Review: The Bad Day Book: Volume 1 by Various Authors

 

Genre: Short Memoir Collection

Description:

“Do you ever feel like life’s a joke and you’re the punchline?

The Bad Day Book is for people looking for a solution to life’s many bad days; one that doesn’t include curling up in fetal position while crying, or pretending it never happened.

You know the days we’re talking about. When your plans get ruined. You think you’re a superhero, and you’re not. Or you have to deal with… people — no explanation necessary.

We all have them.

And frankly, the number of healthy reactions available is quite limited.

In this collection of real-life bad day experiences, you will find comfort knowing that you are not alone. And learn to laugh at life’s unexpected comedy.

By the time you finish The Bad Day Book, you’ll understand that if your life is going to be a joke, you’re better off making it funny.”

Author:

Around seventy or eighty authors each contributed short sections to this book. It reminded me of a short story anthology in that each author contributed their own short story that fit the overall theme of the book, with the significant difference that these stories are supposedly true. Basically, a collection of short memoirs.

Appraisal:

The premise of each story in this book, the first in a planned series, is that a “bad day” can be funny. I don’t remember it being explicitly stated, but the message of the book seems to be that an appropriate reaction, maybe I should say the best reaction, at some of life’s minor challenges should be to laugh, not get upset. The book’s introduction makes it clear that the bad days being explored here are not those terrible days where something tragic or heartbreaking happens, but more life’s little irritants.

This was a fun and amusing read. I realized that many of the “bad” things that happened to the author of each tale was, if not exactly, at least similar, to something that had happened to me or someone I know. The reaction of the storyteller encourages an amused reaction from the reader and you realize that while a bit of a pain, laughing and moving on is often the best response to days like those chronicled. The stories are, in theory true, and most of them were credible and, as I said earlier, even familiar or universal at times. A couple had things happen that I wasn’t sure I believed, but not so far out there that I couldn’t suspend disbelief for the sake of the story. A fun read and potentially good for a bit of an attitude adjustment in the reader.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Review: Questionable Practice by Randy Moon

 Genre: Historical/Thriller

Description:

“Becoming a hired killer was not in Robert Madigan’s plan when he began his medical career at The University of Pennsylvania in 1935. He had pledged to help save lives, not take them. But finding himself thrust into a desperate situation after his father’s death left his mother and younger siblings with no financial support, he accepts a sinister offer to become a hitman for Gavin Noel, a man he meets through one of the medical school professors.

To help carry out the murderous plot, Madigan enlists the help of his friends, Samuel Moore, an aspiring medical doctor, and Clark Magnusson, who’s studying to become a psychologist. Together they carefully craft a diabolical plan to do away with the victims their employer has chosen. Like an actor preparing for the movie role of a lifetime, Madigan begins to assume the personality of a twisted alter ego, tweaking their plan to allow the victims a choice in their demise - death by bullet or by lethal injection.

‘The Good Doctors’, as the friends call themselves, began their career paths intending to use their talents for good, but let desperation and greed cloud their vision and take over. They even seem proud of their ability to carry out this bizarre assignment as they devise their plans.

But Robert is plunged into a world of criminals, betrayal, and powerful men who consider themselves gods. There’s no turning back now, and Robert must find out who is worthy of his trust, and who is plotting to destroy everything he cares about.”

Author:

Under the pen name Schuyler Randall, award-winning author Randy Moon has written three books. This is the first under his actual name.

Appraisal:

This book is a thriller, with the “good guys” actually not being so good in that they become paid killers. I guess desperate times might call for desperate measures, and these are definitely desperate times. Maybe the people they’re killing aren’t very good people and it can be justified. Are you buying this?

It’s an interesting read because it puts the characters who are good people, or at least want to be, in a difficult situation, and then lets us ride along as they figure out what their limits are and how to deal with the situation. The historical aspects, with the story happening during the Great Depression, are interesting in that they intensify the situation while, due to the lack of modern technology, also makes getting caught less likely than it would be today. An interesting mind exercise in an exciting and intense story.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A tiny bit of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

This review is based on an ARC (advanced reviewer copy) and thus I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Reprise Review: Moving Clutter to the Cloud by Charity Grant

 Genre: Non-Fiction/Self Help

Description:

“Film and television views of the future are always clean, sleek and uncluttered. I used to think it was the technology. That at some point in the future, we’d have the technology to meet our daily needs without the need to climb over all of our daily stuff.

