Sale Day at C-Mart
by Joe Basara
(5/5 stars)
The best way to describe this book might be to say it's the absurdist class struggle of "Catch-22" fused with the retail comedy of the movie "Clerks." I found this combination to be very entertaining and a step up from his debut "Cypress Lake."
This story takes place in Cypress Lake, though it's set a few years later in the mid-80s. C-Mart is a big box chain store not unlike KMart and like KMart it has a hated rival known as T-Mart. The management of both stores have the brilliant idea of a Christmas in July sale. The book takes place during this sale day (hence the title) through the points of view of the store's employees.
The employees spend much of their time hopping around working (or trying to avoid working)to meet management's impossible demands. The Powers That Be in Atlanta decree to "spread 'em thin" to avoid paying too many salaries, which often leaves stock piled up and displays a shambles and frustrated customers going across the street. Three new employees are inserted into the chaos of C-Mart and things get off to a great start when their training person calls in sick because of a night of partying. Thus they're left to fend for themselves.
The customers become increasingly nutty, sometimes to an exceedingly surrealistic extent. There are a few times when the author problem should have toned it down, but for the most part it makes for an entertaining story as the employees struggle to meet management's crazy demands and the craziness of the customers. But it never manages to get as dark as a "Catch-22." In fact there's even a happy ending. Well, it is Christmas after all...or Christmas in July.
Basara's writing is as good or better than novels you would pay many times more for, which makes this a really good bargain for anyone who wants a well-written tale of absurdist humor. Or maybe if you work at a C-Mart type place and want a little catharsis.
That is all.
Here you will find all the reviews I've written for self-published and small-published books over the last four years, collected from Amazon and Goodreads
Showing posts with label Literary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Literary. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Carnival Papers
The Carnival Papers
by Patrick Dilloway
(5/5 Stars)
In every life there are those critical moments that leave their mark on us forever and shape the course of our lives. These are the moments that are contemplated in "The Carnival Papers," a collection of short stories focusing on a variety of characters facing life-altering situations.
The first story is "Learning to Fly," where a young girl fed up with small town life decides to set out on adventure. This adventure doesn't go quite as she plans when her car breaks down.
"Antiques" follows a similar pattern to "Learning to Fly," only in this a young girl in a small town uncovers her mother's dark secret.
"Far As You Can Go" focuses on a woman leaving her abusive husband who has to decide just what she's willing to do in order to escape.
In "Flight," a suburban man is trapped in the urban jungle and finds the most dangerous foe might just be himself.
"Walking Away" features a young man making the decision to leave home for the first time.
"Your Missed" (the title is a deliberate typo) deals with a young man in his first real job and first real relationship.
"Carnal Knowledge" focuses on an Internet loudmouth who leaves the virtual world to confront an author who tormented him in high school.
In "Tartarus" a man's idyllic XMas with his family is shattered by a dangerous foe.
"Coming Home" deals with a washed-up baseball player returning home and starting a new life.
Baseball is also at the center of "The Kryptonite Heart," in which a minor league baseball team, its mascot, and the mascot's son are all changed forever by a game to decide the championship.
In "Safe Harbor" a dying author seeks solace in the works he created.
"Spring in the Land of Broken Dreams" is another literary-themed adventure where a young man goes in search of his favorite author.
"The Carnival Papers" focuses on a young man and his brief affair with the "mermaid" of the visiting carnival.
In "Sunset Limited" nature photographer Frank Hemsky's life takes a dramatic turn on a train bound for home.
Frank Hemsky returns in "The Ridgemont Marathon," where a stop in rural Michigan prompts Frank to consider a change of life.
"Swimming Lessons" focuses on a deformed man's first meeting with the equally deformed father who abandoned him long ago.
In "Here I Am," folksinger Josh confronts writer's block and a new love.
Josh returns in "Folksinger's Blues," where he and his band meet the end of the road.
Finally, in "Meet Cute," a man's business trip to Toronto takes an unexpected turn and demonstrates that life isn't like the movies.
These stories are of varying length. Some feature sexual situations and bad language, though nothing too explicit.
That is all.
by Patrick Dilloway
(5/5 Stars)
In every life there are those critical moments that leave their mark on us forever and shape the course of our lives. These are the moments that are contemplated in "The Carnival Papers," a collection of short stories focusing on a variety of characters facing life-altering situations.
The first story is "Learning to Fly," where a young girl fed up with small town life decides to set out on adventure. This adventure doesn't go quite as she plans when her car breaks down.
"Antiques" follows a similar pattern to "Learning to Fly," only in this a young girl in a small town uncovers her mother's dark secret.
"Far As You Can Go" focuses on a woman leaving her abusive husband who has to decide just what she's willing to do in order to escape.
In "Flight," a suburban man is trapped in the urban jungle and finds the most dangerous foe might just be himself.
"Walking Away" features a young man making the decision to leave home for the first time.
"Your Missed" (the title is a deliberate typo) deals with a young man in his first real job and first real relationship.
"Carnal Knowledge" focuses on an Internet loudmouth who leaves the virtual world to confront an author who tormented him in high school.
In "Tartarus" a man's idyllic XMas with his family is shattered by a dangerous foe.
"Coming Home" deals with a washed-up baseball player returning home and starting a new life.
Baseball is also at the center of "The Kryptonite Heart," in which a minor league baseball team, its mascot, and the mascot's son are all changed forever by a game to decide the championship.
In "Safe Harbor" a dying author seeks solace in the works he created.
"Spring in the Land of Broken Dreams" is another literary-themed adventure where a young man goes in search of his favorite author.
"The Carnival Papers" focuses on a young man and his brief affair with the "mermaid" of the visiting carnival.
In "Sunset Limited" nature photographer Frank Hemsky's life takes a dramatic turn on a train bound for home.
Frank Hemsky returns in "The Ridgemont Marathon," where a stop in rural Michigan prompts Frank to consider a change of life.
"Swimming Lessons" focuses on a deformed man's first meeting with the equally deformed father who abandoned him long ago.
In "Here I Am," folksinger Josh confronts writer's block and a new love.
Josh returns in "Folksinger's Blues," where he and his band meet the end of the road.
Finally, in "Meet Cute," a man's business trip to Toronto takes an unexpected turn and demonstrates that life isn't like the movies.
