Author: Jeff

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#BookReview: The Great Math War by Jason Socrates Bardi

Math And History Nerds Will Love This. Solid History For Everyone Else Too. Ok, so I’m a dude that got a Computer Science degree 20 yrs ago and came within literally half a dozen classes of getting degrees in Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics Education at the same time… who also took HIST classes as electives just because they sounded interesting. In other words, this book may as well have been titled “Jeff Sexton Will Beg To Read This Book”, because I damn near did. But clearly, I *am* the very math and history nerd that my title of this review above explicitly said would love this book.

Clocking in at 19% bibliography, it has a healthy enough backing so that it doesn’t drop a star on that account, and really the only even quibble I have here is that in choosing to end in 1938, Bardi doesn’t even attempt to show how the war he describes here played out in the Post Second World War world where the rise of computers and computer science changed pretty well everything in mathematics.

Still, for what it is and what it actually covers, this is an utterly fascinating book that gives enough of the backstories of everyone involved to show how they arrived at the moments they did and why they mattered when they got there without going too deep into unnecessary detail too often. Yes, even when it looks like Bardi is going off on some wild tangent that can’t possibly be related to The Great Math War (such as the Boer War), he ultimately manages to bring it right back around and show how that tangent actually played a role in shaping the thinking of one of his principle targets or at minimum someone closely linked to them who also shaped their thinking.

For me, this was an utterly fascinating look at a period of math history I hadn’t previously really considered, featuring several names I had known of from other exploits and adventures, but had never really dived into from this angle. And yes, at least some of the most famous of their era make appearances here, up to and including one Albert Einstein.

I do think that one of the more fascinating tidbits that I had not known, particularly as someone who learned the basics of Set Theory in 2004-2005, was just how new that particular branch of mathematics was – and how controversial it had been even a century before I learned it, at which time it was (clearly) being routinely taught to Senior level college students. (And I still hold that we can actually teach it even in elementary school, as one key feature of it ultimately revolves around remainder division.)

Truly an excellent book written without the dryness that can accompany such texts in the hands of less skilled storytellers, this is absolutely one of those kinds of books that many will enjoy and a few will absolutely love.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Great Math War by Jason Socrates Bardi was originally written on November 12, 2025.

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#BlogTour: Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a solid women’s fiction tale with a touch of romance where all four central characters are executed very well indeed. For this blog tour, we’re looking at Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookBub.com / BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / PageBound.co / TheStoryGraph.com) and YouTube:

Solid Susan Mallery Women’s Fiction (With A Touch Of Romance). With Susan Mallery, you know pretty well exactly what you’re going to get. She basically has two styles, with a few wrinkles per style, and once you know which style and which wrinkle you’re in… well, if you enjoy reading a lot of variations on the same thing and are looking for the kinds of books that are essentially the reading equivalent of TV you can simply zone out and enjoy and know you’re not going to hit anything *too* complex or disturbing… Mallery is an author you’re going to love. Which long time fans will already know, but the above explanation was more for those newer to her or perhaps who haven’t read her books at all.

With this particular iteration, again, we’re more on the women’s fiction side, but even on this side of Mallery’s writing, romance is never far from the scene – indeed, it will always be close enough that technically the books can be (and generally are) marketed as romance tales, even when the women’s fiction side is actually more dominant in the overall story (as it is here).

Overall, I thought this was actually perhaps a touch more standout than typical Mallery, more dealing with the specifics at hand here that can’t be discussed too much without going into spoiler territory. But she absolutely nails the women’s fiction side, showing strong growth in each of her four central characters – not always easy to do with so many moving parts. So if you’re looking for a solid escape this holiday season – and have some time to invest in this near almost 370 page book – well, here’s yet another solid option.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery”

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#BlogTour: The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a solid tale in its genre that has a bit of a chaotic and potentially controversial opening. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookBub.com / BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / PageBound.co / TheStoryGraph.com) and YouTube:

Don’t Let Your Opinions Of Over The Top Gender Reveals, Guns, or Multi-Perspective Stories Fool You – This Is A Solid Book. Seriously, this is one of those books where the *opening scene* has a lot of ick for a lot of people – me included, to an extent. Indeed, I delayed reading this book for a week in part because of the very inciting incident literally listed in the first sentence of the description as of publication day earlier this week as I write this review. (Yes, I’ve had it as an Advance Review Copy for months and yes, I’m officially running behind. Apologies.)

You see, while I have exactly *zero* problems with guns and enjoy a good Tannerite explosion from time to time (on video, never experienced one in person), the over the top gender reveal and thus making a pregnancy a central point of this story… that was the ick for me.

