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Able Greenspan's Bookshelf
With Justice For Some
Lise Pearlman
Regent Press
www.regentpress.net
9781587907463, $64.95, HC, 468pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/JUSTICE-SOME-2nd-Politically-Criminal/dp/1587907461
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/with-justice-for-some-lise-pearlman/1139676634
Synopsis: This 250th Anniversary Edition of "With Justice for Some: Politically Charged Criminal Trials in the Early 20th Century That Helped Shape Today's America" by Lisa Pearlman compares our fragile democracy under threat in 2026 to the context of headline-grabbing criminal trials from the early 1900s.
Pearlman's study opens with a remarkable admission by former FBI Chief James Comey in a speech on Lincoln's birthday in February 2015:
"All of us in law enforcement must be honest enough to acknowledge that much of our history is not pretty. At many points in American history, law enforcement enforced the status quo... that was often brutally unfair to disfavored groups."
He then invited all Americans to re-examine our "cultural inheritance" with fresh eyes.
That is what Pearlman's book, "With Justice for Some", seeks to do as the second Trump administration threatens the future of our democratic republic. She reaches out to readers on both sides of the current political divide in hopes we can all gain a better understanding of the extent cultural bias has permeated the fabric of our nation by revisiting the country a century and more ago under white supremacist control.
As the Trump administration seeks to dismantle our democracy, Pearlman offers readers a better premise from which to move forward as a nation than the whitewashed history so many of us were taught in school and the government is seeking to forcefeed us today.
Critique: An absolutely critical read for anyone with concerns about the flaws in our contemporary justice system, the corruptive influences of the Trump administration on our American Democracy in general, and the 'Rule of Law' in particular, ""With Justice for Some: Politically Charged Criminal Trials in the Early 20th Century That Helped Shape Today's America" by Lisa Pearlman is an extraordinary, timely, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Political Science and Judicial History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the welfare of our country and the survival of our democracy that this hardcover edition of "With Justice for Some" is also readily available in paperback (9781587907449, $34.75) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Lise Pearlman (https://www.lisepearlman.com) is an author, a former trial lawyer and a former judge. She is a nationally recognized speaker on famous trials of the 20th century.
Able Greenspan
Reviewer
Diane Donovan's Bookshelf
Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub
Melanie Abed
www.melanieabed.com
Oculus Print
9798995281313, $20.99 Hardcover/$13.99 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Zoo-Adventures-Felix-Ninja-ebook/dp/B0HDRBD1RS
Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub is the first story in the middle grade Felix & Ninja series, accompanying its tale with vivid, colorful illustrations by Hisham Abed. The lively sci fi-horror tale of a plague that causes orphans to turn into monsters is a powerful, compelling story of two kids who must step out of their reclusive personalities to find a cure before their island home is literally devoured.
The story opens with naturalist Felix confronting strange, green, glowing goo that excites him to the point of abandoning scientific process and confronting a threat that might extinguish his scientific approach before it produces results. Melanie Abed employs gripping descriptions that build tension as Felix is forced to abandon logic for the sake of survival:
The doorknob rattled again. Harder this time. More insistent.
Felix released his grip on his notepad and pressed himself back against the shelves, suddenly aware that the thin wooden door might not be enough. Not enough for what, he couldn't say - and that uncertainty was the most disturbing element of all.
Record, don't react, his old mantra whispered. Document, don't disturb. But this - this defied documentation.
As Ninja joins him in confronting this deadly new danger, the two observe impossible scenarios that also receive unusually compelling descriptive force that lends tension and atmosphere to their evolving experience:
The well water glowed. Not green like Bessy. This was different - silvery, almost beautiful, like moonlight trapped underwater. And floating just beneath the surface were dozens of tiny, translucent spheres. Each one pulsed with its own otherworldly light, moving together in synchronized patterns like they were dancing.
Science, theories, and action blend in a gripping mixture of possibilities and altered realities as the two very different friends employ their disparate brands of inspection and problem-solving approaches to creating an effective response to the novel dangers confronting them.
The story's introduction to the Territories of Tub also leads readers into a scenario that moves the children from becoming shy observers to active participants:
"...even the best naturalists aren't just skilled at watching life unfold. They know exactly when to become part of the story."
Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub will appeal to middle grade readers seeking a vivid blend of action, fantasy, mystery, and scientific problem-solving which translates to a thoroughly unpredictable, engrossing story.
Elementary-level librarians can highly recommend Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub to young readers interested in zombie stories that sizzle with action, analysis, and unpredictable outcomes.
Why Real Estate Does Not Appreciate - And Why You Need More of It
Thomas Guss
Morgan James Publishing
https://www.morganjamespublishing.com
978115112017781, $22.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Estate-Does-Appreciate_and-Need/dp/B0HDRX4VNN
Why Real Estate Does Not Appreciate - And Why You Need More of It argues that conventional views of long-term real estate investment are not what they seem. What does add value is change - and responding to it appropriately. Thomas Guss employs his 25 years in New York real estate to focus on these factors in a book that tells investors how to make the most out of real estate through revised approaches to its management.
Some thirty chapters make the case against passive real estate holdings in favor of reviewing the shifting conditions which affect real estate investments long-term. These considerations empower real estate investors by offering strategies, assessment approaches, and bigger-picture thinking not typically covered in real estate books.
During the course of these discussions, Guss provides essential analytical insights that survey the foundations of not just purposeful and effective real estate acquisition and management, but the foundations of wealth based upon it:
Ownership also changes behavior. If you control the building, you can invest in build-out, signage, accessibility, storage, and operations without the fear that you're improving someone else's asset. You can think in decades, not in three-year amortization cycles. The store can look better precisely because you can spread improvements over longer periods of time. And over decades something else happens: The store profits may be modest, but the property preserves (and sometimes grows) purchasing power. Many families become wealthy not only because of the inventory margin but because of the land under it.
Finally, ownership creates resilience in bad years. If sales dip, an owner can, in effect, negotiate with themselves and temporarily accept lower internal rent. A tenant typically can't.
Why Real Estate Does Not Appreciate bases its approach and recommendations not just on a singular attitude, but empirical evidence in academic research, studies, statistics, and historical precedents. This successfully captures the trends that have affected real estate wealth or degeneration over the decades, giving readers a broader picture of volatility factors, procedural issues that affect long-term outcomes in real estate, and insights about connected wealth acquisition and management history:
Real estate appreciates most reliably when a place becomes a long-term choice rather than a short-term trade. For many, gold was an exit strategy. Silicon Valley was an arrival. It created staying power. And staying power is what turns land from speculation into an asset class.
Though Why Real Estate Does Not Appreciate will appeal to anyone interested in real estate specifically, it should also be acquired by business readers, entrepreneurs, financial managers, wealth acquisition specialists, and virtually anyone involved in investing money into real estate assets of any kind.
Its wider-ranging ability to attract these audiences makes Why Real Estate Does Not Appreciate a top recommendation for business libraries and readers interested in far more than a singular "get rich quick" approach to real estate.
Through the Darkness
Charlie Bynar
Independently Published
B0HC894T4F, $5.99 Paperback/$7.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Through-Darkness-Story-Love-Other/dp/B0HC894T4F
Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side is the true story of author Charlie Bynar's loss of her son Isaac in 2017. Extraordinary circumstances lead Bynar to reconnect with her son in an unusual manner, the subject of a story that contrasts Isaac's world on the other side with her investigation of his death, which she suspects stems from medical negligence.
Through the Darkness explores different perspectives and contrasts in experience as it moves through spiritual awakening, grief, and investigative processes, contrasting these three approaches with Isaac's voice as he speaks from the other side to guide his mother and others left behind.
This story stemmed from Bynar's attempt to make sense of what happened. Happily, this expanded from a personal effort to publication, because Bynar's experience within and outside of medical circles lends her both an insider's perspective and the opportunity to reconcile her loss and experiences in a very different way.
Isaac not only communicates with her from the other side, but draws upon other generations for support to help Bynar through the process of investigation, grieving, and a new outlook on life and death.
The story moves between Isaac and Charlie's worlds with a fluidity that bridges them, bringing each to life in a manner that enlightens readers about shifting purposes, perspectives, and approaches to communication and resolution:
Isaac explained to them everything he'd said to Ethel. "All of this is making Chris uneasy," he said in summary, "which fills my mom with uncertainty. If not for that, I think she could overcome her doubt and listen to her heart. I think this because she wrote me a letter about the two messages and placed it on my bed."
"It's wonderful that you've gotten through to your mom," Hazel said. "I've been worried sick about her, but I also understand why Chris feels apprehensive. . . . His connection to you isn't the same as your connection with your mom. He's only getting the messages secondhand, never directly, which is why he questions what your mom tells him. Perhaps the best way to deal with this situation is to get a message directly to Chris, so he understands from firsthand experience."
As the souls in question mingle to weave new connections, Through the Darkness moves between both worlds in a manner that dovetails the evolving purposes and connections between each. Not just two, but a host of participants add to the unfolding investigative and emotional growth processes.
Charlie Bynar's memoir of discovery encourages its readers to be open to the possibilities of other worlds, other stories, and other lives.
Readers open to such potentials will find Through the Darkness a hopeful, ultimately uplifting account of love that will appeal to those seeking true stories of resolution and revitalized connections after death. The ultimate result will appeal to anyone interested in afterlife encounters and healing. Through the Darkness is especially recommended for psychic, spiritual, and book club circles for its intriguing journey to resolution and peace:
"Things were very difficult for a long time, but we both came to know you were still with us . . . that you had just gone ahead."
Retiring on FIRE
Jonathan D. Block, MD, MBA
Pierhead Lighthouse LLC
9781834312217, $19.99 Hardcover/$13.99 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Retiring-FIRE-Fundamental-Guide-Wealthy/dp/1834312213
Retiring on FIRE: The Fundamental Guide to Retiring Wealthy and Early surveys the elements of financial independence that most dream of, but few achieve. It reveals a system for wealth management that draws upon not just accumulation, but strategies for converting income into self-building wealth, allowing savers or earners to retire early with a juggernaut of auto-building wealth processes in place.
It all sounds too easy - after all, if this were so achievable, wouldn't many be doing so? Apparently not - not without the core math involved in Jonathan D. Block's FIRE program, which is designed to not only build success stories, but address common risks that destroy early retirement plans.
Investment savvy and principles weave into the FIRE concept, backed by advice on how to run the numbers, better understand influences on their progression, and manage investment accounts.
Traditional savings accounts are examined and critiqued, mismatches in investments identified, and retirement goals from personal projects to travel are added into the topic of money management to help potential retirees hone the basics of not just how they will pay for their retirement years, but what they will do with their time.
This expands the usual approach of retirement investing, adding considerations to the overall equation of financial management that will create important discussions among business, financial, and personal wealth management reading groups and circles.
Librarians and readers interested in a system-driven guide that integrates saving, investments, and life planning into one logical approach will want to add Retiring on FIRE to the top of their acquisition lists.
Its blend of practical and systems insights and advice makes for a hopeful, lively, and accessible survey that all income levels will find enlightening.
Prime After 50
Jonathan D. Block, MD, MBA, MLS, MPH, CPE
Pierhead Lighthouse LLC
9781834315935, $16.99 Paperback/$7.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Prime-After-50-Urologists-Strength/dp/183431593X
Prime After 50: A Urologist's Guide to Strength, Energy, Sex, and Lifelong Vitality offers an important survey of urological conditions which tend to arise in older age, offering a self-help book that men should consult as part of the process of understanding and mitigating the effects of an aging body.
This guide stands out from others because of its basic premise that signals of possible forthcoming problems are too often ignored - and that men can easily acknowledge and do something about them:
Just getting older" is a passive explanation for what are actually active warning signals. Your body isn't failing you. It's communicating with you. The problem is that nobody gave you the manual to read what it's saying. That's what this book is.
Dr. Block has a quarter century experience as a urologist. His experience lends to his creation of a system for the early identification and tackling of common urological problems that sometimes present as vaguely as growing malaise, insomnia, and other symptoms that may not initially be linked to urological dysfunction.
His insights involve better understanding vascular health, metabolism and muscle changes, shifting hormones, and other influencers on urinary health.
Moreover, chapters offer not just early warning systems and identification, but assessments of effective and ineffective approaches to maintaining health. These provide candid, sometimes surprising assessments of the connections between diet and lifestyle choices and overall metabolic reactions:
Perfect diets don't exist. Carb absolutism, meaning the belief that all carbohydrates are poison or that eliminating them entirely is the only path to health, ignores the metabolic context that determines how your body handles carbohydrates. Juice cleanses provide no meaningful detoxification benefit and strip out the fiber that makes whole fruit valuable in the first place. Supplementing around a poor diet is the nutritional equivalent of putting premium fuel in a car with a cracked engine block. The fundamentals have to be in place before any supplement can do meaningful work. And fad fasting protocols that require extreme restriction windows or extended multi-day fasts are harder to sustain, carry more risk for muscle loss, and produce no better metabolic outcomes than the simple 12-hour overnight eating break covered later in this chapter.
Prime After 50 uses urinary system health as a starting point for men to better understand their entire body's systems, interactions, warning signals, and changing maintenance requirements.
Librarians and readers seeking proactive, positive assessments of what works, what doesn't, and how to handle an aging system with better knowledge and management will find Prime After 50: A Urologist's Guide to Strength, Energy, Sex, and Lifelong Vitality an essential home and library reference.
King Avalanche the Great & Other Fantastic Cat Tales
Viviana Fallerti
Little Feather Press
www.LittleFeatherPress.com
9798988469223, $24.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Avalanche-Great-Other-Fantastic-Tales/dp/B0DYVMFXYM
King Avalanche the Great & Other Fantastic Cat Tales may hold the feel and illustrative value of a picture book, but it will appeal widely to all ages - especially cat-centric readers who enjoy exceptional illustrations, as presented here by Claudia Gadotti.
Seven cat tales range from descriptions of rescues from kittens to adults to feisty, opinionated, cuddly, troublesome cats of all kinds.
Each tale is based on a true story and a real cat, but holds the special attraction of detailed descriptions of life and households that aren't just for kids:
Mrs. Marmalade, the lady of the house, was sitting in a squeaky old rocking chair reading a book about knitting cat sweaters, wanting to be away from the cigar smoke of her handy-dandy husband Andy, who had just finished installing some shelves in the family room...everyone in the small and happy household seemed cheerful and content. But all was not well...
Cats and their antics and personalities assume center stage, but the human lives that revolve around them are just as complex and richly described.
The loving, lively, appealing feline nature of these very singular cats comes to life in a gentle, feisty, fun manner that lends particularly well to read-aloud, family appreciation, and gift-giving, with the keepsake hardcover serving double duty as a pass-down between generations and a durable library lend.
Cat lovers will be especially taken by how each cat's personality and journey unfolds as life hands them different families, challenges, and options. Breed-specific traits and the nature of living with different kinds of cats unfold in a study that also represents how no two cats are alike.
The result is simply outstanding and very highly recommended for a wide audience. Prior knowledge or appreciation of cats is not a requirement: King Avalanche the Great & Other Fantastic Cat Tales provides all the ingredients for great stories, enlightening moments about cat care and personalities, and fun interactions between cats and humans.
Librarians seeking a cat collection that is whimsical and delightfully embellished will want to make King Avalanche the Great & Other Fantastic Cat Tales a 'must have' acquisition.
The Condition
Stephen R. Brown
Independently Published
9798657502282, $13.46 Hardcover/$7.85 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Condition-STEPHEN-R-BROWN/dp/B0GCJ58ZQC
The Condition is a hard-hitting novel combining satirical reflection, psychological and social insights, and wry observation. It creates layers of inspection perfect for literary audiences interested in the intersection of personal, social, and ethical analysis.
The story opens with gritty first-person narrator Reno Smith, who regrets that he's messed up his life and made bad choices:
That old man is not even my real father. But he's done everything for me, more than anyone else ever did, I guess. Certainly, more than my real morn and dad ever did. But I guess I wasn't thinking much about him that night, else I wouldn't have been out fucking shit up. Who knows why I did it, any of it? Maybe just because I could, because I had the chance.
As a frat fight leaders to killing and the narrator faces an off-the-records rehabilitation center called K.I.C.K., readers venture into a world where paradigms collide, realities shift, and sociopaths abound.
Reno has guns and believes some people deserve to die. His friend Aaron is set to kill him - but, with cat-like reflexes, Reno survives to see another day, setting in motion a chain of events that challenge his survival tactics.
Reno isn't the only focus of this story. The tale moves between Reno and narrator Lively, who enters midway to tell the tale in her own words, providing a satisfying contrast in perspective and experience to Reno's rough-and-tumble worldview.
Lively has chosen a very different path for redemption, embracing her deep Christian faith and mission as she faces authority and repression in a very different way. Her love for Reno carries her far from her own suffering even as she embraces different facets of identity and moral thinking from her lover.
The contrast between these two and their very different experiences in the world make The Condition an exceptionally thought-provoking inspection of authority, control, redemption, and survival tactics. This invites a wide audience of readers to consider the roots of faith, choice, and impact.
Librarians seeking a literary novel packed with insights that book clubs and reading groups will find a lively vehicle for sparking vivid debates will want to highly recommend The Condition. It will reach patrons and readers who look for stories that analyze and break down the possible avenues of and motivations for future social and psychological change.
