Dionne Brand is well represented by Nomenclature, a collection of eight volumes of her poetry accompanied by an important new work. Beginning with Primitive Offensive (1982) and ending with Ossuaries (2010), the book confirms that Brand has always been a meticulous but dynamic stylist for whom form is motivated by the desire to take “history’s […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/reckoning-with-silence-nomenclature-dionne-brand/
Between 1949 and 1953 Mina Loy was a well-known character around the Bowery, a ghostly figure in white face powder and a wine-red dressing gown, prowling the streets and poking into trash cans for detritus to squirrel away in her single room in a communal household on Stanton Street. Her poetry was out of print […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/the-sanctuary-of-pure-expression-mina-loy/
Over the years I’ve had conversations with friends, often artists, who tell me they much prefer Bonnard to Matisse and Braque to Picasso. For them it’s Bonnard, not Matisse, who understands the poetry of the everyday. And it’s Braque, not Picasso, who gives Cubism a lyric power. Their feeling is that Bonnard and Braque were […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/going-to-extremes-matisse-the-red-studio/
In 1918 the Spanish neuroanatomist Santiago Ramón y Cajal began writing down his dreams. Some were brief—“I attend a diplomatic soiree and as I am leaving my pants fall down”; “Thieves break in. And I said to them: do not kill me, and they took out a revolver but later it turns out it was […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/illuminating-the-brains-utter-darkness-cajal-jorgensen/
William Shakespeare’s best-remembered sonnet compared someone to a summer’s day. The poet Johannes Becher, once East Germany’s minister of culture, compared the essence of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to a sonnet. According to Philip Oltermann’s The Stasi Poetry Circle, he “believed that sonnets structurally mirrored the Marxist view of historical progress,” the materialist version […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/sonnets-for-the-state-stasi-poetry-circle-oltermann/
Broken Souls is the second audiobook in the Eric Carter urban fantasy series by Stephen Blackmoore. Narrated by Rudy Sanda, Eric deals with a killer who can wear the skins of his victims. You’ll want to grab your earbuds and listen to this gritty, noir urban fantasy.
Broken Souls
by Stephen Blackmoore
Series: Eric Carter #2
Narrator: Rudy Sanda
Length: 7 hours and 46 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.5x
Stephen Blackmoore’s hard-bitten necromancer Eric Carter returns in this noir urban fantasy series populated by ghosts, gods, and monsters bringing murder and mayhem to the mortal world.
When he returned to L.A. to find his sister’s murderer, Eric Carter knew it would be a rough ride. Especially since he managed to make more than his share of enemies in the city—both in this world and the next.
Like his new wife. Who happens to be the patron saint of death, Santa Muerte. She has him walking the razor’s edge. And even the if unholy union has increased his magical powers—it’s slowly killing him both physically and mentally. Carter’s going to have break his connection to the Aztec goddess before she breaks him into pieces.
And then things get really interesting. As he tries to find a way out of his predicament, Carter crosses paths with a twisted, ruthless killer can assume his victim’s form and inherit their powers—which barely discovers surviving when the monster tries to kill him. But why? That’s what Carter would very much like to ask them. So he’s going to hunt them down and ask them—and not nicely.
That is, if his prey doesn’t turn predator… and take more than just his life…
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Broken Souls is a gritty, dark, noir style urban fantasy featuring a necromancer named Eric Carter. Carter has found himself bound to the patron saint of death, Santa Muerte. No wedding ceremony took place, but the Queen of Death has placed a wedding band on his finger and their contract is binding. With it, he has gained new powers.
In his quest to break this unholy union, he crosses paths with a twisted, ruthless killer. This killer can assume his victim’s form and inherit their powers. He’ll need to stop the man and his partner who wants him dead.
The author continues to flesh out the world and our protagonist, Eric. The pacing was well done, as was the mystery line which kept me hooked. Santa Muerte is one freaky Queen and their interactions amused me. Eric has some ward tattooed on his skin and meets up with contacts who added to the tale. Eric’s powers are unique, but so are the dangerous supernatural creatures he encounters.
We meet new characters and learn some alarming information regarding Eric, the Queen and this new character. Oh, boy! I am looking forward to finding out how Eric will escape this mess.
