Sin in the City of Angels: A Noir Choose Your Own Erotic Story by Callista J. Hawkes

Sin in the City of Angels: A Noir Choose Your Own Erotic Story by Callista J. Hawkes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As might be expected for a erotic noir private eye book set in the 1940s, the 'you' of the story is: a) a private detective; b) male.

Stop me if you've heard this before: A 'classy broad' walks a private dicks office. He's half-way to drunk. She's disdainful of her surroundings, richly dressed, and flashing more skin than you'd expect. She bluntly states that she believes her husband is plotting to murder her. The dick is skeptical, but is willing to hear her out (she does look rich, and he is a seedy private eye).

Classic opening, eye? Well, that's how the story opens. The opening can then go one of two ways (and I'm not talking about a choose your adventure book, I mean this type of plot): detective hired to find evidence of the husband trying to murder the wife; detective hired to act as a body guard; or the third way - detective either hired or lured into 'taking out' the husband before he can 'get' the wife (less often a private eye story line, the third, than a 'random stranger' or 'boyfriend/neighbor-on-the-side' story line). Nothing new yet, nor any decisions to be made.

heh. First decision is 'Take the case or turn the case down'. Sooo . . I know! I'll turn the case down! *clicks* She begs. I'm offered a choice again. I'm mean! I turn her down again! And . . . . 'The End', of course. hehe. Shesh, and this is the first decision point? Obviously 'turn it down' leads to 'the end'.

*goes back to begging, 'takes the case' then snorts at what "I" say when I take it*

"I'm a sucker for a nice pair of legs."

Strangely the comment doesn't lead to the woman to hurriedly strip off her dress and leap across the desk. So, it's going to be harder work, eh?

Hmm. So "my" first name is "Sam". Gee, where'd I hear a private dick with the first name of Sam before? Or, for that matter, a private eye with the last name of "Marlowe". So . . . I'm Sam Marlowe, eh? Sam 'Philip' Marlowe 'Spade'.

(one of my confusions, going in, is why this is set in the 1940s instead of the 1930s or 1920s. Shouldn't a 'real man' like this Marlowe dude be in the army? (or other military branch), there is a war on afterall)

Ah, my second decision point (well, after restarting) - fuck my assistant or tell her to do what I asked and go investigate the public records. Naturally I . . ..

hmm, admittedly having the 'classy broad' return 'during the act' and having to push th assistant beneath your desk and then finding her continue her actions while the client talked is both cliche and interesting.

Not sure it matters but: client is 26; assistant is early-ish twenties. Sam Spade, I mean Philip . . . Sam Marlowe is ... older.

'put to use the undercover training you'd learned working for the OSS during the war.' Oh, post war then. I saw '1940s' and got the wrong impression then.

Hmm, after making my private dick be mean and refuse the case, I'm now making him super horny. And kinda a bad detective. hehe. But but . . . women! (I was going to say attractive women, but the next one up Sam makes a point of noting is 'plain').

Super super horny. Ooh! See! I'm gathering clues as I . . . act super horny. I got clues I did! *humps woman, notices stuff* I not bad detective!

"So big."
"I bet you say that to all the guys."
Slap. Caress of dick's dick.

Wait, no, the only part from the book is "So big." Then 'Magnificient".

Of all the sex acts in all the book, the one with the client is kind of . . . boring, frankly. *boredly reads; sees has to make decision about what sex act to perform next. Pulls out gun. Removes all but one bullet. Spins gun. Remembers don't have that gun. or a gun. Flips coin and presses "slip inside her" (too bad 'drink whiskey and get the fuck out of there already' isn't an option).

Dames. Compliement your big magnificient dick and make you use it. mmphs.

And . . . wha? See, problem with choose your own adventure stories - the parts don't always align right. Ah well. I mean, yeah, I'm about to 'slip into her', but . . . the wording implies something else had occurred prior. Which didn't occur. Because I went a different path. Having me direct the sex action certainly is a spin on 'you choose' book.

Most books seem to be:
A) you stab the man in the butt;
B) you shot him in the head;
C) you drink your flask.

results:
A) He was a vampire. You're dead now.
B) Good job! How'd you know he was a zombie?
C) Instead of your anticipated whiskey, you drink pure undiluted holy water. The man attempts to bite you. Explodes.

Instead, here in this book, I get:
A) tell her to put it in her mouth;
B) bend her over.

And then:
A) sixty-nine her or
B) stick it in her.

hmms. There seems to be more description about the man, the 'you' , than the women. All this talk about big magnificient thick dicks. Bulging and stuff. Less about the mousy plain women. Odd, that.

Oh god, stop that already. I get it already. You are stroking the man's ego by talking about how super huge his dick is. "You're so much bigger than my husband. I've felt so full!" - gah. I get it already. Stop with all the massive cock talk already. I fear I've overused the word 'already".

Okay, now the book is just fucking with me. NOw my decision is to come in her or, OR, come on her breasts. I'm so aroused, so exited, this book, ooh ooh. gah. I think I'm going to fall asleep.

I have a suspicion this might be more exciting for a man to read. Well, maybe depending on the paths chosen. Then again, even so, it is still a man who is 'you' so . . . ..

Shesh, private dick-me is such a smirking smug prick. gah.

Yes . . . of course the woman enjoyed you erupting onto her breasts. I fear that deciding to make my detective horny . . . I've rapidly grown tired of him. I should have continued the 'must solve case' trejectory I had initially gone down. pfft. When the bloody hell is this particular scene going to be over so I can redirect things back to the mystery?

Oh for fuck sake - yes, after fucking the man's wife, why don't you drop her off at her house gate? Nothing at all strange or odd about some strange man dropping off the wife like that. None. NONE!

heh. I can tell it's after midnight. I've gone batty.

---
Well, first man visited in this book. Wonder if there's some way I can turn it erotic, eh? heh. Then there'd be no one I'd be sexually interested in! Yay!

Hmm. Well, that . . .. hmm.

--
Good grief. I think the book just had me have my *counts* 12th whiskey. shesh.
---

And now, without me able to make any decisions one way or another (shesh, before I was directing the sex, now I can't go anywhere but here, watching . . . I feel slimy and ill - yeah, now "I'm" a slimy fake talent agent about to take advantage of a woman. eek).

Gah. Why did I have a choice for every bloody woman before now? Now that I've finally grown weary of all this horny detective stuff, I can't dodge a woman. When I finally get choices again, it's how to fuck her. shesh. And the choices! FUck her feet, fuck her ass, or have her stroke you while licking your ass. I'm . . I'm fuck me, why am I reading this again? That's right, got tired of dying every choice I made in that zombie book. So . . . let's read a noir erotica! I probably won't die there! Except from all the gross sex (well, and yes, gross. I have no choice here I"m comfortable with. NO FEET SEX! . . . NO RIMMING! . . . . NO ANAL PLAY . . and I'm left with . . . no fucking thing. oh, if I turned the page I could have avoided all this. Though still sex, though it's 'traditional'). Yay?

hehehe - so, 'traditional' I hope you aren't too straight laced to enjoy a blowjob? Sister, you know nothing, nothing! Why, what I've done today . . .. But no, fuck that, no blowjob from you! I don't know where your mouth has been! So . . I'll . . um . . slip it inside you. *Nods*.

Bloody hell. Now "I" am all about how big my dick is. shesh. for fuck sake.

At least I get to read the response, is good response. *nods*

"Uh huh, you've ruined me for al other men," she replied dryly.

And quickly, that mood, leaves.

Ah, the choices I'm given. The Choices! Now it's back to 'come inside' or 'come on breasts'. That's it. 'Run screaming in other direction' isn't even in the cards. pfft.

------
I'm getting tired of all the 'choices' that consist of nothing but a 'continue' button to click. shesh.
---------
For a guy who spent time parachuting around Europe during the war, 'you' sure have a lot of height/vertigo issues.
----------
Well, first mistake I've noticed. For some reason the author acidentally used 'Vandergraaf as Valentina D'Abruzzo's last name at 23% into the story. *shrugs*
-----------
Bloody hell, this became a romance in the end. heh.

---
This was actually rather entertaining. Well written but for that one mistaken name.

Rating: 3.75

May 31 2017


ETA: I did notice how the book seemed to develop - the mystery answer but chose not to comment on it (view spoiler)[of course it's because of 'evil' lesbians. pfft (hide spoiler)]



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Family Jewels by Kate Christie

Family Jewels by Kate Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’m not sure if I knew this going in, but this is not a Romance book. There is a bit of romancing that occurs, and there is love seen, but not Romance. What do I mean? Well, the kind of love seen is that between a father and daughter, and, separately, that between much older mentor and much younger mentee. And the romancing? Well, more on that later.

I have some vague idea that Elizabeth ‘Junior’ Starreveld is somewhere around 26, though that might be because so many people in books I’ve read have been around that age. I do know that she is ‘not yet thirty’, and post-college age. So 26 is probably accurate. She is called Junior by her LGBT related friends (while her family call her either Elizabeth or Lizzie – though it is somewhat grating on Junior when Cat uses Lizzie since it is quite close to another word Cat likes to use, Lezzie – Cat being one of Junior’s older sisters, she has three sisters (the four sisters in order of birth: Jane, Mary, Cat, Elizabeth).

Junior did well in college and has two jobs. Both of which are somewhat lower than her family believes she should have. And, admittedly (she admits), they are. One involves working at her friend Toby’s café; and the other involves working at an arboretum connected to the University of Michigan underneath her mentor Fitz (Dr. Margaret ‘Fitz’ Somethingorother). Junior is working these two jobs because a) she doesn’t know what to do with herself; b) she didn’t want to dive into investing much time in a career when she would be following her girlfriend when she got a job in her profession – after ‘passing her orals’. But they split a year ago, so Junior has been in something of a holding pattern, work wise. Relationship wise she has been seeing two women at the same time (known to both) – that’s part of the ‘romancing’ I mentioned, though the reader only sees the ‘dyke drama’ (as worded in the book) and not the ‘romance’, but the reader does see the ‘romance’ of Junior and Sofie in Amsterdam (and with Junior and . . . I think it was Michelle? Well, whoever, she worked at the hotel Junior and her father were staying at, one of them – that’s one of the things I wanted to mention, there were certain aspects of Junior’s character I didn’t like, this was one of them – no not trying to pick up the hotel worker, but doing so right in front of her father, and inviting the woman to share a meal with them when the father wanted a super quick meal before heading to the train station; basically I’m saying that Junior shows some growing needs to be done).

Right, so. Got ahead of myself there. The book involves Junior puttering around, dodging ‘dyke drama’, dodging her ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend, working, and having dinners with her family every two weeks or so. At one such family dinner, the father – who has been estranged and acting stand-off-ish ever since Junior ‘came out’ after high school graduation – has asked/offered/invited his daughter Elizabeth (Junior) to go with him on his trip to Europe. For the ticket is already paid for and the person who was going to go with him, Kevin (name not important, he never once appears in the book), has a family emergency. Actually the father asked his daughter to go to a gem exhibition (however that was worded) and the daughter almost immediately declined, until she realized it would be in Amsterdam. And so she agrees. The book then proceeds to show them getting ready for the trip, being on the trip, then coming home – changed from the trip.

Junior did grow as a character during the course of this book. For she moved from someone I kind of did not like (not necessarily disliked but . . . not liked) to one who I mostly liked. Dislikable aspects? Her relationships with other women (her doormat-y existence with her long time now ex-girlfriend; her kind of lazy passive relationship with two women (which reminds me that there was a bit of sex in this book since I now recall mention of a cheerleader girlfriend being stretched out on a bed, though I don’t recall if it is any more explicit than that, bluntly stating that the girlfriend is stretched out on the bed); her causal flirting with everyone; her seeming infatuation with every woman she came across in Europe (okay, with two women); her causal acceptance of a ‘mystery pill’ that she doesn’t actually want to ingest but does because she doesn’t want … um . . . to be . . . rude, that’s it, she didn’t want to be rude – so she put a mysterious drug into her system.

Eventually, though, the book grew on me. A slice of life, watching a young woman mature, watching her grow closer to her father, watching her watch a beloved mentor steady decline in health, etc. etc. In the end, I rather liked the book and how it unfolded. And want a sequel. Because Elizabeth/Junior is more mature now in her life and attitude and stuff, and I’d like to see a romance between her and someone – maybe in Seattle, maybe in Ann Arbor, maybe even including Sofie (years later they could meet up again when both have grown and matured). This is actually one of the early books by this author so that ‘sequel’ already occurred or will never occur (it has been 5 years since the book came out).

Solid interesting lovely tender book that, at a few points, brought a little wet-ness to my eyes (though only wetness (I do admit when I get teary, so no I’m not dodging around, no tears actually fell here)).

ETA: looked at the other books - there are only two other books that I have yet to read. Neither of them are a 'Elizabeth/Junior finding romance' sequel to this story here.

Rating: 4.34

May 30 2017



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Perdition (A Nell McGraw Investigation, #2) by R. Jean Reid

Perdition by R. Jean Reid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in return for a fair review.*

This is both the second book in this series, the Nell McGraw series, and the second book with this author’s name on it. Which is important to note, the name part, because this is also the 13th book I’ve read by this author. The other 11 books (which includes two rereads) were put out under the J.M. Redmann byline.

This book here is a mystery – like all of Redmann/Reid’s books. Specifically one that stars Nell McGraw – a relatively recently widowed newspaper owner/editor and single mother of two children.

So, naturally, I was really eager to read this book, another mystery by an author I’ve rather enjoyed. I stress this because the prologue is kind of tough to get through. Because of the subject matter – very tough to get through. Sexual and physical abuse of two youngsters by a very bad man – their father. It is quite possible that if I hadn’t read and enjoyed (for the most part) 11 books by this author (under two different names) I might have stopped reading before I even got to the non-prologue part.

This is a good competent enjoyable little mystery. Solid characterization. Surprisingly there are even some background LGBT people – quite important to the story they are.

The mystery involves several murdered young children who had been found over a longish period of time in the small Mississippi town (well the outskirts of the town). The first one was put down as a unsolvable – she had just been in the water too long to determine if foul play was involved in her death (did she slip in by accident? Murdered? The evidence is no longer there). That was the young girl –I note because the rest of the murdered children were boys and at least one person thought that only boys were being targeted (for reasons).

It’s unfortunate when you meet and get to know someone before they are killed. Happened twice in this book – a third person is also talked about and meet but the reader doesn’t really get to know them before they die. Unfortunate in that I get to know them, feel them, get attached to them, and not want them to die. But die they did.

Several complications pop up in this book – 1) someone, probably the murderer, has taken to calling Nell late at night (or very early in the morning) – putting Nell on edge and stuff; 2) the local police forces are currently in something of a macho pissing contest when the story starts – the long time sheriff and the relatively new police chief do not really get along, both personally and professionally (for example: the sheriff set up a roadblock in the police chief’s jurisdiction and didn’t tell the chief that he was doing that); 3) one of the police officers that had popped up in the prior book, and is one of those kinds of people who really shouldn’t have been given the badge and uniform – ends up kicked off the force and blames Nell – adding more stress and complications to her life (since that officer, ex-officer, came within inches of physically attacking Nell and appears to be still hovering around the edges of her life, watching, waiting to attack again).

I liked the book though I had certain issues with it. A) couple of issues with word choice and formatting that I assume will not actually show up in the final published version (like Nell’s male child, Josh, once or twice gets referred to by the wrong name – once as Tom); B) Nell seemed to alternate between being annoyed with having a teenage daughter (anticipating her being bad and stuff), and forgetting she exists (several occasions finds the child locked out of the house because Nell simply forgot . . . well that she existed – constantly worrying about Josh, constantly forgetting her daughter existed unless she wanted to complain about her (to herself or others); C) this author seems to have a tendency to kill certain types of characters – when writing as Redmann and writing Lesbian fiction, it isn’t as . . . annoying, when writing mainstream ‘straight’ fiction as Reid – those kinds of deaths seem to be blinking neon exclamations and not in a good way (view spoiler)[like seems to happen in popular entertainment, though more in the television world, certain types of characters end up being . . . quite killable – namely lesbians (or, on occasion, gay peeps). Somewhat ‘easier’ to see that in a lesbian fiction series since the focus is already on the LGBT community, not easy, just easier; here? Well . . . the LGBT people seemed to be introduced so they could be attacked. And, to a certain extent, show how ‘progressive’ Nell is by thinking certain thoughts (instead of thinking of different thoughts; Nell is oddly quite prejudiced – like against the ‘good-old-boy sheriff’ and towards the ‘city-breed police chief’). (view spoiler)[For ‘reasons’ the LGBT people who die have deaths that do not seem . . . not sure how to put this. The deaths seemed to both ‘fit’ the story and ‘advance the story’. It’s just unfortunate I wanted to read about one of them in something like a romance book, not as the victim in a murder mystery book. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]. LGBT characters – dying for the growth of straight people/for the advancement of plot in straight books/television shows. Unfortunate. D) I can't really mention D. Because . . . spoiler reasons. Trying to be as vague as possible - some of the clues that were dropped in the book do not match up 'correctly' ((view spoiler)[I'm putting this here just to remind myself and for those who already read the book(view spoiler)[the killer, it is presumed is the same person who 'starred' in the prologue. Except . . . when a background check was completed on several of the characters in the book - the murder's background didn't match up with the 'killer' who starred in the prologue(view spoiler)[in the prologue, among other things, the young man killed (accidentally) his brother and (on purpose) his father. That - father and brother dying, more matches up with one of the other characters in the story ('his father died shortly after this incident, and his only brother was killed in an accident when they were teenagers') that's the non-murderer; no the actual killer's background had him down as a single child. (view spoiler)[(view spoiler)["He was an only child and his parents died young" (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]).

Despite some of the things I’ve noted in this review, this was a good solid book that I enjoyed reading. I will note that it is better to read the first book in this series before reading this book here – for many reasons. Least of which, of the reasons, being the changing dynamic of the characters present in the series.

