What do you look for in a review?

        Todat I'm participating in a blog hop organized by Reading Romances. The question the bloggers participating in this blog hop were asked was:

What do you look for in a review?

      As a blogger who reviews quite a few books a month I think this is a very poignant question. When I write a review for this blog, or read a review form on eof the many book blogs I follow I think the key feature is honesty. I never ever write a dishonest review or accept money to post a good review, not only is this bad taste in my opinion but it ruins your reputation as a book blogger. Who wants to read a book review that's biased, because money was offered as an incentive?! You read a review to find out what other people thought of the book and if you should buy it, and when someone writes a dishonest review for money you'll never really know if the book was actually good or not.

      In addition to honesty, I want to know why the reviewer thought what they did and inturn I try to explain my ratings in my own reviews. Now, this does not mean I look for the exact sentence Why I rated this book..... if everyone wrote that, I think book blogs would be extremely boring. However, I think its important to mention the reasoning behind a rating, for example, was it a low rating because of typos? you didn't like the genre? the writing style wasn't your personal favourite? When an explanation is provided in a review it gives the review a level of credibility because their thoughts are supported with some sort of evidence.

 

     So now I'm asking you; what do you look for in a review?

A Heart Without Words Review

Rating: 4/5

Title: A Heart Without Words

Author: David F. McDonald

Page Count (ebook): 48

Page Count (print): 96

Official Amazon Description

This is the first of two books which deal with the one thing the Military can’t train, THE HEART, and the emotions a Soldier may encounter.This poetry deals with the emotions Soldiers and their loved ones must deal with in a myriad of situations.

This poetry is much softer in nature to my previous work and is, I hope, easier on the reader for that.

My Thoughts

      I have to say this is definitley one of the better collections of poetry I have read. First of all, at 96 pages in print it is a good length for a collection of poetry. Though it may seem insignificant, the page count in poetry collections is very important, if there are too few poems then the reader never truly discovers the author's writing style and if there are too many poems the reader can get bored. Trust me, I've read published poetry collections 6 pages in length, hardly a sufficient length for a poetry collection. So what I'm saying here is right from the start A Heart Without Words was on top of its game.

      Despite the occasional typo, which didn't bother me but may bother some readers, the poetry within the pages of this book is very good. I found it a very unique read as many of the poems were written in the form of dialogue, something that I haven't seen very often in poetry. The verse itself is mainly written in terms of rhyme, there was very little free verse included in this collection. The majority of the poems seemed to focus upon the various ways soldiers die and their thoughts during death. These morbid poems were if profoundly sad, beautifully written. I would recommend this collection of poetry to all those who are prepared to contemplate the final thoughts of dieing men and women.

   If you are interested in reading a sample of the poetry included in this book, I featured one of McDonald's poems titled A Soul during my Highlight Poetry segment, you can check that out here.

Buy Links:

Amazon (kindle)

 

Island of Tory Review

Rating: 5/5

Title: Island of Tory

Author: Regina M. Geither

Page Count (ebook): 192

Official Description

Arella Cline, a sixteen year old teen from Wexford Pennsylvania, finds her life turned upside down when her family summer vacation begins with a tragic car accident which kills both of her parents. Going to live with her Great-aunt Fi, Arella tries to start a new life on a tiny island off the western coast of Ireland. Everything about Tory Island, however, is objectionable to her–the gray and wet weather, the stringent academy she is forced to attend, as well as the island’s lack of modern day amenities. The only thing Arella likes about Tory is Declan McQuilan, a handsome, dark-haired boy who attempts to show her the island’s hidden charms.

But there are too many strange things happening on Tory to make Arella feel that she could call the island home. She keeps seeing shadow figures and strange auras and hearing her parents’ voices. The people on the island are very secretive. And when Arella tries to leave on a ferryboat, she blacks out only to find herself back at her aunt’s cottage as predicted by Cannon Fidelous, another teen stranded on the mysterious island.

When Arella quits The Academy of St. Colm Cille, Father Cillian, a kindly old priest, offers to tutor her using an ancient book of prophecies which is now considered the history of Tory. What he teaches her will lead to a journey into ancient magic and Tory’s cursed past. Arella is forced to face her fears and newly discovered powers to turn back the pages of history in order for her to return to the present.
    

