Review Tylar Nals' "The Dark Side of the Felt" is about a man's journey through the world of underground poker. The main character details his many experiences playing underground games, including a game held in a twenty-something's parent's garage as everyone smoked weed (it became a factor during the game).
Nals has a knack for writing in a way that transfers the humor of the situation to the reader, and I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. The stories are engaging, and the author does a good job of capturing the suspense of the game. It's clear he knows poker like the back of his hand.
I would recommend this book to you if you want a fun, humorous book about the life of an underground poker player! More Information Buy the book on Amazon
Review Vanessa A. Ryan's “The Legacy of Fear” is a vampire story that incorporates elements of suspense and mystery and has an Egyptology theme. The protagonist, Susan Runcan, has some time her on hands, now that she has a hefty inheritance, and decides to write a book to clear the name of her archeologist grandfather Lindon Runcan.
When she heads to his mansion, a local landmark, in inland Southern California she finds herself in the midst of a years of secrets and intrigue, including mysterious killings. The book opens with a fair amount of back story and character development before letting the plot fully kick into gear, which I prefer rather than being thrust into a fast-paced plot without knowing the characters.
The Egyptology theme made this book feel unlike any vampire book I’ve read, in a good way. If you want a fresh vampire novel with interesting characters and a unique premise, then you’ll enjoy this book!
Review Melissa Martineau Alexander’s “Anatomy Of An Affair: Part I” is a suspenseful romance novel that explores the development of a woman’s affair with her husband’s best friend. The protagonist, Lily, is a thirty-something who has it all – a beautiful daughter, a loving husband, a great job – yet has an affair. Rather than sweep the whole thing under the rug, Lily dissects the development of the affair, from first meeting her lover to their intimacy. One of the things I love about this book is how the narrator doesn’t point the blame for her affair and move on. Rather, she carefully examines everything that led to the affair, from her childhood to her earlier relationships to her marriage, with the hope of learning from it. The book is written in first-person with a very conversational style, which makes you feel like the narrator is right there talking with you. It is fascinating to learn every little detail of Lily’s life (some very surprising) and how they contribute to her actions. The author writes characters, especially Lily, Nick, and Kyle,with such developed back-stories that they seem like people you’ve known for awhile. Recommended for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with suspense and romance. More Information Visit the author's website Buy the print version of the book Pre-order the Kindle version of the book Follow the author on Twitter
Review "Wladimir Klitschko | The Inspirational Story of Boxing Superstar Wladimir Klitschko" is an unauthorized biography that covers all aspects of Wladimir Klitschko's life, from his early life to his boxing career to his philanthropy, in a concise, straightforward manner.
As someone who doesn't like to be bogged down with stats when I read a sports biography, I appreciated how succinct the book is; the author really distilled it down to the essential details.
If you want an indepth look at Klitschko's life, this probably isn't the book for you. You'd be better off searching for the info you want on the internet. But if you want a quick, fun Klitschoko biography, you'll enjoy this.
Review Douglas Robbins' "Leaves Piled High" is a collection of short stories covering a wide range of topics. The stories vary dramatically in setting and characters. Although I enjoyed all of the stories, my favorite is "Unhappy Campers," which focuses on a married couple going camping on Labor Day weekend.
An unleashed dog causes a scene that pulls the story in an unexpected direction, and the ending really caught me off guard. The story asks a deep philosophical question that had me thinking long after the story was finished. A lot of the stories have deep themes that make you ponder as you read.
If you're looking for short stories with lots fantasy and action/adventure, this isn't the collection for you. These stories are grounded in reality and capture snippets of life that everyone experiences. I'd recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys thoughtful, character-driven short stories, look no further than "Leaves Piled High."
“God Has Failed Me,” by K.M. Lessing, is the true story of the author’s life, covering everything from her difficult relationship with her parents to her journey into the corporate workforce. The author, a self-described nihilist, writes the book from the perspective of someone who is disillusioned with society.
