Star Scouts: The Invasion of the Scuttlebots

Avani, a girl who has joined the star scouts instead of the flower scouts, has made a new friend named Pam. Pam is a methane-breathing alien from the methane scouts while Avani is an oxygen scout like the rest of her friends. Oxygen breathers and methane breathers are supposed to get along, but it’s not easy. Luckily, Avani and Pam are friends and can get along easily. However, when both scouts get into groups, Mabel, an alien who has just pupated, feels jealous of Pam and Avani's friendship because Avani has been best friends with Mabel since before she met Pam. Mabel accidentally sends a scuttlebot, a type of robot, to destroy Avani and Pam's friendship. Avani and her friends go back to Earth to stop the scuttlebots and save the people. A book like this is an awesome book because it's very funny and spunky. I feel bad for Mabel, but invading Earth is pretty bad. My favorite part is when the team combines into a robot at the end. My favorite character is Avani. I recommend this book to anyone who likes aliens and teamwork.


Lily the Thief

Lily is a thief. She steals relics, keys, and other things. Seamus is also a thief, and Lily learns from him. Many people did not think that Lily would make a good thief, so she wanted to prove to them that they were wrong.

There is an evil Lord who wanted Seamus to steal a special key, but he refused. The Lord wanted to torture Seamus, but Lily saved him. She agreed to find the key for the Lord in exchange for a prize.

I like Lily because she's nice, brave, and tough. She does things like stealing that most girls would not like to do.

The story is more serious, definitely not a light-hearted story. The illustrations are more dark and bloody, especially toward the end. There was a good amount of killing in the end of the story.

I think this book should be read by older kids like pre-teens or teenagers because of the bloody scenes. I recommend this book to older kids who like to read stories about believing in yourself.


Among the Lost

The closest the identical Snead twins, Vera and Tamara, ever were was at birth. From that point on, because of circumstances and personalities, they grew apart.

Since “the pair lacked even the tiniest of character traits that might have compensated for their unfortunate appearance,” they both fell upon desperate times, but Tamara, being “a much more convincing ass-kisser,” inherited their father’s seven-million-dollar estate.

So, when Tamara’s husband, Thomas Padgett, contacts Vera suggesting he has a lucrative proposition for her, she’s surprised and interested.

Thomas has learned his wife is planning to divorce him and leave him penniless. However, there is a way to make it right for both the long-suffering spouse and the disinherited sister. If Tamara should meet with an “unfortunate accident”, Vera could assume her identity and, after a suitable period of time, file for a divorce from Thomas, and they could split Tamara’s fortune as the settlement.

The plan is agreed upon and Tamara is dispatched in San Juan, a destination on the cruise she and Thomas are taking. Vera is waiting there and accompanies Thomas back to the ship in her new role as Mrs. Padgett.

Andrew and Karen MacCrimmon are on the same cruise, and when Karen tells her husband the woman with Thomas is someone other than his wife, he’s intrigued. An “incurable meddler,” Andrew tricks Vera into revealing her true identity, and well-laid plans begin to go awry.

Among the Lost begins with promise. The motive for murdering Tamara, Thomas’s wife and Vera’s identical twin, is believable, even though the plan to carry it out has obvious flaws.

For example, the cruise seems unnecessary and risky when Thomas could have murdered his wife at home, got rid of the body, and he and Vera could have gone to some foreign destination where no one knew them. Once Vera had assumed her sister’s identity and shed her own, they could have proceeded with the divorce and split the assets.

Despite my misgivings with this early failing in the plot, I continued on because of the originality of the two antagonists and the professional quality of Croft’s writing. The introduction of Andrew and Karen, appealingly flawed protagonists, added an interesting dimension.

The story begins to unravel for me when Karen notices Vera is not Tamara and Andrew decides to investigate. It seems incredulous that Karen would notice innocuous things about a stranger and that Andrew would care. When Vera and Thomas overreact to Andrew’s unsubstantiated inquiries their credibility is destroyed along with the rationality of the plot.

As Among the Lost progresses, Andrew takes on the traits of an ubermensch while the villains evolve into bumbling stooges. Both characterizations are extreme and unrealistic, and though Croft includes a few twists they only surprise because they are so out of character.

Many scenes including the denouement are exaggerated and overly long, and despite meticulous detail building up to the climax, Croft disappoints rather than delivers.


The Bedtime Book

S. Marendaz, with illustrations by Carly Gledhill

Frank the dog is just about asleep when he is startled by Mouse asking for help. Mouse had left her favorite bedtime book next to her flowerpot but now it is gone. She just can’t fall asleep without it. Frank follows Mouse home and finds there is no book there. But Frank can sniff a trail which they follow to Bella’s house. Bella says she thought the book was lost and had left it near Owl’s house. When they arrive, Owl admits to giving the book to Baby Hedgehog because Owl thought Baby Hedgehog would like to have a bedtime story. When Frank suggests getting the book from Baby Hedgehog, Mouse thinks it wouldn’t be right to take the bedtime story from Baby Hedgehog. Can Mouse and Frank find a way to get Mouse to go to sleep?

This is a cute bedtime story that will help little ones quiet down and get ready for their own sleeping time and will reinforce the comfort that can be found in a quiet bedtime story. The sweet illustrations almost look like cut-paper pictures and seem a good complement to the story.


The Ultimate Book of Scavenger Hunts

This was such a fun book! We printed it (received an e-book) because it was way more fun to have a clipboard on the hunt than a cell phone! I love pictures and these were very cool. They look so realistic! The facts about each animal or find were great, it was the perfect amount of information to keep me and my sisters interested and excited to find the next thing!

We took our book to the zoo and it gave us a reason and a purpose to visit! We had fun going around to spot different characteristics of different animals. My sisters and I are very competitive and we had fun trying to get to each animal first to figure out how many points we go when we spotted something on the list!

My grandparents live in West Virginia and we had so much fun doing the tracts and scat hunt in the woods! My cousins came on that one with us and we all giggled so much when we found scat! We think this will help us when we grow up and go deer scouting.

I think this book would be a great gift for kids of all ages! My baby sister who is two loved going with us and my oldest cousin who is ten loved it too!


Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo

A tame lion cub, a city under lockdown, and a community invaded by terrorists. This hardly sounds like a tale about a zoo. But read on…Louise Callaghan’s account of the jihadists who take over the city of Mosul in Iraq is compelling. The title, Father of Lions, veils the purpose of the book: to relate the effect of the destructive jihadist presence from the perspective of a single family.

Abu Laith, co-hero in the drama, is an exuberant middle-aged extrovert with a passion for animals fueled by the National Geographic television channel. He is rebellious, unused to being bossed around or imprisoned in his home with his wife and close to a dozen raucous children underfoot. As the world around him collapses, his thoughts reach constantly to Zombie, his lion cub, unsafely caged and underfed on the other side of the city, his other animals savaging and devouring each other.

At first, when the Americans arrive to liberate the city, their bombing and shooting prolongs the peril. But then, almost magically, a second hero arrives. Dr. Amir is an Egyptian veterinarian whose passion for animals is geographically more extensive and more practical than Abu Laith’s. Together they must spirit Zombie to safety across the border, a mission fraught with danger.

To the very end the story is grim, but the author, a British journalist, has mitigated the horror with frequent dabs of black humor making the unreadable and unthinkable totally compelling.


No Bad Deed: A Novel

No Bad Deed starts out innocently enough with a woman named Cassie who is married to Sam and has two children, Leo and Audrey, with him. Their relationship has fizzled out a bit mostly due to Cassie’s busy work schedule as a veterinarian. One day when driving home, she sees a man arguing with a woman. The argument turns violent and Cassie, without thinking, gets out of her van. The man warns her to stay away. And with the one decision Cassie makes to get involved, her life is turned upside down in the most unexpected way. This book was like a flower with its petals being plucked off one by one. The pages were full of clues as to the disappearance of Sam and whether they are related to the people who were fighting that night Cassie pulled over. I did not expect the story to take the turns that it did and it seemed like just when you figured out one thing, another clue would turn up. This book was definitely a page-turner that would have any lover of suspense and thrillers going mad by the end of the story. A fabulously written story with a juicy plot and some intimidating characters.


Daughter from the Dark: A Novel

For a book about supernatural beings, a protective teddy bear that can kill, and music, this book moves at a fairly lethargic pace. DJ Aspirin is walking home late from another one of his famous parties when he rescues ten-year-old Alyona from some ruffians on the street. Next thing he knows, she is getting into his life, claiming to be his daughter, while she is on the search to play the perfect tune to find her brother who came down to our world hundreds of years ago and has never come back. While at the same time different supernatural forces are trying to stop her from playing the tune.

It takes a long time for really anything to happen, and nothing really much happens besides a lot of arguments until the final part of the book. There are a lot of self-musings, which often get repeated, and a teddy bear that is not a teddy bear, though after the first few attacks he calms down. The idea that an angel coming to Earth to find her brother and must play a tune might be interesting, I just wish it was not told this way as it is a bit slow and ponderous.


Long Story Short: 100 Classic Books in Three Panels

Short is the operative term for this synopsis of classic books. While the illustrations are very good, the three-panel limitation of this book proves that summaries are inadequate when it comes to telling a good story. Most of the strips failed to capture this reader’s imagination, however, the strip of Jane Eyre is laugh-out-loud funny. This may be the perfect book for those who take their literature a little too seriously.

For this reader, the illustrations are the best part of the book because, for the most part, the panels fail to capture the essence of the classic story. The illustrator was too limited in the three-panel restriction. Because of her skill, it would be interesting to have a longer take on some of these books—or another subject like classic movies. In Mad Magazine their comics usually were around eleven panels, and that managed to cover the subject nicely. An expanded take would be great given the talent of this illustrator.


Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

Octavia E. Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, with illustrations by John Jennings

Octavia E. Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower, first published in 1993, is a science fiction tale of a bleak near future. A young woman survives her harsh environment, violence, and loss, and founds a new religion that offers solace and hope for the new world. I really enjoyed it. Aspects of the original novel can seem a little underdeveloped, but overall it offers interesting relationships and a unique story.
This is the graphic novel version of the book adapted by Damian Duffy and John Jennings. The artwork has many highlights, and the editorial choices in the story make sense. The emotions on the faces of the characters are beautifully drawn, and the differences between the protagonist’s notebook writings and thoughts is clear. These are clearly talented artists. Some of the book is quite dark and monotone in color choices, but other parts are colorful. The panels are heavy with text and are very busy and tightly packed, so I spent my time reading instead of enjoying the artwork to tell the story for itself. The Los Angeles landscape, the walled neighborhood, the highways of the West Coast didn’t grab me visually in this graphic novel version. But, for fans of the medium of graphic novels, it is an inspired addition to Butler’s story.


The Life Below

A great science fiction novel full of adventure and excitement. In The Life Below, Naomi and five other astronauts begin their journey to Europa. They are a group called the Final Six and will be starting a colony when they arrive at Europa. Back on Earth, Leo, who is Naomi's friend, prepares for a journey of his own. Dr. Greta will be sending him to join the Final Six and help them survive their journey. Although the long journey to Europa is dangerous, it may be nothing compared to what awaits the group on Europa. This story was well written and full of suspense. It was so good that I read it in one night. I really enjoyed the part where Leo takes off in the WagnerOne, the space ship given to him by Dr. Greta. I also thought it was interesting when the Pontus, the ship flown by the Final Six, receives a strange transmission while approaching Mars. I recommend this book to young adults who enjoy sci-fi and adventure. If you want to read an amazing science fiction novel, then you should read The Life Below.


5 Rules for Tomorrow's Cities: Design in an Age of Urban Migration, Demographic Change, and a Disappearing Middle Class

External forces are precipitating a significant change in urban planning. The image of leafy suburbs, gaunt high rises, and even luxury mansions are being dislocated by the three forces responsible for putative transformation. As a professional city planner and professor at the University of British Columbia, author Patrick Condon directs readers’ attention towards massive rural-to-urban migration, a demographic shift as women want fewer children, and recognition that the rich are growing richer often through investment in valuable urban land. These factors, he points out in 5 Rules for Tomorrow’s Cities, are occurring against the background of climate change.

With Vancouver as an example, Condon shows how land in parts of the city is tenfold more valuable than the houses standing on it. Rather than demolish the property, he recommends the practice of modifying houses either by “hiving,” adding extra space skywards, or “barnacling” by attachments and supplementary structures on the site.

He describes with photo images coping styles in cities outside of North America. A district in Seoul, South Korea has seen the removal of a freeway built over an ancient river to reveal and provide access to the river below. Another innovation shows Medellin in Colombia where “ski lift” transportation across town takes care of traffic problems. In Houston, the city offers space for thirty vehicles to accommodate every automobile, not a practical system. The book’s exemplary organization, readability, and convincing message deserves more attention than most novels.


The Scarlett Mark

Abby Lane says, in her about the author blurb at the end of the book, that Sleeping Beauty and Song of Ice and Fire are her inspirations. The former is very strongly at play, for the novel opens with a wicked witch swooping into a party so she can curse people. Rather than just being miffed she wasn’t invited to a baptism for being evil, however, Cynara is angry because the party is a betrothal celebration for a man who had claimed to be in love with her. In true “woman scorned” fashion, she curses him to transform into a black panther every time he feels attracted to a woman. Years later, Cynara is queen, and the fairy tale touches continue. She has three stepdaughters, all of whom consider her wicked and untrustworthy. They have even more reason to when she manipulates her oldest stepdaughter into contriving her own execution. Even when the execution becomes banishment, it is no less a death sentence, for the princess is to be sent to the manor where Cynara’s cursed ex-lover resides.

The Scarlett Mark is the sort of book which would have swept me off my feet back in high school, and reading it now makes me nostalgic for all those old epic fantasies that first got me interested in writing. It has strong ties to fairy tales that many readers will recognize, but it isn’t a strict retelling of any. Rather, it stands on its own, with a richer backstory than most fairy tale retellings and with powerful, fascinating characters. As the start of a trilogy, it does a fine job introducing the world and its rules without giving too much exposition, and I’m fascinated by all the characters, even the wicked, ruthless Cynara.

Unfortunately, I wish the book could have delved deeper into everything. It’s short enough to be a quick read, and sometimes that’s what I want most, but this time around I found myself thinking something must have been left out. Especially in the last third, the book felt rushed, which is a shame. Lane does an excellent job painting pictures for the reader and making the world she creates feel as alive as the characters. I would have loved to see it fleshed out more.

That said, I do recommend the book, especially to readers like I once was. Anyone who thrives on fairy tale tropes and young women trying to shoulder through their own troubles to help others solve theirs will eat this book up, along with the rest of the trilogy.


Aster and the Accidental Magic

Aster has to move to the country, which is boring to her. Her mom knows a lot about birds and is trying to fix the migration problem. Aster meets a granny who gives her a dog named Buzz. Buzz can talk like humans. Aster takes the granny's place by becoming the new Queen of Summer. Aster needs to defeat the Chestnut Knights and their Fox boss, who kidnapped her father. Will Aster succeed?

There is a glossary of characters at the back of the book. I didn't realize that it was there until after I finished reading the book. It would have been better if the glossary of characters was in the beginning of the book.

I think the illustrations are very cute, especially the Chestnut Knights. The illustrations remind me a little bit of the Hilda series. The story was funny, too. I really like stories with a heroine, and it is up to the brave heroine to save the day.

I highly recommend this book to any graphic novel fan. I'm happy to add this to my library collection.


Olympic Pride, American Prejudice: The Untold Story of 18 African Americans Who Defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics

The 1936 Summer Olympics have gone down in popular lore for when athletic powerhouse Jesse Owens bested the world. Coverage of Owens’ four Gold medals overshadowed the accomplishments of his fellow African American teammates. The US Olympic team competing in Berlin consisted of eighteen African Americans. Their climb to the summit of amateur competition varied in background, education, triumphs and travails. The Jim Crow racism that held an iron grip on the deep South led to the relocation of families, however, discrimination still reared its ugly head up north and out west. Overcoming of these obstacles steeled the athletes’ resolve in competition. Men such as Ralph Metcalfe, Mack Robinson, James Luvalle, and women such as Tidye Pickett and Louise Stokes, competed at superior levels. The talents developed and races won by the individuals are paralleled by the march to infamy of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. The two unlikely groups soon met up in Berlin, where Hitler had assumed superiority, but he was destined for the surprise of a lifetime.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is a poignant account of strength despite adversity. The paths to the Olympic games are relayed to the reader in a fine fashion, each athlete’s journey building interest by chapter. The tension of the times is tangible, the reader gripped with nervous anticipations for every result. This is a history/sports book that is engrossing and powerful.


Mirror Magic (Star Friends)

Mirror Magic is a simple book for six-to-seven-year olds. The storyline is based off of magical animals that fight bad magic. There is a magic mirror that has a bad magical creature imprisoned in it. The animals and their companions fight the bad spirit and banish it. The plot is too quick-paced and is almost an outline of a novel. There are too many similar books. The book does not have a complex plot and almost says “they did this, they did that.” The characters are too simplistic and have no personality. The artwork is the best part of this book. It is pretty and realistic with lots of detail. The imagery is so detailed it looks alive. If the author elaborated on the story and expanded the plot it could be easily a better book. The types of magic were creative, and the worlds are decent. The books Dr. Kitty Cat, The Owl Diaries, and Kitty’s Magic might be better for kids of this reading level. While the book has some good bits, it is too short and does not live up to its title.


The More We Get Together

Celeste Cortright, with illustrations by Betania Zacarias, performed by Audra Mariel and Kena Anae

The more we get together, together, together, the more we get together, the happier we’ll be. This book takes a classic song and adds new lines reminding us to be kind to others, the earth, work together, get exercise, sharing ideas, and sharing food together.

My six-year-old and three-year-old both loved this book because it is a song. They liked the detailed and colorful pictures. They enjoyed seeing people doing good things for others and the earth.

This was a beautifully done book. I love this song so much, and I think the added verses were excellently done. I am in awe of how wonderful the text flows. I love that they are promoting kindness, hard work, and all the good things everyone should do together.

The illustrations showed great detail and wonderful cultural diversity. I loved the colorful spreads and care taken in each character and scene.

The great bonus that came with this book is a CD you can play from computer or CD player. It was a great way to make the book even more interactive. You need to put this one on your list to read.


When the Earth Shook

Lisa Lucas, with illustrations by Laurie Stein

When the Earth Shook is a story about how the earth shakes because it is crying and all the cars and buildings and everything falls down. The people don’t know how to take care of the Earth but by the end of the story they do.

The king and the two stars get a little frustrated. The two stars love nature. But the king is mean and he doesn’t. The king is not nice to the earth or to the girl. I think the king is doing something wrong and should be listening to Axion. The king never learns his lesson, but we can learn. We can take care of nature too, and this books helps us know how. The pictures by Laurie Stein were cool.


Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM

This is a great STEM job summary. It has a page about each person and half of it describes their job. The book seems to be about the impact of the black women mentioned, but it is really a job overview. If you are searching to get interested in the different jobs to find out which one to research this makes a great reference, but it is dryly written and that makes it somewhat unappealing. It is super boring if you are reading it all the way through. It is great if you want an intro to black women in stem. It is also a good resource for writing a paper because it is written plainly with only the most important bits included. If it were titled something like Jobs in STEM: 50 Amazing Black Women and their Jobs it would have been five stars, but due to the mistitle it is harder to read. It should be in a school library, to be read by eight-to-eleven-year-olds.


The Anatomy of a Spy: A History of Espionage and Betrayal

Espionage is a messy business, not meant for the faint of heart, or those lacking requisite skills. What motivates the man or woman undertaking missions often at their mortal peril? Anatomy of a Spy pursues the answer to this, with multiple examples of spies and their varied motives. Money, ideology, and ego are among the main reasons, yet many times there is more beneath the surface. The utilization of sex as a lure in gaining valuable information from a spy’s target dates back to the Bible. Sex is also used in recruiting agents, especially in the “Honey Trap.” Intelligence agencies from the CIA to Mossad dabble in employing femme fatales to entrap vulnerable targets. The intelligence world tends to get murky and messy when the trap fails, leading to murders. Profiled spies range from efficient to bumbling, scrupulous to sociopathic, their gains touted, their losses swept under the rug. One intelligence service’s victory is another’s tragic setback. The great game of deception soldiers on.

Anatomy of a Spy captures the gritty and dirty world of spycraft in all phases. Michael Smith seizes the narrative and never lets up, providing assorted snapshots of numerous spies and their reasons for working for or against their countries. The stories are engrossing and fascinating, the only negative being the now erroneous Russia-2016 election narrative. However, this is mostly a footnote in an overall fun read.


Big Mamma Cucina Popolare: Contemporary Italian Recipes (Food Cook)

This new cookbook will broaden your imagination about what Italian food is and can be through recipes from the innovative chefs at the Big Mamma restaurant group, who make traditional Italian dishes with a modern flair. Everything is here for recreating a splendid Italian meal at home, from appetizers to desserts, interspersed with helpful tips from the chefs on such topics as “How to Choose and Serve Fish” or “The Real Tomato Sauce” (which is surprisingly simple to make, but an essential component of many dishes). Every recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous, mouth-watering photo, which makes it really difficult to decide whether you should make burratelli (tortellini with burrata and tomatoes) or saltimbocca alla Romana (veal rolls with cheeses). Or maybe go straight for a dessert of profiteroles Napoletani. Pour yourself one of the many cocktails while you try to make up your mind. These are not speedy recipes; although many take less than an hour to prepare (some much less), several have quite a long cooking time to meld the flavors, but they are not particularly intricate or tricky for anyone with some kitchen experience. Italian food is a labor of love, so lean into it and enjoy the process and the delicious results.


The Wedge: Evolution, Consciousness, Stress and the Key to Human Resilience

Investigative reporter Scott Carney enjoys examining and partaking in the extremes of our environment. In The Wedge, he vigorously reports on his crusade to find techniques that can be used to adjust the body’s normal reactions to debilitating stimuli. He tries to deceive the sympathetic nervous system and manipulate its normally prescribed functions in order to avoid physical stresses such as depression, or past traumas. For this purpose, he engages in and describes a series of techniques derived from past cultural practices and current recorded accounts that involve exercises in sensory deprivation, meditation, breathing exercises, both hypo- and hyperthermia, and psychedelic plant consumption. Travel with him as he volleys with kettlebells, getting into a concentrated flow that ignores other mental pressures, follow his breathing exercises which may release chemicals that assuage nervous tension, watch as he sustains his cool through a sweat-inducing roasting sauna, or relaxes in ice chilling submersions. Buoyancy in water allows his mind to float with free associations while taking hallucinogenic drugs appears to alter his mental perceptions while his consciousness becomes more porous to deeper insights. The author believes in challenging the nervous system by taking risks and recounts his own reactions to these mind and body stressors, but the reporting is sparse on details of how other populations have reacted to these environmental pressures and whether the benefits are worth the risks. While it is interesting to read about these mind manipulating techniques, the author’s ego predominates in the bombastic writing and his ego blurs the message.


The Brightest Place in the World: A Novel

This is a self-reflecting story based upon the true events of the PEPCON disaster. The book starts with the death of Andrew, who dies in the WEPCO nuclear explosion. He is a close friend to Russell, a father to Maddie, an employee to Simon, and a lover to Emma; Andrew dies in the WEPCO nuclear explosion. Russell sees the smoke coming from the nuclear plant while driving home and worries about the safety of his wife, Emma, and Andrew’s wife and daughter. Inside Andrew's house to meet him after work, Emma feels the explosion. Simon drives away from the plant to escape the final explosion; he sees Andrew running in his rearview mirror, but Simon doesn’t stop to save him. After the explosion, Maddie jumps out of the office window and runs home, unaware of what has happened to her father. The story then follows the four characters as they each grapple with Andrew's death.

I would recommend this book because of its originality and depth in character development. This book was able to effectively portray the depth of effect that one person’s death could have so many people. The character development was very thorough and constant. There are a few intimate scenes in the book, so I would recommend this for ages 16 and up.

This is a good self-reflective story about people dealing with the death of a close friend, father, husband, lover, and employee; however, it requires a mature audience.


Dragon Head

A man in Hong Kong attempts to flee a group of assassins who are after him. Hong Kong is the perfect city to make his escape, where someone can hide in plain sight: One does not seek what one does not see. But he is being chased by a crime boss named Dragon Head, a white man who has earned his reputation for killing his rivals. Dragon Head is seeking something that this man has and has sent his best assassin after him, a woman with a dark past named Xin Li. It is a game of cat and mouse—who will win out?

In another part of the world, former KGB colonel Aleksandr Talanov is being interrogated by the House Intelligence Committee. His best friend and former CIA handler, Bill Wilcox, has brought Talanov to Washington D.C. to apply as a potential consult for the CIA. But trouble always seems to follow Talanov, and things go badly from the start. Burned out and emotionally drained, he heads to San Francisco for some much-needed R&R with his mentor, Zak Babikov, who runs a community center in Chinatown. Soon after Talanov arrives, Dragon Head’s assassins do, too.

He does not know it yet, but Talanov has something Dragon Head desperately needs. The crime boss has sent his own daughter and Xin Li, two amazing fighters, to bring Talanov to Hong Kong. But Talanov is distracted by Zak’s new family. His mentor has three newly adopted children and has built a happy life for himself, proving that Talanov may someday leave his dark past behind, too, and have a very different future. But Xin Li is on the hunt for him, and she has a plan of her own, one that defies Dragon Head and links to her troubled past—a past that includes Talanov.

James Houston Turner's latest book Dragon Head is another action-packed thriller that traverses the world. From DC to San Francisco and Hong Kong, Turner gives readers a diverse set of characters with changing loyalties and international intrigue. He does not shy away from tackling the complexities of cybercrime and international law, nor does he stop at giving us the action alone. His characters are funny and emotionally driven. They face tragic losses as well as hard-fought victories that connect to readers. This book has it all: action, emotional drama, and even a little romance. Another impressive thriller from the Aleksandr Talanov series. No need to have read any previous books in the series to enjoy this latest one.


Death Do Us Part

Death Do Us Part is a collection of ten short stories. Many can be compared to The Twilight Zone and the writings of Alfred Hitchcock, with subtle references to semi-recent works of film. Each story is either filled with suspense, wariness, or action, sure to appeal to a large audience.

In the first story, “Buddies Forever,” a PFC in the Vietnam War wakes up in a hospital with his eyes blindfolded after an explosion in his barracks. The doctors keep calling him by his buddy’s name, but he finds out later that that’s not all he has in common with his friend. In “A Lousy Way to Rye,” a man comes back into consciousness but can’t remember who he is, let alone if he is the good guy or the bad guy. In “As His Excellency Wishes,” a couple is overseas in a foreign city, with the wife working in the education department of the government. When the current leader gets overthrown, the couple will discover what is to become of them. In “The Room,” the reader discovers what the human body is capable of in extreme distress. “Murder on Her Mind” features a housewife who is trying to be persuaded by her best friend that more husbands than not are wife-killers. The wife turns a blind ear, but when things start happening around her, is she so sure that she is correct? “The Herndon Street” introduces aspects of pagan worship and the idea that when you follow pagan traditions in a sacrificial ceremony, you can achieve god-like status. “Time Conscious” features a bedroom clock that allows old Elizabeth a glimpse into the future. “That ASMR Girl” reminds me of the film “The Ring” because an FBI agent is sent to examine the scenes in which two leaders are discovered dead in their seats while watching an “ASMR” video. “Blade of Grass” informs us of the dangers of a leader who endorses socialism in the country: peril runs amok, and it’s up to the few “good” people left to defend what is theirs (by any means necessary) from those who think otherwise. “The Caves of Lonesanne Blu” follows a crippled war hero who has discovered a woman who is sentenced to death because of an outstanding debt accrued by her parents. Is she worth saving?

Personally, I believe all of these stories are worth reading. The stories flow so smoothly, and they each give something to think about that pertains to our own lives today. Short stories are fun to read because they get straight to the point of the story, and still include action, adventure, suspense, etc. Keep an eye out for these authors!


Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life

Hope in the Mail is about Wendelin Van Draanen, the writer of the book, and how she became an author. From coming up with the source of your book to publishing it. Wendelin Van Draanen is an author of thirty books, including a book which was converted to a film, Flipped. Hope in the Mail gives advice for young writers on how to create good characters, a good plot, and how not to give up hope. It also contains backstory to how she came up with the plot for each of her books, like how her Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy was dedicated to a homeless woman she met once, or how her first book she wrote was about revenge on the arsonist who burned down her family’s business.

