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book reviews |
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A Pocketful of Poems by Craig Pugh Multi-volume and multi-genre poet and author Craig Pugh introduces us to a volume of his poetry, “A Pocketful of Poems”: Craig Pugh's poetry ranges from the silly to the sublime, the cosmic to the comedic, and the tragic to the absurd. His work and images never get too far away from readers because he deals with things we all see every day. This makes him accessible and comfortable to read since he doesn't deal in abstractions. So we see poems about coffee, cats and love "in all its messy glory," as the author likes to say. Incredibly, twenty-five of his poems are about poems and poets. He does adhere to rhyme and structure, but works new ground by incorporating contemporary images and situations into his poems. Mirth and intensity are two of his defining characteristics; "Sex Slave" and "A River of Stars" demonstrate this. These are poems about living. The author knows how to laugh, and he knows how to cry. He ranges so far and wide that readers of all ages will find something to chuckle at, wonder about, or just plain shake their heads at.  I loved these poems! They are fun and a pleasure to read. Craig seems like the funny guy who lives just down the block and he can bring laughter and mirth to the dourest face. I enjoyed these poems so much and recommend them without reservation. 5 stars from me! You can buy this book in paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poems-Craig-Pugh/paperback https://www.goodreads.com/book/-a-pocketful-of-poems-by-craig-pugh/paperback https://www.barnesandnoble.com/a-pocketful-of-poems-craig-pugh/paperback https://www.bookwormomaha.com/pocketful-of-poems/paperback https://www.booksamillion.com/Pocketful-Poems/Craig-Pugh/paperback see below to follow the author Poems for Pickin’ by Craig Pugh Multi-volume and multi-genre poet and author Craig Pugh introduces us to a volume of his poetry, “Poems for Pickin’”: These pure prairie poems range from the silly to the sublime, the cosmic to the comedic, and the tragic to the absurd. The author's interests in astronomy, astrology and mythology make much of his poetry particularly colorful. While the volume starts out invoking pleasant scenes of bygone eras and neighborhood bars, it ends up with poetry on world events that is frighteningly real: January 6, guns, democracy, and dictators. And of course, Ukraine. Replete through all of these verses are deep insights into human relationships, and a quest for spirituality.  Some of these poems are funny and lighthearted, while others are serious and penned with a heavy heart! There is more than one theme running across the pages, divorce, death, despondency with politics and more. Craig brings it all out for a good airing. 4.9 stars from me. You can buy this paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Poems-Pickin-Craig-Pugh/paperback https://www.goodreads.com/poems-for-pickin/paperback https://www.barnesandnoble.com/poems-for-pickin-craig-pugh/paperback https://www.bookwormomaha.com/poems-for-pickin/paperback https://www.booksamillion.com/Poems-for-Pickin/Craig-Pugh/paperback  You can follow the poet/author:
https://twitter.com/craigr25 https://thewritingdog.com https://www.facebook.com/william.c.pugh Copyright @ 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introductions
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The Wayward Alliance: A Medieval Mystery (The Sir Law Kintour Series Book 1) by J. R. Tomlin1/22/2023 Multi-volume, historical-fiction author J. R. Tomlin introduces us to the first volume in “The Sir Law Kintour Series” “The Wayward Alliance”: Scotland, 1424: Sir Law, a crippled knight facing poverty and ruin, is condemned to scrabbling for survival. In desperation, he accepts the humiliating task of tracking down a nobleman's runaway wife. He soon finds that nothing and no one are what they seem. And that the job comes with a body count — one of which if he is not careful could be his... (Originally published as 'The Templar's Cross')  I loved this story! The author has a beautiful command of historical Scotland and Europe at large. Her intimate knowledge of the locales, period and politics provide a fascinating backdrop for seemingly unimportant murders in medieval Perth, Scotland. Her wealth of daily minutiae makes the story come alive as we follow Sir Law Kintour, a crippled night fighting to regain a patron. I love the banter between Sir Law and Cormac, the troubadour where Law is staying. I shall not say more to avoid any spoilers. I give 4.9 stars to "The Wayward Alliance"! If you like this book, you will certainly enjoy her other books! I know that I do.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Wayward-Alliance-Medieval-Mystery-ebook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-wayward-alliance-j-r-tomlin https://www.kobo.com/the-wayward-alliance https://books.apple.com/us You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/TomlinJeanne http://www.jrtomlin.com http://jeannetomlin.blogspot.com I have reviewed another wonderful book by Jeanne Tomlin: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-douglas-bastard Here is my review of another of Tomlin's books: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-lion-of-galloway Copyright © 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume, non-fiction author Vicki Hannah Lein introduces us to her humorous solution for dealing with frustration, “From Frustration to Funny in Ten seconds Flat!”: "Ever since I lost my central vision almost twenty years ago, I’ve had to become an expert at finding the funny instead of succumbing to heartsickness and frustration. I’m a lot funnier now than I was twenty years ago--just ask me--and life is much more joyous and rich now. You don’t have to go blind to find the funny faster, but it helps." - Vicki Life does not frustrate us. We frustrate ourselves by telling ourselves a story that invites us to feel victimized. We tell ourselves we are entitled to have whatever we want when we want it--a story guaranteed to make us miserable and insufferable. This book covers what to do to un-frustrate yourself and find the funny inside!  I loved this book! I smiled and chuckled on so many pages it was a real pleasure to read. Vicki has many funny stories to share about losing your temper (thus giving your power to others). Then she comes along with sage advice about how to regain control over yourself and your life. With lots more good stories! Simple with a down-home feel, everyone should read this book and almost everyone will benefit from it. 4.9 stars from me!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Frustration-Funny-Ten-Seconds-Flat https://www.goodreads.com/from-frustration-to-funny-in-ten-seconds-flat https://www.lulu.com/shop/vicki-lein/from-frustration-to-funny-in-10-seconds-flat/paperback You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/vickihannahlein https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-hannah-lein https://www.facebook.com/vickihannahlein http://www.findthefunnyfaster.com https://radicalkindnesswarrior.com I reviewed another book by Vicki, “Woman With a Voice”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/woman-with-a-voice I reviewed Vicki’s book “From Frustration to Funny in 10 Seconds Flat”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/from-frustration-to-funny Copyright @ 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Award-winning, multi-volume author, Francis Williams introduces us to the third volume in Thrones of Britannia series, “The Imperative”: In the third and final book set in the world of Thrones of Britannia series, see the world through the eyes of heroes both old and new. Lord Drysten, now widely considered to be the savior of Britannia despite his past transgressions, is being tested by a new enemy he never knew he would need to face. Kingship. The mantle of responsibility was never something he thought he would bear the weight of, and his enemies, past and present, see this as well. His tragic story plays out in unexpected ways, possibly turning him from savior to villain. In addition to witnessing Drysten's trials, there is another man introduced into the series; a reluctant hero who serves the mythic lord of the Britons. His name is Peredur, but simply goes by Thatch. This refugee of Frisian raiders soon finds himself oathed to Drysten as he embarks on a journey of revenge and discovery. Thatch, as well as other characters new to the series, will soon have their hands full dealing with the full might of The Morrigan's fanatical followers, as well as older enemies that cannot be driven back. *Please Read* This novel was once titled He Hunts at Midnight before I realized the reception my past novels received. It was going to be a shorter novel centering on the lesser-known characters I wanted to introduce before the grand finale. The story of The Imperative is NOT different from He Hunts at Midnight, but I have added the book I was using as the finishing touch to Drysten's legacy. In short, this novel still has the same content as before but has been expanded to finish up the Thrones of Britannia series. What comes next will be a follow-up trilogy dubbed The Collapse of The Britons, but I don't want to spoil that too much just yet.  An amazing finish to this trilogy! I love this book! It's a great story and caps the series perfectly! The author has a wonderful grasp of the period and makes you feel you are standing so close to the characters. I was on the edge of my kindle for so much of the story. If you like action, political intrigue and wild adventure then this is a great story and series for you. 4.9 stars from me!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Imperative-Historical-Fiction-Thrones-Britannia-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-imperative You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/Author_FrancisW https://www.instagram.com/iamfranciswilliams https://www.facebook.com/IamFrancisWilliams I reviewed the first book in the series here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/honor-a-dark-age-historical-fiction-novel We had a nice interview. I reviewed the second book in the series here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/usurper-thrones-and-soldiers-book-2 tags: action, adventure, ancient military, gods, God Copyright © 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
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