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1,485 Public Reviews Given
1,578 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
I look for a good hook at the beginning and like stories that "hit the ground running". Good plots with a theme, strong characters with an emotional impact, moving dialogue, sensory descriptions, clear communication and words with a purpose are strong points of a good story.
I'm good at...
knowing a good story when I read one. I like to read as much as I like to write, maybe more. I will let you know when a sentence just does not make sense to me, and I will try to give you my opinion on how to make it better.
Favorite Genres
biographical, family, drama, mystery, comedy, nature, young adult
Least Favorite Genres
sci-fi, erotica, fantasy, mythology
Favorite Item Types
short stories, essays, fiction & non-fiction
Least Favorite Item Types
novels
I will not review...
novels...sorry, no time
Public Reviews
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51
51
Review of FRIENDS  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (4.5)
Good Morning,

What a beautiful way to start the day. As I read through this, I couldn't help but smile, all the words so very true. Do you have the music first or the words first? As you can see, I know nothing about songwriting, but poetry, yes, this is lovely.

I see you are new to wdc and I want to welcome you to the community. Please keep writing and sharing.

Connie
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52
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (4.5)
Good Morning,

I found your title interesting and I enjoyed your article on a camping and hiking trip in a beautiful region of India, which I assume is near your home.

Wild dahlias must be a sight to see. In the State of Delaware in the U.S.A. where I grew up they were not wild but prolifically grown by gardeners and most beautiful. Sadly, where I live now in Florida, it is too hot for them to flourish.

October is a favorite time of mine, too, just cool enough to get outside in comfort. You call them hills but here in Florida they would be mountains (which we do not have). I love your descriptions of your cabin and of the camaraderie around the campfire and of your hiking adventure. With your pals I know it was a good time.

Thanks for sharing your travelogue and please keep writing. And I notice you are a recent member so "welcome to writing dot com."

The very best to you,
Connie
53
53
Review of TIME  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Good Morning Angus,

This is beautiful, so short but with such an impact, and so very poetic.

I'm not sure why you did not enter it in the contest. It certainly has merit, speaking to the past, the future, and the now, ending with hope.

I have nothing to offer to make it better. It is perfect as is. Thanks for sharing.

Connie
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54
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hi Judity,

What a sad ending. Of course, I know that all endings are not happy but I'm always expecting one.

Your story is well-written and well-told, very believable, keeping me interested in what would happen next. Sad to think this may have actually happened to people. And so many people had to re-locate because of fires, sometimes losing all their possessions, even pets. My heart goes out to them.

Thanks for sharing this, for putting a tragedy into perspective. You're a joy to read.

As always,
Connie
55
55
Review of Where to Meet God  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Good Afternoon,

I stumbled upon your article while clicking the "read and review" link, and what an extraordinary find, especially for the time in which we find ourselves.

Maybe it's just the friends I have on Facebook or my exceptional neighbors or my loving family, but I find the footprint of God everywhere, more now than in "normal" times. Or maybe like you say, now we have the time to look.

What ever it is, may it continue on. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. God bless you.

Connie
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56
Review of Brewing Coffee  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hi Neva,

I love this description of your memories coming back to you of coffee-making in the morning. It was written so well, I just flew right through it and then had to go back and read it again...and again.

Such picturesque wonderful words of something most of us can relate to. I loved 'the coffee maker's melody whispers sweet nothing to my mind.' The only think wrong was that I was not holding a cup of coffee while I was reading it.

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful thoughts and stay safe and healthy.

Connie
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57
Review of My Life's Musings  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hi Jeannie Cheering for Martel ,

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this short synopsis of your life so far. Although I was sad for your family losses, I could tell that your attitude gave you strength to carry on.

I imagine with all those animals to feed and take care of that you have a very busy life, but having things depend on you, I find, helps a person get up in the morning. I live alone now having lost my kitty recently but I am just now contemplating getting another. At first I couldn't comprehend that...as you intimate with the loss of your German shepherds. Still, I am only in the thinking about it stage.

I have a brother-in-law who lives in the St. Paul area but have never visited there. It sounds beautiful, though, from all I have heard, beautiful but very cold in the winter.

Your writing is nice easy reading, which I love. I hope you continue on with stories about your life. Thanks for sharing this.

Connie
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Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hello,

I was saddened by Maya Angelou passing, such a wonderful writer and such a wonderful person.

Your poem does her justice, a nice tribute. I like best your lines....

"ascended
into the poet's paradise
where her fiery voice became
rainbow wings"

If anyone deserves rainbow wings, Maya does. May she rest in peace and forever dwell in our hearts.

Thanks for sharing your poem.

Connie
59
59
Review of David's Life  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
Hello,

This looks like the beginning of a memoir. You've gotten off to a very good start, mentioning many interesting things in your life to hook a reader, especially trying to kill your little brother.

This part could serve as a prologue to your story. I suggest you begin the memoir with the topic of your last sentence, leading with dialogue in first person.

If you're writing in Word, you can do a grammar check and fix a few things, but don't change your writing style. It's authentic and in your face.

Thanks for sharing and I hope you write some more.

Connie
60
60
Review of Knowing  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Hello,

This looks like a case of the verbally-abused wife plus a philandering husband. But she gets her revenge in the end. When she was parking, I immediately thought of the scene in Fried Green Tomatoes (Kathy Bates, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx0z9FjxP-Y) and had a little chuckle.

I like your descriptions of the enemy, each one having its purpose until the very end when the wife finally puts the scent together with a memory. Then, she got that Kathy Bate's fury and did the deed.

Cute story, well-written. Thanks for sharing.

Connie
61
61
Review of all I see  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Hello,

You have done a good job of describing the act of knitting, knitting a scarf, most likely a loosely constructed one since it has a lacy look. I'm thinking it must be on large needles. And it's a simple pattern since there are no increases or decreases, no stitch overs or cables.

Then your last verse switches to visual art, the open spaces between the stitches, the negative space per your title. So I am picturing a lacy-looking scarf, soft yet warm because after all, it is yarn. It's almost as though you are meditating as you are knitting, counting stitches as your mantra.

Thanks for sharing your hobby and your writing.

Connie
62
62
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hi Joy,

I found this on read and review, and it is exactly what I need right now. I'm editing my memoir (for some time now), and it reinforces what I am trying to do. It's very difficult to write about the emotional times of one's life, but that's what makes the story interesting, that and how you write about it.

I think my starting point is decided with the "problem" presented quickly among other background info. Memoir is difficult since the protagonist is almost interchangeable with the antagonist, at least in my case.

Thanks so much for writing this. I have favorited it so I can come back as often as needed, which will be often.

Connie
63
63
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Hello,

It's the Genie Tale updated with a lot of new laughs. I've heard that saying many times but you give it new meaning. Will there be a sequel to this story? For Alex' sake I hope so. That would be a terrible way for one's life to end.

I only saw one change I would make. In the sentence "I thought genie’s only granted three wishes." I think genie's should just be plural with no apostrophe. I was too busy reading though to look for errors

Great writing and great story. Thanks for sharing.

Connie
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Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi,

This is a nice story about how things can work out even when things don't work out. That sounds crazy but you know what I mean.

I'm glad Cassie and Adeline remained friends.

For your first story I think you have done a wonderful job on a tough and emotional subject. Your dialogue was natural and your writing was easy to read.

Thanks for sharing.

Connie
65
65
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Hello,

Obviously, McClatchy and Shaw were partners in crime, but we never hear what crime Quentin, Paul and Rusty committed. Apparently, they owed money and when Golpe was unable to collect, their assets were being liquidated. Quite a little story you have here with a lot left to the reader's imagination. Adding insult to injury, even the hummingbird wanted nothing to do with them. The operatic solo under stress was a nice touch. You certainly put a lot into such a short story.

Thanks for sharing your writing.

Connie
66
66
Review of Gone, Gone, Gone  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Hello,

This was too funny. It could be a "how-to" handle problems at your local bar. I liked the way the dialogue did all the telling and showing in the short story. Excellent. And you leave plenty of white space to keep the reader reading with no problem.

