Jeff Sexton

Interesting Take On Travel. I fully admit to traveling more for leisure than learning and certainly more than being some kind of activist. I try to be a decent enough human being no matter where I am, whether that be in my own home or some far-flung place. And I actively try to avoid other nations' political issues - and wish to God their own citizens would join me in that, rather than constantly complaining about some aspect of the US. Indeed, there is exactly *one* spot that still stands that I would potentially like to see for something other than leisure, and that is the town of Nocher, Luxembourg - where my grandfather earned his Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions in the closing days of the Battle of the Bulge. Beyond that, I'm all about relaxing and enjoying the scenery - not activism - in my travels.

But here, Steves does a remarkable job in showing his own travel style and general philosophy, of always trying to make the world a better place, of constantly trying to understand the people of wherever he finds himself through their eyes, of perhaps trying in some small (or sometimes not so small) way to leave their land better for his having been there, even briefly.

It is certainly an interesting approach, and overall his thoughts on the places he has been and the things he has seen... well, your own mileage may vary quite greatly indeed based on your own experiences either as a native of those lands or as an American who may have different views. Some reviewers have called this book "racist", and to be crystal clear: I did not see any hint of that at all in this text - or at least the Audible version of it I consumed. But I'm also a white dude who grew up in the Southern part of the US, in the land still literally scarred by my own country's Civil War over 150 years ago - so there are likely many in the US and internationally who automatically and irrevocably think *I* must be a racist, just because of my skin color and where I am from. Ironically, the entire point of this book is basically dispelling similar notions mostly from an American audience looking to potentially travel to other lands or even inside our own vast country.

Overall this was an illuminating read that, when read at 1.8 speed on Audible and thus taking roughly half the time its over 10 hr actual runtime indicates, was actually quite enjoyable. Dare I say that it could even be a good read/ listen... while traveling yourself? ;) Very much recommended.

Entertaining Discussion Of An Esoteric Topic. Up front here: I can't judge this book's bibliography, as I listened to the Audible version of it, which doesn't have that. I'm also no linguist, more of a polyglot who knows a little (or a lottle) about a lot and is interested in learning about... well, damn near everything. Thus, someone who read the text version of the book and *can* speak to its breadth or dearth of bibliography may or may not deduct the star I normally do for dearth, and an actual linguist, or at least someone more familiar with the field, may have more cohesive arguments for or against the actual points raised here.

Those caveats noted, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. McWhorter reads his own work in the Audible form, and he uses enough humor here to make what could be an extremely dense topic rather enjoyable to learn a little about. Further, his arguments *seem* at minimum plausible, and possibly exactly correct - again, at least to someone completely untrained and mostly unknowledgeable in the field at hand. And the arguments he presents are also quite compelling and interesting to boot, which is generally a sign of at minimum a well thought out and well written nonfiction piece. Further, at just 250 or pages in print and just 5 hrs or so in Audible... this isn't exactly a huge time sink if it turns out to be not your thing... and you'll still learn at least a few things while reading it.

Overall, this is absolutely a book that will leave you thinking a bit and perhaps having learned a bit too. It will expand your horizons to think more about *how*, *exactly*, humans communicate with each other and what the grammars of our various languages say about how we think about things - and the arguments that perhaps it says absolutely nothing at all. Very much recommended.

The Most Fantastical Sigma Book Yet - Yet Also Much More Real Than Previous Attempts. You can almost see in this book where Rollins was working on his fantasy books by this point, or at least his mind was already going that direction, just by how truly implausible and into the outright fantastical the "science" of this book gets. As in, hello Fergully / Avatar, complete with vividly colored creatures and mystical tree with healing powers. And yet, this is still solidly a Sigma Force tale, complete with a divided team and links to both history and science, however tenuous. Still, it may truly be getting to the point of needing to end on as high a note as possible before becoming a laughingstock, because yes, admittedly, this one does truly get that bad at times in reflection, while still feeling like the taught action thriller it is while reading it.

For those that can't possibly read about animals being in any degree of "harm" at all, know that war dog handler Tucker and his dog, Kane, play major roles here - and indeed, some of the more inventive while still realistic roles in this tale.

As for the "Much More Real Than Previous Attempts" bit, in The Last Oracle Rollins portrayed Autistics as damn near superhumans, with almost god-like abilities. Here, the Autistic character - a different one, and seemingly the first one mentioned at all in Sigma since Oracle - is a much more grounded and realistic Autistic, complete with hyperfocusing, rambling, self-recriminations, blowups, sensory issues... and no real meltdowns, which is perhaps the only "not-real" aspect of this particular character. In other words, at least in regard to Autism generally, Rollins shows tremendous growth over the last decade or so and is to be commended for showing how such a person could be a benefit even in such tense, potentially Apocalyptic, times.

Overall, this is going to be a particularly divisive book mostly because of just how fantastical it does get at times, but I thought while reading it that it worked perfectly well within the story - though even while reading it I was thinking it was a touch fantastical, and the Avatar notes in particular were unavoidable even while reading - and this was a solid several hours of pure escapist fun, no matter the exact bent of the genre of the story. Very much recommended.

Solid "Locked In" Mystery Asks Serious Questions. This is one of those "everyone is trapped in the house, and everyone has secrets" kind of mysteries that classic mystery lovers will love, and newer mystery lovers that are all about the shock value/ twist... eh, your mileage may vary. I personally thought the ending was particularly well done and while not *overly* shocking in *who* was involved, was brilliantly executed in *why* they were involved. Which gets to the whole "asks serious questions" bit, as the "questions" indicated in the description... are *NOT* the only questions raised. This book has a lot of meat there for those who *want* a deeper psychological dive, particularly in probing their own consciences - but it also offers enough directly in the text that if all you want is a few hours of classic mystery escapism... that is all you have to take from this particular tale. Which is usually a sign of a particularly strong storyteller, when they can give both readers what they want in the same story. This was my first book from Cross, and most likely will not be my last. Very much recommended.

