In Chasing Home, a splendid novel by Marianne Holmes, Dustin Upshaw is a twenty-something college dropout who gets into trouble nightly. Finally, he takes his delinquent life a step too far and is sentenced to 30 days in jail. But due to his family connections,...

The Knackerman Who Salvaged the Stars by Caroline A. Connell is a tale that pits humanity against a powerful force. He is invincible and his despicable act sows death in its wake. People see dead bodies from every part of the city piling up. The...

Because of its uniqueness, Children of Violence by Luke Gherardi was quite a surprise that kept me thinking about its contents, characters, and style for days after I finished reading it. How did this author tap so deeply into my emotions in only 138 pages?...

Common Kindred by Isaac M. Lawton is a character-driven story that explores the importance of a supportive community in personal growth and strong themes like purpose, finding meaning, friendship, family, and love. When Joe decides to do what he really wants, he is unaware that...

Unnatural Resources is a work of fiction in the drama and social issues subgenres. It is aimed at more mature readers and carries the content warning that the book depicts scenes of sexual assault and torture, which some readers may find upsetting. It was penned...

In Rewrite the Stars by Christina Consolino, Sadie and Theo are on the verge of divorce. They are separated but have continued to live in the same house for the sake of the kids and due to Theo’s PTSD. Even though Theo initiated the divorce,...

In the novel 1877: A Northern Physician in Southern Ungoverned Spaces by David Cornish, MD, there is a questionable presidential election result, increased racial tensions, white supremacy groups causing terror in cities and towns, rigged elections, a depressed economy, and health crises as well. Sound...

The Healing by Lynda Faye Schmidt is about a woman who sets out on a quest after enduring more than two decades of an abusive relationship. This is a novel about healing and personal empowerment, and this bears repeating: it’s about healing and personal empowerment....

When the Animals Vanished: A Political Satire by Douglas Faudet revolves around a hypothetical question: what would happen if all the animals, domestic and wildlife, fishes and birds disappeared overnight? The implication for humanity becomes obvious: heartache over the missing pets and a looming economic...

Doctor Bob: Amorous Adventures of a Psychiatrist Addicted to Women and Alcohol by Peter Kelton is a challenging, complex amalgam of psychiatry, cosmology, birdwatching, communing with animals, fine food and drink, chaotic relationships, Japanese design, Mafia surveillance, the pathos of Skid Row, Amazonian forestry, helping...