Tag: period piece

The Nothing Brothers by Jeff Rosen Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A young man growing up in the 70s navigates the world around him and in turn showcases to readers how the generational failure of that era connects to the world we live in today in author Jeff Rosen’s coming-of-age story, “The Nothing Brothers”.

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The Synopsis

Land with the solid thud of a body dropped onto a beanbag chair, back in the 1970s where everything and nothing happened all at once.

Wedged between the aspirations of the 1960s and the cynicism of the 1980s, Jensen Coaxials pounding until they blow, Leo Kraft and his fellow Nothing Brothers stagger around suburban NY in search of something. Simultaneously over-parented and invisible, Leo finds inspiration first in heavy metal, then in his Grandfather’s Bronx-fleeing generation and a former hippy sleepover camp, where he feels seen for the first time. We experience the 1970s through the bleary eyes of teens who wait for album releases, attend stadium shows, sit in gas lines, fight with tribal ferocity over music loyalty and generally ridicule and mock everything around them, until they are left with only one thing to mock: themselves.

In The Nothing Brothers, Jeff Rosen recreates a gripping real-time depiction of growing up and through the 1970s, transcending the bell-bottom centered nostalgic treatment of this lost decade. Rosen’s return to the 70s gives the reader a glimpse into the connection between that generational failure and the world we live in today.

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The Review

This was such a unique and memorable read. The author found such a great balance between nostalgia and self-reflection through these characters and their journey. The way the author was able to tap into the vibes and atmosphere of the era and this generation of teens during a tumultuous time in American history was remarkable to see come to life on the page, and the tension that life builds up around the cast of characters is a great reflection of life during this era in particular.

The heart of the narrative lived within the character arcs that the story found. As a coming-of-age story, the narrative honed in on the group mentality of the teens as they faced the hardships and struggles of the era while also allowing the reader to feel connected to the protagonist and his journey. The author also does a remarkable job of showcasing the pitfalls of ignoring the larger issues around us when we don’t see the value or impact it has on our own lives in the here and now, and how the rebellious nature of the early rock and metal scene led the wave of conflict within many a household during that time period.

The Verdict

Richly dynamic, captivating, and thoroughly engaging, author Jeff Rosen’s “The Nothing Brothers” is a must-read coming-of-age story that perfectly captures teen life in the 1970s. The attention to detail the author paid to the era and the powerful imagery the author’s writing conjured up allowed the reader to feel connected to this story, in much the same way the nostalgia side of Stranger Things connects audiences to the 80s. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Always the Ice Cream Man, Jeff has worked as a CFO in philanthropy and now teaches Impact Investing. Jeff is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where he crossed campus to serve as the editor of the literary magazine, Praxis. In high school, he drew many a rainbow on many a desk, paying homage to Blackmore’s Rainbow.

Jeff started the Nothing Brothers in 1982, finished it in 1987 and refinished it in 2022.  At this pace he expects to release his next book in 2061.

He lives in Northampton MA, with his wife, three children and their forever puppy, Ginger. And just because he is not busy enough, he also runs a traditional Tai Chi school.

https://www.nothingbrothers.com/

https://twitter.com/NothingBroth70s

Thickwood by Gayle M. Smith Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A former player for the All-American Girls Baseball League finds herself facing a new battle as she works to save the land her family held and the horses that live within it in author Gayle M. Smith’s “Thickwood”. 

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The Synopsis

Raised on a ranch in Saskatchewan’s rugged Thickwood Hills, where the prairie transitions to the forest, Willomena Swift, home from playing for the Rockford Peaches of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, finds a precious foal killed by a rogue stallion.

The stallion’s owner, once Willo’s baseball coach, now chairs the committee heading up the new cooperative pasture—a pasture that is set to swallow her family lease, where she grew up, learned to love and understand horses and dreamed of returning to raise them.

Facing numerous challenges with both the stallion and his owner, Willo remembers her past years playing professional baseball as she struggles to realize her dreams in the present.

Amid romance and tragedy, Willo must find a way to stand on her own and assert her rightful place in her beloved Thickwood.

The Review

This was a truly engaging and richly developed period drama meets genre fiction read. The author expertly wove a special story of facing adversity head-on and overcoming the tragedies we are hit with in life in an effort to move forward, pursue our dreams and maybe even find love. The atmosphere and tone helped elevate the novel’s deep-seated themes and powerful character development, and the rich setting of the late 1940s, early 1950s era middle America kept me invested in these characters with some fantastic history.

