September 2022 Review Issue
Literature
Mystery & Thrillers
Abandon Us
E.T. Gunnarsson
Bragi Press
978-1736377369
$19.99
Hardcover/$11.99 Paper/2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Abandon-Us-Apocalyptic-Survival-Thriller/dp/1736377361
A global
plague, a
collapsing economy, a civil war ... what else could possibly go wrong?
The
scenario feels frighteningly akin to modern times; yet Abandon
Us is a post-apocalyptic story of a struggle for survival
that adds a twist as a former service technician and his partner
abandon a
dying city to take to the underworld, underground.
Robert's
move from
above-ground activities and life to nefarious pursuits allow he and his
partner
to survive; but when events above-ground force him to return, it's to
confront
the aftermath of World War III in a deadly new environment that further
confounds survival efforts.
The plot
that E.T.
Gunnarsson cultivates may sound similar to many other dystopian,
post-apocalyptic stories; but the real meat that differentiates this
book from
others in the genre lies in protagonist Robert's efforts to transform
his life
not just once, but again and again, in response to world-changing
events.
In 2070, the
world
may be dying, but Robert is not. His ability to survive this new world
depends
on his flexibility in coping with the "age of the wasteland" caused
by nuclear war and the end of the United States as we know it.
Perhaps the
dialogue
between characters says it all:
“'What are we going to do?' Robert asked.
'Live,' William said."
Gunnarsson's
focus on
how life is revised and the methods and reasons for continuing on are
the focal
point in a story that is delivered in two parts: before, and after the
fall of
mankind.
This gives
readers a
fine contrast, builds Robert's personality and world, and creates a
smooth
segue between what was and what is, examining how and why the survivors
act and
react the way they do.
Why live? As
further
trials challenge the survivors, Gunnarsson asks pertinent questions
about the
process of struggling onward when everything formerly valued is gone: "What could one do against such a
wicked creation? How does one cope with the idea that they are the
living dead,
conscious of their impending mortality yet powerless to mend it?"
Readers of
post-apocalyptic fiction need not have prior familiarity with the first
book in
the Odemark series (Forgive Us) in
order to seamlessly absorb the ongoing saga in Abandon
Us.
Its
satisfying twist,
which asks not only how one
survives
disaster, but why, creates a
riveting
account highly recommended for sci-fi readers with special interest in
post-apocalyptic scenarios of what rises from the ashes.
Return to Index
Conquergood
& the Center of the Intelligible Mystery
of Being
C.G. Fewston
Independently
Published
ASIN: B09JMSZM8Y
$5.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JMSZM8Y
Conquergood
&
the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being is a novel
set in 2183,
where homeless outcast Jerome
Conquergood wanders the post-apocalyptic world of New York City. His
earliest
memory is of awakening in the City of Old York with no family or
connections.
As long as he can recall,
he's harbored a hatred of the Korporation
(a blend of business and political
mega-entity) that controls his world.
Forced to
join this
much-hated entity to find his missing twin brother, Jerome finds
himself
stripped of his name, identity, and life as the Korporation takes over
and
regulates him to the status of a lowly employee—and a possible future
savior.
As Jerome
struggles
with his new life and tries to maintain perspective and purpose, he
enters a
strange new world of elite living and unprecedented luxury, both of
which serve
as lures from his life connections and mission.
His initial
determination to stay his course (“We are
not what the Korporation makes us do,” Conquergood tells himself.
“Never will
be, never have been.”) is shaken by these experiences.
Readers will find
many social and ethical conundrums arise as Conquergood becomes an
initially
unwilling part of the structure he so abhors.
C.G. Fewston
creates
a story replete in social, political, philosophical and psychological
depth and
inspections that require slower reading in order to thoroughly absorb: "He often recognizes when a special
moment comes to his life. When Time — or
the energy and flow of that intangible but ever poignant system
illustrated by
ruin and decay — becomes fragile and still, Conquergood
knows he should
pay closer attention to the natural world around him. One of those
times
happened in the Old Central Park with the monarch butterflies. The
other time
is happening as he remains holding Klaire, uncertain of their two fates
— and all the steps he has counted have
become
lost, muddled and gathered as
one."
No pat
dystopian
adventure, Conquergood
& the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being is intellectually challenging and absorbing.
It ideally will attract the thinking sci-fi reader who appreciates not
just a
futuristic setting, but the moral and ethical quandaries faced by a
protagonist
forced to move out of his initial perceptions of his place in life in
order
step into the shoes of the enemy.
This
absorbing,
engrossing story of genetic manipulation and a search for the ultimate
human
psyche will also ideally lend to classroom assignment and discussion
for
courses interested in philosophical and social dilemmas in sci-fi.
Not your usual
dystopian saga, Conquergood
& the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being is highly recommended for its bigger-picture
presentation of redemption and relationships that grow from adversity
and
self-inspection. Its inspection of the foundations of reality and the
future of
humans is thought-provoking and thoroughly engaging as Conquergood
moves towards
not only his brother, but a different vision of a new human influenced
by
genetic and social manipulation.
Return to Index
H2LiftShips
-
Backstory
Bob Freeman
Indies United
Publishing House, LLC
978-1-64456-307-6
$5.99 Kindle
Website: www.h2liftship.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com/dp/B08X4YMHZZ
H2LiftShips - Backstory opens with
Graciela's observation of the
world: "Everywhere she looked, it
was gray. And black. The ruby-red laser flashed once, twice, pushing
the flat,
nano-spider fabric out, a spinnaker filled with photons, pulling the
ship with
it. The Lunar sentients; humans, simians, canines, or octopuses, seldom
went
out or left their cozy caves for a walk-around. If they had to work in
the
airless dust to service the ammonia generators or solar cells it was
not for
pleasure. Just get out, do the work and scurry back to the safety of
home."
This roots
the action
to follow with a sense of place that predates the other series books,
before
Graciela captains her own solar ship. On the cusp of a career-changing
decision, Graciela is about to move from her world at the Lunar Academy
to
something bigger, embracing family, new encounters, and unfamiliar
situations.
Bob Freeman
doesn't
just remain content with packing in action and building a high-tech
scenario.
He also adds human elements which realistically portray a dysfunctional
family
and a young woman who tries to move away from her past and into a
future where
family assumes a different role: "The
atmosphere on her parent's ship was getting a little rough before she
left. A
lot of drinking, arguing, and not much profit. Her mother preferred
snide
comments and passive-aggressive action as a reaction to her father, who
liked
to drink and play cards with the crew."
Freeman
depicts
interactions between characters which are humorous and
thought-provoking, all
in one: "On behalf of your crew, the
boost team, and the owner, we are pleased to honor your first flight,
the
official Didn't Crash patch. Wear it with honor." That was unexpected,
and
Captain Grace struggled to come up with the right response, because, of
course,
captains don't cry."My Air is Your Air," she said simply. It was the
first thing out of her mouth. "I will work to make the travels safe.
And
profitable. So, let's get to Luna and the cosmos." It wasn't a rousing
speech, she thought, but also not a long one, and that counts more."
As her first
command's wild ride progresses, Captain Grace and her zany collection
of
shipmates encounter worlds that test their abilities to survive and
stay the
course of their purpose—to make a profit.
H2LiftShips - Backstory provides an
excellent prequel to the
series, and is a strong starting point for readers to absorb the
language,
humor, and atmosphere that bring this world to life.
Sci-fi
libraries
seeking examples of modern space opera which is fun to read and
action-packed,
powered by strong characters who face unique dilemmas and challenges as
they
navigate new worlds and their own psyches, will find H2LiftShips
- Backstory an outstanding choice.
Return to Index
H2LiftShips
- Beyond Luna
Bob Freeman
Indies United
Publishing House, LLC
9781644562376
$5.76 Paper & Kindle
Website: www.h2liftship.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com/dp/B08WHN4PN6
Space opera
used to
be a very popular genre, but in recent decades, it seems to have fallen
by the
wayside somewhat. Sci-fi readers of all ages who mourn this loss and
look for
contemporary space opera stories rich in action, humor, and description
will
find this first book in the H2LiftShips series, Beyond
Luna, captures a milieu set in a parallel futuristic
universe of solar ships, military engagements, and post-apocalyptic
wonder.
Here, Solar
Sail
cargo ships operate in the asteroid belt. One such vessel is the
LunaCola,
whose crew makes a business of scavenging supplies from Earth and
gambling at
the casino to fund their existence and lifestyle.
This pursuit
often
brings them into conflict with pirates, authorities, and the law. It
also introduces
them to unusual scenarios that test their abilities and loyalties.
Bob Freeman
provides
a fitting disclosure of the type of reader who may (and may not) be
attracted
to this world: "If you enjoy long,
complex lead-ins as part of a world-building story, this series is for
you.
Otherwise, maybe try something lighter and flashy ... What you will
find is
some gambling, drinking, passive-aggressive families, lying, stealing,
and double-dealing,
e.g. normal sentients, mostly nice, but watch your back."
Merriam-Webster
defines space opera as "...a futuristic melodramatic fantasy involving space
travelers and
extraterrestrial beings."
While this description is too
often augmented by
the note that space opera can be notoriously simplistic and often
represents
bad writing, Freeman's series defies this notion by offering a setting,
circumstances, and developments that test his characters' ability to
survive
and grow on different levels.
All this is set against the
backdrop of action,
encounters with a variety of sentients who harbor their own special
interests,
and a crew that handles high tech and high controversy with equal skill.
As for the
'post-apocalyptic' piece, it should be noted that this universe isn't
exactly
suffering for its origins and influences, but presents a surprisingly
positive
picture of revised lives and new worlds.
Freeman
incorporates
many vivid descriptions of this futuristic technology and milieu into a
story
that is richer for the time taken to explore these foundations: "Tang was overjoyed to hear that the
Luna launch would be by laser boost. The ship was too heavy for the ski
jump
and if they tried a kite launch, they would probably be dragged into a
mountain
or crater before breaking free from Luna's gravity."
The result
both
supports the rollicking adventure-forward nature of the space opera
genre while
expanding its boundaries into the realm of solid writing, vivid
descriptions,
and unexpected encounters between sentients and humans.
Sci-fi fans
of the
space opera genre who look for strong action and, especially, attention
to a
sense of place and high-tech worlds will relish Beyond
Luna's ability to bring to the table a different sense of
scientific wonder and development, all wrapped into a story that
flavors its
action with more than a light dose of humor for added value.
Return to Index
H2LiftShips
- Bosons
Wave
Bob Freeman
Indies United
Publishing House, LLC
978-1-64456-483-7
$3.99 ebook
Website: www.h2liftship.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4R9W8G7
H2LiftShips - Bosons Wave recounts the
ongoing story of Captain
Graciela and the crew of the H2LiftShip LunaCola,
whose secret mission involves a journey that embraces family and
political
drama in this third volume of an intriguing space opera adventure. It's
set in
a world that simultaneously feels both familiar and alien.
This is a
world of
space pirates and high-tech oddities, from algae rocket ships to an odd
marriage between advanced technology and old-world devices—bioGel laser
rifles
and HAM radios, for example.
It's a
scenario in
which Captain Graciela and her crew battle the brainless algae which
have
joined with angry bioGel computers to challenge both sides with
impossible
situations.
From Jovian
clouds
integrated with DNA computers to gamblers who operate in a space casino
against
the backdrop of intrigue and conflict, Bob Freeman crafts an
environment that
will especially please prior series readers with more than just a fast
pace.
Freeman
takes the
time to incorporate vivid descriptions into his world-building space
opera,
marking them with a wry sense of humor that overlays the action: "Mort ships, the transports for boxed
cellular remains of sentients, preferred dark colors for the ship and
sails.
The color scheme wasn't required for the job, but it matched their
ethos."
The
descriptions of
both heady clashes and everyday activities build a strong sense of
place to
contrast extraordinary events with ordinary life pursuits, but with a
twist: "The 'gelTxt was moderately
successful.
She got the rope, nutrients, and some leads on fresh manure and grains.
It was
time to hit the regolith and search for some more supplies and tasty
snacks for
the long journey ahead. Captain Grace was in her element, picking out
products
to re-sell, for a serious profit. She was looking for bargains and kept
away
from the central storehouses."
Readers of
the prior
books in this series will find Bosons
Wave a powerful survey of risky experiments, HiveSister
concerns and
sentient developments, and the crew's struggle to avoid disaster.
Ironic,
delightful
phrasing fosters a stream of ironic observation through the story: "The green monster's visit was not as
friendly as it seemed."
The result
is a
fitting compliment to the other books in the series, expanding the
escapades of
this Navy crew's space-faring struggles as they tackle interstellar
emergencies, family issues, and military operations with equal ability.
Readers
seeking a
rollicking good read from a modern space opera will find H2LiftShips
- Bosons Wave a fine adventure that employs many
futuristic descriptions to power its characters and their dilemmas.
Return to Index
Impress of the
Seventh Surge
Jessica Mae Stover
Independently
Published
9780997054439
$5.95 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Impress-Seventh-Surge-Jessica-Stover-ebook/dp/B0B2CB38BQ
Fans of speculative
sci-fi and thrillers (especially those who look for succinct,
hard-hitting
pieces that are captivating and quickly read) will relish the power and
lure of
Impress
of the Seventh Surge,
which
chronicles the now-familiar world of a pandemic survivor who struggles
to help
others overcome the virus.
The novella opens with a
series of instructions to the
reader/protagonist that neatly set the stage for the futuristic setting
and
technology involved in the plot: "Remember
that your Impress File is experimental and internal: your Halo Cap
observes
your dominant thoughts while you're in the field and translates these
into a
text record adapted from your personal state of mind and thought
patterns."
As the interactions between
an internal computer
interface and protagonist Shan continue, readers are drawn into a world
both
familiar and yet vastly different from modern times.
Now inject a staccato of
description that captures the
sensual touch, perceptions, and tastes of this world: "Fingertips
tapping fast inside gloves, rubbery bend of touch
controllers, ridged texture of silicon grips, texted COPY HOLD. Folded
hands.
Breathed deep. Waited. A sense of relief. Tapped foot. Gripped fist."
With each display, the
scenario of "virus
deniers" and evolving social and personal dilemmas plays out against
the
backdrop of technology interactions, chat history, and a unique form of
social
inspection. This technique makes the most of the fewest words in a
manner that
will prove especially accessible to Twitter users and others who enjoy
powerful
messages that omit the power-mitigating devices of wordy passages.
The associations drawn
between what was, what is, and the
observer's record are thus especially powerful attractors juxtaposing
scenes in
an unusual manner: "Three million
dead Americans. Old barn peeling. Dry weeds feathering the walls. Boots
picking
up red paint flecks. Paint-flecked porch—no time for that. Focused.
Ping of
birdie on strings. Focused. Checked the progress on Display. Toggled
READY."
By now, it should be evident
that Impress of the Seventh Surge
is all about impressions and living
through the eyes of the observer of this world, who is tied to it in
many
different ways.
Sci-fi readers looking for
something satisfyingly,
uniquely different will relish the story's ability to pull them into a
world
both familiar and alien. It's a powerful novella highly recommended for
libraries strong in sci-fi, cyberpunk, and thrillers, and for
discussion groups
centered on unique creative writing techniques.
Return to Index
Almost
A
Memoir
M.C. Rydel
Atmosphere Press
978-1639884438
$16.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The poems in
Almost A Memoir represent
metaphysical
reflections of the end of life, immortality, and destiny. They will
especially
delight poetry readers who choose this book for these themes and their
literary
exploration.
The subjects
are
provided in sections of chapters (an unusual format for a poetry
presentation)
that both divide and define the works, creating a linked series of
investigations that are striking in their reflections of life, death,
and
living in-between these states.
Almost a Memoir lives up to its name with
its progressive chronicle
of relationships and experiences. The collection opens with a
cautionary note
in "Months of Immortality": "Everyone
in my family/Dies during the month of October./You’ve got to know that
about
us/Before you get involved."
As the
chapters
evolve, moving readers from the author's life experiences to those of
others,
poetry readers will appreciate both the free verse's astute reflections
and the
psychological analysis embedded in scenarios that range from life
changes to
family relationships. One such example is "Fabric of Coincidence": "We’ve exposed the fabric of
coincidence./Space and time like warp and weft/Guarded by three
phantoms of
fate./The first specter spins the thread of life/From her distaff onto
the
spindle./The second measures the thread with care./The third cuts the
thread as
it unravels/With her abhorred shears and assures us/Of an identical
demise on
different continents."
More so than
most
collections, these poems work as a unit, building a continuity of
analysis that
assumes the form of autobiography, the plot of a novel, and the impact
of
literary analysis.
These poems
have
achieved the level of performance art since 2010, and have been
presented as
spoken word poetry in urban bars, bookstores, theatres, and
coffeehouses.
Their
appearance
here, in print and under one cover, offers a fine opportunity for
absorbing a
narrative of life, relationships, and evolving perceptions of what it
means to
at once be moral and immoral, both on paper and in life.
Libraries
strong in
contemporary poetry representations, especially those that move from
performance art to the written page, will find Almost
A Memoir a fine example of this process and its impact.
Creative
writing discussion groups will ideally utilize it as an example of
contrasting
delivery devices between spoken and written word.
Return to Index
But Still,
Music
Anne Pitkin
Pleasure Boat Studio
978-1-7370520-3-6
$16.00
www.pleasureboatstudio.com
But Still, Music is a poetry collection
that gives readers a flavor
of the South. It follows Anne Pitkin's childhood growing up as a
privileged
white girl and into an adulthood where she was to lose her grown child.
Segregation,
distancing, and loss assume different forms in these poems, which
create close
connections between past and present, injecting this Southern childhood
into
the progression of events and future lives. "Mockingbird" is one such
journey: "I heard the
mockingbird/the day my mother died, and I was free/of the last
attachment./That
day, the sun clamored/into the windows of the mausoleum/our old home
had
become."
From the
dogwood tree
which "shivers with the sun" during a visit back home, to a newly
compromised mother, to the elusive cedar waxwing birds which so
enthralled her own
mother ("My mother, who tried to
throttle her one life/into a shape she could live with,/loved them,
their spots
of red/signaling catastrophe or passion/pulsing behind the ordered
world—waxwings/descending from the heavens."), Pitkin's
evocative reflections
on the sights, sounds, and connections that formed her life and
continue to
influence it are moments of time captured in the amber of poetic
wordsmithing.
From
journeys abroad
to the intersection between human and natural worlds, readers receive
works
that resonate: "I keep coming back
to it—/an empty field and the cracked frozen stream beside the
one tree/missing half its branches, casting a
crooked shadow./I’m drawn by an emptiness I understand now—"
Life is a
"work
in progress," with the signposts of experience and direction all around
us.
They are particularly haunting in this collection, which documents a
long
journey and its ultimate impacts and epitaphs: "There
you’ve been, loves of my life./There you’ve changed me, one
by one,/all of you, in the one place, bizarre music rioting,/shells and
telephones whispering."
The
powerful, highly
recommended collection that is But Still,
Music should ideally be made part of any discussion group
interested in
contemporary poetry reflecting place, time, and life monuments.
Return to Index
The Carcass
Undressed
Linda Eguiluz
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-264-9
$15.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The Carcass Undressed links body parts to
matters of the heart and
soul, is organized into three sections (The Body, The Bones, and The
Heart),
and uses these focal points to 'undress' the emotions connected to each.
Each section
represents
an opportunity to observe the narrator and examine self, considering a
woman's
evolving identity crisis and connections to her physical and
psychological
profile.
"Another Me"
is one poetic example of possibilities in alternative living and
reacting to
life: "There’s another me,/not
exactly lurking and not quite as exhilarating/as the performance which
I am
about/to give."
As Linda
Eguiluz
moves through her life and times, readers receive insights and
opportunities to
consider her connections, transformations, and identity.
Each poem
represents
a transformative opportunity to reconsider self, womanhood, and life.
Each
excels in thought-provoking bigger-picture inspections, as in "A Good
Wife": "When you are taught/to
worship men,/honoring yourself/feels quite off script."
Contrast this with
the feeling and knowledge of another woman who becomes an unwitting
part of an
affair in "A Hundred Hours in a Year": "I still remember the moment you
looked at me/from across the table, next to your beautiful wife,/next
to your
beautiful children, and decided I/was no longer a child, and I that you
were
insane."
These hard-hitting,
reflective poems capture both
transformative events and the little moments in life where stepping
back
becomes a driving force to observation and realization.
Each poem connects inner
body workings with deeper
inspections of psychology, philosophy, and a woman's progress through
life.
Especially highly
recommended for women's literature
libraries, The
Carcass Undressed bares its soul in a manner that will make
it
attractive not just to women's literary collections, but discussion
groups
revolving around women's issues and lives.
Return to Index
Controlling Chaos
Michael Estabrook
Atmosphere Press
9781639884544
$15.00
www.atmospherepress.com
Controlling
Chaos:
A Hybrid Poem raises the question
of how a 'hybrid poem' is defined. In this case, 'hybrid' refers to the
blends
of poetry, autobiography, and philosophical reflection that, at times,
read
like journal notes and, at others, like a long (130-page) poem about
life.
Michael Estabrook notes, in the first pages
of his production, that "I Write Poetry Because the Muse
makes me and
sometimes the Devil (mostly the Devil)." This sense of humor
is
incorporated into many experiences that receive equal attention in
often-disparate,
wide-ranging notes of irony: "Coronavirus Pandemic has us
sheltering-in-place only coming out to grab some food every week or two
during
the time set aside for the oldsters: 7-8 AM."
Readers receive short vignettes that range
from philosophical inspection to statements observing, reflecting upon,
and
describing life processes.
What is poetry? Readers who define poetry as
involving structure and rhymes may be more likely to call this
collection a
hybrid blend of autobiography, prose, and poem. Its vignettes touch
upon many
different topics ranging from literary to scientific and social, often
reflecting the life chaos it portends to control.
The result is a true synthesis of reflective
thinking.
"What
a piece
of work is man!"
What a piece of work is Controlling Chaos,
recommended for libraries seeking examples of contemporary prose,
poetry, and
the boundaries that lay between them.
Return to Index
The Guitar Player and Other Songs of Exile
Jo Ann Kiser
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-438-4
$16.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The
Guitar Player
and Other Songs of Exile provides
narratives about individuals who leave home, bond with life in unusual
ways,
and often return to their roots changed, to find new meaning and
reconsider the
goals and connections which once drove them into the world.
Consider the title and opening story,
"The Guitar Player." Here, Clara has left home and moved forward into
her life, but returns to reconsider the goals she once held to be
motivating
forces: "I looked at the photograph of the two of them taken
on the
beach by a passing stranger and thought that when I went to college,
perhaps I
would meet a man like Edward, but now I asked myself if I wanted to."
As the story takes readers through Clara's
life, from childhood to new adult wisdom, several husbands, and the
oddities of
being older, she reflects on the incongruities of her paths and
choices: "Sometimes,
though, on awakening in the night, Clara feels some great event in her
head, a
rush of imminence like an impending heart attack or a sudden psychosis.
She
sits up in bed and cries silently for the barefoot child who does not
recognize
the stranger who sleeps beside her."
As the story unfolds, readers receive an
inspection that delights mind and heart as it reveals the progress of a
life
under flux and constantly changing in its goals and nature.
Each story is a microcosm of discovery and
change that resonates and blossoms into unexpected revelations.
They are interconnected not by characters
and circumstances, but by the manner in which life evolves and
transforms the
perspectives and choices of each character.
The
Guitar Player
and Other Songs of Exile's
literary, social and psychological series of inspections tantalize on
many different
levels. It's highly recommended for library collections seeking
powerful
descriptions of past and present lives in flux: "He must
sleep, but he
is afraid to dream. Now is the time for all good men to pluck gentle
memories
from the dark and bathe their burning eyes."
Return to Index
Lies of an Indispensable Nation
Lilvia Soto
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-383-7
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The poems
and essays
in Lies of an Indispensable Nation: Poems About the American
Invasions of
Iraq and Afghanistan are
literary
representations of social, political, and military quandaries that take
an
unusual approach in blending an analysis of terrorism with a poetic
inspection
of its real roots.
These roots lie in Jimmy Carter's
presidency; in choices made which changed relationships between the
U.S. and
other nations and gave birth to a form of terrorism that culminated in,
rather
than being born on, 9/11; and which document ten years of a warped
double war
that set the stage for the world today.
In choosing the literary form rather than a
nonfiction inspection, Lilvia Soto's work holds the potential to reach
a very
different audience than the usual political analysis piece.
Her essays about her scholarly research
blend well with poetic, more emotional reflections of rage and dismay,
creating
a contrast in lives and experiences that captures sentiments and
perspectives
from many different vantage points.
From the legacy of conflict conducted on
foreign soils and brought on by 'barbarians' from supposedly-civilized
worlds
to the build-up of monstrous deceptions and disconnections between
truth and
falsehood perpetuated by leaders with a vested interest in fostering
rhetoric,
Soto creates a powerful condemnation of events. This approach recreates
history
to point out its failure to reflect reality.
Poems reflect this reality as perceived by
those who were impacted by events that reached out to change their
worlds.
"You
will
have/all the days of your life/to ask yourself what happened."
Unlike many similar-sounding analyses,
Soto's work holds no pat answers. Indeed, it captures the legacy of
revolutionary thought and action as the decades pass: "We
talked
through the night,/Steinem, Friedan, de Beauvoir,/César Chávez, Martin
Luther
King./Intoxicated with possibility,/we dreamed, signed
protests,/sharpened our
pencils."
The act of writing Lies of an
Indispensable Nation is a revolution in and of itself. The
revelation lies
in the act of reading it, to absorb the precedents of where America is
today in
the world.
Libraries
interested
in poetry, political inspection, and literature will find Lies
of an
Indispensable Nation a powerful
acquisition. It ideally will move beyond literary readers and into
political
and social issues circles, where its words and reflections will benefit
from
debate and discussion groups.
Return to Index
A Lot of Questions (With No Answers)?
Jordan Neben
Atmosphere Press
978-1639883592
$18.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.atmospherepress.com
The essays
in A
Lot of Questions (With No Answers)?
are designed to be thought-provoking, compelling. They provide
stimulating
discussions which open with "Ruminations About Religion" (in two
parts) and continue with such sections as "The Price of History",
"The State of Generosity", and "Make Sure Your Death is Sudden
and Violent."
These 'opinion essays' (as Jordan Neben
describes them in his introduction) are not meant to be a static read
of author
opinion, but are crafted to spark in its readers an analytical,
reflective
response that ideally will lead to group discussion as much as
individual
contemplation: “These essays will pose to the reader
questions such as:
“Does the way in which people die change our reactions to their
deaths?” “Is it
potentially a good thing for people to raise doubts about their beliefs
and
convictions?”
Their best use will be as an impetus for
such interactive experiences, as Neben's special way of fostering such
reflections brings the underlying relevance and impact of his topics to
life.
Consider the points raised in 'Almost
Everyone Else': "This idea again reminds us that unimportant
people
have collective value, not individual value. How many works of art
depict the
death or major life events of important figures? Yet average people
must grasp
at lower hanging fruit. If they wish to have their lives and terrible
deaths
commemorated for future consumption, they must hope that a lot of other
average
people are brought down with them."
Neben's blend of philosophical and social
reflection holds added value for its wide-reaching inclusion of
ordinary
experiences, extraordinary circumstances, and their lasting impact on
world
history and collective memory.
How can doubt and questions be raised so as
to educate and prompt a deeper level of inspection and reaction in the
general
populace?
It's long been acknowledged that critical
thinking is on the wane. Those who would refute this sense would best
begin
with questioning the status quo, historical precedent, and the truths
and
realities set forth by authorities.
What better place to begin than with the
stylized inquiries of A Lot of Questions (With No Answers)?
These
questions may not come with pat answers, but their impact lies in the
nature of
their inquiry.
Ideally, A Lot of Questions (With No
Answers)? will be chosen not just for literature library
holdings, but for classroom
discussion groups profiling the importance, nature, and impact of
inquiry and
analysis.
Return to Index
Mindshards
Brian Burt
Independently Published
ASIN: B0B8KW2Z3P
$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Mindshards-Collection-Brian-Burt-ebook/dp/B0B8KW2Z3P
Contemporary readers seeking to tap the
roots of speculative fiction should look no further than the short
pieces in Mindshards:
A Collection. It serves as a strong example of hard-hitting
speculative
works representing the best of the genre and the best use of the short
story
format.
Speculative fiction focuses on changing the
nature or perception of reality itself, placing characters in positions
where
they have to absorb, reflect, and act within these altered states.
The stories in Mindshards each
place
characters in extraordinary circumstances, weaving in equally
astonishing
responses to the bizarre that keep characters and readers guessing
about
outcomes.
Take the opening story, "Phantom
Pain." Here, the first-person protagonist finds himself in Louisiana on
a
sports scholarship. Fresh from Chicago, the narrator initially doesn't
understand either the culture or the legends of the bayou. He's about
to find
out (and so is the reader) as events immerse him in Creole culture via
his wife
and evolving community connections.
Brian Burt doesn't just describe this
milieu. His words resonate and amplify with supercharged imagery
designed to engross:
"New Orleans doesn't just sing, friend; it jitters and jives
and wails
like a wild animal that can't be caged."
His knee blown in a sports injury, the
narrator becomes a cop. And this is where his reality and perceptions
are truly
shaken as he is pulled into the underworld and dark culture flowing
under
Louisiana's appealing surface of artistic endeavors.
His encounter with Voodoo gangs gobbles a
piece of him regularly (mind you, he's selling off these pieces
willingly, not
understanding their true cost). As a "crazy fever" spreads through
the streets via these gangs, the narrator (who "doesn't believe in
black
magic...just black hearts") finds his world shaken.
Only when it's too late does he realize the
price he really pays for selling his soul piece by piece.
Each story is steeped in emotional draws,
from the hatred and despair in "Phantom Pain" and its powerful
concluding thought ("Nobody sells his soul all at once. No,
the Devil
buys on the layaway plan.") to the ranging "Brilliant Blood
of
Souls" which tackles a ghoulish killer in Los Angeles and the bioplasma
signatures that help a savvy cop identify perps ... until one
apparently alters
the impossible.
Speculative fiction readers who also enjoy
crime scenarios will find the collection's prize-earning strengths lies
not so
much in 'whodunit' scenarios (or, 'why do it'), but in undercurrents of
supernatural and impossible forces in such works as "Equinox," about
a tiny Michigan town which harbors a magical milieu where "place and
time
fused together."
Place and time fuses in these short works,
which are truly mindshards of the unexpected. Each story steeps
revelations and
thought-provoking moments in action that challenges each character (and
their
readers) to walk out of their ordinary worlds and the typical
progression of
life events.
Libraries strong in short stories,
speculative works, and powerful writing will find Mindshards
a work of
literary and psychological prowess, while book clubs looking for strong
examples of contemporary speculative works will find its stories
compelling,
offering much food for thought and lively discussions.
Return to Index
Still, the Sky
Tom Pearson
Ransom Poet LLC
978-1-0880-4768-2
$21.00
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1C1PKH9
Website: https://tompearsonnyc.com/stillthesky
Still,
the Sky is a poetry collection
that blends
mythology and art in a metaphysical consideration designed to appeal to
poets
and literature students alike.
Many of these pieces
take the form of fragments that create powerful intersections between
myth,
daily life, and memories which connect in interrelated thoughts in much
the
manner of an internet search. One such example is "Fragments
of Icarus": "Let god
folly and father fracture matter/Not, this immortalization, for us, a
curse,/Constellations for others to navigate/By what to avoid./There
was a
great voice in my head the morning/After my death that woke me from
sleep,
whispered/Into my ear, Get up, go—go write, urging/Me to confession—"
This
opening
piece sets the stage for the works that follow, which offer "divine
code" and revelations that move through life as moments captured in
time's
liquid amber: "We walk to untangle, to tell how it has
been/To love
this Gordian place and the stories/It ties itself up in, the comedies
and/Tragedies we seek—/Simple verse, sublime code, so natural/The
testimony in
all its stank, in its/Sculptural play, its blinding need, and
its/Colors
splintering."
Thought-provoking,
full-size color photos accompany these poems, adding intrigue and
images that
accent expressions of growing old, death, and the literary and
metaphysical
boundaries that reflect life experiences.
The
Greek
mythology references provide a special draw to scholarly readers; but
the
travel through history fueled by Tom
Pearson's employment of various poetic devices creates its own
unique blend of observation and philosophy.
Now, the
Greek myths
retold here do not necessarily require a background in Greek
literature—but
those who do hold such interests and background will find the poetry
especially
evocative, filled with references that offer thought-provoking
connections
between past and present.
Pearson's
photos of
his artifacts, from minerals to jars of animal teeth, embellish the
book with a
flare and inspirational visual component that connects image to word to
expand
both.
The result
is a work
of literature that ideally should be assigned reading for any class
strong in
Greek mythology and contemporary poetic reflections of history and lore.
Like his
retelling of
the Minotaur and its
Labyrinth, the poems
both stand strongly alone and work together as a unit to take readers
on a
literary, historical, and philosophical journey.
Still,
the Sky is highly recommended for
college-level readers and courses
strong in contemporary reflections on myth and history.
Return to Index
The Study of Sentient Things and Other
Stories
Trevor McCall
Independently
Published
ASIN: B0B2SFRFKF
$2.99
https://www.amazon.com/Study-Sentient-Things-Trevor-McCall-ebook/dp/B0B2SFRFKF
The
Study of
Sentient Things and Other Stories
represents adaptations of four selected classic short stories by gothic
horror
writer Edgar Allan Poe and an interconnected fifth stand-alone tale,
and is
highly recommended for literary horror readers interested in
contemporary
takeoffs on the gothic theme in general and Poe in particular.
Trevor McCall excels in thought-provoking
insights: "I often wonder if this quality I have of hearing
what others
can’t makes me unique. Perhaps I have some role to play on this earth
which is
important and only I can fulfill. Could this be why I did the things
that I
will do? If this is true, then I must be beyond blame. You see that,
don’t you?
I can still be a good person. It’s so important to me that when we get
to the
end of this, you don’t lose your faith in me. You were right to like me
from
the moment we first met. I am a pawn in a supernatural game played by
dark
actors. If you were me, you would have done what I did."
Readers of Poe will appreciate the outtakes
and creative reinterpretation of his classic pieces, but in the
original piece
"Broken Vessels," the concluding power of Poe's influence reaches a
crescendo of strength. It's here that McCall's literary abilities,
finely tuned
in the prior Poe-influenced pieces, come to life: "The city
is leaking
life. It tastes like blood because it is blood, the blood of the myth
of
progress."
Flavored by urban environment, lingering
pandemic habits, and the mercurial influence of Hydrant, the
confrontations
between killer and survivor evolve in a novelette which is as decisive
and
powerful as any piece Poe could have written.
As both a conclusion to the prior works and
a stand-alone powerhouse of revelation on its own, "Broken Vessels"
is the icing on the cake of horror that leads readers to reflect, draw
back,
and absorb visions and "subterfuge in the guise of a
well-formed
sentence."
Highly recommended for Gothic horror readers
looking for contemporary reinterpretations of classics and new
representations
of the genre's force, The Study of Sentient Things and Other
Stories is
a foundation pick for literary readers of Gothic fiction and Poe and
contemporary horror enthusiasts alike.
Return to Index
Sway
Tricia Johnson
Atmosphere Press
9781639884209
$16.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Sway is a book of poems as firmly rooted
in Pennsylvania as it is
in nature, offering readers the opportunity to settle down in the
"patterns and rhythms" of time and place, as the book's title poem
introduces and so aptly states.
The imagery
and
"you are here" sense that this introductory title poem introduces
("The soft rustle of cotton
fabric/Brushing against the body, clothespins in hand/With gentle wind
gusts/As
the shirt slowly dries on the clothesline") is part of the
homespun feel
of a collection that circumvents seasons and feelings with equal
dexterity.
Mirrored in
her
descriptions of nature and place are striking juxtapositions of
personal and
natural position that lead readers to consider their own relationships
with the
world: "I am the elements and
something more/The unique points of rainbow, sparkle through crystal
suspension."
As delicate
webs of
words unfold like a spider's creation, some impacts are immediate,
while others
simmer in the mind, to be recollected later. Above all, a sense of
"happy
peacefulness" permeates this collection, which may be, in these
pandemic
times, its greatest strength and gift.
Readers who
imbibe
will immerse themselves in all of Pennsylvania's seasons, from the
quiet
snowfall of winter to the experience of its contemplative
opportunities: "Nighttime magic/Deep with
life, quiet/Alone
in the shelter of the full cold moon/Oak tree sentinels/Primal
fire/Goodbye to
past,/cleanse/Fire cheeks."
The
resulting
all-seasons celebration of connections to the world is highly
recommended for
libraries seeking contemporary free verse poetry rooted in nature and a
sense
of place.
Sway's impact will ideally be discussed
not just among poetry and
literary circles, but by readers interested in experiencing feeling
interconnected and one with nature.
Return to Index
Through
The Soul
Into Life
Shoushan B
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-132-1
$16.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Through The Soul
Into Life represents poetry that
operates on a personal level, exploring existential, philosophical, and
psychological realms with a dovetailing of author experience and
spiritual
inspection that comes alive in free verse.
The first thing to note
about Through The Soul Into
Life is its ability to capture conditions of overwhelm and
adversity. One
such poem is "I am descending Downward the spiral Into the
abyss,"
which delineates
the
process of drowning: "I am/under/Under the burden of
life/Under the
thumb of death/I am under/Moments of obscurity invade me/Distort all my
visions
of eternity/Despair drowns me/Fear devours me ..."
As the poems move from the
microcosm of personal experience
to the macrocosm of social and political change, readers receive astute
reflections upon and connections between personal experience and
evolution and
the wider world: "Under the brim of
superiority, exclusivity/Civilization is relapsing, deteriorating/In a
collective shame and disfunction./Under the delusion for their
entitlement/For
discrimination, for prejudice/The idealism of visionaries/Of civil
rights
pioneers is nullified."
As dramatic sea changes and
shifts are experienced, both
individually and in society, Shoushan B draws important connections
between
soul and life, exploring the intersections and interconnections between
different growth experiences that propel the narrator (and her
audience) to
reconsider "self-imposed chains" and obstacles to freedom.
The expression of these
experiences, reflections, and
changes creates a unified quest for not just one woman's empowerment,
but the
circumstances and conditions which affect her transformation.
Poetry readers will, of
course, be the logical audience
for this collection, but Through The Soul Into Life
ideally will reach a
broader audience of social and philosophical thinkers who can use these
poems
to discuss such diverse issues as women's empowerment processes,
personal
transformation and self-help, and human rights issues that impact
spiritual and
personal thinking.
Through The Soul
Into Life represents a personal
journey highly recommended not just for individual digestion, but for
group
discussion. It should have a place in any contemporary poetry
collection.
Return to Index
Weightless, Woven Words
Umar Siddiqui
Atmosphere Press
9781639884704
$12.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Weightless,
Woven
Words presents poetry about the workings of the mind and its
connections to
the human condition, firing its words with the desperation and
meditative
experiences of mental health and illness as Umar Siddiqui explores the
inner
world of self and connections to love, God, and the human condition.
The book's
division
into seven categories does not coincide, as readers might expect, with
the
emotion-laden subjects they deliver. Rather, these separations serve as
boundaries to set the parameters for concepts that restate the
connotations of
words, phrases, and conditions.
Take the
peaks and
valleys of "Desperation," the opening section, for one example. Readers
might anticipate a dark and brooding piece, from its title, but
Siddiqui injects
a sense of wonder and observation into many of his works that swing
from despair
to recognizing opportunity and the emotional connections between these
states: "Meadows to frolic in don’t mean
much,/When it’s not what I want,/For I don’t know what to do but this
hunch,/Of
my mind makes me ask what?"
The style of
these
poems may be described as lyrical—but without the confinement of
rhythmic
structure that dictates form be created and followed uniformly within
even the
poem itself, much less the collection as a whole. When Siddiqui adopts
a
classic rhyming tradition, he often breaks loose of it mid-point,
leaving
readers to focus as much on the words and emotions within as their
poetic
structural impact. In a nutshell, he demonstrates a flair for following
poetic
rules—then breaks them.
This act in
itself
challenges readers to absorb the unexpected in works that are driven by
emotion, contemplation, and an experience created by the form and
presentation
of the poems themselves.
The result
is a
gathering that should be considered by libraries looking for strong
examples of
contemporary poems, but which should equally be of interest to readers
of
psychological works of inspection, who can use this collection to probe
their
own psyches and connections to evolutionary thinking and analysis.
Return to Index
Escapegoat
Daughter
Misty Compton
CoreCavity LLC
979-8-9864594-0-0
$4.99 Kindle/$17.95 paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Escapegoat-Daughter-memoir-decision-contact/dp/B0B5KKBTBC/
Many memoirs
document
dysfunctional family relationships, but Misty Compton's Escapegoat
Daughter joins them with a different focus, chronicling
not just dysfunction, but the process by which a daughter makes a
purposeful
decision to sever all contact with her family in order to maintain her
own
health and sanity.
That process
is both
reinforced by this memoir about her life and reviewed in depth as
Compton
examines the roots of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and
decisions.
She considers the self-preserving rules that made her the 'black sheep'
in the
family and how she ultimately decided that going "no contact" was the
only way she could lead a healthy life.
The fine art
of
distancing involves not only many decisions, but many attempts to
establish
healthier connections and boundaries in a relationship.
Compton
reviews all
these choices and their consequences as she reviews her life in Escapegoat Daughter, from childhood to
her own wedding and ongoing recovery and growth.
The story
opens with
a new beginning as Compton accepts her boyfriend's marriage proposal.
It then
moves to undercurrents of family influence as Compton considers her
boyfriend's
traditional approach to her family and the values that would soon be
shaken by
interactions that forced them both to change: "A
Southern boy, Kendall was all about tradition, like asking my
parents for my hand in marriage. He was an old-school gentleman. I
loved that
about him."
These
psychological
depths come to light slowly as Compton reviews her life-changing
epiphany and
how her parents reacted to it: "It
was hard to gauge how my mother felt about anything. I
wanted—needed—her to
approve my relationship with Kendall. Kendall was the most important
man in my
life. I needed Mom to
support
my decision."
As Compton
and her
husband learn more about family scapegoats, she comes to realize more
about her
position in her family, and why distancing and self-protection may be
her only
choices in maintaining healthy boundaries.
Readers
receive a
thorough review of all family connections and relationships as the
story
evolves. The meat of the story lies in the decision, enactment, and
difficulty
of going "no contact" as Compton explores many different aspects of
her resolution. She also candidly acknowledges her own responsibility
for
choosing different courses for her own life without casting ongoing
blame onto
others for her psyche or actions.
The result
is more
than another book about family dysfunction and adult healing. It
narrows the
focus to the choice of "no contact" in all of its ramifications,
charting
the course to this effort and the messages that come from within and
from
family: "The feeling in my stomach
was none other than guilt. My whole life I had felt this feeling. I
could never
do anything right."
While Escapegoat Daughter represents a fine
memoir of personal struggle suitable for library memoir collections,
it's
especially recommended for those in toxic family relationships who will
learn about
the logic, methods, and impact of making a "no contact" choice.
Ideally, Escapegoat Daughter will also serve as
fodder for recovery discussion groups or the EMDR therapy sessions of
adults
who are handling or healing from toxic family interactions.
Why is this
book such
a standout? Compton says it best: "Awareness
is the starting point for all healing. If we are aware of and take
accountability for our bad behaviors, we can heal and stop narcissism
from
continuing to the next generation."
Return to Index
JADA: Just Another Dead Animal: A Vietnam
Memoir
James Morris
Atmosphere Press
978-1639884810
$16.99
www.atmospherepress.com
JADA:
Just Another
Dead Animal: A Vietnam Memoir is
the posthumous publication of a Vietnam vet who returned with severe
PTSD, and
who wrote this memoir before he died to review and perhaps reconcile
his past.
The foreword by his younger brother details
his sibling's intentions in writing this book, outlining why Glenn
Morris
considered his brother a hero. According to Glenn, James Morris "was a
living casualty of war, trying to live beyond his memory and his
memoir."
This book details the war experiences that led to acts of courage and
PTSD
alike.
The story begins with the "good old
days" of youth pre-war, then moves into the Vietnam milieu where
James's
life turns into a tightrope walk over ongoing dangers that stem from as
seemingly-ordinary actions as taking a single misstep: "Walking
off on
the side of the road would be like playing Russian Roulette, for that’s
where
the most danger was. Our enemy was not stupid. They knew what we did,
how we
did it, and when we did it. Your best bet to make it back to the
‘world’, as
the United States was referred to, was to always stay alert to your
surroundings. Complacency could get you killed anytime in Vietnam."
The "you are
here" feel of the narrative explores perceptions of self and enemy,
experiences, and the life-changing milieu of Vietnam that seeps into a
soldier's
psyche.
As panic
attacks develop
which will become a common experience for James for the rest of his
life, JADA:
Just Another Dead Animal goes the
extra mile in showing how ongoing stress and life-challenging
situations create
responses in individuals that serve as coping mechanisms long after
threats
vanish.
More so than most Vietnam memoirs, this
attention to the experiences and ideas of combat and how they come home
to
roost in field and civilian life makes for an astute examination of
survival
and psychic injuries that are nearly impossible to resolve, once
embedded.
Also enlightening is the process by which
other human beings come to be perceived as "animals" and how this
perception translates to life back home, when combat is over.
James is wise enough to realize that his
military experience will be part of his life forever, even when it's
past: "I
knew I was physically leaving the soil of Vietnam to hopefully never
return,
but I also knew at this point, the emotional Vietnam would travel with
me
indefinitely."
While his encounters and experiences could
serve as triggers for fellow veterans, they also serve as validations
of the
struggles experienced by military men who see action overseas, then
attempt to
return to "ordinary life" at home, survival traits and perceptions
still firmly engrained in heart and mind.
Ironically, James may be seen as a hero to
his brother, but he will also be applauded for his courage in being so
candid and
revealing in this memoir. Its experiences, lessons, and insights are
healing: "I
shamefully never felt I truly saved anyone’s life in Vietnam, but I
hope in
some way this story might save just one life. And it may have been my
own."
Libraries
that choose
JADA: Just Another Dead Animal to augment other
Vietnam memoirs in their
collections will find that, more so than most, James Morris provides a
healing
experience that acknowledges the rigors and changing mindsets of combat
experience and coming full circle to return home. It's a lesson in
adaptation
and perspective is recommended for book club reading circles interested
in
Vietnam experiences that capture the racing pulse of a nation and a
world on
edge, as well as individual experience.
Return to Index
Journey to the West
Devanath Thenabadu
AIA Publishing
978-1-922329-36-3
$13.99
Website: http://www.aiapublishing.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1922329363
Journey
to the
West: One Man's Odyssey Into His Own Mind
follows a quest for meaning and spiritual enlightenment as Devanath
Thenabadu sojourns from Sri Lanka to the streets of Paris in search of
a life
that lies not in the East, but to the West. His initial reaction to
this
distant world is not the sense of wonder that readers would anticipate:
"It should have felt extraordinary to
be standing there in the heart of iconic Paris. But it didn’t. I wasn’t
really
seeing the beauty and rich history all around me. Instead, it was as if
I were
looking at everything through an impenetrable fog."
A pressure
to conform
led this twenty-one-year-old traveler to the other side of the world in
search
of freedom and a sense of purpose and life meaning that he couldn't
find in the
too-familiar streets of home.
As Thenabadu
explores
the culture, language, and different psychology of France, he receives
cultural, social, and spiritual insights that are incorporated into the
travel
components of Journey to the West: "When I started taking French classes,
I was surprised to learn various parts of French grammar are inflected
for
gender. It occurred to me then that language could have something to do
with
femininity. As words are what we all use to explain the world around
us, our
worldview is undoubtedly conditioned by our own specific linguistic
structures.
So as soon as French girls start to talk, language is another fact of
life that
sets them apart from the boys."
These
revelations
pique the reader's intelligence with thought-provoking reflections that
not
only contrast very different cultures, but offer insights on life
perspective
and its influences and development.
Thenabadu's
ability
to contrast the sights, sounds, smells, and experience of France,
Warsaw,
London, and Sri Lanka creates an intriguing interplay between
experiences past
and present, leading readers to consider the metaphysical changes and
options
that accompany forays into the world.
It is rarely
said
that enlightenment can bring with it the chaos of repressed memories
and abuses
that affect the growth and direction of new adults. But as readers
follow
Thenabadu's awakening mindfulness, they also embark on a psychic
journey into
the past which considers the wide-ranging affects of early childhood
trauma,
whether repressed or realized.
The
psychological and
spiritual revelations in this memoir form the central force of its
attraction,
earning it high recommendation not just for the typical travel library
and
readers of On the Road and other
works of travel literature, but for libraries interested in books that
hold
discussion points about growth, awakening, and the ongoing impact of
childhood
culture and trauma.
Its ability
to rise
above the usual work of travel literature and cultural examination
makes Journey
to the West: One Man's Odyssey Into His Own Mind an inward and outward reflection of epiphany,
revised beliefs, and,
ultimately, redemption and wisdom: "Aren’t we all guilty of
the same
offences? Don’t we all give an exaggerated importance to our limited
separate
self and carry on living as if there’s nothing more? And don’t we all
deceive
ourselves, thinking that we know ourselves when we really don’t? That
we’re
separated from the world, others and our true selves when we’re really
not?"
Travel and
new age
readers looking for more icing on the cake of captivating memoirs will
find Journey
to the West just the ticket for
added value that makes for more than either a memoir or a work of
spiritual and
psychological enlightenment alone.
Return to Index
My Nine Lives: An Exuberant Adventure
Ben Lin
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-423-0
$18.99
www.atmospherepress.com
My
Nine Lives: An
Exuberant Adventure comes from a
true "Renaissance Man" who is a renowned chef, actor, and acclaimed
pianist. Here, Ben Lin recounts the heady flight of all his abilities
as he
moves into the world powered by an inferiority complex that motivates
rather
than limits him: "Lasting from the birth of my younger
brother till I
was in my mid-50s, it destroyed my self-confidence, crippled my
rela-tionship
with women, darkened my outlook of the future, and made me an emotional
wreck.
Ironically, the liability also turned out to be a positive force, a
redemption
that inspired me to try harder to overcome adversities, turn weakness
into
strength, and pursue the impossible dream—without which I could not
have
embarked on my exuberant journey of diversified endeavors, my “nine
lives.”
Readers looking for inspirational memoirs
that chart an upward trajectory through not just one career path, but a
number
of talents and opportunities for using them, will relish My
Nine Lives.
It explores the motivations, insights, and career moves of an
entrepreneur who
overcame many odds to make the most of his life.
From his early years in China and his
struggles to overcome the hurdle of proficiency in English to his
forays into
cooking, teaching, and interacting with students to influence their own
evolving lives, Lin captures the excitement and nuances of a career and
life
that moves forward into various new ventures with enthusiasm: "...there
was no greater joy than to impart the knowledge of something I loved to
well-motivated enthusiasts."
Lin takes the time to describe all these
milieus, from the complexities of Chinese regional cooking and the
different
cultures and approaches it represents to moving from cooking and the
culinary
world to teaching, acting, and performing.
From new developments to debuts and career
changes, Lin's memoir absorbs the complexity of a multifaceted life,
flavoring
it with examples of overcoming obstacles to make the most of
opportunities.
The result is a lively memoir that requires
no prior familiarity with Ben Lin, but an appreciation for specific
examples of
a well-lived life and what it means to overcome adversity to rise to
the top.
Libraries looking for such memoirs, as well
as collections strong in Chinese cultural experiences, will find My
Nine
Lives: An Exuberant Adventure more
than lives up to its subtitle, imparting a sense of adventure and
achievement
to audiences who would emulate its energy and lessons.
Return to Index
Patsy
Swayze: Every
Day, A Chance to Dance
Sue Tabashnik
Passion Spirit Dreams
Press
978-0-9894086-6-0
$25.99
www.likedirtydancing.com
Patsy Swayze: Every Day, A Chance to Dance
was written to
celebrate, honor, and reveal the life of a dancer and mentor whose
activities
influenced dance students for decades.
In so many
ways, Patsy
was an icon and trailblazer; yet her influence is barely known outside
the
world of dance. Thus, the need for this book, which should be included
in any
definitive library collection of performing arts personalities.
Patsy
Swayze's famous
son Patrick was one of her students, and many readers will harbor at
least a
rudimentary knowledge of his skills. Sue Tabashnik's book outlines the
wellsprings of these abilities as it surveys Patsy's life, her
influences on
her son, and their relationship as well as their strengths and place in
performing arts history.
Houston,
Texas in the
1950s and '60s was not known as a bastion of social acceptance; yet
Patsy,
early on, made her dance lessons available to people of color and
people from
all walks of life. She was a philanthropist and a teacher whose
directions
proved revolutionary at a time when so many doors were closed to those
from
different economic, racial and ethnic levels of American society.
Because of
all these
facets (including the fact that her many achievements have never been
fully
assembled in one place and celebrated before), Patsy
Swayze: Every Day, A Chance to Dance represents a key piece
of literature that goes beyond following one woman's career.
Patsy made a
name for
herself in many ways. It's a legacy that deserves to be profiled, and
to live
on to influence future generations. Her biographer achieves this goal
by
interviewing other dancers and artists whose memories of and
associations with
Patsy catapulted their own careers and endeavors to unprecedented
heights.
Student
commentaries
about their teacher's lessons offer additional insights into her focus
and
modus operandi: "She was all about
technique...She also always stressed about being a triple-threat: to
learn to
sing, to learn to do acrobatics, to learn to do jazz, to learn to do
tap, to
learn to do ballet. She said to learn as much as you can so when you
are called
upon in a show or a movie—“Can you do this?”—you can say yes. She told
us to be
a triple-threat—actor, singer, dancer—and try to excel at them all."
As a host of
interviews from professional dancers, choreographers, actors and
industry
leaders bring forth various facets of Patsy's life, readers gain the
full
flavor of her personality, her son's world, and her life.
Liberally
laced with
color photos of contributors, performance literature, and vintage
photos, Patsy Swayze: Every Day, A Chance to
Dance
is a vibrant account of a notable teacher's world. It should become a
mainstay
in any performing arts or memoir collection interested in lively
performing
arts industry discussions and insights.
Return to Index
Still On Fire
Renee Linnell
Pink Skeleton Publishing, Inc.
979-8-9861647-3-1
$16.95
https://www.amazon.com/Still-Fire-Memoir-Renee-Linnell/dp/B0B1KR6BN6
Still
On Fire is a memoir of
self-realization and growth
that continues the globe-hopping saga begun in The Burn Zone.
No prior familiarity with Renee Linnell's
life is required in order to jump right into the fire and take off
(vicariously) through her wild ride here, throughout circumstances of
love,
spiritual evolution, and growth.
Renee Linnell's 'fire' lies in a passion for
life that embraces the concept of evolutionary growth from the start: "We
think we want to see the entire future. We think we want to know all
the steps
and turns in the path ahead. But the truth is that would bore us and
make life
not worth living. It really is so much more fun to follow our desires,
listen
to our Inner Guidance, and take the next right step, then the next
right step,
and then the next right step, not knowing where each step will lead but
trusting that it is going to lead to someplace amazing, where we can
learn and
grow from all our “mistakes” and enjoy all the beautiful gifts offered
along
the way."
Linnell acknowledges that "we are
guided more than we know," but also observes that "...when
trying
to decide between two options, always pick the one that will leave the
better
story. I have tried to do that my entire life."
And, what a life it is. As the stories
unfold in a riot of experience and philosophical and psychological
insight, Still
On Fire offers a fine contrast in subject and approach to her
prior memoir,
showing how tapping into one's inner direction leads to better paths
than
plowing full speed ahead, willy-nilly.
More than just a series of rollicking good
stories (which they are), the added value in these experiences comes
from
accompanying reflections about the best way to live life to its
fullest: "Our
body is so incredibly wise. It is always looking out for us, warning
us, but we
have to pay attention. We must learn to stop overriding it. Stop
clogging it up
and numbing it out by eating, drinking, and inhaling non-foods, toxins,
and
poisons. We must make it our best friend, not our enemy. We must learn
to love
this selfhealing, divinely gifted, amphibious, miraculous machine. And
we must
learn to be more present."
That sense of presence is represented in
nuggets of wisdom that emerge from a diverse range of encounters and
journeys,
chronicled here.
It is captured in a sense of fire, passion,
and evolving wisdom that Linnell cultivates from these experiences,
making Still
On Fire a fiery account of accomplishment, mindfulness, and a
determined
journey through life that doesn't just acknowledge inner guidance, but
embraces
it fully.
Libraries strong in self-help, women's
issues, travel, empowerment, and new age thinking alike will find Still
On
Fire a worthy acquisition. Ideally, it will also serve as a
discussion
point for reading groups interested in any of the above topics.
One thing is certain: Still On Fire
is not a boring read or a series of wise admonitions alone, but
represents the
flames of a life on fire, moving towards enlightenment.
Return to Index
Suspected
Hippie in
Transit
Martin Frumkin
Balsam Press LLC
9781734800012
$5.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Suspected-Hippie-Transit-Consciousness-International-ebook/dp/B0B8PY168J
Aside from
the
tongue-in-cheek nature of the title's initials, Suspected
Hippie in Transit provides a travel story about an
experience in Malaysia which is "a comedy for some and a tragedy for
others." In that country, being identified as a hippie is cause for
deportation ... even if the label is somewhat mercurial and relies on
appearance and actions which may lie far from an actual hippie's world.
The
passports of
those who are deemed possible social reprobates are thus stamped
"S.H.I.T." and are subject to suspicion and dismissal. Martin Frumkin
was one such soul who embarked on the international hippie trail of
enlightenment and discovery. While his experiences were similar to
those of
many other travelers who walked this path, the difference is that he
took the
time to write them down, with the added injection of wry observation
tempered
by humor. Thus, this book, which takes readers on a journey both
eye-opening
and fun.
The sojourns
through
Asia in the 1970s assume a "you are here" diary feel that brings
readers into the cultural milieus of the regions and times: "As I wake this early morning, am I
still dreaming? I look up and see multiple archways of a palace.
Really? A
palace? Yes. I am a guest of Hare Raj Singh and his two brothers, Locki
Raj and
Ravi Raj."
If, at this
point,
readers anticipate the usual new age focus of the hippie, it should be
cautioned that Frumkin's voice of experience is far more candid and
practical
than most: "Hare Raj Singh is one of
few Indian freaks drawn to Ringo’s Guest House. Metaphysics, yoga,
history,
Hells Angels, Solzhenitsyn and traveling to Kabul and Europe seem to be
on his
mind. Intelligent, street-savvy, British-educated and well-spoken, Hare
Raj is
all I am not. In fact, in comparison, my Brooklynese bastardization
sounds like
English as a second language. As for the meditative life, Hare believes
it is
for his later years. I agree. Why suppress wine, women, and song in our
twenties?"
From packed
trains to
the swirling currents of the Indian Ocean, one of Frumkin's strengths
is the
ability to inject readers into the world he observes: "Shimmering
a crimson dance, a second line of clouds lounge at the
horizon, unable to conceal a brilliantly rising orange-red sun-ball.
Below the
boulder on which I sit, a dark-skinned boy has just taken a loose
watery stool,
breakfast for a murky-gray pig. Bon appetite. Sunrise in India!"
Maps and
black and
white photos pepper the story as Frumkin moves through India in the
first
segment of a seven-year odyssey that embraces sex, drugs, rock 'n roll,
and spiritual
and cultural enlightenment.
His
encounters with
slums, squalor, frantic lifestyles, and strange times fueled by a
"hippie
trail" marks the days of a traveler who becomes immersed in different
worlds and their social and political ironies and incarnations.
Spiritual
and
psychological enlightenment are the hallmarks of travel and are
abundant
attractions in Suspected Hippie in
Transit, which documents not just one traveler's individual
experience, but
reflects the pursuits of a generation of searchers.
Libraries
strong in
Asian cultural exploration, travel, spirituality, and solidly good
reads will
find all these qualities mark a story both enlightening and fun.
Frumkin's
ability to capture the dual complexities of a pilgrimage to India makes
for enlightening,
entertaining reading that's highly recommended for a wide audience of
seekers,
travelers, and those who would relive the milieu of the 70s from a
nomad's
perspective.
Return to Index
True North, Down South: Tales
of a Professional Canadian in America
David Wayne Stewart
True North Press
979-8-9858836-0-2
$7.99 ebook/$13.95 Paper
http://truenorthdownsouth.com/
True North, Down
South: Tales of a Professional
Canadian in America considers
the
roots of national identity and cultural misunderstandings, and comes
from a
Canadian émigré to the U.S. His Canadian identity was tested not just
by his
position as an immigrant, but by the Quebec separatists who challenged
his youth
in Canada before he immigrated to this country.
This
examination
takes the form of autobiographical essays which collect humorous and
pointed
experiences in his life, presenting them as vignette examples of
cultural
understanding and identity crisis.
As
readers move
through these twenty-eight essays, they gain a sense not just of one
man's life
and evolving perspectives, but of the contrasts between Canadian and US
psyches
and the forces that influence the making of cultural identity and
personal and professional
belief systems.
The
stories not
only capture life-changing moments and situations, but trace the
author's
search for self that holds its roots in being Canadian and
understanding its
regional differences and their impact: "My thoughts returned
to Bert
and Gene, the hospitable Newfoundlanders we’d met on our journey. I
admired
their warm humour and joyful senses of place. They also made me aware
of how
relatively little I knew about my own home province of Quebec. I
yearned for a
deeper understanding of the separatist era there that had impacted my
family.
And what better place than Quebec’s largest city to delve into my past?"
Especially
intriguing and notable are considerations of how cultural identity
passes
between generations as part of their values and heritage lessons: "I’ve
long stowed my kids’ American and Canadian passports in a fireproof
safe in the
garage of our California home. I realize now that I had embraced my
role as
keeper of the passports as much for my benefit as for theirs. I saw
their
Canadian passports in particular as symbols of a national identity that
I
wanted to share with them. As each new child arrived, I would promptly
file
applications for a Canadian citizenship card and, later, a passport.
And since
Canadian citizenship cards are never updated, all three of my kids’
cards still
feature their cute baby photos, lasting proof not only of their second
nationality but also of my own compulsive need to prove their
Canadianness."
From
coming of
age experiences to leaving the next generation with the mindset and
tools for
better understanding Canadian and American connections and disparities,
David
Wayne Stewart provides far more than a memoir, here.
True North, Down
South is a highly recommended documentation of social
inspection and contrasts that should ideally be chosen by libraries
interested
in Canadian and American relationships, cultural identity, and
immigrant
experience; as well as book clubs discussing any of these elements and
how they
pass between generations.
Return to Index
A Voice Out
of
Poverty
Jillian Haslam
Top Reads Publishing,
LLC
978-1970107234
$18.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.topreadspublishing.com
A Voice Out of Poverty: The Power to Achieve From
Adversity is a
study in rising out of poverty. It comes from a woman whose childhood
was influenced
by the slums of Calcutta. From the start, Jillian Haslam describes
powerful
scenes of poverty in India which would have proved impossible to
overcome had
it not been for the ongoing determination of her mother: "The
rickshaw puller veered off the line of his path, forcing a
dilapidated scooter that packed an entire family to swerve near us. The
scooter
splashed mud onto my legs and dress, and I started to cry. My only
proper dress
was drenched with filth. I now would have to undress to underclothes
while it
got washed. My mother stopped and crouched in front of me. I didn’t
hide my
disgust. 'Oh, come on now Jillu, it’s not that bad!' she said. The
brusque tone
harkened to how she’d counsel us not to yield to emotion."
Given such a
beginning, it would seem unlikely that life could improve. But her
mother
imparted a valuable message that, though resisted early in life,
ultimately drove
Haslam to reach for greater goals: "My
mother relentlessly stressed that life could always have been harder.
Never
make a fuss. Be grateful for what you have, however paltry. Things can
be
worse."
This
admonition, along
with a work ethic instilled at a young age, kept Haslam on track to
escape her
own poverty and serve as a guidepost for others seeking to understand
the
wellsprings of success.
Haslam's
memoir moves
through the ups and downs of her journey, exploring both her life and
Indian
society and culture (which is well known for its large, impoverished
communities).
Her path to
personal improvement
led her into a mission of broader transformation for those around her
as she
was appointed as President of BofA’s Charity and Diversity Network in
India and
began to help others overcome poverty.
Besides the
inspirational quality of her unique story, Haslam also provides the
powerful
lessons that she absorbed in the course of her upward trajectory: "Regret can be a powerful inhibitor. I
took some comfort knowing I’d injected small doses of happiness and
hope into
the lives of my aunt and father. I’d also made a connection that I’m
sure no
one in the family ever imagined possible. Both were positive marks I
could
exalt to sap any inclination I felt to become mired in remorse. It was
a
perspective that allowed me to focus on the lessons I could learn from
the
situation and reflect on how important it is to stand up for myself no
matter
what others say or think. I had to stay centered on being my own
person,
directing my own life, and fulfilling my life’s mission."
The result
is more
than a singular memoir of achievement, but a broader inspection of how
personal
experience can drive social and political change at different levels,
as well
as representing a solid inspection of Indian culture and society.
A Voice Out of Poverty's powerful message
needs to be heard. This
memoir should not be limited to library autobiography sections alone,
but
should be made part of book and social issues discussion groups,
studies on
contemporary Indian society, and examinations of the changing roles of
women in
leadership positions.
Return to Index
Aiken in Check
Michael Frost Beckner
Montrose Station Press
9798985597479
$28.00 Hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/Aiken-Check-Game-Novel-Trilogy/dp/B0B2TH6K63
Aiken
in Check is the third book in the
Spy Game trilogy
of espionage thrillers, and again finds CIA lawyer
Russell Aiken (the
main character in the other books) at odds with his environment. This
time,
he's defected to Cuba where he clashes with Havana spymasters over the
fate of
kidnapped CIA agent Nina Estrada.
That isn't
the only
minefield he must navigate. Father and son Nathan Muir and Tom
Bishop also
are players on this complex chess board of cat-and-mouse games, and
their
interactions and decisions affect Aiken's ability to achieve his goals
as he
undertakes an impossible rescue effort that centers on one pivotal
night.
As in the prior Spy Game books complimenting
the film of the same name, Michael Frost Beckner excels in crafting
scenarios
that not only involve intrigue and unexpected twists, but equally
surprising
challenges on the parts of major players who find their lives both
entwined and
at odds with one another.
Under Beckner's hand, the social, political,
and psychological strategies and moves of spies and rescuers alike come
to a
head in unexpected ways that keep readers not just thoroughly engaged,
but
guessing about outcomes and mercurial relationships.
The moment-by-moment tension is exquisitely
captured in scenes which come to life with delicate descriptions: "I
twitched. I wanted to act. But I did nothing. She opened a hand behind
her
father’s back, opened and closed it like the gills of a dying fish,
clutching
for me. I reached out. I wasn’t close enough. A pit burned in my
stomach."
The "you are here" feel of these first-person
revelations brings the plot to life as Beckner explores three men's
interconnected lives, loves, and the threat that draws them together in
an
impossible gambit.
Readers won't expect the wry wit which
underlies many of the interactions, but it's alive and well even as the
characters struggle to stay the same.
Aiken
in Check is an espionage thriller
that embraces more
literary prowess than most genre reads, and is highly recommended for
readers
who enjoy tie-in movie fiction and rollickingly active plots.
Return to Index
Bishop's Endgame
Michael Frost Beckner
Montrose Station Press
9798985597448
$28.00 Hardcover
www.michaelfrostbeckner.com
The second book in The Aiken Trilogy needs
no prior introduction for newcomers to appreciate the spy gambit and
espionage
focus of its characters. As a Spy Game novel, it serves as a sequel to
Michael
Frost Beckner's Spy Game film,
taking
place ten years after events in the film and its prequel Muir's
Gambit.
Think Ian Fleming's James Bond character, a
plot which holds its foundations in a real-world encounter experienced
by
Beckner, and a setting in Malaysia which receives the fictional
invention of
terrorist drama paired with real-world insights into this Asian
nation's
culture.
Beckner made a concerted effort to avoid
stereotyping in converting his experiences to the thriller format. This
awareness is evident in carefully crafted scenarios that inject a sense
of real
people and situations that defy the usual Asian stereotypes and
settings.
Literary, political, and social allusions
are replete in a first-person story that invites readers on a journey
that
offers much food for thought: "Anyone who reads “Jack and
Jill” comes
away from it with a kindly aspect for its twin protagonists. Forever
after,
when you recall the pair or repeat their legend, your allegiance
carries
forward. We like Jack and Jill. We regret their mishap. But we see no
reason to
assign malintent or affix any blame. Jack and Jill: how a Russell Aiken
CONPLAN
gets approved for operational planning. Hand in hand, the cutie-pie
pair skips
you past the big lie I’ve gotten the government to sign off on. A
deception
operation staring you right in the face."
This attention to detail, allusion, and
gripping language is a hallmark of a story that reaches out to grab its
readers
from the beginning: "The operation is the hill. Lives or dies
there in
plain-view, signed-off secrecy. And the endgame is as drastic and
impactful as
the beheading of a king over lost booze by a primed populace incensed
at
receiving less buzz for their buck. Or as meaningless as the dish
chasing the
spoon to Malaysia is prelude to the cow jumping over Manhattan. No one
ever dug
a well at the top of a hill."
In addition to linguistic prowess and
descriptions that draw connections between seemingly disparate
circumstances,
Beckner excels in creating powerful characters that move through their
worlds
with purpose and insight.
The tension, too, is finely tuned as the
narrator, Agency lawyer Russell Aiken, navigates his own
challenging
personal endgame and the ability to step out of his staid legal life
and into
the cat-and-mouse realms of the criminal underworld.
As retired
spymaster
Nathan Muir finds his professional networks suddenly don't work on the
cusp of
the Malaysian summit where al-Qaeda is planning the September 11
attacks,
Bishop joins forces with the daughter of a spy to fill in the gaps.
As each
plays the Spy
Game that demands extraordinary expansions of their skill sets and
perceptions
of not just the world, but their place in it, readers embark on a
globe-hopping
journey that keeps them engaged, involved, and on edge about what will
happen.
Strategy is
key in
any chess game, but the special strategic scenario presented here
represents a
stretch for two characters that have yet to solidify their new roles in
a
changing world.
The result
is a
thriller that juxtaposes life-or-death questions with political and
social
processes that are sparklingly original and satisfyingly hard to
predict.
Libraries
strong in
espionage and thriller stories set against the backdrop of terrorist
activities
will welcome Bishop's Endgame as a
powerful story offering many strengths and attractions.
Return to Index
Black and Blue
Frank F. Weber
Moon Finder Press
978-1-63821-356-7
$20.00
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Blue-Frank-F-Weber/dp/8886275811
Mystery readers who choose Black and Blue
for its intrigue will also find the story a powerful social inspection.
It is
set in Minneapolis and tells of an unusual connection between a young
black man
and a police officer as the search continues for 19-year-old Sadie
Sullivan's
killer.
Racial
conflicts and
insights are presented from the start: "Don’t
tell me I speak too white.
That
comment is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Did Martin Luther
King Jr., Malcolm X, or Shirley Chisolm speak too white? Do
Melvin
Carter, Robyne Robinson, or Ilhan Omar speak too white? They
have a message for all of America and in 1795, our government
decided everyone should speak English ... If you want to change
America, you
need to be fluent in English. Former slave, Frederick Douglas, told
Black
America this back in 1845."
The narrator
doesn't
"speak too white." He is
guilty, however, of speaking "too money." This habit threatens his
world when a chance meeting with Sadie draws him into a murder
investigation
that challenges his African American roots and interactions with
society as a
whole.
The focus on
finding
Sadie's murderer is tempered by the legal, political, and social
conflicts
Xavier experiences. Frank F. Weber's use of the first person gives
readers
intimate access into the heart and mind of not just the narrator, but
the
African American experience as a whole: "While
my intentions were altruistic, I initially had that weird sensation
black men
got when they were alone, talking to a white woman—like I was doing something wrong."
Xavier isn't
the only
character to provide first-person details that enlighten about their
attitude
and social standing. Points of view shift between Cheyenne Schmidt,
another
victim of events, and others, with chapter headings clearly setting
place,
time, and narrators so that these individual perceptions form a
seamless
interplay of experiences. The name in
bold at the beginning of each chapter contributes the story from that
character’s perspective and solidifies the identity of the speaker.
The
interplays
between these narrators as their connections are revealed adds to the
evolving
mystery, carrying readers deep into Minneapolis culture and the
underlying
prejudices and influences which motivate each character.
The result,
while
certainly a murder mystery of interest to genre readers, should ideally
reach
out from its genre boundaries to attract those also interested in
fiction that
explores America's social undercurrents and the African-American
community.
Black
and Blue's
astute ability to build a mystery and disparate individual lives and
influences
also makes it recommended reading for book clubs that look beyond
simple genre
intrigue for that rare fictional inspection that lends insights into
the
heartbeat of America's ethnic melting pot.
Return to Index
The Clients
Bonny Fawn
Kirby Books
979-8-9863418-1-1
$21.99 Hardover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: https://bonnyfawn.com
Ordering: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8TPJ26Z
The events of September 11th
come to life once again with
the opening scenario of The Clients,
in which "ragged pieces of sky" rain down on the narrator. At a
critical point of rescue and life or death, the narrator resists the
former,
but questions the latter: "But wait
… isn’t that what I’ve
wanted?
Wouldn’t life be easier if they thought I died today?"
Missing and presumed dead, stockbroker and con artist Mel Green uses 9/11 to
walk out of her life,
where the noose has been tightening around her activities with the
threat of
discovery creating an impossible situation with seemingly no way out.
Until one
literally lands in her lap.
Fast forward
twenty
years later to find a different dilemma based on Mel's past decisions: "How do you tell someone you love
you’re not dead?" Even more importantly, how do you keep
from walking
the path that brought you to that critical juncture in life in the
first place?
Engrained habits die slowly. So do secrets.
Mel and her
equally
secretive colleague Riley Brown don't have to search out each others'
pasts. It
reaches out and grabs them, pulling them into a quagmire of uncertainty
and
ironies that lead them to realize their presumptions of scammers, and
who is
being scammed, are dead wrong.
Nothing is as it
seems. And that's one of the strengths of The Clients:
just as readers receive a path that seems predictable, it turns and
twists to introduce new options, revelations, and threats.
What could be more important
than a rodeo, to some? A
life. Mel (aka Mandy) well knows this, but saving herself and others is
an
instinct she's set aside over two decades. How she brings forth and
dusts off
innate skills to address and represent treachery and deceit that brings
terrorists into her new life makes for a riveting cat-and-mouse game of
suspense.
Bonny Fawn's
use of the first person to introduce these
experiences and the mind-boggling decisions they represent makes for a
more
compellingly emotional story than one might expect from a thriller.
