The Day of the Ferret

The Day of the Ferret by Michael Woodman

Book Reviewed by Lisa Brown-Gilbert

A witty, satirical romp through the political world of the President of the United States, author Michael Woodman’s The Day of the Ferret, craftily intersects politics, intrigue, comedy, and a cast of well-devised, skewed characters into a memorable and overall humorous journey into presidential politics. Purchase Here.

Aiming for the jugular of this specific political machine, in this case, the presidency of the United States, this is the type of book that you either dislike or love, due to its undeniable relatability to a former president (especially judging from the front cover of the book) as well as some similarities to some of his antics while in office. Personally, I loved the provocative nature of this book and found it easy to laugh at its often-comical moments.

The story starts out with a sarcastic bang as characters are brought into focus beginning with (ahem) President John Thomas Rump.   He’s narcissistic, gross and a character that you may grow to have a love-hate relationship with. Moreover, facing low approval ratings, and sexual harassment accusations Rump needs something to alter the public view of him and the answer to his political dream comes in the form of an idea from his lawyer and “yes” man Benedetto Luigi Capone, which involves an intriguing entanglement of characters.   In particular, Eve Coronata is beautiful, intelligent and a former beauty queen looking for some payback when it comes to President Rump. The exchange between the two men is hilarious and sets the tone for the rest of the book.  As well, the additional characters who follow, as the story progresses, offer their own unique personality quirks, issues, and machinations into the fray of this wholly engrossing satire.

Overall, I truly and resonantly enjoyed The Day of the Ferret. It was a gritty humorous jaunt into politics, which while reading often made me laugh or smirk. But most of all, this was a story that showcased (to me at least) the human or inhumane conditions that can be brought on by excesses of political privilege and wealth told in a dark humorous way.  Essentially, ensconced in adept storytelling, and told through characters that were gritty and often morally challenged. Overall, author Michael Woodman brought forth a well-written narrative, replete with seedy politics, plot twists and turns, affairs, backstabs and strange friendships, which ultimately made for a great adult themed read which was very entertaining. This is a definite must add to the “want to read” list.

 

Brokla

Brokla: A Tale of Things Falling Apart by Simon Plaster

Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb

Brokla: A Tale of Things Falling Apart is the newest satirical, LOL book in author Simon Plaster’s series of novels featuring a small-town Oklahoman reporter known as Henrietta. As with other books in the series written by Plaster, he pulls no punches and he uses the actions and comments of his humorous, larger-than life characters to target several controversial topics that have been in the news in recent months and since the election of President Donald Trump. No topic is sacred or immune from Plaster’s playful jabs and satirical barbs, all related to the breaking apart of the social structure and very fabric of the United States. Plaster uses his large and motley cast of humorous characters to target subjects like the decline of TV viewership in the NFL, the resurgence of Feministas, the continued influence of the Antifa movement, the poor irrigation practices of Oklahoma panhandle farmers, the possible secession of California from the United States, the intense college football rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma and much, much more. Purchase here.

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The author’s female protagonist, erstwhile reporter Henrietta, started off in the earlier novels in the series with big ambitions, and she still has them in Brokla. She longs for the day when she will be assigned to writing the type of newsworthy story that could earn her a Pulitzer. At the start of Brokla, she thinks that maybe she’s finally hit on a story that is big enough and important enough to gain her the fame, and Pulitzer, she feels she richly deserves, when her boss at the local weekly newspaper, SCENE, Nigel Fleetwood, assigns her to cover a Town Hall Lecture Series where a certain Colonel Top Secret, a foreign government think tank expert, complete with a paper bag over his head, is speaking and prophesying about the future of the United States. A man Plaster calls “Agent X” sits at the same table with Colonel Top Secret, helping to interpret the foreign military leader’s dire predictions.

Colonel Top Secret, according to Agent X, believes that many things point to the inevitable disintegration of the United States, including “way too much government spending and way too much debt.” He points to America’s “inflated national pride,” and the country’s government spending three times more on national defense than China and almost ten times more than Russia. What concerns the audience the most is not that, though, but what Colonel Top Secret says about football.

