Blog Archives
The Moonballers
We’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it and stay out of our space! This is the unofficial slogan of the Torpedo Valley tennis organization created by queer people for queer people. The league president is Stefan Porsche, an ace tennis player who is out and proud of his sexuality and superior tennis ability. When Khalid Adam joins the league, Stefan is immediately threatened. Not only because he is a great player but also because Khalid is straight as a board.
The Moonballers: A Novel about The Invasion of a LGBTQ2+ Tennis League … by Straight People (GAY GASP!) written by Jeffrey Sotto is a unique take on how ridiculous it is to harass someone because of who they are. Turning it upside down and showing Stefan Porsche actively trying to push Khalid out of the tennis organization simply because he is straight forces the reader to think. They must grapple with how unfair such behavior is.
Sotto has delivered this message in such a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek way. He does a great job of balancing every person’s negative and positive traits. Sometimes you will despise some characters, but that’s what makes them so believable. Stefan’s behavior is beyond aggravating and downright criminal. He does have some redeeming qualities that readers will discover as they read through the entire novel.
Sometimes, you need to parody the issue to make people see their hypocrisy. People respond to humor more than anything, and Sotto tapped into this factor to deliver this humorous and charming novel. The Moonballers is a delightful, witty, no-nonsense book that is excellently written and is one read you will not want to put down.
Pages: 290 | ASIN : B09VTFQ42P
Life Lottery: Pandemic Life Stories
Life Lottery: Pandemic Life Stories contains an enthralling collection of stories all told in less than 200 pages. Author Ionel Rusanu takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through life during the pandemic. In the form of short stories, we witness a plethora of different emotions and circumstances that are affecting the characters much as they would everyday people. From drug addiction to cope with pain, financial struggles, and domestic abuse, there is no stone left unturned in this poignant collection of short stories.
This is a well-written collection of stories that does a fantastic job of setting up characters in intriguing circumstances in a short amount of time. With many anthologies we will end up with stories that range in quality, but one thing I like most about Ionel Rusanu’s book is the consistency. Each story skillfully conveys the emotion of the characters, imbuing the story with its own unique feel, and setting up the plot and conclusion succinctly. Readers will be taken on an emotional-rollercoaster as they breeze through these intriguing stories. Some stories are humorous while others are thoughtful, but all have their own message.
The author does a fantastic job examining and displaying all aspects of the human condition. I enjoyed how readers are able to understand the actions of characters, empathizing with them, even when they are the antagonist. You almost sympathized with them to a degree. The first story in the collection is a shining example of this at work. Another thing I enjoyed was the simple writing style. Rusanu conveyed the stories messages beautifully without the use of flowery language or unnecessary metaphors. You got the point of the story immediately but you are not left underwhelmed by the writing. A short story collection such as this deserves a straightforward approach. When you’re asking a reader to think deeply about life’s struggles, you can’t add the weight of deciphering poetry. The subject matter is poetry within itself.
If you are looking for a thought-provoking but quick read, check out Life Lottery: Pandemic Life Stories by Ionel Rusanu. This is an absorbing collection of stories that blends genres and ideas in creative ways and will leave readers pondering well after the stories end.
Pages: 168 | ASIN: B09V37STC3
The Wandering Tribes
Rob Bartlett’s The Wandering Tribes sees a bet between God and the Devil begin to escalate while Milo Sapphire, self-styled itinerant starship captain, champion of God, leader of the vampire families, and most dangerous individual in any room, enacts a plan to rehome a sizeable proportion of the vampire families and begin manipulating the huge Mercantile Empire through a convoluted plan. As the First of the vampire families, maintaining the peace and defending his position from challengers who would usurp him takes up much of Milo’s time, but with the assistance of a few carefully selected friends, Milo is able to pursue his personal goals.
The Wandering Tribes is the third instalment in Bartlett’s War Against infinity series, and it is a wild sci-fi tale which develops amidst one of the more creative settings readers will likely encounter. Featuring spacefaring vampires, philosophic velociraptors, graphic scenes of a violent and sexual nature and lots of discussions focused on the galactic economy all of which are seasoned with a liberal helping of humor and mix better than you might expect.
Milo’s frankness and his schemes make him a likeable character, and his chronic need to have most things explained to him in detail, or explain things to the reader in detail, make him the perfect narrator, as his conversational form ensures the reader is never completely lost in the world. Everything is well written and explained. It’s clear that a lot of thought and care has gone into building the universe in which The Wandering Tribes is set. Everything has a logical consistency which helps the plot flow and allows the reader to follow along with relative ease, even if they are starting with the third instalment in a series rather than at the beginning. Why would you do that? Book one is great, go read it.
The Wandering Tribes is an offbeat science fiction story that comes across as deceptively random. Rob Bartlett’s sharp writing and keen sense of humor comes together to create a relentlessly entertaining story with a fully fleshed out universe that is filled with wacky elements.
Pages: 212 | ISBN: 0939479494
The Mommy Clique
The Mommy Clique is an entertaining and unpredictable novel filled with gossip and betrayal that will keep readers on their toes. Beth comes back to her hometown after many years to take care of her mother. She is worried about coming back to town, and to make matters worse she is forced to face the mean girl clique of mothers on her street. She soon realizes that she has become the target of these women, and they are looking for some fun. We find out that their ‘perfect’ life in the suburbs is not as great as it looks on the outside.
This is a riveting character driven story and author Barbara Altamirano does a fantastic job of creating believable characters, even when they do some unbelievable things. Each character is different in their own way but they all have one thing in common, they are mean girls and no one can be better than them.
Each chapter in the story is told from a different perspective. This allows the reader to get an intimate look at their thoughts and feelings and truly understand them. Even if readers can’t relate to certain situations they’ll still find that the characters have surprising depth, even when they sometimes seem shallow.
The reader learns that some of the characters in the story are not as happy and perfect as they seem and are putting up a façade. Elise, who is also referred to as the queen bee, is a surprisingly complex character and she is one that I loved to hate. I think that is a testament to the author’s writing ability, as she is able to evoke such strong emotions from the reader. I was also surprised by Beth’s character because, when she is first introduced to the group, she is looked at as weak and as easy prey, but as the story progresses readers learn that she is not at all who we think she is.
This is an engrossing evolution of the high school mean girl story. But when I thought I knew where this story was going the author adds an unexpected twist and once it is revealed you will not be able to put the book down.
The Mommy Clique is a spunky urban drama that will captivate readers as they are drawn into the melodrama, the cattiness, and the backstabbing. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a quick but compelling story.
Pages: 203 | ASIN: B088DJS6TT
Fore Play
Linda Sheehan’s Fore Play is a book that explores the beauty of golf and the intricate lives of those who play it. Set in a fictional Los Angeles sports club called Bellstone, the book’s storyline revolves around three main characters – Jody, Mandy, and Newt. It particularly focuses on the life of Jody – the granddaughter of the club’s founder – Forrest Wheeler.
Traumatized after the death of her grandfather, Jody stops playing golf. But her husband convinces her to try out the sport by joining the Bellstone club. Here, they cross paths with Mandy, Newt, and a host of other characters that significantly affect the couple’s life trajectory.
As Jody gets more involved in golfing and her work as a scientist, she becomes closer and closer to Jackson – a reserved caddy. Moreover, she begins to notice some of her husband’s unpleasant qualities. Ultimately, she, like the reader, comes to realize that all that glitters is not gold.
If there’s one thing that this book does well it’s that it highlights how far some people will go to gain social acceptance and praise. Using the lives of characters like Mandy, the author highlights how important it is for some people to appear rich, beautiful, and successful, regardless of who they hurt to achieve that. On the other hand, characters like Jackson remind us of how society overlooks anyone who seems different, poor, and unwilling to participate in posturing.
Another theme that is deeply explored in this book is the propensity of victims to become oppressors down the road. For instance, Mandy is bullied as a child and grows up to be a bully herself. On the other hand, Father Norm is abused as a child and grows up to manipulate people and the system to do his bidding. Ultimately, their stories parallel so many real-life ones, making them believable and relatable.
The author creates characters that are layered and interesting, making it easy to believe that this book could be inspired by real events. Even the way that the different golf games are described seems so real. It also helps that the book is written in simple language and even includes verses to popular songs that the characters listen to in different scenes.
Fore Play provides a unique and captivating look at life through some intriguing characters. This is a riveting and easy to read sports fiction novel that uses humor to assuage the darker moments of the human drama unfolding in this absorbing story.
Pages: 273 | ASIN: B09WCT3VHV
SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop
SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop by author David R. Low is a collection of four short stories that start in Japan and quickly move to Russia. These intriguing stories are very different in structure and style but share themes of obsession, disorder, and finding the so-called ‘Russian Soul’ through dark satire that isn’t afraid to descend into the bizarre. Low’s Russia is a chaotic society where culture has been consumed by a never-ending stream of filthy, overcrowded bars and a juvenile obsession with violence, drinking, and sex.
Whether it’s the ridiculous “Waiting for Deacon,” in which two Americans pointlessly pretend to be Australian, or the disturbing world that’s ruled by “Russia Cop” and an army of apes, the threat of violence is never far from the surface in these stories.
“English Teacher” starts as a traditional short story but soon transforms into a surreal drama in which everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong. Unfortunately, the ending here leaves you with more questions than answers.
The best story of the collection is “Tsoi Lives,” in which a group of acquaintances travels to Russia in search of a one-time rock star. Exploring infatuation and identity, this is an emotionally gripping tale offering profound commentary on culture and obsession.
I found the metaphors commenting on Russia’s hatred of the U.S. to be transparent. That aside, the satire is dark and haunting. The characters are well-drawn and complex, giving readers a variety of personalities to follow. Low’s ability to create realistic dialogue even when the subjects are not is noteworthy.
SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop is a collection of dark and satirical short stories. These inventive stories are incredibly well-written and memorable, and fans of the absurd will find them funny. If you know Russia from the inside, this collection is a must-read.
Pages: 262 | ASIN : B09VGB2TZN
Pigs In Paradise
Pigs in Paradise is in the author’s own words, an absurd portrayal of reality. In author Roger Maxson’s satirical imaginary world, there are talking animals, and these animals are very serious about their religion. From the very beginning of the novel, the reader will find the influence of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a fact that the author acknowledges in the preface. The entire work is an exercise in favor of freedom of expression. The author heavily criticizes the tenets of American evangelicalism, as well as the actions of religious leaders who are deeply embroiled in corruption and politics.
The story begins with the birth of Lizzy, a red calf, who is proclaimed by both Jews and Christians as their Messiah. After a series of incidents the talking animals are brought to America, where their ultimate destination is a Christian farm.
Steeped in political and religious symbolism, the story utilizes the trope of talking animals to depict harsh truths about how religion operates in the modern world. It goes on to pose valid questions about the involvement of politics in religion.
Initially, readers may be intimidated by the length of this thought-provoking novel, however, they will be captivated by the dramatic plotline and the seamless flow of language. The author writes at a good pace, keeping the action moving without being overwhelming. The dialogue is presented in a conversational manner, without any ornamentations or pretensions, allowing the reader to feel as if they are there listening to the character’s interactions.
Pigs in Paradise is a riveting political satire colored with magical realism elements. Readers that enjoy this kind of humor will find this novel entertaining.
Pages: 456 | ASIN : B09HN4VHF8
LITERARY TITAN 