Little Wonders

Quinn Barrett has her life together. A pediatric surgeon husband, a picture-perfect house, a fulfilling career at an upscale design company, and a three-year-old son at a prestigious preschool. She even manages to be the president of the school's parent group. But all that comes screeching to a halt when an unflattering video of her goes viral. As she becomes "Halloween Mom," Quinn's life completely changes overnight and she has to learn who she really is and who her true friends are.

This book was slow to get into, although the writing style was very conversational and natural. Things really took off around the half-way point when Quinn really started to transform and another mother, Daisy, starts a transformative journey of her own.

It was refreshing to see how a mom like Quinn, who comes across as a hard, fake, monster of a person in the beginning, became a regular human being on her own journey of growth and change.

It's worth sticking with this book as it morphs into a tale of the power of female friendship and allies. This is definitely an enjoyable read.


Laughter Yoga: Daily Practices for Health and Happiness

In 1995, Dr. Kataria started a laughter yoga club with five other people in order to bring some happiness and joy back into his life and to help him cope with the stress of everyday life. Since then, the movement has grown around the world, and now many are enjoying the health benefits of laughter.

Research shows that laughter can change the biochemistry of the brain, leading to positive changes in mood. Combining laughter and elements of yoga, Dr. Kataria's program encourages people to practice ten to fifteen minutes of laughter yoga a day. He likes to start by clapping, stretching, and using phrases such as 'HoHo' and 'HaHaHa' to warm up, especially if one has difficulty laughing at the beginning. And don't worry if you don't feel like laughing, apparently forced or fake laughter is just as good. The brain can't tell the difference.

Laughter Yoga provides exercises that can be done in a group setting or alone. Anyone who can laugh can benefit from this book. Dr. Kataria also encourages smiling more to help bring more laughter into your life. Frankly, before reading this book, I was unaware that the simple act of laughing could have such great health benefits. Whether it is improving mood, lowering blood pressure, or decreasing stress, this is a cost-effective way to do something good for the body and mind. Considering all the benefits, I don't know why everyone isn't already laughing all day long.


Hike the Parks: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks: Best Day Hikes, Walks, and Sights

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks live in the shadow of Yosemite, one of the most popular and famous national parks. Sequoia & Kings Canyon don’t get nearly the attention they deserve. But this little pocket-sized guide (4 x 0.5 x 6.8 inches) is the perfect way for hikers to discover these two great parks. It opens with a map and a list of the forty hikes covered with basic information: name, distance, elevation change, high point, and difficulty. An introduction includes an overview, geology, human history, flora and fauna, and must-see sites and activities. Information to help plan your trip includes camping and lodging, climate and weather, safety and outdoor etiquette, and suggested itineraries. Forty suggested hikes are written up with all the information one would need to have a successful and fun experience. Each hike has from two to six pages dedicated to it. Each contains the name, distance, elevation change, high point, difficulty, trail surface, maps information, GPS, and notes followed by a section called "Getting There", what one will find on the trail, and "Going Farther." Maps and beautiful, full-color photographs are included for most of the listings. This is a spectacular hiking guide—useful and beautiful.


Overcoming Dyslexia: Second Edition

Reading is an important skill to learn and master. It's so important that it can make or break you in school and the years ahead. For many people, this is no problem once they start learning the basics in kindergarten, but for others, they never seem to get the hang of associating the letters on the page to mean actual words in their head. Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a world-renowned pediatrician and expert on reading, has given us the second edition of Overcoming Dyslexia, which is full of scientific studies and the latest information. Broken up into seven parts, Overcoming Dyslexia covers how dyslexia affects people by its nature, diagnosing, teaching, choosing the correct school, and succeeding in life during college and beyond.

Overcoming Dyslexia is packed with excellent information that can be utilized in various situations. The information is presented clearly and concisely, and it covers nearly every aspect of dyslexia. The people who will get the most information out of this book will be parents who have children or relatives who struggle with dyslexia. Teachers and educators should also pay close attention to its information. Here lies an important book for workers in many different fields, but the information is useful for everyone.


A Strange Country

The magical world of Muriel Barbery’s latest book, A Strange Country is so intriguing, you may find yourself hours into the novel and feel like no time has passed at all.

Broken into three separate sections set in different times, the plot returns readers to the world of Barbery’s previous book, The life of the Elves. But, this novel is highly readable even if you aren’t familiar with the prior book.

 In A Strange Country soldiers Alejandro and Jesus have been fighting a war for six years when they meet an elf named Petrus who takes them to his homeland of Nanzen. It is filled with elves and good wine and wonder, but the people there are also suffering as their land, too, is in crisis.

The novel could be read as an allegory for the challenges that face our modern world, from the controversy surrounding our borders to climate change. Or, it may be seen as a strange and poetic fantasy similar to the work of Tolkien. In either case, it is a beautiful book about what it means to be brave and how we all must work to save ourselves and each other.


Snoopy: First Beagle in Space

Snoopy sets off to the moon while Charlie Brown gets lost in the snowy woods trying to help Woodstock find Snoopy and the other Beagle Scouts. All the while, Marcie and Peppermint Patty try to find Charlie Brown. And Lucy yells at her brother a ton, and Sally tries to deliver a valentine to “her sweet babboo.” This book is a very funny and clever book, a good read, and I got sucked into reading this book. I liked a lot of the comic strips in the book because they are funny and are my favorites. It's interesting that, at the beginning of the book, the drawings are different because they're older comic strips. Woodstock is one of my favorite characters because he’s so cute! So are Woodstock’s friends: Bill, Conrad, Oliver, and Harriet, who all look the same like Woodstock. Snoopy is also very funny, brave, and an impressively smart beagle to be able to blast off to the moon (in his imagination). I recommend this book to anyone who likes the Peanuts comics and to anyone who likes funny comic books.


Aria

In Iran in 1953, an army driver finds a baby girl abandoned in an alley. Moved by pity, he brings her home with him, though his much older wife Zahra is angry with his choice. The driver names the girl Aria and he is determined to love her and raise her as his daughter.

The book follows Aria’s early years culminating in the Iranian Revolution. Hints of what is to come appear through the pages and readers familiar with Iranian history may recognize certain names and events. For the most part, the book is centered on Aria’s growth and her relationships with the three women who raise her: the cruel Zahra, the wealthy Fereshteh, and the mysterious Mehri.

With a few exceptions, I found the women and their stories more interesting than Aria’s. Though she does gain more agency as she grows from an abused child into a young woman, it often feels that the most interesting actions occur around her rather than to her or because of her. The connections between her three mothers, on the other hand, were fascinating and could have been their own novel. While some may enjoy this book, I have to confess I found it wanting.


The Royal Governess: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth II's Childhood

There was a time nobody imagined young third-in-line Lilibet succeeding to the throne, least of all the central character in this story, a young, idealistic, and politically-minded woman: Marion Crawford, the royal governess.

Marion Crawford is an actual character from history, infamous at one time but now rarely mentioned and virtually scrubbed from history texts. Through this fictionalized re-telling of her story, the reader will be introduced to many historical and royal personages, ideas, and moments, and some sympathetic speculation about why Crawford did, at the last, what she did. While at times our protagonist seems to make some rather incredible leaps of rationale, and sometimes her idealism is overwhelmingly insistent, the author has made a very honest attempt to stay true to Crawford’s apparent beliefs and concerns.

Readers familiar with Crawford’s story or fans of The Crown will read eagerly as they unravel this rarely followed thread of an erased life. It is the perfect easy-reading summer novel for anyone looking for an imaginative, casual book to slip into their beach bag, drift away into a moment in history not really all that long ago, and peek into the lives of people who, while they may have lived very differently to us, were not really so different after all.


The Beauty in Breaking

Most of us have had an unfortunate visit to the Emergency Room (ER), however, behind-the-scenes remains a mystery. What are doctors thinking as they stitch up patients and how do they deal with the stresses that must come with the job? This book is written by an ER doctor who has attended many of the busiest and most chaotic ERs in the country. In this doctor’s case, her early life in a chaotic household prepared her for the chaos in her chosen profession. As she witnessed the domestic abuse inflicted on her mother and the resulting injustices, her mind was made up: she wanted to be in a helping profession. Because of her brilliance, she graduated from medical school, only to suffer the dissolution of her marriage and the destruction of the dreams she had relative to that married life.

We travel with her to new places, new hospitals, new patients and new stories of suffering, illness, and the loss of life. At this time in the throes of the pandemic, this makes for fascinating reading because it is compelling as well as being well written.


LOCAL AUTHOR

Clean: The New Science of Skin and the Beauty of Doing Less by James Hamblin is the book to have when weighing your options or wanting some research done on soap and skincare. Hamblin's skincare routine is practically non-existent, which will be a shock to some, but if you take the time to read what he has presented, some of his reasoning may make sense. Clean isn't just a soapbox for Hamblin; it contains many credible sources about every aspect of soap and skincare imaginable. Each chapter is labeled something that pertains to skincare and contains historical facts and scientific figures to inform readers of the truth.

I enjoyed this book for all of the historical information about soap, of which I had no idea beforehand. Information about how many well-known brands got their start in the soap industry and how their marketing ploys would make or break them is sure to fascinate the reader. I appreciated the way that Hamblin wrote this book, which is simple to follow and presents many angles to the act of good hygiene. It will give the reader something to contemplate about their personal routines.


Hitler, My Neighbor: Memories of a Jewish Childhood, 1929-1939

This book joins the growing chorus of books of people who experienced life around Adolf Hitler. Some have chronicled being a driver, flying the private plane, and more. Most of them have been reprints or new translations. This one is neither, instead it is recollections from growing up in Munich as Hitler was starting his rise to power. Unlike many of the others, it does not chronicle World War II, instead, it looks at life in Germany from the fall of the economy to the rise of the Nazi Party.

There is not much of a narrative thread, other than Hitler, and anti-Jewish laws and the break out of petty violence against the Jews. It is really a bunch of short vignettes around those common themes, there are no exact dates and sometimes the chapters are short. Though it is often easy to tell around what time of the year events are taking place. In a way, this is for the author to remember their childhood, and maybe overemphasize some events and thoughts, and possibly not know about other things.


Derailed: A Kelly Pruett Mystery

In the last year, Kelly Pruett’s life has been derailed. She got divorced, her dad passed away, and she inherited his PI business, all while trying to raise her eight-year-old daughter. Kelly is determined to make it though, so when a woman walks into her office asking her to investigate the death of her daughter, Kelly takes the case.

The young woman was struck by a train, seemingly an accident since she was drunk and a witness says she fell in front of it. The more Kelly digs, however, the more she finds that the young woman had a double life that her family didn’t know about. The number of suspects continues to grow. There is more at stake than just preserving her father’s legacy. Kelly has to decide how far she wants to go to solve this case, even if it means putting her life on the line.

My only complaint about this book was that for the amount of characters in it, it was far too short. Not enough time was spent on getting to know the people, while a bit too much was spent on all the suspects and red herrings. It was hard to feel too attached to Kelly or any of the other characters because they kind of just breezed by. It would have been worth an extra hundred pages to get to know them better and feel more sucked in. Overall, the story was good and I hope the next Kelly Pruett mystery has a bit more depth.


Frankenstein Doesn't Wear Earmuffs!

Frankenstein Doesn't Wear Earmuffs! is a story about a little boy who is getting ready to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night. The little boy is dressed up as Frankenstein. He is all ready to go out trick-or-treating with his friends and get some candy, but each time he tries to walk outside, he gets stopped! The first time is by his parent saying it might rain, so he needs to wear some rain boots. Another time it's by his parent saying it's going to be cold, so he'll need to wear a scarf and earmuffs. After each time he gets stopped, he realizes he can't be Frankenstein with all of this stuff on!

I thought this story was funny and fun to read. I like how the boy was dressed up as Frankenstein and he thought he was him, but then you know that he's still just a little boy. At the end of the book, there are more kids like that, dressed up as a ghost, mummy, and wolf. This is a story that any kid will like to read at any time of the year.


Eenie Meenie Halloweenie

It's Halloween time, which means you need to start thinking about what you want to dress up as. For the little girl in the story, she does Eenie Meenie Halloweenie to make her choice. The story is about her deciding which Halloween costume she should make this year to be able to dress up as one of her favorite stuffed animals. Every stuffed animal is her favorite, so she tries out outfits to look like a penguin, an elephant, and other animals. She ends up coming up with a neat idea for a Halloween costume that I haven't seen before.

I usually think about dressing up as a character from something or a princess, but dressing up as an animal is a good idea too. I like how she did "eenie meenie" to try to help her make her decision because I use that too sometimes. The story is a fun one for kids of any age, but maybe more so younger kids than older ones. The pictures are bright and help the reader to know what's going on in the story. This book makes me excited for Halloween!


Cookie Boo

In Cookie Boo, it is Halloween and a group of little Monster's sugar cookies comes to life from the Halloween moonlight. The book is about the cookies exploring around the neighborhood and saying "boo" to everything they meet. Later in the story, the cookies are at the park and go down the slide; they don't see someone there, hiding to scare them. The cookies end up getting scared themselves instead of scaring other things. They think they are being chased and end up rushing back to little Monster's house before they get caught. On the way back, they see the things they tried to scare on the first way and make a few good changes to the things they pass.

This story will be fun to read at Halloween and at any other time. My younger brother and I requested to have it read multiple times after we got it. The different sugar cookie characters are fun to watch throughout the story. The pictures are fun to look at because they help tell the story and get me excited for Halloween!


The Bookstore Cat

The Bookstore Cat is the story of a cat who lives in a bookstore. Each page follows the cat and says something about the cat based on a letter of the alphabet. For example, the first page says that the cat is adorable, for the letter A. Then the next page says that it is a bossy cat, for the letter B. Each word describes the cat and seems real to how cats are. The pictures are helpful and show what the alphabet word used on the page means. I like for the letter S when it says that he's a sleepy cat, and the pictures show him sleeping in a box and funny positions around the bookstore. Then the letter Z shows him zig-zagging around the store, which is what my cats do all of the time!

I like this book because I like cats; this book has taught me new words to use to describe my cats. The end of the book tells about a word game you can play- it is fun to play with your family. Kids of all ages will like this book!


In Can We Be Friends? Unexpected Animal Friendships from Around the World, you get to learn about animals that you wouldn't think would be friends, but are. The animals in the book include "wild" ones such as the hippo, cheetah, elephant, gorilla, and dolphin. The other animals include "normal" ones such as the turtle, sheep, dog, and cat. Each set of animals has a fun rhyme about them before there is a page about how and why they became friends.

I like all these animals and found it interesting that they became friends with their respective animal friends. My mom says that they're like people - different, but still able to be friends and friendly toward each other. The pictures are pretty with some similar colors between the animals and the landscapes. There are five sets of animals shown in the book. Each set includes two animals that might seem like they'd eat each other, but it's always a happy ending with them being friends.

I think that kids of any age will enjoy this book; there are fun pictures for little kids and facts about the animals for older kids to enjoy.


Ty's Travels: All Aboard!

Ty wants his family to play with him, but everyone is busy. So, he gets a box and makes an imagination train that is going all around the town and country. As his family finishes their jobs, they become a stop for the train to pick up new passengers. They all have a wonderful time imagining and playing together.

The writing was great! It was an I Can Read Book with lots of great repetition. The author did a great job of making sure there was a good plot to the story. I loved that Ty decided to be a train conductor, my oldest loved playing with trains when he was little.
I loved the illustrations. So colorful and beautiful. I loved the way the illustrator’s style of drawing and representing a beautiful black family. It’s wonderful to see the family enjoying each other and having the best time playing an imagination game. In the illustrations, the details of the imagination are my favorite.

My three and six-year-old loved this book. My six-year-old remembered to his love of trains and my three-year-old loved the imagination of Ty. Fantastic story.


Sun Flower Lion

Highly acclaimed author and illustrator Kevin Henkes captures simple beauties of nature in his new picture book Sun Flower Lion. In the first couple of chapters, he introduces the sun with its radiant rays and calls attention to a flower in bloom with its lion-like appearance, its yellow petals a glorious mane. In chapter three, a male cub surges up a hill to take in the sweet essence of the flower. In four, he dreams he’s surrounded by a field of magnificent flowers, of which he discovers are actually cookies instead. When he awakes from his slumber in chapter five, he has a ravenous appetite and quickly races home for supper. Then, in the final chapter, he cuddles alongside his family, at peace with the world.

This short, concise chapter book is ideal for young children learning to read. It’s written at a kindergarten to first grade reading level, featuring a limited number of words on each page. Each chapter is only two to three pages in length, just enough to excite little ones exploring their first book of this sort. The illustrations, which feature an array of basic shapes, have a sweet simplicity, appearing in white, black, and yellow hues only. Sun Flower Lion is easy to comprehend and features common things of interest to children ages four to seven, making it a perfect addition for homes and classrooms of preschool and early elementary school-aged students.


Friendsgiving

Stuffed animal friends are enjoying autumn by bike riding, meeting new friends, and picking apples. They decide to celebrate the harvest and friendship by having a feast they call Friendsgiving.

The writing is off. I feel like sometimes it rhymes and sometimes it does not. It’s fine having the character say things, but how the story is written I feel like it should be separate from the main text somehow. The flow is not great and difficult to read out loud. The characters seem to do fall things, but the plot doesn’t feel cohesive.

The illustrations are interesting. I didn’t love having real-life looking stuffed animals in the pictures. The background is fine, but the stuffed animals themselves don’t really make the story appealing to me. I really had high hopes for this being a cute story and it just didn’t seem to work well.

My three and six-year-old didn’t enjoy this book because of the odd illustration choice and the flow becoming difficult to read. It was not a book they asked to read again. Age recommendation: Three to Five


Thesaurus Has a Secret

Thesaurus is a dinosaur who lives with his dinosaur friends a long time ago. He does dinosaur things with the rest of them, like eating, playing games, playing sports, and arm wrestling. He does these things with his friends, but Thesaurus also has a secret that he doesn't want anyone to know. He keeps his secret quiet for a long time until he gets too excited about it, and the other dinosaurs hear him. Thesaurus is afraid that the other dinosaurs will make fun of him or at least not understand his secret. Thankfully, they are not mean to him about it, and they want to join him!

I like Thesaurus's secret because I like to do it too. The story is funny to read about Thesaurus trying to act like a normal dinosaur, but also having trouble because he uses big words, talks differently, and doesn't play things the same way as the rest of them. Thesaurus Has a Secret is a fun kids' story with colorful pictures that are soft and calm. The reading level would be a little higher than a first-grader, but kids of any age will like to hear it.


Peppermint Post

Peppermint Post is functioning at a frantic pace this Christmas season with letters arriving from all over the world with expressions of children’s greatest wishes. Just as the postmaster declares the job complete, he discovers a card, lost in the fray. After scrambling to create one last gift order, the penguin postal workers fly Santa’s rusty, old, dilapidated sleigh all the way to the residence of the little girl who sent the card. They make it just in time to hand-deliver the present to Santa. As Postmaster Buck passes it to Santa, standing in the distance, the child’s eyes sparkle with delight. Now that her wish has been granted, every child can wake up to a holiday filled with dreams come true.

