Partner with Purpose
In clear, forceful prose illustrated by occasional tidy charts and tables, Schmida uses revealing case histories, such as seafood company Thai Union’s partnerships with the Migrant Workers Rights Network and Greenpeace, to illustrate the challenges of communicating and collaborating across sectors. He provides models of common types of partnerships, a roster of essential roles, frameworks for establishing common goals and sharing risks and rewards, and criteria for the measuring of results. His practical guidelines are especially thorough, covering seeking out, securing, implementing, scaling, and sustaining potential partnerships as well as getting partners across what he calls “The Partnership Valley of Death” and into a committed formal agreement.
The author is attentive to the nuances of cross-sector collaboration, especially the management of expectations when residents of the corporate world find themselves attempting to communicate with those in the public or nonprofit sectors. (“Be willing to meet to get a meeting,” he suggests.) Schmida lays out straightforward, actionable steps to identify potential opportunities and avoid key hazards. Unlike many business books, this one isn’t selling a method, a service, or other products; it is simply a thorough and practical work that knows its audience very well. This valuable guide is both a spirited entreaty and practical road map for powerful collaborations between businesses and mission-driven organizations.
Takeaway: This highly practical guide will light the way for business owners and corporate executives seeking cross-sector partnerships.
Great for fans of David Gage’s The Partnership Charter, Simon Sinek’s Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A
Though the first chapter sets up Elliott as the main character, he is quickly sidelined as the adults learn of the danger to the magical world and prepare to fight back. When Mr. Moonbeam prepares to sneak into Noir’s castle at the climax of the tale, Elliott is finally able to step into the story and use his magic to guide his teacher through the castle, but then is once again sent off to safety when Mr. Moonbeam finally goes to confront Noir directly. While a logical choice, it’s an odd one for a book aimed at younger audiences. The protagonist is a kind and admirable man, but some children may have trouble connecting with the story when their most obvious proxy is routinely whisked away from the action, playing a supporting role at best.
The writing is simple and, if sometimes a little repetitive, appropriate for a grade school chapter book. Elliott and Mr. Moonbeam are likable and good-hearted heroes, and both are willing to put themselves in harm’s way to stand up against evil and destruction and to protect the magical world they love. This fantastical battle between good and evil magic will please fans of classic children’s fantasy.
Takeaway: This magic-fueled battle between light and darkness will appeal to cautious young readers who wonder why kids in books are always left alone to save the world.
Great for fans of E.S. Ivy’s Miri Attwater series, Madeleine L'Engle.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
Maximum Rossi
Papa, whose previous work includes two Vegas travel guides, makes good use of what he knows about the city. He plausibly recreates the feel of Las Vegas in the 1950s without anything feeling forced, anachronistic, or used to foreshadow future events. He also does a good job of balancing nicely noirish prose (from the opening sentence, “I was two eggs into a three-egg omelet when my breakfast was interrupted by a man who slid into my booth across the table from me”) with gradually and effortlessly supplying Rossi’s backstory.
The premise of a mob-affiliated man turning PI may not be original, but Papa puts his own spin on it. The action scenes are tightly written and avoid clichés, coming across as fresh and novel in a genre where that is no small achievement. The occasional poetic flourishes, as when Papa describes a character moving “with a certain resistance—a man who didn’t want to get where he was going,” add an extra layer to the narrative. Rossi’s guilt about the unexpected consequences of an effort to be generous comes across as sincere and heart-felt. This is an excellent hard-boiled mystery: cleverly written, smoothly paced, and with a protagonist who’s compelling enough to sustain a series.
Takeaway: Fans of old-fashioned crime fiction will be delighted by Papa’s outstanding debut, featuring a kind-hearted mobster turned PI in a perfectly described 1950s Las Vegas.
