Book Review: Everybody Wants to Rule the World

It’s 1985, what will soon become known as “The Year of the Spy,” and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom’s new boyfriend is a Russian agent. “Gary” isn’t in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He’s just a kid into BMX and MTV.

After another woman working at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies: a has-been pulp writer/muckraker named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy/heavy Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman (Is it Gary? Maybe!) with a serious Phil Collins obsession.

Book Review: I'm Nineteen, I Study Computers, and I Grew Up Online

Liam, a nineteen-year-old computer science student, takes readers inside the digital lives of today’s teenagers - the gaming worlds, private chats, unspoken risks, and invisible pressures that shape how young people see themselves and connect with others. Through humor, mistakes, and hard-won insight, Liam reveals what really happens online - and how parents can understand it without fear or judgment.

This is not a book about control; it’s a book about connection. It’s about how families can rebuild trust, communicate better, and stay close - even when screens stand between them. Candid, hopeful, and deeply human, it is the bridge between generations that every modern family needs.

Book Review: The History of Pokémon Games

Pokémon is one of the biggest entertainment franchises of all time, and video games have always been at the heart of the series. From the nine generations (so far) of mainline RPGs to popular spin-offs such as Pokémon Go, Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, and digital editions of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pikachu and his pals have delighted millions of gamers for almost thirty years.

This book offers an extensive guide to every title ever released in the franchise, from the original Red and Blue games that first made Pokémon a worldwide phenomenon to the latest outings for aspiring Pokémon trainers. And not just the main entries; this guide also covers rare and obscure titles, from Japan-only arcade machines to PC tie-ins that were only available with a certain brand of chicken nuggets.

Book Review: Feliz Navidead

It’s the most picturesque time of theyear in Santa Fe, and Chef Rita Lafitte of Tres Amigas Café hopes the twinkling lights and tasty holiday treats will charm her visiting mom. Rita is also planning fun activities, such as watching her teenage daughter, Celia, perform in an outdoor Christmas play. What she doesn’t plan for is murder.

Rita discovers a dead actor during the premier performance but vows to keep clear of the case. Sleuthing would upset her mom. Besides, there’s already a prime suspect, caught red-handed in his bloodied Santa suit. However, when the accused Santa’s wife begs for assistance and points out that Celia and other performers could be in danger, Rita can’t say no. With the help of her elderly boss, Flori, and her coterie of rogue knitters, Rita strives to salvage her mother’s vacation, unmask a murderer, and stop this festive season from turning even more fatal.

Book Review: JSA vol 1 - Infinity Inc vs. the Justice Society

Longtime fan favorites Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Jade, Obsidian, Jesse Quick, Hourman, Wildcat, and Sand are all back on the roster, but the team is fractured in more ways than one. Will Golden Age ideals hold true as the JSA races to respond to its latest threat? Or does it need a more hardcore approach to stand a chance against the new Injustice Society of America? Collects JSA #1-6.

JSA vol. 1: Infinity Inc vs. the Justice Society by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Diego Olortegui was published September 2, 2025, by DC Comics.

Book Review: Fun City Heist

Mo Melnick used to be a drummer in rock band Sunshine Apocalypse. He used to be someone. These days he rents beach umbrellas on the Jersey Shore. The last thing he expects is for Johnny Clay, his old bandmate turned enemy, to ask him a favor. Johnny’s dying, and before he passes he wants Sunshine Apocalypse to reunite for one last gig at Fun City, the beachfront amusement park where their musical journey began. Mo’s in, reluctantly.

But then Johnny reveals his real plan: He doesn’t just want to play at Fun City on the fourth of July. He wants to rob it. The plan is crazy. It has more holes than a golf course. But Mo’s sick of barely keeping his head above water, so he and his gang of middle-aged has-beens dive into what will be the most outrageous heist New Jersey’s ever seen—if, that is, they can pull it off alive.

