April 2023 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature
Mystery & Thrillers
ALFIE: Earth's
Last Hope
Ignacio F.
Bunster-Ossa
Inspiration Pointe
Press
978-0996840644
$14.95 Paper/$9.95 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/ALFIE-Earths-Ignacio-F-Bunster-Ossa/dp/0996840648/
ALFIE: Earth's Last
Hope will delight hard sci-fi
readers with its contrasts between a high-tech
future's ability to mitigate the ecological devastation of Earth and
the
realization that Earth's environmental degradation and abuse are not
something
to flee from; but tasks important to acknowledge and fix. Can humanity
save its
home?
Opposing
forces
and special interests each try to influence the planet's future. There
is a
stark disparity between saving the planet's biodiversity and plundering
it to
the bitter end, and this dichotomy is illustrated in the course of a
story that
follows each train of thought about the planet's future and mankind's
responsibility in managing it.
Add
an alien
intelligence into the mix that also holds its own special interests and
influences for a tale that brings to life those who would party away
their
inheritance and those who would preserve it.
Ignacio F.
Bunster-Ossa surveys suspended lives, errant behaviors,
technology-laden
futures, and the impact of attitudes and choices which lead to conceit,
blind
rage, the ethics of an ecological approach to managing landscapes and
communities, and the ultimate impact of profiting from planetary
changes.
While part of
the tone of the story lies in a romp through social, political, and
technological decision-making follies, injecting a wry ironic humor
into
unfolding events, it also represents a thought-provokingly powerful
examination
of what happens when humans exploit nature without concern for its
demise or health.
The
ecological and
social messages embedded in this story pair hard sci-fi with social
issues in
an unusual, revealing manner.
ALFIE: Earth's Last
Hope is highly recommended to
sci-fi and social issues readers not just for
its futuristic focus, but for its many considerations of human impacts
on the
planet. These portraits venture into realms of good, evil, and the ways
in
which mankind burns itself in the process of plundering the world.
Return to Index
Avelune
Larissa N. N. Davila
Stone Raven Press
979-8-9851260-4-4
$23.95 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.StoneRavenPress.com
Avelune continues
the Sky Seekers epic
fantasy series with a third book that expands the stark world of rival
clans
begun in the debut novel Shorn.
Here, Jhared Denaban, a
young Shorn man, clashes with his
own kind and with those who have long sought to enslave him.
Larissa N. N. Davila paints
a compelling portrait of a
world and an individual teetering on the edge of chaos. She is
especially adept
at encouraging her readers to consider the impact of Jhared's
conflicting
missions on his own goals: "...what if your Teachers are hunting
for you on the Paths? Don’t you risk drawing their attention each time
you
travel? Aren’t you more vulnerable when you exhaust yourself?”
As Jhared travels among
friends and foes, and toes a
dangerous line between revelation and destruction, he comes to realize
that the
hurt he's suffered defies healing—but may be the driving force marking
his ability
to change his world.
The epic clashes presented in Avelune are
as much psychological as they are physical as Jhared, driven in
directions he
never thought he would travel, accepts his destiny and rejects his
dreams: "More
than anything Jhared wanted what Moravel offered, but he
could not be healed. He was Shorn. The skies would never be his."
If the devil offers to fill
an impossible dream, does he
become a savior, or a force ending everything?
Throughout the course of the
story, Jhared searches for
an elusive truth and gains the wings to fly with it. Jhared's journey
is a
compelling search for discovery and redemption that leads readers on
another
breathtaking flight of fantasy.
Libraries seeing enthusiasm
for Shorn and Cael's
Shadow will
find this third volume in the Sky Seekers series to be just as
action-packed as
its predecessors. Prior fans who have the grounding in this world to
appreciate
its ongoing battles will relish the unexpected directions undertaken by
Jhared
in Avelune,
which introduces readers to unexpected love and a
strange source of freedom.
Return to Index
The
Borderlands
of Forever
Jeff B Willey
Outcosm Creations
978-1-7386602-0-9
Price: $22.22 Hardcover
/ $14.03 Paper / $3.33
ebook
Website: www.Outcosm.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Borderlands-Forever-Illustrated-Novel/dp/1738660206
Speculative
fiction
readers well know that the pickings in this genre are relatively slim,
compared
to traditional sci-fi and fantasy. The Borderlands of Forever blends elements of cyberpunk, dystopian
fiction, AI challenges, and urban fantasy in its speculative tale of
shifting
realities, and will delight those who look for complex,
thought-provoking
scenarios embracing humanity's evolutionary process.
A
timeline of
events opens the story in 2043, when humanity first encountered the
Voing. The
tale then moves through time to the 2200s, when humans and machines are
integrated
and facing new potentials together, and finally to the inevitable clash
of the
Paroxysm in 2888.
It
should be
noted that the account starts in 2106 and jumps back and forth through
time
until the end of everything in 3113. This non-linear progression may
stymie
those who anticipate the usual set series of advancements of a
traditional
plot, but will delight readers seeking more intellectual and
thought-provoking
flows from the characters and planet-changing circumstances that
develop.
Treks
and revolutionaries,
revised wild worlds and super-intelligences which traverse its
boundaries, and
questionable trails that lead to unexpected answers mark a vivid saga
that
takes the time to inject environmental inspection and a sense of place
into its
ethereal setting:
"We found the gelatinous mass of a
slime-mold resting on a tree stump, its cellular body in a slow-motion
ooze,
bending light through itself. Transparent butterflies. Monkey
trip-lines. Quetzals called to each other unseen, a song
of three repeating elements. Smudges of vibrating colour were all we
could
perceive of hummingbirds, who like hyperkinetic electron clouds never
localized
in one place."
The
characters
play with atomic fire, choose battles (sometimes carefully and others
carelessly), and fight for control of the minds of people, facing
perceived
malevolent forces that would employ high technology in newly dangerous
ways.
As
humanity
moves from Earth to the stars and reinvents itself both physically and
psychically, so changing prophets and belief systems confront strange
attitudes, new worlds, and possibilities that both blossom and contract
to
redefine mankind's endeavors and countenance.
From
starships
to cloud forests, these adventures push the definition and experience
of humanity
in a manner that will lend to thought-provoking book club discussions
and
sci-fi reader contemplation.
However
you
define it, The Borderlands of Forever is
an adventure in evolution that contrasts the revised intentions of men
with the
machines and drives that bring them into alien territory, both within
themselves and in the outside world.
Libraries
looking for engrossing speculative works must
include The Borderlands of Forever in
their collections as a literary example of the power in blending
philosophical,
technological, and social inspection within a speculative sci-fi
overlay.
Return to Index
Eliza and the Alchemist
Carlos Lacámara
Fixed Mark Productions, Inc.
9798986742700
$16.95
Website: clacamara.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWJ62NDC/
Eliza
and the
Alchemist blends fantasy and humor in a story that traverses
different
worlds, from a twenty-three-year-old urban gang banger still living at
home
(but facing the possibility of change) to circumstances that introduce
him and
Eliza to new worlds they've never navigated before.
Jaime is once again staring
into the barrel of a gun as
the story's prologue opens. Eliza appears in the first chapter in a
very
different situation as she navigates a relationship and contemplates an
intimacy she can't accept. She is a young woman on the cusp of great
things,
entering new adulthood with many possibilities and much strength in
hand.
As disparate characters and
worlds intersect, readers are
treated to a story that moves through fantasy and reality with equal
dexterity.
Eliza finds many of her
blossoming abilities thwarted by
her latest pursuit ("Her failure as
a detective was only surpassed by her failure as a woman."),
while
Jaime faces his own repetitive patterns of failure ("Jaime
covers his face and waits for the next punch, just like he’s done
all his life. Just like he’ll keep doing for forever and ever.").
When she falls out of her
world and into a mystery and
adventure upon entering Professor Crowley's office, Eliza finds herself
on an
express train through hell, riding into a reality that exists just
beneath her
own perceptions. Is she psychotic or insane, or is she seeing ghosts?
And what
is Oliver Crowley doing in her dream, if so?
As reality and fantasy
entwine, Eliza and Jaime's
disparate lives come together in a James Bond-style series of scenarios
involving assassins, demons, and evil.
Carlos Lacámara's infusion
of adventure, self-discovery,
and magical realism creates a story replete in mystery and explorations
of
different situations that ultimately challenge each character to not
just
survive, but evolve.
Libraries looking for urban
fantasies that flavor their
reality-busting stories with wry humor and nonstop action will find Eliza and the Alchemist a riveting tale
that's impossible to predict and hard to put down.
Return to Index
The Final
Season: Planet Gallywood #1
Andrew Gillsmith
Independently
Published
979-8367783919
$14.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Final-Season-Planet-Gallywood/dp/B0BRYY11XJ
Fans of the
quirky
sci-fi novels of Douglas Adams now have a new author to follow: Andrew
Gillsmith. His prowess at blending irony, humor, intrigue, and life
inspection
shines in much the same manner as Adams in The Final Season: Planet Gallywood #1.
The prologue
introducing
this milieu sounds like a classic Adams observation: "If
the inhabitants of Rexos-4 had anything resembling a common
creed, it would almost certainly have been "Mxtlpicam bnak ooligapn,"
which in most languages translated to something like "What's the bloody
point?" In the original Rexan tongue, the question mark had been
dropped;
deemed as not only unnecessary but also contrary to the spirit of the
expression. There was indeed no bloody point, and the Rexans damn well
knew
it."
With this,
the most
popular entertainment franchise in the known universe sets off into a
foray in
which the Rexans face the end of their world with an attention to
pulling off a
grand finale in a manner never seen before.
As Gallywood
executives and participants struggle to create the spectacle of going
out with
a bang, readers are drawn into a rollicking ride that explores the best
of all
possible worlds—even if it does reside on the edge of apocalypse.
From
virginity broken
to galactic civilizations that exist not by "darting around amongst the
stars and doing great things," but by people who are "carrying on
about their lives and trying to make their way through the workweek
without
being discouraged to the point of giving up," Gillsmith adopts a
speculative tone that enables characters to dance around each other and
the
biggest concern and objective overriding their lives ... their demise.
Between government
lotteries and rescue attempts to the entertainment businesses's
management of an
end of the world spectacle, The
Final Season is
simply outstanding. It's a prime example
of science fiction's venture into new worlds, sparked by a future
entertainment
industry gone awry.
Is there a happy ending to
the saga, or a tragedy?
Libraries and readers
looking for Douglas Adams-style
sci-fi inspections on steroids will find The
Final Season a colorful examination of life's meaning,
death's universal
threat and promise, and the efforts of media to capitalize on it all by
pinpointing the meaning of and irony behind everything, including
entertainment.
Return to Index
The Healer's Miraculous
Discovery
Stephen Robbins
Independently Published
978-1-66786-561-4
$18.27
Paper/$6.49 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Healers-Miraculous-Discovery-Stephen-Robbins/dp/1667865617
What does it mean to
discover a power that mandates one
not only utilize it for the greater good, but capitalize on its
presence and
meaning?
The
Healer's
Miraculous Discovery is a novel of fantasy and life
possibilities that
revolves around young Stevie Katz's discovery of an object in his
parents'
store that gives him extraordinary healing abilities. The unexpected
power he
exhibits leads others to herald him a kind of savior—an illusion that
he begins
to embrace himself as he moves away from the idea that his abilities
come from
other than his newfound inherent divinity.
At first Steve protests the
charge that he represents
some kind of miracle: “I can’t explain
it,” Steve said as his face reddened. “There must be an explanation,
but I
don’t have it, and as I said, if you want me to tell you I’m some
messenger
from God to save you all… that would be dishonest, and I can’t do that
to you.”
The process by which he
comes to convince himself that he
harbors just such a blessing pairs with a growing conviction that, in
actuality, his life purpose is to save a self-destructing society from
itself.
And so he embarks on a televangenlical pursuit as an adult which warps
an odd
chance discovery into an opportunity to change the turbulent milieu of
the
1960s.
Stephen Robbins presents a
likeable character as flawed
by his own miracle as he is by his perception of his role and
influence. As he
tackles conventions, tries to save the world, and finds himself in over
his
head, Steve's questioning of self and social purpose translates to a
second
chance in life not only for others touched by his unique miracle, but
for
himself.
The social, spiritual, and
philosophical ramifications of
Steve's life make for a sci-fi read that incorporates bigger-picture
thinking
into its plot. Readers who look for tales that begin with individual
experience
but blossom into broader quests for truth and life meaning will find
the
questions raised in The Healer's
Miraculous Discovery to be thought-provoking. Book clubs
looking for many
discussion points relating to miracles and transformations will find
many
options for group debate.
The
Healer's
Miraculous Discovery is highly recommended for libraries
looking for
crossovers between sci-fi and fictional representations of personal and
social
change. Its plausible possibilities create many insights and
reflections that
readers won't see coming:
"Steve
tried
his best to provide a warm thanks for her hospitality, but inside he
was
offended by what he perceived as false, opportunistic, insincere, and
predatory. He was also feeling something new—jealousy. For the first
time, he
saw things that made him realize that while he was struggling with
building his
own group, worried that he might offend someone, feeling that he had
much more
to offer, he had failed to see the opportunity for personal gain that
others
had exploited; he failed to capitalize on it."
Return to Index
The
Message
Bill Harvey
The Human Effectiveness Institute
978-0-918538-17-8
$14.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Website: https://www.humaneffectivenessinstitute.org/billharveyblog/the-message-by-bill-harvey/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Message-Agents-Cosmic-Intelligence/dp/0918538173/
Bill
Harvey's The Message
presents Episode 11 of the Agents
of Cosmic Intelligence series,
providing a prequel and introduction to Pandemonium.
It presents a
future world changed by a psychic message that everyone receives.
Vying political forces struggle to locate
the source of a message so powerful that it's likely whoever discovers
this
wellspring will change the world.
As a world-hopping quest evolves, Harvey
presents an exploration of social, military, and political circles that
is
heavily steeped in both psychological revelations and intrigue.
A wide cast of characters interact with not
only transformative possibilities, but the changing nature of their own
objectives and perceptions of their place in humanity and the universe
as they
are forced to confront new possibilities in leadership and alien
influences.
Should the Leaders be trusted? Can control
be maintained in a situation which is rapidly spiraling out of
everyone's
hands?
From high-tech combat situations to encounters
of the fourth kind, Harvey's survey represents not just a bid for power
and
control, but an effort to redirect the course of humanity itself.
The psychic investigation that is the
central theme of the story experiences many influences and forces as
characters
explore new perceptions of the universe and their place in it. The
buffet of
revised spiritual, psychological, cognitive and sensory perceptions add
an
extra dimension of human ability and growth to the story that gives it
a
distinctly intellectual flavor.
If there's one thing to be said about this
series, it's that it defies pat categorization. Those who would peg it
as
military sci-fi, hard sci-fi, or thriller would all be correct—but
these labels
represent only a fraction of the attraction and strength of the series
as a
whole and The Message in particular.
Whether The Message is chosen
for its
futuristic social experiments in transformation, its riveting
action-packed
world, or the changes characters experience in the redefinition of
their
perceptions and purposes, one thing remains true—the story is complex,
inviting, and hard to put down.
Libraries and readers seeking a different
brand of sci-fi adventure steeped with thought-provoking intersections
between
media, society, and individual lives will find The Message
and its kin
to be a special, unique brand of higher-level political and social
examination.
They ideally will spark debates among book club circles and groups
discussing
future societies, values, and life purposes.
Return to Index
Pandemonium:
Live to All Devices
Bill Harvey
The Human Effectiveness Institute
978-0-918538-15-4
$19.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
Website: https://www.humaneffectivenessinstitute.org/billharveyblog/pandemonium-live-to-all-devices/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Pandemonium-Devices-Agents-Cosmic-Intelligence/dp/0918538157/
Pandemonium:
Live to All Devices
is set twenty years in the future, when an American president seizes
control of the country, hides in a nuclear bunker, and installs a robot
version
of himself in the Oval Office to handle everyday affairs.
In
this future, robots are
virtually indistinguishable from humans, and psychic spies are an
active and
recognized part of the paramilitary forces. These two facts dovetail in
a
powerful scenario that taps into and unfolds just about every thriller
device that
has attracted genre readers in the past, from aliens, robots, and power
plays
to AI takeovers and bids for control.
If
all this sounds like a thriller
rooted in action (which it is), it should also be mentioned that Pandemonium's
real attraction and unique quality lies in its approach to
societal
interactions and differences as the characters reflect this futuristic
setting
in disparate ways.
Take
the opening lines, for one
example:
"Theta
Force methods were bizarre, by the Army standards
Templegard knew. Tim had explained the method they were now practicing
as his
own interpretation of something Williams had said about the advantages
of
psychic nakedness ... Templegard found it easy to maintain his erotic
concentration shield while naked in a hot tub with three naked female
Theta
officers as they attempted remote sensing—seeing things as if being
there—of
the Kremlin. It was Templegard’s first attempt. He got nowhere. His
mind
wandered."
This
experience sets the stage for
both understanding the vastly revised milieu of this futuristic
society, where
forces compete on different psychic levels, and for reader immersion in
a
surreal blend of detective investigation and contrasts between dreams,
realities, and psychological foundations shaken by both.
A
wry sense of irony often emerges
from the interactions between disparate leaders and powerful guiding
forces
affecting the organization and control of this world:
“Our
purpose,” Snike continued, “is to have a measured
ethical response to any country that persistently will not recognize
that it is
trespassing on the rights of other countries. We are not forming just
for the
situation in the South China Sea but for all situations that could
threaten
world peace in the future.”
“What we mean by a measured ethical response,” said the Prime
Minister of Israel, “is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. We will
not
overrespond, that would be unethical and cause escalation. Our purpose
is to
thwart escalation.”
The
depth of psychological
examination of individuals, organizations, country leaders, and
worldviews
makes for an outstanding enhancement of the usual sci-fi attention to
action
and confrontation. This gives Pandemonium a
transformative feel and
quality that makes it as much an intellectual pursuit as an
action-packed
adventure.
From
how a "new, nicer
Hitler" is envisioned and groomed, to the looming specter of World War
Three, Bill Harvey leads readers on a satisfyingly unpredictable romp
through a
future world in which special interests have humanity's future in
thrall.
Because
this world is so easy to
slip into and understand, powered by references which make it simple to
enter
and hard to set aside, it's surprising to note that this is actually
Episodes
12 and 13 of a series that carries forward the spiritual,
philosophical, and
intellectual concepts of its predecessors. It should be noted that the
Agents
series is being published out of sequential order (a la Star Wars), so
that
only Episodes 2, 11, and 12-13 have so far been published. It stands so
nicely
on its own that newcomers won't be lost.
Controlling
outcomes and
confronting evil has never felt so multifaceted and thoroughly
engrossing as in
Pandemonium: Live to All Devices. The story builds a
futuristic series
of dilemmas, exploring high-tech heroes whose allies in crime and
predicaments
over love and world domination prove to be part of a greater media
struggle
involving augmented reality and revised tools for survival.
Libraries
and readers seeking
higher-level thinking than an action-packed sci-fi adventure alone will
find
all these requirements met in a story which juxtaposes individual
interests
with higher-level questions such as "Whatever became of that
great
nation we once were?"
The
answer explored here maintains
that it's constantly under siege, revision, and transformation from
various
forces both technical and psychological in nature.
Book
clubs interested in novels
that develop intriguing debates about futuristic encounters, thinking,
and
purposes will find plenty of fodder for discussion in Pandemonium:
Live to
All Devices.
Return to Index
The
Sherangivan
Jacqueline Fellows
Mathias Key Fantasy
9798987205709
$16.00
Paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: www.mathiaskeyfantasy.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
The Sherangivan: A
Tale of Esseduin depicts a world
changed by an attack,
murder, and the rupture of a kingdom. It follows the entry of strangers
into a
world that Caleb thought he knew well—the villages outside of the
capital city
of Esseduin. In fact, it evolves to become a land he barely knows and
can
hardly survive as he faces Bured warriors and navigates
both the reality
of his life and the dangerous dreams that draw him into another realm
of
possibilities. These experiences revise his role in life and challenge
the
confidence he once held in its logical progression.
Jacqueline Fellows crafts an
evocative fantasy that
attracts in different ways, from the confusing romantic choices Caleb
experiences with two very different young women to his changing role in
his
family and community and his ability to tackle warriors or riots
despite the
efforts of his best friend Val to save him.
The sherang that can live in
souls and take over leads
Caleb to wonder if what lies inside him is murdering people. As the
differences
between dreams, memories, and murderous maladies are exposed, Caleb is
forced
to confront what lives in his soul and manifests itself in an
already-conflicted world.
Those who are Sherangivars
move differently in their
worlds. Jacqueline Fellows weaves a compelling story of a young man who
struggles with alien forces both within and outside of himself, drawing
readers
into a moving tale replete with demons and discoveries.
The story ends with an open
invitation for more, but
concludes Caleb's adventure in a satisfying manner that is not quite a
cliffhanger.
Libraries and readers
looking for evocative blends of
murder mystery, fantasy, and shifting interpersonal relationships under
siege
will find that The Sherangivan
portrays a vivid world, filling it with characters that prove
believable and
courageous in satisfyingly different ways.
Return to Index
Godly Riddims
Dianne Lindsay
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-741-5
$17.99
Paper/$26.99 Hardcover
www.atmospherepress.com
Godly
Riddims
represents spiritual reflection at its best, and will be thoroughly
enjoyed by
Christian readers interested in a reflective work that closely
considers the
presence, actions, and promise of God in daily life.
Dianne Lindsay cultivates a
literary hand in crafting
verse that both celebrates and considers God's mystery and promise. Her
writings, presented in short passages that explore "the love of God
moving
upon one’s heart like sweet melodies," embrace the concepts of
encouragement and enlightenment that represent the promise of
perceiving and
inspecting God. 'Riddims' ("the rhythmic movement or beat of a song")
are chosen as a literary choice that allows this engagement to be
accessed by a
wider audience than prose alone could have achieved.
Lindsay's special form of
encouragement and celebration
provides spiritual thinkers with reflections that can serve as daily
reading in
a book that lends to non-linear pursuit. Open any page to discover a
new
passage of wisdom, as in 'Breastplace of Righteousness': "We
walk in righteousness/We Live in your position/We have the
mind of Christ/As we stand to fight..."
The succinct nature of these
works translates to the most
punch in the least amount of words. Readers already immersed in the
task of
spiritual reflection will find these thought-provoking riddims to be
inviting
and deceptively deep in contemplative opportunity despite their
seemingly
short, simple countenances.
Libraries
and readers looking for spiritually reflective
works that can join other examples of accessible literary forms, paired
with a
celebration and inspection of God, will find Godly
Riddims an attraction.
Return to Index
Madame Curie's Piano Tuner
Steven Barron
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-712-5
$26.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Madame
Curie's
Piano Tuner blends historical fact with literary fancy and
license, using a
wry, wicked sense of ironic humor as it examines the life of newly
licensed
piano tuner Raymond Dover. His visit to the berg of Bucksnort, to
provide his
services to a veteran's retirement home, results in unexpected amnesia,
recovery, and a revised purpose in life.
Readers who embark on
Raymond's life journey will first
note the appealingly creative chapter titles which portend a different
kind of
read than a staid progression of events. Titles such as "Patriotism and
a
Bad Migraine (tough times for pigs and chickens)" and "The Mick, the
Moose, and Whitey" appear alongside "Read ’em and Weep" and
"Shrunken Heads and Chloroform Dreams," creating inviting headers
that shroud their contents in intrigue and invitation.
It should be mentioned that Madame Curie's Piano Tuner is no
light-hearted romp. Almost 800
pages of literary, social, and psychological inspection create a story
that is
challenging (in that it appears less than linear, from protagonist
Ray's
recollections and jumbled experiences), but well worth the extra
effort. For,
hidden in the complex series of sometimes-lengthy descriptions and
ponderings,
this rich collection of thought-provoking nomadic journeys injects its
descriptors with reflective metaphors and scintillating symphonies of
revelation:
"During
their
existence, all keyboard-equipped
devices, at one time or another, lose direction, some more frequently
than
others and through no fault of their own. Short shifts in the
wilderness are no
big deal unless the drift extends, and loss veers chronic. When this
occurs,
propriety becomes secondary. Units grow agitated, dream of purposeful
daggers
shoved up the spines of absentee owners and puissant land-lords.
