BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS:

Showing Tag: "war" (Show all posts)

"Wisdom and the Baobab Tree" by Edward R. McMahon

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, December 9, 2024, In : Book Reviews 

Quite a heavy going read, but pretty entertaining for it.  Edward McMahon is a great writer with an undoubted interest in his subject matter, though I would suggest this book will appeal primarily to those who share his passion for the nuts and bolts of Sub-Saharan politics, politics general or democratic process in the making.  In it, an American diplomat is tasked with liaising with all parties to ensure fair and democratic elections in the fictional Central African country Kombonia.  As yo...


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"Fragments of Time" by Jan Lloyd

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, August 25, 2024, In : Book Reviews 

Heartfelt and warm, this is Jan’s variation on the wonderful, well-trodden path of the premise of love across intersecting timelines.  Pure fantasy at its most romantic, but it’s much more than just a trope.  For starters, Jan is a truly gifted author, whose work I have read enough of to know that not only does she glow with creative writing quality, but she knows her specialist genre well, that being wartime Britain.  The war referred to on this occasion, unlike those I’ve read before ...


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"The Power of Water" by James Grimm

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, In : Book Reviews 


Some significant time investment is required for this superbly written war fantasy, by an author of real personality and capability.  First, it is long, and feels it sometimes, due to the ensemble cast of characters and parallel storylines; second, I am unusually content to spoil in this respect, by advising that the book is left open, so be warned.  I think it is only fair to advise you that you are expected to engross yourself utterly in the soap of these characters’ lives for the foresee...


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"Search and Destroy" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, In : Book Reviews 



Another entry from the excellent Glyn Haynie, on the tours of duty of Sergeant Andy Carter, in the Vietnam War.  Gritty and gripping as always, veteran Glyn’s books are as accurate a portrayal of the day-to-day life of soldiers on the ground as you are ever likely to read.  This is perhaps a less eventful tale than previous instalments, though as always there is no shortage of action – nor heartrending casualties.  Given another mission, to locate and destroy an NVA base situated amongst ...


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"Eye Contact Over Truk" by Stephanie Woodman

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, May 18, 2024, In : Book Reviews 

A beautifully written and poignant book exploring the long-term effects of war on the human psyche, this is as good a study of post-war trauma and melancholy reflection as you are likely to read, delivered by Stephanie in a thought-provoking and warmly endearing style.

Eye Contact Over Truk is all about its themes and its characters, as two men go on a wreck-diving excursion to the South Pacific island – the site of a devastating air and naval battle in the American-Japanese branch of Worl...


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"Rescue Run" by John Winn Miller

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, In : Book Reviews 



This is a sequel but you wouldn’t particularly know that, nor is it necessary to; this book pretty much stands alone.  If you like action-packed World War Two stories, this will be right up your street, about a U.S. naval commander who finds himself immersed in a dangerous mission helping the Resistance rescue and smuggle Jews out of Europe.  It is that welcome mixture of just the right amount of swashbuckling with a significant amount of accurate historical detail.  There are some great ch...


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"The Sins of Doc Rat" by Trey Meade

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, In : Book Reviews 



It is clearly with no small amount of affection that Tim Adams presents this collection of short stories by his late good friend Trey Meade.  I enjoy short stories a great deal, and the more cerebral the better; these are sublime.  Trey was an absolutely superb writer, from a tender age, too.  Even in the heat and horror of the Vietnam War, this veteran was waxing lyrical and philosophizing with a maturity, class and cultural refinement way beyond his years.  His prose is exquisite at times, ...


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"Mamluks of Thunder Island" by Aly Brisha

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, In : Book Reviews 

This is a tremendously well-written and well-edited book, by an undoubted professional at the peak of his potential, though its narrative feels a touch obscure at times, perhaps abstract or even metaphorical in places.  Whether it is set in a utopian or dystopian far-future is perhaps a matter of opinion at times, depending on what your ideal society looks like; I would veer more toward the latter, as there are touches of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Island about this one, particularly in th...


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"The World We Deserve" by T.K. Kanwar

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, January 12, 2024, In : Book Reviews 



Stories about an oppressive dictatorship in the very near future are bang on trend at the moment, but very few are as good as this soul-destroying cautionary tale by T.K. Kanwar.  In fact, the last time I read a book quite this good on the subject was, in fact, the last time I read and reviewed a book by Kanwar.  The World We Deserve is not so much a direct sequel to Identity Crisis as the afterword may lead you to believe, but it is definitely a series of sorts, in the same narrative vein, o...


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"Hardened Steel: A Warrior's Odyssey" by Victor Grego

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, In : Book Reviews 

It has to be said, the word “epic” is one which is often bandied about far too liberally by publishers and authors, particularly in regard to historical drama, and even more so when they have a military or wartime premise.  But I’m not hurling superlatives when saying that Hardened Steel by Victor Gregor meets the criteria in the purest way.  Furthermore, it is not just epic; it is fantastic.  A real sprawling tale in the same vein as The Revenant, as its narrative almost weaves its way...


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"The Land of Now and Then" by Irene Edwards

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, December 4, 2023, In : Book Reviews 

Another magical outing for the kids of White Stone Town in Wales, their third in this series, and in my opinion this may well be the best of the three, if only for its pure educational value.  Don’t get me wrong, all the books in the Magic Islands series, aimed at the 8-12 age group, are fantastic sources of information about the planet and the environment generally, but while the earlier two books were much more explicitly cautionary tales about the environment, and the dangers of man-made...


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"War Torn Book 2: The French Girl" by Jan Lloyd

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, November 9, 2023, In : Book Reviews 



Having read and enjoyed the first in the War Torn series by Jan Lloyd – an excellent book, I should add – I was looking forward to this, the second, and had high hopes.  It did feel, and forgive the cliché, a little like revisiting old acquaintances to see how they’re getting on.  This offering wasn’t quite up there with its predecessor, but matching it would have been no mean feat.  To be honest, this one didn’t have the same exciting, dramatic story arc; which is not surprising, ...


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"The Crossroad of War and War" by Bokang Murdock Montjan

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, November 2, 2023, In : Book Reviews 



When you first start reading this book, clearly translated from the author’s first written language, what you will find is a tremendously powerful fable, which is disturbing and heart-rending in equal measure.  At the very least, it gives us a dramatic insight into growing up in a culture most of us will be unfamiliar with.  And it is very good.  This book is an eye-opener; perhaps most upsetting of all is the matter-of-fact language Bokang uses to tell a tale of friendships destroyed and l...


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"Make The Dark Night Shine" by Alan Lessik

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, October 22, 2023, In : Book Reviews 

This is a truly beautiful book, epic and grand in scale.  Alan Lessik writes in melodic and lyrical style, telling a sweeping tale of love between the world wars, how ordinary people’s lives were so disrupted by the collapse of relations between nations, and indeed how a peace-loving man finds himself tested at every turn, by global events and tragic ones in his own life.

This is much more than simple LGBT romance, and it would be tremendously unfair to categorize it exclusively as such.  ...


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"Sexy Erotic Lingerie" by B.C. Howard

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, August 31, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


It’s always nice to read a book which has a slightly different character edge to it, and the more realistic the better, I think.  This is particularly satisfying when applied to a common, standard premise.  That pretty much describes Will Chisholm, the hero of B.C. Howard’s Sexy Erotic Lingerie.  It is an otherwise formulaic noir action thriller, perhaps with more focus on plot development than actual action; the character twist in this case being that the primary protagonist is addicted ...


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"Chaos in the Cosmos" by Irene Edwards

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


The second instalment in Irene Edwards’s Magic Islands series of books for 8-12-year-old children, and I have to say that, in my opinion, this is something of an altogether slightly darker offering – not so much in its content, but rather the environmental message.  In the first book, the message was clear: we should care for and respect our oceans; but in Chaos in the Cosmos, the world is literally burned by those mean Purple Wizards, who have accelerated global warming in revenge for th...


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"Magic Islands" by Irene Edwards

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, In : Book Reviews 

This is the first in the Magic Islands series of books from Welsh author Irene Edwards, and it is something of a treat.  These are charming books for younger kids, I’d say from the eight to twelve age range, and the series gets off to a promising start with this exciting tale combining light-hearted magical fantasy with an important environmental message.  There may be some people who say why does this always have to be the case; why can’t we just allow kids to be kids without always tell...


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"Mac: The Wind Beneath My Wings" by Sherry Hobbs

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


On the surface, this is your usual, run-of-the-mill biography of an undeniably quite amazing career air-force soldier.  But when reading you find it is actually more than that – far more.  In fact, the life story of World War Two bomber pilot Colonel Harold McNeese, known to all as Mac, is a relatively very small part of this book, which rather seems to deliver two narratives simultaneously.  Whilst the opening chapters and the final third delves more intimately into Mac’s life, the large...


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"In the Garden of Sorrows" by Karen Jewell

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, In : Book Reviews 



Slow-burning, cerebral drama isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I have to say that author Karen Jewell really lives up to her name with this sublimely atmospheric piece; it’s a gem.  Set in the southern states of depression-era America, it is appropriately melancholy, and so it should be, with its grim subject matter of a rural farming couple watching their marriage fall apart following the death of their son in the first world war.  Bleak and moody, you wouldn’t think there was a great...


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"Caught in the Crossfire" by Lance B. Wilkins

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, July 9, 2023, In : Book Reviews 




This is a superb book, and Lance Wilkins is an exceptional writer.  He has a use of syntax and a writing style which are utterly engaging and wonderfully endearing, and I found myself gripped from start to finish.  Caught in the Crossfire is, in some ways, a very simple tale of a rescue mission, though it is not really the story itself which is the real point of this book; that is simply a three-act mechanism to craft this world Lance brings us into – which he does flawlessly; you feel ever...


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"War Torn" by Jan Lloyd

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, March 31, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


This is an excellent book, which throws one curve ball after another; I had no idea that it was going to go in the direction it did, and I defy you to predict it, too, even beyond halfway.  If I have one gripe it is that perhaps the ending is a little abrupt and something of shorn wick, but in other ways this perhaps suits the story arc, which is actually a little unsatisfying, but in a good way, because it is a true-to-life, realistic narrative.

Jan knows her subject matter very well, and t...


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"Project Neon" by Jonathan K. Crockett

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, March 17, 2023, In : Book Reviews 



The real project to be admired here is Jonathan’s epic book – vast and hugely impressive, Project Neon is a fantastic achievement.  And, more to the point, it is a tremendously good book; the author should be immensely proud.  That said, I felt it wasn’t quite as polished as it absolutely should be, and warrants, which is a shame, and the reason for my decision to drop a star; it is fair to say that this is a book which should otherwise be worthy of full praise.  Whilst Jonathan is clea...


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"Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family" by Cathy Burnham Martin

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, September 29, 2022, In : Book Reviews 

I wasn’t fortunate enough to read the first of Cathy’s semi-biographical “Destiny” trilogy, but with no idea to support my belief, I can’t help thinking that I really got lucky with Book Two – it is wonderful, just a lovely book, on so many levels.  Telling the story of four generations of Cathy’s (“Cassie’s”) family following their emigration from Armenia to the United States at the dawn of the twentieth century, with a part fictionalized slant, there is a fair amount of ...


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"Identity Crisis" by T.K. Kanwar

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, February 4, 2022, In : Book Reviews 


Let’s get this clear, right off the bat: this book is outstanding.  Tremendous.  Simply the best book I’ve read in a very long time, without a hint of doubt.  Furthermore, while it is very rare for me to stoop to the cliched hyperbole that a book “should be read by everyone”, in this case, given its subject matter and current societal trend, not to mention the book’s sheer quality, it absolutely must be read by everyone, right now, before it’s too late – although, of course, mos...


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"The Firebase" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, November 27, 2021, In : Book Reviews 


This is the fourth instalment of Glyn Haynie’s Vietnam War novella series, and it might just be the best yet.  No nonsense this time around; The Firebase is just full-on action, as Andy Carter and his squad of brothers find themselves hopelessly outnumbered and under brutal and merciless attack by the Viet Cong.  The format of this episode is a tense siege, which may be the ultimate battle for a group of soldiers we have come to know and love over the series.

No one does reality of war lik...


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"Being Netta Wilde" by Hazel Ward

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, November 7, 2021, In : Book Reviews 


Even though not at all my cup of tea, this was an utterly engaging book which I read in a few gripped sessions.  There is no denying the quality of Hazel Ward; her writing is articulate, vivid and raw, drawing the reader into the characters’ lives like the script of a soap (a good one, not Eastenders).  All of this, despite the fact that I actually found Netta Wilde to be a particularly irritating personality, like the friend you try to put off meeting, because you pretty much know what the...


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"The Ambush" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, In : Book Reviews 

The third instalment in Glyn Haynie’s superb Vietnam War novella series is an altogether more action-packed addition.  This time, Carter and the squad are out for full on retribution, hunting their traitorous former brother in the V.C.-infested Quang Ngai Province.  Glyn’s finest creative quality is his authenticity – being a Vietnam veteran, of course, gives him a tremendous insight and credibility, which can’t be fabricated, yet he also has an unusual ability of taking his books dow...


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"The Ville" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, October 30, 2021, In : Book Reviews 


Another short, sharply scripted snippet from Glyn, in the form of a mission-based segment of the Vietnam War.  Whilst a standalone episode on its own right, on this occasion covering themes of bravery and acceptance, in the most testing of conditions, this is additionally a direct sequel to The Tunnel, though set several months later.  Being the middle of the series, this could easily be a filler instalment for its own sake (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers springs to mind), but it is not; l...


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"The Tunnel" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, In : Book Reviews 


You always know what you’re going to get with Glyn Haynie: in a nutshell, some of the very best Vietnam War drama, fictionalized with no frills and no gloss, by a veteran and authority in the subject.  And this bite-sized portion – which is ideally read in one dedicated evening – is no different in terms of its quality and impact.  Still the fear, day-to-day uncertainty and routine mundaneness of the war zone – walking, thinking about home, sleeping, eating, fighting and hoping always...


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"Cold Star" by Dick Woodgate

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, July 4, 2021, In : Book Reviews 

If you like James Bond of the 1960s, with a touch of Michael Caine’s thinking spy, you’ll love this well-penned espionage book set at the height of the Cold War’s space race.  With more than a small element of those Adventure Books for Boys, which were so popular in the 60s and 70s, the unnamed secret agent goes from one extreme situation to another, from cliff-scaling to wreck-diving, with nothing more than his own grit and wit as an ally, when sent to investigate a huge explosion in M...


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"Consequences: An Intelligence Officer's War" by David Grantham

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, June 14, 2021, In : Book Reviews 


An intelligent book about intelligence, and David Grantham certainly has the credentials to write it.  When you see this is a book about an agency posting in the war zones of Iraq, against the backdrop of the birth of ISIS, you do start to worry that it is going down a disturbing and brutal path – and, truthfully, this book is at times genuinely quite frightening.  Fortunately, though, the author veers away from the horrors of the Islamic fundamentalists he fights against, in favour of an a...


