Book Review: “No Safe Harbor” by J. Dale Dillard

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Book, Book Review, Humour, Review , , , ,

Rating: 3 stars

Headline: No Safe Habor has signs of promise in this high-stakes crime thriller series

Review:

The debut crime thriller from author J. Dale Dillard, No Safe Habor is a book of high stakes action, which takes readers on plenty of twists and turns as the plot develops. It is also book one of the Nuevas Montañas Files series, suggesting many more novels to follow suit in this gripping genre of adult fiction. The book comes in at around 300 pages long, is set within a fictional region of America, named the Nuevas Montañas (“new mountains”) and features a striking cover design by graphic Danna Mathias Steele.

The story follows the main character, Deputy Sheriff Rick Hunter who, while driving late one night encounters a lone woman stumbling through the woods, heavily injured. Racing to the nearest hospital, Rick soon realises that this one action will change the course of his life forever. As things develop it becomes quickly apparent that this strange woman holds secrets of her own and, drawn into a complex web of crime, involving human trafficking and cyber warfare, this small-town Deputy is about to get more than he bargained for when he decided to cruise down Highway seven one September night.

The premise of this book is likeable enough, packed full of pacy action from the off. The story is driven a lot by the frequent time stamps dotted throughout the chapters and, while this works for large time jumps (e.g. months and years), when the time stamps are used at very short intervals (sometimes as brief as five minutes apart) then in No Safe Habor they become a plot crutch, rather than plot amplifier. A lot of the story takes place over a very short time period, but more could have been done with the scene-setting and character interactions to better display this.

Equally, the use of action and drama are great to see, however what this story lacks a little bit is the further development of characters beyond their interactions with others. Readers are thrown into action from the off, and get no time to really understand Rick as an individual. What is his motivation, likes/dislikes, his drivers in life? It is the same for place setting, where readers are often denied a fully-fleshed out description of locations where action takes place. No Safe Habor could have been so much more if it had more time dedicated to world and character building.

The best advice I would impact to this author (and any other author of this genre) would be to step back, take a pause, and give characters the space to breathe and showcase themselves. After all, characters are so much more than the weapons they carry (even the evil ones).

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “No Safe Harbor” by J. Dale Dillard

Purchase Link: “No Safe Harbor” by J. Dale Dillard (Amazon)

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AI artwork has infiltrated our retail stores

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Art, Humor, Humour, shopping, Uncategorized , , ,

In a national chain of UK home stores, I did a double take while walking past this particular piece of “wall art”.

How do I suspect this is generative AI I hear you say? For reference, here is a photograph of an actual highland cow:

Image credit: Visit The Highland Cows | Highland Holidays

Bearing in mind I’m not an artist by any stretch, here are the key differences that, to me, stand out when looking at the wall art cow compared to the real thing:

  • Why is there some kind of toilet roll basket on the cow’s head? It makes so sense within the context of the picture
  • The horns go dark very suddenly at the tips. Yes, highland cow horns do have colour variance, but in all the examples I saw, the real cows had colour gradience
  • The cow’s right-hand eye looks like a blur as opposed to an eye (although this could be due to the design having a hair across the eye)
  • It looks like it has a scar on the right-hand side of its nose
  • It appears to have furry fingers holding the newspaper, as opposed to hooves

But the worst, and most obvious piece of AI in this artwork? If you haven’t spotted it already, take another look, because the newspaper that says it all. Or more, doesn’t say anything. It’s written in gibberish.

The thing is, we can all laugh and poke fun at these things, chuckle that someone in an office signed this off as a perfectly respectable thing to include in hundreds of stores. We can say what we want about it clearly being AI, but people will buy this completely unaware.

When there are so many amazing artists in the world, this is not the type of product any company should be endorsing, let alone profiting from. Is there not another painting from ten years ago that couldn’t have had a second season? Just a thought.

FYI, this is all my opinion, I’m more than happy to be corrected if this was created by a human (typing a prompt into an image generator doesn’t count).

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Book Review: “Abuelita, I Am Your Grandson” by Julio Lucero

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Rating: 5 stars

Headline: “Abuelita, I am Your Grandson” breaks new ground with its warmth and vibrancy

Review:

Grab an apron and join Julio Lucero behind the counter to the best Latin restaurant this side of Mexico City, a place where the onions make you cry and the Tequila makes you speak Spanish (or, at least what you think is Spanish…). As darker nights approach, this is an unforgettable journey you won’t want to miss out on.

Abuelita, I am Your Grandson is the autobiographic memoir of Lucero’s life, growing up against the backdrop of a busy and often chaotic family-owned restaurant in Austin, Texas. From the picky clientele, to the competition of highly academic siblings, the author makes no slight about the “educación de restaurante” (or restaurant education) that shaped her CV as much as it did her personality.

