--Lindsey Bartlett, Emporia
#ReadLocalKS
"Kansas is everywhere." -Jim Gilkeson I raced through, The Eleven Directions of Kansas by Jim Gilkeson this weekend. These well-written memoir-vignettes take the reader on a journey from Kansas to Germany to Scotland and places in between. From funny to poignant to just downright entertaining, each little essay will make you think about life and all the directions it takes you. --Lindsey Bartlett, Emporia #ReadLocalKS What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
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Between Meadowlark Press and my work with Kansas Authors Club, I read a lot of work by Kansans and spend surprisingly little time reviewing books. There are only so many hats one can wear. I wanted to take a moment to mention They Met at Wounded Knee by Gretchen Eick. This was the Coffin Memorial Book Award winner in 2021 by KAC. It is an amazing book. It certainly fills in the oh-too-many gaps from history classes. It's a book that informs and enrages. A healthy dose of rage is needed, I think, to make us better pay attention and make the much-needed connections between past and present. As well, it is an incredible dual biography, bringing a perspective on native and Euro Americans that I had not experienced before. Eick's ability to explain the setting and time (historically, culturally) while illustrating the details of the Eastman's lives is commendable. Her writing helped me fit so many pieces together. I recommend this book. --Tracy Million Simmons (Emporia) This is a "reprint" from a FB post Tracy made in 2021 What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
A review of Ghost Town Treasure Hunt
by Julie Ann Baker-Brin I'm a kid at heart and found this an extremely fun and quick read. Geo-caching reminds me of a high-tech version of scavenger hunting that I loved when I was younger, and this also reminded me of the Nancy Drew mysteries I enjoyed. I may need to revisit both while I eagerly await the sequels! The adventures these kids take combine the best of both worlds: being out in nature and exploring the neighborhood, plus using technology in a way that builds friendships and community. And though the read is lighthearted and heartwarming overall, it does not shy away from bringing up issues like loneliness, risk-taking, family, learning, big life changes, and other items of concern to all ages. I’ve recently met Abbi via the Kansas Authors Club and she is a gem; looking forward to what she publishes next! #ReadLocalKS Everything is Ghosts, by Tyler Robert Sheldon Finishing Line Press "I loved this poetic trip back through the author's college days. It is filled with glimpses of an Emporia I know and love, through the eyes of another, with his own specific appreciations and history here. The poems left me reflecting on my own college days, a time of encountering strangers who immediately became friends, being open to the future while rubbing elbows with the past." --Tracy Million Simmons TYLER ROBERT SHELDON (D2) is the author of six other poetry collections including When to Ask for Rain (Spartan Press, 2021), a Birdy Poetry Prize Finalist. He is Editor-in-Chief of MockingHeart Review, and his work has appeared in Dialogue, The Los Angeles Review, Ninth Letter, Pleiades, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and other places. Sheldon earned his MFA at McNeese State University. What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Tammy Harder's review of Ann Fell's memoir:
If you're looking for inspiration, this is the book for you. I recognized Ann’s strength the moment she knocked on Marvin Swanson’s door. It took gut-wrenching tragedy and Mother Nature’s adversarial power to convince Ann she had the fortitude to rise from grief and focus on life. Have a tissue handy. You’ll share smiles and tears with Ann from start to finish. You may even catch a glimpse of your own inner strength along the way. #readlocalks Mark Landon's Novel EntertainsShould you read Future Fugitives written by Mark Landon Jarvis? Absolutely. Just because it is a young adult, near-future, sci-fi, teleportation novel should not deter you. I normally read historical romance, and I found the book engaging. Once I had the novel’s world figured out, the characters grabbed me on an emotional level. Each of the main characters portrayed some aspect of my personality in a way that made me wonder what I would do if I found myself in similar circumstances. The clever use of Tic-Tacs added an original twist to the plot. I laughed, gasped, and wiped away an occasional tear as I internalized the plot. Future Fugitives is a worthy read.
#readlocalks Submitted by member Sandee Taylor The Set Up: 1984: Britain’s Biggest Drug Bust, Gretchen Eick, Blue Cedar Press, 2020. Brian Daldorph review It’s hard to fault the ambition of Eick’s novel, telling this story of “Britain’s Biggest Drug Bust” that brings into play not only the dangerous maze of Middle Eastern politics, but also the foreign policies of the U.S., U.K. and Israel, involving the CIA, the British secret service (MI5), arms dealers, the list goes on and on. Eick deftly weaves all these threads together. The basic plot, taken from actual events occurring in the mid-1980s, focuses on the crew of the yacht The Robert Gordon, sailing on a precarious mission off the coast of Lebanon to pick up a huge load of cannabis resin likely grown in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, and ferrying it back through the Mediterranean to the UK where it was delivered to drug runners. Turned out it was all a set-up: police and Customs officers were ready to spring their trap. Eick focuses on the five-member crew of the yacht, led by Keith Brown, the owner of a car-hire business, keen to make a bunch of money by bringing drugs into the UK. He assembles a crew of naifs and sails off to make the pick-up. At every point in the novel, you get the sense that this crew is way out of its depth in these waters, never more so than when they make the pick up off the coast of Lebanon from a group of black-masked, armed men, who just might be a Palestinian faction operating in Lebanon. They don’t really know. From the title of the book, and from plenty of suggestions throughout, we soon get the sense that the crew have been set up by the powers-that-be, pawns in a game that they have small chance of understanding. The book’s a treasury of inside information about the tangled politics of the time, in particular, the CIA plot, led by William Casey, director of the CIA in the Reagan Administration, to illicitly fund the Nicaraguan Contras fighting a bloody civil war against the left-wing Sandanista government. Eick’s research is impressive (sources listed in the back of the novel) as is her confidence in keeping track of all the tentacles of the beast. The historical context of the novel gives everything a kind of gravity and depth that adds to the import of each scene. Though Eick’s very good at painting the big picture, she’s best at showing us the plight of the smaller players in this global drama, the crew of the Robert Gordon yacht carrying tons of cannabis into the UK. They don’t understand the politics of it all: they’re all in it for a bit of adventure and a chance to make quick money. Two of the five crew don’t even know about the cargo, yet they still have to face imprisonment, trial and their lives irreparably damaged even after release. The novel ends with (Eick assures us) an actual exchange between crew member David Bennie and arms dealer and billionaire Adnan Khashoggi (who just might be the mastermind behind all the events here), when Bennie is trying to get his life back together after the trial. Bennie has been working on a yacht in Monaco but has faced police harassment because of his connection with the Robert Gordon case. He realizes that he won’t be able to work on yachts anymore, because of police harassment. Khashoggi’s limo approaches him on the dock and the man himself speaks to Bennie, sympathizing with him for his trouble. David’s response emphasizes the way that he was just one of the little fish caught in the net of the whole affair: “My mates were just ordinary dudes, not enough smarts altogether to organize a major drug heist.” Khashoggi tells him that he won’t be having any problems in the future, and you get the sense that with all the cards that Khashoggi holds as an international arms dealer, he’ll be good for his word. Eick’s so good at holding together the central narrative of this story while locations change quickly and characters come and go. We’re taken on a wild ride through the Mediterranean, to Brixton prison, to Cyprus, to Rhodes, to a ranch in Costa Rica used as a staging ground for shipping arms to Nicaragua. I always got the sense that I was in good hands, that the novelist would bring us, a little breathless, to that last scene in Monaco with Khashoggi saying so much without saying much at all. What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Book Review by member Julie Stielstra Book Review: Robert Rebein's contemporary western, Meadowlark Press, 2024 #readlocalks Robert Rebein, son of a ranching family in southwestern Kansas, knows his people and knows this place. He has packed what he knows into a dense, loving, and clear-eyed saga, a contemporary western of the expected sweeping vistas, rural hardship, galloping horses, rugged (to a fault) men and indomitable (to a fault) women. These "typical" ingredients are layered in with heartbreak, suffering, exaltation, loss, endurance, addiction, aging, grave errors... and the possibility of redemption, starting over, understanding, and patience. Rebein's men and woman are complicated, difficult, sometimes downright infuriating, but they are all worth caring about. I might have done without quite so much automotive product placement (their machinery is *extremely* important to the Bar W denizens); I worried more about what would become of the horses and dogs. But these people and this place are worth getting to know; those who already do know them will recognize them. Rebein knows them well, and paints them with vividness, understanding, and honesty. What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
The Rhino Keeper is a uniquely entertaining historical story which begins in 1740. It focuses on an orphaned rhinoceros named Clara. Douwemout van der Meer finds himself mesmerized by a juvenile rhino and unexpectedly her owner. He employs Zubin, a boy, to help with her care. We follow their travels, trials, and joys from Calcutta, India, over sea and land. They travel around the Cape of Good Hope and settle for a while in the Netherlands. To provide for Clara’s care, Douwemout and Zubin take her on a tour of Europe, where they have encounters with royalty and common folk. Humorous events, endearing encounters, and danger await them as they travel.
