Review: 10 Little Rules for Understanding America by Danny Zimny-Schmitt

 Genre: Travel/Politics

Description:

“What if the road to understanding American politics runs through every one of its 3,000+ counties?

In this compelling mix of travel memoir and geopolitical insight, the author crisscrosses the country, visiting every county in the US, with one goal: to listen. From diner counters to train stations, coffee shops to rural gas stations, the journey reveals how where we live shapes what we believe—and how we vote.

Inspired by books like The Last American Road Trip and Our Towns, this exploration uncovers the patterns, tensions, and quiet truths that define the American experience today.”

Author:

“Danny Zimny-Schmitt holds degrees in environmental science and geography from the University of Denver and works in the renewable energy industry. Growing up in inner city Chicago, visiting family in Wisconsin, and then moving to Denver for school, he was inspired to learn about the differences between places at an early age. When he's not traveling, he enjoys reading, running, and advocacy work for local nonprofits. He lives in Denver.”

Appraisal:

This series appears to be a set of short reads, each of them with “10 little rules” to help a person in some way, whether that help is what might be classified as “self-help” or to help you understand something that is good to know in a better way. In the process you’ll potentially learn about some other subject that you might be interested in.

This specific volume involves travel and the ways it can expand a person’s view and understanding of the world. Mark Twain has been quoted as saying that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness,” (a quote included in this book at an appropriate spot), and that concept is one that runs through this book. The author had a goal of visiting every county or county equivalent in the US. He accomplished that goal and in this book delves a bit into the travel experience, but also what he observed and learned from the experience. A lot of this is political, but makes the point that we aren’t as far apart as it sometimes seems. While a short quick read it also references other articles and studies as well as having links to websites where more information about some places and subjects mentioned can be found. A fun, quick, and thought-provoking read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Review: Go See America by Matt Tory

 

Genre: Travel/Humor

Description:

“Want to explore America’s most wonderful, wild, and delightfully weird places — without nodding off halfway through a guidebook?

This is not your average travel book.

In Go See America, Matt Tory takes you on a humorous, heartfelt tour of 118 unforgettable places across the USA — according to a guy who went to them all. It’s part guidebook, part road trip diary, and entirely a celebration of what makes America… well, America.

Whether you love adventure, history, scenic views, or just a good laugh, Go See America isn’t just another bucket list: it’s an invitation to rediscover and fall in love with the country you thought you already knew – one memorable stop at a time.

Inside, you’ll find:

National parks, quirky attractions, scenic drives, and small-town surprises

A mix of must-see wonders and overlooked gems across all 50 states

A not-too-serious guide that feels more like exploring alongside a good friend

Photos of every location

Insider tips and personal stories that both celebrate and lovingly roast America’s greatest hits

It’s the perfect blend of inspiration and levity – whether you’re planning your next trip or just dreaming from the couch. Go See America isn’t about checking off boxes; it’s about embracing the wonder, charm, and occasional absurdity of this big, bizarre, beautiful country.

Get inspired. Get going. Go See America.”

Author:

“Matt Tory is a writer and filmmaker from Sacramento, California. He has written and directed a wide range of films, podcasts, and streaming series — including the comedy series The Beech Boys and the mockumentary We Make Movies, which was called ‘one of the best films of the year’ by Cinescape Magazine. He spends most of his time creating things that aim to make people laugh, feel encouraged, or – on a good day – both.

His latest book, Go See America was inspired by a lifetime of road-tripping across the country in search of its most beautiful, quirky, and unforgettable places.”

Appraisal:

I’ll start by saying that I’m an avid traveler and love to read travel books, so I was definitely solidly in the middle of the target audience for this. But I don’t think a person would need to be as big of a travel nut as I am to enjoy it.

As a general rule travel books fall in two categories. The first, I’ll call it a guidebook, is a list of potential places to visit. These might be specific kinds of things (scenic places or museums) or a mix of things to see and possibly focused on a specific geographical area or a broad area, but the key is that what they do is tell you about places for you to consider visiting yourself. The second category is the travel memoir. While these might inspire a fellow traveler to follow in the author’s footsteps, I see them more as a way to experience the trip vicariously. I’m never going to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, but I’ve enjoyed experiencing that through the eyes of a couple people who have done it in the past, for one example.

