Contemporary Books

This is one of the best books I've read since "What's Done in the Dark", by Gloria Mallette. I literally laughed throughout the whole book. It was a short read and I hated it ended so soon. As long as Ms. Culberson continues to write, I will continue to read.

San Culberson. You did your thing.
Readers-Don't let 208 pages fool you. She left nothing unturned. I actually felt what Fiona was feeling. I laughed with fiona on several pages and was ready to kick butt in others. This book will keep you entertained.

I truly enjoyed reading San Culberson's novel. Her characters were very realistic and her writing style definitely kept me turning the pages. A novel written for the mature reader, I found it easy to relate to her characters and their many 'issues'. All that and then some, Culberson is definitely a writer on the rise in the literary world.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. San Culberson is a refreshingly new and welcomed voice. I can't wait to read her next offering.

Got men problems? Join the club of women who have had their hearts broken. Regardless of how strong we think we are, no one is ever ready to find out that their man is cheating on them. After suffering through a year long separation, Fiona Daniels finally got her signed divorce papers.

With feelings of joy, she recruited her best friend, Nicole, to help her plan a "DFL - divorcee for life" party. Fiona spared no expense and invited 27 of our closet friends to celebrate with champagne, catered buffet, and private room. She shed her dressed to impress attorney façade for the evening and partied like there was no tomorrow. During the clean up phase of this soirée, she noticed the handsome cater. Drunken Fiona threw caution to the wind and invited him home for a one-night stand. Fiona acknowledged that the sex was hot and Nicholas "Nick" Nathaniel was FINE (frog hair split three ways fine) but in no way was she becoming involved in a serious relationship.

Nick is a divorcee, master chef and restaurant owner with two kids. He is a free spirit with a passion for expensive gifts and good food. Fiona captivated him while her mean spirit and her funky attitude made him even hungrier in the chase to win her heart. The friendship between the two gets complicated when Fiona realizes who her sisters new man is - waking up the ghetto side of this otherwise refined sister. She temporally loses touch with reality which may cause her to lose everything - her position at the firm, the love of her mother, and her new man friend - Nick.

THE NICK OF TIME is a story that rings true for so many sisters today. Culberson draws the reader in with humorous dialogue, theatrical twists, and the understanding that sex always has strings. Unquestionably, the BEST "chick lit" read of the year. Don't sleep on San Culberson because her pen flows with page turning action that will carry you through the full gamut of emotions.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

Ann Elizabeth and Rob are a young newly married couple tryin too make it doing the racial times of the 40's, and 50's. Rob's dream is to be a pilot, but prejudice always get's in the way. The couple had to face so many trials, in there marriage. I was so hurt when Rob cheated on Ann, I wanted to cry with her. This book give you a look at a young married couple, and their family trying to overcome turblent times.

Ann Elizabeth and Rob are a young newly married couple tryin too make it doing the racial times of the 40's, and 50's. Rob's dream is to be a pilot, but prejudice always get's in the way. The couple had to face so many trials, in there marriage. I was so hurt when Rob cheated on Ann, I wanted to cry with her. This book give you a look at a young married couple, and their family trying to overcome turblent times.

This book is phenomenal... A must have for every bookshelf. This author is intriging, electric and fascinating. You will learn so much history and explore life in such a unique way. This is a page turner... REad it and pass it on.

IMPRESSIONS:
This book is a wonderful story that touches your heart and shows you the true beauty of the human spirit. The characters are wonderful and lovable and they literally come alive for you; one cannot help but care for and about them. A wonderful tale of family, love, death, life, war, racism, and every other aspect that you can imagine. It will appeal to all different ages and types.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
The race aspect of the book is very interesting and eye-opening. Due to the fact that it starts in the 1920s and spans until present day (or around there) it can really appeal to everyone and can also be very educational. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a book which will make them laugh, cry, and most of all, love.

This novel by Eva Rutland was something that I just happen to see in the bookstore needing something to read on a train ride. It was a great read and for someone born in the 1970's it gave another aspect of the "high fallutin'" people blacks for the 1940's. The "n" word was used often so for those that are a bit sensitive to the usage...just a warning. It didn't take anything from the book or the author and I suggest that you still read the book. Great work Ms. Rutland and I'll look for future works!

i am not a novel fan but this (trilogy) really got me, i can't stop reading them, one after another. so wicked and facinating especially the ending. who likes intense plot should read the books.

