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Reviewer's Choice
Loneliness in Later Life
Krishna Kumar
Independently Published
9798254156239, $15.00, PB, 262pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Loneliness-Later-Life-Consequences-Connection/dp/B0GVDPGPW4
Synopsis: Loneliness is one of the most serious public health crises of our time, yet it remains often invisible. Unlike cancer or heart disease, it leaves no visible scar. It rarely appears on a medical chart. And yet, its damage to the human body and mind is devastating and well-documented.
While loneliness touches people of every age, its grip is most severe on older adults. "Loneliness in Later Life: Causes, Consequences, and a Path to Connection" is specifically and exclusively devoted to understanding loneliness among older adults.
Author Krishna Kumar draws on multidisciplinary research spanning neuroscience, psychology, sociology, medicine, and the social sciences to offer a comprehensive examination of the problem and the solutions.
Critique: Isolation and loneliness among the elderly is often exacerbated by physical and mental issues ranging from loss of hearing and the dimming of eyesight, to the on-set of dementia or simply outliving family and friends. Original, unique, informative, insightful, and exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this trade paperback edition of "Loneliness in Later Life: Causes, Consequences, and a Path to Connection" by Krishna Kumar is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, Senior Center, and college/university library Aging/Longevity and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections and supplemental Geriatric Medicine curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Krishna Kumar is an Indian intellectual and academician, noted for his writings on the sociology and history of education. He is currently an Honorary Professor in Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. There is an extensive online listing of his books available at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/80469.Krishna_Kumar
The AI Studies Shelf
Digital Danger
Dr. Eric Cole
https://drericcole.com
Amplify Publishing
9798891389526, $28.00, HC, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Danger-Cybersecurity-Fight-Future/dp/B0GSCJD29G
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/digital-danger-dr-eric-cole/1149660138
Synopsis: In an era where the greatest battles are fought not with bombs but with bytes, with the publication of "Digital Danger: AI, Cybersecurity, and the Fight for Our Future", Dr. Eric Cole offers a wake-up call for every individual navigating the digital world.
CIA-trained cybersecurity expert and former hacker Dr. Eric Cole pulls back the curtain on the invisible war shaping our lives -- the collision between human behavior, artificial intelligence, and the technology we depend on.
From AI-driven scams and deepfakes that blur truth and fiction to smartphones and social media quietly eroding privacy, Dr. Cole shows how technology has outpaced our awareness. But this isn't just another fear-based warning. It's a road map for survival and empowerment. Through personal stories, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies, readers learn how to turn technology from a threat into a trusted ally.
Whether you are a parent trying to protect your family, a professional managing your online footprint, or a business leader safeguarding your reputation, "Digital Danger" gives you the tools and mindset to stay safe, smart, and human in an increasingly automated world.
Blending cybersecurity insight, human psychology, and self-mastery, "Digital Danger" teaches readers how to think like a hacker, defend like a pro, and live securely in the age of AI.
Critique: Timely, exceptional, and impressively 'reader friendly' in style, organization and presentation, "Digital Danger: AI, Cybersecurity, and the Fight for Our Future" by Dr. Eric Cole is an extraordinary introduction to the dangers of an increasingly AI influenced world. An ideal introduction for the non-specialist general reader to the problems of cybersecurity and AI, "Digital Danger: AI, Cybersecurity, and the Fight for Our Future" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, governmental, and college/university library AI technology collections and supplemental AI/Cybersecurity curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Dr. Eric Cole (https://drericcole.com) is a cybersecurity expert, entrepreneur, public figure, and author. He recently released his eighth book, Cyber Crisis. Dr. Cole's accomplishments are consequential to fulfilling his goal of providing leadership in cybersecurity, and his mission: to make cyberspace a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.
The Cookbook Shelf
Creative Sausage Making
Stanley Marianski & Adam Marianski
Bookmagic LLC
https://bookmagic.com/books
9798218784669, $19.95, PB, 266pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sausage-Making-Stanley-Marianski/dp/B0FR4S162Z
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/creative-sausage-making-stanley-marianski/1148488523
Synopsis: "Creative Sausage Making" from Bookmagic LLC is written specifically for those individuals who want to produce top-quality sausages and create their own professionally composed recipes.
With "Creative Sausage Making" they won't need to follow recipes; they will be able to develop them at will. Reading this DIY instruction manual and guide will save them hours (if not years) of time-consuming research and experimentation, and will improve their sausage-making skills.
What makes "Creative Sausage Making" different from other 'how to' books on the subject is that it not only covers the manufacturing of various types of sausages but also includes information on the latest innovations adopted by the food industry, such as natural gums, known as hydrocolloids, protein emulsions, and colorants, which are unfamiliar to most hobbyists.
There is a trend towards producing healthier sausages with reduced salt, cholesterol, fat, and calories. Fillers such as bread, grains, and tofu, as well as ingredients like cheese, nuts, and fruits, are accepted today. However, binding those ingredients together presents a challenge, especially for vegetarian sausages, which do not include meat.
There is a vast number of ingredients, such as binders, fillers, natural gums, curing accelerators, colorants, fat replacers, and others, that the food industry has used to make ice creams, puddings, sauces, and processed meats. However, there is a lack of information for a hobbyist, and that "Creative Sausage Making" will fill that void.
"Creative Sausage Making" provides all the necessary advice and tips to become a proficient and competent sausage maker. There is a collection of 121 known recipes chosen for their originality and historical value. They are a great source of study material and a valuable reference for making sausages.
After reading "Creative Sausage Making", aspiring sausage makers should be able to create their recipes, alter classic recipes to suit their taste, or develop healthier versions with fewer calories and less fat. They should also realize that if they follows a few basic rules, even the most novice of sausage makers can produce great sausages custom-tailored to their preferences.
Critique: Comprehensive, with B/W illustrations, and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Creative Sausage Making" by co-authors and sausage making professionals Stanley and Adam Marianski is an ideal DIY instructional resource and is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Eastern European Regional Cuisine and Sausage Making collections.
The Business Shelf
Business is Simple
Terry Conway
Publish Your Purpose
https://publishyourpurpose.com
9798887972206, $39.99, HC, 322pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Business-Simple-Cottage-Processing-Markets/dp/B0GM2PRY5V
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-is-simple-terry-conway/1149411763
Synopsis: "Business is Simple: From A Family Cottage Business to World Processing and Markets" by entrepreneur and businessman Terry Conway isn't just a DIY business book; it is a blueprint forged in the fire of real-world risk and adrenaline-fueled chaos that transformed a 130-year old cottage seafood company into a thriving international business.
