Cherek’s inspiring yet straight-talking debut is part personal account of the experiences of a woman professional enduring microaggressions and bad advice (“The key to success … is to increase one’s grit level”) in a male-dominated work culture, part blueprint for transformative societal change, and part compendium of advice for women building their own careers. Arguing that women (and other minorities) have been at best neglected and at worse exploited in American society, Cherek picks up the call of economic equality and equitable treatment at a time when “only one in four C-suite leaders is a woman, and only one in 20 is a woman of color.” Sharing revealing anecdotes from her own career, which found her often disillusioned and feeling unsupported, Cherek takes on the myths (“There’s no such thing as having it all”), expectations, and systemic biases and barriers holding so many back while sharing clear takeaways for those coming up behind her.

“I should be able to succeed in the corporate world without having to disguise, hide, or abandon who I am,” Cherek declares. With crisp, sometimes pugnacious prose and a sturdy moral compass, Cherek points out clear wrongs—including “crude jokes, awkward comments, blatant stares at my boobs and legs”—that in individual moments it might feel easy to just let slide. Doing so, she now argues, legitimizes the underlying assumptions of the biased. Instead, Cherek makes the case that thriving in the workplace—and improving society—means being truthful and encouraging women to tell their stories, to dare to quit bad jobs, and to not blame themselves when “the world or the workplace is unfairly stacked against you.”

Tread Loudly offers catharsis and hope as Cherek urges women to be bold—and be themselves. She buttresses her observations with examples from others’ careers and the hard facts of the closing chapter, which notes how women still lag far behind men in business, government and academia. A former attorney, she makes a compelling case for change.

Takeaway: Hard-won insight and guidance for women in male-dominated workplaces.

Comparable Titles: Alicia Menendez’s The Likeability Trap, Elaine Welteroth’s More Than Enough.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Tread Loudly

Chapman (author of The 5am Playbook) highlights the benefits of starting each day at 5am in this rousing handbook, declaring that “the payoff is exponentially greater than the effort of getting out of bed.” His decision to commit to a daily 5am wake-up call came after facing burnout as a successful business owner in mid-life; to regain control of his future, he challenged himself to early morning risings, with stellar results—after a decade of implementing the habit, Chapman was “healthier and happier,” with more time “to follow [his] dreams.”

Chapman acknowledges his road to success has been bumpy, sharing several stories of times his resolve was tested and detailing how his perseverance paid off—such as his 2016 run-in with a bull on his family’s cattle-breeding farm, an accident that ended in severely dislocated and broken toes, a dislocated shoulder, and a torn bicep. Those injuries required years of surgical procedures and rehabilitation, but Chapman’s commitment to a strict 5am regimen once again netted him “the best chance of success.” Citing how mankind has historically risen with the sun, Chapman references notables who have also used his “5am Advantage,” including Benjamin Franklin and Toni Morrison, as examples of how to organize, plan, and prepare each day with intention, the true purpose of his habit makeover.

To further illustrate his methods, Chapman pairs personal anecdotes with actionable steps, falling back on five goal activators—“discipline, persistence, focus, action, and passion"—that together produce what he terms “the unstoppable, self-sustaining energy… you need to hit your target.” His book is brimming with clear, concise tips and real-life examples on how to achieve success one early morning at a time, offering readers a hard-won path to accomplishing their dreams. In his own words, "Self-improvement is an endurance race, and there is always room to grow.”

Takeaway: Intentional guide to taking advantage of every day.

Comparable Titles: Robin Sharma's The 5AM Club, Dan Luca's The 5 A.M. Revolution.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Awake to Your why

Smith powers to an explosive conclusion in the finale of his Dream Rider series, a lavishly concocted ride brimming with magic, mystery, and mayhem. Seventeen-year-old Will Dreycott is still struggling with feeling imprisoned in his Dream Rider Tower high above the streets of Toronto, and his girlfriend Case, though more connected to Will than ever, feels out of place in his wealthy world. While the two struggle to make sense of their superhuman powers—Will can astral project while he’s asleep, and Case’s inner Voice serves as a harbinger—they feel a desperate urge to uncover the truth behind their missing parents and decipher the secrets of the Chakana, a hard-won, strange relic somehow connected to their powers—and to Will’s life.

From there, their saga grows exponentially more dangerous—and hefty, as this concluding chapter is long, a novel for lovers of inventive fantasy-adventures to wallow in. With Case’s brother, Fader, who possesses superpowers in his own right, and Adi, the CEO for Will’s empire, the heroes must contend with Will’s growing powers but weakening health, in the midst of epic battles with rune-casting witches, supernatural beings that inhabit others’ bodies, and much more—Smith continually conjures surprises. At the heart of it all are Will and Case’s nagging suspicions that they’re “being moved like pieces on a board.”

The payoff for the group is worth it in the end, as they finally get the answers they’ve been searching for—about Case and Fader’s mother, the Chakana’s riddles, and surprising truths from Will’s own background. The road to those answers is decidedly rocky, bursting with dark magic, beastly protectors, and a slew of extraordinary fantasy characters—including a sinister presence whose roots can be traced back to Incan rule. Smith skillfully probes deeper messages behind all the fun, as the main players face the consequences of humankind’s disregard for the Earth—and each other. The series is best enjoyed when read in order.

Takeaway: Explosive conclusion to this spectacular fantasy joyride.

Comparable Titles: Amélie Wen Zhao’s Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, Laura Sebastian’s Ash Princess.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3

Dedrick (author of The V-Files series) returns to the travails of attorney Victoria Rodessa, this time under fire for accusations of jury tampering just days before the final voting takes place in her senator campaign. Victoria and her team immediately go into damage control—interviewing potential witnesses and hiring Cal Durham, a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the judicial vetting process, to handle her defense. With her career—and freedom—on the line, Victoria makes it her mission to unravel who’s behind the lies, as she stands to lose her license to practice law, her shares and position in her firm, and her bid for the Senate.

Victoria’s accuser—Judge Moran, the chief judge of the Federal Court in Illinois—has dredged up the charges from a 17-year-old court case, bringing into focus just how formidable, and powerful, Victoria’s enemies may be. When a potential witness is found murdered in her home, with Victoria and her campaign lawyer's fingerprints on the door, Victoria realizes that whoever is trying to frame her will stop at nothing to end her career—and possibly her life. Fast paced and action packed, this thriller novella spotlights the cutthroat nature of politics and behind-the-scenes, dirty dealing of the American government system.

Dedrick’s sharp-witted and polished protagonist drives the riveting plot, bolstered by the novel’s larger-than-life characters and scenes of political sabotage. As she races against the clock to clear her name, find the real criminal behind the false accusations, and get her campaign back on track, Victoria is all business—and a resilient force to be reckoned with, even in the face of her imminent downfall. While the novel sprints to a conclusion, Dedrick reveals more lies and corruption in a climactic buildup of tension and suspense, making this charged political thriller a force to be reckoned with.

Takeaway: Thrilling novella driven by political scandal and a sharp-witted protagonist.

Comparable Titles: L. D. Beyer's In Sheep's Clothing, James Patterson's Juror No. 3.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Tangled Verdict

Levine’s fiction debut is a love letter not just to romance, but to the power of friendship and found family. Sal’s dream of a tour company in his beloved New York City is gone, thanks in part to his friend and business partner, Manny. At 43, the self-described autodidact has his cab medallion and supports his 70-year-old father, Joe, and eight-year-old son, Bennie, in 1990s Brooklyn. Enter Terry, a wealthy woman from Wisconsin, who’s in the city for just a short time and scheduled for a tour with Sal—a last hurrah of sorts for him.

Even though Bennie’s mother left the family years ago, Sal and Joe have teamed up to give Bennie the best life possible despite the challenging circumstances. Sal’s relationship with Terry blossoms slowly as he opens the door to his world for her, but from their very first meeting the pair draw sparks as they settle into debates, philosophical and otherwise, interspersed with the type of vulnerability that comes from knowing one may never see the other person again. Levine brings the city to life, welcoming readers into a place and time where a neighborhood was a person’s entire world and generations circled around each other, in good times and in bad.

Levine’s fast-paced, sharp dialog and spot-on ambiance slowly tease out the characters’ stories, especially how Terry is pulled into Sal’s daily life, offering her glimpses of the man behind the steering wheel—from the family meal with Sal’s friend, Schmuli, to witnessing his polar plunge on Brighton Beach. Each area of Brooklyn finds a new piece of the man revealed, a fresh insight into his life, especially when it comes to the possibility that he may lose custody of Bennie with his ex-wife back in the picture. Readers will fall in love with this novel and hope for the happily ever after that may—or may not—materialize.

