Market guru Geddes demystifies investing, presenting it as a clear-eyed, no-nonsense process in a guide that readers new to the market will find helpful, cautionary, and inspiring. Using a metaphor of rational results versus primal cravings, Geddes explains that consumers are often deceived by a “romantic narrative” about investing–the myth that portfolio performance can, for the most part, be controlled. In contrast, he offers up a data-based alternative that focuses first on regulating fees and taxes, followed by risk and return, and walks readers through how to become an “empowered investor,” someone with a watchful eye for portfolio managers who try to misrepresent potential outcomes.

For readers who shy away from technically complicated writing, this guide will be a strong fit. Geddes is candidly direct—even going so far as to caution readers against the myth that investors can consistently outperform the market—and delivers user-friendly tools to help followers improve their returns. He urges potential investors to begin with understanding investment fees, noting that these are the “easiest to control,” and clarifies complex market terms like asset and wealth managers, security selection, and benchmarks. His close attention to tax impacts will be a welcome topic for readers looking to manage their funds more efficiently.

Most helpful are Geddes’s step-by-step instructions on deciding whether to hire an advisor, including a self-assessment quiz to determine the viability of investing without one, and follow up measures readers can take if they elect to go that route. He identifies questions to ask when interviewing potential wealth managers, as well as a technical glossary, alongside upfront counsel that “if you’re a long-term investor in stocks, at some point you’ll have to endure a horrible, gut-wrenching downturn.” Buyers beware: This is a guide tailored to investors looking to get started, laying out structured advice and the necessary know-how for success.

Takeaway: A candid guide on getting started in market investing that will please readers looking for easy-to-follow, understandable steps.

Great for fans of: Erin Lowry’s Broke Millennial Takes on Investing, Daniel Crosby’s The Behavioral Investor.

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

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McFarren’s twisty cosmic epic, the second in her Gehenna series, again takes flight on the conflict—and surprising romantic longings—between angels and demons, this time in the aftermath of the death of Lucifer. Heaven and Hell tremble, with our mortal plain caught in the middle, as Queen Lucinda, Lucifer’s daughter and now the rule of the infernal realm, prepares for the Red War, and forces of often complex or shifting loyalties move against her and each other, among them Crighton Daemonium, the good-hearted “Soul Seeker” Nephilim whom Lucinda loves with consuming passion, his soulmate Ariel, the young demon Samara, and factions like the Black Crows.

Opening with dishy romantic entanglements and a hellish slaughter, Annihilation proves, for all its significant heft, a brisk, engaging sequel, plotted with the restless playfulness of an author who understands that readers know every genre convention and is admirably committed to upending them. As befits the material, the story at times can be darkly upsetting—Lucinda and co. are obsessed with “seed” and will do what it takes to extract it—but never gratuitously explicit. In fact, readers on its wavelength will have a ball: McFarren gleefully mixes pantheons and mythologies—the Gehenna saga features Cerberus, Hecate, shapeshifters, angels in the bodies of demons, and many more surprises—as well as genres, blending fantasy, horror, and romance into a singular whole, all laced together with a welcome, often salty, wit. (She’s especially funny on the administrative aspects of ruling Hell.)

The action is crisply described, the horrific and infernal elements vivid but not lingered over, and the dialogue often comic (One character deadpans, “an Archangel followed us and smote the crap out of him.”) Readers are advised to start with the previous book, Soul Seeker, as Annihilation moves fast and assumes a familiarity with its worlds, but lovers of daring fantasy with occult elements and an interest in the gray between good and evil will find this a feast.

Takeaway: A vigorously inventive fantasy sequel that finds fresh surprises and romance in the war between heaven and hell.

Great for fans of: Debra Dunbar, Kate Griffin.

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

Click here for more about Annihilation

In the second installment of the galaxies-spanning Last Lumenian series, Blaise delivers a high-speed adventure through a wild landscape with a group of lovable misfits and a reluctant chosen one. After being forced to flee her home planet, Lilla is charged by the Goddess to raise an army for the final battle against the Archgod of Chaos and Destruction, or the DLD. The army the Goddess has in mind is that of the Teryns, a people feared for the warmongering ways, but luckily Lilla has an in, as her boyfriend Callum is Teryn royalty. Unfortunately the rest of Callum’s family is less than impressed, sending her on a dangerous quest to prove her worth—a quest that will ultimately disrupt the foundations of Teryn society.

