RebeccasReads

No Blue Sky: An American Traveler’s Glimpse of China

 “No Blue Sky” is a travel journal in a published book format based on the author’s first-time vacation trip with her husband to China. Mrs. Burkett provides a narrative of her adventures on Chinese soil – sightseeing, eating, and learning. Daily activities and pre-flight preparations are described in great detail, sometimes entailing lots of unnecessary specifics. The reader is drawn into the story, eager to hear more from this travel blog. There are many travel tips, some of which are common-sense, but I suppose it is better to cover all the basics than leave something out. I was especially blown away by the amount of detail given to using a squatting toilet – pretty hilarious! Since this book is tailored to Americans, who have never been and have not heard much about China, such details go along with the theme.

While reading, I found myself a bit annoyed with certain passages discussing the physical characteristics and descriptions of the Chinese population, which included stereotypical facial features, for example (flat nose, etc). I would think supplying some pictures would suffice, instead of making broad generalizations. In addition, the author provides hand-drawn pictures of faces that looked very “abstract” (I suppose such drawings are a major plus for a personal travel log, but should not appear in a published manuscript). I would rather see photographs embedded in or close to the text, making it more of a guidebook and giving a reader images to enjoy. There is a collection of some photographs at the end of the book, which could do the trick.

I learned some useful and interesting facts about China’s cultural and natural wonders. Having been interested in visiting China before, I am even more excited to do so after reading Mrs. Burkett’s journal. The author’s prose flows smoothly and logically with interesting side notes. Overall, the book would be interesting to those looking for someone’s personal experience with a leisurely trip to China and would like to learn from the author, while preparing for their own trip. The entries in the book belong more on the pages of a personal page of a travel blogging website though than in print.


No Blue Sky: An American Traveler’s Glimpse of China
Glenda R. Burkett
Author House (2011)
ISBN 9781456758974
Reviewed by Andrey Bilko for RebeccasReads (1/12)

The Keya Quests: The Battle for Shivenridge

Had Glenn Skinner known that I would be the person reviewing his book “The Battle for Shivenridge” I think he might have contemplated requesting the review be cancelled rather than chance receiving another scathing review from me. I initially became acquainted with Skinner’s writings when I read the first book in “The Keya Quests” fantasy / epic line: “Three Souls Destiny-Bound.” That particular book was a very difficult read and I was extremely explanatory of why in its subsequent review.

In all honesty when I saw “The Battle for Shivenridge” was available for review I cautiously weighed whether I wanted to tackle it or not. I hoped that Skinner had taken some of my previous review advice to heart but I was afraid that his writing style would be unchanged and I would be forced to write yet another harsh critique. I definitely didn’t want that; I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews, however, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went ahead and requested it.

Upon receiving “The Battle for Shivenridge” I looked it over, front and back, and decided that it looked much more interesting / appealing than its predecessor had. Finding a quiet spot a day or so later I cracked the book open and began to read. I was happily surprised. Skinner’s writing style had improved…dramatically…and as I turned the pages I found myself lost in the tale and several hours slipped by without my noticing their passing.

To sum up quickly: “The Battle for Shivenridge” is the continuing story of Keya and her faithful friends / family as they travel through a magical portal in order to return to Keya’s home world and save her people from the insidious evil that remains even after Lord Randar’s previous defeat.

I don’t want to give any parts of this story away; suffice it to say that “The Battle for Shivenridge” is well worth the read. It is interesting and entertaining and while there are still some minor problems with the writing they are small enough not to hinder the reader’s enjoyment of the story.

Kudos to Skinner for a much improved book and I’m truly looking forward to reading (and hopefully) reviewing the next one.


The Keya Quests: The Battle for Shivenridge
Glenn Skinner
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432773625
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (11/11)

Out of Oz

As we enter the final volume of the “Wicked Years” saga, we find that Emerald City is mounting an attack against Munchkinland.  Glinda is under house arrest and the cowardly lion is running from the law.  Dorothy, still unable to shake her original experience in Oz, is returning to Oz for some sort of closure, only to find herself a fugitive.  She is captured and put on trial for the murder of Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west.

