Book Review: Lake Stories: The 60’s

Lake Stories: The 60’s. Michael Ripley. Pen It! Publications LLC, November 1, 2020, Paperback and E-book, 98 pages.

Reviewed by Lisa Sherman.

Lake Stories: The 60’s is the first book in a series of short novels by Michael Ripley. In Lake Stories: The 60’s, Ripley describes with insight and wit what life was like for a young boy in a small lake town during a period of dramatic changes in his life as well as in the country overall.  

Lake Stories: The 60’s tells the story of a young boy living in a quiet community near Crow Lake. Initially, the town appears to be a safe place, but as he grows, he becomes aware of strange and frightful happenings taking place in the town. As he navigates his journey from childhood to early adulthood, he is forced to accept the realities of the world as it changes around him. The novel touches upon key events taking place during the 1960s including the assassination of President Kennedy and the resulting fear and anger felt in its wake, as well as the Vietnam War and its impact. Through the viewpoint of a boy growing up during the era, Lake Stories: The 60’s explores events taking place close to home and puts them in context with those taking place in the country and the world at large.  

I really enjoyed reading Michael Ripley’s novel, Lake Stories: The 60’s. Throughout the novel, Ripley paints a picture of what life was like growing up in a tight-knit lake community. He does a great job describing the relationships of the people who live near Crow Lake as well as the secrets they keep. The characters within the novel come to life and I could feel the closeness of the young boy’s friend group. Each member has their own personality and role they play within the group. I think many readers will relate to these individual characters, perhaps recognizing them from their own childhoods, and will recall the specialness of those childhood bonds. 

In addition, I enjoyed the undercurrent of danger that runs through the novel. From the beginning of the story, Ripley describes a mysterious character lurking near the lake community. He couples that with the inherent risks of living near a body of water. The suspense of this threat ramps up as each year another drowning takes place in Crow Lake. As such, Crow Lake itself plays a central and intriguing role in the novel. The town, the adventures of the young boy and his friends, as well as the feeling of impending danger, all revolve around the lake and its grasp. Furthermore, Ripley’s descriptions of the lake are both vivid and ominous which highlights this hidden danger. Throughout the novel, Ripley shines a light on the risks taking place close to the community and parallels them with the menacing changes taking place in the world at large. The novel ends in a satisfying way by tying up the various narratives in a touching and thought-provoking manner.   

Overall, I think Lake Stories: The 60’s is a wonderful novel. It provides a swift and enjoyable reading experience that explores elements of the decade and will leave readers feeling as if they took a road trip back in time. I am looking forward to reading future books in this series.   

Book Review: Northern Lights

Northern Lights. Michael Chatlien, Blue Peach Press, December 2020, Paperback and E-book, 310 pages.

Reviewed by Florence Osmund.

Northern Lights is the story of two strangers, Greg and Sarah, who find themselves in the middle of the Canadian wilderness after their tour guide gets swept away by an avalanche. 

What makes this story interesting are the material differences between the two main characters. Greg is a blue-collar worker whose political beliefs lean toward conservatism. Sarah owns her own consulting business and tends to be more liberal in her political beliefs. Not surprisingly, they don’t get along when they discover their core values don’t completely align.

When their tour guide and the only other participant on the trek disappear, Greg and Sarah are left with each other to survive. Greg’s immediate reaction is to go his separate way, thinking he knows a better path to reach civilization. When his plan backfires, Sarah saves his life. The rest of their journey consists of a series of each of them saving one other.

The comradery and bond that forms between Greg and Sarah, which develops into a friendship and later into something much more intimate, is interesting and conceptually sound. The author does an exceptional job at creating a mutual respect between these two unlikely characters—not too quickly, but not dragged out either—that begs the question as to whether their relationship can withstand the real world when they are finally safe at home and back to their normal routines.

I believe the author’s greatest strength is in his descriptive writing. I felt as though I knew exactly what Greg and Sarah were going through when they were hiking through rough terrain, when the avalanche tore their comrades away, when they were confronted by wild animals and inclement weather, and when they were forced to eat things that no one would ever consider eating in the civilized world. Because of this, it was easy to experience each scene right along with the characters.