Book Review: God's Junk Drawer

Forty years ago, the Gather family—James, his daughter Beau, and his son Billy—vanished during a whitewater rafting trip and were presumed dead. Five years later, Billy reappeared on the far side of the world, telling an impossible tale of a primordial valley populated by dinosaurs, aliens, Neanderthals, and androids. Little Billy became the punchline of so very many jokes, until he finally faded from the public eye.

Now, a group of graduate astronomy students follow their professor, Noah Barnes, up a mountain for what they believe is a simple stargazing trip. But they’re about to travel a lot farther than they planned. Noah (the now grown Billy Gather) has finally figured out how to get back to the valley. Accidentally bringing his students along with him, he’s confident he can get everyone back home, safe and sound. But the valley is a puzzle—one it turns out Noah hasn’t figured out, and they’ll need to solve it together if there’s any chance of making it out alive.

Book Review: Superhero

A-list actor Peter Compton and producing partner Marci Levy exist in the rarefied air of Hollywood’s elite. Their status as a married power couple is unmatched, their presence in any room transformative and god-like. But as their private jet lands in Atlanta to begin production on a tentpole superhero movie, even their privileged position will come under threat by the massive pressures of such an undertaking.

Compton, a self-educated recovering addict, sees the role of Sparta comics superhero Major Machina as the opportunity to transcend his already stratospheric platform. As director Joel Slavkin, Oscar-winning DP Javier Benavidez, and a crew of hundreds arrive in Atlanta to begin shooting, it doesn’t take long for the production to be embroiled in the tension and egos that drive the film. But when video of Peter’s disastrous on-set behavior goes viral, Peter and Marci’s partnership will be challenged as it never has before. As the stakes grow ever higher, it may just take a superhero to save them.

Book Review: Across the Universe

From Wordle to Spelling Bee, we live in a time of word game mania. Crosswords in particular gained renewed popularity during the COVID-19 lockdown, when games became another kind of refuge. Today, 36 million Americans solve crosswords once a week or more, and nearly 23 million solve them daily. Yet, as longtime New Yorker crossword contributor Natan Last will tell you, the seemingly apolitical puzzle has never been more controversial—or more interesting.

Book Review: 100 Rules for Living to 100

Dick Van Dyke danced his way into our hearts with iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Now, as he’s about to turn 100 years old, Dick is still dancing and approaching life with the twinkle in his eye that we’ve come to know and love. In 100 Rules for Living to 100, he reveals his secrets for maintaining your joie de vivre and making the most out of the life you’ve been given.

Through stories of his pivotal childhood, moments on film sets, his expansive family, and finding love late in life, Dick reflects on both the joyful times and the challenges that shaped him. His indefatigable spirit and positive attitude will surely inspire readers to count the blessings in their own lives, persevere through the hard times, and appreciate the beauty and complexity of being human.

Book Review: Uncharted Territory

Did you know that hit songs in the late 1950s were regularly about gruesome death? That a US vice president wrote a number one hit? That while TikTok has spawned countless hits, it's made artists more anonymous than ever before? That pop songs have shaped race relations in the United States? That the key change died around 2003? And that's just the beginning.

Coupling hard data with engaging anecdotes, Uncharted Territory is both a takedown and celebration of popular music and provides new ways to think about your favorite songs, genres, and artists from the last six decades using unexpected statistics and playful visualizations. This entertaining history is filled with the most popular musicians of all time from The Beatles and The Bee Gees to Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and beyond. Whether you danced the twist or the dougie at your senior prom, you're sure to never listen to music again in the same way.

Book Review: Write a Dystopian Novel

Write a Dystopian Novel guides writers of all experience levels through the tropes and themes that exist within the dystopian setting, then provides prompts that will not only engage the writer’s creativity but will also beat writer’s block and offer a fresh perspective on outdated tropes.

First writers will find an interesting scenario for their characters, then they’re given brainstorming and writing instructions, and may also find some interesting twists with extra asks about adding additional elements (like a joke or a lie), giving things an extra dystopian spin, or working in a callback. For anyone looking to expand their dystopian writing, this book is a must-have to help complete their story ideas, deepen their worldbuilding, and craft unforgettable, thought-provoking narratives that will captivate readers.

