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California Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Conflict as a Revolutionary Force
Carol Hwoschinsky
PDH Press
www.conflictasanevolutionaryforce.com
9798993494500, $14.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Conflict-Evolutionary-Force-Personal-Journey/dp/B0G4SXP9VR
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conflict-as-an-evolutionary-force-carol-hwoschinsky/1148818643
Conflict as an Evolutionary Force presents Carol Hwoschinsky's lifelong inquiry into the nature of conflict, from fearing it as a child to understanding how to work with it as a vehicle for dynamic change. While many books purport to teach conflict resolution in one form or another, Conflict as an Evolutionary Force reveals the process by which mediation of conflicting elements, whether within oneself, with another, or between individuals or groups, can lead to new outcomes.
The book is both a memoir and a record of the influences that led Hwoschinsky to develop her philosophical and social vision. An essential element in conflict becoming evolutionary is bringing the broader view to bear on the situation, recognizing common ground the conflicting forces share. A major turning point for Hwoschinsky was when she learned about the work of the Compassionate Listening Project, which in the late 1990s began taking delegations of North Americans to Israel and Palestine to promote dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis.
Hwoschinsky describes how deeply she was struck when she first heard the project founder, Leah Green (who wrote the foreword for the book) bring the words "compassion" and "listening" together. She realized she needed to be part of this work, in which she participated for a decade: "Listening with compassion, she [Leah Green] explained, calls for peacemakers to initiate respectful contact and cultivate compassion for all parties involved. The purpose of this next delegation would be to listen to people from all sides of the conflict, understand their grievances and their suffering, and bring those impressions back to the delegates' own communities. Most Americans, she said, did not understand what was really happening in the region, as the media did not provide an unbiased account. Compassionate Listening could be a powerful form of nonviolent activism."
The process by which Hwoschinsky's personal transformation became political transformation is particularly notable. How her work as teacher, therapist, and mediator moved from individual to group and national scales as workshops encouraging change through compassionate listening to one another makes for a powerful read.
Conflict as an Evolutionary Force is essential for understanding the interconnectedness of emotional, spiritual, social, and cultural experience and how conflict that seems irresolvable can in fact encourage new connections that create opportunities for all involved. Ideally, Conflict as an Evolutionary Force will be chosen by librarians, teachers, and listeners from all walks of life as an important toolkit for encouraging positive change. Its actionable insights and awareness that can contribute to truly evolutionary change make the book a powerful testimony to Hwoschinsky's vision and its potential for transforming all kinds of "irreconcilable" conflicts, people, and situations.
Though Conflict as an Evolutionary Force will appeal to individual thinkers, it's especially highly recommended for discussion groups, book clubs, classrooms, workshops, and any place where conflict resolution is of interest. This insightful book offers a unique approach to resolving conflict and promoting mutual understanding.
The American History Shelf
The Temecula Massacre
Gary P. DuBois and Lisa L. Woodward
Great Oak Press
www.greatoakpress.com
9781942279396, $21.98
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Temecula-Massacre-Lisa-Woodward/dp/1942279396
The Temecula Massacre: A Forgotten Battlefield Landscape of the Mexican-American War is a "must have" for any library seeking a history that fills in the blanks about Native American culture and events. It's also highly recommended for history buffs looking for uncommon accounts of largely overlooked struggles on American soil and their lasting impact.
The Pechanga Band of Indians holds this history, and here share it so it can be added to the chronicles of California and American events that have been largely hidden from or warped by non-Native viewpoints. The Temecula Indian Cemetery, one of the last vestiges of the disastrous tumult of 1846-1847, is evidence of preservation efforts and the effort to chronicle one of the biggest losses of Native in California during the Mexican-American War. After the slain were initially disposed of in a mass grave, the efforts of this tribe to return history and dignity to their rightful places in American history are represented by this cemetery and in the oral histories handed down and preserved in The Temecula Massacre.
Connections are made between events that modern-day Californians may know differently from their history and those of the past which have been largely hidden until now. From social undercurrents that permeated California during the Mexican-American war to firsthand accounts of the massacre, collected for use as source material in other books, the sentiments and experiences of those times come to life in a blend of scholarly historical assessment and personal experience.
Maps, handwritten notes, and other illustrations accompany extensive footnoted references alongside interesting dialogues about past historical interpretation. Oral accounts of why the Cahuilla agreed to fight against the Temecula Indians, with whom they had "longstanding familial connections" is described in detail.
The authors do an exceptional job of analyzing the times, providing a sense of place and culture, and describing social and political interactions. This assures that the tribal knowledge is presented in conjunction with a greater understanding of the history and feelings surrounding these experiences.
Libraries and readers interested in expanding their knowledge of Native America and its tribal history will find The Temecula Massacre a winner. Its blend of intricate scholarship and social and political insights, its attention to supporting documents, maps, and details, and its lively survey of the pressures and issues that resulted in disaster are suitable for classrooms, individual pursuit, and reading group discussions alike. The story is very highly recommended as a "must" for anyone interested in California or Native American history, and as a strong testimony to how California entered the Union and expanded its poor treatment of the Native population.
A side note: Great Oak Press is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Indians which publishes books related to tribal interests such as traditional language revitalization and local history and culture.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Quiet Money
Mark Hallink
Springwell Publishing
9798992303247, $19.95 Hardcover/$9.95 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Money-Important-Lifetime-Financial/dp/B0DYZZJ71Y
Quiet Money: Growing Wealth Quietly - and Why It's Super Important comes from an executive who has owned and run his own business for three decades, founding it in 1988 at age 23 and leading it for over thirty years.
