Author Leslie Hachtel Talks About Why She Chose to Write About Romance

I invited romance author Leslie Hachtel for a visit to the DIY Mom Blog. Leslie is the author of over a dozen novels and I was curious about what made her choose to write in the romance genre. What she had to say was absolutely lovely! 

WHY ROMANCE?

Books offer us a way to explore anything we choose. We can time-travel or visit outer space. We can spend time with people who lived long before us or those that will be here long after. We can experience other cultures and learn just about anything. Books are a door to the universe.

I’ve often heard it said that romance is the “redheaded stepchild” of literature. I vehemently disagree.

Have you watched the news lately? It's full of one atrocity after another, of people being hurt in so many terrible ways, while stories of love and kindness are too rare.

In a world full of so much negativity, don't we all have a desire for better? Wouldn't we all like to have that "happily ever after"?

The everyday is sometimes so difficult and enervating and romance novels offer a special respite. They let us discover men and women who face hardship and come out on the other side, stronger and strengthened by love. They lift us higher and give us the one thing we need: Hope.

I think we need romance novels most of all now, which is why I keep writing, and reading, them.

                     



Leslie is the author of over a dozen romance novels. Her genres include historical, contemporary, romantic suspense and historical/paranormal since she loves them all. She lives in Florida with her fabulously supportive husband, Bob, and, of course, with Jakita, the terrier. 

#Bookshelfie Collage from My Weekend Adventure at the Dallas Half Price Book Store!

If you happen to find yourself in Dallas, I suggest a visit to the Half Price Bookstore! This place is AMAZING! 

This collage I created shows just a tiny sampling of what this place has to offer. 

c. 2018 Susan Barton

Monsterland Reanimated by Michael Okon Character Interview with Wyatt Baldwin with GIVEAWAY

Q: Readers were glad to know you survived the original Monsterland theme park. Did you have your doubts?

I was surrounded by werewolves, vampires, and zombies. I had a rifle pointed at my head. My best friend turned into a werewolf. Yes, to say the least, I had my doubts.

Q: What’s changed for you since you walked away from your near death experience in Monsterland?

Well, I know what happened to my father. Frankly, I’m even more confused now than I was before. Also, the world is in disarray. I need to find out what’s going on outside Copper Valley, but Carter and my mom won’t let me go. So annoying. Then there’s Jade. She’s not what I expected her to be.

Q: When we left you, you were a geeky high school senior. How are you different now?

I’ve decapitated a werewolf. I’ve grown a bit since my last days of whatever is left of school.

Q: Much of the world’s future now depends on you and your friends. Did you ever imagine you’d be put in such an important role?

Not in a million years. I have a long road ahead of me. I’m what most people call a Hero’s Journey. I’m just getting started, and the first thing I need to do, is find out what the hell is going on outside Copper Valley. Rumor is a slimy purple substance is sucking the life out of all the surrounding towns.

Q: On the lighter side of things, how are things going with Jade? Or can readers expect to read about a new love interest?

Um. So yeah. Jade. She’s um, changed a bit, and not the same girl I was expecting her to be. As for a new romance…well, I’m not at liberty to say…*wink, wink*

Michael Okon is a bestselling author and screenwriter. Monsterland Reanimated, Book Two in the Monsterland series, was just released on April 13, 2018 and promises to be bigger and badder than Book One. Michael invites readers to connect with him on his website. 

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

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Free to Kill by Julie Mellon is a GREAT First Book in a Gripping FBI Series - This Book is Currently FREE!

In "Free to Kill", FBI Agent Katie Freeman is recently reassigned from Louisiana to Tennessee when she’s immediately tasked with investigating the horrific death of a local woman. 

Katie and her hunky partner Michael must wade through the mounting evidence to find the sadistic killer before he kidnaps and kills again.

I liked this book. It had all the elements I look for in a suspenseful murder mystery. I enjoyed following the FBI’s investigative procedures and learning about Katie and Michael’s backgrounds. The story moves along at a nice, brisk pace without any annoying story speed bumps to slow things down. 

I had just two minor criticisms: The first was that Katie is supposed to have been raised in a sheltered environment, yet in just a few weeks her mother’s friend is able to get Katie set with a driver’s license and other government paperwork – far too quick to be believable. The second was the sometimes-stilted dialogue, where people spoke without using contractions. It wasn’t done consistently enough to be unbearable, but it was done often enough for me to notice.

One last thing I’d say about the graphic nature of the kidnappings and killing here, since some reviewers expressed that it was a deal breaker for them. Yes, there was some mention of medieval style torture, but it was brief and not overly descriptive. I think it was actually necessary to some degree. It added an extra layer to the story and eventually led Katie and Michael to the killer.

