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#BookReview: The Stars Don’t Lie by Boo Walker

All Too Real. This book is all about a guy who hasn’t been back to his hometown in 20 yrs due to some massive trauma while he was in school who finally goes back home… and has his world and entire life and history rocked by shocking revelations about what *actually* happened back then. As someone who read this book, then went back to visit my parents near my hometown (they now live in the next County up, rather than the house I spent grades 7+ and college in), and had his dad just casually mention a previously forgotten if not outright unknown fact about his own high school history… yeah, this book is truly all too real. Add in the fact that I have my own version of “Mrs. Cartright”, a teacher who stepped in and stepped up at exactly the right moment in my life – in my case, Tommy Harris of Kingston, GA, who absolutely always deserves every accolade I can possibly give him… and yeah, like I said in the title… this book is all *too* real. And yet, that is exactly what made it so relevant and cathartic, even years after I like to think I’ve “fully” dealt with all my own real-world crap from that era. (Though in defining both who Carter, in the book, and myself, in my “real” life, became… perhaps one never *truly* moves on from that era and that pain… which is actually something Walker actively looks into even into the closing words of the text here.)

For anyone who has ever had one of those teachers worthy of a “Mr. Holland’s Opus Finale”, you’re gonna want to read this book. If you haven’t seen that movie, seriously, go back and watch it. Then come back and read this book. 😀

Overall truly a particularly well written and well told story, one that some will clearly relate to more than others – but which has enough universal truth to be truly transcendent, no matter the particulars of your own life. Very much recommended.

This review of The Stars Don’t Lie by Boo Walker was originally written on August 21, 2023.

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#BookReview: Tides Of Fire by James Rollins

Sigma. Is. Back. With Kingdom Of Bones, it looked like Rollins was delving too far into the fantastical and leaving behind the more grounded roots of this series. Here… the ties are more to the scifi than the fantastical, including The Abyss, Pacific Rim, Earthcore by Scott Sigler, and even… Mass Effect 3??? Yes, there is one particular scene roughly 2/3 into this tale that while not *quite* word for word with a particular moment in Mass Effect 3, is damn close – and the sentiments and reasons are identical within their worlds. (To be fair, in this particular situation… the wording is always going to be very similar, no matter where you encounter it.)

But more than the scifi zeitgeist connections here, this tale truly gets back to the real roots that make Sigma Force so special. We’ve got the historic and the scientific, and again, the scientific is at least more closely based on actual science this time around. But we’ve also got the camaraderie among the team, including having most of the team (minus Painter, Lisa, and newer team member Jason) together the first time we see them and having a bit of a mini-adventure then as the overall tale begins to pick up. Then we’ve got the Sigma Split, with the team breaking up to go their own separate projects to try to uncover and stop whatever is happening. Each of their specialties get highlighted and tested to degrees not seen in recent Sigma books in a fair amount of time, even Gray’s “special brain”. More akin to David Wood’s Dane Maddock Adventures in this particular point, there are even several callouts to other characters from prior Sigma tales and how those characters are still impacting the world even through the events of this tale.

And that epilogue… It sets up the 2024 entry into this series to be one of the most explosive in quite some time, and you’re going to want *that* book in your hands the moment you finish this one.

Very much recommended.

This review of Tides of Fire by James Rollins was originally written on August 12, 2023.

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#BookReview: Nobody Told Me by Kay Bratt

Controversial Real Life Bleeds Into Story. I fully cop to the title of this review being clickbait, but it is also 100% true. Yet again Bratt brings elements of real-world cases and her real-world life into this particular series, and in this particular case the most obvious direct real world connection is also one of the more controversial things Bratt has ever done in her actual life since I’ve been reading her books since 2018 or so. But revealing exactly where that moment is in the book and what the direct connection is to her real life would be a spoiler… so read this book and see if you can spot where it might be, then follow Bratt on her social media channels to see if you were right. Yes, I’m plugging both the book and the author here, because to be quite honest both are equally great – even if I personally 100% disagree with the choice made both in the book and in real life – but Bratt manages to tell both stories quite compellingly, and it is her books and her life. 😀

One word of caution though: This *is* Book 6 in a series, and in this case you really do need to read the prior books first to really have any real understanding of exactly where we are in this tale. Some more words of caution about the actual content: There is stalking, possible gaslighting, bullying, and a touch of animal neglect here (all on the part of the bad guys, to be sure), but Bratt manages to show these as exactly that – actions not to be condoned. Still, if those are absolute no-go issues for you for whatever reason, know that they’re here.

