Book Spotlight - Controlled Conversations by Karol Lagodzki + Giveaway

About The Book:

Title: CONTROLLED CONVERSATIONS

Author: Karol Lagodzki

Pub. Date: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Milford House Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 228

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/CONTROLLED-CONVERSATIONS 

In 1982 Soviet-controlled Poland-a time and place of suspicion and mistrust-when geopolitical forces and violent men descend upon her little town of Zygmuntowo, Emilia must decide if she's willing to risk prison or worse for self-respect and for her unexpected love.

A telephone station switchboard operator ordered to monitor the calls she connects, Emilia overhears a mysterious coded conversation. It continues to distract her, but not as much as the growing realization that she's falling in unsanctioned love with her best friend Kalina. Meanwhile, outside the city of Frombork, Antek, a shipyard engineer and a Solidarity labor union treasurer, escapes from prison and works to recover the union's money, a task which in time leads him to Emilia's town. In the metropolitan city of Gdańsk, Roman, a secret police major, wants the money for himself and dreams of his own escape and the magical beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

As the only daughter of a local Communist Party apparatchik, Emilia has enjoyed a sheltered life, but with the advent of martial law, her mother's influence can no longer shield her. She faces choices she never expected to make when she discovers her best friend's and lover's involvement with the resistance. With new allies and enemies in town, the time to choose a side is now.

In his debut novel, Karol Lagodzki asks: What separates people who transcend their fear and take risks for the sake of change from the rest of us? The answer is up to the readers.

 

 About Karol Lagodzki:

Karol Lagodzki, a native of Poland, is an exophonic, English-language author of fiction. His  stories have appeared in Invisible City, Storm Cellar, NUNUM, Streetlight Magazine, and  elsewhere, and he has won Panel Magazine’s Ruritania Prize for Short Fiction. Controlled  Conversations is his debut novel. 

He holds an MFA in creative writing, buys more books than he can read or afford—usually  novels and short story collections, though he’s been known to pick up an odd book of poetry or  accessible science—and gives back to the literary community by serving as a reader for several journals. Karol’s non-writing careers have ranged from fixing stucco while dangling from roofs  in Paris to sorting through human cadaver heads in Florida to developing and marketing medical  devices for critically ill people in the American Midwest, but his true ambition is to remain a  student for as long as he possibly can and make sure more stories make it out onto the page. 

Karol lives halfway down a Southern Indiana ravine with his wonderful, unconventional family,  a scurry of squirrels, a passel of possums, a gaze of raccoons, a descent of woodpeckers, and a  large dog.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | BlueSky | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

Ends October 5th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/2/2024	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
9/3/2024	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt
9/4/2024	Daily Waffle	Excerpt
9/5/2024	Fire and Ice Reads	Excerpt/IG Post
9/6/2024	Edith's Little Free Library	IG & TikTok Post

Week Two:

9/9/2024	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
9/10/2024	Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
9/11/2024	Rajiv's reviews	Review/IG Post
9/12/2024	GryffindorBookishnerd	IG Review
9/13/2024	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Week Three:

9/16/2024	@heyashleyyreads	IG Review/TikTok Post
9/17/2024	The Momma Spot	Review
9/18/2024	@callistoscalling	IG Post
9/19/2024	Nerdophiles	Review
9/20/2024	jlreadstoperpetuity	IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Four:

9/23/2024	@evergirl200	IG Review
9/24/2024	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
9/25/2024	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
9/26/2024	@amysbookshelf82	IG Review
9/27/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

9/30/2024

Two Points of Interest

Review

Book Review - A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen

 

A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen is about two Vietnamese girls, Vivi and Lan, who unexpectedly meet and forge a bond over their love of Vietnam and its food. 

In Sai Gon, Lan tries to be the perfect daughter for her sick and widowed mother. She tries to be dutiful and helpful. She spends most days helping her mom with their family banh mi stall.  However, Lan’s secret passion is her food blog, “A Banh Mi for Two”, which she started with her father.  After her father’s passing, she finds it hard to write.

Vivi Huynh is a Vietnamese American student who is visiting Vietnam. She has never been before and she is curious about the country because her family rarely talks about their homeland, even though it seems that they are still connected to Vietnam and that it haunts them. After Vivi finds her mother's old family photos, she wants to learn more about her family’s past. She decides to travel to Vietnam for a study abroad program for her freshman year of college. She is determined to find out why her parents had left. She is also an avid fan of her favorite food blog, “A Banh Mi for Two”. She is excited to try out all the places that the blogger has mentioned.

When Vivi and Lan cross paths, they decide to help each other. Lan will show Vivi all her favorite spots in the city along with helping her find the places from her mom’s old photos. In return, Vivi will help Lan start writing again so, she can enter a food blogging contest and help provide money for her mother. As the duo spend more time together, they find themselves falling for each other.

