Indy Writes Books

A Book Lovers Anthology

Fiction - Anthology
400 Pages
Reviewed on 09/18/2015
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Victor A. Davis for Readers' Favorite

As a native southerner, of course I place no stock in the premise that a disproportionate number of great writers come out of the great state of Indiana. So right off the bat, I picked up this book as a challenge. This anthology contains plenty of vanilla works of fiction, but that is the power of an anthology: Out of 20-30 stories, some will shine. Here are my favorites:

Between the Lines, by Ben H. Winters: A very clever, lighthearted story, right up my alley, treading the line between sci-fi and literary fiction. Moving Again, by John Green: This very kooky author cracks me up. I liked the story because it reminded me of my own recent moving experience. Books weigh a lot! Romancing the Book, by Liza Hyatt: Another very close-to-home treatment of the love affair so many of us enjoy with the written word. What Once Was, by Frank Bill: Haunting and violent, reminded me of the Country Noir of Daniel Woodrell. Anna’s Wings, by Angela Jackson Brown: The only story in the collection that made me cry. Not just sad, but beautifully crafted and written. Black Like… Me? by Barbara Shoup: A very powerful treatment of race. She touches on something I’ve recently read from Steven Pinker too, that books help make the world a more peaceful place because they teach us empathy.

I cannot say that I know enough about the editing and publishing process to rate and review the efforts of M. Travis DiNicola to compile this collection. As a writer, I give the bulk of the credit to the writers. However, I am very glad that collectors are out there, trying new and upcoming writers, so that a short read like this can lead a humble reader like myself to discover a half dozen new talented voices.