THE LAST PROFESSIONAL
Genres: Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Fully fleshed-out characters, dynamic relationships, and a strong plot make THE LAST PROFESSIONAL by Ed Davis a compelling and memorable read.
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MORBID THOUGHTS AND THE DOMINO EFFECT
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: A genial and natural storyteller, Perry Muse infuses his memoir, MORBID THOUGHTS AND THE DOMINO EFFECT, with enormous charm and personality making it not merely a litany of hardships but a heartfelt, authentic tale of living through adversity that informs and inspires.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE KING
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE KING, Book One in Demetrious Polychron’s The War Of The Rings series, offers J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings fans a well-written, expanded and appropriately epic return to Middle-earth.
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THE GIRL IN THE BLUE BLAZER
Genres: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Author Alretha Thomas makes every word, character, and scene count in THE GIRL IN THE BLUE BLAZER, a very well-written suspenseful story with twists and turns from beginning to end.
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THE MARTYR’S BLOOD
Genres: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Joel Manners has created an immersive and beautiful fantasy world in THE MARTYR’S BLOOD, a grand and epic story involving three-dimensional characters, well-developed magical and political systems, vivid descriptions, and lively, action-filled plots.
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TO SEE GOD
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: In TO SEE GOD, the beautifully crafted and deeply spiritual novel by Bruce J Berger, the author is unafraid to tackle the weighty issue of faith itself. Well developed characters find themselves having to reassess everything that they believed to be true in the same way that readers will need to dig deep to answer the questions that provokes.
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THE ROAD TO MADHAPUR
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: THE ROAD TO MADHAPUR by David Whittet is a wistful, beautiful if heartbreaking coming-of-age story where the character’s lives are beset by strife and hardship but through their tribulations come to realize who they truly are and find their life’s purpose through the service of those in need.
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STUDENT IMPRESSIONS OF THE MIDDLE PASSAGE
Genre: History
IR Verdict: Author and middle school teacher Juliette Caruso O’Dell’s STUDENT IMPRESSIONS OF THE MIDDLE PASSAGE: 2010-2020 offers an intriguing and thought-provoking insight into one of the ways in which teenagers can be taught about the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade.
THE CORRODING
Genre: Horror
IR Verdict: Combining elements of murder mystery, body horror, and near-future apocalyptic scenarios, Ty Tracey’s THE CORRODING is a haunting, terrifying indictment of humanity in the technological age.
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THESE LIVES
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: Full of philosophical musings, gritty survival tales and unforgettable characters, Eliade Moldovan’s THIS LIFE is a fascinating look at the little-understood world of postwar Romania.
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ARTEFACTUM
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: An odious protagonist, remarkably imaginative flights of fancy, and superlative world-building characterize J.E. Tobal’s ARTEFACTUM.
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MY EXPANSION
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: Nancy Manet’s book MY EXPANSION, beautifully illustrated by Michelle Buvala, is an original, creative and compassionate story to encourage and offer guidance to a child who may be different from other children.
THREE RIVERS
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: THREE RIVERS, Sarah Stusek’s debut YA novel, brings a fresh approach to timeless childhood themes of inclusion, forgiveness, and change.
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MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: Kristine McGuire’s MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH is absorbing account of the history of Wyoming, an exploration of the West, a political analysis, social commentary, advice on good and bad ranching methods and overall an excellent read.
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VIBRATIONS IN THE FIELD
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Daniel Burke’s VIBRATIONS IN THE FIELD is a surprising, scintillating, and hard-hitting blend of intrigue, spirituality, and quantum physics that makes for a truly compelling journey.
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BEYOND A GLUTEN-FREE DREAM
Genre: Children’s (Board books and Pre-reading)
IR Verdict: Frances Alvarado-Ng’s BEYOND A GLUTEN-FREE DREAM is a well-written, beautifully-illustrated children’s book that tells a compelling story that will educate, engage, and entertain children of all ages.
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THE MAENAD’S GOD
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: THE MAENAD’S GOD is never the same book twice: flowing from intrigue to mysticism, romance to mythology, Karen Michaelson weaves an epic and constantly surprising narrative.
SCAR SONGS: Stories
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: Author W. Royce Adams writes the lives of his broken, haunted characters with spare but artful grace, uncovering their frailties with clear-eyed candor while acknowledging the ambiguities and contradictions of human nature.
THE NARRATOR
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Author Babak Hodjat writes with authority in THE NARRATOR, throwing back the curtain on the innovative coders of Silicon Valley with prose that is clean and coherent and perfectly balanced for his subject matter.
SPARK
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: SPARK by J.A Brooks is an exceptionally well written story charting a young boy’s coming of age. Numerous laugh-out-loud moments and comic scenes background a serious literary work that investigates what it means to eventually have to choose how to grow up.
TRUST SIGNALS
Genre: Business
IR Verdict: Scott Baradell’s TRUST SIGNALS is an invaluable resource for PR professionals who are looking to up their game and provide clients with effective growth strategies, as well as marketers, salespeople, and C-suite executives who need to make sure they get value for communications money.
“ON THAT DAY” A Trilogy
Genre: Religion
IR Verdict: ON THAT DAY, a slim volume by Thomas Fitzhugh Sheets combines common sense biblical interpretations with a clear and graceful style.
SANTA CAMP
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: With a truly unique premise, Michael Strobl’s SANTA CAMP is a laugh-out-loud funny middle grade novel that can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
MALONE RIDGE
Genre: New Adult
IR Verdict: Author James K Dill shows great skill in keeping a perfect balance between despair and hope in MALONE RIDGE, a beautifully structured novel that is gritty and poetic with a heart that beats and pounds like the runner at the center of its story.