Monthly Archives: February 2024

Book Review: Spy x Family: Family Portrait (Spy x Family Novels) by Aya Yajima

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Spy x Family: Family Portrait (Spy x Family Novels     

Author: Aya Yajima

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: February 20, 2024

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/YA Light Novel/Comedy/208 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The best spy in Westalis is the secret agent whose code name is Twilight, his real name unknown. He is indeed a master of disguise. His new assignment concerns a high-level minister in Ostania, Donovan Desmond, who is believed to be a warmonger. Twilight must find out what Desmond’s plans are before they can come to fruition. But the man is elusive, and rarely goes out among other people. The only sure way to get to him is through the prestigious Eden Academy, which his son attends. But to do so, Twilight needs a wife and child, neither of which he possesses!  And so Twilight has become Loid Forger, and he finds a wife and child – Yor and Anya – both of whom possess skills he is unaware of. The mission is on.

Mission 1:  Anya’s class at Eden Academy is going on an overnight camping trip! While Yor is apprehensive, as Anya hasn’t been anywhere overnight before, Anya realizes this could be very important for her Papa (Anya is a telepath, unknown to both Loid and Yor, and knows about Operation Strix). Anya comes up with her own plan, calling it Operation Camp Friends. But she is also a bit scatterbrained and, by the time they arrive at camp, the plan is forgotten. Everything Anya does seems to irritate Donovan Desmond’s son, Damian. The worst comes when they are assigned to partner for a task and, thanks to Anya, they get lost in the woods!

Mission 2: Yuri Briar is Yor’s younger brother. Yuri adores Yor, who raised him since he was little and sacrificed much for him. He’d do anything for her and is very unhappy with her marriage to Loid Forger, which he doesn’t realize is fake. He also isn’t especially fond of Anya, but he really hates Loid. When Yor asks him to come over, he is overjoyed… until he discovers the reason. But he can’t turn her down, which is how he ends up babysitting Anya.

Mission 3: Franky is in the spy business, an associate of Twilight, who provides him with intel, equipment, and whatever else he might need. But he resents that Loid treats him more like a personal assistant and assumes much, including having Franky walk the family dog, Bond (who can see the future, by the way, unknown to everyone but Anya, who can read his mind).  Franky (who Anya calls Scruffy) finds himself seeing a doctor at the hospital after his last interaction with Twilight. But leaving the hospital, he gets lost and ends up in a courtyard where he hears someone singing. He follows the voice to find a beautiful young woman. Afraid to talk to her at first, he discovers that she is blind, so he grows bolder, and they begin a friendship. Considering the nature of what Franky does, though, can their relationship last?

Mission 4: Loid has to make sure his family looks like a normal family to outsiders, so sometimes they have to do typical family things. Today he is taking them to the park for a picnic. While there, they are approached by a young art student, who wants to paint them. When he tells Loid his name, Loid recognizes it at once. This young man is actually a famous artist! Loid is afraid that any painting of the fake Forger family might end up in a very public place, seen by many people, and someone just might be able to blow their cover. What is he to do?

Short Story: In a quaint restaurant in Ostania, some of the staff discuss their feelings about the customers they serve, and how appearances can be deceiving. One of those regulars just happens to be the Forger family.

This book is a novelization of the Spy x Family manga/anime.  As such, I was skeptical but I bought it anyway because, well, it’s Twilight and he is amazing (I have a little Twilight figurine by my laptop 😊) And yes, there is a lot of exposition, because the author couldn’t assume everyone has read the manga and would know everything. Novelizations don’t tend to be as good as the original by nature of being written by someone other than the author. But as I was reading, I found myself slipping deeper and deeper into the way she portrayed the characters. These are not stories we saw in the manga, so it’s fresh material, and I enjoyed them greatly, especially Mission 2, which is saying a lot because I am not a fan of Yuri Briar. Mostly because he wants to kill Loid lol  If he only realized that Loid is Twilight, well…

At any rate, I ended up really liking this book a lot and I hope they do more of these. I understand there are novelizations of other series, such as Demon Slayer and Blue Exorcist, both of which manga I’ve read. I might have to look for those. I do recommend this if you are a fan of Spy X Family.