Great for fans of Loren D. Estleman, Martha Grimes.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: -
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B-
At once a work of “fact-ion” and a detailed examination of a cultural subdivision, the novel contains elements of intrigue, fantasy, spirituality, and psychological terror, but focuses more on descriptions and character histories than on plot. Casual readers may find their attention wandering from the cerebral, labyrinthine prose, which can obfuscate Pietras’s subtle, clever commentary on politics and philosophy. Transitions are particularly jarring, and readers might need to reread earlier sections to follow the connections the author tries to make.
Pietras’s intimate character sketches have a fresh, whimsical feel, especially when paired with intricate, expansive descriptions of a beloved town. The novel is sometimes more thoughtful than coherent. This beautifully crafted but sprawling blend of travelogue and fiction will appeal to literary readers with a love of wordplay.
Takeaway: Readers with overlapping interests in extreme sports, history, and philosophy will appreciate this beautifully crafted, sprawling blend of travelogue and fiction.
Great for fans of Jon Krakauer, John Kennedy Toole.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: B
Marketing copy: C
Ge makes some pointed observations on American society’s distorted view of beauty and its adverse effect on women, but these are occasionally undermined by judgmental comments that are rooted in superficial, stereotypical standards of physical beauty. She writes that elderly women swing their arms in a way that implies “aging and frailty,” boasts of her own “youthful look” and “hourglass figure,” and suggests that regular lovemaking will give one’s skin an enviable glow: “Think of your partner as a super Botox/filler machine.” Readers may find this approach more dispiriting than encouraging.
With a passionate and positive voice and occasional simple illustrations of core concepts, Ge empowers and educates readers on numerous subjects, encouraging them to give up “perfection” for “good enough.” She gives clear explanations of how to reverse-engineer solutions in pursuit of one’s aspirations, beginning at a goal and working backwards toward the starting point. Ge includes bountiful tips on managing time and resources and breaks them down into easy, actionable steps. Though she occasionally falls back on generalizations, many of her personal anecdotes and evidence from professionals back up her arguments about the use of positive thinking to pursue peace of mind and success in life. Ge’s expansive and practical advice on accomplishing personal goals results in a meaningful and invigorating message for women.
Takeaway: Overwhelmed women will appreciate these encouraging tips for pursuing personal goals and happiness.
Great for fans of Great for fans of O’s Little Guide to Finding Your True Purpose, Shannon Kaiser’s The Self-Love Experiment.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: B
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Way persuasively argues that a physical resurrection is impossible and unproven. He asks a series of challenging questions, including why Jesus was able to feed 5,000 people from “someone’s snack” a single time but not repeat the process to feed all the hungry people he encountered on a daily basis: “The argument that ‘God can do anything,’ ‘It was only for Jesus,’ or ‘It was for that one special occasion’ is totally illogical, insufficient, and dodges the basic issue,” he writes. He asserts that natural laws come directly from an unchanging God, so tales of miracles that contradict physics must only be stories. He also proposes that “Jesus made deliberate efforts to restore Jewish worship to its Hebrew core, not replace it” and didn’t intend to start a new religion.
Many devout Christians will condemn the work as heretical, but open-minded readers may find Way’s well-reasoned, passionate arguments compelling, and his refrain that God is love and there is no hell will ease the minds of those brought up on hellfire-and-brimstone Christianity. This unusual view of Christianity raises far more questions than it answers and is likely to provoke deep thought and lively conversation.
Takeaway: Open-minded Christians will be drawn in by Way’s passionate arguments for a profoundly loving God and a pragmatic, fully human Jesus.
Great for fans of C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, Scott Shay’s In Good Faith.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The explosive opening draws the reader into the storyline as Ready cleverly intertwines Mark’s memories with Naomi’s body and life. The complexity of Mark’s journey adds depth to the concept of reincarnation. Naomi’s transformation from a troubled teen to an ambitious young woman is heartwarming, though at times her constant success strains the reader’s belief.
Ready, a former Army and Navy officer, imbues the narrative with a high level of military detail. His captivating depiction of Naomi’s exploits in combat makes the experience vivid and real, and the portrayal of Naomi’s medical career highlights her ability to remain calm in a crisis. This realism, however, occasionally gets bogged down in extensive details, causing the plotline to drag near the novel’s conclusion. This rich exploration of the human soul’s potential is a feel-good tale of achievement and rebirth.
