The Whale Who Swam Through Time

New in Children’s Lit

From picture books featuring amazing and amusing creatures to a fictional account of a difficult yet ultimately hopeful childhood and an inspiring biography of a great artist, the five books featured in this roundup have something to offer children of all ages.

Room for More by Michelle Kadarusman and Maggie Zeng

As a wildfire devastates the Australian bush, wombat duo Dig and Scratch feel glad that they have a safe, cool burrow to hide in. However, when Dig notices that other animals are not so lucky, he starts inviting them into the burrow, which draws complaints from Scratch. Dig first invites a pair of wallabies into their home, followed by a koala and then a tiger snake, with Scratch getting increasingly angry as each new arrival moves in. While Dig is convinced that there is still room for more, Scratch doesn’t want any other animals making use of their home, but when the burrow is flooded by a sudden rain burst, Scratch comes to realize that having a bunch of fellow creatures around could prove very helpful. In Room for More, Michelle Kadarusman uses the humorous story of an eclectic group of animals sheltering in a small burrow to explore the serious issues of environmental catastrophes and  displaced refugees with young readers, while Maggie Zeng’s delightful illustrations really bring the different animals’ personalities to life.

These Are Not the Words by Amanda West Lewis

Based on events from her own childhood in New York City during the 1960s, Amanda West Lewis’s These Are Not the Words is a powerful account of a young girl realizing that her parents are both flawed individuals with problems that she cannot solve, no matter how much she wants to help them. Missy’s mother has gone back to school to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, while her father spends his days working in advertising and his nights listening to jazz in Harlem and the Village. Missy shares his love of jazz and often accompanies him to clubs and bars, and the two of them both enjoy writing poetry about their experiences. Yet, it becomes clear through his poems that her father is struggling with alcohol and drug problems, which eventually prompts Missy’s mother to decide that she and Missy need a fresh start. Missy has to leave everything she cares about behind and adapt to a new life as a latchkey kid while her mother works to support them. Although Missy is reluctant to give up on getting her family back together, she eventually comes to learn that change is sometimes necessary.

The Whale Who Swam Through Time by Alex Boersma and Nick Pyenson

Around two hundred years ago, a bowhead whale was born. As a member of the longest-living mammal species in the world, the bowhead whale was destined to have a lengthy and interesting existence. Indeed, over the course of a long life spent in the Arctic, the whale witnessed many dramatic changes, most notably the shift from her habitat being one characterized by peace and solitude to the arrival of humans and their ships and oil rigs. With The Whale Who Swam Through Time, Alex Boersma has written a non-fiction picture book that beautifully captures the majesty of the natural world and vividly portrays the changes that are taking place in the environment, highlighting the need for humans to alter their ways and take action to protect their fellow creatures. The illustrations by Nick Pyenson are clear and detailed, revealing the beauty and wonder of the bowhead whale and showing just how important the preservation of the environment really is.

Bottle Tops by Alison Goldberg and Elizabeth Zunon

In Bottle Tops, Alison Goldberg tells the remarkable life story of Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, whose work made from discarded bottle tops is prized and displayed around the world. While studying art at the University of Ghana, El noted that much of the artists and art being discussed clearly fitted within the European tradition, with traditional Ghanaian art being largely ignored. Seeking to expand his perspective, El explored the stories and approaches of his fellow Ghanaians, which often involved the use of recycled and upcycled materials. After honing his skills by experimenting with different mediums, El discovered a bag of bright bottle caps and decided to tell their story by stitching the caps together into a series of flowing tapestries that capture the history, culture, and people of Ghana. From there, the popularity of his bottle top sculptures grew until his work was world renowned. The words by Goldberg provide a fascinating introduction to the life and art of El Anatsui, while the illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon nicely capture the intricacy and beauty of his work.

Oceans of Love by Janet Lawler and Holly Clifton-Brown

The ocean is home to myriad magnificent creatures, ranging from majestic whales and clever dolphins to fascinating hermit crabs and perplexing jellyfish. Janet Lawler’s Oceans of Love takes young readers on a fantastical underwater adventure as they learn about how mother sea creatures care for and rear their little ones. From a mother manta ray teaching her baby to skim and slide through the sea to a mother hermit crab fitting her youngling for a new shell and a mother minnow enrolling her offspring in minnow school, a fun-filled variety of mother and child relationships are featured. Using clever, gentle rhymes that are perfect for reading out loud, the story explains a universal truth for humans, animals, and sea creatures: mothers always want to care for their babies in their own special way. Holly Clifton-Brown’s exquisite watercolor illustrations really bring the heartwarming story to life, showcasing a broad range of mothers and babies in their natural undersea environment.


These Twisted Bonds

A worthy sequel, These Twisted Bonds picks up from the cliffhanger moment where These Hallow Vows left the reader. Brie awakes from her immortal metamorphosis to discover her bonded, Sebastian, deceived her to obtain the Crown of Shadows for himself. She flees the Sun Court, but quickly realizes she has nowhere to go. An unlikely alley emerges and offers her sanctuary.

However, magic tends to follow rules, and when Sebastian saved Brie with the Potion of Life he bound the magic of the Unseelie court to her life force, severing the connection between the magic of the court and the crown. With Brie holding the court’s magic, Sebastian wearing the crown, and Finn the beating heart of the Unseelie, the throne refuses to recognize a leader.

The story leads the reader on an epic quest to save the Court of Shadows and bring balance to the realm. Rich with romantic entanglements, stubborn males, unspoken curses, and centuries old grudges, the story captivates until the final page. Fantastic writing paired with a steady build to a dramatic story arch create suspense and intrigue. A must read.


Puppy Bus

Puppy Bus is written by one of my favorite authors, who also writes Catsronauts. In Puppy Bus, a boy and his parents have recently moved to a new place and he is nervous about going to a new school and everything that goes along with that. The boy gets on the bus and sees that the other kids next to him are puppies!

The boy isn't sure how to feel about this and is still nervous about getting on the wrong bus and being at the wrong school. It doesn't take him long to realize that being at school with puppies isn't such a bad thing, and he wants to go back to school the next day! The next day, the boy excitedly gets on the bus, but he finds out that he's gotten on the wrong bus again!

Puppy Bus is a fun and funny book that is about kids and animals and how they both help each other feel good. I can relate to the boy feeling nervous about school, and am glad that he had a good time with the puppies, and I wonder if he'll keep getting on the wrong bus every day?! I really hope there is a second book about the animals on the second bus at the end!


The Language of Tattoos: 130 Symbols and What They Mean

The art of tattooing has been in existence for hundreds of years, being an easy way for individuals in all walks of life to express themselves or bring attention to something important to them. The Language of Tattoos is a guide for both those experienced with tattoos and not to educate them on the variety of options and the category they fall into. Nine categories and one hundred thirty tattoos are explained by authors and experts Munden and Schonberger. The authors educate their readers on the history and occasional myths behind the variety of tattoos with a detailed, colored picture accompanying each one.

Having a standing interest in tattoos, The Language of Tattoos has proved informative and entertaining for both knowledge and pleasing visual aesthetics. This book is another media form of knowledge about tattoos, accompanying tattoo television shows that are always highly popular and entertaining to watch. I appreciated that many of the tattoo ideas included more than one example of its presentation on paper, to be imagined on human skin. Regardless of the reader's initial preference about tattoos, reading The Language of Tattoos might change some minds or at least serve as a beacon of knowledge.


Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit

In this unique futuristic world, Theo tan is just coming to terms with his brother’s death. His brother was always so different in constant to Theo. He embraced his culture as a Chinese-American, while Theo was hyper-focused on distancing himself from it. He did so to avoid being ridiculed for his heritage, but after Jamie's death, he had to put all those feelings aside so that he could bring light to Jamie's end. Theo tackles the mystery of his brother’s disappearance with Kai, the Huli Jung that used to tease and taunt him, but now they work together to discover who stole their precious Jamie from their lives.

I really enjoyed this book. It was pretty fast-paced and easy to digest. I enjoyed it when you could see the author's style peeking through in the most unexpected places. For instance, there are a lot of footnotes in this book, even though it’s fiction. I also liked how the perspective switched throughout the book; because of this, the readers can see more of Kai’s and Theo’s points of view. I think that's great because Kai has a really unique and relatable personality that is fun to read about. I think if you enjoy mystery or fantasy, you’d really enjoy this book.


Fatherless Child: Overcoming Abandonment and Living a Fulfilled Life is a memoir written by Sonia Wysingle that captivates the emotional rollercoaster she has been on her entire life living without a father. The dedication of the book alone shares the hurt that Sonia understands and knows so well. She addresses it to the girls, sisters, women, boys, and men who have been forced to make their way through life without a father. In the dedication, Sonia states that her "hope for you in reading this book is that you are enlightened and realize that you were never alone."

Fatherless Child is written from the heart and this is displayed as the reader follows Sonia into her early life, through her thoughts and memories, and into adulthood where she becomes self-aware and realizes that not having a father doesn't mean that she is a bad person or did anything wrong.

As I read this book, I felt as if I were in the same room as Sonia as she told me her story. The book reads like a conversation one would have with a close friend or therapist. As Sonia's story progresses, it is easy to see that she has learned from everything in her life, from her relationship with her mother to her relationships and how she saw the interactions between families in her neighborhood. Sonia's keen observation of the father's role in the families around her really helped to shape her opinion on the father figure. There were fathers who were there as the sole breadwinners and to make family decisions. And then there were the fathers who would come home, such as her best friend's father, and would pick up the children, hugging and kissing them and showing love for their family.

