Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman: A Novel by Brady Stefani (Book Review #123)
This review was written for Online Book Club
“I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.”
This book was an “OnlineBookClub.org Book of the Day.”
The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman is a young adult novel written about a 15-year-old girl named Courtney. The story begins on the night of her birthday. Courtney has an imaginary friend called Astra that she confines in. More interestingly, she has dreams and visions of alien-like people that scare her. She remembers a few things from being very young. Her grandfather was trying to drown her, talks about aliens coming to get her and a tattoo symbolizing something that she does not fully understand.
She is very frightful of being stigmatized as crazy, and the people that visit her claiming that she is part of something similar to an alliance do not help her situation at all. Her mother dumps her into a mental house where Courtney makes friends with a girl named Agatha. She tells Courtney to contact her when she gets out. The journey begins once these two meet again and Courtney realizes if she really is crazy or is everything real.
The author portrays this young girl’s situation in a very well laid out plot. There are references to mental illness, and the journey one takes to self-discovery. Courtney is very strong-minded and has a beautiful personality. Something that our youth can look up to and subsequently, this makes the book an ideal read for our young adults.
For parents looking for idyllic books, this would be it. It has that thriller feeling and suspense throughout the whole story. I believe that the author researched well into the psychological impact and the emotional consequences one endures when they are stigmatized as a mental person.
I recommend this book to people that like to read on mental illness, aliens, fantasy and magic tales.
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Written by Jeyran Main
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Golden Gremlin: A Vigorous Push from Misanthropes and Geezers By Rod A Walters
Golden Gremlin: A Vigorous Push from Misanthropes and Geezers
By Rod A Walters
Genre: Nonfiction/Humor
The worlds really needs that push, vigorous or gentle, from misanthropes & geezers, the world’s most valuable golden gremlins. Misanthropes pretend to not like or need other people, but in reality they merely prefer their own company much of the time. Geezers, besides that silly name, also like their own company quite well. Both share the virtue of seeing the world calmly. Written to make Dave Barry, Lily Tomlin, and Ben Stein laugh, Golden Gremlin: A Vigorous Push from Misanthropes and Geezers delivers the wisdom of a calm life, and the wisdom to like most of it and laugh at the rest. Heck, Barry lives in Miami, habitat of geezers, and Ben Stein is one. You get pointy bite-sized life pointers from experienced gremlins, told in easy bite-size chunks. Laughter included in the price!. Two out of three wouldn’t be bad either.
Life is good! So laugh a little at yourself on the way through these pointy essays, and that will buy your laughing at the world’s simpler parts, guilt free.
Gremlin comprises about 70 short essays bundled into six topic areas:
NATURE: boys, poop, and carbon footprinting
WORDS: the real meaning of Caucasian
KITCHENS: Dollar Store kale
BUSINESS: stakeholders — through the heart
HISTORY: when Hell froze, and how Earth Day got born
Golden boy gets to be GOLDEN GREMLIN (the ultimate “Gotcha’ last!”)
What things could possibly be more important!
About the Author
Rod Walters lives and writes in upstate New York, an excellent place where one can truly prove he can be an all-season writer. Since he wants everybody to be all-season persons no matter what her or his lifestyle looks like, his writing tends sharply toward the practical—without turning into one of those godawful do-it-perfectly-yourself (DIpY) authors. Life, after all, is practical moment by moment. Certainly described “old enough to know better, and he might actually be,” his former life as Army officer, engineer, and administrative assistant could not have been better arranged to write both light and heavier pieces pointing to creating a balanced life. Chuckling at yourself usually makes a good start. Then again, who the heck wants to live a balanced life? He suspects that just about everybody does. That’s why he now writes. Although many friends nudge and badger him to Facebook- and Twitter-it-up, he tries not to spend 15 hours a day with circular and brain-dimming keyboarding activity. His books work better.
Website: http://www.iewriter.com/
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2A6Sb6r
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An Empire in Runes by Jeffrey L Kohanek (Book Review #136)
An Empire in Runes is part three of a fantasy series continuing the story of Brock and his compatriots in their journey to confront a horde of monsters that destroy anything in their path.
We continue with Brock after they have taken over the prison which is holding on to people that are Unchosen, (without a rune). These are humans that have no standing in society but possess the power of Chaos within them. Brock begins to train these people. This is a power that even he is still not yet that comfortable with. However, there are those in the Ministry that are trying to keep the power of Chaos hidden and are working against Brock to prevent the return of it. They are willing to do anything necessary to prevent Brock from succeeding.
