This book grabs you and doesn't let go. The stories leave you examining your OWN life and wondering how you can become a better person. I couldn't put it down until I had finished reading it and would recommend this as a book for EVERYONE. EXCELLENT.

What is it you expect to find in a collection of work that contains both prose and poetry? Is it that we'll see more of the author's dreams or hopes? Perhaps what we expect is to see who the author is deep down inside? I think what we expect to find in a work like this is our own thoughts, our own selves, reflected back at us, so that we can identify with it all the more.

I think in many places, that's exactly what will happen for you. The short stories all seem to have a common thread running through them. Somewhere in each, you'll find something to do with death. Some have a lesson to be learned, some show us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and some have a warning.

In the first story, Crossroads, the title gives us a hint of what will happen in the story. A young man stands at the crossroads, having to make a decision that will affect the rest of his life. There is a lesson here, and a warning. You'll even find a hint of the supernatural.

Personally, I found the poetry of Gregory Banks better than some of his stories. That isn't meant to take away from the stories, but to tell you that his poetry is worth reading. I'm not sure which was my favorite, but There in Your Eyes stands out quite nicely. So does the one called Reflections.

I think the story called Crossroads is probably a favorite of the author's, but one that really caught my attention is titled The Definition of Being Alive. A man fights with the decision of living. Another thatI found intriguing is called Fading Away. It's told in segments that come together at the end and tell a story of a man's life and his love for his daughter. He too is dying.

This is a small volume, less than a hundred pages, but it says a lot in those pages. I think a little editing could help the stories here and there, but overall you'll find it an interesting read. Sometimes a little depressing. I think the author meant for these to be morally uplifting. It's obvious that his Christian morality is at work as he writes, and his love of that faith is woven into the words of his work.

About the Reviewer: Donna "Diamond" Denn works at a Hastings store in the book department, and loves her job. Books are an addiction for her, and she participates in a number of reading groups online, and runs an online fantasy reading group. She also knits, crochets and works on the garden as sidelines, but books are her first love.

"Crossroads and Other Tales" is a unique peak into the human condition, with a twist. Gregory Bernard Banks blends introspective poetry with short stories to tell a range of tales from various points of view. The theme of this collection is tied to crossroads in life in which people are presented with quandaries, weaknesses, hurts, and a host of vulnerabilities. The reader is left to discern reality from fantasy as each tale unfolds and abruptly ends with a conclusion that implies a point, but is typically not clearly defined.

In many tales, the story begins with a character who is consumed by a troubled mind, but ends with an unexpected resolution that the reader could never anticipate. The end of each tale often takes on a quality that is mixed with science fiction, fantasy, or some place outside of the realm the real world. The book begins with Jacob- a boy who found himself making a decision whether or not to commit murder, and ends with Warren- a ninety-three-year-old man who routinely rocks in a rocking chair, until his death. Here, we see the author conjuring thoughts of life being a full-circle in which a beginning of our existence ultimately comes to an unavoidable end. Mr. Banks has indeed created a niche for himself and also uses detailed descriptions to do so. His ninety-one-page book is a mystifying read that has components of the X Files and is dashed with a flavor that proves to be in a category of its own. In fact, words can't quite describe it. Experiencing the journey is the only way to grasp each crossroad, through the author's dark, haunting literary eye.

Andrea Blackstone, author of "$chemin': Confessions of a Gold Digger"
Flavah Reviewer