These stories are of varying length. Some feature sexual situations and bad language, though nothing too explicit.
That is all.
Higher Power
Higher Power
by Claire Lachance
(4/5 Stars)
You could probably describe "Higher Power" as being like "Inception" only without all the gun battles and car chases and fight sequences ripped off from "The Matrix." And contrary to what the title might suggest there's nothing in there about religion.
The story focuses on a blind man name Max Caldwell. Like a lot of blind people, when Max lost his sight, his other senses became more acute. In his case he actually developed a new sense: Max can see into people's dreams. Not only can he see the dreams, he finds he can control them as well. Unfortunately he discovers this power at a young age and ends up turning it against his parents in a fit of childish angst that proves deadly.
After which Max ends up in a loony bin. But now that he's a grown man and hasn't had any problems in a good while, the state has decided he's "cured" and is turning him loose. Max still has to go to the hospital periodically to meet with a therapist helping him to reintegrate with society.
One day at the hospital, though, Max finds himself drawn into the dreams of a coma patient named Sarah. Though he's sworn to not use his power again, Max can't help himself when it seems like Sarah is about to die in her dream.
From there Max begins spending more and more time around Sarah, using his power to keep her safe. At first he does relatively simple things, but soon he decides the only way to make sure she's safe is to build a whole new world for her, a "perfect" world inside her mind. But how do you make a perfect world? And how long can the illusion really last?
You might think it's a little creepy that this guy is obsessing about a woman in a coma, but it's not like he's actually doing anything to her in real life. He's not fondling her or any of that. And he doesn't try to make her fall in love with him, at least not until she inadvertently sees him in the dream world. Like I said at the beginning, this isn't a violent action story. It's more of a romance between Max and Sarah. It's also kind of a superhero type story as Max learns with great power comes great responsibility.
Anyway, this is an enjoyable fairly light read. It won't have you questioning reality either and make you wonder whether the end was a dream or anything like that. So that's a plus.
That is all.
by Claire Lachance
(4/5 Stars)
You could probably describe "Higher Power" as being like "Inception" only without all the gun battles and car chases and fight sequences ripped off from "The Matrix." And contrary to what the title might suggest there's nothing in there about religion.
The story focuses on a blind man name Max Caldwell. Like a lot of blind people, when Max lost his sight, his other senses became more acute. In his case he actually developed a new sense: Max can see into people's dreams. Not only can he see the dreams, he finds he can control them as well. Unfortunately he discovers this power at a young age and ends up turning it against his parents in a fit of childish angst that proves deadly.
After which Max ends up in a loony bin. But now that he's a grown man and hasn't had any problems in a good while, the state has decided he's "cured" and is turning him loose. Max still has to go to the hospital periodically to meet with a therapist helping him to reintegrate with society.
One day at the hospital, though, Max finds himself drawn into the dreams of a coma patient named Sarah. Though he's sworn to not use his power again, Max can't help himself when it seems like Sarah is about to die in her dream.
From there Max begins spending more and more time around Sarah, using his power to keep her safe. At first he does relatively simple things, but soon he decides the only way to make sure she's safe is to build a whole new world for her, a "perfect" world inside her mind. But how do you make a perfect world? And how long can the illusion really last?
You might think it's a little creepy that this guy is obsessing about a woman in a coma, but it's not like he's actually doing anything to her in real life. He's not fondling her or any of that. And he doesn't try to make her fall in love with him, at least not until she inadvertently sees him in the dream world. Like I said at the beginning, this isn't a violent action story. It's more of a romance between Max and Sarah. It's also kind of a superhero type story as Max learns with great power comes great responsibility.
Anyway, this is an enjoyable fairly light read. It won't have you questioning reality either and make you wonder whether the end was a dream or anything like that. So that's a plus.
That is all.
The Changing Seasons
The Changing Seasons
by Paul L. Madden
(4/5 Stars)
A few months ago Michael Offutt wrote a review of my book Virgin Territory and called it depressing. Well, The Changing Seasons ups the ante on depressing by a factor of ten. Basically over four seasons the main character's life is completely destroyed.
The first chapter is kind of a James Joyce-ian chronicle of a typical day in the life of Floyd Jensen. It's really not a very interesting life as we see. Floyd goes from his apartment to the mail room of the local chemical conglomerate, where he spends his day mindlessly shuffling around the building to put envelopes in people's inboxes. Then he goes to school at the local university, where he's working on a degree in Literature that even he knows is worthless.
The next day then gets off to a terrible start. Floyd's doctor's appointment runs late, which prompts him to drive like a maniac to school to get there in time for an exam. Except of course he gets a speeding ticket, putting him even further behind. So when he finally gets to school he's running at full speed--right into a young woman. That's where his day--and his life--take a turn for the better.
The young woman is named Abby and despite that Floyd runs into her like a linebacker and hurts her ankle, she wants to see him again. So begins a very awkward courtship. Floyd and Abby are both shy and pretty clueless about dating. Plus they're both hiding a dark secret.
Despite finding perhaps true love, Floyd still has a lot of other problems in his life. His irresponsible brother Todd is getting married to an unpleasant girl named Angela, who is also carrying Todd's child. Floyd's father suffered a stroke about a year ago and his health is declining rapidly. And it turns out Abby's mother--an executive at the company where Floyd works--hates Floyd, seeing him as not good enough for her daughter.
From there things really begin to unravel for poor Floyd. It gets to the point where he contemplates suicide, but can't quite bring himself to do it. So yeah it gets pretty dark. It's definitely not something you want to read on the beach.
A couple of other little nitpicks. I couldn't help thinking Floyd is kind of a dick. Throughout the book he's constantly looking down on his older brother, as if his life is so much better. Come on dude, wake up and smell the coffee already! Abby is a little too perfect; I kind of doubted a girl like her could exist in real life. If she did, I'd love to get her phone number! And in terms of writing it really uses "and" too much. Every other sentence seems like "this and that" AND so forth. See what I'm doing there? It gets a little annoying if you notice it.
Still it's a good coming of age story, especially if you're in the mood for something a little darker.
That is all.
by Paul L. Madden
(4/5 Stars)
A few months ago Michael Offutt wrote a review of my book Virgin Territory and called it depressing. Well, The Changing Seasons ups the ante on depressing by a factor of ten. Basically over four seasons the main character's life is completely destroyed.
