William Ottoway’s Utopia and Other Stories by Christopher Griffith


William Ottoway’s Utopia and Other Stories by Christopher Griffith
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

‘Come, Manou, this is superstitious clap.’ So says William Ottoway to his island’s priest, for the modern world has surely extinguished any notion of the supernatural? But some who have lived before our technological revolution hold grave concerns about this new reality which has all but supplanted the numinous element of human existence. Despite warning from his best friend’s mother against attempting to replicate paradise, William puts faith alone in idealism to create a utopian society in the tropics. All seems well, until his serpent brother appears with temptation…

William Ottoway’s Utopia concerns the dream of a man who seeks to escape stresses of everyday life for promised ease in this world’s tropics; to his dismay, he is unable to flee influence of the one appliance which has arguably shaped all our experience in the last half century, the humble television set! William is a good man, but will he be ravaged and ruined by his brother Tom who brings discord and disharmony to his island paradise?

Rick With A (Bipolar) View details the experience of a young man suffering from bipolar disorder who wants to be a professional DJ. Unsure whether or not the repetitive beats of electronic music and his obsession with trance and techno may be the cause of his illness, he nevertheless accepts offer of a Friday night gig and ‘takes the roof off’ the nightclub, coming down back at home in glow and reflection of his achievement.

If all this sounds too intense then do please head over to Break Out the Bubbly!!, a comic piece set in a supermarket whose Manager is acting in very strange manner indeed. The initial boredom felt by our hero Emily is quickly shattered by Carol’s arrival and subsequent farce as she seems intent on closing the shop during opening hours to conduct inquisitions in the boardroom! The champagne keeps going missing, you see, and she needs to find the culprit. Is he, or she, a little closer to home than everyone thinks?

Fantasy for the next story, Saman’s Revenge, in which our titular hero is seriously miffed with the Earth-goddess Thera; she’s punished him an aeon ago for misdemeanour which he firmly believes really wasn’t his fault at all. Anyway, when you’re immortal and old as the hills themselves it doesn’t bother you too much to wait a few millennia before exacting your revenge on modern day teenagers Jack, Roxie, her boyfriend Mark and his brother Norman. But what is the young people’s relation to Thera, and temple ruins on top of the village hill, Shadyridge?
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Which leaves Young Shakespeare, my imaginative retelling of some of Will’s ‘lost years’ when he reached London; after all, who wouldn’t want to fall in love with Anne, listen in awe to Sir Walter Raleigh’s perorations on, well who knows, meet his future friend and rival Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe, then cogitate at length upon the Reformation against whose profound change the budding writer begins to conclude he might wish to work?

This is an excellent time to begin using your imagination.

I struggled to understand “William Ottoway’s Utopia” because of how sparsely it was written. So many of the sentences in it were either fragments or extremely short, and it wasn’t always clear to me how they fit together. It would have been helpful to have more details of the plot and character development. The bits and pieces I figured out about the island and the serpent were intriguing.

The main character in “Rick with a (Bipolar) View” wondered if his Bipolar disorder was going to affect his dreams of becoming a DJ. Like the first tale in this collection, this one was also so sparsely written that I had trouble following it at times. With that being said, I liked the main character quite a bit and hoped he’d figure out a way to follow his dreams. He certainly had the determination to do so!

As soon as I began reading “Break Out the Bubbly,” I began wondering what really happened to the missing champagne in Sheila’s struggling shop. Each character had their own opinion on this matter, and some of them expressed their views sharply. The more I read, the more curious I became to figure everything out. This tale was well written and included just enough mystery elements to keep me guessing.

Mr. Griffith’s writing style worked well with the fantasy elements of “Saman’s Revenge,” especially in the beginning when the narrator observed a battalion of mythological creatures fleeing a foe too terrible to describe. There were times when the plot wandered so far away from the original theme that it took me a while to figure out how it was all connected, but I did appreciate putting the pieces together once I had more information about what was going on with the characters.

“Young Shakespeare” was a tantalizing look at what Shakespeare might have been like as a young man. There was a twist here that I can’t mention without giving away major spoilers. What I can say is that it perfectly fit the opening scene that explored Shakespeare in his youth. I smiled when I made the connection between these two things and patiently waited to learn more about it.

William Ottoway’s Utopia and Other Stories was an eclectic mixture of tales that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys reading a little bit of everything.

Adversaries by Lyndi Alexander


Adversaries by Lyndi Alexander
The Color of Fear Book 3
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 5 Stars
Review by Dryas

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Life after the devastating biological terrorist attack that decimated the White population in the US is beginning to recover as Tzu Lin Kwan is finally able to deliver her precious cargo of herbs to her scientist father. Or is it?

The virus may be mutating, spreading to infect those previously immune. Tzu Shin and his fellow scientists—and now Kwan—are literal prisoners of the US military. The White supremacist army of the demagogue Gabriel has invaded St. Louis. And the Chinese assassin Piao knows where to find his targets.

Kwan and her friends Valery, Eddie, and San are ready to fight to the death to defend their recovering world. The question is: Are courage and determination enough?

On back pain, in 2007, the American College http://cute-n-tiny.com/cute-animals/cat-and-skunk-pals/ cialis from india online of Physicians and the American Pain Society recommended the addition of chiropractic treatments for back pain that continues to not improve. For people who suffer from erectile dysfunction buying medicines both offline and online will both have elements of desperation and cialis uk secrecy. Neuroscience has free cialis samples introduced mind-changing methods such as affirmations and visualization that will give you a new beginning. A visit to your local chiropractor could help you to get rid of erection problems, they are not capable to accomplish or to preserve generic viagra sildenafil an erection. This is the third novel of in The Color of Death series. It follows a young Chinese woman, Lin Kwan, with much needed herbs for her father who is working on an antidote for the plague that has ravaged the whole world. She first comes to San Francisco where she was told her father was living. The disease originally only affected Caucasians but now it is starting to mutate and affect different races.

When she arrives at her father’s friend’s house, she finds out that her father had been taken away. She stayed there and made friends with Xi San also known as Sam or a nickname of the Sandman. Both are Chinese and have been trained in martial arts. Kwan also makes a wonderful friend, Valery, who was dispensing medicine to the sick in San Francisco and knew she needed to do more than that to help the world. The two of them start towards Ohio where she finds out that her father is now staying after she receives a letter. And Sam starts to make his journey to St. Louis to be with his best friend Eddie who had his own radio station that offers those seeking sanctuary a way to get there safely and to offer comfort and hope.

These Characters are so wonderfully created that they feel like part of your family. The bravery that Eddie shows who is part of the radio broadcast with a woman named Isis makes me humble as they could have been shut down at any time from the small Government, along with the threat of arrest. Their radio station is incredibly important as it gives lifesaving information, help keep spirits high, and tell it as it is. They don’t sugar coat any information they receive, including how the government was treating their mayor.

Kwan’s perseverance in reaching her father to help him hopefully create a cure for the plague before all the citizens are dead shows just how determined and strong, she is. She takes every challenge in front of her with spirit and placing her life above all else. Sam is another man that lives by a code of honor, spirit, and strength. His plans are amazing, and he will give his all to keep his new family alive. Although they have faced danger and death on their journey, I find it amazing how much everyone helps each other. Marie is a sweet woman who adores taking care of all those that live under her care while Jack provides wisdom in their greatest fight.

Their greatest enemy is a man named Gabriel who is obsessed about saving the white people and killing all those of different races. He has a huge group of fanatical followers that he calls the Angel’s that will do anything he tells them. He blames the different races for the plague and is charismatic and gives those that feel lost a purpose. I can see why many follow him even though it disgusts me.

There are at least some sweet moments when Valery found love with Eddie, a strength of purpose beyond helping Kwan since that journey has ended, and someone to care for since her family has all passed away. Along with the relationship between Valery is Sam and Kwan although their relationship is put on hold. It makes me sad to see they both have such respect and love towards each other. But both know that starting a relationship during such a hard time must wait for a better future.

I was impressed at just how much of a difference these young adults had made in the world. If it were not for them giving up everything they had, the world would have ended up in chaos.

In the end, most of the loose ends are tied up and ultimately the reader is left with hope.

Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi


Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Middle Grade
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Magic has all but disappeared in Brooklyn, but one tenacious young magician is determined to bring it back in this exciting middle grade mystery.

Custom made ITE instruments require daily maintenance to prevent damage check content buy cialis online and repair. Plunge in the sexual wish of the men or fall in djpaulkom.tv viagra generika the erection amount of the person outcomes with impotence grievances. Here are a few causes that bring sale levitra inability for men and women both. Massage therapy plays a significant role in healthcare and offers lots of benefits that it viagra on sale djpaulkom.tv is becoming highly popular. Twelve-year-old Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn—the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston’s father was King Preston, one of the world’s greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he’s determined to find his father.

Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City’s magic with him. Now Echo City—a ghost of its past—is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who’ve stayed behind don’t look too kindly on any who reminds them of what they once had.

When Kingston finds a magic box his father left behind as a clue, Kingston knows there’s more to his father’s disappearance than meets the eye. He’ll have to keep it a secret—that is, until he can restore magic to Echo City. With his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall Eddie, Kingston works to solve the clues, but one wrong move and his father might not be the only one who goes missing.

