Salts by La Toya Tanaka introduces salt as matter that begins in an electron transfer and grows into a force that shapes physiology, settlement, authority, belief, and technology. Tanaka shows how a simple bond dissolves into charged particles that move through organs and guide essential...

Daniel J. Basta’s Searching for Ghosts in the South Pacific is a breathtaking chronicle of exploration, friendship, and history, told through the author’s experiences diving among World War II shipwrecks scattered across the Pacific. Between 1991 and 1999, Basta and his close companions embarked on...

Nino Boezio’s Satan, the Spirit World, and the Wonderful Plan of God presents a sweeping, systematic exploration of biblical cosmology, tracing the story of existence from before creation through the rise and fall of angels, the origin of evil, the purpose and struggles of humanity,...

Stumps and Sovereignty: South Asian Cricket from Empire to the Digital Age by Sufghan Sarwar Khan traces cricket’s evolution from its rural English origins to its establishment in South Asia, where colonial trade started early play in India. Indian participation expanded through local clubs, while...

Strong Floor, No Ceiling by Oliver Libby presents a policy framework linking economic security, opportunity, and national strength. Libby attributes middle-class decline and rising inequality to wage stagnation, uneven access to healthcare and education, housing shortages, and widening income gaps, citing disparities such as CEO...

Emily Sayre Smith’s Smartass: A Memoir of a Mouthy Girl is not so aptly named, because she was an obedient and thoughtful child. Born to the Reverend and Mrs. Parke, unfairly, she became the scapegoat child. When her father failed to keep his stipend in...

Sebastian Saviano’s Smoke & Oak: The Shared Legacy of Bourbon and Cigars offers a rich and multilayered exploration of two enduring symbols of American craftsmanship. Part cultural history, part scientific primer, and part connoisseur’s guide, the book weaves the stories of bourbon and cigars with...

Success Against the Odds: What Interesting People Did by June Raleigh is an exploration of historical and cultural figures who overcame adversity through courage, ingenuity, and faith. The book is divided into two parts: the first focuses on remarkable individuals from ancient Israel and surrounding...

Starry Starry Noir: Rebels and Censors by Bernie Dowling analyzes the influence of censorship on 20th-century Hollywood film noir and provides a wide range of impacted directors, actors, and writers. It discusses the enforcement of the Hays Code, restricting portrayals of subjects like suicide, sexuality,...

As an avid true crime reader, I was very pleased to get the opportunity to review Stranger in the Window by Cathy Coombs. This is the story of Leila A. Welsh, a young teacher from Kansas City, her murder, and the fight for justice. Leila’s...