My Thoughts

       Island of Tory completely enchanted me, it has been quite a while since I've read a Young Adult book this good! Everything about this book was spot on. The language was beautifully descriptive without being overbearing, which made the setting so vivid I felt as if I walked into the damp mist of the British Isles myself. The character development was exquisite, every detail about the characters was revealed at just the right moment, making them entirely believable. The story itself was also extremely fluid flowing purposefully through the celtic tides of the tale. I became so enthralled that I finished this story in one day, I simply could not leave the book for a single moment!

      I urge to read this immediatley, the suspense will leave you itching for more as its dark romance and irish lore sucks you deep into this celtic enchantment.


Book Links

Book/ Author Site

Place an order through the author's site

Train Station Bride Review

Rating: 4/5

Title: Train Station Bride

Author: Holly Bush

Page Count (ebook): 147

Official Description

      1887 Debutante, Julia Crawford endures a lifetime of subtle ridicule as the plump, silly daughter of a premiere Bostonfamily. Julia strikes out on her own to gain independence, traveling to theMidwest to marry an aging shopkeeper and care for his mother. Julia finds hernew home rough and uncivilized after the sophistication of a big city, while closely held secrets threaten to ruin Julia’s one chance at love.

    Jake Shelling was sixteen and grew up quick when his parents died from influenza on the North Dakota prairie. Left with a half-cleared farm and two young sisters, he spent little time on his own needs... till now. At thirty-five, he figured it was high time to have some sons and a mail order bride would suit him just fine. Noexpectations of love, just a helpmate from sturdy stock, ready for farmlife.Will fate and chance play a trick on Julia and Jake?

My Thoughts

     From the girlish Julia Crawford, unconfident and unsure of herself to the handsome and obstinate Jake Shelling, Train Station Bride is in every sense, a romance novel. The plot is split between the perspectives of Julia and Jake as they both embark on a journey to meet their 'mail-order' spouses and is filled with the playfulness of true love mixed with the sharper truths of being female in a strict society. Unlike some straight forward romances, Train Station Bride is filled with a slew of twists which I whole heartedly commend; I just love an unpredictable story! The artful way Bush wove the twists into the novel, added dimension to both the romance and the subplots within the book, creating wonderfully suspenseful scenes. Aside from the fact that I thought some of the love scenes could have been a bit more...steamy and polished, the romance between Julia and Jake was nevertheless well written and 100% believable.

I'm interviewing Holly Bush tomorrow so be sure to check back then!

Links:

Amazon

Author's Page

City of Fallen Angels Review

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Rating: 4/5

Title: City of Fallen Angels

Author: Cassandra Clare

Page Count (hardcover): 424

Inside the Cover

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

My Thoughts

     I'll admit it I had doubts, a lot of doubts. I absolutely adored the first three books in The Mortal Instruments Series immensly and for some reason after finishing the third, I came to the conclusion that it was a trilogy. With that in mind, I was contented with the ending so, when I heard there was a fourth book I was more than a little uncertain about it. Hadn't Clare already wrapped everything up? What story could there be left to tell?

    Let me tell you, I was wrong. I don't know how she did it, how she managed to create another masterpiece of Young Adult literature but she did and it was magnificent. City of Fallen Angels is absolutely riveting, I couldn't tear myself away from turning page, after page, after page. The descriptive language Clare uses to write drew me into the story and though I read the third book over two years ago, like a good friend, once I dug into City of Fallen Angels, it felt as if no time had passed.

Book Links:

Goodreads

75% off Youth Fiction Titles with code percyartemis75

The Sound and The Echoes Review

Rating: 3/5

Title: The Sound & The Echoes

Author: Dew Pellucid

Page Count (ebook): 279

Official Amazon Description

The Sound and the Echoes is a high-concept, fantasy adventure for young adults, with 27 magical illustrations.

Imagine that everyone around you has a mirror image living somewhere else. Your world is like a sound, which produced that other world of echoes. And in this land men are governed by a terrible law—no Echo is allowed to live after his Sound dies.

One Sound especially must die. The Prince’s Sound. The Fate Sealers and Fortune Tellers will make sure of that! Because after this Sound dies, the Echo Prince will have to die too.

