Tag: amreading

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#BookReview: Arkangel by James Rollins

Solid Sigma Tale. Unlike a certain reviewer who claimed that this was a standalone book, I’m going to tell you right now that you need to read at *least* books 14-17 (ish) before coming into this one in order to fully understand and appreciate it. But once you’ve read those other books, you’re going to want this one anyway… and you *will* appreciate likely the very same things I liked about this book – namely, certain elements of its ending. Which is all I’ll say without going into spoiler territory.

Beyond those ending elements, this is a standard-ish globe trotting Sigma Force action/ thriller, emphasis on the action. And yes, it is about as plausible as the Fast and Furious franchise at this point, but you don’t come into these kinds of tales wanting or expecting the ultra-realism of say Andy Weir’s The Martian. You come into these types of books *wanting* to see the motorcycle vs attack helicopter fights, the desperate and last second escapes from traps of various forms, the ultra close quarters action where blades get left stuck between arm bones… and, yes, with now *two* very well trained war dogs, Tucker and Kane and Marco’s scenes damn near steal the show every time they come up, ala the “motorcycle ride with the raptors” from the first Jurassic World movie that Universal’s Islands of Adventures’ Velocicoaster captures so well with its initial launch. Because *that* is the kind of adrenaline rush you want in a rollercoaster and in a tale like this, and by God James Fucking Rollins is going to give you that in *spades*.

Some people like Hallmarkie romance books. Others like This Is Us level dusty-rooms-every-other-scene dramas. Others like more pure scifi ala the aforementioned Weir or the more scifi based Rollins type action of Jeremy Robinson. Some like their fiction to be ghost chili level damn near erotica spicy, others don’t like reading the word “fuck” at all in anything whatsoever. There are all kinds of books for all kinds of readers, in other words, and if you like the type of book that Rollins continues to write, well, you’re gonna like this one too.

Very much recommended.

This review of Arkangel by James Rollins was originally written on October 1, 2024.

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#BookReview: The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan

Forced (Yet Needed) Christmas Break. Another year, another Sarah Morgan Christmas tale. And yet again, if you like Hallmark Christmas movies – and so very many people very clearly do – you’re going to like this one. Perhaps more drama than many of those movies here, Imogen is truly broken – and with good reason, when we get her full backstory. She’s coping – she thinks – but even then, she *barely* has her ducks in a row. They’re more like cats than ducks, and they *really* don’t like walking in rows. Of course, much of this – she admits – she brought on herself.

Let’s face it, this is 2024, and it almost doesn’t matter your generation, from Boomer all the way down to Zoomer, far too many of us can identify *all too well* with Imogen.

But really, it is the *rest* of the tale – where Imogen is forced into exile and ultimately comes face to face with her past and all of its traumas that created the version of herself she now knows – that is where the true heart of this story is, the true magic – yes, with a bit of Christmas “magic” thrown in to boot. It is this part of the tale that gives it both its gravitas and its wonder, even as it also makes its characters ever more *real*.

Christmas has few Santas, but also few Scrooges. Few Grinches. Just a lot of Whos living their who-lives in their little who-world, doing the best they can.

And here, Morgan hits that particular message out of the ballpark. Kudos to Morgan, and, since I’m writing this review on the day my beloved Atlanta Braves begin their extremely unlikely 7th straight Major League Baseball postseason run, let me just toss in a “Go Braves” and a #ChopOn as well – even though it has *nothing* to do with the book at all. 😀 May they get a bit of the magic of this book and make a *truly* unexpected season.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan was originally written on October 1, 2024.

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#BookReview: The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley

If Bobby Flay and Candace Cameron Bure Had A Baby. Particularly a “baby” in the business sense (aka, a company 😉 ), this is probably what it would look like. Fans of both the Hallmark Channel and the Food Network are going to love this, as the plot itself *is* very stereotypically Hallmarkie (and, given that their Christmas movies in particular seem to be looked forward to all year by *millions*… perhaps this isn’t a bad thing) and yet the level of detail Kelley goes into when describing the food… well, I daresay Gordon Ramsey himself would have a challenge trying to make words on paper sound so utterly delectable.

