Book Awards, Editorial Reviews & More!
Book Awards, Editorial Reviews & More!
A delightfully enlightening representation of a wide variety of lively traditions. While the Lunar New Year and its associated celebrations are eagerly anticipated by billions of the planet’s inhabitants, this holiday is unfamiliar to much of the world living outside of Asia. Thanks to author Yobe Qiu, children everywhere can eagerly join in the exciting […]
Has a creepy, edgy feel that will keep your heart racing. Every now and then, it makes the headlines when a new homeowner finds something valuable like a lost Van Gogh painting in their attic. However, there are other times when a real estate purchase comes with something more sinister hiding within its walls. The
Technology and invention now allow a human to shift their consciousness into an android frame. Genetic engineering has made mankind into a form much better that past generations enjoyed. The solutions to problems that once plagued the populace, like aging and death, can be bought for the right price. Unfortunately, greed and the thirst for
Delightfully strange and intoxicatingly dangerous. “To understand a problem, often one must pay particular attention to the unusual.” The unusual is well within the purview of Specialist Joe Kellerman. With gifts ranging from supernatural private investigating to avant-garde artistic abilities, Joe can handle just about anything that comes his way, including bloodied bodies, severed heads
Will draw readers in from the first breath. An exacting aunt may have been responsible for producing the world’s first AI, but Katherine Zoey Cardinal Collins doesn’t bask in the glow and glory cast by Cardinal Machines nor her illustrious family name. In fact, this 18-year-old is more concerned with a career in investigation and
Rewarding and profoundly human. “You don’t have to judge yourself for this. You’re human.” Isn’t this a reassurance we could all use from time to time? For Caitlin Billings, this reminder comes from a compassionate nurse she met while being held in a psychiatric ward after suffering a breakdown. The trigger? There is no simple,
A novel you’ll devour in a single sitting. When you’re a sixteen-year-old girl with major, life-altering OCD, you tend to get really good at steering clear of challenging situations. For Cassandra Morai, traveling through an intersection or meeting a new neighbor ranks fairly high on the list of difficult problems. A discerning friend with a
Darkness and light fuse together in the fiery account, When To Run, Born Scared by Stephanie King. Part maddening and part saddening, King lays out the incessant traumas and periodic triumphs in a tortured life. With a racist, heartless father, an equally sadistic older sister, and a loving mother that lacks the courage to stand
Full of vivid scenes and relatable characters. Moving to a different state can be a traumatic experience. Especially for a thirteen year old. Jack has to make all new friends, navigate a new school, and ultimately figure out where he fits in. At least he has his dad, who is as much a close friend
Intelligent, complex, polished and fiendishly entertaining. Detective Frank Savic has a lot on his plate. His wife’s health is deteriorating and he can’t afford to keep her in the care facility where she’s staying. He’s on the cusp of retirement, but one of the bad guys he put away has just lost his head in
A tight, heart-pounding page turner. Lush jungle scenery provides some of the deadly terrain in the second installment of The Response Files series, Jungle Heist. This sweaty, testosterone-fueled thriller opens at the base of a lucrative gold mine that sits central to nowhere in Ghana. A heist is in the works and the take is
A fascinating exploration of the connection between science and theology. In the early 17th century, the Galileo affair created a significant rift between science and religion. In time, this gap slowly filled in as religious views conceded to mounting scientific evidence. The chasm, however, was torn wide open once again upon Charles Darwin’s publication of
COVID-19 has taken a toll on the people from every corner of the world. Erin McLean finds herself back in the hot seat, and the pandemic doesn’t care. After a frantic call from 10-year-old Marius Diaz, Erin risks her health and travels to the rugged western United States to help the vulnerable boy. His adoptive
One of the best novels of the year for young adult readers. The mood is changing in the city of Volara. It’s tough to put a finger on it, but it must have to do with the looming war. In precisely six weeks, war ships from Mara will arrive and try to finish what they
Will keep you interested and emotionally invested until the very end of the bittersweet journey. Scott Gould is extremely candid and refreshingly honest in Things That Crash, Things That Fly. “Until then, I’d never lived in a precise moment I knew life had changed, but this was one.” He doesn’t beat around the bush or
Sure to pluck at the heartstrings of musically inclined young readers. An endearing, lyrical rendition of a classic children’s story, The Goldilocks Quartet is a beautiful book that is sure to pluck at the heartstrings of musically inclined young readers. Goldilocks can’t help but admire the entrancing music pouring from a house she often walks
An impassioned collection of profound poems and personal reflections. Cockatoos in the Mangroves by Vanessa S. Lee-AhMat is an impassioned collection of profound poems and personal reflections that offers a glimpse into her culture and heritage. The book is divided into three distinct sections that throw into sharp contrast long-held traditions and alleged progress. Cutting
The Muse by Dmitrii Pisarenko is a short story about a writer suffering from the dreaded writer’s block. Certain that the key to moving forward with his novel rests with scene #65, the man wishes for a muse. Perhaps he has an image in his mind of what his muse might look like or how
A beautifully illustrated and positively inspirational story. For centuries, the lion has been viewed as a majestic symbol of strength and courage. Through visualization, R.C. Chizhov uses the stately king of beasts to teach children how they can overcome their fears in the book The Lion in Your Heart. Along with his family, a young
A spirited horror story that young adult audiences will devour. Four teens living in a post-apocalyptic setting deal with challenges within their group while trying to survive the fearsome threats outside. The world that Kieran, Emily, Andrew and Carissa find themselves in is a place where zombie-like creatures, called Feasters, roam the streets looking to
These three stories of individuality and perseverance read like otherworldly folktales. Ashley Parker Owens has created a fascinating, topsy-turvy world where humans are heartless ogres and intelligent society belongs to gardening gnomes. Within the pages of Trilogy of Shorts: Gnome Stories are the personal tales of two such ponderous gnomes and a gentle elephant whose
It can be tough to meet people, and perhaps no place is more difficult than the City of Angels. For Sophie Martin, meeting a decent guy ranks fairly high on her priority list. She’s the kind of woman who is always looking for her fairy-tale moment, but finds that reality rarely lives up to the
Thinly veiled satire in the form of a riveting dramatic story. If everything in the world shifted, changed in the blink of an eye, how would we choose to govern ourselves in the absence of an established framework? For the animals in Animal Lab, this seismic event has happened. Humans are suddenly gone and the
More satisfying than a roaring fireplace in a blizzard. Sziveria is reeling from the murder of one of its own. A horrible injustice and a life snuffed out far too young, this heinous crime hits close to home for Mason Dandridge. Though typically known for his ability to keep cool under extreme pressure, only the