And I was wrong.

Yes, the opening scene is complex and more than a bit confusing and perhaps even accurately labeled as hard to follow.

But the story opens up from there and becomes much easier to understand, even as it revolves around small town and family secrets and decades long mysteries all coming to a head.

Gudenkauf creates here a truly layered story with many things going on at the same time, in the mold of some of the best soap operas – and yet with a fair degree more danger involved.

Overall truly a fun book once one gets beyond the chaotic opening scene, one that plays very well within genre norms without really pushing the boundaries too hard. In other words, a perfectly comfortable read for genre fans that works well enough for those looking to see whether they enjoy this genre.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf”

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#BookReview: Parallax by Jeremy Robinson

The New God Of Science Fiction Exposes New And Unexpected Abilities. Straight up, I’m writing this review as one of *the* very first people to read this book beyond Jeremy and his long time editor, Kane Gilmour, and I’m targeting this review as much to Jeremy’s long time fans in his Facebook group, the Tribe, as I am to more general readers who possibly haven’t ever even heard of Robinson.

With this book, Robinson – who first came to my attention with several intricate, detailed, and spot on allegories of Biblical events wrapped up as kick ass science fiction action – manages to craft a romance subplot here that is rather spicy -jalapeno level, if not habanero. And yet he manages to do this *in service to* his overall kickass science fiction action thriller. So even if the romance side gets you into the door here – and it really is both completely unexpected from Robinson and yet at least as well done as most any romance book I’ve ever read, and better than many of them – know that Robinson never strays far from his roots, even with this new ability.

Another new ability – and I say this next one as someone who literally has a tattoo of an image Robinson created on one of the arms he is using to type this very review – is the particularly poignant quotability deep in this book. As in, Ender’s Game level quotability and profoundness in a couple of key sections in particular. Quotes I *WISH* I could share publicly, but can’t until after this book releases almost six months to the day after I finished reading it.

The final new ability is perhaps the most interesting of all – this is the first book I’ve ever read from Robinson where even *I* – who absolutely *LOATHES* the very concept of a “trigger warning” – point blank told Robinson and Gilmour that they may want to consider adding one to this particular text. As one of the reasons I detest them so very much is the simple fact that they are *always* spoilers, no matter how generally they are crafted, unfortunately the only thing I can note here is that in two sections in particular, both in the front half of the book and both effectively side by side, Robinson brings into this tale certain real-word tragedies that he has never before brought into any of his books, tragedies that are so dark that they tend to be blights nearly any time they are even mentioned at all. (To be clear, Robinson uses them in a responsible manner that adds depth to the characters involved without glorifying – indeed, while explicitly condemning – the tragedies at hand.)

These are all depths of storytelling that Robinson has never plumbed so deeply or so well, that despite being one of the earliest readers to have read his books at all and having been a reader of his works for nearly two decades now (since *MySpace*!), I had never really known him to show. That he is adding these kinds of abilities into his storytelling now, this deep into his career and as he beings to approach his 100th novel (and may have even already broken that?), shows remarkable advancement that very few authors ever really display – which only serves to make Robinson stand out (in great ways) all the more.

And then, yes, the kickass scifi action that is Robinson’s bread and butter. You’re never getting far from it in this book, and yes, Robinson’s more recent pop culture referencing and frequent use of all manner of cussing is equally prevalent throughout our action here. Long time fans or those just looking for a fun few hours of distraction from the so-called “real” world will find here exactly what Robinson has always done so very well – crafting an exciting and pulse pounding scifi thriller that will allow you to think if you so choose, but which also works perfectly well with all “thinking” turned off and just sitting back and enjoying the show.

Further, this is also Robinson showing some of the very profound thoughts he sometimes buries to greater or lesser degrees – this time barely buried at all, *IF* at all. Surely to get cancelled or crucified over some of the things his characters say in nearly every book he writes, this one is no different. I can tell you that even knowing Robinson as long as I have, even having shared a couple of meals over the years directly at his side… even *I* can’t tell you his actual political or religious beliefs. So before you think to one star this book over those comments… know that yes, we, Robinson’s long time fans, see them… and those reviews say far more about you than about him. 😀

Overall quite possibly Robinson’s best yet – which is not said lightly, in part due to said tattoo 😉 – that also seems to possibly be leading… somewhere beyond this particular book. Will it? We shall see…

Very much recommended.

This review of Parallax by Jeremy Robinson was originally written on November 2, 2025.

