Tag: book-review

Roberta Writes – Book review: A Peril in Unseen Frequencies by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Picture caption: Cover of A Peril in Unseen Frequencies featuring a pretty cartoon styled young woman and a ghostly figure in front of an old fashioned crystal set radio

What Amazon says

All-human written. In this paranormal novelette, elderly and rich widow Etha Yates is diagnosed with a heart condition. Her doctor warns that any sudden shock or excitement could kill her — and that she needs a diversion. Her attentive nephew, Donald, who lives with her, gets her to install a new crystal set radio to keep her entertained.
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Soon, Etha is shocked to hear a voice cutting through the broadcast. The voice claims to be her late husband, Chester. The ghostly voice warns her that soon he will come for her. Terrified but determined, Etha proceeds accordingly.

My review

This fourth novella in the A Medium’s Peril series is a little different from the previous books. Medium, Daphne Moultrie, is on the peripheral of this story and her gifted assistant, Cover Flanagan, is the star of this tale and also the narrator.

Elderly widow, Etha Yates, is diagnosed with a heart condition by her doctor. She must not get overexcited or over exert herself. Etha decides to employ Cover on a short-term basis to assist her with various tasks. Clover’s assistance is over and above that of Etha’s amiable young nephew, Donald, who is living with her and is a kind and caring companion. Etha is very fond of him so when Donald suggests she gets a ‘newfangled’ crystal set radio for entertainment, after some protests, she agrees. Etha finds herself enjoying the radio and looking forward to some of the programmes but the radio has a darker aspect, it is a channel through which her late husband can contact her. Etha turns to Clover to guidance. It was nice that Clover took a larger role in this story and stepped up with some enterprising ideas to protect Etha’s health in the strange circumstances.

Teagan Geneviene has a most entertaining and engaging writing style which draws the reader right into the tale and endears the characters quickly. I liked the character of Etha very much and appreciated her quirks and her devotion to her late husband’s memory. I also enjoyed that the condescending attitudes of her doctor and her young nephew annoyed her. Thank goodness for people like Etha who subtly led the way for gender equality.

This is a fast paced and exciting novella that I read in 90 minutes. It was an enjoyable read and I rather regretted finishing the story in one sitting.

Purchase A Peril in Unseen Frequencies by Teagan Riordain Geneviene here: https://www.amazon.com/Peril-Unseen-Frequencies-Mediums-Book-ebook/dp/B0HKPZ7TH4/

Find out more about this book

Teagan recently featured on Teri Polen’s Bad Moon Rising series. This is one of the answer’s to Teri’s fab questions:

Ghosts: believe or don’t?

I feel like such a hypocrite — I firmly believe in ghosts.  Yet I’m often a skeptic whenever someone else talks about their experiences.  Clover Flanagan, who narrates “A Peril in Unseen Frequencies” certainly is a believer in ghosts.  Although she’s still rather new to her paranormal gifts and sometimes doubts what she’s seeing.  The spirits come anyway though.

Picture caption: A woman seated in a chair listening to an old fashioned crystal radio. A ghostly figure is reaching towards her. Created by Teagan Riordian Geneviene

You can read the rest of Teagan’s great interview here: https://teripolen.com/2026/10/08/badmoonrising-a-peril-in-unseen-frequencies-by-teagan-riordain-geneviene-paranormal-medium-giveaway/

Make sure to visit this link and leave a comment for a chance to win a complete e-book set of A Medium’s Peril (US only)!

About Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Picture caption: Amazon author photograph of Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Driven to create wondrous worlds, despite horrors of the past, Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is certain that

“The pen is in your hand.”

After a life shaped by the tragedy of losing a sibling to Mµnchaµsen §yndr◊me by Pr◊xy, along with the abµ§e she herself survived, Teagan took that metaphorical pen into her hand. She wrote her way to a new chapter of life with a successful career authoring and editing technical documentation. With another revision that pen took her to the next chapter, working alongside highly placed Federal executives to compose their communications. However, Teagan wasn’t finished. The pen was still in her hand. In her latest chapter she is an acclaimed multi-genre author, living in a high desert town in the Southwest of the USA. Rescue cats, the §coobies — Velma and Daphne, offer unsolicited advice on all stories, as well as the book covers Teagan designs.

This author’s stories range from paranormal to high fantasy and urban fantasy, to various steampunk (and other types of punk), to mysteries with historic settings. In addition to fiction, she has created the Author Tool Chest series of non-fiction works as resources for writers and anyone who loves language. In free time she enjoys conversations with friends, singing karaoke, and playing her piano.

See her book trailer videos at Youtube.

Find Teagan on her blog here: https://teagansbooks.com/2026/10/10/am-writing-and-bad-moon-rising-a-peril-in-unseen-frequencies/

Find all of Teagan’s books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/author/B00HHDXHVM

Roberta Writes – Reblog: Famous Books and Authors – The World According to Garp by John Irving

I found this book to be completely fascinating and absorbing. My thanks to Barbara from https://bvitelli2002.wordpress.com/2026/07/06/book-review-fox-by-joyce-carol-oates/ for pointing me in the direction of this book.

Famous Books and Authors – Best-selling author and Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Irving and a review

Roberta Writes – Book reviews: Unbury the Dead and A Bold Bargain #fiction #bookreviews #readingcommunity

Unbury the Dead by Laurel Hanlon

Picture caption: Cover for Unbury the Dead by Laurel Hanlon

I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.

Picture caption: Emblem for Rosie’s Book Review Team

I always enjoy a good vampire novel, especially during Halloween month. Unbury the Dead, debut novel by Laurel Hanlon introduces the novel concept of vampire mafia. The main character, Phil, has fallen foul of his mafia boss father-in-law, resulting in his being interned in a concrete crypt beneath the ocean. The novel starts with Phil finally finding some success in wriggling himself free of his watery grave and making an escape. Phil knows he has been interned for a lengthily period but doesn’t know how long.

The great escape kicks off a fast paced and entertaining story about a vampire misplaced in time and astounded by the wonders of the 21st century. Hunting humans is certainly more difficult with modern technology like cameras on streets and in stores, credit cards, and cell phones. Phil must adjust to these enormous changes while on the run from his father-in-law’s mafia henchmen who become aware of his presence in New York due to his publicized indiscretions.

This book introduces fresh and interesting ideas to the well know vampire mythology and sets the characters in an intensely modern 21st century setting. I enjoyed the ‘culture shock’ and acclimatization aspects very much. There is also an intriguing romance thread that allows for the introduction of some of Phil’s backstory and a deep dive into the cause of his incarceration and current problems.

All in, this is an entertaining retelling of the well-known vampire story and worth the time if you enjoy vampire tales and mythology.

Purchase Unbury the Dead by Laurel Hanlon from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Unbury-Dead-Laurel-Hanlon-ebook/dp/B0FH2X39TL

A Bold Bargain by Jan Sikes

Picture caption: book cover of A Bold Bargain featuring an old fashioned motor cycle and a wolf-like dog

This is the third book in the Bargainer Series and my personal favourite. I am really enjoying these uplifting stories filled with kindness. These books restore my faith in the goodness of humanity, and I appreciate that in our current world of endless bad news.

Jack made his entrance in book 2 as the younger brother of the main character, Rose. His strength of character and innate goodness were evident in that book and this one builds on the reader’s previous interactions with this interesting young man. It is not necessary to read the earlier novels to appreciate this book, but it does help with a greater understanding of Jack’s past and the childhood setbacks he has overcome to get where he is at the beginning of this book.

I was delighted to discover Jack working as a substitute conservationist and knocking heads with vicious poachers of wild animals. Jack’s deep love of animals really resonates with me, and I was also thrilled at his adoption of first a young puppy (possibly part wolf), and then other creatures in need. Jack’s willingness to help other in need leads to his meeting and assisting and elderly woman who is slowly going blind and suffering other effects of an illness and also, a young lady who is on her own mission to help her aging grandfather.

