Perfect Little Worlds by Clifford Mae Henderson

Perfect Little Worlds by Clifford Mae Henderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*I received this book from Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an honest review*

This is the fifth book I’ve read by this author, one of the five I’ve read twice. Every single one of these books are oddball books that defy classification. All but one of which I’ve rated highly (2 of the 5, or 3 of the six counting rereads are marked 5 stars on Goodreads, two are marked 4 stars, and 1 is marked 3 stars). All of the books involve some bit of traveling, though I can’t really use this as a link – none of them are really what I’d call travel fiction. Several of them, three of the five if you count a prelife story, involve dealing with life – death or prelife. But enough of this rambling.

What’s this specific odd ball book about, then? A woman of 79, living in Santa Cruz California, talks into a recording device. Telling a tale that’s mostly directed to events before, during, and slightly after a specific event that occurred in 1989. 26 years ago – when she was 53 (her actual age of 53 was never given, but her age of 79 was given, the fact that she tells the story in 2015 is given, and the fact that the story she tells is mostly focused on events in 1989 lead me to an age of 53).

What specific event occurred in 1989 that she relates? Why, that’d be the time she got a call from the neighbor of her mother and sister. The neighbor indicated that there might be an issue. After a bit of back and forth, Lucy, who – in 1989 when she got the call – was/is living in Portland Oregon at the time, must attempt to help her mother and sister living in Santa Cruz California. So she does – heading down for a visit. Only to find that her mother is in horrible shape – and doesn’t have a clue who Lucy is; her mind is mostly gone. Not completely, she spends her time bouncing from on time to another, but mostly watching television, and occasionally frantically getting ready for guests to arrive (not that any guests are going to be arriving). Alice, the sister, seems somewhat stressed but also mostly handling things. There’s a little back and forth about why Alice didn’t say what was going on, whereupon Lucy realizes that Alice did, in her way, say that things were deteriorating. Mentally, for the mother.

While attempting to figure out what to do about the situation, the sisters are trapped underground during and shortly after an earthquake hit – a 7.1 one that hit October 17 1989, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (which, for whatever reason, I see Google calls a 6.9 earthquake, but whatever, it’s 7.1 in the book).

And that’s basically what the book is about. A daughter finds out her mother has mentally deteriorated, and her autistic sister is coping as best she can. Bits and pieces of other parts of the characters’ lives get mentioned – like stuff that occurred in 2015, and stuff that occurred before 1989; and stuff that occurred between 1989 and 2015. In terms of romance – there . . . the beginning stages of a romance is shown, but the book ended before anything of the relationship’s development was shown (though, since the book is actually set in 2015, not in 1989 – as in a woman of 79, in 2015, is thinking/talking about, recording the story of her life events that occurred in 1989, then the ‘what happened next’ is known by the reader, ‘what happened next’ in terms of the very brief glimpse of romance, I mean).

This is a rather sad story. I’m sure there were happy moments in Lucy’s life, but she’s examining a sad portion of her life (albeit one tied up with, presumably, a happier time – i.e. her relationship with another woman), during a period of time when she’s basically alone in the world.

I’m not really sure what all I can say about the book. I’m sure I’ve both under and over revealed stuff as it is. The book is listed as ‘General Fiction’, not ‘mystery/romance/historical/etc.’ I can’t put anything in here that reveals my feelings on the mystery/romance/etc. angle. Historically? Well, it is set in 1989, and there were some neat bits that were shown there. 1989 is too close to today, though, to call the book ‘historical fiction’. So I’m back to ‘General Fiction’. Which doesn’t give me a hook to ramble about. There’s no mystery to solve, no crime to watch unfold, no humorous caper, no ghosts to mingle with, no . . . easy hook to pin words on. It’s a ‘reflecting on life by an old woman’ type of book.

I liked the book well enough. I’ve no clue if anyone else would or wouldn’t. One of the problems with odd ball books is that it is hard to recommend or not recommend a book that falls into this category.

Rating: 4.28

May 19 2018



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Playing in Shadow by Lesley Davis

Playing in Shadow by Lesley Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I do not remember now what caused me the double desire to read this book and . . . reluctance to start this book. I messed up, I did, though. I should have read this a lot closer to the end of the previous book in the series. Not because the previous book was incomplete or anything. No, both books are self-contained entities. No, I mention what I mention because this really is a book following two couples, not a book wherein the couple from the first book just make cameos or are important side characters. No, a lot of the story follows the couple from the first book (Trent and Juliet), and it is almost, but not quite, as if Bryce and Scarlet are the side couple in this story instead of the budding romance couple.

Right, so. This book follows the further adventures of Trent and Juliet about . . . if I recall correctly, 2 years after the end of the previous book. Plus the coming together of Bryce and Scarlet. A bank executive tired of her career in the first book (will at the start of the first book at least), Juliet now works in landscaping for Tweedy Contractors – and is ‘heavily pregnant’. Trent still works at the gaming story she was at in the previous book. Monica and her boyfriend Elton continue to be involved and continue to be important side characters. And I mention them before the other main point of view characters to round out the characters from the previous book.

Monica and Juliet were roommates in the first book. Now it’s Monica and Scarlet Tweedy who are roommates. And as the last name indicates, Scarlet is connected to Tweedy Contractors – as both the daughter of the owner, and worker at the company (though she’d just recently moved back home from Chicago working in a completely different field (which she continues on the weekends) involving being a painter and photographer – for Tweedy Contractors she works as a house painter (there’s a different skill set between a house painter and an artist painter – though one of the paintings at the Whitney that I liked the most involved an artist ‘making a statement’ about abstract art by following his house painting skills to slap some lines on an unprimed canvas and . . . well, basically I’m saying there’s different skill sets involved). Two important things to know about Scarlet (well beyond being short-ish, pale, and having flaming red hair): 1) her father wants her to take over the company – she has no desire for that; 2) she develops a fascination towards a coworker – the only other woman who works for the company (that’s not right, there’s at least one more, um, the only other woman who goes to job sites?) but that wasn’t what I was going to mention – no, I was going to mention that is that Scarlet is bold and not afraid to take the steps needed to get what she wants. This helps here because the other main character, the coworker, is Bryce Donovan. Who is a fragile fragile woman.

As the book opens, Bryce is being examined by a doctor. Bryce wants to get back to work as soon as possible. The doctor agrees, but only limited duty. Bryce works as a . . . um, I forget the words used, she prepares walls to be painted. Bryce is still in pain, but she needs to get away from her empty apartment. And her bed. Where she doesn’t spend much time anyway – not for reasons some might leap to expect, but because she can’t sleep. Every time she does she’s back in the car – the one she was in – the one where everyone but her died in.

Right, so, Trent and Juliet continue their happy lives, awaiting the birth of Newt, while Scarlet and Bryce work through issues to get to couple hood.

There is also a ton of sex.

Rating: … I didn’t realize until I came to write this review, but I apparently rated this book higher than the previous book. Who-would-have-thought, eh? 4.45

ETA: odd, took 4 days to write review for first book in series; and took 4 days to write review for this book here.

April 18 2018



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All the Little Moments by G. Benson

All the Little Moments by G. Benson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*I received this book from Ylva Publishing for an honest review*

This is one of those difficult books to read. Oddly ‘unputdownable’, yet still angsty. Well, I say that because I do not normally find angst among the things I normally find with books I can’t stop reading.

In my second book by this author that I’ve read, the main and only point of view character, Anna, opens the book in a car on the way to her parents place . . . cutting short a longish vacation with her long-term girlfriend, Hayley. Cut short because her best friend – her brother Jake, and her other friend, his wife Sally, were killed in a car accident. Losing either/both immediately and permanently alters Anna’s life. Then the will is read and her life is altered even more – for the woman who never planned nor wanted children, is now the guardian to her brother’s two children – six year old Ella and 18 month old Toby. Anna is rather reluctant to take on this burden.

By the half way mark I was vaguely confused and worried, there was a bunch of angst and drama up to this point – the book is filled with it – but everything seemed ‘set’ now. Kids, support system that includes Anna, Anna’s mother (father’s still around but hiding), and Anna’s two new friends Kym and Lane (with Lane being more than just a new friend). Then Cathy, Sally’s mother, suddenly turned up. And there were like huge blinking lights foreshadowing the horrors that would be unleashed by this evil horrible women. And, sadly, I was right in my perception.

I’d a loose idea that the book was a medical fiction involving lesbians, one of whom had dark skin, and that the book was by an author I’d recently read and rather enjoyed. Beyond that I hadn’t read too closely about the book to know what I was getting myself into when I opened it up and dove in.

There’s the trauma of death, relocation, relationships collapsing, forming, new responsibilities, and all that to navigate. Since there’s just the one point of view, everyone but her is something of a side character . . . or something like that. Which I mention more because I wanted to express my admiration for how deeply and well-constructed the many different characters were in this book. From the main – Anna, to Lane (girlfriend), to Kym (new friend), to Sandra (Anna and jake’s mother), to even Toby & Ella (Jake & Sally’s kids). None of these characters, at least, were stand-ins, paper thin. They all had stories and structure to them. In the beginning there was even enough there to build up an idea of both Jake and Sally, who were never, at any point in this novel, alive to present themselves to the reader.

Others, it is true, were more ‘as needed’ type characters, but there were enough well-formed characters to fill up a book. As needed as in – Andrew, Jake and Anna’s father, had something of his character presented through the almost constant refrain of how Anna and/or others were like or not like him in certain ways (like how he dove into his study and into a bottle of whiskey after his son died – hiding his emotions), though he was more someone to work around than someone to rely upon – which was the point – in its way.

Long and short of it is that this was a rather good and interesting book. Somewhat hard to read from the lingering after effects of death (both Jake & Sally, and, in addition, Kym’s husband as well).

It was interesting to watch Anna morph from the woman who opened the book – the woman who was super career focused and dead set against children to the woman she became by the end of the book.

Well, I’ve run out of things to say, at least out of things I can squeeze out and sprinkle over the screen to reflect my thoughts. Ah, I know – I’ve reached the point where I’m talking nonsense, yeah, that’s it, so I’ll depart.

Rating: 5.25

February 7 2018




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Campaign Trail (By Design, #9) by J.A. Armstrong

Campaign Trail by J.A. Armstrong

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


There was a lot of talking. Pages and pages of talking. Circular talking, around the issue, to others than the person they should be talking to. And repetitively being told they should talk. And them saying they know, and literally trembling in fear to talk to the other.

Oh, and a bunch of angst, and feelings of guilt, and stuff. Pearl had a good response to all this nonsense (there needs to be more Pearl).

"The only thing you've got to be guilty about is how often you feel guilty."

"In other words, knock it off."

"Not in other words. Knock it off."

- around 38% into the book.

Course even the good parts gets repeated, because that's the way these stories go. Again Pearl's the voice of reason -

"I'm telling you to stop blaming yourself for what happens to everyone else. That's what you would tell every one of us. And, stop thinking you know what's best for all of us too."

- 40% into the book.

And words of wisdom, randomly tossed out, by those who need to use it themselves in their own lives, but apparently don't, they pass it on instead:

"I still think you should talk to Mom."
...
"She wouldn't want you to keep it inside."

- Michelle to Jameson, both of whom would rather talk to others about their 'things' than with the person they should be talking to (Mel in Shell's case, Candy in JD's case). - 41% into the book.

And sometimes they tell it to themselves. But do they listen to themselves? Do they?

Talk to her, JD. Just talk to her.

What were the earthshaking things both need to tell others? And were they the only ones with 'secrets' they needed to unload? No they were not the only ones with secrets. And don't worry, if you miss the issue the first time, it'll be repeated several more times, 8?, throughout the book. Like how JD has holes in her from having missed seeing the kids grow up - how she hadn't been there; also, that people should not read into that emotion, because she really doesn't actually want to have a baby, she just doesn't like how she missed out on Candy's kids growing up. Or how Shell got used to the concept that she'd be the one to carry the baby in her partnership with Mel; but now Mel's going to be the one; and how she wants to not upset Mel; but never thought she'd want to carry a baby herself, but now she kind of wants to feel the baby moving inside of herself (don't worry, later she gets sad because she got used to the idea of Mel carrying the baby, and starts to pre-miss how she could have placed her hand on Mel and felt the baby kicking. But, eh, Mel's a very emotional person. Like a cactus. Cacti are very emotional plants).

Right, so, this book is about talking. With occasional breaks for politics. And serial killers. And children. And evil assholes. And stuff.

Rating: 3.00

October 18 2017



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Change of Pace by Jae

Change of Pace by Jae

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A short story continuation of the Portland series. As the book description noted - Sophie, Kade's mother, visits. Sophie came a week early, and Kade already has plans. Some of which she can't get out of - like needing to be in court when Sophie's plane lands (Del will pick Sophie up), and needing to help move her friends on the day Sophie wanted to visit an art museum. So Sophie joins them at the move event.

Many points of view. Including Sophie, Kade, Del, Grace (Dawn's mother) and . . . maybe more.

Dawn's 'friend' Austen helps in the move. Though more in that her name was mentioned as someone who would be helping in the move, instead of actually having a physical presence in the story. I do not remember her at all from the prior book, and it's been way too long since I read the first book to know if she was in it. It seems more as if Jae inserted the name 'Austen' into the story so that she could then say, in the after section, that Austen has her own book that could be read - 'Under a Falling Star.' I know Jae likes putting little links between her books, but this one was a little too . . poorly done. On the other hand, I do have a strong recollection that some of the people in the Portland series do turn up in Under a Falling Star . . . um, I think? Crap, I can't remember now. No matter.

Right, sorry. Story involved Sophie dealing with the fact that her daughter is estranged from her, not straight, and . . . stuff. While people move.

Rating: 3.7

September 10 2017



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Leaving L.A. by Kate Christie

Leaving L.A. by Kate Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There are very few authors who I've read everything they've published - at least if you don't start 'counting' until an author has published four or more works, otherwise there are a ton of authors I've read their one and only book (I suppose I could raise it to two or even three books published but still, seems low to be all excited about having read everything an author has published - 'I've read everything the author has published! I love them! What? Oh, they've published two books.') I mention this because this specific book was the last one that I had not yet read by this specific author.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I spotted people excitedly talking about a different book they'd read . . . and it is this author but under a different name - writing fanfiction. mmphs. Sooo . . . I haven't read everything by this author. bah. I don't care. mmphs. (should be noted I hurriedly grabbed a copy of that other book when I learned of it before someone gets the wrong idea).

So, this book. It's somewhat different than what I'd come to expect from Kate Christie. Her books seemed to be set in the relatively recent past (other than the Pride & Prejudice one; and the one set in WWII time), involve young and/or new adults and in some way involve athletes - likely ones who play soccer. One of the characters is athletic (always running) and is a college student but . . . they are also 34 (something like 33 to 34 over the course of this book). Also, this book is not set in the early 2000s or the 1980s. No, it's set roughly around when it was published (2011). People are using technology of the time (phones, computers, video-chatting, etc. etc.) and there's mention of both President Bush, and President Obama. Hmm. I should have just said 'Christie does not normally write contemporary romances involving adults, but this one is a contemporary romance involving adults'.

Well, as noted, one of the characters is around 33 to 34. She's a kindergarten teacher from Vermont. She had planned to go directly from college to grad school, but got interrupted by her mother getting then trying to beat, over five or so years, breast cancer. As the book starts, Eleanor Chapin, is in the process of receiving word from various grad schools on whether they have accepted her or not. In the mean time she is still working as a teacher, as already noted. Which is how she came into contact with the other main character in this book.

Tessa Flanagan's daughter, Layla, is in Eleanor's class. And really really loves her. And wants her mother to meet her teacher. So, she does. Tessa Flanagan is a mixed race woman, is important!, half-Irish descent and half-Filipino. She admits to that, but has otherwise mostly obscured her Chicago past for reasons that unfold in this book. As far as the reader needs to know going in - she's an A list actress who has recently (within the past year) retired from acting to spend time raising her daughter and setting up and then running a charity. I'd have said 'the relatively young age of 30-something' but many actresses find themselves 'replaced' and 'too old' when they reach their 30s so I can't say 'young age of' here.

