#J.E. Purrazzi

[cultivating-wildflowers]

Books of 2023 - April

Another slow month thanks to a mental block and a whole slew of other projects to work on. Then my nonfic for the month was incredibly dark and depressing, which didn't help the mood.

Total books: 3  |  New reads: 3   |   2023 TBR completed: 3 (1 DNF) / 10/25 total   |   2023 Reading Goal: 32/50

March | May

#1 - Pax by Sara Pennypacker - 3/5 stars (audio)

This book came highly recommended to me from a student about a year ago. It's been sitting in my Audible account for much longer than that (I think I got it during a sale) and when I needed something to listen to at night, I decided to fire it up.

It wins points for consistently lulling me to sleep. Unfortunately the pacing is such that, as I was drifting in and out of consciousness, I'd hear bits and pieces that were very odd out of context.

A solid story, but not in any way remarkable to me. I was pretty bored by the end of it.

#2 - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah - 4/5 stars ('23 TBR, audio)

This book has sat on my shelf for several years while I worked up the gumption to get to it. I honestly couldn't tell you where it came from or why I chose to read it. Then I stumbled across the audio on Hoopla. Audio makes some things easier. Not this book, especially given it was read by the author.

A heavy book, vividly told. This one comes with lots of content warnings, which should be pretty obvious. I had to sandwich this between lighter, happier fiction for my own sake.

A lot like Infidel, if you want a heavy and often depressing biography. (This isn't anything against either book, but they are both rightly depressing, so take that as your warning.)

#3 - Malfunction by J.E. Purrazzi - 4/5 stars ('23 TBR, audio)

The biggest issue I had with this book is not one that affects the rating: the narrator was not good. Awful inflections, stilted dialogue rendering, no emotion, weird pacing for the action sequences. Not a good time.

As for the story itself, I was kind of struggling to follow it? At least in the first half or so, the characters seemed to jump from one situation to another without much motivation apart from the nebulous “don’t die”. Things came together more in the second half, once they received some information that started informing their decisions, but it very much felt like the story happened to them. I don’t think I’d strictly label it a pacing issue, and the writing style itself wasn’t a hindrance, so I got along ok despite occasional confusion over the new situation the characters found themselves in (and there was a new situation every few chapters).

The highlight had to be the main cast itself. The villains and side characters were vague, but Menrva, Cowl, and Bas really shined (setting aside whatever made the author go with those names and especially that spelling of “Minerva”). Bonus points for full-grown adult protagonists with fleshed-out backstories, complex relationships and motivations, and solid narrations that didn’t make me favor one POV over the others.

DNF

The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard - The concept was beyond intriguing, and the opening images reminded me of The Goblin Emperor for some reason, but the writing failed to grab me. The voice itself was bland, but also...vague? Not immersive, I guess. It feels unfair to give up so soon on such a large book but there we are.

The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud - I had this book for over a month and didn't even get a quarter of the way through it. My brain refused to focus. Since I was out of renewals at the library, I returned it to try again later.

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon - Technically I picked up this book in like February, got five pages in, and never came back to it. I had every intention of making an effort but.... Yeah, I'll have to make an effort some other time. Right now I'm just tired of it staring at me.

[rysaarcher]

Book Review: The Legend of Tawhiri by J.E. Purrazzi

I recently had the privilege of reading J.E. Purrazzi’s latest release, The Legend of Tawhiri! This book has been in the works for a while—originally as a blog serial that I never managed to make the time to read despite my interest—and I was super excited for the chance to read and review an ARC copy. (As always, opinions are still fully my own.) What is The Legend of Tawhiri about? There is a…

[bryan-aiello]

Mirage: Speculating on Speculative Fiction #37 H.G. Well W/ J.E. Purrazzi

On episode 37 of Mirage, J.E. Purrazzi is back this time we Speculate on the father of science fiction, H. G. Wells. #podcast #amwriting #scifi #fantasy Visit www.bryanaiello.com for links to subscribe.

https://bryanaiello.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mirage-hg-wells-w-purrazzi.mp3

    On episode 37 of Mirage, J. E. Purrazzi is back to Speculate on the writings cultural merits of H. G. Wells.

Herbert George Wells usually referred to as H. G. Wells, was an English writer. He was prolific in many genres, writing dozens of novels, short stories, and works of social commentary, satire,…

[praise-the-lord-im-dead]

It's release day!!

Join myself, Beth Wangler, Nate Philbrick, and J.E. Purrazzi as we answer questions about Of Myth And Monster!

[deborahocarroll]

Review: Strange Waters Anthology (Phoenix Fiction Writers)

Review: Strange Waters Anthology (Phoenix Fiction Writers)

I’m excited to share with y’all a review for this anthology of sci-fi and fantasy stories from the Phoenix Fiction Writers!

