BOOK REVIEW: Woman's History of America (Christa Nonnemaker)

 

I wish my high school history books were this interesting and interactive. The stories are easy to read, with nice pictures/illustration and more interesting bits. They are clear, easy to digest, and informative. Difficult/unusual words/terms are highlighted, and readers can find the meaning when they flip the pages or scroll down the book. 

One of the keys to better learning back then, in my experience, especially for 'drier' subjects with a lot to memorize, was writing it down. It created another set of memories and helped me recall things when I needed them during tests, or helped anchor them in my mind to become fun at parties later. This book has a better approach, it organizes information into tables and diagrams, things I can easily picture being used as self-practice or homework or teamwork, together with critical thinking and essay parts to encourage students to be creative without being restrictive. It also helps to learn by allowing students to relate to the history. 

Overall, I think it's a useful book and more fun (in an educational way) at the same time. I'm not sure how relevant it is to the current international curriculum, because I certainly didn't need to learn this in my high school. I'd recommend this if the subject is indeed relevant for those who want to learn out of necessity or curiosity about Women's History of America.

5 of 5

BOOK REVIEW: The Captivating Flames of Madness (Jeff Parsons)

The feeling of reading a good book is hard to beat. I picked up this book without having high expectations, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

True to its title, The Captivating Flame of Madness is just that. It's a collection of short stories that are fast-paced, full of wonderfully crafted twists, well-written, with chilling plots.

Each story packs a strong idea, believable characters, and pulls readers into the madness as soon as the words start to flow. It doesn't drag. The stories are easy to read and follow, yet they are deep and carefully constructed.

The second story, The New Law, is one of the most intriguing dystopian short stories I've come across lately. It could easily be expanded into a book or novella. Although I could see the end coming, Control and Nothing Personal were entertaining and captivating throughout. There are many more other original stories that captivate me from start to end. How else can I walk between zombies? Face the bullies? The last story is chilling, although I have seen it done before in different permutations.

Highly recommended read.

5 out of 5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Saint Joseph (J. Salvatore Domino)

I thought Saint Joseph was a biography for almost half a book. It feels like one: a slow-burn life story told from a first-person view, reminiscing about the character's journey from the beginning of his career and his personal life.

While some parts can feel slow and information-heavy, especially when there are many names and technicalities, I think the fact that the story reads like a biography is the strongest point that makes this book unique. It doesn't go over the top, and nothing is dramatized out of proportion, which makes everything feel realistic and believable, including the characters' flaws and conflicts.

It doesn't need cliché tropes, even though they exist in the book. A good chunk of the story feels a bit cheesy and repetitive, some investigations feel very coincidental and a bit hard to buy,  but it's also realistic in our messed-up world.

The ending sums up the overall story well.

4 out of 5 stars.

BOOK REVIEW: The Creature of Oakmont Way: A Short Halloween Tale (James W George)

 A short tale indeed, with a bonus of another short story.

The story is entertaining, although I would say I could see it coming, because it's been done many times. I enjoyed the descent into madness, but I wish there were more progression or aftermath conclusion. The first half is great, but the second half is a vertical escalation. It feels like there is a missing season, like when a popular TV character descends into a mad queen.

I feel the same for the bonus story. The bonus story reveals the setting, timing, the system, and the parties involved only near the end, which comes across as quite abrupt to me as a reader with no knowledge of them.

I understand it is always a challenge to wrap up a short story. I think both tales would have decent, good endings if the paths to get there were paved more gradually.

4 out of 5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Seven Serpent Assembled (Seth Hobbs)

 

Seven Serpents Assembled is a dark fantasy that is hard to put down. It’s not my usual genre, but I have read a few excellent books in this genre, and it grows on me. 

At first, the readers follow six despicable characters who are serving their prison sentence but are still up to no good, led by a horrible man. They are set for a quest to find a stolen treasure until an unexpected turn separates them. The plot sounds ordinary, but everything else is not.

The story then switches to the target of the quest itself, and along the way, introduces more characters and side plots as their stories collide. 

