KILL YOUR DARLINGS
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Balancing the gravity of mental illness with the lighthearted thrills of a sword and sorcery tale is a tricky challenge, but author L.E. Harper pulls off the feat with sensitivity and insight in KILL YOUR DARLINGS. It’s a rewarding and entertaining read for fantasy fans, as well as readers who may be facing mental health issues.
A PYRRHIC VICTORY
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: A meticulous recounting of Pyrrhus’ tumultuous final years, A PYRRHIC VICTORY (Volume III: Fate) by Ian Crouch offers a sympathetic portrayal of both the man and his times.
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RED TIGER HUNTING
Genres: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: In RED TIGER HUNTING, author Alexander C. Juden has crafted a slick, action-packed page-turner that still finds time to ruminate on deeper questions of justice, nationalism, and the nature of war.
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A SHADOW MELODY
Genres: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: Brian Kaufman successfully melds historical fiction and horror in A SHADOW MELODY, a moody pastoral tale with a creepy paranormal conclusion.
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THE WATCHERS
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: With its deft storytelling, colorful and polished writing, and immensely likable central character, THE WATCHERS by Jo Sisk-Purvis is a captivating opening chapter of a promising new fantasy adventure series.
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PRINCESS ROURAN AND THE BOOK OF THE LIVING
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: An apocalyptic satire in the guise of a YA novel, PRINCESS ROURAN AND THE BOOK OF THE LIVING by Shawe Ruckus is a well-written and intriguing satirical fantasy and a highly literate puzzle of a book that weaves the threads of ancient and modern history into a time-traveling tapestry of conspiracy theories and old fashioned adventure.
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THE YEAR OF THE CAT
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: THE YEAR OF THE CAT by Phuong Chi Nguyen, Daniel Rettig and Mae Linh Rettig is a visually-appealing, lively story told in two languages, with delightful animals and an action-packed race.
A HISTORY OF SILENCE
Genre: Women’s Fiction
IR Verdict: The first in Cynthia Bogard’s Heartland Trilogy, A HISTORY OF SILENCE is an intriguing crime novel that takes a closer look at the complicated process of grieving through the experiences of four very different women who were connected in different ways to the victim of a murder.
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A CHINESE REMEDY
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: A CHINESE REMEDY (Mercenaries in Suits) by Shawe Ruckus is a promising and very well-written beginning for a new mystery series that introduces two eccentric investigators and manages to blend easily recognizable London life with slightly surreal twists of logic and incidence.
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DELAWARE BEFORE THE RAILROADS
Genre: History
IR Verdict: While not a definitive history of early Delaware, Dave Tabler’s DELAWARE BEFORE THE RAILROADS is well researched and photographed and brings to life the forces, factors and people who shaped the state from the 1600s through the arrival of rain transport.
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THE AMERICAN OUTSIDER
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: THE AMERICAN OUTSIDER powerfully conveys the depth of the author Homa Pourasgari’s concern for animal welfare while delivering a touching, finely crafted tale of love and adventure that brims over with heart.
BREAKTHROUGH IN GOLF
Genre: Education
IR Verdict: While author Curtis Elliott spends a lot of time on his credentials and the physics of swing theory, his hip-to-hip method is excellent, and the drills and exercises he outlines in BREAKTHROUGH IN GOLF (Building a Winning Golf Swing with the Hip to Hip Method) will help golfers of all levels improve their game.
PROUD PADA
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Fans of S.G. Blaise’s Lumenian books will find PROUD PADA a delightful continuation of the series, ratcheting up the dramatic stakes without losing its signature humor and sweetness.
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PRINCESS ROURAN & THE DRAGON CHARIOT OF 10,000 SAGES
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: With a precocious young protagonist navigating immense, sophisticated ideas and feelings, Shawe Ruckus’s PRINCESS ROURAN & THE DRAGON CHARIOT OF 10,000 SAGES is a thoughtful story about choosing empathy and hope in a world of grief and intolerance.
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BUT I WANT TO FLY!
Genre: Poetry
IR Verdict: Written and illustrated with honesty and open-hearted compassion (by Michelle Villalobos and Kiki Kalahari, respectively) BUT I WANT TO FLY! soars, offering insight and inspiration for anyone seeking to overcome their inner demons and achieve their dreams.
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THE GOOD HUSBAND
Genre: Sexuality
IR Verdict: For husbands operating within the traditional family, psychologist and couples therapist Hagai Avisar offers a lot of practical and effective advice in THE GOOD HUSBAND (How to use your masculine strengths to benefit your family).
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THE EVER PART OF ALWAYS
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Toby K. Davis’s beautifully written and always engaging, THE EVER PART OF ALWAYS (Keely Tucker’s First Adventure) is a heartfelt tale for young and older readers alike who delight in the magic of friendship, self-discovery, and bravery.
CONTEMPTIBLE
Genre: Health
IR Verdict: An insider’s account of medicine, law, and justice, Dr. John B Hackert’s CONTEMPTIBLE (A surgeon’s battle for justice against insurance giant Cigna and a biased federal bench) tells a sadly familiar story from an uncommon perspective.
PEBBLES AND THE BIGGEST NUMBER
Genre: Kids
IR Verdict: PEBBLES AND THE BIGGEST NUMBER, written by Joey Benun and beautifully illustrated by Laura Watson, is a hugely entertaining and educational book for children. It earns its place in any school library or classroom and works equally well as a bedtime story.
DARKNESS BELOW
Genre: Horror
IR Verdict: DARKNESS BELOW by Barbara Cottrell is a compelling and unnerving exploration of Lovecraftian horror set in the grounds of Miskatonic University.
THIRTEEN FICTIONS FOR MIDDLING MILLENNIAL MELANCHOLIA
Genre: Short Stories
IR Verdict: Elmore Collins’ short, poignant tales pack a solid emotional punch, capturing the loneliness, frustration, and emotional isolation of a generation in THIRTEEN FICTIONS FOR MIDDLING MILLENNIAL MELANCHOLIA.
PINOCCHIO’S GUIDE TO THE END OF THE WORLD
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Eva Moon manages to balance humor, adventure, and drama in PINOCCHIO’S GUIDE TO THE END OF THE WORLD and the warm humanity of her characters helps illuminate one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
E.A.T.
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: Kathy Mydlach Bero’s E.A.T. (An unconventional decade in the life of a cancer patient) is a heartfelt, compelling story of the author’s harrowing battle with multiple debilitating diseases, shared with brutal honesty and vivid details that allow others to relate to and extract meaning from her experience and insightful self-discovery.
CHIMERA AND CURSES
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Readers in search of a witty, laid-back fantasy diversion will find much to love in Shari Marshall’s CHIMERA AND CURSES, a charming comic adventure full of rollicking hijinks.
BURY ME BEHIND THE BASEBOARD
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: Pavel Sanaev’s BURY ME BEHIND THE BASEBOARD succeeds in showing the vast imagination and funny observations of children with writing that is both eloquent and detailed, but the main character’s blind trust of his abusive grandmother is more tragic than comic.
IN THE SHADOW OF A HOAX
Genre: Romance
IR Verdict: An epic fairytale romance that will leave an avid reader of this popular genre swooning, Maci Aurora’s IN THE SHADOW OF A HOAX is rife with character-driven drama, court intrigue, and a strong-willed protagonist at its center.