While fantasy and themes of magic are not my first choice in genres, I had no problem reading this book. I flew through it, in fact. I think the reason it was so readable is not just because it is easy to read but because it is really and truly a good story. The kind that draws you in and makes you forget the things around you.

This is the story of a young boy determined to find his father, who is a magician. He and his friends work through the mystery to find him, all the while trying not to endanger their own lives. It’s full of tricks and codes and everything I loved as a 5th to 6th grade reader and well, ok…I loved it now as an old adult reader too. Just a fun run-away and get lost in a book kind of read. Recommended!

The Seeing Scroll by J.T. Grobler


The Seeing Scroll by J.T. Grobler
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A children’s mystery adventure with a little bit of magic.

When police exhume the body in her grandfather’s coffin, 12-year-old Gia Lance already knows that it isn’t him. And given that her dad won’t believe her, what choice does she have but to enlist the help of her drama-king best friend? Their search for her grandfather leads to the discovery of a secret riddle, a hidden plateau and an enchanted scroll steeped in mystery. It lures them by exposing visions – fragments of well-kept secrets.

Gia soon grapples with an eerie tale of a dungeon, an ill-fated ship, a missing child, and the legendary curse of the Seeing Scroll. But whose secrets are they? How does the scroll decide what she sees? Who can she trust? More importantly, what does it any of it have to do with her grandfather?
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Time is running out. For Gia to connect the dots, she must confront the idea of her grandfather not being who she thought he was and acknowledge the possibility of him being cursed. But there are people after the scroll. Dangerous people! Clearly, they’ll do anything to ensure their secrets remain buried. Maybe even their crimes. Can Gia evade them on her quest to solve the riddle and figure out how to save her grandfather without being duped by the scroll’s delicious secrets, or will he be forever lost?

The truth will always come out in the end.

I adored Gia’s friendship with Vuyo. Both of these characters genuinely liked and respected each other. They disagreed at times like any two people are bound to do, but they both did an excellent job of listening to each other and taking their friend’s point of view into perspective when deciding what steps they wanted to take next to solve the mystery of what actually happened to Gia’s grandfather. I only grew to like these characters more as I got to know them better.

There were some pacing issues. The plot was slower in some scenes and faster in others. Either pacing style would have worked for these characters and storyline just fine, but I didn’t enjoy jumping around between them so often without any clear indication of why things had suddenly slowed down or sped up again. If not for this issue, I would have chosen a much higher rating as the mystery itself was well written.

The fantasy elements of the storyline were given exactly the right amount of space to develop. I was intrigued by the idea of a magical object that looked deceptively innocent but was actually quite dangerous to use. It fit the tone of the storyline well. These details also made me curious to learn more about where that item came from and why anyone would dare to use it once they’d realized what would happen to them if they broke the rules about how and when it should be used.

Anyone who loves magical middle grade mysteries should give The Seeing Scroll a try.

A Universe Less Traveled by Eric Von Schrader


A Universe Less Traveled by Eric Von Schrader
Publisher: Weeping Willow Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

What if there were another world, almost like ours, but not quite? It brushes up against us, like the tail end of a dream, but stays just barely out of reach.

What if you found a way to go there?

Billy Boustany stumbles upon the ability to slip into a surprising new version of his sleepy midwestern city. He begins a journey that is most fun he’s had in years. Then it turns into an obsession that upends his life, his family, and everything he knows.

A Universe Less Traveled tells Billy’s story, framed by tales of other accidental travelers to this mysterious city, and provides a glimpse into an alternate history of the twentieth century.
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Looking for an escape from the troubles of his failing business, Billy discovers a teeming metropolis with iridescent skyscrapers and throngs of immigrants and tourists from all over the world. As he explores, he meets peculiar allies and experiences raucous celebrations. Billy questions his sanity as he struggles to make sense of this bizarre world. Though he fears screwing up his adventure, he lets his college student daughter in on the secret. Together they go further into this amazing place, until they reach the ultimate destination, a magnificent city of Native Americans that has sprung up at an ancient site. There she begins a relationship with a handsome young man with a startling plan.

Billy also meets a formidable enemy – the Knights, a shadowy organization with a mission to keep people like him out of their world. They reveal how the two worlds diverged a century ago and warn him to stay away at all costs.

When his daughter disappears at the hands of the Knights, Billy and his wife go on a frantic search to find her in the other city. It leads to heartbreak, then to a new beginning.

