Month: March 2018

Seven weeks back, I told you about a Kickstarter campaign for a children’s book called The Present is a Gift by Elchanan Ogorek. With the help of many generous donators, Ogorek has been able to make that book a reality. It is available for sale on Amazon, and I have the pleasure of reviewing it here on The Writer’s Scrap Bin.

In its short 24 pages, The Present is a Gift follows a teacher taking their students on a brief journey to visit and learn from nature. Readers encounter a sloth, a wolf, a squirrel, a turtle, a seal, a frog, a bear, and a cat through colorful illustrations and tidbits about each animal. The animals teach readers different aspects of mindfulness as well as eight yoga poses. By the time the teacher returns their students to the classroom, the students have a firm list of mindfulness principles to help guide them through the most relaxed and most stressful times. Children will love the colorful images, and their parents will love the chance to teach their children about living in the present.

While there is no proper story arc, this book is still very engaging. Ogorek has chosen just the right animals to highlight each principle and pose, from the gentle turtle to the powerful bear. My personal favorite is the wolf. Not only is the wolf my favorite animal, but the wisdom which accompanies it in this book resonates with me personally:

 

Wolf shares its gratitude for practice.

Wolves howl to communicate to other wolves.

I am proud of myself and share that with others.

 

I already know a lot about wolves and how they communicate; for me, it’s the mindfulness snippet which has won my heart. “I am proud of myself and share that with others.” I have a problem with being proud of myself and letting others see it. I’m just naturally too humble to show off—or I’ve been conditioned by society to think that it’s egotistical to show any pride, I don’t know. Either way, I become embarrassed and a little ashamed when I let myself feel good about my accomplishments and show others that I’m proud of them. For that reason, I think it’s very important that Ogorek has chosen to include this principle in this book, as well as associating it with the majestic wolf. We don’t want our children to be narcissistic or egotistical, but pride in themselves will nurture their self-confidence and grow them into happier adults.

I also find the wolf to be the best of all the illustrations. All of the illustrations are beautifully done and color—the frog in particular is incredibly vibrant—but the smooth curves and accurate shading in the wolf illustration makes it stand out from all the others.

Ogorek has also included a depiction of the yoga poses in the beginning and end of the book, along with a handy summary of the mindfulness principles the animals have taught the reader. These are especially useful when dealing with young readers as they’ll need to revisit these lessons often in order for them to stick. The chalkboard writing of the recap is also fairly clever on Ogorek’s part; it fits with the frame narrative of the story and utilizes an image which children are used to seeing and learning from almost every day.

Of course, it’s not just children that can benefit from this book. Adults can, too. Adults can be very uptight and stressed, focused more on money and gain than what’s around them. They are stuck on regrets from the past and concern for the future, never really stopping to engage with the present. A children’s picture book can’t get them to change their habits entirely. However, reading it with their children (or their nieces/nephews, grandchildren, kid next door they sometimes babysit, etc.) will allow the lessons to seep in subconsciously. Who knows, adults might even engage in the yoga poses, if for no other reason than to help their children do them.

The Present is a Gift by Elchanan Ogorek is a cute picture book that will help children become more balanced adults. While I think adults can benefit from it as well, this book is best suited for very young children, around preschool, kindergarten, or first grade. The colorful illustrations will keep their attention, and they’ll learn about animals and mindfulness along the way. Obviously, this book isn’t the end-all answer to how we can make our society less stressed. However, it is a helpful tool for getting children on the path to mindfulness.

You can buy The Present is a Gift by Elchanan Ogorek as an eBook or in print on Amazon. I highly recommend ordering a print copy; the illustrations look better on paper than a screen.

Also remember to visit the book’s Facebook page for more information about The Present is a Gift and its author.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

 

Happy Monday, readers! Sorry for the radio silence this weekend; real life catches up to us all eventually, and my Master program’s writing forum started last week. A lot of reading, a lot of writing. This week—today in particular—marks the one-year anniversary of The Writer’s Scrap Bin, and I have a couple things to show my loyal readers. First, let’s start this busy week with another review. This time, the book is a collection of eight short stories set in Mumbai during the 90s and early 2000s. The subject of this review is Mumbai Matinee by Ajay Kaul.

Ajay—the protagonist and narrator of Mumbai Matinee—has fallen in love, but not with a woman. He has fallen in love with the city of Mumbai. A great contrast from his home city of Dehli, Mumbai is not just a city of hustle-and-bustle; it’s a city of gossip, drama, compassion, and community. Mumbai Matinee follows Ajay’s journey to creating his own home and identity within this captivating community, from interfaith love and nosy paanwalas to tragic death and terrorist attacks. Readers will find themselves devouring page after page, if only to learn what sort of excitement our seemingly-mundane protagonist will encounter next.

I found this book to be compelling and entertaining. Kaul’s simplistic writing style is as impactful as Hemingway’s—just detailed enough to give readers a clear picture of the setting, but plain enough that an element of intrigue is left and most readers can follow along. Kaul also maintains a light-hearted tone even in times of tragedy, which made the sadder parts of the stories simultaneously more palatable and more heart-breaking. This effect sounds contradictory, but the simplistic prose combined with the light-hearted approach to the characters’ lives made any deaths and other troubles hit me that much more powerfully without the extreme drain of detailed death scenes or violence.