Blaise’s storytelling and worldbuilding combines a delightful whimsy with gripping action. Lilla spends much of this adventure on the run from dangerous animals with alien names like “k’boar,” “k’mountain lion,” or “bear-wolves” (“Not k’bear-wolves?” “The k is silent”). Her motley group of friends and companions are also a joy, and despite the main quest featuring no fewer than eight party members (including two former love interests), distinct and interesting personalities make them each stand out. From the grumpy warrior lady to the softhearted yet feisty healer to the know-it-all mage, the only character that doesn’t prove especially engaging is Callum, the current boyfriend, whose chief traits here are mostly anger and jealousy. Still, Callum is not present for a large chunk of the story, which gives the ensemble a chance to shine.

The plot itself exhibits a tendency familiar from other second entries in series: it ends in about the same place it began and feels, at times, like an optional side quest chosen as an opportunity to introduce lore and develop characters, which are this installment’s selling points. Although technically not YA, True Teryn has a lot of crossover appeal for readers of romantic science fiction with comic elements.

Takeaway: Charming and witty, this science fantasy sequel will please readers with its unique world and memorable characters.

Great for fans of: Amie Kauffman, Dianne Duvall’s Aldebarian Alliance series.

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

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Equally informative and celebratory, Powe’s Sean Moses Is Martin Luther, the King is a love letter to the achievements of Black leaders, as well as an inspiration to the young readers, inviting them to imagine growing up to be leaders themselves.Sean Moses couldn’t be more excited about the leader he gets to portray in the Black History Month program at his school. As he invites his parents to guess whichBlack leader he has been assigned, Powe’s text and Angelina Valieva’s powerful illustrations introduce a succession of historical luminaries, such as Frederick Douglass and Civil War Medal of Honor winner Sgt. William Harvey Carney, with expressive and imaginative visions of young Sean as each.

The detailed and expressive illustrations bring both Sean and the leaders to vivid life. Fine touches like borders on the edges of pages create an appealing historical ambience, to go with the theme, though the choice to illustrate and print the book in black and white feels like a missed opportunity to fully represent and showcase Black identities. The format, switching back and forth between dialogue and then informational text blocks presented in the format of museum placards, also makes for a stilted reading experience, especially if being read aloud.

Even so, Sean’s cheerful demeanor, the book’s positive, inventively presented message, and the notable beauty of the illustrations (including those elaborately gilded information plates) make this a winning addition to the shelves of any family. Featuring historical figures most adults should be familiar with (Malcolm X, W.E.B. Du Bois), and championing some that are perhaps less well known, there’s something for everyone, whether young or old, history buff or reluctant history learner. A powerful and uplifting tribute to the accomplishments of Black Americans throughout history, Sean Moses is sure to delight and stir young readers–and adults hungry for some positivity–with its rousing spirit.

Takeaway: With an uplifting tone, young Sean Moses celebrates and identifies with the achievements of Black individuals throughout history.

Great for fans of: Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated, Ellen Levine’s Henry's Freedom Box.

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

Click here for more about Sean Moses Is Martin Luther, The King Jr.

A legacy, an impassioned treatise, and a prompt for further questioning, Ben-Shalom’s Papa's Last Words sets down a father’s thinking—his “testimony” —for his children on the topic of his relationship with God, all from a singular perspective that draws deeply from varied religious traditions and never settles for received wisdom. Ben-Shalom credits his relationship with helping him “through the valleys of sexual abuse, physical abuse, attempted suicide, isolation, loneliness, betrayal” and more. In searching, polished prose, he urges his audience to study the history of Christian denominations and draw from each what is good; to accept that “God’s people are God’s people, no matter how you examine it,” whether Christians or Jews; and to challenge orthodoxies like the concept of the trinity (“He is—simply—YHVH, and blessed be His Name”), distinguishing what is truly of God from “the perverted things of humanity.”

This is a heady, original book, alive with fresh thinking, persuasive argument, and thorough, well-documented research. Ben-Shalom shows his work, leaves space for challenges, and above all calls for his readers to approach belief and history with a similar spirit of thoughtful questioning. While his prose is approachable, often even warm, the material can get dense, especially as he works through questions of translation and interpretation that likely feel more pressing to him than they do to readers.

