Dew on the Kudzu Book Reviews

Home Front

2012-01-29T07:56:00.003-05:00

Home Front

Author: Kristin Hannah

Hardcover: 400 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Press (January 31, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0312577206

ISBN-13: 978-0312577209

Publisher Description:

Kristin Hannah explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage--with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.

All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost…

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene have to face the pressures of everyday life—children, careers, bills, chores—even as their twelve year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a soldier she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own--for everything that matters to his family.

What Idgie Says:

This is the story of a marriage taken for granted after many years together. Jolene is tough as nails….on the outside. Her young life made her Teflon to the rest of the world. Michael feels the responsibility of the family and of a life situation not of his choosing, but one to make his wife happy.

Michael is an absent father who feels no one needs to lean on him as long as his wife is around to take care of them. He doesn’t realize how much they want his love.

Jolene has maintained her Guard status as a helicopter pilot and takes pride in her support of the United States. Michael and Jolene’s world, which is slowly starting to disintegrate into separate lives, takes a sudden turn when Jolene is called to active duty overseas. They need good pilots to fly into the missions.

When things go ugly and Jolene comes back different in mind and body, it’s up to the two of them to see if this is the final straw or if they can manage to find their way back to what they had before.

A story that once again shows how pride and unbending attitude, while making you appear strong, can actually wreck that which you cherish the most.

You can find an excerpt of the book here:

http://www.goodreads.com/reader/15614-home-front?return_to=%2Fbook%2Fshow%2F12022079-home-front

You can find a video trailer for the book here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODaxxRr3AAk

Listen to an audio excerpt from the book here:

http://kristinhannah.com/content/books_home_front.php

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Mississippians II: Limited Second Edition

2012-01-27T08:16:00.001-05:00

Mississippians II: Limited Second Edition
Editor: Neil White

Pub. Date: November, 2011

Publisher: Nautilus Publishing Company

ISBN-13: 9781936946006

The Dew first reviewed this book in February of 2011, but the book has risen like a Phoenix from the flames and  come back in the form of an immensely beautiful book - 300 more glorious photographs and 100 new notables.   

Ya'll want a gorgeous coffee table book?  Then you need to get this one -  filled with fantastic photographs of great people all from.... yes, Mississippi. Warning here - you'll get a hernia picking it up, but it's so worth it.

You look through this book and you'll see how much incredible talent has come out of the state that's usually made fun of instead of being showered with accolades.  This book might just help change that attitude.

The pages are filled with great names.  From Robert Johnson (fantastic photograph!), Kathryn Stockett, Robin Roberts to everyone on the front cover - these pages show the best of Mississippi.  

The book is broken out into sections such as musicians, writers, journalists, etc., but I have to say my favorite is the one simply called "Colorful Characters".

Neil White, author of In the Sanctuary of Outcasts -  a fantastic book of it's own that you must read if you haven't already -  edited and published this great piece of "coffee table art".

I am proud to display this fantastic book on my coffee table in "the fancy room", along with the first edition of the book.  Both are far too pretty to hide on a bookshelf. 

Um.. I will say that I was deeply disappointed to see that I still have not made it into the book, even with the updated additions.  ;)  

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Queen of Kentucky

2012-01-25T07:40:00.002-05:00

Queen of Kentucky

Author: Alecia Whitaker

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Poppy

Publication Date: January 2012

ISBN: 978-0-316012506-2

Publisher Description:

Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would preferred to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."

Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. It takes a serious incident out on Luke's farm for Ricki Jo to realize that being a true friend is more important than being popular.

Idgie Says:

I can honestly say, having teens and pre-teens, that Alecia has them down pat. From their insecurities to their temper fits and sighs, she has the characterizations spot on. There are the usual “required” characters – Popular Guy, Snotty Cheerleader, Beautiful Girl who gets all the attention, etc. but it’s still a good read that I’m going to hand on to my daughter after I finish writing the review. The reason…. It is a nice lesson story showing in the end the importance of being yourself and remembering who’s truly important in your life.