Yet as I mentioned before, the character growth and themes that this novel explored really made it something special. The ways in which the protagonist not only grew into the role of the independent and secure land owner but also used this growth to highlight the themes of empowerment, the struggle through adversity, and the will to find our passions in life, made this novel such a stunning work of art. The history and culture of middle America during this period of time were so rich to see come to life on the page, as it highlighted the struggle many independent women had as our nation came out of the war and women were found to be running the lives that these men had left behind during the war. 

The Verdict

Captivating, thought-provoking, and entertaining, author Gayle M. Smith’s “Thickwood” is a must-read genre fiction novel. The period piece does an excellent job of showcasing both sides of Willo’s life, from her past as a star player to her desire to run her family’s livelihood and care for the horses that brought her so much joy as a child. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Gayle M. Smith, author of Thickwood, grew up in Alberta. She distinctly remembers her family life on a mixed subsistence farm in central Alberta where, as a young child, she developed a love for animals, especially horses, and a love for reading and writing illustrated stories.In 1989, Gayle married a Saskatchewan farmer and settled into rural life to raise three children, numerous crops, purebred and commercial cattle, and horses. Gayle and her husband used the local PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration) Federal pasture program for their commercial cattle. They also used their horses to gather and trail their cattle to various home pastures. Gayle was accepted into the 2011 Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Mentorship program, where she drafted her first novel. Gayle has also been a member of a writer’s group for over ten years. In 2015, Gayle graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Master of Fine Arts in Writing.Yearly wilderness pack trips in Northern Saskatchewan with her horses inspire her writing. She also rides in the mountains, competes in numerous equestrian events, and owns and operates a horse boarding facility. Gayle’s love of the environment, history, and adventure shines in her writing. She daily interacts with her beloved partner, her family, her horses, and her rural home, while contemplating and exploring through her writing the struggle and dilemma of being human.

https://gaylesmith.wordpress.com/

Lucky Ride by Terry Tierney

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A man looking for a fresh start after his wife’s affair finds himself on a wild ride of discovery across America during the Vietnam War era in author Terry Tierney’s “Lucky Ride”.

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The Synopsis

Set in the Vietnam era, Lucky Ride tells the story of a recent veteran, an unraveling marriage, and a hitchhiking trip steeped in hippie optimism, post-war skepticism, and drug-induced fantasy.  

When his friend Rick shows up in Binghamton, New York, with an interstate weed delivery, Flash jumps at the chance to escape his wife Ronnie’s affair with her middle-aged boss. Joining Rick on a speed-fueled drive to Fort Worth, Flash dodges a highway stalker and recalls his military service on Adak, a desolate cold war outpost where Seabees bravely defended their country with marijuana and LSD. Hitchhiking west from Fort Worth, Flash confronts Texas Rangers, amorous witches, armed felons, and good Samaritans, all offering advice and misdirection. But his dreams of starting fresh in California recede like a spent wave, his money gone and no chance of a job. Ronnie offers reconciliation and Flash must decide how much he still trusts the seductive pull of the irresistible campus radical he married before the draft descended on their lives.

The Review

The author did a truly wonderful job of capturing the uncertainty and chaos of the Vietnam War era in the United States of America. The drug culture and the impact the war had on veterans, in particular, were looked at extensively, and the very natural pacing of the novel’s events was perfectly timed, not feeling too rushed or overextended in its delivery. 

The novel itself was definitely very character-driven. The protagonist in particular represented the confusion and soul-searching that so many people undertook in that era. The age of hitchhiking and travel along America’s highways showed both the main character’s experiences and emotional development throughout the narrative but highlighted how the highways themselves almost became characters in the story, the settings so vital and so detailed that readers could almost feel the atmosphere the author was developing throughout the narrative.

The Verdict

Personal, heartfelt, and entertaining, author Terry Tierney’s “Lucky Ride” is a brilliant and captivating read. The exploration of self-discovery, relationships, and the impact of war on those vets and their loved ones in the wake of the Vietnam War was an inspired road to explore in this novel and gave readers a protagonist and narrative to really sink their teeth into and feel compelled forward into the author’s world he developed. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Terry was born in South Dakota and raised in Minneapolis and Cleveland. After serving in the Seabees, he received a BA and MA in English from Binghamton University and a PhD in Victorian Literature from Emory University. He taught college composition and creative writing, and he later survived several Silicon Valley startups as a software engineering manager. His stories and poems have appeared in over forty literary magazines, and his novel Lucky Ride, an irreverent Vietnam era road novel, will be published by Unsolicited Press in 2022. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, a Librarian from the University of California, their son, and their goofy Golden Retriever. Terry’s website is http://terrytierney.com.