That said, that work is the point, as Ben-Shalom’s mission, throughout, is to pare away the human to expose what he finds divine in scriptural, Kabbalahistic, and other ancient sources. In them he finds evidence that a messiah has come, that God can take human form, and that knowing this history in depth can help bolster one against the “seductive deceptions” of those eager to instill doubt. Christian readers interested in a gently challenging dive into the history and interpretation of the heart of their faith will find much here that resonates.

Takeaway: This impassioned treatise, from a father to his children, digs deeply into the roots of Christianity, emphasizing the divine.

Great for fans of: Brian D. McLaren’s A Generous Orthodoxy, Rob Bell’s What Is the Bible?

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

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Abrahmson’s charming Passover anthology, the latest in the ongoing Village Life series after A Village Blessing and Winter Romance, returns readers to Chelm, that “town of fools” of folklore somewhere between Russia and Poland, forever alive with misadventure, laughs—and possibly more chickens than people. Abrahmson, who is celebrated for his storytelling and klezmer harmonica, has crafted an illustrated set of stories that are as warm as a fresh challah bread out of the oven. Readers young and old will be delighted to meet Doodle the Orphan and learn about his penchant for cabbage, see Rabbi Kibbitz struggle to turn down delicious pastries, and witness the epic power of Mrs. Chaipul’s matzah balls when the town is threatened by a flood, among many other adventures.

Abrahmson invites readers into the Chelm fold with vivid accounts of its inhabitants drooling at the delicious aromas of Seder, getting lost in the Black Forest with the Chiriboms and Chiribims, and feeling their jaws ache as they try to chew through leaden Matzah balls. Not merely comic figures, Abrahmson’s characters develop and reveal personalities over short snippets of text, though they’re given to much amusing hyperbole: “Moishe argued for six hours that if the pyramids in Egypt had only been built from his wife’s matzah balls, then they would still be standing.”

The only disappointment is that it’s all over so quickly, at about a hundred pages. (Fortunately, the characters overlap with the other books in the series.) Abrahmson’s prose savvily mixes the homey and the surreal, and he’s a master of the cozy bedtime story. The Village Feasts, with its often silly phrasing and emphasis on ritual and community, demands to be read out loud, shared at a gathering or relished by little ones before bedtime, when sleepy eyelids are beginning to droop. A glossary in the endmatter is both helpful and comic.

Takeaway: These sprightly comic Passover tales set in the village of Chelm are warm and engaging.

Great for fans of: Seymour Rossel’s The Wise Folk of Chelm, Solomon Simon’s The Wise Men of Helm and Their Merry Tales.

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

Click here for more about The Village Feasts

In this riveting memoir, author and professor Seymour (Momentum) presents the remarkable experiences of two brave sisters during and after the Holocaust. Manci and Ruthie Grunberger lived with their family in a bustling village in the former Czechoslovakia, where daily life revolved around school, friends, and Orthodox Jewish traditions—until German forces took over in 1944. After the Grunbergers were transported to Poland’s Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, the 18- and 16-year-old sisters were separated from their family. Together, they endured the unendurable: internment at Auschwitz and a grueling death march afterwards. Once the sisters were at last liberated, their aunt brought them to the United States, where they created remarkable lives for themselves.

While Ruthie had shared her story, Manci’s silence about it, even with family, inspired Seymour, her son-in-law, to record her memories. At the start of each chapter, he establishes the political and cultural context before transcribing the sisters’ testimonies as witnesses, survivors, and Americans. The emphasis on the women’s post-Holocaust lives, and their interpretations of the past, distinguish this memoir. For example, Manci distances herself from her memories, whereas Ruthie chooses to educate the next generation through writings and speeches. Details about leisure time in retirement support the overall message of finding joy in life.

Seymour’s research shows in his skillful contextualization of the sisters’ stories, and their dialogue flows smoothly without the interviewer getting in the way. They provide accounts that are often absent from school textbooks—sharing stories, for example, of how Auschwitz captives were drugged to ensure submission, or the brave unit of workers who smuggled in gunpowder and blew up a crematorium. This urgent memoir offers new light on one of history’s darkest moments and stands firmly against deniers’ rejections of documented history. Seymour gives voice to Manci’s and Ruthie’s courage and survival as well as their incredible bond that testifies to the strength of the human spirit.

