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Review of Queerwolf: A Fun Read

February 7, 2014 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Book Cover image for Queerwolf

I have had bad mornings over the years but nothing like the morning our hero Ted faced inQueerwolf by Rob Rosen. He woke up one morning on a ferry, naked, lying in a pool of blood with neither his wallet nor his keys to be found. Luckily, he runs into his super-hunky next door neighbor Blake outside of his apartment building who helps him out by letting him use his phone and take a shower.

Soon we learned how Ted ended up in such an unseemly situation: he turned into a werewolf for the first time while out on a date and then ate a sea lion (hence, all the blood). But the plot thickens as he learns that he’s not only a werewolf but an alpha and that the local pack of werewolves wants him dead. Thus begins the hilarious misadventures of Blake and Ted as they try to figure a way out of their predicament (Oh yeah – did I neglect to mention that Ted ends up sleeping with Blake? Many times?).

While what I described above doesn’t seem all humorous at the surface, the novel is indeed truly hysterical and I spent a good portion of my reading time either smiling or laughing out loud. I can best describe this story as a adrenaline-fuel romantic comic romp with a tinge of horror, mystery, family drama and hot sex thrown in. Rob Rosen gives us an entirely new kind of werewolf who has to deal with many of the same issues as all of us: trying to fit in and dealing with being different.

I so loved this book! It was funny, gripping, fun and very well written. Recommended!!!!

Filed Under: Book Reviews - All

Review of Subsurdity by Eric Arvin

February 6, 2014 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Cover from Subsurdity

Not too long ago, I read a book entitled Woke Up in a Strange Place by Eric Arvin and I loved it so much that I simply had to check out this author’s other work. I decided to start with SubSurdity: Vignettes from Jasper Lane and what a hoot!

Jasper Lane appears to be a typical middle-class neighborhood complete with manicured lawns and manicured wives. However, once we go behind the scenes and meet the residents of Jasper Lane, we quickly discover that Jasper Lane is anything but typical. We meet all sorts of zany and complicated characters:

  • Religious fanatic Melinda Gold and her “flatulent” mother (who is even more of a religious kook than Melinda)
  • Melinda’s son Patrick who is suffocating from his mother’s oppressive rules religious views – and starts working for neighbor Cassie Bloom
  • Cassie Bloom who throws porn parties to which the entire neighborhood is invited to attend and who may or may not have murdered her husband (and buried him in the back yard)
  • Vera, a transexual club owner
  • The sexy UPS man who ran into an issue with his Prince Albert and another man’s lip ring
  • Rick Cooper – a one-eyed gay man who has the hots for an ex-army neighbor, James
  • James, who really needs to come out of the closet
  • Rick’s gay roomates David and Terrance
  • Cliff, David’s muscled-by-steroids boyfriend who is also a porn star
  • Terrance, a somewhat effeminate gay man who discovers that he has a 17-year old son – and his son wants to meet him
  • Sandy and Steve Jones who at at first glance, appear to be the most “normal” couple on the block….but not for long.
  • And of course gayhound, the gay dog

I can’t begin to describe how much fun this zany book was. I laughed out loud many, many times while reading and ended up absorbing all 200 pages in one sitting – I simply could not put it down.

While the characters and the situations portrayed in the book are hilarously over-the-top, this quirky novel does make a biting commentary about the crazy suburbinization of our society as well as how extreme beliefs can alienate you from others.

This talented author not only pens a fantastic tale, he does so with wit, style and elegance. The novel reminded me a tad of Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” series with perhaps a bit of influence from Desperate Housewives. My only disappointment with this book was that it eventually came to an end. Luckily for me, I learned that there is a sequel!

Recommended – I give this book 5 zany, romping stars out of 5!!

Filed Under: Book Reviews - All, LGBT Romance

Review of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

January 24, 2013 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Million MIles in a Thousand Years book cover image

This was the first book I had read by Miller so I didn’t quite know what to expect. This was another recommendation that I stumbled across on a blog that I found interesting so I thought I’d give it a try.

The book is autobiographical. Donald Miller is approached by two movie producers who want to make a movie based upon his best-selling memoir. As the three work together on the screenplay, the script for the movie begins to slant more towards fiction than real-life and it is at this point where Miller decides he’s going to edit his current life into a better story. This reminded me a bit of what I wrote in my recent post about keeping a journal, in which one journal writer wrote that keeping a journal forces him to lead an interesting life – otherwise, he’d have nothing to write about.

In this book, Miller deconstructs his life and begins a quest to live a meaningful story while including all the necessary elements that make a story worth reading – conflict, emotion, negative turns, a positive turns, adventure, memorable scenes and more. He takes all of these story elements and attempts to weave them into his own life. Along the way, he recounts some beautiful, touching and meaningful anecdotes and stories, each with their own life lesson. His rewriting of his life story reminded me of an old adage that goes something to the effect of – “Your life is a script. If you don’t like the way the script is unfolding, then rewrite it!” Every life is a story – but whether it’s a memorable story or a story worth retelling, is up to us.

I found the book inspiring, thought-provoking and entertaining. It pulled me out of my comfort zone, stretched my thinking and caused me to examine my own life to see what kind of “story” I was living.

The book can inspire you to action, inspire you to take chances and could be especially helpful if you find yourself in a rut, going through a challenging time in your life or if you are searching for more meaning in your life. Miller’s conversational style and wit renders the book easy to read and enjoyable – and after finishing it, you may feel encouraged to “live a better story” yourself. Recommended!

Filed Under: Book Reviews - All, Non-Fiction

Review of Admit One by Jenna Hilary Sinclair

May 22, 2012 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Admit One Book Cover image

Some of us prefer to hide in a safe, comfortable life, never taking risks, never daring to dream or to love. But then someone or something comes along and drags us out, kicking and screaming from our comfortable oasis, forcing us to face the world, to face life.

Such is what happened to gay high school teacher Tom Smith, in Jenna Hilary Sinclair’s book “Admit One.” Tom went to work every day at a high school in a small conservative Texas town, lived a quiet life (except for the occasional sexual adventure out of town) and was more than content to remain deep within the closet, living a life of solitude. In order to accomplish this, he had one rule: Do not sleep with anyone twice. So his life went along fine until he meet handsome Kevin Bannerman at a gay club. He sleeps with Kevin in what he believes to be one of his usual meaningless one night stands. Months later, he meets Kevin again and against his better judgment, sleeps with him again. But this time, things are a bit different. At the end of the weekend, he finds himself not wanting to leave Kevin, especially when Kevin suggests that perhaps more could develop between them. But instead, Tom ran as fast as he could. Ran back to his safe life, a life disconnected from other human beings.

Even though he returned to his normal life, he was not the same after that weekend and he found himself often thinking of Kevin. He ended up regretting his decision, but realizing ultimately that it was all for the best.

But alas, he find himself pulled out of his comfort zone once again, when the theater director recruits him as an assistant director for the school’s production of “Rent”, a controversial play with a strong gay theme. But that’s not all – Tom encounters Kevin once again, this time at school and discovers that one of his students, who recently moved to the area, is Kevin’s daughter.

What follows is a powerful and gripping story of a man who comes to terms with the horrifying physical and emotional tragedy in his past that has paralyzed him for the past sixteen years. This is a heartfelt, complex story that was not only engaging, but uplifting as we learn about Tom’s true reason for emotionally disconnecting from life and witness his healing as Kevin refuses to abandon him.

Now I will admit that I almost gave up while reading the first part of the book. It definitely got off to a bit of a slow start and I debated whether or not to complete it. Well, I am so glad that I did! I laughed, cried, and did a fair amount of nail-biting throughout the rest of this wonderful story. So don’t be put off by the slow start. Hang in there — it is definitely worth sticking with it.

This is the first novel I have read by this author and am looking forward to reading more. The book was well-written, the characters realistic and the plot gripping. Highly recommended!!

You can check out the book HERE

Filed Under: Book Reviews - All, LGBT Romance

Review of Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck

July 17, 2011 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Everyday Zen Cover image

I didn’t know what to expect when I first picked up Everyday Zen. I saw it mentioned on an e-mail list quite awhile ago and subsequently added it to my “To Be Read” list. The author, Charlotte Joko Beck, teaches at the Zen Center in San Diego and this introductory book is compilation of her talks aimed at those who are newcomers to Zen (although experienced Zen folks certainly can derive benefit as well).

The author takes familiar Zen concepts and helps us to apply them to our everyday lives. Some topics discussed are: feelings, religion love, anger, relationships, suffering, renunciation, tragedy, aspiration, expectation and more. While most people associate Zen with “sitting”, the author shows us that real action is necessary as well for a rounded practice – and provides practical advice on recommended actions. I found that reading this book opened my eyes and made me think about the manner in which I approach my life – and my relationships with others.

