Monday, June 10, 2013

3 Heads and a Tail and Kaleidoscope by Vickie Johnstone reviews!

 

Ebook version published on July 28, 2012. Written for NaNoWriMo 2011 (writing a book in one month), this quirky comedy contains some romance, a touch of fantasy and a very opinionated dog. When nature lover Josie moves into a house share with two pals, dreamer Ben and model man David, she sees it as a short stop and doesn't bank on an attraction developing with one of them. Meanwhile, Ben's dog, Glen, has the hots for Miss Posh, the beautiful golden Labrador in the park. When dog meets dog it's puppy love, but a complication leads to Glen taking matters into his own paws. In this comedy of errors, romance and walkies, it's anyone's guess who is going to win the girl/dog and live happily ever after. Appropriate for readers over 16. This is not a children's book. "A humorous love story of a different kind, mostly seen through the eyes of Glen, the tail owner, and written with unusual wittiness and ability." (Annarita Guarnieri) "Oh my gosh this is a funny book. I hate to harp on the topic of how the dog made the story, but I think he did." (Ey Wade) "Laugh out loud funny." (Donna Brown) "Glen has now replaced Buck as my favorite doggie character in a novel. Ms. Johnstone's characters are all wonderfully developed and she does an amazing job giving doggie voice to Glen and Mimi." (PDX Author)

My Review:
Oh my. This book was funny. I had 3 Shih Tzu's and I totally got it when the author said that the characters were getting dirty looks from Glen. I got a few myself. I also know what the author meant when she said Glen knew what Ben was saying! The "Glen" chapters where when the reader read in Glen's point of view. It was so funny. Voof! However when Ben's roommate cost Glen his girlfriend Mimi I was sad for Glen. I really felt like he was a person, because he was acting just like people do. Then There was a Voof, and I remembered that this was a dog and I so want to be able to talk to my pets.
Besides the Glen/Mimi plot is the Ben plot. Ben and David were really good friends, until David messed with Glen. There was a lot of action. There were gun shots, newspaper headlines and punches! Josie also moves in  and starts a dating triangle.
I loved the drama and romance in this book. My two Shih Tzu's had puppies when I lived with my parents still and I wonder if they felt the same way as Glen. They took care of each other, and the puppy we kept. (All three are now with my dad in heaven).  The way they fought for each other was really nice to read. I am giving this book a 5/5. I recommend it for every dog owner! I did need a tissue at the end!


Ebook version published on March 19, 2011. A collection of 119 poems about people, life, philosophy, animals and nature. The poems are divided under eight theme chapters: figures; nature; abstracts; love; haiku; creatures; childhood and dark wave. "This poet loves playing with words and often the sound of the words seems more important than the meaning. Yet all the poems make perfect sense and are easy to understand. I liked the contrast between the light and dark poems and enjoyed reading about all the beauty we find in the world." (The Rebecca Review) "When a new poet gives evidence of a language as fresh as this then we can expect much more. And though the book is only poems long, it is gratefully full of imaginings and observings such as this, moments that make us pause long enough to look around and remember the magic. She seems to be less concerned with shocking her reader than with embracing - with all the talent she has to share. This is refreshingly talented writing." (Grady Harp) "Great poems, all beautifully and thoughtfully written." (AP) "This is a book of many poems, each broken up into 'chapters' or subjects, such as 'love' or 'nature' etc. Now, I will be honest & say I don't generally like poetry but I was given the opportunity to read this & as I enjoyed a previous book by this author I thought I would give them a chance. I went in with an open mind and I am so glad I did. Wow! This author writes beautiful words. I enjoyed each & every poem, I found myself turning page after page to read the next & the next. More of the same please! Such a talented writer." (Wistfulskimmie) "Thoughtful and evocative. Covers a wide range of topics and even makes the mundane daily commute interesting! Good to dip in and out of. I particularly like Pine Needles." (Carlyl)

My Review:
This is the second poetry book by this author I have read. I was not disappointed! I liked "The Funeral" and thought that it would be nice for memorial services. I really liked that this boo was grouped into sections by genre. Here is another of my favorites:
So We Go:
Into the night we go
Free as birds
Soundless and unseen
Trivial and green
Unknowing, unthinking
With no boundaries
No obstacles -
With wings, groundless

I could see birds flying and people escaping into the night.
These are all good poems, and there were none that I disliked. It was a fast read, and I read just before bedtime to free my brain for sleep. I recommend this book for anyone that likes poetry or likes to read in general. I am giving this book a 5/5.

Biography

Hi, I live in London and have a thing about fluffy cats. I work as a freelance layout sub-editor on business magazines and editor/proofreader on books. I love reading, writing, films, the sea, art, animals, nature, rock music, Milky Bar and travelling. I have self-published 13 books. 

Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle was a finalist in the children's books category of the National Indie Excellence Book Awards 2013.

The Kiwi books have illustrations by Nikki McBroom.

Links:

Amazon US author page: 
http://www.amazon.com/Vickie-Johnstone/e/B004SZ9TGE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1 
Amazon UK book page:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Vickie%20Johnstone&search-alias=digital-text
Blog: http://vickiejohnstone.blogspot.com
Twitter: @vickiejohnstone
Website: Kiwiincatcity.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4788773.Vickie_Johnstone
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorVickieJohnstone
http://www.facebook.com/KiwiinCatCity 
http://www.facebook.com/KaleidoscopePoetry
http://www.facebook.com/VickieJohnstoneEditing

The Kiwi Series is written for readers aged 9 up. They follow the adventures of a magical cat called Kiwi and her two human friends, Amy and James. With a flick of her tail, Kiwi magically changes the two children into kittens and takes them to her other home, Cat City, and to other new worlds.

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