Johnny Cash Was (At Least Partly) Wrong! Admittedly, the title of this review is mostly click-bait. But it *is* an accurate summary of this text - and yes, the text does at least briefly examine the song itself as well. Holm does a remarkable job of showing the history that created Ira Hayes, one of the six men immortalized forever in "The Photograph" of the American flag raising at Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima during the WWII battle which became the basis of so many memorials... including a not-small one in Washington, DC. As with the better history books, Holm shows the relevant histories that lead into the famous events at hand- and the biography and histories of the fallout of the events, including the various impacts to both the man Ira Hayes and the cultural icon/ touchstone Ira Hayes. Yes, including the various movies, the various incarnations of The Ballad of Ira Hayes (including the Man in Black's), and even discussing the book The Flags of Our Fathers and its movie incarnation as well. At 22% documentation, it is reasonably well documented, and there are no overly startling revelations here - though there is perhaps much new knowledge, depending on one's own knowledge set when coming into this book. For example, the histories of the Akimel and Apache wars and interactions, and even how they waged war (both the weapons involved and the tactics and ceremonies) was new knowledge to me - and utterly fascinating.

Overall a well told and well examined history with no obvious flaws or even any overt political diatribes, this is a book that anyone interested in a more complete tale of Ira Hayes will enjoy. Very much recommended.

Soraya Lane Takes On Auschwitz. How can you be a historical fiction writer who mostly focuses on the European theater of WWII... and *not*, at some point, do a story about Auschwitz? Well, the answer here is... you can't, and this is Lane's take on it.

Now, how can you be an amateur historian, with large amounts of knowledge about large amounts of things - and familial ties to the liberation of concentration camps during WWII to boot - and *want* to read a story about Auschwitz, knowing all too well the very real horrors there, among the worst humanity has ever inflicted upon humanity? (Arguably worse than the Imperial Japanese military's Unit 731 in overall scale, though it seems that Unit 731 may have been even more horrific - if such a thing is possible.) My answer is... I didn't and don't, but I've read many of Lane's books and trust *her*.

As it turns out, my trust is well placed. Lane manages to craft an Auschwitz tale that never shirks from discussing the horrors of that facility - while never showing them in brutal, sadistic detail the way an author with a more horror-genre nature might. Instead, Lane takes a page from Titanic (and a school assignment I once had that I'm fairly certain predates that movie, and which I'm coming to realize ever more that I had really done the way I want to now as an adult when it was possible as a child) in creating a dual timeline (shocker, I know, for long time fans of Lane) tale of hope and survival against the most brutal and desolate backdrop possible in Europe during that particular period. Taking inspiration from a variety of real life people who really did a lot of the things Lane has her characters doing to help people survive, Lane manages to show the goodness of some people and the willingness to risk their own lives in order to do the right thing, even in the very heart of the place doing so many very wrong things. Indeed, even the Angel of Death, Josef Mengele is a recurring character throughout the tale - though to be clear, while always being clear about the horrors he was responsible for while never directly showing them "on screen".

Longtime fans of Lane will note her usual stylings are completely in play here, as is her usual historical accuracy to a relatively high degree, while still taking the occasional artistic liberty where necessary to tell the story she is telling in the manner in which she wanted to tell it. Even here, the liberties are more subtle than jarring, almost to the point of being indetectable.

The horrors of Auschwitz in particular are some of the most well known brutalities of the Jewish Holocaust of WWII, at least in the West. (I'm told they still aren't as well known in certain Eastern circles? But I have no real way of knowing, having never lived outside the southern US.) At on that level, perhaps some might argue that an author like Lane should instead pursue her "normal" focus and tell the *other*, far lesser known, stories. To that, I point out that among the first books I read from her was about perhaps *the* most famous event of WWII in the American zeitgeist at minimum (*arguably* more famous than even the events of D-Day nearly three years later), the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In between these two well known events, Lane *has* been writing about lesser known events, indeed some that even this amateur historian had never heard of and had to learn about in more detail after reading one of Lane's books. (Which I absolutely encourage all of her readers to do.) I also point out that just because a particular thing is well known, doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't continue to be explored - even as I readily encourage exploration of the lesser known topics as well, which again = Lane also does.

Overall, this is an appropriately sober and stark tale about one of the darkest stories in all of WWII, while still shining a light on the very real lives women lived in the period and events in question and still showing the goodness of humanity and the light of hope even in the darkest of situations, as Lane tries to do in all of her tales. Very much recommended.

Hilarious NYC-Based Rom-Com. This book has several different things going on at once, which can seem a bit chaotic - and seems to be meant to. The base setup, of two sets of siblings planning a joint anniversary party for both sets of parents, is chaotic enough. Then you throw in the actual romance here, of a boy and girl who almost literally grew up together and have a lifetime of bickering with each other and pranking each other behind them (which we get to see a lot of), and it becomes a recipe for... well, everything. The love is deep and heartfelt - even as neither of them realizes it. The comedy, both in the past and present, is pure gold. The drama... is both real (parents) and Hallmarkie (romance) and yet also comedic (a famous movie that has been remade at least twice, but revealing which one reveals things about the book). Overall, it hits all the genre "rules" and while it isn't for the "sweet"/ "clean" crowd, also isn't anywhere near erotica level either. In fact, as others have mentioned (both positively and negatively), the first "encounter" is rather comedic (and, I would argue, *real*).

