Disclosure: Michael Reed and I share the same publisher, and also the same need for honest reviews. I was happy to see that Mike’s story was poignant and funny.
As I read Songs from Richmond Avenue, Sheryl Crowe’s All I Wanna Do (is have some fun) played in my mental background. Bar flies looking for an excuse to keep drinking and avoid life. The cast of characters reinforce this for a time, but intervention from Michelle, the female interest for the unnamed narrator, Honey, the pragmatic stripper, and Ned, the street person/guardian angel move the story beyond the grimy walls of the Relix Bar.
In time for the Super Bowl, the city of Houston itself becomes a focal point with crowded buses, stop ‘n shops, dangerous streets, criminals, and even the specter of Enron competing with the sounds and life styles of a vibrant, historic city.
The narrator’s quest for Michelle, his hope for a better future, and Dr. Bob ‘s Nightmare, a local jazz group gone from the music scene, result in the revelation of a path forward from an unlikely source who reminds him that home isn’t always a physical entity, but rather the place where your songs can lift you to better things.
I rate the story a four-star. It keeps the reader turning pages while navigating the Bayou City at a breakneck pace which is sometimes confusing.
As I read Songs from Richmond Avenue, Sheryl Crowe’s All I Wanna Do (is have some fun) played in my mental background. Bar flies looking for an excuse to keep drinking and avoid life. The cast of characters reinforce this for a time, but intervention from Michelle, the female interest for the unnamed narrator, Honey, the pragmatic stripper, and Ned, the street person/guardian angel move the story beyond the grimy walls of the Relix Bar.
In time for the Super Bowl, the city of Houston itself becomes a focal point with crowded buses, stop ‘n shops, dangerous streets, criminals, and even the specter of Enron competing with the sounds and life styles of a vibrant, historic city.
The narrator’s quest for Michelle, his hope for a better future, and Dr. Bob ‘s Nightmare, a local jazz group gone from the music scene, result in the revelation of a path forward from an unlikely source who reminds him that home isn’t always a physical entity, but rather the place where your songs can lift you to better things.
I rate the story a four-star. It keeps the reader turning pages while navigating the Bayou City at a breakneck pace which is sometimes confusing.