Single Chicas

Perfection is a Barbie doll, and, unless you're looking for a guy with a fake smile, a hard head, and no genitalia, then you're better off NOT being perfect―Single Chicas

Single Chicas is a collection of stories about modern Latinas being in, out, and around the zany hurdles of relationships. One woman receives strange calls from a lonely soul, another seeks advice on how to love herself, and another wakes up in a parallel universe to a man she's never met. These chicas will make painstaking effort to survive the complexities with humor and grace. Once again, López dazzles audiences with her brilliantly candid craft. Smart, witty, and funny, these stories will explore the true endurance of singlehood.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Sandra Lopez shares a collection of short stories about being female and single in her book, Single Chicas. The collection covers various topics that relate to being single, some weird and some funny. But they all cast being single in a positive light, promoting self gratification through travel, career, and hobbies. 

There isn't one main character that weaves throughout the collection. Each story has it's own leading lady who takes the reins with each main topic whether it's trying to keep a sibling from getting married or hiring a fake husband for the holidays. Lopez seems to write the women with an even balance of flaws and positive attributes. Though with short stories, sometimes it's hard to connect with the characters as they aren't growing much over the short amount of time. Though they were entertaining, there wasn't one character that I felt I could really relate to. 

I also think the humor was a struggle in some of the stories. The synopsis makes it seem like they're all supposed to be funny, but I didn't think all of them were. They each had funny aspects but I wanted more. I was also a little put off by the dialogue at certain points. In my experience, a guy just doesn't go on rant about how much he loves his girlfriend and never wants her to leave him and will do anything to keep her to a complete stranger. At least, it's never happened to me. Though in the story when that's supposed to indicate an annoying quality, it comes across loud and clear. 

The main thing about the book that I liked was that it did promote singlehood, whether that means being single or just making sure to keep your priorities straight when in a relationship. It promoted self-worth and smart decisions. And that's a good message to come away with. 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (244)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



Single Chicas (Kindle 84%)
   - Sandra Lopez

An unsettling feeling came over me, as I pondered those last words. She's happy enjoying her life.

What's Next, Wednesday (35)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to ... 

Hair Power by Piers Anthony. In this humorous novel, an alien is discovered by a woman dying of cancer. The alien may look like a tangled mess of hair, but it has powers that Quiti will not believe. She saves it's life and it returns the favor. This book sounds like it will be a fresh, fun novel about a weird little alien. Something I'm sure I've never read before and something that will hopefully be an enjoyable story. 

Teaser Tuesday (243)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



Single Chicas (Kindle 70%)
   - Sandra Lopez

"Maybe you have amnesia," Molly suggested.
"I don't have amnesia."
"Well, you must if you don't remember your own boyfriend."

Code Name: Papa

Who'd have thought a bright, but fairly ordinary young man from middle class America who got just above average grades, dated the same girl throughout high school and went to church most Sundays, would grow up to eventually head a very secretive band of brave individuals--both men and women--who regularly put their lives on the line because they wanted to protect the rest of you. Yet that's what we did, often sacrificing our personal lives (four marriages for me, all in the book) and our health (countless broken bones, major surgeries, even death) to do it.

Meanwhile you're just going to have to call me "Papa" like everyone else around the globe has through most of those wildly unpredictable and dangerous years.

*May Contain Spoilers*

John Murray, which I presume may not be the real name of the author, shares the story of his life as the participant and the head of a covert operation in his book, Code Name: Papa - My Extraordinary Life While Hiding in Plain Sight. The missions that this group were assigned were not necessarily illegal and were believed to be in pursuit of the greater good. Yet, death and disaster hang over them all, giving readers a glimpse into what leading a double life as a secret agent of justice could be like. 

The stories shared within this book are like memories, passed down orally, from a grandfather to a diary or a dear friend. The book doesn't read like a typical novel. It reads like a transcription from some lost recording. John is the narrator of the book, sharing how he became part of this unnamed group, how he was chosen to lead it, and the various missions that were completed under his management. Of course, for this specific job, John had to be fearless, brave, trusting, loyal, and secretive. Though he doesn't ask the reader to like him, or to understand him, readers will have a sense of both by the end of the book. It's disturbing that he took part in so much death in order to save countless others, including individuals and countries. However, it's written, or shared rather, in such a way that it remains unemotional. The book is an account of events. It doesn't try to bring you to a certain conclusion or cast the stories in a better, or worse, light. It just is. That makes it both intriguing and difficult to relate to the characters. 