Lessing captures the evolution of her views as she ages with poignant writing and vivid descriptions. Sex and religion are recurring themes throughout "God Has Failed Me."
One of the more interesting topics covered in "God Has Failed Me," in my opinion, is mainstream Western romance. The author takes issue with monogamy portrayed by society. My favorite thing about the book is the author, by relaying her thoughts and experiences, makes the reader think. "God Has Failed Me" is a recommend read for anyone who wants to read a true story that’ll make you reflect on many of life’s important issues. More Information Buy the book on Amazon
Review "Disenchanted: Book
One,"by C.K. Farrell, is a book that will
surely delight Gothic lit fans. The story follows Faelynn LeCroix, a
determined woman who wants to find those who killed her mother and
kidnapped her father.
Her journey takes her to Nathaniel Valour, a
powerful Irish vampyre, and their encounter raises more questions than
it answers. I've always been a fan of more traditional, myth-oriented
vampyre books, rather than the pop-culture vampire books, and this book
is certainly more like the former. It has a cool Gothic feel to it. The
plot is fast-paced, and the characters, especially Nathaniel, are fun to
follow.
Recommended for anyone who likes Gothic literature and vampyre stories!
Review "The True Story of Human Evolutionary Genesis," by Elvis Newman, is a look at the origin's of humanity by investigating both genetics and history. The book walks you through the creation of the modern homo sapiens and their genetic makeup.
The book explores a wide variety of theories and ideas, even including lesser-known theories, such as the idea of human devolution.
One of the things I like most about the book is that it's written in an easy-to-understand manner and uses lots of examples and references to help you understand the ideas. A good read for anyone interested in the topic. More Information Buy the book on Amazon
Review Mark Harritt's On Distant Shores (Earth Exile Book 1) begins with an opening scene where a female dragon whose babies have died due to a disturbance lurks deep within a cave, furious and ready to hunt. Mike is a chief of a SpecOps team who is married but must leave his pregnant wife for a mission that suspiciously isn’t at all specified. The only information he receives is that it is in the US and requires five guys with TS and DOE clearances, and infantry backgrounds. Mike is jokingly referred to as a member of the “Geek Squad”, because they all have backgrounds in the sciences, engineering, or mathematics.
Mike and his team discover that they are test subjects for a new invention which is impressive on any scale. They couldn’t have been better test subjects, because they are so in shape, they are essentially athletes of the highest caliber. Although they don't mesh well with some of the "higher ups" in the mission, the crew love them and the invention looks promising. Further along in the book, it turns to the subject of North Korea and their leader. North Korea causes a massive disturbance that touches Mike’s location and affects the whole mission. The scene flashes back to the original dragon scene, and spurs the intensity of the already frenzied situation. And so, a nightmarish hunt begins, in which Mike and everyone who was working with him is involved.
This book is a story of survival, chaos, heroic actions, and loss. The story is filled with dialogue between the team and the people they are working with, prodding the plot forward and keeping things fast-paced. The characters are well-developed and fleshed out as the story progressed. Although some of the elements are based on fantasy, the story remains believable and enjoyable. One can tell that the author has extensive knowledge of how the military works, between the military jargon and the team interactions. This book is a good read for those who are interested in the military, survival, or action-packed literature. More Information Buy the book on Amazon
Review “Gates of Perdition,” by R.P. Kraul, is a mystery thriller about a deft serial killer with a storied history. The killer is called the Indianhead River Killer, a man who suffered abuse as a child and now craves killing, although he hasn't resigned himself to this fate.
The protagonist is a complex, multi-layered character. In my opinion, “Gates of Perdition” is character-driven novel, with Kraul developing interesting backstories for many of the characters. The writing is descriptive, graphic and telling, effectively relaying scary, mysterious, and emotional scenes to the reader.
The plot is paced well, with ample time for development of the story before crescendoing. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to read a serial killer novel with developed characters and tight descriptive writing. More Information Buy the book on Amazon
