Editorial Reviews

A colorful and info-packed guide to some of the best eating in South Florida, Keys Eats: Signature Recipes and Noteworthy Restaurants from the Florida Keys & Key West by Pamela Childs is far more than an average dining guide. Boasting profiles of local chefs, the backstories of legendary eateries, and unique recipes for signature dishes, this genre-defying read is a must-have if you’re a resident of the Keys, a food lover who loves to travel, or someone who wants to try Florida delicacies from their own kitchen. Reminiscent of Joy Williams’ personal guide to Florida, this book is a delectable […]

Author Ayla Doan delivers a powerful, mind-bending, and inspiring introduction to astral studies with Soul Stuff: A Personal Journey with Spirit Work and Past Life Regression. While the book might be more quickly understood or valued by a reader familiar with the topics at hand, this book is also ideal for those new to ideas of emotional energy, shadow selves, astral planes, connecting with the spirit world, and accessing past lives, as Doan’s voice is so clear and engaging. Told largely through anecdotes and stories that take the form of personal parables, the author reveals a great deal about […]

A powerful memoir of one woman’s decade-long battle with infertility, I Hear Some People Just Have Sex: An Infertility Memoir with an Ambiguous Ending is vulnerable, wise, emotionally charged, and deeply human. Sandra Vasher writes in a raw and confessional tone, but there are also splashes of humor, reminding readers that there are many different strategies for thriving and surviving in this situation. Vasher’s narrative gives a brutally honest peek behind the curtain of fertility treatments, but is also an inspiring story of a resilient woman defying the odds in myriad ways, even when her luck seems annually absent. With […]

This interwoven tale of family, resilience, betrayal, and the moral evolution of a nation is powerful and stirring, but also subtle and humble in its storytelling. The novel is a striking meditation on America of the past and present, particularly when it comes to exploring ideas of disability, justice, and the small choices we make that change who we become. It’s hard not to draw comparisons to Faulkner, both in the deep colloquial writing style, and a memorable narrator somehow separated from the rest of the world. With breath-catching flashes of poetic grace, unexpected descriptive beauty, and a meaning-laden flow […]

A young man tries to find peace while navigating the troubled waters of trauma and self-discovery in The Pebble Champion by A.D. Pritchard. Stories about life-changing events are often compelling and relatable, as trauma and loss are universal for readers, and this coming-of-age story is no different. Laced with vivid snatches of flashback and memory, this emotionally charged novel is raw and vulnerable, but also told with the confidence of a skilled storyteller. There are occasional sections of dialogue that feel overly wordy, or inauthentic to how young people speak, but this is a small criticism within a largely impressive […]

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 […]