These threads of catching poachers, helping Mrs Fletcher, meeting Finley, and developing bonds with various animals, all weave together into a beautiful and uplifting story. This is a wonderful book to read in the lead up to the Christmas season or at any other time when your spirits need lifting.

Purchase A Bold Bargain by Jan Sikes from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Bold-Bargain-Bargainer-Book-ebook/dp/B0FD7VSY68

Roberta Writes – Book Review: The Power of Three by Teri Polen #bookreview #readingcommunity

Picture caption: Cover of The Power of Three depicting three young men facing a house with a ghostly female figure rising from the roof with menacing yellow eyes.

What Amazon says

“Polen weaves an imaginative paranormal tale brimming with engaging characters, thrilling action, and well-crafted suspense. Perfect for fans of Supernatural and Grimm, The Power of Three will keep you on the edge of your seat until you turn the final page.” –Jane McGarry, fantasy author

Yesterday, a curse. Today, an inheritance. Tomorrow…may never come.

Beck Teller’s family bounced from one rental to another his entire life. When his father inherits an ancestral home, he and his siblings are thrilled to finally settle down, especially somewhere his family has roots. And those roots run deep—right to the on-site family cemetery where tombstone dates prove too many members met untimely fates.

When Beck and his two brothers begin experiencing inexplicable things, they grasp for practical explanations. Then their little sister gets a warning from beyond the grave, and the time for rationalizing is over. They pledge to protect their family and set out to identify the source of the danger and a means to defeat it.

They never expected to discover their house is haunted by a vengeful spirit who has vowed to destroy every descendant in the Teller line.

Centuries earlier, three Teller brothers battled the evil entity. Since then, her wrath has caused generations of suffering and untimely deaths. Now, three more Teller brothers will stand against this wicked being. But this time, the curse must be broken. If they win the final fight, they’ll banish the malevolent force forever. But if they lose, their family line ends…and they unleash hell on Earth.

My review

I really enjoyed this fast paced and interesting supernatural mystery story by Teri Polen. I have read other books by this author, all of which were terrific reads, but this one really absorbed and enthralled me.

Life has been a financial struggle for the Teller parents who have always rented a house, lived hand-to-mouth, and battled to pay the bills and keep their three sons in school. Their relationship was going through a rocky patch when Harper, a fourth late child, was born. Harper nearly died at birth and the Teller family all drew together to help her fight for survival. She is now the glue that holds the family together and her three older brothers and parents adore her.

The family’s luck appears to have changed when Mr. Teller learns that, as the last surviving Teller, he has inherited the mansion-styled ancestral Teller home. Thrilled, the family move into their new home, spirits and hope high. You never know whether an event is for the good or bad in life though and each of the three brothers quickly starts experiencing strange and unpleasant sensations and noises. After discovering the family graveyard, packed with the remains of Tellers, many of whom died very young and often within quick succession of other immediate family members, and some revealing equipment and books about the family’s history, the three brothers realise there is something very wrong with the house. They are slowly drawn into the drama of the greater Teller family’s past.

The author’s depictions of the three adolescent boys and their relationships with each other and their parents were realistic and enjoyable. The humour in day-to-day interactions, love interests, and the competitiveness between siblings is a great tool to lighten the darkness of the storyline from time to time. The devotion of the three brothers to their younger sister was heartwarming and an enjoyable addition to the book.

The introduction of the various ghosts and the supernatural elements in the novel are well done and quite believable. I had to read carefully to ensure I picked up all the scattered foreshadowing and hints at what was to come. There are a number of threads that all tie together neatly at the end in a satisfying way.

With its modern approach to romantic relationships and life for young people, this book is perfect for a young adult audience and the story is sufficiently complex and compelling to be enjoyed by a more mature and experienced reading audience too.