This series is not a continuation of the jovial fantasy version of the original Oz story but rather a move into a dark social and political arena.  This segment focuses on Rain, the daughter of Liir and granddaughter of Elphaba.  She, menored by the seemingly superficial and scattered but loyal Glinda, is steadfastly determined to liberate Munchkinland from Shell Tropp, Elphaba’s powerful but wicked step-brother who is now ruling over Emerald City.

Gregory Macguire weaves a witty and oftentimes humorous tale without losing his control of serious social commentary in "Out of Oz."  It is also a coming of age story about finding one’s strengths and using them judiously.  Multi-layering the story and characters makes this fourth entry a resoundingly satisfying finale.


Out of Oz
Gregory Maguire
William Morrow (2011) HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN 9780060548940
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (12/2011)

Promised Valley War

“Blue Sky suddenly realized who the man was:  the lead hunter in the ravine the previous autumn, the hill man who’d initially disregarded Wandering Star’s warning cries not to take his hunting party any higher up the mountainside and risk death at the hands of the farmers.

Then the man looked up at the farmers’ guard post and saw Blue Sky and his equally brave or foolish comrade, Spring Rain, ready for bloody battle all by themselves, but still holding back their arrows when they easily could’ve let them fly.” (p. 2)

Ron Fritsch’s “Promised Valley War” picks up where his first book, “Promised Valley Rebellion,” left off.  In the first book, the younger people staged a rebellion against the King for he was opposed to the marriage of his son, the prince, to the hill people’s princess.  In this second installment of the series we are transported back to prehistoric times once again where the valley people and the hill people are still at odds.

At the beginning of the book, Fritsch thankfully provides the reader with a character list which I found to be enormously helpful.  Not only did it help refresh my memory as to who each person was but it helped me to keep everyone straight as I was reading the novel.  With character names like Autumn Wine, Tall Oak, Rose Leaf, and Sturdy Limb, it sometimes takes a little bit to keep everyone straight.  There are around 30 characters with names like these so it was wonderful to be able to flip to the front of the book if I had any doubt about who a specific person was.  I enjoyed seeing how Fritsch further developed the characters that the reader was introduced to in the first book in the series.  It was fun to learn more about them and watch them evolve.

 “Promised Valley War” reads well as a stand-alone novel, especially if you read through the notes and character synopses at the beginning of the book.  However, I think that in order to get the full impact of the story it is best to read the previous novel, “Promised Valley Rebellion,” first.   There are two more books coming in this four-part series and I am excited to see what adventures this pre-historic cast of characters will face next.


Promised Valley War
Ron Fritsch
Asymmetric Worlds (2011)
ISBN 9780615567297
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (2/12)

The Golden Spark

“The floor rolled sharply and Meagan fell hard against a wall.  A tide of cold water sloshed over her feet.  All around in the darkness were piercing screams of horses and the thudding concussion of hooves.  The floor rolled the other way and Meagan felt herself sliding.  She leaned to stay against the wall, but there was nothing to hold.”  (p.3)

So begins “The Golden Spark,” John Royce’s second book in “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy.  Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first book in the series, “Eclipsed by Shadow” as the author provides a special note to those who haven’t in the beginning of the book.  He gives a brief summary and then reprints the last chapter of the first book so that those who are unfamiliar with the tale can get caught up.  I found this to be a nice touch.

Another helpful addition is the seven page glossary at the end of the novel.  Being that the story is set in time periods long ago there are many unfamiliar terms used throughout the book.  The glossary is extremely helpful in deciphering the meaning of these words that are not used often today.