I rather enjoyed this book. My main concern didn't really impact me as much as I figured it would when it came time for the two women to fall into a relationship. That concern being that Tessa had been paying Eleanor a massive amount of money, weekly, to be her child's nanny, when they both fell into bed together. I figured I'd feel icky about it - in a 'has Tessa accidentally turned Eleanor into a prostitute?'. But, didn't seem to be a problem to me, them, or in the story (I could have easily seen this come up as a plot point, a point of conflict - media learns of the amount of money being paid, and that the two are sleeping together - easily turned into huge scandal story - didn't happen).

sex Graphic. And I specifically recall liking one of the events described. Especially how it was written - both the joking nature, then pushing past that joking nature.

Rating: 4.78

August 26 2017



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Maye's Request by Clifford Henderson

Maye's Request by Clifford Henderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I really have no clue what I just read. It wasn't a romance. It wasn't a new adult/young adult. It wasn't a mystery/action/suspense/thriller/etc.etc. A family drama.

Maye, of 'Maye's Request', is the mother of the man character known alternatively as Brianna or Bean. Bean has just graduated college, and headed down to spend some time in Mexico with a friend (just a friend). Right when 'just a friend' became 'fuck buddies', Bean's mother, Maye, ends up in the hospital with a serious condition and the next thing Bean knows, she's on a plane back to the States. And her Aunt Jen will be there (is already there) and her father will also be there. Which is strange since the father and Jen haven't had much in the way of contact, any?, for fifteen years. Oh, and they a) are twins; b) have alternated having a relationship with Bean's mother - Maye.

That request from the title? Offered fairly early on (after a fuck ton of flashbacks) - Maye wants Bean to talk her father (who she, she being Bean, doesn't really know) into telling the father's sister, Aunt Jen, the 'big secret'. And, oh, maybe repair the rift that has developed between them.

And so the book shows this dysfunctional family over about a week or two while one is in the hospital slowly getting worse then better.

Family drama. Slice of life.

Oh, since I mentioned it (and I'd thought of saying it before I even wrote anything) - even thought the main character is smack dab in young adult/new adult zone, I say this book isn't that because new adult implies certain things not applicable here (an adult breaking free, trying to wrestle with the fact that they are, in fact, now an adult and have to act like it, support themselves - granted some people are 'forced' into that position when they still should be children, and others never reach this realization - Bean, in this case, is still in the 'I'm going to go party now, fuck being an adult' zone).

Right. I've mentioned it in passing but - there's a fuck ton of flashbacks here. Flaskbacks on flashbacks. And it isn't always easy to tell when they end, when a new one begins (before the old one ended) and stuff.

I've now read everything by this author, at least in book form released under this name (covering my bases, I am). An odd mix of books, most of which I was vaguely reluctant to try, then loved when I read them. Except for this book here. Oh no - I was super reluctant to read this one, it's the part where I didn't actually love the book once I tried it.

Rating: fuck if I know. um. 3

June 21 2017



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As La Vista Turns by Kris Ripper

As La Vista Turns by Kris Ripper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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

This book stars Suzanne ‘Zane’ Jaffe who is thirty-five, works in real estate, is a lesbian, and – throughout the course of this series – more exactly for the past 12/13 months, she has been attempting to become pregnant through artificial means. While that has been going on, around month 3 or 5, Zane started ‘dating’ another woman named Dred (Mildred) who has a kid of her own (baby James). Pretend dating – to get her friends, mostly Jaq, to stop talking about Zane hooking up with someone. Or, at least it was supposed to be pretend dating.

And so – that’s what this book is about. Zane, who has appeared in the previous five books as a side character, is now front and center and having a point of view of her own (the only point of view in the book). Trying to get pregnant. While that other plot line that has bounced along in the series, that serial killer guy . . . (view spoiler)[don’t click on the spoiler unless you’ve read books 1-4 (view spoiler)[was concluded in the last book, but people are still freaking out, so Zane is planning on/thinking about/is arranging for a ‘wake’ because Club Fred’s is filled with depressed people (hide spoiler)]. (hide spoiler)]. So plot lines – Zane 1) is trying to get pregnant; 2) is planning a party at Club Fred’s; 3) is pretend dating Dred; 4) is working through the concept of trying to become pregnant for the past year; 5) is working through the concept that maybe she doesn’t want to just be ‘pretending’ with Dred.

Meanwhile . . . I haven’t actually said much that wasn’t in the book description.

Everyone that has appeared in the series, at least the main characters, show up in this end-book. Emerson and Obie from book one play prominent roles – they kind of have to since they live in the same house that Dred lives in (with Baby James) – there’s a story there, apparently ‘Aunt Florence’ mostly raised Obie and Dred (so those two grew up together). Jaq and Hannah from book two – more Jaq, also play important roles, since Jaq, Zane, and Carlos (who doesn’t get a book of his own) ‘grew up together’ (not exactly sure what that means fully, though I know they went to school together, though Carlos is somewhere around being at least three months older than the other two – as a ‘hint’ – Carlos is the one who self proclaims himself to be a ‘dwarf’). Ed and Alisha, from book 3, have less of an ‘in’ into this story group, but are known by Zane and so appear here in the book. I’m not sure what Zane’s connection, exactly, is with Keith/Cam/and Josh (those three being the mains of book 4), but they play a large role in this book since Zane keeps bouncing over to their community center for ‘reasons’ – some of which correspond to Zane’s need to throw a party.

Before I go too far - it should be noted: This book really is one that is better read after the other books in the series. There’s a ton of information to already know – some of which is revealed/rementioned in the book, but . . . to a lesser extent than might have occurred if the other books in the series hadn’t existed. Just a warning. Mind you, I did only complete books two and three, and still came to the conclusion that I did regarding book five (this book here) – a conclusion to be mentioned later.

Of less importance, and more of just something I noted along the way - I've known about this book, and its cover, from the beginning - since I started reading the first word in this series (or, at the very least, around the same time I read book two – The Butch and the Beautiful). So I've pictured Zane as the woman on the cover of this book whenever she popped up in the series. Well, it appears that - yes she has purple hair; she also has some portion of her head 'shaved' - unless I misread 'my half-shaved purple' - unlike the woman on the cover of the book.

Right, so, the story itself – I was bouncing along nicely with the story, watching it unfold – Zane’s all angsty about getting pregnant, and feeling like maybe she shouldn’t have suggested that ‘pretend’ dating idea to Dred, because now she wants to actually date her; while also throwing together plans to hold a party – maybe at Club Freds. You know, the plot was unfolding. Then the main character started doing a few stupid things – things that she knew were stupid, took the time to think about them, and then did them anyway. And . . . it annoyed me. That was around 62% into the book. You know what happened after that? The unexpected. I spent a good portion of the last 38% of the book giggling and outright laughing and or being happy with the book (there's a hilarious scene wherein Zane is 'impregnating' herself, while Dred watches. . . and 'helps'; I knew that scene was going to occur because there were 'mentions' before it happened - frankly I kind of expected to be grossed out, instead I found it hilarious). Odd, that. *shrugs*

But what I’ve already noted is what the book is about – an end book the series, ‘stuff’ has occurred, the ‘camera’ has focused on certain characters in this La Vista place in California – zeroing in on a few queers here and there – starting with the gay guy with MS (specifically mentioning Emerson, since this is a one camera ‘comedy’ type situation, as in one point of view – more later), then the ‘stereotypical’ Butch-Femme match-up of book 2 (of which, the couple joked in this book here, book 5, that they’d be the ones to talk to the old guard queers, because of their Butch-Femme situation), then both a transgender story and a twist on the idea of what it means to be queer – with the third book focusing on a MF couple (one of whom is transgender (and ‘ethnic’), other one thought of themselves as being a lesbian before joining up with this man). Fourth book pulled in a ‘poly’ gay relationship.

