April 2024 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature
Mystery & Thrillers
Altered
C.T. Fitzgerald
Independently
Published
979-8874138172
$11.99 Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Altered-C-T-Fitzgerald/dp/B0CRPC5JBY
Altered features sci-fi short stories
that center on new
possibilities and consequences for humanity's decisions on technology
and the quality
of life. It creates disparate and inviting stories that should give
rise to
debates in book club and discussion groups about the values and
directions
humanity is on the cusp of choosing, that could irrevocably affect how
freedom
and the future plays out.
Take the opening
story, 'Inevitable Antiphony', for
example. Here, an unusual dialogue between human and robot, presented
in a
unique two-column format, surveys the boundaries of artificial and
biological
life, considering the moral and ethical choices in life, death, and
what lies
in-between.
The dialogue is structured
to slow the mind's tendency to
read too quickly, injecting pauses that, though they may seem
artificial at
first, result in emphasis and enlightenment that is usually harder to
achieve
in the standard paragraph form.
From the
moral concerns of human-generated creation
processes to the types of transformation that will be produced by AI,
the
conversation takes on deeper undertones of reflection that will delight
by its
form as well as its content.
In contrast
is 'Made
to Order', in which a futuristic result of genetic engineering leads to
some
extraordinary and frightening traits. These prompt the narrator to
admit that
his more-than-human semblance actually represents a being incapable of
exhibiting or feeling the emotions that make for a human being.
What,
exactly, is
this new creation? By his own admittance, the narrator has no feelings
about
his life, purpose, or those who are deciding his future:
"...at
this point in my life, I had no idea about what I wanted to do, and to
make
things worse, there was nothing that motivated me, no emotion, no great
need or
fear, no drive to pursue anything specific. I was, quite literally, a
blank
slate that someone had to fill in, and that someone would never be me.
No
problem."
Deemed a
legal and
social nightmare, can one who is 'barely human' be tailored, altered,
or
trained to re-integrate into society without dire consequences?
C.T.
Fitzgerald
raises tough moral and ethical questions in each of these cases of
altered
states—questions that will especially intrigue and delight book club
participants as well as philosophy groups considering what makes us
human.
Altered is thus highly recommended
reading not just for its
entertainment value, but for its series of examinations that, libraries
will
find, lend perfectly to broad recommendation to patrons interested in
the
intersection of sci-fi, technology, philosophy, and the future of human
affairs.
Return to Index
The
End of Nobility
Michael Green Jr.
Lynit
979-8-9862547-0-8
$9.99
Paperback/$7.99 eBook
Website: www.michaelgreenjr.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNG82CF1
You
would think that in a world where everyone has food, shelter, and
access to magic, there would be a concurrent end to conflict. Not so,
as The
End of Nobility points out. Twins Dre and Alaan live in
fear—and
that's not the only thing eroding their wellbeing and lives.
The
story opens with a prologue that portends a birth that will be
accompanied by both magic and machines, giving rise to new
possibilities.
As
the tale unfolds to reveal how these special twins come to be hunted
by assassins, facing some of the most dangerous challenges to their
young
lives, readers receive an engrossing story that features aspects of
military
sci-fi, but with a political overlay and foray into magical influences
that
expands the focus on strategy and survival into one of vivid encounters
with
unexpected forces that simmer beneath the surface of their eyes and
lives:
"When
he
turned back around to face her, the creature reappeared. Dre zipped his
eyes
over to catch it, but each time it disappeared before he could focus on
it.
With his eyes steadily on her, the monster slid more and more into view
until
it was right beside her. It was a large humanoid beast covered with
long red
and white hair that covered its body like a robe. Its hands were curled
into
thick fists that were as big as its head. It stood at the same height
as her.
Every time his eyes left the woman’s eyes, the monster disappeared
instantly.
It was too quick. It wasn’t an illusion. Dre had never seen foreign
magic
before, but this had to be it."
Michael
Green Jr. employs vivid descriptions to supercharge his
story with thoroughly engrossing forays into the spirit realm,
counter-intuitive approaches to magic, and lessons that stem from a
closer
examination of rules, methodologies, and disparate forms of magical
memory.
Embedded
into the action are thought-provoking reflections on what it
means to be a twin in this world, both connected and yet struggling to
find
individual purpose and meaning beyond that connection:
“'There
it
is. Even in your jokes. You have this image in your mind of who we
should be
together and then you divide up the pieces between us. I’m not who you
think I
should be. I want to be Alaan, not one half of the Poli Twins.'
'In
our
day-to-day life, we can be whoever we want to be, but in the ring, when
handling fans, when navigating this ridiculous predicament we are in,
we have
to move together. If there is any space between us, people will dig in
their
greedy fingers and rips us apart. Everyone wants a piece, you know
that. If we
give them a chance, they will take it,' Dre said.”
As
memories of different realms are breached and new possibilities of
becoming Nobles are posed, The End of Nobility
represents not just an
end, but a new beginning.
Libraries
and readers of fantasy that blends dramatic, high-octane
action and adventure with a story of discovery and expanding
understanding of
the universe itself will find The End of Nobility
riveting,
unpredictable, and nearly impossible to put down. It's an exceptional
standout
in a sea of staid fantasy plots and personalities that shines with
original,
engrossing scenarios as healing leads to rebirth and new possibilities
certain
to be explored in additional books.
Return to Index
The
Lasso Unravels: When All Hell Breaks Loose
Marc Corwin
The Moving Words LLC
979-8872592631
$24.99 Hardcover/$18.99 Paperback/$2.99 eBook/$0.00 Kindle Unlimited
Publisher: www.themovingwords.com
Ordering: https://amzn.to/3Rw4O00
The
Lasso
Unravels: When All Hell Breaks Loose is best enjoyed by prior readers of The
Optical Lasso. This audience will find the ongoing action,
fantasy science,
and trademark fast pace of the space opera genre is both engrossing and
easy to
absorb in this follow-up story, which continues where the prior book
left off.
Here,
humanity has barely survived the attack by unknown forces, and
has largely fled underground in a last-ditch effort to survive. Corps
fighter Lieutenant Janet “Cat”
Miles is sent to Earth to assess the situation;
but when she discovers that she inadvertently carries with her inner
demons,
her ability to act and to return home are both compromised. If only she
had her
male counterpart, Supreme Commander Jason Cody, by her side to support
her!
As if the situation
weren't already dire,
the universe itself is unraveling, with galaxies falling silent against
an
unknown threat that is on target for reaching Earth.
How can Cat locate her
missing commander and
his optical lasso, which is the only thing that stands between total
destruction and survival?
Marc
Corwin creates another thoroughly engrossing story marked by a
satisfying blend of fantasy science and high-octane action. The story
brings to
life the quandaries and strengths of a female commander forced to
operate
outside her comfort zone to achieve different goals.
Embedded
with demons, devils, and mercurial alliances, The Lasso
Unravels is replete with the kind of unpredictability and
original plot
progression that keeps readers immersed in worlds that are
extraordinary and
powerfully contrasted with the objectives and perceptions of humans:
"...to
keep matters interesting, Satan redirected the cosmic wake of the
Royale’s
demise right at the wary
From
different leaders, sexual conquests, and combatants that push the
boundaries of science to achieve their goals to threads of humor which
wind
through the story to temper action with wry, ironic insights, Corwin
has
created another story that excels in a satisfying blend of action,
science, and
changing scenarios.
Libraries
strong in space opera that seek original, action-packed
writing flavored with the twists and turns of survival attempts that
operate on
Earthly and universe-changing realms will welcome The Lasso
Unravels as
a spirited, unique collection addition that nicely compliments The
Optical
Lasso and, once again, leaves the outcome wide open for more
books.
Return to Index
LOY and
Beyond
Todd David Gross
Sunlit Lane
Production
978-1737942627
$17.99
https://www.amazon.com/LOY-Beyond-Todd-David-Gross/dp/1737942623
LOY and Beyond continues the series with
a post-apocalyptic story
of different forms of survival (first introduced in LOY:
In the Forests of the Mind). Prior fans will discover the
ongoing survival challenge continues between a shamanistic culture and
a
society bent on returning industrial activity to the world, despite its
having
been nearly destroyed by such ventures.
This time
will be
different. Is it a form of insanity to repeat the same mistakes in
hopes of a
different outcome? Maybe it is.
"It was a new day, a new dawn, a new dream now set
into
motion…" Really? In some ways, the patterns are different.
New
opportunities evolve. In other ways, the potential for stepping into
old habits
poses dangerous possibilities.
"Truth
propels. It is formless. It exists between one movement and the next."
As this sequel unfolds, readers who enjoyed
the first narrative introducing the vying forces that attempt survival
by
employing very different ideologies will find that Gremer, Reena, and
others
embark on journeys of new discoveries. These, in turn, demand from them
different
responses and perceptions of their place in the world.
As success in influencing those with
different thoughts becomes the very mechanism of their undoing, Todd
David Gross crafts a story that continues to expand the conflicts of a
world
that moves steadily away from the LongPast while confronting its
legacies.
Gross is
particularly
adept at contrasting these evolving and opposing viewpoints in a manner
that
does not embrace black-or-white thinking. He considers the gray areas
in right
and wrong, world-building and domination efforts, and the contrasting
ideologies which drive the characters to consider their individual
impacts and
choices in remaking the world.
The result
is a
dystopian epic fantasy that will interest libraries building strong
collections
of works that prove worthy of book club discussion and higher-level
thinking
about choice, consequences, and long-ranging results of shifting roles:
“My role will soon end,” Donan continued. “I will
be remembered for
what we once were. But you will be looked to for what we can become. It
is you
they will seek out in the coming times.”
Return to Index
The Optical
Lasso: Beware Of
Marc Corwin
The Moving Words, LLC
979-885462856
$19.99 Hardcover/$18.99 Paperback/$2.99
eBook/
$0.00
Kindle Unlimited
Publisher: www.themovingwords.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDVRXMXN
The
second
edition of The Optical Lasso: Beware
of Neptune's Dark Side
gives
space opera readers a run for their money in a galaxy-wide sprint set
in 2140
CE that combines the hard science of a planet that regularly reverses
its
rotation and vanishes, with a military battle that involves Earth and
spacers
in a riveting clash of people and ideals.
To
define Marc Corwin's story as that of a traditional space opera
alone would do it a disservice. Subtle nuances of challenge and change
run
deeper than a surface-level action piece. Nuances range from a female
leader
who defies her own perfection as she faces off with a male counterpart
who has
proven himself unreliable and unpredictable, to a planet which holds
the same
properties—the promise of immense, untapped, yet unreliable power.
Space
opera usually is questionable in its science and often overly
melodramatic in its action, but Corwin's story resides in the outer
limits of
new possibilities, whether he's presenting a woman whose quandary is
whether or
not to trust and throw her cards in with a male counterpart, or an
evolving
relationship that mirrors the same questions about Earth's alliances
and
survival.
Action-packed
descriptions embracing science and military strategy
alike will delight readers seeking a fast pace in their sci-fi reading:
“Okay,
people. Stay sharp. On my command, kill all backup systems except for
life
support. The ship will throw off an electronic signature of being
mortally
wounded. With the
It
is quite the ride, as Corwin leads readers into
realms of
possibility that include psychological entanglements, attacks,
murderous
actions, and danger that comes not just from the elusive, mysterious
planet
Vixus, but from within ranks and individuals.
The
result is a compelling saga that romps through universes and
psyches with equal force, leading a host of characters through
nefarious
intentions and puzzling physical realms of possibility. These are
inhabited by
spies, devil's disciples, and the secret of an optical lasso which
"must
stay hidden, or all will be lost."
Libraries
strong in action-packed sci-fi favored with a high-octane
dose of engrossing scientific possibilities will find The
Optical Lasso
a winner that ends with an unexpected rise from the ashes of
possibility and a
"to be continued" conclusion that leaves the door wide open for the
next book.
Return to Index
Literature White
Noir
Robert Fleming
Old Scratch Press
978-1-957224-18-3
$8.99 Paperback
Website: www.oldscratchpress.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/white-noir-Robert-Fleming/dp/1957224185
The first
thing to
realize upon choosing White Noir is
that Robert Fleming is not just another poet. He’s a word artist who
wields his
emotional forays like a sword, cutting to the bone with a rich,
powerful,
challenging style that transforms the usual poetic approach free verse.
This
marries black and white images and world-changing structures of
observation in
an entirely new manner.
Newer
generations
attracted to succinct, powerful impressions will discover this union to
be
especially attractive, as in the portrait of Dorothy (of The
Wizard of Oz), who
assumes a decidedly un-Oz-like position accompanied by the one-liner
“the
wizard gave them a country.”
It doesn’t
take a
genius to absorb the messages in these works, but it does
require a flexibility of approach to poetic style and form,
and the acceptance of reinforcing imagery that both clarifies and
transforms
the written word’s meaning and impact.
Readers who
sojourn
through White Noir’s milieu will
discover elements of surrealism, existential thinking, ironic
juxtapositions of
subject and emotion, and odd, original pairings of subject and
intention. One
example is a piece framed by a bowler hat in which Abbott and Costello
confront
Frankenstein (“Costello’s Frankenstein’s
baby daddy”), the Mummy, the WhereWolf (spelling intentional)
in Costello,
and more.
Contemporary
often
clashes with traditional in unusual ways in these works; all of which
require a
thinking mind not laden with the expectations of tradition … even a
free verse
tradition, which pales under the onslaught of the words and imagery
featured
here.
Some
(usually those
already steeped in predictable poetic routes and choices) will hate
Fleming’s
approach. His style isn’t for everyone. That said, those passing on it
are
missing out; because the tempo, emotional connections, rich and
unexpected
overlays of subject, and excitingly thought-provoking approaches to
poetry
deserve wider appreciation than the typical contemporary poetic
presentation.
Libraries
interested
in contemporary literature, especially those looking for creative and
powerful
experimental poetry, will welcome White
Noir’s strange and alluring creations, which follow no rule,
break many,
and emerge like a butterfly from the chrysalis of staid poetic form and
reader expectations.
Return to Index
Freeing
Teresa
Franke James
The James Gang,
Iconoclasts Inc.
978-1999406103
$39.99
Hardcover/$16.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Freeing-Teresa-Story-Sister-Trilogy/dp/1999406109
Freeing
Teresa: A True
Story about My Sister and Me is the compelling saga of
siblings in conflict
over one sister’s disability and the right thing to do.
Franke’s siblings wanted to
place her Down syndrome sister
Teresa in a nursing home. But Franke protested about the quality of
life her
sister would receive in such an institution, sparking a family
controversy that
extended when the siblings then chose a long-term care home that once
again
challenged Franke’s ideals of what her sister’s life should be.
Franke and Teresa found
themselves virtually alone,
standing against forces of medical, legal, and psychological systems
bent on
declaring Teresa incompetent and institutionalizing her for the rest of
her
life.
Surprisingly, Franke’s work
as an environmental activist
and the lessons she learned from that job translated nicely to her
efforts on
her sister’s behalf, providing a foundation of methodology, approach,
ideology,
and confrontation that served her well in her latest battle.
From decision-making
empowerment and voting rights to
navigating possibilities for Teresa, Franke’s interactions with her
father and
siblings provides a powerful set of discourses that examine ideals,
realities,
and the mix of special interests and perceptions that can create a
perfect
storm in a family.
Of particular interest are
the points of contention that
clearly outline different possibilities in acting and reacting to
family
members:
“Weren’t
Deirdre
and Conrad still in charge? Probably, I said. But the alternative was
seeking
guardianship through the court system, and that could take six months
or more.
If we went down to
From issues of control to
others about empowerment and
battles not only between family members, but institutions and systems
designed
to protect developmentally disabled individuals, Franke lays out a
candid,
clear course of struggle. This will engage a wide range of readers,
from those
coming from legal circles to families facing their own internal and
external
truths.
The
discourse tackles
models of freedom, healthcare, personal choice, and more in a manner
that book
club reading groups (whether general-interest or with specific
interests, such
as psychology or legal advocacy) will find thoroughly absorbing.
The result
is more
than a memoir: it’s a testimony to how ‘tickets to freedom’ are gained
through
fighting and love, displaying how Teresa’s own wishes and interests add
fuel to
the fire of empowerment on many different levels.
Libraries will find Freeing
Teresa an essential
collection
addition.
Return to Index
Tap Dancing on Everest
Mimi Zieman, MD
Falcon Guides/Rowman and Littlefield
978-1-4930-7843-1
$22.95 Paper/$16.49 eBook
Website: https://www.mimiziemanmd.com
Ordering: Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's
Unlikely Adventure: Zieman M.D., Mimi: 9781493078431: Amazon.com: Books
Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure is a study in adventure, joy, and survival.
It portrays the experiences of a young medical student and dancer who
breaks
out of her comfort zones to join a daring expedition to chart a new
route on
the East Face of Mt. Everest—something that hadn’t been done before.
Readers of travel and
mountain climbing memoirs will find
Zieman’s approach enlightening and vivid as she grapples with reasons
why to
undertake not only an arduous and potentially life-threatening journey but
also studying about high altitude
medicine on top of her routine medical school courses:
“Dosing
is best
when started prior to reaching altitude, but it can be used upon
development of
symptoms of AMS. After writing down additional advice about
acclimatization
such
as drinking a lot of water and avoiding alcohol, I filed the library
books back
on the shelves. My first lesson on doctoring on Everest: completed.”
This juxtaposition of family
background, physician
training and applications to wilderness endeavors, and the excitement
of an
extreme and extraordinary journey lends Tap Dancing on Everest a sense of
accomplishment and
adventure rarely found in the usual memoir or physician account.
The intersection of all three themes affords
readers a unique, thoroughly engrossing story that delves into physical
and
mental challenges alike, bringing Zieman’s story to life in what, for
many,
will prove the next best thing to being on the mountain:
“I trudged from tent to
tent
in my double boots, getting wetter and wetter. I never thought of our
Will Zieman’s strengths be
enough in the face of
Everest’s special and grueling challenges?