Rating: 3.88

April 19 2017



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The Wrong Woman (Toronto Connections, #4) by Cass Lennox

The Wrong Woman by Cass Lennox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*I received this book from NetGalley, and Riptide Publishing in return for a fair review.*

Book stars Katie Cherry, the angry director from Finding Your Feet, as an angry film-maker and Zay Fayed-Smith, bartender who is also a law student. Both are somewhere in their mid twenties (an indication occurred that Zay might be slightly older than the 24 year old Katie).

Book opens with Katie working as a director/camera operator at a bar filming an all queer punk band, while Zay works as a bartender there. The reader quickly learns that Katie hasn’t exactly gotten laid in months, and feels to be in a weird ‘lucky’ situation when she gets hit on by two rather attractive women – Zay, and Ana (guitarist in the band). For readers thinking ‘oh god, a love triangle’, or for readers thinking ‘yay a love triangle!’, quicker than the thought can occur, that specific aspect is removed (though flirty Ana lingers). Mostly by events that quickly unfold. Including the part where Zay and Katie head to Katie’s place that same day they meet each other and have an awkward cab ride, but mind-blowing sex (or at least both felt that way). Is it a one night stand? Will they see each other again?

Fairly early on, abusive, horribly, disgusting Parry reenters Zay’s life. An important element because Parry is Zay’s ex, the woman who she had thought she had finally gotten over. Also the woman who was a massive junkie who stole Zay’s stuff to get money for more drugs. But that’s the past and Parry is back now and wants to talk. Zay, despite knowing her friends and family will give her grief over her decision (they do), agrees to meet Parry. Parry gives every indication that she wants to get back together with Zay throughout the book, even bluntly stating that a few times, though it takes Zay a really long time to realize that that is what Parry means/wants/whatever and keeps telling people that no she doesn’t want that (that Parry doesn’t want that; there’s no question Zay doesn’t want that). To try to blunt any kind of feelings on either behave, Zay indicates that she currently has a girlfriend (ah, see, that’s what I get for writing after I finish reading. Zay had already told Parry, when she spotted her the morning after the hook-up with Katie that she had a girlfriend; she was supposed to be ‘clearing the air’ but failed to do so and somewhat doubled down on the girlfriend thing).

Almost at the exact same time, that Zay and Parry had coffee, Katie was having lunch with her mother. Katie seems the kind to be a bitch to everyone around her (what, see as evidence: this book; plus her appearance in 'Finding Your Feet'), so obviously Katie’s life goal is to see how much she can piss off her mother, especially in public. So after the seemingly umpteenth time it appears mother isn’t ‘getting’ the fact that Katie is a lesbian, Katie reminds her mother that she is, and not only that but she has a girlfriend.

So – the book then proceeds from there. Zay, who has had relationships in the past, is friends with some of the exes (who do not appear in this book), and had at least one massively abusive relationship (and she being the victim of it) decided to move a potential relationship match from the haze of ‘one night stand or more’ into ‘fake girlfriend zone’ for reasons involving Parry. Meanwhile, Katie, who has never actually had a relationship (‘dated’ a lot, was with someone for two months in college but never introduced that person to any friends or family as a girlfriend) also agrees to this ‘fake relationship’ for her own reasons. Both, it should be pointed out, have lustful feelings and ‘maybe something more could occur?’ thoughts, but these thoughts and feelings have been short-circuited by this ‘arrangement’.

Slightly further information about Zay and Katie: Katie is pale-white with red hair (daughter of people who have money - so, naturally, she herself disdains money, etc.; has anger/bitchy issues); Zay is ‘olive skinned’ and is a native of Canada (like, I think, Katie) – one or three generations native, though either her parents or her grandparents came over from Lebanon and she still is technically Muslim but for reasons, including religious ideas about homosexuality, Zay isn’t as devout as she might otherwise have been (though notes that others of her generation, as in native of Canada, are also less than devout).

For most of the book my thinking was that I’d be rating this somewhere between three and four stars. I mean, while the story was interesting, I’m not sure that there was a single character that I could actually like in the book (though, oddly, Justine started to grow on me, and she’s the barely seen mother of Katie (who also was in ‘Finding Your Feet’ . . . as a bitch)). Not so much as disliked as more not sure I liked. But the characters kind of grew on me . . . a little. Though it was the books final section that raised the book to something nearish 3.8 and then the epilogue (which I entered with a ‘oh god, probably something super annoying is going to occur now, sappy, or something to annoy me’) occurred. And that pushed everything up to 4 stars. So, unexpectedly, this got up to 4 stars. I might readjust as I think about things, but at the moment that’s where I’m rating this book. A solid (as in, nothing below, nothing above 4 solid stars).

One last little bit before I depart this review: this currently four book series of ‘stand-alones’ includes several things in common: LGBT people, Toronto people, some of the people reappear. Vaughn Hargrave and Jonah Sondern appear in the first book (which I haven’t read). Vaughn also appears in ‘Finding Your Feet’ (I know because I read that one, though I didn’t know until this book that Vaughn was a visitor from another book) and is mentioned in ‘The Wrong Woman’ (haven’t read ‘Growing Pains’ so I only know the stars of that one) but not seen. Jonah, though, is mentioned and seen (barely) in ‘Finding Your Feet’, and seen in ‘The Wrong Woman’ as a friend of Zay’s and a school friend of Katie’s (if I’m getting that right). Evie Whitmore and Tyler Davis starred in ‘Finding Your Feet’ and neither have much of an appearance in ‘The Wrong Woman’, though are mentioned, and Tyler was briefly ‘seen’. Also from ‘Finding Your Feet’ who appear in ‘The Wrong Woman’: beyond those already mentioned: Justine Cherry, mother of Katie Cherry, Gigi Rosenberg, and Brock Stubbs (Brock is a friend/sometime employee of Katie). Gigi Rosenberg and Brock Stubbs star in ‘Growing Pains’, appear in ‘Finding Your Feet’, and have largish roles in ‘The Wrong Woman’.

Rating: 4.0

May 24 2017



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The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Bill Bryson returns to writing about his random wanderings, in book form, after a relatively long absence. It has been a while since I last read him – I’ve tried his other stuff but it always was his travel books that caught and held my attention.

Re: Random wanderings: yes, they are random. He has some vague plan but never seems to actually care enough to ‘make sure’ of things – like arriving at certain places with some vague idea he will stop at a museum, or specific building, or, once, a specific forest, only to find they weren’t open that day (or, in the case of the forest – the one where a university conducts massive research within, it isn’t actually open to the public). That’s kind of one of those things you’d look up, you’d think – whether or not a ‘working forest’ is open to the public. Mind, his random wanderings did often find him in wondrous locations he never knew existed. And that is kind of his thing, to randomly wander. But still, some things he ‘really wants to visit’ probably should be checked out before hand if he can visit, and add in random turns in the road to see if anything is down those pathways. I mean, unless he wants to turn to a life of crime, some things can’t be just randomly visited.

Right, so. With a few neat moments here or there, like with Stonehenge and the like, the vast majority of this book seemed to be: old man wanders randomly being crotchety and making snide comments that he sometimes tells us were only said in his head, and other times you hope were only said in his head (that misanthropy tag is because the guy generally seems to dislike humans and thinks the vast majority are stupid liter bugs – possibly he was saying some of this stuff more for whatever humor might be found in such comments, but it comes across as the guy is an ass and hates humans – especially if they work in the service industry; I do not specifically recall why I included the phobia tag/shelf).

Right, sorry – in this specific book he travels all over England, Wales, and Scotland. The information on England and Wales seems quite extensive while the stuff on Scotland seemed tacked on and barely there for whatever reason. And then there’s the end of the book, the pre-afterward/notes/acknowledgments, during which Bryson praises Britain for how rational and brilliant it is, like politically, and how it isn’t as stupid as the USA. Then proceeds in the afterward to note that between finishing the book and publication, the UK went and had their Brexit vote and well . . . maybe the UK is in the process of falling apart.

At 17% I happened to mention: "Bryson comes across as something of a grumpy old man who is out of touch with the world around him and likely to die from falling into a well because he wasn't paying enough attention. Also - seriously, McDonalds was founded before he was born. It's not some new thing - Bryson has no clue how to order food there? Really? (much of this, I'm sure, is supposed to be self-depreciating humor, but meh)." – Which I’ve already noted, but mention again so I can then say – that kind of attitude and impression of Bryson continues throughout the book, though there were brief moments of ‘goodness’. Like near 53% mark and he talked about Stonehenge.

One last thought before I depart – I read this book March 27 to May 23 2017 not because the book was super hard/difficult/not-engaging or anything like that but because it was a good fall back book. As in, in between books, when I wasn’t sure what to read next, a section or two of Bryson’s book was a good stop in before I found my next fiction book to read. Otherwise I could and most likely would have read this book within a day or three (and it would have taken three days or so just to give myself pauses from Bryson). On the other hand, this long stretched out reading probably helped me enjoy the book more. Since I did have all these pauses from Bryson and his thoughts.

Rating: … I don’t know something around 3 and a half stars?

May 23 2017




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Finding Your Feet (Toronto Connections Book 2) by Cass Lennox

Finding Your Feet by Cass Lennox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I decided to try a book where there likely wouldn’t be much if any – likely no sex in it. So I tried a book where the main character was both asexual and aromantic. I relatively rapidly grew tired of that book so moved to another asexual lead character, but this time they are asexual bioromantic.

That’s one of those things to be reminded of immediately – asexual does not mean that the person never absolutely never has any type of relationships and that they live their lives happily alone. Though it can mean that, depending on the individual. Though even if they are asexual and aromantic, they might end up in some kind of relationship (which I mention because one of the ‘couples’ in this book does include someone who self-describes themselves as asexual and aromantic and yet are in some kind of relationship with someone who uses plural pronouns (referring here to Sarah and Bailey).

Evie, one of the two main characters, has had relationships in her past – and is asexual. She’s had relationships with both men and women (not at the same time . . . I think), hence calling herself biromantic. Biromantic instead of bisexual because she’s asexual, in her sexual orientation, and bi-in her romantic orientation. She’s also a perfect example of someone who is both asexual and has sex – and, for that matter, is sometimes even quite eager ‘for it’. Eager might be pushing it, but sometimes it seemed that way. In general vague sense there are two types of asexual –in column 1 we have those who are ‘sex-repulsed’; and in column 2 we have – ‘I’ve forgotten the term’ (oh, I think ‘sex-positive’ gets used). Sex-repulsed asexual, as might or might not be obvious, want nothing to do with sex – at all. Sex-positive asexual doesn’t particularly want sex . . . except in certain situations; either they are willing to have sex because their partner wants sex, but they themselves will ‘get nothing’ out of it; or they actually will ‘get something’ out of it because they fall into the ‘demisexual’ category – someone experiencing ‘sexual attraction’ because they have developed, first, an emotional connection/attachment to someone – a somewhat better definition is actually used in this book by Evie to describe herself. Yet she doesn’t actually use the phrase ‘demisexual’ (unless I missed it). But that is what Evie is – demisexual and biromantic.

Evie is from York England and is 26. Her job just suddenly poofed on her, due to the company closing (or something like that), and so she has to find something to do for the next few months – she had already set herself up to go get an advanced degree at a university in Toronto, but she can’t just go there early (Visa issues). She can, though, go over early to scope the place out on vacation, to then leave then come back on an education visa. Which she decides to do.

Strangely this book and the one I had started and stopped begin the same way – waiting next to a baggage carousel waiting for a suitcase to appear, and with some vague worries about whether it really will arrive, etc. etc. But it does arrive, and so Evie’s freed to exit and . . . see a sign and stuffed Godzilla for her. For she’s going to be staying in Toronto with her Tumblr friend – Sarah (who goes by ‘Greybeard’ on Tumblr, while Evie goes by Queen Evazilla). They found they had some mutual interests – namely . . . um . . . drawings? Manga? Well, that and asexual stuff. That’s one of the things Evie’s over for, well not specifically asexual things, but for Pride events in Toronto (and to meet up with some other asexuals).

Evie’s second or third day in Toronto finds her being talked into playing on a dance machine with Sarah – in competition with Sarah (since Bailey, Sarah’s roommate who appears to be vaguely more than that, doesn’t dance). Turns out that the dance machine ‘thingie’ was being used to audition people for a dance competition between two dance studios who would take ‘non-professional’ dancers, match them up with teachers, teach them for a week, then have a dance-off during Pride events. This is how we meet the other main character and main point of view – Tyler Davis.

Course Evie and Tyler’s first meeting is a classic ‘meet bad’. The two heads of the dance studios are congratulating Evie on her ‘top score’, inviting her to join the event, and then arguing about who she would join. Evie begins to tell them that she didn’t realize that it was a competition, an audition, (well tell a third person who stepped up while the dance studio heads fought each other over her), when some man stepped up and said she’d do it.

”I’m very sorry,” she started, “I didn’t really know about-“

“She’ll do it.”

Startled, she looked over to see the lean, grumpy dancer at her side. When did he get there? He was her height, with dark curly hair and light-brown skin, and he glared at her as though she were some kind of idiot. But he had to be one of the most gorgeous men Evie had ever found abruptly standing next to her-not that she was an expert on the matter.

And like all vaguely good looking men, he came with entitlement and an apparent inability to mind his own business. Or perhaps he was just as rude as his boss.

Time to end this nonsense.

“She can speak for herself,” she said, crisply enunciating every syllable.

His eyebrows raised. “Sorry.”

Heh – I didn’t mean to quote all that, I did because it included a description of the other main character. Well, meet badly, as I said. Though she agrees to do the competition, though she didn’t immediately realize she was agreeing to dance with the arrogant self-entitled man. But with the fun looking gay man who was also there. Since Tyler, who is also Sarah’s friend, sounded ‘fun’ in Sarah’s descriptions.

Tyler Davis, meanwhile, is a 100% straight black (biracial) man of 25. Why is he working at a Queer Studios? Well, he is also transgender. He is FtM.

The book was interesting and fun. Deeper and more mature than expected.

One bit of annoyance - Evie has something of a . . . difficult relationship with her mother and there's a moment that occurs, via email (view spoiler)[that could change the relationship. She's in Toronto, mother is in York, though, so . . .. But then Evie heads back to York for a few months before returning to Toronto and . . . any type of scene with her family (good bad mixed indifferent) simply isn't shown - the reader is just told that certain things happened. That's the annoyance bit. (hide spoiler)]

Rating: 4.80

May 23 2017



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Hunting Down Dragons (Moonlight Dragon, #2) by Tricia Owens

Hunting Down Dragons by Tricia Owens

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The half-Chinese 'dragon' continues on her adventures. Which consist of owning a cursed pawn shop. And attempting to keep from following her blood lure (bah, how was that worded? Ancient family ways, blood lure, ancient blood, pfft) and accidentally turn dragon and go on a rampage. Oh, and keep from being 'dealt with' by the 'oddsmakers' who control Los Vegas.

She goes and watches fireworks in the desert with her friends. Gets magically teleported by these oddsmakers. Told she'll get a task to prove herself. Isn't told what the task is. Finds her boyfriend hanging against the wall there, frees him, gets knocked out, both end up sitting in desert. Without knowing if it is actually the task or not, Ann Moody and her boyfriend Vale (the gargoyle) hunt the man who killed her parents. Since the oddsmakers had said that her parents, and uncle, had been given the same task they will give her and they failed. Well, what better way to fail than to die, eh? So Ann assumes that the killer has some connection.

So, her friends and Vale go down this specific path.

Interesting story. Not great, but interesting.

Rating: 3.3

May 23 2017



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Crossing the Wide Forever by Missouri Vaun

Crossing the Wide Forever by Missouri Vaun

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

In 1856 two women, separately, begin to head west. Lillie Ellis has an inheritance of land that she’s decided, against her mother’s advice/desire, to go assume. She’s setting out from New York, heading to Kansas via St Louis and Independence Missouri. Meanwhile, Cody Walsh cannot take another whipping from her father, and so she’s also going to head west – starting from Arkansas with some vague idea to head off to join her two brothers in California. She’s also planning to head through St. Louis and Independence Missouri.

Lillie is from a higher level of society, a richer tier, though not sure of society position (as in, not sure if they just have money or if they also ‘have a name’). I’ve gotten the impression, right or wrong, that the higher up you go in society/wealth in the 1800s, the fewer ‘rights/privileges/freedoms’ that a woman will be granted. Well, Lillie has a certain greater freedom, due to a somewhat indulgent father (getting a tutor for art and the like). But even with this limited freedom, Lillie still feels both stifled and undermined – because she’s female. She might be allowed to paint, but she’s not going to have a great deal of luck getting past the ‘she’s a female artist’ burden. The land inheritance is Lillie’s breath of fresh air – her chance to have greater freedom, which she leaps upon, though she doesn’t know much about the West, or farming for that matter.

Cody, we learn almost instantly, comes from an average size family, maybe a little small (for a farming family in the 1800s). She has two older brothers and one younger sister. When she was ten, Cody’s mother died. The father, who apparently was a nice enough man before the death, fell apart completely, and crawled into a bottle of whiskey and only comes out to savagely whip his children. The two older brothers have fled to California, but Cody stayed behind to try to raise her, then, four year old sister. The book starts years later (something like 8 or 9 years later, making Cody about 18 or 19 in the book – based entirely on a vague believe that Ellen, the younger sister, is around 12 when Cody finally leaves the small remote isolated farm), and Cody is taking a whipping. Ellen, being clumsy, knocked over papa’s drink. Naturally that calls for a whipping, Cody jumped in front of the whip, but eventually knocks out her father as it’s just too much. She’s off to the west, stopping briefly with her mother’s sister (who lives 2 miles, or so, away who they haven’t seen in about 5 (or is it 9?) years). Up until this point in time, Cody has lived a life of being kind of manly but presenting as a female. The aunt tells Cody that she’d get better luck dressing up in her dead son’s clothing and pretending to be a man. So Cody does. Which is putting things somewhat wrongly – Cody already had had the idea that she might pass herself off as a man, she just hadn’t put that idea into practice.

Eventually Cody and Lillie separately reach St. Louis – and they meet when a stationmaster at the station calls over a young man to help Lillie with her baggage. And no, it is neither love nor lust at first sight. They go their separate ways only to bump into each other again on the steamship heading from St. Louis to Independence. Again they do not instantly attach themselves to each other or find deep longing love/lust, but they do strike up a friendship that very quickly becomes more (and no, I mean becomes a method for both to continue West with the ‘cover’ of the other (view spoiler)[ marriage of convenience (hide spoiler)]).

It’s hard to mention what happens next as I’m on the edge as it is with revealing too much (if I haven’t already crossed over). Everything else I can mention leads directly off of the spoiler above so, can’t mention anything else.

What I can say: As noted, Cody is somewhere around 18 to 19 years old, ‘had no curves to speak of, and she was tall, at the high end of five feet. She’d always kept her hair short too.’ ‘She was eighteen now.’ So, her age is actually mentioned. 18 in 1856. And has no real trouble passing herself off as a man (or at least as a boy, due to lack of facial hair). Lillie, on the other hand is somewhere near her mid-twenties (based on a comment that someone she had meet, Beth, ‘seemed close to her age, maybe a few years older, but definitely still in her mid-twenties.’) So there is an age difference, and a cultural difference involved here.

The book was quite interesting, rich in certain areas, less so in others (ooh, ooh, give me details! . . . um, well, occasionally I rather felt as if I really was there – the muddy rain filled wagon journey, the bouncing train, the smokey air of St. Louis; and . . . um . . . not exactly sure what to put down as ‘less rich’). For a good long while I was thinking that the book was quite strong, quite interesting, but not anything at or above five star. But then I kept reading. And experiencing, and the book really did leave me feeling like it is at about that level – maybe, perchance, 4.75? Maybe lower at 4.66? Somewhere between 4.66 to 4.92.

One of the first things I thought of when I learned of the book, and thought of as I read the book, is that there aren’t exactly many lesbian fiction books involving two women heading west, one of whom has assumed a male persona. The most ‘famous’ example I can think of would be Jae’s Backwards to Oregon, which I’ve also read and enjoyed. So, compare and contrast? Despite the differences in length, some of the back story that ‘Crossing’ provided, isn’t actually in ‘Backwards to Oregon’ – things like the time the ‘woman posing as a man’ didn’t pose as a man. But yes, both books involve one obvious woman, and one woman who dressed up and acted like a man; and both books follow the two women ‘to the west’. And both include . . . the thing I put in spoiler somewhere above. But in many ways the two are completely different books. Though I’m going more by memory as it has been more than three years since I read ‘Backwards’. I’ll just lightly note that the women in Backwards seemed older, to me, and of a . . . ‘lower class’ – at least background wise (since, while the book opens with the ‘man’ being an officer in the military, ‘he’ also was the daughter of a prostitute, and the other main character in Backwards worked as a prostitute). And, um . . . stuff. Heh, just been too long for me to do a compare/contrast. Oh, and (view spoiler)[both characters in Crossing knew that both women were women before they ‘married’, while that wasn’t the case in Backwards – if I recall correctly. (hide spoiler)].

Enjoyable book. Quite readable. Oh, and, somewhat surprising to me, much sex.

Rating: 4.79

Expected publication: June 20th 2017

May 16 2017



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Star Trek: New Frontier #3 and 4 by Peter David

The Two Front War by Peter David

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A better more coherent entry in this series - a more complete novel, though it is still obvious that David wrote a 1000 page book and then broke it down into four parts (what with the 'set up' in first book, the second that didn't have much occur but for flying towards then initial events in the 'space in conflict', and then this one here, more complete story but still ended abruptly on a cliffhanger; plus the individual books appear one month apart way back in 1997).

There's a good chance that, if the fourth book holds up well (whenever I get around to reading it), the entire four part book might end up being rated higher than the individual parts (as these breaks and cliffhangers really are hard to overcome - I've been taking breaks (reading other things) between 'parts/books' because, hey, there are breaks between the parts).

um. Wow, boring review. But what can I say? The spaceship is interrupted in it's rescue mission by being fired upon by another spaceship. Excalibur gets them to stop firing on them long enough to have a conversation. Meanwhile the royal dude who stowed away on Excalibur heads off in a shuttlecraft with a mountain of a man to 'save his sister'. Events and ships might not be what they seem.

Then . . . CLIFFHANGER! End.

Rating: 4.22

May 18 2017



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End Game by Peter David

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Well, that was disappointing. All that build up, all that . . stuff for . . . this book. mmphs. Absurd. Turned to fantasy, it did. Well, Science-Fantasy. Though, granted, the original Star Trek series liked slipping fantasy in now and then.

Ah well. That's life.

Rating: 3.44

May 19 2017



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Script Doctor (Off Screen, #8) by J.A. Armstrong

Script Doctor by J.A. Armstrong

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I’ve read two stories by Armstrong days apart, both of them being the 8th work in their particular series. Road Blocks was about couples coupling up, family, decisions, and politics. This story here, ‘Script Doctor’ to be clearer, was about sex (oh, and family; and marriages/weddings/coupling up – mostly sex though).

As I mentioned in my status updates, this seemed like a text version of a porn film. Loose scenes linking together graphic depictions of a sexual nature. I didn’t count the pages of the actual sexual acts, though I did count the number of said acts (all but one involving Addy and Emma; the other involved Chris and Tam) – and I’d guess that there was about . . . oh, something like 80 to 90 percent of the pages were filled with something of a sexual nature (thinking about, talking about, or actual fucking). Possible there was as little as 60% of the pages devoted to such activity, but it did sure seem like the four or five fucking sessions took about 80 to 90% of the short story.

So, what else happened beyond Addy and Emma humping each other non-stop. Well, there was whining (‘my kids are away from me! Should I actually get married! Will she still want me after I actually marry her! My boss, Dick . . . erson is a dick! I don’t want to actually communicate with my wife, instead I want to scream and whimper!’), plus deep personal conversations between two characters; different characters; several times, and watching kids run around doing stuff, plus smirking . . . lots and lots of smirking, oh god the number of people smirking! More than 8% of smirking, because, as my status updates noted, there was 8% of the entire story that involved smirking that occurred between 31 and 39% of the story. Not sure what it means or says, or what, but the sex scene that occurred after the 8% of smirking was only 5% of the entire short story. As in, there was more smirking going on in that one scene than there was fucking in the other scene.

Right, sorry, distracted myself. Apparently Emma grew up enjoying spending a week of the year away from her parents (I think with an aunt and uncle, can’t recall) and wanted the same for her own children. She knows the baby won’t remember, but the 2 year old likely will – so she’s sent her kids off to spend a week in Kansas with her parents (sent off as in the parents came and got them).

With the kids away, Emma and Addy fuck. A lot. Almost non-stop but for the times they stopped – because, you know, work. Addy’s spin off show is gearing up and beginning filming during this same week the kids are away. I should call it Addy and Emma’s spin off show, since both are producers on it and both spend time writing on it (I think that’s what the ‘script doctor’ title is referring to – Emma editing, and outright writing new scenes despite ‘not being a writer’ (there’s a scene where one of the coworkers turned to Addy and told her the script for a particular show was the best she ever wrote . . . only she didn’t write it, Emma did)). Oh, and Tamara and Chris continue in their really long engagement until they stop due to wedding. Oh, and they also fuck, just to add spice to events and stuff.

Did I mention that there’s a lot of sex in this story? Oh, hehe – almost forgot, but noticed it on the shelving – at least one of the sex scenes includes a bit of BDSM (‘the only way you can show that you trust me is to allow me to tie you up’ – not actual words used, but implied by the BDSM scene; Emma is quite bad at communicating, apparently (evidence to the contrary – her talks with Tamara, with her mother, with her kids, with her coworkers, with her script editing and writing) and finds it easier to ‘show’ through action (not a new concept in this series in terms of Emma).

Despite my mumblings in the status updates, and my . . . um . . . nature, I still found the story to be good enough to rate 3.5 stars. Mostly due to everything else occurring, you know, the ‘filler’ between the porn scenes.

Rating: 3.5

May 18 2017



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Trial by Fire by Lore Graham

Trial by Fire by Lore Graham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*I received this book from NetGalley, and Less Than Three in return for a fair review.*

‘And that’s enough for me to keep playing superhero.’ – Lacey, near end of story.

There’s several ways I can ‘read’ and ‘take’ the story. And yes, that has an impact on rating and enjoyment of the story. I chose to take the story, read it in a certain way that ended up causing the story to be an enjoyable enough read. Though I might not have liked it as well if I’d gone a different direction.

I chose to go the direction that pulls in that quote above that started me off. The ‘playing superhero’. Because this story sure did seem to be filled with amateurs, people who didn’t really seem to know what they were doing, and were largely lucky to a) find someone to fight; b) ‘win’.

Why do I say that? Amateur superheroes? Well, a lot of time and effort apparently went into recruiting a new superhero to the group – that’s good, professional. But . . . then it was all – okay, you are in, make sure to come to the meetings, here are some phone numbers, be on call. And . . . that’s that. No attempt at any kind of training. No words on what to do on a day to day basis. No words on fighting techniques. Nothing. Heck, you could have everyone be from a military or police background and there still would have been some ‘okay, I was trained to do x in a situation like y, how were you trained?’ Here, no one seems to have any kind of background training. Nor do they appear to have taken any time to even think about how they might ‘mesh’ together (‘I have fire power. As in, fire comes out of me. ‘ ‘I have the ability to run really really fast.’ ‘I’m largely unable to be hurt – largely, not sure about bullets. Oh, and I might be strong-ish’.) Nope just – you are in now. Nothing was even said about what kind of costume might be best; Elena had to ask about that.

And the action that takes place in this book? Reflects that amateur hour approach to things. Like, they just kind of noticed/made mention of someone threatening the city without doing much about it. Elena, on her own, tracked down some information. Then she got some of her new teammates to help but – even there its amateur hour. Using your own personal vehicle? Um . . . a big thing was made about hiding your personal identities but . . .. *shrugs* And, what’s up with ‘everyone’ heading to that first crisis event (after Elena joined) but only Elena and Lacy actually going into action while everyone else just kind of sat around in their cars (everyone available, some couldn't make it . . . for . . no explained reason - I mean, Elena came and she was dead asleep and had to come in her work-out clothing because she doesn't have a costume, what were the others excuses?)? No clue what anyone else on the team brings to the group, maybe they are just pretending to be superheroes – only Lacy and Elena have shown their ‘abilities’ (super speed; ability to shoot fire out of fingers). Maybe the others stayed in the cars because they lied about having any kind of abilities (I know Guardian said they had something like invulnerable skin (or similar) but they never did get involved in any of the fights so . . . lying? Just . . . too busy to get involved in the fights? Fell asleep and forgot? Amateur hour.

Can’t really blame Elena, really, for the amateurish stuff she did. Using her personal car. Basically hugging her new girlfriend out late at night in plain sight of parked cars that she has under surveillance, instead of doing the more professional thing of having separation (so one ‘blast’ of whatever, bullets, magical power, fists, doesn’t take out both superheroes), and remaining in contact by the phones they did have (there are such things as hand free devices). As said, can’t blame her because no one taught her anything. And yes, this is also why I went this direction in my read – I think the author intended the story to be read this way – it is titled ‘Trial by Fire’ – she’s just tossed out there, unguided, untrained, trial by fire indeed.

Right, so, I wrote like three pages of notes while reading this short story. Let me see if I’ve covered everything in those notes. Oh, right. There’s a weirdly sibling like vibe coming off Elena and Lacey that I know isn’t intended, since they interact in sexual relations – and can’t keep their hands off each other (especially when they should, like when they are standing around watching a bad guy late at night). Made the sex scenes oddly disturbing. Mmphs. Bad vibe. Luckily the sex in the second scene quickly turned in a direction I want nothing to do with so I just leapt over it (eww, butt sex). First one was oddly interesting and arousing, though, so eww for a different reason. Hehe. Oh right. Heh. I lead into the ‘amateur hour’ in my notes by noting that safe sex practiced, but they didn’t seem to practice safe . . . um . . . superheroing (see training and stuff like that). Bah. I kind of ranted for three pages about the amateur hour stuff in my notes so I don’t have anything else from there to add.

Okay then. So, this story is about Elena, and from her point of view. She’s a paralegal living and working in Los Angeles California. She’s a Latina, a white Latina, as she puts it (parents from Chile), and has a superpower – the ability to have mild to strong resistance to heat and fire, while also being able to generate fire from her hands. She didn’t really want to actually use her powers until she got bored and decided to join a local superhero group. The story opens with them interviewing her.

Fairly quickly she’s a member, doesn’t have a suit yet, but does have some phone numbers. Despite lacking training or a costume to wear, she’s put on call immediately. And, almost immediately, she’s out in the thick of things. Battling a villain who calls himself Consequence.

Meanwhile, on the personal front, Elena picks up a new girlfriend named Lacy. Who happens to already be a member of the same superhero group Elena has joined (this kind of makes it seem like they meet first at a supermarket or something – no, Elena meets Lacy through the group). Luckily for my own sensibilities, they don’t go immediately from meeting to love, but they do seem to get to ‘can’t stop touching you’ rather quickly.

A good interesting story. I’d like to read more in this universe. And yes, I realize that I kind of said a bunch of stuff that could be seen as negative – I saw it as positives – as these are real people attempting to ‘do stuff’ with powers in the real world instead of something like personifications of goodness . . . or something like that.

ETA: Of note: If it's important to someone - Lacy, it is quickly learned, is transgender (MtF), and hasn't fully transitioned yet (and might never have 'bottom surgery' (did have whatever it is that is done to have breasts; still has a penis. Which she calls her lady cock . . . or clit)).

Rating: 3.77

May 17 2017



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Into the Void (Star Trek: New Frontier, #2) by Peter David

Into the Void by Peter David

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Second book in the series completed. Again not much happened. The crew were gathered. Bickering occurred. The ship was sent towards and then into the collapsing empire. More bickering. Some anti-asexual words were causally tossed about. Book again, like last, ends on cliffhanger.

I rather suspect that this was something like a 1000 page book (or 40 page less) that got split into four parts. At least I hope so, because it's kind of .... fractured as it is. Kind of 'nothing happening' vibe going on. Though if you put all the parts together - a full book is there. I assume/hope. Well, just two more books to read before I see if I'm correct or not.

Oh - my status update reminded me of an issue - I don't like anyone on this ship. I'm sure there might be possible exceptions. But can't think of anyone at the moment. They seem quite unprofessional.

I would not wish to work for anyone on this spaceship. They seem to almost all motivate their underlings through fear.

So that's what Star Fleet has fallen to - ruling by fear. I thought that was a Mirror Universe thing. What the bloody hell would be a mirror universe version of this spaceship? Everyone's nice and gives each other pretty flowers?

Rating: 3

May 16 2017



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House of Cards (Star Trek: New Frontier, #1) by Peter David

House of Cards by Peter David

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is an interesting 'origin story' type of book for several of the crewmembers of the Star Trek spaceship. Little short stories about several, including the captain, science officer. Plus part of the story takes place on 'The Next Generation' version of the Enterprise, oh and Spock is around.

On the other hand - while there were some interesting stories here . . . there really wasn't much of a coherent whole novel here. Though I understand that this is a series and that this book here was 'setting up' everything else. At least I hope that was the reason for the somewhat less than coherent novel situation.

I've actually had the hardcopy version of the first four books since something like the late 1990s but never got around to trying the books. And no, I didn't get the first and read it - I'm actually reading that big huge 4 book hardback. Not sure I'll read all the books in there (since it is a physical copy book and it's harder for me to read those now), so I put my review here instead of on the 4 book copy I actually own.

May 13 2017



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Under Parr by Andrea Bramhall

Under Parr by Andrea Bramhall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book with two main points of view (other than the prologue, there really are only two). Detective Sergeant Kate Brannon and Gina Temple.

Plotlines
Major Plots:

1) Police investigating a mystery

a) Skeleton found in a WWII bunker that got sealed by a storm that hit December 5 2013. While investigating the skeleton several other crimes were discovered and investigated
b) The police force, or at least the task force dealing with ‘the case of the skeleton’, has a certain ‘issue’ with one of their members. Personality clash? Bad cop? Something’s going on.

2) A mother and daughter attempting to deal with traumatic issues

a) Due to the nature of the events of the prior book, the townspeople and their children torment Sammy, Gina’s daughter; plus Sammy is still suffering mentally/emotionally
b) Due to the nature of the events of the prior book, the townspeople glare at and act mean towards Gina; plus Gina is still suffering mentally/emotionally

Subplots

1) Romance

a) Trouble in paradise? See: Gina and daughter suffering from the traumatic events of last book
b) Someone stalking/romancing/something Gina

2) Gina’s estranged mother pops up during the police investigation

a) Complications related to the mother being back in the picture.
b) ?

First off, though, I need to note that unlike some mystery series that involve the police, you really do need to have read the first book in the series before reading this book here. Since one of the story lines is more or less directly tied to the prior book – a reaction to the events that occurred in that prior book.

This book starts six weeks after Collide-O-Scope - well, no, literally the book starts before that first book, but that’s just the prologue. The prologue is set in December 5, 2013, when an old man stumbles around a nursing home, spots someone doing something wrong, stumbles out into a storm, and ends up in a WWII bunker. When the book moves to the main part, out of the prologue, it’s about four years later (or three?) and a skeleton has been found inside a WWII bunker on the North Norfolk Coast of England. The people from the first book fall into similar rolls as before, for the most part (and even when they don’t physically appear, they pop up in conversation, like Inspector Savage).