The first chapter is kind of a James Joyce-ian chronicle of a typical day in the life of Floyd Jensen. It's really not a very interesting life as we see. Floyd goes from his apartment to the mail room of the local chemical conglomerate, where he spends his day mindlessly shuffling around the building to put envelopes in people's inboxes. Then he goes to school at the local university, where he's working on a degree in Literature that even he knows is worthless.
The next day then gets off to a terrible start. Floyd's doctor's appointment runs late, which prompts him to drive like a maniac to school to get there in time for an exam. Except of course he gets a speeding ticket, putting him even further behind. So when he finally gets to school he's running at full speed--right into a young woman. That's where his day--and his life--take a turn for the better.
The young woman is named Abby and despite that Floyd runs into her like a linebacker and hurts her ankle, she wants to see him again. So begins a very awkward courtship. Floyd and Abby are both shy and pretty clueless about dating. Plus they're both hiding a dark secret.
Despite finding perhaps true love, Floyd still has a lot of other problems in his life. His irresponsible brother Todd is getting married to an unpleasant girl named Angela, who is also carrying Todd's child. Floyd's father suffered a stroke about a year ago and his health is declining rapidly. And it turns out Abby's mother--an executive at the company where Floyd works--hates Floyd, seeing him as not good enough for her daughter.
From there things really begin to unravel for poor Floyd. It gets to the point where he contemplates suicide, but can't quite bring himself to do it. So yeah it gets pretty dark. It's definitely not something you want to read on the beach.
A couple of other little nitpicks. I couldn't help thinking Floyd is kind of a dick. Throughout the book he's constantly looking down on his older brother, as if his life is so much better. Come on dude, wake up and smell the coffee already! Abby is a little too perfect; I kind of doubted a girl like her could exist in real life. If she did, I'd love to get her phone number! And in terms of writing it really uses "and" too much. Every other sentence seems like "this and that" AND so forth. See what I'm doing there? It gets a little annoying if you notice it.
Still it's a good coming of age story, especially if you're in the mood for something a little darker.
That is all.
War Angel
War Angel
by Rusty Carl
(4/5 Stars)
It's a good story about love and secrets in Germany during the last days of WWII. I figured out the twist early on with a little deduction based on the olfactory properties of a certain individual--how's that for clever? Anyway, I'd give it five stars but it needs some serious proofreading.
That is all.
by Rusty Carl
(4/5 Stars)
It's a good story about love and secrets in Germany during the last days of WWII. I figured out the twist early on with a little deduction based on the olfactory properties of a certain individual--how's that for clever? Anyway, I'd give it five stars but it needs some serious proofreading.
That is all.
Letters to Psyche
Letters to Psyche
by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
(5/5 stars)
A delightful short story that puts a fresh spin on Romeo and Juliet. It's also a good yarn about the nature of love and letting go of hate. The entire thing is written as a series of letters from Cupid to Psyche over the course of a few centuries as he tries to settle a blood feud between the Montagues and Capulets.
That is all.
by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
(5/5 stars)
A delightful short story that puts a fresh spin on Romeo and Juliet. It's also a good yarn about the nature of love and letting go of hate. The entire thing is written as a series of letters from Cupid to Psyche over the course of a few centuries as he tries to settle a blood feud between the Montagues and Capulets.
That is all.
Cypress Lake
Cypress Lake
by Joe Basara
(4/5 stars)
I had this book on my To Read list for a while on Goodreads thanks to Ethan Cooper's marvelous review. Finally I decimated the virtual To Be Read pile on my Kindle enough that I decided to buy this. In part because it's less than a dollar and most big publisher books are eight to twelve times that much. I can at least say I got my dollar's worth.
Since the author likes to reference old TV shows, I find it appropriate to reference an old TV show, in this case "Scrubs" which ended only a couple years ago, so it isn't that old. Like that show this book takes place largely in a hospital and features a twentysomething main character who likes to daydream a lot and lust after his coworkers. Only Basara's book is a lot less wacky and sadly does not feature anyone as hilariously grumpy as Dr. Cox.
Though since this book takes place in 1977 a M*A*S*H reference might have been more appropriate. Actually I think that's one series the author doesn't manage to directly reference in the book. Anyway, Owen Cloud moves back to his old stomping grounds in rural Florida to work as an orderly at a hospital. He almost right away falls head over heels for one of his coworkers, but eventually moves on to another and then to what I'd call the "consolation prize" girl, the one who's been there all along but only at the end does Owen realize is available. (This is incidentally a trope I've used a number of times. Like this book for example: Virgin Territory)
Along the way Owen spends a lot of time daydreaming and philosophizing. The almost constant bombardment of literary quotes and TV/song references from the 50s-70s become irritating after a little while. They give the narrative an ADHD feel, as if the author can't focus on one scene so he keeps jumping from one tangent to another.
If you look past those there's a well-written book about small town life, coming of age, and finding love. Since it's apparently a debut effort it's not bad. If a little more focus were devoted to developing the story and characters and less to quotes and references, it would have the gritty small-town feel of a Richard Russo novel like Empire Falls.
Still for a buck you can do a lot worse.
That is all.
Since the author likes to reference old TV shows, I find it appropriate to reference an old TV show, in this case "Scrubs" which ended only a couple years ago, so it isn't that old. Like that show this book takes place largely in a hospital and features a twentysomething main character who likes to daydream a lot and lust after his coworkers. Only Basara's book is a lot less wacky and sadly does not feature anyone as hilariously grumpy as Dr. Cox.
Though since this book takes place in 1977 a M*A*S*H reference might have been more appropriate. Actually I think that's one series the author doesn't manage to directly reference in the book. Anyway, Owen Cloud moves back to his old stomping grounds in rural Florida to work as an orderly at a hospital. He almost right away falls head over heels for one of his coworkers, but eventually moves on to another and then to what I'd call the "consolation prize" girl, the one who's been there all along but only at the end does Owen realize is available. (This is incidentally a trope I've used a number of times. Like this book for example: Virgin Territory)
Along the way Owen spends a lot of time daydreaming and philosophizing. The almost constant bombardment of literary quotes and TV/song references from the 50s-70s become irritating after a little while. They give the narrative an ADHD feel, as if the author can't focus on one scene so he keeps jumping from one tangent to another.
If you look past those there's a well-written book about small town life, coming of age, and finding love. Since it's apparently a debut effort it's not bad. If a little more focus were devoted to developing the story and characters and less to quotes and references, it would have the gritty small-town feel of a Richard Russo novel like Empire Falls.
Still for a buck you can do a lot worse.
That is all.
Up So Down
Up So Down
by Briane Pagel
(5/5 stars)
I remember when I read "Breathing Lessons" by Anne Tyler what impressed me was that while the story didn't have much of a PLOT--a couple is on their way to a funeral--the author captured the normalcy of their lives so brilliantly that I was never bored with it. That's something Briane Pagel does so well in his previous book "The After" and in his latest "Up So Down." While the book doesn't have much of a PLOT, the author does such a great job to create real characters that it's still a great read.
The story focuses on two siblings. Sarah is a nurse in Madison, Wisconsin, whose fiance Peyton drowned before they could get marry. Her brother Dylan, aka Bumpy, has recently moved to Las Vegas where he starts a shop to sell photographs of the Vegas scenery while he works on a pilot for a television series.
That's really all there is to it. The rest of the book is more or less getting to know these characters and their histories. The book is told in a seemingly random fashion that jumps around over the course of a year or so to add pieces to the great big jigsaw puzzle that is the story. Although at the end it feels like there are still a couple of pieces missing to the puzzle. Maybe that will get resolved in a sequel. I hope so.
That is all.
by Briane Pagel
(5/5 stars)
I remember when I read "Breathing Lessons" by Anne Tyler what impressed me was that while the story didn't have much of a PLOT--a couple is on their way to a funeral--the author captured the normalcy of their lives so brilliantly that I was never bored with it. That's something Briane Pagel does so well in his previous book "The After" and in his latest "Up So Down." While the book doesn't have much of a PLOT, the author does such a great job to create real characters that it's still a great read.
The story focuses on two siblings. Sarah is a nurse in Madison, Wisconsin, whose fiance Peyton drowned before they could get marry. Her brother Dylan, aka Bumpy, has recently moved to Las Vegas where he starts a shop to sell photographs of the Vegas scenery while he works on a pilot for a television series.
That's really all there is to it. The rest of the book is more or less getting to know these characters and their histories. The book is told in a seemingly random fashion that jumps around over the course of a year or so to add pieces to the great big jigsaw puzzle that is the story. Although at the end it feels like there are still a couple of pieces missing to the puzzle. Maybe that will get resolved in a sequel. I hope so.
That is all.
Trip at the Top
Trip at the Top
by Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
If there's one thing all of us humans have in common, it's that we all live with some amount of self-delusion. Have you ever gone out on a warm summer day and seen a 300-pound woman wearing a skimpy dress and wondered, "How could she possibly think that looks good?" Chances are she really does think that looks good on her, which is the kind of self-delusion I'm talking about.
Another such case is Julian Duff. Julian lives in Manhattan and runs a small publishing firm that creates business newsletters. Back in the 90s it was a thriving business, but with the rise of the Internet, Julian's company is hitting on hard times. He's already had to borrow money from the bank and his brother-in-law in order to keep the company afloat. Some of that money Julian has also used to finance a summer house, as well as sending his two kids to a fancy private school, supporting his wife's charitable arts projects, and investing with a movie producer in low budget films like "Zombalien."
But don't worry, on the day featured in "Trip at the Top," Julian has a surefire plan to fix all his problems. The first is to meet with the movie producer to get back his investment. Then he's going to meet with his old partner John Fund, from whom Julian bought the company when John began suffering from kidney trouble, in order to get John to reinvest on a limited basis. All of this will lead in to Julian's meeting with Pediment Press, a rival firm Julian hopes to acquire with a leveraged buyout. In between that there's a lunch appointment with his wife Darla to go over furnishings for their new kitchen with an unlimited budget.
As you might expect, things don't go so well in all these meetings. What soon becomes clear is that Julian is fooling himself. Through glimpses of other people around him, we see his wife is about the only other person Julian is fooling, and perhaps his sycophantic assistant Miri. Everyone from the movie producer, to John Fund, to Pediment Press, to Julian's accountant can see he's in big trouble.
Yet as his day unravels, Julian doesn't take it too hard. After all, each problem is only a minor setback. Success is just around the corner! If not this corner than perhaps the next one.
One of the things I appreciate is that Julian doesn't change. Self-delusion like Julian's is almost impossible to shake off, especially in one day. No matter how many times he gets kicked, Julian keeps dreaming the impossible dream. I imagine even when he's bankrupt and living on the street he'll continue to think success will be just around the next corner if only he plays it right.
As I've come to expect from reading all of Ethan Cooper's books, this novel is free of big soap opera-type twists someone like me would include. It's more of a character sketch of a man who like all of us keeps thinking his ship will come in.
That is all.
by Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
If there's one thing all of us humans have in common, it's that we all live with some amount of self-delusion. Have you ever gone out on a warm summer day and seen a 300-pound woman wearing a skimpy dress and wondered, "How could she possibly think that looks good?" Chances are she really does think that looks good on her, which is the kind of self-delusion I'm talking about.
Another such case is Julian Duff. Julian lives in Manhattan and runs a small publishing firm that creates business newsletters. Back in the 90s it was a thriving business, but with the rise of the Internet, Julian's company is hitting on hard times. He's already had to borrow money from the bank and his brother-in-law in order to keep the company afloat. Some of that money Julian has also used to finance a summer house, as well as sending his two kids to a fancy private school, supporting his wife's charitable arts projects, and investing with a movie producer in low budget films like "Zombalien."
But don't worry, on the day featured in "Trip at the Top," Julian has a surefire plan to fix all his problems. The first is to meet with the movie producer to get back his investment. Then he's going to meet with his old partner John Fund, from whom Julian bought the company when John began suffering from kidney trouble, in order to get John to reinvest on a limited basis. All of this will lead in to Julian's meeting with Pediment Press, a rival firm Julian hopes to acquire with a leveraged buyout. In between that there's a lunch appointment with his wife Darla to go over furnishings for their new kitchen with an unlimited budget.
