Book Reviews (XX)

Pills and Cigarettes (The Wasteland) by Steve Bargdill  

(Publication Date:Apr 4, 2013)

Book Description 

Brandon languishes in a boarding house, picking up random men, smoking cigarettes, and gets high on weed.

When his cat Squiggles dies, he decides he needs to change his life.

Filled with drugs, sex, and cigarettes, the fifth of six inter-related short stories that make up the entirety of the Wasteland series all styled after Winesburg, Ohio and As I Lay Dying.

My Review

The main characters are quite a strange mixture: Brandon who tries for the thirteenth time to kill himself, but fails. So he goes and buys a packet of Benson and Hedges. Worse than having not died was having to deal with people.

            He leaves home and after traveling over two thousand miles he settles in a new place, Sacramento. Here he meets Danny Crane in a gay bar and they become friends and lovers. Danny's dream is to become a world famous painter. Richard who considers that the aliens turned his blood to powder and sees only conspiracies all around- the Nazis, the FBI the government, the aliens they were all after him. He drinks birds' blood to turn his blood into liquid but this is not enough and starts killing; Danny one of the victims. And Jack and Squiggles.

            This short story is, in my opinion, a quest into manhood and into accepting the true self. There is flow in the seemingly disjointed ideas and episodes. I would say Brandon's dilemma is his state in between adolescence and adulthood. He continually attempts to find his way in a world in which he feels he doesn’t belong. While Brandon views himself to be as mature as adults, he is quick to become emotional. He feels sorry for a kitten that he brings home to feed. Squiggle's death urges Brandon it's high time to change his life.

I was offered a copy by the author for an honest opinion.

I rate it Five Stars

Book Reviews (XIII)

Book review: Amber's Mysterious Death by C.L.Exline

Book description:

The game's afoot when Sheryl Locke Holmes spots Amber's husband, Roger, who'd disappeared without a trace after Amber's tragic death. With the help of her sidekick, Dot Watson, Sheryl follows Roger and a trail of amber jewelry which leads to duplicity, mayhem and murder. As different as day and night, Sheryl, Dot and Amber bonded like sisters during college. Their friend's death left unanswered questions and an unidentifiable body. This time Sheryl won't stop until she gets answers--and avenges her friend's death.

My Review

I greatly enjoyed Amber's Mysterious Death, a vivid and compelling story, with a clever designed mystery that kept me so engrossed in it that it was impossible to put it down at all.

The story flows well from the very beginning and it grabbed me from page one. I liked the author's clever naming the characters: Sheryl Locke Holmes. And of course who can be close to this character? None other than the traditional friend and partner, Watson; in our story, Dot, the technological wizard. Unlike Conan Doyle's characters who are men, Cassie's main leads are women. I enjoyed it as I am an inveterate feminist.

The two friends are as opposite as day and night. They aren't detectives proper, though Sheryl worked for a while, until her parents died in an accident, at the Millstone Police Department. They are owners of an antique shop, Homes by Holmes and Watson. Their friendship runs back in the past when they were room mates at the University and where they shared a room with another girl Amanda.

While having a look over some antiques to be auctioned from a mansion, Sheryl spots an old acquaintance that seems to be on top of her suspects list, in the case of death of their friend Amanda. Can't tell you more without revealing the plot and it wouldn't be fair. The story is spiced with the right amount of romance - Dot and Charlie, Sheryl and Jake - and sprinkled with enough humor to make it even more interesting.

A highly entertaining story. Prepare for an unexpected twist at the end of it.

This review is based on a digital copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest opinion.

My Rating: Five Stars

Book Reviews (III)

Book Review: BORN IN SIN by Camelia Miron Skiba

BLURB:

Loathing the thought of his beloved Oriana in the arms of another man, fearless Zyraxes delivers death upon the Roman enemy. With only the rugged land as his bed and the sky as his blanket, trouble finds him often.

Summoned to aid Oriana’s father in the war against two powerful enemies—one of them Oriana’s savage husband—Zyraxes proves himself worthy of more than just noble titles and coin. But he wants none of it. What he wants is her.

When Zyraxes discovers a broken and nearly dead Oriana, though forbidden, he disregards her father’s orders to leave her to her death, and instead chooses to protect and conceal her. Will saving her be enough to win her heart? Will his part royal lineage make him worthy of her love?

MY REVIEW       

I read first Born in Vengeance and was anxious to see what happened next. I liked the historical part quite a lot.  As a native of Ilias's and Zyraxes's country I was able to see in my mind's eye the places the characters traveled around.  Though you'll meet again Ilias, the main character in Born in Vengeance, Born in Sin focuses on Zyraxes's feelings.

The first pages begin with the aftermath of a huge battle that has just ended - blood and death.

The characters are interesting and unique, and I commend the masterful way Camelia Skiba describes how they get to be where they are and makes their connections throughout a very well written story and original design.

The author kept my interest by telling the story from Zyraxes's POV, at the same time introducing me to the ancient times of the action by means of meticulous details. Zyraxes tries to reconcile duty and love. How he manages it, if he succeeds or not, you'll have to find it for yourself. All I can tell you is that the love story in Born in Sin is an intricate one. I highly recommend this extremely engaging book to fans of historical fiction. They won't be disappointed. I give it five stars!