Review

Book Review: “An Extraordinarily Enchanted Birthday” by Professor Stork

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Rating: 3 stars

Headline: A beautifully illustrated children’s book featuring a magical journey and educational farm animal facts

Review:

An Extraordinary Enchanted Birthday by the anonymous author “Professor Stork” (illustrated by Patricia Wilson and Len Peralta) is a children’s picture book. It follows the story of Evy Loe, a young child who wakes up on her birthday filled with the excitement of an upcoming visit to an art gallery with her father. On arriving at the gallery, Evy discovers a pair of magical glasses which will takes her on a magical journey to learn all about life on the farm and all the colourful characters that inhabit it.

This is a nice children’s book, carried massively by the quality of some of its illustrations. The general structure of the book follows a repeated pattern of Evy meeting a farmyard animal and then a full page portrait of the animal with a captioned fun fact for younger minds. The portraits are beautifully executed and carry all the marks of having been completed by a professional artist. The other imagery around it, particularly of the human characters, comes across as slightly more cartoonish. Both types of artwork support the other favourably.

There are place in the book where an overuse of copy might make the content a harder sell to younger children with limited attention spans. Some of the fun facts for each animal are also a little questionable, such as for the cow, with the quote, “cows are job creation machines. The milk they produce creates thousands of jobs in the milk and cheese industries”. While objectively this might be correct in America, where the book has been initially published, for an international audience facts like these might not always be true. In this instance, it also reads a little bit like the line is sponsored by a third party, although this could be a purely personal take on a throwaway line of copy.

An Extraordinary Enchanted Birthday is a fun book for younger readers and their parents, serving as good introduction to some of the colourful animal characters found within farmyard and agricultural settings.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “An Extraordinarily Enchanted Birthday” by Professor Stork

Purchase Link: “An Extraordinarily Enchanted Birthday” by Professor Stork (Amazon)

Author Website: Professor Stork

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Book Review: “Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens” by DJ Cash Bar

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Rating: 5 stars

Headline: An eye-opening memoir, unveiling the hidden backstories behind reality TV production in the 2000s

Review:

I have to admit, I am a bit of a reality television fiend. I used to be worse, but having sat through an entire series of Love Island in 2018 and realised my whole summer of nightly viewing could be condensed down to a eight minute “best of” reel, that was when I knew something had to change. Of course, nothing would really change until 2022, after my friend and I went on binge viewing of Netflix’s The Ultimatum. At 4am I was pumped full of iced tea and questions, mostly about myself.

It is because of my historic relationship with it that I have always remained fascinated by the history of reality television. Using their set nickname, “DJ Cash Bar” pens this no holds barred memoir, Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens. The camera operator, turned author, began their career in the early-mid noughties, during the often dubbed “Wild West” period of reality TV. Think There’s Something About Miriam and Kid Nation, but before I Wanna Marry “Harry“. It was around the dawn of reality television, where producers were still grappling with the genre and constantly pushing the boundaries (and budgets) to see what sticked with a growing viewership. Rules and safety were scarce and participant welfare was, in cases, non-existent.

Reading this memoir is both a fascinating and disturbing read, showcasing some of the challenging conditions placed on those working behind the scenes to churn out instant hits. The thirty hour working days and the ingrained abuse of drug and alcohol is to only but scratch the surface of the culture. As a memoir, it is well written and gives a lot of detail to the various productions the author-camera operator worked on. No colleagues or production titles are named directly, however the book contains enough crumbs to easily establish the full facts (alongside the production’s associated on-screen controversies).