Sonia learns to use coping mechanisms to fill the void of where she felt her father figure should have been. She dives into playing basketball at an early age and develops a will to win. In her book, she states that "The will to win requires sacrifice, persistence, determination, discipline, consistency, love, and hate." These are characteristics that Sonia learns to exhibit and use to her benefit to enable her to move ahead in life.

My favorite part of Fatherless Child is how candid Sonia is and how she strived to learn and understand the dynamics of her family and those around her. Although this book is short, it will teach readers many valuable lessons including the fact that life is what you make of it.


The image of a family has evolved over the decades- what used to be the sought-after family of a husband, wife, son, and daughter, has changed to commonly seeing husband and husband, wife and wife, husband and wife with no kids, or husband and wife with many kids; but what happens when, regardless of circumstances, there ends up being only one parent with child(ren), is this acceptable or beneficial? To author Sonia Wysingle, she has some thoughts on this.

Wysingle grew up in a household with a mother, siblings, and an absent father. Much of her childhood was spent wondering and obsessing over questions about what a good father would be like and why her father left their family without any further mention of him. To an elementary-aged child, and honestly, at any age, these are hard questions to ask yourself, especially when there is no answer provided and the option of sliding down the rabbit hole of negativity is all-too tempting and enticing. Wysingle could have benefitted from better communication with her mom, as she admitted that she never spoke her questions and concerns out loud, but it's difficult to judge in hindsight. What is apparent, though, is to Wysingle and many more children throughout time, the parent-child relationship is essential to the benefit of proper emotional development. To Wysingle, it was the lack of a father, but to others, it could be the lack of a mother or both parents.

Fatherless Child is beautifully written and could not be any other way if Wysingle wouldn't have allowed herself to be vulnerable and speak from the heart; speak out for so many children who are going through the same circumstances. Her introduction expresses her wants genuinely and perfectly. The writing isn't judgy or preachy, but it does shed light on the Fatherless Child situation from a child's perspective and then followed with her current perspective as an adult. The book's three-year anniversary is approaching, but the information, emotion, and eloquently stated facts will never go out of style. Wysingle covers everything related to the circumstance, from "why me?" to learning forgiveness, from how it has affected her throughout the years to what her "truth" currently is, from what security means to that of love. The information contained within is applicable to literally any, and everyone for them to either feel validated and understood or to learn to understand others on a deeper level; it is uplifting and motivational. Personally, I'm a fan of the last two sentences of the book, which explain her views on the father who has actually constantly been there for her through it all.


A Fatherless Child, written by Sonia Wysingle, a coach, teacher, and public speaker, implements her life experiences to lift others and inspire them to find the path to living rather than simply existing via her example and memoir.

Author Wysingle has an empathic heart and a genuine love for all people that melded beautifully with her writing style and authentically shared her life's story via her memoir. A Fatherless Child is composed of seven chapters that intricately dovetail the story of Wysingle's life as a young girl who navigated the world without the presence of a father figure and observed the families in her neighborhood with fathers. Subconsciously she compared the disparities between the father-present and father-absent households, which shaped her perceptions of marriage and the nuclear family unit.

Generally, young children will try to fill the void an absent father leaves in their life with other stimuli to replace a father's guidance, presence, and love. Wysingle was not an exception. As a youngster, she used her talent for Basketball,  its protocols, and rules to replace the guidance fathers proudly bestowed to their children. The structure and teamwork Basketball provided helped Wysingle cope with reality, school, family life, and the future.

Particularly when she learned the identity of her father via less than kind intentions, as the revelation was shocking, the information propelled young Wysingle to accept the multifaceted familial issues that surrounded why she did not know her biological father. Coping with the news also caused her to learn to continue moving forward in life no matter the circumstances.

Throughout the book's later chapters, Wysingle compared her beliefs and thoughts as a child regarding her family versus her understanding of these domestic issues as a grown woman. It will give readers a deeper understanding of the healing journey and human psychological development across the lifespan.

Indeed, an emotive book that will offer solace to the hearts of those who have grown up without a father or those who had an abusive father. Throughout the book, several passages offer comfort and provide a mutual understanding regarding the emotional, psychological, and social issues that the lack of a father figure causes.

Not only is this memoir extraordinary for those who can relate to growing up without a father, but this memoir can also help spouses, friends, and those in the helping professions develop an understanding of the effects of growing up fatherless, under-supervised, and the issues that can eventuate in adulthood. Moreover, there is hope regarding healing those damages and living a fulfilling purpose-driven life, like the example Sonia Wysingle's life has provided.


When I first received this book, I thought to myself, "Surely this can't be it. Can there even be fifty pages of content to cover such a weighty subject?" Then I read the beautiful, heart-wrenching five-and-a-half-page-long dedication and was astounded. Maybe, I thought, Sonia Wysingle could fit more into this book than my first impulse was to think.

As I went on through the rest of the book, it only grew more complicated. In the end, I had to conclude that this book only feels like half a book, and even then it's only half-written.

Wysingle begins the book talking about her own experiences, which makes perfect sense. After all, how better to explain why she is the one to write this book than by showing her readers how personal a story this is for her? She grew up with no father to call her own, and though her dedication makes clear the specifics of her story are far from universal, the core of it is one far too many children must face. It’s very brave of her to bare her soul in this way, and very compassionate to reach out and attempt to help others heal from similar experiences.

My opinion of the book began to sink when I found that, through those fifty pages, she never seemed to move on from herself and her experiences. There was wisdom scattered throughout, but for the most part, it felt very clear that this was her story. The closest the book comes to actually offering advice to help oneself is in Chapter Two: Forgiveness. Even then, it feels very vague and uncertain.

I mentioned before this feels like half a book. I think it would have been stronger if Wysingle had buckled down and made what’s written here into a full memoir, then added a more specific story about how she began to heal herself and move forward. She’s shown through the dedication she knows how many specific cases of fatherless children there can be, and perhaps she wanted to generalize in an attempt to reach out to more of those cases. However, sometimes the specific can still reach a more general audience and provide inspiration, even if it doesn’t touch every reader in the same way.

There will be people who find something worthwhile in this book, even if it’s only the recognition that they are not alone in their struggles. Unfortunately, it’s not substantive enough to offer much more than that.


Unpredictable Winds

Mei is told by the doctor that her husband, Da-Ming, has bad kidneys, and they would need to buy a new pair. Fortunately, Mei and her husband are rescued from the expensive hospital bills by Lee De-Chang. The couple makes an arrangement with Lee, the general manager of the Bayer Pharmaceutical Company, which involves Mei taking care of some work in the house. Eventually, Da-Ming goes to fight in a war, and Lee finds himself falling for Mei—even though he is engaged to Lily. Lily, who is from a wealthy family, has her own secret agenda. In Unpredictable Winds, Thomas T. Chin builds a deeply emotional, culture-rich, and surprisingly addictive narrative around love and war.

Like a highly entertaining boxing match, Unpredictable Winds holds many tensive moments and a rewarding knockout at the ending. Who gets to be with the person they love? This was the question on my mind as I followed the relatable, captivating struggles of the characters. Lee is put in a difficult position by his choice to follow his family's wishes and marry from a wealthy home. I thought this was sad, especially because Lee was actually in love with a woman from a lower class. Also, Lee's fiancée acts quite spoiled and rude—which points to the fact that money can't buy good character.

 Rich with historical and cultural information, Unpredictable Winds reveals the reality of the Chinese Civil War that lasted for four years and ended on October 1st, 1949. The intense action of the war scenes had my heart racing with excitement and anticipation. A particularly engaging scene depicts that Da-Ming hears bullets "flying near his ears" as he faced heavy enemy fire and fought to stay alive.

Unpredictable Winds will appeal to fans of historical books and war narratives. It is also a perfect fit for readers who love to immerse themselves in a culture-rich narrative; we see, not only the Chinese culture, but also catch a glimpse of the German and the Japanese cultures. Apart from the themes of romance and love, the book includes other engaging themes like war, friendship, wealth, loss, illness, jealousy, politics, deceit, and more.

 Like the title suggests, Unpredictable Winds is not easy to predict. Though it didn't end in the way I expected, I respected the writer's creativity and his ability to build a story that made me feel deeply for its characters like they were actually real.

Unpredictable Winds is the sort of book you read, and you can't sit still or rest until you tell others about it and recommend they get it ASAP!


Cute Chibi Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters: Learn How to Draw Over 60 Enchanting Creatures (Cute and Cuddly Art)

I love learning about art and all of its parts - drawing, painting, making crafts, etc. It was fun to look through Cute Chibi Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters and try to draw some of the creatures in the book. The book has step-by-step instructions on how to draw different kinds of beasts and monsters that are put into categories and include over sixty creatures that are all cute and friendly. There are "extras" that you can learn how to draw as well, like hair, accessories, poses, and facial expressions, to make your creatures look the way you want them to and not the same as everyone else's.

 I liked the step-by-step instructions, but I still found most of the creatures a little too difficult to draw on my own, without an adult's help. A common thing with the instructions is to draw lines, but then erase them a couple of steps later; I'm not used to this and struggled, and I might need to look at it again when I get a little older. Cute Chibi Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters could be used in many places and for many reasons; for drawers already good and those who need to practice.


Self-Portrait with Nothing

Self-Portrait with Nothing is a glance into the multiverse, an attempt to articulate the endless permutations of identity, loss, and love. The story follows Pepper Rafferty, a forensic anthropologist, whose universe is ripped open when her estranged biological mother and famed artist, Ula Frost, goes missing. With the rumors of alternate universes looming over the missing painter and her mysterious portraits, Pepper finds herself trapped in the mystery of her mother’s making, a journey that leads her into the unknown and brings her to question everything she knows or thinks she knows about who a person is and isn’t.