Well, if a guidebook and a travel memoir had a baby … you might end up with something like this book. (And yes, you’ll find a few jokes like that one or probably better scattered through the book as well.) You’ll get the author’s take on what I like to call “The Shoshone Falls of the East,” or as you probably know it, Niagara Falls. He’ll also mention the taller and less known Shoshone Falls (which has been called “The Niagara of the West” by people more important than me). He’ll discuss places you might go along Route 66, although he doesn’t follow the instructions of the song of the same name since he forgets to even mention Winona. (To be fair, there isn’t much to do there.) You’ll get lots of travel ideas close to you (if you’re in the US) as well as some on the other side of the country, and get one man’s thoughts on how those places he chose to feature were for him. If you’re into hiking and the beauty mother nature often provides, you’ll find even more to like than the average reader as he often mentions optional hikes to consider, not to mention opportunities for a good meal or snack. (I won’t mention his obvious pie addiction, but if you’re into pie, you’ll find this inspirational.) An interesting and fun read with lots to recommend it.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Review: Loose on the Landscape by Joel Everett Harding

 Genre: Non-Fiction/Autobiography/Science/Travel

Description:

“Ever wonder what it’s like alone at midnight in the depths of a vast marsh, or thought of stumbling into a roiling geyser field in the dark? What happens when you get swept along for miles in a flooded river without an exit—or explore a prehistoric swamp with predators left over from the Cretaceous? How can you sense an Amazon rainforest breathing. Have you watched a great ancient waterfall cease forever in less than a day? Does the Jersey Devil still inhabit the pine barrens?

Let the author take you on these and many other outdoor adventures and ecological investigations. Written in a creative nonfiction style (reads like a novel) a professional ecologist, looks for meaning in the wildest places, and shows us a range of perspectives for appreciating the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of immersing ourselves in wild landscapes. He brings needed context by examining the causes-and-effects of ever changing environments, and brings us along as he restores damaged streams, rivers and wetlands. His poetic descriptions and insights show us how landscapes inspire perceptions of beauty, art, and increased personal well-being that underlie our innate connections with nature. Along the way, the author immerses the reader into his landscapes with keen-eyed observations that underlie our innate personal connections with nature. He shows how we gain insights and increased well-being when we go afield to explore. As he says, ‘Sometimes nothing is more important than going off into the woods and contemplating the frog chorus of a vernal pool.’”

Author:

“Joel Everett Harding is the pen name of a professional field ecologist who has spent decades exploring the wild places nature offers us. The author has professional credentials in a variety of scientific fields, including ecosystem ecology, wildlife biology, animal behavior, and habitat restorations. He has been a scientist to private industry, federal, state and local governments and nonprofit organizations. His personal adventures and scientific investigations have taken him to landscapes throughout North America and elsewhere.

He has enjoyed ‘collecting’ ecosystems and wildscape experiences of all sizes, from puddles to rainforests and everything in-between. His books have focused on a creative nonfiction style using techniques found in works of adventurous fiction where character, plot and action prevail. Thus, his compelling stories read like novels that captivate readers with their themes of realistic mysteries, exploration, and dilemma resolutions. Joel lives in the rural mid-Atlantic Piedmont region, and when not visiting the wild places, he exchanges his pen for brushes to visually paint scenes and landscapes that have inspired him.”

Appraisal:

This book is unique in that it has aspects of multiple non-fiction genres that you don’t typically see together.

First, it is partly an autobiography or memoir in that it relates true stories of things that have happened to the author over his lifetime, many of them related to his work as a “professional field ecologist” with others happening as part of his personal life, on family vacations for one example. What ties them all together is they relate things that happened in the outdoors in a wide variety of places and environments. He discusses the specific “ecoregion” where each takes place and how the environment impacted the experience. (Ecoregions are a method of defining different areas of the US and elsewhere, categorizing the unique elements of the environment in each area.)

