin J Anderson is one of those authors whose work you will definitely have read if you are remotely interested in SF in book, TV or movie forms but have probably never heard of. Jeffrey Morris is variously a writer, director and production designer mainly of hard SF films, graphic novels and educational science curricula.

Appraisal:

There is an IMDb entry for this book, where it is described as ‘the forthcoming deep-space adventure Persephone’ with some luscious pre-production CGI ‘photographs’ of what’s supposedly coming. There, Morris is listed as Director and Anderson as writer. This novel has been ‘inspired by‘ that screenplay. Readers of SF (self included) tend to do well with (and, indeed, almost expect) a cinematic approach to this sort of fiction. The novel is, of course, laid out as a movie, in scenes. The action is intercut with flashbacks. Nothing unusual there, you will say – fiction is full of ‘em. But the book’s Big Reveals tend to happen this way. I found it disconcerting at times to have so much of the action happen offstage. And even then, from time to time a significant info-dump was necessary.

The science is internally consistent and plausible. Characters are well drawn. Human interactions are well thought through. The authors are not afraid to make you care about a character and then kill them off. The book is more vinegar than sugar for sure. But there is so much going on that – like the colonists – the reader takes it on the chin and moves on to the next problem which has to be solved, or else the last of humanity is toast.

Quite a lot is made of the death of Earth, how it became uninhabitable, how a point of no return was reached and this last Hail Mary planned and executed, and how the death of Earth was absolutely down to human beings. There is much in these fictional musings on Earth’s last days which should give us all pause for thought.

And a great hook into a sequel closes the novel.

If you like hard SF I recommend this to you.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: The Last Road Trip by Jennifer Klepper

 

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Description:

“Twenty years after tragedy tore them apart, four sorority sisters still can’t say no to sweet Mary Blake Bulloch. Reeling from a public divorce, Mary Blake rallies the group to complete a long-ago road trip cut short by scandal, betrayal, and the death of a Texas oilman’s son.

Time hasn’t healed all wounds. Helen's hiding a crumbling marriage. Charlie's haunted by a deathbed promise. Annesley's harboring life-changing news. And Lisa knows her decades-long silence about what really happened that fateful night could cost her everything—and everyone.

As the women pick up where they left off, old alliances shift and long-buried memories surface. What started as a reunion becomes a reckoning, forcing each woman to decide what matters more: the comfort of silence or the brutal cost of truth.”

Author:

“Jennifer Klepper is the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Road Trip and Unbroken Threads. Born and raised in Iowa and Nebraska, she attended college in Dallas, law school in Charlottesville, and worked in Texas and Massachusetts before settling for good in Maryland. She's worked for Big Law, small law, start-ups, and Google, most recently co-founding tech start-up Early Works. She lives in a forest by a river near Annapolis, Maryland.”

Appraisal:

This story has multiple aspects, any one of which could make for an engaging story I wouldn’t want to put down. When you weave them all together it results in a fantastic story. The first aspect is a road trip, something that will pull this travel aficionado in all by itself. Wait. Make that two road trips. The story keeps flashing back to the original aborted road trip that inspired the current one, so we get to experience both of them. Then we’ve got the give and take as these old friends try to capture or restore the relationship they had back in college, but we’ve also got an undercurrent of mystery and intrigue as it is obvious there are some things that happened on the original trip that we, and possibly the some of the ladies on the trip don’t all know either. It all makes for a great, intriguing, and intense read that draws the reader in and then won’t let them go.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Reprise Review: Mr. Pish's Woodland Adventure (A Mr. Pish Backyard Adventure Book 1) by K. S. Brooks

 

Genre: Children’s Adventure/Nature/Educational

Description:

“Mr. Pish, the adventurous Jack Russell Terrier, leads readers on an expedition into the forest in Mr. Pish's Woodland Adventure. With full color photographs and engaging text geared to promote outdoor learning, Mr. Pish shows how easy it is to experience nature no matter where you live. Mr. Pish even teaches kids how to make their own Great Explorer's scrapbook! Best viewed on a full-color reader.”