Ricki Jo has to transition from a small private school that she’s gone to since kindergarten into the public high school. She has seen many of these kids around town but isn’t friends with them. Most live in nice subdivisions and belong to the country club in town. Ricki Jo has spent her life helping her family work the tobacco farm on the outside of town and let’s just say she feels strongly at a disadvantage when she walks through those high school doors on the first day of school. She's determined to show them she's just as good as they are.....even if she has to completely change herself to be like them.

This is a well written, humorous coming of age novel where some nice clean 14 year old romance occurs, but is easily a novel that a younger child could read.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Patrick Patterson and the World of Others

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Patrick Patterson and the World of Others

Author: James Edward Fryar

Publisher: New World Publishing, 2011

ISBN: 9780984703111

This is a nicely written young adult tale of a regular boy, Patrick, who has few friends, little coordination skills, an odd home life, and a fear of the bullies that harass him daily at school.

His regular life comes to a grinding halt a few days before his 13^th birthday, when out of nowhere a huge, hulking monstrosity jumps in between Patrick and a bully who’s trying to beat the snot out of him. At first perhaps relieved that the fight is broken up, Patrick soon changes his mind when it appears the monster creature would perhaps like to eat him…. or at least kill him.

When two woodland creatures suddenly arrive and change into giant warrior aliens, chasing off the monster………Patrick realizes that his life has suddenly taken a huge turn.

Thus begins the adventure tale of Patrick and the “Others”. A tale that takes the reader to hidden alien cities under earth’s cities, to places filled with aliens disguised as humans, on a trek that will eventually take him into outer space and his true home many millions of miles away. You see, Patrick isn’t human at all – merely humanoid. He’s been hidden on earth for years for a purpose I’ll let you read about yourself!

A young adult book with enough character development and action to keep a reader interested. This is Part One of a trilogy so the action will continue into two more books. There is no sexual content in this book, but there is violence - so you would want to make sure your child is mature enough to read it.

A good book for kids - what boy doesn’t imagine himself going off to other planets to fight evil aliens! :)

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Running the Rift

2012-01-21T07:29:00.001-05:00

Running the Rift

Author: Naomi Benaron

Publisher: Algonquin

Publication Date: January 17, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-61620-042-8

Winner of The 2011 Bellwether Prize

Running the Rift is a fictional novel, but I could easily recommend it for required reading as the topic is such a part of the current world's history. A story that humanizes a horrendous conflict that's so easy to ignore when it's across an ocean. This book is already causing quite a stir, in a positive way, throughout the book industry.

Raised to believe that the Hutus and Tutsis are separate tribes each wanting nothing more than to raise above the other the main character, Jean Patrick, tries to live as normal a life as possible. At this point in history, the Hutus are on top with the Tutsis feeling threatened and oppressed.

Jean Patrick's family is Tutsi and he enjoys a privileged lifestyle for one as his father is a teacher at one of schools, thereby allowing his family to live on campus and attend the school itself. Normally the only Tutsis allowed to go to school have to earn the highest of grades and be able to climb over each other to fill the few allowable spots.

His life changes for the worst though when his father dies in a bus accident and they can no longer be protected by the school. The family moves in with Jean Patrick's uncle and through hard work and honorable grades, Jean Patrick is allowed to go back to school,where he is picked to start training to become a possible Olympic runner - which would show Rwanda in a good light and help his family to thrive.

This is the backdrop to the story, but the meat of it lies in the conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis. The horrendous treatment of people on either side, the ignorant information rained down upon them daily via the radio to make sure the conflict continues, the complete destruction of life as everyone in Rwanda knows it while one side continues to attempt to annihilate the other.

Jean Patrick has good friends who are Hutu that are risking all by acknowledging him as a friend. He has a love interest,Bea,who not only has her heritage constantly questioned, but is under observation for her family being traitors. His entire life is fraught with fear. Fear for his family, his friends,his own life.

This is an excellent fictional story that also gives true details of a horrific conflict. It shows the hatred but also shows the affection and caring between the two sides.

A definite "Must Read".
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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

The Living End

2012-01-19T07:53:00.000-05:00

The Living End
Author: Robert Leleux
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: January 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-312-62124-7

What an interesting book! At first I was dubious as to how a book about Alzheimer’s could possibly be described as humorous but Robert manages to pull it off nicely. It helps that the woman suffering from Alzheimer’s – his grandmother – is a true Southern pistol of a lady.

