Author Rob Radcliffe keeps the made up scribbles to a minimum in this culmination of two years worth of blog posts.Join ‘THE RELUCTANT BLOGGIST’ tackling the delights of early morning children and dieting without potatoes, as he wades into the murky waters of publishing his novels and the backlash that can have with disgruntled ex-girlfriends and their friends.
Rant
By robradcliffe
PREVIEW
Rant by Rob Radcliffe attracts reader interest because we all have the desire to occasionally rant. We know that during these vocabulary projectile exercises possibly no one is listening. We are screaming in our closets. Nevertheless, we feel better. Comedy and humor, added to submissions of intemperate whining, can be entertaining. Laughs is what I will look for in this collection.
METHOD
I tried something different in the way I reviewed this collection. I usually read all the way through a novel, highlighting and bookmarking as I go. Then brief reflection on what I want to write. With this set of stories, I wanted to either comment on each “chapter,” which might include a few negatives in the middle of an otherwise positive review. That experience happened with this collection. My most-oft cited criticism is the heavy amount of self-promotion of other writings which consume at least two chapters. The second most appearing criticism is that links in the collection do not work. When I went to Google to find Radcliffe’s blog, I couldn’t find it. I was able to find several Rod Radcliffe publications on the author’s Amazon page and I am sure I will read more works by this author. Several publications are available through Kindle Unlimited. Radcliffe’s novels are over-all good and have some fresh perspectives but the “unstable” nature of the goodness which comes from self-promotion and non-working links annoy me to the point that I would not pay for the downloads outside a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
The Bit At The Beginning… ***** This first selection has a surprise I don’t quite believe. I ask readers to find the author’s methodology behind this publication and judge for themselves.
A Day In The Life Of A Zingon Camel Lizard ***** Read this through to the end and reflect on your day in the life of a Zingon Camel lizard. I believe we have all had such days.
The Next Step ***** This story amazed me with the amount of time Dad spent dealing with the kids. It is not that Mom was neglectful; it just takes time for eight cups of coffee to process Mom’s body to wakefulness.
Doing A John Hurt ***** Rob has many adventures trying to get proper and timely medical attention. Unfortunately, I can relate and empathize with these types of problems.
Sad Face ***** Substitute activities that make you feel good about not writing. Avoiding creativity 101. Radcliffe expresses fondness for the “Blue Screen of Death.”
Doubting Doubt ***** A note of appreciation to at least one reviewer. Nice read, bordering on the unbelievable.
10,000 Reasons For Gratitude ***** This post is too much about “me” and what I do or have done. But if you are new to self-publishing (and I am not even there yet) this has some good hints about how to proceed.
That Comfort Blanket ***** Too much self-promotion of other books in this post. Combined with the links contained in previous posts (none of which worked) this collection may be veering onto an exit labelled “annoying,” the best German translation being “Ausfahrt.”
The Sacred And Seasonal Cow ***** Observations on several (hunting?) seasons used as a wrapper for self-promotion of his other books.
The Beauty Of Xmas ***** On why Sellotape (the more the better) is the ideal Christmas gift and … self-promotion.
Growing Up And Kids Of Today ***** Yaay!! No self-promotion and good observations on why parents need to be aware of what the kids are downloading.
A Very Personal One Starer ***** A whiney post about getting a one-star review. This post is a turn-off and discouraged at least this reader.
No More Pocket Money At 35 ***** Excellent post on being a single(?) parent of two children but forced to move back in with HIS parents. Wow! Lots of humor. No self-promotion. Good stuff.
The Good, The Bad, And The Lost
(A Morning Ritual Part 1) ***** I am in awe of the way this father managed a three-child morning ritual while Jen (wife) stayed in bed occasionally opening an eye to ask hubby where they were in the progression of the ritual. Good story.
Trials Of The Coco Honey Pop Monster
(A Morning Ritual Part 2) ***** The kids are finally gone. Now it’s time for the morning (lasts until noon) cleaning up. The following quotes apply. This is another great post without self-promotion. The first post is prior to leaving for school. 1) “ ‘Rob they’ve got caramel in their hair. What kind of idiot gives a seven-year-old, a-four-year-old, and a two-year- old…it’s in her eye lashes, how has she got chocolate in her eyelashes?’ (Kindle locations 921-922). This second post foreshadows Rob’s intent for the future. 2) “Or send them to school hungry. They get food there at some point during the day.” (Kindle location 976).
6 o’clock ***** Rob is the Dad dealing with three micro-waved breakfasts and brokering a sibling war resembling the breakup of Yugoslavia. Wife Jen continues to sleep. Good post, but not a situation I could find myself in.
The Calorie Yoda ***** On dieting, calorie loss, and the incomprehensible apps that “help” you with three times a day calorie tracking. Good post, no self-promotion.
Alcohol Is Good For You! ***** An attention-grabbing title for sure! The last post of the collection and a rather tortured examination of how increased alcohol consumption can lead to immortality. Minor self-promotion with links that do not work, so no problem.
Without all the self-promotion, this would get 4.5 stars from me; with the self-promotion, 3.5 stars. I round up.