Reader Views

Letters Between Us

Thirty-nine-year-old Laura is not having an easy time in her life right now. Her mother is suffering from dementia and her once happy marriage is on the rocks. Life has definitely gotten in the way of her happiness. Totally destroying any sense of contentment, she gets a telephone call notifying her that Katharine, her best friend since childhood, has been found dead. Her body was discovered dumped in a trash bin after she disappeared while on a picnic outing for hospital psychiatric patients.

Putting her life on hold, Laura goes to Katharine’s funeral. Afterwards, she begins going through a box of diaries and letters from Katharine’s life. Combining them with her personal collection, she takes refuge in a hotel room, away from everybody, and begins reading. As she reads, she also remembers. This novel is written about the information in those diaries and the letters that were written between the girls starting twenty-six years ago. The current time in this story is 1989. Laura tells her story to us through her current journal writings.

Neither one of them had a very stable upbringing, yet it was Laura who was both promiscuous and heavily involved in experimentation with drugs and alcohol. Katharine, in spite of her mental health issues, was more reserved and restrained. Katharine’s first hospitalization in a mental health facility began in 1969. Being a child of alcoholic parents and a father that was abusive and unemployed left a huge scar on her psyche. As she grew into adulthood, her psychosis worsened. Towards the end, her psychotic behavior was turning her into a person that Laura had trouble recognizing as her friend.

As Laura looks back over the years, she sees clues about Katharine’s life that she missed while knowing her. This is also the first time that she has stopped and taken the time to evaluate her own life. Laura’s young adulthood was more focused on sex, drugs and alcohol than self-examination. Now that she is taking time, she also finds clues as to when things started happening in her own life, such as when her marriage died. It also hits her hard that these mementos are the end of her memories with her dear friend. With Katharine gone, there will not be any new memories to make.

"Letters Between Us" is one of those books that leaves you sitting quietly and contemplatively after you are done reading it. Initially, all that I could say about the novel was, "Wow." This is definitely one of the most realistic fictional stories that I have ever read. As a matter of fact, the story was so real to me, that while I was reading it, I kept checking the category it was listed under to make sure that it really was a fictional story. Linda Rader Overman has such a talent with words. Using similes and metaphors she does a wonderful job of imparting a visual picture over everything, including emotions. Part of me feels like I just finished watching a movie, instead of having read a book. This novel is about looking back and contemplating life, not death.

Letters Between Us
Linda Rader Overman
Plain View Press (2008)
ISBN 9781891386626
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/08)

Live a Little

"Live a Little" by Kim Green tells the story of Raquel Rose, a suburban housewife and mother of two teenagers in Northern California, who is diagnosed with breast cancer. As expected of any book with this premise, the story is dramatic. But this is no ordinary woman and no ordinary book. As suddenly as Raquel is diagnosed with cancer, she is just as suddenly undiagnosed. It was all a clerical mishap. Raquel does not have breast cancer. As relieving as this is, life is not as simple as it seems, when Raquel chooses to delay telling her family and lets the mistake build into a full-blown lie.

The character of Raquel Rose is so over the top, yet so real. I could never imagine someone really pretending to have cancer for the local fame it brings her. At the same time, when you add up the sum of small actions in Raquel’s life, it all seems plausible. One day her husband, kids, sister, and mother are all ignoring her and taking her for granted. The next, she is pampered and noticed. Who would want to give that up?

Author Kim Green has written a gem of a book here. She writes about the large and the small tragedies of everyday life, while keeping a witty, funny edge to it all. One minute I am drawn into the drama of a life threatening illness, the next giggling at Raquel’s untimely thoughts of sex. So many sentences in this book made me laugh out loud. Kim Green’s style is contemporary and right-on. She lets her characters say what most of us only dare to think. For example, Raquel on the topic of a woman’s best day of her life:

"Ask any mom what her best day was, and she’ll tell you – as she peels her newborn off her shredded nipple or locks herself in the bathroom to escape her haranguing teenager – that the number one slot belongs to the day she delivered her children into the waiting arms of her OB. She will be lying. That slot belongs, by rights, to the day she received notification of her acceptance to NYU Law, consumed five flawless piña coladas, and bedded the elusive Trinidadian underwear model on her belly-pierced-flashing roommate’s Amish quilt."

It is the raw truthfulness of this book that keeps the reader hooked. You don’t have to be a mother or housewife to enjoy this book or to relate to the characters. I was able to relate to Raquel as a woman, an artist, a sister, a daughter, and a friend. "Live a Little" by Kim Green is for that imperfect person in all of us.

Live a Little: A Novel
Kim Green
5 Spot (2008)
ISBN 9780446697934
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (9/08)

Many a River

Jeffrey and Todd Barfield are traveling west with their parents searching for the perfect home site to live and farm. Their dreams for the future are shattered when Comanche Indians attack their camp and kill both parents. Each brother believes the other is also killed in the attack. The younger brother, Todd, is taken hostage by the Indians. He is eventually sold to a trader and escapes several years later. His older brother, Jeffrey, is taken in by a family. They are forced to flee to the Mexican border when the Civil War breaks out. Each brother struggles to survive in the harsh realities of frontier life while the civil war wages around them. How will they survive and will they be reunited?

This book is well written and holds your attention from beginning to end. Elmer Kelton, who was written more than of 50 books, certainly has mastered his craft. I felt like I was there, riding along in the wagon and struggling to survive in a rough world. Mr. Kelton uses appropriate scenarios and the language of the time. He manages to convey the hardship of the frontier, the feelings of the Indians and Mexicans as settlers encroach on their territory in Texas, and the civil war, easily and with conviction. I would recommend "Many a River" not just to readers of Westerns, but also to readers of fiction who enjoy reading historical fiction with a great story.

Many a River
Elmer Kelton
Forge Books (2008)
ISBN 9780765320506
Reviewed by Lisa Kisner for Reader Views (9/08)

The Imperfect Daughter

This is probably the most unusual book I have read – I just didn’t understand what the author was trying to do. There was no mention about what the story was about on the cover, nor any editorial reviews of this book.

The book starts out with a young woman named Sam who loved to paint and lived in a family where her father thought she should play dumb around men and her mother never gave her any encouragement or defended her to her husband.

Then suddenly the book turns to Sam walking off a curb in front of a BMW and she was killed. The story continues as Sam is in heaven talking to God about her life. There are chapters devoted to Sam watching her parents from heaven, as well as the couple who killed her. The couple did everything they could to get all costs and charges dropped, including going on an extended vacation. Little did the couple know that the wife was pregnant and would deliver a deaf, little girl -- Lilly. Ironically, Sam was partially deaf.

The chapters were very short, maybe one to two pages and seemed to be Sam’s vision from heaven. I’m not sure if what Sam was envisioning in "The Imperfect Daughter" was the author’s attempt to see how her life might have played out.

The Imperfect Daughter
Sally O. Lee
BookSurge (2008)
ISBN 9781419605949
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (9/08)

Pennies for Joseph: A Novel

"Pennies for Joseph" is the story of the Scarpiella family, narrated by the youngest daughter, Rosie. When the book opens, Rosie and her twin brother Joseph are both eight-years-old and living with their parents and older sister Teresa. Already living in poverty, the Scarpiella family suffers even more as a result of their father’s gambling addiction and penchant for drinking. He disappears for days at a time, becomes abusive and gambles away everything he can get his hands on. Their mother does not participate in the gambling, but permits it to continue as she takes her husband back time and time again.

Over the years, we see this family fracture more than once. The children are taken away by social services and for some unexplained reason, only Rosie is returned rather quickly. It was frustrating never to really know why Antoinette got one of her children back but had to work so hard for the others. Rosie was having trouble in foster care, but that reason alone would not have a child returned to quickly to a parent who has not improved the situation. Antoinette does make a solid attempt to repair her life and get her children back but is constantly impeded by her inability to get rid of her husband.