As other reviewers have noted the plot well and carefully, my only comment to add here is that this book is as confounding as life itself: the scene that is always continous is never the same twice. It is rewritten over again and again..the characters are the same, or are they?
It is a different novel depending on what level you read it..a war novel, a novel about love and friendship, a novel about truth and lie, a novel about memory and forgetting: it is a cross between the kind of novel Gunter Grass has written, and also the kind of novel Kundera wrote..quite amazing.

This is probably the best book you will read this year. Her writing is incredible, the plot fascinating in its historic and geographic absurdity (where are we? East Germany? Hungary?), the details vivid and unforgettable. Why are her other books not translated?

Mathias is a boy whose life has so many imperfections. He is troubled with looking like an ogre being born deformed. The doctors said that he will be like that for the rest of his life. His mother left him to go live in the big city and his father, who is also his mother's father, is in jail or maybe even dead.

Left to the care of Lucas, Mathias lives out his life from an intelectual stand point. Lucas taught him that while other children would grow big and strong, so would he. Mathias corrected Lucas knowing damn well the sadness of the truth. Lucas explained that he would work hard on his mind a grow an ever strong unsderstanding of the world around him. Sure enough, Mathias did just that and was the envy of all his classmates for always having the right answers.

Lucas loved Mathias very much, but was only a boy himself when he took on the responsibility of raising him. Lucas is a very unikely Father being one with such a disturbed past and shady presence. He goes around the city making money at night by playing his harmonica in bars and by selling produce by day. His relationships are very odd including the priest of the town who he plays chess with on a nightly basis. Lucas himself does not believe in God, but the priest takes the role of a father figure for him in the story. He also has relations of a more intimate kind with 2 women and a man in the story.

I first read "The Notebook" when I was in High School. A Video Game known as "Earhtbound 64" (never released) had led me to read this story. ONe character from that game would have been based from this story. I had no idea what I was about to read. It definitely warped my mind as a youth and became an instant favorite. Now 5 years later I read "The Proof" and remembered why it is I had enjoyed "The Notebook" so much tp begin with.

This story is definitely not for the weak at stomach. It is can become pretty disturbing and downright sickening at some points of the story. It is, however, very well written and leaves feeling emotions the characters must have felt when they were going through the events in their lives.

There aren't that many amazing books to read in the world. How often do you take a book and find that it lacks that something that keeps you awake at night or makes you wake up early (when you adore sleeping) just to read it? This is not a thriller (which can have the same effect but for different reasons). This is a monster itself, but in the best sense possible. You just can't miss it. For anything.

Noticia de un secuestro is one of Gabriel Garcia Marquez most dry books in terms of the literary style used. It could be because the theme does not allow for much variety but just an honest recount of the truth. The book gives the reader a realistic view of daily Colombian life, a country that has struggled with guerrilla warfare and drug trafficking for the past forty years and more. The protagonists of the book are the victims of the kidnappers and throughout the book we learn about the cruel reality of these people who have changed the life of many Colombians by use of violence and cruel killings without mercy. I think the book was well written with revealing details of how the victims feel (mentally and physically) and how their families suffer when they are forced to negotiate with the drug dealers etc. for the safe return of their family members. Also, we clearly see the role that the government plays in the rescue process. The style used by the author is very journalistic, thus making the book and story very dry in comparison to his other literary works. However, perhaps this style was chosen simply because this is the reality of Colombias daily crisis. The book is excellent, has much eye-opening information and is a wonderful read if you wish to learn more about the socio-economic problems of this great South American country. Arriba Colombia.

This book is really interesting, because tell us the political and social problems of one of the most important countries in latinamerica: Colombia.

One of the best books I've ever read about Colombia and its problems.

Noticia de un secuestro

Para: Gloria Leticia Fernández, en Cali.

