Lisa Y. Potocar’s Gold, Guts, and Glory, the third book in Glory: A Civil War Series, is a meticulously researched historical novel that balances adventure, romance, and social commentary. Set in the aftermath of the American Civil War, the story follows Jana Brady, a former...

Jack Parker Saves the World by Bill Flanigin is a delightful rendition of what I would call soft science fiction. Yes, it is set in the future and yes, it involves space travel but the timeframe and technology are such that it is not only...

Mitch Engel’s Looking Back on Tomorrow is a gripping narrative that explores personal tragedy during a global catastrophe. The protagonist, Josh Chandler, a former news anchor, undergoes a profound transformation after losing his fiancée in a mass shooting. His grief propels him into a career...

Alas, Poor Uranus is a collection of plays by Brent Winzek and Zachary Gold. In Executive Decisions 1, George is offended when Jax uses the term 'bitch' during their meeting to discuss the investors’ concerns about the play. Ironically, Jax was referring to a female...

In the Family Way by Jacqueline Smith is a literary fiction novel set in the 1920s that follows Mary Maguire, a fatherless girl raised by her grandmother to be a devout Catholic. Mary faces a life-changing dilemma and chooses to fight back by joining Cumann...

Sugar Free by Robin D'Amato is a literary fiction novel that chronicles the life of Ginny Eastman, a girl with a passion for basketball in the 1960s. Despite her small stature and a diagnosis of juvenile diabetes, Ginny refuses to give up her dream. With...

Taking Flight: Short Stories of the Unexpected by Jacques Sardas presents a collection of original tales that, while connected in different ways through a character named Avi, can be comfortably read individually, which is how I approached the anthology myself. These stories include Longevity, in...

One Is None by Mark Nihlean begins with Doug and Ben emerging from their underground bunker into a barren landscape, encountering an abandoned town, and, eventually, meeting another survivor with a warning about a nuclear meltdown. Doug remains committed to their shelter, while Dolores argues...

Don't Look Inside by Nichole Heydenburg is a story about a young woman’s traumatic experience of sexual abuse and the psychological damage it causes the women who have suffered through it. Elena is looking forward to her junior year at college and hopes that her...

The Christmas Letter by Pat Wahler is a heartwarming short story that beautifully weaves themes of friendship, loss, and the power of love. The novella follows Zoe Kendrick, a new mathematics teacher struggling with a heavy emotional burden. Her friend Viola is gravely ill, and...