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California Bookwatch

Volume 20, Number 2 February 2025 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Health/Medicine Shelf Biography/Memoir Shelf
General Fiction Shelf Historical Fiction Shelf Romantic Fiction Shelf
Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Poetry Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Solitary Walker
N.J. Mastro
https://www.njmastro.com
Black Rose Writing
https://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685135614, $22.95 pbk / $6.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Solitary-Walker-Novel-Mary-Wollstonecraft/dp/1685135617

Solitary Walker: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft is a novel about the 1700s life of Mary Wollstonecraft, who was raised in an abusive home, eschewed the mandate of women to marry, and cultivated an independence that fostered her drive to become a writer.

Mary finds she is not immune to the lure of love when she falls first for married man Henry Fuseli as the French Revolution is breaking out; then with Gilbert Imlay, with whom she has an affair, then finds herself pregnant and alone.

Author N.J. Mastro is adept at displaying the perceptions and follies of women of the times, injecting dialogue, observations, and insights that will intrigue modern women with rich, detailed historical insights into the social mores of the times: "He's a naughty one," Helen said to Mary when the evening was done and Captain Imlay had departed into the night. "But isn't that what women ultimately adore in men?"

Mary's openness to "mischief" and defiance of the social constrictions placed on women of her times creates an intriguing story in which she is continually tested over her determination to remain free and independent. As events swirl between Paris and London, Mastro captures and contrasts these disparate environments. Somehow, they prove frighteningly similar when it comes to expectations of women's behaviors and prospects.

Mary's ability to maintain not just independence but critical thinking is particularly notable as events unfold to create conflict both around and within her: "Your fixation on wealth is unbecoming," Mary said, boiling inside at his self-interest when all around them friends were waiting for the executioner, dying for their convictions. Those were the people she admired. "There's more to life than having fine things."

The many discussion points which arise from this story will especially intrigue book club reading groups interested in considering women's strengths, weaknesses, the political and social morals of Mary's times, and the methods by which she maintains and supports her independence. The novel is beautifully written and covers many intriguing points that will especially please readers of women's historical fiction.

Libraries that choose Solitary Walker for its promise of historical biographical strength will also appreciate its ability to navigate the undercurrents of women's experience, perception, and rights. All these elements make for a strong recommendation to patrons interested in women's history and issues, as well as powerful biographical figures.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

To Your Health
Esther Avant
www.estheravant.com
Muse Literary
https://www.museliterary.com
9781960876683, $27.78 Hardcover/$20.99 Paperback/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Health-Lifestyle-Happiness-Confidence/dp/1960876686

To Your Health: A Lifestyle of Health, Happiness and Confidence comes from a health and weight loss coach who tackles the difficult question of why so many programs don't work... and what does work. In so doing, Esther Avant reveals the reality of why most diets fail (it's not the dieter; it's the diet itself), reviewing how to build a framework for success that represents lifelong changes in approaches to nutrition and exercise and how to set and meet goals to keep the momentum flowing.

Readers who choose To Your Health will find it contains no pat answers. Indeed, the focus on the psychology of gaining better health offers not only specific insights, but behavior modification techniques that support the foundations of how lifestyles may be modified: Imagine assuring your husband you'd pick up the dry cleaning only to instead scroll TikTok? You wouldn't do those things because you know how important it is to be reliable and dependable.

Commitments to yourself need to be treated the same way. You must be someone who does what she says she'll do, even if no one else is involved or looking. Another strong note to Avant's approach lays in the illustrative case history examples of how fellow dieters faced specific challenges: Tanya begrudgingly peeled the plastic off today's Lean Cuisine. Swedish Meatballs. Actually one of her favorites, but after eating these meals for eight months of lunches during the workweek, none of them were super appealing. But between those and the fact that she'd started intermittent fasting instead of eating breakfast, she was eating way less overall. Sure, she'd been hungry a lot, but she felt like it was worth it, at least while the scale had been moving!

Now that the scale wasn't moving (and she'd had hundreds of meals like these) she was starting to resent them. She was ravenous by the time lunch rolled around, and the microwave meals seemed like they were making her hungrier, rather than satisfying her.

Readers who have followed in Tanya and others' footsteps will readily recognize these experiences, but the meat of the book lies in how to overcome them. At every step, Avant outlines new approaches to food, hunger, and satisfaction that empower readers truly interested in better understanding the nature of their cravings and how to modify their choices. The result represents important links between health, diet, and happiness, encouraging readers to not just make changes to their lifestyles, but revel in their positive outcomes and better understand common obstacles to lifelong success.

Libraries interested in a title that holds many discussion points for book clubs interested in surveys of nutrition and happiness will find it easy to recommend To Your Health: A Lifestyle of Health, Happiness and Confidence to a wide audience, including individual patrons tired of pat diet approaches who seek insights containing more depth and better outcomes.


The Biography/Memoir Shelf

My Musical Notes
Gaby Casadesus
Hamilton Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
https://rowman.com
9780761874584, $24.99 Paperback; $23.50 E-book

https://www.amazon.com/My-Musical-Notes-Journey-Classical/dp/0761874585

My Musical Notes: A Journey in Classical Piano between the World Wars and Beyond is a memoir of French pianist Gaby Casadesus' extraordinary life in classical music. It follows artistic, political, social, and psychological developments as they play out over decades of piano playing.

Lawrence Lockwood's translation (in collaboration with Therese Casadesus Rawson) allows English readers to appreciate Casadesus and her husband Robert's lives as they moved from being internationally famous twentieth-century French concert pianists to leaving Paris in 1940, emigrating to the United States on the eve of the German invasion. There, they continued to make names for themselves in classical music circles.

Interestingly, her memoir begins with a non-musical query: How did I meet Robert? This neatly sets the stage for and segues into the classical music world of 1916, where Gaby studies at the Paris Conservatory, develops a relationship with Robert, and interacts with the classical community, honing her skills while rubbing shoulders with some of the best classical musicians of her time.

The European classical community comes alive in this memoir, supported by a "you are here" atmosphere as Gaby recollects the high points of her life and world travels. Readers who may operate outside the classical community and who views its history as staid and dull will find the vivid encounters, descriptions of social and artistic challenges, and discoveries made while touring and encountering fellow classical musicians to be thoroughly engrossing. They need not have a background in classical music in order to become immersed in these scenarios -- but those who do will find Gaby's history and life to be truly amazing, filled with unexpected adventure and cultural discoveries.

More than a just another story of famous musicians or classical players alone, My Musical Notes will attract and excite all kinds of readers, from those steeped in the classical music profession to outsiders who enjoy solidly written memoirs filled with events that illustrate time, place, and personalities in a compelling manner. Through her experiences and insights, nearly a century of classical music culture in Europe and America, along with encounters with musical geniuses such as Faure, Ravel, and Stravinsky, comes to life. This is why libraries should not only place My Musical Notes high on their acquisition lists, but should highly recommend it to book clubs and patrons with special interest in not just classical music history and culture, but a musical prodigy's exciting life.

To the Midnight Sun
Stephen Saletan
Independently Published
9798218437800, $22.95 Paperback/$8.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Sun-Story-Revolution-Return/dp/B0DHWGDJZT

To the Midnight Sun: A Story of Revolution, Exile and Return is a family memoir that's especially important to modern times, offering an opportunity to better understand the politics and people of Russia.