Libraries and readers who
choose Tap Dancing on Everest will find out—and will
also
discover a special sense of joy, accomplishment, and growth in Zieman’s
experiences. This translates nicely to a thoroughly engrossing
adventure that
will prove hard to put down, whether the audience is composed of
physicians,
would-be mountain climbers, or armchair adventurers looking for a ‘you
are
here’ feel of excitement.
Return to Index
You Can’t
Make This Sh!t Up
Stephanie Geller
Precocity Press
979-8-9892043-7-3
https://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Make-This-Sh/dp/B0CPXB5SDP
Often, the pros and cons of
a given situation are
presented side-by-side, as in the chapters ‘How Gymnastics Saved My
Life’ and
‘How Gymnastics Almost Ended My Life’. Her story of growing up Army and
poor,
receiving some and fielding other opportunities, and making friends and
learning about people, jobs, and places reflects a life story filled
with
memorable moments, engrossing encounters, and insights on growing up
and
absorbing the values that reinforce life decisions:
“Home
is a place
where you can cook and eat whatever you want whenever you want. Cold
slice of
pizza at 4:00 a.m.? Yes please. Home is a place where you
get to make the
rules.”
As these individual
experiences contribute to the bigger
picture of being a “badass,” Stephanie Geller explores the core
encounters that
represent life lessons, even in such events as selling typewriter
ribbons over
the phone or partying for days:
“I
woke up and had
no clue where I was. Coffee. It’s now Sunday morning and all this
started on
Thursday.
’Did you have fun last night?’ I asked as I sat drinking coffee on
Josephine’s
balcony and watching people walk their dogs.
’Absolutely,’ she said. ‘What a great day.’
’I have to get home before I totally crash,’ I said. I grabbed my bag
and walked
to the parking deck to my car. Time to make the 30-minute drive home.
It’ll be
Monday morning soon. I’ll sleep when I die.”
The result
is a
rollicking ride through life that pairs adventure with growth and life
realizations.
You
Can’t Make This
Sh!t Up is about forming
and
achieving dreams, letting go of some of them, and living life to its
fullest. It
provides memoir readers (and libraries catering to them) with a
multifaceted,
lively draw that both entertains and holds thought-provoking moments
about
cultivating a zestful life lived to its fullest … and most badass.
As a sad
concluding note,
Stephanie Geller passed away
unexpectedly just after this review was written. Her admonition “I’ll sleep when I die” has come true;
but the legacy of her life and writings live on here. You
Can’t Make This Sh!t Up.
Return to Index
Charm City
Crab Puff
Pamela Kyel
The Wild Rose Press
978-1-5092-5334-0
$17.99
http://pamelakyel.com
Charm
City Crab
Puff profiles Special
Agent Laci
Duvall’s engaging world and engrossing mystery as she faces a former
beau, a
dead ex-husband, and the mystery of a murder that re-entangles them
both in
intrigue and struggles over past and present-day affairs.
Pamela Kyel sweetens her
story with a dose of affection
and humor. These enhance Laci’s personality and character as events
unfold
between and around them:
“You
could just
ring the doorbell, but you choose to knock and
ring the doorbell. You don’t have to do both,” I said. My
grin stretched from one side of my face to the other. I don’t know why
this
struck me as funny; it just did. Maybe it was nerves, but whatever it
was, I
let out a snort, and Desio swung his head to look at me. Which made it
even
funnier, so I snorted again. All the while he didn’t even crack a
smile.”
Candid observations about
situations, other people, and
ironic twists that come from these reflections subtly pepper the tale
with
realistic insights. These grow characters and plot without the reader
fully
realizing what makes the story feel so full-bodied and well-developed:
“Once
the
garage-like door was rolled up, it was plain to see she was in a hurry
when she
dropped everything off. There was no organization anywhere, which says
a lot
coming from
me.”
Forced to work together to
solve one problem while
fielding unresolved problems from their shared past, Laci and Desio
pursue
answers that give rise to more questions and deeper concerns. A cast of
characters swirls around them to add their own conundrums and
observations into
the mystery.
Kyel excels in a sweet sense
of productive action and
confrontational exercises, exploring proactive thinking that draws the
main
characters closer even as they chafe against some of the situations
that test
their relationship.
These devices contribute to
a thoroughly engrossing story
that offers many twists and turns as the characters move through their
conjoined lives to once again make a mark on their worlds and each
other.
Libraries and readers
seeking cozy mysteries that
resonate with dual charm and soul-on-fire encounters will welcome the
emotional
undercurrents that drive Charm City Crab
Puff to be an exceptionally engrossing read.
Return to Index
Codex
Lisa Towles
978-1-64456-713-5
$16.99
Website: https://www.indiesunited.net/codex
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Angus
Mariner is on a
quest for truth and revenge after the death of his wife. But, in Codex, it's difficult to achieve either,
as the perps are elusive and their purposes equally mercurial. That's
what
makes Codex so thought-provoking,
supercharged with a tension that comes from loss, grief,
problem-solving, and
extraordinary circumstances that are impossible for either protagonist
or
reader to predict.
The story
attracts
from its opening lines:
"I shouldn’t be here. I
know I shouldn’t. But sometimes the decisions of the heart
immobilize
the brain and body. While my conscious intentions might challenge the
tenets of
logic, a more wicked part of me decided, long before today, that
Wendell Peters
must die."
The contrast
between
good intentions and bad decisions in a mission that sizzles with
controversy
and struggle brings readers right onto the playing field of
confrontation and
discovery as Angus finds there is far more involved in his wife's death
than
murderous intention alone.
What he
believed to
be a case of confronting a wealthy adversary entangles him in a
conspiracy that
moves far beyond individual intention and action. This drives him into
showdowns between influence, wealth, and intentions gone awry, leading
him to
wrestle with the overwhelming grief that marks his days.
Characters
that
operate around Angus serve as backdrops and sounding boards to this
grief
process, which translates into both proactive behavior and revised
struggles to
define new goals and visions of the world as events unfold.
The sheer
complexity
of this story might seem to limit it to seasoned thriller genre
readers—but
that would be a shame. Readers seeking an action-packed and equally
thought-provoking story will find that Lisa Towles crafts both in a
tale that
intersects personal concerns with bigger-picture thinking.
Between
vivid
descriptions, three-dimensional characters, a myriad of action and
shifting
special interests, and intrigue and espionage that emerge from
unexpected
places, Codex is a genre-busting
read.
It is highly recommended to libraries and individuals seeking a story
that is
absolutely compelling in how it breaks all the rules of predictability,
then
puts them back together in unexpected ways.
Return to Index
The Condor’s
Riddle
Marcelo Antinori
Secant Publishing
979-8985148992
$27.00 Hardcover/$.99 eBook
www.secantpublishing.com
The Condor’s Riddle is the story of an
older French archivist who
stumbles on a murder, then becomes involved in employing his
photographic
memory and circle of friends to not just solve one crime’s riddle, but
calm a
community in turmoil.
The story is
replete
with French atmosphere, from scenery to friendship connections, as a
reclusive
thinker and dreamer is pulled into circles and situations he is both
ideally
and ill-equipped to handle:
“He seldom spoke – better
be
unnoticed – that was the first lesson he got from his
uncle. He learned
to think and dream in silence, without bothering to explain himself.”
The lessons
this
experience forces upon him are many, bringing a delightful sense of
adventure
and discovery to readers who will identify with the older, shy Bebéi as
he
finds his life transformed in unpredictable ways.
Bebéi
doesn’t operate
in a vacuum in this story. A cast of memorable characters swirl around
him and
receive equal attention to detail, adding to the disparate atmosphere
that
embraces his efforts, and the mystery that attracts and enchants him.
From a
Chinese
ex-stripper to a
These
participants harbor
their own special interests and unique methods of supporting or
confronting the
protagonist:
“I’ll tell Bebéi that we no longer need his
reports, which can now give
him some free time to find out about the monkeys who hide out in the
Comedy,
tragedy, and
mystery thus coalesce in an uncommon and evocative manner designed to
attract a
wide audience, from genre mystery readers to those interested in Latin
American
literary devices, French-infused stories, and plots which prove
unpredictable
and hard to put down.
Libraries
will find The Condor’s Riddle a
fine addition to
literature and fiction holdings, highly recommendable to patrons who
seek
memorable stories, colorful characters, and uncommon, original plot
progressions.
Return to Index
Diamond and the
French Blue
Karen Gilleland
7th Clue Publishers,
LLC
9798878998970
$3.99
eBook/$14.99 Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-French-Blue-Diamond-Dennison-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0CV1CDB97
Diamond and the French Blue is the third
book in a cozy mystery
series featuring the partnership and intrigue confronting Hope Diamond,
the
founder and head of Diamond Security; and FBI Special Agent Matt
Dennison.
Familiarity with the prior books in the mystery series is highly
recommended
for a fuller-bodied feel of ongoing character development as Hope now
finds
herself immersed in political ambition and deadly surprises.
Karen Gilleland provides a
thought-provoking, astute
inspection of political strategies gone awry as Hope and Matt become
mired in a
new situation that places Hope in the position of being a potential
victim.
Special permission has been
granted for the Hope Diamond
to leave its secure home. Now Hope is charged with keeping it safe
against all
odds and influences.
As the Hope Diamond and
Hope's future become inextricably
linked, readers will revel in the sense of threat, discovery, and new
opportunities that Hope and Matt face in the course of engaging in some
dangerous moves for the sake of the greater good.
Also at stake is their
evolving relationship, which comes
with questions and serious considerations:
"Matt,
who had
been getting Frank’s beer, felt a pang of jealousy. He liked Frank, but
when he
and Hope were together, Matt felt like an outsider. It wasn’t only
Frank. Matt
would have to come to terms with her business and whether he could
totally
support her, which he would be bound in conscience to do. Until now, he
never
doubted that it wouldn’t interfere in their lives. But both their jobs
required
twenty-four-seven dedication, and clarity around that fact made him
flinch.
Could they have a happy marriage if they were both going in different
directions
with no time for one another?"
Hope fills in the blanks of
what happened in the
aftermath of a murder, tackling the underlying possibility of a curse
affecting
holders of the enchanting diamond also called French Blue, and the real
meaning
the blue stone holds for serious gem collectors.
From questions of who stole
the Hope Diamond to who is
willing to commit murder to keep secrets hidden, Hope and Matt are
again mired
in another diamond-backed adventure that lands them in turmoil both in
the
world at large and in their own relationship.
The foundations of Diamond and the French Blue
lie in its predecessors, Diamond in the Desert and
Diamond on the
High Seas. Readers of all three
mysteries will find the action and intrigue builds upon past events
while
creating an outstanding interplay of personal and professional
challenges that
lead each investigator to grow and learn, both separately and together.
That's why Diamond
and the French Blue is highly recommended for libraries
seeking a strong series addition, readers who have enjoyed the previous
exploits of Hope and Matt, and book clubs seeking a delicious
combination of
mystery and personal revelations that offer many thought-provoking
points for
discussion amid the action and investigative intrigue.
Return to Index
The Maslow Conspiracy
Lou Earle
PHiR Publishing
979-8-9885651-4-7
$20.99 Paperback/$7.49 eBook
Website: www.phirpublishing.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKB1Y5RY?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CTHQMZ71?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_2&storeType=ebooks
Mac Sisco and his Team Apogee face a
post-pandemic world in the concluding volume of a thriller trilogy
which began
with Apogee and introduced a global threat which tested his team’s
makeup,
objectives, and strengths.
Over a year has passed since the Typhon
Affair. COVID-19, in 2023, has wreaked havoc on physical and
psychological
levels; not the least of which are political impacts that draw Mac and
his team
deeper into situations of intrigue, global unrest, and forces that
would
exploit these circumstances.
Once again, concepts of good and evil are
tested as Mac finds himself in a whirlwind of adversity and enemies
that seek
even more complex methods of controlling humanity. But this time, there
are
indicators that resolution is on the horizon … if Mac and his team can
draw
together to confront internal and external forces working against them.
Fragile relationships, confrontations with
the Faction, Mac’s struggles while embedded in impossible situations
away from
his support group, and cryptic messages from Jasmine Snow that lead him
through
the streets of Rome to confront a CIA agent who is directed to arrest
Mac for
murder and treason adds tension and twists to the story as Mac is
forced to
confront scenarios in which he may prove to be the bad guy in the story.
Mac’s advice to adversity is simple: “Keep
the faith boys,” Mac offered. “You
never know what the future will bring.” But sometimes faith
is nearly
impossible to maintain without a little creative cooking which,
luckily, Mac
enjoys in abundance.
Lou Earle cultivates a similar set of
attributes for The Maslow Conspiracy
as in the prior Team Apogee adventures. High-octane action, twists of
plot that
test characters and lead to questions about what situations they’re
actually
tackling and how they are resolving them, and the intersection of
personalities
who concurrently address their own ideals, successes, and failures
makes for
heady thriller reading.
Setting this final book apart from its
predecessors is more of a focus on what resolution looks like and
translates
to, and how hope and ultimately redemption emerge from conflict to give
many of
the characters newfound ideals for their future, as well as the future
of
freedom and the world.
Snow’s character provides an especially
satisfying, proactive female contrast to Mac’s leadership which will
delight
readers seeking equal prowess in male and female problem-solving
efforts.
“The truth will set you
free.”
But, in this case, freedom comes with a promise and a price tag.
While The
Maslow Conspiracy can be read as a stand-alone thriller,
ideally it will be
chosen by prior fans who will find especially satisfying the roundups
of
personalities and purposes which lead in different directions than the
previous
encounters.
These strengths are why The
Maslow Conspiracy is highly recommended for libraries and all
readers, particularly those immersed in the previous books, who will
especially
appreciate both the continuity of characters and the fresh dilemmas
which arise
here, to lead them into revised directions with startling new
conclusions about
salvation and redemption which adds value to this book and the series
as a whole.
Return to Index
Pharo and the Murder at
Smoke Lake
Steve Skurka
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-155-7
$18.99/$8.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Pharo
and the
Murder at Smoke Lake introduces a Canadian murder that
challenges Pharo’s
investigative skills. This time, events emerge from a resort snafu in
which
Pharo is called upon to employ her own skills while tapping those of
her
husband attorney and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself.
This is no simple whodunit.
Sealed letters, political
clashes in Serbia and elsewhere, and a backdrop of special interests
keep Pharo
on her toes and her various assistants equally challenged as the
drowning
tragedy unfolds, embracing all participants in a quest for what turns
out to be
a double killer.
Steve Skurka weaves the
atmospheres of place and time so
subtly into the action that the story sparkles with social, historical,
and
cultural influences. These give events a decided edge of reality as
they
unfold:
“Sipping
his drink,
Willie hatched his story. “Sir Arthur and I discussed Italy as a proper
venue
to film The Sign of Four, and your film studio
seemed perfectly suited.
We’re thinking about the right casting for the film. What would you
think of
the actor you engaged in your film at the Roman Colosseum, Rudolph
Mulino?”
The intrigue that follows is
thus an intrinsic part of
the efforts of Pharo and The Sherlock Holmes Club to address and inject
trickery, analysis, and insights into deepening plots that are
challenging as
wily characters test the mettles of amateur and seasoned detectives
alike.
Skurka’s multifaceted story
moves through not just
Pharo’s observations and efforts, but a strong cast of characters that
swirl
around her. These will keep readers on their toes as they enjoy the
twists and
turns of discovery that hone good detectives from impossible
circumstances.
Libraries familiar with
Pharo from previous adventures
will find Pharo and the Murder at Smoke
Lake an attraction for prior enthusiasts and newcomers alike,
who will find
her journeys and those of her fellow detectives on the case to be
fraught with
action, intrigue, puzzles, and surprises.
Return to Index
Rogue
Mission
David Nees
Independently
Published
979-8374624762
$14.95 Paperback/$3.99 eBook
Website: http://www.davidnees.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Mission-Book-Dan-Stone/dp/B0BSWPGC5V
Rogue Mission is the seventh book in the Dan Stone thriller
series, where Dan finds
himself not only struggling against a terrorist plot, but the processes
and
people in his own organization.
The
story opens
with a terrorist attack in
Enter
Dan Stone
(but not until Chapter 3, when precedent, motivation, and setting have
been
established). Dan is a very successful contract killer (nee: assassin)
for the
CIA, whose job involves special situations. Few have proved as special
as this
one. Even Dan's traumatic previous assignment, from which he has mostly
recovered, pales in comparison.
David
Nees
presents the recap from that job in a succinct, involving manner:
"Life felt good. He
had acquired enough money to
live as he desired. He was not extravagant but could purchase the best
of
whatever item he wanted. His wounds were healed from his last mission
to
This
form of
explanation is also employed as Dan's latest challenges play out in the
process
of tracking a threat that is elusive and puzzling.
Dialogue
and
events move from Dan's experiences to those of organizations on both
sides that
operate around him, creating additional atmosphere and insights into
how and
why Dan feels he must break the rules in order to achieve his goals:
“Dan hasn’t
communicated with us since that last
message,” Fred said. “That’s been six hours ago.”
Jane exhaled in frustration. “You carried out a
dangerous op without my knowledge or permission. If the shit had hit
the fan, I
would have been left looking stupid or incompetent, or both.”
“With all due respect,” Fred said, “it would have
given you deniability. That was something Dan said you wanted.”
As
Dan relies
increasingly on intuition to answer questions the Watchers only hint
at, and to
follow his own independent path in resolving problems, his increasingly
rogue
status challenges not only his supporters, but the approaches and
values he has
cultivated throughout his career.
Nees
provides
just the right dip into intrigue and psychological revelation to spice
Dan's
story with a sense of purpose and procedural challenges. This approach
produces
new insights on good, evil, and the special issues involved in
containing
darkness:
"His conversations
with Watchers over the years
rarely went beyond the crisis of the moment. But a crisis still
existed. Dan
sensed it. He felt driven to approach and wrestle with it even though
he
worried about the lines he might have to cross."
