A SIMPLE TALE OF WATER AND WEEPING
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: Kami King Larsen’s A SIMPLE TALE OF WATER AND WEEPING is a well-crafted, richly visualized, satisfying story of a nameless town in a magical Ireland now past that speaks also to the world we live in today.
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LOUIE AND THE DICTATOR
Genre: Middle Grade
IR Verdict: LOUIE AND THE DICTATOR is an impactful and heartwarming story about a boy learning to live with OCD during the COVID-19 pandemic that may empower younger readers to talk about their mental health, making it perfect for a bedtime read or group read-aloud session.
MISPLACED MISTLETOE
Genre: Romance
IR Verdict: MISPLACED MISTLETOE is a feel-good festive romance: heart-warming, uncomplicated, and highly agreeable.
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JESUS CHRIST DIVIDED
Genre: Religion
IR Verdict: Michael LaFond has written a thoughtful, detailed, and thorough argument with some startling but surprisingly plausible conclusions. Whether readers agree with him or not, it’s certainly a fascinating read for those interested in early Christian history.
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THE INSURMOUNTABLE EDGE: Book Three
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Author Thomas H. Goodfellow brings the final installment of THE INSURMOUNTABLE EDGE series barreling into the station with General Jack Wilder’s offbeat crew in yet another fast, fun read for action thriller fans.
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CACTUS CHRISTMAS
Genre: Women’s Fiction
IR Verdict: Heather Renée May’s CACTUS CHRISTMAS is an uplifting and immensely readable novel about a woman’s journey back to happiness and love after a divorce, framed in a gorgeous Texas Wine Country setting.
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WHAT A GODLY PRIVILEDGE TO BE BORN A MAN
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: Set in South Sudan, Tabitha Biel Luak’s authentic and revelatory story about the dangers of treating boys and girls – and ultimately men and women – as different classes of citizen speaks clearly on what it is to be human.
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DOUBLING DOWN
Genre: Parenting
IR Verdict: Ilene Gordon and Bram Bluestein’s DOUBLING DOWN is a timely, well-observed and superbly valuable addition to the career guidance genre that draws expertly on the author’s own successful careers and dual-career family life to share insights of real substance.
JUST RIVER
Genre: LGBTQ+ (Fiction)
IR Verdict: Sara B. Fraser’s prose is fluid, stylish and filled with exquisite turns of phrase. This may be only her second novel but she writes with immense confidence and a rare compassion for everyday people. There is truth and beauty in the pages of JUST RIVER and it deserves a wide readership.
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WHAT’S WRONG WITH A PET DINOSAUR?
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: Funny, quirky, and undeniably charming, WHAT’S WRONG WITH A PET DINOSAUR? is the rare example of a book that can follow a child through all the formative stages of their reading development, from toddler bedtime to elementary reading circles.
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LADY BE GOOD
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: A high-society coming-of-age story that proves truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, LADY BE GOOD provides an intoxicating mix of glitz, glamour, love, and betrayal, complete with a heartbreaking ending that lingers long after the final page.
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NOT RIGHT NOW
Genre: Paranormal
IR Verdict: K. Thomas’s paranormal romance NOT RIGHT NOW shows a skillful and intriguing return to the world of Time to Wake, pairing well-imagined character relationships and excellent world-building with a dramatic, engaging story.
THE ROAD HOME
Genre: Romance
IR Verdict: Driven by a pair of nuanced protagonists teeming with authenticity, THE ROAD HOME is a romance novel with true cross-over potential that easily side-steps any hint of ‘guilty-pleasure’ status.
ILL INTENT: A Medical Thriller
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: An intriguing and engaging mystery mingling science, crime, and academic backstabbing, Geoffrey M Cooper’s ILL INTENT has enough twists and turns to keep readers turning pages until the very end.
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HALF A LION
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Palle E.K. Oswald’s HALF A LION is a rollicking, violent, battle-filled sword-and-sorcery epic “jungle fantasy” featuring a murdered king, jealous heirs clashing over the throne, and an exiled half-blood prince who must prove himself the true heir.
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THE ACCIDENTAL ENTREPRENEUR
Genre: Business
IR Verdict: THE ACCIDENTAL ENTREPRENEUR by Serena Holmes is an introspective, hopeful self-help tome offering detailed facts and figures regarding one woman’s journey towards creating a self-sufficient, self-actualized life.
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MY GAY CHURCH DAYS
Genre: LGBTQ+ Memoir
IR Verdict: George Azar’s MY GAY CHURCH DAYS is a touching autobiography that will resonate among all those who denied themselves for a cause or a group only to realize it wasn’t worth it.
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HAZEL, THE CLINIC CAT: Vet Book for Kids
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: Readers of all ages will smile, cat-owners will surely laugh, and a handful of future veterinarians will likely find inspiration in the pages of HAZEL, THE CLINIC CAT, a chapter-book that pairs an unforgettable kitten with a fun, educational story.
THE ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH
Genre: Environment
IR Verdict: Written in clear, simple language and backed up by solid evidence at every turn, Bruce Glass’ THE ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH makes the case for recognizing and addressing the climate change crisis.
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FROM A STRIDENT WORLD OF SOFT PREVAILING THINGS
Genres: Poetry (Fiction)
IR Verdict: In FROM A STRIDENT WORLD OF SOFT PREVAILING THINGS, Aldyth Irvine Harrison celebrates the beauty of the world around her. It is a wide-ranging collection of skillfully constructed, multi-layered poems that are wise, joyous and accessible.
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GODFREY’S CRUSADE
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Starring a humble hero with a strong sense of morality, Mark Howard’s exhilarating and well thought out fantasy epic, GODFREY’S CRUSADE, is a coming-of-age story with a vast, well-developed world.
DEADLINE ROME: The Vatican Kylix
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Rome circa 1980s is the star of Sari Gilbert’s DEADLINE ROME: The Vatican Kylix, a rapidly-paced crime thriller where the core mystery — involving archeological treasures, the mafia, and the Vatican –almost take second place to the sheer mouthwatering detail of the environment in which it is set.
MARATHON MAN
Alan Corcoran
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: Alan Corcoran’s MARATHON MAN is an inspirational, well-structured and well-edited memoir written with an admirable level of openness and honesty in which the author astutely codifies thirty-five days of running the streets of Ireland into a touching, meaningful and cautionary tale.
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING
Danni Maynard
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: Danni Maynard’s YOU CAN DO ANYTHING is wonderfully illustrated, positive and inspiring children’s book with a central message of optimism, equality and dreaming big.
DAUGHTER OF CAREFUL-ISH
Honey Parker
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: DAUGHTER OF CAREFUL-ISH by Honey Parker smartly captures the clipped, urgent, maddening and often misguided dynamics that arise as young adults navigate a pandemic and try to make sense of a world gone awry.
ABSOLUTION
Henry Hack
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Be it the premise, characters, or setting, there’s little in Henry Hack’s ABSOLUTION that won’t immediately feel familiar, but the author’s air tight plotting and exceptional character development makes for an exceptional read.