Mini-Reviews: A Quintet of Shebooks

Shebooks first came to my attention when Beth Kephart posted about them.  Bite-sized books for busy women?  That's right up my alley right now.  And Beth's excerpts of Zoe Rosenfeld's "Owl in Darkness" certainly whetted my appetite.  All five of these titles are available now from Shebooks.  In addition to the story, each book includes questions at the end to help think about the reading.

"Owl in Darkness" by Zoe Rosenfeld
Review copy

"Owl in Darkness" is the story of a writer staying at a manor for six weeks (a special writer's residency), but who hasn't written a word since she's arrived.  Instead, she's preoccupied with the people and things around her.  Cups left by the nightwatchmen, noises in the wood . . . it's all rendered in beautiful, descriptive prose.

And though the tale of writer's block is familiar, Bert's struggles are eventually her own, as are her epiphanies.  The atmosphere throughout is wonderful, making the little things loom as large for the reader as Bert.  It's very easy to get caught up in the point of view.  (For all my YA readers out there, I recommend this one for fans of Maggie Stiefvater.)

"Stolen Moments" by Suzanne Antonette Paola
Review copy

I come to "Stolen Moments" next, because it is similar in many ways to "Owl in Darkness."  There's quite a bit of internal narration with a focus on slightly off relationships, but I did not like it near as much.  It kept striking me as the worst sort of navel gazing, although I did rather like the middle section ("Shoes").

And, well, it struck me as an ah-ha! moment when the back revealed that these three stories are part of a larger work to be published later.  That's why they didn't quite work, didn't fully connect, never truly went anywhere.  It's just a glorified excerpt!  There are some good moments in "Stolen Moments," but I found it rather dull overall.  (It doesn't help that the three narrators, from three different walks of life, sound basically the same.)

"Mating Calls: The Problem with Lexie and No. 7" by Jessica Anya Blau
Review copy

This is the final fiction Shebook I read and the only one by an author I was familiar with.  Jessica Anya Blau's two short stories aren't related, except by some uniting themes.  "The Problem with Lexie" is the tale of a school counselor making some very bad decisions regarding pills and her love life and "No. 7" is about (Alex)Zandra spotting a former lover by chance in a Ross Dress for Less.

I liked both narrators, although Alexandra has the advantage of being removed from her terrible relationship decision.   I enjoyed Lexie's narration even at her worst behavior, however.  I enjoyed how fun both of Blau's stories were, even when they dealt with unpleasant things.

"His Eye Is on the Sparrow: An Engagement in Black and White" by Ann Pearlman
Review copy

Ann Pearlman's memoir goes back to 1962 when she (a Jewish woman) was engaged to Ty (a black man).  It tells of them meeting each others' families, with episodes both funny and harrowing.  The way she writes about emotions is incredibly vivid, from love to humiliation.  It certainly convinced me that I want to read INFIDELITY, her Pulitzer-prize winning memoir about their marriage.

I particularly love the descriptions of food in "His Eye Is on the Sparrow."  Who doesn't associate food with community, hospitality, history?  It comes through so deliciously here, even when the food is divisive.  I'm not a big memoir fan, but this is simply a fascinating story.

"The Nigerian-Nordic Girl's Guide to Lady Problems" by Faith Adiele
Review copy

"The Nigerian-Nordic Girl's Guide to Lady Problems" discusses a serious lady problem: fibroids.  Faith Adiele had four painful ones and lots of conflicting advice about what to do about them - from her different cultures, different doctors - and much of it was fairly judgmental.

The medical system in America is highly flawed, and the treatment people get varies wildly depending on how you're perceived by your medical provider.  Honestly, the Nigerian, Nordic, and American ways all fail her differently - and all see Adiele as failing in different ways. Adiele's memoir is funny, painful, and quite insightful.    (And it certainly made me think about my mother's stories about her fibroids.)