In many ways this felt like a travel memoir with the author describing his experience as well as lots of detail about the area it was happening in. Like would happen with a travel book I found myself comparing his experience (what he saw, thought of the area, etc.) with my own experience with the area, if I’d been there before. For areas I hadn’t visited, I enjoyed visiting vicariously via the author’s description.

Last, this was a bit of a science book covering multiple areas of science at different points including ecology, biology, and geography, discussing not just the current situation in that area, but how things had changed on planet Earth over thousands of years causing changes in the geology and climate resulting in the current condition in the area in question.

Some sections were intense adventures while others were enjoyable romps and interesting learning experiences. If any of the subjects covered interest you, this book is one worth giving a read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing misses.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

Review: Bridgespotting by Bob Dover

 Genre: Travel/Non-Fiction

Description:

“Tourist bridges span the range from small, abandoned structures that have been preserved in a county park to large, world-famous bridges with sidewalks, viewing platforms, visitor centers, decorations, tour guides, and a gift shop to accommodate their enormous numbers of visitors. People visit bridges to pursue an interest in history or architecture, to obtain the best available view of the landscape or riverfront, to use its sidewalk as a hiking and biking trail, or just because the bridge is a famous landmark.

Based on detailed research, interviews, and hikes across hundreds of walkable bridges, Bridgespotting examines 50 different reasons, citing more than 350 specific examples, that people visit bridges as tourists, for recreation, or in the pursuit of a hobby.

By providing detailed descriptions of more than 70 of the most prominent tourist bridges and multi-bridge tours in the United States, Canada, and Europe, Bridgespotting serves as a travel guide for those interested in exploring the history and cultural development of their next vacation destination, or of the local bridge that they drive over every day. Also, through the identification and cataloguing of the features that make bridges important to the community and attractive to visitors, Bridgespotting provides dozens of ideas to be considered by communities that are planning new bridges, or pondering what to do with their old, obsolete bridges.”

Author:

“Bob Dover is a geologist with more than 35 years of professional experience as a petroleum geologist and environmental project manager. He has spent most of the past 20 years leading environmental planning efforts for transportation, solar power, nuclear power, and pipeline projects.

From 2013 to 2022, he hiked across and photographed more than 600 bridges throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, studying the manner in which people use bridges besides the obvious use of getting to the other side. In doing so, he found that bridges represent a unique intersection of his interests in human geography, architecture, and history.”

Appraisal:

When I first decided to read this book, I was waffling as to whether I wanted to or not. I’ve got a strange travel goal of my own (to visit every county in the US) and have friends with their own goals, some are trying to visit every national park, one guy wants to visit every major league baseball park, another is trying to go to a craft brewery in every state. In that light the idea of visiting bridges around the country or world didn’t seem that strange, even if it didn’t immediately appeal to me.

It didn’t take long for me to get sucked in, not necessarily wanting to visit bridges as a primary goal, but at least understanding some of the appeal. The author discusses different kinds of bridges that appeal to different sets of people. The history of how some bridges came to be and different ways communities deal with a bridge in need of major repair or replacement is discussed. (If that doesn’t seem pertinent, often the answer results in what could be described as a “tourist bridge.”)

I also enjoyed spotting the bridges I’d visited, seeing and/or driving across them, when the author mentioned them. (Of course, there were a few that I can’t believe I missed, living nearby and driving all around them without realizing they were there.) Going in I anticipated some of the bridges in the Portland, Oregon area would get a mention since the city is often called “The City of Bridges” and in my experience do a lot to promote their bridges. I was wrong about that, with Portland’s only mention being described as being at one end of the Willamette River Valley, a hotspot for covered bridges. But the reality is that with the thousands of bridges in the world not all of them, not even all of them worth a visit, are going to get mentioned. However, if you read this and react the same way I did then you’ll come away with an expanded appreciation of bridges and are likely to stop and check them out or tweak your route to go by one that you wouldn’t have before. Maybe even more.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 125-130,000 words

Review: Be a Nomad Change Your Life by Robin Barrett

 

Genre: Non-Fiction/Travel

Description:

“Do you have a dream? Being a nomad might be the solution that makes it come true.

Don't wait to travel, start that new business, write a novel, or spend time with the people you love. Do it now, by following the easy to understand resources in this book. BANCYL walks you through WHY people – just like you -- choose a nomadic life, HOW to decide if it’s the right life for you, and WHERE you can travel and thrive, step by step.

 

In this inclusive, one-stop resource guide, you’ll find all the tools you need to launch into a successful, safe nomadic life, with:

•Hundreds of helpful links

•Budget, Destination and Planning Worksheets

•Travel Options – from frugal to ritzy

•Safety Tips – from accident safety to bear attacks and everything in between

•Resources to navigate State of Residence, REAL ID, and receiving mail

•Dozens of mobile job resources

•Financial Resources – from Health Insurance Options to banking and saving for retirement

•Easy to understand information on mobile power, water and hygiene

•Discount clubs and free camping resources

•How to travel with pets

•Finding a great mobile social life and support system

•And much, much more.”

Author:

Robin Barrett doesn’t just tell other people how to live the nomadic lifestyle, but she does it herself, traveling the country living in her RV. She has a blog that she sometimes posts to and a Youtube channel that has a steady stream of content for you to check out.

Appraisal:

For various reasons an amazing number of people are living a nomadic lifestyle, traveling and living all or significant portions of the time in their RV, van, or other vehicle. The pandemic and the wild real estate market recently have only increased the number choosing this lifestyle. This book gives a run down on the things to consider, resources that are available, various options for the many decisions you’ll need to make (what kind of RV, where should I stay, what will I do for income, what to do for food, water, phone, internet) and the list of things could go on for a long time. Much of this information could be gathered in other ways, possibly even just by watching the author’s Youtube videos (if you have about a bazillion hours free to do that). I’d even advise checking out some of those videos. But what this book does is gives you the big picture of the things you need to consider, even if it is to look at it and say, “nah, that doesn’t pertain to me.” For example, traveling with a pet may not be something that interests you. The book also points the way to find more information if what’s provided doesn’t go deep enough for your needs. It serves as both a good introduction to the considerations and a reference, for knowing where to go to dig deeper. Definitely a book I’d recommend for anyone considering the lifestyle discussed.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Reprise Review: Dissolute Kinship: A 9/11 Road Trip by David Antrobus

Genre: Memoir/Travel/Short Story

Description:

“This is what can happen when a personal story of trauma meets the collective horror of an apocalyptic, true-life event: in this case, 9/11.”

Author:

“David Antrobus was born in Manchester, England, raised in the English Midlands, and currently resides near Vancouver, Canada. He writes music reviews, articles, creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. The lessons he learned from working for two decades with abused and neglected street kids will never leave him.”

For more, visit Antrobus’ website.

Appraisal:

Until the day I die, I’ll remember what I did the night of September 10, 2001. I attended the Minneapolis stop of what was billed as the “Slewfoot Calvacade of Stars,” a tour of small Midwestern clubs by the top (really almost all) music acts on a tiny Ozark record label. It was a late night and I intended to sleep in the next morning. Then my girlfriend’s phone call woke me up. “I think you better turn on the TV,” was all she said. I turned on the TV to see a plane fly into a building for the first of several times that day. A few years later I talked to the late Duane Jarvis and Stevie Newman, frontman for the Domino Kings, both of whom had played that night. I mentioned the date and they immediately remembered where they’d been and told me about being awoken the next morning with the news that the two remaining shows on the tour were cancelled. As soon as they could, they were on the road, to Nashville and Springfield, their respective homes. Like the day Kennedy was shot, that day is cemented in the minds of all of us who lived through it.

David Antrobus remembers that morning too. He woke up in Vancouver, got in his car, and headed for New York. It was a road trip to visit friends that, as he heard and eventually saw what had happened, became much more. Recently diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Antrobus was to see much of the same symptoms among the residents of New York. One of the ways of dealing with a stressful event is to talk about it, which he did to many New Yorkers he met, and continues doing here, telling us what he saw and felt, and how he reacted.