Ten chapters cover the basics of "quiet wealth accumulation," which covers the usual goal-setting with an added layer of understanding. The focus is on the impact of acquiring money, the psychology of building relationships based on wealth, and both the opportunities and detriments of placing wealth acquisition at the center of one's life goals.
Chapters survey ideals of success, how the drive for monetary accumulation can overcome one's values and basic pleasures in life, how to set financial boundaries and build trust in money-making endeavors, and how to add humility into a money-making picture. These are topics not usually seen in the course of wealth-building strategies, but are every bit as important to the goal of building wealth as are the mechanics of making wealth grow.
Case history examples contrast the experiences and perspectives of a variety of individuals, from "The Borrowers" to "The Opportunists" and "The Sob Stories" (people who employ different routines to get what they want). Even more important are warnings about displaying one's wealth, as in "loud money": "If you're loud with your money - showing off expensive cars, extravagant vacations, or luxury homes - people will assume you have more than you need, and worse, they'll assume you owe them a piece of it."
The side effect of acquiring wealth thus goes beyond the acquisition process to consider the impact of what to do with such wealth. From living within one's means and establishing financial boundaries which don't restrict freedom but enhance it to developing a habit of gratitude for the people and resources that support financial wealth, Quiet Money offers readers the opportunity to assess the outcome of their goals and attitudes in addition to ways of increasing their assets.
The result may incorporate more psychology and philosophy than business readers are used to, but offers thought-provoking inspections of the wealth management process that are largely unavailable in books about wealth strategies. This makes Quiet Money a standout. It's the perfect choice for book clubs, libraries, and financial groups interested in discussing the basics of growing wealth in a more thoughtful manner.
Real Estate Investing in the New Era
Paul M. Getty
New Insights Press
https://newinsightspress.com
9798989492633. $49.95 Hardcover/$29.95 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Estate-Investing-New-Era/dp/B0FWWQGBS4/
Real Estate Investing in the New Era: Smart Strategies to Build Wealth focuses on real estate as a key vehicle to create long-term generational wealth. It offers a comprehensive assessment of the many types of real estate in which one can invest, and contrasts the old versus new real estate investing strategies of investing adapted for modern times and new tax considerations and legal regulations.
Paul M. Getty began his real estate career at age fourteen, has an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan, and has founded several companies involved in real estate investment, operating as either a buyer's or seller's rep in numerous deals. Chapters cover both traditional and creative real estate investments with an eye to contrasting past versus present best practices.
This approach sets Real Estate Investing in the New Era apart from advice guides that are mired in one approach or the other. It gives readers a fine foundation for better understanding how real estate investing has shifted over the decades, allowing them to develop up-to-date strategies. Readers receive a range of insights on various forms of investment, from single-family homes and apartments to office buildings, data centers, self-storage buildings, senior living facilities, student housing, net lease properties, and more.
The book also contains extensive information on Section 1031 Exchanges and Delaware Statutory Trust investment structures. The wide range of topics covered identify smart strategies for wealth that many investors may not have fully considered, reviewing the pros and cons of each.
Of significant note are also discussions about the growing use of AI in many areas of the real estate industry, from home design to identification of worthwhile properties to invest in. The book also covers the rationale for the increasing use of blockchain technology, stablecoins, and Smart Contracts. The result is a guide to the real estate world that leads readers through the ups and downs of different kinds of investments as well as changing attitudes, laws, and approaches to real estate acquisition and management.
Libraries and readers seeking a wide-ranging review of the past, present, and possible future of real estate investing will find Real Estate Investing in the New Era outstanding. It's a cut above most beginners' introductions on the subject because it goes beyond taking into account the fact that times have changed, tailoring specific strategies directed towards these shifting real estate atmospheres.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Boxes from the Attic: An Immigrant's Story
Miriam Kurtzig Freedman with Susan Wolfe
Independently Published
9798987720608, $36.95 Hardcover/$17.94 paperback/$9.95 ebook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Attic-Immigrants-Miriam-Kurtzig-Freedman/dp/B0DFM7J2KL
Boxes from the Attic: An Immigrant's Story is told by a daughter raised in a comfortable Holland family who moves to Palestine and a life of adventure. She marries, but as World War II brings conflict to the region, Thea is widowed and driven to escape war-torn Europe to bring her children to the safety of America.
The letters, journals, and writings Thea made in the course of her life form the backbone for a powerful, realistic saga that moves from a comfortable life in Holland to an immigrant's experiences and struggles to find a new home. Jewish history and culture come to life in the course of this family's journey.
Footnoted references will satisfy more scholarly readers interested in clarifications and additional information that support the journal entries and family experiences, but the general-interest reader will find that these do not interrupt the smooth flow of the narrative. Of special note are numerous illustrations (old photos, want ads, pictures of buildings and people featured in the story) that bring Thea's world to life.
Gentle acknowledgments of Thea's times and their differences in comparison to modern women also permeate her story: "Thea was of the generation that believed a woman was not complete without a man."
Another note is how many of this story's reflections about the interactions between Jewish and other cultures pose food for thought for modern times: "I believe that Abba knew instinctively that the future of Israel would be filled with conflict, though my mother never explained this to me. She didn't need to. Several facts were obvious to me. For example, at the risk of being naive, there's what may be viewed as a minor matter - but which I see as major - language. What if we children had been taught Arabic as our second language in elementary school from the very beginning? As I see it - and I'm guessing as Abba saw it - if you want peace with your neighbors inside the country and across its borders - let's not forget that Israel sits in the middle of the Arab world - as a first step, you must learn your neighbor's language. Otherwise, how can you possibly understand each other?"
