Tag: Jill hand

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“Fable”, by various authors – Review

Fable is an anthology of short tales with a fairy tale theme, and the stipulation they are not quite the ones we all grew up on. From the beauty who is a beast to a different kind of songbird, the stories cover a lot of entertaining waterfront. I was surprised by the alacrity with which my mind accepted the concept of a gruff heavy metal goat band (why not I suppose; after all, a goat filled in for Stevie Nicks on a USO tour and no one even noticed. “Ree-baaaah-in…” No, I can’t back that up.) My two favorite stories were “Take it From the Bridge” and “Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother Tells All”, but most of the remaining 14 were very close. The book pulls you in and I found myself saying “I’ll read just one more..” until quite finished.

In summary, Fable is a worthy addition to your summer reading list and I recommend it highly.

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“White Oaks”, by Jill Hand – Review

Jill Hand has written a completely entertaining thriller which incorporates a sometimes comic view of family dynamics surrounding inheritance positioning within a ruling Southern family. I say “ruling” since we in the United States sometimes use extreme multi-generational wealth as a proxy for royalty and most of us know places where there are families so rich they literally can get away with murder. In White Oaks, the family patriarch assigns an illegal bucket list item for his four grown children to arrange and the fun begins. The twists, turns, betrayals, and daft-yet-plausible behavior combine into something you’ll want to read in one sitting.

The writing and craftsmanship is impeccable, and a distinct pleasure to read. White Oaks is one of those books to savor as skimming would miss too many wonderful, and snarky, observations. I recommend without reservation.

I purchased the paperback book directly from the publisher.