At the end of the day, this is one of those kinds of books where your mileage really will vary. If you love zany "what the fuck" stories with a LOT of side characters and all kinds of stuff happening all around the main storyline, you're going to love this book. The more you have a problem with that kind of setup, the less you're going to enjoy this one.

Overall, I thought this was freaking hilarious and truly well done. Very much recommended.

Extensive Focus On COVID Mars Otherwise Intriguing Story. The break about 1/3 into this book to focus on mostly new characters for another 1/4 to 1/3 or so (before coming back to at least some of the original characters) is a bit jarring and could potentially be off-putting to some readers, but to me it actually felt like an interesting way to tell this particular story, as well as the larger story of the Detective this series seems to be based around. No, the biggest problem for me - and the reason for the star deduction - is the extensive use of and discussion of COVID in its various forms. Quite simply, even in July 2023, I DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT COVID. In ANY form. AT ALL. I'm beginning to become at least slightly more tolerant of passing references to it, but this particular tale used it quite heavily both as a plot device and in showing various actions related to it.

And yet, again, to be crystal clear: Ignoring the narrative break and COVID, this is actually a fairly inventive book about a serial killer and the detective that is trying to stop them. Indeed, this particular killer could well have been made into almost a new Moriarty, for a new Sherlock Holmes in this particular detective. But alas, this tale does hold forth to crime/ police procedural genre conventions, and this is instead more a "freak of the week" tale that is so common in the genre. Still, quite promising indeed, and with a Detective that actually stands out a bit from the crowd in her own way. Very much recommended.

Quite Possibly More Demented And Disturbing Than The First. This is one of those police procedurals that directly deals with the fallout from the first book - so make sure you read that one first. But then it goes even darker, even more twisted, even more tense. And just when you think this thing couldn't *possibly* get any more twisted, dark, or tense... it very clearly is *still building* to some final showdown, likely in the finale of the series - whenever that might be. Overall truly a great work that is bound to piss off at least some, particularly in polygamous Mormon circles, but shows a great deal of care in showing that the evils perpetrated here are not "mainstream" Mormonism. Very much recommended.

Strong Claims Need Strong Evidence, But I Read The Audible. This is another book that has a lot of strong claims that thus requires an extensive bibliography to back up to make truly solid - but I read the Audible version of this book, where such bibliographies are not available due to the nature of the format. Beyond that issue though, the book is an interesting use of mostly case studies, and yes, largely cherry picked, successful, ones showing how nomadism (pre-COVID forced so-called "digital nomadism", which the author decries in later chapters) can be good for individuals and cultures - while acknowledging that, at least for those who believe in human-caused climate change, the harm done to the environment may well outweigh the benefit to individuals and cultures. Indeed, cries of "elitism" in some reviews ring hollow here, as while Marquardt does in fact come from an elitist position, he openly acknowledges that he could in fact be completely wrong about all of this, that the entire idea presented here is largely based on his own observations through his own rather unique upbringing and adult life that he has then pieced together an effort at a modicum of journalism to explain. Overall, an interesting tale that can add to the overall conversation. Recommended.

Strong Continuity And Also Strong Growth. This book is Luke Young's first in several years - I believe his last new release before this one was 2017's Seriously Messed Up, which *still* holds up as one of the funniest, most truly laugh out loud books I've ever read. This book actually opens with a scene that will readily bring to mind that book for any who have read it, and the overall tale actually has a lot of similarities to Young's formerly long running Friends With ... Benefits series, including a fair amount of quite explicit, damn near erotica level sex that brings to mind the "Ian Dalton" "sexier" versions of Friends With... Benefits series.

And yet, Young also shows quite a bit of growth in writing almost a women's fiction level romantic tale of self discovery, as well as in creating some genuinely heartbreaking moments not usually seen in his prior works. Clearly, the time away from new releases has allowed Young to grow and develop as a storyteller - and while that is never a bad thing, this in particular is also a case of a great comedic storyteller learning to show true depth, while staying true to his comedic roots, which overall makes him an even *stronger* storyteller.

So read this book. I can almost guarantee you'll never find anything quite like it, as despite my extensive and wide ranging reading (particularly since Young released his last book), even *I* have never encountered one quite like this one - and yet it is perfectly in line with the romance/ women's fiction spaces, and thus familiar *enough* to not be alienating in any real way (barring personal hangups about any number of topics).

Very much recommended.

Well Told Story Based On Real Unit/ People. This is a story probably unlike most any other you've encountered in historical fiction of WWII. Even if you've read about mail carrriers (there are a few such books out that I'm aware of, and likely more that I'm not), you likely haven't read about *these* mail clerks. Even if you've read about African American servicemembers during the war, you likely haven't read about *these* African American servicemembers during the war. Even if you've read about LGBT people during the war... you get the idea.

One thing that became interesting to me as I read this was thinking of the grandmother I don't often think of much, my mom's mom. But this was the grandmother that was married during WWII, and who bore her first child - my oldest uncle - just months before D-Day. Her husband at the time, my grandfather, I've spoken of a fair amount in reviews of WWII books, including his Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions during the Battle of the Bulge. But here, the connection is with his wife, back home in Georgia alone (presumably with family around) with their infant son. You see, even when I knew her almost 40 years later, during the dawn of the Personal Computer era and as the Net was coming online (she would die a few years after the Dot Com Bust of the mid 2000s, having outlived both of her husbands and sharing this earth for over 23 years with me)... that woman always *loved* writing and receiving letters. Actual, handwritten, long form, letters. As with my grandfathers and their experiences in WWII, I can't *know* what she went through living through that era - I never once asked her about it. But seeing how letters and morale were stressed so dearly in this tale here, and knowing her own situation at the time, I can maybe make some assumptions about how *I* would feel in similar situations, and it brings another level of depth to both this tale and my memories of her life.