Rudy Sanda continues the narration and does a splendid job of bringing these characters to life. The story lends itself perfectly to this format and highly recommend listening.
From mythology to the magic, the Eric Carter story entertained me, and I look forward to the next audiobook Hungry Ghosts.
Amazon | Audible
Stephen Blackmoore is the author of the noir / urban fantasy Eric Carter series (DEAD THINGS, BROKEN SOULS, HUNGRY GHOSTS, and FIRE SEASON), about a necromancer in modern-day Los Angeles.
Rudy Sanda is a versatile actor, singer, voice-over artist, and fight choreographer. He has acted all over the United States and England on the stage and screen, including Laguna Playhouse, Ivoryton Playhouse, the Colonial Theatre, and Ocean State Theatre. Rudy holds a BFA in acting from the University of Rhode Island and received further training at the Beverly Hills Playhouse in Los Angeles and RATA in London. He has been described as a powerful, deeply connected presence bursting with charm and enthusiasm.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2023/01/broken-souls-by-stephen-blackmoore.html
The ocean is filled with so many beautiful and mysterious things and is still over 80% unexplored, unknown, and unmapped. In Oliver the Oyster and the Pearl Gifts, written by J.B Auchter, we are taken on an incredible journey through different parts of the ocean, meeting new friends and learning some of the known mysteries of the ocean.
We begin at Mayo Beach, a popular and majestic beach where we meet Oliver the Oyster, who has lived in the mudflats his entire life. He hears people speak about how special oysters are in this area, but he doesn’t understand what they mean. Finally, Oliver’s curiosity is piqued and leads him on an adventure to answer the egging question, what could make oysters special?
This is such a charming story of what can be gained when we work together and be kind to one another. It’s an important message to display to children making this book a fantastic vessel to navigate the conversation of kindness, friendship, and selflessness. I feel this early reader chapter book would be perfect for children just starting out with chapter books and lovers of the ocean as it is loaded with information and facts about this and its creatures.
Oliver the Oyster and the Pearl Gifts is an entertaining and educational children’s story that even adults may learn a few things from as they go on this adventure. The lessons of kindness and friendship are mixed in with facts about the ocean and the wildlife that lives in it. Families and classes will enjoy reading this heartwarming story together and using it to open up discussions on spreading kindness to all.
Pages: 61 | ASIN : B0B61VY6ZM
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/20/oliver-the-oyster-and-the-pearl-gifts/
Ana has always wondered why she has to wear lenses to conceal her eye color. She has violet eyes like Elizabeth Taylor’s, which is an idiosyncrasy in Hollywood. She soon starts to find answers to her strange eye color after she and her brother steal his uncle’s car and drive to the multiverse. Once in the multiverse, they crash land in the elevated earth and kill Emerald Censor. They soon encounter various interesting characters, such as the cook, Egor, and a wizard called Snapdragon, who can heal anyone. Ana wants to meet the wizard to help Zackary, who is immunocompromised, but she runs into problems as Crimson Censor searches for the murderer of the Emerald Censor. The Marvelous Multiverse App is the first book in the series Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse by Aurora Winter, which sets the foundation for the coming books.
The first chapter, “Imprisoned,” sets up a mystery tone for the rest of the book. As its title suggests, this book offers a combination of magic, mystery, and adventure. It’s a fantastic book that will transport you to magical worlds, from magical cooks with Tear gifts to gold-hungry dwarfs and power-hungry censors to controlling Opus Die.
My favorite part of this book is the magic and mystery of Ana’s family. I am in complete awe of the Lokey, the elevated earth, and the Egors, with their genius minds and broken hearts. Winter does an excellent job writing clever one-liners and has a simple yet impressive writing style.
While the storyline is exciting and action-packed, the world-building is vague and does not give readers much of an idea of their cultures and histories, and I feel that could be captivating. For example, there was no specific mention of Avenir people besides censors and oxygen mining, aka stealing robots. However, because this was the first book in the series, we may learn more about them in subsequent books.
Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse is an exciting new young adult fantasy series that will draw in readers of all ages. For those passionate about adventure and magic, Dr. Who and Harry Potter will enjoy this book and be waiting for the next novel in the series.
Pages: 224 | Available on Kindle Vella
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/20/magic-mystery-the-multiverse/
Ever Vigilant is the memoir of Michael J. Hebert and covers his year serving in Vietnam between 1969 and 1970 on the River Boat Patrols with the U.S. Army. The book is a fascinating insight into an under-reported aspect of the Vietnam War.
Ever Vigilant begins stateside before Hebert is drafted and covers his time in Vietnam and his return home after the horrors of war. From the first page, Hebert hooked me on his writing style. While many books focused on this subject matter tend to be exceedingly dry and severe, the beginning of Ever Vigilant is light-hearted. Hebert is a master at placing himself back in his shoes at a much younger age. His narrative sounds like a young 20-year-old is writing it, full of wit, self-deprecating humor, and a certain level of naivety that the reader knows will be shattered when Hebert reaches Vietnam. Hebert focuses on his time with the PBR (Patrol Boat River), which was used to intercept and hassle enemy travel on Vietnam’s myriad rivers, a dangerous job, to be sure.
Ever Vigilant is full of interesting stories of young men coming of age in the middle of a war zone. War is dreadful, but Hebert shows how even at the darkest of times, we can find glimmers of light. His stories of brotherly camaraderie between young men thrown together are genuinely heartwarming. The topic of the war itself is handled deftly. This is neither an anti-war book nor a diatribe on patriotic duty and the benefits of an aggressive foreign policy. Ever Vigilant is respectful and simply shows the war’s effect on real people, both positive and negative.
Hebert’s writing is energetic, and his descriptions are masterful. He has a real knack for sending you to the places he describes. For example, a large part of the book covers his team’s battle against nature during a typhoon after their boat is destroyed. Having experienced a typhoon myself, Hebert’s writing took me right back. The same goes for his descriptions of Vietnam. He perfectly captures the country’s beauty and the nature of the people who live there. While this is a book written from the American perspective during the war, Hebert shows an appreciation for how difficult the war was for the natives as well.
Ever Vigilant is a gripping memoir sharing a young man’s experiences in Vietnam. Whether you are interested in the Vietnam War or military history in general, there is much to love here. This personal account is a fun, humorous, touching, and sometimes harrowing tale of a young man’s experiences in war.
Pages: 339 | ASIN : B09PKNZ254
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/20/ever-vigilant/
Wealth, thrill, the net closing in around a somewhat likable protagonist, and the gamification of murder come together in Brian Parkin’s Manifesto for a Serial Killer. Jessica Harper, a wealthy 23-year-old Australian socialite, has killing as her major hobby. A formidably intelligent and driven woman, self-taught in coding, hacking, and various other useful skills, Jessica designs an app, the Manifesto, to generate a series of random targets, murder weapons, locations, murderer characteristics, and budgets for each kill such that the cases are wholly unconnected. Detective Inspector Rob Franklin and Detective Sergeant Leanne Wilson stumble onto her trail and attempt to prove her guilt in over twenty cases of serial killing that have occurred in the entire continent of Australia.
This thrilling book is single-minded in its description of Jessica’s meticulous habits and preparations for each kill and the many aliases adopted by Jessica (the middle-aged builder, the grunge university student, the businesswoman, the inconspicuous everyday persons, the housekeeper, the photographer) are always described as separate characters. Following both the police in their hunt for the serial killer’s identity, as well as Jessica in her methodical erasing of her trail, leaves the reader almost rooting for both sides, certain that, as with most thrillers and mysteries, the police will prevail.
Manifesto for a Serial Killer by Brian Parkin, while it is an engrossing and quick read with a purposeful narrative style matching Jessica’s single-mindedness, her character does fall flat sometimes, leaving the reader wishing for a more nuanced perspective. However, Jessica remains a protagonist that the reader surprisingly finds themselves rooting for. The author’s knowledge and research of Australian geography, locales, and slang (doona being my favorite) are insightful, and a sequel to this book would definitely be a good addition!
Pages: 185 | ASIN : B00QHRCWE2
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/20/manifesto-for-a-serial-killer/