Detective Sergeant Kate Brannon, one of the two main points of view, works the skeleton case while her boss, like in the last book, goes off to deal with a different case (the boss, by the way, being Detective Inspector Timmons). Working with Brannon is Detective Sergeant Stella Goodwin, who both head of the investigation. Meanwhile Detective Constable Jimmy Powers is Brannon’s assistant until he is replaced by Detective Constable Gareth Collier (because of a personality clash between Collier and his partner). Len Wild and Dr. Ruth Anderson also return.

While Brannon is following the mystery angle of the book, Georgina ‘Gina’ Temple follows the PTSD angle. As in, her daughter had found a dead body in the prior book – her best friend, (view spoiler)[ and for three days she, the daughter – Sammy – had thought she had killed her friend (hide spoiler)], and Sammy also happens to go to a school where all but maybe one of the other children there were deeply impacted by the prior book ((view spoiler)[one or more parents ending up being out of work, and/or facing long jail time for the (view spoiler)[drug smuggling ring (hide spoiler)] [events] found in the prior book (hide spoiler)]) and the children blame Sammy. Bully her mercilessly. Meanwhile, Gina herself has her own emotional and physical scars to try to overcome – recall it’s only been six weeks. And so that’s the second track/plot line/angle – a mother and daughter attempting to fight the demons created by the prior book.

That second plot line is interesting, in its way, though ultimately I find/found it to be a distraction I did not wish to read. It got in the way of the mystery, unfortunately. There was even one section that I ended up skipping (until I remembered I was reading an ARC so went back and read it; normally I’d have skipped certain paragraphs/sections/etc.).

The book was interesting – following the police as they investigate one thing, a skeleton found in a WWII bunker, which leads to even more things to investigate. The mystery itself was a good twist on the standard murder mystery; the interactions between the police and others (and amongst themselves) was good. If the book had just been the Mystery, I would likely rate this book highly. But it isn’t. Frankly, while well written and seeming as if it’d make a good book on its own, the PTSD plot was, as noted, distracting to me and might have been less ‘boring’ if it had been its own book. Potentially. I mean, I’ve read PTSD books before – where that’s the main and mostly only focus.

Publication Date: May 17 2017 (though you can purchase the book now from the Ylva Publishing website).

Rating: Mystery: 4.3; Other Stuff: 3.3 = 7.6/2=3.8 overall rating of 3.8.

May 12 2017

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The Loveless Princess by Lilian Bodley

The Loveless Princess by Lilian Bodley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Less than Three Press in exchange for an honest review.

I read this work because it was short and I was under the impression that it involved an asexual character. I was misinformed (or didn't remember correctly what I'd been told). The description doesn't actually say that it involves an asexual person, though so it isn't the story's fault. *looks at description on NetGalley* Yeah, doesn't say asexual there either. (ETA: with more thought on the matter, as seen later in my review, yes, Anette is asexual, it is just the case that she's more than just asexual. There's some other element that she is as well, whatever word goes for that. 'alove' or something.)

This is not a story about an asexual main character, she's something . . . extra. This is a story about . . . not actually sure what word gets used. I tried to find a word that could be used for someone who cannot love, but all I can find involve things like "Scientifically speaking, the only people completely unable to love are the people whose brain genetically lacks empathy, people commonly..."; or psychopaths. But that's not the main character either, because The Loveless Princess, Anette, does have empathy. And she didn't really seem like a psychopath. I do not know enough about psychopaths to know though.

Why am I going down this road? Someone who is asexual has no desire to have any kind of sexual relations. They might love, they might get into a relationship, they might . . . etc. They just have no desire to have sex ('person who has no sexual feelings or desires.'). Someone who is aromantic has no desire to have a romance. "A person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others." An aromantic person can have desire for sex, can feel love - just not romantic love. A specific individual might be both asexual and aromantic.

So is Anette asexual? Well, she has no desire to have sex. I'm somewhat short-sighted to immediately say that because she has no ability to love that that means that she's not asexual. Instead she's asexual with the addition of something else (whatever the 'inability to love' part would be called - not aromantic, because, again, they can form attachments/love, just not romantic love - like they can love their parents or siblings, but feel no romantic desire for another). And Anette cannot love at all. Not just can't form romantic attachments. She is, as the title notes, 'The Loveless Princess'. Again, though, she's not a psychopath because she can feel empathy.

Bah. Okay, Anette is a princess of some unknown age who has been told by her parents that she is going to be marrying Prince something or other. They argue but Anette can't get out of it. And no, this isn't one of those fantasy lands where everyone is magically open to everything - this is a land where a man must marry a woman; and Anette's mother actually began to get furious with the idea, short lived, that her daughter might be attracted to women (short lived as Anette feels no attractions at all).

'For reasons' (like, what else is she going to do?), Anette goes along with the marriage. Marries the dude. Glancing at people in the audience, then at the groom, then around, she comes to the conclusion that the man might have some vaguely attractive features . . . to others. She feels nothing towards him.

After they are married, the Prince takes his new wife back to his kingdom (well, his parents at still in charge so 'his kingdom' in the sense that's where he's from). 'Stuff happens'. Turns out the Prince has no real desire for the Princess, like the Princess towards the Prince, but the Prince is definitely not asexual. No, he's homosexual. (He's not bisexual, he can't even get it up to fulfill his duties as a husband to his wife).

'Something happens' and the Prince poofs. Princess has to save him. Quest occurs.

The End (of the short story).

hmms. Sorry to have spent so long battling with the concept of 'asexual not equal alove!'. Annoyed me. Especially considering the underlying theme of the story. On the other hand, yes, marriage/love does not have to be either the path to happiness or, in and of itself - the happiness.

Rating: 3.5

May 12 2017



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Sex & Skateboards by Ashley Bartlett

Sex & Skateboards by Ashley Bartlett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was not exactly what I expected - a lot more interesting and fun than expected.

Not sure what else to say.

An immature skater-loving woman of 26 moves to SoCal from NoCal (this is important *nods* because of the words used, like Alden keeps saying 'Hella' which is, apparently, a quick marker for indicating that she isn't from SoCal; specifically the part of No(rthern)Cal(ifornia) that Alden is from is San Francisco (or an hour out from there). The book is somewhat sketchy on some of the details. Like, why Alden is suddenly down there helping her friend Olie (Olivia) open a restaurant - maybe it was stated and it flew over my head (I did notice people kept slipping in and out of my ability to comprehend them (as in, there's this Lauren woman - she's Olie's sister and always seems to be hugging, touching, or otherwise being super close to Alden, but they are not lovers or together and don't wish to be - she is meet in passing, the second time she turns up, I had to think a second to remember who she was - that is what I mean by people entering and exiting my ability to remember them).

So, Alden is this 26 year old who doesn't want to grow up and likes to skateboard. At the same time she somehow or another got the skill set to be a head chef at a restaurant. Alden is described by others and by herself as being one of those kinds of women that others lust over and go out of the way to 'make time with'. Alden doesn't chase women, they chase her. Apparently because she looks like a 12 year old boy and women love that. Or something. Personally I've never been 'into' 12 year old boys, but whatever.

A 23 year old woman named Weston has caught Alden's eye, though. And they kind of fall into some kind of undefined relationship (which actually ends up being a point of contention later on, which I liked because I'd noticed how 'loose' everything seemed to be, and was vaguely curious if I'd missed some steps along the way, but I hadn't - there were/are 'issues' that kept them from taking those steps, which, as noted, ended up being a point of contention/conflict).

I'm not exactly sure what Weston's job might be - I know she makes some money as a photographer, but she also apparently has some connection to a surf-shop. I think. At least there was a joke along the way that people normally pay her $20 (a lesson or an hour, I missed that part) for surf lessons. No matter, Weston exists and may or may not have more than one job and may or may not have inherited some money. It's not exactly nailed down, but you don't always know everything about everyone so that kind of actually works here since Alden kind of just slide into a relationship, loose, undefined, relationship.

This is one of those books in that 'Matinee' imprint, which, based more on the covers than anything else, seems to be or have been (I've the idea that the imprint is no more) a more erotic version of Bold Strokes Books (or something like 'BSB, after dark'). I mention because that's both one of the reasons I was somewhat reluctant to try this book, and I mention because I was vaguely curious where the sex was hiding until finally at 49% or so Alden and Wes began a longish period where they couldn't keep their hands off each other (I don't mean an extended scene, the actual sexually explicit scenes tended to be short, there just seemed to keep reoccurring at unexpected moments (there's one quite interesting scene in which Wes is showing Alden her photos in a gallery - I'm expecting some pictures to be looked at, I got that . . . I also got, before they even got off the stairs, a rather graphic groping session that was intensified by being where people walk and . . . with sounds that at least one person was in fact getting closer)).

So - romance. Sex. Sand everywhere. Some skating, surfing, a kid. Characters grapping with the idea of whether or not they actually want to grow up or not. As noted, I liked the book more than I expected to. I keep fluctuating between rating this something close to 4.5 or closer to 4.75. I'll have to think about it. Not sure I really want to mark this, on Goodreads, 5 stars (and placing on 4.75 shelf). I'll put it on 4.5 for now.

