The storytelling shows real flair, conjuring up the personal history of a man who shrouded his truths from those closest to him. Lorena Weaver’s multigenerational saga "Runaway Ray" is a full-bodied novel that draws upon a captivating... Read More

Clara’s story unspools in a compelling and engaging way. "Clara at the Edge" is a weird and engaging story of a widow, some wasps, and a traumatic past, a story that explores the importance of human connection. Seventy-three-year-old... Read More

This is an amazingly well-researched account of a large, interesting family in the 1800s. Exhaustive research and a keen interest in where he came from led to Michael Harwood’s extensively detailed family history, which continues in... Read More

"Far Stones" offers a fascinating glimpse into an underexplored aspect of the history of the American West. A saga rendered in authentic detail, Loren Woodson’s "Far Stones" is an appealing classic adventure story made exceptional by... Read More

"Harold Hardscrabble" is a sympathetic novel filled with philosophical musings on the state of society and our place within it. G. D. Dess’s "Harold Hardscrabble" has the feel of a postmodern bildungsroman, though it gradually evolves... Read More

Hardy’s mirth, patriotism, and melodrama are especially enjoyable in spoken form. Actor Nicholas Rowe engagingly narrates Naxos’ audiobook "The Trumpet Major", an unabridged version of the Thomas Hardy novel centered on two brothers,... Read More

This is a daring and earnest depiction of identity that crosses societal and cultural boundaries. Jey Tehya’s "The Wrong Kind of Indian" is a raw rendering of a woman’s struggle to claim her identity in the midst of chaotic and... Read More

"The Perfect Tear" is an interesting take on a familiar tale about a humble girl who saves the world. Connie Lansberg weaves an intriguing world where music creates life in "The Perfect Tear". In this updated fairy tale that blends... Read More