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Threshold of Consciousness by Joe Vojt
I suspect many people will identify with Clay Zerner, the protagonist of Joe Vojt's Threshold of Consciousness (Outskirts Press,
2008. Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at Outskirts Press. In many ways, Clay is a typical man in his forties. Ever since he
lost his wife, Renee, Clay's life seems to be happening in slow motion. He works an unexciting job as middle management in a
factory. Quality control issues and an increasingly shaky economy mean his job is not as secure as it once was.
Adding to the turmoil in his personal and professional lives, Clay is balancing three unsatisfactory relationships with the women
at the factory. Chealse Emark is gorgeous, attracted to Clay...and married. He's strongly attracted to Shara, but Shara's record of
bad relationships has driven her away from all men who aren't in the Bible. Then there's Bray Durek, who desperately wants to
be more than friends with Clay, if only her strong personality doesn't drive him away.
Clay's lonely life of tedium and confusion is relieved, occasionally, by Mother Nature. The changing seasons, birds in the air, and
walks on the beach comfort him for short periods of time. The outdoors becomes Clay's way of escaping the harsh demands of
reality. It is during one of these "breaks" that Clay meets Dawn, a young, sun-kissed artist who seems to be everything he's
looking for. But is Clay truly ready to move on from the love he had with Renee?
Threshold of Consciousness is, at heart, an old-fashioned romance, told from an ordinary guy's point of view. Clay Zerner is
likeable enough. He can be a bit of a male chauvinist, but the story is set in 1979, after all.
At times, the dialogue tends to be stilted and unnatural. Vojt's characters begin sentences with "I will...," when real human beings
would say "I'll," for example. Vojt is better at capturing what goes on inside Clay's mind than at what comes out of Clay's mouth.
Occasionally, passages about work at the factory go on too long.
Aside from some stiff dialogue and copy editing issues, though, the story of Clay Zerner is an enjoyable one. The ending is
unpredictable, with none of the cliches of a typical "romance novel." Threshold of Consciousness is a novel of emotional
suspense.
I suspect many people will identify with Clay Zerner, the protagonist of Joe Vojt's Threshold of Consciousness (Outskirts Press,
2008. Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at Outskirts Press. In many ways, Clay is a typical man in his forties. Ever since he
lost his wife, Renee, Clay's life seems to be happening in slow motion. He works an unexciting job as middle management in a
factory. Quality control issues and an increasingly shaky economy mean his job is not as secure as it once was.
Adding to the turmoil in his personal and professional lives, Clay is balancing three unsatisfactory relationships with the women
at the factory. Chealse Emark is gorgeous, attracted to Clay...and married. He's strongly attracted to Shara, but Shara's record of
bad relationships has driven her away from all men who aren't in the Bible. Then there's Bray Durek, who desperately wants to
be more than friends with Clay, if only her strong personality doesn't drive him away.
Clay's lonely life of tedium and confusion is relieved, occasionally, by Mother Nature. The changing seasons, birds in the air, and
walks on the beach comfort him for short periods of time. The outdoors becomes Clay's way of escaping the harsh demands of
reality. It is during one of these "breaks" that Clay meets Dawn, a young, sun-kissed artist who seems to be everything he's
looking for. But is Clay truly ready to move on from the love he had with Renee?
Threshold of Consciousness is, at heart, an old-fashioned romance, told from an ordinary guy's point of view. Clay Zerner is
likeable enough. He can be a bit of a male chauvinist, but the story is set in 1979, after all.
At times, the dialogue tends to be stilted and unnatural. Vojt's characters begin sentences with "I will...," when real human beings
would say "I'll," for example. Vojt is better at capturing what goes on inside Clay's mind than at what comes out of Clay's mouth.
Occasionally, passages about work at the factory go on too long.
Aside from some stiff dialogue and copy editing issues, though, the story of Clay Zerner is an enjoyable one. The ending is
unpredictable, with none of the cliches of a typical "romance novel." Threshold of Consciousness is a novel of emotional
suspense.
Managing Fibromyalgia by Pati Chandler
I have known at least one person with fibromyalgia, and I've seen the chaos it can wreak on the lives of the sufferer and those
around him or her. Until I read Managing Fibromyalgia: Getting to Know Your Aggravators by Pati Chandler (Treble Heart Books,
2008), I didn't really understand what fibromyalgia was, or how difficult it is to diagnose.
These facts are presented in Part I of Managing Fibromyalgia. Parts II and III list the many, many factors that are known or
suspected to aggravate fibromyalgia, and offer practical suggestions on what the sufferer can do to feel better. Although the book
is slim and can be read in a few sittings, the sheer amount of research that went into this volume makes it indispensable for
anyone who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Friends and family of those with fibromyalgia will also find the book
tremendously informative.
Besides all the research she's done on the topic, Pati Chandler knows of which she writes from personal experience. She was
diagnosed with fibromyalgia ten years ago. She shares the techniques that have worked in her life in the appendix to this book.
Her experience will be extremely helpful if you are dealing with this medical condition in your own life.
I have known at least one person with fibromyalgia, and I've seen the chaos it can wreak on the lives of the sufferer and those
around him or her. Until I read Managing Fibromyalgia: Getting to Know Your Aggravators by Pati Chandler (Treble Heart Books,
2008), I didn't really understand what fibromyalgia was, or how difficult it is to diagnose.
These facts are presented in Part I of Managing Fibromyalgia. Parts II and III list the many, many factors that are known or
suspected to aggravate fibromyalgia, and offer practical suggestions on what the sufferer can do to feel better. Although the book
is slim and can be read in a few sittings, the sheer amount of research that went into this volume makes it indispensable for
anyone who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Friends and family of those with fibromyalgia will also find the book
tremendously informative.
Besides all the research she's done on the topic, Pati Chandler knows of which she writes from personal experience. She was
diagnosed with fibromyalgia ten years ago. She shares the techniques that have worked in her life in the appendix to this book.
Her experience will be extremely helpful if you are dealing with this medical condition in your own life.
When Shadows Fell at Notre Dame by Peter K. Connolly
In last month's book review, I brought you Drink to the Lasses by my Saint Mary's College classmate Mary Beth Ellis. This month,
Notre Dame gets its turn in the literary spotlight. When Shadows Fell at Notre Dame ($14.95 from iUniverse) is the second novel
from journalist and Notre Dame alumnus Peter K. Connolly.
As the novel opens, 70-year-old Mark Haverty is having a heart attack. As he tries to decide what to do, he remembers the events
of fifty years ago, during his days at Notre Dame. "Try as I might," he says to himself, "I've never been able to blot out the images
of that night."
"That night," the reader will come to find out, was both terrifying and life-changing for young Mark. But before he has to face it, he
arrives on campus as a naive freshman from New York state. Mark must cope with the academic and religious rigors of Notre
Dame, back in the days when the university was exclusively male and attending church services was not optional. Mark's grades,
and his party-hearty roommates, are his biggest concern before a routine journalism assignment leads him to a worldly South
Bend librarian named Barb. Barb holds the key to a mystery dating back to Notre Dame's founding.
Clearly, Connolly did extensive research into Notre Dame history to write this novel, lending his fiction an almost
documentary-like feel. Familiar details about South Bend, such as the Polish-speaking priests of St. Casimir's, are also
sprinkled liberally through the book.
So are clever literary references. Edgar Allan Poe's "To Helen" will never be the same again. For me, the icing on the cake came
at the beginning of chapter two. Mark finds out that his room number in Breen-Phillips Hall is 451, and thinks immediately of Ray
Bradbury's story "The Fireman" (later to become Ray Bradbury's classic novel, Fahrenheit 451). A novelist who loves Notre Dame,
knows South Bend (even if it is the South Bend of a bygone era) and reads the American classics is bound to tell a good story.
When Shadows Fell at Notre Dame is certainly that.
In last month's book review, I brought you Drink to the Lasses by my Saint Mary's College classmate Mary Beth Ellis. This month,
Notre Dame gets its turn in the literary spotlight. When Shadows Fell at Notre Dame ($14.95 from iUniverse) is the second novel
from journalist and Notre Dame alumnus Peter K. Connolly.
As the novel opens, 70-year-old Mark Haverty is having a heart attack. As he tries to decide what to do, he remembers the events
of fifty years ago, during his days at Notre Dame. "Try as I might," he says to himself, "I've never been able to blot out the images
of that night."
"That night," the reader will come to find out, was both terrifying and life-changing for young Mark. But before he has to face it, he
arrives on campus as a naive freshman from New York state. Mark must cope with the academic and religious rigors of Notre
Dame, back in the days when the university was exclusively male and attending church services was not optional. Mark's grades,
and his party-hearty roommates, are his biggest concern before a routine journalism assignment leads him to a worldly South
Bend librarian named Barb. Barb holds the key to a mystery dating back to Notre Dame's founding.
Clearly, Connolly did extensive research into Notre Dame history to write this novel, lending his fiction an almost
documentary-like feel. Familiar details about South Bend, such as the Polish-speaking priests of St. Casimir's, are also
sprinkled liberally through the book.
So are clever literary references. Edgar Allan Poe's "To Helen" will never be the same again. For me, the icing on the cake came
at the beginning of chapter two. Mark finds out that his room number in Breen-Phillips Hall is 451, and thinks immediately of Ray
Bradbury's story "The Fireman" (later to become Ray Bradbury's classic novel, Fahrenheit 451). A novelist who loves Notre Dame,
knows South Bend (even if it is the South Bend of a bygone era) and reads the American classics is bound to tell a good story.
