Paper and Words

I cancelled the newspaper a few days ago. Yes, I know--as a writer I really ought to support my fellow writers. But the cost kept going up and up and I'd rather read a book.

Two days later we had a phone call from the newspaper distributors. For half the price we could reinstate our order. Two months later the fees would start to climb. And eventually they'd be less than they were when we stopped. Really? Not only that, but if we didn't like the new price, we could always phone and get it reduced again.

I guess the moral of the tale is remember to complain. And the impetus to my writing it here is I've read four books in the last four days, all of which were printed on paper. It was kind of nice, relaxing and comfortable, and I didn't have to worry what would happen if I dropped the book 'cause paperbacks don't break.

So, if you want some fictionpaper reviews, grab a coffee and read on...

Isaac, by Ivan G. Goldman, comes out in April from the Permanent Press and is a modern fable of good and evil, love and loss, God and the devil, Job's patience and Isaac's redemption, and much much more. Literary allusions abound side by side with the Biblical, and modern academia deconstructs Frankenstein while Isaac reconstructs his history. Enjoy this complex fiction with a 5-star bold dark coffee and explore forgiveness, freewill and Hollywood while you drink.

Zetta Elliott's Ship of Souls is written for younger readers and combines the present with a somewhat less distant past as three Brooklyn teens--the nerd, the Muslim jock, and the gorgeous geeky girl--break their stereotypes and find mystical adventure among ghosts of the Revolution and African slaves. The mix of wholly believable modern-day school and mystical history is kind of intriguing. Enjoy with a 5-star intense cup of coffee, or let the kids choose their own drink.

January's Thaw, by J. Conrad Guest, mixes recent history with the future as a time-travelling 1940s PI finds himself trapped in 2047. Combining H.G. Wells-ian  analysis of future history and society's fall with a dawning recognition of love and lust, January's Thaw makes a fascinating addition to the January Tales. Enjoy its twists and turns with a complex 4-star cup of coffee.


Last but not least is Connie Dial's Fallen Angels, an LA detective story with a female protagonist balancing work's demands, loyalties to family and friends, and concerns for her grown-up son who'd rather play piano than go to college. A starlet dies and Captain Josie Corsino's husband walks out. But there are many more betrayals, large and small, and the protagonist's honest search for truth will reveal truths about herself as well as everyone else. This one (another April release from the Permanent Press) deserves a 4-star complex coffee too, with intriguing mystery, great characters and a solid bedrock of rules and law.

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