Editorial Reviews

A combination of expositional narration, poetry, and photography told in episodic form, all detailing the life of a Black woman in America, Jigsaw Puzzle in a Vortex: A Collection of Memoirs by Aurora M. Lewis is an extraordinary and original take on the memoir genre. Growing up in southern California in the 50s and 60s, Lewis tells an unsparing story of racism and abuse, but also of beauty, defiance, and a very touching family life. A feast for the senses, both aesthetically and emotionally, this beautifully composed book is an exceptional mixed-media literary work for its honesty and its artistry.[…]

A reflective and raw peek into the tattered mind of a desperate academic, The Melancholy Strumpet Master by Zeb Beck is a heartfelt and carefully crafted novel about finding purpose where you never expected. Working his way through brothels, street corners, and shady upstairs rooms across Tijuana, Gilmore Crowell is trying to find his master’s thesis, but ends up discovering an enlightened new direction for his investigative passions. Addressing a broad array of themes, from research integrity, white privilege, and sexual identity to drug use, economic prejudice, and the importance of linguistic flexibility, this is an enthralling roller coaster of […]

Senseless conflict with Julu Kiatan heathens is merely the start to Embers of Wrath by Seth Halleway, a war-torn sci-fi novel chronicling the chaos that unfolds when the people of Shentonia lose faith in their petty, yet impossibly powerful deities. An exploration of blind faith, rebellion, and belief in oneself over any dogma, this nuanced and character-driven story feels timely and relatable, despite the drastic chasm of fantasy between Shentonia and our world. The world-crafting is exceptional, the plot is fast-moving, and Halleway’s descriptive language is subtle and vivid, making it a joy to get lost in this original epic.[…]

The Cat That Winked by Anna McClure Sholl, originally published in 1908, is an utterly charming children’s book about an old woman who has fallen on hard times and the efforts of her faithful cat to help her out. Expertly curated in this edition by Reno Fernandez, who provides informative footnotes and even study questions at the end, this wonderful, funny, imaginative, and heart-tugging book will delight both children and adults and firmly deserves rediscovery. Some of the changes in the abridged text could use more elucidation on why they were made, but otherwise this is an enchanting text that […]

A comprehensive, thoughtful, and compassionate guide for parents to properly connect with and support their children on the spectrum, Yes! You Will Understand Your Teen With ADHD: A Parent’s Journey to Find, Learn, and Develop Effective ADHD Tools to Help Her Teen Communicate and Thrive by Jennifer Pagano is an accessible and powerful read. Pagano’s lived experience comes across in quite a few of the narrative sections, providing a first-person account of common conversations and potential challenges that might help avoid conflict or confusion in the future. There are some overly informal passages, and sections that feel a bit too […]

Author Nick Snape raises the ante in his immersive military sci-fi series with Zuri’s War, a first contact thriller that is equally thought-provoking and action-packed. Leaving the dangers of Haven behind, Zuri, Noah, Finn, and Yasuko find a horrific new enemy on a human-seeded planet, and they are quickly pulled into an interspecies war of epic proportions. The world-building on Bathsen is done beautifully, showing readers how “humanity” could evolve on a separate path, while the three-dimensional characters of this tight-knit crew continue to deepen and strengthen. Neatly balancing action sequences, interpersonal plot development, and philosophical questions of extraterrestrial intervention, […]

A middle grade adventure with an original twist and a cast of endearing young heroes, Time for PsyQ by Marti Ward is a phenomenally fun read. Certain schoolchildren who live near the Large Hadron Collider develop psionic abilities, leading to some very clever mystery-solving, in a kind of mash-up of Scooby Doo and Harry Potter. Like other young fellowship series, the key is the strong relationship dynamics, which are especially strong here, specifically between Airlie and her parents, as well as Yan and Kate, two of her eccentric powered-up pals. The story is marred somewhat by formatting mistakes, grammatical […]

An inventive and sharply written erotic thriller, Royal Caleva: Gabriel by Nancy Herkness is driven forward by a real sense of emotional truth in a wholly imaginative setting. Gabriel, Duke of Belancor in the fictional island nation of Caleva, has suffered a double trauma: being kidnapped and losing the sense of hearing necessary for his skill as a flamenco guitarist. However, meeting Quinn, the American woman responsible for tracing his abductors, is going to change both of their lives unexpectedly. Bringing to life a world of romance, intrigue, and believable characters with genuine personal stakes at play, this first installment […]