At times, the pacing felt uneven and seemed to better serve either a much longer book or a shorter one in a series. The exposition took its time to establish Pepper’s character and relationships, while the last third of the novel rushed to the ending. Still, Aimee Pokwatka’s debut novel ambitiously pieces together different genres to explore the multiverse in an unusual, fresh light. With the meandering of a literary novel, Self-Portrait with Nothing also dips its toes into thriller, magical realism, and heist, bringing the reader along in a dizzying, thought-provoking flourish.


The Big Worry Day

The Big Worry Day is a heartwarming social-emotional story that follows a young girl and her dog, Bea. The connection between these two characters is apparent from the very first page. Adults can encourage young readers to identify the characters’ emotions for a more comprehensive understanding of emotions; the girl explains that Bea is worried about several things but is projecting her feelings onto her canine friend. By speaking for her dog instead of herself, the girl is able to identify these feelings without fear of being judged.

Another way to inspire empathetic responses and connect with the reader is to look over the author’s note at the end of the book. The author, K.A. Reynolds, explains her personal struggle with anxiety and provides more in-depth examples of how to use coping skills with children. The story provides several age-appropriate calming strategies for children who have difficulty regulating their emotions. This beautifully illustrated and carefully written book is perfect for children ages four to eight, especially those struggling with worries and fears.


House Finds a Home

House loves his people - the children, adults, and even the pets - that occupy him. Together, they create remembrances that fill his heart with contentment. Pictures adorn his walls, music drones in the background, and beds lay unmade. It’s just the way he likes it, but then each family leaves, one by one. It’s during these desolate, dark times that House wants more. He wishes for what used to be and tries to stay strong, yet it seems his empty spaces will never be filled again. He learns that with time comes adjustments and opportunities - evolutions.

This is a heartwarming story in its simplicity and sweetness. Youth ages five to nine will find it endearing. Children who’ve moved from a place they loved and held dear to a new one in which novel memories had to be made to transform it from a house into a home will find this indelible book especially cherishable and relatable.

Young readers will enjoy witnessing all the alterations that occur over the course of the tale. House’s exterior and interior both change with the coming and going of his residents. Even the neighborhood in which he resides develops over time, leaving him no longer alone.


Cocoa Magic

Daniel loved spending time with his Great-Uncle Lewis, who was known as the Cocoa King of Charlottetown. They would make chocolates together before Daniel went to the cold, lonely school each day. When Daniel got a new classmate, he noticed she didn’t smile. He thought she felt it was a cold, lonely school too. The next day, Daniel wrapped up a chocolate and secretly left it in her desk, and then she smiled. Daniel noticed other students who didn’t seem happy, and he left chocolates for them too. Soon he secretly left chocolate treats for every student and even the teacher, but what would happen when Daniel was feeling sad and lonely?

Sandra Bradley has written a story that is as sweet as the treats she writes about that will help young readers realize just how much a small act of kindness can mean to someone. The story is compelling and will keep youngsters engaged throughout. But perhaps the real star of this book is the gorgeous illustrations by Gabrielle Grimard, which are filled with colors as rich as the chocolate at the center of the story. Every page is filled with beautifully rendered details to support the story.


The Dinos on the Bus (Ladybird Sing-Along Stories)

Did you ever think that you would see dinosaurs riding on a bus? Read and sing along to the adventures of the dinos as they are on the bus. What's that behind the bus? A T-Rex! "The jaws behind the bus open and close." The dinos play and sing while on the bus, until they are tired and then yawn all the way home.

I think that this book makes for a really cute updated version of the “wheels on the bus” song. I was intrigued while reading/singing this book to my sister. This is a fun interactive book for young readers who like to move and groove while reading. I love the creativity of this book and the illustrations are really great, colorful and interesting.

You are sure to have a good time when reading this book.


Rules of Engagement

Reads You'll Fall in Love With

If spring is truly the season of romance, then now is the perfect time to engage with some romantic reads, and the six novels featured in this roundup are among the best new works of romantic fiction. Whether historical or contemporary, they all manage to tug at the heartstrings, give plenty of sly giggles, and inspire longing daydreams.

The Boy with the Bookstore by Sarah Echavarre Smith

A bookshop combined with a bakery should be the perfect recipe for romance; at least, that’s what Joelle Prima hopes when she learns that the building housing her bakery is due to undergo significant renovation, meaning that her business will be temporary rehoused with the bookshop run by Max Boyson. For Joelle, who has long had a secret crush on the handsome Max, the plan conjures up daydreams involving the two of them falling in love as they cutely frolic about their respective businesses. Unfortunately, the reality of Max proves to be very different—very much more grumpy, thoughtless, and malodorous—than the fantasy, and Joelle’s dreams come dangerously close to being crushed. However, when the two of them discover that they are facing a common threat, it appears that they might be destined to be drawn together after all. Sarah Echavarre Smith’s The Boy with the Bookstore is a delightful and humorous contemporary novel in which books and baked goods serve to motivate a couple initially reluctant to pursue romance.

The Bachelor and the Bride by Sarah M Eden

Set in 1866, Sarah M Eden’s The Bachelor and the Bride details the unexpected intersection between love and crime fighting on the grimy streets of Victorian London. Far more concerned with his professional life than his personal interests, Dr. Barnabus Milligan only agreed to marry Gemma Kincaid in order to provide her with a means of escape from her infamous criminal family. For her part, Gemma initially believed that she had found true love with Barnabus, which was why she abandoned her new husband after only six months of marriage when she realized her feelings were unrequited. Now, some seven years after she left him, Barnabus wants Gemma back, but only to help him thwart her family’s latest scheme. A still-heartbroken Gemma agrees to help, although she makes it clear that Barnabus will never see her again after their business is concluded. Barnabus thinks that his plan is perfect, but what will happen when he recognizes that he feels more for his secret bride than he has ever admitted, not even to himself.

Rules of Engagement by Stacey Abrams

As an undercover agent with a secret intelligence agency, Dr. Raleigh Foster is well aware just how dangerous her life is. Death holds no fear for her, which is why she readily agrees to infiltrate a terrorist group known as Scimitar in an effort to recover environmental technology they have allegedly stolen. The mission proves to be more complicated than most, however, when she is assigned a partner: the brooding Adam Grayson, who is tasked with posing as her lover. He blames himself for the death of his best friend on a previous mission involving Scimitar, and he suspects that Raleigh might have somehow been responsible for the death. Yet, as the pair work closely to unravel the tangled web woven by the terrorists, Adam finds himself increasingly drawn to Raleigh, and the two of them are surprised to discover that their romantic charade is seeming increasingly real. Stacey Abrams’ Rules of Engagement is a sexy thriller that follows two secret agents as they embark on their most dangerous mission yet: love.

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas is a slow-burning romcom about a situationship that gradually grows into something much deeper. Having quit her well-paying job to pursue her dream career as a romance writer, Rosie Graham doesn’t have enough cash to pay for the repairs required to the ceiling of her New York apartment. In sudden need of somewhere to stay, she is relieved to remember that her best friend Lina has left her with the spare key to her place while she’s away. What she doesn’t realize is that Lina has already lent the apartment to her cousin Lucas, who is visiting the United States from Spain. Even worse, Rosie has spent the past few months stalking Lucas on Instagram, something he is blissfully unaware of. When Lucas invites Rosie to share the apartment with him, she feels she has nothing to lose, not even when he suggests an outrageous plan to help her overcome her writer’s block. Will the six-week duration of Lucas’s visit be long enough for romance to blossom?

The Forever Farmhouse by Lee Tobin McClain

The first book in Lee Tobin McClain’s Hometown Brothers series, The Forever Farmhouse is a charming tale of homecoming and self-discovery, where the ties of community and friendship are found to potentially indicate something more. Ryan Hastings was a troubled teen when he first visited Teaberry Island, and the time he spent with a foster family there gave him the chance to turn his life around. Now an accomplished scientist, he has returned to the island to visit his recently widowed foster mother. While the people and place are largely unchanged, including Ryan’s feelings for Mellie Anderson, the girl he loved and left, there is one significant difference: Mellie now has a young son named Alfie. Still convinced that he is too damaged to be in a relationship with Mellie, Ryan nevertheless finds himself helping Alfie out with a bullying problem. Mellie is pleased to see Ryan and Alfie bonding, but she has a big secret of her own, one that could potentially change the course of all their lives.

The Orchard by Beverly Lewis

The Hostetler family has run an orchard in picturesque Lancaster County for generations. Evan Hostetler is expected to eventually take over the orchard, but when his draft number is called, his family is shocked to learn that, despite the Amish commitment to peace, Evan has not applied for conscientious objector status. When Evan departs for Vietnam, his twin sister Ellie is bereft and turns to her best friend’s brother, Sol Bontrager, to support and guidance. Unlike Evan, Sol is a committed conscientious objector, and Ellie finds herself increasingly drawn to his calm and steady demeaner. The potential relationship is complicated by the fact that Ellie is officially courting a neighbor named Menno, who happens to be Sol’s cousin. As things progress, Ellie is forced to discover just how brave she is capable of being and just how much she is willing to sacrifice for happiness. Beverly Lewis’s The Orchard is a heartwarming romance set in Amish country during the time of the Vietnam War.


Killers of a Certain Age

Imagine you are a woman dealing with the injustice of menopause, retirement, and difficulties in your love life and friendships. Now, add to that the fact that the job you just retired from was one in which you were a member of an elite four-woman team of assassins, and someone on your Board of Directors has put a hit on your team. It definitely makes retirement seem less appealing.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie discover they have been marked for termination while on an all-inclusive luxury cruise given to them as a gift for their retirement by The Museum, (the code name for the network of assassins they work for). Though their skills may be considered “old school,” and they have no real weapons to rely on, the four set out to prove that age has no meaning when you have good friends and killer talents! What they lack in technical prowess, they make up for in determination and improvisation to discover who and why is after them.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn does not disappoint. Raybourn gives us yet another series to love, and not one, but four wonderfully different and complex main characters to follow!