Purchase Links

https://www.unsolicitedpress.com/store/p285/luckyride.html

https://bookshop.org/books/lucky-ride-9781950730933

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lucky-ride-terry-tierney/1139820900

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1122846

Social Media Links

https://twitter.com/TerryTierney14

https://www.facebook.com/poetsgarage/

The Blues Don’t Care (Bobby Saxon Book 1) by Paul D. Marks Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The only white member of an all-Black swing band must help clear one of his band member’s names after they are falsely accused of murder during WWII in Los Angeles, at a time when prejudice and racism are at an all-time high in the nation, at author Paul D. Marks’s “The Blues Don’t Care”.

The Synopsis

Bobby Saxon lives in a world that isn’t quite ready for him. He’s the only white musician in an otherwise all-black swing band at the famous Club Alabam in Los Angeles during World War II—and that isn’t the only unique thing about him…

And if that isn’t enough to deal with, in order to get a permanent gig with the band, Bobby must first solve a murder that one of the band members is falsely accused of in that racially prejudiced society.

The Review

This was a remarkable and captivating read. The author does an excellent job of finding the pulse of the era that this narrative takes place in. Having loved noir films and projects for years, especially 40’s era stories such as L.A. Noire, the author’s writing allowed for this setting to really come to life, both the good and the bad. The glamour and heart-pounding adrenaline of the music scene and the style of the times naturally clashed with the societal issues that many faced, and the author wove through these clashes with ease and grace that allowed the story to flow smoothly.

The balance the author found in giving the mystery behind this murder investigation the space it needed to grow and shed its layers at its own pace with the heartfelt development of the protagonist made this a compelling novel. The themes of racism, sexism, and identity all played crucial roles in the narrative and gave Bobby a unique journey to explore the nuanced worlds of those dividing lines and the era perfectly. The shocking investigation and the suspects that line up are just as powerful as the motivation behind the death, and add the tension one needs in a great suspense novel such as this.

The Verdict

Memorable, iconic, and entertaining, author Paul D. Marks’s “The Blues Don’t Care” is a remarkable mystery noir period piece thriller and a great start to the Bobby Saxon series. The twists and turns in the narrative and the chilling nature of the crime are a great backdrop for the more personal and intimate character development and themes that reflect our own society today. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Paul D. Marks is the author of award-winning Mystery-Thrillers about imperfect or flawed people trying to do the right thing in a corrupt and unjust world.

Paul’s latest book, The Blues Don’t Care, drops on 6/1/20. NY Times Best-Selling Author Brendan DuBois says this of Blues: “Award-winning author Paul D. Marks hits it out of the park with this finely-written novel bringing WWII-era L.A. alive with memorable characters, scents, descriptions, and most of all, jazz. Highly recommended.”

He is the author of the Shamus Award-Winning mystery-thriller White Heat. Publishers Weekly calls White Heat a “taut crime yarn.” Betty Webb of Mystery Scene Magazine calls its sequel Broken Windows “Extraordinary”. Though thrillers and set in the 1990s, both novels deal with issues that are hot and relevant today: racism and immigration, respectively. Marks says “Broken Windows holds up a prism from which we can view the events burning up today’s headlines, like the passionate immigration debate, through the lens of the recent past. It all comes down to the saying we know so well, ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’.”

His short story Ghosts of Bunker Hill was voted #1 in the 2016 Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Poll. His story Windward was selected for the Best American Mystery Stories of 2018 by Louise Penny and Otto Penzler, and won the 2018 Macavity Award for Best Short Story. His story Fade-Out on Bunker Hill, published in Ellery Queen, was voted #2 in the 2020 Ellery Queen Readers Poll. His stories have won or been nominated for multiple awards. He has also been published in Beat to a Pulp, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Switchblade, Hardboiled and more. http://www.PaulDMarks.com

(Subscribe to Paul’s newsletter: http://pauldmarks.com/subscribe-to-my-newsletter/ — and check him out on Facebook: facebook.com/paul.d.marks )

He is co-editor of the multi-award nominated anthology Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea. Two stories from which were chosen for The Best American Mysteries of 2018 and one received a Macavity Award that year.

Though Paul writes about other places, he considers himself an L.A. writer and lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, dogs and cats. He has served on the board of the L.A. chapter of Sisters in Crime and currently serves on the board of the SoCal chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

He also has the distinction, dubious though it might be, of being the last person to have shot a film on the fabled MGM backlot before it bit the dust to make way for condos. According to Steven Bingen, one of the authors of the well-received book MGM: Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot: “That 40 page chronological list I mentioned of films shot at the studio ends with his [Paul D. Marks’] name on it.”

Facebook: If you like Paul’s books, please friend him on Facebook: facebook.com/paul.d.marks