He Said, She Said - A Review

This is one of those books that sort of meanders along as story good enough to keep you reading … until page 300 … when you get an OMG moment that changes the pace of the whole thing.

HE SAID, SHE SAID by Erin Kelly

Kit has been an eclipse chaser since he was a child and it’s a hobby that he carried into his adult life and his girlfriend, Laura as well as sometimes their friends followed along more to keep him company than because they were also eclipse chasers.  While attending a rather disappointing eclipse festival (the weather being such a big factor) Laura and Kit are walking back to their tent after the non-event when Laura happens upon a rape in progress.  Of course, they report the crime and Laura feels a strong connection with the victim.  She and Kit go through the whole trial process ensuring that the rapist, despite his protests of “misunderstanding”, ends up in jail.  But that is hardly the end of the whole situation when the victim shows up at their doorstep and Laura begins a tentative friendship with her, much to Kit’s disapproval.

Fifteen years later Kit and Laura are married, she is heavily pregnant with twins and they are living under an assumed name.  No good deed goes unpunished!

That’s all I can really say about this book without giving away the aforementioned, brilliant, page 300, twist. 

I enjoyed Ms. Kelly’s writing and the way she was able to pull me into the story but truthfully this would have been a 3-star read until I came to “the twist”.  It caught me completely by surprise and I raced through the rest of the book to learn how things would play out and the last quarter of the book was certainly a page-turner.  However, I can’t quite bring myself to give it 5-stars because it started off a little slow, because of the flashback sequences it was at times a little repetitive and the ending left me feeling a little … well … unsatisfied.

So 4-stars for this one.  It’s still a good read that I would recommend and I will definitely pick up something else by Ms. Kelly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from her website) 

I was born in London in 1976 and grew up in Essex. I read English at Warwick University and began working as a journalist in 1998.

My first novel The Poison Tree became a major ITV drama and a Richard & Judy bestseller, and was longlisted for the 2011 CWA John Creasy Award. The Sick Rose, The Burning Air and The Ties That Bind were all published to critical acclaim and my books have been translated into 19 languages. In 2014, I wrote the novelisation of the BAFTA-winning Broadchurch but sadly did not get to meet David Tennant.

As well as writing fiction I continue to work as a journalist and also teach creative writing.  I live in north London with my husband and daughters.

Fractured - A Review

FRACTURED by Catherine McKenzie

Having a book published is every author’s dream but for Julie Prentice it slowly turns into a nightmare that forces her to move her family to get away from a crazed stalker.  They move to what seems like an ideal neighborhood in Cincinnati only to find that, this too, does not ensure peace and quiet.  Very quickly it all begins to go down hill again.  Is there something about her?  Do the neighbors just not like her?  Or has her stalker found her again? 

Despite everything Julie and her husband refuse to be forced from their home again.

I have a love/like relationship with Ms. McKenzie and “Fractured” falls closer the first category.  The action in this book moved along quickly.  The back story was doled out in bits and pieces throughout the book which made it fun to try and figure things out before the end.  The look into a small close knit neighborhood and what goes on behind closed doors seemed almost voyeuristic but emphasized that not everything is always as it seems.  Everyone has secrets and when those secrets leak – the outcome is never predictable.

It took me a little while to pick up this book, but once I started it the pages turned pretty quickly.  It definitely made me willing to pick up another by Ms. McKenzie.

* I received this book at no charge from Goodreads First Reads *

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from www.catherinemckenzie.com)

A graduate of McGill University in History and Law, Catherine practises law in Montreal, where she was born and raised. Catherine's novels, SPIN, ARRANGED, FORGOTTEN, HIDDEN and SMOKE, are all international bestsellers and have been translated into numerous languages, including French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, Slovakian and Czech. HIDDEN was also a #1 Amazon bestseller and a Digital Bookworld bestseller for five weeks. SMOKE was named one of the Top 100 Books in 2015 by Amazon and one of the Best Books of October by Goodreads, and was an Amazon bestseller.

ARRANGED has been optioned for film, and SPIN has been optioned for a television series. A short film of ARRANGED was made in 2014 and won a Canadian National Screen Institute Award. Catherine was on set while they filmed it. It was one of the cooler experiences of her life.

