The two story lines of Ames Sheldon’s historical novel "Lemons in the Garden of Love" focus on important eras for women’s rights. In 1977, Cassie, who just married traditional Martin, is living in Minnesota and searching for a... Read More

Through the interlocking stories of "Pleasantview", Celeste Mohammed creates a microcosm of a Trinidad rarely seen by tourists. Sunil, an escaped prisoner; Consuela, the prostitute he loves; Mr. Jagroop, Consuela’s influential client;... Read More

Amateur sleuth and literary translator Cassandra Reilly returns in Barbara Wilson’s "Not the Real Jupiter", an engrossing mystery about the secrets behind a small Portland press. Cassandra is translating the work of a fiery Uruguayan,... Read More

In Jane Kolven’s romantic comedy "The Queen Has a Cold", true love blossoms in a tiny European country. Sam arrives at graduate school eager to start her PhD program in gender studies. The first day is marked by a chance encounter with... Read More

Filled with adventure, discovery, and a splash of sibling rivalry, Maureen Buchanan Jones’s historical novel Maud and Addie includes sweet messages about the importance of family. Though they are less than a year apart in age, Maud and... Read More

Six bold adventurers leave Earth behind forever in David Ebenbach’s droll science fiction novel "How to Mars". Of the many applicants for a one-way excursion to Mars, six are selected, both for their scientific acumen and for their... Read More

Kate Eckman’s self-help text "The Full Spirit Workout" suggests ways to shed one’s inner baggage. Whether they realize it or not, the book says, many people live lives based on competition and fear, but without getting the results... Read More

Distance, psychological and physical, runs through Ethel Rohan’s short story collection In The Event of Contact. Here, contact, or the lack thereof, signals loss, emptiness, and need. Meanwhile, intimacy is a double-edged sword. In... Read More