The collection is comprised of eight short stories: “The Capitalist”, “The Mole”, “Actress Extraordinaire”, “Fraternity, Liberty, and Equality”, “The Selfless Visionary”, “A Code of Ethics”, “The Lucky Batsman”, and “The Supercop”. Each one explores a different aspect of the protagonist’s life in Mumbai and depicts his evolution from newbie intern to integrated Mumbaikar. There is no plot thread connecting the stories, although elements from earlier stories find their way into later ones. Rather, Kaul strings these stories together through setting, themes, and, of course, Ajay as the main character. I can see these sections as individual stories, and yet I also feel that they work best together, not quite a novel and yet dependent on each other for the greatest impact.

My favorite story would have to be “Fraternity, Liberty, and Equality”, in which Ajay meets an interfaith couple struggling to stay together. Kaul captivated me with the idea of love transcending all boundaries, and I appreciated the insight into the prejudices which Muslims and Hindus hold against each other in India. It is a romance much more inspiring and justified than Romeo & Juliet and a great way to learn about the intricacies of another culture.

The whole book, in fact, has helped to strengthen my understanding of Indian culture. I am not afraid to admit that I know very little about India. All that I have learned has been gleamed from writers such as Jhumpa Lahiri. Kaul immerses the reader entirely in the culture of not just India in general but Mumbai specifically. I had to look up some terms and customs as a result of this immersion, but that’s to be expected—in fact, if I didn’t have to, I would seriously doubt the quality of Kaul’s writing. For readers familiar with India, you should feel right at home in these stories; for those who are not, you are sure to leave this book with a better understanding of this country and its people.

This collection, as with most writing, is not perfect. I noticed perhaps one minor proofreading error throughout the entire book, which is not unusual even for the best-known published works. That aside, I had issues with some of the transitions between scenes. In particular, the transition following Ajay and some coworkers going to Roha in “The Selfless Visionary” jarred me, made me feel as though I were missing something. This later proved to be on purpose, but I still think that’s the sloppiest moment in Kaul’s writing.

I also wish that we could have gotten to know some of the characters more. I can understand Kaul trying to mimic reality. In real life, we get close to people only to have them flutter out of our lives in an instant. It’s sad but true. However, I felt that that happened far too often for my taste in Mumbai Matinee. I suppose it’s a result of the “chapters” actually being short stories and the book being a collection rather than a novel. Still, some characters—Patil, Sawant, Rajat, Roohi, and Sahib, among others—were so unique and fascinating that I wanted to know more about them. It’s no wonder that Ajay took to them and decided to pry into their lives!

Overall, Mumbai Matinee by Ajay Kaul is a great book. For quite a few stories I forgot that these were short stories rather than novel chapters, they fit together so smoothly. Kaul’s humor really compelled me to continue reading, especially some of the “ah, geez!” moments when misunderstandings are corrected. The characters are not just unique; they’re individuals. They’re true human beings, and that is what makes the driving force of this collection—the exploration of humanity and community—work so well. If you don’t mind having to look up some cultural terms and references, I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to discover a new city and its people.

You can buy Mumbai Matinee by Ajay Kaul as an eBook or in print on Amazon.

Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

 

Happy Hump-day, everyone! Sorry for the relative radio silence the past few days. I’ve been busy and, frankly, too tired to write. (Have I ever mentioned that at least one night of a solid eight-hour sleep can be key to actually getting stuff done?) Regardless, I’m here today and I’m bringing you another book review, this time of a book in the same vein as The Beauty of the Fall by Rich Marcello. This novel is called Crossing Allenby Bridge by Michael Looft.

Harry Stone is your typical white-collar American banker. Smart, moderately well-off, divorced, and, at times, a bit insensitive, Harry is what you’d expect a real high-up employee for a bank to be like (rather than some entirely-villainized robber baron). Then everything changes when he loses his job, “early retirement” as his company ultimately labels it. Yet when one door closes, another door opens—a door which leads to journeys across Asia and the Middle East but also to an ethical and spiritual struggle within Harry, one which could leave him either rejuvenated or destroyed. With the help of his new-found friends, will Harry discover his true purpose in life? Or will the weight of the darkness in the world—and himself—pull him into the abyss?

I must admit, given that his main career is in finance, I began the book a little skeptical of Looft’s ability to create impactful fiction. I wasn’t certain if he’d be able to get me to connect with his characters or the concepts discussed in this book on a human level. What can I say? Everyone has their prejudices, and one of mine happens—or happened, now that I’ve read this novel—to be against those in the financial sector as being rather impersonal. However, Looft uses this fiction novel to investigate microfinance (which I hadn’t even heard of before) and ethical finance, an investigation which gave me a better opinion of some financial workers and hope for the future if more people take a journey similar to Harry’s.

The discussion of microfinance and ethical finance necessitates that this book be slightly political. While a little more liberal-leaning, don’t think that either liberals or conservatives can read this book 100% satisfied with the characters’ views. In fact, Looft does fairly well in maintaining a more moderate, balanced political stance by giving a variety of characters’ perspectives and Harry’s growth as a result of engaging with these perspectives. In a sea of blue and red, it’s nice to see other shades—grey included—represented in fiction. I certainly didn’t agree with every view presented in this novel, but that’s one of the things which make it great. This book got me thinking more (which, in hindsight, might not be a good thing for my own mental well-being) and caring for characters despite the fact that we would not meet eye-to-eye in real life.

The characters are by no means perfect. Harry, while good at heart, says some…politically-incorrect things and harbors inside him dark secrets that could tear anyone apart. Elena, while a beautiful, has a temper and trust issues I did not expect and which soured my view of her rather quickly. (The latter reaction is appropriate given the subject matter when this happened. Still, I can’t discuss it any further than that because of spoilers.) Mark can be too stoic sometimes, and Sarah too cheery. Regardless, I cared about all the characters and their well-being. I became wrapped up in their drama and their happiness, as well as the sadness they felt over the poverty they witnessed.

Looft manages a book which is both humorous and emotional. For the most part, Crossing Allenby Bridge affected emotionally almost as well as The Beauty of the Fall. There were some moments in the narrative when I feel that Looft slips up on showing Harry’s emotions to readers when it was necessary, especially compared to how well he does so in the rest of the novel. However, in general, Looft knows just how to pull at a person’s heartstrings while also being able to pull them out of the darkness with some light-hearted moments and humor.

Perhaps my favorite moment of humor comes with the chapter titled “And Nightmares”. The fact that Harry called a Tarot reading and a levitating chair a “séance” made me want to fall over laughing. And calling the psychic a witch? Come on! I could tell that Looft meant for Harry’s reactions to be funny while also implying the general path the book would take, and he succeeded. The Tarot reading stuck with me for the rest of the book, as it did to Harry, and I kept wondering how the cards were going to play out. After all, such readings usually come true in ways we would never expect—and I’m pretty sure Harry didn’t expect it to be as accurate as it turned out to be.

The exotic locations, of course, will be a huge draw for American readers. Just don’t expect the typical tourist’s view of any of these places. Yes, the Philippines section does contain some such depictions. Still, even these are tainted by first-world human interactions. The rest of the time, illustrations of poverty and the plight in “third-world countries” make up most of Harry’s experience. While not the ideal light in which to paint these areas, it felt more real than anything I’ve ever seen or read about them. Just like Harry did, I really connected with these poor people and felt like there must be something I could do to help them, that Harry could do.

The book does have its flaws. Regardless, most of the ones I encountered are more minor clashes with my personal perspective rather than any flaw in the narrative. One moment which stuck with me in particular because it made me a little mad was this exchange between Harry and Mark:

“What are you, some kind of socialist, Mark?” […]

“Of course not, I’m American.”

There was more between those lines, such as a patronizing smile from Harry to try and lighten the mood, but these lines stuck out to me. What, being a socialist or having socialist ideals make you not American? The whole thought was absurd to me. Still, the fact that Looft could evoke such a reaction in me proves the quality of his writing. I was so invested in the novel that it was as though I were there, really listening to these men having this conversation.

There were some minor technical errors, such as grammatically-incorrect formatting of some snippets of dialogue. Nevertheless, these errors were so minor that I don’t even remember exactly what they were, and so did not detract from my reading experience.

Overall, Crossing Allenby Bridge by Michael Looft is an engaging and thought-provoking read. Truthfully, as with The Beauty of the Fall, I could go on for pages with praise for its messages, themes, and character development. The plot is your typical “character traveling to find his true self” sort of narrative with some twists about a disturbed tastefully mixed in. However, the messages that this plot carries and the character development are what really hooked me. Looft was never short on surprises regarding Harry and his past, all of which shaped him into the person he was going into this novel. If you like character-driven novels and don’t mind some liberal-leaning messages, I highly recommend this book.

You can buy Crossing Allenby Bridge by Michael Looft in paper on Amazon. Also be sure to check out Looft’s website and Facebook page for more information on this work, the author, and his non-fiction books on ethical finance.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

 

Happy Saturday, readers and writers! I’m here to bring you my review of Secret Agents by Jason Walker. While not the final novelette in the Down the Rabbit Hole series, Secret Agents will be the conclusion of my Friday night/Saturday morning review spree. As this story is the third in the series, it will contain spoilers for Into France and Escape and Evasion, so proceed with caution if you haven’t read the first novelettes yet.

Secret Agents picks up where Escape and Evasion left off, and things don’t appear to be going well for some of our heroes and heroines. Danielle has been captured and Nancy is on the run, completely unaware of the fate of her contact and her own husband. Fontaine and Nadeau have found refuge with Garrow and other members of the French resistance, but all is not quiet even on that front. The Nazis are up to something, something big, in a cave nearby, and it is up to Claude, Fontaine, and Nadeau to figure out what.

What will become of these brave men and women? Will they ever see peace again? Or will the Nazis take away any hope they have left—and their lives?

Secret Agents is another gripping, exciting tale worthy of the Down the Rabbit Hole title. I read through this book more quickly than the first two, and not just because it’s the shortest of the three at 48 pages; I simply could not put it down because I had to find out what fate has in store for these characters. As only the third novelette in the series, not the last, Secret Agents still left me with many, many unanswered questions—some old, some new—even though others had been answered. It’s just another reason for me to keep an eye out for the fourth installment.

Of course, this increased emotional investment also came with an increased emotional reaction to the tragedies in this story. As with Escape and Evasion, a handful of events were very impactful, both on the characters’ lives and on my reading experience. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I would question the quality of this series if, as a war story, it did depict at least some trauma. However, don’t take this novelette on thinking that it’ll be a light-hearted read. There are scenes of torture, violence, emotional turmoil, and death. If such depictions bother you, this book—as well as Escape and Evasion—is not for you, although I doubt you’d read fiction about World War II at all if that were the case.

I was particularly surprised—and pleased—to see that not all of the Nazi soldiers were the cold, emotionless, selfish stereotype in this novelette. Mind you, most still were. As a matter of fact, two new characters stood out as pure evil, not just emotionless and selfish, introducing an interesting contrast as even the other Nazis feared them. However, there were also some signs of humanity on the German side in this story. Some of the signs were small, such as negative reactions to torture. Others were more overt, although I cannot discuss them here without spoilers. Needless to say, I didn’t expect such development by this point in the series, and I’m glad that Walker decided to humanize the enemy somewhat. After all, most of them are still human (although it’s questionable for the pure evil characters).

Walker also surprised me with a twist in the final half of the book which most readers would not expect from these novelettes. I can’t say much without giving too much away, but let’s just say that something a little “paranormal” is occurring in that cave, and prejudice might not have been the only reason that the Nazis captured gypsies.

While I’m very satisfied with Secret Agents and can’t wait for the next novelette, I’m afraid that there were some flaws in it which I did not notice in Into France and Escape and Evasion. The first is an absence of emotional expression in some key moments. While Walker’s work, at least in this series, utilizes minimalist writing almost as a rule, I feel that that style does not really explain some moments which lack emotionally reaction. In particular, one character is essentially told that they are a prisoner where they are. While the narrator tells the reader about any frustration and fear which this character has at that revelation, I didn’t really feel it as a reader. Sometimes this can be a useful tactic, but here I felt that allowing the reader to feel the character’s emotions would have increased the tension tremendously. As it is, that scene falls flat.

Another flaw I noticed here but not in the other installments is an issue with setting changes. Most of the time, transitions from one scene/setting to the next occur smoothly, especially when switching to a new chapter. Still, others did not go so smoothly. Mainly, some in-chapter transitions jarred me. There aren’t too many of these transitions, but some which did happen, mostly in the final chapter, confused me. I couldn’t tell that settings had changed, and it was only after I was couple lines into the new scene that I realized what happened. Some small indicator, such as a line break or “Back In [insert location]”, would have been a great help there.

I also missed a few characters from the first two novelettes which were missing here. To be fair, though, they will most likely return in future installments and so I cannot really call this a “flaw” in the work. Rather, it’s something for me to anxiously look for in the next book.

Overall, Secret Agents by Jason Walker has continued the plot of Down the Rabbit Hole very well. There is tension, drama, and an element of mystery which should be enough for any reader to want to keep going. It’s unfortunate that the next novelette has not been released yet; I can’t wait to get my hands on it. In the meantime, I highly recommend following up Into France and Escape and Evasion with Secret Agents. There’s no way to get the full story unless you continue!

You might find it interesting to know that, in a note at the end of Secret Agents, Jason Walker reveals that these novelettes were adapted from screenplays for a TV series. The proceeds from these novelettes will go to bringing these screenplays into the light, so if you want to help a fellow writer achieve his dream, I suggest at least taking a look at Down the Rabbit Hole.

You can buy Secret Agents by Jason Walker as an eBook on Amazon. Also check out my reviews for Into France and Escape and Evasion, as well as Jason Walker’s website.

Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

 

Well, folks, here’s the second review I promised. This one is for the novelette Down the Rabbit Hole: Escape and Evasion by Jason Walker. As the sequel to Into France, this review will contain spoilers, so proceed with caution if you haven’t read the first novelette yet. You’ve been warned.

Escape and Evasion picks up right where Into France left off. Danielle is leading two POW escapees through the sewers of France, presumably to freedom; Mitchell, Babcock, and Patterson, along with Oliver, are attempting a rescue of SAS commander Jim Garner; and, all the while, Vera Atkins is trying to hold the entire operation together from her offices in London. Right on the trail of the escapees and French Resistance are the Gestapo, Nazi soldiers willing to do anything and hurt anyone to capture the POWs and anybody helping them.

Will any of the escapees make it out of France? What will become of the spies? Of Danielle and Bridgette? Most urgently, will any of them survive their separate bids at life and freedom from Nazi oppression?

Escape and Evasion is, admittedly, much more emotional than Into France. Without giving away any spoilers, it especially gets emotional in the four or five chapters. As with any war story, friendships are formed, enemies are made, and death and betrayal abound. For such a short novelette—49 pages, compared to the 66 pages of Into France—this one packs a lot of punch.

Even plot twists which are typical for these sorts of stories—and, in hindsight, Walker heavily hints at earlier in the books—took me by surprise. I became so wrapped up in the story, in the characters particularly, that I didn’t engage in my usual “guess the plot twist before it happens” frame of mind. I simply enjoyed the story, and I’m not too proud to admit that I often forget to do that nowadays.

As with the first book, Walker utilizes a minimalist style of writing for this novelette. Again, this leads to more exposition than I usually like, but that exposition and the minimalist approach also create a storyteller feel which both fits the narrative and captures the reader’s attention. That’s not to say that Walker is all tell and no show. Rather, he reserves descriptions for when they are needed most. In a war/espionage story, that might just be the best approach.

The only minor issue I had with Escape and Evasion—the only worth mentioning—is the sheer number of characters. Given the subject matter, the large cast is absolutely necessary. After all, war is not one by a single man or woman. However, some of the characters blurred for me as the cast grew. I mainly had an issue keeping Fontaine and Nadeau straight. They have distinctly different personalities, yet I somehow had a hard time remembering which name belonged to which personality. Of course, that might just be my jumbled brain and lack of sleep causing issues.

I also feel as though the female characters waver somewhat in their strength in this novelette. It’s probably just a result of the stress they’re experiencing. I mean, I know I would not hold up half as well as they do under similar circumstances. Still, I didn’t feel quite as much of their strength this time as I did in Into France. I suppose, though, that this weakness and vulnerability might just fuel renewed strength in a future installment, making the women more powerful foes to the Nazis than ever before. Besides, a new female is introduced in this novelette who is a very strong female herself, and unfortunately that’s all I can say without giving too much away.

Overall, I think that Escape and Evasion by Jason Walker is a more-than-fitting follow-up to Into France. In fact, I think I might have liked it a little better than the first novelette. It put me through the emotional gamut. While such experiences typically leave me drained, this one has also left me eager for the third installment. As with the first novelette, Escape and Evasion ends on a cliffhanger, one which will have you scrambling for the next book. This story is the perfect quick read, but you might still want to set some time aside for it—you’ll want to start the third novelette, Secret Agents, immediately!

You can buy Escape and Evasion by Jason Walker as an eBook on Amazon. Also remember to check out my review of Into France as well as Jason Walker’s website.

Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I have a special treat for you. I will be posting three reviews of three…novelettes, I suppose you can call them…all from the same series. The first novelette is Down the Rabbit Hole: Into France by Jason Walker.

Bordeaux, France, 1943. The world has become engulfed by the terror that is World War II. France has been subjected to Nazi rule, and the country’s citizens are helpless to resist. At least, so it seems. Among the frightened French citizens are a brave few, both Resistance members and secret agents, all risking their lives to aid the Allies in any way they can. Bridgette LeClair and her daughter, Danielle, are two such courageous women. As Danielle serves as a spy for the British, Bridgette hides away two recently-escaped POWs. They’ve avoided detection so far, but as the Gestapo encroach more and more upon their small town and the surrounding area in search of POW escapees, their safety becomes flimsy at best.

How long will Danielle and Bridgette be able to hold their own against the Nazis? Will the Allied Forces rescue the POWs before the Gestapo get to them? And will they be able to save one of the POWs who failed to escape? More importantly, why is it so imperative that they free this particular soldier?

As part of a larger series, this novelette does not answer all of these questions. In fact, it raises more questions than it answers, and that might be the biggest draw of Into France for me. (Well, besides the strong female leads and historical setting.) While the series is based on real events, Walker constructs a narrative filled with intrigue, tension, and mystery.

Rather than reading like a book in a series, this novelette more reads like a TV episode. Walker writes in prose, like a story, but the structure and suspense more closely mimic TV shows. That style does not detract from the quality of the story; rather, it’s just an approach to which I am not accustomed. Give how integral TV has become to our lives, this episodic technique might garner even more interesting than a normal book series.

While multiple sections contain detailed depictions of scenery, Walker’s overall writing comes across as minimalistic. Much like Hemingway, Walker only paints those images which are necessary to set a mood or establish a character or setting. Sometimes this leads to more exposition than I would like, especially when introducing a new character, but that’s just a minor issue for someone like me. (It’s a fault that I find in Hemingway’s work as well, so I guess it just comes with the minimalist territory.) This exposition never distracted me for long, so it’s more of an annoyance than a flaw in the writing.

A fairly large cast of characters—not for novels but for a novelette this short—weaves in and out of this narrative, providing both a wide variety of personalities and a broadened view of different experiences of Allied Forces in World War II. We have Danielle, a spy for the British who has had trouble with the Gestapo; Bridgette, Danielle’s mother, a baker, and a French native who is hiding POW escapees; MacArthur, an escaped and lovesick POW from Canada hiding out with Bridgette; and Vera Atkins, the tough-as-nails head of Britain’s Special Operations.

While the male POWs and their rescuers provided the necessary central plot (as well as some much-needed humor), I was more captivated by Bridgette, Danielle, and Atkins. Women’s roles in World War II are too-often overlooked, and these characters make sure to highlight that little-known part of history. Better yet, while all are determined and tough in their own way, not all of the female leads are the cold-hearted, hard-to-break stereotype we usually see cast as the “strong” woman in fiction. Danielle and Bridgette have tender hearts which they open up to each other. Even Atkins, while she certainly has a hard, protective shell, she does not seem entirely cold-hearted; she, like Danielle and Bridgette, just feels human, a human put in a very tough and soul-shattering situation.

Of course, some of the characters are stereotypical, namely the Nazis. I understand the approach Walker takes to the German soldiers. After all, they did a lot of despicable things that cannot be understood by a rational, caring human being. However, the image of the Nazis in this novelette remind me of many, many other depictions in books and movies. On the one hand, this could just be a result of these soldiers really acting so despicably. We are all capable of great evil, especially when it’s justified by one’s government. It would also be bordering on another stereotype to follow the route of a Nazi soldier who felt like he was dying on the inside from all of this and defies his superiors. On the other hand, it’s hard to swallow that all of them could have been so heartless. Still, even with my desire to see three-dimensional characters, these soldiers are villains and so should be depicted as such. It’s a toss-up, really.

Overall, Into France by Jason Walker is a captivating and thrilling novelette. I love the historical context as well as the care Walker obviously put into researching the events depicted. The characters are very real and, while most are typical for this genre, the strong female leads are very refreshing. The ending left me hanging with many more questions than answers. However, that’s the point. Readers just need to continue to the next novelette in order to see what happens next. While the novelette form has gotten a bad rep lately, I think this one is perfect for killing time before your appointment or while riding on the bus to work, and I recommend it to anyone who loves history, spies, and strong female leads.

You can buy Into France by Jason Walker as an eBook and in print on Amazon. To learn more about the author and his other works, be sure to check out his website.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

I’m not sure if I have told any of my readers this before, but my family–especially the maternal side–has deep connections to the Arts and Humanities. As a genealogist with a lifelong passion for researching her roots, my mom has discovered that we are distant cousins of singers, artists, and writers alike (not to mention some politicians and royalty, but that’s a story for another day). However, there is a much more recent family member who connects me to the Arts: my grandfather, Al Blanchard, who drew portraits, landscapes, and building plans. While I barely have an artistic bone in my body besides my writing, I still decided to check out today’s book because of an intense curiosity my grandfather instilled in me for both art and the process of creating it. The book at the center of this review is Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor in 7 Stages by Lela Stankovic.

This book is, as the title states, a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to painting a beautiful rose in watercolor. Still, it’s more than that; it contains the building blocks with which you can lay the foundation for a new skill, a.k.a. watercolor painting. From basic techniques to which art supplies you need and how to transfer a sketch for an outline, Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor covers everything you need to know in order to start a fulfilling hobby–or, perhaps, something more if you have a knack and the patience for it.

I need to get this out of the way right now: watercolor and I do not typical get along. The edges of the pages always curl on me, which causes me to be frustrated and I quit before I even get a chance to practice. The funny part? If I understand Stankovic properly, there have only been two mistakes standing in my way of fully enjoying this activity: I use the wrong kind of paper and I don’t stretch it first. I might not have any talent for it even after this fix, but at least now I understand why the pages kept curling. Who knew? Thank you, Lela!

Given that, perhaps the best part of Stankovic’s guide is that it doesn’t just take readers blindly through the steps. Rather, Stankovic explains why each step is done, but what it does to the painting, and how it has the effect that it has. As someone who likes to know how things work and why they are the way they are, I found this element of the book both enlightening and helpful. When I can’t have someone there to show me how to do something, a guide as thorough and comprehensive as this one is the next best thing (and I’m guessing most writers would agree with me).

The second best part of this book is Stankovic’s honesty. She does not try to sugar coat the side effects of doing any of the steps incorrectly, but she also makes it clear that some variations can be used. She mentions some specific brands of paint, but she’s also transparent about the fact that she is not sponsored or reimbursed by any such companies. I can tell that she truly just wants to help budding painters, a trait which I admire in guides to crafts and which also makes me feel as though I’ve found a kindred spirit in the writer.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that this book can make you a master painter in one session. In fact, one painting might not be completed in one day. Stankovic makes it clear that each step can take time depending on how much drying the paper needs to do in between and that some steps might even require repetition in order to get it right. You might need to just practice certain techniques before you can do it to your own satisfaction. This process takes time and patience, two things which can’t be taught. However, Stankovic makes the instructions as clear and easy to follow as possible, so even novice painters can give it a try to some level of success.

At 109 pages, this book is deceptively short. Nevertheless, I suggest taking Stankovic’s advice on how to read the book: read it through all the way a couple times and then keep it near you so you can refer to it while painting. This method might seem repetitive and tedious, but at least you’ll absorb more of the information and come at your first painting attempt with a better understanding of what you need to do.

The accompanying photographs are beautiful and useful, although I wish the sizes were adjust in the eBook copy. Admittedly, I was reading this book on the Kindle app on my phone, so that most likely distorted and shrunk the images unnecessarily. They might not be that way on other electronic readers, so I wouldn’t use that issue as a deal-breaker in your decision about this book.

Another very minor improvement that could be made would be the addition of a glossary. While I could go back to previous chapters for some terms, I came across painting terms often enough that would have rather turned to a glossary where all the terminology was listed. It would just be easier, and if people still couldn’t make things connect for them mentally after reading the glossary, then they could turn to the necessary chapter for further explanation.

Overall, Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor by Lela Stankovic is enlightning, easy to follow, and a great place for any beginner watercolor artist to start–or even a great place for experienced artists looking for a refresher or a new perspective on their art.The writing is great and flows by fairly quickly, but don’t rush through this book. You won’t be able to do your own watercolor illustrations for the cover of your next book after just one read-through, but you’ll be ready to begin your journey to becoming a painter, whether by profession or by hobby.

I would also like to say that I think all writers should pick up some other form of art, whether it be sculpting, drawing, or watercolors. We can learn so much from the patience and attention to detail needed for those art forms, but that’s a subject for another day. Until then, you should check out Lela Stankovic’s book for a step-by-step guide to an entertaining and beautiful activity.

You can buy Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor by Lela Stankovic as an eBook on Amazon. Also make sure to check out Stankovic’s website and Facebook page for more information on her and her art.

Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and tell me about it!

Greetings, fellow creatures who never sleep! I’m here with another book review, this time a Book based in an amalgamation of various mythologies the likes of which I’ve never read before. Of course, as is the case with many such amazing books, this one is mostly based in Greek mythology as a way to tie together several mythologies from around the world. The book reviewed in this post is Hubris (The Siren Tragedies Book 1) by Sarah V. Hines.

Mnemosyne created humanity. It was a science project for her, really, that grew into so much more. She had their best interests at heart, even to the point of choosing her husband based on his intentions–or lack thereof–with humans. Unfortunately, it was the wrong choice for Mnemosyne, one which left her and her daughters in an endless cycle of physical and psychological abuse. When pregnant with her final daughter, Mnemosyne is at her wife’s end. What if this child got the worst of her husband’s abuse? What if she couldn’t survive it? The best which Mnemosyne can do for her is to turn to Zherneboh–her husband’s brother with ages-long infatuation with her, for one last desperate attempt at protection.

Fast-forward to the present day. Earth is in chaos from all the pacts which humans have entered with the Dark One and his minions, the Dark Lords. Alexandros, in charge of the Light World, Earth, and all who inhabit both, plans to cleanse the human race and start anew. Yet he has gained a powerful enemy: Telese, his youngest and most rebellious daughter. She wants to save the human race and gain her own freedom from her father’s abuse, and she’s desperate enough to do whatever will take to accomplish these goals–and foolish enough to involve humans and Dark Lords. Will her plan succeed? Will she suffer more than ever at her father’s hand after he quashes the rebellion? Or, like fire, will she rise from the burning embers of her pain more powerful than before?

Hines has created a complex and layered world of magic and mythology which admittedly envy some. She has taken tidbits from mythology and legends from multiple parts of the world and created one comprehensive universe in which these all have a foundation which is based not in the human mind but in something very real and very threatening to human existence. From Greek mythology to Arthurian legends, Hines at least makes nods to several major European tales. I admire her ability to find the similarities among these cultures and use them to reverse-energy an imagined source to use in her fantastical world.

Of course, all of this dazzling world development did leave me a little dizzy at points. I found myself distracted for most of the book trying to make sense of the origin story used in this novel–and if, in fact, the one told by Telese is all the truth, especially when compared to the prologue. I also grew distracted by trying to figure out who might be who in different mythologies which I have a basic understanding of, but that might more be my own wandering mind looking for patterns as it always does rather than any flaw in the book’s part.

The characters, I think, are my favorite part of this book. I especially have an affinity for Telese and Eric, as well as a twisted and amused fascination with Mortimer. Telese is so powerful and independent, how could I not love her? She’s a bit antisocial, but I’m sure anyone would be if they endured what she has to. Similarly, Eric is withdrawn and bookish, a linguist major with a master for translation. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t automatically bind with him over him being a linguist. I saw so much of myself in his fascinations and pursuits that a bond was inevitable. Mortimer,on the other hand, is cocky, arrogant, and very self-assured. I would have smacked him given how he was in the beginning, but by the end he fleshes out into an almost sympathetic character–as much as a butt-kissing troublemaker can be–and I grew to kind of like the SOB. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, but I have a little affection for him.

The plot is also strong and intriguing. It wasn’t the main appeal of the book for me, but it certainly caught my attention and made me think. What if you had the fate of the world in your hands but also risk your own life in doing so? Would you walk away or do what you’re asked? I also wanted to see who would join Telese and who would side with Alexandria out of fear…not to mention who would live and who would die. There might be such a thing as a bloodless coup in politics, but not among family members, and this is the biggest family you will ever see.

I think that my classes in comparative literature gave me an edge in reading this book which others would not have, allowing me to relish in some references that might go over another reader’s head. Then again, I might just be underestimating the audience! Yes, some of the references will initially go over some readers’ heads, but Hines resolves most issues involving that as the book goes on. Whatever she doesn’t clear up, well, there’s always Google for that.

I was able to predict one character’s downfall early on, but it was the mechanics of the situation which I did not know, nor did I know exactly how it would affect the other characters. Needless to say, there are no damsels-in-distress here, and not one of them will stay extinguished for long.

Overall, I think Hubris by Sarah V. Hines is a great book. Anyone interested in mythology and diverse cultures will definitely not want to miss this story. Not only does she try and cover several mythologies, Hines also depicts several races and ethnicities through the Sirens, who reflect that people of whatever region they are assigned to. The reveal of much of the information about this world is a bit jumbled, but that accurately reflects the state of chaos the Earth is in this book. I highly recommend this book to fantasy fans, mythology fans, and anyone interested in not-so-subtle political and social commentary. I can’t wait to see where Telese’s hubris takes us next!

You can buy Hubris by Sarah V. Hines on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

Final review for the night! I’m covering another historical novel in this review, but this time, the book is about an Irish immigrant coming to America in the 1840s. This book is called Billy Gogan, American: A Novel by Roger Higgins.

Billy Gogan, only 15 years old, is sent to his cousin Seamas’s home after the death of his father and being dismissed from St. Patrick’s College in Ireland. While he is soon tracked down by Father O’Muirhily, one of his teachers from St. Patrick’s College, Billy is not headed back the familiar setting of the school. Instead, Seamas gives him a ticket for the Maryann, a ship headed to New York City. With no other family and nowhere to go, Billy has no choice but to make his way to the promising shores of America and new start where no one knows of him or his father.

Unfortunately for Billy, this fresh start brings him even more baggage than what he had in Ireland. From witnessing the murder of Father O’Muirhily by a man in black to befriending a fellow passenger of the Maryann and falling in love with a mulatto girl, Billy’s voyage to and arrival in the Great Melting Part is filled with adventure, scandal, voter fraud, love, and mystery. While wrapped up in the new life he is trying to build for himself, Billy does not realize that the man in black who killed Father O’Muirhily is hot on his trail. What does the man in black want? Why did he kill Father O’Muirhily? And exactly how much trouble will Billy get himself into in the slum that is Five Points?

The most fascinating part of this novel, I think, is the narrative voice and structure. Higgins could have easily fooled me into believing that it was a true memoir. With a forward by Niall Gogan, the grandson of Billy Gogan, and authentic-sounding nineteenth-century narration, Higgins went to great lengths to give the reader an immersive reading experience. Perhaps the most impressive feat, in my opinion, is Higgins’s use of truly Irish names. Of course, being British by birth himself, I suppose that Higgins should know better than to use Anglicized versions of Irish names unless the Irish characters are trying to seem less British, such as Billy’s second cousin Evelyn. Readers will probably stumble over the Irish names, but they enhance the authentic feel of the narrative established by the use of Irish colloquialisms (including swearing and ethnic slurs).

On a similar note, there is some language here that might not be considered politically correct today. In fact, the descendant of Billy Gogan says as much in the forward and argues not removing them because it would change the context of these situations. Really, the slurs aren’t too glaring, but some readers might still want to keep this in mind while they are going through this book.

Higgins’s research is truly impeccable. As a bit of a history nerd myself, I was impressed by how well he captured the Irish immigrant’s experience in the 1800s. The good, the bad, the very bad, all presented in a way in which the reader could empathize with Billy. He shows the deplorable condition of the slums which Irish immigrants and ex-slaves had to call home, as well as the divisive social hierarchy. However, Higgins ensures that there are enough positive points to keep the negatives palatable. In America, Billy completes his education, gets work, falls in love, and reunites with Mary Skidder, a fellow passenger of the Maryann, and forms a brother-sister bond with her. Unfortunately for poor Billy—and sensitive readers—the darkness might just overtake the bright points in his life.

Even as Billy does some questionable things, I couldn’t help but to feel for him and want everything to turn out all right for him. I even found it hard to fault him for something as serious as beaning another boy in the head during a game of cricket (the kid had it coming, if you ask me). I still wanted life to work out for Billy. Higgins doesn’t exactly give me that pleasure, but as this is only book one and he clearly ends up with a family eventually, I suppose I just have to be patient and read the next book.

While Billy’s experiences as an immigrant are a huge focal point for the book, much of the narrative centers on mystery and crime. From the man in black following him to the political corruption of Tammany Hall, the reader is never short on intrigue and tension. I even have to wonder about his father’s “death.” Billy had not been allowed to see him in jail for quite some time, and then his father dies of some illness just weeks before the Great Liberator is pardoned? And then an unknown man tells the Headmaster of St. Patrick’s College of Billy’s father’s death before disappearing? It’s all very suspect, and I deeply hope that Higgins returns to it in book two.

I noticed maybe one or two proofreading errors in the almost 400-page novel which could not be accounted for by the use of the Irish language. However, they are so minor and infrequent that they do not detract from the reading experience and are pretty much negligible.

Overall, I loved Billy Gogan by Roger Higgins. I’m simply floored by the depth of Higgins’s research and his ability to capture the speech and spirit of the Irish immigrant. If you aren’t a history nerd like I am, you might find this book a little tedious, although the mystery element could still be enough to pull you in. If you are a history nerd, I doubt I need to sell you on this book any further. Just get ready for a big time commitment. The book is long and not all of writing is easily acceptable to the average American reader. You’ll probably make good use of the glossary provided at the beginning as there’s naturally a lot of Irish slang used, but this book is worth the extra effort. Besides, it’s not every day that you get to learn a little Irish slang! I personally can’t wait to see where Billy’s story takes us next. Based on the sneak peek at the back of the book, it looks like we’re heading for the Mexican-American War!

You can buy Billy Gogan by Roger Higgins as an eBook and in print on Amazon.

Do you know of a book I should read?  E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!