Sharpe's Assassin: Richard Sharpe and the Occupation of Paris, 1815 (Sharpe, 22)

Historical Fiction

From the enlightened days of the Renaissance, to the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, to the darkest times of the Second World War, and on to the heady days of the Summer of Love, the five works of historical fiction included in this roundup article will transport readers to other times and places, entertaining and educating as they do so.

Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary by Laura Stanfill

Laura Stanfill’s Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary offers a salutary lesson in the art of maintaining fulfilling relationships while focusing on several generations of an unforgettable French family and their steady progress toward the end of an era. A living legend in the small town of Mireville, master serinette maker Georges Blanchard is affectionately known as “The Sun-Bringer” due to a seemingly miraculous incident that occurred during his childhood. Georges expects that his son Henri will one day take over the family business and become a master craftsman in his own right, although Henri has other ideas. Uninterested in the world of music boxes, Henri would rather dedicate his time and effort to making fine lace, and when he finds a stack of letters hidden among his father’s possessions, it seems that he might have a chance to do just that. The letters reveal that Henri is not actually Georges’ firstborn son, as an affair with an American customer led to the birth of a baby boy some years before Henri’s own birth. When Henri travels to America in search of his half-brother, he learns that there’s a whole lot more to life than Mireville, music boxes, and lace.

Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell

Brilliant but wayward soldier Richard Sharpe should be due a well-earned rest following the British victory in the Battle of Waterloo, but both fate and the establishment have other things in store for him. Having risen up the ranks to become a lieutenant-colonel, Sharpe is a highly trusted and undeniably effective weapon of war, which is why he is personally chosen by the Duke of Wellington to undertake a covert mission in France. Although Napoleon’s army has now been defeated, the Duke is concerned about rumors of a fanatical group of French revolutionaries who are said to be plotting a terrible revenge from the shadows of Paris. Such rumors have given rise to the fear that the end of one war might mark the beginning of another, and Sharpe is dispatched to Paris to track down a spy who should have vital information about the alleged plot. Things never go smoothly for Sharpe, so it’s no surprise that there is also an assassin stalking the streets of Paris, who is determined to find and kill the spy before the British can get their hands on them. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell marks the twenty-second thrilling outing for Richard Sharpe and it is every bit as exciting, dangerous, and bloody as his previous adventures.

The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli

The Mona Lisa is said to hide many secrets behind her enigmatic smile, which is a big part of the reason while Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece has captured the hearts and minds of people down through the years. Laura Morelli’s The Stolen Lady tells the stories of two such people, two disparate women separated by centuries but united by their importance to the history of the Mona Lisa. In the Florence of 1479, servant Bellina Sardi accompanies her mistress, Lisa Gherardini, to her new home following her marriage to the moderately wealthy and considerably older Francesco del Giocondo. It should have been a fairly comfortable existence, but when Francesco commissions Leonardo da Vinci to paint a portrait of his new bride, Bellina finds herself embroiled in a complex web of secrets and lies. In the Paris of 1939, archivist Anne Guichard agrees to help the staff of the Louvre evacuate as many of the museum’s great works of art as possible before the Nazis arrive in the city. Although they manage to smuggle numerous pieces to the relative safety of the French countryside, the danger posed by the Nazis is never really far away, and when it comes to keeping the art secure, Anne realizes that her own family might have a significant role to play.

The Lurking Place by Clarence Major

Set during the late 1960s, the heyday of both the Beats and the Bohemians, Clarence Major’s The Lurking Place explores the intersection of ambition, ideology, romance, and artistic endeavor during a period of significant upheaval in American life. James Eric Lowell is trying to find success as a poet in New York City during the tumultuous Summer of Love. He is also trying to protect his own love life by maintaining a relationship with his lover Sophia despite the family pressures and racism that the two of them continuously face. Times might be changing, but society remains slow to accept interracial relationships. As a young Black man, James finds it difficult to ensure that his poetry receives the attention it deserves, which means that he finds it equally difficult to fit in and feel at home with the prevailing poetic movements in America at the time. As the action shifts from New York to Mexico, James struggles to finish his debut manuscript and dedicate sufficient time and effort to his relationship with Sophia. Although he is able to coolly and incisively observe those around him, James is unsure which direction he would take if forced to choose between his desire for success and his desire to be with Sophia.

Three Sisters by Heather Morris

Heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting, Three Sisters by Heather Morris describes the unbreakable bond that exists between sisters and gives them the strength to survive even the darkest of times. Siblings Cibi, Magda, and Livia made a promise to their father when they were little girls, vowing that they would always stay together no matter what happened. Although their father could surely not have expected as much, both the girls and their promise are tested almost beyond endurance during the bleakest days of World War II. When she is just fifteen, Livia is captured by the Nazis and transported to Auschwitz. Mindful of her promise and anxious to protect her sister, nineteen-year-old Cibi follows Livia to the camp, determined to either save her or die with her. Once there, the two of them have to fight both to stay together and to simply survive. Seventeen-year-old Magda stays behind when her sisters are taken to Auschwitz, hiding with her mother and grandfather in neighbors’ houses or the forest when the Nazi patrols come looking for people to round up. She’s only able to stay hidden for a while, however, eventually also being transported to the infamous death camp. After the three sisters reunite, they agree to make a new promise in honor of their father: they will all survive.


How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Were Built

If you have ever wondered how some of the grandest buildings were built in ancient times, then this book is for you. In a time when it seemed people were less civilized and had the least amount of technology, they were able to construct grand buildings that still stand today. This book covers the great story and architecture of several ancient wonders of the world. It tells were each one was constructed and how, as well as why.

I found this book incredibly interesting! My favorite wonder of the world is the Great Pyramids. The Great Pyramids of Giza were built by a town of workers, over 20,000 to be exact! I would love to visit there someday. This book has colorful illustrations that show the construction of each wonder. This helped me to imagine what it would've been like when they were created. This is a great book and I highly recommend it!


Sins of the Fathers: A Novel

Friedrich Richard has vengeance on his mind. A dear friend was brutally killed by two cold-blooded SD soldiers at a concentration camp. Friedrich is a powerful man with resources, calculating in exacting his revenge. Upon learning the two soldiers’ names, he plots their demise and executes both with nearly flawless precision.

Questions arise, but Friedrich has an ace up his sleeve: his close friendship with Adolf Hitler. His past with Hitler goes back to 1918, when both were recuperating from their wartime service in a hospital. The two men share a deep bond based on secrecy. As Hitler has ascended to the peak of his power, Friedrich is alarmed by Hitler’s plans for Germany and wider Europe. Hitler’s sanity is speculated about by Friedrich, along with certain generals. A plan is hatched, the purpose being to stop the unstable Fuhrer from wreaking a terrible havoc on the world.

Sins of the Fathers illustrates the powerful impact of historical fiction. Herbert Stern and Alan Winter engage the audience with a pulse-pounding thriller that will leave many gripping the pages in anticipation with each subsequent chapter. The history may have been written, but the path proves to be a riddle, with forks and dangerous curves featuring prominently in this fine book.


Sisters of Night and Fog

Virginia d’Albert-Lake is an American who married a Frenchman. When the chance comes for her to escape France before the Nazis fully take over, she refuses, choosing to stay in her adopted homeland with her beloved husband. Violette Szabo, a girl of French and English ancestry, chooses to flee to England, though her heart burns with hatred and the desire to return someday, to seek vengeance and liberation. Though the two do not meet until nearly the end of the book, at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, their stories are intimately linked through themes of hope, fury, and resistance.

I picked up this book expecting yet another story of women at war in France, a subgenre that could possibly be its own genre by now. I was first delightfully surprised at the power of the storytelling. Robuck has a way of bringing you into the action and showing the harrowing experiences of war (especially World War II) without making them seem overdramatized or like a play for sympathy. When I learned the two women were real people, I was doubly amazed, because never once did the book have the tentative steps sometimes seen in novelizations of real lives. I highly recommend this.


Woman on Fire: A Novel

When Jules Roth pushes her way into journalist Dan Mansfield’s office to demand he hires her, she wants nothing more than to learn from him. When she joins his investigative team, she embarks on a journey to recover a famous lost painting and uncover the truth in Lisa Barr’s latest novel Woman on Fire.

Jules is no stranger to tough people and even tougher stories. As a high school reporter, she helped break one of the biggest stories in Chicago history. But this new story reaches more people, has more history, and requires more secrecy than ever before. Ellis Baum, a leading fashion icon, is searching for Woman on Fire, a painting that hasn’t been seen for eighty years. He is older and ill and wants to see it one last time before he dies. What Dan and Jules uncover isn’t just a Nazi-era cover-up and art heist but a present-day string of murders tied to one of the most famous gallery owners in the world, Margaux de Laurent.

In this gripping page-turner with ties to history and gorgeous descriptions of the world of high fashion and art, Lisa Barr presents a narrative as mysterious and surprising as the woman in the painting itself. Woman on Fire is an absolute gem.


An Impossible Promise (Providence Falls, 2)

Romance Roundup

Whether you prefer your romance contemporary, historical, or paranormal, the five books included in this roundup all feature compelling characters and sizzling storylines that are certain to set your pulse racing.

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

Believing it to be the only way to end a decades-long war, Princess Isolde de Lara agrees to marry her mortal enemy, King Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, although she also intends to kill him at the first opportunity. Such an attempt at mariticide would have been difficult in the best of circumstances, but when the fact that Adrian is a vampire is factored in, Isolde’s plan seems pretty much impossible. As it happens, he catches her when she attempts to pull off the assassination and threatens that, if she tries it again, he will turn her into one of the undead, just like him. Knowing that she can’t risk being turned into the thing that she hates most in the world, Isolde looks for other ways to thwart her new husband and survive in the vampire court. However, none of her schemes can fully distract her from either the growing attraction she feels toward Adrian or the gnawing doubt she has regarding why he would choose her as his bride. Scarlett St. Clair’s King of Battle and Blood is a paranormal romance packed with plenty of trysts, twists, and turns.