As you might expect, things don't go so well in all these meetings. What soon becomes clear is that Julian is fooling himself. Through glimpses of other people around him, we see his wife is about the only other person Julian is fooling, and perhaps his sycophantic assistant Miri. Everyone from the movie producer, to John Fund, to Pediment Press, to Julian's accountant can see he's in big trouble.
Yet as his day unravels, Julian doesn't take it too hard. After all, each problem is only a minor setback. Success is just around the corner! If not this corner than perhaps the next one.
One of the things I appreciate is that Julian doesn't change. Self-delusion like Julian's is almost impossible to shake off, especially in one day. No matter how many times he gets kicked, Julian keeps dreaming the impossible dream. I imagine even when he's bankrupt and living on the street he'll continue to think success will be just around the next corner if only he plays it right.
As I've come to expect from reading all of Ethan Cooper's books, this novel is free of big soap opera-type twists someone like me would include. It's more of a character sketch of a man who like all of us keeps thinking his ship will come in.
That is all.
Virgin Territory
Virgin Territory
By Patrick Dilloway
4/5 stars
Grumpy Bulldog Note: I wrote this book. But I hadn't read it in years. Then someone mentioned a scene from it and I realized I didn't really remember it too well, so I thought I'd go back and reread it. Not having read it in so long I think I'm almost as objective as a regular reader.
This is what I would consider a Nicholas Sparks-type scenario. Gary Sinclair is sad and lonely in the little town of Dagger Lake, Michigan. One cold October night he's patrolling the beach to pick up the litter left by the summer tourists and finds something far more important washed up on shore: a naked body! It turns out to be a young woman who is alive. There's just one problem: she has no memory of who she is or where she came from or how she ended up by the lake.
Gary takes her to his house and since he looks kind of like his old girlfriend Andrea, that's the name he gives her. At first Gary tries not to get too involved with Andrea, but finds he can't help himself. The more time he spends with her, the more he loves her. And with all the kindness and tenderness he's shown her, she loves him too.
Some stories would end there, but "Virgin Territory" goes a step further. Five years later we pick up with Andrea and Gary trying to make a life together. But Andrea's desire to have a family starts to drive a wedge between them. Can their love survive?
As a somewhat objective reader, I like the first part better, where Gary and Andrea are falling in love. There are a few things I think are a little rushed, that I could have drawn out a little more. The finished product is less than 60,000 words so it's not like the story was too long.
The second part gets a little darker than your standard Nicholas Sparks story. Then there's a surprise twist. Maybe you can see it coming or maybe you can't. I think it makes for a satisfying conclusion, but you might think differently.
That is all.
By Patrick Dilloway
4/5 stars
Grumpy Bulldog Note: I wrote this book. But I hadn't read it in years. Then someone mentioned a scene from it and I realized I didn't really remember it too well, so I thought I'd go back and reread it. Not having read it in so long I think I'm almost as objective as a regular reader.
This is what I would consider a Nicholas Sparks-type scenario. Gary Sinclair is sad and lonely in the little town of Dagger Lake, Michigan. One cold October night he's patrolling the beach to pick up the litter left by the summer tourists and finds something far more important washed up on shore: a naked body! It turns out to be a young woman who is alive. There's just one problem: she has no memory of who she is or where she came from or how she ended up by the lake.
Gary takes her to his house and since he looks kind of like his old girlfriend Andrea, that's the name he gives her. At first Gary tries not to get too involved with Andrea, but finds he can't help himself. The more time he spends with her, the more he loves her. And with all the kindness and tenderness he's shown her, she loves him too.
Some stories would end there, but "Virgin Territory" goes a step further. Five years later we pick up with Andrea and Gary trying to make a life together. But Andrea's desire to have a family starts to drive a wedge between them. Can their love survive?
As a somewhat objective reader, I like the first part better, where Gary and Andrea are falling in love. There are a few things I think are a little rushed, that I could have drawn out a little more. The finished product is less than 60,000 words so it's not like the story was too long.
The second part gets a little darker than your standard Nicholas Sparks story. Then there's a surprise twist. Maybe you can see it coming or maybe you can't. I think it makes for a satisfying conclusion, but you might think differently.
That is all.
The After
The After
by Briane Pagel
(5/5 stars)
It's often said in writing that the details are everything. In this case I think the details were what drew me in. The way the author portrays the family as they're getting ready for their trip to Florida is just like how my family used to be: the mom (Saorise) is frantic while her husband Ansel is cooler about it and the kids--Stephanie, Austin, and Chuck--are squabbling and creating various nuisances, just like me and my three siblings. And then after the plane crashes (or does it?) and Saorise is back home, I loved how she figures out she's in the afterlife by the fact her kids are all getting along at dinner for once.
I also love the primary idea of the book that an afterlife where everything is perfect would really suck. A similar conceit was used in an old "Twilight Zone" episode where a criminal dies and goes to the afterlife, where he can have all the booze and babes he wants, plus always wins at poker and blackjack. Then he realizes that getting everything you want and winning all the time is really boring. (Then comes my favorite part where he tells the angel, "I want to go to the other place." And the angel tells him, "This is the other place!" Bwahahahahahaha!) If you haven't seen that then just think of the old Simpsons episode where Homer becomes head of the Stonecutters secret society and soon finds that getting what you want all the time is really boring.
So I love it when Saorise decides, "Screw this place, I want to go home!" Because you know how they say you couldn't know what good was without evil, by the same token you can't really appreciate the wonderful stuff in life without some of the drudgery. Since pretty much all of us here are writers, think of it this way: what if everything you wrote was hailed as genius? I mean not just a novel or poem, but even your shopping list? It would get really boring. What would be the point in trying to write anything if it would be praised no matter what you did?
By the same token, all the whining your kids do makes it more special when they make you a special gift for Mother's Day/Father's Day or snuggle up in your lap when you aren't feeling good. The struggles are often what make life rewarding and worth living. (Look what happens to people like Paris Hilton who've gotten whatever they've wanted their whole lives; they're just spoiled, worthless excuses for human beings.)