Peppermint Post is a creative tale of making sure one young child’s dreams are fulfilled at Christmastime. With hard work and determination, her wishes are realized. Postmaster Buck and his many penguin post workers add a unique twist to an otherwise traditional holiday theme. They liven up the story with their quick wit and humorous antics. Illustrator Stephanie Laberis’s vibrant, animated pictures nicely complement the text. The detail and emotions illuminated by them will likely capture the intrigue of youngsters. The text is at a reading level suitable for most second and third graders, but the target age range for this holiday picture book is five to nine.


Sharko and Hippo

Sharko and Hippo is a funny book about a shark trying to go fishing, but his friend gives him all the wrong things he needs.

A part that I found funny, was when Sharko said "Hold the phone, why did you give me boat now?". I liked that part because Hippo gave Sharko a boat when he asked for bait, and gave him a goat when he asked for a boat. EVERYTHING GOES WRONG!!

I liked the characters because they are hilarious and they are best friends. The book is also rhyming, so that makes it even better! The illustrations are neat, and the colors go well together (eg. Blue & Orange, Green & Orange).

I would recommend Sharko and Hippo to kids that like rhymes and like funny stories. It also teaches about apologizing, and friendship. I would definitely want this book to be a series!!


My Words

Ava loves words. There are all kinds of words—some are bright, some are tiny, some are big, some are even prickly. “Words are ideas that break free and take flight.” But, Ava wonders, what was it like for her before she had words, when she was very little? She knew she had a lot to say, but the sounds that came out of her mouth weren’t words. Over time, as she listened to lots of words and began to understand each word had its own use. She began to imitate the word sounds until they became words and she understood how to use them. Once started, this process seemed to flow like a river, more and more words becoming her own. Ava learned and learned new words and loved them all.

Grant Snider is both author and illustrator of this cute picture book. The youngest of readers will relate to Ava’s story as they are going through the process of acquiring words themselves. The simple, cartoony, bright illustrations are the perfect complement for this subject. They support the story without distracting from the words and the message of this cute book. Little ones will love this picture book.


The Big Book of Modern Fantasy

The Big Book of Modern Fantasy is a great book if you are a fan of short stories! It is perfect for a story before bed or if you are just in the mood for a quick fantasy read. This is definitely a great book to have; with over 90 stories, it has something for everyone, whether you are a fan of dragons and trolls or talking animals, magical kingdoms or daring adventures. It is good for kids and adults of all ages and would be great to read out loud to a group or just enjoy by yourself. I would recommend this for all ages, though one of the stories (“State Secrets Of Aphasia”) does have some cursing. Most of the stories do not have pictures to go with them, but a few, like “The Last Dragon In The World,” have small pictures that are really cute and add a lot to the story! Overall, the stories are ones you probably have not heard before, but are very intriguing to listen to. It includes a variety of writing styles including the more traditional storytelling, some diary entries (like in "Longing For Blood”), and fast paced adventure! I am sure you will love this book!


Vanishing Falls

The small town of Vanishing Falls is quiet and mostly peaceful, and though there are rumblings of unsavory happenings in the rough farmhouses on the outskirts, most of the residents coexist uneventfully. One night, however, a woman named Celia Lily disappears; her husband, Jack, is the obvious suspect. As the mystery intensifies and more time passes without finding Celia, other possible suspects emerge. There’s Cliff Gatenby, a local chicken farmer, whose meth addiction and dire financial circumstances provide ample motives. There’s Keegan and Karen from Marsh End, who end up with a valuable painting belonging to Jack--a painting that could alter their lives substantially. And floating amid the different groups is Joelle Smithton, whose personal history was marked by a traumatic, violent event that not everyone knows much about. Joelle might not seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer, and people tell her things. Things that connect in ways that other people who aren’t as observant as Joelle might not realize.

The mystery at the heart of this novel--what happened to Celia Lily?--launches in the prologue, and the novel goes back in time to showcase the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and to establish how very many people in Vanishing Falls might be to blame. The isolation and depravity of the area keep the questions alive through four hundred pages, and even readers as astute as Joelle will be kept guessing until the end.


Thunder Run (Dactyl Hill Squad, Book Three)

This is a great historical fantasy story about a young dinowrangler fighting in the Civil War. Thunder Run is about Magdalys, who is a dinowrangler and a member of the Dactyl Hill Squad. She rescues her brother from an old mansion, then learns of a new threat to the Union. She must travel to Mexico and use her connection with the dinos to defeat Emperor Maximilian's forces, or else the Union will face a war on two fronts.

I really liked that the cavalry and artillery on both sides of the war used dinosaurs. There were many fun and unique characters in this book, including a few dinos. Magdalys is brave, determined, and protective of her friends. She is also good at making friends, especially with dinosaurs. I think Magdalys's connection with the dinos is awesome, and I like that she is trying to overthrow the Knights of the Golden Circle.

I would recommend this book to kids aged 9 to 13. If you like dinosaurs and the Civil War, then this is the perfect book for you.


Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse

Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse is hilariously funny. Who knew that one little Llama could cause so much trouble. This is a book about a fat, lazy llama, named Llama who does not like to clean but does like to eat. Llama has a friend that is an Alpaca named Alpaca that does love to clean. Llama has an idea for an invention and brings it to life. He then thinks the solution to his messy house can be fixed by having not just one Alpaca to clean his house but many. Lots of Alpacas try to clean the whole world, but then things get messy, and by second lunch the world is crazy. In the end, Llama figures out what his invention is best used for and that it would be best to only have one Alpaca friend. The illustrations in this book are colorful, bright, and full of funny details. I like looking at the pictures and finding the hidden funny pictures of Llama and Alpaca. I laughed the whole time I read this book and I highly recommend it to all my friends. I can't wait to read the other books in the Llama series.


The Candy Mafia

In The Candy Mafia, the new mayor in town starts a Prohibition Act to ban candy. The kids in town form gangs and sell candy illegally. Nelle is a kid private detective who has been hired by Eddie to investigate the so-called theft of a teddy bear from his office. Eddie is the head of the biggest candy gang in town.

During her investigation, Nelle experiences a lot of strange events, including her office getting broken into and a shop being burnt down. Nelle finds help from another gang leader in order to find the owner of the candy factory so that she can save it from being torn down.

The story was entertaining, but there were some details that I didn’t follow. I wish the author would have given more information about why candy was banned. Also, I didn’t understand why the shop was burnt down or why Nelle’s office was broken into. I think other kids would like the book because it has some mystery and keeps you wondering what’s going to happen.


Meet Your Maker

Matthew's Mather international spy thriller Meet Your Maker follows the story of Delta Devlin a cop who becomes an Interpol officer due to circumstances. Del, as she's called in the book, accompanies her father, a retired cop to the United Nations to help provide security for the president of Ukraine. However, chaos ensues when a shooter targeting the Ukrainian president hits Del's father instead, critically wounding him. Determined to get to the bottom of it all, Del joins the Interpol and is assigned to a senior more senior officer Jacques Galloul, who closely. Del, wanting to become more independent of Jacques, launches her own investigation into the shooter, an ex-KGB office named Yuri Korshunov. As she follows his trail throughout the former Soviet Union, he calls her out of the blue wanting to speak to her in private. However, as Del arrives at the arranged place, she finds Korshunov dead. Now she must unravel an international conspiracy in order to get answers and save her father.

Matthew Mather weaves in a fast-paced deft plot along with a well-developed, strong female protagonist in order to engage the reader and keep them in suspense. The plot gets sometimes convoluted due to various forces all with their own agenda. However, the mystery unravels at the end and the conclusion is quite satisfying, making the complex plot all the more worthwhile.


The Shadows: A Novel

This is a conflicting, enigmatic story about Paul Adams confronting the past he sought so hard to put away. The Shadows takes readers to the past, to the cause of Paul’s apprehension toward his hometown. It describes the journey from his house to the police station and the stop at the crime scene. He describes his feelings of fear and uncertainty as they near the police station. Despite Paul’s innocence, the police officers were convinced that he was responsible, until the evidence proved their theory wrong. Then, we jump to the present day where we are introduced to Detective Amanda Beck. She has a killing case that matched exactly what happened twenty-five years ago in Gritten, Paul’s hometown. The novel then takes off from there with many twists and turns as well as moments of tensions that leave the reader conflicted and thirsting for more.

One of the most dominating qualities that this book possesses that makes it such a joy to read is the in-depth detail of the characters. Alex North allowed the reader, through details, to empathize and understand Paul and Amanda. This closeness to the characters makes it almost impossible to put down.


The New Wilderness

In an unspecified future time, humans are forced to live in a cramped area called The City, where the air quality is abysmal and the last shreds of nature are cordoned off. For Bea and her daughter, Agnes, life is intolerable; Agnes is ill, and her only hope for survival is to leave The City completely. Beyond the city limits is the Wilderness, an untouched expanse of nature where everyone except the Rangers are forbidden to go. But Bea’s husband, Glen, secures them spots in a group of twenty people who are given access as part of a study, and Bea finds herself mothering in a landscape that is more brutal than anything she could have imagined. Death comes suddenly; mourning is beside the point, and the Rangers dictate their movements and their fates. The Community, as the group is called, must struggle not only against the environment but against their own worst impulses—and acknowledge that the youngest among them may be the most adept at navigating this strange new world.

This remarkable novel does not provide extensive backstory or explanation for how The City came to be, and in this way, it’s somehow more sinister, as though suggesting that our current path of environmental neglect leads logically and inevitably to such a state. The Wilderness is beautiful but not for the weak; loyalty and love are fluid, and power goes to those who claim it. When pieces of the old world appear—a vending machine, a bathroom—they seem as faraway from normalcy as the moon. The Wilderness is not a refuge. There is, as The New Wilderness portends, no longer any refuge at all.