Now, if this isn’t your scene… eh, maybe you like the women’s fiction and/ or romance elements here and don’t care so much about the foodie side or the Hallmarkie side. In which case, you’re still going to enjoy this book. But if you’re looking for Michael Bay action where there are explosions just because the “camera” turned… yeah, this isn’t that. If you’re looking for a Jeremy Robinson style balls to the wall scifi action… yeah, this isn’t that either. But for what it *is*, it is done quite well – well enough that if Kelley can get this into enough hands, she’s going to have quite the success on her hands.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley was originally written on October 1, 2024.

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#BookReview: The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club by Susan M. Boyer

Solid Story Suffers Slipshod Storytelling. Wait. Sexton. You rated this thing 5* and yet you’re telling me *in the title of the review* that it actually had major problems? Yes. Why? Because just because *I* thought the multi-perspective/ prologue-as-flashforward approach didn’t work as well for this story as Ms. Boyer had hoped doesn’t mean that *you* will. And beyond that disagreement on storytelling (or perhaps even editing, really) approach, this actually was a solid story akin to a South Carolina Low Country version of Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, perhaps without the atmospheric nature of how Reid chose to tell that story. It has the same level of overall drama and mystery, and the actual tale being told here was just as good if not better – really depends there on whether you prefer a more genteel Old Money East Coast lifestyle or a more glitzy Nouveau Riche West Coast lifestyle. As a native Son of the South who grew up in the trailer parks of Georgia but rose to become a Vice President at a Fortune 50 global megacorporation (which sounds more impressive than it was, fwiw), yeah, I’m far more familiar with and a fan of the East Coast version. (Though this level of neighborhood snobbery, pettiness, and gossip are all aspects of the South that I’ve truly despised for most of my life.)

Still, ultimately Boyer tells a strong women’s fiction/ drama tale that does both her characters and her setting justice, and is a great mind vacation to the area for those looking to escape whatever in your “real” life has you needing it.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club by Susan M. Boyer was originally written on October 1, 2024.

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#BookReview: Ruthie Deschutes O’Hara Has Ulterior Motives by Cathy Lamb

Freaking Hilarious. With Several Dusty Rooms. And Old People Sex. This is ultimately a romance novel, so it is no spoiler to note that the couple winds up together. But as the couple are both 70 yrs old… yep, old people sex. Though to be clear, “damn near erotica” isn’t exactly Lamb’s style, so we see them nude in bed together… and then we move on. For some, even this will be too much. For others, it won’t be “spicy” enough. And yet for others, specifically those clamoring for more “elder tales” in romance… hey, here ya go. 😀

But seriously, you’re reading this as much for the hilarity as the romance, and it really is great in that department. Particularly the screaming rabbit that causes the pig to snort that startles the dog. 😀 And all the other creatures doing their things. 😀 And yes, Ruthie herself is one of those old grandma “firecrackers”, as We Olden People used to (and still) say. She’s 70 yrs old, and by God she’s gonna say and do what she wants to say and do, and aint *nobody* gonna tell her any different.

But there are also several dusty rooms throughout this tale, enough to give the otherwise largely comedic tale a true heft of heart. I mean, Ruthie is 70 yrs old and human. Yes, she’s suffered some losses – and we get to hear all about them, sometimes seeing them as flashbacks, always told in Lamb’s whimsical humorous manner.

Add in perhaps a dash of “Sister don’t miss when she aims her gun” (to quote the 70-years-old-next-year-as-I-write-this-review Reba McEntire), and this book really does have a bit of everything, at least in the real-world drama department.

Oh, and that there’s quite a bit of “reality television” commentary thrown in (well within story) to boot? Chef’s kiss.

Very much recommended.

This review of Ruthie Deschutes O’Hara Has Ulterior Motives by Cathy Lamb was originally written on September 23, 2024.

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#BlogTour: The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a book that is *just* on the right side of being labeled as “deceptive marketing”, based on its title. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak.