In my basic review of the After I compared it to The Lovely Bones, which was one of the last books I'd read (one of the only ones other than the Bible) dealing with the afterlife. No question to me that the After kicks The Lovely Bones's ass in terms of contemplating the afterlife. I mean the afterlife scenes in that book were so trite and saccharine. Oooh, my heaven is high school and my face is on all the fashion magazines and here's my dead grandpa and dead puppy...puh-lease. I got to the point where I just started flipping through those. Whereas in the After it's a more thoughtful look at what makes us happy. Maybe that is sitting around high school reading Teen People with your dead puppy. Chances are that would get pretty boring after a while. For a lot of us maybe that is just going through our daily lives, the good and bad of it. Maybe you don't need to climb Mt. Everest so much as just to go about your normal routine and at the end of the day have someone waiting for you to watch TV with.
The good thing about the After is that all this philosophical stuff is woven into a good mystery story. Saorise doesn't just sit there gazing at her navel; she goes out and explores the After (often unwittingly). There are a lot of questions raised like what is the After? can you leave? and why the hell is William Howard Taft (a former president in the 1910s in case you come from America's dreadful public school system and never learned that) following Saorise around?
So to summarize, the After is a remarkable book because it takes on big philosophical issues without falling back on lame cliches of clouds and people playing harps and whatnot while the attention to detail to the characters and settings help keep the story humming along. (And no one gets chopped into bits and shoved into a safe, which is always a bonus.)
That is all.
by Briane Pagel
(5/5 stars)
It's often said in writing that the details are everything. In this case I think the details were what drew me in. The way the author portrays the family as they're getting ready for their trip to Florida is just like how my family used to be: the mom (Saorise) is frantic while her husband Ansel is cooler about it and the kids--Stephanie, Austin, and Chuck--are squabbling and creating various nuisances, just like me and my three siblings. And then after the plane crashes (or does it?) and Saorise is back home, I loved how she figures out she's in the afterlife by the fact her kids are all getting along at dinner for once.
I also love the primary idea of the book that an afterlife where everything is perfect would really suck. A similar conceit was used in an old "Twilight Zone" episode where a criminal dies and goes to the afterlife, where he can have all the booze and babes he wants, plus always wins at poker and blackjack. Then he realizes that getting everything you want and winning all the time is really boring. (Then comes my favorite part where he tells the angel, "I want to go to the other place." And the angel tells him, "This is the other place!" Bwahahahahahaha!) If you haven't seen that then just think of the old Simpsons episode where Homer becomes head of the Stonecutters secret society and soon finds that getting what you want all the time is really boring.
So I love it when Saorise decides, "Screw this place, I want to go home!" Because you know how they say you couldn't know what good was without evil, by the same token you can't really appreciate the wonderful stuff in life without some of the drudgery. Since pretty much all of us here are writers, think of it this way: what if everything you wrote was hailed as genius? I mean not just a novel or poem, but even your shopping list? It would get really boring. What would be the point in trying to write anything if it would be praised no matter what you did?
By the same token, all the whining your kids do makes it more special when they make you a special gift for Mother's Day/Father's Day or snuggle up in your lap when you aren't feeling good. The struggles are often what make life rewarding and worth living. (Look what happens to people like Paris Hilton who've gotten whatever they've wanted their whole lives; they're just spoiled, worthless excuses for human beings.)
In my basic review of the After I compared it to The Lovely Bones, which was one of the last books I'd read (one of the only ones other than the Bible) dealing with the afterlife. No question to me that the After kicks The Lovely Bones's ass in terms of contemplating the afterlife. I mean the afterlife scenes in that book were so trite and saccharine. Oooh, my heaven is high school and my face is on all the fashion magazines and here's my dead grandpa and dead puppy...puh-lease. I got to the point where I just started flipping through those. Whereas in the After it's a more thoughtful look at what makes us happy. Maybe that is sitting around high school reading Teen People with your dead puppy. Chances are that would get pretty boring after a while. For a lot of us maybe that is just going through our daily lives, the good and bad of it. Maybe you don't need to climb Mt. Everest so much as just to go about your normal routine and at the end of the day have someone waiting for you to watch TV with.
The good thing about the After is that all this philosophical stuff is woven into a good mystery story. Saorise doesn't just sit there gazing at her navel; she goes out and explores the After (often unwittingly). There are a lot of questions raised like what is the After? can you leave? and why the hell is William Howard Taft (a former president in the 1910s in case you come from America's dreadful public school system and never learned that) following Saorise around?
So to summarize, the After is a remarkable book because it takes on big philosophical issues without falling back on lame cliches of clouds and people playing harps and whatnot while the attention to detail to the characters and settings help keep the story humming along. (And no one gets chopped into bits and shoved into a safe, which is always a bonus.)
That is all.
In Control
In Control
by Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
If I told you this book was about a bank facing financial ruin when the real estate bubble bursts, you'd probably think this book was set at the end of the 2000s. You'd probably never guess that the story takes place in the early 1990s in Minneapolis and that the book was published in 1999, nearly a full decade before some banks ceased to exist while others were deemed "too big to fail."
The story focuses on Limestone Bank in Minneapolis, which is run by the manipulative Harry Kramer. During a real estate boom, the Minneapolis skyline changed drastically as companies began building huge skyscrapers. There seemed like no problem at the time when Limestone gave a loan to Aldco to build another skyscraper for a large company. Then that company decides to back out of the deal, leaving Aldco building a tower with no tenant and Limestone with a huge loan that might end up defaulting.
Another CEO might have decided to bailout and take his golden parachute or whine to the government about needing a bailout. Not Harry Kramer. No, Harry is always in control of the situation. The book then follows how Harry manipulates events and people to wriggle free of the trap and avert financial disaster. At the same time, we also see into Harry's personal life with his amiable partnership to his wife Holly, strained relationship with schoolteacher son Harry, and far less strained relationship with his doctor daughter Elizabeth.
I was reminded a little bit of Philip Roth's "American Pastoral" that focused on a businessman, who beneath the gilded veneer of financial success faces personal turmoil. Harry's life isn't nearly so much disarray, but behind his success at the bank we can see that his marriage is passionless, his son a disappointment, and his protege Gordon Elliam a fraud. So maybe Harry isn't as in control of things as he likes to think.
In the end if you've ever wanted to see what makes these high-powered movers and shakers tick, "In Control" is a good start. Not to mention the sort-of-sequels "Smooth in Meetings" and "Tom's Job." They all provide a fascinating look beyond the headlines in the Wall Street Journal.
