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Recent Book Reviews

Focus Review

Armageddon: How Trump Can Beat Hillary by Dick Morris & Eileen McGann Humanix Books reviewed by Christopher Klim "She is accustomed to getting her talking points from Bill or some other key advisor and going out there and fighting for them." While some books are requested for review, others arrive on their own. Armageddon is one of the latter, and it sat in our in-box for months before the growing election season piqued our curiosity. Inside, writer Eileen McGann speaks for Dick Morris who is a well-known political commentator and former Clinton advisor. He knew the Clintons well, until his unceremonious dismissal after being discovered that he let a prostitute overhear a phone conversation with the President (i.e. Bill Clinton). It suffices to say that no one in this book is an angel. This is not a debate about Clinton in the classical sense, and there is no rebuttal from the Clinton point of view. ... (read more)

• 57 Steps to Paradise by Patricia Lorenz - RECOMMENDED
• Adventures of a Problem Solver, The: I by Richard V. Martin
• Albert Pendergast's Peculiar Parcel by K. G. Summers
• Anandpur Chronicles: Volume 1 by Peter Johal
• ArcPoint Traveler: Book 1 by John Wozniak
• Ashes of Al-Rawdha by Ekbal Al-Othaimeen
• Berkshire Jack Russells, The by Eileen Chatwin
• Bonds of Love & Blood by Marylee MacDonald - RECOMMENDED
• Copenhagen Interpretation, The by Warren R. B. Dixon
• Creativity Unzipped by Jan Phillips and Ruth Westreich
• Emma Clarke Pratt by Marjorie Irish Randell - RECOMMENDED
• Essentials of Nutrition by Joel Bressler - RECOMMENDED
• Figurehead: Book 2 by Rock Lambert
• Fleeing Steady Habits by Bruce Post - RECOMMENDED
• For You by Ana J. Garcia
• Golden Princess, The by L.R. Garner
• Great American Food Fight, The by Dr. Brent Baldasare - RECOMMENDED
• Hero in Gray, A by Cherie L. Braham
• Hope, Courage & Triumph by Connie Bent
• Illusion, The by Patrick Garry - RECOMMENDED
• In the Middle by Teong Eng Tan
• Investing in Indonesia by Rosye Buray Salz
• Joshua's Journey by Judith A. Dempsey - RECOMMENDED
• Journey Home, The by Patrice M. Foster
• Legend of Lieutenant Thompson, The by Neil Burckart
• Letting Go and New Beginnings by Margaret Dubay Mikus
• Madam President by Ramesh S Arunachalam - RECOMMENDED
• Mania of Love, A by J N Pratley
• Metamorphosis by M. Kelly
• Mind Shift by Don Sweatt - RECOMMENDED
• Mommy, What's that Number on Your Arm? by Gloria Hollander Lyon - RECOMMENDED
• My Corner of the Sky by Kerri Dyer-Keen - RECOMMENDED
• Next Generation Leaders by Martin O'Neill - RECOMMENDED
• Newlands by Gary Langford
• Nothing Lasts Forever by Althea Foster - RECOMMENDED
• Overrun by Jeffrey H. Ahlin
• Pilgrim for Freedom, A by Michael Novakovic
• Powderhole by Blaine C. Readler - RECOMMENDED
• Pyre by Eric J. Hull and C. M. Stultz
• Ramon's World by Dan Roberson
• Redemption Ridge by Dorothy Yoder - RECOMMENDED
• Rendez-Vu by Pete Liebengood
• Seasoned to Kill by G.J.Prager - RECOMMENDED
• Spire by Aaron Safronoff - RECOMMENDED
• Spot 12 by Jenny Jaeckel
• Stealing Tesla's Weapons by Lawrence Roberts, M.A.
• Straight Hood by Allan Brentt Hood
• Surviving Cancer, Healing People by Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission - RECOMMENDED
• Tale of Two Brothers by Judith E. Dempsey - RECOMMENDED
• Tatiana's Day by Katia Perova
• Through the Eye of the East by Salma Hamid Hussain - RECOMMENDED
• Thrown Again into the Frazzle Machine by Margaret Dubay Mikus, Ph.D. - RECOMMENDED
• Thumperino Superbunny and the Mummy's Curse by Amber L. Spradlin
• Time Ripples by Robert H. Wellington - RECOMMENDED
• To Hell and Gone by Jim Nolan
• To Never Know by Thomas Duffy - RECOMMENDED
• Twisted Reunion by Mark Tullius - RECOMMENDED
• UFOs and God by Michael R. Lane
• When Johnny Doesn't Come Marching Home by Marian Small

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Featured Book Reviews

Challenging Love

Kate Quinn's life went into a downspin in a hurry. In her late 20's, Kate works as an in-home nurse with a family that loves and respects her while she also has to deal with criticisms from her own family, whom she still lives with. Topping this all off is Scott, her one and only boyfriend of six years who, as Kate has just discovered, is cheating on her. Kate cuts Scott off immediately and tries to deal with her problems with the help of two friends: Pepper, her headstrong dance instructor best friend, and alcohol. Scott is trying desperately to win Kate back, but what neither of them counted on was Robert Beckham, a police officer friend of Scott's that has been interested in Kate since they first met. ... (read more)

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A Challenging Refuge

Paul didn't know whether they were in luck or not when he and the two soldiers under his command escaped the rain to take shelter in the humble home of Colette Auteuil in war-torn France. However, his leg wound needed treatment, and a dry bed was much better than sleeping on the soggy ground. As they ate the bread and drank the wine their hostess provided for them that night, little did they expect that events were being put in motion that would irrevocably alter not only their lives but also the lives of others connected to them a continent away. ... (read more)

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A Walk into the Unknown

Some of us long to take trips into the unknown. We wish to leave behind our material possessions, and live simpler lives. Jackie Chase did just that, for one adventure-filled month. Jackie is no stranger to travel. She's spent much of her life flitting from one place to another in search of a deeper understanding of the world's cultures. In Walking to Woot, Jackie takes the reader with her to live among the Dani people in New Guinea, Indonesia. Despite being a seasoned traveler, Jackie had her apprehensions about the potentially dangerous trip. She had good reason to: This time, she was bringing her 14 year old daughter, Katherine, with her. ... (read more)

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A Life Lived Forward

Every life is a story. Autobiographies and memoirs are vehicles for recording them. While it is true that humans are all basically the same, circumstances, experiences, and how people deal with the world around them is what truly makes individuals different and in a way original. Reynolds story is true and begins in rural Florida, 1939. At first, there is almost the hint of a Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn quality to the life that is about to be shared. However, this is no tall Mark Twain tale being spun. This is the beginning for a boy who will experience fear, and pain, and darkness, not just in the pages of a book, but rather in the real world around him. ... (read more)

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Tending to the Great Lakes

Mai is a little Ojibway girl who wants to learn from her tribal elders. Her grandmother is going to walk around each of the Great Lakes, and she agrees to let Mai come along because "Even our little ones can make ripples and waves.” Mai's task is to fill a copper bucket with lake water each morning. This ritual is followed by Grandmother's prayers and songs. Mai notices that in one town there are lots of plastic bags in the water, a lesson in the problem of pollution. She observes that a family of deer have to walk farther than ever to get to the edge of the lake to drink, and a bear tries to catch fish and can't find any. ... (read more)

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A Natural Mystery Storyteller

With his simple statement, Jonah resurrects the question he has been asking himself since a child of six, watching the fire near his grandmother's farm and listening to the hateful remarks of locals. Did someone deliberately set the fire to rid the town of two old homosexuals? Elizabeth was the nearest neighbor and would have seen a mob entering. Without hesitation she assures Jonah, now a Chicago lawyer, that the fire was an accident. ... (read more)