While a lot of exposure has been given in recent years to the experience of participants and “cast” on reality television, it feels only fair that those behind the lens get their turn too. Within Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens, there is no glitz or glamour, replaced instead with cold, sober truths and, somewhat ironically, the harsh reality of television production during the noughties.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens” by DJ Cashbar

Purchase Link: “Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens” by DJ Cashbar (Amazon)

Author Website: Back Focus by DJ Cash Bar (backfocusbook.com)

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Book Review: “Ballad of Burnout” by Kerry Makin-Byrd

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Rating: 2 stars

Headline: Writing about such a challenging topic was never going to be easy and, for me, this book missed the mark

Review:

Ballard of Burnout by Kerry Makin-Byrd is both poetic in nature whilst also leaning towards prose. It details the narrator’s personal experiences (presumably Makin-Byrd’s) in a stressful work environment, causing symptoms many of us would recognise and identify as the mental health condition, burnout.

The book covers the events before, during and after with an optimistic look to the future of what life holds following the traumatic experiences detailed over twelve chapters/verses that run as one continuation. It is for this reason the use of the term “ballad” is used in the book’s title, a monologue of one person’s experiences. In this overarching ballad Makin-Byrd utilises a range of poetic devices, from traditional stanzas, to chunks of prose and ad-hoc use of centred text. On several occasions we also see bullet points of meaty text, possibly a humorous jab at working environments where bullet points are overly used to excess. This latter point could be my own reasoning though.

And this is where I struggle with Ballard of Burnout. Writing about such a challenging topic was never going to be easy, but here the writing style feels particularly detached, almost upsettingly so. I want so badly to resonate with the author’s words, to see something within the text and pull at a strand of relatability. After all, stress in the workplace hardly an uncommon sight. But that moment, it just never seems to come. There is no insight into the type of workplace and very limited attempts at worldbuilding; the location, the employment sector, even a flavour of the personal relationships held by the narrator, these are elements that felt lacking. Coupled with the sporadic layouts of text, it makes the content feel a little flat and disjointed.

The writing quality on a micro, line-by-line basis, is good but by incorporating a broader view of the narrator’s environment it can only make for a more colourful reading experience all ways round. Food for thought for the next publication Makin-Byrd puts her hand to.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Ballad of Burnout” by Kerry Makin-Byrd

Purchase Link: https://www.balladofburnout.com

Author Website: https://drkerrymakinbyrd.com

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Book Review: “Lady Slippers: A Memoir” by Melissa Deetz

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Rating: 4 stars

Headline: Bernice Dietrich’s charming memoir showcases a life lived to the fullest

Review:

A good deal of memoirs are written in response to a triggering incident, covering only a fraction of someone’s lived experiences. There is, however, something quite homely about memoirs that paint a full picture of an individual, especially if it is reflective of a life well lived.

Lady Slippers very much falls into this second camp of memoir. Written by Bernice Dietrich (completed and published by Melissa Bini), the book covers the full 102 years of Bernice’s colourful life. Born and raised in 1920s Staten Island, America, Bernice’s life was bookended by two pandemics with a World War in between. Told through her own words, Bernice paints a colourful picture of the experiences she had growing up, falling in love and forging a family of her own. As she documents her experiences Bernice’s words draw in subtle cultural and political changes, including the changing American healthcare system that went through a rapid pace of evolution throughout the 20th century, from the advances in medical treatment to the erosion of local community services. Bernice’s tale takes the reader up until 2007, when she stopped her memoir. She would go on to live for almost 15 years more, sadly passing away in 2022.

The final third of the book picks up where Bernice left off in 2007, with family members from younger generations contributing their tales of growing up with Bernice as a family figurehead. There you see the charming flipside of outsider perspective, how the family viewed her as a proud and active individual with a passion for travel and sports.

Reading this book you feel as if Bernice is in the room with you, recounting her tales besides a roaring fire. It’s a comforting feeling that comes through on every page. And while Bernice’s tone of voice and writing style does make the pacing a tad slower, it does make for a more gentler, steady read.

