Poignant, Political, and Powerful

The Empire of Things by C. J. Stone

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Politics, paganism and .... Vlad the Impaler. Selected stories from CJ Stone from 2003 to the present. Meet Ivor Coles, a British Tommy killed in action in September 1915, lost, and then found again. Visit Mothers Club in Erdington, the best psychedelic music club in the UK in the '60s. Celebrate Robin Hood's Day and find out what a huckle duckle is. Travel to Stonehenge at the Summer Solstice and carouse with the hippies. Find out what a Ranter is, and why CJ Stone thinks that he's one. Take LSD with Dr Lilly, the psychedelic scientist. Meet a headless soldier or the ghost of Elvis Presley in Gabalfa, Cardiff. Journey to Whitstable, to New York, to Malta and to Transylvania, and to many other places, real and imagined, political and spiritual, transcendent and mundane. As The Independent says, this is "The best guide to the underground since Charon ferried dead souls across the Styx."

Review: A collection of stories and articles ranging from legalizing of marijuana, Stonehenge, hippies, and the state of the British government.

With books that contain only a few stories, I can remember details easily enough. With books with more stories, it’s become harder for me to remember individual stories. So in short, I should have taken notes and I do apologize for that as I will only mention a few stories. I did enjoy this collection and I feel it contains enough of a variety that a reader should find something to enjoy.

The story I found most poignant was Requiem for a Dreamer. It really does show how alcohol can destroy a life. It’s easy enough to say it was a preventable tragedy, but reality is much harder to fix with words.

I enjoyed the article about Drug Problems or Drug Solutions? It’s a very polarizing topic and easily has people up in arms. I really liked the thoughtful and logical way the author approached the situation.

I also enjoyed the section about Stonehenge. It’s a fascinating place with so much unknown, including how it was built, why it was built, and what is was used for. Stonehenge can represent different things to different people.

My least favorite section was on the state of the British government. Perhaps that is because I am American and now too terribly familiar with British history in the 20th century. The author has very strong views towards Margaret Thatcher which might upset a few people.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy nonfiction stories about politics, drugs, and other current issues.

Weirder and Weirder

Merciful Flush by Lance Manion

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: Merciful of Flush is a collection blogs written over the past 5 years. Sometimes funny, often thought-provoking, and occasionally rude they seek to act as a catalyst for creativity. Details are kept to a minimum so the reader can fill in their own blanks and take from the stories something unique to them. A perfect book for commuters, people in need of a little inspiration and anyone who likes to read on the toilet. A self-help book for those looking to think weirder.

Review: A very eclectic and downright weird collection of stories.

This collection of stories is perfect to read a little at a time. You can read one or two stories in a few minutes. So technically, it's perfect for reading on the toilet. Through these stories, you can tell that Lance Manion doesn't take himself very seriously and that he is a mysterious creature (aka doesn't provide many details about himself). All of these stories are odd or weird in some way. Some are weirder and odder than others. I would not recommend this collection of stories to someone who does not have a sense of humor since you certainly need one to read Merciful Flush.

Since there are so many stories, there are bound to be some that a reader really enjoys, likes, and those they don't like. Most of the stories fell into the likes category with a few falling into really enjoys and ones that I didn't like. There are two stories that I remembered as really enjoying. The first one was about the spider and how the spider made its web even though it was supposed to rain. The other was the one where convicts could take the place of someone who was dying and criminals wound up in positions of power, such as CEOs of companies.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy humorous short stories that can be downright weird at times.

Next Up, Bob Goes to Mars

The Sun Zebra by Rolando Garcia

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: The Sun Zebra, is best described as a children's book for grownups. Its aim is to encourage us to discover (or rediscover) the amazing things that children and their magical carefree world can teach us, even as we try to teach them about the harsh realities of our own. The book is a collection of five stories that follow the "adventures in living" of an unusual little girl named Nell, her mother Rhonda, and Nell's father who is the narrator of the stories.

Review: A sweet collection of stories about a man and his daughter and the childlike wonder we lose as adults.