That is all.
by Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
If I told you this book was about a bank facing financial ruin when the real estate bubble bursts, you'd probably think this book was set at the end of the 2000s. You'd probably never guess that the story takes place in the early 1990s in Minneapolis and that the book was published in 1999, nearly a full decade before some banks ceased to exist while others were deemed "too big to fail."
The story focuses on Limestone Bank in Minneapolis, which is run by the manipulative Harry Kramer. During a real estate boom, the Minneapolis skyline changed drastically as companies began building huge skyscrapers. There seemed like no problem at the time when Limestone gave a loan to Aldco to build another skyscraper for a large company. Then that company decides to back out of the deal, leaving Aldco building a tower with no tenant and Limestone with a huge loan that might end up defaulting.
Another CEO might have decided to bailout and take his golden parachute or whine to the government about needing a bailout. Not Harry Kramer. No, Harry is always in control of the situation. The book then follows how Harry manipulates events and people to wriggle free of the trap and avert financial disaster. At the same time, we also see into Harry's personal life with his amiable partnership to his wife Holly, strained relationship with schoolteacher son Harry, and far less strained relationship with his doctor daughter Elizabeth.
I was reminded a little bit of Philip Roth's "American Pastoral" that focused on a businessman, who beneath the gilded veneer of financial success faces personal turmoil. Harry's life isn't nearly so much disarray, but behind his success at the bank we can see that his marriage is passionless, his son a disappointment, and his protege Gordon Elliam a fraud. So maybe Harry isn't as in control of things as he likes to think.
In the end if you've ever wanted to see what makes these high-powered movers and shakers tick, "In Control" is a good start. Not to mention the sort-of-sequels "Smooth in Meetings" and "Tom's Job." They all provide a fascinating look beyond the headlines in the Wall Street Journal.
That is all.
A Heart Lies Within Us
A Heart Lies Within Us
By Steven LeBree
(5/5 stars)
The life of Lucas Colby is never easy or simple. Shortly after the turn of the century, Lucas's parents travel from West Virginia to Ohio, where Lucas is born. His father spends most of his time drinking and working, so that Lucas is raised primarily by his religious mother. On Lucas's tenth birthday, his father is finally done in by the alcohol and a jealous rival. Years later, after Lucas is orphaned when his mother dies of cancer, Lucas takes revenge on his father's rival before hitting the rails.
After some time spent living as a hobo on the rails, Lucas finally winds up in New York City, where he becomes bartender/bouncer for a speakeasy run by a man named Charlie. It's there where Lucas's life takes dramatic turns as he takes up drinking like his father and eventually meets the love of his life.
There's just one problem as the love of his life happens to be in love with the spotlight. Though Lucas loves her as much as he can, he can't ever compete with her desire to be a famous. Heartbroken and alone, Lucas is saved by an old friend, becoming a journalist for a small paper, where his life takes another dramatic turn.
There are a few other dramatic turns in store for you, but I won't spoil those.
All these dramatic turns are what make the story a worthwhile and engaging read. I was fascinated by the Lucas character and couldn't wait to see what would happen next to him and if he could finally get his life in order. This makes the book a real page-turner.
While the story takes place largely from the 1910s to 1940s the subject of finding your one true love and holding onto it is universal enough that it still resonates with modern readers. As well, LaBree's writing is uncomplicated enough that it never becomes too cumbersome or "literary" for the average reader.
Overall, this is a great book you should add to your reading list.
(Note: this book is available exclusively on Amazon.)
That is all.
By Steven LeBree
(5/5 stars)
The life of Lucas Colby is never easy or simple. Shortly after the turn of the century, Lucas's parents travel from West Virginia to Ohio, where Lucas is born. His father spends most of his time drinking and working, so that Lucas is raised primarily by his religious mother. On Lucas's tenth birthday, his father is finally done in by the alcohol and a jealous rival. Years later, after Lucas is orphaned when his mother dies of cancer, Lucas takes revenge on his father's rival before hitting the rails.
After some time spent living as a hobo on the rails, Lucas finally winds up in New York City, where he becomes bartender/bouncer for a speakeasy run by a man named Charlie. It's there where Lucas's life takes dramatic turns as he takes up drinking like his father and eventually meets the love of his life.
There's just one problem as the love of his life happens to be in love with the spotlight. Though Lucas loves her as much as he can, he can't ever compete with her desire to be a famous. Heartbroken and alone, Lucas is saved by an old friend, becoming a journalist for a small paper, where his life takes another dramatic turn.
There are a few other dramatic turns in store for you, but I won't spoil those.
All these dramatic turns are what make the story a worthwhile and engaging read. I was fascinated by the Lucas character and couldn't wait to see what would happen next to him and if he could finally get his life in order. This makes the book a real page-turner.
While the story takes place largely from the 1910s to 1940s the subject of finding your one true love and holding onto it is universal enough that it still resonates with modern readers. As well, LaBree's writing is uncomplicated enough that it never becomes too cumbersome or "literary" for the average reader.
Overall, this is a great book you should add to your reading list.
(Note: this book is available exclusively on Amazon.)
That is all.
Tom's Job
Tom's Job
By Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
Just about anyone who's ever gone out into the working world has held a job like Tom's Job: a job that is a real J-O-B, not a career. It's the kind of job that pays the bills (barely) but isn't a lot of fun. That's what allows a reader like myself to connect with this novel.
Tom's Job follows Tom Howell through five days of his life as he attends a big conference in New York. Tom works as an editor and writer of business newsletters for a small publisher in Minneapolis. He is also the ghost writer of a biography for a business titan, Jack Ostron, who has cameos in Mr. Cooper's previous "Smooth in Meetings" and "In Control." Every day Tom trudges to work to endure the interference of his annoying boss Bob before heading back to his bachelor apartment. The only bright spots in Tom's life are the bi-monthly visits of his seven-year-old daughter Katie and his work on a novel about corporate life called "Smooth in Meetings."
Tom's trip to New York becomes complicated by the presence of his boss's daughter Lisa, who is also Tom's boss, and a beautiful but reckless conference coordinator named Melanie. As if this isn't enough to juggle, Tom has to put up with Bob and Sandy, an obnoxious newsletter writer and would-be self-help guru. Plus there's the countdown to the conference Tom has to host. Even as everything seems to be going wrong, finding a way to muddle through is Tom's Job.