Then at one point, quite recently, I realized that we’re already there…”

Author:

Charity Grant is the pen name of an author who has written multiple non-fiction books designed to make the reader’s life better in some way.

Appraisal:

Many (most?) of us have trouble with clutter. Some (like the people on that Hoarders TV show) more trouble than others. There are numerous techniques for preventing or eliminating that clutter. My Mom even self-published a book 25 years ago to sell at seminars she conducted that had a chapter on getting rid of clutter.

My success at implementing my Mom’s decluttering ideas has been mixed, at best. I think I’ll have better luck with Charity Grant’s suggestions. Some of them I’ve already implemented. (Those hundreds of books I get each year are no longer paper which has stopped bookcases from taking over my entire house.) Other suggestions I can see their value and, most important, can actually picture myself doing. To me, that’s the sign of a self-help book that’s worthwhile.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review published May 5, 2017.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Review: Pillars of the Moon by Scott Rhine

 Genre: Science Fiction

Description:

This is subtitled ‘Book 1 of Empath, Go Home’, apparently to be the first of a number of books in this timeline set in Scott Rhine’s created world, between the author’s ‘Jezebel’s Ladder’ series and ‘Gigaparsec’ space operas.

The book could be very interesting to YA readers who enjoy a complex thriller (which is what this is).

There is a lot going on here. Jackdaw Speaks-with-Stones is an empathic Native American boy, conceived to be given as Speaker to the Whale Nation (yes, the underwater folk) on Earth. However, in this time and place there is much fear of empaths because there is a kind you can catch, which magnifies emotions and makes rational thought impossible and leads to anarchy and violence. Jack is not that kind of empath, but his exaggerated empathy is still a burden to him because he can quickly become overwhelmed by the feelings of others.

Jack begins to go blind in his teens. This makes him unsuitable as a gift to the whales. His future looks bleak until he is offered a chance to go and live on the Moon, where he can have his sight surgically restored. And he can go to an elite school there. However, all of this costs a LOT of money. How to earn it?

And then all Jack’s plans begin (of course) to go awry.

Author:

Rhine’s Amazon bio says “Scott Rhine wanted to find a job that combined his love of reading with math problem solving, so he studied both short stories and computer languages. When his third publication, Doors to Eternity, hit #16 on the Amazon epic fantasy list, he decided [to quit computer programming] to become a full-time author [in 2012]. Since then, each book of his "Jezebel's Ladder" series hit the high-tech science fiction top 100. His medical thriller, The K2 Virus, is his highest-rated novel. His latest books are witch academy stories written for his teenage daughter.

Humor is a part of every story he writes because people are funny, even when they don't think so. In the real world, something always goes wrong and people have flaws. If you can't laugh at yourself, someone is probably doing it for you. Strong female characters also play a major role in his stories because he's married to a beautiful PhD who can edit, break boards, and use a chainsaw.”

He has 33 books on Goodreads.

Appraisal:

This is a first class read. It is chockful of goings-on (plot, characterisation, settings, gizmos and McGuffins). When there is a momentary lull, it is only to set up the next extraordinary event. The reader is wise to remain strapped in for the duration. I consider myself very good at knowing what is going to happen next, and this book surprised me so often that I gave up.

The two worlds (Earth and Moon) are very well realised. Rhine has been building both worlds and their societies for some time for the series I mention above. But that in no way diminishes the richness of what he has created.

The boy Jack lives in the Arctic on Earth and then in the Lunar habitat. The technology (or sometimes lack thereof) is flawless. The plot is Machiavellian: Jack can only stay in control of what is happening to him because he is an empath, and even then he often finds himself lagging behind events.

The story spirals upwards and outwards from Jack’s first unwitting transgression against Lunar social customs, via discovery of massive corruption, to murder. The whole is driven by the difficulty of maintaining any kind of privacy because almost every interaction is recorded.

