No Review Today

This darn flu is really kicking my butt. I am still not able to do very much, either mentally or physically, so today I will share a couple of links to book review sites that I thought you might like.

First off is Kevin R. Tipple's blog, Kevin's Corner, that features book reviews and more. Kevin has been reviewing books for a number of years and does more than just give an endorsement for a book. His current review is of Thorns on Roses by Randy Rawls. Kevin reviews mysteries most often, but sometimes he will review other genres. I noticed recently he had a review of a craft book. Interesting.

Another good review site for mystery books is Buried Under Books, the blog owned by Lelia Taylor. Lelia operated the mystery bookstore, Creatures and Crooks, for many years, so she knows how to evaluate a new book. Sometimes she does author interviews, and now and then features a special guest post about cats. She loves cats. Maybe that is why I liked her right away when I first met her online.

This last offering is not a review site, but it is a good resource for finding new books and new authors, as well as some authors you may already be reading. All Mystery e-newsletter was started by Rebecca Dahlke, and regularly features a quick introduction to several new mysteries in each issue. I am pleased to have Open Season featured in this week's issue. 

Okay, that's it for me for today, folks. Tissues and tea calling....

Book Review - The Rock Hole by Reavis Z. Wortham

I'm over at Lelia Taylor's blog Buried Under Books, where we are talking about cats and crooks and mystery writers and mystery bookstore owners.  Stop by if you get a chance and share your experience with cats. And thanks again to Carl Brookins for providing another book review.
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The Rock Hole
by Reavis Z. Wortham
ISBN: 978-1-59058-884-0
2011 release from Poisoned
Pen Press. HC, 284 pages

A sensitive, suspenseful debut crime novel. Full of twists, wry and earthy humor, The Rock Hole epitomizes the grit, the patience and the perseverance, of middle America. Folks who grew up in Texas, where the novel is set, or anywhere in the belt that runs from the northwest angle of Minnesota to the Padre Islands and from the middle of Pennsylvania  to Cody, Wyoming, will recognize themselves in this novel. Their humor, their practicality, their keen natural observations, are all here to savor.

Welcome to 1964. In Center Springs, Texas, farmer and part-time constable Ned Parker is faced with a puzzling series of animal deaths. That they are brutal, atrocious unnecessary killings, only adds to the tension and suspense. Across the river, the black deputy, John Washington, is trying to find reasons for the same killings, while also dealing with  the added difficulties of racism in the county. All these factors entwine to create a real and growing calamity for the small communities in the county surrounding Center Springs.

As the killings continue, strange footprints are found near bedroom windows and citizens begin to carry weapons and look at their neighbors with suspicion.

Laced with forthright humor, the novel proceeds at a racing pace through event after event as suspicion grows and plot twist after twist keeps readers off-balance until the stunning climax is reached. Ned Parker is a strong character who carries the story in an authentic and realistic manner.

The novel is not without its problems. Abrupt and annoying changes of points of view are occasionally confusing, but the writing, like the stories within the narrative is solid. This is an eminently satisfying novel. I look forward to the next.
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Carl Brookins www.carlbrookins.com http://agora2.blogspot.com Case of the Great Train Robbery, Reunion, Red Sky

Book Review - "A Cowboy's Guide to Growing up Right" by Slim Randles

Today I am a guest at Buried Under Books  with a fun piece about a cat. I have shared several stories at that blog about my cats, and this one is about  my son's cat, who swears she was held captive here. Hop over to the blog if you get a chance and see what Stache had to say about the experience of living here for a while.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

There's something about a cowboy. Fans of some romance novels find a guy in tight jeans and a Stetson the sexiest thing alive, and I will admit a nice tush is... well, a nice tush. What I like most about a cowboy, though, is character. The kind of character that Slim Randles describes in his book, encouraging people to adopt some of the cowboy ways, like honesty, integrity, hard work, and an appreciation for the land and the animals.

He opens his book with this, "Every cowboy knows there is a great deal more to being a grown up than getting tall and inheriting the ability to reproduce." Then he goes on to offer advice on how to grow up with character in this little book from Rio Grande Books.

In just sixty-three pages, Randles offers such sage advice as "Do the right thing, even when no one's looking" He also encourages readers to be passionate about their work. Don't just work for money, or fame, or power. Find something in your life that gives you a reason to get out of bed everyday with a sense of excitement. If it isn't your job, then find a new one, or find a hobby that brings joy and satisfaction to your life.

He also extolls the benefits of finding a mentor, whether that be someone in your workplace, or someone who is an expert at something you do for fun, like playing guitar. "It's easier walking through deep snow when you follow someone else's trail."

That quote ends the chapter on mentors, and each chapter ends with a little quote to cement the lesson. The chapters open with a quote, as well, and those quotes are well worth reading, even if you don't read the whole book word for word. Although I do recommend that you do.

A Cowboy's Guide to Growing up Right is a quick read, but it is also something that you might want to go back to often for the encouragement and sage advice. On top of that, it is classic Randles writing that is often funny, poignant, and cuts to the heart of the matter. No wasted words with this cowboy.

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FTC Disclaimer:  The author sent me this book in the hopes that I would review it. But he knows me well enough to understand that I only review work I think is well-written. This one is. I did not benefit monetarily from this arrangement, although I do hope that he does by selling a few copies of his book. And since the one he sent me is signed, it will go on my shelf of autographed books, so I won't even make a dime by reselling it.