An Impossible Promise by Jude Deveraux

In 1844, when known thief Liam O’Connor fell in love with shy squire’s daughter Cora McLeod, he unwittingly changed history. Fate had decreed that Cora would marry another man, and a group of angels have been waiting to set things right ever since the fateful moment Liam and Cora first met. Although Cora doesn’t remember it, she and Liam have lived through several lifetimes since then, ultimately both winding up working as cops in modern-day Providence Falls, North Carolina. Liam knows the truth and has done his best to avoid her, but when the pair of them are partnered to work on a murder investigation, they end up being increasingly drawn to one another. The angels decide that it is time to more forcefully step in and ensure that Cora falls for Finley Walsh, but she is no longer the timid and naïve young woman she once was. In <An Impossible Promise, the second book in the Providence Falls series by Jude Deveraux, Cora is a headstrong woman who is used to making her own decisions, including in all matters concerning love. It makes for a thrilling time-traveling romance.

He Said Never by Ruth Cardello

Ruth Cardello’s The Lost Corisis series centers on a powerful and dangerous family with more than a few buried secrets. In He Said Never, the second book in the series, Riley is keen to keep her reunion with her paternal relatives, the infamous Corisis family, secret from her mother. Her biological father had put her mother through hell, so while Riley wants to know more about her paternal heritage, she doesn’t want to spark her mother’s fear by mentioning anyone with the Corisis surname. Meanwhile, Gavin’s father has decided that it’s time for his son to find a wife and start a family, and he’s not prepared to let Gavin inherit the family firm until he does so. Gavin knows that he needs to get back into his father’s good books, but he’s not sure how to accomplish that since his relationship with Riley went disastrously wrong. At the time, Gavin hadn’t really been looking for romance, although he now recognizes that he would rather be with Riley whatever the circumstances than be with someone else in order to secure his place within the family.

The Immortal by Gena Showalter

In the second installment in Gina Showalter’s Rise of the Warlords series, the merciless son of a war god and a beautiful yet troubled harpy find themselves doomed to repeat the same twenty-four hours again and again, with the day always ending with the harpy’s murder. The Immortal sees Halo Phaninon, assassin to the gods, challenged to kill twelve of mythology’s greatest monsters within just a single day. Never one to pass up a challenge, he readily accepts the dangerous and seemingly impossible task, only to find that he wakes up each morning thereafter to discover that it is the same day, during which he must face unimaginable horror. For her part, Ophelia is used to being a disappointment to her family. As a harpy who has never killed anyone, she is considered powerless and useless by many, although she has hidden reserves of strength that no one would expect. This comes in handy when she’s forced to repeat the same day and live through her inevitable murder over and over, all the while fighting off the advances of Halo, who is at least determined to save her.

Good Catch by Jennifer Bardsley

Former ballerina Marlo Jonas has both beauty and grace, but she also has truly terrible taste in men. When her latest disastrous romance ends after her boyfriend cheats on her, Marlo’s father suggests that she should try dating guys on the basis of their personalities, rather than based on their looks. She’s willing to give anything a go, particularly if it keeps her devastatingly hot nemesis Ben Wexler-Lowrey out of sight and out of mind. Ben is also trying his luck at the dating game, although he focuses on women whose personalities outshine their looks. His mother thinks he could do better, however, and suggests that he gives online dating a go. As Marlo and Ben make it through terrible date after terrible date, they’re both left feeling deflated and demoralized. Surely it shouldn’t be this difficult to find the right person? Jennifer Bardsley’s Good Catch follows the charming yet frequently infuriating pair of frenemies as they navigate the small-town dating scene while stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the romantic possibilities right in front of them.


Finish the Story! Harriet Tubman's Secret Raid

This interactive, historical fiction story offers readers ages eight to thirteen a personal look inside the life of Harriet Tubman. When the power goes out, Danny and Kenna have nothing to do except listen to Danny’s grandma tell another boring story. Suddenly, a clap of thunder transports the children inside of the story, where Harriet Tubman is working tirelessly to put an end to slavery. With historical facts sprinkled throughout the storyline, this book will educate readers about Harriet Tubman’s journey in a creative, engaging fashion. Danny and Kenna find themselves surrounded by the Confederate Army, trying to make it to Harriet’s headquarters while being as resourceful as possible.

Throughout this creative story, the author explains a new challenge, providing a QR code for hard copy books and instructions for touchscreen devices. The budget brain teasers require readers to prioritize how much money you should spend on food items, weapons, fuel, and other supplies. Readers will enjoy the storyline while challenging their brain by solving math equations, mazes, pictographs, and codes. Readers will also broaden their minds by unscrambling words, ciphering codes, recalling previous information, and using problem-solving strategies to decide how to help Harriet.


The Party Crasher: A Novel

In true Sophie Kinsella fashion, The Party Crasher is fun, quirky, and just what you need when sitting on the couch with a cup of cocoa. Effie has two siblings, Bean and Gus. They grew up in a wonderful eclectic home known as Greenoaks. Their biological mother passed away when they were very little and they have always known Mimi, their step mum, to be more like their mum. Especially Effie since she is the youngest. So it is very unexpected when their dad and Mimi announce their divorce. It hits Effie the hardest. To top things off, their dad has a new girlfriend several years younger than him named Krista. Effie and Krista get into a heated argument one day and from there it's war. Krista decides to have a goodbye party for the house and Effie is not really invited. Of course, Effie does when anyone would do...deny her feelings are hurt and go anyway to find her Russian nesting dolls.

This book has some really funny moments as well as ones that will make your heart melt. With a cast of wonderful, colorful characters, it will make you smile as you realize all that really matters is family.


Zoe's Ghana Kitchen: An Introduction to New African Cuisine – From Ghana With Love

Dishes from Ghana are varied and delicious, with layers of flavor derived from extensive use of spices and seasonings. Mouthwatering photographs fill these pages, illustrating recipes skillfully written, easy to follow, and requiring surprisingly little effort. The most difficult part of most of these recipes will probably be sourcing the ingredients, requiring some creative substitutions. The peppers and spices used are even more elusive, but definitely worth seeking out (the author helpfully offers a selection of spices and blends on her website).

We loved the Cocoyam (Taro) and Sweet Potato Curry (substituting yuca, which I can find, for the cocoyam, which I cannot), served over Coconut Rice. The dish is astounding; warming and filling and extremely satisfying, and beautifully vegetarian for those looking for a meat-free meal. The whole family enjoyed this, but the children were even more excited about the Jollof Chicken, which is fried chicken strips in a spicy, flavorful breading. The Fried Plantains were a big hit too.

The food is often quite spicy, but you can easily tone down the heat if desired. There is much more to explore here, from salads to snacks to desserts, as well as the huge variety in mains.


Merry Christmas, Gus

Gus is grumpy when it comes to Christmas. He doesn’t like anything about it––not the fancy, colorful decorations or the sound of carols ringing out in the cold, wintery night. The bright, cheerful holiday spirit that fills others with love and the itchy holiday sweaters appearing in red, white, and green––they’re disgraceful. One day, however, Gus notices the sadness in his pup’s eyes and begins to question if maybe it’s about more than just him. Perhaps if he learns to give a little more, or at least play along, he’ll find it’s not that awful after all.

This is a precious story for beginning readers. The reading level is approximately first to second grade, and the words are sparse enough to keep them intrigued. They’ll enjoy the bright, colorful illustrations that light up the pages with emotional expression. Gus’s persnickety attitude and his pup’s despair seep through them, as does the pup’s delight when Gus revolutionizes his point of view.

Some older children will enjoy this seasonal tale. It’s really best suited for a younger crowd, though. Educators of preschool and early elementary school youth will appreciate the plethora of lessons about generosity, sharing, and thoughtfulness that can be derived from its content.


Home: A Peek-Through Picture Book

Home is the story of a little bear with his mama bear who walks around and sees other animals in the forest and their homes. Baby bear knows that everyone needs a home, and he sees the other animals' homes as he walks around. He sees an owl first up in a tree and squirrels running around. (I didn't know that their home is called a drey.) Then there are beavers who build their home with sticks in the water. Then birds make nests and fish are in the water.

There are other animals after this, and each one tells what kind of home they have. When you see each animal, it is neat because they are in a hole in the page that you can see through. I liked that part of the book, and the pictures are pretty, too. I also like that the words are rhyming and that I could read them all. Kids of any age will like this story.


Where Snow Angels Go

Sylvie wakes suddenly in the night. She thinks there is someone else in the room. An ethereal being tiptoes around, and Sylvie speaks to him. He is startled, and states that she shouldn’t be able to see or hear him, and then tells her she won’t remember him when she wakes up. He explains he is her Snow Angel, the one she created when she lay in the snow and moved her arms and legs. He tells her everyone who does that has a Snow Angel who watches over them and helps when they are in real danger. But Sylvie does remember in the morning, and sets about to test her Snow Angel by doing dangerous things. Sylvie learns some interesting lessons.

Author Maggie O’Farrell has created a brand new fairy tale that sounds like a classic fairy tale with modern touches. The writing is simply lovely and the story is very compelling. The illustrations by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini are enchanting, supporting the story with sweet details and beautiful artistry. This is a story that could start new traditions in families with young children, the perfect story to read by the fire on a cold, winter’s night.


The Fairy Song (Traditional Scottish Tales)

The Fairy Song has really beautiful illustrations and is a lovely story. Parts of it are extremely sad, which you might not be expecting in a book so whimsically titled, but overall the book has a good message.

