American Ghost: a Novel

Janis Owens
Totally CAPTIVATING! That was my reading experience with “American Ghost” by Janis Owens. The story developed from the author’s research on a real lynching that occurred in 1934 in Marianna, Florida. ...

Review by Larry F. »

All There Is: Love Stories from Storycorps

Dave Isay
This book is a compilation of vignettes taken from true stories about love. The people who share their stories in All There Is are participants of the Storycorps project. Storycorps is a national project designed to inspire everyday people to share their stories orally. ...

Review by Brice B. »

Little White Duck: a Childhood in China

Andrés Vera Martínez
Na Liu moved to the U.S. in her early 20’s. Soon after learning that she and her cartoonist husband would be having their first child, they decided to work together to create a graphic novel for children. Na Liu’s husband loved hearing his wife’s childhood stories describing life in Wuhan, China. ...

Review by Melanie A. »

Heat Wave: a Novel

Nancy Thayer
Nancy Thayer writes with warmth and wisdom in this emotional but heartwarming story of a widowed woman who keeps her family together as she feels her life unraveling. Strong and determined Carley moves on with plans for financial security by opening her house as a bed and breakfast regardless of the conflicting opinions of others. Relationships become...

Review by Betsy M. »

No Kiss for Mother

Tomi Ungerer
Piper Paw is one bad cat. He is always causing trouble in school and hangs with all the other tough cats. But what really, really, really gets him mad is his MOTHER!!!!!She is always KISSING him…..ALWAYS.She calls him Darling and Honey Pie…just disgusting.Is there any hope for this horrible young cat…..read….the….book. ...

Review by Christopher S. »

What's for Lunch?: How Schoolchildren Eat Around the World

Andrea Curtis
So what do you like to eat? This fun book shows the fascinating food that kids eat in different countries. It also gives interesting glimpses into their various social and cultural habits. But best of all (in my opinion) it illustrates other approaches toward solving problems like too much junk food or malnourishment in less privileged parts of the...

Review by Christopher S. »

Caesar: on Deaf Ears

Loren Spiotta-DiMare
Caesar is a beautiful almost pure white German Shepard puppy. His mom had him and four other siblings. A nice lady saved their lives when she saw them abandoned in front of the train station. You will follow his young eventful life in this heart warming book. ...

Review by Christopher S. »

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

Ayana Mathis
Twelve Tribes of Hattie, Ayana Mathis' first novel, is a stunner. It tells the story of Hattie Shepherd, a Georgia girl who moves north to Philadelphia with her mother and sisters during the Great Migration. She marries early and for the wrong reason, and ends up struggling to raise her children amidst instability and poverty. The children's stories,...

Review by Jill P. »

With Blood in Their Eyes

Thomas Cobb
A meticulously researched retelling of a bloody shootout at the turn of the century in Arizona history. With authentically rich dialogue and fascinating character development, Cobb not only reveals the exciting adventure and drama of attempting to elude the law, but through flashbacks, gives the background and moral fiber of a family trying to make...

Review by Larry F. »

Bitter Seeds

Ian Tregillis
Europe, 1939. British spy Raybould Marsh is determined to defeat the Nazis’ laboratory-created supermen at any price. With the help of Britain’s reclusive warlocks, demons are recruited to help end the war in the Allies’ favor. Tregillis’ debut novel in the Milkweed trilogy is wild historical fiction and dark horror; the author never wastes...

Review by Amy B. »