Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
My Trip to Adele by A.I.Alyaseer and R.I.Alyaseer (Book Review #133)
My trip to Adele is a fictional story about three different individuals attempting to go to Adele’s concert in Verona. All three have different reasons for taking this journey, and it is the love of music that drives them all into this one place.
Elias lives in Rome and has lost the love of his life eight years ago. He hopes to find her again since a fortune teller has given him hope that there is a possibility for them to reunite again.
Yaser and Miriam have been married for eight years, but are not getting along very well. They live in Las Vegas. Yaser feels that he has lost his identity since the marriage and is going on a journey of self-discovery. Continue Reading …
“Davy Crockett, Jesus and The Beatles” By Robert Germaux
“Davy Crockett, Jesus and The Beatles”
By Robert Germaux
I’ve always loved to sing, and when I was younger, my voice was good enough that I sang in both my church and school choirs. The main memories I have of my church singing are of two very different situations. For two or three years when I was around ten or eleven, I soloed in front of the congregation on Easter Sunday, singing There is a Green Hill Far Away. I didn’t particularly enjoy those performances, mostly because I didn’t like the heavy robe everyone in the choir had to wear. However, my other church-singing experience involved an entirely different ensemble, one that I definitely enjoyed wearing. When I was nine years old, our church held a father and son banquet, and I got up and sang The Ballad of Davy Crockett. I went full frontiersman on that occasion, including, of course, the coonskin cap. A couple of my siblings claim to be in possession of photographic evidence of that event, which explains why I’ve played the role of victim in a number of family blackmail schemes over the years.
In high school, I sang tenor in the a capella choir, despite the fact that I’d never learned to read music, not a single note. What saved me in that situation was my friend, Cliff Thomas, who was able to unlock the mystery of those squiggly marks on the pages with all the lines. Incidentally, I just now went online and saw that the pages with all the lines are called notation papers. You learn something every day. Anyway, back to Cliff. Whenever we had to sing a song I didn’t know, I’d listen to Cliff the first couple of times we rehearsed, and then I usually had it. On the rare occasion when I might forget part of a song, I’d just mouth that part during the performance. Cliff was a much better singer than the rest of us, and he could have handled the tenor section all by his lonesome. Cliff, if you’re still out there somewhere, thanks, buddy.
As for the songs I enjoy listening to at home or in the car, I used to think my musical tastes ran a fairly narrow gamut from the late fifties to the mid-sixties, ending about halfway through the Beatles invasion. I kind of lost touch with the music scene from the late sixties on, mainly because I was busy getting my first teaching position, settling into married life, grading thousands of student compositions, etc. You know, life. I often had music on in the background, especially when I was working on lesson plans or grading all those compositions, but I didn’t pay much attention to who was singing. However, thanks to Sirius-XM radio, with its on-screen display of artists and dates of release, I now realize there are songs from the seventies I really like. The Eagles’ Best of My Love, Dave Mason’s We Just Disagree, Chicago’s Color My World and, of course, Billy Joel’s classic Piano Man. Great songs, all. In fact, I’m now considering venturing into the eighties. I hear good things about this Springsteen lad.
A final note. As much as I’ve come to enjoy so many post-Beatles songs, I have to admit that I find some of today’s songs to be shallow and superficial. I still think that the fifties and sixties take the prize for meaningful lyrics. As proof, travel with me back to 1958, when a little ditty called Witch Doctor spent two weeks atop the Billboard 100. Allow me to set the scene. A young man is in love with a girl who doesn’t love him back, so, of course, he seeks advice from the local witch doctor. Here’s what that individual said to the young man. Be sure to pay close attention.
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Enough said, right?
ABOUT ROBERT GERMAUX
Robert Germaux and his wife Cynthia live outside of Pittsburgh. After three decades as a high school English teacher, and now a good many years into retirement, he is beginning to have serious doubts about his lifelong dream of pitching for the Pirates. Grammar Sex and Other Stuff is Bob’s first non-fiction book. You can find links to his first three novels (The Backup Husband, Small Talk and Hard Court) at his Amazon Author Page.
Proof of Virtue by Leila Snow (Book Review #368)
What I found most interesting about the storyline was that pure love spikes between a special someone and both prospects had to oversee the circumstances in order to learn the truth and to love. Shakespeare’s quote of “In struggling with misfortune lies the true proof of virtue.” was much justified in this tale and since the classical style of writing almost resembled the good old-fashioned Pride & Prejudice, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
Imagine being left alone with two other children at a young age, and having the responsibility of taking care of them in sickness and health while you fight the social norms of the old days. Emma’s character and personality were created with much care, and it was effortless to feel for the young women. The world setting was dark and cruel. I would have preferred a much stronger hero for the story, however, what did exist was a true tale of various emotions and the darker side of life.
The literature was beautiful to read, and I believe the author has potential to create great work. I would recommend this book with the slight notification of the fact that it does contain strong material.
Written by Jeyran Main
This review was originally requested by the author and Underrated.com
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Solaris Seethes by Janet Mcnulty (Book Review #134)
Solaris Seethes is a science fiction story written about a girl named Rynah, whose planet has been destroyed. She manages to escape using her grandfather’s ship named Solaris. In order for Rynah to restore her planet, Solaris informs her about the legend of six crystals and the power of the four heroes.
“Six Crystals in evils grasp:
One Lone exile with fury’s wrath.
Four you need from thirteen:
Four heroes of faith and belief.”