The Stepdaughter

A top-notch psychological thriller, The Stepdaughter immerses the reader in the unhappy family life of the Buckleys: Elise, the neglected, down-trodden wife; Andrew, the cold, domineering husband; and Niamh, the daughter who knows too many secrets. The death of Holly, Niamh’s highly strung friend, opens up a sorry tale of affairs and abuse, and casting a shadow over several lives, the threat of blackmail linked to child abuse images.

Set in the peaceful yet insular village of Abingworth, near Chichester, this well-written story is told in the present tense, a devise that adds atmosphere, and from the alternating perspectives of Elise, Niamh, and Nicki, the investigating detective, herself an abused wife. The reader will feel Elise’s growing fear of her husband; will puzzle over what Niamh knows but cannot tell; will sympathize with her as she watches her family disintegrate; and will struggle alongside Nicki as she investigates the villagers who might be engaged in pornography, tries to find out what really happened to Holly, and looks for links between the two cases.

Blurbs often claim that readers will be kept guessing to the very end, but in the case of The Stepdaughter, the reader really will be kept guessing until the very last page.


Blossoms in Snow: Austrian Refugee Poets in Manhattan

The term refugee conjures up crowds desperately on the move, hungry, bewildered, often poor, and carrying all their possessions. The Austrians, whose poems are recorded in Blossoms in Snow risked their lives to get to the United States. They did not fit this pattern. Many were intellectuals, educated professionals, fleeing from the Nazi regime as it gathered momentum in the late 1930s, targeting Jews and other minorities.

Man and woman of Manhattan,

keep the Bible always nearby,

in leather, gilt-edged, Technicolor,
or simply pocket-sized. (Alfred Gong)

They left behind possessions, careers, relatives whom they would not see again. Many came to Manhattan, established themselves, attempted to pick up the pieces…and wrote poetry, Joshua Parker has selected their poems, translated them from German.

A fly’s buzz

At the window, monotone

If I spoke to it a bit,

Would I feel slightly less alone? (Maria Berl-lee)

They were energized or enervated, overwhelmed, driven. Words reflect their emotions and the images of buildings they beheld:

This is a dream, fantastic as a dream,

When the giants light themselves up at night,

Towers with a thousand dungeon cells so bright

Drowning in light… (Ernst Waldinger)

Created mostly when the experience of migration was new, the poems are not only eloquent but also poignant and disturbing, above all memorable.


Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-town Politics

Author Heather Lende found a new challenge. Her service on the school board, the planning commission, and the hundreds of obituaries written for the Chilkat Valley News held her in good stead to be elected to the borough assembly in Haines, a small town on the Alaska panhandle, "a remote rural borough the size of a small state." No member hesitated to speak and opinions were clearly and often predictably divided on many issues, drawing in the mayor to cast the deciding vote.

With delicious humor and the more frustrating times well cloaked, she recounts her three years in office. Of Bears and Ballots boldly names real people and chronicles disputes over local concerns, funding requests granted or denied, how to resolve conflicting harbor extension plans, and the wastewater or library issues. A small town reduces commuting to about zero time, allowing Lende to keep a finger in many pies, daily walks on the beach, long cycle rides, and time to write her fourth book.

Her heart is generous, her ear keen, as she writes about the people of Haines, who are like everyone’s neighbor in their own home town. The book is a treat for everyone keen to see how being closely involved in a community makes life a joy as well being at times vexing and worrisome. She is a splendid writer showing to all who are unsure how every voice counts.


The Collaborator

To some, Miklos Nagy was a hero; to others, he was The Collaborator. Sixty years later, Annika decides to find out the truth for herself. She doesn’t have much information to go on, since her grandmother refuses to speak of her time in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Annika leaves Sydney and embarks on a journey that takes her to Budapest and Tel Aviv as she seeks to discover more of her history and about the mysterious man who helped save thousands of Hungarian Jews from death camps by putting them on a special train to Palestine. Not only will Annika discover the truth about her past and her grandmother, she will also discover more about herself and what she wants in life.

Although this is a work of fiction, it is based on real events and I was very glad to read it. I have read quite a bit about the Holocaust, but I didn’t know much about it from the Hungarian Jewish perspective. The things that people do to each other are horrifying without even fictionalizing them. The reasons people offer to justify hate towards each other are ridiculous. Everyone matters. This story, in particular, was a great example of how atrocious those acts were, but also of how there can be forgiveness and how sometimes we don’t have the whole story and our anger is misplaced. The ending was tragic, but also very human. I recommend you read this book to delve into the world's history as well as into human nature.


Raven's Witness: The Alaska Life of Richard K. Nelson

A one-year research job in Alaska changed the career direction Richard Nelson had intended. As he entered college, after a less than stellar high school record, his plan to study desert reptiles was transformed into life in Alaska. His year in Wainwright is arguably one of the best sections of Hank Lentfer’s Raven’s Witness. Right away, Nelson began to absorb the essential, complex skills needed to live in a remote region of the United States, among these how to build a sled and a boat and how to train a team of dogs and hunt caribou and seals. These he learned from a community whose daily life was entrenched in the indigenous culture.

He returned to the lower forty-eight, earned two advanced degrees and as a cultural anthropologist headed back to the far north, to live in a series of small towns and rural settings where over the years he penned a succession of well-received natural history books. Often in lyrical style, they drew together down to earth details and fascination for traditional Alaskan lifestyles and philosophy He recognized the significance of tribal taboos and beliefs, learning from friends who followed the pattern of their forbears. In particular, one elderly chief showed him the importance of luck, how it supplied an inherent advantage, but how its absence could be responsible for failure, even disaster.

Hank Lentfer has enriched his narrative with lines from Nelson’s books and journals. As a result, the reader may enjoy a double blessing, a fine biography, and a memorable introduction to an exceptional man.


All the Right Mistakes

Laura Jamison’s debut novel, All The Right Mistakes, is a delightful read. With chapters that take turns telling the story between five best friends, Jamison explores the notion of life events and timing in one’s own life and what happens when those events may or may not occur in what we feel is at the appropriate time.

Friends since college, Heather has published a book of advice using her friends’ lives as fodder. As the book takes off, Sarah, Elizabeth, Carmen, and Martha feel at first gutted at Heather’s words, but then begin to reflect on their own lives; if they had taken Heather’s advice, would their decisions have been different, and would their lives have taken a different route?

All the Right Mistakes asks questions women ponder themselves day in and day out. Career or children? And if you try to have it all, how do you balance being a devoted mother and have a thriving career at the same time? Would you have been bypassed for a promotion if you didn’t have children? But most importantly, realizing that no matter where life took you and what decisions were made, things will work out in the end.


Think Big

Think Big was about animals that had to learn how to be brave. They had to work together so they could be safe and not get in the fire. They worked together to save other animals in the fire, too. The animals learned they were brave. They would say “I am brave.” When they said it, they felt stronger. I like when they said the good things they were because it makes people feel good and learn to say good things. I like this book because of the animals. I liked it when the giraffe learned to be brave because he grew bigger. Even though baboon wasn’t always nice, they made him be a little funny in the story. If other kids like animal stories they would probably like Think Big.


Farm the City: A Toolkit for Setting Up a Successful Urban Farm

While running a city farm demands more energy and commitment than a community garden, the concerns and problems are similar: location, finance, crop selection and production, post-harvest disposal. In sub-titling Farm the City a “toolkit,” this introduces (forgive the pun) a down-to-earth approach. Michael Ableman, an old hand at city farms, lays out an encouraging sequence of steps, never hesitant to describe early mistakes and their remedies.

A key element in the Sole City Farm, the project described in his book, has been establishing a second, complementary organization, a charity to oversee fundraising. Together, fundraising and harvest sales supply the income for running the farm, which has been organized to “empower individuals with limited resources” through jobs and training.

A city farm demands, first and foremost, a comprehensive mission statement and an understanding that it takes three to four years before the farm is truly viable. The successive steps and guidance are clearly written: seeking a farm site on unused or derelict spots within a central high-price zone, experimenting with soil type, using unperishable plastic containers rather than wooden ones. He suggests popular, easy vegetables to begin with rather than exotic ones and describes an orchard with almost five hundred fruit trees, the spaces between each filled with varieties of herbs.

A later section discusses the pros and cons of farmers’ markets, retail sales, and further harvest alternatives. Throughout, images show production design and the “farmers.” This is a grand book, an essential primer for anyone with aspirations to follow Ableman’s lead.


Doctor Faustroll and other Philosophical Tales

Dr. Faustroll and Other Philosophical Tales is a non-fiction work comprised of several different, unconnected stories, though there are some commonalities among them. All five of them refer in some manner to abstract thought and the relationship of it to the creation and continuation of the world and those that inhabit it. The Velazquez Revelation is especially ripe with content focused on abstract thought. It tells the story of Fernando Velazquez, a medical doctor from Buenos Aires, who caught a horrible disease that’s treatment ravaged his body and mind, resulting in temporary blindness as well as inducing a catatonic state for a short duration. Upon his recovery, he began to view life through a more complex lens. He believed that all objects derived from an initial thought and stated that “a man’s thoughts create the image of the world he lives in. He is surrounded by reflections of his deepest thoughts and dreams.” He believed that human thoughts can produce images.

Another central theme throughout this book is that of materialism. The author expresses a deep disdain for the way in which many in modern society live their lives. He speaks of the ills of commercialism, mass media, and entertainment, arguing that the effects of these on the western world can only lead to devastation and the continued degradation of society as a whole. Further, he concludes that the only way authentic living can be achieved is by halting one's engagement in the world to take time to see oneself in pure form. Otherwise, he says, “we become spectators in our own world.”