It represents not only Stephen Saletan's family experience, but what he found when, at age thirteen, he traveled to Russia with his Russian grandmother, there to see firsthand the daily lives of those living under Communism. From that introduction, it was thirty years before he was to return in search of answers to family mysteries and questions. What he found allowed him to contrast his grandmother's stories with his initial encounters in Russia and how the nation evolved decades later.

It opens with a simple question: how do family roots and legacies shape our lives? How does the process of investigating the past alter perceptions of identity and choices made with the past and future in mind? Saletan's weave of these very personal facets with bigger-picture thinking gives To the Midnight Sun a flavor that many similar-sounding stories of family roots in Russia don't contain.

His personal experience and reactions add interest to his growing connection with that country: I looked around in slight bewilderment -- the scene was at once festive, solemn, and nostalgic. It was a ritual that my grandmother and her siblings had enacted many times before; but for me, it was overwhelming to meet so many new people whose language, appearance, and social behavior were so unfamiliar. And yet, I felt a current of mutual affinity flowing between us.

Of particular interest to genealogists embarking on their own family research in the Old Country is Saletan's reflections on the political and cultural barriers in probing for information under a regime that doesn't look kindly upon asking too many questions: We explained our purpose and presented our letters from Ganelin and Varustina, which he looked over indifferently. He doubted we would find any material of interest; rather, he appeared to be more concerned that he would get in trouble if he gave anything away or missed the covert action that he suspected was unfolding under his very nose, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

To the Midnight Sun will attract four audiences: those interested in biography and family journeys; budding genealogists; readers interested in a personal connection with Russia's people made over a long period of time; and readers attracted to blends of family and personal memories. Readers will appreciate the multifaceted and thoroughly engrossing exploration of a process of not just uncovering family history in Russia, but of answering questions and considering personal and national history's impact on identity.

Libraries will want to highly recommend To the Midnight Sun to any patron interested in the mechanics of family history, discovery, and genealogical research, as well as history buffs holding a special interest in Mother Russia.

The Xena Years
Steven Clark
Independently Published
B0DJVB7MWR, $5.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Xena-Years-During-Peace-Dividend-ebook/dp/B0DJVB7MWR

The Xena Years: Life During the Peace Dividend concludes Steven Clark's memoirs, adding a final volume that documents his move from Boston to Columbia, Missouri. There, he grows as a writer, falls in love, and contemplates a vastly revised life that continues to evolve in unexpected directions.

From the start, his first-person story captures reader attention with "you are here" writing that needs no prior introduction to prove compelling: I hurried around the corner, the manila envelope held close like a baby bird that might fly away. Threading through the usual passersby on Beacon Hill's cramped streets, I dodged traffic to cross behind the State House, its golden dome always bright and enticing. Inside, the crowd at the post office was light. Robert MacCready, the window clerk, smiled and traded news of the Bruins with a customer. When my turn came, his thin fingers motioned me forward. Eyeglasses perched on the bridge of his nose, he looked like a white-haired Columbo, the voice equally gravelly, if seasoned with a bit more Boston.

"Well, my young friend. Another book rate special off to the publisher?"

"Right," I smiled back, "and hold the mayo."

From his futile semester at grad school (which he quit to become a writer) to his acknowledgement that dead-end jobs repressed his creative spirit and efforts, Clark not only succeeds in his goal, but embarks on a very different literary endeavor -- writing about his family.

Dreams, inner demons, family conflicts, and expanded worldviews and encounters all coalesce to capture Clark's growing involvement in plays, writing, and life. Black and white photos peppered throughout his memoir bring Clark's world to vivid life as he blossoms and grows.

The 'Xena Years' referred to in the book title were "a time of moral uncertainty" when corporate America influenced even literary ambition and producers and directors demanded different forms of writing and compliance, demanding "more raw and graphic material" for the Xena: Warrior Princess shows.

It's particularly intriguing how this period of time both influenced and reflected Clark's personal and literary growth as he immersed himself in the Xena character and considered his new ambitions and what he really wanted personally and professionally. The blend of social and literary reflection makes The Xena Years a winning memoir highly recommended for a wide range of readers, from Steven Clark's previous fans to newcomers seeking a vivid story of creative writing and personal growth that incorporates social change into revised worldviews and experiences.


The General Fiction Shelf

Raising Hel
Cynthia J. Bogard
https://www.cynthiajbogard.com
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798891325128, $18.99 paperback/$9.99 Kindle

Raising Hel is a prequel to Cynthia J. Bogard's prior books A History of Silence and Beach of the Dead, and will be especially appreciated by fans that enjoyed these stories in the Heartland Trilogy, who will find many details expanded upon here.

The story opens in 1973 Madison, Wisconsin, where first-person narrator Helen struggles with gaining enough motivation to participate in life outside the four walls called home. At twenty-two, her life is ebbing and depression winning. Helen's new relationship with Ed blinds her to his controlling nature. Too often, she forgives his volatile temper and struggles with the feeling that she seems to be a tertiary adjunct in his life: "You're a war hero, a leader, a medic, a future doctor. What could you possibly want with me? I'm next to nothing." He put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed it briefly, then took my hand again. "You're what keeps me goin', fightin' the good fight. A man needs a chick to come home to, keep the home fires burning, give me food and lovin', be true to me. Help me forget all the shit that's gone down in my fucked-up life. That's what I need and that's what I get from you, Babe."

When Helen moves from idealistic age nineteen to being over twenty-two and deeply involved with an abusive man, co-worker Thorpe enters her world to, in effect, save her. This is when she decides to walk out of her depressed and abused life and into new possibilities. Wisely, Thorpe decides to let Helen find her own way. Even more wisely, Helen reflects on the kind of woman she admires (Thorpe) and the elements of Thorpe's personality that she would like to embrace for herself: Thorpe was irreducibly herself. If the world didn't like that, well fuck them all. Before Thorpe, I'd never met an unafraid woman. I'd never seen a woman get angry without artifice, apology, or tears. I'd never known a woman who lived her life completely at ease in her own skin. Without shame, without secrets, without guile. Thorpe awed me. She insisted the world take her seriously.

This sets up an ideal for change, revised behaviors and values, and the pursuit of a very different outcome than she has both fallen into and felt trapped by. Readers who look for a standalone story of abusive relationships, recovery, growth, and self-help will find Helen's story immersive and revealing about all kinds of life encounters that affect her position and journey. Thorpe's influence continues to impact not just Helen, but Iris, Maddie, and a host of characters who enter the fray of a transformative change that evolves on different levels.

From participating in a functioning collective ('The Ragged Collective') to identifying, applauding, and supporting the hero in each of their personalities, Raising Hel creates a vivid story of personal and social change that draws readers into friendships, adversity, and higher-level thinking about victims and life.

Libraries interested in novels that pose exciting developments and dilemmas about empowerment and change will welcome the engaging characters and problem-solving challenges of Raising Hel. Firmly rooted in a sense of place, purpose, and evolutionary experience, it's a vivid story of the 70s which comes alive in a thoroughly engaging way, and deserves strong recommendation to book clubs interested in everything from women's issues to psychological transformation's social impact.