An avid skier and runner, Catherine climbed the Grand Teton in 2014.

And if you want to know how she has time to do all that, the answer is: robots.

Visit her online at www.catherinemckenzie.com, on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/catherinemckenzieauthor, and on Twitter at @cemckenzie1

10/30

The Widow - A Review

THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton

“It’s a strange feeling, owning a secret.”

When Glen Taylor fell into the path of the bus that killed him his new widow, Jean, felt … relieved.  Yes, he was a controlling husband, but – he loved her.  Yes, he could be a bit of an SOB, but – he could be kind.  Yes, he had caused their life to be chaotic recently, but – she did love him.  Is relief the appropriate response to a husband’s death?  At least now she would be done with all his “nonsense”!

Glen swore in court and, more importantly, to Jean that he had nothing to do with the disappearance of little Bella.  She wanted to believe him but there was all the circumstantial evidence pointing to him.  The police certainly thought he was involved.  But he couldn’t be … could he?

This book is a crime/legal thriller that plays on those stories in the news that make people scratch their heads and wonder.  When the normal fellow next door gets arrested for some horrific crime is it really possible that his wife had no idea about what was going on?  Jean stood by her husband through his trial.  She stayed strong for him while the press harassed them.  She was the perfect wife.  However, “there are always secrets in a marriage”.

“The Widow” is a well-written and engaging debut novel for Ms. Barton.  The book is touted as a perfect read for fans of “The Girl on the Train” and “Gone Girl”.  I’m not sure those comparisons do this book justice.  I didn’t care for one and thoroughly enjoyed the other while “The Widow” left me feeling satisfied that I had read a very good crime novel.  The police are well represented by the character of Bob Sparks and the primary reporter on the case, Kate Waters, although not necessarily likeable was doggedly determined to break the story and was very well written.  No surprise there as Ms. Barton is, herself, a journalist.

Did I see the twist at the end coming?  Maybe a little sooner than I should have but that did not take anything away from the story.  There is time shifting in this novel, from the not too distant past to the present, but it was not difficult to follow and felt necessary to the story telling.  All in all a very good read and I would not hesitate to pick up another book by Ms. Barton.

I received a copy of the book at no charge from the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway with the hope that an honest review might be posted.

I posted about it already, but I really have to give another shout-out to the marketing department for their creativity.  It truly made my day when this book arrived.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from her website) 

My career has taken some surprising twists and turns over the years. I have been a journalist - senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at The Mail on Sunday, where I won Reporter of the Year at the National Press Awards, gave up my job to volunteer in Sri Lanka and since 2008, have trained and worked with exiled and threatened journalists all over the world.

But through it all, a story was cooking in my head.

The worm of this book infected me long ago when, as a national newspaper journalist covering notorious crimes and trials, I found myself wondering what the wives of those accused really knew – or allowed themselves to know.

It took the liberation of my career change to turn that fascination into a tale of a missing child, narrated by the wife of the man suspected of the crime, the detective leading the hunt, the journalist covering the case and the mother of the victim.

Much to my astonishment and delight, The Widow is available now in the UK, and around the world in the coming months.

However, the sudden silence of my characters feels like a reproach and I am currently working on a second book.

My husband and I are living the good life in south-west France, where I am writing in bed, early in the morning when the only distraction is our cockerel, Sparky, crowing.

Excellent Marketing!

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was so pleasantly surprised when it arrived.

Penguin/Random House Canada certainly did an amazing job in packaging this book.  I'll say one thing for sure - the creative packaging of the ARC made certain I did not place this one on the shelf and forget about it!  FYI ... I wanted to have a peek at it yesterday morning and finished about 2/3 of it.  I'm hoping to finish it off tonight - yes - it's that good!

But ... I want to share the packaging.

It came in a clear plastic "Evidence Bag" complete with some evidence (the Skittles ... which really makes sense when you read the book) and an "Evidence sticker" on the outside.

Big shout out to the "Widow" marketing department - I LOVED IT !!

Two Tales of Survival

THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU by A.J. Rich. 