As
Dan both taps
into and alters his views of the Watchers and his other support
systems, he
finds himself going rogue in more ways than one in an unusual bid for
freedom
that involves challenging authority and romantic possibilities alike.
Libraries
and
readers looking for a thriller that operates as both a satisfying
adjunct to
the series and a stand-alone suspense story will welcome the twists and
turns
of Rogue Mission. It focuses as much on the process
of personal growth
and ethical and moral quandaries as it does on the fast-paced adventure
which
engages and challenges Dan Stone and his readers.
Return to Index
The
Scorpion
David Nees
Independently
Published
979-8819477991
$14.95 Paperback/$3.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Scorpion-Book-Dan-Stone-Assassin/dp/B0B2HMK9HB
Book
6 in the
assassin Dan Stone thriller series, The Scorpion,
depicts contract killing
made personal when a killer successfully targets someone he loves, then
retreats to the Middle East, leading Dan on a chase through Europe to
exact
revenge and retribution.
Why
would a
killer play such a game? Is it to lure Dan away from the support
systems which
back his actions, or to challenge Dan by targeting those he holds dear,
because
of some previous assassination? Either way, strip Dan of his support
systems
and the real nature of his efforts, personality, and limits become
exposed to
the very killers he needs to confront with strength; not weakness.
Once
again,
David Nees succeeds in filling out more facets of a character whose
life is
steeped in murder and espionage. Given the nature of his job, Dan has
long
accepted that normal relationships will likely forever be beyond his
ken and
control:
“You know the
problem. My life exposes me to danger.
That exposes those close to me to danger. It seems to have come home in
a
terrible way. One that may ruin my relationship with this other person
forever.”
His mission
subconsciously attempts to change that dynamic by personally
confronting the
elements which keep love and connection at bay in his personal life.
But,
working against him is the cleverness and underlying motivations of The
Scorpion, a clever killer whose sting contains new possibilities and
objectives
that even Dan doesn't always see coming.
David Nees
crafts his
story as much on the psychological confrontations and conundrums of his
protagonist as on the fast-paced cat-and-mouse games that plague Dan's
life.
Throughout this process, friendships, support, and enemies emerge from
unusual
places to influence and change Dan's direction and thinking.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a whirlwind of action, intrigue, mystery, and psychological
mind-bending games will welcome The
Scorpion, whether they are reading it as a stand-alone story
or in
conjunction with the previous five Dan Stone thrillers.
Either way,
its
ability to not just enhance its predecessors, but spin a complex yarn
with divergent
threads that all come together seamlessly at the end makes for an
exceptional
story that pairs edge-of-your-seat action with reflective insights key
to a thriller
steeped in Middle Eastern cultures, politics, and subterfuge.
Return to Index
Stolen Lives
Joyce Yarrow
All Bilingual Press
9798989794638
$16.99
www.allbilingual.com
What would
you do if
you were a reporter researching a mystery of the past that revolves
around tons
of gold and children that are shipped to Russia during the Spanish
Civil War,
in the course of researching a different, more contemporary story about
Spain’s
stolen babies? What if past and present were somehow entwined?
That’s what
journalist Alienor Crespo discovers as she delves deeper into an
island’s
secrets, which lead her from a present-day conundrum to hidden history.
Readers who
follow
Alienor’s first-person account of her journey will discover that the
historical
backdrop that merges with the tale offers a satisfying sense of reality
and
authenticity as her investigation leads to unexpected routes and
connections
reinforced by historical precedent:
“Thousands of mothers gave birth under anesthesia
in clinics only to
wake up to the news that their newborns were dead. How could they know
that as
they wailed and cried, their perfectly healthy children were being
given away
to families that were loyal to Franco’s regime.”
As Alienor
faces
conflicts of purpose between rescuing and kidnapping children and the
deeper
moral and ethical implications of her investigation, she finds her own
roots
shaken by discoveries that strike too close to home as her own position
mirrors
those of other women. However, Alienor’s special knowledge about these
events
places her in a potential position of power to overcome the typical
course of unfolding
events.
Joyce Yarrow
again
crafts a compelling story steeped in history, social conundrums, and
Spanish
experience which opens on a small island, then moves seamlessly into
present-day challenges. This sequel to Zahara and the Lost
Books of Light
can easily be read as a standalone.
Her ability
to
feature and probe evolving relationships, whether it be with nuns,
inspectors,
or those who harbor second sight visions, lends the novel a
multifaceted feel
that is atmospheric, emotional, and historically compelling.
This is why
libraries
will want to recommend Stolen Lives
to readers looking for a successful marriage between history and
intrigue. Its
ability to bring both to life against the backdrop of Spanish culture
makes the
tale compelling, educational, and hard to put down.
Return to Index
Too Much
Tinsel
Amy Wolf
Independently
Published
979-8872936190
$14.99
https://amywolf.wpengine.com/
Too Much Tinsel begins with a few
surprises: a collection of 1940s
slang used throughout the book, a list of characters, and a few Yiddish
words.
All this is designed not to daunt, but to make the reading easier.
From PI
Nicky Forenza
and the punk goon that confronts her at the door of her apartment to
events
that test her mettle and uncommon (for a woman in the 1940s)
investigative
abilities, Amy Wolf creates an atmosphere not only replete with 1940s
references and insights, but a wry sense of observational humor:
"The punk’s
pal
was slightly older, and just as cheaply dressed. These guys
need to find a
good tailor, I thought, as the older hood pulled his piece."
But that
isn't the
biggest surprise. An early amazement is the nature of Nicky's partner.
Another
surprise lies in how Nicky employs feminine wiles to add to her grab
bag of
tools and problem-solving abilities.
From a
president who
tries to reassure the country that it's on the upswing to a woman who
is
"barely a cop, much less a detective," Wolf crafts a realistic,
compelling story immersed in the atmosphere of the 1940s. The saga is
spearheaded by a feisty female who dares to go where no woman has gone
before.
Readers of
noir
mystery and detective stories will find Too
Much Tinsel a study in accidents, executives, special
interests, and a
savvy female protagonist who weaves her way through alien environments
with
purpose and talent.
The sense of
humor
throughout is a delightful accompaniment to Nicky's confrontations and
epiphanies:
“What can I do for you, dollface?”
There was nothing worse for a woman than being compared to a
doll."
The result
is a
sultry character who tackles a puzzle, only to find herself embroiled
in
unexpected events.
Libraries
seeking
exceptional strong female PIs whose sense of purpose and possibility
are tempered
by their wry inspections of life and people will find Too
Much Tinsel beautifully rendered, exquisitely steeped in the
1940s, and hard to put down. It's also worthy of recommendation to
murder
mystery book clubs, who will find much to discuss and enjoy in Nicky
and her
Return to Index
A Whale of a Murder
Valerie Taylor
Aspetuck Publishing
979-8-9865995-2-6
$17.95 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.valerietaylorauthor.com
A
Whale of a Murder
is a cozy mystery that opens with the specter of fifty-year-old Venus
Bixby’s
fall at the
Readers interested in a cozy
mystery whose first-person
narrator adds passion and intrigue to the events impacting Chatam
Crossing will
find A Whale of a Murder replete
with
nautical and small town influences.
In a small town where the
main topic of controversy is
that of a new stop light’s placement, murder is not only unexpected,
but
shocking.
The introduction of
intrigue, which takes the form of a
journalistic article reveal by Investigative Reporter Daniel DaRosa,
nicely
compliments the second chapter, where Venus’s first-person observations
kick in
for a one-two punch of attraction.
Background humor adds to the
problem-solving observations
and clues to spark enlightening dialogues among Venus’s circle:
“I
prefer to think
of a triangle as providing balance, harmony, and stability.” Sherrie
reiterated
by pointing to each of us. “And I’m feeling each of those in this room
right
now.” She let out a sigh, as if she was satisfied with her performance.
Oh, geez. Any minute now, Sherrie would have us singing ‘Kumbaya, My
Lord.’
Here I thought I was the
Song
and Dance Lady.”
Readers seeking the allure
of a cozy mystery teeming with
small-town associations and politics, a savvy female who falls into an
uncommon
whale of a mystery investigation, and a supporting cast of characters
that
swirl around her to add further psychological entanglements and
intrigue to the
story, will relish A Whale of a Murder.
The intrigue is enhanced by
more ‘accident/murders’ and
questions which arise to link past to present events as Venus and
others find
their lives, purposes, and talents put to the dual test of time and
tragedy.
Valerie Taylor is especially
adept at drawing together
the emotional relationships between characters as mystery and murders
test
their resolve and abilities:
“Carole
squeezed my
arm as she pulled me in for a sympathetic hug. ‘What do you really know
about
him? Just because he’s filled a hole in your heart—’
’Only partially filled,’ I said as I separated myself from Carole…”
These emotional overlays
reinforce the ‘cozy’ connections
in the story, while adding attraction value to a tale replete with
satisfying
twists and turns.
Libraries and readers
seeking a mystery steeped in
whaling history, small-town relationships and atmosphere, and a sense
of
intrigue that draws Venus and her associates to connect new dots in
their lives
will find A Whale of a Murder lives
up to its title, promise, and attraction. It’s a story that’s truly
hard to
predict or put down.
Return to Index
Body Merchants
Elaine Bossik
Portable Shopper, LLC
978-0-9842419-5-8
$16.95
Paperback; eBook: $9.95
Website: www.elainebossik.com
Ordering: https://rb.gy/pbdxsq
Body
Merchants
is a novel that delivers with the look and feel of a mystery, but holds
bigger-picture thinking. It injects medical and ethical issues into
reporter Ellie Andrews’s
investigation of a star
athlete’s sudden death after a kidney transplant. When she discovers
that he’s
not the only transplant recipient in the hospital to experience
devastating
aftereffects, she embarks on an investigation, resulting in a cascade
of events
that strike increasingly close to home.
Readers of
medical
thrillers and novels which excel not just in mysteries, but in ethical
and
moral conundrums which immerse readers in questions of intention and
outcome
will find the satisfying twists and turns Ellie experiences here to be
thoroughly engrossing. They come supercharged with personal
relationships that
lead readers to care about Ellie’s family, professional challenges, and
the
revelations which drive the plot.
Elaine Bossik crafts an
engrossing tale that operates as
realistically in the courtroom as it does in the hospital. Ellie
embarks on a
journey that eventually brings her full circle to confront the forces
that
created a profitable scheme, then required dead bodies to make it come
alive.
As clues lead to
discoveries, Ellie not only uncovers new
possibilities, but is forced to examine her own motivations for
pursuing a good
story at all costs … even her own life and those of loved ones around
her, who
also may not be all that they seem.
These kinds of questions lie
at the heart of this
superior medical thriller, moving the story beyond a whodunit and into
the
arena of personal moral and ethical conundrums.
Ellie isn’t the only one
whose life and objectives are
under the gun. Those around her also face their special brand of hell
as a
result of both her probe and their involvements:
“Nick
Labelle, who
had permission to visit him in a few weeks. This gave Matt a sense of
purpose,
a reason to wake up every morning and live through the day. It became
his raison d’etre—his reason
to be.”
The result is a
well-written, thoroughly engrossing blend
of thriller, mystery, psychological and ethical examination, and court
case. Body Merchants will satisfy a
wide range
of audiences, from libraries seeking thought-provoking novels that
bring
medical and criminal interests to life to individuals looking for depth
in
their entertainment reading.
Return to Index
The Circle
of Peace
Sophia Kouidou-Giles
She Writes Press
978-1-64742-848-8
$17.95
https://sophiakouidougiles.com
In The Circle of Peace: A
Greek Tale of Perse’s Great Hall, Queen Perse,
the mother
of Circe and wife of the sun-god Helios, returns to the palace
with a demand that her
husband build her a hall fitting to assemble goddesses. You would think
that
having a palace with a thousand rooms would already fit that bill, but
Perse's
ambition and energy has no limits.
From the start, her relationship with Helios is
depicted as one of
distance:
“Here, massage my back and neck,” Perse ordered her
maid. “It’s not
like my husband to spoil anyone but himself. He asked me to come back.
I just
happen to be the one he favors today. Do you know what he wants from
me?”
She arrives
with a
peacemaking gift meant as a gesture of apology for the past. The
baggage she
brings along, however, ushers in new turbulence
as events introduce unprecedented grief and change into
her life,
transforming her from a selfish and forceful leader to a woman far more
interested in peace than war.
Sophia
Kouidou-Giles
does an outstanding job of capturing the nuances of legend and
entwining them
with the emotional realities of a couple and country under siege. Her
depiction
of ancient times brings the atmosphere, approaches, and intentions to
life as
each character discovers potential for approaching the world in a
vastly
revised manner. But Kouidou-Giles stays the course in making sure the
root
motivations and psyches of her characters remain in sync with their
social,
political, and psychological transformations.
Her astute
reflections on the attitudes and points of view of legendary gods offer
much
food for thought and book club discussion:
"Perse smiled a bitter smile. 'I am glad to see you
are finally
angry, sister. I think of your son’s loss and then of Icarus’s death,
and
‘golden ichor’ boils in my veins. Immortals have no compassion for
humans,
using them like harriers to the winds. I think of
The richness
of these
interpersonal reactions and the events that rock each character's ideal
of life
and the future provides a wealth of points where readers may wish to
stop and
adjust their own classical training in mythology and their knowledge of
the
politics and motivations of people in the distant past who form the
stuff of Greek
legends.
The Circle of Peace is very highly
recommended reading for readers
who enjoy twists on traditional stories of the Greek gods, as well as
those who
enjoy a blend of fast-paced action, transformative events, and insights
into
the psyches of characters forced to confront the underlying influences
of the
world they have built and reside in.
Libraries
will want
to place The Circle of Peace in any
collection where retakes of Greek times are of interest, and will want
to
recommend it to reading groups interested in fiction that sizzles with
action,
insight, and a reimagined mythology worthy of discussion and debate.
Return to Index
The Coast
John Enright
Black Heron Press
978-1-936364-42-8
$16.00 Paper/$9.99 eBook
www.blackheronpress.com
“Morey
was pissed. Well, screw
Morey. Patrick was just following the signs. How was he to know—middle
of the night,
Morey sound asleep in the back—that he shouldn’t have taken the
turn-off that
said San Francisco/Golden Gate Bridge but kept on straight for Oakland
and some
other bridge? Patrick had never been here before.”
So begins a
narrative
about four decades of experience that link Patrick, Joanna, and Daisy
as they
embark on new experiences in San Francisco, where they discover that
their
relationships may be strained by changes to come, but that close
connections will
remain alive, at the end.
It’s no easy
task to
capture these decades in succinct moments and through the eyes of
different
participants who each find that their evolutionary process is
transformed by a
city under siege, from hippies to
They find
themselves
at the vortex of and representing these changes, which ripple through
“There were no vehicles leaving Bolinas. He walked
all the way to
Stinson before catching a ride. It had started to rain. In all his
months in
the Bay Area it had rarely rained. It was a cold rain, relentless and
bored.
Another long wait with his thumb out at Tam Junction. It was like he’d
become invisible.”
Through its
portrait
of natives to outsiders drawn to San Francisco for disparate (yet
sometimes
similar) reasons, the ultimate power of The
Coast lies in its ability to realistically and grippingly
portray and
contrast the environment and culture of the times through the
coming-of-age of
four individuals who find themselves caught up in and transformed by
their
choices.
Think Jack
Kerouac’s
classic On the Road, but with a
wider-ranging
journey and a more contemporary band of adventurers who reside in an
era where
everything feels possible and nothing is set in stone.
Of special
note is
the clash between dreams and ideals, and the realities that settle in
as
opportunity shifts to become adversity:
“Eric was a cokehead when we got together. That was
alright, though he
was getting sort of paranoid. But when he got into the angel dust, he
started
getting weird—pushy, possessive. I wanted to move out, but I had
nowhere to go until
the dorm opened up again. Then when he found out I’d had drinks with
your pal
Douglas, he had a fit. I was packing when he attacked me.”
The result
is a vivid
account of individual lives changed by choice and circumstance which
vibrates
with the Summer of Love and moves forward into its aftermath and
ultimate
impact on the adventurers.
Libraries
and readers
seeking San Francisco-centric novels steeped in Bay Area culture,
neighborhoods, and norms will find The
Coast compelling and thoroughly engrossing.
Return to Index
A Coincidental Life
Ron Kemper
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-133-5
$17.99/$7.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Billy Feeney and Stevie
Alpert were once friends, in
As Billy faces prison and
Stevie continues his life
journey, the two explore
The result is a moving saga
that marries old and new
souls, injects reflections into Jewish culture and 1960s counterculture
worlds,
and creates an interplay between characters who confront themselves and
one
another with new perceptions.
Interwoven with their
stories are reflections on
contemporary American policies, politics, and social issues such as
‘America,
Once Beautiful?’ and ‘Old Age Truisms’, which create memorable
juxtapositions
of subject and character and lend added value to Billy and Stevie’s
odyssey.
The result is a journey
through American change and two
lives affected by friendship, adversity, social transformation, and
cultural
influences. It will delight libraries and readers seeking
thought-provoking
food for thought wound into a story of discovery and connection.
Book clubs looking for
debate or discussion material that
arrives steeped in not only 1960s, but modern reflections on American
perception and influence as seen through the eyes and hearts of friends
who
reconnect under new circumstances, will find plenty of discussions
evolving
from A Coincidental Life, which
takes
the coincidence of new possibilities and injects them with the edge of
reflection and issues of control and empowerment.
Return to Index
A
Cure for Spring Fever
Barbara Robinson
The Wild Rose Press Inc.
978-1-5092-5499-6 - Digital
$2.99
eBook
Website: BJR
Books
(barbararobinsonauthor.ca)
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Fever-Jelly-Beans-Things-ebook/dp/B0CVHHR5ND/
A
Cure for
Spring Fever
is part of the Jelly Beans and Spring Things
series, and presents a paranormal romance novella that is perfect for
quick
reading and engrossing entertainment value.