Even if you don't have a personal connection, however tenuous, to the subject here though, this really is an interesting and clearly at least somewhat well researched tale showing a "based on" level tale of real people who really lived and did and likely experienced these very things during that period, up to and including the Klan burning crosses in their front yards and the active discrimination that was so rampant even after the war, even well after supposed "integration".

About the only suspect detail here is the idea that lesbians could live more comfortably in post-war Ohio than in South Carolina, but that is perhaps explained away as being able to get to an area where neither person is known by anyone, and thus be able to craft your own identity and reputation away from those who have ever known anything but what you tell and present to them. Which, one could argue (and build a genuinely solid case for) is simply no longer possible in today's hyper-connected world.

Overall truly a great work that shows the complex yet all too real lives of some WWII veterans you've likely never heard of. Very much recommended.

Beck's Most Powerful Book To Date. Somewhat surprisingly, I seem to either own and/ or have read every single book Beck has put out to date - and I think there's only four (the Cabot trilogy + In The Cards) that I haven't actually read yet. So I can absolutely speak with a degree of authority on that title here in particular. With her move towards women's fiction over the last few years, after spending her earlier career in romance novels, Beck has seemingly been working to exactly what she pulled off here - a balls to the wall, full out emotional rollercoaster that has the sheer power of the best coasters around, even Universal Orlando's Velocicoaster (my personal standard for most powerful coaster online today).

To be clear, those struggling with suicidal ideation should absolutely steer clear of this book, as that subject plays a substantial and substantially heavy role in this tale - and which Beck herself makes clear in a forward to the book.

Also, this book is nearly black hole heavy, with a few jokes and other lighter moments thrown in, but the emotional weight of all that has happened before this book and is happening during this book truly is some *heavy* stuff - and indeed that is one of the things that makes this book so great. Because even while it is indeed so heavy, it never feels oppressive or hopeless. Quite the opposite - Beck does a tremendous job of showing the hope even in the depths of such tragedy and misfortune.

Overall, if you're looking for something more light and fluffy, go with one of Beck's earlier books. But if you're ready to see some hope even in some of the darkest times that normal people do in fact experience... maybe you're ready for this book. Very much recommended.

P.S.: While this book does in fact mention COVID, it is in the period before the events of this book, and while the events that play out in that period are significant here - COVID never really is, thus I did *not* deduct a star there.

Also, the struggles of parents of Autistic children is a major storyline in this book, and for my fellow Autistics as well as our parents, I want to point out just how *real* that story does in fact play out. Yes, at times it seems like Beck may be following that agency that claims to "Speak" for Autism (yet is actually the Autistic community's KKK, according to many of us) and their "hopeless" commercial (one of the things we hate so much about them), but I need to stress here that there is no mention of that organization or even that idea. There is no child endangerment or abuse here. No so-called "Applied Behavioral Analysis" that so many of us in the community consider to be active child abuse. Certainly no filicide that is all too rampant among far too many parents. Instead, Beck shows a very real view of a parent just trying to do her best for her Autistic child. And indeed, even when looking for positive, Autistic Adult created and/ or inspired resources for parents, *even as someone who was once plugged into various Autism advocacy networks*... it was shockingly difficult to find something so basic "Here's some resources if you think your child may have Autism" from the more respected organizations. And y'all... that's on us. We need to create those resources to help these exact types of parents and prevent them from becoming the parents who actively harm their children.

But again: Unless you're struggling with suicidal ideation... read this book. It really is Beck's Most Powerful Book To Date.

Extreme And Pervasive Racism Mars Otherwise Spectacular Second Chance Romance. Ok, white dude claiming racism on a book that features few white characters - none of whom are portrayed kindly, fwiw. So let me explain up front: My standard for detecting bigotry is to flip the demographics. If it would then be considered bigotry, then it is bigotry in the original form as well. Here, we have several characters both primary and secondary openly inquiring if a particular local small business is "black owned" or not, all throughout the text. Now, if a book that barely had any black characters had a bunch of white characters asking if a particular local small business was "white owned" or "straight white man" owned... there would be HELL to pay in certain segments of society. Thus, by the standard I stated above, the racism here is quite clear. As it happens frequently throughout the text - including the aforementioned extremely few white characters being portrayed as racist caricatures - it is also pervasive, though you'll either have to read the book yourself or take my word for that.

Beyond the racism though, this is truly a *spectacular* second chance tale. One that many, no matter their demographics, will deeply understand - particularly those who grew up in the lower echelons of wealth and/ or in the small town rural South, as I did. The motivations for all of our characters here... well, many of us have seen similar shit within our own families, if not directly within our own lives. So truly, kudos, Ms. Slaughter, for staying so *real* and yet also providing a few hours of solid escapism.

While others may claim that the motivations for the separation were "unclear"... no, they weren't. You just may never have been close to a similar point in your own life, and may not have felt just how close you yourself could have been to making such a boneheaded decision. Even in my professional adult life - not just my initial years in the trailer park - ... I've been closer to this than most ever realized, and I remember *that* as much as I do my trailer park years, really moreso.

