Tag: Fiction

Review: It Was A Riot by Daniel Hall

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Synopsis:

Growing up gay in the violent and poverty-stricken streets of East London, Eddy’s childhood is haunted by the shadow of bullying, rejection, and his domineering football hooligan father. Enrolling in medical school is his only lifeline – but it only catapults him into a fresh set of struggles that will define the rest of his life.

From the brutal front lines of the Falklands War to the impoverished mining communities of Northern England and the drug-fuelled raves of London, Eddy desperately tries to numb his pain and escape his inner demons. But his efforts are futile – and with the spectre of AIDS hanging over his head, he’s helpless to prevent his closest friends from succumbing to the disease.

But Eddy can’t hide forever. After a protest turns violent, he’s left fighting for his freedom against a biased court system that’s hell-bent on jailing him for manslaughter. His story quickly ignites a national frenzy as his case hits the headlines. And when Eddy makes a shocking discovery about his past, he must re-evaluate his entire life and decide what’s really important.

Can Eddy escape the shadow of his father’s judgement? Or will he never be able to accept himself for who he is?

As a gripping and authentic contemporary LGBT fiction novel that explores the stark realities of being gay in 1990’s England, It Was a Riot explores deep themes of identity, sexuality, paternal rejection, and the struggle to find oneself. This book is a must-read for fans of character-driven epics including Tomasz Jedrowski’s Swimming in the Dark and Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain. Scroll up and grab your copy today.

Favorite Lines:

“And when I’m not being honest with myself, it also means I’m not living the life I really want.”

“You’ll always make me proud… No matter what you do. No matter the path you choose in life. No matter what you do or don’t accomplish. I’ll always be proud of you.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Eddy, who grows up in England in the 1990s with a complicated childhood. Eddy is gentle and kind but his father demands that he learns how to be a “real man” so Eddy signs up for boxing classes and learns how to fight. Despite this attempt to please his father, Eddy comes to the realization that he is just not a violent man and finds his real passion is in the medical field so he decides to go to medical school. After gradating, Eddy joins the military to get more training as a doctor and it is here that he realizes that he is gay.

As the story evolves, we follow Eddy as he tries to come to terms with his sexuality and begins to explore the world as a gay man. While there is some joy in this exploration, it isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. Eddy faces a lot of hard truths from both the outside world but also from within himself. As Eddy finally begins to find some real peace, his past comes back to haunt him and he finds himself in court fighting for his freedom.

This is a debut novel for Hall and it exceeded all of my expectations. It pulled me in from the first chapter and had me engaged throughout the story until I realized I had finished it in one sitting. Hall tells a beautiful and heartbreaking story that is simultaneously devastating and important to read. This touches on learning to live outside of your parents’ shadow, the prejudices that the LGBTIQA+ community faced, and learning to be at peace with your own identity. But be warned, you’ll be crying by the end!

Summary:

Overall, if you are interested in coming of age fictional stories with strong character development involving LGBTIQA+ and the gay community during the AID’s epidemic, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out It Was a Riot here!

 

Review: Deep Fried by Mark Doyon

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Synopsis:

Americanized millennial Arjun Chatterjee is a food-truck chef working in a parking lot outside the nation’s capital. He dreams up multiethnic recipes and pursues a young woman toiling in a Kafkaesque office nearby. Building a clientele, he faces life with a sly optimism.

One day he idly asks the sky: “Why am I here?”

Deep Fried is a tragicomic love story wrapped in creative freedom. Its characters – chefs, musicians, and entrepreneurs – face a world of oversized dreams and shaky prospects.

They try, fail, and fail better. Will it be enough?

Favorite Lines:

“If you weren’t making moves…you were a pawn in somebody else’s game.”

“Kids today. Fat and not even happy. Worst of both worlds.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book primarily follows Arjun Chatterjee who serves food from a food-truck in a parking lot in Washington D.C. Arjun meets a cast of characters throughout this book and we follow along as he does both some teaching and learning from the various people he meets. 