I absolutely loved Hope in the Mail. I had started to write my own stories and it helped a lot on how I should construct it. It also helped with constructing a non-boring plot. It’s definitely a book I would read over and over again. Also, it was cool to learn where the stories I have read came from and how she used her life to develop them. I would recommend Hope in the Mail to kids and teens, around nine to fourteen, who are interested in writing or are writing their own book.


Target Operating Model 2025: 10 Design Choices Every Company Must Make to Facilitate Agility, Ignite Innovation, & Outperform Everyone

As businesses spread their operations across different countries, they need to leverage their analytical tools to help them manage by aligning their goals across all platforms. Given an organization’s complexity, this is not a small task in today’s business environment. This book focuses on operational excellence, specifically using Target Operating Model (TOM) as a basis to increase efficiency and create competitive advantage.

The book starts with where it views organizations are today (these are organizations that need transformation). It enumerates the various syndromes that keep organizations from succeeding and briefly outlines why that approach will not work. The next chapter details the consequences of loss (of operational excellence) at several levels. The perspective is that loss permeates not only to the organization, but also the employees, the industry, and society at large.

After describing the current state, the narrative outlines the ten operating models along which organizations need to make progress. These are mutually reinforcing principles, hence progress along each vector requires and supports progress along other vectors. The last two chapters discuss strategies for shepherding organizational change. The book assumes readers are familiar with the Business Model Canvass (BMC) and TOM, which derives from BMC. Those readers who are will find a lot of the same concepts here, but with the focus on directing and managing how organizations change.


Dragon Head

Wu Chee Ming thought he had chosen well when he decided to disappear into the backstreets of Hong Kong after pulling off an audacious theft, but he had severely underestimated his adversary. Crime boss Dexter Moran – better known as Dragon Head – is the supreme leader of the Shi bei organized crime family, and he’s definitely not someone to take the theft of one and a half billion dollars lying down. Wu Chee Ming doesn’t live long after Xin Li, Dragon Head’s girlfriend and top enforcer, tracks him down, but he does at least manage to end things on his own terms, which poses a big problem for Dragon Head.

Wu Chee Ming’s death is going to pose an even bigger problem for Aleksandr Talanov, former KGB colonel and potential new consultant for the CIA, although he doesn’t know it yet. The missing money is hidden in an old bank account that the KGB opened in Talanov’s name, and now that Wu Chee Ming is dead, and his access codes having perished with him, Dragon Head believes that Talanov is the only one who can get his money back for him—money that he intends to use to fund a massive wave of cyberattacks. While Talanov is somewhat reluctantly going along with his friend Bill Wilcox’s plan to get him a job with the CIA, Dragon Head, Xin Li, and a host of Shi bei fighters are on their way to the US to “persuade” him to assist them…

Dragon Head is the fourth book in James Houston Turner’s Aleksandr Talanov series. Although you don’t have to have read the previous books to enjoy this one, doing so would help to fill in some important background detail, particularly concerning the death of Talanov’s wife and his relationship with former hooker Larisa. This latest outing for Talanov is another thrilling, action-packed story of truth and lies. The world of the spy is a murky one, and although Talanov has turned his back on the KGB and certainly done his best to protect the interests of the United States, people are still not sure where his loyalty truly lies. And can he really trust those around him?

Convinced that his past condemns those close to him to fear, danger, and perhaps even death, Talanov generally shies away from relationships, whether romantic or platonic, but encountering an old acquaintance during the events of Dragon Head prompts him to consider that maybe there could be another kind of life out there for him, maybe even a family. Yet, Talanov has a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and with both the Shi bei and the US government keen to get their hands on the stolen money, it seems that his self-imposed isolation might not have been such a bad idea after all. It seems that whichever side ultimately secures the money, someone that Talanov has hesitantly grown to care about will get hurt.

Dragon Head is an explosive story packed with plenty of action and excitement. Like all good spy stories, it’s unclear exactly what everyone is up to and who can actually be trusted. Dragged into the business of the missing money against his will and facing threats on all sides, Talanov encounters dangers and deception at practically every turn. He’s a great hero to follow, tough and quick to dive into the action, but also smart and more than capable of outmaneuvering his enemies, which is just as well really because the bad guys are particularly bad this time round. Dragon Head is a fast-paced and exhilarating story that tackles a number of important contemporary issues. It’s a top-notch thriller that’s sure to entertain espionage fans.


Say Goodbye and Goodnight

Say Goodbye and Goodnight is the story of Anthony, an Italian teenager living in Brooklyn in the 1970s with his parents and older brother. In an Italian household, there are many family traditions followed and expected to be honored compared to other nationalities. This concept shows itself in various circumstances throughout the story. Anthony is a boxer, working his way up the ladder as he quickly gains experience. Boxing is a big part of his life, but out of nowhere, a special girl becomes an even bigger part. In this story, Anthony experiences his most heartfelt summer thus far. Heartbreak, love, lust, and revenge all play a role in his life. After the senseless death of a loved one, he joins forces in the communal hatred directed at a rival gang to prove that, especially with Brooklyn Italians, nobody messes with their people in their neighborhood. Meanwhile, a murderer is running rampant close to their stomping grounds. Amid everything happening, Anthony will need to use his willpower to keep his love from dictating important parts of his life.

It's the 1970s in Brooklyn, New York. Many things are different in this decade than in our present time. For one, PC (politically correct) terminology is not as common, but people's thoughts and actions are the same throughout the decades. In the story, there are many parts when cursing and the usage of politically incorrect words are present. There are also scenes of violence and sexuality. The author makes it clear that Italian girls/women know just how to dress to make themselves the eye of every man around. The violence is from the boxing matches as well as other random fights that are inevitable with testosterone and pride raging. It's not surprising that there are scenes of sex and sexual tension given the characters' ages. The story reads well; it's easy to follow what's happening and immerse yourself in the characters, especially the main one, Anthony. There are some select Italian words included in the text, as well as some from other nationalities; I found this enjoyable, to learn the authentic way in which different nationalities speak. The story is told from Anthony's perspective; Ruggerio realistically writes Anthony's narrative by including Anothony's thoughts alongside his words and actions. Anthony seems like the type of person you would want to know in real life, and the romance he experiences during this particular summer is one that every individual will wish to experience in their lifetime. This story will be enjoyed by romantics as well as readers who like a good story including a likable Italian boxer.


What It Seems

What It Seems, the fifth novel by Emily Bleeker, is a solid thriller centered on the ideas of family and belonging as well as on the lies people will tell to keep their lives and lifestyles secure.

Twenty-year-old Tara has been raised by Mother, her criminal and seemingly deranged foster parent, since she was eight. Mother has done a number on Tara: cowed into shyness and compliance by the brutal regime at home, although not totally defeated. Tara has a secret escape in the form of the Feelys, a successful family of YouTubers, whose videos she watches whenever she gets a chance.

The Feelys represent family, acceptance, and normality—everything Tara craves—but when she has the opportunity to break free of Mother as an intern on their show, she finds her new life has its fair share of complications and dangers. Tara discovers the Feelys are not quite the perfect family in their videos, and she also has to keep her wits about her in case Mother makes an appearance.

There’s a tense atmosphere hanging over the events of What It Seems as Tara strives to escape from, and perhaps better understand, her past by forging a new future. The overall setup, moving from near-captivity with Mother to working on a major YouTube channel, is perhaps rather implausible, and some of the characterizations a little inconsistent, but the story still manages to be suspenseful and intriguing in places. Emily Bleeker conveys a real sense of unease as the story progresses and it becomes clear the past and the present will collide in a startling and potentially deadly way.


Willow the Wildcat

A hundred smiley faces! I loved the whole book Willow the Wildcat. The kittens are looking for a new home and they try lots of different places. I like that the story rhymed. It’s a long story to have so many rhymes!

At first the two kittens don’t get along but then they do because they love each other and want to stay safe. The pictures are really sweet. There are pictures of kittens doing different things on every page. On one page, the kitties are being chased by a dog and then they have to find a new home.

The story has some scary parts but the pictures make it sweeter. Kids who are 5 and older would like the story a lot and younger kids would like the pictures because they’re so cute.


Niam! Cooking with Kids: Inspired by the Mamaqtuq Nanook Cooking Club

Niam: Cooking with Kids boasts great recipes that can be a little sticky in the making but turn out yummilicious. The recipes produce about twice what a normal recipe would, which makes this book perfect for a cooking club or class. Its recipes work well for many different skill levels, but some of the more difficult ones may need adult help. I made the pizza recipe and the no-bake surprise cookies recipe. Both of them were hard to shape and took more effort than I expected. The cookies had a remarkable taste and turned out well, but they were hard to shape. The pizza came out delicious but needed more flour than the recipe said. The pizza sauce was excellent, much better than store-bought, because of its combination of chunky and creaminess. Overall, the instructions were a bit too basic. It would have been better if they had pictures of each step and/or more description of each step. I would recommend this book for clubs and families where parents like to cook together with their kids.


Death Do Us Part

Death Do Us Part, by brothers J.L. Salter and Charles A. Salter, is an anthology of the unusual. This short story collection is comprised of ten imaginative and tautly written page-turners, reminiscent of The Twilight Zone but with a new and fresh take. The stories contain well-drawn characters that keep readers rooting for them. Some have surprise endings or a mystery to solve, while others drop readers into strange and unfamiliar worlds. Each story is a carefully conceived wire-mesh gate that leads into a world where the bizarre and unpredictable happens. One cannot help but turn the page and be all in.