The Scarlet D
Kirsten Pursell
www.kirstenpursell.com
Independently Published
9781737770589, $15.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook

https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-D-Kirsten-Pursell/dp/173777058X

Having immersed herself in romantic possibilities promoted by Nicholas Sparks' novels, Scarlet abandons a thirty-year marriage and staid life to search for love and drama that will lead to a new and better outcome. Unfortunately, life and love aren't that easy, so her foray into the wild world of South Carolina (as opposed to North Carolina, where most of Sparks' romances take place) leads to unexpected events in The Scarlet D. Scarlet is wise enough to know that a move further north would lead to untenable expectations about that type of romance.

However, she isn't wise enough to leave old patterns behind. As she becomes involved with a younger man and also encounters a better choice in one older but more seasoned, Scarlet comes to realize that there is more involved in new beginnings than selecting men who are edgy.

From the start, her first-person reflections lend a realistic, engrossing countenance to her evolutionary process: My decades-long marriage is over. My children were raised and live life mostly on their terms. I embrace that before I become too old or bitter or resentful for a life not fully lived, it's time to try the unfamiliar parts. I want green and the ocean. I want history at my doorstep. I want weekend trips to Europe. On my own. Divorced. God, that's such a strong word. I would say it was mutually earned, but, in the end, I deserve more credit for the demise of my marriage than he ever did, acknowledging that no marriage solely ends at the hand of one person. Both are complicit. Maybe we share credit. But the blame is on me.

Scarlet is wise enough to know that the attractive Ben will likely never be more than a passing passion. Beau, on the other hand, represents the very image of the type of man with whom she could develop a lasting relationship: Other than Ben and outside of my ACE hardware trip, he was the first man I'd met here. And he genuinely piqued my interest. There was something familiar about him, too. But I knew that wouldn't be possible. His accent told me he was a southern man, likely born and bred. Before I moved here, I had not known any authentic Southerners... Beau. Of all the men I never saw myself meeting or falling in love with. He was worth trying to let go of my self-perceived inadequacies.

As considerations of ageism, evil influencers who can quash good things, and family connections loom to make relationship difficulties come to light, readers are treated to not just a singular romance, but an important psychological consideration of how love changes everything -- including one's ambitions, choices, and perceptions. Kirsten Pursell is especially astute at pointing out the pitfalls and perils of good intentions gone awry, presenting these insights via memorable, realistic characters whose special interests both coalesce and clash at different times.

Libraries seeking an evocative, empowering read about a woman determined to change the nature of her life and relationship choices, who is savvy enough to be cognizant of many (but not all) of the pitfalls involved in so doing, will find The Scarlet D of special interest. It will attract women and book clubs interested in probing the nature of romantic expectations and their incarnation in more complicated real-world relationships.

Scarlet's experiences makes for heady, involving reading that imparts much food for thought along the way, making for a top pick for both leisure readers and those who seek stories that hold no easy solutions or singular avenues of discovery.

Ignoring Alva
Emilie Khair
https://ignoringalva.com
Current Words Publishing, LLC
www.currentwords.com
9781957224459, $TBA

In the Emilie Khair novel, "Ignoring Alva", two aging sisters decide to embark on a road trip together. What they uncover will not only change their perceptions of life, but how they relate to one another. This adventure promises to carry them into the future with more connection and understanding than they've had in the past... but it comes with a price tag.

Emilie Khair cultivates an atmosphere of discovery that permeates the sisters' lives from the novel's opening lines. Alva's perspective and experience of a small stroke opens the story with an early indicator that it's time not just for change, but transitioning into new facets of daily living. Her older sister Millie is no spring chicken, either. Now 81, she seems like the last person to undertake a road trip. However, the desire to see more of the world while they still can motivates the sisters to begin a journey that promises change and new revelations.

Khair takes the time to describe the mental and physical condition of her characters. Alva's first-person perspective lends to vivid representations: Millie is finally out of her bedroom, yelling for my help, dragging an immense suitcase to rest next to two others. She is a sight, with her newly permed air looking like a cross between a halo and a helmet, and she is looking like an old Clara Bow. She is taller than me, and I guess more stylish. Today she is in a navy tunic and soft jeans, an inharmonious fur draped over her shoulders. Melancholy permeates the tale with reflections on bygone times: It feels like I'm peeking back into a life that isn't all that familiar anymore, like even the ashtray sits in the middle of the coffee table, but I don't even know why. Nobody's smoked in the house for years.

However, the promise of a new present-day experience makes for a fine juxtaposition of past and present, as well as memories and revised hopes for the future as the plot moves into unexpected kidnapping situations and more. After setting the stage with Alva's perspective, Khair then represents Millie's impressions. This technique gives readers dual value in contrasting both shared memories and differences as the sisters each experience the journey in disparate ways.

Also notable in this progression of insights is the different impressions the sisters have of one another in their golden years. Millie's observation, for example, is astutely thought-provoking: Alva's mind is doing somersaults. Not in a good way... This whole story about the robbery seems farfetched. I mean, I didn't see anything. It could be true, but her visions have shed some doubt on her mental awareness. Alva argues that those visions, when she has them, come with sensations of being in a totally different place. "This robbery," she said agitatedly, "happened in the casino, and we were both right there. And you, Millie, are not that observant. Also, you are never in my visions." I am not sure how to take that. I have been such a big part of Alva's life these last years, how is it that she is dreaming about going places without me?

As the unexpected adventures unfold, the sisters react in different ways, sporting different strengths. This gives the story a progressive complexity that moves from relationship-building and transformation to confronting obstacles in life that exist well outside the sisters' previous relationship or experiences.

Readers tempted to akin Ignoring Alva to Jack Kerouac's counterculture romp in On the Road will find these two books share the atmosphere and excitement of transformation, but actually embody very different characters and age groups. The age-related quandaries explored in Ignoring Alva provide depth and food for thought to readers who believe that those in their golden years are unable to venture into virgin territory in forging revised choices and actions.

This makes Ignoring Alva a top recommendation for those interested in journeys undertaken in advanced years, as well as readers interested in exploring sisterhood and discoveries that initiate new realizations and change.

Libraries will be pleased to include Ignoring Alva in collections that have a special interest in senior experiences and shifting family connections. Book reading groups seeking thought-provoking material that embraces kidnapping, strife, and a special form of adventure that books about the elderly seldom embrace will relish the opportunity to hold discussions on aging that are prompted by the events and interactions in Ignoring Alva.

Flutterby and Caterpillarism
D'Ann Katsu Davis
www.KatsuDavis.com
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798891324862, $12.12 Paperback/$8.88 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Flutterby-Caterpillarism-DAnn-Katsu-Davis/dp/B0DJR5G999

New age and philosophy readers alike will appreciate the content and direction of Flutterby and Caterpillarism: The Old Ways to a New Self and a New World, which takes ideals of connection, love, life inspection, and transformation into new directions which are particularly relevant to modern times and thinking.

The story is set in the real-world environment of the Sacred Stone Medicine Camp at Standing Rock. At first the story's place and origins were to be presented more ethereally, but D'Ann Katsu Davis' publisher convinced her to keep its setting in actual struggles surrounding the Dakota Access Pipelines through tribal lands. This gives her fable an important foundation in events and tribal concerns.

