Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime

Round-up of reviews

edited April 2007 in - Writing Tales
«1

Comments

  • If anyone wants to post details, e.g. website addresses, of reviews of their own books etc, why not do so here? Just say the book's title, and give the Internet address - or, if short, the comment and who said it.
  • Just thought I'd bring this back to the top in case anyone's interested.
  • The public reviews of the British editions of my books are on Amazon, accessible by the links:
    Overkill: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0330427504/202-6478017-4150248
    Pandemic: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0330431528/ref=ed_ra_of_dp/202-8104629-6109437
    I've also posted copies of all other reviews sent to me by email or letter on my website. To look at these, just go to www.JamesBarrington.com and then click the links at the top of the home page.
  • Sounds like a good idea Jay. I'll have a rummage for one of my reviews.
  • Gay Times re 'A Different Kind of Love':

    "Jay Mandal's selection of sometimes funny, sometimes bitter-sweet stories deal with a wide range of instantly recognisable aspects of gay life - closetry, coming out, older gay men's experience of the gay scene, loss, bereavement and rekindled hope. These are written with a good ear for dialogue and are both affirming and insightful."
  • Anyone else? Toowrite? Authorsden? Other threads on Talkback?
  • This is one which appeared in The Times Online.

    "If you'd like a love story with a difference try 'All About Sex' by Jay Mandal. Although this deals with gay relationships, the theme is a universal one of making the right choice in love. It's a tender, touching story with well drawn characters."

    Barbara Elsborg
  • How thoughtful of you to bring this back to the top, Jay :)
  • http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pets-Prospect-Malcolm-D-Welshman/dp/0709081979/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196183919&sr=1-14

    Just thought I'd post this. Off to look for Josie's book.
  • http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-Days-Various/dp/customer-reviews/0955103231/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&customer-reviews.start=1&qid=1196184275&sr=1-12#customerReviews

    And this is the anthology in which Josie's story appears.
  • http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anorexia-Stranger-Family-Katie-Metcalfe/dp/customer-reviews/1905170351/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&customer-reviews.start=1&qid=1196184784&sr=1-3#customerReviews

    And here's Katie's!
  • http://www.amazon.co.uk/Railwaywomen-Exploitation-Betrayal-Triumph-Workplace/dp/customer-reviews/1904109047/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&customer-reviews.start=1&qid=1196184949&sr=1-1#customerReviews

    And this is one of Helena's (there are other books, too).
  • http://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Subadar-Vijay-Medtia/dp/customer-reviews/1901969274/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&customer-reviews.start=1&qid=1196210364&sr=1-1#customerReviews

    And the above relates to Vijay's book.
  • Paul, this is for you.
  • And now for Random Guy.
  • edited April 2008
    Thanks, Jay. My book is not officially out till June 16th, so just one review so far...

    EDITOR’S QUOTE:
    Kay Green, editor of Circaidy Gregory Press says:
    "I'm so proud of Rosalie - she's produced a compelling story and a well-crafted one. It explores the issues young people and their parents have to contend with in the modern world, and does so through the lives of characters the reader instinctively knows and cares about. If her first novel is this good, I can't wait to see the next one!"


    To see the blurb for Charity's Child, please visit my website at
    www.rosalie-warren.co.uk
    You can also find some of my short stories and details of my other work there.

    You can also read about Charity's Child on my publisher's website at
    www.circaidygregory.co.uk
  • For KJ and Ceka.
  • My new fiction book for secondary school-aged kids/teens is 'Deceptive Encounters' which is due for release on Jan 1st 2009
    www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=713

    Deceptive Enounters has a forensic science theme and supports KS3 National Science Curriculum.

    There have been a few reviews already:

    " A great read, a young person's Patricia Cornwell"

    "Deceptive Encounters is a brilliant first outing for super sleuth Alexia Stermont. This introduction to Forensic Science is a real page-turner, with accurate and convincing scientific detail."
  • Re: my debut novel, The Art of Cunning Lingers - Chris High's review is at:

    http://www.chrishigh.com/reviews/books/art_of_cunning_lingers.html
  • Kaz - great review but it appears to stop half way through a sentence?
  • Yes, you're right! The last time I looked it was OK. I'll look out my copy and fill in the blanks . . .
  • http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1849239932/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1_cm_cr_acr_img?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

    I didn't realise this thread was here, but Jay pointed me in the right direction. Link above is a review of my book on Amazon.com
  • That's a good review. Well done RG.
  • edited February 2009
    I have 6 reviews of Silence on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/product/1906558035/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_summary?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

    one of them is a low-star review but incredibly detailed and balances out the reviews so that I don't get accused of contriving a positive look by getting friends and family to write 5 star reviews when they haven't read the book! (this does happen but I can assure you didn't in my case)

    Also recently Seven Days was reviewed on this site http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/sevendays.html

    This is a book of short stories, and mine is Sunday, of which the review is very complimentary! It's rare in a review of Seven Days that all seven stories are reviewed so this one is a very good detailed review, and my story appears towards the end.
  • I received this review by email yesterday from a professor of English.... I'd rather she'd put it on Amazon but musn't appear ungrateful !