You get to know a little girl who has a hard life with little joy but then finds herself living with the fairies. She gives them the gift of song and they repay her with a treasure she can take back to the human realm and enjoy for the rest of her life.

If you love fairies, you’ll appreciate this book. It would appeal to boys and girls of all ages and is even better when read aloud if you make up a really nice tune to go with the story.


Paul Hawken's book, Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation offers a glimmer of hope in the fight against anthropogenic climate change. Whereas one often hears climate change talked about as an unavoidable tragedy, Hawken provides an alternative account. In this book, tragedy becomes opportunity and the problems of climate change disappear in the wake of innovation. While he successfully maps out many successful interventions to reduce the impact of climate change, the book is at time quite dense. It should be considered a collection of short articles rather than a continuous narrative. Within that framework each chapter is insightful and makes complex topics like the benefits of agroforestry approachable. Ultimately, I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of solutions to climate change.


When You Gave Me You

When You Gave Me You is a sweet and heart-felt expression of love from a parent to their child. The story takes place on the child’s birthday and the parents explain the true meaning of this special day. Each aspect of the child’s personality is described with affection and gratitude. The child’s energetic spirit, sense of humor, and nurturing spirit combine to form the most perfect gift imaginable. These words remind the reader that with each passing year, it is important to reflect on how your existence has affected others.

Clay Rice is an inventive author and poet who fills each page with color and creativity. The images of the characters are silhouetted against painted backgrounds to form an effective contrast of colors. The absence of facial expressions allows readers’ imagination to fill in the blank spaces. This book will change the way children view birthdays; instead of feeling excited about opening presents, children will realize that it is an anniversary of the day they were brought into the world. This is the perfect story to read to children ages three to five on birthdays or as a daily reminder that their presence matters more than presents.


Juana & Lucas: Muchos Changes (Juana and Lucas)

Juana & Lucas: Muchos Changes by Juana Medina is about Juana and her perro, Lucas. Juana is excited about school break and looking forward to reading and playing with her best friend and best perro (dog), Lucas. But then she learned about her Mami’s sorpresa. Her Mami is going to have a baby with her new husband, Luis. Juana was not happy about that surprise. She then finds out her Mami had another sorpresa! Her Mami has signed her up for a roller-skating summer camp. Juana doesn’t want to go to the roller-skating camp because none of her friends will be going, and she doesn’t know how to roller skate!

Juana goes to the camp and makes new amigos. She tells them about her Mami being pregnant, and her friends told her a lot about babies… like they cry too much, can’t walk, and can’t play. Juana is worried that the baby is going to make things hard. But when her baby sister is born, she realizes that she may like being a big sister after all.

I really liked reading this book. There were many Spanish words that I learned. My favorite part of the book was how Juana eventually liked roller skating and could do tricks! I really liked the photos and diagrams because they helped me understand the story. I would recommend this book to anyone whose mommy will be having a baby and to kids who are between five and nine years old.


Holidays with a Tail: A Tale of Winter Celebrations is the story of a boy named Alex, who wakes up on Christmas Day and gets a puppy named Zipper! When his grandparents come into the house, the dog runs out, and Alex and his mom chase after him down the road. Alex sees a house and a man notices them and tells them that he and his family are celebrating Hanukkah and what all happens during this holiday. Alex and his mom keep walking and they find another family who are celebrating Las Posadas and they are from Guatemala. Then they find another family who are celebrating Kwanzaa and learn about that holiday. Alex finally finds Zipper and they make it home.

I learned a lot from this book; my mom also said that she didn't know everything about the different holidays, either. I was confused at the end of the book though when during the middle part, Alex's mom said that they celebrated Christmas and Jesus as their savior, but then at the very end Alex said that his dog was the best Christmas gift of all. That doesn't make sense. This is a good story to read at Christmastime or anytime.


What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party

The history of political parties in the United States is an interesting one since many Founding Fathers were against the idea of Parties, or factions, to begin with until several of them jumped on board and brought about their existence. This book by noted Democratic socialist party supporter Michael Kazin tells the story of the Democratic Party from the time it was originally founded during the era of names changing constantly through former President Obama. It is a shame that this book treats every change and movement as something almost ordained, that it was meant to happen to move the party forward. Most of the book is spent on the twentieth century Democratic Party and as it changed slowly from a party supporting Jim Crow and states rights to supporting government programs and civil rights during the presidency of LBJ. The book covers the big names, big events, and political conventions; especially as fault lines developed, people switched and ideals switched as well. There is really no detail of how people at the local levels became involved, how people at local levels impacted shifts in the Party and more.


Bad Motherfucker: The Life and Movies of Samuel L. Jackson, the Coolest Man in Hollywood

Bad Motherfucker is a complete collection of facts revealing the awesomeness of Samuel L. Jackson. Gavin Edwards, author and enthusiast of other well-known celebrities and humanitarians, has dedicated a portion of his life to knowing and understanding Mr. Jackson from his infancy through to his successful present.

Jackson grew up in a time of segregation and discrimination, an experience that will either cause a person to excel to their highest standards or stoop to their lowest of lows; he has experienced both in his life. Jackson is the model for trying your hardest, not giving up, and persevering despite the odds. Apart from his widespread fame and exceptional acting skills, there are probably many people who can relate to Jackson on a personal level given the circumstances he found himself in before stardom.

For those who can't relate on as deep a level or (somehow) don't even know the man's name, Edwards switches between an autobiography of Jackson's life and a rundown of nearly every theatrical piece he has been a part of. So while Bad Motherfucker can be said to be purely informational, it is an exceptionally enjoyable and relatable book about a man who worked his way to the top.


The Bone Cay: A Novel

Magda, caretaker of Whimbrel Estate in Key West, once home to a young poet in 1918, is faced with a dilemma. A hurricane is approaching, and she can't bring herself to leave. What would happen to her life's work and research if she left? Deciding to stay, she discovers an old trunk with a skeleton, but it's hard to gather clues about it as the storm rages. To make matters worse, two people show up needing help, the estate's handyman and his teenage daughter. They are stranded, and supplies are not sufficient to last more than a few days. Not only are they trying to survive the storm there may be other dangers that Magda hadn't foreseen before she decided to ride out the hurricane. Will she be able to survive?

This is an atmospheric and descriptive tale, to be sure. It delves into Magda's past, that of her beloved poet, her current situation trying to survive the storm, and the dangerous conditions posed by two strangers. But it takes a while for the story to get going, and I wish there had been more action in the beginning. It picked up towards the end, which made it a little more interesting. An epilogue would have been a nice addition as well.


Dearest One

Dearest One is a collection of poetic verses about unconditional self-love and acceptance. It proves that simple acts of kindness, such as a smile, are powerful enough to change someone’s life. The nine different themes presented will inspire children ages three to eight to cope with their uncomfortable feelings in positive manners. Each page offers age-appropriate mantras to help young readers feel accepted, understood, and safe. It can be hard to look past bad days or see the possibilities for growth after hard times. Instead of urging children to “power through” their painful emotions, this book promotes healthy healing, inner reflection, and self-awareness.

The authors provide metaphors to encourage optimism; they explain that there can be beauty in the middle of rainstorms, so one shouldn’t hide inside and wait for the storm to pass. The vividly colorful images in the book represent the rainbow of emotions that live inside of everyone. Sometimes these colors can feel dull or muted, but everyone has a wide spectrum of feelings that should all be honored and acknowledged. Although the themes are generalized to include all children, each page features a resilient Black female character who is in tune with her emotions.


Through the Forest

When a young boy finds himself lost in the labyrinth of a forest, he knows not which way to turn. An enormous white figure approaches him and says his name is Emptiness. He agrees to go on a quest with the child, searching for something, though they’re not sure what. They discover a pinwheel the boy’s mama created for him, and as the two continue through the woods and into an open clearing, they find more souvenirs from the child’s past, sparking enough recollections to last a lifetime as well as to guide him into the future.

Through the Forest is a wonderfully unique, thought-provoking tale. Emptiness appears as a ghost and accompanies the child throughout his journey rediscovering his past. Once his mission is complete, Emptiness says “goodbye.” The boy doesn’t want him to go but is reassured Emptiness will never fully leave him; he’ll be there if he needs him.

Though the text is written at approximately a second grade level, children as old as nine or ten will favor this story. It’s depth and applicability to real life will pull them in, leaving them thinking about it long after they traverse the last page. They’ll savor its richness.


The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries

In The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries, Otto Penzler has compiled forty-nine stories all written during the Victorian era. This compilation includes lesser-known stories by well-known authors such as H.G. Wells, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. There are also classics such as The Greek Interpreter by Arthur Conan Doyle and The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe. However, the majority of these short stories are written by authors you’ve probably never heard of unless you spend a lot of time reading Victorian era literature. It wasn’t until this era that detectives were formed, creating a new genre of literature. Penzler divides this collection into four sections: detective stories, crime stories, international stories and American stories.

There’s a little bit of everything in here, from murder to theft and detectives in disguise. Be aware that although these stories are short, there are forty-nine of them so this is a book that is over six hundred pages. However, the brevity of the stories also make it easy to put it down after one or two and come back later. If you love the Victorian era as much as I do, I highly recommend you pick this up.


The Creature of Habit

On the Island of Habit lives a very large creature with big eyes, big teeth, and very big feet. Every day he goes through his day in exactly the same way: eating the same food at the very same time, greeting the same creatures and things in the same order, and brushing his teeth and going to bed at exactly the same time. One day, a small creature with very small teeth, small eyes, and tiny feet sails to the island. The big creature shows him how things work on the island and what time everything should be done. This is fine the first day, but the second day, the small creature does things in different ways. The large creature is distressed. How can they resolve their differences?