This book kept me entertained and reading along, and I finished in less than a day. I liked Katie and Michael’s characters, and the author’s writing enough to be willing to read more books in this series.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

*This book is currently FREE on Amazon so grab it while you can!

Book Review of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I'm happy to say that I've had the pleasure of reading another 5 star book on the PBS The Great American Read list. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an excellent classic and I highly recommend it. 

My book review is below. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts! 

Andalusian shepherd boy Santiago sells his sheep and leaves his home in Spain to find buried treasure near the Pyramids after he has a prophetic dream. Along the way, he meets a gypsy, a king, a beautiful girl and an alchemist. Several obstacles complicate his journey, which causes Santiago to doubt himself and his quest. Yet, as he perseveres, he finds much more about the treasures of the heart than any material riches he could have ever imagined.

I loved this book. It’s an allegory that’s filled with lovely, rich imagery and a powerfully important message: You must be willing to be an active participant in your destiny (Personal Legend) even when it means stepping out of your own comfort zone.

The wording is simple, yet poignant. The book is short, but there is much to learn here. I can see why The Alchemist is a classic book that has been translated into many languages over the years. The allegories within the story are used brilliantly – the sheep, the treasure, and the alchemy all have alternate meanings.

There is a spiritual (religious?) slant to The Alchemist, and one that I didn’t mind, but some people might. I certainly didn’t feel that it was overdone and I can say that it didn’t overpower the story. This is a book that I’d highly recommend reading!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a Beautiful, Important and Timeless Classic

Finally, my Great American Read slump is over! I was able to grab a copy of Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" at my local library's sale for just $1... what a find this was. 

I loved this book and can't say enough wonderful things about it. Have you read it? Feel free to comment below. I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

It’s early 1900s in rural West Florida and Janie Crawford is a light-skinned African American sixteen year old when we first meet her. She lives with her grandmother, who has some very definite ideas about how Janie should live her life, and this includes whom Janie should marry. Over the years, and over the course of two marriages, we see Janie grow up and struggle to come into her own. It’s only during her third marriage to the charismatic, adventurous Tea Cake that we see Janie finally grow and thrive as an active participant in her own life.

I finished this book several days ago and decided to let the story marinate in my mind before I wrote my thoughts. I knew I loved Their Eyes Were Watching God, but I just wanted to be sure that I understood why I loved it.

At the heart of this beautiful, tender, gripping novel is the story of a young woman who is not at all content living someone else’s life, yet readers are given small glimpses of the strong, intelligent woman Janie truly is. To me, Janie’s life mirrors some of the struggles that so many women face in life. The author’s use of symbolism in her prose to describe the differences and similarities between men and women is nothing short of poetry.

I know that many readers have found the vernacular dialect in Their Eyes difficult, if not almost impossible, to read and understand. While it did slow me down somewhat, I do think it was a brilliant way for the author to tell the story in two distinctly separate voices. I urge anyone who has given up on the book for this reason to try again. It really doesn’t take long to begin to understand the slang and regional dialect and it is so worth the little added effort.

The story begins shortly after Emancipation and the author doesn’t shy away from broaching the topic of race and equality. The author is an expert at subtly weaving the topic of racism within the book’s passages. Mrs. Turner’s racism against darker skinned blacks and Nanny’s rape are just two examples. Yet race is not the main topic in Their Eyes. The book focuses much more on gender inequality, Janie, and her life as an African-American woman living in the South during that time. This is an important, timeless classic. I’d encourage anyone to read it.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - No Review Here, Folks... This Was a DNF for Me

I refuse to go in depth into the many reasons why I deeply disliked this book other than to say these few brief things:

I wanted to like Things Fall Apart. I really did, but I just couldn't get past Chapter 7. The author may have written about African tribal culture at that time, but beating women, slavery and beheading innocent children just wasn't on my reading tasks for today or on any day for that matter. 

Aside from the horrific stories, the storytelling itself was emotionless, stagnant and stilted. In other words, BORING. 

Note to PBS's The Great American Read list: You are NOT the literary boss of me. It's time for me to get much more selective in my reading choices. So there. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon Book Review and Intense Criticism

Up next on my Great American Read TBR list we have the much acclaimed book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. I've come to the point where I'm starting to really wonder how PBS came up with this list of America's 100 most loved novels. I know they've said that "readers" voted for these books, but I'd love to know how, where and when. I'm on my third negative review in a row and I'm starting to get incredibly discouraged. 

Oh, this book... I had SO MANY issues with it. If you're a big fan of Curious Incident you may want to look away because I'm about to really blast it with criticism. I'm just glad I only paid $1 for this one at my local library's book sale. Feel free to add your comments below my review. 

Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone discovers his neighbor’s dead dog Wellington one night while he’s roaming the streets of his town. He decides to find out who murdered the dog and simultaneously sets out to write a book about his detective work.

Okay, we all know the idea behind this story. Although there is never any specific mention of Christopher being on the Autism spectrum within the story, readers are led to the conclusion that Christopher is indeed Autistic and most likely has Asperger’s Syndrome (an earlier book cover specifically mentions Asperger’s). And here in lies one of the biggest issues I had with this book.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) varies greatly in severity, skill set, behavioral characteristics, disability levels, etc. I couldn’t help but feel the author grabbed a hodgepodge of symptoms and decided that Christopher should have every one of them. In fact, Asperger’s, in particular, is one of the mildest forms of the disorder and hence symptoms are not nearly as pronounced as Christopher’s are in this book.

Interestingly, one of the first pages states, “As a young man, Haddon worked with autistic individuals”, which is a rather vague statement. Yet the author himself admits in a 2009 post on his blog that he “knows little about the subject”  and that he read some newspaper articles before writing the book. In this same post he goes on to state that he regrets the earlier “Asperger’s” mention on the original book cover. Apparently, he was backtracking several years after the book's publication. As a reader, I really had to wonder why that was.

If the author really wished to dispel the idea that this story is not “about a boy with autism who sets out to solve the murder of a neighbor's dog and discovers unexpected truths about himself and the world,” as the Amazon book description states and is instead “a novel whose central character describes himself as ‘a mathematician with some behavioral difficulties,” as he’s posted on his blog he might want to change the original Amazon page info. I’m sure he’s already made plenty of money from this endeavor. He also seems to have convinced an awful lot of people that Christopher is an accurate portrayal of someone with Autism. 

Although the book has been praised by many and has even been turned into a Broadway hit, with an autistic actor playing the lead, the consensus among people who have not gotten their ASD information from a newspaper article is that this book is gimmicky and does not at all portray ASD accurately. All one needs to do is read the dozens and dozens of one star reviews, many of which were written by people either on the spectrum or related to someone with the disorder.

Then we have the problem with narration. Yes, we get it that Christopher is Autistic and struggles with everyday tasks. But do we really want to read the 200+ pages of his rambling account of, well, everything? And by everything, I mean tons of passages filled with asides, graphics, charts and figures that lend absolutely nothing to the story. The minutia was painful for me to slog through. 

Lastly, and I really have to wonder why few people even bother to mention this, the adults in this book are truly psychotic. Christopher’s parents are abusive, terrible psychopaths. How in the world can anyone call this a heartwarming and funny tale? The ending was a ridiculous copout with no real resolution. It was like the author either didn’t know how to end the story or he’d had enough of it as much as I had.

It goes to show that if you have a gimmick you can sell anything to the masses. If it weren’t for the fact that I feel the author does a real disservice to anyone with ASD or loves someone with ASD I’d say more power to him. He made his money off an often-misunderstood disability and in my opinion that’s shameful.

1 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Book Review

My Great American Read TBR quest continues with F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 classic "The Great Gatsby". This is a super short book and has certainly garnered much praise over the decades. Was I as impressed as many other readers have been? Below is my book review. As always, feel free to chime in with your comments!

My Half Price Books Version of The Great Gatsby

Nick Carraway arrives in West Egg Village, Long Island in the spring of 1922 from his hometown in the Midwest. He rents a modest house that sits among extravagant mansions and soon becomes immersed in the lives of several of the mansions’ inhabitants.

Through Nick’s eyes and POV, we meet Jay Gatsby, who, for the past five years, has molded himself into the man he thinks Daisy Buchanan desires. To Gatsby, Daisy is the one who got away and he’s determined to get a second chance no matter the cost. Although Daisy is now a mother, married to Tom Buchanan, Gatsby’s scheme to insert himself into the lives of the Buchanans soon materializes, but with tragic consequences.

I read this book in high school, which admittedly was a very long time ago and I had trouble recollecting much of what I’d read way back then. Therefore, reading it this time was like reading it for the first time and I’m afraid I wasn’t nearly as impressed with The Great Gatsby as many people seem to be.

Raymond Chandler said of Fitzgerald’s writing, “He had one of the rarest qualities in all literature – charm.” And yes, I’d have to agree. I did find the writing in The Great Gatsby to be charming with regards to prose, setting, atmosphere and symbolism. I even enjoyed some of the dialogue. In particular, I loved Daisy’s remembered words after the birth of her daughter, “All right… I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” That was page 16 and I immediately thought this is going to be insightful and deep. This just might go somewhere great. But then I read on and was dismayed to find that that one line pretty much summed up Daisy’s mindset throughout the book.