America Made Me a Black Man: A Memoir

This Is Me: Memoirs to Remember

In a world filled with stories waiting to be told, there's something uniquely captivating about diving into the pages of a memoir or biography. These first-hand accounts offer a window into the lives, experiences, and innermost thoughts of individuals who have left an indelible mark on history, culture, and society. In this roundup, we explore six recently published biographies and memoirs that promise to leave readers inspired, enlightened, and deeply moved. From tales of resilience and triumph over adversity to reflections on identity and the human condition, these books offer a diverse range of voices and experiences that will linger in your thoughts long after the final page is turned.

The Long Road Home by Debra Thompson

The Long Road Home by Debra Thompson is a poignant exploration of identity, belonging, and the multifaceted experiences of being Black in North America. Thompson embarks on a transformative journey, delving into her family's ties to the Underground Railroad in Shrewsbury, Ontario, before revisiting four American cities, each with its own complex history of racism and democracy. From Boston as the birthplace of revolution to Eugene as the western frontier, she unveils the uncomfortable truths about racism's persistence in American society. Settling in Montreal, Thompson uncovers the complexities of acceptance and belonging within a city with a storied history of transnational Black activism. This book goes beyond being a personal narrative, offering a vital examination of racism in the United States and Canada while highlighting the enduring power of freedom and the shared dreams that connect Black individuals across borders.

America Made Me a Black Man: A Memoir by Boyah J. Farah

Boyah J. Farah’s America Made Me a Black Man: A Memoir is a searing and deeply personal account of the profound impact of American racism on an immigrant from Somalia who, after surviving hardships in his homeland, confronts a different kind of dehumanization in the United States. Born in Somalia and raised among nomads, Farah's upbringing instilled in him a code of male bravado that helped him endure deprivation, disease, and civil war. Upon arriving in America, he believed this code would serve him well, only to be confronted with systemic racism, police brutality, and pervasive prejudice. Farah's account not only explores the challenges of being an African in America but also delves into the complex experience of becoming African American. This memoir challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the destructive forces that threaten Black lives while offering a unique perspective on the fractured identity of Black men in America.

On the Ledge: A Memoir by Amy Turner

On the Ledge: A Memoir by Amy Turner is a powerful and highly personal narrative that spans multiple generations, exploring the enduring impact of childhood trauma and the journey toward self-discovery and healing. Turner's childhood was marked by the traumatic incident of her father's attempted suicide, which haunted her throughout her life, leading to a state of hypervigilance. Years later, after surviving a near-fatal accident, she embarks on a remarkable emotional odyssey, delving into the trauma of her own brush with death and, unexpectedly, unearthing deeper childhood wounds. Through acupuncture, somatic-oriented therapies, and serendipitous experiences, Turner unravels the layers of her trauma and finds healing, not only for herself but also for her relationship with her parents. This poignant and intimate memoir underscores the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of self-discovery, proving that it's never too late to seek self-acceptance and healing.

The Daughter of Auschwitz by Tova Friedman and Malcolm Brabant

The Daughter of Auschwitz is a profoundly moving memoir co-authored by Tova Friedman and Malcolm Brabant. Friedman, one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz, shares her heartbreaking and harrowing account of being a Holocaust survivor, from her childhood growing up during the Holocaust to her near-death experiences in a Jewish ghetto, a Nazi labor camp, and the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Her story serves as a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the enduring obligation to remember the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished during the Holocaust. Through meticulous research by Brabant, the memoir immortalizes Tova's memories, ensuring that her story will endure, even as the years pass, and serve as a powerful reminder of the strength of the will to survive and the importance of preserving its memory for future generations.

The Yank by John Crawley

John Crawley’s The Yank is a gripping and brutally honest memoir that takes readers on a harrowing journey through one man's life during some of the bloodiest days of the Irish–British conflict in 1975. As a young Irish-American, Crawley seeks out the most intensive military training by joining an elite US Marine unit. He later joins the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Ireland. Crawley shares the grueling challenges of his Marine Corps training and how he puts his skills to use in the service of the IRA. Readers are taken on a tumultuous ride as Crawley recounts running guns with notorious American mobster and secret IRA fundraiser Whitey Bulger, evading British troops by moving from safe house to safe house in the Irish countryside, experiencing capture and imprisonment, and even fending off a recruitment offer from the CIA. He also reveals his involvement in a campaign to disrupt London's electrical system. Throughout the memoir, Crawley offers unvarnished insights into the people he worked with, including IRA leader Martin McGuinness and the psychopathic Whitey Bulger, as well as others in the Boston IRA support network.

American Demon by Daniel Stashower

In American Demon, Daniel Stashower delivers a chilling tale of historical true crime centered on the iconic lawman Eliot Ness. During the depths of the Great Depression, Cleveland finds itself terrorized by a gruesome killer known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. The horrors begin in 1934 when a beachcomber discovers the lower half of a female torso on the shores of Lake Erie, earning the victim the grim title of "The Lady of the Lake." Over the next four years, a dozen more bodies are discovered, all meticulously dismembered with surgical precision and drained of blood, some even beheaded while still alive. As the city is gripped by fear, its beleaguered mayor turns to Eliot Ness, renowned for his exploits in Chicago battling Al Capone's bootlegging empire. Ness faces a case that will redefine his career as he hunts for a calculating and composed mastermind who has managed to hide in plain sight. With American Demon, Stashower sheds fresh light on this notorious crime and uncovers the gripping story of Ness's relentless pursuit of a monster.

Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life by Alice Wong

Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life by Alice Wong is a groundbreaking memoir that invites readers into the mind of an activist as she discovers and nurtures her community while continuing the fight for disability justice. Wong, the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, provides a profound glimpse into her life through a collection of original essays, previously published works, conversations, graphics, photos, and commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists. Wong's unique talent creates an impressionistic scrapbook of her life as an Asian American disabled activist, community organizer, media maker, and dreamer. She shares her thoughts on various topics, including creativity, access, power, care, the pandemic, mortality, and the future. With incisive wit, joy, and passion, this memoir is a galvanizing exploration of Wong’s journey marked by the energy of the big cat, the tiger.


Inciting Joy: Essays

In Inciting Joy, Ross Gay suggests that finding common ground in our sorrows creates joy. That joy creates solidarity and love, and possibly, our future survival. Thus, these essays emphasize repeatedly our connection to everything and everyone around us in the present moment and our connection to both the past and future.

Rejecting the capitalistic notion of pervasive scarcity and ownership, Gay emphasizes community, gratitude, and sharing. He finds these in a community fruit orchard without locked gates, in a basketball court where everyone is a guest, in a university classroom where grades and learning objectives are set aside, and in cover songs that carry on through time without being owned by a given singer, among other places.

That said, Gay, the bestselling author of The Book of Delights and four volumes of poetry that received several prestigious awards, is at heart a poet, and these essays also clearly evidence his love of language, wordplay, and rhythm. Even his choice to refer to everyone by their first or nickname creates another subtle sense of our connectedness. In short, these essays offer a new, thought-provoking way to view our society and future.


Ocean's Echo

Tennal Halkana’s life is chaos. From his drinking and gambling to his undesirable and brief relationships. Even his inherited genetically engineered abilities are borderline unlawful. As a reader, he was born with the ability to read people’s minds. Reader’s capabilities are socially unacceptable. Lieutenant Surit Yeni is Tennal’s complete opposite. He is a career soldier and an architect with the genetically engineered ability to control readers. Surit is ordered to sync with the reader, thus completely taking control of Tennal’s will. Because of Tennal’s independence and Surit’s honor, they refuse to pair but instead fight the system.

Ocean’s Echo is the second novel by Everina Maxwell. This stand-alone adventure is the Odd Couple of space operas. Even though this book starts slow, Maxwell keeps it interesting with wit and canniness. As the novel progresses, so does the intensity, exploding into an action-filled supernova. The drama is helped by her polar opposite yet compelling power couple. Maxwell’s main characters are fully developed with familiar flaws and complicated personalities. This story is an exciting political sci-fi tale with romantic undertones. If you enjoyed Maxwell’s first novel, you would love Ocean’s Echo.


While You Sleep

It is the end of the day and time for bed. A little girl is being tucked into bed along with all her stuffed bunnies by her mother. While the little girl sleeps, the bunnies have a lot of work to do. They need to polish the sun, comb the grass, straighten the trees, apply the dots of black-eyed peas, dust butterflies, charge up the rainbows, and much, much more. The night-helpers have many chores to do, but the little girl has only one, and that is to appreciate the world that has been cleaned and polished by the night-helpers just for her.

Author Jennifer Maruno has tapped into childhood imagination to find this cute story of what youngsters might dream of happening while they sleep. She has written it in rhyming couplets, which little ones will like. The illustrations by Miki Sato are simply stunning. She uses a combination of drawing and collage to create wonderful illustrations that have the look of three-dimensional art. The little night-helpers really come to life with this method. She fills the backgrounds with terrific details to keep little eyes busy and engaged.


The Forever Farmhouse (Hometown Brothers Book 1)


Let's Add Up! (Big, Little Concepts, 4)

Enchanted Illustrations Children’s Book Roundup

Children will learn and grow from the books in this roundup. Each book is beautifully illustrated to accompany the lessons children will learn. From bright, vivid cartoon drawings to more muted, realistic illustrations, these books will mesmerize little eyes. These books are perfect for gift-giving or becoming a new favorite bedtime story.

You Are Growing All the Time
Deborah Farmer Kris, Jennifer Zivoin
Free Spirit Publishing
9781631987090

A book that celebrates the ways children grow inside and out, You Are Growing All the Time is written in beautiful, gentle prose with rhymes, affirmations, and positivity. With wonderful color illustrations and words that will help to comfort children and help them understand how they are growing physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially, adults will enjoy reading this book and discussing it with their little ones.

Let's Add Up! (Big, Little Concepts, 4)
Victoria Allenby
Pajama Press
9781772782486

Let’s Add Up will not only teach little ones their numbers but how to use them creatively. With cute and lively illustrations by Maggie Zeng, author Victoria Allenby uses the number ten to give readers and educators activities for learning that are simple and easy to use. Little ones will love the fun concepts in this book as they hone in on some basic math skills.

The Little Toymaker
Cat Min
Levine Querido c/o Chronicle Books
9781646141807

A twist on gift giving, The Little Toymaker is about a boy who makes toys for grandparents and older folk. This heartwarming story brings to life the act of giving and recognizing the nostalgia of an older generation. With sweet, vibrant illustrations, this dreamlike tale is sure to become a new holiday reading favorite.

Paradise Sands
Levi Pinfold
Candlewick Press
9781536212822

An enchanting book that finds a young girl and her brothers trapped in a ghostly land of paradise. Making a bargain with the commanding creature to let them go back home, the girl is unsure she can fulfill her end of the bargain. With sophisticated, realistic drawings in a muted palette, this book is surreal and haunting and will bring its readers deep into another realm.

All Through the Night
Polly Faber, Harriet Hobday
Candlewick Press
9781536227512

This book illustrates the many jobs that people perform at night. While a young child is getting ready for bedtime, workers such as nurses, cleaners, and police officers are just starting their work shifts. With the deep, vibrant colors used in the illustrations, this book will help children to understand that there are still people awake all through the night while they are tucked safely in their beds. A wonderful book for children who have nighttime anxiety.


Forest (Vox Oculis Trilogy Book 3)

In Forest, the final novel in the Vox Oculis Trilogy, Frederic Martin takes readers on a tail-spinning venture through rough terrain. Blue is on the run, trying to escape the demons of her past and keep those who haunt her away from those she must protect, while Will is dealing with the aftermath of the recent school shooting as well as the loss of one of his best friends. As the months trickle by and Blue’s whereabouts remain largely unknown, Will and his allies set off to find her. What they encounter changes each of them in immeasurable ways, but what matters most is the final outcome.

This fast-paced sci-fi thriller is crafted with wit and ingenuity. Vox oculis, the paranormal means of communication that Blue and only a few select others possess, is threaded intricately through the fabric of this story. The mysterious connection Babineau and his nefarious comrades have to Blue and her family is unveiled. The revelations are harrowing but allow the audience to connect the fibers between her past and present. She is deeply pained by them, but is also set free to finally live her life to fruition. Her journey is emotionally riveting and intriguing.


The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle: An Uplifting and Unforgettable Story of Love and Second Chances

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” The hopeless realm spoken of in the preceding quotation is governed by fear, which too often forces us into a life of conformity and invisibility. This is the story of such a life, which makes the hero’s break for freedom and discoveries that much more enjoyable.

The hero of the book is the title character, Albert Entwistle. Albert is a postal delivery worker who shows up to work punctually, does his work, and makes his rounds, all with the goal of not being seen. What does Albert fear and why is he in hiding? There are ghosts in his past and deep feelings of shame and regret that cripple him into being a nonentity. When Albert is faced with mandatory retirement, his life is in upheaval.

This is the time when Albert finally ventures into the scary world, which has been anathema to him for his entire life. There are always conditions in the world that cause us to be less than our true selves. This book takes us on Albert’s journey, from which we learn so much.


Little Eve

Off the coast of Scotland, lies the Isle of Altnaharra. There live Uncle, Nora, Alice, Dinah, Abel, Elizabeth, and Eve. They worship the Adder and await his coming. One will receive His power, and no one wants it more than Little Eve. They avoid the Impure in town, hardly ever leaving the island. The butcher comes to deliver their meat, finding the gate open. He ventures inside only to be met with a horrible sight. Everyone but one murdered, and the killer gone. As time passes, the secrets of Altnaharra will finally come to light.

I found this book to be incredibly interesting. I enjoyed it much more than Ward’s other novels. You watch in horror at the things this make-shift family has to endure under the power of Uncle. It is a testament to the things we are willing to endure or do to others in order to keep our delusions. There aren’t any happy endings here, amongst a cult and two wars. Even those who survive do not come out whole. Fair warning, there is self-harm and abuse throughout this book, but never promoted and always written well. I recommend this to fans of Gothic horror.


The Girl from Guernica: A WWII Novel

In April 1937, German planes rained destruction on the city of Guernica. Sibil Helinger is caught in the middle of it, and the day becomes not only a tragedy on a great scale but also on a personal one. When her father comes to bring her and her sisters back to Germany, things only get worse as Sibil's proximity to the tragedy of Guernica makes her a valuable propaganda piece for the Nazi Party.

Despite beginning in a fresh setting, The Girl from Guernica treads many of the same paths as other recent World War II novels about young women, from Sibil’s determination to fight the Nazis to her crush on an Allied soldier. It’s an interesting premise, but after a while, it feels dull and familiar. I would recommend this book mainly to people who either very much enjoy the genre of “plucky young woman in the European side of the war” or who have not had much exposure to it yet.

If it were only a familiar-feeling story, I would probably give it four stars. I took one off for the exposition, which was at times overly wordy and explained more than it needed to.


The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won't Answer to, Anyway)

You've found out you're going to be a parent - congratulations! Regardless of the specifics of whether your child will be human or furry, it can still be stressful figuring out the right name for it. For a human, the name will hopefully showcase its personality, or at least personal hopes placed on them that they must live up to. For a pet, the owner/parent has more liberty in choosing a name that might purely be comical or work in any other category of names. The Complete Book of Cat Names assists you with choosing a name with chapters including names that are reminiscent of you, based on their looks and manners, that pertain to whether you think they can read or not, and more. The names included are comical, whimsical, hilarious, and for those who are serious, viable options for your current or new cat.

I had a great time reading through this book -Cat Names seems more relevant to actual cat owners, but honestly, it would make a great coffee-table book to spark up a conversation or bring an unexpected giggle to someone during their day. Cat Names should be a staple at all animal shelters and pet shops around the world.


The Witch and the Tsar

Baba Yaga stories have been used to scare and warn for hundreds of years. Parents would tell their children to be good, or the witch would eat them. But these tales were exaggerated. Yaga, the daughter of a goddess, is a healer, deeply dedicated to her friends, both human and non. When the tsaritsa Anastasia Romanovna, wife of Tsar Ivan IV, showed up at Yaga’s door sick, she dropped everything to help her friend. Counseled by evil advisors, Ivan the Terrible sets a course of destruction after his wife’s death. Yaga must stop the cruel tsar to ensure the future of Russia and her people.

The Witch and the Tsar is the debut novel by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore. In her interpretation of Slavic folklore, Gilmore recreated the witch Baba Yaga. No longer the ugly hag, Gilmore reimagined Yaga as a powerful feminist heroine and a symbol against tyranny and corruption. As a historical fiction, Gilmore gives an in-depth look into the reign of Tsar Ivan IV. Her book is a beautiful combination pre-Christain mythology and historical figures from mid-1500s Russia. Readers looking to discover a new Baba Yaga will enjoy The Witch and the Tsar.


Smaller Sister

Olivia and Lucy are sisters, and they’ve always been close. Lucy had always looked up to her older sister, but now that Olivia is changing, the two seem to be growing apart. Lucy also discovers that her sister is dealing with an eating disorder. It’s time for Lucy to start doing things for herself. Without anyone’s help, Lucy has to do more things on her own—including surviving middle school. Will Olivia become more positive over time and become the sister Lucy knows and loves?

Smaller Sister is a beautifully written book about sibling relationships and growing up. At first, I thought the whole story was going to be about their relationship and about Olivia’s struggles with having an eating disorder, but the story started to focus on Lucy in middle school a lot more. The art is overall good, except sometimes the author draws the mouth all the way to the side of the face, and it looks a little odd. In my opinion, Smaller Sister is the perfect story for middle-grade girls with sisters of their own!


Misfire (2) (The Kate Downey Medical Mystery Series)

Tammy Euliano is the master of the medical thriller. In Misfire, anesthesiologist Kate Downey leads the way as a new medical implant from Kadence meant to act as both a pacemaker and defibrillator starts to malfunction in its patients. Kate’s Aunt Irm has one of these implants so it really hits close to home. As more devices malfunction, Kate knows there is something sinister behind all of it. Her friend, Nikki, is the lead doctor who is completing the operation but Nikki seems as perplexed as Kate as to why the devices are acting up.

Misfire Is an intense story that brings back the characters in Euliano’s first book, Fatal Intent. Euliano does a great job of easing the reader into the story and giving just enough bits and pieces of Kate’s history to make the story both interesting and easy to understand.

I loved the budding romance between Kate and Christian and found Christian’s story to be just as exciting as Kate’s. This is a fantastic read for anyone who loves a fast-paced thriller set in a medical background.


