Book Review: Alternate Worlds

Alternate Worlds is a the Gathering memoir written by Brian Schneider, one of the game’s early R&D leads, about the fun and merit of growing up a gamer. Consider it a love letter to CCG, to gamers, and to anyone who woke up one day and thought, “I miss my friends.”

The book itself is a “Magic deck” of sixty short, delightful, stories -- all tales about lessons learned along the way. All profits from Alternate Worlds will be donated periodically to nonprofit organizations of the highest need.

Alternate Worlds: A Memoir From the Early Days of Playing and Making Magic: The Gathering was published November 2025.

Book Review: The Thunder Heist

Meet Kef Cutmark. pirate, monster-slayer, scourge of the Twisted Seas. After a lifetime of running from her past, she’s returned to Zorith – a tangled jungle of a thousand boats, all lashed together to make a floating city-ship. Zorith is powered by a device that draws energy from lightning. Mysterious, unique, and locked in an unbreachable tower, it’s the envy of Zorith’s rivals.

And Kef? She’s here to steal it. If she can take the device and cripple Zorith, maybe she’ll find justice for all the hurt the city has caused her. But with an unreliable thieving crew, hunters closing in, and her past bearing down upon her, failure looks more likely. And if she fails, she’ll never find peace again.

The Thunder Heist by Jed Herne was published October 2020 by Undergrove Press.

Book Review: Across the Broken Stars

Leon has a secret. He was once an angel – a winged warrior sworn to protect Paya, a realm where people live on discs that float in space. He failed.Now, Leon’s a broken man, trying to forget the past. He thinks he’s the last angel. But then a young fugitive stumbles onto Leon’s doorstep. She’s an angel, too. And she has a riddle leading to a place where angels still live. Or so the stories claim.

Desperate for redemption, Leon begins a perilous quest through myth and folklore. But will Leon and the fugitive find their legendary destination? Or will Leon lose his last chance for salvation?

Across the Broken Stars by Jed Herne was published February 3, 2020, by Undergrove Press.

Book Review: Old Bastards

Hi, I’m Tracy. I work in a nursing home, and to say I hate it would be a gross fucking understatement. It’s got a few perks though — like the sleeping pills (so long as no one sees you take them), and Juan, the hot guy who sells me weed and totally wants in my pants.

But lately, things have been fucking weird. Some old bitch died — it wasn’t my fault, I swear! — and now she’s haunting me. Everywhere I go, she's there, creeping me out with her big creepy face. Does she want something, or am I just tripping? Either way, she better fuck off before I really lose my shit.

Old Bastards: A Very Naughty Comedy was written by Stevie Duffy,independently published June 24, 2026.

Book Review: Generation F*cked

Cancel your subscriptions. Make coffee at home. Go to college. Don’t rent. Buy a house to build equity. That advice was built for a different economy. Today, those choices come with far less certainty.

With rising inflation, unaffordable housing, stagnant wages, and crushing student debt, the traditional ‘rules of success’ for many working- and middle-class young adults no longer lead to the outcomes once promised. This leaves younger generations searching for strategies that actually work in today’s world.

The current system isn’t sustainable. By pairing big-picture clarity with actionable, ground-level guidance, Generation F*cked offers a path toward a more stable, fair, and achievable future, serving as a guide for generations navigating a radically different economy.

Book Review: January and July

A disgraced intel officer anxious to redeem herself after a disastrous mission, January Holte vows to uncover the identity of a traitor who is selling her agency’s secrets. The few clues she’s found have led her to a sleepy river town: Lethey, Texas, and to the one man who might know the truth.

July Whitlock, a rookie bodyguard, searches for his one and only client, who has suddenly disappeared. He follows a trail to Lethey to find his missing protectee, Bill Connors. But Bill’s friends and enemies in Lethey have secrets of their own. And as January and July ask questions no one wants to answer, they find a tangled web of murder, greed, and ambition—one that will kill anyone who tries to unravel its mysteries.

Book Review: Operation - True Love volume 1

Phones are perfect for sending messages, snapping photos, and most importantly, talking to your friends. One thing Su-ae didn’t account for, however, was that her phone would be able to talk back.

Su-ae discovers that Jellypop, a flip phone stored in her locker, is sentient—and Jellypop has a lot to say about Su-ae’s love life. High school romances are never easy, and Su-ae’s relationship with her nonchalant boyfriend seems to be going nowhere.

Lacking the charisma of her step-sister Ra-im is one thing, but seeing the growing sparks between her and Minu just adds salt to injury. It’s up to Jellypop to help Su-ae navigate the peaks and pits of teenage love, and finally get the high school love story she deserves!