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You'd think that, being a published poet (chapbooks, decades ago) I would naturally have poetry as my primary read of choice; but in actuality there are so many substandard works on the market these days, that I have moved away from the genre in favor of sci-fi and other reads. So it's a...

I read a number of David Earle's books back to back - and found them all different and inspiring. Is Iron Mask a self-help book? A collection of poetry? An autobiography? Or is it an instructional on facing down the aging process, interacting with family, and taking wing? Some books are neither...

Gilligan's Notes: Simple Communication for Complicated People offers a tool of connection for those who find safe haven in blaming others for an incomprehensible life. David W. Earle identifies the real culprit as the source of miscommunication and alienation, and Gilligan's Notes is designed to...

Shirley A. Weis's Playing to Win in Business presents something different in the world of both business books and women's self-help titles. It's rare to see a business book from a woman who moved into corporate circles from the lower rungs of the ladder and built a successful career; much less...

Stephen Thomas Graf's Swiss Army Knife for the Soul begins with a mysterious Call, which informs the answerer/protagonist that he is, indeed, a wanted man - and things evolve from there, as a rollicking adventure transpires based on the spiritual journeys of one Thomas Stephens (aka Tommy Boy)...

Convergence: A Voyage Through French Polynesia by Sally-Christine Rodgers (from Paradise Cay Publishing) is a fine adventure and cultural exploration whether you're an armchair reader or a cruiser planning a voyage: a a multi-faceted book that has the rare ability to reach well beyond a sailing...

Michael Guillebeau's A Study in Detail represents an unusual genre blend of romance, murder mystery and comedy - and it's the latter piece that sets this apart from most other genre crossover titles and lends it a special atmosphere, recommended for romance and mystery readers seeking something...

Susan Pashman's Upper West Side Story began over Thanksgiving dinner when a relative expressed glee over the prospect of some black 'disadvantaged' children being admitted to his children's school, providing them with an opportunity to better know 'the other side of the tracks'. The author...

Fans of time travel stories and mysteries are in for a treat with Ann Goldfarb's The Time Stealer; but it's not a new treat for seasoned author Ann I. Goldfarb: The Time Stealer is actually the fifth book in her blossoming series. That said, no prior familiarity with the others is required to...

Jack L. Roberts' Unsung Heroes: The Story of the Secret Service is a history of the Secret Service and its members with an important difference that schools will find intriguing: it's published with Common Core English/language arts objectives for reading informational text (grades 3-8) in mind...

Deborah Davitt's The Goddess Denied represents Book Two of 'The Saga of Edda-Earth', and is just as multifaceted as its introductory predecessor The Valkyrie; so if it's casual fantasy and quickly-drawn worlds that are sought, move on. Unlike many a fantasy world, the story's time line is long...

In Betta Ferrendelli's third book documentation of the sleuthing prowess of one Samantha Church, DEAD WRONG, there's a surprise: the local mortuary may be involved in the sinister crime of harvesting dead body parts, dismembering corpses to sell body parts on the black market - in itself a...

Michele Lynn Seigfried's COMMUNITY AFFAIRS holds just what I like in a good mystery read: a healthy dose of the unexpected, to keep it from becoming another genre formula production. Murder and amateur sleuthing is a mainstay of the mystery genre; but less common is the inclusion of humor, a...

I absolutely loved Jeff Folschinsky's first Tales from Little Lump - Alien Season; so it was a delight to see his next, Tales from Little Lump: Night of the Undead Snow Monkeys - every bit as hilarious and unexpected as the first. If there were a 6-star review, I'd make it so! It must be said...

Donelle Dreese's Deep River Burning isn't a hasty novel read: to enjoy it best, you have to sit down with a cup of tea and read slowly, following an author who truly takes time to build her characters and story - a refreshing change from the hectic pace of so many. The first thing to know about...

Joe S. Davis's The Kidnapping of Jamaica's Homeland Security is a novel about terrorism, but it's the twist that Davis offers on the theme that set this apart from others, and from anticipation of another 'terrorist thriller' approach. This isn't an outsider's perspective and story so much as...

Morgan Rice's RISE OF THE DRAGONS blends two genres I love best - young adult fantasy - and gives them new life with a vivid story recommended for young adult and adult fantasy readers alike. Rise of the Dragons features some fairly common devices in fantasy these days: dragons (of course), a...

One of the reasons I enjoy young adult reads is that they tend to eschew violence in favor of insights on interpersonal relationships: even fantasy often incorporates this focus into its adventure orientation, and such is the case with J.R. Roper's first book in his middle school fantasy, The...

Jeffrey B. Burton's THE LYNCHPIN is exactly the kind of mystery/thriller I love: lots of twists and turns, but with a chess-style series of play-by-play changes that keeps the psychology absorbing and the action vivid. The world of special investigations often assumes the trappings of a chess...

Historical mysteries are one of my favorite genres; especially when they're well-done with both the mystery and history parts - as is Anna Castle's Death by Disputation. The first requirement that should be noted for a complete enjoyment of Death by Disputation isn't a familiarity with Book One...