November 2023 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature
Mystery & Thrillers
AGENDA 2060: AI and
The View from Space
A.I. Fabler
Wild & Lawless
Ltd.
978-1-7386031-0-7
$17.99
Paperback/$29.95 Hardcover/$5.99 eBook
Website: https://www.aifabler.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/AGENDA-2060-Book-Two-Space-ebook/dp/B0CDT2PDHW
AGENDA 2060: AI and The View from Space
follows AGENDA 2060:The Future as It Happens,
continuing the fantasy satire begun in the first book and expanding its
reach
to new and old readers alike. An introduction recaps the collapse of
world
economic systems in 2036 and the emergence of a World Government based
on a
series of social justice articles and ideals (presented as AGENDA 2060).
The story
continues
here with an opening paragraph that exemplifies just how and why A.I.
Fabler's
writings are so originally creative and compelling:
"The main thought in Levon Tofler’s mind as he
careened across the
tropical ocean eleven hundred miles south and east of Miami at over six
hundred
miles per hour was that, as crazy ideas went, this was right up there."
Alexa Smythe
has
spent two years in space, returning with a message that threatens this
carefully constructed new world order. She also represents an attack on
the
elite-driven authoritarian control that has saved the world. This makes
her a
danger both to herself (in many ways) and to the established new rules
which
successfully lifted humanity out of its economic crash.
The question
of
whether artificial intelligence can save humanity from itself without
compromising humankind's own impetus towards self-destruction adds a
bigger
picture to the pursuits of individuals who each believes that their
chosen path
to redemption is the right one.
There is
also an
intersection and uncertain marriage between technological and social
and
spiritual pursuits:
"Following the events of the evening, Alexa’s
Aurora Tofler was
twinkling on Levon’s canvas the next morning like never before. Her
words the
previous day had already transformed what was a technological scheme
into a
spiritual dreamtime."
These add
additional
layers of thought into a story which follows the unwinding of social
order by
considering who controls that impetus for change, and whether their
ultimate
visions of the future are benevolent or dangerous in nature.
As conflicts
in
space, on Earth, and between individuals and technological expansion
evolve,
A.I. Fabler creates another memorable, satirical interplay. It will
especially
delight sci-fi readers who like their works embedded on a more
intellectual
level than most approaches to AI.
Billed as
'novel' so
as to catch the eye of non-sci-fi audiences, AGENDA
2060: AI and The View from Space is a wide-reaching,
eye-opening tale that both expands upon the prior book and stands
nicely alone.
It's a story that will provoke laughter, higher-level thinking, and
attention
from a disparate audience of thinkers.
Libraries
seeking
collection additions that hold the potential to reach past genre
readers and
into general-interest audiences will find AGENDA
2060: AI and The View from Space a delightful romp through
social order,
irony and satire, and the ongoing evolution of humanity.
Return to Index
Crack
the Sky
Fiona Kolodzy
Plum Drive Media
979-8-9871990-4-6
$16.95 Paper/$7.95 ebook
https://fionakolodzy.com/
Sci-fi
readers
seeking opening series titles replete with impossible realms combined
with the
thriller genre's penchant for action-packed scenarios will find this
first book
in The LEAP Conspiracy to be thoroughly engrossing.
Imagine
a human
space colony which has become lost. Generations later, an aquatically
modified
presence on the water planet faces invasion by air-beathers who
introduce
complexity and special interests into their lives.
Complicating
matters is a coveted longevity product that the planet harbors; a
negotiator
who feels constrained by his mission and the watery environment which
forces
him to feel "trapped in this suit, buried alive under water;" and a
legendary colony which (as it turns out) was not really lost. It was written off as
expendable ... until the
water planet of Marna, abandoned by the LEAP Corporation, attracts
central
focus for its unprecedented promise and discovery.
Charged
with
making First Contact with the colony, diplomat Devon Arkovic finds his
mission
and skills unexpectedly challenged not only by its watery environment,
but by
rebel Annika
Sharone, who chafes at the
idea that her world and people will bow to the mercenary goals of
air-breathers
on other planets.
It
is Devon's
job to see that his negotiations succeed in producing wealth beyond
imagination. It is Annika's to prevent her people from being exploited.
As
the two
strong characters find their special interests unexpectedly entwined,
discovery
and tension builds in a story marked as much by political and personal
transformation as it is by a meeting of minds between two connected
(but very
different) worlds.
Fiona
Kolodzy
creates a story that virtually explodes with action, but features
astute character
development that keeps its politics personal and events unexpected and
compelling.
As
the story
unfolds, corporate greed and evolutionary results take center stage in
a
developing relationship that tests the duty of a diplomat and the
budding connections
between a lovely young woman and a virtual alien to her world.
Kolodzy
is
especially adept at capturing the thoughts of this diplomat as he comes
to
realize just what his attempts and offers represent to this world:
"Scylla
sure sounds like another evil despot and even Suni doesn’t disagree.
There is
so much going on here that I didn’t understand before I opened
negotiations. If
only I’d had more time to get to know this culture first. What a mess
I’ve
made. Now a dangerous, calculating thug is going to have control over
the
galaxy’s Glaeon supply. And LEAP will probably just go along with
whatever
Scylla wants to do. Alistair’s investors are totally focussed on
getting rich.
They won’t care if an entire population of aquatics is enslaved by
their own
leader to boost the Glaeon harvest. And I’ll be blamed for launching
the whole
hideous scenario. Damn."
The
interplay of
social, personal, and moral and ethical quandaries creates a moving
story that
proves hard to put down or easily predict.
Readers
seeking
a sci-fi setting that then expands to embrace not just personal
attraction, but
changing goals and choices will find Crack the Sky
a compelling
visionary story that reinvents the notion of wealth and expands notions
of the
pursuit of personal ambition and special interests.
Libraries
seeking an acquisition that is solidly written and packed with
unexpected
twists and turns will want to add Crack the Sky to
their collections and
recommend it not just to sci-fi reader groups, but patrons interested
in more
than a light dash of thriller genre devices.
Return to Index
Cogitatio
McKinley Aspen
Muse Literary
978-196087624
$24.99
Hardcover/$9.99 Paper/$.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Cogitatio-Shadows-Wind-Book-Two/dp/1960876244
The second
book in
the urban fantasy series begun in Praesidium
furthers the Shadows in the Wind story of Kathryn Beck, recruited from
college
into a top secret organization whose members sport supernatural powers
and the
ability to employ them purposefully.
Former
readers will
well recall that Kathryn's strong personality and drive, enhanced by
her own
special supernatural gifts, made her a proactive, powerful force in the
group. Cogitatio furthers these
connections and
objectives, following Kathryn on a dangerous mission that separates her
from
her supporting team, forcing her to address a sinister conspiracy
virtually
alone.
The opening
prologue
places her not in a position of power, however, but in jail in Alaska.
How she
arrived at that point and what she does with this special challenge
forms the
nexus of a story that excels in both tension and mystery as she butts
heads
with a criminal justice system that is theoretically on her side and
finds
herself fighting for other women as well as her own ultimate freedom.
Not just her
abilities, but her instinct and fighting nature make Kathryn the only
logical
choice for this mission. Ironically, they also make her the pivot point
in a
conflict which tests her strengths and perceptions of the world and her
place
in it.
As Kathryn
uses her
uncertain entrapment to probe what is really going on in Alaska, she
uncovers new
possibilities and dangers that build and then test her relationships
with
Pauline, Ashley, and other strong women who are also forced to consider
options
and new ways out of their predicaments.
The thread
of humor
which runs through Kathryn's encounters offers a wry overlay of fun to
the
enlightenment process:
"Was there a sign on my forehead: Come tell me
about the pending
disaster? At least I now knew the when and the where. All I needed was
a way to
stop it."
There can be
no
greater mission than that of serving and saving humanity itself, as
Kathryn is
forced to realize after a series of mishaps and dangerous encounters:
"What we are facing—what you all will have to face
from now on—is
nothing less than the ageless battle between the warriors of heaven and
the
demons of hell. And by virtue of your lineage, you have been chosen to
take up the
sword and shield and lead this fight.”
He paused. “If not, humanity itself will perish.”
The result
is
especially highly recommended for those looking at blends of paranormal
and
urban fantasy thrillers that test the boundaries of categorization to
reach
audiences who appreciate powerful female leaders and the conundrums
that evolve
around them.
Libraries
and readers
seeking vivid blends of mystery and discovery will find that Cogitatio stands nicely alone, but is
even
stronger as a companion to Praesidium.
Return to Index
The Dragon
Eater
J. Scott Coatsworth
Water Dragon
Publishing
978-1959804277
$26.99
Hardcover/$16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.waterdragonpublishing.com
The first
book in the
Tharassas Cycle sci-fi series, The Dragon
Eater, introduces an unlikely team and dilemma when thief
Raven
inadvertently consumes a small dragon, only to find it sparks a
transformation
that changes not just his life, but the world.
The story is
replete with
humor from its opening lines as AI Spin advises his boss:
Spin’s voice echoed in his ear. “This is a bad
idea, boss.”
“Shush,” Raven whispered to his familiar.
“Seriously, boss. I’m not from this world, and even I
know it’s a bad idea to steal from
the sea master.”
Though only he could hear Spin’s voice, Raven wished the little silver ay-eye would just shut up.
As His
Exalted
Thiefness deals with his familiar and a best friend and guardsman whose
ex is a
priestess who hates him, a series of events draw them all into
surprising
confrontations with aliens, artifacts, and adversity.
J. Scott
Coatsworth
cultivates and hones a sense of ironic inspections that accompanies a
series of
world-changing, challenging experiences as Raven and his disparate team
face
forces beyond their ken.
The story
unfolds
with a riveting blend of action, unpredictable twists and turns, and
characters
whose own special interests too often conflict with the greater good of
the
world around them.
As initiate
Silya
faces a revised future revolving around the Hencha Queen and individual
members
of the trio face the choice to be either a hero or a killer, readers
become
immersed in a story of alien discovery. This leads them through
darkness to a
spore mother whose domain and purpose in the heart of a mountain is set
to transform
the greater world.
Replete with
scenarios
of individual ambitions, evolutionary processes, and complicated
transformations, The Dragon Eater
sports
a rare blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and humor that keeps its characters
multifaceted and unpredictable.
It's part of
a
series, so the open-ended conclusion leaves the door well ajar for more
adventures and misadventures while addressing the main points of each
character's concerns. The themes of transformation operate on
spiritual,
social, and psychological levels in a manner designed to attract a wide
audience,
from regular sci-fi and fantasy fans to readers of LGBTQ+ writings and
the
always-elusive forms of humor in sci-fi scenarios.
Libraries
seeking a
series of adventures which test more than one character's role will
find The Dragon Eater a fine
opening series
acquisition filled with satisfyingly surprisingly interactions between
AIs,
aliens, priestesses, and characters who shift between male and female
genders.
Return to Index
The Gauntlet
Runner
J. Scott Coatsworth
Water Dragon
Publishing
978-1962538015
$16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.waterdragonpublishing.com
The second
book in
the Tharassus Cycle series, The Gauntlet
Runner, picks up the characters and themes of the first book
and runs with
them, further expanding upon the situation of Aik's love for his best
friend,
thief Raven. Another challenge is that Raven has just been kidnapped by
a
dragon.
As Aik joins
forces
with Triya to find Raven and further the uncertain relationship between
them,
readers receive a gender-busting romp through domains of AIs, dragons,
thieves,
and devotees. The story continues many of the foundations built in The Dragon Eater, crafting just as
vigorous an adventure as its predecessor to adds love and gender
fluidity into
the action-packed mix.
It is
recommended
that audiences be familiar with the prior book in order to completely
appreciate the developmental process that moves relationships and
struggles
into new arenas of realization in The
Gauntlet Runner.
Moral and
ethical issues
continue to challenge Aik's chosen path ("How
was he ever going to square being a guard with being in love with a
thief?") as events force characters to confront their
choices, from
Silya's duties in her new role as Hencha Queen to a magical gauntlet
that
prevents Aik from his goal of reuniting with Raven.
Even a
mid-level
guard such as Aik can prove powerful to others, although the lines
between
personal and professional interests blur repeatedly, forcing each
character to
reconsider their passions, values, and ambitions.
Tharassas is
also
attacked on multiple levels involving physical forces and strange
creatures,
which lead to confrontations and struggles over not just ideals, but
life
itself.
These tides
of
geographic turbulence, magic, and personal interactions carry readers
into a
story where nothing is set in stone, little is predictable, and many
seemingly-set
actions and choices are called into question.
As selfless
action
runs headlong into selfish choices, readers receive a thought-provoking
story
that flows well, builds additional complexity into the characters and
scenarios
presented in the first book, and represents the rich segue of
characters and
worlds worth not just saving, but loving.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a strong companion volume to The
Dragon Eater which also ends with the promise of more and a
startling
realization about one of the story's major players will find The Gauntlet Runner top-notch and
compelling in both its character- and world-building creations and
force.
Return to Index
The House Of Duquesne
Micah House
Independently
Published
978-1736508664
$26.95 Hardcover/$15.95 Paper
https://www.amazon.com/House-Duquesne-Micah/dp/1736508660
Micah
House's The Blanchard Witches
paranormal fantasy
continues with the fourth book in the series, The House Of
Duquesne. Newcomers will find it
a stand-alone
attraction that focuses on the 100-acre Blanchard family refuge, the
legacies
passed down by a group of witches, and secrets that were revealed in
the last
book which continue to impact them all.
The changes experienced by this coven of
Southern witches expand with further challenges when they move from
their
Alabama roots to Charleston to confront the D'Angelo
family's own legacy
and connections to past and present trials.
There is a
reason for
keeping some secrets hidden:
“If I were to tell you everything and I am wrong
about what I fear, you
can never unknow. I must wait until things are clearer. The secrets
dwelling in
the House of Duquesne should remain unknown until there is no other
choice.” Expose
them, and everything
changes.
As the
family faces transformations
in its internal and external relationships, minds are influenced and
warped,
love and menacing beasts confront one another, and moral and ethical
questions about
the cost of immortality and power rise to challenge family members to
make different
choices:
"She
was young. She was beautiful. But in time it would fade. What
was she if she were neither of these things? Her gaze moved away from
her
toned, smooth face and momentarily glimpsed her own eyes. A sliver of
something
humane quivered from them. But what am
I if I kill to stay young?"
As in his
previous
books, Micah House presents a gripping saga of family connections,
uncommon
powers, and equally strong adversity that often arises from unexpected
encounters.
The battles continue, as do the growth and revelations of various
family
members as they battle their own psyches and connections as well as
outside
influences.
Unlike many
paranormal fantasies, House more closely attends to unfolding the
psychological
pressures and perceptions of power and influence that motivate families
and
individuals to employ their connections in new ways. Readers thus will
enjoy a
deeper level of psychic inspection that works on many levels, pairing
riveting
action and paranormal encounters with witches and werewolves in a
powerful
struggle over life and death.
Libraries
and readers
looking for books that rise above formula productions to reach out and
grab
thinking readers who enjoy vivid action and moral dilemmas will
appreciate The
House Of Duquesne's ability to
depict a war that unfolds on many levels:
"Fate
was a
dastardly jokester. It had dangled something real in their reach, then
snatched
it away. They were foes now—each aligned to their own. Inside that
fleeting
stare, the two men said their goodbyes to whatever they might have had
and
resigned themselves to their positions."
Return to Index
The Price of
Rebellion
Michael C. Bland
World Castle
Publishing, LLC
978-1960076748
$21.99
Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Price-Rebellion-Trilogy/dp/1960076744
The second
book in
the dystopian sci-fi 'Price Of' trilogy, The
Price of Rebellion, takes place in 2047, where Dray Quintero
has discovered
that America's leaders have been hijacked, replaced with talking heads
whose
technological implants are controlled by forces that would influence
and drive
all political and social events in the nation.
Ironically,
Dray's
own innovative creation has proved the impetus for this takeover,
placing him
on the side of rebel forces that know the truth and are determined to
take back
power. Dray has joined the Founding Fathers, just one of the forces
participating in this struggle—but he has yet to feel he really knows
or can
trust them.
This places
him in
the uncertain role of dodging two battling forces as he considers his
own
choices, the consequences of his decisions, and the recklessness and
desperation involved in confronting The Agency, an enforcement group
designed
to assure, via enhanced Agents, that no one discovers that a coup
happened in
Washington.
Dray's
determination
to take back the country by any means possible, even if it involves
sacrificing
his remaining family, translates to an epic series of confrontations in
a world
populated by bots, drones, and technological enhancements that
translate to
warfare conducted on a very different playing field than ever before.
As he and
his
companions travel the countryside honing in on their destination while
sharpening the skills that will lead them either into disaster or
success,
readers receive a fast-paced, technology-driven story replete with
issues of
family ties and questions of living, dying, and possibilities that lie
between
them.
Michael C.
Bland
provides a timeline of events as an introduction to this setting, but
the meat
of the action lies in the story's attention to psychological depth and
detail
as Dray contemplates his choices and makes difficult decisions that
will affect
not only the world, but his relationships.
Prior
readers of
Dray's journey, in particular, will find his ongoing dilemmas and how
he seeks
resolution to be thoroughly engrossing, featuring many twists and turns
that
will feel familiar to readers because of the dual nature of the recent
pandemic
years and the political and technological drives of modern times.
It's no
light fete to
represent a futuristic encounter replete with flavors of present-day
angst, but
Bland accomplishes this with an attention to drama and detail that
contrasts
motivations for rebellion with new opportunities for collective action.
Readers
will appreciate the high-octane action and dilemmas Dray continually
fields and
faces.
Libraries
and readers
interested in dystopian stories of the future which juxtapose issues of
genetic
engineering, social and political power plays, and intrigue with a
powerful
attention to psychological depth and detail will find The
Price of Rebellion stands surprisingly strongly on its own,
and
is highly recommended for readers who enjoy compelling futuristic
stories of
confrontation and change. It provides a supplemental story to the first
book
and concludes definitively, but portends new experiences to come in the
final
book of the trilogy.
Return to Index
A Seat for the Rabble
Ryan Schuette
Belvedere Press
979-8-9885986-0-2
$18.99
Website: www.RyanSchuette.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Seat-Rabble-King-Without-Crown/dp/B0CKNCDZXR
Readers of
epic
fantasy that look for multi-volume works in line with George R.R.
Martin's A
Song of Ice and Fire (Game of
Thrones) series will find similar
attraction to the complexity,
depth, and characters in A Seat for the Rabble—but with a few notable differences.
Yes,
kingdoms are
falling; as are leaders who are buckling under the dual challenges of
relentless war and struggles that bring a community to its knees. Yes,
royalty,
rulers, and commoners are struggling for control and a revised way of
life and
making choices.
But, within
these
trappings of epic politics and clashes lies a closer attention than is
given by
most genre writers to the elements of class and privilege which play
deep and
lasting roles. Ryan Schuette considers the impact of choices that cross
political and social lines to resonate with changes that shake many a
foundation of purpose and perspective.
Schuette
also cultivates
an atmosphere which pairs high-octane confrontations with deeper-level
thinking, juxtaposing characters whose roles would initially seem to
lead in
set directions, but who find themselves placed in extraordinary
situations that
test their moral and ethical mettle.
These
realizations
assume both big and small proportions, beginning with Sir Damien's task
of
dealing with one of his people's determination to commit murder:
"...would
a
knight sworn to serve a lord kill one of his peasants over a half-mad
horse—a
creature doomed to die, anyway?"
Questions of
noble
and improper behavior and responses arise from this unlikely scenario
to impart
a sense of wry irony and humor into a serious situation:
"Devan sprinted after Damien, likely trying to
discourage him from
violence. If so, the squire was nobler in this moment than the knight
he
served."
These
opening scenes
compel not just because they trace a battle within forces presumably on
the
same side of greater conflict, but because they represent an early
taste of the
style and nature of a series of dilemmas that force all types of
characters to
deal with moral and ethical dilemmas well outside of their comfort
zones and
usual responses.
Will an
executioner's
blade be wielded over the (perhaps-misguided) love of a horse?
This opening
leads
into a series of life- and role-changing possibilities as a son
disobeys his king
father to enter into battle. Jason Warchild, a son returned from two
years of
battle abroad, enters into a competition that could place him on the
throne (if
he survives) as disparate individuals make life-changing decisions that
throw
into uncertainty the careening trajectory of the larger world and their
futures.
The history,
politics, and battles which blend into and support these realizations
and
confrontations meld with daily lives and influences to create an
impeccably
forceful juxtaposition of war and peace.
From king
killers and
traitors to trials that evolve to test not just life, but love,
Schuette's story
lives up to its promise of 'epic' not just in its confrontations, but
in a
myriad of characters that pursue their dreams against all odds.
Like Game of Thrones, this is no simple
scenario with easy (or, sometimes, even obvious) conclusions. It's also
the
opening half of a novel (despite being some 900 pages in length) that
will
continue later in An End to Kings.
Books of
this length
typically suffer from a key flaw—the need for editing to bring the
account into
a more accessible form. However, it would be a grave disservice to
apply such a
touch to A Seat for the Rabble;
for as it exists now, it's a multifaceted, wide-ranging story that
succeeds in
bringing a kingdom's politics and its varied classes of individual
concerns to
life.
Not a word should be cut; not an action
scene slashed for the sake of brevity or succinct reading.
This makes A Seat for the Rabble
a
top pick for readers who enjoy complex kingdoms and political
scenarios. These
are powered by disparate individuals who are sometimes heroes,
sometimes
villains, and sometimes make cameo appearances, only to be cut in the
early
stages of their development. Chivalry is also alive and well as men and
women
interact with and change one another by their very goals and ambitions.
Libraries and epic fantasy enthusiasts
seeking well-developed writing that explores a variety of special
interests and
reactions on different levels will find A Seat for the Rabble
suitable
not just for individual pursuit, but fantasy book club assignment and
discussion.
Return to Index
Shield and Scepter
K.M. Warfield
Creative James Media
978-1-956183-60-3
$16.99
Website: www.creativejamesmedia.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Shield-Scepter-K-M-Warfield/dp/1956183604
Shield
and Scepter is the second book in
the Heroes of Avoch
trilogy introduced with Scales & Stingers.
It continues the story of
Jinaari Althir, who has sworn to protect half-Fallen Thia Bransdottir
from the
prejudices and fears of those who would have her and her race
exterminated.
Here, the Daughter of Keroys is healing from
her prior confrontations while Jinaari oversees her recovery and
tackles his
own.
Conflict continues to simmer over Cirrain,
which is in a strategic location that makes it a desirable acquisition
for
other side, while the legacy of Alesso's betrayal of Thia still brings
pain
that the characters struggle with.
As Thia grows into the power she harbors (but
doesn't yet understand), Jinaari faces further tests of his vows, his
relationship to her and the world, and values that have cultivated his
heritage
and dictate his actions.
At the heart
of
controversy lies Adam, whom Jinaari considers "the brother of my
choosing" despite the deadly secret that he has kept from them all.
The social
and
political currents that keep Jinaari on his toes are compelling
features of
this story, which attends to contrasting action and revelation on
different
levels as events unfold:
"It was too
convenient. The one thing that would get me out of Almair
comes up right
when Thia’s agreed to do something that will keep her there. And then
this guy
shows up? Frustration burned in him. It was one thing to
"fight a foe
in front of him. He knew how to react to that kind of battle. One that
involved
manipulation, deceit? There were reasons why he never liked being at
court."
What is real
and what
is illusion? This is just one of the challenges K.M.
Warfield issues in the thrown-down gauntlet of events that
comprise Shield and Scepter.
Readers familiar with the relationships and
complexity of the first story's struggle will welcome the expanded
adversity
and discoveries profiled in this sequel. While prior events are
recapped in the
course of the opening chapter, readers who have already absorbed the
vibrant scenarios
in Scales & Stingers will be in the optimum
position to understand
the growth that takes place in a host of characters whose roles have
shifted
between books.
