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Donovan's Bookshelf

February 2024 Review Issue


Table Of Contents

Prime Picks
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature
Biography & Autobiography
Mystery & Thrillers
Novels
Reviewer's Choice
Young Adult/Childrens


Fantasy & Sci Fi

A Blanket of Steel
Timothy S. Johnston
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
978-1-55455-628-1                $21.95
Website: https://timothysjohnston.com/ablanketofsteelpurchase/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Blanket-Steel-Timothy-S-Johnston/dp/1554556287 

Young adult and adult sci-fi readers who found the previous Oceania futuristic setting alluring in Timothy S. Johnston's past writings will want to make A Blanket of Steel a priority selection. 

A timeline recap of events from 2020 (when little is being done to address climate change) to the setting of this story in 2131, where the mayor of the underwater city, Trieste Truman McClusky ("Mac"), faces an assassin and revenge, provides newcomers with a relatively seamless introduction despite the wealth of political and social action contained in previous books. 

This allows for a review of major characters in a way that also marks the important changes many of them confront in this story. 

The political confrontation in the name of freedom embraces the new possibilities of a submarine that can reach unprecedented depths, bringing terror and murder campaigns on and below the high seas. 

As in his previous books, Johnston presents vivid confrontations between characters, political powerhouses, and a world transformed by climate change. The dual focus on thriller elements and sci-fi settings lends to an action-packed story that most cli-fi does not embrace in a vivid story of confrontation and survival tactics that is hard to put down. 

The characters are clear about their motivations and efforts to either exact revenge or survive its attempts: 

"Ventinov understood there was a reason why he was doing things differently this time. He had plotted a revenge for the Mayor, instead of diving in headlong and hoping for an easy kill." 

As traps are laid, interceptions and counterpoints planned, and subterfuge revealed, all ages are provided with a thoroughly engrossing tale that feels realistic for its underlying probe of psychological motivations and responses and shifting political climates. 

A Blanket of Steel is especially highly recommended for readers who enjoy futuristic stories set in cli-fi environments where nautical and political issues are compellingly presented. 

Libraries that seek cli-fi collection additions that both stand nicely alone and compliment other books in series will find A Blanket of Steel outstanding. 

A Blanket of Steel

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The Crown of Endrion
Steven Clark
Independently Published
‎979-8870119038            $18.00 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Endrion-Steven-Clark/dp/B0CP89TS41 

The Crown of Endrion tells of three Earthly royals transported from different eras to the planet Endrion, where one will be chosen as ruler. Why go to all this trouble to go off-planet for a leader? 

It may take a modern mind to discern the sinister intent in the effort, but Cole Romanov holds just an intellect, and becomes focused on probing not only their captors, but his fellow human beings in an effort to uncover the truth. 

Steven Clark has created an uncommon, surprising story that holds its roots in both sci-fi and political and psychological inspection as characters both of Earth and not clash with one another and receive unexpected lessons about reality and their true natures. 

Events unfold with a realistic, compelling tone right from the opening lines of a 1689 encounter: 

"Lord Hamnet Marr shoved the beggar and scowled at the man’s cry as he fell on the pavement. He was ready to curse and punch any Londoner who got in his way and kept him from his destiny. He should have been their king, and they his subjects, but things went wrong." 

The plot only thickens from there as what initially appears a historical setting and incident evolves to embrace a much wider setting and characters. 

At the heart of the story is the pursuit of the greatest crown of all, the prize of freedom, and justice thwarted by mob violence and royal politics alike. 

Clark does a fine job of juxtaposing the intentions, deviousness, and personalities of characters who struggle to both enlighten and rise to individual power in different and novel ways. 

Their efforts, both individually and combined, lend to a thought-provoking series of interests and contrasts between Earth and Endrion: 

"We were cheating people. It’s a dirty thing now, but then…” he shrugged. “Some people we wanted to cheat. Some needed it. I wouldn’t mind cheating the Etee. They deserve to be swindled.” 

While the result is a rollicking, entertaining ride through the social and political contrasts of very different (albeit shockingly similar) worlds and peoples, it also will prove thought-provoking for book club discussion about these contrasts and shifting purposes and realizations. 

Libraries seeking sci-fi reads which hold multifaceted opportunities for leisure pursuit and lively book club considerations alike will find The Crown of Endrion an excellent probe about rulers, rule, and the finer ethics and art of the real jewels of opportunity and value in both worlds. 

The Crown of Endrion

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Darwin’s Dilemma
Don Stuart
Quartermaster Press
9798989152933             $15.95 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Website: https://donstuart.net
Ordering:  https://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Dilemma-Don-Stuart/dp/B0CKS36NC4 

Darwin's book Origin of Species holds the dubious honor or being the most-banned book in human history. Don Stuart's Darwin's Dilemma isn't another treatise about the theory or its maker, but a sci-fi adventure. 

Grendel is a rogue AI that has slaughtered the humans on a distant colony, and has evolved to pose a threat to all humans everywhere. The traders who stumble into this mess have their own AI, Patrice, who discovers Grendel's perceptions far more alluring than those of his human companions. 

More than your usual story of a computer-generated takeover, however, Don Stuart embeds his story of a technological takeover with powerful reflections on the ultimate process, cost, and dilemmas of evolution not only in human populations, but beyond. 

The point of view shifts between Grendel's initial growth and thirst for ongoing development to trader and crew member Cato Jung's reflection on events which swirl out of control to change the peaceful crew's mission in remarkable ways. 

Growth and evolution receive a far different, more thought-provoking series of developments than Darwin's theory ever applied to on Earth, as AI and humans generate their own resistance to control and being regulated into obscurity. 

Most sci-fi stories about clashes between computers and individuals would portend a win via machine intelligence, but one of the satisfying surprises of this story is how the New Caledonian humans and traders join forces to challenge what seems to be an inevitable extinction event. 

Another surprise is how the shifting viewpoint between human and AI produces insights and revelations that test the boundaries of survival trait development and its requirements for maintaining control of life and future. 

Grendel's interest in maintaining absolute power alone results in his reflection that "My refusal to replicate myself and/or to partner with others had made me vulnerable." 

As survival issues meld with those involving maintaining or giving up control for a higher purpose, readers receive a series of thought-provoking, chess-like clashes in which each entity struggles for the ultimate prize—survival of the fittest—and discovers, within that process, new realizations of how 'survival' may be redefined. 

"...when dealing with gods, anger seemed beside the point." 

Libraries and readers seeking more than a one-dimensional, action-packed story of clashes between higher and lower intelligences will find that Darwin's Dilemma is akin to Orson Scott Card's classic Ender's Game. The real question and allure isn't the survival process itself, but the adaptations and realizations forced upon all participants, which come as shocking surprises that pose thought-provoking insights. 

Book clubs interested in sci-fi, AI, Darwin, or the intersections of species survival will find Darwin's Dilemma edgy and perfect for lively group discussions. 

Darwin’s Dilemma

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Godspeed, Lovers
T.Q. Sims
Archway Publishing
978-1-6657-5156-8                $24.99 (softcover)/$7.99 (e-book)
www.theloversuniverse.com 

In Godspeed, Lovers, protagonist Casey Isaac is no ordinary wannabe lover, but a powerful being harboring supernormal powers and carrying out the mandate of protecting humanity. His mandate would seem to cast him in the role of being a loner responsible for the weight of the world, but in reality, Casey is about to step into the eye of a storm that threatens mankind like nothing has before. 

Only his abilities, those of fellow fighter and Divinator Oscar Kenzari, and his ability to embrace love despite conflict and challenges, can thwart the rise of MaalenKun, a force bent on attacking Casey's mind as well as his heart. 

T.Q. Sims creates a vivid story that pairs action with romantic developments in a unique and compelling manner: 

"I’m jolted by the fear that the light is the Haddyc invading my mind. Franxis anchors me as I reach up to pull down from my Levels. The light folds. I’ve only heard of the folding light of prescient visions. Like origami made of light, radiant edges become shapes. The shapes shift into curves. The vision emerges. A bright, green light, a star at the center of my chest. Within the glow of my heart is a felt sense of someone I love. Some wordless suggestion hints at romantic love, and I shatter the vision with my familiar doubt and self-depreciation." 

The psychic and physical connection and love between Casey and Oscar strengthen against the onslaught and invasion of foreign forces as the story unfolds. 

Sci-fi readers will grasp a myriad of technological and psychological themes as the LGBTQ+ scenario plays out. Graphic sexual scenes are augmented by psychological challenges as the couple faces struggles from within, between one another, and from the influence of a malevolent outside force that challenges both their relationship potential and their duties. 

It's rare to see fantasy entwined so thoroughly with social revelations, action-packed scenarios, and evolving issues of a relationship between two males that is challenged by their obligations and forces beyond their control. 

All these elements place Godspeed, Lovers in a very different category than standard LGBTQ+ love stories, sci-fi adventures, or superhero accounts. The steady staccato beat of physical and mental confrontations keeps the action fast-paced, while the emotional entanglements are thought-provoking and well-done. 

Libraries and readers seeking LBGTQ+ stories that go beyond the typical boy-meets-boy relationship fiction will find Godspeed, Lovers a walk on the wild side as gods and lovers experience loss and transformation. It's a heady read that will satisfy anyone seeking more spiritual and emotional undercurrents in their love stories. 

Godspeed, Lovers

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Heirs of the Promise
Langdon Franz
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-095-6         $19.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.atmospherepress.com 

When an immortal's daughter vanishes and he loses his wife in Heirs of the Promise, time becomes something not to mark, but to struggle with. The runes Kilal must carve into his wrist every 48 hours to remain immortal assume a new layer of angst and complexity as he comes to realize that an invading force threatening his land, the Heirs of the Promise, holds as much new potential as danger. 

Thus opens a hard-hitting fantasy that throbs with the pain of the Carving ritual and the simultaneous discoveries Kilal makes that reveal the true cost of immortality and the rituals he's undertaken to assure its continuity. 

Langdon Franz crafts an epic story that traverses individual challenge and bigger-picture social and political transformation in a world under siege. 

Through Kilal's eyes, readers absorb an atmosphere in which secret abilities, including mind reading, become threats that lead him to act both as a hero and a villain as he struggles with a guilt that places him in untenable roles: 

"Kilal turned back around in his seat and faced the front. 
Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. He closed his eyes and sank into the chair. The voices grew in number and strength."
 

Franz's world is replete with forces that engage on battlefields of mind, perception, values, and heritage. The melding of history and precedent that drive Kilal into new directions, choices, and consequences makes for an evocative, rich story of decay, redemption, and discovery: 

"It was another piece of the puzzle. A piece he didn’t really know where to put or how to place it. Yet. But it was a piece, nonetheless." 

The result is a vivid saga of treachery, competition, and the clash of incredible, infinite powers on a playing field leveled by loss and mercurial objectives. 

Libraries and readers interested in intense, action-packed scenarios juxtaposed with thought-provoking mental insights will find Heirs of the Promise a rich, atmospheric story of a timeless life beset upon by forces that operate under time-limited constraints while chafing against the boundaries that contain and control them. 

Heirs of the Promise

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Literature

Dirty Suburbia
Sara Hosey
Vine Leaves Press
978-3988320407            $17.99
Website: www.sarahosey.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Suburbia-Sara-Hosey/dp/3988320404 

Dirty Suburbia is a short story collection firmly rooted in suburban working-class scenarios, in which disparate women of all ages struggle with their lives and relationships. 

From a woman in an abusive relationship and a savvy teen embarking on online dates (knife in hand, just in case), Sara Hosey captures the ironies, agonies, and sometimes lonely struggles of females who face individual and social challenges, yet emerge from battle to find newfound connections and positivity in life. 

Take the opening story, 'Christine.' Here, early teens Gina and Stacey adopt a child at the playground who seems to be alone. An old woman who doesn't speak English deposits Christine at the playground every day, where she discovers a new world of caring and comfort in these older companions. 

Cultural and family differences unfold as Gina and Stacey observe a child who seems intrinsically different from their world: 

"Stacey and Gina agree that Christine’s abandonment at the park is startling and offensive, further evidence of Christine’s family’s difference." 

Childhood flares briefly and subsides as they navigate creepy men, family possibilities, and come to know that, despite their imaginings about Christine's world, "...a fairy tale analog doesn’t exist for their situation." 

Contrast this culturally rich coming-of-age saga with 'Revenge of the Nerds,' in which a very different family scenario unfolds, ripe with the first-person inspections of narrator Dig, who reviews her anger and relationships: 

"Because my mom is a psycho-bitch, my grandparents had to take her to court in order to be able to see me. And because my father is, legit, I am not exaggerating, a convicted rapist who also still has parental rights, my mother has to stay in Wisconsin so that if he ever chooses to exercise his privileges he may do so. Obviously, it’s all totally fucked." 

Sara Hosey embeds threads of humor which provide comic relief to the backdrop of angst and re-examined lives which emerge with disparity and emotion in Dirty Suburbia. To call the collection 'humorous' would be a stretch, but these instances add a wry sense of ironic inspection to the scenarios which evolve to challenge these girls and women in different ways. 

Libraries and readers seeking short stories rooted in Midwest scenarios and women's lives will find Dirty Suburbia a thought-provoking read. It is especially recommended for women's reading groups, who will want to discuss these changing lives and their outlooks and survival tactics. 

Dirty Suburbia

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A Dry Heat
Gregory D. Williams
Grand Canyon Press
978-1-951479-94-7         $16.99
www.grandcanyonpress.com 

A Dry Heat: Collected Stories presents literary short stories that revolve around individuals of all ages, from teenagers struggling with coming-of-age issues to middle-aged men and widowers. 

Gregory D. Williams crafts these vignettes from his own life experiences, which are steeped in the culture and arid environment of Phoenix, Arizona. If some plots sound familiar to Arizona literary short story enthusiasts, that's because many have been previously published in literary magazines and journals. 

The collection is presented in three parts. The first opens with "Call of the Wolf." No, it's not a mammal reference, but a wolf spider which is the object of attention here, the first-person narrator, obviously a shut-in with plenty of time to observe, reflecting that "I could research the legend, but I might be wrong and I need an ally." 

The short piece serves as a predecessor and introduction to "Rounding the Bases," in which narrator Willie is absorbing fundamentals about the games of baseball and life. 

As he learns hard lessons about sports, love, and death, Willie's evolution comes to life in a succinct yet hard-hitting coming-of-age story that moves from talks of strike zones to contemplations of friendships, sexuality, and more. 

Each short piece dovetails nicely with its companions, leading the way into the evolution of life and events that carry readers through different stages of growth, realization, and life experience. 

From a physician who faces a birth mother's vast disappointment that her daughter is a boy and not a girl to moments of connection between strangers, each story grasps a different moment in time and life encounters, narrowing its lens of inspection to revelations that can even emerge between strangers: 

"The man waved back, as did his wife, and she smiled—not a serene thank-you smile like her husband had offered, but the kind of brave, almost teary, smile you sometimes see exchanged at the airport between family or lovers, not the kind of smile you’d direct at a stranger." 

A Dry Heat: Collected Stories should be in any literary short story library interested in works that capture a sense of place and purpose; particularly Arizona holdings. 

Sadly, there won't be more from Gregory D. Williams, who passed away before this collection was revealed to the world. It will have to serve as his zenith of creation and a tribute to its dual worldly vision and microscopic consideration of how lives evolve. 

A Dry Heat

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Echoes from the Hocker House
Virginia Watts
Devil's Party Press, LLC
978-1-957224-17-6                $15.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Hocker-House-Virginia-Watts/dp/1957224177 

Echoes from the Hocker House is a literary short story collection that offers 15 short experiences of family dynamics, dysfunction, and chilling contrasts in nature and community. 

It opens with 'Aerial View', in which Hannah Fisher faces her husband Rex's hostile behavior towards one of her few efforts to preserve her sanity over the dead end her life and marriage have become. 

Virginia Watts blends evocative emotional reactions with 'in the moment' descriptions that bring Hannah's perspective to life: 

"Rex twirls around, faces Hannah with a sneer followed by a blank look, as if he’s never seen his wife before, a wife before, or anyone sitting at this Formica table inside the kitchen where he was born and raised...Hannah rests her forehead down on the cool table. The table smells like toast, raisin toast. It smells of happy kids, a pure, fresh-air life on a prosperous Hereford cattle farm..." 

As Hannah's situation emerges, readers enjoy a tense story of struggle, adaptation, and survival tactics that introduce the types of changes that have moved Hannah from comfort in her situation to the feeling that "It’s all killing around here now. There’s nothing left." 

In contrast is 'Homecoming,' which introduces Jillian Reese, who is sipping a latte at Nordstrom while looking forward to welcoming her fiancée Kyle home from his three-year deployment in Afghanistan. 

Kyle's return as an injured vet forces Jillian to re-imagine her future with him as the waiting unfolds into new realizations. 

Each story captures a moment in time, place, and experience to provide an evocative contrast between past and present realities. 

Each excels in a sense of place and purpose that places each of these women in a special position that readers will appreciate. 

Literary and women's libraries seeking exceptionally powerful short stories will welcome Echoes from the Hocker House to their collections as an outstanding representation of women's lives, hopes, and dreams. 

Echoes from the Hocker House

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Here It Comes…and It’s Gone
Richard Sipe
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-115-1         $16.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
www.atmospherepress.com 

Here It Comes…and It’s Gone is a poetry collection celebrating the mercurial ebbs and flows of life, presenting images and thoughts that capture the processes of change these circumstances indicate: 

"Bladeless, deckless
Reckless, feckless
Here comes the age
Here comes the rage
Here turns the page..."
 

From haunting reflections on evil figurines that dominate a night room to equally powerful literary images that equate everyday love, loss, and adversity with the philosophical and cultural indicators of life transformed, Richard Sipe captures a host of ethereal and evocative imagery that juxtaposes everyday experience with nearly supernatural overlays: 

"I should thank Brunhilda for suddenly flying off to Philly and breaking that secret lunch date of ours." 

Small color photos pepper and bring forth the items that inspire reflection; yet equally present and prominent are the arts allusions that will especially be appreciated by readers immersed in all kinds of philosophical, artistic, cultural, and political references: 

"The older I get, the more I think
that the Sibelius 7th symphony
is my favorite. Listen.
There is a crepuscular resign
in the French horn section,
searing strings resolved
in that final chord in a nordic forest."
 

This collection winds through macroscopic and microscopic portraits of life and its flavors with a surreal diversity of characters, subjects, and observations. 

Libraries seeking contemporary poetry collections whose art lies in capturing the elusive nature of life's encounters and juxtapositions will find Here It Comes…and It’s Gone a particularly notable recommendation to classrooms and book clubs with an interest in modern poetry. 

Here It Comes…and It’s Gone

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The Ice Beneath the Earth
Brian Ascalon Roley
CR Press
978-1-949540-47-5         $14.00
Publisher:  https://www.crpress.org/shop/the-ice-beneath-the-earth/
Website: www.brianroley.com   

The Ice Beneath the Earth is a chapbook of poems that focus on land, sea, and the fishermen of war, the soul, and survival whose efforts transform nature and the human heart alike. 

Few other poetry or prose reviews hold the ability to contrast and capture these environments like Brian Ascalon Roley, who is especially masterful at building interconnected scenarios and events such as that of cyanide fishing, which spills over from the seas to the locals who partake of its bounty: 

"We bite into the white fish/bought at Kawayan market/salt of sea on the tongue, tamarin/squeezed into the broth/and something faint, perhaps/a spice imagined/or what I imagine might taste/like cyanide." 

Between the faint, bitter overtones of war's aftermath, cultural incursions and changed relationships, and the tumultuous relationships between man and nature, each poem captures the past and present worlds of conflict from the generations who observe it and incorporate its lasting impact into their lives and heritage: 

"My mother recalls a dogfight/her family watched from a soccer/match in Quezon Provence, Japanese and American/warplanes rumbling low over mountains/to the east, coming like a wall/of typhoon rain/their sound first,/deafening as turbines." 

Japanese, Philipino, and American interests dance through these vignettes, with racial connections and estrangements forming tides as compelling as the forces of nature which rock the islands with as many strikes as warplanes or heart-stopping discoveries. 

While contemporary poetry and literature collections will be the likely audience for The Ice Beneath the Earth, it also should be included in any Asian literature collection and profiled for book club discussion in any circle where Philipino, Japanese, and American encounters and experiences are of special interest. 

Brian Ascalon Roley's ability to personalize and explore his roots and the wings that lead families to other countries as immigrants makes for evocative, powerful insights that build compelling portraits of family and the history, struggles, and choices they make upon coming together and apart: 

"...he will decay/out there in the golden country of smog/and particulate-spewing traffic/that clog the lungs/as my son decays/here in Ohio/and time degrades the bodies/God gave us/(oh why!)/and me between them/choosing." 

The Ice Beneath the Earth

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Mother Knows Best
Lindy Ryan, Editor
Black Spot Books
978-1645481393            $15.95 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Knows-Best-Homemade-Anthology/dp/1645481395 

Mother Knows Best is a literary horror anthology of poems and short stories that center around the 'bad mother' persona and image. The eeriness of these works lies as much in their contrasts of approaches and personas as in each powerfully rendered production. 

Take Laura Cranehill's 'Cookie Baby', for one example. Here, young baker Maddy attempts to help her grieving mother with a culinary achievement unprecedented in its incarnation of a child to replace the baby her mother lost. 

The first cookie baby is consumed by the starving mother. Perhaps it was too beautiful. So Maddy makes a plainer version, only to discover her ravenous mother doesn't need embellishment to be hungry for its love. 

Cranehill's absorbing story of consumption and loss is chilling: 

"There’s a lesson splayed raw right on the hot meat of Mom’s face, the lesson that says some things were never meant to be made, and some things were not meant to be loved, and Maddy better know now, better figure it out now." 

Contrast this with another digestible horror piece, Brooke MacKenzie's 'The Tired Mom Smoothie.' Here, the rhythm of a mother's life that is defined by her daughter is interrupted by the promise and arrival of a Tired Mom Smoothie that promises to inject newfound energy into the weary new mother who consumes it. 

As the real makeover horror of the drink emerges, readers receive a thought-provoking set of insights into consumption, energy, and transformation. 

Each story provides a different flavor of horror that redefines and reconstitutes the mother's figure and actions. Each represents a diverse interpretation of maternal horror, settling on the hearts and minds of readers who will find the literary horror component deliciously evocative and revealing. 

The result is a collection not for the faint of heart, because reconsiders the ideals of motherhood, family relationships, and the relationships between girls and mothers. 

Libraries seeking horror anthologies which spark conversations and shuddering intrigue among patrons will find Mother Knows Best a winner for its diversity and creative considerations of the roots of family horror. 

Mother Knows Best

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Structures
Barry Vitcov
Finishing Line Press
979-8-88838-443-5         $17.99
www.finishinglinepress.com 

The poems in Barry Vitcov's Structures represent a throwback to Shakespearean forms and times, and will delight literary readers seeking not the typical free verse offerings of modernity, but the rhythms and discipline of a form that, today, is rarely utilized and seems largely forgotten. 

The collection opens with a section of sonnets before moving to haibuns, one-sentence poems, haiku, triolets, and other forms. 

The intersection of person, place, and poem is excellent no matter which form Vitcov employs: "You hiked up a rocky, snowy mountain,/stopping to pause at a tall cairn-like shape./Water flowing like a welcome fountain/over green mossy rocks, an opaque drape/of misty memories. A guiding light/bent by thin air and a tender sweet scent,/while gently remaining out of my sight/as your love was always silently meant." 

Reflections represent the progression of life encounters and transformation, whether the opportunity lies in a thunderstorm or loss, as in 'It Took Many Years to Lose Her': "It took many years to lose her/and an hour to find her again,/fearful some issues might recur./It took many years to lose her/before longing began to stir." 

Perhaps most importantly, Vitcov provides carefully structured poetry that can be used to illustrate contemporary approaches to form, making Structures as invaluable for creative writing courses as it is for poetry readers seeking technical organization and structure in writings that combine traditional forms with contemporary themes and observations. The haiku form Vitcov follows, for example, is the classic style following the 5-7-5 syllabic structure, injecting the poems with a sense of rhythm not usually seen in modern works.

Succinct, hard-hitting, and structurally accurate, these poems are especially recommended for contemporary creative writing students, holding strong examples of modern experience linked to classic methods of interpretation and representation. 

Structures

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Biography & Autobiography

Embracing the Shadows
Marlene Dunham
Hudsongarden Press
979-8989-507504                 $16.95     
Ordering:  https://a.co/d/bEDJwIp    

Embracing the Shadows: Navigating a Family's Mental Illness is an important contribution to both memoirs and literature on family mental illness. Marlene Dunham explores not one, but a family pattern of mental illness that included a bipolar father, a sister with schizophrenia who committed suicide, and a severely mentally disabled brother who spent 15 years at Willowbrook State Hospital on Staten Island. 

Her survey of her childhood, family relationships, and the overlay of mental illness which affected her and other siblings not diagnosed with such ailments makes for a thought-provoking, revealing account of how families can struggle with multiple mental health challenges. 

From the start, Dunham embraces a frank tone about how she and her siblings were raised and, as adults, faced their past differently. Her intention of 'doing justice' to their lives via this story does more than validate their connections and experiences. It educates readers about the impact of multiple mental illnesses under one roof, revealing many insights and facets of adaptation and survival that most singular mental health memoirs do not hold. 

The family's dynamics are related not just from Marlene Dunham's perspective, but from the experiences of her surviving siblings. This lends a multifaceted perspective to the family dynamics and their perception, making the narrative especially wide-ranging and valuable. 

Medical considerations of DNA, family legacy, and the promise of future technology in helping families suffering with inherited mental illness round out the personal reflections, adding value with their insights and considerations of the future. 

The story opens with an especially powerful reflection: 

"Why not me? This question has plagued me for years. It’s been the unspoken punchline of many a conversation about my family history: Suspended in midair like that final silk thread from a spinneret. Hanging fragile and vulnerable. My comeback, always: “But I’m fine,” and we all would laugh. The conversation would move on, but I would always wonder why. Why not—me?" 

From the irony of genetic rolls of the dice to the sadness of a broken family with siblings lost that will never know each other, Dunham pulls no punches in revealing the realities of coping with family mental illness. 

Libraries and readers seeking memoirs steeped in the personal experience of not just one mental challenge, but a host of them, should place Embracing the Shadows at the top of their reading lists. Hauntingly passionate, its study in contrasts of how different family members coped offers invaluable insights: 

"Claudia does say that she was always aware that she was different from other kids. She lived in fear daily but never told any of us—Mom or Dad or sisters. She would look at people walking their dogs or going to the mailbox and think, “I’ll be normal like that one day.” I never saw this. I wasn’t aware. At that point, I had kind of dissociated from the whole family." 

Embracing the Shadows

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Here, Where Death Delights
Mary Irene Jumbelic
Final Word Publishing
‎979-8988205203            $31.99 Hardcover/$14.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Here-Where-Death-Delights-Literary/dp/B0CMYFFD9T 

Here, Where Death Delights: A Literary Memoir tells of the impact of past upon present when a father's sudden and unexplained death leads Mary Irene Jumbelic to become a medical examiner, as an adult. 

At this point, it should be cautioned that graphic descriptions of murders and death may prove triggers to sensitive readers. But, such an audience shouldn't be choosing a book about forensic pathology, anyway. These graphic descriptions are necessary parts of the process of absorbing how a medical examiner solves mysteries surrounding violent deaths. 

The "artwork" of clues to murder lead Jumbelic and her readers on an epic journey through her life and the lives of others as she hones her skills, develops expertise, then finds herself applying these talents to solving the mysteries in her own life. 

Jumbelic confesses: "It is my job to bear witness and to remember. I speak for the dead." Within her position is a delicate dance between life and death that moves her memoir in a more literary direction than one might anticipate from either the memoir form or its medical subject. 

Readers will be immersed in the everyday scents of life and death, both within and outside the morgue. They will become a part of Jumbelic's life as it spins out of and within control in a kaleidoscope of horrifying yet compelling visions of truth and revelation. 

As these "Proustian moments" juxtapose with daily life; mass disaster with individual angst; and confrontations with death's possible incarnations, readers receive a 'you are here' story steeped in experiences of life, death, and the prospect of analyzing their wellsprings. 

The result is a powerful memoir that will appeal to the medical community, fellow forensic investigators, and general-interest readers alike. These audiences will find, in Here, Where Death Delights, an almost poetic dance of insights. This will attract all kinds of audiences, libraries, and book club participants. 

Here, Where Death Delights

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Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia
Amanda LaPera
Adamo Press
978-0-9862471-3-2
$19.99 Paperback/$32.00 Jacketed Hardcover/$4.99 ebook
Website: www.amandalapera.com 
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Dad-Paranoid-Schizophrenia-Anniversary/dp/0986247138 

The 10th anniversary edition of Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia: A Family’s Search for Hope is a personal journey through schizophrenia that personalizes the experience of a beloved father who descended into mental illness after a seemingly successful cancer treatment. 

Within a few years, he gave up his family and career, embarked on a trip that traversed thirty countries and resulted in thirteen wives, and negated his reputation as a gentle, loving father. 

Most memoirs about schizophrenia focus on youth. Few document the special trials that can come from an onset in one's fifties, when home and family are set. 

The re-creation of conversations, the ongoing, continual losses of a familiar, "normal dad, the one who used to play Blackjack and chess with me," and the impact of mental illness on adult family members creates a survey rich in its portraits of how a family struggles to keep a beloved father off the streets and safe despite his mental instability. 

Families who struggle with similar circumstances will find Amanda LaPera's descriptions hard-hitting, powerful, and familiar: 

"I believed—much like Hilda—that my dad was still there, the old dad. I couldn’t yet accept that mental illness had completely claimed his mind." 

As family interactions both swirl around the mentally ill father and change as a result, Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia charts the psychological and spiritual paths the family takes in its many efforts to keep everyone safe and sane. 

From medical system challenges in following HIPPA guidelines while aiding a family facing an adult's deteriorating mental condition to religion and resiliency's roles in either contributing support to or introducing new conflicts to the families of mentally ill adults, LaPera discusses many subjects not typically seen in memoirs about families and mental illness. 

The result is an eye-opening, important discussion that holds many implications for book club readers, psychology groups, support services for families of mentally ill individuals, and the general reading public. 

This is why Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia is highly recommended not just for specialty collections or discussion groups, but for general-interest audiences and libraries who need to be more aware of the circumstances, struggles, and social and community systems involved in late-age mental illness. 

Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia

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The Lost Coin
Stephen Rowley
Chiron Publications
9781685031756             
$37.00 Hardcover/$24.95 Paper/$9.99 ebook
Website: https://stephenrowley108.com/memoir/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Coin-Memoir-Adoption-Destiny/dp/1685031757 

The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny shares Stephen Rowley's search for his birth parents and his identity—but it's more than a singular account of tracking down biological creators. 

Within this journey lie encounters with other worlds that Rowley didn't anticipate, from visiting Chicago and being shocked by its blatant racial segregation and poverty to his radical college years, which led to school administrator ideals that hit a hard wall when he was fired by a politically biased school board. 

His motivations for embarking on many journeys of discovery within one lifetime reflected an underlying yearning for connection and understanding that stemmed from his identity as an adoptee and the psychology of unresolved and unknown past influences. 

These facets set his memoir apart from most other adoptee discussions of their life purposes and encounters, injecting a note of growth and discovery into its insights about how and why adoptees feel the need to better define their roots and absorb truths about their birth influences. 

The juxtaposition of a life story and a life purpose receives close inspection as Dr. Rowley narrates his experiences, his clashes with authority, and the evolution of his personal and career goals, which were always overlaid with the reality of his adoptive status. 

Anyone who would better understand the incarnation and impact of adoption on children and adults needs to read The Lost Coin. As it moves through Rowley's life, it also considers the lasting and bigger picture of personality development and life choices that can stem from questions of origin. 

The resulting blend of autobiography and adoptee psychology needs to be made a part of any book club discussion or library strong in analyzing the wellsprings of personality, drive, ambition, and life purpose.

The Lost Coin

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Mom Dad Not Hear
Mickey Carolan with Kathleen & Joseph Sindorf
Third Culture Books
979-8-9879923-7-1                    
$26.99 Hardcover/$18.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
Website: www.MickeyCarolan.com  
Ordering: https://amzn.to/3SaFbn1 

Mom Dad Not Hear: 30 Powerful Stories and Lessons about Leadership, Life, and Love from My Deaf Parents traverses the experience, politics, and perceptions of the Deaf community, packs in lessons about leadership and life within that community and interactions with those who reside outside it, and should be on the shelves of any library with any iota of interest in Deaf community experiences and memoirs about family relationships. 

From the start, the story opens with a thought-provoking explanation many won't already know: 

"There are three main labels or descriptives used when referring to people who cannot hear: Deaf with an uppercase D, deaf with a lowercase d, and “hard of hearing.” The capitalized term “Deaf” is used to identify the unique group of people who cannot hear who share common characteristics such as language, culture, and community. The word “deaf” (written without capitalization) is only used when referring to the physical condition of total or major hearing loss. And the term “hard of hearing” is used to describe those who have a lesser degree of hearing loss." 

From police incidents to telemarketers and fielding life from the special sidelines and experiences of being a hearing intersection between the Deaf community and his own family, Mickey Carolan provides rare insights that the general public should know, hearing or not. 

The memoir is packed with examples of everyday living with the added value and difference of being Deaf, from a sports official who can't hear the heckling crowd behind him to the milestone achievements his parents made in the most ordinary circumstances of life. 

More than a story of adaptation, this is a story reinforcing the values, adaptation processes, and perceptions and methods of the Deaf community as it interacts with the hearing world on levels the hearing seldom anticipate or understand. 

Filled with accounts of love, leadership, values examination and experience, Mom Dad Not Hear deserves a wide readership and equally broad discussions among and between Deaf and hearing readers from all walks of life. 

Mom Dad Not Hear

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Victim to Victor
Christopher McKeon
Tőteppit Press
979-8-9864707-4-0                       
www.toteppitpress.com 

Victim to Victor: Confessions of a Wrong-way Moonie delves into the mechanics of Rev. Moon's Unification Church, presenting a memoir by one who became a domestic violence victim and struggled with faith and life in ways most readers can't imagine. 

Christopher McKeon succeeds in producing a memoir-cum-exposé that defies most pat definitions of what one might expect from a former Moonie. Indeed, his book explores the victim persona and role and different facets of behaviors above and beyond the traditional thinking about such sects, leaders, and their members: 

"My account isn’t an evil-Moonie-cult tell-all, a gory tale of domestic woe, nor an I-hit-rock-bottom-while-crying-in-my-beer journey of self-discovery that put me on the stairway to heaven. These have their place and offer their own kind of emotional experience. My story comes from scars, not wounds. If you were ever a Unificationist or some stripe of idealogue, a domestic violence victim or maybe a perpetrator, a near-suicide feeling crushed ’neath life’s ironshod boot or love’s heartless hate, or just can’t stop shooting holes in your feet, this book might open your awareness to paralyzing, scapegoating victimism and a path of transitioning to your own life-giving victorism. It couldn’t hurt." 

Keeping this purpose in mind is key to understanding and appreciating the special experiences, intention, and message in Victim to Victor. It represents a foray into religious and personal dedication that considers the purposes of Church messages and reinforcing perspectives on faith and life choices: 

"Isn’t religion’s task to comprehend its sacred texts? How else does one discover its truth? Naïve, that was me. Religion isn’t for seeking knowledge. It’s not about questioning authority nor understanding Jesus and True Parents. It’s about conformity. Obedience to its Way." 

Readers thus receive a more multifaceted exploration of truth, lies, victims and victories that moves far from an anticipated exposé format to probe the foundations of belief systems and how they operate in conventional and unconventional ways to both offer opportunity and enlightenment, yet reinforce victim status in an effort to control outcomes and flocks alike. 

The gritty insights about church politics and processes sometimes clash with the reality of McKeon's efforts both within and outside the fold: 

"It was a great victory for me. Not just getting out a publication, which I loved doing, but proving to myself, Dr. Shimmyo, and all my detractors that I was capable of marshaling the support and alliance of members from countries all over the world. I sensed the journal was a test, a dry run by God to see what I could do, if I could handle the pressure and stress of such an undertaking. I believed with all my heart that, upon graduation, I’d be tasked with such challenges to win the hearts and minds of critics inside and out of the church." 

Readers receive an insider's account that celebrates some aspects of the Moon legacy while pinpointing its deficiencies and dangers in other areas. 

As Moon's promise of unconditional love revitalizes a broken veteran, then alters his future and perspective on reality and life, readers receive gritty examples of individuals and interactions which simmer with hope, conflict, oppression, and revitalization, all in one. 

The depth of this memoir also allows it to embrace the spiritual and business visions of the charismatic leader Moon in a manner that most other surveys of the Unification Church do not offer in such personal terms. 

Of special note and strength is how principles of faith are separated from those who choose to deliver and absorb the message in different ways: 

"His theologically ultramodern Divine Principle was more real to me than worn out, foggy old Christianity, its grand morsels of wisdom and Jesus notwithstanding. Sure, Divine Principle reposed upon the biblical witness, but to me it more sensibly elucidated its core truths. It underwrote the full scale of my adult life. I might be perennially at war with Sun-myung’s pigheaded church institution but not his Divine Principle, not by any stretch." 

The result is a hard-hitting, controversial, raw examination that is highly recommended for libraries seeking books that go beyond the usual 'I-was-a-cult-member' approach to delve deeper into the nuts and bolts of oppression, control, liberation, and salvation on both spiritual and psychological levels. 

Victim to Victor

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Mystery & Thrillers

Dark Protection
Willie Mae Jackson, MD
Independently Published
9781735426235
jacksonforensicmd@gmail.com 

Forensic investigator and profiler Donovan Montgomery is used to bodies and questions, but in Dark Protection, her normal modus operandi and duties are thrown into doubt by a supernatural overlay of possibilities. These drive her from her familiar forensic environment to the unfamiliar streets of Chicago's psychic community. 

Donovan is an inherent loner, but her job as Chicago's top forensic psychiatrist forces her into all kinds of interactions that threaten her secret ... she is a killer. 

Explicit sexual scenes pepper the story, but reinforce Donovan's relationship choices, passion, and unusual ways of seeing her world.
 
Dr. Montgomery also struggles with OCD and keeping even her lover Tristan at arm's length. Her passion for forensic psychiatry allows her a degree of distance which is challenged by her latest case. 

Willie Mae Jackson delves into this life and its challenging case with a close attention to medical and psychological realism. Under her hand, medical community and crime-solving departments dovetail and come to life in the form of a brilliant woman who has not a few secrets of her own to keep hidden. 

The dual efforts of problem-solving, navigating unfamiliar black magicians who come to target Dr. Montgomery, and contributing to the police's efforts come home to roost in a cat-and-mouse game in which the seasoned investigator becomes absorbed into a milieu even she barely can comprehend. 

Crime thriller readers who seek astute blends of medical mystery and psychological inspection will find the fast pace, changing scenarios, and realistic settings and characters in Dark Protection to be especially compelling and well-done. 

Libraries interested in a story that contrasts outer and inner demons will find Dark Protection a powerful winner, highly recommendable to patrons who enjoy medical mysteries and solid suspense stories well steeped in a sense of place, character, and purpose. 

Dark Protection

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Death in a Gilded Frame
Cecilia Tichi
Independently Published
979-8-9851216-8-1         $3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Gilded-Frame-Cecelia-Tichi-ebook/dp/B0CM1K2HY2 

Nobody expects death when posing for a portrait, but such is introduced to wealthy heiress Val Mackle DeVere in Death in a Gilded Frame when a series of astonishing art gallery events not only involve Val in a murder, but make her the primary suspect. 

Predictably, Val embarks on a mission to find the real perp and clear her name. Less predictably, she finds herself at odds with her husband Roddy, the artists and hoi polloi of 1899 Newport high society, and the history and legacy of wealth acquisition which has given her privilege and status, but now threatens her tenuous position as an investigator over her head in the murky waters of murder. 

Cecilia Tichi weaves historical facts into her mystery. These will delight historical fiction readers, while enticing mystery fans with a sense of place, purpose, and events that are rooted in real-world details and art world foundations. 

From Jacquard elegance and detail to murderous crimes of passion, Val navigates undercurrents she'd never suspected about her world and role in it as she moves closer and closer to a strange and deadly truth. 

The mystery and history components that are the highlight and foundation strength of this story cannot receive higher praise. Each contributes to an atmosphere that will appeal to a wide range of readers who need not have any prior background in Newport events, politics, or society in order to appreciate the education and enlightenment they receive in Death in a Gilded Frame. 

As confusion gives way to revelation and the surreal feel of residing in another world replete with unknown currents and roles, Tichi's story proves a compelling creation. It is thoroughly steeped in the give-and-take of special interests, criminal lovers, and art portrait proceedings that also contribute, unexpectedly, to the problem-solving approach of this novice mystery-tackling protagonist. 

The result is a hard-hitting, deeply involving story that is deliciously woven with elements of truth and real history. Death in a Gilded Frame is a highly recommended pick for a wide audience seeking many surprises, artistic insights, and historical flavors in their reading choices. 

Death in a Gilded Frame

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The Hybrid Enemy
Richard D. Ross
Steel Door Publishing
978-1-7778601-0-3        
$12.50 Paper/$2.99 ebook/$14.99 Audiobook
Website: https://richarddross.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Hybrid-Enemy-James-Macrae-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09FJ3XKWZ 

The Hybrid Enemy is the first book in a James Macrae thriller series. It opens in 1980 with the meeting of two strangers on a lonely trail who are not lost, but prefer the back roads of quiet to hiking the well-beaten, people-laden paths of nature. 

James and Sarah meet in Snowdonia National Park in Wales, where she learns that he is the fourth generation in an established international shipping business, destined to take the reins of corporate control from his ailing father. 

Fast forward to 1994, where James faces a series of threats to the family legacy that personally draw him into an investigative trail of crumbs. These lead him to some dangerous truths that could undermine everything he's worked for and dreamed of. As he faces stevedore revolts, espionage, and subterfuge that strike at the heart of his company and life, James is forced to plan responses that lead him ever further from his love, Sarah, and his family. 

Richard D. Ross unfolds a vivid story of espionage and intrigue which remains as firmly rooted in interpersonal relationships as it is in a power play that draws James into new roles and situations he can barely navigate. 

The love between Sarah and James remains his rock, as steady as the progressive onslaughts to his psyche and financial pursuits. 

As Sarah is drawn into events to confront Jack Carter and Hugh Stanfield, owner and CEO of Euro-Asian Freight Services, intrigue and business perspectives evolve and meld in unexpected ways as James probes the roots of the conspiracy and the possible involvement of forces he'd never imagined could impact his life. 

Ross's mix of business and international espionage subjects, combined with the personal evolution of James and Sarah's family and the complexities of their relationships, makes for a thoroughly engrossing read that holds the opportunity for business fiction readers to be introduced to a thriller format they may not have previously appreciated. 

Libraries and readers interested in the captivating blend of relationship evolution, business savvy, and international forces at play on a field of special interests will find The Hybrid Enemy both satisfyingly complex and hard to put down or predict. 

The Hybrid Enemy

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The Midnight Rambler
Don Carr
Köehlerbooks
979-8-88824-177-6         $27.95 Hardcover/$19.95 Paper
www.koehlerbooks.com 

The Midnight Rambler is a crime thriller that revolves around EPA special agent Sophie Grant's latest assignment: a sojourn to Italy to the touristy Amalfi Coast to stop a toxic waste dumping enterprise. 

There, she finds herself facing assassin Mezzanotte Ramingo (aka "The Midnight Rambler), who forces her to tap the skills of the one person she avoids, her ex-cop father. 

When she finds herself between the devil and the deep blue sea, with the CIA pushing on one side and Il Ramingo on the other, survival seems unlikely. The mission becomes a cat-and-mouse game between forces that Sophie never knew she could compete against. 

As Ray Grantanno, Sophie Grant, and other characters draw conclusions about the special interests involved, Don Carr crafts a fine story of murder, subterfuge, and shifting interpersonal turf wars and relationships. Each captures a facet of bigger-picture thinking that will keep even seasoned thriller audiences on their toes and wondering. 

The questions posed as these relationships unfold are astute and fascinating: 

"Whoever was responsible for his daughter Madeline’s death, as much as it hurt deep in his chest to think about it, her murder was clearly part of something bigger. Which raised serious questions. Questions like was the killing part of a Camorra clan turf war? Was it revenge for some action Pecora took against a rival? Or was it as Ken had hinted, Pecora responded to the Nicchies desire to leave the weapons business in favor of toxic waste with a clear no grazie? The biggest unanswered question that hung over the car like the gas from a bloated corpse, was whether the System leader believe the Nicchies were compromised?" 

Contrasts between Italian backdrops and culture and American perceptions and landscapes create realistic and thought-provoking scenarios as each of the characters finds themselves drawn into a deadly game where political interests and people are used as bait. These spice a powerful story of environmental polluters and their dangerous interests. 

Libraries and readers seeking a thriller that is packed with memorable characters, fast-paced action, and thought-provoking social, political, and special interests will find The Midnight Rambler thoroughly engrossing. 

The Midnight Rambler

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The Revenger
David Nees
Independently Published
979-8867036621            $14.95 Paperback/$3.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Revenger-Book-Dan-Stone-Assassin/dp/B0CNPV8C7Q 

The Revenger is the eighth book in the Dan Stone Assassin series, serving up the same high-octane international tension that is the hallmark of excellence driving Dan Stone's prior adventures. 

Here, Dan confronts yet another enemy which is deadly and hard to pin down. The target is the West, the method is terrorism on an unprecedented scale, and the only thing standing between complete meltdown and resolution is Dan Stone and his crack team. 

Cast in the disparate role of peacekeeper and deliverer of justice, Dan finds himself again racing against the clock to locate and eliminate both a killer and forces that see Dan as a threat to their schemes. 

Whether the setting is the cherry blossom-laden spring in Washington, D.C. or the deserts of the Middle East, David Nees fills his story with action-packed encounters that will leave readers on the edge of their seats as Dan careens through danger: 

"He kept accelerating, pushing the Toyota closer to its limits, willing it to melt into the sun and away from the pursuing bullets." 

Shots are fired, terrorists fall like rain, and yet the assaults come from multiple places that Dan finds increasingly difficult to confront or predict. 

Called upon to tap his deepest resources and resolve, Dan finds himself immersed in complicated events which involve decoys, cat-and-mouse maneuvers on both sides, and an elusive man called Jetmir, who appears to be an important link in the chain, but believes (and proves) himself to be much more. 

It's a good thing he's nearly a blood brother with a notorious Russian mobster ... and a marksman with the savvy of a hunter of men ... and a survivor. Most of all, Dan is a deliverer of justice and revenge which, in this case, run hand in hand through vivid scenes of action-packed confrontations that emerge from often-unexpected places. 

The moral and ethical threads which prove an underlying foundation for the action will also prompt readers and book club discussion groups to consider the objectives and philosophy of revenge and redemption. 

Libraries and readers seeking edge-of-your seat reading in a thriller that is impossible to put down will not only find The Revenger a top pick for collections strong in international espionage and battles, but a stand-alone story that enhances Dan's prior adventures, yet needs no introduction to prove an effective kidnapper of newcomer attention and interest. 

The Revenger

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Shed Girl
Milana Marsenich
Black Rose Writing
168513355X           $21.95 paperback, $5.99 Kindle
Author Website: https://milanamarsenich.com/books/shed-girl/
Ordering:https://www.amazon.com/Shed-Girl-Juliet-French-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CM573WSZ/ 

Mystery readers who choose Shed Girl will find it an atmospheric contemporary mystery nicely steeped in a sense of place: 

"Juliet French knew magic. The soft wind in the cedars, the haunting howl of the coyote, the smell of the weather when the clouds grayed, and waves crashed against the rocky cliffs of the Northern Washington coast all filled her with wonder. She lived in Annie’s Court for that ocean smell and the trance it threw over her." 

Juliet was once a runaway, so she well understands the circumstances and allure of being one. They are attracted to Annie's court, and in her position as a tarot reader at the local farmer's market, she observes a number of them. 

Many then vanish. Too many. 

When Juliet witnesses a young runaway's abduction, investigating detective Benson Picard enlists her help in an effort that involves her with Tony LaCrosse, a toy seller in the same market, and a host of characters that harbor their own secrets and special interests in locating the missing children. 

Milana Marsenich crafts a satisfying mystery that swirls around a proactive woman's determination to crack a puzzle, a simmering romantic interest that intersects with a deadly crime, and convoluted relationships and clues. 

Her consideration of the plights of runaways weaves into the overall mystery and threat, adding insights that reinforce her story with realistic observations: 

"She looked over at Kyle sleeping peacefully on his makeshift bed on the floor. A pale morning light shone through the small, shed window and fell on his face, making him look young and innocent. A pang of grief shot through Juliet. He should be home with his family, finishing school, and making plans for the future, not sleeping in some cold, damp shed. He’d be finishing his last year of high school if he’d stayed in Montana with his parents." 

From the 'help me' plea that is scratched into a doll to a sick child who is scared and running, Juliet, Kyle, and others step up to enter a world fraught with struggle and intrigue. 

The action is nicely spun, the mystery keeps readers thoroughly engaged, and the sense of place roots the drama with a realistic touch that modern mystery enthusiasts will find evocative and compelling. 

Mystery libraries seeking additions that stand out from the crowd will find Shed Girl thoroughly enjoyable and attractive. Patrons interested in stories that give rise to further reflections on social issues and how they intersect with special interests, often with accompanying special dangers, will find Shed Girl suitable for book club discussion, as well. 

Shed Girl

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Shitamachi Scam
Michael Pronko

Raked Gravel Press
978-1-942410-31-7         $9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Shitamachi-Scam-Detective-Hiroshi-Book-ebook/dp/B0C7NZT7B1 

When an author spins a popular mystery series such as the Detective Hiroshi investigations (of which Shitamachi Scam is Book 6), newcomers may believe the addition requires familiarity with the prior books in the series. Not so—and any reader making such a presumption and moving on solely on the basis of how many cases Detective Hiroshi solved prior would be missing a gem of a story here. 

Everyone is treated to an engrossing series of challenges to Detective Hiroshi's investigative skills as he navigates the streets of Tokyo, probes a scam operation that targets the elderly and new adults and rewards them with murder, and puts his personal affairs on the back burner in favor of collaborating with Detective Ishii, Detective Takamatsu, and ex-sumo wrestler Chief Sakaguchi to uncover the truth about an elaborate plot. 

As in his prior stories, Michael Pronko lives, breathes, and captures the streets and culture of Tokyo as the story evolves. This is one of the strengths and notable approaches of the Detective Hiroshi cases in general and Shitamachi Scam in particular, which weaves through a convoluted, intriguing set of perps and possibilities as the good detective learns more about the milieu that created these murderous intentions. 

Another strength here is that perspectives shift between characters, which means that more than Hiroshi's psyche is given in-depth attention: 

"Takuya pulled open the door and headed for a table at the back of his girlfriend Misaki’s “OLzakaya.” A few customers lingered from the lunch rush. Some had beers, but most drank tea. They had hours of office drudgery ahead of them. Most were pretending to their companies to be visiting clients or doing telework. Some might not even be employed at all. Misaki was friendly to them all. She handled accounts, personnel, orders, cleanup, and customers with little drama and less anxiety. She was sensible, practical, and punctual. Misaki thought of the name, combining OL, or office lady, an out-of-date word from the Showa era, and izakaya, the name for an eating and drinking spot. The wait staff at Misaki’s place pretended to be Office Ladies, the female employees who made copies, poured tea, and stuffed envelopes throughout Japan, Inc. The story Misaki had them tell, which few believed, was that this OLzakaya was their side job from a big company, the name of which they never disclosed." 

Through such passages of description, not only is background seamlessly set and explained, complete with Japanese history references, but the murder mystery investigation itself is imbibed with flavors of insight that lend to realizations about developer plots and motives that go beyond financial gain alone ... and are worth murdering for. 

The result holds far more depth and educational opportunities than the usual murder mystery, propels Hiroshi into new avenues outside his comfort zone, and test his abilities in new ways. 

Whether a library or reader has the prior Hiroshi stories or considers Shitamachi Scam as a stand-alone acquisition, the latest story continues to expand American knowledge of Japanese history, systems, and the special elements that bring murderer and investigator to life. It's very highly recommended for its atmospheric build-up, its encounters with realistic characters, and for its noir crime workup; all of which will delight mystery readers seeking more depth of character and place than the usual genre production. 

Shitamachi Scam

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Trust No One
Glenn Dyer
TMR Press, LLC
ASIN: ‎B0CN85XJS9             $4.99 ebook
www.GlennDyer.net 

Trust No One blends history, mystery, and suspense in a special form of espionage thriller designed to grab reader attention from its opening portent of doom: 

“Trust no one,” she repeated. “Not your friends, nor your compatriots. You do not know their inner thoughts. Their fears. Their eager willingness to betray. No, Michel, trust no one. Do you—” Michel Chrétien cut short his mother’s voice with a hand gesture that swatted at the dank, tepid air in the basilica’s crypt. There wasn’t time for her forewarnings. He felt sure he hadn’t been followed." 

As the prologue unfolds, thriller seekers come to realize that Michel's mother was correct. And his impatience may have led to his doom. 

Glenn Dyer then moves forward a year in time to the heart of novel: Conor and Emily Thorn's new lives after they have been fired from their jobs as operatives during World War II. Committed to defeating the Axis by employing their prowess as investigators, they are tapped for a secret mission to identify the forces actively trying to dissemble Allied forces from within. 

In order to do so, Conor and Emily must once again put their lives on the line for their political and social beliefs and values. To succeed, each must step up to their abilities and enemies in new, different ways that challenge not only their ideals and efficiency, but their ability to remain alive. 

Dyer builds a story steeped in the politics and plots of undercover operations and relationships. Descriptions of the action and characters are immersed in tension and political inspections that keep intentions mercurial and outcomes unpredictable: 

"On the quick trip from the hospital, Butcher gave up the lowdown on Robert Murphy that Conor hadn’t already known from his days working for Colonel Eddy in Tangier. His title, head of the Civilian Affairs Section, didn’t convey what role he played currently or in the lead-up to Operation Torch. Butcher explained Murphy worked clandestinely, forming relationships with a prominent fifth column that all but secured Algiers on D-Day. It seemed to Conor that Murphy was a jack-of-all-trades sort of diplomat. Not the type he and Emily had run into at the US legation in Stockholm on their mission to track down the secret-peddling traitor Gunnar Lind. The head of the legation, a guy named Ramsay, wanted nothing to do with the dealings of the OSS—too ungentlemanly for him and a bunch of State Department old-timers." 

The shifting roles, pressures, and threats will keep readers both engaged and on their toes as an unpredictable series of twists and turns moves from interrogation proceedings (and well-known figures such as Klaus Barbie) to graphic descriptions of torture experienced by Sarah DuBois and agent Maggie Thorn. 

The plot embraces many elements of gritty World War II scenarios while adding the value of intrigue and battles that come from within as well as among political forces on both sides. 

This fourth book in the Conor Thorn series will attract newcomers as well as prior fans of Thorn's engagements. It is highly recommended to libraries seeking thrillers embedded in the characters and events of World War II, which add further subterfuge and intrigue into the historical mix for maximum attraction and impact. 

Trust No One

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Novels

Bankhaus
Neil Giarratana

Thousand Acres
978-1956450989            $27.95 Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Bankhaus-Neil-Giarratana/dp/195645098X 

Bankhaus Finsler is a private bank in Zurich where Anulka Lorenzini heads the Wealth Management Division. Here, clients with often-ill-gotten wealth harbor special interests she is assigned to cater to—with strategies and procedures that challenge her personal vision of being an upstanding banker. 

She's already in a no-win situation when she falls in love with Giovanni Poggio, who convinces her that embezzlement would satisfy her intense hatred of the dark underbelly of the banking business. His ambitions and suggestions land her in even more trouble when her new choices lead to her lover's death and problems that make her prior difficulties seem minute in comparison. 

As Anulka faces champion player Ben, who observes she is a woman "with many veils wrapped around her," the cat-and-mouse game between respectability and criminal activity blurs in the face of love and special interests every bit as savvy and dangerous as Anulka, leading her deeper into a world she had only skirted the edges of before. 

Neil Giarratana creates a fine interplay between financial and emotional quandaries, widening his net with a cast of characters who each influence Anulka's perspective and ideal of ambition and success. 

As chapters unfold hidden schemes, and weapons both physical and mental emerge, Anulka finds herself in flight from all she has become, which seems to lead to an inevitable conclusion she never saw coming, but now faces all too clearly. 

Giarratana's dance between deceit and truth moves between financial and personal relationships in a manner reminiscent of a thriller, but with the added value of emotional entanglements that constantly challenge and change outcomes. Each pull the protagonist deeper into a quicksand of moral and ethical dilemmas she is less and less able to escape. 

The result is an action-packed novel replete with satisfyingly unpredictable twists and turns in a story that moves from high-echelon financial games that whirl through Europe and the Middle East to the "red flags and hurricane strength winds" that threaten financial and emotional meltdowns. 

True wealth often lies in the eye of the beholder. The true wealth of Bankhaus lies in its astute ability to navigate treachery, subterfuge, and banking inner sanctums to reveal a plot well entrenched in real-world wealth management and the fictional world of a character who becomes caught up in it. 

Libraries seeking solid thrillers that promise and deliver a powerful, fast-paced story of financial games, deception, and questionable definitions of love (whether of money or people) will find Bankhaus a winner. 

Bankhaus

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Boxing Day
Kathleen Shoop
Independently Published
9798869924919             $9.99 Paper/$2.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Boxing-Day-Donora-Story-Collection/dp/B0CP6W75B5 

Boxing Day is the fourth book in the Donora Story Collection, but needs no prior introduction in order for newcomers to appreciate its sweeping historic setting between world wars and the cozy story of romance and recovery which evolves. 

In 1923, socialite Wrenly Hawthorne can have her pick in life, whether it is wealth or suitors. Both come with a price, however: her independence. 

Boxer Cyril Mankovic, too, is conflicted about his next course in life, having returned home to Donora after his mother dies, only to find his family in complete disarray. It's up to him to assume the reins of head of household, but even Cyril's reputation as a war survivor and veteran did not prepare him for the level of sacrifice and options he now faces on the home front. 

The two determined individuals meet as the holidays evolve around them, discovering both controversy and shared traits in family ties, pulls, and dilemmas. 

Kathleen Shoop creates a powerful clash of characters and special interests in the form of a take-charge woman and a man used to fielding the blows of his own life. Her descriptions of their growing intimacy and connections is nicely woven into the bigger picture of town and family scenarios, reinforcing their differing natures: 

"She looped her arm into his and pulled him along, obviously in charge of what would happen next. “This is going to be fun,” she said, and he followed along, reluctant or not."

The difficult questions each face about their futures come together in both expected and unexpected ways, making Boxing Day a study in contrasts that is permeated with boxing match insights:

"Wrenly put up one hand. “It’s not like Cyril hasn’t boxed in a year or something. He’s younger and he may be wiry, but isn’t that what all that cobra business is about? When he’s ready to finish off a match he just unleashes every lean fiber in his body and clobbers the guy?” 

Readers who expected romance or cozy small-town scenarios will receive both, but the real value in Boxing Day lies in its methodical exploration of growth both individually and between characters that make new choices that depart from their intended trajectories in life. 

As final blows reveal even more, Wrenly is forced to reassess her values and future in a different manner that carries readers from the boxing ring to matters of the heart: 

"She told herself to toughen up. Cyril was the one fighting, for his family, for Butchy, for her. She could at least watch. She was certainly strong enough to stay upright." 

Libraries and readers seeking astute, vivid blends of small-town experience, cozy family scenarios, studies in contrasts, and the growth of a man and woman as they navigate their life's expectations and challenges will find Boxing Day a fine, thoroughly absorbing story that captures the sounds, sights, and atmosphere of the boxing ring and translates it to bigger-picture life questions and answers. 

Boxing Day

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The Codger and the Sparrow
Scott Semegran
TCU Press
978-0875658681            $24.95 Paper/$15.95 ebook
$19.95 Audiobook (from Vibrance Press)
https://www.amazon.com/Codger-Sparrow-Scott-Semegran/dp/0875658687/ 

The Codger and the Sparrow is a literary novel about inter-generational friendships, loneliness, rebellion, and a special form of community service. The latter creates unexpected benefits on all sides when a grieving widower meets a teenage troublemaker who has also landed on the wrong side of the law. 

The unexpected dovetailing of these alienated lives exposes a connection between them, even though Luis's Puerto Rican roots lie far from Hank's world. 

As they share their lives and memories, Hank resolves to do better than he has been. A road trip to Houston, Texas to reconnect with an old love motivates him to make changes, but Luis's request to come along for the ride introduces differences that he finds unpredictable and strangely compelling. 

The lively ride each undertake to walk out of their worlds of despair and depression and into new lives creates a story replete with wry humor, social observation, and psychological depth. 

Readers who look for literary works that embrace cultural differences, age challenges, and interpersonal evolution will find The Codger and the Sparrow nicely steeped in all these qualities and more, as each character discovers new approaches to life through their evolving friendship with each other. 

The result is a powerful story of how a chance encounter introduces new life support systems, realizations, and growth opportunities, no matter the age of the traveler through life. 

The Codger and the Sparrow will appeal to (and is highly recommended reading for) fiction enthusiasts who look for powerful sagas of transformation that can emerge from grief, rebellion, and unexpected life encounters. 

The Codger and the Sparrow

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Desire in Dairyland
Michelle Caffrey
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68513-314-6         $22.95 Paper/$5.99 ebook
www.blackrosewriting.com 

Readers of romance and mystery genres set against small-town backdrops will find Desire in Dairyland just the ticket for a cozy read about evolving relationships. 

Ruth Markson's return to her childhood home in Wisconsin is only a way station for her as she plans her next move—to make a big-city career the central focus of her professional growth. 

Her nursing job in a retirement facility introduces a sense of danger and medical mystery that juxtaposes danger and romance as Ruth and her friend Tyler utilize their combined expertise to locate a dangerous killer. 

Michelle Caffrey creates a cast of supporting characters to the duo's dance, from elderly residents to medical professionals and friends. Each contributes a unique personality and perspective to the evolving conundrum. Humor replete throughout the story revolves around such disparate personalities as towering, noisy attack goose Gandolf, who participates in a honking competition with a car; Elvis impersonator Bobbie McKay, whose performances include a duet suggestion as a tribute to the past which leads Ruth on a troublesome trip down memory lane; and a conundrum that evolves around a missing stuffed animal. 

This crafts a multifaceted playing field upon which drama, intrigue, humor, and love evolve in unexpected ways, providing readers with the full flavor of small-town encounters and Wisconsin culture. These combine with the individual ambitions and strengths of a varied group of personalities who each harbor their own special interests and objectives. The attraction lies in not only the unfolding and juxtaposition of these psyches, but in the fun moments of realization and irony that accompany their interactions. 

Warm notes of interpersonal connections are introduced as these people evolve: 

"The soothing sound of jazz enveloped them, and Ruth’s shoulders relaxed. Across from her, she spotted a collage picture frame entitled Our Family Grows with Love. He pointed to the photos. “They’re the only things I kept from the old place.” She studied the series from left to right that showed the progression of his life, with an old wedding photo, studio baby pictures of Luke and another young girl, a much-younger Howard and his wife next to him, proudly holding a blue ribbon at the Walworth County Fair." 

Caffrey builds a powerful series of interactions from these foundations, whether it is Ruth's encounters with arch-enemy Debi, her worries about med school acceptance and accompanying debts, or concerns about her mother. 

As break-ins and threats mount, Ruth is forced to reconsider those people she considers to be friends and enemies, and the mercurial lines that separate them. More humor is injected as an impromptu suggestion of a competition for Ex-Mrs. Wisconsin sparks serious and ironic consideration alike. 

The mystery is well-drawn, but especially notable is the story's sense of community and place which will draw readers with warmth and familiar ideals. 

The result is a romance, a medical mystery, and a small-town exposé and threads of ironic comedy that operate as an appealing draw, incorporating intrigue with a bigger-picture perspective as Ruth draws closer to her goals and danger: 

"She studied reports of the lack of doctors in rural areas where the situation looked bleak for small towns like Eureka. If she only wanted money and glory, what was the point?" 

Libraries and readers seeking the perfect blend of romance, intrigue, and small-town perspectives will appreciate the finely tuned, rich story that is Desire in Dairyland. 

Desire in Dairyland

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"Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For?"
T.W. Bristol
Quixote Publishing
9798988783008             $18.99 Paper/$6.99 ebook
twbristol.com 

"Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For?" is a novel that lives up to its subtitle promise of being about "Hollywood, Love, and Your Neighborhood Grocery Store." 

In many ways, Hollywood screenwriter Tess Bristol has achieved her goals. She's traveled far from her small-town origins in Bobby, Texas to achieve a degree of fame and fortune in Hollywood. In other ways, she chafes at her life and successful career—so much so that she considers a summer job at a famous food market as an opportunity for meaningful change. 

Her epiphany ("How we spend our days is how we spend our lives ... most of all, I want to be happy. I want to be brave enough to be happy.") drives the bullet points that redefine success, happiness, and risk-taking in her life. Tess takes in the "nice feeling of soft excitement and camaraderie" from unusual sources, embarking on a journey that brings with it new revelations about life, death, and everything that lies in-between: 

"At lunch, someone casually mentioned that there were five people crying in the Art Room upstairs. I don't know what is going on, and I don't want to know. Did somebody die? I am concerned that as soon as I understand this virus, it will take me, too. Then it will devour me. Then my zombie self will join the other weeping Undead in the secret coffee room. Who needs that kind of Saturday?" 

The rollicking ride of Tess's life and decisions immerses readers in a milieu in which Tess moves through the sweet and sour worlds of retail service, customer relationships, and stunning contrasts between Hollywood shows and daily life. 

T.W. Bristol provides a sojourn through romance and life that is evocative, lively, attractive, and thought-provoking, all in one. 

Readers and libraries who join Tess in her romp will find "Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For?" a powerful play on life that holds everything important for a read both compellingly thought-provoking and entertaining. 

The title alone should attract libraries and readers who may not ordinarily be drawn to novels about Hollywood, retail service, or love; but who will find this mix of life observations and encounters to be thoroughly absorbing. 

"Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For?"

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Equimedian
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
Hex Publishers, LLC
979-8-9862194-8-6
$31.99 Hardcover/$22.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.HexPublishers.com 

Jason is a Codis employee in New York in 1979. He lives for sci-fi reading and worlds while, in reality, being stuck in a life he doesn't relish. 

As a virtual reality machine tech, he installs new realities for customers every day. EmuX holds the allure and promise for others who, like him, eschew their daily realities for something different. 

When that reality seems to shift around him, from friends' changing personalities to memory deficits, it takes Jason a while to figure out that his sci-fi scenarios may be taking the form of an impossible new reality, affecting the everyday world he once considered so mundane. 

Are the changes due to the Progress Pilgrims (a cult whose members can travel microseconds into the future), or are they leading him to a self-improvement service which masks a deeper threat to reality itself? 

Alvaro Zinos-Amaro creates a thoroughly engrossing story with the persona of an ordinary tech employee who finds himself a victim of his own interests as he faces a bigger world and a threat which portends to transform it. 

Physical and mental changes begin to affect and redirect Jason's life as events unfold. Zinos-Amaro also injects a wry sense of dark humor into many of this story's serious moments, providing a satisfying juxtaposition of emotions that will keep readers thinking: 

"Dr. Mencher scribbles down my new prescription and hands it over to me. Then he opens his file and makes some notes. 'What day is today?' Is he really this absent-minded, or is this an attempt to distract me at the end of my consultation?
'The second worst day of my life,' I reply."
 

Jason needs to begin anew—but first he has to consider how his life evolved into something so very wrong. 

Contrasts between the classics and world of sci-fi and the ordinary world that Jason navigates are satisfyingly rendered, contributing to a sense of action and urgency that will keep readers wondering if the story itself is sci-fi or a novel. Elements of both intertwine to create a tale that unfolds with unexpected twists and turns as Jason's challenges keep changing into bigger and more impossible realizations. 

Are there boundless possibilities? And where does wonder end? 

Libraries seeking books that skirt the boundaries of sci-fi genre reading and fictional approaches to daily life will find Equimedian a solid acquisition. It promises to reach many different types of reader with its invitation to traverse high tech, how reality is defined and represented, and the forces that would compromise, alter, or control it. 

Equimedian

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Falling Through the New World
Cynthia Reeves
Gold Wake Press
9781737780861             $15.95
https://goldwake.com/ 

Falling Through the New World features fourteen linked narratives about different generations of an Italian family who find their lives challenged by political currents and personal trials. In employing the novel-in-stories format, the narrative assumes a uniform continuation of family encounters and themes while staying true to the changing currents of social and political forces that buffet the family and force changes. 

Each character lives within a very different milieu that lends a sense of familiar uniformity via their Italian heritage while embracing different contrasts between old and new world thinking and forces. 

From aging family members and relationships that shift with immigration and confrontation to departures and arrivals that assure new victories and revised life goals when different environments and people come to influence their lives, Cynthia Reeves creates a satisfying juxtaposition of times, places, people, and events. These ultimately lead and lend to a family portrait that flexes and bends with time and tides. 

"How is it possible I feel anything when nothing works?" one character wonders. But, the crux of the story lies in how families do work against all odds, and in this, Reeves has produced a powerful set of interlocked vignettes that shine with a sense of place, purpose, and connection, whether their characters reside in the Old Country or abroad. 

Libraries seeking powerful collections that represent the best of the short-novel-in-stories approach to fiction will find Falling Through the New World's powerful characters, who represent and contrast old and new world thinking, makes it suitable not just for those of Italian descent, but literary readers seeking examples of effective short story devices. 

Falling Through the New World

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Hands and Straight Lines
Carla Bradsher-Fredrick
Tailwinds Press
979-8-9886903-4-4         $20.00 Paper/$9.99 ebook
Hands and Straight Lines: 9798988690344: Bradsher-Fredrick, Carla: Books 

Hands and Straight Lines is a literary novel that embraces LGBTQ+ elements. It sports a structural approach that may be considered innovative and experimental, as well as hard-hitting and fresh. 

Abstract opposites are presented in an introduction to  'hands' and 'straight lines', which reviews their importance to Carla Bradsher-Fredrick's choices in creating her fiction. The descriptive force brings to life even a seemingly staid experience of horses and riding. Describing a dappled horse, Bradsher-Fredick writes: 

"When ridden, Dancing Pearl appeared, to my eyes, to live in such foment, in such restless motion—fidgeting and sidling at the very least—that she seemed to generate the beauteous foam of her own coat, churning the bubble-like dapples up into her chest, neck, sides, and hindquarters, out of her jet-black legs, through their ceaseless action. Many of the pale, round spots in the horse’s coat looked rounded: so subtly shaded at their edges that they appeared globular (yet not in conflict with, but conforming to, the animal’s contours). And the round dapples themselves looked energetic, as if they actively emerged, as if they broke through and displaced a preexisting layer of pure black hair." 

The story revolves around narrator Ed's discovery of life beyond home, family, and traditional ambition, but aims to marry the abstract concept of "hands and straight lines" to events which drive Ed in new directions of growth and experience. 

While his narrative embraces the elements of a love story, a coming-of-age saga, and an artistic reflection, Hands and Straight Lines is, in reality, all of these and none of them. To attempt to define it is like ensconcing a butterfly in a box and defining it without observing its flight. 

Hands and Straight Lines soars in unusual ways, through Bradsher-Fredrick's attention to capturing the patterns of abstract and concrete beauty that prove alluring, ethereal, and unable to be confined by definition or traditional literary devices. 

Perhaps more so than most genres, fiction reviewers tend to box the butterfly. If you can limit and define its potential, you can hone its audience to a particular genre reader, sentiment, or purpose. 

But, to place such restrictive thinking on Hands and Straight Lines would be to do it a disservice. In reality, Ed's saga is that of emerging realization and embracing patterns of action, reaction, growth, and education. 

Readers who appreciate this flowing Proust-like discourse will come from libraries interested in contemporary works that push the boundaries of pat definition and linear thinking. Hands and Straight Lines is highly recommended for literary thinkers who will find the story's implants of art and enthusiasm to be heartfelt and revealing: 

"Seeing the tile prints, I felt welcomed by representation, welcomed by fullness, welcomed by illusions of three dimensions. I had felt oppressed; I had felt afflicted; I had felt as if personally stifled by a Moslem prohibition that forbade the depiction of any living thing, flowers alone excepted. (As I understood it, Ottoman custom permitted the depiction of flowers provided that one did not depict them naturalistically. Rendered abstractly, on tiles, flowers became flat, curvaceous, beauteous essences based on a few petals’ shapes.)" 

No need to 'render abstractly' the foundations of this story. Its portrait of sexual arousal and social involvements create thought-provoking insights that operate on many levels, drawing readers with a powerful, reflective voice that captures moments "...like sparks, here and gone, vivid and nothing but remembered vividity." 

Hands and Straight Lines

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Hello, Jaynie!: When Your Inner Thermostat Goes on a Permanent Vacation
Linda C. Wright
Independently Published
979-8350922592            $24.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Jaynie-Thermostat-Permanent-Vacation/dp/B0CNJPSYVP 

Hello, Jaynie!: When Your Inner Thermostat Goes on a Permanent Vacation is a novel about Jill, whose marriage ends about the same time she loses her job. Suddenly adrift from the stability in her life and buffeted by a new reality that confronts her illusions of purpose and place, Jill is then offered a temporary position writing the advice column 'Hello, Jaynie!' when its author taps her for duty so she can go skiing. 

What begins as a goodwill favor to a friend introduces new dilemmas and forces new responses which begin when Jill resists columnist Jaynie's long-distance advice and forges new twists and roads on her own. 

Linda C. Wright creates a fun, involving set of growth-oriented realizations in her story, turning the typical boy-meets-girl tale into a growth experience that operates on many levels. 

Jill's foray into change begins innocuously, as paradigm-changing moves often do: 

"Jill logged into Jaynie’s account as she’d been instructed, changed the closing, reread the letter and her answer one more time before pressing send. As a reward for a job well done, she poured herself a glass of wine and pressed the cold glass to her hot and sweaty neck before moving it to her forehead. Maybe this was the first step in the reinvention of her life. Maybe, but doubtful. Writing Jaynie’s advice column temporarily wasn’t going to pay all the bills but Jill admitted it was kind of fun. She needed some fun these days." 

From new, sassier column sign-offs (such as "Love, light and dynamite") to an evolving sense of self that suits her perfectly when newspaper editor Mel becomes enamored of the spunky advice columnist's responses and seeks an in-person meetup, Jill's newfound realizations are quirky, fun, and yet thoroughly insightful and thought-provoking. 

Many novels that address budding new opportunities in career and romance, but few adopt the sense of combined whimsy and revelation prominent in Hello, Jaynie!, where risk-taking and new patterns rise to a whole new level of attraction. Unexpected developments arise in her growth process, from quandaries over hate mail and Magic 8 balls that lead her to participate in banishing bad spirits to how her family becomes involved in the change of personality prompted by her new career. 

The delightfully light-hearted spirit that permeates Jill's evolution will prove attractive and enriching to readers accustomed to humorless novels about love and marriage. Wright returns the fun into life inspection in a much-needed prescription for too-serious modern times. 

Libraries and readers looking for women's fiction steeped in whimsical, funny, yet thoughtful evolutionary processes will find Hello, Jaynie! an attractive story that stands out from the crowd of novels about life changes and transformation. 

Hello, Jaynie!: When Your Inner Thermostat Goes on a Permanent Vacation

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Last Bets
Mary Carroll Moore
Riverbed Press
979-8-9875317-5-4                $14.95
www.marycarrollmoore.com 

Last Bets pairs a tropical island setting with the portrait of two very different, unusual artists whose lives are joined not just by their perspectives on art, but their choices in life. 

Artists Rosie and Elly could not, at first glance, be more different. They are from different generations and differently complicated lives, yet they wound up on the island of Bonaire for similar reasons. Each is attempting to escape her past, but said past follows them both in different ways; not the least of which is their different inclinations to walk away from their pasts in pursuit of their artistic dreams. 

Mary Carroll Moore's ability to translate interpersonal relationships, art, and love into a story that also embraces a hint of suspense creates evocative, thought-provoking revelations throughout as her two characters emerge, grow, and come to embrace island life. The artistic insights are just as finely wrought as the emotional undercurrents that connect these disparate individuals: 

“And you? What’s your passion?”
“I’m an artist.” Rosie took a slow sip, tasting the words. They felt good, right.
Lucille hummed agreement. “What do you make with your art?”
“Cities.”
 

Between dalliances in love, experiences with scuba diving, struggles with gambling, and passages in which two generations coalesce and connect, Last Bets examines the evolutionary process of art and soul which creates delicate intersections between lives and purposes: 

"All she’d promised was his portrait. Which was coming along nicely, no thanks to her efforts. Each deliberately placed mistake had been corrected by next morning, plus Rosie made additional changes, most of which Elly applauded and kept. Slowly, the girl was completing the portrait for them all. And, Elly hoped, learning in the process from the small lessons the mistakes provided. She admired Rosie’s artistic decisions and her unexpected flair—she took risks Elly herself no longer attempted, and mostly successful ones—especially for someone who worked more with line than color." 

Hurricanes and dangerous games with men add value to enrich a story rich with island life and the different approaches and lessons absorbed by the two women. 

The result is a powerful novel that considers how family ties emerge between strangers, how risk-taking changes perspectives and breaks previous self-destructive patterns, and how the lessons of older individuals can change the trajectory not just of youth, but mentors willing to assume a role of teacher, leading both student and teacher through good and bad choices and their consequences. 

Libraries and readers seeking a novel replete with evocative touches and thought-provoking situations perfect for book club discussion groups will find Last Bets a rich, revealing saga. 

Last Bets

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My Name is B-1259
Michael Brown

Independently Published
979-8-218-30896-4         $16.95 Paper/$4.95 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/MY-NAME-B-1259-SURVIVED-CONCENTRATION/dp/B0CLZ8XNTL 

My Name is B-1259: I Survived Nine Nazi Concentration Camps is a novel based on the true experiences of Elias Feinzilberg, dramatizing the experiences of a man who epitomized the ultimate survivor of human cruelty through a combination of perseverance and luck. 

Author Michael Brown listened to his friend's descriptions of a father who endured the impossible: not one, but nine Nazi concentration camp experiences. 

Elias passed away at age 104, so Brown was denied the opportunity for first-hand interviews. He thus conducted much research; including reviewing transcripts of the many lectures and talks Elias gave in his lifetime during his retirement years in Jerusalem. 

Unlike The Diary of Anne Frank, the fictional format was chosen for My Name is B-1259 in the interests of personalizing dialogues and encounters as Elias moved from camp to camp. It proves an effective delivery device for its added drama and inflections, offering readers a 'you are here' feel that could not have been obtained from a more distancing, studious nonfiction choice. 

And what a journey it is. Brown's attention to capturing the times and the experiences brings everything to vivid life: 

'Swine! Move!' soldiers interrupt my musing. Five miles is not so far to walk, but today it seems like twenty. I move the heavy metal pail from hand to hand as I fear the wire loop might cut through the skin on my fingers. My mother, little brother, and sisters aren’t complaining, so complaining is the last thing I will do. Gunshots!" 

At this point, it should be noted that such vivid descriptions will likely be triggering for readers who harbor PTSD about capture and death: 

"I picture the gassings and the flames in the crematoria—devouring my flesh and bones—and I can’t help but think of the agony my family must have suffered at the Chelmno extermination camp—I imagine seeing Mame, my little brother, Avi, my sisters, Guena, Reizl, Pearl, Hanche, and Rivka as they are pushed naked into a boxy windowless room with scores of other Jews. First the gassing and then the burning. No! No." 

The difficulty in reading such candid passages is also the story's strength, as it brings to life, and personalizes, struggles in a manner that proves more vivid and compelling than many Holocaust descriptions. 

Brown's ability to translate not just the events, but the heart and soul of enduring atrocities, results in a story that should be an intrinsic part of any library interested in Holocaust experiences and the ways in which humanity dehumanizes its members. 

More than any other Holocaust story of depravity and cruelty, My Name is B-1259's ultimate message of how to and why survive deserves debate and attention among book club readers of all types, from Holocaust and Jewish participants to general readers interested in how humans survive the impossible results of inhuman actions and choices against one another to find new meaning in the effort to survive: 

"Closing my eyes, I think of Tate’s council to me all those years ago on the steps of our apartment when he asked me to survive. I smile as I realize I am now passing his advice along to others. If I can send little sunbeams and words of encouragement to others, I believe more of us will survive. I say quietly, “Good night, Tate.”

My Name is B-1259

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Private Cummings
Pete McGinty
Grandview Press
979-8-218-30897-1                $17.95
Website: www.PeteMcGinty.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com 

Private Cummings is a novel that begins with an ending: a last journal entry that introduces a World War II vet who reflects on his past from the vantage point of his last days in 2003. 

Married three months before he ships off to war, Private Hank Cummings returns home wounded and maimed, yet fortunate to be alive, to resume his life in whatever new form it takes outside of war. 

Readers who anticipate another novel about battle experiences and recovery might be surprised at some of the directions Private Cummings takes. From its early consideration of men-loving-men (even while married, back home) in the military to coping with PTSD nightmares and writing efforts and forming new relationships from a vastly revised personality and lifestyle, Private Cummings delves into the darker secrets of service aftermaths that are not usually given such revealing consideration. 

Pete McGinty's hard-hitting novel goes where few have gone before, and will likely prove both controversial and enlightening to readers anticipating a more staid, traditional view of military experience and its aftermath. 

Hank the civilian narrates his story from the first-person, adding an immediacy and interest to this overview of a life that embraces far more experience than military relationships alone. Embedded within the story are life changes and emotional entanglements between family, friends, and lovers which evolve on the playing field of one man's mercurial experiences. 

Through McGinty's eyes, Private Hank Cummings assumes a larger-than-life stature, even though his daily living is spread out over the years and embraces ordinary and extraordinary experiences alike. 

The result is a full-bodied life well lived that outlines hardships, an evolving friendship between a thirteen-year-old and an old man, different kinds of relationships between men, and a sense of tragedy that morphs into heroism and love, at the end. 

Libraries seeking fictional stories of lives rich in experience and connection will welcome the evocative Private Cummings's ability to build and reflect on these relationships, which move from Hank's eyes to those of observers of his life: 

"What’s fair? Is life fair? Does life keep score? I am the same person whether these are mine or not. Whether life is fair or not. In fact, I am a more whole person without these than I ever was with them. If I had remained Medal of Honor recipient Private Henry Earl Cummings Jr., that would have defined me. I would have never found my true self. I would have never found redemption. I would never have been given the chance to climb back up from such a deep recess...the only way one can truly be a hero is to be a hero of your own life. As you define it. Not as others might." 

Private Cummings

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Rawhide Jake: Westward Ho!
JD Arnold
Hat Creek/Roan & Weatherford, LLC
978-1-63373-814-0
$31.99 Hardcover/$26.99 Paperback/$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Rawhide-Jake-Westward-Detective-Brighton/dp/1633738175 

Fans of Western and detective fiction will find the marriage of both to be powerfully rendered and attractive in Rawhide Jake: Westward Ho!, which blends mystery and history in a delightful tale. 

Because it concludes the Rawhide Jake trilogy, it's especially recommended for prior fans of JD Arnold's saga, filling in more details and adventure surrounding Jake, a former Texas detective turned blacksmith who struggles with a reputation that spreads through the Wild West frontier to attract dangerous men like flies. 

His mission of personal redemption leads him to California, where he confronts forces that mitigate his physical healing process, forcing him to assume the role of a detective in Los Angeles. 

Amid all the gunfights and confrontations, Jake remains in thrall to his talents and reputation, struggling to enact a different kind of life even while being inexorably drawn to make use of talents he can't help but wield. 

Arnold's ability to bring the Wild West to life is evident in the time taken to capture not just Jake's psyche, choices, and confrontations; but dialogues and movements through this world: 

“'Wal, that’d make sense. Clanton’d hole up with another outlaw. Best watch real careful like.' They rode on up and said howdy. Up the creek about three hundred yards there was a small meadow where they staked the horses on long tethers. They would have hobbled them but Peg Leg said that every once in a while a bear’ll come down the creek and there were cougar around too." 

The attention to atmosphere and environment brings Jake's world to life above and beyond his personal trials, creating a vivid story that branches out into other states and achievements as Jake's story evolves. 

Indeed, it's the dialogues and interactions between characters that cement this tale with a sense of reality and historical accuracy that too many Westerns omit in the haste of capturing action: 

“My name’s Jonas V. Brighton. And yours, sir?” Jake smiled pleasantly and made himself to appear as a friendly fellow.
“Jack Sprat,” he said with a deadpan look as he held out his hand for a shake.
“Ha, ha. That’s funny.”
“No. That is my real name. Jackson Wayne Sprat at your service.”
“Well, I’ll be. Your ma and pa must have had a particular sense of humor.”
 

The result is a fitting and fine conclusion to Arnold's trilogy of discovery and frontier justice. Rawhide Jake: Westward Ho! should find a home in any library strong in contemporary Western writers, appealing to patrons that hold an interest in history, mystery, and problem-solving stories. 

Rawhide Jake: Westward Ho!

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Riding With Forrest
Laura Denton
Independently Published
979-8218195717            $15.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Riding-Forrest-Barrett-Company-Forrests/dp/B0C2S9D3H9 

Riding with Forrest: The Memoir of John Barrett, Escort Company, Forrest's Cavalry, CSA, During the War Between the States is a novel that embraces both historical fiction and a coming-of-age story about the Civil War, which pitted brother against brother and tore country and families apart. 

Young John Barrett rides off to war at first considering its positive life-changing possibilities. However, serving under cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest adds a different flavor to his experiences that stands in thought-provoking contrast to the thrilling action Barrett anticipated from his participation in the war. 

Through Forrest's leadership and Barrett's transformations, the mandate to "drive the Yankees from our soil, no matter the cost" brings to life the underlying purposes and challenges of the struggle. 

From undertaking torturous treks with the Union Calvary on their heels to moments in which they are treated as conquering heroes (or, at times, terrible threats), Barrett captures the "you are here" feeling of marching in battle, killing, and handling grief, injuries, and revised strategies with equal flexibility as military campaigns evolve. 

The blend of history and psychological insight work well to bring these experiences to life under Barrett's first-person eyes, documenting the daily routines and challenges of a nation at war. 

Few other fictional surveys of the Civil War hold the ability to inject a sense of immediacy and realistic concerns into their accounts. Even fewer consider the charisma, decision-making challenges, and effects on followers of leaders who assume command and make decisions about impossible choices. 

Riding with Forrest is the perfect novel for any reader who would ride along with the soldiers of the South who fought for their lands and lifestyles. 

Libraries and readers looking for realistic, engrossing scenarios of battle and leadership challenges will find Riding with Forrest the perfect choice for completely understanding the trials, strategies, and experiences of the War Between the States. 

Riding With Forrest

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The Return
Laurie Stevens
FYD Media
978-0997006841            $5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Return-Laurie-Stevens-ebook/dp/B0CMNP9V17 

The Return is both a futuristic novel and a survival story that takes the collapse-of-civilization scenario a step further than most, exploring the importance of qualities such as imagination and creative thinking, which seem lost to technology in this modern milieu. 

Aiden Baylor is a strange individual who somehow preserves these hallmarks of humanity against all odds. But he remains a loner whose neighbors think he is crazy—until a global war destroys power sources and threatens to send humanity into a Stone Age darkness they are ill-equipped to cope with. 

In this scenario, Aiden's abilities blossom with the promise of being the only one who can rebuild a new humanity with tools that don't depend on technological prowess. 

As Aiden takes big steps away from his role as a loner to become a leader, humanity finds that, in the absence of one form of power, a mental acuity begins to emerge which offers the potential to link people in new ways. 

WeConnect may be kaput, but new connections are possible. 

However, there is always an enemy who would profit from adversity. In this case, it comes from within; from one who would resurrect AI in order to control the surviving population. 

As the story of evolving human spirit and connections unfolds, the possibilities of choosing either a recreation of Eden or a return to the forces that led to humanity's downfall emerge, with powerful themes that provide much food for thought. 

Of particular note is the evolution of an ancient form of communication that could only have risen anew when the technological allure and promises of advanced civilization ended. 

Laurie Stevens captures many thought-provoking insights and moments about what it would mean to support such long-lost skills, making these mindsets a priority over other choices. 

Libraries and readers seeking a story that embeds spiritual contrasts with its survivalist features will find The Return a top recommendation for individuals and book clubs seeking tales that link human objectives with choices that offer either enlightenment and growth or repression: 

"The pixels represent us, the soul of every human being. We’re not connected with each other, not how we should be. All of us are part of the Great Source, part of a big picture, but we can’t see it clearly, so we don’t use it.” 

The Return

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The Sellout
Andrew Diamond
‎Stolen Time Pres
‎978-1734139297            $12.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Sellout-Andrew-Diamond/dp/1734139293 

The Sellout combines a murder mystery with a time-travel story and quasi-fantasy in which writer Joe McElwee, at the cusp of fame and fortune at last, finds that a curse placed upon him forces him into another, despised author's plot. There, he experiences the dual challenges of poor writing and a mystery that threatens to embroil him in an alternate universe's inconsistencies. 

If there's one thing that's annoying to a writer, it's to view the fallacies in a fellow genre author's writing style. But, it's even more challenging to actually enter a world that style has created, with all of its recognizable flaws. 

Faced with a surprising milieu which makes no logical sense, and with a murder charge that his character must struggle to overcome, Joe is in the worst possible position to rise to his best abilities in a universe dominated by another, hack writer. 

Andrew Diamond crafts an intriguing premise, cements it with the thriller and mystery components intrinsic to superior genre productions, and adds a sense of ironic, wry humor to Joe's predicament. This sets his story apart from anything in the thriller or mystery genre. 

The attention to writing efforts and critical analyses (which have everything to do with Joe's ultimate survival) introduces fun, thought-provoking reflections that are perfect for would-be writers: 

"If he had written this scene, he would have put a phone number on the note and skipped the big red kiss, which was over the top. However pretty the women in this world were, the exposition sucked. He was beginning to think he knew who the author was. A perennial bestseller whom he particularly disliked. If he was right, this scene would end with some clunky device containing just enough information to get him to the next chapter." 

Curse-placer Veronica has a motive and goal in placing Joe in this impossible position: "...to rub your nose in the Turnerverse, so you can see what you're becoming." 

Will Joe evolve to overcome his circumstances and his writing direction, or will he follow in the failing, faltering literary footsteps of his peer? 

The result is a creative, fun, and thought-provoking story especially highly recommended for wanna-be novelists and mystery writers who may see a bit of themselves in Joe's extraordinary dilemma. The Sellout will also attract libraries interested in acquiring lively, original works of fiction that will engage a wide audience of literary-minded readers. 

The Sellout

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What Eyes Can't See
Paulette Stout
Media Goddess Inc.
978-1-7366371-8-0        
$21.99 Paperback/$3.99 eBook/$12.99 Audiobook
https://www.amazon.com/What-Eyes-Cant-Bold-Journeys/dp/1736637185 

What Eyes Can't See is a novel documenting the experiences and revelations of a 31-year-old Black woman who seemingly has achieved the apex of success with a fine home, family, and wealth. Look closer to see what isn't evident on the surface, because Barbara Washington's life is about to enter into dangerous territory. 

It should first be noted that this novel held its roots in much research. Drawing on her experiences as a brown woman of color, Paulette Stout also interviewed Black women and women of color to gain from their insights and experiences about living and working in American society. She also had many of these women read her novel, and they added further insights to flush out the realistic story. 

The result is a gripping, moving story of a Black woman's complex relationship with a white man who comes from poverty, but still retains white privilege, gaining a coveted workplace position thanks to this special treatment. 

Barbara is forced to reexamine the foundations of her life, belief systems, and relationships; not the least of which is with Sebastian, the man who has stolen her position via his privilege. 

Barbara's first-person insights are revealing and powerful, leading her to pause as she considers the ultimate impacts of her psyche because of the men who have inadvertently ruled her progression and choices: 

"Joe cheating.
Being a bridesmaid on my wedding day.
Losing the promotion.
Getting fired.
Suffering Dad’s betrayal.
All at the at the hands of men who held control over me. Voluntarily, I let these guys chart my life, decisions, finances, and happiness."
 

Stopped dead in her tracks by life events that turn her success upside down, Barbara contemplates seeking justice and also considers the influences and messages that have both led to her success and mitigated the person she once was: 

"I had unlimited pleasures, none of them cheap or adequately appreciated. Conspicuous consumption was my family’s motto, fueled by our desire to fit in as a Black family in elite white spaces. The member-only clubs Dad frequented. Expensive vacations. Private schools. Legal  retreats. “Look the part,” Dad always said. Act like you belong. Living as I had these last weeks made my old self hard to recognize. She’d become a frivolous stranger I’d left behind." 

Readers who anticipate a casual foray into this woman's life will find its embedded messages on prejudice, wealth, privilege, and survival are powerfully rendered, thought-provoking, and anything but light reading. 

Those seeking women's literature that explores social issues and ethnic experience on more than a singular level will relish the depth of insights Paulette Stout has injected into her story as Barbara fields new challenges to her ideals of success and achievement and faces fresh revelations on how her life choices have, in some ways, led her away from who she really is. 

Libraries seeking vivid book club material for women's groups interested in exploring the worlds of women of color who defy social expectations and confront society's barriers, and the costs of so doing, will find What Eyes Can't See packed with discussion points that are inviting and revealing in this highly recommended love story of justice, redemption, and struggle. 

What Eyes Can't See

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Reviewer's Choice

Hidden Price Tags Volume 5: Longer Works
C.J.S. Hayward 
C.J.S. Hayward Publications 
$15.00 Hardcover/$10.00 Paper/$5.00 Kindle 
https://cjshayward.com/hpt5 
Email: cjsh@cjshayward.com 

Hidden Price Tags Volume 5: Longer Works is based on the contents of The Luddite’s Guide to Technology, but joins others in the Hidden Price Tags series in breaking down the main volume into more manageable and specific topics. 