Dissolute Kinship packs a big emotional punch in a small number of words. I loved Antrobus’ writing style, which to me felt almost literary, but it was in the conclusions he drew where I found the biggest payoff. What do the events of 9/11 say about the world and our place in it? In Dissolute Kinship you’ll find one Canadian’s opinion and, agree or disagree, realize that the most important thing is to keep the conversation going.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Added for Reprise Review: Dissolute Kinship: A 9/11 Road Trip by David Antrobus was the WINNER in the Memoir category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran June 29, 2012.____

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 5-6,000 words

Reprise Review: The Liar's Guide to South America by Michael Delwiche

Genre: Travel/Humor

Description:

Andrew Mozart is twenty years old, naïve, shy, financially self-sufficient (thanks to a life insurance policy that paid out when his father died) and in love with Sarah, a work colleague. When Sarah leaves for a trip to South America before Andrew has declared his love, he elects to follow her. The book recounts his journey.

Author:

Michael Delwiche is a screenwriter living in the UK. The Liar’s Guide to South America is his first novel. He has a second novel (Wait Until The Robots) due out later this year.

Appraisal:

After Sarah has left on her trip, Andrew checks her computer terminal at work and finds her email program still open. He peeks at her inbox and her sent folder and finds out where she is staying. Then he flies to Brazil to try and meet her.

Such a simple premise, but what a great read.

I got through the story in three sittings—never wanted to put it down. Andrew’s naive attempts at backpacking and staying in hostels and trying to fit in among others far more travel savvy than himself makes for a fun journey. His trip was built on a deception, and the longer he continues to track Sarah, the more wrapped up he becomes in the web of lies he has to spin.

His travel decisions are based on what he believes he is understanding from Sarah’s emails (which he continues to look at as he tries to track her down) and as we know, emails don’t always mean what they appear to say. His lack of even a modicum of travel-wisdom (this is his first time away from home) has him making dumb decisions that lead him into one problem after another. But no matter how unlikely the characters he meets and the situations he gets himself into, it never seemed far-fetched to me, quite the opposite. At twenty, I’d probably have done much the same — a scary thought!

Some sections of the book are laugh-out-loud funny, and no matter that he’s a cheat and a liar, I defy you to not like Andrew—I found myself rooting for him throughout.

This gem of a story is what self-publishing is all about. It’s well written, well structured, clever, and wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell of being picked up by a mainstream publisher.

I recommend you read it and see how Andrew sets off to South America to find Sarah, and, in the end, finds himself.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

English Spelling.

Added for Reprise Review: The Liar's Guide to South America by Michael Delwiche was a nominee in the Humor and Satire category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran September 26, 2012

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Approximate word count: 60,000-65,000 words

Review: Motions and Moments: More Essays on Tokyo by Michael Pronko

Genre: Non-Fiction/Travel

Description: 
A collection of essays on Tokyo originally written for Newsweek Japan and expanded and revised for the book.

Author:
Michael Pronko lives in Tokyo, Japan, where he teaches American literature, film, music, and art at Meiji Gakuin University. For more info about Mr. Pronko check out his website. 

Appraisal:
Michael Pronko has that rare voice of one who has lived and studied long enough in an "exotic" environment to get it right, but is still able to present a fresh vision. As I have noted in an earlier review, I've lived in Japan for thirty years straight, not including a one-year stint as a Marine and three years as a copy editor for the Mainichi Daily News. I went to Mainichi right out of University of Texas J-school with a concentration in Asian studies and three years of Japanese language.

Reading Motions and Moments was in some ways seeing Japan in brightened light that had dimmed over years of familiarity. My thoughts on walking through throngs of humanity run to "It's crowded. Deal with it." Pronko makes walking in Tokyo, if not an art form, an accomplishment of some virtuosity. Perhaps I still haven't learned properly as I find it can also be blood sport. In Shibuya station, I was in a hurry to make a train connection, saw a gap in the crowd, and quickly stepped into it. A young man coming from the other direction had the same idea and we banged into each other. I grunted and continued on my way only to be shoved from behind. I turned around to return the gesture, and we settled into a bout of accusations laced with words that literally mean "you" but are insulting when spoken to a stranger. A passerby stopped for a moment then explained to me that my speech was impolite. It became a humorously only-in-Japan moment as I found myself saying I knew my language was naughty, but in this case appropriate as I was having a fight with a ruffian.

Pronko's eloquently droll writing style is all the more enjoyable as he presents oddities of Tokyo life with negligible hyperbole. "Every time I use a public toilet, it’s being cleaned." Well, probably not every time, but any other wording would not have given a feeling of the frequency of such events.

I found that the chapter on plastic actually understated the complexity of trash. One might be forgiven for thinking a PET bottle was plastic garbage, but at least in my neighborhood, those containers are bagged separately and put out on the day for glass bottles and cans. PET bottle caps, however, are also sacked separately but are put out on the day for regular plastic trash, which includes the plastic labels that must be peeled off PET bottles.

I don't find the "Language Dance" as awkward as described, but that may be because I seldom speak to strangers. Decades ago, I would often be shunned by store staff who, I suppose, assumed they would be expected to speak English. Now Japanese speaking foreigners are common, and most Japanese have no problem engaging in conversation. There are throwbacks to the bad old days, however. I was working for Bloomberg's Tokyo bureau and had an interview with a Goldman Sachs quantitative analyst about an investment strategy involving extreme PE ratios. I asked if he preferred English or Japanese. He said he didn't speak English, so Japanese it was. All is good. That evening in a Tai Chi class a substitute teacher, whom I hadn't met before, nervously told me my foot wasn't properly positioned. While I checked my foot, another student interpreted. The teacher thanked him profusely, and said she'd had trouble with foreigners in the past who couldn't speak the language. I resisted the urge to ask the teacher, in financially technical Japanese, whether she agreed a specific filtering of stocks with PER's in the upper/lower 5 percentile would produce profits with a long/short strategy.

Pronko writes that he finds Tokyo depressingly ugly after returning from Paris or Rome, which raises the question of exactly what cities he would find relatively attractive in comparison to those two. To be fair, he wants to contrast the hidden nooks of serene beauty in Tokyo to the overall appearance of the city, and he is hardly the only foreigner to call the city ugly. I think it's a bad rap, perhaps because my first time in Tokyo was in the mid-1970's when buildings in the Marunouchi business district were little more than rectangular-blocks no taller than seven stories. I find the transformation to aesthetically modern skyscrapers and a street lined with whimsical statuary, wine shops and sidewalk cafes extraordinary. In another part of town, Shiodome is a futuristic complex of quirky architecture with multi-level outdoor walkways connecting buildings and a railway station that seems to hover three stories above ground. Meanwhile, Paris keeps its one-room tenements with communal bathrooms and dingy paint hidden behind walls and locked gates.

One final contrast between the view of a Japan hand and an old Japan hand. Pronko writes that he enjoys the slowdown of life during the New Year break, which lasts three days or so. This past New Year's Day, my wife and I were lamenting how busy the country remains these days and how we missed the time when Japan didn't just slow down. It stopped. There were no convenience stores or supermarkets, which stay open year-round now. Retail shops and restaurants in the old days were mom and pop affairs and were shut. Period. If you didn't stock up with three days of food, you went hungry. The only people working were railway employees and maybe a scattering of taxi drivers, firemen and policemen. If you needed a doctor, good luck. Days of preparation enhanced the spiritual gravitas of the period of relaxation, housecleaning and prayers for a new beginning.

Motions and Moments is Pronko's third book of essays and is a wonderfully sensitive depiction of aspects of Tokyo life, but for readers who are interested in the grittier side of Japan, I know of no better source than the writings of the late Jack Seward (a fellow Texan and Japan specialist for military intelligence in WWII. He got the job for having learned elements of the language from Japanese cowboys while working on an Oklahoma ranch.) For anyone considering a move here, his book Outrageous Japanese should be required reading if for no other reason than verbal self-defense if you ever get shoved in a train station.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:
One unfortunate slip in the narrative and glossary is the translation of "section chief" as shacho. Unless there is a broader usage I am unaware of, Shacho is "company president." Kacho is section chief. Department head, for anyone interested, is bucho.

Format/Typo Issues:
None

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Sam Waite

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Travel like a foodie / Alex Sumray

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Humor/Travel

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Availability

Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: NO Smashwords: NO Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

There is nothing on the author's Amazon Central page, nor an about author section of the book. However, I can tell you he is young-ish and lives in the UK.

Description:

“In the summer of 2014, I embarked on a foodie adventure, with only myself for company, (I'm a great laugh, so that was fine), the map reading skills of a fly trying to escape through an open window and a quite insatiable appetite, especially for that true wonder of the world, the tiramisu.

Within, expect to find restaurant suggestions covering fourteen cities of Europe; from Paris to Prague and other cities beyond (some of which start with letters other than P). I will be revealing my top tips for avoiding touristy restaurants and will lay out my perfect week of European eating.

Part restaurant guide, part diary, expect everything to be served with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, social awkwardness and if all else fails there will be plenty of photos of food to whet your appetite!”

Appraisal:

This book is classified on Amazon in the humor category and some food categories. The title and description imply travel fits in there as well.

The first part of the story, introducing us to the author, his history, and his reasons for taking this trip were interesting,a decent appetizer. However, the other courses seemed kind of bland. If your favorite reading material is the restaurant reviews in newspapers and magazines, this book will tantalize your taste buds. I was left wondering what the point was. The book could also use another pass by a proofreader and/or line editor. Way too many typos and other issues that should have been caught before publication snuck through.

FYI:

Uses UK spelling.

Format/Typo Issues:

Too many typos and copyediting issues for a book of this size. Way too many.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Travels with Charlie / Sol Smith

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Coming of Age/Travel Memoir/Humor

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A writing professor who has also worked several other jobs, Sol Smith lives in California with his wife and four daughters. He is the author of two other novels, The Traveler and Sight.

Description:

“A young couple sets out to discover the country in the pre-dawn of GPS navigation and instead discovers each other. In Travels with Charlie, William and Charlotte Stronghold quit their jobs and sell their belongings in order to set sail and find a new home somewhere between their native California and the green mountains of Vermont. Along the way, they fall in love and into hate with the popular culture that binds Americans together. The lines are blurred between shady roadside attractions and heralded national monuments, between the natural wonders of the country and the loud and annoying tourists who populate them, between the concepts of place and self.

A head-on collision, a single burrito nearly a yard long, dead presidents, something that is probably a bear, and a Canadian sex club provide the backdrop for this story that is part romance story, part tall-tale, and part coming of age memoir. At times sweet and heartbreaking, almost always bitingly funny, Travels with Charlie is an American story about life on the road, in the tradition of Huck Finn, On the Road, and Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley.”

Appraisal:

I’ll get the negative out of the way upfront. This book had way more than an acceptable number of errors that should have been caught while applying the final polish during proofreading and copyediting. If these issues weren’t present, my overall ranking would have been at least one star higher.

The basic story of Travels with Charlie is recounting the honeymoon trip the author and his wife took years ago which was a large loop around the US with a brief foray into Canada. Although the author calls this book a novel, he also refers to it as “mostly true,” which is how it felt to me, the truth with a few modifications and embellishments. The travel memoir aspects of it worked well for me. But there’s more here than that. The trip was designed, not just to be a long honeymoon trip, but also to explore the country, apply for jobs (the protagonist/author had just graduated from college), and find a place to settle down.

It also reads like a coming of age story as Will and Charlotte, who is nicknamed Charlie, (the husband and wife “characters”) considered the repercussions of reaching a point where they were expected to now live like adults.

A couple techniques the author used frequently were tangents and something akin to breaking the fourth wall. 