Takeaway: Fans of dramatic novels with a hint of the paranormal will delight in this story of reincarnation and personal achievement.
Great for fans of Gwendolyn Womack’s The Memory Painter, Iris Johansen’s Shadow Play.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: C
Marketing copy: B-
Eamon rounds up a big list of people who might have been involved in Abner’s death and Eddie and Lydia’s disappearance, but most lack motive and opportunity, not to mention any contact with any of the three in at least two decades. Despite numerous dead ends, the interviews with these characters provide revelations that will keep readers turning the pages. Eamon’s dry, quick wit, evident intelligence, and ability to spin an amusing tale make him an appealing protagonist. His thinly sketched situation with his occasional lover, Heidi, gives readers a small reprieve from the tedious research, though his willingness to discuss his case with her belies his title of “private” investigator. His ambiguous morals make it hard to believe he’d turn in $20 million to get $2 million.
Helms oversimplifies the process of evidence-gathering. Eamon, recovering from a leg injury, relies heavily on searches in the online CyberShamus database to follow up on every lead. Red herrings proliferate throughout the plot. Readers who are new to the series might find it hard to connect to Eamon, who’s even more reserved than the stereotypical PI. Despite that, it’s still easy to root for him. The plot takes the scenic route to a surprising destination, and the premise is strong enough to keep readers hooked.
Takeaway: This page-turning mystery with a surprise ending provides a good starting point for fans of detective series.
Great for fans of James Ellroy, Ross Macdonald
Production grades
Cover: C
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B
Rockford’s stories, gently enhanced by Kleyn’s tidy, detailed chapter head illustrations, introduce a menagerie of vibrant one-of-a-kind characters who are perfectly suited for older children, with gentle lessons to be learned from every interaction. Some of the elements are a little clichéd: Rockford predictably falls for the first female chipmunk he meets, and the faux-Shaolin chip-monks speak in stilted English (“We know pain of loneliness”), quote haiku, and believe in a mystical prophecy. Each chapter ends with a return to the frame story at the farmer’s market, with humor that can feel a little strained. However, the book’s target readers will breeze past these flaws and find the adventure enthralling.
Parents waiting for their children to be old enough for The Hobbit or Redwall will find this the perfect stopgap, with plenty of thrills as well as moral quandaries, somber loss, and emotional growth. The ending will elicit happy sniffles from readers who have gotten caught up in Rockford’s tale. Without stinting the action, Gottsegen delivers a powerful message about the importance of being brave, honest, and true to oneself.
Takeaway: Older children will absorb important life lessons while enjoying this thrilling story of a brave chipmunk’s forest adventures.
Great for fans of Kathi Appelt’s The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Barbara O’Connor’s On the Road to Mr. Mineo’s.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A+
Illustrations: A
Editing: A+
Marketing copy: A
Kowatch’s descriptions and Shinn’s charming digital illustrations will leave readers feeling like they’ve stomped through the Everglades alongside Ocean and Ellen. The relationships are depicted with wonderful depth. Gumbo and his pals often meditate together, Ocean and Ellen talk about grief and growing up, Ocean’s parents share important lessons with him, and each character takes turns leading, encouraging, and sacrificing for the others in a way that feels sincere.
Yet all of these elements create a text that is sometimes busy and complicated. Chapters are told from various perspectives and the book blends Seminole mythology with Eastern spiritual practices, which may leave younger readers confused, uninterested, or just wanting more of the lively dialogue. However, the book’s quirkiness and cartoon-style illustrations, as well as its loose ends (perhaps left open for a sequel?), will likely keep them hooked. For kids entering adolescence in the 21st century, an adventure that includes real-life heaviness, environmental awareness and activism, meditation and affirmation, and a little bit of the absurd seems just right.
Takeaway: Tween readers (and their parents and teachers) will love the values, hardships, laughs, and learning in Kowatch’s thoughtful adventure fantasy.
