Stuart Omans who retired from teaching classes of Shakespeare at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, now writes about how he and his wife found a piece of property in North Carolina to retreat to from the Orlando area. He compares the fast paced world of Orlando to a more laid back easy going lifestyle of North Carolina. The writing style is easy which makes the stories about the townspeople he and his wife encounter in “Ol ’Man On A Mountain,” such a delight to read.
Stuart Omans
Create Space Inc
c/o Create Space
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
9781626600324, $14.99, www.amazon.com
Calling Off Christmas
The Environmental Protection Agency tells Santa Claus and his elves at the North Pole that they have to stop all production because they are the number 1 contributor to Global Warming and the polar caps are melting because of them. Santa takes up residence in New York State and gets a job as a custodian in a school while his elves are dispersed across the country. But something happens and the world has to call upon Santa to come out of retirement. The question is does he? “Calling Off Christmas” reminded me of “Skipping Christmas” by John Grisham that became the great movie “Christmas With The Kranks.” Like the Grisham novel and the movie, “Calling Off Christmas” is a fun story that has a lot to say about the message of Christmas and is a perfect book for readers of all ages any time of the year.
Jeremy K. Brown
Create Space Inc
c/o Create Space
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
9781479221554, $7.00, www.amazon.com
Boombin and Lama: A story of friendship…..investigation…and adventure!
There are so many things wrong with “Boombin and Lama” that detract from any enjoyment of this kid’s book. “Boombin and Lama” is filled with too many messages and not enough story or characters to enjoy. The print on many pages blends in with the artwork making it difficult to read, and the cover is not exciting enough to entice a person to want to read the book. These are just a few of its problems. “Boombin and Lama” is a prime example of why POD or self published books have a bad reputation.
Boona Cheema & Damon Guthrie
Outskirts Press Inc.
10940 South Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
9781478722502, $19.95, www.amazon.com
Cloris
Books like “Cloris” can either be fun to read or not. This one is a not because she is too busy telling you how great she is and the techniques she used for different roles. She does talk a bit about some of the characters she has played through the years which did make that part interesting. But, on the whole, “Cloris” is a thumbs down disappointment.
Cloris Leachman with George Englund
Kensington Publishing Corp
119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018
978075829632, $24.00 www.amazon.com
Disaster Handbook
Disasters happen and “Disaster Handbook” is a perfect resource to have handy on what to do in the aftermath. The author gives sound advice of how to prepare your home for any unforeseen event and the steps to get things back to normal everyday living. Some of the things he deals with are planning for things like being snowed in at home, tornados, hurricanes, landslides, and floods. He tells how to get ready by doing things like sealing a bathtub, having enough food that does not require refrigeration, things to do in the yard to not have flying objects. He also tells the place of others to help and government and its role to assist after a disaster. “Disaster Handbook” is an easy to follow guide on being prepared.
Robert Brown Butler
Create Space Inc.
c/o Create Space
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com, www.thedisasterhandbook.com
9781497528185, $15.99, www.amazon.com
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Touched by an Angel
“Chicken Soup for the Soul: Touched by an Angel” is one of the most interesting titles of this long running popular series. This time 101 authors tell their stories of how something from beyond influenced them. Three of the ones I really enjoyed are: “Thank you Lord” by Suzanna Leigh where for some reason she did not take a flight, “Help with the Laundry” by Darlene Sneden had interesting help doing laundry when she was washing uniforms for her daughter’s soft ball team, and “My Bookstore Angel” by Gail Hayden, where a man helps her find a particular book. All of these writings are interesting and inspirational and make you believe Angels are real.
Amy Newmark, with a Foreword by Gabrielle Bernstein
Chicken Soup For The Soul Publishing LLC
978161599411, $14.95 www.amazon.com