While there are so many things and names to take in, the way everything comes together is entertaining, fast-paced, and the book is hard to put down. Most characters are horrible people, degenerate, some are the lowest scums in society, and the book is unapologetic about them. Some have the best character names, and although some don't last long, they are memorable, and each leaves a distinguishable mark in the book. I find myself remembering characters that haven't been mentioned in a while because they are distinctive, which says something about their quality. It also helps that the authors include reminders here and there about who they are.

The stories are rich and layered with some unexpected twists and turns. There are a lot of questionable mixtures I didn’t expect to find in one book, like magical entities and wars with cars and machine guns, not to mention a mummified antagonist with sunglasses and a sombrero. However, it works somehow! Not for the faint-hearted; you have been warned. However, if you are looking to enjoy a book with rich creativity, imagination, and originality, sit back and enjoy the tale.

5 of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: Rogue Sailors (Junaid Murtuza)

 

I have to admit I had some expectations when I chose this book. It seems intriguing, and I was not disappointed.

This book is gripping from start to end. I didn't know it was Book One, and I still didn't know until the last few pages of the book. There were some questions in my mind, especially regarding a character that only appears for a few short chapters. He seems important, but his story remains exclusive while other storylines have merged. Had I know about this being a first book, I would be more relaxed, since I had put a lot of trust in the author by that moment, after reading chapters and chapters of excellent writing.

Every story, every important character, and their intricate details are nicely done. The author is patient and is very good at making every scene come alive. The surroundings, the situation, the body language, the implications, and the subtlety are masterfully done. Nothing is wasted, and nothing is too much. Everything is necessary, and when the multiple storylines collide, I already have a very good understanding of each character. They are not only men in action, part of a mission, but they are well-built, well-understood.

The only clunkiness that sometimes takes me away from the reading experience is the formatting. I'm reading this on the Kindle app, but the formatting is a big mess most of the time. There are no paragraph breaks, and sometimes the speaker remains the same even though the punctuation indicates a separation. I'm not sure if this is technical errors or the original formatting. It makes it hard to distinguish who is talking.

Minor note: Some terms can be confusing for readers who don't know them, for example, CPF. Other, more general terms can be common knowledge, but this term is exclusive to Singapore. There are some nice touches of using Singlish. Kontrakan means a rented/rental property that can come in different forms: units in high-rise buildings or landed homes; it can be simple or luxurious, since kontrakan doesn't actually describe the condition, just the nature of a property being a rental. 'Rusun,' means stacked house, would be a more suitable term for the cluster described in the book (a very well-done description by the way), and 'kumuh' would be the adjective suitable for the condition.

Overall, this is a really awesome, very well-written book. I can visualize everything, every action, every feeling. The level of knowledge, research, and subtlety in every scene makes this a very satisfactory read. I'm very impressed with the quality, and I certainly recommend this book to readers who love good worldbuilding, characters, and action.

5 out of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: SCAMMED: The Inside Story of a Perfect Trap (Seraphine Martin)

SCAMMED: The Inside Story of a Perfect Trap tells the story of a scammer's victim. Personally, I had some experience with scammers because one of my parents was a victim. I also spent countless hours watching how they operate through scammer baiter channels.

While the story accurately portrays some of the methods they use, the story feels incomplete and repetitive. It's realistic, but feels more like an exposition narrative. Readers barely know the characters outside of one. The flow feels stiff, and their existence feels detached.

Scammers are everywhere, and they are the leeches to society, especially those preying on people's compassion and loneliness, targeting the elderly and people looking for human connections. This could make a compelling book that many people can relate to if it's a more complete tale. I assume this is close to non-fiction, and the resolution is not yet realized. It's understandable, but unfortunately, imho, it lacks the three-act structure to make it feel complete.

3 of 5 stars.

BOOK REVIEW: THE FIFTH SILENCE (SUEDE D. GOLDMANN)

The Fifth Silence is a whodunit that switches timelines as the protagonist investigates a mysterious death of a family member.

The book is slow at first, especially because there is a plethora of names to remember; this remains quite a struggle for me into the middle of the book, but it gets better. There are some details that feel quite jarring to me, for example, the stewardess offering breakfast just before the announcement of landing, the prosecutor (who seems like the investigator himself) communicates directly to the court audience, and the protagonist is able to see the reactions and expressions of people on the other end of the phone. Another detail I don’t disclose here is near the end, about a place, a clue, or a character that the protag decides not to investigate, which eventually becomes the key to the case. It would be fine if the plot doesn't try to convince me that she has tried to do everything, but ignores this particular one, despite how jarring it is, only to stumble on it again by accident.

The dialogues feel clunky at times, and there are scenes when I'm not sure who the character is talking to because the other have left/phone conversation is done.

Having said that, I enjoy the second half of the book and burn through it in a few hours. I like the creativity of the various storylines and characters. The time jump adds another layer to the mystery. This is a decent whodunit for the fans of the genre.

3.5 rounded up.

 

BOOK REVIEW: BURNOUT (Tanner Petterson)

Burnout is a terrifying book about the journey of a character who doesn’t seem to have a break in battling with hardship, rejection, addiction, and depression. It’s way too real. Sometimes it’s easy to judge others for their life choices, but most of the time it’s not that simple to put ourselves in their shoes.

The reading is not always smooth; it’s not easy to like the characters at first or to understand their directions. The book can be clunky here and there with some missing details and stiff dialogues, however, it’s a powerful emotional journey that feels raw and real. What might make some readers stumble in the beginning might be an intentional and subtle projection of the character, who is hardly a reliable narrator in every way. It’s sad and depressing, especially because it’s a very real problem that can happen to anyone we know.

This is a debut novel, and I hope the author writes more, because this is a powerful, emotional book that draws me in as a reader. It doesn’t necessarily ‘follow’ the pattern of others in a similar genre, and I think the author delivers the message the book tries to convey.

4.5 rounded up to 5

BOOK REVIEW: THE CURE: TERMINAL TEAM SIX (Diego Orsini)

 

The Cure Terminal Team Six is the third book of a trilogy. Tbh, I didn’t know this until near the end. However, it can be read as a standalone. The story works, although there are things that seem to be missing along the way, like the relationship of the team member and the history of Terminal Team Six; they don’t really affect the overall plot. It would be great if there were a brief history of them in the beginning of the book, beyond the characters and their abilities. 

To me, the faith part feels very preachy, and it dominates the book, especially because Collier is the main character who gets the most screen time. It has the right to be, though, especially for those who believe in it, faith is stated as the power in the blurb, and Collier is called The Preacher. 

Maybe it’s because The Cure is the third book, I don’t really root for the main characters because they feel detached to me. I know they’ll be fine, and it takes out a lot of stake and anticipation. My favorite character, Anatoly, only appears much later in the book, and he comes and goes, leaving a more memorable existence than them. 

This book is well-written, and it takes a daring approach to include the real historical event and mix it with fiction, religion, and superheroes, a combination that I never expected to find.

4 out of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: The Alien Contract (David Kilpatrick)

 

The Alien Contract is a book that can be finished in one sitting. I read it for over a week because real life was in the way, but it was easy to pick it up and get into it again. 

The story follows the protagonist, Gary aka The Man, as the PoV switches back and forth between him and the detectives interviewing him. I like this because readers can see Gary’s viewpoint and nod along ‘this is what I would do’ ‘this is insane’ ‘oh duck!’ and when it switches to the detectives, their thoughts also represent what most readers would have in their mind ‘this guy is batshit crazy,’ while pulling a chair and grabbing a popcorn because the stories are high level nut case but entertaining at the same time.

Along the way, there are many things that seem unbelievable, especially the way the detectives deal with The Man after he had done a crazy hit on an unkillable cartel member. Gary seems like an unreliable narrator as his stories get weirder, and they go around like a green man on a Roomba. 

Alien invasion plot has been done many times before, together with the mysteriousness, cow subplot, and rear-end explorer. Each time, there is a sense of familiarity, and each time, I feel like I know where it is going. Sometimes it’s hard to escape a certain formula, just like my attempt to read a classic romance book, the feeling of reading the same story over and over again can be overwhelming. 

Not with Alien Contract. 

Yes, it has everything the usual alien story would have, but it’s packed in such a unique and fun way, and the ending is both satisfactory and ties up the loose ends or whatever questions and doubts I had while reading. 

It doesn’t take itself too seriously, in line with the style of Man In Black. It doesn’t try to be subtle. Here is the green guy with all the classic alien look and gotcha, built-in fleshy uniform! I almost spit my tea (it sounds way less cool than spitting my coffee, but that is my life now), reading how Gary deals with them, most times with no questions asked. Poor carrot nose.

Besides all the light-hearted shenanigans (my light-hearted shenanigans might be different than yours), I think the main idea of the book is intriguing, especially because it alters Gary’s way of thinking from someone who is very stoic. Put himself in someone’s shoes, literally and figuratively. 

The timeline is not linear, but it flows smoothly, and there is no point at which I was confused in the book. 

This book is fun, entertaining, fast-paced, and as sharp as extraterrestrial titty twister.

5 of out 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: The White Room (Christopher Cooke)

 

 

The White Room is a long tale about a relationship gone wrong, and everyone and everything that comes with that.

IMO, this book feels longer than it should because the flows aren't compacted. For example, the dragon kid is totally unnecessary and does nothing to advance the story or help familiarize readers with the important characters. Then there are times when I think it’s very clear the story is leading somewhere, yet it takes forever to get there. One of the most jarring ones is Christian’s revelation to Francis. The other one is the courtroom scene that takes away too much of the flow. Some repetitive reminders also put little faith in readers’ attention to detail. We are reminded of the hair and picture of the chain every time. I don’t blame this, because some readers are indeed very inattentive. Besides that, it feels very directed. I can’t help but feel that readers are sometimes steered in a certain direction.

It’s obvious that The Raven is created to be an omnipotent villain. A genius, menacing, hidden under the shadow, and untouchable. Unfortunately, he does little to convince me of all those. He doesn’t really make smart decisions. This probably bothers me more than it should. Characters that are described as meticulous (it appears many times) aren’t doing that. Being an old-timer, these are the things he does: he burns the victim’s car; his idea of making a vehicle disappear is an effective method to draw attention instead. He deletes local records, just around the suspicious time, he takes a trophy, and he buries ALL his victims in one place. Another character, who is an expert in ‘retrieving’ things, takes the only thing. No staged robbery, no diversion. It becomes quite a suspension of disbelief when supposedly expert characters are not as skilled as they are portrayed, yet readers are supposed to buy it.

The contradiction and incompact storytelling are the reasons why I don’t rate this book higher. They affect me throughout the reading, but it’s a matter of personal preference. The story is creative, and there are many things to unpack from start to end. The technical appendix is a great addition and shows the effort the author had put into the main device of the story. The glimpse into the Raven’s past is a great shoo-in to what I assumed is a planned sequel with the same character. The book also leaves no end unturned; there are backstories for most of the characters, and each is crafted well.

 The story has great potential, and I can see it becoming powerful if it flows better.

3 out of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: Grease Monkey (Evie Del Rey)

 

Grease Monkey is a love story novella. The main character, Itzel, is on the run, trying to escape her life. She has been tormented forever and is treated as a business trading object. However, her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, where she meets Josh, who happens to have a workshop.

I can see this works for readers looking for a slow-burn romance. The build-up to the two characters getting to know each other is good. The story is well written and focuses heavily on how the characters feel. This is the strength of the story.

However, I have read this many times before. It feels cliché; everything is very predictable because it follows the recipe of a romance almost part-for-part. Nothing is suspenseful, and the plot doesn’t feel unique. The blurb also tells everything about the story, it’s a summary because everything is there instead of a tease.

Some things feel like merely plot devices. For example, as mentioned earlier, Itzel wants to run away, but she is fully aware that she is being tracked. She is also fully aware that she could endanger someone’s home. Julio, the villain, apparently builds an empire based on lies, but there are so many holes and weaknesses in the empire that it crumbles just because of someone he has been controlling his whole life. I would imagine he feeds the authorities and even has the power to extort them. For someone who has made a living by controlling others’ lives with extortion, blackmail, murder, and every other shady thing for decades and is so powerful, it’s hard to believe that he is so easily taken out.

The main problem that has been established since the beginning turns out to be nothing, easily settled in a few sentences, literally. The villain is just one-dimensional, the evil, bad man, while both main characters are idealistic.

The book works for those who are looking for a quick romance story. The characters have good chemistry, the novella is well-written, fast-paced, and has a feel-good, happy ending.

3 out of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: Black Hat Blues (Gene Kendall)

 

I think a Gen-Xer like me or beyond would appreciate the book more than the younger generation.

The book doesn’t start smoothly. It takes a while to understand the situation because it’s confusing in the beginning. When it becomes clearer, the story is much easier to follow. I have to admit I had a little trouble with the ending as well, especially a chapter that seems unnecessary, the #666. It would be great if this character were mentioned in a more memorable way previously, because it appears out of nowhere and puts a bit of a pause in what should be a decent ending. Maybe this is a setup for a possible sequel? Maybe this is an irresistible meta ending that always teases something more, which was quite common back then in older series, when after everything was said and done, the camera zoomed in to some unexpected (it became expected eventually) unfinished business?

Nevertheless, I think the story idea is interesting. It would be a nightmare for almost every author whose genre is not cozy, romantic, or other harmless adventure. Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, and Post-Apocalyptic authors wouldn’t want their characters to show up at the door (cough).

I appreciate the humor. Sometimes they are very subtle, but those are the best kind. It also shades the current clown world: the protest, the debate, the way classic literature is sometimes perceived without regard to its original time. The weird world of the internet and society's fascination with popular culture are also shaded here. I appreciate the cleverness, and some parts are really funny.

I have to admit, I don’t get some of the references. Some are beyond my time, and I am also living under a rock. Sometimes it takes a while to get which character is talking, especially for the vague chapter in the end. If not for a few clunky chapters in the beginning and the end, this is a good read that can be consumed in one sitting. It is my favorite work of the author so far.

4 out of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: Who Am I (Jane C.R. Reid)

 

I finished Who Am I in one sitting on a Saturday morning. I haven’t done this for a while, thinking I would just take a brief read for one or two hours before my daily task, but what the heck, I kept turning the pages. 

The plot keeps me going as it flows. It’s an easy read with an entertaining plot as the readers follow the journey of a woman who has just lost her memories. Going back to a home she doesn’t remember, with a stranger as her husband, she also learns that she was not a pleasant person in her past. The circle she was in and belonged to was superficial, filled to the brim with shallow people who stroked each other's egos and over-the-top appearance. The main character, Freya, can’t even bring herself to restore her hairstyle. She recognizes nothing from her past, including herself. 

This book is entertaining. I imagine that while it would make an excellent soap opera or drama, and the plot is not unpredictable, it does a good job in portraying the horror of losing grip of reality. The realization that you don’t even like yourself would take a toll on anyone, and when trusting yourself becomes something that is questionable, too, it would be the horror beyond comprehension. The main character experiences that, plus the fact that no one else believes her. The emotional journey shows satisfying character growth.

 The supporting characters play big roles as well. There are satire and humor in how out of touch and artificial the ‘elites’ can be, and sadly, it’s very realistic, as we live in a clown world. Their actions are, unfortunately, believable, from the gossipy housewives to professionals whose service and silence can be bought. People who think money is the answer to everything, and sometimes it is indeed the motivation for many, whether they are being forced to comply or whether selling their souls is also an option.

4.5 rounded up to 5

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: Unnatural Selection: The Catastrophic Cost of Misusing AI (Pafel Dubois)

Unnatural Selection is the perfect title for this book, taking a jab at what we have known for a long time, proposed by Charles Darwin.

I am someone who is always cautious about privacy and AI. Unfortunately, I’ve been called paranoid way too many times by my own friends and family. Imho, I am not even at the paranoia border line. The things I do are basic, from covering my front cameras, clearing cache, only installing very necessary apps that don’t ask unrelated permissions, never signing up for lucky draws, and opting out of pesky unwanted services. I fact-check and question things I see or are sent to me, and that is apparently not fun. Just this morning, I had to opt out of another Gemini integration. This is not right; the option should be opt-in instead of opt-out, but the world is ridiculous right now.

This book educates the readers about this AI world, not in a preachy way, because it approaches everything logically, presenting facts and explaining what makes things happen. It gives real-life examples (and of course, I fact-checked some). I think it’s very well-written and inspiring. Everyone should read this, even the sceptics, and intellectually-challenged social media zombies who worship AI.

It feels optimistic. While I think the power of ordinary people is very limited, and without the power of the masses, there is nothing much one can do (because look at the political and social climates around the world right now, it’s very disheartening), optimism is still necessary. The challenge now is the education and awareness that can hopefully be improved by books like this.

I really recommend this book.

5 stars out of 5 

BOOK REVIEW: Malaria (Suede D Goldmann)

 

Malaria is a murder mystery that reads like a classic Agatha Christie novel. It’s a reunion and a celebration gone wrong.

Personally, there are many things to cherish in this book, as well as many that feel distracting to me.

There are many characters to learn. I give up memorizing when they are mentioned in the first page because it’s somehow easier to learn about them as the story unfolds, with their arrivals and interactions. This brings me to the point of too many clutters in the book: information and descriptions of things that are not important to the story or characters. They could be used as distractions, because that is one way to make the mystery richer, but imo they end up merely as clutter, since there are already enough things going on in the story.

Unfortunately, the one thing that needs more explanation, imo, that keeps me wondering from start to finish is the clarity of the Foreign Nomad Posse. They are supposed to be close (it barely feels so), but it takes them so long to get together after an incident, yet they meet for a reunion when a lot of dark things have happened among the members, and then they meet a year later, after more unfortunate events. There is barely any similarity in terms of members’ backgrounds and interests on top of it. Maybe it’s only me, but I waited for a subsequent murder because, unfortunately, most of the characters feel detached and not root-able. The kitten analogy feels very weird when professionals deal with a group of adults. How they treat witnesses and suspect are very questionable, besides other factors like the right to detain them and the short statute of limitations. Some of their interactions are clunky with unrealistic reactions. The group also feels very incestuous, and I barely keep track of who is humping whom.

I enjoyed the middle of the book the most. I like the time jumps. They are not difficult to follow with the time stamp, and it’s an interesting way to get the story going. The ending feels a bit disappointing because it feels unearned yet. We need many explanations to completely understand the story. However, I applaud the writer for the complexity of the case and the unpredictability.

3.5 out of 5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Suicides Club (K.E.Adamus)

 

Suicide Club is a fun, fast-paced book that deals with a dark topic using dark humour. It’s unapologetic and daring, which makes it refreshing to read.

It’s a fast pace, moving from one scene to another, from one PoV to another. It is funny and entertaining, and I like that it’s not preachy, ridden with agenda, or full of too many predictable tropes. It’s presented in a different way that still touches on a disturbing reality.

The scene feels clunky at times, and I think the ending is quite rushed and stops abruptly. It doesn’t prolong the plot at the risk of it being predictable, however, I think it can be smoothed out to make it feel more conclusive.

The characters and their actions are sometimes over-the-top, because sometimes they depart from the people they used to be. However, I think it’s intended that way, and that makes the book fun to read.

4 out of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: Silent Battle (Olivia Paisley Troy)

 

Silent Battle is a powerful memoir. Written in first-person view, the readers are brought into terrifying stories that, unfortunately, happen everywhere in the world, even in modern times.

The book is hard to read. It makes me angry, not necessarily about how dismissive the mother was in a situation that was obviously not healthy to raise a child, but for the society that failed them, too. It’s probably harder to digest how helpless the situation was in the current world, because we are very connected now. Back then, we didn’t have mobile service, it was not easy to find a public phone, and domestic violence was sometimes brushed aside and considered an internal problem only.

I wish the year could be made aware earlier. It’d make the story more powerful if readers understood the setting from the beginning.

Fortunately, this is an uplifting tale. The main character prevailed; there was a strong support system before it was way too late, and awareness of the need to fight for survival. I admire anyone who can pull their life together after starting from such a difficult, disadvantaged, and horrifying situation. This is definitely an inspiring tale about resilience and survival.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: To Say Goodbye Again (Jac Winters)

This is a very raw, yet subtle, heartfelt collection of poetry and stories. Every single piece was written with heart and soul, reflecting sadness, sorrow, and vulnerability that touch even the coldest heart.

The Big Ben broke me, and Princess made me silent for a long time.
It’s such a powerful gem.