Editorial Reviews

Inspired by our recent societal shift to video calls and long-distance interaction, Video Conference Go Fish: The Rules and Procedures to Play on a Video Call with Real Playing Cards by Gerald Beaudry is a timely and creative guide for an on-screen card game. From a brief introduction of the concept and altered rules to gameplay examples and more complex variations, this quick read will allow you to easily translate this traditionally in-person game to the virtual realm. With such a small amount of purposeful text, every sentence should be as clear and simple as possible, and some instructions feel […]

A metaphysical vision of the afterlife, complete with divine tests and sage metaphors, A Trial of Rock and Rope by Nicholas Licalsi is a thought-provoking allegory with a healthy touch of mythology. After waking in an afterlife realm, Ferrun is tasked by the gods with a Sisyphean task, alongside other souls trying to drag their own rocks to the mountaintop. There is a surreal flourish to the prose and symbolism aplenty, nudging readers into commentaries on ambition, eternity, pride, purpose, and independence. Blurring the line between myth and philosophical treatise, this seemingly straightforward read is far deeper than might appear, […]

A beautifully written religious journey, God’s Greatest Miracle: A Tale of Two Little Angels by Jean-Michel Polyakov is an elegant tale about two angels and how they made their way into Nouseum, the City of God. The Storyteller, our protagonist, comes into a utopian city where everyone is happy, and no one wants for anything. Here he must face the Archangel Michael who gives him the task of telling the story of the two angels to prove he is ready to enter Heaven. The writing style may be a bit complex for younger readers, but the reader will be rewarded […]

An honest, heartfelt insider look at living life on the road, Me & Mrs. Jones chronicles the author’s complicated experience working in the door-to-door sales industry. Justine Gladden’s memoir covers both the good and the bad – from the terror of being confronted with a gun to the joy of belonging to elite clubs within the business – with straightforward, sincere prose. While the book’s turn to youthful reflection at the end is a bit unexpected, the revelations in those final sections are resolute and unflinching and could easily warrant their own volume. All told, this is a fascinating memoir […]

A genre-busting cybernetic thriller set in a futuristic world where magic has returned and advanced technology reigns, Lost Girl by L.J. Kendall is an action-packed and visionary work of science fiction. Corporate spy Mason Dane hauls a mysterious woman out of the New Francisco Bay late one night – she has amnesia, and the rest of the novel is a race to uncover her identity, featuring strange shamans, augmented brains, dangerous bounty hunters, and an Aztec death god. While the frenetic pace of exposition can be overwhelming and confusing at times, readers are rewarded throughout by Kendall’s self-assured prose, wild […]

Nana Piercy’s picture book, Isla Dilah’s Nursery Rhymes: Reimagined for Our Times, is both a stylish and entertaining work geared toward young grandkids with a clever retelling of common classic children’s stories. Featuring the cute cheese-loving toddler Isla and a whole host of enchanting animal companions, the book covers everything from Sunday afternoon trips to the beach to a mischievous and curious kitty taking a tumble into a fish tank. Andie Shaw’s whimsical illustrations always add a colorful pop to these amusing tales about the daily adventures and escapades of childhood. The rhymes don’t always have the same rhythm […]

A comprehensive and concise guide, Yara Green’s Top 20 Diets for Weight Loss Plus a 7 Day Meal Plan presents readers with a score of different dietary approaches for good health, explaining the principles and rationales of each, how they work, and their pros and cons in an unbiased fashion. Readers who want to make an impact on their lives will find this book a refreshing change from the many offerings on the market, which can be more sales-based for the author than truly practical, and find themselves empowered to make informed decisions about which diet will work best for […]

Yara Green’s Weight Loss Plan for Menopause is a comprehensive roadmap presented in a straightforward and easy-to-follow fashion. The book demystifies the physiological changes of menopause, while presenting a collection of possible dietary approaches for managing this potentially tricky time. The recipes are easy to prepare for complete meal plans, with pros and cons for each approach, and explain the science of how each diet can work, so it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The book also offers more general lifestyle tweaks, making this a must-have for anyone approaching this particular time of life and wanting to improve their mood […]