Ancilla: Master, Teach Me
Sera Maddox Drake
https://seramaddoxdrake.com
Independently Published
9798889408604, $26.99 paperback/$2.99 ebook
Author's Website
https://1link.st/seramaddoxdrake
Ancilla: Master, Teach Me is a novel of mysticism and discovery that revolves around new beginnings, sexual exploration and romance, and the BDSM community. Erotic symbolism combines with explicit description, probing rituals and the process of domination and release within academic circles to create a genre-busting novel that is nearly impossible to neatly peg.
The heart of the story seems to lie in sexual and soul-mate boundary-pushing, but Ancilla and her "master" Magister's relationship is far more complex than readers might initially anticipate.
The slow burn of passion combines with the supercharged world of academia and learning, imbibing each with a magical overlay of possibility driven by sometimes-dangerous physical and mental explorations via characters whose intentions and perceptions shine.
Many threads in this book explore topics not normally seen in either erotica or literary circles. These include starvation that is part economically triggered food insecurity, part the likely result of the protagonist's refusal to ask for help; breath control (which can, in reality, prove deadly, as is pointed out in the front-end content advisories); chronic pain, a bisexual protagonist who confronts homophobia, and all manner of social, psychological, and physical deprivation and challenge.
Ancilla: Master, Teach Me is neither an easy nor a light read, but a vivid first-person account of a BDSM relationship's evolution which brings readers right into the bedroom and heart of a submissive participant with graphic descriptions and metaphorical acknowledgment:
I am steel, being heated in the flame and hammered on the anvil. I will be strong.
From learning to cook from a mentor whose teaching style at times reminds her of Mr. Miyagi, and absorbing kitchen dynamics which, like lessons in sex, translate into other arenas, to entering Ancilla's realm of willingness to be reformed and reinvented by another ("This must be what it feels like to be sculptor's clay."), the back-and-forths of passion, pain, ecstasy and discovery weave into a portrait set in 1990s Ohio as the edges between identity and absorption blur.
Readers interested in BDSM experiences, sexually graphic stories of exploration and discovery, and insights into this community and its perceptions will find Ancilla: Master, Teach Me not just boundary-pushing, but revealing.
As hard as it may be to neatly categorize, Ancilla: Master, Teach Me is also a haunting journey through morality, sexuality, love, and different forms of teaching and learning. It brings to mind the classic The Story of O - but on emotional steroids of revelation that embrace also foreshadowing and magical realism.
Canter Cuisine: Shetland Soup
Chef Seff
www.chefseff.com
Sarah Seff Publishing
9781969206357, $9.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1969206357
Canter Cuisine: Shetland Soup is the picture book story of four horse friends (Rose, Hazel, Iris, and Daisy) who learn how to cook from Chef Marigold.
Daisy feels ill and can't attend the first cooking class, so her friends cook up a formula for making her feel better, guided by the wise Marigold, who has just the recipe for illness - chicken and lemon soup.
Unfortunately, the budding cooks interpret the recipe in different ways, resulting in some delightfully delicious snafus as three novices navigate the kitchen and overthink the recipe when their overseer leaves to check on the sick patient.
Each horse adds their two cents on what the recipe's steps actually mean. Are potatoes vegetables, for instance? And can a recipe's instructions be both wrong and right?
This fun tale embraces not just elementary-level cooking, horses, and varying interpretations of instructions, but offers a formula for friendship and problem-solving as the young horses join (and sometimes butt) heads to help their friend.
Elementary-level libraries and read-aloud adults seeking fun stories with underlying messages about connection and cooking will find Canter Cuisine: Shetland Soup the perfect recipe for lessons on listening, understanding, cooperation, and the value of life experience.
Kids will appreciate the horse-centric characters, inviting illustrations, and messages about friendship, understanding, and the value of wise instructors.
Wonderful Half
Ari Ryn
www.ariryn.com
Tsubame Press
9798248475285, $22.99 Hardcover/$12.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Half-Novel-Ari-Ryn/dp/B0H2W9CVSH
Wonderful Half is a novel about fourteen-year-old Japanese boy Kentaro, who stays under life's radar as a way of dealing with his mother's drinking. As the story opens, his only friend is Naoki.
From the start, Ari Ryn sets the tone of a Japanese summer with a powerful blend of tactile flavors that will draw all ages into Kentaro's world:
The cicadas were louder than usual, the buzzing rising in waves that drowned out the distant hum of traffic, with only the clang of passing trains strong enough to break through. Beads of sweat gathered at Naoki's temples, and Kentaro could feel tiny drops forming on his own forehead. Even walking felt heavy. A bite too big from the strawberry bar sent a sharp, almost painful cold through his teeth, making him flinch.
In a world where the sea "feels like magic" and happy memories of childhood's better times are now rationed, Kentaro exists more than grows - until new foreign boy Akira comes to town, bringing his own ghosts as baggage.
The three boys share coming-of-age concerns as they teeter on the precipice of adulthood. Akira feels especially challenged by adults who want to move him forward with life plans:
"Yeah, but everything's so different. School here ends in March, and I thought I wouldn't have to worry about high school until summer. And there's that career-guidance form they gave me to fill out. How am I supposed to know now what I want to do for the rest of my life? I've never really thought about it.
"What if I pick something and end up hating it? What if I spend years preparing for some career and then realise I can't stand it? Or what if I find something I actually love, but you can't make any money from it? What am I supposed to do then?
"I can't just quit and start over. Life's hard. Just surviving, you have to work your arse off for food, clothes, a roof over your head. Your landlord isn't going to waive the rent just because you need time to figure things out."
Especially poignant and touching are insights about the process of standing on the cusp of adulthood. These reveal inviting, thought-provoking passages as the characters interact and share their thoughts, dreams, and worries about the future:
"I feel like I'm running out of time," Akira said more quietly. "These feel like the last days of freedom I'm ever going to get. Soon I'll have to choose something and squeeze myself into it, change so I don't stand out. It feels like there won't be any space left to just be myself."
The result is a powerfully compelling story that weaves together the atmosphere of Japan and the culture of the Japanese, the concerns of three very different boys who each address their future prospects differently, and accompanying issues, from bullying and alcoholism to fantasies and realities, that challenge each of them in different ways.
Ari Ryn's story will reach young adult audiences and libraries that cater to them, featuring an evocative tone and explorative value that lends to adult interest, as well.
Filled with insights, reflections, and the connections between three seemingly disparate boys who share some of the same concerns about their future, Wonderful Half offers a lesson in adolescent thinking. Its many moments of realization, new discoveries, and ultimate truths about the value and costs of boys liking boys enlighten and delight a wide age range.
A Dance of Birds
Angela Blair
Sea Pony Books
9798992826159, $16.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Birds-Poetry-Paper-Collage/dp/B0H6NP4QCM
A Dance of Birds: Poetry and Paper Collage is a gorgeous picture book exploration and celebration of birds. It will appeal to all ages with gorgeously colorful bird collages by illustrator Sherri Kay Linnemeyer and evocative comments by Angela Blair:
Soaring the skies, with power and grace.
Each flight a delight, a dance in space.
Adults reading aloud to children will appreciate the bird sounds embedded into the experience, which add a dimension of vocalization opportunities to the bird descriptions that come with chirps, honks, hoots, and coos.
Eagles, toucans, pigeons, seagulls, and robins all are featured as the poems explore their natural history, nesting, travels, and individual and group habits.
The result is one of the brightest, most appealing picture book coverages of birds on the market - a visual delight that does justice to Blair's intention of capturing, in simple yet lively verse, all the qualities of birds that the very young can celebrate and easily enjoy.
Libraries typically see many bird books that can appeal to the very young, but A Dance of Birds: Poetry and Paper Collage is one of the best marriages of poetry and art on the market, and deserves not just acquisition, but prominent display.
Sun Kissed & Salted
Angela Blair
https://www.angieblair.com
Sea Pony Books
9798992826128, $17.00 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Kissed-Salted-Angela-Blair/dp/B0FD8WS9DN
Sun Kissed & Salted is a vivid novel that opens with a graphic near-death experience. In the aftermath of a hit-and-run accident that almost claims her life, Alika Jones embarks on a journey of seeking out thrills and getting more than she bargained, for as a result.
The milieu of Los Angeles in the 1970s and '80s provides a backdrop for Alika's journey, but she doesn't stay in one place very long. She elopes, sojourns to Europe, travels the world, and slowly falls down the slippery slope of enduring abuse in her relationship and life, which slowly takes over her spirit and trajectory.
Angela Blair provides evocative descriptions of Alika's many transformations as she moves through time, places, and people in search of identity and experiences:
Turning the corner, I listened to the faint voices continuing to say, "come home." I saw a small park inviting me in through the open wrought iron gate. The season had turned, and autumn beckoned the auburn leaves to fall onto the green grass. I bent over and gathered the leaves together, forming a large pile under a tree, and I lay down, sinking into the center. As the voices faded, I drifted off into a much-needed sleep. For now, this was home, though I felt I didn't know myself at all.
The last place she would expect to wind up is training to become a combat nurse in war, but Alika's journey is anything but singular. Her best efforts to survive keep leading her into novel situations powered by a desire for change and new challenges:
I felt half-crazy, and half-excited, but on an adventure and taking a risk, which was my familiar.
Her quest for freedom, experience, and identity forms the foundation of a story that moves through her life exploring the nature of safety, accomplishment, and success.
Librarians and readers interested in women's fiction that pushes boundaries of achievement and self-help will find Sun Kissed & Salted powered by a memorable, likeable protagonist whose adventures intermingle with her growth process.
Its moments of revelation and discovery make Sun Kissed & Salted both a compelling read for individual pursuit and highly recommended for book clubs and reading groups interested in literary novels about women on the move.
My Mother Said My Name
Mads Henrik Odgaard
Grondal
https://grøndal.dk
9788797535868, $29.99 Hardcover/$20.00 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/My-mother-said-my-name/dp/8797535885
My Mother Said My Name is a literary novel about Mina, a young Afghan woman forced to flee with her family when the Taliban take over her country in 2021. There, Mina and her kin build a new life in New York City.
Assurances by the U.S. have dictated their lives in Afghanistan, their decision to flee to America for safety, and their ability to rebuild new lives. But after the elections of 2024, Mina and her family again find themselves doubting the word of national leaders - this time, on American soil.
Mina's return to Afghanistan on a secret mission portends new dangers, realizations, and grief as the daughter faces not just the loss of her mother, but her nation.
Mads Henrik Odgaard creates a powerful saga of healing and adaptation:
"Mr. Mendelsohn, you ask how my dad, little sister, and I are doing. I'm not entirely sure, actually. We function day to day, and we've been doing so for a couple years now. But whether and how we've processed losing my mom, fleeing Afghanistan so abruptly - I don't think we've properly addressed any of that yet. We haven't really managed to start those conversations together. But I hope that by telling the other two about my experiences in the grief group, I might be able to make something happen. It would be best if they didn't keep it all bottled up."
Her focus isn't just on the immigrant experience, but the process of coming to terms with a shifting sense of home, belonging, and place that embraces both grief over the past and prospects for a more peaceful future.
Additionally, My Mother Said My Name offers many powerful insights about new connections and healing opportunities which can arise between strangers from unlikely chance encounters:
I just don't think I'm yet capable of seeing what happened 'from the outside' or as something that occurred in the past. That makes it hard to put into words that you're no longer with us. What I do though is talk about what happened. Or rather, I tell stories about it. I've met an old man. His name is Mr. Mendelsohn. He's experienced loss too, just as we've lost you. He lost his wife. Strangely enough, she was also Afghan. And he's a refugee himself, like us. We take walks together, mostly in Central Park. We talk extensively about our family histories and therefore about loss.
Ultimately, My Mother Said My Name is about Democratic processes, political and personal choice, grieving and moving on, and adaptation. It moves from the specifics of Afghan culture and experience to embrace broader topics of immigrant concerns, activism, involvement in international covert operations, incorporating a surprising version of coming full circle that many readers won't see coming.
Steeped in powerful realizations and experiences, My Mother Said My Name is an evocative saga of families under siege and letters to an absent mother that ultimately fuel change and understanding.
Libraries seeking literary novels replete with important connections between global events and family ties will want to acquire and recommend My Mother Said My Name, especially to women's reading groups seeking commanding female characters and thought-provoking reflections about their relationships and life choices.
In addition to Amazon.com, My Mother Said My Name is available at Ingram.
The Boy Next Door
Dan Helpingstine
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798901743171, $17.99 pb, $29.99 hc, $8.99 ebook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Next-Door-Dan-Helpingstine/dp/B0HCWBDRQQ
What sparks the narrator of The Boy Next Door to become the idea behind and impetus for a controversial, banned book that shakes his community? Seventeen-year-old Don Hathaway is struggling with the grief of suddenly losing his firefighter father, the challenges posed by an English teacher in his senior year of high school, and, years later, the impact of her publishing a novel based on him which becomes the pivot point of a book-banning movement years later.
Alice is the older woman in Don's life. His sadness at the time of their encounter leads to something more than educational pursuits. Their shared sense of isolation creates a connection that evolves into something uncommon and socially unacceptable, leading to Alice being fired from her job.
But the situation doesn't end there. Don's attempts to forget about Alice come to naught as he faces his past, grief, and breakthroughs with Dr. Brown, navigates a girlfriend, and grows older while trying to reconcile his past influences:
Even from this short sample, I thought Alice's book had a great deal of value. I remembered how, even at seventeen, I hadn't understood many things that had happened. I hadn't understood why my father died, and I had tried to understand how I felt about Alice. Her storytelling almost had me in tears. I had wanted to be a hero but had known I wasn't.
It doesn't help that Alice has inadvertently exposed him to their community and raised a viper's nest of questions.
As he probes his love for his father and Alice, Don confronts a host of internal and external influences in his life:
How I had missed her. How I had loved her. If Mary Ann Moore was going on the attack, I would defend Alice. I owed her that and more. I so badly wanted to write this story that I was sure was unfolding. It was Alice's story. It was my story.
The emotional nature of Don's journey will prove attractive and surprising to readers used to male protagonists remaining somewhat emotionally distant in their self-analyses. It's one of the main attractions of The Boy Next Door as it blossoms in many different ways, from Don's maturity process and ability to examine his emotional ties to community condemnation and involvements.
Libraries and readers interested in stories that unfold with passionate observation, compelling insights, and the give-and-take relationship evolution between different age groups will find The Boy Next Door just the ticket for vivid book club discussions about love, trans-generational relationships, small towns, and big emotions.
Canine Custody
Gary Goldstein
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798897472826, $30.95 Hardcover/$19.95 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Canine-Custody-Gary-Goldstein/dp/B0H3QL5VCZ
In Canine Custody, Los Angeles couple Layla and Franklin Bishop struggle and are finally facing divorce. So far, so normal. But the custody battle that evolves over Betty the dog turns a simple divorce into a messy proceeding that adds both humor and rocky rides to the separation process.
Gary Goldstein's wry wit is evident from the opening lines of the first chapter, which embrace spaniel Betty's point of view as she considers the puzzles of her two beloved humans and their conflicts.
Chapters move between Betty, dog father Franklin, and mother Layla as they consider their shifting relationships, muse about the future, and adapt to circumstances beyond their control. Betty holds many dog-centric focuses on these changes, adding a satisfying dimension of animal understanding to the story:
I'll tell you a secret: When I'm sure Layla is sound asleep, I quietly jump off the bed, creep out of the room, and cross to the office. Then I jump onto the couch, curl up, and rest for a while in honor of my time in there with Franklin. I know it sounds weird, and I probably won't keep doing it, but for now it feels right. Oh, and I always get back into bed with Layla before she can realize that I'm gone. At least I think I do; she hasn't said anything to me yet.
From exercises in compromise and the peace talks exacted by the couple's mutual love for their canine, to shifts in how the couple lives with and without one another, changes communications, and responds to the help of a divorce mediator, Canine Custody places the specter of a relationship's dissolution squarely in the arena of a beloved pet's perspective. This fuels the impact of emotional fluctuations on an entire household. The juxtaposition of these very different experiences and perceptions under the same roof makes for both fun and enlightening moments as the story unfolds.
How can they reboot a relationship and marriage when it seems dead?
Goldstein's exploration of love, separation, and the possibilities that lie between makes for a thoroughly engrossing story that is delightful and unexpectedly light-hearted, given its very serious subject.
Readers used to wrenching stories of relationship battles will be pleased to find the serious changes tempered by whimsy and pet interactions and viewpoints, setting Canine Custody apart from most.
Librarians seeking novels rich in animal magic and influence, as well as relationship pivot points, will find Canine Custody will appeal to readers who like their stories uplifting and fun as well as thought-provoking.
The Family Speaks
Kirk Ward Robinson
www.kirkwardrobinson.com
HighlandHome Publishing
9798988681540, $21.99 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Family-Speaks-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0H2JKL49H
The Family Speaks is the fifth book in The Speaks Saga and will especially appeal to prior readers interested in how Kirk Ward Robinson continues to evolve a family saga that has carried over four previous books.
The fictional town of Bilbo which resides on the Appalachian Trail is the setting, the year is 2019, and varied and estranged family members of the Speaks clan, scattered across the country and even the world, find the thread of COVID unexpectedly brings them back together.