The book reminded me very much of Kim Stanley Robinson’s ‘Mars’ trilogy in the beautifully realised world building, the driving plot and the well drawn characters.

It also reminded me of our current global situation (thinking specifically of the UK and US) where we are now wondering how to deal with AIs, and the surveillance of much of what we do officially by the State, or by others through social media.

If you like science fiction I believe you will enjoy this book very much indeed. Also if you’re curious to read about this caricature of the world we find ourselves living in now.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

The occasional F bomb.

Format/Typo Issues:

None worth noting.

Rating: *****

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

Review: Far Out by Khaled Talib

 Genre: Thriller

Description:

“Screenwriter Blake Deco' s life is upended when his Hollywood movie-star wife, Goldie Saint Helen, comes out of a coma after a car accident with a makeshift identity. Her lawyers see her condition as an opportunity to swindle her.”

Author:

“Khaled Talib is a former journalist with local and international exposure. His articles have been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines. Khaled is a member of the International Thriller Writers.  He resides in Singapore.”

For more, visit his website and follow him on Facebook.

Appraisal:

It was the best of books, it was … well, not worst, but also had some serious problems, at least they were for me. I’ll try to explain. But first, I should point out that my review is based on an advance reader copy which means the potential for some minor polishing (fixing proofreading misses, for example) might happen prior to the official book release. While I saw some issues in this regard, they weren’t serious and I’m going to assume they’ll be fixed and thus I’ll ignore them in evaluating the book.

The story is intense, as a reader would expect and want to find in a thriller. The characters and their situation are interesting and clever. As the plot unfolds it keeps you guessing, never sure what might happen next. That’s good, to a point. But there is a limit and this story keeps crossing it.

What’s the limit? When you’re reading fiction there is a concept called “suspending disbelief” when something happens that you know really isn’t going to happen in real life. If you’re reading some genres (science fiction set in the future, fantasy or other speculative fiction set in their own world) then it isn’t unreasonable for the reader to play along in their mind with some pretty wild stuff. But when a story is taking place in the current world the limits are a bit tighter. I found myself shaking my head and saying “no way that happens without X happening” multiple times. Explaining details would be a spoiler, but at least for me, way too many things were too over-the-top for me to believe they could actually come down the way they did in the story without major repercussions happening that didn’t.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

This review is based on an ARC (advance reader copy) and I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: Astra the Lonely Airplane by Julie Whitney

 

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Description:

“Astra is a sleek, shiny airplane who loves to go flying with her best friend, Captain Dan. But when Astra and Dan suddenly find themselves out of a job, Astra must wait in her lonely hangar for a new owner to come along and give them somewhere to go! As the weeks turn into months and the right buyer still doesn’t appear, Astra begins to wonder: Will she ever get to fly again?”

Author:

Julie Whitney is a public relations professional who has also worked as an actress in commercials and was an extra in the movie Grease many years ago. She has four adult children and currently lives with her husband Dan who along with his plane was the inspiration for the two main characters in this book.

Appraisal:

I read this to my granddaughter who I typically refer to in my reviews as the LBG. We both enjoyed the story of Dan and his airplane, Astra. While I think you could say there are subtle lessons about life buried in this that a kid might pick up on to some degree, the overriding feel is a bit of silly fun that I think most kids would like. The LBG stayed engaged as I read to her and when I finished and asked her what she would rate it her answer was “9 out of 10 stars.” Since we’re on a 5 star system here I rounded 4 1/2 stars up to five. The LBG has spoken.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 44 pages

Reprise Review: Warped Ambition by Debbie S. TenBrink

 Genre: Police Procedural/Mystery

Description:

“When the battered body of a teenage girl is found in a dumpster, Lieutenant Jo Riskin is called to take the case. Investigating with her partner, Detective Lynae Parker, Jo uncovers secrets, loyalties, and ambitions that give motives to a surprising number of suspects, including a boyfriend from the wrong side of the tracks.

While immersed in her current case, Jo is battling her own personal demons. After two years, she is still grieving over the loss of her husband, who was killed in the line of duty. New information that could help solve his murder, and let her move on with her life, is within her grasp.

