book recs

‘The Troubles at Austen House’ by Joan I. Wendland – Review

Lee Hall Leave a comment

A fun tribute to a legend of literature with a sci-fi twist

Imagine a theme park in the near future based upon the works of Jane Austen, combine that with a science fiction edge and you get this fun blend of tribute and sci-fi. Think ‘Westworld’ meets ‘Pride and Prejudice’ with some cool references to literature.

When androids in the park start to act strange and glitchy it is up to technician ‘Jennette Clayton’ to fix them. Events take a turn for the weird as certain robot characters start wandering from their usual places and some even start crying – even if they don’t have that function built in. For a short read, Joan I. Wendland manages to tell a fun story that kept me turning pages until the end. Robots and theme parks are a great combination and with a little Austen, you can’t got wrong.

5 Stars

‘Catching Up’ by Mary Lay – Review

Lee Hall Leave a comment

Wonderfully written tale of life and adventure in the 1920’s

After the shadows of grief and war are cast over ‘Caroline’s’ life and family she eventually finds a way to move forward and ‘catch up’ in this adventurous life tale.

Set in 1920’s England, Mary Lay does a fantastic job in presenting a story that takes readers back while also being written in a style that immersed me in the various trials, adventures and experiences shared in this story. With youth and life on her side, ‘Caroline’ is given a kind of challenge by her father to go an explore beyond the comfort of her quiet home life and try to move forward but there is a slight catch. The allowance she is given must be earned back in that time. What ensues is charming and sometimes heart-warming story of society, exploration, work and travel that embodies the 20’s but with a modern easy to read feel.

From taking various opportunities of employment to visiting old school friends and travelling by train – a visual element captured well by the striking book cover, the tone is perfect for the adventure of discovery our main character embarks upon. She meets new acquaintances along the way and finds her place with opportunity and in society. Its enjoyable to very end which is left open for more keepsakes to be collected by Caroline – something I’d definitely be open to exploring in the near future.

‘It was not an immediate future that Caroline intended for herself; she had far too much of the world to explore…’

5 Stars

‘Of Swans and Stars; Finding my own North Star, one poem at a time’ by E.M. McConnell – Review

Lee Hall

A uniquely emotive and descriptive collection of poetry…

E.M. McConnell delivers a fantastic array of poetry that touches on so many subjects and across the four parts there is something that will resonate with anyone who takes on these words.

From the subject of being hopeful to even myth and magic which made for a great way to finish the collection, McConnel’s brand of poetry is strong, brave and consistent throughout. In particular ‘O, My Muse’ spoke to me along with ‘Music’ where the description really shines from the very start.

‘The beat skips and slithers down the cord Dodging errant quavers with amusing grace…’

This collection took me on a unique journey of language, rhyme and magic encapsulated by a British charm. There’s modern references and a power in these words along with the occasional mention of dragons all framed by an excellent looking cover and brilliant formatting.

For anyone looking to take on immersive poetry, I’d highly recommend this one!

5 Stars

“Darke Awakening” by Lee Hall

Lee Hall

A huge thank you to fellow author Ellen Khodakivska for this wonderful review of Darke Awakening….

Ellen Khodakivska

If you want to ’embrace the true darkness’ and have a ride on a ‘ghost horse’ through crowded night creatures, this book is what you need.

“Most people in this world have some good in them. especially when someone needs a little help”, Lee Hall, “Darke Awakening”

The Plot:  Blake Malone comes back to Darke Heath to confront the evil that starts awakening. ‘The sleepy town, surrounded by pines’ hides more and more dark and dangerous secrets. Those that are supposed to be buried appear to be alive and perilous more than ever. The life paths of Blake Malone and Twister are destined to cross, and together with the rest of the crew, they have to be pretty innovative to gain victory over the night creatures. The demons, shadows, vampires, and many other night creatures can’t wait to break into a fight, the outcome of which is sometimes impossible to…

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‘House of Tigers’ by William Burton McCormick – Review

Lee Hall

‘We’re innocent lambs in a house of hungry tigers…’

William Burton McCormick has constructed a cleverly plotted murder mystery where two unlikely characters band together quite literally to decipher the unexpected unfolding before them.