The opening chapter tells of Elaine's unexpected pregnancy, discovered after Landon leaves her, her flight to the impoverished town of Bilbo in search of connection and family support, and her discovery that friend Timewall is away, hiking the Appalachian Trail.
An unexpected letter gives her freedom from a decision she had felt forced into making, returning her to her identity as Lainey even as Timewell walks away from his other life to forge new realizations far from home.
As characters from previous books emerge with different life experiences, purposes, and connections, Kirk Ward Robinson builds a dovetailing set of newfound realizations that will prove especially compelling to prior audiences who have followed some of these people and their developing lives.
With Timewell at the center of the unfolding saga, maturity and new lives build alongside revised realizations about the past and possible future:
Instead of romantic entanglement, Timewall spent that winter in exploration, probing the features of nature, the peaks and creeks, the cracks and crevices in rock that might shelter a sleeping bear. And he explored the features of his own thoughts and memories, the who that he was beyond the earnest boy who rose to every occasion that required it.
He discovered during these self-explorations that he was capable of more emotional depth than he'd ever realized. The stolid, stoic wall that had always garrisoned his feelings now shone light through crumbling mortared joints. He felt sadness and grief for his lost little sister, not just anger. And then there was love, a concept that remained nebulous but he caught glimpses of it now and then, in memories of his siblings, of Misty, even of his mother. Love was not an admission of weakness but an expression of courage, the courage to have faith in someone else even if that faith seemed unearned.
The result is a powerful juxtaposition and conjoining of seemingly disparate lives that return to family interests in the face of world-changing events.
While librarians can easily recommend The Family Speaks to newcomers, as its roundup of personalities allows for new arrivals to appreciate the family's dynamics, it's the prior enthusiast of the series as a whole who will best appreciate the complexity of family changes as they receive resolution and growth in this final volume of the series.
Replete with notes of insight about rural poor environments and lives, Appalachia culture and community, the sense of hopelessness that often invades such milieus in America, and a family's struggles against the backdrop of COVID, The Family Speaks charts a powerful course of action and recovery for modern times.
A Tail of Learning
Once Upon a Dance
Once Upon a Dance, Publisher
https://onceuponadance.com
9798899940187, $24.99 Hardcover/$9.99 Paperback/$3.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tail-Learning-Not-So-PURRfect-Pirouettes-Dance-Along-ebook/dp/B0H32V91WW
A Tail of Learning is a picture book that adds to the Kittina Ballerina's Dance-Along Adventures series, and follows the experiences of young animals that scamper into a ballet studio to learn the magical art of dancing.
Kittina, bequeathed a dance studio by a magical mirror in Pirouette Pines, teaches others and herself as she expands her dancing abilities, but faces her inability to perform or teach the key pirouette movement.
"I'll never be a real ballet teacher," she cries as she faces her limitations and her inability to perform or impart knowledge. But the novel concept that teachers can improve their own skills literally flies into her window, and Kittina discovers new opportunities by joining the Sterling Ballet.
Cameo pictures of ballet steps and exercises accompany the fictional kitty's illustrations by Stella Maris to provide a delightful combination of ballet instruction and lessons on perseverance, learning, and adaptation.
Once Upon a Dance creates an appealing, absorbing story that emphasizes how ballet can be simultaneously taught and learned, illustrating not only steps in both, but how an aspiring young dancer can incorporate many different facets of instruction and discovery into her daily efforts.
Librarians and young readers interested in a different kind of ballet exercise filled with fictional attraction and practical dance steps will find A Tail of Learning an uplifting saga of new understandings and adaptations in the drive to dance.
From the Vault II: The Lost Chords and Stories
Jeff Silverman
Palette Music Studio
https://palettemusic.com
9798995991106, $39.95 Hardcover/$24.95 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Vault-II-Lost-Chords-Stories/dp/B0HBJKYMBY
Palette Music Studio
https://palettemusic.com/shop
The World Is Better Dreaming song introduced listeners to the first branch of the VAULT II musical journey, which was inspired by the author's mother's battle with cancer. From the Vault II: The Lost Chords and Stories is a book with a companion album that continues the journey, and may be accessed by newcomers and prior listeners alike.
Jeff Silverman reveals, in this book, the artists, collaborations, music studio interactions, and elements which shaped music and inspired creative new songs.
Musicians and non-musicians alike will appreciate these rare and raw insights into the process of inspiration and collaboration which form the foundation for a survey of creating new music.
The stories that influenced and evolve from these connections form the foundation of a revealing branch of discovery enlivened by Silverman's inspections and reflections:
The branches of this family tree are still growing. New songs will be written, new people will enter the story, and new chapters will unfold. Yet even now, the distance between so many of these moments rarely stretches beyond six degrees of separation. Sometimes the smallest connections end up shaping the biggest chapters of our lives.
Photos, images, and insights coalesce in a blend of musical memoir with creative insight throughout this journey, providing thought-provoking considerations and lively philosophical and musical insights.
This excerpt recalls Jeff's first visit to Abbey Road Studios in London during the mid-1980s, where a wall covered with messages from fans around the world became a powerful reminder that music doesn't end in the studio - it continues through the lives of the people it touches:
Layer upon layer of messages, names, bands, countries... fans from all over the world leaving a piece of themselves behind. A living, breathing tribute to The Beatles and everything that came out of that room. To me, this wasn't graffiti. This was human artwork. Proof that the music didn't stop at the door... it kept traveling, person to person, across the world.
Especially notable is the passion and purpose that runs through these experiences, with decades of the author's experience providing running commentary and insights that are charged with emotional connection.
The result is more than an album accompaniment, but a full-bodied interaction between musical and life passion that captures the flavors of connections, interactions and moments that are vividly portrayed.
Throughout the book, Jeff shares the lyrics and the stories behind many of the songs featured in From the Vault II. One such story begins with his first writing session with singer-songwriter Meredith Marshall, where a chance meeting led to the creation of "Dancing With the Devil I Know."
I met Meredith as a stranger, and somehow, in the span of that one day, we wrote and recorded "Dancing With The Devil I Know." By the time we left the room, it already felt like it had always been there. We walked away. The song didn't. It stayed with us... alive in a way that's hard to explain. Not unfinished - just waiting. Like so many songs in the vault, it wasn't lost. It simply hadn't met its moment yet. Some songs chase the light. Others are born in the shadows. This one chose both. And now... it steps forward. Still breathing. Still dangerous. Still dancing with the devil we know.
The Oagenn: Turning the Tide
Dr. Paul L. Sasser
Independently Published
9798255663408, $14.54
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Oagenn-Dr-Paul-L-Sasser/dp/B0H6KW4H8P
We are the Oagenn. We do not age and we do not die the way others die.
The Oagenn: Turning the Tide is a novel that incorporates elements of fantasy and the supernatural into a backdrop of real history, and will especially appeal to readers seeking multifaceted literary tales that embrace the strengths of these diverse approaches.
Dr. Paul L. Sasser employs the first person to bring immediacy and vivid insights to the story of a sea captain, Nathanael Livanos, who lives among men while aging only one year for every ten of a normal mortal's life:
I looked thirty years old. I had looked thirty for a long time. The scar on my left forearm from the French boarding pike in 1790 remained white. Everything about me stayed. That was the problem. I was born in London in the winter of 1630.
He's kept his secret for three centuries, until circumstances force him to move from being unseen to being not only recognized, but a force to be reckoned with after a young boy is kidnapped and Nathanael is forced to acknowledge that those few he trusts are those he should confront.
The sea change which buffets his life and threatens his ability to move secretly among men makes for a powerful saga not only of the good captain, but other characters such as Tallulah Holliday, who interacts with former middleweight champion Gordon Ketchel, a man whose hidden identity also allows him to walk in the normal world unseen, but who is bent on revenge and redemption:
Gordon told himself the story all the way to the end, the version where this was normal and mutual, where the past was the past and a man could be changed back into himself by an act of will and a willing woman in a room above the harbor. He was almost able to believe it. Almost was the word he had lived inside for three years, and he had gotten good at it, the way a man gets good at anything he practices every day whether he means to or not.
Gordon also "believed the things he did to people dissolved behind him when he walked away."
Miss Holiday directs the forces that could bring Nathanael down, but these reach out to embrace and involve her in unexpected ways as a host of characters interact in Sandy Island, South Carolina to bring the area's history, influences, and hidden culture to life.
Sasser builds his story around a juxtaposition of the possible and impossible, injecting a sense of magical realism into the bigger pictures of betrayal, survival, and a storm that reaches to embrace them all. While the ancient race presented is entirely fiction, the setting and its cultures and influences is not, presenting a fine juxtaposition of fiction and reality which lends authenticity and realistic elements into the plot.
Also of special note is how the first-person character of Nathanael and the third-person reflections of other characters create easily-absorbed fluctuations between viewpoints which add depth and clear understanding to a smooth story line.
As the novel progresses, it reinforces the efforts of investigators such as Agent Jackson, who is faced with investigating a quake claimed to be an act of supernatural malice rather than a natural uncontrollable force and a hidden war between clashing forces that is happening right under the unsuspecting noses of mankind.
Readers who enjoy the fast-paced action of investigative thrillers, the unexpected overtones of supernatural influences, the bedrock of historical facts, and the alluring quasi-familiar applications of magical realism will find The Oagenn: Turning the Tide to b a riveting saga.
Librarians that choose this genre-busting story for their collections will find it also will attract book clubs seeking fiction that steps well away from formula productions to create interplays between characters and forces that are uncommon and powerful.
Delaware's Forgotten Cavalry: A Failure of Command
Dave Tabler
www.davetabler.com
Independently Published
9798992166798, $9.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Delawares-Forgotten-Cavalry-Failure-Command-ebook/dp/B0GYK3Y9HX
Delaware's Forgotten Cavalry: A Failure of Command is based on the pocket diaries kept by three sergeants of the First Delaware Cavalry - Harrison Vandegrift, Spencer Hitch, and William Townsend Downes - who documented the 1864 war they were living through. These rare writings are some of the few to detail events and circumstances which evolved from Delaware's cavalry, whose involvements were largely rewritten to suit the political perceptions of political appointee Colonel Napoleon Bonaparte Knight.
That author Dave Tabler uncovered and has returned this history to the light of modern times is testimony not just to his perseverance, but the power of individuals keeping personal records of events for future posterity.
Readers anticipating a sweeping overview of the times may at first be surprised by how individual and seemingly ordinary are these daily accounts of military experiences by common men. What evolves from these perspectives and close writings is a review of leadership and what happens when it fails - and ultimately a contribution to bigger-picture thinking about what happens to the common foot soldier following orders.
The three diarists weren't writers or historians, but farmers and merchants inadvertently drawn into service whose observations of a fragmented leadership and its breakdown is particularly vivid for its roots in the ordinary man's observations.
It should be noted that while the short diary entries often focus on weather conditions and physical concerns, Tabler adds essential footnotes and references that augment many seemingly-unremarkable incidents with further historical connections readers will find essential to understanding these writers' experiences and importance, i.e.:
This is the only recorded instance across all three diaries - Hitch, Vandegrift, and Downes - of cavalry horses breaking loose and causing significant damage. While references to poor forage, worn tack, and hard riding are common, a runaway team crashing through town and destroying equipment was evidently rare enough to be worth special mention. Hitch's phrasing conveys the chaos and surprise of the moment. Non-combat accidents, however, were not uncommon. On May 1, 1864, Hitch recorded that "one of Comp A's men got their leg broke to day he was Running his horse and he threw him."
Also notable is the fact that these three different writers often chronicle the same events from different perspectives, which lends essential insights into the process of observing and interpreting history and cements the idea that historical recording comes not uniformly from one experience, but the combined perspectives of often-diverse backgrounds.
The result is not only an essential document to Delaware history, but an important insight into that war in particular and historical documentation in general which can be used to illustrate important points to classrooms interested in historical writings and their interpretation, repression, or presentation.
Libraries interested in any of these topics can recommend Delaware's Forgotten Cavalry: A Failure of Command well beyond Delaware-centric focuses.
Paper Girls Burn
Pippa Scott
Caitlin Press Inc.
www.caitlinpress.com
9781773861944, $19.00
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Girls-Burn-Borderline-Personality/dp/B0GZSSP7D5
Paper Girls Burn: A Borderline Personality Disorder Memoir is a powerful account of what it feels like to grow up different, with well-meaning adults trying to tame the chaos of a borderline personality within rigid educational environments that only make things worse.
From age eleven, Pippa Scott knew her perceptions were different. Even her own mother wonders: "Why is everything always hard with you?"
From Pippa's many fears (being alone, unnamed harm, monsters, and loss) to being a groupie, entering into relationships, and handling the terror and challenge of becoming a mother herself, Pippa chronicles the usual progression of life and the unusual circumstance of viewing and experiencing it from quite a different perspective than the norm.
As she embarks on an ongoing journey of self-acceptance, she is fueled by an unusual propensity for self-awareness that at times operates to her detriment even as it holds unusual possibilities:
I was often told that my self-awareness was a gift I should be grateful for. Was it a gift? I wasn't so sure. I understood it helped me in some ways, but at many times it felt more like a curse. I was offered front row seats to the circus of my mind, able to track its constant acrobatic acts while remaining a puppet and slave to its own deviousness and whatever plan it wanted to enact for me. I did not want to be so acutely aware. At least give me the gift of ignorance.
How she develops a "tribe" that accepts her for who she is makes for a potent story of building connections and honing empathy and strength that will prove inspirational to others who are neurodivergent.
Librarians seeking a personal memoir that embraces the extent of being different, responding to life in novel ways, and accepting the strengths that emerge from these pathways will find Paper Girls Burn an intense, influential survey that examines family connections, self-awareness, and growth under a new light.
Book clubs and psychology reading groups interested in neurodivergent thinking, perception, and growth will find Paper Girls Burn especially enlightening.
Getting It Right: A Psychological Thriller
Karen E. Osborne
www.KarenEOsborne.com
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685138035, $20.95 Paperback/$6.95 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Right-Psychological-Karen-Osborne/dp/1685138039
If Getting It Right sounds familiar to some, that's because the original book of the same title appeared in 2017. The story has been rewritten and revamped. While it still bears a connection to the original, there are new characters, intrigue, and a conclusion vastly changing the plot's trajectory.
Psychological thriller readers will relish this story of two half-sisters from its particularly inviting opening line:
Jim Smyth died young, but not soon enough.
At age thirty, Kara well recalls her foster father's abuse and is grateful he can't hurt any more children, but his impact continues to resonate when she meets her half-sister Alex Lawrence for the first time, as an adult, and faces someone who is stalking her.
Each sister confronts abandonment, abuse, and struggles in their own lives that also add a sense of control, compassion, and kindness into their world. Each struggles with dysfunctional romances, choices that reflect patterns of abuse and survival, along with the knowledge that a sister is in the world whose presence may change everything.
As Kara faces Zach's smooth lies, the trauma of childhood memories which overlay any pleasure in sex, and a looming FBI deadline, her sister struggles equally heavily with family ties and confronting her father and fears.
Karen E. Osborne juxtaposes chapters that shift perspectives, clearly labeling and following Kara and Alex's different reactions and decisions. She creates pathways of realization and complexity that test family, ethical values, and mandates for making changes in each woman's future.
These neatly dovetail intrigue with psychological revelations to make each character realistic, accessible, and thoroughly compelling, as is the sisterly relationship between them that originates from their conjoined and different experiences.
The result is a thriller replete with suspense, growth, and relationship impacts that will especially engage book club and reading group members with intriguing questions about blood ties and shared experiences that create divergent pathways in adulthood.
Librarians that choose Getting It Right: A Psychological Thriller for their collections will want to highly recommend it to patrons seeking more than a novel of intrigue or surviving childhood abuse. Its threads of insight about connection, control, and chaos create important subplots packed with twists readers won't see coming, offering delightfully absorbing moments in a quest to find family that turns into something amazingly different.
Who We Used to Be
Julia Amante
https://juliaamante.com
Wise Writer Publishing
9781931627207, $21.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Who-We-Used-Julia-Amante/dp/1931627207
Who We Used to Be introduces questions about individual identity in marriage as a seemingly perfect marriage bonded by devotion, faith, and success is buffeted by a partner choosing to step away not due to lack of love, but lack of self identity.
Rachel believes in everything she's worked hard to build with her husband Jeremy - until he informs her he needs space from their lives. Sure this will be a temporary, short-term need, Rachel agrees to step back - but as time and life go on, she too begins to question the foundations of her life and connections. She changes and ultimately becomes a different person than the one who once bonded so strongly with her husband.
One surprise lies in the fact that the person who leaves, intent upon new realizations, affects the person who stays and initially wants things to stay the same or return to normal as Rachel begins to explore new possibilities apart from their connections and lives together.
Suddenly, it's Rachel who isn't sure of what she really wants from life. When Jeremy proposes to return, she hesitates. She doesn't know what she's become and is not sure she likes her former life enough to want to step backwards into it, and so the two begin a dance that moves from a pause into transformation.
Julia Amante builds a powerful saga around these realizations, with chapters shifting perspectives between characters as revised goals and dreams are honed by each individual. Through these new lenses of understanding, other characters' lives are re-examined or viewed from different angles:
"Thanks for your advice about Thanksgiving and enjoying my time with Jeremy and the kids. I'm going to try to make it happy for all of them."
He angled his head and reached up to ease strands of hair away from her forehead. "I know you will. That's who you are. I hope it works out for you."
She stared at him. "Do you?"
"Of course. Separation. Divorce. It hurts like hell. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
His words did something to her. It made her see him differently. One second, he was inappropriately teasing her; the next, he said things like this that let her know he understood and saw her the way others didn't.
Even as Rachel explores her connection to Juan and others, Jeremy is making new decisions about career and family which include a return to Rachel that neither of them may actually want - not the way they once were, anyway, even though it embodied the pinnacles of success.
Amante's ability to highlight and contrast the types of growth each character experiences, the entities and forces that enter their lives and reshape them, and the cost of making a decision that is irreversible makes for a thought-provoking, engaging, surprisingly uplifting story of adaptation and reinvention that will attract a wide audience.
Libraries can easily recommend Who We Used to Be to women's reading groups, book clubs interested in stories of identity- and relationship-building challenges, and individuals who want a solid emotional story about revised connections and new beginnings.
Replete with insights about different forms of love, the effects of separation on all family members, revised ideals of romance, and new connections that contrast with old habits and values, Who We Used to Be is emotionally riveting and hard to put down.
The Last Ride: Outlaw Laura Bullion and the Wild Bunch
Chris Enss
Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560378488, $19.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Ride-Outlaw-Laura-Bullion/dp/1560378484
The Last Ride: Outlaw Laura Bullion and the Wild Bunch tells the true-crime story of outlaw Laura Bullion, the Wild Bunch's only known female train robber, who rode with outlaws and became notorious for participating in high-stakes robberies. Her name was renowned for decades until she disappeared.
Chris Enss embarks on a wild ride through the West to uncover Bullion's story, life, motivations, and ultimate fate, bringing readers into a world a life documented not by the usual memoir, but through fragments of reports and contemporary accounts. From these, she reconstructs Bullion's world with an eye toward vividly portraying the Wild Bunch in a different light, revealing Bullion and other women whose lives swirled around uncommon choices.
Enss purposely shifts the timeline of events back and forth, opening with a 1949 Memphis seamstress and moving back to the Wild Bunch years, contrasting and profiling the lives of Bullion and the other women, their motivations and choices for becoming female bandits, and their return to more socially acceptable lives.
The first chapter outlines these women and Pinkerton records regarding them, while the second returns to 1887, when a great blizzard wreaks havoc on the cattle industry and prompts changes in cattle roundups along with the emergence of rustlers and thieves in its wake. From these roots emerges the Ketchum Gang of train robbers, who find newfound success in something much easier than cattle rustling.
As the chapters fill in the myths, realities, and history of the Wild Bunch, they also create background on the men and women who pioneered the West in a very different manner, participating in outlaw activities that thwarted the Pinkerton Detective Agency in different ways.
Laura Bullion's story intersects with these events, which are heavily footnoted and accented with vintage black and white photos and illustrations throughout. The exceptionally lively "you are there" form of reporting also provides general readers an inviting narrative of action and reaction that brings this world to life.
Especially notable is the critical thinking Enss applies to her subject. Not content with simply unearthing and reproducing newspaper accounts, she consistently peppers her findings with auxiliary research and points out inconsistencies in reporting and what most likely truly happened. This will especially satisfy history readers who know that not every newspaper's account, even from that era, can be relied upon as intrinsically accurate.
The result is a vivid blend of mystery, history, women's issues, and fact-based analysis that expands our understanding of the subjects, motivations, and choices these individuals made during this turbulent period of Western history.
Librarians seeking additions to their Western or women's history holdings that encourage critical thinking about the American West, promote book club discussions, or support classroom study of women who chose nontraditional lives before eventually returning to conventional society will find The Last Ride: Outlaw Laura Bullion and the Wild Bunch unusually accessible to a wide audience.
The Blood of the Land
Lewis K. Schrager
LFEA Press
9798992719925, $17.99
The Blood of the Land is a novel of social and political unrest, medical crisis, and personal pursuits of justice and answers that blends elements of suspense with social inspection.
When her boyfriend Eric Anderson dies during 9/11, physician Marina Kahinu returns home to her native Madagascar to research a cure for an outbreak of deadly plague threatening her isolated village in the Malagasy highlands. It doesn't help matters that her father has political ties to the country's president, and forces that work against him buffet her own efforts to employ medicine to find answers.
From the novel's opening lines, Madagascar's conundrums and atmosphere spring to life:
Marina Kahinu stood on the front porch of the clinic building, the concrete floor cool under her bare feet. She stared past the river and off into the hills and the mountains beyond. The sight of their bareness, of the deep lavaka scarring their sides, brought a heaviness to her heart. Plumes of blue smoke rose cold and alone from the floor of a distant valley, kiln fires burning the few trees remaining from the great forests, turning the precious wood to charcoal, to be carted off for sale in far-off Antananarivo. Is there no end to their folly? she wondered, closing her eyes against the sadness spreading inside her.
Marina's immersion in her nation's medical dilemmas neatly mask some of her grief, redirecting it to help her feel empowered in situations that, in reality, strip her of any semblance of control:
Let there be plague. Let them come to me and I will cure them. Let it be so that there is no doctor in the entire American study who treats more plague patients. Above all, let me be busy, too busy to think of anything, or anyone.
As she begins to understand the impact of her father's choices and leadership in a deeper manner, assuming the mantle of saving others herself, Marina confronts biological impossibilities, disease resistance, cultural hypocrisies, and many unanswerable questions.
Death and suffering run red as a river as Marina faces difficult political and personal truths and the ultimate impact of her efforts and the choices of Eric, her father, and everyone around her.
Lewis K. Schrager crafts powerful connections between individuals and the political forces that give them either hope or despair. He builds a plot centered on lifesaving efforts, impossible conditions, and the quest for forgiveness and understanding that augments moments of complete despair:
"Why even bother?" she said, her words disappearing into the gray cloud that seemed to have swallowed the village. "Why the hell even bother?"
The result is a gripping survey of medical, social, political, and personal intersections which places a medical team in the midst of an impossible situation that they are tasked with remedying at all costs.
Libraries and readers seeking novels with social messages, the intrigue of a thriller, the solid characterization of a strong literary creation, and the allure of a woman who seeks to reinvent her life after violence will find The Blood of the Land easy to read and recommend and nearly impossible to put down.
Izzy Can't Talk
Jennifer McGee
Inclusive Art House, LLC
www.inclusivearthouse.com
9781962636001, $23.99 Hardcover/$4.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Izzy-Cant-Talk-Jennifer-McGee/dp/1962636003
Izzy Can't Talk is a picture book that addresses a day in the life of a boy who has communication challenges. Spiced with the colorful illustrations of David Diamond, the story follows a farm boy who can do many things, despite his autism - except for speaking.
As an aunt's razzleberry pie prompts similar nonverbal reactions between Uncle Gus and Izzy, young readers come to realize that communication can take many forms, and that its absence may lead to misinterpretation as well as greater understanding.
Jennifer McGee translates Izzy's many forms of nonverbal communication into a story of understanding and possibility as his aunt and uncle struggle to interpret his special language.
As Izzy attempts many ways to demonstrate how much he wants a piece of pie, hilarious moments erupt as well-meaning adults try hard to make him happy in other ways.
Young readers learn that while Izzy may not talk, he is perfectly capable of communicating. Read-aloud adults can use this story to reinforce an understanding of not just autism, but the fundamentals of communication and caring enough to listen and try to understand.
Izzy Can't Talk But He Can Make Friends!
Jennifer McGee
Inclusive Art House
www.inclusivearthouse.com
9781962636087, $23.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Izzy-Cant-Talk-Make-Friends/dp/1962636089
Izzy Can't Talk But He Can Make Friends! is both a follow-up to the introductory Izzy Can't Talk and an expansion of its theme of understanding autism and communication challenges.
In this picture book story, Izzy is introduced to a new young neighbor and freezes in terror because "new people make him nervous." Jimmy returns the next day to try anew, but inadvertently sits down in Izzy's special spot, which sparks anger.
As Izzy plays different games over the days, new neighbor Jimmy joins in and learns new things about his special friend and the fun they can have together.
Jennifer McGee takes the time to focus on and explore Izzy's reactions to Jimmy's desires to play with him:
Izzy felt uncomfortable because no one had ever played in his treehouse.
This goes beyond exploring Izzy's uncommon reactions, explaining the emotional content and connections behind them to help young listeners and readers absorb the autistic personality's responses to everyday life.
McGee also explores the benefits of friendship ("It felt good for Izzy to laugh with someone else."), which helps youngsters understand the underlying values of having friends.
Developmental delay and autism are thus featured in a friendly, accessible manner that helps all ages better understand not just the actions of those on the spectrum, but their inner feelings as they react to life in different ways.
The result is an engaging, warm-hearted, involving picture book story that is highly recommended for both adult read-aloud and library acquisition for those who would better understand autism.
Schrodinger's Glass
Chris Grall
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798901743508, $21.99 Paperback; $37.99 Hardcover; $8.99 ebook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Schr%C3%B6dingers-Glass-Chris-Grall/dp/B0H86VHDK1
Schrodinger's Glass is the thoroughly absorbing tale of a world changed by a burst of energy accidentally released by the Heisenberg Accelerator and Research Center which causes ordinary objects (which scientists call 'artifacts') to take on impossible properties.
One such artifact is a wine glass which can now produce any liquid, from alcohol to gasoline. Bella and Saul Martin, who possess this artifact, view it as a positive change capable of making them wealthy. What they don't know is that it is more than capable of changing the world, once again, forever.
That's why lab security agent Max Peck is tasked with hunting artifacts in general and the deadly Glass in particular. Max never intended to become involved in armed security or treasure hunting, but he was there at the beginning of the accident that changed everything. So were Bella and Saul, who heard the blast and saw that half of Chicago was on fire from it before they discovered their fortune lay in an everyday glass.
As the Russians become involved in the quest and Sergi is tasked with an effort similar to his Western counterpart Max (to locate and obtain the artifacts), personal dilemmas come into play. Sergi resists being regulated and downplayed and Saul pursues his latest obsession. Bella, who at first encouraged Saul's efforts, now regrets that their lives have become a literal race against time and assailants to retain the Glass and apply its latent potentials.
Chris Grall marries sci-fi with thriller in a series of escapades and confrontations that are heart-stopping, unpredictable, and thoroughly engrossing. Readers who enjoy the blend of speculative futuristic events and the impact of a paradigm-changing experiment gone awry will relish how the story is supercharged not just by scientific possibilities, but ordinary lives changed by events that spiral out of their control and understanding.
Schrodinger's Glass fine-tunes the connection between personal and bigger-picture thinking with an action-packed race against time and a clash of special interests that could become fodder for movie-making.
Librarians that select Schrodinger's Glass for their collections will find it exceptionally engrossing and highly recommendable to thriller and sci-fi readers who enjoy blends of action, science, and personal revelation.
A Bug in Your Sandwich
Mamta Nanavati
StoryRealms Press
https://thestoryrealms.com
9798995918714, $18.99 Hardcover/$13.99 Paperback
StoryRealms Press
https://thestoryrealms.com
A Bug in Your Sandwich provides picture book readers with a fun, screen-free introduction to coding and computational thinking through the story of siblings preparing for a garden competition. As their plans go awry, Ethan and Sienna discover that tackling big problems begins with breaking them into simple, logical steps.
Supportive parents gently guide the siblings when their joint garden creation goes awry, encouraging Ethan and Sienna to think logically, break big problems into simple, manageable steps, and following step-by-step instructions to solve problems together.
Engaging illustrations by Noam Levi accompany the effort as the entire family becomes involved not just in gardening, but in discovering that the same logical thinking used in everyday life forms the foundation of coding, redefining positive approaches to relationship-building and problem-solving in a joint project that offers many lessons.
Through a familiar, everyday gardening adventure, Mamta Nanavati introduces young readers to coding and computational thinking in a screen-free, accessible way. As Ethan and Sienna work together to solve their garden challenge, they discover that coding begins long before they sit down at a computer and exists all around them; it starts with thinking logically, breaking big problems into manageable steps, following a sequence, and debugging when something doesn't work. By revealing that these everyday problem-solving skills form the foundation of coding, A Bug in Your Sandwich makes coding approachable, relatable, and fun.
Mamta Nanavati's engaging story will find a wide audience among families, educators, and librarians interested in shared learning experiences, family participation and growth, screen-free STEM learning, and gardening.
Perfect for read-aloud sessions and packed with bigger discussion opportunities about working together, understanding goals and directions, and discovering that computational thinking exists all around us, A Bug in Your Sandwich is a fun saga that outlines a coding adventure. It concludes with exercises and new terminology such as sequencing, algorithms, and debugging, encouraging young readers to continue exploring these concepts beyond the story.
A Good Man
Debbie Slevin
Red Creek Works
9798234124029, $8.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Man-heroism-friendship-survival-ebook/dp/B0H6Y689V8
A Good Man focuses on a woman trapped in a violent marriage who sees the way out as snagging the biggest journal story of her career, which will then change her life - or, will it? Elizabeth Allen faces many changes as she pursues her big story break, only to enter the lives of Fancy, Janine, Dominic, and others who display elements of heroism in everyday life that challenge her concept of not just survival, but achievement.
Elizabeth's quest into the lives changed by 9/11 turns into an odyssey about sacrifices, love, and ordinary New Yorkers transformed by not one event, but the threads of their lives and connections in a novel replete with satisfying contrasts in lives, marriages, and survival tactics.
Debbie Slevin considers a host of flawed but believable, likeable characters in the course of this journey, augmenting the theme of marital abuse with insights on all kinds of abuse that take place behind closed doors as life poses threats and challenges.
She juxtaposes the friendship between two women in the events following 9/11 with bigger picture thinking about relationships, men and women, and ideals of perfection and survival which follow them down the road of abuse. These characters neatly illustrate how otherwise-strong women can justify staying in an abusive environment or see few paths away from the patterns they've fallen into.
Heroes have many incarnations, as the story points out. These include women who leave, stay, or make impossible choices under conditions in which love and terror run too close together for comfort.
The story delves deeply into these patterns as Elizabeth resists making new connections for fear she's only repeating past mistakes:
"You're afraid, and rightly so, after what you've been through. And if I can be so bold to say this, you're afraid that you might really care for me and you might find out something awful that will ruin it."
The result is a novel that revolves around more than the search for a good man or a new life. A Good Man considers the essence of good, bad, and new beginnings, and will delight librarians and readers seeking fiction that will spark thoughts and debates in individuals, book clubs, and women's groups alike.
Making Sense of Purpose
Suneet Bhatt
Morgan James Publishing
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9798895740620, $18.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Sense-Purpose-Clarity-Momentum/dp/B0G5JBHCHN
Making Sense of Purpose: Gain Clarity, Build Momentum, and Find Your "Kiran" (n. ray of light) joins other inspirational guides, but with a difference. It takes a step beyond motivation alone to address the nuts and bolts of self-realization and the foundations of defining purpose. This is something most similar-sounding self-help guides lack, but is perhaps the most essential ingredient in the formula of building a meaningful life and a strategy for achievement.
Suneet Bhatt examines the roots of limitations which lie in behaviors, expectations, mindset, bias, and negativity. Finding the "kiran" referenced in the book's subtitle involves making meaningful life and perspective adjustments on many levels - spiritual, social, psychological, and philosophical - in order to fine-tune the ideal of purpose into something that embraces gratitude and grace.
Chapters reveal many paths to achieving this, from cultivating deliberation in showing up and better understanding the gap between motivation and behavior to realizing how such an understanding connects to action and empowerment on individual and organizational levels:
When we truly understand ourselves, everything starts to filter through that lens. Our strengths, values, and motivations give us a grounded way to process what's coming at us. Without that grounding, asking for feedback too soon is like building a house without a foundation. This is one reason organizations waste so much money on feedback tools and training. They rarely take the time to help people understand themselves first. So any advice or insight being offered ends up landing on someone who hasn't done the work to build a clear, documented sense of self. It can't stick. The foundation was never poured The context was never set. But when we've done that work, when we know our patterns, energy, and our why, we're finally ready. We become more grounded. More open. More able to hear what matters. That's important. Because the insights we miss usually aren't hidden. We just never stopped long enough to ask. Or we assumed we already knew.
Bhatt adds case history examples throughout to reinforce the process of not just finding, but identifying and defining purpose, then transmitting it beyond self or even an organizational culture.
Concrete examples make the book both lively and engaging - especially for book clubs, business and psychological circles, and individuals questioning their own ultimate paths and goals in life.
The especially broad audience of Making Sense of Purpose will also delight librarians who look for books that can engage broad circles of readers and invite patrons to not just contemplate, but enact life changes.
Filled with examples that link ethereal ideals to concrete action, Making Sense of Purpose is a guide for modern times that can prove a fitting recipe for ennui, disempowerment, and inaction in all kinds of situations, from social and political to psychological and spiritual.
Diane C. Donovan, Senior Reviewer
Donovan's Literary Services
donovansliteraryservices.com
Gary Roen's Bookshelf
The Sea Son: The Draycott Files Book One
Marlene A. Becker
International Digital Book Publisher, Inc.
9781575501581, $13.99 pbk / $3.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Son-Draycott-Files-Book/dp/1575501589
"The Sea Son: The Draycott Files Book One" is one of those novels that gets better and better as it unfolds. "The Sea Son opens with the killing of an individual, from the underwater city of Waterworld, where a different group of beings named merpeople live. There are the remains of the deceased, as well as what appears to be a large possible animal tooth. Detective Sgt Colin Draycott, a special investigator, is brought in. Draycott has unique abilities unlike anyone else. As he delves into the case, he learns more about himself, his relationship with his mother, and why there are no others like him. But "The Sea Son" is so much more that a good mystery. It's filled with numerous conflicts that become intertwined. as the story races along. The author is a new voice in the genre of science fiction who makes you believe there are really beings like the merpeople as well as a place named Waterworld, while telling a very good yarn with so many underlying premises. "The Sea Son" is an off and running start for a new scifi series.
Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Official Authorized Deluxe Collector's Edition)
Agatha Christie
William Morrow
c/o Harper Collins
www.harpercollins.com
978006342016, $35.00 HC / $0.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Orient-Express-Deluxe-Collectors/dp/0063442019
"Murder on the Orient Express" has always been a great read, but this special edition is getting a lot more attention that it truly deserves, because it is one of Agatha Christie's finest works of mystery fiction. This edition is a collectors find, for its new artwork, colorful sides top bottom and on the right border of the pages, easy to read print, and facts about the author and the novel that are great for trivia buffs. Christie's writing is as fresh and interesting, as when they first came out. It's so nice to see her works stay in print, as this edition is sure to find new audiences to enjoy it. "Murder on the Orient Express" continues to show why it is a fantastic classic Hercule Poirot mystery.
The Pawn (The Lemaster Files Book 2)
John David
Tule Publishing Group
www.tulepublishing.com
9781970840513 $21.99 pbk / $4.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pawn-Lemaster-Files-John-David/dp/197084051X
"The Pawn" is a rip-roaring explosive amusement ride, with so many ups and downs till the end. Pete Lemaster is contacted by an old college buddy; he has not been in touch with until now. The once close friend tells Lemaster about a family relation businessman, who has been arrested in the Singapore airport, with drugs in his baggage, that has the potential to get him thrown in jail for the rest of his life. Pete is asked to see what he can do to help the accused person. Lemaster works with his Jacksonville Florida TV station news department, to find out what they can. The situation becomes a lot worse as it becomes an international incident. Pete with his law enforcement officer girlfriend Rebbeca Dawes, crisscross the world to find clues, to help the accused who says, he knew nothing about the confiscated contraband. Once again David takes readers into the high stakes' world of tv journalism, while telling a terrific story. "The Pawn" pages fly, as the narrative evolves with great writing, well fleshed out characters, as well as a fun journey to the end.
You Can't Bury Death
Peggy Doviak
https://peggydoviak.com
The Wild Rose Press
https://www.thewildrosepress.com
9781509261642, $16.99 pbk / $4.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Bury-Death-Magnolia-Mystery/dp/1509261648
"You Can't Bury Death" is the second installment in the charismatic Magnolia Hill Mystery series. Its Halloween time, and that means lots of events coming in the area, where Jillian Bradford lives. She becomes concerned when her father lets her know, about a strange call, he received, that somehow involves the return of strange blue lights in a place called the mounds. She and her boyfriend a reporter for the local paper go up to the mounds, to do their own research. While looking around she trips over something that they uncover as a dead body. Now it has become a full-fledged murder investigation by law enforcement. On her own, with the assistance of her parents and her mate, they delve into many attributes, not found by police. Doviak is a master of holding interest, with compelling individuals, rapid pacing, plenty of comic interludes that drive the work along to the end. Like Lawrence Sanders who always gave you a mix of foods his characters were having Doviak does the same as well as when she finds the corpse that is very much the same when Harry is found on the ground by all the towns people in the Hitchcock comedy "The Trouble With Harry" "You Can't Bury Death" is a first-class cozy mystery for readers to enjoy.
Whistle
Linwood Barclay
William Morrow
c/o Harper Collins
www.harpercollins.com
9780063436039, $19.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Whistle-Novel-Linwood-Barclay/dp/0063441330
No matter the title a Linwood Barclay is always a great read. "Whistle" is that and more as it is the first truly horror tale, he successfully carries out very well. In the small town of Lucknow in upper state New York, strange things are afoot, with many of the residents. All seem to have a common factor connected to a toy store that sells model trains. Some of the bizarre things are a father dies from the barbecuing he is doing, as the flames mysteriously get out of control, people say they hear the sounds of distant trains at odd hours, some people have disappeared with no trace, while the police chief has never seen so many unusual things like a strange suicide of a well loved women in her bathtub with something from a train set r that is hard to tell what it was. Barclay masterfully handles the circumstances as they get stranger and odder as the pages turn in the gripping suspense he is known for. "Whistle" is a total departure genre wise that is sure to attract new readers from the fantasy horror realm
The Sherlock Society Art Attack
James Ponti
Aladdin
c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
https://www.simonandschuster.com/kids
9781665983563, $18.99 HC / $10.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Attack-Sherlock-Society-James-Ponti/dp/1665983566
"The Sherlock Society Art Attack" the third installment is an education in the graffiti form of expression, as well as an impressive addition to the series. For the first time the young sleuths are actually paid for their services, hired by a real client to find out who is going around Miami painting the city buildings with certain statements using the name of Funky Munky. Their investigation is filled with many twists and turns as they and their grandfather work to solve the case. Ponti is a master of young readers fiction and has once again told a charming story with solid likeable characters, rapid pacing and several conflicts that he resolves by the end of the work. "The Sherlock Society Art Attack" is a sheer pleasure to enjoy.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? The Tale of The Vanishing Circus
Kayla Cottingham
Abrams Books
https://www.abramsbooks.com
9781419763540, $21.99 HC / $15.29 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Vanishing-Circus-Afraid-Dark/dp/1419763547
"Are You Afraid of the Dark? The Tale of The Vanishing Circus" is a lot more that just a good YA novel. It is also a very good horror novel reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" Two best friends are enticed by an extraordinary circus that is not what it seems. As they become embroiled, the two learn hidden things about themselves that could change their relationship forever. "Are You Afraid of the Dark? The Take of The Vanishing Circus" is a fast-paced solid characters, tightly written plot, that steadily unfolds with twists and turns to the satisfying conclusion that is for anyone who loves dark fantasy horror.
Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales! Yarn Is Everything
Words by Aaron Reynolds
Pictures by Peter Brown
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
https://www.simonandschuster.com/kids
9781665961141, $13.99 HC / $9.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Jasper-Rabbits-Creepy-Tales/dp/1665961147
"Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales! Yarn Is Everything!" is a continuing series that delves into strange situations that make for excellent tales of strange things. Winona Mole who lives in the town of Hinderberry Falls believes that all things in life lead to yarn. You could say she is obsessed to the degree she wants to be a contestant on the show Yarn Is Everything. Her desire does not end there. She is so pleased when she is informed of a day, she will be on the show to compete. Driven to win first place she puts everything she has into her desire to be the champion. "Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales! Yarn Is Everything!" is a beautifully told fantasy story with a wonderful twist of an ending that is a delightful entertaining excursion all the way through.
Tiny Tiger Says Why Can't I?
Smriti Prasadam-Halls, author
Steve Small, illustrator
Beachlane Books
c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
https://www.simonandschuster.com/kids
9798347107261, $19.99 HC / $10.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Tiger-Says-Cant-Feelings/dp/B0FWZXWPD6
"Tiny Tiger Says Why Can't I?" is a multi-layered title that pertains to many generations of readers to think about. Some of Tiny Tiger's questions are Why can't he drive a car, why can't he cannot have all the ice cream, why he cannot have all the cake, or why cannot he eat his lunch with the things he wants. As the work progresses, he understands a lot more about himself and the world he lives in. "Tiny Tiger Says Why Can't I?" is also for many seniors or people who have forgotten the benefit of structure in our lives.
Breathe A Rainbow
Text and Illustrations by Julie Koon
Abrams Appleseed
c/o Abrams Publishing
https://www.abramsbooks.com
978141976804331, $14.99 HC / $13.49 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Breathe-Rainbow-Interactive-Board-Book/dp/1419780433
"Breathe A Rainbow" is an interesting different type of kid's book that is fun for the entire family. The artwork captures the eye while the prose directs readers to touch portions of the book to get more of the senses involved into the enjoyment of the experience. "Breathe A Rainbow" brings out the child in all of us that is upbeat and a healthy journey into other realms of our being.
Gary Roen
Senior Reviewer
Helen Dumont's Bookshelf
Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life
Donna Leon
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802167620, $16.99, PB, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Backstage-Stories-Writing-Donna-Leon/dp/0802167624
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/backstage-donna-leon/1146558305
Synopsis: Donna Leon's memoir, "Wandering through Life", gave her legions of fans as they took a colorful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love of Venice and opera. Nowhere, however, did she discuss her writing life.
With the publication of "Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life", Donna now reveals her admiration for, and inspiration from, the great crime novelists Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their approach to storytelling as she dissects her favorite books of theirs.
She expresses her love for Charles Dickens's Great Expectations and her appreciation for Sir Walter Scott's generosity of spirit. And she chronicles the amount of research she undertakes to be able to present authentically, through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, places and characters far from her own experience -- from interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice to open up the world of blood diamonds, to meeting, through back channels, a courageous sex worker and women's rights activist to depict accurately the trafficking of women in Italy.
By contrast, the idea and opening scene of one of her novels came to her as she was walking through Venice.
Venice is central in her memory, whether recounting the semi-comic irritation of a noisy elderly neighbor or the origins of the city's Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable tales: helping a young Black boy in a Newark, New Jersey, elementary school; instructing young Iranian pilots in English just before the 1979 Iranian Revolution; and taking her students at a Swiss private high school to the famous Frank Zappa concert in Montreux interrupted by fire.
Throughout, she is as good a storyteller about herself as she is a chronicler of Guido Brunetti's crime adventures. Readers will be as caught up in her world as she is in his.
Critique: A fascinating and informative read for the growing legions of Donna Leon fans, "Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life" will prove to be of immense interest to writers, bibliopholes, and creative writing teachers/instructors with an interest in her successful approach to storytelling and the written word. While highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Female Author/Novelist biographies/memoirs collections and supplemental Creative Writing curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life" from Grove Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Donna Leon at Book Series in Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/donna-leon
Helen Dumont
Reviewer
John Taylor's Bookshelf
Mixed Reality Fabrication
Gwyllim Jahn
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638401902, $39.95, HC, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mixed-Reality-Fabrication-Gwyllim-Jahn/dp/163840190X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mixed-reality-fabrication-gwyllim-jahn/1148715496
Synopsis: "Mixed Reality Fabrication" by Gwyllim Jahn promotes a humanist philosophy of technology, emphasizing the value of human labour, craft traditions, and local adaptation while revealing opportunities for reduced documentation complexity, accelerated knowledge transfer, waste reduction, and increased design freedom.
Making by hand in mixed reality opens up a broad space of designs characterized by stochasticity, formed curves, networks and field conditions that would otherwise be impractical to draw and build.
Several case-study projects are featured ranging from the scale of sculptural pieces to small pavilions illustrating how working within immersive mixed reality environments can empower skilled craftspeople to realize complex digital designs through subjective interpretation of simple digital models, and demonstrates the potential of mixed reality to reshape the relationship between designing and making.
Critique: Following an informative Introduction and ending with sagely crafted Conclusion, Gwyllim Jahn's "Mixed Reality Fabrication" from Actar D is comprised of nine distinctive chapters: Making in Mixed Reality; Fologram; Woven Steel; Craft; Bark and Baskets; Steampunk; Industry Adoption; and Bricklaying in Mixed Realty. Featuring illustrations and including an eight page Bibliography, "Mixed Reality Fabrication" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and college/university library Modern Art, Architecture, and Urban Design collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Dr. Gwyllim Jahn (https://www.rmit.edu.au/profiles/j/gwyllim-jahn) is a Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Urban Design at RMIT University in Melbourne and the co-founder of Fologram, a design research practice and technology startup developing software for designing and making in mixed reality. Fologram was the winner of the ACADIA Digital Practice Award of Excellence and the Tallinn International Architecture Biennale Installation competition, recognizing contributions to the fields of digital fabrication and computational design. Gwyllim has been invited to deliver workshops and lectures at leading international institutions including MIT and the Harvard GSD, and exhibited work, and his applied design research in the fields of mixed reality environments and creative applications of machine learning has been extensively published in leading journals, conferences and print media, most recently in a dossier for Architecture Australia.
John Taylor
Reviewer
Kathryn Atwood's Bookshelf
Storm Warning
Gerry Wilson
Silent Clamor Press
https://silentclamor.com
9781971238067, $17.99, PB, 151pp
9781971238074, $9.99, Kindle (B&N)
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Warning-Gerry-Wilson/dp/1971238066
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/storm-warning-gerry-wilson/1150119010
The stories in Gerry Wilson's brilliant new collection, "Storm Warning," take place on, or near, a fictional island off the coast of Georgia. Wilson's characters are all in the middle of tenuous or completely fractured relationships as they prepare for beach weddings, boat outings, visits to lighthouses, or as they merely seek to survive beside a potentially violent ocean.
The fear of both physical and relational death runs powerfully through the stories, and the way Wilson weaves them together is incredibly well done. Besides threatening destruction of one sort or another, the ocean also creates for each protagonist an issue that becomes a catalyst for a painfully acquired epiphany.
Every story reveals resilience and small triumphs, and most end with a degree of ambivalence; a tiny ray of light, a small glimpse of hope. But Wilson's plots are set up so skillfully and her writing is so beautiful that I felt the ending of each tale in my solar plexus. Her restrained way of writing emotional scenes elevates these stories of ordinary human beings to exquisite works of literary art.
With "Storm Warning," Gerry Wilson has captured something indescribably beautiful about the pain and poignancy of the human experience. These stories are profound tales of flawed people in impossible relationships and situations all played out before the backdrop of the unpredictable southern Atlantic Ocean.
Author bio:
Gerry Wilson is the author of a literary historical novel, "That Pinson Girl" (Regal House Publishing), and a short story collection, "Crosscurrents and Other Stories" (Press 53). Her short fiction has most recently appeared in Halfway Down the Stairs, Persimmon Tree, and December magazine. She was a recipient of a Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Artist Fellowship in 2025.
A seventh-generation Mississippian, Gerry's "native soil" is the beautiful but harsh red clay hills of the north. Deeply influenced by that place and by Mississippi authors William Faulkner and Eudora Welty, she often draws on her roots and family myths in her fiction, but she is also attracted to coastal landscapes - thus the setting for the stories in Storm Warning - where she has found mystery and solace since she was a child.
Like many young women of her generation, Gerry married right after college, and until her first marriage ended, she was a stay-at-home mom to four sons. At fifty, she completed a master's degree in English, and around that time, she published her first short story. For more than twenty years, she taught English and creative writing to high school students. She loves staying in touch with students who seem to remember fondly their reading and writing experiences in her classes. She considers becoming an author her "third act."
Gerry lives in Jackson, Mississippi, with her husband, Austin Wilson, a poet and retired Millsaps College professor.
Padlocked
Patricia Terrell
Drake Valley Press
https://drakevalleypress.com
9781935970583, $27.77, HC, 490pp
9781935970576, $17.99, PB, 490pp
9781935970569, $7.77, Kindle
9781935970590, $TBA, Large Print
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Padlocked-p-m-terrell/dp/1935970585
A ruthless Polish collaborator. An idealistic American journalist. A young Jewish woman who hides her racial identity. In the first pages of Patricia Terrell's novel, "Padlocked," we meet these three characters at the recently liberated Auschwitz concentration camp, January 1945. When a hand grenade is detonated in their midst, they immediately - and separately - enter a different dimension where they face a padlocked gate. Max, Hank, and Agata then prepare to revisit their lives and choices.
After subsequent chapters provide brief backstories, the narrative switches to the Nazi invasion of Poland, September 1939, where the horrors of war become intensely personal for Terrell's main characters. Agata is desperate to be reunited with her family who she left behind during the blitzkrieg. Max, a closeted Nazi, is determined to thrive in the occupation. And Hank is resolved to document as much as he can.
The mastery with which Terrell intertwines these three narratives creates a brilliantly clear picture of the Polish experience during the Second World War. The reader encounters the world of collaborators through Max's story and the nation's secret armed resistance through Agata's. And all three storylines reveal the unfolding of the Holocaust as the Jewish sector turns into the ghetto; as mass slaughter in the countryside is replaced with more efficient murders carried out in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. It's one thing to understand that the Holocaust occurred, it's another to watch shocked fictional characters observe it in real time and Terrell makes us feel their shock acutely.
If "Padlocked" only illuminated the Polish experience during the Second World War it would have been a triumph, but it is also bookended by the philosophy of eternal consequences and the afterlife. Terrell's thoughtful and interesting take on this topic is general enough to be acceptable to a wide audience; for believers it will only add depth to the story and for those without faith, it shouldn't detract from the gripping plot.
"Padlocked" is thoroughly compelling, meticulously researched, beautifully written, and at times, heart-stopping.
Editorial Note: My full name is Patricia McClelland Terrell, and I have been writing under the pen name p.m. terrell ever since a publisher presented me with my first fiction book cover. The graphic designer had also entered my name in lower-case letters; my editor hated it, and I loved it. It's been p.m. terrell ever since.
I began writing when I was nine years old, inspired by a schoolteacher and elementary school principal. Scott-Foresman published my first book, a computer instructional for universities, in 1984. Scott-Foresman, Dow-Jones (Richard D. Irwin branch), Palari Publishing, Paralee Press, and Drake Valley Press have published 26 books to date.
Before embarking on a full-time writing career, I founded McClelland Enterprises, Inc. in the Washington, D.C., area in 1984, specializing in workplace software instruction. I opened another business, Continental Software Development Corporation, in 1994, which focused on custom application development, programming, website design and development, and computer crime. I held two Top Secret security clearances, one with the United States Secret Service and the other with the CIA. My favorite assignment was detecting Medicare fraud and abuse, which helped recover millions of dollars for the federal government.
I was honored to be the first female President of the Chesterfield County/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers. I also served as the Treasurer for the Virginia Crime Stoppers Association. Since moving to North Carolina, I served on the Robeson County Friends of the Library and the Robeson County Arts Council. I launched The Book 'Em Foundation with Waynesboro, Virginia, Police Officer Mark Kearney, and assisted in Virginia, New Hampshire, and South Carolina events before establishing the Annual Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, chairing it for several years before turning it over to Robeson Community College in Lumberton, NC.
The Art of Losing to a Y-14
Andrew Radu, M.D.
Independently Published
9798996437009, $10.99, Kindle, 187pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Losing-Y-14-Andrew-Radu-ebook/dp/B0GX33KF55
Dr. Andrew Radu, a longtime fencing competitor-turned psychiatrist, has written a collection of essays on the topic of his onetime sport entitled, "The Art of Losing to a Y-14."
While portions of the book consist of fencing-related memories that caused the author negative reactions and outcomes, certain recollections recorded here, such as the time he went up against a champion fencer, reveal that Dr. Radu not only loved the sport but was often, well, a good sport:
"Suddenly Rolando did this supernatural transfiguration thing. He locked in and shut me down for the rest of the bout. His distance clicked, his timing too unpredictable. He was both too close and too far out, a mirage of the hips. He scored seven straight touches, all beat attacks and parry-ripostes to my deep back target; totally impossible to parry or roll through. I didn't make any mistakes or feel demoralized - I was fencing as well as possible, but was no match. I have never experienced such a beautiful defeat. When I got home and peeled off my sweat-drenched shirt to shower, I noticed in the mirror I had a perfect circle made of little welts right between my shoulder blades - I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Truly one of the greatest of all time."
The most interesting essays, in my opinion, combine Dr. Radu's thorough knowledge of fencing with his professional study of the human psyche:
"The antidote is to punch back hard against our own self-disparaging thoughts and against a culture that conspires to reduce our worth to our rankings and achievements. We can accomplish this with a deep process-orientation and by situating the importance of our competitive life in a broader context. We accomplish little by parroting positive catchphrases or announcing our ambitions too loudly. Know that you are already a very good fencer. You will be even better if you can cast off the shackles of oppressive thinking."
A humorous example of how one's youthful preoccupations can have positive ramifications well into adulthood appears in the following excerpt where Dr. Radu admits how he utilizes the principles of fencing in his current career:
"I channel my experience fencing when talking to patients every day. Sure, with a few antagonistic ones, I might engage in some light verbal dueling, but this is not to the point. More broadly, I am looking for the right angle of 'attack' to get through to somebody positively. In my old life, I used my analytic mind to break people down; now I use it to build people back up. Sometimes in my office, I am forced to play back-line defense because someone is yelling at me, or is pummeling me vicariously, in sharing their life's punishment."
Though I didn't immediately understand much of the book's technical lingo (that is, until I read the helpful glossary!), I could follow enough of Radu's writing to appreciate that fencing must be an admirable and exciting sport, one that requires great coordination of mind, body, and nerves. "Losing to a Y-14" is a fascinating glimpse into the world of fencing that combines stories from mythology and philosophy, teachings particular to the sport, Dr. Radu's memories of his involvement, and his ideas on how its principles can apply to all areas of life. Though this essay collection will be far more interesting to fencing participants and knowledgeable fans, there is much here to entertain readers who normally encounter it only when the Olympics roll around.
Editorial Note: Dr. Radu is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a four-time Ivy League champion and an NCAA All-American. He holds a doctorate in medicine from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, and a Master of Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a board-certified psychiatrist and currently serves as the Medical Director for Outpatient Behavioral Health at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Georgetown University, School of Medicine. He was the volunteer foil coach at the University of Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2014. He currently lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, son, dog, fish, and bonsai.
Agent Bigglesby: Not Dead Yet
James P. Rochester, Jr. III
Martha Zaccheus Magdalena
9780981619538, $15.99, PB, 306pp
9780981619545, $4.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Bigglesby-Not-Dead-Yet/dp/0981619517
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/agent-bigglesby-james-p-rochester/1149766601
After Jane Austen's untimely death, her niece recalled watching her famous aunt occasionally burst into laughter before rushing to her writing table to record whatever witticism had just entered her brilliant head. I'm not sure if author James P. Rochester was similarly observed by anyone during the writing of "Agent Bigglesby: Not Dead Yet," but if so, I'm quite certain they would have seen him smirking, if not laughing aloud, during the entire process.
We first encounter the novel's eighty-four-year-old protagonist, Herbert Bigglesby, as he stealthily dodges medical personnel through the hallways of Sunset View Senior Living & Dying Community before plunging off the facility's roof via bungee cords, only to be stopped below as he seeks to escape into a waiting cab.
At this point the reader might wonder if Bigglesby is a physically capable octogenarian whose mind has seen better days. Later chapters reveal that he was indeed a secret agent who bungled a job so badly that his agency held a fake funeral for him, then placed him, very much alive, in this residence. But his skills are once again needed; if he isn't sent back in, a large group of seniors will be scammed out of their life savings. And if he stays, he will likely be killed: Sunset View is on the "Ultra-Secret List of Ultra-Secret Retirement Facilities for As Yet Unmurdered Agents."
Rochester hilariously incorporates Bond-like scenarios into the world of geriatrics, but the laughs in "Agent Bigglesby" originate not only from an 84-year-old 007 character finding himself on a floating vessel with a roulette table, evil villains and a beautiful temptress. The author's clever wordplay appears nonstop with lines such as: "The Twins continue shooting at him from their skateboard. While they were never very fond of him, today they miss him terribly."
And a plethora of Rochester's jokes are riffs on pop cultural references:
"Olivia nods and tries to say what was once a well-rehearsed speech. "My name is... Olivia Martinez... de Jorge Pincez Flores...de Tejunga Martinez - again. You... You killed my stepfather! But I no longer want you to prepare to die" (cfr. Reiner, 1987/Goldman,1973)."
"Herbert enters his suite and peruses his small library of books. He selects, The Once and Future Fling (White, 1958) and enters the bathroom."
Clever wordplay, offbeat cultural references, and a hilarious plot that twists and turns all the way to a satisfying denouement makes "Agent Bigglesby: Not Dead Yet" an entertaining choice for lovers of comedic novels.
Editorial Note: James P. Rochester Jr. III is a very private, reclusive person. He was last known to be raising alpacas in Uruguay. He is a man of naturally mean talents and is pained in disposition or that. His relatives deny any resemblance and he has little time to spare.
Mall Goddess
Marilee Dahlman
https://marileedahlman.com
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685137779, $18.95 PB, $6.99 Kindle, 315pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mall-Goddess-Marilee-Dahlman/dp/1685137776
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mall-goddess-marilee-dahlman/1149907851
Fierce, forty-something, and 5'10", Kylie Kaiser works as a custodian for the Fort Empire Mall. One enormous benefit of the job is access to the abandoned K-Mart where Kylie maintains an art studio, complete with a kiln, which is too big to fit inside the trailer home she shares with her mother. But her dream of making a living from the clay "piglets" she creates in her secret studio is threatened: the dying mall will be completely shut down in one month. Will her efforts to create a Punk Empire Mall Extravaganza, scheduled for Black Friday, be enough to fight the forces of power, privilege and politics that will stop at nothing to shut down the mall, and thus Kylie's dreams of artistic success?
In the middle of this battle, Kylie must deal with the reappearance of her newly divorced high school boyfriend, Justin Wayne, and a hot new cop in town named Officer Henry Sandoval. Does she have a future with Justin, a kindred spirit with artistic aspirations of his own? Or can there be any hope of romance between a cop who takes his job seriously and an artist who doesn't think rules apply to her?
"Mall Goddess" is a lighthearted read with humorous characters, a skillfully drawn plot, and enough heart to keep readers rooting for the underdogs all the way to the end.
Editorial Note: Marilee Dahlman (https://marileedahlman.com) was raised in a small Midwestern town and now she writes about invisible outsiders searching for where they belong. She's inspired by the women in her family - no-nonsense farmers and nurses who drive pickups, eat at McDonald's, and don't get knocked over by a forty-mile-per-hour wind or anything else that life hurls at them. Her writing tends to be quirky, a bit edgy, but always has plenty of heart. Marilee's short stories have been printed in numerous publications. Marilee currently lives in Washington, D.C., where she loves farmers markets and playing with her Persian cats.
Spiritual CPR: Recognizing and Intervening When a Christian is in Crisis
Dr. Shaun Jester
Jester Entertainment, LLC
9798900530048, $9.99, PB, 136pp
9798900530031, $4.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-CPR-Recognizing-Intervening-Christian/dp/B0HD52QW3T
"We have physical CPR courses, so why not have a spiritual CPR course to teach Christians how to deal with spiritual emergencies of our Christian brothers and sisters?"
The above quote from "Spiritual CPR," states unequivocally that Dr. Shaun Jester has written his book for the Christian church, not necessarily for those outside the faith. In this new work he posits the following questions: How should a congregation respond when one of their own falls into a sin that weakens them spiritually? Should they avoid the person entirely, like the Levite and the priest who, in the Good Samaritan story, crossed to the other side of the road to avoid helping the wounded man? Or should they stop and help? If so, what should that help look like?
Dr. Jester begins each chapter with a scenario taken from real life (with altered identities) before biblically defining each issue. Then he returns to the initial scenario and walks the reader through his proposed program, which syncs with the memorable acronym WASH PIGS:
Whole story (Avoid jumping to conclusions)
Awareness (Is the individual fully aware of the implications of their situation)
Solicitation (Ask questions rather than inundate the individual with unsolicited advice)
Harvest (Be aware that you might be either planting a seed of faith, watering, or harvesting)
Prayer (Pray!)
Influence (Ascertain whether you are the right or wrong person to help)
Gifting (Do you have a special gift that would enable you to help)
Special Circumstances (Do you have all the information you need?)
In other words, avoid rushing arrogantly into a situation before you know the facts and before you have even ascertained whether you are the right person to help. Having spent an unfortunate number of years in a so-called church whose leaders made Job's obnoxiously judgmental friends look like pleasant fellows, I found Dr. Jester's take startlingly refreshing.
The chapters are as follows:
Chapter 1: Pornography
Chapter 2: Sex Outside of Marriage
Chapter 3: Elective Abortion
Chapter 4: LGBTQIA+
Chapter 5: Idols
Chapter 6: Chronic Sins
Chapter 7: Estrangement
Chapter 8: Apathy
How does Dr. Jester handle the most controversial of these issues? In "LGBTQIA+," he quotes the usual Bible verses that forbid homosexual practice before providing a scriptural template for a congregational response to a gay couple who decides to attend their church. Should the congregants make assumptions? Gossip? Read the couple the riot act? Initiate a conversation about their lifestyle? Or simply get to know them as fellow human beings? A resounding "no" to the first three, a "probably not" to the fourth, and a definite "yes" to the fifth.
Because this chapter defines homosexual activity as sin, it will no doubt be offensive to gay people of faith, the churches that accept their lifestyle, and those who wonder why conservative evangelicals know by heart all the verses forbidding homosexual practice but are not seemingly as familiar with those forbidding remarriage after divorce. However, it is a well-reasoned attempt to encourage readers away from the vicious attitude that fuels the individuals who feel they are doing the Lord's work by telling LGBTQIA+ folks that God hates them.
Dr. Jester uses scripture to a surprising and almost humorous effect in the abortion chapter, asking the reader how they would react if the following women walked into their church:
"1. A woman pretends to be a prostitute and sleeps with her former father-in-law; she conceives twins.
2. A well-known prostitute fears God and helps people involved in espionage against her own people.
3. A man moves to a foreign country and marries a local woman. He dies, but she moves back to his home country and sets her sights on a new man.
4. A woman commits adultery with a high-ranking official while her husband is serving in the military. She shows up pregnant to the assembly.
5. An unwed mother shows up to the assembly visibly pregnant."
He then reveals that all five of these women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary) were in the lineage of Christ, stating that their inclusion "put[s] pay to the notion that God only uses the pure and good. Perhaps, as the New Testament preaches and the Hebrew scriptures show, the way to God is not through our (imagined) innate goodness but faith and repentance."
What I found most heartening about this chapter is how it suggests a pro-life stance is more valuable if accompanied by a willingness to help a young woman who chooses life; that is, if a young mother decides to keep her child instead of aborting it, how much effort is the church willing to expend on supporting the ramifications of that choice?
While "Spiritual CPR" is obviously a book about how the church can help people, every chapter subtly knocks down the erroneous idea that an individual - or even the church - has the power to change someone. Trusting God to do this is foremost in everything Dr. Jester says, as is pointedly seen in the following paragraph from the "Estrangement" chapter:
"God loves every person more than we could ever know. His love is perfect, with no secondary motives, no selfishness, and always with our best interests in mind. He loved us while we were His enemies. Jesus gave up heaven to pursue us. So where is the Father during these seasons of waiting? He is out there searching for the lost one. He is standing at the door and watching. So many times we don't see the evidence of what God does around us. When we are estranged from someone, we have no idea what work God is doing in their lives. The seeds that have been thrown may be trampled, but they may eventually take root. We prefer to act when the situation is simple and we can see things changing quickly, but that does not require great faith. True faith is trusting God even when nothing seems to change around us, believing when it defies logic and when we cannot see a path forward."
Dr. Jester mentions that each topic could constitute an individual book. I agree, but I also sensed at times that the material in each chapter, excellent though it is, didn't completely jell as a unit, despite the author's admirable writing skills; sometimes thoughts and examples sort of spilled out over the outline when I was hoping they would stay within and make each chapter stronger.
Having said that, because the examples in this book are taken from the author's own experience or circle of acquaintances, "Spiritual CPR" has a solid ring of authenticity; it's quite evident that it was born from years of experience, observation, a love of scripture and a heart for the church.
Judgmental behavior is out in Dr. Jester's opinion; compassion should be in. And since the conservative Christian church is, fairly or unfairly, known for the former, he has tried to present ideas more in line with the latter, in the sense of the following verse from Galatians: "If anyone is caught in any transgression you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness."
If it is true that a mother cannot be happier than her saddest child, then it might also be said that the church is not stronger than its weakest member. In "Spiritual CPR," Dr. Jester has made a commendable and thoughtful effort to give the conservative Christian church what it needs to compassionately help struggling members regain their footing on the journey of faith.
Editorial Note: Dr. Shaun Jester is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist who has spent his career caring for patients through some of life's most critical moments. His medical training in emergency response inspired the concept behind Spiritual CPR: that spiritual crises deserve the same urgency, wisdom, and compassionate intervention as physical emergencies. Raised in a Christian home and active in his local church, Dr. Jester combines decades of medical experience with a life long commitment to studying and applying God's Word. Growing up in a military family and later living in six different states for medical training and practice has given him a deep appreciation for people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Dr. Jester and his wife, a native of Long Island, New York, have built a life centered on faith, family, and ser vice. Together they have two daughters, a son-in-law, and have shared their home with more animals than they can easily count. Through his writing, Dr. Jester encourages Christians to respond to spiritual struggles with biblical truth, practical wisdom, and Christlike compassion, equipping believers to become instruments of restoration in a hurting world
Kathryn Atwood, Senior Reviewer
https://kathrynjatwood.com
Mary Cowper's Bookshelf
Motherhood Discounted: Care Work in America Before and After Roe
Carolyn McConnell
www.carolynmcconnell.org
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896363149, $17.99, PB, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Motherhood-Discounted-America-Before-After/dp/B0FWZVZ4QC
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/motherhood-discounted-carolyn-mcconnell/1148560663
Synopsis: In the wake of Dobbs, and now with the country in the grip of Trump and a resurgent far right, the question everyone seems to be asking is -- How could this happen in America?
With the publication of "Motherhood Discounted: Care Work in America Before and After Roe", lawyer Carolyn McConnell shares a few ideas on how it happened -- and why.
After becoming a mother, McConnell was forced to face the myth of autonomy that American individualism breeds: the idea that independence is always good and dependence always bad. Why does America have such a problem offering social support for care work, she wondered, when mothering is the essential work of reproducing society?