When Shadows Fell at Notre Dame is certainly that.
Drink to the Lasses by Mary Beth Ellis
Ah, St. Mary's College. The name conjures up myriad images of my school days, spent in academic splendor amongst the
tree-lined avenue, the goose-lined lake, and (in winter months, or late at night) the majestic underground steam tunnels. Those
steam tunnels have long since been sealed off forever from students. But readers can revisit the St. Mary's of a decade ago in
Mary Beth Ellis's book Drink to the Lasses: Notes From a Women's College Womb (Cold Tree Press, $10.95).
Make no mistake: Drink to the Lasses is no misty-eyed nostalgia. Neither is it a collection of spring break stories that would
horrify even the most hardened of college-student parents, nor a treatise on the relationship between St. Mary's and its famous
green-wearing "brother" school. The Leprechaun and his ilk do come up as Mary Beth narrates her personal tale of campus life
from freshman year to graduation. She does not shy away from describing her struggles with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,
but this is not a how-I overcame-my-disease story.
Instead, Drink to the Lasses is an unrelentingly funny read that skillfully combines all of the above. Mary Beth Ellis honed her
comedic skills in her years working on the St. Mary's/Notre Dame/Holy Cross newspaper The Observer. Since then, she's further
refined her humor with her blog BlondeChampagne.com. In Drink to the Lasses she focuses her comedy beam on subjects
such as going to dances with various blind dates, the dangers of room selection, and the dissection of a fetal pig.
Current and former SMC Chicks and Domers will enjoy this book, as will their parents, and members of the extended St. Mary's
and Notre Dame family. So will anyone who's about to go off to college for the first time; read this book and be warned. Drink to
the Lasses is also recommended for anyone who wants to laugh along with a witty peek into the lives of college women.
Ah, St. Mary's College. The name conjures up myriad images of my school days, spent in academic splendor amongst the
tree-lined avenue, the goose-lined lake, and (in winter months, or late at night) the majestic underground steam tunnels. Those
steam tunnels have long since been sealed off forever from students. But readers can revisit the St. Mary's of a decade ago in
Mary Beth Ellis's book Drink to the Lasses: Notes From a Women's College Womb (Cold Tree Press, $10.95).
Make no mistake: Drink to the Lasses is no misty-eyed nostalgia. Neither is it a collection of spring break stories that would
horrify even the most hardened of college-student parents, nor a treatise on the relationship between St. Mary's and its famous
green-wearing "brother" school. The Leprechaun and his ilk do come up as Mary Beth narrates her personal tale of campus life
from freshman year to graduation. She does not shy away from describing her struggles with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,
but this is not a how-I overcame-my-disease story.
Instead, Drink to the Lasses is an unrelentingly funny read that skillfully combines all of the above. Mary Beth Ellis honed her
comedic skills in her years working on the St. Mary's/Notre Dame/Holy Cross newspaper The Observer. Since then, she's further
refined her humor with her blog BlondeChampagne.com. In Drink to the Lasses she focuses her comedy beam on subjects
such as going to dances with various blind dates, the dangers of room selection, and the dissection of a fetal pig.
Current and former SMC Chicks and Domers will enjoy this book, as will their parents, and members of the extended St. Mary's
and Notre Dame family. So will anyone who's about to go off to college for the first time; read this book and be warned. Drink to
the Lasses is also recommended for anyone who wants to laugh along with a witty peek into the lives of college women.
Misconceptions by Naomi Wolf
I recently finished reading Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood by Naomi Wolf, the
author of the 1990s bestseller The Beauty Myth. This book was infuriating. It made me so angry at the American hospital
system of giving birth (and I don't even have any kids)!
Wolf names nine myths that women and their partners believe about giving birth. None of these things (she claims) are true, yet
they are so deeply ingrained in the medical system, and many women believe them (this list can be found beginning on page
153):
1. Giving birth in the hospital is safest.
2. You will be hooked to a fetal monitor, which is for the baby's good. (Actually, it just protects doctors from lawsuits!)
3. The normal birth position (flat on your back) is conducive to labor and delivery.
4. The "Friedman Curve" (a woman should dilate 1.2 cm for every hour of labor) determines a safe amount of time for labor.
5. Your doctor and hospital staff will offer adequate emotional support.
6. Epidurals are necessary.
7. An episiotomy should be part of your standard of care.
8. You may well require an "emergency" cesarean. (Actually, this is one of the most commonly performed UNNECESSARY
surgeries! And it's so traumatic to your body!)
9. You will be treated according to your medical needs, not your race and class.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is about to have a first baby. All the happy, comforting talk you read in baby books--
forget it! Naomi Wolf has me convinced that giving birth is just like going into battle. And if you're planning on doing it in the
hospital, prepare for a war on the medical establishment if you want to have ANY say or control in one of the most important
moments of your life.