Now, twelve-year-old Will Cleary is about to discover that he is the Sound the Echoes are hunting. And so begins his perilous adventure into a see-through, sparkling world, filled with spying crystal balls, an eerie fortress of castaway children, a hunt for clues in an ancient book of riddles, and a last-chance escape through a frozen gem-studded lake into a secret land that holds the key to placing the Prince on the throne and returning freedom to the Echoes.

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My Thoughts

      Though the description of The Sound & The Echoes states that this is a Young Adult novel, at several points in the book I found myself wondering exactly how it could be defined as belonging to the YA genre. Most of the YA novels I have read feature characters between the ages of 15-19 who are teenagers in every sense of the word. However, The Sound & The Echoes' main character was twelve years old for the majority of the book and it seemed to be written for an audience of the same age, which left me feeling more than a bit confused as to how this could be classified as a YA book.

        I did enjoy the story, it was extremely creative and unique, something I appreciate in a literary world where there are far too many cookie cutter books around. And at points, I even felt like I was reading some alterior version of the Harry Potter series, with the main character being a male twelve years in age who arrives at an orphanage of sorts with a Dumbledore-esque headmaster and proceeds to become aquaintances with an equally outcast boy and girl.

    I think this is an excellent book for a younger age range, simply because it seems to revolve around the sort of interests a younger audience would appreciate; I believe my twelve year old self would have loved this book. Overall, I found that The Sound & The Echoes was a good read, with an excellent plot line, though I would say it belongs more to an age range of 9-13 than the typical YA genre.

     In your opinion what makes a novel, a YA book?

Book Links:

Amazon

Book site

Interview With Michael Diack Author of The Super Spud Trilogy

      Though the Super Spud Trilogy is outside my genre and I won't be reviewing it, the story is so unique that I couldn't not interview the author. The interview is included below; enjoy!

LL: Lace and Lavender (Me)
MD: Michael Diack

The Interview

LL:Tell us a bit about yourself.

MD:   Hi, my name is Michael Diack and I’m 26.  I studied geology at theUniversity of Manchester and, after graduating, I was lucky to find a job in Oman working for a geophysical company. I enjoy table tennis, music, films, football, sailing and writing about magical potatoes with a taste for adventure and humour.  I’m also a proud geek and I enjoy computer games and playing a four hour game of Risk with my friends.  I always wanted to be a volcanologist, likePierce Brosnan in Dante’s Peak, but I enjoy my current job and lifestyle.  I released my debut novel back in April 2012as a paperback and e-book for Kindle.


LL:Why did you decide to become a writer?

MD:   I can’t say I decided to become a writer, the Super Spuds was justsomething I had in my head and I knew I needed to write the story.  Writing makes me happy and I’m always writing, whether its short stories, Super Spud adventures or just plans forother novels, ideas are constantly flowing. I’d need to sell a few more copies first before I’d consider myself a writer properly, for now I’m just a debut author trying to stand out from thecrowd.


LL:How long did it take you to write The Super Spud?
MD:    I wrote the novel at university and it took me about a month.  I knew what I wanted to write and the idea sjust flowed out easily, especially because I was referencing and paying tributeto lots of films and television shows. Drawing comparisons between the human world and the Super Spud world isone of the most enjoyable aspects of writing these stories.  The editing phase was much harder and took along time, I had to fully nail down the magic rules and ensure that the concept of walking, talking crisp packets didn’t come across as too unbelievable.  


LL:What inspired you to write a novel about potato chips?


MD:   I wrote the book at university when I was 19.  I guess the target audience at the time ofwriting were fellow students with the same kind of humour as me.  Initially, there were lots more sexualinnuendos and some mild swearing, in time I took these out and tried to makethe book much more approachable for all age groups.   Now there are no swear words, the Super Spudequivalent version of sex is holding hands, and the graphic violence is comicin its depiction.  My gut tells me thecore target audience it will appeal to is still the student generation (18-25),and the best reviews have been from reviewers of this age range, but I honestlyhope adults will find it enjoyable and younger readers, too.  It came about after I remembered a shortstory I had written at primary school: Colin and Lucy are crisp packets whocome to life after their use-by date and try to find the rubbish tip.  At university, bored during a lecture onrocks, I remembered the story and wrote it when I got back to my house.  


LL:In your book the characters travel all over the world, where is your favouriteplace to travel?

MD:   I’ve been fortunate to have travelled a bit with friends and family, andon geology field trips to some amazing places. I’d love to go to New Zealand one day, to Hong Kong and I’d also like totravel around Europe by train.  I work inOman and it would be great to travel this country with my friends, I think ithas a great tourist potential because it has retained its Middle Eastern culturea lot more than Abu Dhabi or Dubai, who have just built skyscrapersgalore.  Oman is still untouched, and isa beautiful landscape of dunes, canyons and wildlife.


LL:What is your all-time favourite book and why?

MD:  The Hobbit.  I love everything byTolkien and I always re-read The Hobbit every year.  For me, it’s the perfect adventure story andit’s a credit to Tolkien’s skill that the book isn’t even that long.  Everything is described so well without theneed for a 1,000 pages and every page is exciting to read.  I also love The Silmarillion. 


LL:What were your main challenges when writing Super Spud?

MD:   Obviously,the book is about magical crisp packets so there has to be a sentient amount ofdisbelief, but I was always worried the reader wouldn’t be drawn in by th econcept, or overly scrutinize a certain aspect of the magic rules.  This was the biggest challenge for me, butonce I had nailed down the strict rules and stipulations regarding the Super Spuds, the whole book was enjoyable to write. I knew what I wanted to write and the book was finished in first draft in about a month.  The editing phase took much longer and involved large re-writes, and major changes.   Another challenge was trying to find thebalance between what I personally found funny.  I enjoy the process of writing about Super Spuds so much, sometimes I’ll write something just for my own amusement, then go back, read it, and realise only I would laugh and promptly delete it. I’m sure now there are bits I wrote I didn’t mean to be funny, and other parts I wrote thinking it was funny but no-one cares.  Feedback from the story would be great though, what readers liked and what they didn’t like, so I could make the next set of adventures even more fun.


LL:What is your advice to new authors and aspiring writers?

MD:   If you truly believe in your work then never give up on it.  I’d think about an editor as well, not justfor the proofreading but the professionalism they bring to the story as awhole, noticing plot flaws and being truly honest with you.  Everything my editor did was to make thestory better so take all feedback as positive and don’t be down if the editorsays some things they don’t like about the story.  If something doesn’t work in your book, insteadof trying to write around it and forcing it in, just delete it.  As for new authors, you’re probably busymarketing like me on various forums and contacting book bloggers – so eventhough you’re my competition, good luck and hope your book sells well.


LL:What do you do in your spare-time when you’re not writing?

MD:     Most of my time is spent working in Oman, but on my leave I pretty much just hang out with friends and play board games, do sport or go out at nightand have fun.  I work for 6 weeks and then get 3 weeks off, so I have a lot of time off to pretty much be a studentagain and just sleep in and relax.


LL:Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans and readers?

MD:  I’d like to say amassive thank you to anyone who has bought the book and enjoyed thestories.  Reading the reviews and thefeedback is amazing and I’d be more than happy to discuss the book with readers,or take suggestions for new flavour types they’d like to see in the forthcomingnew set of adventures.  For now, I needto keep busy marketing and get the book out there to build up the fan base.  I’m working on a new set of Super Spudstories, which will bring back the same characters (and some you thought died)and see more wacky humour and crazy adventures. The next story will have less characters overall and an emphasis on onebig plot, rather than each chapter being a different adventure. 

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Amazon (Paperback)
Amazon (kindle)

War Horse

       Last night I had the privilege of going to see the play War Horse which is currently being hosted in Toronto, Canada by Mirvish, and so I just had to write about the experience which was to put it in a word, phenomenal.War Horse, as you may or may not know started like many great stories do, as a book. The novel War Horse was written by Micahel Morpugo in 1982 and then adapted both as a film and as a play. Though I haven't read the book yet, I watched the movie version of War Horse, which was released in 2011, earlier this year and immediatley fell in love with the story.

      

      If you're not familiar with War Horse, here's a description from the Mirvish's theatrical trailer:

"This powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a production of phenomenal inventiveness. At its heart are astonishing life-sized puppets created by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to life on stage."

 -Mirvish

     The play adapts the story beautifully, and the puppetry of the Handspring Puppet Company is simply amazing, they truly brought the horses to life.  From the beginning to the end I was completely immersed in the story, wonderstruck by how well it was executed. The acting is superb, and the music is so beautifully integrated that I forgot there was actually an orchestra playing just below me in the orchestra pit until the end of the play. As for the set, I felt as if I was truly frolicking in the English fields with Joey and Albert as they grew up and standing right beside them on the front lines of the First World War. I absolutely urge you to go and see War Horse; it is beyond extraordinary.

      As a further note, I would just like to credit all the amazing writers who were involved in the production of War Horse:

• Micahel Morpugo who wrote the original novel
• Lee Hall and Richard Curtis who wrote the screenplay for the film
• Nick Stafford who adapted the original novel, for the National Theatre of Great Britain's production of War Horse

War Horse the book (movie cover)

This Dark Endeavour

Rating: 5/5

Title: This Dark Endeavor

Series: Book One of The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein

Author: Kenneth Oppel

Page Count (paperback): 298

Official Amazon Description

   
     Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.

     The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.

     The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

      Victor knows he must not fail. Yet his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and love?and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

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My Thoughts

      This Dark Endeavor is a work of literary art. From the cover, to the plot, to the characters; Oppel was spot on! One of a book's most important assets is its cover, and in this case, This Dark Endeavor certainly has bragging rights! Between the handsome character sketch of Victor on the front, to the haunting buildings eclipsed by unsettle clouds and the blurred edges; I do believe I was completely enthralled with this book before I even read the first page. Having read Kenneth Oppel's previous series; Silver Wing, as a child, I was already familiar with the depth of Oppel's writing and This Dark Endeavor was no exception. Written in the first person perspective of Victor Frankenstein, This Dark Endeavor is truly captivating, allowing you to witness the story first hand through Victor's rebellious mind. There was never a single moment while reading the novel in which I felt bored of the story, with brilliant cliffhangers at the end of chapters and an excellently paced plot (not to fast and not to slow), which was filled with completely unexpected twists ensured that I couldn't stop turning the pages. If you're in search of a wickedly good, well-written YA book with a hint of romance, I urge you to pick up This Dark Endeavor; you won't regret it!

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Interview with Saga Berg (author of the Nordic Faries Series)

You may have noticed (or not) that within the past week or so I’ve been writing a lot of reviews on the Nordic Fairies series. If you have been reading those reviews than you’ll know I completely fell in love with series! So naturally, I’m super excited to be able to share my interview with Saga Berg (a.k.a the author of the Nordic Fairies series) today! Go ahead scroll down and check out the interview for yourself!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

     I live with my boyfriend in the south of Sweden, in a small village on the country side, population approximately 1 000. My house is from the 1920‘s and from the window where I sit and write Nordic Fairies I have a view over an old church from the tenth century, which is the same century Svala and Viggo turned Liosálfar.

      I’ve studied and worked in marketing for many years, and even though I’ve written stories all my life, Nordic Fairies is my first published work. Writing is definitely what defines me.

      English is only my second language, but I learned it early, and I’ve always been fascinated by what a rich language it is. My native tongue is Swedish, as is Svala and Viggo’s.

       I’m currently working on the fourth part of Nordic Fairies. There will be a fifth part as well, and then we’ll see.

Why did you decide to become a writer?

    According to my parents, I said I wanted to become a writer at the age of 7. I don’t recall having said this, but I’ve created stories in my head for as long as I can remember. When I was 13, my father gave me an electric typewriter, and I started writing my first novel on it.

Why did you decide to write a series of novellas instead of one novel?

     It was how the story about Viggo and Svala made sense to me. I liked the idea of going back in to one specific moment in time in each part and explore that it separately. Dividing the novel into parts helped structure the plot better. I suppose when all parts are out it would also work as a full novel.

     I initially had the idea for part one, two and four, and I came up with the idea for part three and five while writing the first two parts.

What was your main inspiration to write Nordic Fairies series?

     This was one of those stories that just came to me. It happens sometimes and it is something of a mystery even to me.

If you could sum Svala into five words, what would they be?

    Strong, independent, kind, unselfish and loyal

What is your all-time favorite book and why?

    Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood. I love Atwood’s writing style, and especially her ability to unfold a story by going back and forward in time in a seamless manner. She’s the author who has inspired me most. There is something about the way she tells a story that appeals to me, she is very subtle and never obvious, which I like. I love almost all of the Atwood books I’ve read, but with Cat’s Eye I could relate a lot to her main character.

What were your main challenges in writing the Nordic Fairies series?

    Currently, how to end it; I still haven’t decided. I have a few different outcomes in mind, both happy and sad, but I simply can’t decide on which one to go with.

     I also keep getting new ideas, so it’s sometimes difficult to limit myself to the plot and staying on track, but other than that, the Nordic Fairies series has been an absolute joy to write.

What is your advice to new authors and aspiring writers?

     To write. I know this sounds evident, but writing a lot is the best way to develop and grow as a writer. Also to ask someone who is not a close friend or family to give honest feedback on your work. Don’t get offended by harsh criticism, take it in and learn from it.

What do you do in your spare-time when you’re not writing?

     I love to travel and learn about other cultures. I also spend a lot of time with my friends and family. Though, to be honest, I never completely let go of my writing, it’s always there in the back of my head. If I’m not writing, I’m usually plotting in my mind.

Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans and readers?

     I want to thank everyone who’s read the series and given me such wonderful feedback. I’m overwhelmed by the response on The Nordic Fairies series so far, and I never dreamed so many would fall in love with the story and its characters. I’ve always created stories because I love to write, and learning that others love what I write as well came as a pleasant surprise to me. It is such a strong motivator to continue writing on the story.

     The fourth part will be out sometime after the summer, though I can’t say when since I’m still working on it, Part four will take us back to the 80’s where Svala and Viggo end up in High School together with their daughter, Freja, who is then the same age as Svala.

     For those of you who haven’t read Nordic Fairies yet, you can go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and get the first copy for free, then decide from there if you want to continue reading the story.

My Reviews of the Nordic Fairies Series

The links to the novellas on Amazon Barnes & Nobles etc. can be found at the bottom of the respective review.



Nordic Fairies (the first novella)



Freja (the second novella)





Döckálfar (the third novella)

Life is a Review

Rating: 3/5

Title: Life is a Review- Observations and Collections of My Passages through the Times

Author: Deborah L. Parker

Page Count: 108 pages

Official Amazon Summary:

Life Stages, Transitions, Lessons. From our first steps or words, to relationships, education and careers, there are assigned instructors who take note of our progress in these events. Yet eventually, there’s a time for us to personally examine what we’ve learned, and how we gained our perspectives. In Life is a Review, Parker does this type of reflection. Gleaning lessons from her varied life stages such as watching the careful way in which her grandfather grew collard greens in her youth, to the emotions of seeing a fellow soldier and friend off to war for the first time, Parker vividly brings readers to her experiences. Join her as she warps time through this compilation of articles, essays, blogs, poems, and speeches from the past 25 years. And in assessing her own journey, she shares, “like many of us, I’ve passed some exams and flunked others; educationally as well as experientially, as I also wondered and wandered. Then Parker looks at the final review of her loved ones, those who’ve passed in human finality, while leaving enduring teachings for her life’s purpose.

My Thoughts:

        To be honest I do not usually read memoirs that often, so when I was requested by the author to review Life is a Review, I was hesitant at first. However after thinking it over, I decided that it couldn't hurt to step outside of my literary comfort zone once in a while. I guess I sort of expected that all memoirs followed the cookie-cutter pattern of a first person narrative that smoothly, and chronologically followed the author's perception of their life. As I started reading Life is a Review I quickly realized this was not to be the case, just as the summary had said Life is a Review contained mostly "articles, essays, blogs, poems, and speeches" with the occasional interlude of first person narrated self reflection.

       Stepping outside the box is not necessarily a bad thing and in the case of Life is a Review, Parker's decision to deviate from the cookie cutter memoir added some very postive aspects to the story. I enjoyed reading many of the speeches, and life guidelines that were included in the collection, they were well written and I felt at times as if Parker herself was reading them to me. I must say however that I did find the continuity of the book wanting, I felt that the transitions between the different articles, blog posts, and speeches were a bit bumpy, which in my opinion made it harder to stay focused on the book's message. But despite this and the occasional spelling mistake, something nearly unavoidable when self-publishing, I thought it was presentable.

     Though I recieved the book for free in exchange for a review, I feel that I should note that in my opinion the kindle price of $6.99 for this book is too expensive, as I have noticed many ebooks of similar length sell for $0.99-$4.99. What do you (guys) think is the best price for an ebook around 100-110 pages in length?

If you want to check out this book follow the links below:
Goodreads
Amazon/Kindle