So, what did book five pull in? At the outset it pulled in a woman who was willing to pretend to date another woman to ‘hold off’ on pressure from friends to ‘find someone’ to ‘help’ with this pregnancy hunt (more help hold hand, and the like, not help as in impregnate). Said woman, Zane, never planned to end up in an actual real relationship – it’s not in her plans, not on her list. No, she wants to get pregnant. And have a family that way. She’s not aromantic, or asexual though, no she’s a lesbian with a strong need to have a certain freedom that comes from being able to come home to your place, and bounce around naked – because no one else is there. Her ‘pretend’ girlfriend is a self-described pansexual woman, who has a kid of her own, and is and/or gives the impression of being chubby. That being Dred, who is also, as noted somewhere above, connected to an older woman named Aunt Florance who raised her and Obie (the story behind that might have been mentioned at some point, but if so, I missed it). Dred, or Mildred, is the individual who allows me to put the book on my ‘person of color’ shelf, being as she’s half-white/half-black.

Dred’s actual occupation is not one that I was able to pin down. As far as I could figure out, Dred has varying income – as in one month she might pull in 200 dollars, another month could see 500 or more; and somehow or another that income comes from photographing people getting married. I believe she’s a photographer who owns her own company. I could be wrong about that. It’s not easy to tell completely, since everything about her comes through Zane’s eyes since Dred doesn’t have a point of view of her own.

One interesting aspect of bouncing around among a group of people who know of each other – some closely, some more of a passing acquaintance, is the neat part of watching the POV pull in some side characters – and see them slightly differently than others have in the past (like Donald that old Asian dude who is a legend; or Fredi; or any of the main characters seen through someone else’s eyes).

Overall I enjoyed the book – it wasn’t as angsty as I thought it might end up being, though there were moments wherein I thought it might end up being. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a bunch of angst involved – about pregnancy, relationships, etc. Just . . . not an overwhelming amount.

I liked both main characters, and the individuals who they bumped into, though a reader really gets to know Zane more than anyone else. One of those unfortunate aspects of a one person point of view. Still, I got to know Dred and Zane well enough to like them together.

Last note: This book will be published February 27 2017.

Rating: 4.97

January 19 2017




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MVP by C.E. Gray

MVP
by C.E. Gray
Pages: 160
Date: 2001
Publisher: The Athenaeum
Series: None
Fanfiction: Xena
URL: http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/ce_gray_mvp1.html

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: August 4 to 7 2016

Cody Madison is a six foot tall baseball player (with long black hair and blue eyes) on a 'fairly new MLB baseball team' named the San Diego Warriors. Cody is the only female on the team.

The first team these Warriors face is the Saint Louis Cardinals. And I only know two of those (well, I stress the I part) - a MLB team, and a former NFL team (they are now the Arizona Cardinals). Though the part wherein we are suddenly inside the pitchers head and he's thinking back to the fact that the last time he faced a woman at the plate, she bady sprained his hand. Considering that thought that was revealed in that scene, there are more than just Cody out there as female players, though only one on the Warriors team.

The book was put out there into the universe sometime around 2001. There's a moment when Mark McGwire Jr. appeared - whereupon the lead character noted that his father had retired years ago in 2007. So, this is set in some unknown year when 2007 is years ago and women play, supposedly, in the MLB. Ah. It's 2017.

I expect, considering everything, that the other main in this story will be the 'small blond woman with green eyes' who Cody spots sitting at 'her table' at her favorite bar & grill with a small 5 year old named Jeffrey. - That would be 25 year old Jennie Donavon and her son Jeffrey Donavon. Who, at their first meeting, didn't recognize Cody as Cody (though had heard stories about this 'Cody' person).

So - this one will involve family issues. What with Jeannie having a son, and Cody having a brother who calls begging for money (though he had disowned her 12 years ago right after their father had died). Oh, though it will not involve, directly, Cody's parents, because both are dead. Though Jeannie's two parents are alive, and, apparently, the mother keeps trying to set up Jeannie with dates with men.

heh. That's one of the problems of writing a book in 2001 and setting it in 2017. Jeannie's apparently not out as a lesbian with her family because 'that'd go over like a lead balloon'. 2017 and still worrying about the reactions of parents, and of your own son. mmphs. heh. (and yeah, in real life everything isn't pretty ponies and chocolate candies, people still have deep issues, I'm not attempting to over look that, just noting that apparently women breaking the barrier of the MLB is seen by the book as being more realistic than an out lesbian mother).

Jeannie, to round things out, works in a day care. While Cody is a rich athlete baseball player.

Actually, to 'round things out', I should probably mention Garret, since he helped Cody when Cody's parents up and died, and owns a bar & grill that COdy likes hanging out it - oh, and they are close and stuff. So . . he's an important side character. So I should mention him.

So, as expected, there's Romance. And the two leads, Cody and Jeannie, seemed to like each other immediately.

--
Updated (8/7/16):
You can tell that this started life as Xena fanfiction by the numerous times that the two lead characters are referred to by physical characteristics. 'The blonde one' (or more likely 'the young blonde'), and the 'tall one' (or 'dark haired one'), plus numerous mentions of eye color. Vaguely annoying but that's life.

This is one of those books that had two people (well three since one had a kid) come together relatively smoothly and get along quite well. Then . . . ANGST! DRAMA! SPLIT! WHY AM I IN ALL CAPS?

Well, the 'point of conflict' is different than I've seen before. Which is saying something since this book is from 2001. The conflict, which I cannot elaborate on too much because of spoiler concerns, involves a forced separation by outside forces. It is true that I've read several (many? I forget now) that had some kind of 'forced separation' but those books were set long after that point when a 'second chance' can/could occur. Not here. Here the forced separation occurred mid stream, as it were. As in, we are not meeting people 15 years after the split, we meet people before they were ever together, then with them together, then with them split. Story is not told through a bunch of flashbacks.

--
This is/was a rather good book. It kind of sneaked up on me - everything was going a certain way and suddenly everything felt deeper, more important. Well, I do not really know what I'm talking about or rambling about. It be 3 am. Me talk funny now. Was good book.

August 7 2016

Scaredy Cat by Robin Alexander

Scaredy Cat
by Robin Alexander
Pages: 221
Date: October 30 2013
Publisher: Intaglio Publications
Series: None

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: July 22 2016

This is a) the seventh book I've read by Alexander (and fourth in 4 days); b) there is no b.

As is normal, this book involves a small town in Louisiana, and the antics of the people in it. Unlike those people in White Oak, the people of Cypress Glade are not very open/friendly to those in the LGBT community.

Quinn Scott is a local woman who works with her brother in a family owned plumbing business. She was outed by the local gossipy bitch of the town as a lesbian. Unlike the events that unfolded in White Oak during a similar incident involving Jaclyn (sex between two women that is observed by a third party who tells everyone about it), the people did not rally around Quinn and keep/develop/become friendly to the lesbian and lesbian kind. No, they figuratively or literally spat upon her (I forget if any literal spitting occurred). So Quinn mostly sticks with her job, her brother Jacob, and sister Dawn, and is kind of an outsider in her own town.

Dawn, a real estate person, finds a dwelling place for a celebrity author. Dawn also, through this author's agent, volunteers her sister to act as something of a guide to this author. For pay (I believe it was stated as being $1000 a month). Quinn is not exactly happy about this but . . .. By the way, it's known from the beginning that both the author and Quinn are lesbians - that's why Quinn was offered up as a 'guide' (no, I do not mean that as code for escort or prostitute or the like, the 'guide' isn't really what Quinn ends up being, at least not the typical kind of 'tour guide' kind of guide).

The author is a best-selling horror novelist named Blake Taylor. Who is the 'Scaredy Cat' of this novel. Since she really is scared of basically everything.

This was/is a rather neat, exciting, fun book. Humorous. Graphic sex. Etc.

Of note: there are three cats on the cover of this book (if you include the word 'cat' as part of the three cats). There are no cats in this book (at least I do not recall any). There is a dog, an owl, various other birds, squirrels, and other 'things', but no cats.

Of note 2: I read three books by Alexander in 2014. Now I've read 4 in 2016. Alexander is . . . um, well not rapidly, becoming one of my favorite authors (unexpectedly).

July 22 2016

The Lure of White Oak Lake by Robin Alexander

The Lure of White Oak Lake
by Robin Alexander
Pages: 266
Date: February 26 2013
Publisher: Intaglio Publications
Series: White Oak Lake (1st in series)

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: July 20 2016

This is my fifth Alexander book that I have read. Second one this year. Actually, for that matter, second one today, since I technically finished the prior book somewhere around 2 am this morning. The previous three books were read in August (1 book), and February (2 books) of 2014. 2 years is a long time between books.

