Review: Louisiana Catch by Sweta Vikram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

A grieving daughter and abuse survivor must summon the courage to run a feminist conference, trust a man she meets over the Internet, and escape a catfishing stalker to find her power.
Ahana, a wealthy thirty-three-year-old New Delhi woman, flees the pain of her mother’s death, and her dark past, by accepting a huge project in New Orleans, where she’ll coordinate an annual conference to raise awareness of violence against women. Her half-Indian, half-Irish colleague and public relations guru, Rohan Brady, who helps Ahana develop her online presence, offends her prim sensibilities with his raunchy humor. She is convinced that he’s a womanizer.

Meanwhile, she seeks relief from her pain in an online support group, where she makes a good friend: the mercurial Jay Dubois, who is also grieving the loss of his mother. Louisiana Catch is an emotionally immersive novel about identity, shame, and who we project ourselves to be in the world. It’s a book about Ahana’s unreliable instincts and her ongoing battle to determine whom to place her trust in as she, Rohan, and Jay shed layers of their identities.

“Louisiana Catch is a triumph. In Ahana, Sweta Vikram has created an unforgettable character, strong, wise, and deeply human, who’ll inspire a new generation struggling to come to terms with their identity in a world of blurring identities.” –KARAN BAJAJ, New York Times bestselling author, The Yoga of Max’s Discontent

“In Louisiana Catch, Sweta Vikram brings life to the complex human rights issue of violence against women. Through one woman’s journey to make sense of her past and ultimately heal, Vikram shows us that yoga can reconnect us to ourselves, and that by empowering others, we transform our own lives.” –ZOE LEPAGE, Founder, Exhale to Inhale

“Louisiana Catch perfectly captures what it means to be human in a digital world, where support groups meet online, love interests flirt on Twitter, and people get confused with personas. Equal parts tender and playful, moving and hopeful, Vikram’s prose connects us with timeless truths about grief and redemption in a satisfyingly modern way.” –STEPHANIE PATERIK, Managing Editor, Adweek

Learn more at http://www.SwetaVikram.com
From Modern History Press, http://www.ModernHistoryPress.com

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Louisiana Catch by Sweta Vikram is like a drug. It pulls you into its depth and hooks you inside of its journey. This was one epic path that the writer lead me on…I was intrigued. A woman, Ahana, finds herself in one of the most complicated and dangerous situations a woman should never be found in, yet Ahana does. She lost her mother and she soon becomes a victim to her husband’s brutal sexual torment.

Rape is ongoing issue women worldwide still face. This issue should be solved yet so many fall victim. Some never survive that form of destruction, both physically and emotionally. I found myself crying for Ahana. Her losses are so great and many. People she should be able to trust turn out to be the worst. I felt the fear, the risks, and the danger as the plot carries me from beginning to end. Ahana is a strong female protagonist. She may loose her way occasionally but eventually finds it. No one is perfect. Life is messy.

Sweta Vikram captures my attention with the devasting events and the suspense of what will come from it. I felt sympathy and a connection instantly to Ahana. I really liked her. Her colleague, Rohan, is another great character. He was there helping her. Or trying to help her when she was in a bad situation. From the beginning to end of her journey, Rohan supports Ahana. Ahana at times made me want to shake her, for her carelessness but she has grown into a wonderful woman at the end of her journey. This is one unforgettable character that will forever live in the minds of readers like me and countless others. There are so many things that drag readers into Ayana’s sad yet powerful story. Overall, I would recommend this novel to all women including those who have been abused. It shows that even though the world is a dark place, there too, is a light that will eventually shine bright.

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Review: The Night Trilogy

Synopsis:

Night is one of the masterpieces of Holocaust literature. First published in 1958, it is the autobiographical account of an adolescent boy and his father in Auschwitz. Elie Wiesel writes of their battle for survival and of his battle with God for a way to understand the wanton cruelty he witnesses each day. In the short novel Dawn (1960), a young man who has survived World War II and settled in Palestine joins a Jewish underground movement and is commanded to execute a British officer who has been taken hostage. In Day (previously titled The Accident, 1961), Wiesel questions the limits of conscience: Can Holocaust survivors forge a new life despite their memories? Wiesel’s trilogy offers insights on mankind’s attraction to violence and on the temptation of self-destruction.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

The Night Trilogy by Elle Wiesel is a gruesome account of the suffering he and his family faced during World War II. A time of Death, loss, and torment. This was one of history’s nightmarish memories that will never be forgotten. The Nazis were cruel dictators killing innocent human beings without a hesitation. The page in this book showed it all. 
Young Elle Wiesel experienced what no other teenage boy should have faced. He and his family were just one of countless numbers herded onto cattle cars. Usuhered to their death. The showers of death, the endless starvation, beatings, and cruelty killed so many humans. Humans who didn’t know what lied ahead. 
As I read this book, it brought me back to something I wish I never knew about. Something that should never have happened. But it did. A memory that no being can wash away. The smoke from the screaming dying corpses in the “shower rooms” and the endless fears were terrorfying to revisit. It survivors like the writer who show the world what happened and may happen again. 
The Night Trilogy is memoir that will always be remembered. Survival, loss, death, and much more. Terrible days that never end. Even with so much time having passed. It is a gripping and well-written book. I recommend this Holocaust story to readers worldwide. 