In "Motherhood Discounted", McConnell turns a searching eye on autonomy, asking what it is and what it is for. Tracing this myth's development through American history, she frames each episode with personal stories and incisive analysis. In doing so, she offers women readers of all ages seeking to understand their own experiences in these disturbing times a potent explanation for how we got here -- and sounds a clarion call for political change.
Critique: Eloquent, informative, descriptively insightful, "Motherhood Discounted: Care Work in America Before and After Roe" by Carolyn McConnell is an extraordinary and timely study of one of today's most controversial social and legal issues -- the reproductive rights of women and the political, social, and cultural sources and reasons of those who oppose them. Absolutely and critically essential reading for women's rights advocates, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers (on both sides of the controversy) with an interest in the subject, "Motherhood Discounted" is a timely and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Motherhood Discounted" from She Writes Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Carolyn McConnell (www.carolynmcconnell.org) is a lawyer and an activist dedicated to resisting attacks on public services. She has published extensively on reproductive rights, feminism, and women's history and holds graduate degrees in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University and nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa.
Mary Cowper
Reviewer
Micah Andrew's Bookshelf
The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results
Gleb Tsipursky
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647127497, $29.95, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-AI-Adoption-Work-Resistance/dp/1647127491
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-psychology-of-ai-adoption-at-work-gleb-tsipursky/1149748028
Synopsis: As leaders rush to adopt Artificial Intelligence (driven by its potential to revolutionize operations, boost return on investment, and drive innovation) they often encounter significant hurdles. These challenges are not simply technical but also deeply human, involving employee resistance, cognitive biases, and entrenched organizational culture, all of which undermine successful AI adoption.
Drawing on over twenty-five years of consulting experience and rigorous behavioral science research, with the publication of "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results" by Gleb Tsipursky shows business professionals at all levels how to harness their greatest resource while solving their biggest challenge: their anxious and resistant people.
Supervisors and managers will learn how to boost employee engagement, dismantle cultural roadblocks, and build the psychological sense of safety required for AI-powered innovation that maximizes efficiency and effectiveness. Through real-world case studies, including many from clients, readers will see how to transform AI skeptics into empowered AI champions, design upskilling programs that drive engagement and innovation, and weave ethical governance guardrails into every deployment.
"The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results" also includes frameworks, conversation scripts, and metrics based on more than 100 consulting projects, along with over 50 interviews with leaders from Microsoft, Uber, Experian, and many other leading firms.
Simply stated, "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results" delivers a practical roadmap to turn employee anxiety into energy, resistance into results, and promising pilots into scalable breakthroughs, cementing a durable competitive edge in the AI age.
Critique: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not something to concern ourself in the near future -- it is already having a major impact on how business is done, be it locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results" by Gleb Tsipursky is an effectively informative and step-by-step leadership guide to help management overcome employee resistance to AI, boost innovation, and unlock AI's full business value for their company. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization, presentation and style, "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results" an is essential and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library AI & Business Management collections and supplemental MBS curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, called the "Office Whisperer" by the New York Times, is CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts. This future-of-work consultancy combines his business savvy with expertise in behavioral science to help leaders stop overpaying for AI while boosting engagement and innovation. Tsipursky's academic career includes faculty appointments at Ohio State University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Micah Andrew
Reviewer
Michael Dunford's Bookshelf
Geowater: A Geographic Approach to Water Data and Forecasting
David R. Maidment
Esri Press
www.esri.com/esripress
9781589489295, $89.99, HC, 186pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Geowater-Geographic-Approach-Water-Forecasting/dp/1589489292
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/geowater-david-r-maidment/1149881266
Synopsis: At a time when extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and costly, with the publication of "Geowater: A Geographic Approach to Water Data and Forecasting", hydrologist David R Maidment demonstrates how innovations in flood and drought forecasting are reshaping our ability to react -- specifically, how geographic thinking enhances water science and creates understanding.
From the development of the US National Water Model to AI-driven real-time flood mapping, disparate layers of georeferenced environmental, demographic, and scientific data can be merged and made meaningful. Scientists, emergency responders, communities, and private citizens rely on this information to anticipate floods, manage drought, and make decisions that can save lives. Readers can learn how raw data from ground measurements and satellite imagery become interactive maps that are interpreted and shared, and how they support collaboration, planning, and design across local, regional, and global scales.
Drawing on a lifetime of leadership at the intersection of hydrology and geographic information systems (GIS), with "Geowater" expert hydrologist David Maidment introduces readers to a transformative approach that connects data, maps, and advanced technologies to reveal how water moves through our world and affects human life.
Blending technical innovation with deeply human stories, Maidment reflects on personal experiences with devastating floods and the urgent need for better warning systems, underscoring the real-world stakes of his work. These narratives bring clarity and emotional resonance to complex scientific concepts, making the book relevant to GIS and hydrology professionals yet accessible to a wide audience.
More than just a technical guide, "Geowater" is a call to action. It challenges readers to rethink how we use data and technology to confront the growing challenges of water scarcity, flooding, and environmental change. By linking global processes to local consequences, Maidment shows that a geographic approach to water is key to building a more resilient and sustainable future.
Critique: Informative, insightful, meticulous, timely, and forward-looking, "Geowater: A Geographic Approach to Water Data and Forecasting" is a seminal and groundbreaking study that is especially relevant and recommended read for scientists, policymakers, students, and non-specialist general readers who are concerned about Climate Change and other environmental impacts upon the future of water on our planet. An essential acquisition for community and college/university library Environmental Studies: Water collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Geowater: A Geographic Approach to Water Data and Forecasting" from Esri Press is also available in paperback (9781589488526, $54.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $46.31).
Editorial Note: David R. Maidment is a specialist in surface water hydrology and the application of geographic information systems (GIS) to hydrology. He is the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair Emeritus in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served on the faculty from 1981 to 2019. He received his bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and his MS and PhD degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Michael Dunford
Reviewer
Paul Vogel's Bookshelf
Pelicans and the Science of Souls
Rebecca Coffey
https://rebeccacoffey.com
Beck & Branch Publishers
https://www.beckandbranch.com
9798993260723, $34.95, PB, 120pp
9798993260716, $10.00, Kindle
Publication Release Date: January 4, 2027
Beck & Branch Publishers
https://www.beckandbranch.com/the-science-of-souls
Synopsis: Gerald A. Press had spent more than 40 years teaching ancient Greek philosophy and its largely bygone ideas about intellect, souls, the divine, and what comes before and after our lives on Earth.
Rebecca Coffey had spent more than 30 years as a science journalist working across biology and physics. She also drew a bit. When he died, she had been making him a book of fanciful pelicans.
By the end of the day that Gerald died, the first event resistant to the scientific explanations of Rebecca had happened.
"Pelicans and the Science of Souls" is a grief memoir by science journalist Rebecca Coffey. Her partner Gerald A. Press (a widely recognized Plato scholar), "visited" her for many months after dying. In an effort to understand the persistence of their bond, Rebecca examined ancient Greek ideas about the soul and afterlife alongside key concepts from quantum physics, particularly entanglement.
Of special note is that "Pelicans and the Science of Souls" is illustrated with pelican drawings Rebecca and made for Gerald.
Critique: Original, emotionally engaging, thought-provoking, memorable, "Pelicans and the Science of Souls" is a unique, extraordinary, and unreservedly recommended pick for readers with an interest in the subjects of The Nature of the Human Soul, Death & Dying, Science & Spirituality, and Greco-Roman Philosophy. While highly recommended for both community and college/university library collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and the non-specialist general reader that this trade paperback edition of "Pelicans and the Science of Souls" from Beck & Branch Publishers is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.00).
Editorial Note: Rebecca Coffey (https://rebeccacoffey.com) has contributed science journalism to Scientific American, Discover, Forbes, Salon, The New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times, JSTOR Daily, Dame, Psychology Today, Vermont Public Radio, and the Genetic Literacy Project. She has appeared on syndicated talk shows like WNYC's The Takeaway, WAMC's 51 Percent, Fox News' Happening Now, The Bob Edwards Show, The Jim Bohannon Show, The Stephanie Miller Show, NPR's Air Talk with Larry Mantle, and on major-market programs produced by NPR affiliates in New York, Boston, Hartford, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Albany, and Indianapolis. She regularly speaks at colleges and universities, at conferences, and on podcasts.
Paul T. Vogel
Reviewer
S.A. Gorden's Bookshelf
Mango Bob
Bill H Myers
Small Town Publishing
9781889562032 $9.95 paper
B007XHIU78, $0.00 ebook, 313 pages
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mango-Bob-Bill-H-Myers-ebook/dp/B007XHIU78
Mango Bob is a comedic travelog pretending to be a cozy mystery. The characters and situations are fun and the story is interesting enough to carry the minimal mystery to the end.
Walker just lost his job and his wife has filed for divorce taking his house. Walker is forced to living in a tent down by the river. As his company is shutting down, he has a chance to purchase a motorhome used by execs at the company for a huge discount. Walker is also talked into driving the motorhome down to Florida by a friend to deliver a pet cat, Mango Bob, to her sister. Unknown to Walker, something was hidden in the motorhome important enough to murder for.
Mango Bob is a fun read and is best considered as a weekend escape or a travel log about what can happen driving across the Southeast. If you like a slow satirical comedy blended with a weak cozy, this is the book for you.
The Road to Revolution
Chris Bennett
CPB Publishing, LLC
9781955100144, $17.99 paper
B0DQFGRK2D, $4.99 ebook, 335 pages
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Revolution-Chris-Bennett-ebook/dp/B0DQFGRK2D
The Road to Revolution reads like a throwback to the massively popular historical novel of the 20th Century. A reasonably accurate retelling of a significant historical event is told through a fictionalized character. If you have watched any of the classic movies about major historical characters, you will recognize the technique. Many of these movies are based on the books written in this niche.
The Road to Revolution is a tale of a young colonist, Ethan Chambers, who stumbles into joining the American Revolution. Ethan's father is severely injured and the young man is pushed into the role of heading the family. A kind neighbor, Daniel Morgan, organizes a company of Virginian riflemen to join Washington at Boston. Ethan feels obligated to join the riflemen. Washington sends the riflemen under the overall command of Benedict Arnold in a surprise attack on Quebec. This is a lesser known but significant attack in the early days of the Revolution. Repercussions from the Quebec raid echo throughout the rest of the Revolutionary War. The bravery and endurance of the soldiers is impressive.
For history buffs, The Road to Revolution is a must read. Its biggest drawback is that it is just the first book in a series with an abrupt end. Bennet does his best to give the contemporary reader a feel of the war and time period. The story is well enough written to be an excellent introduction for anyone interested in trying this genre niche.
S.A. Gorden
Senior Reviewer
Suzie Housley's Bookshelf
Losing My Kidney and Finding My Voice: Confessions of a Living Donor
Rachel Bennett Steury
BC Books, LLC
9798990720589, $17.99 pbk / $5.99 Kindle, 235 pp.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Kidney-Finding-Voice-Confessions/dp/B0GRX3BKHN
Synopsis: Some books tell a story. Others quietly challenge readers to reconsider how they view the world. Losing My Kidney and Finding My Voice accomplishes both.
Rachel Bennett Steury shares the deeply personal account of becoming a living kidney donor for someone she had never met. What begins as a curiosity after learning about kidney donation gradually evolves into a life-changing decision rooted in compassion, family history, and a genuine desire to help others. Along the way, she welcomes readers into her everyday life, revealing the questions, fears, unexpected moments of humor, and emotional discoveries that accompanied her remarkable journey.
Rather than presenting organ donation as a simple act of generosity, Steury explores the many experiences that shaped her decision. She reflects on childhood memories, family relationships, advocacy work, and the quiet moments that ultimately led her to realize that one person's willingness to act can create lasting hope for countless others.
Critique: Every so often, a memoir comes along that quietly finds its way into your heart. Losing My Kidney and Finding My Voice is one of those rare books.
Rachel Bennett Steury doesn't ask readers to admire her. Instead, she invites them to walk beside her as she wrestles with difficult questions, discovers unexpected answers, and ultimately embraces a decision that changes far more than one life. That honesty makes this memoir so memorable.
As I turned the pages, I appreciated how naturally Rachel tells her story. There is no dramatic attempt to make herself the hero. She simply shares her experiences with sincerity, allowing readers to witness both the uncertainty and the quiet confidence that gradually emerge along her journey. That authenticity creates an immediate bond with the reader.
What impressed me most was how seamlessly she blended deeply personal memories with valuable insight into living organ donation. Medical information is presented in a way that never feels clinical or overwhelming. Instead, it becomes part of the larger story of family, compassion, resilience, and discovering one's purpose. Even readers who know very little about kidney donation will finish this book with a greater appreciation for the life-changing impact one person's decision can have.
Rachel's storytelling shines brightest when she reflects on the people who shaped her life. Her family memories provide emotional depth while revealing the experiences that ultimately guided her toward becoming a living donor. Those moments feel genuine because they are filled with both joy and heartbreak - the kind of memories every family carries in one form or another.
This memoir also serves as a gentle reminder that courage rarely arrives with fanfare. More often, it grows quietly through compassion, conviction, and the willingness to help someone else without expecting anything in return. Rachel captures that truth beautifully.
Long after I finished reading, I found myself thinking less about the surgery itself and more about the ripple effect of kindness. One act of generosity can touch countless lives in ways we may never fully understand. That message lingers well beyond the final chapter.
Heartfelt, inspiring, and deeply human, Losing My Kidney and Finding My Voice is more than a memoir about organ donation. It is a celebration of hope, self-discovery, and the remarkable difference one ordinary person can make by choosing compassion over comfort. Readers who enjoy inspirational memoirs, stories of personal growth, and true accounts of everyday heroes will find this book difficult to forget.
Landslide
Lisa M. Brammer
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
https://www.moonshinecovepublishing.com/index.html
9781966687030, $20.00, PB, 268pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Landslide-Lisa-M-Brammer/dp/1966687036
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/landslide-lisa-m-brammer/1149704814
Synopsis: Life can change in an instant, and for Maggie MacClery, that moment arrives with a phone call no spouse ever wants to receive. Her husband, Sully, suffered critical injuries in a devastating accident, leaving him in a coma. This forces Maggie to confront responsibilities she has spent decades allowing others to shoulder. As uncertainty becomes her constant companion, she discovers that surviving tragedy requires far more than hope - it demands courage she never realized she possessed.
Through alternating timelines, readers witness both the foundation of Maggie and Sully's enduring marriage and the heartbreaking reality of the present. The author skillfully interweaves memories of youthful romance, shared dreams, and decades of family life with Maggie's struggle to navigate medical decisions, financial responsibilities, and the well-intentioned interference of her adult children. Each chapter reveals another layer of a woman who slowly realizes that she can achieve personal growth at any age, and that reinvention can begin at any stage of life.
Critique: Lisa M. Brammer delivers a heartfelt work of women's fiction that examines the emotional landscape of marriage, family, identity, and resilience with remarkable authenticity. Though the novel opens with the trauma of Sully's accident, Maggie truly owns the story. The author details how Maggie, a woman whose carefully structured life unexpectedly dismantled, must discover strengths long hidden beneath years of routine and quiet sacrifice.
One of the novel's greatest strengths is its realistic portrayal of long-term marriage. Rather than presenting an idealized relationship, Brammer explores the subtle ways couples naturally settle into familiar roles over decades together. Maggie has always depended upon Sully's steady leadership, never imagining circumstances that would require her to become the family's decision-maker. Watching her gradually develop confidence while honoring the love she shares with her husband creates an emotionally satisfying character arc that feels both believable and inspiring.
The alternating "Now" and "Then" chapters provide exceptional narrative balance. Flashbacks reveal the playful beginnings of Maggie and Sully's relationship, allowing readers to understand the depth of their emotional connection before tragedy strikes. These glimpses into their courtship, early marriage, and shared dreams enrich the present-day storyline, making every difficult hospital visit and uncertain prognosis resonate with even greater emotional weight. Rather than interrupting the pacing, these transitions deepen the reader's investment in the characters.
Brammer also excels in portraying family relationships with honesty. Maggie's adult children genuinely love their mother, yet their desire to protect her often unintentionally diminishes her confidence. Their interactions reflect situations many families experience when illness suddenly shifts long-established family dynamics. Instead of creating simplistic heroes or villains, the author presents each family member as imperfect, compassionate, and realistically human.
Equally compelling is the supporting cast. Friends, neighbors, medical professionals, and extended family each contribute meaningful moments that reinforce the novel's themes of community, compassion, and perseverance. These secondary characters never overshadow Maggie's journey; instead, they provide opportunities for her continued personal growth while illustrating how unexpected kindness often appears during life's most difficult seasons.
Brammer's prose is warm, conversational, and emotionally accessible. She shows an excellent ear for dialogue, allowing conversations to unfold naturally without unnecessary exposition. Humor quietly surfaces throughout the novel, offering welcome moments of relief that prevent the heavier subject matter from becoming overwhelming. This careful emotional balance allows readers to experience sorrow, hope, laughter, and triumph alongside Maggie.
