Weekly Reader: The Ping Pong Champion of Chinatown by James Hanna; Goofy, Dizzy, Silly Narrator Is The Highlight of This Humorous Crime Anthology

 

Weekly Reader: The Ping Pong Champion of Chinatown by James Hanna; Goofy, Dizzy, Silly Narrator Is The Highlight of This Humorous Crime Anthology

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: There are times when a first person narrator is so gloriously well written that the Reader can forgive any plot holes that occur and can forgive some of the ridiculous situations in the book. The narrator actually makes the book. Gertie McDowell, protagonist of James Hanna's The Ping Pong Champion of Chinatown, is that type of narrator.

Gertie's narration is the highlight of the book. A small town girl from Kentucky, Gertie blathers on about her small town of Turkey Roost ("a whole lot of nothing"), how her life is so boring that she watches old movies on Turner Movie Classics (Her favorite is West Side Story. "That Natalie Wood sure can sing" blissfully oblivious to the fact that Wood's singing was dubbed.), and how she achieved high school stardom playing the lead in Annie ("Everyone in the school auditorium, all fifty people, were on their feet pounding their palms when I took the curtain call."). 

Gertie is incredibly dizzy and naive and this naivety pulls her into situations throughout the book that in other hands would be suspenseful or traumatizing but in Hanna's hands become outlandish and farcical because of how Gertie views them. 

After starring in Annie, Gertie heads to Los Angeles to try her luck in Hollywood. When the studios don't exactly come calling, Gertie is filmed by a character called The Nose. His intentions are honorable, he insists, though he is so obviously weasley that his business card might as well read "The Nose: Hollywood Hustler, Liar, and Sleaze at your service."

Not surprising to the Reader, but certainly shocking to Gertie, she ends up starring in a series of fetish videos. Her foot fetish videos garnered several hits and subscribers who are into that sort of thing. It also leads to a certain infamy as she is nominated for the Shiniest Arches Award and is offered the lead role in One Bride for Seven Brothers. Even not quite bright Gertie has enough foresight to turn it down thinking that it "wouldn't play well in Turkey Roost." She turns down her adult entertainment career and returns to Turkey Roost. 

That is the pattern throughout the book: Gertie has an idea to improve her situation in some way. She gets entangled in an illegal or unusual activity, either by someone conning her or through her own foolishness. She thinks she finds a measure of success. Something happens that makes things worse or unbelievable and she ends up in a worse situation than before, usually either broke and back in Turkey Roost or in prison.

For example, she becomes a dress designer and is conned by Jean Valjean, a client who uses her dresses as a front for drug dealing. She ends up going to prison for that, the prison that Martha Stewart went to, she reminds us endlessly.

Gertie is released from prison and ends up in the Witness Protection Program after encountering  another drug dealer named Sancho Panza. Hanna has fun with these literary references and how they sound perfectly normal to Gertie.

She hides out in San Francisco and becomes a local ping pong champion. Unfortunately, her victory is one sided as the San Francisco Chronicle neglects to mention her victory. Oh well, she reasons, she got a plaque and the area of Chinatown in which she lives recognizes her victory.

She gets recruited into a human trafficking ring by a former acquaintance from her prison days, only to be rescued from that situation by her old friend, The Nose. She also appears on a parade float and her Witness Protection Program cover is blown when she is recognized by her foot fetish fans. This is a big problem.

See the Witness Protection Program only works when you are not actively trying to put yourself in dangerous situations or seek publicity. Since Gertie does both, naturally her life is in danger and she is rescued by the hunky Agent Jackson. That's how she refers to him throughout the book, Agent Jackson, even after they become closer. No first name, but then again Gertie probably thinks that "Agent" is his first name. 

The situations that Hanna describes: drug dealing, human trafficking, unhappy marriages, poverty, imprisonment, sexual harassment etc would be mostly dramatic. For a character to encounter even one of them would result in a change and make them more worldly, self aware, or cynical. Not Gertie. 

She remains the same lovable kooky ditz throughout. The results make her a bit one dimensional and flat as a character. But as a narrator, it makes her a unique voice.

Gertie retains a humorous even hopeful outlook throughout the book. She always hopes for something better and always sees a bright side in every dark situation. This puts her at a distance from the Reader where they can see the reality of the situation but she can't. However, because the situation isn't as bleak to her as it is to her Reader, Gertie can see a possible future and a potential way out of the trouble in which she finds herself. 

Gertie McDowell is naive, dizzy, and incredibly likeable. She even breaks the fourth wall to inform her author that she would rather sit down with a cool glass of lemonade and watch the tumbleweeds grow than accompany Hanna on a thirty states tour. She is someone who may be dumb, but knows enough to find victory in her own way.

Weekly Reader: Profiler by M.A.R. Unger; Multiple Subplots Mar Otherwise Decent Murder Mystery About Criminal Profiling and Military PTSD

 

Weekly Reader: Profiler by M.A.R. Unger; Multiple Subplots Mar Otherwise Decent Murder Mystery About Criminal Profiling and Military PTSD

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: M.A.R. Unger's murder mystery novel, Profiler, would be a decent mystery dealing with criminal profiling and the consequences of PTSD in military veterans. It may make a decent series where Dr. Tom Jessup uses his gift for criminal profiling to uncover the serial killer du jour while investigating his own background. The problem is that Unger does too much in one book. Unger puts too many subplots into one book making it difficult for the reader to focus on the main  story.

One night, trouble occurs around Jessup's property. Police arrive to inform Jessup that there has been a murder around his place. Jessup had the TV on loud and didn't hear a thing. Neither did his closest current neighbor, Liz, a nosy woman who is house sitting for a wealthy artist. Jessup becomes concerned when he discovers that the murder occurred near the trailer of Beau Travers, an Iraqi War Vet and Jessup's friend and patient who suffers from PTSD. Relieved that the deceased was not Beau, Jessup offers his services out of concern for Beau's welfare. A quick investigation reveals that the deceased was also a vet named Reddi Mercado and a picture reveals that he and Beau served in the same regiment. Other people in the picture have or will be killed, so if Beau isn't the killer, then he will soon be killed.

Meanwhile a serial killer dubbed the Southwest Killer is picking out college students. Jessup analyzes this case with the help of his girlfriend, Denver police officer Baxter. 

It's not unusual for a mystery or psychological thriller to have a few subplots to go with the main action. After all, where would we be without the mystery solver's relationship woes, problems with their troubled teen, or the suspect/potential love interest? Sometimes the subplot involves one of the suspects to give the character more depth and make them a red herring and false lead. However, what makes Profiler so unfocused is that Unger gives two thriller subplots that have nothing to do with each other.

By themselves, the Marine Vet plot and the Southwest Killer plot are both interesting. The Marine plot is particularly compelling, particularly in the interactions between Beau and Jessup. There is a very effective moment where Beau is in the grips of a PTSD flashback and Jessup has to talk him out of harming others or himself. This chapter reveals the tight friendship between the two characters and how the horrors of war are not always left behind on the battlefield.

We also see the toll war takes on soldiers and civilians alike when some characters can't let go of the things that were done during war time.

The Southwest Killer plot also has some genuine moments of suspense such as when Jessup gives his analysis on the killer's motives and behaviors and is not only proven to be right but a potential victim is accidentally put right in the killer's path. One character also takes advantage of Jessup in the worst way possible, jeopardizing both of their careers and possibly lives.

 The problem is not that these two plots exist. It's that these two plots shouldn't exist in the same book. Alone they would make compelling narratives as separate books in the series. However, together they cause the book to be weighed down. We don't have enough time  to focus on one plot when the narrative moves to Jessup and colleagues discussing the events of the other plot. This happens several times in the book, making the writing hard to follow.

There is a point where the plots converge in a way that suggests that they are related. But they veer off in opposite directions that have nothing to do with each other. The overall effect is that the book would have done just as well or better without either the Marine plot or the Southwest Killer plot and the book would not have suffered much without them. 

Profiler could be an engaging series. Perhaps that is what Unger was hoping for. But a quick word of advice: Don't throw all the volumes in one book otherwise the Reader won't care to read the other books in he series.

Weekly Reader: Dreaming Sophia by Melissa Muldoon; Muldoon's Work Is A Love Letter To Italy Itself And The Various Creative Souls That Lived There

 

Weekly Reader: Dreaming Sophia by Melissa Muldoon; Muldoon's Work Is A Love Letter To Italy Itself And The Various Creative Souls That Lived There

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Melissa Muldoon's Dreaming Sophia is the first of her Italy series, written in 2016. In some ways, it sets the stage for many of the books: a modern woman is drawn to Italy by a mysterious figure, a woman from Italy's Renaissance past and there is a connection between them. An outsider of the series is The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola in that it tells of Anguissola's life with no detours into the present.

Another outsider is Dreaming Sophia. It carries the familiar trope of the modern woman meeting important historical figures from the past' but unlike Eternally Artemisia and Waking Isabella, Dreaming Sophia doesn't stop at just one brilliant figure. Instead Muldoon gives us several that appear before our protagonist to help guide her on her path to embrace a home in Italy.

Sophia, a young woman, is left alone and devastated after the deaths of her parents in a plane crash. Her mother studied in Italy in the 1960's even taking part in rescuing art and architecture from an approaching flood. She became one of Florence's Mud Angels. Also Sophia's mother's passion for Italian cinema like Federico Fellini, Marcello Mastroiani, and the breathtakingly lovely Sophia Loren caused her to name her daughter after the film actress. 

Sophia's father, a lawyer, also was fascinated by the country. He nicknamed his daughter, "Bella," Italian for beautiful. He bought property in Sonoma, California because he and his wife were fascinated by the Tuscan style architecture. The two transferred their love of the country so that after their deaths, Sophia holds onto that dream as a way to keep their memory alive.

At first Sophia takes small steps in her dream of living in Italy. She studies the language in university and becomes reacquainted with classic literature like The Divine Comedy. After a time of indecision and sadness, Sophia hears a voice encouraging her to dream. She knows to follow her dream and move to Italy.

During her life in Italy, Sophia receives assistance from various figures. Unlike the other books, she is inspired by several: Eleanora De Medici, Lorenzo "Il Magnifico" de Medici, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo Da Vinci , Lucrezia Borgia, General Giuseppe Garibaldi, Venus, Signor Brunelleschi, Casanova, and La Loren herself. It seems the spirit world all has their sights on this young woman and wants to guide her through all aspects of Italy, its history, its art, its architecture, it's mythology, and its entertainment. They give Sophia the whole picture of the country that she feels a close connection to, a place that she can call home.

The spiritual visits are magical and inspiring but also provide some humor. Sophia gets so used to them that when she visits Rome, she is surprised when she doesn't run into Caravaggio. 

A very metafictional moment involves the glamorous Sophia Loren, both as a spirit and a real woman. When Sophia encounters her in spirit form, she is her younger self when she starred in various films like Two Women and Marriage Italian Style. However, in a later chapter she sees the glamorous actress in the flesh and how she looks currently. (No word on what Loren herself thought of Muldoon inserting her into the book via a strange magical realism, age regression and progression.)

The book isn't as plot heavy as the other three. Sophia studies painting and obtains a rival. She falls in love with Lorenzo, a descendant of the Medici family. Most of the book explores Sophia living in Italy, getting to know every street and city, becoming familiar with the customs, and feeling a sense of belonging. She stays with a family that is very affectionate and curious about her. She begins to see them as a substitute family in absence of her parents. 

One of the best scenes involves her visiting a masquerade ball in Venice. The elaborate costumes, the somewhat sinister masks, the canals give a sense of mystery,magic, and intrigue especially when she encounters a various flirtation man who calls himself Casanova (of course considering her track record of meeting various figures, he might actually be the famous lover and spy.)

What stands out in Dreaming Sophia,, actually in all of Muldoon's books, is the setting. Italy becomes a character itself as the various people and places are lovingly detailed. They show Italy as a place of beauty and passion. For the protagonists in the books, Italy is a home.

Weekly Reader: Waking Isabella by Melissa Muldoon; Muldoon is At It Again With Florentine Tribute To Isabella De Medici

 

Weekly Reader: Waking Isabella by Melissa Muldoon; Muldoon is At It Again With Florentine Tribute To Isabella De Medici

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Melissa Muldoon has given us a slightly fanciful historical fiction novel about portrait artist, Sofronisba Anguissola in The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola. She has given us a journey through the centuries with portrait painter, Artemisia Gentileschi, who inspired her, and who followed in her footsteps with the novel, Eternally Artemisia. Her next volume, Waking Isabella, takes us into the life and legacy of another great woman of the Italian Renaissance. Only this time she is not so much an artist as she is a patron of the arts. In fact she is a member of one of the most famous artistic patron families in the Western world, Isabella de Medici.

Unlike the previous two books, Isabella de Medici is more talked about than shown. In fact, except for the prologue which captures Medici right at a moment of great betrayal and danger, we take no trips to the Renaissance era. Instead we are treated to two stories which use Medici as a connecting device. The first involves Nora, a jewelry designer and documentary filmmaker who is drawn to Italy and Medici herself. While filming, she falls in love with an Italian man named Luca and becomes embroiled in a mystery involving a ghost and a missing painting of Medici.

The other involves Margherita Lancini, a woman in 1941 who assists artist Frederico Donati with hiding some very valuable paintings, including Picasso's Guernica and of course a portrait of Isabella de Medici,the same one that Nora is looking for in the present.

Of the books in Muldoon's series, Waking Isabella is probably the weakest. However, it is the weakest in a very outstanding series so the weakness isn't very much. Like the others we get a brilliant look at a compelling Renaissance woman. Also since Isabella herself was not an artist, this allows the Reader to recognize that many could show their contribution to the art world even if they are not themselves artists. A patron of the arts is just as important as those that sculpt and paint.

We also see how important the Medicis were to Florentine society. Their contribution to the Renaissance was vast. They were friends and patrons of many artists, scientists, philosophers, writers, and political figures. Without the influence and guidance of the Medicis, much of what we know of the European Renaissance would have been lost.

In the brief chapters that we are shown Isabella in action, we are given a complex woman. She is filled with brilliant thoughts and a lot of passion. Despite being the Florentine equivalent of a superstar, Isabella is surrounded by enemies some because of her famous name and some by her own actions. One moment has her face to face with her soon to be assasin and she stands up to him with the wit and grace that a woman like her would possess. Isabella's brief chapter makes this Reader long for more of her.

The 1940's story is very well written as we meet Margherita and Frederico. Similar to the characters in Eternally Artemisia, these characters would preserve the arts from the flames of Nazis and Fascists even if they have to die for it. Margherita and Frederico understand that. That is how their bond is developed by sharing and appreciating the arts as well as hiding them from those who would destroy it. Despite the huge age difference, Margherita and Frederico develop a romance based on this shared interest and living in a time where emotions are at the forefront because any moment could be your last. Just like Isabella, they worked to preserve the arts so it can never be destroyed.

What isn't as interesting is the modern story. Nora is a  decent enough protagonist. The Reader gets an inside view on the work it takes to make a documentary by choosing the subject, framing it in an interesting way, finding and interviewing experts on the subject, and editing the film to fit the theme. Sometimes the filmmaker has to do it with very little budget or fanfare when they are completed.

Nora's search for Isabella's painting has some suspenseful moments such as when she thinks that she sees Isabella's ghost. There are also some Nancy Drew like clues where Nora searches for the painting in secret panels and hidden compartments.

What doesn't work as well is Nora's romance with Luca. He has a familial connection with the past stories, but it's not as explored as well as it should be. He also has a secret which eats up a lot of Nora's time when she should be working on her film or studying Isabella. In fact Luca's, past struggles takes a lot of time when he is behaving unnecessarily cryptic about it. When all is revealed, the big secret is extremely underwhelming.

There is one brilliant moment where Nora and Luca meet a pair of the lovers from one of Muldoon's other books. This suggests that the books are in a shared universe in which more than one Renaissance guide is in action to help these mortals find their way in the country shaped like a boot.

While Eternally Artemisia and The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola are much better, Waking Isabella is also a brilliant tribute to the women of the Renaissance and how their legacy can still be felt today.

Weekly Reader: The Cuts That Cure by Arthur Herbert; Suspenseful But Disjointed Psychological Thriller About Two Violent Criminals In The Making

 Weekly Reader: The Cuts That Cure by Arthur Herbert; Suspenseful But Disjointed Psychological Thriller About Two Violent Criminals In The Making

 By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Arthur Herbert's The Cuts That Cure does not stop with one despicable violent character. He gives us two. One is a teenager and the other a disgraced doctor, both of which who develop a lust for crime and violence.

Alex Brantley, an ER doctor, was fired for committing an act of violence against an abusive parent. After an unsuccessful suicide attempt, Alex moves to a small Texas town and attempts to rebuild his life as a science teacher.

One of the students at the school is Henry Wallis, a young lad with a history of unusual behavior. After exhibiting troubling behavior as a youngster, Henry becomes filled with the compulsive urge to hurt others. He drives to a park outside San Antonio and sees several homeless people and an opportunity. As Henry develops into a potential serial killer, Alex becomes involved with some shady characters who entice him to travel with them to Mexico for illegal means.

By themselves, both Henry's and Alex's plots are decent. Henry's plot is fascinating as we read about his methodical approach to commit the perfect crime. He scouts the area, looks for someone whose death may not be noticed, and covers all traces. Even though he is still a teenager, this is clearly something that he has thought about for a long time. There is something cold blooded almost alien in his approach that is meant to send chills down the Reader's spine. 

Henry's plot sounds like Hitchcock by way of Hannibal Lector.

Alex's plots however is more of dark comedy almost Tarentinoesque set to book form. He is accosted (during a football game no less) by these dubious guys inviting him to Mexico. They are so obvious in their attempts at illegal activity, that they might as well carry a sign that says "Illegal Doings 'R' Us". Alex is oblivious or arrogant to their intentions and the potential dangers that this trip to Mexico would result. That puts the Reader one step ahead of him. When he does encounter the criminal underworld, it's less of a surprise and more results in the Reader raising their hand and saying "Who called it?" 

The contrasting tone of the psychological terror of Henry's story and the dark comedy of Alex's story is jarring to say the least. In fact, both of these plots could have worked just as well if not better as stories in their own right. More time would have been focused on each character and his descent into villainy.

However, there is a point where the transition actually works. As Henry's burgeoning career comes to an end, Alex's darker nature begins to take over. He's not a bumbling arrogant fool stumbling into trouble. He becomes the real actor in villainy. Almost like despite his youth, Henry had to be removed so Alex could be reborn. The final passage where Alex visits someone just to torture them shows how far Alex has gone from the man who assaulted a parent that had abused his child. In fact it's more chilling than anything that Henry has done throughout the entire book.

The Cuts That Cure at first makes you think that the two stories are separate and incomplete. Towards the end we learn that they explore the darker nature that could exist with anyone whether it's in a high school student or a pillar of the community.

Weekly Reader: Water Sight (Last of the Gifted Book Two) Marie Powell; Continuation Ups The Power, Plot, and Characterization

 

Weekly Reader: Water Sight (Last of the Gifted Book Two) Marie Powell; Continuation Ups The Power, Plot, and Characterization 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: When last we left 13th century Wales Marie Powell's Spirit Sight, Prince Llywelyn Ap Gruffydd was killed during his battle to defend his homeland from the invading army of the English King Edward de Longshanks. Rather than move on, his spirit accidentally hijacked the body of Hwy, a young man who is the son of one of his strongest supporters. Hwy also has the ability to share his consciousness with those of animals and see the world through their eyes. Meanwhile, Hwy's sister, Cat discovers that she can scry, see images of the future through water. Spirit Sight was a book that was a terrific blend of Welsh historical fiction and medieval fantasy.

With the sequel, Water Sight, Powell must have studied the maxim go big or go home. In the second and clearly final book in the series, Powell increased the magic by developing Hwy and Cat's powers, the plot by providing more suspense and quests, and characterization by reflecting on Hwy and Cat's relationships with each other, friends, family, and lovers.

Just as Spirit Sight had Hwy be the primary protagonist (though technically since Llewellyn is inside his body shouldn't that be deuteragonist?) Water Sight has Cat serve as the primary protagonist. She and her fiance, Rhys go on a dangerous mission to retrieve and keep safe some artifacts that are important to the Welsh people. This mission is rather suspenseful as the two encounter various obstacles and find themselves in the direct path of enemies.

One of the more intriguing conflicts that involves Cat is that as her precognitive abilities increase so does her role in society. Rhys even believes that she could be The Morrigan, a legendary figure with the gift of prophecy. 

Unfortunately, this oracular gift could be lost if she marries or has sexual relations. Rhys is even willing to step aside if this is to be. However, Cat has to weigh which is a more important duty for her people: to develop her gift of prophecy or to marry and produce heirs. Keep in mind, this is a society that has just had their prince die, his brother and heir is held captive, the prince's child is an infant, and they are fighting a losing battle against the English. So this is a society that more than likely needs as many of the younger generations as possible. Either decision is not an easy one and Cat is aware that no matter what choice that she has to make, she has to give something up.

Cat isn't the only character that has to go through such changes. Her brother, Hwy now has the ability to shapeshift into animals as well as share consciousness with them. In principle, it's a pretty interesting gift and there are multiple chapters which beautifully describe the feeling that he gets flying through the air as a bird or sneaking through castle walls as a mouse. It even comes in handy when he does a recon mission for the Welsh by infiltrating a castle in bird form. Unfortunately,his gift comes with a price and that is his humanity. Each time Hwy uses his shifting ability he becomes more animalistic and needs to be reminded of his once human form. 

Like Cat, Hwy finds a soulmate that helps him with his power and it's a very interesting one. While Hwy has a flirtation with a female ally, she ends up not being the one to pull him out of his animal form. The one who does is James, a young Englishman who had been living in the same castle where Hwy was trained. James, in fact, already knew of his ability to see through an animal's eyes. When Hwy regresses to an animal form, it is James who reminds him of who he is and has the power to bring him back. While not overly stated, the undertones suggest that Hwy and James' love for each other is beyond platonic.

Since this is the last book in the series, things get wrapped up neatly and because of real world history very darkly for the protagonists. However, by the final pages Cat and Hwy have emerged as true heroes ready to take their place in this new changing world.

Weekly Reader: In A Town Called Paradox by Miriam Murcutt and Richard Starks; Feel Good Romance and Family Drama Reads Like A Hollywood Film

 

Weekly Reader: In A Town Called Paradox by Miriam Murcutt and Richard Starks; Feel Good Romance and Family Drama Reads Like A Hollywood Film

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Miriam Murcutt and Richard Starks's novel In A Town Called Paradox seems like a Hollywood film. That might be intentional since we are told that the town of Paradox, Utah is the location for shooting several films.  The townspeople of Paradox get a taste of Hollywood glamor as people like Rock Hudson and Marilyn Monroe work and congregate in this town during filming. It is an interesting experience but a short lived one as most of the time, the residents of Paradox go about their daily lives. 

One of those residents is Corin Dunbar. Her first taste of the magic of filmmaking came when Marilyn Monroe shared her favorite lipstick with her. For Corin, this connection helped give her a bit of glamor and escapism from her troubled past. Her mother died and her father abandoned her so she moved from her New York home to live with her Aunt Jessie in this strange Utah town. It takes some time, but Corin begins to adjust to living in this town. She enjoys riding horses,running the ranch, and hanging out with her friend, Dorothy who gains a loose reputation as she grows. Corin grows to love Paradox and its residents including her tough and tender hearted Aunt Jessie, Carter Williams, the showboat mayor and his star struck wife who was responsible for bringing the film industry to Paradox, and Cal Parker, the latest in a long line of law enforcement officers in his family.

There is a nice mixture of the fantasy provided by Hollywood and the reality of living in a town like Paradox. Many of the townspeople are thrilled to be extras and walk-ons in various film projects. Some like Dorothy are star struck and want to eventually break out into movies. Some like Corin just hold it in stride while going about their daily business. Some people are drawn to Paradox because of the allure and fantasy like Noah "Ark" Stevenson, a British astronomy student and movie fan who moves to Paradox where his favorite Western films are made. He moves to Paradox partly because of the setting but also the view so he can go stargazing. Eventually, he and Corin fall in love.

Ark and Corin's romance is even played like something in a dramatic film with romantic comedy elements. Ark is more philosophical and esoteric. Corin is earthier and more of a realist. They are an attraction of opposites that are drawn to each other despite a local who is also in love with Corin but doesn't have a chance. Corin and Ark's romance is played out under the desert landscape and panoramic view of the stars.

Sometimes the Hollywood elements of the book veer towards cheese. A prison escapee arrives to make things complicated for the characters. A family secret appears at the end almost too late to make any real impact on the plot so the book could have done without it. There are also the typical tear jerking moments when one of the pair is at the point of death as though to remind us that some of the most memorable love stories are often the saddest.

In A Town Called Paradox is the type of book that puts illusion and reality side by side and shows that both can tell an interesting tale.

List Lit: Short Reviews Green Your Routine A Transition from Mindless Consumerism to Mindful Consumption by Omar Abad. Success and Happiness A Complete Thoughtful Approach by Achal Kumar, The Injun' and The Owlhoot by Brandon Tolin, Hacking Your Destiny by Karl Lillurd

 List Lit: Short Reviews

By Julie Sara Porter Bookworm Reviews

Green Your Routine A Transition from Mindless Consumerism to Mindful Consumption by Omar Abad

While governments and corporations need to become aware of creating policies that will help improve our environment, as individuals we also have to make a commitment to help decrease our carbon footprints. Green Your Routine: A Transition From Mindless Consumerism to Mindful Consumption by Omar Abad offers some helpful suggestions on how we can make a commitment to improve our connection to the Earth. 

Abad explains the suggestions in easy to follow examples. He also provides charts, infographics, and statistics on how these ideas add to the overall picture of helping conserve the Earth's resources. For example, instead of using disposable water bottles, bringing one and using it regularly saves up to 350 bottles made per year adding up to 16,000  in 45 years.

There are also personal stories and anecdotes of people who tried these suggestions and the benefits of how their lives were improved. For example, a chapter that suggests taking public transportation, carpooling, or walking and biking to work includes a story from someone who used the alternative ways of going to work. This person lived in urban areas so they walked or cycled to work. When they moved to Manhattan but worked in Brooklyn often taking a 45 minute subway ride. They decided to move to Nikita to lessen their commute by 20 minutes. Now,they live in Toronto and make sure that their home and workplace are close enough for public transportation or walking. Even their spouse is compromising their down distance as long as their partner compromises on home decor.

Green Your Routine is a short book but it leaves a lot of good advice on what we as individuals can do to make the world a cleaner and better place.

Success and Happiness A Complete Thoughtful Approach by Achal Kumar

Achal Kumar's Success and Happiness: A Complete Thoughtful Approach is a short but informative book on how to change one's outlook to achieve their dreams. 

Some of the advice is practical such as practicing better communication skills to improve interpersonal relationships at work and at home. There are also suggestions about the ways that one can take professional, personal, and moral responsibility in their lives.

Kumar provides some activities on how we behave in our lives and what areas need improvement. For example, he offers a chart for people to estimate what their relationship is like with their spouse and how they spoke or acted around each other. These activities provide a more interactive experience for the Reader's learning experience.

There are also exercises for one's professional life such as problem solving and teamwork. These exercises are designed to build communications within the workplace.

There are sections that account for everything from home safety to personal finance, networking, database management, maybe to remove any stressors in life that could hinder chances for success. For a small book, Success and Happiness asks Readers to look at many areas of their lives and seek ways to improve them.

The Injun' and The Owlhoot by Brandon Tolin

The Injun' and The Owlhoot by Brandon Tolin is a rip roarin' yarn of a Western with a very creepy supernatural edge.

Bipin, a young man from an Apache family is sickened by the fights between the Caucasian and Native Americans, particularly by the brutality of his own family. He decides to leave despite objections from his father and sister. He eventually finds his way to Georgia and accepts a commission as a bounty hunter. He accepts an assignment to look for the members of the O'Brien gang. Unfortunately, outlaw gangs and gun toting desperados aren't the only danger out there. There is something supernatural and terrifying that is taking out victims one by one.

Most of the book is a typical Western with the law and bounty hunters chasing desperados and plenty of shootouts. Western lovers should enjoy the action spread throughout the book as Bipin, The O'Brien gang, and Bipin's boss, Sheriff Wales play cat and mouse searching for each other.

One of the nice things is that the lead character is Native American so we get some perspective on how Native Americans were treated in this time period. In an early chapter he gets tired of someone assuming that he hunted buffalo in the Plains. He gets irritated and thinks that not all Natives are from the Plains and that he's never even seen a buffalo.  In fact it's clear that the first half of the title is ironic since that is how Bipin is usually viewed by the white people around him. It opens up the truth that many of the people that lived out in the West were often Black, Latino, or Native American. This is a history they should be remembered and recognized.

What stands out in this book are the supernatural elements that are present. They slowly emerge at night and out of the water, ready to attack anyone near them. At first, it's unclear what they are, whether they are some kind of animal or human predator but when members of the O'Brien gang get swallowed up by the river leaving blood,  things become more terrifying. There is a creepy atmosphere as Tolin delays the appearance of these creatures for a long time, so we fear the unknown assailant almost as much as the characters do. When they do appear, they make quite an impression because of the subtle buildup beforehand.

The Injun'and The Owlhoot is a very exciting western with a great supernatural horror edge.

Hacking Your Destiny by Karl Lillrud

Karl Lillrud's Hacking Your Destiny is a brilliant self-help book about reaching one's personal and professional goals. 

The book is designed to be a guide in which Lillrud uses examples from his own life to help the Reader come to terms with struggles and conflicts in their lives.

For example in a section in which refers to limitations, he honestly describes his own struggles with dyslexia and how that contributed to others perception of him and his own struggles with self worth. He cited his father's perseverance to help him recognize his own talents and how to apply them.

The book is arranged in a Q and A format with plenty of exercises called "Glues" for easy reading and following. For example, a section on money begins with the question of "Why do I not treat money as sacred as other people?" Lillrud offered a way of looking at money as "happiness coupons." Despite the overtly cutesy title, it suggests altering one's outlook towards money and how it could deliver personal satisfaction. He then offers an exercise for the Reader to itemize how much money they need to take care of their personal needs and be comfortable.

There are other chapters focusing on moving out of one's comfort zone, setting goals, and communications. A personal favorite activity is "doing what you love" suggesting that the Reader itemize a list of the things that they enjoy doing and finding ways that they could be financially, professionally, and personally beneficial. Many subsequent exercises offer ways of fine tuning that list by identifying values, offering ways to present and market oneself as an "expert" in that field, and turning that interest from a side hustle into a  full-time career.

Hacking Your Destiny is an interesting book that offers suggestions on how to change one's life for the better.