Others,
wearied of revenge or judicial recourse, pull on Protestant pants,
medicate
with surface protectants and dancehall gin, often threatening physical
harm to
themselves. Wood and chords darken, keys and foot pedals check depth
charts,
review rosters, fumble for coats, grow despondent over tardy
maintenance
measures and long expired warranty agreements. Once pristine and
perfect, notes
drift and pitch heads for the ditch. Who but the tuner is there to halt
the
downward spiral?"
As the metaphor and reality
of the piano tuner become a
progressive melody for tackling life and its ironic twists, turns, and
representations, literary readers receive a work that is so compelling
in its
displays, so unexpected in its twists, and so satisfying in its
meditative
ramblings through the life of Raymond and the society he moves through
that it
proves surprisingly hard to put down.
Surprising, because 800-page
novels typically are easy to
set aside and daunting to absorb—but such descriptors may only be
applied to
audiences who somehow choose this book expecting a light-hearted romp.
Its
length should forewarn that the reading effort will be more than
casual, but
the real pleasure of Madame Curie's Piano
Tuner lies in its ability to inject a sense of shock and awe
contrast
between Raymond's rambling observations and those social forces which
swirl
around him with unpredictable airs and flavors.
This literary dance is
especially recommended for
libraries looking for solid examples of experimental and literary works
and for
college-level literature teachers using contemporary literary writings
as
illustrations of creative prowess. Dancing revelations spill from the
tip of the
writer's pen from the focal point of heartfelt perceptions.
It's easier to get into
something than exit from it. Madame Curie's
Piano Tuner will prove
surprisingly compelling for its length and complexity, and will delight
readers
seeking fresh voices, original works, and a jumble of thought-provoking
life
perspectives.
Return to Index
Seasons of
Life
Susan McLeod
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-711-8
$14.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Poetry
readers who
choose Seasons of Life will find it
a
collection spanning childhood, coming-of-age, and adulthood. It offers
inspections both personal and universal as it discusses family,
holidays, and
the "four seasons" of growth which tie them together.
In many
ways, Seasons of Life represents a
throwback
... to simpler times and to rhythms lost in the modern swing towards
free
verse, much of which has almost lost the ability to be defined as
'poetry'. The
rhyming simplicity of Susan McLeod's effort alludes to a time when
poetry was
both readily understandable and rhythmically attractive. One example
lies in
her survey of various kids' games, such as 'Hoops': "Roll,
roll our hoops on the grass they go/Which way they fall, we
don’t know/Playing with our hoops was lots of fun/Kept my friends and I
on the
run/I remember a simpler time/When playing hoops was very fine."
Modern
poetry readers
seem to look for and embrace a sense of complexity and philosophical
musing in
their works. The progressive short pieces in this collection pack a lot
of punch
into a number of succinct descriptions of life, allowing for more
experiences to
be explored than one would think by the page count of this book.
Seasons of Life is a road map of
experiences of a bygone era. The
cadence of the rhyme, the simple daily life experiences which are
presented
with a sense of joy rather than complexity, and the attention to
swimming
holes, summer days, and family comfort is a breath of fresh air against
the
usual angst-laden emotional turmoil of modern poetry. It will attract
readers
seeking expressions of life's progression in a more celebratory manner
than
most poetic inspections offer.
Return to Index
Destiny's Daughter
Frances Altman
Apprentice House Press
978-1-62720-423-1
$17.99
Paper/$6.49 ebook
www.ApprenticeHouse.com
Destiny's
Daughter:
Highlighting the life of Mary Edwards Walker, Maverick Suffragist,
Doctor, and
Medal of Honor Recipient: An Advocate for Women from Then to Now is
the
powerful biography of a woman who made a name for herself as a Civil
War doctor
and the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor. It represents some
fifty
years of research into her life and writings, but Frances Altman weaves
these
facts into a riveting story that should be part of any women's history
or
biography collection.
From the very beginning,
where Altman introduces Mary
Edwards Walker and traces the roots of her fascination with Mary's
life, readers
receive lively connections between achievement and life philosophies
that
juxtapose the practicalities of being an advocate with intellectual
observations:
"I
acknowledge
she practiced many of the principles I borrowed and used. Perhaps young
women
today may be in need of similar advice. For instance, she urged us to wear sturdy shoes if we are going to
rally, march, or stand in a line. That sometimes it might be better to hold your tongue or listen."
Altman recreates Walker's
life with the descriptive draw
of fiction, giving her chronicle an animated feel from the very start:
"Mary
Edwards
Walker was a feisty, petite girl who loved to jump, run like a deer,
and kick
at rocks in the dirt as she walked along the Bunker Hill Road near her
home.
When no one was watching she was likely to pull up a handful of
dandelions,
blow their puffy tops away, and then nibble at the leaves, providing
they were
tender. She loved being out in the open air, playing pretend, or
following her
father around to watch him tinker with farm machinery."
This method of exploring
Walker's life, world, and
philosophy brings to life all the facets of coming of age as a young
woman
during these times, following Walker's early experiences, influences,
and the
unique perspectives on life she would adopt to not just survive, but
thrive.
Walker's feisty, spirited
countenance led her to be
admired by men and women as she forged new roads in her life,
administering to
military personnel and civilians alike and cementing her reputation as
a
capable physician in a man's world.
While she operated as a
military doctor, Walker was in
effect a free agent—a civilian contact surgeon whose work resulted in
less pay
than the nurses under her. As
she
advocated for women's rights and health, rebutting suffragist leaders
even as
she promoted women's independence, readers will especially appreciate
the
dichotomy Walker represented both during her times and to modern young
women.
Her resilience, ability to
charm both sexes, and her
spunky determination to right wrongs makes for a story that is
inspirational,
revealing, historically accurate, and emotionally compelling for modern
women
who would understand not just Walker's influence, but her times.
From the clothing she sewed
and wore to her navigation of
the confusing and conflicting social and political worlds of men and
women, Destiny's Daughter provides
a powerful
examination of a woman's life, determination, and influences.
Ideally, Destiny's
Daughter will be included in women's history and issues
libraries, but will
also be chosen for highlight and debate by book clubs interested in
women's
issues and biographies of early pioneers of women's rights who often
refuted
not just the status quo, but the methods and approaches of others who
advocated
for women.
It's especially timely,
considering events of modern
times, and gives all ages of reader guideposts for reconsidering their
own
approaches to advocacy and women's rights.
Return to Index
The Fruit
You'll
Never See
Gail Brenner Nastasia
Independently
Published
979-8-9869313-0-2
$14.99 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
Website: gailnastasia.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/FRUIT-YOULL-NEVER-SEE-overcoming-ebook/dp/B0BWZYGBFV
The Fruit You'll Never See is a memoir
about shame and overcoming
negative messages from childhood. It will heavily resonate with readers
who
have struggled to overcome their own self-limiting training and
self-perception, and represents an example of the process of nurturing
inner
strength against all odds.
Gail Brenner
Nastasia's memoir opens with a bang: "Not
even law school could change the fact that I was trash." As
her life
is revealed, readers learn some shocking facts about her family and the
progression of her coming of age and entry into adulthood which
fostered this
sense of shame and self-depreciation. Gail's realizations about her
beloved
aunt's shortcomings acknowledges the lure of being included at all
costs "...even though I know she used me, at
least I got to go along for the ride."
As she
repeats
patterns of trusting and loving those who do not have her best
interests at
heart, Gail moves ever deeper into a familiar quagmire she is, sadly,
well-equipped to handle: trading sexual favors for the feeling of
belonging,
being desired, and being loved.
As Gail
moves into
various addictions, it is with the underlying conviction that her value
lies in
her worth to others—not herself. The remarkable part of her story lies
in how
she overcame drug addiction to become a successful attorney; then took
another
big step in defying her inheritance of low self-esteem by creating a
different
life.
How she
achieves her
goals, learns different, healthier ways of interacting with her family,
and
maintains the equilibrium that truly reinforces her value makes for a
powerful memoir
that many readers will find inspirational and revealing.
Rather than
consulting self-help books for growth lessons, readers would do better
to read The Fruit You'll Never See.
Its lessons
in abuse, recovery, and the contrast between healthy and unhealthy life
choices
are stark and involving, offering clues to better living. It ideally
will be
pursued in book club and psychological group discussions, as well as
available
for library patrons interested in vivid, candid stories of getting and
staying
clean.
Return to Index
Growth
Karen DeBonis
Loyola
University Maryland/Apprentice House Press
978-1-62720-435-4
$19.99 Paper/$6.49 Kindle
Website: www.karendebonis.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Mother-Brain-Tumor-Survived/dp/1627204350
Growth: A Mother,
Her Son, and the Brain Tumor They
Survived is a memoir about
parenting, health challenges, and the process of fighting for a child's
life.
When
her son
Matthew was eight, he developed an odd tic which evolved into other
symptoms
that mother Karen DeBonis found alarming. Her efforts to alert her
husband and
Matthew's pediatrician that something was wrong fell on deaf ears, as
neither
wanted to accept that Matthew could be facing a dangerous health
condition at
such a young age.
Years
passed
before a frightening diagnosis was obtained; but even then, DeBonis
found
herself constantly in the position of advocating for her son's
treatment and
recovery.
DeBonis
is
especially adept at charting the changes to relationships that
Matthew's trials
introduced: "I’d rarely seen my father cowed and apologetic.
He looked
vulnerable, and I wanted to yell at him again. In a flash of anger, our
relationship experienced a subtle shift. I had become less his little
girl and
more Matthew’s mom."
DeBonis
is
candid in both her self-assessment of her abilities and how far she
will go to
pursue options for Matthew:
"Some moms travel
the globe in search of
treatment or a cure for their sick child ... I was not that mom. I
wasn’t a
world traveler, and my sense of direction was so bad, I didn’t trust
myself to
navigate a big city. What good would I be to Matthew if we both got
lost? Plus,
I wouldn’t intentionally abandon Stephen to move away with his older
brother,
even temporarily. Maybe if Matthew needed to relearn how to speak and
walk and
eat, I’d have hopped on the nearest bus to Timbuktu. But he didn’t, so
I
wouldn’t. We had to make this work on our own turf."
Any
mother who
has faced a child's illness and is called upon to be proactive in ways
she
never has before, in environments she is both familiar and unfamiliar
with, will
find in Growth a powerful set of examples on how
motherhood can be
tested. A mother can experience growth from all kinds of events, even
from
one's own child.
The
eye-opening
revelations of disparate sources of growth that come from within, one's
children,
and life itself makes for a story that embraces the wellsprings of
strength,
revised perceptions, and choices in taking different courses of action
not just
for a child's sake, but for the family as a whole.
More
than a
memoir about living with a tumor and handling medical challenges, it's
a saga
of personal transformation and resilience that will resonate with any
parent
charged with acting in their child's best interests, against all odds.
Libraries
and
readers seeking thought-provoking additions to parenting collections
will find Growth
not only suitable for personal enlightenment, but a fine recommendation
to book
clubs looking for memoirs about parenting, health advocacy, and growth.
Return to Index
UNDERGROUND:
A
Memoir of Hope, Faith and the American Dream
'Deji Ayoade
Independently
Published
979-8986587615
$23.95
Hardcover/$16.99 Paperback/$6.99 Kindle
Amazon.com:
UNDERGROUND: A Memoir of Hope, Faith, and the American Dream:
9798986587615:
Ayoade, 'Deji: Books
If
one book were to be chosen to illustrate the power of perseverance
against all odds and the immigrant experience in America, it should be UNDERGROUND:
A Memoir of Hope, Faith and the American Dream. While many
immigrant
memoirs hold these same themes, what sets 'Deji
Ayoade's book apart from (and above)
many others is his candid acknowledgement that this Nigerian "Logically,
should never have arrived here."
By
"arrived
here," Ayoade refers not only to America and to a position of success,
but
to his powerful rise in the military to command a fleet of
nuclear-armed
missiles in the Air Force, and his leadership of the new United States
Space
Force.
These
achievements are especially significant given Ayoade's family history,
in which
"seventy percent of men in my family never lived past forty
years.
Ninety percent never attended college, and ninety-five percent never
left
Nigeria."
Bucking
the
statistics on all sides is a man who attributes much of his success to
his
faith. But the meat of the story lies in how this all evolved, making
UNDERGROUND a rich read as Ayoade
traces the roots and
enactment of his foundation belief that "every moment of our
lives is
connected to our future in one way or another."
Readers
who
follow Ayoade on his journey will find his faith-based experiences
enlightening, inspirational, and thoroughly engrossing.
From
his
childhood and reconnection with his father to his hard work integrating
into
American principles and life, Ayoade pulls no punches as he candidly
reveals
the obstacles to success and the drive that promoted him upwards into
achievement.
From
confronting
the darkness, anger, and bitterness that surrounded his family's
reactions to
his father's decisions to that father's insistence that a faith in God
is never
misplaced, Ayoade touches upon the wellsprings of not just
perseverance, but a
perspective that translates to leadership and achievement qualities in
confronting life's obstacles.
Poetic
reflections peppered throughout his story provide interludes and
understanding
as Ayoade navigates illness, alienation, family reconciliation, and his
own
faith.
Libraries
and
readers seeking stories not just of immigrant experiences in America
and
success, but of family ties and influences from afar, that continue as
he forms
his own family, will find UNDERGROUND:
A
Memoir of Hope, Faith and the American Dream
a powerful memoir of not just achieving and living
the American dream, but integrating it into a different culture and
revised
connections both on American soil and back in "the old country" of
origin.
UNDERGROUND:
A
Memoir of Hope, Faith and the American Dream
is especially recommended for African-American
readers seeking reading group discussion points in powerful stories of
self-inspection and hope.
Return to Index
Beyond
the
Shadows
DeAnn Daley
Holcomb
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-721-7
$14.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Readers
of crime
thrillers will find Beyond the Shadows the study of
a serial killer's
impact on a Texas community that delves into a woman's personal
connections to
a dangerous murderer.
Dallas
TV
newscaster Claire is Dallas Police Homicide Detective Lance Harris's
former
girlfriend. She also holds special knowledge of a growing threat to the
community as eight women are killed and the murder spree seems
unstoppable.
The
story opens
with Jenny's impulsive move towards Jeremy, a stranger she meets in a
bar. It's
a choice that will cost her her life, adding to the string of victims
that are
marked by a Smiley Face sticker left by their shared attacker.
Detective
Lance
knows the media is stirred up into a frenzy, which translates to
pressures to
locate and lock up the perp before more victims emerge. When he
discovers that
his ex has some special knowledge of the situation, he also finds that
this has
placed her in the crosshairs of danger. Can he employ his investigative
skills
to solve the mystery and save her life?
Of course he will, thinks the reader. But, before this can happen, a
series of unexpected
events emerges to test Lance, Claire, and the reader's perception of
crime,
redemption, and problem-solving processes.
DeAnn
Daley
Holcomb cultivates a special attention to psychological entanglements
on all
sides. in which the crime serves as a backdrop to relationship changes
and an
impetus for change in more than one way.
Her
story
embraces Claire's family's special form of courtroom hell from the
past, which
impacts their relationships and lives in different ways: "No
one ever
knew what the truth was or what really happened. At family gatherings
and on
holidays, everyone tried to act like it was a happy time, but it
wasn’t."
Perhaps
this is
unwittingly the reason why she now is the pivot point in a maelstrom of
struggle between two very different forces which affect the lives and
psyche of
Dallas and the women who are threatened by a serial killer's
progression and
elusive predatory ways. In this milieu, Claire becomes the focus of
evil.
The
realistic
account feels all the more powerful because Holcomb is herself a
television
news journalist reporter who closely followed two serial killer murder
trials.
Her
background
encounter with true evil and observations about crime, justice, and
faith
contribute to a story which evolves new revelations in all three areas,
supplementing its mystery component with a close inspection of hope,
love, and
the motivations of perps and detectives whose lives intersect in
unpredictable
ways.
Libraries
seeking murder mysteries steeped in interpersonal growth and
revelations will
find Beyond the Shadows a compelling journey.
Return to Index
Cobra Pose
Susan Rogers and John
Roosen
G-EMS PTY LTD and PS
LLC
978-0-6454136-2-5
$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Pose-Mysteries-suspense-adventure-ebook/dp/B0BTJV4V1H
Cobra Pose, the second book in the Yoga
Mat Mysteries series,
benefits from but requires no prior introduction to its predecessor in
order to
prove accessible and inviting to mystery readers.
Elaina
Williams is a
yoga instructor who uses Cobra Pose to boost her energy. Ironically,
adversaries
and hackers The Cobra and The Wolf, who may be involved in her father's
disappearance, hold their own special abilities as they reach out to
embroil
Australia in an international scam that threatens the global economy.
Readers move
from the
microcosm of Elaina and her new love (photojournalist Ric Peters) and
their
relationship and latest mission to the bigger picture of the worldwide
threat
posed by adversaries whose skills are well beyond amateur sleuth and
yoga
instructor Elaina's abilities ... and maybe even Ric's special hidden
skills.
It's rare to
see a
yoga milieu incorporated into a thriller that evolves on international
playgrounds, but the two subjects dovetail nicely in a story replete
with
nuances and insights into both worlds:
"Renée was good. She knew what she was doing and
had a mellow,
soothing voice. Elaina walked around the class, helping them correct
their
poses. Elaina watched when Renée used her right hand, balancing on
three
fingers to demonstrate various floor positions. Afterwards, Elaina told
Renée,
‘Your form and the timing is “parfait”. But I realize watching you that
balance
can be achieved in many different ways. This is something I need to
remember.’
‘Perhaps, mademoiselle, it will be the balance and grounding, despite
any perceived obstacles, that will get you where you need to go,’ Renée
said,
holding up her right hand."
It's also
rare to
observe the blends of philosophical, political, and thriller influences
that so
neatly create an exceptionally vivid atmosphere in which intrigue
evolves in
satisfyingly unexpected ways.
As the story
evolves,
thriller readers will relish the twists of plot which bring Elaine and
Ric ever
closer to an astonishing truth and test of each individual's abilities,
while
those interested in yoga will find added value in the emotional and
physical
connections created by the yoga interludes and lessons.
The
attention to
atmospheric detail is not lost in the fast pace of the unfolding
mystery, which
is also a notable feature of a plot which takes the time to create
delicious
scenes: "They sat down to chicken
parmesan, roasted vegetables and pasta stuffed with spinach. In the
refrigerator, the chocolate mousse was chilling next to whipped cream
‘at the
ready’ to serve as a topping. The Italian rolls were from the local
bakery."
Australia's
foreign,
financial, and national interests come to life, requiring no prior
familiarity
with the country from readers. Those interested in a gripping story of
intrigue
will find Cobra Pose tests the
relationships and personal mettle of characters who often seem both
capable and
in unlikely positions to solve a mystery of international importance.
Libraries
and readers
seeking compelling stories firmly rooted in a sense of place, and
characters
who are each tested to operate beyond their intrinsic training and
abilities,
will find plenty to appreciate as Cobra
Pose evolves its ultimate message about cyber-attacks,
schemes, and
decisions which lead to discovery, recovery, and uncommon courage and
sacrifice.
Return to Index
Dark
Sonnet
Tom McCarthy and Bill Dohar
De
Profundis Books, LLC
979-8986395210
$14.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Sonnet-Tom-McCarthy/dp/B0B4GBPK62
In Dark
Sonnet,
a Jesuit priest unearths a 19th century manuscript containing a puzzle
that
points the way to a medieval treasure, the Cuxham Chalice. Then the
gentleman
vanishes. Can two friends (a librarian and an Oxford scholar) follow in
his
footsteps without becoming victims themselves?
Dark
Sonnet
unfolds a bittersweet song of promise and deadly danger. Its dual tune
holds a
compelling force combining action with psychological cat-and-mouse
games as
these characters draw ever closer to a truth that will rock the world.
As Myles
and
Eva tackle matters of decoding both the ancient document and their own
hearts,
the world around them descends into chaos, pitting them against police
on one
side and Vatican special interests on the other.
Compromised
by their
concern over their friend's life, which adds a personal dilemma into
their
quest that draws them into different levels of complexity, Myles and
Eva
discover that their journey is even more dangerous than they'd
anticipated.
How does an
ordinary
Jesuit vanish into thin air? Nothing
in
his bio would suggest covert activity, and yet something strange is
going on.
All the
characters
find their special interests both dovetailing and driving the violence
they
seek to prevent, giving readers an absolutely riveting story that holds
the
satisfying nonstop action and inquiry of a thriller combined with a set
of
spiritual and historical revelations on par with The
DaVinci Code.
The intrigue settles its
cloak well over each character's
psyche and special approach to problem-solving, creating a story that
fluctuates between the microcosm of personal interactions, friendships,
and
more to the macrocosm of threats to world order.
Librarians and readers
looking for historical suspense
fiction that dazzles with puzzle and psychology will find Dark
Sonnet a thrilling mystery that grabs from the
beginning and follows
through to a satisfyingly unpredictable conclusion.
Return to Index
Defcon
Michele Packard
Independently
Published
979-8-9876077-0-1
$5.99 ebook, $11.99
paperback, $19.99 hardback
Website: www.michelepackard.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Prior fans
of
genetically enhanced superwoman Matti Baker will welcome her return in Defcon, while newcomers will easily fall
into her world. This is because Matti employs a feisty voice in
describing an
encounter which once again tests her ability to survive, protect her
family,
and prove effective in her efforts to thwart the bad guys and support
everything she loves.
Matti is one
of a
triplet of enhanced children. Her strong family ties have resulted in
prodigy
who also have extraordinary abilities, and who join her in her efforts
to
neutralize threats to the U.S.
Even
seasoned
thriller readers will be surprised and amazed by Defcon
because Matti's character is spunky, sassy, and infused with
proactive thinking and behaviors that translate into a passionate story
infused
with history and social observation.
Matti's
opinions and
examinations offer unexpectedly astute considerations of American
ideals gone
awry as the intrigue and confrontations play out:
"The first three words are the emphasis, We the
People. Doesn’t
say Government now, does it? Governments
creation and main role was to protect these rights and if not, ‘We the
People’,
have the right to revolt. The
Constitution and Bill of Rights established a government. The Declaration of
Independence was for
breaking away from government when not serving the people."
These
thought-provoking, critical inspections, delivered in a brazen staccato
first-person reflective voice, are part of what brings not only Matti
and her
family to life, but the principles they are fighting for in Defcon.
Another
unusual
device linking action with a contemporary, realistic punch is the
ongoing
allusions Matti makes to popular music and songs which pop up in her
mind as
she undertakes her missions. These cement her activities with a blend
of drama
and social reference that compliment the cat-and-mouse actions of
intelligence,
counterintelligence, and unconventional warfare that encircle her life
to threaten
all she loves.
The
challenge lies in
what label to assign Defcon,
because
it doesn't fit neatly into any pat genre read. Military in nature, but
with a
psychological force that lends it a deep personal flavor; thriller in
action,
but tempered by family relationships and close friendships; and
flavored by
political and historical information that invite debate and thought, Defcon is quite simply a standout for
its adventure, tone, and powerful, female-driven protagonists.
Libraries
seeking
extraordinary characters and stories which are nearly impossible to put
down
will find Defcon an outstanding
choice that holds the promise to attract a wide audience.
Return to Index
Guidance
to Death
Daniel V. Meier, Jr.
BQB Publishing
979-8-88633-002-1
$18.95 Paper/$8.99 ebook
https://danielmeierauthor.com
It's
the perfect crime. Nobody can
suspect a murderer when the cause of death was clearly accidental. Were
it not
for the conviction of the victim's surviving wife that something went
awry, the
truth in Guidance to Death would not have even
surfaced. It's that
clever a crime: disable a plane's guidance system and let natural
flight
circumstances take over.
In
this case, what takes over
isn't just death, but the perseverance of a grieving widow and independent aviation accident investigator
Frank Adams, who join forces to find the few clues pointing to foul
play.
Another
death
reinforces the likelihood that something more than plane
instrumentation went
awry, and so the story unfolds with plenty of tense moments,
investigative
puzzles, and an attempt to silence Frank before he can piece together
the few
clues that point the way to a perp and a dangerous scheme.
Daniel
V. Meier, Jr. crafts a
story that illustrates technical aviation insights, the special
approaches of
an aviation investigator, and the conundrum faced by a detective who
must call
upon several people from his past in order to solve the present-day
crime. In
doing so, Frank unwittingly places his friends in as much risk as he is
taking.
From
political power plays and
important bids for economic growth, Frank delves into the politics and
secrets
of individuals willing to kill for what they want. Payoffs, fictional
sell-offs, and a family-owned company's involvement in a plot that is
tainted
with goals of revenge brings Frank to the outer limits of his
investigative
abilities, testing his perceptions and his suspicions.
Satisfying
twists and turns of
plot keep even the most seasoned murder mystery reader guessing, while
the
aviation industry's processes and insights will delight those who enjoy
tales
of blackmail and threat that take place in the unsafe skies and on the
ground.
Evidence
and bodies mount as Frank
finds his suspicions correct—but in a way he'd never anticipated.
Murder
mystery readers and
libraries catering to them will find Guidance to Death
an outstanding
blend of action-packed thriller and whodunit. It is powered by the
expertise of
an author who is a retired FAA Aviation Safety Inspector able
to inject all the
real-world processes of the aviation industry into a compelling,
can't-put-it-down inquiry that reaches its crescendo of surprise in the
unfriendly skies.
Return to Index
The
Horoscope Writer
Ash Bishop
ComCat Books
9780744309300
$25.99 Hardcover/$20.99 Paper
Website: ash-bishop.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Horoscope-Writer-Ash-Bishop/dp/0744309298
The
Horoscope Writer
is amateur
sleuth and writer Bobby Frindley, a former athlete forced to rise above
his
talents (and pay grade) when he receives a series of horoscopes that
task him
with taking actions to choose whether either only one or all of their
dark
portents will come true.
In
this way, Bobby becomes both
perp and investigator as he seeks to uncover the identity of the
horoscope
writer, navigating the uncertain waters of making decisions that will
dovetail
with and direct their deadly outcomes.
Ash
Bishop immerses the story with
grisly detective investigations and their powerful outcomes from the
start. The
first chapter holds the future outcome, but the second reveals how
Bobby
becomes part of this dangerous legacy, following his forays into worlds
of
romance, employment, and danger—none of which he is especially adept at
navigating.
Horoscopes
often give clues to
Libra Bobby's life and future. In this case, the directions they point
in,
whether they are his evolving relationship with Star or the nuances of
a
dead-end job that holds some surprising keys to predicting his future,
are ones
that many readers won't see coming. His mercurial involvement with
married
friend Sarah assumes the same cloak of uncertainty as his career and
life.
Bobby
isn't intrinsically a savvy
person, whether in love or career. His flaws lend to both a realistic
story and
questions of how he will incorporate the demands of a murder
investigation into
the life he is building for himself.
The
juxtaposition of questions on
whether predictions really are coming true or if Bobby has any
influence over
his own actions and choices lends a particularly intriguing component
to the
usual investigative puzzle, giving The Horoscope Writer
a touch of
philosophical and psychological power not often seen in whodunit plots.
Libraries
and fans of amateur
sleuth stories containing characters that are driven and motivated by
their own
life progression and the heavy hand of fate to investigate murderous
situations
beyond their ken or control will find The Horoscope Writer
filled with
realistic scenarios and satisfying twists.
Return to Index
The Indian
Defense
Jay Perin
East
River Books
978-1-7364680-6-7
$4.99 ebook
www.EastRiverBooks.com
Because The
Indian Defense: A Historical Political Saga is the fifth book in the political thriller series One Hundred Years of War, it's
recommended that readers of The Indian Defense
will have read these
predecessors because their rich history, continued here, should ideally
be in
the back of the mind when embarking on this latest adventure.
This story opens in 1989,
where an ex-president crippled
and incapacitated by an assassination attempt somehow appears to remain
a key
player in the political struggles which are emerging.
It seems that stepbrother Godwin Kingsley has won, and is building his
business empire around the
world with a clever eye to disabling any semblance of rebellion in any
of Temple's
people or others who defy his bids for power.
With
Temple's
daughter Lilah on the run from powerful hit men, Temple disabled, and
Kingsley's plan to rule the oil sector firmly in place, it would seem a
slam
dunk that nobody can change the fateful progression of his
wide-reaching
powers.
Nobody,
perhaps,
except his friend Noah and a family secret that could penetrate the
cloak of
power and secrecy that surrounds Kingsley's world.
Jay Perin highlights
the thrill in the thriller genre as his world-hopping adventure carries
a host
of characters into unfamiliar territory, foreign cultural encounters,
and
figures who prove just as powerful, in their own ways, as Kingsley or
Temple.
A
cat-and-mouse game
evolves, with American politics one of the main prizes as the
characters hit,
miss, and strategize their next moves. As Lilah's foray into India
provides her
with tools to not just recover from the blows of but defy the forces
pitted
against her, readers follow her into an international journey replete
with
confrontations.
From fake
bank
transactions and events that place a former attorney's reputation on
the line
to exiles that concoct a new strategy to confront the forces that have
transformed their lives, Jay Perin explores social, legal, and
political
changes through the eyes of characters who each hold their own special
interests at heart.
Replete with
risk-taking decisions, startling revelations, and a plot that toes the
line
between thriller and real-world historical facts, Perin's care in
extracting
events from politics of modern times, but couching them in a way that
maintains
distance from any association with real-world politicians, creates an
especially adept dance between fact and fiction. This will draw a wide
audience
with the flavor of high drama and the not-quite-real familiarity of
historical
touches.
It's also
important
to note, that this point, that the One
Hundred Years of War series is an adaptation of the Mahabharata,
the
Indian epic mythology.
The presence
of so
many seemingly disparate elements would seem to portend a complex and
weighty
read, but The Indian Defense
represents an accessible, thought-provoking, thoroughly engrossing
story that
enhances the series as a whole. It is highly recommended for libraries
and
readers seeking the intersection of fiction, fact, and the
well-developed
tension of a compelling political thriller.
Return to Index
The Miracle
at Assisi
Hill
Pat Camalliere
Campat Publications
979-8-9871624-0-8
$24.95 Hardcover/$17.95 Paper/$5.99
ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-at-Assisi-Hill/dp/B0BLB35PXV
The Miracle at Assisi Hill is a Christian
mystery that follows the
investigation of battle-torn amateur historian Cora Tozzi, who is
recovering
from tongue cancer and tackling her religious questions in a convent.
When she
befriends a nun with a secret and faces her husband's own serious
illness, all
her prayers seem for naught. Or, are they?
The
juxtaposition of
a quest to solve a mystery combined with spiritual inspection creates a
story
which will prove especially compelling to Christian audiences looking
for more
than intrigue alone.
Pat
Camalliere's
special brand of investigation of psychological and mystery matters is
simply
delightful, between its focus on Cora's life and ongoing spiritual
questions and
the dilemmas faced by a woman destined to become a saint.
Between the
health
conundrums Cora faces with her husband Cisco's startling mental health
decline
in the face of physical illness ("She
had no idea Cisco’s personality could be affected like this. When her
mother
had a stroke, she was impaired and confused, but her personality
remained the
same. This was a shock. Cisco just wasn’t acting like himself.")
to
subplots of ghost lore, Native American history and tribal interests,
and
miracles that portend religious revelations, the story is much more
than either
a mystery or a Christian examination, but a multifaceted production
that draws
on various levels.
It's rare to
see a
novel as accessible to a wide audience of readers as it is to genre
mystery
followers or fans of Christian fiction. Camalliere creates a memorable
story
that resonates on more than one level, offering a draw that invites
religious introspection
as well as moral and ethical examination.
Another
important
note to know about its creation: the Sister who is presently in charge
of the
canonization process for Mother Mary Theresa participated in the
editing of this
book to ensure its historical and Catholic authenticity.
The Miracle at Assisi Hill is thus highly
recommended not just for
libraries seeking genre mysteries that stand out, or for Christian
collections
seeking fiction that invites thought and discussion, but for
general-interest
readers who will find Cora's dilemmas and revelations about life,
death, and
what lies between are both intriguing and thoroughly engrossing.
Return to Index
Nad
of Nadidé
Wagih Abu-Rish
Kirland Publishing House
979-8-9859152-1-1
$29.99 Hardcover/$13.99 Paper/$.99
ebook
www.wagihaburish.com
Nad
of Nadidé
is a
multicultural romance thriller that opens in 1981 London, where Fareed
and his
mother Fiona are discussing women and observing strangers. It's a
curious
situation because Fareed already has a beautiful girlfriend (albeit one
his
mother dislikes because of her attitude and abusive ways).
A
storm of a different nature
evolves when Palestinian
Fareed meets Turkish Nadidé, evoking a love between them that
challenges their cultural backgrounds, perceptions, and the politics
which hold
them in thrall.
Wagih
Abu-Rish's contrast between
not just Turkish and Palestinian history and politics but the Western
milieu
which also influences the couple creates a series of thought-provoking
encounters. Fareed and especially Nadidé find themselves at
odds with their heritage and upbringing as their
love grows.
From juntas to groups of girlfriends and the
involvements and influences of spies and the entanglements of politics
in
families and daily lives, Abu-Rish presents a story that requires no
prior
background in any of the cultures discussed to understand the
influences upon
and disparate cultural histories of the characters.
As
Fareed is endangered and Fiona
struggles to help him, readers become involved not just in a romance,
but
political power struggles that reach out from the Middle East to
overtake and
often confuse individual desires.
The
typical scenario of
disapproving families translates, in this bigger picture, to national
special
interests which coalesce into surprising influences on Fareed and Nadidé's choices and lives.
Under
Abu-Rish's hand, 1980s
Turkey comes to life through the eyes of a diverse cast of characters
whose
observations, ideals, and participation in political rebellion and
change come to
roost at home, affecting their loves and lives.
Nad
of Nadidé
holds the
political enlightenment of a contemporary historical novel; the
emotional draw
of lovers fated to struggle not just with each other, but their
disparate
cultural influences; and the action and tense twists of a thriller.
Combining
all these elements in a
readable story that doesn't demand prior knowledge of the times or the
countries featured is no mean feat, but Abu-Rish achieves the difficult
goal of
making his novel accessible to all kinds of readers; from those who
enjoy
political intrigue to others seeking the story of fated individuals who
buck
the odds and their own backgrounds in the name of love.
Libraries
and readers looking for
novels steeped in social and political conundrums, rich with emotional
draws
and strong character development, and packed with action that moves
from
political to social circles will find Nad of Nadidé
a winner.
Return to Index
O'Brien's
Law
John McNellis
Hubbard House
978-1-7363525-1-9
$14.99
Paper/$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/OBriens-Law-Romantic-John-McNellis/dp/1736352512
Romance
and thriller genre readers are in for a treat with O'Brien's
Law, which deftly weaves elements of both into a story set in
1979 San
Francisco, where Michael O’Brien works at the notable law
firm Drummond,
Upton and Ishwood. His latest case, a big-ticket suit over an
inheritance,
involves him in a crime that both profiles and tests his investigative
skills
as much as his legal prowess.
John
McNellis provides a gripping story as Michael evolves from a brash
new lawyer whose position in the firm and in his career is uncertain,
to an
investigator charged with locating missing estate money.
Always
conflicted about not placing his career first, Michael is forced
to set aside some of his boredom and personal flamboyance to embark on
a
serious matter that reaches out to test both his life and his romantic
objectives.
In
the course of discovering truths about the "loser" case
he's been handed, Michael unexpectedly encounters truths about his own
psyche
and life pursuits which force him to grow in unexpected ways.
McNellis
is adept at portraying increasing threats that test the
psyches of not only Michael, but Marybeth Elliott and others who may
not have
intended the results they achieve in protecting their special
interests,
hearts, and lives. Swift action combines with intrigue and romance as
Michael
faces threats to Marybeth and his own career, suddenly coming to
realize that
both matter more than he'd thought.
Shaken
from his boredom and flighty ways, Michael finds his passion
both romantically and in his job as he pursues truths that threaten to
both
elude and crush him.
From
the evolution of "difficult man" Knox to the
possibilities of murder, an accidental death, and Marybeth's increasing
involvement in Michael's life, McNellis presents a novel of growth,
intrigue,
and special interests which blends legal and thriller elements in an
unexpected
manner.
Readers
interested in stories that embrace elements of love and
adversity alike will find O'Brien's Law a gripping
study in revised life
approaches and a young man's real coming-of-age test of not just
maturity, but
ethics and love.
Return to Index
Rebels
in Pisa
Ken Tentarelli
Independently
Published
979-8985662443
$26.00 Hardcover/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Rebels-Pisa-Tentarelli/dp/B0BV14GVMJ
Rebels in Pisa is a historical mystery that presents the fifth
book in the Nico
Argenti series, combining intrigue with the political atmosphere of Renaissance Italy in 1465. Nico and his
fellow Florentine Security Commissioners conceal their identities to
work
undercover with the Pisan loyalists, trying to identify their rebel
leader
before he fosters an insurrection.
Many clues
are
presented as Nico races against time to not only identify the leader,
but stop
the tide of events that threaten the security and safety of Florence
and its
leaders.
As Nico
becomes privy
to the thoughts and perceptions of ordinary men, readers learn about
the
economic, social, and political undercurrents of Pisa during these
times:
“You asked about Pisans with animosity toward
Florence. Yes, there are
men who say Pisa should reclaim its independence. You have only to
listen to
the business owners and the men who cannot find work to hear their
resentment.
They don’t hide their beliefs. They voice their complaints openly.”
The
dialogues,
political and social observations, and trials and accusations that
emerge
immerse Nico and his readers in a series of conflicts that portray the
simmering siege and tidal changes of Pisa, Florence, and the
Renaissance era.
Ken
Tentarelli
brings these conflicts to life, staying true to both history and
mystery as
Nico delves deeper into a quagmire of opposing beliefs about Pisa's
place in
the world.
His
dual
attention to building atmosphere and presenting historical facts makes
for an
especially compelling work that needs no prior introduction to Nico's
life and
position from previous books in order to prove completely accessible to
newcomers.
As
Nico
experiences courtroom victories that are accompanied by disturbing
revelations
and ongoing puzzles, readers will find his story engrossing and packed
with
unexpected twists and turns.
Libraries
and
readers seeking exceptional attention to the development of both
historical
foundations and an underlying mystery that shakes the political and
social
structure of Renaissance Italy will welcome the fast pace and insights
that Rebels
in Pisa employs to involve readers in the times through
Nico's
investigative savvy and eyes.
Return to Index
She's a Lot
Like You
Jim Christ
Joseph and Associates
979-8386120573
$15.00 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
www.jimchrist.net
She’s
a Lot Like
You is a suspense-filled
crime
drama—a sequel to Jim Christ’s 2018 mystery novel,
Ways To Be Wicked, but the author’s latest work stands
nicely on its own, and it is steeped in moral ambiguity and societal
inspection
as much as it is in intrigue. Christ not only takes his readers on a
tense,
action-packed ride; he also leads them to an understanding of the
lasting
impacts of debt and sacrifice as he probes the cost of one man’s
pursuit of
justice.
Fraught with
feelings
of indebtedness and responsibility, high school principal Enrique
Tavish
wrestles with the decision to attempt the rescue of a girl named Rosa
from a life of hopelessness and
bondage. Rosa
is not only one of his students but more importantly the young woman
who saved
his ten-year-old daughter from sex traffickers only to wind up herself
in their
clutches.
Having
exposed his
family to danger in the past, Tavish wonders if he even has the right
to
undertake the rescue, but the debt he owes to Rosa is too deep to
ignore, and
he forges ahead despite the moral and practical sea of troubles he must
face.
He hopes to avoid scrutiny regarding his motives from his wife and a
too-inquisitive public, and he sets up an elaborate plan to establish a
phantom
presence in northern Arizona as an alibi while he covertly pursues Rosa
and her
captors into Mexico under an assumed identity. Besides, he thinks,
there is
little hope of actually finding the girl, and his investigation will be
only
long and thorough enough to quiet his conscience and buy him some inner
peace.
He believes the whole operation will take only one or two nights away
from
home, and no one will be the wiser.
But Tavish
has
underestimated the terrifying forces he is unleashing upon his home
life, his
school and his community when he opens Rosa’s deadly Pandora’s Box. His
entanglement in lies and half-truths, along with the psychological
triggers of
past trauma, pull him into a world of sexual exploitation, human
trafficking
and, ultimately, murder.
His journey
takes him
not just to Rosa but to new understandings of the ways in which she’s
changed:
“Rosa thinks of herself as all grown up then. It makes me realize she’s
been
forced prematurely into a woman’s roles, assuming responsibility for
other
people, for one thing.” Still, he begins to wonder if he was a fool for
seeking
Rosa and freeing her from her captors because he can only watch as she
seeks a
heinously ruthless brand of revenge.
In She’s
a Lot
Like You, Christ
confronts
readers with the cruelty and social injustice that are the inseparable
realities of kidnapping and human trafficking; perhaps more basic, as
his
protagonist seeks redemption, Christ has his readers reckoning the
costs for
the pursuit of duty and a quiet mind.
Moral and
ethical
dilemmas carry this novel to a thoughtful place that most
crime/suspense dramas
do not even approach. An engrossing story rendered with passion and
truth.
Return to Index
Skin for Skin
Melvin Litton
Gordian Knot
Books/Crossroad Press
978-1-63789-709-6
$4.99 ebook/$22.99 Print
www.crossroadpress.com
Six gamblers
are
robbed one night in 1930s Kansas. One additional, who never makes it to
the
table, is murdered in a macabre situation. Two farm families already
struggling
with their calling find equal challenge in their hearts and lives as
the murder
reaches out to enfold them in a poker game's dangerous stakes and the
treachery
and revenge which results.
This third
book in
the Kansas Murders series is best imbibed by readers of the prior
productions,
who will find Skin for Skin a
powerful conclusion to the trilogy. This does not mean that newcomers
are
denied accessibility. From an opening section listing a cast of
characters and
their relationships, and the care Melvin Litton takes to build the
atmosphere
and environment of the times, the story reaches out in many ways, right
from
the start: "The sun tips down the
dusty sky to spill its last light over the broad horizon then drops
like an
empty bottle beyond the tall weeds. The wind blows hard at the end of
day,
leaving line and shadow ill-defined, all relic moments in the ruined
dusk."
The deadly
preface to
the poker game and events that follow chart the rushes of landscape in
a poetic
manner that brings this world to life, flavors it with intimate
contrasts
between life, death, and the shade that lies between, then serves as an
intriguing introduction to the more worldly events that follow.
Each seeming
diversion
and departure to the plot proves to be a device that cements
characters,
intentions, and a sense of place with the overlay of metaphor and
philosophical
and psychological observation.
Readers will
find
themselves walking the rough streets of 1930s Elim, Kansas, considering
religious reading and mythological references and analyzing characters
for
their ulterior motives. Changing scenarios then test their mettle: "...given all they do without she
admires her dad’s stubborn effort to keep their farm. And he keeps
smiling
despite the odds. Never gives up, keeps working like their grandad who
smiles
and says, 'Give me a couple good crops, I’ll spring back.'”
This
atmosphere is
cemented by supercharged words and revelations that connect characters
via
cultural roots, religious inspection, and social change:
"'Would you say those fellows found a prospect?'
Faris asks,
having heard little else from his dad all summer.
Brigham wakes from his listen and turns.
'They have prospect but none I would hold. You can strike a match ’n
light a candle or lamp to see by. Or light a fuse ’n blast yer way.
Them fellas
lit a fuse.'"
To call Skin for Skin a mystery or suspense
piece would be both accurate and an injustice. Based on real events
which
cement the historical value of this novel, it is as vivid in its
recreation of
the 1930s as it is in its probe of mercurial intentions and changing
worlds.
Libraries
and readers
seeking literary intrigue and thought-provoking surveys of gambling and
madness
and their lasting impact on families and communities alike will find Skin for Skin a powerful exploration. It
feels complex in the amount of characters and topics it presents and
touches
upon, but is completely riveting in its approach and discussions.
Return to Index
Althea's
Awakening
Maggie Sims
The
Wild Rose Press, Inc.
9781509249527
$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Altheas-Awakening-School-Enlightenment-Book-ebook/dp/B0BT5TTL9S
Althea's Awakening adds a third book to
the School of Enlightenment
series of steamy romance novels, expanding the characters and attention
to
romance cultivated in prior books by Maggie Sims.
Here, Lady
Althea
Egerton is looking to enlarge both her business and her love life. Both
would
be easy if she could find a rich suitor, but having been in thrall in
too many
ways in one relationship, she is loath to compromise her newfound
independence
with another marriage. An investor seems a more appropriate choice;
especially
if he comes with added benefits.
Women often chase the Earl of Cheltenham:
he's seen as the perfect suitor. Sexually, intriguing, strong, and
rich, he'd
match Althea's own strengths and pursuits...if she'd have him.
Maggie Sims creates a story
that is vivid in its
inspection of social, political, and personal ambition: "...her
defenses rose. This was the second time he was poking at
her marriage. Neither Thomas nor she deserved that. Her marriage had
been no
better or worse than anyone else’s. Anything she’d wished for was
outside of
the norm, but it was not Thomas’s fault he was traditional."
Like most men, Lord
Cheltenham wants "full
control" over his destiny and his women. He's in for a surprise,
because
if ever a woman were committed to not giving in, it's Althea. Even if
it means
enjoying a form of sexual pleasure she's been unable to achieve in the
past.
Steamy sexual scenes weave
nicely into a story of a
strong man and woman who find they are both colliding and joining their
shared
ambitions and lives. The tie between sexual and business explorations
is
intriguingly made as the duo dance to a very different tune than either
anticipated from their lives.
Sims profiles the propriety
of the times in evocative
scenes which set the stage for exploration and realization:
"The
next
evening, dusk turned to twilight as Evan rode to Althea’s home. To
avoid
risking her reputation, he turned the horse to the alley leading to the
stables
behind the house. Leaving his horse, he was faced with a dilemma. It
felt odd
to knock there like a servant, but he could not very well use his key
when
servants were about, making dinner. He knocked, dredging up every ounce
of
panache he could to nod as though it were normal for an earl to call at
the
kitchen door."
The result is another vivid
romance both adding to the
School of Enlightenment series and creating characters that bend to the
power
of their social status while remaining true to their ambitions and
dreams.
Libraries and readers
seeking titillating Regency
romances and intersections between personal lives and business pursuits
will
find Althea's
Awakening a delightful story that approaches growth and
discovery from very different vantage points than most Regency reads
present.
Return to Index
The
Call of
Jeremiah McGill
Joseph Moore
Gatekeeper Press
978-1662919350
$9.99 Paper/$4/99 ebook
https://a.co/d/5u6KZxQ
The Call of
Jeremiah McGill is a novel set in
1970s Missouri in the small town of Cape Creek,
where the eleven-year-old black son of a pastor stands on the cusp of
many
changes.
Between
the
turbulence in society, his father's idea of what his future should be,
and his
own growing confusion over his faith and destiny, Jeremiah McGill finds too many questions
and opportunities in store for his future.
The opening
feel of
the story is akin to the care that Harper Lee took in building the
atmosphere
of To Kill A Mockingbird. The same
close attention to small-town details, a preteen's evolving eye for the
adult
world and his place in it, and the surprising changes that come from
friendships suddenly changed makes for a study in shifting perspectives
that is
every bit as astute and compelling as Lee's classic.
In this
case, the
intersection of black and white communities assumes a special air of
discovery
as events bring them together in unexpected ways:
"I have never seen so many saints looking at our
visitors. Most of
us hadn’t been to a white church before, nor had we seen how white
people behaved
in such settings. Judging by what we’d seen on them Catholic shows,
they were
more reserved when it came to praising the Lord, but not Mr. Helderman.
He gave
more hallelujahs and amens than some of the saints who had been there
for
years."