The book was a fun and cute read. It didn’t have any unexpected moments. I did like learning about Vietnam, its customs, food, and culture. I wish that the author included some translations for some of the words and dishes. It made me lose the flow of the novel when I had to stop and look up the word or translation. It also made me feel like I was losing some of the nuances of the book when the author used some Vietnamese phrases without translating them. Overall, I found the book to be an enjoyable read and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

 

September 2024 Empties!

 

 

 

Ah, we are approaching my favorite season of the year! Although, it feels that once the hot days of summer is gone, the rest of the year goes by so quickly. I managed to finish a few products over the last few months and days. However, definitely not as much as I got during sales. But I am trying!

The Nolahour vegan watery moisturizer was a nice lightweight moisturizer. It was great for the hot days when I didn't want anything to heavy on my skin. It wasn't tacky or left any residue. I like that I could layer it with other products or use a lot of products on my skin when using the moisturizer and it didn't pill.

I am on the fence with Truly unicorn fruit whipped body butter. It smells amazing but I had to use a lot on my dry skin. I used a small dab and it felt like it didn't do anything. But then when I used a lot and melted it between my palms before applying to my skin, I felt like I was so greasy and sticky. I would wait a few minutes before climbing into bed but I was still very sticky.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Proudly ultra rich body butter.  It's a product geared towards babies and with melanated skin but anyone can use it. It was also created by Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union. The body butter had a soft sweet vanilla scent. It was creamy but absorbed quickly and didn't leave my skin tacky or sticky. I loved how soft my skin felt. It was a great body butter.

The Benton propolis soothing gel had a weird smell. Didn't smell like aloe but it was very refreshing. It helped soothe sun parched skin and itchy and dry skin. It didn't leave skin feeling tacky or sticky. Although, the effect didn't last as long and I would have to reapply often.

Lastly, the Kinder Puppets Baby Cream, was a huge disappointment. I love the eco friendly container and it has refillable option. It didn't have any scent. I had two problems wiht this product. I couldn't get the last bits out and after I took the photo, I went at it with a knife to cut out the excess in the bottom. And the cream made my skin so tacky, that I avoided it on nights when I used a blanket or when it was already hot and sticky.

Did you use anything new this month that you liked?

Book Review - I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

 

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea is about a young Black woman, Laure Mesny, who wants to be a ballerina for the Paris Ballet. Laure is a perfectionist with a bone to pick. She practices every day in hopes that she can secure a coveted spot in the Parisian ballet. She wants to prove that a Black girl can take center stage in the most elite and cutthroat world. However, after being passed over, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She ventures deep into the Catacombs of Paris and strikes a deal with a primordial God in a pulsating river of blood.

Laure strikes a deal with the entity for power. She wants to be revered as a God. She gains the ability to influence people and gain adoration. The power gives her everything she has ever dreamed of. The power allows her to get everything she has ever wanted and worked for. Laure decides to take revenge as she is tired of being left behind. As Laure climbs the ranks and surpasses her petty and jealous peers and rivals, she leaves a trail of destruction in her wake.

As her power continues to grow, she realizes that she isn’t the only monster around. Someone is hunting her, and Laure finds herself stuck. She doesn’t know who to trust. She is struggling to control her power and the growing darkness in her. Laure will need to decide if she will continue down the road of darkness, or give up her dreams of being a ballerina.

The novel was an okay read. It was a slow burn and boring at times. There were pages where nothing happened. I also found the book to have too many technical details about the ballet that went over my head. I didn’t like/care for any of the characters nor did I care what happened to them. This is the first book in the series, and it ends on a cliffhanger. I didn’t find this book interesting enough to continue reading the rest of the series.

Book Review - Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell

 

Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell is about a young girl, Halle, and her mother being admitted to the hospital with tuberculosis (TB). In 1935, tuberculosis was spreading rapidly across the nation. People were dying at an alarming rate and the population was afraid. When Halle and her mother both get diagnosed with TB, their community shuns them. To help them recover safely, they were sent to the J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital.

The hospital is in a woodsy area in upstate New York. It isn’t easy for people to get to and it’s far away from Halle’s difficult father. Halle is glad to be away from her father who is always upset and hard on her. However, she misses her mother and wants to see her but because of her mother’s unstable condition, they won’t allow Halle to visit her as her mother is in a different section to the hospital. Her mother is really sick and is considered a high risk which is why the hospital secludes her from other patients including Halle.  As Halle begins her healing journey, she befriends the other children in the children’s ward. There she bonds with her fellow bedmates and learns how to cope with TB and missing her mother.