The
story opens with Stan's confrontation with a mischievous band of
mjolkhares (clawed bunny-like creatures who enjoy wrecking mayhem on
pantries).
Cute as they may be, their destructive actions require swift action
that Stan specializes
in delivering, in his role as gamekeeper.
Unfortunately,
in this case, he has failed. However, in a wry twist of
events, his failure opens the door to new possibilities he never saw
coming.
Barbara
Robinson injects a wry sense of humor into her story which will
keep readers laughing:
“Magic
weakening?” asked the actor in the infomercial. “Struggling with
staying
power?” he queried, eyebrow arched. “Then you need our special blend of
herbs
and supplements. For just three easy payments of less than twenty
dollars each,
you’ll get a three-month supply that’s guaranteed to put the wood back
in your
wand…”.
Is
Stan losing his magical mojo? It would seem so, as unicorns lay
waste to the town square because his wards proved too weak to contain
them properly
and flying monkeys invade the
As
woodland nymph Lynnette finds her own set course shaken in different
ways, both by her own failures and her attraction to Stan, a magical
tale
evolves which leads them to confront the truth: magic is not only
working upon
them, but through them.
Robinson
depicts a whimsical world buffeted by magical entities and the
emergence of wisdom, connection, and change. Her ability to create an
appealing, light-hearted romp through this world as two
seemingly-disparate
characters find their hearts and minds challenged by changed worldviews
makes
for a light-hearted, appealing story.
In
a sea of tales powered by angst and folly, A Cure for Spring
Fever is a standout for packing the most fun and action in
the novella's
succinct format.
Libraries
and readers seeking a lively plot that defies pat
categorization and appeals on the basis of fantasy, paranormal events,
and
romance will find A Cure for Spring Fever just the
ticket for a rainy
day and the desire for a warm story powered by heartfelt encounters and
enthusiasm ... with a few wayward unicorns added to the magical mix.
Return to Index
Daughter of Snow and Secrets
Kerry Chaput
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68513-390-0
$21.95 Paperback/$5.95 eBook
www.blackrosewriting.com
Daughter of Snow and
Secrets
combines action, romance, and Renaissance history and culture in a way
that
piques reader interest. It opens in 1681
"I’ve started thinking
about death. My death, to be specific. The years I spent with the Huron
in
As she faces savage Dragoon soldiers and her
daughter Elizabeth, whose courage and carelessness drive them into
danger,
Isabelle finds her rescue attempts and purpose expanding rapidly to
embrace
impossible efforts as she struggles to keep her wayward daughter safe
while
attempting to rescue every Protestant in
Impossible goals, these. But Isabelle is
gifted with the ability to achieve seemingly impossible goals, the
proactive
force and behavior of a hero that can confront danger while protecting
family
and allies, and the courage to tackle the results of her daughter's
solo rescue
attempt when it goes dangerously awry.
Romance tempers Isabelle’s challenges and
confrontations, offering heady glimpses of love and lust that evolve
concurrently with new realizations about family, faith, and political
turmoil:
"It’s easy to have
faith
when you’ve glimpsed your own death. There is no changing the outcome."
Lace love and action with a healthy dose of
historical references that excel in detail and depth, cemented by
emotional
attachments and the madness of efforts that carry characters into new
realms
("They might very well both be mad,
but their music is beautiful enough to take my breath away. I stop at
the landing
for a moment to let her voice drift me to another place where I’m not
in a
fight for my life. Where heartbreaking music is enough to suspend time."),
and it's evident that the sense of purpose, place, and people is nicely
presented in a gripping, realistic plot replete with atmospheric
touches.
Libraries and readers seeking historical
fiction that simmers with action, relationship quandaries, and
bigger-picture
political struggles will welcome the depth and digressions that make Daughter of Snow and Secrets
satisfyingly intense, often unpredictable, and thoroughly engrossing.
The book
concludes a trilogy, but stands nicely alone, and so is highly
recommended for
prior fans and newcomers alike.
Return to Index
Elly Robin: Bird in a Gilded Cage
P.D. Quaver
Independently Published
979-8526346214
$14.00 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Elly-Robin-Bird-Gilded-Ordeals-ebook/dp/B0B4X4D3KT
Although Elly
Robin: Bird in a Gilded Cage represents the fifth volume in
Elly’s
adventures, newcomers will find it a fine stand-alone story. It comes
steeped
in the atmosphere of
Teen Elly’s opportunity to study piano with
a famous Italian virtuoso brings her into the patronage of the LaSalle
family
when its matriarch becomes captivated by Elly’s piano skills. There,
Elly
discovers that the family’s wealth actually rests on employing
immigrants to
bolster their riches, building their privilege on the backs of the
improvised.
She also befriends daughter Willy, whose
countenance is described in the provocative, intriguing manner that is
one of
P.D. Quaver’s signature methods of building atmosphere through solid,
thought-provoking descriptions:
In
Willy’s weak, pointed chin and high broad forehead the feminine ideal
of a “heart-shaped” face had been taken to literal extremes; combined
with her
mother’s large brown eyes (and the way she was nervously chewing on her
cheek)
she seemed vaguely insect-like.
“Much
tragedy” was the very phrase Otto had used when he spoke about the
family to her. She had been so sure he must have neen referring to
Ethelea’s
death. What further secret tragedies haunted this family? She too was
“vexed
with curiosity.”
Quaver injects a humorous tone into many of
these encounters between social strata. These neatly contrast with the
very
serious milieu of revolution and social struggle which emerge from the
uncommon
marriage between Elly and Willy’s worlds.
Often, such contrasts are stark. One example
occurs when Elly attends the
Cheers
from the audience—even as Elly’s mind was flooded with terrible
images of the gentle colored boy who had been lynched before her eyes
for the
crime of falling in love with her…
From plots and plans for escape to the
girls’ contrast in backgrounds and futures, Bird
in a Gilded Cage actually reveals two girls enslaved by
social expectation,
talent, and the tides of the times.
The story also adds cameo appearances by
Jack London, Gloria Swanson, and other famous personalities who add
their
perspectives and influences into the tangled web of growth and
realizations
that move Elly between two very different worlds.
As a privileged girl turns against her social
standing and becomes radicalized, and another outside of that world
comes to
intimately understand its underlying struggles and influences, readers
receive
a fine story. It embraces rising anarchy, the costs of opulence and
wealth, and
the intersection of social awareness and privilege which clash over
Elly and
Willy’s growing special interests and friendship.
Willy’s growth and revelations about her
family’s involvements are even more shocking than Elly’s trajectory as
Willy
confronts her family over the truth of their choices and terrible
impacts:
…you’re
insulated from the terrible things you do by your minions! So
you can concentrate on counting your precious money…
Though intended for an adult audience, its
allure to young adult readers of historical fiction and to classrooms
seeking
discussion materials about the times and their social issues should not
be
overlooked.
Elly’s coming-of-age brings with it many
accompanying conundrums over loyalty, values, and social inequities
which will
prove of widespread interest.
Paired with black and white illustrations by
the author, Bird in a Gilded Cage
is
a compelling pick highly recommended for libraries and book club
discussion
groups interested in a novel steeped in the theater of intrigue, social
revolution, and growth.
Return to Index
I
Never Said I Love You
Sarah Magee
Independently Published
979-8-9891266-1-3
$18.99 Hardcover/$14.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Said-Love-You-Novel/dp/B0CNMVC5KB
In
a different world, Liss
Larkin and Nao Kao Inthavong would
never have met. Her Midwestern American roots are in direct contrast to
Nao
Kao's background as a survivor of war in
Liss
leaves Nao Kao unexpectedly and without explanation. Twenty years
later, fate again brings them together—this time, in a way which offers
opportunity not just for looking backwards to choices, influences, and
decisions that changed each of their lives; but looking ahead to new
possibilities.
Either
way, Sarah Magee excels in creating characters and connections
that embrace cultural and psychological differences. Liss and Nao Kao
learn
more about themselves and each other as they move from friends to
something
more (and, something more elusive).
Where
does their final destination lie? As Liss journeys to
Magee
creates a progressive series of events that are alluring from the
first time Liss meets Nao Kao:
"I
had
spent my life being packed around the world on my parents’ various
sabbaticals,
befriending locals in all the far-flung corners of the world, but even
to my
globally-attuned ears, the name was unusual. I turned to look. Like me,
he was
younger than most of the other students in the class. Pan-Asian,
relatively
non-descript, save for wearing blue jeans and long sleeves despite the
mercury
hovering around ninety degrees. Kind eyes behind thick glasses. Thin.
No, more
like wiry. Or scrappy. Unsmiling, but then the international students
often
were. Flashing the pearly whites at every opportunity is a decidedly
American
trait."
She
then embeds her story in the winds of change buffeting their world,
from post-9/11 to the international news and forces that exact a toll
on each
of them. It's a pleasure to see these atmospheric signs of the times
overlay
the relationship component under examination, which lends a realistic
and
fuller-bodied feel to events that evolve both internally and externally.
This
approach elevates the story on several levels, injecting social,
political, and cultural contrasts and observations to augment the
romance with
a bigger picture viewpoint.
Hindsight
and time coalesce in a manner that brings this story to life
in ways readers won't see coming as both characters evolve and walk on
disparate, unexpected paths in their lives:
"Then
and now I was forced to consider the possibility, though, that Nao Kao
really
was just a player, completely lost, all alone in a foreign country by
himself,
no worries about being caught. I thought it would be a one-night stand.
Later I
assumed it was a fling. Only much later did I consider the ephemeral
nature of
the line between a fling and an actual “thing.” Blurry or bright, lines
exist,
and they matter. I cannot say what he thought, on which side of the
line Nao
Kao may have stood, and I cannot remember anymore what I thought, but I
do know
what I heard and I do know what I said – and what I didn’t. I never
said I love
you. Neither did he."
More
so than most stories of romance or cross-cultural enlightenment, I
Never Said I Love You holds vivid and unexpected insights
about
friendships, connections, and life events which drive people either
together or
apart.
Libraries
seeking novels that extend their attraction and power to more
than just interpersonal revelations will find I Never Said I
Love You a
compelling story. It deserves recommendation to book clubs and patrons
interested in debating and thinking about the impact of travel,
revelations,
and deals with the devil in a story that churns out delightfully
complex and
thought-provoking details that readers won't see coming.
Return to Index
A Love to Die For
Joseph Seechack
Köehlerbooks
979-8-88824-198-1
$23.95 Hardcover/$16.95 Paperback/$7.49 eBook
www.koehlerbooks.com
Ron and Grace have a deep, ongoing love in
their marriage in A Love to Die For.
Predictably, all that changes suddenly, one day, when Grace is left
alone in
her grief upon learning that her beloved husband Ron, is dead, with no
chance
to say goodbye.
The experience, routines, and thoughts about
love, loss, and grief may trigger some readers struggling with their
own sudden
loss of love, while others might anticipate that the story will prove
too
familiar, resting on the themes of many novels which have explored loss
and
grief.
While one may say the plot sounds familiar,
the proof of an exceptional work lies in how its author spins the story
and
describes characters and emotions. It takes some unexpected turns in
following
Grace and her surviving family's catastrophic experiences.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Grace cultivates and hones a revised sense of purpose that honors both
her love
and herself as she is forced to move on without Ron:
“I wondered how I could
ever
repay such a great act of love. What can I do to honor and carry on all
that
great love he showed me?"
When Grace reconnects with Ron in a surprise
move to regain her lost love, she learns an invaluable lesson: "...love doesn’t end; it transcends.”
Her revised purpose in life, her attempts to
honor Ron and his achievements in a different way, and her newfound
challenges
in handling both gossipy community members and something as simple as
preparing
breakfast will resonate with anyone who has suffered the loss of a
partner.
The result is a moving journey that captures
loss and grief, but moves beyond them to a focus on the transformative
nature
of re-creating a new life in a way that both honors memory and the
past, yet
moves on into a vastly revised future.
Libraries will want to add A
Love to Die For to their collections,
and should make a point of recommending it not just to patrons and book
clubs,
but especially to psychology and healing groups tackling loss, grief,
and
reinvention. Its powerful, realistic, compelling portrait of a timeless
love is
exceptionally well written and thought-provoking.
Return to Index
Megastar
R.J. Eastwood
978-1-64456-685-5
$13.95 Hardcover/$9.95 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
Website: www.robertjemeryauthor.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Megastar
is the story of a rise to musical fame and the impact it holds on those
around
the star.
As the story opens, thirty-seven-year-old
Addison Stone is wheelchair-bound and looking far more frail than his
age. He's
the first to admit that his life has been a rollicking, wild ride to
this
point—and that perhaps its looming terminus too early is actually
fitting:
"It’s been a hell of a
ride, I’ll tell you, bumps and all, and there were plenty of those.
When I’m
gone, the name Addison Stone will be lost to history, and no one will
remember
how big a star I was.”
As the story traverses his memories and
past, charting his evolution towards megastar status and its impact,
readers
receive a powerful tale of a teen raised by an unstable mother, who
nonetheless
reaches the pinnacle of success at an early age.
His extraordinary singing voice has led to
overcoming many early obstacles, but ironically, it has also created
distance
from the woman he loves, lost to stardom and addiction which forces him
to
adopt an unrelenting pace to success.
How love is heavily impacted by Addison's
rise to success and the possibilities held by life's further
progression,
highs, and lows is explored by R. J. Eastwood in a saga that charts the
emotional and business sides of his rise to stardom:
"Following the
Hollywood
Bowl, Davies Symphony Hall in
As events move towards
The juxtaposition of comfort and challenge
that success brings with it will give readers much pause for thought as
the
tale evolves.
Especially notable is the story's ability to
blend realistic dialogue and character insights into the story of how
pasts are
either set aside or influence future decision-making.
Libraries and readers seeking novels steeped
in reflective accounts of changing love and ambition will find Megastar thought-provoking and worthy of
book club debate and discussion as its hero attempts to move from
tragedy to
uplifting new possibilities in both life and love.
Return to Index
OCEANSIDE
Larry Terhaar
HatCity
Publishing
979-8-9900362-0-8
$14.95 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
https://a.co/d/5kCSNfH
When the
ChamplainTowers
collapsed in Surfside, FL, in
June of 2021, the resulting deaths and questions vied for media
spotlight and
attention. Larry Terhaar’s OCEANSIDE
is a
novel-in-parts consisting of three stories that follow the 40-year
lifespan of
the building, blending the reality of events with a fictional overlay
that
dramatizes and enhances the appeal of the events and their impact.
The first
responders
to the collapse in June of 2021 open the story, but flashbacks take
readers
back to the roots of the building’s tragedy, using an investigative
tone to
consider building errors and omissions and their ultimate impact. This
lends OCEANSIDE
a fine
aura of intrigue that requires no prior knowledge of Florida,
the tragedy, or its influences in
order to prove accessible and riveting even to readers with little
natural
interest in building collapses.
Terhaar
employs the
vivid immediacy of the first person to capture the opening events from
the eyes
of a first responder firefighter called to the most extraordinary scene
in his
decades of facing disasters:
“The alarm tone jarred me awake. A
computer-generated voice announced,
“Units ten and eighteen respond to building collapse at 88th Street
and Collins
Avenue.” Then the announcement
repeated, beginning with the alarm tone. I glanced at the clock and saw
it was
1:30 a.m. It was go-time. We had performed this routine countless times
over my
twenty-five-year career as a firefighter. If it wasn’t a real
emergency, then
we performed timed practices. We needed to be on the engine, ready to
roll
within a minute. We all slept in natural-fiber underwear that wouldn’t
melt in
extreme heat.”
As events
shift
between present and post, with donor special interests, political
ambitions,
and reasons for cost-cutting actions taking place, readers are treated
to a
vivid story. It cuts to the chase of not just the physical causes of
structural
collapses, but the very human motivations for pursuing profit and
politics
against the best interests of fellow human beings.
At each
step, Terhaar
creates a satisfying dichotomy of events that contrast the choices and
consequences which lead to the preventable deaths of nearly a hundred
people.
This, in
turn,
provides much material for book club or classroom debate as the novel
contrasts
homebuyers, politicians, builders, and others whose lives are
inextricably and
forever fused by the disaster.
The
authentic,
realistic aura of these events comes not just from research, but
personal knowledge
which places Terhaar in a uniquely qualified position to produce this
story. He’s
a recently retired real estate developer who has built a condominium
complex,
and serves on the board of directors of a high-rise condominium in
southern Florida.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a vivid novel filled with satisfying twists and turns, that is
astonishingly and frighteningly based on real events and situations,
will
welcome OCEANSIDE
as a novel that’s hard to put
down.
Return to Index
The Poppy
Field
Caroline Kellems
Grand Canyon
Press
978-1-963361-00-1
$16.99
www.GrandCanyonPress.com
The Poppy Field is a novel that will
appeal to women interested in
stories of missionary work, transformation, and marriages challenged by
new
cultural experiences. It revolves around Indiana
wife and mother Katherine, who finds her family and predictable life
uprooted
when her husband Phil is assigned to Guatemala
for missionary duty.
Not only
does she
face vast tests in living in a third-world country, but her unhappy
children
need to be homeschooled. Her husband is gone for extended periods,
leaving her
to the attention of wealthy neighbor Steve, who both educates her about
Guatemalan culture and lures her into a romance which challenges both
her
marriage and her family values.
Intrigue and
mystery
enter the picture with further entanglements that complete the circle
of angst
newly surrounding her life and relationships. Suddenly, Katherine
doesn't know
who she is, where she is heading, and what is even real.
Caroline
Kellems
builds a fascinating story that will attract a disparate audience of
readers,
from those interested in thrillers and suspense stories to others who
enjoy
vivid women's fiction that blends romance with bigger-picture thinking.