I found I had the same opinion that many other critics have had about The Great Gatsby: the main characters are incredibly unlikeable. Tom Buchanan is a violent, racist, misogynist with not one single redeeming quality. Daisy is a wishy-washy, rich, beautiful little fool of a girl without a conscience. As for Nick I didn't think he functioned just as the story’s POV character. He was no innocent bystander. In my opinion, he was a willing participant and collaborator who, although remained a faithful friend to Gatsby until the very end, was annoyingly complacent in the face of violence and murder. Not only did I find the characters unlikeable, I thought they were extremely one-dimensional. None of the characters change. They are exactly the same at the end as they were in the beginning. The book is short and the events take place over just a three-month spam, which doesn’t leave much room for character or plot development. Fitzgerald may or may not have designed things this way. I certainly couldn’t figure it out.

In the end, The Great Gatsby was one of those classic books I was glad I read simply so I could say that I did. I honestly don’t feel any better or worse off for having done so.

2.5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

“Why I MUST Listen to Music When I Write” Author Guest Post By Michael Phillip Cash

I love music. Always have. To me, music helps me focus, which is super advantageous while working. I always have music playing while I write. I find that it puts me in a productive writing mood. I also enjoy switching things up, according to my current mood and genre.

I’m not alone in my music listening while working habit. Studies show that listening to music that you enjoy while working actually releases those feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. This relaxes you and increases focus better on a task at hand. Even complex tasks can be benefit from background music. Think about the surgeon who has Bach playing during a surgical procedure and you’ll know it’s a widely respected fact.

Believe it or not, I love listening to classic film soundtracks while writing fantasy, and they don’t necessarily have to be related to Sci-Fi films either. I’m pretty eclectic in my music tastes. My go-to favorites are:

• Star Wars by John Williams
• Shaft by Isaac Hayes
• Blade Runner by Vangelis
• 2001 by Stanley Kubrick
• Singing in the Rain by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown

I’ve found that listening to music makes a hugely positive impact on my writing. Give it a try and you will too!

About Michael Phillip Cash

Michael Phillip Cash is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. His novel The Battle for Darracia is a three-part saga and is available on Amazon.

Michael’s novels are best-sellers on Amazon under their genres – Young Adult, Thriller, Suspense, Ghost, Action Adventure, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance and Horror. Michael writes full-time and lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wonderful wife and screaming children. You can follow him @michaelpcash or connect with him via his website.

*DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD AND FREE SIGNED COPIES OF "THE BATTLE FOR DARRACIA".

The Great American Read Quest Continues with Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya Book Review and Thoughts

My quest to read as many of the 100 books on The Great American Read list continues with Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, which is a book that was originally written in 1972 and at one time was banned in several U.S. states.

I grabbed a copy from my local library. My copy was the 1999 edition and truth be told it was an absolute wreck. It was filled with scribbles, underlined words and rips. I'm definitely going to bring the condition of this book to the attention of the librarian. They might want to purchase a replacement copy. In any event, below is my book review and thoughts. 

Wreck of a Book from the Local Library

Bless Me, Ultima follows the life, culture and family of six-year-old Antonio (Tony) Marez and picks up immediately before Ultima comes to stay with the Marez family. Ultima follows the ways of the curandera, aka shaman healer, and teaches Tony many mystical things. Along the way, hardship, strife, violence, death and disaster strike several of the book’s characters.

As stated, I’ve decided to make my way through the PBS Great American Read book list and chose Bless Me, Ultima because it intrigued me and enticed me, and because my family is from Mexico. There are far too few books written by Chicanos and this one had seemed to ruffle enough feathers to cause it to be banned at one time. I wanted to know why and I can only surmise the reasons.

There is a LOT of violence in this book. In my opinion, Antonio’s schoolmates behaved more like animals than like children. There seems to be little parental/adult influence going on. For example, Tony is viciously pummeled by a gang of his “friends” just prior to entering the church to receive his first holy communion and he simply gets up, brushes himself off and goes about his business. No one notices? No broken ribs after literally being pounced on? In addition to the repeated violence, I also questioned a number of other elements in this “children’s book”. Prostitution in a children’s book just didn’t sit well with me.

Bless Me, Ultima, to me, read like a book that couldn’t decide what genre it wanted to be. Was it a children’s story? Was it written as a YA? Was it fantasy? Were readers really supposed to believe that  the fantastical magical happenings had actually occurred? Were we also to believe that a six year old (what age Tony was by the end of the book wasn’t quite clear since the timeline seemed so muddled) would be capable of having such deep theological meanderings running through his head? I found it highly unlikely that such a young child would come up with the philosophical/religious questions that six (or seven, eight or nine) year old Tony had.