Jennifer E. Smith has written a fun and interesting story that will challenge youngsters to think about how they go through their own days and how they get along with others and work out differences. It’s a charming way to help youngsters examine their own lives and learn to get along with others. The cute illustrations by Leo Espinosa are creative and have a great sense of fun. Don’t miss it.


Please Explain Vaccines to Me: Because I HATE SHOTS!

This book is designed to help parents explain the importance of getting vaccinated. The first part of the book is written for children; it begins with a simple rhyming story about a girl that is terrified of getting a shot.  Laurie Zelinger uses age-appropriate language to talk about how vaccines fight off harmful germs to build immunity against infectious diseases. She speaks honestly about the anxiety and fear that shots can cause, while offering powerful visual representation that can alleviate the fear of getting vaccinated. In addition to these illustrations provided by Richa Kinra, this book includes heart-felt drawings from real children.

The second section of this book is intended for adults. Dr. Zelinger provides educational information so they can answer any questions that children may ask regarding immunizations. She uses her psychology background to explain the needle related fear. By providing adults with the physical and psychological symptoms of needle phobia, parents will be able to understand their symptoms and help guide them through their anxieties. The author also uses examples of play activities that can be used to help alleviate shot related fear for children of all ages.


Walrus Song

I didn't know as much about walruses before as I do now that I've read Walrus Song. In this book, you learn about a walrus who lives and plays in the ice, snow, and water. The walrus is big, with lots of blubber, and he likes to play both by himself and with other animals, just like human kids do. The walrus swims down deep for his favorite food, clams, which I learned are also called bivalves. I would feel cold if I were swimming with a walrus, but because of its blubber, it stays warm and toasty. The walrus naps and fights with the other walruses and sings loudly! This part was funny to see my mom read out loud!

I liked reading Walrus Song because I didn't know very much about walruses before. The story has rhyming words that make it easy to read and understand, and what I didn’t know, I looked up in the back of the book. The pictures look like they're painted and the colors are pretty. Kids who like animals and learning about them will like Walrus Song!


Three Sisters: A Novel

Historical Fiction

From the enlightened days of the Renaissance, to the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, to the darkest times of the Second World War, and on to the heady days of the Summer of Love, the five works of historical fiction included in this roundup article will transport readers to other times and places, entertaining and educating as they do so.

Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary by Laura Stanfill

Laura Stanfill’s Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary offers a salutary lesson in the art of maintaining fulfilling relationships while focusing on several generations of an unforgettable French family and their steady progress toward the end of an era. A living legend in the small town of Mireville, master serinette maker Georges Blanchard is affectionately known as “The Sun-Bringer” due to a seemingly miraculous incident that occurred during his childhood. Georges expects that his son Henri will one day take over the family business and become a master craftsman in his own right, although Henri has other ideas. Uninterested in the world of music boxes, Henri would rather dedicate his time and effort to making fine lace, and when he finds a stack of letters hidden among his father’s possessions, it seems that he might have a chance to do just that. The letters reveal that Henri is not actually Georges’ firstborn son, as an affair with an American customer led to the birth of a baby boy some years before Henri’s own birth. When Henri travels to America in search of his half-brother, he learns that there’s a whole lot more to life than Mireville, music boxes, and lace.

Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell

Brilliant but wayward soldier Richard Sharpe should be due a well-earned rest following the British victory in the Battle of Waterloo, but both fate and the establishment have other things in store for him. Having risen up the ranks to become a lieutenant-colonel, Sharpe is a highly trusted and undeniably effective weapon of war, which is why he is personally chosen by the Duke of Wellington to undertake a covert mission in France. Although Napoleon’s army has now been defeated, the Duke is concerned about rumors of a fanatical group of French revolutionaries who are said to be plotting a terrible revenge from the shadows of Paris. Such rumors have given rise to the fear that the end of one war might mark the beginning of another, and Sharpe is dispatched to Paris to track down a spy who should have vital information about the alleged plot. Things never go smoothly for Sharpe, so it’s no surprise that there is also an assassin stalking the streets of Paris, who is determined to find and kill the spy before the British can get their hands on them. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell marks the twenty-second thrilling outing for Richard Sharpe and it is every bit as exciting, dangerous, and bloody as his previous adventures.

The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli

The Mona Lisa is said to hide many secrets behind her enigmatic smile, which is a big part of the reason while Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece has captured the hearts and minds of people down through the years. Laura Morelli’s The Stolen Lady tells the stories of two such people, two disparate women separated by centuries but united by their importance to the history of the Mona Lisa. In the Florence of 1479, servant Bellina Sardi accompanies her mistress, Lisa Gherardini, to her new home following her marriage to the moderately wealthy and considerably older Francesco del Giocondo. It should have been a fairly comfortable existence, but when Francesco commissions Leonardo da Vinci to paint a portrait of his new bride, Bellina finds herself embroiled in a complex web of secrets and lies. In the Paris of 1939, archivist Anne Guichard agrees to help the staff of the Louvre evacuate as many of the museum’s great works of art as possible before the Nazis arrive in the city. Although they manage to smuggle numerous pieces to the relative safety of the French countryside, the danger posed by the Nazis is never really far away, and when it comes to keeping the art secure, Anne realizes that her own family might have a significant role to play.

The Lurking Place by Clarence Major

Set during the late 1960s, the heyday of both the Beats and the Bohemians, Clarence Major’s The Lurking Place explores the intersection of ambition, ideology, romance, and artistic endeavor during a period of significant upheaval in American life. James Eric Lowell is trying to find success as a poet in New York City during the tumultuous Summer of Love. He is also trying to protect his own love life by maintaining a relationship with his lover Sophia despite the family pressures and racism that the two of them continuously face. Times might be changing, but society remains slow to accept interracial relationships. As a young Black man, James finds it difficult to ensure that his poetry receives the attention it deserves, which means that he finds it equally difficult to fit in and feel at home with the prevailing poetic movements in America at the time. As the action shifts from New York to Mexico, James struggles to finish his debut manuscript and dedicate sufficient time and effort to his relationship with Sophia. Although he is able to coolly and incisively observe those around him, James is unsure which direction he would take if forced to choose between his desire for success and his desire to be with Sophia.

Three Sisters by Heather Morris

Heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting, Three Sisters by Heather Morris describes the unbreakable bond that exists between sisters and gives them the strength to survive even the darkest of times. Siblings Cibi, Magda, and Livia made a promise to their father when they were little girls, vowing that they would always stay together no matter what happened. Although their father could surely not have expected as much, both the girls and their promise are tested almost beyond endurance during the bleakest days of World War II. When she is just fifteen, Livia is captured by the Nazis and transported to Auschwitz. Mindful of her promise and anxious to protect her sister, nineteen-year-old Cibi follows Livia to the camp, determined to either save her or die with her. Once there, the two of them have to fight both to stay together and to simply survive. Seventeen-year-old Magda stays behind when her sisters are taken to Auschwitz, hiding with her mother and grandfather in neighbors’ houses or the forest when the Nazi patrols come looking for people to round up. She’s only able to stay hidden for a while, however, eventually also being transported to the infamous death camp. After the three sisters reunite, they agree to make a new promise in honor of their father: they will all survive.


In an age where the conscious mind is constantly barraged with information, opinion pieces, and memes, conspiracy theories have rocketed and amassed giant followings among those who question and challenge reality, even against logic and science. Kelly Weill’s Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything</en> is a concise biography of one of the largest and most fascinating conspiracy theories to have taken over a collective human psyche.

Weill has spent the last few years attending Flat Earth conferences and getting to know the attendees and prominent figures in the movement while researching its history and the sociology and psychology of conspiracy theories. These personal connections bring a new face to the topic, often held at arm’s length and/or ogled as a circus act. While the book does discuss the cult-like tendencies of conspiracy theorists, and the insecurities, cognitive dissonance, and self-isolation that come with the territory, its voice is compassionate.

A keen observer and a thorough researcher, Weill moves past morbid curiosity and presents a comprehensive study to show how people of different backgrounds and intelligence could dismiss reality. The result of her meticulous care allows the reader to step in from the circus seats and understand Flat Earth in all of its sides, edges, and corners.


The Hawthorne School: A Novel

Claudia Morgan is raising her exceptional son, Henry, alone after the death of her mother. Henry’s father has never been in the picture, so Claudia must find the best balance she can for her young son and she hopes to have found it in a progressive new school on the outskirts of Chicago. Stevie Perry’s novel The Hawthorne School is a cautionary tale reminding us to be careful what we wish for.

At first, the school—set in an idyllic location complete with orchards and space for students to roam—seems a perfect fit if a bit unorthodox. Claudia’s neighbor, also a single mother, sends her daughter there and swears by the power of the curriculum that emphasizes outdoor playtime and more traditional learning, like math and reading, happening only when a child is ready. Claudia is skeptical, but she’s busy building a steady client base as a massage therapist, trusts the school and its oddly spry elderly matriarch Zelma, but as Henry’s behavior shifts she begins to have doubts. Upon closer inspection of the school, Claudia and Henry find themselves embroiled in something far more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

The Hawthorne School has some predictable turns, and Claudia can be annoying in her naivete, but the story itself is a fun ride for readers who enjoy suspenseful and psychological thrillers.


From the Pocket of an Overcoat

Farmer Buckles is delivering his apples to a market in the city. He sees a little cat stick its head out of the pocket of a homeless woman. Farmer Buckles stops and offers to trade some apples to the woman for her cat. The woman wants to find a good home for her little cat, Max, so she lets him go. Max has an exciting ride to the Buckle farm, where he sees cows and a rooster that worry about Farmer Buckle hitting things as he drives. Inside the house, Max meets four dogs. These dogs meet and talk about Max, finally accepting him into the family. Max explores the house, and the story suddenly ends with an indication there is more to come.

