November 2024 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Biography & Autobiography
Mystery & Thrillers
2040
Robert Albo
Independently
Published
979-8870085470
$14.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/2040-Robert-Albo/dp/B0CP83VYJH
In 2040, the future may be embedded with
high tech, but poses the same problems as in the past because social
issues
have not been resolved. Ask 40-year-old Michael about this issue,
because he’s
well versed in anxiety and faces a fork in the road that has little to
do with
futuristic change and everything to do with furthering scientific
advancement
and research.
The problem
emerges
when said research becomes part of a personal experiment as Michael and
his
twin brother probe the possible applications of dark matter in human
affairs—using Michael as the scientific guinea pig.
Perhaps
predictably,
things go awry because these all-too-human subjects have not yet
arrived at the
truth about either dark matter or human transformation. But, this isn’t
the end
of the story. In many ways, the event is not even its crux, but
portends a new
form of investigation holding the ability to change humanity in new
ways that
supersede any technological innovation.
Another
truth emerges
in the course of events: everything happens at once. With the
experiment’s surprising
and unpredictable results, the sudden appearance of aliens, ongoing
developments in AI, and a pandemic that threatens to devour human
consciousness, a number of threads unfold, embedding the plot with a
series of
unexpected twists and turns.
Under some
hands,
these developments would take the action-packed form of a thriller only
loosely
based on characterization. The power of Robert Albo’s scenario in 2040 lies in the very essence under
threat from multiple sources—humanity’s psyche.
What makes
us human?
As Michael
and a cast
of characters find their work ultimately leads to this bigger-picture
question,
readers will find the action nonstop, the tension well-developed, and
the
characters both flawed and likeable as they attempt to navigate their
world’s
revised possibilities.
The dialogue
between
Michael and other characters gives a realistic feel to the plot’s
developments:
He stroked his chin as he recalled the
experience—gray walls closing in
on and finally consuming him. He had become part of the gray fog. What
did that
have to do with Anni? Then he remembered, before fainting, something
tugged at
his consciousness, something pulled a part of him away. He saw his body
fall to
the ground as his spirit rose. It was an out-of-body experience. “What
happened?”
Albo doesn’t
neglect
social or political undercurrents as Michael’s life both expands and
unravels.
These enhance the story with further thought-provoking moments as
Michael’s
self-doubt and choices prove to be humanity’s salvation. As for the AI
and
alien components of the story—who’s to say that either is wholly
threatening,
or bad? It’s up to the reader to make that judgment call as surprises
portend
either the end of humanity or a new era of scientific revolution.
While 2040 is obviously a futuristic sci-fi
read, it also represents a study in philosophical, ethical, and
psychological
undercurrents. These serve as especially intriguing food for thought
for
college-level classroom and book club reading groups seeking more than
an
action-infused story of change alone.
Libraries
considering
2040 should be aware that the story
concludes with obvious elements to be continued and expanded in another
book.
This promise makes 2040 more than a
singular consideration of the future and humankind’s place in it,
adding
attraction to a riveting plot progression and elevating 2040
above many competing futuristic sci-fi visions.
Return to Index
An End to
Kings
Ryan Schuette
Bedivere Press
979-8988598633
$24.44
Hardcover/$18.99 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
www.RyanSchuette.com
As the
second book in
the two-volume epic fantasy duet, An End
to Kings proves a satisfying adjunct and continuation to the
world
introduced in A
Seat for the Rabble. If it feels like this continuation
actually represents
the splitting in half of the original book—that would be true. Industry
printing
standards may have forced this division, but that doesn’t mean readers
don’t
benefit from this choice.
One way that division is a big plus lies in the
book’s less weighty
appearance, inviting readers who might otherwise have balked at too
many pages
and the specter of a daunting tale. In fact, An End to Kings, albeit
epic,
is anything but overwhelming.
Prior readers will enjoy author Ryan Schuette’s
return to Odma, where
bastard price Jason
Warchild
struggles to save his homeland from civil war. His quest for redemption
and
salvation dovetails with the fate of a kingdom torn asunder by family,
political, and social struggles.
Issues of
classism,
racism, and political process emerge against an atmospheric backdrop as
Schuette
brings this milieu to life for new readers while reinforcing worldviews
and
conflicts for prior fans:
Above an inn on a hill, the sky lit up blue, as
brightly as if it were
day. Illuminated walls of rain rolled across the forest. Thunder
reverberated
through the ground like the footsteps of giants. Standing in the hill’s
cavern
entrance, Rathos watched the reflection of his torchflame in a puddle.
He
thought of the night he swore his oath to the Loyal Company in this
cavern.
After painting compellingly dark visions of various
characters, from
Rathos to Jason’s zealot uncle Shaddon and Princess Lorana Eddenhold (who is charged with
identifying and
eliminating plots to depose her half brother), Schuette injects nonstop
action
and encounters to keep readers on their toes and engrossed:
A chair slammed into Adrias, throwing him off her.
Lorana heaved for
air.
“HELP, THE PRINCESS NEEDS HELP,” Anyasha cried over her. Footsteps
thundered toward the tent. By then, Adrias scrambled to his feet at
Jason’s
bedside. Firelight winked along the curve of his dagger as he fixed it
over
Jason’s chest, ready to plunge it into his heart.
While
psychological
developments and political clashes form the foundation of a vivid
story, the
meat of Schuette’s tale lies in how social and political influences
entwine and
layer further complexity into individual lives, objectives, and hopes
for the
future.
By
juxtaposing
different layers of society into an overriding story of shifting
character
objectives and perceptions, Schuette documents and explores many
world-changing
experiences. Readers will find this approach particularly meaningful,
given
modern political struggles.
Libraries
interested
in either the follow-up to A Seat for the Rabble, or an epic fantasy
that resonates with readers
also interested in challenges to democratic and social process, will
appreciate
the ability of An End to Kings
to document, on personal and broader scales, how rulers rise, fall, and
impact
followers and challengers alike.
And, yes:
the story
will forge on with the next book in the series, A
Calvary of Griffins. Fans will want to watch for it.
Return to Index
The Assays of Ata
K.I.S.
Independently
Published
978-0-7961-4183-5
$21.60 Paperback/$5.74 eBook
Website: https://k-i-s-inc.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Assays-Ata-Chronicles-A%CC%81itarbith/dp/0796173605
The
Assays of Ata:
The Chronicles Of Áitarbith opens
in a glass palace, where Ata moves from the kitchen to working as a spy
in her
efforts to support and protect the kingdom of Cinnae.
Readers seeking a fantasy trilogy that holds
the allure of a woman’s determination to face forces that stem not just
from
outside, but within the politics and processes of court and society
will find
Ata a formidable and alluring character. Her growth benefits from K.I.S.’s
in-depth probes of her psyche and
intentions:
She
had to
remember: she was an obedient, hardworking servant girl. A good girl,
who
recited her prayers and catechisms according to the beads hanging from
her
waistband and the tomes of the Holy Sacrament of the Benevolent Order
of the
Gods. At least for now.
Easily able to absorb and
present different personas in
the course of her pursuits, Ata’s personal mandates inject a
full-bodied feel
to the politics, undercurrents, and characters of this kingdom. The
story is
replete with struggle, special interests, and clashes that continually
test her
chameleon-like abilities to change directions at a moment’s notice.
Ata continually tests her
assignments, boundaries, and
alliances:
“It
is not a
question of what I would have done, but what you did
not do! ‘Observe and report’ only! Your meddling could
have
undone all of our plans.”
These events dovetail with a
contentious marriage
possibility that further mires Ata in choices not always of her making,
family
reactions not always under her control, and revised circumstances that
continue
to challenge her mettle, loyalties, and strengths.
K.I.S.
blends
fast-paced action and social and political turmoil with equally vivid
psychological clashes that bring the kingdom and its characters to
life. She
creates a memorable, likeable flawed character in Ata, juxtaposes
prophecy with
proactive choices, and gives readers more than enough reason to walk
with Ata
in her journey through treacherous emotional and physical encounters.
As the first
book in
the trilogy, The Assays of Ata
attends to setting a worthy stage of political and personal interests
which
leads readers to appreciate Ata’s delicate positions and strong
intentions.
All these facets make The Assays of Ata
a top recommendation for libraries seeking series titles that move
beyond
kingdom-building into the milieu of women seeking to change and control
their
lives and influence the options of others around them.
Return to Index
Desulti
Ross Hightower and
Deb Heim
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68513-510-2
$24.95 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
www.blackrosewriting.com
Desulti is a prequel to the Spirit Song
fantasy series, offering an
epic introduction to the setting and nuances of this world that make it
a
‘must’ for both prior series readers and newcomers alike.
Desulti
assassin Brie
has attracted Alle'oss woman Tove’s admiration, demonstrating strengths
and
abilities Tove never believed could be hers to wield.
Diminutive Tove also never thought she could
become a Desulti (a secret coven of female fighters), making Brie’s
offer even
more astounding.
Tove’s
background as
an orphan surviving the streets of Kartok and the torture of the
Inquisition
has given her a strength that ultimately serves her well in this story,
which
centers on women’s power, evolution, and the choices which come with
new abilities.
Ross
Hightower and
Deb Heim craft an engaging story that opens not from Tove or Brie’s
perspective, but the historical review of a monk who immerses a young
boy in a
saga reflective of many vying forces. Most of all, it probes the
proactive
determination of one young woman to not just survive, but thrive.
From
insights on
fighting by wielding wealth rather than a sword to battles between
realm
walkers, determined women, and thieves and would-be survivors, the
disparate characters
are not only well-drawn, but powered by subplots and motivations that
lie well
beyond a singular desire for self-empowerment.
This world
runs on a
combination of violence, politics, and clever moves. Tove and Brie
represent a
union of all these forces and more. The action surrounding their
efforts is
steeped in thought-provoking moments and questions about their
perceptions of
history and their place in the world:
The taciturn Alle’oss boy, Lief, surprised her. She
met him briefly in
Richeleau the previous winter and dismissed him as a simpleton. That he
put his
finger on the similarities between the goals of Oss’stera and the
Desulti
caught her off guard. And it unearthed troubling questions. Did the
Alle’oss
have less right to exploit the fruits of their own land to protect
themselves
than the Desulti? Did the Order owe anything to the Alle’oss?
Even more
enlightening and absorbing are situations each character faces as a
host of
special interests and plots swirl around them, both thwarting and
enhancing
their efforts and missions.
Hightower
and Heim
offer insights and solutions many epic fantasy genre readers won’t see
coming,
always couching the action with a satisfying offset of atmospheric
insights and
“you are there” moments:
The best thing she could do was follow the
instructions she gave her
sisters; protect the women of the village. She retreated to the first
intersection and set off at a jog down the street. The village had
descended
into a nightmare. Screams drifted in the night, both male and female.
No one
lit the street lamps and men and women appeared out of the shadows and
disappeared before she could reach them.
While
libraries
seeking to build their fantasy collections with strong epic series
additions
will find Desulti an excellent
introduction and choice, readers already familiar with the milieu
presented in Spirit Light and its
companions will be
especially attracted to Desulti’s
background-building saga.
Begin here.
The
journey embraces women’s empowerment and struggles, and is especially
highly
recommended for fantasy fans that appreciate a winning blend of
sweeping
world-building description, epic events, manipulation, and proactive
female
characters whose growth is at the heart of all experiences.
Return to Index
Finding the
Past:
Elven Roots
Jennifer Abrahamsen
Independently Published
979-898998520
$19.95
Hardcover/$14.95 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Past-Elven-Roots-Book/dp/B0D35C5ZFY
Finding the Past: Elven Roots is the
first book in a fantasy series
that presents an unusual protagonist. She’s not your typical youthful
warrior
that tends to power stories of elven worlds, but forty-year-old Kindra,
who has
extensively researched her mother’s lineage, but knows next to nothing
about
her father.
All this
changes when
a singing sword introduces new truths that leads to the revelation
that,
despite appearances, she is not completely human.
Perhaps
predictably,
she holds magical powers. But, unpredictably, the truth about her
heritage
lands her in a position of power in what translates to an alien world.
This
event charges Kindra to not only interact with a foreign family in a
strange
milieu, but to defend them.
Jennifer
Abrahamsen
creates a moving, compelling saga that moves from a genealogical
research
project into discoveries most researchers won’t experience. Kindra’s
revelation
that she is the daughter of Leif introduces more dilemmas as she
questions why
he made certain choices about her life, gets to know him, and faces a
decision
about which world she wants to live in (or owes allegiance to).
On the
surface,
Jennifer Abrahamsen has crafted a fantasy about empowerment, family
heritage,
and a middle-aged woman’s feisty revision of everything she thought was
true
about her life. Dig deeper to see that the real story lies in how she
tackles
and confronts these shifting perceptions of reality and her place in it.
The
psychology of
Kindra’s choices, including her “natural predisposition to following
others’
wishes,” creates a series of encounters in which she is forced to not
only
reinvent her past with new knowledge, but needs to reassess her innate
reactions to life, power, and altercations to formulate new definitions
of
survival and success.
This
in-depth
psychology weaves nicely into the plot and action as bridges are
crossed,
extraordinary journeys undertaken, and events unfold that force Kindra
to
change direction.
Libraries
that choose
Finding the Past: Elven Roots for
its
fantasy foundations thus will find it easy to recommend to patrons and
book
clubs interested not just in action, but a non-formula adventure that
moves
beyond confrontation into realms of stepping into empowerment in an
entirely
different manner.
Return to Index
Look ‘N Up
Invasion
Janice Carr Smith
Look 'N Up Books
979-8-9875179-0-1
$20.99 Paperback/$3.99 eBook
Website: looknup.us -
Website
Ordering: Look 'N Up
Invasion
Look ‘N Up Invasion: An Exercise in Empathy
is a fictional fantasy
survey that depicts an unusual form of alien invasion when the
green-skinned royal
family of a tiny, primitive world is accidentally transported to the
Look'N Up
Pomegranate Ranch in California.
Luckily for
them,
they’ve landed in the perfect spot. The ranching family that hires them
as
immigrant farm workers harbors their own genetic oddity and an affinity
for
helping those who have few options and no financial resources.
More than
just
another alien invasion story, however (despite its title), Look ‘N Up Invasion represents a meeting
of minds, foreign
cultures, and blossoming concepts and ideals. These receive not only
intense
examination, but illustrates adaptation and transformation as the two
families
come together on the ranch.
Just as they
are
formulating these new connections, the discovery of another, less
benign alien
entity on Earth, which has also found its way to the ranch, forces the
two
disparate families to join in an effort to curtail a real invasion’s
impact on
humanity.
Janice Carr
Smith
adopts a whimsical, revealing tone in her examination, embedding a
sense of play
into its encounters and shared experiences. This translates to many
surprises
for those expecting serious, action-packed confrontations (of which
there are
some, but juxtaposed with an unexpected sense of humor):
“I told you guys, no guns.”
Felsic withdrew his hand from the goose gun and moved it to the weed
eater. Elmer snapped again. “You guys don’t have gas for it. I told you
that,
too. That stuff is for if we have to fight them critters here on Earth.
For
Nauve, you can take the steel blades and points, bows and arrows, and
them
potato guns. You’ll never run out of ammo.”
The fact
that the
story’s drama stems as much from shared cultures and ironic encounters
as it
does from coming together and thwarting dangerous forces paints a
different
form of alien encounter onto Look ‘N Up
Invasion’s events. This results in a creative, appealing
story that goes
where few alien/human encounters can match.
This is why
libraries
and readers interested in creative sci-fi and out-of-the-box scenarios
will
find Look ‘N Up Invasion a winner.
It’s a standout from other genre productions, featuring a special brand
of
meeting of the minds and discovery which translates to a rollicking
good read.
Return to Index
Robot Run!
The Hidden
Perils of Suicide
Russell Lee Baldwin
Baldwin Books
979-8-218-49227-4
$3.99 eBook
Website: https://baldwin-books.com/portfolio/robot-run/
Ordering: https://mybook.to/RobotRun
Sci-fi
readers familiar with various fears
and opinions about the approaching Singularity should prepare for a
wild ride
in Robot Run! The Hidden Perils of
Suicide.
Russell
Lee Baldwin's vision of the future
is anything but predictable. And although it's written by a '100% human
author'
without AI assistance, the perspective of his AI narrator is stark and
surprising.
As
Book 3 of Baldwin's Catapult of Singularity
series, the story is an invigorating
glimpse of the future. It opens with a shocker, and such impacts keep
coming
until the closing twist. Adiari De Barcelona, who loves her racehorse,
is about
to perform a surgery which will lead to the mare’s demise. Why would
this woman
put down a beloved, race-winning thoroughbred? But all is not as it
first
appears, and as the plot unfolds, Baldwin’s many unique threads take
their own
sweet time to blossom into fascinating truths.
This
novel will delight sci-fi readers who
anticipate a predictable techy shooter war—it leads from a lovely
country
winery estate into a clown courtroom, where Adiari works her day job as
a
federal prosecutor.
Equally
rich is the futuristic environment
in which plasti-metal bots, attractive humanoid bot escorts, a supreme
AGI, and
the emotional needs of the characters meld in unique and engrossing
scenes.
These events blend with a biotech promise of unlimited human
rejuvenation and
the legal threat of the IRS, which finds such rebirths the perfect
opportunity
to collect on unpaid tax debt.
Baldwin
creates a mordant yet playful weave
of human and AI goals, juxtaposing life-changing choices with surprises
which
develop from one-off moves by human and AI characters alike.
This
is no one-dimensional beach novel.
Readers should expect challenging complexities to this world and its
vastly
evolved cultural and technological norms. Baldwin’s world building is
colorful
and fun, and Robot, Run! is a
full-bodied probe into the future, expressed in riveting action. The
plot
receives its power from unexpected events and strangely acceptable
options,
plus the sometimes unpredictable human encounters. There are many fresh
and
original ideas at play within these pages.
All
these elements make Robot, Run! a
‘must’ read for sci-fi
fans, thanks to eerily plausible outcomes of the Singularity. Baldwin’s
story
world is as steeped in social and political oddities as it is in the
power and
foibles of AGI.
Libraries
that choose Robot, Run! for their
sci-fi holdings will find this novel a
unique, winning premise and presentation.
Return to Index
The Waydowns
Robert Rife
Deep
Portal Publishing
979-8986280622
$16.95 Paperback/$4.95 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/WAYDOWNS-COOL-THING-SCIENCE-FICTION/dp/B0DDTH2VLH
She’s not coming. It’s too late now. Blood gushes
from his empty arm
socket, spattering onto the deck. He hears the pounding and tearing at
the
hatch cover. It wants the rest of him.
The
Waydowns is the third
book in the Cool Thing
Science Fiction series, opening with a prologue delivered with a bang.
This
compelling paragraph leads to the first chapter, which dives into
aliens,
humans, and genetic experiments gone awry.
Then the
tale moves
to the crux of the matter. What does a new homeowner do when the
fabulous old
house purchase proves to harbor peculiar
forms of ‘ghosts’ who consider the house (and its contents) theirs?
As more
characters
emerge, they include an antiques dealer: the love-sodden and liar
Rastus Leroy,
(RL) who has just taken the dangerous step of becoming engaged. Rife’s
story juxtaposes
disparate interests and realities. This is done in such a way that
readers may
not immediately realize that the central characters rely as much upon
alien
experiences as human reactions.
This
situation erupts
as the inhabitants of a UFO buried under said house collide with humans
who
once believed their new home would be their peaceful love nest.
The irony
these new
owners discover is that:
There is love in
this house. A deep, all-consuming love.
Oh, there’s
love, all
right. But it may not reside in the couple alone. As events unfold,
readers
learn surprising truths about what promises and secrets the house
really
holds:
Love
is real. Love
is magical. And it can be as hard as a big fat anvil.
The result
defies the
normal pegging of a story as a sci-fi piece, a paranormal story, or
anything
else. It enthusiastically embraces elements of classic developments in
these
genres, yet carries them to new territory by melding these features
into a
refreshingly different perspective.
Libraries
and readers
seeking science fiction that profiles the unexpected in a manner even
seasoned
readers won’t see coming will appreciate the opportunity to read and
recommend The
Waydowns to friends, book club reading groups,
and general-interest
readers who normally eschew the sci-fi genre for its formula writing
approaches.
Return to Index
Beyond Fear:
A Woman's Path to Enlightenment
Karen Chrappa
Mango Moon Media
978-1-948749-95-4
$21.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948749947?ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_5GMBP3PZSS9JTGNWB03C
How does the
objective of embarking on a mountain hike with her dog leave Karen
Chrappa
stranded in the remote wilderness with few options for survival? This
memoir of
experiences on the road to enlightenment begins with the bang of
life-altering
confrontation and doesn’t let up. This gives readers a thoroughly
engrossing
atmosphere that supports the drama of discovery and challenge:
I was in a situation far beyond anything I had ever
experienced.
As the story
evolves
into “you are here” experiences of climbing, musings about family and
tragedy,
and the exhilarating experience of mountain climbing, the promised
subtitle’s
reflections on the enlightenment process comes to life:
My first encounter with an Apu left an indelible
imprint on my mind.
One step at a time. That is all you have to do.
Given the
book’s
subtitle, readers may be surprised to find this is not a ‘how to’
exploration,
so much as a memoir about mountain climbing and how these efforts, as
well as
the focus on walking away from one’s comfort zones, results in
enlightenment.
Embedded
within these
features are revelations about the path and process—but they are
contained
within the broader context not of a nonfiction advice guide, but in the
author’s experiences. “The memoir of one woman’s path to enlightenment”
would
add an appropriate emphasis on the personal nature of Chrappa’s
processes.
Readers who
are
intrigued by the possibilities of cultivating their own routes to
enlightenment
will follow in her footsteps as Chrappa tackles not just
mountaineering, but
matters of her own heart and growth.
From the
challenges
involved in settling into a new life and new routines which include
another to
influences on her desire to uproot her life, Chrappa captures
thought-provoking
growth experiences in a manner that will encourage readers to consider
their
own paths to growth:
I never could have configured the steps that were
guiding me to a life
so foreign to anything I had ever known.
Even while
building
new patterns of action and reaction to methods that range from
releasing and
clearing rituals to lessons learned from difficult life experiences,
Chrappa
always embeds her growth with reflections on the changes that buffet
and support
her processes. The underlying motivation for change is succinctly and
clearly
related:
I was looking for truth: truth about love, about
purpose, about the
meaning of life.
While those
expecting
a boilerplate step-by-step plan might be surprised, the real value in Beyond
Fear: A Woman's Path to Enlightenment lies in
its ability to meld
memoir with movement in a way readers can more easily absorb.
Libraries
and readers
seeking life stories that hold important lessons for rejuvenation and
discovery
will find this book outstanding.
Return to Index
Braveing the
Way
Laurel C. Fox
Independently
Published
979-8990498198
$29.99 Hardcover/$19.99 Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/braveing-way-Laurel-C-Fox/dp/B0D7FTCMJH
Braveing the Way documents a mother’s
journey through her teen
daughter Taylor’s life-changing event. It’s an emotional, personal
story of
tragedy, adaptation, and transformation that will especially appeal to
parents
facing their own family health challenges.
The impact
of tragedy
often rests on how it emerges instantly to challenge all assumptions,
life
trajectories, and possibilities. Angst and recovery is especially well
captured
in passages that depict immediacy and pain. This may prove triggering
to some,
but is ultimately the crux of a story replete with eye-opening scenes
of stark
discovery:
I was pleading, crying, gasping for air, and having
a breakdown—and
yes, that’s exactly what was happening to me. I felt it deep down in my
chest.
Even though I was attempting to cry quietly, it wasn’t working. I sat
on the
floor of the shower and let it out. I was scared. I was mad, and I
needed
something to finally give. It had been so many days of doing the same
thing,
and I desperately wanted to go home. All I kept thinking was, I need some kind of sign or something that I
can hold on to because I’m starting to lose my grip. Something
had to
change or I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hang in there. The more I
thought of
Taylor and what she used to be like, the harder I would sob.
There are
many
instances of such raw, candid reflections as Laurel C. Fox navigates
unfamiliar
territory she’d never thought possible, alongside a much-changed
daughter.
