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The US Review of Books connects authors with professional book reviewers and places their book reviews in front of subscribers to our free monthly newsletter of fiction book reviews and nonfiction book reviews. Learn why our publication is different than most others, or read author and publisher testimonials about the USR.

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Recent Book Reviews

 

Focus Review

Free Will, Do You Have It? by Albertus Kral Tellwell Talent "Procirclism has departed from the free will issue and proclaims there is neither free will nor no free will. There is just will and that is the force necessary to manifest behavior." The free will debate has raged for over 2,000 years. Do individuals have control over their own actions and decisions, or are these actions and decisions predetermined by the gods, logic, nature or nurture, or many other forms of determinism? In this new work by Kral, he takes the reader on an intellectual journey that attempts to provide an alternative to the free will question. Upon initial inspection, the question, at its heart, seems to imply either a yes or no with explanations while excluding other answers. However, Kral manages to create a compelling third option, which posits that the question itself is flawed. ... (read more)

• Abracadabra by B. Scott Wallace
• Aftermath, The by Stephen A. Enna - RECOMMENDED
• Alexander Meets Clementine by Vicky Ann Meier - RECOMMENDED
• American Jukebox by Len Joy - RECOMMENDED
• American Salvation by Gregg Coodley M.D. - RECOMMENDED
• Being Delivered Through Hard Times by Guy Gray and Cheryl Ward-Kaiser
• Bones of the Apostle, The by John Amos - RECOMMENDED
• Botheration: Part One by Vito DiBorane
• Catching Cold Vol 2 by Lem Moyé - RECOMMENDED
• College You by Chiara Bacigalupa, PhD; Shelly Albaum, JD; Antonia Bacigalupa Albaum, MS; Gianna Albaum, PhD
• Decay of Sorrow by Jacqueline Garcia
• Ethan Goes to Recess by Angela L. Glover
• Evil to Come, The by Thomas Holland - RECOMMENDED
• Five Mile Charlie: Stamler the Rambler by Kimberly Adams - RECOMMENDED
• Forever Boy by Michael J. Bowler
• Found by Lesli Weber - RECOMMENDED
• From A Heart Surgeon To A Cook by Dr. Luis Mispireta
• Good Day and Other (Mostly) Humorous Stories and Lists, A by Radu Guiaşu - RECOMMENDED
• Gulf, The by Owen Garratt - RECOMMENDED
• Heavy Weight of Darkness by J.M. Erickson - RECOMMENDED
• Hotel Highway Very Most Famous by Sudha Challa - RECOMMENDED
• How to Become Wealthy and How to Grow that Wealth by Dr. Abdoulaye Keita - RECOMMENDED
• I Love You, More by Gabriele McCracke
• I Will Remember You by Alecia Smith Mueller
• I’ve Grown Accustomed to My Fat by T.C. Hood
• Invisible Child, An by Lenore Ossen, MSW
• Journey to Peaceable Soul by Megan Macaulay - RECOMMENDED
• Kincheloe by Monte Quist
• Leadership Dozen, The by Dr. Edward Negrete Jr.
• Mit Out Sound by Rick Lenz
• My Sam Johnson by Wayne Jones
• One Week Writing Workshop, The by Karin Adams
• Our Own Westside Love Story by Anthony R. Balista
• Pennies from Heaven for Kevin by Kevin Hyde - RECOMMENDED
• Poems of Absolute Faith by Lynn Simpson
• Recovery Road Trip by Patti Clark - RECOMMENDED
• Reflections by Phillip McClendon
• Requiem, Changing Times by RJ Parker - RECOMMENDED
• Self Help and Mental Health by Nicholas Licausi - RECOMMENDED
• There Is Life After Tragedy by Sarah Jane Kellogg - RECOMMENDED
• Tin Whistle, The by Kathleen Shoop - RECOMMENDED
• Usurper, Book One by Aaron T. Brownell - RECOMMENDED
• Uvaacha by Sandipa Bhattacharje - RECOMMENDED
• Walk with God, A by Donna M. Jackson
• Wings and Wounds by Dr. S.K. Burkman - RECOMMENDED
• Words from the Maestro by Joyce H. Hynes - RECOMMENDED

