John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A quick and breezy read for young travelers and nature lovers, Little Squiggle’s Lake Adventure by Laura Smetana and Stirling Hebda, with illustrations by Laura Smetana, is a charming tale of exploration and friendship. As Little Squiggle learns, doing something for the first time can be scary, and things don’t always go according to plan, but taking risks can also deliver exciting rewards. With vivid watercolor illustrations and easy-to-follow language, this is an ideal bedtime story for those just beginning their reading journeys. Though the plot does move quickly, and can sometimes feel abrupt, the lessons are clearly conveyed for […]

Peeling back the psychological curtain of trauma and its devastating impacts, Unknown Assailant by Joanne Doucette is a smart, well-researched, and wildly unpredictable thriller. A keen detective and a no-nonsense psychologist, Beau and Pepper make an electrifying investigative team at the core of this third installment of the Dr. Pepper Hunt Mystery series – their sleuthing savvy is only overshadowed by the undeniable tension that sparks and flashes between them. Pushing past procedural tropes of the genre and diving into thought-provoking narration, Doucette flexes both her storytelling and psychoanalytical skills. Though the narration does far more heavy lifting than the […]

Author Kelly Evans transports readers to 7th century France in The Beggar Queen, a masterfully penned mosaic of historical fact and compelling fiction. In an era where life is cheap, but love can be costly, an unlikely young woman navigates the treacherous waters of the Merovingian court and changes the course of history, though few have ever heard her name. Steeped in cultural, religious, and societal detail, this story will appeal to academic lovers of history, as well as those seeking a dramatic escape. While the dialogue occasionally feels too modern, and there are some anachronistic idioms, the reading […]

Full of razor-sharp wit and driven by a hyper-contemporary voice, Junk Sale by Patrick Lombardi is a wickedly smart and hilarious collection of short stories and essays. From a casual thief who gets the tables turned on him to a scathing hot take of modern job interviews, these brief tales capture a collective disdain for modern life, a dissatisfaction with normality, and the essential role that humor plays in our survival. The dialogue feels ripped from real life, despite their clever articulation, and each story is tightly edited and polished. Highlighting the painful isolation of our internal monologues, and what […]