Libraries and fantasy readers looking for
exceptionally vivid sword and sorcery tales that simmer with
excitement, strong
character development, and spiritual and social conundrums that shake a
world's
foundations will find Shield and Scepter a
coming-of-age story that
holds the power to reach well beyond fantasy genre readers into
general-interest
hearts and minds.
Return to Index
The Scent of
Sunlight
Jibanananda Das
Translated from
Bangla by Clinton B. Seely
Parabaas Publishing
978-1-946582-03-4
$29.95
Website: https://parabaas.com/ourbooks.php
Ordering Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946582034/
The
Scent of
Sunlight profiles poems
by
Jibanananda Das who achieved literary fame at the end of his
career and
remains extremely popular in Bangladesh, the Indian state of
West Bengal,
and for that matter, wherever Bengalis are. For example, the
translator
Clinton B. Seely mentions in his preface a sonnet
cycle performed
from his writings to illustrate one Chicago Bengali-American
community’s
concept of what Bengali culture is all about.
His literary
acclaim,
which began in the 1950s when the poetry-reading Bengali community
embraced his
works, continues into modern times because his poems examine key facets
of
attitudes towards life and resurrection that, ironically, breathe new
life into
his words so that they will resonate in new generations around the
world.
Few poets
can lay
claim to such a fete. Even fewer Indian writers can tap international
audiences
to lay hands upon the communities of expats within them, as well as
those who
live well outside Bengali borders. Jibanananda is an extraordinary
writer, and
the presentation of his works in English and its native Bengla by
translator
Clinton B. Seely allows an accessibility to his writings, which surely
should
be included in any definitive class on Indian poetry and
artists.
'Sensation'
is one
example of a piece which begins with personal introspection, only to
blossom
into the greater world:
"Into the
half light and shadow go I. Within my head/Not a dream, but some
sensation
works its will.../Who can go on, like the simple folk?/Who can stop
within this
light and darkness/Like the simple people? Who can speak/Like them
today? Who
can know/For certain anymore? Who seeks to understand/The carnal savors
anymore? Who apprehends the joys/Of life anymore, like everyman?/And
sows seeds
anymore like everyman?/Where is that relish? And who, hungry for the
harvest,/Has smeared himself with scents of earth,/Is anointed with the
scents
of water,/Has gazed toward light with rapt attention/And gained a
peasant heart—/Who
would anymore remain awake upon this earth?"
One reason
why
Jibanananda's works are so powerfully attractive to international
audiences is
because they move from personal to full-bodied spiritual and social
examination
on the wings of a butterfly, widespread in understanding and shared
emotions
that don't just reside in the poet's heart, but impact and reflect the
greater
world.
Whether he's
exploring the jungles of Sundarban or the vultures of Asia's skies,
Jibanananda's special brand of power lies in his ability to gather
seemingly
disparate images and cultural influences, weaving together seamless
stories
that are highly accessible by all readers no matter their
ethnicity.
Works from
his sonnet
cycle 'Bengal the Beautiful' bring the sights, sounds, and feel of his
native
land to life in a manner that requires no prior familiarity with India,
yet
presents the opportunity for this connection through a cycle of
observations
that is creatively embedded in "you are here" imagery:
"Again I
shall return to the Dhansiri’s banks, to this Bengal,/Not as a man,
perhaps,
but as a shalik bird, or a white hawk./As, perhaps, a crow of dawn in
this land
of autumn’s new rice harvest,/I’ll float upon the breast of fog one day
in the
shade of a jackfruit tree./Or I’ll be the pet duck of some teenaged
girl—ankle
bells upon her reddened feet..."
The result
is a
powerful, extraordinarily wide-reaching set of portraits and insights
which
should be made a mainstay of any library purporting to be authoritative
in its
representation of Indian literature.
Poetry book
clubs
would miss an important collection were they to pass on the opportunity
to
place The Scent
of Sunlight central in their discussions of
India's finest.
Return to Index
Vignettes
Josip Novakovich
Montreal Publishing
Company
978-1-7386548-3-3 $18.99
www.montrealpublishing.com
Like a fine
wine, Vignettes features a special
blend of
literary sketches that enhance and reflect on life and drinking. Josip
Novakovich cultivates a taste of connections that blend spiritual,
historical,
and psychological reflections in a manner that is appealingly creative:
"My wife is anemic, although she now and then
flares up and throws
things at me, and she doesn’t look anemic to me, but the doctor says
she is,
and prescribes red wine. If something’s wrong with your blood, you
drink red
wine. But just to relax and cool off, of course, you drink white."
Essays that
swirl
around experiences with wine range from a consideration of airplane
wine to
accepting a new job based on the quality and availability of local brew.
Readers
won't expect
the pairing of life that occurs with these pours, such as the war in
Croatia
and the changing climate of the world, but somehow they all dovetail
neatly and
attractively in stories where booze runs like a river through disparate
encounters:
"Good wine, he said. Now, even local red wine is
good. They used
to make only good Riesling, but maybe the climate has changed, and the
reds are
excellent."
The
diversity of
these vignettes, connected as they are by relationships and drinking,
is also
notable. Threads of grief and death, encounters between Croatians
during
travels and the lingering aftereffects of and tastes for former Baptist
teachings and influences, and the foundations of opportunities and
strength
give rise to tales notable in their ability to draw readers into the
complexities and simmering emotions of daily life.
Novakovich's
social
and philosophical reflections are compellingly revealing:
"Now that years have passed, and I think of where I
will age and
retire, it occurs to me that if I were to return to Daruvar, where many
of my
friends already have died and others are gone without plans to return,
that
maybe I would become a Pintaric, walking around town with a stick,
talking
nebulously to whoever would listen. With a glass of red wine in my
hand, or
not. Who’s to know?"
The result
is a
literary blend of social, oenological, and personal reflection that
rests on
peasant experiences, considerations of sin and redemption, and the rich
wine of
life that touches palate and psyche with booze-based stories.
Libraries
and educators
seeking examples of creative literary works that blend memoir with
other facets
for a genre-busting result will find Vignettes
is like a complex wine: difficult to categorize and entirely easy to
enjoy.
Return to Index
The
Wildebeest
and a Bunch of Crock and Other Animal Story Poems
Jeffry Glover
Poems for
Pleasure Press
978-1948854054
$22.99
Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.PoemsforPleasurePress.com
Poetry
collections are typically geared to a particular audience of either
adults or
children, but the special attraction of The Wildebeest and a
Bunch of Crock
and Other Animal Story Poems lies in its unusual ability to
appeal to all
ages, across the board. This lends it an appeal most verse doesn't
hold, giving
it the potential to become a family affair for read-aloud fun.
Mary
Bausman's
cover illustration opens the attraction, featuring a circle of hungry
crocs and
a somewhat puzzled and frightened wildebeest. The title is followed by
a fable
about this scenario which displays Glover's signature blend of
storytelling and
rhyme that works its magic on readers:
"On the high muddy
banks of the river Zambezi
Stood a brave wildebeest; he was feeling uneasy
Since he wanted to cross where the river was wide,
But he feared muddy waters where danger could hide.
In the water below lay a fierce crocodile.
Cunning, his teeth betrayed a sly smile.
The game that he played we could call hide-and-seek,
Which he learned as a youth in his home,
Mozambique."
The
wildebeest
knows "crocs are liars" and that the deal they have struck may be
tainted (“Your time’s running out. Hurry up if you can./Just
do it, get
through it, don’t worry about a thing./Action’s what counts. Action
gives your
life zing.”). But he still is challenged to do the only thing
he can to
meet his goal.
The
story
unfolds with a delightful sense of zany fun and reflective thinking,
leading
into other animal-centric tales where monkeys present one condition for
their
appreciation, skunk scents can be blessings, and bears ignore bees in
pursuit
of their goals.
Underlying
discussion points are featured in each poem, yet the gentle whimsy and
animal
facts and fancies are the major draw, holding dual opportunities for
entertainment and enlightenment. Jeffry Glover's delightful creation,
with its
aura of whimsy, may be wrapped in the guise of entertainment, but it
holds
reflection and fun that appeals on more than one level.
Adults
who
choose this collection as a family read-aloud will discover many
opportunities
for discussion about life values and approaches. These will translate
to hours
of fun and interactive pleasure, while libraries that choose The
Wildebeest
and a Bunch of Crock and Other Animal Story Poems for its
solid verse and
appealing cover will find its underlying value lends to greater
appreciation of
nature and wildlife and the lessons it can hold for humans.
Return to Index
Biography & Autobiography
A
Boy Who Loved
Me
Wilson Semitti
Atmosphere Press
978-1639884032
$16.99
www.atmospherepress.com
A Boy Who Loved Me follows a gay relationship that evolved between a
Ugandan man and an
English boy. It spans nearly two decades with passionate memoir of a
personal
awakening that challenged status quo, identity, and not just the social
but the
political impact of coming out as gay in a world replete with violence
and
intolerance.
Wilson
Semitti's
memoir is far wider-ranging than most accounts because of these ethnic
roots
and reflections, as well as its globe-hopping author's encounters with
different forms of perception and prejudice in other cultures.
Also
at play is
the sickle cell anemia diagnosis Semitti refuses to let define him even
as he
also rejects the notion that his African roots or cultural background
can
dictate sexual attraction and inclination.
The
multifaceted
aspects of his story elevate it above the usual tale of coming-of-age
and
coming out as gay, lending A Boy Who Loved Me a
deeper form of
inspection that will lead readers to reconsider their own underlying
prejudices
and reactions in life.
Semitti
writes
with an evocative attention to detail and discovery:
"...in my lifetime
I have faced systematic racism
almost every day even from close friends who have no clue that their
actions
might be perceived differently or might even have an effect on me. It
has never
bothered me before especially if it’s someone I consider to be a
friend. I knew
it’s not their true intention to hurt me. I always ignored immediately
the
notion that they might be racist, it was always easier to see the
brighter side
of things. I started thinking that maybe I am feeling the way I feel
because of
the negativity from a few friends whom I told that I was off to China
and had a
lot to say from why I had decided to go to a place where I am bound to
be
mistreated because of my skin colour, etc."
He
also pulls no
punches in identifying sources of racism not just in the usual places,
but
within the black community itself:
"I had listened but
I didn’t allow that way of
thinking because I don’t see the world the way they saw it and I never
believe
anything till I see it for myself. Plus, the more people say such
things, the
more I am even intrigued. Besides, my view and perspective on the
racism
subject is somewhat so different from other people because all my best
friends
are all Caucasians. Generally, I have very few black friends and if my
memory
serves me right, the worst that has ever been done to me is by people
of my
skin colour."
A Boy Who Loved Me may sound like another memoir of gay experience,
but to define it
solely as such would be to do the writing a grave injustice.
Its
wider-ranging insights about prejudice and people deserves attention
from not
just gay readers and those seeking to better understand their
experience, but
by anyone interested in how cultures encounter one another, view each
other
through different mindsets and preconceptions, and adapt to
differences,
change, and opportunities.
All
these facets
set A Boy Who Loved Me above many others, making it
a strong
recommendation. It will prove an attraction not just for libraries
seeking
memoirs about gay growth and discovery, but for book clubs discussing
issues of
racism, shifting worldviews, and cross-cultural encounters in China,
Thailand,
England and beyond that come not from the usual Caucasian perspective,
but
someone whose roots are African.
Return to Index
Found: A
Veteran
Story
Jack McLean
Huntington Bay Press
9798988539216
$17.00
https://www.amazon.com/Found-Veteran-Story-Jack-McLean/dp/B0CH5GTVWG
Found: A Veteran Story chronicles the
lasting impact and legacy of
the Vietnam War in a memoir that charts Jack McLean's stint in the U.S.
Marine
Corps. The saga he began in Loon: A
Marine Story is expanded in Found,
which documents a wide-ranging series of experiences from McLean's
service.
From the
start, Found reviews life events
that open,
here, with his discharge from service in 1968 and his enrollment in
Harvard
University to become its first incoming Vietnam veteran. McLean came home to a
changed America because
of the war. This is his story of that homecoming, which returned him to
soil
which felt at once familiar and alien.
Many books
have been
written about Vietnam experiences overseas. Fewer embrace the extent of
cultural and social changes Vietnam brought to America and the veterans
who
returned home to unfamiliar territory to confront them.
McLean
cultivates a
"you are here" series of insights about his homecoming and the
connections
between his tour of duty in Vietnam and his revised milieu, both of
which tug
at his heart:
"It was early evening back in Vietnam. The boys
would be digging
fresh fighting holes, laying claymore mines, opening cans of C Rations,
and
setting up the evening watch schedule. I wondered how my former squad
mates
were getting along without me. Had anyone been killed or wounded since
my
departure from the field a week earlier? I felt guilty that I was not
there."
He also
documents a
common occurrence: "While several
people had welcomed me home, no one had thanked me for my service.
Americans,
in the fall of 1968, did not regard service in the increasingly
unpopular
Vietnam War as being worthy of thanks." He continues then
reflects
upon the surreal atmosphere brought about by his return:
"I felt like Rip Van Winkle, the fictional
Washington Irving
character who, in the late eighteenth century, fell asleep in the
Catskill
Mountains and awoke twenty years later to discover that he had missed
the
entire American Revolution. While I had only been gone for a year, it
seemed
that another American Revolution had occurred in my absence."
As he
navigates a
revised America and unexpected attitudes towards not only the war but
those who
fought it, McLean discovers that his place in this country has also
vastly
changed.
As he
navigates
personal trails, new responsibilities and relationships, and
educational and
romantic pursuits, McLean reflects on how his tour of duty changed his
capacity
for connecting with others:
"While the responsibility for her death weighed
heavily on my
shoulders, I had lost my ability to grieve during the afternoon of June
5,
1968, when Tom Morrissey and seven other boys were killed within
minutes during
a blistering rocket attack."
His
struggles with
his revised abilities in the world are moving and engrossing
reflections on how
military service and conflict can permanently imprint upon veterans,
changing
their basic reactions to life and death:
"The news was devastating. I went into the
bedroom, sat down,
hung my head, and thought that I would cry, but I couldn’t. No matter
how hard
I tried, even this terrible news could not evoke a single tear. Had I
lost all
feeling?
McLean finds
enlightenment in Found—and so do
readers interested in stories of the Vietnam era and a changing world.
His
trace of the imprints and impressions of the times and reflections on
his
Marine Corps service and its lasting connections will particularly
engage
readers interested in the widespread process of service validation:
"Vietnam veterans of all stripes were emerging from
the holes
within which we had buried our experiences. We were finally able to
feel the
catharsis that came with the understanding, acceptance, and
acknowledgment,
first among ourselves and then, over time, by the country. It was a
time of
widespread validation. For the first time, we were allowed to be proud
of our
service and unafraid to show it."
The result
is a
powerful story of individual and national transformation that should be
made a
part of any library strong in memoirs of the Vietnam War and its
aftermath.
Book clubs interested in debating the lasting psychological effects of
these
times will find many discussion topics embedded in Found:
A Veteran Story. These will lend to attraction by any group
pursuing social, political, and psychological revelations.
Return to Index
Schlepping
Across the
Nile
Aaron Zevy
Tumbleweed Press Inc.
978-1778201769
$17.99
https://www.amazon.com/Schlepping-Across-Nile-Collected-Stories/dp/1778201768
Schlepping Across the Nile: Collected Stories
gathers vignettes and
memoirs from Aaron Zevy's first three books, compiling them into an
adventure
story that follows the odyssey of the first-born son of an Ashkenazi
father and
Sephardic mother. Zevy opens his tale with the trademark humor that
made his
prior publications major attractions:
"This story begins with a phone call from my cousin
Morris. It
also begins with something I almost never do when getting a phone call
from my
cousin Morris. I answer it. Right away, I am reminded of the benefit of
screening."
Like too
many who
deem themselves successful in relationships, Morris holds the answer to
almost
every dilemma Zevy faces in his life:
“Your problem is you go out with Ashkenazi women
instead of finding
yourself a nice Egyptian Jewish woman. Somebody with similar history,
food and
culture. Someone you have something in common with.”
The
solution, besides
adhering more strictly to screening one's phone calls? Take up the
challenge
with a journey that explores Egyptian Jewish ancestry and legacy.
Schlepping Across the Nile is a memoir,
travelogue, and ethnic
inspection steeped in elements of misadventure and high drama. It
embraces a
range of Jewish traditions and experiences, from a blind date during
Seder to
the special ironies of his family's experiences:
"My favorite part of the seder is L’dor Va Dor. In
every
generation we are to regard ourselves as if we ourselves had gone out
of Egypt.
I love that. Because this is when my mom would say 'I did go out of
Egypt.'”
That wry
sense of
humor and ironic inspections mentioned previously keeps these stories
light,
but thought-provoking.
Whether it's
hurling
a juicy Arabic insult during a poker game by Egyptians or listening to
blind
date war stories, Zevy embeds his writing with personal experience,
observational prowess, and just plain fun. These elements are
punctuated with
black and white photos throughout for added visual impact.
While the
likely
audience for this literary and social observation will be Jewish
readers,
Zevy's ability to reach beyond a set ethnic group to engage, educate,
and entertain
audiences of all origins makes Schlepping
Across the Nile of widespread attraction to anyone who
seeking a series of
rollicking fun, interesting short works.
Whether Zevy
is
making observations about generational differences in the process of
pursuing
love and dates or steeped in Jewish traditions and heritage, his works
offer
inspections that are cemented by his dry insights throughout:
"...‘blind’ is such a misnomer that it is
laughable. This
generation has seen more pictures of their prospective dates than I
have of my
entire family collectively. When we went in blind, we really went in
blind.
Armed with no more, especially if the set up was from a female friend,
than
weathered adjectives about bubbly personalities and shared interests,
and creatively
ambitious promises about looks."
Libraries
and readers
looking for particularly compelling short vignettes about love, life,
and
culture will find Schlepping Across the
Nile a major attraction. It's not just for audiences of
Jewish readers, but
highly recommended for book clubs and discussion groups looking for an
easy
read that holds deceptively thought-provoking impact.
Return to Index
Texas
Off-Road
Racing 2
Mike Kowis, Esq.
Lecture PRO
Publishing
978-1-7328630-7-1
$19.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.mikekowis.com
Texas Off-Road
Racing 2: The Battle for ATV and
Side-by-Side Championships is the
sports memoir of an amateur racer whose humor is embedded even in the
reviewer
comments quotes. These range from enthusiasm about a second book
appearing on
the subject to outright dismay (“Growing up,
Mike had a promising writing career. So much for that!” –
Mike’s 8th grade
English teacher).
Readers
needn't
be members of the Texas XC racing community to enjoy this book
(although it
helps!). There are enough description and enthusiasm to allow newcomers
to the
sport to live vicariously through Mike Kowis's insights, history, and
encounters on the racing circuit:
"The sweet smell of
race gas filled the air on
the morning of April 23, 2022. That’s the day TX4 kicked off its
inaugural
season of XC racing in the Lone Star State. The internet buzz leading
up to
this event paid off in spades as the
ATV community showed up in full force that Saturday
with 55 entries, including mini quads. The impressive turnout should
not have
been a surprise given that XC racing for quads had been extinct in
Texas for
the prior six years."
The
excitement
of side-by-side racing is captured in moment-by-moment "you are here"
descriptions that feature the vivid experiences of competition and the
politics
and processes which dictate its progression.
Of
special
interest are the author's descriptions contrasting different racing
experiences
over the years:
"...it occurred to
me how different it is to race
both an ATV and SxS with TX4 as compared to the simpler routine of just
racing
a SxS with the previous series."
Readers
need not
have familiarity with different types of racing in order to appreciate
the
exuberance and experiences described in Texas Off-Road Racing
2.
All
that's
required is a basic interest in sports competition and moment-by-moment
racing
experiences that put the reader alongside the author in the driver's
seat.
Color photos punctuate and capture these vivid racing moments and the
hard work
of all involved who make such events happen.
Libraries
seeking books that capture this experience, outlining the allure and
results of
shifting racing opportunities over the years, will find these stories
of racing,
competing, and winning to be thoroughly absorbing.
Return to Index
Trauterose
Elisabeth
Haggblade
Glass Spider
Publishing
9781957917344
$17.99 Paper/$8.99 ebook
Website: https://www.trauteroseauthor.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Trauterose-Growing-Up-Postwar-Munich/dp/1957917342
Trauterose: Growing
Up in Postwar Munich is a memoir
widely recommended for young
adults, family members, and educators. It weaves a story of late war
and
postwar experiences with those of an immigrant who navigates learning
English,
conflicts with new cultures and encounters with prejudice, and growing
up in
the shadow of World War II in postwar Germany.
Haggblade
was
orphaned at birth and early on learned survival traits as a foster
child placed
with a former SS officer's family. When her foster mother passed, she
was sent
to a children's home run by Catholic Sisters which added new dimensions
to her
experience and perceptions.
While
it might
have been tempting to focus solely on personal events for this memoir,
one of
its values lies in Haggblade's ability to represent family and social
issues
from the perspective of a young woman who was able to transform her
life under
difficult circumstances.
From
deep
connections between music and belief to geographic influences on Munich
experience and social isolation, Haggblade tackles a range of
encounters that
lend to deeper understanding of the social, political, and
psychological
currents of her life and times.
Grounded
by her
coming of age and memories of different cultures and choices, Trauterose
offers a diverse range of insights as the author navigates events that
led her
through a challenging time in Germany's history. She explores how one
young
woman grew beyond her childhood influences and country's borders.
Libraries
seeking powerful, personal memoirs that hold political and social
lessons and
insights will find Trauterose a study in
adaptation, survival, and
growth. It also deserves attention from young adult and adult book
clubs
seeking memoirs that reflect not just individual experience, but a
sense of the
culture and times.
Return to Index
The
Wrong
Calamity
Marsha Jacobson
DartFrog Plus
978-1-959096-93-1
$25.99
Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Calamity-Memoir-Marsha-Jacobson/dp/1959096931
The Wrong Calamity:
A Memoir opens with Marsha
Jacobson's birth "in
the whoosh of baby boomers" in Indiana and then reveals her life with
an
abusive husband. It deftly answers the question of why intelligent
women marry
into such a situation, much less stay in it—and perhaps seldom in the
literature
is the answer so clear. Jacobson saw no other opportunities, and no way
out.
The
irony lies
in the fact that, more than many other women in her position, Jacobson
fell
into a form of business success that theoretically gave her numerous
resources
and alternative options. As she became more successful, however, her
husband
became more abusive.
Only
when she
returned to familiar territory, leaving her sojourn in Japan for
America, was
she able to flee, two toddlers in tow, into a better life.
Also
more
vividly portrayed than most stories of abuse and freedom are the
slow-simmering
revelations Jacobson experienced as her relationship with Peter
evolved. From
his quick temper and jealousy to how she changed from a woman who gave
her
husband complete charge of their honeymoon plans to one who came to
question
her very presence in his life, the progressive realizations are nicely
presented and compellingly written.
Jacobson's
ability to delineate the transformations, realizations, and influences
that led
her to revise her life and future will prove inspirational to other
women facing
the same situation. She documents an evolutionary growth that deserves
equal
discussion in psychology and book reading groups for its specific
insights and
realizations.
The
impact of
her progressive determination and contributions to the relationship is
hard-hitting and eye-opening:
"I wasn’t the same
person who’d given him carte
blanche over our honeymoon. Not that he didn’t plan good trips, but I
worked
hard, and free time was a luxury. I wanted a say in how to spend it.
'Then this is the last vacation we’ll take,' he said,
and it was."
From
her
re-entry into dating and the snafus that led to new realizations about
those
she chose and her moral and ethical foundations to business and
personal growth
choices, Jacobson creates a powerful story of calamity, discovery, and
change. This
will serve as an inspiration (and road map) to other women facing
similar
conundrums.
Libraries
and
readers seeking stories of not just escape from abuse, but
considerations of
the financial, psychology, and social influences on their evolution,
will find The
Wrong Calamity enlightening, revealing, and hard to put down.