This is a very text-heavy picture book with no clear point of view. The narration jumps from the point of view of this character to that character. The story is muddled and the characters are largely undeveloped. There is no clear story problem or direction. Some of the illustrations are cute, but some are muddy. The author/illustrator could use some courses in picture book design and writing, and the help of a good editor.


Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai

Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai by Matti Friedman examines Cohen’s surprise visit to the Israeli front lines of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The tale begins with the end of the sleepy, laidback days of a group of boy and girl Israeli soldiers (“boy” and “girl” are the author’s chosen terms, and he explains why) as they were the first to be surprised in October of 1973 by the Egyptian Army. It contains never-before-published writings by Cohen himself, as he reflected on what was happening.

The book, for those interested in the early history of the modern state of Israel, is both quite nostalgic and informative. Friedman’s research includes accounts of those who were there at the time and had encounters with Cohen. He writes beautifully and compliments Cohen’s writings well. I was grateful for Friedman’s interpretations and analysis throughout the book, as Cohen’s original writings were a bit difficult for me to decipher. Different entertainers accompanied Cohen on his travels in October ‘73 and the book explores that aspect. There are also several wonderful pictures included.


Grandude's Green Submarine

It should not be a surprise to anyone that a great composer can also pen a delightful children’s book.  This book is about four grandchildren who seek escape from the heat with their very cool Grandude. Grandude has a magic submarine, but in a major twist, it is not yellow.  The cooled down children and the magical Grandude take a ride to find Nandude who is off on adventures of her own. In this story, Nandude is the musical one and music provides the magic to get the children and Grandude of a a jam. The illustrations in this book are wonderful and just as imaginative as the story. The story is the perfect length for bedtime settling. It is a lovely story for all ages, especially those of us who like anything written by the great Paul McCartney.


Once Upon a Tim

Once Upon a Tim is a great story filled with laughs and adventure. In it, a peasant boy named Tim goes on an adventure so he can live a better life. He and his friends join Prince Ruprecht and Nerlim the wizard on a quest to rescue Princess Grace from a terrifying creature called the Stinx. Along the way they faced many challenges, from horrible beasts to raging rivers. As they grow closer to the end of their journey, Tim notices that Nerlim and the prince might not be as skilled as they claim. However, he is still determined to save the princess and become a knight.

This was an amazing book. Stuart Gibbs is one of my favorite authors and his books are always very fun to read. Despite being written for younger kids, this was no exception. This is a relatively easy read, with definitions provided for the more complicated words. There were also many nice illustrations in this book. I would recommend this book to kids from second to fifth grade, especially if they like fantasy books.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers


Mr. Watson's Chickens

Mr. Watson and his partner, Mr. Nelson, live in a big house with a tiny yard. They have some pets, too: two dogs and three cats and some chickens. Mr. Watson loves his chickens and, every morning, counts them. But chickens lay eggs, and eggs hatch, and soon the number of chickens grows and grows. It isn’t long before they have 456 chickens. Yup, 456 chickens in a tiny yard, so the chickens move into the house and soon they are everywhere in the house. Everywhere. And chickens are not quiet. They make a LOT of noise. Mr. Nelson tells Mr. Watson that he has to do something with all those chickens. But 456 chickens is not a small problem! What to do?

Jarrett Dapier has written a fun story that little ones will love listening to (especially if the reader makes good chicken sounds). The writing is silly and filled with rhythm and repetition that will keep youngsters engaged. But the real star of this picture book is the illustrations by Andrea Tsurumi. The pages are filled with rib-tickling details as chickens play instruments, ride carnival rides, and sing. Don’t miss this fun picture book.


Last Dance on the Starlight Pier

We all know that the Great Depression meant hard times for the majority of Americans. Possibly the only ones who escaped the tragedy were those who made their money by providing others with some sort of escape: Hollywood actors and bootleggers, for instance.

Caught in a strange place in the middle were those who participated in dance marathons: spectacles where people would dance for hours on end, resting for only a few minutes at a time. The greatest stars could become the public’s darlings, but all of them were merely dragging themselves through, physically and financially.

A few had greater dreams they pushed themselves toward. Evie Grace Devlin had dreams of becoming a nurse, but when those plans were ruined, she took to the dancing circuit, not escaping her past but pushing through it to shape her future.

Last Dance on the Starlite Pier is beautiful, heartbreaking, and best of all (to me), incredibly researched. Bird delved deep into the era’s history and drew inspiration from real events and real people. More than anything else, it’s a story of hope, something that is badly needed these days.


Yummy: A History of Desserts

Tween Graphic Novels

Graphic novels make for great reads for people of all ages, although the five titles featured in this roundup are particularly geared toward the tween audience. From a realistic story of a young girl trying to fit in, to thrill-packed fantasy and science fiction adventures, and on to an engaging account of the history of puddings, these five graphic novels have something to offer all young readers.

Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy

When Huda and her family move to Dearborn, Michigan, she finds life there surprisingly different from in her old town. The biggest change relates to the fact that Dearborn is a small town with a large Muslim population, which means that there’s no welcoming Muslim clique for Huda to neatly fit into. Having become used to being defined by her Muslim identity, Huda is discombobulated to discover that she’s going to have to find a more precise niche for herself if she’s going to join a friendship group. Having determined that she’s neither sporty, fashionable, nor a gamer, she decides to try out a whole host of identities and personas and see which suits her best. But what will she do if none of them seem right? Huda Fahmy’s Huda F Are You? is a highly amusing and very insightful coming-of-age tale about a young Muslim girl struggling to find her place in the world.

Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters Vol. 1 by Chris Samnee and Laura Samnee

Rainbow has been on a year-long quest to find her missing father and somewhat feral adopted sister Jonna ever since they disappeared following the sudden arrival of mysterious monsters and the collapse of the world’s water cycle. She travels from settlement to settlement following rumors and seeking news of her lost loved ones, dodging monsters and helping survivors as she does so. Things start to look up for Rainbow, however, when she hears that Jonna has been spotted out in the wilderness, disheveled and wild but otherwise seemingly okay. But when Rainbow finally tracks her sister down, she discovers that there is at least one major change in her: Jonna now has sufficient super-strength to knock out a monster with a single punch. Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters Vol. 1 by Chris Samnee and Laura Samnee is an action-packed and vividly illustrated adventure story that follows the two sisters as they explore the strange new world in which they find themselves.

Star Beasts by Stephanie Young and Allyson Lassiter

Loyal pup Bandit was living a pleasantly lazy ordinary life on Earth with his family when he was called up to join the Star Beasts, a top-secret group of creatures dedicated to protecting the planet and being a force for good in the wider universe. While Bandit is excited by his new mission, he has trouble fitting in with the other Star Beasts and also misses his home. However, when Khaos Krill, the evil emperor of Pluto, attempts to build a Novataur, a mythical monster said to be capable of destroying planets, Bandit has to work with a band of other Star Beasts to track down deadly galactic fossils and thwart Krill’s plan. Accompanied by a warrior turtle, a goldfish historian, a healing tiger, a techie iguana, and other brave beasts, Bandit sets out on a dangerous race across space to find the fossils and restore peace to the galaxy. Zany and full of fun-packed adventure, Stephanie Young and Allyson Lassiter’s Star Beasts explains the surprising real reason Pluto isn’t a planet anymore.

5 Worlds Book 5: The Emerald Gate by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel

5 Worlds Book 5: The Emerald Gate by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel marks the thrilling conclusion to an epic science fiction/fantasy adventure story that spans planets and features both brave heroes and dastardly villains. In advance of the forthcoming final battle, Oona, Jax, and An Tzu travel to the perilous world of Grimbo (E), where Oona must light the last beacon and so save the 5 Worlds, if only she knew for sure where the beacon is located. Fortunately, an encounter with an old friend of Jax provides a clue that points the trio toward the beacon and launches them on a dangerous quest across the watery planet in search of it. For his part, the nefarious Stan Moon has hatched another plot to destroy the 5 Worlds through his growing evil powers and increasing connection to An Tzu. Oona and her friends are going to have to risk everything to finally put an end to Stan Moon’s evil machinations.

Yummy: A History of Desserts by Victoria Grace Elliott

In Yummy: A History of Desserts, Victoria Grace Elliott presents an enthralling and highly appetizing account of the surprising history of delicious, sugary desserts. Through a host of facts, stories, and recipes, she takes readers on a whistle-stop tour of all things delectable, accompanied by the charming and often hilarious food sprite Peri. Between the pair of them, they investigate the major puzzles that have intrigued dessert lovers for years. For instance, they reveal how a mistake led to the invention of the brownie and how an unlikely team-up led to the development of ice cream cones. They also explore how cream first came to be frozen and who first decided that it might be a good idea to encase fruit in pastry. And after they set out the true stories of some of the world’s favorite treats, they provide recipes so that readers can try the delicacies for themselves. It all makes for a globe-trotting culinary adventure that is near impossible to put down.


Yinka, Where is Your Husband

Yinka is in her thirties with an Oxford degree and a successful job at an investment bank in London. Her friend Rachel is about to be married, and Yinka is on the search for a date. As the wedding approaches, she loses her job and a promotion that she had counted on. The stakes for finding a date, and eventually a husband, seem higher with her future uncertain. Pressure from her family to settle down make matters worse, and challenge Yinka’s self-esteem.