Questions of
wealth
origins, influences, and objectives permeate both Katherine and Phil's
relationship and the reasons why they moved to Guatemala
in the first place:
“I mean, what if he’s a drug kingpin?” There, she’d
said it.
“Why would a drug lord fund a church?” Phil takes a deep breath.
Alfonso’s wealth does seem a bit much, but surely God has a hand in all
of
this. “Without money how can we build a church? Without a church, we’ll
never
have a steady congregation, and if we don’t have a congregation, what
are we
doing here?”
Readers will
appreciate the social, spiritual, and cultural interplays that test
both
relationships and moral and ethical viewpoints as The
Poppy Fields evolves a gripping sense of wonder that features
twists and turns charged by relationship realizations. The candid
portrait of
both Phil and Katherine as they contemplate their influences and
choices is
particularly well done:
"If he only knew. “Do you think I wanted the
neighbor, our landlord, to be
the one to comfort
us? The one to solve our problems? You’re the head of the family.” Phil
decides
not to mention the misunderstanding. It will only make him look like a
fool. If
he’d have known that thieves had broken into their house, he might have
returned home, he thinks, but probably not. He screwed up again. He
should have
kept in better touch."
While The Poppy Fields will be a solid
entertainment choice for libraries and readers seeking novels about
cross-cultural experiences, its inclusion of bigger-picture themes also
make it
the perfect choice for book clubs seeking discussion and debate
material about relationships
facing missionary work and cultural encounters.
The
exquisite
marriage of suspense, revelation, and marital and extramarital
relationship snafus
lends to a riveting story that's hard to put down.
Return to Index
Resentment and
Remembrance
Richard D Ross
Steel Door Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-7390154-2-8
Price:
Free
https://www.richarddross.com
Resentment and
Remembrance
is a novella embracing themes of resentment and
love when the paths of two disparate characters cross and clash.
Ted
Bolton is an old man with a wicked sense of wry humor. The
starkness of his vision as he confronts old age, alienation, and
end-of-life
challenges is portrayed with a razor-sharp edge of irony and inspection
that
will attract readers with its deliberately candid presentations:
"Ted
huffed and pulled the bed sheets further up to his chest. It wasn’t
fair. He’d
struggled all his life. He knew what it was like to be hungry and poor.
Dammit,
he’d even fought a war for these kids who didn’t appreciate what it was
like.
These damn young people with their cell phones, computers, earrings,
tattoos all
over their bodies and stupid girly fashions. Mass marketing victims,
that’s
what they were! Where was the respect? Had it all vanished into thin
air? It
seemed anyone elderly or in authority was a fair target for abuse and
that even
included teachers, police, and health care workers. He coughed, wheezed
loudly,
and dozed off into another world."
As
Ted dozes through memories that lead him to review his life, a
chance encounter with a member of the younger generation tackles the
bitterness
and reflective angst that seem to permeate these final days of his
life,
injecting them with a sense of love he'd long felt was absent.
As
readers learn of the reasons for Ted's 'monumental struggles with
living' and absorb the healing lessons of a love which emerges from a
completely unexpected place at the end of life, a winning story emerges
which
is touching, compelling, realistic, and holds many thought-provoking
lessons
about life connections and disparate personalities.
Libraries
and readers seeking high-impact novellas which grasp
attention and move mind and heart will find Resentment and
Remembrance
a satisfying contrast in life perspectives. It will resonate with
readers
interested in understanding pathways to more meaningful, purposeful
living and
life influences.
Return to Index
The Sacred
Passage
Mwana wa Musikavanhu
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-090-1
$18.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
www.atmospherepress.com
The Sacred Passage: Life And Times Of A Sadistic
Gentleman depicts
the politics and processes of the rule of President Runo, whose
wide-ranging
sadistic and egotistical nature translates to a presidency which not
only ruins
the nation, but challenges individuals, families, and social structures.
Sound
familiar? The
allegory comes to life in a novel which probes the dangerous
intersection of
politics and ambition, and the outcomes which can be expected when the
two
collide with presidential power and edicts that belay the foundations
of
freedom.
Mwana wa
Musikavanhu
creates a mythical man and a sense of place and purpose which holds the
all too
familiar feel of modern America, even though the characters and setting
are not
of this country:
"His greatest quality, however, was patience. He
could wear out
all his enemies by playing for time and utilising over-ambitious
individuals to
play his game.
“Imagine how they feel. You begged to join their movement after
trekking through the length and breadth of this nation. Now they have
to bow to
you, a late entrant of the movement.”
“It happens when one hesitates to grab opportunities. Politics is a
game of chance and keeping the mind and eyes wide open. If you blink,
you
lose,” Runobvepi proudly declared.
“Don’t you feel threatened by how much you have betrayed them?”
“Betrayal?” He laughed sarcastically. “The games have not even begun,
my dear.”
The African
nation
confronts world leaders, bullies, terrorism, and the fruits of a
leadership
which intersects with other special interests worldwide to create a
perfect
storm of conflict between social, political, and judicial checks and
balances.
Readers gain vivid insights into the dangers and deceptions that
sadistic
leaders can inject into the ideal of world order and growth.
Of special
note is
the manner in which Musikavanhu mirrors current events, pinpointing not
only
sources of discord, but the ultimate goals and results of such a
dangerous
personality and game:
"Calls for early elections to remove Runo and
appoint a more
competent individual were initiated. Runo never listened. He blamed
everything
on the Poodle and unwarranted sanctions for promoting a regime change
agenda.
While the explanation was genuine, he had done nothing on his part to
improve
the governance framework or the economic policy framework. He wanted
total control
and centralised authority that all institutions had to rely on his
call.
Devolution and autonomy of decision-making were not welcome because his
looting
scams were going to be affected."
The result
is a
frightening, thought-provoking read not just for its allegorical power,
but for
its bigger-picture insights on how individual ego and objectives can
dovetail
with political processes in a deadly manner that affects not just one
nation,
but the entire world order.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a novel that is astute in its observations, eye-opening in its
connections between political power and psychological makeup, and
revealing in
its progressive history will appreciate the force and thought-provoking
moments
in The Sacred Passage, which is
filled with lively fodder suitable for book club discussion.
It is
especially
highly recommended for libraries collecting solid African literature
and novels
rich in social and political insights about a world in which myth,
ambition,
and madness coalesce.
Return to Index
See Me
Rhoda Berlin
Independently Published
979-8-9898938-0-5
$14.99 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
www.rhodaberlin.com
See Me
opens with an article describing the death of a Seattle
musician, then moves to the first-person
confession of a therapist who faces a lawsuit and more:
"I only go downtown
when
it’s unavoidable. Being sued is one of those occasions. Since the day I
got
served I can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t think straight. But I’m proud to
say my
clients haven’t seen me squirm. That’s the advantage of being a
marriage and
family therapist; it’s all about the other people in the room."
Jackie Kessler is a therapist who
specializes in an unusual clientele often ignored by others in her
profession.
As the child of Korean refugee immigrants, she has made a name and
place for
herself providing services to minorities. Young musician Amy was one of
her
clients, after she attempted suicide. A connection was formed between
them
during the course of treatment. Now Amy, not yet thirty, is dead after
a
successful suicide, and Jackie is shocked.
She's even more shocked when Jackie’s family
sues her for malpractice, forcing her to assume an investigative role
that
places her on the side of family and friends who become convinced that
Amy's
death was not actually a suicide, but murder.
Rhoda Berlin's own background as a family
therapist lends authenticity and logical processes to a murder inquiry
which
feels more realistic than most. This special brand of expertise follows
her character
as Jackie traverses many possibilities, circumstances of prejudice and
discovery, and challenges that tend to lead her far from her practice's
areas
of expertise and into the murky waters of a whodunit.
The links between Amy and Jackie come to light
as Jackie is forced to examine her own choices of the past and their
present-day impact:
“I blame war. Trauma.
Poverty.
Of course culture and my parents’ personalities were factors too, but I
can’t
help wondering what life would have – what my parents could have been
like if
they’d grown up in peace, without fear. Healthy, with enough to eat.
Would they
have met and married? Would my brother and I even have been born?” I
shrug.
“That’s what Amy and I had in common. She asked the same questions
about her
own history.”
Immigrant and minority experience come to
life in a story that probes family history and memories, collective
experience,
and choices and consequences as Jackie interviews her own mother in an
effort
to better understand her roots in Amy's parallel world:
“Mom, did you want to
come to
the US?”
“Want to come, had to come. No
difference. That doesn’t mean I wanted leave Korea.”
From pity and wealth to the impact of
history and family ties, Jackie's journey takes on many unexpected
twists and
turns as she navigates new truths and realizations not only about Amy's
situation, but her own.
Replete with many factors which place it
more than a notch above the usual murder mystery (and thus defies this
pat
categorization with a sense of complexity that most genre reads don't
hold), See Me is a novel highly
suggested for
libraries seeking a book club recommendation that blends all kind of
insights
(from therapeutic and professional to revelations about immigrants,
family
ties, and cultural impact) into its vivid progression of events.
Return to Index
The Sisters of Blue Mountain
Beach
Karen Chapman Lloyd
Rebelle Press
9798877426535
$9.99
eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Blue-Mountain-Beach-ebook/dp/B0CT44HHTG
The
Sisters of Blue
Mountain Beach tells of a devastating hurricane which makes
landfall on the
beaches of the Emerald Coast,
seemingly singling
out one house for total destruction, where resident Mrs. Gilpin and her
sisters
go missing.
The similarities and
differences between the closely
connected women are revealed in the first chapter, which focuses on
their
similarities, many differences, and the financial and emotional strings
that
connect them—until a revelation at chapter’s end adds a different twist
to the
story:
“They
fight. They
makeup. They are family. They love one another unconditionally, even as
they’d
like to kill each other, they would first kill for.
The important thing to know is that they always came in
August. Only August. The important thing to know is that they were not
sisters
at all.”
Each woman faces life
challenges in a different manner,
confronting revised expectations and new promises in an enlightening
manner
that will give book club discussion groups much material for debate:
“There
is no party,
but Cilla has decided that she will dress
for chemo. Perhaps it will make the difference, treating
it like a life
sentence, instead of a march to death row. Cilla is going to buy
something that
doesn’t look good on her that she loves anyway. Something too expensive
that
As each woman decides how
she will revise and live her
life, readers receive close inspections of the choice and options life
brings,
with opportunity to consider disparate reactions to them result in
changed
relationships both within their group and outside of it:
“Could
she stay?
Could she just leave the house and the life or lack thereof in Arkansas
and stay here and
soak away her sadness and the cancer cells and let them float out to
sea. Could
osmosis be the cure for cancer yet to be discovered? Could she stay and
live?
Or would she die a romantic, cinematic death while Arden
and Worth tried to embalm her.”
Motivations for living count
down as the hurricane nears,
juxtaposing both internal and external threats as the women revise
their life
goals, perceptions, and connections to each another.
From keeping score and
looking for elusive love to
grasping the final elements of what makes life worth living, Cilla and
her
companions face cancer, healing opportunities, and hurricanes with
equal
strength.
Subplots of divorce,
conspiracy, drugs, and death add
full-bodied flavor and shifting life experiences to the story, lending
it a
realistic, compelling countenance.
That’s why libraries,
readers, and book club groups
alike, especially those interested in womens’ fiction that portrays
changes
affecting women’s lives and relationships, will find The
Sisters of Blue Mountain Beach thoroughly compelling and hard
to put down. It’s packed with incremental philosophical and
psychological
insights that provide much food for thought.
Return to Index
Tales of Whiskey Tango from Misery Towers
James Aylott
Beautiful Arch
979-8-9876812-1-3
$29.99 Hardcover/$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Whiskey-Tango-Misery-Towers/dp/B0CNF6J3LD
Tales of Whiskey Tango
from
Misery Towers is a novel about working and living in
downtown St.
Louis.
It opens in 2019 with a candid assessment of the city's blistering
atmosphere:
"Nick Pipeman was far
from poetic but always thought fellow Missourian T.S. Eliot should have
known
better: August, not April, is the “cruellest month.” In the city of St.
Louis,
mid August,
with its sweltering heat and stifling humidity, is the cruelest part of
that
cruelest month."
Forty-something Nick, the protagonist who
observes these mean and sultry streets, is literally standing on the
cusp of
suicide, on a bridge, as he contemplates the chain of events and
turmoil that
brought him to this point.
His dreadful history and situations are
nothing in contrast to Colton Chesterfield
III's awakening in a locked
coffin. And yet, the scenario is eminently escapable because, as Colton
well knows from
his job, these cheap Chinese coffins collapse easily. Indeed, his real
dilemma
is quite unexpected (and also displays the wry sense of humor James
Aylott
excels in demonstrating throughout the story):
"He was trapped in a
coffin alive and was about to shit himself in a tight and confined
space the
mother lode of ca-ca. Now, for a man who had spent a lifetime charming
his way
out of sticky situations, this was a daring concern like no other he
had faced.
All Colton
could hope for was that this coffin was about to be rolled into a
crematorium,
or buried. At least that would be a relatively quick and painless end
to what
he deemed a glorious, triumphant life. The alternative of being trapped
in a
coffin and slowly being suffocated to death by one’s own shit was a
nightmare..."
And then there is Bruce Springsteen
doppelganger Mike Love, who stands at a fork in his blossoming love
life. Even
at the ripe age of eighty-something, some things never change.
'Devilish humidity" permeates Mike,
Nick, and Colton's sordid lives, which offer contrasts in experience,
perspective, and St. Louis influences, culture, and angst. Readers move
through
the city's milieu through the eyes of characters that contemplate
different
ways of winning back love and their lives.
From those who would profit from St. Louis's
changing countenance to individuals who seek love, redemption, and
meaning from
life, Aylott creates a gripping juxtaposition of personalities that
each
struggle to survive and achieve in St. Louis's milieu:
“We shape our
dwellings, and
afterwards our dwellings shape us,” said Daris Ballic, repeating a
Winston
Churchill quote as he strolled onto the rooftop of Missouri
Towers.
Daris looked over at the algae-infested pool and couldn’t wait until he
owned
the entire building. He had so many plans. The city in the distance
sounded
scary and dangerous. A storm was approaching from Illinois.
He had decided to watch it come in
from the viewing deck."
Atmospheric and firmly rooted in a sense of
place and purpose, Tales of Whiskey Tango
from Misery Towers captures the heart and soul of St. Louis.
It's a story highly recommended
for libraries and readers interested in tracing the heartbeats of the
city
through the working-class individuals who navigate its promise and pain.
Return to Index
Through
Her Lens
Melissa Clark Bacon
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-118-2
$18.99
Paperback/$9.99 eBook
www.atmospherepress.com
Through
Her
Lens
takes place during World War II. It paints a powerful portrait of a
young woman who finds her life and perceptions changed by war’s
haunting
overlay of transformation.
Millicent
Trayford is involved in a dangerous job. She works for
British intelligence to hunt down the Nazi V1 and V2 bombs. Her
endeavors
initially seem to fall far from her previous life's passion
(photography), but
she was prompted to employ her cameras for intelligence work when the
bombs hit
too close to home.
As
much as she struggles with a mission that could determine the course
of the war and the fate of Britain, she also fields romance that comes
from two
directions: her fiancée, and the advances of a Royal Air Force pilot
who
challenges her sense of duty and commitment.
Millie's
work in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force leads her into strange
circumstances and unfamiliar territory as she finds herself in the
throes of a
countdown towards D-Day (which each chapter heading emphasizes).
Melissa
Clark Bacon combines a passion for cameras and photography with
the changing viewpoints of a woman who looks into and beyond the lens
of
possibility to chart a different course for her life than she'd ever
envisioned.
As
her images uncover facts that had previously been well hidden,
Millie discovers a different purpose for her passion and new avenues of
self-realization. Each lend to both intelligence discoveries and
revised
understandings about her own heart and passions.
The
catastrophes of bombings and war come to life as vividly as
Millie's revolutionary images of her revised world and place in it.
This brings
both history and personal experience to life in a rich dovetailing of
experience that will attract fans of women's stories and World War II
history
alike.
Libraries
and readers seeking depictions of World War II from the lens
of women who participate in the war effort in different ways will find Through
Her Lens an engaging story of transformation. It taps history
to power a
woman's changing position and outlook on life as Millie hones in on her
future:
“The
War
Office will never give me credentials as a photographer to go to
Return to Index
Wolf
of the Aegean
Daniel McKenzie
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-158-8
$20.00 Paperback/$29.99 Hardcover/$9.99 eBook
www.atmospherepress.com
Wolf
of the
Aegean
is the first book in the historical fiction series Seafourthe Saga. It
will especially appeal to readers of swashbuckling nautical adventures,
who
will find the story of a privateer and his crew who rebel against the
might of
the Ottoman Empire
(and, later, other empires)
to be compellingly action-packed.
Daniel
McKenzie introduces his yarn by employing the first person to
bring the story to life, injecting a 'you are here' feel to the ship's
management and crew from the story's opening salvo of reflective
experiences:
“Spill
the
wind, foreyards brace abox flat aback! Heave-to, we slide slow into
Sidon,
boys!” David
l’Helm, premiere Privateer Pilot on the Ocean’s verge, shouted to the
crew of
La Vengeance de La Prostituée to slow the ship.
“Lower away
longboat!” l’Helm ordered, and turning to the Captain said, “Coast is
clear.
Anchor in the Catshead; we have fallen off the wind coming about
ghosting,
sir.”
A
Sailing Saga thus begins that will capture "...our almost mythic
history roving upon the Eighth Sea" in
the wake of
the Thirty Years War, which comes to live under McKenzie's guidance.
Readers
needs no prior familiarity with prior events find this story
satisfyingly
compelling and immediately accessible—even to those who may harbor
little prior
familiarity with the times and their history.
Another
compelling feature prominent in this historical novel is a view
of history which may challenge the reader's knowledge of the events of
the
times and how they are interpreted today:
"History
is replete with deluded self-important men who coveted such as the
Lionheart.