Return to Index
All Roads
Lead to
Murder
Stewart Bird
Independently
Published
979-8850121686
$35.00 Paper/$14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Roads-Lead-Murder-Stewart-Bird/dp/B0C9RYSVDB
All Roads Lead to Murder charts NYPD
homicide procedurals, stems
from Stewart Bird's working day (spent with NYPD Detective Sergeant
Detective
Vernon J. Geberth, who was investigating a homicide in the Bronx), and
provides
three murder stories based on his real-world experiences.
The
resulting
novellas here (Murder at the Yeshiva, One
Murder at a Time, and Go West Old
Man)
all feature explorations by NYPD homicide detective Mo Shuman, who is
on the
cusp of retiring, but never more involved in his profession. Rather
than
backing away from cases, Mo not only embraces them, but finds these
cases
reaching into his personal life as his last involvements involve
hunting down
murderers whose actions heavily impact his own future.
The
progressive
nature of these tales makes them perfect for presentation under one
cover,
linking Mo's shifting objectives in a manner that is uniformly
appealing,
logically presented, and compelling in their ability to move between
murder
mystery and personal impact.
The trio
opens with Murder at the Yeshiva, in
which Mo and
his partner Detective Dynaburski are charged with hunting down a
murderer whose
ability to affect Mo's future is dangerously powerful.
Shuman has
grown up
on the Lower East Side and still lives there. His familiarity with the
area,
his Jewish background, and the nature of both murderer and victim leads
him to
dark examinations and connections a Shuman traces the pathways of past
and
present to find answers to seemingly disparate clues that just seem to
lead to
more puzzles.
Stewart
Bird's
ability to craft a winning story steeped in a powerful sense of time
and place,
where the savvy detective must tap these roots in order to both find
resolution
and resolve a murderer's real intentions, creates an especially
intriguing set
of circumstances as rabbis and rules coalesce to produce insights Mo
struggles
to weave together.
One Murder at a Time sees Mo not
retiring, but reuniting with
former partner Mike Gallagher on a twenty-year-old cold case that turns
hot
once again, with new evidence and ideas fueling its continuing
relevance.
As the duo
find their
probe igniting simmering passions of the past, their families and lives
are
threatened by forces that still hold a vested interest in keeping the
past subdued
against all odds.
In this
case, the
only odds for resolution rest on two dogged investigators whose noses
for
trouble uncover situations that lead them away from the Cold Case Squad
and the
NYPD to situations far outside their familiarity or comfort zones.
The answers
lie in
arenas that challenge both detectives on personal and professional
levels as
events provoke questions about connections between love, money, and the
two
detectives who draw ever closer to a dangerous truth.
Bird crafts
a simmering
tone of investigative quandaries and interpersonal relationships in
this story
which further expand Mo's life and habits while adding the overlay of a
case
which reaches from New York to the New Jersey suburbs, Alexandria,
Virginia,
and beyond.
His
expansion of Mo's
identity and processes from Murder at the
Yeshiva to this very different challenge enhances an approach
that
personalizes the processes of investigators, perps, and the motivations
and
experiences that lead them down a deadly path of confrontation and
trauma.
Go West Old Man brings the personal
aspects of investigative
prowess home as Mo once again finds any hopes of retirement
thwarted—this time,
by a gang war that destroys any ideals of peace.
In trying to
escape
this life-altering experience, Mo instead finds himself embroiled in a
different style of gang war far from his native New York and
connections.
Working with
Deputy
Sandoval in southwest Texas on the Mexican border, Mo finds he must
employ his
most savvy procedural processes in order to resolve not just this gang
war's
fits and starts, but the impact a similar situation has made upon his
life.
Once again,
Bird
crafts a story of investigative strength that derives its main
attraction from
juxtaposing personal and professional challenges.
It's unusual
to have events
evolve in a murder mystery from a series of progressive cases that also
follow character
growth. Receiving these three novellas under one cover gives readers
the rare
opportunity to better know Mo, the NYPD, and the cases that lead not to
pat
resolution, but life-changing lessons.
Libraries
and fans of
detective procedurals who look for stories steeped in a gritty sense of
place,
an attractive lure of psychological growth, and questions about making
it home
alive from this kind of work will find All
Roads Lead to Murder outstandingly realistic and compelling.
Stewart Bird
pairs thought-provoking drama with crime stories that feature, as their
main
attraction, a series of plots that lead to a greater result: a
thought-provoking,
involving story of a detective's ongoing evolution.
Return to Index
Backlash
Ana Manwaring
Indies United
Publishing House, LLC
978-1-64456-659-6
$16.99 Paperback/$3.99 ebook
Website: www.anamanwaring.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Prior fans
of Ana
Manwaring's thrillers will find Backlash:
Venom and Vengeance from 'Nam a welcome addition to and
expansion of the
JadeAnne Stone adventures set in Mexico. The story centers on
JadeAnne's father
Quint, who remains in Mexico to investigate why his former superior
office in
Vietnam is trying to kill him.
By the time
he
realizes that not just he, but his daughter JadeAnne, who has gone to
California
with her new love Dylan, is in Nadar's crosshairs, the man could be
well on his
way to apprehending his daughter.
And so the
drama
moves from Colorado to Mexico in a nation-hopping chase that features
an
explosive plot and many satisfying twists and turns as Quint struggles
to
survive political subterfuge and zealots that have Mexico's best
interests at
heart.
These
special
interest forces that coalesce and struggle receive winning, engrossing
feature
via dialogues that capture not just action, but underlying intentions:
“Alejo is a methodical worker, but a bit of a
zealot. He’s smart, yet
his drive to defend Mexico—the entire world—from the cartels clouds his
judgement, in my opinion. He believes he’s doing great good. While a
stickler
for the rules, he makes poor choices. From the little I know, this op
is one of
them.”
Clashes are
vividly
portrayed as the story evolves:
"He met the fight at the pantry door. Trampoza’s
man had one hand
grasping at Horacio’s throat with a large can of tomato juice in the
other.
Quint batted away his hand quashing the thugs’ attempt to bean Horacio
with the
can. Quint grinned as Horacio balled his fist, sending an uppercut into
the
man’s chin. The thug flew backwards into his arms."
When married
to a
story steeped in Mexican culture and mayhem, with the lingering effects
of
Vietnam relationships injected into the present-day picture of
adversity and
vengeance, the result is a vivid portrait of traitors and a dangerous
man whose
wrath and cleverness threaten everyone Quint has believed in and loved.
Ana
Manwaring does an
outstanding job of crafting a story that stands alone on both its
psychological
and thriller components. Prior readers will appreciate the plot while
newcomers
won't need an introduction to past relationships to appreciate the
characters
and actions that represent international relationships and survival
efforts.
The tension
is nicely
built, premises are logical and embedded into the story's action-packed
scenarios, and readers receive a high-octane work well steeped in
Mexican
affairs.
Libraries
and readers
seeking thrillers that center around themes that challenge individual
and
national interests will find Backlash:
Venom and Vengeance from 'Nam seamless in its action and
characters and
hard to put down.
Return to Index
The Billion
Dollar
Sugar Cube
Charles Jacobs
DartFrog Plus
978-1-961624-15-3
$17.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Billion-Dollar-Sugar-Cube-David/dp/196162415X
Fans of The Pangaea
Solution
(a thriller which excelled in nonstop action and fast-paced twists and
turns
that pitted protagonist and wealth advisor David Blum against a bizarre
conspiracy) will find David's return here reflects a renewed battle
against the
Global Futures Alliance which continues to plot to reshape
humanity with
its special vision of technology and profit.
The story
opens in
Switzerland in 2019, where artificial intelligence's promise has
resulted in a
computer that can not only emulate emotions, but manipulate them in
human
beings. When such a technological venture melds with social media, it
can prove
just as effective a battle influencer as wars fought on the ground via
conventional methods.
Charged with
preventing this next impossible war scenario, David Blum and his team
embark on
a world-hopping venture to confront and disable forces that would
artificially
reshape world order and the nature of reality itself.
One reason
why The Billion Dollar Sugar Cube
proves
especially engrossing is that the crux of its possibilities lies in the
impact
and experience of modern social media which, today, is assuming a
center role
in directing not just the politics but the state of mind of its
audiences. It's
too easy to imagine the scenario which plays out in David Blum's
world—and all
too easy to realize that the forces at work, driven by technological
advancement and manipulation, could become those underlying human
choice and
perception themselves.
Jacobs pairs
revelations with fast-paced action. This will please thriller readers
looking
for stories replete with satisfying twists and turns that are
unexpected and
thought-provoking.
As
neurobiologist
Mindy Tanaka's love for Angel Atash is threatened by events that drive
them
apart and David delves into questions surrounding sound and facial
recognition
patterns, the story's dual complexity of technological and social
issues
introduces a thoroughly engrossing adventure that evolves a whirlwind
of
challenges and choices.
Libraries
and readers
seeking thrillers that both support prior writings yet stand alone,
laced with
emotionally vivid layers of discovery, will find The
Billion Dollar Sugar Cube a winning, world-hopping story
about
the struggle for a power that will change everything.
Return to Index
Boom Days
Montana Kane
Bird on a Head
979-8986807447
$4.99 Kindle/Paperback: $12.99
www.montanakane.com
Thrillers
usually
don't present a sense of humor embedded into their action, but Montana
Kane's
special brand of wry inspection, demonstrated so adeptly in the first
Brandy
Martini book High Crimes, appears
from the opening lines in Boom Days:
"After the first explosion, most everyone in town
spent the next
few days announcing to anyone within earshot exactly where they were at
the
time it happened. Me, I was jonesing for my usual triple shot of
espresso but
the line outside High Country Bean on that fine summer morning wrapped
clear
around the corner of Main and 3rd and there was no way I was going to
stand
there on the sidewalk like an idiot and patiently wait my turn with all
the
others. And it was precisely as I was cruising past the tourists on my
way
inside to pour myself a drip at the DIY counter at the back of the
coffee shop
that Boomville went Boom."
Brandy's
reaction to
the explosion is instinctive—she hits the ground. Then she hits the
streets on
a search for explanations and answers, tapping her former experience as
a big
city cop to answer the questions that arise from the Boomville
explosion.
Readers
quick to
absorb the humor in the story's opening lines will also appreciate
Montana
Kane's creative descriptions, which supercharge Brandy's pursuits with
a fine
blend of astute insights and descriptions of place and people:
"Down came the window and out leaned the face that
sometimes stars
in my dreams on nights when my loneliness clings to me like a sweat
soaked
sheet in a Bruce Springsteen song. Other times, the face and the smirk
it often
bears are simply irksome. But today the face portrayed exasperation
bordering
on outright anger, an expression also frequently reserved for me."
These
engaging
descriptions permeate the story, giving it a lively sense of discovery
and
surprise ("It looked like a
convenience store stuffed inside a sporting goods store stuffed inside
a
camper.").
It's no
light achievement
to dovetail an intense investigation with equally powerful examinations
of
disparate possibilities, from a "bomb-making vegan terrorist" to
facing fellow investigators' feelings of frustration and anger. No
matter
Brandy's path, she weaves through personal and professional challenges
with
equally wry inspections and humor that keep the story on track and
delightfully
unexpected, filled with twists and turns even seasoned thriller readers
won't
see coming.
Brandy is a
formidable character whose alter ego as Katie buries a truth she
doesn't want
to confront. But her readers do. These insights drive a discovery
process that dashes
hopes and raises new questions as Brandy pursues impossible answers and
equally
elusive relationships.
The result
is not
just an explosion in crime-solving processes, but one of self-discovery
as
Brandy puts her life on the line, only to find unexpected support under
life-or-death circumstances.
Readers need
not be familiar
with Brandy Martini or her prior adventures in order to immediately
immerse
themselves in Boom Days.
The
fast-paced
action, exceptionally strong characterization, and satisfying mysteries
Brandy
faces in all kinds of ways make for a highly recommended pick for
libraries
interested in multifaceted thrillers that go the extra mile to add
humor and
attraction to all their characters.
Return to Index
The Fourth
Prisoner
Brandon Hughes
Tension Books
AISN: B0CGY449CW
$4.99
ebook/$16.95 paperback
Website: www.BrandonHughesBooks.com
Ordering: www.TensionBooks.com
The Fourth Prisoner is the second Barclay
Griffith thriller in the
series. It opens on Alcatraz Island in 1962, where a daring escape is
being
staged from the most infamously secure prison in the world.
The fates of
three
prisoners is known, but the focus here is on a mysterious fourth
prisoner whose
story reaches from the treacherous waters of the San Francisco Bay to
Alabama
and the terrible massacre that changed a small town forever.
As District
Attorney
Barclay Griffith navigates career-ending choices, small town history,
murky
family trees, and a cold case that unfolds to reveal a labyrinth of
wrong turns
and deadly consequences, readers receive a tense blend of detective
investigation and thriller. The story cements its problem-solving
evidence and
conclusions in the kind of unpredictable, fast-paced action that marks
the
thriller genre's finest productions.
From
insights into
genealogy DNA to a search that leads to political bombs of dangerous
realizations and history, Barclay discovers that the truth about murder
is
poised to release a concurrent tidal wave of controversy.
Brandon
Hughes links
past and present events in a crime thriller that excels in both its
descriptions of police procedures and in the dilemmas faced by a host
of
characters from different walks of life, from detectives and attorneys
to
politicians.
His ability
to bring
these relationships and their simmering history to life makes for a
story
replete with twists and turns of discovery that many readers won't see
coming,
resulting in edge-of-your-seat reading and revelations.
Libraries
and readers
seeking thoroughly engrossing stories that pepper their murder puzzles
with the
influences and objectives of different characters at odds with not only
each
other, but themselves, will find The
Fourth Prisoner both expands the character of the prior
Barclay Griffith
book but stands nicely alone for newcomers.
Return to Index
The Jericho
Manuscript
Julian Doyle
Independently
Published
$13.81 Paper/$5.66
ebook
https://www.amazon.com/JERICHO-MANUSCRIPT-Julian-Doyle/dp/B0C5G7H3FD
Think of a
blend of
Sherlock Holmes and The DaVinci Code
when considering the attraction of The
Jericho Manuscript, which offers more than a taste of each as
Sherlock
Holmes and Dr. Watson pursue a murderer that tests even the great
investigators' combined prowess.
Canon Alfred
Lilly is
found dead in the midst of translating the now-missing Jericho
Manuscript. The
chase for the murderer and the missing manuscript sends Holmes and
Watson to
Paris and beyond, as the investigative duo tackle
their greatest case that leads to a truth far
beyond even their wildest expectations.
Julian Doyle
crafts a
tale that moves the classic detective from the arena of investigator to
thriller status as the tense, world-hopping tale moves from a crime to
an
investigation of Biblical prophecy and facts.
The Jericho
Manuscript's threat and ability to change the world becomes just as
dangerous a
pursuit as that of a murderous entity that will stop at nothing to
suppress the
truth. These issues inject religious and social dilemmas into a story
that
traverses many different worlds as Holmes and Watson find their usual
problem-solving approach lands them into the heart of political and
religious
intrigue.
Julian
Doyle's
special brand of history and mystery is certain to rock many a
religious
sentiment. Sherlock's probe sends seismic tremors of realization into
previously concrete mindsets and perceptions.
Perhaps the
greatest
impact of The Jericho Manuscript
lies
in its ability to craft unusual religious and historical questions that
will
lead to vigorous debate just as Dan Brown’s The
Da Vinci Code succeeded in doing. Many may expect a whodunit
to evolve, but
won't anticipate the delightful interplays of religious and historical
inspection that drive the case, adding depth and intrigue to Holmes and
Watson's struggle to discover the truth.
The many
allusions to
prior Sherlock Holmes adventures will delight and intrigue fans who
have
followed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic writings:
“'Tell me what do you make of the story of his
resurrection?'
Holmes thought for a while, 'What did I tell you when we confronted the
legendry beast of the Baskervilles?'
I remembered what Holmes had said, 'If we are dealing with forces
outside the ordinary laws of nature, there is an end to our
investigation.'
'Lazarus’ resurrection certainly appears to be outside the laws of
nature,' said Holmes."
Packed with
photos
and historical revelations, The Jericho
Manuscript is highly recommended reading for those book clubs
and
individuals that would take a closer look at belief systems through the
unusual
close inspective lens of a classic Sherlock Holmes crime approach. When
paired
with a powerful interplay between crime investigation, redemption, and
faith
that clash to create a new reality, the allure is powerful.
The nature
of both
reality and fiction is questioned in a crime thriller that holds many
satisfying twists and turns. The plot dense enough to attract
intellectuals who
eschew simplicity in their reading choices, preferring the rich
complexity of a
well-done story steeped in many possible reinterpretations of accepted
history.
Return to Index
The Medusa Murders
Joy Ann Ribar
Wine Glass Press
9781959078203
$17.95 Paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: https://joyribar.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Medusa-Murders-Joy-Ann-Ribar-ebook/dp/B0CKRTSSZY
The first
book in the
Bay Browning mystery series, The Medusa Murders, introduces Bay Browning ("L.L." to her friends
and
colleagues at the university), whose expertise as the head of the
literature
department and authority on mythology is tapped to help solve a
puzzling series
of murders.
The last thing Bay considered from her
opportunities was that she could become a detective or participant in
solving
crime. However, she can be relentless. This personality trait serves
her well
as she pursues myths and truths in a captivating pairing of
possibilities that leads
her from a set course in her career down a dangerous path of discovery.
The process involves developing
relationships with all kinds of people, which are outlined in a story
replete
with satisfying characters that contribute to Bay's own development
with
dialogues that feel both realistic and involving:
"Downing
took
a swig of beer. 'I didn’t figure you for a beer person. I sort of
expected
something lofty—wine at the very least.'
Bay shifted
awkwardly in her chair; she didn’t appreciate being pegged. 'Shouldn’t
we
discuss the case, Detective?'
Downing relaxed a
notch. 'Nope. We should discuss the menu. Almost everything on it
includes
pork, so I hope you’re not a vegan.'”
As pursuit of the Medusa Murderer brings Bay
into contact with a diverse cast of characters, readers will realize
that the
complexity and allure of these situations represent psychological
building
blocks of realization and action that move Bay and others far from
their
comfort zones of predictability.
Joy Ann
Ribar
cultivates an atmosphere of growth as Bay exhibits defiance,
stubbornness, and
admits her failings as an investigator while maintaining her
determination to
contribute her expertise to a case that relies on her strengths for
resolution.
As events
lead to an
inevitable face-off and a confrontation with not only Medusa, but the
mercurial
menace of Bay's own special brand of savvy, readers will relish the
progression
of a story that sizzles with thriller elements, draws with mystery
steeped in
myth, and eventually takes a course that many won't see coming.
Mystery
enthusiasts
looking for more complexity and challenge than the cozy mystery genre
offers
will appreciate the tension and compulsion of a story that grows
relationships,
individuals, and careers during a careening course towards disaster and
discovery.
The
Medusa Murders should be in any
library collection strong
in murder mysteries that reside a cut above the ordinary.
Return to Index
Murder
in Fourth
Position
Lori Robbins
Level Best Books
978-1-68512-448-9
$16.95 Paper/$5.99 Ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Fourth-Position-Pointe-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CFVZ154N
Murder in Fourth
Position expands the On Pointe
ballet-based mystery world with another
compelling situation that attracts ballerina Leah Siderova (who is "on
the
wrong side of thirty") to both opportunity and disaster.
Her
leap from
ballet to Broadway in an effort to continue performing results in a
debut that
demands she play a dual role, but also fueling her decisions is her
undercover
investigation of Amber Castle, the show's star, who is facing threats
and
danger.
From
the
physical aches and demands of rehearsals to a special assignment where
Leah
plays a very different part ("My role as her alter ego
required me to
reflect in movement what she expressed in words, and from the
audience’s
perspective, it would indeed look as if we were two sides of one person."),
Murder in Fourth Position will delight readers with
a prior interest in
ballet and Broadway productions. This audience will find the evolving
mystery
as engrossing as Leah's career challenges.
Surveying
closed
rehearsals and elderly friends who try to help to amateur dancers
already
surprisingly well-versed in tackling crime, Lori Robbins crafts another
powerful performing arts exploration. It dovetails mystery and
problem-solving
with behind-the-scenes action, all tempered by the drama of evolving
interpersonal relationships and motives.
An
insider's
attention to performance requirements invites dancers, actors, and
non-artists
alike to follow Leah's insights and aspirations:
"A series of short,
inventive dances, all very
different from each other, succeeded each other at a rapid pace. Many
of the
performers had body types that didn’t conform to the usual balletic
silhouette,
which delighted me. Bryan was noncommittal regarding the choreography,
but I
was both fascinated and inspired. I’d always been the instrument of
someone
else’s artistic vision. Would I ever have the courage to take the lead
myself?"
Murder in Fourth
Position is thoroughly
engrossing, giving insights into script development and
work-arounds that challenge all participants in different ways.
Libraries
and
readers interested in mysteries that expand beyond whodunit territory
to
embrace the special world of performing arts—especially those who have
been
attracted to and entertained by the prior books in the series—will find
Leah's
latest challenges make for thoroughly engrossing reading.
Return to Index
Native Blood
Leonard Krishtalka
Anamcara Press
9781960462176
$22.99
www.anamcara-press.com
Hard-boiled
detective
Harry Przewalski returns in another investigation that challenges his
abilities
in Native Blood, which mingles
First
American issues and struggles with the death of an academic researcher.
When an
Athabaskan native, archaeology student, and chancellor's son is
implicated in
the crime, Harry suspects that far more is going on (and at stake). His
involvement
will prove him right in unexpected ways as the puzzle unfolds.
Concurrent
to the
evolving murder mystery is a probe into Native American culture,
genetics, and
the conflicts that evolve from prejudice and the perception of all
these
elements and more.
Harry has
his hands
full as he reveals these politics and influences and, especially, the
mercurial
and controversial conflicts between race and racial theory that
embroils the
science, academic, and outside communities in a struggle to discern
truth from
prejudice.
The social
facets and
aspects of Native history and studies add an extra layer of value to
the tale
as Harry evolves a long list of suspects and begins to absorb facts and
truths
he never knew about before this latest case:
"Motives for murder are like weeds, Harry thought.
They sprout
adjacent to the dead...
'She’s ... she’s a difficult individual. Bitter.'
'Oh yeah? Bitter enough for murder?'”
Good
question. Even
more important are the cultural and political revelations that emerge
as the
underbelly of university processes and politics are revealed, exposing
new
details about protests, historical precedent, and scientific pursuits.
One facet of
Native Blood that keeps it so
thoroughly
engrossing is the surprises that keep emerging from Harry's case.
Readers
receive a healthy degree of thought-provoking inquiry into racial
theory,
cultural and historical precedent and expectations, and the rationales
of
scientific method and prejudice that (in this case) justify murder as a
resolution tactic (albeit a poor one, if one attracts the tenacious
attention
of an investigator like Harry, who is operates like a dog on a bone).
The writing
is
astute, revealing, and commanding. Leonard Krishtalka builds insights
not just
into historical and political influences, but Harry's evolving
character and
responses to dilemmas well outside his comfort zone.
Creative
chapter
headings (such as 'White Guy History,' 'Dose of Derangement' and 'I
Promise to
Confess') add tension and reflection to the story, while a sense of
comic
relief emerges at unexpected moments to lighten the load of Harry's
investigation:
“Przewalski, I know you. You see a donkey, you want
to load it up. With
a bunch of crimeys. Now you’re telling me to add Strickland to Page,
Montanares, Kovitch, and Nalren.” Like I said said last time you were
here,
this ain’t a goddamn Agatha Christie novel, y’know, Murder
on the Orient Express. He raised his hands, his face
incredulous. “What? All five are down there, grab the ceramic ape,
whack him,
then sing a quick chorus of Kumbaya?”
The result
is a
spirited, thought-provoking brush with death and racial issues that
will
attract both prior fans and newcomers. Native
Blood is dedicated to using classic hard-boiled detective
devices in modern
social and racial inspections replete with scientific and history
quandaries
that (apparently) are worth killing for.