Author:

“K.S. Brooks has been writing for over thirty years. An award-winning author and photographer, she has written over 30 titles, is currently the administrator for the superblog Indies Unlimited, and is founder of ‘Authors for Hurricane Sandy Library Recovery’ and the ‘Liberty Library’ for soldiers and veterans. Mr. Pish is a curly-haired Jack Russell terrier who has traveled the USA and Canada to spread the word about outdoor learning and literacy.”

To learn more about Mr. Pish you may visit is his website. To learn more about Ms. Brooks you may also visit her website.

Appraisal:

Mr. Pish has an infectious personality that readily draws the reader in and includes you in the dialogue as he explores. He also has rules to follow while exploring; take plenty of water and snacks, stay on the path, and always stay in sight of an adult. The adult is basically the pack mule to carry everything for you on your adventure. Never go on an exploring adventure alone. Also, pay attention to your surroundings. If you don’t think you see anything stop, look, and listen for a while. Check out the flora, fauna, and trees.

This book is loaded with gorgeous pictures of wildlife, critters, and Mr. Pish. I found this book a treasure trove of information written simply enough for children to understand and engage with. I think any of Mr. Pish’s series books would make a wonderful addition to any library, be it a primary school, public, or a child’s own personal library.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Best viewed on a full-color device. Mr. Pish's Woodland Adventure is book one in MR. PISH BACKYARD ADVENTURE SERIES. Book two is The Mighty Oak and Me.

Format/Typo Issues:

I came across no issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: Twenty-eight pages.

Review: The Final Account by Jeff Cooper

 

Genre: Legal Thriller

Description:

“Jack Collins’s upstart law firm is struggling to make ends meet. His solution is to bring in a new senior partner, a seasoned estate-planning lawyer well connected with the Greenwich elite. Unfortunately, his new partner is hiding a secret that could bring down the entire firm.

When Jack catches the lawyer embezzling funds from a millionaire’s estate, he thinks he’s uncovered an isolated crime. But as he slowly connects the clues, he stumbles into a far larger conspiracy involving some of Connecticut’s most powerful figures.

The people behind this financial scheme are ones Jack would never suspect. And they will do whatever it takes to keep him from exposing them.”

Author:

Jeff Cooper is a lawyer, a law professor and one time was even a candidate to be president of the US. Yeah, that last one is a bit strange. A bit of Googling uncovered this news story with a bit of an explanation. Cooper has written some in the past in law journals and other venues aimed at his fellow lawyers. Of more potential appeal to most of us he has also written one other legal thriller, also featuring Jack Collins, the protagonist of the book featured in this review.

For more about Jeff Cooper, check out his website.

Appraisal:

Some thrillers have a lot of mystery to them while others don’t, at least not in the same way. This one didn’t, at least not in the sense I’m thinking of. Who the good guys are and who the not-so-good guys are is pretty apparent early on and only gets solidified as the story continues. What the bad guys are doing is also no secret. Whether the good guys will manage to remain relatively unscathed and how or even if the not-so-good guys will receive their comeuppance and how what they’ve been doing will come out is what makes it a thriller. This is definitely a thriller. I used to be an avid reader of John Grisham and other big name legal thriller authors. Reading this took me back to those days. This was an incredibly good read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: I Put a Spell on You by Michael Hayes

 

Genre: Hard-Boiled/Mystery

Description:

“Private eye, Tom Sharp, and his faithful AI assistant, Frank, investigate the death of an unlucky man hit by a bus. It looks like an accident, but the victim’s elderly mother believes her son was cursed.

It’s Los Angeles, 2055, where life is cheap, the tech is glitchy, and magic is real. The kicker: Sharp is the only one in this world immune to magic. As he’s often reminded by friend and foe alike, he’s not immune to bullets. Welcome to the Peaceable Kingdom.”

Author:

A resident of Los Angeles, Michael Hayes has a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. He continued his education by attending Brown University where he got a Masters Degree in Creative Writing. I Put a Spell on You is the first of two novellas Hayes has written and released, at least thus far, featuring private eye Tom Sharp that take place in the near future.