Agent X says that Colonel Top Secret believes America “is now faced with the unkindest cut of all.” That is that, because of African American football players in the NFL refusing to stand for the National Anthem, attendance is down at the games, as is TV viewership. Agent X goes on, stating that Colonel Top Secret also feels that “College football, high school football and peewee football are fated to follow the so-called NFL onto the trash heap of history.”

This comment elicits moans and groans from the audience. The Oklahoma Sooner fans in attendance appear to consider that prophecy to be the most disconcerting and worrisome one of all the ones that Agent X relates. College football and the prestige of being in an important football conference and big time football program are paramount to many of the ardent Sooner fans at the lecture, so they are dismayed by the possibility that college football will follow the route of the NFL.

In Brokla, Simon Plaster satirizes many more topics and controversial issues than the over-blown importance of football to both the United States and Oklahoma and the possibility that the decline in football’s importance could lead to the breaking up of the country. One of the other characters Plaster writes about is Jane Burrows, the leader of the Feministas. “Calamity Jane,” as she’s been nicknamed, gains notoriety across the panhandle by leading an uprising of progressive women in committing acts like burning thousands of acres of farm land and castrating the hogs of pig farmers.

They are protesting the over-use of the limited water left in the Ogallala Aquafer deep underneath the Oklahoma panhandle area by the farmers there, and they want to rid the Plains of White Man’s idea of civilization. The Antifas mentioned in Brokla, who are also interested in the goals of Calamity Jane and her band of women, attempt to join up with them. They are told they can participate, if they sleep far enough away from the women that Burrows leads.

Brokla is a humorous and thought-provoking read that can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. The other books in the series that features reporter Henrietta, like Spot and BOO!, are also terrific and fun books to read. If you like reading satirical books, I’d highly recommend checking out Brokla and the other novels written by Simon Plaster, one of America’s foremost authors of the genre.

Joe's Odyssey

Joe’s Odyssey by Nick LaTorre

Reviewed by Lisa-Brown Gilbert

When it comes to a road trip brimming with outrageous escapades and misconduct, Joe’s Odyssey by author Nick LaTorre definitely makes an impression. Fueled by testosterone, the overall narrative refreshes the college road trip genre by taking readers along on an action-filled tale with a quartet of hedonistic, pleasure-seeking friends, which includes adventure on the open seas, world travel, mobsters, hitmen, and college prankster antics. Purchase Here.

Frustrated and angst-riddled for middle-aged Joe Kerson, life in general, has him in a bad place, perspectively. He finds himself stuck working for a company at a job with no room for advancement and a boss he deeply resents. Also feeling deeply unhappy with his marriage, he no longer desires intimacy with his wife, as well as being frustrated with the stressful financial necessities of caring for teenaged children. As an escape he finds solace in alcohol and his lamentations at the bar he frequents.

However, one pivotal fateful day, Joe’s boss comes to him with a special assignment to meet with a new potential client, Luciano Galdonchino, (a known mobster) on his yacht. Initially, unenthused, Joe meets Luciano and while witnessing some the aspects of his wealth, power, and success decides to seize the opportunity of a lifetime. Joe pushes Luciano overboard, steals his yacht and money, and thusly embarks on the adventure of his life in the stolen yacht on the open sea. However, Joe does not opt to do this excursion alone; he finds himself a crew of three college friends also acquaintances of his kids, known as the Schmorde, Ron, Pirate, and Brute. Together with this mixed bag of oddball, immature characters, he launches a journey to chaos, danger, sex, drugs, and all-encompassing juvenilistic behavior, making stops in Vegas, San Francisco, and Jamaica. Having no remorse Joe easily keeps the adventure going for months leaving his family and old life behind while occasionally sending a nasty letter to his wife.

Meanwhile, their travels and travails are being followed up on by mob boss Luciano and the League of International Gangsters as he and his fellow gangsters look to stop the madness, retrieve the yacht and kill Joe the perpetrator. Ultimately, It’s an all-out raucous adventure that ensues chock full of laughable, chaotic and dangerous moments.