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

*Almost* Deceptive Marketing. This is one of those books where the title has *just* enough to do with the book itself that it isn’t *actually* deceptive marketing… but you can look to the lower starred reviews and see that many readers felt that the title and book had little to do with each other. (And they’re right.) There is really nothing in this tale about banning books or anything related to the topic, other than a sentence or two of setup that is also (currently, as of publication day) in the description of the book.

Instead, the tale we *actually* get is a version of the Prodigal Son. One sister left years ago after having her world shattered in HS, the other sister stayed in their hometown and has now been taking care of their mother as her mother’s health rapidly fails. As mom’s time is nearing its end, the prodigal sister is convinced to return… and now, *everyone* in town is going to have to come to terms with the fallout from all those years ago.

In the process, we get a lot of different things, some discussed more than others – spousal abuse/ controlling spouse, sexual harassment/ teen molestation (to be clear, the age of the student in question is *not* “child molestation” in all States), breast cancer, coming home, uncovering family secrets, really quite a bit, such that even in a 350 ish page book… like I said, not all of it is covered n much depth.

And of course we also get a romance plot here… and maybe more… because, well, why not? 😉

Overall, for what it *actually* is, this tale is actually quite strong in many ways. Yes, it has its weaknesses at times, but I think overall this ultimately comes out on the stronger side of resiliency and overcoming your demons. But this is also a tale where your mileage truly will vary, so give it a read and make your own call.

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 Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak”

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#BookReview: Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin

So You’re Investigating A Dead Body – That Moves. What Do You Do? And thus, the critical hook here. Shulkin combines his own military experience generally with his general medical knowledge as a working MD and spins a tale he openly admits (in the Author’s Note) was designed to pay homage to some of the great comic book tales of old – and it absolutely works. The Nick Fury level spy story, the Purple Man horror of not being in complete control of your own body, in addition to the far more obvious Captain America and Hulk aspects here. Indeed, Shulkin takes nearly the entirety of the Marvel *comic* stories – where *oh so much* of the villains’ actions revolved around some version of trying to recreate the Super Soldier program that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America – and manages to use that as inspiration for a plausible-enough real-world tale of how those things could actually play out.

Thus, for those looking for a fun action read with balls to the wall “total nonstop” action… this is going to be a ride you’re going to love. For those needing a palate/ mind cleanse from the seriousness of whatever drama/ suspense/ thriller had your brain in a twist or from the latest bubblegum pop saccharine sweet romance (with perhaps some ghost pepper spice, if that is your thing)… this is going to give you exactly that. A fun few hours of engaging your brain just enough to follow along with all the twists here – and shutting it down enough to simply enjoy the ride. (At nearly 400 pages, this is on the longer side for many readers, though perhaps fantasy readers will enjoy the “speed read”, since their books generally double that length. 😉 )

Overall a fun read that does everything Shulkin set out to do and likely then some, this is absolutely one to check out almost no matter your normal preferences.

Very much recommended.

This review of Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin was originally written on September 18, 2024.

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#BlogTour: The Paris Daughter by Soraya Lane

For this blog tour, we’re looking at yet another excellent entry in Soraya Lane’s Lost Daughters series that seemingly brings us that much closer to the finale. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Paris Daughter by Soraya Lane.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com):

(Mostly) Solid Next Entry In Series, Brings Us Closer To Finale. What seems to be clear with this series is that our final book in it will seemingly be the origin story of Hope House, the very entity that essentially started the entire series – which itself would be an intriguing dynamic, storytelling wise. This book does a phenomenal job of bringing us that much closer to that tale… possibly as soon as the next book after this one???

Otherwise, this book largely works to the same degree and in the same ways that its predecessors do – they all manage to superbly combine both elements of Soraya Lane’s romance writing prowess and her historical fiction writing prowess (as Soraya M. Lane). In this particular book, yet again both elements are particularly strong, though I might perhaps give the edge to the historical side – Evaline is truly one of the more assertive (in the best of ways) ladies Lane has ever created in a fictional period, and yet Evaline is also true to her times – she manages to have that steel hand wrapped in velvet that women of earlier times were well known (at least in some circles) for, and yet nothing is actually out of place here. The modern timeline is another of the “writer writes about her life” trope, and yet again, it works well with Lane writing it.