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Strong Voice Poetry

Romantic, intelligent, and poignant, this third anthology of the author's poetry draws from a lifetime of international and interpersonal experience. Many of her poems deal with a disconnect in communication, one person yearning to share feelings with someone who is away on business or no longer alive. At the same time, these selections bridge continental and political borders, showing the universality of the human experience from Honduras to Hong Kong. Each poem comes from the narrative perspective of a unique character that readers will see for just a glimpse into their most private thoughts. The final section of the book is specifically reserved for poetry about children, containing little vignettes ranging to the precocious wanderings of toddlers to the silent terrors of living as a child with an abusive adult. ... (read more)

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Exciting Coming of Age

Sometimes what is unsaid speaks loudest. Now and then a writer has the confidence to hint rather than hammer. This author’s story of the loss of innocence and the search for one’s future in the secrets of the past uses revelation sparingly—which is to say well. Nor does he burden the reader with expositional excess. No sentence, paragraph, or page feels overwritten. While one is eager for the start of each new chapter, there’s no overt attempt to create cliffhangers. This is a novel where the writer’s measured pace makes it all the more enjoyable. ... (read more)

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Is the Honeymoon Over?

Fresh from their second and full-sized honeymoon across the Atlantic, Kate and Robert Beckham are back into their routines and enjoying their lives. Resolving the cliffhanger from the previous book, Kate finds herself home alone and confronted by a jealous ex-lover of Robert's, police officer Chris Foss. The conversation between the two women is civil if not icy at first, but before long, Chris has Kate at gunpoint and is ready to kill her to win Robert back. Kate's future brother-in-law Kevin, also a police officer, is able to protect Kate from Chris' jealous rage, but Chris is wracked with grief and ultimately ends her own life shortly afterwards. ... (read more)

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Discover Alaska

Aunt Phil’s Trunk: Volume Four is an exceptional account of Alaskan history. From a mere glance at the title, audiences unfamiliar with the preceding Aunt Phil’s Trunk volumes may think they’ve stumbled upon another dense history book to read. This could not be further from the truth. A collective effort between the authors, volume four is a treasure trove of pivotal moments in Alaskan history, illuminated by monumental photographs, detailed captions, and thoroughly enlightening insight, including stories of the individual’s that helped Alaska survive and eventually prosper economically. ... (read more)

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Improving Elections

Author and innovator in information technologies, John R. Patrick, has created this timely examination of voting/polling processes in America. It is no secret that voter participation here is perennially low compared to other countries, with many complaints among voters and non-voters alike about such issues as the reliability of current procedures, the cumbersome paper trail (or lack of it), and over all a mistrust of this system, both in terms of the machinery involved and the personnel who oversee it. ... (read more)

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The Kate and Robert Romp Continues

For Robert and Kate Beckham, the wedding is over and the honeymoon is about to begin. Fresh from their hurried matrimony in Las Vegas, the newlywed Beckhams head to San Diego for some alone time full of relaxation, sightseeing, and plenty of physical intimacy. Focused on her husband—the over-possessive, at times frighteningly intense, madly in love police officer Robert—Kate is interested only in showing her love and passion for her new husband. Pleasant times in San Diego are over in a matter of days, but Kate has her wedding reception followed by an extended honeymoon across the Atlantic to meet Robert's parents to look forward to. In the blink of an eye, the couple are off, and Kate falls in love with the natural beauty of Ireland. Also to her advantage, Robert's mother, family, and seemingly the entire village take a shine to her immediately, and she becomes a popular addition to the scenery, serving as a matchmaker to those around her stuck in unhappy relationships as she once was. ... (read more)

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St. Louis Survivors

Stories of hospitals, the doctors and nurses who inhabit them, plus the patients who wind up in their examining, operating, and emergency rooms, have long been a staple source for literature, films, and television. There is a deep well of drama to draw from in the circumstances that send people to these institutions, and there is also fertile ground to be ploughed in the emotions that can be masked, but never completely hidden behind uniforms, lab coats, and scrubs. When it comes to her examination of St. Louis City Hospital, Applewhite prescribes not only drama and emotion in large dosages, but also humor and humanity to be taken as needed. ... (read more)

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Laughs Abound

High finance, haute cuisine, and huge knockers abound in this salty satire that seeks to hoist wretched excess on its own petard. The sex is decidedly kinky, the pace is jet-fueled, and the penman piloting the plot is determined to never substitute a straightforward sentence for a wisecrack, gag, or pun. ... (read more)

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An Epic Thrill Ride

C.J. Cavanaugh is a well known private investigator. C.J. and his partner Renita Harris are hired by a mystery client to solve the murder of Clinton Windell, but they are not allowed to tell anyone about the case. Instead, they assume a false identity, a false job so to speak, to uncover the facts. Windell has not only been brutally murdered in his home, but also was robbed of his uncut gems worth twenty million dollars. Trying to remain anonymous, C.J. and Renita must become creative and think outside the box in order to solve the case. Michael Lane's story takes readers on a thrilling ride filled with excitement, mystery, and suspense. Mystery fans haven't read a story quite like this one. ... (read more)

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Frankie's Journey

It’s the 1990s, not the 1920s, yet echoes of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises linger in the white spaces of Klein’s beguiling novel. Instead of disillusioned youth reeling from the horror of World War I and finding solace in the cafes of Paris and the bullrings of Spain, Klein writes of the disaffected upwardly mobile seeking answers in the restaurants of La Jolla and the cantinas of Mexico. ... (read more)

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A Compassionate Solution

A fantasy picture book with a narrative geared to readers aged 5-9, The Shark and the Volcano is one of a series of adventures in which the "Green Kids" obtain super powers that permit them to confront and resolve environmental issues. ... (read more)

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Great Historical Fiction

Sandrine Legrand is no ordinary peasant. Although unaware of her past (which she discovers later in the story), Sandrine makes herself as inconspicuous as possible when Philippe, Count de Treffort-Salignac, and his troops lodge at her foster father's inn. Ironically, the two are drawn to each other. Philippe is surprised that Sandrine is both literate and quite knowledgeable on political affairs. Meeting secretly, the two confess their love for one to another. Sandrine is caught in the middle of ruthless wars between the Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots), especially when she is wrongfully accused of witchcraft. ... (read more)

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Epic Humor

An epic poem may seem a curious device to trace the rise of Bill and Hillary Clinton, ending with her imaginary inauguration as 45th president of the United States. Epic poems conjure Homer’s The Iliad and Dante’s The Divine Comedy, classics expressing deep thoughts and moral consciousness. Epic poems also tickle the mind and ravish the intellect, grant more freedom of imagination than prose, and exaggerate both virtue and vice in a way that teaches, pleases, persuades, stirs, and entertains. ... (read more)

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Facing Reality

A novel that crosses genres, with a portal into the odd, Glossolalia offers a glimpse into the psychological aspects of both Nancy, our heroine, and others, including her Uncle Geoff, as well as into the minds of those in the Agents of the Nevermind with their secret language of Enochian. Armed with her wits and abilities of confusing origin, Nancy is influenced by Geoff, who employs her and utilizes mind control, including unknown medications; Martha, an employee where she works who teaches her about sex and sensuality... (read more)

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Stunning Shorts

There’s more than one common denominator in this excellent compilation of short stories. Certainly exceptional writing is evident in each. Plus there is a collective sense of time and place across many different locales and environments. And as the very apt title implies, there is also a recurring theme of connectivity—the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual elements that bind individuals together, for good or for ill. ... (read more)

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The Priceless Nature of Creativity

