THE YAWNING GAP
Genre: Fantasy
IR Verdict: With a richly-detailed world, memorable characters, and thrilling battle sequences, C.V. Vobh’s THE YAWNING GAP is an imaginative, sweeping first entry in a new fantasy saga.
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MY LOVE NIKOLA TESLA
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: Ana Atanaskovic’s MY LOVE NIKOLA TESLA is a must-read—couched in history, but flowing with genuine affection and adulation—from its seemingly calm introduction through its turbulent core and into its wispy, bittersweet ending.
RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS
Genre: Middle Grade
IR Verdict: Author Liana Gardner has won many awards for her middle grade novels and titles for older teens and by the end of the emotional, action-packed RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS, readers may be inclined to binge-read the entire five book Katie McCabe series once it’s available.
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CLEOPATRA’S TOMB AND THE REGIT TIGERS OF EGYPT
Genres: Middle Grade
IR Verdict: J.W.S. Getty’s CLEOPATRA’S TOMB AND THE REGIT TIGERS OF EGYPT is a delightful land-and-sea adventure thanks to a creative plot, a contemporary “save the world” drive, and talking animal friends galore.
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LAST LIAR STANDING
Genres: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: With LAST LIAR STANDING, Danielle M. Wong delivers a breathless, fast-paced mystery full of twists and turns that hooks the reader from the very first page and demands to be read in a single sitting.
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MOUSE IN THE BOX
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Part legal procedural, part mystery thriller and an opener for a potential series, the debut appearance by defense attorney Mason Mitchell in Lewis Allan’s MOUSE IN THE BOX is an effective page turner that hits the spot.
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MAGDA, STANDING
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: Debut author Christine Fallert Kessides’ wonderfully rich young adult novel, MAGDA, STANDING, includes period details which are convincingly evoked and a fully realized protagonist in all of her emotional complexity.
17 PLANETS – THE CAPTAIN
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: A. R. Alexander’s 17 PLANETS – THE CAPTAIN is a sprawling and complex novel space epic that comes with a warning of what the future may hold.
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SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK WITH MURDER
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK WITH MURDER is the third book in Nicole Dieker’s impressive Larkin Day series that finds the title character as charming as ever in a plot that manages to blend Shakespearean subterfuge and murder with petty small town jealousies and problematic wi-fi.
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RAINBOW STATE
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: Mariah Ashley’s RAINBOW STATE is a rousing mix of family drama and adolescent relationships rendered with uncommon grace, exploring the complexities of grief, healing, and acceptance with sensitivity and resonant insight.
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EASY BAKING IN BARB’S KITCHEN
Genre: Food & Cooking
IR Verdict: Part memoir, part baking Bible–the recipes contained in Barb Lockert’s EASY BAKING IN BARB’S KITCHEN are perfect for seasoned and raw cooks alike.
VESSELS OF WRATH
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Thomas Holland’s VESSELS OF WRATH is a powerful and thought-provoking read for those interested in relatively recent American history, as well as those who just enjoy a good mystery with strong character development and a well-thought-out plot.
THE ZONE: A Cyberpunk Thriller
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: Combining compelling worldbuilding and smart storytelling to create a world that’s equal parts terrifying and all too believable, Stu Jones’s THE ZONE: A Cyberpunk Thriller is everything a cyberpunk thriller should be: observational, engaging, and full of high-octane action.
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A SNOWBALL IN SUMMER
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Dirty jokes and Southern slang propels A SNOWBALL IN SUMMER, George Sanchez’s enjoyable New Orleans-set murder mystery.
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DARCY: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: Jane Austen enthusiasts will enjoy Alice McVeigh’s tale, DARCY: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, which has a style that is faithful to the original, while those looking for a new twist will appreciate the post-modern perspectives that showcase character motivation from a fresh standpoint.
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WEEKEND WITH A FASHIONISTA
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: With an assist by illustrator Nadia Ronquillo, David and Emberli Pridham’s WEEKEND WITH A FASHIONISTA combines the educational with the aspirational with the aim of inspiring young children to greater things.
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MOMMA WOULD YOU EVER?
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: Rebecca Marklund’s MOMMA WOULD YOU EVER? is a simple, yet subtle, children’s picture book that touches on serious life events such as aging and dying using careful text and sympathetic illustrations.
SUN WOLF
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: Smart, entertaining and populated by well-drawn characters–SUN WOLF, the second in David C Jeffrey’s Space Unbound series–is a solid example of hard sci-fi storytelling. Fans of Arthur C. Clarke or Robert Charles Wilson will be delighted.
DEAD-LINER
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: Mori Grant’s DEAD-LINER is a thought-provoking, engaging tale about power and its dangers, the role of the outsider in a world shaped by forced conformity, and the possibilities for both abuse and liberation in an isolated, divided spaceship-world heading towards an uncertain future.
MASS CONFUSION
Genre: Religion
IR Verdict: Short but salient, Susan Dolan’s MASS CONFUSION (Why I Rejected The Church For So Long And What Changed) makes a strong case for embracing Christianity in spite of its many flaws.
THE FATE OF THE WORLD REVEALED
Genre: Religion
IR Verdict: Despite not actually describing the fate of the world in THE FATE OF THE WORLD REVEALED: Be Ready, author Glenna Hartzog does excellent exegeses of multiple Bible verses related to Armageddon. Christians who are interested in the end-times should find her arguments enlightening, whether or not they agree with her thesis.
THE GRAVE LISTENERS
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: For all its brevity, William Frank’s THE GRAVE LISTENERS is an ambitious, floridly written book that, although lacking in some particulars, offers a lively, farcical take on the life of an incorrigible layabout.
WHAT THEY COULDN’T TAKE
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: More than a survivor’s tale, WHAT THEY COULDN’T TAKE by Adira James is an enlightening resource in the battle against child sex trafficking and a clarion call for awareness, intervention, and change.
ME POWER
Genre: Self Help
IR Verdict: In its quiet insistence on the centrality of self-knowledge, LaNysha Adams’ ME POWER is a guide to empowerment, and benefits from clear thinking and positivity, offering a powerful message for today’s turbulent times.
ALL HOPE OF BECOMING HUMAN
Genre: Horror
IR Verdict: Author Lonnie Busch examines the philosophical questions of what the discovery of ancient alien life would mean to humankind while reveling in an all action pulp drama pitting man against evil otherworldly monsters in the surprisingly sophisticated literary sci-fi thriller, ALL HOPE OF BECOMING HUMAN .
13 BORN OF EMPIRE
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: Fast paced and intelligent, author Sally Ann Melia manages to build a wildly imaginative, yet believable, future world populated with purposeful multi-faceted characters in 13 BORN OF EMPIRE, the promising opening of her YA sci-fi series.
BROKEN SKY
Genre: Young Adult
IR Verdict: John Harvey’s BROKEN SKY is a terrific, action packed YA novel that is imaginative, carefully structured and driven by entertaining characters. A winning start to ‘The Chronicles of Cirrus’ series.
RIVER TO THE MULTIVERSE
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: RIVER TO THE MULTIVERSE is a bite-sized, free-flowing sci-fi adventure—a fun and compelling step into David Gittlin’s Silver Sphere Series.