September 2023 Review Issue
Literature
Mystery & Thrillers
Ferren
and the
Angel
Richard Harland
IFWG Publishing
International
978-1-922856-29-6
$16.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
Website: https://www.ferren.com.au
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Ferren and the Angel is the first fantasy book in The Ferren Trilogy, following the outcome and adventure of what happens when angel Miriael crashes to Earth during the long battle between Heaven and the Humen. The premise is intriguing: set in the far future when human scientists discovered and proved Heaven and then humanity did what it does best—instigated a war with Heaven itself—the story sports both an original, creative premise and dilemmas which come embedded with sound effects and visceral observations from its opening lines:
"Strange and
fearful noises in the night. Daroom!
Daroom! Daroom!—a deep-down thunder like an endless drum. Then a sharp
splitting sound like the crack of a whip: Kratt! Kratt! Kratt! The
noises
throbbed through the earth and echoed across the sky. There were voices
too.
Eeeeeeeyah! A high-pitched scream passed over from horizon to horizon.
Then
laughter broke out in hoots and whoops. And away in the distance, grave
booming
words of incomprehensible giant speech..."
The
angel's
participation and downfall grounds her in a physical environment that
challenges her status and her perceptions:
"She couldn’t fly,
she couldn’t summon help from
Heaven, she had no power to destroy with a flash of light...Again her
eye fell
upon the food bag and water bowl…and a strange sensation came over her.
The
impulse that made her take Heavenly manna into her mouth was a
spiritual need,
but this was a need she’d never experienced before. A bodily craving,
low down
and visceral, an actual physical hunger."
Tribesman
Ferren
comes upon this fallen Angel, but instead of destroying her, his
curiosity and
pity overcome his inclination to be merciless. The hard lessons of his
upbringing fly out the window as he becomes involved in her life and
absorbs
new truths about the war that has been part of his world since birth.
Richard
Harland's approach to entwining the perceptions, lives, and clashes
between
very different peoples is thoroughly engrossing. From Hypers and
Residuals and
pale threatening ghosts to mechanical actions that happen all by
themselves
with no humans at the helm, Ferren's journey introduces him to
realizations
that he never saw coming.
What
if the
angel is wrong about some of her facts? What if his sister Shanna
becomes a
slave as a result of his ignorance or actions? What if the light that
beautiful
tribal daughter Zonda and others introduce into the battle assumes more
promise
and opportunity than expected?
“Our Light in the
Darkness!” she cried. “See our Light
in the Darkness!” Everyone hushed and gazed in awe. The lighter flame
meant
much more than illumination; it meant the Ancestors, it meant the Good
Times,
and now it meant the powers they’d inherited in themselves."
Pair
spiritual,
philosophical, and social struggles with the unusual friendship that
rises between
an angel and a human of opposing forces, add sound effects and clashes
that
challenge their roles and perceptions, and build a firm relationship
from a
shaky foundation of mistrust for a sense of the powerful and disparate
forces
contrasted and profiled in Ferren and the Angel.
Its
powerful,
unpredictable brand of fantasy is highly recommended for young adult to
adult
readers and for libraries seeking something refreshingly new in the
fantasy
genre.
Return to Index
Nova
Roma: De
Itinere in Occasum
Anderson Gentry
Crimson Dragon
Publishing
978-1-944644-07-9
$16.99 Paper/$8.99 ebook
https://crimsondragonpublishing.com/product/nova-roma-de-itinere-in-occasum/
The
first book
of the series, Nova Roma: De Itinere in Occasum, provides
a different
slant on ancient Rome by delving into the genre of alternative history.
This
approach lends a creative edge to a subject which, otherwise, has
almost been
overdone in fictional circles, positing a situation which changes both
Rome's
second civil war and the wide-ranging impact it holds on a changed
world.
While
readers
need not have prior knowledge of ancient Rome, a basic background in
traditional history and some analysis of events will lend to an even
deeper
appreciation of the historical accuracy and unusual extrapolations
Anderson
Gentry has created in a story that moves into a different outcome and
world
from a single twist in fate.
Of
particular
strength and note is how Gentry weaves actual history with alternative
history.
Also unusually strong is an introduction which sets the stage for even
those
with light knowledge of the times to appreciate how Gentry introduces
these
changes based on real events.
Imagine,
for
example, a Roman Republic in the New World, albeit without Caesar as
leader.
Imagine an empire that never falls, a Dark Ages that never happens, and
a
powerful light that never fails.
These
are but a
few of the facets of this vastly revised world that are explored in
detail in
the Nova Roma series, introduced here in De Itinere in
Occasum.
The
story opens
with a "you are here" prologue that captures the setting and
atmosphere:
"It was a lovely
late winter evening, with the
cool mild air typical of Rome at that time of year. The show in
Theatrum
Pompeium was entertaining; the actors were portraying some event that
had taken
place during a trial of an accused murderer several days earlier.
Despite the
best efforts of the actors and their outrageous antics, Gnaeus Pompeius
Magnus,
commonly known as Pompey Magnus, general of the Roman Army and former
consul of
Rome, was not amused. The news from the north was too dire."
Soon this old world and Pompey's place it in will shift as a freak
storm blows
his ship into unknown territory, where he encounters strange new worlds
and
resolves to build his own Roman Republic, eventually to defy Caesar,
and
despite the natives' ideas of what they want their world to look like.
Touches
of humor
add spice to the tale as Pompey encounters the Novans, punctuated by
interpersonal encounters between Romans and Novans that capture
compassion and
attempts at understanding:
"Cornelia scowled
at Four Bears. “What is this
savage thinking, leaving this poor thing all alone with strangers? Look
at
her—she’s terrified!” Cornelia went to Adsila and knelt beside her.
“You will
stay with me. Do you understand? I will care for you,” she told the
girl,
punctuating her remarks with gestures. Impulsively, she hugged the girl.
Adsila smiled
tentatively. She put a hand on the Roman
woman’s robe, amazed at the fine cloth. For a painful moment Pompey was
reminded of his daughter, left behind in Rome."
Another
powerful
facet of the story is an attention to building perceptions and
understanding
from different perspectives as Romans and tribes encounter one another:
“You are right,”
Owl continued, “to see an
opportunity. Look at how the Romans work together. They think they came
to our
lands by accident, but I think they must have been sent here by
powerful gods,
and we would do well to understand them, their ways, and even their
gods. What
have we to compare with their ships? We have turkeys and dogs, but they
have
the great beasts they call horses—have you ever before seen men riding
on the
back of an animal? They think differently than we do, and the Red
Blanket
soldiers think that we should fight them because of that. But who is to
say
that we should not instead learn their ways?"
These
create
thought-provoking scenes of not just physical clashes, but
psychological and
social conflicts as the different peoples vie for control of their
lives and
futures, and the societies they will build.
Gentry
is
particularly adept at contrasting these peoples and their ideals
through a
blend of exciting action and thought-provoking approaches to
culture-blending
that reflects the thinking and methodology of Roman and tribal worlds
alike.
Most
alternative
histories offer but trappings of possibility based on the melding of
history
and fantasy. Gentry goes beyond the usual one-dimensional approach to
portraying conflicts and emphasizing differences to reveal the heart of
what
makes disparate peoples join, survive, and adapt to the realities of
their very
different worlds.
Perhaps
this
story is also influenced by the author's background, which includes
military
service and a rural Iowan upbringing, which introduced him to camping
and the
wilderness. Both facets are incorporated into a history that comes
alive under
his hand, offering many surprising twists that keep readers thinking.
As
in the
unusually revealing introduction that covers traditional and
alternative
history choices, Gentry creates an intriguing Postscript to his story
that
further covers the choices he had and made in tailoring the outcome of
this
plot.
The
result is a
vivid saga that will draw thinking readers through a finely balanced
art of
conflict, psychological tension, and social and political reflection.
Ideally,
Nova
Roma: De Itinere in Occasum will be chosen not just for
libraries
interested in history and alternative history renditions, but by book
clubs
interested in a story that goes beyond the physical trappings of
historical
differences to probe the mindsets and shifts that lead to different
outcomes.
Return to Index
Nova
Roma 2:
Quaestu pro Nova Terra
Anderson Gentry
Crimson Dragon
Publishing
978-1-944644-39-0
$18.99 Paper/$8.99 ebook
https://crimsondragonpublishing.com/product/nova-roma-quaestu-pro-nova-terra/
Readers
of the
first alternative history story in Nova Roma (De Itinere in
Occasum)
will find this second book follows the new Republic-building challenges
and
processes more thoroughly, continuing the story set in the foundations
of the
New World with the meeting of minds between the merchant-oriented Roman
world
and the Native American cultures it encounters in Nova Roma.
Here,
the next
steps in the saga play out against a changed geographical setting which
influences how the Romans will enter and conquer the vast lands of the
West.
The
clashes
between the handful of Caesarian loyalists, who followed the emigrants
fleeing
the Roman Civil War, play out on a larger landscape of ideology and
physical
might as new forces (the Maya) enter the picture. This introduces
further
challenges and changes to the cultures intent upon building a new
nation in a
new world.
The
conquest of
the American West thus assumes a cloak of many differences as events
play out
and explorers and natives consider their choices.
"Even the gods
change in time."
But,
the wisdom
and differences between peoples introduces elements of choice and
perception
into the story which are thought-provoking and intriguing:
“You are people of
towns, people of farms, and people
of trade. For many generations you have come west to trade with the
peoples of
the plains, and we have both grown richer from the trade. We know these
things.
Our people, though, we are not people of towns or farms. We live on the
prairie. We follow the game in summer, and live along the river in
winter. We
have no reason to join with these Romans. You Tsalee will become
Romans, and
that may be a good thing for you. It will be a good thing for us to
remain as
we are.”
Vivid
battle
scenes embrace Roman attackers and Novan world-building forces as
Legionaries,
Centurions, and other disparate forces struggle to wield and reinforce
their
visions of what this new world can bring in terms of riches and
nation-building
efforts.
Gentry
is
particularly adept at using these physical clashes to illustrate the
evolving
and changing ideology of different peoples as they play out their
ideals and
consider which political and social forces to maintain and which are
worth
jettisoning. This sets the entire series well apart from books that
claim
alternative history status, but operate on one-dimension levels of
physical battles
alone.
Nova Roma 2:
Quaestu pro Nova Terra and its
predecessor is clearly a very
different kind of alternate history that demands of its reader a series
of
thought-provoking revelations about nation-building ideals and how
cultures not
just clash, but integrate.
Libraries,
readers, and book clubs seeking exciting, fresh, original historical
and
alternate history insights will find both books powerful standouts from
the
crowd, highly recommended for their unique blend of creative
extrapolation and real
history contrasts.
Return to Index
The Queen of
Pohjola
David Allen Schlaefer
DartFrog Plus
978-1-953910-81-3
$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Pohjola-David-Allen-Schlaefer-ebook/dp/B0C8BVHCFS
The
Queen of
Pohjola, the third and final
book
in the Far Northern Land Saga, is an epic fantasy
about wizards,
witches, and power struggles set in the semi-mythical world of Iron Age
Finland
and inspired by Finnish folklore. Familiarity with the prior books (The
Mark of the Bear Clan and The
Heir of Lemminkäinen) would be optimal
for a seamless
appreciation of the setting and characters David Allen Schlaefer
developed
previously, although recaps of both books are included to help
newcomers enter
this latest adventure.
As Ulla's
power
continues to grow against all odds and oppressors, she and the famous
wizard
Väinämöinen embark on a spirit journey to hell itself in search of
tools to
kill the relentless Witch Löhi. This leads them to Pohjola, Löhi’s
dismal
realm, as their quest forces them into impossible circumstances and
confrontations not only with good
and
evil forces, but their own hearts.
Schlaefer
cultivates
a fine blend of psychological depth and action that creates a powerful
interplay between nonstop twists and turns that lead the characters to
question
their choices and outcomes:
“We
have but two
choices: to go back and seek the Marches before winter closes in or to
go
forward, no matter the risk. When we reach Pohjola—if we reach
Pohjola—we must
improvise. Most likely, we would have done so, in any case.”
No one said a
word. The fire crackled. Finally, Ulla broke the silence.
“This time you are
wrong, Väinämöinen. There is only one choice. What good is there in
returning?
Better to die in the wilderness if die we must.”
As trials of
mortals,
survivors, healing, and spectacles of death confront the journeyers,
readers
receive an engaging, heartfelt saga that builds on previous books with
new
action and conundrums and represents a rare instance where the
trilogy’s final
installment is as compelling as its first.
Schlaefer is
at his
most powerful when crafting descriptions that embed poetic drama and
life into
their words:
"The
old man
could feel the change happening everywhere in the Far Northern Land. It
ran
through the cold rivers as they rushed down to the lakes and sea. It
ran
through the forests as green leaves opened beneath the gentle sun. The
wind
sang a new song, a song the Vanhalaiset prepared for the newcomers.
Ulla would
sing that song, and little Egan when he came to manhood, but not old
Väinämöinen. A new age had come to the North, an age that the Erilaiset
could
never fully know."
While The
Queen of Pohjola may be considered by
libraries that don't have
the previous books and new readers who haven't read them, it's best
consumed as
part of the entire trilogy. Fantasy fans will find the ongoing epic
quest,
intricately-detailed world building, and Finnish-based mythology to be
compellingly hard to put down. This audience will especially appreciate
the
special blend of classic mythology and traditional characters with new
original
characters like Ulla that bring this story to life.
Return to Index
Sentient
Rising
Jay
VanLandingham
Climb That
Mountain Press
979-8-9852515-7-9
$2.99 EBook/$19.99 Paperback
www.jayvanlandingham.com
Sentient Rising is the second book of a trilogy set in 2040
revolving around Bray
Hoffman and her special ability to feel the pain of animals. She's
spent much
of her life in institutions and her friends Alice and Elliott are gone,
leaving
her entirely alone. Or, is she?
Surrounding
her
is an sanctuary run by Ethan, who escaped FBI arrest and is maintaining
an
environment in which six activists have been hiding for the past twenty
years,
until Bray and Lana come into the picture.
Former
yoga
teacher Emily also finds a home in this place populated by animal
rights
activists, and as a group forms, Emily, Kage and Bray are caught up in
an
evolving plan and conflict that will once again change their worlds.
The
process of
formulating these new connections and revised responses to adversity
forces
Bray to overcome her grief and losses and realize new support systems
and
strategies for regaining her strength: "Bray was tired, wired
and also
moved by what she was about to do. She needed meditation, and she
needed to get
Emily’s support."
Emily
shows Bray
how to receive more support as Elliott's return mitigates her ongoing
shame of
not being the greatest kind of friend to him. Bray's revised
interactions with
Elliott embrace events of the past (when Alice died and Bray saved the
sows)
and set the stage for moving forward into a revised relationship as
their
latest encounters with Kage and his animal rights activists influences
outcomes
and perspectives alike.
Bertan
Duarte
also wants to dismantle the corporation, and has risked his job at the
slaughterhouse and his life to support Bray's cause. His practical
pursuits run
into Bray's special talents as an animal empath and add to the group's
disparate makeup as their diverse interests and talents clash with
forces
beyond their control.
Bertan's
access
to the Kill Floor and his participation in the struggle that leads to
his
disappearance are emphasized in changing viewpoints that move chapters
between
Bertan, Bray, average citizens, and those who would build a formidable
resistance against all odds.
Jay
VanLandingham builds on the prior book Sentient in
a manner that will
prove especially inviting to fans of that story, but provides enough
background
about Bray and her companions that newcomers won't be lost.
Teens
who enjoy
dystopian settings that come with social conflict and interactions that
force peers
to step up into new roles and realizations will find Sentient
Rising not
only a powerful adjunct to the events of the first book, but a notable
contribution to dystopian literature which bring Bray full circle into
family
connections she's never realized before.
Libraries
and
readers seeking dystopian teen fiction powered by a blend of discovery
and
bigger-picture thinking will find Sentient Rising
compelling:
"Far worse things
had happened to her, things
that brought her beyond death to places her mother knew nothing of.
Places that
made her who she was."
Return to Index
An
Unexpected Ally
Sophia Kouidou-Giles
She Writes Press
978-1-64742-555-5
$17.95 Paper/$8.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Ally-Greek-Revenge-Redemption/dp/1647425557
An
Unexpected Ally:
A Greek Tale of Love, Revenge, and Redemption is a novel of
fantasy and
mythological extrapolation that focuses on Circe,
daughter of the sun-god Helios. She sees one love depart from
her life, only to cultivate new relationships that travel in a
different
direction entirely.
Heeding her mother's
encouragement to journey to Delos,
Circe finds there not only new
adventures and encounters, but attractions that eventually cast her in
the role
of savior over lover. This forces her to step out of her lovelorn life
experiences and into a position that tests her knowledge not only of
those she
loves, but the choices she makes by loving them.
Immortal Circe has a lot to
learn about a subject she
thinks represents all of her strengths, and readers walk (and swim)
alongside
her as she enters situations that continually test her abilities,
inclinations,
and perceptions of her role in the world.
Sophia
Kouidou-Giles
paints a compelling portrait of a mythological goddess who sets out to
conquer
others in matters of love and power, but who finds her course
challenging her
own perceptions of both as she tracks life beyond her island home and
considers
methods of enchanting and confronting all kinds of forces.
Between her
relationships with her parents, who are attempting to forge new
alliances while
growing increasingly distant and at odds with one another, and her
infatuation
with rebuilding broken connections and exposing lies, Circe's many
struggles as
an immortal goddess are exposed with a delicate eye to interweaving
myth with
extrapolations. These both personalize Circe's nature and make her
efforts,
exploits, and influences understandable to those who may only distantly
recall
her from their mythological studies of years past.
Kouidou-Giles
creates
an unexpectedly vivid, moving story of clashes between titans and the
disparate
forces around them. This lends a flavor of epic fantasy adventure to
the read
that will draw audiences from mythology, fantasy, and fiction genres
alike.
Libraries and readers
seeking evocative, compelling stories about new alliances and power
plays will
find An
Unexpected Ally
builds on Greek myth and psychological insights to create a story that
is
thought-provoking and thoroughly engrossing on many different levels.
Suitable for book club
discussion in not just fantasy
circles but women's fiction audiences, An
Unexpected Ally is a top recommendation for its equally
unexpected lure
that will prove just as powerful as any scrying mirror Circe could
employ. Its
sequel, Perse, will be coming out
in
November 2025.
Return to Index
Xenome
Vivek Pravat
Independently Published
979-8394611148
$15.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
Website: www.vivekpravat.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD13DDY3
Xenome
represents sci-fi thriller writing in its most vivid incarnation, and
is set on
a South Sea island where genetic engineering has produced a marvel
(and, no,
it's not the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, but goes one step beyond).
Biologist Holly
Truong is on the island to pursue her dreams, but a nightmare evolves
instead
when she stumbles onto an experiment involving creating organisms from
the
genetic code of a different, alien species.
Holly's avian research flies
in a different direction
upon her discovery of a form of biology she'd never dreamed would be
turned
into a real threat. She and fellow researcher David step out of their
worlds
and into a milieu of deadly experiments and equally threatening danger
as an
impossible series of truths come to light.
People are being killed to
keep this secret. Holly and
David, despite their scientific prowess, are not immune to the lure of
new
discoveries, or to the consequences of learning too much information
about past
history and present-day opportunities to manipulate genetic species
beyond the
ken of humanity.
Vivek Pravat embeds his
story with plenty of tension,
surprises, shifting revelations, and encounters that keep Holly on her
toes
scientifically and professionally as she struggles to both survive and
understand what is going on.
"No
one is
getting off this ride, whether you like it or not."
While this is made as a
personal threat to her, it
applies equally to humanity's fate, which hangs in the balance of
decisions
most people don't even know are being made.
Pravat's ability to blend
scientific inquiry and
discoveries with speculative sci-fi scenarios and all the tension and
developments of a thriller makes for a story every bit as well-written
and
compelling as any Michael Crichton could have done. The thriller
component is
well-developed as the story shifts through endgames and strategies. The
science
embracing the xeno organisms is very well written, logical, and
frighteningly
realistic.
With its many tense
confrontations, its unexpected
realizations, and its strong characterization as circumstances demand
that
Holly step away from her specialty's narrow focus to embrace
bigger-picture
thinking, Xenome is quite simply a
supercharged, jaw-dropping adventure. It will keep its readers
thoroughly
engrossed up to an unexpected conclusion which challenges any
conventional
vision of alien first contact.
Libraries and readers
looking for biotech thrillers and
alien stories that hold a delightful twist and many thought-provoking
moments
of action and reaction will find Xenome
a worthy pursuit.
Return to Index
Beautiful Son
Ken Buhr
Garden Oak Press
979-8-9879532-2-8
$15.00
www.gardenoakpress.com
Beautiful Son is a tribute collection of
poems about and dedicated
to Ken Buhr's 42-year-old son Gabe, written during the year when Gabe
became
seriously ill with cancer and died.
The
experience of
helplessness, grief, and struggle mingles with the admiration and
celebration
Buhr feels towards his son and puts to paper, creating this tribute.
From the
first poem
in the collection, the fits and starts of medical dilemma are
juxtaposed with questions
and anguish that bring son and father's experiences to life:
"This train we’re on moves fast—
passing signs cannot be read.
We suffer flashes of who are we?
where are we? who is with us?
how far might we have to go?"
Another
reason for
writing (and reading) this kind of tribute, with its raw pain and
experiences,
is that it serves as a touch point for others who are on the same
journey:
"Death in prime years
raises havoc.
From others’ lives
and from their words.
we can derive guiding strength
an anchor for the heart."
As this
'anchor for
the heart' unfolds, readers who are survivors (as well as those in the
throes
of a battle with cancer) receive enlightening, surprisingly hope and
thought-provoking chronicles of the chaos and possibilities in a
journey that
manages to celebrate and acknowledge beauty even after life ends:
"The world goes on . . . without you,
My world now—dismal—
thrashing without purpose,
floundering in murk.
Or do I stand with you on a summit
amid vistas clear and far?
Wherever you breathed and worked
you brought vision.
You were responsible . . . and beautiful,
not possible to understate how beautiful!"
Libraries
and readers
seeking memorable, literary accounts of a year of cancer struggle and
the
aftermath of survival will find Beautiful
Son a wrenchingly enlightening tribute.
Return to Index
A Canticle
to Holy, Blessed Solipsism
CJS Hayward
CJS Hayward
Publications
979-8393853952
$5.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
Website:
https://cjshayward.com/books/
Ordering: https://cjshayward.com/chbs
A
Canticle to Holy,
Blessed Solipsism: A Selection of Poems is a selection of
poems chosen by
CJS Hayward from his "Best Works" series. It will particularly appeal
to spiritual-minded thinkers who appreciate reflections centered on
"embracing heaven and earth."
This gathering of forces
invites a form of spiritual
inspection that reflects a quest for God and connections to religious
service
and perspectives:
"...my
Root is
Simple:
God Himself,
Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit,
The Triune Pattern
after which each man is made,
And I reverence
each man as God after God:
To do less is to
fail to grasp the One God, Who transcends
His Own
Transcendence..."
Hayward's
quest embraces
the fallacies and possibilities of spiritual thinking, and will prove
both
thought-provoking and controversial in many of its contentions and
observations:
"the poisoning of our spiritual diet
has moved us
from knowing the mind as the heart that meets God
to growing and over-growing that which reasons,
so that it is at the heart of our lives,
in Christians as much as the atheist..."
From better
understanding how frustration leads to spiritual revelation to
receiving works
that assume the perspective of God in interpreting spiritual roots and
questions,
Hayward's diverse canticles and free-spirited poems offer the rare
opportunity
to delve into the intersection of God and humanity to better understand
the
processes, paths, and promises of both.
Religious and
spiritual thinkers interested in literary expressions of the search for
God,
understanding, and the greater gifts of God will find A Canticle to Holy, Blessed
Solipsism both
resonates in
the soul and should be elevated to greater reflective discussion in
book clubs
and spiritual literary circles. Its inclusion as a mainstay in a
Christian
thinker's library would be appropriate and important.
Return to Index
Dancehall
Tim Stobierski
Antrim House Books
9798986552262
$18.00
Website: https://timstobierski.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Dancehall-Tim-Stobierski/dp/B0C88H588J/
Dancehall
features sixty poems of a "queer love story" that takes place through
a series of 'acts,' as if in a play. It evolves its probe of love
before,
during, and after the event with an astute eye to both poetic
incarnation and
insights and feelings about same-sex love.
Readers might expect these
descriptions to be graphic or
limited to understanding by LGBTQ+ audiences alone, but one of Dancehall's main attractions lies in its
ability to reach a universal audience no matter their gender or sexual
orientation.
Like any good poet, Tim
Stobierski's words, experiences,
and choices reflect many universal feelings and themes that all
audiences can
appreciate, as in 'If this is it':
"If
this is it
rest your head upon
my chest
one last time,
and I will run my
fingers
through the soft
hairs
at the nape of your
neck."
The dancehall of life and
love—and the moves lovers bring
to the table, sample, lose, and grow from—create poetry which moves on
literary
and psychological levels alike.
From the recipe for falling
in love to powerfully
atmospheric accounts of passion and place ("Night,
and olive-black./Our bedroom fan sits idle,/its steady whir
replaced/by the cat’s lowercase snore./Occasionally, the house
groans/like an
old man stretching his legs."), the incarnation of love in Dancehall is like any fine wine:
complex, rich, nicely aged, and widely appealing.
Libraries seeking LGBTQ+
literature in general and poetry
in particular will find Dancehall a
compelling read both for its prowess in evocative emotional and
atmospheric
descriptions and for its celebration of love.
Return to Index
Goes
On, Without
the World's Understanding
Thomas
Westerfield
Rattling Good
Yarns Press
978-1-955826-36-5
$15.95 Paper/$6.99 ebook
Website: thomaswesterfieldwriter.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Without-Worlds-Understanding-Thomas-Westerfield/dp/1955826404
In
addition to
an exceptionally intriguing and creative title, Goes On,
Without the World's
Understanding draws the reader in with a powerful collection
of short
stories that probe humanity and experience of LGBTQ+ characters,
primarily gay
men. Each encourages understanding and deeper thinking.
If
there's one
thing that can be said about this collection as a precursor to
imbibing, it's
"expect the unexpected."
Take
the first
story, 'Thoughts,' for example. Here, profound and pointed observations
embrace
a "you are here" feel of a chaotic ambulance rescue attempt
juxtaposed with underlying observations of a family's poverty and angst:
"You
race to the door, then help push old, faded furniture out of the way so
the
ambulance people can get a stretcher inside the small living room that
announces your family’s poverty. A slender, dainty glass flower holder
with
three snow-white daisies—your mother’s attempt towards beauty, a touch
of
pride—is knocked over on the cheap forest-green carpet, always rough
and wiry
under your bare feet.
"Blood leaping.
Jetting! Kind of like come when you
jerk off.
Why am I thinking that?
You
are
shouting, directing them down a thin, tight hallway wallpapered with
something
that may have once been pretty, even delicate, if one took time to
really
look."
The
bludgeoning
reality of the narrator, who presents the police with the version of
what
happened to his parents, creates a staccato of contrasting thoughts and
realities that concludes with a twisting surprise to keep readers not
just
engaged, but reflecting.
Contrast
this
with the first-person bark and bite of 'Obituaries,' where the narrator
reads
of a childhood bully's death as an adult and experiences raw memories
of the
violence and confrontations that marked his coming of age:
"Besides hitting me
with solid striking blows up
against my head, slapping me angrily and repeatedly across my face,
slamming me
up against brick walls, choking me, and spitting on me while
contemptuously
mocking me as “sissy,” “faggot,” and “queer,” he once punched me in the
balls
with his full-force fist. I nearly vomited on the spot in the boys’
locker
room, where both he and I were naked. No, his dick was not some tiny
piece, nor
was it a huge wonder. It was average; in fact, pretty much the exact
same size
as mine. I don’t know why, but in my teenage closeted homo mind this
made the
whole experience all the more shaming."
Within
each
vignette, the lives, fears, and confrontations of gay male youth and
adults
(and in the story 'Today's Agenda,' a Black lesbian) come to light and
life in
a manner that few other writings achieve. The end result of sending
such
experience into the wider world beyond LGBTQ readers is to impart a
sense of
experience, understanding, and realizations that invite dialogue and
change on
the part of the observer/reader.
From
the
experiences of 'The Boy in the Audience,' exploring the perceptions of
a high
school boy who has snuck into a theater to see "The Boys in the Band"
as part of his self-education on homosexuality, to the explorations in
'Mr.
Sissy in Sin City,' which presents an encounter between a
newly-21-year-old and
an older gay man, the reflections arrive with a voice of experience and
growth
that encourages conversation and thought:
“Playing the odds
in a manner of speaking. It’s still
a matter of luck and chance. It always is,” Mr. Sissy emphasized. He
became
curiously serious, wanting to ensure the young man grasped the
essential point.
“Always remember that whatever the game you play or how much you bet.
You can
play smart and strategic with a recognition of the odds. But,
ultimately, it
always, always, comes down to luck and chance.”
Thomas
Westerfield's journeys through shame, healing, and understanding create
a
powerful set of observations in Goes On, Without the World's
Understanding.
These ideally will not only be chosen by libraries interested in
powerful
literary short stories that capture the LGBTQ+ experience, but by book
clubs
interested in contemporary works that reveal the underlying culture,
motivations, and experiences of this community.
Return to Index
Missing
Possibilities
Jaime Balboa
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-855-9
$17.00
www.atmospherepress.com
Missing
Possibilities offers a mix of
short stories that vary widely in theme and impact,
contrasting encounters with fear and darkness with the sense of hope,
survival,
and healing that can evolve from adversity.
The
title story,
'Missing Possibilities', tells of teen Emma's search for a missing
friend she's
known since birth. Their families are so close that they are
quasi-relatives, and
so Emma notices many alarming indicators, early on, that all is not
well with
Jeremy. Little things like "The happiness leaking from his
smile. The
snide remarks masquerading as humor from her auntie. The booze on her
uncle’s
breath."
As
"What
frail bit of solace his home provides will all fall apart"
and Emma
learns truths even she didn't know about Jeremy's world, his flight
begins to
make more sense.
As
her search
for answers leads to this promising honor student's own flight, Jaime
Balboa
paints an engrossing portrait of interconnected worlds that come apart,
including an alternate ending for an incomplete journey that offers no
predictable or firm resolution.
Contrast
this
tale with the very different perspective and tone of 'Lazarus Wept.'
Here, use
of the first person lends an inspective approach to life that embraces
a
spiritual component to its observations:
"I know the place
where everything flows into
one...In that place, that beautiful, wide open place, we recognized in
each
other our common bond, our shared connection. The place is teaming with
souls,
divergent, interwoven souls."
As
a powerful
rendition of the Lazarus legend unfolds, readers familiar with Biblical
narrative and interpretations will find both startling and rich the
interpretation
Balboa lends to the circumstances surrounding Lazarus:
"I was brought
back. Sand in my teeth, crick in
my neck, I was back. Blistered skin, stench in my nose, and hunger in
my
stomach, I was back. My heart sank deep into my chest, burdened with a
weighty
despair. What could be worth this price? He was my friend, and I was
his
follower. But grit in my eyes and gnat in my ear, I was back, I was
back, I was
back."
The
entire
collection is a treasure box of surprises that holds a single unified
wellspring
of thematic impact: connections.
Libraries
and
readers seeking literary short stories that excel in diversity, scope,
and
subject will find the unpredictable, creative voice of Jaime Balboa in Missing
Possibilities a force to be not only reckoned with, but
discussed and
included in lending collections and book club circles.
Return to Index
Odes
to the
Ordinary
Emily Benson-Scott
Green Writers Press
979-8987663103
$15.95
www.greenwriterspress.com
Odes to the
Ordinary: Poems is a tribute to
everyday life and the wonder of ordinary living. It
cultivates an atmosphere of appreciation and observation that reveals
both the
truths in ordinary wonder and the fallacies that lie in expectations of
extraordinary circumstances.
'The
Problem
with Paradise' offers one outline of the issues involved in
anticipating that
an exceptional world will unfold from a change of place:
"From Key Largo, we
drive down the great white
spine/of the Overseas Highway, the ocean a gelatinous expanse/of
turquoise, too
improbable to be real, lucid and orderly/as an in-ground swimming
pool./Even
the pelicans seem/disappointed, their long faces exhausted/by so many
graceless
landings as they fumble through the air/with the disastrous flair/of
malfunctioning
aircrafts."
Poetic
descriptions promote a newfound appreciation for the ordinary, a more
empathic
response to the life around us, and the underlying beauty of the most
mundane
of life experiences and events. Black and white watercolor art peppered
throughout further enhances the detail and nature of these works.
Emily Benson-Scott's free
verse is especially adept at
juxtaposing the personal with environmental influences, as in 'Writer's
Block':
"The
mind can
be a backyard in winter, buried beneath blankets of/forgetful white, a
place
full of frozen/potential, shrubs saddened beneath the burden of snow,
forgetting/the latent inspiration of spring./You could always just give
up
.../but the neighbor’s field, gone to seed will always haunt, with
its/skeleton
stalks of corn—shadows/of ideas both rotting and remaining,
still/taunting you
with their presence..."
Whether describing images
from history in 'After Pompeii'
or reflecting on strong women in pieces such as 'Ode
to a Topless Woman in France,' these poems assume the form of
celebrations of nature, travel, and small moments of observational
experience
that translate to bigger insights on relationships between self and the
world.
Odes
to the Ordinary: Poems will prove
especially delightful for creative writing classes
considering the ode format, and is highly recommended for literary
libraries
and readers of modern poems who would better understand and appreciate
the
incarnations of ordinary life via poetic reflections.
Return to Index
Sonnets of Love
and Joy
Paul Buchheit
Kelsay Books
978-1-63980-363-7
$23.00
https://booksbypaulb.com/purchase.htm
The art of
writing
sonnets has largely been a favored effort of yesteryear, replaced by
the
undemanding free verse format which appears in so many variations that
there's
barely an art involved in poetry writing, any longer.
Paul Buchheit returns
that art to modern times and demonstrates its contemporary prowess in Sonnets of Love and Joy, a collection that
is a welcome uplift for these troubled times, when the effort to
capture joy
and love is too often replaced by angst and a sense of doom.
Here
lies
respite from the modern crisis that provides existential relief and a
sense of
well-being. Here, too, is relief from the less seasoned free verse
format,
returning stricter rules to the poetic effort while demonstrating that
it can
remain accessible to contemporary audiences.
With
a bow to
historic expressions of love, Buchheit captures these flavors and
nuances in
written expression and artistic color images throughout which
celebrates the
heights (and sometimes plumbs the depths) of the human experience.
How
can one not
be uplifted by the evocative visuals in the sonnet 'Exquisiteness', for
example: "The earthen scent of dewy spruce at dawn/unmasks
the stormy
hours of night. A burst/of citrus misty sun arrives to spawn/the
nursling
greenery, and soon the first/of purple, pink, and milky spangles
blink/beneath
the golden haze. A harmony/seduces me..."
Pleas for
connection
and understanding in joy, love, and friendships permeate many of the
works,
adding a depth of inspection that reaches out much as some of the
pieces reach
to the loved one for response and understanding. Such is 'To a Friend
Most
Dear': "Abandoned not am I in bully
winds/that slap in broken rhythms at my face;/nor cast to sea, where
sulking
origins/of primal darkness gather to embrace/departing souls; nor muted
and
forlorn/upon the spinning bluish desert heat."
As nature
(and
emotion) oriented as these works may be, each poem contains a grounding
in
landscape and a heart throb of emotional connection that inspects the
various
facets and incarnations of love and joy in the world.
The
traditional
sonnet has strict rules for its form: "14 lines that are typically 5-foot
iambics rhyming
according to a prescribed scheme."
A double
challenge is created by both adhering to these rules and adopting a
contemporary flavor accessible to a wider audience than those with
literary
backgrounds.
Sonnets of Love and
Joy's diverse, spirited life
connections reach out to readers to capture
and describe moments of harmony, awakening, and interconnectedness with
life
and nature.
Libraries
interested in contemporary poetry that exhibits the poetic form and
rigors of
wordsmiths of the past while remaining true to the modern worlds of
schoolyards, family, friends, and moments of connection to life will
find Sonnets
of Love and Joy the perfect example of how poetry's forms and
rules remain
relevant to modern living.
Return to Index
Fix My Face
Carolyn V. Hamilton
Swift House Press
979-8986754116
$12.95
www.carolynvhamilton.com
Fix
My Face: My World-class
Cosmetic Surgery in Safe, Affordable Ecuador follows Carolyn V. Hamilton's investigation and
undertaking of cosmetic
surgery in Ecuador after she moved to that country from Seattle.
It's as much a commentary
about the medical system and
processes in Ecuador as it is about her surgical experience and the
surprising
discoveries that came from her encounters with Cuenca’s
medical services, and offers a contrast with U.S. systems
which is both eye-opening and important.
From the
beginning,
Hamilton cultivates an investigative tone that brings readers into
Ecuador's
world, revealing a culture and medical system that reviews quite
favorably in
comparison with modern American medicine. Imagine a world in which
doctors
personally follow up and make impromptu house calls! In America, this
action was
regulated to bygone years. In modern times, it's still alive and
working well
as a commonplace occurrence in Ecuador.
It's the
reader
especially interested in overseas cosmetic surgery who will gain the
most from
this book. Hamilton provides wealth of practical information, from how
to
assess foreign systems and operations to costs, procedures, and
navigating the alien
affordable world of 'medical tourism.'
Because she
undertook
the journey, Hamilton is in the perfect position to speak not from
research,
but personal experience. In addition, she gathers the insights of
others to add
to the mix of considerations and analysis.
Interviews
with
physicians also supplement her story, providing further advice on
doctor/patient interactions that will prove more fruitful than many in
the
U.S.:
"Dr. Anthony recommends at least three
consultations for international
patients: a combination of telephone, video, and in-person sessions and
holistic medical exams. He says, 'This allows our team to build a
relationship
of trust with the patient, and make certain that patients are 100
percent sure
we can meet their expectations.'”
Between the personal
decisions she made to foster healing
and support her surgery to the outcome of navigating Ecuador's medical
systems,
Hamilton provides a practical, inviting account that will attract
readers
interested in both cosmetic surgery and overseas medical system savvy.
Libraries and readers
interested in not just research on
such systems, but personal experience filled with lively encounters and
practical tips for cosmetic surgery undertaking and optimum healing
will find Fix My Face a practical
guide as well as
an engrossing personal saga.
Return to Index
Mom's
Search for
Meaning
Melissa M.
Monroe
Monarch Books
979-8987152805
$17.99
Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Moms-Search-Meaning-Grief-Growth/dp/B0BZ324QLL
Mom's Search for
Meaning: Grief and Growth After Child
Loss captures the heady grief
and
PTSD that follows a 2-year-old daughter who dies in her sleep of
unknown
causes. In contrast to many of the memoirs about child death and
grieving, it
tackles the challenge of overcoming a grief loop through methods of
acknowledging, celebrating, and capturing a child's short life,
injecting these
memories with the special salve of healing and recovery.
The
moments and
weeks after her child's death play out with a steady determination to
survive a
healing process that was anything but predictable. That Melissa M.
Monroe took
notes during this process that translate here to a blueprint others can
follow
to better understand their own psychic turmoil is testimony not to a
'one size
fits all' approach, but to a process that assumes different forms in
its
efforts towards life.
Monroe's
reflections are vivid: "I released the crib that day. I
released the
notion that my child's death date should follow mine. I released more
control
than I thought was possible. Loss upon loss led me to collapse into the
arms of
so many of my beautiful friends and family, and for once, I didn't feel
guilty
about it. I knew it was all I could manage."
The
key question
she considers is: "...how am I supposed to live as long as
I've already
lived, feeling like I do now?" As she reflects on her own
lifespan and
reasons for forging on, readers will find her candid, raw reflections
brazen,
comforting, and challenging all at once.
"With child loss,
you are never the same."
The
process of
healing and reclaiming life after a child's death receives vivid and
personal
exploration here that will serve as a trigger to those in similar
circumstances,
as well as a promise that things can eventually change for the better.
Libraries
and
readers will find this memoir, more than others, opens floodgates of
emotional
responses and discussion points that ideally will attract book clubs,
recovery
groups, and psychology participants in a dialogue about motherhood,
grief,
validation and support systems, and, most of all, that "thing with
wings," hope.
Return to Index
Parish the
Thought
Too
John Ruane
Roswell Press
ASIN: B0C9BJR9Y4
$7.95 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Parish-Thought-Too-Untold-Stories-ebook/dp/B0C9BJR9Y4
Parish the Thought Too: The Lost & Untold
Stories continues the
coming-of-age tales begun in John Ruane's memoir Parish
the Thought. It follows his life in Chicago in the 1960s and
the pivot points that affected not only his growth, but his community
and
neighborhood as a whole.
From
snowstorms and
even a tornado that struck the city to the ice cream truck's
neighborhood
attraction, high school dances, and cultivating friendships, Ruane's
memoir
carries readers through sports, family interactions, and the flavor and
feel of
years which are gone, but not forgotten thanks to this memoir's
personal
reflections:
"I had promised my dad I would be safe, so I made
sure that as I
crawled onto and across the snow- and ice-filled roof with a
forty-mile-an-hour
wind whipping against me, I did it very safely. Then, this brilliant
ten-year-old stood and walked to the edge of the roof, looking down at
that
beautiful drift. Wow, I thought. I’ll bet every kid in the neighborhood
would
love to be in my position, standing on the edge of their snow-covered
roof,
ready to jump forty feet down into the snow."
The "you are
here"
feel can't be beat. Ruane carries readers into the sights, smells, and
thoughts
of the times, neatly recreating an atmosphere where athletics took
center stage
and brought together families and players in a team effort.
Blue-collar
experiences in Chicago come to life in a play-by-play series of
memories that
are supplemented by black and white photos.
From
absorbing hockey
skills in high school and translating them to college-bound efforts to
jobs
that tapped sports experiences, Ruane's story melds the personal with
bigger-picture thinking about career, life, and managing new encounters
in
different aspects of life:
"The pretty wild child took my hand and walked me
out on the
floor… She was energetic and a very good dancer. I really didn’t belong
on the
same floor with her. She had dance moves which probably would have
received an
“R” rating back then. The adult chaperones started to send concerned
looks in
our direction."
Libraries
and readers
new to Ruane's story as well as fans of his prior book will find Parish the Thought Too: The Lost &
Untold Stories an excellent slice-of-life memoir that brings
the 1960s and
student sports efforts to vivid life.
Return to Index
Chasing Money
Michael Balter
Mission Point Press
978-1958363966
Paperback: $15.99/
Hardcover: $24.95 /E-Book: $9.99
Website: mbalter.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Money-Marty-Bo-Thriller/dp/1958363960/
"There’s a
line in a country song that
goes, 'Chase after the dream, don’t chase after the money.'
Well, I’m here to tell you that’s wrong.
Fuck the dream.
Chase the money.
Always chase the money."
This opening
salvo of the thriller Chasing Money
portends a powerfully
compelling read with a murder
scenario that evolves from an investment pitch made by entrepreneurs
Marty
and Bo. This event draws them into an investigation that holds
frightening
prospects for their future, leading them away from the path they've
been
cultivating for years (identifying and tapping the resources of "someone kind, generous, greedy, or
stupid to fund your ambition to become rich.").
Raising
capital has always been a
"soul-destroying" venture, but now it's become a challenge to life
itself as Marty and Bo find themselves kidnapped, tied up, and facing
the
possible end of their efforts and days.
Michael
Balter writes with a hand
heavy in descriptive
tension, which brings the events to life from the story's opening
paragraphs:
"'Jesus
Christ,' Nico cried for the
third time after the fat guy finished taping him to the chair. In
response to
Nico, the guy holding the Beretta barked back, in a thick Irish brogue,
'Shut
it!' and then, 'One more word and this baby goes off in the mouth that
speaks!'
He shook the 9mm in case we didn’t understand what “this baby”
referenced. He
took a giant step back as he spoke, moving past what I guessed he
calculated
was the periphery of any potential blood spatter. I couldn’t take my
eyes off
him or the gun."
These grim
circumstances come with a
history that unfolds
in a compelling manner as readers learn about the Russian mob which
threatens
Bo and Marty, leading them into unfamiliar minefields where a wrong
step can
detonate their lives and loved ones.
Their search
for venture capitalists
has brought them to
this point, but Bo and Marty are well-versed in both landing in trouble
and
getting out of it. They will need all their cleverness to escape from
Nico's
killer and navigate the dangerous environment where life and death
decisions
must be made almost daily.
Readers who
look for well-developed
tension and characters
whose lives sparkle with realistic and unpredictable twists will find
these
qualities in droves in Chasing Money;
but perhaps its greatest asset comes from the tone of the first-person
narrator's
experiences and shifting viewpoint.
The gritty
descriptions, simmering
realizations about
threats and their origins, and wry sense of humor that permeate many
encounters
contribute to a countdown to disaster. Marty and Bo search for $10
million and
a missing masterpiece, navigating a financial and political
milieu which
draws them into increasingly dangerous, unfamiliar associations.
Libraries
and readers looking for
absorbing thrillers that
are delivered from the main character's perspective to embrace thoughts
about
his choices and ideas of the world and his place in it will find Chasing Money exceptionally clever and
compelling in its financial and crime world developments.
Book clubs
that often choose thrillers
will find that Chasing Money stands
out from the crowd
largely due to its compelling narrator's personality, the historical
backdrop
that surrounds missing masterpiece paintings of World War II, and an
unwitting
investigator's foray into deadly Russian affairs.
Will Marty
make a deal with the devil?
Chasing
Money
follows the bucks into a world of hurt, possibilities, and
how money can make or break lives—whether legally or illegally gained.
Return to Index
Codename:
Parsifal
Martin Roy Hill
32-32 North,
Publisher
979-8-218-182496
$3.99 ebook
www.martinroyhill.com
Codename: Parsifal is a World War II
thriller that operates on the
stage of religious destiny and historical events. It revolves around
the
legendary Spear of Destiny, the Roman Legionnaire’s lance that pierced
Christ’s
body as he hung on the cross. The holder of this spear is said to be
destined to
become a great conqueror. But lose it, and all achievements and life
will be
lost.
Prior to
World War
II, Hitler stole that spear. Just before his defeat, he lost it. Its
promise
and power is such that three competing teams struggle to unearth it and
wield
its powers, but before they achieve their goals, the world will change
yet
again.
Martin Roy
Hill
employs a fine blend of military clashes and ideological challenges in
his
story, injecting revealing emotional facets into real-life characters
to
heighten the sense of both intrigue and discovery:
"All his life, Himmler felt inadequate. His size,
his looks, his
poor eyesight, his lack of experience with women. And despite having
enlisted
in the German Army during the last war, he remained in a reserve unit
that
never saw action, unlike the Führer, or Göring, or even that scar-faced
sybarite Ernst Röhm, head of the Brown Shirts. But now he sensed a
confidence. He was the new
man of destiny —he
felt that now in his heart, felt it in his veins where the blood of
Christ
flowed with his own. His destiny was now foretold, and he knew he would
stand
among the other greats who held the spear—Constantine, Charlemagne, and
others."
The process
of
retrieving this legendary spear is also made more compellingly
realistic by the
real history that is presented alongside the thriller components and
fictional
overlay:
"Himmler frowned. “One would think a senior SS
officer would at
least be familiar with the Führer’s favorite Wagner opera.”
“My apologies, Reichsführer,” Steiner said. “I am afraid I’m not
musically inclined. Which opera is that?”
“Parsifal,” Himmler
said. “It is the telling of the Spear of Destiny legend.” He took the
display
box from Steiner’s hand and studied it. “It is said whoever holds the
spear
holds his own destiny in his hands,” he said. “The destiny of a great
conqueror. But if he loses the spear …” He let the box drop onto his
desk. “He
loses all he once won.”
From the
back-and-forth movements and potential of the elusive and powerful
spear to SS
interactions and military operations, the thriller component is
thoroughly
embedded in a fluctuating story of evil, the occult, and true believers.
Readers who
like
their thrillers steeped in the overlay of real World War II events will
find
the intersection of fiction and nonfiction to be compelling components
in this
story of fiery confrontations, changing battles, and ideologies that
promote
powerful new alliances and perceptions.
Hill is
especially
adept at capturing the cultural clashes between Germans, Russians, and
people
who find not only their lives, but their political alliances on the
line.
The result
is a gripping
story that is vivid in its presentation, fast-paced in its action,
impossible
to predict, and hard to put down.
Libraries
and readers
seeking military intrigue and thriller encounters that are supercharged
with
action and satisfying twists and turns will find Codename:
Parsifal just the ticket for those seeking a thoroughly
forceful
read. (Note: no prior World War II history is required in order to
enjoy this
heart-stopping, action-packed story.)
Return to Index
The Deadly Deal
J. Lee
Moonshine Cove Publishing
9781952439582
$19.00
paperback/$6.99 Kindle
Author Website: www.jleethrillers.com
https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Deal-J-Lee/dp/1952439582
Some people will do anything
to benefit from innovation.
The
Deadly Deal
is a thriller that builds tension over a wonder drug's development;
Director of
Business Development David Centrelli, who is charged with seeing the
novel drug
to profitable distribution; and the conflicts between a devout man to
whom
"efficiency is a religion" and one whose mission is derailed by the
sudden death of his best friend.
Perhaps predictably, the new
drug Previséo's
possibilities for changing the world and making its developers rich
beyond
relief results in the kind of crime that too often is not fully
explained by
front-page headlines. The behind-the-scenes action that takes place
moves
readers into another world as David makes threats, enters increasingly
dangerous
territory replete with moral and ethical conundrums, and finds himself
struggling with hard evidence and impossible truths along the way.
Readers who look for medical
thrillers will find far more
intrigue and cat-and-mouse developments in this story, which is really
about
the fortunes and greed of industries and individuals, and the kinds of
changes
that send David and Anne on the run, facing charges of wrongdoing that
keep
piling up.
Where most medical thrillers
focus on the medical milieu,
David moves through different territory as he finds himself on the lam
from his
own government and wondering about his place in the world.
Some people will do anything
to benefit from innovation.
They would even kill for the opportunity David is presented with and
winds up
struggling to grasp.
The
Deadly Deal
evolves superb characterization, satisfying twists of plot, and a focus
that
will keep even seasoned thriller readers guessing about its outcome.
The real
perps aren't obvious or just among David's circles, but reach into the
highest
levels of government.
Libraries looking for
suspenseful stories that are
well-written and packed with intrigue and action will find The Deadly Deal just the ticket for
reaching a wider audience than
the usual thriller.
Return to Index
A Divisive Storm
David E. Feldman
Independently
Published
ASIN:
B0BF1FKNVV
$3.99 ebook
Fans
of LGBTQ+
backgrounds and mysteries as well as prior readers of David E.
Feldman's
previous five Dora Ellison stories will find A Divisive Storm
both a
powerful series addition and a stand-alone attention-grabber for
newcomers.
Dora
Ellison and
sidekick Missy Winters, of Geller Investigations, have a new case
involving a
seemingly random murder in a parking lot. As Dora and Missy
investigate, they
spark not only another killing, but evidence that these murders are
linked to
an unsolved crime that took place five years earlier.
The
one link
between the victims is actually a situation that involves Dora and
Missy in a
racist club's deadly operations, bringing up questions of moral and
immoral
behaviors, justice and vigilante efforts, and Dora and Missy's own
efforts to
identify and stop the murderers.
David
E. Feldman
does more than craft another whodunit. He introduces elements of social
inspection, presenting the scenario and killer with an exceptional
powerful
prologue that draws the reader instantly into a killer's mind:
"And there he was.
I knew where he’d be. I knew
of several places he would be and times he would be at those places. I
had all
the information. All I had to do was wait for the right opportunity. An
empty
parking lot or a busy street. Either might do, if they were right. I’d
know. I
had lived for this."
Terror
is a big
reason for the killer's particular modus operandi. That, and justice.
The
satisfaction that comes from killing also enters the bigger picture to
paint a
personal vendetta with the red-hot colors of not just senseless crime,
but a
cold purpose that saturates the story with blood and contrasting belief
systems
from the start.
Feldman's
ability to juxtapose the killer's ideals and motives with the equally
determined force of those who hold a different interpretation of
justice
provides just the right balance of gritty moral inspection and intrigue
to keep
murder mystery readers on edge and guessing.
All
the
characters are strong, not just the investigators. This lends an aura
of
believability to the plot that not only engages the mind, but
challenges the
hearts of readers who expected a casual murder scenario, only to find
themselves rethinking their own ideals of law and justice.
The
human
aspects of these engagements emerge from a variety of characters and
scenarios,
with dialogue reinforcing the stands and choices people take and make
in order
to survive:
“… you want her to
fit in, to be normal. It’s what I
would want. And yet—”
“And yet, what?” C3’s voice was low with growing fury.
“I’ve just gotta say, son. She,” he shrugged, “looks
like a retarded kid.” He held out a palm. “There’s things you can do
about
that. Why wouldn’t you cover all your bases?”
C3’s answer came out as a snarl. “Because your
granddaughter isn’t a base. And she’s not a retarded kid.”
If
one thing can
be said about A Divisive Storm, it's "expect the
unexpected."
There is nothing singular about its plot, nothing predictable about the
outcomes, and little set in stone along the way.
Feldman's
ability
to craft a hard-boiled noir atmosphere in Dora's world, supercharged
with
further elements of personal and social inspection, creates a story
highly
recommended not just for libraries and readers seeking compelling
mysteries,
but book clubs looking for genre reads that provoke discussions and
debates
about larger moral and social issues.
Return to Index
Parallel
Secrets
ML Barrs
The Wild Rose Press
978-1-5092-4978-7
Paperback $18.99/E-book $3.99
https://amzn.to/44H9TYx
When solving a present-day
mystery involves delving into
one's own past and traumas, investigators can face challenges not only
in their
professional pursuits, but their personal lives. Such is the case in Parallel Secrets, when a kidnapped child
introduces eerie specters of past experience for a TV journalist who
finds
herself too close to the case for comfort.
Can there be opportunity for
growth in reporting a
kidnapping? Vicky Robeson thinks so. The story opens with this
perception, but
it evolves surprising pathways to realization and redemption as Vicky
follows
the clues that lead her ever deeper into facing an old conundrum she
never
quite resolved.
The impact of such an
investigation spreads from its
point of origin to those around Vicky—in this case, Pete, who has
become the
kind of supportive friend who proves understanding even in the worst of
situations. But, everyone has their limits. Will Pete continue his
reputation
for staying alongside Vicky as she tries to discover what happened to
lively
child Rose Wildwood?
Rose actually holds one of
the leading roles in this
mystery, and the story opens with a child at play who is captured from
the safe
circle of her Aunt Sara's home by a stranger who has stalked her and
made the
grab.
Vicky hears the report of a
kidnapped child from Walkers
Corner, Missouri—a place she never wanted to see again, which has long
colored
her nightmares. Her personal motivation for following up on this news
alert is
clear: "She might not be able to
undo the past, but this time she would do everything she could to help
save the
child."
Redemption is a funny thing.
It often arrives in the
guise of promise, evolves into complex confrontations that introduce
anguish
and challenge, and complete with resolutions that are unexpected. In
Vicky's
case, her personal past struggle combines with a present-day mystery to
re-introduce her to choices and consequences she'd long delegated to
the
irresolvable past.
As ML Barrs unfolds a
gripping saga of investigation and
personal realizations, the story presents not one pursuit, but a series
of
angles that involves returning to a familiar place to confront not just
the
demons of what was left undone, but those who were left behind:
“Did
you ever catch
yourself in a mirror when you aren’t expecting to? When I look back at
how I
left here, it’s like I saw myself from a different angle, and it wasn’t
pretty.”
Vicky's journey of recovery
and self-discovery embraces
Vicky's journalistic drive to write a compelling story with a clear
ending and
her equally powerful personal motivation to lay her past to rest.
Barrs crafts psychological
insights that take place both
within Vicky and in those who swirl around her, whether they are
characters
from her past or loved ones who support and struggle with her
present-day
endeavors.
These strong characters and
their own special interests
dovetail nicely in a vivid story that pursues the truth and matters of
the
heart with equal strength and many satisfying twists and turns.
Libraries and readers
seeking mysteries that represent
more than a whodunit, but embrace the challenge of returning to a
familiar
milieu and dilemma to face old patterns and new perceptions will find Parallel Secrets a compelling, solid
study in not just intrigue, but psychological transformations that
include a
determined probe into family and self. The story is not only hard to
put down,
but thought-provoking beyond its investigative elements.
Return to Index
Amsterdam Ascendant
Judith W. Richards
Aries Books
978-0-9845410-8-9 $14.99 Print/ $11.99 E-book
www.AriesBooks.com
Amsterdam
Ascendant
will delight historical novel readers interested in European tales. Set
in the
Netherlands in 1572, it follows various members of the Van der Voort family as they struggle against
political and social
strife, taking risks that pit them against the Spanish rulers of their
world.
As the
author says
from the start, "The story is
fictional but the history is true." A timeline of events,
maps, and an
opening introduction to this era assures that those unfamiliar with the
politics and events of the times will not be lost.
Judith W. Richards
acknowledges that she's taken some
liberties with language and history for the sake of succinct
description, and
that this might annoy Netherlanders fixated on historical accuracy in
representation and language; but these adjustments result in a
smoother-flowing
story that is inviting and rich in its action and details.
The tale opens with a sea
venture that represents the
first salvo in the van der Voort's battle against Spanish oppressors: "Dutch sea captain Maarten van der Voort
stood on the deck of his merchant ship, the Dirck,
and watched his men, looking ghostlike in the dense fog,
go over the side and into the waiting longboat. It was a cold March
night and
three in the morning, yet sweat beaded on his brow, for he knew he was
taking a
calculated risk with their lives. They were going to attack a Spanish
ship
before it attacked them."
A vivid "you are here" feel
brings the times to
life, whether events take place on land or sea. As the efforts of the
Sea
Beggers wind into the special interests of a broad audience of
Netherlanders,
the story traverses social and political perspectives on different
sides.
There is no clear guiding
light to battles for change,
and so the competing visions and experiences of a variety of characters
create
an especially realistic tone as events unfold. Whether describing the
plundering of monasteries or the expansion of maps that place Amsterdam
in
perspective with the rest of the 1500s world, Richards employs an
evocative,
descriptive voice to bring these times and families to life.
This contrast between the
microcosm of local society and
the greater picture of the world is vivid as the characters grow and
expand
their own boundaries:
“That’s
odd,”
Catrijn commented. “Where’s the land and sea?”
“It’s a celestial globe, not
a terrestrial globe.”
“Hmm.” Not sure
what he meant, Catrijn examined its surface.
“They’re
constellations!” she declared, delighted by her discovery and
realization that
the globe depicted what a person saw looking up
at the sky—a celestial view—not looking down
at the earth, a terrestrial
view."
Amsterdam
Ascendant's
ability to capture the engrossing, turbulent social and political
landscape of
the 1500s makes it a top recommendation for libraries and readers who
look to
be immersed in the times and the people whose lives were changed by
nautical
endeavors and political transformations.
Return to Index
Beasts of
the Field
Alex Webb Wilson
Kelp Books, LLC
979-8-9869462-6-9
$22.00
kelpjournal.com/books
Beasts of the Field is powerful novel
packed with images and
photographic references. It opens with a grisly murder and a terrible
package
of evidence sent to a father, moving into the image-driven world of
photographer Robert Ellis, who is in Central America, documenting life:
"Images passed through his mind, photos he had
taken and photos he
imagined—a car burning in a broken street, a soldier kneeling in a
field of
poppies. The compositions shifted, one into another, as he lay in the
unfamiliar house by the ocean."
It's not
enough that,
at age twenty-eight, he was the youngest photographer on his company's
masthead. Robert feels like something is missing from his endeavors: "He had looked at his G5 hard drive,
his color-calibrated monitor, his Canon lenses and Hasselblad, and
admitted
that he might be searching for some concept of success forever, and
never find
it..."
The truths
he
discovers by challenging himself go further and deeper than anything
he's
attempted before, sending him on missions around the world that capture
matters
of the heart and also land him in the heart of danger.
Alex Webb
Wilson
crafts a powerful story that casts a deep lens of inspection on
Robert's
attempts to document how much has changed in America since 9/11, and in
the
world he attempts to capture on film:
"...he’s tried to document how much has changed
since then. To him
the solider is about the small things they’ve lost—with his rifle and
gas mask
in the subway. Maybe small isn’t
the right word, he thinks. Maybe there is no single word for it."
From
self-portraits
to sons and strangers caught up in struggle and violence, Robert's
profession
and perspective moves readers to consider the transition points of life
experience
that often prove elusive in the moment, but later come back, captured
as if on
film, to haunt and change the world.
From Central
American
cartels and murder to connections back in the U.S., Wilson moves the
story into
uncharted territory as Robert and those he loves become caught up in
social and
political struggles they never saw coming, from earthquake aftermaths
to
murders and kidnappings.
The rich
inspection
of reporters on assignment who move between very different worlds,
toeing the
line of discovery and danger, receives steady and thoroughly engrossing
attention in a novel which reflects on the politics, work, and
decisions of
individuals under fire and in combat in many different ways.
Libraries
and readers
seeking vivid stories about individuals who find their lives challenged
and
changed, from documenting life to navigating and reporting the outcomes
of its
violent struggles, will find Beasts of
the Field a powerful study. It should also reach into book
club audiences
interested in gripping stories of transition, danger, and survival.
Return to Index
The Blue
Iris
Rachel
Stone
Koehler
Books
979-8-88824-093-9
$30.95 Hardcover/$22.95 Softcover/$7.99 ebook
Website:
www.rachelstoneauthor.com
Ordering: https://a.co/d/95wwTOW
The Blue Iris is a novel that follows six
individuals whose lives converge at the Blue Iris Flower Market, there to experience new
options and divergent
paths that challenge their seemingly set perceptions and choices.
Themes of
love,
family, and rooted belief systems come to life as each of the
characters is
forced to consider their life trajectories and the choices that brought
them to
this moment in time.
Rachel Stone
creates
a series of inspections that contrast these lives in satisfying ways.
Readers
seeking a story that comes steeped in the disparate pasts of characters
struggling with life losses and new possibilities receive these
elements in
droves in The Blue Iris.
From
Tessa's longing to capture elements of her mother Beth's life (lost to
her when
the magic died via a drunken driver when Tessa was only eleven) to the
realization of dreams past and present that are connected by the flower
market's atmosphere and allure, each character finds their life
transformed by
their venture into new territory.
Love
isn't the only thing driving these realizations. Each relationship
features a
very different motivation and incarnation that will resonate with
readers,
powered by a complexity that is alluring in its review of opportunities
for
transformation and realization: "The same part of her Sam had ruined beyond
repair, barring her from properly moving forward,
became the reason she couldn’t go back."
The
events that both flaw and free the characters and the flower market
connections
that mean something different to each come to life in a jigsaw puzzle
of
disparate influences and choices that proves hard to put down.
Readers
and libraries looking for literary, accessible stories of the shifting,
disparate lives of men and women who encounter magic in their
perspectives and
changing objectives will find The Blue
Iris an evocative, compelling read that is alternately quiet
in its
countenance and reflective of the adage that "still waters run deep."
Each character's depth is nicely probed in a story steeped in life and
growth.
Return to Index
The Corey Effect
Casey Dembowski
Red Adept Publishing
978-1948051972
$13.95
Paper
https://caseydembowski.com
The
Corey Effect
tells of a woman's second chance at love when she returns home after
her
father's death to encounter the ghosts of her past. This includes Corey Johnson, the "boy who got
away." In reality, they both escaped the ghosts of their past in
different
ways—Andi by physically leaving, and Corey by forging business success
in
Fairford in a manner Andi never knew about (until now).
Corey's ongoing allure is
just one of the forces that
rock Andi's life, proving that the past is not as distant as she'd
imagined,
attractions don't always fade away over time, and new connections can
be forged
despite underlying secrets that influence everything.
Casey Dembowski crafts an
appealing story of first love
revisited and revised, taking the time to inject a sense of place,
changes, and
transition points into the relationship to give it a full-bodied
appeal.
Timelines that shift between past and present develop both characters
and the
circumstances that brought them together and then drove them apart.
Corey invites Andi to stay
in town and resume a
relationship with new opportunities, but Andi isn't interested in
repeating the
same mistakes of the past. As confusion evolves over her father's
desires, her
ex's inclinations, and her present-day identity, Andi's struggles come
to life:
"And
there was
so much—want and desire and hurt and forgiveness and giving in and
letting go.
I pulled him closer, and the years separating us didn’t matter. We were
together now, and in his arms, I knew exactly who I was meant to be."
Readers who choose The
Corey Effect for its promise of romance and realization won't
be
disappointed to learn there is also a strong component of growth and
discovery
wound into the tale. Elements of surprise keep readers and characters
on their
toes and contribute to an evolutionary process of new realizations.
As misperceptions of the
past evolve into new
understandings that could result in a different outcome, readers will
find
satisfyingly revealing the course of Andi's discoveries not only about
Corey
and her past, but her perceptions of what romance could be.
Libraries and readers
seeking a warm romance of returning
home to old patterns only to discovery new truths will find the
psychology of
relationship-building (and destruction) compelling and moving in The Corey Effect.
Return to Index
A Delicate Marriage
Margarita Barresi
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-930-3
$17.99
Paper/$27.99 Hardcover
www.atmospherepress.com
A Delicate Marriage is a historical novel
set in Puerto Rico forty
years after it became a U.S. colony and centers on wealthy Isabella
"Isa" Soto, whose initial ambitions are thwarted by her love of and
marriage to poor man Marco Rios.
As a child
facing his
first hurricane in 1928, Marco is charged with caring for his mother
and
siblings when his father vanishes at the height of the storm.
Determined to
fulfill his promise to his father to become the man of the family, he
embarks
on a mission to improve both their lives and the broader world of
Puerto Ricans
who live on the poverty line.
Isa harbors
her own
feelings of abandonment and pain from her father's choices, rebelling
against
his admonition that she should not marry Marco for various reasons:
“Is that why you left me with Abuela while you
traveled all over the
world? You know, the girls at school made up stories about me.” Isa
wrung her
hands at the memory. “They said my mother had been a witch, that you’d
stolen
me from the Amazon jungle, and even that I was really Abuela’s
daughter.”
As she faces
life
with Marco, including a terrible truth from childbirth and his lack of
skills
in either satisfying her or maintaining his moral balance, Isa
experiences a
series of revelations about life, good and bad choices, and the
influences of
her country's values and politics under American rule. These change her
perceptions of her relationships.
When
reporter Antonio
Badilla further changes and challenges her ideals, Isa finds herself
responding
to his seductive ideas and offer as Marco finds himself in the center
of a
whirlwind of cultural, social, and political change in Puerto Rico.
A winning
combination
of personal experience and research lends a realistic, warm overlay to
the true
foundations of the events portrayed in A
Delicate Marriage, bringing the nation and its people to life.
The intimate
"you are here" feel of the story represents a powerful inspection of
poverty, politics, and personal connections that requires little prior
knowledge of Puerto Rico in order to prove accessible.
Driven by
fictional
characters that look to grasp unprecedented opportunities for their
island
nation, A Delicate Marriage
examines
the delicate nature of all kinds of relationships and peels away layers
of
historical and cultural influence to illustrate how change trickles
down from
political events and connections into personal lives and psychology.
Libraries
and readers
interested in either Puerto Rico or a winning story of a couple
buffeted by the
winds and tides of political change will find A
Delicate Marriage compelling, revealing, and
thought-provoking.
At its conclusion, they will know far more about Puerto Rico's vivid
history on
a level that embraces personal struggles and growth.
Return to Index
Five
Wishes
Karin M. Gertsch
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-791-0
$18.95 Paper/$8.95 Kindle
www.ingramcontent.com
Five Wishes
is a debut novel that takes place in the New England small town of
Hamlet,
where Delbert MacInnes
experiences contentment with his place in this world even as wife
Matilda seems
to be similarly happy with her life, but harbors a big secret her
family doesn't
know.
Now she not
only
stands on the threshold of achieving the dream of a vacation (something
husband
Bertie has long resisted), but is on the edge of revealing long-held
secrets
and defying silences which have served her well into older age. Her
family
history and inspections sweep readers into a saga that gives voice to
undercurrents of freedom, control, and life choices in romance and
connection.
Karin
M. Gertsch
builds a powerful story in Five Wishes that
revolves around a
prediction, realistic life assessments, and new experiences that carry
readers
and characters into unfamiliar territory.
The
prospect of
travels also introduces changes as long-held dreams confront difficult
realities, bringing characters and readers into new realizations that
affect
and change their dreams and assumptions.
An
unexpected
event, pilgrimages, and revised understandings about family legacy in
Clan
MacInnes and the roots that both hold them and define their lives lends
to a
story that embraces history, family connections, and new realizations.
The
result is a story that is revealing, thought-provoking, and absorbing.
Five Wishes
is recommended for libraries and readers seeking literary explorations
of
family, history, and the legacy of secrets and attitudes on heritage
and future
goals. Opportunities lost and found are the hallmarks of a story that
ultimately maintains there is no time like the present for making
dreams and
wishes come true.
Return to Index
I, Lloyd
Stollman
Rob Sullivan, PhD
Black Heron Press
9781936364404
$15.99
https://www.amazon.com/Lloyd-Stollman-Rob-Sullivan-PhD/dp/1936364409
Schizophrenia
never
looked so good. Well ... assuming an alter ego isn't exactly mental
illness, and
until one's fictional personality takes the reins and commits murder.
That's the
dilemma of
mild-mannered, isolated clerk retiree Lloyd, whose successful act of
being a
movie cowboy proves so empowering that he enters into other fictional
personas
that ultimately begin to take over.
Suddenly,
Lloyd has
lost control of not just his life, but who he is. And in his advanced
years,
this translates to a loss of not just self, but life connection that
drives him
into new directions and dangerous curves in the road.
The opening
lines
explaining Lloyd's initial foray into mental disintegration uses
impeccable
logic to enter his world:
"I only started to feel right when I put on my
first disguise.
Before that, I had been a half-person, a shadow, a ghost, a nonentity,
anonymous, dead. But once I put that disguise on, I felt like I fit in
my own
body, that I belonged, that I was part of society, like I had a place,
like I
was somebody."
In fact, "It was such a relief. Not to have to
be myself."
As relief
turns to
dread and disaster, readers follow an intense story made all the more
pointed
and powerful by the use of the first person, which allows readers to
enter into
the logic and surprises that buffet an urban disguise artist's revised
life
trajectory.
Rob Sullivan
provides
powerful images and insights throughout Lloyd's story, crafting a
series of
events that send him on expeditions through relationships, uncharted
territory,
and emotional responses that have not been a part of his prior life.
The
psychological and
social revelations permeate a story so intensely revealing that even
acts of
cross-dressing are realistically presented and thought-provoking at
every step
of the way.
Everyone
harbors
misconceptions and makes mistakes. As Lloyd observes that "if anyone’s totally capable of navigating the
straits of life and
never crashing into anything, I sure would like to meet them."
In his case,
the
crash is almost surreal in its strength as Lloyd Stollman loses himself
in
Glenda and other personas and finds himself on the lam, immersed in
counterculture, and skirting the edge of madness.
Libraries
and readers
seeking powerful psychological novels of transitions and revelations
will find I, Lloyd Stollman offers
especially
intriguing insights into the opportunities and dilemmas of juggling
alternate
personalities and possibilities.
Even
stronger are the
insights suitable for psychology groups and book club circles that
revolve
around the assumption of not just new personalities, but responsibility
for
their incarnation, growth, and perhaps inevitable outcomes.
I, Lloyd Stollman crafts a rare
opportunity for a bird's-eye view
of life through the changes a sixty-two-year-old man experiences
through
choices both of his own making and outside of his control. It's
intense,
riveting, and hard to put down.
Return to Index
Mortal
Weather
KP McCarthy
Top Reads Publishing
978-1-970107-36-4
$28.00
Hardcover/$18.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.kevinpatrickmccarthy.com
Mortal Weather is a novel of magical
realism, existential
philosophical observation, and mystery that will attract a wide
audience with
its genre-hopping qualities and compelling attractions.
It opens
with a
decidedly philosophical bent that invites readers and the narrator to
consider
ideals and new ways of approaching life:
“There is
only one
reliable kind of prophecy, Stanhope: the self-fulfilling kind. Who do
you think
you are? That’s you. The world whispers, so listen.
Imagine the
dharma that approaches and prepare a welcome.”
Hero stories
and
myths served as the initial inspiration for Mortal
Weather, KP McCarthy reveals in his preface; but the proof of
the pudding
lies in its interpretation and presentation, which here assumes a
thought-provoking romp through ideology and hope that can only come
after
tragedy.
Stanhope
(the
characters are all aptly named, with a tongue-in-cheek humor reflected
in such
names as 'UpChuck') is actively seeking change after the death of his
wife and
his own near-fatal accident. But just because the scenario changes
doesn't mean
that Death's touch has been thwarted, as Stanhope finds when those
around him
begin to fall.
This leads
him to
wonder about his ultimate power and impact on the world as his journeys
carry
him and his readers into magical realms he never thought possible
before.
Stanhope
encounters a
number of memorable characters who face their lives and losses,
influencing his
with equal passion. Readers will find themselves falling in love with
more than
one kind of character, but beware—death is often not far behind.
There is
comedy,
there are reconnections which serve as "tonics" to the soul, and
there are gifts of surreal art which promote healing and discovery in
the face
of the death of not only spirit, but imagination.
At times,
it's hard
to see how uplifting possibilities and new beginnings can emerge from
the ashes
of death's touch, but McCarthy creates an ultimately hopeful story
steeped in
not just magical realism, but the power of relationships to transform
and heal:
The only way to be a superhero, I think, is to be
super human—which
means feeling uncertain. “I think sometimes we are strongest when we
are weak.
Then we must connect with
one
another.”
The result
is a study
in relationship-building, transformation, and discovery that tackles
the
challenge of existential philosophy and spiritual components with the
affectionate touch of new possibilities.
Libraries,
book
clubs, and readers will find many thought-provoking moments in a mix of
characters who each cultivate their own powers of hope, salvation, and
growth.
Return to Index
The New
Tenant
Allison G. Smith
Muse Literary
978-1-958714-39-3
$24.99
Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/New-Tenant-Allison-G-Smith/dp/1958714399
The New Tenant tells of widow Angela
Wilcox, who moved from riches
to rags virtually overnight upon the death of her wealthy husband.
Left not
only
bereaved, but penniless, Angela meets a new, vibrant tenant in the
boarding
house she now resides in. This leads her to confront not only the
unusual
nature of such a personality in a place where subdued resignation is
more the
norm, but the exceptional qualities of an individual who hasn't let
life beat
him down.
Jack helps
Angela by
opening her eyes to new opportunities for service and interpersonal
interaction
in this world. Her appreciation of his gifts is evident as her story
unfolds: "Being introduced to things she had
never noticed even after living here for so long, she finds herself
worrying
less and less about her own circumstances."
Jack's magic
doesn't
just stop with influencing Angela's trajectory. It spills into holiday
celebrations and the lives of other tenants, changing their perceptive
of opportunities
and possibilities in their own worlds.
As Angela
begins to
rely on Jack's magic more than she cares to admit, she also finds
herself
slipping in the area of reciprocating by asking more closely about
Jack's own
daily experiences and feelings. When the truth emerges about what
someone like
Jack is doing in this situation, Angela finds her assumptions shaken
yet again.
Allison G.
Smith
crafts a winning women's story in Angela's navigation of her revised
life. From
the consideration of the true nature of friendships and love to the
experiences
of those who swirl around Angela's world, Smith creates an
interconnected
jigsaw puzzle of personalities and purposes that leads to unexpected
revelations and satisfying insights.
Driven by
strong
characters who each face different adversities, The
New Tenant focuses on lessons in kindness and adaptation that
the world truly needs right now.
Libraries
and readers
looking for uplifting stories of growth and giving will find The New Tenant replete with
thought-provoking
life lessons that will resonate and attract.
Return to Index
Ragtown
Kelly Stone Gamble
Red Adept Publishing LLC
ASIN: B0CCF5PV4Y
Price: $9.99
https://RedAdeptPublishing.com/
Ragtown
is a
story of the Great Depression, parallel lives, and the process of
diverting the
courses of both individuals and the nation. Its prologue opens the
story with
an account of the brutal murder by a half-breed Indian in Nevada in
1910. This
results in an unprecedented manhunt for a serial killer that goes on
for thirty
years.
At this point, it's
important to emphasize the historical
backdrop and value of Kelly Stone Gamble's story: "Ragtown is
set in
the 1930s during the first phase of the building of the Hoover Dam: the
diversion of the Colorado River. Many of the characters in this book
are not
wholly invented but come from actual dam workers and their families.
Their
circumstances and actual events were gleaned, in part, from interviews
and
recorded oral histories."
The
1930s comes
to life through the experiences of a determined young woman, Helen
Carter, who
finds herself alone with limited options for women in the shadow of the
Hoover
Dam's construction, and young dam worker Ezra Deal, who also
unexpectedly finds
himself alone.
When
he runs
into Helen as she is running from legal issues and a gangster's
attention,
caught in the middle of an impossible dilemma, both their lives are
changed, as
well as their views of independence and connection.
Gamble
creates a
compelling saga made all the more riveting for its foundations in
historical
fact. The astute reflections of each character cement a sense of the
times
which includes not just a taste of place and history, but the life
lessons and
conundrums which transfer between generations as well as between
individuals:
"I’d always thought
my dad had planned for
everything. Maybe that is what all little girls think about their
fathers,
because as I lay there, I realized that so many things couldn’t be
planned for.
When the mine closed in Kansas, for example, we ended up here. It
wasn’t that
he had ever planned for us to move to Nevada. We were in a bad
situation, an
opportunity presented itself, and he had to make a quick decision about
our
future. There weren’t many options available at the time, so even if
moving to
the middle of the desert wasn’t ideal, we made the best of it. He
remained
optimistic about better days ahead, and I believed him. I believed in
him. Now
I had to believe in myself."
As the Wobblies and other
social and political forces
buffet Ezra and Helen, the points of view shift between chapters to
illustrate
the events, backdrops, and influences affecting each character. Chapter
headings clarify these shifts, making it a snap for readers to absorb
the divergent
perspectives each individual harbors as they find their lives both
connected
and challenged.
Gamble's recreation of the
Depression years, Nevada, and
two lives forced to be creative in their problem-solving drives a
compelling
saga that's hard to put down, complex in its associations and changing
milieus,
and attractive in its psychological depth and sense of place and
purpose.
Helen must undertake a
divorce with few resources, buy
off those who would pursue her, and make a life apart from those who
would tie
her down and thwart her dreams. Her reflections continue to power a
story of a
young proactive woman who refuses to bow to others' expectations or
social
norms, and whose reflections are astute and compelling:
"Thinking
back, I probably never should have waited so long to leave Cotton. I
should
have just left, taken what little I had at the time, and made my way
out of
town instead of waiting until things escalated. But looking back never
seemed
to do much good. I needed to focus on looking forward."
These elements turn a 500+
page read into an unexpected
attraction that will grasp and hold reader attention while injecting
the
necessary historical facts and influences that keep characters and
readers on
their toes, educated, and well able to field any transition points that
introduce new challenges.
From good intentions gone
awry to the peppering of author
notes as the story unfolds which explain character development
challenges on
the writer's part, Ragtown adopts a
uniquely attractive countenance that holds equal prowess in
entertaining and
attracting its reader.
The result is a vivid
historical novel highly recommended
for any library or reader seeking stories set in the Depression years
which
revolve around men and women who face their changed life trajectories
with
determination, courage, and not a small degree of personal growth.
Book clubs focused on
historical novels that are firmly
steeped in a sense of time and place will also find Ragtown
an engrossing read that promises the added value of much
discussion and debate material.
Return to Index
Ravenbourne
Slavery
Benjamin H. Barnette
Echo Books
979-8-9856948-0-2
$16.00
www.Benjaminhbarnette.com
The
Ravenbourne Warriors are the most
feared warriors
throughout the Empire which, in Ravenbourne
Slavery, is a domineering, successful organization in effect
before the Age
of Iron, headed by the Lord of Ravenbourne.
Fallen
warrior Kaelin
also falls into unusual fortune when he saves the Lord and is recruited
from
slavery to join the elite army of warriors, there to discover romance
with an
equally formidable woman (the beautiful Natasha, whose hidden powers
create
problems and attraction alike).
As Benjamin
H. Barnette leads readers
through this vividly
engrossing world, Kaelin and Natasha's evolving
relationship influences
a series of changes that move from the initial situation of the Opar
warrior
taken captive to Kaelin's entry into vastly unexpected, revised
circumstances.
Barnette
adds a
compelling, erotic element to the story which results in scenes of ménage
a
`trois affection, graphic sexual exploration, and romantic
encounters.
These add to the overall atmosphere of the kingdom's different layers
of
civility and incivility. Readers who eschew reads that include such
graphic
scenes may wish to look elsewhere, but they are in keeping with the
full-bodied
nature of the exploration of slavery and survival that is one of the
many
themes of the story.
Kaelin's
experiences
and lectures about this survival process represent thought-provoking
revelations of what it takes to evolve and survive such a world:
"I was spared by the mercy of the god of war, taken
to become a
slave of the Empire. I
could not escape. There
was no place to run to—nowhere to
hide—no way to vanish. Disobedience
brings only humiliating punishment.
I
gained my freedom by obeying my master and mistress and pleasing them. I told them that was the
only way that they,
too, could similarly gain their freedom.”
Connections
between sexual conquest,
lessons of domination,
and love are drawn which enhance the overall message and draw of the
plot as
disparate characters, from high priestess to warriors and slaves,
interact.
Ravenbourne
Slavery's
dual explorations of survival, adaptation, and sweeping
passion make for a vivid story of clashing personalities, peoples, and
status
quos.
Libraries
and readers seeking an
exceptionally vivid story
of romance, power, and slavery's challenges will find Ravenbourne
Slavery a heady read packed with opportunities for book
club discussions about the kinds of relationships and power struggles
that
evolve between slaves, warriors, and ordinary men and women.
Return to Index
Sea Glass
Memories
Anne Marie Bennett
KaleidoSoul Media
979-8-9860503-4-8
$12.00 Paper/$2.99 ebook
www.AnneMarieBennett.com
Book 2 of
the
Seahaven Sunrise series, Sea Glass
Memories, returns to the Maine environment featured in Feathers in the Sand to explore a new
start. It focuses on Elena
Jeffries's move from Boston to the small community of Seahaven, where
she
becomes involved in a class play, a local grief support group, and a
touch of
romance that leads her to think all may not be lost in her life.
Grief is not
only a
changing state of being, but one which promises riches from its flux,
as Elena
finds by becoming involved in a world both unfamiliar to her and
replete with
new opportunities.
Anne Marie
Bennett
deftly intersects past experience with present-day changes as Elena
moves from
her Boston past into a future that portends resolution and redemption
in new
ways.
One
satisfying
feature of Elena's move is her realistic perspective about her life's
new
possibilities. These create a current of experience and acceptance that
flows
underneath any illusions of ideal life:
"In the back of my mind, I know that Ryan isn’t
going to stay in
Seahaven. I have a feeling he is destined for bigger stages than ours.
But I
listen intently, absorbing the excitement in his voice, and I tell him
some of
my own stories. How I met Marc. How it rained on our wedding day and
the
rainbow that appeared as we were leaving the church. Some of the
stories that
students turned in about their fantasy summer vacations. A few plays
I’d
directed while teaching in Dorchester. I share a little more about how
Marc
died, but I don’t tell him everything. I don’t want to break the
cheerful,
intimate mood we’ve created here in this beautiful setting."
Elena's
pragmatic
perspective spills into the Our Town
play rehearsal, her encounters with others open new doors of
possibility, and
her musings about her choices in the matter reflect both the impact of
grief
recovery and the potential of forging a different life with new
relationships
at its core:
"Do I have a choice? Yes, I guess I do. I can sit
right here at
this table and finish my coffee, then go home to my lonesome apartment
and
spend the night with Jezebel. Suddenly, that doesn’t seem like the
better
choice. What will happen if I do join Anna and Jonathan? Maybe I’ll get
to know
them better. Maybe I’ll find out what this Seahaven Scavenger Hunt is
all
about; every time I hear someone talk about it or see one of the many
posters
scattered around town, it sounds more and more like fun."
The result
is an
intimate portrait of small-town Maine life, a big-city girl's sea
changes, and
the process by which she overcomes her own expectations and grief to
enter into
a milieu which promises many new treasures.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a beach read replete with warmth and a sense of personal
discovery and
recovery will find Sea Glass Memories
an alluring, evocative grief journey that carries Elena from the life
she'd
anticipated to one which is unpredictably promising.
Return to Index
Trigger
Warning
Robert Klose
Open Books
978-1948598668
$17.95
https://www.open-bks.com/library/moderns/trigger-warning/about-book.html
Trigger Warning is a novel that embraces
university politics and
procedures, focusing on Professor Tymoteusz Tarnaszewski ("T"), who
finds himself resisting the administration's new requirement of
inserting
"trigger warnings" in all syllabi. As a Professor of Biology, this
could limit or mitigate the impact of his teaching, T believes.
And so he
embarks on
a resistance that leads to a charge of insubordination despite the fact
that
his teaching actually is more effective than that of most of his peers:
"He was, in a word, superb at the task. His was the
only class at
Skowhegan where the students applauded the lectures. They applauded not
only
his style, his passion, and his uncanny narrative gifts—he spoke with a
warmth
and familiarity suggesting that he had actually known Charles
Darwin—but the
sense he generated that he cherished them. T had long ago learned that
if the
students knew that you cared about them, they would go to the ends of
the earth
for you."
Just how far
these
students will support him is tested by his convictions, actions, and
clash with
administrative regulations. When he is betrayed by a student, new
connections
are made which challenge both his stand and his relative isolation as a
beacon of
leadership in his mind and in his students' lives.
Robert Klose
lays
open the world of college encounters and politics with a steady hand to
exploring one teacher's impact on his closed world and the situations
which
evolve from it that mitigate T's ongoing isolation and
loneliness.
By
juxtaposing
ideology, political correctness, and the motivations of teachers and
students
who break away from their self-imposed worlds to acknowledge the tides
and
trends of the greater world around them, Klose creates a
thought-provoking
milieu which should be of special interest to students and teachers who
have
long operated in institutions of higher learning:
"T recalled Nan’s memorable quote from a past
college president:
An institution is incapable of showing gratitude. Because he knew this
to be
true, he was, in a way, prepared for this moment. And he pitied those
colleagues who believed that, if they only joined one more committee,
advised
one more student, got one more grant, took on one more course, wrote
one more
forgettable paper, the school would come to view them as indispensable.
But the
dirty little truth was that no one was indispensable. It was a cold
calculus,
but T had never seen any evidence that contradicted it."
The newfound
contractions, contraindications, and changing triggers in their lives
affect
all the characters both within the system and outside of it, leading to
confrontations and realizations that embrace not just political and
social
change, but personal growth.
Ultimately, Trigger Warning is about money,
motivation, and moves that change everyone within the university
system. In
effect, its experiences, confrontations, and evolving challenges mirror
events
in the world outside the university's walls, providing many
thought-provoking
moments and surprises as these influences are uncovered:
"You as a teacher speak about truth and facts and
moral
obligations to your students. But we”—thumbing his chest—“think only in
terms
of appearances and expediency. When you were directed to include
trigger
warnings, both of these considerations were on our minds, but mostly
appearances. Trigger warnings made us look like we were current, and
correct,
and that we were giving students what they wanted. The public would, of
course,
approve. And the legislature, with the power of the purse, is part of
the
public.”
The result
is a
superb political, social, and interpersonal assessment that is
especially
highly recommended for students, teachers, and supporters of higher
learning.
The ways in which teachers are constrained and guided will also provide
delightful fodder for controversial discussions in book club circles
and among readers
that come from university-level settings.
Return to Index
The Unbroken Horizon
Jenny Brav
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-766-8
$17.99 Paper
www.jennybrav.com
The Unbroken Horizon
is a novel spanning a century of women's wounds and healing and
contrasts the
lives of two very different individuals: 1914 teen Maggie Burke, who
flees her
sharecropper life after she witnesses the lynching of her father and
brother;
and 2011 white humanitarian nurse Sarah Baum, whose
strange recurrent nightmare intrudes on her present-day world and
objectives.
The content note which appears before the
story opens advises of possible reader triggers as lynchings, sexual
violence,
and mental health struggles evolve against the backdrop of Black
experience and
women's struggles.
The story opens with Sarah in the South
Sudan in 2011, where she is engaged in helping the people who are
experiencing
their first life-sustaining rainstorm after five months of heat and
dust.
Sarah's appreciative response to the local delight in this event
contrasts her
different world views:
"The nurse in me
cringed—knowing all too intimately that mud is host to a cesspool of
disease-carrying bacteria—and wanted to shout at them to go home. A
dormant
child part of me longed to join in. To be that carefree."
Readers who anticipate that The
Unbroken Horizon will be a
time-travel type of story will be pleased to learn see that Jenny Brav
is more
interested in the contrast between disparate women's lives in different
eras—in
particular, how they are wounded, heal from their wounds, and create
joy and
growth in the process of learning new survival skills for navigating
both their
worlds and those to come.
Particularly notable are the first-person
reflections which capture both the new experiences of each character
and the
realizations they come to, for formulating new lives: "I
sensed that I needed the joy he brought to my life much more
than he needed the entertainment and novelty I brought to his."
From feelings of powerlessness over life's
circumstances and trials to evolving natures that grasp power in new
ways,
Brav's contrast in these women's worlds creates a story of new
connections to
family, secrets of the past, and choices that send each character in a
different direction.
"May you always know
the
depth of your love and power," a loving father writes
to his
baby Sarah. And, she does—but not before her revelations result in
sorrow over
missed opportunities and mistaken perceptions that created further pain
instead
of transformation:
"As I touched the
depths
of pain and misery that had ricocheted from believing I was
unlovable—including
years of avoiding love altogether or seeking it from unavailable
men—waves of
sorrow crashed through my being followed by wordless rage. I’ve wasted SO much time! I thought
as I flopped belly down on my bed and pounded my head on my pillow
until the
tears came crashing down on me."
At first, readers might feel that the
disparity of events in these very different lives belay any connections
they
might form with one another, but Brav interconnects these experiences
with
revelations and discoveries that drive Maggie and Sarah to find new
pathways to
healing in their lives.
Their efforts change not only their lives,
but resonate into future generations with connections to the past that
forge
new opportunities and realizations about the Black experience and the
healing
process alike.
Libraries and readers seeking powerful
novels contrasting past and present Black experience and routes to not
just
recovery, but empowerment, will find The
Unbroken Horizon emotionally gripping and astute in its
depictions of these
very different worlds.
Between the contrasts in experience and
attitude and their shared heritage, these women are presented as
inquiring,
courageous, and ultimately self-reliant and pioneering, in their own
different
ways. The Unbroken Horizon is a
winning story that ideally also will be chosen for book clubs
interested in
vivid literature that fully embraces emotional connections and
processes of not
just survival, but thriving against all odds and perceptions about what
life is
and should be.
Return to Index
Year of the
Puffin
Gregory Phipps
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-921-1
$18.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Year of the Puffin isn't about (or for)
the birds. It's about an
Icelandic college football team, The Puffins, who are determined to win
the
championship in American college football despite harboring a ragtag
group of
misfits and misguided directors whose intentions often go awry.
Though the
international dovetailing of this story feels surprising, a prologue
outlines
how soldiers introduced American football to Iceland in the 1930s, when
that
country served as a base for American soldiers who played flag football
during
periods of waiting out winter storms.
Readers who
anticipate a sports-centric series of events will be surprised at the
accompanying cultural contrasts that add value to the story. Gregory
Phipps
excels at injecting these seamlessly into the action:
"He’d lived in Iceland for so long that he often
forgot the North
American capacity for enthusiasm."
As unfolding
events
around various types of successes and failures embrace characters and
their
readers, a sense of Icelandic psyche begins to grow as issues of team
playing,
leadership, love, and adversity begin to emerge to form a bigger
picture
underlying the football team's efforts and impact.
“You can be anything. You just have to prove it.
Over and over again.
For the rest of your life.”
As
beautifully
graphic descriptions of Iceland unfold, readers will be drawn to this
compelling story of its countryside, people, sports efforts, and
individuals
who face dangerous secrets, internal conflict, and the external
pressures of
international relationships and perceptions.
To limit Year of the Puffin's audience to
football enthusiasts alone would be to do it a grave disservice. It's a
powerful story of plays made by individuals, nations, and competition
that
evolves many layers of attraction to make it the perfect item of choice
not
just for lending libraries, but book clubs looking for vivid discussion
material about Iceland's people, culture, and worldwide sports.
Return to Index
ACTing
Now
Norman B.
Schwartz
Worthy
Reads/Cresting Wave Publishing
978-1-956048-17-9
$15.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/ACTing-Now-Approach-Techniques-Acting/dp/1956048170
ACTing Now: A New
Approach to the Old Techniques of
Acting should be on the shelves
of
any library interested in drama education and performing arts. It
tackles the
modern-day challenges of actors required to produce and pitch a
self-marketing
audition tape, pointing out that conventional (and long-held)
strategies for
acing auditions need vast revision in this milieu.
In
the past,
acting techniques were loosely based on the Stanislavski System, which
fostered
methods that became the foundation of a new American approach to drama.
This
contrasted heavily (and controversially) with other notions of good
acting, but
came to be the norm in this country:
"Their template was
the actor’s learning to work
on self to discover the inner life, the psychology of the character. To
access
emotions appropriate to the drama, the fundamental obstacle to
overcome, as
many of these teachers perceived it, was often the actors’ inhibitions:
their
fear of being emotionally naked in front of an audience. To be
uninhibited—to
scream and shout, pour out one’s guts, and cry unrestrainedly on
cue—became the
trademark of American-style acting. Not so in the rest of the world,
where
total emotional abandonment was never considered the hallmark of the
actor’s
art."
Fast
forward to
modern times. Changes in stage, auditions, and screening require
further
changes in approaches to acting and definitions of what constitutes
good acting
choices—and this is where ACTing Now comes in.
Certain
to spark
controversy over its sometimes-vastly revised approaches, ACTing
Now
features exercises and objectives that embrace intention, action, the
actor's
responsibility to adhere to the script, and inner and outer choices
that
support the best possible interpretations of a scriptwriter's
intentions.
Norman
B.
Schwartz tailors his advice to the self-taping effort that young actors
are
being asked to produce today. His solid advice is based on these new
industry
requirements and a better understanding how they translate to success
or
failure:
"Even if you don’t
give much thought to the DNA
of its action (the character’s want, environment, approach, and the
importance
of getting the want), on the first reading, by the end of the
paraphrasing
process, you will have an excellent idea of what it is about...The
viewer—the
CD, the producer, or the director who will eventually watch your
self-tape and
decide if you are the one for the job—doesn’t know what you were
thinking when
you taped the sides, nor does that person care what the subtext is you
invented
below the words you speak. All the viewer and listener sees and hears
is the
fullness of emotion below and beyond the words on a page."
The
result is
not just a deeper understanding of the actor's choices and intentions,
but how
these translate, in turn, to the self-taping process and the decisions
of an
invisible listener and judge.
Any
modern actor
interested in probing the actor's underlying responsibility to self,
script,
and incarnation of his character will find these words especially
thought-provoking and educational:
"The actor can do
so robotically. It’s not
difficult to turn a head or walk a few steps.... the intelligent actor
always
finds a reason for doing it. That reason is called JUSTIFICATION.
Action
without reason is simply pointless movement, a lie that the best of all
detectors, the camera, detects instantly. And which the movie or TV
viewer will
recognize just as quickly and find just as false."
Libraries
and
would-be actors should place ACTing Now in a top
role on their reading
lists and recommendations. Ideally, its radical eye towards
transforming the
actor's intention and incarnation will prompt drama group discussions
about
better acting choices and the power of creative drama via a deeper
understanding of techniques, choices, and fine art.
Return to Index
The
Blanchard Witches
of Daihmler County (Audiobook)
Micah House
Kendrell Publishing
ASIN: B0C5KDMDG5
$21.83
Audio
https://www.amazon.com/Blanchard-Witches-Daihmler-County-Book/dp/B0C5KDMDG5
The
audiobook version
of The Blanchard Witches of Daihmler
County provides a listening opportunity that profiles
narrator Angela
Clark's ability to clearly yet powerfully bring a story to vivid
listening
life.
Readers of the print version will discover, in this audio, nuances that perhaps had been missed by the eye. This comes from Clark's ability to dramatize and emphasize passages to help them leap from any printed page and into the mind and visionary imagination of the listener.
"It was a
beautiful
Saturday afternoon. The 4,430-second Saturday
afternoon." Clark's opening lines in the first chapter 'Guess
Who's
Coming to Dinner' creates an evocative invitation to continue into
Micah
House's world, where 85-year-old Olympia Blanchard remains of sound
mind and
refuses to bow to her age.
Under
Clark's voice,
Alabama history and present-day complications come to life as a family
of
witches living under one roof find that modern times bring challenges
they
never foresaw.
The quality
of this
audio is such that even prior print readers should ideally imbibe. The
nuances
of the story brought to life in audio demonstrate the power of the ear
to
better understand words and underlying meanings, while the listening
experience
will enhance any drive or efforts to better absorb the grief,
investigative
efforts, and pursuits of a clan of witches who become involved in
catching a
murderer.
Nuances of
Southern
heritage, history, and culture; a murder mystery; and a band of witches
who
struggle to survive relationship and life changes come to life in the
audio
version in a manner that supports House's ability to weave a
multifaceted plot
of intrigue and psychological depth.
Readers who
may have
balked at pronouncing some of the characters' names in print have no
such
limitations in audio, where Clark easily vocalizes the correct names in
a clear
voice that readers can equally easily understand.
The result
is
unmitigated appreciation for the plot, character development, and
psychological
twists and turns of a novel replete with fantasy and emotional
connections.
Readers who
typically
eschew audio productions are missing something if they pass on the
compelling,
exceptionally well-done production of The
Blanchard Witches of Daihmler County. Clark's ability to
tailor her voice
to capture the thoughts and approaches of the story's different
characters is
not only nicely achieved, but exceptional.
Return to Index
The
Blessings of
Disaster
Michel Bruneau
Prometheus Books
978-1-63388-823-4
$25.50 Hardcover/$21.49 ebook
www.rowman.com
As
the world
struggles with increasing economic, environmental, and political
uncertainty, the
timing seems more than appropriate for the considerations in The
Blessings
of Disaster: The Lessons That Catastrophes Teach Us and Why Our Future
Depends
on It. Michel Bruneau considers the process of survival and
evolution from
a different vantage point that comes from a relatively unique
perspective: that
of a 'catastrophe engineer' whose work involves tackling extreme events
and
considering how these forces change humanity.
One
would think
such a focus would be laden with portents of doom and extinction, but
Michel
Bruneau's book exhibits an ability to move beyond obvious disaster
scenarios to
consider outcomes more far-reaching and enlightening than the usual
disaster
movie, book, or scenario would envision. Chapters divided by possible
disaster,
as well as possible evolutionary processes derived from them, offer
hope as
well as management and recovery insights.
Take
the chapter
on 'Technological Disasters.' This examines the Chernobyl nuclear
meltdown,
Japan's Fukushima disaster, and the wide-ranging domino effects of
political
and scientific snafus that led to changes in how the world not only
viewed
nuclear power, but obtained its reactors ("The downfall of
German and
Japanese nuclear plant builders following Fukushima opened up the world
market to
reactors manufactured by China and Russia.").
"Eventually
technology will fail." And when
it does so on epic scales, changes
inevitably follow—not just in ideologies, but in scientific and
political
pursuits and the economics of supply chains influenced by technology's
failings.
To
err is human,
and the human factors involved in many of these disasters cannot be
ignored any
more than the wisdom of better mitigating risk posed by infrastructure
decision-making and management.
The
mentality in
engineering philosophy is examined, its incarnation in the world
considered,
and the human component of creating or managing disasters is astutely
presented
in an astute blend of unexpected wry humor, unerring analysis, and
thought-provoking presentations of engineers and scientists who work
hand-in-hand to address disaster scenarios and outcomes.
Surprisingly,
the ultimate effect of The Blessings of Disaster is
to offer hope and
new considerations of the ultimate world-changing effects of disaster
management.
Libraries
and
readers interested in considering these perspectives in a lively
history of hot
spots and lethal subjects will find that The Blessings of
Disaster
offers plenty of solid science, engineering, and food for thought and
debate.
Return to Index
Box of Birds
Stephen Stowers M.D.
Independently
Published
979-8-9871442-0-6
$15.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Box-Birds-Zealand-practice-medicine/dp/B0CB9BBSWX
Box of Birds comes from a New Zealand
cardiologist who reflects on
the nature of his work, its moral and ethical conundrums, and how
medical work
and visions have gone awry in the U.S., which led him to travel to New
Zealand
to a better vision of medical management and efforts.
His journey
from
practicing in the U.S. medical system to New Zealand led to startling
revelations—not the least of which is that New
Zealand has better patient outcomes, yet spends less
money on healthcare.
The
journey from education and internship to
facing cardiology crises and learning from individual situations and
corporate
edicts makes for an especially intriguing memoir that delves into moral
and
ethical areas most physician memoirs skirt.
His personal
life
encounters, including experiences of nature and its force, juxtapose
nicely
with the medical world he encounters in New Zealand to add depth to his
story.
While this might give pause for thought to readers interested in
medical
politics and issues alone, Box of Birds
isn't just about the practice of medicine. It's about the practice of
life.
Especially
eye-opening are revelations about medical management and physician and
researcher freedoms which allow for a greater degree of creative
problem-solving in New Zealand's atmosphere than in the U.S.:
"Only by working in New Zealand, where I was given
time to pursue
original research and where I had the chance to work in a medical
system that
prioritized conservation of limited resources, was I able to
contribute to
insights that would help change the field of cardiology."
Box of Birds thus synthesizes the final
points in life, medical
treatments and systems, and physician and researcher edicts to operate
on
strong moral and ethical grounds.
Libraries
and readers
interested in accounts of alternative medical systems in the world and
how they
compare to U.S. approaches to healthcare will find Box
of Birds suitable for not just personal enlightenment, but
discussion groups interested in debating medical community systems and
real-world
experiences that hold alternative, successful approaches.
Return to Index
The Finer
Things Club
Lauren Erickson
Muse Literary
978-1958714966
$24.99
Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Finer-Things-Club-Yellowstone-Housekeeping/dp/1958714968
The Finer Things Club: The
Summertime Chronicles of a Yellowstone Housekeeping Employee is
a
memoir about self-discovery during two seasons of work in Yellowstone
National
Park in Wyoming. It outlines a journey that led the 20-year-old author
to reconsider
her future and the values she held in her life.
This is a
survey of
wilderness influence that is akin to Thoreau in some ways as Lauren
Erickson
observes the nuances of nature, learns to journal her true feelings
sans the
overlay of civilization's influences and expectations, then shares
these insights
with others. Her two seasons of work in Yellowstone are the main
highlight, so
this book departs from the usual nature chronicle by including many
interpersonal encounters and inspections that Erickson honed while
working with
the staff at Yellowstone National Park.
At times,
the tone of
inspection and revelation are almost poetic:
"I could
feel my
heart sigh—I didn’t realize it had been holding its breath. Finally
being able
to speak like a poet, like a writer, to another person held so much
meaning for
me. The only connections I ever felt were to the words in the pages of
my
books, spoken by brilliant authors, who knew what it meant to look at
life up
close and ask the deeper questions: What do you really
want to say?
What did that experience really mean for you? Who
do you really want
to say those things to?"
From
encounters with
grizzlies and tourists to co-workers and shared experiences, Erickson
moves
through this world and revised life with insights and growth
experiences that
come from the duality of a manmade venture set within the boundless
opportunities of a national park.
Under her
hand, the
politics, psychology, and processes of maintaining a park for tourists
and
nature alike come to life as vividly as the relationships she
cultivates both
outside and within herself.
Erickson is
at her
finest when revealing the deeper questions and answers that come from
taking
risks and navigating new territory without getting lost.
Libraries
and readers
seeking powerfully-written memoirs about summer work in general and the
processes of working in a national park in particular (an attractive
option for
many young adults) will find The Finer
Things Club exposes the nitty-gritty of what can be
experienced during
temporary summer employment, and what happens when a young adult
decides to
walk out of a comfort zone and into a new environment.
Return to Index
Hair
Goes
History
J.D. Taylor
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63988-896-2
$18.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Hair Goes History:
How Hair Enhancement Has Shaped the
Arc and Trembling Hand of History
should be considered general interest and cultural history collections.
It
creates a lively, uncommon link between hair and history that surveys
the
wide-ranging impact that hair, appearance, and augmentation efforts
have had on
key figures, decisions, and historical events.
J.D.
Taylor
tends to make his wide-ranging survey even wider, at times, by
including many
damning insights about Trump, commenting on the politics and hairpieces
of
major influencers, writers, and movers and shakers, and incorporating
hair
themes into broader historical observations:
"Sabato has
authored over 20 books on political
history; a quality volume on President John F. Kennedy, being one
fairly recent
tome. Sabato’s now graying-black left-parted, but brief hairpiece
appears more
authentic than in the past. His lavish black mustache is likewise a
fixture of
his persona."
From
military
and sports hair to global crisis, Taylor propels his account with
inspections
of how hair has represented and influenced some of the major figures of
human
history. Initially inspired by the results of the 2016 election, Taylor
moves
his observation into wider-ranging territory:
"I witnessed a
diabolical manifestation of a
left-parted orange hairpiece surfacing as the next president (without
savoir
faire) of the United States. Then crashing reality set in: hair systems
have
had a momentous repercussion on the dawning of human history."
Some
might say
Taylor's links between history and hair are tenuous, at times, with
historical
commentary assuming a larger proportion of time than the hair-related
history
links.
However,
Hair
Goes History is recommended for readers interested in a
wider-ranging
discussion than most history books tackle. Where else can a reader
receive
insights into comic book heroes, aliens, splashy figures of myth and
legend, and
modern and historical political processes that are all linked by hair
and
appearance?
Return to Index
Herocrats:
A
Guide for Government Workers Leading Change
Allison
Bell
WiseInk
978-1-63489-641-2
$17.95
www.wiseink.com
Herocrats: A Guide
for Government Workers Leading
Change describes
government
workers on the cutting edge of radical approaches to government
accountability
and management processes. It offers a satisfying new alternative to the
perception of government workers as being little more than bureaucrats
looking
out for their own special interests.
Allison
Bell encourages government employees to step up into their own
"superpowers" no matter what their level of involvement in
government, surveying the abilities such ordinary heroes could provide
and
promoting a different form of leadership by example that taps both
personal
values and the government's existing structure.
From
building
relationships to shift power to identifying common "supertraps" that
immerse workers in supporting systems that have little moral grounding,
Bell
creates and promotes ideas anyone at any level can employ:
"In the last
chapter, we discussed the importance
of building and maintaining your herocrats network. Weaving the web is
a light
and easy form of that ... Weaving the web is about frequently and
consistently
making connections.
If
"grassroots" were to be identified not ideologically, but in
real-world operations, Herocrats would fit the bill
for a step-by-step
workbook on how to enact positive, ongoing change. Baby steps lead to
bigger-picture transformations, Bell maintains as she links individual
purpose,
perspective, and actions to these government-changing efforts.
Readers
might
believe that change comes primarily from strong connections,
extraordinary
efforts, and big drives for power and control. Bell here promotes a
series of
approaches that, together, build a network of actions that support
positive
visions of community and government empowerment.
This
notion is
just what is needed in the milieu of modern times, where powerlessness
keeps
people from acting in personal, workplace, and political endeavors.
Ideally,
Herocrats:
A Guide for Government Workers Leading Change will
be part of any
government worker's reading; included in all kinds of libraries
interested in
activism, change, and government processes; and, most of all, profiled
in book
club and debate and discussion groups interested in the nuts and bolts
of
enacting community- and then nation-wide change.
"It can take
courage in these environments to be
vulnerable and place oneself in a learning position. But that is
exactly what
we need to do. We need to get over ourselves and our egos and listen to
our
community members without judgment or defensiveness. This is how we
will learn,
grow, and eventually put together solutions that create positive change
in our
communities."
Return to Index
Please Write
Lynne M. Kolze
Beaver's Pond Press
978-1-64343-673-9
$31.95
Hardcover/$9.99 ebook
Website: www.LynneMKolze.com
Ordering: https://bookshop.org/p/books/please-write-finding-joy-and-meaning-in-the-soulful-art-of-handwritten-letters-lynne-kolze/20034693?ean=9781643436739
Please
Write: Finding Joy and
Meaning in the Soulful Art of Handwritten Letters makes a case for handwritten letters as an
important source for communication even in a digital age, tapping
personal
experience, anecdotes, and the enthusiasm of avid fellow letter-writers
to make
its case.
From why putting ink to page
creates a different legacy
and feel than a phone call or email to different kinds of writings that
inspire
not only connection, but art, Lynne M. Kolze reviews the history,
methods, and
purposes of effective letter-writing using a lively voice that will
inspire
readers to cultivate their own letter-writing skills and circles.
Kolze makes a powerful case
for choosing writing over
dashing out an email:
"Today,
emails
work well to convey one’s homesick feelings to those back home, yet
something
profound is missing when the recipient cannot touch or see the paper
that
tangibly holds those thoughts. Electronic messages give us little to
hold on
to—we cannot feel the paper that our loved ones held themselves or
perhaps even
kissed or cried over before sending them home. We can too easily lose
the
special flourishes, creativity, and soul of the writer when we convert
our
analog writing into digital communications. Thankfully, there are still
letter
enthusiasts and volunteers who put pen to paper for military men and
women,
bringing joy to homesick souls."
Such writings can be
embellished by cartoons, quotes, or
even small pieces of nature tucked within their envelopes.
From antique postcards and
the works of postcard
enthusiasts to seasonal letter-writing and tapping the wellsprings of
written
inspiration to inject self and a sense of place into the world, Kolze
provides
an inspirational blueprint for better understanding the power of the
pen and
why writing should remain relevant in these modern digital times.
Libraries and readers
interested in the history and
incarnation of letter-writing efforts will find Please
Write a passionate, lively celebration that will make one
wish to run to the mailbox in hopes of discovering the joy of something
handwritten and personal inside.
Return to Index
Reflective Meditation: Cultivating Kindness
and Curiosity in the Buddha’s Company
Linda Modaro and
Nelly Kaufer
Precocity Press
979-8-9877766-7-4
$15.95
https://www.amazon.com/Reflective-Meditation-Cultivating-Kindness-Curiosity/dp/B0C6BWWCCZ
Reflective
Meditation: Cultivating Kindness and Curiosity in the Buddha’s
Company encourages and
provokes conversation and
reflective meditation. This offers a different perspective and approach
to not
just enlightened thinking and feeling, but dialogue.
A fine prologue synthesizes the practice's
results by narrating the experience of Kim Henderson, who observed her
good friend
(and founder of Sati Sangha) Linda Modaro's immersion in a practice she
called
‘recollective awareness’. As Kim observed the impact and life-altering
results
of this meditative process, she was encouraged by her friend to pursue
the
practice through mentor Nelly Kaufer, a fellow recollective awareness
meditation teacher and the founder of Pine Street Sangha in Portland,
Oregon.
The candid
story of
how this initial observation and interest turned into participation in
an easy,
yet life-changing experience, opens with an introduction that informs
spiritual
seekers about the opportunities and processes of a different form of
meditation.
The first
unusual
aspect of this approach is the authors' collaborative focus on the
meditative
experience. They gather the voices and insights of others around them,
sharing
collective wisdom in an accessible and lively manner:
"We have ongoing conversations with meditators
about their
experiences. In our groups meditators get to listen to and learn from
one
another. Throughout this book we share these voices from our community,
at
times with a kind and curious response. This is how we interact when we
teach."
The dialogue
portion
of the practice is just as essential for understanding and success as
the
meditative process itself. Conversations about experience, intention,
mindfulness, and more permeate insights about the bigger-picture
thinking
meditation can unfold in a dance of mental origami:
"It takes courage to be self-honest, but in fact
that is one of
the main teachings. In Pāli a sappurisa
is an honest person. Someone who is true to themselves, to
others,
authentic, and becomes comfortable in their own skin. Many of us don’t
start
with these characteristics; right off the bat we’re trying too hard to
improve
and not acknowledging our starting points. We’re under so much pressure
to look
good when we put ourselves out in the world, especially these days if
we’re
engaged in social media. It’s hard to be aware of and value our own
self-honest
experience in meditation when we’re always trying to change it, or
others are
telling us to change it, or when conditions get in the way."
From
considerations
of Buddhist concepts of vulnerability and suffering to how meditators
grapple
with challenging characteristics of existence and experience, Linda
Modaro and
Nelly Kaufer craft a dialogue of possibilities that ultimately
transcends much
of the average reader's concepts of what meditative practices can
reveal.
Reflective
Meditation is a powerful dialogue that, in turn, deserves
not just library
acquisition and individual thought, but hopefully results in
conversations and
interactions among different types of communities as thinkers,
spiritual
seekers, teachers, and ordinary people come together to explore
elements of
growth and kindness in their lives, and its incarnation in the world.
Return to Index
Work-Life Bloom: How to Nurture a Team That
Flourishes
Dan Pontefract
Figure 1 Publishing
1773272225
$24.95
https://www.amazon.com/Work-Life-Bloom-Nurture-Team-Flourishes/dp/1773272225
Work-Life
Bloom: How to Nurture a Team That Flourishes is a study in
career moves, nurturing talent, and moving from individual to group
achievement. It hones its examples through a combination of real-life
case
histories and surveys of how teams succeed and fail, offering a series
of
lessons no business reader should be without.
The first strength to note in Work-Life
Bloom
is that its contentions rise above the usual 'blueprint for leadership'
to
address many of the underlying reasons of why teams often begin with
great
ideals, but fail to live up to their promise.
Dan Pontefract speaks of many influencers to
this
process; not the least of which is attitude and the perception of team
member
potential:
"It’s
critical to remember that many great ideas are not necessarily great at
first
glance but, like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, could be impactful over time.
Your team
members might not create something as noteworthy as a bestselling
album, but if
you value them, you appreciate and recognize their contributions and
ideas. You
value their input, extra effort, and desire for open conversations. No
matter
what people do at your organization, you must believe that they have
something
to contribute, and therefore they must be valued."
Another big 'plus' that sets this book apart
from
the usual team-building title is its attention to linking individual
psyches
and experiences with group and business intention. In this environment,
leadership can take a stand and make a difference not just in business
but in
personal life outcomes:
"It
is clear that social community has declined over the past several
years. With
that decline comes both concern and opportunity. You ought to be
concerned,
because a lonely person in life is likely to be a lonely worker. And,
as we’ve
discovered, loneliness is a costly expense. However, on the
glass-half-full
front, you can create the conditions at work that allow a team member
to feel
part of something."
Pontefract connects important dots between life
influence, personal experience, and business and team leadership
challenges.
The result is more multifaceted than most team-building business
titles,
offering solutions and observations that stem from acknowledging the
interconnected opportunities and pitfalls that lie between individual
members,
leaders, and group efforts:
"Agency
arrives through autonomy when people are permitted to ideate and act,
bolstered
by their ability to make informed, uncoerced decisions. That’s why I’ve
made it
a life-factor. If we can apply agency in our lives—as we should—how do
we use
those same constructs of agency at work?"
Business
libraries and readers that choose Work-Life Bloom: How to Nurture
a Team That
Flourishes should look at its bigger picture promise; for
it
offers not just another treatise on team-building, but revised
approaches for
interacting with and supporting people through life.
This earns the book not just high
recommendation,
but should propel it off library shelves and into the hands of readers
and book
clubs interested in vivid examples worthy of debate and discussion.
Return to Index
Becky's Choice: A Ghost's Story
Diane Green
DCG Books
979-8-9865899-9-2
$12.95
Publisher: www.dcgbooks.com
Ordering: amazon.com/dp/B0C97ZRWGB
Becky's Choice: A Ghost's Story is
another Becky Chalmers story for
ages 13 and older. It promises a ghostly plot, but adds in unexpected
romance
and intrigue to embed Becky's story with many attractive elements.
History and
mystery
collide when Becky, now fifteen, explores the New Jersey State Archives
with
her historian uncle, only to unearth a ghost haunting the annex's
hallway.
The ghost
presents
Becky with story embedded with a dilemma and tragedy, opening with a
smooth
recap of the six-member family's structure to set the stage for
newcomers to
Becky's world who may be unfamiliar with her prior exploits.
At this
point, it
should be noted that this is a faith-based series that will especially
interest
Christian readers. References embrace this fact as Becky confronts not
only
revised reality, but her own fears:
"Becky was home in Yardley. She was moved deeply by
Lily’s story,
and she slept restlessly. She was sweating in her bed. Becky dared not
move. “I
belong to Jesus Christ,” she whispered over and over again. Was it a
witch, a
werewolf, or Minnie’s ghost that was under her bed?"
Its survey
of life
(and afterlife) challenges includes considerations of bigger-picture
thinking
about ethics and morals as Becky enters into unfamiliar territory that
forces
her to make some unusual choices.
Another
notable facet
of the story is that intrigue and history are crafted in just under a
hundred
pages. This will especially draw reluctant readers who typically eschew
complicated plots or long-winded descriptions, as well as modern
generations
attracted to shorter works that pack a punch.
Becky's
family interactions
also take center stage, which creates a fuller-flavored story than most
writings for this age group, which focus on young protagonists who seem
to be alone
in their quests for truth and their adventures. Family is not far in
the
background of Becky's world, here.
The result
is a
compelling brand of entertainment and thought-provoking historical
mystery that
both adds to the Becky Chalmers experience (and series) and stands
nicely alone
for newcomers.
Libraries
and readers
seeking a story that pulls through its vivid, realistic focus on
problem-solving and achievement will find Becky's
Choice: A Ghost's Story notable and worthy of pursuit.
Return to Index
The
Devil Particle
Kristin A. Oakley
Independently Published
979-8-9878703
Paperback
- $15.99; EBook - $4.99
https://amzn.to/3qwWQtr
The Devil Particle is a young adult dystopian survival story that
presents a very
different take on a new world order in which evil has not only been
banished,
but identified and contained. In this world, scientists have discovered
a way
of protecting humanity from imploding under its own violence—but this
comes
with a big price tag, requiring one individual to 'contain' all this
violence
within themselves.
In
this
scenario, serving in such a role is not just desirable, but applauded.
That's
why teen Paul Salvage
enters
the competition to be The Devil Particle Vessel, and why he draws back
when
violence destroys his own family before he can compete in the Trials to
become
a world-saving hero.
In a struggle
reminiscent of The Hunger Games for
its focus on a new world order and a competition which holds underlying
forces
and realizations a teen must uncover to survive, The Devil Particle performs a neat slight of hand. Paul's mission and
those of teens around him become a journey of new realizations and
shocking
truths about good, evil, and options in the matter of world salvation.
Kristin A. Oakley embeds her
story with the particles of
realization and moral and ethical quandary which bring Paul and his
peers to
life. Oakley is especially adept at portraying life-changing situations
which
demand extraordinary responses and choices from these young adults:
"I
look down
at Rune dangling from my hand. Do I let her go? Could I? Would that
save
Jaelyn, Gaige, and me? I don’t know. But it might buy Jaelyn enough
time to
reach the twelfth floor. If I hang on to Rune, can we all make it? As
if in
answer, I hear loud pops as the ladder’s bolts give way. There isn’t
much time.
I’ve got to save Jaelyn. That’s all that matters. I have to let Rune
go."
The process of making hard
decisions based on impossible
circumstances that both test interpersonal connections and redefine
good and
evil intention results in a riveting story that is all the more
powerfully
displayed by its use of the first person to reveal Paul's thoughts. As
Paul
finds himself in competition with those he loves, he comes to realize
the
deeper impact of this effort to contain evil.
As issues of personal and
worldwide survival vie with
questions of reality and perception, Oakley creates an action-packed
story
filled with higher-level thinking and messages that will lead young
adult
audiences to debate and consider their own impacts on life and the
world around
them.
Libraries and readers
interested in spirited,
thought-provoking teen dystopian stories that hold the feel of The Hunger Games but notch up the
ethical and moral dilemma factor will find The Devil Particle equally (perhaps even more) compelling.
Return to Index
The
Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Girl
E. Grayson
Many Realms Media
979-8360043393
$12.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
Website: www.ManyRealmsMedia.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Extraordinary-Adventures-Ordinary-Girl/dp/B0BW2GWG3F
Middle grade readers
who choose The
Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Girl for leisure reading are in for a treat,
because Clara Frank's journal of her life-changing experiences entering
middle
school will mirror many of the hopes, expectations, and experiences of
young
readers in the same situation.
Clara has read many books
about middle school and the
often-unwelcome changes it introduces. Her parents aren't helpful in
reviewing
their own memories—in fact, her father cautions that "high school will
be
worse," which does nothing to address the overwhelming feelings Clara
is experiencing
now.
Her normally-wise mother
holds the opinion that, somehow,
Clara is extraordinary. How she
grows
into this promise, navigates middle school's challenges, and faces
unpredictable and daunting adversities in everything that previously
felt set
in life (even her family) is the topic of compellingly rich, honest
account
cemented by the confessional tone of Clara's diary entries.
E. Grayson
creates a
compelling portrait that reflects the increasingly jaded worldview of a
girl
whose life is buffeted by too many changes all at once. This leads to
her
candid reflection that "Life sucks
and then you die, I guess."
How Clara
grows to
realize there is more to living than survival alone makes for a story
that is
filled with questions, answers, and observations that lend to her
growth in
extraordinary ways. Couched in the pages of a personal story, Clara's
progression is replete with psychological growth that starts and stops
in fits
of frustration and new realizations:
"Maybe I'd misjudged them? Maybe they really did
miss me and want
to be my friend? Maybe they'd only been rude before because they were
jealous...?"
Clara's
awakenings
will serve as thought-provoking moments for many a middle grade reader,
and
also offer fodder for discussion groups as she tackles vastly revised
life
experiences. Her moves to attempting to be more grown-up in her
perceptions
dovetails nicely with the situations that force her to move forward
with new
reactions to her life.
The result
is a
completely engrossing, memorable account of not one, but many life
transitions
affecting young Clara's world and its promise.
Libraries
and middle
grade readers seeking an evocative, realistic survey to the tune of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
and other fictional attractions will find the combination of strong
characterization, an intimate diary format, and a series of changing
situations
to be compelling and revealing, making The Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary
Girl a top
recommendation
for this age group.
Return to Index
Find Me in
Time:
Mission Apollo
L.T. Caton
Find Me In Time IP Holdings, LLC
978-8-9873961-3-1
$10.24
www.findmeintime.com
The second
book in
the Find Me in Time series, Mission
Apollo, brings middle grade readers to the Tree House Club's
second
adventure—following the moon landing via a personal experience of time
travel.
Aaron, Emma,
Ashley,
Keith, and Harry embark on a journey that brings them to Mission
Control and
the making of the Apollo mission, but spies and intrigue emerge to
affect not
only the moon landing effort, but the history and involvement of the
kids.
L.T. Caton
contrasts
real efforts made in the moon landing with a scenario in which five
proactive
children find themselves personally engaged in the making of history.
The
first-person
story is replete with science, a "you are here" feel revolving around
the Apollo mission, and the special abilities of savvy kids to observe
things
the adults around them tend to miss:
"As I turned my head from the TV back to the big
video screen in
the control room, I noticed something strange. A man sitting right at
the back
of the room was pulling at his earlobe. Now, moving restlessly wouldn’t
have
been strange at all, but the way he
was doing it caught my eye. You know when someone’s doing something
they
shouldn’t, but they’re trying to be super-casual about it? We’ve all
done that
‘nothing to see here, folks’ act—I guess most adults wouldn’t notice
it. Kids,
though, are tuned in to that kind of behavior."
From
connections between Apollo and
civil rights efforts to
the milieu of the 60s and struggles for equality and achievement, many
of the
underlying social patterns of the past are also revealed as the kids
observe
and learn new things.
Caton's
ability to bring history to
life through the young
observers' eyes and experiences makes this second book in the time
travel
series just as compelling and educational as the first.
Libraries
and readers seeking time
travel journeys that
involve proactive kids of the future becoming actively involved in
outcomes of
the past will find Mission Apollo
displays the mantle of a mystery, the power of history, and the
emotional
connections of kids who do more than quietly observe the past. They
actively
engage with it—thus participating in their futures.
Return to Index
Iora
and the
Realm of Legends
Arefa Tehsin
Crimson Dragon
Publishing
978-1-644644-41-3
$14.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook
www.crimsondragonpublishing.com
Young
adult
readers of epic fantasy and adventure who look for stories embedded
with these
elements and solid, compelling young characters will find Iora
and the Realm
of Legends a gripping read.
It
holds a
simple query: what if an evil rainforest legend escapes into the real
world? And
what if a tag team of twelve-year-olds who have entered the arena of
rainforest
legends are the only force that can stop it?
In
this story,
Iora, the Spirit of the Jungle, is called upon to help the Angels and
force the
evil to retreat.
The
tale opens
with reflections on this evil force, then moves to Iora, Owlus, and Chinar, who are charged
with thwarting its move into reality from the fantasy realm.
The story's
complex
setting and contention might confuse kids at first, but Arefa Tehsin
creates
compelling characters whose special interests and force power through
any
initial complexity:
“It’s a very rare
happening, you know, to escape from
a story. I couldn’t understand for a while how I had entered the real
world.
Luckily, I found a cave to hide in. To my surprise and terror, I saw
Enchantra
A, the story keeper witch. And, you know, it was just out of habit that
I stole
the root from her. I didn’t even know it was the key to the Realm of
Legends
until she caught me yesterday and …"
Losing
the battle
would mean that the trio becomes trapped in this realm, to become
legends
themselves.
As
a series of
encounters mingle to create avenues of confusion and new possibility
for the
trio, young readers will find the potentials and promises of this realm
to be
as inviting as considerations of its impact on the broader environment
outside
its borders.
Tehsin
creates
an inviting fantasy journey through legends and lore that tests the
three young
characters as well as the Inventor's narrative.
Iora and the Realm
of Legends is Book 2 of the Iora’s
Adventure Series
(Book 1 is Iora and the Quest of Five).
Libraries
and
middle school readers seeking a vivid fantasy that weaves adventure
with
insights about family and friendship connections will find the quest
presented Iora
and the Realm of Legends a captivating read that traverses
new
opportunities and perceptions of changing the world and confronting
evil
forces.
Return to Index
Mother
Nature Nursery
Rhymes
Mindy Bingham,
Penelope Colville Paine and Sandy Stryker
Paper Posie Publishing
Company
978-0-9707944-9-9
$19.95 Hardcover/$14.95 Paper
Website: http://www.paperposie.com
Ordering: https://amzn.to/3qktPl1
This picture
book
treasure of environmentally aware nursery rhymes originally appeared in
1990,
but remains as relevant to young audiences of modern times as it did in
the
past. It's a delight to see it reincarnated in 2023 in a lovely
presentation
illustrated with equally compelling and timeless art by Itoko Maeno.
The poetic
approach
to plants, animals, and the natural world brings each to life with a
delicate
twist of rhyme and insight that helps early learners absorb the basics
about
environmental importance and preservation. Today, more than ever, this
inviting
message needs to fall upon young ears; not deaf ones.
Read-aloud
adults
will find these twists on familiar nursery rhymes to be enlightening
and
educational, as well. Take the classic 'Little Miss Muffet' for an idea
of how
nature, here, is represented as being appealing rather than threatening:
"Little Miss Muffet
Sat on her tuffet
Eating a berry sorbet
Along came a spider
Who sat down beside her
To frighten the houseflies away."
Readers
might
initially question why such approaches are tailored to babies and the
very
young, who are hardly in the position of becoming even early advocates.
The
reason is: because these are the future stewards of the world. There is
no
inappropriate time for starting this education and appreciation, much
less
developing cognizance about the importance of the world beyond human
use and
intentions.
This is why
the
compelling rhymes and focus of Mother
Nature Nursery Rhymes not only needs, but deserves a place in
any child's
library. Its ability to gently instruct and cultivate a better attitude
towards
nature and its appreciation and preservation can't be introduced at a
young
enough age.
Return to Index
The
New Lizard
Queen
Mark M. Even
Cresting Wave
Publishing
978-1-956048-21-6
$9.49 Paper/$1.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/New-Lizard-Queen-Dragonstone-Story/dp/1956048219
The New Lizard Queen is the third book in the Dragonstone Story for
advanced elementary to
middle-grade fantasy readers. It continues the saga of Mandy Mandez and
her
cousins, who continue to employ their extraordinary abilities in
unusual ways.
Their ability to fight crime alongside the FBI returns them from
Storyworld
(where they honed their powers in previous books) to the real world,
where they
continue their education by using their powers in new ways.
Overviews
of
events in the first two books lend to a feeling of continuity for
previous
readers and a foundation of knowledge for newcomers to better
understand or
recall Mandy's family and evolving strengths.
The
stage is
nicely set for the confrontations they experience in The New
Lizard Queen,
where a concurrent series of crises, from the rise of terrorists led by
an evil
sorceress to astronauts trapped on the moon, challenge them to
determine where
and how their abilities will best be utilized.
From
the
dragonstone's ability to help these young heroes transform to
alter-egos to
gun-smugglers and giant lizards, the wizards and witches that permeate
this
story are varied and many as Mandy and her cohorts face battles,
magical
forces, and the lasting impact of their efforts:
"Everyone was wary
of talking with her as she
continued to answer with emotional outbursts each time someone
mentioned the
battle in Macau. Each night, Mandy would leave the family and return to
Parasol. Sometimes, she would sit on the outer landing and watch the
sunset in
the west, causing colors of oranges and purples in the sky. But after
nightfall, she would scan the stars above, looking for some sign of
what was to
become of her life."
The New Lizard Queen's special brand of rollicking adventure is
especially recommended for
fantasy readers interested in a blend of epic confrontation and
life-changing
decisions that grow the participants in different ways.
Libraries
and
readers seeking a series that sizzles with battles and magical insights
into
life's adversity will find The New Lizard Queen an
attractive read
that's hard to put down.
Return to Index
Nursery Rhymes for Kinder
Times - Volume 1
Pam Gittleman
Mascot Kids
978-1637558010
$18.95
https://www.amazon.com/Nursery-Rhymes-Kinder-Times-1/dp/1637558015
Nursery
Rhymes for
Kinder Times - Volume 1 reforms the classic blind mice rhyme
into 'Three
Kind Mice,' whose objective is to help others get cheese, say 'please',
and
identify their emotions, telling adults how they feel to mitigate
negativity
and encourage communications.
In
addition to
Three Kind Mice, the book includes additional updated rhymes, allowing
it to
branch out and illustrate other acts of kindness, such as picking sweet
roses
for Grandma and Teacher in "Ring Around Sweet Roses."
Other kids get into the mix
as they help Humpty Dumpty
and appreciate the artistic efforts of peers, with the introductory
mice often
coming out from hiding to present kids with find-the-mouse activity.
A facing page of emojis to
each story encourages kids to
think about how they would react to others and how they can identify
feelings
and show appreciation and gratitude to others.
The result is a fine
collection that updates eight
classic nursery rhymes to use the familiar to explore areas of
kindness,
empathy and gratitude for the very young.
Educators and parents who
choose Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times -
Volume 1 will find it attractive
for its many opportunities to explore higher-level thinking about
emotions and
actions with preschoolers.
Return to Index
Sammy & Scarlett's
Coral Reef Adventure
Robert Andrew Provan
Archway Publishing
978-1-6657-3931-3
$30.95 Hardcover/$20.95 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Sammy-Scarletts-Coral-Reef-Adventure/dp/1665739320
Sammy
&
Scarlett's Coral Reef Adventure takes place in the Florida
Keys and
involves a visit to the barrier reefs that lie off Florida's Eastern
coast. The
perspective presented in this adventure comes not from human children,
but from
a fish duo who explore their water world with an eye to revealing its
ecology,
other underwater denizens, and its natural history.
Robert Andrew Provan pairs
an anthropomorphic perspective
with nature facts to create an attractive story filled with natural
history
insights about the area. The fishy adventures and encounters come to
life under
illustrator Mary Wentzel's hand, adding colorful visual attraction to
Sammy and
Scarlett's encounters:
"Always
remember—late in the afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky, the
barracudas
and sharks begin feeding. You must always seek hiding places late in
the day
and at night, or you may be eaten.”
Elementary-level readers
will find that this survey of coral
reefs offers a different, more intimate perspective about undersea life
and
human influences on its quality and nature. Provan injects ecological
impact
concerns seamlessly into the fish world, so the impact of plastic bags
in the
ocean (for one example) hits home harder than it would in a typically
nonfictional survey of ocean life and ecology.
By personalizing the coral
reef world and presenting it
through the eyes of a pair of fishy adventurers, Provan creates a
compelling
world that comes to life in a more personal way than most undersea
natural
histories allow.
Libraries and educators will
thus find that Sammy & Scarlett's
Coral Reef Adventure
embraces many themes of ecology and ocean preservation that will prove
key to
better understanding, couched in the form of an adventure tale that
will widely
appeal to young audiences.
Return to Index
Stars
&
Swashbucklers
Lilah Fitzgerald
DartFrog Books
978-1959096641
$24.17
Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Stars-Swashbucklers-Last-Montmorency-Saga/dp/1959096648
Stars & Swashbucklers is a young
adult steampunk story written
by a teen who is largely involved in the world of professional dance.
Her equal
prowess at the written word and an exceptionally creative take on a
futuristic
scenario in which Earth has been broken up into space 'islands' makes
for a
compelling, visionary story that is a standout for not only its setting
and
action, but its humor.
Lilah
Fitzgerald
exhibits this wry sense of humor from the start as she presents an
alluring
advertisement for the maiden space voyage of the starship Halthow, as
narrated
by 'average girl' Anya Marcox. She longs to be a privateer searching
for
Earth's relics from before The Breaking across space, but this is an
extraordinarily dangerous profession which also attracts monsters—and
one her
brother would never allow.
The
island-hopping
airship journey she is embarking on will bring her in direct conflict
with this
vision of being 'ordinary' and will also place her in a dangerous
position of
becoming an active participant in the greatest treasure hunt of all
when an
encounter with an alluring stranger draws her from her steerage passage
into
the heart of danger.
Fitzgerald's
first-person story represents a powerful foray into the unexpected as a
four-hour journey that will lead to a new home turns into something
very
different.
From the
nightmares
that haunt Anya's dreams to the reality that plagues her choices and
footsteps,
young adults will find themselves thoroughly and quickly immersed in a
world
supercharged not just by confrontations with monsters, but by new
realizations
about connections between upbringing and strengths.
As Anya
keeps new
secrets, considers another's promise to keep her safe, and experiences
sea
changes in perceptions and involvements, readers will find her
encounters and
realizations breathtakingly captivating:
"I know what kind of life Dax lives, what his role
in the Cavil
Bros. entails, but that doesn’t make it any less unsettling to hear it
mentioned so casually. It’s so easy to forget that the boy in front of
me could
kill me in less than ten seconds if he felt like it. So easy to forget
how
wholly different from him I am."
"Average
lives for average girls." This
thought powers the story and constantly reminds Anya of her initial
lessons in
life, but as she moves further and further away from their meaning, she
discovers an impact and adventure she never could have foreseen for
herself.
Neither will readers—and the added value of
this element of surprise and growth makes Stars
& Swashbucklers a strong recommendation for libraries
and
young adult readers seeking exceptional pairings of action and
self-realization
in the sci-fi and steampunk worlds.
Return to Index
There Are
Dinosaurs
in the Library!
A.G. Allen
Independently
Published
979-8-9882939-1-0
$18.95 Hardcover/$17.95 Paper
www.agallen.me
There Are Dinosaurs in the Library!
presents Library Day, which is
a day young Alyssa particularly hates. But, how can you hate the
library when
there are dinosaurs in it?
Wise teacher
Mrs.
Barker leads a very skeptical child to the library and introduces a
dinosaur
book, which doesn't impress Alyssa at all. Until a confused-looking
stegosaurus
leaps out of a book, leading a group of dinos to invade.
Not one to
let
leadership assume responsibility, Alyssa makes her move, introducing
disaster
into the scenario.
A.G. Allen
creates a
picture book story that is inviting and surprising on different levels
as
Alyssa receives some lessons on the library's attractions and Mrs.
Barker's
powers.
Vivid,
colorful
illustrations by Octavio Cordova seals the deal with inviting
spectacles that
will earn the delight and attention of young picture book readers and
read-aloud parents looking for whimsical, fun lessons about dinos and
library
attractions.
With its
very
different form of magic, There Are
Dinosaurs in the Library! stands out as a lovely adventure
with several
messages about adaptation, escapades, and the possibilities of entering
a
book's inviting world.
Return to Index
Vermilion
Sunrise
Lydia P. Brownlow
Warren Publishing
978-1-960146-34-2
$33.95
Hardcover/$20.99 Paper/$6.49 ebook
www.warrenpublishing.net
Young adult
readers
seeking stories that embrace elements of sci-fi paired with thriller
components
will welcome the fast-paced action and intrigue that permeates
seventeen-year-old Leigh's new world in Vermilion
Sunrise.
"She’d never wanted to leave Earth. And yet, here
she
was—ninety-nine trillion kilometers from home. Part of humanity’s
initial
settlement in a distant solar system, a colonization effort undertaken
by
teenagers because no one else could survive the cryosleep."
The story
opens with
a compelling bang: Leigh awakens nauseous, covered in peach slime, and
confused
about her situation. She's in a cryorecovery room awakening from a long
sleep,
and has traveled ten light-years from home to be among the first
colonists in a
new world. She's been sleeping for thirteen years, and her memories
have been
stolen. All she knows is that she needs to go home...
Lydia P.
Brownlow
embeds her story with mystery and discovery. These two components drive
Leigh's
life towards unexpected discoveries as she interacts with fellow teen
colonists
and redefines what "home" really means.
The new
world may not
be as new and unsullied as they expected, however. It brings with it
new
discoveries, realizations about their past and future, and even new
journeys
washed by the possibility of memories that will fill in the blanks and
reveal
the truth of their mission and lives.
Brownlow
also injects
philosophical, deeper-level thinking into the story which adds value
with its
thought-provoking insights:
"She’d been the one to say, 'I think we should go,'
but when she’d
said it, she hadn’t thought about how going in search of one thing
meant
leaving something else behind. She still thought they should go. But it
was
harder to leave than she’d imagined."
All these
elements
make Vermilion Sunrise a standout
in
teen sci-fi reading. As Leigh and Lex uncover their realities and
destinies,
young adults will find their saga compelling and hard to put down.
Libraries seeking exceptionally powerful stories of new beginnings, new connections, and old truths will find Vermilion Sunrise a welcome collection addition.
Vermilion SunriseReturn to Index