Robert has the gift of witty word play and when you combine that with a the antics of a woman who is used to saying what she thinks and acting like she rules the world – you get a story of a lady’s rather rapid decline into a world where memory loss - while sad, has moments of laugh out loud reading.

Robert deeply loves his Grandmother and is crushed when her decline occurs suddenly after an operation. She was sharp as a tack with a mouth on her that would make a trucker blush beforehand, making her sudden decline in thoughts and ability to make that sharp retort all the more noticeable.

This is a serious book about dealing with a degenerative condition (I hate to use the word disease)with one whom you love, but somehow Robert adds enough humor to make reading about it enjoyable, while perhaps reminding you to always enjoy the time you have with loved ones, as you never know how long that time might be.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

All Necessary Force

2012-01-17T07:34:00.003-05:00

All Necessary Force
Author: Brad Taylor
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: January 17, 2012
ISBN: 9780525952626

Note – if you’re in the Atlanta Area – Brad will be reading/speaking at Peerless Bookstore in Alpharetta, GA on Monday, January 23rd at 7pm.

Publisher’s Summary:

A terrorist hit is coming. The CIA, FBI, and Department of Defense systems have spiked, but traditional intel is going nowhere. It falls to the Taskforce - a top- secret team that exists outside the bounds of U.S. law and is charged with finding and destroying asymmetric threats-to stop the unknown conspirators.

A shadowy trail leads the Taskforce through Asia and into Egypt, where an attack leaves one hardened Taskforce member dead and another barely breathing. Pike Logan and his partner, Jennifer Cahill, are forced to helm the increasingly convoluted and dangerous mission-a mission that tests Jennifer's ability to justify means for an end and Pike's tenuous ability to stay in control. Sifting their way through the opposing plots of two terrorist organizations will turn out to be the least of their problems when a weapon of unthinkable power touches American soil . . . the only country in which Taskforce members are forbidden to operate, and the only country that Pike Logan may be unable to save.

Told with unparalleled realism informed by Taylor's decades of experience in the U.S. Army Infantry and Delta Force, All Necessary Force takes readers on a terrifying journey that ends at our own front door.

Idgie’s Summary:

If you enjoy political intrigue/covert war operation type stories, this book has it all. Not only is it filled with action, but because of Brad’s real life experience as a part of Delta Force, it’s incredibly true to life and has solid experience and knowledge behind the story. In fact the publisher made sure to post a disclaimer that this in, in fact, a book of fiction, not a memoir.

This is a very detail oriented story with many twists and turns, so you need to pay attention while reading. But the story line itself is interesting and the characters are well fleshed out and likable, so it’s not a hardship. Don't we all love to read about those "hidden" government groups that keep our country alive and kicking? :)

An excerpt from the first chapter of the book can be found HERE.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

One Sunday Morning

2012-01-15T07:17:00.005-05:00

One Sunday Morning
Author: Anne Whitehouse
Publisher: Finishing Line Press
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 1-59924-750 X

This is a very slim volume of "thinking" poetry. A mere 28 pages in size, printed with a lovely watercolor cover on acid-free paper, these short poems are not fluff.

The topics range from a man moving on from an accident that has broken a few too many parts of his body for him to continue as he was - to a child trapped in a car with parents who no longer get along.

These are poems with real words and feelings behind them.

I myself am not a poetry lover, but I found that I could relate to many of Anne's thoughts.

The Dew reviewed Anne's previous book of poetry, Blessings and Curses, in 2010. The review can be found HERE.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Kearney's March

2012-01-12T06:01:00.001-05:00

Kearney’s March

The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846 – 1847

Author: Winston Groom

Publisher: Knopf

Publication Date: November 8, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-307-27096-2

Publisher's Description:
In June 1846, General Stephen Watts Kearny rode out of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with two thousand soldiers, bound for California. When his expedition ended a year later, the country had doubled in size and now stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Winston Groom recounts the amazing adventure and danger that Kearny and his troops encountered on the trail. Their story intertwines with those of the famous mountain man Kit Carson; Brigham; and the ill-fated Donner party.

Distilling a wealth of letters, journals, and military records, Groom gives us a powerful account that enlivens our understanding of the exciting, if unforgiving, business of country-making.

Excerpt here: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/72307/kearnys-march-by-winston-groom/9780307270962/#excerpt

Idgie Says:
This is a finely detailed account of one year in the life of the "Wild West". Winston has culled the records from that year and gone through them all with a fine toothed comb to come up with a fully fleshed out history lesson of that time.

This is an honest representation of that year, nothing is made romantic and surrounded by a glowing light. It was a dirty, diseased, life threatening time in US history - but at the same time a grand adventure for people with the will to go forward and discover the unknown.

The writing is somewhat in textbook form, but if you want a good solid history on this particular period - it won't be dry reading.

The fully told story of the Donner party is certainly not dull or dry - rather more on the tragically gruesome side of life.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Ethel's Song

2012-01-10T07:31:00.002-05:00

Ethel's Song
Author: Tori Bailey
Paperback: 526 pages
Publisher: Tori Bailey Ink (November 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615545785
ISBN-13: 978-0615545783

Product Description:

Thirty days can seem like a lifetime once love has been found. Ethel never believed that she could find someone to love her. Her estranged husband, Howard, and mother had left their scars on her. But Madison Barfield brought healing and fresh love. In thirty days, she would become Mrs. Madison Barfield.

After walking out on his wife and two young sons twenty-seven years ago, Howard has returned home. Mathias, his youngest son, was eager to reconnect with his father. His oldest son was a different situation. Thomas remembered the night their father abandoned them vividly. Madison always sensed that Howard’s departure was a relief for Ethel. She never said much about her marriage, and he didn’t inquire about it. Now, he wasn’t sure if they would see their wedding

Ethel’s Song is the second installment of the Coming Home Trilogy by Tori Bailey.

The Dew reviewed Coming Home in February of 2011. You can find that review HERE.

You can find a small excerpt from both books HERE .

Idgie Says:

Tori has a knack for making you feel that you know her characters. They could be friends or neighbors down the road or across the street. Very human and believable people.

The opening chapter makes you wince when you see what Ethel is enduring at the hands of Howard. Unfortunately, when Howard walks back into her life years later - you want to shake her yourself for being such a marshmallow and allowing him to waltz into her home - jeopardizing her current peaceful and loving existence.

Her oldest son, Thomas, remembers quite well his father's actions and aggression. Mathias was an infant and was never told the ugly truth of why Howard is out of their life. This was a mistake as he's easily swayed when the man saunters back into their lives.

Will Ethel be strong enough to chuck him out in the trash where he belongs and get on with her new life... or will he bring it all tumbling down?

While this is part two of a trilogy, it can easily be read as a stand alone book. A nice hearty book that you can sink your teeth into.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

All In Good Time - When to Save, Stock Up, and Save Everything for Your Home

2012-01-08T05:45:00.016-05:00

All In Good Time

When to Save, Stock Up, and Save Everything for Your Home

By: Tara Kuczykowski with Mandi Ehman

Publisher: Berkeley Trade Paperback

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-422-24516-3

Product Description:

Find out The Best Time to Mow the Lawn * Remodel the Kitchen * Run the Dishwasher * Buy Tomatoes * and More...From the founders of YOURWAY.NET and DEALSEEKINGMOM.COM (One of Forbes Magazine's Top 100 Websites for Women")

A few dollars wasted here, a few minutes lost there...it all adds up, and soon you're stretched thin, stressed out, and wishing you had more free time and financial resources for the important things, like your family-and yourself. These authors know-as busy moms with nine children between them, they've been there! It's time to get your house- and schedule-in order. The secret to streamlining your life is in the timing: knowing exactly when to do, buy, travel, or try...

