Karl's Reading List

Published as an ebook by Shadow Dragon Press: Tijeras, New Mexico, 2026. Comedy is hard to write. What seems hilarious to one person can come across as just-plain-dumb or confusing to another.  Or, just not that funny. Dr Gnoll is meant to be a comedy. It is loosely a parody of James Bond, particularly 'Dr No.' It is also billed as a humour-filled parody of "everything from spy movies, role-playing games, and video games." I appreciate what the authors are intending to do here. I just didn't find it that funny. The 'humour' comes from wordplay (such as Dr Gnoll being a gnoll, James Bond's Q becoming "Kew", and the lead female being called Maxine Charisma), some innuendo (particularly regarding the MacGuffin rod that Dr Gnoll is after, and the way it is described once Dr Gnoll has it), and then very out-of-place references to the fictionality of the world being described.  This latter element is a little jarring at times, as it is referenced s...

Published by WIPF & Stock Publishers: Eugene, Oregon, 2025. Grant Romoser-Claunch and his family have been through hell. Their son, Simon, was diagnosed at a young age with cancer, and this book contains Romoser-Claunch's reflections on, and processing of, the diagnosis and following treatments. It is a deeply moving account, which - as the parent of a son whose age is similar to Simon's at the time of treatment - hits home a little harder than perhaps it would otherwise. At one point, when the hospital has just informed the family of the cancer's return, Romoser-Claunch writes: "During dinner Simon - only just having turned two years old - prophetically roared, "I'll beat it again!" Filled with pride and hope, trusting and believing it to be true more and more each time he said it, we all cried and erupted with cheers and affirmations." (page 104) Wow. I tear up a little even writing that out.  I can't imagine going through such a journey. T...

Published by Gefen Publishing House Ltd: Jerusalem, Israel, 2026. A very interesting book about a little-known community of people, Endless Exodus tells the history of Ethiopian Jews, from the stories about their possible historical origins, to the the modern desire for many of them to undertake ' aliyah ', or emigration to the nation of Israel. The book is presented in coffee-table format, with wide pages and prominent photographs throughout. Indeed, the history - while interesting - is less of the focus than the photographs themselves, providing a context for the photographs rather than the other way around.  I found this book fascinating, in highlighting a faith community that I had very little knowledge of, and providing an insight into how people in other parts of the world live. Recommended for anyone who enjoys history, geography, religious studies, and anthropology. Completed 10 February 2026. Previous Book ~ Next Book (LibraryThing Prize Books) Previous Book ~ Next B...

Published by Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press: USA, 2025. Each month on LibraryThing, an 'Early Reviewers' list is posted with books that you can win, in return for reviewing them. I have occasionally won eBooks to review through this format, and although the eBook format is not my favourite, I realise that being in New Zealand means that I'm less likely to win physical books. Indeed, usually physical books that are a part of the 'Early Reviewers' list are simply listed as 'Not Available in Your Country.'  Towards the end of last year, however, I noticed that a physical book was available in my home country! It looked interesting, so I put my name into the draw for it, despite the fact that with only a handful of copies available, over 100 people had registered interest. Lo and behold, I won it! And after waiting about eight weeks (international postage takes time) it finally arrived! And this is that book! Aside from being the first physical book ...

Published by Corax Books: USA, 2025. Looking for a book for my reading challenge that was "set in the Arctic or Antarctic", I noticed this book on the LibraryThing giveaway list for July. Nome seems Arctic-y, right?  Well, author Engelhard points on out, on page 259, that: "You may think of Nome as "the North," but its as far south of the pole as Mexico City from Kansas, one hundred miles shy of the Arctic Circle, at the same latitude as Fairbanks (Yet it decidedly looks and feels like the Arctic)." That last bracketed part is my salvation for this challenge. And anyway, the challenge says "set in the Arctic," not "set in the Arctic circle," so I'm calling this close enough. Early on in No Place Like Nome, the author mentions an online review that accuses his books of being "embellished ramblings" (page 40). He embraces this term, insisting that he will not be telling all the well-known stories of the area, but instead foc...

Published independently, September 12, 2024. eBook edition. My third LibraryThing prize, The Curse of the Smoky Mountain Treasure is the most professional-feeling read I've received so far. The version I read may not have had a cover attached to the pdf file, but - I mean, look at that! That looks pretty profesh too, right?? The story is well written and lightly-comedic; Kevin's mother has just remarried, and he now has a step-dad and step-sister, Anne. However, the celebrant at the wedding stumbles over the fact that Kevin has kept his old last name, and Kevin inadvertently becomes "and uh, um... Kevin." This, sadly, fits with Kevin's persona. He is a little bit glass-half-empty, and isn't quite sure what he thinks about the new family dynamic. He is even less sure about the 'familymoon' vacation the newly formed quartet are going on, considering it is camping and hiking, something that neither Kevin or his mum have any experience with, but that Kevin...

Published as an eBook by Elle Hartford, 2024. Volume 7 of 'The Alchemical Tales.' This is the second ebook I have received as a free giveaway through LibraryThing, although I'm not sure how often I will apply for them, considering that ebooks really aren't my favourite medium to read in. However, having received A Thousand and One Alibis, I was 'required' to read and review it.  As I said last time, what a sacrifice! It is interesting to jump into a series on Book 7, but I very quickly got the gist of this world: we are in a fairy-tale inspired fantasy world, with each book vaguely inspired by (though not beholding to) the plot of a specific fairy-tale. In this instance, we meet characters called Jasmin, Ja'far and Gene (that one took me a moment), we have the setting of a vaguely Middle-Eastern inspired desert island, and also encounter a mysterious castle that possibly has its source in magic. However, the story that unfolds is not 'Aladdin' at all...

Published (as an e-book) by YorShi Publishing, 2024. So, I won a book! An e-book, but still!! In order to keep track of the books I own  (numbering over 1000 now) I used to have a particular book app. However, when that became obsolete I joined a separate app/website called LibraryThing, which - among its other features - has a monthly book giveaway competition. Living in New Zealand, I am not eligible for physical books, sadly, but I am able to apply to receive a copy of an e-book, as long as I review it when I get it. Gosh, what a sacrifice to make. So, anyway,  My Name Is Nkechukwuọma is the debut novel of a Canadian-Nigerian author named Gloria, and follows a young Canadian-Nigerian woman as she deals with the usual older-teen issues of dating, rebellion against parents and family dynamics. She also has to deal with the traditional Nigerian elements of her upbringing, including aunts that have quite a large deal of influence over her choices in life, as well as gradually ...