At every
turn, Mel
faces the past, its reincarnation in her future, and the regrets that
emerge
from choices that destroy those around her: "Squeezing
her hand, I reply, 'No. I totally get that you don’t know me, don’t
trust me.'
My breath is ragged. 'You were acting on instinct … But I’m not going
to hurt
you.' I know I already did."
These
revelations
influence a story that rocks back and forth between disparate
individuals and
lives connected by opportunity, circumstance, and tough decisions.
Readers who
choose The Clients for its thriller
and
suspense components will be delighted to find these elements powered by
an
astute attention to powerful characters whose headline news and choices
reflect
not just individual strength, but similar dilemmas affecting those
around them.
Libraries
looking for
stories of characters that evolve beyond their scams to embrace
bigger-picture
thinking will find The Clients a
well-written firecracker of a thriller.
Return to Index
Finding Santeria...Losing
Sanity
Mike Beetlestone
Independently Published
978-1-7396589-0-8
$4.99 Kindle; $12.99 paperback;$16 hardback
https://www.amazon.com/FINDING-SANTERIA-LOSING-SANITY-self-discovery-ebook/dp/B0B27FC7YY
Finding
Santeria...Losing Sanity is a Ben Molina novel of
self-inspection that
represents a stand-alone story in a series of three Ben-based stories.
It
blends a thriller with powerful psychological components to keep
readers
involved and guessing as political and personal challenges dovetail in
unexpected ways.
Ben Molina attacked a total
stranger during a trip to
Cuba. For this, he has been committed to the Dundrum
Central Mental Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The problem
is that he holds no memories of going to Cuba, much less the rationale
behind
his aggression.
As counseling leads him down
the dangerous road of
recollection, Ben discovers that his charge to investigate political
corruption
in Ireland led him on a long journey into love and through Europe to
this final
destination.
His self-analysis results in
many powerful moments as Ben
unravels the tangled meanings of his life and how he has come to this
point: "On one hand, it was uplifting to
realise my memories were intact in some dark recess; alternatively, it
was
worrying that the message I received from my subliminal world made no
sense at
all."
As disillusionment,
idealism, and love begin to build a
dangerous picture, Ben finds himself mired in not only the consequences
of his
actions and choices, but in a political and personal dilemma that well
explains
his repressed memories.
Readers who follow Ben into
this quagmire of
interpersonal and political revelation will find the story offers many
surprising twists and thought-provoking inspections.
More than a tale of
subterfuge, Finding Santeria...Losing Sanity
considers the foundations of
logical behaviors and the impact of poor and good choices alike,
offering
readers a breathtaking foray into foreign lands and a psychic battle
even Ben
is unlikely to win.
Mike Beetlestone's ability
to juxtapose personal and
political influences and developments which challenge Ben's perception
of not
only how the world operates, but his own place in it, lends to a
suspense story
that produces different levels of inspection and tension.
Pair a mid-life crisis with
a world-hopping tour of
desperation for a sense of the special forms of action depicted in Finding Santeria...Losing Sanity.
"How
much trauma
do you need to send you over the edge?"
Finding
Santeria...Losing Sanity is recommended not just for thriller
readers, but
for libraries looking for the added value of strong psychological
inspection
powered by events that swing around the world in a desperate,
unpredictable
dance of revelation.
Return to Index
Grave
Intervention
Shira Shiloah
Salty
Air Publishing
978-1735193090
$15.99 Paper/$1.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Grave-Intervention-Shira-Shiloah/dp/1735193097
Physician
Shira
Shiloah's novel Emergence received
much acclaim for its unusual blend of romance and medical thriller.
Prior fans
who enjoyed her approach will find Grave
Intervention poses another fine medical conundrum.
It opens
with Dr.
Amir Hadad's unusual experience during a routine procedure. Someone has
whispered to him. And nobody in the operating room was involved.
This is only
the
opening salvo of a situation which grows as he continues to hear voices
that
force Amir and radiology nurse Lexi to navigate the increasingly
uncertain
worlds of medical procedures and criminal justice.
Is the voice
a ghost,
an electrical failure, or something more sinister? The latter seems to
be the
case, as further conundrums rise to challenge Amir's work and home
worlds.
Shira
Shiloah creates
a masterful story of intrigue, but couches events in Amir's personal
life as
well as his work world. This dual attention to different emotional
landscapes
lends Grave Intervention a
satisfyingly diverse atmosphere as readers absorb his personal goals,
values,
and home life as he embarks on a search for ghosts, skeletons, and
kidnappers.
As the
things he
loves most in life are threatened, Amir must field medical and ethical
issues
and the increasing influence hanged Irishman Patrick Doyle holds on his
family.
Readers who
want a good
ghostly investigation will find Grave
Intervention a compelling mystery, but it's just as strong in
its medical
and personal conundrums, as Amir delves ever deeper into the truth
about
murders and mayhem.
Readers who
look for
medical mystery alone will find Grave
Intervention is a much more multifaceted read than most. It
embraces
different themes and portrays the good doctor's personal world as
effectively
and in-depth as it does his professional background.
Grave Intervention will thus appeal to
thriller and mystery
audiences, as well as those who appreciate a solid story filled with
satisfyingly unpredictable twists and turns throughout.
Return to Index
Miss
Diagnosis
Derek Dubois
Filament Press
978-1678005504
$17.98 Paper/.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Diagnosis-Derek-Dubois/dp/1678005509
The novel Miss Diagnosis is a study in suspense,
providing readers with a medical thriller that revolves around
struggling young
medical student Kate White, whose personal life changes are impacting
her
studies.
The hospital
she
works at is conducting terrifying hidden research. These draw her into
medical
and moral conundrums alike as Kate becomes immersed in breakthrough
experiments
that test her ability to remain true to the medical community and her
own
ethics.
Usually,
crime
stories, medical thrillers, and horror pieces walk a fine line of
separation,
but in Miss Diagnosis, enthusiasts
of
all three genres will find their strengths meld in satisfyingly
original ways,
here.
Part of the
story's
potency lies in the author's ability to juxtapose descriptions,
ironies, and
challenges with surprising language that lends thought-provoking
contrasts to
the suspense elements throughout: "This
place was hell. And she was freezing."
As Kate's
dreams
become nightmares and test her ability to function with blackouts that
become
ever more a part of her tangled life scenario, readers are led into a
deepening
mystery that moves from medical to social and psychological conundrums.
Dubois is
particularly well versed in evolving the unexpected from situations
that, under
another hand, might be all too predictable. This lends a constant
element of
surprise to Kate's experiences and revelations, a further attraction
for
readers who absorb her logic, struggles, and changing intentions.
As Kate
seeks a way
out of these dilemmas, only to find herself mired ever deeper in
activities
that cross professional, moral, and ethical boundaries, readers will
find the
insights about her psyche and perspectives to be rich and full-flavored
with
description and unexpected surprises.
Far more
multifaceted
than the usual medical thriller, Miss
Diagnosis is highly recommended for suspense and medical
novel readers
seeking a satisfying blend of mystery and social inspection iced with
psychological struggles as gritty and realistic as the hospital milieu
that's
turned deadly for all.
Libraries
looking for
thrillers that cross the line between suspense and horror will find Miss Diagnosis uniquely riveting and
thought-provoking, appealing to a wide audience of patrons looking for
something different.
Return to Index
The OCD Chronicles
Stuart Chapman
Atmosphere Press
978-1639884063
$17.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.atmospherepress.com
Contrary to what its title may portend, The
OCD Chronicles: Fear and Loathing on the Psychiatrist’s Couch
is not a
memoir about a psychiatry experience, but a psychological thriller that
follows
disturbed man Stan Navarro in
his search for revenge, redemption, and psychological relief.
Yes, obsessive-compulsive behaviors are at
the heart of his focus, motivating and driving his adventures with a
relentless
search for peace and power; but also central to the plot is a force
that builds
delusions, dangers, and tests a psychiatrist's ability to stave off
seemingly-inevitable
disaster.
By making OCD behaviors the profile in a
story that rapidly expands outwards to tackle a protagonist's brutal
memories
and their influence of dangerous choices, Stuart Chapman
creates a
character whose actions and perceptions blur the line between fantasy
and
reality.
This, in
turn,
immerses readers in a story packed with tense moments and twists and
turns that
rely on a touch of insanity mixed with purposeful intentions to enact
sweeping
life changes.
In this
scenario, the
overseeing psychiatrist might be just as much the problem as the
patient,
manipulating events to enact healing and change, but actually
formulating a new
reality for his client where the therapist is in power and calling too
many
shots: "Remember, it’s
psychotherapy, not a reality show. We’re rebuilding, reshaping the
reality for
you, so... to... speak. Or at least how you see it for what it was.
Just know
that in here you are judge
and
jury. I’m just the enabler. I’m trying to facilitate."
Readers used
to
scenarios of the usual psychiatric session will find this
psychiatrist's
approach to Stan more than a cut above the ordinary as he becomes
involved
(perhaps too much) in Stan's past: “You’ve
introduced a whole new element in here. A major new character—no cameo
for this
guy. I’m going to need a scorecard to keep track of these guys. The
last time
we were focusing on all that anger toward dad. You were even labeling
it an
oedipal type thing. I’m not a true Freudian so I don’t want to
extrapolate too
much. But can we get back to that?”
Stan Navarro
may have
"grown up absurd" in the 1950s. But in these times, and in this
situation,
he's evolving into a monster. As scenarios move between past, present,
and
surreal images of the Holocaust and a psychiatrist's experiments
possibly gone
awry, readers will find much to appreciate in a thriller that holds
many
cat-and-mouse games and not much predictability.
Be prepared
to be
amazed, surprised, and challenged.
The
OCD Chronicles
is no linear story of the roots of obsession, but a
powerfully enacted
portrait of a son's relationship with his father, the OCD compulsions
that
drive his adulthood, and the interjection of a psychiatrist hell-bent
on
experimenting with the mind.
History,
thriller
elements, and psychiatry mingle in a powerful novel that proves not
just hard
to put down, but difficult to categorize. That is its strength—and why
it will
appeal widely, from standard thriller audiences to those who appreciate
stories
of psychological danger and growth.
Return to Index
Paris Gone Dark
Jerome G. Silbert
Independently Published
978-0578266855
$14.95 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Paris-Gone-Dark-Jerome-Silbert/dp/0578266857
Paris
Gone Dark
comes from author Jerome G. Silbert's background as an attorney in
Illinois,
where he encountered all kinds of people and situations. He was
especially affected
by his involvement with the case of the Serbian Liberation Army (SLA).
This
influence forms the basis of a mystery series and Paris
Gone Dark, which follows A Bomb in the Palace, the first book in a trilogy.
Newcomers to the series who
choose Paris Gone Dark will find
that past events are neatly recapped as
Susan reflects on how she came to be in Paris without Dumond, the man
who first
introduced her to Paris, a brilliant and alluring criminal mastermind
who was
killed.
Although mourning
reflections open Susan's story, it's
important to note that she's also a tenacious survivor with a history
of
recovery and courage. These qualities serve her well as she becomes the
target
of a powerful, nefarious group that believes she holds dangerous
knowledge.
Jerome G. Silbert creates a
supporting cast of characters
who swirl around Susan's life, and who move from America to Paris with
different objectives in mind. The international mix of action and
disparate
individuals creates a moving story that embraces the culture,
sexuality, and
crime scene of Paris on different levels.
Readers seeking a singular
whodunit or an espionage story
receive these elements, but will discover that more is involved in the
tightening web of intrigue Silbert weaves around three disparate lives.
The intrigue is neatly
accented by a sense of place and
culture unique to Paris and this book, cementing action and mystery
with a
psychological and social tension that helps the story become much more
than the
sum of either its characters or their divergent special interests.
Paris
Gone Dark
is a crime story with a difference, flavored with the depth of place
and people
that moves it beyond a whodunit scenario and into the realm of high
intrigue
and international cat-and-mouse games conducted on psychological and
social
levels.
From mystery men who may be
killers, arms dealers, or
innocents simply caught in the line of fire in the wrong place to
events that
center on Parisian special interests, Silbert creates a memorable,
complex
story. It is especially recommended reading for fans of intrigue,
espionage,
and crime underworld connections.
Perhaps its foundation in
real scenarios lends it the
especially realistic feel and characterization, but libraries
interested in
crime scenes that are a cut above the ordinary will find Paris
Gone Dark a fine acquisition, whether as part of its trilogy
or as a stand-alone read.
Return to Index
Perilous
Obsession
Geoffrey M. Cooper
Maine Authors
Publishing
978-1-63381-323-6
$16.95
Website: geofcooper.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B89NFWBC/
Perilous Obsession: A Medical Thriller is
especially recommended
for readers of Robin Cook and his ilk, who will find in Geoffrey M.
Cooper's
story a riveting tale every bit as absorbing as any production by a
bigger-name
author.
This is not
to say
that Cooper is any less effective than better-known medical thriller
writers.
He's cut his teeth on more than a few prior books, creating themes and
stories
that are memorable in different ways.
Perilous Obsession represents the fifth
foray into the world of
Brad Parker and Karen Richmond, whose exploits were covered in previous
books,
and here follows their dangerous venture into a world of disease,
death, and
opportunistic actions.
A patient's
demise in
a prologue that introduces the hospital realm leads to the first
chapter in
Brad Parker's first-person story. Brad maintains a delicate balance
between
investigating and work as the director of MTRI (the Maine Translational
Research Institute). This balance is about to be upset in a big way
when he is
pulled into a case involving the Bateman Cancer Center and its
president's plea
for help.
At first the
Center's
latest tragedy seems like a tragic error, but as Brad probes further,
he comes
to realize that this mishap is anything but accidental.
As a suicide
turns
into a murder case, Karen and Brad piece together clues that lead to a
dangerous conclusion—dangerous to many facets of the medical community
in
general and to their lives, in particular.
Geoffrey M.
Cooper
does an outstanding job of presenting a puzzle where Brad walks a
tightrope of
intrigue and balances precariously between several special interests.
He creates a
fine
interplay between Karen and Brad and the fictitious personas and
circumstances
they use to arrive at the truth, but then turns their methodical
approach on
end as they become caught in their own deception and in a trap
carefully set by
an obsessive killer.
He is
particularly
skilled at creating the kinds of twists and turns that lead readers up
one
avenue of possibility before taking a quick turn in the opposite
direction.
This will
especially
please readers of medical thrillers who may think they know the outcome
of the
story, only to find it contains more depth and possibilities than
they'd
anticipated.
Cemented by
Brad and
Karen's relationship and investigative skills and their connections to
the
medical world, Perilous Obsession
is
a thoroughly absorbing drama highly recommended for any fan of medical
thrillers, and for library collections catering to them.
Return to Index
Rail
Against
Injustice
John Marks
Black Rose
Writing
978-1-68513-037-4
$23.95
www.blackrosewriting.com
Rail Against
Injustice is third in a trilogy
and opens in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in
April, where Stuart Lazar faces the specter of a railroad brakeman's
ghost who
returns to haunt the scene of his untimely demise. Student Stuart
doesn't
believe in spirits. Indeed, he and fellow students have already spent
much time
debunking the famous Mystery Light by applying their training in
photo-optical
instrumentation to the mystery, only to see unsatisfying, inconclusive
results.
Now
Professor Lorna Rybicki
adds her expertise
to matters as Stuart maintains that what he has seen cannot be
explained by the
science they both believe in.
Neither
expected that
their pursuit of the Paulding Light would reveal, instead of a
supernatural
solution, the body of a dead tax attorney. This involves them in a
murder
investigation neither is equipped to handle.
Also
unexpected are
the series of twists and turns that take them from supernatural to
human forces
that affect not just Stuart and Lorna, but investigators Harlan Holmes,
his
former partner Detective Riley Summers, and his life partner Roz
Cortez, who
are on their own journeys of discovery and proof.
John
Marks
presents a satisfyingly complex mystery that evolves with a special
flair for
intrigue and interpersonal relationships as a myriad of characters and
special
interests intersect.
He
is especially
adept at covering evolving motives and events that lead Riley, Harlan,
and Roz
to consider the real meaning behind the mysterious Light that nobody
can quite
pinpoint, creating a milieu that blends supernatural influences with a
murderer's reality.
Rail
Against Injustice is
highly recommended to readers who
enjoy whodunit mysteries filled with history and emotional twists and
turns.
The story contributes to prior installments of the
trilogy, but
stands nicely alone for newcomers. Both audiences will find it excels
in
tension, characterization, and intrigue, both supernatural and
human-based.
Return to Index
Risky Assets
Rachael Eckles
Aphrodite Books, LLC
978-1734901849
$27.00
Hardcover/$17.00 Paper/$15.00 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Risky-Assets-Rachael-Eckles/dp/1734901845
It's unusual
to see a
thriller that opens with an extensive probe of events that occurred
nine months
earlier, but Risky Assets takes an
unusual turn in starting with ten chapters that set the stage for
present-day
events, immersing readers in the second mystery in a series featuring
financier
Celeste Donovan.
Celeste is
beautiful,
brilliant, and rich. She appears to have it all. But appearances can be
deceiving, because under the surface of her success lies an nuance of
angst and
injury caused by her abusive ex and traumatic events that took her away
from
her familiar jet-setting world, threatening her latest love, Theodore.
All that is
behind
her, now. Or, is it? The reality is that Omar's threat still looms, and
there's
only one way to handle it. Eliminate the danger.
There's an
obstacle to
her success, though. Omar has joined the ranks of the U.S. government,
and eliminating
him would bring his fellow agents into her life.
How can she
get away
with murder under these circumstances? Where there's a will, there's a
way.
Rachael
Eckles excels
in portraying a strong, confident woman whose desire for success and
peace
conflict with the methods she tries to employ to assure that both
dictate her
future course.
Celeste
analyzes
strategies, theories, and tactics with an astute assurance that lends
power to
her position and her persona. Readers receive an engrossing story that
relies
on both an individual woman's strengths and the various conundrums she
faces in
trying to juggle safety, murder, and redemption alike.
The result
is a
thoroughly engrossing thriller that is especially highly recommended
for
collections seeking strong female protagonists, unusual scenarios, and
twists
and turns that are delightfully thought-provoking.
Return to Index
The Seed of Corruption
A.I. Fabler
Wild & Lawless
978-0-473-62324-1
$5.99
Kindle/$16.99 Paperback
https://www.aifabler.com
The
Seed of
Corruption blends a thriller with a romantic mystery as the
seeds of past
events reach out to sprout new adversity and elusive truths in the
future.
The story opens with the
author's prologue, which
explains this novel's origins and its focus on events stemming from the
bird
flu outbreak in Asia in 2004.
The parallels between the
bird flu version of SARS then
and COVID-19 now emerge as the story unfolds, but this preface firmly
cements
its fictional possibilities in real-world events, making the plot
especially
relevant and absorbing from the beginning.
Recluse Faraday is a painter
of wildlife. He's the last
person one could imagine becoming caught up in a romance, much less a
mystery
and a conspiracy that rocks the world.
Carolyn's offer to Violet
and others (of a chance for
redemption and making amends) leads to a host of dangerous liaisons and
choices
that blends social inspection and projects designed to improve life
with deeper
undercurrents of options intended to destroy it.
What does a reclusive group
of people trapped between
Vietnamese and Chinese special interests have to do with events that
spin out
of control to impact the world?
A.I. Fabler does an
outstanding job of juxtaposing
descriptions of dangerous subterfuge with the moral and ethical
developments of
individuals who form mindsets and ideals about their place in the
world: 'Anyone who isn’t cynical hasn’t been
paying
attention to life. And being a cynic, there’s nothing to stop you from
believing that people are equally motivated by self-interest as by
altruism. It
makes good financial sense to save habitat, and the wildlife that goes
with it,
because the economic benefits derived from the virtuous circle of
nature’s
activity is measurable. There’s no future in being a lord of the
universe if
the universe is being destroyed before your eyes. But all the little
things we
do may not be enough, because the world is reaching the point where it
can’t
sustain us; there are just too many of us. The longer I live, the
clearer that
becomes. Fact is, the world is polluted with people, and none of them
matter—except to each other.'
As special interests and
politics collide on the
unexpected battlefield of cultural clashes, opportunity, and
devastating
decisions, readers receive a multifaceted story that is unexpected in
its
twists and turns.
Is it a romance? Not quite.
Love develops against the
backdrop of these thriller elements. Is it a thriller? Social and
cultural
inspections are deeply woven into a story that centers upon
interpersonal
relationships and mystery as much as fine tension development. Is it a
mystery,
then? Certainly, much intrigue revolves around Faraday's investigation.
Suffice it to say that The Seed of Corruption both embraces
these genres and elevates its
plot beyond pat categorization, making for an astute, involving novel
deserving
inclusion in libraries seeing patron interest in any of these genres.
Fabler's ability to draw on
his own experiences to
portray a struggle with no easy escapes makes for a compelling story.
It
ultimately catapults protagonist Faraday into the world with dangerous
results
that hold thought-provoking implications for modern pandemic scenarios,
making
for an especially timely and involving read that will attract interest
on many
different levels and from different types of readers.
Return to Index
The
Blanchard
Witches: Prodigal Daughters
Micah House
Kendrell Publishing
979-8-9856075-3-6
$26.95
www.blanchardwitches.com
Readers
familiar with
the first book in Micah House's series, The
Blanchard Witches of Daihmler County, will welcome the return
to new events
provided in its sequel, The Blanchard
Witches: Prodigal Daughters.
Here, the
outcome of
Olympia Blanchard and her family's battle with werewolves continues to
resonate. It was an epic battle during which two participants fell in
love. It
was a battle replete with secrets, because Fable Blanchard became
pregnant at
that same time. And it was a situation which holds resounding impact
today,
even after the wolf is defeated, because new trials await the family
and their
followers.
A missing
daughter, a
new beau, and another daughter who continues to keep secrets around her
pregnancy and the father of her child makes for an engrossing story
flavored
with Southern atmosphere and supernatural elements.
House crafts
an
excellent story that juxtaposes magic, mystery, and new dangers with
evolving
family relationships that continue to transform all involved.
Allusions to
fables
such as Sleeping Beauty arrive with deadly new interpretations as
events
unfold, creating a picture-in-picture series of events that reach out
and grab
readers with blends of vampires, crimes, and matters of the heart.
It's a
delicate dance
to move between these elements in such a way as to keep the action
fast-paced
and unpredictable rather than mired in formula genre approaches, but
it's a
creative impulse that House cultivates to give the story a fresh,
original
feel.
Characters
are
believable and engaging; situations pull on not just the heart but
moral and
ethical developments against supernatural backdrops; and the saga moves
between
family members and outsiders with a strong attention to detail,
description,
and twists that address issues of prejudice and family connections
alike.
The result
is another
highly recommended story that blends occult fiction and fantasy with a
special
Southern flavor. Like a mint julep, it lingers on the tongue and in the
mind, inviting
readers with an engaging tone that only needs a porch rocking chair
for, the
reader of Southern fiction and occult suspense stories, to complete the
atmosphere.
Return to Index
California
Sister
Gloria Mattioni
Atmosphere Press
978-1639883998
$17.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.atmospherepress.com
California Sister is a story of family,
love, and siblings who draw
apart, then come back together in unpredictable ways. As a study in
relationships and evolutionary processes, it's completely engrossing;
but
especially notable is an explanation of the book's title that also
defines its
subject: "The California Sister,
whose Latin name is Adelpha Californica, is a species of butterfly
common in
California, unpalatable to predators thanks to its enhanced mimicry."
The story
opens in
1972 Italy, employing the first-person to explore the life of a
narrator whose
family is broken before her birth. Claire's world is changed by family
connections that prove challenging in the face of illness and end of
life, and
she makes her sister promise that they
won't let the other remain alive if something
terrible happen and there isn't any hope of healing.
Fast forward
to 2006.
Claire now lives in L.A. and cultivates a very different lifestyle from
her
Italian roots. But when her sister experiences a devastating brain
hemorrhage
that disables her, Claire recalls their pact and wonders what she
should do for
her sister if complete recovery proves impossible.
What
determines life
or death, and how promises are kept, are some of the topics in a story
which
traverses not just sibling relationships, but moral and ethical
questions about
the end of life.
Gloria
Mattioni
crafts an engrossing, emotional story of love tested by distance,
experience,
and health crisis. Claire faces both calls to step back into her
successful
world and to help her sister achieve whatever she can under vastly
revised
circumstances that may hold no resolution.
Mattioni's
story is a
study in contrasts between Italy and Los Angeles; two siblings who are
connected by birth, love, and promises; and the difference between
taking
charge and stepping aside. Plenty of people attempt to advise her, but
ultimately it's up to Claire to tap her relationship history with her
sister to
make decisions she never imagined facing: "What’s up with all these people who feel
it’s their right to tell me what to do? Like they know what’d be best
for me?
It’d be best for me to think about my interests and career? Right.
Eating good
meals, resting more, sleeping at night, and making time for myself? But
what
about Ondina? Who’s going to do what’s best for her? I
wasn’t about to
give up and be like many of Ondina’s friends, who’d stopped coming
around
because she ‘wasn’t the same person.’"
As questions
about
suicide, life, and death permeate and direct Claire's revised world and
life,
readers receive an emotionally evocative story that lays bare the
rudiments of
adversity and impossible life and death decision-making.
Readers who
choose California Sister will find
its study in
contrasts astute and involving. It's a story that will find its place
in any
collection and on the reading lists of those who would consider and
debate
family connections and relationships, the different strengths and
weaknesses of
siblings, and forms of comfort and support that emerge from unexpected
sources
during times of turmoil.
Its powerful
story of
hard decisions, locked-in syndrome, and a sister's love touches the
heart,
making California Sister highly
recommended reading for those who look for emotionally charged stories
of love,
independence, and control.
Return to Index
The Doctor
of
Bellechester
Margaret A. Blenkush
Pond Reads Press
978-1-64343-690-6
$17.95
www.BeaversPondPress.com
The Doctor of Bellechester is a novel set
in 1959 that centers on Dr.
Harold Merton, the kindly GP of the village of Bellechester who decides
to
undertake a rare journey to London to find a younger doctor to mentor,
to be
his replacement in the village when retirement time comes.
He has a
plan on how
to locate this perfect candidate, but as with all good plans, life
enters the
picture and things go awry as Dr. Merton meets a young American woman
destined
to change his life and its carefully-laid trajectory.
The themes
embraced
in this story, from aging and life planning to revised gender roles and
perceptions of professionalism and competency, are concepts
contemporary
readers will find engrossing as they evolve against the backdrop of
1959
thinking.
Margaret A.
Blenkush
takes the time to build characters, premises, logical courses of action
and
illogical challenges to set ideas that will resonate with modern
readers. From
the England setting and its culture to the focus on acts of kindness,
discovery, and changing hearts and minds, The
Doctor of Bellechester creates a story that draws connections
between
different generations and shows how, with a little effort, their lives
and
interests can intersect and compliment one another.
As Dr. Basil
Applegate, Mary Elizabeth, and Dr. Merton's lives grow increasingly
complicated
and interlinked, readers will appreciate the growth exhibited by all
three
characters as events introduce them to new concepts, goals, and worlds.
The 1950s
medical
processes and hospital milieu are captured in prose rooted in precise
descriptions of England culture and society and the medical community
that
operated during these times.
From
diagnostic
procedures and the routines of doctors-in-training to the special
challenges
Mary Elizabeth faces in making a name for herself, The
Doctor of Bellechester creates an astute examination of a
would-be professional woman whose encounter with a possible mentor
changes her
life.
The result
is a novel
steeped in an adventure powered by a determined young woman and an
equally
memorable, aging doctor who find their lives and seemingly disparate
purposes
unexpectedly entwined. Women's book clubs will find much food for
thought and
discussion embedded in the novel's progressive considerations of career
women
in medicine.
Libraries
that look
for engaging novels about women struggling to make careers and names
for
themselves against all odds will find The
Doctor of Bellechester a compelling story that depicts both
sides of
changing traditions and plans for careers.
Return to Index
Ike's Journey
Robert Kofman
Lion Valley
Publishing
978-1-7329910-2-6
$17.95 Paper/$5.99 ebook
robertkofman.com
Ike's Journey is a World War II novel
that adopts a broader
political inspection than the usual military/soldier experience.
It also
presents a
focus on the early years of the war's development, contributing to a
different
sense of events that most World War II stories don't explore.
Dwight
Eisenhower's
challenges to his leadership and the facts surrounding the growing war
milieu,
which sports shifting alliances even before battle, are brought to
light with a
fictional attention to drama and nonfiction's equally powerful
historical
details: "Eisenhower thought about
his four years in Manila as General Douglas MacArthur’s chief of staff.
He had
closely followed Japan’s growing militarism. Its invasion of China
showed a
thirst for conquest. “The fact Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with
Hitler and
Mussolini has everyone in East Asia on edge. My major duty in the
Philippines
was training the Filipino army to resist a Japanese invasion.”
Dialogue and
insights
permeate the plot to offer contrasts via each participant's focus on
different
aspects of the evolving scenario: “I
doubt FDR wants a war with Japan,” replied Eisenhower. “If anything, he
wants
to fight Germany.”
As the story
evolves,
familiar history merges with events to personalize both the wartime
experience
and Ike's personality and changing objectives. Robert Kofman's
juxtaposition of
political, military, social, and personal challenges throughout the
story
juxtaposes an absorbing emotional draw and lends an historically
intriguing
accuracy to the novel.
Because so
many World
War II stories narrow the focus to battle experience, it's especially
pleasing
to see a work which includes this aspect, but expands its focus to
consider the
general leadership challenges of decision-making and second-guessing
during the
war, and the specific routines, thoughts, and personal angst faced by
Ike
himself.
As in many
good novels,
romance and moral dilemmas arise to test the protagonist's resolve ...
as if he
didn't already have enough on his plate, fielding strategic fighting
decisions
and commanding men who must defy a growing tide of invaders.
But that's
the test
of a good novel—its ability to bring to life not a singular focus and
experience, but the mettle of great men tested by extraordinary times,
who face
both bigger-picture challenges and personal strife simultaneously.
World War II
brought
out the best in men. It also brought out the best and worst in the
leaders who
commanded them.
Ike's
growing
involvements well outside his comfort zone and expertise lend a
realistic,
gripping atmosphere to Ike's Journey
which helps reinforce the idea that, even during wartime, personal
life-changing decisions arise.
The specific
strategic planning and thinking are nicely documented: "Eisenhower
knew Montgomery had a legitimate point—he was
violating the rule of concentration of force. He was doing so for
supply
reasons: none of the Sicilian ports were large enough to support both
armies.
Two ports were considered essential, one for the British and one for
the
Americans. If a second port was not taken, one of the armies would have
to
receive all its supplies over beaches, for which there was no
historical
precedent. Eisenhower’s planners had convinced him the need for a
second port
was worth the risk of not concentrating the armies."
Of equal
strength and
description, however, are the accompanying personal challenges as
romance and moral
conundrums collide: "He had to do
what was right, even though the temptation to continue the relationship
with
Kay was strong, almost overwhelming."
More so than
most
World War II novels, the expansive setting and atmosphere of Ike's Journey makes it a highly
recommended choice. It ideally will not just repose on library shelves,
but
will receive both active librarian recommendation and book club
attention as a
fuller-bodied examination of the war's military, social, political, and
psychological impact.
Return to Index
The
Light Among
Us
Jill George with John Dirring
Atmosphere Press
9781639884841
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
The Light Among Us:
The Story of Elizabeth Carne,
Cornwall is a novel set in England that tackles the dilemma
faced by an
heiress who confronts the nation's class system and finds herself
fighting not
only for her legacy, but for love.
The story is based on the
real life of Elizabeth Carne, a
notable, important civic and social scientist in the Victorian era who
became a
mineralogist and the first woman to be elected to the Royal Geological
Society
of Cornwall.
Set in the early 1800s and
moving through her life to the
late 1800s, this novel fills a gap in the literature surrounding her
world because
relatively little has been written about this amazing woman's life.
Placing it in the realm of
fiction, with added drama and
attraction, makes The Light Among Us accessible to a much wider audience than a
nonfiction approach could
have achieved.
From
Elizabeth's
interest in "educating people across the classes" to her astute
involvement in efforts to reach populations not normally afforded
educational
opportunities, Jill George and John Dirring capture the atmosphere and
concerns
of the era with engrossing detail and lively first-person descriptions
and
observations: "Henry and I had discussed the advantages of
the
Poly-technic Society several times during our continuing charitable
work and
excursions, which also included occasional visits to geological sites
of
importance. Sadly, we were all too aware that the educational needs of
the
mining communities were far more elementary than what the new Society
would be
offering. Many could not read or write, as Henry noted. Nevertheless,
we hoped
the society would encourage and elevate thinking across all the varied
stations
in life. Henry was an enthusiastic advocate and his energy was exactly
what we
needed to bring the Society into being."
Elizabeth's philosophical as
well as her social
reflections come to life even in the midst of the happiness she builds
for
herself: "I remembered what Father
said about time. That we always thought we had more of it than we did."
It's rare that a historical
biography holds the power to
come alive in a novel format while providing realistic, studied details
of the
politics and social norms of the times.
As The Light Among
Us progresses, readers will
absorb these insights easily, powered by the
high drama and intelligent observations of a woman who rose above her
station
and training to achieve many breakthroughs in her life.
The
result is a
novel steeped in a sense of place, time, and the abilities of one woman
to
change her course in life as she makes her name in banking, science,
and
society.
Elizabeth's
story is highly recommended for a wide range of libraries, from those
strong in
women's issues and biography to others who look for historical novels
firmly
based on and embedded with interesting facts about changing times and
the women
who fostered revolutions through their choices and actions.
Return to Index
The
Myrtle Wand
Margaret Porter
Gallica Press
979-8-9856734-9-4
$15.95
Paper/$5.99 ebook
margaretporter.com
The Myrtle Wand adds to historical fiction set in 17th century
France with an
evocative story of Princess Bathilde de Sevreau, her school friend
Myrte, and
the peasant girl Giselle (subject of the famous ballet).
Princess
Bathilde is destined for a marriage of convenience, but her life is
turned
upside down by suitor Albin's decision and King Louis XIV’s pursuit of
yet
another mistress.
As
politics,
personalities, and life divide them and seem to quash any chance of
happiness,
readers absorb the backdrop of the times against the friendship between
three
very different young women who each reflect diverse choices,
directions, and
their rapidly changing times.
Margaret Porter creates a
story whose main characters are
fictional, but powered by the real-world experiences of minor players
in the
story.
At stake is not only
Bathilde's happiness, but Giselle's
future.
As Bathilde takes the time
to assure that other women
have stable futures and get the opportunity to realize their dreams,
readers
are immersed in a world of court and commoner. This injects political
and
social dilemmas so seamlessly that the story takes on a life of its
own, apart
from its historical foundations.
Porter's is a story of women
called upon to navigate
matrimony, arrangements of convenience, and their own powers in
affecting the
course of their lives.
Against the backdrop of 17th
century France, these social
and psychological currents of change come to life.
Libraries strong in
historical novels that center on
women's issues and changing worlds will find The Myrtle Wand a powerful story, highly recommended for
its realistic quandaries and strong female characters that both lie in
the
center of social and political storms and rise above their stations in
life.
Return to Index
Ninety Days in the 90s: A Rock N Roll Time
Travel Story
Andy Frye
Atmosphere Press
978-1639883875
$18.99 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
www.atmospherepress.com
Avid
followers of
time travel fiction well know the typical plot progression: an
adventurer falls
into another time, solves problems there, and spends the rest of the
time
trying to return home.
Andy Frye's Ninety
Days in the 90s: A Rock N Roll Time Travel Story offers a
different flavor
more intent on capturing the place and tone of the 1990s. It follows
Darby
Derrex, a modern-day financial and social failure whose latest
undertaking is
to run her uncle's Chicago record store.
When she
discovers
that a time machine offers her the opportunity to journey back in time
to 1996,
the height of some of Chicago's major music experiments and when she
was a
music critic who cultivated a love relationship with Lina (ultimately
failing
at both), she decides to fix things.
She didn't
expect to
fall in love with the past. Didn't anticipate that the edict to repair
what was
broken in 90 days, or remain in that past forever, would prove such a
challenge. And Darby didn't expect to have so much fun while facing the
music.
Andy Frye
creates a
compelling story that depicts the counter-culture of the 1990s with an
astute eye
to examining its major influences, allure, and punk-based attractions.
From stormy
relationships and opportunities to travel within the musical world to
social
strife and revelations about the forces that drew her away from the
love of her
life, readers follow Darby into a world influenced by love and 1990s
political
and social evolution.
The
reflections are
crisp and thought-provoking as Darby navigates what should be a
familiar world,
but turns out to hold different psychological revelations than she'd
held, back
in modern times: "Even though
Darby’s heart was always with Lina, that whirlwind Summer
of Nancy blinded her of it and how to show it or truly
deal with it. Now she wondered to herself if she’d used Nancy as an
excuse to
avoid the hard work. It was an open hatch, a fire escape."
Has she
escaped, or gotten herself trapped?
This
question plagues
her revised decisions and perceptions as a girl from the future
revisits her
past with the unprecedented opportunity to make different choices.
While
readers of time
travel fiction will find many recognizable dilemmas in Ninety
Days in the
90s: A Rock N Roll Time Travel Story, its real strength lies
in its
portrait of how a woman faced with the opportunity to make changes
decides,
instead, to go with a flow that leads in different directions.
Does she
control her
destiny, or does it control her? And, can she help the world discover
new
music?
Frye's
ability to
permeate his story with the music-saturated atmosphere of the 1990s
scene will
draw readers who usually don't choose time travel stories. Its
recreation of
this era and its key artists adds to a story replete in historical
musical
background and experiences.
These
elements make Ninety
Days in the 90s: A Rock N Roll Time Travel Story a top recommendation not just for the usual time
travel story reader,
but for rock music fans who would relive the music, social influences,
and
world of 1990s Chicago.
Return to Index
Nunzio's Way
Nicholas Chiarkas
Three Towers Press (an imprint of
HenschelHAUS Pub.)
978159595-908-6
www.henschelHAUSbooks.com
Nunzio's
Way, a stand-alone sequel to Weepers,
needs no prior introduction to prove riveting. This is because a cast
of
characters featured in both books appear at the beginning to help
newcomers
understand the primary and secondary players of each story, from NYPD
detectives to family and gang members.
A prologue also reviews the setting and
atmosphere begun in Weepers, introducing character
Nunzio Sabino, as
told by Father Joe to Father Casimiro (Father Cas) in Weepers.
This means that the background, influences,
motivations, and settings for Nunzio's Way are
firmly in mind before the
thriller begins.
As the most powerful crime boss in New York
City, Nunzio believes that "you can have anything you want if
you kill
the right four people.”
Violent confrontations, gang clashes, and
death rule his world. Readers who become involved in Nunzio's
Way will
find these elements provide a logic and force that dictates lives and
the
evolution of different sides to New York's gritty street life.
Nicholas Chiarkas creates a fast-paced story
as various gang members find they are at odds and involved in a plot to
end
Nunzio's life.
All ages are involved in gang life, which
juxtaposes nicely with school and other urban opportunities for many of
its
members. Chiarkas is especially skilled at contrasting street life with
New
York City experiences outside of gang and interpersonal relationships
and
conflicts. This lends a realistically compelling tone to the situations
that
evolve.
To be "king of the streets" is not
the only driving force in these disparate lives. The contest between
fluid,
differing goals plays out nicely as the characters interact and build
their own
goals and interests both within and outside that life.
Blending into the physical confrontations
and power plays are cultural and social forces that connect and
sometimes
divide the characters: “Listen, Danny, these guys can’t honor
your friend,”
Henry said. “They don’t know how dumb they are. They think the reason
they
ain’t rich and famous is because of the Coloreds, Jews, Italians,
Catholics,
and anyone else who’s not them.”
Nunzio's
Way is a gripping story of
rivalries, mob
connections, gangs, and love and hate which all boils down to family
connections.
Readers looking for evocative surveys of
street life and power struggles will find Nunzio's Way
a compelling saga
of redemption and revenge that offers a broad cast of characters and
special
interests.
Libraries
catering to
fans of West Side Story and other tales of gang relationships will find
Nunzio's Way a powerful contemporary
twist on the themes of cops, lawyers, and mob activities.
Return to Index
The One Woman
Laura May
Creative James Media
978-1-956183-80-1
$10.99
https://www.amazon.com/One-Woman-Laura-May-ebook/dp/B0B33L5MRD
LGBTQ
romance readers
looking for the story of a chance meeting between a married woman and
one who
captures her heart will find The One
Woman a fine story of an emotional entanglement. Problems
result when
Julie, who is leading a staid life as a wife and graphic designer,
encounters the
vivacious Ann.
Their chance
meeting
introduces a spark to her life that Julie never imagined could have
existed
between men or women. This brings with it a conundrum that Julie deftly
avoids
facing until a second unexpected meeting and further developments
strengthen
her attraction and its impact.
Laura May
creates an
especially compelling story as she surveys Julie's changing world.
Julie is
well-traveled and a smart, successful woman despite the three-year
relationship
that has anchored her in so many ways.
Despite
this, she
doesn't have the kinds of friendships that would bring her
enlightenment and
connections in life: "I was awful at
making new friends. I had a couple of girlfriends from university time,
but
lately, they were deep in their personal lives: babies, husbands, and
let's
face it: We weren't that close anymore. I had no idea how to make new
friends
when daily life changed so fast. We had less and less common topics,
and we
spent our time so differently that there was no chance to relate to
each other
even to ask for advice. And the more I tried to explain, the more
judgment I
seemed to receive."
Meeting Ann
introduces this possibility and much more as Julie grows and changes.
As she
comes to learn that Ann is gay and the two draw closer, revised life
issues
enter the picture, from Julie's choice to remain child-free to her
relationship
with Mark.
May shifts
the
first-person points of view between Ann and Julie. This allows for a
deeper
inspection of the perceptions, attraction between them, and broader
questions
about individuality and being part of a couple that each woman
approaches from
different experiences and vantage points: "The
feelings I had for her made me strong and vulnerable at the same time.
I was
afraid about our future, the decisions she would need to make in her
life so
that we could be together."
May goes
beyond
physical attraction and issues to probe the psyches of each woman, from
past
influences and perceptions to ideals of relationships and the future.
By the time
tragedy
enters the picture, forcing Julie to make an impossible choice, readers
are
thoroughly steeped in the individual backgrounds that lead up to these
life-changing revelations and moments.
Libraries
strong in
LGBTQ+ literature, as well as patrons who are interested in a love
story where
each character grows beyond their assumptions and life trajectory, will
find The One Woman a compelling
saga that
considers the experience of finding true love and what happens when it
changes
everything.
Return to Index
Pharoni
Colin Dodds
Dodds
Amalgamated
978-0-578-28766-9
$20.20
www.thecolindodds.com
Pharoni
is a novel about a thirty-six-year-old friend's death that is deemed
accidental, but awakens questions in the mind of narrator and
screenplay writer
Tommy Pharoni: "What was Harry doing in the ocean in October?
The
question twisted the jolt of his death into something else."
As
the
inspection moves from Tommy's considerations of mystery and revised
purposes to
the screenplay he writes about this and other conundrums, readers
receive a
vivid survey that at times reads like a movie script, and at others
like the
story of a life under siege. Tommy deftly hones his talents for
writing,
observation, and decision-making: "I knew how to write
marketing. I
knew how to write a three-act screenplay. What did I know about writing
anything else? Nothing. My long months in the void of unemployment
suddenly
felt like a qualification to do an insane thing. Back then, I didn’t
know that
not knowing what you’re doing is the only way to write scripture."
Humor
and ironic
inspections of life are replete in a mercurial story that takes many
satisfyingly surprising twists and turns, observing life events from
unexpected
vantage points: "It started with an attempted suicide and
ended with an
accidental death but was otherwise a lovely wedding."
From
scandals
and friendships to capturing moments, weekends, and life events, Colin
Dodds
displays the highlights and downturns of Tommy Pharoni's world with an
astute
eye to detail and social inspection.
Through
his
development of a different approach to and definition of success, Tommy
makes
important observations that provide readers with much food for thought:
"It
takes talent to not answer a question and still make someone feel like
they’ve
received an answer. It was a talent I’d developed when I sold slick
marketing
concepts to corporations. And I wasn’t happy to be leaning on it so
heavily
again. But when I looked around those rooms, I didn’t like what I saw.
They may
have been my followers, but they weren’t friends, and they weren’t my
people."
Is
work the best
thing for everyone? Can Tommy explain to himself and his readers the
logic
behind investigating murders, pursuing questions about nefarious
purposes and
what Harry became before he died?
It's
hard to
easily define Pharoni. Many threads of inspection
run through its
tale—religious, social, psychological, and criminal processes come to
life as
Tommy uses his screenwriting prowess to undertake a strange journey,
indeed.
This
multifaceted story should enjoy a wide audience, from novel readers
interested
in writers' conundrums and business special interests to those who will
appreciate the intrigue and wry humor surrounding Tommy's probe of
Harry's
long-lasting impact from the choices he made.
Return to Index
The
Plot to Save
America
Avraham Azrieli
Independently Published
978-1953648112
$9.98 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Save-America-Avraham-Azrieli/dp/1953648118
The
Plot to Save
America is a timely novel of political conspiracy that
inspects the January
6th events to create a different alternative history based on the
successful
sacking of the nation's capital and the rule of marshal law that
settles over
the country in its wake.
In this scenario, a Domestic
Terror Tribunal condemns a
Baltimore PD detective to death, prompting the need to uncover
additional
evidence to both save his life and provide different facts about the
January
6th attack.
Avraham Azrieli employs a
particularly evocative method
of presenting these scenarios from the novel's opening lines: "This is a Death Penalty Investigation
Report in the case of Stuart Tenison, who was sentenced to death by the
Domestic Terror Tribunal on June 5th, 2024. This is my 137th case in
three
years of service as a Death Penalty Investigator."
As the narrator recounts the
history that carries him to
this point in time, readers receive insights into Trump's fictional War
on
Domestic Terror which evolves after the siege kills nearly half the
members of
the House and Senate.
One of the especially
inviting features of this story is
its ability to craft a particularly realistic alternate future from the
events
that took place on January 6th.
This lends a realistic,
especially engrossing flavor to
the story which will draw not only the usual audience of alternate
history
readers, but those who typically read other genres, from political
intrigue and
conspiracy thrillers to suspense stories that reflect social issues and
community makeup.
Azrieli delves into minority
community experience,
mainstream white America, political figures and individual lives, and
an
investigation of a plot, employing the first person viewpoint to
personalize
its mission and changing focus: "The
tremor in Mrs. Strickland's voice saddens me. I don't have the heart to
disappoint her with the truth, that I'm a tiny cog in a giant machine
and have
no power to hurt or help them."
The personal touch and focus
on a process of uncovering
the truth will capture and hold reader interest as the investigation
leads to a
series of insights and events that change the world, once again.
Novel readers who look for
political intrigue, investigative
action, and a creative mystery fueled by a dogged investigator's
ability to
travel routes that few dare to consider will find The
Plot to Save America not just timely and familiar, but
absolutely riveting. It's cemented by a powerful narrator whose
changing
perspective mirrors the conundrums and quandaries of a nation under
siege, and
should find a strong place in any library featuring alternative
history,
political fiction, or thrillers.
Return to Index
Siena My Love
Tom Bisogno
Atmosphere Press
978-1639884322
$14.99 Paper/$5.99 Kindle
www.atmospherepress.com
Siena
My Love is both an Italian
cultural exploration and
a love story. It follows teen singing sensation Michael
Ventura on an
unexpected journey back home to his roots after a powerful career
traveling the
world as an idol.
Michael has
long been
on a roll of success, but when family needs him, he readily returns
home. There,
he confronts not only changes and new responsibilities, but childhood
friend
Sophia, who has also matured and changed in the years they've been
apart.
The story
opens with
a turning point in Michael's life and career choices. The pivot point
explored
in the prologue creates the first draw to readers before chapters fill
in the
blanks of past events, relationships with parents, early life in Italy,
and the
circumstances that led Michael to become a star.
Tom Bisogono
takes
the time to thoroughly explore Italian culture and the various forces
that
influence Michael's attitude and his relationship with Sophia: "...we’re not naive teens back at the
Palio where we didn’t understand our hormones or how to express our
feelings. I
told you before how much I regretted disappearing on you for all those
years.
Because of that, I really didn’t want to mess up your life by
interfering in
it.”
From musical interludes to changing
friendships, love, and wishes come true, Siena My Love
is a sweet story
of growth and revelation that embraces family, friendships, and
adventures
around the world.
Its warm story of growth on personal and
professional levels gives a heartfelt read to those who enjoy clean
romance
tales steeped in cultural traditions and artistic environments: "Michael
Ventura is not just ours to keep; he’s an important international
entertainer
with fans all over the world who miss him."
Libraries interested in acquisitions which
feature strong characters that come together from different
perspectives will
welcome Siena My Love's evocative embrace.
Return to Index
Soulful
Return
Fidelis O. Mkparu
DX Varos Publishing
978-1-955065-60-3
$18.95
www.dxvaros.com
In Soulful Return, Harvard-trained medical
doctor Afamefuna Onochie Nwaku appears to have everything—an education,
a
lovely wife, and a fine home. When he receives a phone call from
Nigeria that
informs him his sister is being threatened, everything he's worked for
(and
everything he's worked to escape from, in the past) is also placed at
risk.
It's not
like Afam
doesn't long for his home: "Today,
yearning for my homeland had brought me back to the river in search of
relief,
but the sights and sounds around me made me miss home even more. The
river that
had once brought solace to my life now pulled me in a new direction,
leaving an
empty longing for the grasslands of home and the rivers that glistened
there in
the tropical sun."
Indeed, when
he
responds to his sister's plea for help and returns to the land of his
birth, he
feels a renewed connection that refutes the very different life he's
built for
himself in Boston. But his newfound feelings, combined with his revised
status
in Nigeria as an outsider and an American who brings with him the
ability to
confront corruption and change the lives and world of his former
homeland,
places him in a precarious position both in Nigeria and in America.
Fidelis O.
Mkparu
does an excellent job of depicting the moral, ethical, and cultural
dilemmas of
an immigrant who remains connected to two very different worlds.
As Soulful Return evolves, readers receive
a vivid inspection of these issues from the viewpoint of a character
who
inspects his own emotions and motivations with candid honesty: "As more time passed, I reflected on
the day I’d left home and how many years had passed. Memories of my
parents
overwhelmed me, and the fear of losing Elisha returned. I felt lonely,
surrounded by strangers who weren’t cognizant of what I was going
through. As
much as I tried to forget the enormity of my inherited
responsibilities, it
weighed heavily on me."
Others have
cared for
the medicine plants that are his family's legacy. It's time for Afam to
reconsider where his responsibilities and heart really lie—with his
now-changed
native country, or his newly-built life.
Mkparu has
created a
masterpiece of immigrant experience and connection, outlining many of
the
forces that influence and stress modern Africans and Americans alike.
His
consideration of
corruption, responsibility, family ties, and new beginnings lends to a
powerful
novel steeped in the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of Nigeria. This
serves as
a fitting contrast of the Western education and experience that Afam
represents.
Libraries
interested
in powerful stories with literary and cultural value will find Soulful Return a thought-provoking
inspection. It also ideally will reach into book club and discussion
groups
focused on the African immigrant experiences between two worlds.
Return to Index
Stone Heart
Susan K. Hamilton
Writing Bloc
9781737353683 $15.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Heart-Susan-K-Hamilton/dp/1737353687
Stone
Heart tells of singer/songwriter
Lauren Stone,
whose upward trajectory into fame has left behind a jilted heart and an
ex-boyfriend who once meant the world to her.
Usually this is the end of the story, but in
Stone Heart, it's the beginning, because life moves
full circle to bring
these alienated former lovers in close proximity again.
Readers who enjoy emotion-laden women's
fiction and characters that move from present back to the past to
recreate
their destinies will find much to enjoy here.
Lauren well knows that money can't buy
everything: "...money couldn’t buy happiness. It could,
however, buy
some very awesome toys." Her success has fulfilled all her
dreams—but
she has nobody to share them with, and no partner to enjoy on a deeper,
more
intimate level.
Danny Padovano, too, holds a vested
interest in clearing the air with Lauren that goes beyond any need for
redemption from past choices. He's now married to Heather, but there
remains a
link between him and his ex which comes to light when she returns to
New York
and again falls onto his radar.
This time
will be
different. They are different. Neither has actually moved on, in some
ways, and
so their meeting sparks new possibilities and dilemmas as each not only
attempts to resolve the past, but reconsiders their futures.
Susan K. Hamilton crafts a satisfying saga
of two individuals who seek to overcome obstacles to redemption to form
new
relationships. Each arrives at more mature revelations about themselves
and
each other, which contributes an added sense of self-growth to the
process: "When
Lauren left him behind all those years ago, he'd wondered how she could
just go
so easily. Care so little that she could leave and not look back. Now
that he
was the one leaving, he realized it might not have been so easy after
all."
Heather adds an extra layer of complexity
because she's not just a throw-away second choice but a strong,
different,
compelling attraction apart from Lauren's allure.
Lauren realizes she needs to change. But,
just how much? "I need to write a different happy ending for
myself.
And it’s not with Danny.”
As Lauren's life unfolds both within her
band and career and in her relationships, readers receive a compelling
saga
that places both characters in the position of confronting their
successes and
failures, as well as their futures.
The result is a work of women's fiction that
will attract a wide audience interested in how love evolves, how hearts
are
protected, and what happens when the boundary between friends and
lovers is
breached.
Libraries and readers seeking a solid
example of contemporary women's fiction that tug on the heartstrings by
presenting a successful, career-minded young woman's reconsideration of
her
choices and life will find Stone Heart a winner.
Return to Index
Waiting ‘Round To Die
Chris Grant
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-451-3
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Waiting
‘Round To
Die is a study in coming of age, walking into life, and
moving away from
suburban roots to undertake a road trip and pilgrimage of a lifetime.
The
first-person
narrator remains nameless. This lends an existential feel to the story
from the
start. He connects with a long-lost uncle who joins him on this
unexpected road
trip through life, moving across continents and encountering a host of
characters who might have answers to life questions, but usually just
add more
depth and queries to their efforts.
"I had a vague idea where I was going."
This mercurial
sense of destination keeps moving the characters forward into new
realms and
encounters that belay the notion that they are sitting around waiting
for life
to come to them.
This is a
story about
"a life spinning out of control." It's also a tale of growth,
discovery, and confronting stereotypes and traditions. Unlike most
books about
these topics, it's rooted not in the usual coming-of-age scenario
revolving
around teens, but in a middle-aged man who feels "Abandoned
by my friends, left in a place I loathed."
His process
of
analyzing and disentangling himself from past relationships and
tackling
subjects of reincarnated figures from the past that offer unusual
lessons for
present and future experiences makes for an involving romp through
life, laced
with philosophical overtones.
The examples
Glen
imparts to his nephew are many as the story unfolds—some as unusual as
accepting the claims of men who represent figures and lessons from the
past.
What is
possible,
impossible, and worth fighting for falls under question as the narrator
moves
through this surreal world and a vastly revised life compared to the
one he
walked away from.
The
characters are
lively and well-drawn, the ironic life inspections are intriguing, and
the
on-the-road adventures a draw for readers who would walk out of their
own lives
for a period of time.
Libraries
looking for
contemporary novels that are thought-provoking and fun will find both
attributes power the revelations and adventurous road trip that is Waiting
‘Round To Die.
Return to Index
Walk Out the Door
Pearl Wolfe and Evelyn Anderton
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-340-0
$17.99
www.atmospherepress.com
“You
can’t just
walk away.” This idea leads to
more murders by batterers, and more reasons for staying in dangerous
situations.
Walk
Out the Door opens with Emily and
Becca's quest to save
Molly, breaking protocol to leave the women's shelter, Jill's Place, to
go to a
home where a batterer is threatening.
The fact that they escape and make it to the
hospital successfully doesn't free them from Danny's efforts to locate
his
fleeing wife and kids. It also doesn't mitigate the impact of his charm
on the
strangers who fall under his spell: "Becca never ceased to be
amazed by
how quickly these guys could pull themselves together in front of
witnesses and
turn on the charm when the situation demanded it."
As the story moves from this initial escape
and dilemma to fifteen-year-old independent orphan Liz's fall into
similar
issues with boyfriend Matt, it becomes clear how abusive relationships
develop
and how domestic violence moves from one generation to the next in the
alluring
guise of a familiar feel of love that turns deadly after marriage.
Pearl Wolfe and Evelyn Anderton create a
story that entwines the lives of Liz, Becca, Molly and Emily as Matt's
threat
comes to life and moves them from familiar scenarios of abuse to
extraordinary
efforts to survive.
From handling crisis line calls and rescues
to women's shelter dilemmas and ignoring brutal behaviors for the sake
of
friendship, Walk Out the Door chronicles not just
the obvious path of
making a break from dangerous or toxic people, but the rationale
involved in
choosing to stay in such a situation.
It uses the lives of four disparate women
who operate on different sides of the question to create a thoroughly
engrossing story that examines processes, rationales, and the evolution
of love
and hate that often lead to abusive relationships.
The result is more insightful and
multifaceted than most stories of domestic abuse and flight. While it
may serve
as a trigger to those in or from similar circumstances, ideally Walk
Out the
Door will be chosen for book club discussion as an important
inspection of
how domestic abuse is passed down between generations and tolerated by
victims
before the final act—whether it be walking away or dying—is completed.
Highly recommended for its astute
considerations of various decision-making influences, Walk
Out the Door
is recommended for any fiction library looking for profiles of abusers,
victims, and how such relationships evolve and are handled by those who
would
protect women.
Return to Index
When
I Was
Better
Rita Bozi
Atmosphere Press
9781639883646
$24.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Historical fiction readers
are in for a treat with When
I Was Better, a love story set in Hungary and Canada which
follows the
journey of István and Teréza, who flee the Nazi and Soviet invasions
and the
Hungarian Revolution to finally make their home in Winnipeg in the
1960s.
Maps and a cast of
characters portend an attention to
details that history buffs will appreciate, but the lively chapter
headings
that begin with "This is What Dying Feels Like" are the real draw,
promising inviting scenarios that compel readers to learn more about
the
characters' lives and influences.
Few other books about
immigrant experience hold the
descriptive power of When I Was Better:
"Her world had transformed into a
place of gestures and facial expressions, making her feel more vigilant
now
than she had ever been under Communism. No one understood her but
Zolti.
Already she ached for her language and the family she left behind."
Rita Bozi's ability to
capture not just the history and
milieu of the times, but the life and passions of those who live it is
a
sterling example of what sets an extraordinary read apart from a
mundane
narration of circumstance and history.
Her ability to depict the
everyday experiences and
insights of her protagonist bonds reader to the subject in an intimate
manner
that brings not just the era, but the psychology of its participants to
life
through inner reflection, influence and experience, and even dialogue: “Four lengths of sausage, please?” Teréza
watched as the man pulled two small lengths from the hook and wrapped
them in
course paper. “I beg your pardon, sir, but would you kindly add in two
more
lengths?”
“We got an
aristocrat here? If you take four lengths, what d’you imagine the
workers are
gonna eat at the end of the day?”
The account of a seven-year
separation, Budapest and
Winnipeg cultures and contrasts, and refugee experiences brings history
to life
through the eyes of its beholders.
That which doesn't kill us,
makes us stronger. This
saying applies especially strongly to When I Was Better
's powerful
story, highly recommended for historical fiction readers and library
collections interested in powerfully compelling writing packed with
insights: “Why is it so agonizing to be
truthful?”
István asked, not expecting an answer.
“It depends on what
truth you’re about to reveal. And how you expect it to be received. If
you’re
expecting an execution, you have two choices. Die for what you believe
in or
lie to save your life.”
“So in the end, it
all comes down to values.” István reached for the martini, took another
sip.
Bela smiled.
“Without truth, there’s no real connection. The truth hurts, but love
eventually heals what hurts.”
Return to Index
19 Rules for
Getting
Rich and Staying Rich Despite Wall Street
E. Aly
Marshwinds Press
Company
978-1-7341170-3-5
$24.95
Hardcover/$19.95 Paper/$11.99 ebook
www.uniquereads.com
19 Rules for Getting Rich and Staying Rich Despite
Wall Street is a
wealth acquisition and management guide that should be in any business,
economic, or personal financial planner's library.
E. Aly makes
some
surprising admonitions in the course of this analysis—among them the
thought
that being rich does not translate to saving for retirement and then
selling
off assets in retirement years; and that there are right and wrong
forms of
leverage (among other revelations).
These
contentions are
backed by statistical and financial studies and research that teaches
how to
build sound investment strategies without sacrificing lifestyle goals,
whether
present or future.
These 19
rules are
addressed step-by-step and begin with assessing expectations,
definitions of
being rich, and approaches to not just building, but maintaining
wealth. The
latter is a topic too often missed in the drive for the former, but is
just as
key to becoming and staying rich as the methods for arriving at this
point.
As Aly
teaches the
basics of building an investment portfolio that generates the kind of
investment income that translates to wealth, readers receive new ideas
about
what constitutes that wealth and how it is best managed.
Some of the
financial
insights blend common sense with basic business savvy, while others
represent a
better definition of and approach to wealth management that
incorporates
strategies designed to not just generate, but maintain a reliable money
stream.
The result
is a
special blend of flexibility, business insights, and goal-driven steps
(19, to
be specific) designed to foster not just better understanding, but
better
wealth management strategies.
These are
the real
keys to defining the concept of "rich"—and the reason why 19 Rules for Getting Rich and Staying Rich
Despite Wall Street proves more logical, accessible, and
pragmatic than
many "how to get rich" books. It focuses on the building process over
the goal of maintaining financial security, while drawing on an
investment
income that will prove liquid under any condition.
Libraries
looking for
wealth management books that are filled with strategy backed by
real-world
experience should consider 19 Rules for
Getting Rich and Staying Rich Despite Wall Street a
foundation guide to
understanding how the rich can get richer—and maintain that status.
Return to Index
The Battle
of Lincoln
Place
Dennis Hathaway
Crania
Press
978-1732476233
$32.99
Hardcover/$18.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://ddhathaway.com
Ideally, The
Battle of Lincoln Place: An Epic Fight by
Tenants to Save Their Homes
should appear in any library collection
strong in urban planning, social issues, and urban politics surrounding
transformation processes. It captures the experience of many tenants by
profiling what happened to Lincoln Place, a large historic apartment
complex
whose residents fought corporate landlords to maintain their home.
Lincoln Place was
constructed by a Black architect whose
vision of creating not just an apartment building, but a structure that
fostered community, was embedded in his design and represented by its
tenants.
While readers might
anticipate the subject to focus on
corporate greed and tenant rights, The Battle of Lincoln Place
incorporates, then moves beyond these narrow visions to examine broader
subjects of community makeup and support systems. These include legal
issues
relating to landlord/tenant relationships, definitions of home and the
right to
occupy and maintain such as part of a community's makeup, and the moral
issues
involved in remodeling and remaking working-class communities for
increased
profit at the expense of those who call their rented abode 'home'.
As Hathaway
delves into political and social issues
alike, he uses case histories of those involved in the struggle for
Lincoln
Place to bring to life the myriad issues raised in urban planning and
development projects.
These
individual
stories and lives power an inspection that delves into everything from
rehabilitation efforts to issues of intimidation and bullying.
The result
is a
powerful story that uses the microcosm of the Lincoln Place experience
as a
blueprint for better understanding the social and political forces at
work in
community makeup and development.
Ideally, The Battle of Lincoln Place will be
chosen for classroom discussion in a range of subjects, from urban
planning and
architecture courses to those studying social issues and working-class
and minority
experience.
Return to Index
Conflict
Imagery
Kiley Fleming, EdD.
BookPress
978-1-947305-47-2
www.BookpressPublishing.com
Conflict Imagery: Developing a Reflective Framework
is recommended
for business, psychology, and economics readers interested in advancing
their
knowledge of communication in the workplace and at home.
It presents
a
different form of conflict management based on a professional approach
that
embraces concepts that seem to belay the author's own experience ("Surely an author who has weathered a
difficult divorce could be no card-carrying expert on successful
conflict
resolution."). In fact, it embraces them to build a
higher-level
approach to the subject: "The best
gifts from this season of my life were the realizations that people
have a deep
capacity for growth, that meaningful change and learning can occur in
any
situation, and that resilience is a huge part of the human condition."
There's a
reason why
physical manifestations of emotional connections remain such a draw,
whether
they be in museums, in creative interpretations of life, or in the
workplace
and at home: "...tangible objects
create imagery for the past."
With this in
mind, Kiley
Fleming proceeds down a path that draws important connections between
visualization, imagery, and greater understanding, creating the
foundations
that support an exploration of all these facets: "Jesus
clearly understood the fundamental teaching principle of
making sure the learner had mental depictions to connect the unseen
with the
seen. If you can visualize it, you will probably understand it in a
more
meaningful and enduring way."
The
challenge lies in
how to apply these principles to business and personal interactions. In
this
endeavor, Fleming shines.
As her book
explores
human nature, connecting this to physical images, readers gain a
different
perspective on purpose, function, values, and needs in life that apply
across
the board to working with and better understanding different
personality types.
Readers
won't expect
the discussion to embrace architectural concepts, ratios, or the
influence of
triggers in imagery development and application. But, Fleming's ability
to
dance between psychological and life issues while applying the
framework of her
analysis leads fellow dancers in steps that require some effort, but
pay off
with the rich rewards of deeper understanding.
As Fleming
revamps
the purposes and goals of others, lacing them into her framework for
conflict
resolution, clear examples of how this process works are presented from
her own
life: "In both succession planning
and conflict management, the parties know their desired direction. This
isn’t
the issue. The issue is charting a path that creates momentum to
achieve
results."
The result
is a study
that will reach psychology and self-help readers, but moves neatly
beyond these
audiences to integrate itself into workplace and daily life functions.
Libraries
interested
in works that promise bigger-picture thinking and which create a clear
framework with proven paths to success will find Conflict
Imagery a development guide with the power to reach from
lay reader to HR leaders and others from all walks of life.
Return to Index
End Man
Alex Austin
Cursed Dragon Ship
978-1-951445-34-8
$17.99
Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/End-Man-Alex-Austin-ebook/dp/B0B649S5B9
Dromophobia is the fear of
crossing streets. In an urban
environment, this condition dictates that work and daily life take
place in a
carefully manipulated and close environment where no streets need to be
navigated.
Fortunately, 26-year-old
dromophobic Raphael Lennon has
carved out just such a niche for his life. Unfortunately, this is about
to
change.
End
Man is a
study of not just fear, but in self-imposed prisons and attempts to
hide from
death. Ironically, Raphael's job is to ferret out those hiders who
"play
possum" and fake their deaths. Death may be a good place to hide, for
nefarious reasons. But it's not a good place to conduct business.
Readers who pursue End
Man will find its special blend of mystery and sci-fi create
compelling
scenarios and opportunities for higher-level thinking as moral and
ethical
quandaries mix with philosophical life inspections: "They’re
dead, but not less valuable. That’s our business."
Raphael may have carved out
a life for himself, in
control of his world, but as events force him out of his comfort zone,
readers
follow his progression into chaos: "Why is this happening, he thought to
himself ... Because of the limitations of his world (and his apartment
was the
center of his world), he knew its mechanisms well."
If End
Man were
simply a story of dromophobia, this rare exploration would be enough of
a draw
to gain an audience. But its real value lies in the pursuit of
Raphael's
expanding world and the dilemmas it introduces as his carefully
organized
existence undergoes a sea change.
Alex Austin is a master at
building tension,
psychological inquiry, and intrigue that tests his protagonist in
unexpected
ways.
The sci-fi elements
introduce a futuristic setting with
revised moral and ethical boundaries that offer particularly notable,
compelling dilemmas throughout its action-packed scenes.
Austin takes the time to
build character, setting, and
personal and corporate thinking processes. This lends both a sense of
realistic
fatalism to the story and creates fine tension replete with
unpredictable
twists and turns.
The result is a tale of not
just a mystery that engulfs
the unwitting Raphael, but one that shifts from personal to corporate
responsibility and values as events unfold.
Readers and libraries
seeking exceptional sci-fi mystery
settings and quandaries worthy of book club discussion will find all
this and
more in droves in a story packed with intrigue, growth, and a wry dash
of humor
for added impact.
Return to Index
FIRED! Protect Your Rights
& FIGHT BACK If You're Terminated,
Laid Off, Downsized, Restructured, Forced to Resign or Quit
Steven Mitchell Sack, Attorney-at-Law
Legal Strategies
Publications
979-8-9857906-1-0
$34.99
Hardcover/$24.99 Paper/$19.99 ebook
www.LegalStratPub.com
FIRED!
Protect Your Rights
& FIGHT BACK If You’re Terminated, Laid Off, Downsized,
Restructured,
Forced to Resign or Quit is
the 'bible' of employee rights under fire,
and should be part of any business collection, to be
consulted in any
termination situation.
Steven Mitchell Sack is a
nationally renowned workplace
attorney who here shares his insights, strategies, legal savvy, and
advice to
help workers who face the ax, but want to protect and better understand
their
rights.
More than just a review of
firing processes, it delves
into the underlying politics, legal ramifications, and impact of
releasing
employees from jobs, supplementing its analysis with forms, examples,
letters,
and legal documents which reflect the latest in workplace relations.
Sack spent over forty years
defending employees who have
been fired under all kinds of conditions. This background provides a
stellar
authority for this book, which is replete not just in theory and legal
background, but action and outcomes.
Why does a working reader
need this book? Because it
saves money, time, aggravation, and misunderstandings.
In the past, those fired
simply acquiesced and left.
Today, the legal and business worlds are different. Sack maintains that
"...most terminated individuals are
questioning those decisions and regularly negotiating better severance
packages
and post-termination benefits. Statistics from my own law practice bear
this
out."
All kinds of terminations
can be addressed using this
book, from age- and gender-influenced firings to the types of
negotiations
possible to further health insurance and other post-employment benefit
packages.
Special tips supplement case
history examples and reviews
of the latest laws, highlighting possible strategies that individuals
and
groups can take when addressing mass layoffs: "Consider
filing a lawsuit alleging WARN violations if you are
terminated due to a large reorganization or downsizing (e.g., your
whole
department is suddenly axed) and are not given reasonable warning or a
decent
severance package. Thus, if you are fired suddenly and are part of a
massive
layoff, consult a lawyer immediately to discuss your rights and options
under
WARN."
Why consult this book when
Sack notes that it doesn't
replace legal counsel? Because it outlines many strategies and legal
precedents
to give readers solid ideas of game plans and approaches before they
incur an attorney's
fees and time.
No working person should be
without access to or
ownership of FIRED!
Quite simply, it's the most important and comprehensive
modern legal review of employee rights in the book world today, and
should be
considered the first step in any proactive legal review, whether the
reader has
been fired, laid off, or quit.
Return to Index
More Than Words
Kirsten Anderson
Indigo River Publishing
978-1-954676-25-1
$17.95
Publisher Website: https://indigoriverpublishing.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Words-Metoo-Isaidsomething/dp/1954676255
More
Than Words:
Turn #MeToo Into #ISaidSomething is a memoir that describes a
workplace
experience, a lawsuit, and a struggle for justice. It was written for
those who
feel lost and who encounter the similar obstacles of bullying and
retaliation
in life situations, and it provides a voice that documents these
circumstances
and the process of overcoming silence to express and expose them.
The impact of working for
years in a verbally abusive
environment and making the decision to pursue legal recourse when, on
the cusp
of protest, Kirsten Anderson was summarily fired from her job, is
revealed in
chapters that outline the short- and long-term effects of navigating a
toxic
workplace.
Any who would identify and
overcome sexual harassment in
the workplace needs this story.
As More
Than Words documents
Anderson's progression through her job and her efforts to mitigate the
constant
aggression displayed every working day, it provides important keys to
both
understanding and action that all employees need to know.
Why would intelligent people
persevere under such conditions?
Anderson pulls no punches in laying out the rationale for remaining on
the job:
"Living under a mountain of fear,
shame, and guilt is all-consuming. I made every effort to project an
image of
professionalism and strength, pretending that I could handle any
situation that
came my way. I felt strongly that no one needed to know my business,
including
the fact that I was being sexually harassed and bullied daily."
The book is even easier to
read with its bullet points of
information which take the form of 'Think About It' food for thought
and case
history examples of others who have endured workplace struggles.
The emotional component of
questions which readers are
prompted to ask themselves creates a special form of understanding and
healing
that work hand in hand to explore not just toxic conditions, but how to
recover
from and address them appropriately.
Ultimately, More
Than Words lives up to its name by offering a series of
actions readers can
apply to their own lives, from initial understanding and adjusting
reactions
along the way to the legal paths Anderson chose.
While More
Than
Words is highly recommended for business, psychology, and
social and
women's issues library collections, it ideally should play a starring
role in
not just book club discussions, but groups where victims of bullying
and
harassment have the chance to voice their experiences—and then (thanks
to this
book's blueprints and examples) do something about them.
Return to Index
Out
of the
Shadows: Voices of American Women Soldiers
Ron Farina
Lagrange Books
9781957780009
$29.95
https://lagrangebooks.com/our-books/nonfiction/out-of-the-shadows-voices-of-american-women-soldiers/
Out of the Shadows:
Voices of American Women Soldiers
gathers the experiences of American
military women who saw combat, collecting not just battlefield
experiences, but
reviewing the special challenges facing female warriors who return to
civilian
life.
These
contemporary women served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The stories come
from the
hearts and minds of women who confront the popular myth that female
soldiers
are sidelined and rarely placed in the front lines of danger,
documenting the
personal experiences of nine women who moved from civilian to military
life and
back again.
The
first thing
to note about these accounts is their unified strengths of voice. Each
transformative experience is captured by unique discussions that
emphasize
diversity and shared adversity, all at once.
The
collection
opens with "Saddle Up," which reads with the excitement of
page-turning fiction as seventeen-year-old horsewoman
Connie Neill
faces a new competition with her barrel racing horse Lady.
What
does this
have to do with combat experiences?
Several
months
later, Connie is in Kuwait, waiting her injection into Iraq and the
experiences
of war that place her and her fellow soldiers in the heart of action
that
civilian readers will find eye-opening with its moment-by-moment action
and
intense descriptions: "Caught in the hurry-up-and-wait, the
archetypal
motif of all things military, trained for action, constantly on edge,
soldiers
grew restless. Rumor was they’d be rolling into Iraq any day, but the
hurry-up-and-wait was mostly wait, punctuated with harassing Scud
missile
attacks that sent Connie and her fellow soldiers scrambling. When the
missiles,
rumored to contain gas, rained down, shouts of “Gas! Gas! Gas!”
replaced shouts
of “Incoming,” a more common refrain of previous wars, particularly the
Vietnam
War. Well over one hundred soldiers scrambled into metal shipping
containers,
packed in together, “asshole to belly button...The attack went on for
more than
thirty minutes. Eighteen-year-old PVT2 Connie Neill, sobbed into her
mask. She
felt a fear so deep that it changed her life forever."
Each
narrative
offers a different voice, capturing encounters that challenge not just
their
ability to survive, but their role as women on the front lines of
battle.
Of
special note
are the uniquely female experiences and challenges during war that come
from
differences between male counterparts. These can involve something as
basic as
bathroom functions: "The biggest issue for women stuck in a
jarring
Humvee bouncing around a war-torn countryside was relieving
themselves...Mary,
the only woman in her squad, had to tap her male counterpart on the
shoulder.
“Gotta go,” she’d whisper into her mic. All heads would turn in her
direction.
The Humvee would stop. Everyone except the turret gunner would leave
the
Humvee. The team would set up a security perimeter. Turret gunner took
the
twelve and three. The driver stayed behind the open door. He’d rest his
M4 over
the rolled-down window, taking the nine. Mary would find a spot near
the
vehicle’s five. Another soldier had the six. They turned away. Mary
would shed
her battle rattle and drop half her uniform while the patrol waited for
her to
finish. In the summer heat, she’d sweat so much, it was almost
impossible to
get her gear back on. She hated asking. She hated stopping,
embarrassing
herself—and so she quit asking, refusing to give in to nature’s call
for hours.
The result: multiple UTIs."
Punctuated with color photos
throughout, Out of the
Shadows succeeds in crafting a
"you are here" feel to these military women's experiences, choices,
and challenges.
The
result is a
powerful collection that deserves a place not just in military
libraries, but
in holdings specializing in women's issues and voices.
Its
ability to
capture a variety of fights, both physical and psychic, that these
contributors
experienced from their military service creates a collection that is
riveting
and diverse from beginning to end, serving as an eye-opener to many
about the
roles women play in active duty and the special challenges they face
both in
country and back at home.
Return to Index
Tricky
Ron Dakron
Montag Press
978-1957010076
$14.95
Paper/$2.99 Kindle
Author webpage: www.rondakron.com
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Tricky-Ron-Dakron-ebook/dp/B0B2N8H85B
Tricky
is a
dystopian fairy tale romp that embraces humor, flagrant social
disrespect, and
vivid language. These elements challenge readers to absorb the sassy
tone and
inspection of Tricky, a renegade body part that assumes a life of its
own.
It should be cautioned that
the language alone brings
cause for pause in this fun, literary exploration. The story begins
with the
rhythmic bang of candid street lingo: "I’m
lightning wrapped in a strait-jacket—I spit hummingbirds crowned with
barbed
wire. Hoodoo you luv? Me—Tricky! I’m pink and straight and full of
hate! Wait,
don’t—no more voltage, please! I admit it all—my bonehead sexism, my
stiff
arrogance, my jizz privilege, tch tch. I’ve been a bad, bad dangler, a
big
Cissy—I’m so hetero-normative. My XY mutation explains all flaws! I’m a
genetic
devil—all hot evil spurts from me, mwah ha ha—oops, sorry, I know—I
know! No
phallic raves—no gangsta rapping for you, Tricky. Think of all the
chicks your
rape-culture lyrics hurt—strong, vibrant, smart, empathetic, stinky,
cheating,
devious harpy—ow! Somehow I done got shocked again."
Consider Tricky
a "penile madhouse confession" of a story whose fast paced and
mind-boggling descriptors are designed to both entertain and challenge
the
reader to think about life, body, and mind in new ways.
Those who continue the saga
will discover that Tricky is
dirty, dastardly, and determined. Those who are faint of heart will
likely not
want to read through his rollicking observation of life from 'down
under', but
readers who enjoy surprising blends of street lingo paired with a wry,
critical
assessment of life from an unusual perspective will find Tricky's
adventures to
be revealing and fun.
As the romp progresses,
Tricky is imprisoned in Male
Re-education Kamp, faces
a 90-foot moray eel, and finds himself both representing the male
condition,
suffering from it, and finding it a blast.
The roller
coaster
ride through body parts, the seas and tides of unpredictable
confrontations,
and observations of a sexual and social nature are delightfully
original even
as they are graphic and thought-provoking.
It's rare to
find
such a combination in contemporary literature, but Tricky
is all these things and more.
As
testosterone-laden
as it is embedded in fun and whimsy, Tricky
is a special read for a special kind of reader not flummoxed by odd
scenarios
and encounters. Libraries looking for unique representations of modern
literary
form and function will find Tricky
worth recommending, especially for reluctant readers tired of the usual
devices
of description and character. This audience will find, in Tricky's
countenance,
a satisfying yarn blending depravity with fun.
Return to Index
Twas The Night
Pamela McColl
Grafton and Scratch Publishers
978-1927979303
$36.00
Hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/Twas-Night-History-Classic-Christmas/dp/1927979307
Readers looking for a
keepsake holiday celebration
suitable for individual study and family sharing alike will find the
perfect
combination of art and scholarship in Twas
the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem.
The book is an unexpected
treasure trove, surprising
because, with so very many books centered on Christmas traditions and
history,
it's refreshing to see an artistic and literary review of a classic
poem that
breathes new life into traditional perceptions.
Pamela McColl achieves this
goal by reviewing the history
of the world's most cited poem. While one might think this should have
been
done already, over the years, if not time and again, it might come as a
surprise to note that hers is the first in-depth coverage of the poem's
origins
and incarnations.
One of the foundations of Twas the Night's strength is its
inclusion of hundreds of vintage
images and works of art which accompany the analysis.
The classic Christmas poem A
Visit From St. Nicholas
(also known as Twas The Night Before Christmas)
is on
the cusp of enjoying two bicentennial mile markers, so this is the
perfect time
to absorb its ongoing impact and alluring history.
These aren't just McColl's
reflections. Dozens of
excerpts from a wide range of literary sources illustrate the centuries
of
influence that birthed this poem and others which continue to drive its
classic
popularity through the years.
Tracing these influences
also results in a deeper
understanding of Christmas culture, holiday traditions, and the art,
publications, individual influencers, and evolution of the holiday
spirit.
Readers also likely won't
anticipate the degree and depth
of American and world history that enter the stage of this poem's
origins, but
McColl adds all these elements to vastly expand Twas
the Night's many facets: "At
the 1809 New York Historical Society
St. Nicholas Banquet a toast was read: “To the memory of
St. Nicholas.
May the virtuous habit simple manners of our Dutch ancestors be not
lost in the
luxuries and refinement of the present time.” The interest in the
revival or
establishment of Saint Nicholas reflected Pintard’s desire to create a
sense of
identify for the city."
The result begins with the
poem's origins, but it's
really a representation of changing artistic, cultural, social, and
historical
atmosphere swirling around the poem that offers a deeper understanding
of not
just its history, but the changing social focuses that kept it relevant
against
the sands of time.
Any collection looking for
superior, solid, artistic,
historical examinations of Christmas must
include Twas the Night as a highly
recommended mainstay. Whether a library is focused on art, history,
popular
culture, or Christmas, Twas the Night
represents an outstanding work of literature and a compelling read the
entire
family can enjoy.
Return to Index
Using My
Word Power
Janice S. Ellis,
Ph.D.
USARiseUp, Inc.
979-8-218-04479-4
$14.99
https://realadvocacyjournalism.com
Using
My Word
Power: Advocating for a More Civilized Society
focuses on Ethics and
Values, the first book
of a
3-book series, drawing important connections between words and actions
as it
discusses a myriad of contemporary issues ranging from gun usage to
global
warming, racism, and economics.
Lessons from the black
experience in America and major
thinkers about policy-setting and social issues come into play as Dr.
Ellis
considers a range of issues relating to national values and the
changing course
and nature of American politics and society.
The first thing to note
about her work is that it comes
from the perspective of an active journalist who not only reports on
these
conditions, but participates in the democratic process of enacting
change.
This allows for a more
personal and passionate tone
that's injected into the mix of reflections, creating an accessible
document of
American experience that resonates on personal as well as political
levels
because of this background and focus: "The
writings of an advocate journalist always boil down, directly, or
indirectly,
intentionally, or unintentionally, to a plea—imploring the reader or
listener
to think, to consider the facts, the circumstances, the workable
solutions for
the issues at hand, and when appropriate and necessary to engage in
action."
The book contains
commentaries written over the past four
decades for radio, a major metropolitan daily newspaper, community
newspapers,
an online state news publication, and the author's website. The
commentaries
have been chosen for their timeliness and well as timelessness. They
also
reflect snapshots of history.
The writings
tackle a
myriad of evolving situations and present candid analysis that often
conclude
in a plea for reconsideration on the reader's part: "Given
the circumstances, to wear a mask is the least that we as
Americans can do for ourselves, our family, our neighbors, the
overworked
doctors and nurses, shuttered businesses, and the health and economic
well-being of America. To wear a mask or not wear a mask? Please
consider the
consequences of your answer to that question."
These
wide-ranging
questions also emphasize the power of words to outline, convince, and
provide
alternate perspectives, making these pieces perfect for book clubs,
debates,
and other interactive forms of dialogue from high school into adult
circles.
The result
of these
works is an effective example of how the written word can change hearts
and
minds through powerful writing and meaningful discourse.
Here are the
keys to
not just employing but reading and interpreting words wisely. Replete
in
examples of ethical and moral conundrums, Using
My Word Power serves as the starting point for effecting
change, and is
highly recommended for a variety of libraries and book reading groups,
from
those that focus on contemporary social issues and questions of ethical
and
moral value to others who seek examples of powerful literacy's effects
on
society as a whole.
Return to Index
Waiting in the Wings
Tiffany Haas with Genna Glatzer
St. Martin's Griffin
978-1250193735
$21.49 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Wings-Launch-Performing-Broadway/dp/1250193737
Waiting in the
Wings: How to Launch Your Performing
Career on Broadway and Beyond demonstrates
the power of perseverance in the performing arts world and comes from
an actor
who had over seventy rejections in a row before landing the star role
of
“Glinda the Good” in the Broadway stage production of Wicked.
Those
who aspire
to succeed in theater would do well to consider this memoir, which
documents
her career path to New York and Broadway and the ups and downs which
marked it.
The
nuts and
bolts of a good guide to theater careers are included here, from
finding an
agent and auditioning to developing professional relationships and
building a
reputation in the theater world.
Supplementing
this array of practical considerations is a lively set of experiences
that
explore the underlying basis for performer success: how to stand out
and build
one's reputation in a good way.
As
Tiffany Haas
discovered early on, there is no end of competitive talent in this
world: "There
we all were, young brunette soprano ingénues, all holding our books of
sheet
music, all wearing flowing dresses. My confidence shriveled up as I got
my
first reality check: This wasn’t high school or college anymore. I knew
the
real world of professional theatre was going to be competitive, but
until I
stood in that hallway surrounded by talented women, I didn’t realize
how
competitive. I had no idea how I would ever stand out, and in the end,
I
didn’t—I didn’t even get a callback for the role I was so sure was
meant to be
mine."
From
how to
frame shots for different types of auditions to tapping the supportive
theater
community for success, Waiting in the Wings uses
the author's experience
and others around her to document various courses that embrace the
advice and
experience of other talented movers and shakers in the industry: "I
know Broadway is the goal, but I’ve seen plenty of people who work at
The Muny
with Chris Bailey or Kathleen Marshall or Dan Knechtges, and the next
thing you
know, they’re going into Broadway auditions because they’ve worked with
that
person,” says a casting director friend of mine. “The priority should
be going
to calls where there’s a viable possibility you could get a job. Go to
the
Papermill. Go to the SETA contract tours. Go to the Mean Girls call if
you’re a
young person—we cast a lot of those actors through the EPAs and ECCs.”
It's
a pleasure
to see not just idealistic views of the industry, but to receive an
insider's
"how I became successful" story supplemented by tested strategies
from others who know how these paths work, and why.
Aspiring
actors
who want better insights into the theater world and their options for
landing a
role in it should consider Waiting in
the Wings a key read for
launching a successful acting career.
It
deserves a
place in any library collection where performance arts careers and
theater jobs
are of interest, but ideally will be talked about between aspiring
actors, its
pointers to success seeing the light of day and discussion.
Return to Index
You
Penny Hashem
Visage Books
978-1-4958-2209-4
$28.95
Hardcover/$19.95 Paper/$8.49 Kindle
https://visagebooks.webflow.io
You is a study in Judaic spirituality and
philosophy that promotes
self-help and growth for better understanding and enlightenment, and
brings
with it the flavor of wisdom embedded in the Torah.
From this
description, readers might think You
is intended for Jewish audiences alone, but its messages are much
broader than
that. They offer insights to all thinking readers who look for books
that
reveal largely unknown secrets to understanding life. While the ideas
themselves are not original, the Torah-based path to them does provide
routes
that many won't have considered before.
What makes
Penny
Hashem's journey different is the acknowledgement of how a Torah-based
focus
offers a refreshingly new perspective: "The
“Bible” that many have been exposed to is radically different from
Torah in its
authentic essence. Many westerners have turned to alternate sources for
wisdom
and spirituality because the doctrine that they have been reared on has
not
offered them the inspiration or solace that they seek. Torah is no more
western
than eastern or northern or southern. It does not have a geographic
bearing or
bias. God is not the God of some and not others. The insights herein
are
gleaned, in large part, from Chassidic philosophy and the Torah’s
mystic
teachings. They are equally applicable to those who observe Torah’s
laws
strictly, those who follow other spiritual practices, and those who
engage in
no practice at all."
As Hashem
states,
"Ultimately, this is a book about you." Thus, each reader's unique
perspective, insights, and ideals of life's purpose will change the
experience
and value of what is to be gained from You.
Much like Schrödinger's cat, the observer becomes an integral part of
the
experiment, which changes its results.
The main
prerequisites for a successful reading of You
are a spiritual belief in a higher force and an inquiring mind
interested in
considering the Torah's daily and overall presence in life.
Armed with
such a
background, the reader receives explorations of biblical sources for
God's
incarnation in this world, Torah-based prayers or terms which are
explained and
explored as integral pieces of the investigation, and analyses that
move
between spiritual, philosophical, and psychological realms: "The sacrifice of one’s self does not
truly result in nothingness therefore, but rather in “everythingness.”
One does
not become nothing through self-nullification; rather s/he becomes
unified with
everything. Individuality is not what makes me something, it is what
separates
me from everything. I do not cease to exist when I let go of my
boundaries, I
cease to be small and limited. I begin to truly exist when I stop
insisting on
my individual existence."
As literary
allusions
enter this study, readers will appreciate Hashem's ability to
seamlessly move
between disciplines to integrate their concepts and beliefs into
bigger-picture
thinking.
The Torah
insights
she provides are specific and unique: "Torah
provides us to help us liberate ourselves from the veils that shroud
our Godly
core. As we discussed, the lifecycle ceremonies (along with the daily
rituals,
and the weekly, monthly and yearly calendrical observances) are all
facets of
an integrated practice through which we train ourselves to penetrate
the
darkness. The detailed and disciplined answer then to the question of
how we
can habituate ourselves to seeing the Godliness that is hidden within
everything, is to take advantage of the tactics and exercises that
Torah offers
us."
While the
author's
intention is to translate somewhat esoteric Torah readings into
language and
approaches the average reader can easily understand, it should be added
that
"average" translates to those who would absorb deeper layers of
meaning than trite observation or easy answers.
This
audience will
relish You for its integral ability
to raise the bar on intellectual discourse. While You
will most likely appear in Jewish library collections, it shouldn't
repose on a shelf or in a single reader's mind. Instead, it can become
central
to discussions and debates in reading groups interested in the
intersection of
Jewish, philosophical, spiritual, and psychological thought.
Return to Index
Black Hole
Radio:
Bilaluna
Ann Birdgenaw
DartFrog Plus
978-1-953910-50-9
$8.05 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
www.dartfrogbooks.com
Black Hole Radio: Bilaluna is the second
book in the Black Hole
Radio series for advanced elementary to middle grade fiction readers.
It
presents another space adventure experienced by friends who find
themselves
facing an active wormhole in their garage along with a new member,
Celeste, who
joins Matt and Hawk in their world-hopping adventures.
This time,
the Black
Hole Radio has called them to planet Pooponic's moon, Bilaluna, where
they face
giant cyborg mutant insects. The question is: where did these come
from? And
how can the children help them stop the climate change which forced
these
insects to Bilaluna, where they face the possibility of history
repeating
itself and destroying their beautiful new home?
The
background premise
fueling the action in the first book is neatly summarized for
newcomers: “It can’t be!” he says, with eyes
big as
saucers. “We didn’t really travel through your haunted garage to
another
planet, did we?”
E.M. Roberts
accents
the story with black and white drawings that are fun and compelling as
the tale
unfolds, peppering the tale with evocative imagery that enhances the
plot.
Science,
too, is
embedded into the events as Einstein's theory of space-time and other
considerations are built into the story line.
Ann
Birdgenaw creates
a thought-provoking journey that also examines evolving friendships as
unusual
experiences buffet them. The science and environmental issues built
into the
plot create an educational experience within a sci-fi adventure.
Jokes and
camaraderie
are expressed as the insect encounters unfold, keeping readers
entertained as
well as perched on the edge of the unexpected.
Another
twist to the
story lies in newcomer Celeste's Asperger's Syndrome and how it affects
her
interactions, thinking, and choices.
Adults may
not expect
all of these elements to appear in the course of a children's sci-fi
action
story, but Black Hole Radio: Bilaluna
crafts the opportunity for kids to achieve greater understanding amidst
a
surprisingly wide range of events and developments.
A concluding
glossary
of space and science terms completes the educational attraction, while
the
insights on developing friendships with those on the spectrum are
imparted
against the backdrop of trials which test each of the young characters.
The result
is not
just compelling for sci-fi readers, but filled with insights as well as
adventure.
The combination will serve to attract youngsters and adults who work
with them
to achieve greater understanding both in scientific and social realms.
Return to Index
Black Hole
Radio:
Ka'azula
Ann Birdgenaw
DartFrog Plus
978-1-953910-52-3
$9.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
www.dartfrogbooks.com
Black Hole Radio: Ka'azula blends a
children's sci-fi scenario with
themes of friendship, problem-solving, and group efforts. It provides
another
story of fifth graders Matt, Hawk, and Celeste, who have been given
extraordinary powers in their prior encounters with aliens.
This journey
takes
them to the alien planet Ka’Azula, where a strange form of racism is
being
practiced. Only the blue-skinned folk on this planet are accepted, but
when the
kids befriend the red-skinned denizen ironically named Teal, the kids
receive a
lesson in perception, tolerance, and problem-solving that carries back
home
into their own world.
From
riddle-driven
games and strange encounters with beings who try to prevent them from
gaining access
to the final game level (Ka, the most challenging of them all) to ray
guns and
shootings, the fast pace of the story and some of its exuberant
descriptive
first-person insights (“Yippee Ki-Yay!” I
scream like the ‘Star Trekkers’ when they’re about to conquer the enemy
aliens.
Pew, pew!
I pull the trigger and just miss the mark as the other space
cart quickly drops below us, out of sight."), to the real
impact of
winning a game that spills into real life in a deadly manner, Ann
Birdgenaw's
story holds all the trappings of a compelling read. It features aliens,
proactive video-game expert kids, and beings whose intentions support
racist
outlooks and portend dangerous outcomes for all.
The space
and science
terminology sprinkled throughout are explained in a glossary of terms,
while
insights on mixed-race individuals, bullying, unusual friendships, and
revised
perceptions neatly juxtapose bigger-picture thinking with action and
adventure.
It's unusual
to see
such a smooth synthesis of thought-provoking issues paired with sci-fi
drama,
but Black Hole Radio: Ka'azula more
than achieves its goal of exploring both. It is highly recommended,
both for
advanced elementary to early middle graders who enjoy otherworldly
adventures,
and for adults who would point out the deeper lessons embedded in these
adventures.
Return to Index
Blazes
&
Brimstone
Linda Gruenberg
Kenda Press
978-91-986317-3-9
$10.99
www.kendapress.com
Blazes & Brimstone combines
historical middle-grade fiction
with an equine-oriented perspective that will delight horse-crazy
middle grade
readers.
Set in 1871,
it tells
of three children who rescue horses from a stable when the city of Holland, Michigan burns down.
As Lyle, Aggie and Rudy respond to a
terrible fire that reaches out to change their community and lives,
young
readers receive an adventure that goes beyond a horse-centric story
alone. The
tale considers changing times in the melting pot of a bygone America
which
leads young people to not just react, but act in extraordinary ways.
From its
social and
cultural observations to historic events and settings, it's evident
that Linda
Gruenberg has done her homework on the times and their influences.
Vivid
descriptions
capture this atmosphere from the start: "The
church pew was hard and narrow beneath him, the psalter hymn book heavy
in his
lap. His older brother, Rudy, was warm on one side and his father warm
on the
other. The dominie—or preacher, as the Americans called him—prayed in
low,
gurgling, singsong Dutch for rain and to escape the burning flames of
Hell’s
fire—or the real fire, Lyle wasn’t sure which."
As middle
graders
absorb the dilemma of threatened horses and the brave youngsters who
rescue
them, they will also come to perceive the wider issues impacting these
kids,
and will realize that saving horses isn't the only challenge in the
story.
Adults who
want to
introduce young readers to the lure of historical fiction by tapping an
inherent interest in horses will find Blazes
& Brimstone as strong in its adventure component as
it is in its social
inspections.
The result
is a
powerful story that's highly recommended for middle school libraries
looking
for attention-grabbing historical fiction.
Return to Index
DinoDogz:
Eggzellent
Adventure
Mystery Mike McHale
Mystery Mike's
FunHouse Publishing
978-0578388601
$14.99
Book website: www.DinoDogz.com
Author website: www.mysteriesbymike.com
DinoDogz: Eggzellent Adventure provides a
picture book mystery that
follows five DinoDogz as they travel to a secret island to rescue five
StegoPup
eggs stolen by the evil Dr. D. Stroy.
He may have
created
the DinoDogz for nefarious purposes (to take over the world), but Dr.
D. Stroy's
creations have turned on him (and become good) as they reject their
original
purpose and try to gain control of special eggs (laid by a dog) that
hold dino
DNA and the possibility of furthering the evil doctor's take-over of
the world.
The dynamic
team
faces many obstacles, from exploding coconuts thrown by evil gorillas
Hal and
Sal (who are in cahoots with the bad doctor) to a transformation caused
by a
Dino DNA-infused bone that turns dog Bull into a BrontoBulldogosaurus.
Illustrator
Mike
Goldstein adds a host of eye-catching, colorful drawings to bring
Mystery Mike
McHale's adventure to life as the DinoDogz face down not just an
adversary, but
his intentions to use them to change the world.
The result
is a
lively adventure that looks and reads like an action-packed graphic
novel, but
holds the added value of humor and dinosaur attractors to engage even
the most
reluctant reader.
Libraries
that choose
DinoDogz: Eggzellent Adventure for
its mystery and rollicking adventure will find it just the ticket for a
journey
into an unexpected, fun world that romps through quasi-science and
extraordinary possibilities alike.
Return to Index
Hoo's
Driving the
Bus?
Nikki Estridge
BrookStyles
979-8-9859034-0-9
www.nikkiestridgeofficial.com/author
Ordering: https://a.co/d/1x02Tcd
Picture book
readers
and read-aloud parents will both find a delightful story in Hoo's Driving the Bus?, which presents a
dilemma when a bus assigned to go to the big sports game has no driver.
Gigi
makes the bus barely on time, only to hear Chuckie Chicken proclaim
that the
driver hasn't made it at all.
Illustrator
Syama
Mithun provides whimsical, colorful drawings of animals that join
together with
Gigi Giraffe as they face curveball after curveball while trying to get
to the
game.
The clock
counts down
as the minutes tick by, offering read-aloud adults the perfect
opportunity to
introduce the concept of time management to young listeners.
The engaging
drawings
highlight Nikki Estridge's vivid story and dilemma as the proactive
efforts of
animals join together in a common goal of beating all odds to make the
big
game.
Estridge's
humor is
another fine feature that will have readers giggling over the inquiries
and
problems that arise: "Chuckie
– surprised he was asked to drive-
questioned, “Me? You want me to drive?”
“What are you… chicken?”
Dudley Duck blurted as “Animal “Quacker” crumbs fell from his beak.
Chuckie chuckled.
“Why, yes! Yes, I am!”
The result
is a
delightful lesson not just in time and its management, but in
problem-solving
and group interactions.
Adults who
choose Hoo's Driving the Bus? for
its whimsical
educational opportunities won't be disappointed.
Return to Index
MacKenzie's
Last
Run
Gayle Rosengren
Three Towers Press (an imprint of
HenschelHAUS Pub.)
978-1595989048
$9.95 paper/$5.99 Kindle
Website: www.gaylerosengren.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/MacKenzies-Last-Run-Gayle-Rosengren/dp/1595989048
In MacKenzie's Last Run, thirteen-year-old
Mac Lawrence blames himself for his father's death. That's a heady load
of
guilt for a young man to bear, and he pulls away from everyone,
including his
family.
When his
mother
announces her remarriage less than two year later, Mac is furious.