Takeaway: Richly imagined love letter to Brooklyn through the eyes of a vulnerable man.

Comparable Titles: Devney Perry’s The Coppersmith Farmhouse, Sonali Dev’s The Vibrant Years.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Brooklyn Valentine

Crane constructs a futuristic sci-fi space opera, transporting readers thousands of years into the future, where the dictatorial Imperium commands authority over all human-inhabited planets in the Rim system. This equilibrium is shattered by the Imperium itself when, in fear of the potential creation of a powerful AI, they attack the village of the suspected creator, ruthlessly claiming the lives of her entire family. This tragic event propels the brilliant woman on a resolute path to develop that AI, ultimately setting the stage for the downfall of the Imperium.

The author skillfully employs the inciting incident to set in motion multiple compelling plots, centering around four distinct characters: Lauren, the brilliant mind behind the AI Merlin; Jack, who can pilot anything; the ruthless undercover Captain Greg Garcia; and Tom Wilks, owner of the ship The Peregrine, which he won through his gambling. Meanwhile, the strikingly menacing antagonist, Imperium Supreme Commander Bob, defies stereotypes by primarily handling HR and PR matters while his subordinates wreak havoc across the universe. The high point of the book occurs, quite literally, when Merlin, Tom, and Greg orchestrate a daring plan to intoxicate an entire prison, aiming to liberate Lauren and Jack. Described in colorful detail, the plan predictably—and entertainingly—derails, and the robots, along with the AI, save the day for a change.

Crane’s writing often evokes a cinematic grandeur with its epic scale, complex character dynamics, and blend of heady what-if? ideas and intense battle sequences. The narrative loses some momentum in the latter half as the focus shifts from the fight against the Imperium to a detailed rescue operation on a nuked planet, and the cosmic empire material, while exciting, at times feels familiar. Still, living up to its title, this series starter features pivotal prison breaks and narrow escapes from imminent death, as the Rim system strives to “break out” of the shackles of the Imperium. This thematic choice sets the stage for a promising next installment.

Takeaway: Promising space opera series starter of rebellion, action, AI, and a cosmic empire.

Comparable Titles: Christopher Ruocchio; Elizabeth Bear’s White Space series.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Breaking Out

Ever wonder why healthcare, from your annual wellness visit to an extended hospital stay, is not what it used to be? This insightful and inspiring account from Sederer (author of Improving Mental Health: Four Secrets in Plain Sight) offers answers to what’s gone wrong with insurance, profiteering, inequitable care, outdated infrastructure and more—all while telling the rousing story of one hospital pushing back to put patients first. Hired in 1989 to help prevent McLean Psychiatric Hospital, a Harvard teaching unit in the shadows of Cambridge, from closing or becoming a managed-care “trophy” institution, Sederer chronicles the evolution of McLean and his teams’ efforts to pull it out of a “death spiral,” while providing a blueprint for America’s healthcare future.

Sederer recounts his long fight to prevent change for the worse as “for-profit intermediaries” try to seize greater control from doctors and nurses. Sederer’s experiences, observations, and recommendations amount to a troubling wake-up call. His six-year, boots-on-the-ground odyssey is a sobering journey of how the American healthcare system has declined from a progressive system run by healthcare professionals typically with the best interest of the patient and their families at heart to a near-monopoly of profit-driven corporations that view patients as products that should be managed as efficiently as possible.

At times, the book reads like a thriller with Sederer and his team of underdogs taking on corporate America. Along the way he is not afraid to dispense strong medicine as well as wisdom gained from experience. Sederer illuminates a lot of territory as he navigates the “merciless new era of corporate medicine,” the over-prescription of certain drugs, irresponsible doctors, the loss of family involvement in recovery, and more. Ultimately McLean, like the old-fashioned family doctor, survives the onslaught with its leading position in psychiatric research and treatment intact. Sederer offers here nothing less than a real-life prescription for change that should be urgent reading for healthcare administrators, officials, and providers.