Appraisal:

This book and the world where Tom Sharp operates isn’t like today’s world, but it is close. While it might be a stretch to call it science fiction, fantasy, or the umbrella genre that includes both, speculative fiction, it definitely has aspects of them in the story. The part I’ll call fantasy is what Sharp describes as “Magic.” It is something that he, unlike most people, is immune from, but involves some people being able to put a spell of some kind on another person with various repercussions. Then we’ve got holograms popping up, my favorite being a small little thing called Frank who is Sharp’s assistant. He’s smart … make that intelligent. But it is artificial. Frank is more advanced than current AI apps, but still doesn’t’ know everything. Frank weighing in and helping Sharp certainly adds a bit of a near-future science fiction twist to the story. All of this adds some additional dimensions to what you’d normally expect from a private eye trying to solve a case. As with all good mysteries, what the private eye finds to be the answer to the mystery will keep you guessing right up to the very end. This was definitely a different read for me, but one that was a lot of fun trying to figure out not only the mystery, but the story world it happens in kept me on my toes as well.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 18-19,000 words

Review: Legal Tender (The Reluctant Hustler, Book 5) by J. Gregory Smith

 

Genre: Thriller/Crime Fiction

Description:

“Hustlers still need rules.

Chaos reigns across Philadelphia as lawlessness spreads like a disease. Even the Philly Irish Mob is unable to combat the rampant crime wave that hits businesses under their protection.

For some reason, the authorities refuse to curtail the growing violence and if Kyle Logan and his crew of misfit hustlers cannot find out why and then stop it, the city will be consumed by mobs and vigilantes warring for control and survival.”

Author:

J Gregory Smith is the author of several thrillers, some self-published and some published by Thomas & Mercer. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife and son.

Appraisal:

This is the second book I’ve read in The Reluctant Hustler series and I’m struck by the interesting place that Kyle, the protagonist, has positioned himself. He’s obviously a criminal by any reasonable definition, frequently breaking the law in various ways, the hustler part of the series title. However, as the rest of the name of the series indicates, he is reluctant about this. He has his limits and much of what he does, even when breaking the law, is doing something aimed at making things better in some way for others. It’s an interesting juxtaposition and I think sets the reader up to overlook more borderline actions from Kyle without questioning them than they might typically do for a protagonist. It also makes for a intense read that had me pulling for Kyle and his cohorts and never being quite sure where things were going or how it was all going to end. Definitely a fun and thought-provoking read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

While the 5th book in a series that I’ve only read one other book in, each book stands alone and reading earlier books before this one is not necessary to understand what is going on.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing misses.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 miles

Reprise Review: Foreign Relations by Rebecca Forster

 Genre: Mystery/Police Procedural

Description:

“Traffic in downtown Los Angeles turns hellish when a woman hurtles from an overpass and crashes through the windshield of a car on the 110 Freeway. Narrowly escaping death in the epic pile up, Detective Finn O’Brien and his partner, Cori Anderson, throw themselves into the fray: Cori to triage and Finn rushing toward the flaming car in a desperate bid to save the woman. But survival is not an option. As the car explodes in a fireball, she dies in his arms. When her autopsy reveals a gruesome secret, Finn is determined to prove her death was no accident. Together with Cori, he follows a twisted trail that leads into the veiled and exotic world of L.A.'s exiled African community, the luxurious enclaves of Hollywood and finally to the doorstep of a third world despot whose cruelty knows no bounds and whose influence has a stranglehold on the City of the Angels.”

Author:

The author of numerous thrillers in multiple subgenres, USA Today bestseller Rebecca Forster lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Appraisal:

This is only the second book in the Finn O’Brien Thriller series and already I feel like I’ve turned into a raving fan. In my mind, the case Finn and his partner Cori are working on doesn’t matter. They’re the reason I’m reading. The police procedural series that I’ve liked the most drew me in because of the appeal of the regular characters. That’s the solid foundation that’s needed for any series to succeed. Here, it’s not only the positive attributes Finn and Cori bring to the table (integrity, doggedness, and loyalty to name a few), but their imperfections as well, which lay that foundation. Not being able to tell the other how they feel about them is just one imperfection both share.

