Tag: Satire Book

Monthly Features – July

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Pigs in Paradise by Roger Maxson

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

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.

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.

See the full review here: Pigs in Paradise
Purchase here

 

The Gates of Yoffa by J. Brandon Barnes

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

Synopsis: A MISSION UNLIKE ANY OTHER.WHAT THEY FOUND WAS BEYOND BELIEF. John Lewis is a computer scientist recruited for a covert mission in the deepest regions of space.

When he makes a seemingly critical error during a test flight, the operation’s only orbiter crashes on a lush, highly classified planet. This leaves John, his boss Dirk, and exobiologist Ruth stranded, with few supplies and little chance of rescue.

Their best hope for escape is a lost landing craft that detached during their descent. To find it, they must search an unknown world while infiltrating the first extraterrestrial society human beings have ever encountered.

But this isn’t their greatest challenge. It’s something else. Something far more profound. Revealed through the aliens’ storytelling culture is a secret that could destabilize Earth and civilization as we know it.

And that secret is about to be exposed.

Summary: Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this book and am interested to see if Barnes has anything more up his sleeve. If you like sci-fi full of exploration, survival, friendship, and storytelling with a touch of romance and religion, then this book could be for you.

See the full review here: The Gates of Yoffa
Purchase 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!

 

Review: Lunch Eater by Sean Mackaay

~ likelystory18 ~ Leave a comment

Synopsis:

Brian is a public servant. He is his career and his career is him. He spends his days besieged by coworkers that he believes he is far better than.
The politicians put demands on his time and sanity that he wishes he could live without. Someone in the office is stealing lunches from the communal fridge.
As a mysterious virus sweeps across the world, sending people insane, Brian and his team work to protect the economy. Brian knows they can save the world and maybe they can, if only his team stops getting in his way.
Part workplace comedy, part cosmic horror, part reflection on the global pandemic, Lunch Eater will speak to anyone who has ever hated their job or just tried to get through the day.

Favorite lines:

“They don’t realise that the class warfare extends to those of us that went to university. No one really cares what university you studied at our what your degree is, it’s not like you use any of that knowledge in your work. They do care about what school you went to before university. That tells them your pedigree. That tells them your family and the environment you were raised in.”

“The 6.45am train into the city is haunted by the unaware. eye contact is unwelcome. Talking is verboten. No one notices anything of their fellow passengers. This is the way it is. This is the way it should be.”

My Opinion:

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

The two phrases that come to mind when trying to describe this book are humorously dramatic and entertainingly chaotic. Both of which could also be used to describe my personality probably 75% of the time so me and this book got along just fine.

This is a satire about being a public servant but I would expand it beyond public service work to anyone who feels like they are on the “working for the man” grind. In my opinion, there is a generational shift in how work is viewed with younger generations valuing their work/life balance far more than those older than us who will eat, sleep, and breathe work if they can. This humorous story captures that notion in a mad, apocalyptical vision.

There were a few spelling/grammatical errors and the narrative shifts were a bit confusing at times causing me to go back in order to comprehend where the story was pivoting. Other than those minor nit-picky details, this was an interesting read.

Summary:

Overall, if you like satirical humor especially about the 9-5 work grind, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Lunch Eater