Catching Up on My Book Reviews

A Few Highly Recommended New Reads

The week has been one for the books—literally. I have been reading and writing and thinking about books, especially the ones I have read in the last two months during the Big Book Tour, in which I posted not one review. Two of the books I am reviewing here are new—and I mean really new, as in published this very week. I know you are all consumed with curiosity, so here we go!

First off, the newest book from my own publisher, Re:Books of Toronto, is Yellow Birds by Karen Green. Our young heroine Kait has left home in search of meaning, hoping to find it in the words and music of a popular rock band that tours around North America. Traveling in the wake of this musical force is a peaceful army of rock groupies and camp followers who consider the band in question to be everything from the voice of their generation to modern-day messiahs. Sound familiar? Yes, there are echoes of the Grateful Dead and their merry band of Deadheads, but this young girl’s complicated coming-of-age tale is as personal as a diary entry and as heartfelt as young love. If you are drawn to stories about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, then this book is for you. And don’t you love the cover? Read the opening pages here.

Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel Olivas took me on a very different journey, one that surprised me at every turn. Based on the story of a monster, this book is about a man created from more than one corpse—reanimated from spare parts, as it were—and, in a world that looks and feels very much like our modern world, made to feel other and much less than human. Meanwhile, ambitious politicians play God with his rights and the rights of all the other Reanimated people. I found myself lurching zombie-like between laughter and dread as I followed this poor soul through his days as a paralegal, wincing as he tries to copy or at least understand the behavior of those around him in order to fit in with the other inhabitants of Pasadena. The book’s diverse cast of characters includes the outspoken and determined lawyer Faustina Godinez, one of my favorite literary characters in years. I enjoyed seeing Pasadena’s familiar landmarks, but cringed at the familiar sight of American racism and intolerance. Bet you’re curious by now. Click here to check out a sample.

Speaking of American racism, I need to recommend a brilliant book by John Fanestil American Heresy: The Roots and Reach of White Christian Nationalism. I hate when I hear people say that White Nationalism isn’t American, like it is some imported disease that started in Germany or in some other part of the world, and I think this book should be required reading. Readers will be as intrigued as I was to find out how far back this home-grown disease goes. The author’s deep historical dive into the world of our nation’s “founding fathers” puts the “dysfunctional family” that is our modern nation into much clearer perspective. No matter your religion, if you care about the future of this country, you need to read this book about its past.

Over on TikTok, my friend Boswell on Books recommended The Lost Girl: A Neverland Story by Allison Spooner a couple of months ago and I finally got to it in February and devoured it in a couple of sittings. If you loved Peter Pan and miss being immersed in the whole Neverland world of Pirates and Lost Boys and Fairies, you will definitely love this book. The beloved setting comes to life in all its colorful, magical glory, and our heroines interactions with the Lost Boys can be pretty darned sweet, but the writing is never cloying. And don’t expect this book to all be sunny and funny—the author has a deep message or two to impart and she tackles hard-hitting truths about families and childhood as well.

The last on this list of my recent recommendable reads is Saving Myles by Carl Vondereau. Set in San Diego, or in the “greater Tijuana Region” as an old friend once put it, this book quickly takes us into the dark world of deadly drugs and addiction, and into the much darker and more dangerous worlds of international cartels, high finance, and money laundering. The author even delves into the murky depths of a long-term marriage on the rocks, exploring the trials of co-parenting and the perils of navigating interpersonal trust. Though not as grisly as Vondereau’s Murderabilia—which I loved in spite of its darkness—Saving Myles will definitely keep you on the edge of your couch. And the ebook is currently only $1.99 on Amazon, so grab it today!

That’s it for my book review round-up. I hope one or more of the books on this list piqued your interest. You can find lists of more books I recommend here on the wonderful site Shepherd.com. Remember to post reviews of books you love on sites like Goodreads and Amazon—it’s a huge benefit all of us indie authors (hint hint!).

I’m busily writing and editing in our secluded housesitting location but finding time to do some remote book promotion too, like yesterday’s fun Launch Pad interview I did on Facebook Live, now available as a rerun.

I’ll be back with more tales and links from the world of book marketing next week.

Hasta pronto!