"Business Is Simple" strips away complexity and focuses on just three core interconnected focal points:
Continuously develop superior products.
Process at a competitive advantage.
Develop leads for sales to close.
This structure guided two complete makeovers. The first transformed Handy into a coast-to-coast national company, achieving a premium quality that opened up exports to Japanese and European markets.
The second makeover was a matter of survival, forced by environmental changes that severely reduced crab supply. With zero contacts, I booked a flight to Bangkok. This led to far-flung adventures in seven Asian countries, where I navigated sleepless nights and cultural challenges to establish soft crab processing and later, two more product lines -- crab cakes and pasteurized crab meat.
Part memoir, part manual, "Business is Simple" is an adventure story and a reliable guide for aspiring entrepreneurs, executives, family companies and students, proving that with trust, clarity, and perseverance, extraordinary results in business are possible.
Critique: Original, exceptional, informative, inspiring, "Business is Simple: From A Family Cottage Business to World Processing and Markets" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Contemporary American Business Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, MBA students, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, business managers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Business is Simple" from Publish Your Purpose is also readily available in paperback (9798887972206, $29.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: In 1981, Terry Conway acquired sole ownership of Handy Seafood and brought a remarkable commitment to build this small cottage business into a strong, family-owned global company - a leading brand with steady growth, a testament to making global enterprise work. Drawing from his experiences across a long and illustrious career, Terry's transformation of Handy Seafood was based on a fundamental principle: that at its core business is simple.Across a long successful career, Terry has served as business advisor at Touche Ross, as investment analyst for Laird & Company, and as CFO of Perdue Farms before taking control of Handy Seafood, where he continues to serve as Executive Chairman after transferring control to his five children who continue running the company to this day. In the past, he has lectured on managerial accounting at Carnegie Mellon University and on international marketing at Johns Hopkins University.
Market Engineering
Bruce Cleveland
Silicon Valley Press
https://siliconvalleypress.net
9798986101200, $34.99, HC, 221pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Market-Engineering-Because-Markets-Themselves/dp/B0G6NB77V4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/market-engineering-bruce-cleveland/1148939626
Synopsis: Products don't fail. Markets do.
Every year, startups and enterprises pour millions into building world-class products -- only to watch them disappear into obscurity. The problem isn't the technology. It's the inability to capture and then dominate a market.
With the publication of "Market Engineering: Because Markets Don't Build Themselves ", Silicon Valley veteran Bruce Cleveland reveals the discipline behind market-dominating companies like Salesforce, Marketo, and C3 AI. Drawing on decades of experience as an operator, investor, and board member, Cleveland demonstrates how leaders can apply the same rigor to markets that they bring to products.
"Marketing Engineering" show how to:
Compel markets to come to you instead of chasing them
Position your company so customers get it instantly
Build messaging and stories that break through the noise
Establish thought leadership that sets the rules for your industry
Adapt to the AI era with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
"Market Engineering" is the ideal playbook for founders, executives, and boards who want their companies to lead -- not follow.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Foreword by Geoffrey A. More, four Appendices, and a four page Index, "Market Engineering: Because Markets Don't Build Themselves" is exceptionally and impressively organized and presented, making it an ideal DIY guide for corporate executives and entrepreneurs, and a welcome addition to MBA curriculum studies lists. Highly recommended for professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should also be noted that this hardcover edition of "Market Engineering: Because Markets Don't Build Themselves" from the Silicon Valley Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in Strategic Business Planning/Sales Systems/Market Planning.
Editorial Note: Bruce Cleveland (www.tractiongappartners.com) is a former venture capitalist and engineering and product executive at Apple, C3 AI, Oracle, and Siebel Systems. As founder of Traction Gap Partners, he has helped hundreds of startups, scale-ups, and enterprises to transform innovation into impact. His previous book, Traversing the Traction Gap, is taught in universities and used by investors and founders worldwide. Cleveland's frameworks blend analytical discipline with creative storytelling -- empowering leaders in companies of all sizes and industries to transform technology into traction and markets into movements.
The General Fiction Shelf
Fancy Meeting You
Louise Marburg
https://louisemarburg.com
Blair
9781958888834, $26.95, HC, 212pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fancy-Meeting-You-Louise-Marburg/dp/1958888834
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fancy-meeting-you-louise-marburg/1148112358
Synopsis: "Fancy Meeting You" by novelist Louise Marburg introduces Laura Harrigan.
Depending on who Laura is talking to, she's a psychiatrist, a business consultant, or a mother of twin boys at Yale. That last one is a new lie she's trying on for size. In reality, Laura is middle-aged, childless, "involuntarily unmarried," and works a job far beneath her capabilities.
She is a graduate of Harvard, but as she notes, "Meeting other people's expectations is something I am famously unable to do." Most nights, Laura can be found at Baltimore's least-glamorous dive, The Chicken Box, where the bartender knows when to call her an Uber. At the weekend, she might be hooking up with a care home aide at her elderly father's birthday party, much to the chagrin of her uptight sister, Nadine.
The story follows Laura in her home in Baltimore and elsewhere through her fiftieth year. Each chapter marks her encounter with a new character (a family member or two, a potential lover, complete strangers) each offering their own brand of wisdom or judgment or wacky opinion. Somehow, through these entanglements, Laura begins to gather bits and pieces of the self-knowledge she is lacking.
Critique: While most (if not all) coming-of-age stories are about young people growing into adulthood, but "Fancy Meeting You" is an original, unique, and laugh laced story about the 'coming of age' trials and tribulations of a middle-aged woman. Deftly crafted, original, memorable, and a fun read from start to finish, "Fancy Meeting You" by Louise Marburg is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of humorous 'women themed' literary fiction that this hardcover edition of "Fancy Meeting You" from Blair is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Louise Marburg (https://louisemarburg.com) is the author of three collections of stories, the most recent being You Have Reached Your Destination, which was favorably reviewed in the New York Times and the Washington Post. She has been published in such journals as Story, The Hudson Review, Ploughshares, The Missouri Review, and many others. Marburg studied design at the Kansas City Art Institute, is a graduate of New York University's Gallatin Division, and holds an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University's School of the Arts. She has been a scholar at the Sewanee Writers Conference and a fellow at the Kenyon Writing Workshops, and her work has been supported by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Making of a Witch
Judy Molland
https://www.judy-molland.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896363248, $17.99, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Witch-Novel-Judy-Molland/dp/B0FWZXK83X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-making-of-a-witch-judy-molland/1148560704
Synopsis: In the tumultuous era of seventeenth-century Exeter, England, ten-year-old Alice Molland is forced to attend the brutal execution of her mentor in the healing arts, Goody Luscombe, who has been condemned to death for witchcraft.