Rynah is reluctant to believe this story yet complies, as Solaris actually leaves her with no choice. Solaris is the ship’s artificial intelligence, which means it can self-operate and has an independent mind. Rynah’s grandfather used to own Solaris and had bought the ship when it was decommissioned from the military, fifty years ago. He spent his entire life researching the lore of the crystals and attempted to locate them in order to investigate what powers they held. Continue Reading…
Playing Hurt by Gerald Nardella (Book Review #145)
Playing Hurt is a fiction novel written about a story that begins in the year 1960. It surrounds the lives of the main characters, Brian and Deanie and it all begins at a game.
Brian is the quarterback of the high school football team. The game they are playing is very important as it is his last and they are trying to get their first win of the season. Brian and Deanie are an item, but Deanie wishes to end the relationship between them. The atmosphere is tense and as tempers boil over there is a massive brawl. During this brawl, Deanie’s ex-boyfriend appears, and when Brian leaves on the team bus, he sees Deanie getting out of her car and leaning in the window of an unknown car in the parking lot.
As the drama continues between the two men and Deanie, things turn from good to worse making you confused at times and eager to figure out what is going to happen. Some scenes may be uncomfortable to read, and the subject matter is not suitable for the younger audience.
I found the plot and storyline to be ordinary. There was nothing novel about the book. The characters development was good, and the layout appeared to be sufficient to keep the reader’s interest. I particularly found Deanie interestingly weird. Her character could not have been more annoying than it was written.
The only thing I liked about this book was that it kept your attention with the twists and turns on every page. It was interesting to see, how authentic the author had portrayed the period. There were some things that in today’s society we would not approve of, but in the 1960’s they were part of the social norms. At times the story was a little easy to predict, but the ending of the book was not one that I expected.
I would recommend this book to a mature crowd looking for a short fiction story that you could read in one sitting. It does contain several adult subjects and language that may not be appropriate for younger readers.
Written by Jeyran Main
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How to be owned by a cat by Kate Chen (Book Review #367)
This book stands different amongst its peers because it provides a step by step take on this transition being smooth and practical instead of just dumping plenty of information about cats and how to care for them.
Besides the basics being how to prepare your home or how to protect your furniture, the author also informs the reader of the animal’s personality and traits. The key is communication, even when you are dealing with a pet and it is no surprise that this book also emphasizes on that subject matter as well.
I found the literature standard to be in good shape. The chapters are short and easy to understand. Anyone that has an intention to buy a cat or to adopt will find this book to be useful.
I especially liked the part where the author discusses bizarre behaviors in cats. It stipulated a more psychological aspect of the animal and provided a personal touch to considering this big responsibility.
I would recommend this book to people who are into cats, are proud owners of one or are considering to adopt or purchase this furry animal.
Written by Jeyran Main
This review was requested by the author and Underrated.com
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Tin Cans by Lise Freeman (Book Review #142)
Tin Cans, is a fictional story about a determined woman named Lana. This comedic book focuses on her ability to juggle her barely afloat business, family, friends and everything in between. Her business is situated in Florida, and although it is not just about the money, Lana’s beautiful personality cannot find the heart to let go of the team she works with as she deems them, family.
Everything gets thrown at our wise and witty lead character, and yet she still manages to pull it together and make things work out somehow. The plot and the storyline are mostly regarding interconnected coincidences and domestic situations where things collide, creating this excellent dynamic story.
The literary standard of the book and the layout of the story is written and designed very well. I found the story to be very appealing. The character development is in my opinion, the main reasons for the success of this book. They are all relatable, and as you read along, you get to feel and bond with them. That is a display of good writing, and this author succeeds in achieving that.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes to read funny and relatable fictional stories.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Cancelled by Michael Pinsky (Book Review #146)
This is a political thriller story written about a President that is willing to do anything to remain in power. His time is up, but he wishes to stay, and so he decides to create conflict in the country by planting situations where the country begins to fall apart, and the only way to save it would be him becoming the dictator of the United States.
Austin Howard, a Republican candidate, and William Mendenhall, an ex-general are too busy to figure out what is going on. William places the puzzle pieces of what is aspiring to become a chaotic situation together. The president’s tactic needs a great deal of reinforcement, which William needs to pull together and that is how the author induces political theory into the minds of its readers. Could this happen to our America today?
Many of the references, acts and choices of words were clearly indicating the political struggle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. However, the author strategically choose not to say.
The literary standard of the work was in good standing, and the connectivity between the chapters and the layout were smooth enough to keep the reader’s interest. What it may have lacked was originality. The works and theories were all dramatic but were not novel. The ending of the plot was climactic, and I liked the fact that each character had their own intentions and backstory.
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read political thrillers and is open about the current political situation America is facing today.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Vasa and Ypres by J. B. Chisholm (Book Review #366)
What I believe would have worked better was if the story was written in the third person narrative. It is instead written through Vasa which for a short book, made things complicated because the humor and dialogue were between Vasa and Ypres.
If you are from England and are familiar with the slang, you can easily blend into the content and enjoy the witty literature. This is a short book, and so it was a fast and enjoyable read. The work focuses on social observation, and the character personality was created in a unique way.
There isn’t much of a world setting, but the dialogue and observations covered up for it. The character development, I believe, was the strong aspect of the storyline.
If you are looking for a fast and fun read, then this book is the right one for you.
Written by Jeyran Main
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