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Featured Book Reviews

 

Family Secrets

Highlight Review The Cali Book Of The Dead by Max V. Carp Vanguard Press book review by Kate Robinson "‘The Buddhas, they sometimes speak from the mouths of ordinary men, women, or even children,’ Mr. Zhang says." Allegory, Eastern wisdom, and a gritty fictive reality converge in this rollicking, humorous, yet thought-provoking novel set in the seedier side of Southern California. Landon Briggs is aware of Buddhist philosophy, living as he does amongst a large Asian population, but the Iraq War vet is thoroughly distracted by his propensity for partying, gambling, and the petty crime that often lands him in some exceedingly compromising situations. Divorced, Landon’s wife has taken up with a con artist who also moves in Landon’s world, and his eldest son has perished from a heart condition at just fifteen. Landon struggles to maintain a relationship with his innocent but aware youngest son. The wisdom in the tale ultimately is dispensed not by highborn Tibetan tulkus or Chinese or Japanese sages but from the mouths of ordinary folk like Landon’s wife, his son, his father, his wacky, unreliable friends, and the notorious criminals he sometimes rubs elbows with. ... (read more)

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History Alive

Even before stories were written, they were passed along from generation to generation, standing the test of time. Story is central to Romanowski’s memoir, one that delves deep into her Italian roots, how they’ve intersected and fused with American life, and the indelible impact family has had on her own life—and she on theirs. Through prose and poetry, the author meticulously and gracefully guides readers through her family genealogy, zeroing in on one particular figure, her grandfather, who unquestionably has the most profound impact on her worldview. ... (read more)

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Sociopolitical High Drama

Highlight Review Network Apprentice: Behind the Scenes in Talk Television by Graydon “Dee” Hubbard Atmosphere Press book review by Kate Robinson "When it comes to programming for the public stage, the national hyper-focus on politics has engulfed and infected talk television like a highly contagious and infectious disease." Billed as a satire, this political and social drama explores the relationships between facts and data, politics, and broadcast news. Julie Anders, like her accountant father, is an info whiz. At the outset of the story, Julie lives with her father in Denver while completing her master’s degree in broadcast journalism with a thesis about the 2010 Affordable Care Act at the University of Colorado in the College of Media, Communication, and Information to complement her bachelor’s degree in accounting. Her first stab at a career position comes to fruition in an apprentice position with MRABC, a newbie network and competitor with CBS, CNN, MSNBC, and others. Julie’s job is gathering pre-program background info for nightly broadcasts of the network’s star, Dan Panders, who hopes to surpass Rachel Maddow’s ratings at MSNBC, the political opinion network division of NBC News. The complexities of the job and conflicts with the “network brass” about content and guests soon make her position less palatable than Julie had anticipated. She moves on to PBS while her coworker Dan, who often disagrees with the liberal agenda of his bosses, stays with the network, even as he struggles with the intense pressure and his newly diagnosed bipolar disorder. ... (read more)

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Jazzy & Gritty

This collection by Streitz is the first of four Bar Bibles of Poetry authored by him. In this volume, his attention falls on subjects ranging from bartenders to civil rights leaders, E.D. to selfies. Several poems deal with sex and love, from the lofty heights of romanticism to the street level of strippers and masturbation. He spends time on drunk writers hiding in their homes, dancers who should have been writers, beetles rolling balls of dung, and fathers who find themselves protective and uncomfortable. ... (read more)

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Rich Plot

Highlight Review The Bones of the Apostle by John Amos River Grove Books book review by Kate Robinson "To the horizons beyond the horizon... to the horizons forever lost." British sensibilities and the romantic longings of English and Middle Eastern literature permeate this action-adventure mystery thriller as detectives Flinders Petrie and Thomas Pettigrew seek to find excitement in their lives once again. Penned by an American scholar and lawyer, the novel draws upon his life experiences that range from the California coast to various Middle Eastern nations. This title is the latest in a series that riffs upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective duo, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. In fact, detectives Petrie and Pettigrew also live in a flat on Baker Street in the pre-World War I era and aspire to compete with and emulate their two successful but beleaguered heroes while running a more modern international detective agency. ... (read more)