I enjoyed these stories. They were very sweet and showed the natural wonder and innocence of a child. Too often, we lose this innocence and natural wonder of a child, some sooner rather than later. I personally am rather cynical about childhood innocence, but after reading this book, I can certainly see the importance of preserving that innocence as long as possible even though one cannot survive with too much innocence in today’s world. Not all children are alike and Nell seems like a very special child and certainly a great one to write stories about.

My favorite story was Bob the Intrepid Insectnaut. I love insects and was privileged to see, as a child, a cicada coming out of its shell. Cicadas are fascinating creatures. Due to my childhood, I can be rather childlike at times and I found myself wishing that Bob would fly to the stars and see beautiful sights. I was extremely glad that Bob landed in the backyard of a retired entomologist who was able to help him. The other stories were delightful, but not as delightful as Bob. I think this book would resonate strongly with adults who have children.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that those are parents or who are involved with children on a daily basis or anyone who misses what was lost in adulthood.

Cats and Dogs and Bunnies and Lizards and Opossums

Puppalicious And Beyond by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: Do you rank Where The Red Fern Grows along with Wuthering Heights amongst your favorite books of all time? All Creatures Great and Small with Pet Sematary? If so, chances are you get it: there’s something magical about giving literary immortality and voice to the nonhumans that capture our collective imagination. If these are the stories that glue you to the page, then Puppalicious and Beyond: Life Outside The Center Of The Universe is the book for you. Set in the Caribbean and Texas, it tells the sometimes true and sometimes fictional tales of the magnificent and interrelated creatures – natural and supernatural -- that passed through the author's life, bringing her delight, fright, and every emotion in between.

Review: An enjoyable collection of stories about animals and the relationships humans have with them.

I love animals. I have a tendency to love the less furry and more spiky or scaly sort of animals. My favorite animals are manta rays, whale sharks, and bearded dragons. I also love frogs, reptiles, lizards, snakes, spiders, insects, fish, and turtles. I like cats and dogs along with wolves, birds, and owls. The stories in this book focus heavily on dogs with a smattering of cats, lizards, frogs, bunnies, and an opossum. The stories really show the love and devotion humans can have toward their pets and animals in general.

While I enjoyed all the stories, my least favorite story was the one about the frogs. I love frogs and I hated reading about how many frogs were killed. Frogs have a right to live too. One of my favorite stories was about the gecko on the glass. I found it cute how a female appeared and then downright adorable when babies were born. I love lizards. The most heart wrenching story was the story about Petey. It was hard to read due only to the content and I was hoping for a good ending.

Rating: 

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to animal lovers.

More Than a Few Days in 2056

One Day in 2056 & Other Stories by K.L. Dillon

Summary: “People just can’t die. There has to be consequences,” a grief-stricken Alex Pine says to Dr. Hailey Madison in “Come What May,” the first of six short stories. After his mother’s suicide, Alex’s life starts to spin out of control. Alone and desperate for answers, Alex pays his mother’s psychiatrist a visit, gun in hand. 

The collection’s title story, “One Day in 2056”, revolves around 14 year old Harold George Wells. In 2050, five billion people were mysteriously abducted and it may have something to do with the “UFO-looking ships” occupying the earth’s skies. However, out of the five billion that were taken, Harold only cares about two: his parents.

In “Nineteen,” aspiring writer and Hemingway enthusiast Jacob Fisher drops out of college to pursue his dream of becoming a novelist. But, after he’s disowned by his parents and kidnapped by a group of scientists, whose sole intention is to send him back in time to make a different choice, he begins to question his fate and destiny and whether or not everything’s not already written in stone.

Disclaimer: I received this book form the author in exchange for a review. 

Review: A mix of both good and meh short stories.

From the title, I thought the short stories in this collection would be science fiction. However, after reading the book, I would consider only one story to be science fiction with another story being close. While I was a little disappointed, I still did enjoy this book. My favorite out of this collection was “Moving On”. It was very poignant.  “Moving On” dealt with grief, the unreality of reality, and how quickly it is to lose oneself. “The Urn” was another story dealing with grief. It was quite eerie since you are not sure if it’s all in his head or something else entirely.

“Come What May” was tragic. I knew something bad would happen at the end, but I was hoping that someone would come in and save the day. The story certainly does a good job of reminding us to be grateful for what we have while we have it and never take it for granted. I always say I love you to my husband every time I leave for a reason. “One Day in 2056” had a big buildup, but the ending was a bit of a letdown. The story could easily be expanded into a full length novel.