These greedy spawn of hell are perfect prey. They cannot conceive of
failure in
their insanity of racial superiority, strength, and especially,
immortality to
vanquish and rob the heathen rabble. Regardless of their initial
victories,
they will fall. Especially when coming to steal in someone else’s
backyard."
A
third device employed to make the history and events standouts is an
attention to vivid language that not only depicts, but flavors the
circumstances with an immediacy and color too many historical novels
omit. This
succeeds in capturing the politics, racism, religion, and sentiments of
the
times in a realistic, thought-provoking manner.
"A
Moslem ship was of no matter to the Captain; the Wolf Pack plundered
for no God
except the one named Gold and for no nation except the Vengeance, with
the
added luxury of Pilot David l’Helm to get them the hell out of Egypt."
From
adventures on the high seas to the defiance of traditional
thinking and living, the adventures in Wolf of the Aegean
are simply
riveting, making the book very highly recommended not just for
historical novel
enthusiasts, but for libraries interested in nautical adventures that
come
steeped in a revised sense of history and purpose. It will prove
perfect for
patron and book club discussions.
Return to Index
Reviewer's Choice
A Brief
History of England
Robert Dees
Commons Press
9781737481072
$15.00
www.CommonsPress.com
The booklet A Brief History of England is an excerpt
from The Power of Peasants: Economics and Politics of Farming
in Medieval
Germany (also by Robert Dees), and synthesizes the
information provided in
the far more extensive volume to a degree that general-interest readers
can
readily access its value.
This 98-page
booklet
is essentially a reprint of Chapter 12 in The Power
of Peasants,
with minor editing. In a nutshell, it serves as an outstanding
introduction to
the weightier book, as well as a stand-alone history that shows that
England’s
very different development was the result of the farmers there winning
some
rights, in stark contrast to what happened in Germany after
the peasants
were defeated in the Peasant War.
The
booklet’s lively
reinterpretation of historical events will prove exciting and pointed
to
readers considering Europe’s
foundation
of economics, farming, and cultural shifts. On the English Civil War of
the
1640s:
“Once the fight started in the streets, everyone
else had to pick a
side. This radical action by the “meaner sort” frightened the king’s
supporters
into organizing a military response, which in turn forced the more
moderate
opposition in parliament into taking the lead of the popular forces,
both in
self-defense against the king and to regain control over the people.
Two
opposing armies formed.”
Extensive
footnoted
references in the Endnotes section and a supporting set of sources,
paired with
an index, reinforces the stand-alone nature of this important
introduction.
A Brief History of England is highly recommended for students of economics and European history who hold special and particular interest in agricultural developments and the political impact of farmer uprisings.
A Brief History of EnglandReturn to Index
The
Contentment Dividend
Michael Goddart
Clear Path Press
978-1-960090-42-3
$27.95 Hardcover/$18.95 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
www.goddart.com
The
Contentment
Dividend: Meditations for Realizing Your True Self is a study
in how
contemplation can connect to and reflect new discoveries. It goes a
step
further than typical ‘how to’ self-help guides to create important
links
between the contemplation and discovery processes.
Michael
Goddart’s focus is
on building contentment from
this type of meditative effort. His discussions range from tips on
building
authenticity and tackling misconceptions of wakefulness to not just
understanding, but tapping into the inherent skill sets that contribute
to a
better life:
“You
are a
teachable dweller. Right now, you are dwelling in the physical living
under a
shroud of unknowing. But you possess all the knowing within you. What’s
critical is that you have the innate sense of knowing to teach yourself how to live experience
after experience in the way that serves you best.”
Readers
who already believe
in karmic just desserts will
find especially engrossing the connections between destiny, attitude,
and past
lives:
“Much
of our
destiny is a struggle, a slog. We get ourselves further karmically
hamstrung
with heedless mean words, insistent desires, greedy actions, being
responsible
for death after death of innocent lambs, chickens, and salmon. The
killing goes
on; you rack up more debts. Each of us goes through our destiny,
creating
destinies to come, and we
can
use experiences as opportunities to evolve spiritually, or they can
bind us to
more indebtedness.”
More
so than most spiritual
and self-help guides, Goddart
uncovers the circumstances, instances, and the nuggets of wisdom that
appear in
daily life to offer new opportunities to those who would take time to
stop and
smell the revised roses of life.
Libraries
and readers interested in books centered on
growth and empowerment, which are as powerful in group discussion
circles as in
individual pursuit, will find The
Contentment Dividend an uplifting, fine discussion of the
opportunities
present in daily living for those who would contemplate the deeper
roots and
meaning of contentment.
Return to Index
Everything
Slows Down
Garry Cosnett
Secant Publishing
979-8988641056
$24.00 Hardcover/$7.99 eBook
www.secantpublishing.com
Everything
Slows Down:
My
Hidden Life with Depression: How I
Survived, What I Learned documents
a lifelong battle against clinical depression and a search for its
cure. This
took Garry Cosnett through a series of drugs, psychiatrists, hospitals,
and
challenges … all this while simultaneously navigating jobs and daily
life
challenges.
From
its opening lines,
Cosnett’s words will
resonate with readers struggling with their own long-term depression:
“One’s
sixty-fifth
birthday is commonly a point of reflection. It certainly was for me. I
was
taken aback by how much of my lived experience—at least the past fifty
years—had been shaped by depression. At times, it could be described as
mild.
And at other times, it was diagnosed as major—so severe as to be
immobilizing.
It was a stunning realization. How is it that depression’s role in all
my
life’s stages was not apparent to me? I guess it’s like the analogy of
a fish’s
relationship to water. It was the medium that I lived in and moved
through.”
From
drugs that
produced terrible side
effects to treatments that helped only mildly or not at all, the tidal
back-and-forth movement of Cosnett’s efforts create a marked exposé
of not just drugs and treatments, but the politics and personalities
that
dictate their assignment:
“I’ve
learned that
a reasonable target for depression patients is 80 percent better, 80
percent of
the time. Dr. V. seemed to be more of a 60/60 practitioner. I felt
pretty good,
much of the time. Yet it didn’t come close to the stunning success of
phenelzine. I had the inner sense that I could do better. I grew
frustrated.”
Readers
on their own
long-term journeys through
depression receive keys to survival, understanding, and empowerment
within
Cosnett’s revelations in Everything
Slows Down.
Its candid
accounts
of successes (whether limited or more long-term), failures, ongoing
challenges,
and the shifting nature of drugs and their applications makes for a
story that
will educate a wide range of followers, from medical students and
psychiatrists
interested in the experiences and course of depression to fellow
survivors who
will not just walk in Cosnett’s footsteps, but learn from his choices.
This is why
libraries
will want to include Everything Slows
Down in their collections as a standout guide to depression’s
survival, and
will want to recommend it to psychology reading groups interested in
the nuts and
bolts of better understanding.
Return to Index
Freedom: The
Case for
Open Borders
Joss Sheldon
Rebel
Books
979-8869084538
$22.49
Hardcover/$14.49 Paperback/$5.99 eBook/ $21.49
Large Print
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXD8DQX
Freedom:
The Case for Open
Borders is an
examination of freedom,
mobility, and emigrant value. It’s a thought-provoking, inviting
consideration
of why the concept of open borders is more sustainable and positive
than that
of constructing walls to keep people out.
It’s more
than time
for open borders, Joss Sheldon maintains. But his book is more than a
clarion
call for expansion—it’s a review of historical precedent, facts
surrounding
migrant contributions and routines, and the kinds of movements and
choices that
have both led to freedom and concurrently restricted growth
opportunities.
Sheldon
embarks on a
world-wide journey, examining nations, cultures, and civilizations as
waves of
nomads, migrants, and immigrants changed the face of not only
societies, but
histories … and, often for the better.
He paints a
strong
portrait of possibilities that, in some cases, embrace ideals that
would seem
unattainable and unsustainable. In fact, they largely rest upon the
attitudes
and choices of those who would restrict not only immigration, but the
new
possibilities outsiders could introduce to improve social structures
and life:
“…you
have a problem with
the so-called “Economic
migrants”? Well,
there’s an answer to that as well: Abolish poverty! Wipe away
third-world debt,
pay reparations for the crimes of empire, abolish patents on
medication,
redistribute land and wealth, invest in health and education, and
increase the
social and physical infrastructure of the developing world. There’d be
far less
poverty, and far fewer migrants. We could drastically reduce
immigration, without closing
our borders or
impinging upon personal freedoms. But it’d require a whole lot of
political
will – reaching out to help our
neighbours, rather than to stop them.”
The result
is an
exploration of historic trends, facts, ideals, and methods of
reintroducing the
value of foreigners onto American soil.
As Sheldon
points
out, America’s
woes do not stem from invasion from without, but poor choices from
within:
“…let’s
focus on the real
villains: It’s not the foreigners,
“Coming for your jobs”.
It’s the greedy bosses, who
are
sending your jobs overseas. And it’s the duplicitous politicians,
who scapegoat immigrants for “Stealing jobs”, when
they’re doing nothing of the kind.”
The result
may be a
hard-hitting and perhaps overly idealistic, at times, but it’s a
powerful
discussion that deserves a place not only in classrooms considering
history and
social issues, but in reading groups where debates may swirl around
America’s
makeup, immigrant influence, and future.
Libraries
that
include Freedom: The Case for Open
Borders in their collections should profile it prominently as
a source of
mindful, well-researched considerations of alternative options and
concepts
surrounding walls, borders, and ultimate immigrant value; past,
present, and
future.
Return to Index
From Ideas
to Impact
Michael Sheldrick
Wiley
978-1394202348
$30.00
https://www.amazon.com/Ideas-Impact-Playbook-Influencing-Implementing/dp/1394202342
From
Ideas to Impact: A
Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World draws important connections between policy
change and social impact, whether readers come from business
management,
government, or social issues circles. The teachings apply equally to
all
facets, painting an intriguing picture of a “policy entrepreneur” who
can
spearhead these connections and changes.
The
eight-step review of how
a policy entrepreneur hones
vision, enacts it, and drives changes that lead to the betterment of
humanity
as a whole may seem to harbor lofty ideals (and, it does); but behind
the
visionary hope lies a pragmatic, down-to-earth focus on how systems and
policies work—and why and how they can fail.
Chapters
are built as much
upon applied theory as they
are around these ideals, fostering new possibilities by charting
real-world
success stories and how they came to be.
“Be
part of the
solution in a world on fire” is Michael
Sheldrick’s call to action. But the special attributes in his book lie
in its
blueprint of ‘how to’ and its roots in real-world experience. These
provide the
building blocks of understanding about how positive visions and change
are
translated in all levels of society, government, and business.
Chapters
promote many
concrete ways of cementing the reader’s vision, whether it be obtaining
and
promoting positive success stories on social networks to foster hope
and
excitement, or creating opportunities for transition from habits as
engrained
as choosing coal over cleaner energy choices.
These
wide-ranging
examples drive the program Sheldrick creates and promote in From Ideas
to Impact, taking his effort far beyond that of an
idealistic dreamer and
well into the realms of possibility.
Consider From
Ideas
to Impact a blueprint for eco-warriors, visionary leaders,
and individuals
who would link social change and growth to attitudes and habits that
foster new
opportunities. Then, read From Ideas to Impact for uplifting examples
of success stories, and the foundations of how they were achieved, and
how
readers might enact their own programs and visions as they move through
life.
Libraries
will find From Ideas
to Impact not only worthy of collection inclusion and
recommendation to a
disparate audience of social thinkers, but perfect fodder for book club
discussion groups.
Return to Index
Hidden Price
Tags
Volume 7: Et Cetera…
C.J.S. Hayward
C.J.S. Hayward
Publications
979-8376522851
$20.00
Hardcover/$10.00 Paperback/$5.00 eBook
Website: https://cjshayward.com/books/
Ordering: https://cjshayward.com/hpt7
Hidden
Price Tags Volume
7: Et Cetera… compiles
thoughts on Eastern
Orthodoxy which did not fit into other volumes of C.J.S. Hayward's
writings. This
results in a wide-ranging set of subjects suitable for book club or
spiritual
group discussion, covering matters of Orthodoxy theology and its
intersection
with technological and social trends.
Of special
note is
how Hayward
offers not just critical inspections of technology's impact, but
solutions to
its influence, such as converting an Apple watch to an instrument
capable of
supporting a slower, more reasoned life.
From
theology's
mystical connections to how Orthodoxy operates as an intrinsic
foundation of
societies and civilizations, Hayward creates a dialogue that is very
suitable
to analyzing technological and spiritual challenges, showing how to
observe
them in a different light and mitigate their conflicts and technology’s
impact.
The clear discussions of Orthodoxy's foundations provides students and
thinkers
with far greater comparisons and thought-provoking contrasts than the
usual
discourse on the subject:
"In
Orthodoxy, all
theology is “mystical theology”,
meaning what
is practically lived in the practice of Holy Orthodoxy. Systematic
theology is
off-limits, as a kind of formal book exercise that is not animated by
the blood
of mystical theology. Clinical psychology offers what Dixon
terms quasi-theology, and I would more
specifically term quasi-mystical theology."
Questions
suitable
for discussion reinforce this book's concept, encouraging lively
debates among
thinkers allowed to go past the usual theological focus and into
subjects
relevant to modern social concerns and experiences.
The result
may be
considered especially wide-ranging by some; but that's the beauty of Hidden Price Tags Volume 7: Et Cetera… Its
ability to tie together seemingly disparate subjects and approaches to
daily living
and theological thinking make it another Hayward
winner that is highly recommended for any library interested in
Orthodoxy’s applications
to the modern world.
Return to Index
How to
Self-Publish
Like A Pro
Tina Koenig
Independently
Published
9781736470527
$24.95 Paperback/$14.95 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/How-Self-Publish-Like-Pro-Comprehensive/dp/1736470523
How
to Self-Publish Like A
Pro: A Comprehensive
Guide for Writing,
Publishing, and Promoting Your Book covers all the basics for
would-be
self-published authors, from the initial structuring of an author’s
business to
building and promoting an author presence and registering a book with
the
Library of Congress.
Tina
Koenig’s
extensive information goes beyond the basics of how to publish a book.
It
covers the aftermath of promotion, which is as important to the
publishing
process as gaining an ISBN and understanding how to work with different
kinds
of publishers.
Koenig
outlines how
to provide review copies months before publication so there is adequate
time to
schedule reviews that dovetail with a book’s publication date. She also
encourages understanding the pros and cons of different platforms for
gaining
book reviews (including ones that many novices won’t think about, like
Instagram). Ultimately, Koenig pins down the nuts and bolts of the
publishing
process in a manner that requires no advanced (or even much basic)
prior
knowledge.
Another
subject
Koenig covers, that many books about the process do not, is how authors
can lay
the groundwork to become an ‘expert’ whose advice will be solicited by
podcasters and other media entities. There is no better publicity than
that
which comes from added value, delivered by an author who backs, say, an
interview with repeated emphasis that their book holds further
information, and
thus will prove of additional interest to listeners or readers.
These kinds
of
strategies make the most of the latest technology, social media, and
literary
connections in the industry, affording Koenig’s book a contemporary and
wide-ranging series of applications. These are broad in scope and
specific, with
easy step-by-step insights that any novice publisher can easily absorb.
Koenig’s
strategies
make the most of the latest technology, social media and literary
connections.
Each chapter is broad enough in scope to be easily absorbed, with
step-by-step
insights that any novice publisher can implement.
These
qualities place
How to Self-Publish Like A Pro head
and shoulders above similar-sounding books, affording it a diversity
and ease
of understanding that will make it a major library and reader
attraction.
Return to Index
The
Malthus
Fraud
Robert Dees
Commons Press
978-1737481096
$15.00
Website: www.CommonsPress.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Malthus-Fraud-Robert-Dees/dp/173748109X
The
Malthus Fraud
provides history students and readers with
a specific, narrow, and important focus on Thomas Malthus and the
authoritative
perspective presented in his Essay on the Principle of
Population, which set the
standards for conversations
about overpopulation, social crisis management, and the rise and fall
of early
civilizations from the Roman Empire and the Hundred Years War (both of
which
have long been analyzed with bows to "Malthusian mechanisms").
But,
what if this authoritative approach and perspective were wrong?
Robert
Dees provides a damning, eye-opening argument in The
Malthus Fraud, which
should engage and challenge history students already well versed in
Malthus's
traditional thinking. He pinpoints both the value and the fallacies of
this
analytical paradigm:
"Putting
aside his
ludicrous claims
that Rome suffered from overpopulation and that its farmers did
themselves in,
he did put his finger on the key issue: finding a scapegoat to
exonerate the
political leaders from guilt for the misery they cause is the whole
point of
the Malthus fraud."
Malthus
argued
against capitalistic greed as a source of social ailments and failures,
instead
placing the onus on the working class's proclivity to 'overpopulate'.
Dees
returns the
discussion to a critique of not just Malthus, but the foundations of
arguments
which shaped discussions and perceptions of the times for centuries of
history
scholars. He presents important questions and answers not only about
the
origins and inspirations of Malthus's perspective, but its impact on
historical
interpretation processes:
"...how
did this devout
worshipper of
the status quo and its ruling elite explain the ongoing misery in
England,
which,
by definition, was the best of all possible worlds?"
Through
this
analysis, the roots of dogma and misguided interpretations and
perspectives are
revealed in a manner that offers many insights for classrooms
interested in not
just historical analysis and Malthus, but the underlying belief systems
that
dictate its process:
"...his
core
argument—that a revolution
in social relations could have no effect on these “laws” of nature and
of
God—was dead wrong. The attempt to salvage Malthus conceals the fact
that the
technological revolution of the 1800s was the result of prior
revolutions in
social and property relations. Social revolutions and the resulting
technological advances made all the difference, disproving all of Malthus’s dogma."
The
result is of
critical importance to historians, scholars, and student debate groups
who
already hold familiarity with Malthus and the long-term impact of his
approach.