A calm and methodical memoir, Lady Slippers is a charming memoir that will make you want to pick up a journal and start living your own adventures.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Lady Slippers: A Memoir” by Melissa Deetz

Purchase Link: “Lady Slippers: A Memoir” by Melissa Deetz (Amazon)

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Poetry Review: “Lyrical Voices” by Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps

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Rating: 3 stars

Headline: Exploring themes of family, faith, and nature, “Lyrical Voices” is a good collection that needed a bit more variety to stand out

Review:

Lyrical Voices is the new poetry collection by joint collaboration Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps. Written in a distinctive first person style, poems within this book’s 140 pages include close study on a variety of key themes, including the role of family, faith and nature.

Taylor and Fipps’ poetic styles work well together within conventional approaches, with most poems written as non-rhyming, single stanzas lasting between a quarter to a full page. A highlight within the collection is “Favorite Tune”, which is written to give the impression of a fast tempo, high energy, environment where the speaker is recounting the joy of listening to their favourite song. All of the poems are well thought through and written in a meaningful way, with strong religious undertones feeding through onto the page. Doing so builds a strong sense of Taylor and Fipps’ backgrounds and creative inspirations.

Even though it represents a collaboration between two poets, Taylor’s work dominates the lion’s share of Lyrical Voices, with her poems featuring 123 times, versus Fipps, who includes only 16 of his own. With such a limited involvement, it is questionable as to whether Taylor should have published this book in her own right.

There is also the question of formatting. About halfway through the alignment of the poems switches, from left alignment to centred, with no clear reason as to why stylistically this decision has been made. As a result the change comes across as abrupt and as if two collections have been forced together at some point during the publishing process.

Given the collection spans over a hundred pages in length, the first person perspective becomes quite repetitive after a time. That is not to say the poems themselves are bad, but a differing third person viewpoint would have helped elevate the collection and allowed for expansion of character development and the events and landscapes they interact with.

Lyrical Voices is good, but there are areas where it could have been better. It needed more variety in its approach and better formatting to stand out in a crowded poetry market. Possible food for thought for the publication these two poets turn their attention to.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Lyrical Voices” by Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps

Purchase Link: “Lyrical Voices” by Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps (Amazon)

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Book Review: “The Giant’s Ladder: The Science Professional’s Blueprint for Marketing Success” by Elizabeth Chabe

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Rating: 5 stars

Headline: Featuring real-world case studies, this guide is a must for marketeers in science

Review:

With the rise of the internet, social media and dwindling attention spans, the economy of attention has never been more valuable. In Elizabeth Chabe’s own words: “At the distinct risk of sounding self-serving…In an era where humanity faces unprecedented challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, energy deficits, food security, and global health threats, the role of science marketing stands at a critical juncture.”

In her new book, The Giant’s Ladder: The Science Professional’s Blueprint for Marketing Success, Chabe provides a step-by-step guide for those in the field of scientific research looking to promote their research to a wider audience. From how best to communicate, to knowing where to focus energy to get the best return on investment, Chabe’s “seven rung” guide covers all the essential material needed for any would-be marketer.

It is worth noting Chabe’s credentials. A recognised strategic consultant in the fields of science and technology, her previous work in the field has gone on to feature in The New York Times, Popular Science and Entrepreneur, amongst a string of other popular titles. Her (and her team’s) experiences supporting scientific firms to achieve funding goals are dropped in throughout, providing real world case studies which help support the broad discussion topics presented.

As books go, this is expertly written, with a clear and engaging writing style that strikes the perfect balance between formal and informal. Content is presented nicely on the page through mixed use of tables, bullet points, diagrams and block paragraphs, and is communicated in succinctly with key they takeaways listed at the end of each chapter. The varied style helps keep the book engaging cover-to-cover.

While it is overstated to say that this book will solve all the world’s problems, anything that contributes towards the cure is no bad thing, especially when it comes packaged like this. The sooner more news feeds on social media become less bogged down in clickbait trivia and destructive wars, and more on the drive toward a sustainable and peaceful world, the better.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “The Giant’s Ladder…” by Elizabeth Chabe

Purchase Link: “The Giant’s Ladder…” by Elizabeth Chabe (Amazon)

Author Website: https://elizabethchabe.com/

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Book Review: “The Complete Guide to Goats” by KC Kent

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Rating: 2 stars

Headline: “The Complete Guide to Goats” offers comprehensive goat-raising advice but lacks effective formatting and author credibility

Review:

I am a country girl at heart. Eighteen years growing up in the rural surroundings of the English Cotswolds will do that to anyone. Books on farmyard creatures? Right up my street.

The Complete Guide to Goats by KC Kent does exactly what it says on the cover, providing would-be goat enthusiasts with a comprehensive guide on all elements of ownership, from the sustainable benefits and the importance selecting the right goat breed, to how to care for and make a commercial enterprise out of them. Across eleven chapters and nearly 160 pages, Kent’s guidance leaves no stone unturned when it comes to would-be goat enthusiasts.

While this is a highly informative book, the layout and formatting of the guidance itself may form an accessibly blocker for some. Throughout this guide, there are no illustrative examples to support readers and the copy is presented in dense and varied fonts (in some places text appears to have a 1.5 line spacing, in other places single). The indentation of bullets, where used, is also too deep, resulting in copy filling up more space than is probably needed.

Another element that is crucially missing is a introductory biography of the author. There is a throwaway comment made halfway through the introduction of Kent having raised goats for many years, but there seems to be a missing link to add authenticity. To perhaps put it somewhat more bluntly, what makes Kent’s guide better than the competition, more importantly still, how can readers trust it? It may be a bit more author background was needed in the initial introduction but as it stands the main concern around recommending this book is the lack of transparency that Kent as the right author to be issuing guidance on agricultural matters.

When it comes to The Complete Guide to Goats, the content is there, but it is the formatting of it, and the lack of author credentials, that lets the side down.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “The Complete Guide to Goats” by KC Kent

Purchase Link: “The Complete Guide to Goats” by KC Kent (Amazon)

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Book Review: “I Won’t Keep You: Short Essays & Little Fictions” by Trilety Wade

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Rating: 3 stars

Headline: Well written, but missing scene setting and context, Wade’s words don’t always dazzle, but in their moments they do sparkle

Review:

As an avid reader, I like to keep my ear to the ground on what’s hot in publishing. And, while I have no data on hand to prove my argument, in recent years there has been a general uptick in the number of short story recommendations within my reading circles. There are many reasons why this could be the case, but my theory is simple – we are increasingly time poor and distraction rich. A full story in three pages? Sign me up!

Penned by author Trinity Wade, I Won’t Keep You is a collection of short stories and personal essays. Ranging in topic and theme, these 134 pages will transport readers from awkward outdoor gatherings, to telephone exchanges, to the struggle of small town living. Wade’s collection of thirty four tales are all told through a first person lens, which gives readers a unique insight into the thoughts and feelings of the narrator, sometimes for as little time as the words on two pages. In some cases readers are left with more questions than those answered.

The writing quality in itself is pretty good. The detailed thought process of the narrator and their reaction to surrounding characters and situation falls very much into the purple prose camp, in that it reads more poetic than anything else. In these sections the reader really could get lost in the word spinning craft of Wade as an author.

Where this book falls down a little is in its frequent lack of detailed scene and location description. Reading this book, it often feels like a set of characters are interacting in a vacant white room. Where are the sights, sounds and smells? And while the view point of the first person narrator is often strong and punchy, in a number of the stories that voice feels isolated, blunt and harsh, with limited softness and variation between each tale. As they are all written in first person, it quickly becomes very difficult to detangle what is fiction and what is personal essay. The narrator sounds the same in every story, unless that is intentional, in which case it may need to be clearer from the offset of the book.

I Won’t Keep You is a neat little book, but probably not the best for readers who are entering the short story genre for the first time.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “I Won’t Keep You: Short Essays & Little Fictions” by Trilety Wade

Purchase Link: “I Won’t Keep You: Short Essays & Little Fictions” by Trilety Wade (Amazon)

Author Website: https://thecuriousword.com/

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Children’s Book Review: “Castle of Knots” by Sara H. Fowler (Illustrated by Ivy Giddens)

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Rating: 4 stars

Headline: A delightful children’s book with captivating illustrations and heartful character interactions

Review:

Castle of Knots is a children’s book, and the first publication of both author Sara H. Fowler, and illustrator, Ivy Giddens. It also received editorial support from Jaimie E. Miller.

The story follows the journey of a fearless parent (referred to in this story as the tale’s heroic knight), as she battles to save a young princess from a very bad case of messy hair (or, as is the case in this story, a “castle of knots”). But this is no ordinary mission for our brave knight, and it will take more than one swipe of the hairbrush to free the princess from her monstrous entrapment and get her to school on time. The question is, does this knight have what it takes?

This is a delightful children’s book to read, a fun story which takes readers on a journey relatable to most of the parents who are likely to be purchasing this book for their little ones. There is good balance in the number of words to a page and at about 30 pages long, Castle of Knots suits most bedtime rituals. The book should be treated as something to chuckle along at, less so than as something which imparts any strong moral messages. That is not to put this title at a disadvantage, but it is something minor for consideration for those would-be purchasers.

The storytelling is accompanied by a series of beautiful children’s illustrative artwork. Gidden’s talents shine from cover to cover within this book, and it is sincerely hoped that her debut offering to the illustrative world marks a stepping stone for her to pick up a string of future projects. The pictures jump off the page with clever use of style, colour and playful humour.

Castle of Knots is a great book and one perfect for the subset of younger readers (and their parents). Based solely around the interactions of a mother and daughter, it supports healthy relationship building while not being afraid to have a laugh at the same time. A solid four stars.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Castle of Knots” by Sara H. Fowler (Illustrated by Ivy Giddens)

Purchase Link: “Castle of Knots” by Sara H. Fowler (Illustrated by Ivy Giddens) (Amazon)

Author Website: https://sarafowler87.wixsite.com/my-site-1

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Book Review: “Central Psalms to Know” by D. G. Reagle

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Rating: 4 stars

Headline: A well-curated collection, encouraging theological discussions and individual reflection

Review:

Central Psalms to Know by D.G. Reagle is a carefully curated selection of religious psalms, which encourages readers to engage with wider conversations and debates. Think “religious book club”, for smaller congregations.

Each of the ten psalms are prefaced with a short introduction with analysis between the variations presented in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), the New International Version (NIV) and the King James Version (KJV) scriptures. Reagle’s analysis is presented in the format of bullet points spanning between one and two pages. Introductory notes include observations and titbits of information readers might not be aware of, giving the impression of direct and punchy insights, a lot like the pop-up format often deployed by film and TV. Following the introduction, there are the three differing versions of the psalms, and then a follow-up page of questions which aim to promote healthy conversation within groups, or spiritual reflection for solo readers. The psalms contained in this collection are 23, 27, 51, 46, 139, 91, 22, 1, 150, 119.

The book as a whole is a well considered collection by Reagle and nicely formatted in such a way that makes the psalms engaging. It is a book which anyone can enjoy, regardless of individual religious perspective or outlook. It opens up educational access to religious texts to a broad spectrum of audiences. The bullet point format feels more geared up to readers wanting to drop in and out of the book, as opposed to those wanting to read the book cover to cover in one sitting.

Central Psalms to Know is a good book, presented by a well-informed and accredited author on theological studies. A solid starting point for new and established readers of theological texts, the only piece of feedback would be that the lack of an overarching introduction does Reagle’s talents a disservice. A rationale behind why these ten psalms were selected for the collection specifically would have helped.

A thumbs up from me!

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Central Psalms to Know” by D. G. Reagle

Purchase Link: “Central Psalms to Know” by D. G. Reagle (Amazon)

Author Website: Coram DEO Theology

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