booksandopinions.com

Then you may not like this post. In my defense, this is strictly my own personal opinion, from wasting precious time reading garbage. So…

I have to say, I am really beginning to take issue with the whole entire ability of persons named-or-un-named (Okay, un-named), to self-publish. Everyone is an author now. There are no publishers telling you your book is terrible, or editors saying they wouldn’t use your story on the bottom of their bird cage. It does not matter if you do, or most likely do not, have a fairly adequate grasp of your native language. Punctuation? Who cares. Slang that does not fit or suit the story? Sure, just throw it in. Let’s randomly use text messaging short hand, just because we don’t know how to spell it out.

Having your spell checker show you clean pages does not a good story make. I cannot even begin to count the times that I have seen “buy” used for “by”, and I will not even get started on the whole they’re, there, and their issue that so many “writers” have.

Now, in all fairness, I have absolutely read some great stories that were self-published. The characters were developed, the storyline flowed as it should, and there was a beginning, middle, and end. They made sense. Bravo to you great writers! A publisher should be paying you for your stories, so you can truly make the profits and fame that your stories so richly deserve.

But I am going to throw out some things I encountered in a story that I have tried for 3 days to continue reading, and I absolutely cannot read one more single word of it. This author uses WordPress as their main publicity format, and I truly hope they do not come across this blog, or recognize the things I am going to put here. Yes, as much as I am complaining about this “story”, I have not yet reached that level of frustration at the butchering of what could have been a good story, (in the right hands), to call out this young adult by name and upset them.

I promise if I read about 2 more stories that are as terrible as this one, I will be naming names, and hyperlinking to their pages, just so people can avoid suffering through what I had to.

Am I exaggerating? Absolutely not. Let me demonstrate (and I cannot believe I am even going to go back through this story to show you what I am talking about).

1) Surely, no one’s gona be in there then? (Even without the spelling error; gonna? Really?)

2) I go back into the kitchen and finish my tea, ugh it’s cold.

3) The cul-de-sac looks as peaceful as it did during the day. Not like I was expecting it to become a ghetto during the night or anything. Ha. (Yes, it said Ha).

4) “Oh. Err.”

5) “OH ffff” I sigh to myself while I attempt to turn the key.

6) “Sorry I was er having a shower.”

7) “No you wouldn’t, but every village has it’s dark, ‘rapey’ areas.” Sandra laughs. (Rapey? This is where I literally threw my hands up in the air and said “Enough!” I am not kidding.)

I could not read another single word after I read “rapey”. Now, this is a young adult who wrote this story, as I could tell from the lack of comprehension and experience of the English language that comes from many years of reading it, and writing with it. they wrote this book exactly as they would talk to someone casually. Now, if the whole story had been written in that manner, it would have made sense. But it was not. It was written like it was all professional and serious for a minute, and then it said “Ha!”

So, with that being said, I will now step off my little soap box. To all of you self-publishers, keep up the good work. I am sure it is difficult. But also please have someone who will give you an honest, objective opinion, read your story. The world will thank you for it.

I absolutely loved this book! This is one of three books I picked up at our local art fair. Richard L. Baldwin is an author from Michigan, and he has numerous books that each take place in a different city in Michigan. I have two more to read, and will then be buying every other book he has written so far.

This story takes place in Chelsea, Michigan, and is centered around a member of the church choir who was found dead, and the accused church organist who sets out to clear her name. She is Belle Franklin (Isabelle), and since this book was titled “A Belle Franklin Mystery”, and numbered “one”, I hope he has more books coming out with her as the main character!

There are lots of twists and turns, and I did not want to put this book down! The story was an easy read, no complicated family-relative-confused relationships to keep track of, and each character was so developed you felt as if you knew these people personally.

If you are from Michigan, have visited Michigan, or just like mysteries, you definitely need to check out Richard L. Baldwin. I cannot wait to start the next book tonight!

It feels like it took forever to get the chance to read it, but I did, and I’m done, and I loved it!

The Hunter Awakens is a great YA story that everyone should read; adults included. The setting is described in ways that have you feeling like you are right in the center of all the action. The characters have depth, and you immediately feel like they are friends you have missed, or family you haven’t seen in quite some time (assuming you like your family!).

You hear bits and pieces about Mel, or Hellish Mel, as she prefers to be known. She has a mission of her own, and it is not the mission she was tasked with.

You have witches, wizards, and sorcerers, but only one treasure hunter; Ethan. He and his sister Destry have a far more exciting time at their Grandparent’s than they were expecting. There is a bond built with the grandparents, and it is nice to see this type of relationship play out. As Ethan discovers his destiny, with a little help from his sister, he is set to begin on a path that will change his life forever, and could likely change the world as they know it.

