May 2023 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature
Mystery & Thrillers
The
Aether
Chronicles: Rebellium
AJ Wolfe
Pluviam Press
978-1-7372508-0-7
$13.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
Website: aj-wolfe.com
Ordering: https://geni.us/jELd
The Aether Chronicles: Rebellium follows
the quest of
eighteen-year-old Natalia Rhys as she chafes under the rule of
President Vayne
Averie, who searches out powerful Elementals through an assessment
process, to
add to his growing army.
Like all
others in
her kingdom, Natalia faces her elemental assessment test with much
trepidation.
But, unlike many, she and her close friends fall into the company of
rebels led
by Vayne's own son, Roman. She finds her destiny radically altered by
these
newfound associations and the changes they introduce to her friendships
and
status.
Roman has
not grown
up with friends like Natalia. As he and Natalia form an unlikely bond
(given
their very different worlds) with new connections, they reflect on the
powers
that come not only from within, but between them, musing about "...how powerful love is and the
lengths that people are willing to go for those they love.”
Their
beliefs and
growing powers and connections are heavily tested not just by the
political and
social currents governing their lives, but by a growing attraction that
sparks
the special powers within them.
AJ Wolfe
creates a
compelling fantasy that incorporates epic battles both externally and
internally. She crafts characters that push themselves to go further
and deeper
into the world and their place in it than they'd ever imagined,
embedding her
story with action and confrontations that emerge from disparate and
unexpected
sectors.
"Throughout her entire life, one of the only things
Natalia had
ever wanted was to find love—to find family."
On the cusp
of
achieving her dreams against all odds, Natalia finds that, in fact, her
greatest achievement is about to change into her biggest nightmare as
love and
family test her ability to keep them both safe.
Readers
receive a
tense, epic fantasy story of struggle and romance that is equally
fueled by war
and love. The passions, purposes, and people of this world come to
vivid life,
while the dashes of bigger-picture thinking about mental and physical
pain over
the real costs of winning a war are thought-provoking and involving.
Libraries
seeking
epic fantasy works that will appeal to book club discussion groups with
topics
of personal and political struggle and the impact of life choices on
underlying
influence development will find this first book in the Aether
Chronicles
series, Rebellium, a powerful draw.
Return to Index
Four: Book 1
of the
Numbers Trilogy
A.A. Clifford
HardBooks Publishing
9780985475956
$5.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Four-Book-1-Numbers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0BSFWY447
Four is set in the year 2097, where
society's reliance on
technology has hit an all-time high, setting it above and beyond
spiritual
beliefs and political systems. In fact, scientists and atheists now
control the
world. And it's not a pretty picture.
Global
Marshal Austin Corrigan has eschewed traditional faith in favor of a
blend of
scientific and agnostic believers. Charged with protecting the world
from
master criminals, he and his team are stymied when three dangerous men
escape
from Prime Supermax Prisons to form a deadly force, with an unknown
fourth man
spearheading their efforts.
As
Austin tracks them on a world-hopping venture in which the perps stay
one step
ahead of even his power and might, he begins to realize they harbor
extraordinary powers that are beyond belief.
Have
they been genetically enhanced, or are they the fabled Four Horsemen
incarnate?
It
seems unlikely that Austin holds as a friend (much less teams up with)
a devout
Catholic, but Dean's faith forces Austin to confront his own underlying
belief
system as he pursues impossibly empowered enemies and teeters ever
closer to a
series of revelations that will revise not only his perception of this
futuristic world, but his position in it.
A.A.
Clifford builds
a story that blends hard science, social change, moral and spiritual
conundrums, and mystery into an action-packed plot designed to appeal
to all
kinds of readers, whether they come from spiritual or sci-fi circles.
The action
is
fast-paced, the character development keeps readers engaged, and the
quandaries
and questions Austin and other characters face as their roles and fates
play
out on a larger battlefield of belief and power plays makes for
thoroughly
engrossing reading.
Perhaps the
most
compelling piece of this story lies in its ability to dovetail
spiritual
questions over the nature and possibility of God with the events that
predict
and precede cataclysmic changes.
Christian
readers, in
particular, will find that the enactment of high drama in a futuristic
world of
pestilences and power plays feels both realistic and true to modern
times and
represents competing belief systems as each character tests their
ability to
transform themselves and the world.
Four will draw readers from different
circles; from Christian
thinkers and agnostics to sci-fi readers looking for a compelling story
of
futuristic society and change.
Libraries
seeking
books that posit the end of worlds and new beginnings will find Four an enticing, different perspective
that draws as much from psychological foundations of personal change as
from
social and spiritual reflection.
Return to Index
Ithandryll
Nikki Auberkett
Independently
Published
ASIN: B0BS3934Y2
$2.99 Kindle
Website: www.nikkiauberkett.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Ithandryll-Song-Sidhe-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0BS3934Y2
Ithandryll is the first book in the Song of the
Sidhe series, and blends fantasy with romance in a compelling manner
that
promises an epic read to both genre fans.
Roxi
Lovegood is on
the run from her past. Landing in Chicago, a good place to blend into
the
background, she discovers that not only has she brought along baggage
from her
past life, but an apartment break-in reveals a relic under the
floorboards that
leads her into another world. Chicago has always been her dream. Now
that she's
achieved one of her life goals (to live there), it becomes her
nightmare.
Roxi's belief system is challenged in a
major way by events that draw her further into danger and, ironically,
force
her to move from her comfort zone and the distance she wants to put
between
herself and the world ("Some days it was easier to forget. To
pretend.
To focus on something more pressing and present, like finding a new job
or
dodging the nosy inquiries from fair-weathered “friends” who also loved
to
pretend.").
Roxi is unable to just wallow in sadness,
given the extraordinary circumstances of a successful flight into
something
even she never predicted in all her dreams of opportunity and change.
Her encounter with the alluring Devon
provides her with a guide not only to this odd world, but to matters of
the
heart that re-form her place in both worlds. Despite his penchant for
mischief
and frolic, Devon, too, has experienced heartbreak.
Nikki
Auberkett takes
the time to entwine romance, a fantasy world, and circumstances which
force
Roxi and Devon to step away from their choices and predictable paths
into
something different, both with one another and in their new lives.
Ithandryll is replete with fine tension and whimsical
moments of comic relief: "Roxi’s eyes widened. Her breath
escaped her
lungs. Fairies. “Pixies.” Devon held no such wonderment; he grumbled
the word
with all the admiration of a man with a fly swatter."
The dance between a stubborn human who taps
her deepest resources to survive in this strange new land and a
captivating
stranger who introduces her to his world and her family makes for an
engrossing
story filled with numerous memorable characters and satisfying twists
and turns
of plot.
Libraries and readers seeking the
intersection of epic fantasy and romance will find Ithandryll
nicely
developed, compelling in its vision of disparate people forced to tap
their
inner desires and heritages in order to survive, and hard to put down.
Return to Index
Klara's
Journey
K.S. Wright
Hart & Hind
Publishing
9781957910000
$21.99
www.HartandHindpc.com
Klara's Journey is the first book in the
new adult fantasy and
historical romance series 'The Kenetlon Sagas,' and opens with an
evocative
prologue that introduces Waywyrd, who is enjoying a magnificent view on
a
sea-salted terrace overlooking the Black Sea.
This bucolic
interlude of peace precedes events that change in a heartbeat as Klara
is
discovered to be acting as a village whore. She finds herself signing
up for a
very different profession when she becomes part of an expedition to the
wildlands as their chief cook and huntress.
As she moves
from
being exploited to a position of empowerment granted by her choices and
growth,
Klara becomes involved with both nobility and exiled royalty, coming to
find
her life journey entwined with the destinies of kings and the future of
the
land.
K.S. Wright
nicely
contrasts Klara's personal revelations and experiences with the rising
conflicts and challenges of her world. Her encounter with demons,
rituals, and
matters of her own heart ("I don't
believe I'm capable of even knowing what love is.") makes for
a
satisfying contrast between high-octane adventure and psychological
development
as Klara moves into positions of power she'd never imagined, both
personally
and as a member of society.
When her
relationship
with King Thorn evolves, Klara's position shifts—as do her perceptions
of her
life's purpose and her beliefs. These all bring readers into a
satisfying
milieu of discovery, with unexpected twists of plot keeping the romance
elusive
and fresh and the action spirited and in sync with Klara's
developmental
process.
Libraries
and readers
seeking stories that represent the intersection of fantasy, history,
romance,
and psychological growth will welcome the opportunity to follow Klara
on her
life-changing journey through a world in flux.
Return to Index
Mark of a
Crescent
Moon
Clara Fay
Wild Geese Bookworks
9798987216903
$7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Crescent-Moon-Clara-Fay-ebook/dp/B0BXMD2HCV
After a
nasty
divorce, Fleur La Salle returns to her hometown of Antigonish in Nova
Scotia to
rebuild her life and passion, both lost in her short marriage. Mark of a Crescent Moon follows her
journey into disparate and unfamiliar worlds of realization when she
pursues
the meaning of her recurring dreams, only to find herself in another
world
entirely.
Fantasy
melds with
transformation processes in a vivid manner in Clara Fay's story as, one
year
after her move, Fleur finds herself past the period of mourning what
could have
been, thoroughly immersed in life in a tribal village from long ago.
The family
and connections she's longed for come to vivid life, as does the art
that is
her passion, when she is drawn back to Scotland by a mysterious letter.
An
event from her dreams causes her physical trauma when she then falls
into a
portal of standing stones and is transported into the past.
As Fleur
becomes
immersed in hidden family history and receives lessons on tapping into
her
emotions to remember who she is, readers follow her on a journey that
is both
metaphysical and psychological as Fleur draws unexpected new
connections with
Thomas and her supportive Auntie G.
Clara Fay
creates a
finely-tuned balancing act between emotional growth and intrigue as
Fleur
approaches her past, present, and future from a different angle than
she's ever
done before.
The mystery,
time-travel components, and shifting roles and interpersonal
relationships that
Fleur experiences with Thomas and others around her drive a story line
replete
with action and self-reflection. These make Fleur's world and reactions
feel
authentic and realistic.
The family
curse that
affects not just Fleur but events and lives past and present is just
one facet
of a story marked by intrigue, destiny, and the surprising intersection
of an
artistic and spiritual journey.
Libraries
and readers
seeking multifaceted stories that defy pat categorization and draw with
the
lures of psychological growth, historical intrigue, and interpersonal
relationships will find Mark of a
Crescent Moon a fantasy adventure of a different order, well
stepped in
mystery and discovery that will keep readers thinking and guessing
throughout.
Return to Index
A Measure of
Rhyme
Lloyd Jeffries
Buckminster
Publishing
979-8-9855269-5-0
$20.99
Hardcover/$13.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
Website: http://www.lloydjeffries.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1CV1T1Q?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
Readers
familiar with
the first book in the Ages of Malice series, A
Portion of Malice, may well recall the potent blend of
thriller
and fantasy that powered the story of a writer assigned to write a
billionaire's biography, only to find that Thaddeus Drake is the leader
of a
secret society determined to bring on the apocalyptic end of mankind.
It might
seem
unlikely that a suicidal writer would be the savior of the planet, much
less in
the position to play a major role in the timeless battle between good
and evil,
but Emery Merrick plays a part akin to no other as he confronts both
inner and
outer demons.
This measure
of
courage continues in A Measure of Rhyme,
which will best be appreciated by those who found A
Portion of Malice unforgettable, and who will find its sequel
an
equally powerful force of wonder.
The prologue
reintroduces Emery and presents the very different task he's assigned,
but it
also captures an underlying sense of wry observation humor that comes
forth
especially strongly in this book:
“I made it to Heaven?” I look down the corridor,
realize it has no
walls, no floor or ceiling, just an endless rainbow of space.
“Shouldn’t I feel
more elated? More, I don’t know, overjoyed?”
John laughs. “Ah, curiosity. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, eh?”
He slaps me on the back. “I’ve missed you Emery.”
As readers
then
receive a surprising truth about Emery's condition and foray into
spiritual
realms usually limited to angels and the dead, they move into a story
replete
with twists and turns that keep them guessing, wondering, and
thoroughly
engrossed. Some of this surprise factor lies in the continual
challenges Lloyd
Jeffries injects into any preconceived notions of Emery's ongoing
journey.
The blend of
spirituality, myth, and history both confronts and confounds any
prejudices or
inherent beliefs about these facets in a story that is especially adept
at not
just confronting illusions, but ripping them apart.
Emery's
ongoing
journey is that of Everyman, reflecting humanity's relentless
progression
towards destruction, but also its hopeful possibilities of redemption
that go
hand-in-hand with salvation and damnation.
Drake's
ability to
shut down the place and people involved in his deadly ritual is not
quite
complete. Remnants remain to evolve new possibilities, while Emery's
self-destructive routes receive continual challenge from God, Cain, and
others
mirroring new beginnings that rise like phoenixes from the
possibilities of
endings and total destruction.
Lloyd
Jeffries
cements these journeys of God and man with dialogues and reflections
that will
serve book clubs and readers with thought-provoking opportunities for
discussions of spiritual and psychological revelation:
“I’m sorry for your loss, but only partly. I never
expected to marry a
human, never expected a lot of things my journey has held. But now, as God,” he emphasizes this word, “I
cannot suffer such distractions as pity for you. You’ve always been in
a hurry
to die, and I alone saved you from that fate. I sincerely hope we can
find a
mutual understanding, that you’ll stay in my favor. But the choice is
entirely
yours. My hope is that you’ll be able to set aside the portion of
malice you
hold for me. But,” he pauses here, “if you cannot, it changes nothing.
You’ll
still serve at my pleasure. Like all mortals, that is your lot.”
Power
blossoms not
just in Emery but in Cain, Igneus, Sebastian, and a host of other
characters
whose strengths, weaknesses, and observations contribute to a greater
good and
realizations that continue to rock the worlds of those who populate
this novel
and their readers.
Chaos is
both called
for and realized, and denied, as events emerge with fiery repercussions
to
portend new directions as well as the inevitable results of humankind's
social,
political, and spiritual entanglements.
The backlash
is
inevitable. It's also unexpected, diverging from anything readers could
anticipate to forge new avenues of spiritual and historical inspection.
The gift of
love and
the notion that evil can be timeless make
A
Measure of Rhyme a thought-provoking blend of fantasy,
thriller, and
philosophical inspection well on the level of Dan Brown's spiritual
bent, with
a little Robert McCammon thrown in for good measure.
Libraries
and readers
who relished A Portion of Malice
will
find A Measure of Rhyme equally
powerful in its synthesis of fantasy, history, and religious
inspection. It
drops a bomb on any notion of predictability, leading into experiences
and
outcomes that wind up feeling almost inevitable despite their many
surprises.
Return to Index
The Singing Shore III: Spirit and Flame
E.P. Clark
Helia Press
978-1952723391
$25.00
Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Singing-Shore-III-Spirit-Flame/dp/1952723396
The epic
fantasy
trilogy The Singing Shore opens with a puzzle for newcomers: while Spirit and Flame is clearly the third
book, it's also the seventh book in The
Zemnian
Series and the fifth in Dasha's Story. This translates to the fact that
Spirit and Flame will best be
enjoyed
not just by prior readers of the series in general and this trilogy in
particular, but by followers of epic fantasy who enjoy a wide array of
characters and ongoing quests that keep their missions both lively and
unpredictable.
Dasha is heir to the throne on a mission of peace
to the Rutsi, the
warlike tribes of her kingdom.
Her life is complicated by the promise of a magical power she has yet
to
command, Dasha is accompanied
by escorts who struggle
to keep her safe against the attention of a murderous magical wolf who
covets
her power to add to his own.
The adventures haven't ended with Dasha's prior
discovery of her
abilities, but continue here as she wields them on behalf of her
kingdom, which
is falling increasingly into war.
The second book ended with a fleet of Rutsi intent
on invading. This
book picks up where that moment left off, continuing to follow Dasha as
she
comes into her power and makes decisions about how best to unite her
divided
world.
A spirit cannot be separated from its body for
long, or it will die.
Dasha's rare gifts translate to uncommon and hard decisions as she
faces
special challenges both within and outside:
"Always
before she had found herself back in her body without effort. But now,
when she
was afraid and desperate to return, she couldn’t find her way back. She
tried
thinking of returning, she tried picturing herself, she tried reaching
out for
herself, she tried hurling herself back across that abyss of space
between her
spirit and her body. None of it worked.
As in the
other
books, E.P. Clark embeds the story
with action and reflective moments, exploring the motivations and
psyche of
Dasha and those around her and adding components of intrigue and
discovery.
These power a hard-hitting quest that operates on different levels,
from
considerations of honor and pride to visions that introduce portents of
danger
and demand responses from Dasha that are well out of her comfort zone.
The strength lies not only in this book's
expanded connections with its predecessors and the series as a whole,
but in
the psychological and magical conundrums faced by Dasha as she steps up
and
into her own abilities and the hard decisions they exact.
Why are facets of her world alive and yet
not alive?
Dasha's pursuit of final answers in her
journey provides just the right amount of intrigue, purpose, and
uncertainty to
attract fans of epic fantasy and magical transformations, romance and
action;
particularly prior readers and libraries that have seen patron interest
in the
other books.
Return to Index
Fast
Fiction: 101
Stories of 101 Words Each
Scotty Cornfield
Flagstone Press
978-1667866321
$15.95 Paper/$10.99 ebook
Website: www.scottycornfield.com
Ordering: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/fast-fiction
Fast Fiction: 101 Stories of 101 Words Each
is the first volume of
a book that reinforces the notion that stories of less than 3 pages and
only
one word over 100 can hold attraction.
Scotty
Cornfield
includes the prompts and directions that led him to write each piece.
As he
instructs readers in his introduction, think 'writer's improv'.
Two-word
prompts result in quick tales that assume disparate and unusual routes,
beginning with the 'found property' prompt that produced 'A Most
Unexpected
Gift,' the introductory tale, that tells of the unusual find of a "human hermit crab" who "spent
his days scavenging for whatever
he could “find” be it from dumpsters, Wal-Marts or unlocked parked
cars." The
prize (and accompanying surprise) comes when he discovers the keys to a
Mercedes.
Each story
features
an unexpected twist. Anyone who maintains that 101 words is not nearly
enough
to develop characters, plots, motivation, or surprises receives
newfound
insights into the possibilities 101 words and a prompt can introduce to
the
creative process.
Another
example (this
one stemming from the prompt 'Delphic') is 'Just a Lucky Guess?' in
which a
fortune teller unexpectedly nails a secret. The dialogue-driven story
is
intense and involving, even at 101 words.
On the
reader's part,
these 'flash fiction' pieces prove that the most power can come from a
surprisingly succinct form that will prove accessible no matter how
busy the
reader. They can be read at a moment's notice, absorbed and digested
slowly as
time permits, and each provides a powerhouse of attraction that refutes
any
notion that complexity and length must accompany quality writing.
Libraries
and busy
readers will be the likely audiences for this collection, but ideally
it will
also be chosen by book clubs and creative writing teachers for its
powerful
examples of what can be achieved on the fly, using a minimal amount of
verbiage
and a maximum attention to innuendo, possibility, and surprise.
Return to Index
The Islander
David W. Berner
Outpost19, The Shortish Project (an
initiative to champion the tradition of short novels)
9798987839805
$16.00 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Islander-David-W-Berner/dp/B0BW2VKRD4
The
Islander is a novella
that tells of aging
American writer Seamus Damp, who attempts to cement his isolation by
moving to
a remote Irish island. You can't always escape the past, and in this
case, an
estranged son continues to introduce heartbreak and possibilities into
his
life.
Ireland is where he and his wife turned for
a quieter life, even though he was born in America. The Irish-American
community's firm ties to the old country were never quite severed, and
so
Seamus found his roots there and raised a son, Aiden, as an Irish boy.
When his
son left home, his wife insisted that he, too, move away from her.
Seamus
acknowledges that he has "fallen into his own silence, a
retreat of
spirit, increasingly in need of solitude. He had become an intensely
quiet man.
No longer present. No longer capable of giving enough to someone else.
Seamus
knew what he had become. He had had sullen days as a child, and they
had
followed him like a ghost."
The last thing he expected to experience in
this chosen world of isolation is a new connection to another woman,
who
harbors her own heartache and reasons for a solitary existence.
When the two meet during a storm and share
their personal stories of what has driven their isolation and spiritual
contemplation, new revelations emerge to form unexpected emotional
connections
as changes surge all around and between them.
Succinct though it may be in appearance, The
Islander packs a punch. Part of its literary strength lies in
David W.
Berner's ability to get the most impact from the least amount of words.
Where other literary discussions of solitary
lives tend to develop complicated plots, The Islander
excels in a
simple, rugged perspective of life and self that contrasts the
experiences and
perspectives of father and son and the lives each touches.
The
Islander's reflection of
psychological depth and
literary strength will attract a wide audience, but is especially
recommended
for literature and creative writing classes seeking examples of the
rich
possibilities the short form can take when utilized to its greatest
advantage.
Book clubs interested in Irish culture and
experience will also find The Islander filled with
topics worthy of
discussion and inspection, from how Seamus is connected to his Irish
roots to
the impact of these connections on his choices and legacy to his son.
Return to Index
A Lie Called
the
Present
Jim van de Erve
Atmosphere Press
978-1639887521
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The play in
verse A Lie Called the Present
revolves around
a cast of elderly and middle-aged characters who represent a family in
chaos.
Each member is hiding some aspect of their lives and personas. As the
story
unfolds, these truths come to light in unexpected ways to test the
family's
past, present, and future connections.
