World War II. Oslo, Vienna, Berlin. Two creatives from different countries, Norwegian pianist Ellen and German violinist Friedrich meet, fall in love, and are nearly torn apart by war. That’s the premise of Vanished in Berlin, the newest novel by author Gry Finsnes. When Friedrich...

I must confess, I was first attracted to Fernando Torres’ new novel, A Habit of Resistance, by the cover. Gun-toting nuns in full habits; what could be better? Having been raised Catholic, this story was one I simply could not resist. And the book did...

The sweeping historical saga The Blood of the Clan, the newest work by author Steve Justice, takes us on a journey to the past. In North Britannia, (or early Scotland) the Pict clans have to rally together to protect themselves, their families, their homeland, and...

Love and grief, good and bad, wealth and poverty. The true yin and yang of life is at the heart of Fated and Fateless, the newest novel by Alice Poon. Spanning four decades in colonial Hong Kong, Fated and Fateless follows characters Wendy Kwan and...

The Crossings by Barry Kienzle is a delightful coming of age story that follows young George “Georgie” Martin as he hops on a freight train from his home near Cincinnati, Ohio, determined to experience the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. Georgie, once an innocent...

I loved, loved, loved Jennifer Bort Yacovissi’s new book, Up the Hill to Home. This debut novel is so beautifully and lovingly written that if I didn’t know that it was based on the author’s ancestors, I would have assumed as such. Up the Hill...

Chris Winterton’s Folk takes place in the Australian town of Fareham during the early 20th century. In the respectable part of town, the mayor and his supporters are pushing for “temperance,” or alcohol prohibition. In the not-so-respectable area, there is a rising tide of crime...

Zephyr the West Wind by R.J. Tolson is the first book in the young adult fantasy series, Chaos Chronicles. Zephyr has the gift of understanding other people’s emotions, but he never managed to understand its use while growing up alone, isolated and hated by the...

Awesome in its scope and detail, Prince of Conjurers by Laurie L. Bolanos is a fantastic paranormal love story. Julie is a young woman who has been left by a husband she adored for her best friend. Gathering herself after this heartbreak, she devotes her...

Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles, Book Two is a historical coming of age novel written by Robert Lee Murphy. Will Braddock is a member of his uncle’s survey inspection team which is charting the westward expansion of the transcontinental railroad. Fourteen-year-old Will’s been working...