BEHIND THE SOUND CART
Genre: Education
IR Verdict: Patrushkha Mierzwa’s BEHIND THE SOUND CART: A Veteran’s Guide to Sound on the Set is essential reading for budding sound professionals, but with its wealth of information on sound recording, the book offers invaluable guidance for podcasters, video creators, or anyone interested in capturing high-quality audio.
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DEATH IN PINK
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: As icy and forbidding as the frozen streets on which it plays out, Djordje Bajic’s DEATH IN PINK is a very well written slice of Balkan Noir. A classy contemporary thriller which provides a perfect change of landscape for those needing a break from American set mysteries.
STRONG FAMILY MEMBERS
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: GHAD ‘s STRONG FAMILY MEMBERS is by turns hard to stomach, ugly, and objectionable; but it is also gripping and suspenseful – and, as with any good novel about criminality, it manages to make readers profoundly uncomfortable at the spectacle they are witnessing, yet unable to turn away.
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EPIC OF HELINTHIA
Genres: 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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DELOS: The Moon’s Eye
Genres: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Blake Miller’s DELOS: The Moon’s Eye packs war, love, family drama, prophecy, and humor into a fast-paced (and satisfying standalone) world of quests, magik and deceit. A must-read for fans of sci-fantasy, and one that will bear readers easily along to its next port of call.
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STARVE THE WOLF
Genre: Poetry
IR Verdict: Despite its seeming simplicity, STARVE THE WOLF by Clifford Williams is full of challenging poems that take time to come fully into focus. They are personal, intimate reflections that very slowly reveal their craft and the singular thoughts of their author.
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AS TIME GOES BY
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: AS TIME GOES BY by W. Royce Adams offers poignant reminiscences of days past, seen through the eyes of an old man of the point of death.
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GREEDY AS A GHOUL
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: Exceptionally gory, heady, and darkly comic, Casey Sutton’s GREEDY AS A GHOUL serves as an intriguing prequel to a full-length novel on the fantastical adventures of mage and novice necromancer Malfus.
FEAR, WEAR AND TEAR
Genre: Short Stories
IR Verdict: An astute observer of the human condition who shows an increasing maturity in FEAR, WEAR AND TEAR, author Shawe Ruckus triumphs in highlighting the ordinary oddness of the everyday in these short, melancholic and sometimes disconcerting stories.
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MISFIT’S MAGIC: The Last Halloween
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: A warm and lively young adult fantasy following a teen wizard and his oddball friends as they confront an evil force threatening their small town, Fred Gracely’s MISFIT’S MAGIC: The Last Halloween has enough anarchic action and surprises to keep reader’s turning the pages.
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STONES CORNER: LIGHT
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: LIGHT, the third installment in Jane Buckley’s STONES CORNER series, provides an absorbing and compelling glimpse of life in a 1980s Northern Ireland wracked by the Troubles.
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THE WINTER QUEEN CONTINGENCY
Genre: Horror
IR Verdict: Patrick Ashe’s THE WINTER QUEEN CONTINGENCY is a thought-provoking action thriller that examines the politics of a post-apocalyptic world following a zombie plague and nuclear war.
THE BARGAIN SHOPPER
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: W. C. Latour’s THE BARGAIN SHOPPER (The Confessions of a Soldier of Truth in the Age of Pandemic) is a curious, startling read, all artifice and loucheness, and all in the service of some biting satire of today’s society.
OF PROPHETS AND PINIONED ANGELS
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: Part of a larger saga, Kyle Fox’s OF PROPHETS AND PINIONED ANGELS: Tales of Exile is a richly imagined dark fantasy novella with a well-paced plot that sets the scene for an intricately constructed world driven by myth and legend.
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THE MELANCHOLY STRUMPET MASTER
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: Zeb Beck’s THE MELANCHOLY STRUMPET MASTER is a rambunctious tale that gives a vivid portrayal of the two sides of Tijuana, the grittier side of Los Angeles, the pretentious nature of much of academia and the despair of juvenile detention centers.
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THE UNSTOPPABLE ELIZA HAYCRAFT
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: Author Diana Dempsey’s admiration and affection for her subject shines throughout THE UNSTOPPABLE ELIZA HAYCRAFT, a beautifully written, compulsively readable tale that gives voice to this fascinating, larger-than-life figure from a neglected corner of history.
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UNLOST
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: If great storytelling by a seasoned “world citizen” who truly knows his subject sounds appealing, then Cory Mortensen’s UNLOST (Roaming through South America on a Spontaneous Journey) ranks right up at the top of the list.
SEMI-GLOSS
Genre: Humor
IR Verdict: Joe Barrett’s SEMI-GLOSS is a lively, warmhearted, intelligent book that will reward the thoughtful reader with new perspectives and a great deal of entertainment in a warm, thought-provoking, even tender story about unexpected connections, found family, and new beginnings after loss.
PHOENIX SAGA
Genre: Spiritual
IR Verdict: Part metaphysical manifesto and part cosmic conundrum, poet amalL era JesuƨɘႱ hO (aka Joshua James Eller) and his cast of alter-egos present a confusing yet enjoyable maze of meaning in PHOENIX SAGA: A Modern Epic in Prose.
THE NINE LIVES OF BIANCA MOON
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: With a surprising mix of hard-boiled drama and cartoon comedy, Delas Heras spins an enchanting tale of life, death and afterlife in THE NINE LIVES OF BIANCA MOON.
THRESHOLD
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Kevin Barry O’Connor’s THRESHOLD is a taut thriller with high stakes, clear-cut characters, and mounting tension which together create a fun read.
THINGS TO SEE IN ARIZONA
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: An artful blend of travelogue, romance, mystery, and teen coming-of-age, Mary Vensel White’s THINGS TO SEE IN ARIZONA is a well-written, imaginative and satisfying read.
A PERSISTENT ECHO
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: A PERSISTENT ECHO by Brian Kaufman is a poignantly sweet, thought-provoking book about love, found family, and wisdom gained from experience, age, and suffering.
THANK GOLIATH
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: Witty and poignant, Domenic Aversa tells the page-turning story of his complicated relationship with his indomitable mother in THANK GOLIATH.
THE DOG WHO WALKS HIMSELF
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: With its playful text by Lara Knitter and elegant illustrations by Fionnuala Walsh, THE DOG WHO WALKS HIMSELF is an allegorical tale for adults who have been inspired by older mentors and a beautiful book for children and dog lovers that can also be used as a means of addressing loss.
VANISHING BODIES
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: In VANISHING BODIES, Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev presents a narrative as malleable as its protagonist: changing genres from chapter to chapter, but always clinging to its core heartfelt message.