The result is a memoir that becomes more than one individual's life and times, but holds important messages for present and future generations.
Librarians and readers will find it easy to absorb these insights as they are presented within the confines of one woman's well-lived life.
Big Boob
Emily Jungblut
Holy Crow Media
9798901830024, $0.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Boob-Finding-Optimism-Inflammatory-ebook/dp/B0G826VYZK
Big Boob: Finding Hope and Optimism Through Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a memoir that follows Emily Jungblut's survival process when, at age thirty-five, she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Her search for survivor stories which were positive and hopeful resulted in few inspirational guides, so as she underwent treatment, she decided to provide the kind of story she so desperately needed herself.
The first important piece of information she provides stems from the breast self-exam which indicated a fast-moving problem. The indicators that something was wrong were sudden, and not what many who hear about "lumps" may expect. Thus, this provides important practical information to women that most medical coverages don't reveal.
Also significant is how Jungblut chronicles medical responses to her initial self-diagnosis: "The vibe was off. Way off. You know that feeling when someone has already made up their mind before even talking to you? This was that. I instantly knew my concerns were about to be dismissed, and I was terrified. I felt my defensive guard rise."
Another important point that arises early in the story is how Jungblut knew something was wrong and pushed - even against her own nature - to engage medical professionals in making a diagnosis rather than accept the "wait and see" attitude they promoted. This likely saved her life, even though it went against her nature to be pushy: "Pushing back like this felt incredibly unnatural. I wasn't a rebel, but when your intuition knows, it knows. I felt in my guts like this could be my life on the line, and I wasn't going to take no for an answer. This choice to firmly say no, and mean it, was the best decision I could have made."
As Jungblut moves through her journey, the information, insights, and personal experiences keep readers not just engaged, but learning new information about their own health and interacting with the medical system. This contributes to a memoir which stands out from the plethora of cancer survivor stories, making Big Boob a top pick for women's health groups, breast cancer survivors, and those who would absorb the routines essential to redefining lives and futures.
Libraries and readers that choose Big Boob will want to assure that it widely circulates among women's reading and health groups. Its special blend of personal experience and medical system encounters expands the knowledge of inflammatory breast cancer, options, and proactive health management. Big Boob is highly recommended above many others for its ability to spin a compelling, real story and marry it with the attitudes and examples that contribute towards not just cancer survival, but a better outcome and life.
The General Fiction Shelf
Pictures of My Desire
Caroline Goldberg Igra
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888248492, $29.95 Hardcover/$19.95 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pictures-Desire-Caroline-Goldberg-Igra-ebook/dp/B0FTTG52MT
Pictures of My Desire is a novel about recovering from the impact of the Holocaust, and follows Nate's search for a lost painting stolen from his Jewish ancestors. His mission is driven by his family's long-lasting PTSD from the trauma, fueled with the thought that if he can just get back one precious family relic, healing will take place. When he meets art consultant Emily at an auction, Nate's intentions become romantic. His growing feelings for her get in the way of his original intention to heal his family's decades-old trauma.
For Emily's part, her initial attraction turns into worry as she perceives Nate to be a flawed, troubled character whose concerns and damaged family are beginning to impact her life and professional acuity: "Those same nerve endings that had been buzzing with anticipation hardened to stone. I was on full alert. My body (previously soft, pliant, and desperate to be touched, absolutely seeping with want) now stiffened, all business. The beautiful fog in which I'd been pleasantly enclosed dissipated, the gangplank raised. I was up on the ramparts ready to do anything it took to defend my castle - client and job at the forefront."
As revelations about past and present buffet them both, Emily begins to realize that her confusion over her ultimate goals and the revelations which grow from them indicate that "there is a time and place for everything." And the timing for her increasing connection to Nate may not be right.
Caroline Goldberg Igra creates a moving, thought-provoking novel as she juxtaposes two very different characters whose involvement in the art world reflects separate goals and life values. The trauma that both leads to and impacts love connections is very nicely presented, as well as the dance between past events and present-day identity crises. Most of all, the connections between two individuals that cross the line from healthy to challenging contributes to a riveting read.
The intriguing relationships between Emily, Julia (a gallery owner who enters the story midway), and Nate, the considerations of the differences between friends and lovers, and the story's contemplative moments will engage and engross a wide audience.
Libraries interested in stories that embrace family trauma, Holocaust impact, and the art world will find all these elements and more drive the plot into unexpected directions that flow from Emily and Nate's relationship.
My Sister's Keeper
Ralph Dellapiana
Independently Published
9781633379831, $17.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/My-Sisters-Keeper-Ralph-Dellapiana/dp/1633379833
My Sister's Keeper joins attorney author Ralph Dellapiana's prior book, Twice a Victim, to present another novel based on real-world events. It features the Sisterhood, a secret band of vigilante women who work on behalf of abused women.
The suspicious disappearance of a teenager leads to discoveries about human trafficking that challenges the Sisterhood to tap all their resources to rescue the missing girl and stop the violence. This is a good moment to point out possible triggers to readers sensitive about the topic of human trafficking and violence against women. However, vivid descriptions are presented in keeping with the plot and nature of the story, and mitigate any shocking revelations with legal and social pursuits that are realistic rather than overly dramatic.