Wednesday Briefs: February 28, 2024

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Dracula #5 (2.1) by J L Hayes

Compared to other Orthodox churches throughout Romania, the church in Bistritz was smaller and less elaborate. Built of stone during the thirteenth century, it lay on the outskirts of the village, and served as the town’s spiritual center until a second church was built some years later, nearer to the town center. The villagers referred to the original church as the Old Church, while the newer edifice was simply the Church. The Old Church was unusual in that pews had been installed, a feature not common in traditional Orthodox churches, as it was considered disrespectful for people to sit during sermons. Dracula’s ancestors had graciously donated the pews for not altogether altruistic motives—namely their own comfort. The first pews had been built from sturdy European beech,

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Saturday is Horror Day #154 – The Mimic, Silent Night (2012), The Midnight Meat Train

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Mimic

The Jangsan Tiger is an urban legend of South Korean, a creature that lures its prey by mimicking sounds such as a woman’s wail. Hee-uyeon (Yum Jung-ah) and her husband Min-ho (Park Hyuk-kwon) are unaware of this. All they know is their son has been missing for five years and they feel the might to get away.; They take their daughter Jun-hee (Yu-sul Bang) and Hee-yon’s mother Sun-ja (Heo Jin) to the countryside in an effort to get away from their troubles. But new troubles arise, including Jun-hee’s growing dementia. Min suggests the woman needs care, as in a home, but Hee-yon won’t hear of it, unwilling to lose another family member.

Their new home is near an old forest, and in that forest is a cave…

The Mimic is a horror story, but it’s also about loss and grieving – the woman who mourns the son who disappeared and won’t accept that he is probably dead, as well as the loss of her mother as she has always known her. The movie has an interesting opening, involving a couple who are up to no good at the cave, foreshadowing what is to come.

Everything clicks in this film, acting, writing, direction… It has a tremendous tension and suspense that only grows as the film goes on. The little girl is very cute too. I thought it was very well done, and I recommend it. I’ll give this film 4 Stars

Silent Night (2012)

Twas the night before Christmas in a small Wisconsin town, but all is not well. Deputy Jordan (Brendan Fehr) is missing, so Aubrey (Jaime King) has to come even to cover his shift despite having plans with her family, to her dismay. But Sheriff Cooper (Malcolm McDowell) has decreed it, so she has no choice. She hopes it will be a peaceful night, but no such luck.

Her first call concerns a Santa that is telling kids disturbing things. Santa Jim (Donal Logue) is rather

disgruntled and quite the cynic. After that, her next call leads her to a dead body… and suddenly the town is faced with the knowledge that someone dressed as Santa is on a murder spree. Trouble is, there are a lot of people dressed as Santa tonight, since it’s Christmas Eve. And this guy is an equal opportunity killer – men, women, or children, he kills them all.  Ho, ho, ho… Merry Christmas!

This was touted as a remake of the original Silent Night, Deadly Night, but they might as well have called it Silent Night Deadly Night 6. To be honest, it was better than I expected, given the last few films. But not great. I wasn’t bored, and it didn’t drag. Lots of violence and gore, which is what you expect from these films. Malcolm McDowell was wasted, though, as I never did buy him as a small town Midwestern sheriff. Should have saved the money and gone with someone else. The high point of this film, in my opinion, was Donal Logue, who improves anything he is in. He does every character he plays well. Also, listen for the line “what is this, garbage day?” That’s a reference from Silent Night, Deadly Night 2, spoken by Eric Freeman as Ricky (no, there’s no Ricky in this one). Just gonna plus Eric’s website, https://www.theeericfreeman.com/, where I bought a magnet with a photo of Garbage Day, and it was signed by Eric to me. For these two things, I’ll give this film 2 Stars.