If I’m to be completely honest, I wasn’t at all happy with the way Chicanos were portrayed in this book. Maria Marez’s cries of “Ave Maria Purisima” at the drop of a hat were overdone. For the most part, the characters were depicted as uneducated, ignorant and superstitious. They were supposed to be devout Catholics, but they turned to mysticism and magic much more often than they turned to God. 

Readers should know that this book contains a great deal of Spanish that is not translated. It’s fine to have characters using traditional dialect, but it would have been so much better if the author would have inserted the translations here and there so that non-Spanish speakers could understand. Admittedly, my Spanish is awful. I feel I missed out on a lot of the dialogue because of this… although I was painfully aware of the repeated swearing throughout the book.

There are so many other things I took issue with in Bless Me, Ultima, but I don’t intend to turn a book review into an essay/thesis. I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d expected I would, but I honestly felt let down in the end.

2 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and Free Signed Books During The Battle for Darracia by Michael Phillip Cash Author Guest Post Hop Giveaway!

Author Michael Phillip Cash is excited to offer readers a super easy and affordable way to catch up on all three books in his The Battle for Darracia SciFi series. As his way to say thanks to his loyal fans, he's giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and signed print copies of his book.

Readers are encouraged to enter the giveaway throughout the June 4 - June 8 Author Guest Post Hop. You can also connect with Michael on his website and on his Amazon Author Page to stay updated on the latest Darracia news!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Entry in the PBS Series The Great American Read

After watching the recent PBS eight-part series, The Great American Read, I had a look at the list of America’s Best Loved Novels. The 100 books on the list were chosen in a national survey (darn, how did I miss being part of that survey?). I was surprised at just how many of those 100 books I hadn’t yet read. My mission? To read as many of those 100 books as I can before the series concludes this fall.

Upfront I’ll say that I don’t intend to read every single book on the list. Some books just don’t interest me and I won’t force myself to read something if I don’t find it appealing. For example, I’d rather gauge my eyes out than force myself to read 50 Shades of Grey (apologies to die-hard fans).

Rather than parting with over $2,000, because after all that’s how much 100 books would cost nowadays and I do prefer print copies, I’ve turned to my trusty local library. They might not always have the latest edition of the book, but they almost always have an edition. To begin my own Great American Read I’ve started with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for no other reason than it sounded like the quirky sort of thing I’d enjoy.

My 2002 Edition Library Copy

Arthur Dent is having a REALLY bad day. He wakes up to find bulldozers in his yard, poised to demolish his house to make way for a new freeway. As if that’s not bad enough, his friend Ford takes him to the local pub so he can break the news that the end of the world is only minutes away. Apparently, the Earth must be destroyed to make way for a new galactic freeway.

Fortunately, Ford is an alien researcher, who has been living on Earth for the last fifteen years, gathering information for an updated version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and he knows how to hitchhike his way through outer space. Ford whisks Arthur away and the two of them journey through space. Along with two fellow travelers and a clinically depressed robot, Arthur and Ford get into all sorts of wacky adventures.

Snazzier, Newer 2007 Edition

This book is quite short, especially as far as Science Fiction novels go. I didn’t expect it to take me as long as it did to get through it. Not that it was bad, but because it was filled with tons of odd and bizarre elements, names, terms, etc. Silly me, I thought I might have to remember some of these oddities later on. 

I found that this book was full of ebbs and flows, in that it peaked here and dragged a bit there. One minute we were on a journey filled with quite funny, dry humor and the next we were being bombarded with downright silliness. I didn’t expect non-stop hilarity, but I really wanted more of the humor and less of the gobbledygook nonsense. More than once, I wondered if the author had turned to some sort of chemical enhancement while writing. *Some reports state that Adams came up with the original idea for the book while in a drunken stupor at the age of 18. 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has managed to garner zillions of fans since its release in 1979, but to be perfectly honest I wasn’t overly impressed with it. Am I any better or any worse for having read it? Not really. Am I glad I read it and can now say that I have? I guess so. Do I feel compelled to read the rest of the series? Probably not. It wasn't fabulous and it wasn’t awful. I guess that’s the most I can say about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

3 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Next on my list, Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

Bedtime Stories for Kids by Uncle Amon is Another Excellent Book Deal!

Bedtime Stories for Kids: 5 Cute Short Stories to Read Aloud at Bedtime by Uncle Amon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars






Bedtime Stories for Kids is a collection of five terrific tales for kids. Included are:

• Teddy Bear
• Pablo’s Dream Job
• Katie Caterpillar
• Oliver, The Sweet Dreams Owl
• Julie’s New Home

What more can I possibly say about Uncle Amon’s books that I haven’t already said in my previous reviews? I love these books. They’re perfect for beginning readers and enjoyable for toddlers to have read to them.