Now, a word for the "sweet" and/ or "clean" crowd that wants anything beyond a peck on the cheek to be completely off screen or at least "behind closed doors"... yeah... apparently Ms. Slaughter doesn't know how to write that kind of tale, at least not based on the now two books (after Bet On It) I've read from her. Instead, as with Bet On It, this is active, in your face (literally, in the case of the characters' faces ;) ) damn near erotica level sex. So if Ron White / Wanda Sykes type comedy isn't your thing... you might want to avoid this one, as this gets *so much worse*.

Another thing to like here, and that I mentioned in Bet On It as well, is just how *normal* Ms. Slaughter shows modern Southern living to be, here including even up to casual acceptance of GSM (Gay and Sexual Minorities, a truly inclusive term that doesn't need constant modifications ever few years) / "LGBT+" people and even couples. While so many tales try to show some level of hostility or animus to such people or any other divergence from lily white WASPy types, Ms. Slaughter's small town embrace of these characters of some of their own shows the modern South I too grew up in quite realistically and quite well, and for that she is to be commended.

Finally, again, if you can get past the blatant and pervasive racism (or perhaps if you even agree with it), and if you don't mind the damn near erotica level sex scenes... this really is quite a strong tale and quite well told, given the above caveats. Very much recommended.

Solid Middle-Of-Trilogy Tale. This book is one of those that has basically one goal - tell a solid tale that picks up well from the opening book and sets up the final book to be MUST. READ. It does that job pretty solidly. It continues our various storylines from the first book, though it perhaps could have used a "Last Time, On..." bit at the beginning for some of the storylines that don't get *as* much attention. But the two main storylines - in the Amazon and on a race through the US - are well done, the chapters nearly all end on the classic mini-cliffhangers that make you want to read the next chapter immediately (while skipping to one of the other storylines for the next chapter and thus making you wait to come back to the cliffhanger you just left). The reveals get more and more impactful, all while the overall situation continues to deteriorate in light of the events of the opening book. And yet... *so much more* is coming. Indeed, the only real weakness of the tale here is that while so much more is indeed coming and this book truly sets up the final book where those things, along with the major confrontation between our heroes and primary antagonist, will be resolved... because of the *timing* of those So Much More events, the ending here takes a much more expanded time scope than the rest of the tale before that point, which leaves one with a minor sense of pacing issues. Still, this is a problem even the great T2 trilogy by S.M. Stirling faced - and wound up working quite well. So we'll see how this works out when AEON FURY releases next year.

A note here: This is the book that Mather had apparently mostly completed when he was tragically killed in a car accident in September 2022, and thus this is his last work. While it is always a high honor to be able to work such a book as an Advance Reviewer Copy, my thoughts on the tale itself above are *just* about the tale and how it was completed out by Dale Nelson, whom Mather's family brought in to do just that. This book really does do quite an honor to Mather's legacy, but my own hope is that Nelson's name can be on the cover of AEON FURY along with Mather's, recognizing his work both here and in that book. I do not know if FURY will be entirely Nelson (or some other author, potentially)'s work or if Mather had at least left some level of notes or perhaps even rough drafts of some of that tale, but to my own thinking the cover author there should perhaps read something like "[smaller letters]In Memory Of[/smaller letters][big letters]Matthew Mather[/big letters][smaller letters]Written By[/smaller letters][medium letters]Dale Nelson (or whoever it turns out to be)[/medium letters]". But this is just my own thoughts there based on my own sensibilities, and won't really actually affect that book in any way.

Final thoughts:

Overall, this book truly was a solid Book 2 of a trilogy, one that did a great job of extending the story from Book 1 and setting up an exciting conclusion in Book 3. The more complex emotions relating to this being its author's final work only add a touch of extra "spice" to the feelings of a genuinely good book. Very much recommended.

Complicated Story. This tale is one of those stories where the front half and back half are wildly divergent, and thus one's feelings of the overall tale may become more complex and nuanced - even as this book gets ever more preachy towards the end, even though it too started out more nuanced.

The front half of the book, spending roughly 30% of the front of the book establishing the various characters and their relationships, as well as the esteemed luxury liner they all find themselves on in the early periods of WWII - before December 1941. The next 20% or so is then spent in disaster/ survival mode, showing what happens with these characters as the worst happens and they are now in a desperate fight for survival. Indeed, this section even feels very reminiscent of the tales of the Titanic survivors, though I suppose those are only the most famous of the unknowable number of people over the course of human history to survive a ship sinking in the northern Atlantic ocean. Through these two sections in particular, we get a very good degree of nuance and showing, as The Imitation Game said it best "sometimes it is those no one imagines anything of that do the things that no one can imagine".

The back half of the tale begins to focus more and more on the aftermath of the sinking - and of British efforts to get America involved. This is where, as an American who has studied the relevant histories in some depth and who had direct family involvement in the era... the tale gets a LOT more complicated, personally. The writing is still great, and the tale itself flows very well. But my own thoughts and reactions to the tale became much more complicated.

At the time of the setting of this tale, one of my grandfathers had already enlisted in the US Army, knowing a war was on the horizon. It would be two more years, as the US military built up to the event now known as D-Day, before my other grandfather would come into the Army. While I never knew this second grandfather - he died weeks after my birth - I learned quite well his legacy in my own life, from the stories of my grandmother (his ex-wife) and my dad (who has made his point in life to largely do the opposite of what his own father did). The first grandfather, I shared the last 20 years of his life with the first 20 years of mine, and knew him as little more than a somewhat stereotypical southern US farmer grandfather. By the time I came around - and apparently even when my mom was growing up - he *NEVER* spoke of his time in WWII. I learned much when I got both of their service records about a decade ago now, and this is where my more complicated feelings about this book come to bear.

