"Joy and pleasure are as real as pain and sorrow and one must learn what they have to teach. . . ." -- Sean Russell, from Gatherer of Clouds

"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." -- Helyn D. Goldenberg

"I love you and I'm not afraid." -- Evanescence, "My Last Breath"

“If I hear ‘not allowed’ much oftener,” said Sam, “I’m going to get angry.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, from Lord of the Rings

FTC Compliance Statement

The FTC insists that any reviewer disclose any material connection between themselves and the purveyor of any product they are reviewing. If, for example, a publisher sends me a book and I review it here, according to the FTC I am being paid for that review. (And considering what used books sell for, that's a good way to starve to death.)

The works I review in "Reviews in Brief" in this site were either purchased by me or are available online at no cost. I have not been paid for any review published here (quite the opposite, in fact) and any such reviews are done solely at my pleasure.

Any variation from the above will be noted in the individual review, but don't hold your breath. I have other venues for publisher-provided materials.