The topic of love exists as another commonality among the author’s tales. He speaks of love in complex terms and refers to the mystery of it and all that is associated with it. He writes of it as if he is in a dreamy state of mind, feeling the array of emotions accompanied by love but not quite able to grasp the full flavor of it before it has dissipated. His words are at times romantic and poetic, yet convey a sense of yearning and gloom.

This work of fiction is full of paradoxes. It is dark, yet enlightening; it’s pessimistic, yet hopeful. It’s condemning, yet condoning. To describe it is perhaps as challenging as it is to understand it in its entirety. To say it is philosophical is true. It has elements of neuroticism as well. Some parts of it are non-tangential and frayed, leaving the reader feeling a sense of confusion and discontentment. As the last page is traversed, closure is undiscoverable. The strongest features of Dr. Faustroll and Other Philosophical Tales is unquestionably its literary ones. The author has a remarkable gift for using figurative language of all types. The text overflows with similes, metaphors,  personification, and more. Further, they are not just simple ones but are unique and rich in literary value. For example, when he describes the light gleaming in the darkness over the sea he writes: “It was as if the Milky Way had dropped into the sea, and we were sailing through it.” When he highlights the seashells his friend admires, he says: She spreads out her treasures before her like a queen examining her jewels, reveling in their multitude and beauty.”

Though the audience for this book may be narrow due to the aforementioned drawbacks, it will likely appeal to those who live on the fringe of society, those who aren’t keen on following the norms and customs of modern life. Middle and high school English teachers may also find it an amazing resource for instruction on the elements of language, namely figurative language.


In the Land of the Salmon

"Stars to In the Land of the Salmon has a reflective tone looking back at an impactful relationship that explores a poignant love story about loss and change in a setting that provides an unfiltered look at the stunning and dangerous landscape of Alaska." — Elizabeth Konkel, Portland Book Review


In the Land of the Salmon

"A decision to speak out against a mega-mining project that threatens the pristine Alaska wilderness forces Wildlife Trooper, Jim Leberg, to revisit a painful episode from his past. The harsh reality of the north underpins this thrilling, poignant story that examines the mysteries of life, love, and spirituality. Written from the heart, In the Land of the Salmon resounds with authenticity and emotion." — Rod Raglin, Seattle Book Review


LOCAL AUTHOR

Doctor Faustroll and other Philosophical Tales is a collection of five works. The book starts with the longest piece, entitled “Doctor Faustroll.” Unfortunately, I felt that this particular story would have benefited from some professional editing. The changing tenses throughout the story interrupted the flow for me. And more importantly, I'm still not sure what the author wanted to convey, especially in the subsections, or “episodes.” These often didn't really connect to each other and, therefore didn't make sense to me.

I did, however, enjoy “The Velazquez Revelation,” "De-coo-da,” and “Rose of the Wind.” They seemed more fully developed. In “Fiction of Words,” I enjoyed the first tale, “Back to Nature,” especially when the main character falls into the water but is still looking back at himself standing on the bridge. But once again, some of the tales within this section didn't seem connected to each other, and I was once again unsure about their meaning. Also, at times the tales seemed more descriptive than evolving.

I didn't think the author was a bad writer because, in a few stories, he showed he could take me away on a journey to another place and time, but I did not feel that way about the first and longest story. It might have helped if there had been a visual description of the character before page thirty-three. Plus, I was struck by some inconsistencies. In one episode, it was mentioned that the doctor was blinded as a child, but in a later episode, it is said that he had a motorcycle accident in his youth. At this point, I found myself questioning whether a blind person would be riding a motorcycle. Also, I was not too fond of the fact that some of the episodes ended abruptly, making it seem like they hadn't been fully developed.

Overall, I sensed a vague theme running through the book about redeveloping consciousness to find something humanity has lost along the evolutionary road. But, I think an overview or introduction at the beginning of the book would have been helpful. Then I would have had a better idea about what the author wanted to convey through these tales. Without that, the book was at times confusing, and I often didn't understand why some stories didn't seem to have a beginning, middle, or ending or why they were grouped together. I also think the stories would have benefited greatly by using the "show don't tell" method of writing. That way, readers would feel more connected to the tales, especially Doctor Faustroll. As it was, I found myself asking too often, what is the point of the story.


The Sun Casts No Shadow

The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson is a dark and twisted tale of a city’s underbelly. Richardson’s work is a complex and intriguing account that will captivate readers from beginning to end.

The story follows Wellington Thorneycroft, a pickpocket who survives on Ambrosia, the realm’s equivalent to the sweetest drug. Each recipe for Ambrosia produces a different reaction, a different high, but always a sweet surrender to a vacation from reality. Up to this point, our protagonist’s reality, like many of the city’s inhabitants, consisted of corruption, crime, prostitution, and cynicism. Thorneycroft is lost in this world until a mysterious female figure, who he comes to know as Lilith, appears one night.

Thorneycroft states, “We’ll escape together…I knew right then that I’d follow her, wherever she might lead, no questions asked.” Haunted by her life force and what her spirit promises, Thorneycroft bets it all on escaping this dark world with Lilith. The more he learns about her, the more Thorneycroft comes to realize Lilith comes with a complicated history intricately tied to the Wall and everyone trapped inside the city. In order to break free, Thorneycroft and Lilith will need to find a way past the Wall and a host of malicious characters bent on dragging down anyone who dares to escape or aspire.

Those appreciative of futuristic, science fiction works such as Total Recall will thoroughly enjoy the sordid tale of illicit behavior that Richardson weaves. Due to the sex, drugs, and array of expletives, Richardson’s work is intended for a mature audience capable of appreciating the narrative. That said, Richardson’s modern take on this familiar science fiction theme is a refreshing and welcome approach. Readers will find themselves hopeful with Lilith searching for a way out in one scene and morose with Thorneycroft believing there is no point in trying in the next. Only time will tell if the pair will make it past Felix and his crew and over the Wall to a brighter future.

The journey past Richardson’s literal and figurative wall is one that will resonate with readers. A fascinating yarn that will captivate readers, The Sun Casts No Shadow easily earns five stars. Richardson has produced an exceptional work that readers will relish and avidly share for years to come.


Miss Havilland, A Novel

Evelyn has had a protected and mostly wonderful childhood growing up in San Jose, California, at the beginning of the twentieth century. Her backyard backs up to her aunt and uncle’s house, where her cousin and very best, best friend Billy and his sister Alice live. Evelyn is the light of the life of her father, a sweet man confined to a wheelchair. The only fly in the ointment is Evelyn’s sharp-tongued, demanding, distant, and often cruel mother. Evelyn and her father spend a great deal of time together, he teaching her math, something Evelyn loves. Billy is headed for Stanford for college, but Evelyn’s mother insists the local teacher’s college is the right choice for Evelyn. Her high school math teacher arranges a full scholarship for Evelyn to Stanford, and off Billy and Evelyn go. World War I starts raging in Europe, and although America hasn’t yet joined the war, Billy heads to Europe and volunteers. Soon Evelyn is lured to Washington D.C. to work on breaking enemy codes. It is there she meets Arthur, a wealthy professor from Boston also working in Washington. They fall in love and both end up in Europe through the end of the war, though not together. Evelyn is able to find Billy and visits with him, only to find a man shattered by the experiences he has had. When the war finally ends, when the bombs stop falling and shots stop ringing out, the life Evelyn has been expecting and hoping for is far out of her grasp. She has much she has to do for others before she can reach for what she wants and needs in her life.

Author Gay Daly has written a compelling piece of historical fiction that is based on the true happenings in the life of a relative. Her passion for the subject of her relative’s story is clear, and her careful and extensive research shines through. Told in first-person through Evelyn’s voice (with occasional lapses into other points of view) has a very personal ring. It is much like sitting and listening to an elderly relative tell the story of life. The old writing adage of “show don’t tell” doesn’t seem to apply here, and that is the one drawback in this otherwise stellar novel. Rich characters with complex lives, characters that will stay with readers for a long time, populate this engaging and memorable story and make for a terrific read. The period around World War I is a fascinating time and not written about with great frequency, so this is a welcome addition for fans of historical fiction.


The Girls at 17 Swann Street: A Novel

Anyone concerned with their body image (and who isn’t?) should read this masterful story about a deadly struggle with self-image. The facility located at 17 Swann Street is a place where women come together to learn about themselves and to face the perils of life-threatening body dysmorphic disorder. The main character is a former ballet dancer who tackled the drastic requirements of that extremely competitive profession to mold herself into the perfect prima ballerina regardless of the cost.

It is only through seeing the losses suffered by the other residents that the heroine, Anna Roux, is able to face the reality of her obsessions—not overcome them, but heroically battle them. Unlike the other residents, she has a loving husband who faithfully supports her recovery.

This book is a realistic yet hopeful novel about the gruesome results of a cultural obsession with bodily perfection. The disease is oftentimes hidden from view and little suspected, even while it devastates the sufferer. This is a brave and compelling book to read.


Girl Gone Viral: A Novel

Readers first met the character Katrina, an ex-model and angel investor, in Alisha Rai’s The Right Swipe. In Girl Gone Viral, the romance is all hers. Katrina is a fierce lover of privacy; her bodyguard and friend, Jas Singh, is there to protect her at any cost. When a chance encounter at a beach café results in viral social media scrutiny, Katrina needs to get away. So Jas Singh takes her to a place where no one can find them: his family’s farm in Northern California.

While tucked away from the world, Katrina and Jas learn more about each other’s backgrounds and why each of them is so guarded. The Right Swipe also explored how betrayal and manipulation can make it very difficult for people to have loving and trusting relationships. But Katrina and Jas both want that with each other despite the rocky road to get there.

