Books and Truth

All three of you who follow this blog are aware I occasionally review books.

What I haven't done is reviewed books I don't care for. If I post about a title, you can rest assured I thought it was pretty horking good, or I wouldn't bother posting anything at all about it.

However, this troubles me. Is not the "I didn't finish this" or "I finished it under the author's threat to have my children fed to sharks but I hated the book" review as valid as the one that explains why I loved it? Where is the line to walk between Momma's admonition to say something nice or nothing at all, and the truth?

Now, I don't expect anyone to like the same books I do. And I don't always like what other folks do. What a dull world it would be, if only one set of preferences were all that sells! In fact, I expect others to differ with me regarding my take on any given book.

I call that constructive dialogue. Unlike a few other places, I want to encourage such dialogue. If we do this, we may run the risk of disagreeing with one another or something equally terrifying.

I submit that we're all big grown-ups and we can take it.

That said, along the lines of "what's in it for you" -- where do you stand? Would you like to see all reviews on this blog, for books I loved and books I read muttering, "You have got to be kidding!"?

Do you value honest comment (which may lead to controversy) over being nice?

Weigh in, please.

Sing With Me (The Danger Theme From "Jaws")

You know how it goes...duh DUHH...duh DUHH.

Right, this means Kinnard is swimming about, fin showing just above the waves, daring to approach...

...with another book review. FTC, I was sent this book without charge, for review, so here goes.

Yes, just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. Deb's been reading again.

This time it's a real treat. I have few nits to pick with this one, and I'm happy as a hog in slop to say so.

The book in question was written by Lisa Wingate, and its title is NEVER SAY NEVER. The piece departs from Lisa's general narrative style by alternating back and forth between two unforgettable characters: Donetta, a senior with spunk to spare, and Kai, a twentysomething who's security deprived.

A sudden hurricane ties these two strangers together. Donetta yearns to know her husband cares that she's gotten lost with two of her age-mates on the way to the Gulf coast to take a cruise in which he wasn't interested. Kai, rootless and friendless except for two abandoned dogs, evacuates her endangered seacoast town and runs into the lost ladies, a church on the run from the storm, a handsome but enigmatic nephew of Donetta's, and a cat from the Lower Reaches of Hell. And will Donetta ever find out the long-ago story of the mysterious Macerio?

It's a heady, yummy brew. I thought it might dwell too much on the "escape from the hurricane" portion of the story (actually two intertwined stories), but the true crises come when the entire motley mob arrives in Daily, Texas.

It's a fully realized love story in both characters' points of view. Wingate has a flair for local language mannerisms that caught me from the first sentence. More importantly, she layers a story delicately, flavor by flavor, so that at the end she leaves the reader sighing in replete satisfaction.

My grade: A. I'm a picky eater/reader but found nothing that could be improved upon. All three of you blog readers know how rare that is! I heartily recommend it.

First Day of Spring - Where?

The weatherman claims the Vernal Equinox hit Chicago about 20 minutes ago. So, technically, astronomically, and meterologically it's spring.

Yeah, right. My back yard says differently. And this is NOT a black-and-white shot, folks -- it's full color.

Whatever happened to global warming? Bring a tiny piece back here, please.

Explanation Points

Just a housekeeping chore or two...

I don't accept anonymous comments, so those of you who've been posting them: I delete them all. If you have something to say here, give yourself an identity.

Just good 'net manners.

More Cover Wonderfulness!

Got my cover art for my April e-book release, DAMAGES, from Desert Breeze Publishing. I love it like whoa.

Desert Breeze just does an awesome job with covers. If you hit their website, www.desertbreezepublishing.com, you'll see what I mean on every page of the site.