Hoshruba: The Land and the Tilism Review

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(More customer reviews)Hoshruba is a very good example of the kind of stories we grew up hearing. The good hero always wins and the evil sorcerers who imprison fair damsels get killed. The characters in Hoshruba do not rise above these stereotypes. Farooqui does a good job of translating the magical and mythical nature of Hoshruba. But I wish that instead of being a faithful translator, he would cut to the chase and add some modern dimensions to the story.
After a while, it gets tedious reading about how the tricksters get trapped by sorcerers and then kill them using their cunning. There is no middle ground in Hoshruba: the tricksters are the pinnacle of cunning, the fair damsels are all beautiful beyond imagination, the sorcerers are vile and powerful and the lovers are the epitome of fidelity. Its black or white with no shades of gray.
The characters are well-described - but not well developed. Familiarity with the characters, their motives and thoughts is assumed.

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The world's first and longest magical fantasy HOSHRUBA (1883-1893) was compiled in the Urdu language by two of its greatest prose writers. Spread over eight thousand pages, it reached the summits of popularity and acclaim never attained by any other epic in the history of Urdu literature. But the richness of its language and its length deterred translations for more than 125 years. In this first translation of this iconic fantasy classic by Musharraf Ali Farooqi, whose translation of THE ADVENTURES OF AMIR HAMZA was hailed by the international press as a gift to world literature, we enter the magical world of Hoshruba, conjured in the untold past by sorcerers defying the laws of God and the physical world. Filled with dazzling illusions and occult realms inhabited by powerful sorceresses and diabolic monsters, Hoshruba had a fixed life, and a designated conqueror who would use its magical key to unravel it one day. The first book of the HOSHRUBA series begins with the giant Laqa entering Hoshruba's protection, and its sorcerer emperor finding himself at war with Laqa's arch fiend, Amir Hamza the Lord of the Auspicious Planetary Conjunction, who pursues the giant with his numerous tricksters and a young prince - the yet to be known conqueror-designate of Hoshruba. When the prince is kidnapped by the devious trickster girls sent by the sorcerer emperor, it falls to an extraordinary trickster and a rebel sorceress to continue his mission.

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My Best Man Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are looking for serious character development and deep thought-provoking plots and themes, then this is probably not the book for you. However, if you come home from a hard day at work and just don't want to turn on the television; you'd rather read some light, fun, laugh-out-loud soap opera-like comedy. Then, Andy Schell's first novel, My Best Man, is the book for you. So many other reviewers have demanded stronger supporting characters and detail from Schell, but maybe they have overlooked the different kinds of reading that are out there. There are lots of great gay authors out there who give you drama, theme, history, detail, etc. But there are also great authors, like Schell, who have done an excellent job of keeping those pages turning with what makes us laugh. And we all like to laugh from time to time. So, looking for a light read for the beach or some "fluff" after a rough day at the office? Schell's book is top of the list. Need drama, plot, or book club discussions? Try Oprah!

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Island Life (Five Star First Edition Mystery) Review

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(More customer reviews)When someone that has been intimately connected to you for twenty years disappears, how do you move on with your own life? Jack Holm has to learn how to do just that when his flight attendant wife doesn't return home following what Jack thought was a day of shopping.
Days go by without word from Jack's wife. He doesn't panic at first because he thinks she may have taken a flight and not informed him or their son and daughter. And since the couple's relationship has been strained, he is initially concerned, but doesn't panic. He does share his concerns about her disappearance with his therapist. But he also shares that he wishes his wife were dead.
When she is found murdered, Jack finds himself involved in events that threaten his family and his own life. The police suspect him of murder and Child Protection wants to take his kids. The real complication, and perhaps danger, is that his family is being spied on. But who is doing the spying? And why?
Jack is forced to deal with the loss of his wife, a precarious financial situation, that fact that he is facing a murder charge and that his children are grieving. And his sister-in-law and mother-in-law are not helping matters.
Phone calls, a mysterious CD containing child pornography, and the Asian mob, all send Jack on a wild ride to find the answers to his wife's murder. If he isn't successful, he may lose everything.
Island Life is a dark and exciting novel. The plot sizzles and the emotion is powerful.
Armchair Interviews says: Those who love thrillers will surely enjoy Island Life.

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On a Wing and a Prayer (Arabesque) Review

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(More customer reviews)Lauren Traynor a rule. Passengers are strictly off limits romantically. Then she meets Michael Townsend. Michael tries to stay away, but there is something about Lauren that he can't deny himself. Will Michael admit that he truly loves Lauren and can Lauren get over the fact that she can allow herself to trust and love or risk losing Michael forever? This book is full of passion, and a nice romance. Excellent read!!!!

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Fly Me to the Moon Review

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(More customer reviews)As I started reading the back cover of "Fly Me to the Moon", I thought, "oh, okay, this is just a classic chick lit scenario". I almost put the book back on the shelf, but then something caught my attention: that the main character is a flight attendant, and to soothe her cheating-boyfriend-woes, she embarks on exotic travels around Europe. That was enough of a hook for me!
The main character, Hailey Lane, is very relatable and likeable, as are the supporting characters. While the plot is a little more unique than most chit-lit novels, it still has the same satisfying predictability that readers look for in this genre. I was hoping for a grand adventure, and while the book doesn't quite deliver as much punch as I had hoped for, it is certainly well-written and entertaining.
"Fly Me to the Moon" is a good, fun, quick read that I think all will enjoy!
Grade: B+

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When flight attendant Hailey Lane learns the rest of her trip has been cancelled and she can fly straight home to spend her birthday with her boyfriend Michael, she's thrilled. Her early arrival will allow for some additional date night prep time, a definite bonus as she's convinced Michael is about to propose. But when she walks through the door, the surprise that awaits her is not at all what she expected. And as she grabs her bags and flees the scene one thing is clear-her entire future has just been rerouted. So Hailey does the only thing she can: she sets out on a worldwide trip to fix a broken heart. And thanks to free flight passes and long layovers in exotic locales, she finds herself with more options than she could have ever imagined...From New York to Paris, from Puerto Rico to Greece, Alyson Noël takes us on a trip filled with mojitos at every layover, outrageous passengers in every seat, and a cute guy at every gate, as Hailey tries to write her own happy ending.

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