BookShelfie Reviews

Writing about trauma presents inherent challenges that have defeated many well-intentioned authors. The material can overwhelm the reader, self-pity can masquerade as insight, and therapeutic process can substitute for genuine ....

Writing about trauma presents inherent challenges that have defeated many well-intentioned authors. The material can overwhelm the reader, self-pity can masquerade as insight, and therapeutic process can substitute for genuine storytelling. However, J. Lauren Sangster’s “The Girl Who Flew Over the Honeysuckle Hedge” avoids these ....

Writing about trauma presents inherent challenges that have defeated many well-intentioned authors. The material can overwhelm the reader, self-pity can masquerade as insight, and therapeutic process can substitute for genuine storytelling. However, J. Lauren Sangster’s “The Girl Who Flew Over the Honeysuckle Hedge” avoids these pitfalls through beautiful writing and an interesting look into therepeautical […]

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“Suppose We” follows the crew of a deep-space vessel approaching the Kepler-20h system after more than a millennium of travel. It opens with the protagonist, French exo-linguist Gaston Poirer, awakening ....

“Suppose We” follows the crew of a deep-space vessel approaching the Kepler-20h system after more than a millennium of travel. It opens with the protagonist, French exo-linguist Gaston Poirer, awakening from a thousand-year hibernation to find his spacecraft shadowed by mysterious objects. This sets up ....

“Suppose We” follows the crew of a deep-space vessel approaching the Kepler-20h system after more than a millennium of travel. It opens with the protagonist, French exo-linguist Gaston Poirer, awakening from a thousand-year hibernation to find his spacecraft shadowed by mysterious objects. This sets up a novel about a spaceship crash landing on a mysterious […]

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The debut romance novel of Reno R. Mist, “One More Chance” presents an examination of marital collapse and reconstruction through the lens of time travel. The 380-page novel is like ....

The debut romance novel of Reno R. Mist, “One More Chance” presents an examination of marital collapse and reconstruction through the lens of time travel. The 380-page novel is like a more speculative fiction-tinged Colleen Hoover novel and is perfect for any fans of The ....

The debut romance novel of Reno R. Mist, “One More Chance” presents an examination of marital collapse and reconstruction through the lens of time travel. The 380-page novel is like a more speculative fiction-tinged Colleen Hoover novel and is perfect for any fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Outlander, and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, […]

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M. G. Claybrook’s “Wintersfall: The Legend of Sangareth” is one of those rare fantasy books that manages to be appealing for nearly everyone. Written in a style that blends the ....

M. G. Claybrook’s “Wintersfall: The Legend of Sangareth” is one of those rare fantasy books that manages to be appealing for nearly everyone. Written in a style that blends the epic cadence of Tolkien with the satirical warmth of Brian Jacques and Douglas Adams, this ....

M. G. Claybrook’s “Wintersfall: The Legend of Sangareth” is one of those rare fantasy books that manages to be appealing for nearly everyone. Written in a style that blends the epic cadence of Tolkien with the satirical warmth of Brian Jacques and Douglas Adams, this book is teeming with charm. Framed as a precious text […]

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Anton Anderson’s “The Seekers: Kirin” is a strong entry in the rapidly growing field of independent fantasy. This second installment in The Seekers series shifts focus away from grand prophecies ....

Anton Anderson’s “The Seekers: Kirin” is a strong entry in the rapidly growing field of independent fantasy. This second installment in The Seekers series shifts focus away from grand prophecies and chosen ones, centring instead on one man driven by conviction in a world shaped ....

Anton Anderson’s “The Seekers: Kirin” is a strong entry in the rapidly growing field of independent fantasy. This second installment in The Seekers series shifts focus away from grand prophecies and chosen ones, centring instead on one man driven by conviction in a world shaped by instability and war. The result is a restrained, character-driven […]

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Kate Kaminski’s “I Am Danvers” is an imaginative novel that transforms Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca into a searing contemporary thriller that pulses with queer desire, class rage, and the ....

Kate Kaminski’s “I Am Danvers” is an imaginative novel that transforms Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca into a searing contemporary thriller that pulses with queer desire, class rage, and the kind of obsessive love that burns everything in its path. This is a book that ....

Kate Kaminski’s “I Am Danvers” is an imaginative novel that transforms Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca into a searing contemporary thriller that pulses with queer desire, class rage, and the kind of obsessive love that burns everything in its path. This is a book that is perfect for anyone who enjoyed Plain Bad Heroines by […]

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CRK’s “The Angel’s Curse”, the first volume in the ZCN/TIES series, is an imaginative novel in the same vein as “Good Omens”. What begins as a seemingly straightforward adventure story ....