The Alien Stranger

I really felt that The Alien Stranger had promise when I started reading it. Kayla is riding her bike to work one day and is mesmerized by a hummingbird when she collides with a man. The man happens to be the local All-American football player, Bard. Bard apologizes to Kayla for causing the collision and gives her a beautiful pair of faux diamond earrings. Kayla accepts them and tells Bard to come to her workplace at Tommy's Inn, and she will treat him to dinner. Bard accepts.

Soon after this, Kayla's path is intercepted by a man who tries to rape her. An alien stranger comes to her rescue and asks her not to report the man because the man is helping the alien with some business. Kayla agrees and also accepts a necklace from the alien in exchange for food.

The story then starts to become disjointed with stories of remedies for allergies that her uncle has concocted, plans for economic growth that Kayla's co-worker comes up with, and of course, the mystery of the alien. Somewhere in the book, Kayla starts working for the FBI in trying to find the alien because they think the alien is stealing money from a drug cartel. The book jumps from scene to scene. Some scenes are related to the general storyline of Kayla trying to save the kidnapped Bard (when did this happen?) and finding the alien for the FBI, and some go off on a tangent. There is also the issue of the Black people in the book being referred to as "the color boy" and "the color girl". This wording was so inappropriate I had to read it twice to make sure that the author was referring to the color of their skin. The sentences in this book are very wordy and awkward. For example, "I believe the alien stranger was using him to now be able to use me, but I'm also going to use him, the alien stranger." Huh? Words are also misused frequently in the book. For example, "Maybe Bard became addictive overcoming an injury." Did the author mean to use the word "addicted"? If there were only a few mistakes like this in the book, I would have chalked it up to simple grammatical errors. There are really too many errors in this book to believe that it was read over even once after the author originally penned it.

There is also the issue of Kayla working together with her almost-rapist as if it's no big deal that he tried to attack her. I can't believe any woman would just let this go. The alien blames heartburn medication for making the man act this way which is also a very odd, made-up thing.

This book reads like a bad dream that someone had in which the story makes no sense and skips around from scene to scene. This book is in no way ready for publication, and parts of it might be able to be salvaged with a complete rewrite.


The Alien Stranger

Ever since Kayla bumped into a star football player (Bard) and he gave her a pair of earrings, she has been seeing a hummingbird everywhere she goes—which leaves her questioning the connection between the three phenomena. Kayla's world gets more complicated when an alien stranger informs her about the large sum of money he sent to her account. Meanwhile, the football player she met earlier and finds herself crushing on is held captive by a drug cartel. To save him, Kayla must work with the alien stranger and the FBI. Bob Ticer's The Alien Stranger presents a fast-paced, suspense-filled sci-fi about an accidental meeting that changes the lives of two strangers as they explore secrets about the universe and race to survive life-threatening dangers.

The Alien Stranger contains such themes as crime, addiction, economics, empathy, cancer, espionage, theft, physics, football, and romance. As a philosophy enthusiast who loves to see positive changes in society, I enjoyed the book's profound conversations about major world problems, like income inequality, climate change, and social problems. The alien discusses helping to "create a social environment of real wealth of valuable products instead of just a monetary competition of wealth."

The plot is notably unpredictable, as every chapter comes with a surprising development and revelation. Also, the author introduces several mysterious, suggestive elements— a hummingbird, a ring, a necklace, and more—that keep readers guessing and curious about how the story would develop.

Some major aspects of the book appeared clumsy and incomplete. For instance, Kayla doesn't display the level of shock or excitement I imagine an average human would feel if they just find out that an alien exists. Generally, the characters seemed to be lacking deep emotions, and I thought they were distant and robotic. Also, some scenes are unnecessary, like the discussion about how being humorous is defensive, which has little or no connection with the rest of the story. Lastly, it's difficult to keep track of a good part of the conversations because they don't have enough indications of the characters that are speaking at different times.

I liked that The Alien Stranger reveals the different ways humans are harming themselves and the earth. Interestingly, an alien acts to set things right, albeit his ways are quite chaotic and unconventional since he adopts a modified version of Robin Hood's approach of robbing the rich to give to the poor. Though this is an intriguing concept, the delivery could definitely be better and more appealing.


The Alien Stranger

Kayla Chalet is cycling to work from class at the University of Oregon when she collides with All-American football star Bard Sucrets due to being distracted by the strange behavior of a hummingbird. The two of them end up in a heap on the ground, and Kayla loses an earring, which prompts Bard to offer her a pair of expensive-looking diamond earrings that he brought from a mysterious guy for just twenty dollars the day before. Kayla will only accept the earrings if Bard agrees to let her buy him dinner, and the two of them arrange a sort-of-maybe date at Tommy’s Inn that evening.

Later, Kayla experiences a far more troubling encounter on her journey home when she stops to help an apparently injured man who then tries to rape her. Fortunately, she’s saved by the appearance of an unusually strong stranger who knocks the would-be rapist out. The stranger asks that Kayla not report the incident to the police because he is an alien and doesn’t want them to interfere with his work. Kayla inexplicably agrees and commits to helping the alien stranger with unspecified work in exchange for large sums of money. This deal launches her on a collision course with the police, the FBI, the mob, and various other undesirables.

The Alien Stranger by Bob Ticer is a contemporary science fiction novel with an interesting underlying premise that features some innovative technologies and an unusual take on alien life. However, it just doesn’t work as a convincing and coherent story. The dialogue is so stilted as to be unnatural and off-putting, and there are malapropisms and mistakes peppered throughout the text that prove highly distracting (e.g., Bard exclaiming “Owl!” rather than “Ow!” when Kayla crashes into him). There are also lengthy divergences/monologues concerning physics, economics, and philosophy that serve no purpose in the story.

Unfortunately, there are several more problematic aspects to The Alien Stranger too. The attempted rape and its aftermath are dealt with terribly. Kayla ends up helping the wannabe rapist, and it's suggested that taking heartburn medication may be a viable excuse for attempting to rape someone. By way of another dubious medical idea, it’s later implied that a bad diet may be responsible for the symptoms of cystic fibrosis. In addition, there are several instances where seemingly racist terminology is used without any indication of it being unacceptable. For instance, a friend of Bard’s is referred to as “the color man,” while a coworker of Kayla’s is described several times as “the color girl.” There’s also the following conversation:

“I want more control of it,” Kayla revealed. “It’s difficult when the world is against you.”

“I’m not against you,” Wanda Sue replied with a shrug, “and I know you’re not against me just because of the color of my skin.”

“Sorry,” Kayla apologized. “You people have had an unfair burden placed on you for no justification whatsoever.”

While Ticer actually seems to be attempting to make an antiracist and inclusive statement here, the use of “You people” should have been picked up on during the editing stage. Ultimately, the interesting idea at the heart of The Alien Stranger can’t save it from the many problems within the text, which render it a book best avoided.


The Alien Stranger

A pair of mysterious earrings. A group of unlikely friends. An alien overseer who might be either helpful or a master manipulator. Kayla Chalet finds herself with all of these after crashing her bike into Bard Sucrets while looking at an unexpected hummingbird. I went into this book looking for a sci-fi thriller based on the synopsis. What I got was fast-paced and arguably science fiction, but it didn't thrill me in the least.

From the start, Ticer's writing failed to engage me. The main characters had little depth beyond their outward introductions, which were made very quickly. They formed a quartet quickly as well, more so than I found believable, and almost at once dove into discussing physics at a level that will cause some readers’ eyes to glaze over. I found the discussion intriguing but failed to see what it had to do with the story as a whole and found myself a little lost by some of the terminology.

In general, in the book, things tended to move a little too quickly. Kayla’s doubts about the alien could provide a fascinating conflict, but they feel wooden, especially since the title and synopsis make it clear that he is, in fact, an alien from outer space. I found myself struggling to follow the alien’s plans and intentions for Kayla, too, and felt more time could have been given over to exploring them.

With my complaint about how the book moved too quickly, it does feel odd to say that the FBI should have shown up sooner, but for a plot thread mentioned in the synopsis, they appeared surprisingly late in the book, only turning up halfway through. From there, everything seemed to rush ahead with little concern for how much sense it all made.

I think I could have liked this book if Ticer had taken more time in telling the story and had focused as much on developing the characters as he did in developing the plot. It’s an exciting premise, but the execution fell flat. In addition, I think the book could have gone through some further edits. There were some strange phrasings (“color girl” stands out, describing a character who I think was supposed to be a Black college student) that made for an awkward read overall and made several sentences feel clunky. Combined with the heavy-handed exposition in the dialogue, it made the book feel slow and cumbersome.


Benghazi!: A New History of the Fiasco that Pushed America and its World to the Brink

Former U.S. Diplomat, political analyst, and author Ethan Chorin unveils his account of the events that led up to the infamous and highly publicized attack on the U.S. Embassy and C.I.A. Annex on September 11, 2012. He outlines the role Ghadaffi and his authoritarian regime played in creating a climate ripe with discontent, repression, and disillusionment. He also illuminates the growing divisive rhetoric and political strife in America that exists in the wake of Benghazi and continues to proliferate today, noting that, unfortunately, America has failed to learn many of the teachable lessons of Benghazi.

This is an eye-opening and intriguing book. It contains an immense amount of research with over six hundred citations in all and is ripe with historical context. Chorin’s post in Libya from 2004–2006 as well as his position as the co-director of an NGO in Benghazi at the time of the attack make his narrative both captivating and notable.

Chorin is candid in his beliefs, openly expressing his dissatisfaction with how the Obama administration dealt with international conflicts in the aftermath of the tragedy. He weighs in on many of the political figures in Washington but does so in a relatively moderate and balanced way. Overall, Benghazi is an informative and enlightening read.


Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis

Poetic, wide-ranging, and a display of erudition seldom offered. Whatever opinion or attitude the reader brings to this presentation, it is worth reading for its word art alone!