An important introduction unfolds the history, background, and circumstances intrinsic to understanding the fable's experiences, references, and ultimate meaning. This gives readers a fine grounding in what is to come -- a metamorphosis that operates on disparate levels of social, ethical, and philosophical transformation. These features serve as a model for future cooperative ventures and understanding.

The Native Nations that came together for a common cause at Standing Rock are mirrored in Flutterby and Caterpillarism, which contrasts mindsets, goals, and different approaches to freedom and discovery. Why is this parable so important today? Davis's mission statement in her introduction says it all: All Native Nations and cultures came together under One Flag at Standing Rock. Again, a model of how this could be done on larger scales. (And if we can't even think it, how can we do it? This story, in part, aims to connect those dots.)

This story shows a way forward by embracing a spiritually fulfilling, ecologically kind and socially just past. The contrasting views of Flutterby and Caterpillarism are delivered via evocative, lovely language that encourages discourse and understanding as the story unfolds: We were fulfilled, unplugged, and aligned with who we really were, and how we were really feeling as we lived in good humor and togetherness. Never would they go back to the world of disconnection -- from others, nature, and their own true selves. Not when they could live playfully among a loving group of sparkling laughing eyes, asking, "how may I help?"

As a series of lessons evolve on individual and social connection and dysfunction and how new paths can be forged, Flutterby and Caterpillarism proves accessible, inspirational, and the perfect panacea for depression over modern times.

Libraries that choose Flutterby and Caterpillarism for their collections will find it just the ticket for combating depression and encouraging specie-wide and earth-wide connections.


The Historical Fiction Shelf

Like Embers in the Night
Andrew Goliszek
Wild Rose Press
www.thewildrosepress.com
9781509259298, $20.99 Paperback/$5.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Like-Embers-Night-Andrew-Goliszek/dp/1509259295

Like Embers in the Night is set during World War II. It follows the lives and trails of Polish soldier Janek and his wife Wanda, who manage to survive Soviet labor camps and Silberian gulags as they struggle to stay live and connected even as their familiar world devolves into chaos.

If the events featured in this book seem exceptionally vivid (a warning for sensitive readers), it's because descriptions are powered by the memories of author Andrew Goliszek's sister Sophie, who survived war, dictators, and prison camps. This gives Like Embers in the Night a hard-hitting feel that brings the 1939 siege of Poland to vivid life from its opening chapters: Wanda sat trembling as she rocked back and forth, clutching six-year-old Sophie to her chest so tightly her hands grew numb. The electricity in the city had been out for days. Water was scarce. What little food she had left would run out in a week. Through a small broken window, she could see and hear the nonstop barrage of artillery fire off in the distance. Fingers of thick black smoke rose columnlike along the horizon and swirled eastward in the cold wind. For days, the pungent stench of death and decay had descended upon the city of Lwow like a shroud.

Readers need not hold prior familiarity with the history of Poland or the events of 1939 in order to enjoy Goliszek's story. History comes to life with no prerequisite for anything but a basic interest in wartime events and how ordinary people survive them. Like Embers in the Night will attract a wide audience with its compelling reviews of impossible-to-survive situations and how each character makes compromises and forms strategies to endure.

Goliszek's story juxtaposes Wanda and Janek's struggles as each face different challenges. These lead them to wonder if their personal survival is even important in the broader scheme of world affairs: Hour after hour Janek worked, hungry to the point of near delirium, thinking of nothing but the sun setting in the west so he could march back to camp, eat what little they'd give him, and collapse like a dead man on his bunk. And as he watched the sun gradually fall from the sky and looked at the band of ragged men around him, he realized that one of the saddest things in life would be to die in that faraway land and eventually be forgotten. Nothing he'd ever done would matter, he thought, because generations after he was gone the only thing left of him would be distant memories and dusty photographs.

The delicate dances of contrast between characters, survivors, oppressors, and social and political struggle maintain a tension and sense of immediacy. This keeps readers thoroughly engrossed in not just the lives of ordinary people, but the special projects, objectives, and choices of nations under siege.

Also notable and engrossing is the aftermath of war, in which Wanda and Janek continue to struggle over reconciling peacetime with the trauma of the war: "Janek and I spent that first year in England trying to adjust to our new life together. I suffered with nightmares, screamed in my sleep, sometimes woke up crying, thinking I was back in the labor camps. But the worst nightmares were of my escape from Poland, and when Sophie was taken from me. It changed me... and I was never the same... never looked at people in the same way."

With its hard-hitting "you are here" atmosphere and comparisons of trials and tragedy between different characters and nations, Like Embers in the Night is especially highly recommended for historical novel readers interested in vivid experiences of war and its aftermath.

Libraries that choose Like Embers in the Night for their collections will also want to point book clubs and reading groups to the story, whether the subject of interest is World War II, survival tactics, or the wrenching, lasting impact of living alongside "people walking as if already dead."

Night Flight
Anne Da Vigo
www.annedavigoauthor.wordpress.com
Quill Driver Press
978974572239, $16.99

https://www.amazon.com/Night-Flight-Anne-Vigo/dp/0974572233

Night Flight is a novel inspired by a nearly-forgotten event: one of the biggest mass murders of modern times -- the crash of Mainliner 629, the first plane bombing in American history, which took place in 1955. John Gilbert Graham, the man accused of the crime, was tried and executed. He was a member of Anne Da Vigo's church -- and this was just one connection to the Mainliner event which kept popping up in her life, prompting this novel.

In Night Flight's fictional portrait, seventeen-year-old Hannah, newly bereft after the loss of her mother and alienated from her father's new family, meets and falls for married man Jack, whose allure hides a dark and dangerous personality. As she falls deeper into his web of dangerous treachery and brutal abuse, Hannah finds herself poised to engage in a very dangerous game that will impact far more than her life alone. As Hannah becomes immersed in codependent behavior and increasing deadly actions that range from agreeing to spy on Jack to helping the FBI and fielding other relationships, her situation becomes more and more complex.

Readers sensitive to stories of abuse and threats may be triggered by some descriptions and the overall focus of the story: a young woman who falls prey to a sociopath's allure. This cautionary note aside, Night Flight also offers a blend of deeper-picture thinking, revealing how Hannah steps up to help others despite her inclination to hide, her loneliness, and a mandate for her to testify in the court case which ensnares Jack and threatens to destroy her.

Da Vigo's attention to probing underlying psyches, motivations, actions and reactions, and struggles over changed life trajectory and roles lends Night Flight both a realistic and thoroughly engrossing countenance as Hannah finds herself an unwilling participant in both justice system operations and acts of betrayal. The fast-paced story takes the time to develop Hannah's perceptions and quandaries in a logical manner that encourages insight from readers about all kinds of situations related to entanglements with dangerous individuals.

Audiences seeking engrossing, realistic, thought-provoking novels based on a mass murder and author connections to this event will find Night Flight a riveting, memorable read.

Libraries will want to add Night Flight to their collections for its thoroughly absorbing progression as well as for the special opportunity it presents to book clubs and women's groups to build all kinds of discussions. These topics range from the impact and allure of edgy, fascinating men in women's lives to the requirements of justice to step up to the microphone and testify.