In the backdrop are swarms of mosquitos that threaten anyone outdoors and so immediately the locked in atmosphere presents itself from the very start as ‘Inspector Ilya Dudnyk’ arrives at Aristov Manor. His job is to oversee an Oligarch family inheritance dilemma but soon realises like most high stakes financial situations, blood has a tendency to be spilled. Even though he is seemingly on the side of the law, that thin blue line is blurred just a little giving readers a front row seat to the happenings that follow.

With plenty of tension and page-turning mystery vibes; the setting, characters and pace are all on point here and pull everything together well to make for a fun original reading experience. Of course there are unexpected twists and revelations in a who done it/who’s still doing it scenario as events unfold with the story.

5 Stars

‘Pearl Fields and the Oregon Meltdown’ by Drew Faraday – Review

Lee Hall

A unique and immersive vision of survival and life during apocalyptic times…

Pearl Fields and the Oregon Meltdown is a unique reading experience that plays out much like the transcript of a confession, life story and vision of one woman’s survival during the ‘Meltdown’. The wonderful thing is, its all three of those and more because the immersive conversational style adopted by Drew Faraday pulled me in from the very start and it isn’t one I’ve seen that frequently in fiction. Onthe surface it might appear as just ramblings but like all great books its what lies within those words that make it. Stories of childhood, love, struggle and life in apocalyptic times make up the experience that pulled me in from the start.

The ‘M’ virus and its fallout is where the majority of this story is set but we only get snippets of that from ‘Pearl’ and the focus is more on her many experiences during and then after. Its almost as if she is in the room telling you about the various trials and tribulations of her life and she’s a fun character to be around. Perhaps a little hardened by that life and her well fleshed out presence really puts you in the passenger seat of her ride. From her wealth of back stories to the various fun names she uses such as ‘Camp All She Wrote’ and even naming a suicide vest ‘Severance Package’ are just a few of humorous references peppered with a hint of darkness and there is a lot of emotion at the heart of this one.

‘I wouldn’t have gone through hell on earth on my own for nearly four years only to be pent-up in this rank jail cell pouring my heart out to a damn gizmo in hopes of not taking the long drop…’

Its part post-apocalyptic and part confessional-survival with ounces of humour and the question is, will this confession help her find acquittal? The answer is something I perhaps would have liked to have seen a little more from but that’s a minor critique at best.

Very enjoyable and original.

4 Stars – This review first premiered via Reedsy Discovery

‘The Perfect Athlete’ by Olivier Doleuze – Review

Lee Hall

The Perfect overview and resource for the fit and healthy conscious…

Tenured Jockey Olivier Doleuze lays out a hugely beneficial resource/overview style guide for anyone looking to improve their nutrition and fitness that is packed with information.

This easy-to-read book is delivered with an approachable chatty style that partners well with the sheer amount of definitions, explanations and what is essentially a blue print for modern sport/nutrition and more. Early on it is stated that this book is for “Athletes and aspiring fitness enthusiasts’ but everyone or anyone who wants to be more conscious of their health through exercise and diet this is a must-read, it really will open your mind and awareness.

Structured much like how the ideal workout it begins with the warm up – definitions of the basics are laid out like nutrition, metabolism, calories, fuel and so much more. Although this is a lot of information, its written with a light style that isn’t too heavy to take in and makes for a memorable start to the work out/ reading experience. The chapters that follow, cover everything in detail but again not too heavily, many guides do suffer from adding ‘fluff’ but this one is lean and in good shape, trust me.

I was drawn to this book to learn and to find more insight into how my own diet relates to my fitness and now my mind is very much open especially with the very meaningful and motivational statement about weight only really being a number.

This book exactly what I needed to refresh my fitness journey because I think many of us sometimes get lost along the path when it does relate to weight expectations, nutrition and fitness. I’ll happily admit a lot of this stuff I didn’t even know until I picked up this guide which I shall be using in the future for reference.

4 Stars – This review first premiered via Reedsy Discovery.

Awesome Recommended Indie Reads #9

Lee Hall

The road to reviewing indie books continues and so here are some of my recent reads, all of which I recommend!