The first grandfather clearly believed similarly to our characters here in the back half of the tale, that Hitler *must* be stopped and America *must* join the fight. no matter the reason or cost. (Thinking of this now, it sounds eerily similar to statements some make about another ongoing European war in 2023...) Both of my grandfathers were at the Battle of the Bulge, and this first grandfather got a Silver Star and a Purple Heart because when he was ordered to clear a building on a particular corner in a tiny hamlet of a town, the Germans in that building came out in body bags, and he came out with an injury severe enough to send him to the field hospital. That was 38 years to the day before my birth, when his oldest son was something like 18 months old and my mother - his next to youngest child - was far off. He would die 58 years and a few weeks after that day, apparently the most decorated WWII veteran in his home County at the time of his death.

But that other grandfather. He was at the Bulge, but he was AAA infantry - and at that point, AAA infantry was being used for little more than cannon fodder for German tanks, sometimes literally being told to make do with broomsticks painted black to look like rifles. He was in the Division that liberated the first concentration camps on the American side of the war, though I have no record of where he individually was at that time. From hearing the second and third hand stories over the years, these experiences changed him - and little for the better. Nothing excuses what he became... but it was these very experiences, this very change that he had resisted for so long... what would have changed in *my own life* had that grandfather never been there, had the US never been in the war at all?

So getting back to the book, when the back half here is spent trying to manipulate the press into manipulating America into a war, when it is a tale of working to manipulate the press to make certain domestically popular positions as unpopular as they are in other nations - particularly nations America spent literally two *other* wars breaking away from... it becomes a much more complicated tale, both in the setting at the time and in the current environment where press manipulation is all too rampant - and equally, inaccurate cries of press manipulation (itself a press manipulation) are also all too rampant. Reading it with my own history of the war then and my own thoughts on the war now, the tale becomes much more complicated in this back half.

And yet, in the end, it really is a great tale, solidly told, and sometimes... sometimes we need those complicated stories that roil our hearts, without destroying them. Sometimes we need those complicated stories that make us think, both of our histories and of our current realities. Sometimes we need a tale that while escapism on its face, isn't quite the escapism we were expecting and instead confronts us with these Big Complicated Ideas.

If you're looking for a more "pure escapism" "Summer Read"... maybe this isn't that. And maybe you should read it anyway.

Very much recommended.

Pulse Pounding Criminal Innovation. This is the book that cements the Lexi Bennett series as must read, as it starts off feeling a touch like a disaster flick - everything is normal-ish, except that someone has jumped from a tall building seemingly intentionally. Then the deeper into the story we get, we find an almost Kilgrave level villain (though to be clear - just a human, no superpowers)... and this is where the story *really* takes off, becoming ever more inventive, ever more cat and mouse almost perfect spy thriller type... except that this is a police procedural where murders are being investigated. The ending sequences are some of the most inventive and innovative of all, going particularly dark even. As in, I'm not sure even Preston and Child get *this* dark and twisted, even with Diogenese Pendergast. Which is high praise in that particular arena, because if you like that particular style... you *know* how good Preston and Child are there. Belsham here *may* have truly bested them. Seriously.

Ultimately, this is one of those tales that you're going to need and light and funny comedy to bring back your mental balance from, and for those that struggle with suicidal ideation... perhaps not the book for you until you deal with those issues. Still, very much recommended.

Fun With Sex. My god this review is going to get me on so many porn bot radars, isn't it? But the title here really fits - starting with the very title of the book, "Sex Ed".... which then features a 28yo virgin named Ed being taught about sex by his wildchild best friend. The friends to lovers trope is in perfect display here, the friendship and trust there deeply established... until we get into Hallmarkie level drama at the exact point in the story you expect Hallmarkie level drama in a romcom. We even have the "interesting grandparent" trope hitting and hitting well, as well as some sisterly bonding. And yes, there is a lot of sex, pretty much all of it "on screen". So if you're not a fan of that... maybe the title here (of the book and/ or review) clued you in that this isn't the best book for you? Speaking of the sex, while not necessarily the "oh my God this is nuclear hot" type found in some other works, this was more of the playful variety that to my mind is just as important in a relationship and doesn't always get the attention it deserves in romcom books in particular. So kudos to Ms. Bailey for going that direction with it, it was clearly an inspired choice. Overall a fun tale that will offend few other than those actively looking to be offended, great for both fans of romcoms and for those looking for some level of a "palate cleanser" from darker tales. Very much recommended.

Bad Detective? Bad Private Investigator? This is absolutely one of those tales that brings the "Bad Teacher" / "Bad Judge" trope into criminal investigations, and it also uses a seemingly currently common approach (I literally read two different books using it back to back) of having the investigator have a similar unresolved crime in their past as a "hook". And yes, it actually all does combine quite well. Even for those who are, like me, more prone to protest police shootings than support them, this tale actually shows a bit of a human side to police who shoot people. Though in this case, even the way *that* is portrayed is perhaps the most singular unrealistic thing about this book. Still, Swank uses even that to help build her overall lore here, as in any series starter building in hints of a bigger lore is absolutely essential in keeping readers wanting the next book. So overall, the book does both of its jobs quite well - it both establishes the character and world, and provides readers enough motivation to come back for Book 2. Very much recommended.

Review of HUNGER (originally written June 9, 2015):

Curing world hunger sounds great, right?

That is why I did it. I wanted to be the guy that solved World Hunger.

And I did. I used genetic modification to unlock so-called "junk" DNA in plants, and with this I was able to allow them to grow anywhere that had a permeable surface. Desert? Not a problem. Marsh? Not a problem. Mountains? Not a problem. As long as it didn't involve steel, concrete, rock, or the like, my plants would grow.