Jim van de
Erve
presents the drama with a military edge of reflection: "Who
is a daughter but a spy/with a matron’s cloak and assassin’s
dagger?/And who are parents but generals/raising their off to be
divided/by the
stars into their separate zealots."
As
intellectually
reflective as its introduction demands, the heart of this story lies in
relationships tested by time and the advancement of years as dementia
and
disparate special interests both challenge the family and threatens its
foundations.
Intriguing
connections are made via seemingly-ordinary conversations that ring
with
authenticity:
"HARRY (exasperated)
What it is, Honey?
YVONNE
When do we eat what they masquerade as a meal?
HARRY (looks at the wall
clock)
In three.
YVONNE
I’m famished now. In three, I’ll be bored of starving."
The truths
that are
revealed within each family member's particular vision, limitation, and
objective come to light as the play moves through time and experiences.
The
resulting tale of
lives tested by aging, the betrayal of self and loved ones, and
revelations
made by a family already connected in unusual ways contributes to a
play that
ideally will be both read and considered for stage production.
Libraries
and readers
seeking contemporary scenarios and literary dramas that employ poetic,
psychological, and dramatic embellishments will welcome the
hard-hitting issues
and structure of A Lie Called the Present,
which may also be chosen for drama classes as an example of modern
issues
brought to life using new literary approaches to broaden both its
message and
potential audience.
Return to Index
Poems of Everyday Life
Suzanne W. Guinn
The Ewings Publishing
979-8-88640-187-5
$15.00 Hardcover/$5.99 Paper
https://www.amazon.com/Poems-Everyday-Life-Suzanne-Guinn/dp/B0BHRB3MGT
The second edition of Poems of Everyday
Life is a literary work recommended for any library or reader
interested in
accessible, inspirational pieces reflecting both spiritual and
philosophical
observations of ordinary life.
The sentiments expressed by Suzanne W. Guinn
are those which come from daily living, from an introductory poem which
sees
Jesus in virtually every aspect of life to the next piece, which
explores the
sense of exhaustion in all ages: "I’m tired says the little
boy coming
in from play./He takes a short nap and soon is on his way./It doesn’t
take long
to get his strength renewed./I’m tired says the teenager who is growing
like
the weeds./He sleeps long hours, getting rest for that is what he
needs./College life is coming when late nights are pursued."
As with the first poem, quite often these
pieces (as demonstrated in the above poem 'I'm Tired') move full circle
to
connect life experiences, reflections, and events with higher-level
spiritual
thinking.
From reflections on how to "live a life
that's right" which are imparted by a thoughtful mother's admonitions,
to
the blessings of diverse friendships, Guinn keeps her poems rooted in
daily
life, spiritual connections, and verse that cements both the simplicity
of life
and its overlay of complex reactions and emotions.
The result is a poetry collection perfect
for readers who like verse, easily-digested reflections, and blessings
which
come from celebrations and insights about life.
Black and white artwork and photography by
the author supplement the colorful cover art and accent these delicate,
random
poems about life, contributing the feel of fine art to the
inspirational
revelations within, making the collection recommendable to libraries
seeking
poetry easily understood by the everyday reader.
Return to Index
Summer Words
David Salner
Broadstone Books
978-1-956782-32-5
$26.50
www.broadstonebooks.com
Summer
Words: New
and Selected Poems presents
poems about family history, labor, and the pursuit of dreams in a
changing America
where values and landscapes are in flux. A hard-hitting collection of
thoughts
and images, it juxtaposes literary and historical references that move
from
Hungarian family roots to modern-day life in a new country and
time.
The first
thing to note
about this collection as a whole is its contrasts between modern and
past life
in America. Readers move between social issues, such as an 1800s
hanging and
the modern death penalty, with special attention given to the emotional
impact
of life and death in different historical eras.
One example
of the
power of this special form of contrast in lives and experiences lies in "The Welder on Midnight Shift," in
which "It’s
only a pit, huge as the summer sky and deep,/where the new
Penn Station is going up./The beam of an arc light in the pit/finds
tenement
houses by mistake,/explores the facades, invades the windows,/and
floods the
rooms where people sleep."
From the
worker's
creation and tasks to the impact they hold on those outside of his
workplace but
affected by these efforts, David Salner captures in a nutshell the
impact of
new building invading and challenging set lives at all hours of day and
night.
"Furnace" is another delightful example
of a working
man's experiences that moves from "...a lake of yellow steel/breaking the
darkness, almost spectral,/sizzling with waves that bake my
skin" to
respite from the blasting work environment which is carried home; where
the
narrator says "...I
pull a sheet over my skin/and
dream of trees that never burn,/skim branches over sizzling waves."
These poems
do more
than tell stories or contrast lives past and present: they sing with
literary
allusions, metaphorical descriptions, as workaday worlds spill into
daily
living off-hours, steeped in such evocative descriptions as "the sour kiss of rubber put away
wet."
The jobs and
heritage
of the blue-collar worker are captured in a collection that ideally
will be
used to illustrate these lives and their foundations and impact. Most
poetry
collections limit themselves, by their language and accessibility, to
literary
audiences; but Summer
Words represents the
magical ability to reach into the worker's life with the promise of
familiar
experience and values that can prompt discourse and insights among
laborers and
poets alike.
Ideally, Summer Words: New and Selected Poems will be selected for both literature libraries and by book clubs interested in works that translate the experiences of workers in new, accessible, enlightening ways to reach a wider audience than scholarly readers alone.
Summer WordsReturn to Index
Intimate
Souvenirs
Rob Couteau
Dominantstar LLC
978-1-7360049-5-1
$19.99
Website: www.robcouteau.com
Ordering: www.DominantstarPublications.com
Intimate Souvenirs is a memoir with a
message that embraces a
coming-of-age story with a background in 1970s Brooklyn. This
influenced Rob
Couteau's progressive work as an adult with the homeless and
impoverished, from
America to Venezuela.
It's evident
from the
introductory passages of the opening 'Gravesend' that the 500+ pages of
coverage won't be either a tome or a waste of time to traverse, because
Couteau
brings to vivid life his impressions of the world from an early age,
and his
evolving place in it:
"I wash my hands at a sink in the boys’ bathroom,
then turn to a
kid next to me and ask: 'Do you realize that we have eight
more years of this?' I was only five years old, but
already I was counting the days of imprisonment at St. Anne’s
Elementary
School. Like any other prison, the occupants were expected to wear
matching
uniforms, for individuality was not to be tolerated."
This isn't
just a
first-person reflection. Dialogues with influencers and others in his
life
document the interactions which move him through different milieus of
"what's normal and what's crazy" as he embraces dreams, disparate
individuals around him, and new purposes to his life.
Memoir
readers will
find these dialogues and interactions an intrinsic part of exploring
the growth
process and how divergent paths are considered. Couteau moves through
relationships and encounters that reinforce his own perceptions while
considering how poverty is tolerated and acknowledged in different
circles:
"...for Priscilla art was merely a “distraction”
that only the
most callous could enjoy without having a guilty conscience. After all,
as long
as the world was beleaguered with poverty and homelessness, we were
obliged to
focus on far more urgent matters."
As Couteau
moves
through different worlds (including France), encountering literary,
artistic,
and social figures, he finds a new sense of home, place, and purpose
which
translates to social and philosophical revelations about life,
religion, and
the world.
Ultimately,
his very
method of engaging with other worlds is what links readers to his life
and the
exuberant march of its encounters and revelations:
"With Marie and with a handful of others, I
succeeded in breaking
through this formal boundary line only because, all the while, I would
share
personal anecdotes about my own life, but couched in that witty,
urbane,
sophisticated manner that makes such a confession not only forgivable
but also
entertaining to the well-bred Parisienne.
As a result, with a little prodding, they’d incrementally divulge some
amusing
detail about themselves, perhaps as a means of not appearing to be
defeated in
such a competition of wit."
The book
features an
Introduction by acclaimed novelist Robert Roper and an Afterword by
literary
biographist Christopher Sawyer-Lauçanno.
Five hundred
pages go
by in the blink of an eye as readers absorb an intriguing memoir that
deserves
a place in any library strong in memoirs that embrace literary,
artistic, and
social transformation.
Return to Index
The Long and Tortured Road
Thomas Kind
Quiet Waters
Publishing
979-8-218-10011-7
$27.95 Hardcover/$16.95 Paper/$9.99
ebook
Website: www.thomaskind.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYQQFR4G/
The
Long and
Tortured Road is a memoir about a forty-five-year-old man who
hits the wall
of depression. It follows his life up to this point and beyond,
starting with a
childhood in which racism was a powerful influencer and an intrinsic
part of
the family belief system.
This and
other
beliefs and rules emerge from a riveting account of a boy who grows up
believing he "can't do anything right," whose life lessons embrace
family legends and illusions as well as abuse.
Thomas Kinds
cultivates an unusually candid form of self-reflection that reaches out
to grab
his readers: "At a young age, I
learned that extroverted people were more successful than introverted
people,
and I was told that I was an extrovert. It felt like it was a choice
rather
than an inherent trait. I learned that having time alone was wrong.
Time alone
was sad. Time alone was selfish. I avoided and fought that bad place,
and I
never learned the feeling of a solitary comfort zone."
These
childhood
influences translated to adult pursuits and perspectives which too
often didn't
support Kind's own instincts and best interests: "As
I surface into the world, I’m a social chameleon, contorting
into a mistake-free human being. Each day, I mentally craft a handful
of jokes
for my clients, continuing to perform as a witty extrovert. I exist in
a state
of improv, always preparing standup comedy bits to please people."
It's rare to
see a
memoir that so succinctly and straightforwardly translates the messages
of
childhood into the adult perceptions which lead to struggle and
impossible
scenarios. Kind's memoir succeeds in drawing important connections
between
experience and personality growth, offering many thought-provoking
reflections
for those struggling with early childhood mandates and their
translation to
adult situations.
From
evolving
delusional manias in which Kind "became a madman" to journal entries
that documented the thinking, logic, and processes that led him to
cultivate
extraordinary reactions and behaviors to ordinary life challenges,
readers
receive a powerful connection between outer and inner worlds. This
approach
excels in examining a myriad of connections, such as the process of
absorbing
political fervor and translating it into passionate ideas for change.
As anxiety,
mental
illness, and world events coalesce to bring Kind to the brink of both
collapse
and newfound realizations about himself, readers will find themselves
thoroughly immersed in the challenges he faces: “I’m
bouncing off the past and the future, past, future, past, future.
I can’t stay in the present.”
The result
is a vivid
memoir that, more so than most, chronicles the early influences,
lasting
impact, and translation of childhood mandates and growth processes into
adult
reactions and connections.
Libraries
and readers
seeking memoirs about life changes, discovery, and recovery will find The
Long and Tortured Road a powerful testimony to the power of
purpose and
perception in mental health struggles and transformative experiences.
Return to Index
Mumentous
Amy J. Schultz
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-565-7
$37.50
www.atmospherepress.com
Mumentous
is a powerful photo-driven memoir
steeped in
the roots of Texas and motherhood, and captures a social and cultural
expedition across Texas with a focus on mums and their mindsets. Its
first-person journey attracts from the start with a candid
observational style
that opens on the football field of Texas life:
"The
humidity
pushed down on the football stadium that homecoming night, capping and
coagulating the din rising from the student section. Each individual
sound,
movement, and breath taken seemed to stick together in the atmosphere,
forming
a singular, dense mass of joyful disharmonies.
I love it. When I’m in a big crowd like this one, I play a
game my mom
taught me back when I was a wiggly child sitting next to her at a
concert.
First, she told me, find the sound of one instrument. The trumpet,
maybe, or
the piano. Listen to its melody until you can follow its story. Once
understood, open your eardrums just a little in search of a
complementary tone.
Try to add a third, then a fourth. Take care you don’t add too many
storylines
at once so that the first ones disappear back into the murk, because
every
instrument is equally important. As I applied her game to the
homecoming-related chatter around me, there were so many harmonic
stories from
which to choose..."
This passage captures the feel and process
of Mumentous in a nutshell, representing the rich
flavors that Amy J.
Schultz mixes into her story of Texas homecoming mums and the milieu
that
exhibits a special countenance to the world that is uniquely and "...outrageously
conspicuous and totally emboldened, just like a teenager making a big
noise in
our big, noisy world."
Texans, mothers, and those who would view
motherhood and Texans through a very different lens will find Schultz
includes
her own revelations as she moves through this environment: "Acknowledging
mum-makers as entrepreneurs marked an important shift in my perception."
Readers expecting another focus on children
and family will find, instead, a richer vein of discussion that
uncovers and
profiles the Texas mum as a treasure in her own right, whether she's
cheering
for a team, creating her own, or embarking on proactive activities that
incorporate tradition with new engagements with life in various ways.
Rich black and white photos of homecoming
games and women living "the times of our lives" pepper the account
with a vigorous set of images that capture the cheering moments of
Texas women
in action.
Her interviews with mums who reveal
different social and cultural aspects of this process and the unique
properties
of the Texas mum are engrossing and enlightening:
"'Thanks
to
Facebook, I’m still in touch with several of my high school friends.
You could
take a photo of them from twenty years ago wearing their homecoming mum
and
paste their daughters’ faces on top of theirs. Nothing has changed.
Well, except
in our hometown, the mums are much bigger now.'
From her insider’s
vantage point, however, she sees many more who opt out. There are
numerous
reasons, not the least of which is sustained migration to Texas from
just about
everywhere in the country. The more non-Texans in a school district,
the more
diluted the enthusiasm can be for unusual traditions."
Mumentous
will attract, delight, and
surprise those
who think it will be yet another coverage of motherhood alone. By
exploring and
exposing the unique traditions of Texas mums, Schultz succeeds in
crafting a
history that captures homecoming games, queens, and the powerful
countenance of
the Texas mum, whose persona and drive are explored nowhere else.
Libraries and readers interested in women's
history, literature, and especially regional probes of women's
traditions and
experiences will relish Mumentous for its lively
celebrations of the
Texan woman and the energy she brings to the playing field of women's
literature and life.
Return to Index
Nobody's
Daughter
Rica Ramos
She Writes Press
1647424917 Paperback: $17.95 / Ebook $8.99
Website: https://ricawrites.com/
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/Nobodys-Daughter-Memoir-Healing-Mother/dp/1647424917
Nobody’s
Daughter: A Memoir of Healing The Mother Wound is a study
in survival and provides the experiences of Rica Ramos, whose mother
"didn't have the courage to save (her)." As a result, Ramos endured
sexual abuse in her childhood and longed for a heroine to
intervene.
Her
narrative is about women, mothers and daughters, and imperfection
in mothers and children. It opens with Rica's search for the perfect
wedding
dress...without her mother. The effort calls forth a contrast in times
and
lives as she reflects, "The thought of Mom split me in two,
part woman,
part girl. My adult self said ‘focus on finding a dress, being a bride,
living
out my happily ever after.’ But my teenage self haunted me from the
streets of
Milwaukee."
There
are many memoirs of sexual abuse on the market. Most reference a
mother's presence fairly lightly, in passing. Nobody’s
Daughter is
satisfyingly different in its survey not only of the sexual trauma and
experiences, but its analysis of a mother/daughter relationship that
moves from
childhood to adulthood to remain disconnected in many ways.
Another
difference between this memoir and others is that Ramos
reflects on impacts of not only her own life trajectory, but that of
her sister
and those around her. Her mother's ability to defend and question in
certain
situations (as when confronting a nurse about her low weight) is also
presented
("Was this woman doing everything right? Seeing Mom’s concern
sent a
warm flicker through my body, a rush of pride for my mother, the momma
bear
ready to pounce.") to balance out and contrast her mother's
choices
and decisions.
Interactions
with other female relatives, from Aunt Rachel to Grandma,
interplay past events with the present-day world Ramos reflects in her
own
family as she questions the legacy she's handing down to future
generations
because of her experiences: "My mind went back to the
conversation with
Aunt Rachel. Suddenly, I had to know if I’d said terrible things to my
son that
stuck in his memory." As her self-analysis deepens, so do her
realizations about her role in spreading her childhood damage: "Try
as
I might to remember, I didn’t know all the ways I’d failed my sons. All
the
splinters I plunged into their hearts."
Also
key to the memoir is her sister Jesse's trauma and her different
way of defying or bowing to the same events: "...my sister’s
trauma was
a spotlight that never dimmed, an agonizing beam on her conscience. Her
guilt
plagued her with questions: Wasn’t she the big sister, and shouldn’t
she have
protected her siblings? Shouldn’t she have protected herself? She was a
child,
victimized and traumatized — a fact she often forgot."
As
Ramos embraces her memories and feelings about her parents,
grandparents, and the childhood that influenced her, she creates a
survey of
different family members and considers their roles in events, pulling
no
punches in analyzing the wellsprings of her adult challenges and
childhood
angst.
She
emerges from the reflective process with grace and a new position
of power— a highly recommended read for anyone interested in self-help
strategies, memoirs of abuse and recovery, and those involved in
transforming
lives from the foundations of abuse to achieve empowerment:
"For
so long I believed I could find healing in Mom’s love, in
something she might say, do, offer. Now I saw the error of my ways. I
gave Mom
the power I’d had all along, the strength and the will to nurture and
protect
my own heart. Within the mother wound, my body held the imprint of my
trauma.
But healing was attainable too. Healing was mine for the taking."
Return to Index
Walks
Like a Duck
Kim R. Livingston
TouchPoint Press
978-1-956851-61-8
$8.99 ebook/$17.99 Paper
Website: kimrlivingston.com
Ordering: https://www.kimrlivingston.com/general-8
Walks
Like a Duck:
How a Mom with ADHD Led Her Neurodiverse Family to Peace of Mind chronicles Kim R. Livingston's battle
against the medical profession that sought to label her son as ADHD.
The
results of her journey led to not just one diagnosis, but insights
about each
member of her family as a whole.
Livingston initially resisted the types of
diagnoses that inevitably lead to medicated responses: "He,
too, wanted
to be tested as a teen, but I never brought him in. Lack of attention
was not
his problem. A bit of anxiety, maybe. Low self-esteem. Not ADHD. And I
was sure
that if he entered the clinic, he’d leave with a prescription. I’d
never known
anyone to go through that screening process and come out clean."
Losing faith in traditional medicine's
approach to neurological and brain issues, she embraces functional
medicine,
which is not often covered by health insurances.
Herself at one point one hundred pounds
overweight, prediabetic, and taking meds for high blood pressure and
ADHD,
Livingston's journey to find health answers that flew close to but
under the
radar of conventional responses to ADHD reveals an undercurrent of
possibility
for families facing their own challenges with several
different
neurological problems living under one roof.
Any parent who has faced diverse challenges
in the family or their own mental and physical health struggles will
find Walks
Like a Duck alternately surprisingly funny and
thought-provoking as it
navigates a medical system's rigid ways and a mother's medical, legal,
and
personal battles, both within the system and in her own home.
Walks
Like a Duck tackles many hard
questions about family
management, from issues of guardianship to medicine control and
choices,
adopting a candid, gritty tone about the obstacles of navigating daily
life
while being an activist for one's family member of any age:
"I
have tried
to allay his fears about guardianship—fears that I’ll remove him from
this
current nursing home and send him far away to some cold institution
like the
ones in textbooks on the history of psychiatric care, grainy photos
showing
patients caged like rabid animals, quarantined for the safety of others.
'I just don’t want
you to end up homeless again,' I tell him. I need the authority to
prevent him
from leaving this nursing home “against medical advice” when he has
nowhere to
go.
'Yeah, well,
that’s my decision to make, isn’t it,' he says.
For a long time I
thought he was right, and I’m still reluctant to take away his control
of his
own affairs—the one source of power he has. I don’t want to be his
guardian. I
just don’t know what else to do."
As life changes (such as college) loom,
Livingston finds ways of both supporting her family and acknowledging
their
strengths and weaknesses. Her candid assessments of self, family, and
health
systems provide both humor and powerful reflections on navigating
challenging
diagnoses, medical institutions, and revised objectives.
Her story is one that should be read by any
family whose makeup includes members who are neurologically diverse. Walks
Like a Duck deserves profile in medical and general-interest
circles. It
also will provide much food for thought in reading groups consisting of
parents, psychology groups devoted to life skills and coping methods,
and book
clubs interested in memoirs about parenting children with disabilities.
Return to Index
AfterStrike
L.J. Sellers
Spellbinder Press
978-1-7345418-6-1
$13.99 print/$4.99 ebook
Website: http://ljsellers.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/AfterStrike-L-J-Sellers-ebook/dp/B0BW3F2F8Y
AfterStrike is an Agent Dallas thriller whose title
refers to the aftereffects of a lightning strike on a woman's memory
and life.
Touched by fire, Remi's memories are taken, and she finds herself in a
dangerous situation caused by her inability to perceive the dangerous
line she's
toed in her life before the lightening disintegrated her
self-protective
tendencies.
While pieces of her past have returned to
tantalize her, the rest of it is still a total blank. This situation is
complicated when she is kidnapped by a crime-family patriarch,
discovers that
she was in hiding from him and is now forced to carry out his vendetta,
and
realizes that underlying traumas of the past are affecting her
decisions and
survival ability—even though she no longer remembers them.
"Whoever
she’d been hiding from had finally found her." This passage also should include
"whatever," because Remi's process of rediscovering her motivations,
influences, and survival capacity also unearths these traumas, forcing
her to
deal with them in new ways.
When does undercover FBI Agent Jamie Dallas
enter this picture? Not until Chapter 15, where her research reveals an
intriguing connection to an old case. This sends her on a mission that
intersects with Remi's life in an unusual manner.