I wasn’t sure what the point was of “Nineteen”. It was a fine story about a young man who dropped out of college. I was expecting something to happen to him that would either make him change his mind or make him realize he was meant to be a writer. Then it gets weird when he gets kidnapped by scientists to send him back in time. The ending made me wonder what the whole point of the story. “The Fourth Couple” was my least favorite. It was overly dramatic and ridiculous and felt like an excuse to put in violence and suicide in a story.   

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy short stories. 

The Power of Nonviolence

Sacred Are The Brave by James Sanderson

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Short stories about nonviolent revolution beginning in 1986 when unarmed citizens used 'People Power' to overcome the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines to the various nonviolent movements in Eastern Europe in 1989. Each of these stories presents an ordinary character who is forced to show extraordinary courage in the face of violent oppression.

Review: A powerful collection of stories. 

These stories are fiction, but have the ring of truth. I know the stories are based off of true events, but they can be applied to just about any situation where nonviolence could be applied. I appreciated the introduction that Sanderson provided about the history of nonviolence. It gave a good context for the stories. I did not realize how widespread nonviolence was and still is. There is a large focus on the year 1989. 

My favorite story was "Imelda's Shoes." It is about a reporter who makes a significant impact due to his stories. It is a very powerful story and shows that while the media can cause harm, it can cause a lot of good and spread powerful messages. I found some of the stories more emotional than the rest of the stories. The story that was just journal entries was my least favorite and it was downright boring. 

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those who enjoy short stories, stories with a broad emotional impact, or stories dealing with civil rights. 

Accountants Have It Rough

Unbalanced: Accounting Tales by Lawrence Seinoff

Disclaimer: This book was received from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: In a world dominated by greedy clients, IRS agents, peer reviewers, and Napoleonic managing partners, the burnt out accountants inhabiting these stories seek retribution and redemption.

Review: A collection of short stories in which accountants get revenge on those that wronged them.

I don't know how many accountants actually feel this way, but it seems like a very thankless job with people always wanting to take advantage of you. These short stories focus on revenge and although I am not an accountant, I assume that the revenge the accountants enact on their clients wouldn't go as unpunished as it does in the stories. Since I am not an accountant I do not get a lot of the terms they use nor do I exactly know what they mean or their implications. I think an accountant is probably the best audience for this book. 

As mentioned before, I was a bit confused by some of the concepts in the stories so I might not have the gotten the full impact of the actions taken. Everyone is so terribly disgruntled and unhappy with their lives, which leads to people eager to seek revenge in any way possible. Most revenge makes logical sense, except for one story where it gets wildly out of hand. A lot of these stories are connected and share the same characters. I must admit that I had trouble keeping track of all the characters and how they were connected.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this to those that are accountants, those in a similar profession, or those that enjoy stories about revenge. 

Zombies, Zombies, and More Zombies

Hungry For You by A.M. Harte

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: "There is no greater drug than relationships; there is no sweeter death than love." 

Love is horrible. It’s ruthless, messy, mind-altering, and raw. It takes no prisoners. It chews you up and spits you out and leaves you for dead. Love is, you could say, very much like a zombie. 

In this haunting short story collection, anything is possible—a dying musician turns to tea for inspiration; a police sergeant struggles with a very unusual victim; a young wife is trapped in a house hiding unimaginable evil…. 

With "Hungry For You", A.M. Harte explores the disturbing and delightful in an anthology that unearths the thin boundary between love and death. 

Review: An incredible collection of short stories about zombies and so much more.

I am still on the fence about zombies. I love other supernatural/paranormal creatures and will read almost anything with them involved (vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, and the like), but I have to think about whether or not I want to read a book about zombie. I was incredibly pleased with Harte's stories. She is an incredible short story and packs quite a punch in a few pages. Sure, there were zombies, but they were a backdrop to love, hate, despair, hope, anger. My favorite stories were the tea addict (who thought tea could be addictive), zombies who need sex to survive (such a twist), and the giant rose (so damn creepy!). 

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this fans of horror, zombies, and anyone who enjoys stories that pack an emotional punch.