I recently finished reading Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood by Naomi Wolf, the
author of the 1990s bestseller The Beauty Myth. This book was infuriating. It made me so angry at the American hospital
system of giving birth (and I don't even have any kids)!
Wolf names nine myths that women and their partners believe about giving birth. None of these things (she claims) are true, yet
they are so deeply ingrained in the medical system, and many women believe them (this list can be found beginning on page
153):
1. Giving birth in the hospital is safest.
2. You will be hooked to a fetal monitor, which is for the baby's good. (Actually, it just protects doctors from lawsuits!)
3. The normal birth position (flat on your back) is conducive to labor and delivery.
4. The "Friedman Curve" (a woman should dilate 1.2 cm for every hour of labor) determines a safe amount of time for labor.
5. Your doctor and hospital staff will offer adequate emotional support.
6. Epidurals are necessary.
7. An episiotomy should be part of your standard of care.
8. You may well require an "emergency" cesarean. (Actually, this is one of the most commonly performed UNNECESSARY
surgeries! And it's so traumatic to your body!)
9. You will be treated according to your medical needs, not your race and class.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is about to have a first baby. All the happy, comforting talk you read in baby books--
forget it! Naomi Wolf has me convinced that giving birth is just like going into battle. And if you're planning on doing it in the
hospital, prepare for a war on the medical establishment if you want to have ANY say or control in one of the most important
moments of your life.
Inside Realms by A. F. Stewart
If you love fantasy fiction, but lack the attention span to read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, then A. F. Stewart's Inside Realms
is the perfect book for you. There are seven tales in this thin volume, none of which go much beyond 10 pages. Like perfect
snacks, they satisfy without overwhelming. They also provide a handy introduction to Stewart's fantasy realms.
The first three stories ("Song Rise," "Advent," and "Kinsharra") take place in the universe of Stewart's novel Song of the Sea and
Wind. The characters in these stories practice an intriguing and unique form of magic, the magic of song. Stewart's descriptions
in these chapters are vivid, lyrical, and startling. They'll make you long for a film version, though it would take an extraordinary
composer to imitate what Stewart accomplishes with words.
"Legendary Debts" and "Nimue" are Stewart's takes on Arthurian legend. Like Marion Zimmer Bradley in Mists of Avalon, Stewart
chooses to focus on the female characters in the legends. (A wise choice.) "Debts" is set in modern times, while "Nimue"
presents a unique take on the death of King Arthur. "Nimue" covers some difficult emotional ground, making for a tale that is
both heartbreaking and somehow comforting. I slightly preferred "Debts," though, perhaps because I'm a fan of the "ancient myth
transplanted into modern times" genre (as in Frank Beddor's Wonderland novels, or Anne Ursu's Cronus Chronicles series).
"The Elite of the Blood" changes directions once again, presenting us with a tale of modern vampires. What seems at first to be
a simple tale of hunter and hunted becomes something more complicated-- and bloody. This tale is not for the faint of heart.
The last entry in the book is more of a tidbit than a tale, a brief, tantalizing excerpt from Chronicles of the Undead. After reading it,
I will certainly look for Stewart's name again.
This book is available in both print and .pdf forms from lulu.com. I chose the .pdf form, and found that at 97 pages, Inside
Realms was ideally suited to the computer. It's brief enough to be read in a few sittings.
A. F. Stewart's website is http://www.afallon.bravehost.com/
If you love fantasy fiction, but lack the attention span to read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, then A. F. Stewart's Inside Realms
is the perfect book for you. There are seven tales in this thin volume, none of which go much beyond 10 pages. Like perfect
snacks, they satisfy without overwhelming. They also provide a handy introduction to Stewart's fantasy realms.
The first three stories ("Song Rise," "Advent," and "Kinsharra") take place in the universe of Stewart's novel Song of the Sea and
Wind. The characters in these stories practice an intriguing and unique form of magic, the magic of song. Stewart's descriptions
in these chapters are vivid, lyrical, and startling. They'll make you long for a film version, though it would take an extraordinary
composer to imitate what Stewart accomplishes with words.
"Legendary Debts" and "Nimue" are Stewart's takes on Arthurian legend. Like Marion Zimmer Bradley in Mists of Avalon, Stewart
chooses to focus on the female characters in the legends. (A wise choice.) "Debts" is set in modern times, while "Nimue"
presents a unique take on the death of King Arthur. "Nimue" covers some difficult emotional ground, making for a tale that is
both heartbreaking and somehow comforting. I slightly preferred "Debts," though, perhaps because I'm a fan of the "ancient myth
transplanted into modern times" genre (as in Frank Beddor's Wonderland novels, or Anne Ursu's Cronus Chronicles series).