They have to be fast, for this ancient prophecy to be fulfilled. Brock and his faithful followers must do everything they can to prevent the end of days. Not only are they trying to build their forces to defend humanity but also they all must watch their backs from the mysterious faction in the Ministry that is trying to prevent them from showing the world the power of Chaos. If Brock reveals the return of Chaos to be among the Unchosen then this will disrupt the balance of society, which is built upon the runic symbols of the Chosen.
The Buried Symbol (The Runes of Issalia #1) by Jeffrey L. Kohanek (Book Review #86)
I really enjoyed the continuation of the tale of Brock and his followers. They have become quite a tight-knit group and have gone through so much together. It was nice to see the building of multiple relationships, romances, and friendships that were entailed within the content. The author has eloquently captured the joys and frustrations of the antagonist Brock in his effort to not only master a lost art but to also try to teach it to those that have the gift.
At times I felt that the story focused a little too much on Brock and his group without flipping to the other story lines to keep the urgency of the situation, but I was still enraptured in the web that was woven of everything that took place. The amount of action, adventure, twists, and turns keep you continually wanting to read more on finding out the eventual outcome of this well-written novel.
The literary standard was high and never faltered to describe the situations, surroundings, and conversations of the characters. I felt that the romantic scenes did leave some to the imagination, which was quite nice. This also kept the book open to a younger audience.
The Emblem Throne: The Runes of Issalia, Book II by Jeffrey L Kohanek (Book Review #101)
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well-written fantasy stories, which do not disappoint. This is not a stand-alone book. Therefore, it is recommended that the reader begins this journey from Part 1.
Written by Jeyran Main
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POPO GIGI: The earlier years – London to Bollywood (Popo Gigi, #1) by Samuel G. Sterling (Book Review #98)
This review was requested by Joliwood books
This is a 596-page book!
It is primarily about a guy named Popo Gigi. He is seeking his biological father. Unfortunately, Popo’s father abandoned his pregnant wife and shipped her off to London, England. Therefore, as you can imagine, he isn’t a very nice guy. Popo is adamant to pursue closure. Read More
How did cats become pets?
How did cats become a pet?
Throughout our lives, we have been taught and told many things. Some we have just accepted and some we have questioned. Did any of you here ever think as a kid, how did cats become pets? Why cats? When did a cat become a domesticated animal to keep, love, take care and cherish? Today from Review Tales, I wish to discuss this matter and hope that you enjoy reading it.
An interesting fact revealed by Jared Diamond’s 1997 book titled “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” states the fact that certain animals failed to be domesticated; it appears to have had some certain criteria in order to determine if the animal was suitable for such a thing. For example, the animal had to grow and mature at a rate that made economic sense. They had to not act out of sorts. Their social structure had to be strong, and they had to be breed well in captivity. It is no surprise that Zebras failed this test in the 19th century or Grizzly Cubs were found unsuitable. According to the author, only 14 animals passed the test of domestication.
Archaeologists have found evidence to suggest that Cats were domesticated around 9500 years ago. When it came to dogs, humans deliberately bred dogs to be more adorable and then the other animals came along after that. For instance, sheep and goats were domesticated around 11,000 years ago. Theories suggest that as men collected grain, it attracted mice and that brought cats into the place.
On a final note, cats can be essentially considered as the ultimate domesticated of animals but what strikes me is that we clean their litter, love them, follow after them, feed them and unlike dogs, they only come to us when they want to. It is no surprise to ask yourself, who really ended domesticating who?
Written by Jeyran Main
This article was originally written for Katzenworld.
Combat Medic by S.M. Boney IV (Book Review #141)
Here is a link to his website. combatmedic.org
Many Veterans enlist purely to serve their country without fully comprehending the environment they are going to be living in and the things that they are about to see. Besides the obvious emotional culture shock, facing death, injuries and working under extreme stressful settings, these courageous people come home having to go back to family and are expected to live a normal life.
No amount of training before, during or after the war can really prepare them for what is out there and of course, this book provides a glimpse into a life of just one, Private Boney.
Samuel Boney joined the Army in 2003. He was sent to Iraq facing gruesome scenes, assisting in casualties working as a combat medic. After coming home he begins battling with Post Traumatic Stress. It is very hard to come back home and to be expected to act ordinary as if you have been on vacation. The ghosts of the past do follow you wherever you go, and the flashbacks are real. I particularly enjoyed the authentic style of writing and expression of emotions the author uses to fully grab the readers heart. The content flows like a river of emotions, fully connecting you to the past, present, and future of this veteran’s life.
