Review: Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card

Ezekiel Bliss aka Ezekiel Blast is a teenager with a special gift - he can find lost objects and return them to their owners. Unfortunately, this has gotten him in trouble in the past and labeled as a thief by classmates and some police officers.

One day on his walk to school, he is approached by a fellow high school student named Beth who asks him about being a thief. This opens a dialogue between the two that continues over several days and builds into a friendship.

With the help of his guidance counselor, Ezekiel is referred to a group of young people who have similar small talents that they refer to as micropowers. Some of their talents are more useful than others.

Ezekiel is approached by a police officer to help find a missing girl. But, he doesn't believe his talent can be used that way. After discussing it with Beth though, he gives it a try. It requires a change in how he thinks about his talent and with his talent.

The first half of the book is about Ezekiel and his growing friendship with Beth. Also, it is about his growing and changing thoughts about his micropower of finding things. After the first part of the book, the second is somewhat predictable.

The topic of micropowers is interesting. The ability, say to make someone yawn, seems pretty useless. But, it is still something that the general population doesn't have. And you can see where having a micropower like Ezekiel's could be both a liability and a gift at times.

 Ezekiel and Beth have interesting conversations. There is a lot of snark and wit involved. This is both good and bad. It is entertaining to read, but it seems a little over the top and in some cases it seems like it would be exhausting if all of their conversations really were like this.

This is definitely a YA and older book because of some of the subject matter. There are times that some of the writing seems to be at a lower level, but the subject matter trumps that - the missing girl and what her fate might be.

It is a dialog heavy book. That's just an observation. It was a fast read for me. I wanted to see the resolution of both the first and second halves of the book. There is no technical division between halves, but there seems to be a division nonetheless.

Overall, it's a good book. I gave it 3 stars out of 5. The amount of dialog can make it heavy on the tell vs. show. And I thought that the problems were solved a little quickly. It seemed to me that a whole book could have been made from either the first part or the second part. Still, the dialog was good. The characters of Ezekiel and Beth are interesting. And the idea of micropowers is worth exploring. It is definitely worth a read.

Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card was published September 10th, 2019 by Blackstone.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions.

Review: My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a pleasant memoir with a few interesting stories. I think, if she hadn't made a disclaimer early on in the book that some of the stories were possibly made-up, I would have enjoyed the book more. There were cute stories, but not so many laugh-out-loud moments. I give this book 3 stars out of 5.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.



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Review: Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver

Kelly, the manager of a B&B in Northern California, gets sucked into a murder investigation when her close friend Daniel comes under suspicion. While this is happening, there is a mushroom festival going on in the town. Among other things, they are having cooking classes at her B&B to celebrate the festival. A group of senior citizens known as the Silver Sentinels helps Kelly with her investigation.

Other activities during the festival included hunting for mushrooms. Daniel was looking for mushrooms on some Native American land, which was not an issue for him because he is Native American. He has a conflict with a reporter who is killed shortly afterward.

The idea for the book was good. I liked some of the characters. I felt like some of the writing was stilted. I had a little trouble suspending my disbelief as to her activities and those of the Senior Sentinels while investigating the murder. Her actions often seemed foolhardy to me.

Still, it's a good mystery with twists. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. It also had some educational value. I knew that pigs could be trained to sniff out truffles, but I didn't know you could train dogs to do the same thing. Also, I didn't know what sinker logs were or that there was conflict over some of them or that they could be used to make art.

Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver was released April17th, 2018 from Lyrical Underground.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Review: Doctor Who: The American Adventures by Justin Richards

Doctor Who: The American Adventures by Justin Richards

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I didn't know initially when I was reading it that it was aimed at middle-grade readers. I could tell it wasn't quite a fit for adults, though. The stories were entertaining, but just ok. They were lacking in the mannerisms and the like which help you picture just which Doctor you are reading about.

Middle-grades fans will probably enjoy these stories. It takes some familiarity with the series, though. I wouldn't give it to a child who knows nothing of the series and expect that child to enjoy it.

Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. The stories are pretty much okay, but not great. The pacing in the stories was good, but they were lacking in characterization. It's a good middle-grades book for fans.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.



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Review: Halloween by David J. Skal

Halloween: The History of America's Darkest Holiday by David J. Skal is an interesting nonfiction account of the history of Halloween. It is a re-release. It was out of print for about 10 years before being released in this edition.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Acclaimed cultural critic David J. Skal explores one of America's most perplexingly popular holidays in this original mix of personal anecdotes and social analysis. Skal traces Halloween's evolution from its dark Celtic history and quaint, small-scale celebrations to its emergence as a mammoth seasonal marketing event.
Skal takes readers on a cross-country survey that covers remarkably divergent perspectives, from the merchants who welcome a money-making opportunity that's second only to Christmas to fundamentalists who decry Halloween a form of blasphemy and practicing witches who embrace it as a holy day. He also profiles individuals who revel in this once-a-year occasion to participate in elaborate fantasies. Their narratives, combined with the author's cultural analysis, offer a revealing look at an intriguing aspect of our national psyche.

My thoughts on this book:"You can't kill the bogeyman. But does anyone really want to?" (Halloween: Homecoming film) By the end of the book, it seems that this is precisely what many people are seeking to do in the guise of political correctness or religion.

I found parts of the book to be very interesting. In other parts, it seemed to drag a little. I found myself skipping parts of some sections like in the one about the gay Halloween parades in New York City. And sadly, I found myself skimming a little even in the sections I really liked, for example: the one about haunted houses, and the one about movies. I was glad that the author pointed out more than once that Halloween had nothing to do with Satanism. And that he got the cultural origins of the holiday right.

Generally speaking, I really enjoy books about Halloween. This one, not so much. It was still a good book overall. It just wasn't a great one. I give it 3 stars out of 5.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quickie Review: Big Foot Stole My Wife and Other Stories by Joan Hess

Big Foot Stole My Wife and Other Stories by Joan Hess
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Big Foot Stole My Wife and Other Stories by Joan Hess is a collection of mostly rather dark mysteries. Honestly, I didn't like most of them. I did enjoy the 2 Claire Malloy mysteries and the 2 Arly Hanks mysteries, though.

Many of the mysteries had a slow pace. And in some of them, the characters weren't even likable. If not for the Claire Malloy mysteries and Arly Hanks mysteries, I would have given the book a 2 out of 5 stars. Generally speaking, Joan Hess's writing is good, but these stories just didn't click for me. This collection was first published in 2003. This is a re-release issued in July of 2016.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. If you describe a collection of short stories as hit and miss, most of these were misses for me. If you like your short stories a little slow, dark, and weird, then check this collection out.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


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Review: Can You Keep a Secret? by R.L.Stine

April 12, 2016
St. Martin's Press

There are a few secrets to be kept in Can You Keep a Secret? by R.L. Stine. Emma and Eddie are fooling around in the woods. Eddie decides to carve their names on a tree. In the process, they find a suitcase full of money hidden in the tree. Their friends catch wind of the discovery and they all decide to hide the suitcase in a grave in a pet cemetery where Eddie works.

Meanwhile, Emma has been having nightmares that she is a big black violent wolf. Her sister Sophie tries to comfort her and says the nightmares must go back to when she was a small child and got bitten by a dog while they were visiting their Aunt Marta outside of Prague.

So, secrets. Is Emma really a wolf? Who stole the money and are they going to come after the kids since Emma and Eddie's names are on the tree?

This book is an R.L. Stine Fear Street novel. It reads like one. He has a pattern where the chapters often end with a cliffhanger or a startling moment of clarity. It makes for suspenseful reading. I find myself wondering which version of the truth is the right one as he puts the characters through the ringer. There are deaths and mysteries to keep it moving right along.

The one thing I wasn't really sure about was the appearance of Aunt Marta at one point in the book. She didn't seem to advance the plot all that much. Her stay was very brief with little description.

Some of the description in the book is kind of gross. I don't want to go into it much because it would make spoilers.

The book is definitely aimed at YA readers. I can see kids graduating from the Goosebumps series to the Fear Street series. I still found myself enjoying it even though I am an adult. I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I give this book 3 stars. It has everything you need for a good horror story and mystery. While it is a good book, it is not outstanding. I would still recommend it for YA horror readers with strong stomachs.

Have you read any of the Fear Street books? What has been your experience with them?