There's only
one way to deal with her betrayal. Run away from home.
Gayle
Rosengren
creates a twist to the story when Mac is seriously injured and it
evolves that
he's likely been kidnapped. It's up to his twin sister Tessa to not
only find
her brother, but uncover the clues to his situation and why their lives
may be
in danger.
MacKenzie's Last Run draws teen readers
on several different
levels. It's a story of guilt, grief, bad decisions, and intrigue that
blends
all these elements with a probe into how Mac really felt about his
father and
family.
The dialogue
captures
these complex interpersonal relationships and how Mac finally begins to
come to
terms with his past:
“I was always disappointing him. I wasn’t good
at sports. I hated
camping out…” Mac shook his head and cracked the knuckles on his other
hand.
“I’m sure that wasn’t the case, MacKenzie,” Martell said. “But that
aside, how did you feel about your father?”
“What do you mean?” Mac stared at him. “He was my father. I loved him.”
“That not what I meant. I meant did he ever disappoint you?”
Both Mac and Tessa are at a crossroads, with
different directions attracting them. Readers, too, will find their
hearts
pulled by both the intrigue and their dilemmas as they search for one
another,
themselves, and the truth about their family.
Driven by strong characters, the story
proves both compelling and entertaining as Mac and Tessa's lives
coalesce in
different ways, and as their decisions change their futures. The
lessons
embedded in the story invite young readers to consider their own lives
and
choices from different angles.
The result is a winning story in a highly
recommended, emotionally compelling survival tale. It should be on the
reading
lists of young people ages 11 and up who look for stories of not just
suspense,
but revelation.
Return to Index
The Mask
Clayton Marshall
Adams
CJ
Sparrow Publication
978-0578569932
$18.95 Hardcover/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Mask-Clayton-Marshall-Adams/dp/0578569930
It's unusual
to see
short, allegorical, literary works written for the 10-13-year-old age
group,
but The Mask is a presentation
whose
attraction demonstrates that young readers needn't be intellectuals in
order to
appreciate the social and psychological messages in fiction.
Mil's
appearance is
off-setting, to say the least. He is disfigured and is too often the
subject of
cruelty not only from his peers, but from adults.
Mil is "...referred to as the village idiot,
the monster, and the freak. Mil had been born deformed and ugly, raised
by his
parents until he was old enough to care for himself, and then abandoned
in the
forest."
This would
seem to
preclude any possibility that he will have friends or lead a normal
life, but
when he unearths a mysterious mask in the forest, his life changes. The
mask is
alive, it feels evil, and it delivers an impossible quandary: “Toss me,” it said, “and you toss away your
chance for beauty.”
The mask
offers
transformation—but at what price? As Mil explores new options and
determines
their costs, readers receive a thought-provoking inspection about
beauty,
beasts, and the impact of walking away from one's old life and self.
Clayton
Marshall
Adams creates a thoroughly thought-provoking tale that packs lots of
punch into
a short piece.
From issues
of
attraction and appearances to the moral and ethical dilemmas of seeking
beauty
against all odds, Adams crafts a thought-provoking scenario disguised
as
fantasy. The Mask will thus ideally
be chosen not just by leisure readers, but those interested in
contemporary
allegorical literature.
Teachers of
creative
writing, especially, will find much to point out in this provocative
short
piece, which gains even more impact from Rohan Daniel Eason's powerful
illustrations throughout.
A detailed
biography
of the young author at book's end surveys the roots of his inspiration
and the
many themes embedded in this gripping tale of wonder and revelation.
Libraries
looking for
writings by young people which demonstrate prowess and power beyond the
usual
writing abilities of a sixteen-year-old will find The
Mask the perfect portrait of issues ranging from body image
and
bullying to choices demonstrating inner courage and strength.
Return to Index
The Missing Cats
Sally Alexander
Independently Published
979-8-9860700-1-8
Hardback: $24.99/Paperback: $9.99/Kindle: $3.99
Website: www.sallyalexander.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Cats-Adventures-Caitlin-Book-ebook/dp/B087KRTXCC
The
Missing Cats
provides Book 2 in The Adventures of Caitlin & Rio series, but
prior
familiarity with the first book is not a requirement. Sally Alexander
provides
a fine summary that recaps characters, setting, and past events,
opening this
latest saga with an intriguing premise: "Rio,
Caitlin Maggert's Ragdoll cat, concentrated on trying to speak like a
human.
This was unusual. Everyone knows that cats can't speak. But Rio was a
very
special cat. Three weeks before the end of school and the start of the
summer
vacation something had happened that had changed Rio."
The recap ends with the fact
that the criminal mastermind
MacDougal, who stole the colors from the world, escaped to create more
havoc,
and The Missing Cats details this
escapade.
There is no rest for the
weary. Still recovering from his
last struggle, Rio is drawn back into the fold of mystery and adversity
when
blue-eyed neighborhood cats begin to go missing. It's a cat-tastrophy
that only
he can solve, and the answers to the mystery drive a riveting tale that
ages
8-12 will find fun and absorbing.
The story involves more than
cats. Human relationships
are tested, as well: "Caitlin didn't
want Molly in her attic bedroom. She was still hurt and angry that
Molly had
betrayed her and Rio, just because the meanest girl in the world had
been nice
to her."
From missing cats and the
clues left by catnip mice to
human and cat interactions, readers receive an engaging romp through
Rio's life
and the children that surround him.
As in Alexander's first
story, the characters come to
life to exhibit traits of problem-solving, tackling interpersonal
dilemmas, and
driving action-laced intrigue that keeps kids guessing about not just
outcomes,
but relationships.
The result is a cat-centric
mystery that returns
mastermind MacDougal to the center of a new dilemma that requires
felines and
humans to work together to avert disaster.
Elementary-level libraries
looking for attractive leisure
reads will find The Missing Cats
delightfully whimsical and appealing.
Return to Index
Moody Moody Cars
Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD
Magination Press
9781433836992
$16.99 Hardcover/$13.36 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Moody-Cars-Eileen-Kennedy-Moore-PhD/dp/1433836998
Picture book readers who choose Moody
Moody Cars will find it not only a fun collection of cars,
but a whimsical
lesson in emotion recognition, as each car represents a different mood.
Classic car illustrations occupy a facing
page as their emotional states are revealed through rhyme (“Hello!”
said a
car/with a sweet little smile./“Can you chat? Can you play?/We could
visit
awhile!/I am feeling very FRIENDLY...").
Parents can use this story as a read-aloud,
with its many sound effects and car-centered displays, to reinforce the
concept
of different moods and getting in touch with them.
From Lincolns to Bugattis, this picture book
will especially attract young readers who are already interested in
cars, but
may be less in touch with their emotions.
That's what makes the book so eye-catching:
its ability to attract kids who harbor a prior interest in vehicles,
but
require emotional examples to achieve a better understanding of self
and
others.
Moody
Moody Cars captures both in a
survey that will attract
not only read-aloud parents, but teachers, counselors, and other adults
working
with kids to help them identify and understand emotions in themselves
and
others.
Return to Index
My Cat
Brother,
Sterling
Mayra Hernandez
Independently
Published
9798986290508
$12.99
Paper/$9.99 ebook
Ordering: https://a.co/d/8difIF4
Picture book
readers
who enjoy animal stories will relish the rollicking tale (accompanied
by
illustrations from Kate Teves) in My Cat
Brother, Sterling.
Rocky the
dog
introduces his "cat brother" Sterling and advises that Sterling
thinks he is (and acts like) a dog.
From barking
at a
postal person to watching his older doggy brother go potty on trees and
choosing that method over the usual cat litter box, Sterling's goal in
life is
to emulate his older brother.
The other
(more
normal) household cats want to play with him on the cat tree, but
Sterling has
eyes only for his big brother Rocky.
A hilarious
story
evolves which teaches kids about differences between cats and dogs
while
providing plenty of laughs about a stubborn little cat who strives to
emulate
his older brother in non-kitty ways.
Adults who
choose My Cat Brother, Sterling for
its
whimsical notes, story of the love shared between a family dog and cat,
and its
opportunities to explore pet differences with the very young will
appreciate
the focus and delightful adventures in this picture book story, which
is highly
recommended for library collections and parents alike.
Return to Index
Nope-Nope Emu
R.C. Chizhov
Blissful Conch LLC
9781737952633
$9.99
www.rcchizhov.com
Picture book readers ages
4-8 who enjoy fun stories
pairing humorous observations with ethical conundrums will find
Anastasia
Yezhela's engaging drawings the perfect accompaniment to R.C. Chizhov's
Nope-Nope Emu, which tells of a emu
who
turns down all invitations to participate in Emu Town.
She perceives danger
everywhere she goes, and just knows
that her joining in the fun will result in her being left behind or
stuck. And
so she cultivates saying "nope" over "maybe" or
"yes."
Kids who tend to avoid new
experiences will readily
relate to Nope-Nope Emu's active mission to say no to anything that
could
challenge her.
As she steadfastly turns
down any and all invitations to
explore and play, the young emu's past optimistic endeavors come to
light
during a playful rhyme that captures when and how she changed her
positive life
perspective.
Aiding her in this endeavor
towards positivity and saying
'yes' are the insights and efforts of other creatures who are pursuing
their
dreams against difficult odds, such as monkey ("...one
day as emu strolled,/she saw a monkey looking
bold./Reaching, stretching, grasping—why?/Monkey on a climbing try!")
and puppy (who "...tried to win,/and
kept at it, not giving in."). These examples teach Emu about
the
possibilities created by perseverance.
Parents who choose Nope-Nope
Emu for read-aloud enlightenment will find it offers
important lessons
about positivity and courage that deserve to be discussed with the very
young.
The wisdom gained from
learning how the emu responds to
losing a contest by drawing back from the world are particularly
important
points of enlightenment for adults who would teach their kids to
respond
differently to failure: "...from
that day, all games were done./No trying, doing, no more fun./Afraid to
fail,
afraid to lose,/the safest bet was to refuse!"
Parents seeking a positive
example of how a young emu
copes with her shortcomings and regains her ability to interact
positively with
the world will find Nope-Nope Emu
the
perfect choice for teaching kids about perseverance.
Return to Index
Owl's Gifts
Dr. Karla-La
Marigold Methods
9798805466725
$12.95
Website: https://marigoldmethods.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Owls-Gifts-Dr-Karla/dp/B09ZCL18KM
Owl's
Gifts
features lovely color illustrations by Judith Hankes as it unfolds a
picture book
story of magical adventure surrounding very special learning issue that
affects
squirrel Spruce's self-perception and abilities.
Spruce has many
extraordinary talents, but the one talent
everyone else has (that he does not) is the ability to read. Somehow,
he just
can't learn.
He spends his days "wishing
he were anywhere other
than at school," but no matter how hard he tries, Spruce just can't
seem
to master the reading that comes seemingly easily to his fellow
squirrel
students.
Dr. Karla-La paints an
exceptionally evocative story of a
smart squirrel that lacks a basic skill: "Spruce
was determined and confident. He promised himself he would slow down
and try
harder to translate the squiggles on the pages. He opened his book
excitedly.
And although the moon was bright, and although Spruce was focused, the
letters
did their usual flips and flops and mumbled and jumbled on the page."
Kids who also struggle with
learning disabilities receive
plenty of familiar scenarios as Spruce tries to change, but finds his
daydreaming and deeper insights into his environment keep overtaking
his
efforts to learn.
"The
nut
doesn't fall far from the tree." As Spruce discovers that
he's not
alone, he also absorbs some keys to resolution that lead to empowerment
and increased
self-confidence.
Kids who struggle to read
but demonstrate brilliance in
other areas will understand and empathize with Spruce's dilemmas, and
will find
much to learn from in Owl's Gifts.
The magic comes not just
from fantasy, but from a renewed
opportunity to reassess one's skills and strengths, which are among the
supportive insights imparted in Owl's
Gifts.
Return to Index
The Roaring
Tyrannosaurus Rex Romp
Carole Marsh
Gallopade
International
978-0635135926
$22.99 Hardcover/$5.99 Paper
https://www.amazon.com/Roaring-Tyrannosaurus-Rex-Romp-Graphic/dp/0635135922
Full-color
graphic
novel stories offer eye-catching attractions that will especially
appeal to
young comic book readers; but few offer educational opportunities
paired with
adventure. Young dinosaur investigator James Bone provides both flavors
for
ages 7-10, in another paleo-adventure packed with action and intrigue.
Two prior
books
followed his adventures and built the foundations of his paleo
interests (his
mother is a paleontologist, and from his two scientist parents, he's
inherited
the gene for research. And trouble.), but a recap is provided to get
newcomers
up and running with Jame's history.
The Roaring Tyrannosaurus Rex Romp
focuses on the T-Rex and how
James works with friends Shovel, Pick, and Diggy to unearth new facts
about the
T-Rex's history.
Lee Barrow's
fun art
captures the spirit and whimsy of a dino adventure gone awry as the
team once
again goes back in time, confronting Bonefinger and T-Rex Scotty in
what is
possibly the Audacious Era.
Humor
abounds, as do
references to literary and scientific information that will keep kids
on their
toes and thinking in order to recognize all the jokes and educational
opportunities embedded in the story.
Time waits
for
nobody. It certainly goes fast as the kids, charged with returning home
in a
timely manner from their adventuring, confront so many forces that it
seems
they may not get back home at all.
Even the
most
reluctant reader and learner will find much to like in the James Bone
stories.
From action words that supercharge the events to threats that come from
not
just fellow time travelers, but an asteroid and a volcano, the action
and
unexpected encounters are intense.
These
elements, along
with the tongue-in-cheek spoofs and humor, will invite adults to
participate in
the James Bone adventure along with their kids, who will find it an
especially
lively and inviting opportunity to absorb not just dinosaur facts, but
references to time, grammar, and more.
Return to Index
The Rowdy Randy Wild West
Show
Casey Day Rislov
Mountain Stars Press
978-0-578-29442-1
$18.95
www.caseyrislovbooks.com
The
Rowdy Randy
Wild West Show is a fun picture book story powered by a rowdy
female
horsefly character captured by the especially vivid illustrations of
Zachary
Pullen. It portrays a "gutsy cowgirl who worked better alone" and
opens with a compelling image of her astride a mythical jackalope as
she makes
hard decisions about which creatures will make the cut to appear in her
wild
west show.
Casey Day Rislov is
especially skilled at adding Randy's
first-person insights into the psychology of leadership and creative
effort: “It takes a confident cowgirl to
recognize
the talents of others,” she admitted."
These reflections add
psychological depth to the story as
beautiful illustrations depict various animals working together to make
this
rowdy western show a memorable creation.
“Act
big and dare
to be mighty!” Randy reminded the contestants.
Kids receive a vivid tale
that is both entertaining and
holds subliminal messages about positivity, leadership, and
achievement. All
this is presented in a manner that read-aloud parents will want to
reinforce
with discussion. (Hint: said parents will find the story so fresh,
original,
and inviting, and the large-size illustrations so creative and
colorful, that
the read-aloud effort for youngster enlightenment will become a good
excuse for
adult pleasure, as well.)
The
Rowdy Randy
Wild West Show is very, very highly recommended for picture
book libraries
that look for standouts in illustration and action.
Return to Index
The Sticky Stegosaurus Saga
Carole Marsh
Gallopade International
978-0635136060
$22.99
Hardcover/$5.99 Paper
https://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Stegosaurus-Saga-James-Graphic/dp/0635136066
Readers ages 7-10, whether
they are newcomers to young paleontologists
James Bone or prior fans, will welcome another set of zany prehistoric
adventures in The Sticky Stegosaurus Saga.
Newcomers to the graphic
novel hero receive a recap of
setting, characters, and contentions before the story opens with a
lively bang.
The kids on James' team of
friends jump, make sound
effects, and exhibit energy and enthusiasm as they tackle the dual
goals of
being paleo-cowboys and cowgirls, leaping into trouble with a swoosh
and a
whoosh that carry them on a shopping expedition laden with dinosaurs.
Perhaps even zanier than
James Bone's other
paleo-adventures, The Sticky Stegosaurus
Saga crafts a whimsical setting in a premise that blends
stegosaurus facts with
a bone-searching treasure hunt that James and his friends find
challenging and
captivating.
The graphic novel format
comes alive as each page of
action-packed adventure leads young readers on yet another dinosaur
discovery.
The result is a story filled
with humor, fun, and
scientific insights that engage young readers in nonfiction dinosaur
facts
while adding the drama and flavor of a romp through an unusual Wild
West.
Adults seeking to engage
reluctant readers with the
graphic novel format, but who look for the added value of education
paired with
action, will find The Sticky Stegosaurus
Saga a perfect combination of humor, facts, and ribald fun.
Return to Index
Sukkah-Doodle-Doo!
Margie Blumberg, Author
Tammie Lyon,
Illustrator
MB Publishing
978-0-9994463-8-6
$12.95
Paper/$19.95 Hardcover
https://mbpublishing.com/sukkah-doodle-doo
Sukkah-Doodle-Doo! A
Holiday to Crow About is
a picture book story about the fall
festival of Sukkot. It features lively illustrations by Tammie
Lyon, which
depict the Mindel family. The family's preparations
for a "sweet celebration" lunch are presented in
appealing
rhymes, accompanied by action-packed pictures.
The
activities
and excitement command attention as the phone rings with RSVPs,
building
begins, and the sukkah is decorated. A peppering of
riddles engages young readers and provides them with fun,
whimsical
moments. The result is a lovely presentation of the
togetherness and
sweetness, physical and spiritual, of Sukkot.
The
holiday's
history and a glossary containing the
Yiddish and Hebrew
words sprinkled throughout are included in
the back matter.
Libraries
looking for picture book stories about Jewish celebrations will find Sukkah-Doodle-Doo! A
Holiday to Crow About an outstanding choice.
Return to Index
The Vicious Velociraptor
Venture
Carole Marsh
Gallopade International
978-0635135988
$5.95 Paper
https://www.amazon.com/James-Bone-Vicious-Velociraptor-Venture/dp/0635135981
James Bone is back with
another paleontological
time-traveling adventure: this one centered on velociraptors. Kids ages
7-10
who enjoy graphic novels packed with action and color will find Lee
Barrow's lively
and quirky drawings just the ticket to draw them into the science and
humor
that permeates James Bone's life.
Here, the team again moves
into the past, powered by a
supportive single mother's ability to let the young kids explore.
Carole Marsh includes many
educational opportunities in
the course of this adventure, from an opening note about the
differences
between "dessert" and "desert" to humor embedded in
dialogue ("Here we GOBI!").
As facts about the Gobi
Desert's denizens, past, and information
come to light ("The Gobi sand dunes
are said to 'sing' when the wind blows."), readers learn
about not
just dinosaurs, but the desert environment that holds special pleasures
as well
as dangers.
As kids absorb the action
and learn about this desert
world of the past, lured by dinosaurs and time travel, they also will
delight
in unexpected encounters James Bone and his team face as they confront
a
shocking turn of events in what they proclaim is the "worst dino dig
they've ever been on."
Halfway through the book,
dinos have yet to appear. But,
oh yes, they are there. Readers who love dinosaurs will relish their
appearance
and yet more unexpected encounters that challenge James and his team on
different levels.
There are many educational
opportunities here; from
explorations of the desert world and how animals (and humans) survive
its
fierce conditions to facts about fossil hunters in the Gobi Desert.
Adults looking for the
pairing of nonstop action and
adventure with (sometimes sophisticated) humorous references and many
different
types of educational opportunities will find The
Vicious Velociraptor Venture an exceptionally well-rounded
story. It holds many opportunities for engaging young readers on
different
levels, powered by the action, intrigue, and humor of James Bone, a
007-year-old
investigator.
Return to Index
The Wall
L.J. Sellers
Spellbinder Press
978-1-7345418-4-7
$13.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Dystopian-Love-Story-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09W3YTTS9
The Wall is a YA dystopian romance
thriller. If this feels like too
many genres under one cover, it should be noted that L.J. Sellers pulls
off the
genre-busting effort with a satisfying attention to detail and
description that
embraces unexpected combinations of intrigue from its opening sentence:
"Jayla pushed the knife out of her way
and mixed a bucket of mortar. She couldn’t do masonry with the blade
against
her chest, but she couldn’t take off the sheath either. They were out
there,
watching and waiting."
Jayla is
part of a
separatist enclave that has isolated itself from the world outside.
Marked by
rigid structures and powerful Enforcers, her faith in the enclave's
rules and
realities is shaken when her sister is killed and she is arrested for
displaying grief in public.
This is only
the
beginning of her journey as, when imprisoned, she meets Ronin, falls in
love
with a forbidden man of another class, and discovers that, together,
they can
make dents in the wall that has shaped their lives and belief systems.
L.J. Sellers
creates
a powerful story that moves between Jayla and Ronin's points of view
and
experiences. As Ronin is challenged with identifying phone messages
which seem
to come from an alien world and which lead him on the path of rebelling
against
and exposing the authoritarian rulers who dictate their lives, young
adults
will appreciate the social, political, and psychological insights as
the story
evolves.
Containing
more
intrigue than the usual love story, more love than the usual thriller,
and more
hope than the typical futuristic dystopian scenario, The
Wall proves a satisfying and unique story that promises
unexpected
twists and turns, then delivers them with finesse.
Will Jayla
spend the
rest of her life in prison? How can Ronin love someone so different?
The story
holds many
inviting connections that will keep readers actively involved and on
edge until
the end, which fulfills its promise for Jayla, Ronin, and the world
they
influence.
Libraries
looking for
strong examples of thought-provoking leisure reads will find The Wall a fine choice, worthy not just
of recommendation, but group discussion on topics of authoritarian
settings and
proactive individual choice.
Return to Index
Wilbur and
the
Watering Can
Cynthia L. Clark
Outskirts Press Inc.
978-1-9772-5472-6
$15.95 Print/$3.99 Kindle
www.outskirtspress.com
Wilbur and the Watering Can is the
picture book story of Magnolia
and Lily, who live on a farm sporting wide open spaces with lots of
room to
play.
Mama, too,
loves to
play with them, and plants flowers she waters with a "magic watering
can" painted with bright images.
When the
kids uncover
a toad in the pumpkins during watering, they name him Wilbur. Little
Wilbur,
too, loves the watering can, and manages to squeeze his way inside even
though
he's growing bigger and bigger.
As the
garden
flourishes, so does Wilbur. His ability to give the 'wildflower family'
a
surprise concludes a gentle, fun story of gardening and family
enjoyments.
Cynthia L.
Clark's
story celebrates gardening, the outdoors, and parent/child
project-building.
Bright, colorful drawings by Blueberry Illustrations capture the
characters and
fun expressions as they move through their world.
Adults
seeking easy
reads that highlight the adventure of interacting with nature by
building a
garden environment that all can enjoy will find Wilbur
and the Watering Can a gentle lesson in cooperative efforts
and fun.
Return to Index
The Wild Turkeys
Sally Alexander
Independently Published
978-1-958459-00-3
Hardback:
$24.99/Paperback $9.99/Kindle: $3.99
Website: www.sallyalexander.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Turkeys-Adventures-Caitlin-Book-ebook/dp/B088GX5RC3
The
Wild Turkeys,
the third book in the Rio and Caitlin series for ages 8-12, again
employs a
winning combination of look-back summary to inform newcomers, using
engaging
action to keep prior fans involved in the latest mystery escapade
involving the
Ragdoll cat Rio and his young entourage.
It's unusual to have the
chief investigator be a cat,
much less one harboring extraordinary powers of deduction akin to
Sherlock
Holmes. But Rio is a worthy protagonist who excels in working with his
young
humans to get at the root of mysterious events.
This time, they involve the
sudden appearance of wild
turkeys in the neighborhood. Is the flock really watching the house?
What are
they up to? What if Rio isn't alone in having powers produced by the
evil
MacDougal's prior efforts?
Though nefarious purposes
are at first suspected, Rio,
Caitlin, and her best friends Trudie
and Molly soon come to find that the wild turkeys have another mission.
And
it's one the team had better become involved with, lest MacDougal wreak
havoc
and chaos once again.
As in her previous Rio and
Caitlin adventures, Sally
Alexander harbors a fine ability to cultivate mystery, peppering it
with
fantasy and interpersonal interactions that teach kids about psychology
and
teamwork.
Humorous overtones add
elements of fun to the evolving
surprises: "Seven wild turkeys stood
in the kitchen. Caitlin was glad that the roasting turkey they planned
to eat
for thanksgiving was in the oven. It seemed rude to be planning to eat
a possible
relation of their new guests."
Intercultural explorations
also occur as Thanksgiving is
celebrated by newcomers from Botswana, and environmental issues enter
the fray
with the observation that the "wild turkey habitat is dwindling."
These elements dovetail to
create a story that draws with
action, adventure, and mystery, but incorporates auxiliary subjects
ranging
from problem-solving and teamwork to social and environmental
challenges.
Libraries and adults who
point the way to The Wild Turkeys
will appreciate its
special ability to employ action, strong characterization, fantasy,
mystery,
and humor as it explores issues that arise from newcomers to the
neighborhood
who offer educational insights on more than one level.
Its appeal to young leisure readers will make all these elements attractive and fun to absorb.
The Wild TurkeysReturn to Index