“The Golden Spark” is a tale that will appeal to young readers of fantasy and particularly readers interested in horsemanship.  The story is magical and enchanting and the writing moves along at a nice pace as we follow Meagan on her journey through history.  I think that it could easily be turned into a movie.  I look forward to the continuation of Meagan’s story in Book 3.

The Golden Spark
John Royce
Micron Press (2011)
ISBN 9780972412162
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/11)

Dina’s Lost Tribe

I found “Dina’s Lost Tribe” by author Brigitte Goldstein to be an excellent read. Goldstein writes with an impeccable style and her fictional novel is both captivating and enthralling. Goldstein seamlessly weaves together historical fact with well thought out and plausible fiction and truthfully, the end result is a superb story.

The premise of “Dina’s Lost Tribe” is this: Professor Henner Marcus receives a letter with an urgent request for help from his niece Nina who disappeared without a trace five years earlier. Due to the letter’s tone, Henner is fearful for his niece’s safety. He puts his personal and academic affairs in order and immediately sets out to find her. Following the letter’s postmark, as well as Nina’s covert ramblings, Henner winds up almost five thousand miles away from his Chicago home in a small town located in France close to the Pyrenees Mountains. Once settled in France, Henner follows Nina’s instructions to the letter and impatiently wait for her to find him. While he isn’t happy with Nina’s cloak and dagger requests; he is concerned for her safety and will do nothing to jeopardize it.

Nina, a historian of some repute, has searched all of her life for the city of her birth; the city of Valladine. Unable to locate this town on any map, and having no concrete evidence that Valladine even exists, Nina finds herself compelled to explore the Pyrenees Mountains in an attempt to satisfy the insatiable hunger and curiosity that this name stirs up inside her.

Rather than give too much of the plot away I will just end by saying there are two separate stories to be found within the pages of “Dina’s Lost Tribe.” Even though these lives are set centuries apart; Nina’s life in the present seems, at times, to mirror a life that happened seven hundred years ago.

In closing, “Dina’s Lost Tribe” was a riveting read. Both past and present stories were written will skill and a seemingly immense knowledge of history, religious history, religious rites and geography. “Dina’s Lost Tribe” definitely merits a five-star rating and I would say it’s a “must read” for anyone who enjoys fiction, historical fiction or simply being able to sit down and read a “good” book.

Dina’s Lost Tribe
Brigitte Goldstein
iUniverse (2010)
ISBN 9781450251075
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (9/11)

SEAsoned: A Chef’s Journey with Her Captain

After always working on other ships and playing second fiddle, it was time for Patrick and Victoria to set out on their very own ship.  Instead of playing the role of first mate, Patrick would finally be the Captain.  Victoria was experienced as a chef and that, among other roles, would be her position on their own boat.

The two newlyweds also hired on a couple of inexperienced crew members to assist them.  This combination of people makes for an interesting mix.  What makes the book all the more interesting though are the personalities of their clients matched up with the personalities of the crew.  There are some quite unique people who make their way on board the ship.

Allman prefaces “SEAsoned: A Chef’s Journey with Her Captain” with the following disclaimer: “Although these stories have all happened to Patrick and me over the past twelve years in yachting, I fictionalized other characters and yachts to protect the extremely guilty.”  I love the element of mystery that is added to the book with this simple statement as you never know what is really true and what isn’t.

My favorite part of the book was the inclusion of the 33 recipes sprinkled in throughout the story.  I have already made the Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins in the book and my family loved them.  The inclusion of toasted walnuts and raisins in the recipe proved to be a huge hit.  There are so many simple, yet delicious sounding recipes that I have bookmarked which I can’t wait to try.

"SEAsoned: A Chef’s Journey with Her Captain" is an excellent, captivating and humorous story.  I recommend it to foodies who enjoy a great adventure.

SEAsoned: A Chef’s Journey with Her Captain
Victoria Allman
NorLightsPress  (2011)
ISBN 9781935254379
Reviewed by Kam Aures for Rebecca’s Reads (08/11)