ALISON MCBAIN
  • News
  • Books
  • Shorts
    • Short Stories
    • Poetry
    • Articles & Essays
    • Toddler Times
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • TV & Radio
    • Podcasts
    • Interviews & Press Releases
    • Past Events
  • About
    • Bio
    • Book Cover Design
    • Awards
    • Random Art
    • Links
    • Privacy Policy

Forsaken by Ruth Boukhari

6/28/2024

 
Picture

Ruth Boukhari's Forsaken is a beautiful collection of poetry that explores both the highs and lows of love. The words sing off the page, taking the reader on a journey from the start of a love affair all the way through the end and out the other side to the healing of one's heart. It's a wonderful and painful journey that many of us have experienced in our lives, and it illuminates a true gift on the writer's part to take the reader on that journey with her.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at Medium. I’d highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy poetry — it’s simply an amazing read.

Arunachal Diaries by Rajat Chakraborty

6/27/2024

 
Picture

​I've never been to India, but I've always been fascinated by the stories told by friends and fellow writers who've grown up there or taken extended visits to different parts of the country. I've devoured narratives about adventurers who travel through the Himalayas, and Arunachal Diaries by Rajat Chakraborty did a wonderful job of taking me on a journey with the author through this beautiful and sometimes harsh landscape.

​For a full review of the book, check it out here on Medium. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy travelogues to places that might be off the beaten path and who also enjoy a personal travel narrative.

A Life in Pieces by D. X. Lewis

6/22/2024

 
Picture

D. X. Lewis's new novella in flash is A Life in Pieces, and it contains twenty-eight stories covering a wide range of styles, from pseudo-fairy tale to gritty realism, from song lyrics to children’s narratives. The changing prose and points-of-view kept me engaged and entertained throughout.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at ScribesMICRO. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy fictional family narratives, as well as readers looking for something a bit off the beaten path and don’t mind some dark twists and turns.

The Man of Cloud 9 by Adam Dreece

5/19/2024

 
Picture
​​
Adam Dreece’s novel The Man of Cloud 9 starts out where few novels do: at the funeral of its protagonist, Niko Rafaelo. However, the real story isn’t about his death, but about his life, how he accomplished what he did, and how he used his greatest scientific work to change the world.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at ScribesMICRO. I’d recommend this book to lovers of near-future sci-fi, cerebral storylines, and political and boardroom intrigue. Highly entertaining!

Grand Tour: The Brass Queen II by Elizabeth Chatsworth

4/30/2024

 
Picture

​Like its predecessor The Brass Queen, the second in the series, Grand Tour, takes off to a humorous start. Author Elizabeth Chatsworth paints a vivid picture of Constance Haltwhistle’s adventures with the dashing and handsome Liberty Trusdale. Part romance, part adventure, and all steampunk, this novel is a madcap romp through England and beyond in the search for family, love, and the truth.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at ScribesMICRO. I’d recommend this book for lovers of steampunk, ballsy British women, and cross-continental adventure romances.

Coliseum by Henry L Sullivan III

3/18/2024

 
Picture

​If you’re looking for a near-future SF story that’s a wild ride, Coliseum by Henry L Sullivan III might be the right one for you. It’s chockful of USA politics and intrigue, backroom deals and billionaires, serial killers and Christian nationalists, racists and revolutionaries. It's an eerie look of what might-have-been in an alternate timeline.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at ScribesMICRO. I’d highly recommend this to readers looking for a bit of escape—not necessarily to a bigger, brighter future, but to a place that seems utterly realistic and pretty damn terrifying.

Ex Marks the Spot by Gregory L. Norris

1/15/2024

 
Picture

​I had the great pleasure of reviewing Gregory L. Norris's novel Ex Marks the Spot. In the story, Oliver Canfield is still grieving losing his first love in a car crash. Even though ten years have passed and he has a wonderful marriage now, Oliver’s never felt closure on this earlier chapter of his life. With a bit of magic, Oliver might just get a chance for a do-over to see how things might have been different if his first love had never died.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at ScribesMICRO. I would recommend it to those who like a beautifully told and complicated love story with a bit of a sci-fi premise thrown into the mix. Highly recommend!

Wishhobbler by Francis O'Dowd

12/15/2023

 
Picture

​Wishhobbler is fantastical story by Francis O’Dowd set in an alternate world where a young girl named Spin and her family live with Ma, a monstrous creature who keeps them in a constant state of terror. It's a humorous, madcap adventure with frequent illustrations paired with the story, and quite entertaining throughout.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at ScribesMICRO. I would recommend this novel for a YA audience, as well as readers who enjoy YA books, odd stories, and indie graphic novels.

In My Secret Life by Amy Bleu

11/11/2022

 
Picture
Amelia lives a life on the edge in the novel In My Secret Life by Amy Bleu. She's a model who also does adult content, and she's still searching for something that she hasn't yet found — perhaps it is love, perhaps fulfillment, perhaps something she can't quite put a name to. But the search will take her far from her comfort zone and into a dangerous territory, where what she finds is far from what she wants. It's a story filled with intrigue, secrets, love, and lust, and you'll be glued to the page from beginning to end.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at Coffee Time Reviews. I read the book start to finish in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down — I just had to keep turning the page. This is a jaw-dropping ride that you can’t miss, and one that I would highly recommend.

Catastrophe Theory by Rebecca Lowry Warchut

11/2/2022

 
Picture
It was lovely to meet author Rebecca Lowry Warchut in person when we were both in Vermont, and it sparked an intense interest in me about her novel Catastrophe Theory. It's a rollercoaster ride that takes the reader through an adventure with the main character, Vera, a teenager who has cancer and must undergo an emergency surgery down in Florida. But the timing of Vera's surgery coincides with a category 5 hurricane descending on the area, and she has to contend not only with her own personal demons, but a number of family secrets that emerge as her mom and she face the upcoming storm.

For a full review of the book, check it out here at Coffee Time Reviews. This is a book I’d highly recommend, and I'd love to someday see a sequel that takes us back to this fascinating experience and these amazing characters!
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Enter your email address to receive new book reviews via email:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Book Reviews

    I read a lot - depending on my writing schedule, I can usually read about a book a day.  Some of the books are fantastic and I would love to recommend to everyone - some, not so much.  Either way, I thought I would share a few thoughts on what I'm reading at the moment.

    Categories

    All
    Comedy
    Comics
    Creative Nonfiction
    Fantasy
    Historical
    Horror
    LGBTQ+
    Literary
    Mainstream
    Memoir
    Mystery
    Nonfiction
    Poetry
    Romance
    Science Fiction
    Short Stories
    Sports
    Thriller
    YA

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • News
  • Books
  • Shorts
    • Short Stories
    • Poetry
    • Articles & Essays
    • Toddler Times
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • TV & Radio
    • Podcasts
    • Interviews & Press Releases
    • Past Events
  • About
    • Bio
    • Book Cover Design
    • Awards
    • Random Art
    • Links
    • Privacy Policy