You don't say what contest, but I hope you did well. Thanks for sharing your writing.

Connie
67
67
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Hello,

Rusty certainly learned his lesson to not mess with another man's shillelagh no matter the man's size. That was a magic shillelagh that did its own fighting. Haha.

You tell the story well leaving lots of white space to rest my weary eyes. I like your native language insertions. They make the story authentic even though I had no idea how to pronounce the words.

Here's to the leprechauns! Keep on writing.

Connie
68
68
Review of Over the Top  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Hello,

Oh my golly, poor Jack. I think he's in for it. Congratulations on your Cramp win today. You've written a very cute story which probably has a lot of truth in it, all except for the shotgun, we hope.

The two jokes really added to the story and helped clear up any doubts about either one's personality. Your dialogue was believable as well.

Thanks for sharing your writing and keep on.

Connie
69
69
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hello,

Yes, November is a good time to count blessings since Thanksgiving, for the ones who are lucky, is so bountiful.

Each line of your poem bring back a memory so you have clearly bridged the gap to interact with your reader. I love cats and chocolate and coffee, turkey and cranberry sauce, not so much. Actually, I'm vegetarian. I like cranberry bread. My late husband's relatives used to do the oyster stuffing, and I too have made cranberry sauce, but I'm still not fond of it.

The bell ringers seem to come out earlier and earlier, but that's okay. The Salvation Army is my favorite from way back. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without them.

I like your memories and your blessings. I hope we can continue to have them for many years to come. Thanks for sharing.

Connie
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70
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: ASR | (4.0)
Hi Archie,

I found your very short article under the "read and review" topic. I hate to say it but, yes, I have read lots of books about nothing, and they weren't books about space. And they weren't intentional...I don't think.

The Science of Empty Space does sound intriguing, but I tend to race through books so it might be dangerous to my health. Just kidding.

And I do agree with you about golf, but bowling, not so much. At least I used to bowl and enjoyed it, so naturally I enjoyed watching others bowl. Of course, all that is in the far and distant past.

Thanks for helping me think about nothing, and keep up the good work. *Smile*

Connie
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71
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hello Daniela,

This is such a sad but touching story. I am so thankful for people with kind and loving hearts like your grandfather. I hope his family was understanding and supportive of his decision to treat Dora as he did.

Thanks for sharing this uplifting story and please keep writing.

Connie
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72
Review of Watching Time Fly  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hello NordicNoir,

This story is an interesting concept, time going backward instead of forward. I like the examples you gave of exactly what would happen, especially the bread stale as soon as it came out of the oven.

Actually, it seemed to me both of these people must have escaped from somewhere. *Laugh*

Cute story...keep on writing.

Connie
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73
Review of The Magic Shop  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Hello Arakun,

Magic has turned out to be common sense, but everyone needs to think they have a little magic in their lives. It makes doing the right think so much more exciting. The real magic was getting the guy to come into the shop to begin with so that was Cassandra's magic.

Thanks for sharing your short story and may all good witches continue their magic.

Connie
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74
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hello Ridinghood,

I read your story on Facebook (Kare Enga) and had to come looking so that I could give you a review. I enjoyed it immensely.

So many things you mentioned brought back memories to me. I was never quite the Beatles fan you were, but I definitely liked (and like now) them and their songs.

You had a wonderful ending to your story, playing for the elderly; it tugged at my heart. Finding that old accordion in a pawn shop was almost a miracle!

Thanks for sharing and write some more stories!

Connie
75
75
Review of Thomas' Pain  
Review by Happy 2024!
Rated: ASR | (5.0)
Hi Robert,

I couldn't help laughing as I read your story (and I'm a vegetarian so I am very ashamed). I get the references to Thomas Payne and all the cynicism and irony. Making fun can lead to hilarious tales. But really, poor Thomas and his dimwit brethren. Sometimes I feel like that myself.

Thanks for sharing your wit and good story-telling and keep writing.

Connie
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