Of course, the story still has to work, and this one does. It combines international intrigue and Hollywood in the kind of story that could only take place in Los Angeles. Multiple story threads take unexpected twists before they all come together as Finn and Cori nail the culprit. I’d like to claim I saw it coming. The clues were there. But nope, that’s not who I would have guessed was whodunit.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

While the second in a series, this book can be read as a standalone.

Format/Typo Issues:

My review is based on a pre-release ARC and I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Review: Humdrum by Mitchell Brockman

 

Genre: Literary Fiction/Psychological Thriller

Description:

“How long can someone endure the silence? For David, the answer’s not long enough.

In the hum of an office filled with laughter and camaraderie, David Clark exists on the edges unseen, unheard, and trapped in a cycle of quiet isolation. Nights in his empty apartment feel endless, and the world outside his window moves on without him.

When a coworker’s kindness cracks open the walls he’s built, and a sudden tragedy shakes his fragile existence, David is forced to confront the silence he’s lived with for too long. As his carefully guarded life unravels, he must decide: will he take the risk to finally connect, or retreat further into the safety of solitude?”

Author:

“Mitchell Brockman is a storyteller at heart, diving into whatever genre sparks curiosity and creativity. With an adventurous approach to writing, his debut novel, Humdrum, captures readers with its unique blend of wit, depth, and unpredictability. When not writing, Mitchell enjoys exploring the world, whether through books, conversations, or the occasional daydream. Passionate about weaving tales that connect with readers on a personal level, he believes every story is an opportunity to discover something new. Humdrum is just the beginning, with plenty more stories waiting to be told.”

Appraisal:

I’m struggling with what to say about this book. If you’re wondering why, it’s hard to explain without giving away too much of what happens. I’m also struggling with what to think of it. Before I started reading I wasn’t sure what I expected from the story or where I thought it might go. For almost all of the book I had no idea where things were going or even, of the potential directions things could logically go, which path I was hoping for, as often none of the realistic choices were very enticing. However, odds of taking something positive from this story in the end are good. Hopefully it will get you wondering about the people around you that you often ignore. That could be good for both of you.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Only one use of an adult word, but definitely aimed at older teens or adults based on other content.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Review: Red Dirt Unplugged by Josh Crutchmer

 Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“Red Dirt Unplugged is the view from the wings as the Red Dirt music scene reaches heights never-before thought possible. At the crossroads of country, roots rock, and Americana, artists in the scene are enjoying sustained worldwide attention at a large scale for the first time in history. Wyatt Flores, Kaitlin Butts, Southall, Josh Meloy and more are walking through the doors opened by The Turnpike Troubadours and all the artists before them who first put the cracks in those same doors”

Author:

Currently the print planning editor at the New York Times, Josh Crutchmer has a long history in journalism having worked for several newspapers around the country before landing at the Times. During that time his specialty has often been  music journalism which he still does on the side, reporting at times for various newspapers as well as Rolling Stone magazine. He has Two prior books. For more, visit his website.

Appraisal:

This is Josh Crutchmer’s third book. The first, Red Dirt, explored the history and current state of the Red Dirt music scene, basically the Oklahoma music scene with comparable music from elsewhere, especially Texas, getting mention when it makes sense. His second book was much the same, but covering the music scene of the mountain states, mainly music with its roots in Idaho. This book picks up the red dirt scene, exploring changes that have happened after the period covered by the first book right up to just barely before the book was released. For those who are fans of red dirt music, especially if you read and liked Crutchmer’s prior books, getting this is an easy decision. The structure is much the same as the prior books with each chapter discussing a specific artist, often including an interview with the artist to understand their musical history (if they’re fairly new to the scene) or what’s new with them, if they’re old-timers. You’ll also find a bit of foreshadowing if you’re curious as to what Crutchmer’s fourth book is going to explore.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and proofreading misses.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words