If you’re a cat lover and need something to lift your spirits, here’s a
quick look at a pair of books you might have missed.
While one is brightly illustrated and the other is full of photos, each
is likely to leave you smiling.
“Cat vs. Human Fairy Tails” by Yasmine Surovec (Andrews McMeel, $14.95)
is a cute paperback collection of fairy tales drawn in a very simplistic,
cartoonish style.
Each story is briefly showcased, using great images of one to four panels
per page, creatively combining vivid colors and word balloons.
Surovec, who has a large web following with her blog, adroitly retells
ten favorite fairy tales, featuring furry felines as main characters or
having them playing pivotal parts in the plot.
“Rapunzel” alters the storyline a bit, with the bored and lonely heroine
lowering her long, braided hair only to find it full of kitties when she
beings it back up.
Later, she gets a major surprise when a prince appears, looking for his
beloved cats. Of course, there’s a purr-fect happy ending, but that’s the
way it should be.
Other tales include “Goldilocks”, with a kitten who prefers an empty box
over any bed choices, “Sleeping Beauty”, with unexpected results, and
“Jack and the Beanstalk”, a pretty seedy story.
Surovec has written/illustrated numerous highly entertaining books for
feline fans, including “Cat vs. Humans”, “Poems About Cats”, “My Pet
Human” and “I See Kitty”.
“Men with Cats” by New York photographer David Williams (Quirk Books,
$12.95) is subtitled “Intimate Portraits of Feline Friendship.”
It offers over 140 pages of sharp color photographs living up to the
title, usually with one page devoted to the image and an opposing one
with a brief explanation of their human/feline relationship.
Sometimes the people discuss how they acquired their cats; others talk
about their cat’s behavior or different attitudes and affections.
Many of the cats are photographed on laps or beds, a few are on top of
shoulders or furniture.
Cats are everywhere, in many different colors and types - inside,
outside, near fireplaces and outdoors.
The exceptionally talented photographer began his efforts on this book in
2009; he’d be smart to work on a companion volume: “Women with Cats.”
Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, has reviewed books
regularly since 1987. He has two cats, Parker and Callie.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Ray's Reviews: CATS!
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Ray's Reviews: A Most Curious Murder by Michigan Author Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Ray's Reviews: Devil's Grace by Local Author Karen Dean Benson
“Devil’s Grace” by Bath author Karen Dean Benson (Satin Romance, $15.95) is a compelling historical romance that’s subtitled “Renn Arelia’s Story.” Benson is a member of East Lansing’s MSUCC Creative Writing
Group.
It’s an intriguing debut novel, the first in her “Ladies of Mischief” series, set in the late 1700’s in England and Spain.
The well-designed 290-page trade paperback showcases eighteen-year-old, beautiful Renn Arelia Sheridan, who’s orphaned when her parents tragically drown in a carriage accident.
She enjoys teaching young children, but her new guardians, a duke and duchess, have other ideas. They tell her that her parents, who ran prosperous horse-breeding stables, left her nothing.
The pair have searched Renn’s room and the entire manor, looking for a valuable emerald locket. They put the location up for sale and dismiss the staff, forcing Renn to go with them to the ancestral Chippenham estate in London.
They have other devious plans for her, including an arranged marriage to a wealthy, obnoxious French Marquis.
When strong-willed Renn rebuffs the betrothal, she gets into real trouble; she quickly makes her escape into the dark night.
She’s almost run over by a carriage and is picked up by handsome Sebastian Navarre, Spanish Captain of “The Wind Devil”.
Renn is soon aboard his ship, wanting to dropped-off at Gravesend, where she plans to teach in an orphanage.
An unexpected romance occurs, the intrigue never stops and the swiftly-paced book soon becomes impossible to put down.
Benson’s terrific tale is full of well-developed characters, carefully-researched locales and settings, believable dialogue, dangerous threats and a brooding air of tension.
Her second volume in the series “Mission Song - Chenoa’s Story” (Satin Romance, $16.95) is a stand-alone novel that’s set in the 1830’s.
It follows the journey of a young woman who escapes the suffocating restrictions of a Boston convent, returning to Carmel, Alta California, where she was born.
As in Benson’s first book, there are many family secrets, unusual relationships, thwarted romance and violence; a nasty, vengeful character with evil intentions must be stopped.
“Mulberry Bend – Aisling’s Story”, the third entry in the series, set in the 1860’s, has numerous surprises as well; it’s scheduled for release later this summer.
More information is available at www.karendeanbenson.com.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Ray's Reviews: Double Tap by Peter McGarvey
If you’re looking for bizarre, adrenaline-charged entertainment, “Double Tap”, by Canadian author Peter McGarvey (Cliff House Publishing, $14.95) should certainly be on your reading list.
It is likely to have specialized appeal however, as the entertaining crime novel has many deadly scenes of violence and sexual overtones.
More than half of the characters end up as corpses in a variety of often-gruesome murder scenes – untraceable to the main characters Rip Hunter and his sidekick Wilma.
Operating as expensive contract killers out of Detroit, the deadly duo are quite successful, relying exclusively on recommendations from their many satisfied customers.
This well-researched trade paperback is laced with dark humor, focusing on the incredible and sometimes improbable lengths the psychopaths will go to get information.
Against his better judgment, Rip takes on an unusual assignment – track down the killers of a prominent Senator for the Senator’s daughter.
It’s odd because he already knows the answer – Rip and Wilma did the unsolved crime three years earlier; they have to dig much deeper to discover the source of the money given to the person who hired them.
Their crime-laden journey gets them into many hectic confrontations, including deadly action with mobsters, renegade bikers, crooked cops, a nasty prison guard, a satanic cult, sadistic reclusive billionaires, hungry alligators and much, much more.
Intriguing characters abound, including a clever therapist, power-driven inmates, assorted geniuses, other successful hitmen and a pretty drug-smuggler.
The action doesn’t take place only in Detroit; the blood-spattered tale begins in Switzerland and moves around the country with conflict in a Michigan prison, a whiteout snowstorm in Buffalo NY and a Class Four hurricane in Charleston SC.
Just when you think “What else can possibly go wrong?” something does – their use of a truth serum and a drone gets unexpected, often surprising results.
While the characters names are occasionally annoying, the carefully-concocted, convoluted plot has an ending that’s impossible to predict.
This is the second book in a series, following “Hair-Trigger”, where Rip and Wilma break their own rules and get into lots of trouble.
McGarvey is also the author of two books in the Molly Parsons series, “Dark Sunset” and “Bloody Sunset” starring a Michigan small-town police officer with a haunted past.
More information is available at www.petermcgarvey.com.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Ray's Reviews: Joseph Heywood's Buckular Dystrophy
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Ray's Reviews: Zigzag by Bill Pronzini
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Ray's Reviews: Revisionary by Jim C. Hines, Libriomancer / Magic Ex Libris Book #4
“Revisionary” by Holt author Jim C. Hines (DAW Books, $26) is the fourth book is his exceptionally popular Magic Ex Libris urban fantasy series.
It again showcases Libriomancer Issac Vainio, his not-exactly-a-girlfriend Lena, (who’s a dryad), Nidhi and his flame spider Smudge.
Vainio is a different role now, having revealed Magic to the world – but faces significantly more threatening challenges.
The action begins in Lansing in the first chapter, where the state’s Governor and Attorney General, both anti-Magic proponents, are killed - by werewolves.
But, before you get too far, it would definitely be a good idea to pick up and read the first three books in the series “Libriomancer”, “Codex Born” and “Unbound” before starting this one.
It’ll allow you to follow the growth and exciting experiences of Vainio, who was initially a meek librarian in Copper River MI.
Vainio is a member of the Porters - a secret organization whose members have the ability to reach into books and draw forth objects. There are limitations size-wise and otherwise – but it’s a fascinating concept.
As you may well imagine, one would have to be quite selective – using the wrong type of item could cause major chaos.
There have been few members of the group over the last five centuries for good reason – they don’t want their secret abilities to be known.
Vainio has changed all that – and the response from around the world has been intense and varied.
Government groups want to put potential supernatural enemies in prisons and internment camps – and other conspiracies abound.
Vanguard, an organization made up of magical creatures and ex-Porter members, wants to create havoc by declaring war on the real world.
The action really speeds up in the last third of the book, as Hines reveals a devious plan that will have life-changing results.
Long-time fans of this excellent, entertaining series will be disappointed that this is the last book in the series. Hines feels he’s accomplished his goals and wants to move on to other creative challenges.
The magical adventures of Vainio, Lena, Nidhi and Smudge will still offer fond, lingering memories for readers who’ve enjoyed one of the genre’s best contemporary urban fantasy series.
The author’s official website is jimchines.com.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Ray's Reviews: Poem Journey by Joyce Benvenuto
“Poem Journey” by Joyce Benvenuto (Thunder Bay Press, $17.95) is
subtitled “More Poems and Prose from along Old Grand River.”
This is a sequel to her first book of poetry, “A Grand River: Poems for
Michigan”, (Thunder Bay Press, $15.95) published in 2012.
But it’s more than just a sequel, Benvenuto has added many more vintage
photographs as well as sections of carefully-crafted prose.
It’s a small, well-designed 110-page hardback, with an intriguing cover
design made of colorful street signs of areas along the flowing Old Grand
River waterway or the winding Grand River Avenue.
Both books are organized similarly, following strands of history
geographically from Detroit to Grand Haven - and chronologically, from
early ancestors to present times.
Benvenuto skillfully combines fact and fiction in her myth-making, noting
in her brief introduction “Reader be warned: I am a storyteller.”
She describes many fond memories of her childhood, teen years and more
spent along the bustling roadway or quiet riverside.
Benvenuto also writes smoothly about assorted experiences in her Michigan
travels in relevant areas, dealing with friendships and encounters made
during her explorations and journeys.
One of the most fascinating sections is “Time”, involving a trip to
nearby Portland, to see if she and a friend might be able to locate a
long-and well-kept secret place – the burial site of Chief Okemos.
They face many challenges, as the location is not highly publicized as a
tourist attraction and is far off the beaten trail.
She discloses her not easily-duplicated method of discovery and shows
proof – a photograph that shows a memorial marker: “Grave of Okemos,
noted Chippewa Chief 1858 - Erected by the Daughters of the American
Revolution – 1921.”
Benvenuto offers enjoyable escapism, deftly using vivid imagery to make
the past come alive with superb visualization.
It is best to relax with both books, starting with the first, and savor
the words slowly – preferably under warm bedcovers or near the light of a
glowing fireplace.
The author is a Haslett resident and MSU graduate, having taught in the
Haslett Public Schools for 18 years and taught creative writing students.