Noticia de un secuestro de Gabriel garcía Márquez es un libro que se deja leer y que presenta y representa la narrativa en su forma más pura. Con un estilo periodístico claro y directo el Gabo nos hace penetrar en lo más hondo de las vidas de los secuestrados y nos hace sentir sus horrores de la manera más sutil, pues en ningún momento se centra su atención en los crímenes o torturas sino en la vida en común de captores y capturados, y los esfuerzos del gobierno y de sus familias para liberarlos. Una cosa parece cierta y es que la realidad supera siempre a la ficción y este relato de la vida real lo demuestra por lo novelesco que a veces nos parece y lo increíble de las cosas que pasan en Colombia sacudido como esta por el trafico de drogas, las guerrillas y las constantes luchas internas. Aun así sus habitantes aun viven y trabajan, tratan de forjarse un futuro y muchos luchan por el bienestar de su pueblo. El libro esta narrado de forma magistral como un gran reportaje en que el autor se abstiene de intervenir y es simplemente un narrador de hechos contados por otras personas. Nunca nos deja ver el Gabo sus sentimientos ni estropea la obra con rebuscados sentimentalismos que hubieran hecho de este libro un dramón insoportable. Nota: en Colombia se produjeron mas de tres mil secuestros el año pasado y la practica llamada pesca milagrosa ( asaltar gente en las carreteras sin saber bien quienes son para luego de depurarlos pedir rescate toma fuerza). Los cuerpos elite no dan abasto y el país tiene un índice de peligrosidad muy alto. Espero que mi amiga gloria que se encuentra en Cali este bien y si estas leyendo este articulo, sepa que tiene un amigo en uepa.com y que me puede escribir. Espero que este todo bien en su amada Cali y que la paz llegue pronto a Colombia, que los latinos podamos unirnos en un interés común y hacia objetivos nuevos, que todo el mundo deje de halar para donde más le conviene y que al final podamos progresar en paz.

Mis saludos al pueblo Colombiano.

Crazzyteacher.

La verdad es que le hice el quite a este libro durante tiempo, pensando que era una especie de producto de los talleres que hace G.M. pero hace poco lo leí de una sentada y me sorprendió. No está a la altura de ninguno de sus libros de ficción y tampoco es gran periodismo, pero todo el trozo que cubre la reclusión de las mujeres y la forma que buscan para sobrevivir al encierro es notable. Lo que más molesta del libro es que no toma ningún riesgo. Es plano, ultracorregido y sobreeditado. Y además, esa tendencia a describir a todos los parientes de las secuestradas poco menos que como personajes de teleserie es desagradable: son unidimensionales, incorruptibles, incansables. No hay drama ni interés ahí, sino que en el encierro. Lástima que el libro no comenzara y terminara dentro de esas cuatro paredes. Para leer una pura vez.

Fantastic, one of my favorite cat books. Every time I pick it up, I change my mind about what the best poem is.

I actually remember lines from these poems sometimes, in circumstances where less happily placed people would recall lines from the original
poems !

By the way, 'Beowulf' is about the least wonderful, perhaps because the original was of no interest to me; too bad that that is the one Amazon used as the excerpt.

I've read some of these as "friendly email" forwards, with no attribution. Folks, always use accurate attributions; People like Henry Barber (the 'editor' of these works) deserve to make a living out of what they produce. :-)

Also by the way, 'French for Cats' by Henri B. The little furfaces gather when I practice the French phases in it. Tell me French is not the natural language of cats! :-)

Readers of Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse by Henry Beard will notice how much influence humans have on cats. Cats will not enjoy having this pointed out. They work hard to protect their free will and try to dictate the terms of their relationships with humans. You can not just pick up a cat and expect it to be happy being held; you have to wait until the cat is ready. Cats will not play with toys just because you want to play. Cats appear to think independently, but their poetry betrays them.

Here is a bit of verse written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's cat:

I chased a mouse beneath the stair,
It went to ground, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it ran, my sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

Sound familiar?

There is more. Samuel Taylor Coleridge's cat wrote the following:

In Xanadu did Kubla Kat
A splendid sofa-bed decree
With silken cushions soft and fat
A perfect feline habitat
Set on a gilt settee.

Here is another sample, this time by William Shakespeare's cat:

To go outside, and there perchance to stay
Or to remain within: that is the question:
Whether `tis better for a cat to suffer
The cuffs and buffets of inclement weather
That nature rains on those who roam abroad
Or take a nap upon a scrap of carpet ...