FIND OUT THE SMARTEST TIMING FOR getting a haircut * flipping a mattress * buying a grill * taking a family vacation * filling the gas tank * buying (and applying) sunscreen * stocking a gift closet * seeing the dentist * getting a mammogram * buying a bike (and learning to ride) * filling a prescription * and much more
PLUS: LEARN THE SECRETS TO CUTTING YOUR GROCERY BILL WITH OR WITHOUT CLIPPING COUPONS

Idgie Says:

Okay, I'm not going to give this a real book review as it's not a story, instead more of a guidance book. But it comes out at the beginning of the new year and I thought that perhaps some might of you might be looking for one of those fresh starts with your time and organization. Consider this a type of "Hints from Heloise" but covering all aspects of life. It looks like a handy reference too if you're looking for some guidance.

Click Here to see the Trailer.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Banjos, Barbecue and Boiled Peanuts

2012-01-06T07:39:00.000-05:00

Banjos, Barbecue and Boiled Peanuts

Author: Kirk H. Neely

Publisher: Hub City Press

Publication Date: October, 2011

ISBN: 978-189188581-5

From the Publisher:

A fitting sequel to A Good Mule Is Hard To Find, 2010 finalist for best book of nonfiction from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, this collection delves even deeper into the humor and lore of Southern life, the mysteries and truths that are wedged between its mountains, snake down its rivers, stalk its gardens and graveyards, lie hidden in its abandoned boxcars, collect beneath its fingernails.

From Idgie:

Kirk grabs you with his book titles, and then continues to reel you in with his sweet Southern stories. A pastor when he’s not a writer, he tends to find the good, gentle humor and fuzzy warmth in his day-to-day occurrences and shares them with us.

This is a book of anecdotes, all perfect for quick reads – about 2-1/2 pages each. He discusses homegrown tomatoes, good barbeque, why Northerners can’t figure out what all our sayings … and my favorite – Kudzu.

Kirk openly admits he writes what he knows about and he surely knows the South.

An enjoyable read.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

Salvage the Bones

2012-01-04T07:46:00.038-05:00

Salvage the Bones

Authors: Jesmyn Ward

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (August 30, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1608195228

ISBN-13: 978-1608195220

Winner of the 2011 National Book Award

What the publisher says:

A hurricane is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch's father is growing concerned. A hard drinker, largely absent, he doesn't show concern for much else. Esch and her three brothers are stocking food, but there isn't much to save.

As the twelve days that make up the novel's framework yield to their dramatic conclusion, this unforgettable family-motherless children sacrificing for one another as they can, protecting and nurturing where love is scarce-pulls itself up to face another day. A big-hearted novel about familial love and community against all odds, and a wrenching look at the lonesome, brutal, and restrictive realities of rural poverty, Salvage the Bones is muscled with poetry, revelatory, and real.

What Idgie Says:

This is a RAW, gripping story. This family has so little in the way of money, home, food. They are loosely held together with a complete lack of what a family normally keeps in the way of rules/regulations/household actions....but they are are a tight-knit family in their own way. They have to be to survive.

Esch is the only girl in a child pack of 4. Their mother died during the home birth of the last boy, Junior. Their father drinks too much and brings home just enough money to provide the home with Top Ramen and dent can specials. Esch craves affection and finds it where she can, which appears to be leading to a whole new problem for her. The star of the house is the fighting pit bull, whose puppies could bring in money to help with so much... if they survive. To top it all off, Katrina is coming and no one but the father seems to realize just how dangerous this storm could become - how it could threaten the little bit they have.

This story is graphic - not just physically, but mentally. The family members' souls are laid bare. Their wants, cravings, needs. It's a sad story. But beneath all that sadness there is a glimmer. A glimmer of hope, love, caring and the ever present dream in each of us that tomorrow might be better, that there could be a brighter future.

I recommend this book - but be in a strong mood when you read it.

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I have an essay and Q & A below from Jesmyn if you would like to know more about how this book was formed.