Takeaway: A riveting firsthand account of two sisters’ survival of the Holocaust and Auschwitz.

Great for fans of: Judy Batalion’s The Light of Days, Viktor Frankl.

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

Click here for more about From Auschwitz with Love

​​Wladowsky’s sprawling spy epic, the first in a series, centers on semi-retired Leda, an Israeli ballerina who spent two decades as a spy for the Russians and Mossad, earning the nickname “Ice.” Now 32, with two children, Leda finds herself plying her craft again on an international hunt for the husband, Caleb, who has been missing for six years—and whom Leda has just learned, via a tip from a former handler, is very much alive. The quest to find Caleb and then spring him from his imprisonment will send Leda not just back into her old life but across the globe and into many challenging and tricky relationships, including romantic ones, as Leda navigates conflicting loyalties and the competing agendas of the spies, princes, majors, and other power players she encounters.

Complicating matters—or perhaps, ultimately, simplifying them radically—is this determinedly realistic espionage novel’s surprising spiritual component, hinted at by the title, which finds Leda experiencing a possible vision in the desert. That element, though, will likely power the later books, as outside of some portents Red Dragon mostly concerns the earthly, depicting the world of international spycraft with an attentive eye towards process, planning, schemes-within-schemes, and all the duplicity it takes to achieve a long-term goal while balancing many different interests. The novel’s hefty length and tendency to summarize events rather than dramatize full scenes, though, diminishes its narrative momentum, despite a compelling central arc and captivating hard-edged protagonist.

Still, there’s much that’s engaging here. That sense of convincing complexity, paired with Leda’s practicality about sex and violence as weapons, lends the material a toughminded fascination. “The only thing that corresponds to the movies’ idea of an agent is that they were able to turn into a completely different person in two hours,” Wladowsky writes, persuasively, taking pains to show readers the work.

Takeaway: This epic novel of international spycraft (with a hint of the mystic) engagingly digs into the practicalities of espionage.

Great for fans of: Mishka Ben-David, Jonathan de Shalit.

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

Click here for more about Malkah Job Part One: Red Dragon

Graff debuts with a straightforward, accessible guide for readers who want to pursue a career in real estate. He teaches the complexities of the industry, in particular the constantly changing market conditions, unrealistic expectations, and common obstacles that real estate professionals may face, candidly stating that “87 percent of real estate agents will move on to new career opportunities within their first five years on the job.” Graff offers a wide range of relevant topics—brokerage firms, commissions, open house coordination, retirement planning, and more—to give aspiring agents a sound basis for developing sustainable careers.

Readers will appreciate Graff’s honesty, as he warns about the unstable nature of the industry and other outside factors, like mortgage rates, monetary policy, and the labor market, that often affect a new agent’s success. He opens the guide with an overview of the general prerequisites to become a licensed real estate agent and follows up with explanations of the top challenges inexperienced agents face, as well as the shared traits of those who have succeeded in the industry. Graff stays up to date in his instruction, preparing readers on the legally required broker-agent relationship, alongside helpful commerce tools—such as the importance of digital marketing for generating credible leads and mastering Zillow or other home-buying apps. Some of his most useful guidance relates to working with different types of buyers and sellers, including his in-depth exploration of how to find the “perfect home” for buyers

Graff encourages readers to learn from the mistakes others have made, combined with his extensive knowledge base, to smoothly launch their real estate careers: “By learning from others who have stood in your shoes, you can develop valuable insight about client selection.” His information is presented in an easy-to-read and reassuring manner, and readers looking to enter the real estate field will appreciate his transparency and solid, practical advice when describing their unique challenges.

Takeaway: Readers interested in real estate careers will appreciate the thorough, honest advice in this comprehensive guide.

Great for fans of: Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, and Jay Papasan’s The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, Shelley Zavitz’s Your First 365 Days in Real Estate.

