Title: Black Dawn
Author: Mallory McCartney
Published By: Clean Reads, February 2017
Reviewed By: Jessica B
 
Rating: 4/5 Stars
 
Black Dawn is the first novel in a fantasy series. The plot moves fairly quickly with a lot of information thrown at the reader, which makes the beginning a bit confusing. Each chapter switches perspectives, which keeps the plot interesting and moving. The dialogue is a little stiff at moments and some of the action could be described better. Overall, I like the plot of the book, but the writing style is a bit young for me. I think it works as a young adult novel, possibly late middle school/early high school level. One of the aspects of the story that wasn’t my favorite was the romantic plotline. I think it was slightly immature, but once again could work for a younger audience.
 
The general plotline of Black Dawn is why my rating is 4 out of 5. Fantasy plotlines are one of my favorites to explore. It’s not necessarily a book I would read for my own entertainment, but I think it has a lot of potential with a younger audience.
 
About the Book:
"The end of an Empire. The rise of a Queen."
 
Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life that is until two mysterious, and dare I say handsome soldiers show up at her apartment doorstep and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Coming from the magical and ravaged world of Kiero, Emory is brought back not realizing that both men are darkly woven in her past. Discovering she is the long lost heir to the Royal Line Emory is thrown into Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne. With both lives clashing Emory uncovers hidden secrets from her past, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.
 
Some things are better left in the shadows.
 
About the Author:
Mallory McCartney currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and thier two dachshunds Link and Lola. Black Dawn is her debut novel, and first in the series. When she isn't working on her next novel or reading she can be found dog grooming, hiking, shopping for more books to add to her perpetually overflowing bookshelf, and on the hunt for her next favorite coffee and dessert shop.
 
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
 
Amazon
Goodreads
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The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Novel by Thi Bui
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Reviewed by Ariel Barreras
 
ABOUT THE BOOK
This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.
 
At the heart of Bui’s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home.
 
In what Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen calls “a book to break your heart and heal it,” The Best We Could Do brings to life Thi Bui’s journey of understanding, and provides inspiration to all of those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past.
​
MY REVIEW
Rating: 5/5
Bui’s debut graphic novel is a beautiful and important one.  I stumbled across this book at my local library and I was instantly intrigued.  I read this 330-page novel in two hours!  This book tells the story of Bui’s family and their journey as refugees.  Bui wants to learn more about her parents: what their childhoods were like, how they met, and their perspective on leaving Vietnam and entering the United States as refugees.  In turn, not only does the reader learn about the struggles of being a refugee, but also the struggles of a family that has lost touch with one another.  For me, this book was an eye-opening experience.  I laughed, I cried, and my heart broke.  Bui’s writing and illustrations combined gives the reader everything that needs to be understood.  Nothing is left to the imagination and it is a difficult read.  This is a heartbreaking novel, but inspiring one.  I believe that this is an important read because of the state of the world now.  People need to have a better grasp of what hardships refugees go through and how we can make it better.  I recommend this book to literally everyone and anyone! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States as a child. She studied art and law and thought about becoming a civil rights lawyer, but became a public school teacher instead. Bui lives in Berkeley, California, with her son, her husband, and her mother. The Best We Could Do is her debut graphic novel.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-We-Could-Do-Illustrated/dp/1419718770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499782279&sr=8-1&keywords=the+best+we+could+do
 

​Too Much
Nick “Novel” Gabanski
 
 
So many words lost
So many years gone
So many things you never told me
You could have told me
Had your pride not stood so mighty
 
Could you ever accept me
Were you ever proud of me
Why couldn’t you just tell me
When everyone around me says
“Your father was so proud of you”
 
So much anger
So many tears shed
So much regret throbbing in my heart
Because you never told me
Everything I needed to hear
 
But that chance is gone
Those days are a memory that was never made
And I’m still here
Wishing to have one more talk
But it won’t happen
You’re dead, Dad.
 
 
 
3/31/2017
 
Edited by Caitlyn Post
 

​A Low Voice and a Nice Walk
 
Gramps by the fire
in his rocker hunched over
is rolling his smoke with care
 
when Tom, his grandson, asks,
“What’s the most important thing
to look for in a wife?”
 
Gramps stares into the fire intently
then finally says, “You want a wife
with a low voice and a nice walk,
 
a low voice because later in life
your ears give out but her odd jobs
become more numerous
 
and a nice walk because you want to
let her go first forever and make
all that extra work worthwhile.”
 