As Bella's involvement with Johnny plays out, it's evident that this is not a helpless young woman, but a near-adult who considers herself both savvy and powerful: "He had always done his best to prepare her for the darkness of the world. Of course, he had signed her up for martial arts starting when she was only six years old and constantly told Bella about the survival tips he had gleaned from his line of work. And she had taken it to heart. She had earned a black belt and heard enough horror stories for a lifetime. But now she also considered herself to be basically all grown up; she was, after all, only two years short of becoming a legal adult. She was old enough to decide if she thought a guy was dangerous or not, and she didn't think Johnny was."
As Bella, Mia, and others face adversaries such as the pimp Chacho, accompanying investigations by detectives and others swirl around victims, would-be rescuers, and the damage inflicted upon those who have been part of that world: "Sometimes trafficking victims who are given favors start to relate to their captors differently. Eventually, some even grow to trust them, and help them. But LaToya is a victim, nonetheless. We should treat her as such."
As the women confront death, trauma, and the evil done by Hispanic woman Nita, who participates in the trafficking and promises women "a good life," the story embraces all manner of legal, psychological, and social struggle. This lends it a full-bodied flavor of realism. The story is action-packed, but takes the time to develop the psychological responses and viewpoints of a variety of women who operate on all sides.
The result is a powerful story of human trafficking which is highly recommended for libraries and readers seeking action-packed, realistic scenarios of discovery, confrontation, and a quest for justice. The heart of that struggle, the nature and force of The Sisterhood, is exquisitely presented in a tale that comes full circle to pose exciting new possibilities for everyone involved.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Criminal Lu Yanshi
Geling Yan, author
Lawrence A. Walker, translator
Weiwei Ai, contributor
https://www.yangeling.com
New Song Media Gmbh
9783910769120, $32.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Criminal-Lu-Yanshi-Geling-Yan/dp/3910769128
Criminal Lu Yanshi is a powerful novel about Chinese politics, history, and expats. It centers on Lu Yanshi, Lu Yanshi, who leaves a wealthy Shanghai family to earn his Ph.D. in the United States, but cannot escape family or political pressures. When revolution and strife hits China, Yanshi enflames a rebellion over intellectual integrity and freedom. He winds up imprisoned in a labor camp for his beliefs and daring to advocate such changes.
Readers won't anticipate the story's compelling prologue. It opens on the plains of Mongolia, which is being invaded by curious creatures from beyond the mountains called "trucks." Prisoners have arrived from afar, changing the natural order of this grassland environment. The group includes prisoner number 2868, Lu Yanshi, who has been imprisoned for life as a counter-revolutionary. That man, the prologue explains, was the author's grandfather. The story that unfolds thereafter captures Lu Yanshi's life, his impressions, his request of Commissioner Deng to go to Headquarters Assembly Hall for clemency, and the events that bring him full circle from prison back to the fold of family.
From the story's opening paragraphs, Geling Yan attends to creating a powerful, moving saga that gives all readers insights into the psychological and political environment of China's systems: "If he had learned anything from years of incarceration, it was not to stand up to a cadre. The refusal had been clearly stated, and you wouldn't get a milder reaction by trying to discuss it."
From family jewels and ties to the contrasting perspectives of everyday people, politicians, the privileged, and the poor, Criminal Lu Yanshi brings to life the minutest concerns of the populace and the forces that influence value and shifting lives: "Yanshi had a sudden urge to bang his fists down a couple of times on the Eight Immortals table. How many people were dying at this very moment, and all of us were about to become the humiliated subjects of a conquered nation, and still the loss of a couple of pieces of jewelry was a major incident for these women." Of special note are the varying forms of imprisonment and torture that Yanshi endures, the changing adaptation methods he uses to keep surviving, and the odyssey he experiences from a return journey from Chungking to Shanghai.
The juxtaposition of incarceration experiences and relationships between prisoners and those who oversee them, the expanse and impact of this journey, and the political and historical revelations it embraces are thoroughly engrossing. These are supplemented by author notes that bring a grandfather's perceptions and experiences to vivid life: "When my dirty, disheveled and shabbily dressed grandfather disembarked in Shanghai, this city, not known for its moral virtue, presented this type of image to him: many buildings were empty, sealed with paper tape from all sorts of government offices. The buildings were all "recovered" Japanese property, with the property rights surreptitiously transferred." The result is a novel of historical and psychological importance which ideally should be in any collection strong in 21st century Chinese literature.
Criminal Lu Yanshi holds the feel and excitement of an epic story of survival, offers intriguing scenarios of labor, intellectual, and social reforms that made criminals out of big thinkers, and captures a fluid personal journey that requires no prior background in Chinese history or culture in order to prove accessible and thoroughly engrossing.
Libraries looking to add powerful literary inspections of Chinese events to their fiction collections will find that Criminal Lu Yanshi, made all the more powerful for its roots in author family experience and historical fact, is an essential addition. It can be highly recommended to readers seeking a more personal presentation of the lives, thoughts, and experiences of those whose connections and life choices created powerful impacts on family, love, freedom, and values under the siege of political transformation.
The Gossip Columnist
Martyn Burke
www.martynburke.com
Darkspur Press
9798993024516, $19.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Gossip-Columnist-Martyn-Burke/dp/B0FX78V44C
When does an ordinary citizen become dangerous to authorities? This happens to one columnist whose dangerous family secret can be used against the Nazis in 1945 Germany. The Gossip Columnist takes a different approach than most fiction about Nazi Germany, considering how ordinary citizens become influential participants in social change under extraordinary conditions.