Great for fans of the Magic School Bus series, the Magic Tree House series.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A-
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B
McFarlan capably explores the contours of his characters’ inner lives and emotions, especially Nephi’s rigidity after years of closing off his sexuality. The dialogue is sometimes stilted (“I have been reflecting on my standing in the church as a gay man and my state in eternity”), and extraneous details occasionally drag down the pace of the story, but the characters’ strong personalities provide stable footing and enough gravity to keep events from slipping into melodrama.
Early chapters are weighed down by awkward explanations of Mormon practice, but McFarlan folds in some details more naturally, as when he depicts Nephi’s encounter with church discipline. The presence of Nephi’s boss, Mark Stone, who also serves as a major church leader, highlights the messy overlap of religious and professional lives in the insular communities of small-city Utah. McFarlan effectively contrasts the more tolerant but conflicted approach of Nephi’s family with the exceptionally harsh decisions of Bradley’s family. This romantic story will ring true to Mormon readers and help others begin to understand the depth and complexity of trying to reconcile sexual desire and religious beliefs.
Takeaway: This sympathetic exploration of the clash of sexuality and Mormon faith will have broad appeal for readers of contemporary romance.
Great for fans of Keira Andrews, Laura Stone’s And It Came to Pass.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: -
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A
Using his extensive knowledge as a botany professor and natural history writer, Ritter crafts a riveting narrative about a relatively obscure subject, catering to young readers with an interest in the natural world. Some language may be difficult for younger audiences to understand without explanation (“The seed settled onto a branch and did what seeds do: it germinated”), but the book is ideal for reading and discussing with adults, who may also learn something new. Ritter includes fun and digestible fact sheets about the red-eyed tree frog and the chestnut-mandibled toucan that make appearances in the story.
Gonzalez’s detailed illustrations provide a perfect complement to the story, with colorful, engaging imagery that aids readers in understanding each stage of the life cycles Ritter describes. Going deep inside the fig, Gonzalez shows the female wasp laying the eggs, the eggs hatching, and the new female wasps gathering pollen while the males chew holes. Gonzalez’s clear diagram of the wasps’ life cycle is a helpful addition to Ritter’s dry fact sheet. A tree frog hidden on each page is a delightful addition, gamifying the learning experience. Parents and educators will eagerly share this vivid picture book with budding botanists.
Takeaway: Older children interested in ecosystems will enjoy this fun picture book about the interdependence of fig trees and fig wasps.
Great for fans of Rebecca Bielawski’s Bees Like Flowers.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The Vibrant Landscape
The book is thoughtfully organized, often pairing complementary images. A shot of Lake Tahoe is next to one of Lee Vining in California; the Tahoe shot has water and mountains and the Lee Vining photo is dominated by shrubbery and a forest, but both make extensive use of foreshortening. Photos of the Montreal skyline and biosphere are followed by a lone blooming shrub in Joshua tree, and then the starkness of Death Valley. There are also contrasts of color, as in a sunset overlooking a lake in Alaska accompanied by a moonrise above California’s Mono Lake. They’re composed in the same way, with the emphasis on the horizon, but the juxtaposition of the colors is striking. Levinson’s shots of the New York and Montreal skylines give a different kind of contrast as they carefully balance water and greenery against the constructed urban background.
Thematically, Levinson leans toward an even split between foreground and background images and a deliberate balance of foliage, water, and rock. That creates cohesion from image to image as well as the book as a whole. He’s able to vary this formula enough so as not to be repetitive, keeping the conceptual elements static while wildly varying the actual subjects. The fluidity of the compositions across the book makes the natural colors pop even harder. Every page of this exquisite book is a new and exciting experience for the reader.
Takeaway: Anyone who enjoys beautiful, vivid, and varied landscape photography will treasure this book.
