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The Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Little Addictions
Catherine Gray
Aster
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804193242, $24.99 PB, $10.99 Kindle, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Addictions-Freedom-mighty-compulsions/dp/1804193240
Little Addictions: Freedom From Our Tiny But Mighty Compulsions surveys the smaller micro-addictions that have notable impacts on home, relationships, and health. Catherine Gray does more than identify compulsions which range from dopamine-hunting and phones to shopping and television, addressing the process of obtaining freedom and understanding the changed life that stems from this process. The result is a handbook for living in a more mindful, positive manner that teaches how to forego little addictions for big results. It's a self-help psychology survey that presents these achievements in digestible exercises and routines anyone can follow - a big step towards a special form of freedom that few other self-help approaches can match.
The World History Shelf
Black Meridian
Sean Patrick Sayers
www.seanpatricksayers.com
Independently Published
9798317827984, $4.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Meridian-Piracy-History-Written-ebook/dp/B0GHSLTSYP
Black Meridian: Piracy & Empire is a sweeping history of piracy and pirates that is highly recommended to any readers looking for epic, exciting reading filled with the facts of nonfiction and the passionate flavor of action-filled fiction. Sean Patrick Sayers tackles four centuries of history in chronicling how pirates, rulers, criminals, and politics intersected on the high seas to result in worldwide struggles for dominance.
He embeds this complex history with elements of drama and discovery that will lend to an appreciation of forces influencing all sides, employing language that is vivid in its descriptions of intersecting political ambition: "Ching Shih argued her case forcefully. She likely invoked the Emperor's benevolence and the chance for his government to peacefully rid the seas of the pirate menace. She assured them that the pirates under her command would abide by the law henceforth, if given the chance to make an honest living. The Governor General, meanwhile, was under immense pressure to end the pirate war. Each day the blockade and the naval operations continued was a drain on the imperial treasury and a risk of further embarrassments. He had tens of thousands of pirates bottled up and desperate, if negotiations failed and the pirates fought to the death, the coast would bleed for months more, and victory was still not guaranteed. And if by some ill fate the pirates slipped the noose, the whole nightmare would begin again."
Especially notable are the passages where pirates and privateers are created from circumstance, ambition, and events that influence their development and choices: "Only a few years before, the man now known as Blackbeard had been just another sailor seeking fortune amid the gunpowder chaos of empire. Born in England, Bristol by some accounts, Teach went to sea as a young man, learning the mariner's trade and the art of war in Queen Anne's War. When that war ended in 1713, thousands of privateers were cast adrift with little more than their hunger and their guns. Teach was among them, a seasoned privateer without a cause, an Englishman far from home in a West Indies suddenly at peace. But peace was not a method in those waters. The merchants and governors called it piracy when these unemployed fighting men continued taking prizes for themselves."
From how alliances are built around the world to chronicles of significant naval battles, national coalitions, the myths and realities surrounding piracy and slave traders, and the methods and influences of notable pirates, the story offers many revealing insights that will educate even readers who come to the story with much pirate history under their belts: "In Blackbeard's decision one can read the pirate's pragmatism, he neither slaughtered the captives nor particularly saved them, they were simply not his concern except insofar as they affected his speed and profit."
Black Meridian: Piracy & Empire is very highly recommended to libraries interested in world history, individuals who like their histories steeped in a sense of people and influences, and even those who may hold little prior interest in piracy, but look for action-packed epic reading. These audiences will find Black Meridian: Piracy & Empire a delightful standout, perfect for individual or book club pursuit and hard to put down.
The General Fiction Shelf
Predators, Reapers, and Deadlier Creatures
Matthew James Jones
Double Dagger Books
9781998501120, $14.99 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Predators-Reapers-Deadlier-Creatures-Matthew/dp/1998501124
It's hard to neatly categorize Predators, Reapers, and Deadlier Creatures. Thriller? Magical realism? Military fiction? Call it all three, then take another step into cross-genre possibility, because the story is also powerfully thought-provoking and action-packed from its opening lines:
"I'D BEEN IN AFGHANISTAN FOR THREE MONTHS when I saw the woman in the marketplace die." In short order, drone operator and narrator Jones encounters a talking Bigfoot, finds himself caring (against his better nature) for Sahar, a teenager he's tasked with monitoring, and faces the incongruities of a violence-wracked nation in which creatures struggle to survive military clashes and crises.
Sounds like a thriller? Matthew James Jones' literary voice isn't stilled by the task of depicting this environment. Indeed, its unexpected atmosphere is one of the novel's strengths: "I could see men on the rooftops. Sittin' on lawn chairs, gabbin' into cell phones, long snakes o' smoke charmed upwards by the stars. Seemed like each guy had a kitten on his lap or a dog beside him, same as home, but when I crept closer turns out they were rifles."