Throughout this 192 page memoir, there are countless anecdotes and tales shared from the kitchen tiles, with plenty to keep readers turning every page right to the very end. A lot like the cover design, this is a book bursting with colour and flavour. The writing style is beautiful, a perfect balance of scene setting and informality, with a tone of voice that draws readers into the storytelling experience as if you had just pulled up a stool and glass of wine with the author herself. Tales of managing a business, navigating the cultural divides that come from having dual-national parents, the fascinating tale behind this book’s eye catching title, no conversational stone is left unturned when you enter Lucero’s domain. The formatting in this book is also elevated by use of mini illustrations at the head of each titled chapter, giving the whole production of Abuelita, I am Your Grandson a professional look and feel.

Memoirs are never an easy genre to crack, not when so many personal stories have been told in so many ways. But Abuelita, I am Your Grandson breaks new ground with its warmth and vibrancy by turning a family-owned restaurant into the beating heart of a beautifully crafted memoir. A five star book, through and through.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Abuelita, I Am Your Grandson” by Julio Lucero

Purchase Link: “Abuelita, I Am Your Grandson” by Julio Lucero (Amazon)

Author Website: https://juliolucero.com/

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Update on my Car

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Humor, Humour, Uncategorized

So, quick update on my car. You know, the one that broke down.

Good news! It’s been fixed. And even better news, it didn’t cost the small mortgage I was expecting!

Turns out it wasn’t the clutch that needed replacing, but just the gear cable that had snapped. You don’t need to know much about cars, all you need to know is that one is considerably cheaper to replace than the other. And quicker, too.

So happy to have my car back!

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Book Review: “Pitch Black: The best Black ads of the past 50+ years” by Mark Robinson

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Book, Book Review, Humour, Review , , ,

Rating: 4 stars

Headline: Covering over 50 years of Black representation in advertising, “Pitch Black” showcases cultural shifts and challenges throughout the decades

Review:

(Taking my lead from the author, I will be using the term “Black” when describing American people of colour in my review.)

Shining a light on an area of pictorial history that far too often has gone overlooked, Pitch Black: The best Black ads of the past 50+ years is a 180 page reference book covering over half a century of Black-American influence in the marketing sphere.

Written by Mark S. Robinson, with notable contributions from CEOs, Chief Commercial Officers, and academic professors, Pitch Black is full of vibrant imagery, which demonstrates the progression of Black representation in advertising campaigns, as well as the obstacles and set-backs that have occurred along the way. Chapters are broadly arranged in themes, e.g. “Civil Rights Through Black Advertising”, “Black Beauty & Black Hair” and “The Golden Age and Beyond”, with Robinson using visual media as a springboard to draw the reader’s attention to cultural shifts which directly influenced big brands and marketing budgets (and vice versa).

This is a fascinating read and an education for anyone of any race, age or culture. Having a broad selection of marketing material in one place helps to see first hand the striking similarities and differences over a period of, sometimes, decades. Anyone living through that period may have struggled to see the subtle changes at play within, for example, food and drink marketing, and yet those too young or not living in America would never have had natural exposure to these changes either (this thirty-something reviewer living in the United Kingdom being one of those people). It is impossible to see how any reader would not come away from this book without learning something new, or had their eyes opened, even if just by a tiniest bit, to both the prejudices and improvements made to advertising aimed at Black communities in America.

It is worth mentioning that while this book is incredibly informative, it is incredibly informative. The sheer density of words and imagery might leave some readers feeling a little overwhelmed initially. There is a lot to unpack when it comes to this fifty year period. In that sense Pitch Black is more a reference guide for academia or something placed on a coffee table to stimulate discussion. It is less geared up for being a bedtime read, or a book you openly rave about in the office.

Pitch Black is, if nothing else, an eye-opener. It remains a powerful book that educates and highlights the perils of overlooking a strong consumer base when trying to establish brand and engagement. For what it seeks to achieve, Pitch Black remains a strong historical/reference book that stands up on its own merits.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Pitch Black: The best Black ads of the past 50+ years” by Mark Robinson

Purchase Link: “Pitch Black: The best Black ads of the past 50+ years” by Mark Robinson (Amazon)

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Milkshake Tuesday

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Coffee, food, Humor, Humour, Uncategorized , , , , ,

After the craziness of recent weeks, it has been so good to spend some quality time chilling with a book or three.

This week’s shout out goes to Coffee #1, and this sweet berry combo of blueberry milkshake and yoghurt-topped flapjack. Pairs perfectly with Butter by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton). Just don’t count the calories and everything is fine!

The perfect way to spend the (late) English summer.

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Book Review: “Your Dog Is The Doctor” by Dr. Daniel Guirguis

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Rating: 5 stars

Headline: An enjoyable read that helps strengthen the bond between dogs and their loving owners

Review:

Written by Canadian veterinarian Dr Daniel Guirguis, Your Dog Is The Doctor is a self-help guide made made for people, young and old, who want to strength the bond with their beloved dogs, whilst also improving mental and physical health along the way.