The Midnight Meat Train

Leon (Bradley Cooper) is a photojournalist with big dreams, but so far he isn’t getting anywhere. An art gallery owner (Brooke Shields) suggests he isn’t really “getting it”, that he needs to go deeper. So he begins to wander the streets at night, desperate to achieve something, taking photos of random people, to his girlfriend’s (Leslie Bibb) dismay. He comes upon a gang of young men harassing a young woman in the subway station late one night and photographs the interaction before convincing them to leave her alone. He thinks he understands now, but when the woman turns up as missing, he is shocked. He begins to haunt the late night trains, not sure what he is looking for. But then he finds it…

This film is based on a short story by Clive Barker. What is odd is that until I started to watch it, I had

forgotten that I already watched it years ago, maybe when it came out in 2008. It’s not a bad story and not a bad film, but it’s also forgettable. Obviously, I forgot about it. I couldn’t seem to care about any of the characters, and I found the photographer’s obsession with the man on the train not just unsettling but stupid and not worth risking his life over, much less his girlfriend’s life. And then the ending…. it was like I said to my kid after I watched it – it was all about the destination, not the journey. I think the ending was meant to shock, but it was more like, Really?

If you like Clive Barker, do yourself a favor and stick to Hellraiser (just the first two) or Nightbreed. Like I said, it’s not a bad film, I just think it could have been done better. Maybe find the story and read it first before you decide to watch it. I’ll give this film 2.5 Stars

Book Review: Kiyo Sato: From a WWII Japanese Internment Camp to a Life of Service by Connie Goldsmith with Kiyo Sato

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Kiyo Sato: From a WWII Japanese Interment Camp to a Life of Service     

Author: Connie Goldsmith with Kiyo Sato

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books

American release date: September 1, 2020

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Historical Biography/136 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

December 7, 1941 was a traumatic occasion for all Americans, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, but especially for those Americans of Japanese heritage. The government, in its overly suspicious infinite wisdom, decided the best thing to do in order to avoid having subversives inside the country, was to round up these citizens and send them to places where they could be closely guarded. For the safety of the nation.

Kiyo Sato was one of nine children of Shinji and Tomomi Sato. Her parents came from Japan and started not only a farm, but a family, in the Sacramento area.  President Franklin Roosevelt signed two executive orders in 1942, ordering the internment of the Japanese Americans on the West Coast.  Perhaps the reasoning was that they were closer to Japan and more likely to be spies. The Satos were sent to a camp in Poston, Arizona. This is their story, as related by Kiyo Sato, the oldest of the nine siblings, to Connie Goldsmith.

Looking back from a great distance, it sems inconceivable that American citizens could be treated this way simply because of their heritage. Many of them had never even been to Japan and couldn’t speak Japanese. Because they had to leave most everything behind, many of them lost their homes, their livelihoods and most of what they owned, including beloved pets. They were only permitted to bring one suitcase per person. One internment camp was an abandoned racetrack, where people slept in the former horse stalls under very unsanitary conditions.

This is a heartbreaking story, and yet it’s also a story of hope and resilience of spirit, and how one family endured and thrived.  The Japanese have a saying: shikata ga nai – accept what cannot be changed. However, it is appalling to me that this ever happened, and year s later the courts agreed that there was no need for this to take place.  The survivors were awarded reparations, but no amount could change what happened or give them that time back. This country should be ashamed of having their version of the German concentration camps, call them what you will. Hard to take the high moral ground after that.

I am privileged to know the niece of Kiyo Sato, Pamela Sato, who is the person who told me about the book. I think all Americans should know what their country is/was capable of – think Guantanamo Bay. I highly recommend this book. Also, Kiyo wrote a book in her own words, Kiyo’s Story, which I intend to read.

Wednesday Briefs: February 21, 2024

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Dracula @4 (2.0) by J L Hayes

A midnight breeze blew warm across the Carpathians, carrying the familiar scent of Norway spruce and Scots pine to the lone figure making his solitary way down the mountain toward the village below. Dracula loved the night above all other times. He felt that darkness possessed a certain serenity not to be found during the daylight hours. A peace of mind that was lacking beneath the sun’s fierce rays. He drew strength from the night and preferred the solitude of his castle to the cacophony of human life. Of course, his predilection for human blood demanded that he exercise extreme caution in its acquisition, especially so close to home. Unfortunately,

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Saturday is Horror Day #153 – Lake Bodom, Marrowbone

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Lake Bodom

Atte (Santeri Helinheimo Mantyla) is a young man who is obsessed with his country’s greatest unsolved mysteries – the fate of four young campers who were brutally knifed while sleeping in a tent on the shore of Lake Bodom. Only one person survived the onslaught, and he was in no condition to remember what happened. Many years have passed since then. Atte and his friend Elias (Mikael Gabriel) persuade two girls who are friends of theirs and attend the same school, Ida (Nelly Hirst-Gee) and Nora (Mimosa Willamo) to come camping with them. But they never mention they are going camp on the very shore of Lake Bodom.

