Book Review for Lucky Stars,

The first novel in the Alice Luck Series.

After listening to H. Claire Taylor's audiobook series, The Killhaven Police, I was ready to devour more of her work.

What a kick! Claire has a knack for good storytelling, wit, sarcasm and satire. This is the first book in her new series, The Alice Luck Space Adventures.

This was an easy and fun read, following Alice (a bit of a slacker from Texas) who accepts/gets roped into a new job. Little does she know…

 Like Arthur Dent in the HHGTTG, Alice is on a spaceship, heading through a time/space warp with a small crew who are totally confused why she is there with them. Alice is just as clueless. Except for her smart mouth, she has no discernable talents.

 They have a definite, though bizarre, mission, and the clock is ticking. Apparently, Alice was chosen for her part because of her yet unorthodox way of thinking as a homegrown Texan. But no one, not even Alice, can figure out what her value is to the operation.

 There will be rewards if they accomplish their mission. Failure means living out eternity on a completely boring planet. The on-board computer has the personality of a dirty old man throwing out sexual innuendos at every opportunity. The ship's holographic therapist supplies the wisdom of the Dali Lama, or Mr. Spock, or the robot from Lost in Space. The rest of the characters are well-defined, consistent and easy to envision.

 References to Alice and her Texas lifestyle are hilarious (Hog wrestling, anyone?). Lots of salty language, so not for the prude or readers sensitive to a little swearing. I certainly laughed my ass off. This story was a great escape, a perfect way to end the day with some bedtime reading. I have the greatest respect for Claire’s imagination and writing chops!

 I'm now starting the second book in this series and already loving it too. I highly recommend!Enjoy, and you’re welcome.

October 2020 Book Review: Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait, by K.A. Bedford

Never heard of this book before it appeared on my ‘recommended’ list.  The title intrigued me, and what inspired me to pick this book was the cover; brilliant! Is it science fiction, a murder mystery, comedy or drama? It was quite an enjoyable witty and sarcastic read full of the paradoxes of time travel. The author does not portray this as a serious work of science fiction. It is more about the character than the science.

This is Australian humor, similar to British, witty and more than a touch of sarcasm. It takes place in Perth, Australia, centered in the year 2027  but/and since it involves time travel machines, it also takes place over various time periods. It’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Back to the Future, with a sprinkling of Philip K. Dick. 

 Time travel has become a popular vacation activity as anyone with enough money can now own their own machine. The government Department of Time and Space (DOTAS) has set rules about non-interference, or view only restrictions for such popular events as the crucifixion or the Kennedy assignation.

 Our main character, Spider Webb, is a talented time machine repairman whose life has fallen into a semi-miserable existence after losing his job as a policeman. Spider hates time travel, avoiding it when not absolutely necessary, but it’s sometimes part of the biz. When he’s called to look at a second-hand time machine, there is a problem he can’t figure out. The machine goes back to the shop, and a team from the manufacturer is brought in to help diagnose. They set up a special tent which creates its own universe inside. Not only do they find that there are two identical machines residing in the same space, one of them has a corpse. DOTAS immediately confiscates the whole affair. Spider’s old cop senses kick in. And thus begins the adventure.

 Soon after, Spider is visited by various future versions of himself who’ve traveled back in time to warn him about his future or help him in the present as he tries to figure who the murdered woman in the time machine is. He is also trying to prevent his ex-wife from getting murdered. He finds one of his future selves is diddling with his sexy ex-partner from the police force.

 The story gets increasingly convoluted as present-day Spider gets pulled deep into a plot that involves the ultimate villain (his boss at the time machine repair shop) who is working to destroy the universe and bring about the end of time. When present Spider travels (unwillingly) to the end of time is where the story gets a little hinky. The author never quite resolved that bit and the villain’s motivation. There are a few other dead ends I wanted explored or explained, but it wasn’t enough to bog down the story too much. 

All in all, this was a light read for science fiction, and rather clever. The ending was… hard to describe; not bad, not quite filling or thirst-quenching. Perhaps the blank page at the end is the ultimate irony? I recommend it as long as you’re not a hardcore SF aficionado or offended by the four-letter language.

 There is a sequel, Paradox Resolution, which I’m putting on my wish list.

February 2020 Book Review: The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, by Rhonda Riley

I’m not sure how to classify this masterpiece literary novel; it’s a story of love, relationships and wonder, but it is not a romance novel. The story uses magical realism, but it is not fantasy or science fiction. I agree with other reviewers who’ve compared it to The Time Traveler’s Wife or The Story of Edgar Sawtell, perhaps even a touch of the movie, Enemy Mine. 

 Our main character and the narrator of this story is Evelyn Roe, who as an older teenager has to take over and run the inherited family farm in rural North Carolina during WW II. The rest of her family remains a short distance away in town, where her father and brothers work in the cotton mill. Evelyn works the garden and milks the cow to provide food for the family in town. 

Author Rhonda Riley paints a vivid picture of farm and family life without going overboard with verbose ramblings. Riley also gives remarkable descriptions of feelings and emotions.

"Grief is a powerful river in flood. It cannot be argued or reasoned or wrestled down to an insignificant trickle. You must let it take you where it is going. When it pulls you under, all you can do is keep your eyes open for rocks and fallen trees, try not to panic and stay face-up so you will know where the sky is. You will need that information later. Eventually, its waters calm and you will be on a shore far from where you began, raw and sore, but clean and as close to whole as you will ever be again".

― Rhonda Riley, The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope

The story starts simple enough with Evelyn describing her family, their life in rural South Carolina and the simple events that lead to her moving to live on the farm by herself. Shortly after her move, the story takes a big turn.

 During a wild, winter rainstorm Evelyn rescues a man she believes is badly burned and disfigured, from a mudhole on the farm property. This is where the magical realism enters; it is not fantasy with wizards or magicians, fairies or unicorns. It’s magic I find easy to accept and to suspend my disbelief. The disfigured man quickly heals but behaves as a newborn babe – with a limited understanding of this world. 

The story of Adam Hope is the relationship that Evelyn and Adam grow into. It is a wonderful tale – not sweet and syrupy, there are fears and challenges, there are threats and secrets. You can’t help but root for Evelyn, Adam and their children.   

 The story spans the life of Evelyn from her teen years until she and Adam have raised their daughters and Evelyn is enjoying the company of grandchildren on a Florida horse ranch. All the characters are well developed and relatable. It is easy to picture them and relate to their personalities. Adam is different, he is not ‘one of us.’ Adam is a man of the land and nature, who has a gift for communicating with horses and never loses his wonderment of human experiences. 

 Many times I had to stop reading, take a breath and a few moments to say; ‘Dang, this woman (the author, Rhonda Riley) knows how to write.’

In closing, I repeat that I consider this novel to be a masterpiece. Rhonda Riley has given us an enchanting story that sucked me completely in. Her writing style and prose is terrific and an inspiration for me.