Yinka, Where is Your Husband? featured a compelling lead character in Yinka, and her friends and family were great additions to the story. I appreciated the focus on a young professional navigating her career and love life, and how the story emphasized the importance of mental health and realizing one’s self-worth. The references to Nigerian culture were well done and the food references were mouth-watering! Some transitions were choppy and the dialogue felt immature at times. I also felt that Yinka’s friends' “intervention” could have been handled better, though her opening up to Donovan was very candid. Overall, this was a fun story with some emotional depth


Spear

Nicola Griffith, author of Slow River and Hild, is back with Spear, a beautiful, moving short novel set during Arthurian times.

She knows little of the outside world, having been sheltered by her mother in a cave for her entire life, until she decides to leave and find out what is out there. She has been training with a broken sword and feels ready to tackle what the world will throw at her. She travels the lands, helping those who need it, pretending to be a boy and then a soldier until she learns of the knights who are loyal to Artos, King of Caer Leon. She shows her ability in battle and makes it to Camelot, where she meets the king, but he is suspicious of her ways. Under the guise of a man named Peretur, she must convince Artos she is loyal and wishes to fight for him.

Written in a lovely lyrical style, Spear takes the reader on a journey to the knights of the round table, as told through the eyes of a woman pretending to be a man. When she meets Numue, they soon fall in love. Spear is a wonderful story to behold.


The Mirror Man

Jenny is a teenager venturing home when she is the victim of an assault and abduction. The disappearance and search for Jenny is all over the airwaves, her whereabouts subject to rampant speculation. Meanwhile, Pamela is on holiday with her husband Martin and her daughter Alice. Pamela’s life is upended when an accident takes the life of Alice and leaves Martin with lingering mental disabilities.

Flashing forward to five years later and both of these unrelated tragedies will intertwine. Pamela is trying to rebuild her life and adopt a rebellious teenager. She attempts to bring Martin home in a bid to show a stable home. However, Martin bears witness to a shocking murder, which not only threatens Pamela’s plans, but also their very lives. Detective Joona, a brilliant but damaged policeman, wants to break through Martin’s cloudy mindset and uncover a psychopathic killer.

The Mirror Man is the latest spine-tingling thriller from Lars Kepler (Lazarus, The Rabbit Hunter). This is not a book for the faint-hearted, as the shocks will leap out at the reader when they are least prepared. The book never falters in keeping the reader on their toes and guessing from start to finish.


The Grand Sex Tour Murders

“The Grand Sex Tour Murders is a raunchy, make-you-feel-something-wrong-at-the-bottom-of-your-stomach book that marries gay porn with reality show contests and throws a serial killer into the mix. Be ready to laugh, cry, and yes, maybe even vomit as the creative mind of author Daniel M. Jaffe puts visions that cannot be unseen into your virgin mind.” —Kyle Eaton, San Francisco Book Review


Swan Songs of Cygnus: Hours In Forever

Swan Songs of Cygnus: Hours in Forever is Vincent Hollow’s sequel to Swan Songs of Cygnus: The Weight of Black Holes. The “Aquarius Astronaut” continues his journey looking for Lucy, his lost love. This book starts out with a flashback, from when the “blue sky boy” first meets Lucy. It continues through life with Lucy and into her sickness and finally her passing. The sorrow continues, as the heartbroken explorer continues in his voyage.

The poet shares reflections while traveling aimlessly into the abyss, but every musing seems to bring him closer to closure if it is within reach. But is it ever? The pain of lost love and shattered dreams notwithstanding, Hollow lends voice to the agony of aloneness.

Excerpt from “Enemy Imagined”

“time

an enemy imagined

dragging her away

from where we were

to some new place

it did not think I would reach”

Poetry is a cathartic avenue for synthesizing creative expression. Drawing on similar themes from the first volume, Hollow has written poetry that readers can feel in their bones. The death of a beloved, young, and beautiful lover has been the topic of poems for millennia. This book is yet another representation of this theme, albeit modernized to involve space flight and the knowledge of black holes. Even as Hollow writes about a tormented soul in the depths of despair, the poet also shares his passion for science and astronomy.

Even though this book can be read as a stand-alone, it is best when paired with the first volume. I read the e-book version of the poetry collection, which is appropriate given the focus of technology in the design and aesthetics of the template used for each page layout. The cover art depicting Lucy is done by illustrator Tom Nicosia and the digital art wasby Matt-Kelly Thibedeau. The page layout and design were done by the poet himself.  Each poem is rendered in a caricature of spacecraft controls. As you read, you are enclosed in the spacecraft as you push through the black hole.

Vincent Hollow is a self-described “astropoet and interstellar storyteller”. This award-winning author has written three other collections of poetry. The themes of his poems deal with mental health, love and loss, and the beauty of the cosmos.

This book is a trip into the depths of sorrow and grief. Anyone who has experienced unimaginable loss may find solace in these pages. Ironically, poetry has always served this purpose: being immersed in someone else’s musing about loneliness and longing may help to make some feel less alone.


Swan Songs of Cygnus: The Weight of Black Holes by Vincent Hollow is the story of one man’s journey. Believing that Lucy, his lost love is waiting for him, he plans a mission to the distant black hole of Cygnus A. This astronaut must undergo a physical transformation, including the implant of artificial intelligence (AI) into his ocular nerve. The AI, his only companion, helps guide and reassure the explorer as well as provide valuable information on the celestial sights along the way.

There are many tales, myths, and stories of lovers going through extraordinary means to be reunited with those who died. Hollow’s poems are reminiscent of the voyage that Orpheus takes to be reunited with Eurydice in the classical Greek myth of lost love and tragic fates. The poet’s River Styx is the Milky Way and Charon is the AI embedded in the astronaut’s eye.

What makes this book unique is that Hollow uses poetry to weave his interstellar saga. His poems are of love, loss, and journeys. They are also about moons and planets, nebulas, and black holes. As the spacecraft travels, the astronaut sleeps. We get to experience the dreams and nightmares of our somewhat intrepid traveler. Hollow cleverly borrows lines from some of the most memorable poems by Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe, and William Shakespeare and incorporates them into his poems.

Hollow shows loss through his poems in several ways. From “Visiting Hours II”:

“the flowers bow their heads

shedding their faces

crumbling on the window sill

leaving only

their bones and thorns.”

This is more than just a book of poems. In the conversations between the astronaut and his AI companion, there is a lot of relevant information given about the planets of our solar system and the celestial anomalies beyond. I enjoyed the little snippets of knowledge provided about the nebulas of the Milky Way.

Along with the poetry, the design is attractive. The cover art by Tom Nicosia along with the graphics and dreamscapes by Shawn Mahoney and Soks Gemma adds to the overall experience. Even as the book enters the blackness and emerges into the light, like abstract art, the negative space is as meaningful as the filled spaces.

This book is for anyone who has looked into the night sky and felt love. Anyone who has experienced unimaginable loss may find solace in these pages. Ironically, poetry has always served this purpose; being immersed in someone else’s musings about loneliness and longing may help to make some feel less alone.


Veronica: A Musketeer's Story

Veronica: A Musketeer’s Story by Jody Studdard is an action-packed tale full of mysterious lands, magical incantations, and a fearless group of soldiers – the Musketeers. The stories main character, Veronica Espinosa, is an incredible young woman; having come from a family of famous matadors, she has trained with her father for ten years to become a matador herself. Because of her gender, Veronica’s training has been met with extreme opposition from other matadors who feel that a woman’s place is not in a training ring. However, Veronica’s father remains undeterred by their comments; he knows his daughter is more than capable of becoming great. He trains her twice as hard as other young bullfighters, does not let her give up, and instills in her that she is destined to succeed with her outstanding abilities. Her father even tells her one day their will be a statue in her honor, just as there is a statue of her abuelo, or grandfather, in their town’s plaza. Veronica is flattered by her father’s words and truly hopes she will not let him or her abuelo down.

Finally, on her eighteenth birthday, Veronica’s day comes to prove her worth as a bullfighter. It is safe to say that she does not disappoint. Outperforming all her opponents and doing tricks unlike anyone has ever seen, the audience is in awe at her talent and agility. Even the men who were initially against her entering the ring, are mesmerized at Veronica’s swiftness and abilities. Towards the end of performance, however, things take a turn for the worse. Veronica finds herself unable to do an essential part of the act and the response is extreme. The audience grows restless, boos, and begins to belittle her. Panicking, she runs out of the ring traumatized, and does not stop until she is far, far away from her home.

Veronica’s story from here is one I do not want to give away, but as you may have guessed, has a lot to do with the Musketeer’s. A girl who proves herself in countless ways, especially against the men who doubt her, she is a wonderful role model to young women. For this reason, I would recommend this novel to middle school aged readers, especially ones who love stories of adventure and stories with a strong female lead. Veronica constantly shows her audience that bravery is not solely a male attribute; girls can fight and be powerful too.


Veronica: A Musketeer's Story

Veronica: A Musketeer's Story is set in a magical land and rife with daunting missions involving wild criminals, spine-chilling monsters, and the burning determination of a woman to prove herself in a world ruled by men. Imagine a woman as a Musketeer with an impressive ability to wield a sword. Verónica was born and raised in a reputable family of bullfighters. In fact, her grandfather and father were considered the greatest matadors of their generation. Since Verónica's father has no son, he decides to train Verónica, who is the eldest of his five daughters. However, this decision is met with opposition from other members of the bullfighting community, and Verónica's failure to carry out a required task worsens their plight in the community.

Feeling ashamed and dejected, Verónica flees town and embarks on a journey without any mission other than to distance herself from home. Eventually, Verónica finds a group of Musketeers scouting for recruits and becomes the first female Musketeer. As a girl, she fights to prove she deserves her position while carrying out several dangerous missions in order to curb crime with the Musketeers. However, their biggest mission will require them to fight off Étienne, a powerful sorcerer and the brother of a powerful king. Étienneas is determined to claim the throne, and he would stop at nothing no matter how dark the path gets.

You're in for a rush! Veronica: A Musketeer's Story combines several awesome bits to create an astounding, memorable experience. I'm talking about blood-curdling creatures, like the rizzet, which has legs and eyes on each side of its radially symmetrical body; daunting missions to capture interesting characters, like the archaeologist and professor who was found to be embezzling money from the university to fund unsanctioned archaeological digs; brilliant riddles involving intricate solutions; supernatural elements, including unicorns, sorcery, and the undead; and much more!

Jody Studdard narrates through multiple viewpoints, and the story moves at a fast, captivating pace with an exciting mission or goal to look forward to at every turn. It was a struggle to do anything else from the moment I picked up the book until I reached the very last page. The protagonist has a well-developed and likable personality; Verónica's disappointment in herself for letting her father down is an issue some readers might relate to, and her strong resolve to win despite being faced with doubters is infectious and inspiring.

I strongly recommend Veronica: A Musketeer's Story to young adult fiction fans who fancy a resilient heroine in a sexist historical setting. Whether she's dancing ballet or slapping a bully, Verónica's exciting spontaneity will have you immensely entertained.


Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts

Refuse to Be Done is divided into three parts to help writers get through the process of writing and revising a novel. Bell focuses on getting the story down in the first part, even if it seems only in rough form. The second section offers tips and tricks for finding the story within the story by focusing on plot development and the overall narrative. Finally, the third section focuses on polishing the gem you have hopefully created.

Overall, this book is an excellent tool for helping writers work through the story they want to tell. It also provides encouragement and tips for getting the writing back on track if you slip into the dreaded writer's block. It is full of concrete, helpful advice, as well as tips and techniques that will likely make a difference to the quality of your writing.

I loved the friendly, encouraging tone throughout the book. The author's perspective made me think differently about approaching the art and craft of storytelling. It also made me think more clearly about my writing habits and how I might change them and incorporate some of his suggestions to achieve a more layered and nuanced approach when I set pen to paper.


Many readers may be familiar with Morgan Harper Nichols as an artist and storyteller with a visually arresting Instagram presence. For those who have not yet discovered her as a spiritual guide, Peace Is a Practice: An Invitation to Breathe Deep and Find a New Rhythm for Life is a perfect introduction.

Part self-help book, part memoir, Peace Is a Practice advocates for slowing down and acknowledging what we need, rather than what we is asked of us. Nichols suggests our work should be in pursuit of our own peace more than anything else, largely because we cannot fully function as healthy and happy people without some balance of the anxieties we face in an ever more complicated and distressing world.

The book is well sourced in Nichols’ presentation of different concepts; the Notes section reads like a dissertation in its thorough and developed set of sources. There are times when these acknowledgements back to other research and documents can feel a bit overwhelming, but there is comfort in knowing that Nichols did her homework and is confident enough to share what concepts are hers alone and which come from other people.

Nichols’ writing is strongest, though, when she draws from her own experiences and reveals her epiphanies in her own pursuit of peace as a practice. Because she has worked on herself, she is a reliable source for others looking to learn how to begin their own practice.


The Chandler Legacies

Beth, Ramin, Brunson, Freddy, and Spence are students at an elite boarding school called Chandler, each arriving with their own secrets and baggage.

When all five are picked for a mysterious writing group known as the Circle, they’re skeptical. But soon, the group becomes close friends, tight-knit against the complex webs of abuse and violence at Chandler. Throughout their writing, dark secrets are revealed that could shake the very foundation of the school. But would speaking out really help anyone? Or would it just make it ten times worse for the next kids in line who were like them?

They’re told to speak their truths.  But will telling the truth really set them free? And can five teens really do anything to break the vicious cycle of abuse at Chandler?
I found this book to be interesting and unique. It was a complicated story with complex characters that were a pleasure to read about. Their different struggles and personalities really shine through in the graceful narrative. The events in the story, while sometimes difficult to read, are believable and tie the book together. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a powerful, empowering story.


Insomnia: A Novel

Emma has the perfect life: the two kids, a loving husband, and a high-paying career. But Emma is about to turn forty in a couple of days and is beginning to suffer from Insomnia. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, however, Emma’s mother went crazy just before her fortieth birthday, attempting to kill her sister, and it began with insomnia as well. As Emma begins to experience all the same symptoms as her mother all those years ago, she will have to decide what’s real and what’s not. Is it possible this madness runs in her family, or is there some bigger picture she has yet to discover? Emma needs to figure it out quickly before she puts her own family in danger.

I enjoyed this Sarah Pinborough thriller much more than the last one. Knowing how insomnia can make you paranoid and hallucinate made it all the more exciting as Emma struggles with reality. The difficulties with everyone around her add to the drama, as they all begin to think she’s mad as well. Overall, a fun psychological thriller to read during this cold season where the holidays can make us all a little crazy.


The Great Witch of Brittany

The rollicking tale of Ursule Orchiere will engage any fan of Louisa Morgan’s earlier work, but for new readers The Great Witch of Brittany is an excellent introduction to the writer.

Born Romani, Ursule and her mother make a living telling fortunes. While her mother is the seer, Ursule assists behind the scenes until her thirteenth birthday when it is revealed that she is the true witch in the Orchiere line. While this should be an exciting moment, it is fraught with peril as the women in the age of witch hunters will stop at nothing to root out women with power.

Fans of Deborah Harkness and Paula Brackston will appreciate the sweeping nature of this story as Ursule’s life stretches over decades. It is as much a story about mystical power as it is about the pain and beauty of being a woman in an age that seeks to keep women silent. There are a few heavily foreshadowed twists, but other more surprising moments balance those to make The Great Witch of Brittany a fun read.


The Ogress and the Orphans

The Ogress and the Orphans is about a misunderstood Ogress, fifteen neglected orphans, crows, and some books. Can these abnormal heroes save Stone-in-the-Glen from a mischievous dragon before it is too late? Following the plot makes you root for kids until the very end. This is a good book; it starts out slow but then gets really exciting. I like everything about it except for the fact that the author uses the word ‘listen’ too much. I also like that each character is entirely unique because it gives each character their own part. I like that the crows in the story can talk to their friend the Ogress. Even though The Ogress and the Orphans has fantasy characters it is still believable. People who like realistic fantasy should buy this book. This is a book best suited to tweens and teens. This book is a pleasure to read.


Losing Love

“A beautifully written story illustrating how the individual members of a dysfunctional family behave as their matriarch goes into passing. Full of feelings of passion and emotion, Losing Love may teach us to understand the importance of both love and loyalty and the difference between them. Faith’s strong character and her will to stand up to her overpowering family members will have readers cheering until the end.” —Kristi Elizabeth, Seattle Book Review


Storm of War

Daniel, a petty thief with no family but a handicapped brother, hopes to ascend in the crime world in the ancient city of Constantinople. Unfortunately, his efforts to gain respect land him in serious trouble as his life is threatened, and he must escape the city to find refuge. However, he finds himself among crusaders on their way to reclaim the Holy Land of Jerusalem, which is currently held by Saracens. Daniel soon finds a new way to gain respect and honor while serving under a harsh Scottish knight. His path to honor, however, entails rains of arrows and the foul stench of war and death—a reality he must survive.

Once in a while, you come across a book that reminds you of the feeling of exhilaration you had when you fell in love with reading fiction. Storm of War, with its brilliant combination of a historical theme and a vivid description of battle scenes, is a great example of this. Bryan R. Saye gives readers a front-row seat to the Crusades through a first-person narrative about an ambitious character on the side of the crusaders and his interactions with both friend and foe.

The immersing narrative depicts an important medieval war with an impressive amount of detail. My favorite scene portrays an intense battle involving a shield wall and the men with horses who "hacked and kicked and slashed and pounded their way" into the shield wall. I also enjoyed the intelligent dialogues, the complex characters, and the clear direction of the story. I liked that I found it easy to follow and understand the story and the protagonist's desires, flaws, and goals right from the beginning. I was quite keen about finding out what would become of Daniel as he engaged in several spine-chilling exploits, like going into the enemy's territory alone for sentimental reasons.

Even though the theme of religion is strong in Storm of War, the book's tone is neutral, making it suitable for all readers regardless of their beliefs. I was touched by the perspective of a victim of the crusades, who expressed how the crusaders "claimed to come in the name of Christ, and yet they murdered children and women" and the similarities of these crusaders to the Saracens.

Storm of War is an elaborate book that combines different themes in one coherent narrative: ambition, love, family, orphanhood, religion, combat training, theft, guilt, and more. I strongly recommend it to readers who might fancy a historical novel with a fast-paced, war-themed narrative that entertains as much as it enlightens.


Briar Girls

Lena has always lived in isolation, constantly fearful of her own power: her touch can kill. But after a horrible accident occurs, she and her father are forced to flee their small village to the edge of the Silence. One night, Miranda emerges from the Silence and tells Lena that she’s on a quest to wake a sleeping princess who may free the Gather of its evil ruler. If Lena will help her wake the sleeping princess, Miranda will help break Lena’s curse. All Lena has ever wanted is to be free of that curse, so she delves into the Silence with Miranda. But the deeper in she goes, the more horrible truths come to light—some she wishes had just stayed buried.

This book was entertaining and sharp, full of twists and turns on every page. Lena is easily relatable and fun to read about. With lots of emotion and twists woven into this bewitching fairy tale, it isn’t one anyone should miss! I would recommend this to any young adult or teenager looking for a dark, twisting fairy tale with interesting, well-developed characters and a great storyline!