Libraries
and
readers seeking books that explore the foundations of religious and
political
dogma to consider their lasting influence on social issues and
historical
approaches will find The Malthus Fraud
thought-provoking, astute, and certainly controversial in its
contentions—perfect fodder for classroom and history buff discussion
groups.
Return to Index
The Next
Half Century
Alan Nevin
Global
Economic Press
979-8988614418
$24.99 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Next-Half-Century-Prepare-Prosperity/dp/B0CJKTT4ST
The
Next Half Century: Prepare
for an Amazing Change in World Prosperity sports a new deluxe color edition. It bases its
projections about the
future on an unusual combination of statistics: trends and demography,
and real
estate. This reflects Alan Nevin’s position as a demographer and real
estate
economist, casting a different light on the subject of not just
futuristic
thinking, but understanding the processes, routines, and implications
of
demographic-based forecasting.
From
this, one might expect
that Nevin’s guide would be
weighty and scholarly, and perhaps not for the average reader seeking
entertainment value along with thought-provoking social insights. In
actuality,
Nevin writes with a passionate and colorful hand that injects life and
interest
in what could have proved a daunting topic. This translates to The
Next Half Century’s appeal to a much wider audience.
From the
impact of
widespread and powerful economic growth in first-world nations, which
combats
the usual pessimism about their survival and influence, to the massive
economic
changes that will be fostered by this trend and the United States,
Nevin creates an
uplifting, positive vision of the future which serves as a much-needed
panacea
for modern-day angst.
Graphics,
charts, and
colorful portraits depict this future in different, highly accessible
ways. This
approach allows readers to dip into the potentials and promises of
economic
forecasting without the usual dry approach of monolithic speech and the
typical
lack of visuals in competing books on the subject.
History,
economics,
and nations of the world all receive reasoned, lively contrasts and
speculations powered by a foundation of facts and well-researched
trends that
lay the groundwork for insights not to be found in other books.
In turn,
this creates
a treatise that is as perfect for book club and classroom discussion
groups as
it is for individual pursuit. It raises many questions about
opportunity,
choice, impact, and purpose that a diverse audience will find suitable
for
lively debate and personal contemplation.
The next
fifty years
receives close inspection as to its possible or likely incarnations
based not
only on current changes in population, lifestyle, education, and
employment
patterns already underway around the world, but geographic regions of
the U.S.
that are already on target to become leaders of these changes.
Too
many books paint a grim
picture of what is to come.
This is why The Next Half
Century: Prepare
for an Amazing Change in World Prosperity is so very highly recommended to anyone who would
view coming decades in
a more positive light than has been presented in the past.
Future
generations need
this book, which builds hope based on facts and research, not just
ideals; and
libraries need to include it in their collections and point it out so
these
readers can find it.
Return to Index
Old Kicker
Legs: The
Tooth Faerie
Robert Rubenstein
Independently
Published
979-8873923700
$10.47
https://www.amazon.com/TOOTH-FAERIE-Old-Kicker-Legs/dp/B0CRNYJ1BR
Old
Kicker Legs: The Tooth
Faerie adds
another surreal adventure to
the Old Kicker Legs series of fourteen books. While its pictures and
tone might
suggest it's for advanced elementary to high school readers, adults
will be the
best audience for this tale, which offers many thought-provoking (and
likely
controversial) topics.
This story
takes
place at the beginning of COVID, documenting the many forces, both
internal and
external, that buffet a family as they take refuge at home from a
worldwide
pandemic.
The story
opens with
the unexpected arrival of Auntie Kirsi, who claims to be a tooth fairy,
but
arrives with nefarious purposes and baggage to immediately take over.
Prior
readers will
enjoy how characters from the previous book make their entry, with the
Color
Wars games appearing early in the story to add familiar background and
nuances
to a tale that evolves around changes on the home front.
Robert
Rubenstein
excels at injecting his whimsical story with thought-provoking passages
throughout:
“What
if you can’t win
today nor tomorrow? Does
that make you a bad
person?” “Charlie, an apple doesn’t get rotten in a day or two.”
He also
provides
reflections and twists on events that will keep readers intrigued by
its
language and vivid descriptions. These work together to paint an
uncommon
portrait of events that swirl around Auntie Kristie's invasion and
impact:
“No,
Auntie Kirsi.” It was
Toni who tried to push
past her. But it was
easier to remove a nightmare from a dream. Toni cried up the stairs
where Marty
was hiding. “Daddy, take her away.” But Marty couldn’t bear to face his
own
family, nor go one-on-one with Kirsi that day. He rolled into a ball,
and left
in a puff of fog."
As Auntie
tries to banish
Old Kicker Legs and dispel other family connections, isolation
threatens them
in more than one way as the story unfolds, creating unique lessons and
examples
about control methods that include isolation and abuse. Vivid color
illustrations throughout capture the nuances of plot and character,
bringing to
life the dilemmas Toni and others face as invading forces come in more
than one
guise.
From
dysfunctional
family members and stranger danger that accompany questions of
connection,
disconnection, and false memories to a curse that only Old Kicker Legs
can
properly address, Rubenstein creates a compelling story. It operates on
deeper
levels than that of a whimsical adventure alone—and certainly belays
the notion
of a youthful audience, with its many adult themes that are wrapped the
guise
of a children's book.
Libraries
and adult
readers will find Old Kicker Legs: The
Tooth Faerie a compelling vision of threat, survival tactics,
friendship,
and a Tooth Faerie turned bad as action-packed events head towards a
showdown
that will test the characters and enchant their readers.
Return to Index
The
Political
Activism of Anthropologist Franz Boas, Citizen Scientist
Alan H. McGowan
Cambridge
Scholars Publishing
978-1-5275-6685-9
$82.00 Hardcover
Ordering:
https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-6685-9 (Use
PROMO25 when ordering, for a 25% discount)
The
Political Activism of
Anthropologist Franz
Boas, Citizen Scientist
comes from a professor who devoted over a decade of research to his
subject.
From this, and the publication of this book by Cambridge Scholars,
readers
might anticipate a dry and droll examination; but the delight of this
treatise
lies as much in its lively delivery as in the wealth of facts that
reflect the
life and times of Franz Boas.
From the
start, the
account lures readers with the dramatic embellishments of a novel,
capturing a
realistic atmosphere that surrounds the anthropologist’s life:
“On
June 20th, 1883, a
young German scholar with a
freshly minted Ph.D.
in physics boarded a small two-masted schooner named the Germania on its way to Baffin Island,
a part of the Arctic archipelago whose permanent residents were
Indigenous
people then called Eskimos, plus traders, whalers and people in a few
scientific outposts from Europe, Canada and the United States. That
scholar,
not quite 25 years old, was Franz Uri Boas. It was a voyage that was
not only
going to change the young man, but also the world of anthropology.”
Readers who
anticipate a singular life focus will also be challenged and delighted
by the
close examination afforded to the prejudices, preconceptions, and
anthropological methodology of the times:
“The
very notion of
putting actual Indigenous
people on display, which
both Boas and Putnam supported and organized, would raise serious
issues now,
and did even then. Of course, the Chicago
event was not the first, nor would it be the last, to put people on
display.”
The
opportunities for
not just enlightenment, but debate about anthropological processes,
depictions,
prejudice, and racism afford much material for classroom discussion and
debate
not only in anthropology courses and settings, but in reading groups
devoted to
examining historical trends, precedents, and attitudes.
Alan H.
McGowan achieves
more than capture the influential and revealing life of Franz Boas. He
highlights the authority and pressures of the times in not just
scientific
study and research, but the fostering and presentation of facts about
indigenous peoples and others.
The account
moves
from anthropological and scientific waters to delve into the political
circumstances of his times, his ideals and struggles with the U.S.,
and the
war which reached out to affect his efforts and attitude:
“I
cannot visualize how
reasonable people and
nations which are
'leaders of civilization’ can conjure up such a terrible war. If
Germany loses,
such hatred will be created that it will stir up her nationalism for
years to
come; if she is victorious, such arrogance, that it will lead to the
same
consequence. If people would only realize what a source of hatred and
misfortune the highly
praised patriotism represents!"
By drawing
close
connections between scientific processes, social attitudes, and
political
activism through the lens of one anthropologist’s life, McGowan crafts
a
powerful synthesis of purpose and political involvement. This book
should be on
the reading lists of any group or individual interested in how Boas’s
work
linked scientists to political issues.
Libraries
that choose
The Political Activism of Anthropologist
Franz Boas, Citizen Scientist for their collections will want
to highly recommend
it above and beyond an audience of scientific thinkers alone, reaching
out to
activists, historians, and anyone involved in social and political
transformation efforts.
Return to Index
The
Power of
Peasants: Economics and Politics of Farming in Medieval Germany
Robert Dees
Commons Press
978-1737481058
$35.00
Website: www.CommonsPress.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Peasants-Economics-Politics-Medieval/dp/1737481057
The
Power of Peasants:
Economics and
Politics of Farming in Medieval Germany is a two-volume history set that adopts a
unique approach to medieval historical record. It provides a review of
civilization's events through the perspective of farmers, from the
initial
building of civilization in Northern
Europe to
its continuing challenges via feudal systems and farmer struggles.
The
rise and
fall of Rome,
the rebuilding of the Church during Charlemagne's times, and the
agricultural
revolutions which have (until now) been relatively understated (in
comparison
to the industrial revolutions that advanced cultivation and
civilization-building tools) are all covered in exquisite detail.
While
this level
of inspection may challenge readers seeking a simple overview of the
times, it
will delight those who look for well-researched intricacy and detail in
their
historical references:
"One
historian
described the early
scratch plow as nothing more than “an enlarged digging-stick dragged by
a pair
of oxen.” This is true, but it was also the most important scientific
invention
ever, as it was “the first application of non-human power to
agriculture.” 84
Its use increased productivity and made possible humans’ transition
from
barbarism to civilization. Originally carved from a single piece of
wood, it
tore open the soil; broke it up into a texture suited to promoting new
plant
growth; allowed for better water retention, irrigation, and aeration;
and
helped kill weeds. Wooden plowshares, of course, broke and wore out
quickly.
During the 500s BCE the iron plowshare appeared in Italy,
but one survey found an
almost total absence of iron plowshares there during the Roman Period,
in
contrast to an abundance in northern border regions and in barbarian
territory."
The
heavy
presence of footnoted references assures that these relationships
between prior
scholarship and the reassessments Robert Dees makes here about
relationships between farmers, economics, and political and social
transformations of the times are well supported by supplemental,
authoritative
reading material. This means that scholars can easily move from Dees's
contention to source
materials that support his
reinterpretations and contentions.
From
the rise of
peasant wealth in the late
1400s after some 150 years of poverty and its social and political
impact to
changing labor forces, laws, methods, and perceptions, Dees creates a
powerful
survey that does far more than recap common knowledge.
In
his carefully
researched study and
associations between impacts and outcomes, Dees provides a focus which
may at
first seem narrower than more general overviews of civilization's rises
and
falls, but ultimately proves an invaluable microscopic consideration of
how farmer,
laborer, and peasant groups each contributed to the outcomes and
efforts of
humanity to reach new heights.
The
second
volume moves beyond feudal society, profiling changes in England,
Holland,
and beyond which move from a thirty-year war to the rise of populations
and
accompanying struggles with famine and disease.
From
collapses
and reformations to ongoing peasant and farmer roles and influences in
the
reshaping of societies, Dees
crafts an
examination that, at its heart, reshapes many common perceptions of
these times
and their influencing factors.
Brief
introductory histories of circumstances that led to these major changes
assure
that readers holding minimal background of the times (but much interest
in
their outcomes and events) will not be lost, as the stories unfold.
Cross-country
contrasts provide intriguing reflections on not only what happened, but
why:
"Again
in contrast to
Germany, in the Netherlands
the growing wealth of
the general population drove up the price of livestock products more
quickly
than that of grain, so farmers had an incentive to specialize in more
profitable dairy products. In some areas, the number of cattle per farm
increased 50 percent between 1570 and 1680, while it fell in Germany."
Dees
considers
the shifting control over the means of production, its economic and
power
portents, influences on prosperity and the eventual translation from
Europe to
the Americas, and how agricultural and farmer influences and freedoms
fostered
many of these movements and growth processes. History readers and
general-interest audiences with an affinity for the past will find many
new
ideas here. These will test traditional presentations and challenge
shallower
reviews of the times.
Libraries
and
readers seeking in-depth, authoritative, well-researched considerations
of
labor, power plays and transfers, and the basic elements and influences
of
farmers and peasants on the key events that moved civilization forward
and
prompted its growth and expansion will find The
Power of Peasants: Economics and Politics of Farming in Medieval Germany
surprisingly accessible, delightfully enlightening reading.
The
often-startling, eye-opening, thought-provoking contentions are
exceptional and
hard-hitting:
"In
northern Europe,
free barbarians developed a more productive
agriculture, with which they produced more food, more farmers, more
warriors,
until they overran the empire. The
early
medieval period was a brawl over whether slavery would survive. The
farmers half-won,
abolishing slavery, but were held in serfdom."
The
Power of Peasants:
Economics and
Politics of Farming in Medieval Germany is very highly recommended; ideally to a
much wider audience than its scholarship, size, and subject would seem
to
indicate.
The
book may at
first appear weighty and daunting, both in its size and subject matter.
However, $35 for a 2-volume set that
offers
almost two thousand
pages of detail is a bargain. Book
clubs and classrooms that hold a special
interest in either medieval
history or early labor issues and peasant populations will find The Power of Peasants: Economics and
Politics of Farming in Medieval Germany creates plenty of
insights and
opportunity for lively contemporary discourses about historic events,
peasant
perspectives and influences, and the ultimate growth of civilization
through
their efforts.
Return to Index
A
Simple Foundation
Larry Heitz
102nd Place, LLC
978-1-950943-28-9
$25.97 Hardcover/$13.99 Paperback/$5.99
eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Foundation-Universal-Principles-Relationship/dp/1950943291
A
Simple Foundation
appears in an updated second edition to provide a biblical foundation
of
inquiry on the subject of faith and its incarnation in everyday life.
It
provides a
Scripture-based foundation
that strives to simplify the connections between Christian believers,
streamlining the process of understanding the basic tenets of Jesus and
his
teachings. Thus, the belief and words become more accessible (and more
applicable) to a wider variety of believers, no matter that they may
come from
disparate walks of life and experience.
Readers
may not expect
examples of this
process to arrive in such diverse forms as those from the business
world, but
one way in which Larry Heitz builds and solidifies his foundation is
through
constructing pathways to understanding that link real-world experiences
with
higher-level spiritual insights.
This
approach
successfully delves into such
diverse (yet related) topics as gratitude, the gift of faith and how it
is
exercised in minute and ultimate cases, how misfortune can lead to
positive
change and results, and more.
Each
example is
cemented by a blend of
Scripture references and thought-provoking insights which readers will
find
thoroughly engrossing.
The
result indeed
builds a foundation for
better understanding, group discourse, individual contemplation, and a
uniting
of faiths under what at first may seem an umbrella of disparate
situations.
Christian
readers and
libraries will find
this approach powerfully enlightening, and a perfect choice for
discussion
groups interested in incarnations of faith in everyday life and how
unified
approaches to belief may be cultivated and encouraged.
Return to Index
Status Quo
Thinking
is Harming Your Health
Dr. Sarah Hallberg
Olio Media
979-8-9899861-0-1
$17.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXCMMKPV/
Status
Quo Thinking is
Harming Your Health: A
Physician’s Final Plea
represents the late Dr. Sarah Hallberg’s magnum opus, synthesizing her
research
and reflections on the American healthcare system which (she found as
an
insider and participant) worked as much against her healing efforts as
they
professed to support them.
Dr. Hallberg
did more
than chafe against these barriers to helping her patients. She opened a
clinic
in Indiana which refuted the common notion that a low-fat diet was
essential
for good health, observing concrete results in eliminating diabetes and
other
diet-related symptoms by adopting a low-carb, high-fat diet.
The
contention that
diabetes can be reversed by diet is not a new one. What is
new, here, is the research and findings which indicate that the type of diet being promoted to manage
the disease does little to actually cure it, placing the disease’s
management
and stasis over a real solution.
The idea is
simple:
eat better and live longer. It’s not a new notion, but one which has
been
vastly revised, here, where it expands to include not just issues of
diet and
health, but how the healthcare system as a whole does an injustice to
patients
with its focus on managing symptoms over finding real, lasting
solutions.
Dr. Hallberg
wrote
her book while battling terminal cancer. She made a point of staying on
the
diet she was recommending to her patients, even though she did not
share their
symptoms, in the interests of staying fit and better understanding what
her
patients’ struggles and experiences.
She is
candid about
presenting her naivety over the process of participating in research
studies
and their ultimate ability to help her patients, forthright about the
joys of
meeting personal and processional goals, and spirited and lively in her
delivery:
“I
was doing what I loved
and felt as if I were
helping lots of people,
and working on methods that could help a substantially greater number.”
Status
Quo Thinking is
Harming Your Health
is much more than a
physician’s condemnation of systems that don’t achieve their ultimate
goals of
good health. It’s a lively memoir; a story of study, research, and
blending
these efforts with the bigger picture of supporting health routines and
ideals;
and a powerful consideration of medical attitudes and objectives. It
will be
especially pertinent reading for medical school students and classrooms
debating the ultimate impact of health management systems and their
underlying
politics, goals, and influences.
Status
Quo Thinking is
Harming Your Health
should be part of any
collection appealing to medical personnel who hold a greater vision for
a
healthy future than traditional rote thinking and approaches to
healthcare. It’s
also highly recommended for general-interest library collections
concerned
about healthcare approaches.