The story starts right off with amusing correspondence about mistaken identity in the early twentieth century. Then readers are brought to the year 2010 with Billy, the protagonist, who owns an electronics store. Little details bring his story and his world to life, and there are lot of them.

From Billy’s point of view, strange things are happening, places he clearly remembered are disappearing. How could that be?

We’re also brought into the world of Jim Hines, during the Crash before the Great Depression. However, after he falls off a building and then later wakes up from a coma, he notices that his world is…different. This is a second chance for him, but there is a downside to this changed history. He comes up with a brilliant idea to save the day, which in turn drastically changes the future.

The worlds of these two men are linked in an interesting way. John is Billy’s employee, and his story is just as interesting. There is a great subplot concerning Native Americans, and this is interwoven well with the story. The action picks up, and the characters experience all kinds of unknowns. How will they get out of their tricky situation? This is a fun story, a great way to escape and fire up the imagination.

Among the Ruins by Dominic Peloso


Among the Ruins by Dominic Peloso
Publisher: Dark Mountain Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An aspiring actress finds herself the only person still alive after a plague has devastated the world. With no purpose left, she finds herself almost unable to go on; until she meets literally the last man on earth.

Together the pair find a reason to live within each other, and work to build a life on a beautiful, quiet Earth they have all to themselves.

But when a message from someone long thought dead warns that all is not as it appears, paranoia sets in. Is the last man on earth her charming savior or a creepy captor?
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Gripping, packed with twists and turns from the first page to the very last, this stunning psychological thriller is a rollercoaster of a read that explores gaslighting, Stockholm Syndrome, disassociation, mental illness, existentialism, and the search for purpose in an absurd universe.

Nobody was supposed to survive this plague, but someone did.

I was mesmerized by how much detail was included in the first scene. It described the disorienting sensation of waking up alone after a serious illness. Elyse wobbled around on weak, shaky legs while performing basic living tasks like using the bathroom and finding something quick and easy to eat in her kitchen. She was so fragile in those moments that I immediately empathized with how vulnerable she was as someone who was still ill and had no one to look after her. This scene sucked me into the plot immediately. It was an excellent, if occasionally a little stinky, introduction to this character and her conflicts.

There were times when Elyse made decisions that defied all logical explanations. While I understood that her mental illness made it difficult for her to tell the difference between reality and her delusions at times, her reactions to similar stimuli were so varied that I could never tell how she might react the next time they happened. It was hard to get to know her under these circumstances, much less come up with many theories about what was really happening to her. I’m saying this as a reader who was fascinated by the conflicts she faced and couldn’t wait to see how her conflicts were resolved.

With that being said, the ending couldn’t have been better. It stayed true to Elyse’s understanding of how the world worked while also providing tantalizing hints about what might have really been going on with her. I also appreciated the fact that it left room for a few different interpretations for audience members who had other theories about the causes of the strange events she experienced after the plague ripped through her city. This was the sort of tale I’d love to discuss in a book club or with other readers who have strong opinions about the storyline.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend Among the Ruins to anyone who enjoys stories that can be interpreted in multiple ways.

Perfect Rhythm by Megan Slayer


Perfect Rhythm by Megan Slayer
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

The moment the king passed down the curse, Minos knew he wasn’t getting his voice back. He’s caused enough heartache for two lifetimes, but when he sees a handsome man struggling in the lake, his innate desire to protect comes to the surface.

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Minos is determined to protect this human. Can they forge a relationship or will the secrets in Minos’s past disrupt their perfect rhythm?

Being cursed by the King of the Lake seems a bit harsh, especially when Minos was only doing his dirty work. But that is what happened and how Minos ends up without a voice. As for John, well, coming out of the closet is never easy, but especially not with homophobic bullies who masquerade as friends.

This is another novella with a fast pace, but this time, most of the story is there. I still wonder why Porthos treated him the way he did, and why the broken shell seemed so significant. There is enough around those points though, to give the reader a full story. I would love to hear more about John and Minos.

This was very well written with some very steamy scenes, designed to melt your Kindle. If you are looking for a quick, hot, read, then this is definitely one for you.

Clockwork, Curses, and Coal: Steampunk and Gaslamp Fairy Tales by Rhonda Parrish (editor)


Clockwork, Curses, and Coal: Steampunk and Gaslamp Fairy Tales by Rhonda Parrish (editor)
Publisher: World Weaver Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

​Fairies threaten the world of artifice and technology, forcing the royal family to solve a riddle to stop their world from irrevocable change; a dishonest merchant uses automatons as vessels for his secrets and lies; a woman discovers the secret of three princesses whose shoes get scuffed while they sleep. These and so many other steampunk and gaslamp fairy tales await within the pages of Clockwork, Curses and Coal.