The author even warns you at the beginning of the book that nothing about the story is pretty and for us to be expecting the truth about everything he experienced.
Combat Medic is a story of survival, sacrifice, and real emotions. I look forward to reading more from this author and recommend this book to anyone that is tough enough to face the reality of what our Veterans go through.
Written Jeyran Main
Here is where you can buy this book:
Barnes & Noble
Itunes
THE FINE ART OF SAYING NO by BIBIANA KRALL
THE FINE ART OF SAYING NO | BIBIANA KRALL
We have all been there…wanting to do more, get more accomplished and helping our community. What we are not necessarily taught is how to say no with tact and mindfulness. Before you consider this a negative post and walk away, please just listen for a moment.
Life for all of us in 2017 is busy, excruciatingly busy. Focus has become a rare gem and what we are left with is a frazzled mess inside our minds and our lives.
Lately, the stress levels in my life have been higher than normal. There are many reasons for this. Loss of loved ones, deadlines and juggling life. I am sure you can relate to your own experience as well.
Flyor Y Fuego by Bibiana Krall (Book Review #59)
I want to do more, get it all done and help my friends whenever I can. When I wake up in the morning I have a solid plan, but then someone reaches out and asks, “Can you help me with this?” and you truly don’t have one more second to spare… do you say yes or no?
I have been kicking this question around a lot lately. Having the energy to add more can be a feat well beyond just getting your tasks done. So I am asking you to consider the possibility of simplifying and not choosing no as a daily option, but to use your wisdom. Listen to your heart when you know you cannot do your best.
There is nothing more difficult than realizing that you and I are both human and we need to have time for ourselves, our family and simply to breathe and take in life. Teach yourself diplomacy and whether you say yes or no, be true to what will be accomplished and can be accomplished in the time you have and proceed with grace and passion.
Prospect Hill by Bibiana Krall (Book Review #54)
The most beautiful aspect of the art of saying no is honesty, integrity, and respect. Needless to say, this goes both ways, and in the long run, you will know this truth. Just to throw a little wrench in this philosophy, there is always tomorrow, and you can schedule in that little extra then.
Just give yourself a break from time to time, because you are awesome and you deserve it.
Bibiana Krall is a novelist, short story writer, blogger, graduate student, mother, and wife. WWW.BIBIANAKRALL.COM
What Would a Muslim Say Islam by Ahmed Lotfy Rashed (Book Review #364)
The most interesting thing about the book was that the author himself is an interfaith volunteer. Therefore, I found the perspective of the literature to be very intriguing. Would I see this book useful for everyone? No. I do, however, feel that this book is more for the open and curious mind. Anyone that appreciates and understands the concept of religion would enjoy this book.
Islam seekers and Muslim practitioners may also find this book useful as no matter how much you think you know of your own religion, there is always something missing.
The content was easy to understand and to read. In addition to all said, the work was divided well and had a nice flow to it. The author has taken a novel approach and has potential to create respectable work. I look forward to reading more from him.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Chaste by Jesse Teller (Book Review #135)
Chaste is a dark, horror fantasy story written about a girl named Cheryl. This is the third book of the tales from Perilisc. Chaste is a town suffering from a plague. The town is dedicated to Cory-lyn-ber, who is the father of Hope and Light.
Cheryl witnesses her mother and father being murdered. Her parents were the religious leaders working for Cory-lyn-ber. Losing them really shakes her belief in everything. The story is full of murder, sickness, agony, pain, rape, and abuse. However, there is some hope for this town, and that comes from five strangers, Ruther, Sai, Trevonne, Sob and Ambul who happen to visit the town. Each of them has an interesting backstory and come to Chaste noticing that something really weird is going on. After staying for a little while they decide to find the source of the sickness and to save the town.
Liefdom by Jesse Teller-Book Review
Cheryl’s destiny from the start begins to be very harsh but as the story develops she also transforms and develops into a much stronger person. She faces everything that she has been trying to avoid including Cory-lyn-ber.
I found the story to be really dark and twisted. It is filled with sadness and sorrow. The killing of children and murders were gruesome. Some possess the talent of reading about these sensitive topics without having it take much effect on their mood, but for me, it was a hard pill to swallow.
This, of course, does not indicate anything negative about the book. In fact, it was written so well that it managed to have such an effect on me. The literary standard was excellent. The plot was very well thought out, and the layout was superbly placed together. I can strongly say that Jesse Teller is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading more of his books.
Written by Jeyran Main
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