Ida is not doing well, having become the target of scorn by her fellow students for nude pictures of her

that have been circulating. She thinks maybe Elias is the person who took those pics, but she has no proof.  That doesn’t keep her from going off alone with him, leaving Ida and Atte in the tent. Suddenly, someone grabs them through the tent. Atte goes to investigate, but he is stabbed. Nora and Elias come running back, but it is too late. Now the three survivors can only run and escape whoever has targeted them.

Inspired by but not based on the Lake Bodom murders, this is a well-done, and very chilling horror/mystery. Everything seems fairly normal at the beginning, until it’s not. From then on, things go downhill fast. I never saw the twists and turns coming. It keeps you guessing until the end, and even then, one can’t be sure. Well worth the watch, I recommend seeing this. I’ll give this Film between 4 and 4.5 Stars.

Marrowbone

A mother (Nicola Harrison) flees England with her four children to America to have a new life. But sometimes fate is cruel and the mother dies from illness. But not before she tells her oldest son, Jack (George MacKay) to keep her death secret until he turns twenty-one, for fear of the family being broken up by child welfare. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there is something sinister in that huge house. The three older children tell young Sam (Matthew Stagg) that he is hearing the screams of a ghost, and that is also why they keep the mirrors covered.

Jack, Billy (Charlie Heaton) and Jane (Mia Goth) have a friend in Allie (Anya Taylor-Joy), although she

is not privy to their secret. She and Jack are especially close. But when a lawyer named Porter (Kyle Soller) arrives at the library where she works, it turns out he is sweet on her himself and none too pleased with Jack’s presence. However, he learns something he thinks can benefit him financially and he isn’t afraid to use it.

I thought this was a very well written, acted, and directed film, with twists and turns you wouldn’t expect before the truth is arrived at. You might remember Charlie Heaton as Jonathan from Stranger Things, and Kyle Soller from Andor. The little boy who plays Sam is terrific. It’s scary, spine-tingling, and also sad. If you haven’t heard of it, I would definitely place Marrowbone on your radar, it’s well worth the watch. I’ll give this film 4.5 Stars

Wednesday Briefs: February 14, 2024

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Dracula #3 (1.2) by J L Hayes

“Ah, but what does that even mean? The definition of a sinner lies in the eyes of the beholder,” Avram responded, playing devil’s advocate. “Some might even say you are more sinned against than sinning.” He smoothed out a small wrinkle in the vampire’s mauve coat, then glanced up into the mirror. Their gazes locked in the reflection, Avram’s warm brown eyes meeting his master’s hazel orbs. “They say vampires have no soul and therefore cannot see their image in a mirror. But clearly that is not the case.” Avram stepped back to take in his master in his entirety and was satisfied with what he saw. “But are they sinners? That question is open to debate.”

“Then perhaps I am evil.” The Count laughed

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Book Review: Ana Maria and the Fox (The Luna Sisters) by Liana de la Rosa

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Ana Maria and The Fox (The Luna Sisters)     

Author: Liana De la Rosa

Publisher: Berkley

American release date: April 4, 2023

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Mulicultural & Interracial Romance/352 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The French occupation of Mexico as ordered by Napoleon III –  a pale imitation of famous uncle –  has been disastrous The United States is in no position to enforce the Monroe Doctrine, caught up as they are in their own Civil War. Outside help is crucial to provide aid to the Mexicans, under the leadership of Juarez. To the end, the three Luna sisters – Ana Maria, Gabriela, and Isabela, have been sent to London on a mission of diplomacy, representing their country in the hopes of eliciting assistance from the English. However, they do not reveal everything about themselves, including their relationship to the Mexican rebels.

Ana Maria and her sisters have not been close, more antagonists than friends. The journey across the Atlantic was not without its challenges. But in London, Ana Maria finds a freedom she could never have under the tight reins of her domineering father. And she has never truly appreciated her sisters for the individuals that they are.