The below was written by Jesmyn as an essay on the Kindle Blog and was published there originally:

Blog:

Spurred by the death of my brother, my first novel was something of a love letter to the kind of young black men that I grew up with: these young men were tender, fierce, worldly, and sometimes, painfully naïve. In my second novel, I wanted to write a book that revolved around the kind of young women I grew up with; I wanted to pen a love letter to them. Specifically, I wanted to write about a young girl who is growing up in a world full of men, and I wanted to explore how she understands womanhood, how she fares under all the pressures that bear down on poor black girls in the South. I'd also wanted to write about the character that would become Esch's brother, Skeetah, and his pit bull, for years. There was something about the strange love that Skeetah felt for his dog that fascinated me. As I wrote the novel, I discovered that the strange love Skeetah felt for his dog was only one of many loves that would be central to the book and influence Esch's understanding of womanhood and motherhood.

I wanted to write Salvage the Bones because I loved these characters so much I wanted them to speak. I wanted readers needed to know what it means to be a young black girl in the South, what it means for Esch to find models of womanhood in the world, for readers to understand how these models affect her and girls like her. I also wanted to write about Hurricane Katrina once I was able to crawl out of the despair the hurricane inspired in me because I wanted to write against the stereotypes that I encountered about people who didn't evacuate for the storm. I wanted to reveal that people who stayed here for the storm did so because they had always done so, that their refusal to evacuate was dictated by habit, a lack of means, and a sense of loyalty: as they'd always done, they would face this storm in their homes. In this way, the Batiste family is like many families on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Even though Esch's and Skeetah's and their family's stories are specific to a certain time and place, I hope that readers understand that in larger ways, they aren't. Just as Esch is able to read books about Greek mythology and find something of herself in them and them in her, I'm hoping that readers read Salvage the Bones and find themselves in my characters, and my characters in them.

--Jesmyn Ward

From Printsasia.com: Jesmyn Ward, the 2011 National Book Award winner for Fiction, provides us with an excellently useful interview on her award- winning book “Salvage the Bones”. Her responses to our questions throw some valuable light on the backdrop of her story, her characters, her forthcoming book and many things more. Find this interview HERE.

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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com

The Front Porch Prophet

2011-12-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

The Front Porch Prophet
Author: Raymond Atkins
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Medallion Press;(July 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1933836385
ISBN-13: 978-1933836386

2009 IPPY Gold Medal Award winner
for Southeast Best Regional Fiction

2009 Georgia Author of the Year Award Winner

Publisher Description:
What do a trigger-happy bootlegger with pancreatic cancer, an alcoholic helicopter pilot who is afraid to fly, and a dead guy with his feet in a camp stove have in common? What are the similarities between a fire department that cannot put out fires, a policeman who has a historic cabin fall on him from out of the sky, and an entire family dedicated to a variety of deceased authors? Where can you find a war hero named Termite with a long knife stuck in his liver, a cook named Hoghead who makes the world's worst coffee, and a supervisor named Pillsbury who nearly gets hung by his employees?

Sequoyah, Georgia, is the answer.

After a long absence, A. J. Longstreet finds his best friend since childhood, Eugene Purdue, on his doorstep. Eugene now has terminal cancer, and he confronts A. J. with the dilemma of executing a mercy killing when the time arrives. An adventure into the past begins for the both of them, and soon one must make a decision that will alter his life forever.

What Idgie has to say:
Lord but that man can turn a phrase!

I greatly enjoyed reading Sorrow Wood a few months ago and was hoping this book (actually his first) would also be as pleasing to the " mind ear". I am happy to say that it met all expectations. Some of the wording just makes me bust into giggles and as with Sorrow Wood, the characters are captivating from the moment you meet them.

The central story is A.J. and Eugene - but the flashbacks and current situations bring many fine folks into being, along with several tall tales that can't help but make you smile.

Another enjoyable book from Raymond that I can see sitting down and enjoying again when I need a lift.

Tempest

2011-12-16T07:20:00.001-05:00

Tempest
Author: Jack Peachum

Pub. Date: July 2011
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format: Paperback , 252pp
ISBN-13: 9781463767556
ISBN: 1463767552

Product Description:
1973: Watergate and the sexual revolution– follow detective Harry Booth through the streets of downtown D. C., where sex is for sale on every corner & corruption starts at the top-- "To tell you the truth, Doris scared me. She kept looking at me like I was a piece of cake and she was reaching for a fork..."