Her journal
of these
experiences provides immediacy and further intimacy as the timeline
unfolds
from initial event through an adaptation process that embraces not just
much-changed psyche and abilities, but love.
Fox’s
special
strength and allure in documenting her daughter’s story lies as much in
her
exploration of changing love under health challenges as it does in the
physical
realities of handling a traumatic brain injury. Psychological
consultations and
advice pepper the journey, adding a professional overlay of insight
that
further expands upon Fox’s growth as a mother and caregiver:
Taylor acting out physically was the most difficult
thing for a while.
She would throw punches or grab things that were on the table and throw
them at
us. We made a deal that when I saw her start to get frustrated inside
herself,
she would have to go into her room and take a five-minute time-out.
Luckily for
us, her long-term memory knew exactly what a time-out was, and it
worked like a
charm. Not being able to do things like she used to, was becoming
extremely
frustrating for Taylor, and these outbursts were happening more
frequently at
home. Therapists explained that her limitations, as she was slowly
coming back
into her brain and body, would become challenging in more ways than one.
Braveing the Way is highly recommended
for any family member or
caregiver coping with the sudden effects of traumatic brain injury.
Libraries
looking for
a memoir that nails specific stepping stones of recovery will find Braveing the Way exceptionally precise
in its outline of moments which challenge mother, daughter, and
everyone around
them to adapt and grow into new lives and expectations.
The tension,
developments, and discoveries are exquisitely and delicately wound into
a
compelling story that proves not just enlightening enough to be
essential for
healthcare library collections and individuals navigating their own
experiences
of sudden brain trauma, but book club discussion groups.
Return to Index
Finding Dad,
Paranoid Schizophrenia: An End to the Search
Amanda LaPera
Adamo Press
978-0-9862471-7-0
$32.00 Hardcover/$20.00
Paperback/$4.99 ebook
Website: www.adamopress.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK4XGNSB
Finding
Dad,
Paranoid Schizophrenia: An End to the Search should ideally
be read after
pursuing Amanda LaPera’s original Finding
Dad, which recounted the family’s experience of a father’s
mental illness.
This sequel opens with
LaPera’s wondering if her father’s
body has finally been located. Then comes a surprising revelation that
changes
the course of her assumptions and experience.
Knowing her father’s fate is
only half the battle. Enough
tantalizing detail is offered to confirm matters without giving her
information
which would give her closure.
Finding
Dad,
Paranoid Schizophrenia: An End to the Search is about putting
the pieces
together to achieve this finality. It surveys the legal and
investigative
efforts LaPera engaged in, the snafus and barriers of a system designed
to
protect privacy at the cost of putting up barriers to a family’s
inquiry, and
the lasting impact of this search and discovery mission.
As COVID raises additional
fears and impacts, LaPera is
forced to consider reality from different angles. These illustrate how
perception in the mentally ill differs heavily from that of those
living
outside of, but adjacent to, one with a mental condition.
From issues of legal and
psychological control to false
narratives that emerge from COVID and interpersonal conflicts and
clashes,
LaPera’s story is replete with insights and progressive discoveries.
These will
especially resonate with readers struggling with their own family
member’s
mental condition.
The result fills in many
gaps in the first book, moving the
saga into arenas of new developments that further send LaPera into
unfamiliar
territory. How she narrates this journey, these contrasting perceptions
and
experiences, and the specter of mental health amidst the backdrop of
COVID’s
threat makes for a compelling memoir especially highly recommended for
readers
facing their own impossible family journeys.
Libraries that choose Finding
Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia: An End to the Search will find
it easy to
recommend to psychology and book club reading groups interested in
schizophrenia, from altered perception and family interactions to the
disparate
incarnations of suffering and connection which rise from mental illness.
Return to Index
The Full
Catastrophe
Casey Mulligan Walsh
Motina Books, LLC
979-8-88784-041-3
$26.99 Hardcover/$18.99
Paperback/$6.99 eBook
Website: www.caseymulliganwalsh.com
Ordering: www.MotinaBooks.com
The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted…Everything
I Feared is a
memoir about connection, disconnection, and the odd dichotomy of grief
and joy
which often arrives hand-in-hand to stymie the heart.
Casey begins
her
story with an experience steeped in the immediacy of her son’s death as
she
tries to reconcile both her loss and the impact of his absence in her
world:
Eric’s death, so quickly old news for the rest of
the world, though
it’s only been six weeks. But the telling makes it real again. Makes
him real.
They say his name and it brings him back, if only for a moment.
If life
begins when a
child is born, does it then end upon his untimely death? What evolved
from
Casey’s experience was a series of revelations about connections,
transitions,
and rebuilding which creates a vigorous dialogue in her story. This
will
attract (and potentially heal) others on their own journeys to reflect,
reconcile, and recover from grief in a revised life.
From a bill
collector
scenario in which the mere mention of Eric’s name provides comfort as
she
thwarts their final attempts to reach him to her story of raising her
children
and living her life, The Full Catastrophe
can best be understood via moments of the past which are captured in
succinct,
moving passages about family interaction and connection:
It seems that nearly everything of significance
begins like this. One
moment, it’s the ho-hum events of everyday life. The next, not an
earthshattering change, just another little thing to take in stride. A
new
thing, to add to the last thing, followed by the next thing, and so it
goes.
It’s not until later —sometimes much later—that we look back and see
that that
call, that conversation was the one thing that changed everything.
Readers get
to know
the living, breathing Eric and his world as they absorb the impact of
his
death, giving The Full Catastrophe
a
full-bodied experiential flavor that is as much immersed in life as in
death.
The pivot
points of
this life and grief in general are covered in a manner that gives equal
power
to both personal memoir and bigger-picture thinking about life, death,
survival, and love.
It should be
noted
that The Full Catastrophe isn’t a
singular effort. It incorporates the author’s deep exploration of
resources on
grief and recovery; many of which are provided in a concluding
bibliography and
extensive list of websites, podcasts, and other supportive materials.
This
juxtaposition of
research, personal reflection, and experiences makes The
Full Catastrophe a highly recommended pick suitable for
libraries interested in adding to their grief memoir literature. It
begins with
a personal life story, but expands its subject and revelations into a
sequence
of events that hold special meaning and opportunities for grief and
book club
discussion groups, as well as recovering readers.
Return to Index
Hitchhiking
to
Madness: A Memoir (New Edition)
Carol Hamilton
Owl Haven Press
979-8-9904101-0-7
$18.99
Paperback/$8.99 eBook
Website: carolhamiltonmd.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D95WD6LX/
Hitchhiking to Madness: A Memoir captures
the experiences and
flavor of the 1970s through Carol Hamilton’s eyes in a hitchhiking
journey
across America. Modern readers will relish the opportunity to journey
alongside
Hamilton through her self-portrait of a spiritual and psychological
expedition.
Imagine
Kerouac’s
classic On the Road—but delivered
with more self-examination, taking place in a different era of American
culture, and embracing the encounters of a wife and family whose deeply
religious foundations are shaken by schizophrenia’s emergence (which
often
masquerades as religious fervor). Underlying this reach for
understanding are
drives to better understand God and self. These facets also lend a very
different flavor to Hitchhiking to
Madness than readers might anticipate.
Why madness?
Because
the major insight and discovery relate to her husband Jeff’s mental
illness,
which Hamilton explores during the course of their journey. This
expands the
physical boundaries of their trip into psychological and spiritual
realms to
give readers important insights into the challenges of perception and
survival.
When a loved
one
becomes unrecognizable due to schizophrenia, what does a family do? In
this
case, experiences that lay far from the familiar spark discovery,
recovery, and
new approaches to life that prove not just healing, but revealing.
The road to
hell is
paved with good intentions. Jeff is convinced that his wife just “wants
him to
settle,” when his drive is to pursue the Lord and spread His Word. He
notes
that:
“The Church of Christ and other churches are filled
with men who want
power. They’re the moneychangers in the temple. They’ve got nothing to
do with
God.”
These
insights alienate
him from institutions and established routines, further complicating
his
relationships, goals, and journey. Hitchhiking
to Madness’s insights balance psychological and spiritual
pathways of
enlightenment. These, in turn, lead to revelations about “doing the
Lord’s
work” which illustrate how mercurial intentions and life purposes can
actually
mask underlying psychological conditions.
Mental
health
professionals and patients and their families will find Hitchhiking
to Madness an important survey of mental health,
illness, and healing processes. It pulls no punches in its astute
representations of spiritual and psychological growth. Young women, and
those
who counsel them, will also take heart as they engage with Hamilton's
journey
of self-discovery, finding that her voice and inner strength are
formidable.
This makes Hitchhiking to Madness a top reference
for book clubs and reading groups interested in the intersection of
mental and
spiritual health. It also will attract general-interest readers seeking
a
memoir vivid in its stories, revealing in the challenges of living with
mental
illness, and ultimately uplifting in its multifaceted account of
family, God,
shifting relationships, and new beginnings.
Return to Index
My Boston Marathon
Steven Clark
Independently Published
979-8334262379
$18.25
Paperback/$6.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/My-Boston-Marathon-Running-Dream/dp/B0DBG5Y41K
My
Boston Marathon:
Running to Live a Dream is the third in Steven Clark’s memoir
series. It
covers his life from 1985-1994,
when
he became steeped in Boston’s culture and pursued his dream to become a
writer.
A series of
black and
white photos of Clark accompanies his reflection that he stands on
Boston’s
streets as a “…serious thinker, a
Nathaniel Hawthorne plopped into modern times but in a city not quite
giving up
its past.” In reality, Boston is impervious to both his
dreams and his
personal race to achievement, and so he has trouble even getting a
stranger to
stop, step out of their own hectic rat race, and take his photo.
After the
photos, the
opening chapter depicts not a writer’s studio, but Clark’s entry into a
security office where he works. His flare for literary description and
cultural
observation emerges within just a few lines:
Being a veteran boozer himself, Joe was the
Einstein of watering
holes. Donohue
admitted his roistering
into the wee hours made him pretty chummy with the milkman, prowling
cats, and,
when he conked out on lawns, garden gnomes. I should have disliked
Donohue, but
he was colorful and talkative, like a lot of Boston Irish I worked with.
And, we’re
off.
Entering the portals of Clark’s life is like embarking on a cultural
journey
through Boston’s ethnic groups and interests. From his stint in the
National
Guard and his ongoing involvement in peacekeeping to his spicy
relationships,
which reflect Boston’s many undercurrents and residents, readers
receive a
lively, engrossing probe into Clark’s background. This experience
encourages readers
to consider revised insights about Boston’s history and culture.
From his
move back to
Missouri to literary reading which gives him added reflections and
insights
about his life trajectory, Clark exhibits an ongoing talent for
atmospheric
description. These not only allow readers to walk in his shoes, but to
see
through his literary eyes:
On a trip to Hartford, I visited the Mark Twain
house, where, the guide
assured us, all of his great works were written here. I found the house
gloomy
and sad, too large, but probably what Twain thought was his reward for
literary
fame. No chateau or villa in Italy. Twain settled for Yankee Hartford
and the
status of this mansion. Alas, his daughters died here. He went
bankrupt, and
had to sell this literary nest to survive. But peeking at the windows,
shades,
the shadows reminded me of my family’s Faber House. All sadness, old
wood, the
view through windows of yards, stripes and hands of light touching
summer grass
that swayed from New England breezes…
Now, those
who choose
this memoir because of a title that leads them to think its contents
will be
solely about preparing for and running the Boston marathon race may be
disappointed. The race under consideration is, indeed, far broader and
more
personal than a singular footrace. It thus holds far more value, both
to prior
readers of Clark’s prior memoirs and newcomers to his life.
Libraries
that choose
My Boston Marathon for these
literary
qualities and cultural insights will find it a top recommendation for
patrons
interested in links between literary history and modern-day inspiration.
Any book
club or
reading group harboring a special affinity for evocative, reflective
memoirs
that hold additional value in a Boston-centric examination will find
the humor,
serious life inspections, and literary connections in My
Boston Marathon hold fine examples of powerful writing.
Return to Index
One Ripple
at a Time
Janice Jensen
She
Writes Press
978-1647427948
$17.99 Paperback/$12.99 eBook
Website:
https://janicejensenauthor.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/One-Ripple-Time-Mothers-Story/dp/1647427940
One
Ripple at a
Time: A Mother's Story of Life after Loss is a memoir that
dovetails Janice
Jensen’s loss with the process of grief in a way that families who have
also
lost a child under the age of thirteen can learn from her insights and
experiences.
One can say that the writing
of such a loss is cathartic.
But when presented as a series of insights that hold important lessons
on
adaptation and survival, these considerations can also provide
important
pathways to understanding that help grieving families emerge from their
own
darkness.
Jensen’s journey was long
and arduous; the waves of pain
unrelenting. The highs and lows of these emotions ripple through her
story like
a wave. Underlying loss is a probe into why the accident that claimed
her son’s
life could not have been prevented by government oversight or better
knowledge.
The process of her
investigation into matters of the
heart and equally important quests for answers create interweave
emotional
journeys to embrace not just her recovery process, but how her family
grieves
and takes small steps, as individuals and as a whole, to move forward:
I
managed to keep
our daily life comparatively stable through the first four of Erika’s
elementary school years. She went to class every day, continued
gymnastics and
piano lessons, and had regular sleepovers with her friends. The three
of us
welcomed overnight visitors when time, energy, and steadiness allowed
us to be
congenial hosts.
The process is not the same,
or easy, for any family
member. Her struggles with her husband and daughter and their own
coping
methods emerge as both healing and struggle as they try to stay
together
despite a shared grief that, at times, forces them apart:
When
we lost Brian,
Oskar and I had made a joint, conscious choice to help Erika enjoy a
long,
happy life. He had jeopardized this resolve. I hoped that our
near-disaster
would be a serious enough wake-up call to prompt him to seek help.
Erika and
Pam seemed to have taken the rollover in stride, joking about it
several times.
When I continued to ask my daughter whether she was really okay with
her
feelings, she kept insisting she was.
These insights are key to
understanding how family
structure survives and changes.
Readers should also
anticipate a full-bodied feel to this
account. All is not about grief and death … notes about exploring
dancing,
traveling the world, and understanding leadership roles and follower
importance
supplement the growth opportunities illustrated in One
Ripple at a Time.
The result is a memoir that
libraries should consider an
essential acquisition. It goes beyond many singular discussions to
embrace the
processes of family, life, and the dynamics of returning, albeit much
changed,
to a different reality.
Book clubs, grief groups,
and parenting circles will find
plenty of topics suitable for debate and discussion as Jensen reveals
the ups
and downs of navigating her child’s death.
Return to Index
Searching
for John
DeWitt
John Chase, MD
Hellgate Press
978-1-954163-93-5
$15.99 Print/$9.99 eBook
www.johnchasemd.com
When author John Chase uncovered a box of
lost letters from his grandfather, written in the trenches of World War
I, they
provided him with revelations about the small-town lawyer that he’d
never known
before. Searching for John
DeWitt: How 80 Forgotten Letters from the Trenches
of WWI Revealed
Timeless Lessons of Honor and Courage chronicles
this journey of discovery, publishing John Ryder
DeWitt’s writings and experiences for
audiences who will be completely unfamiliar with the man, but
interested in the
milieu and experiences of ordinary soldiers who were conscripted into
battle.
When Chase discovered that his quiet,
unassuming grandfather was in fact a war hero, it revised his ideas of
the man,
his family, and the times. The letters sparked a personal journey to go
beyond
DeWitt’s writings to examine the real experiences and nature of the
war,
leading Chase on a quest of discovery that revealed aspects of World
War I that
rarely are considered.
From the brutal deaths which were a daily
fact of life for ‘trench runners’ to filling in the blanks omitted from
his
grandfather’s communiqués, Chase’s reflections are as important as the
figure
he probes:
…familiar
with the
entire set of letters my sister had found, I realized my grandfather’s
notes
home were like the North Atlantic icebergs he and his fellow soldiers
dodged on
their way to France in November 1917. Beneath the surface of his chatty
notes
home was a more important story, not just about my grandfather, but
about
entire generation of young men now for the most part forgotten.
As he learns
about
various romances his grandfather cultivated, absorbs the experiences
and special
challenges of being behind the lines or immersed in the war, and the
daily
turbulence of raids and military strategies, Chase offers readers a
personal
inspection on World War I’s progression and experiences which many
won’t find
elsewhere.
John Chase
excels in
blending personal and historical experience in such a manner as to
appeal to
fans of memoir, war history, and action-packed stories that bring the
times and
its influences to life. His attention to building emotional overlays
upon
details of World War I history that bring readers to confront
battlefields
encounters and presumptions about the times in their own minds lends a
vivid
countenance to the story, making it hard to put down.
The result
is a blend
of memoir and military history highly recommended for any library
strong in
World War I experiences. Those who add Searching for John DeWitt to their collections will
find the experience of such a search as riveting as the discoveries it
unfolds,
and will want to recommend it to patrons that harbor special interest
receiving
a boots-on-the-ground experience considering the overall milieu of the
times:
John DeWitt did not realize it at the time, but
being in a hospital,
bored or not, was the best situation any soldier in France could
embrace. Another enemy was afoot, one that
would kill more soldiers than combat itself. The Spanish flu was
beginning to
insert its deadly ways into daily life in Europe.
Return to Index
Black Yéʼii
(The Evil
One)
Joseph Lewis
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68513-537-9
$24.99 Paperback/ebook TBA
Website: www.jrlewisauthor.com
Ordering: https://tinyurl.com/25w95xcn
Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) combines
several disparate elements into
a blend of Native American cultural exploration, police procedural, and
coming-of-age saga firmly rooted in all three attractions.
This gives
readers
added depth and dimension as the story surveys psychological growth and
challenges, cultural norms and changes, and a mystery that revolves
around the
puzzle of why and how four members of MS-13 died.
In many
ways, the
action and plot mirror modern yin/yang contrasts in life. Joseph Lewis
captures
family conflict and the impact of four young men in a small Wisconsin
town
whose recovery affects their community, detailing how evil re-emerges
to plague
the survivors of this trauma.
While the
backdrop creates
classic good/evil confrontations, in reality the character motivations,
reactions, and choices offer far more conflict than a simple
juxtaposition of
or clash between bad and good alone.
The Navajo
culture
and spirituality embedded into the story is one example of unusual
depth and
detail that belays any pat categorization of “good versus evil.” The
mythos
surrounding the concept of ‘Black Yéʼii’ receives a succinct
introductory
explanation that not only defines evil’s parameters, but allows readers
to keep
this thought in mind as thriller elements emerge to create a
cat-and-mouse
atmosphere.
Also replete
in the
story are growth opportunities stemming from the surprises of two cases
that
immerse George and his friends in a secret they were never supposed to
uncover.
MS-13 is
back and
seeks revenge. In addition to the youths, Detectives Graff, O’Connor,
and
Eiselmann also have a vested interest in gaining answers.
Lewis builds
a
powerful plot that moves through various Wisconsin towns like a house
afire.
Diverging elements of intrigue and psychological confrontation keep the
narrative
fast-paced—and yet, the action is not so frantic as to lose
characterization strength
along the way.
Clues and
memories
merge in a satisfyingly unpredictable manner to keep the story
multifaceted and
on track for discovery and revelation.
Libraries
seeking
stories that are not easy to define as either thriller, mystery, police
procedural or coming of age genres will find the inclusion of all these
elements and more will attract a wide audience. This includes those
already familiar
with Wisconsin, who will appreciate the injections of history and lore
that pepper
the drama with unexpected insights.
Return to Index
Bluebird
Chris Kneer
Spartan
Entertainment
ASIN: B0DFYYW2PC
$9.99 eBook
www.ChrisKneerAuthor.com
Bluebird is a thriller about a man who
sets aside his past to enter
a revised world of family, friends, and stability that he’s always
coveted.
Unfortunately, his past follows him, challenging his goals for a more
peaceful
life and ultimately demanding he respond when he stumbles into a tax
fraud
scheme at his new banking job and confronts the special interests of
the hoi
poli behind the plot.
Caught in a
web of
subterfuge and choices that swing from protecting his new life or doing
the
right thing, Jason is pulled back into a milieu he thought he’d finally
left
behind.
Chris Kneer
weaves a
compelling story from the start, employing the first person to give
Jason’s
dilemmas an immediacy and emotional component. Bluebird
draws readers from the opening scene, which is set in 2013
Jerusalem, where Jason’s new job at the Bank of Israel has led to him
being
pulled into an interrogation room.
Kneer’s
descriptions
of Jason’s reactions to his sudden, shocking dilemma draw readers into
Jason’s
perceptions with a ‘you are here’ feel:
Alone and paralyzed with fear, I have trouble
thinking clearly. I don’t
know if I am being arrested or maybe something even worse. I don’t have
much
back home and thought a job in a foreign country might offer a fresh
start.
Clearly, I made a mistake.
Accused of
being a
spy in his new job, Jason finds himself on the lam and in trouble once
again.
The theme of how he can clear his name and achieve his goals dovetails
nicely
with the additional angst of finding his closest supporters may not be
who they
say, and indeed may have betrayed him.
Kneer takes
Jason’s
evolving dilemmas and runs with them. His step-by-step account of how
Jason
changes his identity and transforms his persona in response to new
challenges
lends notes of realistic insight into his choices and rationales for
his
actions.
Even more
notable is
the added value of flavors of change that buffet Jason’s attempts to
stabilize
his identity and solidify his intentions in building a new life. He may
be
“becoming a different guy,” but the past is never far behind.
As
investigator Lia
and his best friend Oak become embroiled in the turmoil Jason
navigates, Jason
comes to question whose side even his closest confidantes are on:
I want to know more about the woman named Lia. How
does she fit in with
this group of alpha males? Is she kind or just playing a part? She
seems to be
full of contradictions.
Issues of
trust,
believability, and hidden goals permeate Jason’s movements and
confrontations,
creating a powerful emotional interplay between objectives, secrets,
and
support systems.
Many of
Jason’s
revelations are intrinsic to life outcomes and choices:
I think about the heroes’ journey and realize it
starts every day. Stop
being a victim and create the life I want.
These
elements place Bluebird a cut above
the usual
action-packed thriller, creating added value with psychological and
ethical
dilemmas perfect for book club and reader group discussions.
Libraries
will find Bluebird’s special blend
of action,
unexpected developments, and emotional self-inspection to be the
perfect choice
for thriller audiences seeking more depth and discovery in their reads
than
intrigue alone.
Return to Index
Call Me
Carmela
Ellen Kirschman
Open Road
978-1-5040-9575-4
$21.99 Paperback/$14.99 eBook
Website: www.ellenkirschman.com
Ordering: www.openroadmedia.com
Call Me Carmela adds to Ellen Kirschman’s
previous Dot Meyerhoff
mysteries, but requires no prior familiarity from newcomers. All
readers will
appreciate the powerful character of a psychologist who typically works
with
cops, but finds herself pulled into the dilemma of an adopted teen
searching
for her birth parents.
The last
thing Dot
expected was to find this pursuit replete with intrigue that demands
police
involvement, but as she delves into the world of illegal adoptions and
their
lasting impact, Dot comes to realize that her friend’s goddaughter Ava
Marie is
in trouble—not just curious about her origins.
Dot has no
experience
with teenagers. Perhaps this gives her an edge, because her approach to
Ava
Marie is different than those harboring such knowledge. She presents a
refreshingly direct, honest form of interaction that prompts
revelations in
return.
Under
another hand,
the mystery might center largely on illicit operations. Kirschman’s
focus on
exploring the emotional costs and challenges of families impacted by
illegal
actions sets this mystery apart from any other focus on illegal
adoption rings.
Kirschman
adds
personal revelations to the intrigue, cementing the story with elements
of
discovery and impact that draw readers from the start. This approach
helps them
understand the real issues involved not only in such operations, but
crime-busting attempts.
These, in
turn, impart
a deeper understanding to the police procedural side of investigations,
prompting food for thought and discussion which will prove especially
alluring
to book clubs.
From issues
of
identity and handling or delivering devastating news to earth-shaking
revelations that keep not only the disparate characters, but Dot
herself on her
toes, Call Me Carmela crafts a
story
replete with the impact of secrets, good intentions gone awry, and
those who
would profit from others’ misfortune or misdirection.
Libraries
and readers
interested in mysteries that present a healthy dose of police
investigative
action, but temper these scenes with emotional connections and growth,
will
welcome Call Me Carmela’s attention
to strong characters placed in challenging positions.
Return to Index
Cops Gone Bad
Donald E. McInnis
J&E Publications
979-8-9865516-6-1
$18.95 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
www.donaldmcinnis.com
Cops Gone Bad is an A.J. Hawke thriller.
It focuses on another
legal system dilemma which drags the young lawyer into a conundrum that
challenges his legal and ethical prowess.
The police
are
supposed to be part of the justice system’s peacekeepers, but here
their
unwritten code of honor and support for one another spills over into a
murder
case in which they hide a fellow officer’s actions.
Even police
officers
aren’t immune to forces that become criminal in nature. The mandate to
support
one another becomes one of entering the criminal realm when the bond
between
policemen is tested to its breaking point.
How fair is
the legal
system? Only as fair as its supporters and protectors. When that fine
line is
crossed, A.J. and others find themselves making difficult choices about
which
side of it they should be on. Despite seeming cut-and-dry justice
system rules,
the gray area of possibility and interpretation turns out to be murky,
alluring, and confusing.
Readers who
choose
this legal thriller will find its cat-and-mouse moves offer windows
into
corruption and law enforcement quandaries.
A.J.’s
mandates and
values are challenged as the case and investigation unfold, drawing
readers
into changing standards of prosecuting cases, gathering evidence, and
acknowledging underlying motivations and rules of engagement.
As secrets,
surveillance, and scary moments evolve, A.J. finds additional tests to
his
legal and ethical prowess that both educate him and move him into
threatening
new directions in his career and life.
McInnis
builds a
close inspection of how justice can be thwarted and warped. The tension
and
characterization are well done, but especially notable are themes that
run
through the plot to provide food for thought to individuals and
discussion
groups interested in legal processes and precedents.
A.J. is
forced to
move away from his training, expectations, and comfort zone in his
effort to
track down the truth and make the right assessments and decisions, as
do many
supporting characters in his latest dilemma.
Cops Gone Bad is a legal thriller that
libraries will find highly
accessible, filled with action and insight, and perfect for patrons
interested
in more than courtroom proceedings, but bigger-picture thinking about
social
issues, justice, and criminal definitions.
Return to Index
The Evil to
Come
Thomas Holland
Independently
Published
979-8393835637
$14.99
https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Come-Big-Elmore-Novel/dp/B0DC57VNN8
The Evil to Come returns Big Ray Elmore
to historical mystery fans in
another action-packed novel that further reveals his abilities and
actions as
he faces a new dilemma.
Here, the
small-town
police chief tackles the aftermath of a shooting spree that leaves the
little
town of Split Tree, Arkansas in emotional turmoil.
In 1954,
such events were
not only uncommon, but extraordinary. This makes Big Ray’s job uniquely
challenging as he confronts an evil that has its roots (and prologue)
in 1945
Japan, and then moves forward in time and place to evolve in one of the
most
theoretically ‘safe’ places in the U.S.
Thomas
Holland does a
masterful job of capturing the town’s nature and atmosphere from Big
Ray’s
first-person viewpoint, from the start:
I was looking out the window of my office. The
weather had taken a turn
over the last couple of weeks; it wasn’t cold, at least compared to how
those
people up north measure it, but it was cool enough that the few trees
we have
in our county were starting to anticipate the winter, and now the yards
needed
some raking. Hank Jensen’s two teenaged boys were working on the
courthouse
lawn, though neither of them showed much enthusiasm for their job, and
I reckon
I spent more energy watching them than they spent in getting anything
accomplished.
While his
town isn’t
anything to really talk about, the fact that violence places it on the
map to
challenge his leadership and problem-solving abilities makes for an
intriguing
opening to a mystery that just gets bigger the more the story evolves.
Holland’s
ability to
build Big Ray’s character for newcomers while maintaining a sense of
discovery
and growth for prior fans of Elmore conundrums gives this story an
impressive
position as both an addition to and expander of a series, and a fine
stand-alone tale.
From
searches for
evidence to community connections and surprises, Holland moves the plot
along
with the combined power of a police procedural and community
psychological
insights.
These
elements create
a satisfyingly realistic backdrop in which Big Ray comes to realize new
truths
about historical events and impacts, dangerous plots, and unspeakable
truths.
Libraries
and readers
seeking either another Big Ray detective probe or a new collection
addition
that juxtaposes small-town politics and nature with bigger-picture
problems
will find The Evil to Come notable
not only for its appealing characters, but for dilemmas that fit
together like
puzzle pieces at the end, complete with satisfyingly unexpected twists.
Return to Index
Fatal Farming
Bonnie Oldre
Gatekeeper Press
9781662951404
Paperback/$16.99;
eBook/$4.99
www.bonnieoldre.com
Fatal Farming is the third book in the
Beth Williams and Evie
Hanson cozy mystery series. It is set in the 1960s, where they are
working to
help reopen a theater into which Logan Rusk has poured his heart, soul,
and money
when Vern Cedar steps into the scene and gets into a heated argument
with
Logan.
Cedar is a
farmer who
also hosts a little radio show that excels in belittling people who
call in, at
his encouragement. That makes him obnoxious, in Evie’s book:
“Farmer and insult disc jockey. That’s quite the
combo. I wonder if he
insults his livestock.”
But, does
his
attitude also translate to a killer’s personality?
A
perhaps-predictable
tragedy sends Beth and Evie into another investigative mode. This
involves them
in former classmate Vernon Cedar’s life and relationships, where they
uncover
more small-town secrets and connections.
As in her
previous
books, Bonnie Oldre builds a story of this librarian and her friend and
fellow
investigator with a solid foundation of local color, relationships, and
probes
of motivations and hidden secrets. Her ability to juxtapose Beth and
Evie’s
lives with bigger picture thinking about the world around them
translates to
not just intriguing revelations and unexpected twists, but a sense of
community. This approach embraces connections tested by loss and love
alike.
Add the
colorful
conundrums posed by a hippie commune, new possibilities derived from
lifestyle
differences and challenges, and a sense of discovery that places The
Library
Lady in dangerous situations for a sense of how attractive and
unexpected many
of the events prove to be.
Libraries
looking for
cozy stand-alone mysteries that also operate well as a series will
relish the
tone and attraction of Fatal Farming, which
draws together disparate special interests in ways mystery genre
enthusiasts
won’t see coming.
Return to Index
Gone Mia: Deadly Deception
Tess Raynes
Pages
By The Lake, LLC
979-8990187047
$14.99
Hardcover/$8.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Deadly-Deception-Psychological-Thriller/dp/B0DB1CW8KB
Readers of psychological
thrillers well know that the
strength and attraction lies in how adept an author is at weaving
psychological
dilemmas into suspense. Tess Raynes develops unexpected twists to both
lines of
inquiry in Gone Mia: Deadly Deception,
which portrays an introvert searching for love. She finds something
quite
unexpected in the handsome Alex Bartlett.
Mia’s drive to be loved and
to have a meaningful, deep
connection proves her undoing when she flees home, only to find Alex in
hot
pursuit. This kind of ‘winner’ will never lose his prize. His dark and
dangerous personality takes over, forcing Mia to acknowledge truths
she’d never
anticipated confronting.
Tess Raynes creates a
powerful story of attraction and
deception. Her character is forced to reinvent her life in order to
find real
freedom from her past. The story begins with a tire change on the road,
where
Alex and Mia come together.
After cementing Mia’s psyche
and Alex’s secrets into a
slowly simmering evolution of hidden truths, Raynes then develops a
suspenseful
pursuit and reinvention which forces Mia to engage in her own games of
deception in order to survive.
While such descriptions may
prove trigger points for
women who have also fielded stalkers, narcissistic and pathological
personalities, and dangerous embraces, they inject notes of realism
into
dilemmas that demand the protagonist’s strategic and uncommon
problem-solving
skills development. Mia must rise (or lower herself) to new levels, if
she is
to survive love.
The psychological components
of Mia’s journey are
reinforced by chapter headings (‘Trust Issues-Alex’, ‘Time to Break
Free-Mia’,
‘Time to Find the Me That’s Gone-Mia’). These not only identify themes
and plot
progression, but cement the psychological logic of both Mia and Alex as
the
story unfolds.
Another strength to the
story lies in how Raynes shifts
perspectives between Mia and Alex. This allows his perception of self
and the
world around him to be understood:
He
may not be good
at math—may not be as smart as Mia, but there is something he’s good
at, and
that’s people.
Contemporary communication
methods similarly cement the
psychological components of Mia’s escape and Alex’s pursuit, as in a
series of
cell phone texts:
Mia
finally powers
her phone back on. She has 67 missed calls from Alex, and a slew of
texts.
Baby, where are
you?
Mia, are you okay?
Where did you go?
Why aren’t my
messages delivering to your phone?
Answer your fucking
phone.
This is really how
you’re going to treat me?
Yeah, sure, treat
me like shit. Nobody else will ever want you. ANSWER YOUR PHONE
Just as astutely rendered
are insights into Alex’s family
background and interactions. These offer added value to the insights
about his
motivations, perceptions, and actions.
All these elements blend
nicely into the action,
revelations, and twists of the story, making it highly recommended for
thriller, suspense, and psychology audiences. Libraries that choose Gone Mia: Deadly Deception will find it
easy to suggest to these audiences, as well book clubs seeking
hard-hitting
stories of deception, murder, and just desserts.
Return to Index
The Gulf
Owen Garratt
Runding Pelham
Publishing
978-1-0689438-0-5
Hardcover - $24.99/Paperback -
$17.99/Kindle
- $4.99
https://OwenGarratt.com
The Gulf is the third book in the
apocalyptic thriller series that
opened with The Pulse, depicting a
world changed by a cataclysmic EMP.
Jack
Broderick
continues to face challenges to survival long after a solar flare
changes the
world. Day 10 after the event, Jack’s Florida refuge has turned into a
nightmare in which he and his traveling companion Skinny find
themselves
seeking refuge on an abandoned yacht during a hurricane—only to
discover it
really isn’t abandoned.
Their
encounter with the
winds and ravages of the Florida gulf, fellow evacuees, and uncertain
healing
processes is delineated in passages which reinforce a ‘you are here’
feel via
first person reflections on the costs and process of survival:
Much wincing at the stiffness from the fight with
the toughs outside
the bike shop. Ginger cleaning of the crescent-shaped pattern of
punctures left
by a bull shark on my torso. And calf. Did
you really think your mind would be unscathed?
As wounds
heal,
ambushes are thwarted, and objectives evolve beyond surviving each day,
readers
who walk this revised world in Jack’s footsteps receive a gripping set
of
confrontations with death, the military, and forces that would either
redirect
or end their lives.
Owen
Garratt’s
ability to delve into the atmosphere of Florida past and present,
dovetailing
these impressions with a growing group of fellow survivors who also
harbor new
skills and challenges, creates a particularly moving story powered as
much by
psychological discovery as physical changes and conflicts:
“There’s inside monsters that need beating before
the outside
monsters,” she said.
These add up
to a
satisfyingly compelling, immersive survival experience that will prove
a haunting
standout in apocalyptic EMP survival novels.
The Gulf and its prior companions The Pulse and The
Three
Sisters are all top recommendations for libraries seeking not
just the
physical challenges of a changed world in an engrossing series, but
underlying
mental motivations and mystery that embed the story with a sense of
discovery,
action, and transformation.
Return to Index
The Memory
Trap
Donna Joppie
DartFrog Plus
978-1-961624-44-3
$15.99
www.DartFrogBooks.com
The Memory Trap is a good example of
thriller and suspense writing
at its best, when married with a powerful sense of place. In this case,
that
setting is Texas, where young lawyer Rob Chambers is conducting
research for
the Tolland Law Firm’s latest case.
Called on
the carpet
for appearing to question his colleague’s work, Rob enters into a
conundrum
when firm owner Mr. Tolland’s fondness for him appears to have caused
an unfair
decision, causing Horton to first dislike his new intern, then try to
undermine
Rob’s position and opinion.
This isn’t
the crux
of the story, however—it’s only the introductory salvo to a series of
puzzles
and encounters which place Rob in increasingly untenable positions. He
pursues
the truth, reconsiders his legal authority and pursuits, and becomes
personally
entangled in a case involving a Mexican land grant’s inheritance
complexity.
Rob’s
journey to
Mexico and his encounters with situations that test even his eidetic
memory and
abilities are complicated by his relationship with Wanda Snow, his
initial friendship
with Carlos, and his determination to remain faithful not just to
Wanda, but to
his firm.
Tasked with
concealing ten million dollars in two weeks before he’s even passed the
bar
exam, Rob finds himself facing a series of dilemmas that ultimately
test his
legal commitments, integrity, and professional objectives, too. As he
places
the lives of loved ones in danger, Rob’s changing relationship with
Carlos and
his organization leads him and Wanda to be hunted despite the FBI’s
protection
program.
Donna
Joppie’s
engrossing story proves hard to put down, is packed with unexpected
twists and
turns, and follows Rob’s personal life and relationships as his legal
background and situations place him in untenable positions of danger.
Tension is
well
developed, the story moves between Texas and Mexico with a smooth
precision
that carries readers on its current of unexpected developments, and the
suspense builds to a surprising conclusion that brings Rob full circle
to
consider what he really values from life.
Libraries
seeking
legal thrillers that also operate well on the stage of interpersonal
growth and
developments will find The Memory Trap
an excellent addition to any thriller or suspense collection. Its
ability to
juxtapose special interests that attract, then conflict, makes it a
standout.
Return to Index
All the
Broken Angels
Pat Black-Gould and
Steve Hardiman
Green Grotto Press
LLC
979-8990328600
$15.99
https://www.amazon.com/All-Broken-Angels-Pat-Black-Gould/dp/B0DD8WD5CT
All the Broken Angels
combines a story of
growth in the 20th
century with a focus on social issues ranging from patriotic teachings
to
racism, prejudice, and tackling major social obstacles to
self-realization.
Protagonist Catherine absorbs family history and stories, integrating
them with
her own life experiences. Readers will appreciate the juxtaposition of
faith
and discovery that drives the plot and creates a likeable, memorable
character.
The range of
subjects
that Pat Black-Gould and Steve Hardiman present during the course of
Catherine’s life contributes a wide-ranging feel to events that is both
realistic and thought-provoking.
The
emotional
components of Catherine’s reactions to her world and its layers of
complexity
build reader attraction to her evolutionary process and the events that
buffet
and change her life. Meanwhile, the historical backdrop is so well
integrated
and realistic that readers will readily recognize its milieu while
absorbing
the nuances of Jersey City life during the Vietnam War.
The family
legacy of
the World War II experience is not lost on either Catherine or her
readers. Her
life develops as the experience of coming of age in 1950s and 60s
America
receives intense description and psychological (as well as social)
insight
through dialogue that is especially captivating:
“If angels keep us safe,
we don’t need soldiers.”
I had to think about that for a second. “Maybe soldiers protect us, and
angels protect the soldiers.”
“No way,” he said. “An angel couldn’t parachute out of a plane with
those big wings. They’d get all tangled.”
Ruthie pushed her glasses back in place. “Why would an angel with wings
need a parachute? They could fly right next to the soldiers.”
He held Bazooka Guy up high and flew the toy, Superman-style, above the
table. “Soldiers have parachutes. They don’t need angels protecting
them.”
“Maybe that’s why angels have wings,” I said. “They can keep soldiers
safe everywhere they go.”
Undercurrents
of
humor supplement Catherine’s feisty countenance as she defies religious
and
social convention in unusual ways:
Sacraments were sacred.
Making what Sister Magnus
would surely call “a
mockery” of confirmation—in front of a priest, no less—was worse than
any stunt
Walter had ever pulled. If I didn’t end up in hell, I’d land in hot
water. Oh boy. I needed time
to think.
As the
impact of
Vatican Two and other sweeping changes hit Catherine’s life, readers
are
treated to a ‘you are here’ story of action, reaction, and discovery
that
proves winningly realistic, psychologically alluring, and hard to put
down.
Libraries
that choose
All the Broken Angels for its
promise
of following a life that moves from the late 1950s to the early 1980s
will
appreciate not just the decades-long experiences that come to life, but
the
accompanying social exploration that will lend well to book club
discussion
groups and leisure readers alike.
Return to Index
American
Jukebox
Len Joy
Hark! New Era
Publishing
979-8335742535
$8.99
https://www.lenjoybooks.com/
As a sequel
to Len Joy’s
small-town novel American Past Time,
American Jukebox is both a dovetailing of themes and
represents a departure
in the story’s structure. Action and experiences are condensed in a
manner that
delivers their impact with even more succinct growth experiences than
the
20-year unfolding story that Joy presented before.
1950s
America was a
milieu in which baseball, family relationships, and outdoor playing
grounds
were under construction (or, at times, deconstruction, as the case
might be).
This comes alive as young Clayton and his baseball-playing father
experience
physical and psychological changes in their factory town that impact
and alter
their lives.
Tonka
trucks,
cartoons, school … all these and more flavor the days of childhood as
Joy
delves into relationships that swirl around legal challenges, minor
league
snafus, and a
child’s growing
realization of who his parents really are beyond their identities of
‘mother
and father.’ Expectations and disappointments emerge along with
political and
psychological impacts throughout the story.
Joy follows
Clayton’s
personal growth as well as concurrent threads of American culture:
“It occurs to me that I
may be the first used car
salesman to ever
deliver a commencement address.” The crowd laughed. “I’ve thought a lot
about
what I should say here today. I asked my family for advice because I
figured if
the speech is really bad, I can blame them.”
The
small-town
atmosphere grows as much as Clayton and his father ‘Dancer,’ following
new road
developments and emotional journeys alike.
Joy’s blend
of small
town and internal atmospheres is a powerful presentation steeped with
emerging
politics and confrontations that represent many undercurrents of
small-town
America’s transformation.
These
elements (and
baseball) power a story that stands both nicely alone and as a
satisfying
adjunct to American Past Time,
expanding on many of the threads begun in the first book to add new
dimensions
of understanding for fiction readers interested in American history and
culture.
It should be noted, however, that readers need not have prior
familiarity with American Past Time
to understand and
thoroughly enjoy American Jukebox.
This is why
libraries
will find American Jukebox a
satisfying acquisition. Its mix of leisure interests and community
evolution,
topped with a dash of political developments, keep readers involved and
guessing at outcomes.
Return to Index
Anemone
Jim Frazee
Independently
Published
979-8880489411
$12.00 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
Website:
https://www.jim-frazee.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Anemone-Jim-Frazee/dp/B0CWS6R6YM
If you aren’t vigilant … a
single cat’s eye taken
up by wind could wipe
out a town like Aqua Verde faster than they could recite the Pledge of
Allegiance. What a blaze failed to consume, it changed forever.
Such is the
introduction to a story of arson, transformation, and rebirth that
begins with
Russell and Wyatt’s father’s observation and emerges like a phoenix to
haunt
sixteen-year-old Russell’s life when a fire rescue attempt gone awry
leaves him
injured and in a coma. When he awakens, it’s to find that he’s been
mistaken
for his brother and is under investigation for suspected arson and
homicide.
As deceit,
family
ties and lies, and reflections emerge through a series of flashbacks
and
present-day adversity, a bigger picture is presented in which Russell
(and his
brother) are victims of dysfunctional family dynamics and abuse.
Jim Frazee
weaves the
delicate dances of different family members into a story that
encourages new
realizations about the methods, impact, and mindsets of abuse that’s
often
inadvertent, but just as damaging as deliberately cruel intentions.
He also
follows the
fire’s impact on friends and others, who hold opinions that defy
Russell’s own
perception about what really happened:
Edie, too, had proved his
deductions faulty about
the fire simply by
showing up. And while Frank, unequivocally, had encountered enemies
capable of
incendiary deeds, they remained elusive. What
am I not deciphering and why does so much of my past turn back on
me as if I’m the likely arsonist? In the early morning hours an epiphany dream
brought him clarity. When
he woke from it, his mind was made up.
These
supportive
characters, through their assumptions and choices, add to Russell’s
dilemmas
with nicely rounded-out psychological perspectives that enhance the
underlying
probe of what really happened … and why.
Frazee’s
ability to
develop Russell’s past, present, and possible future creates a novel
that
supersedes any definition of a coming-of-age experience by adding many
complex
psychological relationships and considerations into the mix.
Anemone is thus
notable not just for its
transformative coverage,
but for its story of how dysfunction and depravity ultimately tear a
family
apart. Readers will be especially delighted by the interplays of action
and
reflection which keep all characters evolving, growing, and changing.
Libraries
seeking
novels of discovery that simmer with tension and unexpected twists and
turns
will find Anemone a delightful
choice. It can be easily recommended to a wide range of patrons looking
for
more than an arson or coming-of-age story alone.
Return to Index
Anita
Farleigh Unpacks
Laurie Woodford
Boroughs Publishing Group
978-1-957295-71-8
$3.99
Website: https://www.lauriewoodford.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDN9T6CZ
Anita
Farleigh
Unpacks is a vivid, surprising read. Both strengths are
apparent from its
opening lines:
The
hard rev of an
engine and tires crunching on driveway gravel startle me awake. Rubbing
my
eyes, I lift my pounding head off the garage floor. What the—? Why am I
face
planted on a purple rug in Zach’s garage? I squint, and an empty bottle
of Malbec
comes into focus, as does the maze of furniture, boxes, end tables,
bookshelves, and—holy hell—are
those rhinestone-beaded lampshades? As I slowly sit up, last night’s
crap fest
comes flooding back into my brain. I came home from Seoul to the news
that
Zach, the cheating bastard, dumped me for Vivian, the greenhouse girl
with
enough sequined pillows and cow poke chairs to fill a craft store
showroom.
Being
jilted and betrayed
wouldn’t seem to lead to a new
romance with a male nurse, but Anita discovers that her attraction and
new
opportunity in the form of one Nurse Oscar affords her a chance to
revisit not
just love, but the mechanics of her psyche. This offers as much
attraction as
the story’s romance focus—but not in ways readers will anticipate from
the
usual genre read.
Laurie
Woodford’s
hard-hitting descriptions using novel,
fun language is what makes Anita’s adventure an exceptional hit:
Bernice
is Dr.
Lichtman’s mother. Someday she’ll retire, and patients will be greeted
by a
receptionist who doesn’t sharpen her claws on the computer keyboard.
As
complications deepen over
an accidental kiss with
former cheating lover Zach, Anita comes to question the nature of her
impulses,
relationships, and the quandaries they raise for her future and growth.
There’s
also a professional
component to her issues that
impacts her evolving relationship with Oscar as they contemplate the
impact of
long-distance love:
“…when
I travel,
I’m creating pain for you. Like when I’m home between trips, I create
more pain
because I’ll need to go again.” I rest my head against Oscar’s. “Part
of me
knows we can make it work, but at what cost?”
The
dual focus on romance
and self-growth is powered by
Woodford’s fresh, original descriptions and candid first-person
protagonist’s
impressions of her changing life. This translates to an appealing story
not
just of love, but honing self-identity.
Libraries
seeking a romance
story that is clean, crisp
with unexpected atmosphere, and sultry in its exploration of two
individuals
who grow in different ways and come together will find Anita
Farleigh Unpacks an attraction for romance collections
seeking something different.
Return to Index
Counterculture
Blues
Danielle de Valera
Old Tiger Books
978-0-6486098-0-3
$19.25 Paperback/$4.08 ebook
https://shorturl.at/EW2AQ
Counterculture Blues: A
Fable is a
genre-defying novel that
represents a diversion for Danielle de Valera, who is best known for
her short
stories and her coming-of-age novel, Those Brisbane
Romantics. It's based on her prior success with Magnificat,
an episodic novel that features
both animal community members and underlying lessons on poverty and
interconnected lives.
The roots of
the
novel that’s reincarnated here require no prior familiarity from
newcomers. Counterculture Blues I
is every bit as
whimsical and compelling as any other animal parable of life,
supercharged by
Danielle de Valera's evocative prose, which brings the fictional world
of
Tuckaburra to life:
"In a cottage on the edge
of Tuckaburra, a
marmalade tomcat
dressed in striped pyjamas was looking out of his bedroom window.
Behind him,
his lady cat rolled over on their double bed and flung out one blue
paw. It
wasn’t really blue, not sky blue—it was a bluish grey, for she was a
half-Siamese, half-Blue Burmese. Her
ears
and tail and all four paws up to the elbow were this same shade of
mysterious
blue-grey, like the sky sometimes is before the rain."
This
enchanting milieu,
tempered by Australian
allusions and culture, comes to life in a manner designed to attract
all ages
to its evolving story of poverty and enlightenment as de Valera spins
an
evocative yarn.
Claude,
Mao, and other
characters raise to the
occasion of their life challenges amidst the backdrop of a whimsical
world that
is simply and unexpectedly evocative:
"Since
Shelley
Shire had seceded from New South Wales to avert development, nary a car
nor any
other form of internal combustion engine could be seen within its
borders. The
small steam trains that ran all day between Murwillumbah and Casino
were
fuelled by coal. The citizens rode bikes, drove carriages pulled by
dogs bred
especially for the purpose, while crisis carriages such as ambulance
and fire
brigade were pulled by miniature horses."
Social
issues evolve, from drug
use to rescuing
individuals in need and understanding the undercurrents of those who
reside on
the "lunatic fringe of town."
From
banana-farming calico cats
to the
underlying motivation and philosophy of getting drunk, the story
tackles
bigger-picture social issues within a different framework of experience
and
perceptions, blending philosophical concerns into social inspections:
"While
you were
drinking you were sure you tasted a little immortality. Next day you
were even
more mortal than before. What a dump, what a downer. Yet at the time
you were
certain you were immortal. Vistas stretched before you, full of
promise. Your
work didn’t seem hard any more. It was something you were grateful to
have. And
your friends, your friends . . . all of you caught in the whorls of
time, all
of you being whirled on to oblivion. Yet here, for a moment, you could
touch
them, feel close to them, put out your paw. You weren’t alone."
The
result may at first appear
to be a children's
fantasy, with its animal-dominated world; but in fact is a parable for
modern
times that should be embraced and celebrated by adults.
Counterculture Blues I
is a feel-good
novel rich in the unexpected,
revealing in its psychological and social probes, and easy on the eyes
(while
remaining, at times, hard on the heart, despite its happy ending).
Counterculture Blues I
deserves
widespread recommendation not only
for libraries seeking interest in animal-rooted fiction for all ages,
but for
book club discussion groups. These audiences will find its characters,
evolution, and social examination lend well to debates and
thought-provoking
revelations as a colorful romp through villains, heroes, and high and
low
society receives an animal-centric makeover.
Return to Index
Imperfect
Katy Motiey
Manuscripts Press
979-8-88926-054-7
$38.99
Hardcover/$19.99 Paperback/$8.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Imperfect-Story-about-Courage-Perseverance/dp/B0D3X1BMHR
Imperfect:
A Story
about Loss, Courage, and Perseverance moves from Tehran to
New York to
London, criss-crossing the world as the novel’s characters cope with
the Iranian
Revolution and its aftermath.
An
author’s note explains
that although the story is
fictionalized, its roots lie in her family’s heritage and experience,
and is
written from her mother’s perspective—thus, the vividness of its
descriptions. This
translates to a powerful story packed with real-world atmosphere and
observations.
The
narrative is introduced
by a prologue set in 1979
Tehran, in which Vida’s family experiences yet another power outage
that
demonstrates her daughter is adjusting to potentially dangerous
situations that
once would have made her little girl afraid of the dark. However, she
can’t
protect her daughter against other deadly events, from poisoning to
revolution.
This
section concludes with
an astute reflection that she
“must get my daughter out of this country” before the story moves to
the past of
1971 Westchester County, New York. Here, Vida leads a very different
life. Her
family has already visited Iran, gone to London for her husband’s
cancer
treatments, then back to Iran so that Vida’s baby can be born there,
before
finally returning to their life in the US.
Kamran
is a liberal husband,
even though steeped in the
traditions and religion of his Muslim homeland. Vida appreciates him
even as
she fears his older brother Doktor, who holds Kamran’s power of
attorney, along
with strong beliefs about women’s places being in the home and not as
equal
financial partners.
Kamran’s
family ties and
their different perspectives
affect her life as his brother makes decisions from afar that impact
her
connection to her husband’s affairs:
Is
this what it
means to be married? Secrets
and lies?
Vida
is honest with Kamran
about her feelings:
“I
don’t want to
ever live in Iran. I don’t like the culture, and I don’t want to raise
my
children there.”
He
is less so with her,
divided by his love for her and
his loyalty to his family and country. When he informs her he wants
them to
move back to Iran, a series of events follows which is reminiscent of a
fictionalized form of the classic memoir Not
Without My Daughter. Vida faces the terrible choice of moving
to Iran with
him or splitting up her family.
She
finds herself in a
contest over who will control her
and her children, landing in the middle of a festering and volatile
political
revolution and atmosphere. Legal struggles address Iran’s legal and personal injustices during a
particularly turbulent
time in Iranian history—during the Shah’s regime, the rise of Khomeini,
and the
1979 Iranian hostage crisis.
Katy
Motiey’s story
is vivid, pairing strong characterization and astute examinations of
belief systems
and social turmoil with one woman’s struggle to maintain control over
her life
and children.
Driven by
this
powerful struggle, Vida’s shifting circumstances and life is the nexus
of a
thought-provoking, thoroughly engrossing experience that explores the
world of
Iranian women both in Iran and in the Iranian-American community.
Iranian
customs and culture come to life through the drama and perspective of
Vida’s
struggles. This gives the novel a flavor of activism and understanding
that few
fictionalized stories about Middle East women can match.
Libraries
and readers
that choose Imperfect:
A Story about Loss, Courage, and Perseverance will find it a delight, whether they pick it
for its themes of women’s empowerment, disempowerment, and struggles,
or for
its many insights into Iranian culture and society. Libraries will find
it especially
easy to recommend Imperfect for a
variety of book clubs and reading groups, from those considering
women’s issues
in general to others with a specific focus on or interest in Iranian
and
Iranian-American affairs.
Return to Index
In the
Orchards of Our Mothers
Arthur McMaster
Touchpoint Press
978-1-956851-93-9
$16.99
Website: arthurmcmaster.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Orchards-Our-Mothers-Arthur-McMaster/dp/1956851933
The setting
is
northern France in late May of 1944. An American OSS officer meets a
French
resistance fighter, they work together, romance forms, and, upon the
war’s end,
they build a family and life together.
In
the Orchards of
Our Mothers doesn’t end here, however. This is just the
beginning of events
that spiral forward in time to embrace generations confronting the
war’s
lasting impact on France, as well as the subterfuge and intrigue which
continue
long after World War II concludes.
While Claire
and
Jacques’s partnership occupies much of the story, Arthur McMaster grows
the
plot to embrace much deeper aspects of the war’s wide-ranging
continuation
off-battlefield. This creates intriguing and interesting reflections
for
historical fiction readers as Jacques finds his life continually
threatened.
His younger sister Nina joins in his efforts to not only survive, but
identify
who wants him dead.
Midway
through the
story, Jacque finds himself alone—and still fighting. This injects a
powerful
set of additional concerns into his life—not the least of which is the
newborn
he is left to raise alone. Amidst his efforts to grow his apple farm in
Breton
lies a broader mandate:
“We
grow, or we
fade,” was the way he put it, and Jacques knew Victor was right.
The bigger
question
is not only if Jacque will survive, but how.
Arthur
McMaster
performs a masterful dance between personal lives and ambitions and
bigger-picture thinking that take place both during and after World War
II. His
focus on the process of personal recovery on many levels successfully
links
historical events and processes to personal ambition and experience in
such a
way that the story proves emotionally compelling.
Even more
astute is
the attention given to evolving interpersonal relationships forever
changed by
past events, and how Jacques grows both his business interests and his
family.
McMaster’s ability to bring to the forefront both the atmosphere of the
world
during and after a major war and the special interests and challenges
of one
survivor immerses readers in postwar events like few other
novels.
The scenes
which
contrast personal lives and their world are especially
evocative:
That
Christmas
morning, she gave him a first edition copy of Graham Greene’s 1940
novel The
Power and the Glory, thinking he would like the exceptional priest—the
whisky
priest, as the author called him. Graham Greene, she knew, understood
something
about silent work—he, having worked for the British Secret Service in
Africa
during the war. The gesture, a proper salute to the good monsignor,
another
unheralded cleric hiding in plain sight.
These
moments of
inspection and revelation are so subtly woven into the overall story
that
readers absorb their nuances and implications seamlessly as they pursue
the
dynamics of Claire and Jacques’s changing environment.
Librarians
seeking
World War II novels which hold a special touch of atmospheric and
psychological
insight will thus welcome and relish In the Orchards of Our
Mothers for
its masterful entwining of families and futures.
Book clubs
seeking a
different World War II read which places its battlefield in the hearts
and
minds of everyday people forced to respond in novel ways to changing
conditions
will find much to discuss and debate in this compelling saga, which
leaves the
door slightly ajar for future books and further developments.
Return to Index
Killing
Gilda
Yahya Gharagozlou
Armin Lear Pres
978-1963271409
$22.95
Paperback/$9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Gilda-Yahya-Gharagozlou/dp/1963271408
Killing
Gilda
is a love story of intrigue, Persian culture and politics, and a doomed
young
woman who has a ringside seat to the fall of the Persian Empire as well
as her
own downfall. It captures the land, culture, and peoples of Persia, yet
opens
in an unexpected setting—a nursing home, where Sam struggles with
Alzheimers, considering
the ebb and flow of his life and the amazing events he can still recall.
Yahya
Gharagozlou charts his
progress with a hand steeped
in metaphor, atmosphere, and unexpected descriptions:
Pain
has an upside:
It comes with short-term lucidity. It works like a pencil sharpener.
Whets the
brain. I start the touristic hopscotch. Memory and perception
intermingle. Not
an older man’s failings yet, though I admit I can no longer control my
recall
at will. The magical butterfly that once flew from flower to flower,
gathering
the good things in life and reporting back its findings, now flies with
clipped
wings. Now, it’s more like flower to no flower.
This
poetic series of
insights draws readers with a
candid tone that embeds nostalgia with the “you are here” feel of a
Proust
production, immediate and hard-hitting in its reflections, whether they
be of a
non-practicing Muslim or the politics of the Shah and Iranian forces
that
embroil all the characters in situations Westerners may hold little
prior
familiarity with. The manner in which Gharagozlou crafts a foundation
of
knowledge for understanding these events proves surprisingly evocative,
easily
accessible, and educational and enlightening as the story progresses.
A
wealth of detail is
embedded in the first-person
narrator’s observations of the changing social and political milieu of
Iran:
The
Shah appointed
my uncle as court minister in the winter of 1966, a private thank you.
He had
saved the monarchy. My uncle laid down the law: “Never call me uncle at
Court,
or I’ll crack your head. Keep your eye on two groups: the Prime
Minister and
his friends, and the Queen and her sycophants. Don’t underestimate the
last
lot. Their crackpot ideas will show up later in disguise. Always
remember, they
watch you because you are related to me.” He and the new prime
minister,
Hoveyda, stayed in power for the next thirteen years, an achieved
balance. Hard
to believe, but before him, we burned most of the incoming mail. We
didn’t have
the personnel to answer the correspondence. He redesigned the Court’s
communication system.
This
contributes a deeper
understanding of the
motivations and circumstances of love, betrayal, political intrigue and
subterfuge, and shifting influences between political regimes as Iran
changes
and its key players struggle.
Also
at the heart of this
saga is the love story between
the protagonist and Gilda, which ultimately transforms the narrator,
releasing
him from childhood limitations while placing him in a unique position
to
observe, research, and comment on Gilda’s world. As a few stormy weeks
in
Gilda’s life prove the pivot point of her survival and death, readers
absorb a
love affair that blossoms and grows in unexpected directions.
From
encounters with the
Shah to G.’s evolving life and
the international influences which come to play key roles in Iranian
affairs,
Gharagozlou steeps political outcomes in personal observation and
experience to
create a full-bodied, compelling flavor to the unfolding encounters.
Libraries
seeking a
beautifully woven blend of social and
political Iranian life will find few to match the strength and
evolutionary
process that is Killing Gilda. At
once
a story of love, culture, politics, and a changing world, its rare
ability to
entertain and educate on a deeper level than most Persian fiction makes
it
highly recommendable to a wide audience, from thriller and
international
intrigue readers to those seeking an involving story of Iranian affairs
and the
real-world Gilda who inspired this story, an intersection of historical
fact
and reinvented lives that proves utterly compelling and hard to put
down as it
follows Iran’s entry into modern times.
Return to Index
Kissing Toads
Danissa Wilson
Moonshine Cove
Publishing, LLC
9781952439865
$18.00 Paperback/$7.99 eBook
www.kissingtoadsnovel.com
Kissing Toads is
a novel set in the 1980s
and 90s and tells of a
woman’s search for love. Unfortunately, as the title portends, she must
kiss a
lot of ‘toads’ in order to arrive at her goal … if she ever does.
Danissa
Wilson
creates a likeable, if not frustrated, character in 50-something
Annie’s review
of her life efforts to find a man. The story introduces family
hierarchies and
expectations, ideals of love and connection, and intergenerational
contrasts as
Annie reflects on precedents and the impetus for creating new
approaches to
valuing life and love:
If there was one thing my
mother instilled in me
from the time I was a
very young girl, it was that a woman is only as important, powerful, or
significant as her husband. She often told me, "Annabelle, remember
this:
your husband will make the living, but you, his wife, will make his
life worth living." … Now,
think
about this: If that were the case for me in the 1970s and 80s, I have
to
imagine that what my mother experienced in the 1950s and 60s was even
more
extreme. Though she occasionally made fleeting comments about dreams
she had as
a young girl to become a famous singer, I can only imagine those dreams
seemed
unrealistic and futile. How could she become a renowned singer and
entertainer
if she was far too busy finding and then tending to a man?
As she
reviews
romantic gestures turn into “unbearable nuisances” and ongoing evidence
that
different relationship choices are not “the one” she’s looking for,
Annie
traverses various expectations and assumptions about men, women, and
love and
how they have changed over the years that mark her life and women
before her.
Annie’s
navigation of
“regal” possibilities and routines and their juxtaposition with her
quest for
real love will attract readers interested in the progressive growth
that comes
from the modern “dating lottery” and its opportunities.
Most of all,
readers
will appreciate the contrasts in men and perspective that mark Annie’s
decades-long quest as she integrates her objective with other hallmarks
of
growth and change, all of which lead her to look in unfamiliar places
and
redefine her ideals of relationship values and love.
While young
adults
may appreciate the nuts and bolts of Annie’s emotional journey, adult
women who
see parts of themselves in Annie’s revelations will find the story
particularly
insightful and engrossing.
Libraries
that choose
Kissing Toads for its shifting
perspectives on women’s lives, times, and interests will also want to
recommend
the novel to book club and women’s reading groups, who will find it
holds
plenty of discussion opportunities about women’s lives, romantic
ideals, and
issues of independence and growth.
Return to Index
New American
Café
Richard Sanford
Odeon Press
978-0-9857445-6-4
$14.95 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
Ordering: https://new-american-cafe.com/
Website: https://www.sanford-novels.com/
New American Café
is a novel of music and
discovery. It captures
the 1970s musical milieu of Mitch Lanier, who has split up with his
girlfriend
and is delivering pizzas in lieu of getting a good (but more demanding)
job
that could limit his musical efforts.
Fellow
delivery driver Corey
McGowan also experiences his
own artistic angst as he struggles to write a novel and make a living
at the
same time.
The
two decide to go for
(perceived) big bucks by opening
the New American Café. But in the
midst of struggling to get the new business off the ground, Mitch’s
dream of
musical success simultaneously seems to be coming true.
As if these
elements
weren’t enough angst, a romance develops with an older woman and
business
competition clashes with a drug lord’s mission, both of which threaten
Mitch’s
ambition and dreams.
Whether he’s
talking
music or pizza delivery, Richard Sanford succeeds in capturing the
sounds,
atmosphere, and feel of the times:
Plugged
in, the
Wurlitzer transformed the front of the store with a retro color
infusion. Roman
columns, chromatic wonders of red, yellow, and blue, framed the front.
A red
and yellow arch glowed above the turntable and the carousel of discs.
It was
delivered loaded, and I played the first test. “Honky Tonk Women”
rocked the
empty café like a honky tonk garage.
Sanford
is also especially
adept at creating adjunct
characters and weaving their special interests into the business and
artistic
struggles that define Mitch and Corey’s lives. These supplemental
figures, rich
with their own lives and objectives, create further depth and insights
to draw
readers into Chicago’s musical and social milieu.
The
tension that comes from
gang threats and
career-busting confrontations is very well developed, enhancing the
novel’s
ability to contrast and capture various life events and clashes.
Libraries
interested in
1970s settings, novels about
artistic ambitions, and stories that chronicle different types of
relationships
with an astute eye to exploring their underlying motivations and
influences
will want to welcome New
American Café into their
collections. It is highly recommended for leisure readers that enjoy
well-developed tension and confrontation in their fiction, as well as
book
clubs looking for stories suitable for group discussions about choice,
artistic
license, and life-changing events:
At some
inconceivable point in the future, we too will be looking back from
other
lives.
Return to Index
The
Nine Lives of Tito
d’Amelia
Ettore Farrattini Pojani
Bayou City Press
978-1-951331-10-8
$2.99
eBook
www.bayoucitypress.com
The
Nine Lives of
Tito d’Amelia may initially attract cat enthusiasts, between
its title and
cover picture of a cat, but it’s actually historical fiction. It
follows the
history and culture of a small Italian town and a family through the
ages,
beginning in 1134 BC. The ninth chapter starts with the birth of the
baby in
2023 and ends when the main character, Luca/Tito, who was elected as
“mayor” at
24, has served in that position for seven years.
Here,
a beloved cat’s
involvement in human affairs and subsequent
demise involves a prophecy that offers opportunity for an observer of
events
over the ages:
“Tito,
you were in
this land before us; you welcomed us here to share the richness of your
valley.
Now that you have left your mortal life, your soul will remain among us
forever
in this valley to protect it and lead it toward a glorious future. We
ask for
your protection and your intercession with the gods, while awaiting
your return
to us. Protect our King Ameroe, your Hephaestus, and all his progeny
for the
centuries to come. Protect our city, Amer.”
Employing
a unique focus to
survey the evolution of this
town and the Farrattini family, Ettore Farrattini Pojani reviews how
Italy and
one family and town in particular are transformed.
Tito’s
cameo appearances
lend a continuity and interest
to the tale, giving it a rich blend of involvement and connection:
As
soon as he
caressed the cat, Giovanni felt calmer. It did not take long before he
started
to talk to him. “Why do you run here so quickly when I arrive so
agitated? Are
you a guardian angel sent by my brother?”
Tito
answered with
a soft “meow,” which, of course, meant “Maybe!” Tito would have liked
to tell
Giovanni it was not Bartolomeo who had sent him, but someone long
before.
This
creates a dual focus on
social and political as well
as intergenerational evolution, crafting a series of inviting
historical
insights. Tito the cat is a tertiary adjunct to this focus, adding
humor and a
sense of creative continuity to human affairs.
Sometimes
centuries pass
between Tito’s returns. This
lends to particularly interesting observations about vast changes which
have impacted
the family over time, even as it considers Tito’s challenges for a “new
mission” to help the humans each time he is reincarnated.
Of
special note are the
changing lives of women as the
town and its culture adjusts. Readers become absorbed in the trials of
Nofria,
whose husband is lost while battle rages around Ameria; and in the life
of Clementina,
whose search for an eligible bride for her brother-in-law takes over
her life.
Other women (and men) experience pivot points as moral and political
legacies
impact daily lives.
Readers
interested in
Italian history and culture will
delight in the shifting focuses on families and events which capture
the
politics, atmosphere, and challenges of the Italian nation through the
lens of
one small town’s growth.
The
novel’s special aura of
discovery, combined with a
“you are here” atmosphere, makes The Nine
Lives of Tito d’Amelia a highly recommendable pick for anyone
interested in
a tale of Italian and family history and growth.
Tito’s
final change sums up
many lives of experiences and
the Italian town’s evolutionary process over a vast period of time,
while maps
and photographs, concluding author notes, a note on source references
for
further reading, and a list of foreign words and special terms all
emphasize
the novel’s historical foundations and information. The maps and
photos, in
particular, are fine reinforcements of the book’s roots in Italian
affairs.
Libraries
that choose The
Nine Lives of Tito d’Amelia will find it a multifaceted draw
that will draw
patrons and book clubs alike … especially anyone holding a special
interest in
Italian culture, politics, and affairs.
Return to Index
Not
Angels But Angels
Nino Hoti
Meadow Brook Publishing
979-8218451615
$12.95
(Print)/$5.99 (Digital)
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Angels-But-Nino-Hoti/dp/B0D96R8L8K
Fictional
love triangles are
not unusual, but the
juxtaposition of three individuals—two boys and an adult—in Not Angels But Angels raises the bar
with added insights and considerations of homosexual relationships,
predatory
adults, and the fine line between love and abuse (among other themes).
When
Sean begins to realize
that he and Jeremiah are part
of a Satanic plot that lies beneath the façade of the Magnolia
Academy’s
prestigious reputation, truths emerge to immerse readers in threatening
situations and realizations. These move the plot beyond that of a love
triangle
and into darker territory.
Nino
Hoti crafts a
slow-building first-person story of
attraction and horror. Sean’s initial interest in Jeremiah changes his
life,
leading him to redefine not just his sexuality, but his perception of
his world
and its underlying influences:
While
staring at
the boy, he suddenly caught my gaze and shot me a playful scowl. I
quickly
looked away, sickened with fear, realizing that I was not only enamored
with
him but also terrified of him. I don’t mean the kind of fear that one
has of
monsters and such; rather, it was the kind of fear that one has of the
power of
the universe.
Added
value lies in how the
boys explore their
relationship choices, and in racial influences which emerge during the
course
of making such disparate connections:
“That’s
the kind of
relationship Mallory and I have. It sounds depressing, I know, and it is—but there was once a time when I
genuinely loved her. She usually breaks up with guys after dating them
for only
a few weeks, she told me, but that I was ‘special.’ I think she just
likes me
because I’m an ‘exotic’ Brown kid and not just some white boy who plays
lacrosse and drinks Mountain Dew.”
Discussions
of love, ghosts,
and deceased friends power a
tale in which attraction becomes dangerous and death emerges as the
only option
for escape.
Nino
Hoti navigates readers
well beyond the homosexual
realm to investigate good, evil, and the motivations behind making
either
choice. The slow injection of ethnic and racial insight creates more
added
value and thought-provoking moments. These move beyond the presence of
evil, an
increasing venture into horror realms, and the dilemma of a boy who
founds
himself captured by relationships he didn’t see coming.
All
these elements make Not Angels But Angels
difficult to easily
define, to be sure—but
libraries will recognize that its deeper value lies in new
opportunities for
book club and patron discussions. These embrace perceptions of sanity
and
insanity, new ways of life, and the influence of a fifteen-year-old
Algerian
‘prince’ whose short life changes everyone around him.
Return to Index
One Shining
Soul
Wayne L. Wilson
Independently
Published
979-8350961256
$22.99 Paperback/$7.99 eBook
Website: https://www.wlwilson.com/one-shining-soul
Ordering: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/one-shining-soul
One Shining Soul
is a novel about
miracles. Joseph Timmerman has
long known that his daughter Olisa was unusually blessed with
extraordinary
abilities. But the world also comes to see this when a confrontation
between
street gangs on the 4th of July leaves a dying
man cradled in her
arms as people flee the violence that surrounds her.
Olisa’s
compassion
pairs with her ability to spark an event that a reporter captures on
film for
the world to see. Nothing is the same, afterwards—for either Olisa or
the rest
of humanity.
Wayne L.
Wilson
creates a powerful novel of hope, opportunity, and spiritual reflection
that
resonates with unusual power, given that the miracle deliverer is
neither white
nor male, but a Black woman with special abilities.
Questions
are
presented about the countenance of a bringer of miracles and what the
modern
world would do with this knowledge.
Specters of
violence
may be anticipated, but the real irony in the story lies in the equal
threat of
commercialization and profit which threaten to diminish and dilute
Olisa’s
gift’s impact and possibilities.
Narrated in
the first
person by Olisa’s father, the tale assumes an immediacy and intimacy
that is
particularly moving and thought-provoking as various levels of society,
from
news media to inner city relationships, are explored.
Wilson
crafts a
psychological and social inspection that is especially vivid:
“Olisa is the balm we all
need during these trying
times. Narcissistic
leaders have transformed lying into the new normal. Their agenda is
masked as a
cause in order to attain power and control. They ply folks with
uplifting and
regurgitated sayings that their constituents and followers want to hear
to
garner votes. Bottomline is, men have fucked it up for centuries with
their
testosterone-induced warring. Time’s up! We need female energy. Society
needs
to be mothered, and Olisa is the chosen one.”
“I’m all for female empowerment. But you’re going to push Olisa out
there as the sacrificial lamb? Let me ask you this: will you make any
money
from this venture?”
The
dovetailing of
miracles with profit concerns, the background and contrasts of her
brother
Noel, and the family’s inclination to protect her create events replete
with
food for thought that will prove particularly attractive to book clubs
and
reading groups.
The ability
to wrap a
miracle in a broader context of social, psychological, and racial
inspection
gives One Shining Soul an edge over
any similar-sounding story of miracles and humanity’s reaction to them,
making
it exceptionally highly recommended for its depth and insights.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a different kind of miracle story which embraces issues of
Black
experience, racial profiling, profit-making opportunities and visions,
and the
underlying definition and impact of a true miracle-giver will relish
all the
events and accompanying revelations that One
Shining Soul delivers.
Return to Index
The
Path Beneath
Her Feet
Janis Robinson
Daly
Black Rose
Writing
978-1-68513-472-3
$24.95 Paperback/$5.99 ebook
www.blackrosewriting.com
The
Path Beneath
Her Feet, a sequel to The
Unlocked Path, continues to explore the
history and experiences of female doctors in 1930s and 1940s America
via the
encounters of Dr. Eliza
Edwards. Here, she is no longer a student, but is a mature mentor to
other women pursuing
women’s health and careers as physicians.
Eliza’s
daily
life as the world ventures into World War II adds more complexity and
challenge
to her mandate to help and foster other women in the medical system.
This gives
readers insights into the atmosphere and attitudes of the times which
impacted
those women determined to pursue their dreams against all odds.
Another
attraction to this novel lies not just in its timeline of events, but
in its
geographic movements between Boston, Georgia, and rural Appalachia. The
contrasts in time, place, and social and political atmosphere are
nicely done,
revealing the extent of early professional women’s choices and
conflicts between
career and family.
Especially
astute are Eliza’s savvy observations of changing politics and the rise
of a
war certain to transform American culture and society in unexpected
ways:
“My
son serves on
the USS Mississippi as a lieutenant
in the United States Navy, patrolling the Atlantic Ocean. Each morning,
I offer
thanks he is not involved in a conflict. But every week that passes
with news
of another city in Europe falling and the rise of the Axis powers, not
to
mention the threats from Japan, I fear our ships will carry troops
across those
waters. And, when they do, just like in 1917, we’ll send millions. Who
do you
think will keep this country going on the home front when those troops
vacate
countless jobs in all forms of professions?”
Eliza’s
story
personalize the daily experiences and coping methods of women charged
with
forging new territory and developing new responses and habits to
survive:
I’m
sorry. That
short phrase had become a constant
refrain as it reverberated around the country and in her ears over the
past six
months. I’m sorry, said every administrator she spoke with about a
position.
I’m sorry, said the landlord as he reminded Eliza that she and Olga
Povitsky
owed rent on their office space. I’m sorry, replied the druggist when
Eliza
asked him to reduce his prices on prescriptions that she wrote for her
patients
who struggled to buy groceries, let alone a month’s supply of pills to
ease
menopausal symptoms.
The
result is an
absorbing, revealing account about a female physician’s changing life
as she
navigates maturity and participates in the development of the American
Women’s
Hospitals in rural America.
Libraries
seeking
novels of women’s achievements, professional growth, and early
struggles for
change and authority will appreciate the alluring focus of The Path Beneath Her Feet, which stands
as nicely alone as it
serves as a fitting adjunct to The
Unlocked Path.
It can be
pursued for
its entertainment value or assigned as lively reading for discussion
groups
interested in women’s history, pre-World-War-II issues, the rise of
women’s
physicians and programs promoting women’s health, or any combination of
these
subjects.
Return to Index
Poetic
Justice
Kathleen McFall and
Clark Hays
Pumpjack Press
979-8-9882974-1-3
$16.95 Paperback/$6.00 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Justice-Restaurantland-Kathleen-McFall-ebook/dp/B0DDDQ5JW2
Poetic Justice: A
Restaurantland Romance
is reminiscent of the hit
TV show Friends, with its
constantly
evolving romances and relationships, but takes place in a restaurant
filled
with quirky staff harboring affection for food and one another.
The opening
scene is
indicative of the surprises which permeate this romance story because
handcuffs, not kissing, have just bound together two struggling
individuals
whose hot romance has turned cold.
Chef Hudson
has just
made a move that threatens Roz’s determination to have him remain her ex-boyfriend. Hudson, however, believes
he’s made the only move that can
keep
them together, forcing her to listen instead of fleeing.
What does
this choice
have to do with Roz’s determination to be an eco-warrior despite
Hudson’s
injecting his personal life into her mandate to honor her sister via a
political protest statement? Plenty.
The timeline
shifts
to the past and the Rose and Thorn Restaurant as explanations and
relationships
build background and insights into these events.
Kathleen
McFall and
Clark Hays employ these shifts throughout the story to craft a
compelling plot
that juxtaposes love, adversity, and history. Surprising developments
introduced to readers thus become logical and understandable in a way
that
embraces and fills out the characters of Roz, Hudson, and those who
surround
them, both within and outside of the restaurant milieu.
Like Friends,
characters swirl in and out of
their lives with personal discovery and reflection proving the building
blocks
of a relationship that once blossomed:
Whenever they were
together, she felt safe and
confident, sure nothing
would ever go wrong for her again. At first, she didn’t trust this
feeling and
was even a little scared of it, but being around him continued to erode
the
negativity in her life, mostly due to his almost bedrock certainty
about them.
The always-widening joy between them was now slowly erasing all traces
of the
emotional scars of her past.
The
political protest
which permeates their lives and choices also receives good coverage,
adding an
extra dimension of discovery to the novel’s character-building focus.
Tension is
well
developed, the evolving and changing romance is logical and appealing,
and Poetic Justice’s
embrace of major events that affect the couple makes the tale
more
than one of interpersonal relationship evolution alone.
This is why
libraries
that choose Poetic Justice for its
romance will find it much more than the usual falling-in-love story. It
embraces the process of growth, falling out
of love, and finding new and healthier connections. Poetic
Justice is very highly recommended for its full-bodied review
of life within and outside of the restaurant world, depicting the
changing
hearts and minds of characters that make the most of their
relationships … and
occasionally stumble in the effort to reach their goals.
Return to Index
Reunion
by the Lake
James Gilbert
Atmosphere Press
979-8891324114
$15.95 Paperback/$7.99 eBook
www.atmospherepress.com
Reunion by the Lake
is the novel of a
family patriarch’s impending
death and his desire to affect and direct his family posthumously,
through a
special will. His role while alive is to be sure his loved ones
understand the
nature of this direction. His personal mandate forms the crux of a
story as
gripping in its personalities as it is in father Richard’s drive to
foster a
legacy that will live long after he’s gone.
The trouble
with
trying to control people is that they don’t react in anticipated or
even
desirable manners. Thus, Richard’s gathering of the clan at a lakeside
retreat
to outline his choices results in turmoil and angst among three sons
who hold
different ideas about the impact of Richard’s legacy.
These ideas
are
explored in passages that delve into much more than heritage, exploring
the
changed connections and perceptions that illness and end-of-life brings:
She sighed, folded her
hands in her lap, and made a
vague sound as if
she were agreeing with herself—the way she always did when she was
exasperated
or troubled by the severity of her husband—by his inflexibility and
evasions.
She was surprised that she had spoken so abruptly to him: was it his
weakness,
she wondered? Did that demand some sudden shift in the balance between
them?
Readers
seeking to
understand these shifting nuances in response to impending death will
find
plenty of food for thought in Reunion by
the Lake.
James
Gilbert
goes beyond addressing Richard and Grace’s concerns. He spends time
exploring
the perspectives of all involved:
Recently,
he had
been trying to understand the reasons
for his reluctance to face his parents alone. If he was honest with
himself, it
had always made him uneasy to visit them. But more so lately, and he
had now
taken to bringing along a companion to the house on the lake—at least
since his
father had retired. He was certain that his parents’ constant intimacy,
and
living mostly by themselves, had changed them and made them strangers
to him.
He wondered what it would be like to be isolated and aging: how it
might trap
them in an envelope of unthinking rituals and words and ideas expressed
in a
language of their own loneliness.
Such
passages
reinforce the separate lives that come together during this time,
giving
readers insights and contrasts that will prove especially intriguing
for book
club and reader discussion groups.
Libraries
that
choose and recommend this novel to patrons will find Reunion
by the Lake attractive to a wide audience, from leisure
readers seeking
family sagas to psychology groups interested in family dynamics,
end-of-life
challenges, and the types of patriarchal distance typical of too many
male
heads of household:
…if
it came down to
it, what he really felt about
them. Had fatherhood always been an obligation without much passion?
And she
had to ask herself if he had ever experienced the almost painful swell
of pride
in his sons that she always felt when she looked at them.
Evocative,
thought-provoking, and emotionally turbulent and revealing, Reunion
by the Lake juxtaposes lives and
the impact of death in such a manner that readers
will leave this story thinking heavily about family connections,
disconnections, and how impending death changes everything.
Return to Index
Ring of Lapis
M.D. Hall
Independent Publishing Networ
978-1836541561
$12.50 Paperback/$2.99 eBook/20.95 Audiobook
https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Lapis-M-D-Hall/dp/1836541562
Ring of Lapis
takes place
between AD197 and AD211. It covers
the invasion by Septimius Severus of what is now Scotland, with events
presented
from both perspectives through the eyes of a Britannia-born Roman
tribune. At
this point, it should be mentioned that readers needn't have any prior
familiarity with this history in order to appreciate the story and
characters
that unfold in this vibrant story.
M.D.
Hall takes the time to
capture the sights,
smells, and atmosphere of Scotland, creating vivid descriptions that
give
readers a 'you are here' feel: "The smell of fresh bread
drifted out of
the kitchen and mingled with rank sweat and acrid smoke from the hearth. Three
ancients huddled around the feeble fire, and a dozen retired
legionaries sat at
rough-hewn tables in a room illuminated by flickering candles."
Robertus
Tullius
Aetius, first spear of the first cohort of the Sixth Victrix Legion,
has been
betrayed by two of his closest friends. He expected victory from the
slaughter
and battles he participated in, but the long-term result seems to be
failure on
many levels.
As Tullius
traverses
the dangerous countryside, journeying to Coria and beyond and making
his mark
on a land fallen into chaos, a host of characters both support and defy
him in
different and sometimes unexpected ways.
Hall
presents events from the
viewpoints of
many of these different characters, who are constantly called upon to
make
choices in their reactions, alliances, and lives: "Girom
opened his
mouth, but Lutrin shook his head before placing a finger against his
lips. He
again felt the ground. ‘They are moving away; there are no stragglers.’
‘They
were our people. Why did you stop me hailing them?’ asked Girom. ‘What
could
they have done? They are fleeing; if you join them, you will fare no
better.
Why give up the safety of this place to run with a band too afraid to
fight?
Whoever chases them is dangerous.’"
Tullius
navigates
both familiar and unfamiliar territory in a dangerous dance with death.
Charged
with being Severus’s eyes and ears, he faces quandaries over his role
in events
that threaten to bring relentless destruction to his land and people.
A ring
gifted to him
by the emperor and another from the son of the Caledonian chieftain
bring
danger and promise.
The dilemma
of a
warrior caught at cross-purposes is nicely portrayed, while the era's
history
comes to life in a satisfying, impressive discussion of social and
political
confrontations.
Readers of
historical
fiction who look for dramatic drama and action against a backdrop of
real
events will applaud Ring of Lapis
for
its ability to capture the changing lives of ordinary people fielding
extraordinary revolutionary times.
Return to Index
Rooted
in Sunrise
Beth Dotson Brown
Köehlerbooks
979-8-88824-448-7
$24.95
Hardcover/$18.95 Paperback/$7.99 eBook
www.bethdotsonbrown.com
The tornado
has
changed not just her life, but her entire community. Offers of help and
fellow
sufferers’ dilemmas engage her with encouragements to rebuild and
requests for
help.
What should
have been
a normal evening changes in an instant to something extraordinary …
primarily
because Ava sets aside prior traditional choices in favor of different
pursuits
that don’t always resonate with those around her, who expect the old
Ava to
emerge from the ashes like a phoenix.
Beth Dotson
Brown
follows the process of Ava’s reconstruction with an avid attention to
detail
and discovery. Readers will find particularly engrossing the focus on a
number
of characters who face similar challenges and choices in
rebuilding—including
Ava’s friend Bernadette, who has become a hoarder. In stark contrast is
Ava’s
unwillingness to accumulate replacement goods:
Ava stared at the clothes
before settling on the
dressing room chair.
She was already accumulating things again. Maybe she didn’t want to.
The new
Ava wanted to feel unencumbered.
Also
especially
notable is the contrast between different reactions to the tornado and
how
rebuilding takes place within disparate levels of recovery:
“All I ever wanted was to
raise a family and care
for them, make a comfortable
home and a beautiful life for the people I love. I knew Joe and I would
grow
old in that house with all of our memories of where the kids took their
first
steps. And now . . .”
Bernadette let the tears
flow, and Ava gave her the
time. Ava had never
pictured that for herself—living in her house as an old woman with
memories.
She hadn’t truly visualized her life beyond Juniper graduating from
college.
Maybe that was why she’d been frustrated at work. She didn’t know if
she was
where she should be.
Brown’s
focus on the
‘why’ psychology of the recovery process is just as important (perhaps
more so)
than her depictions of the actual process of recovering from losing
nearly
everything. Her story illustrates that change brings with it different
layers of
choice and revitalization that can be interpreted and enacted in new
ways.
Ava’s
process of
gaining fresh perspectives on her past, present, and future immerses
readers in
the manifestations of regrowth that change not just Ava, but an entire
community.
Libraries
and readers
seeking novels replete with themes of discovery, recovery, and
transformation
will find Rooted in Sunrise a
powerful story of all kinds of relationships transformed by the process
of
destruction and rebirth.
Book clubs,
too, will
enjoy much fodder for discussion in the disparate ways Ava adapts and
grows,
along with those in her circle of community, family, and friends as she
forays
far from home—and, ultimately, far from her comfortable,
once-predictable life.
Return to Index
Seven
M. MacKinnon
DartFrog Plus
978-1-965253-16-8
$16.99
www.DartFrogBooks.com
Seven is the
third volume in the Echoes
in Time series which takes
place in Scotland. It moves back and forth between 1600s Scotland,
Canada, and
present-day events surrounding the action and struggle of a Scottish
clan under
siege.
A prologue
documents
one such battle, which then segues neatly into a story of warfare,
fighting,
and survival tactics which have long been a part of the Scottish
experience in
general and fifteen-year-old Kenna’s life in particular.
Romance
blooms as
thick and attractive as Kenna’s impulse to join in battle despite her
gender,
creating interesting interplays of emotion and purpose between
characters whose
lives are steeped in all kinds of struggles.
M.
MacKinnon’s
ability to wield history, Scottish culture, psychology, romance, and
battle
lends to a strong story that, like its character’s perspective, proves “…glorious, exhilarating, and frightening at
the same time.”
Readers
seeking
novels that simmer with questions about exploring unfamiliar worlds,
introduce
odd time-traveling experiences and historical revelations that
challenge a cast
of characters from different times to step out of their preconceived
notions,
and arrive steeped in the psychology of connection will find Seven a fine, supportive addition to the
Echoes in Time series.
As high
school math
teacher Brian McLean steps back into these early Scottish experiences
to
consider his impact on both past and present, readers receive a fine
interplay
of eras and objectives that ultimately joins seemingly disparate
histories and
psyches in a thoroughly compelling manner.
The result
may prove
difficult for libraries to easily define. Part time-travel journey and
tempered
by history, love, and struggle, Seven
represents both a satisfying expansion of the Scottish milieu from
previous
stories and another step to linking past and present worlds.
Readers
seeking time
travel stories with an edgy attention to marrying history with
interpersonal
developments and perspectives won’t be disappointed.
Return to Index
Surviving
Southwood
Avenue
Melissa Simonye
Snowy Mountain Press
LLC
979-8-9905341-0-0
$17.99 Paperback/$6.99 ebook
Author Website: www.melissasimonye.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Surviving
Southwood
Avenue: A Story of Family Secrets
and Resilience is a historical coming-of-age novel set during
the
Depression years. It opens with Stella Irene’s birth in 1916, following
the
family’s experiences and contrasting Stella’s life with that of her
mother
Clara. This helps readers better understand the influences and times
which
shape mother and daughter in different ways.
From
its opening chapters, Surviving
Southwood Avenue documents
evolving sibling relationships
that are influenced by exploration, discovery, and family dynamics.
From family
rules about privacy and secrets to a mother unafraid of using a pistol
to get
what she wants, Stella’s observations of her world are influenced and
impacted
by messages both overt and subtle which seem to conflict with what her
parents
are trying to teach her about the world and her place in it:
I thought about my father
and wondered what he
would say if he knew. It
felt like we stole from the druggist. My father disapproved of
stealing. He
often reminded us, “It’s not worth having if it needs to be stolen.”
Stella’s
survival
process embraces much bigger-picture thinking as her life is contrasted
her
mother Clara’s evolutionary process.
Chapter
headings
could have clarified the shifting viewpoints but as events move from
Stella’s
observations to third-person descriptions of Clara’s world, it’s
impossible to
get lost and easy to absorb the different contrasts of these
personalities and
the values that influence each of their lives.
Life in the
boarding
house on Southwood Avenue turns into an influential test of survival
skills for
siblings buffeted by Mrs. Spangler’s cruelty toward the children:
She was determined to
break us. And sadly, she was
succeeding. We all
lost a little piece of ourselves every day. Little by little, she was
whittling
away at our spirit like a carpenter with a piece of wood. We were all
slowly
changing into different children on Southwood Avenue. I most certainly
changed
the most.
Stella’s
mother’s
mistakes, her father’s distance, and the trials of two separate
childhoods that
lead a mother to want to escape her family while a daughter becomes
even more
invested in holding it together creates a fine set of thought-provoking
contrasts about influences and impacts.
As Stella
moves into
the 1920s, readers will especially appreciate how the novel, steeped in
a sense
of the times and place, follows her actions and reactions to explore
how disparate
family ties and outsiders influences individuals in different ways.
Surviving
Southwood
Avenue is, in a nutshell, a
powerful story of adaptation and change that
allows readers to better understand the decision-making process and
perceptions
of a mother and daughter whose disparate backgrounds change their views
of life
and their place in it.
It
provides much
food for thought in considering how the forces that shape these lives
are
absorbed by and reflected in future generations:
My life was a nightmare
you can’t wake from. I was
too skinny, and my
body felt weak and tired all the time. Every day, I felt a sense of
loss, like
a part of my soul was being chipped away. I continued to mourn for my
old self.
I missed my father but was also angry with him. I was angry that he
moved us to
Southwood Avenue. But I was angrier at my mother since she was the
reason we
moved. Her rebellion changed our family. Her mutiny from my father
changed my
life.
Libraries
seeking
discussion points about family secrets, survival, and how these
decisions
ripple across generations of values and ideals will find much to
recommend and
appreciate in how Melissa Simonye spins Surviving
Southwood Avenue, which
explores losing trust and gaining wisdom
with equally strong acuity.
Return to Index
Uninvited
Valor
John C. Kiyonaga
Dartfrog Blue
978-1-965253-20-5
www.DartFrogBooks.com
Uninvited Valor—The
Forsaken Soldiers of WWII:
Based on the Epic True
Story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team fictionalizes a
true story. It
adds dramatic attractions to expand this story’s audience from
nonfiction
students of World War II history to general-interest leisure readers
interested
in combat and intrigue.
A dedication
and
black and white photo of 442nd Regiment First
Lieutenant Joseph
Yoshio Kiyonaga acknowledges the backdrop for this story, but the
captivating
dramatization of events that stem from Pearl Harbor’s bombing offer
unparalleled ‘you are here’ experiences that is one of the hallmarks of
the
plot:
“Why are they here?” Harry
Masayoshi asked. “Their
bombing range is off
on the other side of the North Shore.”
“Why are they so low?” asked Franny Fukuhara.
The four of them stopped walking. The planes appeared to be flying
directly at them, their buzz becoming a drone, becoming a roar.
Suddenly, they
were there—a thousand yards out and impossibly low—streaking over the
adjacent
sugarcane fields and closing the distance to the boys in an instant. No
one
said a word as the planes flashed overhead at fifty feet, but the red
circles
under the wings were unmistakable. The pilot of the last leaned out
over his
fuselage and looked directly down at them. He was Japanese. No one
spoke for a
moment. Joe considered the imminent demise of his lunch plans and
immediately
felt ashamed.
As the
prologue
explains, the characters may be fictitious, but the unit and campaigns
of the
442nd Regimental Combat Team are not. The juxtaposition of fiction and
nonfiction cements a delightful atmosphere of understanding and action
in the
story as readers absorb events that place them directly in combat
situations:
The LT and the RTO had
each taken a knee when they
suddenly disappeared
in a tight eruption of black smoke. Joe heard the muffled report of the
explosion an instant later and recognized it as the same made by his
own
mortar. Everyone dove for the dirt. Joe opened his chin on the grit but
kept
his eyes on the spot where his lieutenant had been, staring dully at
the
dissipating smoke and the corona of body parts across the blackened
ground. The
next blast jarred him back to awareness.
This is a
good place
to point out that such vivid depictions may well prove triggering to
veterans
and those who arrive steeped
in their
own combat history. However, the events and interactions of the unit
and the
politics and influences of these times will prove captivating to a wide
audience of readers who may know little about combat, war, or the
events that
required sacrifice and courage in the forty months after Pearl Harbor.
John C.
Kiyonaga
acknowledges many facets of the times, from prejudice against
Japanese-Americans to combat challenges, as Joe races through Europe
with his
unit and experiences both camaraderie, special challenges, and even an
unexpected
romance which is also impacted by the war.
Kiyonaga is
especially adept at capturing the nuances of fighting and interludes of
peace
and discovery, juxtaposing them in ways that illustrate the pulse and
people of
the 1940s.
Libraries
and readers
seeking Word War II fiction that sizzles with action, strong
characters, and
the perspectives of combatants will find Joe’s story and journey
compelling. Uninvited Valor holds the rare ability
to reach beyond military
history readers into general-interest audiences seeking personal
connections to
history, outcomes, and acts of valor.
Return to Index
When Bone
Melts
Elise Keitz Harlow
Independently
Published
979-8326828170
$7.99 Kindle / $14.99
Paperback / $24.99 Hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/When-Melts-Elise-Keitz-Harlow/dp/B0D5CY1HBS
When Bone Melts
is a novel set during
World War II. It follows the
revelations that buffet nineteen-year-old sculptor Pasquale Marinova
when he
discovers that his seemingly familiar, simple family actually harbors
connections and secrets that change his impression not only of his
origins, but
himself.
As he begins
to
uncover new truths about his background and meets his half-sister
Anastasia,
who represents a challenge to his shaken family’s structure, points of
view
shift to consider events and impacts from six different character
vantage
points.
This creates
an
interesting juxtaposition of impressions, expectations, and impacts in
the
story, which takes a family saga and expands its connection to the
lives of all
who come into its fold—either legitimately or illegitimately.
Changing
viewpoints
are clarified in each chapter heading. This helps solidify these
different
perspectives and prevents confusion as readers absorb the nuances and
concerns
of a wide cast of characters.
As for the
inspections themselves, the dialogue-driven psychological interactions
between
major players makes for thought-provoking reading no matter whose
perspective
they come from.
Franca
Rossi, for
example, contemplates her wedding choices and not only their impact,
but her
mandate to please and fit into the family:
“Luca’s checked with his
mother, and the Marinova
Gardens can host
three hundred guests!”
I stood over the table, staring down at their notes.
“I don’t want to get married in front of three hundred people.”
“You’ll be thankful on the day to have everyone there. There will be a
parade. You are becoming a princess.”
“You’re not listening to me!” I yelled at her. I started crying, and
Luca held his hands up in alarm. “You only care about impressing our
family and
neighbors!”
“You are ungrateful. You are rejecting the gifts life has given you.
Why do you bury yourself in a hospital when you could have the finest
life of
anyone on the lake? What about Luca and what the Marinovas want? Will
you deny
your new parents their say?”
Pasquale’s
seeming
impropriety with his half-sister Stasi prompts questions and anguish in
a
family trying to both create new connections and absorb uncomfortable
truths
about these associations:
“I’m sorry.” Quick to
apologize. “We arrived home
very late. I was
tired and had had too much to drink. I just fell asleep.”
“It is extremely…” Mother swallows, “Immoral, Pasquale. I am…
disgusted.”
“It was an accident, Mar–Mother. It was inappropriate but not…
sinister! I just fell asleep! She is my sister. It couldn’t have been
even four
hours.”
“Four hours too many. You need to reign yourself in. You are forgetting
yourself.”
The
different
perspectives personalize not only the family’s situation, but their
evolving
reactions to Nazis, births and deaths, and migrations to new lives in
America.
All these events sweep the story into the 1960s as it covers decades of
social,
political, and psychological transformation.
When Bone Melts
is a heady but attractive
historical novel that
shines with Italian culture, contrasts between characters forced to
assume new
roles within their families, and insights into the rise of Italian
fascism
which leads the Marinova children to grow both within and far from
their roots.
Libraries
seeking a
novel steeped in Italian experience as seen through the eyes of
different
generations that moves from 1893 Italian culture to modern times will
find When Bone Melts realistic,
compelling,
and astute in its psychological and social inspections. It’s perfect
fodder for
book club discussion groups, and a fine recommendation for any patron
with
roots and special interest in Italian culture.
Return to Index
A Wolff in
the Family
Francine Falk-Allen
She Writes Press
978-1-64742-802-0
$18.99
www.shewritespress.com
Fans of
historical
fiction set in early 20th century America who
are interested in
following a family’s evolution from generation to generation will find A Wolff in the Family a powerful
exploration. It deserves not just leisure reading pursuit, but book
club
discussion.
A Wolff in the Family
follows the impact
of a family secret on
generations of individuals who face hardship and questions as a result.
Readers
should anticipate many underlying subplots in the story, from issues of
gender
inequality and evolving women’s empowerment (or, at times,
disempowerment) to
the Wolff family’s journey to a new life and world in the West.
Francine
Falk-Allen
explores these events through the eyes and experiences of a wide cast
of characters.
These different viewpoints dovetail in a story replete with satisfying
social,
political, and psychological insights. It’s narrated in a compelling
manner
designed to attract, educate, and entertain, all in one:
Another
baby. Frances wondered how long her mother could keep this up.
What could women do if they didn’t want so many children but still
wanted to
get married and have a family? Anita looked tired. She’s
getting to see what it was like to be me in this house,
thought Frances. I’m never going to
have this many children. I don’t know how you keep from it, but I’m not
going
to do it. Not like this.
From affairs
and
custody battles to families divided and conflicted, and the love and
connections that bind them, Falk-Allen presents a multifaceted arena of
encounters firmly cemented in the vernacular, politics, and social
values of
the times.
This will
prove
especially alluring to historical fiction readers who seek works
immersed in a
‘you are here’ atmosphere that brings not just experiences, but their
underlying motivations and impact to life.
A Wolff in the Family
presents a heady
mix of history, social
inspection, women’s issues, and family interactions. It covers vivid,
absorbing
situations and psychological insights that blend nicely into a
deepening sense
of discovery and growth.
Libraries
that choose
A Wolff in the Family for its
historical allure will find it easy to highly recommend to book clubs
seeking
evocative historical material perfect for group discussion and debate.
Return to Index
Reviewer's Choice
Against
All Odds
Tristian Smith
TWS Publishin
979-8990888906
$27.99
Hardcover/$18.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Against-All-Odds-Tristian-Smith/dp/B0D8K36XWG
Against
All Odds is a memoir, but to
confine its recommendation to
fans of
autobiography alone would be to do it a disservice. Unlike most
memoirs, the
story rises from personal experience to political activism in a manner
designed
to illustrate not just trauma and recovery, but how one individual
evolved
beyond what life handed him at an early age to cultivate a drive to
give back
to society in novel ways.
Readers
already
versed in the foster care system may be well steeped in the social and
political struggles buffeting good intentions to provide kids with
support and
foster homes. But Tristian Smith’s experiences personalize his life and
those
of fellow foster children, following his journey from poverty to
entering the
system and building hope from opportunities for a better life.
The
story
doesn’t end there, however … if it did, Against All Odds
would indeed be
just another memoir of achievement. It’s Smith’s focus on giving back
by
improving not just his circumstances, but those of others, which gives
his
story an extra dimension of meaning and insights as he assesses his
abilities
and the influences, both good and bad, on his upward momentum:
The
constant moves
and transitions inherent in the
foster care system created a sense of instability and dependency. Each
new home
and school brought with it the need to adapt and adjust to new
relationships
and unfamiliar surroundings. This constant upheaval made it difficult
to
establish a sense of belonging and continuity in my life.
Also
notable is
advice to would-be foster parents on how to provide the special
services and
support that youngsters in the foster care system so desperately need:
If
you are a foster
parent or you want to become a
foster parent, I want you to know that you have an enormous impact on
the
children who are living with you. And too, a responsibility to provide
them
with stable, compassionate care.
Concurrent
with
these admonitions to case workers and foster care parents is a call to
action
to revitalize and revamp the system as a whole. With the focus on how
to better
support foster youth, Smith provides not just support, but invaluable
insights
based on his experience and those of his fellow foster community.
While
Against
All Odds will be valued for its personal memoir facets, even
more important
are Smith’s analysis of social and psychological systems and how they
function,
fail, or hold opportunities for new growth and change.
This
is why
libraries and book club reading groups will find Against All
Odds so
wide-ranging and important. Within its veneer of personal experience
lies a
mandate for understanding and transformation that is so important,
libraries
should consider it a ‘must’ for collection enhancement and
recommendation to
all kinds of patrons. These range from would-be foster parents to
readers
tackling social issues and considering opportunities for enacting
meaningful,
lasting change.
Return to Index
Chained
Birds
Carla Conti
Wild Blue Press
978-1-964730-07-3
$24.99 Audiobook/$2.99 ebook
Website: www.carlajeanconti.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Chained-Birds-True-Crime-Memoir/dp/B0DJC4JFM9/
Chained
Birds
is a true crime memoir that follows journalist Carla Conti into a legal
effort
to advocate for federal prison inmate Kevin Sanders, the client of her
lawyer
friend Scott. Conti never anticipated that helping her friend would
land her in
a deadly mix of prison politics, abuse, and justice system failures.
The
fact that Conti has a
researcher’s eye for detail but
operates (at least, initially) from outside the prison system lends
discovery
and surprise to the story, which emerges from Conti’s opening lines
that
consider the source of all these events:
This
book exists
because a convict once threw a snowball at a prison guard and hit him
in the face.
The
resulting fallout from
this seemingly innocuous move
rippled and expanded like an exploding supernova to embrace inmates,
guards,
administrators, and prison outsiders such as Conti and Scott. The
violent chain
reaction which emerged eventually led to the closure of an experimental
prison
program that pinpointed and reflected a broken prison system’s terrible
practices.
From
the start, Chained
Birds presents scenarios of dovetailing adversity and
struggle that
challenged Conti’s new role as part of a legal defense team. As she
navigated
the impact of political, social, and justice system processes, she
embarked on
a personal journey into an investigation that revealed more and more
underlying
influences and dangerous prison trends. These proved dangerous to her
and Scott
as they became involved with other prison inmates over promises of
retribution
and violence.
These
revelations emerge
within the context of daily
trial proceedings, family relationships challenged by Conti and Scott’s
involvements, and the influences of Mafia-like hit men, FBI agents, and
prison
and justice system precedents.
Abuse,
cover-ups, revenge,
paranoia … all these factors
and many more result in a portrait that will prove eye-opening not only
to
those outside the prison/justice system, but to many professionals
operating
within these systems.
This
is why Chained
Birds deserves a prominent place in any library strong in
criminal and
justice system probes. However, its recommended audience shouldn’t stop
here.
Ideally, Chained Birds will be used
as a foundation text in college-level classroom for students of social
issues,
criminology, and justice system management; as well as profiled in book
club
and reader groups.
It
holds invaluable debate
material, couched in a
riveting series of events that reads with the drama of fiction,
delivered with
the one-two punch of reality.
Return to Index
Checkpoints
and
Autosaves
Dr. Anthony M. Bean,
PhD
Leyline Publishers
978-1955406130
$19.99 Paperback/$16.99 eBook
https://shop.geektherapeutics.com/
Checkpoints
and Autosaves: Parenting
Geeks to Thrive in the Age of Geekdom intersects themes of popular culture, parenting,
and gaming into a
unified theory for better understanding how young ‘geeks’ can benefit
from geek
entertainment and child development insights.
What
is ‘geek therapy’? Dr.
Bean answers this and other
questions about identifying geek culture and attractions, placing his
psychological insights in line with social and community inspections
that move
from family to broader arenas of interaction and reaction.
As
he probes cosplay, video
gaming, Dungeons and Dragons,
animae and comic books, and other examples of geek entertainment, Dr.
Bean
considers how and why these influencers help craft a young person’s
psyche and
social understanding.
Adults
who work with kids,
whether they be parents or
counselors, in turn receive specific insights based on real-world
modern
attractions to young people.
Case
histories from his work
with young people permeate
these analyses with specific ‘you are here’ moments that marry
psychological understanding
and techniques with guidance strategies:
The
purpose was not
to teach Jake he could win every time with three cards, it was to teach
him he could win. And
statistically, three
random cards beat a high card most of the time. After he felt more
empowered,
we discussed how the card game relates to his life. Each card
represents a
person Jake can turn to for help. They are people he can trust to build
his
strength and overcome stronger obstacles he cannot defeat on his own.
Jake
listed possible party members from his own life: family, friends,
teachers, and
me. The card game helped Jake visualize who he can rely on and utilize
when he
feels overwhelmed.
Moments
of clarity are
sometimes presented with wry humor
that blends observation with thought-provoking fun:
As
parents, we
secretly hope our children see us as their own personal heroes. We
sacrifice
our time, money, and sanity for our kids, and we do our best to protect
them
from evil. Parenting is heroic,
even though the job does not come with its own set of superpowers. We
only hope
our children look past our normal strength and non-laser-eyes to see
SuperMom
and DynoDad anyways. Unfortunately, few of us are privy to that special
recognition. When I asked a client, Andy, to build his own superhero
comic
book, he did not base his hero on his mom or dad. He built a superhero
named
Chicken Nugget Man.
The
result is a parenting
guide that stands apart from
most others; both for its foundations in psychology and analysis and
for its
ability to connect the dots between pop culture, child-rearing, and
approaches
that represent not only better understanding, but better parenting
choices.
This
is why Checkpoints
and Autosaves
should be a
mainstay not just in psychology libraries, but in collections catering
to
parents seeking new insights about and methods of reaching their
children.
Return to Index
The Dog Who
Came for
Christmas
Jody Sharpe
Independently
Published
978-0988562059
$8.99
https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Who-Came-Christmas/dp/0988562057
Bill The Dog Who Came for
Christmas as a
fantasy, a novel of magical realism, or a warm holiday story with dogs
and paranormal
themes as you will, but the definition of this story definitely
embraces the
term ‘cozy.’ Audiences attracted to canines and Christmas will find the
opportunity to enjoy both under one cover in a thoroughly engrossing
read.
Begin with a
first-person
prologue which introduces not just the small California town of Mystic
Bay, but
the narrator, Earth-living Angel Ken, who keeps on eye on human and
animal
lives under his wings and reviews the special holiday circumstances
where “…intuition and love’s triumphs changed
lives, but furry and human.”
Christmas is
traditionally a time of miracles. This is only one of the focuses in The Dog Who Came for Christmas, where
angels co-exist alongside other gifts to make the town an exceptional
locale of
warmth, tradition, and new opportunities.
Gayle Force
Knight’s
psychic intuition leads her to rescue a dog. What it doesn’t portend is
whether
this effort will be first and last, or if it will open the door to more
animal
rescues and a revised lifestyle.
This sixth
book in
the Mystic Bay series stands nicely alone, yet neatly dovetails with
the prior
stories to invite newcomers and old fans with a special flavors of
community
dilemmas, individual choices, and holiday spirit.
Jody
Sharpe’s
employment of the first person lends strength and immediacy to her
story, which
unfolds with many delightful touches, from a store called Heaven Can’t
Wait to
something only Gayle can see: “…little
floating angel dusty light that he seems to send to those in need of
comfort.”
Light-hearted
yet
thought-provoking and engrossing, Sharpe’s story represents yet another
holiday
saga that reveals additional nuances of this special town’s psyche,
psychics,
and perspectives.
Libraries
seeking
unusual and exceptional Christmas stories steeped in the warmth of
giving and
the holiday season will welcome the opportunity to include The Dog Who Came for Christmas in their
collections. Its ability to
attract on both spiritual and storytelling levels will make it
attractive to a
wide audience of holiday celebrants.
Return to Index
The
Faraway Mountains
Radu Guiașu
Histria Books/Addison & Highsmith Publishers
978-1-59211-317-0
$19.00
Hardcover/$6.99 eBook
Website: www.raduguiasu.com
Publisher: www.HistriaBooks.com
The
Faraway
Mountains is a novel about friendships, survival, and life
under the thrall
of a ruthless dictator. While readers may anticipate darkness in such a
scenario, one of the surprises of this story lies in how light emerges
even
from political repression. One illustration involves three young
friends who
embark on a mountain-climbing expedition.
The
narrative strength of
this story lies in the fact
that it is based on many of the author’s experiences. With its roots in
youthful experiences of 1980s Romania, the atmosphere and history of
the nation
are portrayed in descriptions that resonate and draw:
All
those energetic
speeches, all the futile worries and meaningless arguments, and all
that
youthful anger and harmless sarcasm wouldn’t likely change anything
anyway,
except, perhaps, for contributing to future ulcers (Dan was already
experiencing some symptoms) and premature gray hairs (Alex already had
a few).
It was like throwing pebbles against the fortified wall of a seemingly
impenetrable bunker. There was nothing they could do to change
anything. The
future of the country, just like the weather or the prices of blue
jeans on the
black market, was entirely out of their control. They were just three
young men
far from home, in the middle of nowhere, always in constant danger of
getting
more or less lost. Or worse.
What
began as a single story
of youthful experience
evolved into a series of interlocked experiences. These form the crux
of this
blended coming-of-age saga, social and political examination, and
account of
growing into adulthood under a political tyrant.
Romania’s
shifting
atmosphere is embedded in not just the
experiences, but the choices of this youthful group:
Alex,
Victor, and
Dan grew up in the same neighborhood in the west end of the capital,
and
attended the same prestigious high school — possibly the country’s best
— in
the city center. As a consequence of yet another round of reforms to
the
education system, most high schools became so-called “industrial” ones,
presumably getting students ready for factory work.
Readers
will not only be
drawn into the ups and downs of
daily lives, but will absorb both their individual growth and the
impact of
social and political changes. Marrying the personal with the political
creates
an emotional tie to events that will prove thoroughly absorbing even
for those
with little knowledge of Romanian history or culture.
Libraries
interested in
fictionalized autobiographies
that present well-ordered modern history with equally well-thought-out
presentations
of life under dictatorship, as well as those interested in life in
Romania,
will find The Faraway Mountains a
compelling story of hope, survival, and even growth and happiness.
The
Faraway
Mountains is also highly recommendable to book clubs seeking
attractive
memoirs that raise all kinds of questions about the connections between
political and personal choice, and transformation.
Return to Index
The Gamer’s
Journey
Daniel Kaufman, PhD
Leyline Publishing
978-1955406239
$19.99 Paperback and eBook
https://shop.geektherapeutics.com/
The Gamer’s Journey
belongs in any
library strong in adolescent
psychology and computer game analysis. It probes the underlying
influences and
atmosphere of a video game that holds both widespread attraction and
the
promise of better understanding when reaching adolescent clients.
Dr. Daniel
Kaufman
explores not only the structure, intentions, and experiences of this
game, considering
the attraction and healing possibilities of video games in general.
He applies
basic
psychological analysis and thought to such wide-ranging subjects as
spirituality and transcendence, growth opportunities, and lessons in
attraction
and reaction. His considerations juxtapose this specific game with
broader
topics that will especially intrigue adults working with a teen clients:
The lessons from any range
of games, from Spiritfarer to
roleplaying games and
beyond, can be deeply
personal in their abilities to influence meaning. While we may not
notice the
wonder in each nascent moment early in life, our ability to experience
them is
limited. The games we play represent our interests as we push through
each new
phase in our lifespan. We alternate between many different directives
in our
lives as much as we will in the metaphor of our in-game protagonists
and their
quest log.
These
insights, in
turn, encourage a different form of psychological analysis and
inspection that
places more tools in the toolbox of counselors working with teens. The
approach
injects contemporary and meaningful insights into the gaming culture,
its
possibilities for growth and learning, and its specific applications to
adolescent audiences (although adult video game participants may also
be
reached via a revised understanding of gaming culture and its
opportunities for
healing).
The Gamer’s Journey
will appeal across
the board to psychology,
adolescent medicine, and media studies libraries. It represents a
fairly unique
opportunity to not only better understand video game participants and
their
culture, but apply the basic techniques of deeper psychological
understanding
to psychologist consultations.
Return to Index
The Hidden Power of
Rising Dividends
Greg Donaldson
Wyndhill
Publishing LLC
979-8990567504
$29.90
Hardcover/$15.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Power-Rising-Dividends-Security/dp/B0D722DHC8
The
Hidden Power of
Rising Dividends: How to Produce Security, Income, and Growth opens
with a
disaster (the 1987 meltdown of worldwide stock exchanges). This led
investment
manager Greg Donaldson to question his entire money-management
strategy. He
moved into alternate ways of investment goals and financial planning
which gave
him a much better foundation for valuing and managing stocks.
How
does one move from Black
Monday to success? The steps
of this process involve self-analysis, revised financial insights, and
the
willingness to consider and adopt new strategies for the future based
on
revised insights. Surprisingly, the journey begun on Black Monday led
to even
greater success than Donaldson had enjoyed before:
The
devastation of
Black Monday snuffed out most of my illusions about investing. Yet, in
the
blackness of the day and its assault on my state of mind and financial
well-being, a flickering light appeared, offering a way out of the
darkness.
Readers
familiar with
business books about finances and
money management will find Donaldson’s tone and personalization of the
growth
process to be more compelling than most … so much so that The Hidden Power of Rising Dividends will
attract audiences beyond
its intended group of financial managers and investors.
Yes,
there are many
step-by-step depictions of investment
logic and science that will attract those already financially savvy.
But
Donaldson’s attention to explanation and accessibility translates these
steps
and jargon for everyday readers who may not be as well versed in the
mechanics
of investing, from dividends and scatterplots to charting novel courses
of
financial growth.
His
work with clients also
personalizes this process,
covering not just the whys and hows of making investment decisions, but
the
psychology of investors. This reveals their motivations, degree of
financial
investment comfort, and their perceptions of how they can reach their
goals.
Donaldson is also just as candid about his snafus in handling clients:
When
the small talk
quieted down, I dove in and said, “Doc, long-term interest rates are
going to
rise over the next two to five years. Tech mania is in full force, the
economy
is beginning to grow rapidly, unemployment is falling, and inflation is
trending higher for the first time in many years.”
I had spoken too
fast, too loud, and too abruptly. To make matters worse, I had
introduced all
these ideas while looking at the notes I had scribbled on a piece of
paper in
front of me.
Whether
he discusses
changing trends in asset management
or the logic of making new choices in a shifting investment
environment,
Donaldson presents just the right blend of financial and psychological
insight
that will attract all kinds of readers to a story that is well beyond
the
typical investment approach.
Libraries
interested in
acquiring investment books that
hold more than a singular strategy promotion will find The
Hidden Power of Rising Dividends enlightening and highly
recommendable to a wider audience than most.
Its
tone, explanations, and
interesting psychological and
financial profiles make The Hidden Power
of Rising Dividends a standout and a winner.
Return to Index
An
International
Circus Affair
Jeff Raz with Stephanie
Greenspan, Ori Quesada, and Devin Holt
Modern Vaudeville
Press
9781958604243
$25.00 Paperback/$9.99 ebook
www.modernvaudevillepress.com/nanjing
An International Circus
Affair: How a Nanjing
Acrobat in San Francisco
Changed American Circus Forever captures circus history at
its best, using
a single acrobat’s life and achievements to explore the circus
atmosphere and
its features and major participants. The story details how an
international
meeting of East and West played out in the big top arena, changing the
circus
world forever. This encounter allowed circuses to develop new
opportunities and
attractions, leading to its survival of hard, changing times.
As a
participant in
this process rather than an observer or reporter, author Jeff Raz holds
his own
claim to circus fame. His mentor, Master Trainer Lu Yi from Nanjing,
China, is
the main subject of the book. Lu Yi took Chinese circus techniques to
Australia
and America, and then worked with Raz to bring the American circus
techniques
back to China.
All this was
accomplished in eras where East/West relationships were not always
smooth. The
cultural relationship between Nanjing and San Francisco that is the
focus of
Raz’s history evolves over a 20-year period, a time of many changes
both
between and within America and China.
Readers
might expect
the lively descriptions of acrobatic prowess and circus action—but, in
fact,
there is as much discussion of business models, show development, and
the
psychology of two cultures meeting minds over the circus world.
Heavily
footnoted
references allow researchers to access source materials, but don’t
detract from
the pleasure factor of delving into this world for readers who may hold
less
prior circus familiarity.
The insights
on
working with students in the Youth Circus and developing new
generations of
entertainers and audiences alike are particularly vivid. These hold the
ability
to attract not just circus professionals and participants, but viewers
from
outside performance circles.
Interviews
with
students and major participants also enhance the coverage by providing
diverse
insights into circus dreams, operations, changes, and challenges.
Libraries
that choose An International Circus Affair
will
find that the book expands its audience to include business readers,
cross-cultural analysts, and historians as well as general-interest
readers.
This gives it a strength and appeal that makes it a top choice.
Performing arts
libraries as well as general-interest audiences will find
An International Circus Affair exceptional.
Return to Index
Love Heals
All Wounds
Linda F Kent
Clearly Rising LLC
979-8-218-33701-8
$14.95 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
Website: https://www.lindafkent.com
Ordering: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CT26J8YJ
Why turn to Love Heals
All Wounds as a solution to
modern life challenges? Because, as Alan Cohen stated in his Foreword:
We live in a world where
fear is rampant. Daily,
the news and other
media reinforce the belief that we are victims of outside forces beyond
our
control. In deep self-protection, many people isolate themselves from
life or
escape into distractions and addictions. Humanity is issuing a massive
call for
help.
Love Heals All Wounds: A
Roadmap from Fear to
Unlimited Possibilities
is especially recommended for those seeking renewed purpose in their
lives,
whether it be in the aftermath of a pandemic, during the aging process,
or due
to loss, grief, or healing.
Kent offers
a way out
of feeling stuck or ineffectual that embraces bigger-picture thinking
and
applications of love. In modern times of siege and where disruption
occurs on
so many levels, her approach is even more important to consider.
Spiritual
guides that
reference angels and self-help techniques under the same cover are few
and far
between. Typically, the spiritual emphasis overtakes the day-by-day
healing
routines that self-help guides usually promote, presenting ethereal
thinking
over practical applications and approaches to life.
Kent offers
a
powerful juxtaposition of psychological, self-help, and spiritual
recovery and
healing through chapters that are based not just on ideals, but the
authors’
own experiences and practices, which are held up for illustration and
reader
consideration:
One of the experiences we
had, that was a first for
me, was an
all-night prayer vigil … My partner Sharon and I gave alternating
prayers
aloud. As we continued during the hour, our prayers flowed harmoniously
together, and we felt an upliftment of spirit within us … By dawn, the
energy
in the room was buzzing—filled with the power of Spirit embodied by
each one of
us. We all circled together in the room and offered one more prayer as
a group.
I will never forget the energy that was present—the dance of love,
enlightenment, and grace that I believe each of us could feel. We knew
we had
co-created the sacred ground we were now standing on. I think that’s
the kind
of realization that changes a person.
More so than
most
spiritual and self-help guides, this grounding of practice in examples
of its
actual incarnation and how it works both individually and in group
efforts
creates a powerful set of insights that will especially invite book
clubs and
self-help groups to consider both pathways to success and barriers to
growth
that too often lie in perception and choice:
Even though I was aware of
the fear conditioning of
her life, I
understood I had no control over her decisions. Fear had set in its
structure
so deep that I realized the only thing I could do was love her, hold
the vision
of her true spirit in my heart, and forgive the ignorance of her
actions.
Sometimes, we would love to save people from their self-destructive
patterns,
but then I remembered the only thing I can control and save is myself.
From the
concept of
and learning how to access Divine Love to considering wellsprings of
empowerment, Kent’s focus on her personal life shifts and evolutionary
process
translates to key methods, information, and considerations that can be
employed
by any reader open to self-transformation:
I realized that we can
attempt to oppose what we
are facing in any
experience that we encounter, but in the letting go of the material
possessions
or expectations that we have assigned excessive value to is a lesson of
surrendering to a higher power that lives within; your spirit and Love.
In effect,
libraries
should consider Love Heals All Wounds
a toolkit of possibilities that goes beyond metaphysical or
psychological
boundaries, but will engage individuals and groups in applied
revisionist
thinking that fosters new concepts of control, achievement, healing,
peacefulness and love.
Self-help,
new age,
spirituality, and psychology collections will find Kent’s approach
revealing,
encouraging, and inspirational.
Return to Index
The Mongol
Ascension
Andrew Varga
Imbrifex Book
978-1955307079
www.Imbrifex.com
The Mongol Ascension
may be directed to
young adult readers of time
travel adventures and fairy tales, but that doesn’t mean it should be
limited
to this audience. Many an adult reader with an affinity for both will
relish
this story’s ability to reach from teen interests into adult themes and
growth
experiences, even though protagonist Dan Renfrew is seventeen.
Dan is a
time jumper.
He’s honed this ability all his life, but he doesn’t operate alone—and
neither
does this story, the third book in the A Jump in Time saga. Dan has
joined a
secret group of jumpers tasked with fixing historical glitches and
preserving
humanity’s timeline.
This latest
adventure
is a doozy. He and his companion Sam journey to Mongolia in the year
1179,
becoming involved in a teen boy’s efforts to save his family. What does
this
boy have to do with timeline preservation? Apparently, a lot. At stake
is the
preservation and power of the Mongol Empire … and, ultimately, Dan and
Sam’s
future.
Andrew Varga
embeds
the time-travel journey with elements of intrigue, history, and
psychological
inspection. Attention is given to dovetailing riveting action with
equally
engrossing revelations. These elements work nicely together, powering a
story
replete with not just unpredictable outcomes, but novel historical
problem-solving approaches:
I thought back to when I
had learned this
command—right after my Celtic
adventure, when Cenacus the druid had pushed a piece of paper toward
Sam and me
as we sat together in a coffee shop. The symbols on the page had been
written
clearly, but the words had been a bit messy—especially the second word.
I had
always assumed that he had scribbled down a’s.
What if they were o’s?
Another
element to The Mongol Ascension
that makes it a
crossover from young adult to adult interests lies in its
considerations of
choice, impact, and ultimate outcomes. These link history in a manner
that
makes its events lively and attractive rather than dry or dull, resting
on
action-packed conundrums that keep readers guessing:
A lump formed in my throat
as I thought of Sam
being held
captive—trapped in this time period. I could almost see the horror on
her face.
I had to find her. But what would I even do? She’d be surrounded by
forty
thousand of the most feared horsemen in history. Getting her out of
their
clutches would take cunning and good planning—too bad I was short on
both. An
even bigger gap in any rescue plans was my lack of a horse. How could
one guy
with a bum leg catch up to an army moving on horseback?
These
features
elevate the story beyond the problem-solving “how to return home”
scenario
typical of time-travel scenarios. It introduces moral, ethical, and
historical
dilemmas that challenge characters and readers to understand the nature
of
paradoxes, conflicts of interest, and personal impact on outcomes.
All these
facets make
The Mongol Ascension not just
thoroughly engrossing, but highly recommended for library acquisition
and book
club reading groups attracted to time travel stories that hold more
meat,
value, and insights than an adventure-driven story alone.
Return to Index
Not If I Can
Help It
Meg Groff
Rivertowns Books
978-1-953943-47-7
$22.95
www.rivertownsbooks.com
Not If I Can Help It:
A Family
Lawyer’s Battles for Justice for
Victims of Domestic Violence and the Poor belongs
in any library collection strong in legal and justice issues.
While it is a memoir, it’s also a survey of the family lawyer’s typical
cases,
dilemmas, and wider-ranging battles that will inform and educate
students of
criminal justice and family law.
Meg Groff’s
passionate voice is a commanding feature in an account that juxtaposes
case
histories with moral and ethical insights. Groff reveals the challenges
of
being an advocate for justice within a bigger system of social issues
and
criminal definitions of behavior.
Within this
framework
lie numerous opportunities for social reflection. This also elevates Not If I Can Help It from a memoir to a
more important consideration suitable for group or classroom discussion:
It is common for poor
people to believe that their
poverty makes them
undeserving. This is understandable, because so many people who aren’t
poor
keep imposing that belief upon them. It is a belief shared by many of
our
judges and prosecutors—an insidious, intrinsic bias, conscious and
unconscious,
that devalues the lives of the poor and corrupts our legal system. It
is a bias
those of us who advocate for the indigent must constantly confront and
overcome
as we battle for the rights of our clients. Sadly, our clients are
often the
first people who need to be convinced of the simple truth that they are
as
deserving as anyone else.
Groff’s
ability to
take the extra step to assure that these topics and controversies
receive the
in-depth attention they deserve makes Not
If I Can Help It a standout. It provokes its readers to dig
deeper into
family law processes to uncover the nuggets of justice, injustice, and
proceedings which either address or fail to address bigger-picture
issues.
Insights on
dilemmas
facing a lawyer over choices and case management are based on real
events.
These lend further authenticity to the reader’s reflections on family
law,
whether they arrive with no prior familiarity with its processes or
already
have some basic grounding in its nature and special challenges:
I was on my own. I needed
to shed my self-doubts
and gather my
strengths, because I was about to do battle with an Evil Empire. And
really, I
was ready. I knew every provision of the Juvenile Act, which outlined
ten
separate circumstances (or “grounds”) under which a child can be deemed
“dependent” and therefore transferrable to the custody of CYS or to
some other
entity. Nine of those grounds had no conceivable applicability to this
case.
That left only one—the first one listed—which states, in a nutshell,
that a
child is dependent if she is without the proper parental or custodial
care
necessary for her physical, mental, or emotional health.
This is why Not If I Can
Help It deserves a
prominent place not just in libraries strong in justice system
portraits, but
in collections building accessible, revealing, compelling stories of
individual
struggles within and outside the justice system. It offers a host of
illustrative stories, as well as insights into social issues that
create food
for thought for individual readers and classroom and reading group
discussion
alike.
Return to Index
Productivity
is Power
Hillary Rettig
Infinite Art Press
979-8-9896387-1-0
$24.95
https://www.amazon.com/Productivity-Power-Liberating-Practices-Students/dp/0989944050
Productivity
is
Power: 5 Liberating Practices for College Students offers
college students
a synthesis of time management and study skills and insights on
test-taking and
personal growth. The surprising broader assessments indicate that this
book is
actually about much more than a program for better studying.
Among
the topics Hillary
Rettig addresses are
disempowerment processes, understanding procrastination’s roots, the
detriments
of perfectionist thinking and actions, and how to set high standards
without
falling into the perfectionist trap that too often leads to ennui and
feeling
stuck.
As
chapters review
underlying assumptions about work and
productivity that are embedded in cultural and social lessons, they
offer
students deeper-level thinking about study and achievement. This
approach
expands the topic beyond better study habits and into realms of social,
psychological, and philosophical thought.
This,
in turn, creates an
uplifting atmosphere that
promotes different mindsets, linking them to solid achievement
processes. Take
joy, for example. Readers won’t expect this subject to appear in a
study
analysis, but its discussion both enlightens and promises an attractive
alternative approach to achievement:
…the
Joyful Dance
will maximize your odds of not just an easy and effective work process,
but a
good outcome. When you work nonlinearly, you’re like a surfer on a
beach with
some great waves, each wave being a bit of inspiration comin’ atcha.
You see
one, rush over to it, grab it, and ride it. Then, when it peters out,
you look
around and see another great wave, rush over, grab and ride it. Then
another
and another. You keep doing that throughout your whole work session.
What fun!
And look how much you’re getting done!
Meanwhile, your
poor Slogger friend is standing forlornly with their surfboard on the
section
of the beach where they think the next great wave is supposed to hit,
just
waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and…
As
Rettig moves beyond
successful study habits, students
will follow her into perhaps-uncharted waters that link bigger views of
life,
achievement, and success with activities that support kindness. Readers
will be
prompted to reconsider their impact on the world, taking into account
psychological forces that can affect not just study habits, but
productivity
definitions and life objectives.
All
these facets are why,
ideally, Productivity is Power’s
audience will expand beyond college
students and into arenas of business and psychology readers.
Libraries
that choose Productivity
is Power for all these audiences will find its uplifting
analysis also lends
to book club and reader group discussions, whether among college
students
seeking keys to success or individuals looking for growth opportunities
that
revise traditional lines of thought and limiting, disempowering
assumptions.
Return to Index
The
Psychology of The
Last of Us
Dr. Anthony Bean
Leyline Publishing
978-1955406291
$19.99 Paperback and eBook
https://shop.geektherapeutics.com/
The Psychology of The Last
of Us: Endure and Survive
tackles not
just the popular video game about post-apocalyptic survival, but
processes of
recovery and adaptation which form intrinsic parts of the endurance
process.
The only
prerequisite
to a thorough appreciation of what Dr. Anthony Bean is achieving in his
book is
a reader’s prior knowledge of either this video game (The Last of Us)
or the spin-off
TV series that evolved from it. Those with such a background will
especially
appreciate Dr. Bean’s in-depth analysis of events, choices, and
outcomes, which
contributes discovery and evolutionary growth considerations to the
survival
process.
Dr. Bean’s
delves
into the unique characters in the story, drawing important connections
between
their culture, lives, and perspectives and modern-day attitudes and
experiences.
This creates exceptionally insightful reading that takes a fictional
environment and overlays dilemmas of modern times with new revelations:
Communities that
prioritize nuclear family dynamics
are likely to cause
cognitive dissonance, inner conflict, and isolation in queer youth —
and Lev’s
friction with his own identity and his community is analogous to that
of
real-world queer youth. If you have ever felt the expectations of a
parent’s
worldview was at odds with what you want, or put you into a box, Lev’s
story
likely rings true to your own lived experience.
Dr. Bean’s
approach
allows readers to more thoroughly understand not only the characters
and
premise of The Last of Us, but why
they may resonate so deeply, given current events.
Another
vivid draw of
this book lies in its ability to dissect not just characters and
politics, but
the culture of response and discussion. This adds additional attraction
to the
story’s plot and underlying themes:
Being a fan creates
identity within a group and
allows for an
individual to feel supported, which can reduce feelings of loneliness
and other
negative traits. For fans of The Last
of Us, a connection to both the characters and the
community took root
after episode three of the series aired. This episode depicts a
romantic story
between characters Bill and Frank. Bill and Frank represented something
not
often depicted in mainstream media — a healthy, loving same-sex
relationship.
This representation was not lost to fans and sparked much discussion
online.
The
approach, in
turn, translates to a much deeper inspection of not just the plot and
characters, but their intrinsic attraction and connections to modern
readers
and their communities, lives, and choices.
All these
features
are why The Psychology of The Last of Us:
Endure and Survive is highly recommended both as a library
collection
addition and, in particular, for psychology, social issues, media
studies, and
debate classrooms. The opportunities for contrast and consideration of
the many
themes of The Last of Us are
endless.
Return to Index
The
Psychology of The
Witcher
Dr. Anthony Bean
Leyline Publishing
978-1955406260
$19.99 Paperback and eBook
www.leylinepublishing.com
Akin to
Carus
Publishers’ series titles connecting philosophical approaches to daily
life,
psychology and popular culture enthusiasts will appreciate Dr. Anthony
Bean’s
similar approach to making psychology more relevant and palatable to
modern
audiences, starting with The Psychology
of The Witcher.
The first
prerequisite for a complete appreciation of Dr. Bean’s approach is
familiarity
with the TV drama The Witcher, a
very
popular Polish franchise that reaches around the world with its
alluring fantasy
story. Child-stealing monsters, curses, and a host of villains (both
human and
inhuman) abound, challenging readers to absorb underlying lessons about
good,
evil, and the hearts of men and monsters alike.
These themes
and many
more are explored in The Psychology of
The Witcher in a manner which invites both individual
contemplation and
group discussion, whether it be in a psychology, social issues, or
media
studies classroom or reading circles.
A review of
the
series setting and premise is provided that covers the foundations of
this
world, from its magic to its monarchs … but the meat of the analysis
lies in
the accompanying in-depth psychological analysis which considers why The Witcher has earned such a wide
audience of dedicated fans.
Readers
receive more
than a psychological probe, here. Embedded into these thematic
discussions are
social issues and political insights that deserve slow, careful
reading,
contemplation, and discussion for their powerfully hard-hitting
insights:
The world of The
Witcher shows
a frightening parallel to many unthinkable behaviors in human history,
set in a
more digestible fantasy context. Looking for anchoring points in a
chaotic
environment, we may naturally want to be told who is good and who is
bad.
However, just like reality, The
Witcher does not afford us this luxury of being able to
categorize
creatures so easily. Each of us is susceptible to influences around us
and
capable of both helping as well as hurting. The charismatic leader may
sin far
more than the grotesque monster. To better understand how people make
decisions
that end up brutalizing one another, it helps to first understand why we allow ourselves to do this.
Readers who
have
become immersed in The Witcher
may not have previously considered the impact and approaches of its
characters,
clashes, and choices. Dr. Bean’s book explores and helps clarify the
series’ draw
as a whole, as well as its ability to expand the psychological and
social
milieu of its setting, characters, and conundrums.
An episode-by-episode
analyses leads readers
to return to The Witcher from a different vantage
point:
Yennefer has chosen to
stay with Ciri and Geralt
because she wants to,
so her autonomy is intact. She has discovered that her competence isn’t
a
reflection of her magical abilities. All of her skills and abilities
can
demonstrate her competence as a whole person. Finally, her sense of
connection
is fulfilled with her role as Ciri’s teacher and Geralt’s friend. She
isn’t
using either of them to accomplish some hidden agenda, and neither of
them is
manipulating her. Her motivation to stay with them is intrinsic and
comes from
Yennefer’s desire to do good for her friends and herself.
All these features contribute to a discussion that should be a mainstay in any media studies, sci-fi or fantasy, psychology, or social issues library’s collection. Librarians will want to very highly recommend The Psychology of The Witcher to TV show enthusiasts interested in understanding exactly why and how the series relates to and expands upon human concerns and magical connections in life.
The Psychology of The WitcherReturn to Index
A Safe
Place
Becky Flade
Tirgearr
Publishing
ASIN:
B0DCWMZX2F
$1.49 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Safe-Place-Philly-Heat-ebook/dp/B0DCWMZX2F
Social
worker
Madison O’Hara is called in to help and protect Kat. Her attempt to
reunite the
family only leads to more intrigue and danger as Kat becomes the
killer’s
target and her brother Nate falls in love with Maddi.
The
search for a
safe haven feels impossible as events draw Maddie, Nate, and Kat into
increasing danger that stems not just from a murderer’s interest in
them, but
from love.
Becky
Flade
crafts a plot that embraces the perceptions and psyches of three main
characters whose lives dovetail in completely unexpected ways. The
romance that
arises to further complicate matters plays out from these different
perspectives, in interactions, dialogue, and reflections that add depth
and
interest to the story’s mystery and thriller components:
He
advanced. She
retreated. “You were Kat’s social
worker, her foster parent. You let me and my dog stay with you. Allowed
us to
invade your life. You didn’t have to do it, but you did. I didn’t want
to take
advantage of your kindness. Plus, getting custody of Kat was my top
priority.
Had to be. It was complicated and improper for me to feel what I was
feeling.
And I certainly couldn’t act on it. A point you yourself made.”
As
Nate’s
mandate to take charge (of many things) collides with Maddi’s attempts
to keep
them all safe, interesting developments keep readers on their toes,
attracted
by a heady blend of romance and survival efforts.
Libraries
seeking stories that walk a thin line between mystery, thriller, and
romance
story will find A Safe Place easy to recommend to
leisure readers who
enjoy one or more of these genres. Its powerful, appealing characters
and the
changing situations that bind them together are thoroughly
engrossing—and often
unexpected.
Return to Index
The
Smile of
Medusa: And Other Tales
Vardges Davtyan
Precocity
Press
979-8990946002
$27.95
Hardcover/$17.95 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
https://www.amzn.com/dp/B0D9B1DK1H/
It’s
rare that biography,
humor, fiction, and cultural
reflection blend so seamlessly as to attract a wide audience initially
interested
in only one of these facets—but such is The Smile of Medusa:
And Other Tales.
The
incorporation of flash fiction into autobiographical reflection and
semi-serious inspection creates a strange attraction that proves both
hard to
define and ultimately compelling.
Take
the opening
piece, ‘Overcoming Grief, the American Way’. Its first-person
inspection of the
power and meaning of a beard covers a move from Armenia to America and
the
psychiatrist narrator’s struggle to come to terms with his father’s
accidental,
sudden death:
There
was a
conviction among us psychiatrists that
when a man begins to grow a beard, the first fit of schizophrenia has
started
in him. But if he shaves it a while later, the second fit has started.
This
way, so I wouldn’t seem too weird, I quietly came to terms with my
beard, and
so much the better, because it didn’t even cross my mind then that it
would
become the only inheritance from my father when I moved to America from
Armenia.
When
the
narrator finally shaves, he lets in a new world of appreciation,
revised
purposes in his new country, and observations that celebrate the day.
Contrast
this
introduction with ‘Five Minutes to Twelve: How I Learned to Write a
Short Story
in America.’ Here, a crowd of down-and-out attendees at a lecture about
creative writing receive an ironic illustration of the power of
description
that creatively reflects the audience’s underlying interests:
Watching
the
audience in the lecture hall, my first
thought, rather my first hesitation, made me wonder why this homeless
crowd had
paid $35 and come here. You could, after all, buy ten hamburgers with
that much
money. My English wasn’t good enough to understand all the words the
professor
said, but when he began to unveil the “graphic method” to explain the
structure
of the short story, the growling sound of empty stomachs filled the
room. It
would end in one stomach and begin in another one.
Equally
hilarious black and
white drawings peppered throughout
illustrate the irony and atmosphere of these vignettes, which weave
their way
through an immigrant’s life, varied jobs in Los Angeles, and the impact
of
encounters that sometimes thwart his efforts to assimilate and forge a
new
life.
Deem
the result what you
will—flash fiction, memoir,
immigrant experience, humor—but one thing is certain. The
Smile of Medusa:
And Other Tales’s ability to
attract with succinct, hard-hitting description makes it highly
recommended for
libraries seeking novel works that capture the Hollywood milieu and the
experiences of an Armenian immigrant navigating its mean streets with
humor,
appreciation, and ironic conclusions about life.
Return to Index
Something
More:
Living Well in a Broken World
Daryl Potter
Paper Stone Press
978‑1‑990388‑13‑2
$4.99 eBook; $14.49 Paperback; $39.99 Hardcover; $16.95
Audiobook
Website: www.darylpotter.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHC6J1YR
Something
More:
Living Well in a Broken World
combines a memoir with a specific religious
inspection of the Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. It employs a special form of
examination that pairs modern-day personal experience with the
foundations of
Christian belief.
Daryl Potter’s approach
lends a far more
compelling countenance to his book than either memoir or spiritual
consideration alone, linking God’s word to modern living in a manner
that’s
essential for Christians to understand.
The journey opens with a
very basic
question a son asks of his father:
“Dad,
why am I
here?”
Potter’s
consideration of not only his son’s intention in asking the question,
but the
family’s circumstances of having a non-verbal disabled child that grows
up
alongside his son, immediately links autobiography to parenting
reflections in
a way parents will appreciate:
“Why
are you at
this store?” I asked. He knew why we
were in the store. His tone carried a searching quality. “Or why are
you here
on this earth, in this life?”
“Yeah, what am I alive for?” he responded. “What’s the
purpose of me being born?”
If you’re thinking, No, that is not a conversation a
nine‑year‑old boy starts with his dad, well, you’ll have to take my
word for
it. It was not unusual for Jackson to ask me a philosophical question,
and
learning how to answer him has been a joy to practice over the years.
However,
Something
More is neither a parenting guide nor a survey of how to
answer difficult
questions. It’s a journey through life that probes answers and
encourages
bigger-picture thinking. For added value, there’s something more in
this account,
which evolves in chapters that blend life experience into the messages
delivered in Ecclesiastes.
More
so than
most spiritual reflections, Potter offers many personal insights, from
the psychology
of grief and better understanding communication snafus within and
outside of
marriage to contrasts in Biblical presentations which directly relate
to issues
of money and wealth, choice, coping, and making the most of life.
Passages
include
Scripture references throughout so that Christian readers can consult
their
Bibles for source material references. They also translate these
sometimes-difficult Biblical insights into modern language that readers
can
readily understand. This provides additional value, linking Biblical
intention
to everyday life in a way that readers will find thought-provoking and
accessible:
This
isn’t exactly
the mai‑tais‑on‑a‑beach or black‑tie‑soiree
image we usually associate with the super wealthy. Solomon instead
gives us a
scatter‑ shot collage of unexpectedly negative outcomes. A bad business
deal
erases wealth (5:14). Then, even if the wealth is kept or lost, the
wealthy
still depart life as naked and penniless as they entered it (5:15).
Even if
they hold on to their wealth in life, they don’t gain any lasting
benefit from
it (5:15–16). A life of striving just leads to a life of darkness and
aggravation. Solomon emphasizes his point by calling it a life of “much
aggravation, grief, and anger” (5:17). Notice here that these wealthy
people
don’t just experience “darkness, with much aggravation, grief, and
anger” once
or twice, but they eat in this state.
Potter’s
ability
to create special associations between Scripture and modern living
makes the
Bible and its foundations accessible to a much wider audience. This is
why
Christian libraries seeking out-of-the-box explorations that hold the
ability
to make the Bible relevant to modern readers will want to include Something
More: Living Well in a Broken World in their collections.
Recommending Something
More: Living Well in a Broken World to book clubs and reading
groups,
especially in Christian circles, will further its message and its
ability to
spark dialogue and discussion among all kinds of readers.
Return to Index
Adventures
at Lake
Omigosh
Scott Sollers
Mascot Kids
979-8891381742
$19.95
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Lake-Omigosh-Scott-Sollers/dp/B0D98MSMV1
Adventures at Lake Omigosh
follows best
friends Felix and Henry to
New Hampshire’s Camp Horizon, where they enjoy outdoor activities. Less
enjoyable, however, is the specter of a monster in the lake which
introduces
myths, fantasy, and quandaries when the boys need rescuing.
Legend
blends with
adventure and discovery as Lake Omigosh reveals its secrets at last.
Events
embroil the boys in a life-threatening experience, but their rescue
raises more
questions about reality and truth to delight young readers ages 4-8 who
look
for picture book stories immersed in ‘you are here’ encounters.
Libraries
and
read-aloud parents will find Adventures
at Lake Omigosh’s succinct story of a camp encounter to be
whimsical,
action-packed, and fun. Leisure readers ages 4-8 years will appreciate
the
entwining of imaginative encounter and adventure. It’s the perfect
ticket for
an engrossing read; especially since Scott Sollers’s adventure is
enhanced with
colorful illustrations by Bryan Janky, adding eye-catching drama to the
plot.
Return to Index
The Aviation
Girls
Tom Durwood
Empire Studies Press
978-1-952520-32-7
$2.99
Website: www.theaviationgirls.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Rubi-Pi-Aviation-Girls/dp/195252041X
Young adult
readers
of women’s biographies and history might already know of teacher/author
Tom
Durwood’s excellent coverages of female achievers. The
Aviation Girls adds different perspectives about women’s
connections to not just aviation (as many histories cover), but all
kinds of
flight. These range from kites and considerations of how birds fly to a
young
woman’s development of a risk assessment process for zeppelins.
The
adventure opens
with a brief history of flight, followed by high drama. While
nonfictional bars
of facts are included, dramatic, unexpected developments add attraction
and
human interest to the history and science embedded in these fictional
tales,
making The Aviation Girls highly
recommended for STEM learners.
What do
facts about
the Arctic, Moon Colony detective work, and murder and luck have to do
with
aviation history? The marriage between fiction and nonfiction works
nicely in
these nine YA stories, profiling disparate situations and contrasting
insights
that are tied together with colorful art by Tasneem
Amiruddin (especially commissioned for this collection).
From the
mining camps
of the Yukon to Moon Colony intrigue, the intersection of science,
history, and
disparate settings and stories creates a series of powerful, eccentric
fables
that employ a historical base to build adventures that girls will
relish.
Unexpected
characters
emerge, from an autistic hero to women who prove powerful pivot points
in
aviation developments. Tom Durwood adjusts timelines to create more
tension and
logical associations in his stories, but this in no way detracts from
its
historical and scientific foundations.
Surprising
developments, narrated with high drama, contribute much excitement to
the
narrative. STEM learners will find equally unexpected the inclusion of
such
subjects as astrobiology, geology, ancient history, and strong female
influencers
on rocketry developments.
All these
elements
make for an outstanding series of stories that will draw YA readers
with
action, adventure, and insights they won’t see coming. This is why The Aviation Girls is highly recommended
for elementary-level libraries strong in STEM productions that stand
out from
the crowd, presenting attractive plots even reluctant readers will find
compelling.
Return to Index
Benny the
Brave Bunny
Hong Z. McCormick
Teaching Press
9798334818293
$7.25
https://www.amazon.com/Benny-Brave-Bunny-Journey-Sparkling/dp/B0DC51FMMP
Benny the Brave Bunny’s
winning picture
book illustrations
illustrate the compelling nature of this story about courage, the first
in a
projected series of picture book tales about Benny and his world.
Read-aloud
adults and
young readers will find this tale of a “little bunny with a big heart”
to be
gorgeous, both in its depiction of adventure and giving and in its
magical
messages of transformation and facing life obstacles with courage.
Plenty of
illustrative moments are embedded in the story. which can be used to
foster
discussion with young people on all kinds of subjects as Benny Bunny
learns new
lessons about effort, achievement, and encouraging and supporting
others.
Further lessons on cooperative problem-solving and acknowledging the
beauty of
the world offer supportive, uplifting moments of discovery and
imaginative
encounters that all ages will find compelling.
Libraries
that add Benny the Brave Bunny to
their
elementary-level picture book collections will find it easy to
recommend to
those seeking a picture book that marries large-size, exceptionally
colorful
illustration with messages to enrich a young person’s worldview.
Return to Index
The
Crimes of
Rooker Flynn
A.R. Witham
Nepenthe House
979-8-9874072-3-3
$16.99
Website: www.arwitham.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D88KFTT4
The
Crimes of
Rooker Flynn is the first book in
the Locke Institute Trilogy. It provides young
adult thriller and pirate readers with the riveting story of a
rebellious
pirate consigned to the Locke Institute. He defies its rules, only to
find
himself in strange, threatening situations.
Pirate
Rooker
Flynn and his sidekick Jack Swift share adventures, but hold back
secrets that
impact their relationship in unexpected ways. Rooker’s lies lead Swift
to
reveal his true origins as a being from another world, while Rooker’s
hidden
criminal past emerges with a vengeance to redirect their lives.
A.R.
Witham’s
saga opens not with Jack and Rooker, but brothers Jasper and Pip, who
scramble
for food until Jasper finds a solution that divides them. Pip’s
response leads
to further division before the story enters its first chapter, in which
mermaid
Cora sparks intriguing reflections about love’s impact and incarnation:
We
claim to choose
love, but we lie. Love comes and
takes us. It does not wait for us to weigh the consequences, consider
our
options, or make up our minds. You may love a woman for the way she
adjusts her
glasses, or a man because he gave you a kind word at the perfect
moment. You
may love a chair for the shape of its back, a ribbon for its color, a
cat for
the way it curls against your leg. When love calls, we obey. It does
not ask
our consent.
Rooker’s
pirating ways are cut short by his imprisonment. Now he faces a
different
struggle as he confronts monsters both psychological and rooted in
unexpected
fantasy foundations.
A.R.
Witham’s
opens the story with the lure of pirates, then transforms the
characters as
they move from a freestyling milieu of looting and sailing into a world
vastly
unfamiliar in too many ways. His approach lends The Crimes of
Rooker Flynn
a foundation of action paired with intriguing food for thought.
The
marriage
between shifting environments, growing young psyches, and fantasy
creates a
tale packed with intrigue and suspense, making it hard to predict or
put down.
Libraries
seeking stories charged with adventure and the unexpected will find the
lively
tone, challenging and changing situations and scenarios, and shifting
perspectives of Rooker, Jack, and those around them provide teen
leisure
readers with a plot that is novel and rich in description and exploits.
These
features
make The Crimes of Rooker Flynn highly
recommendable for young people
seeking a fast-moving story that grabs attention and doesn’t let go.
Young
adults will be drawn into an imaginative tale that concludes with many
unexpected revelations while leaving the door wide open for the next
book.
Return to Index
Falmora
& Six
Stories
Debra Litton
Mystique Press (an
imprint of Crossroad Press)
9781637891695
$9.99 Paperback/$3.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJKCPM6V
Falmora & Six
Stories gives young
adult short story readers an
interconnected series of tales. It revolves around an ancient race that
lives
deep in the glade of the Falmora Forest.
Like
leprechauns,
these diminutive creatures avoid humans. Adventures that swirl around
them
introduce young adults to a world peppered with fantasy, insights, and
adventure.
Debra Litton
attends
to creating dialogues that bring these characters to life, but this
also
injects a degree of difficulty for those unused to dialect:
“Arrl!” exclaimed Neenah.
“An’ look at th’ size o’
‘em! Thé be half as
big as thá. An’ thá brung ‘em both in alone?”
“Ha Hah! Thé be’d not much for th’ strongest Irelman alive!”
The initial
effort
spent to absorb these interactions will smooth out for most as the
stories
evolve to embrace births, deaths, and quandaries revolving around exile
and
acceptance.
Litton
crafts her
tales with a fine edge of literary and cross-cultural reflection as the
characters grow and change, with legends and legacies swirling around
the
actions and choices of disparate peoples whose homes, lives, and
special
interests unexpectedly coalesce.
As hidden
stories
(such as those of hunter Havar) come to light, Litton’s evocative,
atmospheric
descriptions add value to the lives and realities of her characters:
Through the sad grip of
winter and soft hope of
spring, the people
waited in quiet despair.
Whether
Litton is
describing sexual encounters or friendship, her attention to crafting
tasteful,
evocative descriptions of events keeps the relationships believable,
the action
gently forward-thinking, and the stories replete with secrets and
quests that
prompt the characters to grow and move forward in disparate ways.
Each tale
offers an
opportunity to further review life through the eyes of different
characters
whose worlds intersect. Each introduces a new flavor of opportunity and
discovery.
Libraries
seeking
fantasy collections that are atmospheric and metaphorical in their
descriptions, filled with depth in their psychological inspections, and
introduce thought-provoking moments where revenge, innocence, and
understanding
vie for top billing will find Falmora
& Six Stories not only perfect for leisure readers,
but replete with
plenty of fodder for young adult book club discussion.
Return to Index
Forever Boy
Michael J. Bowler
Independently
Published
979-8-9886110-3-5
$4.99 eBook/$12.99
paperback/$18.99 hardcover
Website: https://michaeljbowler.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Boy-Michael-J-Bowler-ebook/dp/B0DC8HRDPC
The first
book in the
Forever Saga, Forever Boy, presents
young adults who confront a problem when a new boy in school challenges
their
roles as outcasts, as well as their perceptions of life.
Drágan
Albescu is
mysterious. Not only does he look and sound very different, thanks to
his
Eastern European heritage, but he presents an intriguing countenance.
He claims
to be a fashion model, and Stephanie finds modeling photos from the
present day
all the way back to the 1920s.
Impossible!
Or, is
it?
Even
Drágan’s speech
is odd: stilted, adult-sounding, and tackling life experiences in a way
kids
usually don’t consider:
“That was most
inconsiderate of those youngsters,”
said the strange boy
as he approached, “to not express gratitude for your assistance,
especially
after you volunteered to retrieve their disc.”
As Isaac and
Stephanie (who are peers, but strangers to one another) probe the
mystery surrounding
their new classmate, they discover more layers to Drágan’s personality
and
background than they ever could have imagined.
It’s too
late to
distance themselves … he’s already worked his magic on them. What is
left is an
attempt to understand his impact on their lives. This effort evolves
from a
tale replete with emotional encounters, aggressive indicators of a
possible
threat, and a five-hundred-year-old problem that nobody seems able to
solve.
Drágan’s
move into
Isaac’s life, family, and world offers many thought-provoking moments
for teens
that choose to pursue his story. The question of whether Drágan is a
monster or
merely misunderstood keeps re-emerging, based on his emotional
reactions,
encounters with Jourdain Aubrey (who appears uncommonly rich in
comparison to
the poor village, but also harbors secrets), and others.
The
magnetism
exhibited by Jourdain and Drágan creates interesting juxtapositions of
special
interests, mystery, and confrontations that lead the young adults into
very
adult conundrums.
Michael J.
Bowler
centers his characters in a milieu of emotional growth, exploration,
and adult
decision-making quandaries. This results in a story that may seem
predictable,
at first, but takes a number of unexpected turns to keep readers on
their toes.
When murder
and
police investigations circle the picture with more adult concerns,
teens will
find the intensity of the mystery and suspense just as appealing as the
story’s
original emotional overlays.
Forever Boy is a
fine choice for
libraries seeking young adult
fiction that moves neatly into uncommon issues that prompt adult
responses from
teen characters who find that their association with Drágan introduces
them to
strange new worlds and dangerous possibilities.
Return to Index
Hattie
and
Dirk’s Great Garden Surprise
Claudine C.
Wargel
Brush Creek
Publishing
979-8351798035
$9.99 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
Website: www.claudinecwargel.com
A
series of
adventures unfolds involving pigs, those who doubt and question Hattie
and
Dirk’s efforts, and competition in the form of Mr. Pinchley, who also
sells
pumpkins (albeit for less altruistic purposes).
Claudine
C.
Wargel builds a story steeped in family and community relationships.
This gives
chapter book readers fine perspectives on individual and shared goals
that will
prompt discussion and food for thought. Business and gardening efforts,
as well
as insights into poverty and wealth, receive attention and reflection
as Hattie
and Dirk grow from their experiences. A dash of intrigue and
interpersonal conflict
enhances the gardening theme.
The
result is a
warm chapter book story of sibling relationships, seasonal delights,
family
interactions, and community bonding which is highly recommended for
classrooms
and young reader discussion groups.
Adults
and libraries
will appreciate the underlying themes of Hattie and Dirk’s
Great Garden
Surprise that immerse young readers in a Midwestern town’s
atmosphere and
illustrate that even children can foster care and generosity in their
community. The result is thought-provoking, entertaining, and
attractive on
many levels.
Return to Index
Kloe’s New
Start
K.M. Selvidge
Independently
Published
979-8218320713
$9.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Kloes-New-Start-K-M-Selvidge/dp/B0D8C18W4N
Kloe’s New Start
gives picture book
readers a fine story of cats,
new beginnings, and siblings who often set the stage for reactions to
one
another by acting out or being difficult.
Kateryna
Meleshchuk’s
exceptionally engaging, colorful cat illustrations throughout capture
Kloe, her
brother, and their community. These illustrative embellishments power a
story
of self-discovery and independence as Kloe interacts with her brother,
who has
to repeat a grade, and the world around her.
Kloe’s
inherent
positivity doesn’t solve all problems—particularly those as complex as
her
brother poses:
As they finally arrived at
the gate, Kloe turned to
her brother. “I
hope this year goes well for you, Wreny. I’m sure you’re going to do
great.” He
looked at her in disbelief. “Easy for you to say,” he snapped. “You
don’t have
to repeat a grade.” “Still,” she said. “You can still have a good year
if you
want to.”
K.M.
Selvidge relies
on no single theme in her story, but introduces a host of concerns.
These keep
Kloe on her toes and challenged to formulate her own identity
independent of
her brother’s influence and history.
As notes
about
positive attitudes, exploring one’s talents, interacting with others in
an
effective manner, and adjusting sibling relationships evolve, Selvidge
creates
plenty of opportunities for dialogues over such revelations as this:
“You know what, Kloe? A
lot of people understand
that you are not the
same as your brother. Don’t give up on your dreams just because he is
acting
up.”
The result
is not the
usual story of either sibling relationships or friendships and
identity, but a
satisfying meld of these concerns and more which explores, in greater
depth,
the methods Kloe employs to develop an identity apart from her family
ties.
Libraries
and
read-aloud adults seeking attractive stories that reinforce this
process will
welcome the detailed, lively encounters in Kloe’s
New Start.
Return to Index
The Last
Tale of
Norah Bow
J.P. White
Regal
House Publishing
978-1646034604
$19.95 Paperback/$1.99 eBook
https://regalhousepublishing.com
The Last Tale of Norah Bow
provides a
historical coming-of-age saga
told by an elder Norah, who shifts the tone between action and
reflection of a
critical chapter in her long life. Fourteen-year-old Norah is charged
with
rescuing her father, who is abducted from their family home during
Prohibition
times. She discovers that his involvement with a rum-running gang has
led to
this situation, but sets out determined to rescue him. But he’s not the
only
one she’ll rescue during her pursuit.
Ruby is also
saved by
Norah and becomes her crewmember and companion as feisty Norah hones
her
sailing ability and courage to enter worlds she’d never envisioned.
J.P. White
chooses
the first person to involve readers in Norah’s perceptions and
dilemmas. This
adds to the emotional draw of a story as well as an atmosphere that
stems from
young Norah’s life, background, and observations:
You can reach only so far
into the cloud that
anyone is and then that
cloud travels on without you. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can
still feel
the sway of the porch swing in that leeway between dusk and dark when
the
failing light is reluctant to lay down its truss.
These
opening lines
are but one example of the evocative approach Norah takes to examining
her life
and those around her. This
carries
readers directly into a story whose heartbeat rests not just on family
ties and
Prohibition era history, but on Norah’s already-impressive abilities as
a
female sailor and astute analyst of life:
“Hey, Ruby, what is it
with men and whiskey?”
She was ten steps ahead of me in a full food-driven stride. She turned
sideways, cocked her head, smiled like I had thrown her a funny bone.
“A thousand reasons for a man to drink,” she said.
“Give me two.”
“With a full bottle in hand, you can twist the truth and make it your
servant. With an empty, you can rule the fallen world from the floor
and damn
near forget anything.”
“Daddy’s view of things is almost as dim as yours. You two might get
along.”
These
insights at
times appear far above and beyond the maturity of the usual teenager,
but serve
to illustrate Norah’s blossoming and savvy attitude towards uncovering
facets
of her world that lie beyond her upbringing and initial experience.
White’s
attention to
such details builds the tension, drama, and psychology of a saga
replete with
many thought-provoking moments of discovery.
All these
elements
contribute to a zealous journey that carries Norah and her audience far
from
home and into a world that buffets her with opportunities for change.
Libraries
seeking
teen fiction packed with adventure, displaying a young woman’s gritty
determination to not just survive, but learn and grow from her
experiences,
will find
The Last Tale of Norah Bow
the perfect
choice to recommend to
readers seeking a blend of “you are here” history and a powerful female
protagonist who carries on against all odds.
Return to Index
Predestined
Rachel Byrne
Humboldt Press
979-8-218-36948-4
$13.95
Website: www.rachelbyrneauthor.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Predestined
is a young adult novel that incorporates many different characters and
themes
in its story of high school freshman Lina, whose goal is to remain calm
and
stay out of trouble.
Unfortunately,
neither proves to be the case when she stumbles into a situation that
puts even
her ‘sneakiness’ to the test. Her parents want to send her away to the
Haverford Pines Academy in Colorado, one of the most prestigious
programs in
the country, for the summer. The invitation to attend has popped up out
of
nowhere. To her parents, this represents unparalleled opportunity. To
Lina, it feels
like trouble, and a trap.
Her
parents only
want to give her direction, but Lina finds the directions taking place
at the
academy are anything but supportive either to her or her parents’
interest in
maintaining their elite status position.
The
first note
about Predestined is that it includes a healthy
degree of psychological
explanation and self-inspection:
I
felt a mixture of
shame and relief. Shame that I had
again overreacted and let my anger flash, after promising myself I
would get it
under control. Relief that at least anger was intense and energizing.
It
banished the crushing feelings of guilt and shame for not being what my
parents
wanted, and the fear that I would never become anyone important.
This
focus not
only builds Lina’s flawed but likeable character, but keeps teens
immersed in
her story and growth process. From relaxed relationship rules at the
academy
that lead to perhaps-predictable attractions to the acknowledgement
that “Actions
defines identity,” Lina’s story evolves in directions many
readers won’t
see coming.
As
Lina uncovers
some strange truths about the family legacy she’s always taken for
granted,
she’s faced with new quandaries about heritage and her future. These
test her
ability to respond appropriately to not just her family, but the world
around
her.
Intrigue
and
revelations build satisfying tension into the plot that move beyond
Lina’s
strengths and weakness to delve into friendship dilemmas and new
relationships,
top secret buildings, and experiments that create a bond between
seemingly
disparate teens.
Rachel
Byrne is
particularly skilled at depicting how Lina’s feisty and often
troublesome
nature proves to be the perfect answer to questions steeped in Academy
subterfuge and hidden secrets. This will attract teens who are
interested in
stories that marry mystery and self-development with equal attention to
compelling detail.
All
these
factors coalesce in rich characterization and unpredictable events that
bring
together a group of determined teens to problem-solve on many different
levels
in Predestined.
Libraries
seeking teen leisure reads that don’t neatly fit into a given category
but walk
a fine line between mystery, coming-of-age saga, psychological
connections and
developments, and shifting family legacy will find Predestined
an
attraction that’s easy to recommend.
Return to Index
A Song in
the Dark
C. Graves
Lore Studio
978-1645680024
$7.99 eBook/16.99
Paperback/$24.99 Hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/Song-Darkness-Fantasy-Novel-Songweavers/dp/1645680029
A Song in the Dark
will appeal to young
adult fantasy readers with
its blend of adventure, magic, and characters who confront abduction
through
proactive behavior and determination.
Aileen is
captured
and transported to the Dark Below. This saga doesn’t begin with her
capture or
the rescue attempt by her brother and her friend. Nor does the story
conclude
with her rescue.
The tale
opens with
Aileen and Baldwin’s observation of the destruction of the village
Stormwatch
by the infamous Gregorious Vile. How can they prevent this tragedy from
ever
happening again? Maybe they can’t—especially when the quest to rescue
Aileen
supersedes world-saving efforts.
C. Graves
does an
exceptional job of embedding fast-paced action into the story without
neglecting the psychological ramifications of altercation and change.
Whether
tackling monsters, mishaps, mayhem, or magic, each character is charged
with
confronting situations that test their mettle, abilities, and ultimate
goals.
This is the
time to
advise that A Song in the Dark is
no
light story, but an epic world-builder on par with George R.R. Martin’s
‘Thrones’ series—but with a younger audience in mind. Some 100 chapters
in over
400 pages may prove daunting to some young readers, but will captivate
those
who enjoy complex, thought-provoking fantasies.
The
psychological
connections and insights that evolve as the characters test not just
their
courage, but their close connections with one another, injects an extra
dimension of understanding and allure to a fantasy which takes the time
to
immerse readers in the sights, sounds, and clashing characters of this
world.
Libraries
interested
in a fantasy for readers from middle school to high school which
operates on a
far more detailed platform than the typical fantasy genre read for
youth will
welcome the opportunity to recommend A
Song in the Dark to a wide audience of fantasy enthusiasts.
Not only is
it
attractive on many levels, whether one is seeking action-packed magical
clashes
or psychology depth; but it will encourage discussion among young
readers and
in book clubs about the nature and evolution of family and friendships.
Return to Index
What Bear
Said
Jack Wiens
Torchflame Book/Top
Reads
978-1-61153-038-4
$22.99 Hardcover/$14.99 Paperback
www.torchflamebooks.com
What
Bear Said: About Life,
Love and Other Stuff reflects
Jack Wiens’s intention to impart wisdom to the very young. Unlike A.A.
Milne’s
classic Winnie-the-Pooh, What Bear Said takes the form of a
dialogue between Boy and Bear that reflects Boy’s hard questions about
loss,
grief, prejudice, and other adult issues that buffet his young life.
These are
couched in a special form of thinking that encourages readers to adopt
basic
tenets of mindful practices, from being present in the moment to making
amends
and dealing with parental inconsistencies or failings:
Just
because
someone IS a parent doesn’t mean they know HOW to parent. Maybe your
dad wasn’t
shown how to love when he was growing up. Maybe the hurts inside cause
him to
act angry. He might be afraid to say what’s in his heart. Your dad
loves you,
but doesn’t know how to show or tell you. You are young, but you can
decide
that who you are is okay. You can’t be somebody else … and neither can
your
dad.
Fine
color drawings of Bear
and Boy depict a closeness
between the two that emphasizes the caring understanding they share
together as
questions and answers about life emerge. The book can be read either in
a
linear manner or in short segments, lending to easy in-depth
discussions.
While
What Bear
Said
will be useful for young
reader pursuit, ideally it will also be used as a read-aloud for
parents or in
family settings so that Bear’s messages can be discussed and fully
appreciated
by all ages.
Libraries that recommend this book for it’s similarity to the classic Winnie will find its modern take on mindful thinking, understanding others, and coping with many of life’s more puzzling dilemmas to be perfect for book clubs as well as group and parental pursuit.
What Bear SaidReturn to Index