On a side note - tongue piercings and nipple rings are fun. Or - interesting to read a story where a character actually has those piercings/rings instead of just having that be a, either 'strange', or 'interesting' side character.

Rating: 4.55

May 10 2017



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Beautiful Game by Kate Christie

Beautiful Game by Kate Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is my sixth book by this author, and fourth soccer book (author really likes soccer).

I rather liked watching the slice of life, slow growth story that unfolded. First Camille ‘Cam’ Wallace needed to move past ‘oh my, that’s Jess! Star tennis player!’ to becoming friends with Jess, then to something more than friends. Very slow going. Years. But it was neat, despite the slowness. Fun.

This is one of those books that the story really seems quite solid, and the writing isn’t that bad either. One massive problem I had, though, that kept me from moving beyond a four star rating – the writing style is one I’ve seen before but it is also one that creates, almost automatically, a ‘distancing’ between the reader and the action occurring in the book. As in – the book was written as if the narrator is some 94 year-old woman remembering her time at college, though without including the part where some 94 year old was introduced and without including any overarching narrator voice. But it was written in an ‘I remember when my junior year started. How the grass smelled. How Holly helped me unpack – she somewhat forced me to unpack, in fact, because I had literally had boxes at the end of the last year that I had taken down from Oregon that, by the end of the year, still hadn’t been unpacked.’ That is not lifted from the book, though the situation was. No, it’s more the way the book was written that I’m trying to convey here. The story told through a heavy lens of nostalgia.

That – the distancing, plus the relatively uninformative story telling element used when conveying sports action, left me wanting, and kept me from rating this anything higher than 4 stars. There were moments that shown through, though. Touching scenes, moments, actions – one I recall specifically had me staring at the cover . . . and realizing that an opportunity had been lost (view spoiler)[Jess painted a picture for Cam. The picture shows a soccer ball on a field of green. Like the cover. But words are on the soccer ball and it is also seen as if from the angle of a tiny ant. Not like the cover. I was both touched by the scene and disappointed in the opportunity missed (the words, by the way, were just the school initials) (hide spoiler)]/

Wow, my ability to write reviews has suffered greatly. I’d say ‘two main characters’, but this is just from the point of view of Cam, and for a while there, the two main characters would have been Cam and her best friend . . . um, and I want to say ‘Holly’ but might get the name wrong. Holly, though, wasn’t the love interest, that’d be Jess the tennis star. With Cam (and Holly, and Laura, and Mel, and others) being soccer stars. The book follows Cam as she lives soccer, drinks a lot, tries to live down a particular reputation, and builds a relationship with Jess (a friendship is a type of relationship), all while attending college in a different state from which she was born (college - California; born - Oregon).

Rating: 4.00

May 9 2017



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Safe Passage by Kate Owen

Safe Passage by Kate Owen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A simple quick book about more New Orleans lesbians (New Orleans be popular). This is the second book I've read by this author, other book I gave 5 stars to, this one I give 3.75(something).

A woman wants to make a larger closet for her clothing so, despite being somewhat clumsy and notoriously bad with tools, Jules starts (very carefully) slamming a sledgehammer into her closet wall. She does this despite the fact that her house has like, three or four entire spare guest rooms that she could convert into a closet. Mind, a larger closet in your actual bedroom might be 'nicer' but no one else lives in the house and she's 'notoriously bad with tools', so the smarter option would have just been to do what my mother did when her kids moved out - converted their bedrooms into closets.

While hammering away Jules stuns herself when the tool slams into metal. Confused she looks closer. And closer. She's found a safe. That she can't open. Locksmith contacted, locksmith opens safe, items examined (okay, here - she looked at what the items were, but . . . seemed to be like someone who eats food one item at a time (must not let peas touch steak! must eat peas now! NO PEAS ONLY!) - I say because she examines each item, slowly, before ever looking at the rest. As in, she looks at a drawing of an attractive black woman. Then looks at a letter. Then . . continues to look at letter. Decodes letter. Spends days (weeks?) working on that letter, trying to figure it out . . . while completely ignoring everything else in the safe (which, by this point, is just a journal but still, maybe there's something in the journal of use, perhaps?).

Right, jumped ahead of myself. Jules, despite being a many generation French descendant, doesn't know French. And the letter appears to be in French. And there's this really gorgeous (straight, assumed) French teacher Jules can call upon. Or have the excuse to get close to the other woman. So, Jules and Gen work on the letter together. Gen, by the way, isn't the only teacher in this story - Jules is a math teacher (and a rowing coach).

Interesting enough story. Nothing earth shattering. There were some 'funny moments', or at least moments that could have had a tinge of humor, but they weren't really conveyed in a humorous manner. Not sure if that was just me, or what exactly happened there with the humor angle.

Right, so, another author I've now read everything they've written.

Rating: 3.75

Mary 9 2017



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Mac vs. PC by Fletcher DeLancey

Mac vs. PC by Fletcher DeLancey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was somewhat reluctant to read this book for several reasons. The largest was the whole ‘Mac vs. PC’ thing that’s the literal title of the book. I didn’t really want to read either a debate about the two nor, if there wasn’t a debate, a book strenuously advancing the notion that Mac’s are the best etc. etc. Not so much because I have a position in the debate, but more because I, frankly, don’t care. A computer is a computer, some are better than others, some aren’t. Some are expensive paperweights. Another reason was a relatively simple acknowledgement that I’d mostly rated everything by this author relatively highly (with exceptions) and figured this one had a higher chance of having me lower my overall rating for the author (not because the story wasn’t Science Fiction, no, one of my favorite stories by the author is a non-Science Fiction short story titled ‘Learning to Ride’ found in the short story collection Spread the Love that I had rated 5.5 (actually, looking closer, that is the highest rating I’ve given to the author, a non-science fiction story at that)).

So – this relatively short story stars Anna Petrowski (the POV) and Elizabeth Markel. They meet for the first time in a coffee shop that Anna loves, both for a specific scone and for a specific type of coffee. They meet because Elizabeth had begun cursing and beating up her laptop. Anna eventually helps her – she does have knowledge of computers after all, being that she works in the I.T. department at a University (insert: Anna offered, Elizabeth neither begged nor demanded Anna’s help). While helping Anna notes the brilliance of Macs over PCs. And mentions certain things like how expensive PCs actually are to keep maintained (PCs might have an initial lower cost, but cost more over time to keep operating and free from malicious code).

Anna and Elizabeth have a great time together. Meet a few more times. During all of this Anna has no idea of Elizabeth’s job (beyond some vague ‘Forest Research’ comment made by Elizabeth), nor her last name (it has been given, briefly, but in a moment Anna wasn’t paying full attention). That matters for two reasons: Anna likes Elizabeth so much that she searches for her all over the campus, but finds it hard to do having only Elizabeth’s first name; and Anna likely would fled in horror if she had known, initially, what Elizabeth’s job title actually was (since that’s what she almost literally does when she does learn). Elizabeth, you see, is a Vice Provost – answering directly to the Provost (“the modern university provost is the university’s chief academic officer and under the president…”). In other words – way way above Anna’s pay grade. There’s more to it but let’s keep some stuff in the book, eh? Heh.

Re: Mac vs. PC.
A: um, do you know what PC means? It means ‘personal computer’. What, exactly, is a Mac if it isn’t a personal computer? This isn’t ‘Mac vs. PC’, it’s ‘Mac vs. Windows’ (or ‘Apple vs. Microsoft’). Would an IT person be more likely to use ‘pro/anti Mac vs. PC’ or a ‘pro/anti Apple/Mac vs. Microsoft/Windows’? And no, I don’t know, I’m just asking. Looking at what I see online, I see things like ‘Mac is a personal computer but not a PC’. Soooo. *shrugs*
B: I did not really get some of the anti-PC things that were mentioned. Like, specifically, a complaint was made about how hard it is to change a file name while using Windows. And . . what? Really? I’m sure the Mac method is super quick and easy, easier even than the PC’s since it is here in the book as a plus for the Mac. But . . . all you need to do is go to the document, click F2, and type whatever new name you want. And . . . done. You can make it slightly more complicated by right clicking on the file (using the mouse) and going down the pop-up menu to ‘Rename’ and then renaming but . . . it’s all in what people are used to and what they are comfortable with. I’m not arguing the pros and cons, though, I’m sure Macs are better in every way because . . . people say so. Never had a Mac myself, my first couple of computers were Apples, but Apple IIe’s and the like (pre-Macintosh in the literal sense that the first Macintosh came out in 1984, and the IIe came out in 1983, though I believe I got the IIe after 1984).

Right, so the book. Quick book. I gobbled it fast and the only reason it took me an extra day is because I watched a movie last night instead of spending the extra ten minutes to finish the book. Probably a short afternoon would get someone through the book.

The characters were alright, though I got a much larger sense of who Anna might be, and not much of a sense of Elizabeth. Taller than Anna. Higher up in the University. Hmms. Has money, I think? There were some descriptive terms used as well, but I let them slide past me. I think I got eye and hair color.

Rating: 3.88

May 5 2017



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