I thought the book was a cute and heartwarming read. I liked reading how Halle was trying to bond with her friends but also trying to help her mom get better. The scenes between Halle and her dad were sad and left me feeling heartbroken because it was clear that they loved each other but didn’t know how to express it to each other. I think this was a good book for young readers because it could also tie into our most recent pandemic in a thoughtful way. It illustrates to young readers that in a scary and uncertain time, things can be manageable if we rely on and support each other. I enjoyed the book, and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - Vampire: The Masquerade Vol. 1: Winter's Teeth by Blake Howard

Vampire: The Masquerade Vol. 1: Winter's Teeth by Blake Howard is about a vampire trying to unravel a conspiracy against her employer. Cecily Bain is an enforcer for the overlord who controls the Twin Cities vampires. She follows her orders dutifully until she comes across a newly minted vampire. She decides to take the vampire under her wing and offer protection. As she tries to adjust to her new role, Cecily uncovers a rebellion plot that plans to overthrow the current vampire elite and replace them with someone else. Will Cecily be able to stop their plans before it’s too late?

The graphic novel is a quick and entertaining read. There were a lot of characters, and it was a bit hard to keep track of them at times and how they related to the story. I like the dark and moody drawing style of the graphic novel. The plot was a bit predictable, but I would be open to reading more graphic novels by the author.

Book Review - Free Period by Ali Terese

 

Free Period by Ali Terese is about two middle school students who are advocating for period equity. Helen and Gracie are best friends, and they enjoy spending their time pranking their fellow students. After a rather stinky stunt involving a stink bomb, the principal orders the best friends to join a Community Action Club so, they can use their time productively to care for something instead of causing chaos.

The duo was planning on blowing off their punishment and not participating in the club. However, when Helen is caught unprepared by an early period, and it bleeds through her pants; the girls decide to take an interest in the group’s period equity goal. They wanted to make period products available for everyone who needs them. When progress is going slower than expected, the girls take matters into their own hands to bring attention to their cause.

I thought the book was an okay read. The book does cover an important topic that affects many young girls/young people who menstruate.  I had mixed feelings about the book, it was mostly due to the characters. Helen and Gracie were strong-minded and energetic characters. I liked them but sometimes, they were a bit out there with their plotting and scheming, and even the way they spoke. The writing felt choppy and a bit confusing with the way they spoke. I had a hard time connecting with them but, I am going to chalk it up to being significantly older than them.

Book Review - Nobility in Small Things: A Surgeon's Path by Craig R. Smith, M.D

 

Nobility in Small Things: A Surgeon's Path by Craig R. Smith, M.D is a biography about a noted heart surgeon. Dr. Smith talks about his upbringing and how his unexpected jobs in his youth paved the way for him to be the doctor that he is now.  Dr. Smith was made famous during the COVID pandemic as he wrote encouraging emails to the staffers to help inspire them during a trying time.

I wasn’t familiar with Dr. Smith before reading the book. I can see how the book could be encouraging and motivating to some people. I felt like he was a bit pompous and full of himself. I feel like as he is looking back, he realizes how lucky he was because of certain privileges that were extended to him because of personal connections.  I liked reading about his cases and how he felt. But some parts of the book were just dragging, and I didn’t care to read about them. It was interesting to see how much the hospital did get paid but the number of details that were included wasn’t needed in my opinion. I was more than 90% done and I decided that I was no longer interested in reading more.

 

Book Review - O Beautiful by Jung Yun

 

O Beautiful by Jung Yun is about a woman, Elinor Hanson, who travels back home to North Dakota to work on a writing assignment.  Elinor is a former model who is trying to reinvent herself as a freelance writer. Her mentor from grad school offered her a life-changing opportunity to write about the Bakken oil boom in North Dakota for a prestigious magazine.

Elinor grew up near Bakken with her sister, a strict father, and a distant Korean mother.  Her mother met her father when he was stationed overseas. Elinor has spent decades away from home, and she wasn’t looking forward to returning. She is surprised at how much the landscape has changed from her youth.

Her home city is now overpopulated with roughnecks chasing a chance to make a fortune in the oil business. Some long-time residents are worried about what the oil boom would do to their local community.  As Elinor tries to work on her article, old feelings of resentment start to boil up.

I am not sure what to make of the novel. It started off okay but then towards the middle and end, I was trying to understand what the point of the book was. Was it to show how detrimental oil drilling was or how some men could be savages and rude? The book felt like it was all over the place and then there was a mystery about a missing woman. However, that went nowhere, and I wanted to know what happened to her. The book was well written, but I didn’t care for Elinor as a character.  I had a hard time connecting with her. I would have enjoyed the book if it had a point to it. I am in no rush to read other books by the author.