Book Reviews: July 2021
It’s the week many have been waiting for: book reviews!
While I fully intended to keep up with my themed book review posts, July wound up being a much busier month than I originally anticipated. We moved into our new house, and that took up a large chunk of my time (but the move was completely worth it). Until I get my life organized once more, I’m reading during those few moments when I can. Needless to say, this month’s post is shorter than usual.
The book images link directly to the Amazon page for each, and additional information (or links to buy) can be found on the author websites, listed at the end of each review.
Consistent Creative Content – Lee Hall
As any new author will quickly learn, marketing and promoting your work is difficult. I started following Lee on Twitter sometime last year, and not long after signed up for his blog. He’s a wealth of knowledge and advice for an author at almost any stage of their journey, and I have found many of his posts helpful in my own endeavors. When I learned he was writing a book on this topic, it was only natural that I bought myself a copy.
Consistent Creative Content is packed full of information and tips to help an author with self-promotion, marketing, and publishing. Any author, whether new or established, can likely find value in this book. Even if you’re going the route of traditional publishing, it’s expected that you do much of your own marketing these days, and this will certainly help with that aspect of your journey. As most published authors can attest, self-promotion can be difficult.
Though I somehow managed to stumble across a number of the tips included in the book on my own, it was nice to have the validation that if I continue to work at it, I’ll eventually find some more success. Knowing that someone else has gone through the same process and was able to make it work is encouraging – and something to look forward to. This was well worth taking the time to read.
Author Website: leehallwriter.com
The Five: The Untold Story of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper – Hallie Rubenhold
I picked this book up several months ago, and was excited to read it because I love true crime. The Five tells the story of the murder victims in a biographical manner, so if you’re planning to read this book, know that it does not go into the details of the crimes or the investigation into them. I will admit some initial disappointment upon learning this, as I bought the book after it was recommended on a true crime blog I follow. Personally, I like true crime for the investigational aspect—I’m a scientist, and I can’t get enough of forensics.
However, there are a number of fascinating details that come to light about the women who were killed. The Victorian Era in England is often romanticized in movies and popular books, but the reality for those in the working class was that life was often very difficult. The Five goes into detail regarding some of these struggles, and it’s worth reading from that perspective.
The author clearly did her research prior to writing this book, down to the details of what each victim had in their pockets when they were ultimately found. If you’re interested in Victorian Era history, I’d recommend this book. If you’re looking for the grisly details of the murders and the ensuing investigation, you’ll want to look elsewhere, because that’s not what The Five is about.
Author Website: hallierubenhold.com
Aestus: The Colony – S. Z. Attwell
I read and reviewed the first book in this series, Aestus: The City, in May, and was waiting for my chance to dive into the second. It starts up right were the first book left off.
Jossey finds herself at a crossroads between helping the people of the city and helping the Onlar outside. Both sides have been wronged by the same man, a would-be dictator who attempted to have her killed. She becomes instrumental in building an alliance between the two factions. While she knows some fighting is inevitable, she and the others work diligently to remove the dictator by relatively peaceful means. A single mistake in their plans could destroy all they’ve worked toward.
Aestus: The Colony was on par with the first book, in terms of storytelling and writing quality. I thoroughly enjoyed both books. The Colony had a solid ending, and I was content with how the conflict was resolved, though I could see the possibility of more related stories coming in the future. Without going into details, I want to say I was really rooting for Gavin. I was a little saddened by the turn his part of the story took, but otherwise, the book had a good ending.
If you’re into science fiction and great storytelling, I encourage you to take a look at the Aestus books. You’ll definitely want to start with book one (The City), as book two does not go into a recap of earlier events. Great reads, and well worth the time!
Author Website: szattwell.com
Thanks for reading this month’s book reviews! I’m hoping to be back to my normal schedule in a week or two, so August’s post should be longer.
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