CRK’s “The Angel’s Curse”, the first volume in the ZCN/TIES series, is an imaginative novel in the same vein as “Good Omens”. What begins as a seemingly straightforward adventure story about twelve-year-old Zena Nena—also known as Vessel of the Angel of Battle (AOB)—soon turns into ....

CRK’s “The Angel’s Curse”, the first volume in the ZCN/TIES series, is an imaginative novel in the same vein as “Good Omens”. What begins as a seemingly straightforward adventure story about twelve-year-old Zena Nena—also known as Vessel of the Angel of Battle (AOB)—soon turns into an epic investigation into a mysterious shadow creeping across Imaginationville […]

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For her new novel, Amelia Bennett presents “Subtle Shadows”, a gripping romantic mystery with Christian themes. At the heart of the novel is Paige Turner, an accomplished yet somewhat lonely ....

For her new novel, Amelia Bennett presents “Subtle Shadows”, a gripping romantic mystery with Christian themes. At the heart of the novel is Paige Turner, an accomplished yet somewhat lonely investigative journalist. Her world is shaken and transformed by the arrival of Ethan Miller, a ....

For her new novel, Amelia Bennett presents “Subtle Shadows”, a gripping romantic mystery with Christian themes. At the heart of the novel is Paige Turner, an accomplished yet somewhat lonely investigative journalist. Her world is shaken and transformed by the arrival of Ethan Miller, a new senior research reporter with a past that soon entangles […]

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Desmond Knipe’s “NAMUH, The Awakening” drops five strangers into a New Zealand forest, where they touch an ancient tree and suddenly find themselves conscripted into saving humanity. It’s a setup ....

Desmond Knipe’s “NAMUH, The Awakening” drops five strangers into a New Zealand forest, where they touch an ancient tree and suddenly find themselves conscripted into saving humanity. It’s a setup that could easily veer into eye-rolling territory, but Knipe grounds his mystical premise with unexpected ....

Desmond Knipe’s “NAMUH, The Awakening” drops five strangers into a New Zealand forest, where they touch an ancient tree and suddenly find themselves conscripted into saving humanity. It’s a setup that could easily veer into eye-rolling territory, but Knipe grounds his mystical premise with unexpected character backstories and some genuinely interesting ideas that make this […]

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Part medical thriller, part biological horror novel, Kevin Hwang’s “The Regression Strain” takes readers aboard the luxury cruise ship Paradise. However, don’t be fooled, this is nothing like a relaxing ....

Part medical thriller, part biological horror novel, Kevin Hwang’s “The Regression Strain” takes readers aboard the luxury cruise ship Paradise. However, don’t be fooled, this is nothing like a relaxing vacation beach read. Seeking respite from personal tragedy, Dr. Peter Palma joins the medical team ....

Part medical thriller, part biological horror novel, Kevin Hwang’s “The Regression Strain” takes readers aboard the luxury cruise ship Paradise. However, don’t be fooled, this is nothing like a relaxing vacation beach read. Seeking respite from personal tragedy, Dr. Peter Palma joins the medical team aboard the Paradise, expecting to treat nothing more than minor […]

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The middle volume of a fantasy trilogy faces a particular challenge: it must advance the story without feeling like mere connective tissue between a promising beginning and a climactic end. ....

The middle volume of a fantasy trilogy faces a particular challenge: it must advance the story without feeling like mere connective tissue between a promising beginning and a climactic end. This is the case in retired English teacher R.J. Barron’s “A Cold Wind Blows”, the ....

The middle volume of a fantasy trilogy faces a particular challenge: it must advance the story without feeling like mere connective tissue between a promising beginning and a climactic end. This is the case in retired English teacher R.J. Barron’s “A Cold Wind Blows”, the second installment in his Thomas Trelawney series. Though we haven’t […]

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Part memoir, part self-help guide, M.C. Ryder’s “How to Stand Up to Bullying” draws from Ryder’s personal encounters with bullying across different contexts—childhood, workplace, and family—to create a roadmap for ....

Part memoir, part self-help guide, M.C. Ryder’s “How to Stand Up to Bullying” draws from Ryder’s personal encounters with bullying across different contexts—childhood, workplace, and family—to create a roadmap for others facing similar struggles. The book’s core argument is that bullying stems from emotional deprivation ....

Part memoir, part self-help guide, M.C. Ryder’s “How to Stand Up to Bullying” draws from Ryder’s personal encounters with bullying across different contexts—childhood, workplace, and family—to create a roadmap for others facing similar struggles. The book’s core argument is that bullying stems from emotional deprivation rather than pure cruelty. “What a bully is vying for […]

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