Category: Humour - GRANT LEISHMAN

double down by bruce wessell

8/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Double Down by Bruce Wessell is a fun romp through Las Vegas with a man who has been stretched to the limit by his job, his relationship and his life. Finally he takes a giant step and does something he never thought he would do. Johnny, a sales rep. for a food processing company in Iowa, was a success but today couldn’t possibly get any worse, could it? Just prior to the company’s annual conference where Johnny is going to be awarded the Pinnacle Award, including an enormous bonus, as one of the company’s top salesmen, Johnny is visiting some of his more difficult clients and not enjoying it one iota. When he gets a message from his boss, who he hates with a passion, he knows this day is going downhill fast. When Johnny’s informed he won’t be getting the Pinnacle Award due to some unaccounted for returns from one of his clients, he’s devastated and angry as hell. Seeking solace from his girlfriend, he returns home only to find her in bed with one of her co-workers. After rearranging the man’s face for him, Johnny storms off to see one his least favourite clients, Bernie and Mother. When presented with a bag full of cash at Bernie’s, sitting unattended in the office, Johnny grabs the bag and runs – heading for – Vegas, of course, some fun and adventure, all on Bernie’s money.

Double Down is a comedy but not in the gut-busting laughter vein. Its comedy is more subtle than that and Author Bruce Wessell has painted a scenario that each and every one of us has possibly wondered about from time to time. If presented with a clear opportunity, would I do something illegal if I was angry enough or feeling cheated enough? Johnny was a great character, in that despite his stealing Bernie and Mother’s money he still maintained and showed a moral compass that some of us may not have been able to. The supporting cast were all well-drawn almost to the point of caricature; with the Russian Mafia guys and Bernie’s Mother (the Mother of all Mothers). I liked the writer’s style, which flowed effortlessly from one amusing situation to the next. The action is fast-paced and the comedy subtle but funny. Johnny is on a winning streak and it seems no matter what he does, he will come up smelling of roses. This was a fun read and one I enjoyed very much. As a debut novel it is well presented, well-written and engaging. If you fancy a bit of light relief, I’d say give Double Down a try.

You can find Double Down, here on Bruce Wessell's Amazon page:

NOTHING IS MORE: a High Black Comedy in Verse with Music for Six Actors by Dolly Gray Landon

11/2/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Nothing is More: A High Black Comedy in Verse with Music for Six Actors is a farcical attempt by Author Dolly Gray Landon to lampoon and ridicule the elitism and pretension of both the art world and academia. Set in the fictional world of Pimpleton State Luniversity it is a musical and poetic play that introduces us to the minimalist artist, the outrageous Phangbang Bonation whose art-style known as “Nadaism” has taken the art world by storm. Essentially Bonation does nothing, “nada” and calls it art. The Luniversity has introduced a degree higher than a Doctorate, called a Stool and there are five budding academics striving for the degree and the lucrative “Moddiger Prize”. Friends, Pelvin Penisovich and Purvel Schlignatz are abhorred by what they consider the fraud that Bonation is perpetrating upon the art-world and the scholarly world and are determined to see him taught a lesson and drummed out of their world shamed and ridiculed for the charlatan he is. Hatching a plan, the pair set about to impugn and destroy Bonation’s ascendant star in the artistic heavens. Throw in a couple of impressionable and malleable, young women students, a chorus and a musical score and you have the makings of Landon’s six-act play.

My initial reaction to Nothing is More: A High Black Comedy in Verse with Music for Six Actors was almost the same a Pelvin and Purvel’s response to Phangbang’s non-existent pieces of art – “the emperor is wearing no clothes”. I was ready to dismiss author Dolly Gray Landon’s work as; “having a laugh at the reader’s (or theatre-goer’s) expense but I continued reading in order to give the work a chance. Whilst it may transfer differently to the stage, as a read, it was difficult, with a surfeit of nonsensical words and passages that needed to be visualised in the reader’s mind before they made much sense, there nonetheless was an element of depth to the writing and understanding slowly dawned on me as to some of the clever techniques used by the author to gain my attention and understanding. Some of the longer sections of dialogue had much philosophical meat on them and some fascinating insights into the way we view and cherish the opinions of “artists” and “experts” often at the expense of our own common sense or “gut feelings”. Phangbang Bonation was the star of the show and as a character bounced from one extreme to the other. In many ways I was reminded of a much more extreme “FlashHeart from Blackadder, morphing to the extreme pragmatism and cynicism of Blackadder himself. No, it wasn’t an easy ride, but it was one worth persevering with. I won’t comment on the musical scores inherent in the play, as a musician I ain’t. Overall… “and now for something completely different!”

You can find Nothing is More here on Dolly Gray Landon's Amazon page:

The malignant presidency: volume 1 by william robinson

27/1/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Malignant Presidency: Donald Trump’s White House Set to Satirical First Person Poetry is a whimsical and extremely irreverent collection of poems satirising the Donald J Trump Presidency, from the pen of William Robinson. Although very short the volume is jam-packed with derogatory and critical poetry covering the lead-up to and the first two years of Trump’s presidency. Most of the poems are written from the perspective of Trump, in the first person, although there are a smattering of others from the major players; e.g. Obama, Clinton, Comey and Mueller. The collection is perhaps as up to date (at the moment) as we can possibly expect with many of the uproar and angst of 2018 recorded in verse. Unapologetically a Trump derider, there is nothing in this collection that would excite or inspire his base, but it does “poke the borax” at the situation in a way that many politicians (from both sides of the aisle) probably wish they were able to do.

As a interested bystander, someone who is not an American, but who has been caught up in the daily “soap opera” (on television and in print) that emanates from this White House, I found The Malignant Presidency: Donald Trump’s White House Set to Satirical First Person Poetry to be a brave attempt to put a satirical spin on what is possibly a “clear and present danger” to the United States and indeed, the Free World. The volume is way too short and it seemed like just as I was getting into William Robinson’s style and rhythm, when sadly, it was all over. I note this is Volume 1, so I’m sure we can expect more from this author as the presidency moves inexorably into its second half and potentially into deep, dark and uncharted waters. I can’t help but feel the author was using this medium to allow himself to vent and release some of the intense frustrations that over half the population clearly feel at the direction of this president and the country as a whole. I share the author’s concerns and await the next two years with considerable trepidation. Robinson pulls no punches in this exposition, so if you are easily offended you may want to give it a miss, but seriously, I would urge all MAGA and Trump supporters to read and reflect on it. You may pause for a moment to question the man’s real motivations in this presidency and, if you do, the author has probably succeeded in his mission.

You can find The Malignant Presidency: Volume 1 by William Robinson, here on Amazon:

page 6 and beyond: let's stir the pot by hureen saghar gandhi

21/10/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Page 6 and Beyond: Let’s Stir the Pot is a glimpse at the power of social media to bring a disparate group of people together who happened to share an experience some twenty years earlier. Author Hureen Saghar Gandhi, was born and raised in India, but as are many of her classmates from those schooldays, she has moved halfway across the world and now resides in Northern Virginia, USA. After an impromptu school reunion with some of her classmates from back in India, they decide to set up a “Whatsap” group to try to bring everyone back together and reminisce over their long forgotten schooldays and the adventures and aspirations they all had then. Gandhi is excited to see where all her old friends have ended up and what they are doing now. Set against, the social upheaval and acrimony of the 2016 Presidential elections, the author, a staunch Hillary supporter is dismayed to find one of her old friends is a staunch Trump supporter. The tensions and humour of reconnecting, after all these years, is the thread that ties this story together.

What Page 6 and Beyond: Let’s Stir the Pot does well, is remind us of the power of Social Media, today, to reunite friends from the past. Despite all the qualms about privacy and bullying, there is a good to be had from this ability to reconnect. Having seen this myself, with my own wife reconnecting after forty years, with her High School classmates, this story definitely resonated with me. Hureen Saghar Gandhi has done a good job in controlling what, at times, had the potential to be both explosive and privacy invading. Perhaps the biggest disappointment, for me, as a reader, is that the emoji’s, which play such a critical part in the humour of these stories, did not reproduce well in the Kindle version of the story. Consequently, some of the humour passed me by, as a reader. That having been said, there were plenty of anecdotes from the author’s schooldays which had me chuckling away to myself and reminiscing over my own schooldays. This is a fun, little read, that is full of the warmth and humour of true life experience.

You can find Page 6 and Beyond: Let's Stir the Pot, by Hureen Saghar Gandhi, here on her Amazon author page:

as the pizza burns by nick powers

1/9/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

As the Pizza Burns by Nick Powers is a sharply, acerbic and satirical look at the lives of those low-paid and overworked fast food workers that most of us take for granted. Through the eyes of Tony, a shift supervisor at The Pizza Corp, we are reminded that service workers at fast food restaurants are not mindless robots, but that they have lives, problems and difficulties just like the rest of us. Faced with unreasonable and angry customers who expect everything right there and right now, the fast-food workers are required to be polite, understanding and conciliatory even when every fibre of their being is screaming out to punch the arrogant, demanding customer between the eyes. Tony, like all his co-workers understands that “nobody works for Pizza Corp out of choice”. For Tony, with a pregnant wife, who also is suffering from cancer, life is one long battle just to keep the demanding creditors, especially the medical bills at bay. He has no choice, he cannot afford to lose his job and he desperately needs to get promoted to a salaried position. To do so, Tony knows he has to tow the corporate line and play by the corporate rules, as ridiculous and as unyielding as they may seem at times.

As someone who has fortunately never found the need to work for a fast-food restaurant, As the Pizza Burns is a real eye-opener and a reminder to me to never take these hard-working, usually young people for granted. Nick Powers introduces us to a wide range of diverse characters who all add something to the mix that makes up the Pizza Corp team. The author’s style is simple, straightforward and very easy to read. I read this entire book in one sitting simply because it flowed so effortlessly. Tony is a character that is easy to identify with. He looks to the future, when things will work out for the good for him and his family, but realises for now, he must do everything within his power to ensure his success at Pizza Corp and guarantee the stability of his family, but at what cost. The author clearly drew on his own experiences in writing this fictionalised version of life in a fast-food restaurant and perhaps that was what made the narrative so real and so starkly sad and equally funny in places. An author has achieved something special when he or she is able to open the reader’s eyes to something different to that which we take for granted and Powers has done this in this funnily sad story. I take my hat off to him and highly recommend this read to all.

Do pop on over to Amazon and check out As the Pizza Burns by Nick Powers, here on his Amazon page:

blitzball by barton ludwig

10/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Richfield High may be a mythical place in Barton Ludwig’s, Blitzball, but to the predominately white, Aryan residents of the town of Upper Richfield, the school and more importantly its soccer team is the focus of their pride, their hopes, and their dreams. Unfortunately, Upper Richfield’s Soccer team spearheaded by Addie and his motley collection of oddball team-mates is on a real losing streak. Their nemesis is the Lower Richfield, North Prep School, which is predominately populated by immigrants, a collection of Mexican, Brazilian and Filipino students. When Richfield High is beaten again, by North Prep and to add insult to injury, their team is led by a girl, Shaylee, Addie determines to discover what black magic this girl is using to always beat up on their beloved team. What Addie discovers when he delves into Lower Richfield will surprise and shock him, challenging all his preconceived notions of Aryan Supremacy and the purpose of his life.

Blitzball, I suspect, is intended as a comedic parody and in that it does perform extremely well. Author, Barton Ludwig, by ludicrously stretching our imaginations and challenging our prejudices, gives us a possible insight into our world today. Many of the situations and ingrained prejudices highlighted in this story have direct parallels with the rise of populism and nationalism that appears to be currently sweeping the Western world. I’m not 100% sure if that was the authors intent, but in many ways this story does smack us in the face and remind us that the veneer of western civilisation is indeed very thin and we don’t have to look far to see what evil can occur when “good men do nothing”. I found Ludwig’s writing style very suited to the nature of the material. It is potentially aimed at the Young Adult market and at its core it is a “coming of age” story that will resonate within the hearts of many of its readers who have also suffered the taunts, bullying, and unreasonable prejudices of their peers. I enjoyed the read, which did at times make me chuckle and can definitely recommend it as something outside the mainstream of young adult literature.

You can find Blitzball by Barton Ludwig, here on Amazon:

smoke on the mountains by sam knupp

24/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Sam Knupp takes us back to a simpler time in Smoke on the Mountains, as he transplants the reader to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Shenandoah River, West Virginia (of John Denver Fame), in the little town of Timberville, Virginia. The world is in turmoil, it is just after the Charlottesville outrage and a protest march from Charlottesville to Washington passes through Timberville, a town still rooted in and in some ways fighting the Civil War of 1864, with a controversial statue of Southern General, Stonewall Jackson, dominating the main square. Amidst this, a little, local girl Pepper Anne goes missing and the townsfolk and protesters alike, unite to search for her. Attitudes, prejudices, and secrets will be revealed and discovered over the next few weeks leading up to and after Christmas. A huge variety of amazing characters will pass through the prism of suspicion as friendships and relationships are tested. Timberville, Virginia, will never be the same again.

Smoke on the Mountains could probably best be described as an acquired taste. The story, the writing style and the characters definitely grow on you, the more you read. Author Sam Knupp has used an eclectic and bizarre group of characters to try to highlight the cultural divide that is facing American society today. The sheer oddness of the different residents of Timberville highlights the cultural split between rural and urban; between white and non-white; between Evangelicals and non-Christians; and especially between Liberal and Conservative. The characters are grossly overdrawn (on purpose) as typified by the seven-foot-tall, blind preacher Marvel and his equally enormous sidekick, Buddy. I felt the author’s use of humoured cliché to make sense of the ridiculous to be clever and insightful, if a little overdone at times. The fact he was able to make the reader laugh, cry and shout with outrage within a few sentences, was indeed a credit to his ability, however, I did sense the occasional desire on the author’s part to “impress” the reader with his ability as a wordsmith, to the detriment of telling the story. Smoke on the Mountains is definitely different from anything I’ve read lately and it makes you think and question your prejudices, which is probably all one can ask from an author. It was definitely an intriguing read.

You can find Smoke on the Mountains by Sam Knupp, here on Amazon:

the art of the steal by cynthia zaitz phd.

24/4/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

In The Art of the Steal, author Cynthia Zaitz PhD. brings us a comedic parody of the motivation and thought processes of perhaps, the most divisive and discussed politician in the history of humanity – one Donald J Trump, President of the United States. Through her imaginary character, Aimon Niddy Ott, who she describes as Trump’s Id, she takes us on a journey to unravel what she believes is ultimately behind all his decision making processes and what really goes on inside the mind of a megalomaniac, kleptocrat. Zaitz takes us through a typical day in the life of Mr Ott, as he juggles the many tasks of the “most important man in the Universe”. The title of the book itself, clearly a parody on Trump’s ‘own’ work, The Art of the Deal, gives us a hint as to what motivates this enigma of a President, in the author’s mind. The Presidency, it appears, is just the finest opportunity businessman Trump has had to date, to steal from everyone.

There is considerable humour to be gained from parody and sarcasm, two tools author Cynthia Zaitz PhD. uses to extremes in The Art of the Steal and sections of it are genuinely funny, especially if you are against Trump and his policies. Zaitz makes no secret at all of her total and utter disdain for Donald Trump and the fact that she lives for the day this “terrible period” in United States history is over and done with. With that in mind and knowing there will be no counterbalancing, it is easier to enjoy and appreciate the wit and comedic flair in some parts of this narrative. My only concern, in the reading of this book, is the continual repetition of the one-liner’s that drip from Trump’s mouth like saliva and are recorded here, ad nauseam. The author would probably argue that they drip from Trump’s mouth ad nauseam also and that would indeed be hard to argue with. If you are anti-Trump or somewhere in between you will find this book fun, engaging and quite enjoyable. If you are one of the President’s base, I have little doubt this book will offend you deeply. Perhaps that, in itself, best summarises the polarisation of US politics, since the rise and rise of Trumpism – that being said, this is a fun read.

Pop on over to Amazon and check out The Art of the Steal by Cynthia Zaitz PhD.

wonders will never cease by judi moore

1/4/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Dr Fergus Girvan is your archetypal British university professor; learned, scholarly, loves the young girls and his many bottles of good plonk. In Wonders Will Never Cease by Judi Moore we meet Fergus, who is suffering a bit of a mid to late life crisis as he realizes his chances of finally gaining a “chair” at Ariel University, may be fading. The young women he surrounds himself with, have suddenly become less interesting and decidedly duller, although still wonderful for his ego and libido. His new found relationship with his high-school aged daughter is tested when he discovers that Andy has fallen in love with a middle-aged lothario who bears no small resemblance, in both morals and motivation, to Fergus himself. Suddenly Fergus finds himself having to ally with Mary, his daughter’s mother and a woman he tries to avoid like the plague, to try to save their beloved daughter from the letch’s grasp. Throw in a supporting cast of characters that could have come out of any British sitcom and you have the makings of a funny, quirky and typically British story. Fergus bumbles his way through the situations that present themselves, as he begins to realize what is actually important in his life and what he should be focusing on.

I’ve always been a big fan of good British humour, the darker the better and Judi Moore has brought us a story, in Wonders Will Never Cease that absolutely fits that mould. When I was reading the book, and especially the wonderful, bumbling, but earnest portrayal of Fergus, I couldn’t help but think of those many wonderful sitcoms produced by the British (Black Books comes to mind here), with their self-deprecating humour and the stuffy, class-ridden characters that inhabit them. I felt Moore perfectly portrayed the sometime senseless and rarefied, ivory-tower atmosphere that is academia, the world over, but more especially so in the British system. I particularly enjoyed the age-old debate of the importance of the classics and humanities, in the University system, as opposed to Science and Business, something that was such a hot topic in the Thatcher Britain that this book is set. Comedy and humour is hard to write and good comedy, when discovered should be cherished and held up for all to see. Moore clearly has her finger on the pulse of what is comedy and this book certainly encourages me, as a reader, to seek out more of this author’s work.

You can take a look at Wonders Will Never Cease, plus the rest of Judi Moore's work, here on Amazon:

twice melvin by james pumpelly

11/2/2018

When Melvin Morrison dies, things don’t go quite the way he expects. He finds himself in an in-between land, still able to see his wife and friends, but unable to interact with them or influence their actions significantly. In Twice Melvin, by James Pumpelly, Melvin is guided in the afterlife, by his long deceased Aunt Martha, who explains to him the whys and wherefores of being dead. Much of what Martha discloses to Melvin will come as a great shock to him and he begins to realise he has a decision to make, one that will impact on everyone in his life and their futures, including future generations. Melvin’s ex-law partner George and both of their past philandering will play a significant part in Melvin’s future both in the afterlife and also back in earth’s reality. George has secret designs on Melvin’s wife and Melvin is none too sure how he feels about that. Add in to the mix an incompetent sperm bank and the scene is set for a true comedy of errors.

Twice Melvin is a comedic, slightly off-the-wall view of relationships, friendship and human interaction. James Pumpelly’s characters are uniquely drawn so as to emphasise their quirkiness, their eccentricities and, of course, their biases and prejudices. It was a really pleasant surprise for me, as a reader, to depart from the common language of genre fiction and return again to the eloquent, more refined use of the English language, as one might expect from a nineteenth-century novel. This book is contemporary literature and Pumpelly displays both his artistic ability as a wordsmith and a poet. The story is at times, very humourous, but very much in that shy, British style of self-deprecating humour. That it was set in and around New England amongst the stuffy, ‘old money’ society just gave the story a richness and depth that I haven’t read for some considerable time. The premise and the exploration of morality, choices and self-awareness were intricate and well-handled by the author. This is the type of work that demands a reader explore more of this author’s portfolio. It was a pleasant change to my usual reading fare and one to be recommended, from time to time.

Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Twice Melvin by James Pumpelly. It'll be well worth your while.

the book of ralph by christopher steinsvold

6/12/2017

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Book of Ralph by Christopher Steinsvold is a comedy with a message. When a sign “Drink Diet Coke” suddenly, mysteriously appears on the moon, everyone on earth just assumes somehow Coca-Cola had managed to do this. The backlash against Coke is massive, but what no-one understands is the sign was a message from Ralph. Ralph is an alien come to warn earth of an impending invasion by one of the most feared races in the Universe, the Kardashians, from the planet Kardash. Markus, a disgraced “rocket scientist” formerly with NASA is asked by the White House to investigate the mysterious advertisement and report back whether Coke was indeed the miscreant. Confusion reigns, though, when a giant Chicken Soup Can, containing the alien Ralph, lands outside the White House. So begins the adventures of Ralph.

What I particularly liked about The Book of Ralph was the subtle, yet clever humour that Steinsvold used to introduce the reader to much deeper and interesting thoughts. Although, I would have to say that Ralph’s explanations as to the “purpose of being” and the Universe, in general, didn’t actually come as a surprise to me, it made them none the less interesting and thought provoking. The idea that we, as a species, could possibly be alone in this massive universe, is an arrogant and presumptuous notion. I also liked the idea that we were far too primitive and young in evolutionary terms to understand much of what Ralph and his like could tell us. I found Ralph to be totally appealing and, as a potential “alien”, one you would not mind making contact with. Chris Steinsvold has brought us a funny, thoughtful book with some real insight and I can definitely recommend this not only to readers with a SciFi or Philisophical bent, but also to those who just like a good yarn, well told.

You can pop on over to Amazon and check out The Book of Ralph on Christopher Steinsvold's Amazon page.

house divided by jami deise

6/11/2017

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Erin Murphy is your typical Washington Mum, trying to balance her job with her husband’s needs and her children’s requirements. Erin is a life-long Democrat and work in PR for an environmental lobby group. When the Democrats get trounced at the mid-term elections, Erin’s job disappears and she is left with the dilemma and guilt of not having been there for her children and the difficulty of finding another job in what is largely a Republican Washington now. To complicate matters, in House Divided, by Jami Deise, Erin’s husband Jack is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican and when he lands a plum job with the ultra-right-wing television network TRC (The Right Choice), family loyalties will be pushed to the brink. Can Erin settle happily as a stay-at-home Mum while Jack makes a fortune as a television commentator. Her conflicting emotions and the political conflict provide for an exciting and fascinating journey.

House Divided was, I felt, a timely reminder of how political loyalties can divide even the most tight-knit of families. Jami Deise has provided a fascinating insight into the life of those on the fringe of Washington politics and how it can consume their very existence. This is a serious look at an issue that affects not only those in Washington, but all working mothers. There is an overwhelming guilt that many mothers experience over not being there for their children while they are growing up. Erin, like many mothers must face this balancing act of money vs time. Although the topic is serious enough, Deise’s writing is light and fun. She manages to find the quirkiest moments from serious situations and this made the book incredibly easy to read. I enjoyed being able to relate to a system I actually know very little about and I loved the little in-joke at the end about the current administration. This is a timely book and one I know many people will enjoy reading. Well-written and easy to read. What more can a reader ask for?

Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Jami's full portfolio:

the royal treatment (crown jewels Romantic comedy #1) by Melanie Summers

29/10/2017

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

A fun, frolic down fantasy lane is the best way I think I could possibly describe The Royal Treatment, by Melanie Summers. This is an out an out funny, chick-lit, with no pretensions of being anything else. Tessa Sharpe, a twenty-eight-year-old, former journalist has adopted the role of Royal Watchdog for the Kingdom of Avonia. Her blogs on the Royal Family and their excesses are grist to the mill of the group of Avonian citizens who consider the Royals to be an outdated and unnecessary institution in the Twenty-First Century. Facing a potential referendum to strip the Royals of their powers, Crown Prince Arthur invites Tessa to spend two months at the Palace, to live with the Royals and to see what it is they really do to help the people of Avonia. What follows is a hilarious romp filled with palace intrigue and of course the never-ending question (will they do it!).

I read so many books over the years that focus on the very worst of the human condition, so it is wonderful, from time to time, to come across a story so frivolous and so much fun as The Royal Treatment. There are few books that can make me chuckle, let alone belly laugh and yet Summers managed to draw that out of me in this fun tale. It is genuinely funny and yet still has something important to say, on a higher level. Obviously Avonia is a mythical kingdom, but the comparisons can well be made to other European countries still supporting a monarchy, even if that monarchy is merely ceremonial. Many of the issues faced by the Avonian monarchy and indeed the perception of that monarchy to the citizens can draw a direct parallel to other monarcies, such as the British. Look, I really enjoyed this book and congratulate Summers on a fine effort. The Royal Treatment is a wonderful distraction from a world where there is much too much angst and seriousness.

You can check out all of Melanie Summers' portfolio here on Amazon: amzn.to/2gKzLfS

mona lisa by robyn sheridan

14/10/2017

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Mona Lisa by Robyn Sheridan is just an out and out fun chick-lit story. Mona Lisa, a good Jersey girl from a strong Catholic Italian background has been jilted at the aisle by her high-school sweetheart and is feeling the intense pressure from her parents to get married and have children. Unable to face the whispers and pity of small-town Jersey any longer, Mona Lisa decides she needs to get away from the family she loves and adores but struggles to come to terms with and seek a new beginning in far-off Atlanta, Georgia. Between a father that still treats all his “girls” like they are still babies, a mother that wants to know everything she is up to and four sisters who just want to help Mona Lisa, she is feeling penned in and unable to cope. Perhaps a new start will allow her to finally meet someone worthy of her love and attention – “Mr. Right”.

I have no doubt I am not Robyn Sheridan’s defined demographic, with Mona Lisa, but I don’t care. I’m happy to proclaim I absolutely loved this story and the smart, sassy, humour that came with it. I particularly loved Mona Lisa, as a character, who came across as the typical, ballsy, brassy Jersey girl, but who deep down just wanted to be normal and in a relationship, like everyone else. The whole Catholic/Italian/Jewish vibe that permeated the book was a pleasure to read and just added to the enjoyment. Noni, Mon Lisa’s feisty and frank Grandmother was such an endearing character and it was clear Mona Lisa relied so heavily on her advice and guidance. Yes, the father and mother were a little like caricatures but nonetheless, I am sure the story would resonate with many women from that background. I loved this book and found it a fun diversion from everyday events. An excellent read that I can highly recommend.

You can check out Robyn Sheridan's Author page, including Mona Lisa, here on Amazon:

from beer to maternity by julie hodgson

14/9/2017

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Have you ever woken up from a drunken New Year’s Eve party and wondered just what you’d got up to the night before? In From Beer to Maternity by Julie Hodgson, that is exactly the dilemma faced by overweight Janet. It’s not until she turns up for work at the call-centre after the holiday break that she discovers, to her horror, that she has challenged the very fat Jack, from Accounts to a weight-loss competition over the coming year. The competition soon takes on a life of its own, as first her workmates, the company and then the media become caught up in the hype of this competition. Janet and Jack find a whole weird and wonderful variety of different diets foisted upon them, each month by the boss. Despite this, both become caught up in the idea of losing weight and becoming healthier. A year of hilarity follows.
I found From Beer to Maternity to be a very funny and light-hearted look at what is a serious subject – obesity. Both Jack and Janet are very real characters that I am sure many readers would have no problem at all identifying with. Although bordering on farce and caricature at times, this book by Hodgson is a very easy and satisfying read. It is typically English working-class humour – dry and witty, with a good dollop of sarcasm. My only complaint would be the book was a little short for my liking and I felt the author could have fleshed out each month a little more, with greater insight into Jack and Janet’s lives. That being said, it was a fun read and one I can definitely recommend. I particularly liked the chapters alternating between the characters. This gave equal insight into both contestants. An excellent read.

You can check out From Beer to Maternity by Julie Hodgson here on Amazon:

darkest kiss by jonathan finch

21/7/2017

There is absolutely no doubt, having now read a couple of Jonathan Finch's novels, that at heart, the author is a poet, rather than a novelist. His love and fascination with the written word comes through loud and clear in this story, Darkest Kiss. As I read the story, I couldn't help but think that it was a thinly veiled semi-autobiographical recounting of Finch's own life in the 1970's London. Even the principal character is named John and one feels the authors pain and angst at his lost love, screaming out from every page. If it is not semi-autobiographical then I'm suspecting Finch must be given credit for his ability to express such heartfelt angst in prose.

This really is a tale of two stories. The first half of the book, in which we meet John, is a quintessentially British story, that gently mocks the entrenched and stereotypical elements of British society and the class system. John is working as a cleaner at a block of flats in central London, where the average age of the other cleaners (porters) is late sixties and early seventies. The characters are very much caricatures of the time. There is the Dragon-Lady manager, who rules the roost and the Head Porter, Ben, who resents the young upstart, but who John has a real love/hate relationship with. I very much enjoyed this half of the book, with its verbal sparring and clever, at times almost overuse of literary devices designed to humour the reader. In some ways, when reading this part of the book, my mind kept harking to an old favourite television show of mine from Britain, called Black Books, starring Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey. The humour used in Darkest Kiss was very reminiscent, for me, of that series, quirky, dark and at times extremely clever.

The second half of the book, was very different as John related the weird, torrid and yet strangely compelling relationship between him and the love of his life Katharine. It is clear both John and Katharine had major personality issues that required addressing, but like moths to a flame, they were bound and drawn to each other, despite both knowing it was not good for either of them. At times, especially during this section, Finch's writing wandered off into some fairly esoteric and deep areas, but despite this, the study of two human beings and their inability to comnmunicate their needs to each other, became almost addictive, as a reader.

Darkest Kiss isn't for everyone. It is deep, thoughtful and designed to make you question the values you may hold, however as an expose of a particularly significant socialogical period in Great Britain, I did find it interesting and at times compelling. If its purpose was to make the reader think and examine his/her own relationships and attitudes to life and life's big questions, I can say it did succeed with this reader.

A solid four and a half stars from this reviewer and since I'm feeling generous to the author's intent in this story, I'll round that up to five.

You can check out all of Jonathan's Finch's many and varied works here on Amazon:

just my luck: A COMEDY SHORT STORY BY CLIVE AUSTIN

6/1/2017

Just My Luck, by Clive Austin, is exactly what it says it is - a short story. At only 32 pages on Kindle, it won't take you much time to read at all.
As an introduction to Austin's writing style, it was useful.
As a comedic short story, it possibly won't have you roaring with laughter, but the situation of the protagonist did have a touch of humour to it, although the ending did leave me a little flat.
Did it make me want to read Clive Austin's novels, which after all I presume was the purpose of the exercise? The answer to that is probably not, so for me, anyway, the tactic did not work.
I know this is becoming a common method these days to keep readers engaged between an author's larger works, but for it to be a successful tool, the short stories need to be hard-hitting and profound, or in this case, uproariously funny.
Just My Luck doesn't quite cut it in that respect, so although it is a harmless, little dalliance of a read, I'm not sure it achieved the purpose the author set out for it. Still, a bit of harmless fun.

If you would like to check out what other literary gems Mr Austin has to offer, please pop over and check them out:

a cunning plan by astrid arditi

24/10/2016

Astrid Aditi's, A Cunning Plan really was a book of two halves, for me. There were times in the reading of it, especially in the first half, when I felt bogged down and unwilling to continue. The plot seemed almost comical and unlikely requiring significant suspension of belief.
As with almost every book I read, I determined to persevere until the end. If there's one thing I hate, it is giving up on a read. I can count on the fingers of one hand the total number of books I've failed to finish over the years. In the case of A Cunning Plan, persevering was well worth the effort. As the plot unfolded and the little twists began to play out, I got caught up in this tale following the adventures of neurotic housewife Sloane Harper.
Sloane, cheated on and divorced by her husband, has been on an all-out mission to win her ex-husband back from his lover, for the sanctity of her family and her two little girls. Children need their father and I need my husband is her mantra. A chance encounter with a supposed IRS Agent takes Sloan on a trip into the criminal underworld and trans-national crime in London. Her adventures, from that point on rocket along at a great pace.
I do particularly like Arditi's writing style. It is light, breezy and perfectly suited to this type of frothy romantic comedy. One thing I particularly enjoyed about her main character was the voyage of self-discovery she was on in this story. We watched her development from a neurotic, self-deprecating, doormat into a confident, determined and successful woman, who finally knew what she wanted from life.
As a "rom-com", this book succeeds very well. The humour Aditi injects into her words is, at times, genuinely funny. The female characters in this story; her Mother Bizzy and her housekeeper Claudia are larger than life and very funny at times.
If you like romantic-comedy, I know you will like this book. As I said, it was a little bit of a struggle for me initially, but one I was very glad I pushed through. This is a fun read and it left me wondering; what next for Sloane? and What about Ethan? Any author who can make a reader search for a possible sequel has done his or her job well. In the end, I enjoyed A Cunning Plan and happily award it the four stars I felt it deserved. Check this one out, you won't be sorry you did.

Do check out this book. You can find Astrid Arditi here and details of A Cunning Plan:

in the soup by michael n wilton

30/6/2016

In The Soup is the second book of Wilton's that I've read in this series. The first of these, Save Our Shop, first introduced me to Wilton's rather quirky and very British sense of humour. For me it was very reminiscent of the humour I grew up with; the Frankie Howard's and Benny Hill's of this world. I found it fun, enjoyable and a real break from the more weighty subjects that I was generally reading.
While I remember belly-laughing at some of the antics in the first book, I found this less so, in the second. That doesn't mean to say I didn't enjoy In The Soup, I very much did, but some of the slapstick and caricatures seemed a little more over-the-top than in the first book.
The second book continues the efforts of our hero, William to have his first book published and to find a satisfactory end to his unrequited love for Sally. No matter what William tries to do, he always seems to create a situation that Sally can misread and accuse him of philandering.
This is a great book to while away a rainy afternoon and release some of the tensions of our everyday life. I would definitely recommend In The Soup if you need some light-hearted reading and, if you are a fan of that typically self-deprecating British humour, I know you will love it.
An enjoyable read and a solid four stars, from me, for In The Soup

I note on Amazon that Wilton is also a children's author. You can check out his work here:

water into whine by michael h kelly

2/5/2016

Water Into Whine, I guess is a marked departure for Kelly, from his usual genres, which tends toward comedic slapdash, as evidenced by his Damsels' series, with a bit of horror and mysticism thrown in for good measure, in some of his other offerings.

Kelly made it clear in his introduction that the motivation for writing Water into Whine, was a challenge from a couple of his friends to write something "smutty". Well, Mr. Kelly, you answered that challenge in "spades"! Water into Whine, if nothing else, is a definitely one enormous pile of smut. Unlike the Damsels' series where the smut is implied through the use of ribald and euphemistic jokes, the grubbiness is laid out for all to see (and read) in Water into Whine. The concentration on the erotica (although pleasant to read) didn't take away from the quirky story being told, however.

We are introduced to the Reverend Redders who, along with his wife Miriam has a very interesting philosophy on life, especially as it applies to sin. In a nutshell, the good Reverend believes we are all sinners and we are all forgiven our sins by Jesus' death at Calvary. It is, therefore, our bounden duty, as Christians, to sin well and to sin often, something they are quick to do.

This is a funny, quirky, little story, with a whole heap of sex scenes. Do nit read this book if you are of the prudish mold, however, it is a fun story. If I had a couple of riders to my review, they would be as follows: The sex scenes did at times tend to become repetitive, although kudos to the author for varying the ways and means of the participants to reach their climaxes. I do realize, as an author, how hard it is to write fresh and inspiring erotica. I think Kelly did a pretty good job of handling all of this "smut". The second thing that disappointed me a little was the focus on the Reverend's sexual impropriety, to the detriment of his financial improprieties, which I felt could have been explored a little more.

The good thing is, it appears the Reverend Redders and his seductive wife Miriam have been reassigned to a remote Scottish Isle and reappear in the next installment of this tale from Kelly, titled Vicars and Tarts.

A good, satisfying and slightly heated Sunday afternoon read. If you like a bit of slap and tickle, a bit of a quirky little story, then Water into Whine is a definite yes, but only if you are broad-minded. I give this effort fro, Michael H Kelly a very solid four-star rating. Thanks for the fun read.

You can check put more of Michael H Kelly's work here: http://amzn.to/24tVoSV

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