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Everlasting Soul

Stories harbor the potential to stand the test of time, carrying over from generation to generation. In Harry’s work, themes of scripture are transposed onto a fictional canvas that gives audiences a unique vantage point of many biblical elements, with a particular emphasis on the end times. The Lord’s sacrifices for mankind, despite the darkest of sins committed unto him, are brought into the light through this narrative. More importantly, the work is about restoring peace, balance, and love, shattering the subverted agendas of humans who wear the guise of peacekeepers while only looking out for themselves. ... (read more)

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Christmas Wonders

Highlight Review The Tin Whistle by Kathleen Shoop book review by Kat Kennedy "Providing happiness for others is more important than hiding away riches for ourselves." In this Dickens-esque novel inspired by Pittsburg philanthropist and department store owner Jacob M. Gusky, the protagonist discovers the joy of giving when asked to help a family in need by gifting a turkey at Thanksgiving. On this occasion, he donates 1,700 turkeys to the Association of the Improvement of the Poor and is transported back in time to a boyhood memory. As a Jewish child in a Christian orphanage, Jacob receives no gift from donors on Christmas morning. Fellow orphan Michael gives Jacob his own gift—a tin whistle. “Michael pushed the whistle back into Jacob’s hands. ‘I feel happier right this second that you have the whistle than when I had it to myself.’” Thus, a seed is planted in the astonished Jacob. As the years pass, his vow to never forget this act of kindness is pushed back into his mind. Now, the spirit of giving is reawakened in Jacob, and he is compelled to give every orphan in Pittsburg a gift for Christmas. However, with only a few weeks left before the holidays, it is an almost impossible feat. Nevertheless, Jacob is determined to make it happen. ... (read more)

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Daily Trials

While the book begins with the murder of Professor Johnny Wharton, the murder itself is almost superfluous to this brilliantly written novel of intrigue that is primarily set in the mid-1980s. It explores the lives of five women. Four of the women are connected to Wharton, while the fifth becomes an integral part of the book later in the story. These four women include the following: Wharton's wife, Liz, who is an accountant and who volunteers at a dog rescue; their estranged and troubled daughter, Jenny; his grad student Jane (with whom he’s having an affair); and his closeted lesbian coworker, Maddie, who he holds in disdain, and who is the lover of Roz, the fifth woman. The book takes readers through the lives of these women, from the joy and beauty of existence to the trials and tribulations of daily life. ... (read more)

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Chaos & Love

Highlight Review Power Play: A Saga of the Year 2290 by C.L Roberts book review by Mihir Shah "The looming war, poverty, and destruction that was all around me was an example of how humanity had gone wrong." Jason Alexander Xavis, better known as Jax, is the lone survivor on New Horizons, an old colony ship from Earth. Found in his pod with a clearly-used pipe by Captain Barnaby, Kell, and the other crew members from Orion’s Belt, Jax was hardly a day over sixteen when he went into the pod. It has now been several hundred years, and he is a complete blank slate. He remembers nothing of his past and how he got into the pod. With each unraveling detail and revelation, readers feel a sense of heightened excitement because they are receiving the plot details at the same moment as the main character. ... (read more)

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Charming

Within this poetry collection, Australian writer Rodden has arranged forty-one contemporary poems reflecting both urban and rural experiences. Within the first selection, the poem’s speaker is driven to “make for the trees,” an attempt to avoid indoor offices where everyone else seems to be. There arise suddenly throughout these poems vivacious, invigorating lines, such as “In the library I try and try / to cram in all the poets and storytellers ….” Other poems tell of the writer’s experiences working among crews fighting bushfires in the wild. And some selections—such as the slightly eccentric, dry-humored “dead chicken-meat day”—paint a rather zany picture in which “the sign says / two skinned chickens for 6 dollars” as the speaker finds herself panting past KFC en route to work. In “The Loaded Dog,” a rustic pub sporting “Depression swaggy” photographs of “romantic gold miners / in classic beards” offers Devil’s Choice beer—with raspberries. ... (read more)