Great for fans of Q.T. Luong’s Treasured Lands, T.H. Watkins and David Muench’s American Landscape.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A+
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
Through the characters’ conflicts and revelations, MacDonald makes wider points about human nature. In “Hunger,” a self-sufficient narrator compares her seatmate on a first-class flight to the bullies she remembers from high school. When there aren’t enough first-class meals to go around, the elderly woman cries in “big, gulping sobs,” like the “thin-skinned, fragile girls with no defenses [who] grew up and never learned to fend for themselves.” In “Year by Year,” as Rolf dons his CVS assistant manager badge, his mother, Klara, notes that he is “so proud of so little.” Klara’s children are a disappointment to her; even worse, they want to move her into a nursing home. MacDonald paints an understanding portrait of a prickly older parent whose fears about her friends dying are partly rooted in her inability to make new ones “at my age.” In “Mongoose,” Gwen, testy and estranged from her dying father and his fourth wife, softens as her misconceptions about her father fade away. When her stepmother remarks, “There’s a lot of him in you,” Gwen looks at a photo of herself at age six, noting they share “bristly, fearless, determined” natures.
Not all of MacDonald’s well-wrought characters inhabit stories worth telling. In “Ink” and “The Memory Palace,” characters fail to connect with one another, mixing so much like oil and water that the result is dissonance and reader frustration. Luckily, those two entries are outliers. This strong collection draws the reader in with sympathetic portrayals of aging and human connection.
Takeaway: This collection will suit fans of contemporary short fiction with a focus on human connection, aging, and mortality.
Great for fans of Alice Munro’s Too Much Happiness, Miranda July’s No One Belongs Here More Than You.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: C+
The novel’s grand scale, straightforward prose, thorough scene-setting, and detailed worldbuilding are its strong points. However, the dialogue can feel unwieldy, particularly when used to communicate large chunks of background information about warriors, talismans, and their goals. The same information is repeated, with similar wording, throughout the book. The action scenes are brief, with most fighting happening offstage or ending quickly; the emphasis on conversation and descriptive passages slows down the pacing and renders the protagonists’ ultimate victory somewhat less thrilling.
Alyssa’s personal journey includes learning more self-confidence as she takes responsibility in battle, but her total ignorance of the world she was born into means she’s subjected to endless lecturing by Rowan and others, limiting her ability to define herself. Rowan’s dominance at the start of their relationship causes communication problems between them that aren’t addressed until the very end—and Rowan never apologizes for his errors, instead blaming Maeve for making Alyssa feel insecure and unlovable—so the romantic resolution feels rushed. Though billed as a paranormal romance, this novel is best suited to fantasy readers who will love the setting and won’t mind the romance being more of an afterthought.
Takeaway: Fantasy readers with a taste for intricate worldbuilding and centuries-old drama will enjoy this tale of curses and fated love.
Great for fans of Leigh Ann Edwards, Kathy Morgan.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: -
Editing: B
Marketing copy: C
The budding friendship between Sabine and Juliet is where Kale’s writing really shines; Juliet’s worldliness and effortlessly cool demeanor are the perfect antidote to Sabine’s anxiety-fueled stream-of-consciousness narration. The novel is underpinned by a much deeper exploration of Sabine’s personal existential crisis, which includes such philosophical problems as the fluidity of existence and the nature of death. The narrative never gets too heavy; Kale balances out the morbidity with a wry sense of humor. Scenes at the hospital, where Sabine interacts with her workmates Glo and Aja, are especially amusing, playing out like a classic comedy of errors.
Some heavy-handed pop culture references and literary allusions can be a whimsical reminder of time and place, but often they drag or stall an otherwise enriching narrative. For instance, the description of a character’s voice as a “soft Uma Thurman Henry and June art film voice” feels uninspired. This stylistic choice distracts from Kale’s impressive ability to create likable, three-dimensional characters. This inquisitive look at personal connection in a disorienting setting perfectly captures the weirdness of hospitals and the importance of human vulnerability and authenticity.
Takeaway: Readers with a taste for philosophy and absurdity will enjoy this darkly comic tale of mishaps and friendship in a small-town hospital.
Great for fans of Richard Hooker’s MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: C