Overall though, this was yet another compelling entry in a series that manages to combine both police procedural and family drama elements quite well, all while showing off the merits and perils of both policing and small town life – which is something few other books I’ve ever read have done quite so well. Very much recommended.

This review of Nobody Told Me by Kay Bratt was originally written on August 10, 2023.

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#BlogTour: In A Quiet Town by Amber Garza

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a solid thriller that perhaps touches a little *too* close to comfort for some in a particular subculture. For this blog tour, we’re looking at In A Quiet Town by Amber Garza.

Here’s what I had to say on the review sites (Goodreads, Hardcover.App, BookHype, TheStoryGraph):

Solid Thriller With At Times Confusing Timeline / Character Splits. Reading this book the weekend of the funeral of yet another of the former kids I was in a small church, small town youth group with back in my teens was… interesting, to say the least. Because in its depiction of how at least some Christian pastors live… it was sadly all too real. I’ve seen the devastation among friends when their lives don’t measure up to the perfection their parents, be they pastors or deacons, project, and I’ve seen some kids rise from troubled and/ or troublesome youths to upstanding adults. I’ve also seen those that maintained the perfect image as kids… unravel as adults. Here, Garza does a particularly solid job of showing a woman who is both a preacher’s wife and a mother to her daughter waking up and realizing what is truly important… just in the nick of time. There is quite a bit of abuse here, both the psychological abuse of having to live up to the Pastor’s standards – and being rejected when you don’t – and outright physical abuse by others. This story is also yet another missing woman story. So know all of this going in, and if you have particular issues with any of it… know this may not be the best book for you.

Other than the more-often-than-not confusing breaks between multiple characters’ perspectives and seemingly random jumping from one to another to another, the pacing and actual story here are remarkably well done. This is truly an excellent tale, and particularly well told… once you adapt to the jumps in perspective. The motivations of the characters are quite vivid and real, again, particularly for someone who came out of a very similar subculture, and even when other motivations of other characters are revealed… they still work quite well within the story being told, and it makes sense (at least to me, with my own life experiences) that being drawn into these types of orbits… is sadly all too plausible.

Overall, an excellent if darker tale, mostly well told, and a good bit of escapist thrills… for those who haven’t actually lived remarkably similar tales. Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book, followed by the “publisher details” – book description, author bio, social media and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: In A Quiet Town by Amber Garza”

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#BookReview: The Last One by Will Dean

Deceptive Description Mars Otherwise Still Intriguing Tale. Straight up: The description of this book (which can change at any time, but my commentary here is accurate to the one that exists at the time I write this review) is NOT an accurate depiction of what this tale actually is – and this blatant deception is the reason for the star deduction here. The description leads the reader to think this is going to be some kind of ghost ship type story, or at least a far more mysterious adventure than it turns out to be. Instead, we get (without going *too* deep into spoiler territory)… more of a social commentary disguised as a mystery thriller.

To be clear, the story we get is actually *good*. It is a heart-pounding, balls to the wall, never want to stop reading thrillfest where just when you think you know what is happening… you realize you don’t have a freaking clue. But just like with the 2010s era “Robocop” movie, don’t lead me to believe I’m getting one thing and then give me something that is not only not that thing, but something very different than my expectations were when you told me I was getting that thing.

Even the writing structure is interesting here, choosing for 130+ shorter – sometimes barely a single page long, even in Kindle form – chapters, perhaps as a crutch to help “sell” the pacing. But every single chapter does end on a bit of a stinger/ cliffhanger that entices the reader to actively go into the next chapter right this second… even as smart readers quickly realize exactly the mechanism being used here.

For those who want a mysterious action thriller with a side of social commentary that will leave you breathless and desperately wanting the next chapter (or perhaps even a sequel)… this is absolutely a great escapist Summer Thriller kind of read that would play well in Summer Movie Season on the silver screen – it has that same kind of “you absolutely need to suspend all disbelief, but if you do, you will be rewarded with one *hell* of a ride” quality.

Overall, truly a great read for what it actually is – but what it actually is is *not* what the current description leads the reader to believe. Very much recommended.

This review of The Last One by Will Dean was originally written on August 8, 2023.

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#BookReview: California Golden by Melanie Benjamin

Moving Coming Of Age For Two Sisters During Surfing’s Golden Years. Another dive into the 1960s, with stops in the 1950s and 1980s as well, this is one of those books that takes that period and adds a flavor not always seen as readily. Yes, even when we eventually go to Vietnam with a couple of characters here, the book manages to show-without-showing the horrors there while focusing on its own spin on the story and era – in this case, how to move on from insta-fame and transition back to “normal” life while still in love with the surf. There is a lot going on in this book, as there was in the era, and the book manages to treat all of it in the same faded golden tones of the current (release day) cover. Note that if you have personal problems with reading about any of the common problems of the era – racism, cults, abuse, the Vietnam war, neglect, unhealthy doses of narcissism, etc… eh, maybe this book isn’t for you. But for the clean/ sweet romance crowd (and yes, this book meets every qualification I’m aware of for that genre), know that there isn’t much if any sex shown “on screen”, and even the worst of the domestic violence is actually off-screen. Overall a fairly realistic while still clearly fictional take on the era, and one fans of surfing’s Golden Age on the untamed shores of Southern California in the early 1960s and Hawaii in the mid 1950s will absolutely love. Very much recommended.

This review of California Golden by Melanie Benjamin was originally written on August 8, 2023.

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#BookReview: North Of Nowhere by Allison Brennan

Bone-Chilling Survival With Lots Of Moving Parts. This is one of those excellent lost in the wilderness/ lost in the blizzard survival tales that also happens to be a chase tale that is actually a story about family and breaking generational problems. So clearly, there is a LOT going on here, and a LOT of moving parts. And the non-moving parts – the wilderness and to a lesser extent the blizzard – are given their own fair respect here as well, both in the area natives’ respect for them and in the out-of-towners’ disrespect. One of Brennan’s most complex stories I’ve yet come across after working a couple of her other series over the last few years, this is truly an excellent tale of a different type from her, with her usual excellent execution in all aspects of the story. You’re going to *feel* the impacts here, from the coldness of the wilderness – and the coldness of some of the characters. Which is great, for a summer release during several consecutive days of “Excessive Heat Warning” events. 😀 Very much recommended.

This review of North Of Nowhere by Allison Brennan was originally written on August 8, 2023.

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#BookReview: Travel As A Political Act by Rick Steves

Interesting Take On Travel. I fully admit to traveling more for leisure than learning and certainly more than being some kind of activist. I try to be a decent enough human being no matter where I am, whether that be in my own home or some far-flung place. And I actively try to avoid other nations’ political issues – and wish to God their own citizens would join me in that, rather than constantly complaining about some aspect of the US. Indeed, there is exactly *one* spot that still stands that I would potentially like to see for something other than leisure, and that is the town of Nocher, Luxembourg – where my grandfather earned his Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions in the closing days of the Battle of the Bulge. Beyond that, I’m all about relaxing and enjoying the scenery – not activism – in my travels.

But here, Steves does a remarkable job in showing his own travel style and general philosophy, of always trying to make the world a better place, of constantly trying to understand the people of wherever he finds himself through their eyes, of perhaps trying in some small (or sometimes not so small) way to leave their land better for his having been there, even briefly.

It is certainly an interesting approach, and overall his thoughts on the places he has been and the things he has seen… well, your own mileage may vary quite greatly indeed based on your own experiences either as a native of those lands or as an American who may have different views. Some reviewers have called this book “racist”, and to be crystal clear: I did not see any hint of that at all in this text – or at least the Audible version of it I consumed. But I’m also a white dude who grew up in the Southern part of the US, in the land still literally scarred by my own country’s Civil War over 150 years ago – so there are likely many in the US and internationally who automatically and irrevocably think *I* must be a racist, just because of my skin color and where I am from. Ironically, the entire point of this book is basically dispelling similar notions mostly from an American audience looking to potentially travel to other lands or even inside our own vast country.

Overall this was an illuminating read that, when read at 1.8 speed on Audible and thus taking roughly half the time its over 10 hr actual runtime indicates, was actually quite enjoyable. Dare I say that it could even be a good read/ listen… while traveling yourself? 😉 Very much recommended.

This review of Travel As A Political Act by Rick Steves was originally written on August 2, 2023.

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#BookReview: Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue by John McWhorter

Entertaining Discussion Of An Esoteric Topic. Up front here: I can’t judge this book’s bibliography, as I listened to the Audible version of it, which doesn’t have that. I’m also no linguist, more of a polyglot who knows a little (or a lottle) about a lot and is interested in learning about… well, damn near everything. Thus, someone who read the text version of the book and *can* speak to its breadth or dearth of bibliography may or may not deduct the star I normally do for dearth, and an actual linguist, or at least someone more familiar with the field, may have more cohesive arguments for or against the actual points raised here.

Those caveats noted, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. McWhorter reads his own work in the Audible form, and he uses enough humor here to make what could be an extremely dense topic rather enjoyable to learn a little about. Further, his arguments *seem* at minimum plausible, and possibly exactly correct – again, at least to someone completely untrained and mostly unknowledgeable in the field at hand. And the arguments he presents are also quite compelling and interesting to boot, which is generally a sign of at minimum a well thought out and well written nonfiction piece. Further, at just 250 or pages in print and just 5 hrs or so in Audible… this isn’t exactly a huge time sink if it turns out to be not your thing… and you’ll still learn at least a few things while reading it.

Overall, this is absolutely a book that will leave you thinking a bit and perhaps having learned a bit too. It will expand your horizons to think more about *how*, *exactly*, humans communicate with each other and what the grammars of our various languages say about how we think about things – and the arguments that perhaps it says absolutely nothing at all. Very much recommended.

This review of Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue by John McWhorter was originally written on August 2, 2023.

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#BookReview: Kingdom Of Bones by James Rollins

The Most Fantastical Sigma Book Yet – Yet Also Much More Real Than Previous Attempts. You can almost see in this book where Rollins was working on his fantasy books by this point, or at least his mind was already going that direction, just by how truly implausible and into the outright fantastical the “science” of this book gets. As in, hello Fergully / Avatar, complete with vividly colored creatures and mystical tree with healing powers. And yet, this is still solidly a Sigma Force tale, complete with a divided team and links to both history and science, however tenuous. Still, it may truly be getting to the point of needing to end on as high a note as possible before becoming a laughingstock, because yes, admittedly, this one does truly get that bad at times in reflection, while still feeling like the taught action thriller it is while reading it.

For those that can’t possibly read about animals being in any degree of “harm” at all, know that war dog handler Tucker and his dog, Kane, play major roles here – and indeed, some of the more inventive while still realistic roles in this tale.

As for the “Much More Real Than Previous Attempts” bit, in The Last Oracle Rollins portrayed Autistics as damn near superhumans, with almost god-like abilities. Here, the Autistic character – a different one, and seemingly the first one mentioned at all in Sigma since Oracle – is a much more grounded and realistic Autistic, complete with hyperfocusing, rambling, self-recriminations, blowups, sensory issues… and no real meltdowns, which is perhaps the only “not-real” aspect of this particular character. In other words, at least in regard to Autism generally, Rollins shows tremendous growth over the last decade or so and is to be commended for showing how such a person could be a benefit even in such tense, potentially Apocalyptic, times.

Overall, this is going to be a particularly divisive book mostly because of just how fantastical it does get at times, but I thought while reading it that it worked perfectly well within the story – though even while reading it I was thinking it was a touch fantastical, and the Avatar notes in particular were unavoidable even while reading – and this was a solid several hours of pure escapist fun, no matter the exact bent of the genre of the story. Very much recommended.

This review of Kingdom of Bones by James Rollins was originally written on August 1, 2023.