The book opens with “Buddies Forever,” a story about an American soldier in Vietnam. Everyone keeps calling him by his best buddy’s name. Their names are similar; Donahue vs. Donague (pronounced Don-ah-GHEE), but the men are polar opposites. What at first may seem like a simple mix-up turns into a mind-bender. In another military-themed story titled “That ASMR Girl,” an FBI agent is assigned a case on an Army base where leaders are dying under strange circumstances. But is he the right man for the job? “The Herndon Secret” is a well-paced thriller that amps up the tension. Two men must race against the clock to rescue an agent’s wife, and their back-and-forth banter provides some much-needed comic relief. “A Lousy Way to Rye” and “The Room” keep readers guessing who is the hero of the story. In “Murder on Her Mind,” an attentive husband is accused of attempting matricide by his wife's best friend. “As His Excellency Wishes” provides a different kind of twist when a husband is surprised to learn that his wife already knows the leader of a violent coup. “Time Conscious” is a touching story that slows down the pace. An elderly woman relays an important incident that allowed her to see events in the future, thanks to her bedroom clock. “Blades of Grass” is set several years in the future and told from the point of view of an octogenarian farmer. When a stranger arrives on his remote farm, the farmer must determine whether he is a friend or foe. The book closes with “The Caves of Lonesanne Blu,” a fantasy tale with a crippled war hero who rescues a young woman marked for death.

The Salter brothers bring us a familiar style of fiction that imparts new wisdom to its readers. But proceed at your own risk. For those whose interests run weird, Death Do Us Part is a hard book to put down.


After Loss

The loss of a spouse/partner is something totally incomprehensible for a person who has not gone through the experience. The advice from another person, no matter how educated or well-meaning, will never be taken entirely to heart because the widow(er) will always think “but you can’t truly understand.” That is why this book is so good and why it is so very necessary. Linda Donovan, in After Loss, speaks from a place of knowledge. She, too, has felt that deep crushing loss. Her words of advice and comfort will reach those grieving like no one else’s possibly can because she was where they are now and is proof that they can, and will be, in a better place in their own time.

In the introduction, Donovan discusses how she suddenly came to the realization that it was time to begin rebuilding her life after the loss of her husband. After her daughter left for college, she was living alone for the first time in her life. While Donovan sat at the table with her Jack Russell Terrier, Roxy, in the chair across from her, placing her paw on the table when she was ready for another helping of chicken, she knew it was clearly the time to seek human interaction once more. This moment was the catalyst for writing this book.

Before Donovan begins the work of the book, she tells the reader early in her introduction to read the index to her book— first if their loss has been recent—because there are specific strategies that she found necessary for getting through that first year. Then, Donovan begins with a chapter called “Working through the Tasks of Grief,” which gives the reader some tools, like journaling or mood diaries for self-care, which can help them deal with emotional issues that are unresolved. She then moves into chapters that deal with strategies for moving forward and taking control of finances, decluttering, and travel, eventually even tackling the possibility of pursuing a new romantic relationship in time.

Though it is laid out like a ‘how-to’ for grieving, it reads like a letter from a good friend. Imagine sitting in a coffee shop with someone you trust, because you know that they have been through exactly what you are going through now. Donovan may not be able to immediately take that terrible pain away, because that isn’t possible, but she can sit with you, give you some solid advice, and help you see that you have a positive future ahead.


Amethyst Pledge

In the dawning, we find ourselves with Kazari, a fifteen-year-old girl, as she carves expertly upon a belt made by her leathercrafting father and metalworking mother. It is an act of farewell. Kazari is determined to declare herself in the service of the Lady this day, despite both parents’ opposition. Her calling is central to her being. This establishes an underlying conflict for the entirety of the tale.||Immersive religion is central here, in a world beset by perilous otherworldly intrusions, and in which the singular deity is real. She manifests in mental communication, in physical signings, dreams, and ceremonies. The Lady is at the core of the culture and society itself.

Rogers makes the choosing hat from Rowling’s stories seem simplistic. There is, in deistic engagement with the every day, similarity to Bujold’s world of five gods. But service to the Lady is more…warm and fuzzy…except when it is not and involves combat against horrors. The suckers, least of the invading menaces, manifest as physically viscous emotional destroyers, recalling the Dementors from the Potter books. In fact, so much of this tome is rich with concepts familiar to fans of the fantastic that it felt like a homecoming to read it.||I must emphasize that there are elements of motherly consideration by this author that make her offering most attractive. The religion does not entail life without family or without the possibility of taking a life partner. Septs, or callings within the Lady’s service, are embracive of each dedicant’s true character. No entrapment into service is practiced, and indeed it is explicitly avoided. There is a warmth of belonging and achievement quite well expressed.

One is swept along, as a reader, in an unrelenting current of effort, startlement, and emergency that simply does not allow beaching.

Kazari finds herself in a sept that involves personal danger and the all-too-real possibility of death. This is precisely the imagined scenario that occasioned her parents’ opposition to her declaration of service.

In training and testing the girl’s gifts are revealed, and those expose her to more peril. She is engaged in seeking eldritch intrusions whilst still very much a neophyte. Great danger and struggles ensue.

With just the difficulty of overcoming unnecessary modesty in coed housing and hints of becoming aware of the niceness of some men, there is nothing here that would preclude my handing this story to my thirteen-year-old granddaughter. But there is enough undercurrent of nascent sexual awareness that this adult reader felt no sense of prudish censorship.

I’ve seldom found myself so smoothly engaged by such intimately detailed and professional-level writing. Hoping we see much more from this author!!


This vivid collection of books is perfect for architecture lovers with amazing works that feature stunning photography and ventures into stunning places. Check out iconic houses by famous architects that changed the American landscape then take a trip to Vancouver to learn about its spatial richness before stepping into the cultural intensity of Chinatown. These stunning books are perfect for the urban curious and fans of the /99% Invisible/ podcast.

The Vancouver Sketchbook: Lush Landscapes, Vibrant Streetscapes, Soaring Skyline – TK Ng

The beauty of Vancouver comes to life off the pages of this stunning book which features the beauty of the city from various locations including Stanley Park, Gastown, Chinatown, snow-capped mountains, Stanley Park, False Creek, and UBC. Check out the rich history of Vancouver in this book that's half travelogue and half guidebook. /The Vancouver Sketchbook/ is a celebration of the city shown through vivid and colorful sketches by Ng which are paired with vibrant text to create the ideal pairing that shows the spatial richness and diverse culture of Vancouver. Ng's plan is to do more than creating an art book, but create a book that explores the city through its identity through pictures by focusing on Vancouver's history and Ng's own observations.

The Iconic American House: Architectural Masterworks since 1900 – Dominic Bradbury

Check out over 400 photographs that feature influential and groundbreaking innovations from architects over the last 120 years. These architects featured include Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, in addition to Richard Neutra, Peter Eisenman, Philip Johnson, and Thomas Gluck. Houses from these various architects range in style but maintain similar local appreciation, experimentation with style as well as materials, and understanding what the clients need. /The Iconic American House/ features fifty homes that are considered some of the most important in house design since 1900. The book has rich text paired with vibrant illustrations that show an array of masterpieces. The book also contains commissioned photographs, drawings, and floor plans along with biographies for the architects which makes this the perfect resource for students and professionals alike.

The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design – Roman Mars; Kurt Kohlstedt

Considered fresh and imaginative, /The 99% Invisible City/ is the bible for the urban curious with each entry providing a surprising story that's thought-provoking. This beautifully designed guidebook shines the light on the unnoticed parts of our cities which is an idea that stems from the /99% Invisible/ podcast. This podcast pegs questions that will have you wondering where graffiti comes from, why metal isn't on fire escapes today, and perhaps even the purpose of inflatable figures used by car dealerships. This podcast is noted for having big ideas to reveal the stories in the buildings, streets, and sidewalks around us. Celebrate design and architecture in all its wonder and absurdity in this book from Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt to take a hard look at what makes our cities work. Explore origins behind what we consider mundane such as drinking fountains, power grids, fire escapes, and street signs. The entries featured in this book are well-researched and paired with beautiful line drawings that will leave readers captivated and make them look closer at their surroundings.

Modern Architecture: A Critical History – Kenneth Frampton

This revised and updated edition from Kenneth Frampton comes from the highly acclaimed survey which focused on the subject of 1980 modern architecture. Cultural developments drove the modern movement in 1750 which led to the creation of architecture we have today. Exploring the effects of globalization and the phenomenon that celebrity architects have brought into the field, /Modern Architecture/ contains a look at the rich history. The work has been thoroughly revised with the addition of new chapters that provide a deeper look at the modernist tradition. Frampton takes an honest look at the need society has to build more sustainably with structures that can handle climate change. The redesigned interior includes an updated bibliography and 500 illustrations.

San Francisco's Chinatown – Dick Evans and Kathy Chin Leong

With an amazing appreciation of color and adventurous perspectives, /San Francisco's Chinatown/ provides an amazing contribution to the community. Striking imagery paired with a historical narrative, see Chinatown through its stunning streets and festivals that bring to life its local flavor and culture. The median household income for Chinatown is about a quarter of San Francisco's average income. This book will take you into the heart of Chinatown through breathtaking images which show the beauty that has attracted tourists. Take a stroll through this lush district for some dim-sum and spot some red lanterns as you observe the stunning apartments and outdoor games. A stunning blend of American and Chinese architecture pairs with the blend of cuisine and culture in this lucid text from Kathy Chin Leong. /San Francisco's Chinatown/ focuses on the tight-knit community of the district which captures the thriving neighborhood through stunning images that highlight the unique and authentic Chinese traditions.

Dreamers & Designers: The Shaping of West Vancouver – Francis Mansbridge

Vancouver is a city defined by its geography with a border that has an ocean, mountainous wilderness, ravines, and creeks creating the perfect backdrop. This stunning landscape creates a unique personality for the city which lures people from all around the globe who come to explore the outdoor activities provided. Mansbridge explores how this city went from a beachfront cottage community to a location where only a select few could afford it. /Dreamers & Designers/ highlights the tension that has grown between the desires of West Vancouverites and the goal to maintain. The land of West Vancouver helped to shape the area through the fight of the less marginalized which Mansbridge captures through a stunning assortment of photography. Through the lens that Mansbridge provides, you can see how the unique setting created the community and defined the area for what it's known today.