In the years that follow, with her use of herbs such as mugwort, slippery elm, and comfrey, Alice becomes well known as a magical healer. But such gifts come accompanied by danger in the misogynistic age she lives in, and it's only a matter of time before a prominent Exeter merchant raises suspicion that she is a witch.
When a love spell leads to an unexpected pregnancy, Alice becomes a target and must flee for her life.
Critique: Although a work of fiction, "The Making of a Witch" by Judy Molland is inspired by historical realties of the 17th Century when it came to female healers who utilized plants and herbal potions in a time of religious superstition, misogyny, and the sanctioned killing of women accused of witchcraft. An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted novel from start to finish, "The Making of a Witch" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Making of a Witch" from She Writes Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Judy Molland (https://www.judy-molland.com) began her career as a high school teacher of French, English, and Spanish, and soon added freelance writer to her job description. Her articles and blog posts have appeared in numerous publications, including Parents, New York NewsDay, and Care2.com. She has published two nonfiction books, Straight Talk About Schools Today and Get Out! 150 Easy Ways for Kids and Grown-Ups to Get Into Nature and Build a Greener Future. The Making of a Witch is her first work of fiction.
Exalted Objects
Jane D. Cairns
HTF Publishing (History Through Fiction)
https://www.historythroughfiction.com
9781963452372, $33.95, HC, 280pp
Publishing Release Date: September 15, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Objects-Jane-D-Cairns/dp/1963452372
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exalted-objects-jane-d-cairns/1149255499
Synopsis: In 1869 New Hampshire, railroad magnate George Stark faces an impossible choice: commit his eccentric brother Will (poet, prankster, and zookeeper) to an asylum or risk his career and family name after a disastrous train crash and public scandal.
Rewinding to 1846, "Exalted Objects" by Jane D. Cairns is a sweeping historical novel that follows the Stark brothers on their diverging paths. George's ambition propels him into the heart of America's railroad boom, while Will's restless spirit transforms the family estate into a sanctuary for exotic animals and ideas.
As the Civil War looms, their contrasting lives highlight the tension between order and creativity, ambition and freedom. Torn between duty and compassion, George must decide whether to sacrifice his brother's freedom or embrace the creativity that once united them.
A moving meditation on ambition, forgiveness, and family, "Exalted Objects" brings a forgotten chapter of American history to life with wit, heart, and unforgettable characters.
Critique: A railroad tycoon must choose between his brother's freedom and his own ambition-before one wild act shatters both their lives in this carefully crafted work of historical fiction that deftly explores sibling bonds and the impact of progress in the world around them. Original, exceptional, and a fully engaging read from start to finish, "Exalted Objects" showcases author Jane Cairns' truly exceptional character and narrative driven storytelling style that elevates her historical novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Exalted Objects" from HTF Publishing is also available in paperback (9781963452365, $19.95) and in digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Jane D. Cairns (https://janedcairns.com) is a Massachusetts-based writer and grassroots local historian. She is an active member of GrubStreet in Boston and a graduate of its highly selective Novel Incubator program. An alumna of Smith College, she has worked as a columnist and researcher for numerous trade magazines, including Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. Currently, she serves as a board member of the Andover (Mass.) Center for History and Culture, where she speaks and writes on popular topics in social and economic history. "Exalted Objects" is her debut novel.
Abandoning The Script
Linda Rosen
www.linda-rosen.com
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685137236, $16.99, PB, 307pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Abandoning-Script-Linda-Rosen/dp/1685137237
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/abandoning-the-script-linda-rosen/1148928900
Synopsis: Lucy never wanted the life that's been thrust upon her-the wedding band or the baby in the crib. A woman of ambition, she longs to pursue her dreams on stage, but her husband insists on locking her in a gilded cage under his control. And in 1922, alternatives are almost nonexistent and certainly not acceptable, forcing Lucy to make an impossible choice. Bound by convention but driven by a fierce desire for independence, she flees a life she can no longer endure. With heartbreak, she leaves a pair of cherished earrings along with a note for her daughter to read when she's older.
Nearly thirty years later, in 1951, Lucy's daughter, Anna Dodge, is given her deceased grandmother's journal that's been hidden away for years. Within its pages lies a long-buried secret, casting doubt on everything Anna believes about her family and herself. Among the clues is the story of the earrings, hinting at truths that defy what Anna has always known.
Devastated and determined to understand her past, Anna embarks on a journey to unmask the truth. As she does, she discovers the past isn't just something to uncover-it's something that could determine her future.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a compelling read from start to finish, "Abandoning the Script" by Linda Rosen will be of particular appeal to readers with an interest in women's fiction in general, and divorce/feminism themed novels in particular. As an author, Rosen's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style compelling her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While an unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Abandoning the Script" from Black Rose Writing is also readiy available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Linda Rosen (www.linda-rosen.com), a fitness professional turned novelist, is the author of The Disharmony of Silence, Sisters of the Vine, and The Emerald Necklace. She is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and The Women's National Book Association, founder of the South Florida chapter.
My Father's Father
Max Burger
Rogue Phoenix Press
https://roguephoenixpress.com
9781624209086, $12.99, PB, 312pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/My-Fathers-Father-Holocaust-Generations/dp/1624209084
Synopsis: Holocaust survivors keep secrets -- secrets from those they love, secrets from those they knew, and secrets from themselves.
Martin Jacobs confronts his father with a journal his grandfather wrote before his death from an assassin's bullet. Martin knew his father had lied about his grandfather being killed in the Holocaust and that Jacobs was not his real family name. He knew his grandfather had come to America and returned to Europe, but not why.
"My Father's Father" by Max Burger is an historical family saga novel that spans Europe and America at the turn of the century, through the Holocaust, and afterwards. "My Father's Father" is told through the eyes of three generations and, although a work of deftly crafted fiction, will hold a special appeal to those who have longed to know their family history, endured alienation without explanation, and grief without resolution.
Critique: Original, exceptional, emotionally engaging and intellectually fascinating, "My Father's Father" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community/public library historical and holocaust fiction themed collections, and the personal reading lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "My Father's Father" from Rogue Phoenix Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Max Burger was raised in New York City, graduated from NYU and the Medical School of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin. He retired after practicing thirty-eight years as a Family Physician, primarily in New Jersey.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Crystal Springs
Don Lesser
Rootstock Publishing
https://www.rootstockpublishing.com
9781578692224, $18.99, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Springs-Don-Lesser/dp/1578692229
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crystal-springs-don-lesser/1149364466
Synopsis: Steven Bennett is a historian, chef, and programmer in the quaint rural towns of the Pioneer Valley. Rejected by his first love, he marries another woman and lives an ordinary life hosting barbecues and tip-toeing around a past extramarital affair. After raising a family, a sudden suspected overdose of a young woman in town upends Steven's life. He embarks on a quest to discover what really happened only to unearth buried scars and hard truths about old friends.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and set against the backdrop of lush hills in Western Massachusetts, "Crystal Springs" by Don Lesser is a deftly crafted work about the love of place, the bonds between found families, and the lasting love between friends. As an author, Don Lesser presents a genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that raises "Crystal Springs" to an impressive level of literary excellence. Highly recommended for personal reading lists as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted that "Crystal Springs" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99) from Barnes & Noble.
Editorial Note: Don Lesser received his MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts. His food articles have won awards at the Greenbrier Symposium for Professional Food Writers. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. Crystal Springs is his third novel. His previous novels remain unpublished, though his MFA thesis novel, Deli, was published online in 2010. (https://www.writersinprogress.com/don-lesser-bio)
Cafe Stories
Jerry Guarino
Independently Published
9798251407846, $14.95, PB, 211pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cafe-Stories-Inspired-Greatest-Band/dp/B0GT3YTN16
Synopsis: Jerry Guarino is but one of the world-wide legion of Beatles fans. What sets him apart is that he has ably translated his love and loyalty to the Fab Four into writing the series of short stories that comprise "Cafe Stories: Stories Inspired by the Greatest Band of All Time".
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a fascinating read from start to finish, "Cafe Stories: Stories Inspired by the Greatest Band of All Time" by Jerry Guarino is a 'must' for all Beatles fans. His distinctive, character and narrative driven storytelling style raise his compendium of short stories to an impressive level of literary excellence. While unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Cafe Stories: Stories Inspired by the Greatest Band of All Time" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: There is a listing of books by Jerry Guarino available online at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5321383.Jerry_Guarino
Scarlet Yearnings Beyond First Glance
Scarlet Ibis James, author
D. James Joseph, editor
DKJ Enterprises: Discovery and Key
9798999382955, $35.00, HC, 266pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Yearnings-Beyond-First-Glance/dp/B0GQJL962K
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scarlet-yearnings-beyond-first-glance-scarlet-ibis-james/1149557590
Synopsis: "Scarlet Yearnings Beyond First Glance: Collector's Edition" by Scarlet Ibis Yearnings is a unique compendium of twelve genre-blending, interconnected short stories that collectively explores what happens after attraction and are set in New York, Toronto, and Chicago, as women from diverse cultures navigate second chances, fractured friendships, marriages under strain, and the private reckonings that follow desire.
Spanning Ghana, Trinidad, and North America, these character-driven narratives examine love as choice, effort, and maintenance rather than fantasy. A lifelong friendship unravels under silence. A marriage built on carefully guarded secrets begins to crack. A surgeon determined to move slowly toward love must confront the cost of vulnerability. In one story, a man wakes on the morning of his death. In another, a woman learns to see herself with tenderness for the first time.
While the stories share a lineage with Scarlet Yearnings earlier collection, "Stories of Love and Desire", this new collection stands entirely on its own. Blending contemporary romance tropes with elements of speculative fiction and domestic suspense, "Beyond First Glance" offers emotionally real, discussion-worthy fiction for readers who value psychological depth and cultural specificity.
Critique: For readers who love intimate, character-driven short story collections that evoke conversation, linger in memory, and engender reflection, this Collector's Edition of "Scarlet Yearnings Beyond First Glance" from DKJ Enterprises: Discovery and Key features narrative cover art by Nick Low, a dust jacket over a case-laminated book, and includes exclusive author content, character profiles, and a book discussion guide. While also available in paperback, ( 9798999382962, $21.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99), "Scarlet Yearnings Beyond First Glance" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, community library Literary Fiction/Short Story collections, and supplemental Contemporary American Literary Fiction and Black Diaspora Fiction curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Scarlet Ibis James is an award-winning author whose work explores love, longing, identity, and emotional truth across the Black and Caribbean diaspora. Born in Trinidad and Tobago and based in Harlem, her writing blends cultural specificity with universal human experience. There is an extensive online listing of her books available at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51997826.Scarlet_Ibis_James
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill
Ray M. Schultze
https://raymschultze.com
Independently Published
9798993873008, $12.99, PB, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Jack-London-Murder-Nob-Hill/dp/B0G3KYWN8W
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jack-london-and-murder-on-nob-hill-ray-m-schultze/1148892767
Synopsis: Back from the Klondike's gold fields with barren pockets and fighting to keep his family afloat, Jack London is desperate to make his mark as a writer. But when he witnesses a young woman knifed to death on fog-drenched Nob Hill (a crime the police claim to know nothing about) he refuses to walk away.
His search for answers leads him into Chinatown's shadowy alleys, where teenaged girls vanish, gang rivalries boil up, and the city's princes pull strings no one is meant to notice. Each step brings him closer to a beguiling woman whose secrets endanger them both -- and to enemies who would rather see him dead than let their empire fall.
Critique: As a novelist, Ray M. Schultze has an impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideally suited to historical crime thrillers. With the publication of "Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill", Schultze deftly blends a well crafted murder mystery with the inherent fascination of an historical character thriller -- in this case the literary icon and real-life adventurer Jack London (January 12, 1876 - November 22, 1916). An original and fun read from start to finish, "Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Ray M. Schultze (https://raymschultze.com) is the author of seven novels, including five works of suspense: The Last Safe Place, Combustion, The Devil in Dreamland, Decatur's Dig, and Beranek's Stand. His 2023 release, Russian River, marked a shift into historical adventure.
Crime on the Coast
Marty Eberhardt
https://martyeberhardt.com
Artemesia Publishing
https://www.apbooks.net
9781963832433, $15.95, PB, 188pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Coast-Bea-Rivers-Mystery/dp/1963832434
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crime-on-the-coast-marty-eberhardt/1147552631
Synopsis: Bea Rivers has had three years to settle into her new role as the executive director of Shandley Gardens. She loves the job even if it sometimes interferes with raising her family. Out of the blue she is invited by an old college friend, Paige Pearson, to attend an intimate botanical garden conference at the seaside La Jolla Gardens in exclusive La Jolla, California. Bea decides to attend and convinces her friend Lila Busby, who just became the director of a garden in New Mexico, to attend as well.
