#BookLover Thoughts Opinions and Experiences #NationalBookLoversDay

#NationalBookLoversDay https://t.co/cocK6kf2rF Writing Book Reviews As An Author https://t.co/Ofuuwmz48w Fractions of Existence https://t.co/5N7FROJrqZ Lumber Of The Kuweakunks

Celebrate by writing reviews, reading an urban fantasy, or solving a short story fantasy mystery

— J Lenni Dorner (@JLenniDorner) August 9, 2022

That's my tweet for National Book Lovers Day. 

I can't overstress the importance of book reviews to authors. Several bookselling websites use the number of reviews to determine the ranking of a book and author. Not the positive or negative, not the stars earned. ⭐ It's all about how often a book got a reader to put fingers to keys ⌨ and say something, anything at all, about what they just read. 

Interestingly, it's especially difficult to get our fellow authors to write reviews. Even knowing how important reviews are, authors are often scared to write them because they don't want to say the wrong thing. It might burn the relationship with a fellow writer, or offend an agent or publisher. Some authors stick to the "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" rule. I tried to help alleviate this problem by writing a guidebook, "Writing Book Reviews As An Author." 

There's also a full-length novel and a short story available from my collection.

Currently, there are 41 books on my list of "favorites" on Goodreads. Check those out!

Top 5 from that list (in no particular order)

1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard  -- Futuristic Fantasy Sci-fi (Speculative Fiction) [Amazon lists it as a historical romance for reasons I cannot fathom, as the subway scene makes it clear that this story takes place either far in our future or in a multiverse version of Earth, but certainly not in the past. 🤦🏽‍♂️]
   
2. Runaway by J.R. Vincente -- Erotic Choose Your Own Adventure novel.
   
3. Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora -- LGBTQIA+  Genetic Engineering SciFi Fantasy (Speculative Fiction)
   
4. Magic at Midnight by Ronel Janse van Vuuren -- LGBTQIA+ Dark Fairytale Fantasy
   
5. Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My Family by L.G. Keltner -- YA Holiday Humor Romance
   

I don't know if it means anything that my top 5 list here happen to be all female writers. I can easily add Stephen King and Patrick Rothfuss. It may also depend on my mood, because I have a slightly different list on my NaNoWriMo Profile.

What books would you recommend to me, based on the ones I just suggested to you?

#BookReview of My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman

The Operation Awesome theme for the #atozchallenge 2021 is book reviews. I had the chance to re-read some old favorites to see how my perspective has changed over time, as well as some new loves!

Z is for My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman

MY EYES ARE UP HERE is a YA contemporary novel about high school sophomore Greer Walsh who seriously got done dirty by puberty - last time she checked, her bra size was 30H. Greer is constantly trying to fade into the background with her oversized shirts and slouchy posture, while her best friend is always making waves. When Greer is voluntold to help the new boy at her school, Jackson Oates, she has to grapple with her crush on Jackson vs. her desire to be seen as more than a walking pair of boobs. 

As someone with gender dysphoria, I totally got Greer's unhappiness with her body. I hated everything about going through puberty - especially no longer being able to cross my arms tight over my chest. Greer constantly struggles with finding a bra that fits, going swimming with her friends, even finding a volleyball uniform she can wear. She's always self-conscious, and while that was certainly relatable, it got repetitive at times. I wanted the novel to show some growth on Greer's part, whether that was her deciding that she wanted to pursue breast reduction surgery (which she does consider during the novel), or her coming to terms with her body the way it is and accepting herself. By the end of the novel, though, neither of those things happen. I felt that the novel ended before it should have and didn't really resolve the main conflict. 

I liked that it was Greer's friend Maggie and not Greer herself who was making waves. I often find that the main character in YA contemporary is the Everything Girl: cute and funny and quirky and stands up against prejudice and, and, and. It was nice to see a main character who would rather be on the sidelines, someone who is relatable to those of us who were too shy to ever want to be the center of attention. Maggie is the one protesting the dress code, or speaking up against the sexist nature of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the spring musical. (I've been in that show, and let me tell you, yuck. Maggie had the right idea.) Towards the end of the novel, Greer does stand up on behalf of Maggie, which was some well-needed character development on Greer's part. The romance subplot was also enjoyable, since it wasn't the main focus of the novel. It felt more real for Greer to be dealing with things other than her attraction to Jackson. 

I would recommend MY EYES ARE UP HERE to YA readers of all ages. In addition to the body image issues, there are also discussions of how moving often makes life difficult, family dynamics, and sexism. 

Goodreads

A to Z Challenge

#BookReview of Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Said #atozchallenge

Set during a local election campaign, this is a cross-race, cross-religious romance with a strong political message.  Jamie is a shy, socially anxious guy who struggles to speak to strangers.  Forget about speaking in public.  So he's perfectly happy to be behind the scenes for his state senator's election campaign, stuffing envelopes, fetching coffee or whatever.  But everything changes when he's paired up with Maya to go canvassing door to door.

Maya isn't having a great summer.  Her parents are separating and her best friend is so busy working and preparing to go to college she seems to have forgotten she even has a best friend. Maya's mother suggests getting involved with the campaign might give her days some purpose and Maya grudgingly agrees even if it does mean hanging out with a childhood friend she hasn't seen in years.

As Jamie and Maya get more deeply involved in the campaign and what it means to them and the people around them, they realize that they have more in common than they might have thought.  The more time they spend together, the more they enjoy each other's company.  But no romance runs smoothly and things get more complicated when one person is Jewish American and the other is from an Indian Muslim background.

I enjoyed this book.  It was light and fun and Jamie was so adorably inept.  Yet under all the frothy romance there was some strong messaging about hate speech, politics and speaking up for what you believe in.  There was also some messaging around the power of social media to invoke change (and, as usual, create chaos for our happy couple).

I believe strongly that everyone who has the right to vote, should vote.  People have no right to complain about the political situation they're in if they didn't use their right to vote, even if their candidate didn't win.  Yet I felt this message was pushed a little too hard through this book.  The political campaign wasn't just the background for the romance at the forefront of the book, it felt like the reason for the book.  Like the authors were really, really intent on getting their political message across, at any cost.

Now I'm all for messages in books and for books to teach readers things, but I hate it when I feel like an author is bashing me over the head with their ideology.  Even if I'm on the same page as them.  So I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at allto almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.

#BookReview of Virgil Wander by Leif Enger #atozchallenge

 

 

I discovered Leif Enger's first book, Peace Like A River on the bargain table outside the discount bookshop that used to be in the same mall as a cinema I ran, and it soon became one of my all-time favourite books.  I sought out other books by the author, but there did not seem to be any.  Until ten years later, Virgil Wander appeared on bookstore shelves.

You better believe I snapped up a copy as soon as I saw it.  Especially when I discovered Virgil lives above a fading and failing movie theatre.

Set in a small midwestern town, Virgil Wander begins with its titular protagonist being rescued from the frigid waters of Lake Superior after his car plunges from a bridge.  Concussed, Virgil has problems with speech and memory even after he goes home from the hospital.  Because of this, the narrative has a slightly dream-like, fractured quality.  We're never quite sure what Virgil is actually experiencing, and what might be the result of his damaged brain.

So when a kite-flying stranger shows up in town to try and discover that happened to his missing son, we're not sure if he is real.

The book features an eccentric cast of characters that reminded me somewhat of the residents of Fannie Flag's Elmwood Springs.  Like that fictional town, this one is also fading and down at the heels, the population largely aging as the younger people depart for opportunities in bigger, more exciting locales.  The people here are stoic and survive the best they can, but can't help reminiscing about the days in which the town thrived and grew.

It is a town more accustomed to people leaving, than those arriving, so when Rune arrives with his kites and zest for life, and the wealthy film producer whose house has long stood abandoned both turn up, the community begins to feel the whisper of change and new life.

I really enjoyed this book despite the fact it's very quiet.  The characters are delightful and so well drawn I felt like they could be my neighbors by the end of it.  It would be so easy to make fun of these simple people and their simple lives, but Enger has such obvious affection for them that it's impossible to.

I would definitely recommend this one.

But don't just listen to me. Here's the blurb:

The first novel in ten years from award-winning, million-copy bestselling author Leif Enger, Virgil Wander is an enchanting and timeless all-American story that follows the inhabitants of a small Midwestern town in their quest to revive its flagging heart.

Midwestern movie house owner Virgil Wander is "cruising along at medium altitude" when his car flies off the road into icy Lake Superior. Virgil survives but his language and memory are altered and he emerges into a world no longer familiar to him. Awakening in this new life, Virgil begins to piece together his personal history and the lore of his broken town, with the help of a cast of affable and curious locals--from Rune, a twinkling, pipe-smoking, kite-flying stranger investigating the mystery of his disappeared son; to Nadine, the reserved, enchanting wife of the vanished man; to Tom, a journalist and Virgil's oldest friend; and various members of the Pea family who must confront tragedies of their own. Into this community returns a shimmering prodigal son who may hold the key to reviving their town.

With intelligent humor and captivating whimsy, Leif Enger conjures a remarkable portrait of a region and its residents, who, for reasons of choice or circumstance, never made it out of their defunct industrial district. Carried aloft by quotidian pleasures including movies, fishing, necking in parked cars, playing baseball and falling in love, Virgil Wander is a swift, full journey into the heart and heartache of an often overlooked American Upper Midwest by a "formidably gifted" (Chicago Tribune) master storyteller.

#BookReview of This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry

The Operation Awesome theme for the #atozchallenge 2021 is book reviews. I had the chance to re-read some old favorites to see how my perspective has changed over time, as well as some new loves!

T is for This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry

THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY is a YA contemporary novel about the hapless, quiet high school student Isabel, who always thinks of something witty to say to people but can't ever bring herself to say it out loud. Her boyfriend is overbearing, she hasn't talked to her best friend in months, and her family seems content to leave her to her own devices. So when Isabel stumbles into a comedy club in downtown Chicago, she suddenly finds that she has a pretty good voice for comedy. Isabel falls in with a group of college students who think she's in college as well, and increasingly finds herself lying to everyone in her life to keep her comedy a secret. (Quick warning: this review contains some spoilers.)

If you liked The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, you may like this book - the "funny woman hides her comedy life from everyone" plot is pretty similar, and I've seen the book pitched as "Mrs. Maisel goes to high school." That said, my main criticism is that the reader never really sees Isabel be all that funny. She performs a couple five-minute sets and has an epic takedown of a bully at the end of the novel, but there's no sense of growth. She seemed as funny in her first set as she was in her last, and because we don't get to see her process of working through a joke like we do in Mrs. Maisel, I had a hard time believing that she becomes this amazing comic by the end of the novel, which is just a few months later. Isabel ends up beating out a bunch of college students to perform in a highly-exclusive college comedy showcase, which didn't make sense to me. She's been doing comedy for a few months; how could she really be that innately good that she could succeed over college students who have been doing this for several years? I just didn't buy it. 

I also thought that the reveal of Isabel's secret comedy life to her family was a bit over-the-top: one of her bits, in which she mentions details about a lawsuit her high-powered lawyer mom is litigating, ends up being videotaped and sent to her mom as blackmail. Isabel's mom pays a lot of money to keep the video from ending up on the internet. I hate to keep going back to the TV show, but it almost seemed like a better reveal would have been Mrs. Maisel-style, where Isabel suddenly looks up and realizes her parents are in the audience. Her whole reason for not speaking up at home is that she constantly feels talked over and ignored - what better way would there have been for Isabel's parents to see her actually in her element, and then Isabel would have to deal with it in the moment while she's on stage? The blackmail plot was so quickly resolved that it didn't have as much weight as I would've liked. 

The relationships in Isabel's life were what really brought this book to life for me. I loved the tension between Isabel and her (ex) best friend; I've been in similar situations and it truly felt real. When the two of them were paired up to do a project together, the awkwardness was so tangible that I actually cringed. There's bad blood between them about Isabel's boyfriend, and they dance around the topic in a way I think only us Midwesterners can truly accomplish. Isabel's relationship with her boyfriend was okay, but not quite as relatable. The summary in the book flap calls her boyfriend "controlling," which was disappointing because I wanted to find that out as I read. His controlling and gaslighting nature is blatant from page one. I would have liked for his character to be more subtle at first, so that the reader sees in him what Isabel sees - more like Nick Manter in Rainbow Rowell's FANGIRL. I wanted to be able to root for them as a couple and slowly be proven wrong, not be told before I even started reading that their relationship was doomed. What I really loved was Isabel's family dynamic. She slowly finds ways to engage with her older sister, who always seemed to pick on her and reject her. Isabel feels ignored and forgotten, and this feeling is bolstered many times throughout the novel as her family forgets about lunch dates with her or ignores her problems so they can talk about their own. 

THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY is a good read for anyone looking for something light and casual yet so compelling that they can devour it in two days. 

Goodreads

A to Z Challenge

#BookReview of Stick by Andrew Smith #atozchallenge

I've been a huge fan of Andrew Smith since I read Ghost Medicine, and I thought I'd read all his books.  So it was a surprise to discover this one I'd never heard of before.  So I quickly snapped it up for my Kindle and dove right in.

Stark (or Stick as he gets called because of his height) is fourteen and was born missing an ear.  Years of bullying about it have made him self-conscious about it so he rarely leaves the house without a hat.  His older brother Bosten does his best to protect Stick, but he can't be there all the time. And even if he can stave off the school bullies, there's no way he can keep Stick (and himself) safe from the abuse at home.

Luckily both Bosten and Stick have good friends with families who embrace them - Stick with Emily and Bosten with Paul 'Buck" Buckley.  But as they get older, the friendships turn into something more.  Stick discovers he likes kissing Emily and when her parents are out of the house, sharing a bath.

When Stick comes across Bosten and Paul kissing in the woods and realizes Bosten is gay, he knows this isn't going to go down well at home.  So he keeps Bosten's secret.  But Bosten's secret is exposed anyway, and the only way Bosten can stay safe is to leave home.

Unable to feel safe or whole without Bosten, Stick leaves too, unsure where Bosten is, but suspecting he may have gone to their aunt's, the one place they felt loved and accepted for who they are.  On the way Stick finds good people who genuinely seem to care about him and his well-being, and others who do terrible things.

Despite the challenges - some of them terrifying - Stick keeps going, certain that he'll find his brother and the safe, loving home he knows he deserves.

I loved this book.  Stick was such an endearing character and the relationship between him and Bosten was beautifully realized.  It was clear that the pair of them had stuck together through all kinds of indignities and horrors meted out by their parents.

The contrasts between their home with its rules and petty demands and the homes of their friends and most particularly their aunt were well drawn, and Stick's amazement as the differences felt very real.

There are some very obvious parallels between this book and my own Standing Too Close, so that may be why I responded so much to it (and hello, new comp title!)

But that aside, this is a powerfully emotional story with a spunky central character with a raw, real voice.  I definitely recommend it.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Stark McClellan (nicknamed Stick because he’s tall and thin) is bullied for being “deformed” – he was born with only one ear. His older brother Bosten is always there to defend Stick. But the boys can’t defend one another from their abusive parents.

When Stick realizes Bosten is gay, he knows that to survive his father's anger, Bosten must leave home. Stick has to find his brother, or he will never feel whole again. In his search, he will encounter good people, bad people, and people who are simply indifferent to kids from the wrong side of the tracks. But he never loses hope of finding love – and his brother.

#BookReview of Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

 

The Operation Awesome theme for the #atozchallenge 2021 is book reviews. I had the chance to re-read some old favorites to see how my perspective has changed over time, as well as some new loves!

N is for Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

A friend sent me a copy of BINTI as a gift last Christmas. Both of us were looking to support more Black creators, and since this novella had won several awards, it seemed like a good story to pick up. 

BINTI is an Africanfuturist science fiction horror novella about the titular character, Binti, a Himba girl who is the first of her people to be accepted to the prestigious Oomsa University elsewhere in the Milky Way. She gives up her traditional life to travel on a spaceship to Oomsa, but along the way, the ship is attacked and taken over by the jellyfish-like Medusae. The Medusae kill everyone but Binti, and their next target is Oomsa University, where their chief’s stinger is on display in a museum. Using a mysterious piece of technology called an edan, Binti acts as a go-between for the Medusae and Oomsa University and manages to negotiate the safe return of the stinger without loss of life. 

Before I really start on my review, I just need to say off the top that I did not enjoy this novella. There were a lot of elements that didn’t work for me, even though I really wish they did. 

I had a hard time with Okorafor’s style, especially in the first half of the novella. Events would go from the present, to Binti explaining her culture, to random events in the past, back to the present – the narrative was constantly bouncing around. For example, when the ship is attacked, an extremely dramatic moment that will change Binti’s life forever, the narrative is told in a very broken way, with Binti jumping around from the event itself, to the weeks leading up to it, to her running out of the room, back to when the Medusae first attacked…it would have been much more impactful if it had been told straight through. Additionally, every two to three pages there would be a section break that implied time had passed, but not how much. Sometimes these breaks would be between a long section about culture or history and the present, a stylistic choice that seemed like a lot of telling and very little showing. I would much rather have seen the info integrated into the story, revealed slowly within the narrative. 