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Aspire

Award-winning author Baltazzi has constructed an energizing treatise focused on the search for and acquisition of the experience of happiness, extracting it from what may sometimes seem like an impossibly complex morass of personal and societal restraints through her well-considered methodology. Based on her background as a noted television producer and director with the long-running and highly successful series Survivor, and drawing from perceptions of a multitude of realms—spiritual, social, and practical—she postulates eight core values needed for the process of attaining happiness: faith, love, health, gratitude, forgiveness, peace, detachment, and abundance. Each of these qualities, referred to collectively as “Happiness Essentials,” is explored using certain terms derived from the author’s background in cinematography. ... (read more)

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Avenger

Set against the backdrop of Vladimir Putin’s grab for power in Russia and a rash of global terrorist attacks in the late twentieth century, the novel delves into the complex world of covert counterterrorism. At the age of six, Maxym (Max) Mikhailovich Ivanov suffers an unbearable loss when his parents are killed and ten-year-old sister brutally raped and murdered by religious extremists. Escaping the cruel fate of his family, Max hides in a cupboard. He is rescued by the Russian army after being discovered by a Russian soldier, Leonid. The desire for revenge ignites in young Max after seeing the brutalized bodies of his family. Vowing to his rescuers to kill as many of these terrorists as possible, Max, at the young age of six, begins with those who murdered his family. Praised for his execution of the captured terrorists, Max is admired by the soldiers and given a home with Leonid. ... (read more)

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Children Thinking

Most children adore a good animal story. This one will likely be fought over if there is only one copy on the home, school, or public library shelf. This true tale of a rescued baby otter shares concepts of kindness, hope, healing, and the life cycle. ... (read more)

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Transcendent Tone

Divided into three movements to mimic an actual concerto, this book’s poems create a representation of the human emotional experience that makes its complexities accessible. Poems like “Early in Morning in Bethesda” examine a relationship’s tenderest moments. “Little Box” embraces an experimental form that is both peaceful and chaotic. “Grief at Full Moon” captures where loss compounds one’s interactions with not only the physical world but also the emotional one, and the memory of a loved one becomes a haunting force that controls one’s being. In other poems, the sanctity of nature becomes a healing, cleansing entity, while “the first grace of snow” offers a turning point in the speaker’s grief cycle. Fueling the musicality inherent in these poems are the experimental structures of lines and stanzas that form a concerto unlike any other. ... (read more)

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Passion

Juhani Murros made an unexpected discovery during his visits to art galleries when he worked for an organization in Ho Chi Minh City in 1990. A small still life in an unobtrusive gallery commanded the Finnish physician’s attention. “It was an unpretentious oil painting, yet its dark, mysterious colors and the emotional tension of its disciplined composition set it apart.” Thus began a long journey of discovering the art and life of Van Den, a frugal and kind Buddhist of mixed Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry who studied in Paris for less than two years during 1950-52, a volatile period during the first French Indochina War. ... (read more)

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Kind-Hearted Soul

Young Emmeline dreams of becoming a veterinarian or a biologist in the future. She is inspired by her father, who works as a naturalist and travels all over the world. When she convinces him to let her meet up with him on an expedition to the Falkland Islands, Emmeline travels on the Maria Christina, where she becomes friends with a crew member’s son named Demetrio. Disaster strikes when the boat comes under attack and sinks, leaving Emmeline alone when she washes up in the strange land of Pletonia. But she soon makes friends with many of its inhabitants, learning it is natural for them to get reincarnated as various animals. Further, during her journey to visit its rulers, Emmeline discovers that she has personal ties to this fantastical land. However, Pletonia comes under attack by the exiled Valdrimos Pish, who unleashes creatures that kill and stop the reincarnation process. Emmeline and her new friends must work together to find solutions to the crisis. ... (read more)

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Mesmeric Drama

Set amid the rustic landscape of Iceland, this tale explores our humanity and the ever-lingering mysteries that confound us with matters of life and death. Sixty-seven-year-old billionaire Daniel “Big Deal Dan” Pallson returns to his native homeland to promote his new proposed luxury hotel and fishing resort. Daniel’s younger brother, Jon, is among the protesters of the resort, with their differences pitting brother against brother in an icy confrontation. Shortly afterward, Daniel suffers a cardiac arrest that nearly kills him. As a result, Daniel is sent to stay with Jon at their 1940s farm, where they both grew up and where Jon now lives with his wife, Anna. The already rocky familial relationships stir up old resentments, especially when Daniel’s ex-wife, Doris, arrives and agrees to stay with them, too, trapping Daniel into an uncomfortable and inescapable situation. ... (read more)

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Myths & Magic

Prince Khael Stratton is a mystic who seeks to deepen his knowledge of such arts to help those in need. Following a mission, he reports to the city of Cambridge—ruled over by his brother—and has a close encounter with a pickpocket who steals his signet ring. Alongside his bodyguard, Grant, the prince manages to track down the young woman, Vixen, who suffers from a foggy memory while demonstrating a great talent for skills associated with assassins. Prince Khael finds it an odd happenstance in a time when a terrorist group known as the Chelevkori are making active attempts to eliminate the royal family for a perceived wrongdoing by his grandfather, Loren, and it is further compounded by reports that tyrannical rule has seized the city of Skemmelsham over which he rules. Prince Khael forges a contract with Vixen, and with Grant, they go on a journey to liberate the city. ... (read more)

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Beautiful Bar Talk

Streitz dives into an impressive and expansive range of topics, tackling them head-on rather than tiptoeing around them as most normally do. In the process, audiences get to reflect on how they interact with their own lives and the stimuli they are constantly surrounded by. Above all else, however, it is the poet’s ability to use language, particularly metaphor, imagery, and satire, to create a remarkably relatable and universal connection with his readers. ... (rea d more)

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Personal Drama

Ella and her husband, Cole, buy a few properties in Kansas City's inner city, including an apartment building. They have a dream to fix up run-down neighborhoods and provide comfortable, affordable housing to both Caucasians and African Americans. Ella does most of the management of the properties as Cole is often away. This gives her the opportunity to relate to a variety of people in the area, from crooks to cops, druggies to housewives. She makes some friends, but not everyone in the area is happy with the new residents. During their time in Kansas City, the couple see their friend in the police department arrest a serial rapist and cross paths with a mobster running a gambling ring. Ella’s vision of an inner-city utopia is much more difficult than she imagined. ... (read more)

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Innovative Techniques

In this guide, the author offers step-by-step instructions to create one full week of writing prep. Each day focuses on a different aspect of story formation: ideas, character, setting, plot and planning, drafting, and revision. Day Six is devoted to rest, as a break provides “energy and perspective and helps unlock creative possibilities.” For all other days, the exercises are broken up into warmups, core activities, and stretches. The reader is able to pick and choose which exercises are most applicable to their writing journey. The author begins each section with a cheerful, inspiring opening, then leaves space for the reader to “take action to create something.” She leads her audience through reflective activities, creative pursuits, and adventures that take readers from their habitual writing place to the greater world around them, exploring libraries, walking paths, and other locations. She engages the five senses as well, proposing activities that involve physical activity, music, and artwork. She also discusses the revision process, how to take feedback, and ultimately, how to expand the seven-day workshop into actionable steps. ... (read more)

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Supporting Cast

Emily Bennet has worked in various roles on several movie sets and done a little acting of her own. Her brother, Ben, is also an actor but spends his time drunk at home watching their sick father. Although their parent is bedridden, both children are still afraid of him, want his approval, and loathe him. When Emily begins to hear rumors of an unfinished movie starring John Wayne and James Dean, she feels like she finally has a direction in her life. She chases down every rumor and lead she can find and even confronts Wayne about it (Dean has been dead for years) shortly before his death. Eventually, she tracks down a man who stole what film had been shot from the set before it mysteriously shut down. ... (read more)

