The Simplest of Acts: And Other Stories is a short collection of short stories. In only 102 pages, Melanie Haney manages to take us into the hearts and lives of eleven separate individuals.
I remember coming across a blog post about this contest last year, and I thought about submitting something. But at the time, the deadline was fast approaching and I didn’t have a short story which I would describe as “Southern Gothic.” What is Southern Gothic you might ask?
I first discovered Mick Rooney’s writing last year when I reviewed his book Academy. Mick, like me, keeps informed of the POD world and its regular developments, often covering very informative topics in his author blog which I have read religiously over the past year. Mick kept me posted on his next book, Filigree & Shadow, published last November, but I waited so that it could be one of the first books I devoted attention to this year.
Bathroom duty has been the subject of many books, mostly targeted toward children. Some of my favorites are The Gas We Pass and Everyone Poops. But just search the word “poop” at Amazon and you’ll find books for adults as well. Dan Marvin’s book, Briefs for the Reading Room, is one such book, but don’t worry. It’s not about what’s in the bowl, but instead is a book designed to give you something to read while waiting for the end result.
Rather than introduce this book’s author to you, I’ll let him do it himself. Here is the very introduction from the first page of his book:
Matthew Rowe is a recently short-haired, neurotic lay about who is currently unsure of his place in the world. He hopes this book will go some way to asserting himself somewhere. He has written a lot and he wants to share it all, but no one with the money or power has let him as yet. He’s only in his late twenties though so he remains foolishly optimistic. Some people think it is endearing.
I can’t resist a good short story anthology. I love being able to sit down with a collection and read two or three stories, and be able to walk away from it for a few days if I choose and not feel like I’m missing out on something. I’ve got closure in a matter of a few pages.
Chapter 1 of Paul Ciccone’s book is entitled “Believe It or Not,” which were my words exactly as I began reading his book for this review. I could NOT believe the tight cogent prose this author has penned! Believe it or not, I almost felt a bit under educated to even be reading this. Ciccone’s writing reads like a fine college thesis, but he has the aptitude to write theory or psychology textbooks, even speeches, for a living if he wanted to.
Will Entrekin’s self titled book, Entrekin, is a book that has had some exposure already. Upon writing this review, I have not taken a look at his popular MySpace page. Nor have I read the PODler review he links to on the book’s page at Lulu. Having read Mr. Entrekin’s book for myself now only validates why I started The Lulu Book Review in the first place. This is a POD book with lots of heart and character. It’s well polished. It is good writing.
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