 
Donal Mahoney

About the Book
Orphaned and blind seven-year-old Callie has a service animal – a goat with extraordinary powers. Ben Hemoth is a down-on-his luck news reporter facing prison. Needing to save his job and his reputation, he teams up with Venus, a young seductress caught up with a teenage drug gang. When a mysterious letter arrives detailing a top-secret investigative operation, Ben and Venus think they’ve found their chance for redemption. The mission? Investigate a goat.
​
In exchange for an extravagant paycheck, Ben and Venus must piece together the wild rumors swirling around Callie, her supernatural goat, and a possible UFO visit.
 
My Review
3 out of 5 stars
If you are a fan of some of Piers Anthony’s other books like Hair Power, then you’ll feel the same about this book. The story has a pretty similar alien plotline only with a change in alien species and some of its powers. The world is much like our own with strange twists and characters that make for a fun read. The point of view in the novel changes between two different character arches that end up coming together which makes the reader feel close to all the main characters. Unfortunately, this format becomes taxing at times since parts are essentially repeated in the story, making the reader re-read each occurrence twice.
 
The main problem I found in the novel was the lack of stakes, or a real feeling that something bad could happen. The alien had so much power that it was hard to believe there would be a plausible threat that wouldn’t be able to be solved as easily as every other conflict that arose. Along with this point, many of the scenes seemed exactly the same: someone would find out about the alien, they would be quickly silenced, then this was repeated with the next character.
 
The book had its ups and downs, but it was a entertaining read with its unusual characters and situations.
 
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
 
About the Author
Piers Anthony is one of the world’s most prolific and popular authors. His fantasy Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and have been on the New York Times Bestseller list many times. Although Piers is mostly known for fantasy and science fiction, he has written several novels in other genres as well, including historical fiction, martial arts, and horror. Piers lives with his wife of 60 years in a secluded woods hidden deep in Central Florida.

​Let Her Bloom
 
The first time a man meets her,
his lids flicker,
an appropriate reaction.
 
The first time a woman meets her,
her eyes pop out and coil on her forehead,
another appropriate reaction.
 
Who can blame either?
Today, who buys the canard
about the true, the good, the beautiful
 
in theory or in a woman?
Let them watch her as I did.
Let them frisk her for flaws
 
that will allow them to live
as they are, as they were,
as I was when I met her.
 
Till then, let her bloom
with my children
while I wonder, I try.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Colored pencil painter Alyona Nickelsen reveals how to use the medium to push the limits of realistic portraiture.
Colored Pencil Painting Portraits provides straightforward solutions to the problems that artists face in creating lifelike images, and will prime readers on the intricacies of color, texture, shadow, and light as they interplay with the human form. In this truly comprehensive guide packed with step-by-step demonstrations, Nickelsen considers working from photo references versus live models; provides guidance on posing and lighting, as well as planning and composing a work; discusses tools, materials, and revolutionary layering techniques; and offers lessons on capturing gesture and expression and on rendering facial and body features of people of all age groups and skin tones.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

ALYONA NICKELSEN is a contributing writer for Colored Pencil magazine and the author of Colored Pencil Painting Bible. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including American Artist, The Artist's Magazine, and American Art Collector. Nickelsen's paintings have been exhibited and won awards in prestigious national and international juried shows, such as Salmagundi Club, the American Artist Professional League, Audubon Artists, and the Colored Pencil Society of America. She is the creator and instructor of the Colored Pencil Painting Learning Center hosted on her website, www.brushandpencil.com.


MY REVIEW:

5 stars. This book is clearly written by a master. Ms. Nickelsen knows her stuff! It's not for beginners, and is way over my head. Or at least beyond my skill level. If you are looking for a beginner "how to draw" book, then you will need to look for something else. But if you already have that part down and want help advancing your skills, this is what you need! She provides detailed information on what type of paper or canvas to use, what types of primers, bases, and the different brands of pencils.  She discusses how to capture the perfect portrait, first from getting the right pose with a photograph. Even though this is an advanced book, it is easy to follow and all the instructions are clear. There are plenty of photos provided as well.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.  I was not obligated to give a positive review, just an honest one.

Title: Black Pulp
Authors: Walter Mosley, Joe Lansdale, Gary Phillips, Charles Saunders, Derrick Ferguson, D. Alan Lewis, Christopher Chambers, Mel Odom, Kimberly Richardson, Ron Fortier, Michael A. Gonzales, Gar Anthony Haywood, and Tommy Hancock
Publisher By: Pro Se Press, 2013
Reviewed By: Corinthia Mitchell
​
About the Book
From Today's Best Authors and up and coming writers comes BLACK PULP from Pro Se Productions! BLACK PULP is a collection of stories featuring characters of African origin, or descent, in stories that run the gamut of genre fiction! A concept developed by noted crime novelist Gary Phillips, BLACK PULP brings bestselling authors Walter Mosley and Joe R. Lansdale, Gary Phillips, Charles R. Saunders, Derrick Ferguson, D. Alan Lewis, Christopher Chambers, Mel Odom, Kimberly Richardson, Ron Fortier, Michael A. Gonzales, Gar Anthony Haywood, and Tommy Hancock together to craft adventure tales, mysteries, and more, all with black characters at the forefront!

"Literature for the masses kindled the imagination and used our reading skills so that we could regale ourselves in the cold chambers of alienation and poverty. We could become Doc Savage or The Shadow, Conan the Barbarian or the brooding King Kull and make a difference in a world definitely gone wrong."--Walter Mosley from his introduction.

Between these covers are 12 tales of action, adventure, and thrills featuring heroes and heroines of darker hues that will appeal to audiences everywhere! BLACK PULP! From Pro Se Productions!

Review, Rating 4/5
“Black Pulp” had a little bit of everything for everyone. There was a man turned hitman turned concrete statue, a jungle lord, a crazy hip duo, criminal masterminds abound, and just about anything else you could think of it was there nestled between pages of smooth southern accents and twisted plots.

My favorite out of all the stories was the first one, “Six Finger Jack” by Joe R. Lansdale. The way the dialogue flowed and the story unfolded I couldn’t help myself, for one of the first times in my life I willingly read a story out loud, and then preceded to hunt down any living creature in my vicinity that could hear and reread the story. Again, and again, and again. Reading the way Lansdale’s wrote was like warm butter slipping off my tongue and such an enjoyable experience that I started looking for more of their work.

The rest of the anthology was a great collection all together. If there was one story that I didn’t enjoy, the following one or the one after it would pick up my interest again.

Overall, my experience was an enjoyable one and I would recommend this book to anyone searching for short stories that are well written and diverse in their plots.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

About Authors (Taken from the end of the book)

Walter Mosley is one of America's most celebrated and beloved writers. His books have won numerous awards and have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Mosley is the author of the acclaimed Easy Rawlins series of mysteries, including national bestsellers Cinnamon Kiss, Little Scarlet, and Bad Boy Brawly Brown; the Fearless Jones series, including Fearless Jones, Fear Itself, and Fear of the Dark; the novels Blue Light and RL's Dream; and two collections of stories featuring Socrates Fortlow, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, for which he received the Anisfield-Wolf Award, and Walkin' the Dog. He lives in New York City. Check out more at: http://www.waltermosley.com
 
Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in eighteen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Hotep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story Incident On and Off a Mountain Road was adapted to film for Showtime's Masters of Horror. He is currently co- producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats. His latest book, THE THICKET, debuts from Mullholland this fall. More about Joe and his works can be found here: http://www.joerlansdale.com
 
Gary Phillips, Mystery and New Pulp writer, has penned short stories for Moonstone’s Kolchak: The Night Stalker Casebook, The Avenger Chronicles, The Green Hornet Casefiles and the upcoming Spider: Extreme Prejudice anthologies. His most current novel is Warlord of Willow Ridge which Booklist said of the work, “Phillips is a veteran crime novelist who creates a plausible post-apocalyptic scenario in which the safety of middle-class America can dissolve in a moment. Exciting, violent, and entertaining.” He also has out the ebook novella, The Essex Man: 10 Seconds to Death, a homage to ‘70s era paperback vigilantes. Please visit his website at: http:// www.gdphillips.com.
 
Charles Saunders was born in 1946 in English, Pennsylvania, a small town located near Pittsburgh. He also lived in a bigger town, Norristown, near Philadelphia before going to Lincoln University, where he graduated with a degree in psychology and curiosity in 1968. Since 1985, Charles has lived in Nova Scotia. Charles has worked as a community college teacher and research assistant. Journalism found him in 1989, when he began writing an opinion column. He later became a copy editor, and his last day job - which was really a night job - was editorial writer and editorial page editor for the Halifax Daily News. The first spark of Imaro, his most celebrated work, came to Saunders in 1970 and the flame has risen and fallen ever since. He has also written non-fiction books, two screenplays for direct-to-video movies, and two radio plays. These days, he is concentrating on the revival of Imaro, as well as other African-oriented fantasy ideas. Charles keeps up a blog about his work here: http://www.charlessaunderswriter.com
 
Derrick Ferguson is from Brooklyn, New York where he has lived most of my life. He has been married for 27 years to the wonderful Patricia Cabbagestalk-Ferguson who lets him get away with far more than is good for him.
Derrick’s interests include old radio shows, classic pulps from the 30's/40's, comic books, fan fiction, Star Trek, pop culture, science fiction, animation, television and movies. His primary love is reading and writing and he’s written several books to date: Dillon And The Voice of Odin, his love letter to classic pulp action/adventure with a modern flavor and the sequel, Dillon And The Legend of The Golden Bell as well as Four Bullets for Dillon; Derrick Ferguson's Movie Review Notebook and its sequel The Return of Derrick Ferguson's Movie Review Notebook; Diamondback Vol I: It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time, a spaghetti western disguised as a modern day gangster/crime thriller.
Anything else you'd like to know about Derrick, check out more here: http://dlferguson- bloodandink.blogspot.com
 
D. Alan Lewis is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee who now resides in Nashville with his children. He has been writing and illustrating technical guides and manuals for various employers for over twenty years but only in recent years has branched out in to writing fiction. In 2006, Alan took the reins of a Novelists Group where he has been working to teach and aid aspiring writers. Alan's debut novel, The Blood in Snowflake Garden was a Top Ten finalist for the 2010 Claymore Award. He also has a number of short stories published as well as other projects in the works. Find out more at: http://www.snowflakegarden.com
 
Professor Christopher Chambers, a Washington, D.C. native and Georgetown University professor, is author of the best-selling Angela Bivens series for Random House, and is co-editor of Darker Mask: Heroes from the Shadows. He was a PEN/Malamud finalist for short fiction. He is also commentator for The Root, RT America, MSNBC and Huffington Post Live. His novel Yella Patsy's Boys will drop in 2014.Keep up with Professor Chambers at here: http://dangerfieldnewby.tumblr.com
 
Mel Odom writes in a number of fields, but always with the hope of telling an interesting tale that will incite a reader to think for himself or herself, to examine his or her own place in the world, and offer a little nudge in the direction of dreams, faith, and personal growth in spite of whatever odds a person has to face. Mel also believes we were all put here for a purpose. Hopefully, several purposes. Mel is a father, a little league coach, a teacher, a friend, and a writer. He holds tightly to the belief that he is doing all he can be doing, and doing what he should be doing. Follow Mel here: http://www.melodom.blogspot.com or http://melodom.com
 
Kimberly Richardson - After being found as an infant crawling among books in an abandoned library, Kimberly Richardson grew up to become an eccentric woman with a taste for jazz, drinking tea, reading books, speaking rusty French and Japanese, playing her violin and writing stories that cause people to make the strangest faces. Her first book, Tales From a Goth Librarian, was published through Dark Oak Press and named a Finalist in both the USA Book News Awards for Fiction: Short Story for 2009 and the International Book Awards for Fiction: Short Story in 2010. Ms. Richardson is also the author of The Decembrists (Dark Oak Press) and Mabon/Pomegranate (Dark Oak Press); both were enlisted for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize. Ms. Richardson is also the Editor of the award winning Steampunk anthology Dreams of Steam, the award winning sequel, Dreams of Steam II: Of Brass and Bolts, Dreams of Steam III: Gadgets and Dreams of Steam IV: Gizmos, all published through Dark Oak Press. Other short stories and poetry by Ms. Richardson have been published through Sam’s Dot Publishing, Pro Se Press, Midnight Screaming and FootHills Publishing. See more about Kimberly here: http://nocaesthetic.blogspot.com
 
Ron Fortier has been a professional writer for over thirty-five years. He has worked on comic book projects such as The Hulk, Popeye, Rambo and Peter Pan. With Ardath Mayhar Ron penned two TSR fantasy novels, and in 2001 he had his first play, a World War II romantic comedy, produced.
Ron is currently writing and producing pulp novels and short stories for various publishers and has several movie scripts floating around Hollywood looking for a home, and if that isn't enough, he also has a review column at the http://www.pulpfictionreviews.blogspot.com website. Ron is Cap’n over at Airship 27: http://www.airship27.com
 
Gar Anthony Haywood, born in 1954, is the Shamus award-winning author of the Aaron Gunner mysteries. Born in Los Angeles, he spent over a decade as a computer technician before first publishing fiction in the 1980s. Influenced by a love for the Los Angeles mysteries of Ross Macdonald, he wrote Fear of the Dark (1987), winning the Shamus award for best first novel and introducing the tough-nosed L.A. detective Aaron Gunner.
Haywood continued the Gunner series through the bestselling All the Lucky Ones Are Dead (2000), and in between Gunner novels produced the two-book Loudermilk pair of serio-comic mysteries. In an effort to broaden his fan base, Haywood wrote two standalone thrillers, Man Eater (2003) and Firecracker (2004), under the pen-name Ray Johnson, finding critical acclaim for both. He has also written for newspapers and television, including an adaptation of the Dennis Rodman autobiography, Bad As I Wanna Be. His most recent novels are Cemetery Road (2010) and Assume Nothing (2011). You can find his website here: http://www.garanthonyhaywood.com
 
Michael A. Gonzales - Spinetingler Nominee Michael A. Gonzales has written fiction for Crime Factory, Needle and Bronx Biannual. A former NY Press columnist, his essays have appeared in NY magazine, The Village Voice, Spin and XXL. Gonzales blogs @ http://Blackadelicpop.blogspot.com, Twitters @ gonzomikeandlives in Brooklyn.
 
Tommy Hancock - Steeped in pulp magazines, old radio shows, and all things of that era’s pop culture, Tommy Hancock lives in Arkansas with his wonderful wife and three children and obviously not enough to do. He is Editor in Chief for Pro Se Productions, is an organizer of the New Pulp Movement, was a founding member and original Editor-in-Chief of ALL PULP, works as an editor for Seven Realms, Dark Oak, and Moonstone. He is also a writer published by Airship 27, works as Promotions and Marketing Coordinator for Moonstone Entertainment, is the Editor in Chief of ALL PULP, a full news site devoted to Pulp and the Coordinator for PULP ARK, the premiere Pulp Culture Convention in the South.
 
Amazon Link
Goodreads Link

​In Break Formation
 
The indications used to come
like movie fighter planes in break
formation, one by one, the perfect
plummet, down and out. This time they’re
slower. But after supper, when I hear her
in the kitchen hum again, hum higher,
higher, till my ears are numb,
I remember how it was
the last time: how she hummed
to Aramaic peaks, flung
supper plates across the kitchen
till I brought her by the shoulders
humming to the chair.
I remember how the final days
her eyelids, operating on their own,
rose and fell, how she strolled
among the children, winding tractors,
hugging dolls, how finally
I phoned and had them come again,
how I walked behind them
as they took her by the shoulders,
house dress in the breeze, slowly
down the walk and to the curbing,
how I watched them bend her
in the back seat of the squad again,
how I watched them pull away
and heard again the parliament
of neighbors talking.
 
 
Donal  Mahoney

To the Bone
Starring Lily Collins, Keanu Reeves, Carrie Preston, Lili Taylor
Rated TV-MA
Reviewed by Ariel Barreras
 
ABOUT THE MOVIE
A young woman is dealing with anorexia. She meets an unconventional doctor who challenges her to face her condition and embrace life.

MY REVIEW
Rating: 1/5
This controversial film hit Netflix a couple of weeks ago and people have not stopped talking about it.  Because of this, I decided to watch it.  I will come right out and say it: I did not like this movie.  I immediately understood the controversy surrounding the film.  Lily Collins plays Ellen, a girl with anorexia that would rather crack some jokes than eat some food.  The movie, while it obviously had some dramatic moments, tried to be funny and quirky at the same time.  People who have seen the film did not like that; there is nothing funny about anorexia and the other issues that are dealt with in the film.  I did not think that was the problem with the film because I saw this as one person’s story of struggling with anorexia.  Everyone is different and if Collins’ character is one that deal with struggles through sarcasm and wit, then go for it. 

The issue that I had with this movie is that it was not interesting nor did I understand the plot at times.  I do not want to spoil the movie, so I will not get into too much detail, but there is a very specific reason Ellen becomes anorexic and I do not think it was explained well.  I did not see how the cause had any connection to the effect.  Going back to my other point, the movie is not interesting.  Ellen ends up in a treatment house with other people with eating disorders.  I thought that there would be some characters that could build off Ellen, but there were none in sight.  There is one particular character in the house that had the potential to be a well-rounded character, but she does not stick around long enough. 
​
If you have Netflix already and you are curious, go for it.  However, I do not recommend it.