John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A soul-elevating read about compassion, caregiving, and sacrifice in countless forms, If I Die Before I Wake: A Caregiver’s Journey by Eli Shaw is a heart-rending and revitalizing memoir. Penned as a series of reflective essays on his diverse roles in providing support and love for people around the world – both in his personal and professional pursuits – this isn’t a chronological report of Shaw’s life so much as a philosophical and experiential collage. Regardless of the decade or crisis, from AIDS and drug abuse to cognitive disabilities and systemic racism, Shaw has been in the thick of societal […]

For any reader seeking to achieve financial freedom and escape the vicious cycle of borrowing and debt, Wallet Street: Let’s Talk Personal Finance by Allison King is an accessible and realistic manual for a more stable future. Though it is targeted at Gen Xers (the full subtitle is 7 Proven Strategies for Gen Xers to Grow Their Income in 30 Days. How to Get Out of Debt, Save More Money and Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck), the ten sections of advice are applicable for anyone looking to make a change, particularly the content on smart financial habits, diversifying income streams, […]

Author Duncan Peters presents a thought-provoking guided journey in Daily Acts of Consciousness: Finding Meaning in the Mundane, a book designed for readers seeking a self-aware and spiritually awakened path through life. The 30 days of tasks are prefaced by a brief summary of various belief systems, theories, and concepts, as well as spiritual and psychological angles that affect the author’s approach. The daily readings themselves are bite-sized morsels of wisdom to muse on for the day, often combined with suggested attentiveness to a physical, emotional, or social aspect of your daily movements. Pairing ancient logic and reassuring wisdom […]

For those seeking a thorough introduction to numerology and the potential impact such awareness can have on your life, Angel Numbers 1-9 Meaning by Dawn Hazel is a codex and a guide for deeper understanding. Interpreting numerical messages or seeing “angel numbers” is part of an ancient belief system in the significance of certain numerical patterns, and Hazel decodes this for readers who feel attuned to the guidance of celestial forces. With a gentle tone, a methodical approach to a wide breadth of information, and well-edited musings on life, purpose, and meaning, this book will appeal to a broader range […]

An eye-opening guide to the hierarchy of divine beings, Your Personalized Angels Guide by Dawn Hazel is an introduction to the spheres of heaven and its denizens. Aside from being a cosmic catalogue of seraphim, archangels, devils, and others, the prose explains how angels – both earthbound and heavenly – can affect our mortal lives and communicate in critical ways, through numbers, temperature changes, feathers, and more. The prose is conversational, though it is occasionally too informal, but the information is supported by plenty of references to religious texts. For spiritual readers who want to dig deeper into their faith, […]

A brutal and gritty novel of survival on the merciless streets of Chicago, Scared Silent by Neil Turner is a gut-wrenching ride through the life of a young man being prosecuted for a murder he didn’t commit. Navigating the perils of the criminal justice system, while also bearing his own recent grief and pressure to find a new family, Denzel is caught in a painful spiral, while Tony Valenti’s hunt for the real killer may place the crosshairs on his own head. Given the national spotlight being recently turned towards the unhoused populations of America, and the desperate plight of […]

Rug Bug and the Dixies are back with more heroics after a housequake devastates Mousetopia in Kay M. Bates’ The Adventures of Rug Bug Vol. II: The State of Emergency. Rug Bug and his friends must negotiate a new alliance for aid and protection between the residents of the House in order to ensure their mutual survival, for a work of middle grade fiction that deftly and sensitively mirrors real-world events. Just as the first volume subtly touched on the need for representative government and clear-eyed ideals of leadership, this second installment focuses on the aftermath of a natural […]