She had watched her drunken father abuse her mother since she was a toddler. Although the violence in the household might have stopped after her father was killed in a car accident, the new normal for the now elementary student was becoming the caretaker for her mother who had been born with a hole in her heart. With no siblings to rely on nor readily available mentors she learned to cope with life's periodic problems such as fixing toilets or painting the apartment by herself. Her one outlet, her safe place, was her drawing, and as failure in her world could never be an option, she worked hard to excel in her craft. In the end, that creativity honed at an early age to razor sharpness would help shape her future. ... (read more)

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How We Eat

The Great American Food Fight is the most recent piece of literature addressing the American food industry and its affects on society. Its purpose, as Baldasare states, is to move "us [Americans] closer to the critical mass—that place where change will come. Its primary goal is to separate the objective science from the corporate spin and to shine some light on the food battles that we absolutely must win." Covering pertinent topics that range from food packaging, nutrition claims, additives, GMOs, sweeteners, and the truth behind gluten, Baldasare provides plenty of information for readers to ruminate on and so much more. ... (read more)

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Poems of Life

Whether in the midst of a stormy period of life or having recently passed through such a time, you will instantly relate to what the author means by being thrown into the Frazzle Machine. Beating multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, and other health issues, Mikus remains so much more than a survivor. Taking inspiration from her full life as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, she demonstrates how to overcome. ... (read more)

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A Classic Fantasy

A war between the kingdoms of Edge and Faires that has lasted generations finally results in decades of firm but tenuous peace. However, peace comes after a battle claims the home and wife of an old wizard who immediately gets revenge by casting a curse that affects the bloodlines of both of kingdoms. Prince Aaren, the only heir of Edge, is born with the unusual ability to start fires when he becomes angry, summoning a blue aura that engulfs the object of his ire. Princess Sare, the third princess of Faires, grows uncontrollably hot and catches fire without warning, leaving her badly scarred and fearful for her own safety. A third, unrelated child, twisted by his dysfunctional family and a curious discovery in a forest cave, rises up to command the forces of darkness and embroil the land in war once more. ... (read more)

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Secrets

Amber decides to take a hiatus from her life and the difficult changes that have happened. Leaving Denver for a vacation, she struggles to let go of her type A personality. Suffering the recent loss of her job due to downsizing and the abrupt breakup with her partner, she rents a cabin in a small town as the owners went on their own vacation. They left their huge dog Brutus, in her care; a dog she comes to love. ... (read more)

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The Start of Modern Times

At six years of age, Emma Clarke has no idea that she is about to embark on an adventurous journey when her family leaves their wooded Ohio surroundings only to end up relocating from Kansas City to San Francisco before settling down in Seattle. Tragedy strikes when Emma loses her oldest sister to scarlet fever and then her mother a few years later. As a young adult, Emma takes a teaching position in the Seattle area. Although the commute from home is far, Emma compensates the distance by investing in a parcel of land via homesteading and has a small cabin built on it. Once again, Emma is totally unaware that her latest adventure will turn into a cherished haven when she meets and marries the love of her life, George Hazen Pratt. ... (read more)

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Seeking Higher Belief

A compilation of prose and poetry, this 159 page book is an easy, yet deep read. The spiritual essays offer insight into numerous thoughts and feelings that we encounter in our lifetimes. Covering a variety of topics with a focus on healing, compassion, and love, the author offers his spiritual and religious beliefs in a manner to guide the reader to becoming the highest self, the Divine Self, the cocreator with God, in an ever-expanding focus on the unity of life. At times, the works are of a panentheistic view with all-encompassing beliefs of the transcendent and the immanent. However, some of the writing focuses on a patriarchal God and Christ as the way of expanding the soul. ... (read more)

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The Figurehead Awakens

Lambert takes his readers on a journey that jumps between 1675 and 2015 and allows readers to experience life on the Atlantic through the characters and majestic ships. Building on Rise of the Legend, the sequel focuses on two themes: a centuries-old love story and vengeance. In the 1675 story line, Silas Pike, captain of the Avenger, is possessed by his desire to vanquish the demonic pirate, Jackal. Over three centuries later, the spirit dwelling in the recovered figurehead is awakened, building the suspense and helping the audience understand the fate of the main characters from the seventeenth century. ... (read more)

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The Real Hillary?

There is a puzzling lack of attention given to the role played by conflicts of interest in the corruption saga and especially with regard to the larger financial sector. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have both made promises to Americans in their campaign, whether to "make America great again" or "take on Wall Street." Given her associations and experience, Ramesh Arunachalam investigates as to whether Hillary Clinton, in particular, is capable of fulfilling her promise to bring down financial corruption by painting a factual and compelling case. Arunachalam's expertise in the financial sector clearly shows through his writing as he dissects the financial contributions to the Clinton campaign. ... (read more)

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Man Against

Bob Klayman is a “private investigator” on parole for both operating without a license and shooting a suspect with an unregistered gun. Desperate for work, an offer to work for a mobster operating out of Malibu for big money seems enticing. All he has to do is fly halfway across the world to the city of Odessa in Ukraine and smuggle a brief case containing a Rembrandt painting across the border into Prague. Ostensibly the purpose is to return the painting to the Jewish owners whom Goering stole the painting from. ... (read more)

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Heart Poetry

Mikus takes her two boomerang kids' independent-yet-dependent stage to poetry, offering raw and heart-warming insights to readers. She webs her own journey as a parent to theirs, creating a sense of closeness and intimacy with other mothers. The result is a book rich in reflective understanding of parenthood, and the normal, natural, and necessary process of kids' moving away from, and sometimes, moving back to their parents. ... (read more)

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Packs a Punch

Bruce Post writes like a seventeen year-old talks—which in this instance is pitch perfect because a teenage boy just happens to be the principle narrator of this nifty bit of noir. He also writes like a teenage girl and a disgusting child abuser—who both lend their perspectives to this story of kids not only on the run from murder and mayhem, but also from suffocating small town lives that threaten to stunt their psyches and turn their futures into a deadening replay of their parents' mistakes. ... (read more)

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The Monster Under the Bed

When you're sitting home alone after dark and you hear a noise coming from the window, are you sure it's just the wind? You won't be so sure after reading Mark Tullius's Twisted Reunion. Tullius presents a collection of over twenty-five short stories that will make your hair stand on end. Revised and perfected, each story tells a haunting tale at times imbued with supernatural elements, and always bursting with humanity. A bar only a select few can enter. A baby with an attitude problem. A mysterious disappearance. Nothing is as it seems, and every sound you hear might just be your last. ... (read more)

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Empowered Leadership

Coming from one leader to future leaders, O’Neill’s Next Generation Leaders is surprisingly simple to connect with. The material and premise of this book is, in the author’s words, “simple yet profound,” but not a groundbreaking revelation. Change, O’Neill states, is essential for an organization to prosper. Keeping this theme in mind, the reading and content is clearly comprehensible and downright entertaining. This is a book that belongs on the shelf of an aspiring or established leader in any industry. ... (read more)

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Poetry of Joy and Grief

In the academic arena, Garcia inspired her students with her passion and inspiration as an educator. It is with these same two attributes that she pours her heart into the pages of her poetry. Her compassion for all that life offers is felt through the juxtaposition of her sympathy for the human condition and her appreciation of nature's beauty. With her words, one feels encouraged, compelled to live a fuller, brighter life and yet softened as though one's pain and loss is finally understood. ... (read more)

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A Soldier's Sacrifice

John Small is an ordinary American boy growing up in Ohio, compelled by a "spirit of adventure" within him. That sense of adventure leads him at twenty years of age to a life-long career in the armed services. First enlisting in the Ohio National Guard, he joins in the search of the Mexican bandit, Pancho Villa, in 1917. But his biggest adventure, and not necessarily one he intended, comes under the looming threat of Germany, bringing John to the frontline of France and into the full scale horrors of World War I. ... (read more)

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