At one point, Ms. Proulx limns a world of dew-clad dawn spiderwebs, its twinkling luminesces universally linking objects and places, only to become evanescent with the rays of the rising sun. In that glimmering theme, she advances the barely seen web of the world’s wetlands, their almost unrecognized or noticed destructions, and the losses thus incurred. Delving into customs, commerce, tools, the intricacies and etiologies of languages, she leads one into an exploration and realization seldom waded into even in environmental exposition.

Wetlands have a reference vocabulary that is wondrous and almost infinitely varied. The actual physicality of their manifestations are just as diverse and complex as the way our species has tried to speak about them. Historicity, legalities, political strivings and evolutions surface constantly. All is not hopeless. Wetlands are newly revealed, others have potential for renewal. But paying attention to them, their interdependence with our atmospheric carbon, the diversity and wealth of our flora and fauna, is made excruciatingly urgent and important.

I urge all caring people to buy, read, and share this book!


A Is for Always: An Adoption Alphabet

A is for Always is a rhyming alphabet book that explains various aspects of adoption in an age-appropriate manner. Leonie Little Lex provides adorable illustrations of animals and their adopted children. When the readers see chickens holding a baby mouse or a bear cuddling a rabbit, they will likely understand that these animals are not biologically related. The concept of birth parents vs adoptive parents can be difficult for younger children to comprehend, so this creative approach will help them retain that understanding. My favorite symbolic image shows a mother sheep doing her hedgehog child’s hair; this page talks about inherited traits that come from your birth parents. Examples like this will be extremely helpful for children and adoptive parents that come from different ethnic backgrounds.

Linda Cutting uses carefully crafted words that can easily be understood by children ages three to six. This book also includes many references that can be elaborated on by the reader or the story. This book encourages children to ask questions when they feel ready. I highly recommend this book for all families; exposing children to the concept of adoption at an early age will help them understand and accept their adoptive peers.


Nightmare Fuel

As long as it's within the safety of a movie theatre or on our couch in front of a screen, some of us love being terrified and spooked. But why? What are the neurobiological components of enjoying a good (or not-so-good) horror movie, and what does this say about the individual, generational, and societal experiences surrounding a particular film? Nina Nesseth's Nightmare Fuel tackles these questions in a sprawling, deep-diving overview of the horror film genre. Nesseth explores the horror genre in all of its span, giving horror fans and beginners alike a deep glimpse into what terrifies us and why we like it.

Nesseth's conversational and enthusiastic narrative voice allows the reader to fully sit with her findings and ideas comfortably; the book as a whole reads almost like a podcast or even an after-movie analysis with a friend/fellow horror fan. It's clear from her careful analysis of each horror subgenre and its history that she is not just presenting this work as a cold study but rather speaking from the inside as an honest horror fan.  Nightmare Fuel is a riveting study of horror as a biological and sociological phenomenon — all packaged in compelling prose and an endearing, nerdy love for all that is gory and spooky.


Burning Distance

Lizzy's father dies when the plane he's flying explodes over the Persian Gulf. She's ten. Her mother moves the family from the suburbs of Washington to London, where, a few years later, she falls in love with Adil, a young Arab whom she meets at the American School. Their moment of magic comes to an unexplained end when Adil suddenly leaves the country with barely a word to Lizzy. She’s heartbroken, but life goes on -- university, job, boyfriend. Adil, though, remains in the picture through the occasional postcard and a stolen weekend in Berlin. Meanwhile, bits and pieces of her father's life begin to emerge that raise questions about his death. Was he working for the CIA? Was he involved with arms trading? The answers become even murkier when Lizzy discovers that Adil's father is suspected of supplying arms to both sides in the Iran-Iraq war and that her mother’s new husband has business dealings with a German munitions manufacturer. Set against the international politics and illegal profiteering of the arms trade, Burning Distance is a compelling story of two young people whose love is burdened and conditioned by their fathers’ past actions… and the consequences.


Locust Lane: A Novel

A young woman is found dead in an affluent Boston suburb, the death sends ripples of fear throughout the community. How could this happen in this seemingly safe town, and who would do such a thing? The community is outraged, and as suspects emerge, it’s easy to accept that a young awkward outsider committed the act, but everyone has secrets. They are willing to sacrifice everything to protect their own. Unreliable witnesses, rumors, circumstantial evidence, and wealthy connected members of the community really make this a great mystery.

This carefully crafted whodunnit will keep you guessing until the end. The multiple viewpoints are great for building suspense and telling each perspective of the story to slowly put the pieces together.  The characters were well-rounded and authentic. There are moments that really tug at your heartstrings and others that keep you on the edge of your seat. This book had me reading well into the night until my eyes were grainy, and I could barely keep them open. I really loved it, however, I was disappointed with the ending. Although the epilogue helped, I felt that the unresolved ending really fell flat. Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thriller mysteries.


Bones Under the Ice (1) (A Jhonni Laurent Mystery)

In Bones Under the Ice, not long after a major blizzard, Sheriff Jhonni Laurent finds the body of a high school senior buried under the snow. Jhonni is sheriff of four counties, most of which are farm country and murder is rare. As she investigates, the bodies begin to pile up, not unlike the snow, which is unfortunate timing, seeing as she’s a month away from re-election. Jhonni will have to solve these murders while also battling small town politics, which consists of a century-old feud between farmers and her chief deputy trying to oust her by any means necessary.

This is the first in the Jhonni Laurent series and it started out perfectly. It’s not a fast-paced thriller, but rather a slow-burn murder mystery. It’s like the start of a beautiful friendship as you get to know Jhonni and those around her. You grow with her as it’s her first murder case and as she pieces things together. I look forward to seeing how each part of Jhonni’s life plays out as well as seeing more of Vern. I highly recommend you add this series to your to-read list.


Harvest Days (World of Celebrations, 3)

Just as we in the United States celebrate the end of harvest with our Thanksgiving celebration, people around the world also celebrate the time the crops are brought in to sustain people throughout the year. This book takes a look at harvest celebrations in twelve other countries around the world, including South Korea, India, Bolivia, Ghana, Barbados, Germany, Spain, and more.

Each lushly illustrated spread features a different celebration, giving just a little information about it, showing the day and how it is celebrated, with a little bit written in rhyming couplets and a small, informational sidebar. There is wonderful back matter, including a timeline showing the different celebrations throughout the year, explaining what the harvest season is and why it is celebrated.

Each different celebration covered in the earlier pages has a half-page write-up telling more about the people that have each celebration, what the traditions are, and other information such as how it came about. These include illustrations showing native dress and something about the celebration as well.

Children will love learning about how a harvest is celebrated by people throughout the world and the similarities and differences from our own.


An Impossible Return: A Novel

This is a book about betrayal, about a homeland being sold out from under the feet of people who lived there for generations, and about the constant efforts by the British and American governments to keep those people from ever returning. This book, as the author says in her afterword, is a book about wrath. That wrath reached me, and I have little doubt it will reach others.

The history of Mauritius and the Chagos Islands is one that I wasn’t familiar with before reading this book, but I’ve begun to look into it more. It’s fascinating and heartbreaking, and Laurent (herself a child of Mauritius, though not of the Chagos Islands) captures that heartbreak beautifully. The Chagos Islands she presents us with are beautiful, if perhaps idealized, and that only provides a starker contrast to the sensation of the ground all but literally being taken out from under people’s feet. This is a story of colonialism in the late twentieth century, one that is still raw and furious. I highly recommend this book and hope I can find more on the subject someday.


Moon Luck

Moon Luck by Wayne Scott Harral was an exceptional read. The story follows the tale of many scientists and researchers stationed on the Moon in their home away from home, which they call Venturous. In this novel, researchers have lived quite successfully on the moon for ten years with the help of incredible technology. They have greenhouses for Moon-grown plants, gyms with mechanical friction devices that work the same as weight training, sound sphere speakers, and so much more. Members of the Moon station are all associated with different organizations—NASA, SpaceX, ESA, etc. Together, the crew spends their days working on research and projects, getting physical exercise, socializing in their dining area, and relishing the once in a lifetime experience to live on the Moon.

All seems to be going well in space. The crew seems to be happy, productive, and motivated. SpaceTime video calls back to Earth are full of reports of good news and team morale seems to be high. Until, one day, a horrific incident occurs. One of the members of the crew dies in an explosion. Initially, this occurrence appears to be a horrible accident. The crew members were aware they were signing up for a very dangerous mission, and unfortunately, injuries happen. However, after apparently corrupted video footage is found, foul play comes into question. It appears someone may have intentionally killed a fellow crewmate. But who? And more importantly, why?

I really enjoyed reading Harral’s novel. The creativity and uniqueness of this story set it apart from others in the genre. As Harral points out, it is only a matter of time before human exploration on the Moon is more common. In the future, with further technological advances, the moon could potentially be an extraterrestrial body we reside on. I love how he capitalized on this idea and turned it into such an enjoyable story for his audience. He addresses and answers all the questions concerning viable life on the Moon, while still making the story eventful and worthwhile.

I also loved the mystery component of this novel. Everyone can enjoy a good murder mystery, and although I have never read of a murder on the Moon, I loved how the plot played out! I think Harral especially did a great job with the criminal investigation. With agents and doctors working on the case both from the Moon and from Earth, it was clear Harral had well-thought out his plot and all the loose strings beforehand to craft a book that seemed very realistic.

Overall, I would highly recommend Moon Luck to all readers, especially those who enjoy murder mysteries and books concerning space.