"The Elite of the Blood" changes directions once again, presenting us with a tale of modern vampires. What seems at first to be
a simple tale of hunter and hunted becomes something more complicated-- and bloody. This tale is not for the faint of heart.
The last entry in the book is more of a tidbit than a tale, a brief, tantalizing excerpt from Chronicles of the Undead. After reading it,
I will certainly look for Stewart's name again.
This book is available in both print and .pdf forms from lulu.com. I chose the .pdf form, and found that at 97 pages, Inside
Realms was ideally suited to the computer. It's brief enough to be read in a few sittings.
A. F. Stewart's website is http://www.afallon.bravehost.com/
Manifest Infamy by Steve Golightly
Leesburg, Virginia: a small-town satellite of Washington, D. C. At first glance, the residents of Leesburg are typically
hard-working, down-to-earth folks. Underneath the surface, however, Leesburg is a hotbed of back-door dealings, intrigue,
hidden agendas, and paranoid delusions.
George Young, fresh out of the Navy, hopes to pursue a career in radio news when he arrives in Leesburg. He soon learns that
his new post at WIZZ involves seemingly endless hours of sitting through public hearings. After that, he can look forward to being
overworked and underpaid. Then, of course, there's his commute back to the hamlet of Frogtown, where he shares a house with
a mysterious cable repair man with nudist leanings.
Tune in to WIZZ AM 1200, and you'll find out all the secrets of the wacky residents of Leesburg and surrounding Loudoun County.
Who keeps sending George unsigned letters, accusing prominent citizens of crimes and misdemeanors? Will George ever get
anywhere with Rose, the beautiful newspaper reporter? And could George really be a super-secret CIA assassin in disguise?
Manifest Infamy by Steve Golightly is a laugh-out-loud funny novel about a nice guy trying to survive a job that would drive Edward
R. Murrow to drink. George may be bored and baffled by the town council, but the reader will look forward to each of George's
increasingly whacked-out assignments.
Manifest Infamy is published by PublishAmerica, and is available through both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Leesburg, Virginia: a small-town satellite of Washington, D. C. At first glance, the residents of Leesburg are typically
hard-working, down-to-earth folks. Underneath the surface, however, Leesburg is a hotbed of back-door dealings, intrigue,
hidden agendas, and paranoid delusions.
George Young, fresh out of the Navy, hopes to pursue a career in radio news when he arrives in Leesburg. He soon learns that
his new post at WIZZ involves seemingly endless hours of sitting through public hearings. After that, he can look forward to being
overworked and underpaid. Then, of course, there's his commute back to the hamlet of Frogtown, where he shares a house with
a mysterious cable repair man with nudist leanings.
Tune in to WIZZ AM 1200, and you'll find out all the secrets of the wacky residents of Leesburg and surrounding Loudoun County.
Who keeps sending George unsigned letters, accusing prominent citizens of crimes and misdemeanors? Will George ever get
anywhere with Rose, the beautiful newspaper reporter? And could George really be a super-secret CIA assassin in disguise?
Manifest Infamy by Steve Golightly is a laugh-out-loud funny novel about a nice guy trying to survive a job that would drive Edward
R. Murrow to drink. George may be bored and baffled by the town council, but the reader will look forward to each of George's
increasingly whacked-out assignments.
Manifest Infamy is published by PublishAmerica, and is available through both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
The Book of Flying by Keith Miller
Keith Miller's The Book of Flying, a fantasy novel for grown-ups, is a magical experience. To say that the language in which the
story is told is "poetic" would be an understatement. The language in this novel is alive. The best way for me to illustrate this is
to briefly quote a few passages:
"Dreams are the soul of the imagination, the slender and evasive revenants of the shells we erect as our dwellings. We build
our shells from the sand of our ground bones, mortared with our very blood, and we imagine we fence the dreams away but we
only fence them in." (Page 88)
"Conversations in the flesh are the first drafts toward the later conversations of the mind, where words and ideas are sorted and
elaborated, recast." (119)
"They dragged from fecund and roiling brains long daggers of sentences, brandishing them like challenges, or flung out single
words more precious, more enduring than jewels, scattering them across the floor." (143)
The Book of Flying is a book that loves books, loves words, loves poetry, loves dreams. It is the story of Pico, the librarian in a
city by the sea where people don't read his books. He loves Sisi, a young woman with wings. She is enamoured of Pico's
poems, but though Pico's parents were winged, he was born wingless, and Sisi cannot love a man who can't fly over the sea with
her at dusk.
Pico hears of a book that will teach him how to get wings, and goes off in search of it. His journey is an epic. He meets
outrageous characters, including a robber queen, a minotaur, and a rabbit who catalogues the forest. In the end, he finds The
Book of Flying-- his own story, and the very book you are reading.
