Book Reviews
Explore thoughtfully curated book reviews that help you discover your next favorite read.
7 Days to Die, by Wyatt Moore—Book Review
Wyatt Moore’s “7 Days to Die” is an imaginative supernatural thriller that offers readers a compelling exploration of existence beyond the veil of mortality. Set largely in the spectral city of Ravenwood, this meticulously crafted adventure follows Kelly, a young woman who…
Read More
Be White With Me, by R. E. Hayes—Book Review
In “Be White With Me”, R.E. Hayes examines Chicago’s racial landscapes through one family’s unravelling. When corporate attorney Linnea Dunlap’s father Eddie, gripped by advancing dementia, shoots a neighbor’s dog, the Dunlap family’s lives splinter in unexpected directions. What begins as a…
Read More
The Anything Room, by Lonnie Busch—Book Review
In “The Anything Room”, Lonnie Busch crafts a poignant meditation on grief, desire, and the fragile line between reality and possibility. Set in a crumbling St. Louis neighborhood, this novel explores life and death through a magic portal that can turn back…
Read More
Smash the World’s Shell, by Daniel Fliederbaum—Book Review
“Smash the World’s Shell” is a dragon-filled fantastical adventure that is likely to resonate with a wide array of readers. At its heart, it’s the story of Ellen Delacroix, a magically impaired girl living in Echo Woods under a protective dome, and…
Read More
Codon, by Arreshy Young—Book Review
In “CODON,” Arreshy Young crafts a kaleidoscopic collection that defies easy categorization, blending elements of speculative fiction, philosophical meditation, and experimental prose into a dazzling if sometimes bewildering whole. Published in January 2025, this work pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling while…
Read More
Running From Herself, by April Tompkins—Book Review
“Running From Herself” by April Tompkins follows a singer’s emotional journey as she navigates the ups and downs of the music industry while discovering what truly matters to her. The novel follows Leah Branch, a jaded country musician who abandons her struggling…
Read More
John Cleese Saved My Life!, by Scott Berndt—Book Review
In “John Cleese Saved My Life!: …And Other True Tales of Pop, Politics, and Prayer,” Scott Berndt pens a personal memoir that explores how the cultural touchstones of the 1980s shaped his spiritual journey and worldview. Through a unique blend of historical…
Read More
I, No Other, by Yarrow Paisley—Book Review
“I, No Other” by Yarrow Paisley is a haunting collection that plumbs the depths of consciousness, identity, and embodiment through ten interconnected stories. Like a fever dream rendered in baroque prose, the collection challenges and disorients while rewarding careful readers with moments…
Read More
Editor's Pick
The Secretary, by Deborah Lawrenson—Book Review
“The Secretary” is a sophisticated and gripping Cold War spy novel that admirably blends historical fiction with personal background, drawing from the real-life experiences of the author’s mother in 1950s Moscow. At its heart is Lois Vale, a deceptively capable young woman…
Read More
Scarlet Yearnings: Stories of Love and Desire, by Scarlet Ibis James—Book Review
Scarlet Ibis James’s “Scarlet Yearnings” accomplishes something surprisingly rare in contemporary short fiction – it makes us feel the full impact of love’s complexities without relying on melodrama or easy sentiment. Through twelve readable stories exploring relationships across cultural and generational divides,…
Read More