The pacing in the story is excellent. The narrative speeds up and slows down appropriately with each scene. The characters are deftly painted, and their dialogue fits each occasion.

There are two problem areas I would caution the author to avoid in future writing.

I advise keeping the use of similes and metaphors to a minimum. To name just a few in the beginning chapters: let sleeping dogs lie, wild-goose chase, fingernails on a blackboard, her thoughts move slowly as if mired in cold molasses, as abrupt as turning a light switch off, a mound of earth looking like a fistful of brown Play-Doh, and like a dog being led away from his dead master.

I would also advise against starting too many sentences with something other than the subject. Starting a sentence with the subject generally results in a more powerful sentence, one that is clear and direct.

I enjoyed reading Northern Lights, and when I learned that it was the author’s debut novel, I was even more impressed. I found the writing to be engaging, well-structured, and easy to read. I also appreciate the timely concept, in this politically divisive environment we are currently living in, that mutual respect between people can overcome opposing social backgrounds and political views. Hopefully, it doesn’t take a treacherous adventure in the Canadian wilderness for real people to come to this realization.

Book Review: Opulence, Kansas

Opulence, Kansas. Julie Stielstra, Meadowlark Books, June 9, 2020, E-Book and Print, 138 pages.

Review by Barbara Belford.

When I finish a book, I try to select a word that encapsulates ending my reading experience—gratified, informed, indignant, breathless. The word I chose when I closed the book Opulence, Kansas by Julie Stielstra, after reading it in two sessions, was “hopeful.” Hopeful that, despite terrible tragedies and loss, people can recover and find joy in the world. Hopeful that there are uncles and aunts like Len and Maggie, waiting to love and restore value to teens who need them. Hopeful that the next generation will value relationships like Katie and Travis. And hopeful that self-centered, inconsiderate people can be transformed into mindful allies.

Katie, the fifteen-year-old protagonist, lives in a high rise in Chicago and attends a private school. Her parents have the pretense of a wealthy lifestyle. But after her father’s suicide, things quickly unravel. At the funeral, Katie meets her father’s estranged brother and his wife—previously unknown to her. They tell her she’s always welcome to visit them in Opulence, Kansas, and when Katie needs somewhere to recover from the trauma, she takes them up on the offer.

Opulence is more than just a place to spend the spring and summer. It’s where Katie learns how to be mindful of what matters and how to feel pride in working hard. She’s mentored by her aunt and uncle and meets Travis, a boy who’s also lost his father in a tragic accident. Together they help each other process the difficult truths about their fathers. As they grow closer, Katie discovers a secret that ties her family to Travis and, just as a typical teen would do, Katie overanalyzes the information and considers ending their friendship. While the main plot is Katie’s growth and change, a few unusual subplots weave nicely into Stielstra’s use of space and time as metaphors.  

I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Katie’s Chicago—the town she was used to—and the new town of Opulence, a culture shock to her. Seeing Kansas through Katie’s fresh eyes brought the beauty of it to life. I could relate to the difference between the two worlds, having lived my whole life in the western suburbs of Chicago, where the sky is big, until five years ago when we moved to a high rise in the city, where the buildings are big. Julie Stielstra does a wonderful job of getting the details of setting right without overdone description. Readers from rural communities will nod their heads at Stielstra’s tributes, and other readers will make Kansas a future destination.  

I felt the characters were generally complex and age-level realistic, and very easy to love. This is definitely a character-driven story. Opulence, Kansas has multi-generational characters who are valued, which was refreshing and unusual for a young adult book. And though it had strong themes of doing the right thing, it didn’t have a preachy tone or feel moralistic. Although Uncle Len and Aunt Maggie were churchgoers, they clearly let Katie decide for herself without guilting her.

If you know a YA reader who needs some hope and likes a little romance with a feel-good ending, I highly recommend this book. While reading it, I kept thinking of someone I know who will love it. And isn’t that the sign of a good book? When you can’t wait to share it?

Book Review: Signature Shoes: The Athletes Who Wore Them and Delightful Pop Culture Nuggets

Signature Shoes: The Athletes Who Wore Them and Delightful Pop Culture Nuggets. Ryan Trembath, Eckhartz Press, November 28, 2020, Trade Paperback, 154 pages.