As usual, Uncle Amon includes a valuable gift inside this book. There’s a link to download the book “3 Books for Children” right at the start of this book. This makes Bedtime Stories for Kids a super value.

Each story is engaging and entertaining. The illustrations at the beginning of each story are cute and colorful. I can’t say enough positive things about Uncle Amon’s book series. Readers can certainly get a lot of entertainment from one download!

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton

View all my reviews

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell DIY Mom Book Review and Reader Warning

Oh, dear, how I hate when I believe the hype about a book and go out of my way to read it. I'd seen the rave reviews for Then She Was Gone and nearly rushed out to buy it. I have to say that I'm glad I decided to borrow the book from my local library instead. I was that disappointed.

There's no denying that Then She Was Gone is super popular at the moment. My library request was on hold for weeks before the book became available and I could at long last dive in. I read it in a day, not because it was good, but because I wanted to get it done and over with so I could give it a fair and honest review.

Let me just say upfront that I HATE giving a book a bad review. This is an author's life we're talking about here and it takes tons of courage to put yourself out there for all to see. Yet, as a book reviewer, it's important for me to be as honest as possible when it comes to my book reviews. Clearly, my book reviews reflect my opinions. Some readers might love the book, I just couldn't get there. So here goes...

Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog 

Ellie Mack was a fifteen year old girl when she mysteriously disappeared without a trace on her way to the library. Everyone who knew her was impressed with the beautiful and intelligent teen, especially her mother Laurel. Ten years go by and Laurel’s life hasn’t advanced much, even though her remaining two children and now ex-husband have managed to moved on, Laurel remains stuck. Police seem to have written Ellie off as a runaway. Her mother knows better. 

When new evidence is discovered, the pain of having lost her golden child is a reopened wound for Laurel. When she meets charismatic and distinguished Floyd, Laurel is smitten. Despite repeated warning signs, Laurel finds herself delving deeper into a fast-moving relationship with Floyd and his precocious, and truly odd nine year old daughter Poppy, who happens to look eerily like Ellie.

I decided to put a hold on this book at my local library, just in case. I’ve been duped by raving reviews before and I’m tired of plunking down nearly thirty bucks just to end up being disappointed. So glad I turned to the library for this one.

“More than a whiff of The Lovely Bones wafts through this domestic noir…,” touts Publishers Weekly. I can agree there’s a whiff of something here, but it’s certainly not The Lovely Bones, which is a truly fantastic and beautifully written story. Then She Was Gone doesn’t even come close to the quality of Alice Sebold’s beloved book.

Then She Was Gone was all over the place. POV, tense, time – it all bounced from place to place and I honestly found that the author spoke in the same voice regardless of whose POV I was reading. The majority of the book was written in present tense, which I HATE. I almost stopped reading for that reason alone. In fact, I soon found that my one motivation to continue reading was so I could write a proper book review to warn other readers.

This book, as so many other readers have mentioned, is extremely sad and dark, Dark, DARK. So bizarrely, disgustingly dark I really had to wonder about the author’s mindset. She even mentions at the end of the book that she knew the book was bizarre and apparently, her editors agreed to the point that they proposed a suggestion that “was indeed radical”. I shudder to think what the book was before this “radical change” was made.

Laurel’s character was completely and utterly unlikable. In fact, the phrase dumber than a box of rocks comes to mind. All clues point to some very dastardly doings, but Laurel plows ahead full on with her new relationship with Floyd and the odd little Poppy. And the way Laurel treated and spoke to her family was appalling. She literally had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I never once felt any compassion for her. On the other hand, I was heartbroken for Ellie.

I figured out the What very, very early on in the book. There was absolutely no suspenseful buildup as promised. I just didn’t quite get the How as soon. I do have to say that when we discover the How it ends up being only slightly less disgusting than the How I had begun to imagine in this dysfunctional mess.

If I read one more book about some mess of a nutcase woman who goes around destroying everyone else around her because she’s just that darn self-centered and broken I think I’ll scream. The only thing that surprised me here was that the author and publisher didn’t title this book Then THE GIRL Was Gone.

1 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

The Underground Toy Society Saves Peggy by Jessica D. Adams DIY Mom Book Review

Janice was a little girl who desperately wanted a baby doll for Christmas, so she asked Santa for one in her Dear Santa letter. Janice is thrilled when she receives her new baby doll, Peggy, under the Christmas tree. Janice and Peggy are inseparable as Janice is growing up. But, as is often the case with children and their toys, Peggy is set aside in favor of other interests and activities, until one day when she’s inadvertently left behind.