Libraries
and readers
seeking engrossing stories packed with atmosphere and intrigue will
find plenty
to appreciate as Native Blood
unfolds
its extraordinary circumstances and revelations.
Return to Index
O’Shaughnessy
Investigations, Inc.: The Cases Nobody Wanted
A.G. Russo
Independently
Published
ASIN: B0CJ228TXX
$4.99
https://www.amazon.com/OSHAUGHNESSY-INVESTIGATIONS-INC-Nobody-Wanted-ebook/dp/B0CJ228TXX
The
setting is
Brooklyn, New York in the summer of 1942. Twenty-eight-year-old Maeve
O'Shaughnessy, owner of O'Shaughnessy Investigations, has exactly $1.15
to her
name. This is supposed to last her for a week—until tough guy Vic
Marino stalks
her into her office and makes a proposal she can't resist.
Vic
is there to
help her. But Maeve maintains that she doesn't need help—especially
his. But
he's a man on a mission, and his determination drives them both into
investigations nobody else wanted (and, perhaps, neither do they).
A.G.
Russo
injects the hardboiled detective tone of the 1940s world into his
story,
creating dialogues that are gritty, spicy, and realistic:
“'Who the hell do
you think you are coming in here and
telling me what you like and what you don’t like?'
'I’m the guy who’s gonna help you make some dough. You
do need dough, don’t you? The last time you had a client was two months
ago.'
She crossed her arms, 'The War …'
'The War, yeah, yeah. Your brother gets drafted. The
other two sign up to go with him leaving you and another brother,
fifteen-year-old
string bean Jimmy, who’s supposed to act as your muscle, to take care
of this
thriving enterprise. Except you have no experience in this line of
work. Let’s
just say, ‘Your heart’s not in it.’ As a result, you’re gonna be outta
business
sooner than you can say ‘smart mouth.’”
As
a sense of
the times, its politics, and the burdens of the war come to bear on a
number of
cases and interactions, Vic, Maeve, and other characters form
connections that
bring them into not just intrigue, but a living sense of the history of
the
times:
"During the
Depression of the 1930s everyone
suffered, even the rich. It was hard times for all and people helped
each other
if they could. Americans coming through that together meant something.
Now they
were being asked to struggle again. But because so many servicemen were
killed
at Pearl Harbor, Americans had a cause that they all shared – fight the
Fascists and keep the threat and the war from coming home. Yet, now the
grim
reality, the depths of the sacrifices, and the grief of their losses
was
devastating."
As
one who
initially was against the idea of America entering the war, Maeve finds
her
life and beliefs challenged not only by her brothers' involvement in
battle,
but the circumstances which play out at home to place her in the
unusual
position of maintaining a business she feels she can't properly tackle.
In
an era where
women are "dames," Maeve stands out as a bad cook and good
investigator, evolving a skill set that carries them into new
circumstances
while creating a home for younger brother Jimmy and a new, unexpected
life.
The
result is a
compelling story steeped in World War II history, social and political
issues,
and the evolution of unexpected relationships and careers which all
fall under
the umbrella of growth and commitment. This is book one of three. As
World War
II progresses, will Maeve and Vic have similarly compelling experiences
ahead?
Libraries
looking for mysteries firmly grounded in a sense of times, place, and
transition will welcome the vivid discoveries Maeve and Vic face on
more than
one level, and will find O’Shaughnessy Investigations, Inc.:
The Cases
Nobody Wanted a major attraction.
Return to Index
Oracle
Marc Rainer
Rukia Publishing US
979-8-9891084-3-5
$16.99 Paper/$6.99 ebook
Website: www.marcrainer.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Oracle-Jeff-Trask-Crime-Drama-ebook/dp/B0CJCN6XPV
The thriller
genre grows
yet again with another Jeff Trask crime novel—but the drama here
doesn't take
place in the courtrooms or streets of America but overseas, where
special
operations specialist Buck realizes that he's being tailed through the
streets
of Athens in a vastly changed post-COVID world.
Buck loves
his job at
the CIA, working in the Special Activities Division identifying the
kinds of
patterns that cause problems.
His
clandestine
meeting with old friend (and agent of a foreign intelligence service)
Yuri
Gilfoy at the Acropolis introduces him to the dilemma of missing
suitcase nukes
the Russians lost track of, others that were sold to the Supreme Leader
of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, and an emerging terrorist plot that involves
Russian
goals for Ukraine and nations beyond their western borders.
A
highly-placed
source of intel in Iran (codenamed Oracle) is in a pivotal position to
either
reveal information or further the danger over what the Iranians plan to
do with
their expensive secret acquisition ... which is: to change the world.
Buck
discovers that
Athens may be a target of interest, placing him literally in the
hotspot of
destruction if the threat can't be located and nullified.
In an
intriguing
twist, the Oracle can't safely give out further intel, effectively
placing
countermeasures in a blind spot that gives Buck only warnings, but next
to
nothing concrete. There's nothing an intelligence officer hates more
than a
dead end—particularly when it's his life that is heading for the brick
wall,
along with millions of innocent citizens.
What does
Jeffrey
Ethan Trask, Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District
of
Missouri, have to do with a situation that immerses Israel and Greece
in a
deadly game? As usual, he's busy in a courtroom in America laying a
drug
kingpin to rest in prison while on the cusp of going on a much-needed
vacation.
The
destination?
Greece, of course.
A
cat-and-mouse game
evolves which places Jeff, Buck, and others in a dangerous place as a
holiday
in hell evolves, testing the perspectives, determination and survival
traits of
all involved.
Jeff's wife
Lynn has
needed this get-away, too: “I was just
beginning to like this world again. No emergencies for you to tackle.”
As events
heat up and
Lieutenant Hamid Rashidi of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and
other
characters perform reconnaissance and stake out territory and
possibilities,
tension ramps up as events move between Greece and Israel, with Buck
and Jeff
trying to save five million people from a nuclear holocaust. To further
complicate matters, Lynn must not only be kept in the dark, but away
from
trouble.
Marc Rainer
crafts
another powerful Jeff Trask novel, proving his prowess at moving the
nonstop
action away from American soil and onto the desks and grounds of
operatives
whose political and anti-terrorist objectives intersect in surprising
ways.
The tension
is
superbly developed, the motivations and secrets of opposing forces play
off
nicely to the point of revelations readers sometimes will see coming
and sometimes
will not, and the characters and their motivations come to life against
a vivid
backdrop of discovery and interpersonal connections.
Libraries
and readers
who have thoroughly enjoyed the numerous other Jeff Trask thrillers
produced by
Marc Rainer will find the action and international flavors of Oracle further expands the series while
standing entirely alone as well-constructed, engrossing work
particularly and
notably powerful for its tense twists and turns.
Return to Index
Out of the
Far North
Amir Tsarfati and Steve
Yohn
Ten Peaks
Press/Harvest House Publishers
978-0736986441
$14.95 Audio/$15.99
Paper/$11.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Out-North-Tavor-Mossad-Thriller/dp/0736986448
Opening a
story with
a glossary of Hebrew, Arabic and Russian terminology (as well as a
listing of
characters from different nations) lends a sense of anticipatory
complexity to Out of the Far North that
thriller genre
readers may not be used to, but that's not to say this story comes
overly laden
with demanding detail.
From its
opening
lines, Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn present powerful international
settings,
reflections, and experiences that grab attention to keep readers
thoroughly
immersed in the specter of international confrontations and intrigue.
This third
book in
their Nir Tavor Massad series will benefit from prior familiarity from
fans who
appreciate the authors' special blend of contemporary political
inspection and
action, but it also stands nicely alone for newcomers. Thriller
audiences will
find the revelation of the Kremlin's plans for a major attack against
Israel to
be intriguing and engrossing. Hostilities that explode threaten to
overtake Nir
Tavor and Nicole le Roux, testing the latter's newly gained Christian
faith as
the two struggle to prevent global disaster.
Amir
Tsarfati and
Steve Yohn specialize in a style of action and psychological immersion
that
juxtaposes romance, drama, and tense confrontations at personal,
political, and
global levels.
Dangerous
games
played by opportunists come to light as forces from Russia, Israel, and
the
West intersect to face not only present-day danger, but ghosts from the
past.
From issues
of
patriotism and profit to business and personal interests tested by
bigger-picture altercations between nations as well as individuals,
Tsarfati
and Yohn supplement and support the work begun in Operation
Joktan and By Way
of Deception with a notable atmosphere of authenticity.
Perhaps this
reflects
Amir Tsarfati's spiritual foundations and his position as a former
major in the
Israeli Defense Forces, which combines well with co-author Steve Yohn's
experience as a pastor in the group Tsarfati formed, Behold Israel,
which
provides Bible-based teachings about Israel from a prophetic viewpoint.
The power of
this
story lies not just in its political maneuvers and action-packed
tension, but
in the revelations and growth individual characters experience as
events
unfold:
"Nir knew he was being overly dramatic in his
bravado, but he was
so tired that he defaulted to tough-guy mode...Because of the state
their
bodies were in, it was their minds that would give them this needed
victory."
Inspired by
real
events but steeped in the best trappings of fictional drama and the
overlay of
spiritual revelations and experiences, Out
of the Far North is a multifaceted thriller about beliefs and
actions that
will attract libraries and readers seeking vivid stories featuring
strong
characterization and sizzling scenarios of transformation and adversity.
Return to Index
The Well
R. Chapman Wesley
High Top Publishing
ASIN: B0CDMDC6NM
$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CDMDC6NM
Think
bio-terrorist
thriller, add a heavy dose of medical mystery intrigue, then polish it
off with
the world-hopping potential for a cure that will change mankind for a
sense of
the special style of high-octane, nonstop action that is The
Well.
The theft of
such a
possible promise combines with a murderous competition in which
Professor
Anatoly Popov, an esteemed virologist and Russian-born defector, steals
the
world's deadliest virus from a lab with the objective of altering it to
produce
a cure that will change the world.
Unfortunately,
his
adversaries (which came from all walks of life) don't share his vision.
A power
struggle emerges which holds the dual prospect of either destroying
humanity or
altering it forever.
R. Chapman
Wesley
cultivates a special blend of mystery, myth, and hope for the future.
These
pose quandaries and questions as characters vie for control of a force
that humanity
has never faced before.
Moral and
ethical
values collide with legend and science in satisfying ways that
juxtapose the
shifting realities of everyone involved. Readers will find their own
ideals and
values buffeted in the course of a story that reads like a mystery,
holds the
back-and-forth globetrotting tension of a thriller, and creates unusual
associations between military and scientific special interests as new
possibilities are pursued.
As if these
elements
weren't already enough to command a compelling read, Wesley adds the
impact of
an indigenous tribe into the mix who "...
are the Keepers of the Secrets and the Protectors of “The Well.” It is
they who
have discovered that the true “Well” lies within each of us, already an
embedded perfection of ourselves, given by the One Universal Mind,
simply
awaiting a recognition to unleash the perfection."
From
inquisitive
priests and cultural revelations to a search that leads Popov and his
unlikely
associate, ex-Seal medic and budding scientist Cmdr. Rex Lee, to probe
the
jungles of Brazil for answers, readers embark on a rollicking world
tour of
frightening power struggles and possibilities. These represent swift
action and
thought-provoking twists and turns throughout.
The Well is marked by a sense of
discovery and the possibilities of
miracles that evolve from unlikely associations and sources. This
atmosphere
lends it a tense aura of expectation that doesn't always lead in
predictable
directions.
The result
is an
engrossing thriller that is dressed in a broad spectrum of metaphysical
and
philosophical reflections perfect for readers of The
Jerico Manuscript, The
DaVinci Code, and similar tales of resolution and revelation.
The
disparate, powerful favors of The Well
will make it a main attraction for not just thriller collections, but
libraries
looking for exceptional book club recommendations:
"He could understand the worthiness, even
practicality of not
judging others, but how could he not judge himself? His father had
preached
that the universe was filled with forgiveness. But he also taught a
form of
spiritual preservation; that each action provoked a reaction, like a
reflection
in a mirror; that the universe was just; and that one could not escape
the
consequences of one’s actions…unless there was atonement."
Return to Index
American
Pied
Piper
Sam Foster
Agave Americana
Books
979-8988406402
$16.95
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/American-Pied-Piper-Trilogy/dp/B0CJD2RTSJ
Author
website: https://www.samfosterbooks.com/the-american-trilogy
The
third and
final book of the American Trilogy takes place in Beardstown, Illinois, as the early years of
the 20th century are just evolving.
Sam Clark is serving
as a guide on a hunting trip for his father's boss, Cunningham, who is
the
manager of the entire line of the Missouri, Kansas and Eastern
Railroad. The
railroad has overshadowed his short life,
but Sam's strength and ambition comes from
bigger dreams than working in a factory town:
"I was born and
raised in the only town named for
a railroad—Missouri, MO, Kansas, KAN and Eastern, E. MOKANE. My father
has
cooked in the railroad hotel my whole life. Everyone here works for the
railroad. But I would like to drive for one.”
Sam
steps into his
future as an adult and enters into adult relationships, but he never
abandons
his passion for the outdoors, hunting, or fielding the kinds of
ambitions and
purposes others hold for his future.
As
depression
years, the railroad's rise and fall, and friendships evolve, Sam finds
that
politics keeps affecting his future—whether he wants to be involved or
not:
“Wherever we go, we
got union problems. But here, here
in Beardstown, it never goes away. Never. Most of downstate Illinois
votes
Republican. They’re all independent cusses and vote that way. Chicago
is the
exception. They all want to cling to a group to get the result they
want.
Hell, this town is so Democratic, it not only has a full slate of
elected
Democrats running the place, it didn’t even vote for Lincoln. Not even
in ’64
for God’s sake. We have more trouble here than anywhere south of
Chicago and
don’t see that changing. We’ll move.”
Sam's
ability to
absorb and redefine wealth translates to a winning story. It unfolds a
compelling saga of American transition, growth, and hard decisions as
the
town's growing prosperity brings with it new questions of virtue, vice,
and
choice.
Sam's
ability to
review and reflect the town's history serves as a mirror image of
American
growth, featuring thought-provoking insights about the evolutionary
process:
“When I arrived at
the beginning of the century, we
were almost fifteen thousand here and with everything prosperity and
culture
could provide. When the river traffic died, we’d have collapsed but
saved
ourselves by bringing in the rail. When you were a boy, we were
something over
ten thousand but still prosperous. The rail left after you did, in ’40,
and now
we’re seven thousand and going broke. If we don’t create something new,
we will
die. Driving liberty out will squeeze out creativity, and there will be
no one
to come up with the next new thing, the thing that would have saved us.
Beardstown may not be a proper place, but it is a free place, and
freedom is
both more important and valuable than propriety. Free trumps good.”
Sam
Foster's
ability to create a panoramic portrait of the evolving country
translates to a
story that holds the sweeping appeal of an epic saga, the allure of an
ordinary
American who grows from boyhood to senior citizen as transformative
events
unfold, and the history of a life and town affected by fraud, new
dreams,
opportunity, and courage.
The
tests of
moral, ethical, and political ambition that accompany Sam's journey
creates a
thought-provoking tale that not only serves as a fitting conclusion to
the
trilogy as a whole, but can stand alone as a representative piece of
American
experience and history.
Libraries
and
readers seeking fiction that reflects the concurrent rise and fall of
individuals and nations (as well as the American values and ideals that
accompany them) will find American Pied Piper a
compelling story replete
in a blend of history and experience that invites book club discussion.
Return to Index
Ancient
Mysteries of the Urban Legion
Dave Agans
B. Mirthy &
Sons
978-0-9861709-4-2
$2.99 ebook, $15.00 paperback
Website: www.BMirthy.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH9F76F4
Ancient Mysteries
of the Urban Legion gives another
Urban Legion satire to
audiences both new and formerly appreciative of the other novels of
humorous
fiction, bringing the Wacko Conspiracy Group and a madcap world of zany
conflicts to new heights.
Lynn
Grady's
insistence on investigating Master Chuushin’s Zen meditation center,
where an
ecumenical mob scene has erupted between Baptists, the Mothers of Zion,
and the
Granite State Congregationalists, drives a story which delves into
urban
legends, religious fervor, and biotech enhancements. These include
Menutti, a
thinking cat with a talent for chemistry, and a host of crazy
circumstances.
Outcomes
are not
only unpredictable, but represent a romp through not-so-evil geniuses,
pampered
and purrfect cats, and moral and ethical choices faced by secret
hospitals
involved in illicit transplants (among other scenarios).
All
are
presented with a signature brand of fast action, unexpected twists and
turns,
and wry humor which is embedded into the dialogues and interactions of
all
characters:
“Damn,” Meg
whispered, turning to give her personal
witness camera a panoramic view. “I reckon we should’ve expected the
refrigerators for an organ transplant operation. But I didn’t expect it
to be
so huge. Or so automated.”
Mike nodded.
“Or so busy. They must be stealin’ a lot of kidneys.”
From
the
comments of Zen-mind (which permeate the story and fill it with an
offbeat
philosophical atmosphere) to goons, cats, and confrontations, the
antics of
scoundrels and a cast of characters with vested interests in artifacts
and
thievery makes for a hilarious tale that laces intrigue with satire.
Libraries
and
readers either familiar with the prior Urban Legion books or new to
this
scenario will equally find delightful the observations and
confrontations
outlined in Ancient Mysteries of the Urban Legion.
Its wry tone of
mystery and sarcasm keeps readers laughing and thinking, enhancing the
Urban
Legion trilogy as a whole with its cat-centric struggle between humans
and
feline influences (among many other facets).
Return to Index
Between the Sky
and the Sea
Lisa Kline
Dragonblade
Publishing, Inc.
979-8375696164
$13.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Between-Sky-Sea-Lisa-Kline/dp/B0BTKSP6NW
Between the Sky and the Sea is inspired by a legend and presents a
nautical tale of shipwreck and the difficult choices faced by two
survivors in
the 1800s. Lisa Kline fictionalizes the facts, adding drama and further
depth
to the original story of the sinking of steamship Pulaski, whose
remains were
discovered off the coast of North Carolina in 2018.
The two
survivors of this disaster (Mr. Ridge and Miss Oslow from Savannah)
stayed
alive for four days on floating settees before they were rescued, but
many
questions about their experience and relationship remained unanswered.
Extensive research uncovered a love story that is translated here in an
extraordinarily compelling tale of 1800s history and romance.
From
catching
fish using earrings as a lure to envisioning a revised life after
rescue, the
story follows the process of tragedy, survival, and lasting impact with
the
lure of high drama. This pairs well with historical details that came
from Lisa
Kline's extensive research of known facts surrounding both the disaster
and the
relationship between its sole survivors.
Exactly
how the
shipwreck changes Lavinia in many ways after rescue is as key to the
story as the
event itself. This differentiates Between
the Sky and the Sea from other tales of adversity and rescue,
lending
deeper psychological currents to events than the efforts of Mr. Ridge
to assure
their mutual survival. Livvy's initial desire to live as an independent
woman
is transformed by her experience, opening her eyes to vastly revised
choices
and opportunities.
From a
quasi-marriage (which might not be entirely acceptable or legal in
society's
eyes) to Livvy's new position as a tainted woman who still takes charge
of her
own destiny, Kline creates a moving story that focuses on many
different
elements of survival beyond a shipwreck's initial impact.
The changes
Lavinia
experiences are on par with the challenges faced by women of her times,
while
history interplays with drama in a way that laces both with more detail
than a
reader might expect from a historical novel. The plot also considers
social
evolution and the fears and confrontations faced by women of the times.
The result
may be
chosen by historical novel readers for its extensive background
research; by
women's fiction readers for its realistic, astute analysis of the
barriers
women faced in their efforts to control their own destinies; and by
general-interest readers attracted by the scenario of a shipwreck
romance and
survival story that proves to be so much more.
Libraries
and readers
looking for a tale which promises entertainment, then delivers a
powerful punch
of social inspection, will find Between the Sky and the Sea compellingly easy to
recommend and hard to
put down.
Return to Index
Freedom's
Just
Another Word
Len Joy
Independently
Published
979-8585924699
$12.95 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Freedoms-Just-Another-Word-Len/dp/B0CGZ31MS9
Freedom's Just Another Word opens in 2018
with the declaration
"I used to be famous." Jake revels in the more minor fame of having a
successful syndicated column until the newspaper is sold and his column
is cut
back, forcing Jake to become a part-time Uber driver just to make ends
meet.
Inspiration
under
adverse economic conditions seems unlikely, but Jake is wallowing, even
though
his adult daughter is on the cusp of realizing success at last, having
been
accepted to Stanford Law at age 31.
Jake is
brutally
candid from the start about the many questionable choices he's made in
his
life, all of which have led him to this point of uncertainty:
"My fall from grace had been all on me. I fell in
love with
someone I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with. She was 21, I was 35
and
married. She was my intern. She had a baby. We named him Devante. I’m
supposed
to say I was wrong. That I made a mistake and I’m sorry. But I loved
Monique
and I love my son. My heart wanted something it couldn’t have. I don’t
think
that makes it wrong, just impossible. I have no regrets."
Len Joy
cultivates a
gritty form of self-realization in his character which makes him both
flawed
and likeable from the beginning. Although family unity seems
unachievable,
there are still life changes waiting to influence Jake and change his
floundering course. These unfold in the course of a novel that follows
his
moves into adult son Devante's life and crazy woman Amanda's world, who
represents yet another opportunity to either succeed or fail in
relationship-building.
Joy's
ability to
traverse the social and political tides of Jake's environment brings
readers
directly into contact with its disparate forces, from boxing and exes
to adult
children who are also finding their way in their lives.
The
heartbreaking,
beautiful stories Jake is capable of writing change others' lives. Why
not his
own?
But as he
faces a
son's dangerous stalker, an even uglier situation with his ex Tawni,
and a job
demotion that keeps him wondering about his future, Jake's search for
others'
stories becomes his own quest for a better outcome.
Readers who
enter his
life to absorb Jake's first-person revelations about his scattered
relationships with job and life will find in Jake many of the
components of
their own psyches; especially in moments which teeter on the fine edge
of
failure or success.
Jake's
return to his
writing prowess in producing a column which is both enlightening and
highly
controversial opens new doors of opportunity he and his readers won't
see coming.
The result
is a
commanding probe of old patterns, new beginnings, political
entanglements, and
relationship challenges reformulated under new conditions. Against the
backdrops of boxing, fighting for identity, and confronting self and
family
lies the astute, vividly realistic story of a man who attempts to
reveal and
save others while making difficult choices to do the same for himself.
Freedom's Just Another Word is highly
recommended for libraries and
readers looking for powerfully compelling fiction about middle-aged
characters
who face real-world danger, the impossibility of fairy-tale endings,
and the
promise that tomorrow will be different. Maybe.
Return to Index
Heavenly
Empress
Victor Cunrui
Xiong
Ainosco Press
978-9866286803
$24.00 Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Heavenly-Empress-Zetian-Novel-China/dp/9866286800
Heavenly Empress:
The Age of Wu Zetian: A Novel of
Tang and Wu Zhou China is a
"history in the guise of a historical novel" which stays truer to its
history component over embellishing the facts. This makes it a worthy
pursuit
for anyone seeking an accurate exploration of Chinese history and
events.
China
is quite
different from the modern Western world in unexpected ways (to
Westerners),
from how time is divided to the solar-lunar calendar based on Chinese
months,
which is largely incompatible from the Julian calendar. In some cases,
Victor
Cunrui Xiong has adopted Western methods to ease reader understanding.
In
others, Westerners are required to absorb Chinese history and facts in
different ways, which lends to the authenticity of this representation
and a
better understand of China's Tang era.
Influenced
by
the literary works of Western writers over the last two centuries,
Xiong
tailors a work that, itself, is a tribute to world literature's tried
and
tested approach to creating historical fiction that both educates and
resonates.
The
saga
features emotional revelations of royalty and the disparate forms of
rebellion
undertaken by women, playboys, and serious rebels who aspire to the
throne to
the movements of expeditionary armies; political campaigns that turn
Consort Wu
to Empress Wu (who stands "at the pinnacle of the world"), and the
battles between princes, rebels, and families. Xiong explores not just
the
politics of the times, but the familial and emotional forces at work
within and
outside of groups.
These
surveys
feature satisfying contrasts of political and social ambitions between
rich and
poor and royalty and commoner with an astute eye to covering the
historical
facts of the time in a style that proves compelling even to readers who
may
hold little prior knowledge of Chinese history.
The
cultural
observations, intrigue, and actions of a wide cast of characters of
necessity
demands that readers hold an attention to detail as shifting political
maneuvers and encounters embellish the characters and their connections.
While
it would
not be accurate to portray Heavenly Empress as a
light entertainment,
Xiong accomplishes his goal of personalizing the politics and
motivations of
the times. He creates a story which offers many insights about the Tang
era,
court proceedings, and the contrasts between opposing forces that would
rule
China's internal and external affairs.
From
how Tang
rule was permanently restored in China to the role and power of a woman
who
toppled a seemingly unshaken dynasty and replaced it with her own
operation,
which lasted for over a decade, Xiong's story of how a male monopoly on
power
was shaken, overcome, and replaced will prove of special interest to
women
studying world history and women's roles in power.
Libraries
and
book clubs seeking novels steeped in fact and enlightening in their
history and
portrait of how women overcome impossible political repression to
become rulers
will find Heavenly Empress offers not only numerous
facts, but many
opportunities for wider discussions about China's history and women's
roles as
leaders.
Return to Index
If
Pain Could
Make Music
Ron Morin
Independently
Published
9798389294462
$16.99 Paper/$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/If-Pain-Could-Make-Music/dp/B0CD13H121
How
does an
adult recover from the legacy of sexual abuse as a child during the
1950s when
such events were not acknowledged? If Pain Could Make Music
follows the
revelations of Lemeilleur, a young man who comes to the slow
realization of the
lasting impact of his sexual abuse and trauma, and the limited options
he has
for working past the pain of his discoveries.
Lemeilleur's
experiences read like a biography, incorporate the pain and passion of
fiction,
and capture the efforts of a young man whose goal is to "stop feeling
bad
about his life."
As
he forms
relationships, struggles with sexual offers and the emotions they
spark, and
tries to feel a love that he knows he should harbor but can't quite
touch,
readers receive a thought-provoking tale of anguish. This might trigger
some
who also struggle with past abuse, but will enlighten most about the
special
nature of this kind of healing journey.
Ron
Morin
peppers Lemeilleur's explorations with thought-provoking growth
insights:
"...words were
nothing in themselves. Until words
rang with truth they are nothing but harlequins out to thwart their
master. He
had to start over again. Mice had loved him, and Lemeilleur hadn't FELT
it!"
Awakening
to
feelings sparks a wellspring of unacknowledged emotions that compel
Lemeilleur
past the books that have provided him with both foundations and
boundaries.
"Would Lemeilleur
end up like Mice: paralyzed in
a fear so great love was forever locked out?"
Few
novels
address the specter of male sexual abuse, much less the impact of such
abuse
taking place during times when sexual abuse was barely acknowledged;
much less
by men.
Libraries
and
readers looking for passionate, heartfelt novels that capture personal
and
community crisis alike will find If Pain Could Make Music
a powerful
study of the impact, healing, and fractured results of abuse.
Return to Index
Mad Dash
Sage Evans
Everaye
Press
979-8988328117
$16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://sageevans.com/
The first book in the West Creek Ranch
series, Mad Dash, is about felons, love, family
ranching, and trick
riding, embedding romance with rural flavors and finishing the dish
with rich
country descriptions that are compelling from the novel's opening
lines: "My
grand plans meet their demise during an argument with an old lady over
beef
jerky."
This story, set in the high country of
Higgins, Wyoming, unfolds with a learning curve as Christa confronts a
jerky
thief, the trick-riding Corbett brothers, and her infatuation with
Carter
Corbett, who has been the object of her fantasies since childhood.
The impact of childhood dreams, adult
realities, and a changing environment leads Christa and her readers
into a
story laced with ironic humor and interactions that support both
romance and
personal growth. These are cemented by dialogues between characters
that are
invitingly easy on the eye and heart:
"I’m
turning
into the same gawking teenager who sat with Skyler for hours
fantasizing about
what it would be like if we could marry those men. We would live in
houses next
door to each other on their massive ranch and raise beautiful families.
We’d
have adorable sons who could ride like the wind and crush their
fathers’ rodeo
records. The fantasies, coming from a girl like me, felt ridiculous.
'You’re drooling.'
It’s Skyler’s voice near my ear."
Sage Evans presents a tale that changes
points of view between Carter and Christa, presented in chapter
headings which
make it easy for readers to absorb these shifting perspectives. The
different
tones of the narrators emphasize and outline the meeting of the minds
and
hearts that fires Christa and Carter to confront their dreams—and one
another:
"In
all
brutal honesty, my little brother is fucked up. Has been since the
night he
knocked the shit out of Cody Harris, the drunk driver who killed our
parents.
But I didn’t tell Christa that when she asked about him. I didn’t tell
her
anything about the strange bond my brother and I share or how it’s made
us
connected and disconnected simultaneously."
As secrets, truths, and contrasts between
two very different families come to light, Evans builds a wider set of
insights
and perspectives that draw readers into the milieu of the small town
and its
influences on the main characters in her story. Their ideals and
thoughts come
to light in satisfying contrasts that keep the action and events
personal and
thought-provoking:
"Maybe
there
is no perfect love story. There’s only love. Precious, powerful, and
terrifying."
The resulting love story about flaws,
transformation, and coming together will delight libraries and readers
seeking
a vigorous combination of small-town tale, examination of life and
love, and
revelations about power, praise, and the process of riding recklessly
into
love.
Return to Index
The Rogue
and the Jade: Part Two
Steven Clark
Independently
Published
979-8394683640
$7.99
Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Jade-Part-Two/dp/B0C6BM7FMK
The second
part of The Rogue and the Jade
odyssey continues
the story of 1800s story of Amanda Breakfield, on a prison ship to
Australia,
who is taken by the ship's captain to be his concubine. In short order,
she
faces an assassin, inclement weather, and challenges that include being
captured by a queen who both covets Amanda's special form of magic and
wants to
adopt her as a daughter.
Amanda's
search for
the truth and justice has landed her in precarious positions, but she
must
overcame everything fate has given her in order to survive and realize
both
freedom and vengeance.
Familiarity
with
Steven Clark's first story will lend a fine sense of continuity to
Amanda's
evolving life as she continues to move far from her life in Regency
England to
embark on a voyage of discovery and romance aboard the Jade and among
peoples
who both revere and revile her:
"Walking on deck, Cates knew about the tropics, and
native
girls...and malaria, headhunters, pirates, heat so great it seemed to
melt
a white man. As he fingered the guineas in his
pocket, he imagined a
better life than one on the King’s floating prisons."
As she moves
to the
opposite ends of the earth from all that she loves and all that is
familiar,
Amanda's encounter with powerful women gives her not only new
opportunities for
escape, but new revelations about women's relationships and belief
systems.
Her God is
one of
love. But some who encounter her are sure she is a demon.
Clark
provides a
rollicking good adventure and action story which cements its progress
and
purposes with strong female characters and interactions between native
and
White communities alike. These evolving connections and the new ideas
that stem
from them receive enlightening discourse as Amanda struggles against
adversity
and new ideas in different ways: “You are
allowed your cross god. It is a god with much magic. But you are my
daughter. You are one with the world, and have your home.”
The result
is a vivid
story of plots, survival methods, and the gift of magic and discovery
which
traverses impossible conditions to form new connections:
“The tune comes from this. You must wind it like
so. When you do this,
the magic will know you need it, then when you lift the lid, it sings
to you.
But you must not wind it quickly or tightly. The magic wants you to ask
it
politely.”
Followers of
Amanda's
adventures in the first The Rogue and the
Jade book will find the same attention to character-building
detail,
revelation, and growth builds further trails and new possibilities for
Amanda,
Jack, and the people they encounter on their journey.
Return to Index
The Rogue and the Jade Part Three: Mandee
Steven Clark
Independently
Published
9798394683640
$7.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
www.amazon.com
Picking up
where Book
Two left the door more than ajar for more is the third book in the
Rogue and
the Jade trilogy, which opens with Amanda's near-disastrous escape
attempt.
Jack Hobb rescues her and bears her back home, but she has not
thoroughly
escaped adversity yet. Waiting for her are the charges and influences
which led
to her world-hopping adventure in the first place.
This time,
she is
forced to confront them in new ways as she reconciles the survival
lessons of a
captive that challenge her sense of home and place, leading her into
uncharted
waters.
As Amanda
and Jack
face their love for one another against the hold of Mateah and
impossible odds,
readers swept into the magic of the trilogy from the first two books in
the
series receive a thought-provoking series of clashes in which Amanda
must
choose between her roots and the island clan that has adopted her as
one of theirs.
Black and
white line
drawings pepper the story (as in the previous books) as Amanda finds
her way
through new circumstances and life "brushes away all confrontation and
fury."
Prior
followers of
the trilogy will be the best audience for this riveting conclusion to
Amanda's
adventures because characters and situations from the prior books
continue to
receive embellishment and enlightenment here. This leads to a
satisfying
conclusion that frays the tempers and purposes of a wide range of
characters from
different walks of life.
Amanda's
struggles
over finally finding home and purpose power a novel that is
multifaceted and as
able to draw romance and Regency readers as it is those who look for
swashbuckling
action and vivid battle scenes.
Libraries
seeing
popularity with the prior two Rogue and the Jade stories will want to
place
this conclusion on their 'must acquire' lists. It's an inviting survey
of power
plays, women's evolving strengths, and the world-building choices men
and women
face as they seek to reinvent themselves.
Return to Index
A Thousand
Flying
Things
Kathryn Brown
Ramsperger
TouchPoint Press
9781956851649
$16.99 Paper/$8.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Flying-Things-Kathryn-Ramsperger/dp/195685164X
Set in the
early
1990s in Sudan, A Thousand Flying Things
lives up to its title by being many things—among them, a romance story,
a story
of humanitarian aid and UN efforts, and a chronicle of the conflict
that erupts
between work and love when an opportunity of the past returns to
present-day
efforts to change the most well-meaning of intentions.
The last
thing UN
worker Dianna saw coming was an opportunity to rekindle a romance that
took
place in Lebanon. Her efforts to help children in the Sudan have
resulted in
terrible realizations about the politics and abuse of foreign aid
programs, the
power of local tribal warlords to kidnap and train child fighters, and
threats
to her own life.
Her presence
in
Africa is filled with idealism, practicality, and dangerous
realizations:
"These children mean
everything to her because her
presence in
Africa is what she has left. She has a year to reach them. A year from
now,
most will join the fighting, or the dead. Reaching even one would be
enough
reward for the time spent in this restless, ragged heat. Reaching a few
would
be a miracle. Books are her only tool."
What she had
no anticipation
of was the return of a prospect she had long set aside for
bigger-picture
thinking.
The special
value of
this story lies in its exploration of UN protocol and moral and ethical
issues
that arise from these best intentions gone awry. Dianna's moments of
realization and reinvention drive her story, keeping its insights and
revelations
on track and thought-provoking:
“I would have realized he
was just one more soul in
a vast array of
souls that all need our help. I would not have singled him out. Nor
would I
have if I'd enlisted team assistance. Acted according to U.N. protocol.
Taken
the appropriate steps.”
She pauses and looks around the room. All eyes are on her but with
looks of empathy, not disapproval.
“That is why I am requesting a less arduous position in Addis Ababa,
where I will be a team member instead of a teacher. I would enjoy the
camaraderie, brainstorming, and protection of a team. I will not ever
allow
this kind of circumstance to happen again. Never.”
Qasim's
allure and
her realizations about loves past and present feature a fascinating
juxtaposition of subjects that keeps readers engaged on different
levels. The
personal and political inspections that evolve from Dianna's ambitions
and
connections are astute and realistic:
"Did love bring happiness?
Did it bring power?
Didn’t Solomon’s
Biblical love song say that love was as strong as death? Now that was
power."
The
resulting saga of
shifting core values, contrasts between Dianna's white American
Christian roots
and how they will (or won't) dovetail with Qasim's Lebanese Muslim
family, and
focus on diversity and choice is highly recommended for libraries and
readers
seeking evocative works that will also fuel powerful book club
discussions.
Return to Index
True
North
Randall
DeVallance
Beacon Publishing
Group
978-1-961504-01-1
$16.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/randall.devallance.author
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/True-North-Randall-Devallance/dp/1961504014
True North is
a literary novel
of business, enlightenment, and
transformation. It incorporates a wry satirical sense of irony to life
as a
sales rep at True North, LLC, Salvatore "Sal" Slocum, finds his life
and business savvy put to new tests.
Company
owner Burt
Leathers places Sal in a different position, then views the fruits of
his
decision in success ratios that exceed anything Sal or the company
could have
achieved before his loss of memory and concurrent strange attraction.
It's a
scenario made all the more puzzling by the fact that, before this, Sal
was only
an average achiever and employee.
Leathers has
more
than profited from Sal's situation. It's time to hand Sal the reins of
the
company. But, leadership evolves from strange places and a bequest of
power
isn't always the gift it seems, as Sal discovers when he learns of the
real
reason Burt has decided to retire.
Randall
DeVallance employs extensive dialogue between characters to
cement
individual psyches and pursuits. These bring the story to life, adding
to the
sense of irony and special interests exhibited by the characters as
their
situations change. The dialogues and reflections that permeate this
tale
provide food for thought about business, special interests, and
subterfuge
alike:
“I’m rather pleased with
how that came off,” said
Leathers, once his
crossword had been amended.
Stilton nodded. “Not nearly the pushback we had expected. I thought I
was in for a long day, but aside from that one question about
refreshments
everyone just seemed to accept the fact that Sal’s the boss now.”
Leathers grunted, but said nothing. He had noticed that as well. It was
the only thing that dampened his pleasure at how smoothly his plan had
gone. He
and Stilton had spent the previous evening workshopping an intricate
explanation for why Leathers needed to step aside temporarily...It
wasn’t the
wasted time that bothered Leathers so much as learning that his
workforce saw
him as replaceable. Better to suffer a hard truth than a bullet to the
head, he
reasoned, but that didn’t mean his pride was any less wounded."
As a
business book
and a concurrent drama of shifting relationships both in the financial
and
interpersonal relationship sectors, True
North charts a course that is inviting, fun, and
thought-provoking all in
one.
An ability
to present
a literary piece that works on different levels is not uncommon; but
what
Randall DeVallance creates here is a unique romp through
life's changes
and dovetailed lives. This translates to perfect debate and discussion
material
for book clubs.
Libraries
and readers
interested in novels rooted in both business and personal pursuits will
discover True North to be
a
captivating draw that's hard to put down, weaving drama into
bigger-picture
dilemmas:
"I don’t know what I
expected, letting a compass
plan out my
life.”
Return to Index
Welcome to
Bellechester
Margaret A. Blenkush
Beaver's Pond Press
978-1-64343-610-4
$27.95 Large
Print
Website: www.margaretablenkush.com
Ordering: www.itascabooks.com
Welcome to Bellechester
continues the
medical story introduced in the novel The
Doctor of Bellechester, which centered on a small village
doctor who
journeys to London in search of a mentor for his practice and instead
encounters new possibilities in American woman Mary Elizabeth.
The
atmosphere of
cozy mystery, suspense, and budding career and personal choices is
furthered in
this second book, which opens with different circumstances of intrigue
and revised
potentials, beginning with another confession gained by Detective
Inspector
William Francis Donnelly.
Dr. Harold
Merton is
not a major figure here, but plays a more minor role, appearing
mid-book long
after the story has heated up and embraced readers with its special
brand of
Bellechester community interactions and concerns.
As Dr. Basil
Applegate and other characters profiled in the first book come to
light,
readers will find this second story of small village interactions and
influences expands the psyches and situations of the first book while
building
an excellent stand-alone novel steeped in British atmosphere, detective
work,
and medical issues alike.
The pivot
points of
this novel opens the doors and definition of "cozy small town" to
invite newcomers and prior fans into a read that excels in building
relationships, connections, and conundrums stemming from mystery and
medical
treatments.
As in her
prior
novel, Margaret A. Blenkush is adept at crafting a set of realistic
circumstances powered by quiet, believable dramas that play out many
different
levels. This translates to a realistic feel that uses daily life
encounters to
build suspense, eschewing the lure of nonstop action in favor of a
slower place
that builds equally satisfying tension and attraction.
Mary
Elizabeth begins
to feel that there should be something more in her life than her
passion for
becoming a rural doctor, involving readers in the opportunities,
ideals, and
issues facing women in the late 1950s.
The result
is another
fine cozy story that embraces and expands the atmosphere of
Bellechester and
its residents with an 'everyman', 'everywoman', and 'everytown' appeal
that explores
the challenges of adopting a foreign locale as one's home.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a story that focuses on how a young woman moves into new
possibilities
that expand her future and perspectives will find Welcome
to Bellechester delightful, pairing a deceptively peaceful
countenance with moments of revelation and discovery.
Return to Index
When You
Read This
I'll Be Gone
Anne Moose
Act Two
979-8-218-95514-4
$16.00 Paperback/$6.99 Kindle
When
You Read This I'll Be Gone
The title of
Anne
Moose's When You Read This I'll Be Gone
achieves the goal of an excellent title—to compel readers to delve into
the
story. It supports the opening lines of the tale, which take the form
of a
letter Valerie Hawthorne writes to her loved ones:
"I know there’s nothing I
can ever say or do to
make up for the
hurt I’ve caused you, but this book will at least explain what happened
and why
I did what I did. I don’t expect forgiveness, but I do want you to know
the
truth. It’s ironic that, with this book, I may finally achieve the
success as
an author I’ve always wanted."
As Valerie
admits
that the domino-tipping came as much from her actions as those of a
handsome,
tall stranger she encountered at a hotel, readers receive a compelling
series
of events that turns an illicit romance into a quest for redemption and
revenge.
A dinner
invitation
becomes something more—and then the terror begins as Valerie comes to
understand that little was left to chance, and much that played out was
intentionally plotted.
From
mistakes made
both intentionally and inadvertently to the deadly results of dangerous
choices, Moose weaves a thoroughly engaging story that winds through
murder, a
past crime the perp never realized had been committed, and racial
prejudices
which infect even a liberal university.
As the truth
is
revealed and Valerie is charged with telling the world, a riveting
story plays
out that intersects romance and danger in such a way that readers will
not want
to stop following its satisfying twists and turns.
Its
evolutionary
process lies in developing truths and underlying motives that affect
all the
characters, and its strength lies in a plot for retribution that
challenges
Valerie to not just survive, but step up to life in new ways:
“By the end of this week,
you’ll be one of the
biggest stories in the
country. It has all the elements—sex, violence, mystery. Everyone will
know
your name and be wondering what happened to you.” He paused with a look
of
satisfaction. “We don’t know what your husband’s condition is, or what
the
thinking is about your disappearance, but it doesn’t matter. What
matters is you’re gone, and
the mystery of your
whereabouts will grow bigger every day.”
Stark in its
romantic
interlude, which opens the saga with a slower simmer that then builds
to a boil
of intrigue and revelations, When You
Read This I'll Be Gone lives up to its promises to be a
powerful blend of
mystery, romance, and psychological attraction.
When You Read This I'll Be
Gone is highly
recommended for libraries
and readers seeking exceptional titles supported by equally potent
reading that
keeps audiences thoroughly engaged and guessing to the end.
Return to Index
Climbing
Bubbles
Patrick Sanaghan Ed.D.
Independently
Published
979-8862462838
$11.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Bubbles-Increase-Your-Creative/dp/B0CJLMTS24
Climbing
Bubbles:
How To Increase Your "Creative IQ" joins other self-help
guides
exploring the wellsprings of creativity, but arrives with a difference.
The
heart of this story lies in exploring not only supportive forces to
creativity,
but the obstacles that batter the creative impulse.
Where
other books would
maintain that creativity is
inherent, Patrick Sanaghan maintains that it also is learned and can be
either
supported or quashed. Almost anyone holds the potential to be creative,
with
daily problem-solving challenges creating opportunities to delve into
more
creative solutions or resort to mundane reactions and thinking.
Rather
than exploring
ethereal and philosophical ideals,
as too many books do, Climbing Bubbles
presents five concrete approaches for supporting and increasing one's
"creativity IQ", from capturing creative thoughts from sleep and
awake time to understanding different styles of learning and how to
support and
promote them internally and externally.
Creative
notes accompany
each of these strategies with
examples, supportive suggestions, and routines any reader can employ to
support
their own creative wellsprings in whatever form they may take.
Supporting
creative impulses
of necessity involves
identifying "creativity killers" and mitigating their impact.
Sangahan shows how to hone creativity-enhancing tools and approaches to
daily
life situations, supplying real-life case history examples of not only
creative
individuals, but leaders who would mentor and foster creativity in
their
organizations and followers.
Readers
will discover that Climbing Bubbles
is no quick read, but
presents a program which
ideally will be slowly digested and applied to individual lives and
goals. It
demands an attention to detail and understanding that also deserves to
be part
of business and book club discussion circles:
"When
you use
metaphorical thinking, you create the psychological space necessary to
solve
your existing problem. It takes you to a different level and different
way of
thinking. It naturally opens up your creative processes and provides a
different perspective. It takes some practice but can have powerful
results."
Long
thought a subject for
liberal arts groups, Sangahan
demonstrates how the pursuit of increased creativity benefits all kinds
of
organizations, operations, and individuals at all levels of life
achievement.
Libraries
and readers
of Climbing Bubbles can thus come
from all walks of life, from business and leadership roles to
individuals
looking to burst the limiting bubble of perception that creativity is
an
artistic pursuit alone. Its momentum and relevance comes not from a
singular
avenue to success, but from a carefully honed compilation of supportive
references, statistics, case histories and specific discussions, making
Climbing Bubbles highly recommended
for
a wide audience of already-creative thinkers and wannabes alike.
Return to Index
Creative
Genius You
Patti Dobrowolski
Creative Genius Press
9780983985655
$21.99 Paper/$8.99 ebook
www.upyourcreativegenius.com
Creative
Genius
You: The Equation That Makes You Great! pairs drawings by
Scott Ward with
exercises and insights into the foundations of intuition, creativity,
and
choice. This encourages readers to think outside the box of expectation
and set
patterns to reach a greater level of creative insights.
From
the importance of
cultivating inner dialogues to
optimizing ambition by reviewing progress in a new light, Patti Dobrowolski
creates an inviting set of easy routines
and insights about how belief
systems can combine with artistic drive to create new pathways of
opportunity.
While
outlining a path
forward, Dobrowolski admits
that history
and training too often must be set aside in order to let in a different
approach:
"Lots
of
people spend hours longing for something to occur and asking
themselves, 'Why
is nothing changing?' Unleashing the full capacity of your Creative
Genius
takes belief and determination."
Peppered
with examples, case
histories, and inviting
methods of re-envisioning past and present to hone better future
opportunities,
the exercises and advice in Creative
Genius You outlines a road map of new possibilities. Of
necessity, of
course, these involve restructuring one's expectations, ideals, and
approaches
to life. Interactive formulas throughout the book streamline and
encourage this
process of discovery.
Libraries
and individuals
interested in revised growth
opportunities will welcome this approach, but Creative
Genius You will truly shine in group settings where
opportunities for contrast, discussion, and success can be shared and
fine-tuned.
Books clubs thus will find it an inspirational, actionable set of new
ideals
for fostering and tapping creative roots.
Return to Index
The Elk in the Glade
Bruce E.
Whitacre
Crown Rock Media
978-1-946116-25-3
$20.00
www.crownrockmedia.com
The
Elk in the
Glade: The World of Pioneer and Painter Jennie Hicks belongs in any arts collection strong in
paintings, biography, and
poetry; but it doesn't assume the usual nonfiction structure of a prose
memoir.
Bruce E. Whitacre
instead chooses poetry to
capture the life of Jennie Hicks, the author's great-grandmother and a
family
legend. This personal presentation succeeds in capturing the life and
influences of this Nebraskan daughter of pioneer stock, weaving family
stories
and memories into a story which sometimes blurs the lines between prose
and
poem, but which always features a steady rhythm and revealing hand.
Vivid accounts of
Jennie's beginnings and
artistic development bring home the effort of this creative artist to
forge a
place for working on her craft:
"They
found
Jennie in one of Arthur’s old shirts,/the pantry wall lined with three
paintings:/a mountain cabin, a howling wolf, a cowboy on
horseback/fighting
through a blizzard to make his log cabin in the night."
Beautiful color
reproductions of her art
pepper the story, which will interest even readers who may hold little
prior
familiarity with the artist, her family, or the times.
Bruce
E.
Whitacre's ability to capture this support network and the
extraordinary
efforts of Jennie Hicks in a manner that reaches beyond the usual
literary or
arts reader makes her story appealing to a much wider audience.
Presented along
with the visual and mental artist's hand, The
Elk in the
Glade proves much more than a
review of the artist's productions. It delves into her life and, even
more
importantly, the family relationships and experiences that influenced
the
presence of tragedy, healing, and creative impetus in her artworks.
In the end, the poetic
reflections about her
legacy prove just as heavy a draw as Jennie's life and artistic choices:
"The
picture
of two lions painted by Jennie/at the birth of my father, her first
grandchild,/floated with the river of the seven houses/in seventeen
years—my
youth in one town—/until it became home itself."
Libraries and readers
interested in stories
of 19th century female artists who emerged from backgrounds that
originally had
little to do with art will find The Elk in the Glade
accessible,
captivating, and nicely rooted in Nebraskan history and culture.
Return to Index
Esther
C.M. Huddleston
Interpreting Time's
Past Press
979-8-9852672-2-8
$15.99 Print/$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Esther-C-M-Huddleston/dp/B0CK3XLLRR
Esther
is a
highly recommended historical novel for all ages, from young adult
through
adult readers. It centers on American Revolutionary War history as seen
through
the eyes of 1800s character Esther, who experiences war, Indian
attacks,
movements through early American settlements, and shifting family
relationships.
The
times come to life
through her eyes and travels as
C.M. Huddleston attends to capturing the atmosphere and motivations of
late 1700s
America and those who lived in these turbulent times:
"As
the war
raged in the east, Indian attacks grew more frequent in the lands
across the
Appalachians. Despite knowing of and fearing such attacks, men,
families, and
the militia traveled the far western trails, for such was life in the
wilderness. Besides the threats of Indian attacks, all frontier
travelers heard
tales of robbers, evil men, white like themselves, attacking and
killing along
the backcountry roads and trails."
The
timeline of American
history that introduces this milieu
may prove daunting to those who want immediate immersion in fictional
drama,
but it does set the stage for the story's roots in fact. Readers who
want
immediate gratification and draw can easily look beyond the timeline
introduction and refer to it later as Esther's life progresses.
As
relationships between men
and women (and within
families) unfold against the backdrop of early American journeys and
trails, readers
receive a "you are here" feel that cultivates a compelling immediacy
and logic to the history embedded in Esther's story.
Huddleston
is particularly
skilled at integrating
thoughts and prayers with the routines and concerns of not just Esther,
but the
community and people she moves among. This creates a wider-ranging
sense of
place and purpose that helps drive the story line with satisfying
psychological
and historical insights. Ultimately, these dovetail within Esther's
experiences
and shifting perspectives about herself, her relationships, and the
wider world
at large.
As
Joshua, Esther, Seth,
Lovely, and a disparate range of
personable characters come to light, readers will revel in the
challenges and
courage that also emerge from their experiences and interactions.
Esther's
ability to reach a wide age range with a compelling saga that's based
on primary
materials and published resources, yet incorporates the drama and
action of
fictional creativity, makes it a strong recommendation for libraries
and
reading groups interested in early American history and novels
reflecting the
times.
Return to Index
The Hand of God
Paul McCarthy
Majic-12 Publishing
979-8-9887603-1-3
$33.95 Hardcover/$23.95 Paper/$9.95 ebook
www.majic12publishing.com
Ordering Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Hand-God-Oppenheimer-Hypersonics-Humankinds/dp/B0CD1616XQ
The
Hand of God examines the science,
technology, military
and social issues surrounding nuclear weaponry, creating a discourse
that
sounds like others on these topics—but is not. Its major difference
lies in an
attention to not just detail and history, but doing so in a way that
proves
fast-paced and compelling.
Because it's neither a
textbook by a
scientist nor a political discourse by a social issues analyst, The
Hand of
God is not intended to compete with other surveys more
in-depth in nature,
but provides a comprehensive overview of the subject that
general-interest
readers can more quickly and easily absorb.
There is not a strict
chronological
arrangement to these discussions, either, which connect with one
another via
interconnected ideas much like the Internet. Ordinary readers thus
receive an
engaging discourse that is information-rich, but presented on a level
that
allows for greater engagement with the subject.
Take the chapter on the
space race which
emerged from the cold war, for example. It pinpoints the foundations of
why
space became a political contest between US and Soviet Union military
interests:
"On October 4, 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. While many across the world admired the Russian space achievement, the United States government and its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) knew better—Sputnik wasn’t a mere test satellite—it was the beginning of the Soviets’ ICBM program."
As he
reviews such
history and events, Paul
McCarthy heavily footnotes his account so that readers can refer to
source
material for further reading. He provides links within the greater
contexts of
social and political events and also includes many startling
revelations which
do not reside in other books about nuclear development:
"In
the
1950s, the United States commissioned a classified worldwide study
called
Project SUNSHINE to determine the uptake of strontium-90 and effects
stemming
from Sr-90 being put into the environment from nuclear testing. Bones
of
1,500-6,000 cadavers, many of them babies, were gathered from half a
dozen
countries ranging from Europe to Australia, with 26 “bone collection
sites”
located worldwide, shipping the remains to Chicago and New York.
Children’s
remains were used, sometimes without their families' permission,
because
children are particularly susceptible to the uptake of Sr-90 since they
have
growing bones and bodies."
Ultimately (for this
particular study, its
approach, and its results), "The findings of Project SUNSHINE
and later
analyses are perhaps as disturbing as the study’s methodology itself,
and these
findings helped to put an end to nuclear testing worldwide."
These and other
insights emerge in the
course of a powerful assessment of war and peace and the high costs of
human
choices that influence the atomic age.
The underlying issues,
results, and
arguments of both sides of the nuclear discussion receive
thought-provoking
discourses that will lend particularly well to classroom and group
discussions:
"Beyond
considerations of whether nuclear weapons promote peace or threaten to
destroy
it irrevocably are questions of morality."
The
Hand of God is a survey less
rigid in its scientific
and political probes, more wide-ranging than most, and offers a more
balanced
approach that defies past answers, toes the line between taking
ideological
sides, and cites extensive supporting materials in its survey.
Libraries and readers
seeking a more
approachable history and survey to the whys and hows of national
nuclear
weaponry choices will find much food for thought in The Hand
of God.
Return to Index
Hidden Price
Tags:
Volume 4, Nitty, Gritty Ascesis
C.J.S. Hayward
C.J.S. Hayward
Publications
979-8376519646
$10.00 Paper/$20.00
Hardcover/$5.00 ebook
Website: https://cjshayward.com
Ordering: https://cjshayward.com/hpt4
Hidden Price Tags: Volume
4, Nitty, Gritty Ascesis
is the fourth
volume in a seven-book series about technology's promises and costs. It
builds
on its predecessors, providing cautionary notes about how to eliminate
unnecessary screen time and providing both thought-provoking and
controversial
condemnations of branding, socially accepted technological habits, and
more.
Controversial,
because the discussions embrace alternative ideas of technology's
appropriateness and applications which will go beyond many avid users'
perceptions of what those benefits and possibilities could be.
Hayward's
cosmological and spiritual approach to better understanding technology
and its
impact on the soul is particularly well-developed and inviting,
providing
fodder for discussions and discourses among all kinds of spiritual
thinkers
about broader topics such as addiction, pain and pleasure, and
bigger-picture
insights.
Hayward's
passion for
his subject translates to discussions which may be identified as some
by
"run-on sentences" because they are laden with facts and emotional
attraction:
"I had earlier hoped to
wind this down with the
classic monastic
advice given when one is tempted to escape: “Persevere in alternating
prayer
and work, and one can eventually emerge a victor,” and with an anecdote
that
one of the times I repented of another layer of this vice I desired,
instead of
God putting me somewhere else as I sought escape, that a loving God had
put me
in quite an awesome place without escape, and that in the here and now
where
God has placed me I am in a very real sense in communion with the stars
in the
sky and the salt in the sea."
As personal
experience and insight dovetail with historical precedent, God's
intention, and
spiritual reflection, Nitty, Gritty Ascesis
becomes both an invitation and a demand, requiring of its readers an
attention
to deconstructing and revealing not only God's intention, but the
foundations
of the English language and human desire.
The subject
broadens
to quite politically incorrect passages in Scriptures and the special
challenges of interpreting the history of yesterday with the language
and
mindset of modern times. General-interest readers and religious
scholars alike
receive a series of in-depth, demanding, and enlightening works on
Christian Orthodoxy's
connections to efforts to glorify God outside of the murky confusion of
human
affairs and focuses.
What evolves
here
isn't just a treatise about technology or Orthodoxy, but a
well-reasoned and
passionate reflection on the processes and meaning of life itself:
"This life is an
apprenticeship, and even now, when
we may be in
situations we do not like, God is asking us to be apprentices, learning
to be
knights riding the warhorse he gives us even
in the situations we might not like. The life of Heaven
begins on earth,
even in an economic depression."
Followers of
Hayward's extensive writings who look for more depth and complexity in
his
works will find it in Nitty, Gritty
Ascesis, which is recommended reading for Christian Orthodoxy
members and, especially,
for groups interested in wide-ranging material offering a
thought-provoking
blend of philosophical, spiritual, and social reflection.
Return to Index
Hot Berry Punch
Bradford Tatum
Soft Moon Press
979-8-9887423-0-2
$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Berry-Punch-Bradford-Tatum-ebook/dp/B0CDXZ2SJH/
Hot
Berry Punch is a novel that
crosses the line between
pioneer romance and fantasy, and will appeal to readers who like
genre-busting
stories that defy pat categorization. Its odd-coupling blend of pioneer
relationship and paranormal examination employs the first person to
reveal the
roots of an ordinary life which becomes extraordinary:
"I was born
ignorant. Nothing
augured my fate. No hellhounds bayed upon their misty moors, no frantic
bats
fled their belfries like cracks through a twilight teacup when I first
tasted
the ethers of this world. There was nothing in my birth that would have
ever
suggested a prolonged association with despair, bloody death, or
horror.
Anymore than there was evidence that my life would be dedicated toward
a
constant pursuit of love and being loved."
Thus opens a tale set
in the 1800s that
swirls around Emma-May Shinnecock, who was born on the
rugged prairies
and raised largely apart from the staid trappings of urban civilized
society.
What led to
Emma-May's relatively wild upbringing? Her parents opted to forego the
civilized world for the relative freedom of the unknown:
"Silas
had seen too much of the civilized world and Cora was fed
up with that world’s constant contradictions and so it was decided they
would
do what few of the innocent and the jaded were doing in those days.
They would
swap the raw disappointments of their respective
pasts for a shared terror of the future and go West."
Bradford Tatum assures
that history and
events wind nicely into the story as a rise in population assures that
those
who go missing won't be noted, and no mystery will swirl around their
absence.
This marriage between
paranormal fiction and
Western, especially when combined with a powerful woman who steps into
her
special abilities and revised future, works well. Emma-May is a feisty
character with a no-nonsense approach to life. Her attitude is
reflected in
dialogue that is raw, candid, and powerful:
“Why
wouldn’t I
take a pull of berry punch from any sucker fool enough to think he
could bed
me? You want me to keep culling from the streets? Listen, you’re
looking at
this the wrong way. Folks in this town don’t give two cold shits about
the
likes of us. Hell, if they knew what we really were, they’d run us out
of here
with pitch forks and torches.”
It's also notable that
Emma-May plays many
roles as the town madam, the preacher's wife, and more. The secrets
which
follow her and the motivations that drive her lifestyles and choices
assume
center stage in a story steeped in vampire encounters and concerns, a
quest for
true love, and a series of encounters that tests the mettle and
opportunities
of women in the Wild West.
From manipulative plans
fueled by the rush
of recent challenges to Emma's reputation as "...the Little
Bad
Weather, as they called me, that stole their brothers’ thunder and
hacksawed
through a handful of their best," Tatum's one-two punch of
action and
revised realizations about life and opportunity form a compelling
story. It
neatly defies any formula approach to Western, women's novel, or
paranormal
writing.
Libraries that choose
crossover tales
replete in rich dialogue, vivid confrontations, and unusual dilemmas
will find Hot
Berry Punch hides high drama in an unassuming title, and
deserves to be
richly recommended to readers who look for original stories packed with
satisfying twists and turns.
Return to Index
In the Pace
of the
Path
Alan Bern
UnCollected Press
979-8-9867243-7-9
$18.99
https://therawartreview.com
Alan Bern's
fictionalized memoir In the Pace of the
Path also represents a diverse array of styles as he moves
between free
verse poetry and prose to build the story of his life in Berkeley and
his
career in the public library system.
Bern steps
away from
the library reference desk to pursue the atmosphere of Berkeley from
various
vantage points past and present. He captures this milieu with vignettes
that
move between experiences with the fluid viscosity of time travel and
psychological self-inspection.
His
utilization of
these literary forms to juxtapose such experiences and observations
creates a
satisfying interplay between the "pathways that lead to home" and the
places that occupy center stage at select moments in the narrator's
life.
As he walks
the
spiral paths of Indian Rock Park and moves between reference desk and
alleyway,
readers begin to understand that the feel and presence of his words are
more
than just an invitation, but a sharing of the experiences of the
streets and
byways of Berkeley that bring that town and its culture to life.
Bern writes
with an
evocative hand that also embraces philosophical reflection:
"What I really want to
grow is a dream that makes
me see a dream
that sees me. And everything as it can be. From the dream’s eyes would
I be
caught in cooling winds, in a soundtrack of persistent chimes, would I
fly
above the life I live, rise into mountains of my highest imaginings, an
ocean
I’ve never visited, a deep valley from a picture book I read as a
child, a
clarity beyond clarity as I’ve known it."
In many
ways, Bern's
work defies any attempts at neat categorization. As a memoir
embellished with
fictional components, it challenges pat filing as either an
autobiography or a
novel. As a special blend of prose and poetry, it can fall under
'literature'
but doesn't adhere to any set expectations of what that form embraces.
A literary
acquisition that features a powerful sense of place and growth, In the Pace of the Path will find a
welcome home in libraries strong in literary genre-bending works whose
intrinsic value lies as much in its fluidity as in its multifaceted
tribute to
the human spirit and its earthly ties.
Return to Index
Intention
Dr. Ian D. Brooks, MS
Independently Published
978-1-7359750-0-9
$19.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
Website: www.rhodessmith.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Intention-Building-Capabilities-Transform-Story-ebook/dp/B093LRMDMB
Intention:
Building
Capabilities to Transform Your
Story deserves a place on any
bookshelf where self-help and transformation is of interest, reaching
audiences
interested in both with a framework for successful change.
Its
motivational
approach begins with cementing intention and supporting its presence,
exploring
how to make adjustments that led to consistent new behavior patterns.
Drawings
and reflective personal inquiries accompany these directions, adding
visual
cues and strength to discussions that range from success methods and
rates of
return to building a "principle of you" that rests on revised
direction, experience, and exercises that reinforce new abilities.
Dr.
Brooks
includes his own experiences as well as those of clients to follow the
concrete
paths taken to cement career and personal goals alike. As the CEO and
founder
of Rhodes Smith LLC, his consulting firm has helped many a business
achieve its
goals via routines and exercises that apply equally well to individual
pursuits
both within and outside of the business community. His attention to
personal
details and examples of his own reflective processes lends real-world
insights
to his stories:
"I
was not in
search for feedback for myself, but
I found it empowering to acknowledge my own emotion in the moment where
I had a
choice to take action. This story first reflects the vulnerably
associated with
taking action and doing something different. Your awareness of being in
the
moment when you’re taking action builds your capability to manage
difficult
outcomes."
From
the
incalculable results of pushing boundaries to re-prioritizing goals,
seeking
help, and applying wisdom and direction in ways that support new
habits, Dr.
Brooks reviews a wealth of examples that show how to not only achieve,
but
sustain transformations and persevere against all odds.
Libraries and
readers looking for a lively link between real-world experience and the
enactment of strategies for change will find Intention
appropriate not
only for individual pursuit, but (perhaps especially) useful in group
situations, whether they be book clubs or psychological groups debating
and
supporting the goal of better understanding how change works.
Return to Index
Keeping Your
Seat at
the Table
Nori Jabba
1st World Publishing
978-1-4218-3536-5
$21.95 Paper/$14.95
Audio/$9.97 ebook
Website: www.keepingyourseat.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Seat-at-Table/dp/1421835363
Keeping Your Seat at the
Table is about
women aging, facing agism,
and defeating the self- and society-inflicted mindsets and perceptions
about
the process and its impact on their lives.
It's a book
that
should have been written long ago, but which arrives now with a
timeless
message—that women can not only claim a seat at the table of
empowerment, but
can sit at its head as stronger, more resilient leaders.
With Nori
Jabba's
collection of research, stories, and insights, not only that position
but the
table itself falls under close inspection. This is especially vital for
professional women used to power's presence, but not to interpretations
of its
meaning and importance.
Chapters
evolve a
series of "table-talk" sessions about purpose, redefining it in a
series of discussions which encourage readers to begin their own
internal and
external dialogues about its presence and importance. Jabba's blend of
research
and her own reflections creates a synthesis of personal and political
insights
which are easy to digest and encouraging in their presentation:
"Shifting the function of
the table from career
pinnacle to life
purpose provides an opportunity to revitalize your goals, your career
path, and
your life path. Imagine if hiring managers asked questions that get to
the
heart of a person and what value they can add to the organization with
questions about the table, such as, “What does a seat at the table mean
for
you? Who’s at your table?” or “Tell me about a time when you
felt pulled under the table and how you
handled it.” No one has ever asked me these
questions in a job interview, but they became central questions I
explored in
my journey to get my seat back at the table."
All women
interested
in middle-age growth and involvement will find Keeping
Your Seat at the Table relevant and important; but perhaps
nowhere else is the audience of professional women so important to
reach. These
individuals have already worked hard to sit at the table. Now they need
to
absorb discussions on how to not just keep that seat, but reinforce it
through
transformative thoughts and actions.
Jabba has
created
many original approaches to address all facets of this process. One
example is
her program PURGE, designed to address the promises and failures of
maintaining
a social media presence:
"PURGE helps me create a
shield from intimidation
and being
saddled, bogged down by social media, bullied, or caught up in an
uproar. It
reduces anxiety and mitigates regret. It helps me leverage my voice
strategically instead of worrying and wondering. The purpose of a
social media
policy is threefold: to keep you out of trouble and protect you, to
give you a framework
for sound decision-making, and to keep everyone on the same page."
Her creative
yet
reality-based approaches to addressing key obstacles in middle age that
tends
to thwart or reduce women's power in various ways makes for a series of
important lessons. These ideally won't be limited to women's book clubs
alone,
but will expand into discussion groups for everyone from professional
women to
psychology self-help reading groups.
Libraries
will find Keeping Your Seat at the Table
an
interactive, power-promoting, important read that should be on the
table of any
aging woman interested in being proactive about her future. As Jabba
says:
"No one wants to grow old,
and while we cannot stop
it, we can
heed the early warning signs and manage them as we age so that we don’t
wake up
one day depressed, perplexed, and shocked at how we got there. What I
have
learned from my mother’s frustration, distress with aging, and
head-in-the-sand
mentality is this: do not let old age creep up on you. Take it by the
reins when
the signs start to appear and manage it." Reading and
sharing Keeping Your Seat at the Table
is the
first step to doing so.
Return to Index
The Nosferatu
Conspiracy: Lady of the Loch
Brian James Gage
K13
9798396594852
$6.99
Website: http://www.k13press.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CDBD77F5
The graphic novel The
Nosferatu
Conspiracy: Lady of the Loch was adapted from the novel
trilogy and written
with AI assisted artwork.
More so than most
graphic novels, Brian
James Gage attends to creating a heightened sense of drama through
black and
white and color artistic renditions of place and people. These reflect
the
depth and delicacy of works of art in and of themselves.
Opening in 1894
Rumania, where the isle of
the "black ruler" Vlad Dracula rises from Loch Dracul, the
atmospheric images (whether they be of dark landscapes or people who
row
through them in pursuit of Loch monsters and fortune) come to immediate
life in
a manner that belays the more familiar cartoon drawings of too many
graphic
works. Gage returns the fine art to the form of graphic fiction—and
that is no
light accomplishment when it comes to the genre, which is replete in
visuals
that too often fall short of the talents of their writers.
As events evolve, the
winning countenances
which lace the story with compelling portraits of men and women under
siege
create just as enticing an allure as Gage's tale of investigations and
struggles that emerge on a battlefield of supernatural clashes.
The history, segues
between black and white
and rich color imagery, and high drama cultivated by a more interactive
role
taken by characters, plot, and art ups the ante for graphic novel
quality by
creating an integrated display of suspense and discovery that readers
will find
impossible to put down.
Gage's production may
also be used as a lure
to those who tend to view graphic novels as amateur and superior only
in plot,
serving as an example of artistic possibilities created by a successful
marriage of plot and art.
The
Nosferatu
Conspiracy: Lady of the Loch is
absolutely compelling, impossible to put down, and highly recommended
for any
graphic novel collection. Perhaps especially, it will draw non-genre
readers
with the promise of a thriller, the art of a modern creative force, and
the
lure of supernatural confrontations that operate on many levels.
Return to Index
Only
for the Brave at Heart:
Essays Rethinking Race,
Crime, and Justice
Leon E. Pettiway
Meishin Press
979-8-9891820-0-8
$29.99
Paper/$23.99 ebook
www.leonpettiway.com
Only for the Brave at
Heart: Essays Rethinking
Race, Crime, and Justice
offers a scholarly reflection on several important social issues and
takes an
unusual path by incorporating Afrocentric and Buddhist ideas in its
analysis.
Dr. Leon E. Pettiway undertakes a critical examination of the writings
of
scholars in several fields of social inquiry, from sociology and
criminology to
black studies and philosophy.
His critique
represents a very different understanding of ethnic and racial
experiences,
given the dreams and realities conjured by race, and he considers how
race
influences such disparate subjects as concepts of injustice and
liberation,
self-identity, and race relations.
These essays
open
with a powerful account of how black men and women die in America
because of
police violence. It is a hailstorm of bullets, perceptions, and
prejudice that
create opportunities for death and other threats to shroud the daily
lives of
African Americans.
Dr. Pettiway
pulls no
punches in identifying and documenting the ongoing effects of prejudice
that
simmers through America's melting pot:
"The death of George Floyd
set tongues to wagging
and unleashed
protests and demonstrations across the country. Some politicians
believed the
looting, vandalism, and violence that ensued were linked to the radical
left,
but others spoke of the systemic racism, the antiblackness, that
shatters the
lives of non-whites in this country. While many Americans are sick and
tired of
the violence held in antiblackness, the solution will not be found in
understanding the divide between police and the minority communities
they
serve. A solution will not be found by elevating the voices of good
police
officers who are committed to justice or by getting behind an array of
social
justice initiatives that supposedly help minority communities. None of
this
will get to the root cause. The solutions to our problem can only be
found in
understanding the nature of the American mind."
Since this
and other
admonitions drive a powerful and forceful critique that demands candid
conversations and a national examination that may prove painful to many
a
reader, it is apparent that Only for the
Brave at Heart lives up to its title. It promotes and
provokes difficult
discussions that should lie at the heart of any group or individual
consideration concerning white privilege and the tendency to frame
crime and
offenders through a racialized lens:
"White perpetrators of
matricide, patricide, school
shootings,
white-collar offenses, serial killing, hate crimes, insurrection, and
mass
murder, as well as white street criminals, are not seen as dangerous in
the
same way as people of color who commit crimes."
Dr. Pettiway
peels
away layers of prejudice that affect and infect American culture and
its
members regardless of their race. His commentary reveals the raw skin
of
historical precedent and the roots of our failures in the judicial
systems that
actually orchestrate the injustices these systems are mandated to
remedy
because purveyors of justice do not address the underlying racial
issues that
frame their perceptions and decisions.
He also
offers
principles and perceptions from Buddhism, African philosophy, and
spirituality
to provide a thought-provoking contrast to the Eurocentric framing that
typically underlies our normal examinations of race and racial inequity.
The result
is a
scholarly, yet accessible critique that lends to a rare opportunity to
reach
academic and non-academic readers alike. In that regard, these essays
may be
considered pivot points in those difficult discussions where new
viewpoints are
necessary, where prior discussions seemed over-considered, and where
our
approaches to these issues haven't changed.
Libraries
and readers
seeking hard-hitting, challenging, enlightening essays that probe the
foundations of the paradoxes found in the Eurocentric worldview will
find Only for the Brave at Heart
especially
appropriate reading for those interested in the construction of race,
crime,
justice, and other social issues in America. Ideally, it also will be
employed
as classroom debate material, appealing to educators with heavily
footnoted
references and supportive bibliographic material.
Return to Index
Outpourings
CK Sobey
Inner Harvestin
1737506173
Paperback: $19.99,
Hardcover: $29.99, E-book: $9.99
https://innerharvesting.com/books-by-kas/
Outpourings is
the second volume of CK
Sobey's reflections (begun
in Musings, Woolgatherings & Ghosts),
but requires no prior familiarity with the first book in order to prove
entirely accessible to newcomers.
It features
the same
special blend of personal reflection, poetry, and philosophical musings
that
marked the first book, but carries these themes into wider waters as
Sobey
marks her life and heritage with passages of experience and growth that
blend
spiritual reflection with life inspection. Sobey often writes with an
underlying philosophical view. This will attract a wide audience of
thinkers
who enjoy deeper-level inspections.
This
collection
begins with a consideration of impermanence and the impetus for writing
and
publishing one's thoughts for posterity: "Nothing
is truly gone but can be so fleeting. I’m trying to capture the
feelings a
moment longer and put them into words."
It then
presents a
series of surges and reflections that reflect both an appreciation for
Japanese
poetic structure and accompanying prosaic considerations of wisdom,
spiritual
dialogues, and the fabric of building personality and perspective over
the
years.
CK Sobey is
particularly adept at capturing her life experiences and inspections in
an
interweave of reveries about marvels, mysteries, and miracles to
reflect both
an appreciation of what is known about life and aspects which are in
flux or
unknown, yet to be developed.
Like a fine
photograph, Sobey's work slowly comes to light in the darkroom of life,
assuming clarity and form as readers either choose a progressive
approach to
reading or dip in and out at various points in her book, as desire
dictates.
It's unusual
to find
a work which offers dual approaches to readers who pursue either linear
or
non-linear paths of exploration, but Outpourings
(and its predecessor) offers satisfaction to both kinds of readers as
it
embraces a "multiple passage of steps" to arrive at thought-provoking
considerations of the human spirit and wisdom.
The
intersection of
haiku and prose works well in this pursuit, lending vivid imagery and
possibilities to Sobey's work and strengthening her intention to reach
as wide
an audience as possible:
"I think about things that
touch me. Believe me
when I say I am
touched in countless ways every day. Not always in thoughtful, poetic
ways. My
life can be outrageously foolish, and sometimes it involves a great
deal of
shouting and disruption. Reaching some passionate and evocative
altitudes helps
me to turn up the heat when I need that. I’m not alone in this, just my
version. I will do my best to share that authenticity with you in this
book."
Her special
brand of
memoir, literary inspection, and philosophical and spiritual reflection
will
delight libraries that look for evocative, accessible writings for
those that
appreciate prose, poetry, philosophy, and everything that goes into
inspecting
life.
Return to Index
A Pack of
Cigarettes
for the Mind
C.J.S. Hayward
C.J.S. Hayward
Publications
979-8394683954
$20.00
Hardcover/$20.24 Paper/$5.00 ebook
Website: https://cjshayward.com
Ordering: https://cjshayward.com/pcm
A
Pack of Cigarettes for the Mind: Selections from the Hidden
Price Tags: An Eastern Orthodox Look at the Dark Side of Technology and
Its
Best Use series differs
from
most other writings condemning technology because it's more than a
critique of
technology's alienating forces, but a package of solutions.
Within
the allegories,
cautions, and remarks about
technology's allure and dangers lies a series of strategies everyday
readers
can employ to counter and thwart many of the soul-diminishing threats
technology poses (especially to current generations).
These
specifics are wound
into discourses that examine
routines and roles for making important changes:
"What
is the
advantage of having a phone then? Wouldn’t it be simpler to not own
one? I
personally think there is much to commend about not owning a
smartphone, but it
is a socially mandated technology. You should be able to get along well
enough
to have a paper planner and pad and a standalone GPS to navigate by,
but this
is how to skim the cream off of technology and not hurt yourself with
its
murkier depths."
Followed by
eleven specific moves to achieve this goal of
reducing reliance on devices and the lure of the screen, this example
pinpoints
the heart of this intention ("...how
to skim the cream off of technology and not hurt yourself with its
murkier
depths.")
Admonitions
and
advice to "Trample technologies
underfoot as much as it takes to have a life" are thus
cemented by the
heart of this book—how to get there—issuing a clarion call for change
that also
holds the promise of spiritual and social transformation.
Hayward
poses no
simple task or singular solution. A mindset change over values and
perceptions
of engagement is required of readers. This may prove challenging to
some, but
is of utmost importance in any drive to reconnect with the world beyond
the
facades of modern technological devices.
This book is
a
powerful introduction to Hayward's thoughts on the topic and should be
consulted first, before Luddite's Guide
to Technology or his other writings about technological
impact and its
mitigation.
While adults
will
likely be the pursuers of this discourse on how to put technology in
its proper
place, ideally (and, perhaps, especially) A
Pack of Cigarettes for the Mind should be given to young
audiences already
mired in technological attraction, debated in their classrooms, and
considered
by book clubs and libraries devoted to discourses that challenge the
concept of
proper use of technology in everyday life.
To bypass
that life
in favor of a screenshot is to also set aside too many spiritual and
social
connections. A Pack of Cigarettes for the
Mind returns these facets to life through a series of
insights that are
concrete in their action plans and wider-ranging than most technology
examinations in their opportunities for reflection.
Return to Index
True Stories of
the Philosophical Theater
S. Yerucham
Independently Published
978-1669857303
$50.99 Hardcover/$32.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/True-Stories-Philosophical-Theater-Yerucham/dp/1669857301
True Stories of the
Philosophical Theater represents a melding of philosophy and
drama. This approach challenges the boundaries of fiction and
nonfiction as it
follows a teen's explorations of self-discovery and awakening (a
process that
evolved well into adulthood) on a level that embraces both
psychological and
sociological awareness and evolution.
From
the
beginning, S. Yerucham's ability to move beyond staid prose to a
vigorous brand
of descriptive prowess exhibits the ability to draw readers into a
theme which
may at first seem ordinary, but fulfills its promise of attraction in
extraordinary ways. For example:
"If you desire any kind
of unity of
soul or mind, then the consequences of drug experiments must be
considered,
particularly the ones in which you wander around physically and
mentally,
further scattering your tangled mind...The greatest rebellion is to
think and
feel for yourself; awkward displays of chaos and self-destruction are
mere
spectacles which weaken true inner freedom. Many sadly believe it
natural to
embrace one's desires and fulfill them. However, what is truly natural
for
human beings is to use the power of reflection to discern whether the
pursuit
and/or fulfillment of each desire is in the long term or even short
term
destructive for oneself or others."
As the protagonist
embarks on physical and
mental journeys that move from Indiana to India, his nomadic life
teeters
between madness and enlightenment, carrying readers along for a heady
ride that
involves more than a memoir or even fictional road trip alone could
accomplish.
As he takes resolute
steps, as a student,
into "consuming anarchy," the narrator deconstructs his life and its
driving forces, entering into an effort of rebirth that charts new
courses and
realizations which intersect between world experience and mindful
growth.
At this point, it
should be cautioned that True
Stories of the Philosophical Theater is no light-hearted road trip or world-hopping
romp. It represents a
deep and thought-provoking special brand of social, psychological,
spiritual
and philosophical reflection that deserves a reader's committed time to
absorb
slowly and effectively.
Best
digested in
short reads that extend the already-formidable length of this journey
(almost
800 pages), the deceptively simple portrait of a young man who abandons
academic pursuits for bohemian lifestyles and explorations includes
deeper
levels of inspection that will provoke and drive readers to reconsider
their
own growth processes.
From
absurdism's
particular take on reality to social sins, communal views and values,
and the
infusion of new experiences which each serve to break down traditions
and
accepted worldviews, Yerucham moves through a self-imposed exile
overseas to reveal the foundations of transformation which move the
narrator to
new places and homes that continually challenge his mindset.
Readers along for this
ride should
anticipate no easy flow of logical connections, but a
sometimes-discordant set
of experiences that speak with equal power and bows to obsessions,
"wild
transformations in mind and body," and shifting academic philosophical
thinking.
The stories in this
collection display
movement. Thus, they should be read in their entirety, not skimmed, as
their
flow and progression are one of the strong points of this collection.
At many points, the
spiritual insights also
spark pause for thought:
"In
one
sense, a smooth holy life (or any life, for that matter) is a handicap
to
spiritual progress."
These pauses may also
give rise to
discussion points in book club and group settings on various levels of
spiritual, philosophical, and psychological debate. The narrator's
sampling of
many paths in the course of his journey lends well to similar,
existentially
rich realizations on the parts of analytical readers.
In a nutshell, True
Stories of the Philosophical Theater represents a transgression of traditional thinking,
allowing readers to
enter into realms of higher-level processing of experiences that, on
their
surface, represent road trips but, more deeply, reflect the heart of
transformative experience.
Libraries
and
readers seeking a story that crosses the line between fictional drama
and
nonfiction memoir, using discovery and revelation as the heartbeat of
attraction and growth, will find True
Stories of the Philosophical Theater a compendium of
growth-inducing
experience. It deserves a deep attention to detail and reflection for
its many
multifaceted themes, from masculine and feminine influences to the Yin
and Yang
of attachments that grow, challenge, and contrast opportunities and
options.
One
may
anticipate such journeys from children of the sixties. S.
Yerucham demonstrates, here, that children of different generations can
also
shatter the doctrines and illusions of established thought to arrive at
realizations and truths that empower life and craft different visions
of
possibility.
Return to Index
Alex McKenna
&
The Geranium Deaths
Vicki-Ann Bush
Creative James Media
978-1-956183-77-1
$16.99
Website: www.creativejamesmedia.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-McKenna-Geranium-Deaths-Vicki-Ann/dp/1956183426
Alex McKenna & The
Geranium Deaths
introduces adult genres and
topics for mature teens, blending paranormal developments into a murder
mystery
in engaging story of intrigue and discovery.
Tension pops
from the
story's opening lines:
"Alex held Margaret, his
arm hand pressing her head
to his
shoulder. His breath brushed across her ear. “Don’t look, no matter
what you
hear. That’s how it gets you.” All the other victims had turned to ice.
Alex
couldn’t understand why, but the rules didn’t apply to him. None of the
deceased were family, so maybe that was his armor. His family history
protected
him somehow."
Alex needs
to locate
his brother and escape. To do that, he has to bait the creature that
stalks
them. And time is running out.
Vicki-Ann
Bush turns
up the temperature on her young adult story to 'hot', issuing a
declaration of
intrigue and adult themes that follow the efforts of transgender teen
Alex
McKenna to help lost souls move on from the living world. His ability
to see
them and lend a helping hand makes him a bridge between more than one
world,
but when a series of murders begins to plague his neighborhood, Alex
turns out
to be the only stop gate between a legacy of death and the future of
life.
As the
frozen bodies
pile up, Alex comes to realize that his choices, his legacy, and his
newfound
role require new abilities and possibilities he'd never envisioned for
himself.
The
exquisite dance
between paranormal and murder mystery is heightened by the slow truths
that
emerge about Alex's heritage, his talents, and his unique position.
Bush intersects
these insights with character development that features tantalizing
invitations
to look deeper.
"You’re
not
looking close enough."
As the wills
and
purposes of spirit and corporeal worlds clash, Alex becomes the pivot
point in
personal and paranormal struggles, forcing him to pursue secrets that
obscure
the identity of a vengeful spirit.
Bush's
ability to
craft a powerful story that unfolds mystery and discovery on different
levels
of personal and paranormal confrontation results in a novel rich in
attraction
and a satisfying mix of strong characterization and intrigue.
Young adult
readers
and libraries catering to them (as well as many an adult) will find
Alex's
drive, personality, and life as compelling as his extraordinary ability
to
connect with the unseen and help others overcome hate and fear so that
they can
cross over to better circumstances ... much as he does in his own life.
Return to Index
Apprentices
in Magic
Sally Basmajian
Creative James Media
978-1-956183-34-4
$16.99
Website: www.creativejamesmedia.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Apprentices-Magic-Sally-Basmajian/dp/1956183345
Apprentices in Magic
opens with a legend
of promise that permeates
a war-weary country—that two peasant children will eventually bring
peace and
prosperity to the land.
These would
be Annette and Laila, friends who
were delivered on the same
night, who harbor not dreams of saving anyone, but learning how to
wield their magical
abilities.
When
they are offered apprenticeships at Paduane’s royal magical academy,
they are excited
until assignments at the school separate them, driving them into
different
directions of education and magical deployment.
Immersing
themselves in the promise of magic as well as their individual growth,
Annette
and Laila find their habits and purposes challenged as studies,
relationships,
and progress takes its tool on their perspectives of the world.
Sally
Basmajian
illustrates how these two friends become not only apprentices in magic,
but
apprentices in learning about life, politics, and how their special
abilities will
grow to affect their prospects for the future. The mission the girls
embark
upon eventually proves to be one that is even more important than
magical
training and predictions.
Basmajian
illustrates
how the girls grow different personalities and abilities, tackle
challenges
both together and independently, and move from apprenticeships to more
powerful
roles in life.
As the two
face
sacrifices and sorrow, they continue to build upon the foundations of
new
possibilities that are supported by the strong friendship between them
and the
connections made by their disparate powers.
Tension is
created by
their dual confrontation with monsters and war. These turn their
apprenticeship
into a series of extraordinary confrontations that quickly flow outside
the
usual progression of a magical education.
The result
is a
compelling story that moves from political and social situations to
relationship- and power-building efforts as seamlessly as the two girls
evolve
new maturity and abilities.
Libraries
looking for
stories of magical confrontation and self-discovery embedded firmly in
the
foundations of powerful female role models and friends will welcome Apprentices in Magic's ability to evolve
mystery, possible romance, and healing opportunities in one powerful
story.
Return to Index
Bold
& Brave
K.A. Cummins
Eleonora Press
979-8986767635
$16.99 Hardcover/$12.99
Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Bold-Brave-K-Cummins/dp/B0CFNXXC36
Bold & Brave
presents the picture
book story of autistic Lily,
who wants to sing solo in the school's choir show, but eschews both the
stage
and audience attention. She even has a new outfit to lend her courage;
but
alas—her boldness is still lacking. How can Lily perform when she has
so many
worries and fears?
Because she
is
autistic, "sometimes the world overwhelms her." Polka dots give her
courage, but she must wear the choir uniform like everyone else.
Wise parents
intervene to show Lily how she can gain courage anyway as the story
moves
through Lily's rising and falling fears. The result is a realistic
story of the
waves of opportunity and struggles Lily feels in the course of stepping
into
her role and courage.
More so than
most
books about performance, courage, or autism, Bold
& Brave embraces a range of feelings, explains and
explores them, and creates a tale that lends to deeper understanding in
readers; especially when read-aloud adults participate in discussions.
Libraries
and adults
who choose this book for the young will find it holds many
opportunities for
exploring the foundations of courage and understanding, couched in
simple yet
thought-provoking language and experiences that are easy for all ages
to
understand.
Return to Index
Darkness
Rising
Tracy Earle
DartFrog Plus
978-1-959096-33-7
$24.99
Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Rising-Children-Light-Tracy/dp/1959096338
The opening
dialogue
in the Children of Light series title Darkness
Rising reflects a classic confrontation between darkness and
light, with a
difference: the Universe is adding wisdom in the middle of its portent
of an
upcoming battle:
"As the Darkness crept
further and further into the
souls of
humanity, the Light turned in desperation to the Universe and begged
for
help...“The Darkness is rising,” the Universe warned. “Every day it
becomes
stronger, and with each human soul it destroys, you will become weaker.
When
the light is extinguished from the last human soul on Earth, you will
cease to
exist. The heart of the earth will stop beating; its lands will blacken
and
die.”
A gift and a
final
chance arrive in the form of a new Consciousness, but the Universe
gives this
gift with a cautionary note:
“If you destroy the
Darkness, you will also destroy
yourself. Both are
an intrinsic part of the fabric of life; each exists only because the
opposing
force exists. Without both, there is nothing. You must learn to accept
the
existence of the Darkness, to understand it and then to navigate a path
beyond
it.”
The clear
outline of
not only the struggle but its underlying importance is thus set forth
in a
prologue that will attract both young adult and adult readers into the
fantasy
with the promise of bigger-picture thinking.
Fueled by
this
introduction, all readers will view the unfolding events and trials
with the
added value of a philosophical approach to classic confrontations that
will
spark thought and book club debate among readers that follow the
fantasy into
the Darkness, Light, and beyond.
The legacy
of the
Universe's gift lays in young adult Lightworkers Aurora, Aaron, and
Cal. They
embody the power and represent the ability to transcend physical
reality and
boundaries to come into their powers and destinies.
From the
power of
unresolved grief to hold a soul and expose it to the Darkness to
changes in
souls that receive the new Consciousness and escape the dark demons,
Tracy
Earle weaves a gripping fantasy that goes beyond the classic
good-versus-evil
confrontation to probe the necessity and benefits of alliances with and
struggles between both.
The teens'
revelations reflect the higher-level thinking of many an adult
spiritual and
philosophical assessment. These can be as wide-ranging as psychic Jane
Robert
and Seth's The Nature of Personal Reality or as
close to home as a
psychologist's assessment of the long-ranging impact of grief. These
intellectual challenges come wrapped in a veneer of action and
revelation which
is completely compelling, presenting adventure in a very different
fantasy form
than most genre fans may be used to.
All ages
will
appreciate the insights and messages embedded in these encounters and
revelations:
“Everything . . . every
person, every situation,
even every thought,
feeling, and emotion we have has a resonant frequency. Think of
frequencies as
if they were hundreds of highways running parallel to each other. You
can
choose to switch to another highway, or you can convince yourself that
this is
the only way for you and you don’t have the power to change it. Your
thoughts will
become your reality, and you will indeed have no power to change it. A
negative
frequency will attract other negative people, situations, and
circumstances to
it along its route, so in essence, a person existing at a negative
frequency
will likely always be in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time.’ Unlucky
things
will keep happening to them because that is what they expect to happen;
they
are resonating at that frequency.”
As unusual
as it is
to receive a fantasy wrapped in energetic healing and new age thought,
Earle's
ability to personalize these experiences translates ideas to actions,
choices,
and insights that can be absorbed by a broader age range than usual.
The result
in Darkness Rising is a story that
transcends its own age-connected interpretation of a young adult
fantasy to appeal
to a much broader range of readers who will find its action based on
thought-provoking realizations about the nature of good, evil, reality,
and
choice.
Libraries
and book
clubs will find the story packed with fodder for discussion.
Return to Index
El Piñatero
Rey U. Barrera
Independently Published
979-8370274787
$12.50
https://www.amazon.com/El-Pi%C3%B1atero-Legend-Simon-Alejandro/dp/B0BSJ9MBC5
Young
adults receive surprisingly few
leisure stories featuring strong Hispanic protagonists, but El Piñatero - The Legend of Simon Alejandro
De La Peña fills the
gap for
mature teens. It blends folklore and history with a fictional action
story that
adds mystery to the story of a Latino struggling to realize his dreams.
Hispanic
culture
embedded into Simon-Alejandro's
story provides readers with engrossing surveys of family and Latino
celebration
traditions. The plot originated as a movie mockumentary idea, and then
practically wrote itself as this book.
Translating
the
initial screenplay into a novel when COVID struck, Rey
U. Barrera bases some of his characters on real people as he spins
the yarn of La Piñata Brava, an outlawed sport that produced a
legendary piñata
puller.
Simon's small family
incorporates many warm
facets that are presented in this story, from a proclivity towards
exaggerations to family tales used to impart lessons to the young.
These early
family interactions and friendly jabs power a story as firmly rooted in
family
connections as it is in an evolving mystery that drives Simon to
confront both
his dreams and nightmares.
Would he turn away an
opportunity for
adventure? Of course not. Neither will he pass on a chance to realize
his
dream:
"He
wanted
piñata pulling to become more than just a hobby that didn’t pay much.
Here were
people that made a living by creating professional-grade piñatas and
ropes for
someone like him: someone who was ridiculed by his friends and family
for
thinking that a living could be made from pulling piñatas."
YAs who choose this
story for its Hispanic
roots won't be disappointed, but readers needn't be Latino in order to
understand and appreciate the story's roots—nor its attraction as Simon
undertakes
new challenges on the cusp of adulthood at age eighteen, yet still
uncertain of
his abilities and future.
Wide-ranging
discussions about bullying,
fighting, and cultural understanding all come into play as El Piñatero unfolds a special blend of drama, action, and
psychological insights. Simon's struggle to reconcile elements of his
secret
life with his small family's interactions also provides key moments of
insight
and inspection. These drive the plot as much as his ambitions.
Libraries
looking for novels which are steeped in Hispanic traditions and flavor,
accessible to all ethic groups, and spin a story replete with moving
through
the awkwardness of new relationships with self and others will find El
Piñatero - The Legend of Simon Alejandro De La Peña a
multifaceted read
that is hard to easily categorize and just as difficult to put down.
Return to Index
I
Will Love You
Forever and Always
Sarah M. Thomas
Mariano
Atmosphere Press
978-1646068319
$17.99 Hardcover/$12.99 Paper
www.atmospherepress.com
The
picture book
I Will Love You Forever and Always offers an unusual
blend of whimsy and
emotion-driven connection that will particularly appeal to read-aloud
parents
seeking a different vision of love and sharing.
Sarah
M. Thomas
Mariano's fantasy, blended with real-world attraction, creates a story
that is
compelling:
"Sometimes,
you and
I have sparkly, spectacular
days. We shimmy down waterslides, eat strawberry shortcake and have
silly water
fights sprayed from our trunks."
The
sense of fun
is furthered in colorful illustrations by Sarah Gledhill, who brings to
life
the message of sharing, unconditional love, and changing life
circumstances
that may revise settings, but never erodes the underlying love
connections
between parent and child.
Different
animals and their interactions are displayed as the message of ongoing
love is
profiled:
"There
will be
tough days too. Sometimes, we will
disagree and argue. You might shout, “You’re the worst alligator mom in
the world!”
Or, your dad will snap at you for not cleaning up your muddy swamp
room."
This
enhances
the diversity of the story and the varied conditions under which love
may be
tested, but also solidifies an ongoing message that translates well
between not
only revised situations, but diverse families.
"I
will love you
forever and always" is the
ongoing litany of this uplifting
story. It's one that comes to life in a picture book that promotes
warmth,
engaging conversations, and positive insights and dialogue between
adults and
children.
Return to Index
Necromancy
the
Musical
Debbie Hibbert
Monster Ivy
Publishing
9781955060172
$16.99 Paper/$24.99 Hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/Necromancy-Musical-Debbie-Hibbert/dp/1955060169
"'A
normal dad
wouldn’t take his sixteen-year-old
to visit a murder victim,' I say.
'A normal daughter wouldn’t be able to talk to the
dead.'
He has a point."
Necromancy
the
Musical is a compelling teen
mystery and supernatural affair that spices a
sense of intrigue with unusual discoveries. These elements combine with
a wry
sense of humor that lends comic relief to the very serious subject of
New
Orleans teen detective CeCe
LeBlanc's unusual talents and detections.
Debbie
Hibbert
delves into the world of high drama and secret lives in a manner that
will
attract and hold the attentions of teens looking for stories that don't
neatly
fit into set expectations and developments.
Actress
CeCe
discovers that her two very different worlds collide in unusual ways
when she
is drawn into circumstances that test her drama and performance
abilities as
well as her equally powerful investigative skills.
Debbie
Hibbert
paints surprising portraits along the way as the story evolves, from
passive-aggressive posturing and relationship quandaries to the special
challenges of fielding a peculiar form of icy magic and reconciling it
with her
own objectives and talents.
"Combining
what you
know with what you’re
experiencing will be hard."
Cece's
evolutionary process takes place on different levels, from romantic
interests
and attractions to the danger in a charge to both catch a killer and
resolve
the relationship challenges in her life.
Teens
receive a
blend of modern fantasy, thriller, mystery, and psychological
development in a
story that defies pat genre classification. It features an appealing
attention
to detailed character and plot developments that read with the
compelling high
drama of a play and the astute psychological depth of a work immersed
in growth
challenges.
Necromancy
the
Musical's ability to evolve its
own special flavors of attraction makes it an
appealing leisure read. CeCe loves drama. Hibbert does, too. The
appealing mix
of drama and intrigue flavors a story that proves hard to predict or
put down
as CeCe navigates challenging physical and psychic worlds.
Libraries
and
teen readers seeking stories that don't conform to predictable
outcomes, but
build their tension from solid action and discovery, will find Necromancy
the Musical a hit.
Return to Index
River
of Crows
N.P. Thompson
Inky Cove
978-0995994249
$12.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Website:
www.NPTwrites.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/River-Crows-Arcanium-N-P-Thompson/dp/0995994242
River
of Crows contains all the
trappings of an attractive
middle-grade read: mystery
and secrets, prophecies and challenging family drama, and a strange
magical world
that leads two children to struggle with their revised roles in life.
Book
One of the
Arcanium series opens with an action-packed dilemma:
"Eldrin
Duclanach
plowed frantically through the
dark undergrowth, gasping with every breath. Branches clawed at his
face and
hands and snagged on his clothes, but he barely noticed them. He needed
to get
home. By the Goddesses, how could he have been so careless? He’d only
been
trying to do the right thing—to help an injured man. How was he
supposed to
have known that the man was a Siershasai’dan freedom fighter? Emperor
Blackthorn had declared them enemies of Arcania, and anyone caught
providing
any kind of assistance to them was also considered a traitor and dealt
with
accordingly. It was an automatic death sentence, not just for the
perpetrator,
but for that person’s entire family."
The
crows
featured in the book's title appear early in the action to add portents
of doom
and participation into the saga. The tale centers on twelve-year-old
Ty's
concurrent struggle with his emerging powers and the impact of new
friends and
enemies that introduce situations he'd never encountered before.
From
a mother's
important secret mission to a legacy Ty must step up to (even though
it's new
information to him), N.P. Thompson weaves a compelling tale in which
young
heroes and flawed characters alike are challenged to make adult
decisions
"even though they are just kids."
The
drama is
heightened by the psychological growth challenges and relationship
evolution
between the young people and those who inhabit and influence this
strange
world. Seemingly-adult complex scenarios extract extra problem-solving
abilities from each young character:
“'Where
do we even
start…?' Ty already felt defeated
by the scope of their task. How were they ever going to find what they
needed
in this mess? They had to find someone who dealt in illicit spells and
someone
who knew how to get into the Citadel undetected. And they had to do it
without
triggering anyone’s suspicions, without attracting the attention of the
Black
Guard, and without getting themselves killed by the criminals they were
going
to have to talk to in order to get what they wanted."
River
of Crows is a compelling fantasy
backed by an avian army
and the shifting
intentions and perceptions of young people forced into unpredictable
situations. It will delight middle grade readers (and older) who will
find the
blend of action, growth, and fantasy to be riveting and hard to put
down.
Return to Index
Rolo
the Pet
Earthling
Hans Ness
Zira Press
979-8-9880371-0-1
$9.99
paperback/$6.99 ebook/ $9.99 audiobook
www.hansness.com
Rolo
the Pet
Earthling turns ideas of aliens,
humans, and pets upside down as it presents the
story of a human boy who grows up being alien Zira's pet, but then
begins to
wonder about his origins.
Advanced
elementary to middle-grade readers will find Rolo's story a compelling
take on
the usual pet or alien fantasy when Rolo's self-inspection is sparked
by an
animal rights protest:
"Until
this moment,
he had never really wondered
why he was a pet. All his life, he had been a pet. And all the other
earthlings
too. And all the generations before them, and before them. But was it
always
that way? Why did no one ever talk about that? Was it a secret?"
The
adventure
unfolds as Rolo escapes, uncovers the truth about his origins and
status, and
then faces some difficult decisions about how he wants to live.
On
her own
mission to find her pet before the earthling-catchers do, Zira finds
her life
and perspective changed, as well, by her relationship with Rolo and the
reality
of his world.
Hans
Ness crafts
an intriguing adventure, while illustrator Sofia Komarenko peppers the
story
with colorful embellishments to add further value and attraction to the
engaging, creative tale.
Rolo's
probe of
his past reveals many thought-provoking questions about animals, pets,
rights,
and wrongs that will also lend to important discussions in classrooms
and
between adults and kids.
Libraries
and
readers won't want to miss Rolo's adventures. They are heartwarming,
fun, and
thought-provoking:
“Cut
the Leash!” He
looked up wistfully at the bright
star, the one he imagined was Earth. He now felt foolish to think he
could go
there. Earth might not be real. Or it might be an awful place. And how
would he
even get there? Or find it? He had gotten his hopes up for nothing. And
he
didn’t even know about Earth until today, so why was it suddenly so
important?"
Return to Index
Santa
Claus: The
Beginning
Terry Broxson
Atmosphere Press
979-8-89132-013-0 $15.00
paperback/Hardcover price TBD
www.atmospherepress.com
Santa
Claus: The
Beginning pairs lovely color
illustrations with the enchanting story of a
toymaker who reinvents the holiday season. It is filled with elements
the
entire family can enjoy and appreciate, from the presence of angelic
influences
and magic to the forces that lead to Santa's first global trip on
Christmas
Eve, 1840.
The
magic opens
in the 1800s with the origins of Rudolph Stern Toys and two budding
young
orphan carvers whose creations and skills lead them to become adopted
into a
home and trade.
Terry
Broxson
presents a straightforward, attractive atmosphere as the story of their
success
unfolds: "Rudolph Stern introduced Benjamin Timmons and John
Nicholas
to the world of toy making. They would become toy makers
extraordinaire."
Simple
messages
and lessons about values over money, ability, and economics are
embedded into
the tale, creating rich discussion points that adults will find
attractive and
young listeners thought-provoking.
From
Santa's
evolving magical abilities to the personal connections that keep
purpose,
intention, and realizations growth-oriented, Santa Claus: The
Beginning
creates a thoroughly delightful tale that proves inviting, magical, and
is
embedded with important values and considerations.
The
result is
especially highly recommended for family pursuit and enjoyment, but
especially
for libraries seeking special books that move from picture book status
to
involved adventure that feature the ability to attract all ages.
Readers find Santa
Claus: The Beginning the perfect item of choice for an
unusual holiday
acquisition that holds lessons for year-round enlightenment.
Return to Index
Skinventurez:
The Sunscreaming Summer
Dr. Tamara Lazic
Strugar
Skinventurez LLC
979-8853758667
$25.99
Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.skinventurez.com
Skinventurez:
The
Sunscreaming Summer is a graphic
novel with a health message
about summer fun, skin care, and cloudy days. Toeing the line between a
picture
book and a graphic novel, this chapter book follows kids on their
summer
holiday, reviewing the winning game of being "sun smart" in their
skin care.
Dr.
Tamara Lazic
Strugar doesn't just focus on physical health. From a too-pale father
whose
ghostly countenance may mean he's swallowed a spirit to a boy who is
afraid of
too many things, her tale of summer fun embraces a broader spectrum of
adventures and interpersonal relationships to portray kids who tackle
physical
and mental health issues alike.
Lea
Embeli's
engaging art supplements the story of kids' summer interactions and how
Dr.
Lazic is called upon to help one sunburned child.
Ghosts,
ice
cream sundaes, and skin care usually don't intersect in kids' books. Skinventurez:
The Sunscreaming Summer is a study in childhood adventure
that imparts
several important messages about relationships and self-care.
Its
unusual
blend of chapter book, graphic novel, and picture book story will
engage young
readers on more than one level, earning it recommendation for
elementary-level
libraries and readers looking for a blend of entertainment and
out-of-the-box
thinking.
Return to Index
Snap
Eugene M. Gagliano
Crystal Publishing
LLC
978-1942624820
$9.95
https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Eugene-M-Gagliano/dp/1942624824
Snap follows a
fourteen-year-old boy's
experience of his dream
holiday turned nightmare when he becomes involved with Cody, who
harbors a
secret that endangers them both.
On the run
from
everything familiar, Jace Johnson finds that accusations of an
over-active
imagination have come true as his visions of danger and intrigue turn
out to be
far too real.
Middle
graders seldom
receive a thriller-style story, but Eugene M. Gagliano excels in
creating the
same nonstop action and heart-pausing moments in Snap
as many a young adult or adult receives in writings tailored
for older readers.
Jace's
fascination
with and studies of nature and his introduction to a Washington
rainforest far
from his Wyoming roots are only a few of the many background elements
that fill
in the story and give it a sense of place. The truth about Cody which
is
revealed early in the story lends it both intrigue and psychological
depth.
Jace isn't
used to
facing down crazy adults. Nor is he familiar with those who aren't
above
kidnapping and violence. These and his own drive to stay brave and
proactive in
the face of impossible choices and confrontations make for a riveting
story
that middle grade readers will find a compelling survival saga.
Libraries
seeking
adventure-based, action-packed tales that incorporate the allure of a
thriller
but embed bigger-picture thinking into the plot will find Snap an appealing story of courage and
survival. It also will serve
well for middle grade discussion groups about all kinds of
psychological
dilemmas and responses that require stepping up into survival mode.
Return to Index
Stonebridge
Linda Griffin
Wild Rose Press
978-1509252350
$17.99
Paper/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Stonebridge-Linda-Griffin/dp/1509252355
When Rynna
Dalton's
mother dies and she goes to live with her great-grandmother and
disabled cousin
Ted at Stonebridge Manor, she soon comes to suspect that a ghost is
haunting
the place—possibly that of her mother's murdered cousin. But the
specter of a
spirit is overshadowed by a romance which evolves between her and
lawyer Jason
Wyatt, who courts her with a promise of marriage and love.
As she
evolves a
friendship with Ted, deals with unanswered questions about Jason, and
confronts
a chilling feeling that accompanies what should be a happy engagement,
her
relationships and spirit possibilities heat up.
Linda
Griffin is
adept at cultivating both ghostly encounters and psychological tension
as the
story evolves. These elements will attract YA readers with a special
blend of
intrigue and romantic realizations.
Griffin also
offers
astute and thought-provoking insights into the legacy of child abuse
and issues
that play out between generations, which will encourage discussions in
book
clubs catering to mature teens and new adults alike.
Rynna
matures and
changes in the course of the story whose initial draw as a ghost tale
evolves
into something much more thought-provoking; as driven by the emotional
developments between characters as it is by puzzles of the past which
motivate
and influence them.
The
reflections on
legacies that transmit within families and between generations are
particularly
thought-provoking:
"He had told her abused
children became child
abusers. Wouldn’t
beloved children grow up to be loving parents?"
As Rynna
comes to
understand Ted on a deeper level, even as she becomes a wife and
mother,
Griffin crafts a tale that is alluring on many different levels.
While
libraries may
consider Stonebridge for mature YA
readers, it also will appeal to adults attracted to stories of
possession,
discovery, and genetic predispositions and growth, tempered by a legacy
of
ghostly encounters and the interpretation and action of risk-taking.
Return to Index
The
Tale of the Animals'
Christmas in Crouch End
Lance Lee
LWL Books
979-8-218-18165-9
$14.99
Website: www.lanceleeauthor.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Animals-Christmas-Crouch-End/dp/B0CG2YKT7N
Readers
who choose The
Tale of the Animals' Christmas in Crouch End will find a
holiday fable as
appropriate for adult read-aloud as for individual pursuit.
The
animals of Crouch End in
North London have not
celebrated Christmas before, but when unusual rains lead to changes,
one of
them is to acknowledge the Christmas season in a special animal way.
As
a disparate blend of
animals wild and domestic, from
magpies and squirrels to cats, band together to discern the puzzling
meaning of
this human holiday, they contribute not just insights but their own
values and
approaches to celebrations to create a multifaceted experience.
What
begins as a simple
assignment (Rufus Fox hires Marvin
Mole & Sons to
repair his flooded home) turns into an exploration of what People do
and why
some of these rituals and approaches to life may be fine-tuned to bring
the
animal world together.
Lance
Lee creates an unusual
focus and take on the
typical Christmas holiday book for kids, adopting a lively focus that
embraces
an unusual blend of fairy tale magic and Christmas insights and secrets
as the
animals move from incomprehension of human behavior to realizing that,
just
maybe, They have tapped into an
important secret that has (until now) eluded the animal kingdom.
Meilo
So's fun, colorful
illustrations pepper the story,
which is too complex to be called a simple picture book read but too
visually
attractive to be limited to older readers alone.
Rufus,
especially,
acknowledges that there is much to
discover about the holiday and its processes, and his concerns lend
particularly well to adult read-aloud discussions with the very young:
"Rufus
stared
into his fireplace, sipped the last of his wine, and looked down at his
fine
ascot and finer waistcoat. He liked both very much but knew they
weren’t the
‘something more’ he wanted to understand."
The
Tale of the
Animals' Christmas in Crouch End will prove an attraction for
any library
catering to young readers, but is especially recommended for family
viewing as
it spins a fine London-steeped yarn that explores fairy magic, Father
Christmas,
and the deeper points of the holiday season.
Return to Index
Third Wheel
Richard R. Becker
Copywrite, Ink.
979-8-9853811-3-9
$29.95Hardcover/$16.99 Paper/$8.95
ebook/$17.99 Audio
Website: http://www.copywriteink.com/third-wheel-by-richard-r.-becker.html
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2MZ737L
In Third Wheel,
teen Brady
Wilks
struggles to fit in to the desert city of Las Vegas, where he is lucky
enough
to have a few good friends. The trouble lies in location. This Mob-run
town is
filled with drugs and illicit activities, and Brady's best friend's
associate
Alex is a pusher operating an illicit business under the very nose of
his cop
father, in their own house. Dangerous times, indeed, as Brady must
navigate the
good and bad guys to find his own place in this mercurial world.
Richard R. Becker
creates a moving story of
shifting friendships buffeted by drugs, booze, and influences that
challenge
Brady to make decisions about his place not only in his circle of
friends, but
the wider world.
The social influences
and impacts of
conformity shape Brady's choices starkly, early in the story:
"What
stood
out was that I was lying on my back in my best friend's yard, and he
wasn't
offering me a hand up as he did from the pool. He looked at me with a
strange
expression, somewhere between disappointment and pity...We had been
best
friends for closing in on three years, and it never occurred to me that
this
might change. But something had changed. Maybe Alex wasn't a third
wheel as
much as I was anymore. Or maybe that's the way Alex wanted me to feel
by
leaving me out on the collection visit. It was hard to know."
The connections between
Las Vegas's milieu
and Brady's coming of age are particularly notable, reflective of the
mixed bag
of influences most urban areas hold as young people come of age and
make hard
choices:
"That's
what
it was all about in Las Vegas. You were on the inside or the outside,
and I was
always on the inside with a gram of confidence and an ounce of doubt."
In a nutshell, this
disparity between
insiders and outsiders drives a story in which a young man must make
decisions
about where he stands, influenced by best friends and newcomers who too
quickly
move from outsiders to influencers.
As adult concerns
ranging from murder to
missing evidence surface, Brady is ever more challenged to find a
different
place in the world and make better decisions that will affect not just
his
relationships, but his future.
From the values gleaned
from the Church of
Satan which are adapted to fit individual objectives to chosen friends
and
those which simply assume positions of power and influence, Becker
spins a
story that rests firmly on many different types of moves as his parents
try to
help and Brady finds that the social influences in Nevada follow him
everywhere.
When tragedy strikes,
it matters not his
locale or his relationships—Brady is forced to take a hard look at
consequences
of friendships and actions that sometimes prove irreversible.
Throughout this
process, Becker writes with a passionate, descriptive hand that pulls
young
adults into Brady's emotions, responses, and choices:
"The
four of
them just looked at me like I was a freshly lit fireworks fountain on
the
Fourth of July. Everybody knows something will happen as the tiny coil
of fuse
glows, but there is a hesitation when nobody knows exactly what kind of
fireworks it might be. Will it be a small ribbon of lights buzzing
around like
bees, a wailing siren that forces you to press your palms to your ears,
or an
explosion that makes younger kids tuck their heads in the nearest lap?
It was a
dud. When one of the officers apologized, I sat on the floor in front
of them.
I didn't scream or cry or explode. I just quietly surrendered and
melted before
them."
This kind of writing
doesn't just craft a
coming-of-age saga, but holds the power to immerse readers in deeper
levels of
social inspection that connect individual perception and values to
bigger-picture thinking about crime, justice, and redemption.
Everyone wants to help
Brady, especially
when death rears. Few, however, understand the depths of pain which can
emerge
from a seemingly privileged life. This sends Brady on journeys far from
his
upbringing, accompanied by friends who each face their own trials of
individualism and empowerment.
The multifaceted nature
of these struggles,
insights on friendships and hard choices, and the nature of intrigue
which
spins a story of lies and truths makes for a standout in YA literature
which
also will serve as a powerful discussion point for YA book clubs
examining
titles about growth and relationships.
Libraries and readers
seeking strong,
complex tales of outsiders and insiders will find Third Wheel
compelling.
Return to Index
The Vessel
Kristin A. Oakley
Independently
Published
979-8-9878703-2-7
$13.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.kristinoakley.net
Book 2 of The Devil
Particle series, The
Vessel, opens with teen narrator
Paul's revelation that, due to his choices, life will never again be
the same:
"I have all the world’s
evil inside me, and I’ve
killed my
brother. This can’t be good."
The Vessel
Project
was designed to place control of the entire world's evil in one body.
Now
containing the devil particles, Paul questions his abilities and
winning a
contest that has cost him so much more than he'd anticipated.
The prior
book
covered his competition with nearly fifty others and the extraordinary
effort
Paul put forth to win this desirable contest. Much in the manner of The Hunger Games, however, his
competition, survival, and ultimate success are only part of the
underlying
story, which continues here.
Can the
worst
candidate for the job actually come out on top? Paul is living proof
that not
only is this a fact, but his continuing eligibility for being the most
cunning,
brave of all is not necessarily the actual requirement for the job. As
he moves
from the horrors of what he has done to the actuality of containing the
devil
particles, Paul's transition includes new realizations about his
empowerment
that affect both his worldview and his relationships:
"What got into me? Did I
really talk Oscar into
doing what I
wanted him to do? Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard. This new ability
to
manipulate is exciting and a little scary—it’s a power I shouldn’t take
lightly."
Embedded in
his new
responsibilities are realizations that test Paul's belief in the Vessel
Project, his family connections, and the changing attitudes that come
from
being able to command anyone around him to do anything.
Everyone
around him
seems so happy. His father confesses that life without his brother
Asher brings
with it its own ongoing sadness. So why isn't Paul mourning like those
around
him?
Kristin A.
Oakley
adds new moral, ethical, and psychological dimensions to Paul's ongoing
growth
in The Vessel. As a powerful
container, Paul discovers that power comes with a price tag. Although
his
physical and mental abilities have been heightened, Paul admits that "Sometimes it’s hard for me to wait for
people to catch up." If they ever will.
The Vessel
Project
has proved both a wild success and a failure in ways Paul and his
readers won't
anticipate. This gives the story the added value of not just surprise,
but a closer
inspection of the moral and ethical guidelines which direct and
influence the
deepest questions humans have about purpose and their lives:
"People still seek God,
don’t they?" I ask.
"Of course. Cancer, MS, Parkinson’s, and dementia endure.
Poverty still exists for those who are down on their luck, mentally
ill, or don’t apply themselves, though new services are provided every
day.
People pray for riches and love. People praise God every day for
sending you.
But after Asher’s death, it all seems so pointless."
The point is
that
between finding his personal path and stepping into a greater
responsibility,
Paul has sacrificed something that's irreplacable. YA readers who have
absorbed
the action, objectives, and sentiments Paul revealed in The
Devil Particle will find his ongoing saga compelling. As
Paul discovers,
there are no easy answers to his calling or its actual incarnation.
Winning the
game is
just part of the prize. The real challenge lies in wielding power and
understanding its ultimate impact and influence on the world.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a compelling extension of The Devil
Particle in a second book that continues to expand the nature
of Paul's
growth in a Big Bang of unexpected results will find The
Vessel a powerfully compelling sequel that confronts
illusions,
truth, and a president's ultimate lies about the cancer affecting the
human
soul.
Return to Index
Wedge of Fear
Eugene M. Gagliano
Crystal Publishing,
LLC
978-1-942624-81-3
$9.95 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Wedge-Fear-Eugene-M-Gagliano/dp/1942624816
When a
sibling dies,
family survivors must pick up the pieces, often moving far from their
established comfort zones to do so. In Wedge
of Fear, Tony's loss of his brother motivates the family to
move from the
East Coast to Wyoming.
Amid the
usual flurry
of making new friends, facing bullies, and environmental changes are
Tony's
additional family challenges with another death that leads his father
to
question his ability to hold his family together.
Add action
from an
outside challenge to not just his family, but the entire town, for a
tale of
how a six-grader evolves into his own abilities and strengths against
several
difficult odds.
Eugene M.
Gagliano
does a fine job of addressing and contrasting the fears of both adults
and
children in this new milieu: "...his
stomach tightened at the thought of attending a new school. What if the
kids
didn’t like him? What if they made fun of him because he was from New
York?
Could he take care of himself?"
Gagliano
also provides
contrasts between urban and rural Wyoming interests as Tony makes new
discoveries and, most of all, faces the special challenge of solving
his own
situations rather than relying on the adults around him to do so for
him.
As Tony
steps up to
help his family during crisis, he develops mature reactions to hardship
that he
never had before.
Gagliano's
ability to
contrast action with adversity, reviewing the process of maturity that
cements
Tony's new skills in dealing with the world, translates to a read that
is
realistic and thought-provoking.
Middle grade
readers
seeking a blend of action and astute psychological insights will find Wedge of Fear enlightening,
compassionate, and revealing as Tony moves through unfamiliar territory
and
matters of the heart to discover new facts about himself and those
around him.
Libraries will want to include this story in any collection appealing to young leisure readers that emphasize personal growth and empowerment at the middle grade level.
Wedge of FearReturn to Index