Review: The Bad Luck Bride

Synopsis:

All were shocked at the announcement of the “cursed” Lady Claire Cavensham to Lord Alexander Hallworth, the Marquess of Pembrooke, especially since she is already engaged to another unfortunate Lord. Perhaps she will make it to the altar this time with one of these fine gentlemen! Could her run of bad luck finally be at an end? It’s highly doubtful in this writer’s humble opinion. —Midnight Cryer
No one is left breathless at the imperious pronouncement of her engagement to Lord Pembrooke more than Claire. She hardly knows the dangerously outrageous man! But after three engagements gone awry and a fourth going up in glorious flames, she isn’t in a position to refuse…especially once she realizes that Lord Pembrooke makes her want to believe she’s not a bad luck bride anymore…
Alexander requires the hand of his enemy’s fiancée in marriage in order to complete his plans for revenge. It’s his good fortune that the “cursed” woman is desperate. However, what begins as a sham turns into something scandalously deeper. The beguiling lady has no business laying claim to his heart. But as a mission of revenge turns into fiery passion, Alexander wants nothing more than to break Claire’s curse…and lead them both to their hearts’ desire.
“The Bad Luck Bride is a stroke of good luck for readers—the intricate plot, arresting characters,and rich emotional resonance will leave you swooning.”—New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries

The Bad Luck Bride is the first in a new Regency romance series from Janna MacGregor!

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

The Bad Luck Bride by Janna MacGregor is a fascinating historical. Immediately readers are drawn deep into the tale. It lured me further by pure curiosity. The suspense of one charcater’s plan…and what will actually come of it got me excited. The Bad Luck Bride is about one man getting back at another by using his enemy’s fiancé. But little will both the bride and husband to be know that real love will play into the equation. I found it hilarious, enticing, and ful, of drama. Th action was never disappointing. Janna MacGregor has a flare for writinga romance that beckons and captivates readers whole. My heart was with the charcaters as their troubles unfolded. Society has a way of drawing the characters out…and pulling them closer than they thought they would ever be. Revenge is not to be toyed with…emotions ran strong within the book. I was highly entertained. Both Alexander and Claire are characters that readers like myself will always remember. Overall, I highly recommend this well-written plot to all. 

Review: Human Acts by Han Kang

Synopsis:

From the internationally bestselling author of The Vegetarian, a rare and astonishing (The Observer) portrait of political unrest and the universal struggle for justice.

In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed.

The story of this tragic episode unfolds in a sequence of interconnected chapters as the victims and the bereaved encounter suppression, denial, and the echoing agony of the massacre. From Dong-ho’s best friend who meets his own fateful end; to an editor struggling against censorship; to a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories; and to Dong-ho’s own grief-stricken mother; and through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope is the tale of a brutalized people in search of a voice.
An award-winning, controversial bestseller, Human Acts is a timeless, pointillist portrait of an historic event with reverberations still being felt today, by turns tracing the harsh reality of oppression and the resounding, extraordinary poetry of humanity. 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Human Acts by Han Kang is dark, haunting, and powerfully told. I haven’t read Han Kane’s previous work, but will definitely do so now. Her writing captured my attention immediately. The power of authoritarian rule and the suppression of its people…is not something anyone will ever forget. Especially the dead…

Bodies are building up…the numbers of dead are rising. Sadness broken out everywhere. Human Acts has caught a realistic event in South Korea. An uprising, a massacre, an a tragic situation overall. Violence hangs over the people like a heavy stone. Suffocating them little by little. Anger, censorship, and death. Families losing loved ones…the whole book was like a nightmare unfolding before my eyes. The pain, suffering, and emotions were terrifying. Like revisiting the Holocaust era all over again but more horrifying. 

Overall, Human Acts is well-told. The journey inside will never be forgotten. Han Kang’s characters have left their imprint…the terror was gruesome but entertaining to read. Definitely a page turner. I recommend it to readers worldwide. 

