The Best New True Crime Stories: Crimes of Famous and Infamous Criminals is the latest in a series edited by Mitzi Szereto and is a collection of stories about various actual crimes. The accounts span a lengthy period, including some that were perpetrated more recently....

Mango Blood by Maryvonne Fent is the historical fiction sequel to Fent's novel, The 35-cent Dowry, and picks up where the previous book left off. For those who have not read the first book, the main protagonist is Minouche, a young Frenchwoman, who married her...

The Sea Princess is a children's adventure picture book written by Kristi Shimada with illustrations by Eko Setiawan. The fourth installment in The Lilia Series, it follows Princess Avalon, an eight-year-old mermaid living with her parents in Bellus Castle, in the Sea of Antares. Her...

The Samurai’s Gift Among the Forest is the second installment in The Samurai’s Gift series by Kristi Shimada. It is the story of a young girl hiding in The Lost Forest because she is deeply saddened and traumatized. Yoshi, a young boy of the same...

Uni the Unicorn. written by K. A. Mulenga and illustrated by Boutique Books, is a bright and engaging children’s fable with a positive message for young and adult readers alike. Mulenga has crafted a whimsical world in which Uni the Unicorn learns kindness by example...

When a little boy acts stubbornly all hell breaks loose in All Year Through for Cute You: Short Stories for Fun Reading by Volha Melgaard. Kirill was playing about in the garden when he caught something in his butterfly net. Instead of a butterfly, he...

Who doesn’t love chocolate? But is it wise to eat it exclusively? That might be a bit much. In Ana Loves Chocolate by Jane Glover, we learn that this is exactly what Ana wanted – nothing but chocolate. So, her mummy gave in and gave...

Make or Break: The Extraordinary Life of Paul Innes is the most inspiring autobiography I have ever come across. Paul takes you on a journey that you’ll never be able to experience again unless you read the book twice, that is. It’s an adventure through...

Evie was nine years old when she first came across an old photo of a strange woman, dressed in 1930s fashion, standing stiffly to the left of an elevated small box. With her eyes burning with curiosity, Evie turned to her grandfather, Ollie, with questions...

Amidst the Chilling Storm, at 246 pages, is one of the longest poetry books I have come across in many years of enjoying the art. The subject matter of the verses is manifold, ranging from the personal heartbreak of “Tears That We Hide” to an...

“Go out! Go out! You are our scout./ We need a place to live.” That’s Timmy’s mantra. You see, he’s the family’s scout and it’s his job to find a safe, dry place for his community. It’s not an easy job and it’s certainly filled...

An original and excellent small-town mystery novel, Eulogy in Black and White by Caleb Pirtle III follows a baffling chain of murders in a little town in Texas. As an Afghan War veteran, Graham Huston battles with trauma and the untimely death of his best...

Lulu the Beaver by Bethany Gano is a children’s picture book that introduces us to Lulu, who is feeling stuck in her role of being a typical “good” beaver, chomping trees and gathering sticks. She has more artistic ambitions for herself but is initially afraid...

The Enchanted Suitcase: A Window onto My German Father's World War II Life by Helga Warren is a revealing account of one German soldier's life. Compiled from both handwritten letters and the two memoirs he had written, Warren has pieced together the previously untold story...

Rough Justice by Burt Weissbourd is the stunning sequel to his first book, Danger in Plain Sight. It follows the story of Callie James, the owner of a restaurant called The Bronze Pig, and her bartender, Cash Logan. The book is set in places like...

If you, like myself, enjoy memoirs that deftly blend raw and honest openness with powerful insights then consider yourself in luck as Lisa A. Pruitt’s autobiography is a must-read. Soul of a Professor: Memoir of an Un-Engineered Life charts the author's life as her success...

Irresistibly Vegan: Gourmet Dining by Elvira Rodriguez Alonso is a full-color cookbook with a wealth of recipes. The book offers a virtual encyclopedia of incredible eats that are vegan but will genuinely appeal to a broad audience given its diversity of choice and exceptional offerings....

The World of Agartha: Cathedral of Time is a young adult fantasy novel by Stephen Thorpe. The book follows Makayla Brown as her investigation into local folklore leads her into a whole new world that exists aside from the one she knows. When she finds...

The Adventures of Lefty and Righty: The Windy City is an entertaining and educational children’s picture book written by Lori Orlinsky. Lefty and Righty are two extraordinary socks who have snuck out of the house to go on an adventure. Lefty and Righty are on...

Most institutions with a large labor force in the same environment clash at some point because of their differences. This, therefore, creates toxicity that interferes with the proper functioning of the institution. Oops, My Team is Toxic by Amy Newfield is one of the best...