Sharp writing that showcases a delightful sense of humor.
Guiaşu offers a collection of funny tales and lists that tackle a vast array of subjects.
The first story in this delightful and eclectic compilation begins with the unnamed protagonist in a pub, celebrating the publication of his first short story, only to be told by a friend, “Don’t take this personally, but you can’t be a writer. You just haven’t lived enough.” It’s a clever opening for a book whose vast scope encompasses an awful lot of what life has to offer. “Logical Flaws and Other Problems with Jurassic Park,” presents an imagined letter to John Hammond, the fictional creator of Jurassic Park, in which the correspondent points out the several issues that give the story its title. Other stories tell of a rabid squirrel squaring off against a German shepherd and a human-resources department announcing “Bring Your Pants to Work” day. And, in “Trying to Figure Out Which One of My Neighbours Ratted Me Out During the Pandemic,” police appear at a person’s door with complaints that they left their house for nonessential reasons. Lists include “Life Lessons You Probably Won’t Find in Self-Help Books” (“Know your limitations, but don’t share that knowledge with anyone”) and “Things That Go Through Your Mind as You Are Taking Part in the Running of the Bulls Event in Pamplona” (“Generally speaking, quadrupeds are faster than bipeds”). No matter the topic, it’s funny stuff, although a few pieces have more serious overtones, such as “Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow,” with its antibullying theme. The author is a university professor at who delights in skewering academia; “Submission Guidelines” is a laugh-out-loud parody of scientific journal requirements, and it’s followed by “An Honest Rejection Letter,” which includes such gems as “We wish we could tell you to keep trying, but that wouldn’t be good advice.” Guiaşu also plays with different styles along the way, particularly scoring with the clipped prose of “In the Wilderness, Reading Hemingway.” Overall, there’s much to like about this congenial, diverting, and agreeable collection.
Sharp writing that showcases a delightful sense of humor.Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781039194946
Page Count: 222
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.
A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.
When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.
A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781250178633
Page Count: 480
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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