Book Review: How Walt Disney Changed Animation Forever

Most biographies of Walt Disney cover the full span of his life and the full history of his studio, from its start in 1923 until his death in 1966. However, these books, while broad, often give very little detail in the way of the production of its famous films, the operation of its studio, or its major accomplishments. How Walt Disney Changed Animation Forever instead focuses on a key period of the growth, innovation, and eclipsing popularity of the Walt Disney Studio, intertwining its narrative history with the historical context of the 1920s-1950s and the daily life of its founder. Based upon years of historical research including recollections by prominent Disney artists and on-the-ground, in-person experiences at key locations from Disney history, How Walt Disney Changed Animation Forever describes the global impact the studio had on how films were produced for decades to come.

Book Review: North of Nowhere

After five years in hiding from their murderous father(the head of an LA crime family), Kristen and Ryan McIntyre have been tracked to a small Montana town. They barely escape in a small plane, but gunfire hits the fuel line. The pilot, a man who has been raising them as his own, manages to crash land in the middle of the Montana wilderness. The siblings hike deep into the woods, searching desperately for safety, unaware of the severity of the approaching storm.

As the storm builds, their Aunt Ruby isn’t the only person looking for them. Their father Boyd McIntyre has hired an expert tracker to find and bring them home. And rancher Nick Lorenzo, who knows these mountains better than anyone and doesn’t understand why the kids are running, is on their trail too. But there is a greater threat to Kristen and Ryan out there. More volatile than the incoming blizzard, more dangerous than the family they ran from or the natural predators they could encounter. Who finds them first could determine if they live or die.

Book Review: Zen in the Art of Writing

In Zen in the Art of Writing, Ray Bradbury’s love for his craft shines. With signature wisdom, wit, and verve, Bradbury delves into his prolific writing career, exploring the creation of countless stories, novels, plays, movies, and more that have stood the test of time. Written over a thirty-year period, these inspirational essays insist that there is a “deep well of explosive self-revelation” in all of us waiting to be released through the process of writing.

Bradbury’s essays illuminate the passion and intellect of one of the most inventive and prolific artists of the 20th century. He reveals how writers can find their own unique path to developing their voice and style. Zen celebrates the art of writing that will delight, impassion, and inspire, but most of all, it celebrates life.

Book Review: Battlestar Galactica

Few television science fiction series have had the enduring appeal of the original, late 1970s Battlestar Galactica. Despite lasting only one season (1978-1979), almost half a century later Battlestar remains a cultural touchstone and major influence on genre productions in a variety of media. For all its popularity, however, Battlestar remains a largely unstudied series, with relatively few resources available for those interested in learning more about the show, including both its development and its afterlife.

This companion is the definitive resource for fans of the series. It contains all the essential facts that fans would expect, such as plot and other details of each episode, but uniquely also explores the scholarly and philosophical influences on the series. Battlestar Galactica borrows extensively from classical mythology and biblical sources, as well as from myths and folklore associated with nation-building and the timeless wonder of travel stories. In many regards, Battlestar is nothing less than an Aeneid in outer space, telling the story of how an exiled, defeated people seeks a return to their ancestral home, surmounting countless perils along the way. Fratantuono brings his expertise in classical mythology and ancient history to bear on the series.

Book Review: Writing Creativity and Soul

When Sue Monk Kidd was in high school, a home economics teacher wrote a list of potential occupations for women on the blackboard: teacher, nurse, librarian, secretary. “Writer” was nowhere to be found. On that day, Kidd shut the door on her writerly aspirations and would not revisit the topic until many years later when she announced to her husband and two children that she was going to become a writer. And so began her journey into the mysteries and methods of the writerly life.

Book Review: No Job for a Man

A darkly witty, deeply affecting, and finely crafted memoir by the Big Bang Theory and Speechless star and comedian, John Ross Bowie.