L.J. Sellers takes the time to recreate the
weeks before the lightning strike, setting the stage by building Remi's
prior
world before entering the dangerous crime ring which also strikes Remi,
changing her life in unpredictable ways.
This lends a psychological edge to the thriller
component that will attract and satisfy readers seeking plots based as
much on
character growth and discovery as on the criminal elements that impact
their
lives.
The tension is well developed, the
psychology astute, and the characters realistic as they make inquiries
about
their lives and new discoveries about the turbulent present.
Dallas's probe of the Sebastiano family’s
crimes leads her on a dangerous path as Remi's memory issues create an
unusual
backdrop for the pursuit of the truth.
Readers won't expect the romance that
evolves from interpersonal connections and new revelations, but the
undercurrent that is present from the start swells into something
unexpected in
the end.
The result is a sizzling thriller that
simmers with inquiry, revelation, and inspections that probe not just
crime,
but redemption and personal risk on the parts of Dallas, Remi, and
those around
them.
Libraries and readers seeking thrillers that
pose equally intriguing psychological questions will find AfterStrike
a
powerful study in survival and discovery whose underlying themes linger
in the
mind long after the reading.
Return to Index
A.N.D.:
Acute Nepali
Disorder
Mike Beetlestone
Independently
Published
978-1-7396589-1-5
$15.99
Hardcover/$10.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/N-D-ACUTE-NEPALI-DISORDER/dp/1739658914
A.N.D.: Acute Nepali Disorder provides
another Ben Molina thriller,
exploring Ben's shifting perception of his place in yet another world
as new
events test his mettle and approach to life.
The
challenge begins
when an elegant Indian woman unexpectedly sits at his table in a
near-empty
restaurant and issues a challenge: "I
will pay you one million euro if you can prove that my uncle murdered
my father
– the King of Nepal."
No sooner is
this
offer extended than a spray of bullets causes everyone to dive for
cover. When
he emerges, his mysterious companion has vanished, leaving only her
tantalizing
offer in his thoughts and driving him to take on a case that is as
elusive as
its instigator.
India's
culture and
social stratas come to life as Ben hurdles down the streets of Mumbai,
probes
the slums of Kathmandu, and traverses the countryside in search of
answers.
Accompanying
his journey
is a mental process that draws readers on more than just an
action-packed level
as Ben moves from his initial freelance assignment to cover a terrorist
attack
in Mumbai to assume an active role influencing unfolding events.
Unexpected
enemies and allies coalesce with circumstances that drive Ben further
into
danger as interrogations, mercenaries, and kidnappings emerge.
Mike
Beetlestone
develops an excellent interplay between action and psychological
revelations.
At no time does the reader find their attention wandering as Ben moves
from one
confrontation to another, handling situations that demand he adjust his
usual ways
of viewing the world and interacting with others: "Maybe
I haven’t just saved her life, but I was here to protect
her whether she liked it or not, even though she has been lying ever
since we
first met. I deserved some respect."
As his
curiosity
leads him to the truth, Ben discovers that his journalistic skills have
also
involved him in a well-fabricated tissue of lies that unfolds to reveal
surprising conclusions and connections based on historically accurate
circumstances
and Nepalese cultural inspections.
The story is
a work
of fiction, but blends real events into the plot to gain a level of
believability that reflects the country's poverty and struggles as well
as
Ben's emotional challenges in handling these issues.
Libraries
and readers
seeking thrillers that go above and beyond action-packed will find the
social,
political, and psychological undercurrents supporting A.N.D.:
Acute Nepali Disorder produce a thoroughly engrossing,
reflective read.
Return to Index
Arid Sea
Norm Harris
The Wild Rose
Press, Inc.
978-1-5092-4132-3
$16.99
Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Arid-Spider-Green-Mystery-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09N8QWTF5
Imagine a female version of
James Bond whose sense of
curiosity and proactive thinking lands her in deep waters, but also
gets her
out again in the most amazing ways. The second book in the Spider Green
Mystery
Series, Arid Sea, is a study in
intrigue that opens in the Czech Republic with the prayers of a former
Arizona
girl facing a final release from her bondage as a sex slave to the
Russian
Mafia, which has been her life since she was abducted.
It takes only a few days'
events more for protagonist,
Navy lawyer Commander Faydra Green, to walk into center stage limelight
in her
latest case, which involves a special mission to tackle one of the
nation's
wealthiest men. Aided by her own convictions and the unlikely help of
both a
CIA operative and a Chicago mafia crime boss, Faydra's foray into
international
waters becomes stormy as she confronts forces beyond her experience and
finds
her mission to track down a missing retired naval officer goes above
and beyond
her job description.
Fay's half-sister, Petty
Officer J. Pearce, joins her foray into
questions about why and how Admiral Alvin Joe has vanished as Fay
questions her
ultimate objective and faces new challenges to her romantic life
simultaneously.
It's a challenge to present the
operating fields of
distinctly different milieus, from international tension to trouble at
home,
but Norm Harris achieve this through a blend of thriller tension
applied to
relationship inquiries that tie together such seemingly disparate
threads as
Native American Indian heritage, genderqueer characters whose real
identities
prove mercurial, and a case of amnesia that adds additional and special
challenges to Fay's pursuit of the convoluted truth.
So many threads are
introduced that
readers might think Arid
Sea might also be a
study in
confusion, but the links between characters and the situations that
test them
prove logical and easily digestible as Harris moves his audience into
murky
situations that pose surprises and delightful twists throughout.
From the dangerous deals
that underlie seemingly normal
community members and actions to the intrigue that Faye navigates with
increasing knowledge about not only political and criminal elements,
but matters
of her own heart, Harris creates a powerful thriller whose force comes
from the
inspections of a flexible female protagonist whose courage and
determination is
realistic and absorbing.
"...her
participation in the grim and dangerous op had served as her attempt to
set her
heart and soul straight with her country, her maker, and herself."
Libraries and readers
seeking thrillers driven by female
experiences, relationships, and savvy will find Arid
Sea a top-notch production that requires no prior
familiarity
with the first book in order to prove immediately accessible and
thoroughly
engrossing. Its astute juxtaposition of military and political power
plays is
impeccably crafted, especially recommended for thriller audiences who
like
their female leaders powerful and their plots unpredictable.
Return to Index
The Beating
Heart of
a Mind
Bruce M. Perrin
Mind Sleuth
Publications
ASIN: B0BWWYFV8Y
$3.99 ebook
Website: www.brucemperrin.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Beating-Heart-Mind-Sleuth-ebook/dp/B0BWWYFV8Y
The Beating Heart of a Mind adds to the
blossoming Mind Sleuth
series with a vivid story of corporate pressures, marital discord,
suicide, and
a mystery. These lead P.I. Rebecca Marte on a complicated journey to
uncover
the motivations behind the bullying in the boardroom that ultimately
leads to
the company president’s death.
Rebecca's
new client
(a friend of the dead man's wife, Nicole Veles) paints a vivid picture
of the
influences that led to the president's demise and the succession of his
most
virulent opponent. Once Rebecca accepts the job, however, she comes to
perceive
that her new client's psychological history may have contributed to the
woman’s
suspicions more than the facts of the case.
As Rebecca
delves
into a series of events that expose the underbelly of interpersonal and
business relationships, she comes to believe that the truth lies hidden
among
the fabrications truly believed and those constructed solely to
deceive.
As with his
previous
mysteries, Bruce M. Perrin excels in an investigative profile that is
as much a
psychological analysis as a detective’s deductions. The business
components of
decisions are nicely presented during the course of Rebecca's
discoveries:
"The
implication was clear enough to Rebecca. If Whitten had been adjusting
the time
when losses were taken, he could create the appearance of cause and
effect when
there was none. Peterson messes up and soon after, the company suffers
the
consequences. And with enough repetitions of that pattern, it becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy. Investors hear that HomeRight had to revoke a
personnel policy three days after instituting it, and they pull more of
their
money out. They don’t care how or why the misstep occurred, or even if
it has
financial implications. To them, it’s just another instance
of a
pattern they’ve already seen too often."
The story
unfolds a
sense of discovery and insights about business processes, interpersonal
relationships, and professional and personal defamation, introducing
moral and
ethical conundrums on all sides.
Tension is
well-developed, whether it's psychological revelations that involve
Rebecca
more deeply in her client's life than she'd imagined, the wedge between
client
and investigator driven home by the victim’s wife, or the probe of a
business
structure that supports dangerous undercurrents.
The Beating Heart of a Mind is highly
recommended for mystery
libraries and readers, but its strength goes beyond the usual whodunit.
Ideally, it will also be enjoyed by business readers and used as
discussion
material in book clubs devoted to novels of psychological, business,
and social
inspection, as well.
Return to Index
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Eleanor Kelley
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-797-2
$14.99
www.atmospherepress.com
No sooner does one funeral end than another
death looms. That's what ex-wife Kate O'Brien discovers in Before
the Devil
Knows You’re Dead. While she was in Ireland laying her mother
to rest, her ex-husband Harry Johnson
died. Or so
they say—because nobody wants
to talk about him. This secrecy leads Kate on a probe through the
mystery of
Harry's life and legacy, leading to circumstances which implicate her
in a
murder.
Setting aside well-meaning
advice to let this situation go, Kate pursues the truth, even though
others
question her motivation: "It’s just
that it all happened too quickly and too quietly. I even resorted to
setting
myself up for heart-ache by texting and calling my kids. I’ve heard
nothing
back from anyone. Am I crazy to wonder if Harry is still alive?”
Humor sends an undercurrent of surprise
through the story ("...Harry probably is, as my dad would
say, ‘on the
wrong side of the grass.’”) as wry examination turns into
deadly
observations to involve Kate in a puzzle that goes even deeper than
death or
murder.
Can someone be in two places—including
herself? Kate's pursuit of the truth involves her family and threatens
them in
different ways: "Kate wasn’t sure if her dad was
hallucinating or there
actually was someone threatening him. All she knew was her dad was
frightened,
and she needed to be there to calm his fears. They had switched roles;
she was
the adult, and he the frightened child."
Readers who join Kate on her search for
answers will find plenty of surprise twists and turns as the plot
thickens. The
mystery is strengthened by strong character developments that build
Kate's
persona, then challenge it with unexpected moments of revelation,
discovery,
and impossible truths.
Libraries and readers seeking a mystery that
strongly rests on the foundations of hidden truths and impossible
developments
will find the intrigue and mystery finely tuned in Before the
Devil Knows
You’re Dead, which travels full-circle to lead Kate and her
readers into
breakthroughs they'll never see coming ... including revenge.
Return to Index
The Burden
of Memory
Rick Christman
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-813-9
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
In The Burden of Memory, retired college
professor Robert Russell is just looking for a peaceful place to pen
his first
novel. The Low Country of Beaufort, South Carolina seems the perfect
place to
settle into his inherent shyness and hermit tendencies (and into his
final
craft in life), but when he witnesses a brutal murder, everything
shifts in an
instant.
As he finds
himself
living a drama that he never could have developed from fiction writing,
Robert
finds that his lifelong ambitions (which seem to always have been
thwarted)
come full circle into realization in not just unusual, but terrible
ways. These
circumstances thwart both his tendency towards isolation and his ennui
in
creating his masterpiece:
"He wanted to be an imaginative writer, and he had
begun writing
stories every spare minute he could get during the war, stories that
could have
happened to him but hadn’t. Or stories that may have happened to
others. But he
felt untrained. Nothing ever turned out right. And he never finished
anything."
The story
that
"could have happened to him but didn't" becomes one that is all too
real and did. As Robert navigates unfamiliar territory that tests both
his
ability to survive and his creative craft, readers become immersed in a
murder
scenario that forces a literary recluse to emerge from his chrysalis of
self-imposed isolation.
Rick
Christman crafts
a literary thriller that is powerfully rendered in both psychological
and
action arenas. He unfolds the revelations and discoveries that prompt
growth in
Robert, testing this Vietnam vet's already-vetted ability to survive
under
extraordinary conditions.
As he falls
into an unexpected
romance as well as a struggle for literary achievement and survival,
Russell
probes the underworld of human trafficking and finds himself bending
with the
wind, both in his investigation and his own psyche: "Everything
had changed now. The murder of the boy had opened him
up, somehow, but he had no real idea why. He had seen plenty of boys
killed.
Well, now it seemed he had no discipline, no control. He just took what
came
his way."
Readers
receive not
only a powerful story of intrigue, but an equally potent story about
creating a
novel and a new life. Russell's writing will just have to wait.
Ironically,
it's also rebuilding itself from the foundations of new experiences as
Robert
sets aside his lifelong ambition to pursue a very different course of
action.
Between its
touch of
romance, the murder scenario, and newfound connections between past and
present
events and responses, The Burden of
Memory proves a far more challenging, realistic, and
thought-provoking read
than the usual genre thriller.
Its literary
touches
and insights into a would-be writer's psyche as he moves from isolation
to
immersion makes for a compelling tale filled with not just unusual
twists and
turns, but psychological depth and social insights. Is Robert a hero,
an
achiever, a survivor—or dangerously flawed?
Libraries
and readers
seeking thrillers that operate on several levels of value will find The Burden of Memory a powerful story of
one man's walk out of his world and into his purpose, promise, and
alter ego.
Return to Index
The Dark Side of Grace
Ronald Chapman
Terra Nova Books
978-1-948749-87-9
$19.95
TerraNovaBooks.com
“Survivors
of
traumatic experiences can find a life of peace despite relentless
storms. They
can then live beyond those traumas. In doing so, they rise up and
become
beacons of hope to others.”
The
Dark Side of
Grace is a thriller that opens not with a bang, but with a
whisper of the
scenic beauty and wonder of a typical New Mexico morning and its
promise.
Journalist Kevin Pitcairn and the long-time love of his life, Maria
Elena
Maldonado, are journeying from New Mexico's high desert to the state's
capitol
for a weekend getaway when all hell breaks loose.
Trouble always seems to find
them no matter how far they
travel. In this case, Kevin and Maria Elena drive straight into a
terrorist
bombing and a threat that commands their attention and action when a
spiritualist
retreat is torched.
Readers may not anticipate
the spiritual and
philosophical reflections which evolve from the thriller's
action-packed
scenarios, but Ronald Chapman liberally sprinkles and dusts his
confrontations
with bigger-picture quests and revelations that test Kevin and Maria
Elena's
friendships and life experiences: "I
guess Bill W was right when he said we would never understand what was
going on
in the present moment until after it was finished."
As events unfold, both
beliefs and the experiences of
survivors receive close examination as Kevin pursues answers and
confronts
ongoing dangerous situations he never saw coming.
Chapman's exploration of
these questions and revelations
adds a spiritual component to the story that will especially delight
Christian
readers.
From long-held dreams that
subconsciously point to new
directions of possibility to a priest who employs Jungian analysis to
help
Kevin tap into his own potentials and spirit, The
Dark Side of
Grace employs many different devices of revelation and
adventure which
embrace the darker facets of life and the realities of death.
Libraries and readers
seeking a thriller that goes above
and beyond in presenting a powerful sense of place and spirit as
characters
struggle not just with dangerous forces, but with their own choices and
opportunities, will find The Dark Side of
Grace just as thought-provoking as it is action-packed.
Return to Index
Diamond City
Marianna Boncek
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-788-0
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Forty years
earlier,
in 1955, Fosterdale small-town police chief Art Moran lost everything
but his
life during an investigation of a mountain cult. The murder that
promoted his
actions and shut down his private life remained unsolved.
Art Morgan
finds
himself drawn back into the fold of an unsolved crime and its
wide-reaching
tentacles of impact when he is tapped to once again tackle the
still-unsolved
crime's lingering impact.
Art
cultivates an
innate psychic sense of impending doom. It was active in 1955, and it
appears
once again to forewarn him that the upstate New York small town of
Diamond City
holds not just answers, but new threats.
Marianna
Boncek
weaves a story that comes to rest firmly on the shoulders of small-town
politics, racism, and underlying, simmering brutality that emerges from
unexpected places.
The story
comes
steeped in church bake sales, the murder-suicide and fire that
blossomed from
Diamond City events to reach and impact neighboring Fosterdale, and the
atmosphere and changing times of modern trends which change the faces
of small
towns. One such example is the changes experienced by the town of
Morris:
"Just by looking at the progression of buildings,
you could
fol-low the prosperity and lack thereof throughout the town’s years.
The 1890s
were good years, based on the number of brick-faced buildings that bore
that
decade on their façade. The 1920s saw another boom. But the next wave
of
buildings didn’t come until the 1950s and a few in the 1970s. All of
the latter
buildings now needed new façades, looking dated and tired. Most of the
buildings were empty. Their dirty store-fronts stared dully onto the
street.
The mile-long strip along Broadway from Jefferson Street to Columbia
Street was
also empty of foot traffic, except in front of the post office. It
hadn’t
always been this way. For eighty years, this single street had been the
heart
of the county. In its day it boasted dress shops, restaurants, two
hardware
stores, a pharmacy, and a few dive bars. Now people shopped in the
strip malls
at the edges of town or drove to Midville in Harris County where there
was a
large shopping mall with a movie theater."
The time
taken is
time well spent, because this detailed atmosphere is one of the
motivating
forces promoting readers to pursue a story immersed in the unfolding
fates of
small towns and residents who find their lives in flux.
How does an
original
investigator from 1955 become the focal point in a new inquiry?
Boncek's
intersection of past and future events creates a dichotomy that shifts
balances
of power, prejudices, and the truth.
It's taken
Art all
his life to recover from the last encounter. It's taken all his life to
come to
revelations about his life choices, decisions, and the impact of his
work and
perspective on his future progression.
In the end, Diamond City is more than a murder
mystery, but a probe of the beliefs and underlying motivations of
individuals
and small towns that comes together in a fiery blast of
thought-provokingly
vivid revelations:
Libraries
looking for
the trappings of intrigue will find Diamond
City so much more. It's a study in small-town psyches and
growth that leads
full circle into forks in roads and life that bring flowering, closure,
and new
opportunities to not just Art, but Donny, Tirzah, and other small-town
residents.
Return to Index
Execution
Island
Janice Boekhoff
Lost Canyon Press LLC
978-1948003117
$16.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Execution-Island-Janice-Boekhoff/dp/1948003112
Fans of Jurassic Park and Janice Boekhoff's
'Jurassic
Judgment' series receive a dinosaur/genetic engineering adventure
firmly
ensconced in the trappings of surprise and thriller tension. Although Execution Island is the third book in
the series, it stands nicely alone for newcomers, including a basic
introduction that sets the premise of a futuristic justice system
involving an
island of dinosaurs where "...death
row inmates are given a choice: immediate execution or … exile to
Extinction
Island."
When reptile
expert
Oakley Laveau is wrongly convicted of a murder and sent to said island,
her
story appears to be at an end. In fact, it's only beginning as she
discovers
the truth about her own genetic manipulation and situations which
evolve new
mysteries in Execution Island.
Oakley may
be trapped
on the island, but the truth isn't about to set her free anytime soon.
Acknowledging what she is and what she was created for is just part of
the
challenge of employing her enhanced genetics in a venture that goes
above and
beyond her assassin skills.
As she faces
an
adversary accomplished in 'undetectable murder' and realizes that there
are no
good choices in her quest, Oakley discovers that her fight to live free
is only
one motivation for solving the mysteries of her life purpose and
origins.
Fated to
team up with
her sibling (who is also genetically enhanced and has been her
adversary)
Oakley discovers that her quest for the truth and her pursuit of who
she really
is powers an underlying horror that will not only change her life and
cement its
likely demise, but will alter the game plans of those connected to her.
Janice
Boekhoff's
satisfyingly complex cat-and-mouse game features major players who must
delve
into their own psyches and origins in order to emerge victorious on a
playing
field controlled by forces they are ill equipped to handle.
The
characters of
Oakley, Lumas, Auburn, and others come to life, swirling and dancing
around
each other as unexpected events keep outcomes mercurial and characters
guessing
about their next moves.
This salsa
creates a
thriller that is heavy in surprises (including a glimpse of faith),
thought-provoking in its considerations of power plays and their
abuses, and
thoroughly involving.
Thriller
libraries
and readers will find Execution Island rich
in action-packed confrontations designed to keep them guessing to the
end.
Return to Index
Judgment Day
Rob Jung
Hawk Hill Literary
978-1-7366108-3-1
$4.99 ebook/$15.99 Print
https://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Day-Rob-Jung-ebook/dp/B0BR9Z17DT
Judgment Day is not a novel about the end
of the world, but the
story of the end of one woman's world. Magnolia Kanaranzi has just been
elected
to the US Senate when a probe of her past reveals that she once
conspired to
murder her mother. Even her powerful lawyer seemingly admits defeat
when he
seeks to have her declared unfit to stand trial, much less serve her
country.
Forensic
psychologist
Bishop Pollock uncovers the truth—but instead of redeeming her and
restoring
her good name, it only mires her in further conundrums that force her
to go
into hiding to avoid prosecution and a mental institution.
On the run,
she is
lured back by the prospect of reconciliation with her now-adult
estranged son
Hamilton Blethen, whom she abandoned when he was four years old.
Hamilton,
too, is at
a crossroads. His grandmother's murderer has been identified, and his
estranged
mother is back in his life. Sadly, they appear to be one and the same.
Ham
needs answers to his questions. Only his mother can provide them. He
will have
to confront her, and his past, to get them.
Rob Jung
creates a
powerful interplay between issues of justice, family connections, and
psychological undercurrents that shake not just a family, but the
nation.
One of the
threads of
the thriller (and key to understanding the deeper meaning of its title)
is the
forged art piece of Joan Miro's 'The Reaper.'
From the
mechanics of
a prison system which threatens Magnolia's life to psychological
session notes
that illustrate the truth, Jung crafts a fine tension between legal and
psychological issues.
Who is
really the
victim and who is the villain, in such matters? Judgment
Day makes you think.
Its deep inspections of motive and perception and its
insights into the
criminal law system's successes and failures creates a story that is
especially
highly recommended for thriller readers interested in justice,
redemption, and
political entanglements.
Libraries
and readers
seeking solid tension development, good characterization, and twists
and turns
they won't see coming will find Judgment
Day an astute examination of escape, liberation, and the
inexorable cost of
revealing the truth.
Return to Index
David Unger, PhD
Independently Published
978-1-7323395-6-9
$15.95
DavidUngerPhd.com
Murder mystery readers are in for a treat
with A Lesson in Woo-Woo and Murder,
which joins others in the "Lessons" series exploring psychotherapist
David Unger's probes into murky matters of the mind.
Here, several therapy clients have paid for
him to work at the Whole Life Expo, a bastion of self-care, healing,
and new
age exhibits. David is more than the usual therapist, sporting a
special brand
of training and psychic expertise that enhances his problem-solving
abilities.
But, is this enough to tackle bigger pictures when two Tantric sex
practitioners and a chiropractor suddenly collapse
and die in an
environment where paranormal influences abound? Maybe.
David is not an inherent believer in special
abilities, even though he keeps being drawn into unbelievable
circumstances
where he's forced to exhibit extraordinary powers of deduction to solve
cases.
In fact, he doesn't "...participate
in a lot of “otherworldly, self-enhancing, spiritually awakening”
discussions.
I don’t even know if I’ve had any of those experiences, but perhaps I
have." He "might buy a few shares
in the woo-woo world, but I wouldn’t be a big investor." The
only
reason he's at the expo is because he has a job to do.
The job turns out to be an immersive
experience that carries David far further into this world than he ever
expected, augmenting his psychological training with a sleuth's eye for
trouble.
Did UFOs commit murder? Can he foresee the
future? Or does the trouble stem from pure psychological complexity,
which
David is already trained to handle?
Dr.
David Unger
provides an unsettlingly realistic murder story that is backed by his
professional expertise in psychology, presenting a first-person
protagonist
that might mirror the author's own personality and approach to life.
These
elements create an especially engrossing, believable milieu that brings
the
character and the new age world of psychic involvements to life as he
confronts
death.
Especially
astute are references to the psychotherapy techniques that come in
handy in
other problem-solving situations: "In
A Lesson in Cowboys and Murder,
I used a therapeutic technique called doubling, where I stood behind
the
suspects and said out loud what I thought they would be saying if they
weren’t
holding it in. It can move things along."
As
fortune
teller Madame Vadama becomes a focal point, readers will be drawn not
only by
the new age environment and murder, but Dr. Unger's own shrewd
assessment of
personalities and possibilities.
The
dovetailing
of murder and mind probe is particularly well done, creating a
compelling story
as perceptive in its psychological complexity as it is in its portrait
of
sleuthing as Dr. Unger confronts good and evil in the healing world and
faces
romantic possibilities in the process.
Libraries
and
readers seeking a powerful tale that comes across as realistically
compelling
will find A
Lesson in Woo-Woo and Murder alternatively funny,
thought-provoking, and filled with satisfyingly surprising twists and
turns.
Return to Index
One of Ours
Lynn-Steven Johanson
Level Best Books
978-1-68512-305-5
$16.95
https://www.amazon.com/One-Ours-Erikson-Mystery-Erickson-ebook/dp/B0BWP996JD
One of Ours is the fourth mystery in the
Detective Joe Erickson
series, hitting Joe too close to home with the fatal shooting of a
police
captain Joe knew well. The captain was working on his last case, a cold
case,
before his demise. Joe takes up the reins of this mission well knowing
that it
might lead him into the same kind of danger before he can expose the
perp.
What he
doesn't
realize is that the trail leads not to one murderer, but political
corruption
and conspiracy that is worth killing for ... again and again.
Lynn-Steven
Johanson
builds satisfying intrigue and personal relationships into the story,
both
within Joe's circle of fellow officers and at home, in his life with
his
partner Destiny.
Joe
struggles with
PTSD as well as ongoing threats from the Scalise crime family, whom he
fears
will try to kill him again, since he busted Vincent Scalise for human
trafficking and attempted murder for bombing his car.
It's not
enough to
expose corruption. Joe needs to bring the perps to justice to account
for their
injury to victims. This mission sends him on a dangerous path that
comes full
circle again as he confronts molesters, fine-tunes undercover cops and
sting
operations, and moves ever closer to a truth that will either rock his
world or
solve a big crime puzzle.
The
interplays
between characters and crime are especially well done. Joe comes across
as a
realistic person whose personal, political, and career dilemmas create
the
perfect storm of controversy, demanding of him a series of
extraordinary leaps
in deductive reasoning.
Mystery
readers,
including newcomers to Joe Erickson's world, will find One
of Ours compelling, action-packed, and hard to put down,
while
libraries looking for satisfying intrigue and puzzle-solving paired
with
psychological intrigue will find the story a fine addition to any
detective or
police procedural mystery collection.
Return to Index
Stranger on
the Shore
William J. Borak
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-817-7
$14.00
www.atmospherepress.com
Stranger on the Shore opens on a twilight
evening at the Jersey
shore, Chris's favorite time of day. A year ago, he was reaching the
pinnacle
of his career at the same time as his love for Theresa was cresting.
All vanished
in the blink of an eye. Little does he know, now, that he stands at
another
crossroad—that of restarting his life anew.
William J.
Borak
presents a series of entwining personalities and lives in a story that
rises
from the ashes of death and addiction to assume quite a different
countenance
than readers might expect from its opening lines.
Indeed, the
strength
of this mystery lies in its evolving interactions between disparate
lives and
the forces that drive them in unexpected directions. This approach
creates an
entwined series of stories that flow between characters' lives like the
threads
of a Google search.
Chris's
encounter
with a mysterious woman (who leads him to another woman who not only
looks a
lot like Theresa, but apparently has many of her memories) evolves into
his
growing revelations about a dangerous threat that immerses Chris and
fellow investigators
in a deadly world where romance and destiny entwine.
The
mysterious
Arielle introduces him not just to Theresa's look-alike, but to new
realizations he never could have imagined. As he contemplates her
influence and
meaning, incorporating Marisa into his business world while pursuing
her true
identity, readers embark on a series of inquiries that delve into
alternate
realms of possibility as well as mystery.
William J.
Borak
creates a story that is not your usual mystery. It's more than a
romance, too, and
is more grounded in alternate and conflicting possibilities than the
usual
genre production.
Libraries
and readers
looking for stories of love, growth, recovery, and discovery will find
all
these facets and more as Chris grows into his new life with more than
one
question about its people and purposes.
Return to Index
Summer of
Angels
Jody Sharpe
Independently
Published
979-8-987697 1-08
$9.00 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Angels-Jody-Sharpe/dp/B0BW2TXJNP
Summer of Angels introduces a different
twist on the usual murder
mystery by placing the murderous event in the future and the
problem-solver in
the past.
Gayle Force
lives up
to her name in more ways than one. She's a psychic meteorologist about
to face
a storm of a very different nature when she experiences a nighttime
vision
about the future and an old man's demise.
Alex Knight
also
lives up to his name. As an intuitive attorney, he's also committed to
helping
others (sometimes in unusual ways). His flexibility of belief allows
him to
realize that Gayle's vision could represent an opportunity for them
both to
solve a problem that hasn't even occurred yet.
But it will,
without
their involvement.
Jody Sharpe
builds
tension in just the right way. Gayle's dream awakens her and injects
purpose
into her life as she realizes she has been uniquely tapped to both
assist an
old man and live up to the dream's opportunity for her to do good in
the world.
Her "slightly psychic" traits have afforded her enough flexibility in
belief that she can recognize this opportunity for what it is, while
her
ability to follow "signs from heaven" leads her in the right
direction.
These
backgrounds and
explanations lend a believable flavor to the unfolding story as Gayle
and Alex
step into their talents in a very different way.
Sharpe's
focus on
developing tension within characters that embrace proactive new roles
as they
problem-solve outside their usual environments lends a delicate reality
to the
puzzles they encounter both within and outside themselves.
Intrigue
entwines
with loves in perhaps predictable paths, but with enough twists and
turns that
even savvy mystery fans won't foresee some of these events until they
unfold.
When her
parents
become involved and Gayle comes to realize that Alex may have been
"sent
from above," the plot thickens. So does the reader's interest, due to
exquisite revelations that embed the mystery component with spiritual
and
psychological depth:
"He was calling you in the dream, Gayle. But your
angel was
helping too. It was meant to be. It’s really extraordinary. You have to
do this
work. You have a team now to help."
Libraries
and readers
looking for mysteries that incorporate spiritual components and many
surprises
about past, present, and future life connections will find Summer of Angels attractive and
thoroughly engrossing.
Gayle's
mission is a
force to reckon with. So is Summer of
Angels, which juxtaposes secrets with surprises about belief
right up to
its unexpected conclusion.
Return to Index
And Union No
More
Stan Haynes
Independently Published
978-1-7377669-2-6
$11.99 print/$5.99 ebook
Website: www.stanhaynes.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Union-No-More-Novel-ebook/dp/B0BY39X93D
And
Union No More is a historical
novel that precedes the
Civil War era. It depicts the impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
and the
rush by antislavery and proslavery forces of the times to gain the
majority of
settlers in the Kansas Territory, to make it either a free or an
enslaved state
when it enters the Union.
The novel opens with a personal bang that
acknowledges "...startling a man sleeping with a loaded
pistol at his
side was not a good idea." Nor is it a good idea to presume
that a
land of prairies and low population isn't a pivot point in the
political
process, because the crossroads Kansas stands at is one which is both
mirrored
and reflected by the quandaries the nation faces over slavery.
An attack on Lawrence, the town that served
as the headquarters of the free-state movement in the Kansas Territory,
has
finally happened, involving former Ohio congressman Monty Tolliver (who
has
moved to the area to promote its status as a free state) and younger
friend
Robert (also new to the state) in a conflict that tests the future of
the
nation.
Readers
won't expect the specter of a double
murder that lends an investigative tone apart from the political
inspection
that concurrently develops, but Stan
Haynes excels at creating subplots that bring to life different aspects
of the
culture and figures of 1850s Kansas.
The
historical
figures which permeate the story (such as Abe Lincoln and abolitionist John Brown) give further
reinforcement to the real events that took place during these times,
placing
them in a perspective that historical novel readers will appreciate as
the
intrigue, mystery, and social and political confrontations unfold.
"Here,
the
fate of Kansas will be decided."
It doesn't just happen at the constitutional convention Robert is
reporting on
for his newspaper, but in the hearts and minds of individuals on both
sides who
are motivated to step beyond their comfort zones and abilities to
influence the
progress of not just a state, but a nation.
From issues of justice and spying to
cover-ups and hidden truths, Haynes creates a vivid and involving story
where
readers follow the clues and influences that direct Monty and Robert
into
unfamiliar avenues of inspection and analysis.
Libraries and readers seeking a historical
novel that incorporates the drama of a thriller, the intrigue of a
mystery, and
the historical foundations of fact, cementing all with solid
characterization
and a realistic sense of place and time, will find And Union
No More
especially strong in creating a milieu that explains America's past and
Kansas's role in creating the freedoms the country is based upon.
Return to Index
At the Seams
Pamela Gwyn Kripke
Open Books
978-1948598644
$17.95
https://open-bks.com/library/moderns/at-the-seams/about-book.html
At
the Seams is a novel of family
loss that contains
elements of pain and recovery that could prove triggers to readers who
have
experienced similar tragedy in their lives. This warning aside, At
the Seams
cultivates a winning sense of discovery and revival. It's presented
from the
perspective of a precocious eight-year-old who discovers that a baby
brother of
her mother died in the hospital before she could begin to know or
remember him.
Kate's discovery leads to a series of
investigations and revelations that follow her into adulthood as she
navigates
her own life and a generational loss that returns to haunt her
decisions and
perceptions.
How does a newborn, healthy baby suddenly
die in the hospital? It's a mystery that emerges out of the blue when a
conversation with her mother reveals part of the truth.
The tale is narrated by Kate, a grandchild
whose legacy is presented in a more forthright manner by her mother,
but which
still comes shrouded in a mystery that requires further explanation. As
her
investigation unravels family secrets, motivations for keeping them,
and reveals
the truth, readers become immersed in a vivid saga spiced with the
intergenerational experiences of a family motivated to resist reality.
Pamela Gwyn
Kripke
does a fine job of exploring the evolving circumstances from the
perspectives
of a child who grows into the ability to pursue answers to these
questions:
"Why
load me up at
eight years old with the scary death of a person who could have been an
uncle,
who could have looked like my mom, or me, who could have painted and
sewed as
we did, who could have crossed his arms that way, our way, when he
walked? Did
I need to know about him for some reason, a reason that she didn’t
understand
herself? Was she trying to make sense of the death, after so many
years, by
saying it out loud?"
The strength of this story lies
not so much in the
original loss, but the long-term impact it has on the entire family
structure
as secrets are agreed to, kept, and passed down between generations.
Kate's pursuit strengthens when,
as a single
mother, she finds these patterns unexpectedly repeating in her own life
and
choices. The impulse to hide, disguise, and modify reality is one that
has been
handed down quite inadvertently on some levels and more purposely on
others,
and it prompts Kate to grow and pursue where other family members have
settled
into quiet complacence.
Her revelations aren't always welcomed by her family. In fact, they think she's gone overboard in her focus: "Was it possible that Grandma Lilly wasn’t just homesick? Had she forced the baby’s death into oblivion in order to survive all these years, only to have it destroy her now? Or was I too obsessed to see straight? Everyone said I was obsessed."
Is
there such a thing as too much information? Not to Kate's mind. Readers
who
follow her pursuit will find much food for thought in her story,
between her
sparking of family resistance and reactions and the links between her
own
patterns and those mirrored in her grandparents' choices.
Libraries
and book
clubs looking for vivid stories of loss and its resounding impact on
generational connections and life patterns will find much food for
thought and
discussion in At the Seams,
a
novel which unravels not just the truth, but the hidden costs of
accepting or
rejecting it.
Return to Index
Dessert with
Buddha
Roland Merullo
PFP Publishing
979-8-9866266-3-5
$17.85 Paper/$9.85 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Dessert-Buddha-Roland-Merullo/dp/B0BX5LYD7D
Dessert with Buddha blends spirituality
with self-actualization
growth in a novel that follows Dinner
with Buddha's spiritual road trip and completes the fourth
and final book
in the series. Its special flavor of spiritual and social examination
will
leave readers hungry for more, yet sated by considerations which pique
the mind
with new flavors of inspection and realization.
The
introductory
paragraphs explore the fine art of letting go in 2022; from a
long-held,
beloved family house to a sense of power and control over self and
world
affairs alike.
Buffeted by
the winds
of chance, the protagonist embarks on a journey filled with insights
and
explorations. As eccentric monk Volya Rinpoche and his brother-in-law
Otto
enter into new paths and conversations about spirituality, readers are
invited
into a milieu in which the narrator explores his expectations and
underlying
convictions about life:
"Almost daily, Rinpoche—and/or my sister—would
surprise me in one
way or another, as if to underline the fact that, while we could make
all the
plans we wanted, we could never really know what would happen a month,
a week,
or even a few seconds in the future. I accepted this, in theory. In
practice,
it often immersed me in a hot, bubbling pool of irritation. Still, over
time,
I'd come to admit that I was continually living in the future, mentally
planning out my hours, days, and weeks as a kind of hedge against
life's
unpredictabilities."
Inevitably,
this
leads a thinking reader to consider similar perspectives about life's
meaning
as the road trip results in confrontations with uncomfortable truths
and new
realizations about life.
Roland
Merullo is
especially adept at exploring the intersections between belief systems,
contrasting Rinpoche's unshakable encounters with Christians and
others, with
the psyches of believers who act and react in different ways. The
contrasts are
often delightfully revealing and thought-provoking:
"At that moment I came to an understanding of what
I had seen and
sensed the night before, that strange connection between Andalusia and
Rinpoche.
They were both, in their own way, innocent, doubtless, hard to fluster,
and
Rinpoche had instinctively found that common territory with her. The
difference, to my way of thinking at least, was that Rinpoche's
innocence was
like pure spring water flowing out of the earth, and Andalusia's was
like
distilled water in a bottle on a pharmacy shelf. His seemed to come
from
within, and hers from without, something manufactured, even a bit
forced. His
way seemed extremely broad and all-embracing, and hers narrowed by the
teaching
of severe judgment."
Ideally,
readers of Dessert with Buddha will
already have a
basic knowledge of Buddhism and a questioning mind. Those ready to
embark on an
armchair road trip with two characters whose journey and encounters
offer
enlightenment and revelations will find much food for thought here,
which book
clubs, in particular, can use in discussions of novels that incorporate
powerful spiritual and growth components.
Libraries
and readers
looking for a lively series of dialogues and encounters between belief
systems
and those holding them close will find Dessert
with Buddha a deliciously attractive story.
Return to Index
The
Distance Between Us
A. C. Burch
HomePort Press
978-1-7340533-9-5
$7.99
Kindle $17.99
paperback
Website: https://AcBurch.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSLJGDRC/
The
Distance
Between Us
is a novel about Helena Handbasket,
a former housekeeper whose run of good luck has resulted in an
inherited
fortune, a mansion, and a loving husband and family. All these would
seem to
add solidity to her life; but in actuality, too much good fortune can
lead to
cracks under pressure.
It's
bad enough that her husband
has left town and her community status has changed, but Helena then
becomes a
suspect in a murder case. She embarks on a journey to clear her name,
becoming
embroiled in a murder investigation that strikes at the very heart of
small-town politics and special interests.
The
atmosphere and culture of Cape
Cod come alive as the story courses through Provincetown events, fueled
by a
fire of conviction and tenacity that leads Helena to make discoveries
that are
whimsical, thought-provoking, and downright dangerous.
A.
C. Burch introduces the story with a map and a somewhat
daunting-appearing list of characters which range from central figures
to cameo
appearances featured in the story. While this might portend a
complicated read,
the novel then progresses on a path which is emotionally compelling and
interactive, lending vigor and personality to each of the characters
Helena and
her readers come into contact with.
From
aspiring socialites and undercover cops to Helena's natural
curiosity (which sometimes injects too much complexity and trouble into
the
investigation), readers receive much more than a 'whodunnit'. They are
treated
to a romp through the undercurrents and trials of Cape Cod and
Provincetown's
community as Helena traverses her environment with a witty, astute
attention to
exploring different cultures and interactions:
“Well,
Quincy,”
Helena said, “you picked the right moment. I was up until two drinking
champagne, and what is it now? Seven in the morning? I don’t think I’d
be
curious if you told me you were taking up drag.”
Between
friendships to inevitable conversations that pair discretion
with observations of the firebrand Helena has become in the community, The
Distance Between Us blends insights into the drag community
with Helena's
passion for justice and her involvement in different definitions of
progress
and growth.
Whether
she's mired in personal, political, or social conundrums,
there's one thing Helena profiles and represents—the powerful heartbeat
of a
community at odds with growing fame and its impact on individual ways
of life.
Readers,
book clubs, and libraries seeking LGBTQ+ examinations, Cape
Cod cultural inspections, mysteries, and novels packed with social
inquiry will
welcome the dual threads of humor and serious inspection that capture
the
multifaceted world of Cape Cod, a microcosm of small-town experiences
and
change.
Return to Index
Dreams of
Arcadia
Brian Porter
Legacy Book Press LLC
9798986787480
$15.99
https://legacybookpress.com/dreams_arcadia/
Readers who
want to
get closer to the psyche, history, and currents of the American family
should
take a hard look at the novel Dreams of
Arcadia. It embraces these facets and more as it follows the
life of city
veterinarian Nate Holub, who moves to his dead father's Texas home town
to
become a rural vet and learn more about his father's life.
What he
uncovers both
proves and tests his ability to adapt, adjust what he's been raised
with, face
a different truth, and reinforce his ties with both nature and family.
Nate's
quest comes with a heavy price tag, but it also brings newfound
revelations
about his family ties and his own legacy as he uncovers local and
family
secrets and begins to understand the undercurrents influencing his own
life
choices.
His
encounters with
locals, the dialogues between them, and Brian Porter's well spent time
in
building Texas culture and atmosphere brings readers right into this
milieu,
however foreign it might first seem. This is an achievement,
considering that
use of the third person tends to accompany an inherent observational
distance
that first-person descriptions cultivate, in contrast.
The novel's
opening
lines describe limited veterinary services and why Nate's pursuit will
make him
valuable to the community, while descriptions of the places he visits
builds
the all-important backdrops and people supporting his pursuits:
"The hardwood floor creaked as Nate walked in, and
a small bell on
the door jingled. The room was long and narrow with a meat display case
at the
front, tables in the middle, and pits in the back. Fans extended down
from the
tall, pressed tin ceiling. The brick peeked out on the faded walls,
unadorned
except for a couple of dusty deer heads, an unplugged neon Pearl Beer
sign, and
a few unframed yellowing photographs. The odor of smoked meat
permeated every
square inch of the place."
Porter's
descriptions
connect a sense of place and purpose with bigger-picture reflections on
Nate's
role and efforts:
"The distant hills glowed vividly, every feature of
the land sharp
and unmistakable, every tree, barn roof, and fence post scrubbed clean.
The
cold purifying rain had seemingly washed away the world’s ills—all of
the
hatred, greed, and ignorance—leaving a shining, more hopeful place.
Nate
lingered there, wanting it to be true, if only for that brief precious
moment,
a vision to return to in the hazy days to come."
This
entwining of
place, purpose, and discovery makes Dreams
of Arcadia a compelling read. Readers walk alongside Nate in
all of his
efforts, understand their motivations and ramifications, and find these
descriptions of secluded lives and worlds juxtaposes vet work. These
are the
experiences which make characters and readers feel "totally alive" as
haunting truths emerge to inform Nate about deeper levels of living and
thinking, which will often surprise his followers, as well.
Dreams of Arcadia's compelling portrait
of lives in flux and
tangible connections to the past bring this Texas world to life.
Libraries and
readers seeking fiction rooted in a sense of community and growth will
find that
Dreams of Arcadia examines and
captures the values that bring families together, making difficult
secrets and
their logic and choices easier to understand and handle for present and
future
generations.
Return to Index
Growing Down
Michael J. Tuberdyke
Five Senses
Publishing
979-8218155278
$15.00
https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Down-Michael-J-Tuberdyke/dp/B0BWH2BMMQ
Growing Down is subtitled "A Comedy of
Life." It lives up
to its promise with a series of revelations about life as experienced
by two
male buddies who embark on a romp around town after attending their
friend's
wedding.
The novella
represents
a study and contrast between maturity and immaturity as Sam and Kevin
lose
control, revisit the past, and reconsider present-day opportunities and
losses
shifted by the changing lives of their friends.
Michael J.
Tuberdyke
perfectly captures the perceptions of those changed by the evolution of
their
peers while they remain in a milieu that is both familiar and stagnant:
"There were a lot of weddings and a lot of births.
He attempted to
sort out the friends he knew that were settled to the others who were
still in
search of a good time. He did not know which category his beliefs
stood. He
felt one way but existed in another."
There is an
existential flavor to the ironic inspection and comedy that evolves as
the two
spend a day together and enter the evening both carousing and
contemplating.
The duo's explorations of new possibilities are equally fun and
thought-provoking:
“'I've thought about that. I really want to be
somebody though, you
know? I want to wake up in the morning and be something.'
'You should be yourself.' Kevin's voice held clear annoyance. He
considered explaining how a good cook is always appreciated, but he did
not
want to waste his breath. Sam's tangent would cool down once he found
the next
thing to become obsessive over."
What are
individuals
newly changed by another's wedding supposed to do in life when they
"don't
care about anything?"
Michael J.
Tuberdyke's succinct novella juxtaposes comedy with bigger-picture
thinking in
a manner that portends both fun and deeper life inspection.
Libraries
and readers
looking for novels about aging and the revelations of life choices will
find
Sam and Kevin's explorations to be thought-provoking as they reflect on
society
and their place in it. It's a read that redefines 'comedy', contrasting
it with
a contemplative atmosphere that can only take place in the bars and
kitchens of
life.
Return to Index
Hush, Delilah
Angie Gallion
Red Adept Publishing,
LLC
978-1948051910
$12.99
Paper/$20.49 Audio/$9.99 Kindle
https://RedAdeptPublishing.com/
Hush, Delilah explores a wife's dilemma
when her husband's
undercurrents of evil break through the façade of perfection they have
built in
their community. It's a story of Delilah Reddick’s revelations and how
she
comes to deal with a growing force that threatens everything they've
built
together that will especially appeal to readers of modern women's
literature.
Delilah's
concern
about her own well-being, her family, and her choices rises to the
forefront as
she is confronted with a reality she has chosen to ignore and repress
from the
beginning—her husband's dangerous disposition.
From the
start, she's
been a complacent accomplice to his actions by providing an alibi. It's
a habit
that has gone on for far too long, and now threatens not just her own
life, but
that of her son and others in their community.
As Delilah
navigates
the results of her silence and reviews her options under impossible
circumstances, she makes different decisions that ultimately rock not
just her
world, but all around her.
There's a
trigger
warning for readers who also have built lives on fielding abuse:
Delilah's
dilemmas are graphic and realistic, prompting all kinds of reflections
on
choices and responsibility to others.
"Of course I am in danger. I have lived my entire
adult life in
danger." Delilah is not a dummy. She well knows the
ramifications of
her choices. But, where does she go from here?
Angie
Gallion crafts
an involving tale of evolving evil in such a way that readers become
immersed
in Delilah's possibilities.
This will
translate
to heated book club debates and intriguing discussions in women's
groups, which
makes Hush, Delilah of special
interest and recommendation to these audiences.
Abuse is not
a
solitary process. Delilah's move to find her voice and strength is
powerfully
portrayed in a story that is at once familiar and thought-provoking as
it
revolves around the many ramifications of tolerating (and sometimes
enabling) a
monster's psyche and behaviors.
Libraries
and readers
that choose Hush, Delilah will find
its characterizations potent, its events not entirely predictable, and
its
outcome engrossingly surprising.
Return to Index
Lockett and
the
Devil's Path
T.J. Johnston
Vivus Historical
Press
979-8-218-06676-5
$13.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C12JXTRC/
The Lockett
Civil War
series of novels continues to expand with the latest volume, Lockett and the Devil's Path, which
moves through battles in Tennessee as it presents a historical
reenactment of
Civil War events.
A historical
background
section at book's end (and a shorter introduction which places this
volume in
perspective) details the dramatic events and twists of the Tullahoma
Campaign
of 1863 in Tennessee.
Captain
Lockett is in
charge of a ragtag band of men who face impossible challenges during
the war.
He commands an odd but effective group that has a reputation for a kind
of
diversity neither North nor South has seen in military companies.
Intrigue,
involvements between conscripted men and civilians of both sexes, and
traps and
treason affect these mercurial relationships as battles shift balances
of power
and impact lives.
Lockett
walks a
dangerous path with little chance of success, yet he refuses to give
up. His
perseverance creates both a legend and a conundrum as he sticks his
neck out
for others and defends those who seem undeniably guilty for their
trespasses.
From secret
meetings
with Confederate officers to facing the life and death moments of
battle,
Lockett's world comes alive ... as does Anna Tucker, who finds herself
in the
strange position of being a Confederate spy enamored with a Yankee
soldier a
year after she is saved from a Union trap by his efforts.
T.J.
Johnston builds
his story on the firm foundations of historical fact, adding the
emotional
connections and relationships that give history a realistic, compelling
flavor.
These
connections
allow even non-historical fiction readers to access and enjoy the
scenarios and
conundrums that test men and women attempting to survive and engage
with each
other during Civil War times.
Clashes of
belief and
heart set the stage for another drama in which Anna, James, and others
find
their convictions and attractions tested.
Libraries
and readers
seeking Civil War novels firmly rooted in history and spiced with vivid
events
will find Lockett and the Devil's Path
both enhances the series as a whole and stands nicely alone for
newcomers to
Lockett's adventures.
Return to Index
Nelson’s Lost Son
Oliver Greeves
Independently Published
978-0645023756
$19.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Nelsons-Lost-Son-Fictitious-historical/dp/0645023752
Nelson’s
Lost Son is a military historical
fiction piece that focuses on the
“Great Chase”—the Caribbean campaign preceding the more well-known
Trafalgar.
It presents a fictitious story based on historical facts with the
progress of
Josiah Nisbet, who has lost his command and thus feels that his
relationship
with his famous stepfather Admiral Horatio Nelson is in jeopardy.
This is why
he can't
turn down the unexpected offer of becoming part of a covert mission
that will,
if successful, redeem his reputation, career, and relationship. The "if
successful" part seems more and more unlikely, however, as events test
Josiah's
personal, political, and professional strengths.
While Nelson's Lost Son stands alone nicely
for newcomers, it ideally will be selected by readers already familiar
with its
predecessor, Nelson’s Folly, which offered new
insights into the lives
of Nelson and his wife Fanny. This builds the foundation for Nelson's Lost Son to continue the family
legacy in a different way, offering a fast-paced adventure pairing the
backdrop
of real historical events with the examination of the father-son
relationship
of Horatio
Nelson and
his ‘lost
son’ Josiah Nisbet.
Though naval
history
and intrigue come to life, this story is about so much more than
military
confrontations. Equally at the heart of matters is the struggle between
father
and son, their shared missions and ideals, ways in which events test
their
relationship, and the manners in which heroism and courage emerge in
disparate
forms for different generations.
Josiah
begins to
realize the complex ramifications of his actions as the story unfolds: "It seemed to him there were two issues
– a shortage of good hemp and a crisis of trust caused by the
investigation.
Everyone was scared. And where did that leave him?" This
leads him
into a position of danger in which trusts betrayed and ideals pursued
land him in
no-win situations. These further threaten not just his career ambitions
and his
relationship with the navy and his father, but his life.
Oliver Greeves again paints a
thoroughly
engrossing story powered as much by the quandaries and emotions of his
characters
as the times they live through.
Between presenting battles on
the high seas or
the plight of slaves "compelled to serve without condition" whether
they be French or English, Greeves supercharges the story of men who
too often
are "victims of their own convictions," bringing Lord Nelson's world
to life with vivid action and a blend of psychological, political, and
military
inspection.
Libraries that saw popularity
with the previous
Nelson’s Folly, as well as newcomers,
will find equally rich and
vividly portrayed the history and sense of place and time in Nelson's Lost Son. Whether
chosen as a sequel or a stand-alone novel, the tale is highly
recommended for libraries seeking historical military fiction that
shines.
Return to Index
One More
Seat at the
Round Table
Susan Dormady
Eisenberg
Atmosphere Press
9781639888023
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
It's unusual
to see a
blend of Broadway music history and romance, but One
More Seat at the Round Table offers both, icing its story
with
an attractive tone and drama that bring to life the creation of the
stage production
Camelot.
One More Seat at the Round Table surveys
the history of the
American musical's development as it follows two characters whose
growth and
romance develop in conjunction with the advent of a special form of
musical
theater that cements their connections and advances their professional
careers.
Susan
Dormady
Eisenberg creates interplay between real-world facts and scenarios,
from the
streets of New York City to actors Julie Andrews and others, whose
efforts
contributed to the play's creation.
At the heart
of these
events are Jane and Bryce, who face their own separate challenges in
overcoming
expectation and precedent to make their marks on life in ways nobody
before
them has achieved.
Eisenberg's
dance
between romance and full-flavored life challenge not only gives this
story its
realistic edge, but provides a satisfyingly complex evolutionary
structure that
departs from any notion of formula romance writing. This creates a saga
that is
as strong in its artistic, historical, and cultural influences as it is
in the
psychological developments that motivate and drive the main characters.
Readers
familiar with
actor prompts, challenges in getting into character, and the special
charge of
bigger-picture thinking in translating script to stage will be
especially
delighted by the time Eisenberg takes to recreate the process of
bringing a
play to life:
“...when Tom stows away on the boat, he plans to
help the knights
preserve the honor of the Round Table. He’s on fire with the idea, and
when he
meets King Arthur, it’s like the moment when Peter Pan saves the Lost
Boys.
It’s that great.”
“Honest?” Garry asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “But you both sound like you’ve crossed the street to
buy a candy bar. Like it’s no big deal. You need to know that your
character,
Tom of Warwick, becomes the hero of the finale. Like Peter Pan when he
defeats
Hook.”
“Nobody told us that,” Rufus groused. “Mr. Remsen didn’t explain it
that way.”
“Mr. Remsen has a lot on his mind,” I said. “But remember, King Arthur
might die like the Lost Boys at the plank Then you show up and give him
a
reason to fight on.”
“I’m gobsmacked!” Garry said. “Can we try the scene again, Miss Jane?”
“Just call me Jane,” I said. “And this time, I want to feel your
courage. Be a hero.”
Between its
detailed
pursuit of a production that will change the face of American stage and
Jane's
first-person revelations about her choices and what she stands to lose
by
making a name for herself, the story excels in both historical and
psychological revelations:
"I couldn’t predict when I’d find the courage, but
my darkest fear
was that I’d already lost him. And if this was the case, I thought,
trudging
back up to stage left, I might never recover. Worst of all, I’d have no
one to
blame but myself."
These
concurrent
struggles of the heart, art, and career make for a memorable, involving
story
that teaches much about stage efforts and living the show and life
"moment
by moment."
Libraries
and readers
seeking a story that gives equal strength to performances that lead to
growth
and new realizations both on and off stage will welcome One
More Seat at the Round Table, recognizing it as both a
romance
story and an exploration of the foundations and processes of a pivotal
point in
Broadway history.
Return to Index
The Regal
Pink
Jenny Knipfer
Independently
Published
978-1-7379575-2-2
$2.99 Kindle
Website: https://jennyknipfer.com/the-regal-pink/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Regal-Pink-Retold-Fairy-Tales-ebook/dp/B0BV46KRVS
The Regal Pink is the first book in a
series of retold fairy tales,
and tackles a Grimm classic in a story that will especially appeal to
females,
from young adults through adults.
The opening
prologue
comes from Diana, who expresses the pain of being a fairy "betwixt and
between" human and fae worlds. Charged with being human for a period of
time, Diana feels trapped.
The first
chapter
opens in 1451 with Daniel, who has just had a terrible dream about
Diana (the
magical friend he loves) killing him. Is it a premonition of the
future? He has
created Diana from his dreams and his power, so why would she hurt him?
As time
passes,
Daniel and Diana grow up to adulthood, but retain their powers and
their
mysteries. Daniel's biggest wish is to move into a different life. Be
careful
what you wish for—especially when your power is to grant wishes for
others.
Daniel learns this when the future introduces more transformations that
lie beyond
his control: "Daniel discerned a
change coming and with it freedom from the slavery of wishing."
Jenny
Knipfer crafts
a compelling story of lives undone and redone in The
Regal Pink. It is a story with a lesson, much like the
Grimm's
original 'The Pink' (upon which it is based); but it also brings with
it the
magic of evolving relationships, transformative processes, and the
currents of
friendships and love that drive its characters to make extraordinary
decisions,
diverging from lives that already reside a touch beyond the commonplace.
It's unusual
to note
that God does appear in what seems to be a fairy tale retold, but is
represented as The Light. This makes the story accessible to a broader
audience
than myth-seekers alone.
A host of
characters entwine
in Diana and Daniel's world, from spies who breach castle walls to
Roderick,
whose father teaches him that "...the
power of the natural realm, along with the spiritual, was The Light’s
to
command and that mankind were mere stewards of that power." And
yet,
he and his wife Rosalind are assured of a child and an heir through
magical
dreams and heavenly processes that he accepts on some level and rejects
on
others.
The story
shifts
between the first-person perspective of Diana and the third-person
narration of
events that entangle the lives of Diana, Daniel, Roderick, Marcus, and
others
in the kingdom.
The result
is a heady
blend of magical realism, myth, and references to God's force in the
world that
involves readers in a complex, appealing new version of Grimm's
original 'The
Pink'.
The Regal Pink is recommended as a
stand-alone choice for fantasy
readers, but, ideally, it will be read in conjunction with the original
tale
and utilized in creative writing courses interesting in highlighting
various
techniques for recrafting traditional fairy tales in new ways.
This
audience, as
well as libraries looking for revised fairy stories, will find Jenny
Knipfer's
first book in a projected series to be thoroughly engrossing,
stretching the
hallmarks and boundaries of the fairy tale in new and satisfyingly
unexpected
ways.
Return to Index
Reluctant
Hearts
Linda Griffin
Wild
Rose Press
978-1509248827
$16.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Hearts-Linda-Griffin/dp/150924882X
Reluctant Hearts is a romance story that
arrives with the added
twist of coming from not the usual singular perspective; nor even a
couple's
insights, but from four different viewpoints.
Four couples
represent different facets of love under challenging, seemingly
impossible
situations. Their disparities and attractions receive satisfying
descriptions
that contrast their lives and choices in a story that evolves to follow
the
growth of very different people.
As the
characters
interact, so readers will find that "all the pieces fit together
perfectly." This contrast in lives and hearts works because Linda
Griffin
takes the time to trace the fears, reluctance, and possibilities each
person
brings to the table of love.
From women's
friendships that evolve against the backdrop of shifting lives and new
connections to gender disparities revealed during realistic
conversations,
Griffin's attention to detail produces discussions that will lend to
book club
debates as well as individual enlightenment:
“Are you going to defend your gender, Frank?”
“We try,” was the best he could do. “We aren’t as smart as you are—you
know, verbally and emotionally, but we try. We don’t understand what
you want.
What do women want?”
Romance
evolves in
different ways under different circumstances and perceptions.
Reluctant Hearts is as much a story of
awakening and discovery as
it is a psychological profile of very different people brought together
by
circumstance, chance, and their own visions of what love looks like.
Romance
readers
receive deep psychological inspection, interludes of sexual
exploration, and love
stories that are thoroughly engrossing and thought-provoking.
Return to Index
Rhiannon's
Circle
Emily Bex
Foundations Book Publishing
ASIN: B0BTC99CQF
$2.99
https://www.emilybex.com/the-medici-warrior-series/book-i-the-blood-covenant/
Followers of
occult
fiction who look for stories steeped in paranormal romance and Wiccan
power
plays will find Rhiannon's Circle
the
perfect ticket for a moonless night of intriguing reading.
A power play
within
the Bohannon family, which has long led a centuries-old witch's coven
with its
roots in Ireland, makes for a thoroughly engrossing story that evolves
paranormal struggle themes to new levels.
Eilish is
supposed to
lead the coven, but her murderous older sister has other ideas about
her
legacy. Middle sister Anya finds herself in the middle of a family
power
struggle set to not only tear them apart, but threaten the coven's
rituals and
rules.
Vampire Ian
Cross
never thought he'd land in the middle of a witch's conflict, but he
finds
himself "walking into a minefield of unknowns" as he unwittingly
makes choices that lead him into love and danger that hold equal
opportunities.
As the
characters
engage with one another and consider their legacies, prejudices, and
interactions with humans and extraordinary beings, Emily Bex brings to
life
this world and its ability to coexist with everyday humans over the
centuries:
"I grew up with this
stuff. To us, you're the weird one. In our
world, we're all normal, and it’s humans we have to be careful of.
You're not a
very accepting species. You tend to kill off people you don't
understand. You
know, the witch trials were real, although all the women that were hung
weren't
even witches. Just the thought of something being off and humans go
batshit. We
know all the rumors about us, but most people enjoy the rumors. We're a
curiosity, something to gossip about. Something they
can speculate
about. But they don't think it's real, and we try to keep it
that way. Same with Ian. Vampires stick to their covens; we stick to
ours.
We're all safer if we keep it on the down-low. Just how it is."
Intrigue,
traditions,
and coven politics play out against the backdrop of an evolving romance
that
not only entertains readers, but leads them to think about family power
plays
and the special pressures of leadership and heritage.
Rhiannon's Circle also grows a mystery
which concludes in a
satisfying manner for this book, but leaves the door more than ajar for
the
finale.
Libraries
and readers
seeking occult fiction that excels in mystery, romance, and family
struggle
will welcome Rhiannon's Circle's
powerful,
compelling saga.
Return to Index
Toxic But
Addictive
Wynn E.
Independently
Published
ASIN: B0BSRM9SBC
$3.99
https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-but-Addictive-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0BSRM9SBC
Toxic But Addictive tells of Eria who,
single and childless at age
40, is not leading the kind of life she'd imagined. In fact, this is
nowhere
near where she thought she'd be at this age, in terms of marriage and
family.
Her minimalist approach to decorating has translated to the same
approach to
her relationships and life, and she's ready for something new.
Toxic But Addictive follows this sea
change as Eria navigates two
very different men, follows the different forms of promise each offers,
then
finds herself in a life-or-death situation that demands of her a
flexibility
and force she has never before applied to her life or her future.
As her
careful
arrangements of her life and control over every aspect of it begin to
unravel,
the central core of her convictions and aspirations come to the
forefront in
unexpected ways as Eria evolves a different life and faces new
obstacles and
approaches to engaging with it.
Wynn E. is
masterful
at portraying Eria's challenging involvements, whether they be with a
new love,
an ex, or unexpected surprising dramas that affect her formerly-staid
forty-year-old life.
As threats
and
revenge evolve, adding surprising twists to the tale, Wynn E. captures
Eria's
evolving conundrums that pit her deepest desires with opportunities she
(and
her readers) never saw coming.
Graphic sex
scenes peppered
throughout also follow Eria's physical pleasures as she grapples with
new love
and challenging problems alike.
Libraries
and readers
seeking an evocative work of women's literature that follows the
evolution and
changes of a powerful woman who lets go enough to inject love and its
accompanying changes into her life will find Toxic
But Addictive offers lessons in both love and toxic
relationships.
Its
influential
inspections of both themes (and more) makes Toxic
But Addictive a highly recommended title for African American
women's
literary and contemporary women's fiction collections alike.
Return to Index
Tropical Depression
Patti Liszkay
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68513-183-8
$22.95 Paper/$6.99 Kindle
Website: www.blackrosewriting.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1685131832
Tropical
Depression is the third novel in
the Equal and Opposite Reactions trilogy, and is especially recommended
for
literary fiction enthusiasts familiar with its predecessors (Equal and
Opposite
Reactions and Hail Mary), who will welcome the final
installment of a close
inspection of the psychology and ironies of relationships.
Lupe and
Ascensión
Guzman have been deported to Nicaragua, where they must readjust to
family
relationships and the loss of a child who was born in America and left
behind.
These family issues lend to a tropical depression lifted by evolving
relationships with unexpected new friends who hold the power and wisdom
to
mitigate the crushing events that have a hold on their lives.
As in her previous stories, Patti Liszkay maintains
a
powerful, rich hand in portraying Nicaragua's culture and the social,
political, and psychological influences that buffet the couple's lives.
From the steamy atmosphere of the jungle to
equally powerful circumstances of changing hearts and minds, Liszkay
creates a
vivid portrait of the struggles that simmer during the adjustment
process as
Lupe and Ascensión rebel in many different ways—including
against one
another:
"Ascensión tromped over to the bench by the
clothesline and
plopped himself down. Lupe was
angry? She was angry? And
she
blamed him? Wasn’t he always
trying to soothe her, comfort her, protect her? Did she have any idea
how he’d
been protecting her at work, doing her work for her, practically
getting down
on his knees to Yoolie? Did she have no idea how stressful all this was
for
him? And did she really expect him to chew out his mother, his own
mother?"
Between the
storms
created by abandonment and choices to revelations that bring both love
and hate
into family circles, Tropical Depression is rich in the intersections of love, conflict,
and culture that bring
this world to life.
While newcomers could easily enter this
milieu and gain much from Tropical Depression, its
true riches lie in
its connections to the prior series books.
Libraries and readers with this familiarity
will find Tropical Depression a warm embrace of
intersecting cultures,
families, and worlds which are expanded by children and the pursuit of
happiness.
Return to Index
Reviewer's Choice
Anger Is
Your Compass
Moshe Ratson
Independently
Published
979-8-9864245-0-7
$17.95 Paper/$17.95
Audiobook/$9.99 ebook
Website: www.spiral2grow.com
Ordering: https://www.spiral2grow.com/anger-management-book/
Anger Is Your Compass: Harness the Wisdom of Anger
and Transform Your
Life points to the power in hidden, repressed, or overt anger
responses. It
is highly recommended for readers interested in this general topic and
in the
dovetailing of its contentions with typical anger management logic.
Moshe Ratson
illustrates that anger can serve a useful purpose—especially if it is
handled
in an effective manner that promotes growth, change, and appropriate
response.
The key to using anger responses effectively lies in a more mindful
approach
acknowledging its value as well as its strength. In this manner, Ratson
provides a blueprint for better understanding that should be basic
reading for
psychology and self-help followers.
Chapters
build
constructive insights on anger's origins, strengths, and ability to
transform.
When used as a signal for uncovering truths and moving forward in a
positive
manner, anger can be quite useful—not something to be repressed, but
directed
and employed.
Anger's
transformative promise is ongoing, and it's not a reaction to be
ignored
because "It’s important to note that
anger will remain active in your life until it serves its teaching
purpose. It
will continue to seek your attention until you learn from it and
integrate its
wisdom. And even then, it will arise again in the future to let you
know when
you need to take action to close the gap or meet a core need."
Reinforcing
his
contentions with case histories and examples from his own life as a
psychotherapist and executive coach, Ratson provides the important
revelations
that profile anger's strength and ability to do good as much as do
damage. He
presents a step-by-step approach to harnessing anger's potential:
"Step one of transforming anger is to temper it—to bring it to the right
level and direct it with
wisdom. Just as a metal becomes stronger and more flexible by being
heated and
then cooled in air, anger can make you stronger when you take charge of
its
heat and intentionally adjust it to the right temperature, so it is
proportionate to the situation. When your anger reaches the proper
intensity,
you will be able to access the wisdom beneath it. The ability to temper
anger
is a key skill of the compassionate warrior."
By
reinterpreting
painful experiences and pursing becoming a "compassionate warrior"
fueled by the strength of anger and the wisdom of tapping into its
powerful
potentials, Ratson provides an uplifting view of how anger may be
viewed in a
different light, managed in a different way, and used to reinforce
individual
potentials and purposes in the world.
Readers
interested in
alternative views of anger's powerful possibilities will find that
Ratson's
insights stand out from other anger management discussions. Ideally, Anger Is Your Compass will not just
reside in general-interest and psychology libraries, but will be
actively
discussed in book clubs and reading groups interested in self-help,
personal
insights, and social and business world issues. Its message is that
far-reaching—and that widely applicable and important.
Return to Index
Better to Win
Bill Wong
Ronin Road Press
979-8-9878036-0-8
$16.00 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Website: www.bettertowin.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Win-Hardball-Leadership-Influence-ebook/dp/B0BZGW3VLG
Better
to Win: Hardball Lessons
in Leadership, Influence, & the Craft of Politics teaches people interested in political
advocacy how to take a powerful seat at the leadership table. While its
lessons
and examples come from politics, any reader interested in assuming the
unfamiliar reins of handling strife and controversy will find this book
a
powerful guide to navigating treacherous political and social
challenges.
Bill Wong's account opens
with a powerful punch: "Today would be a
fight. Simmering with
silent rage and resentment, I entered the majestic conference room
where this
little skirmish would take place."
Like a good
novel,
tension is developed from the start which grabs the reader's attention,
leading
them to want to know more about the source of this feeling and the
controversy
it portends.
The followup
blow
comes from realizing that Bill Wong's nemesis isn't on the streets or
in the
boardroom, but is an Ivy League elitist whose attitude and actions
support and
represent inherent prejudice that stems from privilege and a distain
for
minority participation: "He stood at
the head of the table preparing to serve me a deftly crafted public
humiliation. I think he thought Asians were going to be an easy mark. I
believe
he saw this as a convenient opportunity to practice what he probably
thought
would be a lifetime of dominating a room and everyone in it."
Any
anticipation that
the nature of this battle will be overt, direct, and above-board is
quashed by
the reality that covert, underlying innuendos permeate actual power
plays. And
so Wong found himself participating in quite a different playing field,
purposely,
because "I wasn’t going to be the
model minority participating in the establishment’s Hunger
Games of merit. Nor was I going to attempt to explain why
this maneuver felt like a personal attack on Asian Americans. Instead,
I chose
to make my point in another way. In a way that would play out in
between the
lines. This was going to be an intimate dance in the dark with my
overconfident
adversary."
This
approach is both
reasoned and acknowledges the underlying motivations and influences on
all sides
of affirmative action. Wong's exploration of "political jiujitsu"
processes and how they can successfully undercut established political
routine
and prejudices provides an outstanding route for nonviolent protest
that should
be on the radars of any involved in leadership decision-making circles.
This is only
the
introductory example in a salvo of campaign and political experiences
and
encounters that creates solid, compelling stories about "how
to win hardball campaigns where underhanded and often unethical
tactics are employed."
The tactics
have been
proven to work. The approach to these kinds of situations and campaigns
both
addresses underlying racial prejudice and its incarnation in social and
political circles and methods to thwart its presence with strategies
that
employ confrontation in a different, more effective and educational
manner.
Lies will be
made.
Leverage will be employed. But, beyond these too-common rules of
engagement and
winning lies a route that maintains "Better
strategy, tactics, and execution are the key to winning races that are
fought
in the mud."
While the
examples
utilized in Better to Win come from
Wong's political world, they can be equally employed in business
circles,
social milieus, and any environment where tacit privilege and prejudice
too
often take the upper hand.
Ideally, Better to Win will be featured not just
in libraries interested in political campaign strategies, but in any
library
collection where issues of racism and power struggles are of interest.
It would
also be an excellent choice for book clubs interested in explorations
of
political and social prejudice, in social issues classrooms, and in any
environment where hard and fast rules of racist engagement and
privilege need
to be broken.
Bill Wong's
assessment
of the political machine and tactics to dismantle many of its
minority-crushing
routines come not from ideals, but from tried-and-true methods that
rest on
psychological strategies and a savvy life knowledge that can't be beat.
Return to Index
The Control Problem
Norah Woodsey
Independently Published
978-0-9973339-7-8
$25.00
Hardback/$15.00 Paper/$9.99 ebook/$15.00 Audiobook
Website: www.norahwoodsey.com
Ordering: https://www.norahwoodsey.com/store
On the surface and to others,
Vera Elpis
represents the epitome of a fine life. Single, in her thirties, and
living a
quietly, Vera needs only one more thing to achieve
perfection—a baby.
Scratch that surface, however, and there's more simmering under it than
the
need for a child in her life. Many mysteries surround Vera's life, from
her
strange abilities to her frustration with the chaotic world around her.
Her first-person story opens with an
intriguing reflection: "I WISH PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO ME.
That’s not
great. How should you start a diary?"
In The
Control Problem, Vera is forced to tackle
unanswered questions about her background and
abilities and the unpredictable paths her future takes as she navigates
a
strange series of circumstances from pursuing her dream, only to find
it leads
into a nightmare.
Readers may not anticipate the
hard sci-fi
elements that develop from Vera's quest and introductory perceptions,
but these
evolve in a compelling and satisfying manner as questions are answered,
giving
rise to different revelations and new horror as Vera comes to realize
many
impossible truths about her past, present, and future.
Norah Woodsey builds mystery
into Vera's story
and presents the world through Vera's eyes as she becomes increasingly
embroiled in a strange world that immerses her in odd circumstances
about her
shadowed past. As questions arise about who has control, who should
relinquish
it, and why Vera has no children, readers will find the surprises come
non-stop.
This is particularly notable
because it's no
light feat to develop a personality and world without the seasoned
sci-fi
reader well able to predict courses of action and development. Woodsey
gives neither
away and pursues Vera's unfolding conundrums with an attention to
action and
realization that creates a satisfyingly unpredictable story.
Woven within the sci-fi
elements are insights
into women's friendships, matters of control, and a form of data
collection
that fails to note the real motivations and feelings of individuals: "How
many women shop when they are upset? It’s what I want to do when
I’m upset, and I can’t be that unusual. Who are these people who make
these
systems? How do you overlook something as basic as motivation of the
people you
are trying to assess? I laughed to myself. How inconvenient for product
design,
the feelings of others. Do they know people at all? Do they care?"
The emotional threads
reinforced by Vera's
first-person questions and explorations bring the hard science of her
world and
its impossible situation to life.
Libraries and readers looking
for a blend of
women's literature, hard sci-fi, and social examination will find
Vera's story
in The Control Problem to be
enlightening,
eerily akin to some forms of modern angst, and impossible to put down.
Return to Index
Dispatches
Carolyn L. Baker
2Leaf Press
9781734618181
$19.99
www.2leafpress.org
Dispatches:
From
Racial Divide to the Road of Repair: A Collection of Essays
is not an easy
read. It outlines and probes the White American identity in a manner
that
invites readers to conduct their own close inspection of their
assumptions,
prejudices, and inherent bias towards racial profiling and expectations
of
justice and injustice.
Dispatches
both
compliments and expands the themes in Carolyn L. Baker's previous
memoir An
Unintentional Accomplice, her
story of coming of age as a white person in segregated Southern
California, but
more closely examines the uncomfortable topics of systemic
institutional
racism, sexism, and classism in American society.
Its
important
messages are introduced and acclaimed by anti-racism scholar Mark
Warren, which
is in itself an important commendation.
As Dispatches:
From
Racial Divide to the Road of Repair dovetails the history of
racial
disparities with their incarnation in modern America, focusing on the
types of
encounters which lead to the double bind many modern White Americans
find
themselves in when it comes to addressing this racial wall, the book's
topics
will lend to fiery debates in classrooms and forums devoted to societal
inspection and racial issues.
Discussions about invisible
and underlying prejudices
woven into the fabric of society and everyday life are never
comfortable ones
to undertake. Baker provides a beacon of hope in addressing how racism "has always tainted women's movements
in this country," moving the discussion from male privilege and
responses
to White Women who are also complicit by their actions and "...often do
not want to acknowledge our White skin privilege and access to power
through
affiliation with White men, including our fathers, brothers, husbands,
and
sons. However, we often take a stance suggesting weakness when we do.
We cry,
shut down, and then act like we have no power."
From immigration to
whitewashing and voter suppression,
Baker's book will provoke all kinds of uncomfortable but necessary
considerations and dialogues—especially among White women.
And, it's about time.
The book's
candid assessment of these trends, tendencies,
and deeply held social and psychological responses by White women makes
Dispatches: From Racial Divide to the Road
of Repair an invaluable addition to any library strong in
social issues
examinations. It's also an ideal choice for book club and discussion
groups
tackling the racial divide from both sides of the American wall of
silence,
ideally attracting the attention of any individual or group interested
in
studying and acknowledging American racism.
Return to Index
Don't Feed
the Clowns
Dale Wannen
Precocity Press
979-8-9873501-8-8
$7.95 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Feed-Clowns-Sustainable-Investing-ebook/dp/B0BXFQWKHM
Don't
Feed the
Clowns: Sustainable Investing for Everyday Life holds an
important message:
if sustainable living is an individual's ultimate ideal, one can't then
choose
investment vehicles that include companies unsupportive of this effort.
Sustainable living choices
do not always neatly translate
into sustainable investing approaches, however—and that's where money
manager
Dale Wannen comes in. His book covers all the possibilities and
pitfalls of
tailoring one's investments to match one's ideals.
It opens with a key insight:
"... every penny you invest in a 401k, 403b,
IRA, etc., is
literally changing the way the world works. Yes, you are that special.
Think
about it. That decision you made by checking some boxes because “Big
Daddy
Large Cap Dividend Sucker Growth Fund” sounded appealing after you
chatted with
Kathy from HR. You know Kathy. She drives that fancy Infinity GHBG720.
Kathy
too is changing the
world."
Wannen points out the
ongoing disparity between
envisioning sustainability and actually living it: "People
are walking around like zombies. But their 401k balances
are way up. This is the path we have been on for decades."
Linking individual
decision-making to sustainable
accountability, Wannen refuses to let the individual reader off the
hook of
responsibility for higher-level decision-making in the economic world.
This is
an important lesson, indeed.
Some of his advice is basic
Investing 101, such as
setting up a sound asset allocation unique to a risk profile. The meat
of his
approach lies in advice that takes the time and additional steps that
led more
solidly into sustainable thinking and action.
Yes, investors as a whole
are already adopting this
mindset. What differentiates Don't Feed
the Clowns from most other surveys of sustainability is
Wannen's attention
to drawing further connections between money management and investor
influences
and impact on business behaviors and choices.
Whether investors are
interested in IRAs, mutual funds,
or active investing (which involves a more hands-on approach), Wannen
links
typical financial vehicles, choices, and investments to bigger-picture
thinking
about impact, responsibility, and sustainable ideals.
As a result, Don't
Feed the Clowns is very highly recommended for readers
seeking to live more
sustainable lifestyles, investors looking to move their choices into
financial
vehicles which better support the world's health and diversity, and
libraries
that would add a more lively discussion of investing that incorporates
social
and conscious ideals into their business book collections.
Book clubs (either reader
groups or those addressing
sustainable living choices) will find plenty of information for not
just solid
investment approaches, but discussions about the intersection of
investment
objectives and sustainable ideals.
Return to Index
The Eleventh
Grieve
Garth Hallberg
The Reason for
Everything Press
978-0-9913770-5-3
$12.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.garthhallberg.com
The Eleventh Grieve's near-future story
of two women despairing
about climate change holds compelling attraction because of its
foundations in
present-day issues and experiences, as well as its intriguing title. It
grabs
reader attention from its opening lines: "THERE
WERE NO OYSTERS. That was how it all began."
In the first
part of
the 21st century, extreme weather events are becoming the norm, not the
exception. So much so that "weird weather" has gained an audience
among those who would profit from its increased impact. Businessmen
such as
Jake Krimmer eschew any concern for environment over the profits such
weather
events bring to their special interests.
Jake has
more than a
vested interest in denying climate change; but his attitude also holds
a
cost—the fate of his relationship with Samantha. She is increasingly
dismayed
about the planet's future, and her interests seem to lie in direct
opposition
to Jake's denial of climate change and his profit-making ventures based
on
disasters.
Their
relationship
and the world are on the teetering edge of catastrophe when Rita Ten
Grieve
enters the picture with her time-travel ability and command of The
Nimbus, a
technology that holds the potential to change the world via one man's
conversion.
As she
introduces ten
"Grieves" that test and transform Jake, it becomes evident that not
only his future, but the world's survival rests on the shoulders of an
impossible transformation that needs to take place both individually
and
globally.
On its
surface, The Eleventh Grieve is a
fable of
possibilities and life lessons. But look deeper to uncover the jewel in
the
crown, because Jake's encounters with predictions, surprises, and
seismic
shifts in his relationship not just with Samantha and Rita, but the
world,
reflect the progressions and possibilities of healing and illness on
more than
an individual scale.
Garth
Hallberg weaves
facts about climate change and influences with a fictional backdrop
that makes
both subjects thoroughly engrossing. From the role of speculators who
would
profit from disaster to the impact of climate policies made on social
and
political levels, Hallberg's story is replete with the realities of
past
precedent and the future possibility of either transformation or
calamity.
Hallberg
himself sums
up the central focus of this compelling fable: "...think
of it as an object lesson for how difficult it is to do
what you know in your heart needs to be done. How easy it is for people
to miss
the point that the future of the planet is at stake.”
Think
Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but
with questions
posed on a more universal level that embraces humanity's survival as a
whole.
The Eleventh Grieve's parable will reach
a wide audience, from
those who anticipate another "cli-fi" fictional exploration to
readers who look for higher-level thinking in their stories. Libraries
that
recommend The Eleventh Grieve to
their patrons will find it also is ideal for book club discussion
groups
interested not just in the physical manifestations of climate change,
but the
mental hoops humanity must jump through to make changes in paradigms
and
perceptions to address the successes and failures of climate change
survival
tactics.
Return to Index
Five Demons
Marc Layton
Independently Published
979-8377539803
$14.99 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Five-Demons-Occult-Detective-Novel/dp/B0BW2RY3QK
Like William Hope Hodgson's classic Carnacki
the Ghost Finder, investigator Professor Aldous
Crane of Five Demons
is skilled at dealing
with supernatural circumstances and incarnations. Also like Carnacki,
his
encounters are narrated in a series of stories that probe the
underbelly of the
paranormal world—especially the haunted halls of the late Matthew
Boudin's
estate, which lure him with two experiences the Professor and his
readers won't
easily forget.
The breath of intrigue and horror that
permeates these encounters opens with 'The Taster' and the sensation
that "At
first, the sound was subtle—a whispering rustle of fabric brushing
softly
against the stone floor. A sound inconspicuous and non-threatening,
except that
it shouldn’t have been there. No sound should be there when you’re
alone."
Normally, wine expert and taster William
Meyer loves his work, and the lure of deceased wine collector Matthew
Boudin's
estate is especially inviting and flavorful. Perhaps too much, because
William
has entered a private tasting of uncommon proportions and his encounter
with
those rich productions of the past come with a heavy price tag. "It
should have been a wine collector’s dream to explore such a fabled
collection,
and yet, there was always the catch. Him."
A world away in San Francisco, Professor
Aldous Crane is tapped to solve a mystery that assumes superstitious
proportions when the call to enter the cellar and locate six bottles of
rare
and valuable vintages becomes one to also dismiss allegations that a
supernatural entity still presides over the collection.
Each story rests upon the flavor of unusual
hauntings that force Professor Crane to extend his experiences and
knowledge in
unusual ways. Each excels in presenting a very different demon. 'The
Dollhouse,' for example, profiles an entity which stalks the capable
Aldous
himself, involving him with sister Claire's friend Sadie, whose
spectacular
haunting experience reaches out to embrace him with shadowy arms and
personal
challenges, including the pain of loss.
Each story adds another compelling insight
to the good professor's life and abilities. Each excels in a different
type of
haunting that expands the concept of ghostly encounters and purposes.
Fans of supernatural detective stories that
enjoy well-developed plots, tension, and contrasts in supernatural
investigations will relish Five Demons, which is
every bit as involving
as Hodgson's classic Carnacki the Ghost Finder and
adds a literary
flavor to the paranormal detective experience.
Libraries looking for well-developed ghost
stories will find Five Demons a top recommendation,
notable for its
literary and psychological depth and the satisfying intersection of
mystery and
supernatural topics that is equally strong in both developments.
Return to Index
For a Song: The Most Enduring Tunes Ever
Written
Hal Taylor
Independently Published
979-8-3507-0277-4
$26.00
www.haltaylorillustration.com
For
a Song: The
Most Enduring Tunes Ever Written
features text and illustrations by the author as it celebrates the
history and
attraction of twenty-for selected songs which Hal Taylor identifies as
the most
iconic creations in existence.
Admittedly, this is a heady contention to
make. As the introduction documents the importance of music in every
facet of
human history and life, the lingering question in the reader's mind
might be:
how does one determine a small number of "the best of them all,"
given centuries of human history?
This is especially challenging given that
readers who would think that classical and pop music pieces should be
among
those judged iconic will learn early on that these major genres have
been
purposely omitted from discussion because the author has "...intentionally
omitted contemporary music like rock and all its forms and sub-genres.
Ditto
for Classical music. Those two disciplines have been critiqued,
examined,
dissected, analyzed, and written about so extensively, that I would
have
nothing more to contribute. Likewise for blues and jazz, America’s
original
music, the moon stuff from which rock and pop originated. Nor have I
included
Country with its Scots Irish roots (although you have to vigorously
scrape the
varnished exterior of contemporary “country” to find those origins
today.) And
I am probably the least qualified person to offer any historical
introspection
of rap or hip hop."
What is left? Old songs that "have
cobwebs hanging from them." This may lead contemporary
readers to
suspect that this book, too, will feature webs of antiquity and
dullness, but
this premature supposition would be wrong. Indeed, For a Song
cultivates
a lively dance among tunes that have unique origins, stories to tell,
and a
lasting impact on music. They deserve to be heard.
Classic and well-known ditties and an entire
section devoted to beloved Christmas songs trace the evolution and
origins of
lyrics and music so embedded in everyday life that their origins and
meaning
have often been obscured. One early example is an 1893 children's song
penned
by two schoolteachers, the 'Good Morning and Birthday Song' (aka 'Happy
Birthday To You'). Their greeting song today represents one of the
best-known,
most widely distributed celebration songs in the world.
'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' is another
widely known song that holds fascinating history.
Like his subject, Hal Taylor cultivates an
attractive, lively tone that draws all readers into this history:
"A
year
before Mel Tormé and Robert Wells sat in the California summer heat
thinking
cold weather thoughts, composer Leroy Anderson was on the other side of
the
country doing the same thing. In the middle of July, during a drought,
Anderson
was trying to dig up some old pipes, and envisioning a horse-drawn
sleigh
gliding though a snowy landscape. Unlike “The Christmas Song” however,
he had
no intention of penning a holiday tune, but like Tormé and Wells, he
was just
trying to stay cool." Thus the roots of 'Sleigh Ride,' written in the
mid-1940s, evolved with a special twist—it "actually began with what is
now the middle section of the tune."
Captivatingly dynamic, enhanced by lovely
illustrations that bring these tunes to life, and thoroughly engrossing
(no
matter what the reader's musical inclinations), For a Song
is highly
recommended. It ideally will appear in every arts collection where
music
history is featured, and many a general-interest library. It's that
wide-ranging, appealing, and attractive.
Return to Index
How to
Listen Out
Loud
Lauren Powers, MCC
Pluck Publications
979-8-9875994-0-2
$14.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Website: www.HowtoListenOutLoud.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/How-Listen-Out-Loud-Ridiculously/dp/B0BVD3NGBK/
How to Listen Out
Loud: Ridiculously Powerful Skills for Leading, Relating, &
Happifying comes
from an author who was once a "champion non-listener," but changed
her tune to become a more effective listener and coach.
Her observation that "Somehow,
we’ve relegated skillful listening to just a few careers
like therapists or bartenders. Which is a clever way to let the rest of
us off
the hook of having to listen at all" will hit home for many,
and is
the foundation of a guide designed to remedy the tendency to listen
only to
self.
Lauren
Powers
promotes the active (and more mindful) approach of Listening Out Loud,
reviewing the patterns that often contribute not to listening, but to
negating
what is heard:
"From this unconscious place, too often, my version
of listening
was to talk about what I’d read most recently. That way, it wasn’t my
idea for
a fix, but a smarty-pants, qualified, author’s idea. It had to be
better than
what my friend and I could come up with. Regrettably, this simply ends
up as
another serving of Level 1 Listening with a dollop of
look-how-well-read-I-am."
The meat of
her
approach lies in examples that will prove especially hard-hitting to
readers
who thought they already did a good job of listening to others. Many
will find
these examples eye-opening, as Powers shows why they are too often not
effective and outlines better paths for active listening that encourage
more
meaningful dialogue and better understanding.
As readers
progress
through these examples and lessons, they will find themselves
developing better
listening skills which promote empathy and deeper interpersonal
connections as
well as an overall healthier approach to life and one's place in it.
As for the
skills
themselves, they are delivered in the form of tips, exercises, and
examples
that reinforce the nature of better listening through everyday life
encounters
every reader can relate to.
The result
is a
powerful message reinforced by solid examples of how to overcome
built-in
habits and messages to be not just a better listener, but a better
contributor
to positive relationships throughout all facets of life.
Libraries and readers
seeking self-help titles that encourage self-assessment and better
listening
skills will find How
to Listen Out Loud
a key lesson in both being heard and hearing more effectively.
Return to Index
How to Love
Yourself:
In Less Than a Week & Also for the Rest of Your Life
Rachel Madorsky, LCSW
Muse Literary
978-1-958714-11-9
$10.99 Hardcover/$4.86
Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1958714127
How to Love Yourself: In Less Than a Week &
Also for the Rest of
Your Life provides readers with permission to love themselves
more fully, which
translates to a less judgmental attitude and more acceptance and love
for
others, in turn.
Self-love
does not
usually come as an inherent part of nature, but is a practice that
needs honing
and exercise like any other routine.
How to Love Yourself provides short,
simple, but powerful
admonitions designed to teach readers this process of greater self-love
throughout the day:
"Today is the day. I will love myself from now on.
It doesn’t
matter how much I do or do not understand fully what that means or how
to do
it. I’m in. I promise to learn, and I promise to enjoy the learning. I
love
myself, no matter what from now on."
These
hard-hitting
insights are useful whether contemplated individually to help drive the
day's
decisions and experiences, or utilized in a group setting either by
book club
discussions interested in self-improvement routines or in psychological
circles:
"In any given moment we can love
ourselves more by reminding ourselves to let it be easy."
As easy as
it should
be to self-love, many similar-sounding titles make such a production
out of the
effort that ordinary readers may be stymied by the process.
How to Love Yourself creates quick,
inspirational, digestible
insights in how to incorporate these practices into daily routines and
the
busiest of lives.
Its messages
make How to Love Yourself a strong
recommendation for any self-help, self-improvement, or group effort.
How
to Love
Yourself:
In Less Than a Week & Also for the Rest of Your Life
Return
to Index
The Kitchen
and the
Studio: A Memoir of Food and Art
Mallory M. O’Connor
and John A. O’Connor
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-796-5
$56.95 Hardcover/$45.95 paper
www.atmospherepress.com
The Kitchen and the Studio: A Memoir of Food and Art
is a rare
combination of art book, memoir, and culinary exploration highly
recommended
for readers interested in successful intersections of the arts.
Mallory M.
O’Connor
and John A. O’Connor chronicle their lives together, their community
involvements, and their shared passion for art and food in a love story
about
many subjects. Their effort is illustrated with John’s original
paintings that
accompany photographs of celebrations.
The
celebration of
love, food, and nature assumes an uplifting tone from the start, rich
in the
color images that liberally accent the authors' memories, insights, and
even
historical reflections on the history of classic culinary dishes such
as Beef
Wellington:
"It is generally agreed that Beef Wellington was
likely created in
celebration of the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and his
victory
at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. The Duke was given his
title after
defeating Napoleon Bonaparte the year before, and not long after he
became
Prime Minister. The dish is probably French (Boeuf
en Croute) but was renamed during the 19th century wars
with France to celebrate Wellington’s victory. Or so they say. In any
event,
Beef Wellington is a magnificent dish to serve at a fancy party. It
takes a lot
of preparation and is quite the attention-getter on the table or
buffet."
It's rare to
see all
these elements under one cover, but the O'Connors achieve this special
blend
through shared memories, reflections, and artistic eyes. These are transmitted to readers
via visual and
written vehicles that supersede the linear approaches of most recipe
books,
memoirs, or culinary histories.
The food
illustrations often include a touch of whimsy, as in the pastel for
'Country-Style
Green Beans' which features an uncommon observer in the background of
the dish.
Think of the
richness
of James Beard's classic Delights and
Prejudices, which surveys food and life from more than a
singular vision,
for a sense of the multifaceted attraction that is The
Kitchen and the Studio.
Libraries,
cooks, and
readers who love uplifting blends of life experience will find the art
and
culinary insights equally powerful and attractive here, and well worthy
of
repeat reading.
Return to Index
Muslim Mechanics, The View From Behind the Curtain
Charles
H. Brewton
John Hunt Publishing
978-1-80341-050-0
$25.95 Paper/$12.99 ebook
Website:
www.MuslimMechanics.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/Muslim-Mechanics-View-Behind-Curtain/dp/1803410507
Muslim Mechanics, The View From Behind the Curtain offers a primer on Muslims for Christian readers, and should be considered an essential ingredient in fostering understanding between the religions of the world.
A number of other books on the subject have attempted this approach, but too often fall prey to overt or covert prejudices that wind up attacking Islam's deepest contentions in an effort to make the contrast favorable to Christian beliefs.
Another difference between Charles H. Brewton's approach and others is his focus on the concepts of Sharia Law, which are embedded into democratic principles and Christian history, as well as Muslim faith.
A third important note is that Muslim Mechanics assumes no prior familiarity with either Christian or Muslim concepts. This allows those with varying levels of familiarity with either faith to fully engage with a coverage that clarifies the basic concepts which drive the Muslim faith and life choices.
Brewton doesn't neglect the political ramifications of his subject, either:
"The inquiries about who is Muslim and who is not, and under what conditions and circumstances, are critical questions for Islamic fundamentalists. They are fundamental questions for jihadis since takfir is pivotal to identify the enemies who must be fought and killed. The issue of takfir was one of the significant contention points in the conflict between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Al-Qaeda holds the more moderate position, according to which takfir applies to selected individuals. In contrast, IS leaders use it more freely and do not hesitate to brand as heretical entire movements, communities, or sects, such as the Shi’ites."
This approach allows for a much greater depth of understanding of not just Muslim faith, but the foundation concepts that drive political and cultural entities either together or apart.
The contrasts in political approaches influenced by Muslim beliefs and perceptions lend to a special form of enlightenment not usually proffered in simple contrasts of belief systems: "Several Muslim nations such as Egypt, Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia have found that having political relations with Israel can improve security, trade, and economic opportunity. Some Muslim countries like Iran and Syria cannot let go of historical and contemporary enmity. The issue of whose God has sovereignty in this land has created the overall schism."
The result is a wide-ranging connection between faith and social and political history and choices.
Muslim Mechanics, The View From Behind the Curtain ideally will be chosen for all kinds of library holdings, but is especially highly recommended for book club and debate groups interested in the connections between belief systems and their social and political incarnations.
The ability of Muslim Mechanics to reach all kinds of audiences with clear enlightenment about these special connections makes it a top recommendation over other books which too often contrast beliefs without showing how these are reflected in real-world political and social actions.
Muslim Mechanics, The View From Behind the CurtainReturn to Index
The Orthodox
Martial
Art is Living the Sermon on the Mount
CJS Hayward
CJS Hayward
Publications
979-8374612257
$19.99
Hardcover/$11.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
Website:
https://cjshayward.com/
Ordering: https://cjshayward.com/martial-art/
The Orthodox Martial Art is Living the Sermon on
the Mount departs
from CJS Hayward's other works, linking the Sermon on the Mount to
Orthodoxy in
a manner that promotes and links the Sermon to martial arts mastery.
Hayward
opens with
many thought-provoking statements, not the least of which is a
discourse on the
belief that Christians need to be more cognizant of catch phrases and
words
that describe their mission. His attack on the vague "lay down your
life
for your neighbor" and his consideration of the violence underlying
this
concept invites further discourse and reflection on the notion of
Christians
killing and fighting.
As always,
Hayward's
ability to both analyze and pull no punches in analyzing the belief
systems and
underlying psychological and spirituality which are part of Orthodoxy
comes to
the forefront in discussions which are as passionate as they are
studious:
"The Orthodox Church indisputably has
warrior-saints, including
the patron of our monastery, but the Greek Fathers have precious little
of a
concept of "just war." The only Church Father I am aware of speaking
in favor of Just War was Blessed Augustine, and I have said in other
contexts
that if St. Augustine is your only friend among the Fathers, you are on
shaky
ground. I do not see what theological warrant buttresses the assertion
that
Orthodox Christians believe in just war."
From his
analysis and
consideration of "slippery words in Orthodoxy" to deeper reflections
on the gifts of the Sermon on the Mount which appear in disparate ways
("It was by the Sermon on the Mount not
following protocol that an Orthodox elder responded to a subordinate
who had
let loose a torrent of toxic words against him by giving him a small
gift and
saying, 'Always talk to me that way!'"), CJS Hayward creates
discussion points and insights that lend particularly well to debate in
Orthodox circles.
From what
translates
to successful and ultimate mastery to how intention and spiritual
reflection
are employed both internally and externally, Hayward creates
discussions that
are passionate, vivid, and filled with life:
"The martial artist I most respect said, humbly,
gently, modestly,
that even in the close calls, he had said, "You're the tough guy,"
and backed down, or run away, or almost anything
possible (whatever it took), coming out the loser in every
social
confrontation, and he went on to say, "Most people who think they want
to
fight don't really want to
fight." And I submit that the proof of his profound mastery of his art
was
this: he has passed through minefield after minefield after minefield
such as I
almost certainly could not, without stepping on a mine even once. The
point is
not that he happened to be carrying a first aid kit in case he did step
on a
mine. The point is not that he was carrying a very, very good first aid
kit in
case he did step on a mine. The proof of his mastery is that, as of my
last
knowledge, he had never needed to open his first aid kit, not even once. And indeed martial artists
often defuse a potential fight before most outsiders would recognize
there was
anything going out of the ordinary going on."
Given how
martial
arts is reflected in credentials, teachings, and instances in Hayward's
life
when he was granted extraordinary realizations and experiences that
reinforced
Orthodoxy beliefs and underlying messages, this book is a synthesis of
his life
work and revelations. It invites thinking Orthodoxy readers and
Christians
alike to reconsider some of the basic tenets of belief in a new way.
Libraries
seeking a
contemporary discourse on Orthodoxy's presence in and ongoing relevance
to
current daily living will find The
Orthodox Martial Art is Living the Sermon on the Mount
spirited,
wide-ranging, and thought-provoking. It's essential reading for those
who would
link the underlying foundations of Orthodoxy to modern times.
Return to Index
The
Power of
PR
Parenting
Marjie Hadad
Muse Literary
978-1-958714-65-2
$24.99
Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Parenting-confident-resilient-successful/dp/1958714658
The
Power of PR
Parenting: How to Raise Confident, Resilient, and Successful Children
Using
Public Relations Strategies connects two seemingly-disparate
subjects in a
survey that working parents, in particular, will appreciate.
This
audience might
initially question how strategic
public relations techniques can
apply to basic childrearing, but Marjie Hadad's connections between the
two are
astute, entertaining, and realistic; from managing chaos with grace to
instilling
self-confidence in children and encouraging them to be their best.
Hadad's
admonitions
are passionate and lively: "...be
prepared to manage a time commitment to chauffer, watch and cheerlead.
As
parents, we are the executive producers, and it’s on us to oversee the
process,
keep all costs within the defined budget, and ensure that our children
are
learning and having a great time doing it. Again, and this is really
important:
It’s NOT about perfection, winning an award, or becoming professional.
It’s about
enjoyment and strengthening self-esteem and poise."
Many
different aspects of a
parent's reactions to life
events and the process of supporting their child come to life. These
include
addressing issues of safety in public (whether it be on the streets or
handling
altercations and strangers on a bus), being laid off from work, and
other
circumstances which influence family dynamics, parenting, and raising
kids to
be strong individuals.
Hadad's
public relations
rules, lessons, and guidelines
come into play in virtually every aspect of life, while her candid
examination
of her own world and the hard lessons learned from life events
reinforces these
concepts and how they play out in the real world.
Perhaps
in no other
parenting guide is the message of positivity
so strongly profiled. Perhaps nowhere else are the public relations
guidelines
to success so powerfully connected to parenting approaches and choices.
Perhaps—no,
make that definitely—The
Power of PR Parenting should be made
a foundation acquisition for any library strong in parenting books,
parents interested
in building relationships and approaches cemented by the real-world
applications of business principles, and any book club or parenting
group
interested in lively discussions of what it means to be a powerful
leader and
teacher to one's children.
Return to Index
Sex, Drugs and Navel-Gazing
William MacDuff
Edingsville Village Press
979-8986734200
$17.99
Website: sexdrugsandnavelgazing.com
Ordering Link: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Drugs-Navel-Gazing-American-Joyride/dp/B0BF2ZJVYR
Sex, Drugs and Navel-Gazing: An American Joyride Through
Basque Country and
South West France is a spirited romp that represents both a
travelogue and
a humorous erotic adventure. It will attract readers via its ribald
adventures
of counterculture narrated in a voice that doesn't just attract reader
interest, but pulls like a magnet.
An early example of this immediate draw is
the story's opening lines: "In adventures to foreign lands
with an
assorted crew of committed degenerates, it always helps to have a local
guide
as part of the squad. Traveling exclusively with a bunch of American
twenty-somethings with Peter Pan syndrome trying to relive the glory
days is an
embossed, gold-letter cardstock invitation to a disaster party."
William MacDuff begins his odyssey (aka
"a sordid reunion of a bunch of recovering frat boys in Europe")
in the coastal Basque town of San Sebastián, where the author and his
compatriots are "hopping the pond" to France for a week in a quiet
surf town.
His observation of this choice and its
impact is anything but staid or for readers used to travelogues that
revere the
wonder of foreign locales: "...it turns out I physically
cannot last
more than seventy-two consecutive hours in Basque Country. That place
is a
disgustingly perfect little piece of hellish paradise. It is a ghastly
beauty."
The story unfolds with all the sordid
details, escapades, and drama of a travel experience that embraces
vastly
different people, joining them with shared situations filled with
testosterone
and the jocular interactions between boys, men, and those on the cusp
of
change.
Those who choose Sex, Drugs and
Navel-Gazing will find it a joyride not only into sex and
drugs, but an
exploration of the intersection of different European cultures. The
narrator
encounters different people of all ages, saturating himself in "two of
the
universal languages, booze and women" as he connects with vastly
different
individuals from all walks of life.
In effect, Sex, Drugs and Navel-Gazing represents
a cross-cultural odyssey whereby new adults and adults create an
eclectic mix
of coordinated and uncoordinated life rendezvous to illustrate heady
(and
sometimes dangerous) interactions and lessons.
Readers looking for a journey replete with
sex, drugs, and cross-cultural revelations will find themselves joining
the
author on this promised joyride. The only requirement is that any
political
correctness or judgment be left behind. Boys will be boys, and the
foundations
of their growth can be found here and relived by the open mind
interested in
the open road where growth and discovery exist alongside crossroads of
revelation and angst.
Libraries seeking the rollicking joyride of
a European road trip should place Sex, Drugs and Navel-Gazing
at the top
of their acquisition lists.
Return to Index
Who
You Are
Is How
You Lead
Rachel L. Rider
Muse Literary
978-1-958714-72-0
$24.99
Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Who-You-Are-How-Lead/dp/1958714720
Who You Are Is How You Lead is for any
leader who has felt
exhausted by the effort, and who seeks insights on how to better guide
others
without impacting personal survival mechanisms or sacrificing personal
life
outside the company.
As
Rachel L.
Rider
says, this book is a tapestry of experiences reflected not just by the
author,
but those around her. It echoes her years of working with executives
frustrated
by their successes as much as their failures and surveys the patterns
of
achievement that demand a more complex skill set from business leaders.
The
premise
of her
guide is clearly stated from the start: "No
one tells you that there is an unwritten part of your job description
as a
leader. At the highest levels of the organization, there is an implicit
list of
skills required to succeed, skills that you’ve likely spent little time
developing. It was most likely your ability to execute that drove your
progress
and promotions until now."
These
undiscussed
skills can lead to success conundrums that stymie leaders unless this
book is
employed as a guideline for identifying, understanding, and ultimately
disrupting the patterns that can stymie upward-bound leaders in many
different
ways.
Examples
abound, from
survival mechanisms that translate to superpowers to handling company
acquisitions challenges and considering the lessons of adaptation that
lie in
seeming untenable situations.
All
these
issues are
cemented by real-world experiences from Rider's life and those around
her,
bringing a grounded sense of life experience to the table that reflects
not
just one, but a range of business and personal adaptation processes.
Libraries
and readers
from business circles would seem the likely audience for Who
You Are Is How You Lead, but ideally the concept of
leadership
patterns and lessons won't be limited to this audience alone. Many a
collection
and book reading group devoted to empowerment and pattern-breaking
choices will
find much fodder for discussion in this book's premises on how to
"dream
bigger" rather than just being known as an "anchor in the
storm."
Return to Index
Baby
Dragon's Big
Sneeze
Sheryl Bass
Be-Kind Publishing
979-8-9870406-0-7
$18.99
Hardcover/$12.99 Paper/$.99 ebook
www.be-kindpublishing.com
Baby Dragon's Big Sneeze teaches kids
ages 3-7 about empathy and
trust, and will delight read-aloud parents seeking books that are
attractive
for their adventures and emotional insights.
Remesh
Ram
provides
colorful, fun illustration to Sheryl Bass's exploration as a sick baby
dragon
finds that his fiery sneezes are causing problems for everyone around
him. Can
those threatened by his destructive potential find it within their
hearts to
forgive and help him?
One
little
girl
bravely enters the cave to discover the truth about this fiery dragon's
desperate
situation.
Bass
provides all
kinds of emotional lessons in her story, from empathy and
problem-solving to
courage, family connections, unexpected relationships that can emerge
from
adversarial situations, and understanding one's world.
Parents
of
kids who
love fairytales and dragon stories will find the book's initial allure
and
promise of a dragon situation will give them the edge to open
discussions about
emotional topics that kids of this age typically don't understand.
Libraries
will find Baby Dragon's Big Sneeze
colorful,
attractive, and a popular choice for read-aloud parents and kids who
love
fantasy stories.
Return to Index
Chester
Midshipmouse: Time and
Tide
Susan Weisberg
Brass Button Books
978-0-9990579-1-9
$32.99 Hardcover/$16.99
Paper/$6.99 ebook
Paperback available wherever fine
books are sold.
Hardcover: order via website or
order/purchase at Naval Academy
www.chestermidshipmouse.com
Chester
Midshipmouse: Time and Tide
sails the mouse kingdom with the final book in a trilogy about a
nautical house mouse's seafaring adventures.
On
the cusp of graduating from the
Naval Mouse Academy, Chester experiences new challenges and adventures
as he
pursues his goals.
Artist
Maggie
Vandewalle contributes to Chester's world, bringing him to life with
nine color
(hardback and ebook versions) or black and white (soft cover book)
full-page
illustrations, accented by four thumbnail sketches within, as the story
unfolds.
Chester's
final year of training
should be a snap, but when he faces mouse traps, tries to help a fellow
student
overcome failing grades, and faces a dangerous predator that demands he
exhibit
training he's barely absorbed (much less applied to the real world),
Chester
finds his paws full.
Intrigue,
attempts to build
character and purpose through hard life lessons as well as the
challenges of
study, and moral and ethical questions unfold as Chester begins to
realize that
the pursuit of learning is also a process of testing his abilities
before
lessons are even completed.
Susan
Weisberg has a winning,
likeable character in Chester the mouse. She weaves realistic Naval
Academy
experiences into the fictional story, providing young readers with an
especially vivid journey through naval studies which are usually not
afforded
to young readers.
The
fantasy and fun opens with a
strike fighter squadron composed of a mouse strapped to an eagle's
back. As the
Super Eagle's maneuvers test Chester's stomach and abilities, so other
experiences arise to test his mettle and determination.
Humor
is also replete in
educational examples that kids will find hilarious and familiar:
“Since
the platoon offers one hawberry for each raspberry but
the commanding officer requests double the amount of hawberries and the
platoon
doesn’t have them, now we are talking about imaginary numbers. So, we
write it
like this…” Chester continued jotting numbers and symbols.
“Why don’t they offer the asparagus instead?” Dilly
suggested.
"Little
kitties" that
seem quite large and puzzling and humans who appear to "speak cat,"
along with the routines of Academy life, bring to life Chester, his
friends,
and humans that mirror the mouse's Naval life. Midshipmen First Class
B. Wise
and T. Briggs, who befriend the brave mice, bring facets of the Naval
world to
life in a rollicking series of adventures that involve readers of all
ages in
the worlds of man and mouse ... and Naval Academy experiences.
The
result is a fantasy, an
adventure, a coming-of-age tale, and a thought-provoking venture into
the halls
of Naval training through the eyes of a mouse who wisely observes that
the
challenges will continue far beyond classroom walls.
Libraries
and readers who enjoyed
the prior books in the series, or who look for a vivid tale of struggle
and
change ala Watership Down, will find the Naval
Academy milieu and
pursuits of man and mouse to be inviting, action-packed, and fun as
Chester develops
unusual friendships and hones his abilities.
“Fair
winds and following seas.” Chester spoke with force and
volume, “Whatever you do and wherever you go, strive valiantly and dare
greatly.”
Return to Index
The
Coyote
King
Sally Alexander
Independently
Published
978-1-958459-08-9
$24.99 Hardcover/$3.99 Kindle
Website: www.sallyalexander.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Coyote-King-Caitlin-Adventure-Adventures/dp/1958459062
The
fifth
book in the
Caitlin and Rio adventure series for ages 8-12 presents a new dilemma
faced by
a girl and her magical cat when a pack of wild coyotes threatens
children and
pets.
The
opening
chapter
recapping Ragdoll cat Rio and human Caitlin's previous adventures
provides a
smooth introduction that allows newcomers to immediately understand the
magical
milieu of the two, while prior fans can choose to skip the review to
delve
right into the story in the second chapter, which opens with a Saturday
Pajama
Day celebration.
Several
streams of
adventure run through this lively tale, from a new family in the
neighborhood
to the reappearance of the ever-evil MacDougal, along with a
problem-causing
pack of wild coyotes.
Between
all
these
tense encounters, Caitlin and Rio seem to have their hands and paws
full. It's
a good thing they have best friends to help. It's also a plus that
Rio's
magical abilities give them an added edge over evil's powers.
Sally
Alexander creates
an engrossing story that once again tests Caitlin and Rio on many
levels; from
their inherent abilities and connections with each other and supportive
friends
to their determination to try to lead an ordinary life under
extraordinary
circumstances. This objective is too often tested, but Caitlin remains
determined to enjoy her childhood: "The
morning of the party, Caitlin was determined that she was not going to
let
anything upset her."
The
trappings of
winter and coming holiday festivities also lend an atmospheric seasonal
touch
as Caitlin and Rio become involved with animated fighting Snowmen and
holiday
decorations that develop new ways of fighting the coyote pack.
Rio
is
determined to
protect Caitlin from these wild teeth, but both feel danger hot on
their heels
as their different defenses fall apart.
Young
readers will
find The Coyote King spirited. It's
filled with confrontations, realizations and discoveries, holiday
trappings,
and the injection of evil into the celebratory picture.
The Coyote King is another winning
adventure that both adds to the
series and stands nicely on its own for newcomers.
Return to Index
Ella
Learns
to Dance
Stenetta Anthony
Covenant Books,
Inc.
978-1-68526-665-3
$14.95 Paper/$8.49 Kindle
Website: http://www.stenettaanthony.weebly.com
Ordering: Amazon-Ella
Learns to Dance
Ella Learns to Dance is a picture book
filled with lovely
illustrations that reinforce the story of achieving an impossible dream.
Learning
to
dance may
not seem impossible to most, but Ella is an elephant who loves the
graceful
moves of ballet dancers on television, and longs to emulate their
talents.
Her
decision
to join
a ballet class evokes laughter among her peers because “Whoever
heard of an elephant that does ballet?”
Luckily
for
Ella, her
friends aren't the end-all of her dreams, because her determination
leads her
first to observe the class in action, then to tackle the most basic
requirements of the dance, which at first feel impossible for her to
master.
Perseverance
pays
off. That's the underlying message in a fine story that invites young
audiences
to understand that hard work and a big dream can produce winning
results.
Read-aloud
parents
and libraries seeking fictional stories that excel in illustration
quality,
reinforcing an underlying message of positivity with a whimsical touch,
will
find Ella Learns to Dance offers an
important lesson in achievement.
Return to Index
The Extraordinary Curiosities of Ixworth and
Maddox
J.D. Grolic
ThisSmallSpace
978-1-7388707-0-7
$12.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
Website: www.jdgrolic.com
Ordering: https://books2read.com/extraordinarycuriosities
Middle
grade
readers
seeking a compelling adventure will find The Extraordinary
Curiosities of
Ixworth and Maddox a fine bend of
mystery and fantasy. It's about a pre-teen who makes
friends with
curious London shop owners, then embarks on a series of adventures
based upon
spells, a missing magician, and encounters with strange creatures such
as
brownies.
Once an herbalist's shop, then abandoned,
the newly revamped store transforms overnight. Middle grade readers
will be
piqued by the blend of old-fashioned language and the portent of
extraordinary
adventure that these changes promise: "How Chloe Ashley—a
normal,
everyday girl who went to school, rode the bus, did chores and loved
books—came
to be friends with Mr. Ixworth and Mr. Maddox is a tale, like many,
born from a
single coincidental moment."
When Chloe befriends the two odd proprietors
of the shop, she falls into an adventure and world she never saw
coming, and
Maddox finds his friendship tested and his world upended as a result: “Essentially,
a magician is the landlord of his realm. He can Evict anyone he
chooses, even
other magicians.”
“Why would Ixworth
Evict you?” said Chloe. “You’re friends.”
“I don’t know,”
said Maddox. “I’m not even sure it was him. It was a very strong spell.”
As events unfold and Chloe and Maddox pursue
an elusive and odd truth, the ordinary becomes extraordinary at
unexpected
turns and in all levels of their pursuit, whether it be landing in an
ordinary
house or discovering that modern technology can be used to solve
problems, such
as a map of London tacked to the wall of this strange place which
reveals clues
in as ordinary a thing as a hat rack.
J.D. Grolic encourages young readers to
pursue the clues and unusual presence of magic in their own lives. As
Chloe's
story and friendships evolve, this audience will become thoroughly
immersed in
twists and turns which contrast exceptional moments with everyday
London
experiences.
The wry sense of humor that unexpectedly
accompanies many of these scenes is nicely done: "Chloe was
tempted to
take a picture with her mobile. She would call it Maddox Taking a Bath
in the
River Tyburn. They would laugh about it later, but the seriousness of
their
situation stopped her, and she decided instead to just watch things
unfold."
Libraries and young readers will find the
book's title, The Extraordinary Curiosities of Ixworth and
Maddox, lives
up to its name and promise as Chloe and Maddox turn up some surprising
revelations about London, which is tinged with a magic that, to Maddox,
"sticks out like a sore thumb." It also attracts with a quest that
will revise the characters' lives and test their friendship in a story
that
comes so packed with surprise and delight that it's hard to put down.
Return to Index
Falling
Star
Michele Kwasniewski
Rand-Smith Books
978-1950544363
$20.00
www.Rand-Smith.com
Falling
Star is the third book in the Rise
and Fall of Dani Truehart series, and opens with a powerful scenario
in its prologue that claims the narrator has "just made the biggest
mistake of my life" before a terrible accident.
Dani
then awakens to the
impact her talent manager has on
her life as he and his creepy assistant Carlton force her to add fuel
to the
fire of her tragedy by involving her in a cover-up.
Dani
is no ordinary girl.
She's a pop star whose talents
have propelled her to the top, but she's not immune to making poor
choices, or
the influences of those around her who are determined to preserve her
fame and
fortune.
As
Dani faces the impact of
her decisions, she falls prey
to the notion that her career is worth any sacrifice. Even another
life. The
lure of her abilities and their ongoing appeal and strength cannot be
denied
under any circumstances:
"In
spite of
everything going on in my life offstage, my performance is sheer
perfection! It
wipes away any misgivings I’ve had about the choices I’ve made over the
past
few days. I am meant to be on this stage and give my fans what they
want.
Whatever it takes to keep me here is what needs to happen."
Or,
can they?
As
Dani faces violations on
many levels and comes to
realize her own strength and choices in handling those around her, she
struts
on a different stage of empowerment and comes to acknowledge the moral
and
ethical sacrifices involved in reaching for the stars.
Michele
Kwasniewski crafts a
powerful voice in following Dani's
rise and fall and her blossoming self-awareness:
“I live and breathe
my career. If I’m not touring, I’m recording, or rehearsing, or making
appearances. I don’t think there’s anything in this world I need more
than
music. It’s taken so much for me to get here; I never really had a
childhood,
I’m a high school dropout. My career has torn my family apart, ruined
my
relationship with my mom, boyfriend, and best friend. I’ve given up
everything
to become Dani Truehart. There is nothing more to me right now. Maybe
when I’m
older, a husband or some kids. But I’ve never really imagined those
things for
my future because I was always told to focus on getting here. As
pathetic and
shallow as that sounds, this is me one hundred percent, warts and all.
I thrive
and make my mistakes in the public eye."
Dani's
moving story
comes to life for prior fans and newcomers to the series, offering many
touching moments of self-inspection and life processes that can serve
as discussion
points for teen reading groups.
Painted
with
the lure
of music, romance, and women's issues, Falling
Star is a powerful story highly recommended for any library
strong in teen
fiction, and for young adults attracted to stories of growth and
self-realization.
Return to Index
The Fish Stick Detective
John Kilby
Austin Macauley Publishers
9781649799906
$4.95 e-book/$7.95 paperback/$23.95
hardcover
Website: https://www.thefishstickdetective.com/
Ordering: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fish-stick-detective-john-kilby/1143074831
The
Fish Stick
Detective presents picture book
readers with the zany specter of fish stick Hake Pollock, whose
second-floor
office on the corner of Tartar and Gorton is so hot, he feels like he
is baking
when his next case bursts through the door:
"Dame
Jane
Great-Dane burst into his office like a sumo in a sauna –too hot and
too
strong.
“The diamond is
gone!” she cried.
The fish stick
detective looked up. “The Neil Diamond?”
At this point, it should be more than
evident that this story is not just for kids. John Kilby's whimsical
word
plays, references to fish and culture, and hard-boiled detective
scenario,
paired with impossible characters, gives it many literary allusions and
references that will prove hilarious to adults who choose this book for
read-aloud to the young.
As the fishy story evolves, Hake finds
himself in dogged pursuit of the Neil Diamond, encountering a host of
suspects
in the process. From the natural history of prime Suspect One, Humboldt
penguin
Sir Humboldt Penn-Gwynn, to the possibilities of a magpie who likes to
hoard
bright and shiny objects, the jokes just keep coming.
Brilliant, colorful illustrations by Mark
Penrod personalize, dramatize, and excellently represent these
disparate
characters as the story unfolds.
The
Fish Stick
Detective's uncommon
blend
of approaches displays the nuances of a hard-boiled detective story
paired with the
wordplay of a delightful literary
game.
Libraries
and readers
of all ages seeking a story and illustrations that are exceptional in
their
original thinking and colorful action will welcome The Fish
Stick Detective's captivating,
uniquely whimsical picture
book mystery.
Return to Index
Miracle
Mello
Sahel Amani-Ghoreyshi
Precious Gifts
979-8-9852447-0-0
$26.28 Hardcover/$17.95 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
www.Preciousgifts.life
Families
who
choose Miracle Mello for
its messages on positivity, keeping hope alive, and experiencing life's
miracles will find their read-aloud experience enhanced by not just an
uplifting
message, but Iole Rosa's gorgeous illustrations.
A
yellow-eyed kitten
enjoys a lovely picnic in the park with her mother, but disaster
strikes when
she becomes separated from her mother while heading home and finds
herself literally
up a tree in the dark.
Meanwhile,
Ms. Safa
has been longing for a kitty of her own. It seems destiny when they
connect. It
also feels inevitable that they will separate.
As Sahel
Amani-Ghoreyshi explores these miracles
of reconnection, connection, and new beginnings, adults have many
opportunities
to explore the magic and wonder of life with the young. The
final message,
that "miracles happen every day," will both enlighten and provide
hope and understanding to all ages, building a foundation of
flexibility and
positivity.
Libraries
and read-aloud
adults looking for an uplifting
message about life's changes and handling downturns will find Miracle
Mello an important story to share and discuss, especially
during hard
times.
Return to Index
Quarter
Horse Kids:
An Eventer
Jill Thomas
Goldenrod
Publishing
979-8-9853733-6-3
$26.95
Hardcover/$17.95 Paper/$6.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Quarter-Horse-Kids-Eventer-Dressage/dp/B0BSJG7SN6
Quarter
Horse Kids:
An Eventer: Dressage, Stadium Jumping, and Cross Country follows
14-year-old Katherine as she works with her horse Piper in eventing (a
three-part competition).
Color
photos open the blend
of autobiography and horse
story with images of Katherine at a young age, riding horses at her
grandparents' farm in upstate New York. As her photo-driven story moves
on to
describe how her efforts are a family affair, these action-packed
photos
supplement equally vivid accounts of how event horses are trained,
cared for,
and utilized.
Horse-crazy
kids of all ages
will welcome the opportunity
to vicariously experience the world of horse evening through
Katherine's eyes
and images, and will learn much about not just competition, but the
daily
routines of caring for and training a horse.
Readers
will learn terms
such as dressage, jumper shows,
on the bridle and free walk as they are paced through every nuance of
Katherine's horse-filled world. The photos also support the story every
step of
the way.
Libraries
and adults seeking
real-world horse stories for
kids will find colorful attraction in Katherine's experiences, which
educates
all ages about the hard work involved in maintaining and training a
horse. Quarter Horse Kids: An Eventer:
Dressage,
Stadium Jumping, and Cross Country will prove highly
attractive to
educators and young people looking for practical, insightful
horse-based
nonfiction.
Return to Index
Rock On, Dr. Peanut: 12 Nutty Tales
Alan Venable
One Monkey Books
978-1-940722-13-9
$12.95
Publisher: www.OneMonkeyBooks.com
Ordering: https://onemonkeybooks.com/young-readers
Rock
On, Dr.
Peanut: 12 Nutty Tales is a
delightfully
original collection of stories for children ages six and over who like
fantasy
and whimsical humor.
Dr. Peanut and his gang are well-liked ...
by too many people who covet their deliciousness. This could justify
going into
hiding, but Dr. Peanut is an active peanutrician who needs to be out in
the
world, and so he circumvents hungry forces by wearing disguises:
"So
when
talking peanuts go out, they try to fool the giants. They dress up to
look like
things that giants don’t eat. Sometimes they dress up as mice. (Most
giants
don’t eat mice.) Sometimes they hide by carrying tree leaves on their
heads.
(Most giants don’t eat the leaves off trees.)"
Elementary-age kids will relish the
proactive rebellion of talking peanuts who take a stand against hungry
giants. As peanuts, snails, and humans join forces
for this
and other greater causes, readers will follow them through an
inviting
series of conundrums of kindness, wisdom, science, and
wordplay. Enlivened by
black and white line drawings by the author, this dozen of thoroughly
“nutty” adventures
delivers more than a dash of thought-provoking psychological
revelation.
Return to Index
Super
Doople
K.A. Cummins
Eleonora Press
978-173292007
$14.99
Hardcover/$9.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: https://eleonorapress.com/superdoople/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Doople-K-Cummins/dp/1732920079
Picture
book
readers
will find hero Doople takes the unlikely form of a good egg who is more
than
ordinary, endowed with superpowers. At a very young age Doople dreams
of
flying, but despite his efforts to reach the sky via climbing, he is
constantly
warned that reaching for this particular dream will lead him to fall
like
Humpty.
Little
Doople doesn't
listen to the naysayers and insists on his pursuit, until one day a
terrible
wind leads to his downfall and others' dire predictions come true. Or,
do they?
It
takes a
village to
recover from an egg-shattering event, much less support an impossible
dream,
but as Little Doople faces his downfall and enlightenment, a miracle
happens,
fueled by a scientist helper who has been studying how to put dooples
back
together again.
There's
only
one way
to test one's dreams and abilities: by trying.
Read-aloud
parents
and libraries that choose Super Doople
for its entertainment promise will find added value in a takeoff on
Humpty
Dumpty that features a different outcome. A study in positivity and
perseverance emerges that will delight any adult seeking lessons
reinforcing
these concepts for the very young, powered by whimsical, fun
illustrations by
the author in a very important message.
Return to Index
The Weber House
Mark Lance
Atmosphere Press
9781639885794
$14.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
Website: theweberhousemystery.com
Nicole
Kelly's new
home is haunted. She discovers this fact as her mother is driving them
to join
her father at their latest abode in the small town of Elk River in
rural Maine.
Did anyone ask her if she wanted to
move? Of course not. But here she is: collateral damage in a family
effort to
build a new life.
The
Weber House will reach young
adults interested in
mystery and detective stories with its powerful story of friendships
and
problem-solving. Entering eighth grade is supposed to be fun, but
Nicole
discovers that starting all over is easier said than done.
Ironically, as her life becomes filled with
new friends, ghosts, pirates, and another outcast who is proud of her
Native
American roots, Nicole comes to discover more about history, prejudice,
and
superstition than she ever experienced in New Jersey.
Mark
Lance
uses the
allure of a ghost story and mystery to build the foundations of an
equally
appealing story of friendships, new beginnings, and unexpected, unusual
connections made between very different girls.
Teens
drawn
to the
story for its supernatural promise will come to appreciate its
underlying
messages about racism, bullying, and proactive thinking. These create
powerful
messages about perseverance, problem-solving, and life lessons.
It's
also
important
to note that the Native American historical and cultural components of
this
story are reinforced by Lance's consultations with experts, including "Chief Richard Menard from the
Missisquoi Abenaki Nation. Without knowing me whatsoever, Chief Menard
not only
read the story but offered it to others in his family and the Abenaki
community
in Swanton, Vermont."
What
began
as a gift
for his daughter to reflect their experiences and shared vacations in
Maine has
evolved into an important story compelling both for its action and
adventure
and for its cultural and social insights.
Libraries
and readers
seeking the allure of the supernatural juxtaposed with real-world
experiences
and concerns will find The Weber House an immersive experience that draws from its
opening lines and proves
riveting to its unexpected, powerfully thought-provoking conclusion.
Return to Index
Winnie Goes to School
Joy K. Ball
Independently Published
979-8-9870922-1-7
$18.99 Hardcover/$12.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
Website: www.joykball.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Goes-School-Joy-Ball/dp/B0BNV2FYWZ
Winnie
Goes to
School connects nature with
learning in the story of a curious bird who wants to join a classroom.
Manuela Pentangelo provides gorgeous, nicely
detailed color illustrations to accompany Joy K. Ball's vivid story of
a Cactus
Wren's venture into the classroom of the Desert Hills Academy in
Arizona, and
its unexpected results.
Arizona's nature is profiled as Ball
explores the personality of curious Winnie, who lives in a comfortable
cholla
cactus, but cultivates an interest in the outside world and new
experiences.
None of the creatures she queries quite know
what the human kids do in a classroom, and so she sets out to conduct
personal
research, inadvertently becoming part of the learning process herself
as she
satisfies her sense of adventure and makes new discoveries.
Picture book readers and read-aloud parents
will relish Winnie's story as the bird learns the basics: "Winnie
learned that the symbols in books are called letters…and letters make
sounds
that form words. Winnie was learning to read! Later Winnie learned that
the
Cactus Wren is the state bird of Arizona."
Besides instilling a love of learning in
young readers, perhaps the most important message represented by
Winne's
excursion is that of appreciating the outdoors environment in general.
Ball
brings the Sonoran Desert and its creatures to life, celebrating both
the
Southwest and the adventures to be enjoyed while pursuing new
experiences and
education alike.
Libraries and read-aloud parents seeking
colorful lessons on both will find Winnie Goes to School
a captivating
winner.
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