More Than Evil

"Richardson has a flair for gore! More Than Evil is good, cheesy horror fun in the vein of Hunter Shea with a clever take on genre tropes. Definitely gonna keep this author on my radar." — J. Aislynn d'Merricksson, Manhattan Book Review


Ashlords

Racing phoenix horses is the pinnacle event of each year. This year proves no different, but three racers from different backgrounds have different reasons for racing...and winning. Pippa, a member of the dominant Ashlords and the daughter of two Race winners, wants the winning crown to keep up her family tradition. Imelda, a Dividian whose ancestors tried and failed to conquer the Ashlords, wants to use her scholarship entry to win against those who keep her people in fear. Adrian, a Longhand whose ancestors were hunted by the Ashlords, wants to start a war. Prepared with their horses and their alchemy to raise a phoenix horse to match the race course, they enter The Races knowing that each night could be their last.

In alternating chapters, Reintgen has created a world in which gods interfere with the lives of privileged mortals and mortals fight for their freedom on the backs of horses that turn to ash. The phoenix horses are exciting and original, the mix of riding and alchemy adding an unexpected competitive edge to The Races. This mix of The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races will keep readers turning pages in a fiery frenzy to find out what happens next.


Debt is an all-too-common misery in many people's lives, more commonly among Millennials who have finished school and have acquired mounds of student debt. The topic of student debt is a hot one in our current society, finding those dealing with it praying for forgiveness and those who aren't not understanding the stress and burdens it makes in many aspects of others' lives. Stephanie Bousley's Buy the Avocado Toast: How to Crush Student Debt, Make More Money, and Live Your Best Life is her professional advice for anyone dealing with debt, but especially student loans. Bousley discusses many aspects of your financial life to make it the best and easiest guide possible. She has lived on both sides of the coin and knows how to lead you in the right direction.

I enjoyed reading Bousley's advice for becoming debt-free quicker, or at least quicker than I would have before learning some new tricks. She includes many tips for making more money, buying a home, finding legitimate side-jobs, and realizing that your debt should not define you. I like that she made this not just about making more money, but also about learning to love yourself through anything and increasing your self-worth. Her advice is realistic and easy to execute.


What Color Is Night?

The night is dark with a sky of black and a moon that is white. Or is it? If one looks closely, there are colors to be seen. The sky is really a very dark blue, with clouds and tree limbs that look black in the night. And the moon, as it rises, is more of a yellow than white, changing as it rises higher and higher. Golden fireflies fill the night sky and a train streaking by shines silver. Yellow street lamps and brown moths and red neon signs and green-eyed night visitors and the soft glow of a moonbow bring more colors to the night. Children sleep and dream colorful dreams.

Author and illustrator Grant Snider has created a very quiet story in his debut picture book that is destined to lull little ones to a quiet state as they prepare to fall asleep. The simple, dark-as-night illustrations emphasize the quietness of the story as readers are carried through the city and out into the country, each place with a night sky, moon, and stars made up of colors of the night. Children will enjoy this book, and adult readers will enjoy the quieting result.


One-Day DIY: Modern Farmhouse Furniture: Beautiful Handmade Tables, Seating and More the Fast and Easy Way

Are you ready to transform your home in just one weekend? With the design style and expertise of JP Strate and Liz Spillman, founders of The Rehab Life, anyone can create that perfect modern farmhouse project. With the ability to deliver simple, achievable designs, Strate and Spillman will guide any reader through customizable plans with ease and confidence.

No need to be a skilled woodworker; this book includes projects for the entire home that are geared for the beginner. With twenty-one projects ranging from small wine and coat racks to large dining room tables to changing the aesthetic of an entire room, readers can makeover their living space with a sense of accomplishment pride and a uniqueness that is all their own.

No matter which room you want to transform, the authors will take you on a design journey with detailed instructions complete with full-color photos of every step. Discover your unique style, and ditch the high-priced furniture tags. One- Day DIY is your one-stop guide to showcasing your own unique farmhouse style.


Exploding Stars and Invisible Planets: The Science of What's Out There

At this point, we've learned so many amazing things about the universe around us that it's hard to capture all of it in a single book and feel like you're giving each mind-blowing cosmic wonder a fair shake. From the birth of our solar system and the origins of the moon to mysterious radio signals and how light can both inform us and deceive us, the universe is an incredible playground of ideas, and Fred Watson manages to capture delicious little tidbits, samples from all sorts of wonders, for readers to enjoy.

Exploding Stars and Invisible Planets is a buffet-style exploration of space, never lingering on one topic for too long before neatly segueing into the next, whetting the reader's appetite and then offering a new flavor to complement what they've just experienced.

The rich, full-color imagery and photography that accompany the entries only serve to tickle the imagination further, making you wish your teacher had spent more time on the weird weather patterns of Saturn or how planetary ring systems "rain" down material on the planets. How cool is that?

Exploding Stars and Invisible Planets is accessible science done right, providing the solid fundamentals for understanding, never overwhelming the reader with too much jargon, and sparking the interest and awe that could send new readers off to learn more on their own. It's terrific stuff.


The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read was kind of an exciting read. I thought it would be like other similar stories about slavery, but I was wrong. This story was engaging, and I was able to read it alone. I loved reading about all the stuff she did. And I liked how she vowed to be able to read one day and she did it, even though she was old when she learned to read. I will remember Mrs. Mary Walker because of this book.

I would recommend this book to kids age 8-10.


Real Pigeons Fight Crime (Book 1)

As A Pigeon would say, "real pigeons are coo!" This is a funny and cool book that is sure to make readers laugh out loud. My favorite part about this book is how the author and illustrator note in the back of the book that all the characters are modeled after real-life pigeons, like Homey is a homing pigeon. It is fun to learn something while reading a funny book. The book did have some awkward parts, like a pigeon wanting to eat a sausage, but it was kind of funny. If I had one suggestion to the illustrator, it would be to add color to the illustrations. Real pigeons are silly. Real pigeons like bed crumbs. Real Pigeons Fight Crime is a fun chapter book with easy-to-read chapters and multiple stories in the book. Follow the pigeons when they are trying to be helpful in their local parks and help bring back humans and animals to the park, or when they are battling the evil Monster Crow and Mega Bat. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Real Pigeons series.


The Rabbit Hunter: A Novel

There is a killer on the loose wanting revenge for something that happened to his mother thirty years ago. That is the basic plot for a novel that starts off interesting and intriguing, diverges into passages that take forever to explore and kind of derail the book, and ends in a finale so rushed and incomprehensible that it basically has no point except to up the body count. This is not the best work by Lars Kepler.

We follow the Security Police as they investigate the death of the Swedish Foreign Minister and find a living call girl at the crime scene. As they struggle to piece together the clues and to hide the minister's real life, the Security Police follow a series of dead ends. After that, we follow talented celebrity chef Rex Muller trying to get his life back together. Then there is the disgraced and jailed cop who solves the case almost instantly after being free for one day. Other side characters in the book are forgettable and do not add much other than increasing the page count.


After Loss

"Part 'How-To' manual, part virtual hug, this book gives those who are grieving some practical, yet comforting, advice. Donovan's writing is friendly and conversational and puts the reader at ease, validating the widow(er)s feelings and behaviors and helping them to move forward into the next phase of their life with a bit more hope." — Tamara Benson, San Francisco Book Review


The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running the World

The author of this book presents himself as a kinder, gentler Rahm Emanuel. Yes, the man who once terrorized power brokers through his use of epithets, has very little, if any, strong language in this book. The author was once known as “Rahmbo” for his toughness, but he now wants to be known as the patron saint of education in the city of Chicago. Emanuel was Mayor of that city for eight years after an impressive career in D.C. Rahm Emanuel does not need a publicist—he is more than capable of touting his accomplishments. That being said, he has written an interesting, readable and topical book.

The thesis of the book is that because of partisanship and infighting, we have no more national will to do what is necessary. This leaves a void that is filled by imaginative and resourceful mayors of the U.S. and international cities. Although Emanuel cites many examples, the major star of innovation and resourcefulness is himself. Regardless that half of Chicagoans held him in disfavor, Emanuel believes he brought Chicago into a new era of fiscal strength and innovation. If it is indeed the case that the nation’s cities are acting locally to install good government, this is a welcome and positive book. An index would be a helpful addition to this book so that readers could look up their favorite mayor.


Where the Sun Rises

Where the Sun Rises is a novel told from alternating viewpoints of two childhood friends: Karin and Roza. The story begins in 2014 when the Islamic State, ISIS, or Daesh, as some choose to call them in protest, begin to invade the city of Kobane, in the Kurdish region of Syria. It’s a heartwrenching story of two women who give up everything to protect their families and the land that they love. Both Karin and Roza individually join the YPJ (Women’s Protection Unit) of the YPG, the Kurdish people’s militia to fight against ISIS. They reunite at a training camp for the YPJ.

Both women face heartbreaking losses and choose to fight for the YPJ out of fierce love for their families and the place they call home. Karin is studying to be a doctor, and Roza is a former English teacher and mother to a six-year-old. This novel traces the journey two highly educated young women take to become tough, skillful militia fighters. It also provides insight into how the women fighters are trained and how they are as fierce fighters as the men.

The civil war in Syria has many facets, and Where the Sun Rises opens a door to the perspective of the Kurdish people living in Syria. Reading it helped me realize how little I know about Kurdistan, Syria, and the geopolitics of the region. Although Karin and Roza’s story is fictional, I can easily imagine how many real-life women have similar stories. Karin and Roza’s courage will catch you and make you wonder at their ability to persevere. They are ordinary women who respond to extraordinary circumstances.

I cried throughout this story, and what I took from the ending was that we all have the ability to fight for what we love when the situation demands it, though the cost we pay is very high.

The alternating perspective format of the novel was at times repetitive because the same events were reviewed by both main characters. However, I appreciated that the language and the tone of this story were very accessible and conveyed the stark circumstances and jarring reality that Karin and Roza experience.

Because of the rich complexity of this story, it would have benefited from a glossary of Arabic and Kurdish words and expressions and a map of the geographic area referenced in the novel. Background on the different religions and sects would also have been extremely helpful.


The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism

For the past several years there have been many books published about the rise of the religious right and its role in the modern Republican Party, especially after the fall of Nixon and the rise of Reagan. While there have been many excellent books, a few duds, this one falls squarely in the middle of the pack. Where most of them fall and belong. Not great, but not terrible. It does not offer more than general insight as Katherine Stewart works to talk to leaders, in generally Baptist churches, about the role that religion plays in their voting for one particular party no matter who the candidates are. Most of her reporting takes her to smaller towns in the Deep South, though she does work at providing some backstory, though if people already know the story it is generally a rehash of the major points and the rise of Jerry Falwell. Maybe the best thing about it is the interviews she conducts, though she is experienced as an investigative reporter and that shows in her interviews. Though sometimes her big-city bias about small towns does appear from time to time.


Apartment

In 1996 while pursuing an MFA at Columbia University, Teddy Wayne’s unnamed narrator in Apartment quickly realizes that his knowledge about writing far outweighs his actual talent. In his first writing workshop, his professor and peers’ comments regarding an excerpt from his novel are demoralizing; however, one student, Billy Campbell, comes to his defense. He believes that Billy’s critiques could help him become the writer he wants to be. In an effort to strike up a symbiotic friendship with Billy, he offers the spare bedroom in his rent-stabilized apartment in Stuyvesant Town, which he has been illegally subletting for six years from his great-aunt to Billy in exchange for a weekly cleaning and the occasional home-cooked meal. Given that Billy is broke and has been living in the basement of the bar he works at, Billy accepts. Their arrangement works out for a while, but jealousy and unspoken feelings erupt. What follows are miserably cringy moments that are surprisingly enthralling and sobering.

Despite its slow-moving plot and annoyingly pretentious and desperate protagonist, Apartment manages to provide a nuanced look at masculinity, sexuality, and class. Wayne’s strength lies in his characters, which he writes with impeccable clarity; the narrator’s thoughts and actions are consistently believable, and the tension between characters is always painfully palpable. Though not a pleasant read, Apartment still has a lot to offer its readers.


Benjamin Norton Bugbey, Sacramento's Champagne King

This is a work of meticulous research, excruciatingly detailed and careful.

Bugbey came to California in search of gold with the famous forty-niners. As a member of the Hampden Mining and Trading Company, he set sail from New York, landing on Brazos Island, and undertook to cross Mexico for another voyage. Traversing Mexico, his company endured, and some died of, cholera and malaria. Several chose to journey to California by land, splitting the company, but young Benjamin sailed. He stayed briefly in Sacramento before placer mining on the American River. Then, realizing that those who supplied the miners inhabiting the more-than-wild California of that time were more successful than the miners at gaining wealth, he embarked on a career of remarkably varied enterprise.

Bugbey was involved in furniture selling, law enforcement, tax collection, politics, agriculture, wine and raisin making, distilling, marketing, and real estate speculation; he was typically in several of those endeavors at the same time. He was, apparently constantly, buying and selling real estate, and seemingly always “had a foot” in agriculture. He was constable of Granite Township, then sheriff of Sacramento County, which made him tax collector as well, later a US commissioner, an undersheriff, and at one point a tax collector again, which involved his having to go to the courts to have that function split off from the Sheriff’s office, (which he had unsuccessfully tried five times to regain).

Production of grapes for raisins in the granite rubble and slate soil of the uplands of Natoma led to the production of wines for which the man became famous. During the period he was growing and marketing wines he was rich. His wife died from a riding accident…in his arms. Remarrying within four months, furiously busy, he overinvested or misinvested, losing his primary vineyard. He scrabbled to regain his prosperous financial position. Falling into a mental breakdown and severe alcohol abuse, he drove his wife away and experienced a depth of despair that turned him to teetotalling and deep religiosity. His recovery is a story in itself.

This review is in danger of being a synopsis and cannot even approach the detail necessary for that. It’s incumbent on me here to defer to the biographer’s fine summing up at the end of this book: Bugbey evolved politically and philosophically, arriving at a socialist/egalitarian position utterly at odds with his own earlier behavior.

On the character of this read: It seems that every page-turn entails another endeavor, another set of players, more legal detail, and more knowledgeable speculation on the author’s part. There are constant side-histories of interacting people, political background, and many, many quoted legal decisions and journalistic excerpts. Because of its length, this 6”x9” trade book employs small font, which is diminished to the point of vanishing for quotes, opinions, and excerpts. References follow each chapter. An admirable exercise in scholarship and insight.

I noted that the author’s back cover photo shows him seated in a rocker, wearing an open-necked dress shirt and blazer…atop colorful shorts. The man obviously values a leisurely approach.


Critical Point (Cas Russell)

Critical Point the third entry in S.L. Huang's Cas Russell series, starts off with a bang. Literally. As Cas is in her office finally trying to settle down and calm down after the events of the previous novel, there is a powerful explosion. Cas later learns that an old enemy is behind the explosion and she was the one who was targeted. When her friend goes missing, Cas is reluctantly drawn back into the action to save her.

As in the previous two novels, the author continues to develop her characters. Throughout the book, the reader witnesses the protagonist's constant transformation and maturation and commiserates with her. In addition, the story is told in the first person, making it easier to get inside of Cas's mind and see what is driving her.

Since this is the third book in a series, it is helpful to read the first two in order to understand how the protagonist got to where she is now and there are references to the previous book interspersed all throughout the novel.

If you enjoy a good swashbuckling sci-fi story starring a kickass heroine, then you will certainly not be disappointed in Critical Point.


Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom

Louis Sachar, with illustrations by Tim Heitz

The students of Wayside School and Mrs. Jewls' class are back, and they are trying to collect a million toenail clippings. Dr. Pickle was hypnotizing DJ and somehow hypnotized Kathy too. After walking out of Dr. Pickle's office, Kathy is no longer mean because now she is nice to everyone. The students need to prepare for the Ultimate Test. The students are tested on Spelling and Jump Rope Arithmetic and the Stairway Quiz . Will the students be able to collect one million toenail clippings? How will the students do on the Ultimate Test? Read on to find out what happens.

This book is still zany and funny. The characters are still just the same, except for Kathy who is now nice, which is weird. There is a lot of hijinks involved just like the previous books in the series. This book has come out more than forty years since Louis Sachar wrote the first Wayside book. I highly recommend this book to kids who like wacky and funny stories. Anybody who is a fan of the previous Wayside School books will enjoy this new story.


Strike Me Down: A Novel

The world of competitive kickboxing and mixed martial arts, long dominated by men, has a new queen in Mindy Mejia’s latest novel Strike Me Down. Logan Russo is the champion at the heart of Strike, a full gym experience designed to turn every day people into world class athletes. Logan and her husband, Gregg Abbott, began the business twenty years ago and are ushering in its largest event yet—Strike Down—a battle royale of the best fighters with a twenty million dollar prize, but the prize money has gone missing.

The forensic accountant on the case, Nora Trier, is also a member of Strike, and her life is tied to the case in other more personal ways as well. As she sifts through Logan and Gregg’s financial history, she uncovers more than the stolen money and involves herself in the case in a way that may prove deadly.

Mejia’s descriptions of the corporate world are clear and compelling as are her renderings of the world of dedicated athletes. There are some missteps in the thriller—a few twists are foreshadowed too much to really be surprises—but overall this is a fun page turner for those who like modern mystery.


The Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906: The True and Tragic Story of a Black Battalion's Wrongful Disgrace and Ultimate Redemption

Lt. Col. William Baker was a young boy when he encountered a discharged soldier from the First Battalion, 25th Infantry US Army. The soldier was passing through town, down on his luck. Baker was told about the injustice inflicted on the group of African-American Soldiers. A night of mayhem in Brownsville, Texas erupted in August 1906. The unit would be implicated through flimsy circumstantial evidence heightened by a mostly intolerant city. Lt. Col. Baker would be tasked with re-examining the night in question and the subsequent actions taken by the Government in 1972.

Lt. Col. Baker wanted to ensure that the discharged men received the justice denied them decades ago. Baker examined transcripts of court-martials and written records. Baker would need to overrule higher-ups in the Pentagon if he found enough exonerating material. He would also be condemning the actions of President Theodore Roosevelt, who dishonorably discharged one hundred and sixty-seven men. This was no easy task.

The Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906 is a tragic narrative of injustice. A night marred by confusion and violence and seen through bleary eyes and prejudice led to one hundred and sixty-seven men being stripped of honor and dignity. The work done by Lt. Col. Baker, then and now, is herculean in scope, and well conveyed for the reader now. This is a stellar work that should be read by as many as possible.


Blacktop Wasteland: A Novel

Following in his father’s footsteps, Beauregard “Bug” Montage was once one of the best getaway drivers on the East Coast but left that behind when he realized that was not the way he wanted to live his life. Bug has left his troubled past behind him and is a family man, devoted to his wife and children and the owner of a small garage. However, since a competitor has opened in town, Bug’s business is barely hanging on and he is struggling to make ends meet. Enter an associate from his past who dangles an easy job that Bug, feeling he has no alternative and despite his reservations, agrees to do. The heist does not go as planned and now Bug has to find a way to make things right.

When you’re not reading Blacktop Wasteland, you will be thinking about it.  Author S.A. Cosby has written a character-driven and gritty crime noir that touches on race, poverty, and family relationships. Throughout the story, the reader cannot help but empathize with Bug’s struggle as he tries to understand a past that, for the most part, he is trying to forget, while at the same time recognizing that the past may be his chance to change his present and future. While not your typical thriller, readers that enjoy the genre will not be disappointed and should be prepared to enjoy the ride!


Blindsight: The (Mostly) Hidden Ways Marketing Reshapes Our Brains

The two authors, one a psychologist (Matt Johnson) and the other a marketer (Prince Ghuman), have delightfully described how our supposedly hardwired brain can so skillfully be manipulated by the media, merchants, and other mercenaries.

Products strive to cement their names into consumers' memories so that this relationship dominates choice selection. By associating products with heroes, charm, beauty, happiness, and other desirable attributes, the buyer usually identifies these alluring features with themselves. Price specials, fantastic discounts, manufacturer's suggested retail price, and other markdowns tell nothing of the actual cost of an item.

The book chapters examine how branding and anchoring influence choices, where color contrasts, sound changes, and pricing variations modulate the buyer’s conceptions. Recent MRI brain studies display how the brain operates under different choice conditions, studies that advertising firms surely follow for tactics to better lure the customer. To view how marketing influences our brains, the authors engagingly guide the reader through the neuroscience of perception, memory, and addiction and show how neurons and neurochemicals regulate pleasure, empathy, logic, and how we think.

If you are concerned about how the media controls the mind, here is a readable resource to help see how companies and social media use brain and behavior research to manipulate viewers and thus achieve their objectives.


The Orphans of Raspay

Penric doesn’t have to wait to be captured for this adventure. He is thrown out of his shipboard bunk by impact with, of course, a pirate ship. Pen’s chaos demon partner Desdemona helps him discern these pirates are from a region where they not only recognize Penric’s Bastard God but also persecute his followers.

Penric’s cabin is invaded and he is bound, dragged across the deck (not without encountering a couple of recent ghosts) and thrown into “the virgins’” hold.

He finds himself with two young girls. This is probably one of the White God’s left-handed “blessings,” because Lencia and Seuka are daughters of a deceased prostitute and thus among the Bastard God’s Protected.

Transported as potentially valuable slaves, the girls and Pen (and of course Desdemona) engage in inquiry and some healing. Subject to slave block treatment, the girls are frightened, but Pen and Des are made furious. They achieve limited (they are on an island) escape, and whilst attempting to gain sea transport, Penric’s anger is unleashed.

A wizard’s rage makes for a sinking feeling. Well worth the read.


Premeditated Myrtle (A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery)

Premeditated Myrtle is A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery, that takes place in England 1892.

Four years after Jack the Ripper stalked the streets of England, young Myrtle is more intelligent than most female children. She has a telescope for viewing stars, birds, and other forms of nature, but instead she uses it for spying on her neighbor, a bitter old lady called Mrs. Wodehouse. Myrtle has been studying Mrs. Wodehouse’s garden for a while and knows her gardener's schedule, but on the eventful day, the gardener isn't there. More events unfold, and Myrtle watches  Mrs. Wodehouse’s maid peek out the door looking extremely worried.  Myrtle decides to investigate. Not telling anyone where she is going, she enters her neighbors house and discovers a most frightful scene: Mrs. Wodehouse dead in her bath tub. The police arrive, and they suspect Mrs. Wodehouse died of a heart attack, though Myrtle suspects otherwise. Along with her governess Mrs. Judson and Mrs. Wodehouse’s old cat Peony, Myrtle starts to uncover the truth about Mrs. Wodehouse’s death.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It's frightfully intense and exciting with lots of twists and turns throughout the plot, and the ending really surprised me. Though the book has no illustrations, the author uses words that make the story vivid and easy to imagine. I recommend Premeditated Myrtle for ages 10 and up.


Equipment

I should have put more stock in the foreword, where the editor said this novel doesn’t fit neatly into any particular genre. Is it literary fiction? A thriller? Espionage? There is no easy answer, because it’s easily all of these. The protagonists are spies, the book opens with an explosion, and the author’s tone throughout makes it clear this isn’t your standard genre novel. It’s something far more compelling. Luckily, the question of how to categorize Equipment didn’t bother me for long. By the time I was a quarter of the way through, I was hooked.

Summarizing the plot of the novel isn’t easy. The narrative goes back and forth between various characters, shifting through time and space to reveal rich interior lives. Some chapters are no more than two or three pages; others are easily five times as long. None, however, are unnecessary. Even those chapters in which little action occurs reveal some new facet of a character. As the foreword says, each character is flawed in his own way, but these flaws weren’t the egregious sort too often seen in modern fiction. Rather than being flawed as a half-hearted attempt to make them more interesting, or just because that’s how characters “should be,” the flaws offer a chance to explore these characters and the world they live in. From isolation to a sense of superiority, the flaws are presented in compelling, three-dimensional ways.

Some might have noticed that I specified "his" own way when mentioning the characters. That was no oversight on my part. The vast majority of the characters in this book are men, and the women offer little to the narrative. I wouldn’t say they’re inconsequential, but the book is very firmly male-focused, and various descriptions (including a very memorable one of the Saint Louis Arch) reinforce that. This is not entirely to the book’s detriment, but it may slightly alienate some readers.

Again I must turn to the foreword, where the editor says the book is like jazz. It’s an apt description. Like jazz, the book is experimental. Sometimes the melody (in this case, the plot) takes the focus; other times the sound of the words predominates. Also like jazz, the book will not be to everyone’s taste. While I appreciated both what the author was doing and the bits of subtle banter tossed into the dialogue, Equipment is not the sort of novel I would ordinarily be drawn to. I do know plenty who would, however, which is why I am happy to give this book four stars.


A Broken Queen (The Nine Realms)

Princella Cerúlia has many names and many faces, but it’s time for her to find out whom she’s supposed to be. Piecing herself back together in a recovery house after being saved by the spirits, she must help the other wards just as they help her, but she soon learns that not all scars are visible and some take longer to heal then others. With time she heals, but Cerúlia must once again determine if she has what it takes to be queen.

Unlike the first two books, A Broken Queen is much more character-driven, giving the Princella time to develop and become more than the person she was at the start of the series. Other familiar characters make a return alongside new ones; most of them are different from each other and bring their own voice to the story. The world is vast, with several countries and unique cultures. I like how Cerúlia has to travel through many of them to get home. There is heavy cussing throughout.


World's Wackiest Animals (Lonely Planet Kids)

There is not much in the world that interests kids more than animals, but this book takes it one step further and tells readers about 100 weird and wacky animals from around the world.

Each spread in this compact book (7 x 7 inches and nearly an inch thick) features a short description — two to four sentences — on the left and a close-up full-color photograph on the right. These animals are very interesting, and some are so strange looking that it will leave readers breathless.

Take the Meishan Pig, for example. If you can imagine a cross between a Shar-Pei and a pig, you will be imagining something like this animal. It looks like it has way too much skin for its face, and its covered in loose wrinkles. Also, the Glaucus Atlanticus, also known as the Blue Dragon, is a most amazing and unusual sea slug that looks like it’s all dressed up.

The included animals are arranged by continent or designated as ocean animals. Some act in unusual ways, while some just look strange. All are fascinating. The writing is fun and accessible for kids, but adults will also enjoy this book. Perfect for a car trip or bedside table.


Raybearer

Raybearer is a great fantasy book for young adults. It is about a girl named Tarisai, who has grown up in Bhekina House, a building created by her mother. When Tarisai comes of age, she is sent to the capital of Aritsar, so that she can have a chance to be chosen by the Crown Prince to be part of his Council of Eleven. She joins the council and is bonded with the other members through the ray, however, her mother has made a magical wish for her to kill the Crown Prince. Tarisai must choose to protect the prince, or give in to her mother's wish and then be free of it. I really liked all of the different characters and their hallows, and I also liked Woo In's leopard. I also liked that the kingdom of Aritsar is made up of separate realms, each with their own culture. Each realm also had a different climate and landscape. This story was very well written, and I recommend it to young adults who like fantasy stories.


Salvation Canyon: A True Story of Desert Survival in Joshua Tree

Sixty-four-year-old Ed Rosenthal went for a Friday afternoon hike in the desert in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. He took a wrong turn, followed the wrong path on the trail, and got lost. He was miraculously rescued seven days later. Maybe he should have ignored a friend’s suggestion to tell no one where he was going if he took off sometimes. Maybe, if he left his car for five minutes, he still should have taken his water supply. And was his cell phone loaded to the max? Mistakes happen, and a fairly humdrum hike became a harrowing experience. Despite the hostile, intensely lonely environment, Ed looked back with clarity on childhood and later memories that enabled him to stay emotionally, if not physically, cool. Besides his thoughts, his only companion was a large fly, persistently following him from one to another shaded spot, escaping the worst of the sun’s intense heat.

Persistent search parties hunted for footprints near the parked car but there were no clues. Then, on the seventh morning, Ed awoke from a deep sleep to the whirr of a helicopter hovering nearby and the voice of deliverance, ‘Are you the Rosenthal that’s out here?’

The writing is marvelous, the language wholly appropriate, with snatches of humor defying the reality. Salvation Canyon is a wondrous cautionary tale, enjoyable because of what can only be termed ‘a happy ending.’