In advance of the 2015 Max Power Book Awards I would like to remind book lovers of some of the great books I have read by reposting here some of the five star reads I have enjoyed on the way to posting my 100th review on amazon. Pick one of these wonderful Indie books today and discover a whole new world of talent.
Enjoyable and original, December 12, 2014
Refreshingly, here is an author comfortable with dialogue and narrative in equal measure, unafraid to have a unique voice and in the process Katerina Sestakova Novotna has written a creative and original collection of short stories. I say short, some are longer than I would traditionally expect from short stories but if anything their detail only enhances the reading experience.
With what is clearly a strong understanding and relationship with Hawaiian traditions, culture and spirituality, I found myself intrigued by tales of a place and culture unfamiliar to me and while I found common themes recurring throughout this collection, every story has its own particular quality. Themes of love, passion, sexual awareness, spiritualism and sometimes a disassociation with reality give weight to what is a clever, well written book. Katerina managed to keep me intrigued throughout, never quite sure where the stories were heading but always finding a satisfactory destination. Definitely a writer I will seek out again, pick this one up and enjoy.
FIND HAWAIIAN LEI OF SHRUNKEN HEADS HERE;
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OYUSO1Y?ref_=cm_cr-mr-title
Well paced enjoyable read, September 15, 2015
What a cracking read. I am generally irked by most prologues but here is an example of using this device to perfection. I was immediately intrigued and hooked by the writers style and I loved the author’s immediate ability to convince me that she was a good story teller. The story then jumps straight into the action followed quickly by the introduction of our detective, Annie Mc Pherson. Primed by the past worked very well for me as a reader first and foremost because Barbara Speake is a talented story teller and what a clever tale she tells hers. The characterisation is well rounded, simple crisp narrative and prose which is exactly what a good thriller needs to keep up the pace and that very thing – pace, is handled just right. I absolutely whizzed my way through this book, and that is chiefly down to the way the author keeps up the momentum of story and style. It is never boring, stays on track at all times which kept me interested to keep me reading. It is a very difficult genre to get right in my opinion but I think this is one of those examples where a writer has worked extremely hard on all elements of a book clearly keeping the reader at the front of her mind in the process. Too many detective thrillers, are self absorbed clichés, this is anything but. Definitely worth picking up, absolutely glad that I did. 5 stars.
FIND PRIMED BY THE PAST HERE;
Smashing collection, November 2, 2015
I am a fan of good short stories and it can be hard to find a writer who manages to pull of a collection to my satisfaction. Here I was delighted to read a collection of diverse, intelligent tales from a group of international writers and it is a book to savour. There is a depth and richness within the covers of this book that comes from the combination of sheer talent and diversity of the authors. Unlike many single authored collections, having such variation in style made this book a very enjoyable and entertaining experience. It is impossible for me to pick a favourite tale such is the variety. I loved Nico Laeser’s ‘The Critic’ and ‘The Legacy’ by Lesley Hayes, but I was equally enthralled by so many of the pieces here. Rebecca Brynn , B.L. Pride, Tom Benson, Katerina Sestakova Novotna, Paul Ruddock,Penny Luker, Eric Lahti, Angela lockwood R.A. McCandless S.E. Meyer, Ian D. Moore and Sarah Stuart are all names you will go searching for once you have read this wonderful collection. This is a veritable smorgasbord of talent for you to discover. What are you waiting for.
FIND HOLES HERE;
Delightful read, August 4, 2015
What a wonderful story this is. Right up my street. I have a penchant for books that are at heart simply told with characters I can connect to. I read a lot and have eclectic tastes, but sometimes a book like this comes along and lifts my spirits. Selikie could in simple terms, be called a coming of age tale I guess but it is much more than that. Sam Harris, the girl at the heart of the story is a wonderful centrepiece on which to balance a story that hovers around the mythical Selkie of the title. Told from her perspective, the imagery, pace and splendid sense of place is so well crafted that I was captivated throughout. Julia Lund writes with an understanding of how to translate her characters emotions to the reader. For me every book has love somewhere at its heart, be that as a central theme, its absence or loss or the effect it has on an individual. Here the changes in Sam’s life and circumstances, her falling in love for the first time and the competition for her affections create a wonderful drama that unfolded to create a splendid story. Lovely book, pick this up if you like book that will engage your heart as well as your head.
FIND SELKIE HERE;
Lovely story, July 9, 2015
A tale to deal with the universal problem of children who won’t tidy away their toys. I read it to my Grand Nieces who loved the book but seemed dubious about following through on the message. It is the second book I have read to them from Denise McCabe, the other being Gubble Bubble Kingdom and they thoroughly enjoyed both story and lovely colourful artwork in both cases. Suitable for the age group, I can only give what the girls gave this book and that is a giant thumbs up. 5 stars out of 5 from the target audience
FIND CLUTTER LAND HERE ;
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Delighted you’ve included Selkie in this great list. Thanks. Am sharing.
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Another great post Patrick. Have read and enjoyed: ‘Hawaiian Lei of Shrunken Heads’, ‘Selkie’, and ‘Holes’. I have ‘Primed by the Past’ on my TBR. Great selection. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Write-Escape and commented:
Check out five more books read and picked by Max Power for his 2015 book choice awards!
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Reblogged this on lucinda E Clarke.
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Reblogged this on Julia Lund and commented:
I’m thrilled that #Selkie has been included in the #MaxPowerAwards #fivestar #reads. To discover more of his #recommendations, check out his blog.
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