The Seekers’ Garden by Isa Pearl Ritchie

The Seekers’ Garden by Isa Pearl Ritchie
Publisher: Te Ra Aroha Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

If you stand still for long enough, the past catches up with you…

Leaving behind the fragments of her old life, Marcia Reed-Wilton crosses the world to return to her dilapidated childhood home and dig up the weeds of the past.

Next door, Mrs Everglade struggles to maintain her independence in spite of her increasing frailty.

Sixteen-year-old Lea escapes into her poetry to cope with depression until meeting Alex, a much more potent distraction.

Meanwhile, Iris leaves her career on a whim to embark on an adventure of an entirely different kind; moving to a sleepy seaside town to write a book.

On the other side of the world in opposite seasons, Zane, vocalist for a popular band is haunted by cryptic dreams that lead him home.

A few twists of fate and a buried secret leave these individuals deeply and unexpectedly connected.

The Seekers’ Garden is a lush and captivating exploration of loss, growth and spirituality, revealing the way connections form in unlikely places.

This book is a richly drawn tapestry of the lives of five characters and how they interconnect. I loved how the characters are each unique, with their own voices. The format the author used enables to reader to truly connect with each character on a deep level. They are all at different points in their lives, and the reader should easily be able to identify with one or more of the characters. Each character is drawn so differently, and their individual chapters reflects each of their voice and interest. Great job on that!

I was fascinated to work through the chapters and try to figure out how they were connected. That was almost as much fun as getting to know the characters themselves… no spoilers, though.

It is slower paced than a lot of the books I read, and it was a nice change to be able to just immerse myself in the lives of these characters and go along on their journeys. Very thought provoking. Great job! 4 stars


Rock Me on the Water: 1974-The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics by Ronald Brownstein


Rock Me on the Water: 1974-The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics by Ronald Brownstein
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Los Angeles in 1974 exerted more influence over popular culture than any other city in America. Los Angeles that year, in fact, dominated popular culture more than it ever had before, or would again. Working in film, recording, and television studios around Sunset Boulevard, living in Brentwood and Beverly Hills or amid the flickering lights of the Hollywood Hills, a cluster of transformative talents produced an explosion in popular culture which reflected the demographic, social, and cultural realities of a changing America. At a time when Richard Nixon won two presidential elections with a message of backlash against the social changes unleashed by the sixties, popular culture was ahead of politics in predicting what America would become. The early 1970s in Los Angeles was the time and the place where conservatives definitively lost the battle to control popular culture.

Rock Me on the Water traces the confluence of movies, music, television, and politics in Los Angeles month by month through that transformative, magical year. Ronald Brownstein reveals how 1974 represented a confrontation between a massive younger generation intent on change, and a political order rooted in the status quo. Today, we are again witnessing a generational cultural divide. Brownstein shows how the voices resistant to change may win the political battle for a time, but they cannot hold back the future.

Looking for a feast for the eyes that revolves around the year 1974? Then look no further.

This book is a bit of a mishmash concerning the things that happened in 1974. It’s heavy on pop culture and politics. The writing is easy and this is a quick read. Check it out if you’re interested in music, film and television from that year.

I have to admit there are times when the author gets a bit heavy on politics. There is a certain flair revolving around the election of Jerry Brown. That said, it’s not bad. Just a lot of information. The book is made up of chapters labeled as each month of 1974. There are touches on music – namely the west coast sound, Jackson Brown, Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles – television – All in the Family and MASH – plus films, including the work of Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and the emergence of women writers and producers. It’s a lot more balanced than I initially thought it might be and was an interesting read.

Conservativism shows up as well as the change in the world from more of a young person mentality to a ‘family hour’ one where pop culture was encouraged to consider the family hour when creating content. I do like how the author contrasted the movements and showed both the minuses and the pluses to both.

If you’re looking for a long-form overview of the year, how the year and happenings within influenced the future and want to read about the music, films, politics and television of that time, then this is the one for you.

Book of the Month Poll ~ Alice’s Adventures Under Water by Lenny de Rooy


Alice’s Adventures Under Water by Lenny de Rooy
Publisher: Millennyum Publications
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

If you enjoyed Lewis Carroll’s books “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There”, this is the book for you! Finally, there is a third story in the ‘Alice’ series – written in Carroll’s familiar style, but packed with a great number of completely new puns, parodies, and poetry. This time, Alice explores an under-water world, in which she meets new characters who again make her wonder about their strange logic and behaviour. The story can be enjoyed by everyone, even those who have never read Carroll’s books. However, the more familiar you are with them, the more references you will recognise in this exceptionally clever tale…

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Masters of Appearance by Montgomery Raye


Masters of Appearance by Montgomery Raye
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 2 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Kingpin of Kansas City’s underworld, Eddie, has just gotten two bullets to the back of his head. As his estranged daughter begins to unravel what kind of man her father was, she finds more than just his empire was on the verge of crumbling.

Beneath the steel armor of a cocksure crime lord of passion and power that made women quiver and men quake in his stormy path, a kingpin’s myth dissolves in “Masters of Appearance”.

He’s got a history and he’s a pistol, but now that he’s dead, someone has to unravel his past.

I wanted a short story and this one fit the bill. It’s nice and short, so good for a lunch time read. The story clipped along all right and I read it in one sitting. The characters are different and have promise.

This book would be even better with one more once-over with an editor. There were words missing and I never really got a sense of the POV of the character. It felt more like stitched together bits of a story, rather than a gripping tale. I wanted to feel like I was in Eddie’s point of view, but it was more like watching from the outside. There is resolution of sorts in this story, but it’s not what I expected. That doesn’t make it bad, just different.

If you’re interested in a story that teeters between erotic and erotica and will singe the ereader during your lunch break, then this might be the book for you.

Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Cliff’s Descent by Dianne Duvall (Author), Kirsten Potter (Narrator)


Cliff’s Descent by Dianne Duvall (Author), Kirsten Potter (Narrator)
Immortal Guardians Series, Book 11
Publisher: Self-published, Audio publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Every mortal who works at network headquarters knows that vampires reside below them. They were the first to surrender to the powerful Immortal Guardians who hunt them. And they did so, hoping they can be saved, that the doctors and scientists the Immortal Guardians employ can halt the progressive brain damage that robs all vampires of their sanity. Though curious, Emma never thought she would meet any of the vampires who remain under heavy guard several stories beneath her office. Then mercenaries strike, bombarding the building with heavy artillery. The vampires are freed to join the fray… and Cliff saves her life.

From that moment on, she can’t stop thinking about him regardless of the restrictions placed on interactions with vampires. When Emma discovers a way to speak to Cliff at network headquarters, she becomes even more fascinated by him. He’s smart, charming, and honorable to his core despite the darkness that lies ahead. And he seems to crave her company as much as she does his. Aware of the eyes that watch them, they keep their encounters innocent, limiting them to those of mere acquaintances. Nevertheless, their attraction grows and she soon falls in love with him even as the madness begins to claim him.

Cliff realizes his future is dark. As one vampire friend after another succumbs to insanity, hope that network doctors will be able to find a cure in time to keep him from meeting the same fate begins to dwindle, leaving him little to look forward to… until he meets Emma. Just speaking to her brings him a happiness and contentment he hasn’t experienced since before his transformation. And when they finally find a way to be alone together, everything changes. Emma burrows her way right into his heart and quiets the voices. She sparks dreams of a future with her that strengthen his determination to beat back the madness. But as time passes, the voices grow louder and insanity begins to chip away at him until he fears it will eradicate every part of him she fell in love with.

Will the two of them find a way to defy the odds and find their happily-ever-after? Or will Cliff’s descent consume him?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie


Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

When she was twenty-six and broke, Skye didn’t think twice before selling her eggs and happily pocketing the cash. Now approaching forty, Skye still moves through life entirely—and unrepentantly—on her own terms, living out of a suitcase and avoiding all manner of serious relationships. Maybe her junior high classmates weren’t wrong when they voted her “Most Likely to Be Single” instead of “Most Ride-or-Die Homie,” but at least she’s always been free to do as she pleases.

Then a twelve-year-old girl tracks Skye down during one of her brief visits to her hometown of Philadelphia and informs Skye that she’s “her egg.” Skye’s life is thrown into sharp relief and she decides that it might be time to actually try to have a meaningful relationship with another human being. Spoiler alert: It’s not easy.

Things get even more complicated when Skye realizes that the woman she tried and failed to pick up the other day is the girl’s aunt, and now it’s awkward. All the while, her brother is trying to get in touch, her mother is being bewilderingly kind, and the West Philly pool halls and hoagie shops of her youth have been replaced by hipster cafés.

With its endearingly prickly narrator and a cast of characters willing to both challenge her and catch her when she falls, this novel is a clever, moving portrait of a woman and the relationships she thought she could live without.