Unfortunately I never really tested my breakthrough before it got out of control, and my boss never looked at my work either.

So I wound up causing the apocalypse by solving world hunger.

Oops.

Now it is several years after my breakthrough caused the end of humanity, and my boss is on the run. She still has hope that what little remains of humanity outside of our San Francisco complex can be saved. Me, I'm not so sure - but her bosses sure seem to be intent on stopping her for some reason.

How did we do it? How did we cause the end of humanity? Will she be able to reverse what I did?

Well, you're just going to have to read Jeremiah Knight's debut book to find out...

Note: Hate to spoil the illusion here, but just to be clear: I am a real person who is a long time fan of the author (as in, we met via MySpace) whose name the author used for a character in this book. The above is solely my own review, my way of trying to thank the author, who is easily one of my favorites.

Review of FEAST (Originally written June 9, 2016):

This time we travel, interestingly, not far from where the real me actually lives - to the swamps outside Charleston, SC. This book in particular is great because it slows the pace down a bit from the first book, yet WAY amps up the drama. There are certain situations in this book that will make some/ possibly many uncomfortable, but this is still a Jeremiah Knight/ Jeremy Robinson book - you don't have to worry about actually seeing any of the things I refer to. The monsters here are top notch, as always, but the case could be made that the real monsters of this story are the humans our heroes encounter - and along the way, we may just see the possibility that perhaps the monsters we know aren't so monstrous, and the people we know aren't so nice...

Review of FAMINE (Originally written June 24, 2023):

Years ago, Jeremy Robinson created a seemingly fantastical dystopian tale of what *could* happen if genetically modified organisms and specifically food somehow found a way to run amok. He even included a version of me that is probably (almost certainly) more accurate than I'd like to admit, as the absolutely brilliant yet also cocky, self assured scientist who doesn't double check the safety of his work. Thus, while I manage to (accidentally) solve World Hunger... I also caused the Apocalypse in the process and kick started the events we see unfolding through this now (finally) completed trilogy. After literally *years* of me *begging* Robinson to write this book, FAMINE - and show me how "I" die. And to be sure, while the "me" presented in HUNGER is all too real, the "me" presented in FAMINE is... remarkably less so. :D But that's actually quite awesome, because now I've had a chance to buy *both* of Robinson's "Jeremy Robinson [Spared/ Killed] Me In A Novel, So I Had To Buy This Shirt" shirts.

Here, in this book that I've been begging so long for, Robinson manages to again outdo the MCU in that while the follow up movie from Avengers: Endgame was a bit of a letdown, here, Robinson shows that his talent is still in full swing and truly at the top of his game. While the INFINITE TIMELINE and its conclusion, SINGULARITY, was one of the best science fiction collections ever written - and whose epic story makes it rank among the best complete stories ever written, period - FAMINE comes in equally strong, showing not a single modicum of a hint of a slide from that peak. The creatures throughout the book are fantastic, the character growth of our central team is on par with some of Robinson's best ever work, and the final fight scene here is quite possibly one of the best creature feature fight scenes you're ever going to encounter anywhere in any medium. It has laughs, it has high drama, the tension is razor sharp, and the flow is superconductor level perfectly smooth.

And yes, one might argue that my opinion is tainted because I *have* been begging for this book for so long and building it up for so long in my head. How could I ever think it would be anything less than THE BEST THING EVER!!!!! But that's just it: Yes, I *had* built this book up in my head for so many years. I *had* been dreaming of seeing my death and how Robinson would orchestrate it. I *had* been trying to figure out the endgame and how Robinson would solve some of the pickles he had written himself into by the end of FEAST. And yet... this book was *still* more than anything I could have ever dreamed. While it is no SINGULARITY, it also wasn't doing the same things that book was. This book simply had to be a solid conclusion to a great trilogy, and instead of coming in and hitting a base hit to drive in the one walk off run, this book *still* came in and hit the walk-off Grand Slam.

Robinson is pricing this entire trilogy at the normal price of just a single book, making this a 3 for 1 deal - a great value in nearly any situation. Do yourself a favor. Take the deal. Read this book. Have a great summer with a great escapist adventure. Because the "real" world is bad enough, and we could all use some mindless fun, right?

Very much recommended.

Elite Sociology Types Explain Homelessness. In a spirit of full disclosure up front, I'm a guy that literally has "Real Is Real" - the subheading of Part III of Ayn Rand's magnum opus Atlas Shrugged - tattooed on his wrist, along with a few other tattoos of various Christian thinking, both common (Triune God) and more obscure (Christ's death redefines religious laws). And yet I've also presented at a sociological association's conference, over 20 years ago while still in college. With that noted, let's get into my thoughts on this book, shall we? :)

Coming into this review moments after reading this book, I wasn't going to rate it 5*. There is quite a bit of rampant elitism and racism here, from forgetting just how horrid public housing has proven to be to openly advocating for several explicitly racist programs such as Affirmative Action and reparations. And yet, while admittedly deep into the text... the authors own up to their racism and elitism, unlike so many other books in this space. So there went that potential star deduction. And I was thinking that the book was only about 16% documentation, and it actually ended with about 18%. While still *slightly* lower than the more normal 20-30% I'm accustomed to seeing in these types of books, even I have noted in at least one or two reviews over the last few weeks that given how many more recent books are coming in somewhere in the teens, I may need to revise my expected average downward a few points - which would put this 18% within that newly revised range, almost assuredly. Thus, there went that potential star deduction.