The character I felt most connected to wasn't a main figure, but simply a member of the group: Nancy. She seemed like a no-nonsense kind of woman who loved her husband. Her direction to have a hysterectomy due to the field of work was a little horrifying and appalling. This created a tangible thread that I could connect to her through, as a woman and as a wife. And then she is left as the loose end of Murray's life. Her death a mystery that he never solved. I feel that other readers could discover these threads that connect them to one or more of the characters, but as I previously said, the book isn't written to give the readers a connection. It's written as a memory. Something that happened, seemingly separate from its audience. 

The story line of Code Name: Papa follows the work of John and his team members through decades of work. It details assignments like a resume, the people linking the missions together. Though intriguing and entertaining, the connection to the characters falls a little short. I think readers will enjoy this book, but not feel any strong ties to it once it's finished. However, for those readers who may have more of an experience with this sort of work, perhaps the connections will pop out in a more defined way. I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy the genres of military, covert operations, and adventure. Perhaps even those who like a good thriller, as some situations are most definitely thrilling. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

The Yellow Birds

In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy cling to life as their platoon launches a bloody battle for the city. In the endless days that follow, the two young soldiers do everything to protect each other from the forces that press in on every side: the insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress that comes from constant danger.

Bound together since basic training when their tough-as-nails Sergeant ordered Bartle to watch over Murphy, the two have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for. As reality begins to blur into a hazy nightmare, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored from the world around him and Bartle takes impossible actions.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Kevin Powers writes a poetic, yet haunting, tale of one military member's experience with the Iraq war in his novel, The Yellow Birds. Private Bartle made a promise, one that he should never have made, to keep another member alive during their deployment. He failed. His failure haunts him as survivor's guilt shreds his life along with his suffering from PTSD. 

John Bartle is represented as being both bad and good. His assignment as narrator is not easily trusted, as Bartle struggles with remembering what happened in Iraq. As a soldier, Bartle adapted to the war. He killed when he had to, almost automatically, while his mind sometimes questioned what his body was doing. Bartle's memory of Iraq is beautifully described with glints of danger, fear, and horror. The blunt force of what happened in Iraq is positioned carefully in contrast with the beauty of Powers' prose. It almost attacks the reader with its horrific qualities. 

Readers will undoubtedly form an emotional attachment to Bartle. As the chapters switch from past to present, readers see what toll the war takes on Bartle's mind, body, and sense of right and wrong. His PTSD is readily apparent and begs for release. It's heartbreaking and soul shattering in its disparity. 

From the start of the novel, readers know that Private Murphy will die and that Bartle will break his promise to protect him. Though what exactly happened is held back until near the end of the story. Bartle shares the story in pieces, reminiscent of the chalk marks he made on a concrete wall that represented each memory resurfacing. The non-linear timeline creates a poignant chaos of different disasters all culminating in one broken promise. Though the prose is beautiful and the writing style poetic, this novel is not for the faint of heart. It's a struggle to read and to understand, though incredibly moving and powerful in its complexity. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

What's Next, Wednesday (34)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to... 

Single Chicas by Sandra C. Lopez. This book is a collection of stories about Latinas navigating the modern relationship. With wit and humor, Single Chicas seems like it will be a nice, easy, and entertaining read. Maybe even a little bit romantic. 

Teaser Tuesday (242)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



Code Name: Papa (Kindle 30%)
    - John Murray

At the door, she stopped, turned around, and asked, "Who are you?"
I answered, "You'll never know." 

InHuman Blog Tour - Guest Author: Kama Falzoi Post

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Kama Falzoi Post for the release of her Young Adult sci-fi thriller, InHuman!
Keep reading for a chance to win $25 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Title: InHuman

Author: Kama Falzoi Post

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Release date: December 13, 2016

Publisher: BookFish Books
Cover Artist: Anita Carroll at Race-Point

About InHuman

Kama Falzoi Post on the Characters of InHuman

InHUMAN started out in a different body. A hastily thrown-together manuscript—50,000 words—written furiously during National November Writing Month, and titled The Dark Eternal.

The characters were there from the beginning: Mira, with her raging red hair and human/alien complex, and Adam, the alien-in-the-hot-body who captures her heart. Originally, the conflict centered around Adam’s desire to either remain in a human body, or go back to his original species. But I found, as I kept revising (for, like, years) that it was necessary to create a nemesis. Someone dark and salty, someone opposite Mira, who served to highlight her faults, threaten Adam, and push the narrative forward.

