Book Review - Five Years After: A John Matherson Novel, book 4 by William R. Forstchen

 

Five Years After: A John Matherson Novel, book 4 by William R. Forstchen is about the fallout from an EMP attack that happened five years earlier.  John Matherson is struggling to hold together the makeshift government that he helped create after the EMP attack on the United States. The government, now called the Republic, is facing threats from multiple fronts. The budding government is trying to control the remaining colonies but faces insurgents who want power for themselves. After living a few years quietly, John is pulled back into the fray when he receives news that the President is dying, and he needs to help negotiate with a new military power that was hidden from the rest of the world.

I thought the book was an okay read. I didn’t realize it was a part of a series but, I was able to read it and follow along with most of the story as a standalone. I also didn’t care for the premise of the book. I don’t like the “end of days” type of storyline. The book was also very predictable, and most of the storyline seemed ripped from the headlines. I also felt that for the amount of pages nothing was  happening, and it was a bit boring. I felt it was an okay book though I am in no rush to read other books by the author.

Book Review - Not Nothing by Gayle Forman

 

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman is about a young boy, Alex, who is sentenced to volunteer at a retirement home.  Twelve-year-old Alex did something really bad that landed him in trouble with the law and in front of a judge.  The  judge sentenced him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home.  There he meets an annoying do-gooder named Maya Jade. She spends the entire day bossing Alex around.

Alex just wants to serve his sentence without any issue. He misses his mom and hasn’t seen her in a year. He feels that his aunt and uncle don’t want him. They don’t make him feel welcome and constantly complain about how much of a burden he is. The residents seem like zombies to him and don’t seem to have much going on.

Josey is 107 and he is ready to die. He has managed to evade death many times during his lifetime. He survived being in the Nazi ghetto and a concentration camp. He managed to escape because of a brave woman named Olka and his ability to sew. Now, he spends his day in Shady Glen, refusing to speak to anyone and waiting to die. That is until Alex knocks on his door and Josey decides to tell Alex about his story. Alex finds himself drawn to Josey and comes back every day to hear more of Josey’s story.  Alex must decide if he will rise to the occasion, even if it means confronting the worst thing he has ever done.

I found the book to be a heartwarming and emotional read. I enjoyed the book and found it to be a quick read. I found myself crying and rooting for Alex and Josey. The book teaches young readers many important lessons like not judging others, forgiveness, hope, and compassion. I like that the book does take a heavy topic but makes it suitable for young readers. I loved reading the book and would be open to reading other books by the author.

Book Review - The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

 

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings is about a young boy, Perry, who is trying to save his beloved city. New Orleans is a city that is filled with magic and wonder. NOLA is the city where ghosts can be seen dancing the night away. For others, New Orleans might be strange but, to most of its inhabitants, it’s known as home.

Perry knows Nola and all its quirks. So, when the city’s Great Magician starts popping up in random and odd places and well-known songs are being forgotten, Perry knows something is wrong. The nine songs of power escaped from the piano that maintains Nola’s beat and without them, New Orleans will fall. Perry is unwilling to watch his home get destroyed and he is willing to do whatever it takes to recover the nine songs.

I found the novel very hard to get into. I couldn’t tell what was real and what was imaginary.  For example, a ghost that appears randomly and plays music. Is this a person’s imagination or did that happen or is it a part of the book’s reality? I found the slang and writing style hard to follow along with. I had re-read the same thing a few times and sometimes, I got confused about what was going on. I decided to stop reading the book since I was willing to do everything else in the world, including cleaning, then reading this book.

Book Spotlight - Beyond Real: The Complete Series by Zack Kaplan

 

About The Book:

Title: BEYOND REAL: The Complete Series

Authors: Zack Kaplan & Fabiana Mascolo, Toni Fejzula, Dennis Menheere, Vincenzo Riccardi, Jorge Corona, Liana Kangas, Luana Vecchio, and Jordie Bellaire (Illustrators)

Pub. Date: September 10, 2024

Publisher: Vault Comics

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 160

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/BEYOND-REAL

 

The Matrix meets The Wizard of Oz in BEYOND REAL: The Complete Series, a mind-bending psychedelic journey through the nature of reality – and who we really are.

QUESTION REALITY.

When struggling artist June is injured in a severe car accident that leaves her boyfriend in a coma, she begins to experience strange visual phenomena. When June discovers that the world she considers “reality” may be a computer simulation, she must set out on a journey of possibility and peril into the metaphysical layers of the simulation to reach the world’s creator and save her true love from death.

Beyond Real explores simulation theory, the creative spirit, the nature of reality, and the struggle for self-determination.

Are we real – or are we living in a computer simulation?
What is reality? Is death an illusion?
Enter the world that is … Beyond Real.

Beyond Real, written by Zack Kaplan (MINDSET from Vault Comics) is joined by a slate of spectacular artists including Fabiana Mascolo, Toni Fejzula, Jordie Bellaire, Vincenzo Riccardi, Dennis Menheere, Jorge Corona, and Liana Kangas.

Collects the entire six-issue mind-altering and acclaimed series!

For fans of: Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Matrix, Alice In Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, What Dreams May Come (Richard Matheson), Promethea (Alan Moore & J.H. Williams III), The Invisibles (Grant Morrison), Flex Mentallo (Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely), Ghost in the Shell, Nonplayer (Nate Simpson),Permutation City (Greg Egan), Sea of Tranquility (Emily St. John Mandel), The Restoration Game (Kevin MacLeod), The Peripheral , Agency,and Neuromancer (William Gibson) ,Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow (Gabrielle Zevin), and Neil Gaiman,

"Visually arresting. Unlike anything ... seen before. 10/10" - Kabooooom!

"As close to perfect as my be possible. 10/10" - The Pullbox

"A visual feast. 9.5/10" - AIPT

"Mind-blowing and visually stunning. 9/10" - Capes and Tights

"A sci-fi mindf*uck in the best possible way. 9/10" - Derry Comics

 

About Zack Kaplan:

Zack Kaplan is a break-out science fiction comic writer and creator of such comics and graphic novels as ECLIPSE, PORT OF EARTH, THE LOST CITY EXPLORERS, JOIN THE FUTURE, BREAK OUT, METAL SOCIETY, FOREVER FORWARD and MINDSET. He has worked with publishers such as Image/Top Cow, Dark Horse, Aftershock, Vault, Humanoids, Scout Comics and DC Comics. His first three series were all optioned for TV adaptation, with PORT OF EARTH currently being developed by Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment and Amazon TV Studios. Zack has taught screenwriting and storytelling at the International Academy of Film and TV, located in the Philippines. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive finished copies of BEYOND REAL: The Complete Series, US Only.

Ends October 8th, midnight EST.

Rafflecopter Code:

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Rafflecopter Link:

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/9/2024	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
9/10/2024	Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
9/11/2024	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
9/12/2024	Daily Waffle	Excerpt
9/13/2024	Fire and Ice Reads	Excerpt/IG Post

 

Week Two:

9/16/2024	Comic Book Yeti	Excerpt
9/17/2024	@evergirl200	IG Review
9/18/2024	@sparks_books	IG Review
9/19/2024	@heyashleyyreads	IG Review/TikTok Post
9/20/2024	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post

 

Week Three:

9/22/2024	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
9/23/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
9/24/2024	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
9/25/2024	jlreadstoperpetuity	IG Review/TikTok Post
9/26/2024	Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer	Review/IG Post
9/27/2024	@callistoscalling	IG Review

 

Week Four:

9/30/2024	The Momma Spot	Review
10/1/2024	Edith's Little Free Library	IG Post/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
10/2/2024	GryffindorBookishnerd	IG Review
10/3/2024	Rajiv's reviews	Review/IG Post
10/4/2024	Two Points of Interest	Review

 

 

 

 

Book Review - Rise of the Spider (The Web of the Spider) by Michael P. Spradlin

 

Rise of the Spider (The Web of the Spider) by Michael P. Spradlin is about a young twelve-year-old boy, Rolf, who is witnessing the rise of Nazis in his hometown, Heroldsberg, Germany. In 1929, Rolf notices that his town and country haven’t been the same since the end of the Great War.  Most townspeople struggle to find work and afford necessities such as food.

Germany was struggling because they had to pay fines for their part in the Great War. The country is struggling, and the atmosphere is charged with everyone feeling hopeless over their current situation. A new political movement is gaining traction with the people. Rolf is afraid of the new group because they seem shady and aggressive.  Nightly, Rolf’s father and his older brother, Romer, fight about politics and the new group.

Recently, two members of the new Nazi Party, Hans and Nils, move into the town as part of the Hitler Youth. The pair promises that the Nazi Party will bring Germany to its former glory. Rolf is worried about Romer when he sees his brother spending more time with them. Rolf notices an undesirable change in his brother. Romer is staying out later and acts out with their father.

Rolf doesn’t trust Nils and Hans. He feels that they are bullies even though they are promising a better future for Germany. He has seen them bully old shop owners and physically assault people who get in their way. Even with the aggression and bullying, Romer sees more enamored with their ways

I thought the book was a good read. It was easy to sympathize with the different characters. The author did a good job fleshing out the characters and their feelings. I was able to feel immersed in the story. I liked that the author included a dictionary and guide for young readers. I found the book enjoyable, but it ends on a cliffhanger. I am excited to read more books in the series.