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Throwback Thursday Review: Livin' Lahaina Loca by JoAnn Bassett

Wedding planner Pali Moon finds herself searching high and low in Lahaina for a missing bridesmaid on Halloween night. She is a little puzzled that the bride doesn't seem to be that worried about the girl. When the girl doesn't materialize, but something else does, Pali goes to the police and the detectives don't seem to be any more interested in the missing girl than the bride.

The mystery has action amidst the wedding planning as Pali tries to solve the disappearance. I liked the details about the culture of Lahaina, Maui. And the pace was pretty good. There is a little bit of a beginning of a love triangle going on. The main thing I didn't like was the resolution of the mystery. It's a cliffhanger with loose ends. So, if you're planning on reading this one, you might want to go ahead and pick up book 3 as well. I am not sure if I will bother or not.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars mainly for the ending. Otherwise it would be higher. This is supposed to be a series, but the ending lends itself more to a serial.

Livin' Lahaina Loca by JoAnn Bassett was published March 18, 2012 by Lokelani Publishing. It is the second book in the Islands of Aloha mystery series.

Review: Thinning the Herd by Adrian Phoenix

Thinning the Herd by Adrian Phoenix reads a bit like watching a "B" movie. There's nothing wrong with that. It was a fast, fun read.

Our hero, Hal Rupert, is a dogcatcher by day or night depending on his schedule. In his free time, he works to keep the citizens of his fair city safe - both one shapes and shapeshifters. He especially likes to make certain his fair Desdemona, who works at Hot Topic and has nicknamed him Creep, is safe. Honestly on that point, he initially comes across as a bit of a stalker. His shapeshifting friends, Galahad and Nick, work with him to keep the city safe.

Hal becomes aware of the fact that some of the hippies and fortune tellers have been disappearing. As the plot progresses it becomes clear that Hal is pretty handy with a catch-pole. Every hero has to have a weapon of some sort, the catch-pole is Hal's weapon of choice.

There is some doubt in the beginning that Hal is anything more than fantasizing his abilities and role in the safety of the city. I also had a little trouble suspending disbelief at his ability to communicate with animals and shapeshifters in animal form, like Doctor Doolittle.There is just no explanation for it.

That being said, I enjoyed the book. I liked the characters. It was a fun read. I liked watching the character of Hal grow some under the pressures he encounters.

If you are looking for a quick read and enjoy "B" movies, you will probably enjoy this book. I give it 3 stars out of 5.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau

Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau is the conclusion to her Testing Trilogy featuring Malencia Vale, a 16 year old University student. That age is not unusual for students to be attending University in this dystopian world.

First, a word. These books are best read in order. Otherwise the horror of the Testing isn't at all clear until later in this book.

Graduation Day pretty much picks up where the last one left off. Cia aka Malencia also has an internship with the President's office. In the beginning of this book, she rides to tell the President that one of her employees has been killed by the rebel leader Symon. In return, the President gives Cia a list of people that need to be killed in order for there to be an end to the Testing and a code to get resources from a room on the fifth floor.

Cia realizes that she can 't accomplish this all on her own, but she agonizes over who to trust and how she will know they are trustworthy. The only one she knows for sure is Tomas, her love.

Will she be able to go through with killing the people on the list? Who can she trust to help her if she does? Will this really end the nightmare of the Testing? And what really happens to all of those that fail in some way?

This book ties up loose ends from the other 2 books. That's good. A lot of the what happens this time was internal. Not so good. Definitely important to the plot, but it makes for a slower read. The other 2 books had more action in them. Also, a lot of the action in this book was Cia and her friends discussing the issues of who could be trusted and how would they accomplish the deaths needed on the list. Since Cia isn't a fan of killing, it was a little surprising that she agreed to take on the task.

The action in the book was good and fast paced once it gets started. The ending seemed a little strange to me, but you need to read it yourself to judge.

In spite of tying up a lot of the loose ends from the other books, it still left open the possibility to further exploration in this world.

You can read an excerpt from this book at the website for the book.

I gave this book 3 stars because even though I enjoyed it, I didn't think it was quite as good as the first 2 in the trilogy. The writing is still good, but a lot of it was passive thoughts. The action was good, but there was a lot less of it than in the first 2 books. There were definitely enough twists to go around though.

If you enjoyed the first 2 books, you should read it to finish off the trilogy. It is not a standalone.

