Book Reviews
Explore thoughtfully curated book reviews that help you discover your next favorite read.
A Promise, by Amelia Martin—Book Review
Amelia Martin’s historical novel “A Promise” subverts expectations from the start. Rather than focus on soldiers, resistance fighters, or political figures of WWII, she centers her narrative on three ordinary young people in Munich who have no special power or influence. Elisabeth…
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What’s So Bad About Being Poor?, by Deborah Foster—Book Review
In “What’s So Bad About Being Poor?”, Deborah M. Foster delivers a raw and powerful memoir that serves as both personal testimony and pointed rebuttal to conservative poverty “experts” like Charles Murray. The book opens with Foster’s encounter with Murray’s provocative essay…
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Tales of Weirderland, by Kyle Steenblik—Book Review
“Tales of Weirderland” is a charming and thoughtfully put-together collection of six interconnected stories that follows the adventures of royal siblings Iris and Cael Wilding. While the first volume presents more traditional children’s fantasy quests, as the stories go on they approach…
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Schlock, Featuring Russia Cop, by David Low—Book Review
“SCHLOCK” is a deliciously odd collection of four interconnected stories that reads like a fever dream of post-Soviet absurdity. David R. Low crafts a world where Japanese music obsessives chase the ghost of Russian singer Viktor Tsoi through the streets and a…
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The Archer’s Diary, by Liam Cadoc—Book Review
“The Archer’s Diary” blends medieval history with modern thriller in this ambitious novel by Liam Cadoc. When Logan Daggett’s parents die in a suspicious car crash in England, he finds himself inheriting mysterious ancient artefacts and discovering he has an unknown sister.…
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The Renegade Lightning Muffins, By D.I. Edwards—Book Review
What truly elevates D.I. Edward’s “The Renegade Lightning Muffins” beyond typical American high school YA drama is its unflinching portrayal of the messiness of being sixteen – that volatile mix of moral certainty, hormonal confusion, and the desperate need to belong. The…
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The Last Advocate, by Linda Jane Goodman — Book Review
“The Last Advocate” presents an ambitious and thought-provoking exploration of humanity’s final chapter on Earth. Set in 2098, Linda Jane Goodman crafts a richly detailed, dystopian Earth divided into stark zones – the privileged crystal zone, the struggling yellow zone, and the…
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Camel from Kyzylkum, by Lara Gelya — Book Review
“Camel from Kyzylkum” captures one woman’s remarkable journey from Soviet Ukraine to building a life in the United States. Lara Gelya deftly chronicles her unique story, from her Ukrainian beginnings through twenty years in Uzbekistan, following her path through Austria and Italy…
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Citrus Bravo, by Christopher Quick — Book Review
“Citrus Bravo” by Christopher Quick is a thoughtfully crafted blend of workplace comedy and cosmic science fiction that will delight fans of Kurt Vonnegut’s and Douglas Adams’ absurdist imaginations. The novel follows Arthur Bartlebee, a world-weary plumber aboard the eponymous Citrus Bravo…
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This Shape Is My Heart, by Reina Sasaki — Book Review
“This Shape Is My Heart” by Reina Sasaki is a richly nuanced coming-of-age story that explores the dynamics of teenage friendship, the meaning of self-expression and the fragile nature of trust. Set in a Japanese town in the late 1980s, the story…
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