Takeaway: A doctor’s rousing account of saving a patient-focused hospital from profiteers.

Comparable Titles: Brian Alexander’s The Hospital, Ricardo Nuila’s The People’s Hospital.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Caught in the Crosshairs of American Healthcare

Theoretical physicist Rahal shares short, fabulistic fictions that explore life, death, and spirituality, set in lands familiar and not, from a desert in which “a traveler lost his way,” to a “faraway civilization, in another galaxy,” the depths inside “a pit of your own invention,” and a “world of eternal beauty in which all things are one” located “far beyond that which the human mind imagines.” The subjects vary too, from a vision declaring “I am the Light” to the “wise men of antiquity” to the searching title story, which concerns the development, in another star system, of machines that can read, write, and project the contents of anyone’s mind.

Each surprising story begins and ends with a quote that elucidates the moral and meaning meant to be taken from the tale. The book’s sweep is suggested by their provenance: many come from philosophers or ancient texts, others from Philip K. Dick. The result is an inspirational odyssey into the meaning of life, death, and more, told through narratives gathered throughout the author's life richly immersed in spiritual text, Rahal's own musings, and “letters from friends.” With lyrical prose, Rahal weaves most entries with a whimsical element of the fantastic and clear moral or philosophical implications, like fables of old. In "A Child's Game," a story crafted to impart the guidance that "prayer is the medium of communication with higher levels of awareness," a young boy lovingly waters his flowers each morning yet unknowingly floods the ant colony nearby.

Exploring perception, mindset, and accepting things that can not be controlled, "The Boxer" centers on two men who have the same nightmare of being forced to fight each other. While one wonders how he wound up in the precarious situation in a state of frozen fright, the other accepts his fate and does his best to win the battle. Rahal explores complex themes with warmth and wit, offering lessons and illumination on topics of enlightenment, self-consciousness, and spiritual well-being.

Takeaway: Surprising, polished spiritual fables illuminating existential questions.

Comparable Titles: Marilyn McFarlane's Sacred Stories, Jay Iyer’s Little Flowers.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about U Dream, Inc.

Olson debuts her Tales from the Craft Box series with a winsome story featuring a family of buttons who live together in a bustling craft bin. The smallest of the group is an energetic green button named Sam, a youngster who relishes being little because that status garners him the family’s attention; but Sam’s position changes when a new button, Maggie, is adopted into the fold. Maggie quickly eclipses Sam’s fame, taking over his artwork, scooter rides, and even his bear, Mr. Snuggles. Angry, resentful, and disregarded, Sam loses his temper and vows to run away—with potentially disastrous consequences for the entire family.

Sam’s journey will be familiar for readers with—or expecting—siblings, as will his difficulty managing the intense emotions that come with feeling left out. His solo journey ends up a flop when he discovers that Maggie has followed him to “the end of the shelf,” a dangerous place starring a deadly vacuum cleaner that almost spells the end for Maggie. Thanks to Sam’s quick thinking she’s saved, and the unnerving experience brings the two together, prompting Maggie’s promise that she will stop taking Sam’s toys and Sam’s revelation that Maggie needs “a responsible button to look after her…and help her make smart decisions.”

Olson’s photograph illustrations are distinctive, showcasing the adorable buttons as they go about their daily play and featuring entertaining details—like Sam’s runaway knapsack fashioned from a ball point needle, or the family’s thimble basketball net—that younger readers will find amusing. Ultimately, Sam learns that being an older sibling comes with its own perks, and in backmatter Olson includes fun facts about the featured characters. (Mr. Snuggles was hand-crafted by a woman in Ukraine and measures smaller than a quarter). The message that families need each other—and that change isn’t always scary—hits home.

Takeaway: A young button learns the value of becoming an older sibling.

Comparable Titles: Matthew Burgess’s The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon, Lori Nichols’s Maple & Willow Together.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Sam's New Sister

Orr’s excitable mystery finds Holly Kelly, newly transplanted to swanky neighborhood Laguna Palms with her husband and triplets, on the hunt for friendship and fun amid a flurry of country club outings, parties, and a yearly Christmas fruitcake exchange designed to bring the neighbors together. When that holiday tradition goes south—starting with the homeowner’s association president, Patty, choking to death on a missing Lego piece baked into the neighborhood’s very first fruitcake exchange—it sets off a series of murders that seem accidental at first but quickly stew with bizarre coincidences.