This is the first of what I hope is going to be an extensive series of books, and I cannot wait until I can start reading the second one!

If you have not been fortunate enough to read this book yet, you can get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Awakens-Morus-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00LLPLP5W

No. Really. Go get this book. Now 🙂

Author: Jonathan Kellerman

Born: August 9, 1949

Wrote: A Cold Heart, When The Bough Breaks, The Murder Book, The Conspiracy Club, Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children, The Golem of Hollywood, as well as many, many others.

Jonathan Kellerman is a trained and licensed Psychologist. His newest release, The Golem of Hollywood (9-16-2014), was co-authored with his son, Jesse Kellerman. His wife, Faye, is also a best-selling author.

Quotes:

“Life is like a prism. What you see depends on how you turn the glass.”

“All of us are like locks. No matter how strong the bolt, there’s always a key out there that opens it.” (From “Self Defense”)

Although this is not the normal type of genre I would read, I was excited to dig into this book and see what it had in store. Some may consider it Sci-Fi, some consider it truth, and some just may not like it very much at all. I enjoy science fiction movies, as well as documentaries about government, history, and all things unknown or hard to explain. The paranormal, the mystical; it’s all right here.

The thing I enjoyed most about this story was that it wasn’t crowded. You know; when you meet 16 characters (and their back-story) in the first two chapters of a book. Then you spend the next 18 chapters trying to sort out who’s-who. I have been reading too many of those stories as of late, so it was nice to read a story where by chapter 5, I still knew who everyone in the story was.

And something else. I suddenly had a vested interest in these individuals, and their families. I needed to know what they were going to do next. I cheered them on (or scowled at the ones I didn’t want to succeed!). It was important that they accomplish what they set out to do. This is a story where I would continue to wonder what happened to Mick, and Carolyn, and Sam, and even Arnie. I had to finish it, because I had to know what happened. You don’t walk away from this type of story. You become part of it, feeling the emotions you are reading about, as you are reading about them.

You hold your breath, you get angry, you laugh out loud.

I am for the most part not one to spoil a story, so I again try to keep too much information to myself, so I do not ruin it for anyone else. But if you do indeed like science fiction; if you have an interest in aliens, spiritual beings, or government cover-ups, you will want to read The Experiencers. Are you all about family, and friends, romance, and doing what is right, no matter what? Then this is a story for you as well. It is not overly graphic (expect some blood and gore), or overly sexual, and the writing has you seeing and feeling what you would expect the characters to be seeing, and feeling.

I will definitely be reading the next book to this series, and I am sure you will want to as well!

You can find it here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/416221

Okay, I got through my 3^rd Joanne Fluke suspense novel. This one was centered around a team of script writers who were making a movie, aptly titled “Video Kill.” With difficulty finding a studio to buy it, the luck of the screenwriters seems to turn around when a murder takes place, and the recorded evidence is left behind.

Throw in a Detective with a broken marriage (Sam) to go along with one divorced screenwriter (Erik), and another who has spent all their money (Tony), and everyone starts looking suspicious. It seems like pure luck that Tony knows Sam well enough that he shares the first murder DVD with him, and continues to do so as the bodies and DVD’s begin to pile up.

There are some twists and turns in the story, and I did enjoy the part that centered around Alfred Hitchcock movies being used to copy-cat how the actresses were killed. I really did not have a clue who the killer was, until I got to that point.

This was a good story that I enjoyed reading, but I can honestly say I am ready to go back to reading Joanne Fluke’s stories that are centered around Hannah Swensen and her bakery. They feel more rounded and well-written, and are also full of mystery and suspense.

I am on to two different books I promised to get read and reviewed, and should be easily done with both by this weekend.

The next two reviews will be much more exciting, I promise!

I would love to see this library in Ireland!

…and start reading them! Once again, I find a local author who is selling books, and I cannot do anything other than get my set!

Deanna J. Compton is a local author who has a set of books I cannot wait to dig into! I will feature her in my upcoming Friday Fun Facts, and let you know how amazing these books are!

And yes, I am done buying books until I read all the ones on my list!

What are you reading right now?

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce
Born: February 2, 1882 (Ireland)
Died: January 13, 1941 (Switzerland)
Wrote: Ulysses, The Dubliners, The Dead, Finnegan’s Wake

Seen as one of the most influential writers of the early 20th century, James Joyce was the center of several legal battles due to the explicit tone his writing took.
He battled severe eye problems for most of his life, and was the oldest of 10 siblings. His parents noticed his intelligence at a very early age, and made sure he was educated. James could speak 17 different languages.

Have you read any James Joyce?