Barricading her heart, Jo is determined to solve both cases and bring the killers to justice.”

Author:

“Debbie S. TenBrink grew up on a farm in West Michigan, where her family has lived for over 150 years. She still lives within five miles of her childhood home with her husband, four children, and dog, Mojo (who is the only real-life character in her book). She has a Master’s degree in career and technical education, and she taught computer classes in two local colleges before beginning her current career as a software specialist for a law firm. In her free time, Debbie enjoys camping, hiking, sports, and any other activity she can use as an excuse to spend time in the great outdoors. Other hobbies include reading (of course), having long conversations with the characters living in her head, and an almost frightening interest in true crime TV shows. Her passion for writing began in childhood with short stories and poetry, and she can’t remember a time when she didn’t know that she would someday write a novel.”

Appraisal:

This is book one of the Jo Riskin Mystery series and it appears to be Debbie TenBrink’s first book. What a great start. I’m ready for book two now.

Police procedurals have been a genre I’ve enjoyed reading over the years. After reading this book and trying to put my finger on why I liked it I came up with two big reasons.

The first reason is the obvious one. The mystery at the root of the case (or for this book, the two cases) that the protagonist is trying to solve needs to hit the right balance. It can’t be too obvious. If you’re convinced you know whodunit shortly after the book starts and you turn out to be correct, the book isn’t going to work. But the opposite, a last second twist that you could have never seen coming, maybe a random person walking off the street and confessing, is even worse. Warped Ambition hit that balance. The answer wasn’t obvious, but the clues were there. (I won’t say any more to avoid spoiling the story.)

The second thing that occurred to me was that I liked Jo Riskin and her partner Lynae and when I explored why I realized that it was because of their imperfections. They’re human. Imagine a detective who is perfect. They wouldn’t struggle. They wouldn’t misinterpret something. They’d never make any missteps. And books with this mythical perfect detective would bore the reader to death. It’s the imperfections of the detectives and their fighting through their own issues to get to the solution that make the story work. If sometimes we get to the answer before the detective, all the better. (I didn’t this time, but it wasn’t because the clues weren’t there.) Ms. TenBrink has a winner with Jo and Lynae. Yup. I’m ready for the next one now.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Original review published May 30, 2017

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Review: Time Will Break the World by Aaron Jacobs

 Genre: Crime Fiction/Historical/Thriller

Description:

“On the second to last day of summer school in 1984, Calvin and Jason Schott hijack a school bus carrying nineteen students, an unthinkable act of violence that devastates the community of Brookwood. Thirty years later, twin sisters and survivors of the ordeal, Brenda and Emily Mashburn, are forced to relive the kidnapping as they film a documentary about the event in an attempt to thwart Calvin's looming parole hearing. Meanwhile, Jason fights for his brother's release, hoping that a reunited family can finally bring peace to their elderly mother and ease the guilt he feels over his role in the kidnapping. The result is a feud between the two families, with neither side willing to back down.

Inspired by the largest kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in American history, Time Will Break the World weaves a rich backdrop of place and circumstance-long-term trauma, dysfunctional family legacies, sibling rivalry, a granite quarry, and the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.”

Author:

“Aaron Jacobs is the author of the novel The Abundant Life. Other writing of his has appeared in Tin House, Alaska Quarterly Review, The Main Street Rag, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn and the Catskills with his wife and dog.”

Appraisal:

My thoughts on this book could be summed up by describing this book as a unique approach to this kind of story.

You could almost view this as two short books with pieces of each alternating. The first book, taking place in 1984, is crime fiction or a bit of a thriller. A couple young adults from a formerly well-to-do family decide they’re going to get a bunch of money by kidnapping a school bus with 19 kids plus the driver and collect some ransom.

The second part of the book, taking place thirty years later in 2014, looks at what is going on with those involved, both the kidnappers, their victims, and some family members. It explores how the experience has impacted their lives and how they react to something involving the case going on at that point, specifically one of the kidnappers being considered for parole.

Throw it all together and you’ve got an interesting story that doesn’t fit the normal patterns for crime fiction or a thriller, whichever you want to use to describe this, but I found it got me thinking about a lot of things from different perspectives than normal.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words