Skye Ellison lives live on her own terms and is just fine with that. She tells it like it is and rarely holds back. Which is both good and bad. Good in the sense that she doesn’t let anyone walk over her. When she sets boundaries, they stay until she wants them to come down. They way she handled certain toxic relationships was refreshing. Honestly, I wish I had half her nerve. Her attitude also had downsides, mainly in the way she kept people at arm’s length most of the time.

In a lot of ways, Skye is unlikable and unpleasant. However, the deeper you get into the story, the more time she spends around Vicky, the more you start to understand Skye and her reasons for making herself so inaccessible. As a character, she feels very authentic in a real way, not just a fictional one. She’s smart, she’s clever, and she’s also a hot as heck mess most of the time. I found it highly admirable that she admitted to it quite often.

Vicky did her level best to turn Skye’s life upside down, but in a good way. She pushed Skye, and in turn, pushed herself, to change, be different, to be better. I love the relationship that she forms with her biological mom, but the real gem is the relationship she has with her Aunt Faye. It’s not always easy, but there’s always love and respect between them. Their relationship is another realistic look into blended and alternative family units in today’s world. For me, it was refreshing to see something other than a horrible family or a perfect family.

Skye Falling is both an emotional rollercoaster as well as a laugh riot of a book. Every time Skye started getting too much into her feelings, she’d jerk us right out of it with some pithy comment or sarcastic retort. Even in the moments when I didn’t like her all that much, she never failed to make me laugh out loud. As a mother, I related so much to this story but, as a person, I found it engaging and highly enjoyable.

Mrs. Wiggins by Mary Monroe


Mrs. Wiggins by Mary Monroe
Publisher: Dafina
Genre: Historical
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

The daughter of a prostitute mother and an alcoholic father, Maggie Franklin knew her only way out was to marry someone upstanding and church-going. Someone like Hubert Wiggins, the most eligible man in Lexington, Alabama—and the son of its most revered preacher. Proper and prosperous, Hubert is glad to finally have a wife, even one with Maggie’s background. For Hubert has a secret he desperately needs to stay hidden. And Maggie’s unexpected charm, elegance, and religious devotion makes her the perfect partner in lies . . .

Their surprising union makes the Wiggins’ the town’s most envied couple—complete with a son, Claude, whom Maggie idolizes. Until he falls in love with the worst possible fiancée. Terrified, Maggie won’t let Daisy destroy her son. And when her employer’s brother sexually harasses her, Maggie knows something needs to be done about him as well. In fact, she realizes there are an awful lot of sinning “disruptive” people who should be eliminated from her perfect world . . .

But the more Maggie tries to take control, the more obstacles are thrown in her way. And when it seems like the one person she always expected to be there is starting to drift away, Maggie will play one final, merciless game to secure what she’s fought so hard to earn . . .

How far would you go to get the family that you want? And to what extent would you go to keep that family once you have it?

Mary Monroe would be one of the authors that I would love to meet to get a first hand account on how she creates such imaginative characters and such entertaining story lines.

In the small town of Lexington, Alabama everyone knows Maggie Franklin as the daughter of a prostitute and an alcoholic. There’s also Hubert Wiggins, the son of a preacher and devoted religious parents who has his own secret to hide from his parents and the town. The two are best friends and work together to become partners-in-lies. With this combination of a marriage there is bound to be things that go wrong.

I thought Maggie and Hubert’s idea on how to have a baby was the craziest idea but I do agree it did give depth to the story. Their arrangement worked for them. Maggie and Hubert are my two favorite characters because they have trust, a deep friendship and they’ve worked hard to have something they both want, a family. As the story progresses readers will see what lengths Maggie will go to to keep their family at peace.

Once I started reading I quickly discovered in the first few paragraphs that this was definitely going to be a page turner for me. The characters were lively, and had their own personalities that I’m sure I’ll remember long after reading about them. The story takes place during a time of segregation. I loved Mrs. Dowler and the relationship that she had with Maggie.

I enjoyed the suspense. When I thought I knew what would happen the author’s creative mind gives a better outcome. Actions, even those with good intentions, have consequences. And the author gives her readers a lesson through Maggie.

I am embarrassed to say I cheered Maggie’s sinful deeds on because some of the characters were very unlikeable. The story delivered a lot and gives closure at the end. The characters dealt with spousal abuse, sexual harassment, and murder. A quick read that I highly recommend from one of my favorites authors.