Reviewed by Brian R. Johnston.

As you’ve witnessed some of the greatest moments in sports history, have you ever wondered about the story behind the shoes that the athletes are wearing? If so, you’re in for a real treat, as Ryan Trembath has recently released his book, Signature Shoes: The Athletes Who Wore Them and Delightful Pop Culture Nuggets. I just completed the book and, as a big sports fan, I found it to be a fascinating read.

In the introduction, the author says, “The intentions of this book are to chronicle every signature shoe leading up to the Jordans and immediately following.” I would say that the author did a great job with this. The book is broken into many small chapters, each telling the story behind a signature shoe. It starts with a brief history of the origins of the idea of a signature shoe, followed by chapters on many different shoes that span the history of sports such as basketball, tennis, soccer, and others.

The author goes into a lot of detail describing each shoe, including what it looked like and why it was important in history. The majority of the book covers the 1970s, though there are also chapters from before then, as well as on the 1980s and 1990s. Mixed in with details about the shoes are entertaining explanations about pop culture trends that were taking place during the time each shoe was popular to place the shoes in historical context.

The book is easy to read, with clear language and without a lot of jargon that would make it difficult to understand. The author clearly has a passion for his topic, as it frequently shows throughout the book. In the middle, a section of photos shows the shoes he talks about

Whether you’re a fan of history, sports, collectibles, or all of the above, Signature Shoes would be an interesting read, and I recommend it to anyone who likes to study these topics.

Book Review: What Mad Pursuit: Short Stories About Runners

What Mad Pursuit: Short Stories About Runners. Rich Elliott. Kindle Direct Publishing, April 19, 2021, Trade Paperback and E-book. 

Reviewed by Charles Kuner.

In a conversation I had with a friend recently, the idea of running as a metaphor for life was raised. In the sense, life, like running, is a mostly solitary experience, as you are running against yourself and in competition with others. There are the physical mechanics of running–the external part, but there are also intellectual and philosophical parts to running. As it is not just a physical game, but a mental one, requiring runners to devise strategies and tactics for both. With that in mind, the 17 short stories of Rich Elliott’s What Mad Pursuit are inspirational and must-reads for current or aspiring track athletes or interested in coaching runners.

To become a successful runner, one must deal with issues such as resiliency, prejudice, competency, jealousy, and resentment, and to have the grit to gain the endurance and suffer the pain needed to compete. The themes of survival and struggle run in these stories just as they do in life, except that runners seem to embrace these obstacles in an enthusiastic and often reckless rush as if each day were their last. 

The language of the dialogue and the narrative have a flow and a cadence that is reminiscent of a runner’s pace; it is natural and real, spare, and to the point. Elliott parses his words in an economy of language, and because of this, there are parts of the stories that beg to be read aloud, and I occasionally found myself doing so.

The adage “write what you know” proves to be true in Rich Elliott’s case, as many of the stories in the collection have both obvious and subtle biographical aspects and feelings. There is an underlying teacher’s empathy and understanding of literacy. This is most apparent with his use of literary and pop culture references to connect with the audience in a meaningful way. Furthermore, Elliott’s experiences as both a runner and a coach add fullness to his characters, situations, and stories. In effect, what the reader gains from Elliott’s writing are realistic and grounded portrayals of track athletes as complex human beings. Because of this, the collection’s lessons are not just those of running or runners, but universal human ones. Yes, it is a collection of short sports stories, and yet running is framed as part of the larger human condition. It confronts the real world and real experiences instead of, as too many sports stories do, seeking escape from the mundane.

The stories are replete with vivid, colorful, and complex characters; they are rich in characterization, and the situations feel very real. These are not cardboard and stereotypical people. They are people in situations that will be familiar to the lives of readers. The writing is spare and to the point, and it has prose that seems to mimic the pace of a runner.

The stories lend themselves well for analysis, as there is so much below the surface of the iceberg. It was a real pleasure to read about moralistic heroes instead of the currently popular, so-called anti-heroes, to make a point.

Finally, as a result of reading this collection, this reviewer has come away with a far more positive understanding of runners, their coaches, and their perspective on the human condition.