Reviews - Mitos suson

As an Indie author, I realized that the most challenging part of the journey aside from marketing is getting reviews. This is the reason that I dedicate this post to reviews to support my network of Indie Authors who are in the same journey as me.

BUTTER SIDE UP, THANK GOD!: A MEMOIR
byTina Wagner Mattern — **BUTTER SIDE UP, THANK GOD!: A MEMOIR** byTina Wagner Mattern

‘Butter Side Up, Thank God!: A Memoir’ was a real page turner. I blazed through it in 2 days, so thanks for the riveting read, Tina.

Tina told a story of a challenging childhood of abuse and neglect. But Tina’s life, unlike so many, changed for the better when a generous, affluent couple adopted her. In juxtaposition, the rest of her childhood was idyllic by comparison. This provides her with a unique vantage point from which to tell her story. Like her childhood, Tina’s unique storytelling is brutal, beautiful, yet honest. It felt as if she were confiding in me and not entertaining an audience. She crafted a safe place to share her story, like a warm fireplace with a glass of wine and comfy cushions. There she told a story of tragedy and redemption with powerful intimacy.

Tina recounts her tragedies and survival with sardonic humor. Like whistling through a graveyard, her humor protected me from her traumatic childhood. She blended extreme sadness and unbridled joy while the reader stands amazed. Her’s is an indomitable spirit. I can’t wait to hear about the next chapters of her life, I’m sure it will be awe inspiring. I highly endorse

**A Drive Down The Coast by Russ DiBella**

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and engaging travel memoir Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 27, 2023

I thoroughly enjoyed Russ DiBella’s unique and engaging travel memoir, ‘A Drive Down The Coast: Getting Lost on the Back Roads of California. I’m familiar with many of the places he visited as I lived in Northern California for many years. It felt like revisiting my old stomping grounds. Russ even plugged some familiar songs of those times. It reminded me that a good playlist is essential. It’s an underrated aspect of traveling that should never be taken for granted.

Russ brewed a deft mixture of melancholy and nostalgia with the people, places, and scenes. We forget it’s a different world when you’re traveling. I am not always so relaxed when I’m driving. I worry a lot about traffic or getting lost so I only half enjoy scenic routes when I’m on the road. Kick back and get comfortable. Let Russ drive. Enjoy the scenery, music, and the incredible conversations of ‘A Drive Down The Coast’. Let it transport you in time and space to a simpler time. It’s a welcome gift of homesickness. I recommend Russ Di Bella’s beautifully written book. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Here’s my 5 Star Review of ‘Songs From A Window’ by Bob Heath posted at Amazon and Goodreads.

A heart rending and emotional read. I love Bob’s stories about his patients in their final days. ‘Songs from a Window’ is a collection of Stories by Bob Heath, who is a music therapist, musician, singer and songwriter. His patients are in their final few days of life, and he adds meaning through the creative process of songwriting. They engage with him in a process of writing lyrics and composing music. Bob clearly has a gift to make patients comfortable and relaxed with him as together they bear witness to their journey, pain, happiness, and the reality of life, their soul’s culminating days. I would love to go out this way as an ultimate encore to life. This book is a real gift to both the author, the patients, and the readers. I couldn’t stop crying tears of joy. Thank you, Bob, for sharing the powerful gift of your music. I highly recommend a box of tissues while reading this wonderful book.

Get your copy here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Window-End-Life-Stories-ebook/dp/B09523RQ9V

More reviews here.

Here’s my 5 Star Review of ‘Harbour Ways’ by Valerie Poore posted at Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub.

Every time I pass by a marina or a harbour, I am always curious and fascinated by the existence the residents must be living. I’ve secretly dreamt of living in a boat; it’s so romantic. Thanks to Val for sharing in detail about her life on a barge, it gave me a realistic insight to their harbour lifestyle. I’m in admiration, and also a tad bit jealous over the ‘handyman’ skills that she discussed. She can do plumbing and carpentry! I really loved the pictures she shared of her one-hundred-year-old historic barge, the ‘Vereeniging’! I found myself caught up with her love for her barge and her plight to restore it; she spells out things so clearly that she made me understand the process she used to learn and applied. If she hadn’t, I’d have been totally lost in technicalities.

Her other gifts include the written word and a good sense of humor. She has the gift of including the reader in her system so that they could empathize with her big and small victories. Reading ‘Harbour Ways’ has been an education for me; the references to boat anatomy and the Barge community was fascinating.
I admit I’m totally hooked on Val and can’t wait to read her other books. ‘Harbour Ways’ gave me a chance to fulfill my dream, living in a boat, vicariously through her. Thanks, Val!

Get your copy here:

My 5 star review for “TRESNA Gate of Love: Book 1, posted at Amazon and Goodreads.