Moon Luck

The Moon, the four-and-a-half billion-year-old stone orbiting the Earth, has long been a source of speculation and mystery for human beings. Astronauts first walked on the moon in 1969, and both private enterprises and governments are engaged in new efforts to return, this time for extended stays. Wayne Scott Harral, in Moon Luck provides a fascinating and extensively researched novel on what life on a lunar base will be like. He draws together the threads of pure research science, exploitation of the moon for profit, private enterprise space travel, international law, and politics and weaves them together in a murder mystery. It’s a tale that holds up to its space-age setting.

Dan Wedmond is the commander of Venturous, a lunar exploration colony.  Staffed with astronauts from NASA, the European Space Agency, and private enterprise corporations Blue Origin and Space X, its goals are to conduct pure scientific research and exploit the Moon’s mineral assets. These goals conflict with each other, and this discord is personified by Dr. Anna Kormendy, of Space X, who is a driven, ambitious scientist with a brusque and aggressive demeanor. The competition for scarce resources to conduct experiments versus searching for precious minerals causes tensions between the crew of thirty. Kormendy continually pushes Wedmond and Bruce Holmann, his Executive Officer, to prioritize mineral exploitation over scientific research. As the conflict unfolds, Holman is killed by an explosion in the station’s tool shed. The commander of the Venturous, along with its eye in the sky orbiting space station Gateway, and the executives of the Moon Exploration Team (MET) on Earth, must quickly determine if Holman was murdered. If he was, is murder illegal on the Moon?

Ostensibly a whodunit, the novel’s best value is found in its descriptions of life on the Moon. Harral explores the conditions, problems, and legal questions generated by operating a lunar base under the aegis of a multi-national, private/public partnership moon mission. The push for profit by the private sector, the bureaucratic barriers inherent in a multi-government oversight structure, and the interpersonal struggles of a group of Type-A high-achieving astronauts motivated by opposite goals are central to the narrative.

The novel excellently depicts the day to day in the life of the characters. Harral’s solid scientific foundation drives the narrative and the characters’ motivations. Experiments in botany, metallurgy, gravity, and the vagaries of lunar life are depicted. The murder plot weaves like a snake through a wood pile, pulling the pieces of the novel together. This clear-eyed examination of future moon exploration will inspire the reader to contemplate the moon in a new light.


Moon Luck

It is the year 2039 and people have not only started travelling back to the Moon after the first landing in 1969 but have also built stations where astronaut-scientists and astronaut-explorers live together and thrive on the Moon. In the Sea of Serenity lies the Moon Base Station Venturous, which belongs to the international joint venture Moon Exploratory Team or MET. NASA and the European Space Agency are the MET’s agency partners, while SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin are the MET’s corporate partners.

Some four hundred kilometers to the northwest, there is the Chinese station called Tiangong-3, with its forty taikonauts. They all have the same goal: survive on the Moon. They obtain the equipment for that. Their stations are state of the art, they grow plants, get water from the ice, and have as much oxygen as they need. But the main reason each mission and its astronauts stay on the Moon for years is to extract minerals such as titanium and find viable iron ores.

Everything seems to be working like a clock and everyone is excited to be a part of this amazing experience. But the unfortunate death of an astronaut caused by an explosion at Venturous shocks everyone on both the Moon and the Earth. But what or who caused the explosion? Could it be a mechanical error or was the human factor involved? And since there is no court of law on the Moon, if it was murder, will the perpetrator be held accountable?

Wayne Scott Harral delivers a breathtaking science fiction novel that sets a strong base for an entire series. There is no protagonist, everyone participates and fulfills the story equally. There is a lot of technical information that the reader might find difficult to keep up with, but at the end of the book, a glossary is offered in order to help make the story as simple as possible.

The plot is cautiously well thought and carefully written. The first part is slow but it doesn’t tire the reader because it provides just the right amount of information to make the reader comfortable with the plethora of information and names in the story. Once the pace picks up, it is a science fiction story with action, thriller, and space travel elements that captivates the reader until the end and offers a glimpse of a reality that in a few decades will be feasible.


Moon Luck

The year is 2039 and a joint venture has been established on the Moon merging corporate and international interests. Jim Sheppard shelled out a large amount of money to join this mission; he has been assigned to plant cultivation. His time away from his family has proved particularly poignant, he feels as if time is slipping away. He is just one member of a large group manning an international space station. The Moon Exploration Team has been experiencing some ups and downs as the representatives of the various groups all seek different things from the mission. Some are there for the acquisition of knowledge, others for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and a few want to extract something valuable.

The Venturous Station crew is the largest and consists of people from NASA, but also the European Space Agency, SpaceX, and BlueOrigin. The astronauts at the lower end of the spectrum are concerned with the motives of the corporate space explorers. The rumblings of the concerned are quieted by the senior officer on the crew. The spirit of cooperation is stressed to preserve mission integrity. The work being done by the men and women of the various crews is interrupted by an explosion that kills a veteran engineer/astronaut. The paramount concern is limiting the damage to the station in order to protect the remaining personnel. The initial cause of the explosion was accidental, but something more sinister lies beneath the surface.

Could industrial sabotage have come into play? Was this astronaut targeted by a cold-blooded killer? Who stands to benefit from eliminating a fellow astronaut? Will there be more explosions and should the mission be scuttled? The differences that separate the various crews must be set aside in order to investigate further and discover a killer amongst them.

Moon Luck is an intelligent and thrilling mystery that proves that greed, power, and ambition are not exclusively terrestrial phenomena. The action unfolding over the course of the book highlights not only the issues of inter-governmental cooperation over resources, but also the disconnect felt by astronauts as they work hundreds of thousands of miles from home. Author Wayne Scott Harral brings forward an eclectic array of characters in telling this story, but all are interesting. Individually, they are devoted to the integrity of their mission. The explosion and death of one of their fellow astronauts threatens not just their work, but their lives as well. It makes for an out-of-this-world detective story that never wanes in captivating the reader.


Malila of the Scorch

In 2059, Jesse Johnstone is a simple young man growing up in the shadows of war. Before becoming a storied soldier and one of the most senior citizens in the country, he would experience an awakening after a chance encounter with “Speaker.” Speaker is not human, but his viewpoint conveys the harshness of the world to Jesse. In 2129, Jesse has a ringside seat to war, destruction, and the erosion of society. Jesse is sought after as a celebrity, but also marked for extermination by nefarious factions. Jesse is on the run and looking for Malila.

Malila Chiu is a one-time soldier turned exile who is facing a watery grave following the sinking of a ship on which she’s held captive. She is saved at the last second from drowning. She meets Splanch, a plant/creature hybrid. Splanch, like Speaker, is privy to the secrets of nature. The constant war-making has wounded the balance of nature. Malila learns that the plant life is alive in the Scorch, which could have implications for the future. Despite her survival of the shipwreck, Malila is being hunted by the Unity, more specifically by the vindictive Jourdaine.

William Yeats Butler served as a soldier for the Unity, trained to be an assassin. He came to meet Malila and her friend Hecate. Hecate and William became each other’s saviors in a lost world, and now they want to defeat the Unity. A final push in the form of an American invasion is being planned, and William is tapping into vital AI resources to glean the enemy's strategy as the countdown to D-Day accelerates. Will William and Hecate be able to scuttle the Unity’s plans? Will Malila and Jesse find each other before Jourdaine catches up with Malila again?

Malila of the Scorch is the third book in the suspenseful and entertaining Of Old Men and Infidels series. The plot proceeds at a steady pace, as the protagonists must navigate various hurdles before arriving at their objective destinies. Malila Chiu is a reluctant heroine, but she excels at never giving in to her enemies. Her partnership with Jesse possesses the trappings of a May-December romance, but their fiery personalities and fierce loyalty make it much more compelling.

The divisions that tear at the fabric of the United States in the 22nd century are particularly poignant with the strife that has caused rifts in the past up to and including the present day. However, the hope for change runs strongly throughout this book, along with its two predecessors. Author W. Clark Boutwell hits a home run with his latest book, which combines sci-fi, drama, and action into a collectively engaging read.


Malila of the Scorch

War is coming to the divided land that was once the United States of America. On the one side: the Unity, a country founded on good intentions that has spiraled into dystopia. On the other: America, a land without allies, which could too easily fall. In the middle are Malila, an escapee from the Unity; Jesse, an ageless man from America; and the Scorch.

I mentioned in my previous review that I was fascinated by the world-building Boutwell brought to his story. This remains true. Malila of the Scorch reminds me of some of the works of the Golden Age of science fiction. Everything has a scientific backing behind it (and some of the explanations are delightfully dense), but when seen at first glance, they feel like something that could only belong in a work of fantasy. The Sage-Men are a prime example of this; half-man and half-plant, I wish they had played more of a role in the story. They are fascinating and feel more like the edge of a wider story than the focus of the trilogy.

The trilogy as it is tells a thrilling story, though. It’s dystopic science fiction with strong threads of espionage and cyberspace throughout, and I’m sure it will appeal to fans of cyberpunk looking for something a little different. Honestly, it will probably appeal to anyone looking for something a little different in their science fiction. It’s not quite like anything I’ve ever read, though I certainly found familiar strands throughout it.

Though I gave the book five stars, I did have two complaints as I read it. The first was that the many strands of narrative didn’t all weave together into a unified whole. There were many, and the book is relatively short. I think it could have been pruned to provide for a stronger story. My second complaint is also about the length. Simply put, I wanted more. I hoped for more of a chance to explore Boutwell’s world and see what the characters were up to in it. The story does feel complete as it stands, but it could have been deeper.

All that said, I enjoyed having the chance to read this trilogy, and I think many other science fiction readers will as well. It’s a thrilling escape into a vaguely familiar world and a military story that hasn’t entirely lost touch with the Earth or with humanity.