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"Sunshine Blues" by Bob Calverley

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, April 18, 2021, In : Book Reviews 


There’s something of a feel of pulp about this well-crafted and well-written crime/wartime thriller.  With its cast of an abused teenage runaway rock star, a vicious Vietnamese gangster, corrupt cops, a sleazy senator and a warzone murder cover-up and conspiracy, the ingredients are definitely there for the tangled narrative you would expect from noir fiction – of course, they must be connected, but there are generally two separate storylines going on across the anthology.  And connected ...


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"The Ordinary Leader" by Geoff Lew

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, January 10, 2021, In : Book Reviews 



An imaginative and highly creative take on motivation and life coaching by a non-fiction author who is entertaining and engaging.  Lew infuses large swathes of personality and humour into his writing, and is very easy to relate to.  He clearly has huge interest and knowledge of his field of expertise: the military history of ancient China.  Using popular fables and anecdotes from this long, eventful period, he goes on to apply the lessons of the time to how we approach life generally in the m...


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"Vidas: Deep in Mexico and Spain" by Edward Stanton

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, December 31, 2020, In : Book Reviews 



A detailed fictionalized memoir, which presents the second person viewpoint (i.e. you, the reader) as the main protagonist.  It is not clear why Stanton chose this tyle of narrative, though I would like to think (probably incorrectly) that the “you” to which he refers is a real person, to whom this book is tribute.  Telling the account of a divorced American man of Spanish heritage, who travels south to Mexico, then across the Atlantic to the old country, to explore his roots, in fact the...


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"Pelham on Parole" by Carl Plummer

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, In : Book Reviews 



I do like a bit of British curmudgeonry, and this well written, well-crafted example of suaveness is your classic wartime comic adventure, very much with a feel of The Thirty-Nine Steps about it, infused with the tongue in cheek innuendo of John Steed and Emma Peel.

It’s a good, fun read, as our roguish upper-class spook is charged with recovering and transporting a top-secret suitcase, which can change the outcome of the imminent breakout of World War Two.  Hitler and Churchill alike are ...


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"The Ultra Betrayal" by Glenn Dyer

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, August 2, 2020, In : Book Reviews 

Dyer is a good, professional author and this World War Two espionage thriller is a work of quality, research and attention to detail.  Based largely on factual events, The Ultra Betrayal tells the story of a Bletchley cryptologist who appears to have gone rogue, and is pursued by American and British MI6 agents before he can sell crucial intelligence to the Germans – information of such value it could change the whole outcome of the war.  It is a slow burner, with huge swathes of simmering ...


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"Revenge is Coming" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, July 26, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


I’ve been fortunate enough to read some great books over the years, as well as some superb series, but it is not often one witnesses an anomaly such as this: a trilogy which produces three works of genuine quality;  Glyn Haynie concludes his Promises… Vietnam War trilogy with this more outright thriller – and it is another cracker.

Ten years on from Return to the Madness, Eddie is still haunted by nightmares of his traumatic tours of duty, and still vowing revenge against his cruel cap...


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"Thryke: The Man That Nobody Knew" by Simon Gary

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, In : Book Reviews 

Another tremendous book from Simon Gary, and in this prequel to the wonderful Gone to the Dogs he has really honed his craft in character development; Thryke is a masterclass.  Not reaching out for some of the hilarity or bawdy laughs of its predecessor, this instalment is a much more subtle, poignant comedy, with greater focus on the genuinely moving emotive elements of …Dogs: sadness, happiness, romance and a life of rural innocence.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a great fan of Cornelius ...


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"A Nation Interrupted" by Kevin McDonald

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, May 30, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


An outstanding book by Kevin McDonald, and a work of numerous tremendous qualities, from an author who is highly educated in his subject matter, as well as superbly eloquent.  McDonald undoubtedly knows his local, geo-political and military history, and whilst the factual elements of the story are presented well and worth reading about on their own, he conspicuously manages to achieve what others frequently attempt and fall short at: presenting a highly plausible alternative history timeline,...


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"The Dead Don't Sleep" by Steven Max Russo

Posted by Margaret Walker on Saturday, May 23, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


Review by Margaret –

I remember from my childhood the National Service Advertisements calling up our young men to fight in Vietnam.  I remember the anti-war demonstrations, and I know the psychological scars Australians still carry from fighting.  So, when I read Steven Max Russo’s The Dead Don’t Sleep, it came as no surprise to learn that his Vietnam veterans have a few hang-ups as well.  Hard drinking, tough talk and drug use abound, and the three perpetrators as well as the protagon...


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"Hotel Inspire" by Douglas Warren

Posted by Margaret Walker on Thursday, April 23, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


Henry Harris is about to be awakened.  He has passed his entire twenty-nine years in his parents’ comfortable apartment in Manhattan, devoid of relationships, other than with books.  But his passion for creating poetry proves his salvation, when he bravely decides to leave his front door for the first time in his life, to attend a summer writers’ retreat at the Hôtel Inspiré, a guesthouse in the south of France, in a mountain village devoid of infrastructure.

As a special education tea...


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"A Heart on the River" by John Bauer

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, April 19, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


This author knows his stuff, and this is a high-quality work – hugely entertaining and instantly engaging.  I was hooked right from the off, and this didn’t fade; in fact, the more I read, the more eager I was to find out where this unusual tale was heading.

Alternating two parallel timelines, it accompanies a grieving, middle-aged U.S. State worker, back for Xmas from working in Afghanistan, who finds himself immediately hospitalized for a DVT the moment he lands in the U.S.  As he recu...


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"Return to the Madness" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, In : Book Reviews 

Another day, another excellent Vietnam war book from Glyn.  A direct sequel to Promises to the Fallen, this instalment kicks off immediately following the tense ending to its predecessor as, much to his new wife’s horror, Eddie is to return to the jungles of Quang Ngai for his second tour of duty.  This time, however, his experience values him much more highly, and he is selected for a small, novel search and rescue unit.  His new adventures will reunite him with old friends, and introduce ...


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"The Soloist" by Donald Gates

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, March 2, 2020, In : Book Reviews 



Donald Gates is a fine espionage author with an enviable knowledge and an admirable work ethic, and The Soloist is no less than a gripping, interesting, exciting thriller, which lingers more on the cerebral than the action, and relies on the intelligence of its reader - which is always a good thing, and something I take as a compliment, as the reader.  In the vein of Frederick Forsyth, the antagonist is the lead character, and a very cool, callous one he is at that, going about his business w...


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"Bullets and Bandages" by Robert J. Saniscalchi

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, February 6, 2020, In : Book Reviews 



Robert has clearly put a huge amount of work into this Vietnam war drama.  For somebody who never fought himself, but has written this book as a clear tribute to the brave men who fought and died, with help from his veteran brother, the research and passion he has applied to it is admirably on show for all to see.  I have read many Vietnam war memoirs, and I can truly say that this is as authentic an account as you will read from an author who was not present; the terminology, feelings of fea...


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"Promises to the Fallen" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, December 2, 2019, In : Book Reviews 


This is the third I have read from the consistently brilliant Glyn Haynie, and it is a remarkable change in direction from him, as he moves away from his trademark Vietnam memoir format, into fiction.  Glyn has proven to be every bit as superb a fiction author as he is when sharing his non-fiction autobiography series.  Still on the familiar ground of the Vietnam war, this time Glyn has crafted a riveting, poignant, detailed and hugely authentic story of a young man’s tour of duty in 1969: ...