The
history
which brings church and community in sync with a young boy's life
stemmed from
Joseph Moore's own experiences. Perhaps this is why the story feels
particularly realistic and rich in its observations and representations
of a
young boy who at first resists, then steps into his role as he becomes
a force
to be reckoned with, both socially and spiritually.
Libraries
and
readers interested in coming-of-age works that hold the compelling
story of
finding one's place in a faith-based family during a hectic time of
social
change will find The Call of Jeremiah McGill a
powerful tale that
captures a 'Preacher Kid' and his world in a compelling manner that
brings his
times, choices, and perspective to life.
Return to Index
The Green Path
Steven Clark
Independently Published
9798422072750
$5.95
kindle/$11.99 paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Green-Path-Steven-Clark/dp/B09YPC6ZQ9
The
Green Path's
historical fiction is rooted in revolution in Guatemala and the issues
that
drove college student Concepcion to America in the 1980s to study her
passion
for the piano away from the guerilla
war which is consuming her nation and
everything she loves. Despite the passion she holds for her art and her
successful flight away from oppression, Concepcion comes to realize
that the
past is never far behind her as nightmares haunt her sleep.
Those around her recognize
her struggle; from Vietnamese
immigrant Ngo, who also continues to struggle with the loss of his own
country
and roots to war and conflict, to a teacher who is personally familiar
with the
oppression Concepcion fled from in Guatemala.
This circle of disparate
friends and mentors surround
Concepcion with not only support, but gentle reminders that she is in a
different milieu despite her ties to the past. The challenge lies in
the
conflict between her craft and the secrets she holds in her heart.
She is making a new life,
but the past is never far
behind. It follows her in the form of sponsors and romances, in the
Quetzels
that represent beauty sacrificed in the name of economics, and in the
choices
she has made to either ignore and repress or accept matters she cannot
change.
The culture and social
impact of her moves both in
Guatemala and in her new home in central Missouri are woven into the
story in a
delicate manner that builds upon small realizations to create a
crescendo of
thought-provoking movements:
"When
she was
a child, Hernando told her of the Quetzal’s sacred status among her
people, but
she’d never seen one until she came to Steiner’s modest preserve.
'The people need
food,' she shrugged.
'Yes, Conchita. It
is sad. To lose beauty for food.'”
These moments of revelation
are unfolded slowly in gifts
of reality and new possibilities as Concepcion searches for her true
Green Path
amidst personal, social, and political currents of conflict at home and
abroad.
Steven Clark's ability to
bring Guatemala's milieu to
life through various characters' eyes and changing perspectives is one
hallmark
of achievement that makes The Green Path
an exceptional read:
"If
the
countryside rippled with mountains, Guatemala City had manmade
foothills of
smoldering refuse. Eduardo went there for pictures. Bodies dumped by
death
squads, beggars grubbing for scraps from a flotsam of consumer culture,
a dog
trotting off with a human hand in its mouth. Foreign papers paid well
for such
graphicness."
The power of this story lies
not just in Concepcion's
revelations and secret, but in the immersion of others in the reality
of
Guatemala's struggles and the impact of atrocities on the hearts and
minds of
all involved, whether they be participants or observers.
Well-developed tension
permeates a story that places
readers firmly on the soil of two very different nations, leading to
inspections that test heart and mind. This offers book clubs and social
issues
reading groups much food for discussion in the process of the story.
Libraries and readers
seeking evocative, powerful
literary works of historical fiction and psychological depth will find The Green Path especially compelling not
just for its story of an individual immigrant seeking refuge and
growth, but
for a nation seeking the same opportunities.
Return to Index
Heaven
& Earth
Joshua Senter
Roubidoux Press
9781737585626
$34.99 Hardcover/$12.99 ebook
Website: www.joshuasenter.com
Ordering: https://amzn.to/3Xf84y4
Ruth and her
pastor
husband have moved mountains to build a megachurch empire, but in Heaven & Earth, the mountain has
just erupted in a big way. This results in a scandal that leads to
their exile
from their own creation and community as they flee into the backwoods
milieu of
a small Missouri farm.
Her
husband's
betrayal has not only shaken the foundations of their church and
belief, but
causes Ruth to veer from her own preset course in life as a beloved
pastor's
wife, leading her to question virtually everything she's believed about
her
world. Well known for her inner wisdom and ability to save others, Ruth
must
now train her light on a mission that is perhaps impossible—saving her
family
and herself. The cost of that venture may be greater than the
alternatives of
divorce or remaining married.
Joshua
Senter
presents a multifaceted story that questions a diverse set of notions
about how
the world operates, from opinions about homosexuality and marriage to a
man who
proves to be very different than the façade she's accepted all these
years.
One of the
strengths
of this novel lies in Ruth's revelations about the illusions and truths
in her
entire life, which are portrayed in such evocative language that
readers are
drawn to her dilemma:
"As for heaven, now that Ruth stared once more into
the reality of
its existence, she wondered what was perfection without imperfection?
What was
glory without defeat? What was light without darkness? What was
happiness if
you couldn’t compare it to sorrow? She knew these questions would be
heresy if
anyone saw them flickering in her mind, especially the two people
sitting next
to her in the aseptic waiting room, but Ruth couldn’t keep her thoughts
from
bursting forth any more than she could stop the morning sun from rising
outside
the hospital windows. A Savior. A God. Angels. Mansions. Crowns of
glory.
Streets made of gold. These are the ideals of a ten-year-old child who
also
believes in unicorns and fairytale endings and needs something to
distract
herself from the realities of life dawning on her."
Ruth's
process of
growth mirrors many paths in life which create set courses and then are
diverted by circumstances which introduce different realities and
events to
challenge seemingly-solid foundations.
As she and
her family
attempt to forge a new life and face difficult decisions that change
everything
they've believed in, Ruth discovers that even she can continue moving
onward
and upward, even though everything she knew to be solid truth is shaken
by her
revelations about her world.
Heaven & Earth is outstanding in
its evocative probe of this
process. It's a novel highly recommended not just for libraries and
individuals
seeking stories of spiritual and psychological growth, but for book
clubs
examining women's lives and issues, religious lives and mindsets, and
the heart
of family changes that reach out to touch all with the promise of
change and
transformation.
Return to Index
I
Dream of
Demigods
Alexa Sullivan
Wild Rose Pres
978-1509245833
$17.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://mybook.to/demigods
The
first book
in a paranormal Law of Love romance series, I
Dream of Demigods,
introduces a steamy romance scene featuring handsome boss Alex from the
first
few sentences. Part of the attraction is physical and part is an
unexpected
emotional draw that adds icing to the cake of coworker love: “Listening
and
caring is just being decent. It shouldn’t be shocking.”
Readers
thus are
immersed in a scenario that smacks of sex but reeks of emotional
connections,
as well, as the story captures romance readers with the dual pull of
physical
and emotional strength.
As
the story
unfolds, the paranormal element also catches fire as readers learn that
Ro Baird's passion
awakens within her
latent powers that allow her to access her magical potential with the
help of a
new familiar.
But, this
isn't just
a tale of love or magical growth, because Alex is actually a
soul-stealing
demigod from beyond. To such a being, emotional manipulation is more
than a
fine art—it's a way of life. Can Ro trust a being who is better versed
in
subterfuge than she will ever be?
Alexa
Sullivan
unfolds a dilemma that operates in many unexpected realms, going beyond
either
traditional romance or paranormal story evolution as Ro and Alex
develop a
special conjoined form of magic in an effort to thwart the underlying
motives
of Hades itself.
The
undercurrent
of ironic humor is reinforced by first-person explorations that
introduce both
intrigue and new possibilities. Each evolve in different directions
than the
seasoned romance or paranormal reader would anticipate:
"Just because Alex
trusted Melanie didn’t mean
she was trustworthy. But I had power now, a way to suss out her true
intentions. If only I could get closer to her. 'Can you give Elizabeth
some
kind of magical emergency that keeps her from being in that meeting at
eleven?
Food poisoning, maybe? Getting stuck in an elevator?'”
Technically,
it's against company policy for Ro and Alex to entertain a romance. And
it's
also against the kinds of powers that govern each of their lives. But
true love
holds no barriers, and so Ro and Alex pursue each other and their
individual passions
through changed lives and milieus which are challenged by their
relationship
and underlying motives.
Sullivan's
ability to embed the story with all kinds of personal revelations,
twists, and
romantic and psychic transformations makes for a vivid read that is
cemented by
Ro's first-person descriptions and the characters she interacts with.
Libraries
and
readers seeking a blend of paranormal and romance elements that each
reach
beyond the usual premises and psychological developments to produce
something
outside the norm will relish I Dream of Demigods for
its ability to fly
in the face of convention in a passionate, supercharged manner that
evolves a
rollicking good read.
Return to Index
Indigo
Field
Marjorie Hudson
Regal House Publishing, LLC
9781646033256
$22.95
Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://regalhousepublishing.com
Indigo
Field
is set in the rural
South and follows what happens when two very different worlds
unexpectedly
collide—the worlds of retired white Colonel Randolph Jefferson Lee and
an
elderly Black woman grieving the murder of her niece by a white man.
An
abandoned, ancient field that lies between them, "...tucked
between the Cedar River and the monstrous pines of the Gooley Ridge,"
serves as an unexpected impetus for change and a meeting point for
uncovering
secrets of the past as these two disparate lives are thrown together by
the
circumstance of an auto accident.
The
rich lilt of Southern dialogue, the intersection of Black and White
communities, and the prejudices and assumptions that follow historical
patterns
of division are injected into a story as tumultuous in its characters'
quiet
realizations about hidden truths as it is about the interactions
between these
disparate worlds that coexist alongside one another:
"An
old
man stood before him, red-haired and freckled. Blue eyes searing. Face
red as a
boiled tomato.
'Pa died,' Rand
said. If they hated Pa so much, that would surely make them happy.
'Drunk hisself
to death, I reckon.'
'No, sir. No,
sir. It was the Bartley Mine.' He stood up straighter. A mountain
killed his
pa. Not drink.'"
The
characters that interact both within and outside their families and
communities are powerfully depicted. Part of Marjorie Hudson's special
ability
includes an attention to detail that successfully winds history and
precedent
into present-day perceptions and lives:
"...it
was
1954 when I come home from Baltimore. Supreme Court
just ruled white schools are for colored too. I read it in the paper. I
am on
my new path, and it seems like the rest of the world is too. But sad
old
Poolesville is hardly there anymore. All our fine young Black men have
moved
North."
As
each character confronts the secrets that shatter their carefully
construed realities, readers are injected into the heart of Southern
experience
and perception in a manner that makes this novel sparkle with a
powerful sense
of place and heritage. This also makes the characters' disparate lives
and hard
decisions more understandable, as impossible situations test possible
changes.
Indigo
Field
is set in the rural
South, but that doesn't mean its people and dilemmas aren't accessible
by
Northerners. All who imbibe will find the rich loam of the Southern
world to be
a compelling draw that makes this story hard to put down and impossible
to
predict.
Libraries
and readers seeking literary explorations of Southern
heritage spiced with a touch of intrigue and mystery will find the
communities
and people portrayed in Indigo Field to be more
than realistic. They nearly
walk off the page to sit beside the reader with a fan and a glass of
sweet tea
in hand.
Return to Index
The Islands Call
Sandy Frykholm
Parenti Publishing
978-1735037622
$14.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Islands-Call-Time-Travel-Adventure/dp/1735037621
The Islands Call: A
Time Travel Adventure blends
history and romance into a
time-travel quest. The plot centers on Seattle astrology columnist and
part-time fortune teller Gino Calabrese and his chance encounter with
fraud
investigator Sara Shore at a party.
Her
pragmatic
determination to expose the truth masks her own unusual clairvoyant
abilities,
which has destroyed one than one relationship in her past. This is why
she
keeps her talent and emotions hidden, even though Gino wants them to
become
more than friends.
Readers
experienced with either time travel or romance stories may think
they'll know
where this is all going—but they'd be wrong. Gino becomes lost in time,
and
though Sara knows he's gone missing and is in trouble, even she can't
locate
him to help him.
Under
Sandy
Frykholm's pen, the story becomes steeped in historical details of the
1300s.
The Black Death threatens Gino as much as the close attentions of a
precocious
teenager and Gino's assignment to become the personal
astrologer to
Signore Ottavio, a dangerous man who condemns charlatans to death.
Gino is
heavily
tested to recall not only general history of the times, but the
politics and
power of the church and the popes that resided in Avignon before
Christopher
Columbus. Ironically, a tattoo forces him to state that he can "read
the
stars" and gives him both a false status and a charge to live up to the
illusion he is forced to weave about his astrological prowess in a time
when
religion and the supernatural co-exist too close together.
Perhaps
there is
no way out. But in this case, Gino's life depends on Sara, who is
literally
worlds away. Her clairvoyant abilities may be the only thing that can
save them
both.
More
so than
most time-travel adventures, Frykholm weaves detailed historical events
so seamlessly into her story that readers who choose The Islands Call for
either its promise of romance or its timeslip action will find the
times and their
challenges especially realistic and inviting.
Powered
by the
strong developments of characters Gino and Sara and the logic behind
their
actions and reactions, The Islands Call is riveting
whether events
unfold from Gino's unexpected foray into the past or Sara's growing
sense that
something is wrong that only she can mend.
The
journey
through Italy and matters of the heart unfolds with a compelling series
of
twists that bring history to life and inject it directly into the
hearts and
minds of two characters who find their fates inexplicably and
inevitably
entwined.
The
result is a
powerhouse of a story that captures with introductory character
connections,
and then reinforces these different personalities and their quests with
a blend
of historical fact and psychological growth that keeps them challenged
by both
their environment, their tangled knots of possibility, and their
unusual
connections to each other and the psychic forces that lie behind their
choices.
The Islands Call's ability to blend these
disparate, complex
influences into a compelling adventure makes it highly recommended not
just for
the usual timeslip reader, but for romance and history buffs and
libraries
looking for a read that's edgy and engrossing. The
Islands Call is unpredictably attractive in its contrast of
modern times and events of hundreds of years past that portend there
will be no
easy closure or recovery for either character.
Return to Index
Key
Number 17
George P. Tymitz
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-756-9
$18.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Key Number 17: A
Ukrainian Grandfather’s Odyssey of
Courage is a novel that brings to
life the history and culture of the Ukrainian people. It deserves
special
attention during these modern times of the Ukrainian war and struggles
as it
brings to life the pre-Revolutionary Ukraine of 1905.
78-year-old
Olek
Creshenko's visit to his grandson in the hospital after teen Bobby is
brutally
beaten prompts Olek to teach his grandson about courage and resistance.
But,
in order to
do so, he needs to go back in time to confront his own demons and the
forces
that altered his life, forcing many impossible decisions that haunt him
in his
present-day life.
As
Olek moves
between the worlds of Chicago in the 1950s and 60s to events that
changed and
formulated his life in his homeland of Ukraine in the early 1900s,
readers
receive an engrossing contrast in social, political, and cultural
conditions.
These set the stage for a greater understanding of present-day events.
The
relationship
between the now-in-his-eighties grandfather and his grandson (who is
now in his
twenties) forms and is featured in a story that examines relationships
between
those of not only different generations, but different cultural
experiences and
influences.
It's
ironic that
Olek's own seven children don't help him in the way that Bobby does.
But Olek
has helped Bobby find his own special connections to courage and his
heritage,
even as Bobby now helps him navigate old age and increasing uncertainty
about
the world.
Readers
anticipating that this novel will be about Ukraine history and
experience alone
might be surprised at the dovetailing of Ukraine's history with the
equally
powerful focus on how different generations connect, learn from one
another,
and receive support from past struggles that impart lessons to
modern-day
dilemmas.
George
P. Tymitz
draws important correlations between these life lessons and decisions
and how
they are perceived by different generations, adding elements of
understanding
to solidify and profile these disparate perceptions and experiences
from the
start:
"Olek had helped
him understand the many ways in
which he could find courage, in which he could have the confidence to
defend
himself in challenging interactions with others, in which he could
finally have
good feelings about himself. Likewise, Bobby had helped Olek understand
the
meanings of sad events which had occurred so many years ago and which
had left
the old man an emotional cripple and a hopeless alcoholic."
The
journey
Tymitz creates to more closely examine the wellsprings of these bonds,
as well
as the disconnects between Olek and his children, contribute to a
powerful tale
that is as much about learning to forge a life with courage,
conviction, and
honor as it is about events in Ukraine or their resonating impact on
future
generations in other countries.
It's
rare that
someone hands you the key to understanding courage. It's also rare to
see an
immigrant's story so strongly rooted in the progression and results of
experiences and lessons that translate between generations, sometimes
skipping
a generation in the process.
Libraries
seeking stories whose roots lie in Old Country Ukraine will find Key
Number
17 is so much more than the usual immigrant's tale. Its
compelling story of
different generations that share a route to courage is hard to put down
and
worthy not just of individual reading, but book club profile:
“Robert,” he said.
“We help each other. Keep key with
you always. Use it when you need reminder of who you are – a brave man,
a good
man. I am very proud of you. But remember, you must use key for good,
never
evil. I forget this on cold night in Kiev long ago, and all my life I
suffer
for my mistake.”
Return to Index
Liv's Secrets
Janet Levine
Armin Lear Press Inc.
978-1-956450-50-7
$24.95 Paper/$7.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Livs-Secrets-Janet-Levine/dp/1956450505
Liv's Secrets doesn't sound like a
historical novel, but it comes
steeped in the genre's best trappings of action and facts. It follows a
fictional South African Jewish family's journey from Eastern Europe to
South
Africa, where currents of prejudice and racism follow them to affect
their new
lives.
A
somewhat-daunting
list of characters opens the story. While some might translate this to
a
weighty novel that will feature fluctuating major players and a
complexity that
belays emotional investment in people and outcomes, such a perception
could not
be further from the truth.
Janet
Levine's
approach is designed to introduce and streamline the many characters
that
interact on the pages and arena of historical change, and this prologue
and
review helps readers immediately place the characters and their
connections.
Because this
story of
the Weisz family members evolves over a series of decades and different
generations, such a review lends a foundation of knowledge to the story
that
makes it easier to become involved in its personas and events from the
start.
Eighty-eight-year-old
narrator Liv opens the tale with a reflection on her present
circumstances, the
post-apartheid world, and memories good and bad that might pass with
her.
Her
observations of
the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations
do not go
unnoted:
"We learn history from survivors’ horrific
nightmares? Is this all
we have to share? Nightmare stories. Our century was one of struggle
and
strife. Perhaps I’ve lived too long? I’m forgetting the beauty of life;
I’m
forgetting the joy, the love, and the surprises."
As the saga
evolves,
it becomes a template for other scattered South African Jewish family
experiences, revealing the social, political, and emotional ties that
are all
tested by history and life.
Liv's
first-person
introduction leads to third-person descriptions of the 1960s in South
Africa
and the events which unfold to present new challenges to her family.
The
timeline that moves from past to present is clearly identified in
chapter
headers that keep readers on track about the changing milieu which
propels Liv
and her family in new directions.
Relatively
little
fiction has been written about Jewish experiences in South Africa. This
fact,
combined with Janet Levine's enticing attention to capturing life under
a
repressive White South African government and its lasting impact on the
psyches
of all strata of society, makes for a story that is rich in historical
detail,
compelling in its social examination, and cemented by family and
characters
that face difficult decisions on how to live their lives and reflect
their
values and ideals.
Libraries—especially
those strong in cross-cultural fictional explorations of Jewish
communities and
experience in history—will find Liv's
Secrets a thought-provoking, delightful exploration that
ideally will find
its way to discussion groups interested in South African history and
Jewish
cultural experience in particular.
Return to Index
Love
Like This
Cynthia Newberry Martin
Vine Leaves Press
978-0-6454365-7-0
$17.99
Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Like-Cynthia-Newberry-Martin/dp/0645436577
Love
Like This
follows lives
reinvented after they become child-free, considering what happens to
one couple
when they have finished their childrearing job and find themselves once
again
facing choices.
In
an unexpected twist, each makes a decision to continue their lives
not shared, but in different directions. Will quits his job in
anticipation of
staying home with Angelina. In turn, she quits her at-home position in
favor of
returning to work as a nurse.
After
twenty-two years of set roles, each finds their new position both
transformative and alienating as they encounter different people who
threaten
to revise their ideas of what retired life together will be.
Few
novels follow post-childrearing dilemmas in long-term marriage as
realistically and astutely as Love Like This. As
each character
considers safety, growth, and different perceptions of the world,
whether they
be together or grown apart, readers follow an evolutionary process
which
evolves from the small acts, decisions, and reactions of daily living: "This
part, at least, seemed normal. Him outside by himself cooking on the
grill.
Angelina in the kitchen. Water that he made safe being put on the
table. But he
didn’t make the water safe anymore."
The
distance, revisions, and love that they feel for each other come to
light as powerfully as the forces that threaten to drive them apart.
After 22
years of connection, these come as almost a surprise. After 22 years of
commitment, new revelations revise the bigger picture of these
long-held
connections: "She was the love of his life. But she wanted an
empty
house and he wanted to be in the house with her—with her wanting to be
here
with him. And he couldn’t make her want that."
More
than a predictable story of distancing, Cynthia Newberry Martin's
odyssey is also a journey of coming together in revised ways. The small
moments
of giving and intimacy which forge innovative paths are delicately
traced,
creating moving moments which continually revise outcomes readers may
anticipate, but which pause on the brink of unfolding.
The
characters that are introduced to supplement the main characters in
unusual ways are equally intriguing as they dance around and reinforce
the
couple's changes. The disparate viewpoints of the two are especially
well
contrasted.
Readers
seeking a love story of a long-term marriage that faces
internal and external forces of change will find Love Like
This as rare
as a ruby, as brilliant as a diamond, and as subtle as a series of
small
surprise gifts. Each unwraps into a different possibility, and each
comes
steeped in love explorations that carry characters and reader on
unexpected
journeys.
The
fresh revelations about marriage will provide especially intriguing
discussion points for both book clubs and groups discussing long-term
marriage
and growth.
Return to Index
The Possibility of Everywhere
Beth Harkins
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-702-6
$18.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The
Possibility Of
Everywhere: Casablanca to Oklahoma City, Kathmandu to Timbuktu
is a novel
following the life of Cindy Hollingsworth, who receives a hard lesson
early on,
from her own father, that females are inconsequential in life.
It's a lesson she thoroughly
refutes in her adult years
as Cindy learns about other cultures, powerful figures (such as Isis,
the
Indian Kali, and Saint Teresa of Ávila), and begins an examination of
personal
and gender empowerment that changes her ideas of self, her place in the
world.
From the start, Beth Harkins
adopts a tone of revelation
and discovery, starting in 1953 Morocco, when Cindy first receives the
message
that her life and position are of little value. The story then moves
into a
milieu in which Cindy learns that, in fact, women can
cultivate a unique brand of feminine power that holds the
ability to heal and connect disparate individuals no matter their
genders.
Also present from the start
is a cosmopolitan perspective
which has Cindy operating in different cultures, setting the stage for
a
transformative process that encourages her to accept her abilities and
reflect
them into the world.
Her acknowledgement of the
impact of this transformation
on those she loves, who may not understand, is particularly well
presented:
"I
thought
about the email I’d received from Charlie at home in Oklahoma. Reading
between
the lines, I sensed how much he was entrenched in his familiar way of
life.
That’s when I worried that both he and Abby, the two people I loved
most in the
world, might not grasp the ways our Western lifestyles strangle us and
strangle
the Divine Feminine. Pushing men and women to assume distorted
masculine ways
in the workplace and even at home. Often making us depressed or sick,
unable to
imagine another future. By living life entrenched in Western society
and its
demands, despite its benefits, Charlie and Abby might not be open to
what was
opening in me. The thought terrified me."
This example is only one
strength to a story that
explores not just one young woman's growth, but her choices and impact
on
society at large.
As she "sends shock waves to
people she loves,"
Cindy juxtaposes connecting to inner wisdom and courage with navigating
the
changes to her family and relationships that these new ventures
introduce. The
complexity revolving around her newfound understandings and the
decisions
stemming from her travels and experiences makes for an engrossing read.