Of the five books I’ve read by Alexander, I would slot this one in as my second favorite, behind ‘Dear Me’. Mostly because, while both were quite good books, this one seemed to have a lot less humor than ‘Dear Me’. If it was actually literally possible to laugh my ass off, I’d no longer have an ass, after reading ‘Dear Me’. This book? Made me giggle here and there but there was no risk of bodily harm.

So, I do not really wish to write a massive review. A woman loses three things right in a row over a few months – her father (died), girlfriend (left her), job (she was cut lose by a somewhat incompetent manager). A lot of time was spent, before the book opened, with Morgan Chassion, the woman who lost these three things, searching for a new job. Without any luck. So, eventually, she heads out from Atlanta to inspect this cabin that her father left her in his will. A cabin next to a lake in White Oak Lake, Louisiana.

Meanwhile, Jaclyn Wyatt is living her life as a single mother, in a rather supportive little community (not including her asshole parents) and running her own store – a bait shop named the same as the title of this book.

To a certain extent, Morgan and Austin (Austen? I forget now), hooked up long before Morgan and Jaclyn did. And no, this isn’t a book in which the reader watches someone go through several people before finally landing on ‘the right one’. No, Austin is Jaclyn’s 14 year old son.

But then, that’s the kind of relationship Jaclyn and Morgan have – slow with bursts. But I do not wish to go too far down this road so I’ll just move on.

I had one specific issue that never really got clarified for me (until I wrote this review). At the beginning of the book, everyone (okay, this happened twice) kept calling Morgan Chassion, to her face, a coon. Weirdly the people using this word were quite happy and friendly people. But still. They used this word. So, for the longest time, I thought Morgan Chassion was black.

I’m sure this will turn out to be a situation where I’m just dumb or something. Like when I got confused over the use of the word ‘merde’ in another book.

Morgan’s face colored. “that’s really very kind of you, but I’m allergic to seafood.”

“Well, I never seen it, a coon ass that can’t eat shrimp. Chassion, that’s a Cajun name, but you ain’t got much of an accent.”

Chassion, dat’s coon ass, yeah. Where ya people from, cher?”

Crap. It is a merde type situation. I noticed when I realized every time (the two times) that it is used, it is used in the same way. Attached to ass. Coon ass. And I’m sure the context of the second occasion the phrase was used should have clued me in. But, yeah, I’m dumb.

Coon-ass is used to reference a person of Cajun ethnicity. Many consider the term an insult, but others consider it a compliment or badge of honor

I knew, though, without going too far that Morgan was white. Because in a conversation with a woman in Atlanta, that woman says something along the way of ‘your white ass’ or something like that.

Well. Glad I decided to write something, heh. I now know what that coon ass stuff was about. So, long and short (too late), Morgan Chassion is of Cajun ethnicity but has spent most of her life in Atlanta.

So, the humor (not all of it) was provided in the form of three witches (sorry, I was suddenly flashing back to Shakespeare’s Macbeth), to three older women who are . . . eccentric (two more than a third). The three old women drink potions so that they can help Jaclyn find a nice woman to mate with. Also, two of the three, like running around naked. One of them being 70+ and the other being 60+.

There were no pets in this book for the two main leads, though a group of four cats ‘patrolled’ Morgan’s cabin for rodents – though the cats ‘belonged’ to her neighbor. Only one of the four is actually meet, though, briefly.

Another thing even more shocking occurred – no one vomited. There were at least two occasions when people were described as being a state that was on the edge of vomiting, and/or being ‘puke-y’. But no actual vomiting. Strange, I know.

Right, so, I enjoyed this book.

July 20 2016

Stay by Mia Archer

Stay
by Mia Archer
Pages: 289
Date: July 15 2016
Publisher: Self
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
Read: July 18 to 19 2016

This book here is the fifth book that I have read with Mia Archer’s name on it.

This is a book with some youngish main characters. I assume that they are right around the age of 18, though a specific age (I don’t think) is not actually mentioned.

Sarah and Alyssa have spent most of their lives competing and training to be competitive swimmers. They’ve gotten up at the crack of ‘too early’ to go swimming; practice sometimes twice a day; one also lifts weight to add whatever that might add to being able to pull herself through the water with stronger arms (I think that is Sarah).

Both young women are super competitive and super good. They are about a half second or a second off of each other’s times – which would be great if they didn’t compete in the same division – as only one from their section/division can go to ‘state’ (ever since Glee, I kind of giggle when people talk super serious about ‘sectionals’ and ‘state’ and the like; they could be models/singers/football players, but still, that little giggle comes up).

The book opens on the big old qualifying event for the State level races. Sarah thinks it is her year. Alyssa thinks she will win. Everyone, apparently, believes that the person that will win will either be Sarah or Alyssa.

Sarah’s parents are old school liberal and quit easy going. Alyssa’s mother is a massive over controlling bitch. Her father is kind of okay, though. This becomes important for ‘reasons’.

The book synopsis on GoodReads kind of gives things away in terms of who won at sections, but I’ll live off mentioning that.

One or the other won. The other took it hard and cried. The one that won comforted her (all this is, in its way, spoiler, but it is also the foundation of the relationship that develops from here on out).

The one who lost the race goes out of their way to drive many miles to the State level event. To act as a supporter for the other. Recall something that can’t be recalled since I haven’t mentioned it yet – both were rivals of each other. A certain amount of ‘hate’ might have even been bubbling. Which is where I’m uncertain if I should call this ‘fell for rival’ or ‘fell for friend’. Since they were rivals, but no part of the time they were rivals (on a ‘we hate each other’ level) occurs in this book. And they went from rivals to friends, then to that ‘falling for’ part. *shrugs*

Unknown to either, both have full ride scholarships to the same college, so while one or the other (or both, I forget now) might have some worries about whether this event, or that, might be the last time they see the other, they soon realize that they will have a good chance to see each other for a good longish while. Barring unforeseen complications that could have access/communication/scholarship complications.

So, fairly quickly, the book turns to these high schoolers moving from high school to the summer between graduation and college – which they spend at college, because athletes report early for training.

There’s kind of love-hate thing that occurs in waves. I’d say almost immediately, but then love doesn’t come immediately. Hate does though. But not what someone might be thinking – no, I’m referring to the hate between Tiffany and Sarah. Mostly from Tiffany to Sarah. I’m being deliberately something . . um . . not vague, because I’m using names, well like vague. Tiffany is Alyssa’s mother.

From almost the beginning of the book a certain complication is shown, foreshadowed (well, two, the first being that the mother is a bitch and that isn’t going to go away). That being some mysterious ‘waves of dizziness/light headness’ experienced by Alyssa. By the half way point the dreaded ‘word’ gets used to explain things, but as the synopsis itself doesn’t go beyond saying ‘terrible sickness’ I’ll refrain from explaining in detail the specific ‘terrible sickness’. Cancer/leukemia

Right, so, this is a coming of age/coming out/young adult/major life alternating illness book with a heavy dose of family drama book. Involving two athletes (swimmers) just starting off on the road of life.

For one reason or another books like this, and I mean simply and specifically, those that involves students, never really seem to draw up in my mind memories of the time when I was a student. There is no inherent reason why the high school years in this book would cause any memories to pop up – since that part seems to be over in a flash, and only shows something like a week or three of it – plus it was heavily focused on, to the exclusion of everything else, on swimming. The college part though did, oddly enough, pull up some memories of college. That’s the sum total of my point of mentioning this factoid – books like this do not normally engage my memories, while this one did.

It should be noted, for those coming along behind me, that this book ends at the 80% mark.

July 19 2016

Picture Imperfect by Lea Santos

Picture Imperfect
by Lea Santos
Pages: 208
Date: September 1 2010
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: Amigas y Amor (3rd in series)

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: June 21 2016

My third book by this author. This is the third of the four Lea Santos books. I gave the first two I read ratings of 5 stars each. The third book is the one that I had noticed, even before trying the first Santos book, that everyone loved most of all.

