Catching up on those "other" book reviews

Reading (and judging) for the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards was really a great experience, not just for the chance to read so many good books, but also for the discipline of scoring and the encouragement to think about so many different aspects of the books. I'm taking time to write and edit now and find myself viewing my own work through the same critical eye--I'm sure it's good for me--I just hope it will be good for my books too.

But I am still reading, and here are links to reviews on gather for the latest group of books. Remember to drink coffee!

Two books coming soon from the Permanent Press:

All Cry Chaos, by Leonard Rosen, could almost have been written for me--a mystery with a mathematical victim, chaos theory and fractals reflected in nature and relationships, a French detective working for Interpol and traveling to the US--what more could I want. It's also a very satisfyingly dark, taut thriller with intriguing detail tying into current events--one to read with a 4-star rich, complex coffee.

Call me when you land, by Michael Schiavone, tells of a single mother falling apart, a lonely teen running away from his problems, an elderly man with nowhere left to run, and a Harley Davidson motorbike. A fateful year threatens to tear everything apart, but this novel lands quite beautifully among very real threads of hope. Read it with a 5-star bold dark intense cup of coffee.

Another really enjoyable literary read is Uyen Nicole Duong's Postcards from Nam, a short powerful tale painting a heartbreaking picture of human inhumanity and endurance; one to read with another 5-star intense cup of coffee.

Then there's a couple of science fiction novels:

Lost, by E.G. Lewis, is set in Oregon and revolves around the mysterious invention of an Indian scientist brought to US by unscrupulous defense contractors. With exciting adventure, nicely underplayed science, high finance, politics, and even some trips to London, it certainly kept me intrigued as I drank my 3-star balanced, full-flavored coffee.

And finally, The Hidden Goddess, by M.K. Hobson, is a very satisfying sequel to The Native Star, set in a fascinating alternate history with west-coast witch set to marry high society east-coast magician against a background of looming apocalypse--a very enjoyable cross between steampunk, romance and historical social commentary, to be enjoyed with another 3-star smooth cup of coffee.


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