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Complex Tapestry

Author Hynes has composed a surprise symphony of words, concepts, illustrations, and inspirations. Her central character, Ensemble Elk, is the conductor and manager at the Jason Mixolydian School of Music, slated to become an adjunct to Abington Academy in Putnam County, West Virginia. The high reputation of the school has yielded a lengthy line of potential music prodigies who must perform for Director Ensemble in anticipation of acceptance for an upcoming ceremony. But Ensemble, they soon discern, is rarely in a friendly mood. As the hopefuls trudge through, some are even warned by the director’s secretary, coffee maker, and clean-up lady, Ms. Treble Clef Catbird, about his curmudgeonly manner. In fact, he may ignore them completely, watching TV and making paper airplanes out of letters he refuses to read, fearful of their content. ... (read more)

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Intriguing Beasts

In this delightful fantasy, a veterinarian who, along with her husband, is climbing Humphreys Peak, a mountain in Arizona, develops altitude sickness and encounters a wounded dragon, whom she names Emerald. After the two humans get down from the mountain and the doctor recovers in a hospital, she and her husband, Jon—who wonders if his wife needs more time in the hospital—convince themselves that the veterinary encounter was a hallucination. ... (read more)

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Thorough Examination

Author Licausi successfully arrays his subjective experience and diligent, objectively researched knowledge of mental illnesses and the ways that they affect not only patients but also their families, pointing toward possible ameliorations of current approaches. Much of the information gathered concerns Licausi’s own experience as someone who was diagnosed with and treated for schizophrenia and related mental and psychological issues. But importantly, the author also takes a broader look as part of his stated hope to assist others who may find themselves similarly distressed. He has partnered in this composition with his father, who contributes comments on such significant factors as his son’s residence in various hospital facilities, insurance issues, and the social context of parenting a person with diagnosed mental illness. ... (read more)

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Nostalgic Masterpiece

What begins as a coming-of-age story in the 1950s develops into a beautiful, nostalgic testimony to one man’s journey of finding his place in this world. This novel is told through the eyes of Clayton, the son of a former baseball player whose rise to stardom was unexpectedly cut short. The reader follows Clayton through the early days of childhood when he still views his father as a larger-than-life idol and then sees him process scandal and disappointment. ... (read more)

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Personal Drama

Billed as a satire, this political and social drama explores the relationships between facts and data, politics, and broadcast news. Julie Anders, like her accountant father, is an info whiz. At the outset of the story, Julie lives with her father in Denver while completing her master’s degree in broadcast journalism with a thesis about the 2010 Affordable Care Act at the University of Colorado in the College of Media, Communication, and Information to complement her bachelor’s degree in accounting. Her first stab at a career position comes to fruition in an apprentice position with MRABC, a newbie network and competitor with CBS, CNN, MSNBC, and others. Julie’s job is gathering pre-program background info for nightly broadcasts of the network’s star, Dan Panders, who hopes to surpass Rachel Maddow’s ratings at MSNBC, the political opinion network division of NBC News. The complexities of the job and conflicts with the “network brass” about content and guests soon make her position less palatable than Julie had anticipated. She moves on to PBS while her coworker Dan, who often disagrees with the liberal agenda of his bosses, stays with the network, even as he struggles with the intense pressure and his newly diagnosed bipolar disorder. ... (read more)

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Gripping Tale

In this young adult fantasy novel, Clint Holden finds himself in the middle of a war between opposing factions of good and evil. He and his best friend, Corbin, live typical lives as middle school boys with school, sports, and girls as their main concerns. However, they soon face concerns that make these issues seem miniscule. After being attacked by a strange red being while walking to school, they are in shock and disbelief. This attack is just the beginning of a dangerous adventure in which more strange beings are intent on harming them. Luckily, they are not left alone to battle the evil forces that soon assail them. A mysterious group of fighters comes to Clint’s home to protect him from evil beings known as the Fury. Led by a man named Banks, this group, part of the faction known as the Salvation Alliance, comprises numerous fantastical creatures. These opposing factions have one thing in common: they both seek something known as the Requiem and believe that Clint Holden has it. ... (read more)

