Editorial Reviews

A young girl’s charming obsession for bears of all kinds takes center stage in One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones. Inspired by a real-life town of painted bears, Congleton, this is a beautiful children’s story of friendship and resilience, and being honest about what you love, without fear of being teased or judged. Packed with vivid illustrations, an engaging story, and strong thematic messages that should resonate for young children, this is a unique addition to any bookshelf, and one that can be returned to time and again. There are a few hiccups in the language that feel a […]

A vivid and heartfelt tale of family history, unexpected adventure, and abiding love, Just Where They Wanted to Be: The Story of My Amazing Parents (2nd Edition) by Ellen Sollinger Walker is a powerful and memorable recounting of her parents’ life. A beautiful blend of memoir and travelogue, the author not only takes readers around the world through her parents’ recollections, but is herself a part of this epic story. From Papua New Guinea and Yemen to the Bahamas and the Galapagos Islands, this globe-trotting read is a love story about the wild parts of the world, in addition to […]

As an adventurer, storyteller, and fearless student of the human spirit, Linda Durham delivers a deeply entertaining and inspiring memoir in Still Moving. As the title suggests, this is a story of perpetual dynamism, lifelong curiosity, and relentless introspection. The author navigates the globe, and an uncertain career shift, recounting tales that occasionally feel born for the big screen, but are told with humility and authenticity. Equally philosophical, personal, and playful, this is a detailed wander through the author’s past, and an intentional exploration of self. There are some redundancies in the prose, and the odd string of tangential […]

Author Bill See shares a poignant, powerful, and rare perspective in Everything That Came Before Grace: A Father-Daughter Story. This unassuming novel is not only a nostalgic trip through the 90s, but also a challenging dive into mental illness, depression, and the self-loathing so many quietly bottle inside. Struggling to keep steady on the path to redemption, the main character balances the hefty responsibilities of single fatherhood with the weight of his self-doubt, dark shadows, and perennially broken heart. This is a revelatory and savagely honest story, one steeped in relatable emotions and realistic dialogue that captures the pain […]

Phil Slattery presents a heartfelt collection of poems from his romantic past in Nocturne: Poems of Love, Distance, and the Night, a callous and disinterested lover. From literal confessions of unrequited love to abstract, image-heavy fantasies, the themes of passion, lust, and longing are unmistakable and broadly represented. There are primal emotions explored throughout the collection – trauma being overcome, identity being rediscovered, and dwindling hope finding ways to be rekindled. Despite a variety of structural forms in the verse and a number of standout lines, this outpouring of poetry relies too heavily on classic romance language and familiar imagery. […]

An unusual collection of three spine-tingling tales, Things That Go Bump in the Night by JC Bratton is a modern take on classic horror — inexplicable visitations, vengeful spirits, and macabre dolls that simply don’t stay put. These short novellas are quick reads, meant for a single-sitting scare, which allows Bratton to show her skill at rapidly building an engaging story. The dialogue is stilted in certain scenes, and the exposition can feel heavy-handed, but that can in part be attributed to the brevity of these tales. Despite these narrative critiques, there are plenty of eerie twists to entertain readers, […]

An existential mind-boggler of a novel, Remaking Martin is a wildly original near-future drama by Nezih Unen. The premise of existing with an identical copy of yourself and analyzing it for imperfections, while also reckoning with the rush of mortality and an unavoidable identity crisis, makes this a gripping read with “two” fascinating protagonists. The creative strength of the plot covers for some weakness in the characterization and dialogue, while the philosophical questions the narrative poses will carry on long after the last page. This is sci-fi how it should be: just far enough away from reality to feel like […]

An eclectic and thought-provoking collection of essays, stories, and poems, The Stirring of the Birds by William Kenneth Jones is undeniably original, filled with symbolism, philosophical conundrums, and the sort of probing language that will keep readers turning the pages. From historical accounts of disasters and discoveries that defy reality to dark existential poems and ominous pieces of flash fiction, this book will challenge what you think you know. While some of the technical aspects need improvement, including grammatical inconsistencies, occasionally unpolished poetry, and some sloppy formatting, this unusual gathering of thoughts remains a uniquely mysterious and unpredictable journey.

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