The Underground Toy Society Saves Peggy is a sweet story of a little girl and her beloved baby doll, told from the doll’s perspective. It’s clear that the author is relating the story of her own life and her mother's doll Peggy, and the love shines through beautifully. How wonderful that she has these loving memories of her dear mother and is willing to share them with readers.

I LOVED the illustrations in this book. They’re adorable drawings, created by the author’s two daughters (I’m assuming, from what's included on the book description page). What a lovely way to get the entire family involved in this labor of love. There’s even a photo of the famous Peggy at the end of the book and the cover is Janice and Peggy sitting happily together. 

This is the second book I’ve read by Jessica Adams and I have to say she has quite a creative imagination. Her stories are thoughtful, sweet and endearing. I'll definitely read more from this author!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

DIY Mom Blog Book Review of Edelaine's Folly: Book One of the Idoramin Chronicles by Morigan Shaw

Cali is a resourceful, clever girl who lives a carefree farm life in Edelaine with her loving parents Bethal and Erwin. Everything changes when a yet unknown evil unexpectedly swoops in and leaves death and destruction in its wake.

Cali is understandably devastated, but she quickly finds there’s no time to dwell on her losses. She jumps into action and claims her destiny and the family legacy she never knew she had.

Edelaine’s Folly,Book One is a wonderful, action-packed adventure for youngsters as well as adults. I was initially drawn to this book because of the gorgeous, colorful cover and I’m glad I decided to download it. 

The book started ever so slightly slow and I wondered where the author was planning to take the story. However, I realized that this was her way of laying the groundwork for what was to come. I feel it was a clever way to fully introduce readers to the character of Cali and the land of Edelaine. 

As I’ve said many times before in my book reviews, I LOVE books that place female characters in strong, important roles and Edelaine’s Folly definitely does this. This series is an excellent way to encourage young girls to begin reading fantasy books. Although the main protagonist is female, I genuinely feel that boys will enjoy reading this book as well. There’s plenty of action, adventure and strong supporting male characters here too.

This is definitely a series worth getting into and I intend to continue reading on! 

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman DIY Mom's Book Review and Thoughts

Since I’ve recently discovered a fondness for the Harry Potter book series, I’ve made it a goal to search out other fantasy books. I’m not sure I’d call Neil Gaiman a true fantasy author per se, since his books really do seem to run the gamut as far as genre, but his books are definitely… let’s say.. out there. 

I’ve had The Graveyard Book in my Audible library for years. Yes, years, from when I still had an Audible account. I could just never seem to listen to the entire book (or any book) all the way to the end – through no fault of the book at all. I just don’t seem to be able to stay connected when listening to a book. My mind begins to wander and before I know it, I’ve missed several chapters of a book. 

From the little I was able to store in my ADD brain, The Graveyard Book was pretty interesting. So interesting that I decided to go out and purchase it at Half Price Books, only because I couldn’t find it at any of my local libraries. How dare they. So I plunked down 8.99 for a ten year old, less than perfect book because I was that determined to read it. For those interested to know my feelings on Half Price Books, I’m not impressed with their habit of paying consumers pennies on the dollar for their used books, but then selling said books at a premium.

So, back to The Graveyard Book. It’s a story about a baby who narrowly escapes being slaughtered by a mysterious man named Jack. His parents and older sister aren’t so lucky. The baby manages to climb quietly out of his crib and toddle his way to the local graveyard, where Mr. and Mrs. Owens, two of the graveyard's inhabitants, discover him. They decide to “adopt” the boy and name him Nobody, Bod for short. Silas is tasked with Bod’s guardianship because he can come and go from the graveyard, since he’s neither dead nor alive (can you guess what Silas is?). Bod grows up in the graveyard and becomes friends with the dead, is given Freedom of the Cemetery, learns how to Fade, pals around with a witch, and has a brief but unsuccessful stint at school.

Illustrations by Dave McKeon

The Graveyard Book was interesting enough to keep me reading. It’s not long and contains some spooky looking loose sketches that I found fit the book nicely. I had my doubts about the slaughtering-the-family business at the beginning. This is a children’s book after all and I wondered if that might be a bit intense for some youngsters. It certainly isn’t told in a graphic manner and doesn’t go on for too long, but the entire book is fairly dark in subject matter. Just something for parents to be aware of I suppose.

Gaiman gives a nod to Rudyard Kipling at the end of the book and many readers might recognize The Graveyard Book's similarities to Kipling’s Jungle Book. Retellings are always popular and Gaiman has definitely taken the idea and uniquely spun it.