Libraries seeking novels
about transformative growth,
travel adventures, and new possibilities that stem from change will
find The Possibility Of Everywhere
intriguing. It's a solid recommendation for book clubs interested in
women's
literary explorations of growth, independence, and the impact of life
stories
on the greater world.
Return to Index
The Rebirth
V.P. Evans
Independently
Published
ASIN: B0BWX78LV5
$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWX78LV5
The Rebirth is a novel that differs from
most stories of parental
trauma over a child's death in several important ways.
The
protagonist is a
father who is angry with himself for not fulfilling his role as his
son's
protector. Damned by his own fury and never-ending grief, Mark's
self-loathing
threatens to consume the rest of his life.
Jason
Roneros is also
a fallen man—but in a different way. Beaten down by illness and the
specter of
the murdering Imperatores who stalk him and force him into the life of
a
recluse, Jason is at once dying and seeking redemption.
Mark and
Jason are
connected in more than one way; and yet are so distant from one another
that it
seems their disparate and broken lives will force them apart while
mirroring
one another in unusual ways.
Fate brings
them
together in their final attempt to achieve liberation and salvation.
The murder
of Dermot Walsh which opens this story is the tipping point for
altering their
trajectory away from one another with an encounter that portends a
mystical and
psychological experience neither was prepared for.
Mother Anna,
too, is
suffering: "A monster had stolen the
life from it, and the boyish giggles had given place to creases on the
fabric.
And just like that, there was a constant wound in the mom’s heart, and
her
smile had turned into hot tears, a wail that would never stop." Perhaps
her mandate to find courage is the greatest challenge of all, but it
plays into
the new roles the two men find themselves both fielding and embracing
as they
pursue secrets, signs of truth, and self-revelations.
V.P. Evans
creates a
multifaceted story that attracts on different levels. Spiritual readers
will
appreciate the component of discovery and mystical interludes that
cement this
unusual journey, while those who look for mystery and intrigue will
find The Rebirth embraces both as
the
characters move from their comfort zones to new possibilities and
realizations.
Readers who look for psychological depth in their novels will find
growth and
opportunities for reconsidering what makes heroes and monsters
different.
Another plus
is that
Evans takes the time to delve into the purposes and perceptions of
aforementioned monsters—especially hit man Victor Taylor, who is tasked
with
both ending lives and uncovering their secrets.
Libraries
and readers
will find that The Rebirth touches
its audience on different levels. Its special blend of mysticism,
psychological
discovery, interpersonal interactions, and close inspections of
monsters and
men makes it a highly recommended read for a broad audience.
Return to Index
The Saint Louisans
Steven Clark
Independently Published
9798835135103
$5.95
kindle/$11.99 paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Louisans-Steven-Clark/dp/B0B3NB4P54
In The
Saint
Louisans, hospice nurse Lee Bridger sees a lot of death. She
also finds
herself unexpectedly in the middle of a family fray involving an
inheritance,
the future of a historical mansion, and the opposing interests of a
family
matriarch and the children who would tear down her legacy to profit
from
modernization efforts.
Hell hath no fury like a
heritage scorned, but Margot's
fiery method of making sure her children don't achieve their goals
after she is
gone places Lee in a uniquely conflicted position where her actions and
choices
are scrutinized by the public eye like never before.
As Steven Clark weaves a
story about inheritance, fury,
and families behaving badly at the end of life, readers will find an
unusual
blend of historical issues and humor drives a plot filled with
antagonistic,
confrontational hardheads that are affected by Lee's services and
unique
approach relationships:
“At
that moment, I
thought I’d had enough of him. Of this. So did Philip. If he dies, I
thought, I
don’t care. That’s a cold thing to live with. I don’t have Terri’s
sensuality
and spending, nor Pierre’s Gesshoji and spiritualism. I do have my
faith in
God, and his love, but I also have that last night. The last words my
son said
as he stormed out.” Her eyes hardened. “The last time I saw him alive.”
...My pause was
brief. “I want you to make up with your children.”
She shook her head.
“They’re so ugly, now. They want money. They want to destroy.”
As Lee "does battle for the
cause" and finds
her life turning in a different direction than her hospice charge,
readers move
with her through a milieu in which one powerful family's special
interests are
shaken not by death, but by end-of-life decisions about how a legacy
will affect
and change the future.
"Every
family
has its own karma." Lee's own is no different, but the
pursuits and
reactions she has crafted in the course of her work will change that
karma and
her own perception of her place in the world.
While humor is replete in
these encounters, readers
should by no means anticipate a funny ride into ironic experiences
alone. The Saint Louisans is a
serious
inspection of family relationships and objectives that utilizes humor
to
contrast the brutal nature of emotional clashes and special interests
against
the wider impact of changes and family legacies.
Those expecting a linear
story will also be happily
delighted by the time Clark takes to create powerfully evocative
metaphors and
descriptions that sing:
"Your
body
shuts down organ by organ. The heart and brain the last ones to keep
the light
on. Memories are refractions of time. They’re blips on the screen of
her
heartbeat, going to 2/4 time. She becomes a theory: space and mass are
relative, and no mass leaves only time. You focus, but there’s too much
going
on in each picture. All buzz and minuteness. You want an essence. One
last,
good memory. The funeral. Hello, Tom. Aunt Mary. A picnic. Delivering
your
first baby: super nurse. No. Something better. Light. Music. Midsummer."
It is in passages such as
these that the true essence and
power of The Saint Louisans comes
to
the forefront.
Libraries and readers
looking for literary works that
capture the beating heart of transformation on many different levels,
tinged
with an unexpected icing of humor that emerges at different moments in
the
process, will find The Saint Louisans
an excellent read.
Return to Index
Sushi and
Sea Lions
Rachel Corsini
Creative James Media
978-1956183528
$12.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Sea-Lions-Rachel-Corsini/dp/1956183523
Sushi and Sea Lions is a study in
romantic comedy that literally
opens with a hilarious bang: "I
glanced over at . . . Billy? I think his name was Billy. If it was,
he'd be the
third one since the walking boot came off. Like the Three Billy Goats
Gruff.
Trip trap, trip trap right into my bed. Especially after one too many
Pinot
Grigios."
Injured
prima
ballerina Daniela Verdi fills her newly-vacated days and life with a
series of
distractions that lead her away from what her dream life has
become—until she
encounters Vincent LaBate, who harbors his own reasons for avoiding his
vastly
revised life and any possibilities of romance.
The two
begin a
relationship that is both healing and extraordinary as it evolves new
possibilities and reveals the chinks of old patterns that come back to
haunt
each of them.
Rachel
Corsini's
novel represents a delightful romp through vastly revised possibilities
and
worldviews that take each character on a sentimental journey through
failed
dreams and new circumstances. Vincent and Daniela are well aware that
their
lives are different, but what is less apparent is what is needed to
effect
permanent revisions in how they approach the future and romance.
As life is
viewed
through Daniela's first-person confessions, readers receive an
examination that
is candid and vividly realistic: "I
used to be alive, filled with fire, consuming the world like tomorrow
might
never come. I relished a good love story, the exertion of leaping
across a
ballet studio, the sighs a piece of art could emit from me. Since the
injury,
since my heartbreak, I'd lost my desire. It was time to find it again
and the
Billys weren't doing the trick."
As Vinny
moves into
her life and heart, Daniela comes to realize the potential for a very
different
life, complete with new possibilities and goals: "I
couldn’t believe this was happening. That I could possibly be
everything Vinny wanted. That this was real life and I was here being
carried
to Vinny’s bed like a princess. Like his princess."
Corsini's
ability to
juxtapose the evolving growth both between the romantic partners and
their
individual experiences and special interests creates a well-crafted
romance
replete in intimacy, sexual exploration, and emotional growth. Vivid
food
descriptions even conclude with recipes.
There are
plenty of
steamy sex scenes for romance readers who like their stories hot, but
also many
insights into the couple's interactions not just with each other, but
family
and friends around them. These contribute to a tale as fully vested in
exploring the patterns of developing relationships as it is to
describing the
physical attractions that develop between two already-strong characters.
Readers
seeking the
perfect special blend of humor, growth, romance, and dreams altered and
realized will find Sushi and Sea Lions
a fine study in great expectations, unexpected endings, and new
beginnings.
Return to Index
Thunder Falls
Neil Perry Gordon
Independently
Published
979-8987563205
$16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: www.NeilPerryGordon.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Falls-Education-Leopold-Wolf/dp/B0BTGGWLSR
Thunder Falls: The
Education of
Leopold Red Wolf
belongs in
any collection strong in Western fiction and Native American
literature. It
explores the evolution of protagonist Leopold Wolf in the
mid-1800s. His
journey led him to become an outspoken Native American rights advocate
at an
era when the concept of Native rights was barely an idea, much less a
reality.
The roots of
Wolf's
quest actually begin when he is eight and observes his mother's
terrible death
when a cannonball is fired through their house by the Confederacy
during the
opening days of the Battle of Carlisle. Tasked with taking care of his
father
at too young an age, Wolf grows up with the weight of the adult world
on his young
shoulders. This sets the stage for his later involvement in the
Carlisle Indian
School, which employs Wolf and Son Woodworking in a much-needed
building job.
Little did
he realize
that the business arrangement would lead to social change and revised
purpose
in his life: "Much as I was involved
in crafting every inch of those structures, what I didn’t know was how
my life
was going to change once the Carlisle Indian School opened its doors,
and how
my narrowed outlook on the world would cease to exist."
Neil Perry
Gordon
juxtaposes fictional drama with historical fact in a satisfying way,
bringing
to life the milieu of the late 1800s and the political influences on
Native
American lives and futures.
As Wolf
comes to many
new realizations that revolutionize his life trajectory, so readers
absorb the
politics and influences of times which lead Wolf to make uncommon
decisions
that lead him to become an advocate for Native Americans.
The story
unfolds a
rich contrast between ethical and moral values and the social compass
of
changing White society and Native Americans alike as issues of
assimilation,
repression, and civil rights rise to the forefront.
This
showcase of
history encourages important dialogues between contemporary readers and
book clubs
interested in the too-wild West and methods by which it was perceived,
tamed,
and controlled.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a fictional story that attracts with realistic scenarios and
influences
will find Thunder Falls a powerful
social observation of many of the forces in this bygone world which
continue to
influence behaviors and choices today.
The story
concludes
in a cliffhanger which portends further coverage of Wolf's journey and
education, maintaining that, despite all the events that have
influenced him,
his real education is just beginning.
Return to Index
Triskele
B. D'Amato
Atmosphere Press
9781639887705
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Triskele
is a novel of psychological growth that covers the journey undertaken
by
ten-year-old Paul, whose flight from his dysfunctional family leads him
to
abandon his younger sister Bethany in an effort to save himself.
Decades
later,
the separated siblings reunite under the care of a psychotherapist
dedicating
to rebuilding their relationship with each other and their estranged
father.
It's a momentous effort that holds growth implications and threats to
the
psyches of all three clients.
The
story opens
in 1963 in White Plains, where Paul and his younger sister Bethany
enjoy a
supportive relationship. Bethany admires her older brother ("Paulie
doesn’t have imagination, but he has everything else that makes him my
best big
brother in the whole world."), but his decisions drive them
apart in
ways neither could have anticipated or changed.
Decades
later,
Beth has blocked off much of her childhood memories of abuse. Even
therapist
Lillian, whose goal is to encourage her clients to talk to a
non-judgmental
listener, finds that Beth's deep-rooted traumas are difficult,
challenging her
own professional distance and ability to serve as an uninvolved
therapist.
D'Amato
is
especially skilled at illustrating these therapy sessions and their
choices and
revelations:
"Beth had said a
great deal. Any new material was
usually presented as factual, with very little feeling. With subsequent
retellings, more and more feelings arose. It made sense. Ultimately,
Beth would
be able to connect the feeling with the memories. The precise time when
she
would integrate her words with the right feelings would be under Beth’s
control. There was no prodding. Again, Lillian understood. Why would
anyone
want to know or remember how terrible it felt to be a powerless young
girl
living with inescapable abuse?"
As
the story and
relationships progress, the healing process receives central focus in a
memoir
of acceptance, love, confrontation, and healing.
Libraries
and
readers seeking powerful psychological inspections of family
relationships gone
awry and the process of confronting and saving them will find Triskele
the compelling story of a therapist caught in the middle between her
own
beliefs about what is true and the disparate experiences and
perceptions of her
clients.
As
much as it
will prove a compelling psychological revelation to individual readers,
Triskele
holds much food for thought and discussion for not only book club
circles, but
in psychological groups where clients, therapists, and approaches to
family
treatment are of interest.
Return to Index
When Oceans
Rise
Robin Alvarez
Creative James Media
978-1956183160
$14.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
Website: www.robinalvarez.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/When-Oceans-Rise-Robin-Alvarez/dp/1956183167
Trigger
warning: When Oceans Rise is a
novel steeped in
revelations about manipulation, emotional abuse, and the processes of
identification and recovery which prompt seventeen-year-old Malaya to
reconsider her life when she becomes submerged in a toxic relationship.
Readers who
would
pursue her experiences will find much growth and realizations within
her story
that also embrace a touch of the supernatural as she comes to realize
that she
is cursed by a family legacy of women falling for the wrong man, with
death as
the outcome and cost of their love.
Malaya
becomes
convinced that her choices and man are quite different. The ways in
which she
becomes isolated and is manipulated by her dream man are subtle, at
first, but
work their dreadful magic to land her in a situation which would
careens
towards a similar fate.
Is this
inevitable,
or will Malaya be the one to break the curse and the trend?
Robin
Alvarez crafts
a particularly thought-provoking, eye-opening scenario of heritage,
legacy,
abuse, and the processes by which even a determined, savvy young woman
becomes
ensnared in the same emotional traps as women before her.
Alvarez then
introduces an extraordinary opportunity for Malaya to travel back in
time and
make different choices. But, will they lead to different scenarios, or
move
full circle to reinforce the idea that such patterns are inevitably
repeated?
When Oceans Rise is a powerful survey
that introduces a sea witch's
influences, but presents many thought-provoking moments about pivot
points,
decision-making, and repetitive patterns in life that defy change.
As Malaya
contrasts
old and new life options, she makes the kinds of revised choices that
seemingly
send her on a healthier alternative road. Or, do they?
Individual
readers
will find much food for thought within her story, but ideally book
clubs
consisting of women's literature readers (especially young adults
moving into
new adult status) and psychological groups interested in the mechanics
of
abuse, repression, and breaking family patterns will find much
discussion
fodder in When Oceans Rise. This
makes it a highly recommended novel that operates on more than one
level.
Return to Index
Why Hearts Keep Secrets
Mara Purl
Bellekeep Books, LLC
978-1-936878-23-9
$18.95 softcover/$9.99 ebook
Website: www.BellekeepBooks.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Hearts-Keep-Secrets-Milford-Haven/dp/1936878232
Why
Hearts Keep
Secrets is the third novel of the Milford-Haven series, which
also includes
novellas that extend the saga. It will be best enjoyed by prior readers
of the
story, as the characters and plots built in previous books are
continued and
further expanded in this novel.
The 'Milford-Haven' name may
sound familiar to even those
who have not seen the previous books. That's because the radio drama
which
first aired in the U.S. in 1987 reached overseas to pique the interest
of the
BBC, which aired it in the 1990s under the name 'Milford-Haven, USA'.
The soap
opera took off, capturing the feelings, experiences, and milieu of
small-town
America. This latest addition to the series will delight listeners and
readers
who harbor their own special affection for this environment, the dramas
that
evolve behind closed doors, and the particular seduction that comes
from
entwining lives and relationship dilemmas.
While the books may be read
out of sequence, the special
delight of this series lies in its special form of unraveling the
complexities
of a myriad of secrets kept by various residents. This story opens with
Senior
Deputy Delmar Johnson's date with a ghost. That's right—it's a visage
from the
past that haunts him through recurring nightmares and the unresolved
mystery of
the disappearance of broadcast journalist Christine Christian, whose
body has
never been recovered, but who almost certainly is dead.
Recent facts seem to refute
this notion, but Delmar
persists in his certainty that Chris is not alive. As his investigation
proceeds, a host of other Milford-Haven characters emerge with their
own
special dramas, from newly successful artist Miranda
Jones's increasing discomfort over her love relationship (which
seems to rest on a foundation of uncertain secrets) to Samantha Hugo's
own
close-held secret that threatens to be exposed.
Indeed,
secrets
threatened and unfolding are one theme of a small-town story in which
each of
the characters navigates uncertainty and oddities that shake their
public
personas and inner convictions: "Everyone
in the story had rights; but no one seemed to have achieved a happy
ending."
Mara Purl's multifaceted
probe into these disparate lives
and the community connections which keep threatening to reveal their
most intimate
underpinnings makes for a thoroughly engrossing story.
Newcomers do receive both an
introduction to the
environment and a list of characters at book's end, which will help
them move
smoothly into the small town's people and history. However, Why Hearts Keep Secrets will likely
prompt new readers to turn to the previous books to gain a fuller sense
of the
milieu and drama underlying this community.
Libraries seeking books
strong in emotional twists,
community relationships, and small town politics and people will find
no better
acquisition than Why Hearts Keep Secrets,
which cements all with a soap opera's ability to highlight private
lives and
public consequences with equal strength.
The mysteries underlying
these experiences will keep
readers engrossed and often guessing about possible outcomes as
characters
drawn into disparate dramas lose track of their goals and find their
lives
careening into unexpected territory.
Return to Index
Apple Bottom Blooms
Morgan Rayne
Independently Published
979-8367492477
$4.99
Paper/$1.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Bottom-Blooms-Morgan-Rayne/dp/B0BPGMSSLK
Apple
Bottom Blooms
is a novella about returning home to face second chances at romance and
possible snafus in the process of coming full circle.
Kinsley
Wentworth
finds refuge in her childhood tree house and life in small town of
Grafton
Hills. She cultivates places to hide from life, because "...a
place to hide was exactly what she needed thanks to her ex,
Tristen, and the band of brainless baboons he called his friends. Even
now, in
the solitude of her childhood hang out, she could hear the merry band
of idiots
hooting and hollering, laughing it up––mostly at her expense––by the
bonfire
that was positioned only a couple hundred yards due north of her
current
location."
But, hiding
out from
love's potential only goes so far when potential romantic perp Chase
Thorn
returns to town and picks up where he left off, attempting something
that was
already doomed long ago by circumstances beyond his control.
Replete with
an
embarrassing incident involving novelty
panties and a history of the bad nickname "Apple Bottom,"
Kinsley avoids not just Tristen, but anyone associated with him. And
that, by
proxy, includes Chase.
The short novella
format is the perfect choice for developing a succinct romantic comedy
that
achieves the most in the least amount of words. Every word counts in
such an
endeavor. Morgan Rayne makes the most
of humor, irony, and strong characters that will especially appeal to
readers
looking for powerful stories and examples of literary devices that
create the
most in the shortest amount of time.
This is why Apple
Bottom Blooms ideally will not only be chosen by libraries
and readers
interested in the novella format, but for feature in creative writing
and
reader discussion groups seeking contemporary examples of successful
novella
devices.
Apple
Bottom Blooms
is alternately funny, thought-provoking, and sassy. Readers who absorb
Kinsley's character and interactions with Chase's special interests
will find
the story a compelling example of small town atmosphere, changing
self-perception, and the emergence of a kind of romance neither
character saw
coming.
Return to Index
Banquet of
Shadows
Lucas Pogrzebny
Independently
Published
978-987-88-6402-0
$12.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Banquet-Shadows-Vampire-Bloodmoon-Castelain-ebook/dp/B0BGS1M7BC
Banquet of Shadows is the first book in
the Bloodmoon Castelain
series, opening with a vivid death scene designed to both set the
atmosphere
and create immediate intrigue:
"The room was tinged red as the pendulum clock
struck midnight,
letting them know what time it was with twelve ominous chimes. Amid the
noise
and the blood, Craven squeezed Arthur’s hand tightly, as if this might
prevent
their parting. The room was brightly lit—so bright, in fact, that the
red nectar
that sprang from the wallpaper flowers now seemed to have splashed
everywhere,
decorating everything. The vibrant colors now contrasted with the
extreme
pallor of Arthur’s face. Jarring juxtaposition.
'I don’t know . . . who killed me,' Arthur repeated over and over
again."
With this
passage,
the story takes off for uncharted territory, bringing readers into a
powerful
vampire tale that involves an 1887 backdrop, a macabre trap reminiscent
of
Edgar Allan Poe's best horror pieces, and a series of conversations
that leads
to the revelation of murder and danger.
In barely
five hours,
would-be survivor Lester Craven finds himself confronted with a
perhaps-predictable trap instigated by the invitation of Baron Darcrois
to join
a group in his bizarre Château.
Lucas
Pogrzebny
writes with the flair of Poe and the passion of a seasoned wielder of
the pen
of intrigue and supernatural influence. Think a blend of Bram Stoker's
classic Dracula horror combined
with the mystery
and intrigue of Agatha Christie's story
And Then There Were None for a flavor of the literary
attractions replete
in Pogrzebny's tale.
As the saga
evolves
to consider banquet participant Lucien's deeper probe into the purposes
surrounding this dire dinner, Pogrzebny creates vivid scenarios steeped
in
"you are here" moments that bring the macabre events to shuddering
life:
"The coach had picked him up at his home in the Rue
de Levington—a
small flat above the discreet Librairie
Azur he owned—almost two hours ago now, but the darkness
of night was
slowly descending upon them like a wild animal. And perhaps this was
more than
a metaphor, for Lucien was sure that not even the coachman could tell
him for
certain what kind of creatures dwelled in those forbidden woods..."
It's hard to
identify
a contemporary horror work that is more old-school in its attention to
atmospheric detail, yet more modern in its twists of plot. Pogrzebny's
artistry
lies as much in developing a mystery as it does in creating a
supernatural
world of vampires and men which simmers under an investigative process
that
changes its possibilities like the spots of a leopard.
Libraries
seeking
supernatural horror works that excel in both literary description and
devices
and a sense of mystery and discovery will find Banquet
of Shadows a powerful addition. It's especially recommended
for more literary readers who love Poe's works and look for
contemporary
writers able to emulate his prowess (albeit in a full-length
production).
Return to Index
Catch IT in the Moment
Lauren Meehan
Creative Book Writers
978-1959532118
$19.99
Paper/$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Moment-Lauren-Meehan/dp/1959532111
"If
you have a
pet and a garden, you already have everything you need to be happy."
Catch
IT in the
Moment is a celebration of pets that captures the
intersection between pet
photography and written word. It comes from a pet enthusiast who
reveals both
the source of her passion for pets and the influence they have had on
her life.
Pet lovers won't expect the
extent of revelations
incorporated into this celebration as it moves from bios of memorable
pets to
bigger-picture thinking:
"...one thing that helps keep one on the move is
a healthy inflow of inspiration. Find it, and if you can’t, be a source
of it.
Keep a new inspiration horizon and find little things that give you
happiness,
and you will be surprised by how lively the days become ... I can’t
describe
the warmth I feel while talking about these lessons I learned while
pursuing my
passion. And a glance at the past makes me even more excited about the
future.
It makes me ponder about what’s to come and the lessons to be learned
from
them. Each morning I have blinds of positive thoughts that circle me
and pump
blood to every corner of my conscience. And that what, I guess, passion
does to
you - makes you feel alive."
From
unconventional dreams to the special challenges of capturing pets who
like to
be always on the move, this blend of life philosophy and pet
photography will
prove surprisingly accessible to a wider audience than either
photography or
pet books typically reach.
Readers
and
libraries interested in thoughts about life's meaning, the efforts of
capturing
animals in action, and the emotional connections animals represent
(which often
translate to poses that influence the photographer's eye) will find Catch IT in the Moment a captivating
exploration not just of the mechanics and choices of pet photography,
but the
driving force of love on career and life choices:
"I worked at a doggy daycare, signed up for a
cleaning company, and continued to do it to assure a steady income.
But, even
with all these hurdles, leaving photography at any cost is analogous to
the
worst of my nightmares. Because, you know, some actions don't really
have
logic; they rely solely on magic."