The conference gets off to a shaky start and Bea can sense that something is worrying Paige. But before Bea can learn what is upsetting her friend, Paige falls from the 300-foot cliff behind the gardens to the beach below. The police begin their investigation and refuse to say whether Paige's death was a suicide or murder.
Bea begins her own investigation, trying to determine what Paige had been so concerned about and who might have wanted her dead. Bea soon learns that many of the other attendees had good reasons to wish Paige gone. As Bea's investigation uncovers the garden's secrets, she realizes that she is dealing with some very powerful and malevolent forces.
Critique: A deftly crafted, original, fun and fascinating read that will have a special appeal to the legions of cozy mystery fans, "Crime on the Coast" by author Marty Eberhardt will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to both personal reading lists and community/public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Crime on the Coast" from Artemesia Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Marty Eberhardt (https://martyeberhardt.com) is a retired botanical garden executive director who now delights in using the right side of her brain to write fiction. She has written two books in the Bea Rivers botanical garden mystery series; "Death in a Desert Garden" (2021) and "Bones in the Back Forty" (2023).
Island Shadows
Bob Adamov
www.BobAdamov.com
Independently Published
9798252605166, $20.00, PB, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Island-Shadows-Emerson-Moore-Adamov/dp/B0GT8GWWQQ
Synopsis: Two burning yachts. One charred body. A deadly secret hiding on Kelleys Island.
A peaceful summer night in Put-in-Bay turns into a nightmare when two luxury yachts erupt into flames in the harbor. When firefighters finally control the blaze, they discover a charred body inside one of the smoldering wrecks.
The mysterious death draws investigative reporter Emerson Moore into a dangerous story that leads him to nearby Kelleys Island -- a place famous for quiet beaches, friendly bars, and breathtaking Lake Erie sunsets.
But Moore quickly realizes something is wrong. The island's easygoing charm hides a darker truth.
After nightfall, suspicious activity unfolds along the island's remote northern shoreline. The clues lead Moore to a powerful and secretive foreign businessman living behind the gates of a heavily guarded waterfront compound.
As Moore digs deeper, he uncovers a ruthless criminal operation hiding in plain sight -- one willing to kill to keep its secrets buried.
Time is running out during a dangerous escape aboard the Kelleys Island Ferry!
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Island Shadows" by Bob Adamov is a riveting action packed suspense thriller of a Lake Erie maritime themed murder mystery. Adamov's character and narrative driven storytelling style is ideally suited to this novel of mystery, murder, and mayhem. While this paperback edition of "Island Shadows" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be note for the personal reading lists of dedicated action/adventure and mystery/suspense fans that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Bob Adamov (https://packardislandpublishing.com) is an Ohio mystery adventure writer whose stories are based in the Lake Erie South Bass Island resort town of Put-in-Bay, the "Key West of the Midwest." His novels follow the adventures of investigative reporter, Emerson Moore. He also has two humorous holiday novellas and a newly released romantic mystery.
A Thousand Cuts
Gregory Poirier
https://gregorypoirier.com
Diversion Books
https://www.diversionbooks.com
9798895150900, $18.99, PB, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Cuts-Max-Starkey-Thriller/dp/B0FFTGTGGR
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-thousand-cuts-gregory-poirier/1147732818
Synopsis: Max Starkey is a disgraced CIA operative turned underworld fixer. A man whose past loves, rivals, and indiscretions are closing in on him in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
Seven years after a CIA mission in Laos went sideways, Max lives in the gray spaces between criminals and justice, recovering stolen goods for villains who don't ask questions. But when he's lured to Bangkok under false pretenses, his past catches up with him.
The setup: an old flame, Kelly Riggs, now married to his CIA rival.
The job: steal $130 million in dictator-owned gold before a coup ignites.
The problem: everyone plans a double-cross -- and Max is the mark.
Then there's Giuliana Abara, Max's sharp-tongued "companion", an undercover FBI agent with secrets of her own, and who further proves that trust kills and redemption demands blood.
"A Thousand Cuts" is a high-octane thriller -- spanning the streets of Bangkok to the Laotian rainforest and the debut as a novelist by screenwriter Gregory Poirier.
Critique: An original and simply riveting action/adventure and suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "A Thousand Cuts" by Gregory Poirier showcases the author's character and narrative driven storytelling style that will bring the story alive in the mind's eye of the reader. A compulsive page-turner of a novel from cover to cover, "A Thousand Cuts" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library political thriller collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "A Thousand Cuts" from Diversion Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Gregory Poirier (https://gregorypoirier.com) is an acclaimed screenwriter, director, and producer whose work spans film and television. His credits include National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Knox Goes Away, and Rosewood. A graduate of the USC School of Theater and the UCLA Masters program in screenwriting, he brings a sharp, cinematic eye to fiction.
Finding Innocence
John Wemlinger
https://www.johnwemlinger.com
Mission Point Press
https://www.missionpointpress.com
9781968761349, $22.95, PB, 306pp
Publishing Release Date: July 21, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Innocence-John-Wemlinger/dp/1968761349
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-innocence-john-wemlinger/1149829622
Synopsis: Raped and left for dead, Army Sergeant Rebecca Farnsworth is court-martialed because her superiors don't believe her. Upon her acquittal, her life's trial begins.
Sergeant Rebecca Farnsworth was alone, unarmed, and simply following instructions when she was attacked and left for dead in a deserted part of a sprawling military installation. But her superiors see things differently.
Instead of victim, they see her as the perpetrator and charge her with dereliction of duty and drug use. Defended by a tough-as-nails attorney, she is acquitted on a technicality.
Unsatisfied, however, with the judge's pronouncement that she is "not guilty," it will take Rebecca twenty years to prove her innocence and, along the way, change forever the direction of her life.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "Finding Innocence" by John Wemlinger is an emotionally gripping story of the brutal rape of a female soldier and set against a contemporary military backdrop. As an author, John Wemlinger's character and narrative driven storytelling style bring his characters to life and his plot twists all too real given the exposure of reported sexual assaults taking place over the past decade in the United States armed forces of today. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.95), this paperback edition of "Finding Innocence" from Mission Point Press is unreservedly recommended pick for community library Military Crime themed suspense/thriller fiction collections.
Editorial Note: John Wemlinger (https://www.johnwemlinger.com) is a retired US Army colonel with 27 years of military service. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War where he was a helicopter maintenance officer and pilot. In retirement he has become an award-winning author. Finding Innocence is his seventh novel. He writes with a purpose, first intending to be a mirror into which military and veterans may see the reflection of their honorable service and, second, to be a window for anyone who may not know about or understand the importance of America's military or the challenges associated with military service.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Fate's Deception
C. S. Evermore
https://csevermorebooks.com
Independently Published
9788797607732, $49.99, HC, 327pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Nixian-Chronicles-Fates-Deception/dp/8797607738
Synopsis: What if fate kept rewriting your life until you broke?
Lyara Valen thought breaking an ancient curse would finally let her breathe.
Instead, a living-shadow drags her through a labyrinth of horrors -- and the Architect of Prophecy, the being who scripts destiny, steals what's left of her freedom. Now she's hurled across splintered realities, each one a cage: some spun from perfect love, others dripping with nightmare. Break the dream and she wakes in another trap; yield, and she loses herself forever.
Back in the waking world, her found family refuses to let her vanish:
Siren-song mages gamble with forbidden echoes.
Mirrors are sharpened into weapons by a furious commander.
Each sacrifice cuts deeper, yet still falls short of breaking fate's grip.
Because the Architect has already rigged the board. Every heartbeat tightens an invisible noose around Lyara's soul. To escape, she must decide which illusion to shatter and which piece of herself to sacrifice, guided only by an unseen ally whose kindness hides razor secrets.
Power saved her once. -- This time it may rewrite her, line by line, before she can strike back!
Critique: For readers who appreciate a finely crafted psychologically immersive fantasy with morally ambiguous protagonists and no easy answers, "Fate's Deception" the sequel to author C. S. Evermore's "The Awakening" in 'The Nixon Chronicles' series and plunges even deeper into psychological warfare, morally gray choices, and the cost of tearing down a rigged prophecy. Exceptionally well crafted and of particular appeal to readers with an interest in action/adventure fantasy fiction, "Fate's Deception" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Fate's Deception" is also available in paperback (9788797607718, $24.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: C.S. Evermore (https://csevermorebooks.com) writes epic dark fantasy with psychological depth and a philosophical edge. Her debut series, The Nixian Chronicles, explores betrayal, indoctrination, and the cost of free will -- where illusions are weaponized, and nothing is what it seems. Known for her immersive prose, haunting themes, and emotionally complex characters, she writes for readers who want to feel what they read long after the final page. -- As an author she stays anonymous by choice. The story was never about her. It's about what it wakes up in you as her reader.
A Treason of Magic
Melissa Marr
www.melissamarrbooks.com
47 North
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662536939, $16.99, PB, 315pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Treason-Magic-Melissa-Marr/dp/1662536933
Synopsis: "A Treason of Magic" by Melissa Marr is the story of two young women who are the heirs to altogether different hereditary burdens, yet are bound together by a monstrous threat to their village.
Gabrielle is the first woman in Alveus to carry the mantle of Hunter, which comes with an obligation to kill the faery beasts murdering travelers in Brimmond Wood. Wary of the power she wields as guardian of her people, Gabrielle is summoned by her first love, a seductress who shattered her heart into pieces a decade ago.
Isabeau is the rarest of nobility -- a lady duke. She is also afflicted by a curse that leaves her in a deep sleep between the gloaming and daylight. How can she begin her tenure as protector when she can't keep her village safe from whatever stalks its darkest hours? For that, she needs the help of the Hunter.
Against her will, Gabrielle is falling in love all over again. But what new threats will arise when Gabrielle and Isabeau's star-crossed destinies collide with the beast of Brimmond Wood?
Critique: An original, fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, "A Treason of Magic" showcases author Melissa Mar's exceptional gift for the kind of imaginative character and narrative driven storytelling style that is so admirably suited for creating a world of magic, duty, danger, and star crossed love. A compulsive page turner of a read from start to finish, "A Treason of Magic" is unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated folklore style fantasy fans and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "A Treason of Magic" from 47 North is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Melissa Marr (www.melissamarrbooks.com) is also the author of the Wicked Lovely series, among many other novels, short stories, and fiction for teens and children. Her books have been translated into twenty-eight languages and have been bestsellers in the US and abroad.
Fresh Start
Johnny Worthen
https://johnnyworthen.com
Flame Tree Press
https://www.flametreepress.com
9781787589636, $22.95, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Start-Johnny-Worthen/dp/1787589633
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fresh-start-johnny-worthen/1147859867
Synopsis: On the edges of mankind's domain there is a penal planet called Fresh Start where a sentence is at best exile to five generations, but more likely death in its harsh unforgiving wastes. It is to this planet the empire sends the worst of the worst and it is on this planet that soldier/priest Qays Mendoza searches for his old captain.
The galactic empire is falling, civilization contracts. Fresh Start is abandoned. Without oversight, the planet is wild, without guards; the Oubliette, the supermax prison on the supermax planet, lies open, and the Butcher of Raznak, a killer worse than the one Qays seeks, is on the loose.
With the help of a street waif called Patience, Qays seeks answers. His soul is stained with guilt and his spirit broken by complicity. Religion did not have the answer; duty did not explain it. Birthright and station were not enough. His answers lie somewhere on Fresh Start.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a fun read from start to finish, "Fresh Start" is high adventure science fiction at its very best and showcases author Johnny Worthen's impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style is so well suited to the genre. An extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community/public library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated SciFi fans that this hardcover edition of "Fresh Start" from Flame Tree Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note #1: Johnny Worthen (https://johnnyworthen.com) is well versed in modern literary criticism and cultural studies. He writes upmarket multi-genre fiction, both traditionally and independently published. "I write what I like to read," he says. "That guarantees me at least one fan." He is the author of the best-selling series, The Books of Coronam and the apocalyptic myth The Gaia Chime" which witnesses the global chaos of a planet in repair. Johnny also teaches creative writing at the University of Utah, is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (PAA), Pikes Peak Writers, IBPA, SFWA, HWA, and is a lifetime member of The League of Utah Writers.
Editorial Note #2: Flame Tree Press is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to excellent original writing in horror, science fiction and fantasy. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress. The were the awarded independent publisher of 2024 by the British Fantasy Society.
