Sunday 24 September 2017

What's Wrong With The Street by Andy Carrington


What's Wrong With The Street by Andy Carrington
Self published in August 2017.


How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the author

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Roads closed / leading no- where we carry on through the thick haze and fog shrugging off the false promises and hope it’s pissing it down with rain (again) and every direction seems wrong. In it for the long haul fighting with others and ourselves [caught up in traffic] while the piti- ful screams “WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!” can be heard from up top as the cameras monitor / GPS tracks our every move - I’m just trying to make it through.

Andy Carrington returns to the fervent anger of his previous poetry collection, Apathy Will Kill Us All, for this newest publication. For me, the poems felt like segments of an epic work rather than individual pieces because of their overlapping subject matter and recurring themes. The sheer energy Carrington maintains throughout the book is exhausting! He vividly illustrates his experience of life in modern Britain, specifically Bradford, through stream-of-consciousness rants and tirades against pretty much everything from the realities of scraping by on a pittance to the gentrification of local pubs. If you want to understand the deep divisions across contemporary British society, read Andy Carrington.

Etsy Find!
by Iconeo Design in
Wiesbaden, Germany

Click pic to visit Etsy Shop


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Books by Andy Carrington / Poetry / Books from England

Monday 11 September 2017

Service Disrupted by Tyler E. Lloyd


Service Disrupted: My Peace Corps Story by Tyler E. Lloyd
Published by Lloyd Media on the 4th August 2017.

How I got this book:
Took advantage of a free Amazon download promotion

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Giving over two years of your life as a Peace Corps Volunteer is admirable, but giving up his life is more than Tyler Lloyd signed up for. Service Disrupted is an engaging memoir in which Tyler tells of his adventures and his eagerness to share his knowledge of gardening and agriculture with the kind and quirky villagers in Burkina Faso, Africa. But when he learns that his end of service medical exam showed a positive HIV test, Tyler’s mind becomes consumed with emotion, worry, and despair. The ups and downs will keep you reading to the end with a new respect for Peace Corps Volunteers and the African people. You’ll be both fascinated and saddened by the Sub-Saharan people who have become much more than a village to Tyler, as he awaits the answer to what his future holds.


I remember as a teenager looking into volunteering with the Peace Corps and being most disappointed to discover that only Americans were eligible to apply! Tyler Lloyd was one such American who spent his two years of service in Burkina Faso. He gives us a few glimpses into the country's life and culture, but this memoir is primarily a recounting of his mental turmoil following a health scare. I thought there was going to be more about the Burkinabe people and the Peace Corps projects Lloyd undertook whilst overseas. (If you are looking for such a memoir then this probably isn't the book for you.) However it is an interesting insight into the reactions of a young man potentially afflicted with a terminal illness, especially the Schrodinger's Cat situation he endures whilst awaiting further tests and a definite prognosis.

Lloyd expresses his emotions well and isn't afraid to portray himself in a negative light which makes for a particularly engaging memoir. I would be interested in an epilogue now, a few years down the line, to discover both whether the life statements he made during the traumatic three weeks ever came to fruition and the long term results of his Burkina Faso projects.

Etsy Find!
by Vintage Postage Shop in
Tennessee, USA

Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Books by Tyler E. Lloyd / Biography and memoir / Books from America

Monday 4 September 2017

35 Crocheted Bags by Emma Friedlander-Collins


35 Crocheted Bags by Emma Friedlander-Collins
Published in the UK by Cico Books in September 2016.

Where to buy this book:

Abebooks

Alibris

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Kobo

Smashwords

Speedyhen

The Book Depository

Waterstones

Wordery


How I got this book:
Received as a gift

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Using the latest colours and techniques, Emma Friedlander-Collins brings you a fun and functional collection of bags to crochet. There are bags for carrying around all your essentials, such as the Aztec Shoulder Bag made in tapestry crochet, and the Strawberry Handbag. Then there are totes and holdalls, including a Spring Shopper with neon-bright trim, and a Hipster Duffle in green and khaki – perfect for camping and festivals, or just for when you’ve got a lot to carry. To complete the set, there are cases and covers, such as a Zig-zag Glasses Case to match the Aztec Shoulder Bag, a Pencil Case and a cover for your e-reader. With a techniques section covering all the basic stitches and tapestry crochet, instructions on lining your bag, and suggestions for variations to make each design your own, you will be able to make a bag that is both beautiful and useful, as well as unique.