** I received this in a Goodreads “First Reads” giveaway (courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada) in exchange for an honest review. **

Morgan Prager is pretty content with her life.  She has almost completed her thesis on victim psychology, she has just gotten engaged to very sexy and handsome Bennett and she does volunteer work with a local dog rescue.  That all changes one evening as she walks through her front door and finds her fiancée has apparently been mauled to death by her three dogs; a Great Pyrenees and two Pit Bulls.  Definitely strong enough to have committed the horrific act Morgan still has trouble believing what has happened.

Bennett was always quite secretive about his life, but consumed by guilt over what her dogs had done, she feels it is up to her to find Bennett’s parents and tell them about the death of their son.  That’s when things begin to go a little off kilter.  Morgan can find no trace of his family, no trace of his company and nor any coworkers or friends.  In fact she is beginning to suspect that Bennett might not have been his real name.  Who was this stranger she had been ready to marry and what really happened on that strange night?

When Morgan learns that Bennett also had an ex-wife, an ex-fiancée and another current fiancée she begins to fear that she, herself, has become one of the victims she has been studying for so long.  When these women from Bennett’s life begin to turn up dead as well, she begins to fear for her own life.

This book is a psychological thriller, as advertised.  However, where I would usually expect a psychological thriller to be a page-turner, I found this one to be rather slow moving.  I understand that a large part of the story centered on Morgan feeling as much a victim as those she studies for her thesis, too much time was spent on that aspect of the story.  While it was interesting, I felt it slowed the book down and was quite honestly, not necessary.  The story would have moved along just as well had she been a secretary or a teacher.  With that personal criticism out of the way, I can still honestly say that it was a good read.  It has its gory moments, its frightening moments and definitely some suspense.  The story idea is fresh … can’t say I’ve read another murder mystery where dogs were the prime suspects.  The characters themselves were a take them or leave them bunch, with only the animal rights lawyer being top of my list as a favorite.

I did have the bad guy figured out quite a bit before the final action took place, but that’s okay and maybe on purpose.  It was fun to know before Morgan figured it out … made it somehow more suspenseful as a reader.

Overall … I would not feel bad recommending this to murder mystery fans, but maybe not quite go as far as to call it a hardcore thriller.

I did particularly like the last line in the book; referring to a normally good natured dog that might become vicious when it’s frightened, being threatened or abused.

“ ‘Turns out she’s the sweetest thing.  She protects the smaller dogs here, and I trust her with all of them,’ Alfredo said.  ‘There’s a term you’ve heard?  The blossom?  A dog finds herself out of a bad situation and can trust that she is safe?’

She blossoms.”

Don’t we all?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(s) (from Goodreads)

A.J. Rich is a pen name for the collaboration of Amy Hempel and Jill Ciment.

Amy Hempel is an American short story writer, journalist, and university professor at Brooklyn College. Hempel was a former student of Gordon Lish, who eventually helped her publish her first collection of short stories. Hempel has been published in Harper's, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Bomb. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as the Ambassador Book Award in 2007, the Rea Award for the Short Story in 2008, and the Pen/Malamud Award for short fiction in 2009.

Jill Ciment was born in Montreal, Canada. She is the author of Small Claims, a collection of short stories and novellas; The Law of Falling Bodies, Teeth of the Dog, The Tattoo Artist, and Heroic Measures, novels; and Half a Life, a memoir. She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts, a NEA Japan Fellowship Prize, two New York State Fellowships for the Arts, the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Ciment is a professor at the University of Florida. She lives with her husband, Arnold Mesches, in Gainesville, Florida and Brooklyn, New York.

The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens.  

“Dear Daniel, A person has to have lived a little to appreciate a survival story.  That’s what I’ve always said, and I promised that when you were old enough, I’d tell you mine.”

So begins the letter from a father to his son telling the story of Wolf Truly’s life and the five unforgettable days and nights he spent on the (always unnamed) Mountain. 

Life had never been kind to Wolf and when it became more cruel than he thought he could bear Wolf intended to climb to Angel’s Peak at the top of the Mountain and jump.  It was the day of his eighteenth birthday.  Not planning on returning from his excursion he left his backpack at home leaving him with no food or water.  Almost as equally unprepared were Nola, Bridget and Vonn, the Devine women – mother, daughter and granddaughter – one with a mission, one with a grudge and one with a secret.  When the paths of these four people cross it begins an unfortunate series of missteps.  They find themselves stranded – their only hope of making it off the Mountain alive being their wits and each other. 