The most beautiful chapter is the one titled "The City in the Mountains." In it, Pico's heart opens to an unlikely group of people,
and we travel with the ups and downs of his heart. The stories in this chapter are exquisite. The following chapter, "The Dark
Castle," has a character who is a cannibal. Miller's writing ekes a terrible beauty from even this grim subject matter.
At its heart, though, The Book of Flying is a book of love, and you will fall in love with it.
Keith Miller's The Book of Flying, a fantasy novel for grown-ups, is a magical experience. To say that the language in which the
story is told is "poetic" would be an understatement. The language in this novel is alive. The best way for me to illustrate this is
to briefly quote a few passages:
"Dreams are the soul of the imagination, the slender and evasive revenants of the shells we erect as our dwellings. We build
our shells from the sand of our ground bones, mortared with our very blood, and we imagine we fence the dreams away but we
only fence them in." (Page 88)
"Conversations in the flesh are the first drafts toward the later conversations of the mind, where words and ideas are sorted and
elaborated, recast." (119)
"They dragged from fecund and roiling brains long daggers of sentences, brandishing them like challenges, or flung out single
words more precious, more enduring than jewels, scattering them across the floor." (143)
The Book of Flying is a book that loves books, loves words, loves poetry, loves dreams. It is the story of Pico, the librarian in a
city by the sea where people don't read his books. He loves Sisi, a young woman with wings. She is enamoured of Pico's
poems, but though Pico's parents were winged, he was born wingless, and Sisi cannot love a man who can't fly over the sea with
her at dusk.
Pico hears of a book that will teach him how to get wings, and goes off in search of it. His journey is an epic. He meets
outrageous characters, including a robber queen, a minotaur, and a rabbit who catalogues the forest. In the end, he finds The
Book of Flying-- his own story, and the very book you are reading.
The most beautiful chapter is the one titled "The City in the Mountains." In it, Pico's heart opens to an unlikely group of people,
and we travel with the ups and downs of his heart. The stories in this chapter are exquisite. The following chapter, "The Dark
Castle," has a character who is a cannibal. Miller's writing ekes a terrible beauty from even this grim subject matter.
At its heart, though, The Book of Flying is a book of love, and you will fall in love with it.
Loving the Undead, edited by Katherine Sanger
Ever wonder what would happen if someone crossed Sex and the City with Night of the Living Dead? In "An Acquired Taste," by
Mark Henry, undead glamour girl Amanda dishes over lattes about her tryst with her therapist between meals of human flesh.
You'll find this, and twenty-three other tales of dating from beyond the grave, in Loving the Undead: An Anthology of Romance
(Sort Of), edited by Katherine Sanger (From the Asylum Press and Books, 2007, $13.95).
Brain-eating zombies feature heavily in these tales. In the opener, "The Smell of Love" by Jessica E. Kaiser, Vanessa is unnerved
by her new zombie boyfriend's habit of smelling her brains through her head . . . and oddly jealous when she catches him
sniffing a friend's head. Other zombie tales range from the comic to the gory. J. G. Faherty's "Home on the Range" is by far the
most stomach-turning entry; the easily grossed-out may want to skip past it. There is even one surprisingly tender zombie tale,
"Making the Perfect Man," by Linda L. Donahue. It pays special respect to Haitian "voodoo" legends, to a poignant effect.
Vampires, werewolves and ghosts also find love in these pages. Two of the ghost stories especially stand out. One of them,
Leslie Brown's "The Sheik and I," has its heroine Yardley winning a re-animated dead soul as an "Employee of the Month" prize.
She chooses Rudolph Valentino, but life with the legendary lover doesn't turn out quite like she planned it. "Fostering" by K. G.
Kofmel is a sweet tale, in which Diane's husband's ghost helps her find a new purpose in life.
Just as the subtitle An Anthology of Romance (Sort Of) implies, the romance in these stories often takes a back seat to the
humor, or the horror. It works for this anthology. After all, that's the way love is: sometimes beautiful, sometimes funny, and
sometimes downright scary. You'll probably recognize the feelings, even if your lover's insides aren't slowly being eaten away by
maggots.
Ever wonder what would happen if someone crossed Sex and the City with Night of the Living Dead? In "An Acquired Taste," by
Mark Henry, undead glamour girl Amanda dishes over lattes about her tryst with her therapist between meals of human flesh.
You'll find this, and twenty-three other tales of dating from beyond the grave, in Loving the Undead: An Anthology of Romance
(Sort Of), edited by Katherine Sanger (From the Asylum Press and Books, 2007, $13.95).