Title: Strange Waters Authors: the Phoenix Fiction Writers

(E.B. Dawson, C. Scott Frank, Janelle Garrett, Hannah Heath, Nate Philbrick, K.L. + Pierce, J.E. Purrazzi, Kyle Robert Shultz, Beth Wangler)

Date read: January 30, 2020

Rating: 5 stars

Genre:Sci-fi / Fantasy / Short…

[hannahheath]

via Hannah Heath https://ift.tt/2KBFGke

[bryan-aiello]

Mirage: Speculating on Speculative Fiction #61 Resurrection in Storytelling, W/ J.E. Purrazzi

On episode 61 of Mirage, J.E. Purrazzi is back this time we Speculate on the concept of resurrection in storytelling. #podcast #amwriting #scifi #fantasy Visit  www.bryanaiello.com for links to subscribe.

https://bryanaiello.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/61-mirage-ressrection-w-J-purrazzi-Mixdown-1.mp3

On episode 61 of Mirage, J.E. Purrazzi is back this time we Speculate on the concept of resurrection in storytelling.

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Science Fiction Author J. E. Purrazzi lives in Florida with her husband, and two cats, and gallons upon gallons of fish tanks.

Malfunction won the first round of the contest at

[bryan-aiello]

Mirage: Speculating on Speculative Fiction #56 W/ J.E. Purrazzi

On episode 56 of Mirage, J.E. Purrazzi is back this time we Speculate on writing and that whats and whys. #podcast #amwriting #scifi #fantasy Visit  www.bryanaiello.com for links to subscribe.

    On episode 56 of Mirage, J.E. Purrazzi is back this time we Speculate on writing and that whats and whys.

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Science Fiction Author J. E. Purrazzi lives in Florida with her husband, and two cats, and gallons upon gallons of fish tanks.

Malfunction won the first round of the contest at https://shoreindie.blogspot.com

More info on her fiction is available on website:

http://www.jillan…

[bryan-aiello]

Mirage: Speculating on Speculative Fiction #48 J.M. Barrie W/ J.E. Purrazzi

On episode 48 of Mirage, J.E. Purrazzi is back this time we Speculate on the creator of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie. #podcast #amwriting #scifi #fantasy Visit www.bryanaiello.com for links to subscribe.

https://bryanaiello.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/48-Mirage-Jillanne-Purrazzi-J.M.-Barrie.mp3

On episode 48 of Mirage, J. E. Purrazzi is back to Speculate on the creator of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie.

Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan.

*** Science Fiction Author J. E. Purrazzi lives in Florida with her…

[bryan-aiello]

Mirage: Speculating on Speculative Fiction #22 Pirates w/ J.E. Purrazzi

On Episode #22 of Mirage J.E. Purrazzi and I speculate on pirates, ARRRRRRR! Now on YouTube and the podcast feed. Check website for links.

https://bryanaiellocom.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/mirage-22-pirate-w-j-e-purrazzi-mixdown-1.mp3

  Pirates:

On this episode of Mirage J.E. Purrazzi and I speculate on Pirates.

Sail the high seas, soar through the wild blue yonder, and chart the depths of the Universe, but escape you will not because wherever ships and commerce converge, there be Pirates.

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Science Fiction Author J. E. Purrazzi…

[rysaarcher]

Book Review: The Raventree Society: Season One by J.E. Purrazzi

Book Review: The Raventree Society: Season One by J.E. Purrazzi

Official rating: 4.5 stars

“Actual” rating: 3 stars

Why the above discrepancy? This book was wonderfully done, but it wasn’t really for me. No, not because it’s horror and I almost never read horror. The problem was that I’m neither an emotional enough or a visual enough reader for this book.

The description in The Raventree Society was perfectly done (more…)

[bryan-aiello]

Mirage #13 - Speculating on Orson Scott Card W/ J.E. Purrazzi

MIrage 13: Speculating on Orson Scott Card w/ @J23hawkE Subscribe on itunes and sticher

Mirage: Speculating on Spec Fiction # 13 Orson Scott Card W/ J.E. Purrazzi

https://bryanaiellocom.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/mirage-13-osc-purrazzi.mp3

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Orson Scott Card is an American novelist, critic, public speaker, essayist, and columnist. He writes in several genres but is known best for science fiction.

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Subscribe on itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/origin-stories-on-creat…

[bryan-aiello]

#64 J.E. Purrazzi Returns

On itunes -- Origin: Stories on Creativity #64 J.E. Purrazzi Returns

https://bryanaiellocom.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/jep-2-64.mp3

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates on my other show Mirage: Speculating on Speculative Fiction.

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Science Fiction Author J. E. Purrazzi lives in Florida with her husband, and two cats, and gallons upon gallons of fish tanks.

Malfunction won the first round of the contest at htt…

[bryan-aiello]

Mirage #6: Christianity in Spec Fiction

Mirage #6: Christianity in Spec fiction w/ J.E. Purrazzi @J23hawkE on #itunes and #stitcher

https://bryanaiellocom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/mirage-6-mixdown-1.mp3

MIRAGE # 6: Christianity in Spec Fiction

Subscribe to this YouTube Channel for updates on other shows like Mirage: Speculating on Speculative Fiction and my vlog: Old Walks Dog

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Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic…