Arrow’s Rest (The Offshore Novels, 3)

Ominous Reads

If you’re looking to escape to a dangerous world populated by sinister characters and characterized by all manner of danger and deception this autumn, then the following six thrillers could be just what you’re after:

Deceptions (A Helena Marsh Novel, 2) by Anna Porter

In Deceptions, the second outing for art expect, martial arts master, and superb amateur sleuth Helena Marsh, former Budapest policeman Attila Feher thinks he has the perfect ruse to reconnect with his ex-lover: he intends to ask Helena to appraise a painting and determine if it really is a work by the famous artist Artemisia Gentileschi. Unfortunately for Feher, his plans are quickly derailed by the fact that Eastern European gangsters also seem to be interested in the painting, which has the potential to expose corruption at the highest levels of Hungarian society. As the bodies begin to pile up, Feher has reason to be glad that he sought Helena’s help, although maybe not the reason he was initially hoping for. In Helena Marsh, Anna Porter has created an enigmatic and dynamic heroine who really knows how to kick ass and take names. She has a great nose for a mystery, and she’s definitely not worried about getting her hands dirty.

Tell Me the Truth (Adler and Dwyer, 2) by Matthew Farrell

Jenny Moore might be pleased to finally be leaving for college, but she’s the only one who seems to think it’s a good idea that she leaves the town of Lewisboro, New York and all the memories it holds behind. In fact, there’s at least one person who’s willing to go to any lengths to stop her from going. When Jenny’s mother finds her stabbed and left for dead outside their family home, state police investigator Susan Adler and consultant Liam Dwyer are called in to investigate the attack. They can immediately tell that something is very wrong in the town; they are confronted with a surfeit of suspects and it seems that pretty much everyone is hiding behind lies and deception. Tell Me the Truth by Matthew Farrell is the second crime thriller to feature Adler and Dwyer, and it’s a seriously suspenseful police procedural in which nothing is what it seems and no one seems capable of telling the truth.

Her Last Breath by Hilary Davidson

Deidre is devastated to learn that her sister Caroline is dead, but she’s in for an even greater shock. Some time after hearing of Caroline’s death, Deidre receives a message that her sister had written days earlier, a message that claimed her forthcoming death would be no accident. Despite having been estranged from her family for years, Deidre decides to brave the trip to Manhattan to attend Caroline’s funeral, and while she’s there, to investigate the circumstances behind her sister’s death. A frightening encounter with Caroline’s husband Theo at the funeral raises the possibility that she might have been having an affair, which suggests a possible reason for her death. Deidre decides to dig deeper, however dangerous that might prove. Her Last Breath by Hilary Davidson is a dark and twisted thriller than is permeated by a sense of menace and danger. It’s a fast-paced story characterized by blistering psychological suspense.

Vortex (An FBI Thriller, 25) by Catherine Coulter

Mia Briscoe’s best friend Serena disappeared seven years ago during a college rave that ended in tragedy when a fire broke out. Now working as an investigative journalist in New York, Mia is covering her regular political beat when she happens upon some photos from the night Serena vanished. Working with FBI Agent Sherlock to track back through the events of that night, Mia soon realizes that powerful figures may have strong reasons for keeping what happened to Serena hushed up. Meanwhile, Agent Savich is working with CIA operative Olivia Hildebrandt to uncover what happened to a missing member of her team and the flash drive he was tasked with protecting. As the two investigations proceed and converge, the danger level rises as the intrigue deepens. Catherine Coulter is on top form with this twenty-fifth installment in her FBI Thriller series, and the events of Vortex are sure to set readers’ hearts racing.

Breeder by Honni van Rijswijk

Sometime in the not too distant future, in a world ruled by the sinister Corporation, fifteen-year-old Will Meadows is doing his best to survive in Zone F, the most run-down and deprived ring of the Corporation. Will has to maintain his productivity if he is to avoid being sent to the Rator, but he knows that he’s lucky compared with the Zone F Breeders: they are born into debt and can only escape through participating in the Corporation’s reproduction program. When Will risks traveling to the less restricted Gray Zone, he gains a job from a corrupt Corporation official and finds a friend in Alex, a Breeder who is on the run. Things seem to be looking up for Will and Alex, but when their happiness leads to complacency, they risk losing everything they’ve worked for. Breeder by Honni van Rijswijk is a futuristic thriller set in a dystopian world where everyday life is terrifying and dangerous for the majority. It’s a scary but all too believable story.

Arrow’s Rest (The Offshore Novels, 3) by Joel Scott

Joel Scott’s Arrow’s Rest is a nautical thriller that certainly makes a splash. When fisherman Jared Kane sets out to find the perpetrators behind a sadistic assault on a female acquaintance, he ends up discovering far more than he bargained on. It seems that the assault is linked to a particularly dangerous criminal network with links to those in high political office. Events seem to center on an exclusive yacht club, which Jared considers to be the perfect place to moor his own rather more downmarket yacht, Arrow. With the help of his friend Danny MacLean, Jared sets about investigating all of the shady goings-on at the club, eventually embarking on a deadly chase through the Salish Sea that ends in tragedy for the Arrow and her crew. The thrilling storyline and healthy dose of danger make for an excellent slice of crime on the high seas.


The Murders That Made Us: How Vigilantes, Hoodlums, Mob Bosses, Serial Killers, and Cult Leaders Built the San Francisco Bay Area

Hey, what was that? That noise you just heard? I think it came from behind you. Is there someone there? Is someone in your house? What were you doing? Oh, just reading that whodunit mystery about the guy who likes to sneak into people’s houses and murder them? Cool. Well, here are six more you’re gonna love and they’re all true!

Seven Demons:

Jack Price is not an ordinary man, but then he’s part of the Seven Demons, who are also very much not ordinary people. One might be a cannibal, another loves blowing things up, and one who likes things with sharp edges and pointy ends; and then there’s Jack himself who has recently turned to high stakes cocaine dealing. But the Seven Demons have just taken on the ultimate heist with a considerable payday, from some clandestine Eurotrash business guy, assuming everything goes according to plan. Spoiler alter: things do not!

The Long-Lost Jules:

Amy just wants to live her quiet, private life as a London Banker, but things change when Leo, an Oxford professor shows up, believing her to be a distant descendant of Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr. She doesn’t trust; doesn’t know if he might be insane, eccentric, or something worse. Nevertheless, the two join forces and dive into the mystery of Queen Katherine’s lost baby, but the two also harbor plenty of dark secrets that will eventually come to light.

The Hollywood Spy:

It’s 1943, with World War II raging, but in Los Angeles a woman’s body has just been found floating in one of the city’s most popular hotels. Maggie Hope, who is an American born secret agent but also a British spy, starts investigating the case, things become a lot darker than she expected. But there’s also a lot more going on in the city with Ku Klux Klan and the Zoot Suit Riots to mention a few. Clearly things aren’t always as they appear in the movies.

The Stranger Behind You:

Journalist Joan Lurie is hiding our in a secure Manhattan apartment after exposing a notorious newspaper tycoon. Lilian Day witnessed a murder in 1941 and has remained at the Magdalen Laundry, as the refuge is known, ever since, now aged 96. And Melissa Osgood is grieving over her husband’s death, but she also suspects that there is more going on than meets the eye. The three women will be brought together, their stories woven, as they seek to solve their own mysteries.

Couple Found Slain:

Brian Bechtold was tried and convicted of murdering his parents in 1992 when he was just 22. He said he’d been possessed by the devil, and was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. Mikita Brottman does a deep dive, going into everything that led up to the eventual murders, and what happened to Bechtold after he was sentenced “not criminally responsible” and the 27 years he spent at the maximum security psychiatric hospital. What he has seen and experienced in that time have become their own pieces of true crime.

The Murders That Made Us:

San Francisco is one of the most renowned and most visited places on Earth, filled with history, iconic locations, and beauty, but there is also a very dark history; a sordid underbelly. Bob Calhoun reveals those stories, with the Summer of Love that ended with horrific drug dealer slayings, tales of the Zodiac Killer and the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, to the 1970s with the assassination of Harvey Milk. After reading this, you might not look at this unique city in quite the same light.


Hieroglyphics

This novel is aptly named in that the story and characters were totally obscure and unknowable to me. The author has them speak alternately in their own voices, but this reader could not differentiate one voice from another in terms of the four main characters. They all spoke exactly alike, so this device seemed unnecessarily confusing and inept. As the characters are unknowable, so is the story. It was difficult to keep going in this directionless manner. The story is overladen with the anxiety and stress of the mother of two boys who has to face her career in a courtroom during a murder trial. Little does she know that her young son feels the presence of gothic horror in their new house, which is filled with ghosts and memories.

This novel is purportedly about coming to terms with the stories of your parents and fully knowing your children. The author has written six other novels and stories. This book must be written for fans of McCorkle’s writing.


Crying in H Mart: A Memoir

Crying in H-Mart: A Memoir is Michelle Zauner’s story about growing up as one of the few Asian-Americans in a Pacific Northwest town. As Zauner grows, she encounters discrimination and a feeling of “otherness” that leads her to lean away from her Korean heritage in favor of trying to fit in. This leads to rifts with her mother (who she calls umma), whose heritage is so important to her.

When Zauner eventually moves to the East Coast to pursue a career in music, she learns more about her mother and their relationship begins to blossom into something truly lovely. Unfortunately, her mother is diagnosed with cancer soon afterwards, leading Zauner to move back home and try to fit a lifetime of love, memories, and embracing being Korean into the time that her mother has left.

I loved the way this book meshed a poignant story with wonderful descriptions of Korean culture (and especially Korean food!). The author is a fabulous storyteller. I’ll be thinking of this story for many years––especially every time I walk into an H-Mart.


Chance to Fly

Nat Beacon is thirteen and has a great life—a best friend, Chloe, who loves musicals just as much as Nat, her lovable dog Warbucks, and a wheelchair racing team that is competing well—when her parents announce they’re moving across country. Nat’s dad immediately finds her a new racing team to help her maintain her physical strength. When she is at practice, she spots a flyer for a teen theatre group putting on Wicked for their summer show. Nat has never seen it, but she knows the music cold, and she knows there is a character in a wheelchair. Her parents insist she shouldn’t try out, but she does anyway. Maybe she has found her tribe! Then there is a fire in the theatre and it seems all is lost. But is it?

Authors Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz have written a book that will be beloved by theatre kids and kids with disabilities. Stroker is the first person in a wheelchair to appear in a Broadway show and win a Tony. Her experience gives a great sense of reality to this sweet book. The story is compelling and the characters are absolutely believable. Don’t miss this.


The Hemingway Stories: As featured in the film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick on PBS

When Ken Burns takes on a new subject and makes a film about it, viewers know they will have a much greater understanding of the subject when they are through watching the film. There was no disappointment with the Ken Burns film of Hemingway except that one might not have the opportunity to read each of the stories discussed in the film. This compendium is an excellent companion for viewers with many of the short stories that were discussed in the film chosen and introduced by Tobias Wolff. Each story also has short commentaries from Tobias Wolff, Edna O’Brien, Abraham, Verghese, Tim O’Brien, Mary Karr, and more. They represent work from 1923 to 1939 and are a fine way to show the evolution of Hemingway’s writing. Many think, although he had several successful novels, the short story was the writing form Hemingway had mastered more than any other. With stories like Up in Michigan, Big Two-Hearted River, and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, readers have a fair representation of his stories, although there are holes if one is looking for a complete collection. This is not that, but it is an outstanding compilation of Hemingway’s stories.


Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes from the Garden: Recipes for Beautiful Beverages with a Botanical Twist (Unique Craft Cocktails)

So you’re sitting at home and you really want to make yourself a fancy drink. You’re admiring your alcohol selection and you’ve just been gifted some cool mixers to make something colorful and delicious, but the problem is you have no idea how to make anything other than a whiskey sour. Well, look no further, your prayers have been answered!

Big Book of Cocktails
This may be the only cocktail book you need with “more than 400 mouthwatering mixes, shakers, and shots” with glossy full color photos and detailed ingredients and instructions, you can choose start at the beginning and work your way through the book page by page, or randomly pick a page on weekends. The selection runs the gamut from Pimm’s Cup and Moscow Mule to Sidecars and Blue Blazers. You’ll be delighting and impressing your best friends in no time.

Japanese Art of the Cocktail
From the award winning mixologist, Masahiro Urushido, comes a cocktail book like no other. Urushido first honed his skills at the award winning restaurant Saxon+Parole, and then opened his own Japanese cocktail bar, Katana Kitten, which went on to become one of the most prominent bars in the world. In 2019 it earned the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best New American Cocktail Bar. And now you get the chance to do what’s been done at this award winning establishment and create some of these unique concoctions that are desired by many.

Summer Drinks
Summer may be coming towards and end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep making fruity, flowering, delicious colorful cocktails that have a summer feel. Maybe when the days are dark and wet, you might want to cast your mind back to when it was dry and warm and you were working on a tan. //Summer Drinks// can do this for you, with over a hundred cocktails from fresh and fruity to frozen and fierce, or perhaps you have a hankering for a mighty pitcher of Sangria. Then look no further.

Pantry Cocktails
Sometimes you don’t need all the fanciest ingredients to make truly amazing cocktails; sometimes everything you need you already have in your kitchen or your pantry. Whether it’s jams, condiments, pickles, and sauces, you’ll be shocked to learn what can be used to make some truly tasty and exceptional drinks. This book is about working with what you already have, instead of wasting money of fancy stuff you don’t even need.

Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes
Have you gone through all your cocktail books and feel they’ve got nothing new to offer? Feeling sour but not in a good whiskey way? Then I’ve got the book for you in //Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes From the Garden//. This book goes into depth with creating fresh and new cocktails using some great botanical ingredients you never would’ve thought of using. It also goes that one step further in not just taste, but impressive presentation. So when you have that neighbor over you’ve been wanting to impress, you can wow them with your drinks that came from the garden out back.

Shake Strain Done
Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed by what’s expect of you in cocktail books. You’ve read the instructions, you’ve even looked up how-to videos on YouTube, but it’s just too complicated. //Shake Strain Done// makes it quick, easy, and simple. The tagline here is: “if you can shake, strain, stir and turn on a blender, you can make great cocktails.” You want to make a cocktail without fuss and enjoy it as soon as possible, and this book doesn’t bog you down with the details and fancy techniques, but keeps it straight and simple so you can be imbibing your tasty homemade beverage in no time.


All About Mermaids

Mermaids and unicorns are subjects of great interest in my house, so when I saw the title All About Mermaids, I knew what I needed to do. My test audience demonstrated an unequivocal positive regard for the book, and I have to say that I did as well. A lot of our knowledge about mermaids is limited to the story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen and the danger mermaids pose to men, singing them to their deaths. This book goes beyond these common perceptions.

True to its title, All About Mermaids follows the structure of an encyclopedia, sharing the history, anatomical structure, habitats, and behaviors of mermaids all over the world. Mermaids are portrayed as strong and active, not merely sitting on rocks or pining near the shore but swimming with dolphins and leaping over the moon. I appreciate that mermaids of all shapes, sizes, and races appeared in this book; they were not confined to a certain part of the world. Vlad Stankovic’s illustrations, done with watercolors, colored pencils, and photoshop, conveyed the rich tones of underwater sea life and the exuberance of mermaids and mermen.


Duck, Duck, Moose

A little girl runs through the farm calling out for Duck, Duck, and Moose. She finds them playing cards. She tells them Goose is missing. She can’t find Goose anywhere. The four of them take off, shouting for Goose. They jump into a tractor pulling a trailer and drive across the farm. They ask other barnyard animals they run across. Sheep, Lamb, and Horse indicate which way they saw Goose going, but when they go that way, they find a locked gate is keeping them from going very far. The key for the lock is hanging high up on a tree. Duck and Duck climb up on top of each other on top of Moose, but they disturb a beehive. That’s not good! Will they get the key? Will they ever find Goose?

Mary Sullivan has written this silly story in perfect rhyme and a strong meter. Her illustrations convey a great sense of fun and her characters have terrific expressions. The youngest listeners will love all the silliness (What is Moose doing on a farm anyway?) and the rhyming, metered text as well as the silly details in the illustrations. Little ones will love this book.


Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World

Meet Sydney the skunk and Taylor the hedgehog! Taylor says he wants to explore the world, so Sydney and Taylor go together on an adventure. But then Taylor suddenly gets scared and wonders if he has made a big mistake. Will the two friends make it out of their burrow?

I love this book! It is cute, amazing, and a quick read. It has beautiful art and an adorable story. What’s not to like? Taylor is a shy hedgehog, and Sydney is his loyal friend. Taylor is my favorite character because he is a hedgehog, and I love hedgehogs because they are cute. I think it’s funny that in the book, most of the animals wear clothes. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series that are coming out later this year.

Join Sydney and Taylor to explore wildlife, and I hope you get a chance to read this book. I recommend this book to book lovers who love friendship and adventure stories.


Rescue at Lake Wild

Madison is twelve, but she already knows what she wants to do with her life. She will rescue wildlife, as her late grandmother had done and like her hero Jane Goodall. In fact, she is already doing it, unofficially and against her parents' wishes, but when she and her best friends, Aaron and Jack, discover two beavers have been killed, they know there are kits still in the lodge that must be saved. Ignoring the danger, Madison swims into the lodge and makes it out with two tiny kits. The kids have to hide them from Madison’s parents and find ways to feed them. They also take it upon themselves to use their detective skills to find out who killed the beavers. The town is thinking of putting a bounty on beavers! Things are getting desperate.

Author Terry Lynn Johnson always creates brave, daring girls to people her stories, and this book is no exception. The story is very compelling, the writing terrific, and readers will root for Madison and her two friends in their mission. There is some danger, but not too much for the middle-grade set, and a good bit of adventure. This is a winner.


Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America

Climate Courage by Andreas Karelas

A book about climate change doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom, but can be something positive and hopeful. //Climate Courage// is one of those books. Author Andreas Karelas makes it clear that we already have all the tools we need to not only combat climate change, but to heal the planet too. Focusing on stories from around the world where small changes lead to big success, along with the immense growth in new jobs in clean energy, //Climate Courage// is an inspiring read that makes the reader realize we not only have a chance, but we can really turn back climate change.

Advocating for the Environment by Susan Inches

When it comes to climate change, one can often feel just helpless at the insurmountable odds, and what change can one person do? //Advocating for the Environment// seeks to turn that concept on its head by presenting solutions that are policy-based and with a concentration on advocacy to actually make a change. A first of its kind book with discussions on storytelling with relation to climate change, as well as improving one’s skills with coalition building and communication strategy, and providing plenty of case studies to show it actually works. No matter how small, change can be achieved.

Design for a Living Planet by Glen T. Martin

//Design for Living Planet// is a deep dive into environmental design from an urban philosopher and a mathematician who is also a physicist, but they seek to make it clear and engaging for non-science minded readers. Covering new findings on subjects like fractals, networks, self organization, and dynamical systems to name a few, and even addressing some of the more revolutionary ideas. The authors make it clear a big change is taking place in modern design, and for those interested, this book has the answers.

Unsettled by Steven E. Koonin

Everyone has something to say about climate change, whether they’re climatologists, geologists, politicians, media, or ordinary people on the street. Everyone’s got an opinion, but which of them are actually true? //Unsettled// seeks to dispel the myths and inaccuracies about climate change and educate the reader on what is really going on and what can actually be done by the individual to help heal this planet.

Under the Sky We Make by  Kimberly Nicholas

We can’t have too many books that give us hope about climate change, and //Under the Sky We Make// is one of those books. Author Kimberly Nicholas draws on her fifteen years of public speaking around the world about sustainability, after realizing that people weren’t getting the right message that there’s nothing the individual can really do to combat climate change. Nicholas shows how it will require a lot of hard work, both societal and cultural change, but it can be done.

A Brief History of Earth by Andrew H. Knoll

Planet Earth has been around for over four billion years. To say that a lot has happened in that time is a vast understatement. And yet telling that four billion year story comprehensively is a gargantuan undertaking. But for someone looking to get a good idea of that immense history there’s //A Brief History of Earth//. Andrew H. Knoll is a renowned geologist who draws on his decades of field research to show just how much has changed on the planet, and perhaps most importantly, putting our current world in poignant perspective.


Things We Lost to the Water: A novel

Things We Lost To the Water is a powerfully written immigrant and refugee story spanning over two decades. Pregnant and alone during the Vietnam War, Huong decides to get in a boat. She flees Vietnam with her eldest child, Tuan, and without her husband, Cong. Huong, Tuan, and Binh (the newborn baby) resettle in New Orleans after they arrive in America. Life in New Orleans proves difficult, but the three grapple with adjustment, moving on, and life in America in completely different ways.

This is a compelling and poignant debut novel for Eric Nguyen. Told in the backdrop of the bayou, this is a heartbreaking tale of family, loss, identity, and survival. As a child of refugees, I can relate to Tuan trying to stay connected to Vietnam and to Binh, who goes by Ben, trying to assimilate to the US. It is a constant struggle to find that balance, and you feel torn and guilty from both sides pulling at you. This is an achingly beautiful Vietnamese migration story, one you don’t hear about often. A highly recommended read!


Gone: A search for what remains of the world's extinct creatures

Michael Blencowe, the author of this moving memento about  creatures that no longer exist, had in his youth formed a fascination for extinct organisms. In this book, he selects eleven recently vanished forms, several of which are new to this reader. The Great Auk, the Dodo bird, and the Pinta Island Tortoise have been noted earlier, but the stories of the avian Spectacled Cormorant, the Moa, the Huia, and the Kokako were unfamiliar. Amazingly the history of the Steller’s Sea Cow produced a cry of dismay, as did the mystery of the disappearance of the Ivell’s Sea Anemone and Schomburgk’s Deer, as did the Xerces Blue butterfly. Along with exquisitely painted representations of each subject, the author traces the location, historical figures, last sightings, and reports on each subject.  He mournfully visits the sites where most were last seen and reverently reviews their remains at the various museums. In this search for these extinct creatures, he travels through England, New Zealand, Thailand, the Galapagos, San Francisco, and elsewhere. His accounts point out how human predation, the introduction of non-native mammals, loss of habitat, environmental mistakes, and climate change contribute to species loss, and ongoing current evil. A timely read about fascinating animals by a gifted chronicler.


Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest

It’s likely that you have encountered Suzanne Simard’s astounding discoveries about trees: her work influenced the movie “Avatar” and has been described in Richard Powers’ novel The Overstory as well as in TED talks she has delivered. Now, for the first time, she describes her personal story and her life with trees, which are one and the same. Raised in a British Columbia family of loggers and spending her childhood summers on a houseboat, Suzanne grew up to become the most eminent forest ecologist of our time as she learned and painstakingly documented that trees communicate with one another. One surprising way this occurs is through a particular fungus on and in the extensive root systems of aspens, hemlocks, spruces, and cedars with a “Mother tree” at the heart of each network. Some Mother trees touch the earth with their branches, developing roots at the point of contact that produces new saplings. After reading this book, beautifully illustrated with color photographs, I view trees differently, gazing up at their leafy crowns while I wonder about what occurs below the ground and how we can best preserve these essential, beautiful parts of our planet.


Take Me Home Tonight

Two best friend. One night in New York. Kat and Stevie have one night to see a play and eat at the hottest restaurant in the city. But that's not counting for a dog, no cell phones and a hundred dollar bill. One wild adventure in the city leads both girls to the truth about their friendship, their choices and their future.

Take Me Home Tonight is a lighthearted read about friendship and growing up. It took me a little bit to get into the book, but once they hit the city I couldn't put it down. Every detail is important, everything has a purpose and comes back later in the story, leaving- though unrealistic it's believable- no loose ends. The only exception is Tori; the third friend staying at home to cover for Kat and Stevie. This little side plot has nothing to do with the main story. Is her story necessary? No. Hysterical? Yes.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers


Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good

Zoe has her life all mapped out with Simon. The only problem is that Simon strongly ridicules Bleeders, a series about a gory bleeding virus that his sister adores. Zoe secretly loves the series too, and she is so excited for the new season to start that she books herself a flight to Atlanta to see a midnight premiere at the comic con. When she misses her return flight, her new best friends help her maintain the charade while also making plans for the next con. Zoe’s lies get bigger and bolder in order to continue attending the cons, but her plans never stray, even as her parents, Simon’s sister, and Simon’s mother learn of her subterfuge. Is there a way to explain her love of the show to Simon?

The various comic cons, the newest playground in young adult fiction, provide a backdrop for diverse characters and hilarious situations as Zoe and her friends try to build the following for their favorite show. Her obsession with lists and her future plans evolve as she becomes more immersed in the comic con culture. Readers will love Zoe’s journey to discover that who you love shouldn’t determine what you love. Excellent fun!


Clark and Division

Thriller Roundup

If you’re looking for a tense and exciting thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat this winter, the five books included in this roundup all involve shocking and twisted crimes that are sure to keep you engrossed from the first page right through to the last.

The Truth of it All by Gwen Florio

Life has not been kind to Julia Geary. Her husband died while serving in Iraq, leaving her to bring up their four-year-old son alone. She works as a public defender in the small town of Fish Creek. The work is difficult and definitely not well remunerated. The combination of these two circumstances has led to her living with her overbearing mother-in-law Beverly, a situation that neither woman finds particularly comfortable. Julia is desperate to escape her unrelentingly dull existence, but when the chance finally comes, she ends up with far more than she bargained on. She is tasked with defending teenage Iraqi refugee Sami Mohammed after he is accused of assaulting Ana Olsen in the girls’ locker room at their high school. Strong anti-refugee sentiment is already festering under the respectable surface of Fish Creek life, and when the townspeople hear about the alleged assault, tensions threaten to bubble over into violence. Julia starts receiving threats and Sami is assaulted so badly that he ends up in a coma. Julia is determined to put up the best defense case possible, however, even if doing so brings her into conflict with the town’s leading families. The Truth of it All by Gwen Florio is a tense thriller in which Julia has to battle both her own prejudices and the schemes of those around her.

Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara

As Naomi Hirahara’s Clark and Division makes abundantly clear, life for people with Japanese heritage who were living in the United States during World War Two was far from easy, with many being forcibly relocated to camps such as Manzanar in California. In 1944, twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have recently been released from Manzanar and relocated to Chicago. Aki’s older sister Rose had been sent there some months earlier to begin a new life in the Japanese American community based around Clark and Division streets. Tragically, before the family can be reunited, Rose is killed after apparently jumping in front of a subway train, leaving Aki devasted. Although Rose’s death is officially ruled a suicide, Aki cannot believe that her beloved sister would take her own life and so, convinced that there must be more to the story, decides to investigate Rose’s life in Chicago prior to their arrival. Her attempts at playing detective are not within missteps and danger, but Aki’s love for her sister drives her on as she attempts to unravel a mystery that extends far beyond one family’s suffering.

The Night Singer by Johanna Mo

Hanna Duncker fled her home on the island of Oland after her father, a serving police officer, was convicted of murder. She then spent a number of years in Stockholm, where she too joined the police force, eventually becoming a detective. Now, in an effort to confront her demons and reconcile herself with the past, Hanna has returned to Oland and to the police department that previously employed her father. Many on the island, both within the police department and among society more generally, are not pleased to see a murderer’s daughter return to their community. On her first day in her new job, Hanna is sent to investigate the murder of fifteen-year-old Joel Forslund, the son of her childhood best friend. As many people are unwilling to cooperate with her, while others are still harboring resentments from years ago, the investigation proves tough going from the outset, but when Hanna starts receiving threatening messages and begins to suspect that someone is prowling around outside her bedroom window at night, things become even more complex. She’s determined to identify Joel’s murderer, but she’s unprepared for the fact that doing so will cast new light on her father’s case and force her to reexamine her thoughts about him and the murder. Johanna Mo’s The Night Singer is the first book in planned series featuring Detective Hanna Duncker and it’s a fine example of a tightly plotted police procedural.

No Second Chances by Rio Youers

In No Second Chances by Rio Youers, washed-up former actor Luke Kingsley spends his days ruminating on the implosion of his once-promising career and the general collapse of his life, which occurred following the mysterious disappearance of his wife, soul singer Lisa Hayes. The pair had been in a highly tumultuous relationship, frequently fighting and airing their grievances in public. It should really have come as no surprise that, following her disappearance, people suspected Luke of murdering his wife, although he was still shocked at how quickly he was abandoned by previously devoted fans. The only person who still seems to believe in him is wannabe starlet Kitty Rae, but she has some serious problems of her own. While waiting for her big break, Kitty has been working for the volatile Johan Fly, a drug dealer to the stars. When Johan discovers that Kitty has been ripping him off, he vows to make her pay, while Luke shrugs off his overwhelming sense of self-pity sufficiently to see that he should help her. As Luke navigates the twisted web of corruption and danger that Kitty has become entangled in, he unexpectedly finds a clue to his wife’s disappearance, which prompts him and Kitty to embark on a high-octane journey across the Mojave in search of the missing Lisa.

You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton

After museum curator Kacy Tremain is framed for embezzlement by her former best friend Aimee, she and her husband Michael move to Sugar Land in Texas in the hope of a fresh start. Still being persecuted by Aimee in the form of abusive messages in the mail, Kacy initially finds it difficult to settle and make friends, although she eventually becomes close to a few women in the community, including near neighbor Lena. While Kacy enjoys spending time with Lena, Michael becomes friends with her husband Brady, who tells him about the paranoid couple who previously owned their house. It sounds a bit outlandish, but when Kacy discovers cameras hidden in the house, it seems that what Brady was saying was true. Unfortunately, hidden cameras are far from the only surprise awaiting Kacy in Sugar Land. When Michael goes on a night out with Brady, he learns something about his new friend that causes him to head straight for the town’s police station to seek help. It soon emerges that Lena is missing, and Kacy and Michael start to learn the shocking truth about their good friends and neighbors. Sarah Warburton’s You Can Never Tell is a shocking thriller told partially from Kacy’s perspective and partially in the form of episodes of a true crime podcast, which heightens the tense and twisted nature of the story.


Florence Stories (Everyman's Library Pocket Classics Series)

Ah, Florence! Travel there and become enchanted. Live there and learn to breathe deeply as breezes from the Arno River cool the city on the hottest days. Pick up this beautiful volume of collected stores as you find a shade tree in the Boboli Gardens. As usual, Everyman’s Pocket Classic has published this lovely beribboned book filled with classic tales of the city of Florence. We begin, of course, with Dante and The Divine Comedy, but move into the modern with Somerset Maugham, Mary McCarthy, and D. H. Lawrence. These stories are wonderful; indeed jewels from the best writers lauding and inspired by the magnificent city. There are twenty-five stories in all. Many were not as well known to me as some of them.

Behold the home of Dante, of Michelangelo, of Leonardo de Vinci. Stendahl writes in the story, Rome, Naples, and Florence (1817). Read how Aaron in the D.H. Lawrence story,  Aaron's Rod becomes resurrected after a bleak start in his pensione. Even if we cannot travel there, this book immerses us in the historic and cultural ambiance of this ancient city.


Are You Enjoying?: Stories

This reader was very interested to learn more about the work of a Pakistani writer. The author is an actress as well as a writer. She was educated in the United States and lives in both countries. This gives her a Western sensibility, and her stories, as collected in this volume, seemingly reflect that.

The stories range from the well-known truism of a young actress facing the realities of the casting couch to couples using an arranged marriage to hide their secret sexuality. One of the more interesting stories involves a brother who beats up his sister’s fiancé in an attempt to manage the man’s indiscretion.

The title story concerns a young woman involved with an older married man. Like many of the author’s stories, this story rings true but reveals nothing deeper than a sad happenstance. Perhaps the world is shrinking so much that one culture seems very like another and the Western influence pervades completely. Unfortunately, these stories are relatable but not memorable.


The Omega Portal

"A conversation between two men that begins with a near-death experience that transcends all we seem to know about life and takes it to a whole new level. The Omega Portal opens the mind and the heart to endless possibility." --Alex Telander, Manhattan Book Review


Only Sofia-Elisabete

"Only Sofia-Elisabete by Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi is a whimsical romance that captures the perseverance and determination of love across time and space. Readers will appreciate the well-rounded characters and depth of the storyline the author achieves. Kobayashi has woven together a fresh, imaginative narration that will capture readers from the very first page. --Jessica Tingling, San Francisco Book Review


Return to the Light Within: How I Woke Up, Rediscovered Who I Am, and Found Happiness by Dmitria Burby is an inspirational guide and a spiritual memoir of what the author discovered in her life's journey. Tired souls bogged down by emotional baggage such as trauma and fear and those physically exhausted and encompassed by the illusion of failure or disappointing loved ones will learn something precious. Self-discovery, shedding limiting beliefs, facing the truths of reality, finding true purpose in life, and getting enlightened in the process irrefutably is divine intervention.

She reveals her personality, an insight into what she is made of. She gives a piece of her mind and her heart's desire to help the readers understand the importance of finding light in their souls unburdening from their sorrows, anxieties, or worthless ambitions. The deeper meaning to life than a successful career and financial stability is one of her realizations that will truly make sense to anyone who thus far has defined themselves by material success and misinterpreting and misunderstanding life's goals.

 The author's perception of the cocoon we live in is brilliant. Things we hold as truths are actually beliefs passed on from generation to generation. Experience teaches us life is not a fairy tale nor is it never-ending happiness without negative feelings. Life needs to be viewed for what it really is, accepting the cold, harsh truths. Stories of misfortunes, difficulties, and injustices told could prepare others so that they won't get surprised or shocked when they encounter the same or become a victim of circumstances.

We present a layer of illusion to others we communicate such as family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers without revealing our core self. Lies or fakeness is not always the case but the conscious or subconscious worry from anticipated wounds or the inability to accept being judged harshly for our imperfections is an accurate answer accepted by the enlightened. The illusion of our true nature prevents us from self-awareness blocking insights leaving oneself broken and fragmented hence exposing our vulnerable side and opening up about our secrets. It will be liberating rather than being imprisoned in our body and living behind a false facade.  How right! To climb the cosmic ladder, we must be fake, mentor our children to follow in the same footsteps is also not wise and sensible expected of educated guardians.

Reevaluation of self-worth in the realm of spiritual prosperity, not of material prosperity, is the main focus of this very strongly articulated book with good meanings and intentions. The author's candid account is thorough and positive yet lacks clarity in the final part with respect to certain aspects that need more elaboration and simplification as there is a distortion of reality and thrusting of one's fantasy.


Dmitria Burby’s Return to the Light Within: How I Woke Up, Rediscovered Who I am, and Found Happiness vulnerably recounts her personal journey from a high achieving career to becoming a spiritual healer. This memoir conveys Burby’s struggles with separating her self-worth from her productivity levels, guilt from her ambitions, and overwhelming anxiety revolving around her life’s purpose.

The memoir begins by highlighting the question of “Who am I?”, an answer many think they know but as Burby reveals do not. Her personal journey began with this question as she realized she could not answer what her purpose was and why she was unfulfilled. Living a seemingly picture-perfect life with a beautiful family and a very successful career, Burby struggled with these feelings, suppressing them. The more she pushed away from this unhappiness with “busyness”, the worse she became and developed severe anxiety. After taking medications and seeing therapists, Burby realized she needed to start a journey of self-discovery if she ever wanted to feel happy.

This journey, however, did not come easily. With a high-demanding job, it was hard for her to prioritize herself over her deadlines and she chose to switch jobs realizing this was essential for her growth. As the reader will find out, this switch was a catalyst for her learning on work culture, leadership, comfort zones, and empathy to others. In hindsight, Burby is able to look back and see both of these jobs as steppingstones to her ultimate purpose and path.

As the memoir continues an emphasis is placed on the experience Burby has with a shamanic healer. This healer helps her release repressed emotions and burdens from her childhood to the present, permanently changing Burby’s life. By cleansing her of the negative energy she was feeling, Burby finds the courage to shift her definition of success, changing her entire life’s focus. Instead of tying her confidence and worth to external success, she now finds the strength to see these traits as a personal path.
 Burby starts focusing more heavily on her children, marriage, mindfulness, mediation, and overall rebirth into a stronger, better version of herself. She is able to journey into her future with a renewed sense of clarity, finally being able to answer the question of “Who am I”. The more in tune she becomes with herself, she is able to help other people experiencing similar trials and is able to connect with the spiritual realm on a higher level. Personally unfamiliar with shamanic healing methods and visions, I found this memoir both educating and refreshingly authentic. To anyone struggling with their personal journey of growth and healing, this memoir is a worthwhile read.


A touching anecdote on the journey of self-discovery and restoration to one’s true self. Return to the Light Within: How I Woke Up, Rediscovered Who I am, and Found Happiness touches on life’s most important questions of true purpose, self-fulfillment, and the foremost importance of love. Empathetic, raw, and authentic this memoir will inspire self-exploration and uncover the gravity of healing. ---Theresa Kadair, San Francisco Book Review


The Princess Bride: A Counting Story

What do two lovers, three outlaws, and a six-fingered man all have in common? Well, they all come together to bring a well-known classic to life in The Princess Bride: A Counting Story. From one story begins a counting adventure. With darling illustrations geared toward younger audiences and bold full-page numbers, little readers will be counting faster than you can say, “As You Wish.” With all the classic characters combined with animals, dresses, kisses, and a few jeers, fans of the film will laugh their way through this book while introducing the cult classic to a whole new generation.

Fans of The Princess Bride will delight in this adorable board book counting adventure. The sturdy board book design is easy for little hands to hold while also conveying a bit of sentimentality for older readers. This book perfectly pairs people and objects straight from the movie, and the vivid, bold, and childlike illustrations easily make the book a new favorite.


Listified!: Britannica’s 300 lists that will blow your mind

If you are looking for the perfect book for that kid (or adult) who is simply interested in everything, look no further. This book is chock-full of the most interesting facts, with over 300 lists that cover, well, just about everything. The lists are divided into eight chapters: Space, Nature, Dinosaur Times, Animals, The Body, Being Human, Inventions, and Game Changers.

Readers will discover amazing things: there are 35 types of snowflakes, 7 species of plants eat meat, 10 animals seem to have superpowers, 1.4 billion insects exist for each person on Earth, there are 4-6 million red blood cells in a drop of blood the size of a pinhead, a mushroom in Oregon covers an area equal to 15 soccer fields, in 2006 a four-year-old child from India ran a marathon, Louis XIX was king for only 20 minutes, and much more. It really covers all kinds of things!

The book is a feast for the eyes, filled with fun illustrations and photographs on pages of many colors. This isn’t just a bunch of lists. There are chunks of text that give more information. The writing is conversational, engaging, and well-researched. This is a real winner!


Pizazz (1)

It is not always easy being a superhero, especially if you are a nine-year-old superhero named Pizazz who hates her super embarrassing name. Despite being a crime-fighting, city-saving superhero, Pizazz still needs to go to school. Cue *eye roll*. It’s difficult to make and maintain lasting friendships when Pizazz is constantly disappearing to save the day. *More eye roll*. When Pizazz and her friend Ivy try to save the local park from being demolished, will Pizazz be able to save the day with her super embarrassing superpower?

 I absolutely love the illustrations and the art in this book. The art is very retro-like, and the characters are super cute. I especially love Red Dragon, she’s absolutely adorable. I love all the supervillains like Lazerdome, Harry the Slime, GooGoo, and especially Twerknado who can destroy the city just by twerking. This book is perfect for young reluctant readers who like a lot of illustrations and are ready for longer chapter books. I recommend this book to young readers who like silly and wacky superhero stories.


Disney Baby Baby Signs: First Words

Disney Baby, Baby Signs: First Words is perfect for young readers who love to be read to. The book is interactive and shows them how to express themselves using sign language. The book is fun because it uses Disney movie characters to help show the word you are signing, for example, Winnie the Pooh eating honey to demonstrate the sign for hungry. Also, the emotion sad is demonstrated by the Sadness character from the movie Inside Out.

This book is very colorful, which is perfect to keep the attention of little ones. This board book is also very sturdy for those young readers who are just learning how to use books and how to turn the pages. This is a great book to read to a younger brother or sister. I think my little sister really liked it and I hope we can teach her some sign language using this book.


Pack Up the Moon

Popular Fiction

Sometimes finding a good book to read can be hard, because there are so many books in the world! So what if you limit yourself to just new books, so those released in the last year or so? That can be tricky too. Every Tuesday is special because it’s book release day, which means a bunch of new books are released to the world. Well, let me make it a little easier for you: here’s a list of recently released popular fiction to give you something to sink your teeth into and enjoy.

Pack Up the Moon
In what starts our as a kind of sad story turns into something beautiful and unique in Kristan Higgins’ //Pack Up the Moon.// Joshua and Lauren are happily married and love each other very deeply and cannot image life apart, but then Lauren is diagnosed with a terminal illness, but she has a plan after she is gone. A series of letters and instructions, one for every month of the year after her death, which he has to carry out. The stories, adventures, and experiences make him miss her all the more, but also love her in a whole new way.

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
Hailed as one of the best summer reads of 2021, //The Secret Keeper of Jaipur// is a story of intrigue and mystery. It is the summer of 1969 and Malik has just earned himself an internship at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their most recent project is an impressive cinema, but on opening night tragedy strikes as the brand new balcony collapses and obvious blame is assigned, but Malik has suspicions something else is going on here and decides to investigate. He grew up in this city and knows its hidden alleys and secrets well.

One Two Three
The Mitchell triplets live in the quaint and idyllic town of Bourne where nothing ever really interesting happens. Mirabel is smart and likes making things, like a cool voice app; Monday knows everything about books, even that one you didn’t know you were looking for; and Mab just wants to get good grades, head to college, and most importantly, get out of Bourne. But there is a dark history with the town, from an event that occurred seventeen years ago, and a new student has enrolled at Bourne Memorial High who happens to be the nemesis of the Mitchell family. Now things are about to become anything but boring.

Absolutist
It is the fall of 1919 and young Tristan Sadler is traveling to Norwich to deliver a collection of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, an incredible man whom he fought beside in the Great War and who he has immense respect for. In addition to the letters, Tristan must tell the story of himself and Will and the war, starting from the beginning with their meeting at Aldershot to end of their friendship in the trenches of France. A moving tale that is also filled with jealousy and betrayal.

Under the Wave at Waimea
Get lost in the warm waters of Hawaii with //Undet the Wave at Waimea// by Paul Theroux. Joe Sharkey, a renowned surfer known of course as “the Shark,” is now in his sixties and losing his popularity and sponsors, but is still respect by young surfers. In a freak accident, Joe kills a stranger and finds his life forever changed. But his girlfriend Olive, helps in learning the identity of the victim and discovering the dead man’s life, and in so doing, helps Joe get his life back together again.

Competitive Grieving
Stewart Beasley, a rising TV star, dies suddenly of an aneurysm. To Wren, Steward was her rock and her anchor, so now she must live her life without him and move on. But first she must plan the funeral to end all funerals. She is also surprisingly assigned the duty of disseminating Stewart’s possessions, and in so doing finds herself investigating his life and learning things she never knew about him. With a healthy balance of both laughter and tears, Competitive Grieving casts a new light on tragedy and grief that so many must go through.


The Stories of Musical Instruments

Do you like music? Are you a musician? Then you will find this book very interesting. I am a musician and play three different instruments. I liked this book because it tells about the different families of musical instruments like wind, string, percussion, and brass. I also learned about a new type of family of instruments, polyphonic instruments. This book was very informative about the origin of the instruments, the different types or variations of the same instrument. This book even has famous composers or famous musicians in each unit. I find it interesting that the history of the trumpet dates back to pre-historic times. How did cave people think to use hollowed-out bones to make music? Musical instruments and music changed since pre-historic times, thru ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, until now each with its own spin on music and instruments. Throughout time the trumpet looked different, but in the end, they all were a hollow long tube that you blew through to make sounds. As musical instruments changed and progressed so did the different types of music. One example is Dixieland Jazz would not have been the same without brass instruments like the trombone, saxophone, or trumpet. I like this book it has colorful illustrations and informative pictures


Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult

Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones captured her story growing up as the great-granddaughter of David Berg, the founder and leader of the Children of God cult that spanned around the globe and indoctrinated followers with the messages of end-times prophecies and free love. Thousands looked to David as the prophet who would lead them through the end-times. David spoon-fed his followers the doctrine that they were chosen to be the living examples of God's love. He accomplished this task via religious abuse coupled with the exploitation of minors and women.

Author Jones bravely told the harrowing story of her abuse within the inner circle of the Children of God cult and how she and the other children were forbidden to attend school, had little to non-existent medical care, and were forbade to speak to anyone outside of their cultic world.

Jones not only shined a marvelous light on the criminally destructive nature of religious cults and how the effects of abuse and mind control permeated every aspect of the followers' lives. Sex Cult Nun also provides a narrative of triumph that one could escape an egregious cult and create an authentic life free from abuse. As Faith Jones has done for herself, may her life story be a testament to the power of determination and the quest for freedom at all costs.


Raid of Souls

Robbing the Pillars, the first book in Kalen Vaughan Johnson’s Empire Barons series, introduced James MacLaren, a hot-tempered yet principled and socially conscious man who had been forced to flee from Scotland to the United States. Having settled in California, MacLaren was quick to recognize that the heyday of the independent miners was ending and that consortiums led by greedy and ruthless speculators were seeking to ringfence the spoils of the Gold Rush for themselves. His decision to champion the cause of the miners might have been morally correct, but it led to all manner of trouble and danger for MacLaren and those dear to him, including his wife Emma and his headstrong daughter Charlotte.

In Raid of Souls, Johnson picks up the story of James MacLaren following the shocking revelations and cliffhanger toward the end of the previous book. If anything, despite MacLaren’s best efforts to achieve parity, tensions between the independent miners and the powerful consortiums are higher than ever, as the depletion of the surface gold has made it necessary to mine even deeper, which requires costly equipment and expertise. Such investment rarely pays off for the little guy, and the consortiums are able to buy up failed mines at rock-bottom prices. The collapse of their businesses leads to increasing numbers of miners seeking employment with the consortiums, and it’s dangerous and backbreaking work. Rather than busying himself with his ranch, MacLaren decides to continue fighting the miners’ cause, spearheading the formation of a union and once again risking all that is important to him in an attempt to do the right thing.

Given the detailed nature of the story, as well as the interlinking plotlines and intriguing cast of characters, it would probably be useful to read Robbing the Pillars before tackling Raid of Souls, although Johnson does provide some valuable scene-setting and background information to help orientate readers who are new to the series. The book is rich in historical information and Johnson has done a great job of capturing the tone and atmosphere of California during the mid-to-late-1800s. It is clear that she has done a good deal of research into life during the Gold Rush and her enthusiasm for the period really shines through in the story. From the ranches to the mines to the “big city” of Sacramento, the locations are well described and authentic, while the characters’ concerns and dialogue generally ring true.

James MacLaren remains a gruff yet appealing lead character. His hyperawareness of the class struggle might sometimes blind him to the minutiae of life, but he is truly committed to helping the miners and exposing the dodgy dealings of big business. He is aware of the danger that his activities bring to those around him and so, this time around, he takes the step of sending daughter Charlotte to safety. Unfortunately, his desire to protect her might just have put Charlotte in the path of a romance that could spell trouble for those on both sides of the mining conflict. Reflective of real life, Raid of Souls is a slow-burning story of good versus evil and all the shades of gray that exist between the two.


Just Pretend

Tori Sharp is having a hard time with school, friends, and siblings, and her parents' divorce so she daydreams. Tori, who wants to be an author, dreams up a story about a sorceress and begins writing a story. Her parents’ divorce becomes difficult for Tori and her siblings. Sometimes Tori forgets whose house she wakes up in. Will her problems at home affect her relationship with her BFF, Taylor?

This is a great and interesting read! I can’t believe it was a true story. I feel bad that Tori had so many problems at home like when she had to go to her sister’s Emily dance lessons and she would be so tired she still had to finish all her homework. Divorce caused many problems for Tori, but she used it to daydream and write. In the end, her parents' divorce led her to write a book. I really liked the simple but cute illustrations in this book. I recommend this book to kids who love graphic novels, especially personal autobiographical stories.


Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life

Think of your funniest, smartest, most self-deprecating female friend. The one you can talk to about anything and trust that she will always tell the truth. If you can’t imagine that person, let me introduce you to Katie Sturino and her book Body Talk.

There were moments I had to put this book down because it was too familiar. Mean childhood nicknames, well-meaning adults whose attention to my changing body made me feel terrible, the horror of realizing clothes meant for my age group didn’t fit me. Yep, yep, and yep. Sturino uses her personal experiences and revelations to encourage readers to give up the battle against their body and free up that time for literally anything else.

Part self-help book, part memoir, part workbook, Body Talk is an invitation to examine your own relationship with your body and to accept it as it is right now. There were moments when it seemed to omit some important details, such as the fact that the nearly six-foot-tall Sturino has a proportioned body that is in line with traditional beauty standards. Yet, the overall message is that none of us are perfect and perhaps we should just stop trying to be. No one is going to call the police if we wear sleeveless tops or shorts in the summer heat, and no one will be harmed by our bodies being present in the world.


All the Way to the Tigers: A Memoir

Mary Morris stops just shy of having an obsession during her three-month hospital stay after a skating accident. She must see a tiger in the wild. Once home, she determines to pick up her life as an author and seasoned traveler, and remembering the words in Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice, she knows she must journey “all the way to the tigers.” This becomes her mantra and the title of her book.

Tigers are killers, but by taking the right precautions, the dream of seeing one can become a reality. Morris studied diligently to learn all she could before setting off for India, equipped with every last thing except warm clothes for her unexpectedly icy destination. She chronicles her daily expeditions to game parks, paying affectionate tribute to her expert guides as they pursue any sign or sound in the surrounding jungle.

This hold-your-breath adventure, featuring plenty of good humor along the way, shows the reward for persistence and how a smart, spunky woman who has reached a “certain age” can be as resolute and energetic as a youngster. Without revealing her success, let it be said that Mary Morris arrived back in New York satisfied with her trip.


With Teeth: A Novel

With Teeth opens with a startling scene—Sammie Lucas’s young son Samson is nearly kidnapped, seemingly willingly, by a strange man in the park. This is just the first of many moments in Samson’s life where Sammie is confused by her son and his inscrutable inner world. As Samson grows up, Sammie struggles to understand Samson’s quiet nature and often callous behavior, shouldering the main work of mothering as her wife Monika works a high-powered and time-consuming job. With Teeth tells the unidyllic family story of a less-than-perfect mother, her less-than-perfect son, and their less-than-perfect life.

With dark humor, Kristen Arnett vividly portrays the gruesome trials of raising a child, navigating crumbling and emerging relationships, and reckoning with one’s own past. Arnett’s depiction of a queer family is complex, funny, and textured, and she renders Sammie’s imperfection with nuance and humanity. This novel will leave readers at the edge of their seats, terrified to discover what terrible mistake Samson—or Sammie—is about to make next but unable to tear their eyes away from the dark, funny, and deeply human mess.


Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing: Essays

Lauren Hough has worn a lot of hats: she has been a member of the Air Force, a cable guy, a bouncer, and—as we see in this essay collection—a writer. She also grew up in the Children of God cult, also called The Family, an upbringing that took her around the world and forced her to take on a new name and identity at each new place she settled. In this collection, we bear witness to Hough's upbringing, its effects on her adult life, and what it's like to be a queer woman in the many places her life brings her, from the gay club where she works to the air force base where she's stationed.

Hough's voice as a writer is raw, frank, and unflinching, shot through with both humor and pain. In offering an unfiltered look at her struggles—and her triumphs—Hough gives her readers a sense of the messy, imperfect, terrifying difficulties of life, but also a sense of the unsentimental optimism that can be found in even the most unstable and troubling circumstances.


Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War (Tales of Great Goddesses)

Do you like stories of ancient Greeks? Do you study their Gods and Goddesses?  If so, then this book is perfect for you!

Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War is an amazing story about the many adventures of the Greek Goddess Athena and how she often helps human beings in need. Did you know that Athena was born by jumping out of Zeus' head?! I bet you didn’t know that! Athena was also the goddess that helped Perseus kill Medusa. Medusa was a gorgon with snakes for hair. If anybody looked into her eyes they would turn to stone and die. Perseus knew that he could not defeat Medusa alone so he went to Athena, the wisest goddess of all, and asked if she could give him any ideas to kill Medusa. She definitely had ideas. Guess what? It worked! As gratitude for her help, Perseus gave Athena the head of Medusa and Athena put it on her shield. She was truly awesome!

Athena was a brave and fearless goddess that loved to help humans. Even though the elder gods and goddesses didn’t always like it, Athena always did what she thought was best. This book was informational with lots of great pictures. It is a graphic novel that keeps you wanting to learn more as you turn each page. It makes you want to read the book from cover to cover in one sitting! I really enjoyed Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War and I think you will too!


Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel

Cloud Cuckoo Land weaves the lives of different people connected by one powerful story, spanning the course of hundreds of years. In ancient Constantinople, an orphan who yearns to read crosses paths with a village boy fleeing his home in Bulgaria. In modern-day Idaho, an octogenarian rehearses a play with children in a library, where a teenage boy has planted a bomb. And in the future, a young girl lives on an interstellar ship, immersed in stories told to her by her father. Eventually, these stories come together in one compelling ending.

Anthony Doerr’s prose is as beautiful as it was in All the Light We Cannot See, but in Cloud Cuckoo Land, it covers historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary all at the same time. At times, this combination was a little much -- while ultimately connected, each story feels drastically different until the end, and some narratives were a lot more interesting to me than others. Still, the story is unique, with echoes of Cloud Atlas, and another testament to Doerr’s incredible skill as a writer.


The Darkest Flower (Allison Barton, 1)

At a fifth-grade graduation celebration, a PTA mom becomes terribly sick, having been poisoned by The Darkest Flower in the garden, wolfsbane. Even though they were friends, the main suspect is the one who handed her the drink, PTA president Kira Grant. She had no motive, but all the circumstantial evidence points to her. She hires single mom, Allison Barton, as her defense attorney to clear her of these ridiculous charges so she can get back to her normal life. As Allison prepares her defense, she discovers that motives abound and Kira knows a lot more than she is letting on. Allison has to decide how much she actually wants to know or does she just want to succeed?

I really enjoyed this story which was a mix between a law procedural, thriller, and psychological drama. Allison’s character was great and you can’t help but love to hate Kira. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to be the perfect parent with perfect kids or have had to deal with a terrible boss and you enjoy thrillers, I definitely recommend this book. I look forward to seeing what other kinds of terrible clients Allison has to deal with in the future.


Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

In Cultish, Amanda Montell digs into the language that drives the engine of cults and “cultish” organizations. Montell turns her attention to everything from bona fide cults like The Family and Scientology to the cult-like environments found in SoulCycle classes and multi-level marketing communities, offering a linguist’s take on how these groups draw in members—and keep them in. Along the way, she muses on why cults have appeal, both for the people drawn into them and the people who are eager to learn everything they can about them.

Cultish is well-researched and well-written, covering a wide range of cultish groups in a highly readable way. The analysis Montell offers, however, sometimes feels a bit one-note—as she turns from section to section, the same takeaway seems to emerge again and again. This continuity in itself is not problematic, but I found myself wishing for a deepening of the linguistic analysis as the book continued. At times, Montell glances over different cults and cultish groups in ways that left me wanting more depth and detail, since the mysterious workings of cults is, after all, deeply fascinating. Overall, Cultish is a well-done look at a range of cultish groups that, despite its shortcomings, will appeal to readers hoping to understand more about why cults are so transfixing.


The Secrets of Us

The Secrets of Us tells the story of two women who became sisters through the foster care system. Having run away from an awful, abusive foster home in which a girl dies and the daughter of the foster mother is evil, Krystal and Nichole finally feel as if they've escaped a nightmare. Krystal is now a successful attorney and Nichole is married to a wonderful man named Aiden. The past comes back to haunt the two girls, however, as Nichole burns her house down with Aiden inside it. Now, she faces arson and attempted murder charges. She is in a fugue state and so is committed to a mental hospital. Krystal is the only one who knows Nichole's secrets, and she knows that she must get to the bottom of things.

The Secrets of Us is a suspenseful tale that will keep your heart thumping as secrets are revealed. The story is written from the alternating points of view of Krystal and Nichole as well as in the past and present. This paints the intricate background and current state of both girls and really helps the reader to picture everything from their perspective. This is a must-read book for fans of twisted suspense novels.


King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King

Daniel de Vise presents a duel biography of B.B. King and his guitar, Lucille, and how together they changed the kingdom of music with singing strings. The narrative quite naturally drags at its opening (like a live band warming up for the main event), tracking the hardscrabble life of a young sharecropper guitar player rambling around the Mississippi Delta. A happy childhood does not a "blues" man make.

At the risk of cheating a connoisseur of historic blues of the feeding-frenzy deluge that comes with more than a century of cultivation, de Vise compresses the decades that built B.B. King's brand into a legend; otherwise  we might have before us volume upon volume. The result of the author's effort leaves us wanting more yet still left with an encyclopedic amount of detail with more than ample information about the blues and the people who created them. Here are the stories of all but forgotten Delta bluesmen, the generations that they influenced musically, and how their songs traveled to Europe and back to Americans who might have missed out if not for the boomerang effect.

Peppered with memories both pleasant and painful, this masterpiece catalogues a long play list of songs and the bluesmen who recorded them.


The Last Windwitch

In a world of magic, something is not right. There are elemental powers on the loose and the Queen of Crows, an evil sorceress, wishes to tap and take their power. But there is hope. There is a rebel group, the Circle of Thistles, that wishes to oppose her. Into this comes Brida, a girl with mysterious powers and an even more mysterious parentage. The Last Windwitch is a serious, dark, compelling tale of dark magic, elemental powers, and how tyrants fall. There are a lot of situations where humans turn into animals and are controlled via magic. These situations are scary and there are many graphic descriptions of monsters. The Last Windwitch is very much for teens and I would recommend it to high school libraries or middle school libraries. This is a book I would recommend to teens of age eleven and up that like dark, scary, suspenseful novels. It is very fast-paced and does not spend much time on pure character development. The Last Windwitch is set in a seemingly creative world, yet beneath that, there are common fantasy tropes and characters with stereotypical personalities. It is hard to put down, so I would recommend starting it on a weekend morning and reading all day. If you want a serious, scary, tense fantasy novel, The Last Windwitch is for you.


The Commune

This novel about the women’s movement is billed as a comic satire but I found it to be more of a snide, thinly veiled tale of revenge. Told from at least eight characters’ perspectives—but primarily, from Leora’s—it is laden with name-dropping, gossipy dialogue, and rumination, interspersed with a few slapstick scenes, such as a kayak overturning. Nearly all of the characters are spiteful, disparaging of others, unhappy, and disingenuous, and I found it impossible to root for any of them. Sentences such as “Leora sensed herself undergoing a transformation” are just plain clunky.

The plot centers on a loose commune of women and men over a summer spent planning a huge “Women’s Strike,” but we learn nothing of what it takes to create a social movement, only pseudo-feminists being alternately catty, lusty, insecure, or mean-spirited. I very rarely write negative reviews, but while the fictional “strike” succeeds, this novel does not.


Never Saw Me Coming: A Novel

Chloe Sevre is a freshman at John Adams University. She also happens to be a psychopath, one of seven in a special program at Adams. The study aims to determine whether psychopaths can be taught how to live normal lives. Chloe came to the university with plans to kill a certain junior who wronged her when she was twelve, so the psychologists certainly have their work cut out for them. Even though the subjects aren’t supposed to know who the others are, some of them are being murdered. Chloe has to work with the other subjects to find the killer, but can you really trust a psychopath? Find out in Never Saw Me Coming.

What a different take on the classic murder mystery: a story where you end up rooting for the psychopaths. The whole premise of this book was incredibly interesting and I would recommend it to those who enjoy psychology. There are possible triggers, such as rape and graphic descriptions of murder, as well as sexual acts and language, so be aware before diving into this. The author does a great job of capturing what it’s like for your average psychopath. I look forward to reading more of her work.


When the World Turned Upside Down

Shayla is always bored in school, and she doesn't really want to hang out with her friends Ai, Ben, and Liam. But that changes when the school closes because of a new virus. Now they are all locked up in their apartments, and Shayla starts helping Ai, Ben, and Liam. They help the neighbors. And then they hear that a lot of Black people are getting killed, and Shayla, Ben, Liam, and Ai want to make a change.

I haven't read a book where the story happens during COVID-19 before, and it was interesting to read one. This story was all about friendship, family, and fighting for equal rights. Sometimes I lost a little interest. The characters were fun to read about, and I liked how every one of their families reacted differently to the world turning upside down.


Legacy: A Novel

If I had to use one phrase to describe this book it would be "all over the place." The book starts out with a little girl named Adrian and her mother, Lina, who is a fitness and yoga guru. Lina ends up killing Adrian's father, a married serial-cheater, when he comes over to their house and attacks Adrian's nanny, Mimi, and Adrian. Fast forward several years and Adrian has her own fitness company under her mom's label. She starts receiving hate mail and death threats and Lina tells her that it's part of having fame and fortune.

The book goes into heavy detail and deep discussions between Adrian and her grandparents and friends, and it seems like there are little plots all throughout the book. The story tends to waiver from the main plot of the death threats. There is also a lot of death in this book not related to the death threats, which gives the book a vibe of sadness at times. Then the story about Adrian and her friends and family picks right back up again.

Overall, this is a well-written story with nothing left out. In fact, I'd say it had a little too much content and was a bit boring at times.


Vulnerable AF

Poetry and Short Story Roundup

If you’re looking for a challenging and insightful read this summer, the following four collections of poetry and short stories, all written by inspiring and innovative women, run the gamut of emotions and experiences and so are sure to fit the bill.

Back to the Light by George Ella Lyon

Back to the Light is a collection of poems that together describe the life and development, both emotional and spiritual, of one woman. From a childhood characterized by uncertainty, fear, and repression through to the dawn of adulthood and a reconnection with both her body and the truth of her past, she grows into her dual role as a wife and a mother, before rejecting such constricting norms and seeking wisdom from great women: writers, singers, teachers, even Mother Earth. She eventually succeeds in attaining a level of self-belief and self-knowledge that helps her to perceive her place within the throng of humanity, which finally allows her to heal from old wounds. In exploring the course of the narrator’s life, George Ella Lyon crafts poems that are by turns tragic and humorous, inspirational and oppressive, puzzling and enlightening. This collection beautifully highlights the healing power of poetry and the strength that each individual carries within themselves.

These Bodies by Morgan Christie

Through the eleven short stories contained in These Bodies, Morgan Christie examines the complexities inherent within relationships, focusing particularly on the experiences of people of color. Each story centers on a unique character, and whether that character is a struggling father determined to better himself, a child who wants to be recognized for living as their authentic self, or any other permutation of humanity, Christie succeeds masterfully in making both them and their story seem real and relatable. She strives to highlight the stories of people whose tales generally go untold, and in doing so, she champions the relationships of flawed individuals fighting to reconcile their failings with their hopes. The stories often feature several layers of meaning, causing readers to question if everything is really as it seems and to ponder what the future might have in store for the eclectic cast of characters.

Dandelion by Gabbie Hanna

Gabbie Hanna’s Dandelion is an unusual collection of short poems, vignettes, illustrations, and snippets seemingly transmitted directly from the author’s unconscious mind onto the pages of the book. Plumbing the depths of Hanna’s psyche, the included works explore the experience of declining mental health in a world in which such matters are all too frequently overlooked, underplayed, and/or stigmatized. Veering between the absurd and the tragic, the poems trigger a roller-coaster of emotions and prompt questions as to what mental health entails and how it should be addressed, both as a concept and as an illness. As a whole, the collection serves almost as a journal chronicling Hanna’s thoughts and experiences of times of emotional turmoil and bouts of stability. The book also includes an impactful selection of personal essays by Hanna, in which she tackles issues stemming from her childhood and prior relationships.

Vulnerable AF by Tarriona Ball

Vulnerable AF records Tarriona “Tank” Ball’s recollections of the experience of mistaking infatuation for love. Perhaps inspired by the host of romance novels she read to while away the time when working in a nursing home, as a young woman Ball believed herself to be in love with a person she barely knew, and unfortunately, it was the “can’t-eat-can’t-think-can’t-sleep type of love.” To reconcile this non-epic relationship in her mind, Ball has set down her thoughts and feelings in the form of brutally honest poems and short stories that detail the highs and lows of infatuation. Her words flow beautifully, and despite their often weighty subject matter, they are brimming with humor, hope, and strength. Ball lays bare the pain associated with unrequited love and missed opportunities, and she highlights how it is possible to overcome an infatuation in a way that leaves you all the stronger for the experience.


Saints and Martyrs: Novel

John Steinbeck suggested that one of the most heartbreaking lessons a child learns is that their parents are not always of divine intelligence and that the realization "is an aching kind of growing." The entirety of Aaron Roe’s Saints and Martyrs can basically be summed up in that one quote. It’s a coming-of-age story about a young man who yearns for a way to connect with his late father. He looks for him in God, in old letters, in the divine nature of the universe, praying that one day he can amount to one iota of what his father was.

Unfortunately for Damien Kirk, reality rarely lives up to fantasy. He creates father figures in everything he does. He latches onto religion, saints, anything infallible and unreachable in order to try and connect with his late father, including a bid for sainthood. While Damien has serious intentions on becoming a saint, one mishap after another results in stressful obstacles that have him second guessing his meticulously planned future.

Any survivors of Catholic guilt will appreciate the oft bumbling Damien, who just can’t seem to find his way. Perfect on paper, his upbringing and piety are so straight-laced and shiny that his seminary disperses them en masse as their own, extending the illusion of perfection that Damien is so desperate to be reality. However, it doesn’t create the saintly path he hopes for. Damien finds himself so at odds with what he wants and how he feels that it isn’t until he meets Eden, a young boy with cancer, that he truly starts to understand himself. Eden causes Damien’s idols to crash and shatter and his path to truly open up. Choked by the cassock that once gave him reassurance, Damien finds himself broken and lost; a true messiah in the garden.

Saints and Martyrs was a relatively easy read, although the story dragged for most of the novel. It did pick up in the second half once Damien had found his foil, but it felt like it came almost too late. Most of the characters weren’t sufficiently fleshed out, making it difficult to dredge up any interest in them. However, the story itself is a good one and there were cheeky parts that had deeper meanings behind them. Even the title’s initialism seems like a nod to the sadomasochistic nature of sainthood and martyrdom.

In the end, anyone who has had cause to undertake the difficult task of finding themself will enjoy this Bildungsroman about a young man searching for his father and finding himself instead.


Saints and Martyrs: Novel

Saints and Martyrs depicts a seventeen-year-old teenager on a journey to attaining sainthood as he battles with his natural, earthly cravings and lives with his overbearing mother. Damian plans to write a biography about his late "mighty, successful, famous" father, who he misses greatly. But how can he make his father's plumbing job, which he had fun and entertained clients with, resemble the "somber diligence" that defined Saint Joseph? Damian's wish is to make his father appear saintlike—a quality he wants to achieve for himself too. First, he must repent of his lust and his unsaintly frustration at home. Tired of his mother pressuring him into the priesthood and compromising the sincerity of his calling to join the seminary, he plans to run away, move in with his weightlifting coach, and look for a job. Eventually, he finds the seminary does not meet his expectations, and instead of bringing him closer to his father in heaven, it is filled with dirty secrets and a reality he would have to come to terms with.

Like the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for." Damian thinks that attaining his goals would make him happier and more spiritual but later finds himself caught in a web of lies, which defeats his purpose. Consequently, he discovers a more liberating, less superficial path. The plot reveals how we come to get the full picture of the dreams we initially glamorized while growing up. Damian's dream of getting into the priesthood would resonate with everyone who has ever had a burning dream or goal. The book also shows how important it is to remember the reason we started on our paths and not get derailed along the way. Parents would learn how to relate with their children and trust them to make the right choices.

  Damian is portrayed to be quite observatory and perceptive. An example is his observation of a professor's frail hands, which were unlike his dad's hands: "calloused, taut, and strong, even on his deathbed." Aaron Roe's vivid descriptions transported me to the front rows of the scenes; I could almost perceive the "fresh smell of pines" that gave the grounds "an alpine ambiance".

Saints and Martyrs is clearly different, though in a good way. In fact, I loved it! I get a warm, happy feeling every time I remember the story and its protagonist—whom I happened to like as he reminded me of my struggles with the same issue of one's hormones clashing with their Christian values. I recommend the book to readers who love narratives about discovering oneself and anyone interested in reading a good book that would make them laugh, reminisce, and learn at the same time.


The Brides of Maracoor: A Novel (Another Day Book 1)

Enjoy reading about threats from an alien race, journeying to Mars, and a political epic fantasy while you explore this selection of fantasy and science fiction reads that will take you into another world. Check out the sequels to /The Salvation Sequence/ and /Wake the Dragon/, a spin-off from Gregory Maguire that expands the /Wicked/ world, and the next book in the /Court of Thorns and Roses/ series.

Salvation Lost – Peter F. Hamilton

Book two of /The Salvation Sequence/ explores the encounter that utopian earth has with a visiting race of aliens that are quickly discovered to be among the worst threats that mankind dealt with. The Olyix plan to convert the residents of earth into their belief system under their own god. But the aliens didn't expect mankind to fight back. As the Olyix try to take power, humanity is more determined than ever to stop them before they're the ones destroyed.

The Brides of Maracoor – Gregory Maguire

Kicking off a new series, this spin-off from Gregory Maguire features Rain, the green-skinned granddaughter of Elphaba. It was ten years ago when the fourth and final volume of /Out of Oz/ was released. Rain washes ashore on a strange island where she's saved by a women community that uses devotional practices considered more obscure. A mysterious navy attacks the mainland which causes the civil-servant overseer over the island to wonder how an alien could put a whole nation under threat. This new trilogy will follow Rain's journey as it takes her from an outpost on the island to the uncharted Maracoor badlands as she works to find her way home again where she'll return to her family and lover. The beauty and suffering of Oz come to life through the mystery, injustice, and possibility of this story that serves as a reminder of the sacred terrain found in our lives.

A Court of Silver Flames – Sarah J. Maas

Nesta is known for how slow she can be to forgive and how quick she can be toward anger. Ever since she became High Fae by force through the Cauldron, she has worked to fit into her new role. Cassian is the best at making her angry and she can't avoid him thanks to his own role in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court. The friction between them is just the beginning as the two have an undeniable chemistry that draws them closer when they're near each other. As if this wasn't enough, the human queens have joined forces and this proves to be a threat against every realm. To stop them, Nesta and Cassian each have to confront the pasts that have haunted them which is a journey set against a background of war and uncertainty. Together find healing and acceptance as they battle monsters and inner demons.

Thin Air – Richard K. Morgan

Hakan Veil is a killing machine after he received body tech that's military-grade and once a corporate enforcer, he's now been abandoned by his former employers. He's been left on Mars where overlords that are earth-based engage in a fight for profits and power despite the growing independence movement. Harkan quickly grows tired of life on Mars and searches for a way to return home which leads him to accept a position from the Earth Oversight organization. The job makes him a bodyguard for an EO investigator. It's easy to work until his charge looks into what happened to a lottery winner that suddenly vanished. The deeper he's drawn into this world, the more secrets reveal themselves and push him up against enemies that he must take down – no matter what.

Vengewar – Kevin J. Anderson

The second book in the /Wake the Dragon/ series continues with war unfolding between The Three Kingdoms and Ishara. For over a thousand years, the two sides have been at war until an outside threat made itself known. An ancient race awakened which brought the two continents together and had them put aside their feud to form an alliance against this common enemy. Book one led to the awakening of a dragon which created events that set the two continents against each other. Now in book two, the Three Kingdoms is facing serious consequences thanks to having a king that is inexperienced. The king is receiving encouragement from a regent, with a lot of ambition, to not take threats made by the Wreths seriously and to instead choose a vengewar with Ishara. His brother and uncle spot the danger that lies within the Older Race. Meanwhile, the Ishara queen lies comatose which provides the opportunity for a priest to take power only to fail the country when he doesn't have the experience to effectively it.

The Wood Wife – Terri Windling

Maggie Black has left the fashion of her old life behind on the West Coast in exchange for a new life in the Southwestern desert. She's determined to pursue her dreams even if this means starting over. Her mentor, the poet Davis Cooper, died under mysterious circumstances and left his estate to her. Now it's up to her to figure out the mystery of his life and the cause of his death. Maggie is drawn into this new life she discovers and is captivated by the people she meets – including Fox. He's unlike any man she's met before and he has a deeper understanding of the power the desert possesses. Maggie uses Cooper's letters as a way to understand his life and soon this search draws her to the ancient spirits residing within the desert.

The Blue-Spangled Blue – David Bowles

Over a hundred years ago, the Aknawajin came to a planet called Jitsu where they were forced to serve as workers. Despite their oppression, they've won their independence and have gotten freedom from the corporate owners of the world. The planet has started to allow humankind to enter which allows for an architect, that also serves as a leader to a religious reform group, named Tenshi becomes acquainted with Brando D'Angelo who left earth to work as a teacher on Jitsu. Tenshi shares about her faith in the Path with Brando and guides him on his own journey which inspires him to say goodbye to his identity and to reform under the guidance of Tenshi so he can obtain a soul. Tenshi's enemies create obstacles for the couple while the growing struggles on Jitsu cover up the plans of a dangerous mind. They'll be guided along a new path that will inspire the creation of a movement that will have effects on history.


The Clovis Dig

The Clovis Dig, by Teri Fink is an exciting read, jammed pack with adventure, mystery, and rich in culture. Claire Courtney, the main character, is an orchard farmer living in East Wenatchee Washington. Claire profits off her acres of cherry and apple crops, but unfortunately, her harvest is suffering. She finds herself in deep financial trouble, as she owes debt upon debt to the bank. Claire works alongside her manager, Carlos Barbados, a Mexican immigrant who has been part of Claire’s life since childhood. Hardworking and honest, Carlos was hired by Claire’s father twenty years prior and has grown alongside her family and the orchard. Truly a dynamic duo, Carlos and Claire have taught each other their native languages, customs, and have grown to become best of friends. One day after working in the fields, Carlos discovers a strange artifact which he takes to Claire. Claire calls Washington State University to report the find, and Joe Running, a Native American archaeology professor, drives down to the orchard to investigate. One thing leads to another, and Joe soon realizes this artifact is from the Clovis culture, a very rare and exciting find. Adventure is in store for the trio as archeologists move into the orchard and try to uncover the secrets of the past. As the press and public move in, a horrific discovery is made at one of the dig sites. All are at a loss of what to do, and the plot thickens as past secrets begin to come to light. This story is not without many plot twists. Readers will find a murder in store, peaceful protests, love affairs, and deceitful characters.

Fink did an excellent job with the plotline, character dialect, and conclusion. I thought the way the story played out was exceptionally clever, and I could not guess as I read what the ending had in store. Rich in Native American and Hispanic culture, this book holds diverse characters and strong female leads. I especially appreciated the anecdotes about Joe’s life on the reservation, as well as what his experience was growing up as a Native American in the United States. Exceptionally thought-provoking, I found myself curious to learn more about current Native American reservations and their whereabouts. Fink did a wonderful job capturing the importance of preserving Native American artifacts and protecting their land. Although focused on archaeology, this read really would interest any adult reader. A beautifully written mystery, Fink’s tale is one you do not want to miss out on!


Pencilvania

When Zora's mother dies of Leukemia, Zora is miserable. To make matters worse, she loses the warm spark that gives her imagination, which her mother used to call her Voom. Zora just wants to forget. So, one day, she lets it all out. She scribbles over the drawing she traced for her little sister, Frankie's, birthday. She scribbles page after page with her dark green pencil. Soon after, they get pulled into a world named Pencilvania... which is filled with Zora's drawings. The creatures here think she eats balloons and is secretly two hundred feet tall. But, to make things even worse, the scribbles have kidnapped Frankie! Zora knows she has to save her little sister. But will she be able to rescue the only person who matters to her anymore?

I really enjoyed reading the adventures Zora went through in Pencilvania to save her sister with her seven-legged horse, Airrol. The illustrations really looked like they were drawn by the characters in the story as it went along. I liked the characters a lot. I thought they were exciting, funny, and realistic.