Ordinance 53 by Sarah Flores is a collection of nine short stories that certainly entertain the reader. The subjects range from mundane office life and free doughnuts to a supernatural painting in an abandoned house. The endings are often abrupt and unexpected, making you blink in surprise and go back to reread the story.
I would love to see these stories turned into novelettes. The descriptions are vivid. The dialogue (both internal and external) is realistic. The themes are unique and unpredictable. More! More! More!
What did the little girl in Happiness do next? How did Nancy get through her day? What happened during the meeting in Promotion? Where did all that blood come from in Camping? And what happened to Saint Peter and the doberman lady in that room? These stories gave me so many things to imagine, which I imagine was the author’s intent.
If you are looking for a quick and imaginative read, then Ordinance 53 by Sarah Flores is for you.
Travels with Grace by Erma Note is an excellent introduction to Mexico City for children. Its vivid illustrations are captivating. The story revolves around Grace, a bilingual girl living in Mexico City who shows her American cousin, Connor, around town.
Everyone can learn about central Mexico’s food, culture, attractions, and language with Conner. Teachers will appreciate the discussion questions at the end of the book for further reader engagement.
Travels with Grace will make a great gift for the young explorers in your life!
Daisy Monroe decides that marrying a rancher through a mail-order bride service will help her family’s finances. En route, a stage coach robbery traumatizes Daisy. The first on the scene is handsome Henry Thomas. When Daisy finally gets to town, her intended isn’t the type of man she would have chosen as a husband, but a deal’s a deal. Before the wedding date, romantic feelings between Henry and Daisy bloom. But Daisy has a secret that she isn’t sure an upstanding man such as Henry would want to know.
Although the story wasn’t exceptional, the idiomatic expressions the author used were riveting. Flannelmouth, nailed the matter to the counter, acknowledged the corn, having a hog-killin’ time, bone orchard, threw up the sponge and countless more made deciphering the dialogue a bit of a puzzle. These terms certainly added to the feel of authenticity of this Western love story. So, despite the tired old story of a mail-order bride who finds love, I found A Love to Mend Her Broken Heart: A Historical Western Romance Novel by Etta Foster an interesting read after all. Perhaps you will too!
April’s 2021 Reading Challenge was a paranormal romance. While I expect those Vampire/Mortal romances would fall into this category, I went with Saving Cassie by by L.A. Remenicky. There are no vampires, shapeshifters, or witches in this small-town romance. On the other hand, there are demons, ghosts, and a seer or two.
Cassie Holt returns to Fairfield Corners, where everyone, except the new Deputy, knows her. Strange things are happening in the house she grew up in and inherited from her grandmother. Her best friend, the Chief of Police, lives next door with his family, but even he is unable to protect her from supernatural death threats. All of the current problems stem from a cult leader that killed Cassie’s parents when she was just six years old. Even though that man is dead, a demon has been unleashed and is stalking her. A romance blossoms between Cassie and the new Deputy, but will he be strong enough to save the woman that he loves?
I appreciated that this book was a romance, rather than just a paranormal book. It kept the gore to a minimum. Without the supernatural element, the book follows the girl returning to her hometown and falls in love plot. There were a few lurid sex scenes and some tense paranormal interactions. Overall, it was a light and easy read.
I would have liked more descriptions of the town, grandma’s house, and the bookstore. The action moved along quickly, perhaps a little too quickly in parts. Some sections seemed a bit rushed. But, for a small town romance with a twist, you can’t go wrong with Saving Cassie by by L.A. Remenicky.
An Inkling, A Backpack and All the Time in the World–Traveling on a Whim by Tamara K. Bryant was one of the more innocent backpacking stories I’ve read. Although partying was high on the author’s list of accomplishments as she traveled through Southeast Asia and Australia, she wasn’t looking to hook up with randomly met individuals or get high. Cute little drawings could be found throughout the story, but no pictures of the amazing things she saw.
There were just a few editing issues that should be addressed. A number of words had apostrophe ‘s when they should be s indicating plural. Then there was the repetition of the author’s introduction “mat backwards” which was cute the first time, but the joke got old fast. Another unnecessary repetition was the author’s sense of superiority when people scrambled to get off the plane. Just because the author had all the time in the world and could miss a connecting flight or ride from the airport on her leisurely travels didn’t mean everyone had that luxury.