So what I'm left with is an idealistic book that bounces between firmly grounded in reality in showing the full breadth and scope of how so many people come to a state of homlessness and how and why so many programs built to "combat" or "end" homelessness fail and even actively harm the people they claim to he trying to help to being truly pie in the sky, never going to happen "solutions" such as Universal Basic Income. And yet, here again, some of the solutions proposed - such as tiny house villages and container box conversion homes - are ideas that I myself have even proposed.

Admittedly, I chose to read this book this week because of the ongoing struggles in Gastonia, NC, where the City Council is currently threatening to entirely shut down a local church because of its efforts to serve the local homeless population, efforts brought to media attention by the efforts of Libertarian activist (and rumored potential 2024 Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party) Spike Cohen. Unfortunately, I've seen myself over years of even casually watching the issue that the current events in Gastonia are simply far too common - which is one of the things this text gets quite right in covering while never really going in depth with any specifics. Even down to also addressing, again at a high level, the all too common practice of hostile design.

At the end of the day, there are very clear differences in how the authors here and I approach this (and likely many) issue, and I suspect that will be true of many who read this book as well. But if you're interested in the issue of homelessness at all, if you're truly interested in trying to help end this problem, if you're searching for something you can personally do to help, if you're looking for ideas to work at any level to assist... you should read this book. It really is quite a solid primer, despite the authors' clear bents, and at minimum it will help you avoid pitfalls that are far too common even among those with quite a bit of experience working within these communities. Very much recommended.

Solid Introduction To New British Police Procedural Series. This book is exactly what I note in the title - a solid introduction to a new British police procedural series, one with a couple of interesting hooks that will be interesting to see exactly how they play out throughout the series. The first being that our lead Investigator is a triplet with a haunted past (which we learn about through this book), the other being that while she is a British national, she has spent several years prior to the events of this tale being trained by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation and working with them. Neither are exactly typical elements of any of the fairly numerous series I've read within this exact space, and both contribute to helping this particular series stand out a bit from the pack.

The pacing is near frenetic, starting even with our opening chapter featuring a somewhat shocking and certainly atypical book opener within the police procedural space - much less the very first scene of a brand new series.

Overall, one of the better books within this genre I've encountered in quite some time, and I'm glad I already had book two on hand to also read as an Advance Reviewer Copy when I finished this one. Very much recommended.

Explosive Tale But Make Sure You Read Book 8, Their Resting Place, First. Without revealing any actual details, all I'm going to say here is that this book picks up immediately after the prior book in this series - and because of that, you really need to make it a point to read that book first.

Here, our team has several problems to work through - both professionally and personally. The case they find themselves involved in is even more time sensitive than most of their prior cases, and yet the team's personal priorities are also in a state of flux. Spangler manages both sides of the police procedural format masterfully here, combining both to excellent effect to create quite possibly one of the best complete books of this series to date.

Overall truly a compelling tale that won't quite leave you with that "I NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT THIS SECOND" feeling from the prior book, but will still leave you satisfied and waiting anxiously for the next book to come out anyway, as you want to learn what happens next in the lives of our investigators. Very much recommended.

Quick Read That Serves As A Good Look Into The Mind Of Some Childless People. I've struggled for nearly 10 days now to sit down and write out my thoughts on this book, and ultimately what I come down to is that this really is a really good look at how desperate some people are to have children - and the lengths they will go through to get them, up to and including risking everything else they claim to care about. As a sub-300 page book, it is also a relatively quick read, which helps because this is largely one dark and depressing tome (can a sub-300 page book be a 'tome'? this one certainly feels like it) that will have many readers wanting to throw it out the nearest window, even if reading it on your Kindle or other device. There is just enough light here to keep it from being *too* dark and depressing, but seriously, if you've ever been anywhere near these issues in your "real" life... this one hits all too close to home. And while I, as a male, have never been in our female lead's exact shoes - I've been near enough to her husband's, as we actively weighed IVF and the "modern miracle" horrors it wreaks on the female body in a desperate ploy to *maybe* get pregnant. In the end, my wife and I actively chose to become childfree - yes, there is a difference between childfree and childless, and this book actively shows it. Childfree is happy not having kids. Childless is always feeling a void/ like you've missed out on something, as our lead here does. Still, for those who have never reason to consider this particular path or its varying branches... this really is truly a strong look into that overall mindset, for all its benefits and pitfalls. Very much recommended.

Not McKenzie's Strongest Work, Still A Solid Read. I suppose this is how you know when an author is truly good overall - when they can have a book that is rather far from their best, and still create a mostly compelling tale from it. Here, it almost seems like McKenzie is phoning it in. Clearly, *something* happened here, but that is for her to know and we readers to simply move on from. :)

The book itself is both interesting and yet slow. There is enough of the mechanics built in to move the plot along and to ratchet up the mystery and tension before a wild curve late in the book that very nearly gives a sense of whiplash, and there is even room here for a sequel, should McKenzie choose to go that route. There is a lot of telling what happens rather than showing what happens, and yet McKenzie overall makes this work within the space of this tale and how she is telling it.

If you're a fan of Yosemite National Park and/ or want to vicariously live a summer there, this may be of interest. If you're interested in learning something about the volunteer search and rescue teams that spend summers in some of these parks, this may be of interest. And if you're a long time fan of McKenzie, this will absolutely be of interest. But for anyone else, I actually recommend reading almost any of McKenzie's *prior* works first, to see how good she is and build some trust first. *Then* come into this book with that trust, and hopefully it works out for you. I know it did for me, as I'm still looking forward to the next one. Recommended.