I found this to be a slice-of-life-esque story that was entertaining and relatable while still managing to be comfortable. Doyon tells a story that is entirely realistic and that captures the nature of human relationships and how complex they can be.  As we follow Arjun and Candy, along with the others we meet in this book, we get an inside look into the every day lives of people just trying to reach the goals they have set for themselves and the bonds they nurture with those they care about along the way.

Without any spoilers, I wasn’t prepared for the few pages before the ending! I was so shocked but was happy with how things turned out in the end and almost wish that there was more to the story to get to see how things play out but that is coming purely for my own selfishness. 

If I had to be knit-picky, the change of points of view in the middle of the chapters were a bit disruptive to the flow. Despite this, I still appreciated the different points of view, I thought it added a lot of additional depth to this book. 

Summary:

Overall, I  enjoyed this book. Doyon uses a unique tone to tell a creative and engaging story. It is so full of life in a variety of ways and bonus points that it includes food! You can find the book trailer here! If you like fictional, slice of life books especially ones that include found love and/or food, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out Deep Fried here!

 

Review: Pigs in Paradise: A Fairy Story Most Absurd by Roger Maxson

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Pigs in Paradise opens on a group of animals on a farm in Israel. Julius is a wise-cracking non-religious parrot. In other words, he is a non-domesticated farm animal. His is the small voice of reason, tinged with humor, and cynicism while the others, domesticated farm animals, are being led to religion by Mel, a mule, and the spiritual leader. Later, Mel becomes Magnificent when he elevates himself to Pope. Priests are celibate and mules are sterile; therefore, a Catholic pope was the obvious choice.

When Blaise, a Jersey cow, gives birth to Lizzy, a “red calf,” two American evangelical ministers arrive. As events unfold, the evangelicals buy the group and have them shipped to America.

Once in America, the animals are transported by tractor-trailers across the country to a “Christian” farm in Kansas, where seven television monitors are tuned to 24/7 church sermons and juxtaposed with scenes from a barn, a real circus. Even though they are animals, they can only take so much before they chase Mel from the barn, and Stanley, Manly Stanley, the black Belgian Stallion, kicks out the TV monitors for a moment of silence, giving peace a chance, however short-lived.

Favorite Lines:

“How do they say it in Kansas? Fucking A.”

“Jesus wouldn’t be caught dead in burlap”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is a satirical novel inspired by Animal Farm by George Orwell and follows a lot of the same themes revolving around the complex political and religious relationships in America.  While Julius the parrot and Blaise the cow can be seen as the protagonists of the story and representation of the every day woman/man caught between religious and political ideologies, the story also features a cast of other characters that each symbolize different aspects of society.

By utilizing talking animals, Maxson is able to dive into deeply complex subjects in a humorous and entertaining way. I found this book to be thought provoking without having to take it too seriously. I was a bit worried about the length of the novel at a glance – it is actually split into two books – but I found myself immersed in the world that Maxson creates and the pages began to practically turn themselves. 

Maxson did a great job at drawing inspiration from Animal Farm while still being able to make this story his own. The character writing, especially the dialogue, was  noteworthy. I found myself chuckling a lot under my breath and I realized that my humor might be a bit darker than I originally realized. Maxson utilizes a blend of dark humor and irony to help drive home not only the satirical nature of this story but also the absurdity that society often faces when it comes to religion and the politics that touch on it.

I have a potential hot take – I actually thought this book was more engaging than Animal Farm. This may have been due to just being more modern and therefore, easier for me to relate to. Please don’t come for me classic literature lovers…

Summary:

Overall, if you enjoyed Animal Farm and are a fan of satirical literature especially that which explores religious and political issues in today’s society, then this book could be for you.

Check out Pigs in Paradise here!

 

Monthly Features – June

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To Do Justice by Frank S. Joseph

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Set during the riots of 1965-66, To Do Justice tells the story of Pinkie, a mixed-race child of Chicago’s meanest streets … and Mollie, a lovelorn (white) reporter in the Chicago bureau of The Associated Press. Together this unlikely pair will track down the white woman who gave Pinkie birth, and score a Pulitzer-worthy scoop in the bargain.

Summary: Overall, if you like historical fiction that revolves around racial conflicts that examine race, identity, and politics especially in the setting of the Chicago riots in the 1960s, then this book could be for you. You can find the book trailer here. 

See the full review here: To Do Justice
Purchase here

Children of Madness by Jarrett Brandon Early

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: FOR A WORLD GONE CRAZY, ONLY THOSE RAISED AMONG MADNESS CAN HELP

The Imperator of Quaan restlessly awaits the centennial arrival of the Snail-Gods to cure the Gloomtide, a shadow of melancholy blanketing the Titian Empire. But when the Supreme Helices finally make landfall, they do so just out of reach of the distressed monarch, beyond a poisonous grove that separates man from messiah.

Fincher Bugg leads the Sour Flower Gang, the preeminent child harvesters of the Stenches, a town of outcasts condemned to diminished lives toiling away in toxic conditions. As Fincher and his four friends endure external abuse from outsiders, internally they also suffer, watching as their parents slowly succumb to the Maddening. Despite the solace of unbreakable friendship, life is unrelenting.

When a desperate king makes a seemingly magnanimous offer to a hopeless population, the Sour Flower Gang sets out on a harrowing expedition to find God for the very people who cast them aside.

During a journey in which the children encounter the unimaginable—both beautiful and nightmarish—a terrifying question takes shape. Are the Snail-Gods here to once more save mankind, or is the Gloomtide that has enveloped Quaan a precursor to humanity’s deserved end?

Summary: Overall, if you like epic fantasy full of action, adventure, suspense, friendship, and some mystery then this book could be for you.

See the full review here: Children of Madness
Purchase here

 

Review: Fireside Horror: The Wendlelow Mysteries by P.A. Sheldon

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Synopsis:

There is a troubled town nestled on the border of Shropshire and Powys. Steeped in folklore, domain of ghosts, it is witch haunted Wendlelow. Pity those who dwell there.
Here is an collection of interconnected tales, ghostly, gothic and monstrous, so curl up by the fire, dim the lights, and prepare to be horrified.

Favorite Lines:

Rather than picking favorite lines, I thought it would be more appropriate to pick out a couple of my favorite short stories from this collection:  The Witch-Brands of Wendlelow and The Tunnel.

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

I grew up with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, so you know I was excited to read this collection of mysterious and creepy stories. Spoiler: I was not disappointed. Sheldon brings a unique twist to both classic legends and new supernatural tales alike in this collection of short stories.

I chose to read this collection at night to really get in the mood for the creepy tales and I found myself having to turn a couple extra lights on! As an American, I am not very familiar with the area that this takes place in, near Shropshire and Powys, but they are real places and I imagine that if you are local, this book will have you nostalgic and maybe a touch paranoid. Nonetheless, being a local isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying this book as I certainly devoured it in one sitting.

I found that the tales were very well written and, as I had mentioned previously, Sheldon did a great job putting a unique spin on each plot. I was turning page after page and fully invested from start to finish. I hope that there are more to come for this collection in the future!

Summary:

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will certainly be reading it again closer to Halloween – but I’ll maybe make sure to leave some lights on…If you’re a fan of thrillers, horror, suspense, mystery, and the supernatural, then this book could be for you!

Check out Fireside Horror: The Wendlelow Mysteries here!

 

Children of Madness by Jarrett Brandon Early

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

FOR A WORLD GONE CRAZY, ONLY THOSE RAISED AMONG MADNESS CAN HELP

The Imperator of Quaan restlessly awaits the centennial arrival of the Snail-Gods to cure the Gloomtide, a shadow of melancholy blanketing the Titian Empire. But when the Supreme Helices finally make landfall, they do so just out of reach of the distressed monarch, beyond a poisonous grove that separates man from messiah.

Fincher Bugg leads the Sour Flower Gang, the preeminent child harvesters of the Stenches, a town of outcasts condemned to diminished lives toiling away in toxic conditions. As Fincher and his four friends endure external abuse from outsiders, internally they also suffer, watching as their parents slowly succumb to the Maddening. Despite the solace of unbreakable friendship, life is unrelenting.

When a desperate king makes a seemingly magnanimous offer to a hopeless population, the Sour Flower Gang sets out on a harrowing expedition to find God for the very people who cast them aside.

During a journey in which the children encounter the unimaginable—both beautiful and nightmarish—a terrifying question takes shape. Are the Snail-Gods here to once more save mankind, or is the Gloomtide that has enveloped Quaan a precursor to humanity’s deserved end?

Favorite Lines:

“Ash’s heart jumped again. She blamed it on the exertion of the pull.”

“Good. You have each other. That’s more than most in this cursed land. Do not take that for granted. Together,  you can move worlds.”

“I know that they’re carnivores. But as to what kind of carni they vore, I have no idea.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

One thing that I love about fantasy is that you can pretty much think up whatever you want. There are no rules to follow and your creativity is not bound to the laws of our every day world. The story that Early weaves in Children of Madness is just one example of this. This story follows Fincher Bugg and his friends as they set foot on a journey on behalf of the ruler of Quaan who is desperate to reach what is supposed to be the answer for humankinds survival – the Snail-Gods.

This book was a journey in itself. Early creates an utterly unique world unlike anything I have ever read before that is still somehow believable. While there are themes that run parallel to what we see in our every day lives in reality, Early scatters them throughout this story in a creative and refreshing way. I wasn’t expecting this to be a coming of age-esque story but it still pulled in that direction to me; perhaps it was the constant theme of friendship throughout.

I did find that while this book is quite long, I never really felt like it was a chore to read. Each chapter had good pacing and I found myself somehow wanting more by the end of the book. I also appreciated the map at the beginning to keep my bearings throughout the journey.

Summary:

Overall, if you like epic fantasy full of action, adventure, suspense, friendship, and some mystery then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out Children of Madness here!

 

Review: The Mutiny of the American Foreign Legion by Neal Alexander

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Synopsis:

Hugo Ayala has burned his bridges with the Colombian military by denouncing murders committed by his former officers. After surviving a bloody assignment in Yemen with an American security company, he completes U.S. Army basic training. But he’s blocked from becoming a green card soldier by new anti-immigration laws. He stays on as an illegal, and joins the American Foreign Legion, an immigration rights group whose members have fought for the USA.

Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is detaining and deporting thousands of people a day, without due process. But now the communities being targeted include Hugo and others who know how to fight back. The leader of the AFL has his own political backers and doubtful motives. As each side ratchets up the violence, American political unity starts to crack.

This gripping thriller which draws on current events and little-known facts:

– Many non-citizens serve in the US armed forces and as employees of American security contractors. For example, the second US Marine killed in action in the Iraq War was Guatemalan. A recent MIT study of these green card soldiers is subtitled “Between Model Immigrant and Security Threat”.

– Border Patrol agents “have gone from having one of the most obscure jobs in law enforcement to one of the most hated,” according to the New York Times. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deport people without due process, including US Citizens.

– A recent Chicago Tribune op-ed describes how current how the current “struggles over immigration echo the conflict over slavery”. Confrontations in Texas over immigration have been described as “civil war” in the New York Times.

Favorite Lines:

“When you’re under fire, do you think any category is going to protect you?”

“So you’re doubly illegal, man. just who we need at these peace talks.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story mostly follows Hugo Ayala, an immigrant soldier who comes to the US and originally plans to enlist as a green card solider but finds himself blocked due to anti-immigration laws. Despite this road block, he finds a new way to fight for immigration rights and the US by joining the American Foreign Legion, an immigration rights group. Hugo quickly finds himself thrown into a chaotic world full of hidden agendas that has him questioning who he can really trust.

When I received the review request from this book, I was on the fence about reading it but I have been branching out a lot recently to genres/books that I wouldn’t normally read and have been pleasantly surprised every time; this book was no exception. While technically fiction, this book sheds light on real, current events that are taking place in the US that many people probably know nothing about.

Alexander did a great job at creating a fictitious story that walks the line of reality. I thought the world building and character writing were both very well done and the creative way that Alexander introduced real-life political issues throughout was just the cherry on top. The pacing was just right for the story being told and I found myself at the edge of my seat several times, turning page after page to see what happens next.

One thing to note is that there are a lot of PoV changes. It seems like every chapter is flipping from one character/setting to another so pay attention to this as you read through. Once I got settled in with all the characters and storylines, I didn’t find it hard to follow and I especially enjoyed Valentina’s scenes journey. 

Summary:

Overall, if you like fiction that straddles the lines of reality and that touches on political topics especially related to US immigration rights and the US military, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out The Mutiny of the American Foreign Legion here!

Above Dark Waters by Eric Kay

~ likelystory18 ~ 1 Comment

Synopsis:

Artificial therapy so great, you’ll never log off! (And won’t notice the ads). A near-future sci-fi about brain privacy in the age of unfettered surveillance capitalism. What will companies do when they can read your actual mind? How far will they go to get your click? How much engagement? This is how cyberpunk starts.

Ed’s in a bind. He’s tried everything to keep the North Pacific Seastead afloat financially. Losses mount, except for the datacenter cooled by the Pacific. But the seastead needs an infusion of cash to keep it solvent. He needs it quickly, and the only one who can do it is his well-to-do partner, Keight.

Keight Stanford is doing great. Life’s good on her residential condominium complex offshore of San Francisco. Her secretive mental-health startup, WellSpring, has passed all hurdles with the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat PTSD using a brain-machine interface. Adding to that success, she just received an infusion of funds from the Department of Defense. Though she does not need the money, she needs the computing power for an artificial therapist, and has entertained Ed’s offer.

But all is not as it seems with Keight’s startup. A rogue programmer stumbles upon ways to boost his output to unnatural levels. Is this artificially intelligent co-coder an extension of his mind, or is he merely a tool of its growing intelligence? Meanwhile the CEO is secretly selling the data to ad companies to finance a free tier. Because who could argue against free therapy?

Now, Ed must decide if Keight really is going to save the world, or doom it to a boring dystopia of personalized addictive ads.

Favorite Lines:

“Oh great, because I couldn’t keep a marriage together now, the whole progress of humanity is held back.”

“All the minds of man and heaven are ransom.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows two main characters who are exes when we are introduced to them. As the story unfolds, we see the background to why they didn’t work and how they got to where they currently are.

I would classify this book as a sci-fi, cyberpunk, Black Mirror-esque story that thoroughly creeped me out because of how close the topics Kay dives into could be to reality in the near future. In this world that Kay introduces us to, AI assisted brain technologies exist and people are signing up for access. What starts as brain therapy turns into the opportunity to be immersed in a virtual reality that causes users to slowly lose touch with what is actually reality.

I think that the world that Kay built was very unique. The characters that we get to follow along with are very human and Kay does a good job at causing readers to reflect on what it really means to be human and live the lives we currently live, in the realities we are currently living in. I called it Black Mirror-esque because I could see this being the plot to one of their future episodes. As technology continues to advance outside of the stories we are reading or tv shows we are watching, the topics explored in this story could very well become our future someday and perhaps we should learn some lessons such as those explored in this story to be ready for that future.

Summary:

Overall, if you’re a fan of sci-fi, cyberpunk, fictions involving AI technologies, and stories with a Black Mirror tone, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out Above Dark Waters here!

 

Review: Captives by Travis Tougaw

~ likelystory18 ~ 1 Comment

Synopsis:

A child disappears, leaving behind a broken and grieving family. With no witnesses, no motives, and no evidence, Hadley, Vince, and Eddie must delve deep into the past to piece together what really happened, unaware of the powerful enemies they’re about to make.

Two-year-old Jonah Davidson disappeared from his family’s front yard 15 years ago. While most people believe he’s dead or will never be found, his desperate sister turns to the Fleck, Collins, and Marcotte Agency for help. As the detectives dig up clues from the past, they uncover a web of secrets, including some of Hadley’s own. As she struggles to come to terms with her past, the team confronts present-day adversaries who will do anything to keep their deceit from coming to light. The case takes the team on a chase across Colorado, where one misstep could prove deadly.

Captives is an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Well-crafted and surprising, Travis Tougaw’s latest novel will keep you turning pages until the end. Don’t miss Vince and Hadley’s new adventure!

Favorite Lines:

“A flock of Canada geese flew overhead, squawking their way south. The air held a chill like it could snow any moment, and Hadley smelled a wood-burning fireplace nearby. She loved fall in Colorado.”

“We have way too many cases that end with one of us in a hospital bed.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was racking my brain trying to come up with the last time I read a true detective novel and the only thing that came up was Nancy Drew….Suffice to say it has been quite some time but after this book, I know I’ll be reading more in this genre in the near future.

This is book two in the series – you can find book one here – but I don’t think it is a requirement to read book one before this. Each book follows the same group of detectives but features a separate case. In this one, the detective agency doesn’t usually take on this type of case – a missing child cold case – but Hadley Collins has personal reasons for wanting to get involved. Readers follow along with the detective team through a suspenseful mystery as they try to solve the case.

This was suspenseful, a thriller, mysterious, captivating, and addicting! I couldn’t put it down and ended up staying up until 2am to finish it!  It had me on the edge of my seat and threw me for a loop with a plot twist that I didn’t see coming. I thought Tougaw did an excellent job with this one and I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series after this!

Summary:

Overall, if you like mysteries, investigative thrillers, and/or detective stories, then this book could be for you. Word of advice, start it earlier in the day so you aren’t up until 2am trying to finish it because you can’t put it down! Happy reading!

Check out Captives here!

 

Review: To Do Justice by Frank S. Joseph

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Set during the riots of 1965-66, To Do Justice tells the story of Pinkie, a mixed-race child of Chicago’s meanest streets … and Mollie, a lovelorn (white) reporter in the Chicago bureau of The Associated Press. Together this unlikely pair will track down the white woman who gave Pinkie birth, and score a Pulitzer-worthy scoop in the bargain.

Favorite Lines:

“Now I’m a pretty solid person. Most of the time I’m good at ignoring my impulses. It’s the German blood on Mom’s side maybe.”

“I responded that I’d felt discriminated myself – about my weight, my acne, the fact that I’m a single woman in a man’s world.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

To Do Justice is book three in Joseph’s The Chicago Trilogy. I have not read the other two in the series yet but it seems like each book can serve as a stand alone. In this book, readers find themselves dropped in the middle of the 1960s Chicago riots and all that comes with them. While there are many characters in this story, the main characters include a biracial girl who is forced to the streets by her foster parents and a white reporter who befriends her and agrees to help solve the mystery of her parentage. This vaguely reminded me of the TV show “I Am the Night” which also takes place in the 1960s and has a reporter helping a girl uncover her heritage. The show is set in Los Angeles and Nevada and is inspired by true events with secrets surrounding the Black Dahlia murder.

This story is for anyone who is interested in reading about the conflicts that arose during the 1960s, especially in Chicago. I felt immersed in the world that Joseph created from the descriptions of the scenes to the dialogue used during the conversations. Joseph does an excellent job at examining questions around gender and identity, racial politics, and the over arching question of what the value of human life is. While the story takes place in the 1960s, a lot of these themes are still prevalent today and Joseph shines a light on them in a creative way.

Summary:

Overall, if you like historical fiction that revolves around racial conflicts that examine race, identity, and politics especially in the setting of the Chicago riots in the 1960s, then this book could be for you. You can find the book trailer here. Happy reading!

Check out To Do Justice here!