Retellings of Hansel and Gretel, The Princess and the Pea, Pinocchio, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and more are all showcased alongside some original fairy tale-like stories. Featuring stories by Melissa Bobe, Adam Brekenridge, Beth Cato, MLD Curelas, Joseph Halden, Reese Hogan, Diana Hurlburt, Christina Johnson, Alethea Kontis, Lex T. Lindsay, Wendy Nikel, Brian Trent, Laura VanArendonk Baugh and Sarah Van Goethem.

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In “A Future of Towers Made,” Zela was trapped in an abusive marriage. Her only avenue for possible escape involved trying to prove her husband had stolen credit for her latest invention, and success was anything but certain for her. I emotionally bonded with her immediately and eagerly kept reading to find out if she’d be freed from the many years of pain he’d put her through. She was such an intelligent and brave character.

Amber needed to bring her cat, Hunter, and as many people from her town as she could persuade to come alone with her on a daring trip to escape their dying planet in “Father Worm.” I was fascinated by how she figured out that their world would soon become too cold to sustain life and looked forward to discovering if her plan to save those who wanted to be saved would be successful. She had so much riding on every decision she made, and she only had a short amount of time to accomplish it all.

The plague that settled upon a small town in “Necromancy” was one of the most unique ones I’ve ever heard of. It was brought to that community by a young woman named Natalie who had gone away to seek her fortune. I was as fascinated by the unusual symptoms of it as it was by how her mother, neighbours, and former friends reacted to the sudden changes in her. This was one of those tales that only grew better with each plot twist, none of which I dare divulge today.

Clockwork, Curses, and Coal accomplished something pretty special. For the first time in all of my years of reading, I adored every single story in an anthology. I hope other readers love them just as much as I did.

How Cats Survived the Apocalypse by Justin Allan Arnold


How Cats Survived the Apocalypse by Justin Allan Arnold
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Earth: a lifeless, misshapen rock tumbling through space. Mars: a green paradise ruled by cats. The Mysteries: what catastrophe had ended Earth? why were cats able to survive when humanity could not? and how did a few adventurous felines take possession of Mars? Find out from the cats themselves, when three of their most astute ambassadors cunningly respond to a galactic emperor’s inquiries.

With tales inside of tales, like a feline version of A Thousand And One Nights, this whimsical, yet slyly profound science fiction fable answers the eponymous question of How Cats Survived The Apocalypse.

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The plot twists were creative and well done. A few of them took me by total surprise which is always an amusing thing to experience. I enjoyed getting this peek at how the author’s imagination worked. He sure seemed to have enjoyed the process of coming up with ways to keep his characters moving towards their goals without reaching them in the manner in which they assumed everything would happen.

This was something I enjoyed reading quite a bit, but there were times when I had trouble matching up the stories of the three cat ambassadors due to how many different timelines and eras they covered. I only wish I’d had a clearer understanding of the order in which everything happened and why their explanations sometimes seemed to be saying stuff that didn’t quite all fit together. Was it a commentary on the way legends can change between generations or among different cultures? Should I have listened more closely to one cat than to the others? If I knew the answers to these questions, I would have gone with a much higher rating.

Mr. Arnold had an elegant writing style that fit the themes of this novella perfectly. I kept a dictionary close by to look up the ornate words he included in his descriptions. Each one of them was carefully chosen and added new layers of meaning to the scenes they were featured in. This is definitely something that should be savored, especially once the cats began sharing their stories about how the reign of man ended and Mars became a feline paradise.

How Cats Survived the Apocalypse was a thought-provoking read that I hope to revisit again soon.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi


Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Publisher: Hanover Square
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
English translation from Japanese
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

If you could go back, who would you want to meet?In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time.

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Heartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time?

Have you ever wished you could go back and fix a regret, change something you said or did not say to someone? In this tale set in a tiny, cozy café in Japan, people have that chance, but they only have a few minutes to get their point across: until their coffee gets cold.

There are several difficult conditions though; and a ghost who does not like to move from the one seat you must be sitting in to travel time. One of the conditions says that no matter what you do while traveling time, the present will not change. So, is it worth it to go back if you can’t change the present? And if so, why?

This tale is about different types of relationships, lovers, husband and wife, mother and daughter, and sisters. Each relationship has its own challenges and regrets. For example, a wife has to deal with her husband forgetting they are married, due to illness. What could she possibly say to him in the past, when he still remembers her, that could have meaning in the present?

The book is filled with many little descriptive details, which have the effect of creating memorable characters. The story has a paranormal feel and will evoke many tender emotions. Readers will be surprised at the outcome of each of these stories. I recommend this book.