The Poetry Shelf
A Little Feral
Maria Giesbrecht
https://mariagiesbrecht.com
Write Bloody Publishing
https://writebloody.com
9781949342819, $18.00, PB, 100pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Feral-Maria-Giesbrecht/dp/1949342816
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-little-feral-maria-giesbrecht/1148793769
Synopsis: With the publication of "A Little Feral", Maria Giesbrecht delivers a debut collection of her poetry with verse that navigates faith, family, and personal resurrection through a voice at once wild, intimate, and quietly rebellious.
Written in the aftermath of leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing, these poems chart a parallel journey of breaking away -- from father, from God, from the confines of obedience. Giesbrecht's language is lyrical and unflinching, a cadence that moves between tenderness and defiance, weaving ancestral memory with moments of stark revelation.
Collectively, the poetry comprising "A Little Feral" asks its readers to reimagine where holiness might be found -- in the fractures of family, in the undoing of inherited faith, and even in the loneliness of a world shaped by patriarchy and exile.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, emotionally and intellectually engaging, "A Little Feral" is a remarkable collection of memorable verse that showcases the imaginative and literary talents of Maria Giesbrecht as a wordsmith able to fully engage the reader from beginning to end. A truly impressive volume of verse that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "A Little Feral" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Poetry collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Maria Giesbrecht (https://mariagiesbrecht.com) is a Canadian poet whose work explores her Mexican and Mennonite roots. Her writing has appeared in The Literary Review of Canada, Grain, ONLY POEMS, San Pedro River Review, and elsewhere. She is the winner of the 2025 Jack McCarthy Book Prize, a Best of Net nominee, and the founder of Gather, an international writing community that connects poets worldwide. Born in Mexico, she now lives in Canada.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Boxing Chronicles - Redemption
Earl Phelps
Phelps Publishing Company
https://phelpspublications.com
9781887627276, $9.95, PB, 38pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Boxing-Chronicles-Redemption-Earl-Phelps/dp/1887627278
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boxing-chronicles-redemption-earl-phelps/1149761494
Synopsis: Former world champion heavyweight James Redmond's entire professional career-- really his entire life can be summed up by highs and lows. Redmond is an African-American muscular build man, bald headed with a mustache, about six feet two and inches tall.
While Redmond has reached higher peaks, few views may be sweeter than the one from Friday night's summit -- especially considering the rocky ascent it took to get back to the top.
Following a 20-month absent from boxing, along with a well-chronicled battle with drug abuse and brushes with the law, the 45-year-old Redmond once again became a winner when he knocked out John Brown in the second round of his main event at a small area in Las Vegas.
Sweetening his win, was the fact that Redmond's 21-year-old son, Edward Redmond, also knocked out his opponent in the same ring, the same night of his father's comeback.
Critique: Effectively illustrated in B/W throughly, "Boxing Chronicles - Redemption" by Earl R. Phelps is an informative, factual, and ultimately inspiring account of how professional boxer James Redmond's overcame his long term struggles with addiction and the law. This large format (8.5 x 0.08 x 11 inches, 3.99 ounces) trade paperback edition of "Boxing Chronicles - Redemption" from the Phelps Publishing Company is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, highschool, and community library sports biography themed graphic novel collections for readers ages 16 and up.
Editorial Note: Earl R. Phelps has been drawing for many years and the founder of Phelps Publishing which specializes in producing art instruction books and graphic novels.
The Christian Studies Shelf
Curing Christianity
D. L. Webster
www.dlwebster.com
Spherical Media & Publishing
9798994185100, $17.99, PB, 181pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Curing-Christianity-Overcoming-Confusion-Rediscover/dp/B0GWQZW6LV
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/curing-christianity-d-l-webster/1149874777
Synopsis: What if there is a path to a healthy faith you can feel confident in?
Thousands have left Christianity through deconstruction -- and not just casual Christians, but also sincere believers struggling with doctrines that don't seem to align with Jesus's message of love and grace. But there is good news: most of the reasons for deconstruction are unnecessary.
With the publication of "Curing Christianity: Overcoming Doubt, Fear, and Confusion to Rediscover a Healthy Christian Faith", D.L. Webster examines ten common beliefs which may be causing you confusion, doubt, and spiritual harm. You can learn how you can avoid these common pitfalls through a constructive approach that focuses on healing rather than leaving.
"Curing Christianity" covers:
How fear-based theology undermines genuine faith
What the Bible really says about God's love and character
How to understand hell, salvation, and scripture in healthier ways
Why some beliefs cause anxiety and spiritual trauma
How to build a robust faith that withstands cultural currents
If you have ever felt confused by contradictory teachings, wounded by religious practices, or watched friends walk away from their faith -- you are not alone. Whether you are questioning your beliefs, supporting someone who is, or simply want to strengthen your understanding of Jesus, "Curing Christianity" offers a path toward authentic, resilient Christianity.
Too many Christians are spiritually unwell. It's time for a cure.
Critique: With a timely and timeless message for members of the Christian community, "Curing Christianity: Overcoming Doubt, Fear, and Confusion to Rediscover a Healthy Christian Faith" by D. L. Webster is exceptional and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, church, and seminary Christian Studies collections. It should be noted for seminary students, clergy, theologians, and members of the Christian community (including all denominational affiliations) that this paperback edition of "Curing Christianity" from Spherical Media & Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: D. L. Webster (https://www.dlwebster.com) is an author, blogger, host of the Digging Doug podcast, and the bassist for the rock band Rusty Shipp. He brings a wealth of knowledge gathered from years of studying Scripture, listening to sermons, and engaging with Christian thought leaders which he distills into an easy to read, engaging, and biblically grounded book. Webster's passion is to help both Christians individually and the church as a whole to experience the healthiest Christianity possible.
The Self-Help Shelf
Enjoy Your Self Now!
Pat Croce
https://www.patcroce.com
Meditation Hill Press
9798218835187, $29.95, HC, 352pp
Publishing Release Date: September 21, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Enjoy-Your-Self-Now-Croce/dp/B0GYYXTQQJ
Synopsis: Compiled and edited by Pat Croce, "Enjoy Your Self Now!" is a compendium of creative expression that contains 66 concise, standalone "sacred shifts" designed for today's readers who crave fast, meaningful insights that can be absorbed in ten minutes or less.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a six page Glossary, "Enjoy Your Self Now!" is ideal for a daily reflective and meditative period to exercise and explore the mind, imagination, and soul with poetry, commentary, observation that is insightful, inspiring, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Enjoy Your Self Now!" from Meditation Hill Press is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement & Mediation collections.