Have you noticed a trend? It appears that cats listen more than they let on, and they even identify with the humans with whom they relate. They certainly borrow verse as freely as they claim their favorite chairs.

Cats do deserve some credit for knowing what poetry to borrow and adapt as their own. They are able to turn bits of Chaucer, Keats, Frost, or Ginsberg into works that serve their purposes, such as catching goldfish, breaking vases, or berating Whitman for sleeping too late. In near unison they raise their voices to complain about their vets.

One thing that surprises me about Poetry for Cats is that Henry Beard never reveals the cats' names. I can not imagine that Emily Dickinson had a nameless cat!

Poetry for Cats is an attractive book with colorful illustrations and is still in print after eleven years. I found our copy when inventorying the poetry collection. I am afraid few people have borrowed it lately, so I am going to put it on display. The cats need to be heard.

The only thing wrong with this book is that one has to both love cats and be educated in poetry. (In other words, there's no one else I know who can appreciate this book!) I like some of Henry Beard's poems even better than I do the originals. I'm especially glad that he chose to interpret some of my favorite poems (e.g., "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and "Xanadu.") Henry Beard is extremely talented; this sort of thing is very hard to do. (I know; I've tried.) This is a MUST for anyone and everyone who loves cats and poetry.

Henry Beard has both a good knowledge of the original poems and of cats. His spoofs are tremendously clever, and he chooses the most common poems in English literature, so most people will recognize them. I laughed myself nearly sick. It's as good as jogging! ;-)

This book is funny in and of itself; however, if you are familiar with the poems on which these are based, you're in for a special treat. Beard doesn't just substitute words: his premise is that the poets' cats wrote these poems, which makes "She Walks In Booties" or "Abyssinias" even more feline, er, sublime...

This book is filled with loads of laugh-out-loud scenes. O'Brien is especially good at setting up a scene and then delivering a hilarious punchline. Even when the reader can predict how the joke will play out, O'Brien teases the story out in such a way to make the humor even funnier. Each chapter is episodic and stands on its own, but there's a wonderful arc to the entire book. The allusions to Irish history, literature, and folklore add to the writing, and O'Brien really captures the style of writers like Tomas O'Crohan and Peig Sayers. There also are some clever allusions to Wm Butler Yeats and John Millington Syne. I found the satire to be a good-natured, tongue-in-cheek humor that revolves around hyperbole and even surrealism. I find it curious that some fans of Gaelic literature, especially those who admire the real "poor mouth" writers, would be offended by the book. I like the writing of O'Crohan, Sayers, and others, and O'Brien's satire actually seems to complement and enhance the humor in their books, rather than cynically criticize their tomes. O'Brien's real target seems to be more focused on the misty-eyed romanticism of readers of Gaelic writing.

The bleak atmosphere and the beautiful, flowing prose in "The Poor Mouth" are completely at odds, which is what makes this novel so hilarious. O'Coonassa has no idea what's happening to him much of the time, but he dutifully records it as best he can, with amazingly comical results.

The concept here is much like a Buster Keaton film, in that the protagonist is presumably ignorant, but he keeps a sharp eye on events, and he's basically good-hearted (except when he has to resort to stealing a pig or a chicken or some silverware, just to stay alive).

Have you ever had a laughing fit while reading on a bus? It was almost enough to have me committed.Although not personally aware of any Irish in my blood, the way this erupted in me makes it a strong chance.

It has never been better explained why so many Irish ended up in America and elsewhere abroad. A true story!

Lighten up guys. This is satire. Flan O'Brien is satirising those - like Yeats - who mythologised a Celtic and Gaelic past that never existed. The spirit is like Paddy Kananagh - but it's satire rather than gritty realism. Understand?

This book is an inside joke, and a classic at that. It is a grand send up of professional Irish (both at home and abroad). As example, consider a book written in Gaelic making sport of the Gaelic movement by means of a Gaelic festival. ( In ourland of the professional ethnic festival, this might serve as an effective antidote to "Irish" nights and "Scots weekends.") If you are inclined to romanticize villages of the old sod dominated by pigs, mud, rain and potatos, avoid this work. If you want a great classic of the jaundiced eye school of literature, read this book. By the way, some of the fun lies in the many parodies of Irish literary works in the assorted chapters; knowledge of the genre helps.

I will admit to not having read this book in a little while, but I have read it multiple times because of how much I liked it. The whole book struck me as a bit sad as the trilogy came to a close and the problems that the characters were facing did as well. Stroud's narative was as ingenious in this book as it was in the first as it switched back and forth between three very different personalities. Bartimaeus did a good job of lightening up what could have otherwise been an overly serious story. His characters continued to grow and I felt that they had gotten much farther along as individuals by the end. I thought that this was an entertaining original book that gripped and surprised me long after the last page was turned.

I bought this as a gift for my daughter's boyfriend. He had let me borrow the first 2 books in the series which he had read. I was hooked so I ended up reading this one before I gave it to him. My daughter then read the series and she also loved them. It's a great series!

I think the Batimaeus Trilogy is one of the most original series for kids and Ptolemy's Gate is an outstanding conclusion to the trilogy. Stroud is a creative writer who pushes this book to the limits and delivers an unexpected but wonderful ending. It always amazes me when such a complex story is able to wind up so many plots in such a smooth and seamless way. This is a great book and one of the best conclusions to any series.
Enjoy!

This book was very good, even if the ending wasn't totally perfect. I liked the fact that Nathaniel stopped being a total political stooge at the end. And that Bartimaeus and his essence was preserved. Kitty parts in the story weren't as good as previous and I didn't like the fact that she started to like Nathaniel. I think it would have been better if she had just thought of him as a acquaintance. Also, you get two chapters set in the Other Place, the world of spirits, which was interesting. This book brings the trilogy to a close, and even though I assumed what would happen in the end. A good read for all ages.

The final installment makes the whole journey worth it. PTOLEMY'S GATE, the third part of the BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, wraps things up in a satisfying, exhilarating way that won't leave Jonathan Stroud fans disappointed.

A new character is introduced in this novel. Sure, we've still got Nathaniel -- A.K.A. John Mandrake, youthful magician and Information Minister, Kitty -- outcast rebel of the Resistance, Bartimaeus - fun-loving demon of sarcasm who is stuck as Nathaniel's servant, but now our story jumps back to Alexandria, Egypt in 125 B.C. to weave the necessary backstory of Ptolemy and his legendary gate between the Other Place and Earth. The connection between the past and present is the infamous Bartimaeus.

We soon learn that the relationship Bartimaeus and Ptolemy had was incredibly close, filled with trust and loyalty, something Nathaniel knows nothing about. Kitty, however, has been studying magic with the hope of learning more about Ptolemy. Even though commoners aren't supposed to be able to, she hopes to summon Bartimaeus and learn about Ptolemy's Gate. Her theory is that the Gate is the way to bridge the gap between demons and humans, somehow ending the forced servitude and hatred between them and creating peace and equality.

The tensions really get going in this one. The overseas war with America is going poorly. The Resistance is still at large. A traitor high up in government is plotting an inconceivable takeover of the country. Bartimaeus has been on Earth so long his essence is fading and he's close to death. If Nathaniel doesn't squelch the Resistance, his job and prestige will all be lost. And if Kitty's plan doesn't work, she just might disappear into the spirit world forever like Ptolemy. So much is at stake. And none of the players even know about the "rebellious faction of demons"!

Get ready for an intoxicating end to the ride. What THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND began in the first book, PTOLEMY'S GATE finishes up gloriously. Go Bartimaeus!

--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Joe Keenan's second novel is even better than his first! The farce gets wilder, and it remains consistantly funny. Joe makes it look so effortless that he shames those of us who have turned our own hands to the comic novel and turned out lesser work than his. This time out Donald and Ivana Trump are satirically lampooned, or more accurately, harpooned, disguised by a microscopic veneer of fictionalization. This book is hysterical. If you don't laugh at it, I can only pity your humourless existence.

This is a great follow up to Blue Heaven, which should be read first since they refer to some scenes in this book. The same cast of zany characters come to life again here, in equally as insane scenarios. Similar character acts comparison: Lucy and Ethel.