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"Destiny's War Part 1: Saladin's Secret" by Pyram King

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, November 2, 2019, In : Book Reviews 

I love reading about turn of the 20th century British military camaraderie – the stiff upper lip and “golden age of cricket”, and Pyram King’s language in this respect is a delight.  It feels authentic and quintessentially English.  This short book – the first in a series – is adapted fiction from the real diaries of Francis Marion Jäger, an American journalist sent to Syria in World War One, to join the British forces fighting against the Turks and Arab mercenaries of the Ottoma...


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"WHEN I TURNED NINETEEN" BY GLYN HAYNIE

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, March 24, 2019, In : Book Reviews 



Glyn Haynie is a superb author, with whom I am already acquainted, having read and reviewed the follow-up: “Finding My Platoon Brothers”.  One thing which struck me when reading this book, compared to his reminiscences in the sequel, is that his humanity appears much deeper nowadays, than then at 19 – though perhaps this comes with age; perhaps reflection.  I couldn’t help thinking that very quickly into his tour of duty (weeks, maybe) he appeared already to be desensitizing to the ho...


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"Finding My Platoon Brothers" by Glyn Haynie

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, March 2, 2019, In : Book Reviews 



Instantly, even before starting the book, and then reading the introductory matter, the poignancy of this book strikes you, and you know immediately it is going to be an affecting read, compounded not only by the terrible trauma these poor young boys (little more than children, in many cases) experienced in the Vietnam war, but, perhaps in some ways more upsettingly, by the disgraceful injustice of vilification by their own country, upon their return.  To draw a positive, though, these experi...


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"FATHER DIVINE'S BIKES" BY STEVE BASSETT

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, August 19, 2018, In : Book Reviews 



“Father Divine’s Bikes” is a fantastically written and utterly enthralling book by a very talented author.  It is at its best when a slice-of-life cultural expose, and for the most part this is what it is.  Set in wartime 1940s New Jersey, it portrays a melting pot of immigrant culture, with all the racial segregation, paranoia and employment resentment which comes with that.  The racial language is raw and offensive – there is certainly no whitewashed rewriting of history here, and t...


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"Woodiss is Willing" by Henry Woodiss

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, May 28, 2017, In : Book Reviews 



Immediately when you start reading this book, it gives the impression of being a lot of fun – humorous, cheeky and entertaining, and straight away the author (who, confusingly, is not the editor who wrote the alluring foreword), displays a great degree of good, old-fashioned English sense of humour, from a time before it perished at the hands of political correctness; and this is very welcome.  The first quarter of the book reads like a “Carry On…” movie with a modern-day 18-certifica...


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"THE COMPLETE POETRY OF NORMAN A.J. BERISFORD" by Norman A.J. Berisford

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, In : Book Reviews 




Poetry can be a wonderful expression of art, if written well – if not, it can be infuriating.  Like classical music, when beautifully crafted, it is hard not to love.  This emotional collection, by Norman Berisford, is at times a sublime love ballad, at others a celebration of all things “life” – from the leaves on the ground to the sun, from grieving for a loved one, to God’s nature and Creation itself.  The odes and poems in this anthology vary in style from prose to verse, from b...


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Chasm of Exiles by Seeley James
***½
Action

Only Ann Knows by Baird Smart
*****
Drama

Justice by J. Grant Boyd
****
Crime

How to be a Digital Nomad by Erin Michelson
***½
Travel

Echoes of Fortune by David R. Leng
****
Adventure

Aidenn: Crossing to Eternity by Ford Nettleton
*****
Literary Fiction

Infrequent Frequencies, Rare Resonance by G.E. Poole
****
Theology

Star Lost by Amy Ayres
***
Sci-Fi

The Man Who Buried Chickens by A.I. Johnson
****½
Short Stories

Worse Than You Think by Todd Allen and Heath Hamrick
*****
Memoir

Tumult in Mecca by Hans Peter Bech
****
Drama

Super Super Charro by Carlos Lozano
****
Adventure

The Gulf by Owen Garratt
****
Thriller

Schroeder by Neal Cassidy
****
Thriller

Gaviota Island by Janna Klarmann
****
Drama

The Gnomes of Fibberton by Becky Bell
****
Children's

Fragments of Time by Jan Lloyd
****
Fantasy

Memories of Tomorrow by Josh Herner
***
Fantasy

Mitzi the Bitsy Fly by R. Sheldon
****
Children's

You Are Not Here by Michael Albanese
****
Motivational

Krooked Ketamine by Arthur Williams
*****
Drama

Deadly Rainbows by A.A. Akibibi
****
Sci-Fi/Adventure

White Monkey by Carlos Hughes
****
Comedy

A Pangolin Slept On Buddha's Lap by Madeleine Dale
****
Drama

The Road to Courage by Roy Taylor
****
Memoir

Splendid Light by A.A. Akibibi
****
Sci-Fi

Deep Darkness by A.A. Akibibi
****½
Sci-Fi

Find the Ladder by Nadeem Lutfullah
****
Self-Help

The Power of Water by James Grimm
****
Fantasy

Christianity 2.0 by John Dorsey
***
Faith

The Third Estate by D.R. Berlin
***
Thriller

Billy Dee of the Ozarks by J. Lee Bagan
****
Fantasy

The End of the Playboy by Harlin Hailey
****
Comedy

Search and Destroy by Glyn Haynie
***½
Vietnam War

Eye Contact Over Truk by Stephanie Woodman
*****
Drama

Out of the Shadows by D.M. McDonald
***
Drama

Violin by April Seymour
****
Thriller

Rem's Chance by Dave J. Andrae
****
Drama

The Sins of Doc Rat by Trey Meade
*****
Short Stories

Rescue Run by John Winn Miller
****
Action

Starting Over by L.F. Roth
***
Comedy

Huge Words By Huge People by Liam James Leaven
***
Humour

Concerning Intellectual Suicide in the Human Race by Massimo Fantini
****
Literary Fiction

Jeza's Jesus Juice by Jeza Belle
*****
Faith / LGBTQ

Hierophantasy by Kyle James
****
Fantasy

A Curse in Kyoto
****½
Mystery

Faith by Nick Nielsen
***½
Thriller

Baron Munchausen by Ross Stein
***½
Fantasy

Legacy of the Third Way by Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi
****
Political

Final Video Game by Craig Speakes
***½
Adventure

Mamluks of Thunder Island by Aly Brisha
****
Sci-Fi

Pedro's Pickles and the American Dream by David Ek
****
Drama

Plausible Liars by Lin Wilder
****
Drama

The World We Deserve by T.K. Kanwar
*****
Drama

Second Hand Rose by D.E. Fox
***
Horror

Hardened Steel by Victor Gregor
*****
War Drama

Why Not, Coach? by Gregory Ryan
****
Reference

Necessary Death by Preston Fassel and Chris Grosso
*****
Psychology

The Waiting Room by Annika Galloway
*****
Short Stories

The Land of Now and Then by Irene Edwarda
*****
Children's

Rider's Blood Moonlit Black by Myka Silber
****½
Fantasy

Owning Anxiety by Tracy Lynn James
***
Self-Help

Water Music by Marcia Peck
***
Drama

War Torn Book 2 by Jan Lloyd
****
Drama

Seeker of the Secret by Roshini Sharma Bhambi
***
Y.A. / Sci-fi

The Crossroad of War and War by Bokang Murdock Montjane
*****
Drama

The Ruler's Soul by C.R.
****
Romance

Make the Dark Night Shine by Alan Lessik
*****
Wartime LGBT

Starzel by Mark Bertrand
***
Sci-Fi

The Confessions of Pope Joan by Gary McAvoy
****
Suspense

Children in the City of Czars by Irmgarde Brown
*****
Drama

Saint Richard Parker by Merlin Franco
***½
Drama

How to Fix the Smile of a Crocodile by Rebecca Kurien
****
Children's

A Perfect Finish by Chris Lude
***½
Drama

Unfurling the Sails by Sarah Branson
****
Young Adult

Sexy Erotic Lingerie by B.C. Howard
****
Thriller

The Power of Wholeness by Verlaine Crawford
***
Self-Help

Eyes of the Beholder by Swinn Daniels
***
Romance

Chaos in the Cosmos by Irene Edwards
****
Children's

A Spooky Wish by Irene Edwards
****
Children's

A Chance to Change by Derek and Amy Weichel
****
Faith

Mac: The Wind Beneath My Wings by Sherry Hobbs
*****
Memoir

Autosarcophagy by Helen Cova
****
Short Stories

Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III
***
Crime Mystery

Caught in the Crossfire by Lance B. Wilkins
*****
Historical Fiction

In the Garden of Shadows by Karen Jewell
****½
Drama

The Benevolent World Banker by M.K. Nielsen
*****
Drama

10 Indelibles by Philip A. Brown
***
Non-Fiction

The Galileo Gambit by Gary McAvoy
***
Thriller

Blood Fortune by Brock Rivers
****
Sci-Fi / Action

Attachment Patterns by Stephen Metcalfe
****
Comedy-Drama

No Man's Mercy... No God's Forgiveness by John Hayden
***
Thriller

The Ponce Factor by J.D. Crawford
****
Sci-Fi

1000 Fun Facts For Immature Adults by Bryan Spektor
*****
Trivia

Bully by Sara Aurorae
****
Drama

The Melancholy Strumpet Master by Zeb Beck
****
Comedy

War Torn by Jan Lloyd
*****
Thriller

Read This Book After 5 Years by Blanche La Mar
***
Self-Help

Hurt No More by Rebecca E. Chandler
****
Self-Help

Project Neon by Jonathan K. Crockett
****
Sci-Fi

Starlite by Jonathan Latt
***
Sci-Fi

Kafka in Tangier by Mohammed Said Hijouij
***
Literary Fiction

I Am Fun Size by Anjali Bhimani
***
Motivational

It Won't Hurt None by Rebecca E. Chandler
*****
Memoir

The Jerusalem Scrolls by Gary McAvoy
****
Thriller

The Nine Lives of Felix the Tomcat by by M.P. Frank
***
Comedy

Embracing God by Chris Tham
***
Faith

Welcome to Opine by Matthew Marullo
****
Satire

Dark Days by Bobby Tsui
***
Sci-fi

Women: An Operator Guide For Young Men by Will Goodrich
*****
Comedy

Forsaking Church by David Alexander Shaw
****½
Drama

The Talking Forest by Kay Broome
****
Spiritualism

The Keeper Part 1 by Craig Speakes
***½
Children's

The Queen's Player by Anthony R. Wildman
****
Historical Fiction

Covenant Spring by Christopher Watson
***
Drama

Annunciation by Ciara Houghton Ruane
***½
Drama

The Pulse by Owen Garratt
****
Drama

The Black Widow by Louise Worthington
*****
Poetry

Samhain Secrets by Demar, Schaffer, Demont, Dean
****
Short Stories

Redcap, Whitecap, Goblin, Thief by Vaughn R. Demont
***
Fantasy

Destiny of Determination by Cathy Burnham Martin
*****
Semi-Biographical

Contrarian by Lucas Sterling
***½
Action

Alone Against the Sea by Lance V. Packer
*****
Drama

Pirate Penance by E.Z. Prine
***½
Comedy

Pirate Booty by E.Z. Prine
***
Drama

Have You Eaten Rice Today? by Apple Gidley
****
Romantic Drama

The Manifesting Book by Kathleen Montgomery
****
Self-Help

Pirate the Rock Band by E.Z. Prine
***½
Comedy-Drama

Salt and Light by Jonathan Geoffrey Dean
****½
Drama

Dissovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith
***
Young Adult

Chasing the Reaper by Sarah McKnight
****
Fantasy

The Avignon Affair by Gary McAvoy
****
Suspense

The Reaper's Quota by Sarah McKnight
****
Dark Humour

Parenting and Teaching With Love and Logic by Christine M. Pearce
****
Parenting

Bully Boy by Tom Wade
****
Drama

Immunity for Murder by David M. Beers
****
True Crime

Zoe Hearty and the Space Invaders by T.E. Norris
****
Sci-Fi

Mindbender by Avinash Naduvath
***
Sci-Fi

True Crime Stories You Won't Believe by Romeo Vitelli
*****
True Crime

The Ascension of Annie by Siobhan Chisholm
***
Fantasy

Black, White and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds
****
Memoir

An Independent Woman in Yugoslavia by Iris Novak
****
Memoir

Where There's Smoke There's Liars by Aleksander Eaton
****
Satire

The Savoy and Other Stories by Stephen Murphy
***½
Short Stories

The Case of the Absent Answers by R.L. Fink
****
Children's

All Roads by R. Mark Vinson
****
LGBTQ Memoir

The Petrus Prophecy by Gary McAvoy
*****
Mystery

Going Outside by Robert Levin
****
Short Stories

Grow 10x With C.R.O. by Anthony La Rocca
*****
Marketing

Faces We Love: Shanghai by Derek Muhs and Marisa Tarin
****
Photography

The Forty Knots Burn by Lynn Hesse
***
Crime Fiction

You Only Live Thrice by Karl Perry
****½
Memoir

Identity Crisis by T.K. Kanwar
*****
Political

Keeping It Under Wraps: Parenthood
*****
Non-Fiction Shorts

Fancy Shop by Valeri Stanoevich
****
Short Stories

Holding Fast by Susan Cole
*****
Memoir

50 States by Richard R. Becker
****
Short Stories

Travels With Maurice by Gary Orleck
*****
Memoir

Pooch Problems by Christopher Poston
*****
Educational

Compilers by Ayan Pratap
***
Horror

Naturally Supporting Cancer Treatment by Jenny Graves
****½
Therapy

The Serpent's Star by Sarah Ickes
***
Western

Bravery Doesn't Come From a Copper Coin
****
Comedy / Drama

The Opus Dictum
****
Thriller

The Resurrection of Boraichee by William Natale
***
Comedy / Drama

The Firebase by Glyn Haynie
*****
Vietnam War

The Ambush by Glyn Haynie
****
Vietnam War

Being Netta Wilde by Hazel Ward
****
Drama

Certified by Roger Wilson-Crane
****
Drama

The Ville by Glyn Haynie
****
Vietnam War

Musings, Woolgathering and Ghosts by C.K. Sobey
***
Poetry

The Tunnel
****½
Vietnam War

Fill the Gaps by Andrew Johnston
****
Comedy / Drama

Art Farm by Marc Dickerson
****
Comedy

Tales From an Odd Mind by Nom de Plume
****
Short Stories

Scroonathan by Ram T. Daryanani
****½
Festive

Humankind by Michael Whitehead
****
Drama

Shadows Unveiled by Amanda Berthault
*****
Drama

Just My Luck by Lelia Coles and Rosilyn Seays
****
Drama

The Vivaldi Cipher by Gary McAvoy
****
Mystery

The Soprano, The Monster and The Dragonslayer by Vashti Stopher Klein
***
Poetry / Art

Bouncing Back From Difficult Times from Mary Ann V. Mercer
***
Self-Help

Topically Challenged by Christopher Fielden
****
Flash Fiction

Cold Star by Dick Woodgate
****
Spy Thriller

Passion, Purpose and Profits by The Prosperity Sisters
*****
Motivational

How to Marry a Ukrainian Supermodel by John and Angela Klose
****
Reference

Roller Rink Starlight by William Hart
****
Coming-of-age

Consequences by David Grantham
****
War Memoir

Bold Soldier for Jesus by Peggy Thorns
****
Faith

Chromaspace: Conscript by Megan Alnico
***
Sci-Fi

Not Literary by Auriane de Rudder
****
Short Stories

Drinking and Knowing Things by Michael Amon
*****
Reference

FaeRhysian by Song Joo
****
Fantasy

A Basket Full of Hands by Ram T Daryanani
*****
Thriller

Find Love Overseas by John Klose
***
Dating Guide

The Friends of Allan Renner by Dave J. Andrae
****
Comedy

Rosie Shadow by Louise Worthington
****½
Horror

Dr. Glass by Louise Worthington
****½
Psychological Drama

User Story Confusion by Chris Lewis
***
Professional Development

Willow Weeps by Louise Worthington
****
Supernatural Thriller

Sunshine Blues by Bob Calverley
****
Crime Thriller

The Utopia Project by Billy Dering
****
YA / Sci-Fi

The Magdalene Veil by Gary McAvoy
****
Mystery Thriller

Earthbound by Fynn Perry
***
Paranormal Thriller

The Cluttered Mind by Deborah J. McKenna
***
Self Help

Caught Between Worlds by Lance Packer
****
Drama

Stranger in a Homeland by Kyle McCormick
*****
Travel Memoir

Diet For Great Sex by Christine H. Lozier
*****
Health / Nutrition

How to Start and Grown an eCommerce Business by Charles Camisasca
*****
Business

William Ottoway's Utopia by Christopher Griffith
***
Short Stories

The Dyslexia Code by Karl de Leeuw
****
Reference

Tiny Planet Filled With Liars by Stephen M.A.
***
Sci-fi / Comedy

The Lifer and the Lawyer by George Critchlow
*****
Non-Fiction

The Ordinary Leader by Geoff Lew
****
Historical

Vidas by Edward Stanton
****
Travel Memoir

The Connection by Dana Claire
***
Young Adult

The Savvy Ally by Jeannie Gainsburg
****
LGBTQ+

Death Honk ny JP Mac
****
Short Stories

The Bodies That Move by Bunye Ngene
*****
Drama

Bellybutton by Daniel Felix
***
Memoir

The Future is Autonomous by Phillip Wilcox
****
Technology

A Compendium of Unusual Tales by Ramsey Harrison
****
Short Stories

Krampusnacht by James Drummond
****½
Horror

Beat Your Weight, Beat Your Fat by Ian Breaker
****
Nutrition

The Art of Accepting Yourself by Marlow Pierce
*****
Motivational

The Second Poison by Pieter Wilhelm
****
Crime Thriller

The Little Book of Greatness by Ari Gunzburg
*****
Motivational

Moscow Honey by T.M. Parris
****
Spy Thriller

Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston
****
Children's

The Magdalene Reliquary by Gary McAvoy
****
Thriller

The Empress and the Arctic Tern by Angie Chasser
***
Fantasy

Pelham on Parole by Carl Plummer
***
Comedy

My Life For Her by Robert J. Saniscalchi
****
Action Thriller

Sinai Unhinged by Joanna Evans
****
Science Fiction

Ralley Point by Daniel Bishop
****
Family Drama

Twelve Spies of Moses by Bruce Hampson
*****
Historical Fiction

Burn Me Out by Brandon Barrows
****½
Crime Thriller

Control: The Foundation of Life by Lance Packer
****
Reference

Misery of a Halfling by Serge Sanin
***
Comedy

The Iron Lady by Daniel Fellows
****
Thriller

Death Unexpected by Galen Barbour
****
Medical Thriller

All the Bay's Clams and All the Bay's Men by John Bauer
****
Drama

The Interesting Detective by David Alexander Brown
***
Mystery

Woods by J. Rodin
***
Mystery

Money Bags by Michael G. Browne
***
Comedy-Thriller

Strange Karma by Willow Healy
***½
Thriller

Hinterland by Lorna Brown
****
Drama

Justice Without Mercy by R.L. Burgess
***½
Sci-fi

Restless by Jedidiah Appiah
*****
Faith / Motivation

Ultra Betrayal by Glenn Dyer
****
Espionage

IHVJ: The Love Code by Foster Grant
*****
Thriller

Revenge is Coming by Glyn Haynie
*****
Action Thriller

Why is Everything Closed? by Lauren Patterson
****
Children's

The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
****
Historical Fiction

Nobody Would Listen by R.A. Merrill
*****
Autobiography

The Liminal Lands by Robyn Sheldon
****
Spiritual Memoir

Thryke by Simon Gary
*****
Comedy

Reborn by T.M. Parris
****
Spy Thriller

Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus
***½
Sci-fi

A Prince Who Destroyed My Life by Asia Jamil
*****
Non-Fiction

Straight Outta Fangton by C.T. Phipps
***
Action/Comedy

Killer Instincts by Anna Lee Rose
***
Romance/Thriller

The Surgeon's Obol by Arthur Williams
****
Comedy/Medical

The Perfection of Fish by J.S. Morrison
***
Comedy/Offbeat

Bird in a Snare by N.L. Holmes
****
Historical Fiction

as Maryam's Tree Stood Witness by Ali Kasem
*****
Family Drama

A Sparrow Alone by Mim Eichmann
****
Historical Fiction

Suicide Squeeze by Steve Hagood
****
Action

Dr. Insomniac by Samatha Polisetti
****
Memoir

The Magdalene Deception by Gary McAvoy
****½
Mystery

Lying Beneath by Kevin Moran
***
Mystery Thriller

A Nation Interrupted by Kevin McDonald
*****
Thriller

The Best Week that Never Happened by Dallas Woodburn
****
Romance

The Dead Don't Sleep by Steven Max Russo
***½
Action

Think Laugh Cry by William Baga
****
Short Stories

The Shepherd God by Matt Taylor
*****
Historical Fiction

On the Wrong Side of God by Harry Boyd
****½
Non-fiction

Servant Leader's Manifesto by Omar L. Harris
*****
Business

Photography for Well-Being 1 by Lee Aspland
****
Photography

The Corral Ring by Thomas Richards
*****
Historical Fantasy

Call Numbers by Syntell Smith
***
Drama

No Pianos, Pets or Foreigners by Joe Palermo
***
Memoir

Raven by Sue Loh
****
Mystery

Not Pregnant by Karina Savaryna
*****
Memoir

The Power of Targeted Choices by Luis Pisoni and Aurora Mazzoldi
****
Self-Help

Hotel Inspire by Douglas Warren
***
Drama

Return to the Madness by Glyn Haynie
*****
War / Action

The Final Weekend by Neal Cassidy
***
Comedy

Ivy is a Weed by Robert M. Roseth
****
Crime Thriller

Resilience During the Pandemic by Nick Arnett
*****
Motivational

Will and Mysteria by Christa Reynolds
****
Self-Help/Spiritual

The Power of Music and the ADHD Brain by Luz Galindo
****
Psychology

The Latecomers by Rich Marcello
***
Drama

Monsters Inside by Ric Rae
***
Sci-fi / Horror

Butterfly Lake by Robert J. Saniscalchi
****
Action

Our Teenage Years by T.J. Wray
****
Memoir

The Soloist by Donald Gates
****
Espionage

Lady Father by Rev. Susan Bowman
****
Memoir

Catamaran Crossing by Douglas Carl Fricke
*****
Memoir

Black Shade of White Justice by Cattleya
****
Fantasy/Romance

The Strawberry Road by Ritch Gaiti
****
Spiritual

Red Hail by Jamie Killen
****
Sci-fi/Mystery

Bullets and Bandages by Robert J. Saniscalchi
*****
War Fiction

Who's There? by Dimas Rio
*****
Short Stories

Beautiful Things by Eloise Kelly
****
Drama

Golgotha by Guy Portman
****
Dark Comedy

I Learned it From You by Kevin Douglas Wright
*****
Documentary

Boulder County by Marc Krulewitch
*****
Crime Drama

Stronger than Blood by Allan Mason
***½
Sci-fi

Bottomless Cups by Joel Bresler
***
Comedy

Non Obvious Megatrends by Rohit Bhargava
****
Non-Fiction

From Doctor to Guinea Pig by Angelique D.
*****
Biography

Freedom's Light by Robert J. Saniscalchi
****
Action Thriller

Bucket Showers and Baby Goats by Christine Brown
****
Travel Memoir

Four Calling Burds by Vincent Meis
****
LGBTQ / Drama

Promises to the Fallen by Glyn Haynie
*****
War Fiction

An Unwanted and Unwilling Hero by E. Gourm
****
Historical Fantasy

The Girl in the Scarlet Chair by Janice TRemayne
****
Paranormal / YA

Freedom Sex and a Meat Cleaver by Sherman Miles
*****
Travel Memoir

Freedom Sex and a Meat Cleaver by Sherman Miles
****
Historical Fiction

The Intelligence Factor by Mike Logsdon
***
Sci Fi / Action

The Apple by Devashish Sardana
****
Action / Adventure

Destiny's War by Pyram King
****
Historical Fiction

Black Volta by PEte K.J.
****
Drama

Payback by Steve Bassett
***
Noir Fiction

Were We Awake by L.M. Brown
****
Short Stories

Almost Persuaded by Nigel C. Ferguson
****
Crime Thriller

Do We Have A Center by Walter Frank
*****
Politics

World Football Domination
****
Sci-Fi

Sour Blood
***
Crime Thriller

Beware of the Thought Bubbles
*****
Children's

Beyond The Prison Of Beliefs
****
Science/Religion

Rocky Mountain Noir
***
Comedy

Rocky Mountain Noir
***
Science Fiction

Foster Care To Millionaire
****
Memoir

Flow Like A River
*****
Thriller

Secrets To Being Amazing
****
Self-Help

13 Dark Tales: Collection Two
****
Short Stories

The Wooden Man
*****
Children's

Count It All Joy
*****
Drama

Myth Agent
****
Fantasy

Voice of the Sword
***
Fantasy

No Quarter: Dominium
***
Adventure

A Trinity of Wicked Tales
****
Horror


****
Short Stories

The Day I Made Good
****
Crime Drama

Complete Poetry of Norman AJ Berisford
*****
Poetry

Chuck the Rooster Loses His Voice
*****
Children's

Living Blind Without the Internet
****
Documentary

Devil in the Countryside
****
Historical Thriller

Monoland: Into the Gray Horizon
****
Fantasy

Corrosive
****
Horror

Woodiss is Willing
***
Comedy

The Fear
***
Horror

Superi: Reborn
*****
Fantasy

Murder in the Medical Center
***
Drama

The Eye of Nefertiti
****
Children's

Not Exactly Shakespeare
****
Comedy

Finding the Narrow Path
****
Biography

The Wyndham Werewolf
****
Short Stories

Only Human
***
Supernatural

What is Justice
**
Documentary

The Rat Tunnels of Isfahan
****
Historical Fantasy

I Once Was Lost But Now I'm Found
*****
Documentary

Never Too Late To Die
***½
Thriller

Understanding the Patterns of Your Life
***
Non-Fiction

Happiness is Just a Pill Away
*****
Comedy-Drama

The Lucky Winner
***
Crime Thriller

Endohuman
***
Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Tummy Rumble Quake
****
Children's

Monoland: The Shimmering Mist
****
Fantasy

Goodbye Butterfiles
*****
Psychology

Treading the Uneven Road
****
Short Stories

The Cuckoo Colloquium
****
Comedy

When I Turned Nineteen
*****
War Memoir

Fortuna and the Scapegrace
****
Comedy

Gnosis
***
Young Adult

Buy or Die
***
Satire

Faithful Servants
****
Drama

Ghost Dog
***
Crime Adventure

Looper
****
Drama

The Sinister Urge
**
Drama

Read to Succeed
*****
Self Improvement

Gone to the Dogs
*****
Comedy-Drama

Die Back
****
Fantasy

Finding My Platoon Brothers
*****
War Memoir

Delivering Virtue
****
Comedy

The Room Above
***
Fantasy

Written By Blood: Conviction
****
Action

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder
****
Poetry

I Have Demons
****
Short Stories

Victoria's Voice
****
Real Life

The Revolutionary Youth
*****
Drama

The Dog Thief
*****
Short Stories

Appointment With Fear
*****
Children's

Mermaids Are Real
***
Fantasy

Legends of Persia
***
Historical Fiction

My Groans Pour Out Like Water
*****
Poetry

47 Hours
*****
Political Thriller

The Road to Alexander
***
Historical Fiction

Father Divine's Bikes
****
Drama

Winning With Data
*****
Business

Aquila
****
Historical Fiction

Lions, Leopards and Storms, oh my!
***
Children's

Sparrowhawk on the Horizon
***
Historical Fiction

The Warehouse Tour
***
Short Stories

Feast of Sapphires
****
Poetry

The Night Alphabet
*****
Short Stories

Just Another Girl's Story
***
Autobiography

No-one Listens
***
Poetry

The Irregular Inquests of Professor Peppercorn by Brennan McMahon
****
Poetry

Malthus Revisited
***
Suspense/Thriller

My Weight Loss Journey
****
Self-Help

Change of Chaos
****
YA / Fantasy

Fish Farm
****
Thriller

Songs to New York
****
Short Stories

I Claudia
*****
Historical Fiction

Vanish by Dawn by J.D. Wells
****
Comedy / Drama

The Friar's Lantern
*****
Role Play

Crazy About Kurt
****
Comedy

Dark Cure
****
Action

Translucent Boy
***
Sci-Fi Fantasy

Dart by Dale Renton
****
Sci-fi Fantasy

Monoland: Beyond the Monochrome
*****
Fantasy

Choose a Reality by Emmanuel Morfoboss
***
Self-Help

Wacky on the Junk by Kathy Varner
****
Memoir

The Eden Complex by Elise Leise
***½
Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Tomthunkit's Theory of the Universe
***
Political / Non-fiction

Nobody Gets Out of Catering Alive by Joe Montaperto
****
Comedy / Memoir

Turning on the Christmas Lights by Nellie Woods
****
Short Stories

The Body in the Hole by Jonathan B. Zeitlin
****
Crime / Mystery

A Heart on the River by John Bauer
****
Comedy / Drama

Let Yourself Be by CJ Lacsican
****
Memoir / Self-Help

Island Boy by Mark Bulahao
****
Drama

Bully Boy by Tom Wade
****
Drama

Immunity for Murder by David M. Beers
****
True Crime

Wisdom and the Baobab Tree by Edward R. McMahon
****
Political Drama

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-s-morrison 1990s 80s a-a-akibibi a-a-lotfy a-christmas-carol a-i-johnson a-scholte abdul-quayyum-khan-kundi abortion abstract abuse abuse-themes academic act action addiction adhd adult adventure advice affirmation affirmations africa african african-culture african-politics afterlife age agents ajay-shankar alan-lessik alaska alcoholism alejandro-de-gutierre aleksander-eaton alexander-the-great ali-kasem alien aliens allan-mason allegory alphabet alternative alternative-history aly-brisha amanda-berthault amateur-photography america american american-comedy american-country american-graffiti american-history american-politics american-revolution amy-ayres amy-weichel ancient ancient-china ancient-egypt ancient-history andrew-johnston angela-klose angelique-d angels angie-chasser animal animal-abuse animal-behaviour animal-rescue animal-welfare anjali-bhimani anna-lee-rose annika-galloway anonymous anthology anthony-la-rocca anthony-michaelides anthony-r-wildman anthony-ranieri 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douglas-warren dragons drama dreams drug-abuse drug-addiction drugs dwayne-gill dyslexia dystopia dystopian e-gourm e-z-prine ea-minin earthquake ecological ecommerce edinburgh educational edward-r-mcmahon edward-stanton egyptian eighties elderly election elise-leise elizabeth-hamilton-smyth elizabethan eloise-kelly emergency emigration emmanuel-morfoboss emmanuella-hristova emotional emotional-drama emotive empire end-of-days endangered-species enlightenment environmental epic erin-michelson erotic erotica espionage essay evolution exciting exercise expose fable facts faeries fairy-tale fairytale faith fallacious-rose family family-drama family-therapy fantasy far-east fascist felicia-watson fertility festive fiction fictionalized filicide film fiona-green first-person first-world-war fish-out-of-water flash-fiction football ford-nettleton formula foster-care foster-grant frances-bloom frances-newton frederick-douglass-reynolds friendship frontier fun-facts funny future futuristic 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inspirational inspiring intelligence international internet introspective-art investigation ira ireland irene-edwards iris-novak irish irish-stories irmgarde-brown islamic-fundamentalism italy j-d-crawford j-d-wells j-grant-boyd j-kariuki j-lee-bagan j-p-mac j-rodin jacinta-jade james-drummond james-grimm james-w-truax jamie-killen jan-lloyd janice-tremayne janna-klarmann japan japanese japanese-culture jazz jeannie-gainsburg jedidiah-appiah jennifer-macaire jenny-graves jesus jesus-christ jewish jeza-belle jill-kearney joanna-evans job-hunting jobseekers joe-montaperto joe-palermo joel-bresler john-bauer john-dorsey john-hayden john-klose john-paul-catton john-simpson john-winn-miller jonathan-b-zeitlin jonathan-geoffrey-dean jonathan-k-crockett jonathan-latt josh-herner journal jungle justice k-n-smith ka-cummins kafka karen-jewell karina-savaryna karl-de-leeuw karl-perry kathleen-montgomery kathy-varner katrina-kinder kay-broome kenya kevin-douglas-wright kevin-mcdonald kevin-moran kidnapping kids krampus ku-klux-klan kurt-cobain kyla-ross kyle-james kyle-mccormick l-a-macfadden l-f-roth l-m-brown la-noir lady-byrd lance-b-wilkins lance-packer lance-v-packer laura-eckert laura-hergane laura-koerber lauren-patterson lawyer lee-aspland legal legend legendary leigh-holland lelia-coles lgbt lgbtq liam-james-leaven life lifestyle light-hearted lin-wilder lindsay-mccall lindsey-mccall lis-anna-langston literary-fiction lockdown lorna-brown los-angeles loss louise-worthington love-story lucas-sterling luis-pisoni luz-galindo lynn-hesse m-k-nielsen m-p-frank macabre madeleine-dale mafia magical magical-realism malaya mamluk management manga manual marc-cavella marc-curtis-little marc-dickerson marcia-peck margaret-walker maria-luisa-lang marine-life marisa-tarin mark-bertrand mark-bulahao mark-guillerman mark-krulewitch marketing marlow-pierce marriage martin-freznell martin-luther-king mary-ann-v-mercer mary-magdalene massimo-fantini mathematics matt-nagin matt-taylor 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nick-nielsen nigel-c-ferguson nirvana noir nom-d-plume non-fction non-fiction norman-aj-berisford northern-ireland nostalgic novella nuclear-war nursery-rhyme nutrition obscure observations occult occupation of offbeat offensive old-school old-testament omar-l-harris online-business online-dating oppression organized-crime otherworld outback overseas-bride owen-garratt pablo-palazuelo pakistan pandemic parable paranormal parenthood peggy-thorns people perception period persia personal-development pete-k-j peter-learm pets pharaoh philip-a-brown phillip-wilcox philosophical philosophy photography physics pieter-wilhelm pirates platoon poetry poignant political political-thriller political-violence politics pop-culture post-apocalyptic post-apocalyse pre-school pregnancy pregnant preston-fassel prison pro-life procedural professional progressive prophecy prose prosperity-sisters prostitution proverbs psychological psychology psychopath ptsd pulp pulp-fiction punchlines purgatory puzzle pyram-king quantum-physics quest quotes r-a-merrill r-l-burgess r-l-fink r-mark-vinson r-sheldon race race-riots racial racism rae-louise rainforest ram-daryanani ramsey-harrison raunchy reading reading-book real-crime real-life real-time reality reality-tv rebecca-chandler rebecca-e-chandler rebecca-kurien redemption reference refugee refugees regime reimagining relationship relationships religion religious religious-history remorse resistance revenge reverend revolutionary ric-rae rich-marcello richard-bunning richard-hacker richard-r-becker rick-hall ritch-gaiti robert-j-saniscalchi robert-kingett robert-levin robert-m-roseth robyn-sheldon rock-band rock-n-roll-years roger-wilson-crane rohini-sharma-bhambi rohit-bhargava role-play roman romance romania romantic romeo-vitelli ronald-l-moore rosilyn-seay ross-libby ross-stein roy-taylor ruben-chumillas runes rural russia russian-history s-j-cullen sailing sailors samatha-polisetti sara-aurorae sarah-branson sarah-ickes sarah-mcknight satanism satire saudi-arabia sci-fi science science-fiction scientist scotland screenplay scripture scriptures scrooge seafaring second-amendment second-world second-world-war seedy seeley-james self-actualization self-confidence self-esteem self-harm self-help sentimental serge-sanin series sex sex-guide sex-industry sex-trade sexual sexual-abuse sexual-harassment sexually-explicit shanghai sherman-miles sherry-hobbs short-stories short-story showcase sierra-dean sigal-haber simon-gary sinister siobhan-chisholm sitcom slapstick slavery sleuth slice-of-life smalltown-life social social-commentary social-issue social-issues social-science socialist society sociology sociopath soldier song-joo song-lyrics south-america soviet-union space space-opera spain special-forces spiritual spiritualism sports spy spy-thriller stage-fright stan-skrabut startup steamy stephanie-woodman stephen-m-a stephen-metcalfe stephen-murphy steve-bassett steve-hagood steven-max-russo stress study sue-loh 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