Paloma Perea Vargas and Deanne Vargas have been together seventeen years, since high school, specifically some time in sophomore year (baring a brief father induced separation during sophomore-junior summer break). They have been ‘married’ for fourteen years now. But Paloma has just had enough with feeling like Deanne doesn’t even see her any longer, and has kicked Deanne out of the house they share together with their two children (one is 8, other is 6 – the children, not Paloma and Deanne, that would be weird).

Their relationship problems stem directly from their own childhood experiences, and from the fact that they have never had a romantic relationship beyond the one they share with each other, so they do not have any personal experience with relationships beyond whatever they’ve picked up together.

By ‘directly from their own childhood experiences’ I mean: Deanne developed two traits that she picked up in reaction from growing up. Victor, Deanne’s father (who she always refers to as Victor), left Deanne’s mother at some point when Deanne was still a child. He was lazy and lived to party. Victor, by leaving, abandoned both a wife, and five children. The mother, Rosario, had to pick up three jobs just to make ends meet. In reaction to this issue, Deanne has developed the need to not be her father. To not be lazy, to not run out/party/etc. So she shows her love by working, by providing, by self-sacrificing her free time. So, sometimes, certain ‘events’ get forgotten or missed, because of ‘work’. Deanne sees this as providing for her family the way she knows how. Paloma sees this as putting work first as priority, and basically abandoning her family – though she never actually says anything, but we’ll get to Paloma shortly.

To add to that need to work in reaction to her lazy father, Deanne also picked up something from her mother. Though based on her interactions with her mother, not based on her mother’s own experiences. At times Deanne did certain things that caused her mother to become angry with her. Deanne reacted by hiding from the problem. Her mother would, eventually, return to her normal happy personality. Deanne learned, from repeated cycles of this hiding, that the way to deal with issues is to hide from them. They will fix themselves. So, when Deanne feels/knows/senses that Paloma is upset, and angry with her, she reverts to her childhood – she hides. Paloma, though, just seems to get angrier and not revert to a happy state. Deanne does not know how to react to this situation. Like the part about not having sex for the last six months – Deanne wants to hump Paloma, but Paloma is giving off massive ‘keep away’ vibes. So, Deanne keeps away.

This reinforces the problems, adding to them. In Paloma’s own mind, Deanne’s lack of attention, lack of pouncing on her indicates that Deanne doesn’t want her any longer. Is physically repulsed by her or something. Plus she senses that Deanne has had some odd change that occurred 8 years ago – right around the time their first child was born. But Paloma also picked up something from her childhood. Directly from her mother. The need to self-sacrifice, to support, to be a housewife. To not complain. So Paloma shows her ‘problems’ with the current situation by withdrawing, though with a smile, to keeping her emotions bottled up, to never, once, using her mouth to actually convey that there is an issue.

Discussing the break-up, after Paloma kicked Deanne out of the house, one of Paloma’s friends made some comment or another. Probably along the lines of ‘well, did you ever tell her what the issue(s) were?’ to which Paloma responded with something like ‘but I shouldn’t have to if she really loved me!’ I’ve seen that attitude in MF books. This might be the first time I’ve seen that in an FF book.

Well, as noted, 14 – 17 year relationship. Poof. Gone. Because neither party knew how to communicate and things got steadily worse. Until one finally broke down and kicked the other out of the house. Instead of, you know, ever actually mentioning that there were issues. Or talking. Hell, they never even fought. Just, boom.

Paloma: ‘We haven’t had sex in six months! She hasn’t made a move on me!’
A friend: ‘Did you?’
Paloma: ‘I shouldn’t have to!’
A friend: ‘How did ‘action’ initiate in the past?’
Paloma: ‘Well, I’d make a move first.’
*stares*

Right. So. The friends saw Paloma and Deanne’s relationship as perfect. From the outside. But it wasn’t, not from the inside. Hence the book title – ‘Picture Imperfect’. Though I mentioned the friends more so that I could indicate that the other couples from books 1 and 2 of this series pop up in this book. And the one who turns up in the fourth book, Madeira Pacias, Torien Pacias sister, is mentioned in this book (in an ‘I haven’t had sex in six months, I need sex, I should hump Madeira, and she humps everyone.’ ‘Don’t talk about my future sister that way; even if I admit that she is a player’).

Ah, this book. I felt a certain wave of anger at both parties while reading this book. That is not how I wish to spend my time reading, in a state of anger. Of the four Santos books, though, this one is the one everyone apparently loved the most.

Oh, and for those who care about such things – the series moved from super fit and chiseled gardener hooking up with a supermodel to a woman who self-describes herself as being chubby (‘I had two children!’). Though she might have lost that chubbiness along the way. There was some indication of that.

And, another tidbit of information I do not know where to put: “I’m thirty-two years old, for God’s sake.” (As said by Paloma, so, she is 32).

Right, so, good book. *nods* On to next.

June 21 2016

Building Blocks
by J.A. Armstrong
Pages: Unknown
Date:
Publisher: Bumbling Bard Creations
Series: By Design (7th in series)

Review
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0
Read: May 13 to 15 2016

I've felt for a longish while that I'd love to read one of these books (well, not that one series I can't get into) by Armstrong in a full length book (more than 200+ pages at least).

Well . . .. There are three hour movies that feel like almost no time has passed when it's over. There are 90 minute movies that feel like days have gone by while it was playing. This book? I do not actually know how long this book was, since that information is oddly missing, but it felt more like a three hour movie that felt like it was taking days to complete.

Now there were moments when I was thinking that this would end up being another 5 star effort. Or 4 star. Or . . .. Well, that was before things kept being tacked on. Then again, I've felt two things before: a desire for the book to be over already (mostly in that third series); and that these stories seem to work better in shorter form. There's only so much lovey-dovey; we are such great people; emotional rollar-coasters; before my brain exits my body and visits the beach or something insane like that. Can you imagine? Sand gets into everything as it is, but if only my brain visited? I'd never get the sand out.

Despite my ramblings, there is a good-ish story here. Mostly. The whole 'evil Klein dude' story line has been building up and building up for a good long while now. And Candace was finally going to unleash herself. And . . . it all just kind of fizzled, really.

A Fashionably Dead Christmas by Robyn Peterman

A Fashionably Dead Christmas
by Robyn Peterman
Pages: 128
Date: December 15 2016
Publisher: Self
Series: Hot Damned (5th in series)

Review
Rating: 2.0 out of 5.0
Read: March 22 2016

I like holiday stories, I like Christmas stories, I seem to have an odd attraction to reading holiday family stories, and I like humor. There are series and authors in which my favorite thing in the series, or by the author, happen to be holiday stories.

This was an annoying, disagreeable mess.

And please, for the love of everything and anything, stop fucking going on and on about the super old vampires whose bodies keep accidentally falling out of their outfits. It wasn't exactly that interesting the first time (or 10 or 20 times) this little bit of 'humor' popped up. But it was bearable. But . . . do we really need the same humor beaten to death, mounted on the wall, taken down, unmounted, beaten some more, then mounted to the wall again?

Also, what the fuck are 'baby Jesus' figurines? The next is unrelated, specifically, to this story, but since I'm on 'baby Jesus' anyway - why the fuck do so many fucking people seem to prefer asking help from/praying to/worshiping baby Jesus as opposed to, oh, I don't know, non-baby Jesus? They just not want some 30-something dude's help? Prefer the help of a baby? For fuck sake.

March 22 2016

Keystone by Bridget Balentine

Keystone
by Bridget Balentine
Pages: 179
Date: February 28 2016
Publisher: Self
Series: Dreams and Dreamers (3rd in series)

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: March 21 to 22 2016

The third book in this series and third book I’ve read by this author.

It’s been a while since I read the first two parts of this series, so I’m just going to assume that the second book ended in a cliff-hanger – based on how this specific chapter in the story opened. Actually, let me just look at what I wrote for the previous book. Won’t take me two seconds. Be back in a jiffy.