Purchase The Power of Three from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DCC5S4N6

Find Teri Polen’s other books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Teri-Polen/author/B01MYOUA6V

Roberta Writes – Book review: Tidalscribe Tales by Janet Gogerty #fiction #shortstories

Hi everyone

I am back from my trip to London and Brussels. It was very busy, and I didn’t do much reading of any kind. I do have lots of pictures to share with you over the next few weeks.

First, my review of Tidalscribe Tales by Janet Gogerty.

Picture caption: cover of Tidalscribe Tales by Janet Gogerty featuring a beach and ocean scene.

What Amazon says

Tales light and dark, bending reality, unexpected endings…
Dip into an ABC of stories including four chapters of flash fiction.

My review

A delightful and unusual collection of short stories. The stories are widely varied in their topics, but each has a common thread of the human experience that is nicely captured by the characters who are well developed, despite the length of the stories.

I enjoyed the Englishness of these stories which is reflected in the reactions and dialogue of the characters. The author has captured the essence of the English very well and it was entertaining and relatable for me.

My three favourite of the stories:

A New Family Member – this is the opening story in the collection and is about a man who wants to get a dog for himself and a family. He has specific requirements as to the size and look of the dog as it will be a bit of an ego extension for him. The moral is that you must be careful what you ask for as you just might get it.

Dream Machine – an intriguing tale about a unsatisfied school teacher who dreams of being a famous writer. He believes he has his best ideas while sleeping but can’t remember the details when he wakes up. If only he could write down his dreams as the sleeps. Nothing in life is ever as you expect it to be as is revealed by this fascinating short story.

Trinity Tree – a story about nature’s revenge on a spoiled and selfish man. I was delighted that nature, for once, got the upper hand in this intriguing short story.

A well writing and highly entertaining collection of short stories that will make you think.

You can purchase Tidalscribe Tales from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Tidalscribe-Tales-Janet-Gogerty-ebook/dp/B0DWV9J83V

and from Amazon UK here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tidalscribe-Tales-Janet-Gogerty-ebook/dp/B0DWV9J83V

Roberta Writes – The Hat: Run with the Roses by C.S. Boyack #fiction #bookreview #readingcommunity

Picture caption: Cover of Run for the Roses featuring an axe, a fluffy hat and a bunch of red roses

What Amazon says

The Headless Horseman has mellowed over the centuries, somewhat. Who knew that he is a horse lover, and needs Lizzie’s help. An unaffiliated witch is torturing race horses in an effort to skew the parimutuel betting odds.

Can Lizzie and the hat find this renegade witch before one of these beautiful animals gets hurt? Can they do it before Detlef, The Horseman, takes things into his own hands and violates the terms of his magical parole.

It seems like everyone is standing in their way this time, including a team of YouTube ghost hunters and members of the coven itself.

Saddle up for this supernatural ride through the world of Lizzie and the hat.

My review

Run for the Roses is another dive into a world of supernatural events directed by mythical creatures who fly just below the perception of humanity. All of humanity, except for Lizzie, the possessor of ‘the Hat’, an unusual and ancient creature who choses to take the form of various hats that can be worn by the current member of the family it has adopted. The Hat has been in Lizzie’s family for decades and came to her following the death of her grandfather. Together, Lizzie and the Hat have been on seven previous adventures where they fight mythical creatures who have chosen to follow a selfish path of personal gain of some sort. Lizzie and the Hat are, in essence, the champions of ‘good’ mythical creatures who want to live in harmony with humanity. The duo, together with helpers and friends, prevent discord and disruption in the human world that could have negative implications for everyone.

This story steps up the role of the ‘Headless Horseman’. Detlef made an appearance in an earlier book and it was very enjoyable to see him making a greater appearance in this book. Detlef is a champion of horses and is angered by the actions of witches who have summoned a ‘maar’ to terrify and torture horses for the purpose of changing the outcome of horse races. Detlef needs Lizzie and the Hat to help him destroy the maar and end the reign of terror.

As always, this short and fast story is packed with dark humour, fascinating mythical creatures, and an exciting story line. This book introduces the Gravedigger who I really enjoyed. Lizzie’s interactions with her band and their various gigs create a fun and relatable background setting for the adventures.