Tempest, an ironic tale of a transvestite and a private detective during the Watergate era in Washington, D.C. "A delicious romp through a sex-soaked world!"

Idgie's description:
Well of course let's start with the transvestite - Tempest Hotthighs. Yes, you read that correctly. A more unattractive transvestite has yet to be seen. Poor Harry, at the ripe age of 40 has just gotten his PI badge after years of excelling in hotel security - ie; keeping the hookers out of the lobby of a swank 4 star. He gets a call for his very first job and who shows up but an incredibly ugly "girl" who carries a 10:00 shadow on her face (we have gone past 5:00).

But Harry needs money so what other choice does he have? Tempest wants a pre-Columbian artifact 'retrieved' as it's gone missing. Harry's not sure she actually is the rightful owner to start with, but money's money.

What follows is snappy dialogue, government intrigue, a wild horseback ride and a lot of hookers floating through the pages. After all, Harry knows them all from years of kicking them out of hotels and they have plenty of intel of everyone around.

The only comment I will make is that there seems to be an excessive amount of exclamation points in this book (I'm guilty of that myself) and after a while everyone appears to be yelling continuous sentences at each other. But.. they're yelling snappy dialogue so it's not that bad. :)

Fool's Mate

2011-12-15T07:07:00.001-05:00

Fool's Mate

Author: Laura Pedersen

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pub. Date: October 2011

ISBN-13: 1463652883

Also available in a Kindle edition.

Product Description:

Twenty-eight year old Jessie Kincaid aspires to become a star investigative reporter and change the world with her work. To succeed in a cutthroat business, she follows the lead of her male counterparts by acting tough, sleeping around and drinking too much. Underneath this rough exterior beats a passionate heart, untried until Calvin Gabriel Thomas becomes her new officemate. A 30-year-old Yale-trained lawyer, he's decided to give journalism a try rather than follow in the political footsteps of his famous father, a six-term Senator from Connecticut. Josie and Calvin come from different worlds, have different styles, and hold conflicting views on whether money can be a positive force in society or is the very essence of corruption. However, it's clear that Calvin might find himself interested in Josie if she weren’t so angry, self-destructive and outspoken. Meanwhile, Josie thinks that she might have given Calvin a shot if he hadn’t gone and gotten married their first week of working together. But when Josie receives the assignment of a lifetime it’s a chance to seal her future as well as find her heart.

Idgie Says:

Snappy, witty dialogue with a fast paced story line. Never a dull moment. Jessie is a "guy" - she's tough, loose, determined to get what she wants and scares a few people. Her bosses yell at her, she yells back. She gambles, drinks too much and has no issues with office flings. She is trying her best to climb the ladder to her dream as an investigative reporter but keeps dropping a few rungs.

When Calvin becomes her office mate she's currently "grounded" to the office by some earlier shenanigans that cost the company a bit of money. By the time she's ungrounded for an assignment that is her dream....her heart might be telling her other things.

A fun, dialogue driven "romance" story set in an Atlanta news station. Easy to read with quite a few chuckles to be found.

First chapter excerpt can be found HERE.

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Please find below a great Q & A from Laura on why this particular book was self-published and what's coming up in the future!

Why did you choose to self publish after the success of publishing from traditional houses?

Laura Pedersen: This book was a departure from what I've been writing and didn't fit with the catalogues of my current publishers. For a one-off project I didn't feel like searching for a new relationship. And not many publishers want a single project since they also succeed by building long relationships. Recent changes in technology have made it easy and practically free to put out a side project and so I simply took advantage of that.

What do you feel the pros and cons of such a move are (i.e., more editorial freedom, etc.)?

Laura Pedersen: The pros are multitude. I loved working with a designer (who did a terrific job, in my opinion) on a cover that was appealing and interesting but also conveyed to the reader what type of book this is and who might be interested in it. I've often wondered if designers are given a good description of the story since so many covers don't seem to fit the contents. The art on the hardcover edition of my novel Last Call (which is a sweet and funny love story) appears to be advertising a horror show.

Fool's Mate is slightly longer than a typical book of fiction runs nowadays and that may have been a problem for a publisher because they become married to an idea of what today's readers want regarding style, format and even length. I think that a good story is a good story. Some are short and some are long. You just want to make sure it's the storyline you're dealing with and not a case of overwriting.