Ah, hehe. I wondered what was up with the many occasions when Josie talked to herself inside of (). Reminded me a little too much like I was reading Jim Gaffigan, but without the humor. As in:

I really like cheese . . . (Is he going to spend the next hour talking about cheese? I came here to listen to humor! He better not talk about cheese for too long or I’ll I’ll . . leave! *both parts spoken by Gaffigan, second part spoken as if he was giving a very bad impression of attempting to do a fake woman’s voice)

At first I thought that () stuff was because Josie’s sections, at least in the first part, were flashback scenes. And I thought the () was ‘current’ comments she was making while the scenes unfolded. But that () continued in the second part when Josie’s scenes leapt to present day. – I say, getting back to my prior thought that I had been wondering about that () -> I see from my review of the last book that the prior book used heavy italics to convey flashbacks. Well, this time there isn’t heavy use of italics, which I’m happy about. The () was weird, but much more livable than heavy use of italics.

Okay, finally got to what I was looking for – yeah, the second part ended abruptly. As I kind of assumed. The second part ended with Sabrina about to go to a party hosted by her ‘semester abroad’ mentor/teacher but in a certain amount of distress because she just had a fight with the, literally, love of her life (or, in other words, the woman she has loved her whole life, even if the other never really noticed her). This third part opens with that still to be resolved.

Sabrina’s been kicked out by Josie, and must find some hotel room to inhabit until the party. And to change into. We read this from Sabrina’s point of view. Josie’s point of view? At least in the first part, she’s stuck in the past (and that’s one of the reasons I was really confused when the book opened, because the book doesn’t actually open with a continuation of the prior story, but opens in a flashback – Josie flashing back to her time living with her bitchy, alcoholic abusive mother).

Right, so. This is not a work that can be read on its own. I mean that both in terms of this specific book here, and probably, to a certain extent, to this series. It’s probably easier to ‘take’ if read all in a row. Wasn’t possible, for me, since the second part was read by me in November of 2015, and the third part didn’t come out until Feb 28 2016.

The story follows Sabrina in the present as she tries to get over the very brief and abruptly ending affair she had with the woman she has always fancied, Josie. While also having to put on a brave face and go mingle at that previously mentioned party hosted by Tobin, Sabrina’s ‘semester abroad’ teacher/mentor.

Meanwhile, Josie’s in the past reliving, or flashing back, to living with her dreadful horrible mother. And not being able to cut the ties. Not being able to get over her disappointment. Somewhat easier to ‘get/understand/accept’ when the reader adds to the ‘that’s my mother’ aspect the part where she had given her dying father the promise that she will attempt to watch over her mother.

Sabrina needs some time to collect her thoughts, but her sister, Lilly, keeps hammering her with texts. Apparently Lilly needs Sabrina to call their mother. So Sabrina does. And learns of an issue that Josie needs to address, and an issue better expressed face to face. So, Sabrina must face Josie. Only to find her looking horrible, and all the workers at Sass, Josie’s restaurant, giving Sabrina evil looks. Sabrina hurriedly conveys the message that she was tasked with delivering and flees.

Sabrina’s relationship appears to be over, but her career is just starting so she must go to the party. Which I express in this way, because Sabrina learns at the party that part of Josie’s ‘problems’ involves being forced out of her job – Josie has a rotten mother she has to deal with (that’s the issue that Sabrina had to give a message about, face to face), a broken relationship, and a wrecked career.

Sabrina figures out that she needs to be more of a friend than a disgruntled positional/former/future lover and goes to try to give comfort to Josie. I mention all of this story so I can finally get to the part wherein they decide, based on a suggestion by Sabrina, that the thing to do is to drive cross country from New York to Colorado so that Josie can both deal with the issue with her mother, and give herself time to address her problems with Sass the restaurant.

I believe that it might have been around here when the two points of view both shift into the present, for the most part. Though, it might also have been point wherein Sabrina kind of took over more of the book – with Josie’s sections being fewer and further in between.

Right, so, that isn’t the whole of the book by any means, but something of it. A relationship in turmoil, a career beginning/ending, etc. etc. Overall quite good story.

One thing to note, something of a warning I guess since some people care more about this issue that I normally do – there are certain . . . formatting issues? Something like that. Wherein words are missing. Letters are missing (as in, using pass when mean to use passed). 99% of the time I just let the issue flow past me, and do not add or subtract any ‘points’ because of the issue.
One example, though not the one I was going to use (the one I was going to use apparently is refusing to be found by me):

She heard the muffled sound of her mother talking other voices in the background and cringed because Josie definitely wasn’t going to be up for all the residents of Castle Rock to want to stop by and see her as though she were an exhibit on loan from a New York City Zoo

. (not the best example, but one that I can find, insert, and move on from).

March 22 2016

Renovations by J.A. Armstrong

Renovations
by J.A. Armstrong
Pages: 127
Date: February 29 2016
Publisher: Self
Series: By Design (6th in series)

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: March 16 2016
I'm not sure what it is about this specific series, but I surely do seem to enjoy it more than the others, and, to a certain extent, more than I'd expect.

I only have a few comments this time - (1) yay, mention of another story in this series (unlike that other series I like by Armstrong which didn't mention a 'continued in'); (2) I've a nephew named Spencer - that actually caused me to avoid this chapter in the series a few times, opening the book and seeing that opening wherein Jameson is calling for Spencer . . . made me pull back out a few times for some reason; (3) I really like how 2 of the three series (and I assume the 3rd is going this way as well, and probably will be there starting with the next story) follow a couple - too often I'll read a book - watch a couple circling, 'merge' and . . . 'that's all folks!' as the pig would say. I like being able to follow couples beyond that 'that's all folks' dividing line - and more than just a small little epilogue (or seeing the couple pop up as side characters in some other couple's unification story).

So - Jameson is watching Spencer while Maureen is attempting to regain her faculities; Candace is there off and on – busy as she is with the business of being the new governor of New York (and a few political crisis that pop up); and the rest of the extended family are doing their thing.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this one as much as the prior entries in the series and probably the real reason I kept dodging the entry, what with really liking the story that came right before this one, I was somewhat nervous things would let me down – my fear was not confirmed. As would be expected in a situation like this – while I recommend this story (I mean, I did give it 5 stars), I only do so with the clear note that this is a story that builds on itself. I’m not even sure you could read this specific entry without the knowledge gained from reading the five previous entries. I know there are moments where certain things are somewhat indirectly mentioned, and I picked up on what was being said, but someone new to the series has no real chance on picking that info up (one example would involve several comments by or about Laura, indirectly referring to her horrible family – without actually mentioning that they are horrible or why Laura might appreciate the motherly like attitude Candace points in her direction).

Hmm. This ‘review’ is shorter than the actual story description. I think.

March 17 2016

Fashionably Dead Down Under by Robyn Peterman

Fashionably Dead Down Under
by Robyn Peterman
Pages: 334
Date: March 27 2014
Publisher: Self
Series: Hot Damned (2nd in series)

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: March 9 2016
The second book I’ve completed written by Peterman. Though not the second one I’ve tried. I read the first book in this series in the beginning of this year, then, because the second book was supposedly going to take place in hell, and I kind of vaguely tired of reading books with characters visiting hell, I put off reading the second book in the series. Still, I enjoyed the first book I’d read by this author so tried another first in a series book. ‘Ready to Were’. My records appear to be wrong, since they mention a start date of December 28th, an earlier date than what I know was my first book. I just know I started it twice and just couldn’t continue.

So, 1 success, 1 failure on my part. Naturally it took me, then, two months to try the author again. And I ended up liking this book so much that I looked into buying the third book in the series before I’d even completed book 2. Sadly there’s a main character change. On the one hand I dislike when series involve character changes. On the other hand, I haven’t had much success with this author when someone other than Astrid is in control. She kind of gets on my nerves at times, Astrid that is, but clicks just right to have enabled me to get through two books with her in the lead. Well, ‘get through’, is wrong. Since I enjoyed both books I've read with Astrid.

I found the first book in the series quite enjoyable and hilarious. I found this one to be a good way to pass the time, though I do not actually recall laughing at any point.

I’m going on about this specific set of topics because 1) they matter to me personally; 2) I’m uncertain what I can and can’t get myself to say about this book that might not be spoiler-y or something like that.

So, 2 months after I finished the first book in the series, I started the second. Which I mention only to point out that the second book begins immediately after the first. And I didn’t exactly reread the first or even glance at the description for it, so I was slightly ‘out of it’ at the very beginning. I caught on rather quickly, though.