Enter Decklin.

Decklin was loads of fun to write because I could make her both confident and evil—a dangerous mix. She doesn’t think anything can stand in her way, certainly not a teenage girl. But Mira proves her wrong.

That was fun too, giving Mira the chops to stand up to a powerful enemy. She had to reach down inside herself to find the strength and courage, but it had been there all along. Kind of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She always had the shoes, she just didn’t know how to use them.

Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but the concept applies.

Something that has always fascinated me is pondering what defines us as human beings. Are we human because we’re in human bodies? What if you sawed off our legs, our arms, took us apart piece by piece? When do we stop being human? Maybe it comes down to something inside, something intangible. Our soul? If so, where is that located? Can it be displaced?

As you can see, I did way too much thinking.

But those kind of ruminations served as the inspiration for Adam’s character: an alien soul placed in a human body. Both he and Mira think of the body as a vessel at first, and Mira especially writes him off because of that:

I didn’t want to hear about his feelings. The body served only as a machine to him, a vessel.

But as the story progresses, she begins to see he is not much different than her. He has the same emotions, the same drive. Inside that body, he experiences all the human things we experience.

And of course, you know what happens at the end. The other phenomenon humans strive for: the happy ever after. At least, that’s what I lead you to believe…

-Kama Falzoi Post

BUY InHuman Now!

Add InHuman to your Goodreads TBR list

About Kama Falzoi Post

Kama Falzoi Post is a functioning member of society, a part-time introvert, a pinnacle of contradictions, the mother of a hurricane, a step-mother, and an author. She enjoys drinking red wine and then drinking more red wine, listening to music that moves her, and taking things too far.

She developed a love of books and writing at a very early age. Her stories have appeared in a handful of literary magazines including Inkwell and SmokeLong Quarterly, and most recently in the anthology Outliers of Speculative Fiction. She lives in a small town outside a small city with her husband, son, and too many cats.

Here is the link to entering the contest to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read The Coffee Pot's review of InHuman Here!

A Gift of Ghosts (Tassamara #1)

Akira Malone believes in the scientific method, evolution, and Einstein's theory of relativity. And ghosts.

All the logic and reason in the world can't protect her from the truth-she can see and communicate with spirits. But Akira is sure that her ability is just a genetic quirk and the ghosts she encounters simply leftover electromagnetic energy. Dangerous electromagnetic energy.

Zane Latimer believes in telepathy, precognition, auras, and that playing Halo with your employees is an excellent management technique. He also thinks that maybe, just maybe, Akira can help his family get in touch with their lost loved ones.

But will Akira ever be able to face her fears and accept her gift? Or will Zane's relatives be trapped between life and death forever?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Sarah Wynde gives a new perspective on the ability to communicate with ghosts in her novel, A Gift of Ghosts. The main character, Akira, only holds true the facts that she has learned from interacting with otherwordly beings through her experiences. And one things is certain: ghosts are more dangerous than people think. 

Akira Malone is a physicist that just happens to have the ability to see and speak with ghosts. Her father always told her that ghosts were a form of energy, following the scientific theory that energy can not be created or lost, only transferred. Akira is a cautious woman who tries to think before she acts. Especially when it comes to communicating with the dead. She's had a lifetime of trauma due to her gift and she tries to avoid ghostly contact when she can. However, Tassamara, Florida turns out to be a very haunted place when she moves there for work. This new opportunity in research puts her into contact with various ghosts and pushes Akira to the limits of her experience. Her character is fun and understanding with an intrigue for answers and scientific examination. Readers will like her abilities and feel more connected to her as they make new discoveries at the same time Akira does. 

The novel begins with Akira being hired for a new job, which causes her to relocate from California to Florida. The family she works for is revealed to be a family of psychics, in a town that attracts similarly gifted people. However, the reason the family hired her is so that they can communicate with a couple of ghosts they have been told reside with them. This set-up is uncomfortable with Akira but she tries to make the best of it, leading to a nearly disastrous result. 

A Gift of Ghosts is overall a fun and interesting read about discovering qualities and other information about ghosts. Though there is an edge of danger that lines the pages. Readers will understand Akira's hesitant nature about communicating with ghosts, as well as see first hand just how dangerous they can be. There are a few sympathetic moments that will draw readers in emotionally, building upon the spark of interest that paranormal abilities initiate. Though not a book I felt was un-put-down-able, A Gift of Ghosts was an easy and intriguing read. As a lover of science, that side of the story seemed to add a little believability. I don't think I've ever read a book before that tried to combine energy science with ghostly manifestations and I really enjoyed that Wynde included that aspect in her novel. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Poems from the Women's Movement

A volume of top-selected works representing definitive modes of thought during the women's movement of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s is a collection that includes pieces by such writers as Adrienne Rich, Muriel Rukeyeser, and Judy Grahn.

