Showing posts with label contemporary fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary fiction. Show all posts

Book Review & Giveaway: Big in Japan by Jennifer Griffith

Book:  Big in Japan
Author:  Jennifer Griffith
Pages:   312
Format:  Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle/ebook
Publisher:  Jolly Fish Press
Book Source:  Provided by Publisher
Category:  Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Style:  Humorous, easy feel-good style

Synopsis on Amazon

Buck Cooper is Texan, obese, and invisible to his colleagues. And to the voluptuous Allison Turner, the girl of his dreams, he is way below parr. Buck's entire life is about fitting in, a feat he's been struggling to achieve but has never succeeded. Until serendipity lands him in Japan. Right in the middle of a sumo match.

As his life takes a new turn in a country where being big can mean fame and fortune, Buck must embark on the most dangerous, yet adventurous ride of his life—to find the ultimate meaning of love and acceptance. Even if it means risking his life and giving up everything he has.

My Take:

Author Jennifer Griffith
Query:  how does a petite wife and mother write an empathetic story about a 6'6" 300+ lb. young man embarking on an adventure of a lifetime in a place about as foreign to Texas as it can get?  Answer:  superbly, with a great deal of style and charm—not an easy feat, even for people the size of Buck Cooper.

Book Review: The Sun Zebra by Rolando Garcia

Book:  The Sun Zebra
Author:  Rolando Garcia
Pages:  66
Format:  Kindle
Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services
Book Source:  Provided by Author
Category:  Anthology, Inspirational
Style:  Conversational Musings

Synopsis from GoodReads:

The Sun Zebra, is best described as a children's book for grownups. Its aim is to encourage us to discover (or rediscover) the amazing things that children and their magical carefree world can teach us, even as we try to teach them about the harsh realities of our own. The book is a collection of five stories that follow the "adventures in living" of an unusual little girl named Nell, her mother Rhonda, and Nell's father who is the narrator of the stories. . . . More

My Take:  

Sun Zebra by Rolando Garcia is a charming little anthology written by a father enchanted with his young daughter, an exploration into the vibrant world of a child's imagination.  Only 66 pages long, it's a quick read as we encounter with little Nell a family farm awash in a vibrant sunset; a aeronautically challenged cicada, a balloon and a kindly ornithologist; a bold and intrepid squirrel invoking Edgar Allen Poe; a Charlie Brown Christmas tree seemingly outshone by the competition; and an artist in a park particularly tuned in to the world of fairies.  Each experience provides Nell a new opportunity to teach her parents (and us) important lessons in life, or, at the very least, inspire contemplation in daughter and introspection in dad.

Mr. Garcia writes in an easy, conversational style:  Hey, how ya doin'?  Come on out to the deck, grab a Coke, and shoot the breeze while the kids chase each other around the yard.  Each vignette left a smile on my face, and Birdman and the Fairy Tale made me laugh out loud so the other people in the doctor's waiting room eyed me funny.

The Sun Zebra is FREE to download today and tomorrow, July 18th & 19th.  Kindle reader applications for desk tops, tablets and smart phones are available free at Amazon, so not actually owning a Kindle shouldn't deter you.

A note from Mr. Garcia at the end of his book says it all:
Everything in this book is a blend of fact and fiction.  Everything, that is, except the zebra.  The zebra is real, and it is out there waiting for you.  When children take you by the hand to search for it, I hope you have the patience and the vision to help them find it.
Bottom line:  For those moments now and again when you just need a lift, The Sun Zebra will leave a smile on your face every time.  It's perfect to read aloud to a friend.





FTC disclaimer:  An electronic copy of this book was provided by the author or their agent with the understanding I would provide a fair and honest review.  I receive no other compensation for this content.