Possessing Meares Island: A Historian's Journey into the Past of Clayoquot Sound

To see natural beauty at its most sublime, one need look no further than the stretch of small islands bordering the western coast of Vancouver Island. A series of inlets and sounds separate one island from another, and guided by Canadian author Barry Gough, Possessing Meares Island reveals a history abounding with inter-tribal rivalry, eighteenth century ocean trade, John Jacob Astor’s ambitions, and the Hudson’s Bay Company’s search for a colonial base.

The sea otter, prized for its luminous pelt, played a leading role in the saga until excessive harvesting brought “the world’s most beautiful mammal” to the point of extinction. Over the generations, Britain, Canada, Russia, and China all stood on the stage, far distant geographically from the larger world.

Gough, a naval coast historian, writes as a member of the legal team now the island’s present status is threatened by attempts to clear cut the forests and destroy the territory present-day inhabitants vow to preserve. The book singles out past human intrigues like the early struggle between two chieftains seeking hegemony, betrothing the daughter of one to the son of the other as a means to protect inheritance in the manner of European royal families.


Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan

Holly Darling has worked hard to leave the legend of the Darling name behind, wanting nothing to do with her grandmother Wendy’s story and her mother's obsession. So, she moves to America and starts a line of beauty products. But Holly has a secret of her own; her daughter, Eden, is in a coma with a rare condition that makes her age faster than normal and her blood is the only thing saving her son. When Eden disappears, Holly drops everything to return to London and search for her, hoping that it's not the return of the family legend.

I love the story of Peter Pan, so this dark twist on what happened after Wendy comes home was a little hard to like. However, the story wouldn't work if it wasn't a retelling, and I still recommend it if you love Peter Pan. Characters aren't as they seem and Neverland isn't as far away as believed. The story jumps right in and I was hooked from the beginning, easily finishing it within a couple days. Do beware that, though nothing is explicitly detailed, there are mature themes that are handled gracefully.


Cabin Porn: Inspiration for Your Quiet Place Somewhere

Many people dream of a cabin in the woods, far from civilization, perhaps on one’s own or maybe with a group of like-minded people. Maybe it will be a place to write the great American novel, or to paint or sculpt, or to make maple syrup, or just to get away and decompress. But it will be yours—built by you just the way you want it.

This small book is filled with inspirational stories of people around the world (though mostly Americans) who have decided to find that little piece of paradise just right for each of them, how they came to that place, and what they had to go through to build their place. In addition to the ten featured stories, there are two hundred other cabins worldwide that are given a photograph and a little text that doesn’t go into any real depth.

The writing is conversational and lively, but the photographs are the real star of the show here. They complement the subject matter by being somewhat muted and printed on matte-finish paper. Nothing slick here. Don’t forget your reading glasses, though. The type throughout is very small.


City of the Dead (Maximum Ride: Hawk, 2)

This is the first book I've read in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I have read several of the renowned author's books but never one like this. First off, I really enjoyed the science fiction/fantasy feel of this book with its hybrid characters as the main heroes. Fifteen-year-old Hawk is the daughter of half-human, half-bird hybrids Maximum Ride and her husband Fang. I can only assume from reading this book that Max is the ultimate hero whom everyone loves, even those who aren't necessarily fond of hybrids. Max and Fang have left Hawk to fend for herself and Hawk has found herself raising several other orphan hybrids. In the meantime, there is a deadly virus spreading amongst humans. Hawk then discovers a group of hidden hybrids in the forest.

This book mimics real life even though it has fantasy characters. Two groups blame each other instead of working together until someone steps in to figure out why they are fighting at all.

I absolutely loved the simplicity of the plot of this book as well as the colorful (literally) characters. I especially liked Tut the Turtle and Chammy the Chameleon. This book is a fun adventure with a moral to the story.


Bushido Illustrated: The Soul of Japan (Chinese Bound Classics)

Bushido Illustrated: The Soul of Japan merges Inazo Nitobe’s seminal work on Japanese warrior ethics and moral standards with paintings and woodblock prints. It’s one of the latest renderings of the book Bushido: The Soul of Japan, which was originally published in English in 1899. Nitobe shares his interpretation and perspective of Japan’s evolution from its indigenous, traditional life ways to a modern nation. In decoding Japanese culture for a Western audience, Nitobe draws parallels between European chivalry and Bushido, comparing and contrasting Western mores with Japanese sensibilities.

More than one hundred years since its original release, Nitobe’s timeless text remains relevant. It centers Japanese values and beliefs about politeness, self-control, loyalty, courage, and benevolence. Personally, I was fascinated by the discussion about women in Bushido, as well as the legal and ceremonial purpose of seppuku, a form of ritual suicide.

Bushido Illustrated pairs Nitobe’s musings with graphical depictions of medieval Japanese life. The book is beautiful and elegant due to its binding, layout, and quality illustrations, which feature the works of renowned artists Utagawa Hiroshige, Suzuki Harunobu, and Ryuryukyo Shinsai, among others. Aesthetics set this book apart from other renderings of Nitobe’s work. It’s a must-have book for anyone who is infatuated with Japan and its people.


Mercy (An Atlee Pine Thriller, 4)

Mercy is the next installment of David Baldacci's Atlee Pine series. This time around, Atlee Pine, a top-notch FBI agent, finds herself on a personal mission--to find her twin sister Mercy who was kidnapped from their home thirty years ago when the girls were only six years old. This story alternates between the points of view of Atlee and Mercy. The couple who raised Mercy, Tom and Desiree, tortured her until she finally escaped one day. Mercy was renamed Rebecca and then renamed herself Eloise Cain once she escaped, becoming an MMA fighter to earn some extra money. Readers find out what happened during the thirty years she was missing. This book has a lot of moving parts in it that come together neatly as all of Baldacci's books do.

As a Baldacci fan, I expected no less than fantastic. The Atlee Pine series is one of my favorites because she is simply an awesome badass chick. With an interesting storyline, amazing characters, and packed with action, fans are sure to love Mercy.


Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It

Indigenous legal scholar and lawyer Dr. Bruce McIvor shares a collection of searing essays on the colonial underpinnings of ongoing structural barriers to Canada’s attempts at reconciliation with First Nations peoples. The essays in Standoff reflect McIvor’s depth of experience as an advocate for movements that assert Indigenous rights in Canadian courts. McIvor posits that recognition and reconciliation may be easy to talk about, but reality and practice are very different. Canada’s legal system continues to fail Indigenous peoples, despite the country’s espoused values of fairness, justice, and the rule of law.

The lessons offered in this book are important for advocates of Indigenous sovereignty in the U.S. and other settler colonial societies. Through the lens of a non-Indigenous reader, McIvor’s narrative is an eye-opening and honest look at what’s keeping progress on reconciliation at bay. Inequities in power stem from centuries of colonization and disenfranchisement, and these issues have not been adequately addressed. Colonial power structures are upheld even by well-intentioned allies. McIvor breaks down case law and offers examples in plain language. However, legal details may still result in a learning curve for those who are not already familiar with intricacies of Canadian law.


How to Sous Vide: Easy, Delicious Perfection Any Night of the Week: 100+ Simple, Irresistible Recipes

Sous vide allows you to cook meats, vegetables, and even desserts to perfection. Start with the recipe for basic chicken breasts; the chicken turns out moist and juicy, ready to use in any number of recipes, several of which the author provides to get you started. I loved the suggestion to add Za'atar and lemon to the sous vide bag for additional flavor, and while I enjoy the recipe suggestions, recipes that add flavorings in the cooking bag are my favorite part of this book. I also love being able to replicate cooking eggs exactly as you like them, from poached to hard-boiled and more. Salmon made sous vide is a heavenly revelation. Once you start to sous vide, you'll quickly branch out with different finishes and dishes to enhance what you cook. The recipes are tasty but the real value of the book is helping you overcome any hesitation about getting started. You learn what equipment you'll need (fairly minimal), basic techniques, finishing tips, and troubleshooting help, all of which are invaluable. Using any new cooking method may seem intimidating at first, so it helps to have this expert book nearby to hold your hand as you begin.


Star Wars: The Fallen Star (The High Republic) (Star Wars: The High Republic)

The Fallen Star is a great novel set in the Star Wars universe. In this novel, a group of raiders called the Nihil are rampaging through the outer rim of the Republic, taking what they want and leaving everything else in ruin. However, a brave group of Jedi aboard the Starlight Beacon stand ready to help refugees and stop the Nihil. After a large group of refugees arrive on the station, the Jedi start to notice something odd. Their connection to the Force seems somehow diminished. As the threat of the Nihil grows, the Jedi must investigate this new disturbance in the Force.

Overall this was a great book. It was very well written and kept my attention. I really like the setting of the novel, which mostly took place aboard the Starlight Beacon, a massive space station. There were also many memorable characters, ranging from skilled pilots to powerful Jedi masters. My favorite part of the novel was probably when the Jedi accidently freed several rathtars. I would recommend this book to young adults who like Star Wars or science fiction novels.


Himawari House

Nao, a Japanese American, moves to Tokyo to study for a year to try to learn about her Japanese heritage. She moves into Himawari House with housemates Hyechan from Korea, Tina from Singapore, and Shinichi and Masaki both from Japan. Will living in Japan help Nao find herself and her family’s heritage?

This graphic novel reads like manga. It’s in black and white and the illustrations are very manga-like. While I like the artwork and found many parts hilarious, I wish the art was in color. I think color would have brought the illustrations to life more. While the story dives into the past and current lives of Nao, Hychean, and Tina, I sometimes found it confusing with the flashbacks and dreams and the mixing of the different stories. I had to reread certain scenes/chapters to fully understand what was happening.

Despite that, I found the graphic novel to be heartwarming and funny. I love the use of all the different accents. I found it to be true and authentic. I absolutely love all the food and culture in the book. YA manga and graphic novel readers will enjoy this coming-of-age story about finding oneself.