On Love and Death and Belonging by Daphne Wright is a story told in vignettes and revolving around three characters, Fiona, Brice, and Adelina. Brice, diagnosed with ALS, grapples with daily struggles, including a weakening body and emotional turmoil. Fiona, a medical professional, reflects on...

Patty Friedmann's One Knife, One Fork, One Spoon is the story of a woman's troubled family life and the mistakes she makes along the way. Renna Newman's humdrum life with her husband, Richard, a lawyer, and their four children hit a snag when, one day,...

Debbie Schrack brings us an amazing story of hope and courage in Over the Fence. At the age of six, Eve was abducted from in front of her house by a man known as "Papa." That was eleven years ago. She is now seventeen and...

In the historical fiction novel O'Toole by Florence D'Angelo, set in mid-1800s Manhattan, Finnegan O'Toole, a former pickpocket of the Dead Rabbits gang, becomes a longshoreman at his father's urging. His life takes a new direction as he befriends fellow dockworkers, Sean and Johanna. During...

Ordinary Soil by Alex Woodard is a multi-layered narrative in which characters Jake, Jessica, Mark, and Adam grapple with personal struggles, family dynamics, and a shared past. Jake, an opioid addict, is haunted by his past suicide attempt and health issues, while Jessica contends with...

In James P. Usavage’s thoughtful novella, On These Shores, a man reflects on his life and finds hope just when his life is about to fall apart. Burdened by excessive debt, Benedict Barns dreads going to work. His job has become an unfulfilling chore...

One Soul's Journey is the second collection of short slice-of-life stories by Barbara Daniels Dena. Containing both fictional and autobiographical tales, this anthology is an original piece of work covering decades of the author's life experiences. The book begins with Dena sharing anecdotes from her...

As a reviewer, there are times when I feel desperate to read something different, something that will instantly engage me with its unique plot, realistic settings, compelling characters, and unfamiliar cultural practices and beliefs. One Hundred Silent Ways by A.A. Mohammad is the book that...

How do we find purpose in our lives? This is the question at the heart of Spencer Ulrich's novella On Fulfillment. In the summer of 1945, four US Navy sailors, Captain Philip Hawkins, Connor McTavish, Adam Breight, and Jacob Hartley, were stranded on a remote...

Old Cockatoo by C.J. Cronin is a gripping drama novel that follows the lives of an Australian family of horse trainers in the early 1910s. Former British Heavyweight Boxing Champion Joe McCallister's life didn't quite turn out the way he thought it would. Fuelled by...