When the family goes to get Joseph from his foster family, they leave empty-handed, living with the belief that he will return to them soon. However, he quickly disappears with the foster family and Rosie begins a collection of "pennies for Joseph" to aid in her own search for him.

At this point, I began to dislike the parents more than I already did. No matter what, there is no excuse for them leaving Joseph with the foster family. I did not like that it took until nearly the end of the book to find out that Joseph was pretty much sold to the foster parents in order to pay off the father’s debts.

Overall, this book never really meshed with me. It was hard to place the timeframe, and even with the clues given based on the environment and behaviors in the book, I would have liked something more solid to give me a reference as to when the book was taking place. I found it hard to like or empathize with all of the characters at some point, and my dislike for the mother grew more and more as she kept up the cycle that was destroying her children. It covered an interesting subject, which is addictive gambling and its effects on a family, but I feel that "Pennies for Joseph" did not live up to what it tried to do.

Pennies for Joseph: A Novel
Donna C. Ebert
Pen-it Press (2008)
ISBN 9780980111545
Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (9/08)

No Urn for the Ashes: A Novel

"No Urn for the Ashes" is a gripping thriller about a woman who loses her husband and daughter in a fire. The husband was murdered by a former partner who wants access to his completed scientific research. This research would provide the world with alternatives to using fossil fuels for energy but the researcher does not feel the world is ready for it.

While the initial premise may sound like that of a sci-fi novel, don’t let that stop you. The actual "science" takes up very little of this book. The book revolves around Taylor, the scientist’s widow, and her small but strong group of friends. It has been eight years since the fire and Taylor still mourns her loss, especially that of the one-year-old daughter that perished in the fire. When evidence comes about that the baby may have survived, Taylor’s friend Ruby seeks to find the truth about what happened that day. With the help of new friend Diane, Ruby searches out every last clue and follows the path of the woman believed to be raising Taylor’s daughter.

The book was well written and very descriptive. It was easy to picture the surrounding as if I were actually there. I did have some trouble with the characters. I thought the way Diane entered the fray was unbelievable, and the characters overall were not well developed. It was hard to connect with them since they each seemed like more of a sketch rather than a real person. Taylor was just slightly short of crazy in my opinion and while I understand the profound effects that losing a child has on a person, for her to be so out of touch with reality eight years later was frustrating.

Overall, "No Urn for the Ashes" by Alison Sawyer Current was a good book. There were times when I found it difficult to put down. It was interesting to watch the each of the characters grow in their own way and make their way forward after such a traumatic event.

No Urn for the Ashes: A Novel
Alison Sawyer Current
Bayfire Press (2008)
ISBN 9780981546445
Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (9/08)

Cracked Bat

Janiece Hopper has written a wonderful journey that many of us have gone through. The use of her fairy tale characters addresses how we get lost in relationships, jobs and friendships. It is a woman’s journey in losing her soul and control of her life by caring for others before she cares for herself. Ms. Hopper takes us through this journey and lets us know that we can be healed once we see we are spiraling down an unknown path.

Linnea Perrault is the editor of "The Edge," the local paper that addresses issues that have an impact on her community. Her husband Dan is the owner of "The Mill," a gourmet coffee shop that is the hit of the town. Their 4-year-old daughter is the love of their life- she’s cute, has an imagination and charms everyone. Seems like a perfect life, doesn’t it?

What everyone doesn’t know is the impact of having her biological father leave when she was very young to a man who hated her and let her know every day of her life until she could escape. Her mother, whom Linnea thought should protect her from the evils of her father - didn’t. Even today her mother is critical and uncaring; all the focus should be on her.