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

Click here for more about Real Insights

Michael debuts with an exhortation for readers to learn how to lead lightly, a “conscious” approach that she characterizes as “a state of being that naturally arises when you have learned to let go of your internal noise and emotional clutter.” Michael offers straightforward steps to shift ineffective mindsets and implement daily practices, demonstrating techniques to break free from routine thought patterns and default choices by emphasizing the importance of “mental fitness” in order to “create high performance no matter what may be going on.” She delivers this guidance within an easy-to-understand framework built on recognizing emotional triggers and preventing their interference in leadership performance.

In a direct, empathetic tone, Michael pushes readers to make purposeful decisions on a daily basis. Her overarching theme is the need for savvy business leaders to “consciously and intentionally” create a new path. To facilitate this, she urges readers to understand their “underlying operating system”s and its habitual responses. She lays out five “muscles” of mental fitness to develop, including “Choose Personal Accountability,” “Choose Helpful Beliefs over Impeding Beliefs,” and “Accurately Self-Assess Your Internal State.” Michael advocates for setting and meeting leadership goals without the stress and anxiety that typically accompanies them.

Though the target audience is leaders and career-minded individuals, Leading Lightly’s clear-eyed and practical advice will be useful for anyone looking to change their mindset and live a more stress free, positive life. Michael shares noteworthy characteristics of “mentally fit” leaders, such as empathy and commitment to growth, to inspire readers–and she encourages them to bear in mind the truth that they are responsible for their own thoughts, moods, behaviors, and outcomes. Particularly helpful is her acronym of SOS—“Stop. Oxygenate. Seek new information”—for leaders who struggle with reactions to stress triggers. This succinct guide delivers a wealth of leadership wisdom.

Takeaway: An empowering, motivating guide that lays out a path for leaders looking for a lighter, less stressful life.

Great for fans of: Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, James Clear’s Atomic Habits.

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

Click here for more about Leading Lightly

In Lewis’s imaginative debut, legal reporter Eliza has become somewhat resigned in her journalistic crusade against climate change. A collective of animals, spiders, and insects called NoHoSap makes contact with her, speaking English, and once she’s over that astonishment she’s surprised to find that her pet dog, Bepop, is one of their members–the same pet she was told “didn’t make it” after a recent emergency veterinary visit. At a meeting, NoHoSap (short for “No Homo Sapiens”) members Rumple, Tumple, The Captain, and more explain to Eliza that the group’s mission is to protect “all living beings except humans.” They’ve established a non-human sanctuary, they charge her with helping them convince humanity to take action at last to halt the climate crisis. Eliza is keen to assist the animals in getting the word out, but she struggles at times with adapting to their worldview.

The idea of animals leading the fight against climate change as humans continually fail to do so is an interesting premise, and Lewis’s vivid scenes of animals taking on activist projects, like tying live coral to bleached out reefs, are moving. At times, the narrative tension is diminished by the character’s choices—for example, when Eliza hears that Bebop needs her help for something “extremely important,” the next paragraph describes how “they ran and played.”

This light tone distracts from the gravitas of larger themes, like climate change and species-ending environmental destruction. Some readers will find sections unconvincing—such as the animals “taking things into their own hands” largely by using blogs and social media—and not much action happens until the end. Still, the descriptions of natural world disasters, such as a flood that threatens several animals in the woods, will stir empathy for wildlife in even the most stoic readers, and the repeated message of “focusing on the positive” may inspire young readers especially to take action.

Takeaway: A woman teams up with animals to fight climate change in this imaginative story.

Great for fans of: Laura Jean McKay’s The Animals in That Country, Richard Adams’s The Plague Dogs.

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

Click here for more about The Change Agents

The term “Sankofa,” from the Twi language of Ghana, teaches the power of gathering from the past the best of what it has to teach us and carrying it into the present to help create a better future. DeVonne (Dancing in the Lyrics) exemplifies that spirit in her latest collection, which with clear eyes and aching heart digs deeply into centuries of the Black American experience, cataloging a history of enslavement, injustice, and discrimination in spare lines of rare clarity and power. “Your mind’s sweet peace / might erupt to recount vile acts of indecency,” she writes in an early poem, about the pain of facing a past (and present) in which, as another poem puts it, “black bodies burned / black bodies yoked / black bodies wrenched at the end of a rope.” Her mission, though, is clear: “I’ll broadcast the wrongs / to lift my race,” she writes in “I’ll Ride Like Rosa,” a five-stanza reminder of the courage it takes to claim one’s power and create change.

Throughout this potent, often searing volume—which offers occasional short prose pieces in addition to its crisp verse—DeVonne faces the horrors that have been visited upon Black bodies and lives, from the slave trade to mass incarceration, the poisoned water of Flint, Michigan, the names of Black men and women killed by police, to the white fear that enables police brutality. One powerful piece lays bare the subtext of many “911 Calls”: “His skin is too black. / His nose is too wide. / His frame is too large. / His stance emits pride.”

The approach is political, cultural, and personal, as DeVonne balances her historical reckoning with the everyday trials of “working while black in an office / where pay, praises, and promotions rain / on men and women with snowy skin.” Still, a rousing spirit ultimately lifts the collection, as DeVonne celebrates heroes, breakthroughs, and reminds America itself “When I rise / you rise.”

Takeaway: A searing and ultimately rousing collection of poems about the Black American experience.

Great for fans of: Asiya Wadud, ‘Gbenga Adeoba.

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

Click here for more about In Black Skin

Agnew dazzles with whimsy and adventure in this debut coming-of-age fantasy about deception, trust, and the danger of holding family secrets. Fourteen-year-old fraternal twins Kael and Keaton spend their days avoiding their cold, abusive father, Lord Graydon, a duke in the kingdom of Ryk. Graydon’s anger derives from losing his wife in childbirth and the aftermath of the War of Black Ash, a devastating battle with dragons who burnt the land. Kael is afraid to tell his father about his worsening health—strange pains, sleepwalking, waking naked in surprising places. One day Kael awakens in the woods to see his uncle Arius– who had been presumed dead–and a small dragon. Arius tells him that the beast is Seraii, Kael’s wyvern guardian, and that his pains are because a dragon’s soul is possessing him and transforming his body. “We refer to ourselves as the Dragonsown. We live everywhere but belong nowhere,” says Arius.

Agnew creates a rich mythology of the power of dragons and of the truth about the War of the Black Ash. As Arius teaches Kael how to fly and breathe fire as a dragon, Kael learns that Severn and Siah, the partnered dragon leaders, actually wanted peace with the humans. Kael is dismayed by humans’ lust for war, ulterior motives, power, and greed. He has a decision to make in his new life: Where does he fit with the Dragonsown? He is torn between his two ancestral families—his father’s grandfather Kelton hated and killed dragons, while his mother’s grandfather Darragh befriended the majestic beasts.

This expansive fantasy world provides fervent readers with an undersea city, invisible dragons, merfolk, and battles with fire breathing dragons. Kael and Keaton are likable brothers who work together to right wrongs. There’s also heart, acceptance, and overcoming animosity to understand others. The text at times can be dense, but it’s vivid and exciting—and builds to a twist. Fantasy readers will eagerly look forward to more adventures in the Dragonsown series.

Takeaway: A fast-paced fantasy with the magic of dragons that tugs at the heart and provides a message of understanding.

Great for fans of: Garth Nix, Leigh Bardugo.

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

Click here for more about Dragonsown

A memoir, an act of healing, and a likely source of inspiration, Azar’s pained memoir recounts a life of fighting against his own nature—and his own heart—as a closeted Evangelical, a young man of faith whose secret, he believed, condemned him to Hell. Written “seven years removed from my faith,” My Gay Church Days recounts the years in which Azar bore the conviction that he was “a horrible sinner” and “never worthy of true love.” Azar’s experiences with Christian conversion therapy, which is rooted in the insistence that homosexuality comes from environmental forces and can be “healed,” and years of desperate attempts to “pray the gay away” inevitably proved fruitless, as Azar faced go-nowhere relationships, deep shame and fear, and addiction to opioids. Something had to give, especially as young Azar increasingly was preaching the gospel himself.

Uncommonly thoughtful and empathetic, My Gay Church Days demonstrates clear-eyed understanding of evangelical life and beliefs as Azar tells the story of zealously working to save the souls of loved ones—essentially impressing them into a tradition of belief that damns his true self. “As I grew deeper in the faith,” Azar writes, “I became more paranoid by the thought of others finding out that I was a fraud.”

Azar adeptly dramatizes the wrenching choice he faced: risk being the person he was born as, or give up the community he depended upon for fellowship and meaning. “I truly believed my oppression was my calling,” he writes. But shame, a sense of isolation, and a lack of freedom—the monitoring of his search history; complaints about his taste for secular pop music—eventually builds to his making a break with Bayside Church. There’s no moment of high drama, just a pained parting, the loss of a support network, and the fear and promise of living on one’s own terms, told with inviting directness and sincerity.

Takeaway: A warm, engaging memoir of a gay evangelical pastor leaving the church and embracing his truth.

Great for fans of: Matthew Vines’s God and the Gay Christian, Gregory Coles’s Single, Gay, Christian.

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

Click here for more about My Gay Church Days

In this straightforward guide, Lebacqz offers readers a myriad of new techniques to write with confidence and concision in the workplace, alongside explanations of unhelpful habits and how to break them. Drawing on decades of teaching writing, Lebacqz directly addresses practical business and professional writing skills, emphasizing what works and what’s clear. “This book starts by looking at the smallest ingredients of writing—words—and expands from there to talk about building sentences, paragraphs, and documents,” Lebacqz states, and as she presents her holistic approach to learning more efficient ways of written communication, she provides incisive answers to common everyday problems readers might be facing.

For business professionals seeking a fine-tuning of their writing abilities—or an entire overhaul— Lebacqz’s inviting debut uses concrete examples and simple graphics to help readers grasp how, often, previous education and “fluff”—“extra, often meaningless small words that show up in their writing as they try harder and harder to explain their point”—can impede our ability to write clearly and effectively. Without ever being fussy, she breaks down the basics of language and structure to demonstrate how an audience will understand a message: Lebacqz details three “levels of reader analysis” to interpret the distinctive circumstances to consider for each potential reader, such as their culture or daily work life.

Lebacqz cautions against composing formal or boring emails, urging professionals not to stick to the prescribed and formulaic. The directness and clarity of High-Value Writing, and its inviting tone and step-by-step instruction, exemplifies her approach. She takes care to focus on her audience’s needs, giving topic-oriented recommendations laid out for easy implementation, as she moves from the power of a single word to understanding the impact of a paragraph. Readers eager to feel “more independent and confident” in their writing will appreciate this polished, no-nonsense guide.

Takeaway: Designed for business professionals, this inviting writing guide offers helpful techniques for more direct and meaningful communication.

Great for fans of: William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, Mike Markel and Stuart A. Selber’s Technical Communication.

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

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Hains (Sleep in the Dust of the Earth) terrifies audiences with this fast-paced horror treat, the first of his Nightshade Chronicles. Cole Nightshade, an abused young boy who can see ghosts, is placed into an asylum after he is kicked out of foster care. Once there, Cole must fight for his sanity, but it’s not just the wailing voices from beyond that threaten to unravel his mind. Saint Edward’s State Asylum is rumored to house the Creeper, a monstrous creature that murders children. When the rumors prove more threatening with each passing night, Cole must battle his own inner demons to gain the strength he needs to survive.

Hains reveals Cole’s journey by pivoting between the present and 1962, the year Cole entered Saint Edward’s. The present-day sections allow readers moments of reflection and a chance to catch their breath, but the heart of the story is in the flashbacks, when Cole must navigate the supernatural as well as the real horrors of asylum life. Hains doesn’t hold back as he depicts the horrendous abuses the children endure at the hands of the staff members nominally employed to keep them safe, and mature themes such as sexual assault and suicide are woven into the characters’ stories, making this an intense reading experience. The villain is particularly gnarly, and readers with sensitive stomachs should steel themselves.

Those wrenching components aside, Cole’s engaging inner journey has the effect of softening the gruesome elements, making him a character readers will champion. The tension is potent from the dynamic opening sentence—“The blood seeping down the back of his throat had slowed considerably, so that crappy taste in his mouth wasn’t as bad anymore”—to a thrilling conclusion that will engross horror readers. Those looking for a chilling tale with a ghastly villain will find themselves locked into this gripping terror.

Takeaway: Horror enthusiasts with no aversion to gore will find themselves riveted by the high drama and dynamic characters in this decades-crossing nail-biter.

Great for fans of: Madeleine Roux, Amy Lukavics’s Nightingale.

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

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