Readers will be enthralled by the surprising contrasts between violence and violent thinking and between decorum and fierce pathways: "She wanted to futh, Jones --gave me all the signs." ["futh" being a mispronunciation from a smashed mouth.]
"And she beat the shit out of you with her helmet, didn't she? Then the female doctor and dentist refused to treat you, right?"
"They said we were in a war. That there were real soldiers to look after." He wept harder. I saw into the wound that was his mouth; his teeth were broken shards. "She made me ugly." As tales of monsters, the Taliban, American soldiers, and those altered forever by war and adversity emerge, Jones crafts an emotionally charged, high-octane action piece that doesn't just create a scenario, but hits readers with the two-by-four of ethical quandaries: "Did the wheels of justice grind this miserable wretch, too? Halfheartedly."
The result is a gripping novel replete with supercharged imagery, heart-stopping insights that will provoke book club discussions, and tense moments as the fighting season ramps up. Librarians and readers seeking exceptional literary quality, eye-popping moral and ethical conundrums, and soul-searching moments of confrontation and transformation will find all these elements and more in Predators, Reapers, and Deadlier Creatures. Thriller? Magical realism? Military fiction? Just call it amazing.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
A Quiet Little Town
Dorothy Love
www.dorothylovebooks.com
Leaning Oaks Press
9798992016222, $15.99 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Little-Town-Colinas-Mystery/dp/B0GJL34NFG
A Quiet Little Town is a small-town mystery set in 1956 Texas that cultivates several viewpoints as events unfold: half from Hutch Joyner and the other from Ruth Harnett. A range of characters is presented which embraces a diversity of heritage and perspectives. These include Sheriff Hutch Joyner, whose distant Native American ancestors handed down stories through the generations that challenge modern times even though "Blood memory lived in his soul and his bones," and the murder of Sonny Guthrie that draws retired Texas Ranger Melvin Young from his staid fishing interests to a new case that returns him to the coveted limelight of a world he thought he'd left forever.
Ruth owns the town newspaper and is the mother of a young boy unwittingly caught up in the case, and her efforts to support Hutch as he investigates two murders offer satisfying contrasts in background and focus. Her decades-long friendship with Hutch and their shared concerns and values gives each support during their public and private struggles. As Hutch and Young probe Sonny Guthrie's death, they reveal the nuts and bolts of a life filled with controversy and methodical repression: "Before the mass deportation, he'd paid his ranch hands and his citrus pickers down in the valley less than the government required. When the men complained, he kept them in line with threats. He had a reputation for skipping out on his bills. Those who protested and tried to collect were invited to sue him. He could be charming. He could be crude and incredibly cruel. People were admitted to his circle on a whim, and dismissed just as easily, any perceived slight or any hint of disloyalty being the number one reason for exile."
There was plenty of motivation for murder, but when a man confesses, it turns out to be a situation that especially challenges Hutch, who strives to uphold the law against all odds while "fixing anything that goes wrong" in the small town as he pursues justice and reinforces the law. As Dorothy Love reveals the personalities, influences, and attitudes of this quiet little town, readers gain thought-provoking insights about its makeup, family lives, and special interests as Hutch and Ruth increasingly move into danger and quiet needs translate into further intrigue. Readers will especially appreciate how the 1950s atmosphere and small-town lives and special interests dovetail in unexpected ways, lending to bigger-picture thinking about small town life, big attitudes, and dangerous choices.
Librarians will want to acquire A Quiet Little Town for its outstanding mystery, combined with social inspections of a myriad of characters who find their quiet worlds challenged by noisy trouble. Hutch, Ruth, and others face unexpected deaths, questionable confessions, and new realizations that challenge their friendships and carefully built lives. The riveting tension builds slowly and realistically, creating a compelling portrait of a quiet little town's big secrets and the individuals who become committed to keeping them hidden.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Hello Humans
Momoko Uno
Manhattan Book Group
www.manhattanbookgroup.com
9781966799610, $25.99 Hardcover/$17.99 Paperback/$.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Humans-Momoko-Uno/dp/1966799624
Hello Humans is the first book in a sci-fi humor series that follows an unusual invitation by an Intergalactic Committee which has decided it's time for humans to join the fold, despite the opinions of opposition forces trying to do everything possible to delay that invitation for humanity to join the wider universe. Lofty and interconnected, the Committee holds many disparate forces, from Felines from the planet Tzar whose mission is to help guide humans towards love to the enigmatic Greys, who help humanity by predicting disasters.
This cast of characters is outlined before the story opens with "Biscuits for Humanity," set in 1981 in both Tennessee and Planet Tzar, where Princess Cupcake, leader of the Feline Federation, accepts the mission to heal the darkness in humanity, albeit through unusual devices: "Through one biscuit at a time, we will lighten the hearts of humans to make the world a kinder and more peaceful place. Our goal is to purr in the face of anger and meow to resolve hatred."
