In this innovative self-help book, an “ex hot mess” shares how she pulled her life together. In Confessions of an Ex Hot Mess: 10 Steps to Beat Stress and Feel Your Best, L. K. Elliott shares the story of her transformation from a... Read More

"What We All Have" explores and dissects how humans relate to illness and death, touching on themes of connectedness and reaching outside one’s self to find fulfillment. Ray Dacolias’s "What We All Have" is an intimate novel that... Read More

This talented author’s literary approach brings out the period atmosphere and a near tangible sense of place. Danger thrusts two vulnerable adolescents into the mire and mayhem of 1851 San Francisco in this coming-of-age novel. "A Veil... Read More

Although his memoir contains violence and mature themes—abuse, foster care, poverty, crime—Alton Carter tells the story of his rough childhood in a style that both enlightens and inspires. Older children will see themselves and their... Read More

The often hidden aspects of the life of a female adolescent are portrayed honestly and sometimes gut-wrenchingly. Mother and daughter Ruth and Audrey find themselves floating away from one another amidst a sea of pedigreed young women in... Read More

This subdued, bittersweet novel explores themes of racism and romance. Love’s Affliction by Fidelis O. Mkparu tells the story of a troubled romance, with young lovers Joseph and Wendy not so much star-crossed as race-crossed. Set in... Read More

The careful dance between the worthy and the regrettable helps the narration maintain balance, even as its characters careen toward their own ruination. The latest novel from NPR contributor Alan Cheuse draws its inspiration from the... Read More

Heintzman’s scholarly excellence reveals a manageable method of bringing a Christian understanding of leisure into busy modern life. Leisure, perhaps surprisingly, is a complicated, controversial topic. Modern workers put in fewer... Read More