Review: The Ghost Prison

By Joseph Delaney
Illustrated by Scott M. Fischer
Available now from Sourcebooks Fire
Review copy

I own the first several books in The Last Apprentice/Spooks series by Joseph Delaney, but I've never found time to read them.  When I heard about THE GHOST PRISON, it seemed like a good place to start.  Same world, but no overlapping characters.  Plus, it was just a novella!

THE GHOST PRISON is 112 pages, but the type is large and there are a large number of pictures.  Now, I really enjoyed the illustrations.  Scott M. Fischer's art is bold, clear, and sets the tone of this short piece perfectly.  The final illustration in THE GHOST PRISON is half of what makes the ending so effective.  But I wouldn't pay full price for THE GHOST PRISON ($12.99 for the hardcover).  Most retailers have it discounted to a more reasonable price.

Billy Calder is a new guard at the local prison, and is soon transferred to the night shift.  There he learns about the various ghouls that haunt the prison, including Long-Neck Nettie, who seems to have taken a shine to Billy.  It's a rough job, but perfectly safe as long as he follows all of the rules.

I think that THE GHOST PRISON is a great Halloween read.  The horror builds slowly, as Billy's new job puts him in the path of a terrible monster.  It's a delightfully creepy read, and I liked that it doesn't pull its punches.  This might not be the best choice for younger readers, although I know I would have enjoyed a story as morbid as THE GHOST PRISON back in the third grade.

One thing I particularly liked as an adult is how THE GHOST PRISON deals with historical attitudes.  What I dismissed as unpleasant but probably just a sign of the setting turned out to be a clue as to character.  THE GHOST PRISON might be short, but it's well constructed.

In conclusion: love the story and the illustrations, but still think it's overpriced.  I can see this being worth the price if it was a collection of horror stories instead of just one.  But it was a great introduction to Delaney, and perhaps I'll get around to reading those books now.

Review: How to Shake the Other Man

By Derek Palacio
Available now from Nouvella
Review copy

I'm not just into novels.  I love short stories, for their complex conciseness.  And I love novellas because they best ones are not too long, not too short.  They just tell their story and leave it, no bloating.  And the internet is great for novellas - an ebook novella is perfect for a lunch break.  I've been curious about Nouvella Books for awhile, and when they offered review copies of HOW TO SHAKE THE OTHER MAN, I jumped at the offer.  (I enjoyed the excerpt in Electric Literature's Recommended Reading.)

And this is a great time for ya'll to give them a try too.  HOW TO SHAKE THE OTHER MAN is .99 in ecopy from Amazon and 25% off direct from the publisher, which includes the paperback.  Look, $11 is a touch high for 63 pages.  But Nouvella does make the package as sexy as possible.  The cover has that velvety matte finish I love, and it's wee size is just perfect for tossing in a purse.  Novellas may be perfect for ereading, but print will never die when the package can be this touchable.

Marcel is a coffee vending entrepreneur who came to New York from Cuba to live openly and happily as a gay man.  His brother, Oscar, followed.  When Marcel is murdered, Oscar is stuck with Javier, Marcel's lover.  Oscar was teaching him to fight, in order to give him a reason to stick around, and now his debut is about to come.  But neither Oscar nor Javier is sure to go on with their partnership.

I loved how deeply drawn the characters and their relationships were.  They're often ambiguous, each character unable to know any of the others' thoughts and feelings.  I felt the plot wasn't as strong.  Now, this is not a plot-driven story at all.  It's about character and culture and connection, but there's still a plot.  It's pretty thin, although I like that it moves back and forth in time to juxtapose the past and present.  And, okay, I was a little let down by the predictable ending.  (Is this how every boxing book must end?)

Derek Palacio's writing is wonderful - he's got a gripping, passionate style.  He brings Marcel's boisterous, consuming presence to life in a way that illuminates his absence from the present story, how things drift apart without his magnetism.  I'm interested in seeing what he'll write next.  I'm not sure HOW TO SHAKE THE OTHER MAN was a home run, but it was more interesting than watching baseball.