Tag: Book Reviews

What a Grandfather Teaches About Blindness and Mobility #SatudaySurprise #Reblogs #Inspiration

What a pleasant surprise it was to run across fellow author and blogger Patty Fletcher’s post featuring one of my book reviews. I posted this here last fall, but if you read it, I hope you’ll agree it’s worth a second look. Thanks to Patty for publishing my work today. Happy reading!

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In this children’s picture book, based on Jim Hoxie’s real-life experiences, a grandfather shares how he lost his vision and later attended a rehabilitation facility for veterans. There, he learned to use a white cane and developed other essential skills for independent living. He also describes how he shares his experiences with schoolchildren and members of the Lions Club in Spearfish, South Dakota, where he lives.

 

Saturday Surprise: What a Grandfather Teaches About Blindness and Mobility a Book Review by Abbie Johnson Taylor #ReadingWithTheAuthors, #SponsoringMember – Patty’s Worlds

 


Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

Artistic Poetry: My Review of Finger Painting with Words by Nolcha Fox #FantasticFridayReads #Poetry #Inspiration

From Amazon

 

Finger Painting with Words contains poetry with unusual and amazing imagery, poetry that paints pictures.

 

Buy from Amazon.

 

My 5-Star Review

 

I met the author, Nolcha Fox, several years ago through our state’s poetry society, and I’ve always enjoyed reading her work. This book didn’t disappoint.

The title, Finger Painting with Words, is spot on. These poems are like finger paintings—vivid portrayals of life’s moments, some ordinary, some not.

I love how Nolcha’s poems invite readers to think outside the box. Take, for example, “Happiness Is a Tree.” A happy tree grows in a kitchen, aware of everything happening around it. In “Thirsty,” a glass of water sashays down a street in clingy clothes.

Nolcha also uses striking imagery to reimagine everyday objects. In the poem, “Lunch,” she paints a memorable picture of a chicken salad sandwich she brought to school as a child, leading us to believe she wasn’t fond of chicken salad.

I especially appreciate how she closes the collection with “Why I Can’t Write This Poem.” It’s a perfect ending for a short, delightful book that encourages readers to see life from unexpected perspectives.

 


Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

Abbie Johnson Taylor reviews King Copper #WednesdayWords #Reblogs #Inspiration

What a pleasant surprise to discover that fellow author Lauren Scott not only reblogged my review of King Copper from last week, but she also provided a review of Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me. Happy reading!

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Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me is the first book by Abbie Johnson Taylor that I have read, and I was thoroughly impressed with her writing. Taylor tells the story about a close-knit family – mom, dad, older and younger daughter, and the mom’s mother who is in a facility suffering with dementia. The grandmother who recalls events from years ago but whose short-term memory fails, shares a secret from the past with the older daughter without realizing it could tear the family apart. I felt compassion for the grandma because one of my family members passed from dementia.

 

Abbie Johnson Taylor reviews King Copper 🧡🌈 – Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author

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Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

Another Book Review #WednesdayWords #WeeklySmile #Inspiration

As I said a couple of weeks ago when I reviewed fellow author Linda Right’s book, My Turn, here, I met her through Behind Our Eyes, a writers’ organization to which we both belong. I was delighted to receive an email from her with her review of my book, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, which she also posted on Goodreads. This made me smile.

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This is an engaging family story that evoked both tears and laughter for me. The story begins with a grandmother revealing a family secret to her eldest granddaughter. The protagonist, sixteen-year-old Natalie, is unable to keep the secret to herself. Subsequently the secret changes not only her own self-worth, but also the dynamics of the entire family. Natalie, her younger sister, their parents and grandparents are all sympathetic characters and each one is transformed by the events that occur between one Halloween and the following Christmas. The author is skilled at telling the story using multiple narrators. They all pulled at my heartstrings as I read and witnessed their struggles and triumphs. The story depicts the support elder family members can provide to younger generations. I liked the underlying message of the book that a family secret can have both negative and positive consequences and that telling the truth gives the opportunity for healing and redemption.

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Reviews are important to authors because they can boost sales. If you’ve read one of my books, please leave a review where you purchased it. Alternatively, you can use the contact form here to email me your review, and I’ll be glad to post it here and on my website.

 

Your Turn

 

What made you smile this past week? You can share in the comment field or click the link below to participate on your blog and read other responses. Thank you for stopping by, and keep smiling.

 

The Weekly Smile for the 31st of March, 2025 #weeklysmile | Trent’s World (the Blog)

 

Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

A Review of my Latest Book #WednesdayWords #WeeklySmile #Inspiration

I subscribe to an email list for people like me who use the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Here, people review books they’ve downloaded from the site. If you use this service and would like to participate, send a blank email to:  DB-Review+subscribe@groups.io  .

A few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find this stellar review of Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me from Gerardo Corripio, which made me smile. With his permission, I’m sharing it here and will post it on my website.

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It’s been several months since a novel has managed to capture my interest/attention so fully to the point where I feel immersed in its universe. Thus, Abbie Johnson Taylor’s Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me did the trick. It makes you want to get into the reading bug again! What a captivating novel! From the very beginning, I was completely hooked. The situations depicted are so realistic that they could easily be mistaken for nonfiction.

One of the novel’s standout features is how it alternates between the perspectives of different characters such as Marti, Daryl, and Bill. Notably, the perspectives of younger characters like Sarah (a preteen) and Natalie (a teenager) provide a layered and authentic look at how such a shocking revelation impacts every member of the family.

The novel also excels in its portrayal of complex family and social dynamics, which adds depth and relatability to the story. Having read other works by Abbie Johnson Taylor, including The Red Dress and her memoir, My Ideal Partner, I can confidently say this book deserves a full 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys emotionally engaging and thought-provoking family dramas.

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Reviews are important to authors because they can boost sales. If you enjoyed reading one of my books, please leave a review where you found it. Alternatively, you can use the Contact form to email me your review, and I’ll share it here and on my website.

What made you smile this past week? Please share in the comment field or click below to participate on your blog and read other responses. Thank you for stopping by, and keep smiling.

 

The Weekly Smile for the 13th of January, 2025 #weeklysmile | Trent’s World (the Blog)

 

Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my monthly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

The cover of the book features an older woman sitting in a wicker chair facing a window. The world beyond the window is bright, and several plants are visible on the terrace. Behind the woman’s chair is another plant, with a tall stalk and wide rounded leaves. The woman has short, white hair, glasses, a red sweater, and tan pants. The border of the picture is a taupe color and reads "Why Grandma Doesn't Know Me" above the photo and "Abbie Johnson Taylor" below it.

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?