fiction – Page 8 – Kristin Houlihan, Writer

Book Review: The House of the Soul by Annie Dawson

Ok, friends, this book was SO GOOD that I’m seriously embarrassed it took me so long to review. I read this book almost all in one night, while I held my newborn on the couch because it’s the only way she’d sleep…I would have finished it all that night but my Kindle died around 3am and I was forced to watch TV instead. That child is now 18 months old… so, it’s been a LONG TIME. But anyway – the book!

This book was EXCELLENT. Part of the book synopsis says, “THE HOUSE OF THE SOUL is a journey of love, loss, and friendship, and a treasure map for anyone brave enough to embark on the precarious voyage of self-discovery.” And it’s true — but it spoke to me most because the central character is a mother. The book follows Ella as she struggles to figure out if there’s “more” to her than “Mom,” and how to reconcile her past (educated, photographer, Peace Corps volunteer) with her current life (stay-at-home-mom of two). I think any woman who has struggled with motherhood and personal identity will identify with Ella’s struggle.

We follow Ella as she struggles with friendships, her marriage, and herself and ultimately see that it’s only Ella who has lost her ability to see all the varied parts of herself. Her true friends and her husband know and recognize Ella for the woman she was, is, and will continue to be.

I identified David (her husband) with my husband for the care and love he shows Ella both in allowing her to explore her own insecurities and struggles and in the support he shows for her as a person.

Beyond the sort of heavy life themes, the book appears to be semi-autobiographical and gives us some insights into life as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana, which is super interesting!

Overall, fantastic book – well-worth a read, particularly for women in the throes of the self-evolution that comes with parenting!

Five stars!

(Sorry, I forgot to mention: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest–though very belated–review. Thank you!)

Exciting New Releases!

Just popping in to let you all know that two books I edited last year were published in the last few weeks! This is really exciting for me, so I can’t imagine how exciting/nerve-wracking it is for the authors! Do yourself and the authors a favor and pop over to Amazon and buy a copy. Book titles link to Amazon and author names link to the authors’ websites, where you can read more about these lovely ladies!

Life According to Beatrice by Anna Marie

Rafferty Lincoln Loves… by Emily Williams

Rafferty Lincoln Loves... by [Williams, Emily]

PS – I have no financial interest in the sales of these books – I just am honored to have been a part of their creation and want to support Anna and Emily on their writing and publishing journeys!

Book Reviews: “The Birdwoman” and “Evocation”

I don’t usually read short stories, though not really for any particular reason, but the two collections I’m reviewing here today make me wonder whether I should more actively seek them out. When I was brand new to Twitter a few short months ago I went on a book-accumulating spree (translation: I followed lots of authors, and every time an author advertised a book as free to download from Amazon I clicked the link and downloaded the book), and these are two of the books I happened to “buy for free,” as Amazon puts it. In any case, they are both worth actually buying.

The Birdwoman: . . . and other short stories

The Birdwoman and Other Short Stories by A.R. Geiger

This collection of stories is phenomenal. I was captivated from the very beginning, commenting on my Kindle after the first story, Stowaway, “I want more!” The stories are truly short–several pages, on average–but they pack in a lot of action and emotion. I found myself stopping to make comments on my Kindle like, “raw, reflective and thoughtful;” “beautiful and painful;” and “powerful imagery.” Geiger doesn’t shy away from heavy topics, exploring issues such as mental illness and slavery, from many different viewpoints. Her characters include: a twelve-year-old orphan boy; a hospitalized mentally-ill woman; an African boat captain fighting the slavers kidnapping his people; a young child; and a widowed mother, among others.

Geiger’s ability to write convincingly from many varied viewpoints is a true testament to her talent for storytelling. I recently read a review of a short story collection over at Bibliobeth where the reviewer describes short story collections as typically having peaks and troughs, with some stories better than others – not in this case: Geiger’s work is all peaks.

Five stars!

Evocation: The First AI Stories Collection by Sergio Flores

So not only do I not usually read short stories, but I also don’t often read science fiction. That said, I’m glad I picked this up. As the title suggests, this is a collection of short stories centered on artificial intelligence. The stories are interesting and thought-provoking, opening my eyes to the importance of the issue. I feel like since reading the book I’ve been seeing references to AI all over the place–there’s even a new show on Nickelodeon about a teenager who’s actually an android which I watched while babysitting a friend’s kids–and I’ve started to pay a little more attention.

In reading the stories I was impressed by the author’s ability to write so that someone like me–technologically-challenged–could understand them. I liked how some of the stories share similar settings and seem to follow on from one another as if they are all part of a larger story. What I gained from the book is an overall sense of the power and danger of AI if not properly managed…or, even scarier, that perhaps it can’t be managed at all. If you like books that make you think (like I do), then it’s definitely worth a read, even if it’s not your normal thing!

4 stars!