Astrid is in pain. Manages to open her eyes and look around. She finds herself in a relatively rich looking, though vaguely tacky, bedroom. Specifically on a bed. Eventually, what she’s kind of tired, she finds out that she isn’t restrained or anything like that, and has her clothing on. Then she notices that there’s music floating in the air and it’s . . . Journey. Last thing she recalled she was being dragged to hell. Hell, so far, doesn’t exactly look like it’s been advertised.

Eventually she makes it out of the bed, has a wall talk to her, and meets the owner of the fine establishment she found herself in. Well, first she hid and watched an attractive young woman being verbally assaulted for her goody-goody ways, and her straight A report card. One thing leads to another and Astrid realizes that she’s witnessing a fella named Satan. And his daughter, Dixie.

Satan, it turns out, is the brother of the guy she just killed (you know, her father). So, you know, that means that her uncle is Satan. And, she later learns, Dixie has 7 sisters – otherwise known as the 7 deadly sins (basically they are the personification of those sins – wrath, lust, pride, sloth, etc.). So, awkward and complicated. Oh, and to top things off – doesn’t appear to have her vampyre powers (which she found out when she attempted to fly), for some odd reason can breath, but not all is different – she’s still pregnant, and she can’t eat or drink anything because everything tastes like ass.

The book is mostly Astrid visiting hell, and her relatives. Though there’s something of a quest in there. Kind of. Involving a sword. Mostly, though, it’s about meeting her uncles, cousins, and grandparents.

As I closed the review for the prior book in this series – yes, there’s graphic sex in this book. Which I found interesting. Despite it involving a male and a female.

Right. The above is kind of crap, but hey, there are already 229 reviews so . . . I don’t feel too bad.

March 9 2016

Second Chance by Sydney Canyon

Second Chance
by Sydney Canyon
Pages: 197
Date: April 20 2015
Publisher: Triplicity Publishing, LLC
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: March 4 to March 5 2016
In my ever evolving quest to read at least one book by everyone who writes LGBT (specifically the L part), at least those who have written something that was 'really liked' by one or more friends on here, I decided to try this book here.

It's been almost a week since I read the book, so this will be slightly difficult. Especially since everything that needs to be learned could probably be best dealt with by having me say something like *read the book description, then come back here; here's a few words on what I thought* but that's boring. So. ..

The book opens on an interesting scene in a war zone. A convoy is driving through dangerous territory, and it's under attack. During the attack, the vehicle that the main character is in is hit by at least two, maybe more, explosive devices. Fire, smoke, debris flies everywhere. The main character, though, one Staff Sergeant Darien Hollister, isn't exactly in the best position to help the situation. What with her being blinded in the explosions. So she calls out to her team, trying to get a sense if anyone else is still alive. Everything might explode at any moment, and she's not getting any responses so it's up to her to try to find the outside. Preferably gathering as many of her troops as she can on the way out.

She did, in fact, make her way out. Otherwise this would be a really short story involving someone who died in combat. And I've actually read a few of those - they are the kind of books where at the end you realize that everything that had occurred had been a flash back type of a 'this is my life' flashing through the mind of someone who refuses to die. Then does. Die that is. That isn't this type of book though.

So, book then turns to a beach. Darien Hollister is sitting on that beach starring at the setting sun. Which is hard to do since she can't see. Her best friend Val is there to help. Actually she's Darien's cousin. Though still a friend. See, it's been a week or more since I read the book, was she called 'best friend'? I can't recall.

Darien had dedicated her life to joining the US Marines. And advancing from recruit, all the way up to Staff Sergeant. She's still relatively young, but she doesn't know what to do with herself. Now that she's been honorably discharged from the Marines. And is blind.

After a longish period of time, chronologically at least, if not in pages in the book, Darien learns of a medical procedure that might help her. There's been like three surgeries. At the moment, only one has been successful - would Darien be interested? Well, considering who and what Darien is in the grand scheme of things, the possibility of making things worse with a statistically small chance she could see? She decides to have the surgery.

More time passes chronologically. She's sad that someone had to die for her to have her new eyes. And she is still unsure what to do with herself, since she's still out of the Marines. And while she still has savings, it won't last forever. So, she puts herself onto a mission - after a lot of work she learns where her eyes came from, and learns who belongs in that individuals family.

She hasn't really thought things through, despite all the time needed to learn the information she has learned, nor does she think things through before popping into a plane and flying out to where she expects to find some family members of the donor.

Takes her some time to actually drive onto the farm, drove past a couple of times. And when asked if she's there for the advertised work, she takes the easy out. And so, she gets a job on a farm. While there she meets the mother of the person who had to die so Darien could see, Beverly, Beverly's daughter-in-law and son. Plus Ernie, who works on the farm.

Darien works hard and interacts with the people there. She feels vague feelings for the daughter-in-law, which she finds vaguely wrong, and develops something of a friendship with Beverly. They have some nice moments telling stories to each other (mostly Darien discussing her joining the Marines, then her rise through the ranks).

The book was a rather nice interesting read. Enjoyable. It had both a vaguely light and heavy feeling to it - light because some events seemed to get more of a passing reference than a deep reflection, and heavy from the emotions explored and revealed through certain other events.

March 9 2016

Fowl Language: I Used to Be Cool and Do Cool Things by Brian Gordon

Fowl Language: I Used to Be Cool and Do Cool Things
by Brian Gordon
Pages: 128
Date: March 22 2016
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Series: Fowl Language
Webcomic address: http://www.fowllanguagecomics.com/?pw_highlight_code=74798

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: February 20 2016

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

My first book by this author. I was looking around Netgalley to see what they had available to be 'read now' and spotted this book here in the humor area. Glanced at a few reviews over on Goodreads - which included several pictures from the book - and found the pictures humorous. So I selected this book to read.

Like the last book I attempted to read through Netgalley, I ended up starring at the provided file with confusion. Well, took me a while, but I've finally figured how to open a acsm file. See, it kept trying to load in the Adobe PDF thingie already on my computer. But that specific one couldn't read acsm files. So . . . . eventually I found something that read acsm files, downloaded it. Then realized that I had downloaded the program to my phone. Which didn't help me any. Eventually I figured out how to download Adobe Digitial Editions to my PC so now I can actually read this here book. Yay me. So then, the book itself.

First off I'll note that I've read several parenting/family themed comics/books, which this book here falls within, but am not myself a parent. I do have a nephew, so . . ..

From the introduction: 'I remember thinking that this crap was WAY less magical than I had been promised.' - hmm, confusing that. Having an actual human 'suddenly' appear where no human existed before - that's magical. Parenting? Who said parenting was magical?

Huh. I see now. Apparently everyone but him in his social circle had 'easy babies' but he had a 'hard baby'. Then he found out his experience wasn't, in fact, the sole experience of having a 'hard baby' out there. I see now why he got confused, if his social circle had magical babies and he didn't. Hmms. Magical babies. Odd concept that. If I had something like that in my life, not that I would (as in, I know my own genetics, a magical baby ain't coming out of me), I'd think that my baby had been replaced by an alien - or someone else's kid. If, I mean, the baby was magically easy. (yeah, I know, he actually concludes that his social circle were lying, not that there were magical babies out there).

Heh. Well, that bodes well. I moved from the introduction to the first actual comic and burst out in laughter. Odd, I am, but still. I laughed. Yay, my brain thinks.

'Who hates naps?!' - hehehe

'stupid genetics' - hehehe

hmms. I might accidentally die by laughter.

hehehe - 'Why I don't get invited to baby showers anymore' - hehehe

ha-hahe - 'evidently I was friggin' Hitler in a former life.'

hmms. Okay, some just flew over my head. Like the Advent Calendar one.

hehehehehaha - 'not a single piece of your Halloween candy was poisoned...'

'Three'. heh

'I don't wanna be a tree stump!' hehehe

Okay, I need to stop randomly laughing at stuff in this review. Needless to say, there's a lot of very funny stuff going on in this here book. It's funny, it is.

'But we're outside!!!' hehehehe. oops, was supposed to stop doing that, I was.

hehehehe - 'Holy crap, I'm raising a politician.'

This is/was a really really funny little comic book. All should read. *nods* Don't have to be a parent, I know, because I'm not a parent and I laughed really loudly.

February 20 2016