Return to Index
Those
Absent on the
Great Hungarian Plain
Jill Culiner
Claret Press
978-1-910461-72-3
$17.99 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
https://www.jillculiner-writer.com/
Those
Absent on the
Great
Hungarian Plain comes from photographer and author Jill
Culiner, who spent six years chronicling the changes and events
affecting a
small Hungarian village. To her mind, it served as a microcosm example
for
events taking place in the rest of the country. Her blend of memoir and
history
captures the nuances of a country in flux, illustrating how old and new
countries blended throughout her life in a thread of connection that
pulled her
back to Hungary to not just document, but live in its milieu.
Her
blend of black and
white photos and
powerful observations brings Hungary
and its Jewish enclaves to life:
"In
a weedy field in
Kunhegyes, I found an abandoned synagogue. Heavy beams propped up an
outside
wall; wooden doors sagged open; rows of benches waited for long-dead
worshippers. Dating from the 1880s, it was beautifully decorated with
painted
lions, flowers and scenes of a fanciful Promised Land. The building
could still
be saved, I thought. Its beauty could be easily revived. Perhaps there
were no
longer Jews here."
As
Culiner searches out
and exposes remnants
of the past, she also reveals Hungary's
ironic clashes between Jews and other elements of society. Scholars
will
appreciate the heavily footnoted references, which do not detract an
iota from
the lively experiences she documents:
"In
1867, full
emancipation was
granted, and this could result in amusing situations:
In
an assembly
of voters gathered for
communal elections, a pastor proposed admitting Jews to the voting
area. A
tailor… with the intention of ending the discussion underway, gave his
vote,
and justified it in this way: ‘We don’t need the Jews.’
A Jew amongst those in the assembly, looked
at the tailor with a tragicomic air, then announced that this enemy of
his
religion was wearing, at this very moment, the pair of pants that he,
the Jew,
had brought to him for repairs. ‘And this man,’ he cried, ‘who is
wearing my
trousers, claims one doesn’t need the Jews!’"
Culiner's
search for
Jewish history and
experience results in both personal and historical revelations that
even lay
readers with little prior familiarity or interest in Hungarian history
will
find absolutely compelling.
The
allure lies in
Culiner’s descriptive
language, in the 'you are here' travelogue feel of adventure that marks
her
journey, and in special reflections that aren’t easy to find elsewhere,
about
Jewish and Hungarian history alike.
Supported
by extensive
historical notes and
references, accented by thought-provoking black and white photos, and
supercharged with a personal sense of discovery, Those
Absent on the Great Hungarian Plain may sound like a
specialty acquisition for history libraries, but holds the uncommon
ability to
reach into a much wider audience.
It
is highly
recommended for book club
discussion, collections strong in Jewish or Hungarian history, and
general-interest readers seeking an informative, lively blend of memoir
and
cultural exposé.
Return to Index
War
of the Orders
R.D. Crist
ShoRic Publishing
978-0-9998822-7-6
$4.99 eBook
Website: www.scarletreignbooks.com
Ordering: Scarlet
Reign: War of the Orders - Kindle edition by Crist, R.D.. Literature
&
Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
War
of the Orders
is the third book in
the Scarlet Reign series,
and embraces magic, mystery and mayhem as thoroughly as its
predecessors. A
prologue recaps the environment and action, providing newcomers with
both a
satisfyingly alluring reference to scenes and a compelling reason to
keep on
reading as the spiritual Realm of Scarlet embraces the lives of three
women
determined to become powerful Hags in exchange for their souls.
This then
segues to
the first chapter, in which night terrors from scary stories prompt a
dialogue
among kids about missing children who disappear in the darkness. Added
impact
emerges when further legends and possibilities are revealed.
The second
chapter
brings Natalie and Toddi to the Order of the Sisterhood, where Natalie
confronts her role in the always-present wars that challenge her
friends and
family. Determined to make her own mark on the world, Natalie chooses
to walk a
different path than what has been ordained for her. She finds herself
secretly
challenging the legality of war altogether, while juggling two
relationships
which pose threat and healing to her life.
As the world
of the
Order of Sisterhood evolves, with magic and mystery at its helm,
readers will
find the combination of genres and experiences to be multifaceted and
thoroughly engrossing.
Natalie’s
mandate to
remain true to herself while reconsidering her future, her powers, and
her
ability to change will resonate with readers who enjoy stories of
proactive,
self-empowered women. Those who look for magical overlays juxtaposed
with the
realities of wartime challenge will find its backdrop realistically
alluring
even as War of the Orders comes
steeped in an original form of fantasy.
From the
strengths of
illusion and the price of truth to threats to children and family, War of the Orders weaves together a
disparate series of events to create a powerful result.
Libraries
and readers
seeking the promise of magic, the allure of relationship
transformations, the
ethical and moral implications of ongoing war, and a young woman who
fights on
more than one front will find War of the
Orders a strong read. It’s especially effective when chosen
as a follow-up
to the two prior books in the series, Malice
of the Dark Witch and Call for
Independence; each of which follow Natalie through
life-and-death scenarios
and beyond.
Return to Index
The
Adventures of the Flash Gang, Episode 2: Treasonous Tycoon
M.M. Downing and S.J. Waugh
Fitzroy Books (div. of Regal House Publishing)
9781646034031
$12.95
Paperback/$8.49 eBook
Website: downing waugh.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Flash-Gang-Episode-Treasonous/dp/1646034031/?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m
The
Adventures of the Flash Gang, Episode 2: Treasonous Tycoon gives preteen
adventure story readers a run for their money, as a gang of
"streeters" who have been in hiding since their thievery escapades
finds themselves forced from their refuge when Pittsburgh floods.
Pearl,
Lewis, Duck, and
Mac present young
readers with streetwise savvy and high-octane action from the start,
redefining
the word 'stealing' ('pinching’ in street lingo) as they struggle to
survive
the Depression.
In
this story, they are
facing not just challenges
to their way of life, but the nefarious efforts of an ongoing
adversary, a
steel tycoon, to stop them.
M.M.
Downing and S.J.
Waugh's attention to dialogue
and descriptions
that supercharge the action with realistic and vivid imagery is the
first strength
to note about this story:
“Can
ya believe that
guy?”
hooted PB. “He goes and burns down a church—St. Patty’s, no less!—and
gets a
slap on the wrist. Streeters loot one measly train car an’ we get
shoveled off
quicker ’n you can say Mayor McNair! Sheesh.” PB tapped the newspaper
he was
holding with a grimy finger, pointing to the headline and the
arsonist’s photo
below it: a fat-faced man with a gold tooth and a nasty leer. That leer
still
gave Lewis nightmares."
Themes
of friendship,
survival, cooperation,
and clashes between streetwise kids and equally savvy adults reinforce
the
notion that support systems and connections can come from vastly
different
scenarios and activities.
Children
who choose Treasonous Tycoon, whether they are
prior fans of the first book or newcomers to the gang's activities,
will find
the action juxtaposes nicely with issues that range from supporting
each
another to helping others (both human and non-human) who also struggle
for
survival:
Pearl
had
left the road and was skittering down a short bank and across a web of
train
tracks toward the river’s edge where, far beneath the bridge, Herr’s
Island sat
like a dark smudge in the raging river. A small rail bridge spanned the
short
distance to the island. Pearl
headed straight for it.
“Pearl!”
“I’m saving
the pigs!” she called back.
“We don’t
have time for this!”
“There is
always time for a good deed.”
Despite
their efforts,
is the Flash Gang
becoming extinct?
Kids
that choose this
story for its
adventure will be equally attracted to its ability to inject
bigger-picture
themes and considerations into the suspense and intrigue, making it a
top
recommendation for libraries seeking stories that will grab young
reader
attention, but pose deeper insights about friendship, survival, and
support
systems.
Return to Index
Bad Skool:
Protest
Stories
Robert Rubenstein
Independently
Published
9798864950906
$25.42 Hardcover/$17.76 Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bad+skool+rubenstein&i=stripbooks&crid=3IH7HKZN45XF0&sprefix=bad+skool+rubenstein%2Cstripbooks%2C80&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
Bad
Skool: Protest Stories
joins others
in the Old Kicker Legs series,
compiling prior stories into one volume for fourth graders to adults.
This
young audience will enjoy the blend of whimsy and serious contemplation
that
mixes in Bad Skool—and will also
especially appreciate that these individual tales, when presented here
as a
unit, unite and expand the themes of Rubenstein’s prior writings in an
unusual
manner.
Full-page
color
drawings abound as the tales evolve. Robert Rubenstein has created a
rich,
fantastic approach to their protest stories of life, community, and
magic which
come to life in a way young people rarely receive:
"Mudville
was spooked.
Charlie hurried on. The
headmaster could
change his Medieval mind. Magic Chicken went along. The Yankees were
playing
the Orioles that day. The Chicken was a fan, but it only clucked for
birds."
Uniting
these tales
are Charlie, Old Kicker Legs, Magic Chicken, and a host of odd
supporting
characters, from teacher Master McGooey to the baseball games which
fuse man
and beast alike.
Underlying
the whimsy
are the quite serious subjects of discriminatory elements in school
problems,
accidents and prejudices, and the rise of beasts intent on destroying
the
school.
Parents will
want to
interact with kids who choose this magical book to explain its subtler
nuances
and allegories, while elementary-level libraries will find Bad Skool: Protest Stories a lesson in
both magical realism and
school and community politics and processes. It plays on the
intersection of
both to create a compelling, engrossing story that promises wide appeal
to
audiences of adults and kids alike.
Return to Index
Final
Video Game
Craig Speakes
Final Video Gam
978-1399977708
$11.99 Paperback/$3.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Final-Video-Game-Middle-Gaming-ebook/dp/B0CSDHC1S5/
In
Final
Video Game, thirteen-year-old Oliver faces multiple
challenges: a new life
with his mother after his father vanishes; a move to a new town and
school; and
a new friendship with classmate Logan, who is addicted to video games.
Oliver
willingly enters
into his milieu,
only to find it offers further new challenges he is ill equipped to
handle, as
the popular new video game series unexpectedly leads its users to fall
into
comas.
That’s
because the AI
controlling the game
has gone rogue, causing the virtual world to become a dangerous
harbinger of
humanity’s extinction—unless Oliver can stop it. But, what chance does
a
preteen new gamer have over a savvy AI?
As
it turns out, who
better to defeat an AI
at its own game than a determined band of game-savvy kids who recognize
the
challenge, motivations, and underlying forces dictating its moves?
Craig
Speakes embeds
his story with
attractive technology references, equally compelling psychological
patterns of
defense and offense among a group of intrepid young people, and the
allure of a
gamer’s world and talents. These facets keep the action fast-paced and
the story
line unpredictably engrossing.
As
Oliver confronts the
cyberattacks, he
comes to realize that his own choices and actions will affect not just
the
world to come, but his own family and friends.
The
interplay between
simulations and real
people, and the ways in which they interact, connect, and disconnect,
provides
young readers with a gripping saga that is powered as much by
interpersonal
relationships as by gaming strategy.
The
fire, characters,
and action of the
story lends to its top recommendation to libraries catering to young
video
gamers who might normally eschew the printed word—were it not for the
vivid
confrontations and action-packed scenes that provide a lure in Final Video Game.
Return to Index
Friendly
Foxes
Jesse Bettio
Independently Published
979-8871558744
$31.15 paperback/$7.77 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Friendly-Foxes-Jesse-Bettio/dp/B0CQ9QRRMD/
Friendly
Foxes
is a picture book about divorce that will appeal to parents and adults
looking
to open a positive dialogue with the very young.
It
portrays a fox
family facing a “kind
divorce,” showing kids how a family can adapt and maintain love while
still
moving apart.
The
kindness isn’t just
evident in the
parents, here. It’s in Jesse Bettio’s choice of words in describing the
circumstances surrounding the separation (the parents have been good
adventure
partners, but now it’s time for them to embark on separate adventures).
Lovely
watercolor
illustrations of the foxes
add color and attraction to the tale, which explains different living
scenarios
the kids might face, such as Mommy or Daddy fox nesting with the kids
at
different times, or the kids visiting a parent’s new abode.
The
story’s ability to
creatively, kindly,
and realistically explain a divorce and its various options and impact
on the
family will allow adults to explain very difficult circumstances to a
very
young child.
There
are many other
children’s books about
divorce, but few that narrow the focus to a ‘kind divorce’ or the
circumstances
that a youngster needs to understand. Use of the fox family over human
characters assures that the messages are delivered in an attractive,
gentle
manner kids will find accessible rather than frightening.
This
is why Friendly
Foxes is highly recommended not just for libraries, but
parents interested in a colorful, positive, simple approach to the
topic that
will spark conversation and acceptance in young listeners.
Return to Index
Hometown
S.A. Fanning
Immortal Works LLC
978-1-953491-79-4
www.petefanning.com
One moment
can change
your life forever, as senior linebacker Ben Hoy discovers in Hometown. The moment-by-moment tension
of a football game, narrated in the first person, introduces an
immediacy and
power to the story that simmers with action from the start:
“The
screams, the cheers,
the throttle of
anticipation—usually I put it
away and played the game. All of us did. At nine wins and zero losses,
we’d
been killing it all season. We’d worked since summer–conditioning and
camps—since last season’s overtime loss in the state semifinals.
Besides, we’d
beaten Briggs two straight years, so no one would say it, but we were
looking
past this game and forward to our yearly showdown with Clearview before
hitting
the playoffs full stride. This was the
year.”
This game is
different, though. Prejudice rears in the form of an incident that
prompts Ben
to make a comment that will change his life and challenge his fellow
team
players, resonating through the wider world at large to drive him not
to sports
success, but into the maelstrom of conflict between Blacks, Whites, and
ideological thinking.
S.A. Fanning
uses
this incident as the spark for considering a teen White boy’s coming of
age, a
town’s immersion in historical presence and conflicts that involve
Confederate
versus Rebel forces (albeit, in modern times), and consequences that
force Ben
and his siblings to leave their school for another refuge—only to find
that it,
too, has been contaminated with the very issues he thought he’d left
behind.
There is no
escaping
racial, historical, and social precedent, as Ben learns through his
newfound efforts
to make his world a better place.
Fanning
introduces
hard-hitting topics and contemporary struggles in a manner that tests
his
ability to adapt and formulate his own values:
“I
looked down to my
scuffed dress shoes on the
polished floor. Hear
them out. It seemed I got to hear everyone’s grievances these
days. At
Sal’s, at school, on the field. What about my grievances,
my fears and anger? Anger at these two men.
At our town and the world in general.”
Teens will
find much
to relate to here; not only from the realistic high school and football
culture
that permeates Ben’s life, but in the adult issues that pop up to lend
new
meaning to his endeavors, and bigger-picture thinking to his life.
These
added-value
elements are why Hometown is highly
recommended not just for teen readers and libraries catering to them,
but for
classroom discussion groups and book clubs seeking material that draws
on
personal experience to explore social, political, historical and racial
precedents and the choices that young people face in modern-day life.
Return to Index
Play With Me
Kat Chen
Rise x Penguin
Workshop
978-0593659717
$8.99 Board Book or eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Play-Playdate-Book-Kat-Chen/dp/0593659716
Play
With Me
pairs words by Kat Chen with
art by Lorraine
Nam
to create the effect of a “playdate in a book,” which read-aloud
parents will
find inviting and unusual for ages 1-3.
Unlike most
invitations to enjoy play, this book promotes feelings of empowerment
by
offering kids a series of decision-making opportunities for how they will play.
Ellison and
his
friend Rabbit invite readers to join him for a picnic, outlining food
and drink
choices and complimenting young audiences on whatever they choose, in
response.
Parents who go on this picnic adventure with their young charges will
appreciate the book’s lively interactive touches as Ellison outlines
the
process of making choices, contributing memories and experiences to
conversations, and enjoying life.
The result
is a board
book filled with interactive encouragement as well as fun—a tool adults
can
employ to encourage kids to grasp the rudiments of interactive
participation
and positive reinforcement.
The bright
art and
revealing discussions are major attractions, offering an experience the
very
young do not ordinarily receive from picture books.
Return to Index
Preach It,
Grace
Susan
Count
Hastings Creations
Group
978-1952371189
$18.99 Hardcover/$3.99 eBook
https://www.susancount.com
Preach
It, Grace
is a Christian horse
story about faith, friendship,
and how both are tested when the effort of sharing a pony goes awry.
But, this
isn’t the usual band of girls who do the sharing. It’s Grace and her
elderly
neighbor, which enhances the plot by surveying intergenerational
differences
and conflicts when Mr. Harvey suddenly sends Preacher away … and won’t
tell Grace
where and why he’s gone.
Mr. Harvey
has been
talking about Preacher’s behavior issues and handling. Grace’s efforts
to tame
Preacher and demonstrate that he is, indeed, a good horse creates an
aura of
kindness and understanding that surrounds her with faith and
well-being, but events
also introduce challenges that lead her to question her own motivations
and
heart:
“Why
wouldn’t Mr.
Harvey think about what she said? She talked to herself as she
collected the
eggs. ‘Get over it, Grace! So you didn’t get what you wanted. Were you
only helping
him because you’re selfish?’ That question niggled her heart. That
would
make me a terrible person. I help him because I want to. Because it’s
the right
thing to do. Because I love that cranky old man like my own grandpa.”
Where other
stories
about horse-crazy girls focus on horses pretty much to the exclusion of
interpersonal relationships, Susan
Count’s
focus on the evolving, changing dynamics of faith and friendship adds
value to
Grace’s horse-centric experiences and focus. It also creates
opportunities for
Christian young reader group discussions.
The insights
on
friendship, motivation, perception, and conflict resolution rest on a
series of
interactions that will not only entertain girls who love horses, but
gently
leads them to consider accompanying issues of sharing jobs, friendship,
faith,
and the interactions and contrasting perceptions of old age and youth.
All these facets make Preach It, Grace of exceptional and special interest to Christian young readers. This audience will receive all the passion and lively experiences of horses, tempered by the equal passion for God, family and friends, and growth. All these elements make Grace a realistic, compelling character who learns invaluable lessons about interacting with the world around her.
Preach It, GraceReturn to Index