Dan, the love of her life, also has his own issues- he’s an alcoholic and there isn’t one day that goes by he doesn’t remind her- as if to say it was her fault he has this problem. He’s too busy with his own life to even look at what is happening to his wife.

Enter biological father- he has come back to the town of Spinning Wheel Bluff to reclaim his relationship with his daughter. He has ulterior motives for his visit and uses her love for him to manipulate and strangle the breath out of her.

This is a story of healing and finding one’s self again- through imaginary friends, and the help of our angels to take our life back. Ms. Hopper has given all of us hope, independence and love. "Cracked Bat" is a great book for all.

Cracked Bat
Janiece Hopper
Ten Pentacles Press (2008)
ISBN 9780981477701
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (8/08)

The Horns of Moses: A Novel

The year is 1973. Aaron Green, a recent college graduate who loved photography, was given a Lecia 35 mm camera by his father David, and money for a trip to Israel by his mother Rebecca. On his twentieth birthday, which was also the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, he visited Solomon’s Quarry in Jerusalem. Aaron was surrounded by an Arab patrol that has just launched an attack on Israel. The troops ignore his pleas, slit his throat, and leave him for dead in a nearby doorway.

Flash forward to 2007. David Green, now in his seventies, is still haunted by his son’s murder more than thirty years before. He calls together a meeting of the Stony Island Gang, a group of his friends from his childhood on Chicago’s South Side. The gang still takes yearly summer trips to locations all around the world, but this winter gathering has left David’s wife suspicious and his friends bewildered. David has something more than skiing or scuba-diving adventures in mind for the group. He is looking for both retribution for Aaron’s murder and a way to make a radical statement to the terrorist organizations plaguing the Middle East. David wants to send dying Jews to the region to act as suicide bombers targeting these organizations, and thereby giving them a taste of their own medicine. His goal with what he has deemed ‘Project Moses’ is to kill one-hundred Arab terrorists and spark a civil war between their many factions.

As the Stony Island Gang struggles with the moral and political implications of his proposal, David is prepared to move forward with or without their assistance. After much reluctance and heated debate, the men agree to proceed with ‘Project Moses,’ named after Michelangelo’s famous statue with the horns that have led to heated debated over the centuries. The consequences in their own lives, as well as to the United States government, Israel, and the likes of Hezbollah, Hamas, Fatah, Mossad and Islamic Jihad are swift, severe, and perhaps more than David is prepared to handle.

"The Horns of Moses" is an in-depth look at one man’s need for revenge in the grandest scale. It delves into what might happen if the tables were turned on the terror cells at work in the Middle East if one of their preferred methods of getting their message across was turned against them. Brandin’s locations, and political and religious history are thoroughly researched and written. The characters are well developed and David’s crusade, if not admirable or understandable after what he has personally lost to the continued strife in Israel and the rest of the region, is believable. There are so many organizations and characters at play that it is at times hard to keep track of who is who and which groups work together or against each other, but I imagine that is much like the confusion in the real world over these issues. "The Horns of Moses" by David H. Brandin is thought-provoking, fast-paced, and leaves the readers with lots to consider. Those who are fans of the history of this war-torn corner of the world, as well as those that enjoy the works of authors like Tom Clancy, are in for a treat.

The Horns of Moses: A Novel
David H. Brandin
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595440863
Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (8/08)

That’s (Not Exactly) Amore: A Novel (Drama Queens)

"That’s (Not Exactly) Amore" is the third installment of the ‘Drama Queens’ series by author Tracey Bateman. This time around, we find Laini Sullivan, still single and now living on her own, nearing the end of her interior design coursework. Her final, which she desperately needs to pass in order to graduate and receive her diploma, will be based on her work redesigning Nick Pantalone’s New York City coffee shop. Nick has confidence in her, but his nephew Joe, a gorgeous man who is out of Laini’s league and in charge of the day-to-day operations, seems less than thrilled with his uncle’s choice of interior designer. Laini isn’t so sure herself. She seems to be a design disaster and is unsure that she has chosen the right career path, but needs this job in order to pass her class, and forges ahead with the work with the help of another designer that Joe hires on to the project. With all of this going on she still has her weekend visits to her widowed mother on Long Island and the baking she does on the side for Nick’s shop to juggle.

Laini meets NYPD officer Mark Hall; she is surprised and delighted that such a handsome, hard-working man would take an interest in her, and tentatively dips her toe into the dating pool. She harbors feelings for Joe, but tries to focus on the man that actually seems to want her and tries to put Joe out of her mind as an option. Her friends and colleague’s are convinced that Joe is interested in her, but all Laini gets is mixed signals when she is around him. When Mark implies that Joe’s family may have ties to the Italian mob, and city permits and work crews seem to appear out of thin air months before they should be available, Laini has to wonder if Mark is right. Then she meets Joe’s uncles, as well as his overbearing Nana, and is even more convinced that this is one family she should not get involved with (not that Nana would ever approve of her grandson dating an Irish girl), yet she is still drawn to Joe. Will she be able to persevere with her work on the coffee shop and in her personal life?

Tracey Bateman has written a lovable character in Laini Sullivan. Her struggles with family, friends, career and having a personal life are funny, witty, sad and entirely believable. As Laini waivers between doing what she loves and doing what she thinks she should career wise, the readers are left with no doubt about which is the right decision. As Laini falters through the growing attention from Mark and the mixed signals from Joe, readers also bounce back and forth between their choice of which is the right man for her. "That’s (Not Exactly) Amore" is a satisfying read. The storyline is perfectly packaged and will leave readers feeling as satisfied as you would when enjoying warm cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven (read the book and you will see what I mean).

That’s (Not Exactly) Amore: A Novel (Drama Queens)
Tracey Bateman
FaithWords (2008)
ISBN 9780446698955
Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (8/08

Leisure Daze

An octogenarian lawyer, his vivacious Russian emigrant wife, a younger retired widower, a registered nurse, and two teenagers are pitted against members of a Colombian Cartel drug ring and the president of the homeowners association of a Florida coastal community, in Mike Milhalek’s facetious new comedic novel "Leisure Daze."

While fishing off the central coast of Florida Phil Seibert and his neighbor Kyle Walker came across a large bundle of marijuana. Assuming it to be from an aborted overnight drug-smuggling operation, and with no other boats in sight they made the decision to haul in the contraband.

Upon returning to their homes in their nearby retirement community Phil took possession of the large quantity of illegal drugs and apportioned a generous amount to Kyle. They made plans to research Florida laws to determine what amount of the substance was considered a felony to have in possession before deciding what to do with their find and headed to their respective homes. Phil and his wife and Kyle and his sister-in-law were all high on the marijuana before the evening was over.

Self-appointed leader of a crusade to get the community involved in a ballot measure to ban continued dumping of waste materials into the river Phil was attempting to get signatures from Homeowner Association members on his petition. Kyle came up with a plan to help get votes at the annual Memorial Day picnic by having Kim, his sister-in-law, bake a batch of marijuana-laced brownies for the pot luck dessert table.

Homeowner’s Association president, retired Army General, Stan Ross, stood in opposition the plan. The drugged brownies had a snowball effect and soon suspicions were confirmed that illegal drugs were being smuggled into the community on a regular basis.

Mihalek skillfully creates an incredulous plot as he adds new characters into the action. The story builds to a crescendo of fast-moving action leading up to a brilliant climax.

Mike’s writing is filled with insights into human nature and personal insecurity. Engaging dialog reveals a divergence of opinions and values on a broad spectrum of information which enhance and give credibility to a far-fetched plot on subjects ranging from art, world cultures, philosophy, religion, and politics, to classic cars.

Leisure Daze
Mike Mihalek
RoseHeart Publishing
ISBN 9780980150452
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (6/08)