No Job for a Man follows John’s journey as he tries to make it in the arts, meeting success and failure, wins and losses, despair and hope along the way. Though his father chronically refuses to acknowledge pride in his adult son’s accomplishments, John comes to his own idiosyncratic version of being a man.

Bowie's biography was published November 2022 by Pegasus Books.

Book Review: Jekyll and Hyde - Winter Retreat

When music-hall comedy duo Rolly Daconey and Irina Matei are threatened by a mysterious blackmailer, they turn to the Jekyll & Hyde detective agency for help. But the agency is experiencing turmoil and, unbeknownst to Muriel Carew, Henry Jekyll is ever more reliant on the elixir that transforms him into the brutish Edward Hyde.

Still, there’s nothing like a good case to clear the air, and the investigation soon points towards Lady Goodram’s winter artists’ retreat. But once Henry and Muriel arrive at Gaunt Manor, they’re trapped by heavy snow, and they find themselves at the centre of a group of bickering performers, stage magicians and inventors whose long-standing rifts and petty grievances threaten to turn ugly.

To make matters worse, a body is discovered – and the last person with whom the murder victim was seen alive was Edward Hyde. How can the detective agency get to the bottom of the case when their very presence puts everyone at risk?

Book Review: Aces Full

In hardcover for the first time, this collection (edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin) brings together the Wild Cards stories that have been previously published on Reactor (formerly known as Tor.com) The authors involved include: Cherie Priest, Carrie Vaughn, Caroline Spector, Bradley Denton, Walton Simons, Sage Walker, Marko Kloos, Ian Tregillis, Laura J. Mixon, Alan Brennert and Emma Newman.

Wild Cards: Aces Full will be published November 11, 2025. Tor Publishing Group provided an early galley for review.

Book Review: The Hitchhikers

It’s the summer of 1976 and Alice and Tom set out on the remote Canadian highways in their new RV, hoping to heal their broken hearts after a devastating tragedy. They’ve planned the trip perfectly, taken care of every detail. Then they meet two young hitchhikers down on their luck and offer them a ride. But Simon and Jenny aren’t what they seem. They’ve left a trail of blood, destruction, and madness behind them.

Now Alice and Tom are trapped, prisoners in a deadly game, with nowhere to turn. As the tension builds, the lines blur, and the question becomes "in whose heart does evil truly lie?". What secrets are Jenny and Simon hiding? And who will live another day?

Book Review: Don't Stop

On January 1, 1975, struggling young singer-songwriter Lindsey Buckingham was invited to join the veteran blues band Fleetwood Mac. He agreed on the condition that his girlfriend, an equally unknown vocalist named Stevie Nicks, also be included. Within two years, Rumours was born—and went on to become one of the most popular albums of all time.

Almost five decades later, it is the only classic rock record that still attracts young listeners and continues to top sales and streaming charts. In Don’t Stop, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Alan Light unravels the enduring allure of Fleetwood Mac’s monumental album. Since its 1977 release, Rumours has captivated generations with its unparalleled blend of romantic turmoil and musical genius. Light explores the album’s transformation from a pop phenomenon to a cultural touchstone, and its unique ability to remain relevant in today’s rapidly changing music scene.

Book Review: The Man of Many Fathers

When Roy Wood Jr. held his baby boy for the first time, he was relieved that his son was happy and healthy, but he felt a strange mix of joy and apprehension. Roy’s own father, a voice of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama, had passed away when Roy was sixteen. There were gaps in the lessons passed down from father to son and, holding his own child, Roy wondered: Have I managed to fill in those blanks, to learn the lessons I will one day need to teach my boy?

So Roy looked back to figure out who had taught him lessons throughout his life and which he could pass down to his son. Some of his father figures were clear, like a colorful man from Philadelphia navigating life after prison, who taught Roy the value of having a vision for his life, or his fellow comedians, who showed him what it took to make it as a working stand-up performer. Others were less obvious, from the teenage friends who convinced him to race "leaf boats" carrying lit matches in the middle of a drought to a drug-addicted restaurant colleague who played hoops while Roy scoured dirty dishes to big names in Hollywood, like Trevor Noah and more.