I think that Fool's Mate would make a good movie -- one of those newsroom romantic comedies, but here the girl gets the good part playing the rogue reporter who uses unorthodox methods to follow the story. So rather than shop a script around Hollywood, anyone interested can just download the book for 99 cents.

The best part about this form of publishing has been that with a traditional house my books usually sell for about $12.00 and out of that I get $1.00. But you can download Fool's Mate for 99 cents, so I've been able to pass all the savings on to my readers.

Will you go back to traditional publishing after this book?

Laura Pedersen: Yes. My next book is Trains, Planes and Auto-Rickshaws, a collection of humorous essays about traveling through modern India. That will be published by Fulcrum, the same house that has done my last two books and I'm extremely happy there. They've been around for a long time, publish high quality books, have strong editing, art and marketing departments, and are terrific about working together. I probably wouldn't get that sort of attention at a large house.

Three-Day Town

2011-12-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Three-Day Town
Author: Margaret Maron

Pub. Date: November 2011
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Series: Deborah Knott Series #17
ISBN-13: 9780446555784
ISBN: 0446555789

"I love short trips to New York; to me it is the finest three-day town on Earth." - James Cameron

Publisher Description:
Judge Deborah Knott and Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant are on a train to New York, finally on a honeymoon after a year of marriage. January in New York might not be the perfect time to visit, but they'll take it. The trip is a Christmas present from Dwight's sister-in-law, who arranged for them to stay in an Upper West Side apartment for one week. While in New York, Deborah has been asked to deliver a package to Lt. Sigrid Harald of the NYPD. Sigrid offers to swing by the apartment to pick up the box, but when they reach the apartment, they discover that it is missing and the doorman has been murdered. Despite their best efforts to enjoy a blissful getaway, Deborah and Dwight soon find that they've teamed up with Sigrid and her team to catch the killer before he strikes again.

Idgie speaks:
This is the 17th in the Series - Wow! The Dew has reviewed the previous two and those reviews can be read HERE.

As I stated in the previous reviews, what I really enjoy about these books is that fact that the people are real, experiencing real life circumstances, where a murder mystery of some sort just happens to get in the way of life for a bit. The murders are also not overly gory and ridiculously violent so the slightly squeamish can also enjoy.

In this book, as the above publisher description states, a mysterious package that a neighbor asked be given to her daughter in New York, where Deborah is attempting to have a honeymoon, goes missing before delivery and a death is involved. What the description doesn't mention is what a naughty item the object is! (I won't say more about that).

Will a crime be solved - of course, it always is - but in time for Deborah and Dwight to get any sort of real honeymoon out of the trip or will that have to wait for book 18? :)

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

2011-12-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
Author: Susan Gregg Gilmore
Publisher: Broadway Books / Crown Publishing
Publication Date: 2009 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-307-39502-3

Ringgold, Georgia has recently become a well known little town - but not for a good reason. Half of it was wiped off the map during tornado season earlier this year and it's still in the process of mourning it's losses and rebuilding.

This book was written before the tragic event occurred, but I'll tell you - a at least once weather is mentioned in the book and I just absolutely cringed reading it. If you've never been to Ringgold, after reading this book it's going to seem like a familiar place and the events of earlier in the year might just seem a little closer to home.

In the 1970's holds the small town charm firmly in it's grasp and is filled with colorful and interesting characters. It's still a town where absolutely everyone knows all your business, no matter how close to your chest you may try to keep it. They also feel free to comment on your business.

Catherine Grace is feeling completely stifled in this small town life. She's been to Atlanta once or twice and sees it as her own personal salvation from a life of stifling boredom and rules. So far the only joy she sees in town is hanging out at the Dairy Queen and downing Dilly Bars.

The day she turns 18 she gets on a bus with her father's blessing and heads off to Atlanta. But she barely gets settled when events at home require her to return to Ringgold and not only face a tragedy.....but face a most unexpected and unwelcome turn of events. Catherine Grace is about to have some excitement thrown into her life, but not in the way she intended.