A Wooden Heart in Plotlands by Dawn Knox is a historical novel that follows the intertwined lives of Miriam and Rebekah, two Jewish sisters, as they navigate the challenges of survival during World War II. The story begins in Nazi Germany, where the sisters face...

Snakeroot & Cohosh by Cathy Schieffelin begins when Eva Hoskins leaves her husband, Luther, after years of escalating violence in mid-century Kentucky, disappearing into the hills near Creech. In Helton, she assumes a new identity and gets government work guiding researchers through Appalachian forests, drawing...

In Lizzie Mac’s Family Secrets, Ben, an American in Brussels who's preparing to relocate to England, meets Nina, a British woman who refuses to share her real name or the details of her work. Intrigued by a sense of recognition, they invent aliases and agree...

In Anthony Pond’s Conquistadors, Ryan Jordan joins a small expedition in central Mexico to climb three of the country’s highest volcanoes under the direction of their guide, Ricardo. After becoming ill at a mountain lodge following a meal in town, he chooses to continue with...

The Badass Widows by Valerie Saul is an excellent book. The widows are not your typical mature women. One fixes boat engines. Another is a tech guru. The main character, Beth, is a retired FBI agent, which puts her in a formidable league of her...

The Time Between by Bryna Hellmann-Gillson looks at several young Jewish women and how they responded to the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam during World War II. Hannah, like Anne Frank, spent her early years in Germany, but her family moved to the Netherlands after the...

Radiance is Blooming by Y.L. Wigman is a charming, sweet romance set in a small town in Western Australia. Nadeen has broken off her toxic relationship in Melbourne and moved back to her hometown of Toodyay, northeast of Perth. There, she plans to set up...

As Whistle While You Lurk by Judith Sterling begins, Gwyn Camm inherits her great-aunt Ethel’s home and is adjusting to life in Salem. She meets with Elizabeth, who wants her to come back to work at The Witch House in April, to which she agrees....

The Metamorphosis of Marna Love by Tom McEachin is a coming-of-age story about a sixteen-year-old high school sophomore. Raised by her single mother, Marna Love never quite felt like a typical teenager. She would rather read Kafka than worry about boys. She finds existential writers...

Wishes Gone Awry by M. Ainihi is a collection of short horror and dark fantasy stories. It focuses on people who wanted something, but their efforts in obtaining their desires ended in tragedy. In the first tale, Jimmy, a young man promised a share of...