‘TRESNA: Gate of Love, Memoir One (Chronicles of a Balinese Priestess)’ was something of a surprise to me. I couldn’t put it down! It’s the story of the first foreigner to became a Temple Priestess in Bali. Frances Tse Ardika is a wonderful storyteller, and she shares about her journey from being a start-up founder, living a fast paced life living in Canada, Hong Kong, Japan and San Francisco and and goes to Bali for rest and relaxation only to wind up meeting Adi who would become her husband. He had a decidedly different upbringing from her. Isn’t that just like life, talking about synchronicity.

This is Frances’ debut novel! Her writing style is honest, direct and witty as she bares her soul in the book. She wrestles with her strength and insecurities, doubts and fears, and dreams and ambitions. Though she describes Bali in great detail, it is by no means merely a travelogue. She clearly has the keys, where no foreigner or even locals can dare to follow, but this book is something more.

Aside from taking us to Bali, she also introduced us to Balinese cuisine, giving our tastebuds and imaginations a Balinese sampling we can relish and experience vicariously through her narrative. And lest I forget, it’s also a love story of how she met her husband, and how they came together against all odds. Thank you Frances, for your courage in writing this beautiful book and sharing Bali with us from your eyes. I’m eager to read Book 2!

You may get your copy here.

My 5 star review for “Fat Dogs and French Estates:Part 1, posted at Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub.

I enjoyed Beth Haslam’s ‘Fat Dogs and French Estate’ Book 1. You might think that buying real estate in France would be simple, but there’s more to it than meets the eye! Beth tells us about it in her five-book series. I just wrapped up Book 1, wherein Beth introduces us to the cast of characters; her “irascible husband,” herself of course, and their sweet dogs. As you delve into her mindset, embarking with her on a journey moving to the South of France part time and their hunt for real estate.

The title is apropos and I loved the cover art as well. She certainly has the gift of witty wordplay and she is great with detailed descriptions of the quirkiness of the property owners and their estates, her realtor, and the eccentricities of life in rural France. The meticulous details of her house hunting allow you an insider’s view. Its like scanning the property and the surroundings, feeling her excitement or frustration. This is especially evident with her disappointments when a house falls short of what was promised.

Along the way she also takes you on a drive around rural France exploring the backroads, shares a little bit of history, an intro to local cuisine; I fully understand why she fell so deeply in love with the region. This is definitely a treat especially for those who have not been to France and probably even more for those who have! Many thanks to Beth for such a wonderfully entertaining book and thank God it’s a series. I can’t wait to get to the second book and find out more about her adventures in the idyllic South of France.

You may get your copy here.

Love, Travel and Volunteering by Kandy Ostrosky

Kandy provides tons of information about travelling solo as a woman, it’s a great guidebook that I wish I’d had when I was travelling alone many moons ago. There were no travel books written specifically for women back then.

I love her diary style writing and her dialogue with herself, as well as her recommendations, pet peeves, and especially her ‘Lessons Learned’ sections of her book. She talked about the joys and loneliness of traveling; when you’re absolutely fine alone until you see this random happy couple that feel like a slight tinge of jealousy. I’ve felt that, as well as the advantage of travelling alone and experiencing the kindness of random strangers that you will carry for a lifetime.

Kandy’s helpful and candid about the practical stuff too, like food, bathrooms and hygiene abroad. So important! One such tip I really got a chuckle about was her habit of renting rooms with two beds in case one wasn’t very clean. The difficulties of working in tough situations as a nurse was interesting; her ‘Lessons Learned’ at the end of her journal entries were unique. They were personal, they weren’t preachy, nor were they ‘virtual signaling’ at all; they were humble and a window into Kandy’s heart. After each of those, I felt like I was looking forward to her excursions as much she was!

She’s a very brave soul and gets down and dirty with her volunteering adventures, but she knows how to have fun too! She won me with her love of animals; something near and dear to my heart. These days, with the pandemic, travel is restricted and limited and it felt like she was taking my hand and leading me to all these places. I was whisked off on a flying carpet with her. Some of the locations I’d travelled to myself, so hearing her perceptive observations and how they were similar or different from mine was great!

The awesome thing about this is that she is donating a portion of the sale to an animal sanctuary in Jamaica. You’ve definitely got my support Kandy!

Grab your copy here!

The Lullaby Illusion by Susan Joyce

I really love this book and I would give it 5 stars.

I liked the title, the cover, and the story! Susan is a really good storyteller. She takes you for a spin with her through her external journey traveling to different countries and cities as well as through her thoughts and into inward journey into her psyche and dreams.

She discloses her personal account of being caught up in the middle of the war in Cyprus and the coup from Turkey, and especially the shock that her husband knew more than he really should about it. She leads you beyond all her ups and downs in life, her joys, the frustration of their infertility, the disintegration of their marriage, the deceptions, and travels.

This book resonated so much with me because I was acquainted with the backdrop of her story, as she shared little details of her life in Frankfurt. The words, the dishes, the streets where I used to roam were all familiar. It brought me back to my past and stirred a lot of emotions that I thought were long stagnant. I naturally applauded her successes as an artist and her new life and relationships. Her friends become yours in the telling.

It was inspirational that Susan also takes us through her dreams that seemed to materialize guiding her on as she attends to their signs, attuned to them, using them to navigate through life.

This is an incredibly unique memoir. Thanks Susan, I can’t wait to read book 2.

The Song of Jackass Creek by Darby Patterson

The surroundings were real. I was easily invested in the characters; I’m also a transplant from the big city to the California gold country. Darby’s book is steeped in mountain culture. The culture shock rivals the murder. It subtlety exposes the intense local color of a typically enmeshed California community. Interweaving the tensions between the environmentalists and working locals in the logging industry, is just one of the many threads running through Jackass Creek. It’s tied to sacred traditions, the feeling of mountain roads under your feet, and a creekside murder. This is a mystery that’s shy on gory tropes and worn devices and long on honesty; you’ve definitely got a good read ahead of you. Looking forward to a sequel.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R3URBLWI83X6D1

Listen to the Trees by Patti Sapp

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading “Listen to the Tree”. It was sweet-tempered, spontaneous, and organic. The voice was soft and flowing. I was reeled in by Amanda’s introspective engagement in her daily life. The minute details of scenery and thought were really transporting and relatable. I could especially connect to Amanda because here in my country, the Philippines, we nurture special relationship with trees, we not only hug them, and some pray to them or speak to them as if they are sentient beings. We have a legacy of natural tree hugging and harbor a special relationship to nature. I thought the dating tales were cute, especially the realization of a sense of contented completeness that is often present with us. I highly recommend this book. It is well written, tender and a balm for the soul; the perfect medicine for these challenging times! I look forward to reading the sequel!

Is this me?

Gripping, mesmerizing, chicken soup for the soul.I am extremely interested in memoirs and I loved reading ‘Is This Me?’ Trilogy. Anita’s heart wrenching story is of a girl growing up in a deeply religious family. She seemed so conflicted striving always to be good within that framework while still seeking to establish her own identity. I like her introspective and compelling prose describing Tasmania, her feelings, and her missionary family. I felt like I was really in Tasmania. Her internal dialogue is brave and resonated with my own needs to fit in, be loved, and to be accepted. In a cultural sense we are vastly different, but I really connected with her story that so easily spans the distance between us. Somehow, we are similar threads in a much larger tapestry. Her normal developmental challenges seem so much more complexed and daunting because of her struggle with the external forces to measure up and be “a good girl.” This is only the first part of her trilogy and after reading the first book, I am left wanting more. There are unanswered questions still looming. Not the least of which is, how she was able to transcend the confines of her religious upbringing and still retain her personhood and sanity? I am very curious about which sect she and her family were in? Or what could have her ex-fiancée done so wrong that broke up her engagement? Whatever happened to the man who chased her out of the house and into the river at the beginning of the book? I will pursue the second book with great interest.

LMAO, I really enjoyed Jackie’s Memoir, ‘Smart as a Whip: A Madcap Journey of Laughter, Love, Disasters and Triumphs’. I was drawn to the cover and thought it was sexy. At times, her goal seemed to be seeing the humorous side and not to be merely steamy or salacious! Jackie’s book is a brave, wild, and gutsy joyride! There are tons of laughs, but juxtaposed with poignant unconditional love, unmerited disasters, and well-deserved triumphs. I thought her memoir was sweetly hilarious, titillating, and entertaining!

For me, it put 50 shades of Gray to shame! I enjoyed her liberation metamorphosis from IT tech person professional into a full-fledged DOM. She was refreshingly honest, vulnerable and most of all equipped with a self-deprecating humor. It is not a book I will necessarily share with my daughter, but my husband or girlfriends might get a kick out of it. Her choice of words is sometimes brutally honest and graphic, but I like that it brings in a certain gravitas and humanity.

I felt her pain when she was pining for an unrequited love, like we all have! It was personal and challenged the stereotype of the tough unfeeling DOM. Likewise, when she lost her buddy, and of course, I was delighted that she was able to come out of it emancipated.

I definitely give this memoir a 5 star and I highly recommend it.

View all my reviews

Pushing Through by Lori Yerxa

I normally am a slow reader, but I couldn’t put this book down. Lori is such a gifted writer and storyteller; I was able to finish the book in a couple of days. This book is based on the true story of Rex Patrick, who had struggled with a drug addiction for many years, losing one leg in the depth of his addiction, eventually overcoming his issues, and becoming clean. He broke many barriers and became a Paralympic champion, a role model, affording the opportunity to tour the world. His life was a dream and nothing was impossible. It was definitely a fascinating story of hope, resilience, as well as victory. At the end of the book, I felt so sad, but I won’t deprive readers of this rich material. Rex reminded me of my brother and I rooted for him all the way. ‘Pushing Through’ brought me into a space where I was struggling with him through his addiction. I think, we all have or know someone in our lives who have fought or are fighting this battle every day. I am glad that Lori wrote about this in such detail giving insights into Rex’ story and his life. ‘Pushing Through’ was an evocative roller coaster through vivid emotions I thought long dormant.

Get your copy here:

Pushing Through: Based on the Rex Patrick story – Kindle edition by Yerxa, Lori. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.