Catch
IT in the
Moment is simply exquisite, both
in its color pet images and the equally powerful written reflections of
pet
enthusiast Lauren Meehan.
Return to Index
The Church of the Lighted
Window Volume I: Denial
Anthony Faggioli
Atticus
Creative, Inc.
978-1733101868
$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Church-Lighted-Window-One-Denial-ebook/dp/B0BS8CDYX4
The
Church of the
Lighted Window Volume I: Denial is Christian fiction at its
best and
follows Kyle Getty, who was a
successful man until his brutal assault on a bully. Assigned to
undertake
therapy at the Fallbrooke Mental Institution, he finds his fellow
clients are
those who have lost their minds in different ways, from Alzheimers to
schizophrenia. Each holds their own beliefs and pursuits, and each
finds at
Fallbrooke an environment in which they can hopefully face their fears
and
forge a way past them.
It's no
different for
Kyle, who takes the opportunity and the decidedly odd environment as a
reason
to more closely examine not just his innate pain and responses to life,
but his
entire belief system.
As it
surveys the
meaning of life, Kyle's journey is hard-hitting from the start:
"At some point, everyone arrives at the same wasted
opinion. Life
is life. You live it, and then you die. My problem was that one day I
woke up
and thought that this must be all wrong. Not in any deep way, but in a
gritty, cold
sort of way. I imagined what it would be like to taste the air of your
last
breath on this earth and what a horror it would be to do so while you
knew it
was happening. What now? How did it come to this? A cool bed. Arms at
your
side. Alone or with family all around, but alone either way because you
were
the one dying. And then I thought of all the people who pass away, each
day,
and it occurred to me that most of them are
aware. They are. And those arrows of regret, dismay, and
disbelief at
what is finally happening to them are piercing them at all angles."
The tone cultivated
in The Church of
the Lighted Window ranges
from that of One Flew Over
the Cuckoo's Nest (as far as the variety of inmates and
their mixed
ailments and perceptions of the world) to a spiritual reflective piece
about
awareness, life purpose, and the different methods of pursuing freedom
and
truth: "I realized that perhaps this
was why; because music opened the rusty gates in me and freed me,
always,
either from the silence of my own skull or the endless sound of my
ricocheting
thoughts. And it was a freedom that I did not want. Yet."
The
philosophical and
emotional undercurrents that carry Kyle through this new world of
self-inspection are presented with a thought-provoking sense of
revelation: "One word. One syllable. Words
are the
most incredible of things. We can ascribe to them any measure of heaven
or hell
by the realities they carry to us. My children were not here. I was
lost. All
in one word."
From
definitions
of heaven and hell to the clarion call of change, Kyle finds his
experience
transformative, inducing a form of growth and forcing him into
self-inspections
he'd never made before.
The
result is a
powerful foray into illness, redemption, and belief that introduces
God's
influence in unexpected ways and unfamiliar milieus.
Christian
readers and libraries catering to them will find The Church of the Lighted Window Volume I: Denial lends
not only to
individual reading and reflection, but to group discussion; especially
for
Christian literature readers interested in stories that are spiritually
and
psychologically thought-provoking.
Return to Index
Delaware
Before the
Railroads
Dave Tabler
Independently
Published
979-8987000601
$42.00 Hardcover/$30.00 Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Delaware-Before-Railroads-Diamond-States/dp/B0BHL2XKG9
Delaware
Before the
Railroads: A Diamond Among the States tackles the myth and
mystique of
emerging statehood with a focus on a Delaware that many readers won't
see
coming—even those few already well-versed in the state's history.
Dave
Tabler's special
brand of history captures events with a powerful knack for drama that
brings to
life the state's unique background: "How
did Delaware get its name? It began with a storm at Cape Henlopen and a
Virginia navigator who had lost his way."
Color photos
of
artifacts, examples of early homes and slave quarters, ship models,
maps, and
more help drive this story, using visual images supplemented by
sidebars of
history to make it not just accessible, but thoroughly engrossing.
Backed by
these
visual displays, readers of all ages will find Delaware's evolution
anything
but dry, and will appreciate the attention given to details that
represent
social history. Housing structure examinations, for example, capture
slavery
housing and church endeavors, taverns, waterway development and
steamboat
services, and more.
Each piece lends to a
more intimate understanding of Delaware's roots than the typical linear
history
captures. Each is a colorful visual key to understanding the state's
events,
politics, society, and evolution. All these facets make Delaware Before the Railroads:
A Diamond Among the States
a
captivating story that will attract even non-history readers with its
blend of
unusual historical relics and contemporary photos.
Libraries interested
in Delaware's roots and an approach that uses historical objects to
cover and
reinforce the state's progression and evolution will find Delaware Before the
Railroads:
A Diamond Among the States
accessible to a wide age range, from young adults (who will appreciate
the
unusual inclusion of pirates and fighting Quakers) to adults who will
find the
Delaware history both enlightening and thoroughly engrossing.
Return to Index
Delilah Recovered
Amelia Estelle Dellos
978-1639885145
$16.99 Paper/$6.99 Kindle
Atmosphere Press
https://www.amazon.com/Delilah-Recovered-Amelia-Estelle-Dellos/dp/1639885145
Delilah
Recovered
blends fantasy with occult themes and explores the dilemma faced by
Dee, an
unemployed accountant facing financial ruin. When she discovers she's
also a
witch (after a pair of witch hunters attack her), this adds to her
anxiety and
angst as she is forced to accept her unusual heritage and its
accompanying
mandate to travel through time on a quest.
Dee's entire world turns
upside down as she steps into
the past and her own heritage, discovering new ways of viewing the
world and
her place in it.
The blend of historical
inspection, fantasy, and even
romance adds a full-bodied flavor to the plot that keeps readers
guessing not
only about outcomes and growth processes, but the actual genre of a
story that
deftly winds through disparate scenarios.
Ultimately, Dee walks into a
world in which she is not a
loser, but holds the powerful potential of protecting and saving the
world ...
if she is not too lost in her own confusion and identity crisis to
grasp the
power that was within her all along.
Amelia Estelle Dellos crafts
a compelling story of a
woman who encounters a series of obstacles to what she perceives as her
role
and objectives in life. These serve to revise her perceptions of
reality itself
as she faces a lynch mob, summons witch powers, and strives to save
herself
from her destiny and the power she has unleashed.
With handsome social worker
Jonathan Berwick at her side,
adding insights that spark growth and new realizations, Dee probes her
own
motivations and strengths:
“When
something
like this happens to a person, it can forever alter their lives. They
can’t get
over it, or they work to get their life back to normal like it was
before, or…”
Jonathan paused.
“Or what?” Dee
asked, unable to push down the rising anxiety building up in her
tightening
chest.
“Or it changes
them, makes them stronger and braver than they ever were before,”
Jonathan said,
leaning back in his chair.
“So, my options are
my life is ruined forever, I can go back to the status quo, or I can
become a
hero?”
“Pretty much,” he
replied with a casual shrug.
Delilah
Recovered
proves a gripping blend of fantasy, romance, and coming-of-age story
that
follows an initially powerless woman into a position of strength and
newfound
responsibilities.
Libraries and readers
looking for lively adventure reads
that cross genres to incorporate elements from fantasy, history, and
romance
will welcome the intrigue and sense of discovery that's well developed
in Delilah Recovered.
Return to Index
The Fisher
Man
Ron Gambrell
Rough River
Publishing
9780990856276
$18.00 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
Website: www.roughriverpublishing.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Man-RON-GAMBRELL/dp/0990856275
The Fisher Man spins an intriguing blend
of thriller, social and
political inspection, and climate change issues into a novel about
Elijah
Haycraft, who survives a youth of abuse and torment by adapting his
killing
instinct to the world around him.
His early
actions
mark him as a dangerous fighter in his youth, causing community members
to
avoid him and his rage. It's an attitude which could attract the wrong
forces,
even in government circles—but it's one which portends to get dirty
deeds done
if Elijah can be convinced that his actions are key to saving the world.
The US
government's
plans to control climate change blends nicely with the decisions to
redirect
and utilize Elijah's underlying rage and strengths in unusual ways.
Environmental
issues
weave into political special interests and social struggles as the
thriller
elements interweave with Elijah's psychological development and the
forces that
place him in the center of a perfect storm during a time of
environmental
crisis.
As issues of
how
sociopaths are born blend with larger concerns about how special
interests can
tap their psychological traits, readers looking for thriller components
augmented by astute characters that absorb trauma and reflect its
impact into
the world in different ways will find The
Fisher Man thoroughly absorbing.
Replete with
strong
individuals who closely examine the truths and courses of their lives, The Fisher Man may be billed as a
thriller, but is equally powerful in its psychological probes of lives
and
worlds off balance, that intersect in unusual ways.
Libraries
and readers
seeking potent first-person stories of evolving friendships and
conundrums will
find The Fisher Man hard to put
down.
Return to Index
The Healing
Book
Dustin Grinnell
Finishing Line Press
ISBN: TBA
$24.99
https://www.dustingrinnell.com/the-healing-book
The Healing Book:
A Collection
of Short Stories gathers writings that reflect psychological
and spiritual
transformation, profiling a disparate range of fictional characters
that each
encounter and challenge their own notions of healing, health, and
growth.
The
collection is
particularly strong in its representations of the rituals of rebellion,
the
facets of existential crises that move each character to make uncommon
moves to
arrive at unexpected life-changing moments, and its juxtaposition of
themes
that delve into the disparate foundations of change.
Before
moving to the
stories themselves, it should be noted that the preface introducing
this
collection is far more than a few paragraphs of notes. Indeed, it
almost
represents autobiography in itself as Dustin Grinnell synthesizes his
life
experiences and influences, illustrating how they ultimately led to
creating
this collection.
The opening
story,
"Beyond Medicine" introduces the milieu of Peru, where a young female
neurosurgeon is on a personal quest to cure her ongoing depression
through
participation in a shamanistic ritual powered by an ayahuasca brew.
The
intersection of
Allie's inherent scientific skepticism about such rituals and spiritual
revelations as she considers the proven healing methods of a leader and
technique which succeed where Western medicine failed makes for
intriguing
reading as Allie participates in an endeavor committed to "ego death"
and transformation.
The
connection
between physical and spiritual healing forces is nicely presented as
the story
evolves in some unexpected, thought-provoking ways.
In contrast
is
"Cured," about the intersections of faith and medical miracles which
revolve around a doctoral student's pursuit of an elusive cure for a
devastating
disease. The process of discovery and recovery profiles Peter
Spaulding's own
barriers to success and achievement as he is forced to set aside both
training
and preconceived notions about life and health.
Peter admits
from the
start that "I don’t have a single adventure muscle in my body."
He's about to develop these muscles in an unusual way as he creates
experiments
to test the outer limits of medicine and belief.
Beset by
failures
that make him even more determined to achieve the impossible, Peter
finds he
must first adjust his own Western traditions and perceptions to take a
leap of
faith and attitude before he can enter a realm that holds a cure not
only for
humanity, but his own psyche.
Each story
represents
a delicate unwinding of tradition and a reformation of beliefs,
attitudes, and
convictions that leads into realms of healing that the characters (and
their
readers) never anticipated.
The
diversity of
these approaches, themes, and discussions will especially attract
libraries
interested in disparate roads to not just health and healing, but
self-empowerment and transformation. The elements of visionary fiction,
combined with the sense of discovery and adventure cultivated in each
different
situation, make The Healing Book a
thought-provoking, highly recommended journey not just for fiction
readers, but
for book club and discussion groups interested in the intersection of
health,
self-growth, spiritual insight, and healing processes.
Return to Index
Long Time
Dead
Susan McIver
Friesen Press
9781039151123
$28.99
Hardcover/$17.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Time-Dead-Investigation-Unsolved/dp/1039151124
Long Time Dead: My Investigation Into the Unsolved
Murder of Ralph
Wilson Snair examines a murder that ordinarily would not seem
important for
close inspection: that of a retired church custodian who was shot. Was
his
death in 1957 a murder, or suicide?
The interest
came
from blood ties. Susan McIver is Ralph Snair's great niece, a scientist
and a
former coroner well equipped to investigate this unsolved cold case
some sixty
years later.
Her research
involved
old notes, news and police reports, and autopsy results, and uncovered
the few
clues remaining as to what really happened.
As she made
progress
in a case that turns out to hold all kinds of social ties and political
insights and influences, readers will find this true crime
investigation comes
to life with its probe of not only events, but the underlying motives
of those
involved in Ralph's death.
The fine art
of
piecing together police procedures and social and medical influences on
murder
investigations makes Long Time Dead
especially invaluable, and a standout in true crime literature.
McIver's
ability to
transmit a mystery, the process of solving it decades later, and the
changing
procedures of investigators supplements a "you are here" feel with
the consideration of historical and social changes that affected
outcomes,
influences, and investigative technology alike.
All these
facets are
why Long Time Dead is recommended,
above and beyond the usual true crime story, for libraries strong in
criminal
justice history and investigative methodology. They will find in the
story much
to recommend to book discussion groups considering crime, problem
solving
techniques, and the sometimes-deadly results of the changing social
milieus of
American communities in the 1950s.
Return to Index
Make Bold
Things Happen
Steve Rosenberg
GSD
Press
979-8987364000
$14.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Bold-Things-Happen-Inspirational/dp/B0BQ5DRJZ3
Make
Bold Things
Happen: Inspirational Stories From Sports, Business and Life
comes from a
"serial networker" who likes to create and foster relationships and
connections to make things happen. His goal and contribution to society
are the
hallmarks of a blend of memoir and how-to guide that covers the basics
of
meeting and working with a wide variety of people.
Make
Bold Things
Happen adopts a non-traditional path in comparison to most
self-help
inspirational stories, following the process of going boldly into
various kinds
of relationships with the specific purpose of making new connections,
then
using them to foster positive growth on many different levels.
The process begins with
mindful choice and adopting an
enthusiastic attitude towards the unknown. Steve Rosenberg follows the
path of
building his own successful connections, using them as a blueprint to
help his
readers understand the opportunities that lie in adversity and the key
traits
that led not only him, but others portrayed in his book, to make
powerful
decisions.
The diversity in his
examples of others' lives adds to
the uplifting representation of different methods of making good things
happen:
"Lead by example and help people
understand the complicated situation taking place daily...she brings
incredible
perspective and knowledge mixed with passion and intelligence and
kindness."
Perhaps the
examples of kindness are the most valuable
consideration of this process; for without kindness, efforts to achieve
can
come at a considerable cost for others.
As Rosenberg
probes
political campaigns, mentors, self-branding, and planting seeds of
promotion
and opportunity, readers come to realize, by example, all kinds of
related
approaches to networking and relationship-building opportunities that
can
propel them onto a bolder path of discovery, growth, and achievement.
Libraries and readers
seeking self-help titles that operate on both entrepreneurial and
personal
levels will find Make
Bold Things Happen's
collection of inspirational examples to be diverse and encouraging.
Ideally
this book won't just repose on a library shelf, but will be chosen for
book
club discussion for those interested in entrepreneurial creativity and
personal
development alike.
Return to Index
Naples Secrets in the Sun
Alan Bianco
Meaning of Life Press, Inc.
979-8-9873147-0-8
$15.95
Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.NaplesSecretsintheSun.com
Naples
Secrets in
the Sun: As Uncovered by an Inquisitive Uber Driver takes a
ride into a
retired Florida lawyer's decision to become an Uber driver—in the midst
of the
COVID pandemic, when the nation was shut down and sheltering in place.
The
clients he experienced and the vivid stories he gathered from this
experience
make for an exploration of Florida like no other.
From byways and the culture
of the rich and retired to
the unique stories of and encounters with passengers who navigated the
city of
Naples and Collier County, Florida, Alan Bianco crafts the kind of
vivid tale
that is anything but staid and familiar when one thinks of their
impressions of
that state.
'Counterculture' and
'Florida' would seem disparate
connections, but both entwine in a satisfyingly colorful, lively
collection of
Uber-driven experiences that are accompanied by snippets of wisdom on
"the
meaning of life."
These notes aren't just
spiritual in nature. They offer
cultural, historical, and social references that prove keys to
understanding
the meaning of life in Florida rather than the generalities of life in
an
existential milieu.
From local hangouts (Naples
being "the land of the
thousand restaurants") and the city's popularity among the elite
(thanks
in part to Uber, maintains Bianco) to the riots that rocked the nation
during
2020 and how national trends were bucked in the more polite Naples
society ("...the “riots” that occurred in
Naples were kept to a minimum and were non-hostile. One day, about 180
“defund
the police” protestors “politely” marched on Tamiami Trail for a few
hours.
There was also a two-day protest on Immokalee Road, where about ninety
protestors displayed homemade signs and politely chanted anti-Trump
slogans for
an hour or so before going home."), Florida's culture in
general and
Naples' responses, byways, and personalities in particular come to life.
The result combines a
cultural and social inspection with
a lively travelogue that weaves connections between history and
personal
observation.
Libraries and readers
looking for inviting stories that
capture the times of the COVID lockdown in a state that harbors a very
different atmosphere from that presented in the typical news report of
the
times will find Naples Secrets in the Sun
a rollicking blend of cultural and social inspection that
Florida typically
does not receive.
Return to Index
The Narrator
Babak Hodjat
Dastaan Publishing
978-1-7354860-0-0
$10.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: https://dastaanpublishing.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Narrator-Babak-Hodjat/dp/1735486000/
The
Narrator
is a challenging title to neatly peg—and this is one of its strengths.
One might
deem it
sci-fi, with its futuristic story of AI intelligence. It opens with the
narrator's consideration of a futuristic app that will allow users to
create
whatever stories they want, integrating these within the boundaries of
their
real-world lives to create transformative experiences of excitement.
The second
chapter
reveals this possibility come to life with the creation of the
Narration
System, which Molly's team has fostered to fruition and fame.
As
discussions morph
into corporate visions of success, romance, user dreams and realities,
and a
dating game which stems from dreams to become reality, readers come to
realize
that sci-fi suspense and psychological progression are just a few of
the
undercurrents affecting the stream of lives in The
Narrator.
Babak
Hodjat's craft
lies in introducing a science fictional possibility, then following its
unlikely evolution in daily life where nothing can be predicted or
controlled:
“I didn’t break any ethics codes. The narration is
literally writing
itself and the coauthor is the user,” Rob said, firmly. “If anything,
I’m
giving the user a role in the stories rather than making them a sheer
consumer.”
“Well, we can’t risk that.” Molly looked at Jurgen.
“Risk what? Why is this even scary?”
“Because, we have no control,” Molly said with a hint of frustration.
The issues
stem not
just from new technological possibilities, but their applications to
lives that
are changed by it in manners its originators could never have
envisioned. The
new narrative form changes the world. This story will also challenge
and change
any preconceived notion that sci-fi or romance need run in well-worn
ruts of
plot.
Babak
Hodjat's
familiarity with California's high-tech Silicon Valley business
environment
gives the novel a realistic note; while his exploration of freedom,
disconnection, and technological influences on reality and
relationships keeps
readers thinking and wondering.
This is why The
Narrator is particularly recommended not just to libraries
seeking accounts
of AI possible futures and familiar backdrops of life gone awry, but to
book
clubs looking for discussion points that revolve around re-inventing
the
world's narrative system, memories, and the nature of consciousness and
connections.
The
Narrator's
special blend of suspense, high-tech intrigue, and psychological
dilemmas keeps
readers thoroughly engaged in a world that holds the familiar feel of
modern
times, but with a strange futuristic flavor that lingers in the mind
long after
the story's conclusion.
Return to Index
Oliver
Stone's Flim-Flam
Fred Litwin
NothernBlues Books
978-0994863065
$18.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Oliver-Stones-Film-Flam-Demagogue-Dealey/dp/0994863063
Oliver
Stone's Film-Flam: The Demagogue of Dealey Plaza adds
to the growing literature about the JFK assassination, debunking
the contentions of Oliver Stone's 2021 documentary series on the
subject, JFK:
Destiny Betrayed.
The
constant back-and-forth
dialogues over what really happened may feel redundant all these years
later,
but as Fred Litwin points out, they actually are as important as
uncovering the
truth behind what happened, because the drive to reinvent history is
motivated
by social belief and systems that change over time.
This
analysis reconsiders the
contentions posed by Oliver Stone, taking a step-by-step re-look at the
processes, findings, and the evidence surrounding the JFK examination.
From
photos of evidence to
excerpts of testimony, Fred Litwin points out where and how Stone's
conclusions
were completely off-track, cementing these contentions with evidence
from the
house select committee on assassinations (HSCA) and the ARRB studies
and the
case itself.
From
how bad Stone's documentary
film really was to evidence it ignored in the process of making its
case,
Litwin provides not just another JFK study, but a consideration of how
facts,
legal processes, and social observation can work against the truth when
it
conveniently ignores pieces of evidence that don't fit the bigger
picture being
constructed.
Why
should modern readers care
about yet another survey of the JFK experience? Because, ultimately,
Stone's
works shake the foundations of American democracy, painting a picture
of forces
at work behind the scenes which Litwin points out as fictional, setting
a
dangerous precedent for undermining the system as a whole: "According
to Stone and DiEugenio, the United States since the assassination has
been on a
militaristic trajectory that can only be rectified by revealing the
truth about
the JFK conspiracy and its cover-up."
As
he probes the historical,
social, and political significance of Stone's contentions, Litwin
creates a
study of film influence and media involvement that also adds important
themes
of how reality is represented, reinvented, dramatized, or twisted.
These
elements make Oliver Stone's
Film-Flam recommendable beyond the usual books devoted to the
truth of
JFK's murder, reaching into media studies and film history programs and
students. This audience is encouraged to consider how media translates
facts
and theories into stories that draw audiences, change hearts and minds,
and
impact social and political landscapes in modern times.
These
elements make Oliver
Stone's Film-Flam highly recommended reading for media
studies and social
issues students, who will find within it much fodder for thought and
group
debate and discussion.
Return to Index
Peace
& Health
Charles Barber
Community Health Center & OctoberWorks
978-1-959262-00-8
$19.99
Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Health-Small-Town-Activists-Healthcare/dp/B0BN6N2V98
Peace
& Health: How a Group of Small-Town Activists and
College Students Set Out to Change Healthcare
adopts a "yes we can" attitude over the elephant in American
society—a lumbering healthcare system that most admit is broken, but
few feel
can be repaired.
The
premise behind one community's
actions is basic: health care is not a privilege, but a right that
should be
equally affordable by all. The story of how various ordinary
individuals in one
community joined forces to enact this vision on their own turf makes
for not
just inspirational reading, but a set of blueprints on how a series of
disparate people and diverse actions reinforce this principle in one
community's healthcare system.
From
a 22-year-old Middletown,
Connecticut man who has no money or connections, but literally walks
into a
vacant downtown storefront to create his dream of a clinic, to the
problems
faced by those who have no healthcare or management background, this
story
follows the construction of an impossible dream.
From
the start, Charles Barber
acknowledges the daunting reality of enacting this vision: "In
many
ways, Mark Masselli’s vision was a terrible idea. Building a free
clinic for
the poor in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1972 was an impractical, even
absurd,
goal for a number of reasons."
The
real joy to this story is how
practicality is set aside in the pursuit of an "impossible" dream,
and how it comes to fruition through the advocacy and actions of
ordinary
individuals.
As
the case histories unfold,
various residents face many social changes and obstacles to their
dream. They
also face daunting challenges on how to address changing health
concerns that
range from the crack epidemic to AIDS.
Barber's
ability to juxtapose the
financial and physical challenges of building a clinic to its social
challenges
in remaining viable and responsive to changing community needs is the
special
strength of a story packed with biographical insights and social
inspection.
These not only provide practical assessments of community makeup and
response,
but chart the typical obstacles healthcare faces in remaining both
relevant and
affordable to all.
Packed
with black and white
articles and photos that reinforce community history and issues, the
visuals
nicely compliment the heart of this exploration.
Libraries
and readers interested
not just in healthcare advocacy, but the process of reinventing a
system from
the microcosm of building a clinic and pathways to using it will find Peace
& Health not just idealistic and inspiring, but
practical in charting
routes to achieving community goals.
Ideally,
Peace & Health
will be enjoyed by a wide audience, from those interested in grassroots
social
change to participants in the existing American healthcare system who
have a
vision for creating something greater than it is now.
Return to Index
Pinups
Portraits and
Posters
The Randall Family
Independently
Published
9798355030551
$84.95
https://www.amazon.com/Pinups-Portraits-Posters-Life-Randall/dp/B0BMT43B1K
Pinups Portraits and Posters: The Life and Art of
Bill Randall
captures the life and works of one of the most popular pinup artists of
the
1940s-60s, illustrating that his art extended far beyond the pinup
domain.
Readers who already know his pinups will find that he produced art in
all kinds
of mediums, from landscape sketches and charcoal to watercolors and
oils.
His
memorable
productions ranged from his classic and well-known pinup portraits to
lesser-known (but equally widespread) advertising art which captured
and
promoted products.
The
full-page color
displays that power this survey of his art include sketches, ads, early
works
promoting book covers, magazine illustrations, and iconic branding.
Accompanying
these
vivid color reproductions are comments that help readers understand the
artist's special techniques and unique expressions, such as the
presence of a
gold earring in the familiar portrait of Mr. Clean, which suggests a
cleaning
genie; or the whimsical approach he adopted to "Mr. Buck and Mrs.
Doe," animal characters used to explain a company's profit-sharing plan.
These
comments, which
include allusions to family sway and presence in some of the works,
provide
invaluable keys to understanding how Bill Randall's life, influences,
and
experiences translated to and affected his artistic eye.
Randall's
four
children and grandchild collaborated on this showcase of his art. Their
participation
and celebration makes for a powerful display that should be considered
a
foundation "must' for any arts library strong in pinup history in
general
or the wide-ranging art of Bill Randall in particular—especially since
many of
these works have never before been published.
Return to Index
River of
Wrath
(St. Benedict, Book II)
Alexandrea Weis and
Lucas Astor
Vesuvian Books
9781645480174
$17.95 Print/$7.99 ebook
www.StBenedictSeries.com
The St.
Benedict
series continues, following River of Ashes (Book I)
with the story of
Leslie Moore, now in the second semester of her senior year at St.
Benedict
High and still recovering from the death of her twin sister. This is
ravaging
her with guilt and affects everything in her life, from her
relationships to
her future.
Readers
unfamiliar
with the prior book may think this will be a story about ongoing
bereavement
and recovery, but River of Wrath is a murder
mystery, and will
especially delight mature teens who can absorb both the emotional and
the
investigative impact of this compelling tale.
Leslie isn't
the only
one questioning her position and future in this town. So are adults who
have
lived there for a long time, only to find that a new threat is
challenging and
changing their perceptions of its attraction and safety: "Kent
looked
at the bloody mess that had comprised the remains of Beau Devereaux.
The golden
boy of St. Benedict had been a football star and heir to the Devereaux
fortune.
The day Kent had found his mutilated body along the river had been one
of the
worst of his career. Beau’s death on the heels of the rape and grisly
murder of
Dawn Moore had shattered his faith in their small town."
Alexandrea
Weis and
Lucas Astor craft a powerful story that moves from adult interests and
perceptions to the narrower focus of a teen recovering from tragedy.
Their
ability to weave Leslie's concerns into the broader story of a series
of
murders that change everything is part of the draw of this tale: "She
took a moment to reflect on Taylor's image, how she had moved through
her home,
almost as if she were a ghost. The nightmare quickly faded when the
uproar of a
heated argument filtered through her bedroom door. Frightened, Leslie
tossed
aside her covers and grabbed her robe. No one had shouted in her home
since the
death of her sister."
Not only has
everything changed since Leslie Moore’s deal with the devil, but so has
she.
Vivid dialogue and descriptions cement the tension, contributing to a
powerful
account that winds through different lives affected by evolving events
and
subterfuge: "Her secret became a fire in her chest,
burning
through her flesh to gain its freedom, but she didn’t give in. She
would not
resolve the raging battle between her heart and her head during a
moment of
weakness. Leslie sucked in a painful breath, ready to walk away before
she
caved, and then it happened."
Readers
needn't have
prior familiarity with River of Ashes to
appreciate this continuation of
Leslie's dilemmas—but they should. Together, the two books present an
intense
series of events that are intrinsically woven on many levels,
questioning the
evolution of heroes, psychopaths, and family connections that not only
bind,
but damage.
The tension
and
revelations are nicely done, making this a special recommendation for
those
interested in not just murder mysteries, but the underlying influences
that
formulate criminal psyches and victims alike.
(St. Benedict, Book II)
Return to Index
Seeking: 74 Key
Findings to Raise Your Energy, Sidestep Your Self-Doubts, and Align
with
Your Life’s Work
JJ DiGeronimo
Together We Seek
Publishing
979-8985689761
$22.99
Hardcover/$16.99 Paper/$8.99 Kindle
Audio is available on
most platforms
https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Findings-Energy-Sidestep-Self-Doubts/dp/B0BKQCWJ62
It's somewhat rare to see a
new age book cross over into
genres of women's self-help and career and business, but Seeking:
74 Key Findings to Raise Your Energy, Sidestep Your
Self-Doubts, and Align with Your Life’s Work is the item of
choice for
libraries seeking books that can reach a wider audience than most
self-help or
new-age literature can.
Perhaps this is because the
treatise comes from
businesswoman JJ DiGeronimo's own
experiences searching for life meaning in her career pursuits. The five
years
she spent researching, discovering, and applying her findings to her
endeavors
results in a series of tips that can help other women traveling the
road to
business and personal success.
While
DiGeronimo
began her journey with professional and corporate strategies, her
latest book
adds the psychological, spiritual, and philosophical growth elements
that are
key to bringing these seemingly-disparate pursuits in sync with one
another.
Business
readers may
not be used to references to higher purposes, Soul wisdom, and
directing
personal energy and pursuits towards greater realizations and end
results, but
creating a dialogue that redefines success on a broader scale is just
one of
the surprises that these readers will encounter in Seeking.
DiGeronimo opens the
discussion with an invitation to consider transformative opportunities
that lie
in questioning the end result of business success: "If
you are tired of chasing standards imposed upon you by others;
if you are drowning in to-do lists that deplete your energy and maybe
even your
impact; if you are swimming in negative thoughts and self-talk; or if
you are
simply seeking more meaning...you are not alone!" For, what is success if it is unconnected to
greater purpose?
Seeking
is just
the ticket for those who may have success in hand, but feel like there
should
be more to life than financial or business-building strategies. It
serves as a
lightning rod for the intersection between the personal drive to
achieve and
that which questions the methodology of success. Even more importantly,
Seeking defines the entrepreneurial
and
personal events in life that deserve re-examination, redefinition, and
reconsideration.
The blend of journal writing
opportunities, questions for
self-analysis, and encouragement for business readers to utilize this
book in
more than a linear fashion lends to its use more for personal
acquisition than
the rigors of library lending. Its message ideally will be embraced not
just
individually, but in discussion groups of fellow seekers.
The "Soul lessons" it
considers and promotes
will prove especially accessible and thought-provoking to women
considering
incorporating mindfulness into a life that has previously been directed
by the
pursuit of satisfaction sans the opportunity for self-analysis or inner
alignment.
Return to Index
Sightseeing
in the
Limbic Landscape
Krys Call
Independently
Published
979-8654701299
$19.80
https://www.amazon.com/Sightseeing-Limbic-Landscape-Neuroscientific-Manners/dp/B08BW431D9
It's
impossible to
neatly categorize or pigeonhole Sightseeing
in the Limbic Landscape: A Neuroscientific Comedy of Manners.
It's a
science fiction comedy of errors that romps through California's Delta,
neuroscience and psychology, and gender issues alike. Indeed, the
social,
scientific, and political farces under examination and exploration
contribute
to a series of dialogues which are both philosophical and psychological
in
nature.
The first
thing to
note about Sightseeing in the Limbic
Landscape (if the above descriptors are not enough) is that
this is a
literary work of over five hundred pages, packed with a Proust-like
detail to
in-depth descriptions and language (such as 'cuneiform' or 'funicular')
which
may not be in every reader's personal dictionary of terms.
As Marie,
Anita, and
a host of characters undertake this peculiar journey, the humor
embedded into
social commentary comes to light in unexpected ways: "...it's
smoked gouda-style rice cheese and vegan salami with
sprouts and pickle relish. It smells of a natural foods delicatessen.
Even the
meat eaters find themselves wanting some."
Krys Call's
tourist's
journey through this landscape evokes behavioral and emotional
responses in the
reader, in keeping with the reference to the limbic system, as the
story
unfolds in disparate and unexpected ways, blending science with liberal
philosophical observations: "Hope is
no longer just hope when the appropriate equations are in place."
The
resulting
intersection between fiction and science will delight literary
audiences
looking for an expansive, involving neuroscientific comedy that is
anything but
your usual sci-fi formula adventure.
The
questions it
provokes and the social insights it encourages make Sightseeing
in the Limbic Landscape appropriate not so much for
leisure readers looking for action and adventure in the sci-fi realm,
but for
literary audiences. These readers will thoroughly appreciate Call's
attention
to detail and the liberal sprinkling of dialogues examining the nature
of
reality, science, and social transformation.
Wrapped in
the guise
of sci-fi, but embracing so much more than a formula read, Sightseeing in the Limbic Landscape is
highly recommended for not
just college-level readers, but discussion groups interested in
literary
devices and inspections that expand the boundaries and scope of
scientific
connections to life.
Return to Index
Trying to Make It
R.V. Gundur
Cornell University Press
9781501764479
$37.95
https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501764479/trying-to-make-it/#bookTabs=1
Trying
to Make It:
The Enterprises, Gangs, and People of the American Drug Trade offers
an in-depth analysis of the American drug trade's processes,
influencers, and
history, and is highly recommended for any social issues library strong
in
topics that embrace these concerns.
In his preface, R.V. Gundur
explains the personal approach
employed to explore this topic: "The
story is the result of my observations, court documents, and interviews
with
129 people. These people included law enforcement, professionals who
worked
with marginalized communities, residents of those communities, and
current and
former participants in the drug trade."
With the goal to minimize
bias and present perspectives
and materials on the topic that are largely missing from other exposés of the drug trade in America,
Gundur embarks on an inspection that initially surprised even him: "I did not expect many of the stories
within and what I learned often challenged the perspectives I held
before
conducting my study."
From respect, power
struggles, and how underground
economies function to gang and drug activity on the streets, behind
prison
walls, and in all walks of society, Gundur enters unfamiliar territory
in
considering not just the social and historical aspects of his subject,
but
underlying business practices that dictate the drug trade's ebbs and
flows.
By drawing on the interview
process to gain answers and
insights, Gundur offers personalized stories that explore all facts of
drug
operations and the personalities of the people involved. These are
stories
that, elsewhere, would either never see the light of day, or would be
set in a
scholarly tone that fails to convey the humanity of its subjects. One
surprise
is that the dynamics of the illicit drug industry are not all that far
from
licit business operations, such as its wholesaling strategies.
Gundur's probe of systems of
underground money and those
who participate in them lends many eye-opening realizations to the
story that
will engross law enforcement readers, social issues students interested
in
gang, criminal, and drug operations, and history readers. Basically,
any who
look for social inspections that delve deeper into the subject than
simply
documenting circumstances and facts will find this book attractive.
Trying
to Make It
is highly recommended for college-level collections strong in criminal
justice,
social issues, and the business and community links of the drug trade
in
America. Its revelations and conclusions ideally will also be used as
fodder
for book club discussions, and for groups study law enforcement and
psychology
who are interested in exploring connections between business,
community, and
drug trade interests and activities.
Return to Index
Unconditional
Power
Steven Gaffney
Rivertowns Books
978-1-953943-08-8
$29.95 Hardcover/$6.99 Kindle
www.rivertownsbooks.com
Unconditional
Power: A Method for Thriving in Any
Situation, No Matter How Frustrating, Complex, or Unpredictable offers an opportunity and a concept embedded
in the idea of harnessing the power of mood. It is highly recommended
for self-help
readers and psychology group discussions.
Steven
Gaffney
links power to mood in a manner few other books have attempted,
fostering the
notion of 'unconditional power' as a personal energy source that holds
unlimited potential, driven by mood swings. The core message here is
that
"your mood determines the amount of power you have."
If
readers
receive only one takeaway from this book, it's a powerful concept that,
like
nuclear fuel, promises an energy source that's renewable and
unlimited—providing
it can be understood and harnessed in an effective, enlightened manner.
Chapters
evolve
the concept, building a foundation of methodology that invites
proactive
readers interested in growth and change to consider the inner tools
that are
governed by moods and take charge of them.
The
second
biggest contention in this book, which drives its self-help strength,
is that "...people
don’t usually realize how dramatically our mood impacts our power. When
we are
in a good mood, we make better decisions. We invest our energy in
creative
thinking rather than worrying or complaining. We see innovative
solutions that
others might miss. We take smart, calculated risks, knowing that big
payoffs
are possible. As a result, good things start to happen. All of this
makes mood
the most important key to achieving and exercising power."
It's
not enough
to create a theory, however. Unconditional Power first
posits the power
of change and adaptation, then follows through with case history
examples and
exercises that illustrate and cement the process of "calling
up your
past experiences of feeling and being Powerful, and using those to
shape the
images of your immediate future."
From
work
dynamics to interpersonal interactions, Gaffney's focus on the
practical
applications of a seemingly idealistic approach to life applies the
method of
tapping moods to the reality of adapting them in an upward-bound
momentum. The
examples, exercises, and contentions work together to build a lesson in
positivity and empowerment that should be on the reading lists of
anyone
actively working to improve their lives.
Libraries
and
readers looking for self-help books which are powerful and accessible
should
consider Unconditional Power a 'must read'
acquisition. Its promotion of
personal power during a period of time in which individuals often feel
disempowered by their reactions to life is nothing short of essential.
Return to Index
Wisdom
and Wit
Shanti Rose
Turquoise River Publications
978-1-959965-00-8
$12.95
shantiday.com
Wisdom
and Wit: 301 Gems to Grow and Grin
is loaded with messages of hope and fun to light up life, juxtaposing
themes of observation and insight with delightful light airs designed
to both
appeal and intrigue.
From
the start, the wisdom and wit
are on full display in as succinct number of words as is possible: "Life
is an amazing journey. Sometimes we exclaim WOW, only to be followed by
YIKES
in the next scene."
From
clues to surviving life's
slings and arrows ("Refuse to let the hurtful words of others
cause you
to subscribe to the erroneous belief that you are small and
insignificant.")
to reflections on how best to not only absorb but transmit positivity
into the
world ("Locate negative patterns of thought. Pull
them out like weeds. Plant positive thoughts and
beautiful flowers will grow."),
these
may be described as jewels of wisdom and reflection, daily
inspirational
reading, or collections of life learning which help readers better
understand
how to weather hard times and share good ones.
Shanti
Rose employs language which
is simple to understand, yet hard-hitting in its succinct roundups of
wisdom.
Wisdom
and Wit
thus cements
its appeal with a tone that is both inspiring and advisory, offering
much food
for thought in an accessible form that lends to both browsing and
discussion.
Libraries
and readers seeking
daily devotionals and short, inspiring words will find this collection
inviting.
Return to Index
Fields
Apart
J.N. Kelly
Rowe Publishing
9781644460184
$14.95
www.rowepub.com
Middle grade readers looking
for stories about baseball
that blend elements of history and women's issues into the mix will
find Fields
Apart a fine study in sports and
social concerns. It brings to life the milieu of Millie Bauer, whose family has just
received notice that her brother is missing in the war.
In 1941,
enlisting in
the Army seemed to be a good move in many ways. But for Millie's
family,
already suffering from the loss of their father in an accident, it's
another
challenge that could add to the increasing losses the family has
experienced
over the years.
Millie is an
avid
baseball fan whose own pursuit of the sport gives her a respite from
the trials
of the world around her. Will it be enough to give her strength, with
her
brother's status so uncertain?
J.N. Kelly takes baseball
interests to a different level
in Fields Apart, injecting the
themes
of a girl interested in sports with the vivid social and political
currents of
the 1940s.
From Millie's challenges in
entering a male-dominated
sport at a time when girls did not play baseball to threats to the
distraction
that was able to move her mind away from her brother George and his
fate,
middle grade readers receive a vivid portrait of the 1940s as seen
through
Millie's perceptions of the changing times.
Kelly's injection of just
the right degree of social and
political inspection as it influences a young girl's life and coming of
age
makes for an especially vivid coverage of the issues and challenges of
this
era.
Libraries and young readers
seeking a memorable story
rooted in baseball, war, and a girl's coming of age in different ways
will find
Fields Apart an exciting
contrast between times then and now, as well as an inspiring portrait
of
courage that plays out on many different levels and fields of
realization.
Return to Index
Find
Me in Time:
Meeting Columbus
L.T. Caton
Find Me In Time
IP Holdings, LLC
979-8-9873961-0-0
$16.99
Hardcover/$8.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Website: www.findmeintime.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Find-Me-Time-Meeting-Columbus-ebook/dp/B0BVVDLFBS
Historical fiction chapter
books are not as common as one
would think; much less those that inject a time-travel component into
the mix
to bring that history to life in an unexpected way. L.T. Caton is a
teacher who
seeks to inject a sense of place and discovery into the fiction format,
and
succeeds admirably with the first book in a projected series, Find
Me in
Time: Meeting Columbus.
The first thing to note
about this book is its ability to
draw young readers into the intriguing world of five friends whose
efforts to
play hide-and-seek result in an experience that tests their confidence
in
reality itself: "Have you ever been somewhere you thought you
knew,
down to the tiniest detail, only to discover that things are not at all
as they
seem?"
The first-person game turns
into a journey none of the
kids expected in a story peppered with color drawings that bring the
chapters
to life.
When the children find an
extraordinary tree house that
is not what it first seems, they come to understand the opportunity
before
them—to experience history in a hands-on manner that written
description could
never touch. What they don't expect is that the process will involve
making new
connections with the past that affect their perceptions of not just
history,
but modern-day life.
Caton does an especially
good job in bringing these kids and
their wonder to life, answering many questions about time travel and
encounters
with other cultures which are typically mercurial in time-travel tales:
"Somehow,
he realized, he’d found himself in the middle of a tribe of Taino
people from
hundreds of years ago. They seemed to see him as an important visitor.
He
looked like them, he could understand their language, and they could
understand
him too."
The magic lies in the
newfound connections they make
between past and present, which also changes their closeness to one
another and
their perceptions of cultural heritage.
The result is more than a
leisure story about a time
travel adventure, but a solid inspection of Columbus's times that
brings
history to life, inviting young readers to understand how these events
translate to insights that affect modern approaches to life and
knowledge.
Elementary-level libraries
and readers looking for
fictional works that embrace stories of people of color, culture
clashes, and
events seen from other than the usual staid vision of Columbus and his
journey
will find plenty of food for thought and classroom discussion here, all
couched
in a lively read that will attract even those usually reluctant to
analyze
history's lessons and concepts.
Return to Index
Fini, the Beauty of a Broken
Shell
Melitta Santos
Independently Published
9798370729935
$11.99 Paper/$6.99 ebook
Webpage: www.melittasantos.com
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Fini-beauty-broken-Melitta-Santos/dp/B0BRMT29W6
Fini,
the Beauty of
a Broken Shell will especially appeal to collections strong
in folktales
from other countries. It presents a Paraguayan folk story to picture
book
readers, exploring the dilemma faced by young turtle Fini, who breaks
her shell
in a fall and feels she's now flawed and ugly.
The kind Fini enlists her
forest friends to help heal
her, but the solutions many offer to restore her shell and beauty don't
work,
until a wise spider offers a solution that reveals the broken shell
isn't as
important as Fini once thought.
Melitta
Santos accomplishes two goals with her
story: it's a lesson on kindness and inner beauty, as well as a
representation
of Paraguayan culture and folklore.
El Creativo provides bright
illustrations that bring to
life not only the forest and its creatures, but their underlying
goodwill in
helping others.
Each animal Fini encounters
in her search for help
exhibits traits (such as shyness) that she can help change. In turn,
each
creature tries to positively influence Fini's life.
Parents who choose Fini,
the Beauty of a Broken Shell for read-aloud have the rare
opportunity to
discuss acts of kindness in action. They will relish the adventure Fini
experiences as she discovers that her outer and inner beauty are a
matter of
perception and attitude as much as fact.
Return to Index
Florence’s Journey:
Proving Something
Victor Hess
Independently
Published
978-0999564059
$12.95
https://a.co/d/eOiyu0O
Florence’s Journey: Proving Something is
the first book in the
Wesley Club series for young readers and follows nine-year-old Florence
Abigail
Williams, who is, as the story opens, convinced that her mother's
reference to
a surprise means many possibilities of an improvement to their home and
lives.
Surprise! It involves
a journey that, in 1955 Ohio, is no light undertaking when Florence's
parents
are accused of a crime and arrested, leaving Florence with too many
questions
and an uncertain future.
Florence's
diary
entries describing her experience juxtapose with third person
observations of
trials, errors, and foster homes that teach Florence about different
worlds and
lives.
As
her parents
learn how to parent from a distance and maintain contact with Florence,
the
child embarks on a new life under vastly revised conditions, learning
to
participate in the community church and life in a very different way.
It
doesn't help
their case that her parents don't recall where they were or what
happened, so
Florence becomes involved in an investigation that holds some
surprising twists
and turns.
It's
unusual to
see a pre-teen read where the young protagonist is unwittingly pulled
into an adult
world of legal and criminal processes while simultaneously navigating
her own understanding
of strange circumstances. The intrigue added by Florence's own
perception of
those who arrested her parents introduces another layer of possibility
to the
mystery that young people won't see coming (and neither will adults).
As
time goes by,
Florence's ability to adapt to new circumstances and participate in
rebuilding
not just her life, but those of her parents, creates a moving and
engrossing
story that flavors its backdrop of 1950s Ohio with social observations
and
spiritual reflection.
The mystery,
character development, and spiritual growth dovetail nicely with scenes
that
profile both the times and the proactive determination of a young girl
charged
with getting her family back together against all odds and impossible
circumstances.
Libraries
and
readers looking for realistic stories of trials, difficult choices, and
a
savvy, concerned child who might be the only one able to help her
parents
resolve their own unexpected struggles will find Florence’s
Journey: Proving Something an astute story of courage,
conviction, and
spiritual growth. It ideally will attract a wide audience. This is the
first
book of the Wesley Club Adventure series.
Return to Index
The
Forgetful Ferret
Sally Alexander
Independently
Published
978-958459-04-1
$24.99
Hardcover/$7.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
Website: www.sallyalexander.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Forgetful-Ferret-Adventures-Caitlin-Rio/dp/B08GDKG9PT
Book 4 of a
Caitlin
and Rio adventure for elementary-level readers, The
Forgetful Ferret, follows Caitlin Maggert and her magical
Ragdoll cat Rio into a new dilemma when a lost time-traveling ferret
enters
their lives.
Caitlin
wants to help
Daisy return to her home, but she also realizes that the ferret
represents a
unique opportunity to go back in time and change the series of events
that
brought the evil terrorist MacDougal into their world to threaten it.
As readers
ages 8-12
absorb Caitlin's dilemma over treading carefully lest her own timeline
be
corrupted and damaged, they receive a rollicking good adventure story.
The Forgetful Ferret requires no prior
familiarity with the
preceding series stories in order for newcomers to dip right into the
characters and scenarios. This is because a brief introduction sets the
stage
by condensing past encounters with MacDougal and following his foray
into even
more dangerous territory in The Forgetful
Ferret.
Can Daisy
help them
stop MacDougal, or will she enter the time portal without them? Is
Caitlin's
dangerous plan enough to protect her beloved Rio?
As Caitlin
combines
forces with best friends Molly and Trudy, who each exhibit different
abilities
to solve problems and decipher clues to puzzles, Sally Alexander's
excellent
adventure benefits from a side dish of realization about the supportive
strengths friends can provide in times of adversity.
The result
is a tale
that simmers with action, mystery, a nautical treasure hunt, and a pet
that
offers underlying lessons on friendship and the true meaning of
treasure.