The Gossip Columnist follows life during these times using a first-person perspective that adds social commentary and political insights to daily life in Germany: "Silliness annoyed her. Even though everyone else was telling her it was all such fun! But the kind of fun that was being had in those days was relentless, the kind that only presents its bill when the laughter is the loudest. And for so many, that bill had to be paid wrapped in regret or even shame at what they had done. And not merely because so many of those people seeking all that free and fun life soon became Nazis."
Karin's astute observations of underlying power and prejudice in everyday German society take the form of insights that will prove hard-hitting to readers who likely well know the progression of Nazi sentiments and activities of those times. Even more enlightening is the attention given to small details of growing repressive powers. These eventually reach into newspaper circles to affect Karin's life, her job, and her formerly-free speech: "Be very careful Frau Bella," he said.
"You're firing me but you want me to be careful?"
"Please. It is not me. It is their new Treachery Law."
"Is this a joke?"
"I wish it was. But please understand that it's not me doing this." He was almost squirming behind his gleaming desk. "They have sections in this law for what they call 'malignant' remarks about the Reich."
"And I am malignant?"
"Not you. it's what you write. They say you have been weaving sarcasm into your columns. And you use remarks that can be taken two ways."
The insidious rise of Nazi influence in German society, the deep dark secrets housed by citizens such as Karin, who can change the course of Nazi power, and the effect of repression on family, work, friendships, and secrets creates a powerful story. The Gossip Columnist should be part of any consideration of not just Nazi German history, but how social repression begins, spreads, and impacts individual life. Martyn Burke crafts a one-two punch in a novel replete with tension, growing realizations about self and safety, and changing life in a formally free society.
The Gossip Columnist is a book worthy of high praise and recommendation to a wide audience, from libraries interested in involving historical fiction that offers a different take on Nazi influence and activities to book clubs cultivating active debates about individual choice, action, and impact. Readers will find the novel thoroughly engrossing, hard to put down, and filled with much food for thought for modern times.
Bianca's Cure
Gigi Berardi
She Writes Press
https://shewritespress.com
9798896360704, $17.99 Paperback/$12.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Biancas-Cure-Novel-Gigi-Berardi-ebook/dp/B0FDBLNSJV
Bianca's Cure is a historical novel set in 1500s Italy. Noblewoman Bianca Capello flees Venice, where experimentation with herbal remedies is forbidden, for Florence, where the royal family has embraced alchemy. There, she finds a position which introduces her to love and danger far beyond her abilities to heal.
Gigi Berardi unfolds a moving drama in which Bianca's search for acceptance involves her in politics and the underbelly of conflict in Renaissance Florence. Bianca is a professional herbalist who is drawn into a world of subterfuge, killers, and crisis: "If Francesco was going to be part of her future as a scientist, he'd find out sooner or later how she practiced, and how it sometimes ended. That would threaten her work more than would her relationship with Piero, but was the threat greater if she revealed all tonight? She'd tell him what he needed to know for now, Bianca decided. If he discovered more himself later, hopefully he'd see her as a scientist, not a killer." Medici science blends with Medici romance in a tale whose circumstances challenge the clever Bianca on many levels.
Bianca's Cure holds its foundations in historical fact, making the intriguing story all the more vivid for its basis in reality. Even more notable is how Berardi captures this milieu, embedding Italian backdrop and history with one determined woman's personal courage and ambitions. Bianca faces moral and ethical quandaries as she struggles to find a cure that is perhaps impossible to administer without facing political and personal repercussions from her decisions: "After watching the rhythms of Francesco's disease, she wondered if waiting for any next stage of it was pointless, and that she should just give the cure now. All this she'd devised from observing Francesco, the man who lay before her, in pain. All this she'd learned so that, ultimately, she could save him."
The result is a novel of adventure, discovery, personal tests and trials, and an almost impossible quest for a malaria cure that will bring readers into the heart of Renaissance Italian society. Libraries seeking historical novels that blend mystery and romance will appreciate how vividly and remarkably Bianca's story and conundrums appeal to even those with little familiarity with those times and its history. Replete with moments of reflection over the Medici heir's fate and the events that immerse Bianca in concerns bigger than her herbal alchemy talents, Bianca's Cure is thoroughly engrossing and realistic, fueled by a strong female character whose objectives and talents shift under forces she can neither control nor predict.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Simplicity by the Sea
Jennifer Vido
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
www.thewildrosepress.com
9781509264216, $19.95 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Simplicity-Sea-Gull-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B0CXHTNW9D
Simplicity by the Sea is the third book in the Gull Island Series, expanding the atmospheric romance and strong sense of place of its predecessors.
The story opens with Delaney Huger's sister and best friend, who are celebrating the wedding of childhood friends. Delaney is not with them - she imagines the festivities unfolding, but is distant enough not to partake of the wedding moment that is the "social event of the season" in a second-chance romance that reads like a love story. You would think a rising market executive could be punctual to an event of this magnitude, but Delaney has been distracted by the very business that gives her an important role. The result is listening to the ceremony on her phone rather than personally witnessing the union.
Delaney's return home immerses her into old friendships, lingering dilemmas, and new quandaries as she is charged with saving Wine Haven while preserving her own dreams and the life she's built outside of Gull Island. As she attempts to solicit assistance from Will, perhaps the only islander who can really help her, and becomes involved in his turmoil over his new business, Delaney finds herself pulled back into the friendships and associations which once were part of her world. Island newcomer Luke Sullivan ("Gull Island's most eligible single dad"), the future of Delaney's sister's Wine Haven business, her on/off again boyfriend (corporate attorney Nate), and the process by which the small community becomes the center of Delaney's life makes for a warm story of business and personal conundrums.
Delaney makes a big leap into realizing just what kind of place she should be calling "home." Readers drawn to stories of island getaways, close-knit communities, and ties that reach out to enchant those who have tried to make their homes in very different environments will find Delaney's immersive involvement in Gull Island to be attractive and thought-provoking.
Libraries that choose Simplicity by the Sea as either a stand-alone story or one that expands the other characters and situations of prior Gull Island novels will find Simplicity by the Sea a powerful consideration of family ties and connections that finally ground Delaney from her outward and upward-bound trajectory. Filled with powerful insights about how personal change occurs, Simplicity by the Sea is a fine mix of community politics, personal interactions, and growth which leads Delaney and her readers into new (and old) situations.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Imminent Risk
S. Lee Manning
https://www.sleemanning.com
Misbehavin' Press
9781970286007, $19.99 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Imminent-Risk-Petrov-Feinstein-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0G5N1DTH1
When lawyer Alex receives a phone call from sobbing friend Yael McMillen, who informs her that the police have taken away her baby, she never expected to be drawn into a deadly drama where a husband's friend's overdose involves far more than a bad drug choice. Imminent Risk is a thriller that evolves on different levels to propel Alex and her readers into a milieu in which people abuse power, hurt children, and divide families.
Father Brody McMillan is helping Victor Forest fly under the radar, so it's a bad time for him to contemplate returning home to help his wife. American intelligence operative Kolya Petrov becomes immersed in his wife-to-be Alex's new effort and this personal mess from the start, even though he's still recovering from the physical and psychological injuries of torture on a previous assignment.
As domestic terrorism again rises to complicate matters, readers are treated to a story packed with emotional connections, characters whose special interests entwine in unexpected ways, and new risk-taking ventures. Alex, knowing full well that Forest is dangerous, stumbles into plots and plans that leads Koyla into increasingly dangerous realizations. A conversation between Kolya and his best friend/partner Jonathan, when Kolya finds out that the American government was stupid and careless in planting dangerous weapons in civilian areas and forgetting about it, brings this milieu to life: "You knew that Forest was dangerous. You knew that he and Brody were planning attacks. What difference does it make that you know about the bunkers?"
"The difference is knowing the level of crazy. The difference is knowing that the government for which I work and on whose orders I have repeatedly risked my life, stashed dangerous weapons around the country, even though they could and would kill multitudes of Americans if anyone ever used them. Then after massive negligence, which is what I'd call this, the President sends us out to clean up the mess while ordering you to lie to us."
As Yael's dilemma threatens Alex and Koyla's life, readers will come to appreciate how S. Lee Manning builds a powerful cat-and-mouse game into her evolving story of friendships, relationships, and discoveries about who is really pulling the strings in life.
Librarians seeking a powerful addition with this fourth book to the thriller series, especially those who have seen popularity in the other books about Kolya Petrov's escapades and terrorism encounters, will relish how smoothly Imminent Risk both supports past stories and evolves a new conundrum that place Alex, Yael, and Kolya in difficult positions. Filled with engrossing moments of realization and surprising twists, Imminent Risk is a gripping thriller that proves hard to put down.
Lightning
Michael Ray Ewing
Grand Canyon Press
https://grandcanyonpress.com
9781963361063, $6.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1VTVZ24
Lightning is Michael Ray Ewing's second thriller novel, and opens with the literal bang of a crackling lightning strike on mountain bike rider Adam Barnett, who finds most of his memory has instantly vanished. Why is he riding on a mountain trail during a storm? The dog that rescues him has no answers, but furthering Barnett's angst is a wavering howl as an invisible attacking creature rushes past him in the storm. Now he has two mysteries to solve - and the questions keep piling up as he is pursued out of the canyon.
What does this have to do with Biodosius, a hidden gated research lab, or rancher Victoria Stewart, whose family has been targeted by killers? Arizona backdrops, history, and culture come to life in this vivid thriller, which possesses a nonstop fast-paced series of encounters. The action moves from lightning strikes to homicides, missing dogs, experimental labs that force participants to give up their ethics, self-respect and even their career goals, and the growing threat from one called The Nightmare.
Lightning's special talent for cultivating intrigue and lightning-fast twists many readers won't see coming gives it more than an edge in the thriller genre, creating connections and inspections that are creative, thought-provoking, and impossible to predict. Ewing draws together disparate personalities and special interests, placing them in the backdrop of Arizona culture and atmosphere that will also delight any reader familiar with the Phoenix area. As blue forks of lightning dance of questions of who would deliberately construct a malevolent evil and release it into the world, and why, readers and book club discussion groups will find plenty of rich thought-provoking considerations evolve alongside Adam's choices and reactions to his vastly revised world.
Librarians and readers will also find delightful how Lightning leaves the door open for more action, but neatly concludes its primary story in a logical, compelling manner. Sparked by a growing relationship between a dog, a lightning-struck man, and a much-changed world, Lightning is a sizzler of action that's hard to put down.
Margarita Malevolence
Tanya Westlake
Impractical Press
9798985642599, $4.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Margarita-Malevolence-Kalliope-Brooks-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0FKZJWG72
Margarita Malevolence joins others in the Kalliope Brooks series of mysteries, and sees bartender Kalliope and her best friend Tess aiming to move from amateur sleuths to become professional P.I.s.