All in all, this is completely a story that may entertain many males either in the midst of a middle-aged crisis or just aged party boys. Ultimately, Joe’s Odyssey turns out to be a fantastical read that very much brought to mind National Lampoons Animal House with its high level of immaturity, antics and implied stereotypes throughout the narrative. Also within the story are frequent musings made by the story’s narrator, often leaving subjects open for later discussion. Wholly, this is the book to read If you are into superficial characters on a chaotic jaunt.

Wind

Wind: A Tragicomedic Tale of Trials & Errors by Simon Plaster

Reviewed by Dianne Woodman

Wind: A Tragicomedic Tale of Trials & Errors is an entertaining book of political and social satire that focuses on the conflict between religious beliefs and science, along with human rights issues. The chapters are split into sections that coincide with the six days of the biblical account of creation. Genesis 1 has been assigned as part of the reading material for a western literature course at the Oklahoma Public Education Center (OPEC) in Oklahoma City. Should this be allowed or is it unconstitutional? Are the Censorship threats from the American Civil Liberties Union a real concern? Purchase Here.

The story centers around Henrietta Hebert, Professor Owen Hatteras, Lawrence Farrell, and William B. Ryan, although all of the supporting characters play essential roles. Henrietta wants to rejuvenate her journalism career by furthering her education. She enrolls at OPEC and takes on the task of writing for the school newspaper under the tutelage of Professor Hatteras. Owen adamantly disagrees with the story of biblical creation but changes his stance in pursuit of his own agenda which ties into the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. Farrell and Ryan, candidates in a District Attorney’s race, are on opposite ends of the political spectrum when it comes to whether or not Genesis 1 being assigned as reading material in a public school violates the constitution.

Diametrically opposing viewpoints of a highly controversial issue are deftly presented in a skillful fashion by Simon Plaster. He wonderfully depicts the extreme variance among people’s beliefs in delightful and serious ways that capture readers’ attention. The complex and intriguing commentary keeps readers invested in following the story to the end. Readers will appreciate that Plaster does not skew his writing toward a particular side in the never-ending dispute on whether or not the teaching of creationism violates the First Amendment’s free speech clause. Plaster also includes interesting views about famous books and their possible ties to social issues, such as feminism and populism. In particular, I appreciate Plaster’s artfulness, which includes bold musical notation, of illustrating the reactions of a church congregation and protestors on both sides of the heated debate.

Laugh out loud moments, clever word play, sardonic comments, ambiguous phrases, similes, metaphors, perseverance in the face of adversity, biblical quotes to back up beliefs, and sharp-witted jokes directed at politicians add to the overall appeal of this ingeniously titled riveting satire. Plaster keeps the tension steadily building until it culminates into a momentous and contentious public event that leads to a thought-provoking ending.

The Dumb Class

The Dumb Class: Boomer Junior High by Mike Hatch

Book Reviewed by Lisa Brown-Gilbert

Author Mike Hatch delivers originality and spunk with his The Dumb Class: Boomer Junior High; a retrospective coming of age story that unflinchingly provides readers with a gritty, humorous, and boldly creative romp through life with a group of Junior High school friends. Purchase here.

Taking place in the 1960s, the story follows “baby Boomer” friends Bill Jones, Eddie, Jeff, and Harley through their formative years in Boomer Junior High school. Events are detailed by Bill Jones who is also the story’s protagonist. As a whole, the teens are a cast of tenacious, drinking, smoking, sexing and scheming set of youth whose friendships and wit carry them through many escapades and life experiences. Jones, in particular, makes for a captivating character to follow. He has wit and a peculiar charm and albeit. Although in the lowest of the class designations in the junior high school, “the dumb class” he seems to be one of the smartest and conniving.

Instantly intriguing from its outset the story draws your attention along with piquing the interest with an opening scene of a crudely humorous debate about the female anatomy, being held by the group of friends, which serves to bring the diverse main players into focus and sets the tone for the story as one replete with humor, raw depictions of life and teen behavior. As the story progresses, it follows their adventures, experiences, and explorations fueled by raunchy desires, cursing, teen angst, drugs, alcohol as well as other diversions like revenge. As characters, their unique personalities and interactions drive the story forward, while heralding authenticity via infused bits of historical and cultural references.

Overall, I found that The Dumb Class: Boomer Junior High offers not only an entertaining read but a multifaceted look at the cultural and sociological avenues of life that teenagers of the 1960’s encountered and explored. As a matter of fact, I personally found the story to be a somewhat reminiscent combination of Stand By Me, Grease and Porkies. Just a word of warning, this is an adult-themed read as the level of sexuality in this book is quite graphic especially for fourteen and fifteen-year-olds. However overall, I enjoyed the read and kudos to author Mike Hatch, who did well in portraying his tale. He artfully brought this memorable coming of age story to life with humor, well-fleshed characters and era-appropriate vernacular. I do recommend this book for mature readers who enjoy dark themed humor.

The Friends of Allan Renner

The Friends of Allan Renner by David J. Andrae

Book Reviewed by Lisa Brown-Gilbert

Dave J. Andrae’s The Friends of Allan Renner proposes an intelligent exploration of life through a multi-level, multiperspectival narrative which comes by virtue of Allan Renner’s encounters and discourse with his eclectic assortment of friends. Purchase Here.

This book is definitively an offering of food for thought, brimming with revelations about life and people in general. This is a narrative that is provocative in its ideals and shines through its characters, their thoughts, actions and personalities during their congregations with central character Allan Renner often giving a story within a story as their backstories are also very revealing about human nature. Moreover, although this work is a fictional story, the subject matter of their encounters and conversations are realistic, important, and quite often thought provoking with topics such as astrophysics, cosmology, modern culture, racism, film making, futurism, sex, dating, technology, as well as artistic endeavors.

Ultimately, as the story’s protagonist, Allan Renner is an interesting characterization. He is intelligent, amiable, stalwart, a film buff and occasionally, works freelance as a production assistant. Meanwhile, within the seven chapters of the book, each chapter is centered around an encounter with a different friend. Perspectively, life is seen through the diversity of fascinating viewpoints with each acquaintance. Also at play is the diversity of their backstories which allows for a deeper look into their thought processes with the conversations delving into various aspects of the human condition.

First, we meet Akhil Das, a well-degreed high school guidance counselor, astrophysics enthusiast, and unfortunate alcoholic. Akhil and Allan delve into conversation on the topics concerning cosmology and the beginning and end of humanity. Next, we meet Allan’s friend Sadie Guildwood, an attractive middle-aged woman who was once head-vocalist in a semi popular band, as well as social media blogger. Essentially the interaction between Sadie and Allan presents a bit of sexual tension as there is a potential for a romantic encounter between the two that does not materialize but hope for it looms in the air. Their conversations include juxtaposing working in cinema versus working as a musician, the future of humanity, future technology, and Transhumanism. Additionally, there are spates of inner mentations concerning their likes and dislikes about one another. The pace picks up, when the two meet with an acquaintance of Sadie’s that take things on an interesting twist. Moving on to the next friend, we meet Fred, a multiracial African American jazz enthusiast who grew up somewhat privileged. Also a budding film director and teacher, Fred believes in the power of cinema to help people. What makes this chapter stand out is the reactions of characters while waiting for a seasoned criminal to come and audition for a film. The remainder of the book encompasses chapters based on his parents, his pet Havapoo Ruby, as well as pivotal friends Carmen and Xynnulu.

Altogether the people and experiences in the chapters of Allan Renner’s life made for an interesting, nicely paced story, woven with absorbing, complicated characters enmeshed in a creative narrative with scenes of a life that are revelatory, endearing, and pulse racing. I enjoyed The Friends of Allan Renner by Dave J. Andrae; it made for great read, with a storyline that included a nice science fiction twist and I do recommend it for adult readers.