Momoko Uno's wry sense of humor unfolds scenarios in which all characters take place in scenarios which inundate Earth with both well-meaning, lofting ideals and nefarious forces. The wide cast of aliens may prove challenging to absorb at first, but Uno builds her story based on not just intrigue and events, but delightfully disparate personalities and peoples whose perspectives are engaging and fun. This makes it easier to absorb these conflicting species and interests as well as the greater impact of decisions made on various levels.
The character observations of these special interests and forces provide satisfying contrasts that are easy to absorb and intriguingly connected with many an Earthly concern despite their extraterrestrial origins: "For years, I ignored what my people said about my sister, but within two years, she had ten thousand followers. It frightened me, the power a group of stupid, disgruntled people could have, fueled by untruthful beliefs and collective anger."
This approach lends a multifaceted feel to the story which will keep readers on their toes with fast-paced action combined with shifting special interests and perspectives. There is a dearth of sci fi humor in the genre which Hello Humans fills in a creative, unique manner that will earn it librarian interest for adding to collections strong in humor or alien encounters.
Whimsical, thought-provoking, and unpredictable, Hello Humans offers a special style of social, political, and alien inspection that makes it a unique offering and a standout.
Baen Books
www.baen.com
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tinker-Elfhome-Wen-Spencer/dp/1668073099
The reprint of Wen Spencer's Tinker (9781668073094, $18.00), the first book in the Elfhome series, in a new edition will attract audiences who first encountered girl genius Tinker years ago. This keepsake edition will delight those who are interested in pursuing Tinker's world and encounters via a format that makes pursuing her adventures in Elfhome a snap. Tinker is one of those books that will earn its status as a long-lasting library lend or home library reread, making this reprint essential for the longevity the story deserves.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Mountain-Saga-Forgotten-Warrior/dp/1668073080
Larry Correia's Heart of the Mountain (9781668073087, $18.00) tell of Ashok Vadal, chosen by a weapon to be its bearer as he rises to leadership status, only to encounter others who face the impact of a prophecy, the aftermath of a war, and the efforts to challenge gods, tyrants, and political adversaries in new ways. Fans of his prior books will find Heart of the Mountain a captivating, vivid winner that marries human ambition with extraordinary circumstances in a story that is vivid and satisfyingly hard to put down or predict.
The Poetry Shelf
365 Sonnets: Celebrating Each Day with a Little Song
Paul Buchheit
Independently Published
9798992339604, $20.00
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/365-Sonnets-Celebrating-Each-Little/dp/B0F9956Q75
365 Sonnets: Celebrating Each Day with a Little Song is a collection of sonnets (a term derived from the Italian word "sonetto" meaning "little song") with uplifting daily reflections. Its structure, format, and themes are needed in modern times more than ever, while its literary roots in the sonnet form, rarely seen in modern poetry endeavors, will especially please poetry lovers seeking rhythm and structure from their reading. Paul Buchheit provides a notably excellent introduction that explains the sonnet form and his choices in rending it accessible and especially inviting: "Most of the poems in this volume adhere to the basic rules of the sonnet: 14 lines, iambic pentameter, and either a Shakespearean or Petrarchan rhyme scheme. However, the sonnets are Miltonian in rejecting strict quatrain/couplet and octave/sestet rules in favor of expressive freedom and continuity, much of it through the use of enjambment, which allows the uninterrupted flow of a sentence structure from one quatrain to another. Some of the sonnets are rendered in a prose-type format to enhance readability and clarify meaning."
Public domain images accompany the poetic inspections, which are thought-provoking enough to deserve slow reading and daily reflection that belays the haste of too many modern reads. Many of the poems capture nature and a sense of place with atmospheric, inviting description: "With dawn unfolds a painted panoply of lily, duster, poppy, pear, and plume, a pink and purple palette, potpourri afloat in minty lavender perfume."
Other pieces are headier inspections of life purpose, philosophy, spirituality, or myth. Buchheit celebrates different kinds of days, from "International Panic Day" to "Tax Day" or "World Students Day." These guided themes give students, literature readers, and general-reading audiences a foundation with which to navigate the poems and embedded themes which are both overt and subliminal.
Libraries interested in contemporary sonnet writing will welcome the rare chance to show how traditional patterns of expression still relate nicely to modern times and readers, while book clubs interested in literary works will find Buchheit's work both inspirational and worthy of group discussion. Steeped in the experiences of man and nature, reflective of changing days that bring with them special challenges or thoughts, and inspirational in its succinct presentations, 365 Sonnets: Celebrating Each Day with a Little Song is more than a literary celebration. It serves as a panacea for depression, daily woes, and smaller-picture thinking. Its approach and power are to be not just applauded, but celebrated.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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