I say “Mostly” in the title because the back part of the tale just felt like it was missing… something? I’m not even sure what, exactly. Maybe more time with Evaline post-war, rather than the way we (the readers) get that information here? Even then, I’m not *sure* that’s what I felt was missing, I just know that the ending ultimately felt a touch abrupt and not as complete as these tales have been, for some reason. But you, the reader of my review, should absolutely read this book and maybe help me figure out what I missed here?

Ultimately truly another excellent entry combining both of Lane’s strengths.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: The Paris Daughter by Soraya Lane”

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#BookReview: Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman

Pulse Pounding Nail Biting Thriller With Some Powerful Dusty Rooms. Wait. An author known for *airplane* tales is writing a book that takes place 99% *on the ground*? Yes. And she does a damn fine job of it to boot.

As someone who has actually worked in the nuclear waste disposal area (at the Savannah River Site, where I sat yards away from tanks containing tens of thousands of gallons of nuclear waste and worked on putting the information-and-control spreadsheet (yes, spreadsheet) online), having a *touch* of knowledge of the field only made it that much more terrifying… because I knew exactly what some of the devices Newman speaks of were. (Specifically, the dosimeter badges. Never had to wear one myself, despite going into certain areas a time or two, but remember the training all too well – the “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye” badge in particular.)

Even without having worked a touch in an adjacent area of the tale though, this is one of those disaster tales that starts off in the middle of the action… and never really slows down. After the introduction where we see the plane going down, from there the tale takes place entirely ground-based, but with a strong countdown clock that is actually calculated within the tale and is used to great effect, going down to the final moments.

Perhaps Newman’s greatest strength in this particular tale though is in *not* making any “superheroes” but instead showing everyday people in every day situations (yes, including nuclear power generation and nuclear waste management) doing their best with what is in front of them and trying to avert catastrophes big and small. Newman even manages to “humanize” her (fictional) President of the United States in ways not often done well, yet here is.

And about those dusty rooms… man, the hits just keep hitting. There are *several* points here where if your eyes don’t get misty, I question whether they *ever* do. Newman sprinkles these moments throughout the book, but in a couple of scenes are particularly strong indeed – nearly to the point of needing an audio version of the text to get through them.

Overall truly an excellent and fast read – despite being 300+ pages, you’re not going to want to put it down.

Very much recommended.

This review of Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman was originally written on September 13, 2024.

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#BookReview: House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

Solid Suspense Takes Atypical Turns. This is one of those tales that almost seems destined for at least a sequel, if not a series of some level. There’s more than enough here to justify it, and yet this story itself is fully complete as is. In other words, coming back to this world would be interesting and compelling… but not necessarily *necessary*.

I love the way that certain elements are played in an all-too-real-yet-not-usually-shown-in-fiction manner, and the specific construction of how Stella’s past and present collide is particularly well done – and perhaps indicative that no sequel is expected here, as that particular sub plot could have been spread across a small series – while not feeling rushed or out of place fully happening within this story itself.

There *is* one particular element that could throw at least some readers off, and that is the (minor) romance subplot and specifically that it introduces an LGBT element not otherwise present in the story. Minor spoiler there, apologies, but I’d rather avoid 1*s (which I’ve seen already) specifically because of this. So just know it going forward, and yes, I know that others will praise this book specifically for that very point. *In the context of this particular story as told*, to me it felt refreshing that the author would choose to go that direction rather than feeling forced in just to have that “representation” in the book, but it is also a point where I could see others feeling that it was a touch forced, and they wouldn’t get much pushback from me beyond what I just stated – it didn’t feel that way *to me*.

Overall a truly well told, suspenseful, complex tale with a more-fleshed-out-than-many main character that clearly has a lot going on, and a tale whose world seems ripe for exploring more of. So here’s hoping we get a chance to, and here’s hoping it will be soonish.

Very much recommended.

This review of House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was originally written on September 13, 2024.