Sheila's Guests and Reviews

I read four romances during judging in the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards , so here are some short reviews, with links to longer reviews on gather, and coffee recommendations... (Must drink coffee while reading...) One Last Dance, by Mardo Williams , is a delightfully different tale of life after 80, which earned a well-deserved place in the winning circle. With very authentic characters, and very real problems of aging, plus a pleasing humor and gentle kindness, this is one's highly recommended, to be enjoyed with a rich, elegant 4-star mug of coffee. Written in Stone, by Viviane Brentanos , opens like a Hollywood romantic comedy but follows a much more complex plot in its second half with betrayals on personal and world-wide scales, prejudice, presumption and more. You'll need a 4-star complex coffee to go with this one. Glass Angels, by Karen Wiesner , is the fourth in her Family Heirlooms Series, but stands alone with no problem. The young woman working in a rape c...

I read three science fiction entries, two Popular Literature--Fiction, and only one short story during judging in the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards. But they all might equally have fellen under science fiction, so I'll group the reviews together: Laughter in the Canyon, by Laura Thompson combines past lives, mythology, Reiki, and National Geographic beauty into the story of a woman's journey to follow her heart. Drink a complex 4-star cup of coffee with this one. The Dawning, by Linda Pendleton , made the winners' circle. A fairly literary science fiction tale, it takes a group of genius children, their parents, scientists, the military, and a native American lawyer, quickly moving to abduction, danger and search. Nicely balanced, though very detailed, this one should be read with a 3-star nicely balanced coffee in hand. Kappa Hunter by J.K. Swift won the short stories--fiction section and is a fascinating tale of a bear hunter meeting a kappa hunter in the for...

The mystery section must have been one of the biggest in the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards . There were lots of wonderful books there--many that I'd already read, but so many more it was hard to choose which I wanted to read. I really enjoyed browsing those virtual shelves. And I drank lots of coffee! Healey's Cave, by Aaron Paul Lazar , made the winners' circle in Mystery/suspense, much to my delight. A gentle mystery with deep family relationships, pleasantly aging characters, genuine heartache, and a lovely feel for scenery in the Genesee valley; drink a heart-warming balance full-flavored 3-star coffee with this one. Memories (Firehouse Family #1) by Laurie Loveman , by contrast, is set in Depression-era Woodhill,  Ohio, and brings the world of horses, arson, prohibition and firefighting to vivid life with gentle romance and generous wisdom. Memories won the award for Mystery/suspense, and this looks like being such a good series I had to read the second one too...

It must be something to do with being an English American, Catholic Protestant, mathematician writer, and all that, but I read four quite long novels in the multicultural fiction section of the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards. And here are my reviews: Soda Springs, by Terry Marshall , made the winners' circle but sadly didn't win. Telling a story of racial issues in the sixties, set in Colorado, and matching black-white tensions with local distrust of "lettuce pickers," this young-adult novel tells a large story on a small stage and does it well. Drink a 3-star balanced coffee with a tale as well-balanced as this. When Love isn't enough, by Stephanie Casher , is another to make the winners' circle. A long novel set in Southern California where beautiful seascape backdrops contrast with college parties, drink and drugs. A cross-cultural love brings questions of duty, affection and soul-mates to the fore and ends with questions for reader discussion. Drin...

I read three books in the Christian ebook section of the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards , all every different from each other, all well-suited to reading with coffee, so here's my reviews and coffee recommendations, with links to longer reviews on Gather. Grow Old with Me, by Melinda Evaul , is a nicely-told story of people no longer young, making new lives and relationships and recovering from old hurts. Small-town drama, gentle romance, low-key mystery--perfect with a 3-star smoothly balanced cup of coffee. Equip your mind with the world of God, compiled by Barney O. Browne , is of course a very different book. With clear presentation and very well-chosen quotes, it's undoubtedly a great resource for finding things in the Bible. The science in the introduction and appendix is somewhat muddied and unscientific, so I guess you have to remind yourself it's not a science book and sip your 2-star easy-drinking coffee to soothe your scientific hackles (if you have scient...

There were some really fun children's picture books entered in the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards . I didn't get to read them all, but here are my reviews of just a few of them, including the winner, Sully's Topsy Tale. Alley Cat, by Marilee Crow follows a town-cat's search for a new home in the suburbs, and invites young readers and listeners to see the world through different eyes, while reminding them of the value of home and family. Read this one with a 1-star light crisp coffee. Golden Daffodils, by Liam Maher , tells of Paddy the gardener's efforts to win a prize at the spring flower show. Tupo the Hoopoe really wants to help, though fairies and leprechauns might have other ideas... Lots of words, nice dream-like pictures... Drink a crisp 1-star coffee with this one. The Magic Word, by Sherril S Cannon , is a really nice book, highly recommended for parents with kids just starting school, just learning the value of good behavior and that "magic ...

I read three excellent children's books while I was acting as a judge for the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards . One of them even made the winners circle, though it didn't win. Anyway, I thought it was probably time to post some reviews, so here are links to my reviews on gather. I'm not sure drinking coffee while reading to kids is highly recommended, though it might be a necessary antidote to sleep deprivation. Anyway, I'll include my usual coffee stars as well: The Weaver, by Kai Strand , weaves words beautifully in a story that teaches the art of storytelling through storytelling. I would have loved to see this one win--I really enjoyed it. Read with a 4-star elegant, complex cup of coffee. The Little Daisy, by Cathrin Hagey , offers a fun tale of a daisy who wishes she was a bit more spectacularly beautiful. It reads like a grandmother telling sweet stories to her child, with gentle lessons hiding in the tales. Brew a 1-star mild light coffee to read with this...

The general rule distinguishing science fiction from fantasy is the use of plausible science. To make it different from adventure, that science has to play a major part. But what when the story's plausible science becomes closely tied to the present? A book that references global warming, for example, one that remembers recent disasters from a more distant viewpoint, or one that postulates a different kind of view of recent events... What about a book that imagines a present where some scientists really can control the earth's magnetic field--thus causing all sorts of supposedly "natural" disasters. The moment recent events were referenced was the moment I suddenly slipped out the story. Did I believe they'd do that? Who stood to gain? And if this one thing could be done, why not also this other? I'm sure the reference was intended to make the story more relevant, but for me it had me leaving the page to examine the present day instead. I'm curious t...