Joel R. Dennstedt's 3 favorite reads in 2024

The last words uttered in my review of Tom Hoffman’s initial Ghost Ring novel were, “Final Note to Author: Mr. Hoffman, if you do not write a sequel to this book, I will never forgive you.” I was not alone. I know he was reluctant at first to continue his uniquely engaging series. Cooler heads prevailed. Or maybe he was bribed or threatened. In any case, not only did he recently publish this second installment (note how I mean to imply future installments as well), but he exceeded my greatest expectations. Everything seems augmented and finely embellished in this narrative adventure shared by two teen paranormal investigators introduced in Book One.

In this second book — Shadows of Caligo Falls — Tom Hoffman augments and embellishes the relationship between Simon and Clara, the eccentricity and uniqueness of all the ghosts, and the complexity of the mystery to be solved, not to mention the seriously traumatic multiple murders investigated, revealed, and resolved. It might sound paradoxical to say it all makes for rollicking good fun. Perhaps the frequent injection of Hoffman’s incessant and inimitable good humor — which permeates all his stories — is on such great display in this most recent addition. In any case, amidst all the background blood and trauma, the reader never stops smiling and remains immensely engaged and ecstatically pleased with the delightful entertainment.

It might not work again, but I’ll rephrase and say it anyway: “Mr. Hoffman, I will never forgive you if you do not write a sequel to this book.”

At Night We Played In The Road is Chantelle Atkins’s finest work. Considering how prolific this relatively young author continues to be, having now penned 23 works published on Amazon, that is saying something. Still, her writing skills continue to develop and mature, and this latest accomplishment expands her proclaimed milieu beyond that of the Young Adult Genre. Specifically, this book delves deeply, comprehensively, insightfully, and perceptively into the psychological dynamics of brotherhood, mental health, and society’s underbelly. Ms. Atkins may yet be dealing with young adults as her protagonists, but her treatment here acknowledges her maturation into true wisdom and heightened perspective. To convey these qualities so effectively in writing is a significant feat for any author.

In this most recent addition (a stand-alone companion to her 5-book series, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side), Chantelle Atkins introduces two of her most engaging, complex, and exciting characters — two brothers linked by family conflict, illegal activity, and lifelong dynamics gone very bad. Indeed, we are introduced to them when they are reunited with a gun pointed at the head of one. With a well-timed, contrapuntal revelation of “then” and “now” events, we learn how mutual dependence, a neurological disorder, and an unnatural but unavoidable culmination of early life encounters intimately and intricately bind Alfie and Tommy. These all lead to the story’s beginning and outcome: a telling of why that gun is pointed at Tommy’s head and what he and Alfie plan to do about it. A gripping and compelling ride from start to finish.

Authors rarely issue “Reader” books anymore. Michael Hogan shows that to be a genuine shame with his extraordinary collection of exquisite writings - The Michael Hogan Reader. The icing on the cake is a variety of beautiful categories that grace the collection’s contents: Short Stories, Poetry, Flash Fiction, Memoirs, and Essays. Talk about a moveable feast! Mr. Hogan is a highly accomplished and well-established author, noted mainly for his insightful and evocative treatments of lesser-known historical events like The Irish Soldiers of Mexico and Abraham Lincoln and Mexico. What a gift he offers now by showcasing his talent with less academic but equally satisfying reads. One should savor this feast slowly because it ends too quickly.

Much like his haunting Poem For My 70th Birthday, the taste lingers:

Once I lived another life,
and now there are fewer to remember.
Mother gone, father long before
Although the rhythm of their language is inside me still:
scraps of songs and poems mother memorized
of an older time when the forests were primeval
of murmuring pines and hemlocks.
I suppose there was a dog back then as well

Each piece in this too-short compendium of Michael Hogan’s works - The Michael Hogan Reader - resonates with the mastery of his life as a teacher, mentor, writer, and friend. Each story, fiction or non-, captures the essence of life and being human in this world. As such, each narrative mirrors and informs the reader without causing the suffering inherent to their origin and required of the author. One is allowed to absorb the deeper meanings while being pleasantly entertained. The experiences and lessons are the author’s; their pleasure and enjoyment are for the reader.

Or, as Michael Hogan might say it:

But matter has become spirit, and the six weeks creation of a German composer two hundred years ago freshens the fading afternoon in a remote garden of Mexico.