The Crimson Brand: The Phoenix Girls II by Brian Knight is a superb follow-up to the first Phoenix Girls story, but that is exactly what I expected it to be. In this episode, Penny and Zoe are joined by Katie, with Ellen joining the Phoenix...

Rogue: The Streets of Caltania is an action fantasy book written by M.L. Hall. It uses a medieval setting with a hint of magic to explore the way a princess refusing to accept a betrothal affects a city. The primary character in the book is...

Never heard of author John Gilstrap? If you pick up his latest thriller High Treason, you'll never forget the name. Gilstrap positions his hero Jonathan Grave and his partner, Big Guy, against the power of the USA and the Canadian government. When the President's wife...

Travel Forward by Mark Murphy is an inspirational self-help book that uses travel as a metaphor for getting what you want in life. Divided into five sections, this book talks about the ingredients for travelling forward in a positive way in your life using integrity,...

Cherise Holder succumbed to alcoholism when a tragic accident took away her source of happiness. Strongly persuaded by her friend to attend AA meetings, Cherise meets other troubled souls: banker Stuart, cheerleader Greyson, and teenager Araceli. When four of them share their troubles, an unexpected...

Slap, Punch, Kick by Greg Reid is the first of a two-part autobiography which tells the story of a family in a continual cycle of abuse and neglect. The author lived in Canada as a child and, at a very young age, he was exposed...

If you are a leader of any kind in your company and are looking for ways to motivate your workforce and utilize employees to their fullest potential, this book is a great place to start. Human Capital Management: Leveraging Your Workforce for a Competitive Advantage...

I selected John H. Kampmann, Master Builder: San Antonio's German Influence in the 19th Century, by Maggie Valentine, because I was intrigued by the book's description. I had simply assumed that the architecture of San Antonio, up until the last hundred years or so of...

Richard Schain’s book, Souls Exist, is a philosophical work that laments the prevailing contemporary belief that humans do not have souls after all. As the title suggests, the author insists that souls do exist, but this is not the concept of a soul from a...

Chasing Norie is the second book in Sophie Dawson's newest series, Stones Creek. Going to school and helping care for her dying aunt has kept Norie from the family Stones Creek ranch in Colorado for several years, but now she has finally returned home to...

Bumpy Roads by Brian Wilson is a compilation of thirty-five memorable short stories. What is unique about these short stories is that they are set in many different countries, such as New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and Zimbabwe, among others. Readers will get a glimpse of...

Deuce Winters and his very pregnant wife are working at the 4H food stand at the Carriveau Fair. Even though the weather is so desperately hot, everything seemed to be going well. That is, until Deuce opens the freezer and there is the groundsman, George...

I Say, You Say Feelings! by Tad Carpenter is a fun and educational book for young children. With every turn of the page, you are presented with more flaps to lift in order to enjoy even more colorful pages and illustrations. Not only is it...

The book Essays on the Classics Volume 2 by Jason R. Goetz is a selection of six essays, each focusing on one main idea as suggested by their titles: Shakespeare; Classical Economics and Sociology; Classic American Novels; Essays, Ancient and Modern; Ancient Philosophical Sects and...

Priana Grey is not the usual bank robbery hostage in this engaging story about the presence of supernaturals in the every-day world. Sanctum Angels Shadow Havens Book 1 by Edenmary Black explores the good and the bad of the supernatural world and the interaction of...

Happy Utopia Day, Joe McCarthy by J.T. Lundy is a witty, satiric cautionary tale about a ‘James Bond wannabe’ U.S. Customs Officer named Chris Thompson, who is summoned from his mundane job by the President of the United States to serve as a special agent...

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, is one of the best books I have ever read. I immediately liked young Theo, the main character, who lives with his mother, who is taking him to the MOMA to kill time before an important meeting at his school...

This book begins with the sudden appearance of a black pyramid in a field in rural Black Hawk County in the Midwest. With no record of this mysterious black tower having ever appeared before, the authorities get ready to explore why the pyramid had suddenly...

The Griffin’s Boy: The Griffin Riders is the second book in The Griffin Riders series by Julia Hughes. In this book, we get the history behind the griffin named Balkind and his rider. The rider is introduced to us as a boy who wants to...

Mail Order Love by Amy Blakelear introduces us to Elizabeth (Ellie) Bates who finds herself in a precarious position. After the death of her family to typhoid, she finds herself working for her deceased brother's tyrant of a wife in Boston. When she learns that...