Review: Teenage Degenerate

Synopsis:

In 1996, Scott was nineteen and lost in adulthood with an endless job and no future ambitions. Teenage Degenerate is his story about drug addiction, music and growing up. Over the course of ten months, he quickly descends into the dark and dangerous world of crystal methamphetamine.
Scott experiments with crystal meth in a dark, deserted parking lot in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado and soon after his crew of misfits will do almost anything for their next high. One by one, family and friends disappear, and he is left alone with a decision to continue fighting or give up. This is his struggle to reclaim a normal life and the search for something real.
Teenage Degenerate is a brutally truthful, humorous and heartbreaking journey that explores the depths of addiction. 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Teenage Degenerate by S. C. Sterling is a powerful tale about falling into addiction and getting out of it. This nonfiction book, took me deeply into the writer’s journey from the moment he got hooked until the ending. Raw, emotional, and well-told. I felt the emotions grab me with every page. Addiction is a frightening place to find oneself and then to get to a place where there’s only two roads – fall deeper or climb out. Teenage Degenerate is about drugs and it’s dark to read. But I highly recommend it to readers everywhere. Whether one has been there or knows someone who was or is going through this, it’s like getting inside the person’s head. I was able to feel and see everything that the writer felt and saw. The writer’s thinking and choices along the way…overall, this is a definite book to read. 

Review: Still in Love With You

Synopsis:

Feisty businesswoman Aubree Manning knew coming back to Prospect, Texas would land her in the middle of drama. Her ex-boyfriend-turned-sheriff, Parker Montgomery, never forgave her for dumping his Camaro into the pond before she left town. Determined to make her pay, Parker arrests her the moment she enters town, but she manages to smooth talk her way out of trouble. However, it soon becomes difficult to suppress her lingering feelings for Parker when she starts spending more and more time with him. 

Parker suffers in silence with anxiety and nightmares due to his dark past. After serving in the army for nearly eight years, he came back to Prospect to start anew. Though he never quite got over Aubree bailing on him the moment she turned eighteen, it seemed so easy picking up where they left off. The past can be forgiven, but the future stands in the balance. She’s only in town for a week and then she’s going to do the very thing she did ten years ago, unless Parker can find some way to convince her to stay.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Still in Love With You by Lexie Davis is a romance that tugged at my heart, made me die with laughter, and had me falling in love. A military man struggling with after war terrors on his own and a woman from his past spinning his life even more out of control. Parker thought he was tough enough to handle life alone, until his old love came back to town. Aubree thought she could come home and not fall madly in love with her old flame, Parker. But spending time with him, has gotten under her skin as well as his. Neither own can deny their attraction. This sweet southern tale, has a lot of bumps but soon finds a smoothness tha works. It’s only time before both explode or completely fall apart. I loved the emotional attachment that came from reading this book. Lexie Davis knew what she was planning when she wrote this novel. I can’t forget the charcaters and their dilemmas as well as their love. Broken hearts being mended and forgiven is the best kind of story. Overall, I highly recommend Still in Love With You to readers worldwide. 

Review: Dead is Dead and Other Stories

Synopsis:

‘Dead is Dead’ is a collection of twenty compelling stories which focus on the complexity of being human. All of the stories have already met with success: broadcast, appearing in magazines or doing well in international competitions.

The title story, Dead is Dead, is set in colonial Africa and is told from the point of view of a little girl. Her father’s gun goes missing and so does one of the servants. Events unfold and end in tragedy, and in the little girl coming to a new understanding.

In ‘This is not Miranda’s story’ a woman observes her neighbour’s wife becoming a mother and, at the same time, sliding into madness. Here’s a small section from it: ‘Tim came round the next Saturday. He brought the big pram with the baby at one end and Hayden at the other. When I asked how Miranda was, he said, “She’s convinced that this little one is a daughter, although it’s obvious he’s not. She calls him Eve.”’ 

‘The Sleeping Handsome’ retells the story of ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ but with a male sleeper and set in modern times.

‘My Beautiful Dad’ is written from the point of view of the son of a man who is becoming a woman. Finally the boy meets the woman his father has become: ‘I push open the door to the café and there is ‘Rosalie; quite beautiful, long blonde hair, long slender legs elegantly crossed. She wears earrings that hang almost to her shoulders, silver bangles on each smooth arm, a short skirt, high-heeled shoes, a lacy blouse buttoned up to her cleavage, the hint of breasts. She holds her hand there, the long fingers fiddling with the top button, wanting to undo it .’ 

Matilda is dealing with writing a philosophical essay on the subject of free will and determinism, it is also her birthday and her mother, with whom she does not get on, is coming to stay, next door there is building work going on and bones are discovered. These are the themes for ‘Matilda, the Determined Woman’.

‘Polly’s Day’ is about the awfulness of war for the families whose men have gone to fight. It is set during the Second World War with flashbacks to the first. Here’s a section from one of those flashbacks: ‘Mum was in the kitchen. She was crying like she had been on the way to school, only worse. Gran looked up as Polly came in; her eyes were red and her face all wobbly. But it was Uncle Artie who said it, ‘Your dad’s dead. Killed. In action.’ 

‘When Mum came in from the bedroom, she had pink cream on her face but you could still see the other colours underneath, especially just below one eyebrow where there was a rim of black coming through. Her lips looked sore, too, swollen and bitten and when she yawned, it was almost as if she was trying not to cry. She walked through to the kitchen end of the living room.’ This is the opening to ‘One of Those Days’ a horrific story about a dysfunctional family, a battered wife and mistreated children. 

In ‘Dead Heading the Roses’ the narrator is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy and the request from her neighbour’s son, who has become a paraplegic, for her to help him die. It starts like this: ‘Three years ago, Dylan, who lives next door, slid off the roof. The fall didn’t kill him but now he is unable to walk or talk. He communicates by blinking. One for no, two for yes, several when the right questions aren’t being asked.’ 

And there are plenty more stories, all gripping, all beautifully written and insightful, all of which will leave readers wanting more.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Dead is Dead and Other Stories by Jane Seaford is a brilliant collection of stories. Each story has its own point of view of major issues. Issues readers know and can relate to…I found myself exploring the human nature. Raw, realistic, and complex. Relationships within members of our own family or outside of it..can be messy. Confusion, emotions tugging at war, and the moments that readers will never forget. I don’t know how the writer, Jane Seaford did it, but she captured life in a nutshell on every page of her stories. I was hooked, captivated, and stunned. Her writing style is clear, easy to follow, and powerful. The messages are deep, thought provoking, and will leave readers wondering what next. Dead is Dead and Other Stories is a fascinating anthology of fiction that all must read. Once, I began reading these, there was no stopping…overall, I recommend it to readers everywhere.

Review: I’m Okay You’re a Pain In the Ass

 

Synopsis

Wildly entertaining essays laced with wicked concepts, cheap shots, and a few bright ideas. An absolute feast of funny words without once mentioning vampires or zombies. The perfect blend of madcap rants and true life experiences guaranteed to put a never-ending smile on your face. Actually, a never-ending smile might be cause for alarm. In fact, if your smile lasts longer than four hours, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible. Just the same, this extraordinary slice of life is riotously funny and viciously insightful. This book is almost too good to read, but I suggest reading it anyway. I also suggest telling forty or fifty of your closest friends to read this time; people need to laugh.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I’m Okay You’re a Pain In the Ass…a love story by Dr. J.M. Chamberlain, MPV is a book to behold. Inside readers will find a collection of essays that will surely entertain readers everywhere. Each essay is realistic, funny, and entertaining. Makes life more enjoyable. Plenty of laugh out loud moments to keep readers turning the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to all. Dr. J.M. Chamberlain writes a superb collection for all to enjoy.

 

Review: Uncharted

 

Synopsis:

Welcome to the unknown and unexplored in “Uncharted”, Jennifer Renson’s third book of poetry. Prepare to dive deep into the thoughts and dreams of several lives from a leader struggling to keep his group alive, to a dark horse deserving of a title, a lovesick London man, a water sprite, a man worthy of being called a Prince, and men of liberty.
From tale to photograph be immersed in times almost forgotten as you trek through the uncharted roads ahead of your life.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Uncharted by Jennifer Renson is a short collection of poems that readers everywhere can enjoy. Easy to read. Absolutely an enjoyable array of poems to keep readers lured. Each poem is beautifully written. The words are very descriptive and send you into the images that are portrayed by each sentence. Jennifer Renson is a talented poet whose poetry engulfs readers completely. Swallowing me whole. I felt the raw intensity of the emotions as I read through each page. Uncharted is the third book containing Jennifer Renson’s best poetry. I love reading her work. Overall, I highly recommend Uncharted to readers worldwide.

 

Review: The Bodyguard of Deception

 

Synopsis:

Can the American and British Allies stop a vaunted German spymaster and his U-boat-commander brother from warning Hitler’s High Command about the Allies’ greatest military secret? It is a secret that could win the war for Germany–or, at the very least, delay the outcome for years with an inestimable cost in bloodshed, physical destruction, and suffering. And it is a secret that the two contentious brothers must grapple with within their own Wehrmacht ranks, as they bring U.S. and British intelligence to their knees on America’s doorstep with the clock to D-Day ticking down. From a U-boat on the frigid North Sea to a brutal British interrogation center in the heart of London, to a remote German-POW camp, and the world-famous Broadmoor Hotel overlooking the high plains and snow-dusted mountain peaks of Colorado, Bodyguard of Deception will keep you guessing until the final chapter. The first book of #1 Denver Post Bestselling, Award-Winning Suspense Author Samuel Marquis’s World War II Trilogy.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Bodyguard of Deception by Samuel Marquis is the most realistic World War II novel that I have ever read. The story swept me off my feet and deep into the horrors of the war at hand. The SS officers frightened me. They are are arrogant and violent. It was surprising to hear the German spy brother question how such violent people rose to their positions in Germany. The fight between two brothers is believable. But both have their jobs to do and now, that their paths have crossed, both may be in for danger. Shooting at the enemy lured a fight that the German brothers couldn’t hold up against.  Prisoners of war…Nazis, and the Allied Forces is something that will forever be stuck in my mind. Hitler’s orders…cold, cruel, and devastating to his country. Bodyguard of Deception is truly a remarkable historical tale that readers everywhere will love. I was deeply satisfied with the fast-placed plot. Felt like I was there in the story as the war went on…Danger, enemies, and espionage all brilliantly re-told in this exciting thriller. Samuel Marquis has once again, captivated me from the beginning to end. Overall, I highly recommend this novel.

Review: The Urban Boys

 

Synopsis:

The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses is an action-adventure story about five teen boys who are mysteriously exposed to a foreign energy source that gives them extremely heightened senses. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become hypersensitive gifts that forever change the world. The story chronicles their effortless interrelations and later exposes the testing of their deep bonds. It introduces the reader to an array of supporting characters who alter the boys’ lives forever. The Urban Boys offers young and mature readers central themes of loyalty, responsibility, honesty, fear, and triumph, which become artfully integrated with cinematic-level action and high drama. The story twists, turns, and grinds through elements of paranormal and action-adventure in a diverse, exciting, edge-of-your-seat narrative!

Overview: The story’s small town of Danville Heights, a carefully crafted universe, contrasts with the dark, gloomy town of Sandry Lake, where evil abounds. Upon the boys’ mysterious incident with the energy source, they’re instinctively called to Sandry Lake to root out evil. Their senses guide them each time. However, secrecy about their mission, furious battles with evil thugs, extreme fatigue, and stress and pressure soon overwhelm the boys, but they must find a way to embrace their fate. A lurking, Dark Stranger seems to know their plight, and a strikingly beautiful, fearless girl leads the way to heightened confusion. Shocking details about these two characters, and the evil antagonist, the dreaded truth, twists and grinds the story even further. Despite the tension and fierce battles, will the boys hold it together long enough to fulfill their destiny?

Intriguing, intelligent, and full of action, The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses offers a memorable, emotion-packed, thrilling ride for young and mature readers alike!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

I received this novel in exchange for an honest review. The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith is an exciting tale that packs a lot of adventure, suspense, and paranormal twists.I wasn’t sure what to expect, inside this story. But what I found was highly entertaining. It is here that readers will meet a group of boys who gain a superhero element. Their destiny is unknown to them and they must figure out how to handle their new power as well as the evil that lurks around them. Fighting evil is never easy, and these boys will be tested to their limits before they fight the evil that can destroy them all. The survival means that others will be safe and without them the evil may win…but the question is can they rise to the challenge and the changes they are faced with?

K.N. Smith has masterfully woven a story whose images comes off like vividly and engage readers like myself deeper into the enchanting plot. For me the story didn’t kick off until chapter two…there it felt solid and more like a journey through memory lane. Imagine a forest that is talked about constantly…you go to see it…and when you do…you experience dark things and see violence…like one young couple. An energy source lives within the forest, the place, that no one should be…but still some daringly enter on their own. The tale at first takes readers between places and introduces a variety of characters. One’s fascination…takes on a roller coaster ride. There is so much to see and find out before the dangerous journey ahead occurs. A battle between good versus evil is one theme that will forever attract readers in like honey to a bee. The Urban Boys…are five boys all in all. Each one has a unique sense that will help them fight against evil. Crime and peace sit side to side inside this intriguing read. This brilliantly well-written novel reminds me almost of The Great Gatsby where good and evil themes are also tied in… however, K.N. Smith’s fantasy adventure is a crossover novel. Readers of all ages can easily find something to enjoy within this title. Action, family, morals, and growing up…are some of the things readers like myself can find and connect to…despite it being entirely fictional. Overall, I highly recommend The Urban Boys to readers everywhere.