This was an engrossing book for me because I felt a real kinship with the character. As someone with a dead-end job, bachelor pad, and annoying boss--everything but the adorable daughter--I could really sympathsize with Tom Howell. At his core Tom is a dreamer and idealist who'd be happier chatting about literature or writing his own opus, but like most of us (especially in this economy) he has to make ends meet however he can. And so the struggle for Tom and all of us is to find some way to stay sane in this workaday world while part of us yearns to be free of it.
That is all.
By Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
Just about anyone who's ever gone out into the working world has held a job like Tom's Job: a job that is a real J-O-B, not a career. It's the kind of job that pays the bills (barely) but isn't a lot of fun. That's what allows a reader like myself to connect with this novel.
Tom's Job follows Tom Howell through five days of his life as he attends a big conference in New York. Tom works as an editor and writer of business newsletters for a small publisher in Minneapolis. He is also the ghost writer of a biography for a business titan, Jack Ostron, who has cameos in Mr. Cooper's previous "Smooth in Meetings" and "In Control." Every day Tom trudges to work to endure the interference of his annoying boss Bob before heading back to his bachelor apartment. The only bright spots in Tom's life are the bi-monthly visits of his seven-year-old daughter Katie and his work on a novel about corporate life called "Smooth in Meetings."
Tom's trip to New York becomes complicated by the presence of his boss's daughter Lisa, who is also Tom's boss, and a beautiful but reckless conference coordinator named Melanie. As if this isn't enough to juggle, Tom has to put up with Bob and Sandy, an obnoxious newsletter writer and would-be self-help guru. Plus there's the countdown to the conference Tom has to host. Even as everything seems to be going wrong, finding a way to muddle through is Tom's Job.
This was an engrossing book for me because I felt a real kinship with the character. As someone with a dead-end job, bachelor pad, and annoying boss--everything but the adorable daughter--I could really sympathsize with Tom Howell. At his core Tom is a dreamer and idealist who'd be happier chatting about literature or writing his own opus, but like most of us (especially in this economy) he has to make ends meet however he can. And so the struggle for Tom and all of us is to find some way to stay sane in this workaday world while part of us yearns to be free of it.
That is all.
Smooth in Meetings
Smooth In Meetings
By Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
A Machiavellian manual for the business world, "Smooth in Meetings" is a great book to read in this decade of corporate scandals from Enron to AIG. The novel provides keen insight into the minds of well-paid executives who grapple for money and power like corporate knights in a perpetual jousting contest. And just like a jousting contest, one wrong move and you're off the horse, into the mud forever.
This breezy novel takes place in 1994-95 just as the tech sector is preparing to boom. Ward Wittman is a senior manager for TriTech, a Minneapolis company that makes hard drives and other computer components. After nearly twenty years with the company, Ward has proven himself an able manager who can work a room better than any politician. Throughout the novel we see how Ward ably manipulates everyone from his wife and two kids to his superiors at TriTech. He is truly a smooth operator.
Yet Ward faces challenges when the company's CEO is deposed and a new man known to be a brutal hatchetman takes over. At the same time Ward is juggling a marriage going stale, a son lacking direction, and a secretary flirting with him. To survive, Ward is going to have to take his game up a notch.
The book focuses exclusively on Ward, giving us insight into how he sees the world as one big game he intends to win. Every gesture, every facial twitch becomes important to conveying his image of the competent professional, while every gesture and twitch of a rival is used to give him an inside edge. As noted above, he remains in this mode even outside the office, working his wife, kids, and "friends" just like his peers and clients. I wouldn't say that he's amoral or unfeeling so much as fiercely determined. The complexity of Ward makes for a great character study.
A well-written and fascinating read, "Smooth in Meetings" plays like an episode of AMC's "Mad Men" with a tad less melodrama, and of course set in the '90s. For those who enjoy that show or just want an insight into the upper echelons of power in the corporate world should read this book. My only major complaint is that Ward is so smooth I kept hoping he was going to get a comeuppance. But I guess as recent history has shown comeuppances in the corporate world are hard to come by.
That is all.
(PS: you won't find this book at your local bookstore or library, but you can find it through Amazon or other online retailers.)
By Ethan Cooper
(5/5 stars)
A Machiavellian manual for the business world, "Smooth in Meetings" is a great book to read in this decade of corporate scandals from Enron to AIG. The novel provides keen insight into the minds of well-paid executives who grapple for money and power like corporate knights in a perpetual jousting contest. And just like a jousting contest, one wrong move and you're off the horse, into the mud forever.
This breezy novel takes place in 1994-95 just as the tech sector is preparing to boom. Ward Wittman is a senior manager for TriTech, a Minneapolis company that makes hard drives and other computer components. After nearly twenty years with the company, Ward has proven himself an able manager who can work a room better than any politician. Throughout the novel we see how Ward ably manipulates everyone from his wife and two kids to his superiors at TriTech. He is truly a smooth operator.
Yet Ward faces challenges when the company's CEO is deposed and a new man known to be a brutal hatchetman takes over. At the same time Ward is juggling a marriage going stale, a son lacking direction, and a secretary flirting with him. To survive, Ward is going to have to take his game up a notch.
The book focuses exclusively on Ward, giving us insight into how he sees the world as one big game he intends to win. Every gesture, every facial twitch becomes important to conveying his image of the competent professional, while every gesture and twitch of a rival is used to give him an inside edge. As noted above, he remains in this mode even outside the office, working his wife, kids, and "friends" just like his peers and clients. I wouldn't say that he's amoral or unfeeling so much as fiercely determined. The complexity of Ward makes for a great character study.
A well-written and fascinating read, "Smooth in Meetings" plays like an episode of AMC's "Mad Men" with a tad less melodrama, and of course set in the '90s. For those who enjoy that show or just want an insight into the upper echelons of power in the corporate world should read this book. My only major complaint is that Ward is so smooth I kept hoping he was going to get a comeuppance. But I guess as recent history has shown comeuppances in the corporate world are hard to come by.
That is all.
(PS: you won't find this book at your local bookstore or library, but you can find it through Amazon or other online retailers.)
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