**

Edited by Honor Moore, Poems from the Women's Movement is an anthology of work that spans three decades. The poems within tackle the injustices that women felt during their move for equality. Various poems cover themes of acceptance, sexuality, womanhood, marriage, legal and reproductive rights, and even take certain political stances. 

These poems are a powerful testament to the cacophony of voices that pushed for change. Sylvia Plath, Marge Piercy, Alta, and Audre Lorde are just a few of the poets found within these pages. Readers will be transported back to the time when women were discriminated against for rejecting the societal expectations while bearing witness to the fear of rape, beatings, and being forced into marriage. 

Peircy's "Rape Poem" is one of the darkest in the novel and strikes a chord with readers today when she writes "There is no difference between being raped / and being bit on the ankle by a rattlesnake / except that people ask if your skirt was short / and why you were out alone anyhow" (lines 7-10, p.59). As this still occurs today, this poem is relevant to contemporary readers. 

Many other poems are just as relevant to today's society with women's issues still being fought for. Readers may feel understood, inspired, or fearful as they traverse the decades of the women's movement through this collection. It provides a unique perspective of this time period and gives a good sense of what the movement was striving for. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

What's Next, Wednesday (33)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

Code Name: Papa by John Murray. This book is a collection of undercover operations shared by the author, who participated in these covert affairs. As a lover of mystery, intrigue, and James Bond, I'm almost certain this book will be entertaining and interesting. 

Teaser Tuesday (241)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



A Gift of Ghosts (Tassamara #1) (Kindle 18%)
   - Sarah Wynde

Relatives always expected her to have the answers, as if seeing ghosts came with some gigantic book of profound insight into the spirit world. It didn't.

The Queen of Annam's Daughter

What is it like to leave your native country and language in order to save your life? Anh Truong knows. She was a street-smart girl in war-torn Vietnam, barely made it out of the chaos of Saigon before it fell, and here she is in California, where the sun always shines and everyone is mellow, everyone is easy, everyone can be figured out. She learns fast. She hustles and cajoles and finds love. Maybe she speaks a funny English and maybe she sometimes pushes too hard, but compared to Vietnam, America is easy. Until she realizes that someone from her past is trying to destroy everyone she loves and it will take all her smarts to figure out who it is.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Revenge is in the cards for the main character of Nina Vida's novel, The Queen of Annam's Daughter. After Anh left Vietnam, she decided to leave the war behind her, but the war refused to let her leave. 

Anh Truong is a Vietnamese women trying to live beyond the war that wrecked her homeland of Vietnam. She's a strong woman who overcame forced prostitution, death, and loss. Her story is a harrowing one that will not only intrigue readers, but will also bring about an empathetic response. The main plot line of the novel revolves around Anh's daughter, who she calls Girl, being kidnapped. Anh has no idea who took her, but now it seems that everyone is a threat -- even people she's known for years. As Anh does everything in her power to find Girl, the death count rises. And the only thing the dead bodies have in common is knowing Anh. 

This novel is a mystery that has two main unknowns: who took Girl and why is someone killing Anh's friends and family? As the book progresses, readers will learn about Anh as if they were also one of her friends. Anh is a fast-talking, deal-making, service-offering tornado of a woman who is always focused on the next thing. She tends to ramble and babble, often saying things she shouldn't. Her blunt nature a force that works both for and against her. Readers will definitely find some facets of Anh's personality abrasive, but I think it makes her a more rounded character. She has obvious flaws, but when her inner personality is revealed, her caring nature is adamant. It seems all the hard work she does is for others and this reveals a very giving person underneath all the harsh words and cutting advice. Losing a child in itself is a terrifying thing and the situation adds to the empathy that readers will feel for Anh. 

The plot of The Queen of Annam's Daughter is thoroughly fleshed out. Each suspect that Anh discovers is investigated and their secrets are also revealed. Between most of the chapters there are also sections that take place in Vietnam, before Anh escaped for America, and these lend an authenticity to the story. Nina Vida does a wonderful job in pulling the reader into the Vietnamese culture as well as entertaining them with the story of Anh's kidnapped daughter. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy mystery, suspense, and historical genres. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups