July 2023 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature
Mystery & Thrillers
20 Moon Road: An
Angel's Tale
Jody Sharpe
Independently
Published
9780988562042
$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Angels-Tale-Mystic-Book-ebook/dp/B09W75ZMNC
20 Moon Road: An Angel's Tale adds the
fifth book to Jody Sharpe's
cozy urban fantasy series, continuing the theme of kindness,
transformation,
and interactions between angels and humans which formed the foundations
of
prior Mystic Bay stories.
Here, a wide
cast of
characters (and their animal companions) explore their relationships,
town, and
beliefs in a story that opens with the ongoing friendship between
Madame Norma,
the town's psychic, and the angel narrator, who knows that their
friendship
ties are enduring and will remain strong even after death:
"Madam Norma was the oldest and wisest psychic in
town. Before she
went to heaven over two years ago, she was my best earthly friend. Now
that she
is in the heavenly realm, our friendship still remains strong. Her
spirit
appears as she floats before me and she is young again, as all are who
go to
heaven."
From angelic
community
programs and interpersonal relationships to the history of a town that
embodies
God's promises and reflects a prosperity that comes from spiritual
connections,
Sharpe creates a compelling story powered by a writer's reflections of
his
town's characters and world and Madame Norma's thoughtful, ongoing
influences
on those who reside there.
Do angels
come to
children with special needs? In Mystic Bay, they do. As the truth
emerges about
the town's makeup, history, and mission, readers become immersed in a
spiritual
story of angels and beliefs that drive positive changes and kindness in
the
world and spread beyond the small town of angels:
"The world now knows of the children’s sightings.
It’s given
believers more hope. It certainly has given all of us in our small town
hope
and more heart. We are trying to do the work of angels by helping
others,
volunteering, fostering and adopting children and taking care to rescue
animals
in need.”
Sharpe's
Mystic Bay
series embodies hope, belief, the power of conviction and angel
influences, and
the acts of kindness that lead humanity on a better, gentler path.
20 Moon Road's revelations of
relationships with Madame Norma that
changed lives and transformed beliefs through documented angel
sightings by
special needs children makes for a warm tale of revelation and
discovery that
explores guardian angels, lasting legacies, and blessings.
Libraries
and readers
looking for blends of fantasy and spiritual examination will welcome
the Mystic
Bay series as a whole and this latest addition in particular, which
expands the
nature, purposes, and insights of Mystic Bay upon the larger world
outside its
borders.
Return to Index
Combining
Both Worlds
Kim Cousins
Resource
Publications, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
978-1-6667-6778-0
$33.00
amazon.com/author/educa8
Combining Both Worlds presents the third
book in the Clashing
Kingdoms series, and is especially recommended for prior followers.
This
audience will find the events, characters, and Christian themes further
developed in a story replete with vivid action from the very beginning.
Here, a
"tigress-of-a-woman" is giving birth to a daughter when an earthquake
of a different nature rips through the fabric of their lives.
As the story
evolves,
it turns out that the continuing earth tremors aren't the only things
affecting
the community of families and survivors. Also alive and fluid are
movements to
leave and bring God's word into the greater world:
“I feel like I need to tell people about Jesus
while there’s still time
to find him.”
Still shaken by the invisible army, Caleb asked, “Is Jesus gonna hide
somewhere?”
Miah looked at him, saddened.
“No. People’s
hearts will grow so
hard, so cold, they won’t seek Jesus anymore.
Jesus won’t shut the door.
People
will.”
Christian
readers who
have appreciated the presence of miracles and transformation in the
previous
books in the Clashing Kingdoms series will find that Combining
Both Worlds unfolds a greater plan, depicting an ongoing
war between Satan and God which plays out not just in communities, but
in the
hearts and minds of men.
Here, the
battlefield
is not just physical, but mental and spiritual as the characters face
struggles
presented on different levels connected by an undercurrent of meaning
that
requires slow absorption of the events. Cousins is particularly adept
at
capturing the interplay between physical and mental changes, employing
a
descriptive voice that both cements environment and connects it to the
shifting
internal and external worlds the characters face:
"The Smoky Mountains seemed more scrunched
together, like the
folds in a closed accordion. This
folding made their course more strenuous because their path became a
relentless
sequence of steep inclines and descents..."
The journey
is not
conducted on a singular level, but is carried out over a period of time
and
place that embraces encounters with angels and cements its themes and
progression with many footnoted Biblical references:
The guardian angel smiled at Juan but addressed the
three humans beside
Juan. “How may I
help you, Sons of
Adam?”
The three men shuttered. Juan
jabbed Miah in the ribs. Miah
gulped
then said, “I don’t know what to say.
We’re men of unclean lips, living among people of unclean
lips.”
Christian
readers who
have both Biblical background and familiarity with the prior books in
this
series will find the blend of action and contemplative reaction in Combining Both Worlds to be an exquisite
study in God's promises and the intersections of humanity and spiritual
realms.
Operating as
a
quasi-fantasy and a story of revelation and growth, Combining
Both Worlds is highly recommended for Christian libraries
and fans of the previous series titles that will discover in this story
of the
end of days a promise of new spiritual beginnings.
Return to Index
Earth's Ecocide: Desperation 2647
David A. Collier
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-865-8
$16.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Earth's Ecocide:
Desperation 2647 will appeal to climate change and
apocalyptic sci-fi
readers and libraries looking for broader subjects than climate change
and
social destruction alone. It opens a series replete with action as
seventeen-year-old Livia navigates a world of global temperature
increases and
the rising threat and promise of AI.
As Livia interacts with both, her world comes to
life.
David A. Collier injects the explanations, insights, and revelations
that keep
the story logical and involving, from AI explorations to Livia's own
charge to
stay alive and build a life against all odds:
"Kutter recognized Nila’s
emotional
module wasn’t developed enough that she could experience strong human
emotions
like hate or love. Nor did she perceive the danger of his military
deployment.
Service was her primary mission, but she gathered human vocal cues,
such as
anger or sadness, through her biological signaling subroutines. She
knew that
when Kutter told her to protect his mother and sister, he meant it."
As the struggle to become (or remain) human unfolds
against
the backdrop of world-changing events, teen to adult readers become
thoroughly
immersed in the revised stakes of navigating a world well on course for
environmental destruction and human extinction.
Livia faces as many dangerous situations from her
fellow
human beings as she does the climate change and AI forces at work in
her world.
Having longed for freedom, she discovers, after only three days, that
such
comes with a deadly portent of the revised reality of a disintegrating
world.
Without the military forces that usually protect
her, Livia
is alone ... except for the strange blue orb that appears to save her,
and
which holds its own game plan for the future of Livia and her family.
Collier juxtaposes action with believable
technological
backdrops in this futuristic world. His attention to revealing this
world
through Livia's experiences, choices, and training creates a "you are
here" feel to events that unfold to test her education and emotional
responses.
Twists and turns are introduced that many won't see
coming,
adding intrigue and surprise as Livia navigates not only the well-known
aspects
of her sheltered life, but the less familiar challenges that exist
outside her
perceptions.
Libraries and readers might initially deem Earth's Ecocide: Desperation 2647 a teen
sci-fi read, or a work of ecological apocalypse alone. But there is so
much
more happening here that the story is highly recommended for sci-fi
readers of
any age who would contemplate and discuss a scenario in which reality
itself is
on the chopping block.
Its tension, twists, and thought-provoking
surprises makes
for a thoroughly engrossing story.
Return to Index
Echo of the Evercry
E. J. Dawson
Literary Wanderlust
978-1-956615-16-6
$15.99
paper/5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Echo-Evercry-J-Dawson-ebook/dp/B0BWVCV8NF
In most scenarios, the ability to kill would be
considered
a detriment. But in Echo of the Evercry,
it's an attribute sadly lacking in the sisterhood that Larissa is
involved with, which is charged with hunting down corrupt sorcerers who
have
fallen to the Evercry and slaying them.
In this milieu, magic is something to be quashed.
And
Larissa's big secret is that she is not only drawn to it, but feels
just as
compelled to engage with and wield it as the sorcerers she's supposed
to hate.
The Evercry was an evil force that employed dark
magic
before it was vanquished. The history that binds this present-day
perception
and logic is impeccably explained from the start:
"Any who apply themselves can learn to
bend the
world to their will, but magic holds within its heart the same darkness
and
chaos as the Evercry once did. Power begets power, and through these
human
vessels, slivers of the Evercry find a home. Insinuating itself like
weeds
through farmland, the Evercry’s appearances are subtle, but infect the
unwary
fields of humanity until the blight is too well rooted to be removed
with
anything other than death."
Larissa has well learned these lessons at her
mother's
knee, and is set to walk in those some precedents when her mother is
called by
the Fair Lady to slay her own foe. A daughter's duty to grow up to hear
the
Evercry and slay her own knight is thus dictated by lesson and
tradition, but
defied by her own heart, which encourages a very different path.
The specter of a world governed by darkness and
powerful
women who are trained to come into their powers by killing foes is
nothing new;
but what is delightfully original here are the twists E. J. Dawson
employs as
shades of gray are injected into a world seemingly clear about goodness
and
evil forces.
These come to fruition and are represented in
Larissa as
she interacts with fellow Fair Lady sisters, confronting the
dichotomies that
govern her life and choices and defying the history and training she's
always
viewed as a given:
"They didn’t even know who
they were
running from. No, that was a lie. Their enemy, the one responsible for
this
attack, was whomever her mother was fighting. The Evervast."
As Larissa and her band face the strongest Evercry
ever
known, she summons the courage to not only confront it, but challenge
herself
and her companions in unexpected ways.
Larissa's growth, self-realizations, and
considerations of
the real roots and impact of magic and power in the world explores her
changing
role and reinterpretation of the history that has been handed down in
the
world. Ironically (and relatively unique to this story), Larissa's
choices
ripple out to affect her companions in unexpected ways as they reassess
their
own beliefs, actions, and ability to support their sister against both
traditional and unconventional foes.
These types of revelations, in which not just
protagonist
but the circles around her are transformed, make for an unusually
evocative
read which blends sword-and-sorcery action with equally powerful
depictions of
interpersonal relationships and revelations that rock the world. The
interactive nature of the characters as they intersect is as much a
draw as
protagonist Larissa's process of self-discovery.
Libraries and readers that choose Echo
of the Evercry will discover its wide-ranging themes of
transformation and revised perceptions about good and evil, friendship
and
support, and power struggles lend to thought-provoking moments that
create the
foundations for lively book club discussions, as well.
Return to Index
The Surreal Adventures of
Anthony Zen
Cameron A. Straughan
Kadath Press
978-0-9686981-1-2
$8.00
Paper/$5.99 ebook
Website: www.cameronstraughan.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088LQF344
The
Surreal
Adventures of Anthony Zen is a study in satire and humor that
enters the
fantasy realm with the bang of a nightmare and a life that teeters on
the
mundane until a series of events transforms it.
Anthony Zen is not one for
adventuring—except in his
dreams. Getting up, going to work, and living with a Buddha-like cat is
plenty
for him, until irony and impossibilities begin to plague his life and
movements:
"Running
along, he became increasingly aware of the sound of hooves behind him.
Turning
quickly, he encountered a large giraffe, following him closely. He
didn’t know
what business the giraffe had on that side of town. Quite frankly, he
found the
situation rather startling. After all, the entire area had been
designated a
‘Giraffe-free Zone’, following the brutal mauling of a young
wheel-chair bound
boy by an LSD-induced escapee from a giraffe retirement home. It only
takes one
bad giraffe to ruin it for all the others..."
As amazing surreal
encounters build, Anthony finds that
his world becomes one of struggles, whether it be with a hippo
policeman, a
frustrated wise man who refuses to help Boy Scouts in trouble, or
scenarios
that test Anthony's ability to lead a staid, quiet life:
“Do
you have a
telephone I could use?” he hollered back, hoping to be heard. “I would
like to
call my parents and let them know where I am.”
“No, I don’t have a
telephone!” the wise man screeched.
“What the hell do
you think I’m running up here - a fish factory?”
The ancient wise
man turned to Anthony. “It used to be real nice and quiet up here,
until I
wanted to get this house built. Now these damn kids
are bugging me all the time and I’ve just about …”
Readers interested in
unpredictable stories filled with
thrills, spills, cheers, and surprising intersections of fantasy and
reality
will find The Surreal Adventures of
Anthony Zen an attraction that keeps its momentum
supercharged by fun
encounters.
Those who have come to feel
that humorous stories too
often sound alike will especially appreciate the vivid scenes and
confrontations that evolve here:
"Falling
to
his knees, he desperately tried to remove the sticky blueberry filling
from the
front of his ‘I Killed Your Mum’ t-shirt. The other gang members leaped
up in a
mixed state of fear, amazement and sobriety, because they suddenly
realized that
marijuana had yet to be legalized; however, they were also rather
shaken by
Anthony’s sudden show of force."
The result is hilarious,
eye-opening, thoroughly
unpredictable, and embellished with a wry sense of social and
psychological
observation and wonder that keeps readers laughing and thoroughly
engaged.
Libraries looking for
out-of-the-box fantasy and humor
blends will find no better choice than The
Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen's solid and special brand
of rollicking
adventure that represents escapist reading at its finest.
Return to Index
Town of
Angels
Christmas
Jody Sharpe
Independently
Published
978-0988562028
$9.00 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Town-Angels-Christmas-Animal-Rescue/dp/0988562022
While the
fourth book
in Jody Sharpe's Mystic Bay series should ideally be read by those who
have
enjoyed the prior books, this should not be considered a prerequisite
for
newcomers, who will find this urban fantasy story of holiday secrets to
be
compelling and freshly original.
The premise
involves
a town in California that is inhabited by angels, but opens with the
new
mission of Angel Kenneth Heart, charged with helping a homeless man in
San
Francisco. He can do this by transporting Walt to Bay Star Shelter in
Mystic
Bay, where he volunteers. There's more going on than an angel's do-good
mission, however, because Mystic Bay also keeps its secret angels
close, but
faces changes and threats of exposure even as more need arrives in the
form of
horses that need rescuing before Christmas.
Jody Sharpe
unfolds a
wonderful saga that cements its plot with a first-person reflective
story that
builds the backdrop of Mystic bay in a seamless, compelling manner: "We angels let the humans live their
lives and choose their days. We are just here living as humans
experiencing
friendship, and family life, guiding with the gentleness of
persuasions. Once
we come down to live as humans, we grow old with the rest of the folk.
I guess
I’m about forty something in human years, but over four hundred in
angel
years."
The ways
angels move,
operate, and help are profiled in a gentle story of secrets that must
be kept
at all costs, efforts that must be fostered towards man and animal
alike, and
challenges faced by guardian angels who find their missions more
complicated
than one would expect.
The
intersection of
mystique and kindness evident throughout angel Ken's moves and the
special
interests of those who swirl around him creates a moving story that is
especially perfect for holiday reading and filled with memorable
moments:
“Listen, you are the finest man I have ever known
in my life. Knowing
you are an angel would help me get through my life and it would be a
secret I
would keep. I swear.” Klaus looks at me with tears in his eyes.
Thankfully my
composure comes. The Lord gives me the words.
“If I’m an angel, then I’m only an angel to some. It’s an honor to me
you think of me as an angel.
“Thank You.”
It matters
not if the
reader is new to Jody Sharpe's magic or the allure of previous Mystic
Bay books
or is a prior fan. Both audiences will become immersed in the missions
of
angels and men and in the town that is a focal point for harboring
kindness,
discovery, and revelations of a spiritual and social nature.
Libraries
and readers
looking for cozy urban fantasy reading and inviting stories of
kindness,
miracles, and God's work will find Town
of Angels Christmas a fine invitation to consider the actions
and efforts
that transform lives, whether they be human or animal.
Return to Index
The Yawning Gap
C.V. Vobh
Thuban Books
978-1-961425-01-9
$14.99
paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: www.vobhbooks.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5YVHWG7
When
COVID
began, some months into the worldwide pandemic it was revealed that
some very
isolated vacationers out of touch with civilization had re-entered the
world to
find it in the grip of an unfathomable experience. Similar
circumstances affect
an entire village in the epic fantasy The
Yawning Gap, in which Cor Volucre's home has been isolated
from influences
outside the wall which has surrounded it for centuries.
Unlike
other
books about isolation and discovery, Cor never intended to venture
beyond the
boundaries of his home. It was an accident ... one which portends
resonating
changes as a result. Cor's mother has long set him up for believing he
is
special, and that one day his actions would change the world; but as
time
passed, he grew less certain that he was destined for something great.
Now he
stands on the cusp of his mother's vision for his future.
The
first book
in the Wanderers Cycle follows his stumble into this destiny and
strengths as
Cor discovers bigger picture thinking about his village's place in an
artificially divided world whose boundaries are in similar flux to his
own.
C.V.
Vobh writes
with a vivid hand as Cor and companion Brayleigh Mirin tap the "fires
of
youth" to encounter powerful tyrants, kings, and opportunities for
salvation not only of kingdoms, but their own roles in a vastly revised
worldview.
The
entire
fragmented world is in decline, and only those who wander (such as Cor
and his
odd troupe of friends) hold the potential to save it.
Cor's
discoveries about his place in the greater scheme of events takes
center stage
in a story about a boy coming into his own and confronting the nature
of
reality.
Vobh
provides
lyrical and compelling descriptions as characters confront forces of
good,
evil, and world-building or destroying entities. A misguided quest for
"true equality" becomes an attempt of folly in attempting to level a
playing field that disintegrates without the Elements' opportunities
for
'unjust' and inequitable benefit.
The
result is a
powerful saga of realization, growth, and confrontation that keeps Cor
and his
band of adventurers (and their readers) on their toes and thoroughly
engaged in
a story that sports an unpredictable outcome.
Libraries and
readers seeking epic fantasy introduction that juxtaposes not just
action and
tension, but character discoveries about the effects of their isolation
and
persistence in unraveling new opportunities will find The
Yawning Gap compelling and commendable not just for its
action
and intriguing twists, but for a special brand of world inspection that
brings
with it new opportunities for transforming reality itself.
Return to Index
Fast Fiction
Volume
2: Man vs. Machine
Scotty Cornfield
Flagstone Press
ASIN: B0C3BGX6S5
$10.49 ebook/$15.95 paper
Website: www.scottycornfield.com
Ordering: https://tinyurl.com/9unxrswn
Just how
much can be
written in 101 words? A lot, as Scotty Cornfield proved in his original
Fast Fiction and here, again, in
companion volume Fast Fiction Volume 2:
Man vs. Machine. Both books pay tribute to the fact that not
only can a
story be well-developed in merely 101 words, but that prompts from
others can
set off a chain reaction of creativity plumbing the wellspring of
originality
to come up with circumstances and tales well worth reading.
Perhaps at
no other
time in human history does the fast fiction form feel so compelling and
necessary. Given the time (and, often, literary) constraints of modern
readers,
fast fiction lends particularly well to quick reading and long-term,
thought-provoking digestion. The breadth of themes and inspections in
this
second book expands the novel idea and incarnation of fast fiction,
inviting
both literary and general-interest audiences to imbibe in a rich, heady
brew of
diverse experiences.
Cornfield
wrote 75
flash fiction stories for this collection, then took the same prompts
he used
to write his original tales and fed them into AI systems ChatGPT and
Google
Bard to see what computer-generated stories looked like. Humans like to
have
the last word, so he produced a 76th story that departs from the
inspirational
steam of prompt-generated flash stories to sum up the collection's 'man
versus
machine' duel.
An
introductory
explanation not only reveals the birth of this collection's core
concept, but
cements the idea that, in this gathering, human-authored stories are
presented
alongside AI-created fast fiction. The separation between man and
machine is clarified
by a change in font and the AI author in parenthesis, representing a
unique collaboration
between man and machine that profiles both the strengths and drawbacks
to
AI-generated literature.
The contrast
in
approaches opens with the Cornfield-generated "Don't Let the Sweet Name
Fool You" and its AI version, "The Minimalist Funeral."
Creative
writing courses
focusing on the question of what makes writing human will find plenty
to digest
throughout the collection through such contrasts. In this case, the
theme of a
"bad-ass" mortician whose jokes about death lead to a stunning
revelation in "Sweet Name" take on a different feel in the
AI-generated story "Minimalist," in which a deceased's macabre sense
of humor spills over from death to educate the living.
Both stories
were
created from the prompt "less is morgue," but the very different
threads demonstrate how one prompt can, under different hands (or, in
this
case, machinery) lead to very different scenarios. Both incorporate
ironic
humor, but each story contains provocative messages that are driven
home in 101
words and the space of virtually a moment or two of reading.
Another
intriguing
contrast is created in the juxtaposition of "Another Family Teachable
Moment" with the AI-created "Perhaps Not the Best Idea," both
prompted by a single word: "Perhaps." These very different stories of
possibility and vision again excel in the unexpected as they explore
possibility
in very different ways.
As these
connected
prompts unfold between man and machine, a battle of wits and creative
responses
to words evolves that will prove especially enlightening discussion
material
for any classroom (high school on up) interested in exploring the
wellsprings
of reaction, intuition, and the scenarios and approaches that
differentiate
human reactions from machine-generated words.
Or, is there
a
difference?
You decide.
After
all, you're the reader ... and you're only human. Or, are you?
In a
nutshell, Fast Fiction Volume 2: Man vs.
Machine's
prompt-generated, word-driven art is flawlessly compelling and highly
recommended for a wide audience, from literary and creative writing
students to
general-interest readers who may have little time, but great interest
in
inquiring, thought-provoking, surprisingly disparate short fiction
scenarios.
Libraries
and readers
searching for powerful examples of what the short form can do, how
prompts can
tap underlying creative responses, and what differentiates the
approaches of
man and machine will find much food for thought and discussion in Fast Fiction Volume 2: Man vs. Machine.
Return to Index
Ichhamoti
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
Translator: Chhanda Chattopadhyay Bewtra
Parabaas
978-1-946582-38-6
$34.95
Publisher: https://parabaas.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946582387
Literary readers interested
in Indian literature in
general and portraits of Bengali rural life in particular will find Ichhamoti a powerfully rendered
exploration of caste, social order, and historical events that take
place in
the second half of the 19th century.
This is an era fraught with
new inventions, political
turbulence, and revised possibilities as rural villagers face the
influence of
the British empire on their lives and the social and political currents
that
buffet their future potential.
The Ichhamoti is a small
river that flows through the
Jessore district and eventually empties into the Bay of Bengal.
Bibhutibhushan
Bandyopadhyay's ability to capture the
nature of the driving force of its story embeds his novel with a vivid
"you are here" feel that requires no prior familiarity with Bengali
atmosphere or people in order to prove compelling:
"Suppose
you
take a boat from the quays in Morighata or Bajitpur and sail straight
onto
Chanduria Ghat. As you travel, you will see the two banks lined with
red palte madar flowers,
wild bonyeburo, clusters of
water lettuce
and the bright yellow flowers of wild tithpalla.
Ancient banyan and pipal trees loom over the high banks, with bamboo
groves and
shadowy clusters of uluti, bachra, and boinchi
peeking around them. The nesting holes of bank mynahs
look out of frames of dainty little vines and climbers. You won’t see
many
houses on the riverbanks. Instead, you’ll find soft green grasslands,
empty
sandy banks, shrubs bright with wildflowers and forests filled with
chirping
birds."
The time taken to create the
foundations of this special
place and time is also reflected in depictions of the people of this
region,
their dialogues and interactions, and their concerns about everyday
life, as
well as their futures.
Bandyopadhyay laces his
descriptions and encounters with
the force of growth, realizations, and relationships that experience
the
turbulence of change. This leads to such disparate events as the task
of hiding
bodies, spiritual lessons passed from father to son, and the political
and
economic choices that involve an indigo plantation's survival or demise
and its
lasting impact on villagers who depend on its existence.
The presence of these relics
of yesteryear in daily lives
is well-described and revealing:
"The
mansion’s
rooms remained as full of large, heavy furniture as ever; the Bengal
Indigo
Concern had sold those along with the building and pocketed the money.
Sure,
the plantation had sold for a pittance, but what villager could buy a
mansion
full of fancy furniture at its actual value? Sending the pieces
elsewhere was
too expensive and too much work to organize. So, the furniture had been
left as
it was."
From its depictions of
wealth and power to poverty and
spiritual revelations, Ichhamoti is
a
force to be reckoned with. Its epic contrasts between the lives of
humans and
the nature that coexists peacefully alongside, powered by the
Ichhamoti, which
"rules the area with a firm, kind hand," makes for engrossing reading
that's compellingly enlightening.
Libraries and readers
attracted to epic Indian literature
will find Ichhamoti a historical
novel whose literary attractions are many. It deserves profile in any
definitive literature collection featuring Indian backdrops, and in
book club
discussion groups about Bengali experiences.
Return to Index
Loverless
Love:
Stories
Christopher Guerin
Amika Press
978-1-956872-67-5
Kindle, $5.95;
Hardcover, $22.95; Paperback, $15.95
Website: www.amikapress.com
https://www.amazon.com/Loverless-Love-Stories-Christopher-Guerin/dp/1956872671
Loverless Love: Stories consists of
seventeen stories that focus on
American love experiences over a period of fifty years. As Christopher
Guerin
traverses these landscapes of intimacy, readers gain insights into the
connections between sex, romance, and exploitation that emerge from
clashes and
character realizations.
Take the
opening
story 'Loverless Love,' for example. The successful Midwestern
orchestra's
marketing director meets enigmatic, rude business consultant Tina
Hawthrone,
whose brisk methodology includes an invitation for Daniel to meet at
11PM in
her room to discuss music marketing strategies.
Tina's
invitation to
conduct business later that night feels strange to him, but the real
oddness
comes from her ability to continually mix up their appointments, then
pin the
blame on him. Daniel is not new to relationship subterfuge, but Tina's
ability
to constantly sweep him off his feet with twists of intention and blame
make
him vulnerable to her odd approaches and needs, which include the habit
of
sleeping alongside a man without engaging in sex.
As the story
unfolds,
readers might anticipate that the next stories will evolve in the same
vein—but
they'd be wrong. One of the hallmarks of Loverless
Love is its diversity and ability to present very different
sexual
scenarios, motivations, and psychological insights in each of its
scenarios.
The tales
thus assume
a cloak of disparity and unexpected sexual and psychological
revelations which
will prove satisfyingly thought-provoking to readers looking for
literary,
social, and psychological inspections that embrace irony, satire, and
sexual
revelations.
In contrast
to the
title story, for example, is 'Peaches,' about a relationship that
develops from
the roots of love, but which also serves as a convenient cover for a
job with a
shadowy government agency.
Aaron's
involvement
with Peaches also represents an enigma—but of quite a different ilk
than
Daniel's experience with Tina in the title story.
Aaron finds
that
Peaches idolizes the women who appear to represent "a woman, and a
warrior." A question about what women are attracted to in a man becomes
a
probe into what promiscuous women are really seeking:
“What the woman wants is love.”
“Now you’re being contradictory.”
“No. Just a little love.
Loose women require revenge, which is what promiscuity is all about.
I’m not
talking the big ‘L,’—just enough love so that she can walk away knowing
the
poor dope has been hurt, if just a little bit.”
Some of the
themes in
the title story intersect with this, such as business pursuits that
shadow the
relationship's evolution. But Guerin injects the sexual and
psychological
overtones that change this pursuit, once again, into a raw story of a
vivid
woman who "sees things that other people don't," and whose
manipulation leads to a dangerous form of attraction.
Each story
is replete
in a different form of angst and inspection of love that contrasts
obsessions,
grace, and romance in unexpected ways.
Libraries
and readers
looking for literary and psychological contrasts in approaches to love,
strong
women who well know what they want (often leading men into dangerous
scenarios
and sexual play), and enlightening tales about manipulation, control,
and
assumptions in conventional and unconventional romantic entanglements
will find
Loverless Love: Stories appealing.
Book clubs, especially, will consider its inspections and contrasts of
relationship quandaries worthy of discussion and debate.
Return to Index
Foot Solider
in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Jeffrey Cooper
Independently
Published
979-8-3597-4012-8
$14.95
Paper/$9.95 ebook
Website: www.jeffreylcooper.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Foot-Soldier-Fourth-Industrial-Revolution/dp/B0BMSZLC45
It's rare to
see a
memoir that blends a technology history into autobiographical
experiences, but
Jeffrey Cooper's Foot Solider in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution is both, following his rise as a
high-tech
financial specialist and the concurrent developments that have led the
world to
embrace smart micro-devices in daily living.
The story
reviews
Cooper's childhood in the 1950s and 60s, following how he developed the
technical
prowess and special interests that would lead to his financial
management
career at GE and then at ASML, after he was downsized.
Cooper
maintained the
perspective that "some things are better left unsaid" while he
searched for control over his life. Foot
Solider in the Fourth Industrial Revolution challenges the
notion of unsaid
things and tells all—about his upbringing, his entry into high-tech
circles,
his evolution as a financial manager and as a person, and his constant
search
for jobs that would teach him beyond the high-tech finance skills he
developed.
His
reflections
mirror the upward momentum of technology in delightful ways: "Later in my career, I would reflect on
this job and think about how I had often worked with electronics in one
form or
another, as almost all high-tech industries were built on a foundation
of
electronics which became increasingly sophisticated over the years. I
would
think how interesting it was that my career followed the arc of the
maturation
and sophistication of electronics."
From new
product
development and technical specifications to navigating depression,
childrearing, and the changes that came from moving away from a life
partner,
Cooper adopts a candid assessment and voice that links his life and
choices to
social and technological evolutionary processes.
The result
is a
memoir that sparkles with personality, drive, and technological
history. The
story of how this era unfolded to impact participants active in
creating
widespread technological changes is fascinating, told with a depth and
perspective that is rarely seen in the memoir format.
Libraries
and readers
interested in engaging memoirs that link the changes of the 1960s
onward with
concurrent transition points in life will find Foot
Solider in the Fourth Industrial Revolution compelling not
just because of the era it covers, but because of its lively
exploration of how
a 'foot soldier' participated in this technological revolution,
challenging and
changing his own life in the process.
Return to Index
Reclamation
Lona Cook
Houndstooth Press
978-1544520353
$24.99
Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$6.99 ebook
Website: www.drlonacook.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Reclamation-Evolution-Mess-Lona-Cook/dp/1544520352
"This book is about bearing witness to your life
and reclaiming
what we all have at our core: a connection to this divine life that is
ready to
unfold. A life that is working for us,
sometimes in the weirdest situations and ways."
It literally
took a
gun in the ribs to spark realizations about author Lona Cook's life
trajectory,
described in her memoir of self-help Reclamation:
The Evolution of a Hot Mess. Her growth was not a singular
event, but a
process that actually began long before this pivot point was reached.
It
involved forward and backward movements as Cook considered the
spiritual and
psychological ramifications of making or resisting change.
Reclamation is the story of one door
closing and another
opening—that of awareness.
"Do
I
continue on to where I was going or turn back?"
This
question, which
arises after the life-changing moment in Costa Rica that almost ended
all
possibilities for change, is inherent throughout a process that Cook
explains
as being a growth opportunity:
"The holdup was part of a bigger message that my
life was off
course and I was actively forcing my life in the wrong direction. At
the time,
I didn’t know to look at this external event as a pause or opportunity
to wake
up. However, a change of direction was in store for me and beginning to
unfold.
What I didn’t know was I could go along with the new direction
willingly or
kicking and screaming."
The most
intriguing
parts of this memoir lie in its contrast between the "old" Lona's
reactions to life and the newly aware personality willing to consider
that odd
events and coincidences might be messages to consider or embrace change
and
revolutionary thinking.
As she
progresses through
new realizations about God, energy, and her place in the greater scheme
of
life, Cook begins to absorb the choices and flexibility involved in
accepting
new opportunities with newly awakened mind and heart.
This is not
a linear
or clear process. Her memoir candidly describes the back-and-forth
process of
confronting her ego, her beliefs, and her intentions with new awareness
and
responsibility.
From
learning to use
her voice more effectively in the world and speaking from the heart to
trying
to help loved ones who can't hear such messages, Reclamation
is both uplifting and gritty. It adopts a poignant
honesty that encourages readers to view their lives, beliefs, and
driving
motivations for relationships and choices in a different light.
By couching
her
advice within a memoir that surveys her awakening and its processes,
readers
interested in self-help and awareness receive many insights into the
pitfalls
and possibilities of cultivating a new perspective, than translating
that into
relationship and life choices.
Libraries
and readers
interested in self-help and awareness will be the target audience for Reclamation, but ideally it won't just
repose
on a library shelf. It should ideally become an active part of book
club,
psychology, self-help, and growth-oriented discussion groups interested
in
especially candid revelations about the process of growth and the
bigger
pictures involved in seeking transformation.
"This snapshot we have in our moment right now is
just one small
sliver of what is unfolding."
Return to Index
When the
Rivers
Flowed
Marilyn Layman
Mascaro
Warren Publishing
978-1-960146-17-5
$18.95
www.warrenpublishing.net
As a child,
Marilyn
Layman Mascaro listened to family stories told by her grandmother. When the Rivers Flowed: An Ambitious
Hillbilly And A Southern Flapper Discover Knoxville, Tennessee
seeps from
this foundation wellspring of knowledge to involve biography readers in
the
story of changing times in America, from the race riots of the 1920s to
life in
then-smaller-town Knoxville as it experienced sea changes in economics
and
social condition.
Readers
seeking
regional histories of cultural and social evolution in America could
find no
finer mirror of experience than Knoxville. Mascaro demonstrates this
with a
riveting blend of American history and local influence that brings
these times
and experiences to life through her family's history and involvements:
"On the job, his rural background often gave him an
advantage.
Sometimes Woodruff’s Hardware issued credit for relatively inexpensive
purchases, so its delinquent bill-payers could stem from the city’s
large
population of Appalachian migrants, whom Earl treated with kindness
instead of
disdain. He didn’t mind visiting the city’s shantytowns in order to
collect
payment. While navigating the narrow alleys and tenements, he accepted
the
residents’ mountain accents and could conjure up one himself."
Of
particular
interest are the contrasts in class and social status that influence
Earl and
Marie's relationship early on. These are reflective of both community
sentiments and the morals of the times:
"Clearly proud of his family’s holdings, Earl
assumed that Marie’s
family enjoyed a similar situation, if not better. Just as her
childhood
freckles had faded, so had traces of her hardscrabble origins. Stylish
and more
widely traveled than Earl, she displayed a lively mind and avid
interest in the
world. In the early twentieth century, however, accomplishments and
initiative
were commendable, but background and breeding really mattered. As an
ambitious
man who was aware of pervasive prejudice against Appalachian people,
Earl knew
that marrying well would increase his social standing. Marie knew her
background could thwart her desires as it had with her previous
boyfriend."
Readers who
would
better understand the history and culture of the South and the
political and
economic forces that shaped it should begin with the personal stories
narrated
and contrasted in When the Rivers Flowed.
Its ability to bring these times and influences to life makes
for a stroll
past newspaper headlines and into the lives of individuals who
navigated the
Great Depression and the social changes that buffeted their worlds.
The
resulting tale is
compelling, personalizing history with lives that both reflect and defy
some of
the influences of their times. Libraries seeking biographies of
proactive
individuals who both represent and depart from their Southern roots
will find When the Rivers Flowed a
powerful story
that belays any thought that Knoxville's history or lives are staid.
Return to Index
Flood of
Memories
Bonnie Oldre
Gatekeeper Press
978-1662936074
$15.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://bonnieoldre.com/
The second
book in
the Beth and Evie mystery series, Flood
of Memories, presents another mystery that draws Beth
Williams and her best
friend Evie Hanson into a murder involving a dead elderly woman, a
missing
will, and a painting that holds secrets.
Beth's
astute
observational skills mark her as an investigator with the unusual
ability to
connect the dots even as reality shifts:
“Each time Evie and I have gone into her house,
these past couple of
weeks, something different was going on with the painting. First, it
was gone.
We could see a darker spot on the wall where it had been hanging. I
sort of
remembered it being there, though I never paid much attention to it.
Then, when
we went to pack up her books, it was hanging there again. But the next
time we
saw it, it looked like a slightly different painting.”
Evie's
research
reveals clues that lead Beth and her friend on an unexpected journey
through
history, special interests, and a secret worth killing for.
Readers who
enjoy
art-based intrigue will especially appreciate this story's progression
through
the art world as Beth and Evie find themselves off balance and immersed
in
artistic realms well outside of their areas of expertise.
Bonnie Oldre
steeps
her mystery in the culture and aura of 1960s Minnesota, juxtaposing the
changing milieu of Davidson City with clues that bring together
historical and
modern conundrums.
Readers thus
receive
a story nicely steeped in a sense of place, times, and purpose. All
these
elements add to the growing tension and intrigue that lead Beth, Evie,
and
their readers into a mystery replete with dangerous confrontations and
eye-opening developments.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a cozy mystery atmosphere replete with intrigue, powered by
amateur
female sleuths who employ every deductive reasoning device available to
arrive
at the truth, will find Flood of Memories
a fine expansion of the characters in the prior Silent
Winter Solstice, who continue to evolve their skills and
solidify their community connections here.
Return to Index
The Girl Who
Knew Death
Norm Harris
The Wild Rose
Press, Inc.
978-1-5092-4231-3
$11.66
Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Spider-Green-Mystery-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09SVF6XVJ
The fourth book in the
Spider Green Mystery Thriller
series, The
Girl Who Knew Death,
requires no familiarity with its predecessors in order to prove
engrossing,
although readers who come from the prior events will note that Fay
continues to
evolve and grow from her experiences.
Here, Kat, who was rescued
by Fay and is her adopted
daughter, must face her destiny and is just coming of age into her role
as a
princess when she is thrown into an Egyptian prison. Katrinka
manages to escape with the help of young Latina American
Embassy Guard, Marine Corporal Lopez, forcing Fay to once
again navigate
stormy international waters in an effort to save her.
The angel of death
claims Lopez’s soul early in the story, when she falls asleep in the
taxi—but
this is not the end of her involvement. Lopez's death has a purpose
that
involves Fay's life and Katrinka's deal with the devil. As more
characters discover
Lopez's real identity and mission, a struggle between mortal souls and
angels
ensues.
As Katrinka finds herself in
flight, she and Fay also
attract the attention of demon Mazikim, who introduces further
confrontations
and impossible dilemmas as the two women struggle towards freedom and
an
elusive truth that will change their lives and relationship yet again.
Like its predecessors, The Girl Who Knew Death excels in the
fast-paced action,
unpredictable twists, and injections of extraordinary encounters that
are the
trademark of author Norm Harris's special brand of female-driven
thrillers.
The foray into paranormal
suspense realms is even more
developed in this latest venture, which will prove seamless to prior
readers of
the series and delightfully surprising to newcomers who might have
anticipated
a thriller platform alone.
These women are power points
in their own right. Far from
being a delicate princess, as one might expect from her looming title,
Kat's
clever strengths are acknowledged as being equal to Fay's abilities: “Lady Katrinka is what Sasha said. She is a
tough, intimidating, and uncompromising badass. And she did escape from
prison
using only a pen.”
As Kat steps into her roles
as adopted daughter, a
Russian military agent, and an uncommon friend of Azrael, the Angel of
Death,
readers receive a powerful story that weaves elements of time travel
and
paranormal encounters into the center of the international intrigue
that powers
the plot.
Libraries and readers
seeking thrillers that dance on the
edge of genre boundaries with tantalizing forays into unpredictable
realms that
defy logic and ordinary life progression will find The
Girl Who Knew Death continues to expand the series as a
whole,
but stands delightfully well on its own as a compelling novel of
intrigue and
new possibilities for Fay, Katrinka, and those around them.
Return to Index
Horse to
Water
Peter Bailey
Independently
Published
979-8385535255
$9.54 Paper/$.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Water-Peter-Bailey/dp/B0BW1YLZ6L
Horse to Water opens with an evidence
video presented at a trial in
which DCI Miles Archer narrowly escaped the bombing of his car at New
Scotland
Yard police headquarters. DCI David Taplin has been handed the task of
uncovering the perp, even though his murky relationship with Archer
places him
in the uncomfortable position of trying to identify the bomber who
threatened a
man who once betrayed him.
As Taplin
comes to
realize the crime involves more than a single incident, placing him in
the
crosshairs of a threat to greater London, the two men face the current
threat
with a bow to past circumstances that led to their clash and
present-day
connections:
“Well, I’m sure I can rely on you to do a
professional job despite our
differences,” Miles said through the fake smile.
“Oh yes. I’ll do a bang-up job, possibly without dropping any junior
officers in the shit.”
Mutual
loathing opens
the story, but its driving force lies in the motivations, mystery, and
events
that not only bring two disparate personalities together, but forces
Taplin to
come to his enemy's defense in an unusual manner.
Peter Bailey
unfolds
a tense work of psychological suspense against the backdrop of
terrorist and police
activities as the game unfolds to deeper, ever more complex levels.
The game
being played
between Archer and Taplin is one that involves each man in a dangerous
dance
between not only one another, but their professional abilities to
unearth
answers about both the bombings and their relationship.
This blend
of
psychological and investigative suspense dovetails intrigue on two
different
levels, thoroughly involving readers in a story packed with unexpected
revelations, twists, and scenarios that keeps characters and readers on
their
toes.
Between
motivations
for fiery killings and the upset of a delicate balance of power that
raises
further questions, Horse to Water
evolves a special sense of justice, revenge, retribution, and issues.
These
place Taplin at the center of a web of lies and their impact on his
future.
Libraries
and readers
seeking thrillers that evolve a fine sense of political and personal
entanglements and murky motivations before a surprise conclusion is
revealed
will find Horse to Water filled
with
delightful moments powered by not just intrigue, but a situation that
may prove
impossible to resolve.
Return to Index
Revenge
Jerome Silbert
Independently Published
979-8988208303
$14.95
paper/$2.99 ebook
https://tinyurl.com/2burj83h
As follow-up to Jerome
Silbert's mystery stories Paris Gone Dark and
A Bomb in the Palace, Revenge
continues to explore a case based on the retired defense attorney
author's
experiences in Illinois with the Siberian Liberation Army
(SLA). The early (and real)
terrorist group's activities are woven into events in all these books,
and Revenge picks up where the
prior stories
left off, making it especially recommended for readers who enjoyed
these vivid
explorations.
Retired Chicago police officer Billy Dee Jackson
and his
wife Janine have just returned from Paris, but they're barely off the
plane
when they receive the terrible news that someone destroyed their home
only
hours earlier. It's an unwelcome homecoming for the couple—and a vivid
reminder
that the terrorism they faced in the past has come home to roost.
When Billy's detective friend Jack Sheppard joins
him to
investigate, both become immersed with two people they know, Susan
Dumont and
Jack Monte. At the same time, Dumont and Monte struggle with one
another and
their dance of revenge, which reaches out to embroil others in conflict.
In the old days, the retired cop was drawn into
murky
international intrigue by a bombing he and Sheppard investigated.
History
reinvents itself here as events lead back to the forces Billy thought
he'd left
behind in Paris.
“It’s the little things
that lead to
something big.”
In this case, connections keep sparking new
conflict,
forcing Billy and Jack to engage with dangerous forces that have their
own
special interests at heart.
Jerome Silbert moves between Billy and Jack's
perspective
and the perceptions of perps who operate under different rules and
possibilities. This adds a special dimension of inquiry and ideas to
the story
that embeds it with life as events play out and new possibilities
emerge:
"As Dumond advised, 'Think
it through.'
She played through the various scenarios regarding Jenko and concluded
that if
he was dead, it was a gain. All the ones who could talk about the
bombed house
and murders were themselves, forever silent. She let out a sigh of
relief. But,
then this Pappy. Was he alive? What did he know? Dumond would often
say,
'Information is the coin of the realm.' How does she find
out without jeopardizing herself further?"
As SLA connections involve the two detective
friends in yet
another cat-and-mouse game, readers will find the constantly shifting
revelations absorbing, satisfyingly unexpected, and intensely
action-packed.
Thriller and mystery readers who like their crime
stories
accented by real-life cases, replete with strong characters whose
concerns
range from tying bombings to specific individuals or groups to juggling
survival with motives for revenge, will find Revenge
a powerfully rendered story.
Libraries who have its two predecessors in their
collections will want to add Revenge's
additional world-hopping intrigue to their shelves, while readers who
appreciated the blend of intrigue and high-octane action in the
previous books
will be happy to learn that Billy and other characters continue to grow
as they
face new challenges here.
Return to Index
The Alphabet
Woods
Jenny Poelman
Warren Publishing
978-1-960146-27-4
$33.00 Hardcover/$19.99 Paper
www.warrenpublishing.net
The Alphabet Woods follows
fifty-seven-year-old Key North's move to
rural North Carolina, which represents a sea change from her former
ordered,
staid lifestyle. The move brings with it a reintroduction to new
environments,
people, and old acquaintances that change when they enter this world,
bringing
with them new realizations that Key is forced to absorb from the start.
Her
responses to those who eschew her remote choice are pointed and
humorous,
reflecting much of the tone of her journey of self-discovery:
“I’m not technically in
Troy.
I’m four miles past it, on the edge of civilization. I’ll try to get
word to
you of my well-being now and then when the traveling tinker comes
through and
can take my ciphered missive.”
The story
opens not
with Key's move, but with little boy Wain's struggles with a monster
that lives
and is accepted in his own home. It's a monster he can't avoid:
"Why wasn’t Cal at work? Wain never would have come
in the kitchen
if he’d known, because the scariest version of his mother’s boyfriend
was out
today. There were others: the Cal who barely tolerated or simply
ignored him;
the jovial, pretentious Cal (only if other people were around and he
wanted to
impress them with his fakey fathering skills); but worst by far was the
nightmarish monster who appeared with a fourth or fifth drink in hand,
looking
for ways to torment and terrify."
The child
abuse
scenario which evolves may prove a trigger point for sensitive readers,
but is
an intrinsic part of a story that evolves new connections for Key,
Wain, and
those who inhabit this community of interconnected lives.
Jenny
Poelman ties
seemingly disparate threads of threat and opportunity with the psyches
of
individuals of all ages who at first seem lost, but demonstrate that
they are,
in fact, survivors of extraordinary circumstances.
Key's
increasing
involvement in Wain's life and a mystery that holds answers to
questions that
could change everything makes for a moving story of life connection
replete
with thought-provoking moments of revelation and confrontation:
"...it doesn’t matter whether you were drunk or
sober. Your
actions toward Wain were the actions of a monster. And he’s paying the
price.”
As magical
realism
influences too-real lives affected by substance abuse and new
connections,
readers will appreciate this vivid story of a middle-aged woman who
transforms
her world, only to find that her new environment introduces conundrums
she
never anticipated.
A literary
work of
middle-age transformation and evolving friendships that rest on
uncertain and
unusual foundations, The Alphabet Woods
is highly recommended for libraries and readers seeking memorable
stories of
struggles to learn and efforts to translate life lessons into real
change. It
unfolds gifts that arrive from unexpected circumstances and from taking
leaps
of faith, powered by the music of the soul and the strength and
connections involved
in taking risks, and is highly recommended for a wide audience of
thinking
readers.
Return to Index
The
Arrows of
Mercy
Jill MacLean
Tellwell Talent
978-0-2288-8732-4
$26.00
Hardcover/$17.00 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
Website: https://jillmaclean.mywriting.network
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Historical
novel
readers interested in 1300s Europe will find The
Arrows of Mercy brings this milieu to life as it introduces
the
return of archer Edmund from the French battle of Crécy and
siege of
Calais.
Now he faces new conflicts in the form of a brutal, resentful older
brother, condemnation from the local priest, and spirited encounters
with three
very different women, which test his mettle and ability to return to
civilian
life and serfdom.
Jill
MacLean
writes with a vivid tone of immediacy that captures Edmund's
perceptions about
his world and his shifting place in it:
"He was indeed one of the thousands of
archers who slaughtered French knights on the slopes of Crécy, though
he doubts
he was as frightened then as an instant ago, waiting for Bart’s rage to
be
unleashed for an ill-judged collision. Two years since his conscription
into
the king’s army and him shrunk to a helpless little-un in fear of a
beating."
The
battles Edmund
avoids and those he chooses to engage in (or is forced to face against
his
will) engender passages that immerse the reader in Edmund’s life and
times.
The
dialogue is
rich with inflection and local lingo, yet easy to understand: “Them withies wouldn’t keep a chick in a
coop – did you forget how to be cottar while you was killing Frenchmen
for the
king?” Bart laughs. “Your hand a-shake like a poplar leaf, you might as
well
drop your knife now ’n’ save me the trouble o’ wresting it from you.
Ah, little
brother, hard as you tried, you never could stay out o’ my way.”
Lessons
learned
from war and times of peace, turbulent though they may prove, are
imparted in
passages that capture Edmund's changing relationships and newfound
realizations: “We all got scars, Edmund,
inside and out, war or no war..."
How
Edmund
reconciles his military service with the difficulties it causes in his
home,
and his efforts to change his future in a world poised on the brink of
further
disaster make for an involving story. The
Arrows of Mercy will particularly attract those interested in
tales of
survival, plague, and power struggles between nations and within
families.
The
social,
religious, and political influences affecting Edmund's world require no
prior
background in the events of the 14th century. All that's needed is an
initial
interest in daily life in medieval times, in order to appreciate the
nuances of
a once-ordinary life in Berkshire rocked by war, pestilence, and a deed
that
Edmund eventually realizes was "...both his most terrible and his most
merciful," placing him in the dual role of hero and—possibly—villain.
The
thought-provoking contrast between moral and ethical conundrums makes The
Arrows of Mercy a strong recommendation for libraries looking
for a powerful
historical novel with a compelling plot and intriguing messages about
war,
family conflict, and the ultimate sources of peace.
Return to Index
The Cost of
Living
Daisy DeMay
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-876-4
$18.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The Cost of Living tells of Sara, who
faces losing everything. The
opening lines of her story reflects the reality of many a reader: "I truly believed I had prepared myself
for the inevitable. Unfortunately, I underestimated how I would react
when
confronted with chaos and deadly destruction."
Such a
situation
doesn't have to embrace war or natural disaster. It can some from the
heart,
from a physical storm that love and marriage become when their initial
hope
turns into despair.
That's the
situation
Sara finds herself in at the opening of this story, as she reflects on
the
events that have brought her to this place and the transformations
experienced
by a couple that once "...believed
love could conquer anything the world threw at us."
Curveballs
come in
many guises and unexpected moments of revelation, as Sara reveals
during a
probe of her abusive past and the possibilities in her present and
future
relationships.
More so than
most
stories about manipulation, abuse, and recovery, Sara's tale embraces
not just
the circumstances of her life, but how it got to this point and,
perhaps more
importantly, what it takes to leave it all behind.
Spectacular
comparisons between threats that come with concurrent danger and beauty
are
presented in the form of perceptions about the world's opportunities
and adversities:
“Yes, it is spectacular out here, but
amongst all the beauty you have found is the sound of the sirens going
off to
let us know this is dangerous. We have to get to the basement.”
Three years
of
marriage brings the storms outside indoors, taking them to heart in a
manner
that transforms Sara. All it then takes is realizing connections to
past
patterns in order to break them—but this involves total destruction
before
recreation can take place.
The
experience will
strengthen if it doesn't kill first, and the sea change in attitude
that Sara
undergoes during this process provides compelling insights readers will
appreciate: "I wasn’t trying to
understand what was left. Instead, I was searching for a way out."
Daisy DeMay
creates
an evocative, moving story about the costs of past abuse, present-day
revelations, and future options. Readers should anticipate not only
emotional
storms that could trigger emotional responses, but explicit sexual
scenes as
Sara, Adam, Sam, and others become survivors in different ways.
DeMay
introduces some
surprising twists to anything readers might anticipate as predictable,
from
literally mindful connections to facing the end of one world and the
beginning
of another.
Whether
she's talking
about disaster, survival, or interpersonal conundrums, one thing to be
said
about The Cost of Living is that it
redefines the notion of freedom, escape, captivity and survival on many
levels
through vivid, thought-provoking scenes that embrace both action and
strong
characterization.
Libraries
and readers
seeking stories of transformation and revised purposes will find The Cost of Living a compelling
interplay between characters that face their pasts and consider the
ultimate
price of being a survivor. Each character aims to restart their world
and
everything around them with newfound insights and visions about their
purposes
and relationships.
Return to Index
The Flaws in Our Prayers
Magdelana Stanhoff
Ling
Artist
9788396242686
$20.99 Hardcover/$12.99
Paper/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Flaws-Our-Prayers-novel/dp/8396242682
The Flaws in Our Prayers
is a novel about two self-reliant, determined single
adults who have different ways of avoiding romance and the
possibilities and
conflicts love brings, until a chance encounter melds their lives into
a
different (and dangerous) trajectory.
Sebastian Litomski is a thirty-four-year-old man
who
"avoids clingy females" and believes that love is not a goal, but a
weakness. Kim Hana has methodically avoided any possibility of love in
her life
since she left her homeland with her small daughter.
Readers might predict the intersection of these two
stalwart personalities at this point, but what they won't see coming is
a set
of circumstances that doesn't just bring them together, but introduces
further
adversity that seems to both support and conflict with their feelings
about
romance and love.
Magdelana Stanhoff presents a revealing story of
two
disparate couples powerful in their independence and intrinsically
flawed in
their logic. She juxtaposes this foundation with life events that
traverse
cultures as Kraków residents Yoon Sori and Filip Socha also find their
lives
unexpectedly joined against all odds.
As these two love stories evolve, readers receive
thought-provoking events and realizations that focus on building trust
and new
realizations and going against cultural and social lessons to adopt new
ways of
viewing and moving within the world.
As each character learns to trust and grows both
within and
outside the relationship, readers will enjoy satisfying revelations
that also
arrive steeped in irony:
“Isn’t it what you always
wanted? A woman who
abhors shackles? And here she is, just as you wished, and she seems to
value
her freedom even more than you. Aren’t you happy?”
The contrast between these personalities, their
cultural
influences and origins, and the forces that bring them together makes
for a
satisfying dual unfolding of love. This will appeal to readers
interested in
thought-provoking contrasts between love and issues of freedom,
convention, and
trust.
Libraries and readers seeking romance stories that
evolve
in creative and unexpected ways, injecting wry twists of humor and
irony into
the process of discovery, will relish this story of lives that
intersect in
unexpected manners.
The Flaws in Our Prayers
is especially delightful in its survey of how these
choices impact not only the couples-in-the-making, but friends and
future
generations.
Return to Index
German Days
Steven Clark
Independently
Published
979-8840621165
$16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/German-Days-Steven-Clark/dp/B0B71CCPP7
German Days is a novel of a 1970s tour of
duty in Germany that
changes GI Patrick Walden's life and perceptions. But, more than a
story of
romance or cross-cultural encounter, it offers a deeper probe into the
German
Psyche which revolves around an obsession over a missing work of art
and an
effort to regain both it and a sense of country and purpose.
Over six
hundred
pages of detail might initially portend a challenging reading effort,
but German Days is in fact a
gripping story
that carries readers through history, politics, intrigue, and romance
with a
heady grip of fascinating changes and facts that keeps the story not
just well
grounded, but hard to put down.
The story's
opening
in 1937 with an encounter with Hitler sets the stage for its focus on
the
Tannhauser sculpture and its allure. Clark employs a deft hand to
capturing
Hitler's psyche as he establishes his power and control in many
disparate
worlds:
"Iffland wondered if Hitler saw the sculpture as a
dangerous
animal or worthless trash. His probing, rich brown eyes neither angry
or
dismissive as they studied, Hitler slowly walking around to catch all
dimensions of the work, much like a physician studying his patient. Or
a hunter
his prey."
The
Tannhauser's
representation of "A man caught
between spiritual fulfillment and worldly temptation" is also
representative of the German psyche and entanglements that move from
its past
to present-day events. The notion that war is eternal and that German
strength
must be represented above any indicators of weakness permeates the
story as
events consider transformation, duty, business, and spies who are
everywhere
through the ages.
The rescue
and
restoration of this work of art is key to healing on many different
levels. As
Steven Clark surveys the changing milieu of German's past and present
worlds,
he brings readers into a thoroughly engrossing story that is more than
a
treasure hunt, but incorporates the excitement of discovery.
German Days will serve well as a leisure
read, but also is highly
recommended for book clubs considering contemporary works about the
German
psyche and its history.
Ultimately,
libraries
will also want to recommend this book for its wide-ranging examination
of the Tannhauser
legend's rebirth and resurrection under
many different hands and special interests.
Return to Index
Jock Sniff America
Marcus Herzberg
Oren Village, LLC
978-1-7333020-5-0
$19.95
www.marcusherzberg.com
Jock Sniff America
is a fictional satire of professional sports moral and
ethical challenges and the evolution of narrator Magnus Haycock's entry
into
the circles of the "jock sniff elite."
The story opens with a family Thanksgiving. Magnus
is on
the cusp of new adulthood, and has encounters with family and others
where he
'pretends he is an adult' while navigating the oddities and
complexities of the
professional and business world of sports and community engagement.
The subtle irony and satire replete throughout this
account
shines, from Magnus's last name to the cultures he explores which
revolve
around popularity, sports, politics, and incarceration.
The holiday season has itself become a joke and a
parody to
Magnus, who is both tired of the expectations and shallowness of the
season and
taking a trip to sign new talent that calls into question his own
abilities and
perceptions.
Marcus Herzberg's romp through American morals and
culture
offers the feel of Catcher in the Rye
and other classics of young adults exploring the nuances and ironies of
the
adult world, commenting on their shifting roles and disappointments
after the
action begins.
Where Holden Caulfield's primary focus is in Catcher is losing his virginity,
Magnus's challenge involves losing his attitude and perceptions about
sports
and his place in the world. He realizes "the
course of my life could be forever affected by the choice I am about to
make." The impact of his decisions and the forces motivating
and
guiding them makes for thoroughly engrossing reading as Magnus steps up
to the
plate of addressing double-edged sports swords and making his mark on
the
world.
The story opens with his big dreams of taking over
the
world. It closes with the baby steps of possible romance and
life-changing
approaches that reflect Magnus's newfound maturity and revised thoughts
about
his place in the greater scheme of things.
Libraries and readers seeking a vivid coming-of-age
story
about professional sports, athletics, and a young man's growth as he
explores
both familiar and unfamiliar cultural influences will find Jock Sniff America not only a compelling
journey, but worthy of
book club recommendation. It can be used in discussions about
bigger-picture
thinking, growth, and satirical examinations of American sports culture.
Return to Index
A Persistent Echo
Brian Kaufman
Black Rose Writing
1685132626
$20.95
Website/ordering link: https://www.amazon.com/Persistent-Echo-Brian-Kaufman/dp/1685132626
The reason
why most
historical fiction appeals to a relatively specific, narrow audience
with a
basic interest in facts is because too many genre reads are more
concerned with
numbers than emotional draw. That's why Brian Kaufman's A
Persistent Echo stands out from the crowd, drawing readers to
the
1897 life and experiences of August Simms, who is drawn back to Rhome,
Texas by
the lure of a mysterious airship which has been spotted in several
places in
the area.
Simms chases
dreams
and possibilities. His investigations and experiences come to life with
a
"you are here" feel that Kaufman injects into the story to bring
setting and adventure to life from the opening lines: "Like
images in a tintype, the sun, the train station, the
vegetation beyond the platform, and the dusty sky appear in shades of
yellow
and brown. Rhome, Texas. He has arrived."
August deems
this
place as close to home as he's ever been. He's spent his days wandering
and
adventuring, but at his age this is about to come to a full-circle end:
"August sniffs the hot air. The locomotive
stinks of coal and oil. He’d
boarded the
train in Folsom, New Mexico, riding the “Denver Road” into Texas. He
has
traveled all his life, as far east as Russian Armenia and as far west
as the
Solomon Islands. Today, his hips and back tell him that his traveling
days are
at an end." But, wait...there is something more. One more
search that
brings delightful mystery and interpersonal connections that August
never saw
coming.
August's survey of news stories, his association with friend and fellow investigator Ackerman, and his ability to track down eyewitnesses and news reports are translated into dialogue which is one compelling feature of the story:
“What made you think he was a scientist?”
Scully downs the last of his whiskey. “He had that faraway look.”
August waits.
“You know. That faraway look, like his head’s too full of thoughts and
about to explode.”
Humor and
revelation
are juxtaposed neatly via such dialogues and encounters, keeping
readers thoroughly
engaged in the history and mystery which unfold.
Kaufman
keeps the
emotional draw intense, whether it's over evolving discoveries or the
death of
a beloved horse. He also maintains the undercurrent of humor which runs
like a
river throughout even the most serious scenes, even those involving a
tribute
to a loved beast of burden: “We humbly
ask your blessing for Bullet the horse, who lived the sort of life any
Christian man or woman might strive for. He was loyal, hard-working,
and
uncomplaining. Most of all, he was a good friend. As Bill here took
care of him
over the years, we ask that you watch over him now.” He takes a deep
breath.
“The world you created, Lord, is not perfect. Otherwise, horses like
Bullet
would live longer lives, and men, perhaps, would live shorter ones.”
From
scientific
revelations to secret histories about wars and their behind-the-scenes
influences, A Persistent Echo
harbors
the power to attract by both action and thought-provoking passages
about
historical, scientific, and social developments that translate nicely
across
history to modern times.
A Persistent Echo is a powerful story of
revelation and discovery
that assumes many countenances: a historical probe, a mid-life man's
adventure,
and a philosophical discourse in pursing truth and justice. It's a
powerfully
rendered novel that holds the rare ability to traverse genres to
attract a
wider audience of reader than the 'historical fiction' label portends.
It's highly
recommended for readers who look for can't-put-it-down adventure and
life
reflections alike, making it especially notable for libraries that look
for
original, refreshingly intriguing reads that book clubs will find of
special
interest:
"His life strikes him as a progression of noble
failures in the
service of justice. He might as well have tried to hold back the moon,
for all
the good he’s done. The world resists change."
Return to Index
Three
People, Three
Countries, One Path
Cara A’court
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-852-8
$14.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Three People, Three Countries, One Path
is a spiritual novel about
three individuals who think their life course is set, until
circumstances bring
them together in a journey certain to affect their perceptions and
lives.
Many novels
have featured
such revelations, but Three People, Three
Countries, One Path holds the special ability to unite the
microcosm of
individual choice and belief with bigger-picture thinking reflecting
the lives
and shifts of those who believe their destinies have been set.
One of these
is
narrator Pinia, a Buddhist monk who has achieved the pinnacle of faith
and
lifestyle. Or, so he thinks. The monastery he inhabits has survived
many
changes—but so far, he has not. Nothing draws him or feels like home
like the
temple life. Or so he believes.
Life has a
funny way
of transforming even the most staid life, and so his studies of the
ways of The
Buddha and the path to Nirvana seem to lead him in a singular
direction—until
it doesn't. Pinia's ambition to become a Lama is interrupted by a
deadly fire,
sending him into a world far from these sacred, tranquil walls.
Reconciling
purposeful disaster with the ways of Buddha and karma is no light
venture: "The fire and rage of the energy did
not discriminate. It was fuelled too much by its own pain and hurt.
Even now,
knowing the complete story I cannot understand the karmic or universal
reasons
for such an atrocity." Nor is leaving everything familiar
(including
beliefs) and heading into the uncharted waters of fostering two
children,
Lakishma and Loysin.
But Pinia is
skilled
at rising to causes, and so his venture into his father's life and the
secrets
which have powered his transformation and beliefs leads to revelations
that
shake his foundations even more than the fire that began his journey.
Cara A’court
weaves
social, spiritual, and psychological observations into her story to
create a
powerfully compelling saga of good and bad choices and the influences
that both
define and direct them.
She injects
the ongoing
spiritual concerns of karma, juxtaposing them with rich social
inspection as
the threat of slavery and China's authority mingle with personal
direction and
journeys, injecting social and political issues into Pinia's efforts to
survive
and foster his young charges against all odds and powers.
These rich
intersections of social and spiritual drive create not only much food
for
thought, but topics suitable for wide-ranging discussion in book
groups,
Buddhist spiritual circles, and Asian history and culture students.
In order for
a novel
to achieve such broad attraction, it must arrive steeped in a personal
touch
that introduces topics readers may not be familiar with, such as the
political
entanglements that touch abutting nations.
Three People, Three Countries, One Path
does so with an inviting
first-person focus that contrasts the intersection of these disparate
lives,
creating a story rich in philosophical, spiritual, and social
inspection. This
requires no background in any of its beliefs or history in order to
prove
compelling and thoroughly engrossing to a wide audience.
Return to Index
Tom Sharp:
The Man
and the Legend
Charlie Steel
Condor Publishing
Inc.
978-1-931079-61-7
$12.99
Website: www.condorpublishinginc.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Tom Sharp: The Man and the Legend sounds
like it will be
nonfiction, but is a novel that portrays and embellishes the life of a
notable
1800s Western figure whose actions are almost bigger than words. In
true
keeping with the factual focus of a historical novel, Charlie Steel
bases these
stories on real events, but also in keeping with a storyteller's flair
for tall
tales and drama, he adds the fictional touches that keep them
thoroughly
engrossing and compelling.
These
treatments
result in a Western legend whose exploits challenge any fictional
Western
dramas and many a biographical sketch as fictional character
developments meets
the Wild West frontier of historical research, running head-on into the
stereotypes of Indian and White relationships and charging through them
like a
tornado.
As the tale
opens,
Private Tom Sharp lies somewhere in a camp of wounded soldiers. General
Sterling Price of the Army of the Confederate States of America is
searching
for him to reward him for his valor. His battle days are over, but his
adventure is just beginning in many ways, because Tom is fulfilling a
long-held
dream by choosing not to go home, injured, but to head West.
Sharp defies
his upbringing and training in
more than one way as he embarks on his new life after war, encountering
Indians
and refuting the common notions of their inhumanity and psyches to
forge
uncommon relationships which earn even their grudging acknowledgement: “'Take
the weapons,' said Sharp, 'and protect yourselves and the children.'
'Hard
to say thank you to white men,' said the Indian woman."
Charlie
Steel builds
the reputations of all races and both gender through the perceptions
and
reactions of Tom and those around him as he forges new pathways to
connection
and understanding while exploring matters of wilderness and the heart.
His gift for
storytelling lies in how he paints with a colorful hand heavy to
understanding
the human reactions and feelings of all characters, no matter their
race,
color, or gender.
This makes
for a
series of encounters that not only opens eyes on Tom's influences and
why he
appears so enlightened in the face of so much prejudice around him, but
allows
readers to absorb that the Wild West contained not unified figures of
any race,
but a disparate group of individuals who each harbored their own
choices and
reasons for undertaking journeys and relating to the unfamiliar,
changing world
around them.
More so than
most
Western novels, Tom Sharp's ability
to build understanding from these contrasts and historical precedent
lends to a
story that is as educational and thought-provoking as it is
adventure-filled
and character-driven.
From the
conjoining
of families and cooperative efforts to build lives and connections to
the
forces that try to drive them apart, Tom's world is buffeted by social
and
political forces as well as romance and family influences. All these
facets
keep his life and experiences well rooted in thoroughly absorbing,
action-packed
scenes that keep shifting even as Tom finds his equilibrium and place
in the
West.
From the
powerful
specter of Raine, an Indian woman who becomes a teacher called upon to
stand up
to a father and wife abuser who enters her classroom to kidnap a child
to how
bad and good men evolve under the same conditions, Steel creates a host
of
characters surrounding Tom Sharp who bring their own battles and
concerns into
his life.
Libraries
and readers
looking for Western fiction that sparkles with thought-provoking
contrasts in
belief systems and behaviors, and which defies the usual stereotypes of
all
kinds of Western figures, will find Tom
Sharp: The Man and the Legend not only a powerful addition,
but worthy of
high recommendation to book club readers examining historical fiction's
potential for revitalizing and revising Western history traditions.
Return to Index
An Open Secret
Chris Enss and Deadwood History, Inc.
TwoDot
978-1493061464
$19.94 Paper/$15.49 Kindle
www.rowman.com
An
Open Secret: The
Story of Deadwood's Most Notorious Bordellos is a top
recommendation for
American history library collections interested in 19th century events
in
general and South Dakota history in particular.
It narrows the focus to
South Dakota's bordellos and the
madams who operated them, using the historical novel format to capture
real-life events that shaped the culture and nature of the small town
of
Deadwood, South Dakota. This town was burned to the ground, yet its
survivors
persisted against all odds, facing hardships and abuse during battles
the
town's women fought.
An
Open Secret's
candid look at the profession of prostitution during these times and
the impact
it held on men and women's lives embraces historical fact without
glorifying
it. This choice brings the motivations, struggles, and people of the
town to
life through the eyes and experiences of madams who fostered
reputations as
tough but fair managers. Readers will be surprised to note their
efforts didn't
ruin young girls, but actually supported them in different ways.
Rowdy patrons, murders, and
gamblers all come to life as
Chris Enss explores the world of Deadwood and its people, adding
vintage photos
that bring this milieu to life.
The choice of pairing
historical fiction's action and
vivid descriptions with facts embracing Deadwood's history and culture
results
in a special brand of regional history that will prove surprisingly
accessible
to a wide audience, from history readers to those who enjoy 19th
century
settings and rollicking good stories based on vivid characters and
events.
Libraries strong in
historical novels that center on 19th
century American history will find An Open
Secret's powerfully compelling examination of prostitution,
bordellos, and
the madams who ran them to be an involving, enlightening experience
that is
highly recommended for book club discussion groups, as well.
Return to Index
The
Blossoming of Women
Karen Roberts with
Dana Jaffe
Gaia & Friends
Inc.
978-0-9746449-0-5
$25.00 print/$9.99 ebook
Website: www.theblossomingofwomen.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Blossoming-Women-Workbook-Growing-Older/dp/0974644900
The
Blossoming of Women: A
Workbook on Growing from Older to Elder is a collection of practices for transformation
that considers the
practices and contributions of women Karen Roberts considers "elder"
(those in their sixties, seventies, and eighties).
It invites women to consider
the differences in
perception, experience, and opportunity that lies between "old" and
"elder," and it provides a hallmark of time and possibility that
suggests paths away from the grief and depression that aging can bring.
This is achieved via tips,
reviews of common traps, and
road maps of choices made by other women who have eschewed the
Narcissistic
views of aging and entered into more giving, world-embracing
perspectives.
Roberts's vividly
thought-provoking insights will lend
especially well to women's book reading groups (and any woman's group,
in
general):
"The
transformation from older to elder requires an ability to turn away
from the
many distractions of modern culture, distractions that are deeply
embedded in
beliefs about our uselessness in old age. The expectations of old age
in modern
culture keep a person, a female in particular, from moving into a new
identity.
A Western attitude assumes respect for a woman solely based on youth.
Older
women wither away from self-criticism, grieving loss of beauty, family,
or
career. Lacking cultural appreciation for age and the wisdom that comes
from
aging, older people fail to appreciate themselves. This is an
unretractable
loss for us all. I believe you become an elder when you accept your age
with
appreciation and honor your responsibility to others. When you take on
a role
as artist or teacher, healer, or spiritual guide to assist those in
your
community to develop their gifts, you are an elder."
Filled with life-supporting
insights about these
pathways, what they look like, and how they are achieved, The
Blossoming of Women surveys a new age's ripe potentials,
cementing them
with biographical sketches of women who serve as examples of the fruits
of this
process. It concludes each feature with questions women can use for
self-inspection, reflection, and discussion, such as:
"What aspects of her crisis, the death of so many close to her
in a short period, seem similar to your dark place?"
If only one book on
women's aging were to be selected for a library collection, it should
be The Blossoming of Women: A
Workbook on Growing from Older to Elder. Filled with inspirational and educational
opportunities, it promotes a different vision of elder years and
retirement
that translates not to retiring from life, but entering into another
phase of
efficiency and meaningful thoughts, actions, and choices. Beautiful
nature images
throughout support the gentle feel and uplifting spirit of these
stories.
Return to Index
Broken
Fred M. Kray
Live Oak Press
979-8-9872138-1-0
$26.95 Hardcover/$17.95 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Website: https://fredmkray.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Suspicious-Alydar-Racings-Golden/dp/B0C2SBZ6YQ
Broken:
The
Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing’s Golden Age
should
be in any library strong in horse racing stories and history. It's the
true
story of champion stallion Alydar's
mysterious injury and demise, assuming the tone and trappings of a
crime
investigation while delving deeper into the horse racing world and
history of
the 1990s.
Perhaps the
most
intriguing part of this survey is that its author is an animal law
attorney who
approaches the subject not from the usual standpoint of participants in
the
horse racing community, but as a lawyer who weaves together court
proceedings,
evidence, and interviews with over twenty eyewitnesses. This testimony
and
these insights piece together the truth of an event which tainted the
horse
racing world forever.
The true
crime story
reads with the passion and immediacy of a dramatic novel, featuring the
ability
to draw readers from outside the true crime genre:
"A cool Lexington night. Calumet’s stallion barn.
The night
watchman in charge of protecting almost $50 million worth of Calumet’s
horses
is gone, let go six months earlier. Now one man, Cowboy Kipp, is
responsible
for making the rounds of the entire 762-acre farm, leaving five of
Calumet
Farm’s most valuable horses—Alydar, Affirmed, Secreto, Mogambo, and
Capote—alone for up to an hour each night."
Fred M. Kray's approach
lends captivating tension to the
facts that evolve as the mystery unfolds. This should even attract
mystery
genre readers with a sense of exploration and discovery that is
compelling.
Personalities, both equine
and human, are also profiled
in the course of an investigation which remains vivid throughout:
"His
groom,
Paul Pryor described Alydar as a playful horse: “I would go out there
and clean
his water tank. He seen me and come running up there and wanted to play
with
me. I’d get out there and clean his water tank and he would come out
and splash
water on me…If there’s a mud puddle out there, oh gosh he loved to get
muddy. I
might have a couple carrots in my back pocket, and he’d get the carrots
out and
shake them, and was always messing with me. Gave him a carrot, and he’d
follow
me to the gate and play around and jump around and he’s just a big
baby. ” When
Pryor heard Alydar died he was heartbroken. “I loved Alydar.”
The fact-focused nature of
this event, Kray's emphasis on
the legal proceedings and investigative probe into the horse racing
world, and
the progressive discoveries that emerge all make Broken
a top recommendation not just for true crime collections or
libraries looking for exposés
about the horse racing world, but for mystery readers and legal
thriller
audiences looking for a rollicking good read that puts Dick Francis to
shame.
Return to Index
Expletives Not Deleted
Leon Acord
Larilee Entertainment
9798449228505
$3.99
ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Expletives-Not-Deleted-Leon-Acord-ebook/dp/B0BXJ14YQQ
Blend memoir with political humor and hard-hitting
insights
about performance and politics for the feel of Expletives
Not Deleted, which opens with the admonition that "I’ve been trying very hard lately to not become a grumpy old queen. I fear
I’m not being entirely successful."
What is life like after sixty? Leon Acord pulls no
punches
in saying that it isn't a picnic, despite the proclamations of (usually
younger) people that "sixty is the new forty."
"On second thought, I have
every reason
to be grumpy." Leon Acord reflects
powerfully on the forces that affect his aging process and future,
presenting a
lively survey of social and political changes that have coalesced with
aging to
render him both less effective on some physical levels and more
powerful than
ever in a literary and activist sense ... as is demonstrated in Expletives Not Deleted.
His romp through performing arts and film and his
considerations of connections to everyday life and political challenges
creates
lively, evocative reading.
As he surveys gay culture, creates lists of
references that
readers can use to bolster their own perceptions and realizations, and
asks
questions that likely lie in the minds of most modern Americans, his
writing
serves as an invitation for inspection and change:
"What
the hell is happening to us? It seems the very foundation
of society is
not only cracking but crumbling. At record speed. In front of our very
eyes."
His connections between media influences,
underlying
lessons of film and culture, and the evolution of his psyche provides
an
intriguing contrast between a singular life and the society that shapes
and
influences its moral and ethical fiber:
"From my earliest exposure
to the comic
books, I also appreciated that Wonder Woman’s mission set her apart
from all
the other spandexed superheroes and made her truly unique. She wasn’t
the
world’s greatest detective, out to strike terror in the hearts of
criminals,
like Bats. She wasn’t the guardian of the universe and enforcer of
truth and
justice, like Superman. She wasn’t thrust into her role by events
outside her
control – like the demise of her planet, or murder of her parents, or a
bite
from a radioactive spider. She chose to
be the hero."
Herein lies the real nuggets of wisdom,
controversy, and
revelation of Expletives Not Deleted—its
close connections between personal evolution, the social and political
influences that tailored a young gay man's life and career, and the
explorations of such seemingly disparate subjects as aging, gay
culture, and
political paradoxes. How does one remain happy and engaged when the
world seems
to be falling apart?
These subjects make Expletives
Not Deleted a lively, likely controversial, and wholly
discussable read
recommended for a broad library audience, especially book clubs
interested in
the intersection of personal and political evolution.
As fun as they are to read, these comic essays
represent a
growth opportunity for those who would look more closely at the
elements
contributing to social change and individual enlightenment, making Expletives Not Deleted a unique, highly
recommended exploration.
Return to Index
Hidden Price
Tags
C.J.S. Hayward
C.J.S. Hayward
Publications
979-8366654579
$11.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
Website: cjshayward.com
Purchase: https://cjshayward.com/hpt1
Hidden
Price Tags: An Eastern
Orthodox Look at Technology's Dark Side and Its Best Use: Volume One:
Start
Here... is not only
unlike
any prior book that C.J.S. Hayward has written about Orthodoxy, but
offers a
serious piece of wisdom about technology that outlines a problem many
authors
have addressed, but resolutions few have proffered.
It comes from one who owns
and uses this technology, but
has successfully reined in its employment and filled the gap created by
its
absence with strategies for cultivating a more meaningful grip on life,
spiritual reflection, and activities far from technology's allure or
grasp.
Following The
Luddite’s Guide to Technology and
How Can I Take my Life Back from my
Phone?, this book both embraces and expands the contentions
of both as it
reflects further and deeper on the hidden price tags of technology, how
to
limit and alleviate them, and (perhaps most importantly) how to replace
them
with approaches to life and spiritual thinking that embrace Orthodoxy
beliefs
and approaches to better living.
Although much of the
material is reflected in the prior
books and represents typical Hayward theological inspection, this
contribution
to the series offers a far richer vein of argument that makes the case
for
reasoned abstinence and a better utilization of the time and space
created by
the absence of technological devices.
Discussions refer to C.S.
Lewis and others and evolve on
levels of historical reference, psychological inspection, social
issues, and
spiritual impact as they invite thought-provoking responses from
readers:
"Cars
are one
of many technologies that, when introduced, caused future shock. It’s
taken as
normal by subsequent generations, but there is a real sense of “This
new
technology is depriving us of something basically human,” and that
pattern
repeats. And perhaps, in a sense, this shock is the pain we experience
as we
are being lessened by degrees and slowly turning from man to
machine-dominated."
From the perils and place of
social networking to how
human connections are made, Hayward offers an all-inclusive grasp on
the
nature, impact, and methods of technology as they reflect and extend
human
nature, often creating the very divisions they were meant to alleviate
in the
human condition.
Hayward's reflections and
connections, scholarly and
heavily footnoted as they are, offer much food for thought and ideally
will be
utilized as fodder for debate and discussion in all kinds of groups,
from
everyday readers to Orthodoxy followers. His insights on technology
offer new,
powerful grasps on the finer art of its deployment and unexpected
impact:
"There
are
many things whose marketing proposition is escape, and they all peter
out and
leave us coveting more. They are spiritual poison if they are used for
escape.
There may be other uses and legitimate reasons—iPhones are, besides
being
“avoid spiritual work” systems, incredibly useful—but the right use of
these
things is not found in the marketing proposition they offer you."
Hidden
Price Tags contributes to a series heralded by The Luddite’s Guide to Technology and How Can I
Take my Life Back from my Phone?, both containing and
expanding on the
initial concepts presented in these books to focus on strategies for
injecting
meaning and spiritual foundations back into life after the vacuum is
created by
tempering and
limiting technology's
allure.
Libraries
interested in expanded Eastern Orthodoxy's applications to reading
groups of
all kinds, from philosophy to spiritual thinkers, will find Hidden
Price Tags: An Eastern Orthodox Look at
Technology's Dark Side and Its Best Use: Volume One: Start Here... encourages many opportunities for debate.
Return to Index
In Search of I
Avi Raa
Independently Published
979-8392250196
$32.47 Hardcover/$22.96 Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Search-I-Alchemy-Meditation/dp/B0C2RPBJKG
Readers who would better
understand the process, history,
and foundations of meditation will find Avi's In
Search of I a solid starting place for understanding. It
nicely
supplements the many books on the market about how to do meditation,
opening
with the all-essential question of why
meditation is a worthy, enlightening venture. This touches upon not
only its
promise, but its usual approach to transformation:
"Meditation
affects everything - it touches every single dimension of life, and at
the same
time, it doesn't change anything ... Meditation transforms our
emotional
landscape, our self-perception, our inner dialogue, cognitive
processes, and
the way we relate to the world. Yet, it leaves us absolutely free, for
it
operates not at the level of thoughts, but someplace deeper."
Avi's exploration is
absolutely essential as a start to
the process because those who embark on meditative efforts typically
are not as
well grounded in what to expect from the effort as they should be.
Chapters unfold the rich
possibilities of meditative
approaches, choices, and results, reviewing its mindset, processes and
impact
with a careful attention to considering both the benefits and
challenges of
embarking on a meditation routine:
"As
you
progress in your meditation journey, you will begin to realize that
many of
life's challenges are rooted in your lack of clarity and understanding
of the
inner mechanics of life. This realization can feel like a sudden jolt,
as if
someone has shaken you out of a deep slumber. The process of observing
and
learning from your thoughts during meditation can be arduous and
frustrating,
with moments that leave you feeling overwhelmed and emotional, even to
the
point of tears. But it's important to keep in mind that these obstacles
are
simply thoughts - they have no real power over you."
Avi's diversion from the
usual "how to" themes
running through too many similar meditation guides allows for a far
better
understanding of not just the routines of meditation, but what to
expect from
its practice.
The real magic and potential
of meditation lies not in a
goal-oriented approach, but in a celebration of the moments involved
and the
adventure of self-discovery and growth that evolve not from a set
course of
action and anticipated results, but from the flexibility of remaining
mindful,
open, and cognizant of surprises that emerge from the meditative
experience.
Avi readily admits the
challenges involved in setting
aside preconceptions, routines, and expectations of results:
"When
meditating, one of the biggest obstacles to overcome is the urge to
compare
yourself to what's happening in the external world. It can be easy to
see
others engaging in exciting activities and boasting about their
achievements
while you're simply sitting in stillness. Your mind may try to convince
you
that meditation is the only thing you're doing, even though it's just
one
aspect of your life. It's important to recognize that the mind is
always trying
to distract you from your meditation practice."
The result is a discourse
that should ideally come first,
putting the 'why' before the 'how' as In
Search of I explores the promises and potential pitfalls of
embarking on a
meditation journey and shows how best to embrace its possibilities.
While new age libraries and
readers will be the most
likely audience for this discussion, ideally, In
Search of I will gain attention from book clubs and groups
interested
in pursing meditation in its best form, who would better understand
both its
historical connections and the legacy it passes down to those who
imbibe. Its
importance in delving into the heart of meditation's processes cannot
be
overstated, making In Search of I a
top recommendation for anyone and any collection interested in
self-help,
personal transformation, and journeys of enlightenment.
Return to Index
Judaism
Disrupted
Rabbi Michael
Strassfeld
Ben Yehuda Press
978-1-953829-37-5
$24.95
http://www.BenYehudaPress.com
Judaism
Disrupted
is a re-invention of Judaism that challenges Jewish readers to convert
... not
to another religion, but to translate the basic principles of the Torah
in a
new light so they receive better attachment to social and moral issues,
caring
for the planet, and acknowledging how religion too often fails God.
Think 'disruption', and
accompanying visions of anarchy
and destruction come to mind. While it's true that, too often,
something must
be destroyed in order to allow new opportunities, in this case Judaism
is not
under fire, but facing a transformative process that better connects
community
with spirituality, and spirituality to new ways of thinking and
engaging.
“Why
would you want
to be a rabbi?” This is a question Rabbi
Michael Strassfeld is often asked when he attaches his title to his
name. The
far better question, he maintains, is: "Why
would you care so much about Judaism as to actually devote your
professional life to it?"
Judaism
Disrupted
answers both questions—but more importantly, it draws clear connections
between
core issues affecting humans around the world and key principles of
Judaism.
Why bother or care? Because,
as Strassfeld maintains, "Judaism is actually
about how to live
a life of freedom." That's something we all say we want, but
few claim
to feel—especially in recent years.
As Strassfeld examines the
basic principles of prayers
and rituals, he unfolds layers of belief and assumption within them
that invite
readers to think about and open discussion amongst themselves and
within their
communities:
"Time
is a key
element of our lives. The challenge is not its management, but the
understanding that we shape time by making certain days significant.
Shabbat
and festivals are ways we overlay structure and meaning on the
astronomical
course of the universe."
His analysis
of the
underlying principles of routines and values that people often take for
granted
provides a fresh, contemporary flavor to Judaism which enriches it,
keeping it
in line with modern thinking and experience.
These are
specific
insights tied to principles which have too often been translated with
past
experience in mind, not present-day and future thinking. The analysis
provides
not just for thought, but starting new visions of how Judaism can
better apply
to contemporary world problems:
"For centuries, the emphasis has been on settling
the land (yishuv ha-aretz) in
a world where
human habitation seemed tiny compared to the vastness of the earth. The
story
of America and the ongoing settlement of its frontier is a specific
example of
this process. Our situation is now very different. There are no vast
unexplored
or unsettled areas. It took over two million years of human history for
the
world’s population to reach one billion people, and only two hundred
years more
to reach seven billion. The world no longer needs to be settled – it
needs to
be protected. How can Judaism frame a response to the
environmental crisis? Can we use the
word sin when we pollute this world? When we destroy the ozone layer,
we
haven’t actually hurt another person, but we have hurt the world. I
want to
suggest that we reinterpret a biblical category that has basically
fallen into
disuse: tum’ah/impurity."
Judaism
Disrupted
will drive Jewish people to turn back to their religious roots for
revised,
different answers. It will also encourage non-Jewish people to consider
how
spiritual thinking can both enlighten and provoke social challenges.
Gratitude,
mindfulness, blessings ... it's all here, reformed in a new light that
offers
hope and transformative thinking.
While Judaism
Disrupted will be featured in and chosen by Jewish libraries
and thinkers,
its real power lies in its ability to reach beyond Jewish readers alone
to
challenge the hearts and minds of any spiritual theorist.
For this reason, it is hoped
that Judaism Disrupted will be
included in a wide range of collections,
from general-interest libraries to those strong in social issues and
philosophical subjects. Ideally, it will become an intrinsic part of
debates
and considerations of how Judaism's core principles can be seen in
action and
better employed to solve world issues, changing traditional methods of
viewing
self and connections to others.
Return to Index
Maximize Your Healing Power
Sharon E. Martin, M.D., PhD
Findhorn Press
9781644116609
$18.99
www.findhornpress.com
Maximize
Your
Healing Power: Shamanic Healing Techniques to Overcome Your Health
Challenges
blends allopathic medicine with shamanic and energy medicine
techniques, and
will appeal to libraries and readers interested in new age and
alternative
medicine and spirituality blends.
Scientific and spiritual
insights merge in a playing
field that proposes new applications for symbolic medicine wheels,
intuitive
explorations, amplifications, and rituals—techniques that will prove
especially
effective for those already involved in visualization and symbols of
awareness
and mindful thinking.
This audience, especially,
will appreciate the focus on
energy healing which lends a different flavor to the process,
considering ways
of connecting consciousness to spirit in an effort to boost inherent
healing
power and overcome conscious and subconscious barriers to physical
healing and
mental growth.
This duality creates a
powerful interplay of healing
potentials from internal and disparate resources that are reinforced by
case
history and personal examples that will sound familiar to many:
"For
a long
time, one of my best friends would start her conversations with why she
didn't
want to work anymore—because she was too old. What she meant was she
had
progressed far enough in her life deserve retirement, but what she
stated was
that she was growing old. After a few years of these kind of
statements, and of
me grumbling that she should stop saying these things, she developed an
autoimmune disease that significantly limited her movement and
functionality.
She acted as if she was old and felt old. Shifting your perception of
disease
and limitation so that it is a condition you are living with, not a
defining
issue that is core to your identity, will go a long way in helping you
to shift
your health challenge."
The exercises and case
history examples which support
examples of such shifts and processes will prove invaluable to
self-help
readers interested in applying shamanic healing techniques to support
health
regimens and efforts.
Maximize
Your
Healing Power's step-by-step approach to supporting one's
health makes it a
practical recommendation for new age and alternative health libraries,
as well
as spiritual collections looking to solidify connections between
psychic,
spiritual, and physical conditions.
Return to Index
Outbreaks and Pandemics
Nicholas A. Daniels, MD, MPH
Atmosphere Press
978-1639886616
$20.99
www.atmospherepress.com
More than a research history, however, Outbreaks and Pandemics also unfolds a
success story in which
author Nicholas A. Daniels rose from poverty to become an infectious
disease
epidemiologist. This progression holds many lessons for others who
would
overcome life circumstances to reach the pinnacle of success, reviewing
the
work of fellow disease detectives who tackled seemingly insurmountable
puzzles
of public infection to reveal how investigators uncover the nature and
transmission of diseases.
From pre-pandemic surveillance measures and key
elements of
preparedness to understanding the social prejudices that repress
potentially
brilliant individuals and keep them marginalized and stereotyped, Outbreaks and Pandemics is flawless in
its intersection of personal experience and broader social inspection:
"It is common for some of
my white
friends to ask me, “Why can’t all Black people be like you?” This
question is
presumptuous and often based on stereotypes and biases. I know
thousands of
educated and well-mannered professional Black people, just like me.
But, given
our racial divide, most white people do not know or interact with Black
people
socially or professionally, and only see stereotyped images on
television,
leading to their misconceptions. My ability to relate to all
people at a basic
human level and feel comfortable has allowed me to thrive in
predominantly
white environments all my life."
Aside from its value as a blueprint of medical
investigative history and processes, Dr. Daniels includes important
points
about how individuals succeed and make a difference at all levels of
society by
their influences, attitudes, and choices.
The result is a powerful document of personal and
social
achievement that educates readers on several fronts: that of disease
research
and management, and the concurrent importance of fostering and raising
strong
individuals (no matter what their race or gender) in order to overcome
the
health challenges humanity faces.
Libraries and readers
interested in medical and social
issues will find Outbreaks and Pandemics
an especially wide-ranging memoir that holds much food for thought. It
ideally
will be chosen for classroom and book club inspection and debate.
Return to Index
The Schlager
Anthology of Hispanic America
Edited by Aaron E. Sánchez
Schlager Group Inc.
9781935306849
$285
print/$260 ebook
Libraries interested in
acquiring a definitive reference
to primary resource materials in Hispanic American history will find The
Schlager Anthology of Hispanic America: A Student's Guide to
Essential
Primary Sources an essential
acquisition.
This
book
contains two volumes and chapters that move from pre-contact 1100s
America to
modern times, and is the sixth volume in the “Schlager Anthologies for
Students” series. Its focus is on exploring and exposing materials
"from
often-marginalized communities and voices that are frequently ignored
in other
anthologies and historical accounts."
Each
chapter provides
an introductory history before delving into the source materials and
references
of overviews of primary source material documents (articles, writings,
websites) and their place in Hispanic history. The abridgements of
their
contents and bibliographic connections allow researchers from high
school to
college and general-interest audiences to pursue more of the history on
their
own.
The
150
documents and accompanying commentary are accented by more than 100
photographs
and illustrations that add colorful visuals of art and vintage
embellishment to
the articles and overviews.
Glossaries,
chapter questions for student consideration, and roundups of associated
documents and themes both enhance and enlarge the subjects profiled in
this
wide-reaching anthology of social, political, historical, and even
literary works.
One
might anticipate
that the depth of this coverage would impart a scholarly tone over a
lively
discourse, but one of the strengths of this collection is its
surprising
ability to remain informative, authoritative, yet thoroughly engrossing
and
relevant to everyday readers:
"The poem
“Pensamiento Serpentino” (Serpentine Thought)
by the playwright Luis Valdez is a classic in the field of Chicano
literature.
Originally published in 1973 and composed in mixed English and Spanish,
it
stands as one of the most influential works to emerge from the genre.
Conceived
as an ode to Chicano indigeneity, some of its themes, such as “Hunab
Ku” (“One
God”; monotheism) and “In lak’ech” (“you are my other me”), transcend
cultural
boundaries and have become part of popular New Age consciousness."
With
over six
hundred pages packed with essential and rare references, The
Schlager
Anthology of Hispanic America: A Student's Guide to Essential
Primary
Sources should not only be considered a foundation reference
for any
library interested in Hispanic topics and history, but a resource for
broadening and expanding the subjects, nature, and focuses of Latino
challenges
and concerns throughout American literature, history, and society.
Its
essential
and rare opportunities for discussions and enlightenment also make The
Schlager Anthology of Hispanic America: A Student's Guide to
Essential
Primary Sources a strong recommendation for discussion
groups interested in
pursing a range of Hispanic history topics. The questions at each
chapter's end
encourage debate: "Badillo states, 'Workfare was anathema to
Democrats,
but not to me.' How does this reflect his own personal and political
journey?
Does it also reflect the political journey of other Latinx people?
Explain."
Return to Index
A
Theory of
Everything including Consciousness and “God”
Bill Harvey
The Human
Effectiveness Institute
978-0-918538-19-2
$8.95
https://www.humaneffectivenessinstitute.org/billharveyblog/a-theory-of-everything/
Bill
Harvey
wrote this book mainly for physicists, but its considerations will
attract
general-interest audiences of non-scientists as well, as A
Theory of
Everything including Consciousness and “God” explores not
only the 'why' of
human effort and existence, but how these considerations can lead
readers to "...have
the intestinal fortitude to stand up and do whatever it takes to
overcome the
new challenges facing civilization today
Many
books and
essays have been written about the nature and purpose of life. Bill
Harvey
takes the next step in applying these inquiries about the "God"
concept to expanded purposes in, and approaches to, living life: "The
“inner life” tradition—pondering the ultimate questions, studying the
self—has
continued alongside every step forward we have made in science and
technology.
From
the history
of the popular denial of a higher being among scientific circles to
ideas of
The One Self as a singularity whose presence is all-encompassing and
changing,
Harvey creates a thought-provoking dialogue that encourages scientists
and readers
alike to adopt bigger-picture perceptions of the universe's
possibilities:
"The One Self has
always existed and will always
exist and is the only thing that exists. It has a waking/sleeping
cycle. Every
time it wakes up there is no memory at first. Perhaps there is a Big
Bang every
time The Self wakes up. The expanding universe reaches a certain point
then
begins to contract back into itself until it enters the sleep cycle. As
if the
Universe is breathing. In multiverse universe-sheaf imagery, each
Universe may
manifest this differently."
The
breadth and
scope of this inquiry is unprecedented. Its major value, aside from
individual
contemplation, will be to spark equally vivid and unusual discussions
in
professional circles where such talks typically bow to hard, observable
science
over ethereal suppositions:
"Let’s consider
tuning our feelings back to a
zero baseline in this regard—take a fresh look, start from scratch
again, be a
blank slate. Suspend belief and disbelief. Just imagine it is at least
conceivable that God—a wondrously extraordinary software program, a
consciousness, an experiencer—is looking out your eyes. He/She/It is
having
your experience. You are sensing this as you having that experience.
How could
you tell the difference?"
The
result is
more than a theory or a dialogue about possibilities in spirituality,
reality,
and methodology, but an exciting new way of considering consciousness,
God, and
universe perceptions that invites all manner of students, whether they
be
scientists or general readers, to suspend preset beliefs and training
in favor
of a wider-ranging approach to linking hunches and perceptions to the
synchronicities life introduces that too often are discarded with pat
rationalization.
There
is nothing
pat or categorically simple in this approach, which encourages
self-experimentation and awakening a form of observation and discourse
that may
have remained in the backgrounds of many readers' lives.
Ideally,
A
Theory of Everything including Consciousness and “God” will
receive equally
wide-ranging attention and attraction—from spiritual and scientific
circles to
book club readers and debaters who come from psychology and philosophy
circles,
and who seek works that don't just reflect the boundaries of human
experience
and possibility, but challenges them.
Return to Index
Two
Rivers
Shery Roussarie
and Kelly Macken-Marble
Warren
Publishing
978-1-960146-19-9
$26.99 Hardcover/$16.99 Paper
www.warrenpublishing.net
Two Rivers: The
Power of Collaboration is a book
about women in business and in
leadership positions who met for the first time in 2018. Their roles as
CEOs of
competing health care
companies would seem to place them in adversarial positions, but their
shared
vision of creating a managed care network instead resulted in a
cooperative
effort that surprised their community and those around them.
Ironically,
the stage
was preset to discourage this type of cooperative venture, from the
hospital
systems around them to influencing medical organizations designed to
support
health care systems.
More than a tale of
two women who come together for a shared cause, Two Rivers
is just as astute in considering the forces and structures that work
against cooperative ventures, using the authors' experiences as
examples of the
power of saying 'yes' and listening to but utilizing disparate forces
to better
support such pursuits:
"Take the breakfast
meeting, lunch, or call. Just
start with yes, then listen and learn. It may take time for the seed to
bring
forth fruit, but it’s a start. This is not easy for introverts like me
to do,
but it is worth the investment."
The
second
strength of this story stems from its duality as the two women's' very
different personalities are contrasted, illustrating how their shared
visions
and efforts benefit from this seeming disparity.
A
wealth of
business savvy is imparted during the course of this journey that keeps
its
lessons on track and specific. This will delight business readers
seeking
practical advice and enlightenment backed by real-world experience:
"We had reached a
size that, in order to scale
and grow, we would need a partner. My board agreed, and I set out to do
the
assessment and find a partner. These types of partnerships can come in
all
kinds of different shapes and forms. You start with a clear vision of
the type
of partner you want—alignment, vision, etc.—define the guardrails or
scope—do they
acquire you, is it a joint venture, will there be an asset purchase,
etc.—and
start entertaining companies that may fit with what you are looking
for."
From
succession
and postretirement planning to growing a business structure that
answers
numerous personality and community needs, Shery Roussarie and Kelly
Macken-Marble's story is more than one of the meeting of two strong
women's
visions. It's about the process of collaboration as it plays out in
business
and medical communities, and documents promises, pitfalls, and
approaches to
success that reflect both authors' visions and the greater power to be
found
from cooperative ventures that resonate with personal ambition and
ideals.
Libraries
and
readers interested in women in business and healthcare roles will find Two
Rivers of special interest; but ultimately it's the reader
committed to the
ideal of cooperative ventures, actions, and thinking who will gain the
most
from this enthusiastic, visionary story. Ideally, Two Rivers will
be
profiled in book clubs appealing to women in business who seek concrete
lessons
blended with memoirs that are lively and revealing.
Return to Index
Own
Your Work
Journey! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart
Technology and Radical Change
Edward D. Hess
Independently
Published
979-8-9874423-0-2
$7.95 Paper/$3.95 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/OWN-YOUR-WORK-JOURNEY-Meaningful/dp/B0BW2SL7Q3
Own Your Work
Journey! The Path to Meaningful Work and
Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change advocates integrating technological savvy
into the quest for finding meaningful life work, promoting a sense of
independence and accomplishment that comes from the unification of two
seemingly disparate approaches to life.
It's
unusual to
see a book that is part new age insight and yet is inclusive of the
technological opportunities that typical new age writings tend to
eschew. But
the foundations of Edward D. Hess's revised and revitalized approach to
satisfaction lay in adopting new survival strategies to mitigate the
faster
life pace introduced by new technologies, and chapters focus on
building self-awareness
and insight while working alongside such changes.
In
this process,
becoming your "best self" is key to not only survival, but thriving.
Hess reveals how to take on the perceptions and life strategies that
enable
such winning roles in life's journey, drawing important connections
between the
time taken towards self-realization and overcoming negative and
limiting
attitudes and the success that can stem from adapting one's life
journey to a
rapidly changing world.
The
prerequisites for successfully utilizing this title are a willingness
to work
on self and an acceptance of tools such as mindfulness, meditation,
journaling,
and practicing the lessons Hess outlines here. But, then, readers not
on this
path and unwilling to work on or look at themselves might not be the
prime
audience for this book. That would be a shame, because likely this kind
of
reader is exactly who needs the book the most.
Hess
points out
the many business and personal changes that the new era of technology
poses,
indicating how these necessitate adaptations in the business and
personal
pursuits of everyone:
"In the Age of
Smart Technology and Radical
Change, much work will be done in small teams to optimize making the
right
decisions and optimizing how to create new and better products and
services for
your customers or patients. That means that Reflective Listening will
be a key
behavior and tool. I have told many business leaders that success in
this new
Era will be highly dependent upon “the quality of the conversations in
the
workplace."
Understanding
how these changes and choices in responses work to either create
greater
satisfaction and opportunity or result in less of each is key to
adopting the
kinds of attitudes that lead towards satisfaction on many levels.
That's
why the
practical observations and psychology of Own
Your Work Journey! is so essential.
It is an interconnected analysis of what constitutes satisfaction,
demonstrating
how to maintain equilibrium and upward momentum in times of fast
change, and
how to tailor one's life to make the most of all of its influences.
There
is no
better blueprint for such success than Own Your Work Journey!
The Path to
Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and
Radical Change,
which should be in any self-help or business library, and
utilized in book
club discussion groups of all kinds, whether they be holistic,
business, or
psychological in nature.
Return to Index
The Yewberry Way
Book I: Prayer
Jack Gist
Defiance Press & Publishing, LLC
978-1959677192
$24.95 Hardcover/$18.95 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Yewberry-Way-Book-Prayer/dp/1959677195
The Yewberry Way Book
I: Prayer is
a visionary dystopian story highly
recommended for fans of George Orwell and futuristic philosophical
reading. Jack Gist's
world
is controlled by the System, which regulates the hearts and minds of
humanity.
In this post-apocalyptic scenario, violence and hate have been stricken
from
human society. The cost of this prohibition includes denial of the
metaphysical
forces at work in the world, so when a recluse Outpost Keeper
encounters a
Praying Man in the desert world outside, the status quo is threatened.
Dr. Yew Uket
is
theoretically on the side of the System and is called in to extract the
Outpost
Keeper's memories of his encounter, but what she's really interested in
are the
keys that will lead her to the Praying Man. Her foray into the mind
becomes the
motivating factor for a journey into the world in which a truth that
becomes
twisted into lies upon interrogation turns into transformational
revelations of
magic and opportunities.
"Living things are always shifting."
While the System has
attempted to halt this process in favor of survival and predictability,
inevitability is a funny thing. It refuses to remain repressed, but
bursts
forth despite all efforts to quell it.
As Gist evolves a scenario replete with odd
characters and
encounters between Raggedy Man, Yew, Doc Waters, Mean Eyes, and others,
he also
reinforces the underlying values, perceptions, and changes of this
strange
futuristic world that buffet individual and social concepts of reality
and
illusion.
He moves between first person and third person
descriptions
to add the full flavor of revelations and responses into his story,
cementing
the ironic and purposeful choices of characters with interludes of
description
that bring this world to life ("The
sky is the color of baby powder.").
The clash between the undisciplined (and
untrainable) Cactus
Eaters who defy the System's attempts to control them unfolds in a
thought-provoking way that will lend to discussion and insights from
book clubs
and reading groups—especially those who have tackled Orwell's writings,
and who
look for a more contemporary author's take on social manipulation and
clashing
realities.
Call it a work of dystopian fiction, magical
realism, or
social inspection as you will—one thing is certain: the shifting nature
of
social constructs and efforts to regulate the world bring not just
change, but
war.
Libraries and readers
interested in compelling works that
invite classroom and reading group discussion about future trends and
social
and political possibilities will find The Yewberry Way Book I:
Prayer a
potent
study of the power of transformation, prayer, and alternative thinking.
Return to Index
Chipper Sends Sunshine
Kimber Fox Morgan
Creative, Simple Wonder Press
978-1-7370386-7-2
$18.99 Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
www.kimberfoxmorgan.com
Chipper Sends Sunshine's
focus is animal friends having fun at a camp which is
much warmer (and very different) than the arctic environment they come
from.
Its message is about the shared delights friends can experience from
unfamiliar
encounters and environments—but add Kim Sponaugle's delightful,
whimsically
colorful drawings for a touch of thoughtful adventure that will keep
kids both
reading and thinking.
From bonding over water play to soaking up the sun
and
building friendships with disparate animals during new, shared
activities, the
camp experience highlights the unique opportunity for forming new
relationships.
The bigger question is: how do these friendships
survive
the challenges of long distance? Each arctic animal friend's
determination to
stay in touch is tested by mishaps that thwart the best of intentions.
Picture book readers receive encouragement to write
letters, maintain friendships from afar, and consider the joys of pen
pals.
Parents who choose Chipper Sends Sunshine
for its positive messages about how to maintain connections with others
will
find plenty of discussion material suitable for all ages.
Elementary-level libraries will especially
appreciate this
colorful quest for connection, which lends to read-aloud and display
alike as
it reveals the power of positive thinking, writing, problem-solving,
and
friendships forged by new shared experiences and efforts to engage.
Return to Index
Finley: A Moose On The Caboose
Candace Spizzirri
Gnome Road Publishing
9781957655031
$18.99
Ordering:
http://shop.btpubservices.com/Title/9781957655031
Website: https://gnomeroadpublishing.com/products/finley-a-moose-on-the-caboose
Chantelle and Burgen Thorne's fun illustrations for
Candace
Spizzirri's engaging picture book adventure Finley:
A Moose On The Caboose add artistic flair and a sense of
humor and
positivity to the story of "the friendliest moose" Finley, who loves
to greet train passengers to his town with a smile and a willingness to
listen
to their adventures.
These efforts lead to Finley's own desires to
travel the
rails—but he finds, when he attempts to jump aboard a moving train,
that 'wild
animals' are not welcome on a train (even though he is a very friendly
one).
Not one to admit defeat, Finley decides that a
disguise is
the perfect way to board. Too bad he's chosen the one disguise that
also is not
allowed!
Failure doesn't deter this moose, and Finley's
daily antics
to sneak aboard a train while adhering to its too-many rules will
provide young
readers with much laughter, cemented by the zany illustrations which
capture
Finley's exploits.
"Rules are rules."
But, in special circumstances, they can be broken.
Parents, kids, and educators who choose Finley: A Moose On The Caboose for its
entertainment value will find its underlying messages about
perseverance,
problem-solving, and adhering to (while creatively re-interpreting)
rules to be
both fun and thought-provoking.
Finley: A Moose On The
Caboose is a lively, colorful choice for any library strong
in
tales that both entertain and lead to broader young reader discussion
about
rules, determination, and utilizing one's special abilities to get
ahead.
Return to Index
Frankinschool:
Monster Match
Caryn Rivadeneira
Red Chair Press LLC
978-1-64371-241-3
$16.99
Website: https://www.redchairpress.com/frankinschool-book-1-monster-match
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Match-Book-1-Frankinschool/dp/1643712411
Frankinschool:
Monster Match<
provides a delightfully whimsical tale for kids ages 7-11 as it
explores Fred and Luisa's exposure to a mysterious potion at school
that places
them directly onto the pages of a thrilling experience.
Fred
is supposed to receive a
personally autographed book from its author, but his name isn't written
on the
flyleaf. And he doesn't know anybody named 'Frank.' Or, he didn't until
he read
those words.
His
classmate Luisa, who is always
mean to him, poses a theory that embraces not only the snafu, but his
inherent
stupidity. That's nothing new: "Every day she says something
awful to
him."
The
difference today is that
Fred's transformation into Frank and Luisa's move to become Princess
Luisa
comes to life in an unexpected way as a writing assignment introduces
him to
new possibilities for leading his life in a different way ("What
if I
am Frank in school? Fred wrote. He looked at the words: Frank
in school.
Frank-in-school. Frankinschool!").
Kids
who choose this book
expecting a scary monster story will find far more simmering than
hidden
identities. Lessons on bullying and forgiveness, friendship, adventure,
and
alter egos permeate Fred's experiences and translate to insights that
invite
discussion and understanding.
Even
more important is the theme
of discovery and acceptance that brings Fred and Luisa to better
understand
each other and their amazing new conditions.
Caryn
Rivadeneira crafts an
unusual story that is embedded with the sleuthing and mystery of
strange
circumstances akin to Danny Dunn or Encyclopedia Brown, but adds the
extra
value of psychological discovery as the kids alter their relationship
and
themselves.
The
result is an engrossing story
that may disappoint youngsters who expected frightening monsters, but
will
delight all readers with its intriguing tale of self-discovery,
transformation,
magic, and changed interpersonal relationship skills as the
also-newly-reinvented Princess discovers in Fred some hidden and
admirable
talents.
Return to Index
Love Will Turn You Around
Mary Munson
Gnome Road Publishing
9781957655017
$17.99
Ordering: http://shop.btpubservices.com/Title/9781957655017
Website: https://gnomeroadpublishing.com/products/love-will-turn-you-around
Love Will Turn You Around
is a lovely picture book lesson featuring a unique
character—Heart, who wakes up one morning feeling blue.
Illustrator Kate
Talbot creates a gorgeous,
expressive set of images that bring Heart's story to life as he
interacts with
Circle, Triangle, Square, and other shapes that enjoy playing in ways
he
cannot.
Young
readers learn
about shapes as they absorb Heart's experiences and dilemmas, receiving
an
important lesson in friendship from Star, who points out that even a
defeated
Heart can "twinkle."
Star's
perspective is
enough to give Heart an important idea about changing perspective to
turn a
frown upside down into a smile.
Parents who
choose Love
Will Turn You
Around for
read-aloud will find its
concurrent lessons in shapes and attitude the perfect starting point
for
instructing the very young about love, friendship, and overcoming
adversity
through revised attitudes. The lovely illustrations make Heart's
dilemmas and
solutions appealing and fun.
Elementary-level
libraries will find Heart's story suitable for read-aloud, and will
appreciate
its invitation to engage and educate kids in a variety of subjects,
from
primary and secondary colors and basic math to skills development and
teamwork
principles.
Return to Index
The Metamorphosis of Emma
Murray
Rebecca Laxton
Warren Publishing
978-1-960146-23-6 $26.99
Hardcover/$16.99 Paper
www.warrenpublishing.net
In The
Metamorphosis of Emma Murray, thirteen-year-old Emma has her
summer well
planned, including participating in an environmental program to save
the
monarch butterflies, until her online crush Jeb
Scott and his celebrity dad Chester come to town for a visit. It
seems an unexpected development, but is welcomed until Emma discovers
that Jeb
and Chester are planning on building a ski resort, destroying her
butterfly
garden and its conservation promise.
Ideology
collides
with romance as Emma and her best friend Sophie cook up plans to stop
the
Scotts from destroying their dreams in an effort which also threatens
to
sabotage her relationship with Scott. Emma's realization about Scott's
involvement is just the first stage of her metamorphosis:
"I’d finally gotten close to Jeb Scott, and he was
destroying
everything I loved."
There's only
one
compromise that could work—befriend the enemy, then convert him to the
cause.
As Emma
begins to
pursue her diametrically opposed interests, she further changes in
response to new
realizations about motivation, politics, financial influences, and the
forces
at work in preservation versus development.
Middle grade
readers
receive an evocative, heartfelt story that embraces a police
investigation, her
family's involvement in climate change and mystery, and the forces at
work on
all sides.
While some of these
social issues may seem heady reading for this age group, Rebecca Laxton couches these revelations with
Emma's maturity process as she enters into murky waters of blackmail
and
criminal activity, possible supernatural influences, and the impact of
her own
beliefs and choices on the attitudes and outcomes of townspeople and
conservationists alike. Emma's first-person observations and growth
process
combines with action-packed scenes that are unpredictable and exciting.
While The
Metamorphosis of Emma Murray works well as a leisure read,
ideally it will
be assigned reading for debates about environmental responsibility and
teen
involvement in climate change politics and adult issues.
Return to Index
Secrets of the Wild
Olivia Kent
Mascot Books
978-1645431107
$15.95
www.mascotbooks.com
Secrets of the Wild
invites picture book readers to consider another
possibility to the unseen natural world's activities, maintaining that
"animals are wild, and wild they shall be" as it presents a fantasy
portrait of what really happens deep in the forests where humans don't
go.
One scenario is that of a beaver party: "Beavers hold massive and elegant
parties in their dams. You have to be the brightest and strongest of
the flock,
herd, or gaggle to be invited. Creatures dance, species mingle happily,
and
hundreds of bottles of beaver-made beverages are consumed."
Srimalie Bassani's illustrations capture the
vibrant
possibilities of this world as they follow the antics introduced by
partying
critters at night, in a milieu where "...nothing
compares to the rodeo that goes on when the weasels show up every
Sunday."
Read-aloud parents looking for bright,
adventure-filled
fantasy stories of animals that live alternative lives far from the
prying eyes
of science and humanity will find the rollicking nighttime activities
and
animal secrets in Secrets of the Wild
just the ticket for giggles, fun, and considering new possibilities in
the "beaver parties, bear den game nights,
or weasel rodeos" that could occur outside the realm of
scientific
inquiry and logic.
This invitation for speculation will engage the
very young
with a story that is delightfully original and fantastically vivid.
Return to Index
Victoria McKay and the
Kingdom of Creatures
Marina Aerin Richardson
Many Realms Media
9798396980129
$14.99 print/$5.99 ebook
www.manyrealmsmedia.com
Victoria McKay and the
Kingdom of Creatures is a fantasy adventure novel written by
a twelve-year-old
whose literary prowess is every bit as powerful as writers many years
older.
Tween Vicky does what many children do—wishes she
never had
a pesky younger sister. However, when she awakens in the morning to
find that
Ashley has vanished, Vicky discovers the love between them that
underlie her
frustration, and embarks on a journey to another realm to rescue the
person she
once wished away.
From encounters with unusual creatures and friends
who
exhibit impossible abilities and quirky senses of humor to forays
through Black
Woods, encounters with ghosts, and powerful realizations about the
world and
Vicky's place in it, Marina Aerin Richardson exhibits a descriptive
exuberance
that translates nicely into unusually compelling images: "I
turned and turned like a human Ferris wheel, trying to locate
the source of the sound."
Lovely illustrations pepper the story, accenting
its
characters and adventures, but it's Richardson's vivid descriptive
phrasing and
sense of lively adventure that bring the tale to full-bodied life,
immersing
readers with a "you are here" voice that is vibrant with original,
unexpected observations:
"I’ll spare you most of the details of what followed
my screaming descent into
what turned out to be a vast, sprawling, and totally
nonsensical complex solely devoted to Mariposa’s twisted
sense of beauty. I certainly don’t remember every bit, anyhow. In fact,
I don’t
even know exactly how long I was subjected
to the “beautification.” It’s quite possible I missed my twelfth
birthday
somewhere around the fifth step. Or maybe I was only gone a few hours –
who’s
to tell?"
Besides the adventure and fantasy, Vicky's
evolutionary
process (as she makes many different kinds of friends who support her
in
diverse ways and discovers new ways of dealing with the world and
realizing her
place in it) creates a story that attracts on more than an
action-packed level.
As human Vicky faces a Magical Council she is not
supposed
to know about and confronts magical creatures, she becomes both a
witness and a
participant in a world filled with both attractive and terrifying
creatures and
rules which only partially apply to her, as a human.
The emotional flavors which run through Vicky's
extraordinary encounters power the story with vivid responses to her
changing
sense of reality, magic, and her blossoming abilities: "Despite
all the chaos this day had been, despite the severity of
me being here in a court run by three evil maniacs with only a kindly
rabbit
and redhead pixie on my side – despite all that…I was still a naturally
curious
girl."
Although Victoria
McKay and the Kingdom of Creatures is a fantasy that tweens
and young
adults will find attractive, its force and example should not be missed
by
older readers, as well. Richardson's ability to flavor her world with
the
emotional and physical forces that dovetail to create compelling
scenarios and
shifting lessons of interpersonal relationships and experiences
translates to
not just an effective story, but one that's hard to put down.
Return to Index