What I call tangents might also be described as flashbacks, but often one led to another, not unlike what I find myself doing in real life as I start to explain one thing, then midway through divert to better explain something else. This may seem like it would detract from the story since a typical travel narrative usually tells the story in fairly straight chirographical order. But this worked well with smooth transitions and a smooth flow to the story.

Although I compared the second technique to breaking the fourth wall, the term used when an actor in a play acknowledges the audience in some way, this was different. Modern day Charlie, looking over Will’s shoulder while he’s writing, would comment on the story. This was typically to discuss her take on the event he’s describing, either to give her alternative view or possibly suggest he’s making her look bad. The technique not only provided the perspective of another person, but also a view as seen through the prism of time. Plus, it was a great way to interject more humor, which is something this story is full of, both in the events that happen and in Will’s view of life.

This was a fun story that works on several levels. The surface story of a marriage and honeymoon, the underlying coming of age story, and at a deeper level, what it means to “grow up” and become an adult. Were it not for the issues mentioned upfront, I’d be raving about it, but found those kept tripping me up as I’d start to become immersed in the tale. Readers who are forgiving of such technical issues should give this book a try.

FYI:

Some adult language and mild adult content.

Format/Typo Issues:

A large number of proofing and copyediting misses. Besides the typical things like typos, wrong words, and spelling errors, he also had the couple traveling east from Minneapolis to Mount Rushmore and Portland, Oregon. Last, there were several places where what appeared to be notes from the author to himself remained. Typically these took the form of multiple question marks in the middle of a sentence sometimes with an alternate word suggestion in parentheses. I wondered if I hadn’t received the final copy, but when checking the version currently for sale on Amazon, those issues I’d flagged in the portion viewable using the look inside function still remained.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reprise Review: Dissolute Kinship: A 9/11 Road Trip / David Antrobus

Today's review is a reprise of a review first published a little over 2 years ago on a book that went on to win in the memoir category of our 2013 Readers' Choice Awards

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Memoir/Travel/Short Story

Approximate word count: 5-6,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“David Antrobus was born in Manchester, England, raised in the English Midlands, and currently resides near Vancouver, Canada. He writes music reviews, articles, creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. The lessons he learned from working for two decades with abused and neglected street kids will never leave him.”

For more, visit Antrobus’ website.

Description:

“This is what can happen when a personal story of trauma meets the collective horror of an apocalyptic, true-life event: in this case, 9/11.”

Appraisal:

Until the day I die, I’ll remember what I did the night of September 10, 2001. I attended the Minneapolis stop of what was billed as the “Slewfoot Calvacade of Stars,” a tour of small Midwestern clubs by the top (really almost all) music acts on a tiny Ozark record label. It was a late night and I intended to sleep in the next morning. Then my girlfriend’s phone call woke me up. “I think you better turn on the TV,” was all she said. I turned on the TV to see a plane fly into a building for the first of several times that day. A few years later I talked to the late Duane Jarvis and Stevie Newman, frontman for the Domino Kings, both of whom had played that night. I mentioned the date and they immediately remembered where they’d been and told me about being awoken the next morning with the news that the two remaining shows on the tour were cancelled. As soon as they could, they were on the road, to Nashville and Springfield, their respective homes. Like the day Kennedy was shot, that day is cemented in the minds of all of us who lived through it.

David Antrobus remembers that morning too. He woke up in Vancouver, got in his car, and headed for New York. It was a road trip to visit friends that, as he heard and eventually saw what had happened, became much more. Recently diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Antrobus was to see much of the same symptoms among the residents of New York. One of the ways of dealing with a stressful event is to talk about it, which he did to many New Yorkers he met, and continues doing here, telling us what he saw and felt, and how he reacted.

Dissolute Kinship packs a big emotional punch in a small number of words. I loved Antrobus’ writing style, which to me felt almost literary, but it was in the conclusions he drew where I found the biggest payoff. What do the events of 9/11 say about the world and our place in it? In Dissolute Kinship you’ll find one Canadian’s opinion and, agree or disagree, realize that the most important thing is to keep the conversation going.

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars