Reviews (Author-wise) - Multiple Authors

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The Language of Love and Other Stories - Nancy Christie - ★★★★

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  AUTHOR:  Nancy Christie GENRE: Short Story Collection PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2025 RATING: 3.9 stars. In a Nutshell: A delightful short story collection focussing on all aspects of love. Yes, “love”, not “romance”! Interesting plots, multiple emotions, steady paced, beautiful endings ranging from sweet to bittersweet. Not corny or mushy as you might assume. Much recommended! I had misjudged this short story collection on initial glance, dismissing it as being cheesy romance tales. ( Very hasty and judgemental of me, I admit. No offence intended to readers of the genre. It is just that I no longer enjoy such stories .) As the cover gave me romance vibes, I almost decided that this is not for me. But then, the title made me pause, bringing to my mind the fabulous "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell – probably the only self-help/inspirational book I've read that I found authentic and practical. I wondered if the "language...
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Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers - Georgina Warren - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Georgina Warren GENRE: Fairy Tale Collection PUBLICATION DATE: April 12, 2023 RATING: 3.9 stars. In a Nutshell: A children’s fairy tale collection with each story having a virtuous stepmother in a major or minor role. Love the intent, and enjoyed most of the stories. A great option for little ones, especially those who have stepmothers, so that they can finally see some positive representation of this vilified category of parents. This short story collection contains twelve fairy tales. Each of the stories is varied in its content. Some have intriguing magical creatures such as ogres and dragons while some others have animals and birds in the main roles. Those with human narrators have either commoners or kings at the helm. Some recite stories of ordinary living while others contain tales of royal adventures. But no matter what, every story has one factor in common: a good stepmother. The preface contains a heartfelt note by the author about how the wicked stepmother trope fro...
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Black Woods, Blue Sky - Eowyn Ivey - ★★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: Eowyn Ivey GENRE: Literary Fiction, Magical Realism PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An poignant literary fiction set in Alaska. Haunting plot, flawed characters, atmospheric writing, intense emotions, slow pace, magical realism. Not a ‘Beauty & the Beast’ retelling as some sources claim. Much recommended but not to those who prefer likeable/perfect characters. Plot Preview: Twenty-six-year-old Birdie is a single mother to six-year-old Emaleen. Her waitressing job in an Alaskan lodge helps them survive, and the lodge owner even allows Birdie to live with Emaleen in one of the cabins. But while Birdie loves her daughter, she still has a reckless side to her that makes her yearn for more wild adventures. When Arthur, a local recluse who barely speaks to anyone, brings Emaleen back to safety when she goes wandering into the woods one day, Birdie finds a new hero, and a new dream. Ignoring the advice of those around her, Birdie decides to ...
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A Council of Dolls - Mona Susan Power - ★★★★.¼

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  AUTHOR:  Mona Susan Power GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: November 5, 2024 RATING:  4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A powerful multi-timeline narrative detailing the horrors faced by the indigenous citizens of the USA. Character-driven, introspective, brutal, slow-paced. Great use of the titular “dolls”. A book to be savoured than to be zoomed through. Recommended! Plot Preview: Sissy ~ a second-grader in 1960s Chicago. Has a volatile mother and a doting father. Loves her Christmas present: a Black Thumbelina doll named Ethel, who always supports Sissy and offers advice during tough times. Lillian ~ a child of the 1930s. Born at a time of turmoil and conflict. Her sister Blanche and her Shirley-Temple-lookalike doll named Mae are her biggest sources of support. When the sisters are forced to go to an “Indian school” run by nuns, Mae turns out to be Lillian’s guiding light during the dark days.  Cora ~  born in the 1900s during the “Indian Wars”. Fa...
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The Many Futures of Maddy Hart - Laura Pearson - ★★★.¾

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  AUTHOR:  Laura Pearson GENRE: Fantasy-Romance PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars.  In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy-romance. Okay lead character, great supporting characters, unique plot, fast tempo, abrupt ending. Good for those who like thought-provoking books. Plot Preview:  Whenever Maddy has *intimate relations*, her mind takes her ten years in the future, not as a watcher but as living in her own future self. Though this lasts only for a few moments, it is enough to show Maddy a glimpse of what future lies ahead for her with her current partner-in-bed. Needless to say, these future visions ensure that she doesn’t sleep around. But when, at age twenty-seven, she meets Oliver, who could be the love of her life, and she sees their future together, she knows for certain that she wants that future. No matter the cost.  The story comes to us in Maddy’s first-person perspective.  PSA: The GR blurb reveals too much.  This i...
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