‘A Stranger From the Storm’ by William Burton McCormick

‘Brilliant fun – a historical mystery with plenty of atmosphere‘

Full Review

‘Witch in the Lighthouse’ by Azalea Forrest

‘A quaint and fun magical tale…‘

Full Review

‘The View From Here’ by Leon Stevens

‘An exploration themed sci-fi novella not of this world…‘

Full Review

‘The Caverns’ by Olen Crowe

In The Caverns an ancient evil lurks…

Full Review

‘Red on White’ by J.P Biddlecome

‘The Wolves came, rising from the waves…’

Full Review

And so that wraps up another edition of Awesome Recommended Indie Reads. Keep reading and keep reviewing!

‘Pirate Sea’ by Kyler Kuehler – Review

Lee Hall

A swashbuckling and sometimes brutal tale packed with action

Pirate Sea is a page-turning swashbuckling tale with a brutal edge that follows young ‘James Vane’ as he is captured by a band of pirates in the 1700’s. The writing style is both a befitting tribute to the famous pirate tales seen in classic literature whilst also having a modern feel.

Not long after readers are introduced to the story do we see events turn for the worst for young ‘James’ as his father’s ship is intercepted by the infamous pirate vessel known as the ‘Blood Revenge’ and helmed by Captain ‘Scar Eye’ – I enjoyed the naming here, it felt both original and familiar which hit the right tones for a pirate themed story. Soon enough those events turn brutal which is something that rings true from real history, this isn’t just the glamour of swords and sails, its gritty and violent. This is also a sign of things to come.

“He was pure pirate and reasoning with pure pirate was impossible”

A quote that sums up the journey James would have to take in this story to find any kind of redemption or escape and there is a heap of character development as he adjusts to these new pirate surroundings. It is during this journey that he discovers a history that is very close and personal and with it comes a tale I very much enjoyed.

4 Stars

Overview: SHAKEN NO MORE by Jacqui Morrison

Lee Hall Leave a comment

To thrive in the present, one must overcome the past.

Tragedy is nothing new to playwright and performer, Meredith Golden. She’s endured the violence of an alcoholic husband, the tragic death of her parents, and abuse from her uncle. To say she is a fighter is an understatement. She is a survivor. But tragedy leaves scars. When Meredith meets Paul, it seems that the past is finally behind her, but when her ex-husband begins stalking her and making new threats, old wounds are torn open. She realizes that peace comes with a high price and ’til death do us part may be a curse that can’t be undone. As her world spirals out of control, Meredith vows to be Shaken No More.

REVIEW:

Her Best Book So Far
I received an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) of the book in exchange for an honest review. Shaken No More by Jacqui Morrison is a romantic suspense novel and it’s women’s fiction set in New York City in the 2010s, with flashbacks to the 80s and 90s. This is Morrison’s fifth novel, following Kaitlin Wolfe Crown Attorney, The Vigilante, Escape The Castle, and Terri’s Journey – The Colour of Rain. Shaken No More may be her best book so far.
This is the story of Meredith Golden, a performer and playwright, who has to overcome staggering real-life challenges. The novel title cleverly alludes to James Bond’s catch-phrase “shaken, not stirred” and there are more cocktails in this story than a 007 movie. There’s drugs, detectives, doctors, divorce, and violence, in this story. There’s also therapy, meditation, qigong, and healing. Will Meredith thrive? Can she survive? That’s the mystery.
The romance is with Paul, after Greg reveals he has problems. Some of the story is told from Meredith’s point of view and some of it is told from Paul’s, but most of it is a third person narrative that will keep you reading and cheering for Morrison’s main character until the final page.
This novel has 76 chapters in 267 pages and that format gives the narrative lots of momentum. Morrison describes everything so the reader can see it as clearly as in a movie. The novel would make a good movie about the scars left by tragedies and how one woman battles back, in the big city, and move on to the next stage and the next.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jacqui Morrison has a B.A.A. from Ryerson University in Toronto, and two graduate certificates. One from Humber College School for Writers, Toronto, in 2017. And a certificate in Adult Education from Seneca College, also in Toronto. She has been writing professionally since 2000.

Jacqui won the 2009 IPPY for best regional fiction for Central and Eastern Canada for her first novel Kaitlyn Wolfe, Crown Attorney. In 2013, her second novel The Vigilante came out. Escape the Castle was released in 2018. She has also been published in four anthologies, including the Best of the Muskoka Novel Marathon 2000 – 2010. SHAKEN NO MORE is her first romantic suspense novel.