    "Notable Sussex Women.
    This is a fascinating book. To look up some familiar or half-familiar name among the 580 biographical sketches offered is to be drawn irresistibly into a web of lives, some connected by personal ties, others by common interests, all of them distinguished by energies and talents and some of them of the utmost distinction. The range and achievement of the women of one county laid out here fully justifies the editor's intention to bring into the open a record of women's works which have been commonly disregarded in male-oriented histories. Well-judged sub-divisions and cross referencing make the book, as is claimed, both informative and accessible while the many photographs are a source of special pleasure. Extracts from contemporary newspapers add further depth to the scene as do sections at the end which fill in more of the social background against which the women lived their lives. This is a work of energy, enthusiasm and expertise and, as a consequence, a source of both pleasure and illumination."
  • That is a lovely review, Helena.
  • Any more?
  • I shall post a link to my Rainbow Review (thanks for the pointer, Jay) when it's done. I'm just waiting for a batch of books to arrive so I can send one off to my reviewer - in Chicago!
  • They also do author interviews.
  • edited July 2009
    For Best Gay Romance 2009, mentioning the short story Chiaroscuro:

    http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1023
    http://www.amazon.com/Best-Romance-2009-Richard-Labonte/dp/1573443360/ref=sr_1_335?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236213421&sr=1-335

    http://www.theshortreview.com/reviews/BestGayRomance2009.htm
  • For A Different Kind of Love:

    “Jay Mandal’s selection of sometimes funny, sometimes bitter-sweet stories deal with a wide range of instantly recognisable aspects of gay life – closetry, coming out, older gay men’s experience of the gay scene, loss, bereavement and rekindled hope. These are written with a good ear for dialogue and are both affirming and insightful.” Gay Times

    http://www.rldbooks.com/Newsletter/IGW-V2-Issue4/IGW-v2-4p2.html
    http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1565
    http://www.theshortreview.com/reviews/JayMandalADifferentKindofLove.htm
  • Fantastic, Jay! Well done.
  • For The Dandelion Clock:

    http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1683

    http://www.rldbooks.com/Newsletter/IGW-V2-Issue3/IGW-v2-3p7.html

    http://www.bfkbooks.com/reviews/the-dandelion-clock

    http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977768373

    http://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Clock-Jay-Mandal/dp/1905202784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247846422&sr=1-1

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dandelion-Clock-Jay-Mandal/dp/1905202784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247846478&sr=1-1
  • For All About Sex:

    http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1512
  • For The Loss of Innocence:

    http://www.rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1819


    http://www.rldbooks.com/Newsletter/IGW-V2-Issue6/IGW-v2-6p5.html
  • Re "Best Gay Romance 2009":

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Gay-Romance-2009-Labonte/dp/1573443360/ref=sr_1_83?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253803511&sr=1-83

    'The jewel in the crown is undoubtedly Jay Mandal's "Chiaroscuro".'
  • Four months then I can link to reviews. I've only been published in print once and it's in the book Nemonymous 9 and you can't say which story you wrote until the new one comes out, it's a yearly thing, it's killing my 'cos I got a great review, but 'bah' is the way such things work. Forget Me Not was in it too and her story got a great review too! I guessed which was hers if any lawyers ask!
  • Crikey, Jay, there's no end to them! Well done
    That sounds really odd, Lee - why can't anyone say whose is which until a whole year later?
  • The series is called Nemonymous, you pick up the book and read the stories with no name pinned to it. In book ten it will allocate the name to the story. The guidelines for 10 come out next month I'll add the link.
  • KJKJ
    edited September 2009
    I've just received my first review for 'Chasing Dreams: A collection of poems'...

    "Although not a natural lover of poetry books, Chasing Dreams by Karen J. Jones grabs you from the start. The vibrant cover instantly urges you to pick the copy off the shelf and open the pages. The collection of poetry is unusual in that there appears to be something that will appeal to every one; from nature to animals and Haiku, there really is some thought-provoking stuff in there. If I had to pick a favourite it would be Reluctant Bride, which tells the story of a marriage doomed from the start. You also get an insight into Karen's world as a writer and poet and how the ideas came about for this lovely book."
  • Congrats KJ!
  • I think I've already posted this somewhere, but not to worry:

    A Warped Sense of Uma by Kaz Jordyn
  • Oops, that link didn't work at all. Try:

    http://www.rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1732
  • edited October 2009
    There's a really nice review of The Dandelion Clock that's just been posted here:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1904224253/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#RZF8H0HUZT4S0
  • An unexpected and delightful review of my children's book, Deceptive Encounters, has been posted today on a blog associated with Accelerated Learning .
    Please see: http://acceleratedlearningforcareerdevelopme.blogspot.com/
  • edited November 2009
    Great review! Pixie, one for you to add to your list of Christmas presents?
  • My books:

    http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/127625.Jay_Mandal

    Best Gay Romance:

    http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=%22jay+mandal%22&d=4541111918330951&mkt=en-GB&setlang=en-GB&w=4e7a770e,8a77a970

    http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=%22jay+mandal%22&d=4834213368039782&mkt=en-GB&setlang=en-GB&w=dd0090cc,9606ae76

    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4759828.Best_Gay_Romance_2009
  • Jay how many books have you had published? You seem very accomplished.
  • Three novels; three collections of short stories; and an out-of-print anthology. Plus two 'Best Gay Romance' anthologies.
Sign In or Register to comment.