Quills Books

Fred D'Aguiar's novel Dear Future might be better understood as set of impressions on four canvasses. Although the first three sections rely on standard story development techniques, the novel fails as a coherent whole. Readers who enjoy a work in which separate threads are tied up by the end of the work may leave this book dissatisfied.

Each of novel's sections is distinct in style and voice. In the first section, D'Aguiar attempts to use magical realism to paint visceral intriguing images. The style appears forced and unnatural, with errors in point of view, and heavy reliance on adjectives and a preponderance of jarring metaphors. However, D'Aguiar does occasionally offer poignant and original images, such as the interior view of children playing dolls as they hear the sounds of a massacre approaching their door.

Each section also spotlights different characters and locations: a young boy and his oddball family in a small village, the president and advisors of a dysfunctional South American republic, a mother struggling abroad in London. The lack of transition between sections is unsettling and forces the reader to identify common threads.

As the novel progresses, the style of writing becomes less forced, more honest. By the 3rd section which focuses on the protagonist's mother, D'Aguiar writes succinctly and without guile.

The final section, in which the protagonist writes a set of letters from limbo questioning his present and his future, do work in isolation from the rest of the novel. These letters might make a striking set of prose poems. In context of the novel, however, and the reader's questions around plot and meaning, they offer only empty calories. Tasty but not nutritious.

The book is short, and while I only begrudge the time spent reading the clumsy first section, I'd not recommend it. If you're looking for something more satisfying in a similar vein, try Marquez.

Good short stories, but not worth the extra price...and very short. Vampires with personality and sexuality...should be sold as short stories.

Clinton is a new college graduate and is enlisting in the Marines come September. One older brother, Hank, plays football at the State University and the oldest boy, Jesse, drowned at the lake. Clinton writes letters to Jesse in a journal, describing his awkwardness around girls, his inability at sports and his regret that his poor vision will keep him from pilot training. All Clinton has to pleasure himself is his daydreams and his voyeurism, whether checking out the neighborhood girls' bedrooms from a tree house, or hiding in bushes at the quarry watching a trio of skinny-dipping cheerleaders.


By the time the summer is out and Clinton enters Basic Training at Parris Island, he's truly begins to mature toward adulthood and the events occurring to his family, propel maturity for others as well.


Diary of a Dirty Cowboy had me crying silently all the way through it. I felt so sorry for Clinton, for his virginal awkwardness and immature emotional development, and for the lost Jesse. I wondered often what was on Jesse's mind that was so painful to lead him to drinking at night at the lake and drowning. Was it truly accidental as the family thought or was it unconscious suicide? The prologue and the Author's Note both relate the loss of a soldier in Iraq and the grief and pride of the survivors, but I couldn't make the connection between that and the themes of the book. In addition, the title didn't seem to relate to anything in the story, other than the letters Clinton writes to his deceased brother Jesse, which seem to take the form of journaling. I liked the story, and found it interesting, but all in all, these contradictions left me quite puzzled. I would have preferred to see the story develop several of the more interesting themes referenced: Jesse's death, Hank's situation with his girlfriend and upcoming family and Clinton's love and lust for the preacher's exhibitionist daughter Lorelei.

Annie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

What Tristan Jones lacks in great writing skills he makes up for with great story telling and sheer guts. In 1985, as the Soviet Union was quickly approaching its high water, mark he threw caution to the wind and began a tumultuous journey that would take him through the badlands of the Iron Curtain. Plunging up the freezing Rhine in his ocean going tri-hulled yacht, wintering in Germany, and losing his American crew of two to homesickness and better job opportunities were bad enough for this one legged sailor, but Jones had an objective that he wouldn't put aside lightly. He took on a fresh crew of one, a young German boy, and set off to conquer the Danube and Eastern Europe as the first person to transnavigate Europe in an ocean going tri-hull. The Improbable Voyage is a thought provoking perspective of Central and Eastern Europe at the height of the cold war. It highlights Europe's divisiveness during this time from one of Europe's major arteries, the Danube. It is realism at its best from the heart of a spirited traveler.