Money-Bucket Holes Explained by Kelebogile Mooketsi


Money-Bucket Holes Explained by Kelebogile Mooketsi
A Personal Transformation, Self Help Book with Spiritual Guidance and Motivation to Inspire You to Manage Your … Holes. Money Can Say ” Goodbye”
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Contemporary
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Feeling down and out because of financial problems? Well, life happens!

This self-help book is a comprehensive ‘Money Management Guide’ that will inspire, motivate and help you clean up your finances, eliminate debt so you can attract lasting financial freedom, that you are worthy of.

The metaphor of ‘Money-Bucket’ represents your day-to-day quest to achieve financial abundance. ‘Holes’ represent challenges that life throws at you (external factors) and also decisions and actions you take (internal factors) regarding your life and finances. If your Money-Bucket is not full or overflowing? Either it’s a challenge for you to fill it up or it is leaking because of holes that you might not be aware of!

This personal transformation book will help you identify and close holes in your money-bucket, for good!

Do you ever wonder where your money went to? Sometimes we might be surprised to hear the answer. In Money-Bucket Holes Explained, Kelebogile Mooketsi puts out many good, eye-opening situations.

Leadership and worthiness are themes with strong spiritual undertones. There is an inspirational message to follow your life purpose.

This book is a first in a series that help people with their finances. Questions are asked of the reader as well as answered. Readers are encouraged to think about their lives and ponder many things. Some surprising money-bucket holes are identified and addressed throughout these pages. Helpfully, the author provides worksheets upon request to make one’s thought processes about money more organized.

Readers are asked to consider outside and internal forces at work. Things are phrased in ways that a reader may not have seen before, and this allows for more creative contemplation. Wrap-ups at the end of chapters summarize the information in the chapters and help with remembering information.

Money myths are addressed as well. This is an interesting book meant for those of faith. Why not have a look and discover something about yourself you may have overlooked?

Body Counts: A Memoir of Activism, Sex, and Survival by Sean Strub


Body Counts: A Memoir of Activism, Sex, and Survival by Sean Strub
Publisher: Scribner
Genre: Historical, Contemporary, Memoir, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

As a politics-obsessed Georgetown freshman, Sean Strub arrived in Washington, DC, from Iowa in 1976, with a plum part-time job running a Senate elevator in the US Capitol. He also harbored a terrifying secret: his attraction to men. As Strub explored the capital’s political and social circles, he discovered a parallel world where powerful men lived double lives shrouded in shame.

When the AIDS epidemic hit in the early 1980s, Strub was living in New York and soon found himself attending “more funerals than birthday parties.” Scared and angry, he turned to radical activism to combat discrimination and demand research. Strub takes you through his own diagnosis and inside ACT UP, the organization that transformed a stigmatized cause into one of the defining political movements of our time.

From the New York of Studio 54 and Andy Warhol’s Factory to the intersection of politics and burgeoning LGBT and AIDS movements, Strub’s story crackles with history. He recounts his role in shocking AIDS demonstrations at St. Patrick’s Cathedral as well as at the home of US Sen­ator Jesse Helms. With an astonishing cast of characters, including Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Keith Haring, Bill Clinton, and Yoko Ono, this is a vivid portrait of a tumultuous era.

I wanted a hard-hitting book that would make me think and this one fit the bill.

I’d seen this book on lists at the library and decided I wanted to try it, so I did. This book is well-written and thought-provoking. I can’t imagine going through the things Sean Strub did–seeing friends and lovers die of a disease no one wanted to deal with. He paints a vivid picture of the epidemic and how it wasn’t handled, but how it also affected him as a person. It’s not an easy read. It’s painful in spots because of the emotion involved.

I love how he managed to take his diagnosis and turn it into something positive. He created POZ magazine, despite running into roadblocks.

This is a good, but mentally tough book that should be read by anyone wanting to know more about AIDS or activism. Recommended.

Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Our Subway Baby by Peter Mercurio


Our Subway Baby by Peter Mercurio
Publisher: Dial Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Non-Fiction, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

This gentle and incredibly poignant picture book tells the true story of how one baby found his home.

“Some babies are born into their families. Some are adopted. This is the story of how one baby found his family in the New York City subway.”

So begins the true story of Kevin and how he found his Daddy Danny and Papa Pete. Written in a direct address to his son, Pete’s moving and emotional text tells how his partner, Danny, found a baby tucked away in the corner of a subway station on his way home from work one day. Pete and Danny ended up adopting the baby together. Although neither of them had prepared for the prospect of parenthood, they are reminded, “Where there is love, anything is possible.”

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!