The White Country
Boston Teran
https://bostonteran.com
High Top Publishing
9781567031027, $22.00

https://bostonteran.com/the-white-country

The White Country is a novel that combines elements of thriller action with historical insight. Set in 1911 Texas, the story dips into international affairs, racism, and social and political change as it follows the efforts of John Lourdes, the first minority-born agent of the Texas Bureau of Investigation.

John is tasked with locating the source of border lawlessness and chaos "The Whiteman," whose vigilante leadership contributes to chaos as war-ravaged Mexicans flee their nation and bring the war with them into Texas. A Prologue set in the summer of 1911 reveals a startling fact -- John is wanted for the disappearance and murder of five Texas Rangers, is being hunted across Webb County, and is on the lam. Wadsworth Burr is tasked with finding him.

Wadsworth is just as formidable and appealing character as his friend John. As events unfold, he lends a philosophical, reflective voice to the story, which is one of Boston Teran's signature moves that makes his writing not just accessible, but thoroughly thought-provoking and outstanding: Wadsworth Burr, in his own kind and soul failed way, had told John Lourdes, "Be aware. The soul sometimes shrinks from fatal choices. Then tries to convince you that those choices are all a dime a dozen. They are not. The world is built on fatal choices as they are the ones that see us through the blackest air. And that is when a man truly sees himself for what he is. I know this... because I failed this."

Hard-hitting accounts of prejudice and perception permeate the story, giving it a much broader and more wider-ranging atmosphere than readers might anticipate. Those who chose The White Country for its promise of historical insights, thriller-style action, or social insights will find all three features embedded in revelations that stem from national pride and social change. As John faces death, love, justice, and the presence of corruption and terror on a level never experienced before, he begins to learn more about his friends, his enemies, and his heart.

Readers will find Teran's novel a powerful saga of confrontation, politics, and prejudice. The enlightening dialogues and insights which emerge from John's endeavors pepper the action with psychological and social insights which prove as hard-hitting as the physical conflicts he faces: "If we allow ourselves to feel this," she said, "will we be destroyed?"

Libraries seeking a satisfying blend of thriller, social and psychological insights, and historical backdrops that come alive with atmosphere, well-developed tension, and realistic, likeable characters will find The White Country a winner. Its ability to inject history and social examination with nearly poetic descriptions that emphasize bigger picture thinking makes it a strong recommendation for book clubs seeking vivid reading and strong discussion points.


The Romantic Fiction Shelf

Drama on Deck
B. Joseph Smithson
Independently Published
9798991056106, $19.99 Hardcover/$14.99 Paperback/$5.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Drama-Deck-RelationSHIPS-can-hard/dp/B0D9QXKZRT

Drama On Deck: RelationSHIPS Can Be Hard pairs romance with humor as it traverses a cruise job opportunity that turns into a surprising mix of workplace politics and vying personalities. This is what a new Vivace Cruise Lines crewmember and art auction director, 25-year-old Bree Bradley, discovers when she embarks on the journey of a lifetime entirely different from her more familiar L.A., a "challenging city in which to thrive."

From the start, author B. Joseph Smithson injects subtle humor into Bree's experiences and first-person reactions: One aspect that made me nervous was the room accommodations. Smitty referred to the crew cabins as "broom closets." Surely, they can't be that bad, I thought to myself. However, the notion of having only one closet was disconcerting. Adding to the challenge was the fact that I would be sharing the aforementioned "broom closet" with another girl. Bree explores policy issues and underlying assumptions, love and mishaps, and other surprises, and readers aboard for her ride will find her experiences lively, fun, and revealing: It was as if nothing had happened. I was dumbfounded as he started to give us all a short motivational speech on how we could only "rise from the ashes of the last cruise" or something like that.

Bree comes to understand both overt and subtle ship rules and relationships, finding new choices aboard ship that affect her future, forcing her to confront her personal failures via a ship of fools and fortunate encounters that influences the course of her life. Smithson creates a likeable young woman in Bree. He outlines her strengths, changing values and objectives, and the interpersonal encounters that present more growth opportunities than any other endeavor she's embarked on in her new adult life. Especially notable are the psychological and political undercurrents of ship life and obstacles which Bree must overcome in order to realize her strengths and how they might apply to a vastly revised future vision.

Smithson's ability to bring all these characters to life, along with the cruise ship environment, makes for an engaging, thought-provoking read that is hard to put down.

Libraries will find Drama On Deck: RelationSHIPS easy to recommend to a wide range of readers, from those interested in light romances to others who look for stories of new adults growing into their adult personas, tales of cruise ship adventures, and anyone seeking a satisfyingly fun vacation or beach read.


The Western Fiction Shelf

Two Women Conquer the West
Charlie Steel
Condor Publishing Inc.
https://condorpublishinginc.com
9781931079655, $14.95 PB, $2.99 Kindle, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/TWO-WOMEN-CONQUER-WEST-HEARTS/dp/193107965X

In the introductory chapter of Two Women Conquer the West, twenty-six-year-old Elizabeth Burnett and her father mourn the death of the strong woman who was a wife and mother for all their lives. Her father made his millions thanks to the guidance of his wife, but Elizabeth has never found a partner to compare with them -- so she never married.

The men in New York just don't measure up: "Behind a veneer of manners and good education, every one of them looks at a woman's bank account before her figure and mind. And, in that order. They use women to get ahead, and I won't have anything to do with..." The specter of someday inheriting a fortune affords Elizabeth the opportunity to move away from the shadow of marrying into money as she embarks on a journey that proves similar to that of Blanche Graham.

Blanche is an equally determined woman who does not come from a legacy of privilege, but who is also determined to get away from her familiar surroundings. For her, it's from a situation where, as a lodger, she faces a husband and wife's stormy relationship, which leads her to fear coming home. When her husband died, Blanche had few options. Her meager savings gone, she's forced to take action, not choose it. Both embark "on a trip and a grand adventure," but they approach it in very different ways that ultimately dovetail.

As Charlie Steel spins his yarn, a powerful female-centric Western saga emerges whereby two disparate personalities coming from very different situations view their options and choices in novel ways. Steel is a master tale-teller who has previously developed a fine eye for exploring women's growth and actions against historical Western backdrops.

Readers might anticipate these facets from the book's title, Two Women Conquer the West, but a subliminal subtitle should add "and their hearts," because the novel situations they encounter that force them onto new paths of self-discovery are as rich as their movements through cowboy land.

Other characters enter the bigger picture. Leonard Newton, a New Yorker, is focused on money and the fact that his father has lost the family fortune, raising questions of moral values that arise not only over money, but more complex situations and connections. Leonard's involvement in crooked schemes troubles his father, but even more worrisome is his departure from family foundations. As his father sadly notes: You are just a man; without integrity, you become something other than a Newton. Meanwhile, Blanche and Elizabeth become involved in a ranch deal well knowing that the operation isn't in the black. Though lacking knowledge of ranching, their astute combined business savvy influences the ranch's operations and debt in a manner that, perhaps not unexpectedly, turns things around.