As with most backpacking chronicles, the author enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow travelers. However, her immaturity was evident. Dumping a glass of water on a person in her hostel room because he complained about her 6:00 am noise certainly broke the unwritten consideration laws. Not recognizing the fact that one of her travel companions was interested in being more than friends is another example.
Some of her off-the-trail adventures could have been disasters. A female solo traveler can find herself in dangerous situations even when she takes precautions that the author didn’t even consider. The author was fortunate in her choice of travel partners and locations.
Overall, An Inkling, A Backpack and All the Time in the World–Traveling on a Whim by Tamara K. Bryant was a fun read. The author has a personable storytelling ability. The places she visited were unique. It’s hard to resist her zest for adventure. It’s a nice gap year narrative, which in the current limited travel situation we find ourselves in because of COVID-19, makes a pleasant armchair adventurer book.
I received an ARC from the author for this review.
For decades, Jen Taylor believed she had killed her classmate Kelly in an altercation on the railway tracks. An email from Kelly’s mother reawakens all that Jen thought she had buried. Jen reluctantly agrees to look into the matter for the dying mother. This means revisiting her own childhood trauma, something she has attempted to avoid at all costs.
The story leaps back and forth between the present and the past, not necessarily in a linear manner. Clues to what really happened to Kelly are scattered like breadcrumbs throughout the narrative. Even if you think you have it pieced together, odds are you won’t get it just right. I know I didn’t.
Having experienced the 1980s myself, I enjoyed the attention to detail that the author employed—references to songs, artists, current events, devices, and even clothing styles. Not being British, I also appreciated the cultural explanations, especially at the beginning of the book when describing Rembrandt Estates.
I had some difficulty keeping track of the children and their parents in parts of the story. I’d have loved a genealogy or even a map of the housing development and its relation to the train tracks to help me keep everyone straight. But then, I’m a visual person. Other people might not have this problem. Hidden by Lisa Sell is a mystery you’ll enjoy solving alongside Jen.
Part 1 discusses seven truths about addicts that you need to accept to find your own peace of mind. Although this section was informative, I would have liked to have had access to the author’s sources used to compile the list.
Knowing that the author was herself in the position of loving an addict was helpful in tearing down the barriers between them and us. Anyone can find themselves in this situation. It’s what you do about it that matters. The first part includes a questionnaire to help you see that you are in a relationship with an addict.
Part 2 is about taking action. Loving an addict will cause you to do things that don’t benefit anyone in any way. It’s time to take back your control and stop repeating those behaviors. Through a series of pointed questions and the aid of select UK resources, the author shows how you can do just that.
Part 3 talks about obstacles that you might encounter on your way to creating your best life. Grief, uncertainty, fear, and unhealthy behaviors can hold you back. Instead, the author encourages you to replace these emotions with forgiveness, courage, and positivity.
In the Introduction, the author talks about Part 1, but not about the other parts of the book. In fact, parts 2 and 3 only have one main chapter. The Gratitude chapter in Part 3 is an acknowledgments page. It should be classified accordingly. The ending seems a bit abrupt as well. I would have liked a recap of the main takeaway points before being encouraged to contact the author to set up a life coaching session.
As an appendix, perhaps there could be a list of places to go for help, hotlines, and support groups, both physical and online. Maybe the author’s suggestions could be more defined too, either in the appendix or within the chapters. For example, The Archangel Michael cards are mentioned. What are they? How do they work in this case? Could the reader see this in action?
Being in a relationship with an addict myself, this book resonated with me in a way that it might not for someone else.
I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery. You can read my review here.
The tricks and tips author Michael Rogan presents are simple but effective strategies. Basically, they boil down to picking a topic, doing some research and writing the book. Keep in mind, your niche may be so well, nichey, that only a handful of people will ever read it. BUT… if you present your material well, you’ll be the expert in your niche and might even sell some books.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a bit of a study in behavior with a bit of a mystery. It’s set in Sweden and there’s a sort of running joke about people from Stockholm throughout the book. I guess maybe it would have been funnier if I were Swedish.
The story begins with some general commentary on life. Eventually the author gets to the point that everything that follows was the result of one single really bad idea. A desperate parent tries to hold up a cashless bank, ends up taking hostages accidently, and well, everything just goes downhill from there.
The hostages and police officers trying to negotiate their release each have their own backstory, some of which end up overlapping before all is said and done. The mystery is how this messy situation resolves itself (or doesn’t) and what it all has to do with the man on the bridge ten years previously. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a quirky, light read that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
C.E. Flores 