EPIC OF HELINTHIA
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: MJ Pankey’s EPIC OF HELINTHIA is the work of an author whose adroitness with prose, dialog, and characterization makes this an irresistible addition to the genre of the pseudo-historical novel.
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IN THE CITIES OF SLEEP
Genre: Poetry
IR Verdict: The striking and enchanting poems contained in Elizabeth Herron’s IN THE CITIES OF SLEEP find beauty amid the surprising subjects of war, disease, climate change, and other ills.
CHUG AND THUG’S SCARY MOVIE
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: Author Gemal Seede’s and illustrator David Macedo’s CHUG AND THUG’S SCARY MOVIE offers children, parents and caregivers a clever and empowering approach to managing irrational fears, using their own imagination and creativity to demystify the things that frighten them.
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THERE IS NO DEATH IN FINDING NEMO
Genres: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: Stories in Jeffrey M. Feingold’s THERE IS NO DEATH IN FINDING NEMO are sometimes poignant, frequently hilarious, and almost always surreal.
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A BREAST CANCER JOURNEY
Genre: Health
IR Verdict: Any woman diagnosed with breast cancer (or indeed her friends and family) will find Jennifer A. Douglas’ A BREAST CANCER JOURNEY an invaluable source of information, advice, and support.
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WE ARE ALL MADE OF SCARS
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: WE ARE ALL MADE OF SCARS contains vital insight into the generational trauma of alcoholism. Honest and open throughout, author Christopher Morris is unafraid to confide in the reader and, by sharing so many personal truths, manages to create a vivid memoir of hope and survival.
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GRACE’S LAW
Genre: Women’s Fiction
IR Verdict: GRACE’S LAW is author Ashley Norman’s well-written, fast-paced and timely novel of the prejudice and struggle survivors of sexual violence face in the pursuit of justice, even in the #MeToo era.
THE SILENT WOODSMAN
Genre: Romance
IR Verdict: Filled with 1990s nostalgia, Cat Treadgold’s THE SILENT WOODSMAN sizzles with an addictive “will they-won’t they” tension that starts from the moment of the main character’s fated meeting and doesn’t let up, making for a suspenseful romantic drama debut.
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COMMUNICATE WITH COURAGE
Genre: Self-Help
IR Verdict: Veteran coach and consultant Michelle Gladieux’s COMMUNICATE WITH COURAGE provides a much-needed corrective to the struggles of effective communication that is both entertaining and informative.
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THE FIFTH STUDENT
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: The sixth in a series of medical thrillers, Geoffrey M Cooper’s THE FIFTH STUDENT is an entertaining look at the sinister side of academic achievement.
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WIT AND WITCHERY
Genre: Romance
IR Verdict: WIT AND WITCHERY by Geraldine Burrows starts as a well-crafted homage to Jane Austen before veering into an occasionally grim yet utterly delicious melodrama.
CORONA CITY
Genre: Anthology
IR Verdict: Edited by Lorraine Ash, CORONA CITY: Voices from an Epicenter is an intimate, deeply affecting time capsule of the early pandemic that is likely to become even more emotionally resonant in the coming years, as people’s memories of the experience begin to fade.
NEVER A CLOUD
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: NEVER A CLOUD, Jo Brunini’s complex, deeply introspective take on art, family connections, and long-buried secrets, beautifully captures the shifting emotional truths—and deceptions—among its expansive cast of characters and brings readers into an exotic yet deeply resonant world.
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THE FOREVER YOUNG PRISONER
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: A simple story well told, Marcus Lessard’s THE FOREVER YOUNG PRISONER combines an old-fashioned mystery with gritty prison fiction.
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LEGACY OF ATONEMENT
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Full of high drama and exciting twists, Stephen Maitland-Lewis LEGACY OF ATONEMENT is a page-turning thriller which reimagines the events from the Second World War and its immediate aftermath.
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MY LINK TO MILDRED
Genre: Self-Help
IR Verdict: Part memoir, part communications primer, Cindy Bigbie’s MY LINK TO MILDRED is a must-read for anyone in search of a reliable path to post-traumatic healing.
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FUNERAL DAZE
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: FUNERAL DAZE by Dorian Box manages to be laugh-out-loud funny, heartwarmingly tender, and full of lively action and suspense, all at once – a thoroughly entertaining and engaging read.
SOMETHING’S GOING ON HERE
Genre: Inspirational/Spiritual
IR Verdict: No mere thriller, Ruth Cherry ‘s SOMETHING’S GOING ON HERE is a well-written and fascinating deep dive into one man’s reckoning with a town’s tragic history.
ROBBY THE DYSLEXIC TAXI AND THE AIRPORT ADVENTURE
Genre: Children’s (Board books and Pre-reading)
IR Verdict: A sweet, gentle adventure that offers valuable insights for readers of any age, Lynn and Jonathan Greenberg’s illustrated ROBBY THE DYSLEXIC TAXI is a terrific way to help children and their parents understand and deal with learning disabilities in an uplifting and empowering way.
FOR THE MINDS AND WILLS OF MEN
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: Immaculately researched, carefully plotted and superbly paced, Jeff Lanier’s FOR THE MINDS AND WILLS OF MEN is a spellbinding literary mystery which effortlessly blends cold war paranoia, art history and the traditional gumshoe detective novel into a sophisticated thrill.
EAGLE BAY
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Ken Cruickshank’s EAGLE BAY is a roller-coaster of a read–a strong story that plunges deep into the psyche of villains and heroes in the making. With unexpected twists and turns in each chapter, it will leave readers guessing right up until the end.
THE KINGDOM OF TROLLS
Genre: Middle Grade
IR Verdict: The fourth installment in Rae St. Clair Bridgman’s MiddleGate series, THE KINGDOM OF TROLLS, is a well-paced, exciting addition to the magic-filled world of Wil and Sophie that will delight long-time fans, and may well entice a great many new ones.