After the second exchange inadvertently ends in the death of resident Harry’s elderly uncle, finance guru Greta muses “This is the second Christmas Eve death in the past two years. Maybe we should end this fruitcake exchange thing.” Despite those misgivings, the eccentric neighbors continue the tradition, eventually culminating with Holly’s delivery of a Havana fruitcake to the Hudson sisters—though her premonition that something bad will happen proves true (“I don’t trust women who don’t wear makeup” she gripes on her way to deliver the cake). Orr (author of The She Shed) delivers the twisty narrative from multiple perspectives—and timelines—mixing death, disappearance, and captivity into the finished product, and keeps readers guessing until the very last bite.

"In the end, it’s the chaos that leads to the order we seek," the story quotes, and despite some lumps in the batter thanks to the non-linear structure, readers will be pleased with the gripping denouement. Bloodshed, atonement, and suspense tangle together to produce a savory mystery, emboldened by Orr’s sprinkling of neighborhood legends (the land, stolen from the area’s indigenous tribes, is thought to be cursed) on top. It’s obvious Orr relishes page-turning riddles, but the ample reflection on the intergenerational events that shape a person’s life adds a richness to this holiday treat.

Takeaway: Butterfly effect neighborhood murder mystery built on a tasty Christmas tradition.

Comparable Titles: Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train, Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Fruitcake

Denton debuts with a suspenseful novel that highlights crooked businessman, mental disability, the bonds of family, and the hard truth that, in the oil biz, “if you could go vertical for a specific depth and then turn horizontal, you could tap into the minerals … without having to negotiate with dozens of surface owners.” That insight belongs to Rand Holub, who—bullied, misunderstood, and misdiagnosed as mentally challenged due to his delayed speech—struggles through his adolescent years yet thrives at science, math, and engineering. At the age of 18 he leaves The Ranch, the Texas Panhandle school for troubled boys, and begins work as an oil field roughneck. Eventually married to a waitress, Shelby, and expecting a child, Rand, an amateur designer of innovative oil drilling equipment and techniques, enters into a wildcatter business agreement that will get the best of “the big boys” of the industry—and change the trajectory of his family's life forever.

The big boys don’t like being beaten, of course, and with smart foreshadowing and a pervasive sense of suspense, Denton sets up the many twists and turns to come throughout this fast-paced and emotionally charged narrative that takes seriously its themes of undiagnosed autism, a family that will do anything to survive and succeed, and the interests of “the world’s largest oil and gas company,” here called Mesaco. Denton juxtaposes heartfelt moments of familial bonds—including with Dottie and Souter, the adults who took in Rand upon his abandonment, plus passages touching on the hazards of new fortunes—with the dark, cutthroat nature of the oil world, including Mesaco spending “years and billions of dollars trying to deny climate change.”

With persuasive oil industry detail, Fracked balances tension with life as it’s lived, letting the characters push the narrative forward. Readers will find themselves rooting for Rand and family as they face adversity and money-hungry men seeking to capitalize off of his perceived shortcomings, right up until the satisfying conclusion.

Takeaway: Innovative wildcatter faces the big boys in this oil drama with jolting twists.

Comparable Titles: Reavis Z. Wortham; Richard T. Kelly’s The Black Eden.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about FRACKED

Urra’s touching picture book for young children follows a pair of doves through the stages of their lives. The story opens with a female dove shivering on a tree branch as snow falls around her. Soon she is joined by her mate, who embraces her with his wings. In the spring the couple welcome baby birds and spend the summer watching them grow until the bittersweet moment when the young doves must leave the safety of the nest. Fall and winter see the male and female dove continuing to love each other as they become grandparents and grow old together.

The progression of the doves’ lives mirrors what many humans experience as they fall in love, have a family, and enter their later years. The doves’ major milestones also follow the seasons—birth in the spring, maturity in the summer, decline in the fall, and finally death in the winter. This natural order of events will make sense to young readers as they celebrate the birds’ joy and share in their sadness. It will also give adults a chance to talk about the ways their own familial relationships will change. Through it all, the doves repeat a comforting refrain: “She asks him, ‘Lovey Dovey, do you love me?’ He replies, ‘Yes, together forever we’ll be.’”

Wathmi de Zoysa’s sweet illustrations center on the nest, where the family returns to feel safe as the world changes around them. The colors of each season are instantly recognizable—winter is awash in icy blues and grays, while spring and summer favor splashes of color and fall glows with orange and red. At the center of these shifting scenes, the wide-eyed doves perch on a branch, with the mother and father wearing glasses and scarves as they age. Ultimately this tender tale is a testament to the power of enduring affection that lasts a lifetime.

Takeaway: Touching picture book follows a pair of doves through the seasons of their lives.

Comparable Titles: Germano Zullo’s Little Bird, Bryce Adam Brown’s Get On The Stage of Life and Live.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A-
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Lovey Dovey, Do You Love Me?

In an effort to probe the world’s mysteries, Balson debuts with the exploits of 10-year-old Jay as he uses his birthday wish to answer his grandfather’s musings on why some moths seem to purposefully fly into flame. Jay gets more than he bargained for with that wish, shocked to find he’s been granted the ability to talk with and understand insects by G.O.W.A.D., the Granters of Wishes and Dreams, to help him uncover the answers behind his grandfather’s ponderings. Each insect Jay meets on his quest has a unique personality, answering his questions and challenging his mistaken beliefs with experienced, knowledgeable voices.

Middle grade readers will be as entertained as they are educated by this adventure-fueled fantasy. Balson combines charisma and humor when detailing the various insects’ stories, starting with a honeybee named Evangeline who schools Jay on how busy she is tending to the work for her Queen—and clarifies some common misconceptions about her kind (case in point: honeybees only sting in self-defense). Jay moves on to other insects, including the humorous Duck, a fly with questionable manners but deep thoughts, and a sunset moth whose life expectancy after adulthood is unbearably short: “Like many other insects, we live long enough to make sure that more moths will be born than those that die'' it declares.

The insects themselves are so entertaining, readers will hardly notice their important lessons, and, despite their somewhat awkward placement, Balson’s computer-generated illustrations give the narrative some grounding. The bigger picture rings true as well: Balson teaches the importance of being kind, not only to each other, but also to the natural world. Jay eventually earns a beautiful answer to his question, but the knowledge he gains along the way is his true prize, and Balson’s encouragement to “open [your] heart and mind to the fact that there are things greater than just [yourselves]” carries weight.

Takeaway: A young boy uncovers nature’s secrets by talking to insects.

Comparable Titles: Amy Sarig King’s Me and Marvin Gardens, Danielle Davis’s Zinnia and the Bees.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: B
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about The Moth And The Flame

In this humorous collection of short essays, retired environmental scientist Lorentson (author of Hold the Apocalypse—Pass Me a Scientist Please) turns a quizzical eye to nature’s intersection with the human world. He plumbs an array of entertaining topics, from the DNA humans share with bananas to squid intelligence to the power of beavers, offering readers a slew of rousing stories that burst with wit. Lorentson opens each essay with a short quotation from renowned humorists, including such notables as W.C. Fields and Groucho Marx, always circling back to the evolutionary path humans continue down, reflecting on our inevitable march toward extinction if nothing changes.

In “The Opossum — America’s National Shame,” Lorentson chronicles the behavior and appearance of this “poor excuse for an animal,” characterizing it as a “65 million year old reminder of what happens when you don’t even try.” He surveys more serious topics as well, though his humorous style still dominates. “Still Life with Automobile” muses on the changes wrought from inventing the wheel, namely the deadly effects of that advancement on the natural world: “our cars and roads are turning the U.S. into a drive-through natural history museum” he observes. Similarly, he bemoans the fate of Earth’s trees, now down to “only 375 trees per person,” candidly remaking that without serious efforts to slow climate change, humans will “soon have to join a tree safari to find them.”

Though humor forms the backbone of the collection, Lorentson still aims to deliver accurate scientific information, including extensive referencing for his claims. The punny wordplay and dense witticisms may not tickle every funny bone, but fans of tongue-in-cheek comedy will savor the laughs. Throughout, Lorentson pits humans against nature—respectfully, if slightly mocking—and readers will find themselves rooting for nature in the end, as he astutely observes, “Nature always seemed so big, and humans so insignificant… Maybe when nature is imaginary it will finally get better ratings.”

Takeaway: Humorous look at humans’ effect on the environment.

Comparable Titles: Randall Munroe’s What If?, Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about YOU ONLY GO EXTINCT ONCE

Former chef and syndicated columnist Moore (author of A Woman's Guide to Search & Rescue) sparkles in this expertly wrought tale. Artist Elly Sorensen is reeling after the death of her estranged husband and struggling financially when she leaves Washington D.C. and returns to the Caribbean island of Bonaire to finish a long-delayed portrait commissioned by a local resident, Trevor Martin. Originally planning to stay in a spare room at his home, Elly returns to find Trevor’s finances have taken a major hit, and she moves into a dilapidated room at the local resort where Trevor runs a dive shop. She immediately meets and bonds with Rosie Ryan, a 16-year-old aspiring artist from Australia who is staying on the island with her gambler father, Steve.

Readers will get lost in Moore’s beautiful prose, her impeccable plotting, and her outstandingly relatable and multi-layered characters as Elly and Rosie both try to outrun their demons—Elly’s estranged husband, his debts and her former agent’s machinations, and Rosie, a controlling grandmother and the fallout from the impulsive decision to light her former boyfriend’s van on fire (and immediately going viral). Rosie reminds Elly of her wild-child sister, Lily, who perished in a car accident; Rosie is in awe of Elly’s artistic talents and her purported relationship with Trevor (which isn’t what Rosie thinks, despite a few misinterpreted situations). In addition to courage and the drive to fight for their own freedom, both share a love for scuba diving, a pursuit that the author handles with skill, drawing on her own experiences.

As the story hurtles toward a rocky, dangerous conclusion, Moore expertly keeps readers guessing at the outcome—and even holding their breath—until the novel’s final page, with strong, unexpected climactic developments involving well-deserved comeuppances. This outstanding tale, alive with suspense and insight, should garner a well-deserved readership for Moore.

Takeaway: Beautifully wrought story of two women artists outrunning their demons.

Comparable Titles: Marissa Stapley’s The Last Resort, Kristin Hannah’s Comfort & Joy.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Last Bets

The prolific Witham’s gripping followup to the international art-world thriller The Silk Road Affair finds private investigator Julian Peale now navigating an explosive performance art project in the expansive American Southwest. Peale, tasked by his partner Joe Castelli, delves into just what the title promises, the incident at a monumental red rock near Sedona where the “flying artist” Magnifica, formerly known as Mary Saville, must abort her much-hyped performance, a parachute leap from helicopter through storied rock pinnacles near sedona, when the colossal Devil’s Finger explodes before her eyes. Horrified and suspecting the involvement of the Russian mob, Katherine Grant, heiress and art collector from the east coast art establishment, hires Castelli to probe into the realm of Sophia Saville, the ailing-with-dementia artist mother of Magnifica, who is reported to have a substantial private trust.

The mystery that follows finds Witham weaving lively art-world insight with military expertise, hacker espionage, techking rivalry, and more surprises. Castelli entrusts Peale to investigate who would inherit Sophia’s trust if Magnifica were to die, kicking off an investigation into numerous contenders including Sophia’s former flames, Shawn Byrne and Ethan Ratliff—self-made tech millionaires engaged in a long-standing feud playing out at events like the Oracle of Fire (reminiscent of Burning Man). Their battle over futurism and fantasy, druids versus space cadets, extends across games, festivals, art, and philosophies, building to a wild climax, while Magnifica, driven to surpass her mother’s artistic fame, orchestrates her most audacious stunt yet. The cast is further enriched by underworld figures Cyclops and Cyberpunk, adding layers of intrigue.

Peale’s support network—his wife Priscilla, her son Nathan, FBI agent Jerry Snow, and Las Vegas detective William Jackson—collaborate to uncover the dark underside of art in this twisting, of-its-moment thriller. Witham tells the tale with exquisite language, allowing readers to visualize the captivating panoramas of the Southwest, plus persuasive, entertaining glimpses of these extravagant lives.

Takeaway: Greed and betrayal power this gripping Southwest art-world mystery.

Comparable Titles: Joe Mungo Reed’s Hammer, Brendan Slocumb’s The Violin Conspiracy.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Incident at Devil's Finger: A Novel