Coming in at around 180 pages (in PDF format), the book is split across ten chapters, including discussion on topics such as “Built to Move”, “The Anti-Anxiety Algorithm” and “The Play Principle”. Each chapter starts with a full page image featuring a professionally captured photo of a dog with their owner, and concludes with a summary box covering the key actions readers should takeaway from the chapter. Within the chapter itself, Guirguis goes into detail on how people can utilise their canine friends to better themselves, in some cases supported by medical research.

Your Dog Is The Doctor is a delightful self-help guide, packed full of case studies of owners with their dogs (and how each has benefitted the other) and upbeat and familiar language. The tone of voice is set perfectly for the audience it is trying to engage with, and the length of each chapter (between 10-20 pages) makes it a book that is easy to read, especially with the chapter takeaways which is perfect for any time-strapped dog owners wanting to get a hit of quick-wins.

The formatting of the book gives a very slick and professional feel, which, combined with the clever use of back and white photography of dogs and owners, sets the tone perfectly for the audience it is intended to reach. Designed by Ian Joviak, the cover is eye-catching, well put together and, in a sea of competing self-help titles, Your Dog Is The Doctor grabs attention in the very best way.

Your Dog Is The Doctor would be a great book to gift to any dog-lover in your life, or keep within easy reach on a coffee table or bookshelf. For what it sets out to do it is very hard to find fault with this book, it is an enjoyable read that helps strengthen the bond between dogs and their loving owners.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Your Dog Is The Doctor” by Daniel Guirguis

Purchase Link: “Your Dog Is The Doctor” by Daniel Guirguis (Amazon)

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Why are there Halloween products on display…in August?

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Humor, Humour, Uncategorized

I’m sure I moaned about this before…

(Editing Alice here. Yes, you did sort of refer to it with this post, “This photograph = me right now”, but the actual ranting was probably something you did to your immediate friends and family at the time. Lucky them.)

…But why oh why are there Halloween items on display when in the UK when the temperature outside is hotter than the surface of the sun?

I took these from one particular UK chain of shops (the ones who will have the singing Father Christmas out on display by mid-September). However, I have seen lots of this kind of…”stuff” all summer long. And do not even get me started on the number of pumpkin-themed duvet covers I have seen.

Before you say anything, don’t tell me this is “summer-ween” because that is not a thing and we all know it. Some of this stuff is really freaky and I dare you to tell me otherwise. Bring back the fake witches fingers and bin bags I say.

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Book Review: “Have At It: Why Truth Is the Most Practical Choice” by Steve Nicol

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Book, Book Review, Humour, Review , , ,

Rating: 4 stars

Headline: This book will leave readers motivated and empowered to kick-start their own growth journey

Review:

Penned by Scottish writer Steve Nicol, Have At It: Why Truth Is the Most Practical Choice is a self-help guide tailored towards current or aspirational business leaders looking to level up and/or rediscover themselves and their motivators for driving success, both in the office and in life.

Coming in at just shy of 170 pages, Have At It is comprised of eighteen chapters, with headings including “Be Easy to Do Business With”, “Release the Handbrake”, and my personal favourite, “What Have You Got Against Dogs?” As these chapter titles suggest, readers should come into this book expecting an informal experience, as Nicol talks through his career to get him to where he is today. It does not prescribe to readers a silver bullet for success, in the same way it does not tell readers what to think and how to behave.

Have At It has a nice, professional cover which feeds through into the formatting inside, with chapters the perfect length to allow the book to be picked up and put down at any point. There is no doubt that this title would sit neatly on any bookshelf or coffee table. The tiny niggle for me is that several of the chapters on the contents page are not numbered. Given the unnumbered chapters still hold the prestige of starting on a new page, with their own enlarged titles, it feels that lack of chapter numbering is by mistake rather than by design.

The tone of voice for this book is also very approachable in nature. Nicol’s twenty years of experience in leadership coaching shines through in this book, to the point where Have At It feels more like a memoir, as opposed to a self-help guide. It reminds me somewhat of Stephen King’s On Writing, that is to say the book is a fascinating memoir but the reader must put a degree of effort in if they want to truly get the best from this self-help guide. In truth, it is probably the only thing that could be critiqued about this title. Nicol speaks like a true business coach, making the reader think for themselves, however people who are looking for a self-help guide to spoon feed them may be left a little wanting.

Have At It is a strong title in its own merits, and one that is perfect for those wanting to take the next step in their personal development. Nicol has a real knack for writing in a way that will have readers fascinated by the author’s own growth journey and from that, they too can learn a great deal. Have At It really does have it all.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Have At It: Why Truth Is the Most Practical Choice” by Steve Nicol

Purchase Link: “Have At It: Why Truth Is the Most Practical Choice” by Steve Nicol (Amazon)

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Only I Would Burn a Croissant This Badly

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) comedy, Cooking, food, Humor, Humour, Uncategorized , ,

Another reminder of how I can’t be left alone with food.

In my defence, I lost track of time…and how hot the oven was. And it really was as rock solid as it looks. A solid 0/10, but it did slide very nicely into the bin.

(Also another reason to refer you back to this clip:)

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