This is a dual timeline novel. Andrea, reeling after her breakup with the man she hoped to marry, flies to The Netherlands, where she fills a position at Leiden University to preserve the history of a graveyard which must be relocated because of erosion. Almost from the time she arrives, chance happenings dictate Andrea will learn about Clara’s existence. She becomes embroiled in the fight to preserve the memory of the influence Clara had on Europe in the late 1700s. This is a must read for historical fiction fans. #readlocalks #ksauthors #debutnovel #readersoninstagram #WhatToRead #histfic Remembering Martha, a memoir by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson, provides the reader with a realistic glimpse of life on the Kansas prairie in the early 1900s. Henrikson writes about her Grandmother Martha who helped her father and siblings manage the household after her mother dies in childbirth. At a young age, Martha learns to cook, clean, and tend the garden. Her father is strict and austere but not without love for his family. He demands much from his children to survive the difficulties and dangers of pioneer life. The community helped Martha by offering her ways to earn additional money for her treasures of ribbons or fabric. The author includes believable dialogue and humorous stories several of which made me laugh out loud. I recommend this slim volume to anyone who is curious about this era of early American life. This book won the 2024 Martin Kansas History Book Award presented by the Kansas Authors Club for the best book about Kansas history published in that year. #KSAuthors #ReadLocalKS What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Member Gretchen Eick (Wichita) shares a current Kansas read by Paul Lamb (Overland Park). Paul Lamb (Lamble) is a Kansas author from Overland Park with two wonderful novels that are part of a series. ONE-MATCH FIRE is about a young working class family raising a son amidst from the wife's better off parents. It is about a father's love that begins with setting aside his dreams to marry the girl he loves and raisetheir surprise baby despite constant struggle. A cabin in the Ozarks built by his father is his lodestone and the place he was taught to be a person of integrity and a good man. Their son is different from his father and critical of him as he charts his own path and becomes a doctor. David Clarke's and his wife navigate learning that their son and the cabin is their haven as they learn about each other as adults. A beautiful, moving story. Book 2 PARENT IMPERFECT is the story of son Curt and his partner Kelly and the child they eventually adopt. It continues the saga of family connection despite differences and readers are intrigued to see how Curt comes to appreciate both his child and his father. The story is moving and readers will care deeply about this family and whether it will survive. The child Curt and Kelly adopt is "on the spectrum" and unusual but very creative. Type A Curt has a lot of growing to do. Lamb's ending is gripping and powerful. Both novels are available at bluecedarpress.com or from your favorite book supplier. (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Kobo, WalMart online) both paperback and ebook format. Remember that authors benefit more when you buy from indie presses directly. $20 each --Gretchen Cassel Eick, author of Finding Duncan, The Set Up: 1984, They Met at Wounded Knee, Dissent in Wichita, Where is Ana Amara?, Maybe Crossings, & Dark Crossings What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Member Deborah Linn (El Dorado) shares her thoughts on The Last Rancher, a contemporary western novel by member Robert Rebin (Indianapolis, IN). You know that feeling when you join a friend's big family Christmas or Thanksgiving? You are an outsider but are suddenly privy to all the inside jokes and one-liner snarks and back porch smoking sessions and cemented traditions, and it all seems a little too much and not ever enough all at the same time? You feel that maybe you shouldn't be plopped down in the middle of it, but you also experience this unique sense of warmth, so you don't want to leave? Maybe ever? That's the experience of reading Robert Rebein's The Last Rancher. The Last Rancher is one of the those character-driven stories that stays with you past the pages. It's the story of three adult children who, due to a medical emergency, are forced to face the reality of aging parents and end up examining the passage of time in their own lives--the passing of dreams and expectations and promises made to self and others. Adult children Michael and Annie are summoned home to the ranching community of Dodge City, Kansas where their stubborn father, Leroy; their steadfast mother, Caroline; and their baby brother, Jimmy (Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy...smh...) live. Leroy is in the hospital, possibly dying. Michael must take the financial reins while Annie takes the actual reins in order to keep the ranch alive. Jimmy, even though he still lives in Dodge, has too much baggage to come anywhere near anything that looks like reins. Returning home subjects Michael and Annie to a more realistic view of their lives. Sort of like returning to your old elementary school where everything seems smaller, dirtier, and maybe even a little distorted, Annie and Michael wade through what what perceptions to keep, what to correct, and what to leave behind. The reader can't help but to look inward and wonder the same things about his own life. As much as this is a character-driven family drama, The Last Rancher is more than that. The author works magic with time and place. The reader is drawn in both by the realistically flawed characters and the portrayal of Dodge City, a modern town holding desperately onto the glory of a past that, in reality, wasn't always so glorious. Dodge City was and is a place where it's sometimes hard to tell the heroes from the bad guys. Michael, Annie, and Jimmy struggle with this same problem in their own family, even with their own souls. It turns out that Dodge City, Kansas is the perfect setting for a story full of characters searching for a hero and a direction and a home, and maybe even a truth. There's a little bit of something for every reader in The Last Rancher--sports, cars, horses, violence, romance, drugs, religion, action, introspection, legal drama, family drama, car chases, affairs, loyalty, and love. If you like the Yellowstone series on Netflix, you'll love The Last Rancher. If you like stories with strong female protagonists, you love The Last Rancher. If you like falling in love with bad boys--or bad girls--you'll love The Last Rancher. What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Member Tracy Million Simmons, Emporia, writes about her latest Kansas read, Clocked Out by member Anna St. John, Haysville. Clocked Out is the second book in the Josie Posey Mystery series by Anna St. John. I had every intention of reading Doomed by Blooms, the first book of the series (a 2024 Kansas Notable title!) but I was shopping at Watermark in Wichita and this one, a signed copy, was on the shelf, so I grabbed it! This is a cozy mystery, and the protagonist is very much the type of person I admire and can relate to. She's a journalist, retired from her big city job and now living in a small town in the great state of Kansas. As much as figuring out the mystery, watching Josie put her skills to work for the local police department when a talented young clock maker dies, I really enjoyed learning about the art of making clocks! Horology is a subject I had not spent a lot of time contemplating before this book. I love when a good read includes some educational bonus material. I appreciated Josie's friends, her relationship with the police chief, and the fact that's she's got a blossoming love interest. This is a very enjoyable book and I look forward to seeing what else is in store for Josie in future editions. --Tracy Million Simmons, Emporia, author of Tiger Hunting, a novel, and A Life In Progress and Other Short Stories. What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Michael D. Graves, member from Emporia, shares about his current Kansas read, The Wasp Queen, by Julie Stielstra, member from Ellinwood. A kind queen is possessed by an evil spirit. The king and his princess are frantic. A lady’s maid knows what happened, but who would believe her fantastic tale? A wasp lurks in the shadows. A dog barks the truth - if only humans spoke “woof.” Julie Stielstra weaves a cunning tale of deceit and revenge, leaving us on edge until we reach the happy ending. Or do we? --Michael D. Graves, author of the Pete Stone series What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Member Karis Ens shares her review of a Kansas book! Little Witega, written by R. L. Neely, Hutchinson, is an enthralling novel about a young girl who is thrown into a world of discrimination and belittlement. Neely showcases the simple truth that every person is equal and no race is above another. Little Witega is captivating, heart-rending, and thrilling to the very end. I’m not able to put into words how worthy this book is to be read. --Karis Ens Wichita What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website.
Tracy Million Simmons provided a well-received program on the importance of reading books by local authors. This post includes links that are mentioned in the recording, as well as links that were inadvertently left out. There was some excellent discussion at the end of the approximately 1/2 hour program which is summarized below. Where to find books by Kansas Authors Kansas Authors Club Website
Washburn University's Map of Kansas Literature State Library of Kansas, Notable Books & 150 "Best" Kansas Books List Regional Presses Sign up for their newsletters & follow them on social media. If you know of a regional press missing from this list, please send us a note via "submit news" (right menu bar). Discussion Notes from the July Meeting Many local libraries have rooms or sections dedicated to Kansas literature, past and present. Examples: Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Mabee Library on Washburn's campus Most libraries have a process for suggesting new titles for library aquisition. Member Ruth Maus has a page on her website with instructions for posting book reviews to Amazon & Goodreads. Members are also invited to submit their book reviews to the Kansas Authors Club website. Posting reviews or even just "what am I reading now" photos on social media would work too. Kansas Authors Club maintains a Resources for Writers database. This is in the "member" section of the website. Sign-in is required. Members may add themselves if they provide services to other writers and those looking for services can view the entries. 105 Meadowlark Reader maintains a Resources for Writers document that is updated twice a year and available to download for free. IDEA: What about creating an award for members who read and/or review the most books by Kansas writers. Social Media Hashtags: Let's all use #readlocalKS and #kansasauthorsclub Additional post ideas for the Kansas Authors Club website. Posts with book lists centered around a theme. Members are encouraged and welcome to submit these to our website. Midwest Independent Booksellers maintains an Indie Road Map that includes Kansas bookstores. Ideas to add? Please feel free to share them in the comments to this post. ![]() |
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