This story is the ultimate “you can’t get there from here”.  Wolf and the ladies can always see the lights of the city below and even the local trailer park named “Tin Town” and they look so close, so achievable and so inviting.  Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving and not only when speaking of landscapes.  The book cover states, “The trial they undergo together is thrilling and heartbreaking, funny and nail-biting and profound.”  No false advertising there.  It certainly is all those things. 

Lori Lansens has been on my “must read author” list since Rush Home Road.  Her books have never disappointed me and that carries on with “A Mountain Story”.  She gives me characters whose lives are far from perfect, who question themselves and their motivations … who often stop and ask “why me?” … then they persevere placing one foot in front of the other, like we all have to do in real life.  Ms. Lansens’ writing takes the readers on every painful step right along side of the characters from the gut-wrenching ride on the tram to get partially up the mountain through to the cold, hard rocks, and the hunger and thirst being endured to try and get back down.

Excellent writing!  An amazing setting!  A great story!   Another wonderful book by Ms. Lansens.

About the Author (from the book cover)

Lori Lansens was a successful screenwriter before she burst onto the literary scene in 2002 with her first novel, Rush Home Road.  Translated into thirteen languages and published in fifteen territories, her debut received rave reviews around the world.  Her follow up novel, The Girls, was also an international success.  Her most recent book is The Wife’s tale, which was another national bestseller.

Born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, after living in downtown Toronto most of her adult life, she moved with her family to the Santa Monica mountains near Los Angeles in 2006. There she shares her backyard with bobcats, rattlesnakes, mountain lions and coyotes. The Mountain Story, her latest novel, was inspired by her respect and appreciation for the wild. 

My Favorite Reads - May 2015

LITTLE BLACK LIES by Sharon Bolton. 

* I received this as a free eBook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Catrin and Rachel had been best friends since girlhood.  In one split second of inattentiveness that all changed.  While Catrin’s children were in Rachel’s care, Rachel left them in the car to tend to an errand, somehow the handbrake was disengaged and the car rolled over a cliff and onto the rocks far below.  The boys were dead before the car hit the rocks.

Obviously, the friendship ended, but who was suffering more?  Catrin, who lost her children or Rachel, the woman who was responsible? 

My complete review here.

KINDRED by Octavia E. Butler (1947- 2006).  There is a strange connection between Rufus and Dana.  Whenever Rufus is in mortal danger he somehow calls Dana to him.  This first time he was a young boy drowning in a river.  Thanks to Dana’s quick thinking and some mouth-to-mouth she saved him.  This “calling” happens throughout all of Rufus’ life.

The problem?

Dana lives in the 20^th century and Rufus lives in the antebellum south.

Dana is a 26-year-old black woman married to a white man.

Rufus is the son of a plantation owner – a plantation complete with slaves. 

My complete review here.

SAPIENT by Jerry Kaczmarowski. 

* I received this as a free eBook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Two things are important in Jane Dixon’s life, her autistic son Robbie and her research into animal intelligence.  She hopes that the research will eventually lead to a cure for Robbie’s autism, but to date all she has been able to do is increase one rat’s ability to run a virtual maze.  The rat, Einstein, surprises her daily with his increased intelligence but Jane understands that any progress she makes is still decades away from helping Robbie in any meaningful way.

My complete review here.

THE LAST FOUR DAYS OF PADDY BUCKLEY by Jeremy Massey.

** I received this in a Goodreads “First Reads” giveaway (via Penguin Random House Canada) **

Paddy works for Gallagher’s, the best funeral home in Dublin.  Since the death of his wife and unborn child two years earlier Paddy has thrown himself into his work.  He suffered from insomnia anyway so he made himself available for the calls that came at all hours of the day and night.  Death is not a 9 to 5 occupation.  His boss likes him.  The bereaved are comforted by him.  His coworkers respect his professionalism as well as his friendship.   His life is not remarkable but it does seem to be on an even keel, at least until one week in October. 

My complete review here.

Shorts

The short story can be defined simply as "a fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel".  In "The Philosophy of Composition" Edgar Allen Poe wrote that "a short story should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half hour to two hours".  According to the "Cliffs Notes" definition "a contemporary fiction short story can range from 1,000 to 20,000 words.  Because of the shorter length, a short story usually focuses on one plot line, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme ... short stories also lend themselves more to experimentation -- that is, using uncommon prose styles or literary devices to tell the story".

I think short stories are like great poetry or a masterful work of art ... they have to draw you in quickly, hold your attention and then be willing to let your own life's experience, or even just your mood that day, give them a personal interpretation.  With any compilation of short stories not everyone will agree on a favorite.  Not everyone will see the stories the same way.  The chance that the author takes is that a reader might not like every story.  That's okay because that's part of what reading is all about.

I don't read short stories very often because sometimes they leave me feeling unsatisfied, the feeling that I want more than what was offered.  Not so with my two most recent reads this month.  Both were compilations of short stories and both wonderful in their own way.  Definitely worth picking up, if only to satisfy that need to read something quick between slipping into bed and turning off the light.

EINSTEIN’S BEACH HOUSE 

by Jacob M. Appel

** I received this book at no charge from the author in exchange for an honest review **

This is a book of short stories that deal with relationships, loss, imagination and life in general.  Some are a little dark; some are filled with pathos while others are humorous.

HUE AND CRY – Lizzie’s father is very ill and sometimes the only way one can deal with that is to focus on something else, which is exactly what Lizzie does as she begins spying on her next-door neighbor – the sex offender – the one everyone on the street wants gone.

“That year Lizzie’s kid sister kept a list of things that were funny when they happened to other people:  tarring and feathering, Peeping Toms, mad cow disease.”  It’s a wonderful first line.  And when I finished the story it turns out also to be the summary of what the story is about.  In my humble opinion, that’s some pretty good writing.   

LA TRISTESSE DES DERISSONS – He wants a German shepherd and she wants a baby so they compromise and adopt a hedgehog.  Orion the hedgehog was not what one would describe as cuddly, what with the quills and all and definitely not the most conventional of pets especially when he becomes depressed and needs to see an animal psychologist.  How far will his owners go to keep him – and themselves – happy?

STRINGS – In an attempt to do one, hopefully last, good deed for her long ago ex-boyfriend newly married Rabbi Cynthia Felder agrees to let him use the sanctuary of her synagogue to hold a concert to break all records of the number of cellos performing simultaneously.  This story held two of my favourite passages in the book, one being the following:

Rabbi Cynthia is having second thoughts …

             “It’s only for a few hours, Cynth,” he emphasized.  “We rehearse here until noon, then we go out to the park and perform the concert.  You’ll hardly even notice we’re here.”

            “God will notice you’re here.”

            Jacques shrugged.  “Maybe God sleeps late,” he said.  “Besides, it’s a Sunday, if He is awake, won’t he be hanging out with the Catholics?”

LIMERENCE – Jesse and his high school friends spend a lot of time pondering many subjects but as Jesse says, “the bulk of our attention focused on girls”, Lena Limpetti in particular.

I admit that I had to look up the definition of the word “limerence”.  Coined in 1979 by psychologist Dorothy Tennov, it is defined as “a state of mind which results from a romantic attraction to another person typically including compulsive thoughts and fantasies and a desire to form or maintain a relationship and have one’s feelings reciprocated”.

Had I read Mr. Appel’s story first I would not have needed to look up the meaning of the word.

EINSTEIN’S BEACH HOUSE – What happens when, because of a innocent yet fortuitous error someone else made, that you try to take advantage of (to help your family) goes terribly, horribly, tragically wrong?  This is the story that answers the question.

THE ROD OF ASCLEPIUS – Although she knows her father is not a doctor she accompanies him to many hospitals over the years, beginning with the one where her mother died.  Each time the visit begins with the question, “Are you ready to change the world, Princess?”  At his side she learns an important lesson, “the horror and thrill of saving lives”.

SHARING THE HOSTAGE – Sometimes couples break up and nasty custody battles ensue.  It’s not always children that are the subject of these battles, in this case, it’s a tortoise named Fred.

PARACOSMOS – Children have imaginary friends, there’s nothing unusual about that and as the children grow their imaginary friends become less important and eventually disappear.  What happens when your daughter’s imaginary friend’s father shows up at your door asking why the girls don’t play together anymore?

As I mentioned earlier I don’t normally read short stories.  I tell myself I don’t enjoy them as much as a novel.  Yet, whenever I do pick up (or as in this case receive) a collection there is always at least one story that makes it worthwhile.  I knew I wanted to read this book when I read the description of “Paracosmos”.  I would call it my second favorite in this collection.  Much to my surprise another became my very favorite.  I find it so difficult to rate a book of short stories; unless there is the thread of a character or location tying the stories together they need to each be taken on their own merit.  These are well written and (to me) are almost allegories or fables, each taught some lesson in its own unique way.  Add that to their enjoyment factor and I’d say this book is definitely worth 5 stars.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from his website)

Jacob M. Appel's first novel, The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up, won the Dundee International Book Award in 2012.  His short story collection, Scouting for the Reaper, won the 2012 Hudson Prize and published by Black Lawrence in November 2013.

Jacob has been admitted to the practice of law in New York State and Rhode Island, and is a licensed New York City sightseeing guide.

WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU 

by Tim Fredrick.

* I received this as a free eBook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

This book of short stories, dealing with relationships of one kind or another, had me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride.  Some of the stories managed to evoke real sadness while others an unexplained sadness, some definitely made me smile while two actually made me laugh out loud.

BY THE STREAM ON MOVING DAY – The narrator and Henry were best friends all through childhood, until Henry’s parents divorced and he and his mother eventually moved away.  Reconnecting as adults brought to the forefront some realities they had not realized as children … that last hug they shared may have been more than a simple hug.  But it’s true what they say about not being able to “go home” again. This story contained my favourite passage in the book,

“ He was always affable growing up, not at all the neurotic child of divorce like my other friends from broken homes.  My own home was broken but has been sloppily stuck back together, complete with visible cracks and tiny missing pieces.  Henry lived the dream:  two rooms, two sets of presents, two vacations, zero arguing parents.”

THIS ONE NIGHT IN THE BAR WHERE I WORK – A waiter and bartender observe a couple having an argument in bar.

The writing has no discernible formatting, sentence structure, little punctuation and no upper-case letters to distinguish sentences.  (I thought it was my e-version of the book to blame but all the other stories were fine.)  No it was simply frantic writing (and reading) and THE perfect to convey the tone of the argument. 

EGG AND SPOON – A young boy who seems to not have a lot going for him decides to make his mark on the world by breaking the Guinness World Record for an Egg and Spoon race.

Although a little heartbreaking, looking back, this was my favourite story in the book.

THAWED – Cryogenics gone very wrong.

This is most detailed story in the book.  I enjoyed this story because it has a definite beginning, middle and end and the most evolved characters.  As a reader of primarily full-length novels this story fulfilled my need for “completeness”.

The above are just four examples of the fourteen stories included in this book.  The other stories range in scope from a man reminiscing about each of his erections from pre-puberty through to adulthood (A Tale of Five Thousand Erections) and the couple who found each other because of an unusual physical condition (My Right Armpit Sweats More Than My Left One) ... those two made me laugh out loud ... on to the touching entries such as Driving Lessons and My Father the Statue.  Wow, I could go on describing all the stories.  As I type each on I think of the others I enjoyed.  You'll have to pick up the book and read them for yourself.

Mr. Fredrick does display a wide variety of writing styles in this compilation, and he does them all very well.  I certainly have the utmost admiration and respect for his talent, yet as with all compilations some stories will resonate with readers more than others and that it just the nature of the short story.  The range of stories in this book guarantees there is something for everyone.  Funnily enough, the story I personally enjoyed the least is the story that offered this book its title.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from his website)

Tim Fredrick is a writer and teacher from Queen’s N.Y.  His writing interests include literary fiction that explores relationships with family; making a family and the longing we all have for connection.

He is also the founding editor of Newtown Library, a journal dedicated to supporting and promoting the work of Queen’s writers.

He has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a MA in English Education from New York University, and a Ph.D in English Education/Applied Linguistics from New York University.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Fredrick moved to New York City in 1997 and has been living and working there since.  He lives with his dog Logan in Rego Park, Queens.