The second half of the novella flowed better with little interruption, although for me this was when the suspension of disbelief became far too much. There were just so many coincidences that centered on Binti: she found an edan – a mysterious piece of technology – in the desert several years previously and she never figured out how to use it until the Medusae attacked, at which point she realized it could be used as a translation device. Somehow the edan protects her from the Medusae – they say that the edan is “shame,” but that’s never explained. It’s also referred to as a godstone, but again, no explanation. Later in the novella, when Binti has to give up the edan, she somehow is still able to understand the Medusae. She says it’s because she’s a “master harmonizer,” but never explains what that means. At one point it's said that her father passed down this oral tradition to her about circuits, currents, and math, but what that means for harmonizing is...unknown. Then there’s the otjize, a mixture of clay and oil that Binti’s people coat their hair and skin with. For Binti, it’s a part of her cultural identity. For the Medusae, however, it has magic healing powers, although the reader never finds out why. Somehow Binti is stung by one of the Medusae and grows tentacles from her head like hair, but again, it’s not explained. There were simply too many coincidences and questions left unanswered. 

There was also a lot of repetition that seemed wholly unnecessary. The reader never gets to know Binti’s friends – there are six of them – but their names are recited over and over, as if they mean something to the reader. When Binti learns she can understand the Medusae with the edan, the Medusae ask her over and over “How do you understand us?” and her answer is always, “I don’t know.” And because she doesn’t know, the reader doesn’t know. That never changes. There's no info that lets the reader figure it out before Binti does, so why have this question be asked so many times? If Binti suddenly understood, she’s the type of character who would volunteer that information. She repeats how important otjize is to her, but that information had been given to the reader many times already and I started to wonder if Okorafor thought the reader wouldn’t be paying attention.  

The pacing was both too fast and too slow in turns. This could have been better as a stripped-down version and turned into a short story – toss all that needless repetition and just start with the Medusae attacking the ship – or fleshed out into a full novel, where at least there would have been better space to introduce other characters and see more of Binti’s friends, family, and journey. Binti mentions that she’s received a lot of messages from her family back on Earth, but we never find out what they say. She says she’s a master harmonizer, but we don’t know what that entails. She repeats the names of her friends so many times, but we don’t know them. Even the ending dragged on, going through Binti’s process of applying otjize to herself yet again – we know how this works already – then her having to find clay to make more once she runs out. 

Binti is clearly clever and wise, able to come up with a way to save herself and Oomsa University and appease the Medusae. She is scared and alone, and those feelings are made clear. The best I can say for it is that Binti is a relatable, realistic character in a story that felt new. This novella won several awards, including a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award, so clearly there’s something about it that other readers liked that just totally went over my head. 

Have you read BINTI? What did you think of it? 

Goodreads

A to Z Challenge

#BookReview of Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson #atozchallenge

 

 

Here at Operation Awesome we don't usually review books, but for this year's #atozchallenge we decided to focus on the books we love to read instead of our usual mission - helping authors navigate their writing and publishing journey.  I'm delighted to be able to share this review of a book by one of my all time favourite authors.

 

I loved this book.  It was one of those stories I picked up to read a few chapters in the morning, and didn't put down until I had read the whole thing. It's about friendship and loyalty and deception and delusion and unfolds so delicately that the ending is a complete surprise.

Claudia and Monday have been best friends forever, so when Monday doesn't show up on the first day of school, Claudia is concerned.  As the days pass, with no sign of Monday, she becomes increasingly worried.  Especially since she can't seem to get her on the phone either.

Claudia has always depended on Monday, to champion her, to help with her schoolwork, and to run off the bullies who torment her.  Yet she remains gone.  And Claudia's mother doesn't seem as concerned about it as she should be, considering Monday practically lived in Claudia's room for years.

And April, Monday's sister, isn't any help either.

As Claudia searches for answers to her friend's disappearance, it becomes clear that no one can really remember when they last saw Monday.  Or where.  It's like she's vanished through a crack in the space-time continuum and left no trace behind her.

This book was real and raw and compelling.  The MC is flawed and has her own, real issues and problems to suffer through.  Her parents are protective and struggling with their own problems.  They are hard-working people who want the best for their daughter.  They stay in touch with their roots even as they forge their way to a better life and social class.

The ending was devastating, but I won't go into that here lest I ruin the book for you.  Just know that it's a complete surprise without feeling like it has come out of nowhere.  Once it has been revealed, the clues are all there through the rest of the story.  I'm almost tempted to re-read, just so I can enjoy those moments.

Highly recommended!

But you don't have to trust me.  Here's the blurb:

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried. When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.

As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

#BookReview of People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins

 

The Operation Awesome theme for the #atozchallenge 2021 is book reviews. I had the chance to re-read some old favorites to see how my perspective has changed over time, as well as some new loves!

H is for People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins

I’m a big fan of Ellen Hopkins, have been since I was a teenager. I love her free-verse poetry and how much she can destroy you with so few words. FYI, this review does not contain spoilers.

PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE is a multi-POV contemporary fiction novel in free-verse that follows six characters whose lives are impacted by gun violence. It opens with a man accidentally shooting his wife to death with a gun he bought to use against "punks" (read: his Muslim neighbors). After killing his wife, he sells the gun to one of these six characters: There's Rand, a nineteen-year-old with a toddler, who has some serious trauma from his past that he'd like to avenge; Cami, Rand's wife, who secretly deals weed to make money for their family but fears a drug deal gone wrong; Silas, a white nationalist with a love of violence; Ashlyn, Silas's on-again, off-again girlfriend who is new to the white nationalist movement; Noelle, who sustained permanent brain damage from a road rage incident involving a gun; and Daniel, who just wants to protect his new girlfriend from Silas's stalking behavior. One of these people will kill people. 

Overall, I found PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE to be an enjoyable dive into six very different characters. The conceit of the novel is that you are being spoken to directly by “the voice of Violence,” interspersed with slipping into the heads of the six POVs. The guessing game about who bought the gun was a bit fun, but in all honesty, four of those characters were easily dismissed as the purchaser – too obvious, nothing to gain by having a gun, hates guns, doesn’t have a real reason to buy one. So by the halfway point, I’d already narrowed it down to two, although I didn’t figure out which character would die until the page before. On that note, as soon as we were in the killer’s head, it was obvious what was about to happen. I’m not sure if this was an intentional move by Hopkins, or if she couldn’t come up with a satisfactory way to narrate it otherwise. 

The six POVs – seven, if you count Violence – could be a bit much at times. All of these characters’ lives were intertwined, which initially made it a challenge to remember who was related to who by blood or by marriage, and who had dated who vs who had broken up, etc. but it didn’t take long to sort everyone out. I loved how Hopkins wove in little jabs and nudges from Violence into each character’s narrative, showing how their rage or fear was building in a believable way. I’ve certainly had bad days and then one more thing happens that makes me want to lash out, and Hopkins perfectly captures that feeling, that moment on the edge. At the end of the novel, she gives a short blurb about what happens to each character afterward, and all but one were satisfactory. 

PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE is a great read for teens and adults. It may be a good choice for parents who want to talk to their kids about gun safety and gun violence: it’s not preachy, it has believable characters, and it contains situations that could very well happen in real life, like a convenience store robbery. However, please be aware that it contains racial slurs and descriptions of sexual assault against a child. 

Goodreads

A to Z Challenge

#BookReview of The Goolz Next Door - A Bad Night for Bullies by Gary Ghislain #atozchallenge

Our theme for this year's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge is BOOK REVIEWS.  We don't normally post book reviews but it was fun to review some of the amazing books I've read in the last year.

G is for The Goolz Next Door - A Bad Night for Bullies by Gary Ghislain

12yo Harold Bell moved from England to Maine and lives a quiet life by the ocean, reading books, cruising along the boardwalk in his wheelchair, and trying to stay away from the town bullies.  One day, horror author Frank Goolz moves in next door with his two girls – Ilona is around Harold's age and Suzie is a little younger.  Harold meets the girls when the bullies roll his wheelchair to the edge of the pier and threaten to push him off, but the girls toss the leader of the bullies off the pier instead.

Later, Harold sees a zombie woman in the attic window of the Goolz house, and Ilona gives him a “Stone of the Dead” to keep watch over.  Bullies start disappearing, which makes Harold wonder if Frank Goolz is an author of fiction or non-fiction.

The book has several funny scenes and is spooky/scary in places but not terrifying. Frank Goolz is a quirky, eccentric, absent-minded author [aren't we all?!] who chases after paranormal sightings for “research”.  There are graveyard scenes, and the zombie woman is yikes!

It's a fun read and would appeal to readers of the Goosebumps series by RL Stine.  I'm a wimp and I don't like horror [I've never been able to finish a Stephen King book] but I did like Goosebumps and I did like this book.  It's the first in a series so I'll probably check out future installments.

Four stars.

#BookReview of Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza #atozchallenge

The Operation Awesome theme for the #atozchallenge 2021 is book reviews (even though we're a blog about the publication journey, not a book review blog-- the team loves to read!). I've selected books by Debut Authors that I've interviewed on this blog.

Operation Awesome #20Questions in #2020 of #NewBook Debut Author Kitty Felde -- see the interview here!

 

#WeNeedDiverseBooks #DebutAuthor

This is a good book for young people. It covers the difficulty of moving, loss, and the pain of being apart from family. It shows the value of hard work, making friends, patriotism, and research. It's interesting as a mystery book for young people, as the mystery being solved is a curiosity rather than a dangerous crime. I received a free copy of this book from the author; nevertheless, this is an honest, fair, and unbiased review. This author was interviewed by me for the Operation Awesome blog in Feb 2020. I would recommend this book for young people age eight and up who enjoy a mystery, have endured family dramas such as moving or loss, or are looking for a book with a strong female Latinx main character. I do not often read books in this genre or audience-age. 

There is a long mention about two Washington Monuments on a National Mall model. Google offered nothing, but the book does eventually answer the mystery. What isn't clear is why Gabby believes the age for a learner's permit is six months more than what any website I've found lists it to be (the book was published in 2020). 

I read the whole book because I wanted to know how the mysteries would be solved. I would read another book from this author, especially if it were a sequel to this one. It's mostly realistic fiction, has a mostly happy ending, is a tear-jerker at times, has good twists, is fun and entertaining, and is diverse. The title makes sense because it has the main character's name and the location to which she's moved. 

"Papa said Capitol Hill was safer than Fort Knox with Capitol policemen on every corner." - This line may bother those who think about the attack on January 6, 2021. (And those who prefer the gender-neutral term of police officers instead of policemen.) Likewise, there's a line about the statue of Ulysses S. Grant seeming to protect the Capitol from any Confederate soldiers. Probably a reference to the Battle of Fort Stevens, but it could trigger some people because of the 2021 attack.

Chapter 19 and 25 are heartbreaking, especially if you've lost a close family member. The themes of this book are about the importance of family, believing in yourself, and the value of being brave and honest. The plot is well written and makes sense. 

Like any good mystery book, it was hard to put down because I wanted answers. I could relate to the painful feelings of loss experienced by the main characters. The book gave me an appreciation for what it's probably like for the children of Congress. The settings were all well done and absolutely vital to the story. The goals were difficult for Fina, but her older sister seemed to deal with much more insurmountable problems. 

The current Congressman for the 10th District of Pennsylvania, where Hershey is located, is Scott Perry. (In case anyone is curious upon reading the book.)

Hey fellow Pennsylvanian @RepScottPerry -
Just wondering if your office in DC hands out Hershey bars as souvenirs?

I read "Welcome to Washington, Fina Mendoza by Kitty Felde" and it made me curious.

— J Lenni Dorner (@JLenniDorner) March 12, 2021

GOODREADS

a-to-zchallenge.com

What 2021 debut authors have books with Latinx main characters?

#BookReview of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling #atozchallenge

Our theme for this year's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge is BOOK REVIEWS.  We don't normally post book reviews but it was fun to review some of the amazing books I've read in the last year.

D is for Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Aven Green tells people imaginative stories about how she lost her arms wrestling alligators or how they were flattened by a train.  But she was actually born that way.  She was adopted at age 2, lives in Kansas, and has attended the same school for many years.  She has friends and pretty much everyone knows her and no longer stares at her lack of arms.  Then her father receives a job offer to manage a desert theme park in Arizona.  Now in middle school, Aven has to navigate all the staring and avoidance and rude questions all over again.  She meets two boys with their own differences and together they work to solve a mystery about the theme park.

I was a middle school student with differences.  Mine weren't obvious like having no arms, but I still had difficulties, trouble making friends and avoiding bullies, etc.  The author does a really good job realistically portraying what I'll call the mixed up lives of middle school students with differences.  I like that Aven takes positive steps to reach out and connect with others and try to make friends, but it's a lot of work and she's conflicted about just wanting to retreat and eat her lunch in the bathroom so people don't stare at her.  Been there, done that too.

The adoption angle in the book was not as well done, and in fact certain parts of it caused me a small amount of gnashing of teeth.  [Please don't mention that to my dentist.]  Fortunately, I never felt the desire to throw the book against the wall, which is good because I read an audio book from the library.  Some of the adoption storyline is okay and even cute, but other parts are not and can even be considered insulting.

It's still a good book and I recommend it.  Just be aware that nothing's perfect.  You can apply this to your own writing too.  Just because your manuscript isn't perfect, doesn't mean it won't be published and it might even earn awards too.

Four stars.

#BookReview of Across A Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood #atozchallenge

For the #atozchallenge this year Operation Awesome are doing book reviews of some of our favourite books!  I'm excited to have the letter A to to be able to review a book from a former Operation Awesome member whose name also starts with A!

I really enjoyed this book about a young woman defying her family's expectations and pursuing a career in medicine instead of going to the convent to become a nun.  Willa is a feisty heroine and the Depression-era setting is an interesting one, even if the desperation of that time doesn't always cut through.  The building of the Golden Gate Bridge and the dangers the men faced on it are well researched and described, as is the prejudice women doctors experienced.

At times I felt Willa's thoughts were repetitive and I got a little tired of hearing her bang on about how disappointed her family would be if she didn't go to the convent, and how she owed it to them because it was her fault her sister died before she had a chance to live.  But that's actually realistic, because who doesn't go over painful things in one's head over and over again?

As owners of a pub, Willa's family - large as it was - didn't not appear to be suffering as much from the depression as others, like the people living in the Hooverville camp near the beach.  I felt the book could have delved more deeply into the hardships of the Depression; there was never any real sense of desperation from any of the characters, even those living in the camp whose circumstances were desperate.  Perhaps Willa could see it, empathize with it, but not really understand it.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical settings and female characters bucking the expectations of the time.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

The last thing eighteen-year-old Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy wants is to be a nun. It’s 1936, and as the only daughter amongst four sons, her Irish–Catholic family is counting on her to take her vows—but Willa’s found another calling. Each day she sneaks away to help Doctor Katherine Winston in her medical clinic in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

Keeping secrets from her family only becomes more complicated when Willa agrees to help the doctor at a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate. Willa thinks she can handle her new chaotic life, but as she draws closer to a dashing young ironworker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all.

Theme Reveal 2021 #AtoZChallenge #BookReviews

We know we're not a book review blog. We're a blog for writers in every stage of the publication journey!
But...
Well, we're also a bunch of readers. And we so rarely get to share our love of books here.

So, for April 2021, the team will bring you an alphabet of book reviews!

You don't want to miss this.

Reviews

This week we will continue talking about publicity and marketing, this time focusing on reviews and how to get them. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you may have seen some of this before because some of the content here comes from a blog post I wrote in response to an O'Abby question late last year.  I've added to it though, because like everyone else, I'm always learning...

Reviews are incredibly important to getting your book seen and building the audience for it. Readers are inundated with content and reviews help them decide if your book is more worth reading than the other ones vying for their attention. Good reviews validate your book and you can use them to help spread positive word-of-mouth that will help boost sales. 

But how do you get them?

There are services that offer to help find reviewers for you, but be careful of these and do your due diligence before dropping any cash. It is against Amazon’s rules for you to pay for reviews and some of these services are pay-to-play and you may end up spending a lot of money for reviews that Amazon will remove right after they’re posted. This includes offering any kind of gift or incentive in exchange for reviews, even offering a review to another author in return.

Personally, I have used two different review-finding services, one of which was excellent value for money, the other, less expensive, but also less effective. Predictably, the next time I wanted to use the excellent service, they were booked up over a year in advance, so were not available at the time my book was being released.  If you have control over your own release date, or know it well in advance, you will be in a better position to book ahead of time and get a slot with an in-demand service.

There are also a number of free sites where you can offer your book for reviewers. I have had zero success with any of these, but they’re free, so even if they don’t generate any reviews, at least it’s not costing me anything other than the time to fill in the online form.  Some genres are easier than others to get reviews for.  I have found that getting reviews for YA books is much more difficult than getting reviews for Adult Romance, for example.

I have read that targeting the top Amazon reviewers who review similar books to your own is an effective way to generate reviews, but have not tried this myself. I had a look, but so few of the top reviewers had contact information available, it felt like something that would be more time consuming that it was worth. If anyone has tried this, I would be interested to know if it paid off…

Another thing I’ve heard about is adding a page at the end of your book urging readers to leave a review if they enjoyed the book. I’m not self-pubbed, so can’t do this, but if you are, this could be something that helps remind readers to leave a review.

You should also remind your fans to do so. If you have a mailing list (and you should), you will send out regular newsletters to people who have signed up because they already like your work. These people are your strongest allies and it’s important you use them effectively. Offering free review copies to these people is not effective because as your fans, they are likely to buy your new book anyway. But they are the people who will talk about your book and raise awareness of it. Use them to create advance buzz and be your street team in letting people know your book is coming, and that you’re looking for reviews.

Keep track of who reviews your latest book so you can reach out to them again for your next one. Some reviewers state in their guidelines they are not open to reviewing unless they’ve worked with an author previously, so these relationships are important. So are the relationships you build with other writers. You can ask your beta readers and critique partners to review your book when it is finally published. You can ask your editor and copy editor. You can ask your cover designer.

Long story short, getting reviews is hard. It’s time consuming and there are really no short cuts. You just have to do the work, reach out to as many people as possible, and nurture the relationships you build this way.

J's Debut Author Spotlight Wrap-Up Is About #BookReviews

The 2019 special question asked of debut authors:

Why do you think readers should write book reviews?

It's a chance to share your opinion with other like-minded readers, to help navigate the world of stories. There's nothing better than finding your next favorite adventure. If the reader is also an aspiring writer, then that's even more important! It grows the skill set to understand what works and doesn't work about another writer's story, and it also helps the author by spreading the word!
- Laura Gia West

I think readers should write book reviews because these review really mean a lot to the people whose writings are being read. Irrespective of the reviews whether they are good or bad, they open a scope of getting better for the best.
- Abhishek Behera

I think writing a review is an excellent way to show support to writers whose work you enjoy. Such a simple thing can make such a difference to writers, especially newer writers who are hoping people will take a chance on their work.
- Deborah A Stansil

because we are writing for them.
- Nidhi GS

It helps the writer improve, it helps the writer understand his/her good and bad points, additionally, it helps other readers to know about the book.
- Balaka Basu

It helps readers to become more aware of what they do and don't like in a story, as well as helping authors to potentially pinpoint issues in their own writing that they might want to improve on in the future.
- Rebekah Loper

How else are we going to find out which books will grab us by the hearts and eyeballs?
- Scott Wilson

Ideally, so they’ll have to really think about the books that they’re reading in some depth. At least, that’s why I write them.
-Gail Shepherd

I love book reviews, and I wrote some myself. I think book reviews are extremely important because that’s one way for authors to hear from readers, and see what resonated with them and what didn’t work. I read every single review about my book (on Goodreads, Instagram, blogs, etc) and I want to continue to do so. I want to see if I succeeded in stirring emotions in the readers. I want to know what annoyed them and what they truly hated. I want to be a better storyteller.
- Natasha Tynes

I didn’t understand the importance of reviews until I wrote a book. Yes, reviews help sell. Yes, reviews boost ratings and turn other people on to a novel. But as an author, I just want to know what people thought of my book! If they had a favorite character or if they especially hated the car in scene three. It boggles my mind that we can reach out to authors and let them know what we thought of the musings from their head. The world is a magnificent place.
- Chelsea Marie Ballard

Reviews are a great way to help your favourite authors gain more visibility, and also to introduce others to wonderful books they may not have heard of. I always read reviews on Goodreads before I buy a book to get an idea of whether I will like it or not. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to read reviews of my own work, though!
- Anstice Brown

Writing book reviews helps distil how you feel about a book. Why you like it or why you don’t. I find writing book reviews helps my own writing because when I don’t like something, I’m forced to ask myself why and to figure out a way to articulate what I feel is wrong. That thing is then on my radar, so when reading my own stuff critically, I might notice something I wouldn’t have earlier.
-Kate Larkindale

Reviews are so important! One, because what reader doesn't like to talk about books? And reviews are a great space for readers to share what they loved (or didn't) about a book. Also, reviews are SO helpful for authors. Sites like Amazon use review-based algorithms that impact where that book "sits" on their digital shelves, so the more reviews the better.
-Lillian Clark

The process of writing a review presents an opportunity for readers to reflect. What did the story mean to me? It expands the community of readers and provides for an exchange of ideas. Reviews keep writers honest. Good reviews encourage; meaningful critiques help the writer get better. And reviews sell books.
-Bo Kearns

Reviews help tremendously to exposure and to someone's decision to support/buy that author's work. Just like Yelp and restaurant reviews might help you decide where to go out Saturday night, the reviews on Amazon or Barnes&http://Noble.com or other sites you can leave reviews will help other readers to get a feel for the book and decide if that's what they're looking for. Please leave me a review!!
-Danielle Ledezma

Reviews help spread the word about books, as do “shout outs” and shares on social media. There are so many books published every year, and each book is vying for attention. If you like a book, write a review or share some social media love to help spread the word.
- Sarah Scheerger

Three reasons.
1. It helps other readers with similar tastes know what they will and won’t like.
2. It helps sell books as it contributes towards promotional hype.
3. The nice reviews give us writers something to shout about - so if you’re a blogger you get an author-endorsed push too.
-N J Simmonds

Oh my gosh, book reviews are so incredibly important! They can help a reader decide whether they want to give a book a chance. Especially as a self-published author, word of mouth is one of the strongest tools we have. That being said, reviews need to be written in a useful way. If I read a review and it just says the book was amazing or the book was awful, that’s not useful. WHY was it good or awful? I want to know what specifically about it was good or bad. IT also potentially lets the author know what they can use to apply to future projects. Well-written reviews (whether positive or negative) are incredibly useful feedback.
-J. Lawson

There are two reasons. First of all, it helps authors! If you liked a book and think an author should keep writing, write a review. It doesn’t have to be a five-star review (even a one-star review can help!).
Readers should also review books so that other readers know what to expect. I used to read Goodreads reviews every single time I thought about picking up a book. Both the high praise reviews and the negative reviews told me something about the book and helped me decide whether the book was for me.
-Claire Bartlett

Book reviews help readers decide to buy a book and they help writers sell books. But don’t be mean. Every book is an author’s heart and soul. Keep that in mind.
-Sam Hawk

Because every time you read a book and don’t review it, an author looses a sliver of their soul :)
In all seriousness though, reviewing books is important for so many reasons. If you love a book, the best way you can thank an author is to review it. It drives visibility and sales which trickles down to then allowing the author another shot at their next book. If you hate a book and find it incredibly problematic, it’s well within your right to say so and maybe would help like minded people avoid reading something they wouldn’t enjoy.
That seems obvious though. Less obvious would be that it doesn’t matter what ‘level’ of your writing career you are on. Starting out, debut, 20 books under your belt, it’s the same for all: almost every single writer I know will go through phases where we question why we do this, etc. Negative thoughts can try to sneak in and tell you that everything you’ve ever written belongs in the trash. When you are feeling THAT down, look at your phone and have a review from someone who says your book changed their life—in a millisecond— your attitude is adjusted and your hope somehow renewed.
-L.D. Crichton

I think it helps other readers know if a book is a good fit for them. I also think the review process for each reader is very personal. Once this book is in your hands, it is ultimately your story too. It will inspire entirely different emotions in you than it did in me, or your friends, or your mom... No two people will have the same feelings about a book. Just like how I am one of two people who love the movie Waterworld.
Also, this is my first time being an author at the end of a book review from a stranger. I’ve been told by a few authors that I shouldn’t read the reviews, but I did in the first few weeks. Initially, there was this visceral gut-punch realization that it is out there in the world and real people are reading it and I can’t pull it back if there are things about it they don’t like. Its over, done, and free for everyone to form opinions about. Imagine spending years of your life working on this one creative project, building characters, molding their story and lives–basically living in that place with them–and then turning it over to the world without the ability to alter or change it anymore. It is utterly terrifying. I’ve learned a lot based off the reviews so far. Nothing will ever be perfect, but the few reviews I have read tell me what I’m doing really well and what I will work on in the next book.
-Kaytalin Platt

I think leaving reviews is the best way to do other readers a favor. Our internet culture too often seems to feeds off negativity. Writing a review for a book you enjoyed is like the literary equivalent of planting a tree. You are doing something good not just for the author but for the world—for other readers who might now also discover the book and love it as much you do.
-Stephanie Jimenez

This book publishing industry is falling. But I’ve heard more and more people would like to write than read. As such, someone should explain the joy of book reading. That’s the stimulus package for the industry. It’s the review, not the book, that would drive their appetite for the good books.
-Keita Nagano

Book reviews are the BEST way to help an author whose work you loved. Even a few short words of appreciation can be enough to bring a whole host of new readers to the story, and that's a pretty sure-fire way to guarantee you're going to get MORE stories from this author. Essentially, you're boosting awareness, whether it's with a full or short review, or even a 5 star rating on its own. You're becoming part of the story's story, and that's pretty badass if you ask me!
-Luke Dalton

Book reviews are incredibly helpful to authors. Most of us are on our own for marketing and honestly the best support we get is reviews from readers. If you appreciate an author’s work, leaving a review is a great way to support them. And, of course, it helps other readers figure out if the book is a fit as well. Gotta love a win win!
-Malayna Evans

If a reader enjoyed a book then reviewing it is really one of the best ways to thank the writer. It helps other readers to find the book and helps it to stand out in the marketplace.
-Jennifer Camiccia

Reviews are so crucial ; think of the last time you took a chance on an unknown author with 2 book reviews. Then think of the last time you impulse-bought a book because it had dozens (or hundreds) of reviews with a decent rating. Plus, in the end, getting more people to read the books you love just means more people to made headcanons and geek out with.
-Avery Ames

My favorite books have come from friends telling me about a book they think I would love, whether that’s over a cup of coffee or in a conversation on social media. It’s such a joy to be able to connect someone with a book they love and reviews help do that!
-Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne

To spread the good word! It may inspire someone else to pick up the book.
-Jordan Zucker

Because reviews are the only way to keep books alive—in today’s world where readers have more power and platform than ever before, they should exercise it to show the books they love to other readers.
-Damyanti Biswas

I think readers should write book reviews if they want to connect a little bit more with the story. Sometimes, I don’t know exactly how I feel about what I’ve read until I write it out. So, writing a review can be helpful for the reader to process what they’ve just read, but it’s also supremely helpful for other readers to get a sense of what they can expect when they get into a novel.
Personally, I don’t rely exclusively on book reviews to tell me if a story is good or not. Sometimes, I love a book that other people didn’t, or I just didn’t connect with a book that has starred reviews across the board.
-Kelly Coon

Book reviews are a great way to share your joy in a book (or air your concerns). They help readers find good books and help authors and others in the book industry understand more about their readers.
-K H Canobi

Readers should write reviews for other readers. It can help others find great books. Reviews should be honest but not mean—that’s true in life not just reviews!
-Lisa Moore Ramée

I think reviews, especially positive ones, help authors more than anyone realizes, in so many ways! Word of mouth is essential. Not everyone has the marketing budget of the big publishing houses. So if you love something, don’t keep it to yourself! We writers appreciate it more than you know!
-Liz Kerin

People should write reviews to create a culture of response to a work, providing links between readers who are looking for their next story dive. It takes a lot of kind, articulate responses to combat the generic, mean ones, but together we can create a community of readers who are truly invested in sharing their ideas about stories with each other. Whether a response is positive or negative, being able to frame it in a way that helps direct other readers is a gift to the reading community. Be honest. But be kind. Authors are human too.
-Jacqueline Firkins

I am a huge fan of readers (all readers—regardless of age) writing reviews. It’s probably the only way for authors to accurately gauge whether or not our work is connecting. That’s why I frequently have my middle school student write and share their reviews with peers.
-Ernesto Cisneros

What question would you like debut authors to answer in 2020?
Which debut author spotlight was your favorite this year?
Congratulations to Kim C who won the Rafflecopter giveaway.