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Mind Control

At the tender age of twelve, Matty Weber witnessed the horrific deaths of his parents. Orphaned and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Matty went to live with his maternal grandmother, Debbie, in Scotsbourgh, California. Four years later, Matty is a brilliant but socially awkward high school sophomore. His best and only friend is Gabriel Mason, a fellow nerd who shares Matty’s academic drive and love of science, mathematics, and computers. When Matty’s longtime crush—popular cheerleader Samantha Carter—turns to Matty for help, Matty and Gabriel suddenly find themselves orbiting a different social stratum. Their newfound popularity and first tastes of romance test the bonds of their friendship. Meanwhile, cyberterrorist attacks are occurring worldwide. As Matty and Gabriel delve deeper into the world of computer technology and learn more about cybersecurity, they uncover deep-held secrets and sinister forces that threaten their safety and endanger the entire world. ... (read more)

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Aggregate Knowledge

Keita’s work is highly comprehensive in nature, covering the spectrum of pathways to wealth growth from a global prism. In many ways, the tenets of this work, while imbued in wealth growth, are aimed at the well-being of all life’s species. Though the content in question is undoubtedly complex, Keita has a knack for simplifying these dense models and breaking them down using concrete, modern-day examples that even the layman can understand. In reality, a simple tradeoff of a paycheck for time served is the antithesis of growing wealth. Recognizing this, Keita aggregates data and examples using the central premise of scientific inquiry. ... (read more)

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Tantalizing Web

Everyone loves a glamorous royal wedding. It is an excellent place for the kings and queens of neighboring realms to show off their power and wealth. There are plenty of lucrative trade transactions and marriages to negotiate, too. Even better, it makes a perfect cover for darker dealings when your friends or enemies are within sight. Quinn and Bernard know this better than anyone. They make a living as bounty hunters. Seeing what lies beneath the expensive clothes and refined manners is their key to success. Their adventures always seem to put them in the thick of things. This time, however, they cannot see the enormity of what’s coming. ... (read more)

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Gorgeous & Charming

Alexander is a sweet little cat with notably large ears and a white patch around his eye. One day, he gets adopted from a shelter by young Ellie and her mother. On the way home Ellie tells him all about the family’s dog, Clementine. Dogs were always kept separate from the cats at the shelter, so Alexander has never met one, but Ellie stresses that Clementine is friendly. After they get home—and Ellie introduces Alexander to her father and brother—she brings him to meet Clementine. However, Alexander gets nervous because Clementine is a large dog, and he runs away. Clementine thinks Alexander just wants to play, and she chases him all over the house. Then Ellie helps the two of them to get introduced to each other slowly, and before too long they become great friends. ... (read more)

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Treasures

Evoking nautical images and composed of free verse, this short work is designed to be given as a gift of appreciation. It describes the journey of life as someone captaining their own ship. When there are storms and trouble, or when inspiration or guidance is needed, the captain knows to have faith that the lighthouse will appear. The lighthouse is the symbol representing the loved one or mentor who has been important in the life of the person giving the book. The beginning and end of the work evoke special feelings for the mentor and a belief in an ultimate spiritual mentor once the journey of life ends. The middle section is more focused on the gift-giver, or captain, and acknowledges that life is a journey with ups and downs and that only the captain is responsible for the choices made. To complete this book as a gift, the author has included a bookplate in the beginning that can be used to make a customized dedication. ... (read more)

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Entertaining & Introspective

At the heart of Guiaşu’s work is a free-spirited nature that is meshed with a penchant for humor en route to tackling pertinent topics. An academic through and through, the author has included works that span the spectrum of his educational journey from elementary school to his doctoral experiences and professorship. In each of the short stories, the signature humor is only complemented by the uncanny relatability that pervades the work, beginning with “A Good Day,” which is rooted in an exploration of the immense challenges that career academics have in finding a job after earning their doctoral degree. ... (read more)

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Excel

At some point, virtually everyone will have had some kind of leadership figure, like a boss or a teacher, who fails to live up to the promise of lifting up those in their influence to their full potential. Whether in business, in the locker room, or at the head of a family, leadership is something that is asked of many but scarcely taught and reinforced. This book breaks down a dozen alliterative qualities that anyone tasked with leadership in any aspect of their life can utilize to ensure that they are effective, empathetic, and capable authority figures. Readers can use this book either to shore up the aspects of their leadership style that may be missing or weaker, or to give them the confidence to push forward in the things they already excel at. ... (read more)

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Improvement

Throughout her life, Miranda has always had a negative perception of herself. She constantly has negative thoughts wandering in her mind, and things haven’t worked out for her as she would have liked. She hates her current job because her co-workers constantly dismiss her. She has thought about quitting and living off her savings, but it would only last a few months. She has also considered getting a new job. All of this weighs heavily on her mind, but she is grateful because Fred is her guide. He is there to show her a different way. He wants her to change her life around, and for that, Fred will teach her lessons and show her that with God's help, anything can happen. ... (read more)

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Worth

Radha is feeling very anxious and nervous as she makes her way to meet her estranged husband, Prabhakar. She has not seen him in sixteen years, ever since he abandoned her and their children for his college sweetheart, Leena. Prabhakar moved to London with Leena, and they had two sons together, leaving Radha and their family heartbroken. Now, Prabhakar wants to return to Radha and their family because Leena has left him and taken their children. Radha is torn and does not know what to do. Her family has reassured her that they will support her, but the decision is ultimately up to Radha whether to give Prabhakar another chance. ... (read more)

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Joy

In McCracken’s sweet and heartwarming children’s picture book, night has fallen as Mommy tucks her young child into bed. As mother and child exchange “I love you” declarations, Mommy insists that “I love you … more.” With a big yawn, the child asks how she can be certain that her love is “more.” Gently, quietly, two-lined, rhymed poetic morsels are expressed from mother to child before sleep finally beckons. “Your every smile, laugh and silly little giggle I enjoy,” writes McCracken. “You simply bring me immeasurable joy.” ... (read more)

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Conspiracy

After obtaining a Western education and spending more than two decades intoxicated by American culture, Robuku “Robby” Makolu has returned home to Tidal Island. A remote island in the South Pacific, Robby’s native land is home to the indigenous Tanawan people, whose culture is an intricate blend of Christian faith with tribal tradition and spirituality. The great Tanawan tribal chieftain Marafu Makolu has cast a huge shadow. Upon Marafu’s death, his son Robby bears the tremendous burden of trying to fill his father’s shoes as head of the Remote Islands Mission. On a mission fundraising trip to the States, Robby reconnects with childhood friend Tom McClure, a linguistic prodigy working for NASA. While Robby is still haunted by their traumatic past, Tom is desperate to escape his present precarious circumstances. Soon, Robby finds himself embroiled in a CIA investigation and caught up in a web of intrigue that threatens the mission, Marafu’s legacy, and Robby’s freedom. ... (read more)

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Faith

In this inspirational book about the author’s family and the tragic circumstances of June 25, 1946, Kellogg examines the effect of tragedy on one’s life. Though the author grew up believing her paternal grandparents were killed in a car accident, Kellogg eventually came to know the truth about the deaths of the grandparents and uncle she had never known. Growing up in a family who had suffered so much, she nevertheless knew them as loving, faithful people who loved the Lord and each other. With sections devoted to the family’s history, the tragedy, and her own struggles when faced with the deaths of both her parents and husband from cancer, the book is, nevertheless, not dark. It is filled with the light and wisdom Kellogg professes she receives daily from her walk with God. ... (read more)

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Breaking Free

Spanning the spectrum of emotions, Bhattacharjee delivers an intensely introspective observation on her journey in the material world and how a close relationship with the divine can transform the experience into a joyous spiritual one imbued with the understanding that we are all part and parcel of the supreme. Fittingly titled, the Sanskrit word uvaacha directly translates to “said” and is prominent in nearly every verse, including at the opening of the Bhagavad Gita. In the poet’s compilation, a clear relationship is established between the word, emotions, and earthly elements like Mother Nature. ... (read more)

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Testimony

From the first poem to the last, Simpson’s rendition of faith-based poetry, specifically the unconditional surrender to God’s grace, is exhibited with fervor and authenticity. Using real-world examples like making a phone call to God, the poet is unyielding in leading audiences to the light of the Word to prepare unsuspecting or unenlightened souls for an impending rapture where the absolute faith of reverent souls will eternally fuse with the absolute love of the Lord. ... (read more)

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