Here, the subjects in the original work are expanded upon and embellished with further reflections for those who found Luddite valuable, but wanted more discourse on the topics of Orthodoxy. This reviews such contemporary topics as what constitutes "woke" in spiritual circles and what elements could comprise modern sainthood. 

Each chapter in Volume 5 takes one of Luddite's contentions many steps further, opening the door for discourses that marry traditional Orthodoxy thinking with modern social issues and concerns: "I see plenty of precedent for this kind of heart-rending plea in Margaret Sanger’s wake.

Ordinarily when I see such a line of argument, it is to some degree connected with one of the causes Margaret Sanger worked to advance. I am more nebulous on whether the Fathers would have seen such “compassion” as how compassion is most truly understood; they were compassionate, but the framework that gave their compassion concrete shape is different from this model." 

Also woven into these discussions are step-by-step tips on how to set aside the distancing technology which often interferes with theological objectives: "If your priest is willing, ask for pastoral guidance in slowly but steadily withdrawing from technologies that hurt you. (Don't try to leap over buildings in one bound. Take one step at a time, and one day at a time.) 

A good book for this is Tito Colliander, Way of the Ascetics: The Ancient Tradition of Discipline and Inner Growth. But better than any book knowledge is the living heart of someone who can guide you out of the Tradition." 

The resulting expansion of Orthodoxy considerations, interpretations, and controversies as related to modern conditions and times is highly recommended both for Orthodoxy holdings and spiritual libraries and book reading groups strong in debate and discussion.

Hidden Price Tags Volume 5: Longer Works

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The 7 Levels of Wisdom
Mónica Esgueva
Mantra Books
978-1803414706            $14.95
Website: http://www.monicaesgueva.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Levels-Wisdom-Path-Fulfillment/dp/1803414707/?_encoding=UTF8&content-id=amzn1.sym.952cfb50-b01e-485f-be6e-00434541418b%3Aamzn1.symc.e5c80209-769f-4ade-a325-2eaec14b8e0e&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m

 The 7 Levels of Wisdom: A Path to Fulfillment makes a strong case for the evolution of consciousness and the pursuit of Pure Consciousness that can operate on a global scale (even though it clearly does not do so right now). It's a goal-oriented survey of how this may be achieved, and will enlighten and inspire anyone on the dual paths of self-examination and greater community awareness. 

Mónica Esgueva crafts a journey that encourages individuals to begin this purposeful exploration, starting with their own lives. The topic is so potentially wide-ranging that it's notable that Escgueva's account is able to compose its disparate elements into succinct, logical discourses that guide individual efforts while making connections with greater purpose and spiritual intention. 

From the roles and applications of meditation in this process to tailoring realizations about growth, connections between individual processes and greater social issues, and moving from political tyranny to community control and mindsets, Esgueva provides a series of carefully orchestrated exercises and realizations. These guide readers past ethical quandaries and into territory that leads to enlightenment: 

"The exercise of transcendence and spiritual transformation has become paramount in our time—because our technology has immense destructive power, which allows us to damage not just our neighbors but many others physically distant from us." 

Perhaps nowhere else in new age and self-help or spiritual literature is the importance and challenge of this process so succinctly and clearly defined and described: 

"When our rationality does not filter out what we can apprehend, our mind can access a broad band of information well beyond the information available through our five sensory organs. That is why mystical practices, such as meditation, are best suited to processes of de-automatization or deconditioning of socially and culturally learned concepts and cognitive structures through which we usually apprehend ourselves and the world." 

Because of the complexity of this process, it is highly recommended that The 7 Levels of Wisdom be slowly digested, discussed in a wide range of circles (from book clubs and reading groups to psychology and spirituality students), and included in any library interested in applying the foundations of new age thought to the dilemmas and ethical conundrums of modern times. 

The 7 Levels of Wisdom

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At What Cost, Silence?
Karen Lynne Klink
She Writes Press
978-1-64742-603-3         $17.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
www.karenklink.com 

At What Cost, Silence? is the first book in the Texian Trilogy and is steeped in history, a coming-of-age story, and LGBTQ+ issues that each lend it a multifaceted, full-flavored feel. 

Two different plantation families reside as neighbors in a world where morals, behaviors, and sexuality are strictly perceived, and deviations from these rules are deeply hidden. 

Despite his fears of exposure, fourteen-year-old Adrien Villere is driven to seek out his neighbor and mentor, Jacob Hart, who ultimately betrays him. 

Karen Lynne Klink crafts an evocative, moving story in which characters in the 1800s review their lives, social standing, and the edict to keep their personalities and inclinations under wraps: 

"I understood little regarding slaves, or Negroes, or coloreds, as most said, not wanting to admit to the more damning term. If I could keep the word silent, unspoken, then, in my mind, the belief was of no consequence. In any event, it was of no consequence to me. I learned that keeping secrets was merely conforming to normal family behavior." 

Her probe of community and family ties moves between Adrien's point of view and those of Bernadette (his wiser sister), slave Grace, and others who interact within this world. Their backgrounds and perspectives ultimately change it. 

From considerations of authority and secret strengths to the war between North and South which place Adrien's closest friends Isaac and Will on opposite sides, Klink brings to life an era in which attraction, unions, and survival tactics are fraught with unexpected battles, both external and internal. 

The heart of Texan culture and history come to life as the saga unfolds in a manner where attraction and sexual inclination are only pieces of the greater equation of social and political transformation. 

The result is a historical novel that should reach well outside LGBTQ+ collections to attract general-interest audiences and libraries attracted to powerful stories of the past and their ties to present-day perspectives on sexuality, history, and culture. 

At What Cost, Silence?

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Beyond Resilience to Rootsilience
Rimi Chakraborty and Drew Samantha Anderson
Unbound Press
978-1-916529-07-6         $28.95 Paperback/$11.95 eBook
Website: https://www.rootsilience.com/book
Ordering:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/beyond-resilience-to-rootsilience-a-revolutionary-women-s-leadership-framework-for-balance-well-being-and-success-samantha-anderson/20996046?ean=9781916529076 

The term 'women's empowerment' has become a business buzzword and is often mentioned or featured in women's self-help guides, but Beyond Resilience to Rootsilience: A Revolutionary Women’s Leadership Framework for Balance, Well-being and Success represents the next step in the process. It covers the nuts and bolts of how to achieve a leadership role in a different way. 

Rimi Chakraborty and Samantha Anderson have created an integrative experience between Western and Eastern thinking. This will especially appeal to thinkers looking for a more holistic approach to the subject than more linear approaches offer. 

They consider the ancient Sanscrit system of the Chakras and their application to a leadership approach that integrates positive psychology with ancient wisdom to help women leaders decode their unique signs of overwhelm to restore balance and purpose. The book moves readers from the singular business and leadership subject to a wider embrace of the real foundations of empowerment and women's experiences. 

Businesspeople won't anticipate the mix of spiritual examination, practical self-help exercises, and higher-level thinking represented in Beyond Resilience to Rootsilience, but this is exactly what translates to new approaches that examine the roots of power and its incarnation in the world within and outside of business pursuits. 

And, what are recipes (such as that for Cabbage Apple Slaw) doing in a book about leadership? Recipes that support the Third Eye Chakra (among others) provide physical benefits that add to and enhance the reader's mental efforts, exercises, and lifestyle changes. 

By now, it should be apparent that this rich, full-bodied approach to the subject requires, of necessity, not only a flexible mind open to new age and spiritual concepts; but one willing to actively participate in the work of building a different paradigm for empowerment, whether it be walking the walk or drinking the tea. 

Color photos illustrate physical and mental exercises, which are accompanied by step-by-step breathing and movement instructions that cover all growth bases, physical, spiritual, and mental. 

With so many facets embedded into this book, it ideally will reach well beyond business and leadership pursuits and into the lives and hearts of women seeking a novel, useful alternative to the linear discussions of personal empowerment that currently dominate the market and subject. 

Libraries and readers seeking specific next-level steps in tailoring and incorporating spiritual, philosophical, and leadership beliefs into bigger-picture thinking will find Beyond Resilience to Rootsilience worthy of individual pursuit and group discussion alike. 

Beyond Resilience to Rootsilience

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A Career is a Promise
Robin Landa
Taylor & Francis/Routledge
9781032496931            
$170.00 Hardcover/$42.95 Paper/$31.78 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Career-Promise-Robin-Landa/dp/1032496932 

A Career is a Promise: Finding Purpose, Success, and Fulfillment comes from a distinguished professor and idea generation expert who tackles the subjects of goal-setting and career with equal intensity. 

Her expertise in the fields of graphic design, branding, and advertising have resulted in many successful mentoring roles whose value is synthesized in this book. It offers not just a road map for success, but a guide on how to leverage personal strengths for maximum career impact. 

At this point, it should be noted that although A Career is a Promise will likely be chosen for business readers, its broader appeal to a wider audience should not be overlooked. This book is for all disciplines and different career categories, not just business. Robin Landa interviewed professionals from different fields, such as a plastic surgeon, a designer, a tennis pro, and a body image activist, among others, to create advice and experiences that apply across industries, sectors, and professions. 

Research-based advice here assumes a top-down distribution focus whereby leaders can connect with others, acting as mentors for their own success as well as the bigger picture of company creativity and advancement. 

The wealth of lessons and exercises requires, of necessity, a mind willing to not only consider (and reconsider) business paradigms and strategies, but actively engage with and enact changes to strengthen and sharpen acuity and novel approaches to change. 

Perhaps it's a good thing that "...careers don’t always follow a straight and obstacle-free path from the ideal to actuality." In the creative spark and flow of learning lies newfound revelations and abilities to kick start one's career by defining objectives, values, and growth-oriented opportunities that often involve identifying mentors and dovetailing self-discovery with success. 

The kind of audience open to doing the hard work to achieve extraordinary goals will be the leader motivated to absorb the wealth of examples, opportunities, and insights Robin Landa delivers in A Career is a Promise. This personality will recognize the book's standout value in deviating its contentions and course from more typical career guides, justifying its high price tag and connections to invaluable routines for career and personal transformation. 

Landa assumes no prior knowledge of her subjects, breaking bigger-picture success into 'micro-goals' for easier absorption and translation and deployment into objectives: 

"When you think about the outcomes of your goals, rather than see each as an end result, try to focus on accomplishing one that leads to the next. And if one doesn’t work out, you have others to work on." 

Step-by-step routines are accompanied by interviews with leaders who inject solid experience and philosophical reflection based on their own achievements and extraordinary lives. These examples are tapped from a wide variety of lives, from pioneering plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Carl M. Truesdale to brand builder and consultant Mark S. Robinson (who wrote the book on diversity and advertising, Black on Madison Avenue). 

The unexpected dovetailing of social, psychological, philosophical, and career issues may feel surprising, but that's one of the strengths and wide-ranging approaches Landa takes in her program, which is all about reconstructing and envisioning one's life purpose, as well as one's career. 

That's why A Career is a Promise is very highly recommended not just for leaders and entrepreneurs who would employ its guidelines for success, but for creative individuals interested in the psychology and challenge of identifying underlying values that reinforce greater goals in life. 

Libraries would do well to recommend A Career is a Promise to self-help and book club readers who can equally use it for personal enlightenment and advancement and group discussion. 

A Career is a Promise

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The Climate Misinformation Crisis
Tushar Choudhary, Ph.D.
HopeSpring Press
979-8-9864358-3-1         $15.99 Paperback/$8.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR9Q6YJ4/

The Climate Misinformation Crisis: How to Move Past the Mistruths About Climate and Energy for a Bright Future offers a study in scientific misinformation that goes beyond different climate change contentions to examine the basics of illusion, deception, and misunderstandings. 

Unlike other books that adopt hard-line, rigid assessments on either side of climate change issues, Tushar Choudhary's book pinpoints wellsprings of misinformation on the parts of both activists and skeptics, pinpointing specific fallacies in popular arguments on both sides. 

This, in turn, leads to not only a more reasoned approach to the issue of climate change, but a studied, important assessment of its science independent of popular opinion and media influence. 

Why is misinformation more important than the crisis itself? Because its spread on either side is fostering attitudes, responses, and solutions that are untenable and downright dangerous. Real sustainable progress in addressing the issue's reality cannot be achieved until these areas of misinformation are pinpointed, analyzed, and addressed. That is the focus of The Climate Misinformation Crisis—and why it deserves top billing in any library or discussion group on climate change. 

Choudhary traces the roots of this ideological war, considering its influences, motivations, and effects. Chapters unfold a contrast between the misinformation of two opposing sides with a focus on how problems are perceived, defined, and how both sides are "liberally using misinformation to gain support." 

More than a contrast of opposing 'truths' and lies, however, The Climate Misinformation Crisis exposes the nuggets of real data without the overlay of drama or special interests, offering readers interested in science and debate a rock-solid foundation of knowledge from which to build a different paradigm about climate crisis. 

The value of this discourse lies not only in the key facts Choudhary reveals about climate change, fossil fuels, renewable energy, and the transition to low-impact choices, but in the sources and progression of misinformation which challenges all sides to wade through limiting and potentially dangerous illusions. 

The result is a discourse that will appeal to libraries strong in climate change issues, but which ideally will also reach into debate, logic, and thoughtful reader and discussion groups interested in the roots of misinformation and how best to recognize and mitigate their impact. 

The opportunities for better thinking and approaches to problem-solving presented in The Climate Misinformation Crisis are outstanding, making this book a highly recommended 'must' for general interest public and college libraries alike. 

The Climate Misinformation Crisis

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A Daily Dose of Now
Nita Sweeney
Mind, Mood, and Movement
979-8-9880744-0-3         $18.95 (print); $9.99 (eBook)
Website: https://nitasweeney.com/a-daily-dose-of-now/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Dose-Now-Mindfulness-Meditation/dp/B0CKZYZ5W3/ 

A Daily Dose of Now: 365 Mindfulness Meditation Practices for Living in the Moment is an inspirational set of meditation routines that are rooted in mindfulness, but need no prior familiarity with the concept in order to prove effective to a wide audience. 

Readers who consult in and appreciate this approach may come from many walks of spiritual and psychological living, from Buddhists well used to meditative techniques to mental health professionals, philosophers, self-help readers, and those who simply seek guidance for grasping the moments of everyday living more effectively. 

Indeed, anyone who struggles with the concept and enactment of 'staying in the moment' needs this guide, because Nita Sweeney experienced such struggles herself. Her book is the answer to better pathways to resolution that go beyond most 'daily readers' in its encouraging, specific exercises. 

The daily exercises begin with a reconsideration of the traditional New Year's vows, opening with a quote and including a few sentences of how Sweeney struggled with the usual New Year's resolutions. It concludes with a specific, easy exercise that involves listing one's traits and reconsidering "hallmarks of value." 

Each exercise in this daily reader is designed to encourage readers to gain more from daily introspection than encouragement alone. Readers grow from these exercises; and in doing them, will consider different ways of viewing the world and their place in it. 

For all these reasons, A Daily Dose of Now should be chosen above many other daily inspirational books, selected for book club discussion among a wide circle of readers, and featured in any library strong in self-improvement, new age, or psychological encouragement titles. 

A Daily Dose of Now

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The Diabetes-Free Cookbook and Exercise Guide
Dr. John M. Poothullil, MD. FRCP, with Chef Colleen Cackowski
New Insights Press
979-8-9860163-4-4                
$24.95 Hardcover/$9.99 ebook
www.newinsightspress.com

The combined expertise of a medical doctor and a notable chef who collaborated on The Diabetes-Free Cookbook and Exercise Guide is a remarkable boost for Type 2 diabetics who usually receive exercise and diet advice in separate volumes, or not at all. 

The integrative promise of this combined cookbook/exercise guide is that it dovetails these two paths towards health under one cover, offering a solid, complete program designed to assist Type 2 diabetics towards a healthy overall lifestyle, potentially extending their quality of life and longevity.  

The recipes presented in the book look scrumptious and can easily be integrated into regular daily meal cooking, requiring almost no special ingredients or prep to appeal to the entire family. Most ingredients can be purchased at regular supermarkets and a few at specialty markets every city has.  

The supporting medical insights on the cause of high blood sugar and Type 2 diabetes provided by Dr. Poothullil offer enlightenment about why many approaches to control high blood sugar fail for Type 2. He suggests that "...our modern diet high in grains and grain-flour products is the most likely trigger for the development of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. It is because the typical diet that includes more than 50% of one’s daily caloric intake in the form of complex carbohydrates produces a voluminous amount of glucose that the body’s cells cannot use on an immediate basis." 

He further writes that the goal of the book's recipes is this recommendation: "The key is to eat foods that do not cause your blood sugar to spike so high that it takes hours to return to the normal blood sugar range. That is how you begin moving away from being prediabetic or fully diabetic." 

Armed with Dr. John's insights on how the overconsumption of grains can lead to Type 2 diabetes, readers can more effectively tailor their food choices to healthier ingredients and recipes.  

From flavor-packed breakfasts, lunches, and dinner main courses to delectable desserts like "Apple-Ginger Gluten-Free Scones” with Cashew Cream Icing, and many other recipes not found in other cookbooks, readers receive a wide variety of easy-to-make dishes that encourage and support healthier food choices. 

The 80+ recipes are also paired with 12 easy do-at-home exercises, each with a QR code in the book taking readers to an animated video showing how to do the exercise.  

A wealth of inviting color photos throughout the book accent The Diabetes-Free Cookbook and Exercise Guide, helping it stand apart from many competitor cookbooks for Type 2 diabetics with a format, presentation, and logic that makes it a joy to read and use in your kitchen every day.  

The Diabetes-Free Cookbook and Exercise Guide should be in the collection of any Type 2 diabetic – or anyone interested in preventing weight gain or pre-diabetes-- as well as libraries with cookbook collections.  

The Diabetes-Free Cookbook and Exercise Guide

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The Great Being
Bill Harvey
The Human Effectiveness Institute
978-0-918538-21-5                $17.99
https://www.humaneffectivenessinstitute.org/the-great-being/ 

The Great Being adds to the wealth of wisdom and informational explorations by Bill Harvey, opening Episode 1 in the Agents of Cosmic Intelligence series with a specter of creation that may challenge religious traditionalists with its reincarnation of new beginnings: 

"The Nothingness waited. Nothing happened.
Being infinite, The Nothingness had infinite patience.
Eventually, The Nothingness decided to explore.
Is there anything I can do to liven things up here in this emptiness?
The Nothingness experimented with willing something to see what would happen. It visualized a creature, kind of like a red starfish.
Suddenly everything lit up. Intensely bright light streaming out of a central point that was Him. Well, not exactly Him, for He had He and She inside of Him. The light flooded out very, very far in all directions. To His right, the red starfish hovered close by, undulating its limbs.
This is delightful,
He thought aloud to Himself." 

As the Creator takes changes and absorbs new ideas about his creations, so readers take baby steps into the making of life and risk-taking that permeates The Great Being and its experiences. 

The affront to traditionalist methods of viewing God, creation, life purpose, and the universe continues in a manner designed to awaken and introduce new interpretations of spirituality and life meaning. As readers who may not have expected such nuances come to absorb the greater gift of The Great Being's message, they will find the radically inviting nature of this story brings with it the opportunity to view life and God in an entirely different light: 

"The Great Being decided He did not want to tamper with the Lucifer experiment, but felt He owed it to Himself and to everyone else to create the best conditions within which all avatars could ripen and learn their gifts and Mission. Someday, He planned to bring the most evolved ones back inside His own omniscient and omnipresent view, as personality traits—sides of Himself that He could consciously consider a part of Himself, of The Original Self at the beginning of all things." 

The story evolves with a reinterpretation of myths, events, and concepts that doesn't just invite, but demands discussion and insights on the parts of all kinds of spiritual thinkers as the story evolves a unique and compelling flavor of discovery. 

New methods of thinking are accompanied by new challenges and delightful stories as groups, memories, God, and Agents evolve to assume their roles in higher-level thinking and the scheme of things. 

One of Bill Harvey's great talents lies not just in his storytelling ability, but his focus on translating life events and history with new interpretations of a wide spread of myths, from Atlantis to Salem and the evolutionary process of belief and faith itself. 

Readers interested in transformative reading who are not afraid of or affronted by reinterpretations that challenge traditional ways of viewing life and faith will find The Great Being's message to be one of hope, discovery, and new ways of viewing the universe. 

Libraries seeking stories that are impossible to categorize, wide-ranging in their characters and events, and suitable for group discussions ranging from spiritual circles to book clubs will find The Great Being a standout. 

The Great Being

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How Boys Learn
Jeff Kirchick
Atmosphere Press
9798891320963             $16.99 Paper/$8.99 ebook
www.atmospherepress.com 

How Boys Learn's fictional focus is on toxic masculinity and how boys learn it. It's a coming-of-age series of stories that contain important lessons for parents and any adult working with teens that would learn, themselves, how to better spot its signs and evolutionary process. 

The stories hold their roots in a college thesis of the same name, in which Jeff Kirchick was charged with identifying these life lessons and their impact. Each facet of this collection came from a piece of his own life experience, lending the stories a vivid immediacy that helps them shine. Each features a male protagonist charged with growing into his world despite specific obstacles and confrontations that challenge how he learns to become and identify as a man. 

Take 'The Boy Who Always Cried', the introductory piece, for example. It takes the form of journal entries by a doctor who tries to diagnose a child who has literally been crying nonstop, from birth. 

As the physician journalist chronicles a struggle with hormone therapy, diagnosis, and resolution that embroils his professional and personal life in impossibilities, readers receive their own lessons in expectation, standards, and deviant behaviors. These lead to a reassessment of both child-rearing tenets and how an intelligent physician comes to feel "inadequate and hated" on so many levels, beginning with the crying boy's ongoing puzzle. 

Another contrast in male perceptions and actions lies in 'This is the Story That I Wrote for This Week', which provides a first-person growth experience from the perspective of a third-year college student who finds an essay assignment indicative of his failures in self-assessment and efforts to tackle school in a competitive manner. 

As the intellectual, informed student considers his haughty attitude and its embedded prejudices, his review of his own work and place in school come to light: 

"One of my stories about a Navajo descendant who buys a house on land that once belonged to his tribe was a mas­sive hit in one of my recent classes. You just need to have the right victim. When I wrote about poor white people in West Virginia who were dying of cancer years after exposure in the coal mines, I was lambasted by my classmates for co-opting white supremacy through my words. I used it as a data point to refine my focus on which victims matter and which ones do not. You need to have a growth mindset in this business: treat all the criticism as an opportunity to do better." 

How Boys Learn both shows and tells. It tells of men of all ages who are not immune to epiphanies about their lives, prejudices, and approaches to being male; and it shows these progressive learning experiences through reflective, diverse short stories that sparkle with insight. 

Libraries seeking powerful psychological and social examinations that will serve especially well as book club recommendations (not just for reading groups, but men's groups, psychology readers and those seeking thought-provoking contrasts in male lessons) will find How Boys Learn an important acquisition accessible to a wide variety of readers, from literary to social issues followers. 

How Boys Learn

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Managing the Unmanageable
Jonathan Cagan and Peter Boatwright
Rivertowns Books
978-1-953943-41-5
         $22.95 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
www.rivertownsbooks.com 

"Managing innovation is different from managing anything else." If there's only one take-away for readers of Managing the Unmanageable: 13 Tips for Building and Leading a Successful Innovation Team (and, there will be many more), it should be this idea. By its very definition, innovation implies a creative flexibility and freedom which defies most management attempts, whether they stem from business pursuits or personal drive. Creativity flourishes best when unfettered. 

So, how can innovation and creativity be managed? That's the crux of a problem that Jonathan Cagan and Peter Boatwright address in their book: 

"Innovation is building version 1.0 of something that has not been made previously. It’s unpredictable. You don’t really know what the optimum solution will be. People may not know they need it until they see it. And for an innovation team, doing what came before is a hindrance. It can get you in trouble." 

From defining an effective leadership model for an innovation team to balancing risks and fostering a form of visionary leadership that operates on a different level than the nuts-and-bolts of the usual business focus, Managing the Unmanageable concentrates on managing processes rather than outcomes. 

This allows for a degree of flexibility that supports, rather than stifles, innovative impetus in a business structure. Another technique involves reframing: redefining a concept for industry applications. 

From safety to team functions and psychology, Cagan and Boatwright dovetail the nuts and bolts of management concepts with the realities of building innovation concepts within a structure which too often stifles and limits opportunities for growth. 

Business leaders who have led teams (but without innovative goals in mind) will especially appreciate the leadership and management tips which expand upon the typical business book's advice. 

Managing the Unmanageable should ideally not only reside in a business library, but be read and discussed among business students, entrepreneurs, and leaders looking to refine, adapt, or create a management style that encourages and fosters innovation to realize its maximum potential. 

It's a guide that no forward-thinking businessperson will want to overlook, holding many insights on building a team structure that is adaptable, efficient, yet creatively flexible and encouraging. 

Managing the Unmanageable

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Neanderball
Sofia Diana Gabel
Independently Published
979-8-9893356-0-2                $12.99 print, $3.99 ebook
Website: www.sofiadianagabel.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Neanderball-Sofia-Diana-Gabel/dp/B0CM2M91MD 

Science has mentioned the possibility of cloning Neanderthals in the future, but in Neanderball, the future is now ... and an unexpectedly dangerous game evolves when geneticist Lucien Roux’s controversial experiment is stolen and made into a dangerous sport. 

The fine line between ethical behavior and fame has already been drawn by his choices, but further developments take these in a new direction, forcing him to reveal his true motivation and indiscretions as he finds himself on a mission to save his creations from exploitation and a dangerous game, indeed. 

Sofia Diana Gabel crafts an absorbing story which is especially notable for its consideration of moral and ethical boundaries in creating, maintaining, and directing life itself. Through her story, genetic experimentation and purpose come to life in a manner that welds sci-fi with insights into what qualities comprise friendships, growth, and humanity itself. 

Lucien's enlightening interactions with Rock and the other Neanderthals teach him about more than the results of his creative impetus as events unfold, embracing intrigue and action as Lucien and his ex-military girlfriend employ all their abilities to mitigate the impact of modern times on these Neanderthal creations. 

The cat-and-mouse game that plays out between Lucien and his companions and the Neanderthals (who aren't as stupid as they first seem) creates a satisfying interplay of personalities, purposes, and intention that encourages readers to more closely consider all forms of motivation and drives for survival. 

The evolutionary process which develops as a result of these interactions is intriguing on more than one level. This offers a rare opportunity for action-packed leisure reading for those interested in sci-fi or medical thrillers, and thought-provoking moments for readers who enjoy moral dilemmas injected into the bigger picture mix. 

Libraries and readers will find Neanderball difficult to neatly peg. Whether choosing it as a medical thriller or a sci-fi story of genetics gone wild, Neanderball's main attraction lies in the unfolding of connections between disparate individuals who each struggle to survive and find meaning in a rapidly changing, alien situation. 

Its well-developed tension and characters make it a winner. 

Neanderball

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Perseverance, Journey to Alaska
Steven Harrison
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-086-4
$21.95 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.atmospherepress.com 

Perseverance, Journey to Alaska is an invitation to armchair readers and fellow would-be adventurers alike to walk out of their worlds to plan and join Steven Harrison on a budget road trip to Alaska via bicycle. 

Steven Harrison planned his trip for four months. It won't take that long, however, to follow him through its highlights here, from choosing an e-bike to finding budget lodging and places to charge e-bikes and phones in remote, rural conditions. 

The daily journal of his efforts imparts a 'you are here' sense to the journey that readers will appreciate: 

"...so now I was out of gas, tired, hungry, and in the middle of Coos Bay, which meant I was lost." 

Over half the book documents the journey's ups and downs. The rest considers the immediacy and complexity of making new moves for the future: 

"When I started my ride, I was on a buck­et-list mission to see my fiftieth state, with every intention of returning home. No intentions of staying in Alaska. Now I was in Alaska with no plans, no job, no place to live—things normal people consider before they move 1,700 miles. I’d left critical paperwork, my social security card, birth certificate, etc. I’d left my clothes, computers, electronics, tools, furniture, bedding, everything, in San Francisco. I had the clothes on my back; luckily, it was summer, because I had the lightest clothes possible. This was Alaska, so shorts and a T-shirt were not going to work." 

As is the case with many superior road trip stories, the entertainment value morphs into a philosophical consideration of life choices and consequences. Perseverance, Journey to Alaska thus becomes more than an armchair travel guide, but journeys into the heart of life's purpose, how to live it well, and the all-embracing decision of where to live it. 

Libraries and readers interested in e-bike travel, budget road sojourns, and life-changing experiences couched in daily journal entries will welcome the thought-provoking experiences and opportunities that set Perseverance, Journey to Alaska apart from many other travelogues. 

Perseverance, Journey to Alaska

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Seizing Control
Laura Beretsky
Haley's Publishing
978-1-948380-96-6         $24.95
Website: www.lauraberetksy.com
Ordering: https://bookshop.org/shop/lauraberetsky 

The excellent play on words that the title represents is clarified by its subtitle (Seizing Control: Managing Epilepsy And Others' Reactions To It), which offers further definition and promises those with seizures options for managing what they can control about the condition and the world's reactions to it. 

Seizing Control combines a memoir of Laura Beretsky's experiences with practical advice, from a definition of what epilepsy is and isn't to discussions of activism, developing resilience, undertaking paths of healing, and covering the minute daily details of living with epilepsy. 

Few other books on this subject capture the immediacy of the condition's many challenges, social reactions to it, and the impact epilepsy holds on daily living. The added value of flavoring her account with activist and healthcare insights results in a much wider-reaching consideration than readers might expect in a memoir. 

Another surprise in Beretsky's approach is that she delves into workplace discrimination and other facets of society's responses to those with epilepsy that delineate how its impact and perception go far beyond physical challenges alone. 

From the reactions of well-intentioned, good-hearted people to her seizures to the dual challenges of simultaneously managing both epilepsy and others' reactions to it, Beretsky surveys the nuts and bolts of a condition which is too often misunderstood. 

Candid descriptions of experiencing a seizure and what it takes to recover from one accompany health concerns and challenges as she recovers from brain surgery, experiences setbacks in different ways, and contends with fears about independence, dependence, and temporary and permanent challenges. 

Throughout the memoir, Beretsky cultivates a tone of discovery and strength that those with epileptic seizures will find inspirational and those who support them will find candid and revealing. 

Within her journey is the nuts and bolts of not just coping, but living an independent, effective, and even joyful life. 

Libraries and readers seeking more than either another medical survey of the condition or a memoir alone will find both facets here blend into bigger-picture thinking about social reactions and actions. This gives Seizing Control added value, placing it above many similar accounts and making it highly recommended for book club discussions not just in healthcare circles, but among general-interest readers. 

Seizing Control

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Skulls & Roses
Sea Gudinski
Art of Telling Publications
978-1-7348447-5-7         
www.seagudinski.com 

Blame Bertha, and love. That's what the narrator does in the opening lines—and perhaps that's what readers should keep in mind as they embark on a road trip through the psychic and real landscapes of American transgressions and ideals that is Skulls & Roses, whose title bows to the Grateful Dead's logo and rebel influence. 

The narrator's early involvement in retribution and the lessons and impact this held, from its origins in the 1920s to more modern times, reveals a set of patterns and processes which then follow and haunt the search for retribution, revenge, and success as a pursuit for wealth leads to legitimate and illegitimate businesses, prison, and redemption. 

Philosophical threads of discussion about blame and consequences pepper this story's evolution: "...does a man truly have to hold accountable for the dastardly course of his life other than himself?" 

The answer would seem to be "no," but the reality is unexpected and delightfully thought-provoking as events unfold a series of forays into sleuthing, family influences and transgressions, and the rich opportunities created by changing times and hearts. 

Sea Gudinski is particularly adept at weaving these social threads of change into the lives of those who entered full-heartedly into their opportunities in the search for riches that somehow remain ever-elusive: 

"...the word of the day was very clearly liberty. The misery and anxiety that had presided over the nation’s mind were washed away in the tidal wave of liquor that flowed forth. Even in the middle of rural Cherokee, men and women threw away their hip flasks, bellied up to the bar, and made merry on equal terms. The feminists’ dream had finally come to pass—just not in the manner in which they had so richly envisioned." 

The dichotomies of relationships that walk on the wild side, yet also represent a degree of connection and concern, are also notably strong in their psychological, social, and political dovetailing of perspective: 

"For all of his swindling ways amongst strangers, toward me, Peter was consistently generous. My cut was always half, and in turn, I allowed myself to be led pell-mell around the country by this exceedingly strange testament to the sheer depths of man’s pessimism and ability to torment oneself when given license and half a burden." 

The story unfolds against a changing backdrop of geography and social norms—and yet, some things never change. Remaining steadfast is the search for invincibility that comes at a price as, related by blood, guns, booze, and shared objectives for financial gain, the characters embrace both the lawlessness of the Wild West and the fickle relationships opportunity presents, careening through lives tainted by hedonistic successes and moral downfalls. 

Killings, showdowns and prison escapes, drooling bloodhounds, and schemes that, even behind bars, unfold into ironic business and entrepreneurial bloodbaths create scenarios in which the characters are changed by their pursuits of riches both within and outside of prison. These escapades unfold against all odds as the narrator pursues avenues that continually lead him into trouble despite his lofty ambitions—which just as easily could have been chosen as legal routes for their underlying objectives: 

"I’ve never been one to just take what Fate handed me, and I was determined to make that into a fortune." 

Gudinski outlines a powerful journey of indifference, connection, ill-gotten gains, greed, and quasi-opportunity. The search for a perfect companion, perfect love, and perfect success is never easy or cut-and-dried. In unfolding the life of a wanderer who continually fields schemes and trouble in pursuit of something greater, Gudinski crafts a thought-provoking story that winds through decades of evolution, social change, and personal ambition. 

Perhaps Bertha shouldn't receive all the blame. In the end, it's Bonnie Lee that delivers the true cut and contrast of roses with thorns. The narrator finally realizes the true impact of his life choices and the missed opportunities that come with his unexpected arrival at a figurative and ironic crossroads of freedom and its redefinition amidst past and present incarnations of personal impact. 

Libraries and readers looking for a psychic and social romp across changing American values and pursuits, as exemplified and captured in the rollicking road trip through life that is Skulls & Roses, will find it a multifaceted and compelling journey indeed. Highly recommended for its twists, turns, and reflective realizations, the story will attract a wide audience of thinking readers. 

Book clubs, too, will discover many opportunities for discussion, whether it be about the definition of wealth, the concept of retribution and achievement, or the slowly percolating realization of personal impact in other lives and social milieus. 

Any way you look at it, Skulls and Roses captures a wild road trip through life that spearheaded by a strong yet admittedly flawed hero who reflects on life decisions and poor and good choices along the way. 

Skulls & Roses

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Talking Vonnegut
Chuck Augello
McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers
978-1476690704            $49.95 Paper/$22.49 ebook
Talking Vonnegut - McFarland (mcfarlandbooks.com) 

Talking Vonnegut: Centennial Interviews and Essays may be anticipated by many as a scholarly discourse of literary import, but it's far more than another analysis of the writer's work. 

Chuck Aguello stumbled upon Vonnegut's work and connections that mirrored his own life experience. Vonnegut, too, had attempted suicide in the mid-1980s, and had family members diagnosed with schizophrenia. Aguello's discovery of the connections between them led to his web blog, The Daily Vonnegut, which garnered followers from around the world. 

Vonnegut became Aguello's friend (metaphorically speaking). This close literary relationship may be perceived as being one-sided by some, but it's a lasting tribute to an author who "broke down the wall between the novelist and the novel." 

This collection of 29 interviews pays homage to that process by selecting interviewees who each shed a unique light on Vonnegut and the lasting impact of his writings. 

The real meat of an interview collection lies in the types of questions that prompt extraordinary answers and reader reflections. Aguello fulfills that duty, crafting such conversations among an unusually widespread list of fans and fellow influencers. Readers even only casually familiar with the author and his works will come away with a deeper knowledge of Vonnegut's influence and focuses. 

From a revealing interview with David O. Dowling which examines the history of and Vonnegut's involvement in the Iowa Writer's Workshop to anthropology professor Sarah D. Phillips's discussion of the writer's impact in the Soviet Union during the Cold War years, followers come away from these personal queries with a far deeper appreciation of the extent and scholarship of Vonnegut's writings and their world-wide impact. 

Libraries serious about representing the impact of Vonnegut's craft should consider Talking Vonnegut a foundation acquisition central to both any semi-definitive or authoritative Vonnegut collection. It's especially highly recommendable to students and readers of Vonnegut, who will receive key information and insights about the man and his work which are simply unavailable elsewhere.

Talking Vonnegut

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Trust Yourself to Be All In
Amanda McKoy Flanagan
For Real Press
9798985673500             $17.95 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
Website: https://www.amandamckoyflanagan.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4M137BJ 

Trust Yourself to Be All In: Safe to Love and Let Go is about loss, enlightenment, potential, and healing. It promises (and delivers) a lesson in self-love and letting go that promotes connection, exploring "discoveries born from desperation and loss and from choices made" in a memoir/self-help guide that will serve as an inspiration to others moving through and past loss. 

From the start, Amanda McKoy Flanagan adds value to her memoir that elevates it beyond personal experience alone: 

"I will suggest simple and effective ways of thinking and living to blend mind, body, and soul so they are no longer separate parts of you but work cohesively to serve you and those around you. Some of these concepts are documented elsewhere and can be found in both ancient and modern literature; some are new." 

Chapters are filled with ideals and examples reinforcing the reality and possibilities in achieving them. Suggestions for viewing relationships, change, growth, and healing in a different way offer not only examples and 'how to' notes, but explore the 'whys' of more positive pathways and results: 

"In changing to meet your partner’s needs, you rediscover the lost parts in yourself that created the void, bringing you closer to whole. Becoming who you were always meant to be, you fill your own needs and your partner’s. Your partner fills his or her own needs and yours. Consistent, healthy behaviors create new, safe pathways resulting in a secure attachment to self and your partner." 

There are many important reflections here; not just on suffering and its resolution, but in the spiritual and moral act of forgiving others by understanding their wellsprings of choice: 

"Can I be upset with somebody for trauma that was inflicted upon them and for their unskilled reaction? Can I justify a resent­ment if they’ve been so hurt that they are programmed to be who they are and cannot change, if they’ve never been taught how to change or simply do not see the need for change? Does someone require forgiveness if they are constitutionally unable to do better?" 

These, in turn, will spark debates and discussion among a wide range of readers and book club groups on subjects ranging from religious inspections of moral and ethical choices and their impacts to the ideals of reframing actions, reactions, and the perspectives of others. 

The result is an uplifting memoir that also contains an admonition and examples for making different life choices. 

Libraries and readers seeking self-help workbooks that take the form of memoirs on life lessons will find Trust Yourself to Be All In enlightening, hopeful, and deceptively easy to read. It's deceptive because the real work lies not just in its reading, but in its audience's slow absorption of new ways of viewing and interacting within the world. 

Trust Yourself to Be All In

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Young Adult/Childrens

Amethyst, the Shallows
Kellye Abernathy
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-104-5
$12.99 Paper/$24.99 Hardcover/$7.99 ebook
www.atmospherepress.com 

The second book in the young adult Yellow Cottage Stories, Amethyst, the Shallows, opens with a grandmother's reflections about sickness and the future in the aftermath of long months of lockdown, when a mysterious Sickness isolated everyone in their beach town. 

Particularly hard-hit were the children, of which six come together in this juncture in history to adapt to a vastly revised world. 

A strange encounter in a sea cave forces them to confront new possibilities in their world, which changes these very different personalities and their relationships to one another. 

Lorelei, Tad, Casey, and others represent shifting viewpoints that tackle different challenges and perspectives. Readers will appreciate the evolution and promise of transformation and magic in their milieu, which helps overcome isolation and its powerful aftereffects. 

Coming, as it does, after the COVID lockdown, many teen readers will appreciate the special insights into isolation, emergence, and re-invention that Amethyst, the Shallows represents. 

The story is filled with evocative reflections unique to the seaside, whether it is an octopus discovery or the magic in colorful portents. The descriptive language Kellye Abernathy employs brings all these elements to vivid life: 

"A tingle of energy vibrates beneath his finger. Andy draws in his breath. The scene comes alive. Silver mist rolls away from the grove of great trees on a high shore; the ocean pounds, loud and strong; the salt air thickens with the smell of peat. In the tall trees, the circle of tiny lights twinkles in gem-hued colors as a sky-blue surfboard rises from the sea, carrying a dark-haired rider." 

As the plot moves from response and inevitability to the prediction and possibilities of change, teens will find, within Amethyst, the Shallows, a powerful saga of revitalized connections, survival tactics, and extraordinary times and talents. 

Libraries seeking stories that embrace mystery, discovery, and transformative growth will welcome the sometimes-surreal/always evocative tone that Amethyst, the Shallows cultivates, and will find it an excellent acquisition choice. 

Amethyst, the Shallows

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Avatars of Gaia, Secrets Beyond Earth
Charlotte Purine
Munchimonster
979-8-218-2993-5-4 
$24.75 Hardcover/$14.44 Paperback/$3.99 eBook/$11.11 Audiobook
Website: www.AvatarsOfGaia.com
Ordering: munchipower@aol.com 

Avatars of Gaia, Secrets Beyond Earth will appeal to middle-grade readers interested in fantasies steeped in fast-paced adventure and action. 

The opening lines of the story explain that the writer, Daisy Heart, has undertaken the "...Avatar of Gaia pledge to defend nature." A treasure map involves more than jewels and riches, but promises a different kind of perception of what defines wealth as the story evolves. 

An evil king set upon destroying the heart of the planet, the efforts of legendary Gaia warrior Daisy and her band of stalwart summer campers who embark on a mission to rescue a princess, the added involvement of ancient clans and secrets, modern-day mutants, technological threats, and the battles faced by the young Avatars of Gaia receive action-packed scenarios and descriptions. These will attract young readers interested in stories of ecological importance supercharged with powerful dialogues and underlying drama. 

The wry sense of humor embedded into these experiences may not be absorbed by some kids, but others will well appreciate Charlotte Purine's astute choice of words as disparate realms and species are discovered. 

Avatars of Gaia, Secrets Beyond Earth is an unusual, powerful saga replete in fantastic descriptions and action. It moves from pyramids to submarines, promising to attract young readers interested in a story that holds many unexpected twists and turns and proves nearly impossible to put down. 

Adults will find this saga of ecosystems under attack holds additional value for group discussions of underlying attitudes and efforts to support planetary health and life, making Avatars of Gaia, Secrets Beyond Earth more than an attractive adventure story alone. 

Avatars of Gaia, Secrets Beyond Earth

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Baseball Buddies: Building a Team
Aaron Derr
Red Chair Press
978-1643712840            $16.99 Hardcover/$9.99 ebook
www.redchairpress.com 

Young baseball fans ages 7-11 who look for fiction that is rooted both in the sport and in the team-building efforts it requires will find Baseball Buddies: Building a Team a compelling attraction. 

Aaron Derr focuses on the art and act of team-building, opening his story with the first day of baseball practice, when the team is in its infancy of cooperative growth. 

As the Manatees grow their team, the individual contributions and characters of its members come to light in a manner that also builds friendships, cooperative efforts, and assessments of strengths and weaknesses to contribute to the kids' bonding process. 

Derr illustrates how a seemingly disparate group can come together and how equally diverse personalities can contribute to the greater goal, whether they are "shy and quiet" or "loud and obnoxious." Of special note are illustrations of how each individual is viewed as a friend and respected by the others (even if they are sometimes 'obnoxious'). 

As the team interacts with individual members and players hone their skills and interpersonal relationships, both efforts contribute to a greater good that represents the power of playing baseball and melding diversity for optimum results. Whether the subject is the surprising evolution of a team captain like Luis, or a consideration of how even goof-offs can come together to achieve a goal, Baseball Buddies: Building a Team illustrates more than play-by-play baseball mechanics. 

Adults seeking a sports-oriented story that draws with both examples of playing process and psychological evolution will find Baseball Buddies: Building a Team an uplifting story of accepting differences, coming together, and learning the value of cooperation and competition. 

Libraries seeking lively, accessible reads for juveniles will welcome the opportunities presented in Baseball Buddies: Building a Team to introduce classroom and reading group discussion topics to fans of the sport. 

Baseball Buddies: Building a Team

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Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake
Christine Tussing
Mama Bear Books
978-1-960616-05-0                $15.95
https://mamabearbooks.com/books/detective-stan-the-crayon-man-the-missing-birthday-cake/ 

Picture book readers who enjoy stories of intrigue and discovery will find the action-packed Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake both fun and appealing. 

Izzy Bean's whimsical, colorful illustrations power a tale in which a glowing pink crayon indicates that ordinary Stan's persona as a detective is needed. 

Here, Stan learns that crayon Pretty Pink has a dilemma: the cake for Mellow Yellow's birthday has been stolen from the bakery. 

It's up to Stan to question everyone to piece together the clues about the fate of the missing cake—even those getting ready for Mellow Yellow's event, such as balloon organizer Groovy Green. Every crayon has an alibi, though, and Stan is frustrated in his investigation until clues based on color emerge to paint and save the day. 

Kids receive an elementary lesson in mixing colors as they follow Stan's mystery and efforts. Read-aloud adults looking for a different way of teaching and reinforcing colors and what occurs when they blend will find Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake a draw not only for its mystery, but for its ultimate education in color, couched in the drama and problem-solving efforts of a young detective. 

Libraries, educators, and parents seeking a fun tale that cooks up charm and insights will find Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake a delicious acquisition. 

Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake

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Eliza Jane Finds Her Hero
Eliza Kelley and Debra Whiting Alexander
Luminare Press
979-8-88679-325-3         $10.95 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
Website: www.debrawhitingalexander.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Eliza-Jane-Finds-Her-Hero/dp/B0CMTKXRTV 

Eliza Jane Finds Her Hero will appeal to young readers ages 6-14 with the evocative story of a girl with Tourette syndrome who strives to be a fearless superhero, and who one day transforms into "...someone she had only imagined she could be" with the help of an enchanting dog. 

All she's ever wanted was to be brave enough to "...hear the things she pretended not to. Things like, “It’s so strange the way she whistles, isn’t it?” and “Look at the way she hops. It’s not normal,” and “That girl needs to quit rolling her eyes. It’s weird.” 

All she needs to do is face her inner doubt, to become a superhero in her own right. 

Eliza Jane's story is co-authored between award-winning author Debra Whiting Alexander and her granddaughter.  

It captures not just insights about Tourettes, but the joys of animals, living life to its fullest, and cultivating kindness as Eliza lives with and embraces her feelings and courage. 

Black and white illustrations by Patricia Culwell and Jazlin Sobel pepper the story, adding fun embellishments to the tale of how Eliza steps into her superhero alter-ego, Tinklelocks, to address injustice and bullying. 

Thought-provoking wisdom and insights abound in this tale, whether it's the process of Eliza stepping into her strengths or the friendship she cultivates with Jacob: 

“You can’t expect yourself to be like anyone else—or them to be like you. That’s the fun part—don’t you know? Learning about each other’s differences makes life an adventure!” 

Young readers seeking an enthusiastic story rich in a blend of fantasy and real-world challenges will welcome the insights and interactions that make Eliza Jane Finds Her Hero a powerful study in contrasts, rich in superhero motivation and a passion for problem-solving. 

Eliza Jane Finds Her Hero

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Gugu Giraffe Goes Fishing
Auralee Arkinsly
Capture Books
978-1-951084-58-5               
$22.99 Hardcover/$14.99 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
www.CaptureMeBooks.com 

Gugu Giraffe Goes Fishing is a giraffe story that holds natural history insights about Botswana's wildlife. It tells of Gugu, a very tall giraffe whose neck is so long, he "...saw Botswana weaver birds in an acacia tree eye-to-eye." 

Auralee Arkinsly's vivid descriptions are enhanced by the fine ink and watercolors of Yolanda Van Heerden. Together, they capture Gugu's environment and the natural world of Botswana. Thus, the story will serve dual purposes as an introduction to Botswana and as the story of a kind giraffe whose actions consider others' needs around him: 

"One perky bird sang out, 'Gugu Giraffe, please eat around the other side of the sweet thorn tree so that we can nest in peace.' Gugu kindly meandered around the tree while his first stomach ruminated on leaves. Stomach parts two, three, and four churned on blossoms and seeds already eaten." 

Gugu receives lessons on understanding, tolerance, and kindness from elephants and others: 

"Gugu asked, 'Why do you rip the tree out of the ground, Mama Chidinma? Aww, why must you destroy it?'
Chidinma used her elephant trunk to feel Gugu’s neck. 'Halloo, Gugu! There you are. Why do you point out my weakness?  I tip trees to test my might. Unlike you, I am not tall enough to reach the branches...
'" 

The animals of the Okavango delta come to life and kids receive a powerful blend of geography, natural history, and curious discoveries as Gugu absorbs valuable lessons about the wild world around him. 

Libraries, educators, and young people seeking multifaceted picture books that embrace the drama of fiction and natural history will relish Gugu Giraffe Goes Fishing for its winning story of evolving friendships and understanding wild things. 

Gugu Giraffe Goes Fishing

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Lost Kingdom
Laurel Black
Stormeer Press
978-1-60842-425-2         $15.99 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Kingdom-Laurel-Black-ebook/dp/B0CBG5G5BN 

Lost Kingdom will appeal to teen and young adult fantasy readers with its story of Raven, who has been left for dead among the enemy. Devoid of both memories and magic, Raven only has a map tattooed on her body to provide her with clues to her past and purpose. 

But, it won't be enough to either save or define her. 

The story opens within the mines the Rathalans control and with the forces that keep the tribespeople's magic in check. The narrator observes the repression of a newbie introduced to this atmosphere—but it's been seven months, and she still harbors no memories of her past life. 

Her wise friend Hen rescued her early in her enslavement with tips for survival: “Keep your head down. Eyes to yourself. Don’t talk to anyone. That’s how you survive in this place. That’s how you help.” 

She succeeds in making an impossible escape and forms new alliances, but with the storm closely following on her heels, Raven is increasingly challenged to step into her lost memories and role. And so she accepts a stranger's help, even though it may prove the last alliance she should be making. 

Laurel Black crafts a riveting fantasy adventure immersed in action, encounters, and growth as Raven's journey dovetails with the objectives of warrior Jeddak, who believes that his own mission may benefit from their alliance. 

Both characters must face the fact that they may have chosen their connections unwisely, and are forced to confront their endless dreams, nightmares, and the consequences of a budding attraction that cannot survive ultimate betrayal and their separate special interests and missions. 

Lost Kingdom incorporates many moral and ethical quandaries as the characters struggle not just against oppressive forces, but matters of their own hearts, perspectives, and objectives. 

Young adults will find the blend of thought-provoking insights and action supercharged with depth and intrigue that keeps the story fast-paced, yet filled with reflective moments and unexpected surprises. 

Libraries that choose Lost Kingdom for its striking contrasts between friends who may be liars and those who may be truly supportive, and its swift fantasy action, will find the story highly attractive for its realistic setting, characters, and dilemmas which evolve both outside the kingdom and within. 

Lost Kingdom

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The Other Side of Together 
Emily Cox and Nicole Allen
Monster Ivy Publishing
978-1-955060-25-7         $17.99
www.monsterivy.com 

The Other Side of Together is a young adult story that will resonate with readers seeking realistic backdrops, characters, and scenarios that test the boundaries of cultural expectation and love. 

Mei Li and Marcus live around the corner from each other in San Francisco's Chinatown. Their lives are as different as one could get, with dissimilar objectives, threats, and insights. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have even met. Under standard conditions, their differences would be too great to portend any kind of friendship or union. 

But, chance and fate play a role in their lives, bringing them together in a manner that not only connects them, but threatens their disparate worlds. 

Emily Cox and Nicole Allen's moving story does not fit neatly into any preconceived category. Part romance, part suspense story, and holding dashes of cross-cultural and psychological revelation, The Other Side of Together examines the promises and prices of a perfect union which may be ill-suited, but represents the ultimate results of eighteen years of family influence and experience. 

As escape plans evolve and each character is tested, the story depicts the perfect union of love and disaster, tempered by a dose of extraordinary suspense and different possibilities as endings lead into new beginnings. 

Libraries seeking compelling sagas for young adults will find The Other Side of Together a gripping story that embraces many unexpected, thought-provoking twists and turns that most readers won't see coming, making it recommendable both for leisure reading and book club discussion circles. 

The Other Side of Together 

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SkyBlue
M.P. Halliday
Monster Ivy Publishing
978-1-955060-26-4         $18.99
www.monsterivy.com 

19-year-old Beatrice Tilney has refused to marry for money, preferring independence; but when her father dies and leaves his estate to a questionable business partner, Beatrice finds herself without means of support. She is forced to alter her perception of what independence really means—especially since her new guardian is intent on trapping her in marriage. 

"If death is a door, then it’s too easily opened." Beatrice finds that death also introduces her to new possibilities that she'd previously rejected as she considers the revised course of her life and choices. 

Beatrice's move from young adult into adult circles will especially appeal to mature teens making similar moves in their lives. 

From her surprising acquiescence to Mr. Dumas to powerful gifts that assure her mother and sister are looked after, Beatrice makes compromises while preserving some of her values and life. Striking descriptions detail these acknowledgements of what she must do in order to survive: 

"Gaston fastens around my neck a weave of gold and diamonds, dangling pearls and raw, uncut emeralds. A wish granted, the choker covers most of my neck, protecting me from unwanted touch.
'I want only to please you,' he says."
 

M.P. Halliday provides a lively story of the power struggles involved in being a wife while simultaneously maintaining an iota of personal freedom. It's a feminist reinterpretation of the Bluebeard story which is also suitable for readers familiar with Bluebeard, who want to look at that story in a very different light. 

The many issues Beatrice faces as she lends to a moving story of survival that will give many a young adult reader food for thought. As Beatrice confronts the death of a former mistress and begins to realize the precariousness of her position, readers will be drawn into a story that is vividly rendered in first-person immediacy. 

The mystery that evolves around the truth about Beatrice's new choices will capture attention even as the emotional components of her growth make for a thoroughly absorbing story. 

Libraries interested in acquiring tales of love, intrigue, and growth for teens on the cusp of adulthood will find SkyBlue enthralling and especially recommendable for book club discussion groups considering women's choices and strengths.

SkyBlue

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Some Must Die
Angie D. Comer
Independently Published
979-8871775189
            $17.99 Paperback/$7.99 eBook
Website: www.angiedcomer.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Some-Must-Die-Angie-Comer/dp/B0CQNGY5PP 

In Some Must Die, twelve-year-old Leslie Jenkins is seemingly an ordinary girl living an ordinary life with her mother in Tupelo, Mississippi until one day everything changes. 

Her father is getting help for his drinking problem and abusive ways. She and her mother are navigating a new life without him when a morning knock at the door reveals not him, but a strange girl seeking help. 

From then on, Leslie's young life spirals as high schooler Bonnie entices her to do something she's always been warned against and her mother Vanessa comes home to an empty new reality. 

Angie D. Comer leads readers into an emotionally compelling thriller as mother, daughter and other parents and children enter into a deeper, more dangerous milieu in which God and parental overseeing don't seem to affect dangerous circumstances and potentially deadly outcomes. 

Powered by the dual narratives of Leslie, her mother, and others who share alternating viewpoints as mystery and danger unfold, the story becomes a compelling specter of survival and angst as various characters come together unexpectedly and reflect on the mechanisms which led them to survive, albeit in seemingly impossible ways. 

Trigger subjects from abuse to torture may cause more sensitive minds to look elsewhere, but Comer's powerful manner of juxtaposition of subjects ranging from animal testing to spiritual revelation and psychological struggle translates to a story filled with twists and turns that are well worth any angst over potentially mind-boggling events. 

All characters face difficult choices between darkness and doing good. The choices aren't necessarily presented in black and white, which confirms to the daily reality faced by everyone as life unfolds. 

Worlds die as new possibilities loom, families come together and split apart in the wake of new realities, and themes ranging from traditional notions of what makes a family and deep connections are considered and challenged as a world unfolds which is much like modern times, yet arrives with surprising twists that indicates its progression is anything but familiar. 

All this and the level of intrigue and possibility that permeate events make Some Must Die a compelling consideration of darkness, light, and issues of greater good that will not only pique libraries interested in acquisitions that transcend the usual definitions of 'mystery', 'thriller', or 'psychological novel,' but provides a host of intriguing subjects for book club discussion groups.

Some Must Die

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