Joe Keenan's "Putting on the Ritz" is a novel that is like watching Rosalind Russell in "Auntie Mame", quick, witty, full of laughs and the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. It is a sequel to his first novel "Blue Heaven" and surpasses it with engaging characters and a dizzying plot that keeps you turning page after page. I have read the novel several times and enjoyed it more with each reading.

Now that Mr. Keenan has proved himself successful on television as a writer and producer for Frasier on NBC, perhaps he will take pity on his fiction fans, take a season off and catch us up on Philip Cavanaugh's latest adventures.

Please Joe, we want another book!

Does anyone know Joe Keenan personally? He has got to be convinced to keep this going. I can't tell you how many times I have read this and Blue Heaven - I simply never tire of them. Also, I am wondering if someone knows of other similarily genial books in this genre that I can get my hands on. I can't help but think that the rest will be disappointing knock-offs but I'm willing to try anything!

Even better than the first book, Keenan's humorous take on gays and New York is entertainment of the first rank. Anyone who can do analogies to Gershwin, Philip Glass and Charlotte Corday has lots going for him in my book. This time Philip Cavanaugh gets roped in by Gilbert Selwyn into an on-going feud between rival millionaire publishing magnates. Philip knows better than to get involved in another of Gilbert's schemes, but gets trapped by love--the initiator of the plot is this beautiful man named Tommy Parker who Philip falls madly for. Of course, Claire gets involved as well (without knowing Gilbert's involvement or the actual scheme) and the books is an exciting ride to the last page.

My only disappointment is that, as far as I know, Keenan hasn't written any other books. Someone hurry up and give that man a contract!

I thought the 4 authors did a wonderful job of pulling all the stories together. I especially loved the story by Rochelle Alers, since I am such a fan of hers anyway, I knew this would be good. The stories all gave lines of busines that you normally wouldn't think of African Americans dealing in which in itself was a nice foray from the norm.

This book helped me to remember the true meaning behind Christmas and the value of embracing the spirit of giving.

There are times when you read a book at just the right time in your life and this is one of those books and times. Hurricane Katrina took so much away from Biloxi MS, but more than anything material, it took away the hope and spirit of so many, myself included. The holiday season started out so bleakly and I admit that I just wanted it to be over, but when you have children you know you have to find the strength to make it as wonderful as possible. It was a struggle until I read A Season of Miracles. I started the book and before I knew it I could feel myself smiling and just feeling good about everything. This book made me believe in miracles again but most of all the miracle of a better tomorrow. It makes you feel so good inside and you cannot help but feel a little sad when you come to the last page, as you feel as if you are leaving behind friends you have come to know and care about. This book is a miracle in itself and one which I will read over and over again.

This book is to die for...after all the disasters that occurred in 2005 that devistated so many lives makes you wonder...But this book will inspire you to have faith and to believe that miracles do happen. I would recommend this book to anyone!!

There are four enchanting stories which will enhance the real meaning of the season and the blessing of miracles.

"Shepherd Moon" by Rochelle Alers tells of Rhianna, a young woman who fled her hometown when her fiancé was killed in an automobile accident. The face of his twin brother was too painful a reminder of what she had lost. Ten years later Rhianna returns home because of a family illness and runs into her fiancé's twin brother and also her past. Now Rhianna can bring closure to her loss and accept the real reason she fled Shepherd, New York.

"Wishing on a Starr" by Adrianne Byrd shares the turmoil seventeen-year-old Gia suffered when she became a widow and a single mother in a matter of months. But Gia never saw her daughter, her aunt saw to that. The loss of her child forced Gia to leave Talboton, GA for New York City. Almost fourteen years later Gia still longs for her child and wants to do something about it. In a crowded department store, Gia bumps into Daniel Davis and his thirteen- year-old daughter, Starr. There is an immediate attraction between the two, and an answer to a wish even Gia could not have imagined.

"Blind Faith" by Kayla Perrin revisits Andrea and Mark, a couple who ended their relationship because Mark was snubbed by Andrea's parents. Years later Andrea's family has fallen on hard times, but Mark has excelled and is an entrepreneur. Their chance meeting is cordial but strained, still Mark is intrigued. An impromptu visit, a near fatal accident, and some blind faith are what Mark needed to propel him past his hesitancy about capturing his holiday miracle.