Perhaps the novel's most memorable accomplishment is its exploration of identity during midlife. Society often portrays personal transformation as the domain of younger protagonists, yet Landslide reminds readers that self-discovery has no expiration date. Maggie's evolution from hesitant caregiver to confident decision-maker serves as an uplifting testament to the resilience that often lies dormant until life's greatest challenges demand it.
Women's fiction enthusiasts, book clubs, and readers who appreciate emotionally driven family dramas will find much to discuss within these pages. Themes of marriage, caregiving, independence, aging, and second chances provide abundant material for thoughtful conversation long after the final chapter has been read.
Beautifully written and emotionally rewarding, Landslide is an inspiring reminder that while life's unexpected upheavals may alter the landscape we know, they can also uncover strengths we never realized we possessed. Lisa M. Brammer has crafted an engaging debut that celebrates perseverance, enduring love, and the remarkable courage required to rediscover oneself when life takes an unforeseen turn. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven women's fiction filled with emotional depth, authentic relationships, and hopeful transformation.
Finding Faith
Michelle Romano
Independently Published
9798992231625, $7.99, PB, 167pp
9798992231632, $0.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Faith-Michelle-Romano/dp/B0GW5MLD2R
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-faith-michelle-romano/1129654718
Synopsis: Faith's life comes apart all at once. After walking away from a belittling boss, she returns home to discover that Daniel, her longtime partner, has left her for someone else. Sick, unemployed, and emotionally exhausted, Faith accepts her best friend Terese's invitation to escape to a quiet Arizona town.
What begins as a temporary retreat soon feels strangely like coming home. A new job at St. Lucille's Nursing Home introduces her to residents whose memories of love and loss stir questions about her own past. As flowers, letters, and half-remembered connections lead her toward the truth about her late mother, Faith repeatedly crosses paths with Cole, an intriguing firefighter she first met in New York.
Their attraction is immediate, but Cole's secrets force Faith to decide whether she can trust what her heart is telling her. Finding Faith is an adult contemporary romance about grief, second chances, family secrets, and the courage required to believe in love again.
Critique: Michelle Romano begins Finding Faith at the precise moment her heroine has nothing left to hold together. Faith has lost her job, her relationship, and much of her confidence, yet Romano does not allow heartbreak to become the whole of her identity. The move from restless New York City to the red-rock quiet of Arizona gives the story a welcome change in rhythm. The landscape is more than a backdrop; it becomes part of Faith's healing, giving her room to listen to memories she has spent years avoiding. Her work at St. Lucille's is especially meaningful. Through Rose, Gracie, and the other residents, Faith learns that love can remain powerful even when time, loss, or regret has altered its shape.
The novel blends romance with a gentle mystery as letters, familiar places, and carefully kept secrets begin to connect Faith's present to her mother's past. Cole is both a romantic interest and part of that puzzle, and the gradual explanation of his different names and his connection to Faith's family gives the later chapters their strongest emotional pull. Faith's first-person voice is candid and sometimes impulsive, which makes her feel vulnerable rather than polished. Her progress is not a straight line; she wants love, fears abandonment, and occasionally reacts before she has the entire truth. That unevenness feels honest for a woman recovering from betrayal.
Finding Faith is best suited to adult readers who enjoy emotional, small-town romance with spiritual themes and open-door intimate scenes. Some coincidences are intentionally heightened, and readers who prefer a strictly realistic courtship may find Cole's secret efforts unusually elaborate.
For those willing to embrace the story's sense of fate, however, the payoff is warm and hopeful. Romano's central message is clear without becoming complicated: a painful ending does not have to be the final chapter. With compassion for wounded people and affection for second chances, Finding Faith offers a heartfelt reminder that home may be a place, a person, or the moment we finally choose to trust ourselves again.
Flashes of Fire and Fury
Lynda Allen
Living Heartfully Press
9781732255791, $15.99 PB, $7.99 Kindle, 316pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Fire-Fury-Wilde-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0H4H3RSPX
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flashes-of-fire-and-fury-lynda-allen/1150362538
Synopsis: Liv Wilde has learned that menopause comes with more than hot flashes. For her, those flashes can also bring psychic visions, a strange ability that has already drawn more attention than she ever wanted. When an anonymous letter arrives at her home containing a pointed biblical warning, Liv cannot shake the feeling that someone has decided her unusual gift makes her dangerous.
At the same time, promising young baseball player Armando "Mando" Jimenez appears on Liv's doorstep with a problem of his own. His once-promising season has fallen apart, strange objects and messages are appearing around his locker, and he is convinced someone has cursed him. He believes Liv may be the one person capable of discovering who is behind it.
What begins as an unusual request soon grows into something far more unsettling. Liv's visions of fire and an injured woman become increasingly urgent, while hostility toward her abilities moves frighteningly close to home. Liv's loyal friends surround her. She must determine which warnings are superstition, which dangers are real, and if her visions could lead her to those who need her.
Critique: There is something wonderfully refreshing about discovering a heroine who refuses to disappear quietly into middle age. Liv Wilde is funny, imperfect, outspoken, occasionally impulsive, and completely relatable. Flashes of Fire and Fury takes one of the least glamorous realities of a woman's life - menopause - and gives it an imaginative supernatural twist. Liv does not merely endure hot flashes; hers may arrive carrying a message that could change or even save someone's life.
Yet the paranormal element is only one layer of this engaging story. At its heart is a mystery involving fear, superstition, prejudice, and the dangerous consequences that can occur when people condemn what they do not understand. The story cleverly connects present-day events with the historical persecution of women accused of witchcraft. Those parallels give the novel considerably more substance than readers might initially expect from its playful humor.
The baseball storyline involving Mando is another enjoyable addition. His belief that his sudden inability to hit may be connected to a curse creates some genuinely entertaining moments while also reinforcing the book's larger exploration of belief and superstition. The author manages to move between baseball, psychic visions, history, friendship, danger, and menopause without losing the personality that makes Liv such an appealing narrator.
One of the strongest elements is the friendship among the women. Liv is surrounded by women who challenge her, tease her, protect her, and show up when circumstances become frightening. Their conversations feel comfortable and lived-in, complete with laughter, disagreements, adult subjects, and the blunt honesty that develops between longtime friends. These relationships give the story its warmth.
The author is equally willing to discuss subjects that are too often treated as embarrassing or invisible. Menopause, changing sexuality, grief, aging, loneliness, and the possibility of finding romance again are incorporated naturally into Liv's life rather than presented as issues requiring apology. That authenticity helps distinguish the novel from mysteries centered on much younger protagonists.
There are serious moments here, particularly as hostility toward Liv escalates, but humor keeps the story from becoming overwhelmingly dark. Liv's personality provides much of that balance. Even when frightened, she possesses an ability to find something absurd in the situation, and her friends are more than willing to contribute their own observations.
Perhaps the book's most meaningful message emerges near the conclusion. People who appear completely divided can sometimes discover common ground when judgment gives way to compassion. The women gathered around Angelica describe themselves simply as friends who come together for healing, prayer, laughter, support, and love. It is a quiet but powerful answer to the fear and intolerance that have driven much of the conflict.
Flashes of Fire and Fury successfully blends mystery, paranormal intrigue, history, baseball, friendship, and a healthy dose of grown-up humor. Readers who appreciate mature female protagonists will especially enjoy Liv Wilde. She proves that growing older does not mean the adventures are behind you. In her case, life may just be heating up.
Wreaking Vengeance: Book 7 of 7
Lynn-Steven Johanson
Level Best Books
https://www.levelbestbooks.us
9798898202279, $17.95 PB, 250pp
9798898202286, $6.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wreaking-Vengeance-Joe-Erickson-Mystery/dp/B0GY25QGC3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wreaking-vengeance-lynn-steven-johanson/1149935946
Synopsis: Detectives Joe Erickson and Sam Renaldo are handed the type of murder investigation that stays with even experienced police officers. The detectives are investigating a murder that will linger with them for a long time.
Finding out who wanted Jennifer dead will not be simple. Her money, personal relationships, and activities in the dog-show community open several doors for Joe and Sam to investigate. Some people had legitimate reasons to dislike her, and others appeared suspicious enough to deserve a closer look. Unfortunately, each promising direction seems to create another question.
Then the investigation changes.
Jennifer's death is no longer the only violent crime demanding Joe and Sam's attention. As additional victims enter the picture, the detectives must stop looking only at Jennifer's life and determine whether something in the victims' pasts ties them together.
Someone has a reason for what is happening, and Joe and Sam are running out of time to discover it.
Critique: There are mysteries that ease you into the story, and then there are mysteries that grab your attention from the first chapter. Wreaking Vengeance definitely falls into the second category.
Lynn-Steven Johanson opens with a crime that made me wonder what kind of person could do something this brutal. More importantly, I wanted to know why. That question kept me turning the pages.
I enjoyed watching Joe Erickson and Sam Renaldo work this case because they actually had to investigate. One clue does not suddenly solve everything. They talk to people, check stories, follow leads that look promising, and discover that some of those leads take them absolutely nowhere. Just when I thought, "This has to be the person," something changed.
That kept this mystery interesting for me.
I also liked getting away from the investigation occasionally and seeing Joe at home with Destiny and Autumn. Autumn especially brought a smile to my face. Those scenes may seem small compared with a murder investigation, but I thought they added a lot to Joe's character. After dealing with some truly horrible things during the day, he can still go home and become the man whose dog is waiting for her daddy and her treat. The contrast worked for me. The novel itself shows Autumn having a calming effect on Joe after a frustrating day on the case.
The dog-show connection was another part of the story I found interesting. I have read plenty of murder mysteries, but I cannot remember many that took me into this world. It gave Jennifer's background and the early investigation a personality of their own instead of making this feel like just another murder case.
Joe and Sam also work well together. Their conversations can be serious one minute and humorous the next. That felt natural to me. When people work together in difficult situations every day, sometimes humor is exactly what gets them through it.
I will warn readers about one thing: this is not a cozy mystery. The crimes are violent, and some scenes are graphic. There is also strong language. If you prefer your mysteries without blood and brutality, this probably will not be the book for you.
But if you enjoy following detectives as they sort through suspects, motives, evidence, and dead ends, Wreaking Vengeance has plenty to offer.
What pleased me most was that I did not immediately figure everything out. I had my suspicions. I changed my mind. Then I changed it again. Eventually Joe and Sam discover the connection that turns the investigation in the direction it needed to go, and the last portion of the book moves quickly toward its conclusion. The ARC confirms that the evidence ultimately establishes who was connected to the attacks, bringing the case to a definite resolution.
This is the seventh Joe Erickson mystery, but I don't believe a new reader needs to be intimidated by that number. There is enough character information here to understand Joe, his relationships, and the investigation without feeling as though you walked into the middle of a conversation.
Lynn-Steven Johanson gave me what I want when I pick up a police mystery: a crime that made me ask why, several people worth questioning, detectives willing to do the legwork, and enough wrong turns to keep me guessing.
Mystery readers who enjoy police procedurals and don't mind a little blood along the way will want to add Wreaking Vengeance to their reading list.
The Storm Next Door
James Arlen Anderson
Skywater Publishing Cooperative Ltd
https://skywaterpub.com
9798295452680, $26.95, HC, $17.95, PB, $4.99 Kindle, 238pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Next-James-Arlen-Anderson/dp/B0H8W257MF
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-storm-next-door-james-arlen-anderson/1149837704
Synopsis: Immerse yourselves in a beautifully woven tapestry of human experiences where resilience and community shine through the darkest of times. A southern Minnesota town serves as the backdrop for this contemporary novel, which introduces us to a cast of intricate characters whose lives are deeply intertwined.
As they face personal crises and the aftermath of a catastrophic storm, we witness their struggles and triumphs unfold. The characters' resilience in the face of adversity is not just a testament to their strength, but also a source of inspiration and hope.
Each character's voice in The Storm Next Door reminds us of the unseen battles we all face, reflecting the shared experiences that bind us as humans. Secrets emerge and relationships face tests, which reminds us of the importance of vulnerability and connection.
Critique: The Storm Next Door reminds us of the unseen battles we all face, reflecting the shared experiences that bind us as humans. The emergence of secrets and the testing of relationships highlight the importance of vulnerability and connection.
James Arlen Anderson's remarkable writing invites us on a journey deep into the essence of community and the beauty of vulnerability. His poignant tales encourage us to reflect on our life paths, and we discover that it is often within our shared experiences we find strength.
As we navigate through the storms of life, Anderson reminds us that connection is not just a comforting notion but a powerful force that can uplift and transform our journeys.
The Lost Baseball: Adventures with Jack & Rex
Lauren Gallo, author
Naka Nayui, illustrator
Lauren Gallo Books
9798218753344, $10.99, PB, 33pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Baseball-Adventures-Jack-Rex/dp/B0GLHWRCPC
Synopsis: A day at the baseball field turns into an unexpected adventure when young Jack sends a ball sailing beyond the fence. With his dinosaur friend Rex beside him, Jack sets off to retrieve it, but what begins as a simple search soon leads the pair down a woodland path and into the company of some helpful new friends.
One by one, Owl, Frog, Squirrel, Bunny, and Bear join the search. Although no one seems to know where the missing baseball has gone, each encounter brings Jack and Rex closer to something even more valuable: the realization that an ordinary problem can become much easier - and a lot more fun - when friends are willing to help. The story ultimately circles back to baseball, only now Jack and Rex have an entire team of new companions ready to play.
Critique: Lauren Gallo's Adventures with Jack & Rex: The Lost Baseball captures the kind of childhood adventure that begins with a small problem and grows into something wonderfully unexpected. Jack and Rex are an instantly likable pair, and their search for a missing baseball gives young readers an easy-to-follow storyline while quietly introducing lessons about friendship, cooperation, kindness, and sharing.
The repetitive nature of the search works especially well for younger children. Each new animal brings another opportunity to wonder where the baseball might be, creating a rhythm that makes the story well suited for reading aloud. Rather than allowing Jack and Rex to become discouraged, Gallo keeps them moving forward, and their determination gives the story an upbeat sense of momentum.
Naka Nayui's colorful illustrations add much of the book's personality. Rex, in particular, is expressive and playful, while the woodland animals make each stage of the search feel like a new discovery. The visual transition from the baseball field into the woods and eventually back to the game complements the simple adventure nicely.
What I especially enjoyed is that the missing baseball ultimately becomes secondary to the friendships formed along the way. Bear's willingness to share his own baseball provides a gentle example of generosity without turning the story into an obvious lesson. Jack's grateful response reinforces the message naturally, and the growing group of friends heading back to play together gives the book a satisfying conclusion.
Inspired by the author's own love of story time with her son, Adventures with Jack & Rex: The Lost Baseball has the warmhearted quality of a story created to be shared between a child and the person reading beside them.
Young baseball fans will enjoy the sports theme, while dinosaur lovers will quickly embrace Rex. Most importantly, children are left with the simple reminder that sometimes losing something can lead to finding something even better -- a new friend.
Editorial Note: Recommended for ages 3-8.
Nile Noodles - Silly Space Books #6
Lily Tessie Lamb
Independently Published
9798355829131, $8.99 PB, $2.99 Kindle, 44pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHC22JWP
Synopsis: The adventure continues as twins Thrilly and Bee-Bup climb aboard the Redshine Rover for another imaginative journey - this time to Egypt and the famous Nile Delta. With their enthusiastic friend Kleo Khattra leading the way, the young explorers are introduced to the history, traditions, foods, and fascinating culture of one of the world's most recognizable destinations. Filled with colorful illustrations, humor, and a sense of discovery, Nile Noodles gives children an entertaining opportunity to explore another part of the world without ever leaving home.
Critique: One of the greatest gifts we can give a child is curiosity. In Nile Noodles, Lily Tessie Lamb takes that natural desire to discover something new and turns it into a lively adventure filled with culture, imagination, and fun.
Thrilly and Bee-Bup are off again aboard the Redshine Rover, and this time their travels take them to Egypt's Nile Delta. What I particularly enjoyed about Lamb's approach is that the educational elements never overwhelm the story. Young readers aren't simply handed a collection of facts about Egypt. Instead, they experience the destination alongside the characters, discovering its food, history, customs, and traditions as part of the adventure.
That makes a difference, especially when writing for children. Learning becomes much more memorable when youngsters are having too much fun to realize they are being taught something along the way.
The illustrations are another highlight of Nile Noodles. Bright, playful, and filled with details, they complement the story while giving young readers even more to explore. This is the type of book that invites children to linger over the pages, point out something they notice, ask questions, and perhaps become curious enough to want to learn more about Egypt afterward.
I have always appreciated children's books that do more than simply entertain. The best ones can open a door to a place, culture, or idea that a child may never have encountered before. Nile Noodles does exactly that. It offers parents, grandparents, and educators a natural starting point for conversations about geography, history, food, travel, and the many different ways people experience the world.
At only 44 pages, the book is also approachable for younger readers and well suited for reading together. It would make an enjoyable addition to a family bookshelf, classroom library, or collection of books designed to encourage children to look beyond their own backyard.
With Nile Noodles, Lily Tessie Lamb reminds young readers that the world is a very big place filled with interesting people, fascinating traditions, and plenty of adventures waiting to be discovered. Sometimes all it takes to begin the journey is opening a book.
Recommended for young readers, families, educators, and anyone hoping to nurture a child's curiosity about the world.
Suzie Housley, Senior Reviewer
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James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
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