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#BookReview: Poison Wood by Jennifer Moorhead

Solid Sophomore Southern Suspense. This is a tale that builds on its predecessor, Broken Bayou, in an unexpected direction for readers of Broken Bayou – one of the secondary, yet essential, characters gets her own tale here. Which would be expected in the romance genre, but in mystery/ suspense is far less common.

And yet Moorhead absolutely makes this work. There’s enough of the Bayou here that there are at least a few spoilers from that book, but not so much that you absolutely *have* to have read it first, and thus new readers (who don’t mind a few minor ish spoilers) can come into this book without stressing about not having read Bayou first. (Though you *should* read Bayou too, as it is an excellent tale in its own right.)

Yet there is also quite the tale to be told here, and as deep as Willa’s tale was in the Bayou… this tale may even run a touch deeper. It certainly expands its world a touch, if only in that certain players have larger connections than just Ms. Meade’s home town. And yet as someone who grew up in and around similar connections – which I can’t really detail at all without revealing who some of the players in this tale are – this struck me as perhaps a touch *too* real in some aspects. Clearly, Moorhead has some similar life experiences of her own to get it *this* spot on.

Truly an excellent small town Southern mystery tale that manages to raise a lot of real world emotions without ever getting preachy about any actual real world issue, which is perhaps one of Moorhead’s great strengths as a storyteller, at least as shown in this series.

Very much recommended.

This review of Poison Wood by Jennifer Moorhead was originally written on November 2, 2025.

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#BookReview: Labyrinth by A.G. Riddle

Interesting – Yet Long – Provocative Look At Actual AI. This is one of those scifi tales that in 2025 feels like it could be a year or two from being reality, that indeed there are very likely companies working on exactly the kind of tech used in this tale – and indeed, there are and have been. I know for a fact that one of the Computer Science *part time* professors at Kennesaw State University was working on immersive computer simulated therapy as far back as 2000, when I started there as a 16yo kid. (Hi Dr. North! :D)

The tale told here is suspenseful yet reasonably realistic while still clearly being fiction. (We hope?) In its more suspense elements in the front half of the book, it works particularly well.

Where it starts going off the rails a touch – and becoming ever less realistic, while also maintaining a fairly stunning amount of realism in how things actually play out, to a degree – is more with the events of the second half. Indeed, there is one seemingly rather long section that seems like it could have been cut entirely and a few – rather than seemingly a few hundred – pages used to cover that part of the tale, similar to the 80 page “Galt’s Speech” in Atlas Shrugged, except more actually integral to the story here, which is where the “yet long” bit in the title of this review comes in to play. Even through this section though, there is a touch of an homage to The Odyssey, which is unclear if was the intent or not – but cool either way.

Overall, I’d say this is one of Riddle’s better works as a whole. You’ve got the near future scifi. You’ve got the almost domestic thriller level suspense in the front half in particular -which I’ve never really seen Riddle even attempt, and thus shows a fair amount of growth as a writer. You’ve got enough of a romance tale here that technically this satisfies all known RWA rules to be ruled a “romance novel”. You’ve got a few different homages to classic tales from Crichton (Disclosure in particular) to Homer. And yet you’ve also got an 800+ page book whose halves wouldn’t work quite as well – at least as written here – as separate books, and where another 200-300 pages to make a trilogy could be excessively long to boot, making this feel like the perfect way to present this particular story even if the one book feels (and is) long.

Very much recommended.

This review of Labyrinth by A.G. Riddle was originally written on November 2, 2025.

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#BookReview: The Pursuit Of Liberty by Jeffrey Rosen

Intriguing Academic Analysis Of 250 Years Of American History Through One Central Lens. With about 16% bibliography, Rosen here crafts a well wriiten – if perhaps dryly academic in styling – narrative that serves as both history (particularly of the actual events while Hamilton and Jefferson were both alive) and filter to history (as American history progresses through 2024).

On the actual history end, Rosen is perhaps at his best, seemingly almost bringing us into the rooms where these discussions and their resultant divisions first happen. On the historical filter end, Rosen does a solid job of keeping his filter intact while examining different periods of American history from its earliest days and first insurrections (the Whiskey Rebellion, among others) through the Jan 6, 2021 “insurrection” (used in quotes here because even this text shows how dramatically different they were). And yes, we get stops at Jackson and his Indian Removal, the obligatory Civil War look, several other key points in American history. All through this lens of how various leaders chose to interpret the writings and philosophies of both Hamilton and Jefferson.

Overall it really is a fascinating look that both illuminates key ideas in new ways and works well with other books and their own filters to give a more complete view of both the American Founding and the resultant 250 years of American history. Thus, it is absolutely one that every American should read and consider, and it may well be something that even those outside the United States could learn valuable lessons about either their own countries or perhaps just the American mindset which frequently flips between Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian ideals.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Pursuit Of Liberty by Jeffrey Rosen was originally written on October 21, 2025.

