|
book reviews |
Connor’s Universe Book 1Science fiction author Z. Gottlieb introduces us to her first novel, “Connor’s Gambit”: Brad Johnson, a lone witness to a UFO sighting, becomes an alien target. Risking everything to save Earth, he must rely upon his training and streetwise skills to survive. While adjusting to his new life in space, Brad struggles to understand the bitter conflict between the aliens in an intergalactic war that has been waged for centuries. Every day is a battle for survival, bringing him closer to the truth, as he learns one faction threatens Earth's security, while the other wants something entirely different. All Brad wants is to return home to his family, but not until he embarks on the greatest adventure of his life.  I really enjoyed "Connor's Gambit"! A nice twist on first-contact tales, a lot of fish-out-of-water aspects. The story evolves in nice bits and pieces that form a cohesive picture at the end. It kept me guessing quite a bit. The ending has several exciting wrap-ups for different plot threads. Great fun! I loved it! Great characters and wonderful plotting! This is a 5-star story! I am picky about certain things and that aspect of the book gets four stars.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Connors-Gambit-Z-Gottlieb https://www.goodreads.com/-connor-s-gambit www.barnesandnoble.com/connors-gambit-z-gottlieb https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/connor-s-gambit https://www.smashwords.com/-connors-gambit https://itunes.apple.com/connors-gambit Podium Entertainment (Audiobook): https://podiumentertainment.com/titles/6436/connors-gambit (also available via Apple and Amazon) You can connect with the author: https://x.com/Z_Gottlieb https://www.facebook.com/zee.gottlieb.3 https://www.instagram.com/zgottlieb9691 Copyright © 2026 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction
53 Comments
CUT COSTS IN HALF & BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR LIFELONG SUCCESSDebut authors Marshall Boen and Marcus Lo introduce us to their book, “How to Hack College”: THE #1 BOOK FOR SAVING TIME AND MONEY WHILE EARNING A COLLEGE EDUCATION IN THE USA.
Tested and Proven Strategies: For five years we have relentlessly researched, tested, and refined the most effective strategies to help students graduate faster, cut costs, and gain real-world skills. This book is the ultimate blueprint for college success-packed with proven methods to make your college journey smarter, faster, and more affordable. Who It’s For:
1. Get Ahead Before You Even Start Earn college credits in high school through dual enrollment, AP, CLEP, and summer classes—so you have a massive headstart on your peers. 2. Choose the Right College and Major for You Decide if college is right for you, and pick the best school and major to achieve your long-term goals. 3. Boost Your Chances of Getting Accepted Into a Top College Step-by-step guidance for building strong college applications and writing standout essays. 4. Learn How to Pay for College the Smart Way Get a clear plan for navigating financial aid, grants, student loans, and winning scholarships so you know exactly how to pay for your education with less stress and confusion. 5. Graduate Faster and Cut Costs Tested and proven strategies for graduating faster and saving money throughout college. 6. Manage Your Time, Energy, and Focus Habits and systems you can use to balance school, work, and life with less stress and more success. 7. Learn Transformational Life & Financial Skills Gain essential real-world skills—become a positive member of society, create lasting friendships, manage your finances, live a healthy life, and develop personal discipline. 8. Gain Experience Before You Graduate Get internships, part-time work, and leadership experience that opens doors. 9. Launch Your Career Network, build a résumé, find your dream job, get hired, and advance rapidly—right out of school. 10. Graduate with a Head Start in Life Start your adult life with clarity, confidence, and momentum. About The Authors We’re Marshall Boen and Marcus Lo. We wrote this book to share the strategies we wish we had when starting college. Marshall’s path included overcoming learning disabilities and graduating in just two years from the University of Tampa while working part-time, and training for ultra-endurance events—including two 140.6-mile Ironman triathlons. Marcus faced the loss of both parents at a young age and found strength through academics, entrepreneurship, and wrestling—eventually earning his degrees from USC on a full scholarship. Today, we help students and their families navigate the college process with less stress and more success.  Fabulous book! I might have finished college if I knew half the stuff in this book. It's not just for college; it should be required reading for anyone in the ninth or tenth grade. It will prepare every student to succeed in life if the principles and plans are utilized. Marshall Boen Marcus Lo You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/HOW-TO-HACK-COLLEGE-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-how-to-hack-college https://www.barnesandnoble.com/how-to-hack-college https://www.audible.com/How-to-Hack-College-Audiobook https://open.spotify.com/how-to-hack-college You can connect with the authors: https://www.atlasclass.com https://www.youtube.com/@AtlasClass Copyright © 2026 Mark L. Schultz, except for the authors’ introduction. by Mohsen Bahonar and Zahra Rahimnezhad Co-authors Mohsen Bahonar and Zahra Rahimnezhad introduce us to their debut novel a dark, fantasy story based on an ancient Japanese myth, “Kimon”: KIMON Death would not take him. When Takeshi was still a child, blood and fire spread beneath the shadow of the forbidden Kimon Gate. Priests called him cursed. The empire marked him for death. By dawn, his name had vanished from history. But something beyond the Kimon Gate answered him that night. Years later, Japan is collapsing beneath war, famine, and an unnatural darkness. Villages vanish into the mist. Yokai roam the mountains. Ancient spirits walk beside the living. Across the land, frightened whispers speak of a silver-eyed samurai riding through the fog on a black horse that leaves no tracks behind. Takeshi wants no throne. No glory. No legend. He wants only to survive with what remains of his humanity. But the Kimon Gate is beginning to open. As armies march and forgotten gods awaken, Takeshi is drawn into a war between the living and the dead. Monsters hunt him. His own shadow follows him. And a destiny older than the empire itself tightens around his life. Beside him walk: a shinobi woman carrying hidden scars, a half-burned warrior whose heartbeat sounds like war drums, a silent swordswoman bound to a sacred duty, and a wandering keeper of ancient rituals who knows what waits beyond the gate. Because the darkness beyond Kimon is no longer sleeping. And every soul it touches returns changed. Blending Japanese mythology, samurai warfare, yokai horror, and dark epic fantasy, KIMON is a haunting journey through a world of ash, blood, prophecy, and sacred terror. Perfect for readers who love atmospheric dark fantasy, mythic storytelling, and Japanese folklore woven into a brutal and emotional epic.  Kimon is a most unusual story in content and form. The authors' writing style is very spare; they use few adjectives and very short sentences and paragraphs. The story is clear and the action is quick most of the time. I like it because there is a lot of room for my imagination. Every book is a collaboration between author and reader. The fullness and depth of the writing lead me to think the authors must have grown up steeped in Japanese culture. Thank you, Wikipedia, for explaining many of the Japanese terms. The story was all the richer for that information.  Co-authors Zahra and Mohsen, wife and husband. You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Kimon-Mohsen-Bahonar-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-kimon You can connect with the author: https://x.com/arash_bahonar https://www.facebook.com/arash.bahonar.2025 https://www.tiktok.com/@bahonarstudios Zahra has written a number of books for children. Here is a link to one of those books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GCWZL6RR Copyright © 2026 Mark L. Schultz, except for the authors’ introduction. |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
September 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed