October 2021 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature Mystery & Thrillers
The
Assassin's Legacy
D. Lieber
Ink & Magick
978-1-951239-19-0
Ebook: $4.99;
Paperback: $14.95; Hardcover: $24.95
https://www.dlieber.com/the-assassins-legacy
The Assassin's Legacy is a
"Minte and Magic
Adventure" that tells of a retired monster hunter who is only trying to
find some peace in his life. He assumes a new identity as Sasha, a
deckhand who
moves from job to job.
His legacy
follows
close behind, however, when Sasha's sister sends an assassin to kill
him,
forcing him to return to his homeland to renounce his title in hopes of
finally
finding peace.
D. Lieber
employs the
first person to bring Sasha and his world to life. This adds intrigue
and
allure from the opening paragraphs of the story, which introduce an
inviting
scenario as Sasha reacts almost automatically to a threat that calls
forth his
killing expertise and instincts: "I should not waste what I have left. I do
not know how long it will be before I get another job. Though
my
position on the merchant airship had been ideal for staying on the
move, I wasn’t
keen to fly anytime soon after what had happened with the pirates.
Closing my
eyes, I could still feel the warmth of their blood as it streamed down
my blade
to my hand. Mac’s astonishment echoed in my mind. “Sasha, where did you
learn
to do that?” he’d asked as I stared blankly at their lifeless forms
sprawled on
the deck."
Surprised at
how
easily he breaks his own vow not to be a murderer, Sasha faces not only
challenges from his family, but his own too-familiar knee-jerk
responses to
threat which make it hard to set aside his vocation in favor of a more
peaceful
life.
When his
Russian
homeland is threatened by supernatural creatures, Sasha faces difficult
choices
on whether to stay true to his stated desires or fall into
organizations and
paths that lead into all too familiar scenarios of conflict and
confrontation.
D. Lieber
excels in
crafting a fantasy steeped in intrigue, diabolical threats, changing
interpersonal relationships, and Russian culture. She takes the time to
inject
psychological insights into the mercurial relationships Sasha forms and
the
conflicts between his alter ego, the killer Aleksandr, and his efforts
to
change.
The
relationship
tides that ebb and flow throughout the story are particularly well
described,
cementing the action with believable characters and realistic reactions
to
dilemmas of mind, body, and heart: "...now
that those feelings were real, it all felt like a farce, a buffoonish
mockery
of things too serious to joke about. Perhaps if she’d shown any real
interest
in those times, I would tell her what I was feeling now. Then again, if
she had
shown real interest, I would’ve felt guilty for teasing her to begin
with."
While those
looking
for nonstop action and cursory characterization may not fully
appreciate the
time taken to fully explore motivation and feeling, this is one of the
strengths of The Assassin's Legacy.
It exposes the depth of conundrums faced by a protagonist who wants to
truly
change his ways even when life calls upon him to repeat and rely upon
them.
The
dichotomy and
irony of old versus new intentions and how they play out in a world
which poses
the same types of threats as in the past contributes to a particularly
absorbing and thought-provoking read.
The Assassin's Legacy is made
all the more powerful by the
moral and ethical dilemmas of its protagonist and his first-person
reflections
on the value of his and others' lives.
Its special
blend of
intrigue, fantasy, and psychological self-inspection will enthrall
readers to
an ending which leaves the door open for more adventures.
Return to Index
Deception
Island
Janice Boekhoff
Lost Canyon Press
LLC
978-1948003087
$16.99
https://www.amazon.com/Deception-Island-Jurassic-Judgment-Book/dp/1948003082
Sci-fi and
thriller
readers who enjoyed Jurassic Park (and also the first book in Janice
Boekhoff's
Jurassic Judgment series) will find Deception
Island a fine continuing saga of genetic manipulation gone
awry.
In this
future world,
Costa Rica is overrun by dinosaurs. As if this isn't enough, Oakley
Laveau is
also struggling to understand why her mother tried to kill her.
Apparently, not
just dinosaurs are on the receiving end of genetic manipulation,
placing Oakley
in the center of a struggle to survive that pits her against forces
that would
destroy her freedoms and sacrifice her for a greater good.
It turns out
that
Oakley Laveau's initial banishment to Extinction Island for her
supposed
involvement in a murder she didn't commit is only the opening salvo of
the struggle,
and discovering the truth behind her genetic makeup and origins was
just the
beginning.
As she moves
through
a world of captive dinosaurs, examines who has manipulated her and why,
and
faces a jungle adventure replete with Indiana Jones-style action (but
with a
Jurassic Park overlay), readers will find the action, intrigue, and
premises
unpredictable despite their seemingly unsurprising backdrop.
Janice
Boekhoff's
ability to create a thriller format that incorporates sci-fi elements
but
heavily rests upon intrigue and survivalism will expand the audience of
Deception Island to those who
normally
don't pursue the sci-fi genre.
As Oakley
faces
self-discovery on a level that challenges her perception not just of
herself
but the world and her place within (or outside) it, readers receive a
compelling, fast-paced action story filled with unexpected twists and
turns to
keep them guessing.
One might
think that
prior familiarity with its predecessor, Extinction
Island, would be a requirement in order to easily absorb the
milieu of Deception Island; but
Boekhoff provides
recaps that are so seamlessly wound into this story that even prior
fans won't
balk at receiving information they already know.
Ultimately,
the
question boils down to "why were we created?"
The answer
will
surprise many.
Return to Index
Nightlord: Sunset
Garon Whited
Independently Published
978-0692614471
$25.99
Hardcover/$4.99 ebook
Author Website: https://garonwhited.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Book-Nightlord-Garon-Whited-ebook/dp/B00NMMPRU6
Nightlord:
Sunset
is a metaphysical fantasy that also holds the rare attribute of
incorporating
humor throughout as it tells of Eric, who is egged on by his friends
into
getting drunk at a bar, meets a beautiful woman, and awakens the next
morning
not just in her bed, but in her life.
There's only one problem.
He's become a vampire; then a
nightlord. Sasha's lure has introduced him to a world he didn't even
believe
in, much less thought he'd have to navigate, as he becomes a powerful
force to
contend with.
Garon Whited provides quips,
fun, and scenarios which
impart laugh-out-loud moments to this and other revelations as Eric
changes
physically and mentally: "If I had
body fat, I couldn't find it. I knew I hadn't looked like this when I
stepped
out of the shower on Friday morning. Whatever it was, it would make a
fortune
as a diet plan."
From dragon fighting to
avenging death, Eric's
mind-boggling journey keeps sending him in new directions with some
unusual
allies at his side, including a horse: "I
wondered who held conversations with his golem besides me. Then again,
who else
do I really have that knows me for what I am?"
It may be difficult to
envision an epic fantasy wound
into a playful series of encounters juxtaposed with serious threats and
transformations, yet Garon Whited achieves this dance between darkness
and light
with a hand both heavy on the action and equally adept at ironic
injections of
drama.
Sunset
appears
to be a weighty read at almost seven hundred pages, sporting an
introduction
that portends an ongoing series by presenting itself as the first book.
But, there's nothing light
or artificially divided about Sunset.
Its ability to open with the
realistic scenario of a jilted man who drinks too much and awakens in
the arms
of another world, its epic adventures with unexpected allies and
impossible
scenarios, and an unlikely hero in the form of an ordinary man who
confronts
the implausible creates a complex, well-rounded, yet inviting fantasy.
This
will delight readers looking for something refreshingly original in the
realm
of vampires and dragons.
To call Sunset
a vampire story is to do it a disservice. Whited creates a multifaceted
read
that is thoroughly engaging, world-building, and hard to put down.
Replete with
action and fun, its movements between worlds takes readers along for a
rollicking, unpredictable ride as Eric comes into powers he'd never
imagined
and forms some unusual relationships and a new purpose to life...and
death.
Return to Index
Power's Play
Eva Sandor
Huszar Books
978-1-7350679-3-3
$13.99
Paper/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735067938
Power's
Play, the sequel
to Fool's
Proof, continues the series now known as the
Heart of Stone
Adventures in another romp through fantasy and parody that
takes place
during the Month of Peaches— when magpie Corvinalias Elsternom e
Rokonoma the
Fourth, Count of Upper Cloudyblue, awaits an inheritance from his
boring and
vocally astute old uncle, the Duke of Lower Cloudyblue.
Four playful
storylines with their own powerful protagonists evolve, from
intelligent
Corvinalias to former Royal Fool Malfred Murd, ruler Dame Elsebet de
Whellen,
and her loveable cousins the de Brewels.
As the
magpies investigate what the Umans are up to with their
artificial wyrmlight
lamps and their machinery, they conspire to hijinks even as they set
the stage
for new readers of this environment through wry magpie observations.
New
readers will find this story delightfully accessible, as a result.
As a host of
characters with engaging names (Butterpat, Hamflesh Fliss, and more)
interact,
readers receive a fun story where Corvinalias faces puzzles, other
creatures,
and his own uncertainty about his world.
Think Watership
Down, but with
more fantasy elements that move beyond animal concerns and perceptions
alone.
Think the survival messages and life-changing confrontations of The
Last Unicorn, but with an added dose of comedic
flavor that adult
readers will find unexpectedly fun. Each character grows and develops a
deeper
knowledge of their best qualities and life purposes as they
evolve.
Eva Sandor
writes her
fairy tale with a fine attention to irony and parody, as well as
tongue-in-cheek social inspection.
Other birds
acknowledge, by their sometimes illogical activities, that they must
"fill
the time with something," but Corvinalias
is in search of more. And, he's an outsider in many of these
worlds.
As wisdom
and
enlightenment come to life, readers of all ages are treated to the
specter of
an adventure turned into a mission.
Human
interactions
with various creatures, including a wise mother whale, are illustrated
in a
captivating series of descriptions that bring readers on land, sea, and
from
the world of clueless Umans into that of various creatures of the
wild.
From forgers
to
healers, the romp through an unusual society and various creatures that
inhabit
this milieu offers many surprises, both in description and turn of
words, to
delight literary fantasy readers looking for far more than an adventure
tale
alone.
There's
simply not
enough literary humor in the fantasy genre; but Eva Sandor fills this
gap with
another adventure story that should be read closely, so as not to miss
any of
the tongue-in-cheek humor (both overt and subtle) that graces its
characters
and lines.
Return to Index
The
Whisper of
Dragons
Michelle Picard
Independently
Published
978-0998783550 $15.99
Print/$6.99 Kindle
Website: http://michellepicard.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098LYMKJ6?pf_rd_r=XWVF1MD0AR7Y67DPXX7T&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=d606b344-64c6-4e1d-9fe7
Urban
fantasy
readers who enjoy stories replete with magic, intrigue, and adventure
will find
The Whisper of Dragons the perfect choice. It's a
pick for readers who
want a compellingly original story that doesn't just draw from the
start, but
yanks one's attention with surprising descriptions reflective of the
power of
Michelle Picard's writing: "The first moments of an Earth
dive kicked
ass compared to any rodeo bull ride. All tingling rush and alive,
nerve-popping
symphonies and color. Full dissolution into the body of the Earth was a
potent,
verdant, breakneck speed descent, except done in exquisite slow motion.
Being
ripped out of an Earth dive? That sucked worse than unexpected jalapeño
bits in
your breakfast cereal."
From
these first
compelling moments, Picard demonstrates an ability to capture
twenty-nine-year-old narrator Kavi Kindra's wild romp through her world
in
search of Stories of miracles large and small, disasters, birth—and way
too
many Death Stories.
Kavi
harbors a
secret relationship with a Dragon, and holds the power to bend and
change these
Stories. She's being pressured to become a Guardian, but is not sure
this move
will save her people. Instead, she seeks an alternative and ignores
both the
cautions of the Dragon and her own clan to become the kind of Guardian
she
believes her world needs.
Readers
will
find this land both familiar and alien, at the same time. It's replete
with
powerful women, dragons, sages, whispered Stories, and influences that
build
upon nature and human worlds alike, from California's Calaveras Big
Trees State
Park to experiences which illustrate that Kavi harbors different goals
than the
Guardians or her own people.
Dialogues
between Kavi and both these forces offer philosophical inspections that
will
delight readers seeking more than action and adventure alone: "The
dragon drawled a response. *Are you not willing to
pay a price? Is the
goal not important enough to push aside foolish rules and protests over
personal
rights? Is it not inconsequential to worry about forcing others without
their
permission?*"
As
supervolcanos, earthquakes, and other forces of nature enter the
picture and
are affected by Kavi's decisions and talents, readers are treated to a
compelling saga that takes the urban fantasy genre and turns it on end
with a
fresh tone of originality and action that is compelling and creatively
new.
The Whisper of
Dragons holds few of the
familiar trappings of either dragons or magic that
have grown old over the decades with such writers as Anne McCaffrey and
those
who followed her.
Instead,
it's a
satisfyingly refreshing, surprising introduction to an entirely new
world where
dragons are just one facet of a tale which embraces romance, rebirth,
and duty
alike.
Fantasy
readers
seeking a new perspective that rocks with power and rolls with force
will
relish The Whisper of Dragons and its ability to
forge a new world
replete with revised Stories and a compellingly wild life.
It's highly
recommended for fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal collections
seeking a
standout new voice.
Return to Index
13 By 11
Vincent Czyz, et.al.
Papillon du Père Publishing
9798451000373
$9.99
Paper/$2.99 ebook
www.Papillon-du-Pere.com
13 By 11 is a multi-author literary
anthology of short
stories revealing "life in diverse places & spaces," and excels
in strong images and depictions that provide much food for thought.
Take the
opening short piece "Chele
Kula"
by Vincent
Czyz. The story revolves around "echoes from a place we can no longer
can
access" as it explores Serbian patriotism and history: "They looked at each other, fully aware that their
son and daughter
might grow up without a father. “But not,” Milorad often said, “without
a
fatherland.”
A father going
off the battle thinks he will likely never see his family again. A
section
later, in another era of the future, 'This Side,' tourists snap digital
photos
of Chele Kula ('Tower of Skulls') and draw their own
connections to past
events.
Czyz moves fluidly between
different realities of 'The
Other Side', 'In Between', and 'This Side'. These snapshots of
different eras
and reflections embrace the perspectives of ghosts and historical
figures alike
in a rare dance between them that draws unexpected connections between
different realities.
The history, anguish, and
impact of a bloody conflict
that still resonates in present-day experience comes to life in a story
filled
with emotional ties and tangles as these different perspectives come
together.
Time is also fluid in
Harriet James's "Forsaken Path,"
in which it turns out that a school is much more than the usual prep
academy, and
in Derek McFadden’s “What
Eternity Taught Eve.”
Each of the stories holds
the gift of surprise. And there
are literary reflections and, in places, extraordinary philosophical
and social
inspections from
Czyz,
McFadden, Jeffrey Kahrs, Erol Engin, and Greg Gerke. Each
piece takes an
unexpected journey and twists it to produce many surprises along the
way. The
addition of romance, from
Caroline Scott, sci-fi from Bradley Harper’s possible time-travel tale
and
Carla Rehse’s lovers on the run, and fantasy from Lilla Glass’s
hunter-turn-hunted and from Will Knight into many of the mixes means
that the
backgrounds and plot developments are anything but predictable.
Readers seeking a literary
anthology filled with
satisfying revelations and unexpected forays into other worlds will
find 13 By 11 a uniformly powerful
collection
where each piece shines. Another plus is that one can start anyplace in
the
book to choose a standout piece...there is no linear progression to
stories, allowing
for reader flexibility.
13 By
11 is a
collection strong in literary and speculative devices, an eclectic,
genre-busting gathering that will appeal to a wide audience.
Return to Index
Fair Now, Later
Rain
Jeremy Long
Hopscotched
9780578947594
$14.95
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578947595
Website: www.Fairnowlaterrain.com
Fair Now, Later Rain gathers poems of sorrow, hope, and opportunity,
reflecting struggles
with life and perspective to offer succinct free verse insights that
are
especially powerful metaphors for life and emotional reaction: "I
could
redraw the roof of my world,/throw stars in the sand, but perhaps/first
I
should start with the stones."
Jeremy
Long
writes with an evocative hand as he explores experiences and the
emotions
connected to them. One example of the vivid imagery that results from
this
probe is the long evolutionary poem "Crumble, I'm a Mountain": "Love
was a mountain/love was the mountain of you and I./Love could have
crumbled and
kept together/fell and never withered, never /withered its flowers and
sighed."
The
pathos,
yearning, and connections between the natural world and emotional
response are
pivot points of knowledge and understanding that carry readers on a
journey
through lilting, lyrical life: "Spanish music/calling to my
window,/like a long day ahead it’s not/the lullaby I’ve come to
know:/heat pipe
secrets and the wind/merryling round, to and fro./Oh, Maria, please go."
Jeremy
Long
cultivates a unique voice that is expressive as he embraces change and
its
unsettling roots. As his poems move between periods of rain, showers,
and the
nearly-spent experience of love, readers will be thoroughly immersed in
their
reflections.
Poets
who like
vivid imagery, emotional connection, and ideas that keep them thinking
will
relish the observations and descriptions that make Fair Now,
Later Rain
such a lively and unique collection: "Fog is the laziness of
the
rain/content with running at a stroll."
Return to Index
Last Call
Randall McNair
Bits of Steak Press
978-1735108087
$10.99
http://www.barpoems.com
Last
Call is
a poetry collection like few others. It offers a view from the barstool
that
gathers thoughts and experiences from the streetwise, gritty atmosphere
of the
saloon. Those who tend to view poetry as staid,
incomprehensible, or
dull will find this vivid collection of life inspections quite the
opposite.
Take "The
Beer
at the Swinging Door Saloon (Projacked from The Swan at Edgewater Park
by Ruth
L. Schwartz)," for example. The poem actually opens with its title, to
continue: "isn’t one of those warm, half-ass
beers/wouldn’t be at
home in some swanky, uptown joint/chooses the hefty confines/of its
frosty 30
oz. mug,/prefers the parched mouths of mechanics/who pour it past their
lips
like engine oil/into the great tanks of their guts,/swilling it with
little
bits of pretzel and steak,/fermentation of grain with bouquet of
hops,/while
churchgoers walk by saying Look/at those giant drunks!"
These pieces
are
hard-hitting inspections of the writer's life, often incorporating
elements of
humor into their descriptions, as in "At My Funeral": "I want a girl to sing/Van Morrison’s
Into the Mystic/while playing the violin/and dancing around/my stiff
corpse/in
a skimpy white bikini,/stopping from time to time/to sprinkle my cold,
dead,/blue lips with whiskey/straight from the bottle.//Not my wife—/I
want my
wife to sit in the front row/and stew." The
surprise concluding lines to this piece explain the writer's impeccable
logic
in wishing for such a conclusion to and celebration of his
life.
Readers
seeking
circumspect literary pieces should look elsewhere. Last
Call's
language can be course and flagrant, its descriptions challenging, and
the
poetic inspections anything but politically
correct.
Conversely, Last
Call is a lesson for those who think poetry is
largely inaccessible to
the masses. It draws connections that blend vignettes about the
writer's life
with broader ironies and inspections of the world at large, often
couching
these poems in a sense of place to cement their themes and meaning, as
in
"Looking for a Lost Book When I Should Have Been Enjoying Ireland."
The purpose behind this book's inexplicable disappearance is presented
at the
end of an absorbing acknowledgement of the impact of a preoccupation
with
capturing "nuggets of wisdom" in the margins of a
book.
Anyone who
wants a
hard-hitting, sometimes raunchy, vivid poetry collection that defies
convention
while describing life from the barstool will find Last
Call a
compelling, thought-provoking read.
Return to Index
Musings,
Woolgathering, & Ghosts
CK Sobey
Inner Harvesting
978-1-7375061-1-9
$19.95
Paperback/$29.95 Hardcover/$9.95 ebook
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737506106
Author Website: https://kassiasobey.com/books-by-kas/
Musings,
Woolgathering, & Ghosts
blends poetic prose and photos by CK Sobey
in a reflective collection that bows to spirituality, philosophical
discourse,
and poetic literary life inspections without fully adhering to these
genres
alone. Her ability to weave these stories into a collection filled with
coherent, rambling, yet pointed probes into life's surprises and
evolutionary
processes lends to a collection ripe with the fruits of a poetic time
out that
consider different processes of living.
The
Foreword
provides an autobiographical introduction that maintains, "I
had been
in a cocoon of solitude for over two years./When the Coronavirus
arrived, the
forced isolation already felt familiar."
As
Sobey
reflects that, "The creative spirit yearns for ideas to be born,"
these emergences are traced in a series of poetic vignettes that
incorporate a
sense of mindfulness about world observations, nature, and one's place
within
it.
Take
"Offerings," for one example. The poem begins with a close
observation of a restaurant experience, then moves to broader horizons:
"Each
selection was deliciously described./He looked right in my eyes as he
spoke./By
the end, I was spellbound./How to choose one dish over the other?/Would
my
palate be satisfied with just one choice?/...I have come to realize
that every
day offers me something special."
The
experience
boils down to accepting all kinds of offerings, realizing that life's
smorgasbord involves making the right decision at the right time.
"Reminiscing"
talks about one door closing and another opening as Sobey visits a
soon-to-be-closed store ("I went to visit the store today and
mourn.") and acknowledges the sense of "community grief" in
a shared experience of demise.
"A
Yield of
Plenty" maintains that "At times there is so much want inside
us." The result? "We live our life day to day,/just
existing./We forget how to harvest our yield of plenty."
Musings,
Woolgathering, & Ghosts
is about yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows.
It's about absorbing the grief of time's passage, moving on, and
learning to
reap that harvest.
Readers
who look
for nuggets of wisdom from those who routinely hide from life, then
emerge into
its wonders like butterflies will find Musings,
Woolgathering, & Ghosts
a powerful display of reflections. It blends mourning and mindfulness
with
nature-rooted words to keep readers thinking about their own isolation,
growth,
and interactions with the world.
Musings,
Woolgathering, & Ghosts
is the perfect panacea and reflection for
these Covid-bound years, and will reach many hearts which have taken
the time
to move from artificially fast-paced living to incorporate meaning and
purpose
into the beat of life.
Given
the treat
provided here, readers should look forward to more works by CK Sobey
currently
in the pipeline.
Return to Index
Orpheus
Rising
By Sam And His Father, John / With The Help Of A Very Wise Elephant/
Who Likes
To Dance
Lance Lee
LWL Books
9780578790558
$23.95
https://www.amazon.com/Orpheus-Rising-father-Elephant-Likes/dp/0578790556
Orpheus Rising By
Sam And His Father, John / With The
Help Of A Very Wise Elephant/ Who Likes To Dance is a modern rendition of the Orpheus myth. It
blends philosophical
reflection with an inspection of loss and whimsy, as experienced by
ten-year-old Sam.
While
readers
might think this translates to a children's book, be advised that the
parable
and meaning of Orpheus Rising is designed to
appeal not just to kids,
but many an adult reader, who will find its special blend of fantasy,
philosophical inspection, and adventure equally engaging.
Many
vivid
scenes are presented in the course of this epic journey, as when
Lepanto, Sam,
and John's yacht sails through an ocean of floating faces..."faces
of
every imaginable variety dotting the ocean, round, flat, wet, floating
faces
that kept up a continuous chatter unless disturbed by the yacht. “Fine
day,”
one said. “I’ve seen worse,” another replied. “Beautiful.” “Ohh… How I
like to
crest!” “I like the troughs, myself.” “Never down but up.” “Never up
but down.”
“Fine weather.” “You’re looking well.”
As
ocean fades
to desert journeys, evading pursuers, and navigating strange worlds,
readers of
all ages are treated to a blend of poetic imagery, nonstop action, and
adventure centered on the unlikely relationship between a well-dressed
dancing
elephant and his charges.
Lance
Lee's
story is hard to easily categorize—and that is one of its charms.
Fantasy
readers will appreciate the whimsical world he creates, poetry
enthusiasts will
relish the metaphors and descriptions in prose that form the backbone
of
adventure, and children (as well as adults) will value the multifaceted
action
that keeps them guessing about relationships, outcomes, and the story's
outcome.
With
all these
elements intersecting in a satisfyingly vivid manner, it's easy to
highly
recommend Orpheus Rising By Sam And His Father, John / With
The Help Of A
Very Wise Elephant/ Who Likes To Dance as a standout from the
crowd, even
if its exuberant story defies simple categorization. This translates to
an
expansive audience who will appreciate its charm.
Return to Index
Searching
for
Jimmy Page
Christy Alexander
Hallberg
Livingston
Press/University of West Alabama
97801060489-291-8
$19.95 Paper/$29.95 Hardcover
https://livingstonpress.uwa.edu
Searching for Jimmy
Page begins its journey the night
the eighteen-year-old narrator's faith
healer great-grandfather dies, when he speaks (for the first time in
nearly a
decade) to inform his granddaughter that he hears owls "like music,"
which portend his death.
Luna
Kane hears
something different—the haunting lure of family memories of music and
absent
parents: "Long ago, I’d heard a song about owls crying in the
night,
the singer’s wail primeval, in synch with marauding guitar licks, the
beat like
jungle drums. I felt them vibrating inside me just then, like a distant
echo
from another life, one that still included my mother."
Luna
has always
forged forward in her life, steadied by her grandparents' religious
upbringing
and determination. But this death brings with it something new: "I’d
never looked back. Never. Until that winter’s night in February 1988,
when I
was eighteen years old, the past summoned like fire in my
great-grandfather’s
shack, phantom owls crying in the night."
His
last words
help her grasp a long-repressed memory of her dead mother's fascination
with
Jimmy Page, which may ultimately hold a key to her mother's suicide and
insights into her life. This revelation prompts her to leave the
sheltering
farm she's always known and venture out into the world.
Luna's
journey
to reveal family secrets, a better sense of self, and the impact of
musical and
cultural influences on all their lives brings readers into a close
examination
of music, spirituality, suicide, and a foray into musician Jimmy Page's
life.
The
revelations
are anything but staid and often emerge unexpectedly, backed by the
care
Christy Hallberg takes to capture the sights, smells, sounds and
feelings of
these times and people: "My whole body wanted a cigarette. I
wanted to
smell like the fecund tobacco field I’d left behind, the numinous fire
in my
great-grandfather’s shack. I wanted to smell like home. I wanted Jimmy
to
remember the rich fragrance of North Carolina winter woods. Isn’t smell
the
most likely of the five senses to trigger memory?"
Literary
(almost
poetic) metaphors and phrases pepper Luna's story to reach readers
looking for
more evocative, compelling reads that incorporate a sense of place and
purpose.
Luna's
travels
take her from North Carolina to England in search of Jimmy Page, her
mother's
dreams, and answers to family mysteries and close-held secrets. They
bring the
reader along for an intense variation on the usual themes of suicide,
family
secrets, and connections, creating musical interludes and history that
are
compelling and touching.
Readers
seeking
strong literary works that focus on a daughter's journey to grasp the
essence
of family relationships through cultural icons and musical references
will find
Searching for Jimmy Page a powerful story. It is
very highly recommended
reading; especially for those on their own trajectories toward
enlightenment on
levels ranging from spiritual to psychological, that incorporate family
history
and healing.
The
connections
between musical influence and icons and a daughter's still-evolving
relationship with a mother who has long passed makes for an evocative,
involving story that is hard to put down...or forget.
Return to Index
Barking at the Moon
Tracy Beckerman
River Grove Books
978-1632993939
$15.29
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Barking-at-Moon-Tracy-Beckerman/dp/1632993937
Website: www.tracybeckerman.com
Fans of
canines,
humor, and memoirs of life with animals will relish Barking
at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble. There
simply aren't enough of these positive animal stories on the market, so
Beckerman's tale adds a note of positivity and fun for pet owners, who
receive
a hilarious series of vignettes.
Think of
Erma
Bombeck's style, mixed with canine conundrums and family life. Humor
columnist
Beckerman offers this special blend in a warm cup of comfort that is
comical
and educational as she tackles a home beset upon by children and
animals. A
Halloween effort to be inclusive is just one example: "The
kids and the dog were about the same size. The dog could
borrow one of the kids’ old costumes. After so many years of my kids
trick-or-treating, we had enough costumes to outfit a whole kennel of
dogs, and
not just one costume-challenged retriever."
Levity is
often
lacking during these challenging years. Those who miss its laughter
need
Beckerman's stories, brought alive by family ironies, interactions, and
insights, as in her daughter's observations:
“I think Riley is lonely,” [my daughter] said,
glancing at the dog who
did not look very lonely at all, but rather, asleep. “We should get a
puppy.”
“Not on your life,” I responded succinctly.
“Why?”
“Because we have one dog, a chinchilla, a bearded
dragon, and two
goldfish that I have to feed every day."
“I’ll feed the puppy!”
“No puppy!” I shouted. She pouted and stomped out
of the room. I didn’t
care. If pouting and stomping actually worked, we would have had ten
dogs, an
Icelandic pony out back, his llama friend, and a dolphin in the pool."
As the
combination of
kids, pets, and parenting provides many laugh-out-loud moments, readers
also
learn about dogs and the process of integrating pets into one's family.
From loving
goofy
retriever Riley to facing empty nest syndrome, Beckerman's world will
resonate
with many.
Whether you
choose Barking at the Moon for its
pet
management insights or peek into the window of family follies, suffice
it to
say that the story is a rollicking good read and a welcome dose of
humor that
will captivate and entertain new and seasoned pet owners alike.
It deserves
a
prominent place in any collection strong in pets, family life, or humor
biographies.
Return to Index
The
Bitchographies
Vivienne Vuitton
DartFrog Books
978-1-953910-44-8
$12.99 Print/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FFS6MCZ
Some autobiographies
and memoirs are written to change the world or elevate the author's
status. And
then there are revelations like The Bitchographies: Random Commentaries About
Life, Love, and Knock-off Christian Louboutins, which eschew loftier ambitions for a more
down-home description of life, embodying humor and a form of rare
self-examination that hits the funny bone of wry observation.
This special mix is apparent
right from the start, with
chapter headings like "Me Thinks I Have the Skills to Write a Quirky
and
Witty Ditty!" The birth of this memoir against all odds is revealing: “Think about it, though; I could write a
book with all my random thoughts and commentaries that normal, everyday
people
can relate to. Isn’t it nice to know that most people are in similar
situations? Isn’t it great to laugh at our misfortunes from time to
time?”
Although her best friend
wasn't impressed by her idea at
the time, thankfully, Vivienne
Vuitton followed through on her impulse, birthing the humor and sense
of life's
irony that comprises The
Bitchographies.
Herein lies an example of
how self-depreciation merges
with Vuitton's innate inclination to rebel against
convention...including the
very format of the memoir genre: "Since when have I ever done
vanilla
and pedestrian? Ugh, no thanks…"
Thankfully, Vuitton
remains true to her unconventional impulse in The Bitchographies, resulting in a close inspection of her life
that also critiques and reveals the ironies and challenges of social
and
business norms: "As I got older and
achieved more personal success, I quickly became stifled by the
limitations of
every huge conglomerate that hired me. But, over and over again, there
was a
consistent problem. And whenever I saw something not working the way it
should—a plan, method, or strategical action—and tried to voice my
concerns
about it to the guys upstairs, I was immediately hushed. 'Don’t rock
the boat
and you’ll fit in just fine,' they’d say from beneath their furrowed
brows and
concentrated stares. And although the message was subtly crafted, the
words
between the lines were clear; the patriarchal infrastructure is not
about to
change its ways for anybody."
By now, it should be evident
that readers who choose this
memoir for its humor alone should be prepared for an equally strong
dose of
social inspection that pulls no punches as it probes the "informational
bullshit" of daily living.
Vuitton
cultivates a
refreshingly original voice as she navigates the murky waters of
career,
family, relationships, and the "inability of people to grasp the
painfully
obvious."
The result
is a
delightful surprise as Vuitton traverses her world and brings readers
into it
for a different, more honest form of inspection than most memoirs
cultivate—one
which maintains that it's not only okay to be a "bitch," on occasion,
but which is also equally fun and eye-opening, romping through a "sassy
journey through my petty indifferences and quirky insights."
Return to Index
Dance Like
There's No
Tomorrow
Evelyn M. Leite, MHR,
LPC
Living With Solutions
9781733540988
$12.95 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Theres-Tomorrow-Blood-Tears/dp/1733540989
Dance Like There's No Tomorrow is a
personal story of family abuse
that asks a key question: How does a loving father turn into a verbal
abuser?
Addiction,
pain, and
healing are outlined in a manner that will be more than familiar to
those
raised under similar conditions; but the difference in this memoir lies
in its
focus on how Evelyn Leite chooses to survive her circumstances and rise
above
them.
Her evolving
perception of both of her parents is one of the highlights presented as
Leite
grows older: "I just look at them,
my parents, so far removed from the reality of my life, so unaware of
the
aching, agonizing, humiliating pain I live with...so unbelievably
ignorant."
As she
stumbles into
some of the same patterns and pitfalls as her parents, but figures ways
out and
forward, readers receive more than a story of abuse. It's a chronicle
of a
search for love and a different kind of life that embraces past,
present, and
future possibilities; and it acknowledges the choices and consequences
of not
just flawed parents, but children who grow up with blinders on, who are
still
able to evolve to see life differently.
Dance Like There's No Tomorrow mirrors
many accounts of family
alcoholism and abuse, but injects an emphasis on finding joy and a
renewed
sense of purpose that helps the narrator revise her life story and
vision of
the future.
It's
ultimately a
celebratory tale of survival that will reach readers on many different
levels,
and is highly recommended for self-help, memoir, and psychology
collections
strong on chronicles of family dysfunction, survival, and success.
Return to Index
Love's Legacy
Daniel Fallon
Amazonas Publishing
9781735999609
$25.00
Paper/$9.99 ebook
loveslegacybook.com
Love's
Legacy:
Viscount Chateaubriand and the Irish Girl is at once a
romance, a memoir,
and a genealogical mystery. Author Daniel Fallon inherits letters
addressed to
his great-great-grandfather, written in the summer of 1817 by noted
French
writer François-René de Chateaubriand.
Luckily, Fallon’s
inheritance wasn’t just ephemera.
He also acquired a family oral history about his
great-great-great grandmother, a woman named Mary
Neale, the Irish
girl who becomes a focus of his detective work. The tale,
passed down
through five generations, placed the inherited letters in context.
Because Fallon’s career surrounded him with scholars who were
used to
solving puzzles of the past, he was in the perfect position to
investigate
Chateaubriand and his ancestry.
Readers who know something
about Chateaubriand will be
the perfect audience for this survey, but newcomers to the man—those
who enjoy
genealogical searches, memoirs, and literary mysteries—will require no
prior
familiarity with him in order to find Love's
Legacy a captivating read.
From
a review of
Chateaubriand's life and
times
to how Fallon solves many questions that reveal more about his family
history,
readers receive a lively probe that embraces both facets: "Several
items of evidence passed down in my family, however, offered
alternative
perspectives. One was a document that had survived over generations and
ended
up in my father's files, which led me to believe, in contrast to
Levaillant,
that Thomas had remained at Amiens for a four-year term."
Love's Legacy is more than a love story or a family history. In
charting how family
memories, inherited documents, and information can revise history and
knowledge, readers are encouraged to take more seriously the papers and
stories
that are often handed down between generations.
This
message
comes at an especially timely point in history because many modern
young people
eschew inheritances of papers as being fairly useless.
If
it does
nothing else (and, it does many things), Love's Legacy
entertains,
educates, and is an especially revealing, good read highly recommended
for a
wide audience; especially literature and history buffs with a penchant
for
stories of the past and how they often parallel and explain events in
modern
times.
Return to Index
To Be
Somebody
Evelyn M. Leite, MHR,
LPC
Living With Solutions
Press
9781945333019
$12.95
https://www.amazon.com/Be-Somebody-heartbreak-Blood-Tears/dp/173354092X
To Be Somebody: A Tale of Love, Heartbreak and
Hope is the second book in the
"Blood, Sex and Tears"
memoir series following author Evelyn M. Leite's recovery from the
influence of
alcoholism.
It provides
a
personal story of pain, faith, healing, and questions about marriage,
codependency, love, and insanity, but it's a hard-hitting account that
requires
that readers have the ability to absorb the details of self-destructive
choices
and behaviors and how they can be transcended.
"The world
is
changing and you damn well better change with it," Leite acknowledges.
The
process of that change involves seeing and acknowledging the habits and
perceptions that serve as obstacles to successful relationships not
just
between spouses and friends, but with God.
As Leite
navigates
these life changes and moves towards coping and recovery, readers
receive many
insights about the process that will help them in their own journeys
past
dysfunctional behavior patterns, whether they're inherited from family
circumstances,
prevalent in a marriage, or stem from within.
Her ability
to
present the kinds of scenarios and marital interactions that conflict
with
healthy perceptions and choices crystallizes that process for anyone in
similar
circumstances, while those who operate in family or support roles will
find
many enlightening moments candidly revealed that reflect common
pitfalls and
ways of avoiding them.
Complimenting
her prior
book, To Be Somebody is an ongoing
probe of the road to recovery that embraces spiritual and psychological
transformations alike, rooting both in descriptions of experiences that
go
beyond one counselor's efforts to teach others by example.
Self-help,
health,
and spirituality collections alike will find To
Be Somebody a potent testimony to the power of recovery and
faith.
Return to Index
Trailblazers
Gabrielle David
2Leaf Press
978-1940939797
$34.99
www.2leafpress.org
Librarians
typically attracted to biography compilations will find Trailblazers,
Black
Women Who Helped Make America Great, American Firsts/American Icons
offers
a depth unequalled in the arena of black women achievers, making this
first
volume in a six-book series a top recommendation for judicious
collections.
Volume
1 focuses
on activism, dance, and sports; and offers profiles separated into
chapters
covering these three areas. The profiles range from the familiar
(Sojourner
Truth, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks) to names which deserve attention,
but may be
less recognizable (Pauli Murray, Betty Shabazz, Leah Penniman).
Each
biography
is also presented with information that ties each iconic woman to
history via
their social contributions. Leah Penniman, for example, receives
coverage that
links her efforts to an evolving community purpose: "Leah
Penniman is a
farmer, educator, author, and food sovereignty activist. She is the
co-founder
and co-director of Soul Fire Farm, in Grafton, New York, an
Afro-Indigenous-centered community farm committed to uprooting racism
and
seeding sovereignty in the food system. They teach farming skills and
distribute life-giving food as a means to end food apartheid."
This
translates
to more than the typical biography sketch of individual achievement,
providing
a series of powerful links to the combined effort to change black
experiences
around the world.
David's
history
also takes into account the forces on all sides which kept women
repressed and
their achievements lesser-known even within the civil rights community:
"...for
all their work, Black women made little progress in convincing their
male
counterparts of their right to exercise full leadership within the
civil rights
movement."
As
each
biography explores the history, the attitudes of community and each
individual,
and how their work and social experiences led to revolutionary changes
and
contributions, it becomes evident that Trailblazers
offers far more
depth and a wider-ranging approach your typical biographical anthology.
Its
coverage of
flagship programs, cooperative and individual efforts to effect
positive
changes, and personal ambition leading to broader social changes is
unparalleled in its details: "Miller put the spotlight for
women’s
basketball onto the court and above the rim. With tremendous grace and
athletic
dexterity, she established a legacy from her brief high school and
college
career that remains unparalleled. Miles ahead of most female players in
her
generation, Miller helped make the case for the WNBA before it existed,
and has
inspired the next evolution of college women’s basketball that we are
witnessing today."
Readers
of all
ages need this survey because, unlike other biographical collections,
it fills
in the blanks that connect individual lives and achievement to
effecting real
changes within communities.
The
historical
overviews for each section, written from the viewpoint of African
American
women, also offer powerful guidelines for change that are not just
educational,
but inspirational.
Trailblazers, Black
Women Who Helped Make America
Great, American Firsts/American Icons
is highly recommended for collections strong in women's issues,
minority
history and social change, and biography alike. There's nothing in
print that
holds the same depth of historical and social analysis, the attention
to
researched, footnoted facts...or the same ability to inspire.
Return to Index
The Wanderer
Edward W. Hudson
Archway Publishing
9781480872516
$14.95
www.archwaypublishing.com
The
Wanderer: The Story of Sgt. Wesley Foster is a World War I
biography that should be in military collections and on the reading
lists of
anyone who would absorb the history of this conflict from eyewitness
perspectives.
Wesley David Foster was Edward W. Hudson's
great-uncle. The letters he left behind represented a family mystery
that
resulted in a genealogical exercise as Hudson probed his experiences
and family
roots—but when details were vague, Hudson added fictional
embellishments to
make The Wanderer more free-flowing and attractive
to readers.
The blend of World War I history, personal
narrative, and fictional additions that build on fact to smooth the way
create
a nicely paced, appealing novel that will attract not just history
buffs, but
those interested in memoirs and genealogical backdrops.
Hudson provides an astute recreation of
Foster's
times, as American was becoming urbanized and world patterns of
interaction and
power were changing.
Wesley's emotions and observations are the
central
themes of the story, but these inspections prove more wider-ranging
than most
might anticipate as he moved from riding the rails across America to
participating in World War I in France, on the Western Front.
The first sections use flashbacks to capture
these
early years, then resort to the immediacy of war experiences, capturing
many insights
during the process: "The psychological strain on the young
men is
enormous as they are hardened into soldiers. Under the relentless
pressure,
many require added coaching and private talks, which Wesley is only too
glad to
give."
The juxtaposition of Wesley's feelings as he
prepares for war, faces the death of friends and comrades, and
experiences new
kinds of environments in which battle challenges combine with
navigating very
different physical milieus makes for a hard-hitting story. It
incorporates
plenty of World War I background history for readers who may lack such
knowledge.
The result lies somewhere between memoir,
history,
and fiction. Dramatic embellishments and powerful descriptions enhance
Wesley's
firsthand observations, while many historical details outline not just
battle
strategies and military approaches, but the psychological challenges
experienced by all.
The
Wanderer's multifaceted approach sets it apart from
most
World War I surveys that are either memoirs or histories alone, making
it
highly recommended reading for those looking for a satisfying blend of
intimate
experience, fiction, and history.
Return to Index
Who Could Have Imagined … Change Your
Perspective, Transform Your Destiny
Dr. Aliette St.
Hilaire, CRNA, APRN
Radiance Words Press
978-0-578-93588-1
$14.95 Paper/$.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Imagined-Change-Perspective-Transform-Destiny/dp/0578935880
Readers of
memoirs
who look for stories of adversity, transformation, and immigrant
experience
will find all these elements and more in Dr. Aliette St. Hilaire's Who
Could
Have Imagined … Change Your Perspective, Transform Your Destiny.
It's hard to
envision
less of an early path to the success that evolved: thirteen-year-old
immigrant
Allie became pregnant and yet grew to become not just a doctor, but a
successful mother and wife.
Her story
isn't just
about personal achievement, however. It's about cultivating a mindset
that
leads to revised options and better possibilities. She presents the
"how" of this approach as she traces a different path chosen after
her early decisions involved marrying the father of her child, who was
twice
her age, and convincing a court that this was a good idea.
One big
attraction to
this memoir is its candid reveal of the emotions that ran through the
author's
mind even at the age of twelve: "Imagine
being twelve years old and pregnant. Imagine going to school the day
after you
found out you were pregnant, unable to tell anyone what had happened to
you.
Now imagine not knowing how your family would react to the news. I had
no idea
if I was returning home to face open arms, a beating, or a closed door.
I had
no idea what my father would do. Michelange had promised to help
through my
pregnancy, but I still did not know how much I could trust anything he
said
because when things happened in my life, people had a way of blaming me
and
leaving me to deal with the aftermath."
These
reflections and
insights explain both the logical and emotional roots of her decisions,
serving
as the foundation for understanding how this critical thinking process
was
influenced early on in life, and how it began to change.
As spiritual
and
social elements come into play, Allie's story of renewal and growth
takes on a
different tone as she matures: "No
matter how many times I tried to get into a comfortable routine,
something
unexpected would happen that would force me to reconsider my life. Of
course,
not all these unexpected changes were bad."
These
spiritual
influences represent some of the wellsprings of her transformation as
Allie
travels the world and becomes involved in HOPE Worldwide, an
organization that
helps the poor across the globe.
Readers
interested in
learning about the juxtaposition of challenges and opportunities that
influenced not just Allie's course, but her perspective on life, will
find Who
Could Have Imagined far more
than
a memoir alone.
It's a blueprint to cultivating a more aware
lifestyle that leads to real change and better living, and deserves a
place in
any inspirational, self-help, or memoir collection as a testimony to
the
strength of belief and the power of perseverance, as well as how to
"...open your heart to a whole new way of seeing the world."
Return to Index
Wild
Happy
Ryan Casseau
Cresting Wave
Publishing, LLC
978-1-956048-00-1
$17.95 Paper/$1.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Happy-Dreams-Acceptance-Jungles-ebook/dp/B099J5RMSV
Wild Happy
follows author Ryan Casseau's journey to an area about as far from the
United
States as one can get: to a small, remote Papua New Guinea island where
(as the
memoir opens) he struggles with malaria and primitive treatments and
wonders
how he arrived at this point in his life.
Ironically,
he's
in Papua New Guinea as a researcher to study medicinal plants for
malaria. As
he drifts into unconsciousness, Casseau wonders: "I’ll wake
up again,
right? In between, the space is filled with cyclic brooding over what
the hell
I was going to do, why the hell this was happening, and how the hell I
had
gotten here." The answers to these questions form the
central themes
of Wild Happy, a blend of travelogue and search for
self.
From
the start,
Casseau cultivates a reflective piece that explores how a middle-class
American
arrives in this jungle world. The first section covers his privileged
world,
and acknowledges its lack of real strife: "We never know
exactly how
we’re formed, how the billion pieces of life come together to make us
who we
are in an exact moment of time. What I’ve learned, what I know, is that
there
needs to be a mix. Some good, some bad, some happy, some sad. Malcolm
X, whose
upbringing was nowhere near as cushy as mine, said, “There is no better
teacher
than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains
its own
seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”
And
this, in its own disturbing way, was the problem."
Unlike
most, even
as a child, Casseau was able to "see behind the curtain of my easy
life," and resolved to pursue the kinds of life experiences that
deviated
from any set path towards an easy life with predictable outcomes.
This
led to his
journey, at age 24, to Papua New Guinea to study medicinal plants from
natives
in the jungle. And to his encounter with malaria, and ultimately
himself.
It's
rare to
receive humor, self-awareness, and growth under one cover, but Casseau
cultivates this tone in a way that makes Wild Happy
as fun a read as it
is revealing.
As
he works
through his research and cultivates a type of wisdom his elders
certainly never
anticipated, he imparts these forks in the road and the reality versus
his
childhood imagination in a manner that draws readers into making the
journey
alongside him (albeit via armchair).
The
cultural
insights are just as powerful as he crafts descriptions of research
findings
and interpersonal relationships alike: "I’m still learning
how to get
things done here. For example, I learned you have to ask and confirm
about
planning details three or four times in order to get to the truth
because no
one ever gives you a straight answer. They always lie to make the
situation
sound easier and better, because they don’t want to admit that in PNG,
things
are always slow and will take five times longer than planned.
They don’t see it as lying though. It’s
just the way
everyone handles things."
Readers
who want
a blend of travelogue, self-awakening, and a sense of joie de
vivre that
resonates in heart and mind will find Wild Happy a
celebration and a
revelation, all in one.
Collections
strong in health, self-help, and travel alike will find it a strong
addition,
offering insights that translate into ideas for "not living life
superficially," but with the wild, happy abandon of unpredictability.
Return to Index
The
Bone Elixir
Carrie Rubin
Indigo Dot Press
978-1-7328541-8-5
$13.99 Paper/ $3.99 ebook
carrierubin1@gmail.com
Fans
of Benjamin
Oris who enjoyed Carrie Rubin's portrait of him in The
Bone Hunger will find his return in The Bone Elixir to be an exciting
event...especially since it opens with a family inheritance that both
mystifies
and attracts the young orthopedic surgeon with a family legacy.
Ben's
mother is
in a coma, and he's tracked down her estranged family to let them know.
Now,
this...a hotel has been bequeathed to him by a great-aunt he never
knew. Why?
Solving
this
mystery involves a journey that seems to take him away from the medical
setting
that evolved his past challenges, but Ben finds that, actually, medical
conundrums lie at the heart of this mystery to bring him into quite a
different
world, albeit with many too-familiar trappings.
From
a family
burial ground and a ghost from the past in a mirror to the inn's
supernatural
energy which rises the dead and gives Ben more to think about than
medical
challenges, The Bone Elixir excels in a haunting
series of events that
draw Ben into the past and lead him to reconsider its relationship to
present-day events.
Carrie
Rubin is
a master at blending medical and personal issues into a mystery that
challenges
problem-solving abilities on both sides. Her character, Ben, is
intelligent and
inquisitive, while the atmosphere of intrigue surrounding him is
impeccably
detailed: "He swore and shuffled his feet forward, using the
phone’s
beam to guide him. Although he was aware Jake’s cries were muted inside
the
workroom, he felt compelled to search it. The concrete cave had torture
chamber
written all over it. The room’s frigid air smelled like soot and paint
chemicals, and above them the exposed pipes clunked. Up ahead, the sump
pit
gurgled. When Laurette grabbed Ben’s hand, he jumped from the
unexpected
contact. He squeezed hers back and told her to stay close."
Readers
who like
stories about ghosts, medical mysteries, and family issues alike will
find all
three facets wound into an intriguing story of spells gone awry and the
consequences of decisions that lead dead Claxwells to return to life.
Those
who
enjoyed Ben's approach in The Bone Hunger will find
that The Bone
Elixir takes quite a different turn, but ramps up the plot's
intrigue and
paranormal portions to
satisfy audiences
who enjoy a mix of spirits and intrigue.
While
prior fans
will be an ongoing audience for Ben's exploits, newcomers, too, will
find it a
very accessible, stand-alone story that needs no prior introduction to
prove
just as immediately gripping as its predecessor.
Mystery
collections and readers who enjoy supernatural overtones in their
stories will
find The Bone Elixir a compelling foray into
spiritual drama, struggles
with faith, and the legacy of family choices.
Return to Index
The Kingmaker's Redemption
Harry Pinkus
BQB
(An
imprint of Quality Books)
978-1-952782-16-9
$18.95
Paper/$8.99 ebook
www.bqbpublishing.com
The
Kingmaker's
Redemption is recommended reading for political intrigue
readers seeking
high-octane action, and provides a story of winners, losers, and
subterfuge
steeped in the power, money, and processes of the American political
system.
Departing from the status
quo and prior precedents comes
with its problems, as Jack McKay discovers when he decides to support a
candidate he really believes in rather than the party he's usually led
to
victory. His business is winning elections, but it's about to become
the center
of a whirlwind of controversy when Jack lends his considerable
influence to a
campaign for an Opposition candidate against the Party.
Liberty Party leader Randall Davies knows what McKay's decision means to
his chances. Forces
that operate behind the scenes contrive to implicate McKay in a crime
that will
sully his reputation and limit his ability to be a political influencer.
As
the
conspiracy gains momentum in the courts, McKay and his team are drawn
away from
their original objective and into a trial that leaves him fighting for
more
than his reputation, even as he learns new things about the process and
the
people behind it: "Jack was getting a real insight into what
the
prosecution was likely planning to present. He might have actually
enjoyed the
education had his life not hung in the balance."
Harry Pinkus crafts the
perfect intersection between
legal and political thriller, cementing action with strong characters
that
operate on both sides of the election process, with special interests
and
influencers on all sides.
The personal challenges
McKay faces as his choices affect
family relationships and career are as much on the line as the question
of who
will win the election.
More than just a story of
innocence and guilt, Pinkus
calls into question motivation, political and legal processes, and
fluctuating
relationships changed by new realizations.
The
Kingmaker's
Redemption is as much a story of survival, enlightenment, and
changing
interpersonal connections as it is a political legal thriller.
Audiences who
enjoy investigative mysteries operating at high levels of political
circles
will relish a story that winds through drama and action, adding a dash
of
romance as icing on the cake of intrigue.
Return to Index
The Manhattan Swindle
Jay Perin
East River Books
9781736468036
$3.99 ebook
www.EastRiverBooks.com
The
Manhattan Swindle represents Book 2 in the One
Hundred Years
of War historical thriller series. It takes place in the 1970s and
opens in
Washington, DC, where the Kingsley clan is butting heads over the
family
business.
Senator Temple and others keep oil kingpin and
criminal Jared Sanders from
controlling the White House, but there are other forces at work, both
domestically and internationally, that will sway the course of not just
American, but world politics.
From
the start,
Jay Perin cultivates an intriguing blend of interpersonal interactions
and
family dynamics and political and criminal clashes. Sanders faces
formidable
adversaries in the form of three powerful, diverse individuals, but he
still
holds a powerful card in the way of family secrets that could ruin all
his
adversaries.
Perin's story is not your usual thriller genre
read. His ability to twist the tale with words that are powerful and
unique set
this story apart from any anticipation of a staid progression of
events: "The
world was in chaos. Truth and untruth were constantly at war, the moral
with
the immoral, and few were willing to take up arms on behalf of that
which was
good. Somewhere, the chronicler of humanity’s story must’ve despaired
over the
selfishness and shameful cowardice, but he didn’t possess the power to
meddle.
Here was Lilah being offered the chance to rewrite a small part of the
tale.
Did she have the strength in her spine to battle evil, faith enough in
her
heart to see it through? She’d have to end her life as she knew it."
Special interests range from the adopted (yet
pedigreed) aristocrat Lilah (Delilah
Sheppard Barrons) and her forceful influence on the people around her
to those
involved in a conspiracy that traverses the globe. There are many
characters
that clash in the arena of contracts, interpersonal relationships, and
struggles for power as the story moves from the 70s to the 80s,
following both
national influence and the interpersonal relationships and politics
that affect
both.
Perin's ability to wind all these characters
into a
story filled with struggles over rightful legacies, slaughters, and
tarnished
reputations makes for a fast-paced tale that is hard to put down.
It should be noted that The Manhattan
Swindle
is not a read recommended for casual thriller audiences interested in
action
alone. It is steeped in multifaceted political and interpersonal
tension that
evolves in a myriad of characters and influences, and requires of its
reader an
astute attention to detail even as it weaves these events into a
thoroughly
engrossing feature filled with twists and turns.
Thriller readers looking for depth, complexity,
historical foundations (the novel is replete with references to
American
history) and satisfying surprises as three dynasties embark on
long-term
struggles will find The Manhattan Swindle akin to The
Raj Quartet
in its ability to bring to life the influences and evolving politics of
nations
under siege both from internal and external forces.
Social issues ranging from rape to power plays
make
for a backdrop that is thought-provoking throughout, elevating The
Manhattan
Swindle beyond the usual thriller read and lending to its
appeal to history
and social issues audiences, as well.
Return to Index
The
Moscow
Affair
Nancy Boyarsky
Light Messages
978-1-61153-381-1
$14.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
Author website: www.nancyboyarsky.com
Publisher: www.lightmessages.com
Fans
of Nancy
Boyarsky's Nicole Graves mysteries will find Nicole's latest challenges
in The
Moscow Affair to be just as compelling as her prior
adventures.
Here,
she faces
Russian intrigue when she accepts a short-term assignment working for
the
British government MI6. Her task is to observe fellow passengers for
two weeks
on a luxury cruise up the Volga, reporting back to MI6 about their
activities
without involving the Russian police or any other elements that may be
equally
interested in her findings.
A
murder aboard
ship changes everything and places Nicole in the middle of a swirl of
controversy and special interests, challenging her to uncover the truth
while
surviving the process of its investigation.
As
the action
heats up, Nicole gains a new identity as Slovak woman Nicola Pavlikova
Antonovich, and struggles with events that come to threaten her
identity and
purpose on the Queen of the Volga. Her friend Abby recommends her to
Olga, who
has heard of the American tourist wanted for murder, and wants to help
Nicole.
As
Nicole's P.I.
skills are challenged by her need to maintain her realistic persona as
"just another American on vacation," readers are treated to a story
of murder, subterfuge, and as cat-and-mouse games between criminal and
political entities trap her in the maelstrom of danger.
Boyarsky
takes
the time to thoroughly describe the sights, sounds, culture and
architecture of
Russia: "The living room was in amazing shape compared with
the rest of
the building. Its décor included a huge chandelier and a large
gilt-framed
mirror that reflected itself over and over in an identical mirror on
the
opposite wall. The rest of the room featured panels of verdant
landscapes that
appeared to have been applied directly to the walls. The furnishings
had a pink
and white motif: white walls and carpeting with one pink sofa flanked
by two
white ones. Three white stools stood in front of the couch arrangement,
each
topped with a fuchsia cushion."
These
observations compliment the action as Nicole tries to leave the country
via
whatever means are available to her, hampered by her lack of knowledge
of the
Russian language and her inability to discern who is on her side and
who is
not.
Add
a vanished
fiancée, the secretive Ronald Reinhardt, and the possibility of seeing
him
again to the action, and it's evident that the personal touches
Boyarsky adds
to the murder mystery and political intrigue work together to create a
compelling story.
Mystery
readers
will enjoy depictions of Soviet culture, the backdrop of Russian
operatives,
and a story of intrigue that circles around the murder of a tourist on
a
Russian cruise ship. The plot twists and turns as Nicole navigates
unfamiliar
territory and matters of the heart alike.
The Moscow Affair will also cross over to thriller fans, with its
astute examination of
love, death, politics, and mystery.
Return to Index
Not
Today!
David E. Feldman
Independently
Published
978-0578951850
$11.95 paper/$4.99 ebook
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Today-Doras-Rage-Mystery/dp/0578951851
Author Website: https://www.davidefeldman.com/books.shtml
Not Today!
is Book 1 in the Dora's Rage mystery series. It presents a physically
and
mentally strong woman who is first drawn into MMA fighting by her
supportive
partner, Beach City Police Lieutenant Francesca Hart; then
into a
political and murder milieu fostered by political special interests
that awaken
Dora's inherent determination to fight bullies.
The
prologue
opens not with a determined perp, however, but with an accidental
murder with
young lovers involved. The first chapter sets the stage with a
mysterious
caller who informs Detective Hart that widespread corruption in City
Hall stems
from an accidental death's cover-up that has spread a cancer through
the
system.
The
main
character, Deborah “Dora” Ellison, doesn't enter the picture until some
paragraphs later; but when she does, it's with a bang. The bang of
clanging
garbage cans in a job where her super-strength is an asset (obviously
set in an
era before more automated garbage trucks began to roam the streets,
hoisting
cans automatically).
Dora
is
portrayed as a physically large, confident woman. Her stature and
psyche are
nonetheless challenged when she's drawn into a scenario more in the
realm of
her partner's expertise than her own experiences with garbage cans,
fighting,
and weight lifting.
To
Dora, loyalty
is everything. This and many other concepts she's held close are tested
in the
course of a vivid story that immerses this outsider in murder and
political
affairs where her determination and strength are the only assets.
David
E.
Feldman's choice of an unusual protagonist who is anything but a murder
investigator, and his deployment of personality traits that lend to
both her
successes and failures in many different arenas, creates an
action-packed story
filled with surprises and satisfying twists.
One
of Dora's
assets lies in a familiarity with city processes that is challenged as
events
unfold. Feldman does a great job of capturing her revelations as she
works
alongside others who manipulate and gain access to a playing field
she's never
fully worked: “Really!” Dora said, impressed. “I’m surprised
the city was so
open. I’ve worked there most of my life, and open is not how I’d
describe
them.”
The
blend of
murder investigation, political corruption, tragedy, recovery, and
accusations
and fights operate on different levels between personal and political
experience, growing both the characters and the milieu in which they
operate,
and revealing how they perceive and act upon their roles and morals.
As
intriguing as
these complicated connections are, the revelations that come back to a
single
event are especially well drawn and unexpected, leading readers on a
journey
from individual responsibility to long-term political impact.
The
result is a
story that grips and compels on many levels, moving from personal to
political
experience in a reasoned yet unexpected manner that draws a myriad of
characters, special interests, and decisions into a thought-provoking
mix.
Readers
who
anticipate a murder mystery alone should be advised that, in fact, Not
Today! is so much more. Its special brand of inspection will
delight those
seeking more complex, enlightening stories of survival, choice,
consequences,
and change—all powered by the dynamic Dora and her changing world.
Return to Index
Once Upon a
Murderous
Delusion
A.G. Russo
Red Skye Press
ISBN:
978-0-9907102-6-4
$3.99
www.amazon.com
There's a
serial
killer on the loose who is targeting young mothers and seems about to
move on
to their babies and toddlers. Also being targeted is the outpatient of
a psychiatric
hospital who has professed anger towards his mother.
Case closed.
Or, is
it?
A.G. Russo
spins a
fine story of intrigue and delusion not just on the part of a killer on
the
loose, but a police department charged with resolving the murders
quickly as
the small community panics.
At the
center of a
vortex of controversy lies a group of nurses who must face the idea
that one of
their patients is likely to blame.
Also pulled
into the
maelstrom is a young man who professes innocence while all evidence
indicates
otherwise.
As the
nurses
interact with one another and begin to move outside their hospital
comfort
zones to address a rising tide of community anger and fear, solving the
case themselves
seems the only way they can preserve both the future of their patient
and their
jobs.
By
presenting the
point of view from a group of nurses who each grapple with their own
delusions,
backgrounds, and convictions in order to rise above their stations,
Russo
creates a compelling murder mystery that cultivates a winning
atmosphere of
moral, ethical, and professional conundrums.
The
depiction of how
these forces evolve elevates the mystery from a simple whodunit to one
examining the inherent fears and prejudices over mental health
facilities.
The notion
that a
group of nurses untrained in police procedures but more than
knowledgeable
about mental illness can forge new paths where police fail creates the
backdrop
to a fine story. Once Upon a Murderous
Delusion is as much about the challenges and assumptions of a
community and
a medical facility as it is about a clever murderer's modus operandi.
Mystery
readers will
find the added element of psychological inspections and delusions which
extend
beyond the mentally ill provide just the right touch of intrigue and
the
unexpected to a appeal to both murder mystery readers and those who
enjoy
powerful psychological and group dynamic inspections.
Collections
strong in
murder mysteries and fiction revolving around health and healing alike
will
find Once Upon a Murderous Delusion
a
worthy addition. It will appeal to a much broader audience than the
usual genre
read.
Return to Index
One
of Us
Lorie Lewis Ham
Independently
Published
979-8544783145
$12.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/One-Us-District-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/B09BDVRKH3
Author Website: www.mysteryrat.com
Cozy
mystery
readers who enjoy female sleuths; stories of animal rescue with pet
rats, cats,
and pit bulls; and a woman tired of failure who wants to come out on
top for
once will find One of Us a mystery that features
many attractions.
First,
Lorie
Lewis Ham surrounds her protagonist with a healthy dose of change as
she follows
middle-aged children’s book author Roxi Carlucci's relocation to
Fresno,
California and the events that emerge from her move into the city's
Tower
District to live with her PI cousin Stephen Carlucci, who involves her
in his
investigative California world.
Roxi
feels she
doesn't have many choices left in life...and she's tired of feeling
that way.
When
she is
called upon to help out in an animal rescue fundraiser, Roxi finds that
her
volunteer contribution becomes personal when a murder drags her and
Stephen
into a search for the truth that traverses the theater community and
poses an
uncommon threat to normally-staid Fresno residents.
As
Roxi probes
social media, the demise of a seemingly "invisible" woman whom nobody
knew very well, and a motive that might turn friends into enemies, she
uncovers
a host of possibilities that brings her and Stephen into different
arenas of
Fresno culture.
Suddenly,
Roxi's
romp through cultural norms and murderer intentions takes a dangerous,
personal
turn. This tests her newfound sleuthing abilities as well as her
ability to
stay alive long enough to uncover some close-held secrets.
Lorie
Lewis Ham
brings many elements to life; from Fresno's cultural milieu to modern
society
as Roxi seeks respite in watching Star Trek as she
cultivates lists of
likely killers.
Her
ability to
weave this cultural backdrop into a story replete with satisfying
twists,
animal issues, and intrigue in a whodunit that takes many personal
turns makes
for a story that is firmly grounded in both compelling characters and a
sense
of place.
Cozy
mystery
readers who hold affection for animals and intrigue will find One
of Us
a close inspection of a murderer's profile and how an investigator with
a
degree in criminology and
basic skills
manages to reveal truths that others have missed.
The
warm,
contemporary story juxtaposes bookish fun with a tale of how Roxi
restarts her
life in unexpected ways, and provides just the ticket for an involving
evening
read.
Return to Index
Osama's Skull
Michael David Urban
Igtba Enterprises
978-0985359942
$18.95 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Osamas-Skull-Zach-Adventure-Adventures/dp/0985359943
Osama's
Skull: A Zach Colt Adventure
pairs an alternate history premise with high-octane thriller elements
to
provide readers of both genres with an absorbing adventure story.
In
this
scenario, Osama bin Laden was kidnapped and hidden in Poland, where he
died.
Forces on both sides covet his skull as a souvenir, but there's more
going on.
The
adventure
opens in 1917 Oklahoma, where Prescott Bush's actions result in a crime
and a
mystery.
Fast
forward to
present-day Boston, where Zach Colt's reputation for confronting
terrorists
results in not only fame, but new clients who desire his services. The
label of
being an American hero comes with a price, because his new clients
bring on a
sniper attack that brings Zach into a new milieu of world-hopping
danger.
Readers
will
expect this story to center on Zach alone, but a host of other
operatives,
special interests, and political and military forces interact on a
variety of
playing fields to keep it action-packed and unpredictable.
Thriller
readers
will find Zach's involvement not peripheral, but directed, on different
levels,
by his objectives and secrets, which come to light as competing
factions vie
for control and the ultimate prize.
Michael David Urban excels at outlining these
special interests, intersecting them in a manner that keeps the story
fast-paced and compelling. Thriller fans and alternate history readers
will
especially appreciate the blur between truth and fiction and the
various
scenarios which emerge to keep not just Zach, but all the players on
their
toes.
Readers who like their stories satisfyingly
diverse
and different will appreciate the character interplays, the grey area
between
good and evil, and the forces which keep Zach and his audience guessing.
Think a blend of Indiana Jones combined with
Tom
Clancy as the terrorism and confrontation emerges to give readers a
rollicking
ride through possibilities that revolve around and beyond gaining
possession of
Osama's skull.
Return to Index
Stolen Lives
Joseph Lewis
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68433-768-2
$19.95 Print/$2.99 ebook
www.blackrosewriting.com
Stolen Lives represents an exciting probe
of abduction and unusual
connections between fourteen-year-old victims, and is recommended
reading for
thriller and intrigue fans who enjoy stories that focus as much on
rescuers and
victims as it does on the perps.
Kelliher and
his team
of FBI agents face multiple challenges in a series of events that have
remained
unresolved for years. Witnesses tend to be murdered before they can
provide
further clues, and the four young victims' lives themselves prove
mercurial and
hard to trace or fathom.
At this
point, it
should be mentioned that this book is first in a projected trilogy.
Readers who
look for complex stories of murder, kidnapping, and ongoing
investigations will
be satisfied by a tale that introduces the setting, but holds the power
to
attract and remain unresolved over multiple scenarios and books.
Navajo boy
George
Tokay may hold the clue that has eluded Kelliher and his people for
years. The
only problem is—George has no idea what this special knowledge is. All
he knows
is that he's witnessed a puzzling execution. And he feels compelled to
join
forces with the investigators to resolve this case: "The
Navajo boy of fourteen, who stood facing the death scene, was
afraid of the dead boy’s chindi.
But George reasoned that if he were to help find the dead boy’s killers
and
bring them to justice, the chindi would
be satisfied and leave his family’s land. The worldly boy of fourteen,
who
wanted to join the tribal police like his cousin, was simply curious.
He saw
this as an opportunity to win respect and admiration from his family,
and his
grandfather, in particular."
From family
relationships and Navajo ways to Jamie Graff, a policeman working with
the FBI
who makes new inroads to discovery, only to unearth more puzzles
surrounding
the kidnappings and police relationships, Joseph Lewis builds a
compelling tale
filled with satisfying twists and turns.
As the boys
struggle
to survive and the police attempt to find answers and hope in a
seemingly
impossible situation, readers are treated to a scenario firmly rooted
in the
author's research into child abduction and real-world events that
translate
well to thought-provoking fictional milieus.
Human
trafficking and
murder are difficult issues to tackle, yet Lewis does so with astute
social,
psychological, and investigative insights that keep his story
realistic,
involving, and unpredictable.
Even though Stolen Lives is part of a trilogy, it
ends on a satisfyingly complete note, which makes it highly recommended
as a
stand-alone story for readers who typically eschew series titles.
Collections
strong in
social issues, mystery and intrigue, and novels of survival tactics
will find Stolen Lives a fine
addition.
Return to Index
Straight
Up
Cathi Stoler
Level Best Books
978-1-953789-98-3
$15.95 Paper/$5.99 ebook
Publisher: www.LevelBestBooks.us
Author website: www.cathistoler.com
Straight
Up is a Murder on the Rocks mystery that revolves
around Jude Dillane, who
remains caught in the
dangerous crosshairs of serial killer Art Bevins, who has targeted her and is still on the
loose.
The
story
doesn't open with Jude, however, but introduces the character of
Dolores
Castel, who is flying to New York in style, and plotting her next move.
Dolores
plays a key role in Jude's life because she rents an apartment from her
friend
and landlord Sully, who has fallen for the new renter in a big way.
Jude's
instincts
say that Dolores is trouble. How big a heartache this trouble will
introduce to
her life evolves as a series of clashes emerge to test Jude's
friendships,
perseverance, and ability to survive more than a serial killer's
attention.
Cathi
Stoler
excels in crafting a story which holds many satisfying twists and
turns. The
chapters shift between the third-person Dolores's perspective and the
first-person experiences of Jude, which easily clarify the two points
of view
and adds an extra dimension to a story that shifts between Dolores's
plot and
Jude's judgment calls and experiences.
With Sully acting weird and Dolores facing her
own
grief over the past and changing motivations for addressing her future,
Straight
Up incorporates many different shifts in life approach and
decision-making
as the characters confront their past, present, and future roles.
As surprising connections build between Jude,
Dolores, Art, Sully, and Diego, readers will find the story
satisfyingly
replete in changing events and threats that eventually reach out to
consume all
involved.
Each character and their special interests come
to
life in a story filled with revelations about friendships, adversity,
and the
nightmare of a serial killer's relentless obsession.
Especially astute and compelling is the process
by
which friendships become shaken and questionable as threats emerge and
change.
Soler's ability to bring emotional connections
to
life, giving them a twist to keep her characters growing and changing,
makes Straight
Up a fine story of growth that will keep even seasoned
mystery readers
involved and on their toes.
It deserves a place in any mystery library as
an
involving story of traps which emerge not just from perps, but victims'
choices.
Return to Index
Tokyo Zangyo
Michael Pronko
Raked Gravel Press
978-1942410256
$24.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
www.michaelpronko.com
Tokyo Zangyo adds to the Detective
Hiroshi series set in Tokyo with
another story of intrigue that both adds to the others while standing
nicely on
its own, for newcomers.
Here,
Detective
Hiroshi investigates the death of a top manager in a Tokyo company. And
this is
where Michael Pronko's own familiarity with Japan's culture comes into
play;
because the story's ability to capture the milieu of corporate life and
business concerns excels in creating realistic backdrop that brings not
just
Hiroshi's efforts, but his world to life.
Political
and
economic concerns blend into the investigative focus to inject a
full-bodied feel
to the story: “If we can’t get all the
information on Onizuka, our investigation could drag on for longer,
possibly
interfering with PR for your overseas expansion. We want this case
closed as
much as you do,” Hiroshi said."
From
personal
interactions within the company and between different layers of
authority to
Hiroshi's personal involvement with Ayana, a woman who tries to support
him and
keep him together, Pronko excels in dialogues and interactions that go
beyond
investigative circles alone: “Big
guy in
a huge ad agency dove off his company building. Turned to mush.” Ayana
sat down
on the edge of the sofa with the pitcher and glass. “I thought
you were
working on cryptocurrency? Nice, clean online numbers in your
office?”
“Chief yanked me off of that.
He’s a fucking asshole.” Hiroshi used the English."
These
romantic,
social, and political interplays keep the story unpredictable and
multifaceted
as events play out to challenge Detective Hiroshi on more than one
level. There
are also atmospheric references that bring Tokyo's backdrop to life: "Hiroshi looked away at the lights of
Tokyo spreading like fallen, cooling stars all the way to the horizon.
Overhead, the skyglow that hung over Tokyo blocked the real stars."
In addition
to the
homicide investigation, readers who enjoy learning about Japanese
cultural
influences and processes receive a wealth of insights that are neatly
woven
into the intrigue: "On the global
stage, we Japanese have to work harder than everyone else. What we lack
in
creativity, innovation and critical thought, we make up for in
patience,
perseverance, and attention to detail. What we lack in global vision,
we make
up for in solid traditional values. The government is pressured by
outside
forces to make overtime a crime. Harassment is an unfortunate side
effect of a
hardworking corporate culture. It’s my job to bring the best out in
workers and
keep the company on pace toward continued success.”
The
resulting interplay
between characters, a sense of place, and a murder mystery that plays
out on an
especially involving stage will keep both prior readers and newcomers
to
Detective Hiroshi's world thoroughly engaged and guessing to the end.
Pronko is masterful at bringing all these elements to life in the richly depicted Tokyo Zangyo. This makes it not just highly recommended for mystery readers, but a standout in the genre. Its added value of social inspection and Japanese business pressures will educate readers about that nation's perspective even as it builds a blossoming, compelling mystery.
Return to Index
The Allergic
Boy
Versus the Left-Handed Girl
Michael Kun
The Sager Group, LLC
978-1-950154-51-7
$28.69
Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.thesagergroup.net
Imagine you
began
reading a popular novel, only to find that it was something you wrote
years
ago, in college, and shared with a fellow student. Envision having a
severe
head injury from Army life that reduces your abilities and credibility.
Then,
consider pursuing the truth after decades, when nobody will listen to
you.
The Allergic Boy Versus the Left-Handed Girl
is a study in wry
humor, ironic losses, and disability and courage. It tells of a war
veteran
faced with yet another affront to his life as his most creative,
potentially
successful effort is plagiarized.
The
"Publisher's
Note" that opens the story provides a fine background and setting for
the
notes of one Jimmy Nail, who writes at different times between 1982 and
2006,
and whose reflections include hilarious footnotes and insights that
grab reader
attention from the start, as in the introductory title page that
includes a
controversial subtitle ("A
Story of Grace and Mercy (But Also of Theft, Injustice and a Fucking
Scar on
the Side of My Fucking Head)") and an intriguing
footnoted
reference to a future publisher: "A
note to the editor: I ask kindly that you not remove “fucking” from the
fucking
title. Except if you need to do so for copies sold through the Book of
the
Month Club. I understand they can be prickly and may have a distaste
for
profanities. The same for publications in any countries that have laws
forbidding the use of profanities. Israel perhaps? Hong Kong? Nova
Scotia?
(Although Nova Scotia may not be a country. That is probably worth
researching.)"
From this
note, the
tale moves to an absorbing introduction and chapters which open with a
Sunday
morning newspaper delivery in June, when the narrator is between junior
and
senior high schools.
Think Catcher in the Rye, with 'wry' being the
operative word of the young observer in this piece, as he comes of age.
Jimmy
may make his point in sometimes-run-on sentences filled with
description and
verbosity, but his world comes to life under Michael Kun's hand as
Jimmy
describes everything from bigotry and prejudice to how he views the
world: "The first thing a bigot will tell you
is that he’s not a bigot. And he will preface his comments by
saying, “I’m not a bigot,
but,” followed by something that is undeniably offensive. No one has
ever said
something innocuous like, “I’m not a bigot, but I like iceberg
lettuce.” Let me
be the first: “I’m not a bigot, but I like iceberg lettuce.” There.
Done."
It's rare to
say that
numerous footnoted references in a novel are a big plus to the story
line.
Authors who have attempted such usually only succeed in cultivating
reader annoyance.
Not so The Allergic Boy Versus the
Left-Handed Girl, which employs these references with such
skill that their
impact becomes one of literary power rather than just informational
asides, and
an attraction in themselves.
And herein
lies the
strength of this story. Jimmy Nail's voice is powerful, ironic,
thought-provoking, and fun, all in one. Kun's ability to capture the
course of
his life, his approaches to justice and injustice, and Jimmy's process
of
navigating everything thrown at him makes for a humorous play not just
on
words, but on life.
From issues
of
censorship and critical considerations of The
Allergic Girl to the elusive fictional character he created
that brings him
into court proceedings and conflicts, Jimmy's coming of age, social and
literary inspections, and the revolving door of past and present
experience
makes for a story that is vivid, unexpected in its twists and turns,
and effective
in its impact.
The Allergic Boy Versus the Left-Handed Girl
is a literary study in
love, growth, social challenges, and achievement. It's a compelling
story that
holds the ability to attract audiences with a wry observational tone,
setting
the stage for considerations of reality and illusion that will keep
readers
involved in the story of Poppy, Jimmy, and everyone around them.
Very, very
highly
recommended; especially for readers who enjoyed Catcher
in the Rye, and who want a contemporary growth story that
goes above and beyond Holden Caufman's world.
Return to Index
Blind Man's Labyrinth
Daryl Potter
Paper Stone Press
9781777307394
$3.99 eBook; $12.95 Paperback; $23.95 Hardcover; $23.95 Large
Print Hardcover; $21.95 Audiobook
Publisher: www.paperstonepress.com
Author Website: www.darylpotter.com
Historical fiction readers interested in a
vivid
story of ancient times set in 92 BCE will find Blind Man's Labyrinth
an
inviting, detailed read about a Jewish civil war that test Haim's
ability to
survive into adulthood.
Haim is not
the son
of the dye maker, his mother’s non-Jewish husband who died years before
Haim’s
birth. His mother, however, is Jewish and Haim is cursed, at this time,
by such
a lineage. After the dye maker's death, the Tyrant of Dora enslaves his
family
until forces rise up to kill the Tyrant and make the region Jewish
again...including his mother. Haim's story begins here.
This
back-and-forth
of power struggles between Jewish and Egyptian forces affects his
upbringing by
his widowed mother and an old scribe, who also struggle against the
give and
take of the politics, tyrants, and trials of this ancient world.
The boy is
hungry not
just for food, but "something that he cannot name." Touched by
poverty and prejudices held by all sides, Haim's world come alive under
Daryl
Potter's hand as he encounters new ideas that lead him to question the
foundations of his various beliefs about himself and the world: "Do you Jews think that in other
countries we don’t have our own customs? No laws of our own? No manner
of
conducting ourselves?” He crouched down, still staring at Haim. “Are we
just
animals to you Jews?” “No,” Haim said. “We were just trying to escape
the war
in Eretz‑Israel.”
As Haim's
journeys
change his internal dialogue, readers also receive a health dose of
self-inspection surrounding the logic and brutality of the times,
crafted in
poetic observations that are moving metaphors of transformation: "He was as deeply enmeshed in the art
of ruin as these men were in the particulars of making pots. Their
tools were
clay and kiln. His tools were sling, knife, fist, and somehow finding
and
befriending poisonous people. The betrayal of innocents. A forest of
crosses.
Those were his tools, and his harvest was always rich."
Haim's
discovery of
the truth about his father, his legacy, and his decisions to either
embrace or
reject it makes for a powerful story of struggle, self-inspection, and
the
undercurrents and waves of a changing world and, through its events,
Haim's own
mercurial sense of self and purpose.
These drive
a story
that brings these ancient times to life and examines the motivations,
influences, and choices faced by individuals who navigate its murky
ethical and
moral waters.
Perhaps the
strongest
message of all lies in Potter's portrait of a spiritual journey of the
soul
that examines not just the foundations of Haim's teachings, but the
forces that
bring it into his world as logical perceptions of his place in it: “Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve found
corruption, and I’ve taken corruption with me from place to place and
added it
to the corruption that was already there. I’ve come much farther than
Jericho.
I’ve travelled for twenty‑six
years on the road behind me. I
want to know how to be clean of everything that is.”
How do
individuals
rise above their heritage, teachings, and lives to transform in an
entirely new
way? Haim's journey is that of "everyman" and will resonate even with
readers not normally attracted to historical fiction, or who have
little
grounding in the era under consideration in Blind
Man's Labyrinth.
Recommended
for
history, spirituality, and philosophy readers alike, the story is
powerful in
its juxtaposition of orphans struggling to uncover meaning in a world
at war,
and brings the times to life in a manner that will appeal to a wide
audience.
Return to Index
Christmas in
Silverwood
Dorothy Dreyer
Rosewind Books, An
imprint of Vesuvian Books
978-1-64548-053-2
$14.95 Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.RosewindBooks.com
Romance
readers who
enjoy Hallmark-style stories of unexpected love will relish the
down-home feel
and evolving tale of Holly and Nick, who are on different trajectories
in their
lives when they find each other after a near-accident in a small town.
Christmas in Silverwood cultivates a
sense of discovery and
recovery set against a snowy Christmas season backdrop, and explores
set paths
changed by interpersonal relationships and new opportunities.
From a small
town's
obsession with an annual holiday tree-decorating contest to broken
spirits and
lonely individuals who find in each other unexpected solutions to life
problems, Dorothy Dreyer paints a compelling portrait of love that
takes the
time to spice its presentation with atmosphere: "It
was like a cloud of serenity surrounding Holly as the aroma of
the food reached her nostrils. Marcus took great care in making sure
everything
they’d ordered was placed neatly on the table. Holly’s mouth watered as
her
dish was put before her. Presentation alone was making her want to give
the
place five stars on every restaurant review site."
As various
characters
interact, from those who embrace the Christmas spirit to others who
would rather
be alone, Dreyer builds scenic beauty, evolving romance, and moments
that
encourage inspiration: “Now, I don’t know
how inspiration works from a technical point of view,” Nick said as he
laced up
his skates, “but I’m a big believer that feeling good can lead to being
creative.”
The crux of
Holly and
Nick's experiences and evolving relationship stem from a simple
observation: “Sometimes we’re disappointed
about things
because we’re looking at them the wrong way.”
Christmas in Silverwood explains how a
set course in life can be
turned upside down to create a different approach and perspective. In
the
course of exploring romantic and interpersonal connections, it creates
a
heartwarming read about change and flexibility to make for not just a
satisfying holiday read, but an affectionate insight into the origins
of love
and connection.
Romance and
holiday
readers will find Christmas in Silverwood
just the ticket for a cold night's read by a roaring fire.
Return to Index
The
Color of
Rain
John W. Feist
Winter Wheat
Press
978-1-7357497-3-0
$14.95
https://www.amazon.com/Color-Rain-Kansas-Courtship-Letters/dp/1735749737
The Color of Rain:
A Kansas Courtship in Letters
takes historical romance to a different
level in choosing the form of correspondence to cement its story of an
1800s
love between a handsome banker widower and a schoolteacher who lives
some
distance from him.
What
makes this
story even more compelling is that it is real. The letters are
reproduced for
this saga (including envelopes with dates that reinforce their
authentic
roots), and are presented in the form of fiction reinforced by John W.
Feist's
research into newspaper and photography archives and his discussions
with the
letter writers’ descendants.
As
Frank and
Irene's story evolves, so does the reinforcing presence of writings
between
them and a death that sparks the rebirth of love and correspondence.
Frank
fell
deeply in love with his former wife Allie, and has no desire to enter
into
marriage again, even though he's now a coveted eligible bachelor.
Irene
Webb felt
that Allie was her ideal of "all that is pure and womanly and good."
As she learns truths about Allie, Frank, and the ties that lead her to
consider
him a dear friend worthy of candid correspondence and emotional
revelations,
readers absorb the lives of each and the 1800s Kansas backdrop that
supports
them.
The
seamless
move between letters and fictional narrative is particularly well done.
Feist's
ability to create a blend of interactive communications in a fictional
story
succeeds in bringing to life the times, the issues facing the two as
their
long-distance friendship evolves, and the kind of correspondence that
moves
into realms of greater intimacy and even love, against all odds.
The
chapter
headings are also particularly notable as they sum up the changing
circumstances of each writer (i.e. "I Am Rather At a Standstill to Know
What To Do").
As
the story
evolves, the combination of historical backdrop, emotional growth and
interactions between Irene and Frank, and the impact of their
letter-writing
efforts nicely supplement the attention Feist gives to capturing
atmosphere: "She
stood at the window looking out at the pear tree. Rose stems had
tumbled into
the yard in the wind, their flowers shattered. Brown petals curled in
cracks of
the bark of the tree. This is not dreary, she thought. It’s actually
cheery. If
this were a novel—really, Irene, a novel of Nortonville—well, then a
story, the
symbolism would be unmistakable. Death and decay. Shattered hopes.
Withering
romance. But actually,
what she saw
cheered her. To Irene the roses spoke of love."
With
their real-world
roots, evocative questions, and richly presented descriptions, these
letters
evolve a romance that will delight readers looking for stories not just
about
interpersonal relationships, but recovery from grief and new
beginnings, all
wound into a history of 1890s Kansas.
Vintage
black
and white photos of the letters and family involved are the icing on
the cake
of historical accuracy that cements a delightful story of developing
love and
changing times.
Return to Index
Destiny of
Dreams:
Time is Dear
Cathy Burnham Martin
Quiet Thunder
Publishing
978-1-939220-57-8
$15.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
www.QTPublishing.com
Historical
fiction
readers who choose Destiny of Dreams:
Time is Dear for its story of family heritage and Armenian
experience will
find these elements and much more in a story of diaspora that follows
an
American girl's discoveries about her past.
One reason
why this
account seems particularly realistic is that it's firmly rooted in
reality—Cathy Burnham Martin's family legacy. She used the stories and
experiences of several generations of her own tale, but filled in the
gap with
characters and dialogue to expand its interest and attraction to
historical
fiction readers. Armenian names, however, (despite their challenge to
non-Armenian readers) were represented without alteration, lending the
story a
full flavor of ethnic experience throughout.
History and
fiction
entwine seamlessly in a saga set largely in the early 20th century. It
should
be noted, at this point, that a degree of violence is candidly
depicted...and
forewarned and explained in the preface: "My
apologies for both the detailed and suggested acts of inhumanity in
some of the
scenes, but I cannot change, nor will I sugarcoat actual historic
occurrences.
No attempt was made to vilify the Ottoman Empire. However, when people
live
through something, their eyewitness testimonies offer a distinct and
memorable
perspective."
From
atrocities and
refugee experiences to a weary family's journey through darkness into a
better
world and life still burdened by their memories, Martin recreates past,
present, and feelings about the future using realistic descriptions
that bring
not just these different time periods to life, but the sentiments and
responses
of those who lived through them.
This feeling
of depth
and understanding could likely not have been accomplished by a writer
who
relied on research alone. The family memories that drive this story
come alive
for readers, lending to a history that is vivid and compellingly
related. The
fictional drama and added embellishments make the story accessible in a
manner
that nonfiction alone could not have achieved.
As Destiny of Dreams: Time is Dear unfolds,
matters of survival, refugee experience, hearts broken and ruggedly
mended, and
new opportunities come to life in a compelling history. Events evolve
to create
some surprising gripping parallel ties with the past.
How do you
capture
and inject the tragedies, perspectives, ethnic heritage, and struggles
of past
generations for future ones? You write a book like Destiny
of Dreams: Time is Dear.
Anyone with
Armenian
roots (and those who want to learn more about their trials and lives)
will find
Destiny of Dreams: Time is Dear a
thoroughly engrossing story that brings the past to life. This, in
turn,
transmits newfound responsibility and possibility to future
generations:
"Cassie brimmed with history and family and emotion."
Destiny of Dreams: Time is Dear is
especially notable because
relatively little detail about Armenia's diaspora and history is
accessible to
readers, and because Martin's family experience both cements and
personalizes
the facts and makes them understandable and revealing to modern
audiences who
may eschew the dry tendency of nonfiction, but will thoroughly absorb
its
emotional impact, here.
Return to Index
The
Devil Inside
Susan K.
Hamilton
Inkshares, Inc.
9781950301201
$18.99 paper/$5.99 ebook
www.inkshares.com
The Devil Inside is a paranormal romance about angels, devils, and
the uncertain
connections between them. It portrays Mara Dullahan as she follows her
devilish
roots and knack for finding corruption in others.
Mara's
goal is
simple: to become Hell's highest Sales & Acquisitions devil.
But, her
nefarious mission is when she unexpectedly falls in love with an angel
stuck in
his life, and begins to act in a manner unbefitting of a devil
incarnate.
As
Mara's
special abilities prove to be obstacles to her success in the
underworld,
readers embark on a journey that ripples through human and
extraordinary worlds
alike. Mara is adept at identifying the intentions and hearts of others
("As
annoyed as she was, Mara could smell the waves of discontent rolling
off
him."); but, as savvy as she is, she has spent centuries
without
confronting the fallacies and follies that reside in her own heart.
Everything
changes as a result of her illicit relationship and choices. As she
begins to
listen to quite a different message, Mara finds her feelings are
interrupting
not just her life's work, but its devilish philosophy and belief system.
Susan
K.
Hamilton creates a fine story that juxtaposes not only issues of good
and evil,
but affairs of love and the soul.
Lovemaking
scenes are vividly portrayed—but so are the emotional connections that
represent a sea change for Mara, testing her options and future alike: "He’d
never pushed her, never asked for anything she wasn’t willing to share,
and
there was something deep inside her, a crystal pinpoint of light, that
resonated when she touched him."
Romance
readers
will find the philosophical and ethical considerations of Mara's
choices create
a more complex story than the usual paranormal or romance tale,
injecting
tongue-in-cheek humor into the mix as Lucifer gets wind of these events
and
must craft his own responses to her newfound relationship.
As
The Devil
Inside evolves a special set of conundrums, romance and
paranormal readers
will find its involving story of angels and devils who are challenged
by
something that lies in the gray area of their experience and
relationships to
be satisfyingly unexpected: "There was shuffling and
whispering as the
angels began to disperse, and on the other side there was just as much
whispering as the devils tried to figure how to process what had
happened."
While
this
playful consideration of an illicit affair that changes more than its
two major
players is not recommended for religious believers without a flexible
sense of
humor, The Devil Inside will prove delightfully fun
and intriguing for
those who enjoy interplays between good, evil, and the forces that lie
between
them.
Return to Index
Driving
Jesus to
Little Rock
Roland Merullo
PFP Publishing
9781736720271
$28.00 Hardcover
www.pfppublishing.com
Fiction
readers open
to a quirky travelogue with the atmosphere of Kerouac's classic On the Road paired with a spiritual
component will find Driving Jesus to
Little Rock just the ticket for a rollicking journey into
beliefs and
American byways.
Author Eddie
Valpolicella is on his way from Massachusetts to Arkansas to give a
lecture on
his book when he picks up a hitchhiker destined to change his
perspective and
life with a single contention. The stranger claims to be Jesus. And he
seems to
have the skill sets that proves it.
Roland
Merullo was
raised a devout Roman Catholic. This background and his own questions
about the
story of Jesus lend to a modern-day tale that begins with a healthy
degree of
skepticism about this hitchhiker's past: "Nothing,
no part of it, made sense."
Eddie's act
of
generosity and his initial rejection of this modern Jesus leads quickly
to
self-inspection as he questions not just the truth of his passenger's
claim,
but his own motivations for accepting or rejecting the man's words: "A thin filament of guilt was
unspooling behind me as I drove, as if my thoughts were spilling out in
a shiny
black line. Either So-Called Jesus was dangerously unhinged, or he
wasn't. If
he was, I should have notified the police. If he wasn't, I should have
kept my
word and given him a ride. For one day. On and on it went, this
nagging,
interior dialogue, the chirping of an overactive conscience. I wanted
to be
good in the world."
These
philosophical
and spiritual reflections permeate the road trip and spice the
encounters
between Eddie and Jesus as various conundrums challenge both.
Merullo also
injects
a nice sense of subtle, wry humor at various points of the encounter: "Jesus seemed slightly uncomfortable
with the package. He set it down at his feet, out of my view, and did
not make
eye contact with me. "You're an angel," he said to Anton."
As
adventure,
intrigue, and a host of unexpected characters evolve and interact (from
a deer hunter
to a Russian businessman) against backdrops as diverse as an urban
massage studio
and a rural monastery, readers will especially appreciate the variety
of
special interests, characters, and unexpected social and cultural
inspections
that evolve along the way.
Truly, Driving Jesus to Little Rock is a
multifaceted journey that doesn't neatly fit into a given fictional
category.
Blending spiritual with social inspection, flavoring all with an icing
of
humor, and making the backdrop a road trip to remember, Merullo creates
an
engaging pendulum swing of action and reflection that holds the power
to both
entertain and enlighten.
Its
refreshingly
original voice and inspections make Driving
Jesus to Little Rock a highly recommended pick for a diverse
audience, from
those who like physical journeys to readers who especially appreciate
social
contrasts in spiritual and philosophical inspections.
Return to Index
Drumossie
M MacKinnon
DartFrog Books
978-1-953910-76-9
$16.99 print/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Drumossie-Echoes-Time-Book-1-ebook/dp/B09C56279K
Drumossie presents the first book in the
Echoes in Time series, and
opens with a preface set in 1746, during the aftermath of a battle. A
wounded
Highlander awaits his demise on the battlefield on Drumossie
Moor. But, he's destined to survive this living hell, and
this will affect generations to come.
Fast-forward
to
present-day Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, where
twenty-seven-year-old
Fiona's dreams of terror have just awakened her—for the third time.
Fiona isn't
used to suffering such vivid dreams, especially of murky threats that
include
smells and sensations she's never been exposed to. And somewhere in
that dream
is a memory of one who meant something special to her...someone she
knows she's
never encountered in real life.
As the story
unfolds,
M MacKinnon injects history into the story that follows battles,
tragedy,
reawakening, and impacts on future generations. The history of Scotland
comes
to life under her hand as Fiona finds the past not as distant as she'd
imagined
and faces a force that changes her present-day world.
As the lives
of 1745
eighteen-year-old Eilidh MacLean and twin brother Rory (her "partner in
all things") are also explored, M MacKinnon's ability to juxtapose
different people, history, and cross-purposes makes for a moving
account that
is vividly portrayed and hard to put down.
Part of what
makes
these stories come alive is M MacKinnon's descriptive turns of phrase: "Eilidh fell into the chair like a
marionette whose strings have been cut." As Eilidh is
charged with
preventing the murder of Prince Charles and other events that will
bring down
her world, Fiona finds herself in present-day Scotland, at a gloomy
exhumation of
a body in the cemetery. This portends an investigation of the past that
could
change everything—especially the isolated life of Ewan MacArthur.
The impact
of the
Battle of Culloden echoes through time, and a mystery and an evil force
are
resurrected that carry four characters into new peril and dangerous
situations
in a bid for freedom that moves from the killing fields of Drumossie Moor to the impact of Eilidh's
choices. These bring love and healing to Scotland's descendants even as
an old
evil awakens with a thirst for revenge.
M MacKinnon
cultivates the strong ability to smoothly intersect events of past and
present,
juxtapose evolving love with growing evil threats, and present all four
characters in three-dimensional form that lends each a realistic flavor.
Whether
readers
choose this title for its murder mystery, romance, or historical
components,
each genre fan will be attracted to and entranced by Drumossie's
vivid story, which pairs well with the psychological
and historical details.
Return to Index
Gently
at
Twilight
Marydale Stewart
Big Table
Publishing Company
978-1-945917-68-4
www.bigtablepublishing.com
Gently at Twilight is a prequel to The Wanderers,
and is a story of chance, love,
interracial friendship, and a ghostly intervention that links two
centuries,
two families, and two young people.
It
opens in 1990
Illinois before moving to pastoral Kentucky's Thoroughbred horse world,
offering a focus on the lives of black people in this white-dominated
world.
Black teen Darrell Thomas, whose father works on a Thoroughbred
breeding farm
in Kentucky, is secretly raising an unwanted foal. While he is focused
on his
horse-rearing efforts, his parents are concerned about imparting
survival
skills of how to navigate the white-dominated milieu around them.
In
stark
contrast is the life and aspirations of Sarah, a 16-year-old white girl
in
northern Illinois who dreams of owning and showing her young American
Saddlebred horse.
Two
very
different lives and two very different worlds, both connected by a love
of
horses, receive a fine contrast in Gently at Twilight.
As
Marydale
Stewart unfolds the different layers of these worlds, readers are drawn
into
the lives, objectives, and perspectives of horse-driven families and
individuals who view their legacies in different ways, as well as those
whose
family legacies aren't as structured or fortunate. Many blacks
contributed to
the horse world in meaningful ways that are under-represented or rarely
discussed; one example being that of Tom Bass, the black horse trainer
in the
19th century story of Rex McDonald.
Sarah's
evolving
attraction to David, who thinks that, because of their disparate future
courses, they shouldn't pursue a romance; his request for her to wait
for him
for a year, when their lives will be more settled and determined; and
the
Quaker community milieu which supports them all comes to life under
Stewart's
pen.
Even
more
important are the challenges to faith (both in the Black church and
Quaker
community) which lead to uprootings, community changes, and reflections
on
racism: "God was everywhere. She knew what he meant. She’d
miss those
layered hills and the way their colors and shadows changed by the hour
and by
the season. She’d miss the quiet narrow roads she took on her way to
clean
houses for well-off folks in town. She’d even miss a couple of them,
too, the
nicer ladies who treated her like an equal. But the truth was, it was
because
of them, even the nice ones, that she and her family had to tear their
lives up
by the roots and move away. Because of white people, her husband and
her son
had to live every minute of their lives like they’d done something
wrong and
were about to get caught. They were born black, that’s what they’d done
wrong."
Stewart's
ability to layer and depict these very different peoples and
perspectives that
are part of a greater whole and a broader series of social and personal
concerns makes Gently at Twilight come to life.
Character
reflections on this history connect past and present choices and their
consequences in an enlightening, thought-provoking manner. Zennia
Thomas says: "When
our people figured out they shouldn’t have to be slaves after all—and
some
white folks agreed with them—well, then, we had this Civil War. And
ever since
then, white people just don’t quite know what to do about us. They been
sending
us off on a Trail of Tears ever since. But it’s a different trail. It
takes us
all over the country. Big northern cities, little ol’ towns down South
here
where nobody cares what’s going on, street corners, back alleys,
parking
lots…anyplace they think we got no right to be.”
As
each
character maintains connections to the past and considers present-day
dilemmas,
readers are drawn into a changing world that rests firmly on the
experiences of
horses, the Thomas family's true inheritance, and a literal, physical
point
where the Thomas clan makes a decision that will forever change the
future.
The
ghosts of
past and present and experiences that haunt black and white worlds
alike are
thought-provoking, as is the notion that love proves a solution to
adversity
and as well as an impetus for change, acceptance, and, ultimately,
transformation.
Gently at Twilight is the perfect contemplative story for those
interested in a candid
look at evolving race relationships: "At times Dewayne seemed
to defend
their white friends, but always with the same reservations, the same
warnings.
“They’re not stupid, Darrell. And they like to do things right, just
like we
do. It’s just…” He rubbed his face, closed his eyes. “…it’s
just…they’re white.
They’ve been believing their own shit about black people so long—that
we’re
lower IQ, can’t handle responsibility, or we just got it in us to be
criminals—they got us believing it too. Don’t you fall into that
hell-hole.”
The
story's
bright, involving sense of community connections and history and how
descendants are influenced by past perspectives makes for a fine saga
of small
town life, prejudice, and recovery. It will linger in the mind long
after the
reading.
Return to Index
The
Grifter
Sean Campbell & Ali Gunn
Partners in Crime
Ebook ASIN:
B094W1PN3M $ 4.99
Paperback: 9798542099224
$17.99
Website: www.DCIMorton.com
Ordering link: www.viewbook.at/TheGrifter
The narrator, who could be a "Ronnie Kray
reincarnate," opens the story by holding another man hostage at
knifepoint
in the opening salvo of The Grifter. The timeline
then quickly moves to
three months prior, when the narrator is more an observer than one
taking
action: "Time doesn’t matter
much anymore, ’cept for when
I watch him. No matter how much the police move me on, I have to be
back here,
sittin’ in this very doorway every morning. Can’t help it. I don’t
fancy him or
nothin’. Not that there’s nowt wrong with that. But I want what he’s
got. I
want the money, the posh suit, my own business, even my own skyscraper
emblazoned with my name in twenty-foot-high letters. I wish it were me
blabbering away on the blower non-stop while I smoke my morning
Marlboro.
Important. That’s what he is. People pay attention to him. He’s
obviously a
busy man. Why else would he need to spend his morning break glued to
his
iPhone? Funny thing is, in another life, I could’ve been him. We even
smoke the
same brand, ’cept I had the good sense to give ’em up twenty years ago.
Not
that it helped much. Can’t be Mr Healthy when you’re in my condition."
This early passage perfectly captures the
unique
sense of intrigue and perspective in the voice of a down-and-out
character that
experiences cruelty and promises revenge—only one of the perspectives
cultivated in The Grifter.
When lowly schoolteacher Kent Bancroft fell into a fortune, cruelty
was cultivated alongside his success. Less evident was the kind of
fortune that
gives rise to generosity and any sense of understanding about the lives
of
those less fortunate—which is ironic, in this story, in many ways.
As
Kent's
trading prowess leads him into dangerous moral, financial, and personal
territory, readers receive a vivid account of blackmail; past, present
and
future possibilities; and a Machiavellian problem that weaves tendrils
of
uncertainty and dilemmas into virtually every facet of Kent's personal
and
financial life.
Sean Campbell & Ali Gunn cultivate many
surprises in the course of their exploration, which toes the line
between a
thriller, a mystery, and a story of justice and redemption.
Their ability to bring to light different
threats
and possibilities against the evolving scenario of a blackmail scheme
that
changes everything creates a satisfying interplay between intrigue and
moral
and ethical conundrums. These keep readers not just guessing and
second-guessing, but inspecting their own ideas about justice and
ethical
behaviours in financial and personal worlds alike.
Is it enough to get even? To get ahead? Or to
get
away, escaping into a new life powered by another's financial gain?
Readers who choose The Grifter will
find its
tension exquisitely drawn; its action swift; and its psychological and
ethical
concerns a compelling piece of the puzzle. The juxtaposition of other
characters as well as Kent and the grifter are particularly solid
contrasts
that keep readers thinking about what's worth fighting and dying for.
Return to Index
Lashes
of
Lightning
Anoop Chandola
iUniverse
978-1663225023
$23.99
Hardcover; $13.99 Paper; $3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Lashes-Lightning-Satirical-Story-Radicals/dp/1663225028
Readers
of
satirical literature and multicultural experience will find the
combination in Lashes
of Lightning makes for a different kind of read. The story
documents social
injustices and racism in America from the viewpoint and life of Bijli
Kandyal,
an Indian Himalayan girl.
Bijli
vividly
recalls her childhood and the world she came from. It's both a world of
celebration and one in which a polygamous wife abuser and sex maniac's
violence
leads a relative to rescue her and her mother from their home, where
she is
taken to San Francisco to absorb a very different cultural milieu.
When
her
maternal uncle and rescuer, Gunanand, passes away, the writings he
leaves
behind will supercharge a generation in this story of abuse, recovery,
and an
emerging desire for revenge.
Now,
"Gunanand was determined to teach the relative a lesson without any
violence." Sometimes choices towards violence seem the only option, as
Bijli comes to recognize her own rage and decides to direct it as she
deems
appropriate.
Anoop
Chandola
creates a compelling novelette that injects Indian and Pakistani
history and
culture into the story of a girl who considers the folklore of her
ancestry,
the spiritual connections it carries, and the influences it brings into
her new
life.
Her
social
inspections are astutely presented as she cultivates a form of
rebellion that
departs from her upbringing, yet comes full circle to reflect it in
various
ways: "Bijli encouraged Chaiti, “Just ignore your critics.
You have the
right to free speech. You have the right to debunk religion. Otherwise,
no
reforms are possible if we don’t protest. Tell them to send their girls
to
school. Teaching girls how to pray is not going to improve their
future.
Reading, writing, and science would.”
Satire
blends
into social inspection in a satisfying manner as readers absorb Bijli
and other
characters who reflect their heritages in different ways.
The
result is a
compelling story of cultural change, family dynamics, and the struggle
for
freedom and recovery both within and outside of India that is highly
recommended reading for fiction enthusiasts looking for psychological
and
social depth from their stories.
Return to Index
The
Last First
Kiss
Walter Bennett
Lystra Books
& Literary Services, LLC
978-1-7336816-9-8
$15.95 Paperback/$6.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Last-First-Kiss-Walter-Bennett/dp/1733681698
It's
more
challenging to start (or restart) a romance in one's seventies, but Ace
Sinclair attempts the seemingly impossible in The Last First
Kiss when
he invites his former high school sweetheart, J’nelle Reade, to visit
him at
his beach home.
His
beloved wife
Pam is long dead, and as the story opens, he awaits J'nelle's
appearance with
uncertainty and trepidation over his intentions and the visit's results.
J'Nelle,
too was
married. Her husband vanished and is presumed dead. Email communiqués
between
them renewed connections long dormant, which now appear set to move to
the next
stage.
Or,
will they?
Walter
Bennett
creates a story of new possibilities, angst stemming from past and
present
experiences, and the evolving late-life relationship of individuals who
each
are keeping secrets not only from each other, but from themselves.
Readers
who
enjoy razor-sharp inspections of truth and consequences and the impact
of past
decisions on present-day circumstances will especially appreciate the
time
Bennett takes to allow each character to bare their souls to the other:
"I
was such a believer, so chock full of moral certainty.” “You were
young.” “I
was an arrogant shit, another version of that intellectual arrogance I
affected
in high school. It was a cover.” “For what?” She drops her fork and
stares at
her plate. “Insecurity, uncertainty, fear of something, sort of like
that fear
I told you about in high school before I met you.”
As
passages
about the past connect these two disparate lives, each finds within the
other a
reason for better understanding the choices made during socially
turbulent
times, and for keeping secrets that finally blossom into present-day
revelations.
Those
who
anticipate an easy romance will be surprised by the depth and
confessional tone
of this relationship. It also delights in employing the same elements
that go
beyond a traditional romance story to entwine the experiences of two
very
different individuals facing advanced years in different ways.
The
injection of
broader philosophical reflections on end-of-life and these choices is
also
revealing and unexpectedly satisfying: "...he was scared—he
might as
well admit it—but it was not of death so much, it was of defeat, an end
to that
desperate illusion that he could escape a reckoning with the great
unknown."
The
result is a
powerful novel about endings, new beginnings, and forays into the past
that
provides a literary examination of hurricanes that batter both the
Outer Banks
and the inner souls of those who live in the eye of the storm.
It's
an
inspection of survival that is vivid in its realistic portraits, and
examines
both the "cling of the past" and the promises of redemption.
Romance
and
contemporary fiction readers will find The Last First Kiss
thought-provoking and evocative.
Return to Index
Monica's
War
Jo Horne
Bucket Line
Books LLC
978-1736346358
$13.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Monicas-War-Jo-Horne/dp/1736346350
Monica's War
follows the life of Monica Beresford Wichfeld, who has always lived on
her own
terms. The story cultivates a vivid world of the rich and famous in
Copenhagen,
where she proceeds to both raise a family and foster an ongoing affair
with a
neighbor—with her husband's approval.
But,
Monica's
main act to defy convention is still to come: when the Nazis invade her
country, she turns her home into a pivot point for the Resistance and
refuses
to allow them to intimidate her or infect her world.
Monica's
spunk
is revealed in a refreshingly candid manner: "There are times
when
having lived an entitled life prepares one for situations such as
this—situations where others believe they are in control. At such
times, the
natural reaction of someone like me is to be momentarily stunned by
their very
daring, followed by getting immediately to the business of reminding
them of
their place."
As
she makes a
conscious decision to stay and fight rather than flee, Monica evolves a
sense
of responsibility motivated by visions of her children's' futures,
accepting
her role as an individual who can make a difference against all odds.
This
is one of
the strongest messages embedded in Monica's War as
the Nazi
confrontations play out and she continually circumvents disaster while
making
conscious decisions to remain a key player, resisting their powers.
When
is a war
truly won? Jo Horne encourages readers to think about this and other
issues
revolving around courage, choice, consequence, and the preservation of
one's
moral and ethical compass during periods of conflict and
life-challenging
change.
Perhaps
one of
the reasons why this story feels especially vivid is that its fiction
rests
firmly upon facts about the life of the real Monica Beresford Wichfeld.
While
Jo Horne adds extrapolations about what her thoughts and feelings would
have
been, the background of this world and its challenges are all too real.
Wichfeld's courage and efforts are well documented.
Readers
who look
for stories of resistance, survival, and personal perseverance against
all odds
will find much to relish about Monica's War and its
messages of
survival.
This
compelling
saga deserves a spot in a wide range of collections; from historical
novels to
those that revolve around World War II Nazi resistance techniques.
It's
a vivid
account that assures that Monica Beresford Wichfeld won't be forgotten.
Return to Index
More
Than the
Game
Jenni Bara
Point Publishing
9781737560012
$16.00 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
www.Jennibara.com
More Than the Game is a sports romance centered upon two things: love
and baseball.
Readers who love the sport and also appreciate romance tales will find
the
story explores female Olympic athletes and their challenges as well as
the
arena of relationship-building.
Former
Olympian
Beth Evans settles down to what she thinks will be a quiet small-time
life,
only to find there's more to the game than retirement. Her story opens
not on
the ball field, but with a Twitter blow-up as her late husband's
brothers
return fire over an accusation her father has made on social media.
Beth
doesn't really use Twitter, but the fallout of these ill-made postings
reaches
her anyway, and affects her life.
This
single
mother of two has enough on her hands, but life is about to get more
complicated. Beth is drawn into scandal during an unexpected encounter
with
Twitter bad boy Marc (also an ex-athlete, whose sordid reputation
precludes him
getting a job in the sports industry).
The
two seem the
most unlikely to succeed. But, each has cultivated a determination and
sense of
strength that attracts the other.
Beth's
life
without her husband has helped build her courage and convictions: "It’d
been four years since she buried him; four years since she had been
able to
hide behind the man who protected her. He’d been everything her younger
self
needed. It was more comfortable, more normal, being Bob’s wife—Beth
Evans—than
it was to be her father’s infamous daughter, Elizabeth Campbell."
But
as she
enters into a new arena with Marc, lit with fiery encounters and lost
men
filled with hate, Beth faces yet another struggle to meld her newfound
independence with another's goals.
Jenni
Bara
creates an intricate dance between sports and interpersonal
relationships that
will satisfy romance readers seeking more action than an evolving
relationship
alone. She considers relationships born of obligation that move into
something
more, the challenge of changing bad images through good intentions, and
the
influence of role-playing, which brings an extra charge into the
evolving
relationship.
The
baseball
world revolves around these developments and maintains a strong
backdrop as
Marc and Beth let their pasts and future play out. Forced, once, to
give up
what they loved for the sake of romance, each must find a new way to
integrate
all their passions, this time around.
The
integration
of sports into the equation of commitments and sacrifice creates a
story that
excels in emotional and sexual passion. More Than the Game's
heady
inspections of relationship-building and an evolving new sense of self
will
satisfy romance readers who are also interested in sports and career
decision-making processes.
Return to Index
Nermina's
Chance
Dina Greenberg
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63944-625-4
$19.95
https://atmospherepress.com/books/nerminas-chance-by-dina-greenberg/
Nermina's Chance is a novel of war, violation, and women's lives
during the Balkan War
in the 1990s. It is a stark portrait of survival which brings to mind
the
shocking circumstances of women's lives in the hard-hitting classic
movie Two
Women, in which actress Sophia Loren portrayed a woman
determined to
protect her vulnerable daughter during a 1940s siege in Italy.
Contrast
this to
Nermina's Chance, where refugee and survivor Nermina
Beganović faces
brutality and atrocities that destroy everything she's loved, and she
struggles
to survive both physically and mentally.
As past and present experiences coalesce, Nermina makes her way through
a new
world and faces different opportunities affected by the traumas she's
endured
as she strives to keep her daughter, Atika, safe after fleeing her
homeland.
Nermina
faces
the results of her drive for independence and the choices she's made on
behalf
of her young daughter, revealing the foundations of her quest to build
the best
life she can even as ghosts of the past haunt her: "Her
cuticles sting
from the soapy hot water and her mind re-traces her rationale for
raising Atika
on her own—her choice, she maintains—to stay single all these years.
Just as it
had been her choice to leave Carl out of the equation from the start.
And now
his choice, it seems, to be a father to Atika. Even now. And this is a
good
thing, a sweet thing like this cake baking in the oven."
Where
the
classic movie Two Women was a story that focused on
brutality and nodded
to its aftermath and impact, Nermina's Chance
focuses on the survival
and recovery process that affects several generations and results in
choices
that lead to both sadness and happiness.
How
Nermina
builds the foundations of family upon the ashes of brutal experience
makes for
a compelling story that should be in the collections of any fiction
reader
interested in accounts of survival and the elusive, tricky nature of
learning
to love and trust again.
Return to Index
One
Star Away
Imogene Salva
Independently
Published
979-8685307378
$14.99
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/One-Star-Away-Imogene-Salva/dp/B08L3NW8JZ
Readers
of World
War II history and biographies well know just how much literature
competes in
this category. But the reason why One Star Away differs
from
many others lies in Imogene Salva's ability to translate her family's
stories
of fleeing wartime Poland into a compelling story that juxtaposes
family
adversity and struggles to survive with the inherent kindnesses of
others who
allow them to do so.
This
is most
assuredly not your typical World War II story. Salva unfolds a
little-known
piece of history through the eyes of her mother Ziuta, who was 8 years
old when
her WWII odyssey began. The story of Ziuta’s family's arrest and
deportation
from Poland to prison camps in the Soviet Union and the tale of India's
role in
refugee politics, a kindly Maharaja's interjection in saving children
from
far-away Poland, and how a Hindu prince becomes involved in overseas
struggles
is one that does not appear in most World War II accounts.
While
this novel
is based on family experience and history, Imogene Salva chooses a
format that
will gain it a wider audience, building upon the dramatic "you are
there" feel of fiction to incorporate all the facts into a story based
not
just on facts, but on the emotions, responses, influences upon, and
values of
people in different countries, of all ages and races.
As
readers move
through a chronological exploration from 1922 Switzerland to 1942
India, there
are plenty of tools to help even those with marginal history knowledge
with the
milieu of these struggles, from maps and a recap of history to a list
of
characters and a Polish pronunciation guide. All these appear before
the
prologue in a succinct set-up that places history buffs on even ground
with
newcomers to these events, places, and peoples.
Kind
gestures
and religious sentiments blend with teachings about how "The world can
be
a sad place...greed and desire live in the hearts of many men." In the
end, good triumphs over evil in the benevolent gestures of the Maharaja
who
gives refugee children a safe harbor despite political and social
pressures
against it, the effects of kindness as a ripple reflected in others is
portrayed as a powerful force for change.
This
is not just
a story of survival. It's a tale of hope, kindness, and the ultimate
effects of
risk-taking and moral and ethical convictions, all blended into a
heartfelt
spiritual and social journey that strays far from any anticipated World
War II
tale of survival.
One Star Away doesn't just deserve a
spot in any World War II
history or memoir collection. It demands it,
providing
prospective and a backdrop largely unexplored elsewhere. It fills in
many gaps
while providing a fine, engrossing read that captivates on many levels
and even
entertains while delivering its heartfelt messages.
Return to Index
Reunion
of the
Good Weather Suicide Cult
Kyle McCord
Atmosphere Press
978-1639880447
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Tom
Duncan is
the sole survivor of a massive suicide cult. You'd think his survival
and
recovery would be something to applaud; but think again. Tom's been
accused of
masterminding these deaths. And there's nobody left alive to defend him.
Reunion of the Good
Weather Suicide Cult is a vivid
story probing the fictional Good
Weather Community and its ultimate statement, but goes beyond the
examination
of one spiritual cult's final message to consider what it leaves behind
in the
way of shattered lives, shocking perceptions, and a survivor's vastly
revised
world.
Those
who lived
through the shocking news of the Jim Jones story will find much
familiar about
this story; but many new insights emerge from it, as well.
Some
of these
include survivor guilt and recovery processes; contrasts between belief
systems, truth, and lies; the motivations behind joining or leaving
religious
communities; and how men become prophets to lead followers down
difficult roads
that ordinarily would seem false, if common sense were applied to the
equation.
Kyle
McCord
details Tom's survival process on many different levels; from physical
to
spiritual and psychological.
With
an
investigative detective force certain of his guilt and determined never
to quit
until this is revealed and proven, to trips down memory lane, murder
charges,
sacrifices, and cruelty, McCord
details
Tom's multifaceted journey with an astute eye to social inspection and
processes of judgment and redemption alike.
As
faith at its
best and worst are closely examined, readers receive a
thought-provoking study
in perspectives and survival traits that contrasts individual and group
decision-making processes and the psychological impacts of both.
Readers
interested in spiritual communities, murder mysteries, recovery
processes, and
group dynamics alike will find Reunion of the Good Weather
Suicide Cult
hard to put down.
As
gripping as
it is in its portrait of Tom's challenges and recovery, it's equally
thought-provoking in its depiction of cult attitudes, social and
criminal
response systems, and how survivors and cult members are judged both
within
that system and outside of it.
For
these
reasons and more, Reunion of the Good Weather Suicide Cult
stands apart
from other fiction about cults as an astute, revealing, and highly
recommended
read.
Return to Index
Sins
of the
Fathers
Herbert J. Stern
and Alan A. Winter
Skyhorse
978-1510769427
$29.99 Hardcover/$19.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Sins-Fathers-Herbert-J-Stern/dp/1510769420
Sins of the Fathers represents historical fiction at its best,
revolves around World War
II events, and tells of the efforts of German leaders to engage
England's aid
in bringing down Hitler in 1938.
The
prologue
that opens in 1936 reviews prior the events in the novel Wolf,
creating
a seamless backdrop for the story that evolves here, as general
Friedrich
pursues the truth: that Hitler is a psychopath, and his rise to power
portends
a disaster that only he may be able to stop: "The French are
afraid of
Hitler. Half the British Lords support him. The Americans bury their
collective
heads in the sand believing they are protected by two great oceans. And
the
Jews. My people are crushed between a tyrant determined to force them
to leave
and the indifferent world that refuses to accept them. Friedrich, when
war
comes—and we both know it will—there must be someone inside to help
save those
who can be saved, to help defeat Hitler anyway we can. If not you, then
who?”
As
events unfold
in 1934 Berlin, readers are carried into a world poised for a coup that
will
change everything. It takes one prime minister to thwart this coup,
bringing on
a disaster that comes to life with first-person experiences of an
insider who
lives in two very different worlds: "Simultaneously being a
member of
Hitler’s inner circle while working behind the scenes to stop his march
toward
war caused me many sleepless nights. Christmas dinner provided a
reprieve."
Herbert
J. Stern
and Alan A. Winter take a lesser-known incident of World War II history
and
politics and uses it to explore the changes and events that affected
the
outcome of Hitler's rise to power. History buffs will find the use of
the first
person lends authenticity and immediacy to the story, as does the care
taken to
capture the atmosphere (both personal and political) of the times.
From
court cases
and lies to betrayal, subterfuge, and the perspectives that paved the
path to
war, Stern and Winter provide a chilling portrait of both military men
and
leaders and ordinary individuals caught up in a series of events that
lead to a
deadly outcome.
More
so than
most World War II books about Hitler's rise to power, Sins of
the Fathers
takes an especially hard look at the social, legal, and political
processes
that contributed to Hitler's rule. Long before the Holocaust actually
began,
there were plenty of warning signs and deliberate decisions made
surrounding
them. Germany's national physical assault on Jews began on a
psychological and
social level long before these moments. Sins of the Fathers
does an
outstanding job of documenting these early indicators and influences.
This
is a story
that should not only be in any World War II collection, but assigned
reading in
classes as a prime example of the thought processes and inclination to
dehumanize people to justify genocide that became such a big part of
the
formula for disaster.
Perfect
for
debate, discussion, and deeper insights, Sins of the Fathers
is highly
recommended reading as the perfect example of how historical fiction
offers the
opportunity for readers to dig further under the emotional layers of
influence,
responsibility that led to devastating social consequences for all.
Return to Index
Stoking Hope
C. K. McDonough
D.X. Varos, Ltd.
978-1-955065-10-8
$3.49 ebook
www.dxvaros.com
Stoking
Hope
will attract readers who enjoy historical novels featuring strong women
who act
decisively to build lives and careers for themselves and generations to
follow.
The prologue opens in a coal
mining town in Pennsylvania
in 1909, when young Martha and Frederic are exploring their
possibilities and
heritages. C.K. McDonough draws readers into the social and cultural
milieu of
these times through these young eyes: “Why
don't you like sauerkraut?” Frederic asked. Martha shrugged. “I like
it,” she
said. “But not every day.” “Would you rather eat potatoes every day?
Like the
McMurphy's? Or the Doyles?” Frederic lifted his chin, tented a hand
over his
eyes and looked towards the apex of the street, the steepest section of
the
patch where the houses were nearly stacked on top of each other. The
Irish
section."
This ability to set the
stage with an atmospheric
observation of environment and social norms succeeds in cementing the
influences and attitudes of the first generation that McDonough
presents in
this sweeping story.
The second chapter, set nine
years later in 1918 Webster
Hill, Pennsylvania, moves Martha Kraus into adulthood. Here, she
considers
marriage to beau Peter Doyle, whom her father considers a scoundrel.
She then
faces becoming a single mother devoted to her daughter Frances, whose
life
follows a path that too closely mirrors her mother's mistakes.
McDonough's ability to move
through time to capture and
juxtapose these very different lives makes for a sweeping, yet smooth,
story
that easily traverses time and place. Her approach brings readers into
different eras in which two women and their families pursue new lives
and
develop revised perspectives.
Her ability to take five
decades of change and
incorporate them into a story that is satisfyingly filled with social
and
political observation, yet firmly rooted in the choices and challenges
of women
who evolve into their strengths and roles as influencers of their
times, is
especially notable.
From struggles with loss,
grief, and social and legal
challenges to how women become pioneers and trailblazers as social
norms
changed, McDonough crafts a story that is a powerful testimony to
family ties
and the ability of hearts to heal and change with the times.
As characters that were "not
raised that way"
rise to the challenges and calls to change their lives and perspectives
of
propriety and justice, Stoking Hope
moves through and between worlds changed by adversity and courage.
The final message imparted
by women who "never give
up" and never let go of hope is stunningly represented in the
conclusion
of a story that will delight readers who enjoy American history epics
strong in
psychological growth, revelations, and changing lives.
Historical fiction and
women's literature libraries will
find Stoking Hope an attractive
addition.
Return to Index
Tides Beneath Unshattered
Love: Paris
L.C. Renie
Independently Published
9781736498101
www.lcrenie.com
In Tides
Beneath
Unshattered Love: Paris, psychiatrist
Alexandria Belmont well knows the challenge of
managing inherited
traits. Her struggles with the albinism that runs in her
family is part of
not only her life, but the reason why she became a psychiatrist.
A new chapter opens in that
life when her best friend
invites her to join her on a Paris vacation, and she is set to enjoy
new
experiences. But when Samantha backs out at the last minute and leaves
Alexandria on her own, she enters uncharted waters that test her
resolve to try
something new, as well as challenges to her friendship with Samantha.
The holiday that was
supposed to offer a respite from her
recent divorce becomes a trial in and of itself as Alexandria faces
uncertainty
about not just the solo trip, but being newly single.
She misses her ex-husband,
who was a steady rock in her
life since high school. She also recognizes that she would have bailed
on this
trip were it not for the very person who is bailing on her with the
admonition
of "Ms. Unapologetic takes no crap."
However, Samantha is not out
of her life yet. As she
learns new truths about her friend and herself, Alexandria's life
expands,
introducing readers to past secrets and new future opportunities.
L.C. Renie is adept at
weaving accounts of intrigue,
identity crisis, romance, and new developments into a story replete
with
character fragilities and strong commitments.
Readers receive more than a
light development of love in
Paris. It's a tale that considers Alexandria's own well-built barriers
and how
she comes to reveal more of herself to others and herself in unexpected
ways as
she becomes much more of a risk-taker than she ever has in the past.
The process by which
Alexandria overcomes many engrained
fears and preconceptions of who she is and her future makes for
particularly
involving reading...perhaps as compelling as the head-over-heals
romance she
finds herself entwined in.
Tides
Beneath
Unshattered Love: Paris is a powerful probe of matters of the
heart and psyche.
Its ability to take a psychiatrist's growth and evolution to the next
level
beyond a romantic interest alone lends it a three-dimensional heart
that will
appeal to romance readers looking for more depth than most genre
romances
offer.
Return to Index
War
Story
Rolf C. Margenau
Independently
Published
978-0-9976158-7-6
eBook: $4.99;
Paperback: $16.95
Author website:
www.rolfmargenau.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BMHLTZW
Readers
of World
War II fiction will find War Story a compelling
novel because, unlike
most such fiction which takes place either on the home front or on the
battlefield, this story juxtaposes the changed lives and perspectives
of four
very different characters during the war.
Three
of the
characters are from New Haven, Connecticut. They are a nine-year-old
boy who
recalls growing up during the war; an aviatrix who transports war
planes for
Allied forces; and an engineering graduate from Yale who foregoes his
career to
become an Army officer, traveling to Britain to become involved with
the Enigma
code and the OSS.
The
fourth
character is a German tank commander captured in North Africa and sent
to a POW
camp in Mississippi.
These
diverse
people from different age groups and walks of life find their purposes,
training, and trajectory changed by a war which leads them to encounter
each
other in ways peacetime never could have brought about.
Descriptions
are
very vividly portrayed, lending a "you are here" feel to the story
line: "The peacefulness of the scene ended as a brilliant
orange
explosion shattered the mid-section of the ship opposite them,
throwing pieces
of steel into the air. The ship shuddered, then slowed. Horst saw a
sizeable
hole at the waterline amidships, but all was quiet, as though the
detonation
shocked the world into stillness. Then another explosion shook the
ship, and
flames and thick greasy smoke poured from the deck hatches. The ship
listed toward
its damaged side, and men clambered to the railings opposite. Horst
heard
explosions like corn popping and blaring horns of the destroyer as it
turned
eastward, making smoke.
Rolf
C. Margenau
is also adept at twists and turns of plot bringing these disparate
individuals
into contact with one another, introducing elements of romance and
transformation that requires each to rely on their training,
experience, and
abilities to not just survive, but contribute to their causes.
The
sense of
humor that peppers these encounters is unexpected and subdued, but
provides
additional surprises in the course of a story that embraces World War
II's many
political, personal, and technological challenges.
The
result, more
than most in its genre, is a multifaceted, appealing read that utilizes
four
characters' very different perspectives and objectives to contrast the
war's
evolution and outcome in realistic, diverse ways.
Historical
fiction readers with a special interest in the times, as well as those
who
appreciate a strongly rooted wartime story, will find War
Story a
standout for its depth, contrasts, and ability to mine the field of
conflict
for deeper underlying influences and messages.
Return to Index
A
White Star in
a Red Sky
Chris Berman
Fireship Press
9781736620304
$19.99 Paper/$7.99 ebook
www.fireshippress.com
Historical
fiction readers interested in stories that revolve around women's
military
efforts during World War II will be pleased to learn that A
White Star in a
Red Sky presents women in active combat roles in a story that
goes beyond
the usual depiction of nurses on the front lines.
Chris
Berman
adds extra dimensions of depth in presenting the unlikely, evolving
friendship
of two very different female fighters: 19-year-old Angela Moretti, a
WAFS ferry
pilot charged with bringing equipment into Alaska for Russian pilots to
fly
into battle; and her Russian counterpart Katya Leonova, a Red Air Force
fighter
pilot.
Bonded
by the
shared circumstance of both their opposition efforts and the fact that
beloved
family members have been killed by the Nazis, Angela and Katya embark
on a
journey that places them in the center of battles on land and air.
Based
on the
first women to fly military aircraft, this story of how these two
strike up a
friendship and join forces above the Eastern Front focuses on gripping,
action-packed descriptions that typically are regulated to male
characters, but
come to life through their eyes.
The
story begins
with the new-aged Angela's vivid 1992 flashback memory of an air battle.
Angela
is a
mother, grandmother, and wife. 49 years later, she's flying back to
Russia in a
very different manner than when she left it. Her memories and
experiences power
a vivid reenactment of events from a woman's perspective that reviews
the
source of her rage over the death of her brother at Nazi hands and her
determination to become not just an effective fighter, but one not
easily
forgotten.
As
Berman spins
his yarn, his background in military history helps satisfy readers who
want
their characters set against a realistic backdrop. His ability to
portray a
woman's heart and mind might seem questionable, at first, coming from a
male
writer; but the perspectives and insights are impeccable, blending
emotional reactions
and overlays into a history that is vibrant and thoroughly engrossing.
The
Battle of
Kursk is a historical fact, and Berman is quite clear about separating
the
fiction from actual events and controversies that still swirl around
its
historical depiction today. An Afterword proves just as compelling in
its
roundup as the story itself, providing information many readers won't
have
previously absorbed elsewhere.
Too
many World
War II stories hold the same themes, familiar-sounding characters, and
battle
descriptions. The women involved in this effort are usually regulated
to
supportive roles in combat, so it's especially refreshing to see an
action-packed scenario led by women and powered by their friendships,
reactions, motivations, and, especially, their strengths.
All
these
factors set A White Star in a Red Sky apart from
the usual World War II
story, incorporating history and fiction in a seamless, compelling
manner to
delight readers of military strategy, World War II history, and women's
experiences alike.
Return to Index
1 Facebook
Post, 7
Days, 900 Photos and Counting
Chris Maltby
Cresting Wave
Publishing, LLC
978-1-7354135-5-6
$29.95/$14.99
www.gocwpub.com
1 Facebook Post, 7 Days, 900 Photos and Counting
is rich with Chris
Maltby's black and white photos and tells stories in a series of black
and
white images that reflect Maltby's passion for the medium.
A photo
challenge
that came through his Facebook feed (to post seven black and white
photos in
seven days—images that held no people and came with no explanations)
led to an
unexpected creative effort that resulted in far more than Maltby
anticipated.
What he
thought would
be a piece of cake turned into a passion that solidified his attraction
to
black and white photography: "Black
and white pictures spoke; color pictures objected."
But, 1 Facebook Post, 7 Days, 900 Photos and
Counting is more than just a photo collection (although this
forms the foundation
of the presentation). It's also an artist's notebook explaining how he
came to
take these photos. Herein lays the nuggets of inspirational wisdom that
make
this production a standout: "If you
ask me, stairs are the most critical part of a building. A ranch house
is fine,
but a four-story townhouse is fantastic. And a set of sweeping spiral
stairs
is…Well, if nothing else, they’re the reason I took this shot the
second I saw
it.!"
From San
Francisco's
architectural scenarios to a cathedral in Florence on Day 738, Maltby's
observations and insights are creative forces that move beyond
explanation to
celebrate the reasons why the image stood out and deserved to be
captured: "My silence screams humility. When
looking with stunned eyes. At the magnificence of this cathedral."
The result
is a
powerful synthesis of written word and black and white art that delves
into a
sense of place, purpose, and creative efforts to capture atmosphere and
action.
Whether
representing
a speeding car in Oakland, a horse mobile at the San Francisco Airport,
or the
surprising geometry of the Life Sciences Building that is the Annex of
the
University of California at Berkeley, these artistic representations
will
delight contemporary artists and enthusiasts of the black and white
medium.
Like the
works of
Ansel Adams and others who have devoted lives and art to black and
white, the
contemporary works of Chris Maltby are not to be missed. 1
Facebook Post, 7 Days, 900 Photos and Counting should be in
every
contemporary arts library, and should also be considered a foundation
work for
students of modern black and white photographic art.
Return to Index
Coordinating
the
Chaos: Through Birth and Burnout
Dr. Christy
Matusiak
Outskirts Press
978-1-9772-4379-9
$22.95 Paper/$2.99 ebook
www.outskirtspress.com
If
you're a new
parent, welcome to mayhem.
Many
gifts come
to new parents through baby showers, but there is perhaps no better
gift to
provide a mother new to parenting and babies than Coordinating
the Chaos:
Through Birth and Burnout, which reviews the survival tactics
key to a
mother and child's survival of the early years of life, after birth.
Dr.
Christy
Matusiak, herself a mother of three, is a holistic physician who has
treated
many a parent for exhaustion. She has developed tried-and-tested,
simple
techniques for returning physical, mental, and spiritual
strength and
equilibrium to stressed-out new parents.
These
techniques
ideally will be absorbed before the birth of a
baby, but can be read any
time there is a moment to comprehend their applications and importance.
They
range from
a system called Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), which "helps
disconnect
the stress from your past and subconscious beliefs from your body," to
tips and techniques that directly address a mother's physical ability
to care
for her child.
From
handling
over- and under-supply of milk during breastfeeding to considering
homeopathic
remedies for common childhood ailments and establishing a good
foundation for
the successful transition from milk to solid food that is nutritional
and
well-balanced, Dr. Matusiak addresses and resolves many of the common
problems
of early child-rearing which tend to contribute a sense of chaos and
confusion
to new parents.
New
parents need
this book's solid advice on how to care for the entire family to make
the
chaotic feeling dissolve into one of loving nurture and purposeful,
informed
child-rearing actions that support everyone involved with the new
arrival.
Coordinating the
Chaos should be the gift of
choice at a wedding shower, on the shelves of
health and parenting libraries, and on the radar of new moms interested
in
making a smoother transition into parenthood.
Return to Index
Divine Sparks
Starr Regan DiCiurcio
DartFrog Books
978-1-953910-94-3
$15.99
Print/$5.99 ebook
www.dartfrogbooks.com
Divine
Sparks:
Interfaith Wisdom for a Postmodern World gathers wisdom from
all the
world's faiths to address a wide audience of both spiritual readers and
those
who lack such foundations. It is designed to be a far-reaching
collection that
appeals to all seeking to identify what is good and beautiful in the
faith
community.
Her book reaches into these
different faiths with an
embracing vision of what elements go into creating a welcoming,
inclusive
community and a blossoming attitude about being part of this world.
While readers expect (and
receive) a spiritual education,
there are also many connections made to choice, opportunity, and the
consequences
of living a more aware lifestyle: "As
adults, our consciousness evolves, and we come to understand that we
are
inextricably part of the cosmos. We recognize that we bear
responsibility for
our planet...We may begin to choose more responsibly sourced meats,
more local
produce, more vegetarian meals, and vegan options. As we make choices
that
promote environmental well-being, we nourish our own inner peace, and
joy
arises. It is important to make any small step in the right direction.
The
steps keep mounting, and the impact of our footprints on the earth
becomes
gentler."
These pair nicely with Starr
Regan DiCiurcio's own
experiences as she visits monasteries and religious communities,
absorbs
teachings and meditations in many different ways, and comes to realize
that the
wellspring of spiritual thinking and mindful actions stem from new
opportunities to "educate, exchange ideas, support, and encourage."
Indeed, Divine
Sparks represents the pursuit and absorption of these
wide-ranging goals of
living better and being more connected to the divine spirit, teaching
readers,
by example, how they can identify their own lessons and connections
from daily
life events.
Whether the goal is bringing
your days into greater
balance or undertaking a pilgrimage, DiCiurcio paves the way towards
enlightenment in a manner designed to prove accessible and familiar to
readers
from all walks of life and religious belief systems.
Divine
Sparks will
appear in new age collections, certainly, but it would be a shame to
think her
audience comes from this segment of population alone. Ideally, Divine Sparks will show up in self-help,
new age, and all manner of faith collections, even in holdings pursued
by
agnostics or atheists.
Its message is that
far-reaching and that effective,
closely linking life choices and trajectories to objectives for the
greater
good.
Return to Index
Happy
Here and
Now
Matt Tracy
Chiloé Press
978-1-7366459-0-1
$27.00
Hardcover/$17.00 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
www.happyhereandnowbook.com
Happy Here and Now:
Lasting Happiness You Can Count On
is a basic primer on finding happiness that
delves into how happiness is defined, recognized, and incorporated into
life.
Many books have been written on the subject, but Matt Tracy's differs
in
several ways.
First,
he begins
with an examination of "where you are now." Without this reference
point, it's difficult to identify, define, and progress to locating
happiness.
This process acknowledges some of the special challenges involved: "One
problem you might encounter when reading this book is that what works
to bring
happiness might sound wrong the first time you hear it. It may go
against what
you’ve been told about success and happiness. What’s true is that the
very
things that seem like they should make you happy instead make you
stressed, and
things that seem like they will only make you poorer make you happier."
The
only
requirement for the successful enactment of Tracy's tips are to keep an
open
mind and take small steps. His advice traverses how to choose and
reshape one's
life and goals to add a sense of control where there is currently
little to
none, drawing connections between beliefs and action.
From
how bad and
good experiences are described and identified to learning how to
assimilate
meaning from life, Tracy takes readers through a host of underlying
attitudes
affecting the identification and experience of happiness.
He
adds examples
from his own life and cements this journey with ideas on how to
identify
important concepts and separate them from less positive words and
thoughts.
The
result is a
treatise that will best be appreciated by self-help readers willing to
take the
first step towards self-empowerment and cultivating a happier
perspective.
Without
action,
there is no reaction or change.
Readers
willing
to put in the work to self-examine and make these effective transitions
will
find Happy Here and Now an intrinsic guide to a
process that ideally
needs a roadmap—this book—in order to streamline the goals.
Return to Index
He
Was Our Man
in Washington
Owen Symes
Zero Books
978-1789043310
$29.95 Paper/$20.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/He-Was-Our-Man-Washington/dp/178904331X
He Was Our Man in
Washington: A History of the Obama
Years joins a host of other books
about the Obama era, but offers a difference—it narrows its inspection
to six
key struggles and actions which marked Obama's legacy. Thus, it holds
the
opportunity to provide in-depth insights where more general Obama
discourses
only lightly touch upon these issues.
The
six areas of
focus are the War on Terror; the legacy of the recession of 2007;
marginal
group struggles; the Affordable Care Act; climate change; and
Indigenous
peoples' struggles. Each issue receives its own section and numerous
chapters
which outline various aspects of these concerns, often criticizing the
impact
and effects of presidential choices and approaches to the problems: "Obama’s
policy in Libya was the loudest example of a typically quiet approach.
Across
the African continent, AFRICOM spent the two terms of the first black
president
dotting the landscape with outposts, bases, forward supply positions.
Local
airfields allowed US spy drones to operate, local troops made use of US
equipment and training to hunt down their enemies (or topple their
government,
as was the case with Mali), and US special forces spread themselves
across
Africa, engaging in some 546 “activities” over the course of 2013
alone, a 217
percent increase from 2008. The sustained expansion of this battlespace
over
the course of Obama’s presidency, occurring as it did almost entirely
out of
the public’s view, bodes ill for the future."
Readers
anticipating a one-sided laudatory review may be stymied by this
critical
treatise, but those who want a more even assessment of not just the
pros but
the cons of this administration's decisions will find He Was
Our Man in
Washington offers much food for thought.
Another
important fact is that this book comes heavily footnoted with research
supporting both the history and the author's analysis. This attention
to detail
provides not just facts, but more materials for further reading, for
those who
would pursue source materials and statistical references.
The
result is a
fine, in-depth survey of a wide range of topics, from civil rights to
the
environmental and political issues which received decisive action and
influence
from the Obama administration.
Political
science readers who would go beyond surface reports to truly understand
political process and influence will find He Was Our Man in
Washington a
well-researched and thought-provoking analysis, especially well suited
for
classroom discussion and debate, as well as individual study.
Return to Index
Heal
the Hurt
Michael D.
McGee, MD
WellMind Press
978-1-7356914-1-1
https://drmichaelmcgee.com
Heal the Hurt: 20
Ways To Ease Emotional Suffering
is a testimony to the power of individual
purpose in the healing process, and discusses the treatment and various
approaches involved in addressing psychological trauma.
Dr.
McGee
cultivates a three-step program that anyone can embark upon, offering
lessons
for mitigating past, present, and future emotional pain and its
influence on engrained
responses to life.
There
are many
sources of emotional pain, but most struggles come from a combination
of life
circumstance and personal response. While many concepts and approaches
are
outlined here, the foundation of McGee's discussion lies in the
contention that
"...all of us suffer from what I call a “Love Wound”—even the
most
fortunate among us. The only differences between us are the specifics
and
degree of our individual trauma. This is a wounding of our sense of our
goodness, our interconnectedness to others, and our sense of living in
a loving
Universe that has our back. It’s also a wounding of our capacity to
love
ourselves and others. This Love Wound is the source of tremendous
suffering in
the world, and only through healing it can we ease our emotional pain."
As
chapters
reveal the connections between these 'Love Wounds' and self-esteem,
they
support the idea that suffering can lead to strength and a better life
through
revised attitudes, approaches, and self-inspection. But, this is only
possible
if readers undertake the journey outlined in Heal the Hurt.
One
would
anticipate the focus would be on preventing such
hurt, but Dr. McGee
promotes a transformative process that shows how to heal from pain in a
positive manner that doesn't just translate the pain to harmful actions
towards
self and others: "...our harmful actions don’t make us bad
people—they
make us harmful people. That’s something that can change with
willingness,
effort, and support."
The
dual focus
on the processes and impact of harming either self or others is covered
in
chapters which offer the surprise of moving from a self-centered focus
to a
concern for others. This brings readers into an area defined more by
personal
responsibility than self-healing efforts alone.
By
healing
ourselves, we each have the opportunity to transmit these positive
actions to
the world at large. The onus is on the reader to adopt many of the
techniques
Dr. McGee covers here; from lovingly holding people accountable to
cultivating
a sense of unconditional kindness and acceptance and "starting each day
with an intention to love."
That's
the
ultimate message in a self-help book that will make a difference not
just in
the approaches of readers, but for the greater good. This is the reason
why Heal
the Hurt is recommended above others: it offers a broader
perspective of
the experience, purpose, translation, and reflection of pain on both an
individual and social level.
Return to Index
Healing the Stormy Marriage
R. Christian Bohlen with Helen M. Bohlen
Carpenter's Son Publishing
9781949572773
$14.99
https://www.amazon.com/Happy-After-All-Emotional-Addiction/dp/1949572773
If this sounds like the book
is another general marital
advice guide, be advised that Healing the
Stormy Marriage narrows its focus to the addiction and
mental health issues
that affect relationships rooted in
Christian
belief, in particular. This different
focus is refreshing: "Most adults with mental
illness are in a
close relationship with a loved one—someone like you. This book is
specifically
for you, their spouse."
The
central
thesis of the book is clear: "If spouses of the mentally ill
or
addicted can be spiritually strengthened and learn practical things
they can do
independently, more marriages can be saved."
Another big plus is that the
authors have lived through
these experiences and lessons, and inject their different perspectives
(both
individually and in their own marriage) into the case history examples.
This
perspective supports psychological and spiritual approaches to
problem-solving,
adding an authoritative note that backs statistics with personal
insights to
validate the applications of the psychological and spiritual principles
recommended.
The authors advise taking in
the first chapter, then
skipping around the book, choosing subjects that resonate from such
chapter
headings as "My Hopes for My Life Are Unraveling" and "My Needs
Are Not Being Met."
Those who live with mentally
ill spouses well know that
each heading represents a main topic of concern and struggle. This
audience
will welcome admonitions that embrace the realities and spiritual
impact of
such struggles.
Take the insights about
boundaries, a common
psychological discussion, for example. This is neatly wound into
Christian
beliefs in a way that psychological perspective alone can't fully
address: "Setting boundaries is one of the
hardest things you will have to do, but it’s also what God does with
us. It is
right and it is necessary. When the people of Israel went too far, God
enforced
significant consequences. When His people failed to establish
boundaries with
their neighboring nations, they ended up in dire straits, felt
miserable, and
were ultimately destroyed. I promise you that if you will set and
enforce
boundaries with love and do your best to apply flexible judgment with
the help
of the Holy Spirit (not based on whims and bad moods), you will
gradually see
order and stability enter your relationship—or it will become clear
that you
must separate."
The added value of Biblical
quotes, spiritual discussion,
and Christian analysis melds nicely with the traditional advice that
supports
marital analysis and different communication avenues. All this offers
inspiration to Christians who seek faith-based solutions to their
marital
problems.
Christians who want a very
different form of marital
advice guide that embraces the special challenges of mental illness and
communication issues will find Healing
the Stormy Marriage a unique discussion. It addresses topics
that more
general marital advice books often fail to consider.
Return to Index
Hold My Place
Cassondra Windwalker
Black Spot Books/Vesuvian Media
9781645481003
$15.95
Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Hold-My-Place-Cassondra-Windwalker/dp/164548100X
Horror fans who enjoy
novellas and shorter works that
pack a punch with fewer words than many will find Hold
My Place a satisfying blend of romance and ghost story. It
holds the appeal of the classic Rebecca,
but is entwined with an unexpected sense of wry humor and observation.
The first-person narrator is
a librarian. And before you
think "dull," keep in mind that Sigrun cultivates an interest in the
paranormal that defies the usual image of the mousy, shy librarian
personality:
"I have a weakness for paranormal
romance. So what? Librarians have the most degenerate taste in
literature there
is. Why do you think we’re forever trumpeting the cause of banned
books?"
Sigrun is deeply attracted
to a beautiful man and
initially redirects her passion into a gourmet cooking class, where "Here I am, two weeks later, abusing
beignet dough in a class of nine other no doubt equally infatuated
women. How
humiliating."
Despite all her reading of
paranormal literature, she
never anticipated that this man's entry into her life would bring with
it a
threat that rivals any of the reading she's done on the subject.
As readers move into the
events that unfold during the
course of this ill-fated romance, they will find Cassondra Windwalker a
worthy
opponent to the genre's often-formula productions. Hold
My Place is anything but ordinary or predictable, despite its
firm roots in the horror world.
Part of the reason why this
works especially well is Windwalker's
creation of a feisty character unafraid to expression her passion in
different
ways, already savvy in the possibilities of the paranormal world, and
yet
vulnerable to its lure and challenges.
This flawed hero brings all
the events to life using a
brevity of words and nicely paced action that draws readers in, leaves
them
laughing at unexpected descriptions, and creates a compelling story
filled with
romantic twists.
Readers who look for
well-balanced blends of horror,
passion, and unexpected humor will find that Hold
My Place cultivates a sassy sense of fun that is a satisfying
alternative to more staid and predictable genre reads: “So
let me see it,” he insisted as soon as we’d put our lunches away
and switched on the lights. For a second, I stared at him blankly,
wondering
how he could have known about the photo book in my bag. “The ring,” he
exclaimed impatiently. “Come on. It can’t be like you’ve had many
chances to
show it off. I still can’t believe you up and got married to a stranger
I
hadn’t approved of during quarantine. You do know everyone else is
getting
divorced, don’t you?” I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a strict
nonconformist.”
Return to Index
Coonoor Behal
New Degreee
Press
978-1-63676-948-6
$29.99
Hardcover/$19.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Quit-Life-Affirming-Joy-Giving-Up-ebook/dp/B093QN3GXJ
Many
have been
raised with the admonition to not be a quitter in life; but I
Quit! The
Life-Affirming Joy of Giving Up presents a different
viewpoint as it
illustrates how, sometimes, giving up is actually the best thing to do.
Most
will
associate the call to quit with work, but Coonoor Behal extends the
sentiment
to habits, self-identity, relationships, and goals and aspirations to
provide a
broader view of what it means to re-assess one's direction and choose a
different, better path.
Readers
slow to
change or question their set course may find many of these concepts
daunting.
It's not in the nature of most to reconsider their trajectory once a
path has
been set and time and effort put into staying the course.
But,
Behal
provides many keys to understanding definitions of achievement and
success,
pointing out when it's time to quit and make a change, and how to
effectively
do so.
As
chapters
unfold, they provide a blueprint for this reconsideration process with
diverse
case histories that reinforce the idea that "Sometimes our
capacity to
endure failure is much larger than we know." She also links
many
concepts to white supremacy cultural edicts. This approach offers much
food for
thought for not just self-help circles, but social and cultural issues
readers.
Behal's
culturally inclusive focus embraces and contrasts the experiences of
many
different cultures. One example is her survey of family relationships
and what these
mean in different ethnic groups, and how "dysfunctional normal" is
different not just in families in different cultures, but from friends
of
choice.
These
approaches
provide far more depth than the usual psychological survey, giving
readers
insights about the process of not just re-envisioning life, but
reconsidering
the underlying cultural and social prejudices that dictate a belief
structure,
course, or the definition of what constitutes success.
I Quit! The
Life-Affirming Joy of Giving Up
should be digested slowly. It's a much
wider-ranging survey than most will anticipate, and provides
reconsiderations
of Western traditions and concepts that should be part of any
discussion of
values, cultural differences, and the importance of quitting
comfortable
routines to take risks that lead to better outcomes.
Return to Index
Iceland's Secret
Jared Bibler
Harriman House
978-0-85719-899-0
$29.95
Hardcover/$18.95 Kindle
www.harriman.house.com
Iceland's
Secret:
The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Con is not
your usual
travelogue, but a financial review that ideally should be in any
financial or
international business or economics collection. It explores the
lesser-known
history of Iceland's 2008 financial collapse that took down the
nation's banks,
economy, and the author, Jared Bibler's, livelihood. It almost
destroyed the
nation.
That Iceland's
Secret was able to be published to expose an underlying con
game in its
entirety is testimony not only to the perseverance of Bibler in
uncovering
truths and facts, but to a writer who captures not just the financial
but the
social, political, and cultural milieu of the nation and its responses:
"The national political mood has also
hit rock bottom during these past months. The politicians in power
during the
run-up to the crisis at first refused to step aside and call for new
elections.
The heads of the central bank and the FME itself similarly refused. But
angry
mobs gathered daily in the frigid cold of downtown Reykjavík all winter
long.
They banged loudly on pots and pans, carrying banners and chanting
slogans in
front of the Alþingi (parliament),
every day for months."
Even more absorbing than the
financial secrets themselves
are the reactions of Iceland's people and government to the biggest
economic
crisis in its history. These elements support a story that is
eye-opening and
revealing, adding the personal touches needed to make it accessible and
appealing even to readers without any prior understanding of the 2008
events or
Icelandic culture.
From stock market
manipulations to Bibler's personal
involvement in a high-profile investigation, readers receive an
insider's view
tempered by the reactions of citizens and officials around him.
These elements contribute to
an exposé
that is powerfully presented and
tailored to appeal to a wide audience; especially those involved in
financial
circles, whether they trade in the stock market, are involved in
banking
regulations and processes, or are facing moral and ethical
accountability for
financial choices.
While Iceland's
Secret is recommended for financial collections, anyone
interested in Nordic
modern history and affairs will find it an exceptional read. Unlike
most
business books, it's very accessible to the lay reader and even
incorporates a
sense of intrigue and action that makes it a top recommendation for
general-interest collections, as well.
Return to Index
Kicking Ass in a Corset
Andrea Kayne
University of Iowa Press
978-1-60938-760-0
$18.00
www.uipress.uiowa.edu
Kicking
Ass in a
Corset is a leadership guide that stands out from the crowd
with a focus
that uses the women of Jane Austen's most popular novels as examples of
its
power principles.
It outlines six core
personality strengths (confidence, pragmatism,
diligence, integrity, playfulness, and humility) demonstrated by
Austen's
characters and links them to such leadership attributes as choice,
determination, perseverance, and flexibility.
Readers might think that a
prior familiarity with Jane
Austen's books and characters would be a prerequisite for appreciating
this
approach, but Andrea Kayne assumes no such grounding, revealing the
links
between leadership and personality traits with a survey that explains
everything and leaves nothing to doubt.
The question "What would
Jane do?" under
various common leadership challenges is steady throughout the book as
portraits
of her heroines are juxtaposed with portraits of typical leadership
issues and
leader responses.
Even more importantly, women
receive a modern vision of
the empowerment process that guides them from their innate female
responses to
life to revised, better approaches to adversity that are grounded in
their
feminine instincts and the real world.
The process and
characteristics of developing resilience
and perseverance, and how Austin's characters reflect this in the
course of
their confrontations, growth, and changing lives, serve as powerful
examples of
how these evolutionary processes translate to modern mindful approaches
to life
and leadership alike.
Case history examples of
these transformations accompany
specific, clear instructions on how to incorporate these traits into
one's
existing lifestyle and problem-solving: "In
order to put more (humble) Emma in your life, constantly be willing to
learn
from an internal place of openness and humility rather than project and
misbelieve fixed perfection. Admit that you could be wrong, and don't
always
have the answers, and be open and willing to learn from those around
you."
There's also an added bonus,
for literature readers: Jane
Austen's works can be viewed, discussed, and written about in quite a
different
light than the usual literary analysis offers.
The result is recommended
for business and leadership
self-help readers...and should also be included on the reading lists of
anyone
studying Jane Austen's works and characters. This different approach to
her
writings will be thoroughly appreciated, and their link to modern times
and
dilemmas opens new opportunities for reflection and discussion.
Return to Index
Make a Difference with
Mental Health Activism
Terri L. Lyon and Trish Lockard
Life At The Intersection Books
978-0-9980324-6-7
$7.99
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Difference-Mental-Health-Activism-ebook/dp/B09CNWBD1V
Many situations in life seem
to hold no promise of change;
but Make a Difference with Mental Health
Activism presents a different view. The book advocates for
the personal
power of engaging with community to make a real difference in peoples'
lives by
influencing social issues.
Because America's mental
health system is currently a
mess doesn't mean that empowerment and change aren't possible. Indeed,
in a
foreword by journalist and mental health activist Pete Earley, the onus
for
change is placed squarely on the shoulders of the reader: "There should be no shame in having a mental
illness, only shame
in not helping someone who does."
Terri L. Lyon and Trish
Lockard's audience can be those
with mental health conditions themselves, friends and loved ones, or
caregivers. Anyone cognizant of the issues involved in mental health
treatments
and management will find book inspiring and a call to action: "Activism could be the difference
between continued stigma, lack of parity, and shame of those with
mental health
disorders and advanced awareness, increased services, and emotional
support."
The time for change may be
now, but the question remains
as to how that change can happen. The authors address this central
piece by
presenting profiles of ordinary people who used their diverse abilities
to make
a difference in mental health care.
In one example, video
producer and comedian Christina Wolfgram
used her abilities to
transmit messages and empower others while struggling with her own
depression.In
other cases, a crafter sold products and donated to a cause. The book's
point
is that anyone - including actors, musicians, and a range of creators
can use
their skills to contribute to mental health advocacy. You don't have to
be a
policy wonk. Make a Difference
with Mental Health Activism demonstrates that there is no
single route to
success.
How much can you make a
difference? You'd be surprised.
From understanding change is achieved from specific actions to
analyzing
overlooked or under-utilized activism methods for the greatest
effectiveness,
this is not just an idealistic presentation, but a pragmatic analysis
of
efforts which can really work, given the right insights, backgrounds,
and
attention to detail.
This presentation is
concise, but powerful. It also
proves one needn't have a weighty tome of contacts or an advanced
degree in
order to make a difference.
A proverb says, "Better
to light one candle than to curse
the darkness."
Make
a Difference
with Mental Health Activism offers that guiding light of
experience,
analytical acuity, and positive perspective that encourages readers to
take
responsibility for transmitting mental health messages to the world,
and even
includes plans on how to stay motivated, engaged, and empowered during
that
process.
No social or political
issues collection (as well, of
course, as those strong in psychology) should be without this book,
which
provides an opportunity to hone personal empowerment in the face of a
daunting
social and health conundrum in modern America.
Return to Index
Mindful
Mondays
Kimberly V. Dwyer,
Ph.D.
Dwyer Psychological
Services, PC
978-1-7373253-1-4
$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Mondays-Transforming-Everyday-Reduce-ebook/dp/B096MXR8HY
Mindful
Mondays:
Transforming the Everyday to Claim Calm and Reduce Stress is
recommended
reading for new age and self-help audiences who want specific
guidelines to
reduce daily stress and develop a mindful approach to living in a
too-busy
world. It offers keys to adding meditation into daily routines with the
purposeful goal of "claiming calm."
It's that simple...and, as
Dr. Dwyer points out, it also
can be that complicated to achieve without a road map for success, one
of the
strengths of Mindful Mondays.
Herein lays a guideline for
success that goes beyond
teaching how to meditate, outlining what can be absorbed during that
process: "Sitting with feelings may also lead
to
the realization that some of our feelings, especially anger, can be
ego-driven
and not reflective of our soul’s deepest longings."
The tools for achieving a
more mindful state are
juxtaposed with analysis of the possibilities inherent in this
achievement to
help direct readers towards a new response to stress.
Each chapter outlines the
"what and the why" of
the process. Each considers the definition of goals, success, and their
ultimate impact on one's life perception and trajectory. Each also
specifically
outlines how to get to these places using exercises to help readers
better
connect with their values and priorities in life.
Even more importantly, Mindful Mondays takes the guesswork out
of developing clear
intentions, moving beyond the concept of mindfulness alone to consider
how its
opportunities apply to and appear in everyday living.
More so than most books
about either mindfulness or
meditation, Dwyer's specific approaches represent keys to understanding
that lead
to important takeaways. Fill-in pages for action, implementation, and
realization invite hands-on self-help readers to journal their progress
and
feelings in a logical progression of self-assessments throughout the
journey.
The result is a collection
of strategies synthesized into
small chunks of achievable goals that will lend to even the busiest
reader's
use.
Mindful
Mondays
will reach both newcomers to meditation and mindful concepts and those
more
seasoned, who want a game plan accessible to a busy lifestyle. It
should be in
any new age, self-help, and psychology collection as a solid game plan
for
positive directions and growth-inducing habits.
Return to Index
The
Mystery of
Christ
Thales of Argos
Radiant Books
9781639940004
$19.99 Hardback;
$12.99 Paperback; $3.99 ebook
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639940014
Publisher: https://www.radiantbooks.org/
The Mystery of
Christ: The Life-Changing Revelation of
the Great Initiate will reach
Christian and new age spirituality readers alike with its travel
through time
and experience, translated
from the
Russian by Alexander Gerasimchuk, with John Woodsworth.
The
story,
"born in the period after the 1917 Russian revolution in the city of
Odessa, Ukraine," holds powerful meaning for modern audiences as it
traverses the world of Thales, the Great Initiate of the Theban
Sanctuary,
whose experiences chart a foray into mysticism and spirituality that
some Christians
might initially dismiss as fantasy.
Those
who read
past these initial fantastic reflections ("I, Thales of
Argos, was left
alone with my Wisdom. I delved into my past, I remembered everything
that was
in the Great Atlantis. I bravely soared to the Highest Planes of
Reason. I
audaciously set out to fathom all the secret teachings. I knew that if
I did
not call the Goddess, I would never make my way out of this temple,
just as
those who had descended here before me had failed to escape.")
are in
for a treat, because Thales offers a blend of mysticism, Christian
inspection,
philosophy and spirituality that is vividly portrayed and unique.
What
were the
experiences of those who saw Christ with their own eyes? This story
delves into
deeper questions of belief, responsibility, and choice: "You
who have
now been abandoned by your protector and left face to face with your
Wisdom
alone, must find your own way out of the situation. Though the Great
Initiate
of the Theban Sanctuary, Thales of Argos, has comprehended Truth
himself, he
cannot convey it to you, for Truth is not something that can be
imparted — it
must be comprehended."
Its
history and
mystery are unparalleled and provide Christian and new age readers with
a rare
glimpse into the past as it discusses the enigma of Jesus the Nazarene,
reviews
ancient spiritual texts and experiences, and narrates the Crucifixion
and
Resurrection using poetic, evocative language unequalled in any other
survey.
The
wise
observations of Thales of Argos and his reflections on spiritual
mysteries,
past lives, and Christian connections to some of the greatest questions
of the
times creates a powerful account that should be considered a mainstay
of any
Christian literature, history, or spirituality collection.
The
words and
experiences of Thales of Argos are especially recommended for
theological
debate and discussion groups, where their interpretation and
experiences
promise a lively discourse, indeed.
Return to Index
Outgrowing
Capitalism
Marco Dondi
Fast Company
Press
978-1-7354245-7-6
$26.95
Publication
Date: November 9, 2021
Website: https://outgrowingcapitalism.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Outgrowing-Capitalism-Rethinking-Reshape-Society/dp/1735424579
Outgrowing
Capitalism: Rethinking Money to Reshape
Society and Pursue Purpose draws
important connections between the pursuit of money and financial
security and
the concurrent lack of time to consider bigger-picture thinking such as
finding
life purpose. It should be included in college-level classroom
discussions of
economic and social issues.
Capitalism's
standards on how money is generated, allocated, and used come under
close
scrutiny in a book that promotes giving money's power back to the
public in
different ways that afford more time for addressing societal issues and
the
challenge of better living for all.
Marco
Dondi has
a startling contention to support, here—that the capitalistic model has
outgrown its usefulness, and needs to be transformed.
While
this will
challenge and stymie those accustomed to traditional economic arguments
supporting capitalism's longevity and meaning, Dondi then undertakes
the
daunting task of identifying issues ranging from how money flows from
programs
and banks to move through consumers' hands, to what can be done to
streamline
and make the process more effective.
Dondi
illustrates that our current system is simply too cumbersome. He puts
forth
practical ideas for a more agile and nimble way to allocate money: "Monetism
is a much more present response, with its injections of permanent money
and its
counter-inflation taxes. It lets us better manage the economy with
precise
nudges, like changing counter-inflation taxes on specific products,
rather than
blanket, preventive moves like raising interest rates. Put differently,
if you
are piloting a boat at night and have only a hand-torch to light your
way,
would you rather be in a responsive motorboat or the Titanic?"
Dondi
does more
than maintain that money is being grossly mismanaged. He provides the
tools,
concepts, and blueprint for alleviating these problems at many
different
levels.
While
general-interest readers, from consumers to high school students,
certainly
will benefit from Dondi's accessible
and easy to follow examination,
it's the economics student who stands to gain the most from this
book...especially those involved in discussion groups and debates on
capitalism's future.
This
generation
needs Outgrowing Capitalism.
It
paves the way
towards new opportunities based on new ways of thinking about monetary
allocation, use, distribution, and systems supporting all levels of
society,
and does so in a way that blends history, economics, and social issues
in an
inviting, revealing, refreshing and bold manner.
Return to Index
Quickwater
Oracles
Ruth Thompson
Two Fine Crows Books
9781736525814
$7.99 Kindle/$20.00 Paper
www.twofinecrowsbooks.com
Quickwater Oracles: Conversations and Meditations
is not a series
of life admonitions, as is usually the case with meditative literary
works; but
a poetic channeling of intuitions and experiences into creative
expression,
introspection, and broader understanding.
Ruth
Thompson uses
these experiences to delve into many issues of life, from explorations
of
unconditional love to the process of becoming a writer and capturing
words of
truth and wisdom.
As the
pieces move
through nature, self, and philosophical contemplation, Thompson brings
to life
a vivid set of memories in words that will resonate with readers.
These aren't
your
typical imaginings or explorations. Thompson offers many surprises, as
in the
piece narrated from the point of view of horse Lucky: "Here
is this place, this air, the smells of this particular time,
and I Lucky am merged too with this. It’s the wind here now. Wind
coming across
much land. And smell of grass. New grass. And it goes forever. We can
run
forever. And we, we, we enjoy this sun. It was hard in winter with ice
and snow
but now, now is best time! All of us around all of us. And there is
more here
than horse. We are cloud and cloud shadow moving and we are all the
growings,
all colors, smells. We are smells. It is much space here. Water too
here. Fast,
quick water. I Lucky am not wanting to talk. I am liking the wind and
the
moving and the wind blows the bugs away. But I am not joy in having you
or
anyone on my back! Yes, it is a bonding when a horse and a person know
one
another for a long time, but that is a different thing."
This passage
also
illustrates that Thompson's choices of language and punctuation in this
book
may not always embrace the usual literary precision of form and
grammatical
accuracy, but often set aside more staid choices in the interest of
embracing a
freer-flowing form of expression.
"Stay true
to
you" is one of the many messages Thompson imparts about the creative
process. Her admonitions and insights support every writer's effort to
please
not just others, but especially themselves: "There
is nothing wrong with enjoying that feeling of creating, expressing,
and
connecting — having your creative work be transformative, magical,
alchemical.
There is an “Aha!” when someone reads your words, or when they hear and
see and
experience through your presence. There is nothing wrong with wanting
to have
your work connect with those who are in affinity with it. That is fine!
But we
say, just release what is finished and let it go. And turn
back to doing
what gives you joy."
While Quickwater Oracles should be considered
for literary collections, this added value makes it a recommended pick
for
philosophy, self-help, and creative writers and readers, as well.
The fervor
of its
voice, the unconventional pieces that eschew propriety for passion, and
the
many insights into personal power and integrity that support these
reflections
are poignant, revealing, and powerful.
Ideally, Quickwater
Oracles will reach a wide,
diverse audience with its rich, joyful channeling of nature, purpose,
and
spiritual, spirited reflections.
Return to Index
Raising Humans With Heart
Sarah MacLaughlin
Isabella Media Inc.
9781735725628
$16.99
www.booksbyisabella.com
Raising
Humans With
Heart: Not a How-To Manual lives up to its name, providing a
book for
parents of toddlers to teens which illustrates the concept of having heart and connects it to leading
a good life.
Many an adult will find this
holds surprising lessons for
them; not just about past childrearing pros and cons, but in its
insights about
human development: "Decades later,
we still haven't figured out what kind of parenting leads to optimal
human
development, but we're getting closer and know that connection and
attachment
are key."
Sarah MacLaughlin explores
different parenting styles,
their impact on the entire family, and how kids feel and process
emotions. Her
discussions about creating inclusive communities, subconsciously
sabotaging
relationships and teachings, and normalizing gender and sexuality
differences
provide thought-provoking inspections of conscious and unconscious
choices that
either lend to or detract from building big-hearted kids.
From identifying and
acknowledging stories of
victimization and powerlessness and changing them, to developing a more
conscious perspective of what it means to have a heart, MacLaughlin
provides
the nuts and bolts of embracing diversity and gratitude. This will
enhance not
only a child's training, but the entire family's interactions.
Perhaps this is the greatest
difference between Raising Humans With Heart
and other
books appealing to parents. It's not a "parenting" book, per se, but
an inspection of the intrinsic belief systems and approaches to life
that make
us better humans.
Those seeking an
instructional guide to better overall
living and social interactions, beginning with kids, will find Raising Humans With Heart the perfect
starting point for fostering a better world.
Return to Index
TBI
or CTE: What
the Hell is Wrong with Me?
Mark Tullius
Vincere Press
978-1938475658
$19.99 Hardcover/$3.99 Kindle
Ordering: https://books2read.com/u/b5veB1
Author website: www.MarkTullius.com
Many
books have
been written about the challenges of recovering from brain injury, but TBI
or CTE: What the Hell is Wrong with Me? takes a different
approach. It
comes from an ordinary guy who tackles the results of a deteriorating
brain,
the result of his history of sports concussions.
Where
other
books outline the physical challenges of brain injury's effect on
bodily
functions, Tullius provides a different focus on the mental effects of
brain
injury, from addiction to emotional instability and depression. He
addresses,
identifies, and overcomes all these challenges, and this approach
creates a
health inspection that stands out from the many brain injury books
already on
the market today.
As
readers
follow his journey, one early standout statement is that his issues
were not
immediately connected to a particular injury. Indeed, tests showed
that,
initially at least, he quickly recovered from head trauma in his youth:
"Back
when I was fighting and playing football, I worried about weeklong
headaches
and speech problems, but I seemed to bounce back from all of them. The
last blow
to my head had been in 2004 and I felt fine, my high scores on the
brain-training app Lumosity proof enough that somehow I’d made it
through
unscathed."
The fact that these old injuries have lasting
impact that changed his life, psychology, and abilities is only one of
the
hard-hitting truths revealed in the course of his life.
If there's one book that should be read about brain damage in football players and MMA
fighters and its long-term impact, it's TBI or CTE: What the
Hell is Wrong
with Me? It emphasizes aspects of the issues that are
long-term; unlike
brain injury sports coverages that only consider the immediate
aftereffects of
injuries.
As
Tullius
researches not only the issues, but what he can do to improve his
health and
life, readers receive many thought-provoking assessments of the lasting
results
of sports injuries: "The cumulative brain trauma makes me a
prime
candidate for dementia and was likely responsible for my spotty memory."
As he reviews poor and good choices and anger
issues, exposing and exploring correlations
between traumatic brain injuries and cognitive and behavioral problems,
readers
receive much insight into the effects of these injuries which hold
startling
ramifications not only for those with a history of sports involvement,
but for
anyone who has suffered brain trauma.
Even
more
important are the techniques Tullius pursues to mitigate or alleviate
the
lifelong impact of his early activities.
More
than just
an autobiography about martial arts or mental development, TBI
or CTE: What
the Hell is Wrong with Me? is essential reading for anyone
interested in
brain health and recovery processes.
It
provides a
road map of experience that is unparalleled in health literature,
offering both
thought-provoking assessments and hope to all ages who either
participate in
sports or are recovering from head injury. It should be in any health
collection, as well as in libraries strong in memoirs containing deep
psychological self-assessments.
Return to Index
This Is How You Vagina
Nicole E.
Williams, MD
Greenleaf Book
Group Press
978-1-62634-878-3
$18.95
www.gbgpress.com
This
Is How You Vagina: All About Your Vajayjay and Why You
Probably
Shouldn't Call it That should be
in every women's health library as a unique blend of medical history,
science,
and discussions of vagina health.
Women
who are
older may well recall Our Bodies, Our Selves, the
"bible" of
women's health information which appeared decades ago and become a
standard
read.
This
Is How You Vagina takes women's health
information a notch
further in considering modern concerns against the backdrop of past
history.
From changing ideas about what treatments and approaches are useful to
maintain
vaginal health to common conditions and concerns that range from moles
to
itching, birthing, and orgasms, this book covers any subject related to
women's
vaginas. It provides an easy juxtaposition of historical treatments and
modern-day concerns.
From self-exams and understanding abnormalities
versus normal differences to pharmacological
treatments for various conditions and considering racial differences in
women's
health quality, This Is How You Vagina leaves nothing to
wonder; whether it's the political impact of women's health decisions,
or
health concerns.
Dr. Williams provides particularly astute
observations of these approaches which will reach health discussion to
social
issues classes with thought-provoking, bigger-picture-thinking
inspections: "While
White and Black women alike are afflicted by anxiety and depression
from being
subjugated for centuries, Black women deal with the added indignity of
no one
seeming to care or even believe we are in pain. So when we present with
symptoms of anxiety, depression, or pain, we receive a different
diagnosis from
White women. Why? Vaginalisms that have developed throughout the
centuries have
solidified our otherness into easy to quantify categories and thus
explain away
our very humanity."
A
wealth of
references and research notes linked to each chapter at the end of the
book
provide plenty of supportive background material for further reading,
while the
political and social messages embedded in it provide invaluable keys to
reconsidering many myths and points of misunderstanding about women's
bodies
and how they function.
Readers expecting another medical approach
alone
will find This Is How You Vagina far wider-ranging,
which is why it
deserves a place not just in medical and women's health holdings, but
in any
collection addressing the social issues surrounding women's bodies,
mental
well-being, and the history and politics affecting them.
Return to Index
Understanding
Modern
Health Care
Steve Fredman, MD
Independently
Published
9780578883175
$14.95 Paper/$11.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Modern-Health-Care-Potholes/dp/0578883171
Finally,
there's a reasoned history of modern health care processes and how we
arrived
at this tipping point of modern times, in Understanding
Modern Health Care: The Wonders We Created and the Potholes We Dug.
The coverage comes from a
physician who reviews the
challenges of building a healthcare system that addresses a wide range
of users
and needs. It begins in the late 1700s with discoveries that would
cement the
foundations of healthcare promises and challenges.
At each step of the history,
Dr. Fredman covers how
initial concepts were fostered, promoted, and came to be interpreted in
society
in general; as well as the political, economic, and medical forces that
formed
the crux of healthcare manifestos.
From an early dentist who
introduced anesthesia, to
patents covering treatments, discoveries are explored and dovetail with
Dr.
Fredman's own process of becoming a doctor and navigating modern
healthcare
systems.
From Holland and Russia to
the formation of the World
Health Organization, Medicare, and other entities, Dr. Fredman
juxtaposes
history, his own experiences, and the changes which advanced another
layer of
healthcare regulation into moral and ethical considerations over how
and why
people were and are treated.
From hormones to transplants
to the development and
deployment of medical devices, the entirety of this historical
background
sounds extensive and daunting...but, off-putting it is not.
Understanding
Modern Health Care's weave of personal encounters with
medical options and
bigger-picture thinking about the history and choices that went into
these
systems and their availability creates a memorable and informative
survey. This
clearly documents both the achievements of the industry and the
pitfalls it's
fallen into along the way.
Readers who want a
well-reasoned history combined with an
assessment that is accessible and thought-provoking will find Understanding Modern Health Care
essential reading.
It provides the first step
in understanding the
influences on the system we navigate today, as well as an overview of
how
modern medicine developed. Its historical connections to real-life
experience
promote an understanding that is needed among not just healthcare
providers,
but patients.
Return to Index
What They
Didn't Burn
Mel Laytner
SparkPress
978-1-68463-103-2
$16.95 Paper/$9.95 Kindle
Publisher: www.gosparkpress.com
Author Website: www.mellaytnerauthor.com
Mel Laytner
knew his
father as a quiet, unassuming man. What he didn't know was a
personality that
only emerged 20 years after his father died and he began uncovering
Nazi
documents that revealed quite a different alter ego.
What
They Didn't Burn: Uncovering
My Father's Holocaust Secrets is
eye-opening, to say the least. Its different Holocaust story portrays a
family
shaken by Nazi secrets uncovered as a black legacy which are, now,
shared here
with the world in a book that belongs in any definitive collection of
Holocaust
experience.
The Nazis burned everything,
to bury this world. And, "When they couldn’t
burn any more
people, they set about burning the records and documents to hide their
sins.
What they didn’t burn was a paper trail that tracked the man’s journey
through
ghettoes, slave labor, concentration camps, death marches, and more.
They didn’t
burn the hidden records that revealed surprising and painful incidents
he had
never talked about—at least not to me, his son."
That Laytner saw fit to
bring these buried papers to
life, adding to the world's record about camp life and survivor choices
and
experiences during the Holocaust, is testimony to a strength of
historical
resolve that gives the world more information and insights on that
process of
survival and the legacy of truth passed between generations. Truths
like these
are still coming to light through revelations and sharing.
Laytner embarked on a
personal investigative journey to
prove his father's unlikely stories authentic. This quest led him to
new
revelations about his father and the choices he made.
The Nazi documents were
uncovered by Laytner, many
from musty town hall and museum archives in Poland, Germany, Israel and
the
United States.
Readers might wonder at the
need for exposure now,
generations after Holocaust events. No other author explains this
purpose as
effectively as Laytner, in his introduction: "After
Dad’s death, and especially after my mother’s passing seven
years later, I felt their stories fading like family snapshots in a
shoebox.
Our children may know who they are, intellectually. However, they will
never
speak Yiddish, the lingua franca of my parents’ generation. They will
never
have a Grandpa Joe or a Grandma Helen as links to a world long gone.
Something
very important was being lost."
It helped that Laytner was a
former journalist. This
provided him with the research background and keys to embarking on his
expedition, and also made the evidence he uncovered more of a vetted
operation.
As he seeks corroboration and truth, readers become immersed in a
journey that
combines a family probe, a memoir, and a historical review under one
cover.
Black and white sketches,
photos, and copies of the rare
documents themselves pepper the narrative, which is often painful: "A dull weight compresses my sternum,
making it hard to take in air. I study the Gothic typeface legalisms,
the check
boxes and fill-in-the-blank spaces, the multiple signatures and
rubber-stamped
approvals, all the bureaucratic gloss to whitewash utter barbarity. Dad
never
spoke of this official torture. Yet again, I realize I know more about
the
camps than the man."
Much Holocaust literature
assumes familiar scenarios,
events, and insights. It's refreshing to see a coverage that takes
quite a
different turn as a reporter son's investigations return more
background
details about Nazi camp management, politics, atrocities, and impact
than his
own father could have realized.
This depth, authentic probe,
and its special form of
presentation which embraces the author's emotions at uncovering these
pieces of
evidence create a memoir and history like no other Holocaust story.
What
They Didn't Burn: Uncovering
My Father's Holocaust Secrets is
essential for any collection that seeks a different perspective on
Holocaust
events. More so than most books on the subject, it juxtaposes the
personal with
the political, psychological, social, and moral and ethical issues
facing
survivors and Nazi executioners alike.
Its eye-opening impact makes
What They
Didn't Burn
unparalleled, powerful, and essential reading that will ideally prompt
debates
and group studies about Holocaust survivors and Nazi experiences.
Return to Index
You've
Got Red
On You
Clark Collis
1984 Publishing
9781948221153
$26.99 Hardcover/$12.99 ebook
www.1984publishing.com
You've Got Red On
You: How Shaun of the Dead Was
Brought to Life is a highly
recommended read for horror film enthusiasts in general, those
attracted to
British productions, and Shaun of the Dead viewers
in particular.
It
provides a
clear history of the making of this film and its unexpected meteoric
rise to
fame against all odds: "The chances that the movie would get
made, let
alone be a success, were slim. There was no guarantee that Pegg’s
small-screen
fame would translate into box-office takings, and Wright’s sole
previous movie,
the comedy-Western A Fistful of Fingers, had been released for just one
week at
a single London cinema almost a decade earlier. British horror films
were a
rarity at the time, and zombie movies had long fallen out of fashion."
From
the start,
the film was an out-of-the-box production that defied all rules; from
the
notion of what made a best-selling horror production to the budget
involved in
such a venture. Interviews with director Edgar Wright, the cast of
actors, and
others involved in scripting and production lend an insider's depth to
the
story, which traverses not just the making of Shaun,
but the milieu of
the British film industry of the times.
From
its
choreography and music to rehearsal experiences, Clark Collis lends a
rare
"you are here" flavor to his coverage, which is backed by the
strength of its interviews: "Hewitt-Davis spent a day at
Ealing with
Tim Chipping and some of the other actors playing zombies, working out
how the
undead should fall down in the film. 'We hadn’t quite figured out how
zombies
would react to being shot,' says Chipping. 'We had a big empty studio
room with
a huge crash mat in it where we could just fall continually. There was
an
attempt to have us do spectacular falls. In the end, it was like, no,
what’s
funny about them is [that] they just crumble; they don’t know they’ve
been
shot. So each of us then had a workshop of how we would fall when we
got shot.
It was like a really good drama lesson with everyone taking a very
silly thing
seriously, where you go, ‘Maybe you would be more floppy.’”
Black
and white
photos from the movie and behind-the-scenes production liberally pepper
the
account, bringing it to life with visuals that capture its nuances,
actors, and
key moments.
An
added bonus
lies in its candid portraits of problem scenes, creative solutions, and
interactions between production members: "David Dunlap argued
against
the shot, believing that it would eat up too much time and not benefit
the
film. 'To sustain that shot for as long as was originally intended, it
would
just die on the screen,' says the cinematographer."
Obviously,
a
prior interest in horror filmmaking and Shaun of the Dead
is a
requirement for complete enjoyment of this title. Readers with such an
affection, as well as media studies and filmmaking students, will find
its
depth and details both educational and satisfying, making You've
Got Red On
You highly recommended not just for individual enthusiasts,
but any film
studies library collection.
Return to Index
Bewilderness
Kevin Cox
Silvettica
978-0-578-94488-3
$12.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
http://bewildernessseries.com/
Teen
Ambrielle faces "veiled monsters" in her mind in the opening
sentences of Bewilderness—but the real problem is
that she doesn't
recognize her surroundings, has no idea where home is or how to find
it, and
must take the risk of leaving what appears to be a safe haven if she is
to
regain her memory and sense of place and purpose.
Even
her name
isn't hers. It's a label given to her by the alien who discovers her in
this
desolate world of sand dunes and oddities.
This
must be a
dream. But, it's not. As Ambrielle slowly pieces together the many
missing
pieces of her life and begins to understand her new environment,
readers
receive an engrossing sci-fi story set not just in one world, but
multiple
ones, as she embarks on an extraordinary journey of discovery.
Young
adult
fantasy and sci-fi fans will relish the clues that fall into place as
Ambrielle
encounters a variety of aliens, learns whom to trust and what she has
to
confront, and faces the elusive Whisperer in her mind, who drives her
to find
answers.
Kevin
Cox
provides an engrossing story that captivates from the start, from the
dilemma
of a young girl's missing memories to how she arrives at her past and
purpose,
including emotional reflections and insights during the course of this
journey:
"Why do I feel afraid? I need to go toward it. This could be
the
answer, the way home. It could be something better. An end to this
loneliness.
Pain and sadness are no more . . . in The Hollow."
From
the
difference between her own thoughts and the whispered influences in her
mind to
memories which surface and new friends who help her, Cox moves his
story along
nicely, from a tabula rasa of vanished connections to a tale in which
connections evolve from a wide range of unexpected sources.
Ambrielle's
ability to tap her powers to navigate these many worlds and challenging
new
situations are complimented by touches of philosophical inspection
which inject
bigger-picture thinking into her adventures: "After
everything she’d
lived through, did it ultimately mean nothing? She liked to imagine
that when
she finally died, she would be satisfied knowing all the answers to the
mysteries of the universe, to the meaning of life. If this was the
answer, then
life meant nothing."
Young
adult
sci-fi fans who look for elements of mystery and psychological growth
in their
adventure reading will find Bewilderness a
compelling introduction to a
series. Ambrielle is a formidable, capable young protagonist as she
reconnects
with friends and gains new knowledge.
It
should be
noted that a cliffhanger conclusion paves the way for further
adventures even
as it resolves her first dilemma.
Return to Index
Chipper
Makes
Merry
Kimber Fox Morgan
Creative, Simple
Wonder Press
978-1-7370386-0-3
$5.99 ebook
www.kimberfoxmorgan.com
Chipper Makes Merry opens with a bleak, especially harsh winter faced
by the animals of
the Arctic. There is little to celebrate...which is why Chipper Fox
decides to
inject some of his own homemade joy into a weary world burdened by
winter woes.
And,
so he does.
Kimber
Fox
Morgan's lively rhymes are complimented by fine drawings by Kim
Sponaugle that
capture the Arctic animals, from the positive-thinking Chipper to
grumpy Gus.
As
well-meaning
Chipper finds that his "day of mischief filled with good" turns bad
for many he tries to help, young picture book readers will readily
relate to
this story of good intentions gone awry.
Also
important
is the depiction of the effects of winter on various creatures, from a
moose's
loneliness to an otter's chilly abode and a hungry walrus who just
wants a nice
fish dinner.
Read-aloud
parents will find the combination of alluring images, rollicking rhyme,
and
thought-provoking discussions of seasonal affective disorder and good
intentions the perfect remedy for a cold winter's night, best treated
with this
snuggly bedtime story.
The
story's
conclusion reinforces the idea of sharing joy and offers young
listeners
opportunities to consider ways in which they can empower the world
through a
revised attitude and different approach to facing life's adversities.
Return to Index
Daddy's Time Out
Rachel Nee Hall
Cresting Wave Publishing
9781956048254
$17.95
www.gocwpub.com
Daddy's
Time Out
joins a three-book trilogy about incarceration of family members,
providing a
picture book story for the very young that embraces themes of
consequence,
redemption, and transformation.
Its ability to approach
these very adult subjects from a
child's perspective and encourage the kinds of dialogues and
understanding that
promote and support family interactions during this difficult period
makes for
an important guide. Adults should consider it essential for any
children's book
collection strong in social issues, psychological understanding, and
stories
about choices, consequences, and recovery.
Nibblit the rabbit likes to
play catch with his
daddy...but his father no longer lives with them.
As Nibblit considers this
loss and his revised role in
the family, kids receive a warm story that embraces a mother's love for
her
child and her explanation about how the father is paying the price for
stolen
carrots.
Rachel Nee Hall's use of a
'time out' concept kids
already likely understand well allows them to receive adult information
in a
manner they can relate to.
The strength of all three of
these books, even though
their structure is very similar, lies in their ability to help kids
understand
bigger pictures of crime, punishment, and good and bad behaviors, as
well as
their own loss.
Individually, the books are
important, as they apply to
different family incarceration scenarios. Together, the trilogy forms a
foundation of better understanding that adults can use to help the very
young
adjust to a family member's incarceration.
All are essential stories
that should be given to any new
prisoner's family where small children are involved.
Return to Index
Eudora Space Kid: The Great
Engine Room Takeover
David Horn
Independently
Published
978-1-7366774-0-7
$4.99
Paperback
www.eudoraspacekid.com
The
Great Engine
Room Takeover pairs engaging art by Talitha Shipman with an
equally-captivating story for elementary-level chapter book readers
that
follows the adventure of a young space-faring hero who lives on an
Astroliner
with "lots of weapons and five swimming pools."
It's unusual to see humor
blend into a space adventure
for this age group, but David Horn provides both with healthy doses of
action
that keep kids engaged and laughing. The story opens with a bang of
refreshingly original first-person observation: “Ouch!”
Lootenant (I’m not sure how to spell it, but this looks right)
Londo screamed as he bent down to look at his toe, which I had just
stepped on.
He is the AstroLiner Athena’s
biggest, strongest officer. More than big,
he’s not even
human."
What has hurt the monstrous
Londo? Third grader Eudora
Jenkins, "the all-around most awesome girl on the Athena," has stepped on his foot in an effort to
provide a distraction for the narrator's goal—reaching the plasma
cannon
controls.
Illustrator
Talitha
Shipman keeps up nicely with black and white drawings that also add
touches of
humor, as in her portrait of the spaceship bridge, which shows a crew
member
piloting the craft with one hand while sipping a drink.
The third-grade class that
resides on the ship is on a
rare tour of the bridge. But, the young narrator wants more: "Captain Jax just doesn’t realize how I
absolutely need and cannot live without actually firing the Athena’s plasma cannons."
Kids
will find
the first-person narrator and adventure to be thoroughly engrossing,
offering
many capricious moments that stray, in a satisfying manner, from the
usual
sci-fi adventure scenario.
This
makes for
an unpredictable read that keeps young readers guessing as trouble
emerges for
the juvenile heroes.
From
"toe
incidents" to encounters with young officers, the story's whimsical
aspects are simply delightful.
Read-aloud
parents and elementary grade to early middle school readers will find The Great Engine Room Takeover the
perfect ticket to outer space encounters and adventure. It's couched in
a level
of humor that invites them to laugh and better understand the use and
impact of
comedy in creative writing as young troublemakers learn from their
mistakes and
become more savvy about the rules...and when to break them.
Return to Index
Gobbledy
Lis Anna-Langston
SparkPress
978-1684630677
$16.23 Paper/$8.49 Kindle
www.gosparkpress.com
Readers ages
8-11 who
look for Christmas and sci-fi chapter books will find Gobbledy
appealingly different in both its subject and adventure.
Gobbledy is an alien found by eleven-year-old Dexter Duckworth and his
brother,
Dougal. He was hatched from a rock, and is lost on Earth.
Dexter is
"ready
for adventure." He admits: "Mom
said space is full of magic, but there isn’t much magic since she left."
Black and
white
illustrations by Rich Powell pepper a story of children who stumble
into an
adventure that takes them away from the grief of missing their deceased
mother.
As the hole in their lives left by her absence and imagination is
filled by the
little alien's penchant for attracting trouble, young readers receive a
lively
story of an alien who 'gobbles' (thus, the children name him
'Gobbledy') his
way into confrontational situations with adults and the mysterious
Planetary
Society who would capture him.
This chapter
book
embraces many different themes, from aliens and holidays to grief,
recovery,
and adventure. Lis Anna-Langston creates an engaging and action-filled
fantasy
that rests on the shoulders of two realistic kids who find their good
intentions constantly thwarted as they attempt to save Gobbledy and his
beloved
rock.
Gobbledy is evocative and unexpected in
its twists and turns as
Dexter, Dougal, and friend Fi learn about the kinds of magic that stay
in one's
heart forever, even when everything seems to end.
Chapter book
readers
and adults who encourage reading through choosing lively
adventure-oriented
stories that hold underlying messages about adaptation, courage, and
grief will
find Gobbledy a fine leisure read.
Return to Index
Jesús, Mary,
and
Joseph
Kathleen T. Pelley
Journey with Story
Press
978-0578651965
$15.99
Ordering: https://itascabooks.com/jesus-mary-and-joseph/
Author Website: https://kathleenpelley.com
Jesús, Mary, and Joseph is a fine
children's picture book for
holiday pursuit, and opens with a child's prayer to God.
Jesús has
the same
name as God's son, so he's hoping this personal connection will help
reach God
with his special wish to receive a key part in his school's holiday
Nativity
play.
When he wins
the part
of Innkeeper #2, his mother is proud. But, now he needs God to help him
with
his part in the play...and when he messes up, he wonders why God hasn't
made
his role easier.
Dubravka
Kolanovic's
drawings enhance Kathleen Pelley's message, providing a simple yet
appealing
visual embellishment to a school play's challenges and achievement.
Adults seeking to
impart spiritual lessons in a manner familiar to the very young will
appreciate
Jesús, Mary, and Joseph's ability to
bring the Christmas experience to life in a very different manner. It
embraces
Latino family interactions, school events, and a holiday effort that
reflects
the spirit of Christmas, making Jesús,
Mary, and Joseph a highly recommended pick for multicultural,
Christian,
and holiday picture book holdings alike.
Return to Index
Literally
the Coolest
Book
Levi Plesset
Pisgah Press, LLC
978-1942016632
$17.95
www.pisgahpress.com
Literally the Coolest Book reaches ages
4-8 with a picture book
celebration of English language idioms. Colorfully illustrated by
Genevieve
duCharme-Hill, this approach provides parents and educators with an
unusual
opportunity to review the quirks of English in a delightfully amusing
manner.
Kids (and
many an
adult) who choose this book for its thought-provoking language
reflections
receive a fun series of contrasts between phrases and their
translation. These
range from "wild goose chase" and "knock your socks off" to
what it means to "have a ton of friends."
Most of
these phrases
and descriptions will already be familiar, but Plesset's ability to
help young
readers differentiate between metaphor and language interpretations
reinforces
the difference between figurative and literal speech.
The facing
page
contrasts between descriptions come alive with colorful drawings by
duCharme-Hill, which add interest and emphasis to these wordplays and
expressions.
Parents and
educators
who want to teach kids more about language usage, words, and
expressions will
find Literally the Coolest Book is
quite literally the clearest interpretation of metaphors and meanings
available
for the young picture book reader and English language learner.
Return to Index
Little
Garlic
Avideh Shashaani
Wyatt-Mackenzie
Publishing
978-1-954332-01-0
www.wyattmackenzie.com
Little Garlic:
Enchanted Tales for All Ages is a
collection of spiritual parables
recommended not just for all ages, but as adult read-alouds to the very
young.
It provides children with warm stories that hold messages about belief,
understanding, experience, and love.
Little
Garlic is
born into the world "alone and alienated." Through a series of life
encounters and lessons, he learns about kindness, the influence of life
experiences, and the magical allure of wisdom and working for the
greater good.
Avideh
Shashaani
emphasizes a spiritually-centered journey as Little Garlic grows. When
Onion
enters his life and introduces elements which result in a series of
transformations, adults have much opportunity to gently guide young
listeners
to the deeper aspects of Little Garlic's experiences.
Having
someone
who truly listens to and cares about him changes Little Garlic's life
and
perception of himself.
Readers
who
absorb the underlying messages of his journey will find Little
Garlic:
Enchanted Tales for All Ages excels in stories replete with
the allure and
elements of magic, but equally strong in the philosophical and social
lessons
of life.
Through
Onion's
friendship, Lotus Blossom's wisdom, and hopefulness and love stem from
others,
Little Garlic grows under the comforting affection of his
relationships: “Make
yourself comfortable, close your eyes and feel all the beauty and
goodness you
experienced today. Feel it in your heart and in your wings."
Adults
looking
for a gentle read-aloud series of stories, and young readers able to
read these
on their own, will find much to like about Little Garlic's life
encounters and
changing perception of life friends, and his role in and influence on
the world
around him.
Return to Index
The
Living
Christmas Tree
Kristin
Sponaugle
Mascot Books
978-1-64543-822-9
$15.95
www.mascotbooks.com
The Living
Christmas Tree enjoys colorful
holiday illustrations by Agus Prajogo as it tells of
the Miller family, who delight in the ritual of tree-decorating in
their living
room.
The
story
differs once the tree is assembled and everyone goes to bed, though,
because
the living Christmas tree is truly an embodiment of life itself, with
all its
unpredictability and joy. The ornaments hold unique powers and
personalities
that come to life in the quiet of night and the holiday season.
And
so parents
receive a different kind of read-aloud story that embraces magic and a
world
beyond human ken. A challenge evolves for the yearly ornament
celebrations when
curious little Hannah is too excited to sleep, and decides to get up in
the
middle of the night to search for Santa.
As
Hannah and
her brother William make new friends and absorb new realizations about
life,
they also face a post-holiday trauma and change.
Parents
who want
to reflect the magic of the season and teach about change and hope for
the
future will find The Living Christmas Tree a
delightful fantasy about
the power of magic and friends, and how seasonal rituals reflect new
hope and
opportunities. It's a lovely holiday picture book read that offers a
satisfying
twist, and will encourage discussion and insights from all ages.
Return to Index
Mama's Time Out
Rachel Nee Hall
Cresting Wave Publishing
9781735413594
$17.95
www.gocwpub.com
Mama's
Time Out
introduces Butters, an otter who loved to go fishing with his
mother—until
suddenly, one day, she doesn't live with them any longer.
"Has this happened to you?"
the young Butters
wonders as he addresses young readers, inviting them to connect with
his
situation.
Butters is often sad, and
cries because he "doesn't
understand why she isn't with me." The good times are gone. Is it his
fault?
An understanding grandmother
explains that his mother
broke the rules and needs a "time out" in prison. Shoplifting fish at
the market comes with a price tag!
As Butters considers rules,
the concept of time out, and
the need for better choices, kids receive more than a story of loss and
grief.
It's an account of poor choices, learning from mistakes, and moving on.
By story's end, youngsters
will be ready to understand
not only absence, but the impact of breaking rules, parental absence,
and how mistakes
don't translate to loss of love on either side.
Kids with incarcerated
parents need this message...and an
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Monologues
for
Kids and Tweens II
Mike Kimmel
9781953057037
$14.99 Print, $9.99 Kindle
Ordering: https://amzn.to/3tEYs1d
Website:
https://www.mikekimmelauthor.com
Monologues for Kids
and Tweens II: 100 New Comedy and
Drama Monologues for Young Actors
will prove a treasure trove of opportunities for drama teachers seeking
monologue exercises for the young, aspiring actor.
It
provides a
wealth of scripts that young performers can utilize to improve their
drama
skills, using rich and diverse scenarios and material that can serve as
fodder
for either auditions or drama class tutorials.
Each
monologue
is inviting, which addresses the usual problems all ages have with
performing
the monologue format. Mike Kimmel believes the process of selecting and
performing the monologue is one that needs to be "embraced" as much
as any full-cast production. These selections are designed to
illustrate the
strength and possibilities of the monologue for a wide age range of
kids and
tweens—those who often struggle to find age-appropriate examples.
From
"The
Secret of Their Success," which addresses parental relationships from a
child's viewpoint, to "I'm Tough On Myself," which reveals the feelings
of a young perfectionist, each monologue goes beyond dramatic teaching
to
provide insights into the emotions and social issues affecting young
people in
a variety of settings, from home to school and interpersonal
relationships.
With
pieces
moving from history to self-control experiments, reflections on talking
without
thinking, and discussions of adult jobs and their meaning and impact,
these
monologues go beyond illustrating acting devices alone.
They
get
youngsters thinking about bigger issues in life and provide broader
perceptions
of emotional maturity.
Thus,
Monologues
for Kids and Tweens II is recommended not just for the young
drama
audiences and their teachers, but anyone working with these age groups,
who
look for short pieces reflecting on life and psychological growth.
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The
Munchkins
Candice Zee
Independently
Published
9781737233909
$7.99
paperback; $4.99 ebook
Website: www.munchkinsbooks.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/Munchkins-Candice-Zee/dp/1737233908
Book
1 of the
series The Munchkins introduces a rather large, magical family of
children left
outside a children's home. Capricorn Munch and her twelve siblings are
a
mystery. At ten years old, each stops aging and develops extraordinary
powers.
Narrator
Capricorn provides the first-person story of their lives, which have
been
completely changed. The story opens with a tragic outcome of this
change, but
Capricorn rewinds her memories to provide readers with what she can
recall of
their mysterious origins and how she came to be in a cage, imprisoned
with her
sister Kitty.
Her
decision to
review their story and how they fell into the hands of a psychopath
traverses
their adoption, their magical abilities, and their lives. This provides
young
adults with all the information needed to enter their world.
Neighbor
Big
Boss is dangerous. He seems intent on dividing their family with
adversity and
threat, and as Capricorn observes his influence, little does she know
that
these devices of division are only the beginning of the end for her
happy life.
This
story will
appeal to middle grades and older; but because of the references to
psychopathic behaviors, cruelty, and other psychological insights,
earlier
grade readers will ideally be more mature, and capable of handling the
depths
that The Munchkins probes.
Candice
Zee
injects reflections on growth and problem-solving into her magical
adventure
that often give satisfying pause for thought: “Chase, stop
calling yourself
dumb. You’re not dumb. You know, you should really work on your
self-esteem
issues. It’s okay. I know you don’t always see how serious things are.”
As
the siblings
struggle to confront a growing evil and support one another, readers
are drawn
into a tale replete with magic, insight, and unexpected twists and
turns, all
woven into an adventure of connection and evolving abilities.
Although
the
Munch children face endings and new beginnings, Zee leaves the door
wide open
for another adventure, with a cliffhanger.
Readers
who like
stories of family relationships, changing abilities, magic, and
adversity will
find all these elements and more in The Munchkins.
Its action-packed
story is more firmly rooted in family and interpersonal connections
than most,
and creates a satisfying adventure as siblings fight to preserve their
family.
Collections
strong in stories of magic and family evolution will find The
Munchkins
a fine addition.
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Of
the Lilin
Paulette Hampton
Independently
Published
9798500067159
$9.00 print/$4.99 ebook
Website:https://paulettehampton42.wixsite.com/website
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/lilin-Paulette-Hampton-ebook/dp/B00HH1ULVI
Of the Lilin
is the first book in the Sage Chronicles about Sage Frankle, who is
traumatized
by the loss of her mother and her stepfather Warren's mental breakdown.
When
she is sent
to live with an aunt to recover from these dual blows, Sage instead
falls
deeper into darkness, entering a fantasy realm that might reflect her
own
mental illness. When her choices result in the death of Warren's best
friend
David, Sage is forced to consider the real nature of reality and
fantasy in
this fast-paced story, which opens at David's funeral. Even her father
has come
to believe she had something to do with David's heart attack.
After
a
compelling opening, Paulette Hampton moves the story to the beginning
of how
this scenario came to be—after her mother's death, as Sage is sent to
live with
her Aunt Madeline in Kennard, Vermont.
Sage
thinks she
is having her own mental breakdown when she hears Aunt Madeline's
daughter
Lily's thoughts, and considers the far-fetched possibility of moving in
with
her friend Will to avoid going crazy.
Hampton
creates
a series of encounters in which Sage slowly comes to realize that what
is
happening around and within her are just as real as her everyday life,
which
seems to have vanished under a cloud of grief.
She
excels at
crafting scenarios in which Sage tackles her emotions with therapeutic
help
from Dr. Waver, the first psychiatrist with whom she finally feels a
connection: “Well, I feel sad and depressed, but not like I
should.” “Who says
that?” “Society, I
guess.” “Society
sucks,” she said with a grunt. “So,
how do you feel?” “Actually,
the feeling
that is beginning to overshadow the sadness and depression is fear.” “Of what?”
“Myself,” I said. “I don’t trust myself.”
As
events
unfold, Sage confronts not only her own loss and emotional fragility,
but the
search for something she's lost which somehow involves Lily, who is not
what
she initially appears to be.
As
Sage and head
restaurant chef Cameron Winters's son Thomas face an emerging evil
threat, Sage
begins to realize that everything she'd taken for granted about her
life and
her role in it is changing.
Hampton
builds
an excellent young adult fantasy firmly grounded not just in
otherworldly
elements and powerful forces, but a fragile teen's grasp on her mental
condition and her place in the world.
This
powerful
characterization drives a story that offers a compelling examination of
heredity, purpose, and power. As rituals and opposing forces clash,
Sage must
make the kinds of decisions that embrace not just her power, but her
ability to
love.
The
conclusion
ends in a cliffhanger, paving the way for further Sage adventures.
Urban
fantasy
young adult readers will find the strong focus on Sage's mental
struggles a
convincing draw that keeps her character three-dimensional and the
story
compelling from beginning to end as it creates and builds upon mystery,
mental
illness, recovery, and struggles.
Return to Index
Of Love and
Deception
Kayla Lowe
Independently
Published
978-1795233453
eBook: $2.99;
Paperback: $14.99; Hardcover: $19.99
Website: www.kaylalowe.com
Ordering link: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Deception-Tainted-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B07N77WQCT
Teens who
enjoy
coming of age stories will find Of Love
and Deception a testimony to the power of adaptation and
survival. It
follows eighteen-year-old college student Sarah
MacKenzie’s disrupted
trajectory when her studies become compromised by an online romance.
Book 1 in
the Tainted
Love Saga series introduces the young aspiring woman's changing course
in life
as she becomes more and more involved in an addicting allure to a
stranger who
begins to feel dangerously familiar.
As these
online
transactions begin to take over her life and alter her ambitions, Sarah
finds
herself increasingly questioning her goals, attitude, and studies.
Kayla Lowe
does an
excellent job of capturing the backdrop of Sarah's contemporary world,
from
music and books to the types of connections she values in life (and
thinks
she's found in Bruce Spencer).
She also
neatly
depicts Sarah's move away from warning signs and solid advice into a
world in
which she is codependent and increasingly vulnerable to Bruce's allure: "I
don't care what they think. It's my life. They'll have to come around
eventually." He sighed. "I don't want to cause problems between you
and your parents, though, Sarah." "You're not causing problems. They
are." "What if they never come to accept it?" "They
will," I affirmed again. "I know they will." He glanced away
from me and shook his head again. "And if they don't, I don't
care. I still want to be with
you." I rushed on with, "I won't let them tell me how to live my life
– who I can be with, who I can't." The thought of losing him after how
close we'd gotten...I couldn't bear to think of it. Then I thought that
maybe
he wanted to leave. Maybe he didn't think I was worth the aggravation
of
dealing with my parents. I looked down as this new thought settled over
me."
Her initial
attraction is based on all the interests they seem to share, but it is
fraught
with dangerous assumptions about these connections: "The
way I saw it, any man who truly loved the tale of the Phantom
of the Opera had to be deeply compassionate and romantic."
Part of
college's
attraction is the lessons it provides and opportunities to meet and
interact
with different types of people. But, nobody has prepared Sarah for the
emotional conundrums of romance, or the signs of an abusive
relationship.
Teens
receive a
winning lesson in both as they absorb Sarah's move from blossoming
independence
to limiting codependence, and will find her story realistically drawn,
between
the allure of online worlds and the reality of face-to-face encounters.
As much is
this is a
tale of evolving danger, it's an account of changing relationships
between
parents and their almost-adult children. Both interact in a moving saga
that
feels realistic and deeply impactful as Sarah navigates a strange new
world of
love and danger.
Young adults
interested in stories about romance, ideals of relationships, and
dangerous
paths will find Sarah's story compelling and hard to put down. The
warning is
couched in a very realistic scenario that will resonate with those who
desire
the deep connections of love, but don't know how to identify the
concurrent
warning signs of abuse.
Return to Index
Peanut's Time Out
Rachel Nee Hall
Cresting Wave Publishing
9781956048261
$17.95
www.gocwpub.com
Peanut's
Time Out
is a picture book story about parental incarceration, and provides the
very
young with an accessible explanation of events that will help them
understand a
parent's absence.
The story is introduced by
dog Junebug, who presents a
cheery welcome as he explains the absence of his beloved littermate
brother
Peanut, who can't be with him for an extended period of time.
The focus is on how Junebug
understands and handles this
absence. The story rests upon an interactive series of questions
designed to
help young ones engage with the tale to better understand and express
their
feelings.
As the story progresses, the
emotions of sadness and
loss, the expressions of crying and anger, and the deeper consideration
of
whether Peanut's absence is Junebug's fault helps young readers work
through
their own emotions about a loved one's absence.
As the savvy pup's mother
says that it's ok to be sad
sometimes, more details are provided about the events that led Peanut
away from
his family, which involve a stolen bone that leads to a puppy prison
sentence.
Adults who choose Peanut's
Time Out for the very young have a rare opportunity to help
this age group
process their reactions to (and foster their understanding of)
incarceration.
It's a fine story that links
this unique loss to better
understanding, and is highly recommended for families facing a family
member's
absence due to crime and a child's confusion and responses.
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Puppies
and Portals
Loralee Evans
Independently Published
978-1-7923-7270-4
$12.95
www.loraleeevans.com
Puppies
and Portals will reach advanced elementary to middle grade
readers who enjoy fantasy tales of time travel and adventure. It opens
in the
1800s in the Ohio River Valley, where nineteen-year-old Kinjeino is getting ready to offer help to
Howard.
Fast
forward to
present-day Maryland, where twelve-year-old Amy Yellow Horse is finding
relief
from her past time-travel adventure in the ordinary task of babysitting.
The
day proves
anything but typical, however, when a girl shows up with technology
from the
future, bringing Amy and her friend Will into another adventure and a
mission
that tests them both.
Loralee Evans does a fine job of summarizing
past
events so that newcomers receive a smooth transition to this story,
while prior
fans won't be stymied by too much detail about what they might already
know of
the events from prior time travel adventures.
Will and Amy's struggle to help a girl from the
future get back home and a mischievous puppy's ability to pull them all
into a
time-travel conundrum gives young readers a fun story of talking dogs, Kinjeino's attempts to save these visitors,
and the intersection of past and present-day technologies which
streamline
communications and create new problems.
It's
unusual to
find a toddler and dogs involved in a time travel tale, but Evans
surrounds all
participants in an atmosphere of discovery and struggle that gives
dogs,
children, and babies equal time.
Puppies
and Portals excels in a special blend of non-stop action,
surprising twists of plot, and discoveries made by a diverse circle of
young
characters of all ages. Part of the story's realistic feel comes from
the fact
that some of its characters are based on real people, from kidnappers
to Native
Americans. Another draw lies in the story's evolving friendships as
Will, Jax,
Amy and Leah join forces in unexpected ways.
The result will delight young time travel
readers
with a multifaceted adventure that romps through kidnappings,
interactions
between past and future worlds, and memories that might fade with the
time
travel experience, but result in lasting connections.
Collections strong in time travel stories for
youth
will find Puppies and Portals an appealing mix of
characters and
satisfyingly unpredictable action.
Return to Index
The
Rhythm of the Beach
Russell Irving
Independently Published
978-0-6452382-1-1
$9.99
www.russell-irving.net
The
Rhythm of the Beach provides picture book readers
with a
celebration of the seasonal changes of a beach, from Spring's herald of
the
hooded plovers that "return
from far away winter homes" to summertime, when "Terns dive like jet
fighters, feasting on the bait balls of small fish."
The
plovers
cement the beach's rhythms as Russell Irving follows their changes,
from
arrival to nest-building, rearing young, and coming full circle; but a
host of
other changes take place on the beach and are included in this story.
More than just a natural history of the beach,
Russell's book provides kids with observations that encourage them to
appreciate how the beach environment changes with the seasons.
Even more importantly, it advocates linking
this
sense of rhythm and purpose to a more mindful approach to experiencing
nature: "Take
rambling walks in nature with no outcome in mind. Find time and rituals
to
observe your daily and seasonal rhythm."
The result goes beyond the usual focus to
introduce
kids to life rhythms and how their own choices and experiences
intersect with
and affect the environment.
Adults who want youngsters to feel more
connected
to and engaged with this world will find The Rhythm of the
Beach's
simple nature drawings and its survey of selected beach creatures
recreates
that rhythm in print and art for picture book audiences. This lends to
a bigger
picture than is usually presented to the young.
Return to Index
The Sand
Pounder
M.J. Evans
Dancing Horse Press
978-1-7330204-8-0
$12.95
www.dancinghorsepress.com
Young adult
historical fiction readers will find The
Sand Pounder an intriguing story. It follows a young
equestrian who wants
to join the U.S. Coast Guard-enlisted horsemen who patrolled the
beaches of the
West Coast on horseback to watch for an invasion by sea during World
War II.
Like
everyone around
her, seventeen-year-old Jane is concerned about the war and its threat.
Forced
to grow up early when her parents both died of polio two years earlier,
Jane
and her brother Luke live in the family's home in the Tillamook Valley
in
Oregon. Though Hawaii seems very far away, Pearl Harbor's bombing
brings the
war too close to home. How can she help?
Jane would
use her
riding skills and her beloved horse Star to help patrol the beaches,
but
there's one problem—women and girls are not normally part of this kind
of war
effort. There's only one solution.
As Jane
struggles
with her new role and secret identity as John Morris, she must make
many
adjustments to support her new persona: "Pushing
down her natural response to express concern, Jane tried to respond as
she felt
a man would. “Whoa, cowboy! Is that how you were taught to ride?” Jane
said as
she ran over to him."
When she and
fellow
Sand Pounder Stephen Peters come upon a man who claims to be an
American
citizen escaped from a Japanese sub, their choices become even more
complicated...as does their friendship, which moves from being comrades
to an
infatuation and something more, on Jane's part.
History
comes to
life, as do women's issues and roles during World War II, as Jane
struggles
with her revised role and its consequences.
M.J. Evans
does an
excellent job of winding the era's history and the lesser-known job of
the Sand
Pounders into a realistic story of a mature teen's determination to
make a
difference in her world.
Black and
white
illustrations by Hasitha Eranga and
Gaspar Sabater support the story with visuals peppered throughout.
Teens
interested in
realistic historical fiction that is fast-paced, well written, and
character-driven by a strong young woman and her dual passion for
horses and
her country will find The Sand Pounder
an inviting read.
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The
Star of
Atlantis
Tricia D. Wagner
Independently
Published
9798534001235
$3.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097NZ9X3Y
The Star of Atlantis joins other books in the series of the same name,
providing young
adult audiences with a riveting adventure story that both stands well
on its
own and supports the series as a whole.
It
opens with a
recap of eight-year-old Swift and his best friend Ash, neatly
introducing
relationships, past events, and deeper insights from prior adventures: "Sometimes
it felt like this game of swordplay—Ash perpetually losing—was his
attempt to
keep Swift, tiring of always trailing behind, from shaking him off."
From
Swift's
uncanny ability to absorb different languages to his proficiency at
math,
Tricia D. Wagner nicely sets up the scenario of adventure that makes The
Star of Atlantis a worthy read for middle grade and young
adult readers
looking for attention-grabbing action.
As
a life-saving
encounter drags Swift into a strong current of danger to a search for
the
elusive Star of Atlantis (the most renowned lost sea relic in Wales),
the
brothers find themselves on a nautical treasure hunt nicely steeped in
the
nautical world: "Swift studied the open sky with its eastern
edge
deepening, and the sun in its western hemisphere swelling with the
latening
hours. The idea of night falling on these deep waters agitated the
restlessness
he’d been suffering all afternoon, watching Caius at the sails
struggling
against wind. And the ache in his own body, more keen now at the end of
his day
heightened the sense of exposure to the sea and its strength."
Wagner
excels in
juxtaposing mystery with philosophical and interpersonal observations
as the
brothers are tested and changed by their adventures, and by a sense of
urgency
and desperation that grips them during their pursuits.
The
Star Strider
dinghy of previous story brings them into and out of trouble once again
as
Swift finds a Sunstone ("Bits of crystal ancient Norse sailors
used to
navigate. Something special about them. They show the way when the
way’s not
plain.”) and comes to feel that even the object of his
pursuit, the
legendary Star of Atlantis, won't be able to solve all his problems.
The
blend of
intrigue, supernatural influences, and the dilemma faced by Swift as he
tries
to save his brother Caius highlights a journey far from home that might
never
bring him back.
Wagner
does a
particularly fine job of portraying shifting friendships as Swift comes
to find
that his friendship with Ash is changed by the Star of Atlantis. These
underlying probes of the impact of an adventure add a dimension of
psychological introspection to the story that places it more than a
notch above
the usual action story.
Young
readers
seeking a thought-provoking blend of adventure, mystery, and
interpersonal
relationship changes will find much to like about The Star of
Atlantis,
whether it's read as a stand-alone story or in conjunction with the
other
series titles.
Return to Index
Teddy
Talks
Vanessa
Messenger
Messenger
Publishing
978-1-7369997-1-4
$18.99
www.messengerpublishingbooks.com
Teddy Talks
provides picture book readers with a primer about Type 1 diabetes and
uses a
playful puppy (cunningly depicted through illustrations by Emma Latham)
to
present a "paws-itive" view of diabetes and its management.
Parents
will
want to choose Teddy's lessons as a read-aloud to help explain and
explore the
medical facts imparted in this fun story, which lends to interactive
education
and leisure read enjoyment alike.
Teddy's
human,
Emma, is a Type 1 diabetic. Teddy is a Diabetic Alert Dog who joins her
on her
regimens, supporting her with play and reviewing health routines for
young
readers that not only outline methods, but help explain the complexity
of
diabetes in terms that kids can easily understand.
More
importantly, there's an underlying message about maintaining healthy
habits,
with the end goal of health being a better life with more opportunities
for
play and achievement.
This
message,
and the fun approach of a service dog's observations of his young
human's
diabetes management processes, makes Teddy Talks an
especially highly
recommended picture book for parents seeking to help their young child
understand not only the disease and health regimens, but the role of a
service
dog in supporting its young charge.
Return to Index
Tiny
Tim and the
Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge
Norman Whaler
Read by David
Deighton
Beneath Another
Sky Books
ASIN: B08MKJT2YH
$8.99
https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Tim-Ghost-Ebenezer-Scrooge-ebook/dp/B08MKJT2YH
A Christmas Carol is such a classic that one might initially wonder
at the need for a
sequel, but there is so much more happening in Tiny Tim and
the Ghost of
Ebenezer Scrooge that this interactive audio edition for
young listeners is
highly recommended as a companion piece to the original. It should
become a
seasonal classic, in its own right.
Here,
Christmas
carols accompany an audio narration directed to listeners who receive
the tale
of a now-grown Tiny Tim, who faces his own ghost of Christmas past in
the form
of Ebenezer Scrooge.
The
audio and
sound bring to life the story of Tiny Tom's reminder of what the
holiday really
entails, adding sound effects as well as music and narration to engross
both
young readers and adults who work with them. These lively
embellishments
reinforce the underlying message of this story.
The
accompanying
book holds lovely full-page, artistic color illustrations by
VoxIllustrations,
delves more into Tiny Tim's interactions at a young age versus his
journey into
adulthood, and traces the steps of his emotional growth and challenges.
There
is also a
religious message in his growth as he enters adulthood "Strong in faith
that he was part of God's plan." This will please adults who want to
reinforce the spiritual aspects of the holiday season as the story
pursues the
now-adult Tim's romance tragedy, his choice to blame God for his loss,
and how
the lessons of Mr. Scrooge about giving and loving begin to fade over
time.
While
these may
seem fairly adult themes for ages 4-10, the rhyming nature of the
story, its
simple presentation, and its musical embellishments allow it to reach
younger
ears than might be expected; especially with parental input and family
interaction.
Mr.
Scrooge's
appearance as a ghost brings lessons for Tim and an audience of all
ages,
equating Christmas with kindness, tolerance, and love as it follows
Tim's
progression into darkness and back again.
Adults
who want
an interactive experience the entire family can enjoy, backed with
powerful visuals,
music, and a compelling lesson on kindness, will find Tiny
Tim and the Ghost
of Ebenezer Scrooge just the ticket for a follow-up to the
classic, that
reinforces its basic intentions through word, rhythm, and sound.
Return to Index
You
Jacquie Anter
Archway Publishing
978-1-6657-0695-7
$22.95
Hardcover/$13.95 Paper/$2.99 ebook
www.archwaypublishing.com
You is a
spiritual children's picture book that provides early readers with an
absorbing
introduction to the idea of God and universal presence and connections.
It is
especially recommended for parental read-aloud use, as discussions
stemming
from these insights will expand Jacquie Anter's positive message.
The
broader
encouragement of a child's place in this universe is represented
through short
two-line rhymes that are accompanied by lovely drawings: "As
a bird
spreads its wings to fly,/you, too, are destined to soar high!"
Another
strong
facet of this wide-ranging story is that scenes of nature are wound
into the tale
to provide a grounded sense of connection to the spiritual components
within
the plot.
A
savvy adult
who uses You as a read-aloud will find many
opportunities to start
dialogues with the very young on how they are connected to the
universe, to
nature, and to God: "As horses run free and wild,/your Spirit
is
limitless, my child!"
Parents
looking
to instill a feeling of opportunity and positive connections at an
earlier age
than most such coverages offer will find You the
perfect starting place
for cultivating a sense of place, purpose, and perspective.
The gentle rhymes and accompanying colorful nature-centric visuals reinforce lessons about how everyone is connected.
YouReturn to Index