Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews

Review: Slammin’ by Marcus Paul Cootsona

Slammin' ReviewAt fifty-three years old, lifetime tennis pro Wally Wilson has shelved his ambition for a comfortable and happy life as a tennis instructor for the rich and richer of Silicon Valley, under the watch of the questionable benefactor 17-year-old Ashley Margincall.

With the support of his loving though quirky family and the bankrolls of his eccentric clients, the slow and easy life of a teacher perfectly suits the old pro and his on-and-off heart problems. All is well, perhaps even mostly normal, until Wally’s wife is kidnapped on a business trip to Sweden, sparking Wally’s latent tennis-based superpowers and catching […]

Review: Dirtball: The Diaries of a Worthless Somebody by Eric Olsen

dirtballDirtball: The Diaries of a Worthless Somebody is an autobiographical first novel by Eric Olsen. The book follows character “EO”, a reasonably average young American man who realizes his need to change his life after an incident with a friend who calls him the personally poignant name of a “dirtball”. What follows is a recounting of the author’s attempt to turn around from his built-up bad decisions and bad luck by starting fresh, despite his adversity in problems old and new.

Whether he really can is one of the questions the book aims to provide answers to, but by far […]

Review: The Favorite by Franklyn C. Thomas

favoriteSecond chances are rare, no matter how much a person wants them. When Michael Dane is given a second chance he has to make the toughest decision in his life. What’s the decision? You have to read The Favorite to find out. It may shock you.

Michael Dane is a fighter who has a shot at becoming the IBF Light-Heavyweight Champion. He’s trained all of his life for this chance, but some mistakes almost ruined his shot. One blunder landed him in prison for eighteen months. Michael’s manager, Dante Alexander, helps Michael elevate his career and has helped him reach […]

Review: In The Name Of Vengeance by J. B. Bergstad

This second volume in the Hyde’s Corner Trilogy chronicles the continuing tribulations of Selmer Burks, sheriff of Sundowner County, Oklahoma. Before I go any further, let me warn you: This is a sequel, not just the second in a series. If you have not read the first Hyde’s Corner book, No Man’s Land: The Beginning, this one will be confusing, especially at first. It takes up the story at the cliffhanger ending of No Man’s Land and goes on from there with very little explanation about what happened in the first book. On the other hand, the story here […]

2019-01-22T17:15:26+02:00December 20th, 2013|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Beneath The Surface By Stanley Yokell

This book full of fictional diving incidents kicks off with two accomplished scuba diving friends, Joe and Thura, in the popular scuba resort in Cuba, where they are intrigued by their encounter with some playful mermaids – so why is their guide so concerned about the sighting?

In this globe-trotting collection of short stories we follow a group of young people as they try out scuba diving spots in just about every continent, and the friendships and romances they develop on the way.

Yokell’s style reminds me of a simplified Michel Tournier with his literary descriptions of people’s lives and […]

2019-01-22T17:45:58+02:00November 4th, 2013|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Voodoo Gold by James H. Jenks

Imagine that you are nearing forty with a wife and kids. Now, envision that even though you aren’t a professional soldier, you’ve signed up more than once for the Army Reserves. The first time you signed the dotted line was to pay for school. Then you resigned to help pay the bills after college. What may have seemed like easy money has now landed you in the middle of a war.

Voodoo Gold, by James H Jenks, chronicles SSG Jenks’s (same name as the author) time in Iraq. Jenks  doesn’t like to complain. He’s the guy who always tries […]

2019-01-22T17:55:54+02:00September 18th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Missing Portrait by Geraldine Glodek

The Missing Portrait by Geraldine Glodek tells the story of Mary Frances, her mother, five men, and Sharon, the young woman who may live today because Mary Frances had sex with four boys (she had expected three) in 1962 on the top floor of a former United Mineworkers building in a Pennsylvania coal town.  The two omniscient narrators are rats, and they are adept at describing the towns in Pennsylvania and Maine, their people, history, and culture.

Mary Frances’ mother, Joyce, is obsessed with denying her daughter’s pregnancy, to the point of explaining that Mary Frances is missing one high […]

2019-01-22T17:56:36+02:00September 14th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: To Kill the Duke by Sam Moffie

After World War Two, the United States of America began rebuilding but missed the opportunity to enjoy the peace it fought hard for by establishing a Cold War with the U.S.S.R. Against such a backdrop, To Kill the Duke juxtaposes the inner circle of spies and assassins serving at the pleasure of Leader Stalin in Communist Moscow with the cast and crew of a Hollywood movie being filmed in a Utah desert in 1954.

The plot is centered around The Conquerer, starring John Wayne and made famous in part for inspiring debate whether it is one of the worst […]

2019-01-22T17:57:44+02:00June 15th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |
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