Four D by Gregory Morrison is a collection of 4 short stories: “Space”, “Four Rooms”, “The Principle of Luidgi”, and “Guest”. The one thing that these four stories had in common is that they did not make sense. The back cover of the book states that each story has a different and specific theme. Even with this “cheat sheet”, I had a difficult time finding that theme.

I found the stories rather boring and difficult to read. If I had not been given a free copy, I would have put the book away (or tried to return it) after the first few pages.

My opinion is that you should not waste your time or money on this book.

What other bloggers have said about Four D by Gregory Morrison:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Conquering Your Goliaths is one of those books that could easily be read in an afternoon. Just because it can be done does not mean that it should be done. For best results, I suggest reading this book by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones at least twice. Read it the first time to get the “feel” of the book and read it again to soak in the many lessons that it is teaching.

Conquering Your Goliaths is about more than just a woman that is looking for a new job. It is about the lessons that she learns while trying to find that job.

The “five stones” that provide the basis for this book are: listening, trust, optimism, tenacity, and constancy.

The author has created a modern day parable that teaches some great life lessons in a fun and enjoyable manner. Kathryn Elizabeth Jones has said more in this one short book (104 pages) than what many “self-help experts” have tried to say in multiple volumes. The book is simple and straightforward with no “pie-in-the-sky promises”.

What other bloggers have said about Conquering Your Goliaths by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 All Points North is a collection of thirteen short stories. The stories seem to have no common theme or purpose and range from serious to somewhat humorous. I felt most of the stories were rather disjointed and unorganized. Some of them seemed to be going in circles with flashbacks and “I forgot to mention” moments.

The first story in the collection – “All Points North” – is about a yacht race. The author uses a large amount of sailing jargon to describe the race conditions and what the sailors are going through. Without some knowledge of sailing, the story would have made no sense at all. As it was, I almost understood what the author was saying.

The story I enjoyed most was “Boy Freud”. This story of a psychologist “want-to-be” (or a really bad psychologist) was entertaining. Even with this story, I did not really appreciate it till the 3^rd or 4^th reading.

My advice to the reader of this story collection is to take your time reading each story and read it at least twice.

The stories have great potential, but I feel they need some reworking to be “great”.     

Other blogger reviews on All Points North can be found at:  

• Nikis Book Review
• Sarah's Blog of Fun
• Lois Henderson at Bookpleasures.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle  is a collection of short stories (or anecdotes) about life in the South. The stories in the book give the reader a humorous look into life in the South. There are stories about funerals, family gatherings, traveling, friends, and just life in general. This book is entertaining, light reading that can be enjoyed by southerners and non-southerners alike.

Having been born and raised in the South (Baton Rouge, LA), I must admit that I identified with many of the stories Olivia deBelle Byrd told. Many of the characters sounded like they came from my childhood years. For those that have not experienced the South, you need to understand that visiting many parts of the South is like visiting a foreign country. The language and accent, as well as the overall lifestyle is different in the South.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book. I would like to have an audio edition of this book read by somebody with a true Southern accent.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Video Verite and Other Stories by William Petrick is a collection of short stories. The stories are not related to each other in any way, but seem to have a common theme of how a relationship or brief encounter has affected those involved. Some of the stories had almost a "Twilight Zone" feel to them. I found that some of the stories ended rather abruptly without warning or closure. Other stories felt like they were a teaser for a novel length adventure.

Mr. Petrick is an accomplished writer of the short story.  In this collection of stories, he introduces and develops his characters quickly with just enough detail to make the story readable. Any needed background information is woven into the story. The stories move quickly and keep the reader interested.

My favorite story in the book was "Video Verite". This story is about an experienced skydiver that has some problems when he attempts to video tape his friends making a jump. My least favorite story in the book was "Car Crazy". "Car Crazy" is the story of a man and his relationship with his mechanic friend. Most of the story is told in flashback mode as the car owner is preparing to sell his car.

Except for several instances of what I felt was unneccessary vulgar language, most of the stories in this book could have been enjoyed by children as young as age 10. For this, I give the book a wash rating of "LITTLE DIRT" and a warning to parents to read the stories before your children do. The stories are entertaining and well written so I give the book 4 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given an uncorrected proof of this book by the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”