Vandalism of Words - Book Review

An amusing book about everything and nothing at the same time, July 20, 2011

By 

Yarns and Musings (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Vandalism of Words (Kindle Edition)

I found this as a free Kindle download and decided to read it a month later because the author himself said "What Is This Book About? Great question. The answer is so splendidly simple. This book is about anything, everything and nothing. It is an ideal companion on a bus or train where regular interruptions are guaranteed as every part of this book is very, very short. Ideal also for parents of young children who get interrupted a lot by screaming, crying and toilet training. Great too for those with a limited attention span" and I needed something because my attention span has been short and I didn't want to delve into anything too deep.

Terrific read, no rhyme or reason to his thought processes on any given day, much like I usually feel. Each "chapter" was an amusing excerpt from his blog and I read through it quickly, picking it up here and there. Great sense of humor, interesting commentary on everyday things some of us never would have thought about or if we had, we never gave them another thought, but he did and put it in print.

I liked his writing style so much, I went back and bought one of his books and plan to buy a few more of them.

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Dean Men - Book Review

Priyam's review of Dead Men

Read on July 08, 2011

One of my best reads ever! That I completed the book in less than 24 hours should give you a hint how gripping it was. Never a pretty read but a stunning work of reality. Beneath all the ‘ugliness’ (as the author points out) one appreciates the sensitivity of the characters. Not quite perfect, but undoubtedly human. With flaws, regrets, qualities and scars as anyone else. Life, of course, goes on and Hope, at the end of the day, is the fuel we all need to survive. The author makes it clear at the beginning with: “A story that may surprise, offend or shock, but will certainly not be forgotten.” He is, as always, correct.


Picking up a book about reality in its most honest form is never easy. Thinking that some people actually go through all that is even harder. Perhaps it isn’t a mystery that fantasy sells so well. We all seek the unreal to avoid ‘ugly’ reality. Those caught up in that reality are shady figures. Sometimes books like these are needed for a dose of reality. To tell the stories about the shady figures that we neglect or forget to care about.


A page turner, as all his other books, this author can always connect with you. His characters stay with you. You can almost watch them in your head. That is how strong an effect he has with his writing. His word play and mixing of the visual element with the overall mood is stunning too. You might even be tempted to reread some portions that are truly emotive. Then you’d keep going back to it. One cannot help but appreciate the act of bravery that this book is. A memorable read!

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February The Fifth - Book review

February The Fifth by Derek Haines

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Delightfully quirky....

...insanely imaginative...intensely insightful...just plain fun. 

Derek Haines employs all of his impressive writing skills in this fantastic tale of February, Supreme Potentate of the Twelve Sun System of Gloth. 

I'm grateful to Amazon Kindle, which offers a platform for exciting authors like Haines to reach out to readers globally. Haines uses an elegant narrative style in this tale of February's rise to Royalty. If you enjoy a strange and eclectic story that is both beautifully crafted and "really out there", you will love this e-book. 

Donna Carrick 

Author of The First Excellence

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Vandalism of Words - Book Review

Natalie Valentina's review 

Jul 08, 11

bookshelves: my-alltime-favorites 

Read in July, 2011

This is a brilliant little compendium about how Derek Haines sees the world.

Like a "best of" of his blog... I find his thoughts quirky, funny, intelligent, sarcastic, twisted, insightful, wise and so utterly inescapable that I shared it with my husband, reading it to him. (Yes I forced him to listen at first)But then he started asking for more... And my husband is hardly enthusiastic about anything!(except my cooking) but now I am deviating a bit...

If you orgiastically acclaimed Malcolm Gladwell and his "what the dog saw" witch was a bit of a let down to be honest... Kind of the emperors new clothes... if You know what I mean... Then you will love this one. Its just less pretentious. And much more fun.

On a more personal note: This book has definitively established Derek Haines as my favorite author/writer I have EVER read. (I am reading his work backwards, I know) Thank you, Derek!

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