Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Phil Bellfy’s “Merciless Savages (NOT): A how to guide to help you write and talk respectfully about American Indians” provides a culturally appropriate approach for addressing the Indigenous population. He applied humor and honest critical references in this book. The Declaration of Independence referred to the Indigenous…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Eleen Lord’s book Vigil: Poems captures the nuances of everyday life and its vast array of emotions. Lord portrays an early December morning and how cold suspends time. She pictured an old cabin which was currently empty and memories such as counting the time between lightening strikes…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Dylan Bolander’s Until We Meow Again spun a web of supernatural heroism. The story took place in Texas, New Jersey, Marquette, Michigan, an Upper Peninsula of Michigan city (U.P.), rainbow bridges, and various realms outside of the Earth’s plane. In the story there was more than one…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Johnny Storm’s Upper Peninsula in the Sun: Hooray for Camp Days portrayed the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) as an enjoyable place to spend time outside, sight seeing and having fun with family. The main characters were the author’s family who spent time at the Keweenaw Peninsula and…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Terri Martin’s Straw Horse was filled with intrigue, suspense and humor coupled with a blooming romance. The story took place in the Northwoods at a fictional town called Peshekee located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.). The main characters in the book were Kat, Nikko, Sheriff…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Clyde Wainio’s If it Snows, Go Fishing: 60 Years of Stream Fishing in the Copper Country celebrates a lifetime of fishing adventures in the captivating Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P). Main characters in the story were Ed, someone he fished with for years, his brother Wil, his…
Review by Sharon Brunner Linda M. Kramer and Carol L. Schultz offer a fun and entertaining story about puppies and dogs in their book “Nibble Nosers Can’t Drive” and portray dogs’ endearing behaviors. The term nibble noser was derived from a dog’s and puppy’s need to smell and chew. As…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Richard P. Smith’s Understanding Michigan Black Bear, 3rd Edition offers an extensive review covering the habits, attacks, and hunting of Michigan black bears. These well-researched bruins have exhibited avoidant and dangerous behaviors. They may run away if yelled at or may attack if they feel threatened. Some…
Reviewer Sharon Brunner Joshua Veith’s Dark Straits (Sudden Quiet: Book II) offered a haunting view of survival while various groups battle for regional control. The outbreak of deadly diseases led to the collapse of societal law and order. The various groups involved in the story were Rangers, Indigenous, Eco-elves, and…
Review by Sharon Brunner Raymond Luczak has captured the essence of the Deaf experience with all of its complications in his book The Language of Home: Stories, which took approximately 40 years to write. The time the stories took place varied from the 1970s to perhaps present time and it…
Review by Sharon Brunner Michael and Evie Carrier brought to life dangerous situations, passionate and enduring love, and the trials and tribulations of a young couple in their memoir “Trax: We Made in New York 1968-72.” Michael provided a disclosure at the beginning of the book about their different recollections…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Kenneth C. Bracco’s “Michigan Auto Company: Calumet’s First Auto Dealership and the Man Behind it” brought to life stages of the automobile industry and other life changing events from 1900 to the 1960s. Other places mentioned in the book were Detroit and Chicago besides the main location…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Michael Carrier’s “Liz” reveals a world filled with illegal drugs, murder and kidnapping. Our story happens in San Francisco and Sault Ste. Marie, a community in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) and the time period of the story is current time. The main characters were Jack,…
Review by Sharon Brunner M.F. Erler has woven an intimate tale filled with despair, hope, and resiliency in her book An Irish Odyssey: from Despair to Hope. Maggie, Thomas, John and Mary were some of the main characters who struggled to succumb to the hardships placed upon them by the…
Review by Sharon Brunner Jon C. Stott embraces the advent of the seasons, the mysterious and magical allure of nature and many treasured memories in his book “Wild Blueberry Summer: More Upper Michigan Moments and Memories.” Some of the main characters in his book were woodland creatures, waterfowl, old friends…
Review by Mack Hassler “A doctor gave his patient six months to live, but he couldn’t pay his bill, so he gave him another six months.” — Henny Youngman, comic (1906-1998) Recent Yooper writers of humor that I have reviewed may or may not know Henny Youngman’s one-liners, but I…
Reviewed by Sharon Brunner Nia To Go There’s matwân cî …wondering about now and then and everything everywhere poetry book portrays an innate intimacy between animals, birds, humans and inanimate objects between worlds. Stories, language, dances and visions exist and were experienced everywhere with everything. In other words, the time…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Steve Lehto’s “Death’s Door: The Truth Behind the Italian Hall Disaster and the Strike of 1913 (Second Edition)” offers a detailed account of the 1913 Christmas Eve mayhem and the corruption behind the strike in the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. The peninsula is located in the northwestern…