Source: Amazon.com

Gaiman seems to be one of those writers who bounce around when it comes to genres. After reading The Graveyard Book I decided to begin reading American Gods, which is definitely NOT a children’s book. I couldn’t get past the second chapter. I knew early on that the book just wasn’t for me.

I would, however, recommend reading The Graveyard Book and can give it a solid five stars. It’s short and entertaining enough to keep kids and adults interested.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant is thirty and lives a regimented and simple, single and solitary life. Every day is the same as the day before for Eleanor and she prefers it that way. She doesn’t socialize at work or outside and spends the weekends listening to radio programs or reading books whose covers have caught her attention at the library, regardless of their subject matter. The only other person she speaks regularly to is her abusive Mummy.

When Eleanor’s computer goes on the fritz, she’s forced to contact Raymond, the firm’s new IT employee, who insists on being chatty and walking her to the bus stop. Unfortunately, elderly Sammy has taken a tumble on the street. Raymond quickly rushes to his aid and convinces reluctant Eleanor to help as well. Despite her need to remain anonymous, Eleanor slowly finds herself drawn to Raymond and his mother, and to Sammy and his large family.

It’s rare that I can zip through a book in a day, but when I do, I know it’s because I’m absolutely in love with it. While there’s some undeniably depressing and tragic subject matter in Eleanor Oliphant, there are many, MANY truly delightful breaks of sunshine and happiness.

I adored Gail Honeyman’s writing. Deadpan, dry, yet highly intelligent humor, to me, is hilarious and there is definitely tons of it here. It’s not often that I literally laugh aloud while reading a book (especially in public) but I did several times while reading this one. Ms. Honeyman’s sense of humor is classic.

The characters are wonderfully genuine and realistically flawed. My heart ached for Eleanor. I know what it’s like to endure abuse and how it can destroy your spirit. Yet I also know that you can’t let that pain consume you, and that it’s okay to trust people again. 

This is touching, quirky and spectacularly splendid reading! I absolutely cannot say enough good things about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and I can’t wait for the movie to come out.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

The Dark is Rising Children’s Fantasy Book Series by Susan Cooper - Mixed Feelings and Reviews

Since becoming immersed in the wonderful world of Harry Potter I’ve found myself searching for similar books to read. Someone mentioned Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series on a Harry Potter Goodreads thread so I decided to try them. I found that I had mixed feelings about the series and wanted to share them with readers.

Naturally, I began with Book One, Over Sea, Under Stone, which is the tale of Simon, Jane and Barney Drew, three siblings on holiday in historic Cornwall with their parents and mysterious Great Uncle Merry. The children discover an ancient map they eventually come to believe leads to a long lost grail, which is said to be one of the keys to fighting the powers of the Dark. The children embark on a perilous journey to save humanity from evil.

I had so much trouble getting into this book that I stopped after seventy-five or so pages. It was slow moving and uninteresting to the point that I thought I was done completely with the series. When I posted my disappointment with the book on Instagram, I was told by a fellow Bookstagrammer that she too had had trouble with Book One, but she advised that I not give up on the series. She suggested I begin again with Book Two, The Dark is Rising, which she assured me was far better. I did and she was right.

The Dark is Rising (which I couldn’t quite understand why Book Two is the namesake of the entire series…In my mind this would have been better suited for the title of Book One) centers around young Will Stanton, who on his eleventh birthday becomes aware that he is the last of the Old Ones – immortal protectors of Good against Dark. With the help and guidance of the original Old One, Merriman Lyon, Will must collect all six of the Circle of Signs – Wood, Bronze, Iron, Fire, Water and Stone – which must be joined together to help him fight the powers of the Dark.

Book Two was incredibly entertaining and compelling – far better than Book One and I’m happy that I listened to the advice of my fellow book lover. I enjoyed the characters, plot and non-stop action in this one. The relationship between Will and Merriman was wonderful. I was so encouraged to keep reading that I went on to Book Three.

Book Three, Greenwitch, brings the characters from Book One and Book Two together. It’s much shorter than the first two installments and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Book Two. Here’s the thing with these books, and I’ve noticed this popping up in reviews – adults seem to enjoy this series, but children aren’t nearly as impressed. Susan Cooper began writing the series in the 1960s and the dialogue and subject matter is definitely dated. I wondered if this could be part of the reason today’s children are finding the series slow and boring (as indicated by some of the “kid” reviews I’ve read). I can only speculate on this of course. 

Ultimately, I would definitely recommend reading the second book in the series – The Dark is Rising. It's the book that the movie The Seeker was based upon. I feel this particular book is written in a way that it can stand alone and you don’t necessarily have to read any of the others. But, of course, if you do enjoy this one as much as I did then reading the other books in the series is a definite option.

Have you read this series? What did you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!