Brain-eating zombies feature heavily in these tales. In the opener, "The Smell of Love" by Jessica E. Kaiser, Vanessa is unnerved
by her new zombie boyfriend's habit of smelling her brains through her head . . . and oddly jealous when she catches him
sniffing a friend's head. Other zombie tales range from the comic to the gory. J. G. Faherty's "Home on the Range" is by far the
most stomach-turning entry; the easily grossed-out may want to skip past it. There is even one surprisingly tender zombie tale,
"Making the Perfect Man," by Linda L. Donahue. It pays special respect to Haitian "voodoo" legends, to a poignant effect.
Vampires, werewolves and ghosts also find love in these pages. Two of the ghost stories especially stand out. One of them,
Leslie Brown's "The Sheik and I," has its heroine Yardley winning a re-animated dead soul as an "Employee of the Month" prize.
She chooses Rudolph Valentino, but life with the legendary lover doesn't turn out quite like she planned it. "Fostering" by K. G.
Kofmel is a sweet tale, in which Diane's husband's ghost helps her find a new purpose in life.
Just as the subtitle An Anthology of Romance (Sort Of) implies, the romance in these stories often takes a back seat to the
humor, or the horror. It works for this anthology. After all, that's the way love is: sometimes beautiful, sometimes funny, and
sometimes downright scary. You'll probably recognize the feelings, even if your lover's insides aren't slowly being eaten away by
maggots.
| Book Reviews by Erin E. Schmidt |
Read more of my reviews here |
GoneAway Into the Land by Jeffrey B. Allen
Remember, in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, when Willy Wonka took the children and their guardians for a
ride in a boat? Remember how the boat ride suddenly because dark and sinister, and you sensed there was something seriously
evil afoot in the chocolate factory? Keep that boat ride in mind, and you’ll have some idea of where GoneAway Into the Land (2008,
Wandering Sage Publications) is going to take you.
“His name was Danny Greber, Daniel Johannes Greber, but I named him the beast.” From its opening line, GoneAway crackles
with danger. Author Jeffrey Allen creates a vivid, animated world in which trains breathe and an attic full of discarded housewares
plots its revenge. Clearly, Allen has a poet’s eye. His young hero, thirteen-year-old John, has a poet-warrior’s heart. Imagine Harry
Potter if, instead of the slightly unpleasant Dursleys, Harry had been raised by a full-grown mountain troll.
John’s beast of a father is unpredictable and dangerous. He takes the story book villain to a whole new level of greed and
ignorance.
“The beast” finally goes too far when he disappears, taking John’s little sister, Marny, with him. The search for Marny leads John
and his mother, Ellie, in the Land, a place they couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams. (Think of Candyland crossed with
Gregory Maguire’s vision of Oz and you’ll have something of an idea.) Allen skillfully combines the everyday world with the fantastic,
a seemingly seamless combination which reminds the reader of the very best of fantasy novels. Yet, GoneAway never imitates the
style of other fantasies. It remains fresh and surprising, giving the reader little thrills of recognition but never descending into fairy
tale cliches.
A note at the end of the book promises the GoneAway series will continue in a second book. The GoneAway series promises to
be a fascinating one, as the first book ends on notes of hope, but also of missed opportunity. It will be rewarding to see how the
series develops.
GoneAway Into the Land is a highly satisfying reading fix for older children. It will not disappoint adult fans of fantasy, either.
Readers who enjoyed Keith Miller’s The Book of Flying and other fairy tales for grown-ups will also appreciate GoneAway.
For more information, please visit Jeffrey B. Allen's website.
Remember, in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, when Willy Wonka took the children and their guardians for a
ride in a boat? Remember how the boat ride suddenly because dark and sinister, and you sensed there was something seriously
evil afoot in the chocolate factory? Keep that boat ride in mind, and you’ll have some idea of where GoneAway Into the Land (2008,
Wandering Sage Publications) is going to take you.
“His name was Danny Greber, Daniel Johannes Greber, but I named him the beast.” From its opening line, GoneAway crackles
with danger. Author Jeffrey Allen creates a vivid, animated world in which trains breathe and an attic full of discarded housewares
plots its revenge. Clearly, Allen has a poet’s eye. His young hero, thirteen-year-old John, has a poet-warrior’s heart. Imagine Harry
Potter if, instead of the slightly unpleasant Dursleys, Harry had been raised by a full-grown mountain troll.
John’s beast of a father is unpredictable and dangerous. He takes the story book villain to a whole new level of greed and
ignorance.
“The beast” finally goes too far when he disappears, taking John’s little sister, Marny, with him. The search for Marny leads John
and his mother, Ellie, in the Land, a place they couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams. (Think of Candyland crossed with
Gregory Maguire’s vision of Oz and you’ll have something of an idea.) Allen skillfully combines the everyday world with the fantastic,
a seemingly seamless combination which reminds the reader of the very best of fantasy novels. Yet, GoneAway never imitates the
style of other fantasies. It remains fresh and surprising, giving the reader little thrills of recognition but never descending into fairy
tale cliches.
