Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves.
The first book with a review is the recently released collection Lockdown Innit: Poems About Absurdity by M.J. Mallon
About the collection
Lockdown Innit is a poetry collection of eighteen poems about life’s absurdities and frustrations during lockdown. Wherever you live in this world, this is for you. Expect humour, a dollop of banter and ridiculous rants here and there. Amongst other delights, witness the strange antics of a swan posing by a bin and two statuesque horses appearing like arc deco pieces in a field. Check out the violin player on a tightrope, or the cheeky unmentionables wafting in the lockdown breeze!
A recent review for the collection
Author Marjorie Mallon’s keen sense of observation came to play in the way the poems were penned. Different emotions like fear, anger, longing, desire, humor were evoked while reading them.
The words also showed how people behaved during these tough times. It is the truth that some have still not learned after losing so many lives across the world. Many in the book were hard-hitting, some were humorous, and the best ones were, where the spoke of her love for her daughters through her words. Hope sailed through in them.
Then the author sneaked in a wispy one longing to be like the cat, dreaming peacefully of normal times. A perfect way to end the book.
Head over to buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US
Also by M.J. Mallon
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Website:M.J. Mallon – Goodreads: Goodreads – Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon
The next author is Alex Craigie with a review for Someone Close to Home
About the book
Talented pianist Megan Youngblood has it all – fame, fortune and Gideon.
But Gideon isn’t good enough for Megan’s ambitious, manipulative mother, whose meddling has devastating repercussions for Megan and for those close to her.
Now, trapped inside her own body, she is unable to communicate her needs or fears as she faces institutional neglect in an inadequate care home.
And she faces Annie. Sadistic Annie who has reason to hate her. Damaged Annie who shouldn’t work with vulnerable people.
Just how far will Annie go?
One of the recent reviews for the book
This is a book I will remember for a long time to come. It resonated with me, and while it is heart breaking, it also had some beautiful moments. Not an easy subject but one the author handled so well. I shall be checking out her other books for sure.
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US
Also by Alex Craigie
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US – Follow Alex: Goodreads – Alex Craigie : Facebook
The final review today is for Carol Balawyder for a book for those who enjoy thrillers, Warning Signs
About the book
Eugene’s research into his criminal mind is not about the why, but how to prevent his horrific crimes. Angie, a young woman starving for passion sees Eugene as her saviour from a lonely life of caring for her heroin addicted mother. How far is she willing to go in order to save her relationship with Eugene and his promise for a future together?
Detective Van Ray is out on a vindictive mission as he attempts to solve the murders of young girls in Youth Protection.
Their lives collide in a mixture of mistrust, obsession and ignoring the warning signs. A psychological thriller about human frailty and loneliness.
One of the recent reviews for the book
This psychological thriller is told from three points of view: a serial killer, the young woman who loves him, and the detective investigating the serial murders of several teenagers.
Eugene Munroe is a creepy guy, and there were times during the read where the real world disappeared and I was completely absorbed in his strange and fascinating thought processes. Angie is overly needy and desperate for love, and Eugene’s attentions have her ignoring the warning signs that something is wrong. Van Ray is the cop on the case who compromises the law in more ways than one.
The plot starts with a lot of tension that kept me glued to the pages. A significant twist at the halfway point changes the nature of the story, shifting it away from imminent danger into the psychology of the characters. The pace slows slightly as the book works toward a conclusion, but it wraps up the various threads nicely. The writing seemed well researched, particularly related to the serial killer.
I encountered a problem with formatting on my kindle (it may just be my kindle). There were no breaks or indents distinguishing paragraphs. This made the read more difficult for me, but otherwise, I recommend it to fans of thrillers, crime novels, and psychological dramas.
Read the reviews and buy the book : Amazon US and: Amazon UK
A selection of books by Carol Balawyder
Read reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Read more reviews : Goodreads – Website – Carol Balawyder – LinkedIn: Carol Balawyder
Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you are leaving with some books.. thanks Sally
Thank you so much for sharing Shalini’s review of Lockdown innit amongst so many fab writers, Sally. Xxx
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Delighted to share Marje and looking forward to reading..hugsxx
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Thank you Sally. Hope you enjoy! x
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I am sure I will Marje..hugsx
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Congrats to Carol whose book I loved, Marje, whose book I loved, and Trish whose book I look very forward to getting to.<3
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Thanks Debby for the recommendations and something to look forward to… ♥♥
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❤
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I think you should avoid mine for a while, Debby. It features institutional neglect and that might be too close for comfort at the moment. Hope things are looking up for you and your husband. ❤
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Funny you say that Trish. That’s the first thing that triggered for me when I read the blurb. Of course, I must read it, but you’re right, certainly not in this time. So, good thing I have ‘Acts of Convenience’ to get to first. ❤
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Not Acts of Convenience either, Debby – a dystopian view of various governments saving money through cutbacks in the health service in the near-ish future! Not what you want to read now… I can wait! ❤
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Another wonderful lineup, Sally! I’m especially glad to see some familiar names here (Alex and Marje) and loved all three reviews! Thanks so much for sharing them! 🙂
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Thanks Marcia hope the week going okay and spring is well under way… hugsxx
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We are perched on the brink of summer, Sally. Azaleas are almost done blooming, grass is starting to green up and (sadly for Mark) GROW again, and birds are already courting and building nests in the yard. So spring is well underway, and won’t be here too much longer. Overall, things are improving daily, I think, and hope the same is true for you?
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Lol.. our poor birds are currently hiding in the hedges and dashing out in gale force winds (100kph last night). I assume there is nest building and courting going on so trying to provide the energy needed. With garden centres shut until April some of the usual activities have been put on hold but luckily my plants I cut back last year all seem to be showing signs of a comeback.. I hope another few weeks will see a different story..hugs ♥
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Forgot that in some parts of the world (and this country, too), garden centers aren’t open all year round. Down here, there are many flowers that prefer our winters to our summers. Shouldn’t be much longer for you, though, and then you’ll start to feel the season changing. Hang in there! 😀
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Thanks Colleen ours are normally open all year but have been shut during lockdown and only open for 6 weeks last summer briefly.. another economic casualty of the pandemic.. We are hoping for mid-april…hugs♥
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Thank you for sharing, Sally! Great choices!
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Congratulations everyone, a fab selection and so interesting too. Wishing you all much success. My TBR is growing beyond belief.
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Thanks very much Jane..xxhugsx
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Some wonderful authors, Sally. I enjoyed Alex’s Someone Close to Home and have her Acts of Convenience is my kindle. 🙂 And Carol’s book was so well done – she has serial killers down. Marje’s lockdown books have gotten some great reviews too. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you Diana.. Acts of Convenience was very current and Alex sets the tone very well.. I agree with you about Carol’s book and Marje’s book on my horizon…hugsx
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Thank you for you wonderful review of my book, Diana. So very much appreciated. I’m sorry that you had problems with the formatting on Kindle. I will look into that. Thank you for pointing that out.
Thank you, Sally, for featuring my book especially alongside two such wonderful writers. Marje’s book of poetry is certainly one for our times and one that will surely appeal to every reader who has been on lockdown ie. everyone! Alex’s book on institutional neglect is one I hope will get a lot of attention. All the best to all of you, Diana, Sally, Marje and Alex. ❤
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Pleasure Carol.. enjoy the rest of the week..hugsx
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It’s so hard to know with formatting where the issues lie. Ugh. But worth looking into. If you end up finding out what went wrong and get it fixed, I’ll edit my review (I’m pretty sure I can do that). Just jot me a note. 🙂
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I’ll let you know, Diane. Have a great day. xxx
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Diane, I checked on my Kindle and although there were no indents, my Kindle shows breaks between paragraphs. Hope this is helpful and that others don’t have the same problem you had. It can be very annoying, indeed. Sorry about that.
Have a very happy weekend,
Carol
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Thanks, Diana. Your review of Someone Close to Home was wonderful and much appreciated. ❤
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Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out these updates to the Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore via this post from Sally Cronin
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Great reviews, and books! Thank you Sally, let me getting closer to “sadistic Annie” ;-), and “Warning Signs”. The “Lockdown Innit” is a fantastic read. Thank you to M.J., it got published just in time. Michael
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Thanks, Michael.
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Thank you for another great book, Alex! Have a nice day, and please stay save! Michael
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Thanks Michael.. hugsx
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Another great list, and much for following up my way on distraction. hugsx
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Thank you Michael so glad you enjoyed Lockdown Innit. Smiling. ❤
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Great done, Marje! Thank you so much, for publishing it. Have a beautiful week! Michael
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A great line-up of books, reviews, and authors. Thanks for sharing, Sally. Hugs xx 🙂
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Thanks very much Harmony…hugs ♥
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Thanks for the support, Harmony! x
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Thanks, Sally. This was a delightful surprise! The Met Office predict heavy rain and strong winds for the whole day but somehow that doesn’t matter anymore! xx
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Delighted to share Trish and likewise same weather here – ah well.. ♥
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Congratulations to Carol, Alex and Marje – what fantastic reviews. Toni x
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I loved the other two reviews, but my one made the heart sing – natch!
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♥
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Thanks very much Toni..hugsx
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Wonderful writers and reviews! Thank you, Sally. I will be adding these to my reading list. 😊
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Thanks very much Gwen.. they will be delighted..hugsx♥
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Thanks, Gwen!
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