Elementary-level
libraries and readers looking for standalone adventures that are
engrossing and
well-written will find The Forgetful
Ferret an excellent choice.
Return to Index
Hale: The
Prophet's
Journal
JK Noble
Independently
Published
9781636981529
$18.95
www.amazon.com
Middle-grade
readers to
adults who enjoyed the story of boy/griffin hero/villain in Hale: The Rise of the Griffins will find
its sequel, Hale: The Prophet's Journal,
a satisfyingly, equally powerful follow-up. It carries Hale into more
adventures as he continues to confront his new powers and role in life.
The story
opens with Hale's
father Felix's nightmares and his determination to break away from his
dearest,
oldest friends to confront King Bayo's rule and son Hale's dangerously
powerful,
growing gift.
As the story
moves
between Bayo, Hale, and Felix, it develops a powerful plot in which
young
readers once again are called upon to question who is the hero, who is
the
villain, and who is only human, in their responses to life's adversity
and
opportunities.
Hale trusted
his
Griffin brother Bayo, who let him down. It's been eleven years, but the
latest
rescue attempt shatters all hope that Hale can be saved. And yet, this
is not
the end of the story; but the beginning.
As events
unfold with
a host of characters questioning their intentions, beliefs, and impact
upon
their worlds, prior fans of The Rise of
the Griffins will appreciate the same attention to
psychological
development and conundrums that made the first book so compelling.
As Hale, a
siren song,
and an awful power are changed by an unexpected savior, satisfying
twists and
turns develop which continue to challenge the young reader's perception
of who are
the good and who the evil characters in the plot.
Nothing is
black and
white. Nor are the motives and questions of a host of characters that
struggle
with danger and sometimes even act against their own interests.
Sometimes
readers
will admire Hale: "Epic battles
showcase Hale’s courageousness and righteous actions when he defends
the
innocent. The more Marcus watches, the more he is in awe of Hale. For
every
obstacle Hale overcomes, he remains true to his character."
Sometimes,
they will hate him. This changing sense of purpose, perspective, and a
waking
world in which the history of the Griffin clan comes dangerously to
life, makes
for a complex, involving read that is one of the hallmarks of a
superior
fantasy story.
All ages
will
appreciate the ghosts, mysteries, and struggles which continue to
evolve,
involve, and consume Hale, his family, and those around him. The blend
of
fast-paced action, multifaceted characters and purposes, and more
developing details
about the Griffin clan and their world makes for a satisfying sequel
that
should be in any collection seeing patron interest in Hale:
The Rise of the Griffins.
Return to Index
Hugh the Hippo Camps Out In
My Head
Beverley Reichman
Independently Published
978-1667868578
$14.99
Paper/$8.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Hugh-Hippo-Camps-Out-Head/dp/1667868578
Hugh
the Hippo
Camps Out In My Head explores the hippocampus (the part of
the brain where
learning and memory live) for young picture book readers through a
whimsical
story in which young Oliver meets his resident "hippo" Hugh. Oliver
embarks on a journey that shares their evolving relationship using the
succinct
action words and cartoon images (albeit much larger, for younger eyes)
of a
graphic novel.
Oliver's acknowledgement of
his side-kick and
super-powered internal "hippo" accompanies tips on how to reinforce
memories and strengthen brain function as Hugh and Oliver embark on a
series of
adventures, from winning a video game to encountering 'dragons' during
a walk
in the woods.
The chapter book appearance
of this story is inviting.
Mark Jackson's graphics are vivid, colorful, and illustrate unexpected
encounters and adventures, while the underlying messages about memory
and brain
function are educational, yet action-packed.
Hugh
the Hippo
Camps Out In My Head stands out from any other chapter book
as a fun story
that nicely entwines action with education, cementing all within a
vivid
graphic novel overlay that will prove not just familiar and accessible,
but
compelling.
Return to Index
Jana's
Brightly
Coloured Socks
Sally Fetouh
Independently
Published
978-0-6454219-0-3
$11.99 (Paperback)/ $19.99
(Hardback)
Website: https://www.sallyfetouh.com/books
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Janas-Brightly-Coloured-Socks-Fetouh/dp/0645421901
Jana's Brightly
Coloured Socks follows the life
of young Jana, who has
just learned how to put on her socks herself. To celebrate her
achievement, her
parents have bought her a drawer of colorful socks. Now the challenge
becomes:
which one to choose each day?
Jana
enjoys a
wide circle of friends because she is special in more than one way, and
they
both understand her abilities and celebrate her victories.
Sally
Fetouh's
story of friendship, support, inclusiveness builds from Jana's
connections to
her giving nature and the widespread, unexpected results of her
generosity.
Like
ripples in
a pond, Jana affects the world around her by not just her connections,
but how
she invites her friends and peers to participate in her celebration of
life's
colors and opportunities.
This
very
different story of a child with Down syndrome paints a loving, positive
portrait of a girl whose attitude shines into the world around her,
changing it
for the better.
More
than a
story of colorful socks or achievement, it's a lesson in generosity and
giving
that ideally will be profiled by adults who want to go beyond lessons
on
acceptance, diversity, or differences to illustrate the benefits and
approaches
of being a giving person to one's peers.
Sally
Fetouh's
picture book enjoys colorful illustrations by Alexis Schnitger which
bring to
life a child's decision to share her delight with the world. The
ripples of
kindness this picture book supports will ideally be reinforced in
various ways:
by library acquisition, parental read-aloud, and young reader
discussions.
Return to Index
Kep
Westguard Rebel Spy
Eileen Schnabel
Wonder Jumps Press
978-1-7338681-2-9
$7.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
Website: www.eileenschnabel.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/KEP-WESTGUARD-REBEL-Eileen-Schnabel-ebook/dp/B0BSNZPVKJ
Kep
Westguard Rebel Spy
is a historical time-travel piece that follows thirteen-year-old Kep
Westguard's unexpected
involvement
in
the Battle of Saratoga.
He
arrives in 1777 just days
before the battle takes place, infiltrates the British camp, and
discovers that
his grandfather is part of a scheme to assure that the battle win goes
to the
British.
Prior
readers of Kep Wesguard's
time-travel history encounters in 1775 (One If By Land, Two If
By Submarine)
will find the same attention to bringing American history to life is
present
here, as Kep comes to realize his involvement in a mystery will prove
the pivot
point of a battle to preserve American democracy ... if he can escape
being
discovered and hung for spying.
Eileen
Schnabel utilizes a vivid
storyteller's eye to flavor her story with adventure and action,
bringing
history to life and adding a delightful specter of a timeline gone awry
as Kep
tries his best and considers the impact of failure:
"He’d
entered Burgoyne’s tent planning to confirm
nothing had changed, confident he had been right to come alone,
confident that
history was on track and Fox had done nothing to change the
time-stream.
Instead, as he left the tent, he was sure something big had changed.
But he was
clueless what that something was. Or the best way to figure that key
information out. It was like a test question and Kep had gotten a fat,
red
checkmark: wrong answer."
At
stake is his future and
American liberty itself.
Readers
will absorb historical
facts about this key battle and its times without even realizing their
education, because the key components of the action lie in the
unfolding
choices all characters make that will determine the state and future of
America. This adds an educational component to the tale that is
effortlessly
inviting as kids move through the story of a boy on a mission and an
outcome
gone awry. From mission notes and mysteries to clashes between
loyalists and
rebels, history comes to life as Kep struggles to keep his future world
intact.
Adults
seeking time-travel stories
that lure the leisure reader, yet educate them with real historical
facts
flavored with intrigue and action, will find Kep Westguard
Rebel Spy
strong in characterization, plot, and facts.
Kep
Westguard's choices and impact
will bring not only the Battle of Saratoga to life, but give rise to
classroom
and book club discussions about the relevance of American history to
modern
life.
Return to Index
The Many
Adventures
of Donnie Malone
Paul E. Doutrich
Luminare Press
979-8-88679-043-6
$16.95 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.luminarepress.com
In The Many Adventures of Donnie Malone,
sixteen-year-old Donnie becomes caught up in patriotic fervor and
enlists to be
part of the war during World War I. Joining other fighter pilots in the
conflict, he finds that the struggle is only beginning when, at war's
end, he
returns to a much-changed civilian life. Or, is it he who has changed?
As he
encounters
various social figures, starts an air delivery service, and finds
himself on
the wrong end of the law, Donnie falls into a series of dead-end jobs
and
dangerous possibilities until his wandering ways are brought to a halt
by the
former mentor who taught him how to fly.
The special
strength
in Paul E. Doutrich's story lies in his ability to weave a tale that
moves
concurrently through personal growth and society's evolution.
Historical facts
captured through the eyes of young Donnie thus become more personal,
vivid, and
certainly more memorable as he finds his path in the aftermath of a
world-changing war.
Doutrich
cultivates a
rich 'you are here' feeling by presenting the world through Donnie's
first-person experiences:
"I made the first flight on a beautiful, warm
mid-April afternoon.
As expected, I had an audience, including the local paper and Mr.
Davidson. Of
course, Mr. Schultz was there. I got him to crank the propeller.
Meanwhile, I
sat in the pilot’s seat, one hand fiddling with the throttle, the other
on the
control stick and my feet on the prop peddles. After a few cranks, I
heard the
engine catch. I pushed the throttle forward and gently pulled back on
the
stick. Seconds later I lifted off the ground. I pulled the stick
farther back,
cautiously getting more altitude. The Jenny didn’t have a speed gauge
or an
altimeter, but you could tell about how high you were and how fast you
were
going by the position of the throttle and the control stick. In a
couple of
minutes, I was soaring high above the farm. It felt great."
Readers of
all ages
not only absorb this milieu, but sit beside Donnie as he moves through
life,
learning new lessons and crafting a better idea of where he is heading
and how
to get there.
Readers who
enjoy
stories of aviation experiences will find Donnie's flights especially
engaging
as he builds familiarity with his craft and designs new opportunities
for
himself. These grow to embrace other realizations as the years pass,
bringing
with them Japanese internment camps, labor struggles, McCarthyism, and
the
Vietnam War.
Donnie
Malone's many
adventures represent a vivid attention to detail and psychological
development
which demonstrate how viewing history through a character's eyes can
bring it
to life and make it memorable.
Historical
fiction
readers, those interested in aviation-centered stories, and readers
from teens
through adults who look for rollicking good flights into the skies and
heart
will find The Many Adventures of Donnie
Malone a captivating story of growth and change.
Return to Index
Molly
Shipton,
Secret Actress
Sheri Graubert
Clear Fork
Publishing
978-1-950169-82-5
$16.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
www.clearforkpublishing.com
Molly Shipton,
Secret Actress will attract teen
readers interested in
historical fiction, drama, and stories about feisty sisters. Molly and
her
younger sister Juliet lose everything in a plague that hits England in
1598.
They leave their plague-threatened home in Bitford-Upon-Avon to
eventually make
their way to London, disguised as boys to avoid capture by Mr. John
Barnes, who
wants to use them for free labor. His reputation for abuse is widely
known, and
so the girls are motivated to undertake a dangerous journey in a bid
for
freedom and new lives.
From
the start,
Sheri Graubert is adept at portraying a world transformed by plague,
and its
personal impact on Molly and Juliet's young lives: "They sold
every
valuable thing in the house for food, apart from Molly’s lute and the
silver
locket. They burned every wooden thing for heat: the stools, the
plates, even
the table."
When
Molly
becomes an actor in one of Shakespeare's plays, she unwittingly becomes
a star.
The deep secret of her gender must be preserved at all odds, because in
this
era, women and girls are forbidden from professional pursuits.
As
her acting abilities
catch the eye of the young bard and writer Shakespeare, Molly becomes
an
unwitting muse which may inspire some of his works. Because she not
only looks
like a boy, but falls into her role, her world changes again,
transformed by
new connections that build not just a different family around her, but
which is
changed by her secret and newfound abilities.
Sheri
Graubert
crafts a compelling, inspirational story based on history that covers
the
social and political tides of the times. Her attention to building
atmosphere
and influences upon young girls lends to a thoroughly engrossing story
that is
vividly presented and hard to put down.
The
attention to
fulfilling aspirations against all odds is particularly inviting and
uplifting,
creating a history which stands out for teen readers. Libraries looking
for
strong works of historical fiction for this age group will find Molly
Shipton, Secret Actress an excellent acquisition.
Return to Index
Monologues for Young Adults
Mike Kimmel
Ben Rose Creative Arts
9781953057112
$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Monologues-Young-Adults-Original-Professional-ebook/dp/B0BRT1BCCP
Monologues
for
Young Adults: 60 Original Monologues to Stand Out, Inspire, and Shine offers
mature teens to those in their 20s and 30s a gender-neutral, ethnically
inclusive set of monologues that require no props or costumes. Mike
Kimmel
excels in creating short pieces that not only teach budding actors
about
delivery and acting choices, but translate philosophical and social
inspection
onto the stage.
Mike Kimmel's monologues
join other books in the
Professional Actors series, providing the opportunity to not only
absorb acting
basics, but consider the special opportunities the monologue
represents, in
general, through these original social inspections.
Real-world topics combine
with ethical considerations and
conflicts, creating monologues that are in sync with and appropriate
for
thinking young adults.
Aspiring actors need a wide
range of materials to utilize
in the practice and evolution of their craft. These selections lend
equally
strongly to individual practice, classroom, and stage pursuit.
An introduction of basics,
including how to get into
character and "tame your voice," leads to such works as the first
piece, "No Competition," which opens: "Call
me a rebel, but I like to see people happy and successful.
Life should be a beautiful journey, not a no-holds-barred fight to the
finish." The monologue goes on to explore the process of
"becoming the best possible version of ourselves"—an effort which
really involves no competition.
These monologues are so
short that one might wonder at
their potential for powerful diversity and lessons. Wonder not, because
each
piece packs a punch into a minimum of words, requiring actors to create
the
accompanying power of delivery that often proves elusive on stage.
Any library collection
strong in acting books in general
and monologues in particular should have Monologues
for Young Adults. Its strength lies not just in lessons
about diversity,
delivery, and acting choices; but in its range of appropriate subjects
that
test the boundaries of the young actor's talents and his or her belief
systems
and social and ethical choices in life.
Return to Index
The Tickling Tale of Smoo
Louiza Kallona
Independently Published
979-8370066535
$8.99
Paper/$2.99 Kindle
Website: https://louizakallona.com
Ordering links: https://a.co/d/7A4iDLd
The
Tickling Tale
of Smoo is a rollicking ride through Scotland that presents a
fantasy
adventure replete with fun and the dilemma of something missing from
its
characters' lives—laughter.
Fiddle Wood's residents
usually fill their homes with
laughter, but one day brother and sister Lucy
and Ben McClafferty realize that laughter has vanished from their
lives. Not just their home has been affected, however: nobody in the
world
laughs anymore, either.
Prompted by
a wise,
quirky grandmother to embark on a journey to locate Gabel Lylhu, one of
the
ticklers of the world who hides in Smoo Cave, the children find their
quest filled
with adventure and questions about why laughter has vanished. They
discover how
their efforts can make a difference not only in their lives, but in the
world.
The first
thing to
note is the lilting, lyrical, descriptive voice of Louiza Kallona as
she
presents this story:
"It was a crunchy cold afternoon somewhere up a
sheep-lined,
tractor-chugging, coal-tit-twittering track in Fiddle Wood, in the
Scottish
Borders. The McClaffertys were huddled around a crackling fire in
Middletoun
Farmhouse’s kitchen when something hairy howled outside..."
Descriptive
action
crackles throughout the tale with thought-provoking, delightfully
original
scenes as Lucy, Ben, and Uncle Patrick face an array of unexpected
creatures
and encounters, from a grinning cat with a message to baboons that sing
sea
shanties.
As they
travel
through Smoo to learn that Gabel is not the end result of their search,
the
adventurers find keys to understanding not only what happened to
laughter, but
what force changed other cultures, from India to Britain.
Kids who choose The
Tickling Tale of Smoo
for
its promise of fantasy delights thus receive much more, from insights
on joy to
cultural revelations, all couched in fun wordplays and descriptions.
Libraries that add The
Tickling Tale of Smoo to their elementary-level collections
will find it a
standout not just for its sense of fun, but for its especially
evocative
language and blend of fantasy delights with cultural inspections.
Return to Index
Traveling Tootsie
Karen and Kathy Honaker
Mascot Kids
978-1645435884
$18.95 Hardcover/$6.99 ebook
Website:
www.travelingtootsie.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Tootsie-Karen-Honaker/dp/1645435881
Traveling
Tootsie
is a picture book about young Katie and Steven, who have to stay home
when
their parents travel for work.
Why do they always have to
stay home? Why can't they join
their parents on a journey? The siblings decide to embark on their own
travels,
right in their own bedroom, when a talking teddy bear proposes an
exciting
alternative.
Traveling
Tootsie
offers many unexpected, fun moments as the kids send teddy Tootsie on
an
exciting journey filled with wonders.
This is the perfect book to
choose for read-aloud for
kids whose parents travel, and is also a fine opportunity for
instilling in
children the wonders of travel and encountering the unexpected.
Powered by Chiara Civati's
engaging illustrations, the colorful
and quirky journey through history and other lands represents the fun
and
adventure of travel while capturing the wonders of Washington, D.C.
Libraries and read-aloud
parents seeking picture books
pairing whimsical fun with travel insights will find Traveling
Tootsie lively, delightful, and just the ticket for
instilling a sense of wanderlust and discovery in young children.
Return to Index
Vivienne
in Paris
Maria Castellucci Moore
Mascot Kids!
978-1637551431
$19.95 Hardcover
www.mascotbooks.com
The
picture book story Vivienne
in Paris follows the daily life of a young Parisian girl who
experiences
the delights of the famous city, bringing young readers along for a
vicarious
journey.
Emanuela
Mannello illustrates Maria
Castellucci Moore's story with an eye to translating Vivienne's
observations in
a way that all young readers can enjoy, whether or not they have any
prior
knowledge of or interest in Paris.
Vivienne's
first-person story
introduces a surprise: she has undertaken a journey through her
familiar city
home and discovered new aspects of it that she wants to share with her
young
audience.
One
of these surprises lies in how
Vivienne not only observes those around her, but interacts with them.
An early
example is the time she takes to visit with her grand-pére as he sits
on a park
bench reading his newspaper. His query to her invites readers to also
partake
of an emotional self-assessment and trip down memory lane: “Vivienne,”
my
grandfather asked, “do you remember a time when you felt most alive,
full of
spirit, zestful, and sparkling with enthusiasm?”
Papy
invites her to “...ride
through Paris, go to your usual favorite places, but this time, take
notice of
what your heart and body tell you.”
As
this idea takes root and is
reflected in especially rich experiences that connect emotions with
environment, read-aloud adults receive the perfect opportunity to
interact with
the young to invite readers to consider their own connections to the
world in
different ways.
As
Vivienne encounters shopkeepers
and assembles gifts to bring back from her discoveries, readers also
receive
lessons in sharing, generosity, and living in the moment in more
mindful ways.
The
result is more than a
travelogue about Paris. It explores a young girl's place in the world
and how
she can interact with and share it. Vivienne in Paris
represents the
perfect opening lines to an approach to life that adults will want to
discuss
and reinforce with kids ages 4-8.
Return to Index
Water and
Blood
N.K. Carlson
Creative James Media
978-1956183887
$11.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Blood-N-K-Carlson/dp/1956183884
Water and Blood is the second book in the
young adult fantasy
series The Chronicles of Terrasohnen,
and presents a blend of mystery, fantasy, and swashbucking pirate
story. It
will especially engage prior readers of the epic sword-and-sorcery
clash
between powers experienced by Reith and his friends.
Here, the
band that
has fled the Elven capitol must both warn the dwarves about the
stretching
power of the Shadow and learn more about its strength and weaknesses so
they
can better defy its hold. If they can't reach the dwarves in time,
avoiding
attempts to destroy them in the course of the journey, the entire
kingdom of
Terrasohnen will fall.
That's a
weighty
objective to place on the shoulders of a ragtag band in general and
Reith in
particular, who is just coming into his own abilities and learning
about his
limitations and strengths.
Storms,
winds of
adversity, and darkness that "works
in subtle and manipulative ways" to lead them down the wrong
path are
all elements that must be overcome if Reith and his friends are to make
headway,
both physically and in matters of their own hearts and perceptions.
They
receive guidance and warnings from others savvier about the process and
dangers
involved in their quest: “Good becomes
evil when evil is used to achieve some seemingly noble and good end,”
Eynali
said. “There can be no partnership between Light and Dark."
Is Reith
strong
enough to tempt fate and bad luck?
N.K.
Carlson's
fantasy for teens and young adults can be accessed both by prior fans
of
Reith's adventures and newcomers to his world. The seamless integration
of past
and present adventure allows for an immediate immersion into events
that are
challenging, growth-inducing, and unexpected.
As fate,
luck, and
destiny coalesce, nonstop action and solid characterization power this
tale's attraction
and evolution.
Libraries
and teens
looking for epic fantasy series reads in which young people evolve a
sense of
purpose and better perceptions of good and evil's draw and dangers will
find Water and Blood especially
adept at
juxtaposing vivid action with personal insights about power and how it
is
confronted and wielded.
Return to Index
Yasuko
and the Dream Eater
A. Kidd
Quiet Storm Publishing, LLC
978-1-7338992-4-6
Hardcover $19.99/Paperback
$12.99/eBook $3.99
www.akiddwrites.com
Marcia
Misawa illustrates A.
Kidd's picture book story, which is inspired by a Japanese legend about
a dream
eater. Misawa's delicate art brings to life Yasuko, her grandmother,
and the
hungry dream eater that has its eyes on her most precious dreams.
Yasuko taps
the dream eater for help in consuming her nightmares.
There's
only one problem: the
dream eater doesn't discriminate about which dreams it will consume. In
Yasuko
and the Dream Eater, the creature is not satisfied by
consuming just what
Yasuko wants it to eat. When its appetite remains unsatisfied, it
threatens to
continue consuming everything she likes to dream about, too. But the
tale is
more than one of a young girl who finds a way to combat bad dreams and
preserve
good ones.
The
contrast between Yasuko's life
visiting her grandmother in Japan and her home in America, her
discovery that
"different" is not necessarily bad, and her redefinitions of bad and
good as a whole provide underlying themes that will appeal to adults
seeking
picture book stories that reinforce multicultural experiences and the
process
of adopting new life perspectives and skills.
From
origami to the different
loving rituals a Japanese grandmother has for her granddaughter, Yasuko
and
the Dream Eater explores problem-solving at its best, in
which a young girl
must identify the real problem and the best way to resolve it to
preserve all
her dreams.
Another
powerful note to this
story: Marcia Misawa makes her dream eater interesting, not
frightening. This
attention to detail allows access by the very young and parents who
seek to
educate kids, not scare them.
Libraries
and adults looking for
multicultural stories that explore being part of two different cultures
will
find that Yasuko and the Dream Eater gives rise to
many discussion
points and insights.
Return to Index
You Unique Little Thing!
Priya Ram
Independently Published
9798985818352
$12.99
https://www.amazon.com/You-Unique-Little-Thing-Priya/dp/B0BKHWJK3V
You
Unique Little
Thing! offers picture book readers an uplifting lesson in
kindness and
self-confidence, and is highly recommended for read-aloud as well as
for
libraries interested in acquiring books that promote emotional and
behavioral
growth in the very young.
Simple, child-friendly
illustrations accompany a story
about routes to happiness and satisfaction, outlining the experiences
of
children who exhibit traits of trying their best, whether at fencing or
cooking. Examples of achievement include a female weightlifter, a boy
who loves
to dance and works hard at improving his moves, and a female chef who
makes
mistakes, but uses them to forge ahead.
Each illustration of
perseverance and success provides a
lesson not only in self-confidence, but in pursuing one's unique love
of life
regardless of gender, expectations, and the influences of others.
The result is an inspirational collection of children realizing their aspirations and talents. Parents and adults who choose You Unique Little Thing! for read-aloud and discussion will find it a winning lesson in positive thinking.
You Unique Little Thing!Return to Index