Gideon Fox is the grandson of a woman who escaped slavery in America, cross the Atlantic and married a Scotsman. Gideon has always had his eye on the prize – the ending of the abhorrent institution of slavery. By dint of hard work, he has become a member of Parliament and is working to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. Despite being greatly attracted to Ana Maria when they meet, he cannot afford to let his feelings interfere with his purpose. At least not until, danger threatens Ana Maria, and Gideon has to make a difficult choice. Or maybe his choice isn’t so difficult, after all.

This is my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I especially am looking forward to the next book in the series. She writes very well, bringing all her characters to life while painting a portrait of 1860s Victorian London.  She has clearly done her research, and it shows. The historical details are amazing. My only quibble is the appearance of Prince Albert, as the Prince Regent died in 1861 and the book takes place in 1863.

The romance between Ana Maria and Gideon is breathtaking, and the action toward the end had me on the edge of my seat, feverishly turning the pages. The cover by Tiffany Estreicher is beautiful. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next volume of The Luna Sisters.

Saturday is Horror Day #152 – The Keeping Hours, Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Keeping Hours

Mark (Lee Pace) and Elizabeth (Carrie Coon) are a loving, laid-back with a son named Jacob (Sander Thomas) whom they both adore. But tragedy strikes and Jacob is taken from them. The couple fall apart and divorce. Years later, Elizabeth has remarried and is a stepmother to two daughters who she loves, while Mark is single and a successful lawyer. He still owns the house where they once lived, and rents it out. After a pair of tenants trash the place, he goes there to clean it up, and encounters something he totally didn’t expect to see – his dead son. Except he doesn’t look dead. And he hasn’t aged a day since he died. A startled Mark runs to tell Elizabeth about this, although they have nor relationship any more. At first, she is furious and refuses to listen, but gradually, she comes around. How is this happening…and why?

While the Keeping Hours is a ghost story, it isn’t necessarily one in the traditional sense in that it isn’t

spooky or horrifying. Rather it’s evocative and emotional. It’s a story of loss and love, but also of forgiveness. I was really moved by this film. I have to say I am a huge Lee Pace fan, and he is terrific in this. So is everyone else, including the young boy playing Jacob. I am including it here both because it is a ghost story but also because I don’t feel enough people know about it, which is a shame.

I will give this film 4 Stars

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker

Derek (William Thorne) is a little boy whose world goes silent when he witnesses his father being killed by a toy that mysteriously arrived at the house on Christmas Eve. His mother Sarah (Jane Higginson) is trying to help her son while dealing with the loss of his father. She takes him to a local toy store owned by a toymaker named Joe Petto (Mickey Rooney), but there is something odd about Petto and his strange son Pino (Brian Bremer). And then there is a mysterious guy who hangs around both the toy store and the Quinn home. What does he want?

I’ll start by saying that the fifth installment in the Silent Night Deadly Night series is better than the one before, but honestly, that’s not hard to be. Again, it doesn’t have the Santa Killer theme, but t does have a sort of horror take on Pinocchio and Gepetto.. Clint Howard returns as Ricky, and his only scene involves him and the mysterious lurker, who are both seasonal Santas. If you didn’t look at the credits, you’d have no idea he was playing Ricky, and one wonders why bother. I guess to preserve the somewhat shaky continuity. Also, how did they talk Mickey Rooney into doing this film? One has to wonder.

The acting is still pretty lousy and so is the writing and plot. Wait until you find out who the mysterious stranger is and how quickly he is accepted into their lives. Seriously? The good news is that this is the last in the series, as the next one is actually a reboot of the first film. I have requested that. Also, I hear that another film is going to be made. I assume that it’s part of the reboot, not the original franchise.

I’ll give this film 1.5 Stars.

Wednesday Briefs: February 7, 2024

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Dracula #2 (1.1) by J L Hayes

Being a fastidious man, the Count—or Nico, as he was known to his more intimate acquaintances—insisted on bathing prior to any evening’s activities. His porcelain-coated cast iron tub was the only one in that region and had been imported many years before, at great expense, from China. He loved to immerse himself in the warmest water Avram could provide, as he found it to be a panacea for his poor circulation. The Count was unique in his desire for personal cleanliness as bathing was not exactly held in high regard by most people.  Members of the upper class seldom bathed and only occasionally washed their faces and hands, while the lower class limited their acquaintance with water to a scant few times a year.  This was

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