I was required to read this book for my American Lit class in college, and though I had heard that James was a bit verbose and that the plot of the novel was purportedly about the life of a telegraph-girl, I nevertheless enjoyed it thoroughly. The novel centers on a young girl who works at the sounding board of an English store. Because she is the main operator, she is privy to all of the customer's private affairs, for she transcribes all of their personal notes. Some of her insights regarding relationships and the often-intimate details of her state of mind seemed to articulate some of my own thoughts. The "hook" of the plot(as concern other female-heroines of her time) revolves around her intense fatuation with a male customer, with whom she eventually falls in love. "In the Cage" is taut, well-written, and eerily similar to the trials and tribulations of everyday life in the present era.

easy crossword puzzles that are perfect when you don't want to think TOO much.

This book is a fun and quick read. As it was written by Cody's adoring little sister, it goes a bit overboard praising his bravery, loyalty, ingenuity, and other attributes. A 19th century work, it is not totally "politically correct." Yet sometimes, Mrs. Wetmore is touchingly sympathetic to Native Americans and Blacks. After this book, I am curious to read a more critical evaluation of Cody's life. He must have been a very brave and intelligent man, but I'd like to know how young he really was when he rode for the pony express, if he actually spied on General Forrest and just how impertinently he spoke to the Prince of Wales.

Cinthya "Cindi" Wilton, at twenty, works in her father's private investigation business, and really enjoys what she does. Cindi's father used to be a government intelligence agent who retired to protect her, but that hasn't stopped his enemies from using her for revenge. Because of this she has been protected from a lot of life. Recently Cindi began a relationship with her father's business partner, Rick, and enjoys being with him, even with the lectures he gives her about her impulsiveness. Although being involved with Rick now that he has gone back to active duty with the agency could be a danger to Cindi, it is a chance she is willing to take.

Rick Cudahee is shadowy, sophisticated, and lethal in character, and at thirty, has been all over the world. His past and current employment with a government intelligence agency has only increased his experience in being lethal, and has also made him slightly protective of those in his life. He recently began a relationship with his ex-business partner's younger daughter, Cindi. One of Rick's biggest worries about Cindi is that her curiosity and impulsiveness will lead her into trouble. He decides to teach her a lesson while creating a special Halloween treat for Cindi.

On All Hallow's Eve, Cindi receives a call from a voice that seems familiar but that she cannot place. It tells her to go to an old abandoned hotel, said to be haunted, to meet someone. Cindi doesn't believe in ghosts, although she loves watching horror movies, and so she goes to meet this person without telling anyone where she is going. After Cindi goes inside she begins to wonder if this was that wise of a decision after all. Rick has arranged that they will be alone and uninterrupted at the hotel, and has planned an erotic evening for Cindi and himself - after he scares her just a bit. The evening begins as planned but - are they really alone? Another fact that Rick didn't think out all that well is - will this lesson show Cindi that she should not be so impulsive about anything that interests her or will it be the start of a new aspect in their lives?

Bound is a Halloween tale, which shows just how private any holiday party can be. There was just enough suspense in the story for you to remember that some things in life cannot be explained. The elaborate preparations that Rick made for his private party with Cindi were very much in keeping with a character that has an erotic side to his nature. Unfortunately, I found the characters of Rick and Cindi were just not rounded enough for me to fall into the story. In order to place myself into the story, I need the characters to be well rounded and three-dimensional, and although the story had a good plot I just did not find that in Bound.

Jo
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Whom Gods Have Favored
Lucius, a respected general of his time, is loved, hated, sought after, and feared. At a slave auction, he sees a beautiful girl being sold. Feeling a pull toward her, he purchases her to work as a house slave and for his personal pleasure. Lucius is not a particularly nice man; he tolerates his wife, adores his daughter, and has an odd relationship with his son. He knows that the world is at his feet and he does not hesitate to take what he wants.

Xina, the daughter of a whore, is being sold after her mother dies and Xina attacks one of the customers who wants to take more than Xina is willing to give. Xina is frightened yet attracted to her new master. She is hated by many in the household including Lucius' wife, Nydia, and daughter, Chloe. Chloe is especially hateful to Xina and finds any reason to punish her. Darius, Lucius' son, is amused by his father's new "servant," and something about him makes Xina a bit uneasy. Xina struggles to accept her new surroundings, her growing feelings for Lucius, and all the drama she has to endure just because Lucius wants her.

Pompeii is a hot bed of activity at this time, Mount Vesuvius is about to erupt. Xina overhears a plot being set into motion against Lucius which could cost him his life. Darius is dealing with his own very unusual issues, and he makes choices that will alter everyone's lives.

In Whom Gods Have Favored Denyse M. Bridger brings her characters and their lifestyles vividly to life. She is able to show the tension of the impending eruption, the grandeur of the times, and the decadence of the society. Her characters are rich, strong, and full of life. Xina is a frightened girl when the story begins who has been thrown into a situation that is beyond her control. As the story moves along, Xina grows into a strong woman who is willing to do what she needs to in order to save the man that she has grown to love.

In the beginning of the story, Lucius seemed to be a hard and selfish man and I wondered if I could like him. As I was reading, I could see that he was changing into a kinder man, even though he was reluctant to see or admit the changes even to himself. Lucius' family gave a whole new meaning to the term dysfunctional family... every member seemed to be searching for something to make themselves feel better and they did not care who they had to hurt to get it. Whom Gods Have Favored is wrought with love, hate, betrayal, lust, and passion with a killer twist at the end. Denyse M. Bridger rocks!!

Gracie
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This book was one I picked up on an impulse the last time I was in Borders. It sat for some time in my TBR pile before I got sick of something else I was reading and decided to pick this up instead.

It is an interesting book with some very well drawn characters and relationships contained within the pages. Interesting, though is about as high a mark as I am willing to give it.

Blaise, Berni and Woodrow tend to rub against each other with a snideness which I found a little bit overdone at times and it really didn't do much for me. Whether or not this is a true representation of gay men in Australia, I don't really know, but it seemed a little stilted and contrived at times.

The first half of the book deals with Berni's ex-partner, Blaise and his new partner Woodrow (Woodie) and the impact that Berni's tell all novel Je Louse has on them and their relationship. The characters in the novel are very thinly disguised representations of Blaise and Woodie and the story is, in fact, a retelling of the relationship breakdown between Blaise and Bernie some years before.

Blaise reads the novel despite Woodrow's insistance that he not read it (while Woodrow himself is reading it, on the sly).

I found the excerpts of Je Louse which are interspersed throughout Drinnan's narrative, actually more interesting than the main storyline.

By the time he's finished reading the novel, Blaise has been rather unsubtly seduced and when Berni turns up back in Sydney it is inevitable that Blaise will break of his already floundering relationship with Woodie and go back to Berni.

The second half of the novel deals with the reflections of Rose Elliot, Berni's mother as she thinks back over her son's life and career and contemplates the release of his autobiography.

Rose is elderly, and for most of the time, she is drunk, distracted and her thoughts ramble. This, unfortunately, means that the story also rambles and I had the feeling many times that the author was trying to pad his word count.

Again, Berni's narrative from the autobiography sprinkled amongst Drinnan's story, is actually the more interesting storyline.

I wanted to like this book, and I persevered with it till the end in the hope that it would rise above interesting, but it never quite made it.

I can't say that I enjoyed it. Others may get different results.

This book was nice. I was forced to read this book because we needed a historical novel. This book is about a girl and her brother who lost their family in a fire. The tinderbox is the only thing that she had to remember them. They lived with their neighbors and learned to love them. The conflict which was about their aunt coming to claim them and about the marriage offer Isaac made her. It was an easy to understand novel especially for teens. The ending seems to be lacking though but the characters were pretty good.