A note at the end of the book promises the GoneAway series will continue in a second book. The GoneAway series promises to
be a fascinating one, as the first book ends on notes of hope, but also of missed opportunity. It will be rewarding to see how the
series develops.
GoneAway Into the Land is a highly satisfying reading fix for older children. It will not disappoint adult fans of fantasy, either.
Readers who enjoyed Keith Miller’s The Book of Flying and other fairy tales for grown-ups will also appreciate GoneAway.
For more information, please visit Jeffrey B. Allen's website.
A Life In Poetry by Guy Arneson
Guy Arneson is being perfectly honest when he titles his collection of poems A Life in Poetry (Xlibris, 2009). The speaker in these
poems lays bare the life of a man who's fallen deeply in love, only to have that love betrayed. In the depths of his despair, he turned
to God for comfort. All the while he prayed God would send him an angel, a woman he could respect and who would not repeat the
tragedy of his heartbreak.
The poems which address this tale of loss and redemption dominate the collection, and range in emotional tone from blissful to
sad to bitter. The best of these are the blissful poems, such as the eloquent ode "You Are Woman" and the earthy "My Baby Back."
"My Baby Back" is an exploration on the themes of physical love and food, twin pleasures in a sensual feast. Like a good country or
blues song, "My Baby Back" is not too self-conscious to get silly:
"And if you asked
what I like the most
"I'd have to say
Your juicy rump roast"
The most amusing poem in this series may be "Stuck on Stupid," in which he admits he and his new love may be rather dim, but
he doesn't mind, because she is sexy and he's fallen in love with her. But if you're looking for a poem to recite at a wedding or on
another romantic occasion, you can't go wrong with the collection's opening verse, "My Heart," or the lovely, chant-like "To Be One."
The poems' love-struck speaker turns to God at other times, too, as when he feels frustrated at the amount of hate and
misunderstanding in the world. Poems such as "Smoke and Mirror Alibi," "A Child Cried," and "Cosmic Father" touch on current
events, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and express the speaker's love for his fellow human beings over all religious
and political differences.
Other religious imagery in this collection is more traditional. There are some poems of praise, but Arenson's creativity as a
storyteller comes through best when he puts a Biblical story into his own words. There are three such poems in this collection
("Apocalyte," "The Creation," and "A Child Is Born"), and they stand among his best.
Along with a love of God, the poems express a love of nature and a concern for the environment. Primarily, though, they focus on
the loving bond between man and God and the complex, sometimes painful relationship between man and woman. Although
some of Arenson's rhymed poetry has a tendency toward the obvious, A Life in Poetry will appeal to both lovers of Christian poetry
and lovers of love poetry.
Guy Arneson is being perfectly honest when he titles his collection of poems A Life in Poetry (Xlibris, 2009). The speaker in these
poems lays bare the life of a man who's fallen deeply in love, only to have that love betrayed. In the depths of his despair, he turned
to God for comfort. All the while he prayed God would send him an angel, a woman he could respect and who would not repeat the
tragedy of his heartbreak.
The poems which address this tale of loss and redemption dominate the collection, and range in emotional tone from blissful to
sad to bitter. The best of these are the blissful poems, such as the eloquent ode "You Are Woman" and the earthy "My Baby Back."
"My Baby Back" is an exploration on the themes of physical love and food, twin pleasures in a sensual feast. Like a good country or
blues song, "My Baby Back" is not too self-conscious to get silly:
"And if you asked
what I like the most
"I'd have to say
Your juicy rump roast"
The most amusing poem in this series may be "Stuck on Stupid," in which he admits he and his new love may be rather dim, but
he doesn't mind, because she is sexy and he's fallen in love with her. But if you're looking for a poem to recite at a wedding or on
another romantic occasion, you can't go wrong with the collection's opening verse, "My Heart," or the lovely, chant-like "To Be One."
The poems' love-struck speaker turns to God at other times, too, as when he feels frustrated at the amount of hate and
misunderstanding in the world. Poems such as "Smoke and Mirror Alibi," "A Child Cried," and "Cosmic Father" touch on current
events, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and express the speaker's love for his fellow human beings over all religious
and political differences.
Other religious imagery in this collection is more traditional. There are some poems of praise, but Arenson's creativity as a
storyteller comes through best when he puts a Biblical story into his own words. There are three such poems in this collection
("Apocalyte," "The Creation," and "A Child Is Born"), and they stand among his best.
Along with a love of God, the poems express a love of nature and a concern for the environment. Primarily, though, they focus on
the loving bond between man and God and the complex, sometimes painful relationship between man and woman. Although
some of Arenson's rhymed poetry has a tendency toward the obvious, A Life in Poetry will appeal to both lovers of Christian poetry
and lovers of love poetry.