Book Review: Vagabond

There are few stars in Hollywood today that can boast the kind of resume Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance, and a genuine understanding of human darkness.

Book Review: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Craig Inciardi was a rising star at Sotheby’s, wheeling and dealing in rock memorabilia, when he got the call to help launch the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum. The catch? There was no museum. Just a “guitar of no importance and three interesting sheets of paper.”

With a green light and few guardrails, Inciardi hit the road and became the Indiana Jones of rock history—working out of Rolling Stone’s offices, answering to Jann Wenner, and tracking down legends for their sacred stuff. His journey took him to Ozzy Osbourne’s country estate (where Ozzy greeted him with a gun), Keith Moon’s boyhood home, and Art Garfunkel’s secret stash of letters from Paul Simon. Along the way, he landed the guitar Pete Townshend used to write “Tommy,” Otis Redding’s leather coat worn before his fatal plane crash, Patti Smith’s duct-taped boots, Aretha Franklin’s handwritten notes, Debbie Harry’s stagewear, and John Lennon’s glasses that were worn on the day he died.

And that’s only a fraction of the rock-relic stories on offer.

Book Review: Disney's Animated Classics

This new book explores the iconic features from the Walt Disney Studio's first 100 years, from Snow White to Wish. A love letter to storytelling and collaboration, each chapter takes readers behind the scenes of a different movie, uncovering the hidden secrets, creative geniuses, and surprising connections that will enthral die-hard Disney fans and casual viewers alike.

It also examines how the studio's films have shaped and been shaped by the world around them and how they have attempted to reflect a changing culture. From the studio's representation of race and sexuality to its fluctuating creative fortunes through the decades, it offers an unflinchingly funny history of one of the biggest icons in cinema.

Book Review: The Fallbacks - Bound for Ruin

Meet the newest Dungeons & Dragons party in the first epic adventure of The Fallbacks. To become renowned adventurers, this party needs to survive their first job.

Their first recovering a mysterious spellbook from a lost temple for a hefty payout. Tess hopes this assignment can turn her group of fledgling freelancers into a true team. But when their client is killed, their coin and his murderer both vanish, leaving the party to take the fall.

Stuck with a sentient, bloodthirsty grimoire and pursued by mercenaries and the undead, this is hardly the mission Tess envisioned. Her crew must save the day, get the gold, and clear the party’s name—which they haven’t even agreed upon yet! With the threats against them mounting, a single mistake will see this party over before it even begins. Can this band of mismatched misfits stay together in the face of danger? Or are they bound for ruin?

Book Review: The Librarians

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore.

Book Review: Night People

Lady Gaga, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, the Barbie soundtrack—behind some of the biggest musical moments in the past two decades is one man: Mark Ronson. Night People conjures the undeniable magic of the city's bygone nightlife—a time when clubs were diverse, glamorous, and a little lawless, and each night brought a heady mix of music, ambition, danger, delight, and possibility. It's about the beauty of what you can create with just two Technics and a mixer, in a golden era before Giuliani, camera phones, and bottle service upended everything. It's also about a teenager finding his way—stalking DJ Stretch Armstrong and biting his mixes, crate-digging in every corner of New York, grinding gig after gig through a decade of incredible music—and finding a community of people who, in their own strange, cracked ways, lived for the night.

Book Review: The Fairley Brothers in Japan

Chris and Andy Fairley couldn’t be more opposite—Chris, an uptight, ever-pessimist, and Andy, a go-with-the-flow hopeful. Their glory days seemed long behind them since their moderate success as a folk-rock duo and their relationship with each other fizzled out in the mid-1980s. But when their hit song is unexpectedly chosen for a Japanese car commercial, the men are given one last shot to revive their fame and friendship.

They embark on a tour across Japan, but soon find their venues are far from glamorous: a wedding reception where they're asked to play their hit on repeat, a flower farm gift shop, a windy sculpture park, and a restaurant where customers catch their own fish. As tensions between the brothers rise and a strange reporter begins following them all around the country, the men aren’t sure if the band or their relationship will survive.

Book Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s journey is a testament to the power of creativity, collaboration, and cultural synthesis. He was not a musical prodigy, but an insatiable drive to create art and learn from those around him propelled him to fuse his Latino heritage with pop, hip-hop, and the musical styles of Broadway. His was a new way of telling American stories, and of speaking to new audiences.

Drawing on interviews with Miranda’s family, friends, and mentors—and many conversations with Miranda himself, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner delves into the formative experiences that shaped Miranda as an artist, from his early musicals in high school and college to the creation of his Broadway and Hollywood triumphs. With full access to Miranda’s inner circle, this behind-the-scenes origin story is sure to captivate his legions of fans and beyond.

Book Review: Robert B. Parker's Showdown

Vic Hale isn’t anyone’s idea of a father figure. He is one of the biggest (and loudest) podcasters in the nation and got there by spewing overheated rhetoric that’s reviled by some but loved by even more. His particular brand of “entertainment” is so successful, he’s about to sign the biggest contract in the history of online broadcasting. Vic’s riding high until he gets a visit from Spenser, who specializes in bringing guys like Hale back down to Earth.

Spenser is there on behalf of Daniel Lopez, a young man who believes Hale may be his father. It’s a potentially explosive revelation for a man in the podcaster’s position and it might even be enough to blow up his massive new deal. That could explain the bodies that start popping up – bodies connected in one way or another with the mystery surrounding Daniel’s birth. There are a lot of questions remaining, and Spenser’s going to have to find the answers before someone shuts Hale or Daniel up for good.

Book Review: The Children of the Roses

Meet Josh and Evie Rose, heirs to the notorious legacy of Barbara and Jonathan. In The Children of the Roses, Warren Adler delivers a darkly comic, razor-sharp sequel about love, family, and the havoc we inherit.

Josh’s marriage to Victoria seems destined to avoid the mistakes of the past. But when a harmless prank involving missing Milky Ways at their son’s elite private school spirals into all-out war, everything changes. Josh and Victoria find themselves caught in a whirlwind of emotional chaos, fueled by a depraved headmaster, hidden affairs, and a meddling mother-in-law with a vendetta against men.

Meanwhile, Josh’s sister Evie, ever loyal and always ready with a comforting meal, tries to hold the family together. As tensions rise, even the children, Michael and Emily, plot their own desperate plan to keep their family from falling apart.

Book Review: Such Great Heights

Maybe you caught a few exhilarating seconds of “Teen Age Riot” on a nearby college radio station while scanning the FM dial in your parents’ car. Maybe your friend invited you to a shabby local rock club and you ended up having a religious experience with Neutral Milk Hotel. Perhaps you were scandalized and tantalized upon sneaking Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville from an older sibling’s CD collection, or you vowed to download every Radiohead song you could find on LimeWire because they were the favorite band of the guy you had a major crush on.

Book Review: Tusk Love

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure. Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

Book Review: In Deadly Company

As the assistant of the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Nicole Underwood has plenty of tasks on her to-do list—one of which is the blowout birthday celebration for her nightmare, one-percenter boss, Xander Chambers. But when the party ends in chaos and murder and Nicole is one of the survivors, suspicion—from the investigators to the media—lands on her. Was she the reason for all the bloodshed?

A year after those deadly events, Nicole tries to set the public record straight by agreeing to consult on a feature film based on her story. However, on the set in LA, she's sidelined by inappropriate casting and persistent, bizarre script changes, while also haunted by the events of that party weekend with visions of her now-deceased boss. It seems clearing her name isn't so simple when the question of guilt or innocence is...complicated.

Book Review: The Villa

As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album, and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.