Their logic is impeccable: "And as long as we keep finding ourselves in the middle of murder investigations anyway, we might as well go pro." Their first professional case involves a death at the Celebration of Sandcastles festival, which feels like an unlikely scenario for angst, much less murder. As they discover, though, the murder opens the door to further community angst, secrets, and danger as their investigation begins to hit too close to home.
From secret-keepers and hidden lives to contrasts between the bar scenes of the familiar Lazy Gecko and other establishments, Tanya Westlake takes the time to build atmosphere and fun into the serious subject of murder. This includes a thread of humor that underlies the routine aspect of daily life: "I'm going to try this 'Pompei Pommie' - pomegranate juice with lime and soda water, and it comes with a sparkler burning in the glass."
Tess laughed. "Of course you want the drink that arrives on fire."
"The perfect camouflage," Kallie added with a laugh. "What are you getting?"
Tess took the menu and quickly pointed at the top of the page. "Mocha Anthill. No question."
"It's not on fire," Kallie complained.
"No, but it says it's thirty-two ounces," Tess explained. "That means it'll be in a glass the size of my head." Fun interludes of comic relief and everyday decisions intersect nicely with intrigue to keep the plot flowing with realistic encounters. These reinforce the idea that Kallie and Tess are as much products and part of their community as they are P.I. investigators. Readers seeking plots embedded with realistic backdrops will especially appreciate how Margarita Malevolence builds its characters, premise, and mystery to embrace different friends, mentors, and possible perps.
Libraries seeking a strong stand-alone mystery that compliments prior series events while needing no prior introduction for newcomers will appreciate Margarita Malevolence's attention to detail, description, and dangerous turns of events. Driven by two likeable women whose latest assignment propels them into the crime world, Margarita Malevolence is a winning story that is immersive and hard to put down.
Tracking Ariana
Larry Terhaar
Hat City Publishing
9798990036284, $5.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Ariana-Investigative-Government-Corruption-ebook/dp/B0FYZNJ81B
Tracking Ariana is a Dan Burnett P.I. investigative story that combines the contemporary issue of ICE processes with an overlay of detective work.
Colonel Joseph Wilkinson returns home from deployment to find his house empty and his wife and children gone. Turns out they've been taken into custody, where they vanished. This leads Wilkinson to employ seasoned sleuth Dan Burnett to track them down, an effort that drives them through detention centers across the country in search of impossible clues to her whereabouts.
The story opens with Ariana's abduction in 2025 before moving to the clues about her fate, which binds Wilkinson and Burnett in a dangerous venture to expose a covert deportation program. Courtroom proceedings and legal processes blend with the human aspect of a family disrupted as Wilkinson and Burnett fight to not only get back his wife and children, but find themselves delving deeper into the processes of politics, the legal system, and ICE than they'd ever imagined.
Author Larry Terhaar keeps the politics and social inspection vivid, but maintains a fast-paced series of confrontations and action that leave readers guessing as to intentions, outcomes, and those consigned to prisons and immigrant hell. Texas PI Bobby Lee, Dan's romantic interest Mia, and close friends Jim and Matt, who'd helped rescue Hannah previously, each enter the fray bringing with them different strengths and perceptions that enhance the action over what is going on. Meanwhile, Ariana is struggling to resist deportation and survive long enough to see her family reunited.
Terhaar builds a fast pace based on strong characters and chapters which alternate between Dan's first-person experiences and third-person injections of others' perspectives. This makes the story changing and realistic as Dan finds himself troubled by his search for Ariana. The result is a conspiracy thriller embedded with thought-provoking, mind-stretching quandaries and revelations that many readers won't see coming. Replete with bigger-picture thinking about racial cruelty, love, military operations, and legal precedent, Tracking Ariana builds lives and interest with a series of alternating perspectives that result in a thoroughly compelling saga that librarians and readers will find perfect for book club discussion.
Treacherous Hack
Kevin G. Chapman
www.KevinGChapman.com
First Legacy Publishing, LLC
9781958339305, $4.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Treacherous-Hack-fast-paced-procedural-relationships/dp/195833930X
The seventh book in the Mike Stoneman thriller series, Treacherous Hack, has the NYPD homicide detective and his sidekick Jason Dickson tackle the murder of electronics store owner Lou Palazzo on the streets of Manhattan. Their investigation turns up more bodies from Shanghai at Palazzo's shop that are linked to a cybercrime ring. The circle of possible perps and connections widens from there. The story opens with Lou's current encryption project, which is close to completion. Too close, apparently, for somebody's comfort, because being a whiz at computer hacking doesn't translate to safety. Not when the hacked data proves to be a gold mine that somebody wants to tap.
The insights that evolve about Lou in the first chapter don't solve all the questions that Mike Stoneman faces later in the story. Instead, they set the stage for further intrigue and connections that lead from encrypted files to robbery, murder, downloaded investigation files, and the involvement of NYU student Ryan Gelb, who supplied the hacked data to his uncle Lou and now finds himself in the crosshairs of a murderer. Mike and Jason face their most puzzling case yet because nobody is talking - not the possible witnesses, relatives, or special interests that hold keys to the missing file.
The intrigue surrounding the Chinese government's efforts in the case creates international dilemmas, including cybercrime operations, that Mike and Jason are forced to face even though they're a stretch for their investigative skills.