As usual, I appreciate that the male protagonist has as rich of an emotional inner life as the female protagonist, and equal attention is given to their backgrounds and families. While Katrina is “rescued” by protective figures a couple times throughout the story, she is able speak out and break free of the forces that once controlled her. Her independence is as exciting as her developing romance. I really enjoyed the agricultural setting for this story and learning about immigrants from India becoming fruit farmers.


Swashby and the Sea

Swashby loves the sea, and he lives near the sea all on his own. He doesn't want to be bothered by anyone. One day, a little girl and her granny come to play near Swashby's deck. Swashby finds them to be annoying and wants them to go away. He writes a message to the little girl in the sand, but the sea changes the message a little bit. The little girl dances and sings while playing on Swashby's deck. He finds the little girl loud and nosy. Will Swashby be able to get rid of the little girl and her granny?

I like this story. I thought it was very cute and smart how the ocean changed the messages from Swashby. Of course, Swashby was unhappy with the ocean for doing so, but it's like the ocean wanted Swashby to have a friend. I really like the illustrations because they make me want to visit the beach after reading this book. I like how the little girl has giant glasses, it makes her look so cute. I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories about friendship.


Hard Cash Valley: A Novel

Arnie Blackwell is halfway home from a high-end looting, putting the finishing touches on a clean getaway. He checks into a local motel, hoping to settle down when trouble knocks at his door. Arnie is brutally interrogated and subsequently murdered by Filipino gangsters. The gangsters emerge with a lead to pursue. Dane Kirby, a former fire chief and law enforcement agent, is requested to investigate a charred corpse in Florida. Kirby has been summoned by the top brass in the FBI, but not greeted with enthusiasm by other Federal agents. Dane’s associations with certain unsavory types in the Georgia mountains prove invaluable as Arnie’s death connects to underground gambling. As Dane’s investigation expands, the body count climbs as two groups seek the remainder of the money won by Arnie and his friends. At the heart of the investigation is a young boy who is the key to unraveling everything. Dane and his partner must find him before malevolent forces get to him first.

“Hard Cash Valley” is the latest entry from the talented Brian Panowich. The mood is set with the first page, as the frayed nerves of the character grip the reader full throttle. The action never lets up, as the drama unfolds almost untamed. Dane Kirby is a flawed hero worth backing and empathizing with, clinging to a loyalty and code uniquely his own. A thrilling and engaging book.


Wow, No Thank You: Essays

In this essay collection, Samantha Irby recounts the surprises and indignities of entering middle age and uneasily settling into a new home in Kalamazoo, having left her beloved Chicago to move in with her wife. Unprepared for making new friends and dealing with relentlessly challenging health problems, Irby navigates this new terrain with both unabashed horror and a willingness to be surprised.

She recounts the difficulty of gearing up for a night out as a late-thirties adult, the tricky balance involved in step-parenting, and the serendipity that often presents itself as little more than annoying extra work. She is forty, but she has as many questions about life as she always has. She gets recognized for her work, and she’s humiliated when she assumes someone recognizes her for her work. Nothing is too personal to be addressed in a Samantha Irby essay. Her talent for self-deprecation and self-examination is limitless.

Any review of Irby’s work will talk about how laugh-out-loud funny it is, how cutting and perfect her cultural observations are, how boldly she shares her worst moments and finds the humor in her lowest points. All of this is true. These essays are smart, hilarious, raw, depressing, and uplifting. It’s impossible not to like Samantha Irby. This collection will leave readers wanting more.


Christopher Pumpkin

A witch wants to have a scary party, but there is too much work to do. So she casts a spell on her pumpkins to turn them into workers. She names the pumpkins Gnarly, Grizzly, Grunty, Roar, Snaggletooth, Stink Face, and Christopher. Christopher isn't like any of the other pumpkins, who are scary and mean. Christopher is nice, lovey, and happy. The witch gives Christopher a chance to make ghastly decorations. He has until the morning to decorate and work harder, or else she will turn him into pumpkin soup. Will Christopher Pumpkin be able to plan a frightful party?

This book was cute. I thought the part where the pumpkins make some stinky food was funny, especially the part about the green cheese made from old underwear. I like how Christopher Pumpkin is different, and in the end, how he did his best. I recommend this book to kids who like Halloween stories and to those who like stories about being yourself even though you are different. Don't worry, this Halloween story is not scary for little kids.


Memoirs of a Tortoise

Oliver and Ike delight in each other’s company, enjoying the beauty of the hibiscus-filled gardens and engaging in hours of playful fun together. They are an unbreakable team, one a tortoise and one a man, both eighty years young. When fall approaches and Oliver discovers that the baby pool hasn’t been stored away for the season, and that the homemade meals he savors have ceased to be delivered, he can’t help but notice Ike’s absence. When November arrives and he discovers that people have come to pay their respects to the family, an overwhelming sadness and confusion envelops him. It’s only after seeking his mother’s wisdom that he understands it was simply Ike’s time to go, and every precious moment he spent with him was a gift to be treasured.

This is a beautiful story about love, companionship, life, loss, grief, and acceptance. The story is told from the tortoise’s perspective, adding a unique warmth and ingenuity to it. He captures a full calendar year of his life on paper with a short but meaningful entry for each month. The reading level of the text is approximately second to third grade, although the audience is considerably more broad, namely children aged five to ten. This book will undoubtedly touch the hearts of young children, sparking laughter, contentment, and even a few tears. With each additional read, they will likely uncover new insights into the brilliance of this masterpiece.


Otis P. Oliver Protests

Otis absolutely hates taking baths! What is a kid to do when your parents want you to take baths four times a week. Otis loves to play with mud and often gets grubby, so his parents insist that he take baths more often because they think he stinks. So Otis has an idea! He gets all his friends and they protest and refuse to take baths. Otis's mother sends out notes to Otis asking him what the is protest is about. Otis writes back saying he doesn't want to take baths anymore. Will Otis win the bath battle?

I think this story is funny and silly. Each time his mother writes a note, she keeps mentioning dinner and dessert. I think it's funny how Otis and his mom writes notes back and forth trying to solve their problem. I like how they reached a compromise together. I recommend this book to kids who hate taking baths and to kids who know what it feels like when your parents tell you you have to do something even when you don't want to.


Letters from My Tooth Fairy

The loss of Natalie’s first tooth, a bottom central incisor, begins a funny and poignant correspondence between her and her dutiful tooth fairy. The tooth fairy leaves a letter and money in exchange for each tooth, and often writes about her journey to reach Natalie. Sometimes Natalie writes her back.

As the years go by, readers gain an insight into the major changes Natalie experiences in her life, such as the arrival of her new baby sister (tooth #7) and the family’s move to a new house (tooth #10). Natalie loses teeth in a variety of settings. She loses tooth #17 at Camp Timberwood, which has its own tooth fairy. Through it all, Natalie’s tooth fairy never lets her down, even when she needs to find a last-minute replacement.

Letters from My Tooth Fairy by Brooke Hecker is a clever take on the magical and loving relationship between a tooth fairy and her child. Natalie faces her life’s milestones with pluck and silliness, and the tooth fairy is utterly devoted to her. Deborah Melmon’s illustrations are rich with color and reflect the life of a child perfectly.


Unicorn Yoga

It’s time for every unicorn and person to come and learn the peaceful, relaxing practice of yoga. This is the time to come together, to connect to the universe. First, let’s sit in an easy pose and become relaxed by breathing in and out. Then move onto the wonderful body stretching poses from cobra, cow, planks, and upward facing dog. Don’t forget to breathe in and out! Grab your mat; it’s time to finish with a quiet mind seeking peace.

Take a delightful, unicorn guided journey through the beginning poses of yoga in Unicorn Yoga. Gina Cascone and Bryony Williams Sheppard guide young readers through the mind-and-body practice of clearing their minds while energizing and refreshing their bodies. Delightful and colorful illustrations will keep even the busiest mind’s attention, while also sparking a little laughter. Complete with full detailed instructions, unicorn demonstration, and information in the back, this is the perfect start-up guide. Unicorn Yoga is the ideal kid-friendly book for any yoga teacher or family ready to bring this practice into their home.


I hadn't heard of the term "blended family" before my mom read me the book Cat Dog Dog: The Story of a Blended Family. In Cat Dog Dog, one of the dogs lives with a man, while the other dog and cat live with a woman. The one dog lives a little differently than the other dog and cat, but that's because he is by himself, while the other dog and cat are together. The man and the woman get married and are together now. Now all of the animals will be together, too.

I have two cats at my house, but at one time I only had one and then we got our second one later. The way that these animals act around each other is like how my two cats acted around each other- not very nice. Thankfully for the animals in the book and my animals, they all end up getting along and learning to like each other. This book is easy to read, as it doesn't have too many words, and they are the same words throughout the book. Younger kids will be able to read it by themselves and probably be able to tell what is happening by the pictures.


The Legend of the First Unicorn

If you like unicorns, you will love The Legend of the First Unicorn, and even if you are not necessarily a fan of unicorns, you should still read it because it is really well written.

It is a magical story of friendship, faith, and finding joy in life. The main characters are a boy and a girl who go on an adventure together, and one of them has planned it to cheer the other one up.

Unlike many other books about unicorns, this one is inspired by a Scottish legend, so it feels authentic and not cheesy like many other books on the subject. Readers who like fantasy, who are drawn to folk tales, or who have Scottish heritage will be especially excited about this book.

The book has beautiful illustrations that make you feel like you’re right there in the magical forest looking for the unicorn. It is a good book for all ages because there is a good story but it’s short enough to keep even young readers’ attention.


White Trash Warlock (The Adam Binder Novels, Book One)

Adam has spent his life feeling cursed by what makes him different. Now, he's chosen to embrace the Sight and what only he can see: spirits and magical sorts that draw him into another world. As he tracks down a warlock he thinks could be tied to his missing father, he's detoured by an unexpected text he receives from his brother Robert, whom he hasn't spoken to in years. The missing artifacts he's been tracking and his brother's plea for help lead in the same direction. Robert's wife has been taken hold of by a spirit so dangerous that some of the most powerful beings Adam knows are afraid of it. When the spirit sets its eyes on him, it sets things into motion that he could never have predicted and puts him onto the path of a handsome cop whom he risks his own life to save.

David R. Slayton knocks this debut out of the park with a brilliant, emotional, clever, and original story that will tug at your heart, tickle your funny bone, and send you on a whirlwind journey. The differences between the brothers are vast as Adam embraces the craziness of magic and a true belief in the unknown, while Robert shed his accent and small-town life for a so-called perfect life as a doctor and husband. Slayton dips into Robert's perspective to allow you to understand what led him to where he is and puts a more empathetic light on him. At the core of this story is the bond of a family which, for Adam and Robert, is a connection wrought with past sins, secrets, pain, and estrangement. Underneath the pain of the past and the scars it left on the characters is an air of humor and the lightness of blooming romance, past love, and hope. The cast of characters is spot-on with a range of delightful sorts such as a strong-willed queen, a charming fairy prince, and a genuine cop. This highly emotional debut puts a fresh spin on urban fantasy, magic, and fairies with this unique world that Slayton draws you into. White Trash Warlock is a must-have book that will make you savor every moment spent with Adam, addicted to a rich world of magic, and enjoy time spent with the characters.


The Night Portrait: A Novel of WWII and Da Vinci's Italy

The ambitious mistress of the Duke of Milan. A German art conservator. An Italian-American working to keep priceless art and artifacts from the Nazis. Leonardo da Vinci. Each one of these people could merit a novel of their own, but in Laura Morelli’s hands, their narratives weave together to create a seamless, compelling whole that proves greater than the sum of its parts.

In quick, tantalizing chapters, the novel takes us from the late fifteenth century to World War II, dipping us into the lives of its four protagonists one by one. As each chapter ended, I found myself wanting more of what I had just had, but it wasn’t long before I was engrossed in the next. Unlike some books with multiple points of view, there are no slow points, no characters whose perspectives I would have gladly skipped past. Morelli has a knack for giving only what might interest the reader, making for a tight, fast-paced novel.||With so many recent novels set during World War II, it would be easy to pass this one by. You shouldn’t. The Night Portrait blew me away, and it stands far and above the rest for its blending of time and settings. I fell in love, and I know you will too.


Doodleville

A nine-year-old girl named Drew loves to doodle. But her doodles are alive and sometimes cause mischief. So she draws them a home and calls it Doodleville. Drew also joins art club at school, where she has friends who like to draw as well. However, when Drew creates a friendly leviathan, she accidentally makes Levi a monster. Can the art club and the doodles stop Levi and save him from destroying the art club’s doodles?

Doodleville is a great book! The drawings and the doodles are so creative! I liked The Cardboard Kingdom, also by Chad Sell, so I couldn’t wait to read this book! It may not be like The Cardboard Kingdom, but it’s still a great book! Drew is a good character and draws clever doodles. I also like TJ’s and Zenobia’s doodles too because one has witchery and other has magical butterfly princes that link magic together. My favorite doodle is Panja (ninja + panda) because he’s so cute! I recommend this book to anyone who loves graphic novels and who likes creative ideas and drawings.


Stress-Free Science: A Visual Guide to Acing Science in Grades 4-8

In a sleek, glossy colorful paperback edition, science educator Laurie E. Westphal has packaged together what looks like a dictionary of science.  The book is separated into sections dividing the sciences into life science, earth science, physical science, and space science. There is a module on scientific equipment showing such items as a bunsen burner, a ring stand, a telescope, and stoppers used as plugs.  The scientific process includes such terms as variables, and the scientific method. Each label is followed by a curt summary definition and where possible a colorful inked drawn diagram is added.  There is a unit that includes measurements such as joule, liter, light year but unfortunately none of these terms includes exercises to provide facility with using these terms.  The terminology defined in the separate science sections reads like a glossary at the end of a functional science book.  The format of the pages is strikingly attractive, but. unfortunately, without tactile contact with the described equipment or guided activities to engage the reader with the terminology, this book is nothing more than a science dictionary with some pleasant pastel illustrations.  Without stories or provided interactive activities. science terminology may actually induce stress.


Wildsam Field Guides: California

When a Californian picks up a field guide to her state published by Texans, she is immediately skeptical. For those readers and travelers, like me, let me put your fears to rest. Ignore the poorly written welcome and dive into the rest of this amazing book. A brief giveaway that this book is by Texans is that they call our laws sclerotic, but I could get past this.  While this book does not cover all my favorite spots, it does an excellent job of introducing even me to delightful and unexpected California landmarks, interesting places, and brilliant writing. In short, there are a variety of things to learn from this guide,and it is well worth your time to read it cover to cover and discover more than one could expect. The lexicon of redwood terminology was enlightening. A short caveat: some of the planners in the book seem like advertisements, but trips must be paid for, I suppose. Also, like Disney’s California Adventure, there is little mention of the state capitol of Sacramento. There is a brief blurb about the Sacramento Delta, but not the interesting city many of us call home. Even so, this is a nifty little book.


Wicked As You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic - Book 1)

Tala lives in the heat of Arizona, located in the Royal States of America, where magic is only permitted if it is attached to an item. Her Filipina family shields Alex, the king of Avalon, who hides until his homeland can be released from the Snow Queen's ice spell. When the Firebird shows up, a creature of legend that hasn’t been seen in decades, Tala and several friends escape to help Alex restore his former country and his crown. Their journey is far from easy, as Tala discovers secrets and powers that are best left hidden. None of them will be the same, even if they survive long enough to end the curse and save Alex’s home.

This is not a lazy book to read; the worldbuilding is extensive and complicated, but the characters are likeable and the dialogue witty at times. There are many political statements, some more blatant than others, that arise as characters battle dark creatures or even while enjoying dinner. However, this book is still lighter than the author’s Bone Witch series and incredibly creative as beloved fairy tales are woven into the thread of the tale. The diverse characters, both racially and sexually, will appeal to diverse readers.


The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers

In her first book, Emily Levesque's enthusiasm trumpets the industry of astronomy with profound salesmanship for a young scientist. Indeed her contagious excitement carries the reader through what might otherwise be a bombardment of facts about our universe that most of us are perfectly content not knowing. Very few astrophysicists share their discoveries with the rest of us earthlings, and when they do it seems to be in a language of its own. The exceptions can be counted on one hand---Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking. And now Emily Levesque.

In this circuitous narrative about how computerization and women in the industry have changed the way we gather data from the universe, Levesque invents a word, "roboticize," to describe the newest methods of remote viewing telescopes that only a few decades ago had to literally be manhandled. She includes pictures of people and observatories, and writes in a language anyone can all understand about dying stars and black holes in the universe that sometimes collide and produce a slight chirp all the way across the expanse of space. She shares not only the triumphant gains, but also the embarrassments that come at the cutting edge of science. She ends with an uncertainly of what the future holds for astronomers and the rest of us.

Like most first-time authors, Levesque tries to cram too much into a book with too broad a focus. But her bubbling personality shines through the pages. Most assuredly, Levesque will write more books because she has a lot to say, and we still have a lot to learn.


Adventures of a Dwergish Girl

Adventures of a Dwergish Girl is a super fun story that is about a half-dwarf (called a dwerg) that has an adventure in New York. The story was funny, entertaining, and so well written! To be honest, even though this was a fantasy book, it felt like a history one because it shared lots of information and facts about the history of New York. All of the characters were amazingly put together, and if they were real, I would love to be friends with them.

On the first page of each chapter, there is an illustration. They are black & white, but they give you clues about what will happen in the upcoming chapter, and what some characters look like. A small thing I didn't like, was that it was mostly narration; but it didn't take away from me loving it!

I think that people ages from seven to one hundred and one could read Adventures of a Dwergish Girl. It is a great book for everybody! Also, if you like fun adventure books, along with some humor and fun facts! I would definitely recommend this book, so go buy it!!

"It's pretty balanced. I get something from the wheat group, sauce group, and cheese group every day." -Molly O'Malley talking about living on Pizza.


The Girl and the Cathedral: The Story of Notre-Dame de Paris is a great book for older kids, maybe aged 9 or 10 and up. It is a very touching book about a girl who plants whatever she can, wherever she can. She plants love, kindness, and a special seed that grows into the cathedral of Notre Dame. Part of the story is a true story, and it is a real treasure for the heart.

The illustrator did an absolutely wonderful job with the pictures. They’re very direct and exact pictures but also full of imagination. Readers will happily find themselves entranced in a different world. It feels a bit like a living history book, but there’s so much story that you don’t realize you’re learning about history. It’s different from any book I’ve ever read before. Readers will love learning about the history of Notre Dame as well as about what happened to the little girl. Inside the book covers there are details about important things and times that happened throughout the cathedral’s history.


Ocean! Waves for All

Ocean! Waves for All is an educational book about our ocean. The ocean makes up about 71% of the Earth. This book has many facts about the ocean, such as how the ocean has been here for about four billion years. Without the ocean and water, nothing can survive on Earth. Right now, the ocean is in trouble, and we need to protect it. This book teaches kids educational facts without being boring. I liked seeing the Mariana Trench mentioned in the book because I had learned about that before.

There are other books in this series, such as Earth, Moon, and Sun. I think I prefer the other books in the series over this ocean one. I thought it was odd that the ocean was talking like a surfer. Though I thought it was funny when the ocean said, "Dude, I'm Ocean!" This is a very educational book all about the ocean and how we need it. I recommend this book to kids who like non-fiction stories, kids who love the water, and kids who want to help the planet.


Many people believe that life exists outside of our planet Earth. Kevin Peter Hand is one such person. Hand is a scientist for NASA; his main area of expertise is up in space, but he has had experience down below in the dark ocean depths as well. Based on his discovery of life on the ocean floor, he concludes that life is possible in the underground oceans on certain moons in our solar system. Throughout Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space, Hand explains why he believes that there are hidden oceans on moons such as Europa, Titan, and Enceladus.

This book would make anyone excited about space. The research presented is thorough and the pictures included are amazing. Hand dives into every aspect of life imaginable. Written from an evolutionary viewpoint, Hand believes that if we succeed in finding life elsewhere, we will also succeed in discovering our origins. There is plenty of in-depth research presented, so those best suited to reading this book will have an interest in space, biology, and cellular activity, and enjoy a lesson in it all.


Credible Threat (Book 15, Ali Reynolds Series)

LOCAL AUTHOR
<brConvinced her son’s suicide has its roots in sexual abuse suffered at St. Bartholomew’s Church, seventy-year-old Rachel Higgins decides to exact revenge on Archbishop Francis Gillespie for his failure to protect her son from now-dead pedophile Father Paul Needham. Ali Reynolds, partner in a cyber-security firm, is called in by the Archbishop to investigate a series of threatening letters dropped into collection plates throughout the archdiocese. Unlike most mysteries, the reader of Credible Threat knows the killer from the start, so the interest lies in the tension created by the race between Rachel’s attempt to kill the archbishop and Ali’s efforts to protect him. This works from Rachel’s side: her determination to right the wrong, her mental deterioration as she gets closer to her goal, and her uncaring coldness as she frames a local homeless man are well told. Not so for Ali’s side: a secondary theme, an overseas emergency involving one of her firm’s clients, distracts from the main story, and a significant part of the detecting is done by Frigg, a super powerful artificial intelligence program, although Rachel puts the pieces together. Credible Threat is skillfully written and will appeal to the many fans of J. A. Jance.


The Grass Library: Essays

David G. Brooks’ The Grass Library details his life on a farm in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. On some land he and his partner share, they form an impromptu animal refuge, taking in sheep, dogs, and goats, and living alongside the various animals that populate the area. We get to know the animals as one would good friends. Even visiting ducks and unwanted rats become characters whose lives hold deep meaning and whose trials, joys, and deaths are esteemed in Brooks’ eyes.

Brooks’ writing is poetic. His language has a certain curious clarity to it. The book itself is not only an exploration of animals and nature, but also a mission and exercise in living in the most ethical harmony with them. At times, though the animals are the book’s focus, we are also allowed into the mind of Brooks himself, a man so strictly concerned with the well-being of animals, his life begins to curve around theirs. In a particularly poignant yet humorous chapter, Brooks and his partner stress over the removal of a rat that has made its home in their kitchen.

This book is excellent for anyone interested in animal rights, ethics, and nature writing at its most insightful. It will prompt the reader to turn inward and examine their own relationship with the living things all around them.


Gullible's Travels: A Comical History of the Trump Era

Humorist and author Marvin Kitman is a Republican who strongly dislikes current POTUS Donald Trump. In this satirically scathing review of the president, he follows the progression of the President’s rise to this office, along with a diary of his daily misadventures while in office. For those who are morally and physically disturbed by the daily actions or inactions of the commander-in-chief, this is the book for them. The shortcomings of the President are lengthily exposed, his brilliant vocabulary exposed, his misogyny described, his bone spurs examined, his innumerable falsehoods uncovered, along with further aspects of his uncouth behavior.

The Trumponicles cover in eight sections the events that took place between the year 2015 up to early 2020. Unfortunately, it does not include the disastrous lack of leadership displayed from the Floyd death and the Corona Virus Attack. Those who like the acidic wit of this pundit author will enjoy the mocking comments. For myself, I find these flashy write-ups irritatingly annoying. Books like these maintain Trump on the central stage. We need to demand a return to decency and competence.


Bernie: Updated 2020 edition

My parents are big Bernie Sanders fans, so that’s why I read this book. The cartoon on the cover is a little creepy looking! Some of the photographs in the book are creepy, too. Why do politicians always make that face, with their lips sticking out? I guess they are shouting. This book covers Bernie's career from the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in 1981 through his sixteen years as US Representative. In 2006, Bernie was elected U.S. Senator, and in 2016 he campaigned as a Democratic presidential candidate. This book uses long words that I didn't know (like 'capricious') and some other long words that I know but don't really understand (like 'capitalism'). I think this is a good book if you want to understand why politics is important. It covers history that I'm too young to remember and that we are not taught in school. Mostly, this book wants to show an alternative to the political mess that we have right now (my parents’ opinion). In school, we're told we can do anything if we work hard enough. Maybe we can work to make things better. I’m only twelve, but it sure looks like adults could use some help.


Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings

Dendrochronology, an imposing word, is defined as the scientific study of tree rings. At an early age, tree trunks provide young children with an exercise counting the rings. Later, the rings are a gratifying resource for studying human history and climatic change. Each ring represents a year’s growth, and the varying widths of the rings indicate the intensity of recent rainfall and the consequent rate of the tree’s growth. A wealth of information is broadly attributable to the impact of changes in the Earth’s orbit, solar radiation, and volcanic activity in the past.

This starting point can solve many questions. The study of tree rings supplies a clear answer, for example, to why buccaneers and pirates were so successful in the Atlantic Ocean between 1495 and 1825. Additionally, they demonstrate how volcanic activity led to the intermittent failure of the Nile’s annual flooding, which is understood to have caused seasons of starvation in Egypt during Ptolemaic times and thus to political consequences.

Valerie Trouet’s academic career has taken her across the world researching answers to such questions. Tree Story is the result of a sabbatical spent gathering the results of dendrochronological findings in regions as discrete as Tanzania and Easter Island, Siberia and the West Coast of the United States. The chapters spill over with information and would be overwhelming were it not for the book’s organization, the images and digital illustrations, and the author’s ability to share her scholarly adventures with such evident enjoyment.


Caller of Lightning (Arcane America Book 3)

This is a twisting tale following Ben Franklin as he is thrust into the mysterious world of magic. This book begins with Ben Franklin’s experiment with a kite, a key, and a storm. In an attempt to pull lightning from the sky and capture it in a bottle, Ben is imbued with the power to command electricity. Soon his forays into the arcane world lead him to discover that he is not alone in his abilities. In fact, he is quite the novice in the field of spell casting. His new abilities attract the attention of multiple powerful figures, and who he decides to align with may decide the fate of the world itself.

I enjoyed the plot very much. It was fast-paced, intriguing, and very realistic, apart from the magic of course. I liked how the authors told the story from multiple perspectives; this really helped hold my attention. My favorite character was Polly, but all of the characters were well developed and perfectly fit their roles in the story. The language flowed well and was easy for me to understand. The dialogue, and the language in general, felt quite modern, despite the book being set in Colonial America.

The language, scenes, and tone of the book may not be suitable for younger or less advanced readers. Readers who enjoy fantasy books will definitely enjoy this book. This book was a joy to read. If you’re an older or advanced reader, you should totally give this book a read. You won’t regret it.


Members Only

Raj Bhatt is having a week. It begins during a membership committee meeting for the Tennis Club, when his excitement over meeting potential new members who are Black—sparking his longstanding desire to make the club more diverse—leads him to make a racist comment, jeopardizing his own club membership. At the university, where he is a lecturer in anthropology, he delivers one of his favorite lectures, but his passionate conclusions offend a group of students who decide his views are anti-Christian. When a video of Raj’s teaching goes viral, igniting campus protests, his job security disappears. In a matter of days, Raj’s entire world spirals out of control--and he sees his life with new eyes. How has so much ambition, pride, confidence, and adventure led to this middle-aged status quo?

Pandya’s novel begins with what amounts to a whole-body cringe, and Raj’s missteps are often excruciating to witness. Though Raj is a devoted teacher, husband, and father, he gives himself little of the generosity he offers others, finding failure wherever he looks. Even the Tennis Club, his beacon of success, frays as Raj struggles with anger and regret. Filled with insight and humor, Members Only is a moving account of one man’s stark accounting of where he is and how he got there--and what might lie ahead.


Splash! 10,000 Years of Swimming

Author and swim enthusiast Howard Means steers the reader through a historic review of man’s navigational feats in the aquatic world. What is now the arid Sahara, in prehistoric times was a wet lake bed with relics of mollusks and cave paintings of swimming figures. Readers will pursue the wave of a swimming culture through Greek and Roman chronicles and observe the aquatic mastery of island and coastal natives. They will learn about the fear of water that infected European civilization during the middle ages as well as the swimming marvels who defied cultural water phobias to swim the Bosphorus, the English Channel, and even the Antarctic waters. We live in a world that is three quarters water; our limbs are related to piscine fins, so swimming should come naturally to us. Yet too often an uncanny fear of water prevents too many from learning to float or swim, leading to untold numbers of drownings.

Splash! tells the absorbing story of the joy of swimming and the personalities who have shone in this sport. It also describes the change in bathing attire from the nude Greeks, to the prim coverups demanded in the 19th and early 20th centuries, to the now common bikini and speedo gear. Readers will recall names such as Annette Kellerman,, Gertrude Ederle, and Olympic champs like Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps, and so many others. Full of delightfully detailed information, this entertaining book submerges the reader into the subject of swimming.