I borrowed my copy from my local library.

Review: The Widow's Son by Thomas Shawver

Published July 7, 2015 by Alibi

The Widow's Son is the 3rd book in the Rare Book Mystery Series featuring rare book dealer Michael Bevan. This time around he is making a bid to join a prestigious organization of antiquarian book dealers and delving into a mystery regarding an offshoot Mormon group that seems to be intent on murdering the last member of a family they crossed paths with generations before. 

There were some good plot surprises, but I was disappointed that the crime Michael was going to investigate didn't occur until almost 40% into the book. The set up before that was interesting, but not in the way I expected. I expected less set up and more sleuthing. 

I love books and books about books. So, I really was excited to read this one. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I anticipated. The writing is good. The characters are interesting. And once the action begins, it really gets interesting. It's just that there was such a wait before that. 

I ended up giving this book 3 stars. It was good, but not great. I loved the sense of humor and the narrator, but I disliked the long wait until the action started. I would still give this book a read if you enjoy books about books. You might like it much more than I did. And I would still give other books in this series a chance as well.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quickie Review: Fat Girl by Susan Bodiker

Fat Girl: How to let go of your weight and get on with your life by Susan Bodiker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fat Girl by Susan Bodiker is a short book that is pretty much a cross between a memoir and a how I did it book. She talks about how awful her time growing up with her mother was and her mother's focus on her weight. And then there is a rather miraculous change when she gets married and moves out from under her mother's roof. Her changes in thinking are detailed and she credits this awareness to changing her life and her weight.

The book is ok. I don't think it was really a how-to book, but rather a how I did it and maybe it will work for you too book. I gave the book 3 stars. I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.


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Review: Dinner with Buddha by Roland Merullo

Expected to be available
June 2, 2015 from
Algonquin Books

Dinner with Buddha by Roland Merullo is essentially a novel that also has spiritual lessons that are an important part of the plot. 

Otto Ringling is a sort of Everyman representing the seeking, skeptical human. Volya Rinpoche is a world renowned spiritual teacher and Otto's brother-in-law. Together they travel around what I think of as the American West. They see both what are considered the great places to go sight-seeing and the more ordinary places that people live most likely getting there via a meal at a local restaurant. 

Along the way, Otto is exposed to many lessons of a spiritual nature. Some are easier for him to swallow than others. The hardest one of all may be that his niece might be the next Dalai Lama. To be honest, the author almost lost me on that one. But I realized that wasn't as important as Otto's reaction to the news. 

This is the third book in this series. Breakfast with Buddha is the first one and is described by the Boston Globe as "Enlightenment meets On the Road." I think this book could basically be described the same way.The actual places they travel aren't the same, but the idea of all this change happening on a road trip is the same.

It took me a while to read the book because I was trying to absorb the lessons to a degree as I read. It could be read straight through without doing that, but it seems you would miss out on a big part of the book that way. Or if you want the lessons after absorbing the fiction, you could always go back and read it again.

I gave this book 3 stars. I liked it. I enjoyed the story for the most part. I didn't like the aimless feel to some of the traveling around. It felt plotless in those parts and slowed down my reading. The spiritual lessons continued during those parts, but the sense of them having a destination faltered.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Quick and the Undead by Kimberly Raye

Published November 26th 2014
 by Bell Bridge Books

The Quick and the Undead had a new concept for me - vampire cowboys. I like historical cowboy romances and I like vampires. What more could I ask for?

The Tombstone Ten are running a Wild West experience in Tombstone, Texas. They had all been turned into vampires by the same person about 200 years in the past. They did some robbing of the rich or "deserving" and shared with those who needed it. Raye doesn't make a big deal out of this.

What Kimberly Raye does make a big deal out of is Boone's romance with Riley. Boone is the Sheriff of this town. Riley is a travel blogger visiting the resort in order to write about it. She's had some bad experiences in the past with her ex-husband who was abusive. So in spite of their chemistry it's a little surprising when they hook up. Riley is witness to a brutal attack on one of the employees. Boone decides that she needs protecting and spirits her away to a private cave.

My objection is how quickly lust becomes instalove. You have a previously abused woman falling for another alpha male who is keeping her in a cave "for her own good." It smacks of Stockholm syndrome. And the book ends in a cliffhanger. I would give the second book in this series a chance.

It is a romance and the sex scenes are very steamy. They could almost qualify the book as erotica.

I gave the book 3 stars because I liked it, but I didn't love it. There were some places I had trouble suspending my disbelief. But, if you like steamy paranormal romance and don't mind the instalove, then this book might be for  you.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: New England's Scariest Stories and Urban Legends by Summer Paradis and Cathy McManus

New England's Scariest Stories and Urban Legends by Summer Paradis and Cathy McManus is a collection of ghost stories and legends from the northeastern United States. The structure for most of the entries is presentation of the legend/story followed by their experiences when they visited the site in question and other evidence for or against the legend. There are also many interesting illustrations in the book showing the actual places.

One of my favorite stories from the book was "Emily's Bridge." In most of the stories associated with this bridge, the young woman hanged herself while waiting for her young love to meet her. Supposedly some people have seen her on or near the bridge. Others have experienced car problems or strange noises. The authors met up with a group of paranormal investigators at the bridge by accident and had an interesting experience.

Another favorite of mine is the story of Mercy Brown, mostly because people feared that after she died she had become a vampire and was drawing on her father. Investigators now think that perhaps she had Tuberculosis. It seems though that her story was in part perhaps inspiration for Bram Stoker who had a copy of her story among his things.

While the stories are interesting, I think the book could have been better organized. Perhaps by state or type of thing they were investigating. As it is, it jumps around from state to state. Otherwise organized it could also serve a little as a guidebook for people interested in visiting paranormal sites in New England that don't live as close as these authors do.

Some of the stories have more of a creep factor than others, but that's to be expected in any anthology of this sort. For example, the stories about Champ, the cryptid of Lake Champlain, are less creepy than interesting.

Overall, it's a good book about some of the stories and legends in New England. While there were some I recognized from previous reading, there was a different sort of coverage here. Also there were a few legends that I hadn't heard yet. I've read a few books on New England's paranormal before, and was pleased to find some new stories.

I gave this book 3 stars. I liked it, but it could have benefited from a different sort of organization. This book was published June 28, 2014 by Schiffer Publishing.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Elderwood Manor by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes

Elderwood Manor was published by DarkFuse July 15, 2014. It's a novella length horror ebook by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes. I gave it 3 stars. I liked it, but I wasn't crazy about it. The novella starts out with Bruce Davenport and his four year old son Cody arriving at Bruce's childhood home in the Ozarks after receiving a weird sort of phone call from his mother and fresh on his wife's death and loss of his job. He's penniless, arriving there on gas fumes and hoping to find warmth, gas and food within the manor.

"I want to walk, Daddy." Bruce tensed when Cody spoke, as if he didn't want the place to hear his son's voice, to know that another generation of Davenport had returned. (location 89)

The first half of the story is all wonderfully creepy like a haunted house story or a Gothic story. Things are lurking just beyond sight. Noises heard, but nothing there when you look for the most part. There is very little to prepare you for the last third of the book where it rapidly become a different sort of story. It goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of a few sentences.

Something had snatched Cody while they slept. Something had his boy, his only son, and was carrying him off with each heavy step into the black heart of Elderwood Manor. (location 534)

Therein lies why I gave it 3 stars. I didn't like the abrupt style change. For some people they will not only like it, but love it. But, it doesn't suit me. I think the story is good, but not great. I give it 3 stars. Locations of quotes were on my Kindle.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Doctor Who: Keeping Up with the Joneses by Nick Harkaway

Doctor Who: Keeping Up with the Joneses by Nick Harkaway is a Time Trips series short story starring the Tenth Doctor. I read the Kindle edition which was published by BBC Digital February 6, 2014.

The TARDIS hits a temporal mine and it seems it has a bit of Wales stuck in its teeth or a storeroom or two. Somehow The Doctor finds himself in the library of a bed and breakfast belonging to a different Christine de Souza in Jonestown in this bit of Wales. And somehow there is a monster (Puh Puh Pom) after them as well. Structural integrity of the TARDIS is threatened too.

I only really had one negative comment here. At one point the Doctor dismisses explaining things as Timey Wimey and then later proceeds to get technical about how things work. Kinda felt like one or the other, but not both. And honestly some of the technical bits gave me a little headache, but that's just me.

On the plus side, it is a  Doctor heavy story. It must have him in it to work. And it works well. Christine de Souza functions both as a part of the story and as a little bit of a companion. The story moves along quickly once things start happening. I had no problem suspending disbelief. It was an interesting story. Good suspense and good characterization. Ten is written true to form.

I liked it, but I didn't love it. Found it confusing in spots. So, I give it 3 stars out of 5. I would recommend it to others who enjoy Doctor Who, especially the Tenth Doctor, and who don't mind a little technical TARDIS jargon.

Review: Day One by Nate Kenyon

Day One by Nate Kenyon is a sci/fi techno-thriller released from Thomas Dunne Books on October 1, 2013. Most of the action takes place in New York City with a smattering of action outside the city.
A generous sample of the book including the prologue and 2 chapters can be read on the author's website at http://natekenyon.com/day-one-excerpt/.

John Hawke is a former hacker turned hacker journalist. He has been investigating James Weller, the former CEO of a company named Eclipse, who has broken off and started his own company called Conn.ect. Weller has promised Hawke an interview. The day seems to start mostly normal, but once Hawke arrives at Conn.ect, things seem to go haywire. Anything with a computer chip in it begins to malfunction. And John gets a panicked call from his wife that things are in danger at home as well.

John and a small group find themselves trying to survive in a NYC where the bridges and tunnels have been bombed and find their ways back to their loved ones.. And John and some of the other members of the group have been declared enemies. There is a genius behind this, but to let you know who it is, would be too much of a spoiler at this point.

I liked the book, but I didn't love it. It's very slow in the beginning. Once the action starts, it really picks up and doesn't slow down again until right toward the end. I also had a little bit of an issue with how technical it got at times. For some people this will be fine, but for me it was a little much. I did enjoy the action part of the book a lot. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Review: Summer's End by Lisa Morton

Lisa Morton is the main character in her own novella Summer's End blurring the lines between fact and fiction. She is called in to examine a 1500 year old druidic manuscript by Dr. Wilson Armitage and Dr. Conor o' Cuinn. It appears to be selections of history, recipes for herbal concoctions for healing and the like, and spells. 

Lisa is very skeptical especially about the spells until Dr. Armitage is found torn apart. The police report says by wild animals, but she suspects it was by the mischievous and malicious sidh that o' Cuinn summoned using the book. 

The novella continues with more spell casting, poultice making, and wand seeking adventures. In the end it comes down to one thing. Will o' Cuinn and Lisa be willing and able to perform sacrifices on Halloween, one of them human, to restore balance to the world?

The book has an interesting premise and presentation putting the author as the main character. There is maybe a little more tell than show in places perhaps because of the shorter format. The bit about the sidh was so well written, I was reluctant to look outside after dark for a few days. I did feel that that the ending was a little bit of a let down, but I can't go into details here because it would involve spoilers. It just seemed a little anticlimactic. Good, but anticlimactic. Overall I liked the book and found that it stayed with me after I finished reading it.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in order to provide my unbiased opinion.

Review: The Marijuana Chronicles edited by Jonathan Santlofer

The Marijuana Chronicles contains 12 short stories, 1 comic, 2 poems, and 2 nonfiction essays by 17 different authors including the editor. There are other notable names in the table of contents such as Lee Child and Joyce Carol Oates.

The introduction includes a brief history to marijuana or cannabis or hemp or whatever you want to call it. It's interesting reading using facts from ancient history right up to modern times. Among other interesting facts, "The National Commission on Marijuana Drug Abuse released a 1972 study urging the decriminalization of smoking pot in the privacy of one's own home, but Nixon disregarded it, and created the DEA..."

The stories vary in tone and how they handle the topic of marijuana. One of my favorite lines in the anthology comes from "The Last Toke" by Jonathan Santlofer. "...riding the wave of a pot cloud so potent the squirrels were getting stoned." The piece by Lee Child, "My First Drug Trial," is definitely a standout in the anthology. For me another favorite was "No Smoking" by Edward M. Gomez where the lead character seems unsure just what is getting him high. You'll have to read it to see.

I liked the anthology, but I expected more from it; more variety among the pieces as to the attitude towards marijuana. Overall I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in order to provide my unbiased opinion.