Book Review: Memoirs of a Lyrical Man

In 2014, Jay Hagaki's life as a famous actor and musician is filled with fame and fortune. But when a brush with death sends him back to 2007, the world of celebrity fades, replaced by a seemingly average life—until the danger and intrigue begin. Hunted by shadowy forces, Hagaki is sent on a wild ride, taking him deep into the unknown. Amidst the chaos, he's drawn to a woman who haunts his dreams, her connection to his life a tantalizing mystery.

While the present and the future tango in his brain, memories of a previous life resurface to join the dance. Do these memories hold the key to a cryptic puzzle that threatens to consume him?

Memoirs of a Lyrical Man by Steven Templar was published on November 15, 2023, by Mysterious Ink Publishing.

Book Review: A History of Punk

Punk was filthy and furious, yet it was also a new dawn for the British music scene. In its original form it was a movement of human liberation, a Year Zero moment in the history of a nation more used to colonial exploits and a vast empire. It spoke of fury, of hopelessness, of cathartic anger expressed through visceral, exciting, revolutionary music. Its visual images captured the gaze of the nation, and soon the world. And all of its central figures yelled, hammered and smashed the doors of the Establishment.

Book Review: The Linchpin Writer

In every novel there are pivotal places that can make or break a book. Write them well, and you'll have your readers begging for a sequel. Write them poorly, and your book will get scathing reviews and sell only a handful of copies. These pivotal places are "linchpin moments," and in this book you'll learn how to nail these moments.

Based on real advice from editing hundreds of novels, John Matthew Fox guides writers through the process of creating a novel that soars in the reader's imagination. After reading this book, you'll be a better storyteller, a better self-editor, and a better writer.

Book Review: Tonight in Jungleland

From the opening piano notes of “Thunder Road,” to the final outro of “Jungleland” – with American anthems like “Born to Run” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” in between – Bruce Springsteen’s seminal album, Born to Run, established Springsteen as a creative force in rock and roll. With his back against the wall, he wrote what has been hailed as a perfect album, a defining moment, and a roadmap for what would become a legendary career.

Peter Ames Carlin, whose bestselling biography, Bruce, gave him rare access to Springsteen’s inner circle, now returns with the full story of the making of this epic album. Released in August, 1975, Born to Run now celebrates its 50th anniversary. Carlin reveals a treasure trove of untold stories, detailing the writing and recording of every song, as well as the intense and at times tortuous process that mimicked the fault lines in Springsteen’s psyche and career, even as it revealed the depth of his vision. A must-read for any music fan, Tonight in Jungleland takes us inside a hallowed creative process and lets us experience history.

Book Review: Bat Out of Hell

The fourth installment in the Music and Murder Mystery series, edited by Don Bruns, Bat Out of Hell is a nonstop thrill ride of engrossing mysteries from some of the best authors in the business. An anthology unlike any other, this collection includes a brand-new Jack Reacher story from Andrew Child, a never-before-seen Pignon Scorbion prequel from Rick Bleiweiss, as well as exciting new mysteries from Heather Graham, Don Bruns, John Gilstrap, Dave Bruns, C. J. Kudlacz, and Charles Todd. Whether you are familiar with the series or encountering it for the first time, Bat Out of Hell has something for everyone.

This collection of short stories was published July 15, 2025. Blackstone Publishing provided a galley for review.

Book Review: L.A. Women

After a steady descent from literary stardom, Lane Warren is back. She’s secured a new book deal based off the life of her sometime friend and, more often, rival Gala Margolis. Lane’s only problem is that notorious free spirit Gala has been missing for months.

Ten years earlier, Gala was a charming socialite and Lane was a Hollywood outsider amidst the glittering 1960s L.A. party scene. Though they were never best friends, Lane found Gala sharp and compelling. Gala liked that Lane took her seriously. They were both writers. They were drawn to each other.

That was until Gala’s star began to rise, and Lane grew envious. Then Lane did something that she wouldn’t ever be able to take back…changing the trajectories of both their lives.

