Review: Dreams, Fiction and Me by Agostino Scafidi

Summary 

A collection of short stories based entirely on dreams the author recorded in his journal. Over a period of almost three months he used techniques learned from various sources (Castaneda, Thelema, Occultism) to record his dreams. The author goes into detail about this process in the Introduction. Mixing fiction with the journal entries, intent on entertaining the reader as well as heightening awareness of the role of dreams in our lives, here is Dreams, Fiction and Me. A paranormal fiction suitable for all ages.

Review 

This was the hardest thing I ever had to read and not because it was challenging, but because I knew at the end I would want to critique it than review it. Now to some, there is no difference but the two are not as interchangeable as you might think. A critique is where I would analyze the piece of work and say what areas could stand improvement and what things worked well. Whereas a review, in terms of what I do, is when I describe the essence of the literary work while trying to convince you why the book is worth reading. Well, I think you can guess how this review is going to go. 

Dreams, Fiction and Me, while a literary work is by no means a book in my opinion. This novel is actually the author’s dream journal published for one to read. The problem with this is that there is no story to follow, no reality for the reader to become grounded in between the dreams. From what I have learned, readers don’t like dreams because they cannot distinguish what is real and what isn’t. 

However, I will say that Dreams, Fiction and Me does help you better understand the functionality of dreams. That dreams can reveal things about ourselves that we would have never figured out awake. This book also teaches us that dreams are the subconscious at play and this is when our imagination is at its finest and most free. We can think of the most wonderful things and some of the darkest things as well. Dreams are a playground where impossible is possible. 

Dreams, Fiction and Me also made me want to do a better job organizing my dream journal. The book begins with the narrator, who I am assuming to be the author, is in a coffee shop when he runs into a friend that isn’t really his friend anymore; and he doesn’t wish to speak with him. Well apparently this friend does not care because he becomes confrontational with the narrator and an altercation almost ensues.  But at the end he is talking to some girls. The following dream is still on the friend and he has agreed to go somewhere with the friend but he didn’t really want to go. After that though, there is a different dream of where he wakes up in darkness with strangers and he has to perform physical activities like a training course or something. And the dreams continue from there, one random even after another. 

Now I know how dreams work, that one doesn’t necessary have to have anything to do with another. However, this novel just reads like a broken stream of consciousness; where the reader is ping-ponged all over the place. There was just no fluidity. 

Okay, so there is the part where I critiqued it but I would have to say, in my opinion, Dreams, Fiction and Me is not a novel. It is just a series of dreams the author had written down in a journal. However, this novel does help one understand dreams and helped me see how not to write a dream journal. Or maybe know how I would better organize one. But Dreams, Fiction and Me did have some interesting insights into the author and if you like dreams and knowing the author, this book is for you. 

Reviewed by Camia Rhodes

Review: In the Cards by Jaime Beck

Summary

Lindsey Hilliard flees her charmed life in New York, searching for answers after her fiancé’s betrayal fills her with self-doubt. Unfortunately, her rented Malibu home is next door to Levi Hardy, the sexy but insufferable man who humiliated her years ago.

Hardened by a grim past he keeps concealed, Levi prefers maintaining a comfortable distance from folks, especially a nosy princess like Lindsey. But then a motorcycle collision brings him to his knees, forcing him to accept her assistance with his recovery. Sparks begin to fly when the woman who doesn’t believe in herself teaches the cynic how to have faith in others. Levi realizes his body will recover, but his heart won’t if Lindsey returns to the ex who wants her back.

In the biggest gamble of his life, Levi teaches her to trust her own voice, and hopes she’ll use it to say good-bye to her past and hello to a future with him.

Review

Jamie Beck's debut novel, In the Cards, definitely blossomed into a wonderful book about friendship and love. Beautiful characters, who bore their hearts on their sleeves, allowed the reader to absorb this simmering page turner and fall in love with their story. Lindsey and Levi, who seem on the surface so different, come together broken through circumstances, allowing an exposed vulnerability mending a storyline that made such a good read. 

To be honest, in the beginning of the book, I was uncertain about how I was going to feel about the characters and where they were going to lead me. What I do love about books like this is that it gives you that alternating pov, that allows you to connect with the characters from the start but I didn't feel that instant connection that I had with other books. It had nothing to do with the chemistry or whether or not I liked the characters because that feeling came later but for me, it was how they were briefly introduced and the time transition of their lives later that took away that instant hook for make me to want to fall in love with them, initially. I felt like something was missing in that transition to mesh the past with the future because I found myself flipping back thinking I had missed something. Even though we learned details about their lives and how their encounter plays a role later in the book, I'm torn whether this chapter was needed. Despite this, I was intrigued to read more because once their lives started later, that is when I felt the book really came alive for me and become the page turner. 

It's interesting because when you start reading and see how they first met, you might develop a preconceived idea of who they are. There will be definitely a difference in perception from the beginning to the end of the book.  Actually, you might not think too deep into them at first but as you get to know them, the development of their characters driven through their povs, radiate a realness which drives that connection to relate and feel for them. Once they break down to the core of who they are, flawed and imperfect, you just find yourself hooked and absorbed in the book.

Here is a little bit about their back story to get you started:

So, when we get first introduced to Lindsey, she is young, under the wings of her parents. While on a vacation with them, she gets completely smitten by Levi, whom she tried to pass herself off as older to try and get his attention but failed and was ultimately rejected by circumstances. Life went on and while planning her wedding to her finance who on paper met all the criteria her parents would find suitable for her, turned out to be quite a douche. Trying to convince her that this was a nothing with nobody one-time thing, which turns out to be a lie, she decides to take off west to seek answers that she cannot seem to find in her current life. As she internally struggles to balance what she wants, who she is, seeking her parents approval of her life choices or whether her finance is the person she is meant to be with, she doesn't  have a clue to which road must be taken. The only thing she know is that out west represents fond memories of her aunt and that going there would give her the distant that she needs to find potentially what answers she is looking for. 

Levi, is very much the opposite. He is definitely the case of life not being fair but made the best of the hand he was dealt. His mother abandoned him and his father when he was really young. His father wasn't exactly father of the year, exposing him to many aspects of life that had them moving place to place not having the normal childhood. These two combinations left deep rooted issues that led to him not be able to get close or care about other people. Deciding to make a life for himself, he decided to distance himself from his father until one day he found out about his death and upon discovery of his things found something that opened Pandora box for him that he just couldn't deal with. Trying to flee his past, he decides to head west and discovers that no matter how much you try and run away from it, your past always seems to catch up with you.

Unbeknownst to the both them, their two worlds crossed paths. What I love about the story from this point on is how people come into your life for a reason. The answers you so desperately seek may not be obvious forms but unexpected. She comes in search of answers but lacks the confidence and the certainty to make her own decisions without being such a people pleaser. It wasn't until his accident that he had to learn how to trust someone and deal with his body not only being broken but his internal struggles that needed to be healed. So, their journey together through their struggles of seeking resolution and redemption for their pasts and present, seeking out answers to their unresolved introspective conflicts, friendship and finding love turned out to be a fantastic read. I'd definitely recommend her debut to add to your reading list.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Pages: 288 pages
Publisher: Montlake Romance (December 9, 2014)

Review: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I began reading Poehler’s new book, Yes Please, due to the fact that I tend to distrust books written by celebrities. However, as a huge fan of her comedy, I thought I’d give it a try, and I’m so glad I did. Poehler writes with an energy that is palpable from the very first page. She introduces the book by writing about how hard it is to write one, and her truthfulness, as well as apparent humility, was refreshing.

Yes Please’s structural makeup was one of the most interesting parts about it. Poehler narrates her life by jumping in and out of the past, which keeps a steady yet surprising pace. There isn’t room to get bored, because she constantly switches from story to topic with a skilled hand. It isn’t distracting, but merely captivating. And the details she chooses to reveal about herself are funny, self-deprecating, and nostalgic.

It’s obvious she didn’t write this book as a form of praise to herself. And for that, the reader thanks her and learns to trust her. Poehler’s stories about other famous friends are varied, but carefully chosen. This isn’t a book about name-dropping, but an honest account of the people who have touched her life. Poehler discusses a wide variety of subjects, including: her childhood, children, career, drug use, marriage, pregnancy, and finally, the show she’s known for: Parks and Recreation. Towards the end, she even recounts details about all of her cast mates with warmth and genuine affection.

Yes Please is a fast and fun read, and I respect Poehler far more than I did before reading it. Though not great literature, this book deserves literary respect all the same. It is true to her voice, and excruciatingly funny at times. This book is about an extraordinary woman who happens to also make us laugh.

Reviewed by MB Sellers 

Pages: 328 pages
Publisher: Dey Street Books (October 28, 2014)

Review: Devoted by Emery Skye

Summary

"Her world, her mission...is about to change. What do you choose when your blood is on the line." A world where your life is a mission and to succeed you must have resolute devotion to duty. All Anna has ever wanted is to be the best Warrior and sister she can be. Easier said than done. Seventeen-year-old Anna Hasdiel is a noviate at Hope Academy, a secret school for young angels where she and her sister, Amalie, train to become Warrior Legites with the duty of protecting humans from Demons for the Legion United. Anna's devoted to the angelic cause. She's always known she would be a Warrior for the Legion. Her world is about to change. For months, noviates have been disappearing from Angel Academies around the world. No one knows why. They just hope they won't be next. The Powers that govern the lower choir angels have sent reinforcements as protection and Anna feels an inescapable pull to Legite Nathaniel Deror. Legite Deror is strong, fierce and mysterious. He seems to have it in for Anna one second and the next he's rescuing her. He makes her feel things she shouldn't. When Amalie's boyfriend disappears, Amalie decides to search for him. This decision takes the group to the Dark World, the home of the fallen Archangel Lucifer, where they will encounter insurmountable trials and fight past a host of deadly enemies. Where do loyalties lay? She never planned for this. She never planned for him.

Review

Devoted by Emery Skye is utterly different than other angel based novels out for reading today. There were so many elements that were unexpected and unique compared to other novels, making Devoted a book in its own realm. Anna Hasdiel, the main character at the angel academy, is a strong willed female lead, a personal weakness, who struggles an inner battle between duty and family. Eventually, family wins over, and there is nothing Anna wouldn’t do for her younger sibling, even if it means going into literal hell. 

I truly loved the plot of Devoted, it kept me on my toes through the entire novel and I never knew what to expect around the next corner. I was given an electronic copy for an honest review, and I noticed throughout that there were many grammatical and punctuation errors, all very small ranging from the omission of a word to the lack of an apostrophe. I read books very critically with an editor’s eye, so I pick up on the smaller details that are otherwise overlooked. I would wish for it to have had another read through, however, small punctuation errors do not inhibit the wonderful world and story Skye has spun. 

As I mentioned, I love a strong female lead and Anna encompasses everything this type of character should embody, making her not only intriguing but a role model for the audience and characters within the novel. Anna is not the only character the audience will fall in love with, every character she takes the time to describe and characterize becomes interesting and with that, you fall in love with all of them—until she rips all you know out from under you with the ending.

I must say, the ending of Devoted was heart wrenching and I hated it only because I am in a state of distress wondering what is going to happen next. Not only was the ending a cliff hanger, but right before it ended, the audience is thrown for a loop. I don’t actually hate the ending, I personally think it was quite genius, Skye left the audience and myself, in a painful anticipation for the next in the Angel Academy series. 

Reviewed by Rachel Keane

Pages: 389 pages
Publisher: Lemon Press; 2nd Edition edition (August 20, 2014)

Review: A God For All Seasons: Inspiration and Reflection for All Times by Patti Tingen

Summary

As nature's seasons change, so too do the seasons of our soul. But God's love never changes. He is with us through every season of our lives. Join author Patti Tingen in a year of exploration as she reflects on her own spiritual journey, and provides hope and encouragement for yours - month by month, season by season. Find reassurance and pause for reflection in the inspirational readings for each month of the year.

Review

For those of you whose lives are driven through spirituality & faith, whatever denomination roots your foundation, A God For All Seasons, will inspire and encourage hope that through your ups and downs, you are not alone. Inspirational and introspective, Tingen incorporates her own personal journey that she and her husband had experienced, with insightful encouragement, defined by each month within its season. Even though the book is specific to the months and seasons, the message are relatable and relative to any time. No matter where you are in your life or what is going on, you can persevere through any obstacle thrown your way as long as you hold onto your faith. 

Leading each section with a biblical quotation, each month highlights a theme for reflection. You are encouraged to read at your own pace, on your own time which allows the reader to connect and reflect. There are great takeaways you can gain from your own experience that you connect and that correlates from what season your life falls into. Each season brings its own challenges & triumphs bringing its own valued gifts into your life. 

Overall, I thought it was a wonderful book for those looking for some spiritual, meditative reflection. Even though you can read it in one sitting, it can definitely be useful as your life progresses because it is all relative with its messages of hope and encouragement timeless. As our own life changes, this is the kind of book that can comfort and put things in perspective.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Paperback: 110 pages
Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc. (August 15, 2012)

Review: Sleeping Dog by Dick Lochte

Summary

SLEEPING DOG is ONE OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED CRIME NOVELS EVER.
A New York Times Book of the Year, A Nero Wolfe Award Winner

An Edgar Award Finalist, A Shamus Award Finalist and an Anthony Award Finalist

Named by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century.

This beloved, comedy-noir thriller teams up Leo Bloodworth, a hard-drinking, middle-aged Los Angeles PI with hypertension and a low tolerance for precious teenagers, with Serendipity Dahlquist, a bright and strong-willed roller-blading 14-year-old searching for her lost dog. But things quickly escalate, plunging the oddest of odd couples into the dark underworld of sunny Southern California and pitting them against one of the biggest, and most brutal, organized crime families in Mexico.

Review

Sleeping Dog by Dick Lochte, originally published in the mid 80s, is a testament of the timeless crime fiction noir that we don’t experience any longer. Details interchanged with minimal updates, it’s so hard to believe that considering the time it takes novelists today to complete a manuscript, this was originally only written in four months. 

Sarah, who you forget is a teen as you read, is definitely way beyond her years. Her quick wit, independence and youthful perspective blends well with the middle aged, PI Leo Bloodworth who is slightly impatient, beats to his own drum and relies on his instinct to give you moments that make you laugh out loud.

There is something about this book that has a nostalgic quality to it. Well crafted, subtle in the overt details, you get a good mystery that allows the reader to experience the story for itself. Alternating chapters, told from the perspective of two of the most incompatible people, you get a good novel with sophisticated plot twists and witty banter that will have you thoroughly entertained. 

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Publisher: Brash Books (September 2, 2014)