Editorial Note: Pat Croce (https://www.patcroce.com) is an author, an innovative pioneer in the sports medicine industry, the swashbuckling owner in the professional sports industry, and a serial entrepreneur in the hospitality industry.
Blame Yourself
Robert Morong
Independently Published
9798283604404, $24.99, HC, 110pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Blame-Yourself-Responsibility-Transforms-Everything/dp/B0F8WVCS6M
Synopsis: What if the greatest barrier between you and the life you want isn't your circumstances, but where you place blame?
"Blame Yourself: How Radical Responsibility Transforms Everything" is a transformative guide in which Bobby Morong presents a revolutionary perspective that changes everything: The moment you stop waiting for external factors to improve and start taking complete responsibility (even for problems you didn't create) you unlock extraordinary capacity for change.
Drawing from diverse experiences across education, athletics, business, and family life, Morong demonstrates how this single shift creates immediate results where conventional approaches fail:
Break free from "The Blame Loop" that keeps you repeating the same patterns while expecting different outcomes
Transform obstacles into opportunities by strategically redirecting blame toward what you can control
Discover why "It's not about what's fair. It's about what works."
Apply practical techniques illustrated through powerful film moments that showcase responsibility in action
Each chapter comprising "Blame Yourself: How Radical Responsibility Transforms Everything" concludes with a "Mirror Moment" -- a concrete exercise that immediately applies these principles to your specific challenges. These aren't abstract theories but practical tools for immediate implementation.
This unique approach works for everything: career advancement, relationship challenges, fitness goals, financial struggles, family dynamics -- any situation where traditional methods have left you stuck.
"Blame Yourself: How Radical Responsibility Transforms Everything" isn't about self-criticism or guilt. It's about the liberating discovery that placing responsibility strategically gives you more options, not fewer. It's about transforming your relationship with challenges so profoundly that what once seemed impossible becomes inevitable.
For anyone tired of waiting for better conditions, "Blame Yourself: How Radical Responsibility Transforms Everything" provides the missing variable in the achievement equation -- and will fundamentally change how you approach every obstacle from this day forward.
Critique: Original, exceptional, intellectually and emotionally engaging, "Blame Yourself: How Radical Responsibility Transforms Everything" is an extraordinary and deftly crafted DIY self help instructional guide that is impressively 'real world practical' and 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation. Author Robert Morong adroitly employs 20 iconic movies (Goodfellas, The Matrix, Rocky, Good Will Hunting, As Good As It Gets, Fight Club, and others) as the structural framework for short, direct chapters on radical personal responsibility. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Blame Yourself: How Radical Responsibility Transforms Everything" is also readily available in paperback (9798283596945, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Robert Morong taught Physical Education and Special Education for 20 years in the Boston area -- beginning in Newton Public Schools, then The Gifford School (a therapeutic day school in Weston), and finishing in Randolph Public Schools, where his position was eliminated in early 2020. He then relocated to San Diego in 2022 to commercialize Training Ties(R) -- a patented shoe-tying aid now in use across the USA. He is a co-host of the Slept-On Cinema Podcast. "Blame Yourself" is his first book.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Remember Who You Are: A Spiritual Adventure
Karen Alexander
Universoul Foundations
https://universoulfoundations.com
9798991529006, $18.99, PB, 294pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Who-You-Are-Adventures/dp/B0DVBK8758
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-who-you-are-karen-alexander/1146900697
Synopsis: It all started on a routine flight, but from that point on nothing remained the same. Suddenly one woman finds herself outside the plane, watching it disappear into the clouds. Without warning her world is turned upside down by a surprising teacher who reveals to her the truth of who we are.
Unique, revelatory, magical, revolutionary, with the publication of "Remember Who You Are: A Spiritual Adventure" author Karen Alexander takes the reader on an astonishing adventure where they will discover their own spiritual destiny through the wisdom, humor, and directness of a remarkable source.
"Who am I?" and "What is my life purpose?" These questions will at last have answers. Knowledge cloaked for centuries are to be found within the pages of "Remember Who You Are: A Spiritual Adventure"!
With amazing clarity, well-respected professional therapist Karen Alexander shares startling information that challenges the philosophical and religious ideas that have pushed us toward imminent destruction. This provocative and inspiring work reveals a powerful new direction that will permanently change the way you think and feel about yourself and the planet.
"Remember Who You Are: A Spiritual Adventure" was originally published in 1995 as a co-authored book called "Losing Your Mind". It won the prestigious 1996 Body Mind Spirit Magazine Award for Excellence. Putnam later republished it as a solo work titled "A Gift from Daniel". Karen Alexander's book was finally revised and re-titled "Remember Who You Are: A Spiritual Adventure" and published in 2025 by Universoul Foundations.
Critique: Karen Alexander's unique and inherently fascinating metaphysical study is deftly crafted and inspired reading from start to finish. "Remember Who You Are: A Spiritual Adventure" has the potential of directly and positively affecting the spiritual life and awareness of the reader. Highly recommended for community and college/university library Metaphysical Studies/Inspirational Spirituality collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of readers with an interest in spirit guides, angels, and the unexplained mysteries of life that this paperback edition of "Remember Who You Are: A Spiritual Adventure" from Universoul Foundations is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: There is an extensive online listing of books by Karen Alexander available at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/241438.Karen_Alexander
Earthing The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's
Adam Stout
Green Magic
9781915580283, $20.88, PB, 158pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Earthing-Dragon-Glastonbury-Adam-Stout/dp/1915580285
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/earthing-the-dragon-glastonbury-and-the-60s-adam-stout/1147427488
Synopsis: In 1967 the original New Age Travellers journeyed horse-drawn down the greenways to Glastonbury, following signs and portents in the sky.
"Earthing The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" is the story of why they went, what they found and what came after.
This is a tale by Adam Stout of flying saucers and the Glastonbury Zodiac, of Geoffrey Ashe and the return of King Arthur, of Wellesley Tudor Pole and the return of St Michael, of John Michell, of ley-lines and earth energies, of dreamers and activists, of LSD and sacred geometry, and how the Glastonbury Fair of 1971 was designed to stimulate the Earth's nervous system with joy.
Adam Stout has been a dedicated student of the phenomenon of Glastonbury and is also the author of "Glastonbury Holy Thorn: Story of a Legend".
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a fascinating read from cover to cover, "The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" is a deftly crafted blending of New Age phenomena, history, and adventures. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library New Age Metaphysics collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" from Green Magic is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.37).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Adam Stout availabe at: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1498119.Adam_Stout
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