If you are looking to escape the anxieties of life through some well written and highly entertaining escapism, you will love this book.

Purchase Run for the Roses from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Run-Roses-Hat-Book-8-ebook/dp/B0F7PKPRVF

Roberta Writes – Book reviews: The Rat in the Python Fashion by Alex Craigie and Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth #bookreviews

Today, I have reviews of two delightful books for you.

The Rat in the Python Fashion

Picture caption: Cover of The Rat in the Python Fashion by Alex Craigie featuring a cartoon styled python with people inside a bulge in its belly.

What Amazon says

If you haven’t heard of a liberty bodice, believe that half-a-crown is something to do with impoverished royalty and never had the experience of slapping a television to stop the grainy black and white picture from rolling, then this series might not be for you. Please give it a go, though – I suspect that most of it will still resonate no matter where you were brought up!

Book 3 looks at fashion and how it’s changed since the end of WWII. From utility coats and twinsets, to schoolboys in short trousers with socks and garters. From the swinging sixties with its long, long hair and short, short skirts, to psychedelia and beyond.

The Rat in the Python is about Baby Boomers who, in the stability following the Second World War, formed a statistical bulge in the population python. It is a personal snapshot of a time that is as mystifying to my children as the Jurassic Era – and just as unrecognisable.

My review

I realised when I came to write this review that this is book 3 and I have skipped out book 2. They don’t have to be read in order so it doesn’t matter, but book 2 should not be missed as this is a terrific series.

This fascinating short read covers fashion in the UK from WWII to the current date. It actually even goes a little bit further back in the beginning with some interesting comments about fashion during the Edwardian era and I am very thankful that I never had to wear a corset. Being long waisted, this would have been really awful for me. Edwardian women did, however, look very sophisticated with their gorgeous hats and long skirted, tight waisted dresses.

With regards to fashion during WWII, this book reinforced a lot of information I had heard from my mother about the lack of buttons, silk stockings and other niceties and how girls found innovative ways of dealing with this problem. To quote: “Women dealt with the latter issue by painting their legs with special product or using gravy browning and getting a friend to draw a line down the back of the leg with an eyebrow pencil to resemble the seam.”

This book takes the reader on a journey through the austerity of the post war continuing rationing fashion scene when people dressed very formally but frugally with shirts that had replaceable collars and cuffs and continues to the modern ‘throw away’ society. The current culture in the UK is actually vastly different from here in South Africa where women still dress fairly conservatively and most certainly do not buy cheap clothing that is thrown away rather than washed. Poverty is still a big issue in Africa, but perhaps this is better than the consumeristic habits of the developed world that add so much to plastic and global warming problems. I found the changing trends in this regard discussed in this book to be thought provoking.

The book includes lots of interesting photographs and pictures to demonstrate the fashion statements made and is really a wonderful undertaking to preserve the history of fashion in the UK. An interesting and worthwhile read.

Purchase The Rat in the Python Fashion by Alex Craigie from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0995696675

Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth

Picture caption: Cover of Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth featuring a red hibiscus flower covered in dewdrops

What Amazon says

Poetry must speak to the soul if it is to be remembered. The poems in this book are written in readable verse that is easily understood by the reader, yet challenging and thought provoking. Along with the poems are beautiful original color photos taken by the author that are used to enhance the poems. In addition to photos there are also original paintings done by the author.
Poems in this collection are inspired by nature, nostalgia, and reflections on the meaning of life.

The author has published a poetry blog on Word Press since 2016 which you can view at. rothpoetry.wordpress.com

This is a great book to spend time getting lost in as you peruse through the many poems included here.

My review

This is the first collection of poetry and flash fiction I’ve read by Dwight Roth and it was a complete delight.

The poet has a wonderfully positive outlook on life and this reflects in every word he writes. The poems and prose pieces in this book made me feel happy and uplifted and you just can’t beat that feeling. The book also includes some wonderful paintings by the poet, photographs from his childhood and adult life, as well as some innovative handmade creations include what he termed to be a Jackleg guitar. Not a term I have heard before but it seems to fit this wonderfully artistic musical instrument.