Fast-paced action rings from gunshots, confrontations, theories about who is responsible and who is running operations, and more as heroes shift alliances. This leads readers to also experience sea changes in their perception of good and bad characters. The secrets and conflicts that immerse the characters also impact relationships. Rachel and Jason find their love tested by what evolves both outside of and between them.
Readers will appreciate how romance and intrigue dovetail to create new dilemmas and moral and ethical quandaries. As conflicts between New York and Chinese gang operations and interests raise the body count, readers will appreciate a police procedural that also considers the operations and interests of dueling bad guys as Mike, Jason, Rachel, and Michelle find their lives impacted by decisions made on all sides.
Libraries and readers that like their thrillers fast-paced and tense, augmented by challenges to interpersonal relationships and information about New York gangs and international influences, will find Treacherous Hack develops intrigue on different levels. The character-driven events and intersecting personalities and special interests are thoroughly compelling, making the story hard to put down and satisfyingly impossible to predict.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Outbound: Meta Mars
Richard M. Anderson
www.richardandersonauthor.com
Precocity Press
https://www.precocitypress.com
9798992055290, $54.95 Hardcover/$19.95 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Outbound-Meta-Mars-Richard-Anderson/dp/B0FWZH3MZY
Outbound: Meta Mars is the second book in the Outbound series and opens in 2260, as Dr. Virgil Greenly and his sentient implant, Ofelia, arrive on Mars to oversee a massive program to terraform and transform its habitat. Characters from the first book, Islands in the Void, return to highlight this story, making it particularly inviting for prior fans interested in more space colonization action and adventure.
From the start, Dr. Greenly faces new challenges in not just overseeing a massive project, but in addressing the physical and mental requirements involved in adapting human needs to a taxing environment. Ofelia watches over and protects Dr. Greenly (sometimes from himself) as artificial intelligence and human ambition coalesce, with sometimes-different purposes and perceptions of success and failure.
Readers who appreciate themes of AI and robotic interactions in their futuristic stories will find especially compelling the manners in which human activities and decisions are augmented and affected by their own creations. Also intriguing is how young son Lucien asks important questions about machine purposes and possibilities, introducing new thoughts to Dr. Greenly as he answers his son's questions about what it ultimately means to be either human or robot. These inspections create interesting dichotomies and contrasts in ability and action as the story unfolds to consider bad decisions based on good rationales, small crimes with big impacts, and ultimately, what it means to be human.
From aims of perfection to different forms of intelligence and the impact of poorly kept secrets, Outbound: Meta Mars represents more than a sci-fi adventure about Mars, robots, or intelligence. It considers the ambitions and logic of what it means to be human and complacent in a conspiracy that grows to embrace all of Mars. Librarians and readers interested in a story that embraces philosophical and social reflection, as well as introducing intrigue and new possibilities for human life on Mars, will welcome this second book in a thought-provoking series examining technology, new possibilities, and the human condition.
The Mills of the Gods
Tim Powers
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781668073018, $28.00
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mills-Gods-Tim-Powers-ebook/dp/B0FBNLZBJD
The Mills of the Gods presents another delightful Tim Powers story that requires no prior familiarity with the author's previous books in order to prove alluring. Here, Henry Nolan exceeds his role as a magazine illustrator when he illustrates an article about the death of a god, only to find a secret and active French brotherhood on a new mission to suppress the article and his work.
Supernatural forces enter as character Vivi Chastin, a teen orphan, is helped by the spirit of the man she was in her previous life, even as it tries to take over her present-day persona. As reincarnation, supernatural forces, kidnappings, and murderous entities send Henry and Vivi on a wild chase into the catacombs of Paris, a fine blend of supernatural fantasy and mystery evolves to draw readers into a compelling, fast-paced tale of intrigue and possibility.
Readers familiar with Tim Powers will find his The Mills of the Gods as delightful a read as his previous books, making him one of Baen's strongest, most unique writers.
The Self-Help Shelf
Life Switch
Joel Steele
Amplify Publishing Group
www.amplifypublishinggroup.com
9798891384255, $28.00 Hardcover/$9.99 eBook/$99.00 with Audible subscription
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Switch-Experience-Discovering-Potential/dp/B0FGZD1V1N
Life Switch: How to Experience the Power of Living On by Discovering Your Potential, Passion, and Purpose follows author Joel Steele's footsteps in reinventing his life. It opens with the basic contention that powers this guide: "You can live your life at a higher level regardless of where you are right now."
Steele transformed his life from ordinary to extraordinary "with the flip of a switch." This process involved identifying, locating, and using that switch to effect positive life changes, and encourages transformative experiences and results. His contention is that anyone can do the same - but more than outlining a vision and a promise, Life Switch tells readers how to get there themselves. Chapters encourage proactive behaviors which embrace all kinds of strategies, from creating, rather than awaiting, life plans and changes to cultivating a mindset that involves "a high activity level stemming from excitement to seize each day."
This process involves embracing and learning from failures, becoming unafraid, turning setbacks (such as recovering from surgery) into advantages and opportunities, and more. Readers could call Life Switch a memoir, for it's filled with examples of moments when Steele took a step back from patterns and old habits to re-examine and turn his life around. In reality, it's a motivational self-help guide to success based on attitude adjustment that takes common life situations and turns them on end to make them creative opportunities for growth and change.
Librarians and readers seeking a self-help guide with the personal touches and appeal of a memoir, the practicality of applied business savvy, and the promise of guidance through potentially challenging life events will find Life Switch just the ticket for an accessible, inspirational overview of how to create a new attitude about life.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com
Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net
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