The Tubbs Fire – A Story of Survival and Recovery by Rob Koslowsky A visceral accounting of a horrendous situation. Told from a first person experience what it’s like to lose all possessions and the challenges of rebuilding. Richly annotated with photos and stories that will de-mystify what happened during and after the Tubbs Fire devastation. Rob Koslowsky is a skilled story teller. This hard to put down book is alternately heart-breaking and hopeful, showing the resilience and strength of humans, who came together in this time of need. Available at Amazon. Robert K. Koslowsky spent three decades in high technology with a focus on leading edge telecommunications and solar energy solutions. After graduating from the University of Manitoba (1981), Rob worked for Nortel Networks, startup Cerent Corp., and then Cisco Systems. He also consulted with startups PVI (later renamed Enphase Energy) and Cyan (later acquired by Ciena). Rob’s early…
Category: Book Reviews
We Are All Welcome Here
Elizabeth Berg is uniquely talented to be able to write in many different authentic voices. We Are All Welcome Here is a perfect example of her capabilities as an extraordinary writer. Berg skillfully weaves a tender story about Paige, paralyzed from the neck down, and her strength in raising her daughter, Diana, with the help of her “tough-talking black caregiver,” Peacie. Each character’s voice is unique as if Berg has inhabited their bodies and their minds to get into their psyche. Published in 2006, the story takes place in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1964. The story line is still relevant today: “As tensions mount over civil-rights demonstrations across the state, fourteen-year-old Diana is trying to live a normal life. She wants to make money for clothes and magazines, to figure out the puzzle that is boys, and to escape the oppressiveness she sees everywhere in her small town.” — Back cover…
The Write Spot: Reflections
The Write Spot: Reflections reviewed by Nancy Julien Kopp. I read Marlene Cullen’s newest book cover to cover in one evening. The Write Spot: Reflections is the third in a series of books meant to help writers and wannabe writers. In the introduction, editor Marlene Cullen, says: “If you want to write and don’t know how to get started, this book is for you. If you are a writer and feeling stuck, this book is for you. If you like reading a variety of writing for enjoyment, this book is for you.” The book is a collection of short stories, poems and vignettes to entertain but also to inspire writing. Each contributor includes a short bio and a few paragraphs on Why I Write after their writing contributions. I found some illuminating statements in the Why I Write sections. I also found so a great deal to enjoy in the offerings of the different authors….
Fog Valley Winter by Frances Rivetti
Sometimes a book is so good, it needs to be shared: Fog Valley Winter by Frances Rivetti is exquisitely written and to be savored. This “Farmstead Fireside Companion” is, indeed, a comfort read. Frances has an amazing ability to turn research fact into a delightful work of art. I highly recommend Fog Valley Winter and look forward to reading future books by Frances Rivetti.
The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Connections
Marlene Cullen has created a series of books that allow talented writers to showcase their work. While each book is packed with insightful, wistful and poignant essays and stories, what I really like about this series is the title of each book. Marlene masterfully reveals the theme of each book with a single, well-chosen word, and chooses cover artwork accordingly. It is this unspoken promise of words carefully crafted that makes you want to jump right in and explore. — Amazon Reviewer Even if you do not consider yourself a writer, Connections is an enjoyable escape. Reading a variety of short personal stories left me smiling, laughing, sighing, and contemplating. Editor Marlene Cullen cleverly includes over 25 authors with different writing styles in this anthology. At the end of each story there is a writing prompt, advice about life, and pictures of the authors when they were children, including some vintage…
The Write Spot To Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries
The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries, edited by Marlene Cullen Reading this anthology is like walking into a word bazaar, where the reader is called to taste grief’s shadows, to sample sweet memories. The reader is beckoned by the poetry of human existence, lured to the scents and sounds of places and times. Savor this visit to worlds familiar and unfamiliar. You will leave, feeling satisfied. — Claudia Larson has been published in Tiny Lights, The Write Spot, Searchlights & Signal Flares. Her writing is nourished by nature and her life on the prairies. Marlene Cullen has created a simple, concise format that will instantly inspire you in your own writing. Each collection of poems and short essays will carry you away to different times and places with a hidden gem at the end of every chapter where each author leaves you with “words of encouragement” to help you…
The Trip by Armando Garcia-Davila
The Trip: Speeding Toward the Cliff at the End of the World Review by Elizabeth Kern Author Armando Garcia-Davila takes us on a trip of a lifetime as four friends travel 7,000 miles cross-country on their motorcycles in the turbulent 1960s. The experiences of his main character, Tino, are alternately poignant, funny, mind-bending, and life-changing as he grapples with the issues confronting him: his first true love, bubbling racial tension, the morality of the escalating Viet Nam war, and a wafer of LSD in his pocket just waiting to be used. The Trip is a page-turner as Tino and his companions—his older and wiser brother who happens to be a priest, and their two friends—roar from adventure to adventure: spending uneasy nights in small town jails to save money; sneaking out of town under the mask of darkness to avoid the pursuit of Southern rednecks; and finally, for Tino, an…
Every Moment of A Fall by Carol E. Miller
Every Moment of A Fall by Carol E. Miller Carol’s true account of her life, beginning with a plane crash that killed her sister and severely injured her and her parents, through her turbulent years, ending with healing through EMDR – Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing. The book jacket describes this as “a brave and revealing memoir of recovery and a vividly narrated account of the author’s experience using the increasingly popular eye-movement therapy developed to heal the wounds trauma leaves in its wake.” A good read for anyone who has experienced trauma. An excellent resource for researching alternative methods of therapy.
The City Baker’s Guide To Country Living by Louise Miller
The City Baker’s Guide To Country Living, Reviewed by Heather Young: The City Baker’s Guide To Country Living by Louise Miller, a novel about a pastry chef running from her mistakes, is a confection. It’s sweet with just the right hints of tartness and salt, and, like a great dessert, it leaves you wanting more. Livvy is living and working in Boston with nothing but her abandonment issues and a married boyfriend. When she accidentally torches her employer’s posh club with an errant baked Alaska, she runs to her best friend’s home in a pastoral Vermont town. One thing leads to another, and soon this big-city baker finds herself making desserts at the quaint Sugar Maple B&B, whose crotchety owner, Margaret, is hell-bent on reclaiming the blue ribbon at the annual apple pie contest. I loved all the characters, especially prickly, funny, warmhearted Livvy, whose journey is never anything less…
Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown
Modern Girls Reviewed by Louise Miller: Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown is such an engrossing novel. Once I started, I couldn’t stop reading. Brown has an incredible hand with details, using every one of the five senses. I feel like I know the textures and smells of the streets and cramped apartments of the Lower East Side in the 30’s, the closeness of living in small spaces with large families. I could taste the pickled tongue and smell the scent of Aqua Velva. Brown also has a skillful hand at weaving in historical details. I learned so much about this time in our history, both culturally and politically, and am intrigued to know more. Modern Girls is told from the points of view of both Rose and her daughter Dottie. As a writer, I am impressed with the way Brown effortlessly moves from one distinct voice to the other….