I really enjoyed all the poems but a few standout ones for me were as follows: A Call for Change, Dad, Pop’s Garden, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Digital Wolly Worm, Night Train, Dandelion Stars, Trigger, Love and Cherry Delight, Family Memories, Where do you Belong? and Proud Vulnerability.

I highly recommend this beautiful collection and will leave you with the poem I loved the best as I also love and appreciate the beauty of dandelions.

Dandelion Stars
“Aging flower wild and free
Sunny yellow color gone
Silver stars cover its head
reflecting sunlight
Beautiful seeds waiting for the breeze
Like Nature’s poetry
Blowin’ in the Wind across our minds
Beauty for some
Weeds for others
Daylight stars waiting
to be appreciated”

You can purchase Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DT86WRW2

Roberta Writes – Book review: A Life in Frames by Leonora Ross #bookreview #bookcommunity

Picture caption: Book cover of A Life in Frames featuring a few small trees in the desert

What Amazon says

A photojournalist consumed by his passion for telling stories through his camera lens, a father and son at a war of wills, and lovers struggling to find a way to each other.

A Life in Frames follows the life of Namibian photojournalist Lejf Busher as he navigates through childhood and manhood in this coming-of-age literary saga. Two women are central to Lejf’s existence: his mother and the woman he loves. Destined for success and international acclaim, he discovers the complex reality of a career that separates him from his relationships. His mother is a beacon of strength, but he feels unsupported by his father. Lejf wants that acceptance. He also longs to succeed romantically with his great love, but her own search for independence and escape from a conservative upbringing widens the distance between them. Lejf’s expectations of a world and people he cannot change force him to confront his fears and choices when he can no longer run from them.

A Life in Frames is about the push and pull between the ties that bind us and the desires that motivate us. It is also about coming to grips with the consequences of unspoken and misinterpreted words.

My review

Picture caption: Badge for Rosie’s Book Review Team

I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.

I was attracted to this book for two reasons: It is set in Namibia and it focuses on photography. As a South African with a passion for wildlife photography I knew I would enjoy reading a story set in our neighbouring country of Namibia and I also knew there must be a focus on wildlife photography. I was correct on both counts and I loved the beautiful descriptions of the main character’s, Lejf Busher, home in a small town in Namibia and his trips into the bush to discover amazing photographic opportunities. I related completely to Lejf’s love for his country and its wildlife and people. The author described the small town attitudes of the people who surround Lejf as a child, including his father, with a sharp pen, and I enjoyed the disruptions to their thinking caused by Lejf’s mother, a Swede with an open-minded European mindset. The scenes about a book about sex, written by Lejf’s mother to teach her five sons about women, and its making the rounds of the town’s people made me laugh. It would be like that here in conservative South African towns too.

Lejf’s father’s lack of support of his son’s choice of career also rang true for me, having experienced this attitude of creative careers being unreliable as pay cheque jobs in my own family. The clashes between Lejf and his father over many things were well portrayed and realistic. A conservative farmer from a small Namibian town would react to a dramatic and creative personality like Lejf’s with concern and a lack of understanding. The author has a very initiate understanding of small town people in southern Africa.

This is a coming of age story and follows Lejf’s life from a boy of ten into later adulthood. It beautifully depicts a man driven by deep empathy for the first nation people of this planet who have been displaced and their way of life decimated by interlopers. There is a great tragedy and sadness in the scenes of Lejf’s visits to these people and places. The author must have first hand experience of such peoples and places and has done a lot of research.

In summary, this is a beautifully written book filled with thought provoking and interesting scenes and well worth reading. It is literary fiction and the pace is slow and considered so it is aimed at a certain readership.

A Life in Frames is available from Amazon USA here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1069082805

And through Amazon UK here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Frames-Leonora-Ross-ebook/dp/B0DW2Q8WNY