Red, White & Verse by Greg McNeilly Genre: Poetry / American History ISBN: 9781962202220 Print Length: 279 pages Publisher: Ballast Books Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Susan Morris An impactful, poetic primer of American idealism with a message of hope and unity Greg McNeilly’s Red, White & Verse: Our Myths, Legends & Stories is a cross between a poetry collection and a history book. It touches on a broad range of subjects from America’s founding fathers to slavery, women’s suffrage, industrialism, civil rights, scenic places and parks, and, of course, b ..read more

Treasonous Tycoon (The Adventures of the Flash Gang, 2) by M.M. Downing & S.J. Waugh Genre: Middle Grade Fiction / Historical ISBN: 9781646034031 Print Length: 218 pages Publisher: Fitzroy Books Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Warren Maxwell Rich in crooked schemes and youthful hijinks, this noir-tinged sequel returns to a band of memorable depression-era street orphans as they investigate a Nazi plot. Betrayal, malaise, and the simple exhaustion of being the underdog challenge Lewis and his band of friends as they try to reveal corruption hidden in plain sight. H ..read more

The Rookie Spellslinger by Patricia Harrington-Duff Genre: Fantasy / Supernatural ISBN: 9798988089926 Print Length: 350 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker An enchanting heroic adventure that tests loyalty, honor, and friendship Alex is an apprentice at Master Sly’s Ghoul, Rodent, and Venomous Eggplant research facility. She’s a half-human half-werecat with an inclination toward monsters. They even call her Monster Girl there. To make the task of getting a new nickname difficult, Alex has Greeneyes as a pet—a flying fuzzy poof ball that she can communicate with telepathica ..read more

The Truth About Stepmoms by Renee Bolla Genre: Children’s Picture Book ISBN: 9798986401546 Print Length: 32 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Toni Woodruff A tenderhearted love story about a creative child and her (surprisingly) loving stepmom There are a lot of stereotypes about stepmoms. They’re evil. Greedy. They lock you in closets. So what do you do when you become one? The hard answer: keep working on that relationship! The easy one: get this book! The Truth About Stepmoms tells the story of a creative & funny young girl who is nervous about her Dad’s gi ..read more

Detour by S. Mariah Rose Genre: Memoir / Spirituality ISBN: 9781637529355 Print Length: 240 pages Publisher: Atmosphere Press Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth A friendly reminder that some things in life might just fall apart for the better No matter how much planning you do, life has a way of turning things in an entirely new direction. S. Mariah Rose shares her uplifting story of spiritual self-transformation in Detour, a memoir about physically and spiritually moving from NYC to the American Southwest. Readers who have enjoyed The Monk Who Sold ..read more

Time Is Heartless by Sarah Lahey Genre: Science Fiction / Romance ISBN: 9780645835823 Print Length: 348 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph A new mom’s personal crisis leads to a profound adventure exploring the limits of AI and the possibilities of post-climate-collapse technology.  Time is Heartless, the third book in a series which I have not read before, had me hooked from the very first line and never let go. Author Sarah Lahey and her eclectic ensemble of characters found their way into my heart, keeping me spellbound and energized wit ..read more

Under the Banner of Valor by Gary Corbin Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense / Police Procedural Print Length: 455 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Erin Britton A politically charged and highly emotive police procedural with a healthy dose of crime and carnage Courageous officer Valorie Dawes proves more than a match for extremists and criminals alike in Gary Corbin’s Under the Banner of Valor. This marks the fifth literary case for Officer Valorie Dawes to solve.  She’s a young and tenacious sleuth who “is no wet-behind-the-ears rookie. She celebrated a full year on the forc ..read more

A Coincidental Life by Ron Kemper Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical ISBN: 9798891321335 Print Length: 250 pages Publisher: Atmosphere Press Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Toni Woodruff A reflection on aging, politics, and the fateful coincidences that shape one’s life Years after their shared adolescence in late-1950s New York City, Billy Feeney and Stevie Alpert run into one another at a bus stop in San Francisco and reminisce about the coincidences of timing that have shaped their lives. The narrative flashes back to describe their high school years together and ..read more

Me and the Machine by Wesley Watts Genre: Science Fiction Print Length: 314 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Erin Britton AI might offer the solution to a never-ending war, but at what cost? Set in a richly evoked futuristic universe and featuring advanced technologies, impressive spacecrafts, and deadly interplanetary warfare, Wesley Watts’s Me and the Machine is a space opera with more twists and turns than the Pinwheel Galaxy.  Set in a society that revolves around war and the commerce that creates, it highlights the low value placed on human life by an unchecked military but ..read more

Pharo and the Murder at Smoke Lake by Steve Skurka Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense / Historical ISBN: 9798891321557 Print Length: 324 pages Publisher: Atmosphere Press Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen An entertaining murder mystery chock-full of real history The year is 1914, and archduke Ferdinand has just been assassinated. While Europe and the rest of the world reels from the coming repercussions of this act, halfway across the world in Canada, life goes on.  Amateur sleuth, Pharo Simmons is excited to be interviewing the famed author o ..read more