35 Crocheted Bags is a great resource for practical crochet patterns. It includes clear instructions for all kinds of bags from large totes and satchels to coin purses and glasses cases and I like that many are designed to be made with thick, chunky yarns. I can get from pattern to finished product pretty quickly! Friedlander-Collins has a good eye for quirky details so, for example, a green-edged circular bag with the addition of a couple of brown embroidered 'pips' resembles a slice of apple! Instructions also include methods for attaching various types of straps, handles and closure fastenings all of which give their respective bags a new style. 35 Crocheted Bags probably isn't ideal for an absolute novice crocheter, but for someone like me who has already grasped the basics it is inspirational both in its existing patterns and in providing jumping-off points for my own projects.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Emma Friedlander-Collins / Craft books / Books from England

Sunday 3 September 2017

Everything Is Better With A Cape by C H Clepitt


Everything Is Better With A Cape by C H Clepitt
Self published today, the 3rd September 2017.

Join in C H Clepitt's Cape Launch Party on Facebook today!

How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the author

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What is better than a sarcastic talking badger? A sarcastic talking badger with superpowers, of course!

Having survived the apocalypse, Kerry is back to being a socially awkward web developer, but when apocalypse survivors start ending up dead, with her next on the list, events begin to spiral out of control. Follow Kerry as she deals with life and fashion challenges, whilst trying to save the world in this hilarious sequel to I Wore Heels to the Apocalypse.

Be a hero, #WearTheCape

Kerry is back and still making event-inappropriate fashion choices! I enjoyed Everything Is Better With A Cape even more than its I Wore Heels To The Apocalypse predecessor and I think it is definitely the most humorous post-apocalyptic fiction I have read! There is little in the way of grim despair in Clepitt's invented world, instead we are faced with superheroic costume choices, gooey robots and a brilliantly sarcastic badger. Badger is undoubtedly my favourite of the characters. I liked that everybody is more strongly portrayed in this sequel which allowed me to understand and empathise with their decisions and actions. Kerry's bull-in-a-china-shop approach to problem-solving means that there is no let up in pace though. She wasn't the only one flying through this story. At times I did find the plot jumps too swift for my taste, but Clepitt's cartoon chapter breaks are a fun story enhancer and serve their purpose well. For light escapism with a hint of romance, Everything certainly Is Better With A Cape!

Etsy Find!
by Wild Things Dresses in
Chorley, England

Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Books by C H Clepitt / Novellas / Books from England

Saturday 2 September 2017

Strungballs by Mike Russell + Giveaway


Strungballs by Mike Russell
Published by Strange Books in November 2016.

How I got this book:
Won in a Facebook giveaway

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Strungballs is an extraordinary novella from Strange Books author Mike Russell. What are Strungballs? Ten-year-old Sydney is about to find out... but first he must have a cube of his flesh removed. Sydney will transgress everything he was taught to believe in when he embarks upon a journey that will reveal the astonishing secrets hidden by the red balls on white strings known only as... Strungballs. Inspiring, liberating, otherworldly, magical, surreal, bizarre, funny, disturbing, unique... all of these words have been used to describe the stories of Mike Russell. Remember: Once a Strungball is inserted it must never be removed.

Strungballs is the first of Mike Russell's stories that I have read, but I am pretty sure it won't be the last! On one hand I was genuinely baffled by much of this surreal futuristic tale, however I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the bizarre world he created. Despite an obvious lack of detailed descriptions of place and character that I usually prefer - this is a short novella after all - I could easily envisage the clinical city and Sydney's spartan home as well as understanding and empathising with his parents' actions. After this early point, I guess the key to reading Strungballs is just to go with the flow!

I felt Russell made a strong statement about society's slavish devotion to ingrained ideas. We tend to follow the herd regardless of whether we truly understand what we are doing, why we do so, or the personal price involved. The flesh sphere reminded me of Anais Mitchell's Hadestown wall. Further than this though I can't say, partly for not wanting to prematurely reveal Russell's inventiveness to potential readers and partly because I just really don't know! I could think myself round in circles for hours with this story!


And now for the Giveaway!

The prize is a signed copy of Strungballs together with four small badges and a small Strange Books top hat poster. The giveaway is open worldwide until midnight (UK time) on the 16th of September. Entry is via the Gleam widget below and there's lots of easy ways to do so! I will pick a winner on the 17th September and they have 3 days to respond to my email otherwise the prize will be forfeit.
Good luck!

Strungballs by Mike Russell novella giveaway


Etsy Find!
by Waverlyg in
the UK

Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

Search Literary Flits for more:
Books by Mike Russell / Science fiction / Books from England