My favorite, "A Christmas Serenade" by Janice Simms, brings a world traveled concert pianist back to his roots in Charleston, South Carolina in search of himself. The best friend of his deceased mother welcomes him with open arms and southern hospitality. But this motherly matchmaker offers Jack so much more. She shares information about his parents and tapes of performances by her daughter, Callie. Callie is also a pianist, a blues singer and a magazine editor. When Callie and Jack meet the holiday suddenly feels and sounds majestic. But Callie is afraid that the difference between their respective backgrounds may be a problem.

THE SEASON OF MIRACLES is a Christmas Anthology filled with promise and hope. Grab a cup of eggnog, get comfortable on the couch and experience the joy of holiday love. This one will delight the heart.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I struggled through 3/4 of this unengaging tale (you bought it, you have to read it) before allowing myself to just skim the last 1/4, thank God. There are a few witty, sparkling lines, but the great bulk of this novel is meandering and feels forced. For a first or second draft it's OK, I guess, but I think he could really have used an editor to say "this part is good, but the rest of it needs work, and trim 100 pages at least". I would not buy another novel by this author without some assurance that he had progressed from this level.

Great plot, great story, great characters but many times Smith gets too tangential. It doesn't add to the book at all. The tagents are more distracting. Overall, he is a talented writer. I highly doubt anyone would not enjoy this book.

A fun adventure, definitely worth the ride. Bob Smith gives us a central character (Nelson) that grabs our hand and says, "Hey, come with me. I've got a story to tell." Smith (and Nelson) guides us along a well crafted and page-turning plot that is funny, thought-provoking and unpredictable.
Thanks for a great trip, Bob.

I've always enjoyed Mr. Smith's comedy plus his previous autobiographies. This book continues in mostly the same vein, quirky, irreverent, self-deprecating, totally enjoyable. I do wish it could have been edited down a little, as he does tend to go on a bit in some of the scenes (much like a Saturday Night Live skit that goes on beyond the laughter) but still, this book is worth a whirl.

Much of Bob Smith's novel SELFISH & PERVERSE is set in and around Anchorage, Alaska, where there is no IKEA store, enough to make me want to move there. The narrator is Nelson Kunker, from Los Angeles, who is stalled on a novel he has been writing for far too long. He meets Roy Briggs, a fisherman/archeology student from Alaska. They ride off into the Alaskan sunset but not quite. A recently-sprung-from-prison actor named Dylan Fabizak gets in the way of this romance, particularly on the side of the narrator who is a sucker for good abs and the rest of the perfect male body. Actually all three main characters are hotter than a stove in the cold of Alaska, but this is a requirement for a good beach novel. In short, these men look like no one many of us will ever know. Muscles ripple and temptation is never far from the surface.

Mr. Smith lets his narrator say some extremely funny things, the best thing about this novel, as well as giving pungent opinions. Nelson on older men, which for him is anyone over 40: "Their beauty was like the sunshine in winter: I could see the light but didn't feel the heat and my appreciation remained dispassionate." His take on reading: "My reading tended to proceed like a row of falling dominoes, one book leading me to the next." Bittersweet chocolate tastes like "an adults only confection sold in the no-one-under-21-admitted backroom of a candy store." Nelson believes that normal men think about sex all the time but sex addicts have sex all the time. He describes modern Scandinavian furniture as "mission furniture designed by agnostics." Then there's Roy's hierarchial catalogue of body odors (page 311), a little too risque to be quoted here.

After all these witty and often insightful observations, near the end of the novel Nelson contemplates writing a sketch about Lucille Ball and Ethel Rosenberg that is in such bad taste and so not funny that you have to wonder what Mr. Green was thinking. Had he done his homework, he would have known that the authorities in June of 1953 had difficulty carrying out her execution. It took her a long time to die (think cruel and unusual punishment), and the executioner kept giving her more electrial jolts. Additionally while the case of the Rosenbergs still remains controversial, many scholars contend that Mrs. Rosenberg was innocent of the charge of conspiracy to commit espionage for which she was executed. Be that as it may, to attempt to make something funny abut such a horrific event in our history is totally inappropriate, at least to me. I suspect the Rosenberg children, Robert and Michael Meeropol, who have written eloquently about their parents and whom no relative would adopt, would agree with me.