Book Review: Murder at the Wham Bam Club

After the death of her brave Harlem Hellfighter husband during the First World War, young widow Nola Ann Jackson returned to her hometown of Agate, Illinois, to live with her Aunt Sarah, a known local psychic. Under her aunt’s care and tutelage, Nola has been learning how to tap into her own intuitive gifts and communicate with the spirits. And she will rely on their insightful guidance when she’s asked to help investigate a woman’s disappearance.

Lilly Davidson, the missing woman, was living at the Phyllis Wheatley Institute for Colored Girls where young ladies are educated and prepared to follow bright futures. But she vanished after a night at the Wham Bam Club where jazz music swings, prohibition is defied, and other vices are encouraged.

Book Review: Fever

Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother, it’s impossible to resist the throbbing disco beats and lasting cultural impact of Saturday Night Fever. Released in December 1977, the low-budget “disco movie” was the surprise gift that kept on giving. It made millions at the box office, earned an Oscar nomination for TV-actor-turned-movie-star John Travolta, catapulted the Bee Gees’ music career into the stratosphere with a record-breaking, Grammy-winning soundtrack album, and ignited a “disco inferno” that burns to this day. From Travolta’s iconic white polyster suit and legendary dance moves to the flashing lights and illuminated floor of the 2001 Odyssey disco in Brooklyn, Saturday Night Fever captured the era like no other film—and launched a phenomenon that changed the world forever.

Book Review: Cesar Romero - The Joker Is Wild

Dynamic and debonair, Cesar Romero was best known for creating the role of the Joker in the 1960s Batman television series. As the first actor to play Batman and Robin's villainous nemesis, Romero established the character's giddy, manic tone and the iconic laugh that subsequent actors would use as the starting points in their own Oscar-nominated (Jack Nicholson) and Oscar-winning (Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix) performances. As a closeted gay man of Latin American descent, Romero gracefully faced many personal challenges while maintaining his suave public image and starring opposite legends ranging from Shirley Temple to Marlene Dietrich, Carmen Miranda to Frank Sinatra, and Kurt Russell to Jane Wyman.

Book Review: The Impossible Fortune

It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal.

But when Elizabeth meets Nick, a wedding guest asking for her help, she finds her old instincts are ready to be put to the test again. And when Nick disappears without a trace, his cagey business partner becomes the gang’s next stop. It seems the duo have something valuable—something worth killing for.

Joyce’s daughter Joanna jumps into the fray to help the gang as they seek answers: Has someone kidnapped Nick, and what’s this uncrackable code they keep hearing about? Plunged back into action once more, can the four friends solve the puzzle and a murder in time?

Book Review: Last Night at the Disco

In 1977, twenty-six-year-old Lynda Boyle is desperate for fame and a way out of New Jersey. After failing to make her mark as an East Village poet and rubbing elbows with stars at Studio 54, she discovers a new path to glory through two local musicians, Johnny Engel and Aura Lockhart. Lynda believes she alone can transform them into rock ‘n’ roll legends.

Fast forward four decades: Lynda is in hiding after a series of events force her to flee the tri-state area. When she sees Aura inducting Johnny into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Lynda’s rage ignites. Determined to reclaim her narrative, she sets out to tell her story and secure her rightful place in music history. If she settles a few other scores along the way, that’s just a bonus.

Book Review: Like a Bullet

When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict (the “Commando” novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider) it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.

The books’ creator (real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk) proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn’t come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.

Too authentic, it turns out. Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission. At the time the mission was top secret. And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so.

Book Review: Death of an Ex

Queenstown, New Jersey, feels big when you need help and tiny when you want privacy. For Vandy Myrick, that’s both a blessing and a curse. Now that Vandy’s back in “Q-Town,” her services as her hometown’s only Black woman private investigator have earned her more celebrity—or notoriety—than she figured.

Keeping busy with work helps Vandy deal with the grief of losing her daughter, stitching the seams, cementing the gaps. The memories will always remain, and they come crashing back to the surface when her ex-husband, Phil Bolden, walks back into her life. Promising everything, returning home, restoring family. Until she answers her door to the news that Phil has been murdered. And Vandy decides Phil is now her client.