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#BookReview: World Enemy No. 1 by Jochen Hellbeck

Possibly Explosive Soviet-Side History Of WWII. The central tenet of Hellbeck’s narrative here is rather simplistic: Yes, Hitler hated Jews. But he *really* hated *Communist* Jews, and believed that the Soviets were just dumb rubes being controlled by said Communist Jews. This, according to Hellbeck, explains everything from the infamous (and disastrous, for both Germany and the Soviet Union) Operation Barbarossa to why, where, and when the most infamous of the death camps – all located in former Soviet controlled territory after Barbarossa pushed so far into Russia – all came to be, and much more.

Admittedly, as an American and an American who happens to be a grandson of two different men who both fought in the Ardennes Offensive/ Battle Of The Bulge, I’ve been fascinated by WWII all my life. I grew up hearing that one grandfather had been there – I found out at his death that he actually had earned the most medals of anyone in his small exurban (at the time) Atlanta town. The other died weeks after my birth, and I learned decades later – when I finally got his service records – that his Division had been the first on the American side to liberate a concentration camp.

Thus, WWII is as much a part of me and my blood as it is for Hellbeck, simply on opposite sides of the fight against Germany. Well, maybe more for Hellbeck, a Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers specializing in Soviet history, as he both chose and found a way to make studying WWII his occupation, while I remain a professional software engineer and “hobbyist” prolific book reviewer.

Beyond his central premise above, Hellbeck does as good a job as any – and better than many – of presenting both his case and his evidence. Clocking in at roughly 26% bibliography (as measured from where the Acknowledgement section begins, at least in my Advance Review Copy), this is both a fairly hefty tome at over 550 pages and a well researched one, with over 150 of those pages being source documentation.

By shifting the focus from Jews generally to specifically *Soviet* Jews, this narrative could become explosive, potentially even nuclear level explosive. And yet, even while focusing on Soviet Jews and Soviet citizenry more generally, Hellbeck actually presents a more balanced approach to the history than those who focus exclusively on Jews generally (and erase the extra hatred Hitler directed at Soviet Jews specifically) or those who focus on Soviets generally (and whitewash the Jewish nature of Hitler’s specific targets, as Hellbeck brings the case that the Soviet Union did throughout their existence).

WWII as a whole and even the history of the Holocaust specifically is such a large topic that I fail to see how anyone can truly grasp *all* that happened and why, and thus I appreciate histories such as this one that bring a side of the discussion that we often miss, particularly in the West. While others with more specific knowledge about specific events may have more harsh criticism of particular points or perhaps even the entire narrative here, it fits in enough with my own existing knowledge that the text here provides a lot of information I didn’t previously know, yet seems plausible given what I did know prior to encountering this book.

And yes, utterly, absolutely, horrific – no matter who was doing the killing or why. (As you’ll see here, Hellbeck doesn’t excuse Soviet actions against the Jews either.)

Overall truly a fascinating look at the war from an angle I hadn’t often considered, and for that reason alone it would be a worthy read. That it was so well documented and read so easily was a bonus.

Very much recommended.

This Review Of World Enemy No. 1 by Jochen Hellbeck was originally written on October 21, 2025.

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#BookReview: Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey

Christmas Love Angle. Let me be crystal clear as someone more trained in mathematics than most who happens to work in a field that is technically a sub-discipline of mathematics: For three (or more, really) straight people, there can never be a true love triangle. There can only be a love *angle*. A triangle, by definition, has three sides and three intersecting points. For a romantic love triangle to exist, at least one person involved must be romantically attracted to both of the other two – even if unrequited. With three straight people, no matter the combination of either gender, it will thus never happen. Thus, this book is about a love *angle*, not a love “triangle”, as all of our central characters here are straight.

Now, possible (likely) pedantry aside, this was still a fun Kristen Bailey Christmas book. A bit spicier than a Sarah Morgan Christmas book, with far more sexual innuendo (but you knew that from the title, or should have :D), with quite a bit more comedy, and really at least as much heart to it as Morgan’s annual tales.

Now Jeff, why do you bring up another author in this review? Well, because in both cases they’re both United Kingdom based, with tales primarily based on that side of the “pond” and are fairly consistent in releasing a Christmas book every year, generally within a few weeks of each other. Meaning I tend to read them pretty close and indeed read this one barely ten days after reading Morgan’s latest, so it is fresh on my mind. 🙂

Overall this book hit about as expected – meaning I had a great time and think most readers will too, but if you’re one that doesn’t like cussing or jalapeno (at least) level spice (to be clear, this is nowhere near ghost level, even habanero is debatable, which is why I went with jalapeno)… maybe stick with Morgan’s books. But hey, if you *prefer* the occasional fuck – both in word and in deed – Bailey is going to be right up your alley bringing her version of… well, Big *Nick* Energy. 😀 (Ok, it had to be done once I realized I was kinda walking myself into that one. :D)

I would say that long time fans of Bailey will enjoy this one, and also that if you’re new to Bailey, this is a fun book that is fairly typical of her overall style, even as she writes a few books every year – not just her annual Christmas book. As someone who has been reading her stuff for a few years now, I can honestly say that they’re all fun and if you enjoy this one and are new to Bailey, you’re going to have a fun time reading through her back catalog.

As always, read the book for yourself and let us know what you think by leaving your own review wherever you see this one. Even if you think I’m completely wrong in my thoughts on this book, feel free to call me out in your review if you think I need it. Overall, more reviews reach more readers and help sell more books, so please, help both me and you and help Bailey continue to be able to write more books for us. 🙂

Very much recommended.

This review of Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey was originally written on October 21, 2025.

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#BookReview: The Eight Heartbreaks Of Hannukah by Jean Meltzer

A (Jewish) Christmas Tale. Seriously, if it wasn’t clear from the description, that is *exactly* what you’re getting here: a retelling of the Dickens classic, reimagined with a Jewish couple during Hannukah (and with the genders reversed) rather than a Christian couple at Christmas. Yes, the lower level details are more significantly different, but at a very high level, this is what you’re getting here.

Which means it is far from a romcom. So don’t delude yourself there. Even though Meltzer has written romcoms, this is absolutely a romantic *drama*, in line with its base tale. Yes, there is comedy here, enough to keep the overall heavy nature of the tale from being *too* heavy, but it isn’t really the core of this tale.

As a retelling, Meltzer really gets the overall spirit of the original quite well, making this an excellent read no matter your religious faith or what you do for December-ish (not technically winter all over the world, if we’re truly trying to be as “inclusive” as possible 😉 ) holidays. The re-envisioning of it to fit with a Hannukah theme is actually done really well… perhaps until the very ending. Without going into spoiler territory, let’s just go ahead and insert my “read the book and write your own review wherever you see this one” spiel here and let everyone know what you think about that. I personally think it works well enough, but I could see a lot of genuine and fair debate on that particular point.

Now, with all of this said, I actually had a bit of a personal connection with this book, and I’m absolutely going into more overt religious discussion in this paragraph than I normally do, so feel free to skip it if you feel you must. I promise to keep all of this type of commentary within this paragraph, but to be true to my own experience with the book I *must* discuss it. You see, while I can’t reveal what the personal connection is without going into spoiler territory – and to be clear, my own experience here wasn’t exactly the same in particulars, only fairly similar in end effect – what I really need to discuss here is how the religious aspect hit. Because what struck me, as a near lifeiong Christian who grew up in the Southern Baptist Church before finding the more Anabaptist-type Christian traditions as an adult and more closely identifying with them now, is the absolute despair this couple felt due to their religion offering no real hope in that particular circumstance. And while despair is an absolutely normal human reaction in it – which Meltzer absolutely nailed, by the way – as a Christian, there is *always* hope there. Enough to put a blindingly golden lining on even the darkest clouds, and sometimes the only thing a Christian can really cling to in those situations. Again, this was something I actually *lived* in a very similar circumstance, so I had to speak up at least a bit here.

Meltzer makes it a point with most everything she does in her public life to celebrate all things Jewish, and certainly in her writings, and she absolutely nails it here – at least so far as a Son of the South who has only casually known a few different Jews throughout his life can tell, at least. An actual Jewish person may have a very different take on how well Meltzer celebrates that particular culture and religion. But this is my review of this book, and from my view, I stand by what I said. Whether it be an Adam Sandler-esque romp through the entire Hannukah celebration (and yes, at times it does get up to Sandler level funny) or the much more intensely personal dramatic moments of a boy and a girl falling in love… and falling in love again…, Meltzer here proves that she isn’t a one trick pony only writing Jewish romcoms, that she really has the chops to accentuate Jewish tales across the two largest romance sub genres and do each remarkably well.

Overall a truly worthy holiday read no matter your own practices during the season, and one that shouldn’t be missed.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Eight Heartbreaks Of Hannukah by Jean Meltzer was originally written on October 21, 2025.