What is surprising is the union and strengths these disparate women display as they tackle problems far from their upbringings and experiences, forging new paths of self-discovery which range from financial to personal insights. Steel is adept at bringing the West to life, particularly in outlining how women rise to the occasion to become successful in contrasting and unusual (for women) ways. His wide-ranging topics, from cattle rustling to trail rides and forays into dangerous territory, lends his tale a sense of realism that makes it thoroughly engrossing and hard to put down. His further insights on how the women not just adapt to this (to them) alien environment, but become empowered in their revised lives, provides particularly thought-provoking passages of insight suitable for book club discussion and women's reading groups.

It's unusual to find a Western novel thoroughly steeped in the perspectives and personalities of strong women. Steel achieves this through astute contrasts of situation and personality. This will delight readers seeking more than predictability or formula writing from their Westerns.

For all these reasons, libraries that choose Two Women Conquer the West to expand Western or women-focused novel collections will find that this book will reach a particularly wide audience, including students of literature that hold Western themes. Women who believed the Western novel to move solely in male-dominated worlds in which women were wives, cooks, or frontier nanny/pioneers will be delighted to discover that the female personalities which drive Two Women Conquer the West are powerfully rendered, easy to like, and grow far beyond their heritages and any notion of a limited future identity as either a wife or mother.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Terror by Night
James G. Goodridge
Gravelight Press/Current Words Publishing, LLC
www.gravelightpress.com
B0DJPSF6HW, $4.95 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Terror-Night-Supernatural-Cavendish-SunMountain-ebook/dp/B0DJPSF6HW

Terror by Night: The Supernatural Affairs of Madison Cavendish and Sue SunMountain blends a hardboiled mystery replete with action with elements of supernatural horror and speculative influences. Additionally, it injects Black history into each adventure to further the collection's multifaceted value and thought-provoking nature. The interconnected stories about detectives Madison Cavendish and Sue SunMountain are delivered with a powerful blend of action and discovery in a timeline of cases that begin in 1914 and conclude in 1973.

A first-person introductory case presented in the first story, "The Cavendish Affair," presents a vivid setting and a succinct outline of the narrator's talents and objectives: My name is Madison Cavendish. I'm a detective with the New York City Police Department, and, unknown to me, I'm about to meet the love of my life while simultaneously embarking on a journey into the world of the occult and paranormal.

This statement will attract readers interested in an immersive history and speculative supernatural creation, promising (and delivering) action and suspense as Madison enters into a truly challenging case. It simultaneously provides readers with insights into the struggles he experiences over the prejudice which limits his career and abilities: "I do it to earn a decent living. You and I both know we can't get a fair shake in this country on account of our race. I hope to one day end this charade. You'll never see me joining a blue vein society!" Blue vein societies are clubs that shun the darker members of our race, and I confess this. These social insights are peppered throughout the cases and give rise to good discussion points about Black experience, from 'passing' and pursuing their dreams to navigating prejudice, politics, and puzzles alike.

Each case serves as a building block examining more of Madison and Sue's proactive thinking, as well as shifting social mores. In a manner reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, the intrigue builds throughout each case, reinforcing the duo's abilities while exposing their vulnerabilities and limitations.

James G. Goodridge builds atmospheric, psychological, and social growth while satisfying those that chose Terror by Night for its promise of monsters, mysteries, and mayhem. A strong dose of advanced technological tools (such as regeneration) also comes into play as the duo faces nightmares and cases that test their relationships and savvy. Madison craves "uncanny affairs," so each case features a twist readers might not see coming. Between the speculative elements of these stories, their interlaced social observations, and their blend of action and insight, hard-boiled mystery and horror fans alike will find the collection hard to put down.

Libraries that choose Terror by Night for their mystery or supernatural fiction audiences will find that the added value of all these strengths makes it a strong recommendation. It will appeal to book clubs interested in many different discussion topics, from the literary approaches in combining mystery and horror genres to its many vivid social and historical insights on Blacks, disparate investigative approaches, and more.

Someone Had to Lie
Jack Luellen
Torchflame Books
https://torchflamebooks.com
c/o Top Reads Publishing LLC
https://www.topreadspublishing.com
9781611533705, $21.42 Paperback/$6.49 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Someone-Had-James-Butler-Mystery/dp/161153450X

Someone Had to Lie is a James Butler mystery that revolves around the 1985 murder of a special agent in Mexico. It's based on actual events and the author's personal involvement in Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena's abduction and murder in 1985.

Jack Luellen presents a dramatic, engaging fictionalized story of a 35-year-old cold case made newly hot when lawyer James Butler finds that nagging concerns just won't quit plaguing him, even though much time has passed. Mexican border clashes to drug trafficking, asking the wrong questions at the wrong time, and conducting a probe that attracts unwanted attention place James in the crosshairs of international conflict and intrigue.

Readers receive an action-packed thriller that blends the investigative atmosphere of a police procedural with the nonstop action and superb tension of a suspense story. Nicely constructed dialogue and interactions cement various aspects of the investigation: "I think Aguilar was on a mission to identify whoever supplied the dealer," James says.

"Okay, simple enough," Bobby says.

"Perhaps. We know the vast majority of fentanyl in the US comes from Mexico, by land, over the border. So, it's reasonable to assume some substantial quantities come through Yuma and the surrounding areas. Aguilar could have asked questions to the wrong people, at the wrong time," James says.

Serious questions of government involvement in the drug trafficking they purportedly work against provides intriguing discussion points for book clubs and readers seeking a story replete with bigger-picture food for thought. Various characters interact to add further realistic detail to James's life and mandate, from companion Erica Walsh to insider and Phoenix investigator Bobby Wilson, Erica's father Brian Castle, and a host of other special interests. Each of these characters contributes to the tension with many unexpected developments which are the hallmark of Someone Had to Lie's complex and riveting search for truth and justice.

Readers who enjoy well-developed tension, surprising twists and turns of plot, and realistic atmospheres strengthened by a story's roots in real-world events will find Someone Had to Lie simply outstanding.

Libraries seeking thriller stories embedded with insights about government and individual choices and stakes in international relationships and outcomes will find Someone Had to Lie neatly toes the line between true crime and fiction. It incorporates the drama of the latter so seamlessly that the story's "you are here" feel thoroughly immerses patrons in an expose of actual facts and interviews which have never before been published.

Against the Blue Wall
Larry Terhaar
www.larryterhaar.com
Hat City Publishing
9798990036222, $17.95 Paperback/$5.99 eBook

https://www.amazon.com/AGAINST-BLUE-WALL-Burnett-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0DNKL6388

Thriller readers, especially those who enjoyed Larry Terhaar's previous Dan Burnett mystery, are in for a treat with Dan's further PI endeavors in Against the Blue Wall. Here, Dan's exploits continue to explore his foray into being a private PI unsupported by the NYPD police force (his former job for thirty years).

His latest case involves a vengeful and prejudiced police officer whose actions and excitement are clearly explored in an intense opening chapter documenting a traffic stop gone violently awry: Officer Sean O'Riley stood over the young man, relishing the feeling of conquest. It had been a while since he had felt the elation he so desperately needed, the reason he had become a cop: to put down these Black savages at every opportunity.