The author communicated her ideas in easy-to-understand plain English and included several excellent stories to make her point, making the book accessible to a wide audience. I admit that I have read some Zen books in the past where every page was a struggle. Not so with Everyday Zen. Her easygoing style helps make the book practical as well as full of wisdom.

A good portion of the book had to do with the ego or as Echart Tolle refers to it “The drama that is me.” Joko Beck leads us down the path of learning to not only keep the ego (she refers to the ego as “pride”) in check, but how to recognize ego interruption when it is occurring. She teaches how to step back and observe. When we are angry, we learn to observe that we are angry (rather than just experiencing the anger). Once we do this, wisdom comes in, allowing us to see the world as it really is, not just the way we want it to be.

One example that she used that really resonated with me was being in an argument. When we are in the midst of arguing with someone, it’s almost impossible for us to look at and label our thoughts because a huge block stands in our way. This block is our need to be “right”. This need to be right is one of the reasons why it’s so hard for us to back away and look at our ego. This is something I myself have worked on and struggled with over the years — these days, I find that being right is not as important to me as it was when I was younger and more “ego-driven”. It certainly makes for a lot less stressful life.

Consistent with Zen teachings, the author stresses over and over the need to be present, to be in the moment. She points out that when we live mainly in our daydreams and hopes, we miss actual life as it is happening. We give our life over to hopes, thoughts and fantasies. We daydream, we hope for something special, something ideal – and when it doesn’t come to pass, we are not only disappointed, but also anxious, even desperate.

What I liked about the book is that she shows how to relate these teachings to our everyday lives in our busy, ego-centric Western world – how to put Zen teaching into practical everyday use.

I found the book to be full of wisdom and helpful advice — and I believe that those not even on a Zen path can derive benefit from it. Recommended!

Filed Under: Book Reviews - All, Non-Fiction

Review of How To Disappear by Frank M. Ahearn

February 28, 2011 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

How to Disappear Cover ImageJust finished reading How to Disappear: Erase Your Digital Footprint, Leave False Trails and Vanish Without a Trace by Frank M. Ahearn. Why this book? The title intrigued me. Now I am not planning on disappearing or going “on the lam” but I thought the book might have some guidance on how to perhaps minimize my digital footprint (not easy to do these day) as well as help to protect my privacy both while online and offline.

The author was a “professional skip tracer” by trade – that is to say, someone whose job it was to find people who didn’t want to be found. His anecdotes and real-world scenarios on his successful finds were entertaining, intriguing and provided some excellent advice on what NOT to do. He has since then, changed careers and now he helps people to disappear. Why would you want to disappear? Perhaps you are being stalked or just want to start over. He covers all of these things and much more.

The chapters of the book include:

  • Meet your enemy: the skip tracer
  • Time to disappear
  • Misinformation
  • Tracks and clues in the home
  • Disinformation
  • Your reformation arsenal
  • Reformation
  • How not to disappear
  • Disappear form identity thieves
  • Disappear from social media
  • Disappear from a frog
  • Disappear from a stalker
  • Disappear from the country
  • Pseudocide

Overall, I felt the book contained a lot of valuable information. One chapter I especially liked was the one on Disinformation (destroying data about you) – how to start leaving less of a digital footprint by using false information such as a fake e-mail address, misspellings in your address and name, false employment history and more. Now the idea here is not to do this in order to engage in illegal activities, but rather to protect your privacy – to stop the spam email, telemarketing calls, junk mail and make it more difficult for people (stalkers, ex’s, etc.) to find you.

The book also paints a real life picture of what’s really involved with disappearing. Many people imagine spending their days in a tropical island paradise, being served Pina Coladas on a beach all day long by a handsome young men or women. The reality is a complicated web of multiple mail drops, prepaid credit cards, prepaid cellphones, public internet access points, as well as giving up your hobbies or interests and having good amount of cash. I personally felt the the portions of the book that pertained to the Internet and privacy were most beneficial but then again, I’m not about to go into hiding. If you are being stalked by someone or are the victim in an abusive relationship, then these other sections may be of particular interest to you. Many of the techniques Frank recommends could also be a good way to avoid – or at minimize the possibility of – identity theft.

The conversational and easy-to-understand tone of the book makes it pleasurable to read. Even if you are not yourself planning on disappearing, the book has many useful tips on guarding your privacy and reducing your digital footprint. If you are serious about disappearing, then this book in indispensable (I also would recommend J.J. Luna’s book “How to be Invisible” as well). Recommended!

Filed Under: Book Reviews - All, Non-Fiction

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