Dan's point of view is presented in the first person. This brings to life his perceptions and conundrums as he becomes involved in a case that centers on racial strife. Because the victim is unconscious and the police refuse to release their video footage of the event, Dan finds himself on the prowl for evidence of what really happened. This proves even more complex a task than he envisioned. As Dan tracks down video from other sources, he discovers that this high-profile case not only triggers his anger about racism in America, but introduces further thought provoking dilemmas that thriller audiences will find intriguingly unexpected.

Chapters juxtapose realization, action, and the politics of police actions with Dan's evolving relationship with his girlfriend Mia, adding a fine contrast between personal, professional, and social elements. Issues of white supremacist cops and systems that either purposely or inadvertently support their actions will provide book club readers with not only a thoroughly engrossing tale, but one featuring many themes and observations suitable for group discussion. Court trial processes and FBI investigations enter the picture to add further depth and challenges to Dan's revelation of uncomfortable truths.

These all give Against the Blue Wall added value, offering insights on the politics of internal practices and systems which support racism both within and outside the justice system.

Libraries will find Against the Blue Wall's action, characters, and the logic behind their perceptions lends to a thoroughly engrossing thriller which places Dan in unusual positions of discovery and decision-making. Readers and book clubs intrigued by PI investigations that explore police action and prejudice will find Against the Blue Wall a riveting winner.

Once Upon a Time in Boomville
Montana Kane
www.montanakane.com
Bird On A Head
9798986807454, $11.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Time-Boomville-Martini-ebook/dp/B0DKM8MMRK

Once Upon a Time in Boomville returns PI Brandy Martini to a new detecting dilemma as she navigates a Hollywood producer's impact on Boomville, Colorado. More is at stake than a film shoot, however, as the project introduces bad luck and angst from the start. A murder attempt sparks Brandy's investigate skills when she is called upon to both solve problems and interact with world-famous Hollywood personalities. Once again, Montana Kane has created a likeable and intriguing character in Brandy as she fields a smorgasbord of troublesome possibilities.

The setting doesn't stay in Colorado, but moves to California as Brandy attempts to delve into the heart of matters, only to find new threats erupting far from their Colorado origins. From the politics of being called upon to critique the film's atmosphere to the political challenges in solving too many crimes at once, Brandy's likeable character is reinforced by encounters which profile both her personality and the issues: "Any comments on what you just saw, Brandy?"

"Don't take it personally, but the whole scene felt like one big cliche to me."

The nostrils of the Hollywood producer flared as he emitted a snort in my direction that seemed designed to convey contempt. What could an ordinary, small-town PI possibly understand about the complexities of producing a film directed by one of today's most celebrated young filmmakers?

From cats and cowboys to suspect lists and amorous encounters, Montana Kane embeds Brandy's story with a wry sense of humorous observation that gives readers comic relief as characters and opportunities evolve: I turned my eyes towards the trailer lot in the distance. I realized I was feeling just as nervous about interviewing my two male movie stars as I had felt before my first celebrity interview. I finished my free snack and moseyed on over to the trailer of Damien Dexter, also known as the prime target of our criminal element thus far. Brandy makes many assessments that will resonate not just in the moment of one circumstance, but can apply to her life as a whole: A good investigator intuitively senses when silence is the best course of action.

Libraries that choose Once Upon a Time in Boomville for either its return of PI Brandy or its promise of an engrossing dance between investigative and personal interests will find it easy to recommend the book to a wide range of patrons - even those not usually attracted to PI stories. This audience will find in Brandy an exceptional personality that perseveres against all odds and, in the end, reveals unexpected discoveries and choices which take place once upon another time.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Republic Shattered: Sins of Before
Michael J. Brooks
www.authormbrooks.com
Creative-visionary Works
9781737929383, $16.99 Paperback/$7.99 eBook

https://www.amazon.com/Republic-Shattered-Sins-Before-Humanity/dp/1737929384

There's perhaps no better time for a sci-fi/thriller mix to appear that reflects present-day concerns about the American Republic's viability and changes, but translates them to intergalactic affairs. As the nation became submerged in conflict and worry, Michael J. Brooks provided the first of a two-book series: Republic Falling: Advent of a New Dawn, closely followed by this latest sequel, Republic Shattered: Sins of Before.

Both will attract a disparate audience of not only thriller and sci-fi readers, as it's intended to do, but readers holding special interest in the effects of a socioeconomic class war conducted on a grand scale. Here, colonies, commonwealth, and coalitions vie for control and survival as conflicts take some unexpected turns.

Newcomers unfamiliar with Republic Falling won't be entirely lost. A prologue sets the stage by reviewing events and people of three year prior. This includes sovereigns of oppressive regimes, the Sorin's drive for absolute power, and the spirited rise of the Khanorian Revolution. Once these and other forces and personalities are presented, the real story continues on the present-day planet of Dilaxus, where Randal Scott and his team investigate the deadly aftermath of a fierce battle. Randy's best friend is missing and his duties (which involve missions to combat human and alien criminal forces) has driven him apart from his beloved Stacie amid their personal struggle to rebuild new lives together.

When Randy becomes a person of interest to Chief Amaechi's Truth Commission (an ethics committee which is investigating events on Satellite One during the civil war, documenting any misconduct by comrades that participants such as Randy may have witnessed), he finds challenges coming from very different directions. As events unfold, so do concerns and accusations of true evil, efforts which go beyond seeking justice, and clashes between interests concerned with reparations, profit, and certain victory portended by the mass distribution of mind control devices. Stacie, who is also involved with a team of active fighters, takes the stage as a proactive and engaged woman who also fights against the Elite and is supported by forces that believe in her cause.

Too often, war stole the lives of loved ones. Will Randy, Stacy and others ever get their lives back?

Michael J. Brooks creates a thought-provoking story that hosts a wide range of characters; each with their own special abilities and interests. His insertion of ethical and political reflections will especially appeal to readers seeking more than just military-style battle encounters, while his ability to build just the right amount of tension, then juxtapose it with psychological growth and new directions, keeps the plot vivid and unexpectedly fluid. These elements will delight sci-fi and thriller readers who seek edgy, tense, in-the-moment descriptions of changing purposes and personalities that are rooted in bigger-picture social, political, and psychological transformations.

Libraries that choose Republic Shattered: Sins of Before for their collections will find the book easy to recommend to sci-fi readers, thriller enthusiasts, and book clubs. It embraces material that lends to book club discussions over all kinds of topics, from ethical societal management and control issues to building personal connections during a state of conflict.

North Country: A Kat Wallace Adventure
Sarah Branson
www.sarahbranson.com
Sooner Started Press
9781957774183, $18.99 Paperback/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/North-Country-action-adventure-speculative-characters-ebook/dp/B0DSCS6FWM

North County: A Kat Wallace Adventure profiles female protagonist Kat Wallace in a heart-stopping sci-fi adventure that will attract both prior fans of her enthusiastic approach to life and newcomers who look for powerful blends of swashbuckling action and thought-provoking, perhaps-flawed heroes.

Imagine a steampunk world laced with pirates and special interests. This is no world for a woman to navigate -- but Kat does so with zest and ability that will serve as an inspirational role model for women faced with everyday challenges in modern times.

The prologue introduces Cole Wallace, views himself as a royal leader in his village. Kat's first-person perspective appears in Chapter One to focus on her missions, expectations, and life after she has graduated from Bosch Pirate Force and is actively participating in missions, including negotiations over distribution of the popular drug Glitter, the foundation of the Bosch economy which she and her group oversees.

From the start, Sarah Branson portrays the dilemma of a young woman operating in a man's world, employing realistic, candid dialogue that cements personalities and perils alike: The lecture topic covered Visswani customs.

"These folk are traditional, with a capital 'T.' And they're patriarchal. Women aren't seen in the business environment," Teddy instructs. "That means someone like you... I mean, a person of your... Well, you know what I'm saying." You mean someone with tits and a twat?" I tease, knowing that this sort of talk makes my papa scandalized.

He frowns and gives a cough. "Now, Kat, there's no need to be so crude." He looks askance at me. Kat is used to being outnumbered in being a woman in a patriarchal world. What she is still learning is how to translate her possibly-limiting gender role into a position of power that her fellow men can't match: The Visswani don't think of me as a threat. In fact, they have treated me as if I am some odd curio that the old man keeps in his pocket.

As the attitudes, perspectives, and limitations of Kat's companions and fellow groups evolve, readers will gain a quick sense of all the obstacles she's up against, whether they come from her own inner circle or threats to her group's actions and negotiations. Branson's ongoing attention to building Kat's character, courage, and life lessons adds a dimension of revelation and psychological insights to the action-packed scenarios to make North County both exciting and thought-provoking.

Prior fans will well be familiar with how Kat has evolved to this point, but many unexpected twists send her in new directions as she confronts matters of heart, soul, and gender identity. Juxtaposing Kat's special interests are a myriad of other strong figures operating in different roles. One such as Flossie Porter, who has left behind a privileged, affluent life join the Bosch Pirate Force. There, she becomes involved in missions involving austerity that test her tech skills and intelligence, as well as her new identity and purpose.

As Kat muses about her past, including the loss of Zach, killed by traffickers in her youth, she comes to realize that with growth comes forms of power which come at the cost of youth: ...youth is no longer a descriptor that I can apply to myself. Other women such as Carisa Morton, who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and charged with stepping back from an active researcher's world, and her encounter with Sergeant Zoya Reeves, who proves an alluring new friend, lend their own power and proactive behavior to a story of evolutionary growth and conflict.

Libraries that choose North Country either for its stand-alone value or its added value to the sci-fi swashbuckling series as a whole will find it a powerful story that continues Kat's evolutionary process as well as the political developments that shake her world. Readers and book clubs seeking strong can't-put-it-down sci-fi reading will find North Country filled with discussion points and insights, as well as a vibrant series of encounters powered by likeable, realistic women.


The Poetry Shelf

Dear Life
Shanta Acharya
https://shanta-acharya.com
LWL Books
9798218465292, $26.95 Hardcover/$9.95 Paperback/$7.99 eBook

https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Life-Shanta-Acharya-ebook/dp/B0DJWRGJYQ

Dear Life pairs classical poetry traditions with the poet's Indian background to bring novel flavors and life to the poetry in this wide-ranging narrative. The collection consists of poetic reflections filled with humor, philosophical insight, and considerations of various modern themes, from being alive to wokefulness and self-examination.

Shanta Acharya delivers a finely tuned sense of perspective, self, and insights that are laced with literary acuity and personal inspection. One example of the strength of these combined approaches lies in "Looking for Myself," which considers that: Love may have a way of outlasting us,/change is our one true companion in life./...Living in a state of vulnerability, hanging on/to the tree of life sucking hope, each day a triumph.

Acharya's emotional forays in self-realization are nicely augmented by equally powerful considerations of tradition's influence on shifting perspectives about life. From prayers and pleas for enlightenment and wisdom to bigger-picture thinking about the meaning and evolution of human life, Acharya's examination of possibilities and impacts generates strong connections between life events and challenges.

One example of her plea for wisdom (one of the themes in her collection) is exhibited in "Grant Us:" Grant us the wisdom to survive/like trees that live long, enriching the planet -- loyal protectors of the realm, standing firm, asking for nothing in return of heaven or earth. From wisdom to deception, realization, and "dreams of impossible things," Acharya captures many of the fundamental existential questions and experiences of modern times. Given these especially chaotic years, her reflections represent a breath of fresh air that imparts hope and new possibility in a lively, thought-provoking manner.

Libraries seeking modern poetry that bows to tradition and free verse literary approaches will want to add Dear Life to their collections. It will broadly appeal, from patrons interested in hard-hitting messages delivered in surprisingly gentle observations to literary book clubs seeking works that provoke philosophical and intellectual discussion, yet remain firmly rooted in personal perception and experience.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Creative Coincidences
Jose Silva and Ed Bernd Jr.
Silva Books
www.SilvaMethodUltraMind.com
9781965725023, $12.95 pbk / $19.95 hc / $27.95 hc large print / $4.98 ePub / $19.99 eAudio

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Coincidences-Phase-Human-Evolution/dp/1965725023

Many books have been written about serendipity, coincidence, and fate. Most focus on the circumstances surrounding such events. Almost none consider how such energy can be tapped for revising life experience and choices. Enter Jose Silva and Ed Bernd Jr.'s Creative Coincidences: The Next Phase of Human Evolution.

Here is where the crux of these events reflects the opportunity for not just identifying them, but tailoring their impact for optimum results. Chapters introduce this concept with discussions of a higher power and purpose to life, before exploring The Silva Way's applications for redirecting the future.

It should be mentioned, at this point, that many previous books by this author covering The Silva Way blend decades of his scientific research into a formula for applying the untapped power of the mind (among other circumstances) to direct big and small life decisions in a different way. That doesn't mean that his latest endeavor, Creative Coincidences, needs to be preceded by reading his other books, however. Newcomers will find it easy to delve into the tenets of his work as he draws direct connections between circumstance and examples of how creative, unexpected coincidences can propel readers in new direction -- with a little foresight and self-analysis.

Perhaps these two facets are the real prerequisite for not just accepting Silva's method, but employing it to full advantage. The unexamined mind will likely look elsewhere for its inspiration, but readers who choose Creative Coincidences for its thought-provoking title will find equally vivid the opportunity for drawing novel connections between spiritual and psychology forces. Thus, a belief in a higher force is the third prerequisite for successfully utilizing all of the tools presented in this title.

Chapters create a progressive series of stepping stones that include problem-solving through sleep (using the MentalVideo formula Silva has developed), understanding the nature of "lucky breaks," and identifying relationships between proactive habits and "good luck." This enables readers to not just acknowledge coincidence, but create and tailor it into just about any endeavor imaginable, from successful job-seeking to relationships on different levels, including connections to life.

The result is a hard-hitting blend of theory and function that can be used as an introduction to applications of The Silva Way as a whole. It will reach audiences interested in empowering their lives, tying problem-solving to sleep patterns for optimum results. Silva passed away -- but not before creating the MentalVideo Technique that represents the culmination of decades of research. Coincidence? I think not. It's clear that Creative Coincidences is a thought-provoking, winning acquisition that libraries will find as well-researched as it is revolutionary in its exploration of connections between theory, applications, and vastly revised paths to enlightenment.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


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