An affectionate and funny story set in the “black quarter" of a Southern sugar cane plantation in the 1940s and told by a child named Eddie, who watches his mother leave his father over his preoccupation with his car, which his father ultimately burns to the ground on the advice of a voodoo woman to get his wife back. $2.99 from Amazon / Nook / Kobo /
This book is about the quirky history and lost art of diagramming sentences. Sounds fun, right? Surprisingly, it is! Florey explores the rise and fall of sentence diagramming - and has fun exploring what diagrams of sentences by Hemingway, Welty, Proust, Kerouac and other famous writers reveal about them. ”Diagramming sentences may have gone the way of the slide ruler, but this charming little book makes deconstruction of language fun.” Chicago Tribune. $9.99 at Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo /
Nadeem Zaman’s collection of eight stories set in contemporary Dhaka explore the inner lives of the people who have spent decades working for the same family, in the same house. The daily itineraries must run like clockwork for the rich and well-off who have their own problems, but in Nadeem's stories they appear thin and forever insecure, a byproduct of the real lives being lived around them. "Modern-day Dhaka and its residents are generously represented in this powerful collection. Meticulously constructed in both language and emotion, Zaman’s stories sneak up on the reader and consistently deliver." Publishers Weekly. $9.49 on Amazon / Barnes & Noble /
In Party Girls, her third collection of short stories, Diane Goodman deftly explores community, class and culture through the allure of the party—the desire to throw one, the work it takes to pull it off, and the surprising and sometimes devastating ways these seemingly light-hearted events can alter lives. In these accomplished stories, Goodman invites us to be her guest as she explores the emotional issues that ultimately derail the best intentions, leaving us with the question one of the characters asks: What do people want from each other? $5.99 at Amazon /
A Human Algorithm examines the immense impact intelligent technology will have on humanity. These machines, while challenging our personal beliefs and our socio-economic world order, also have the potential to transform our health and well-being, alleviate poverty and suffering, and reveal the mysteries of intelligence and consciousness. International human rights attorney Flynn Coleman deftly argues that it is critical we instill values, ethics, and morals into our robots, algorithms, and other forms of AI as we work to build a more humane future and move conscientiously into a new frontier of our own design. Starting at $12.99 on Amazon / Barnes & Noble /
Being a billionaire heiress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Determined to live a quiet life, Kat Tanner changed her identity years ago. But now her past has caught up with her, and so have her youthful mistakes. To avoid disaster, she must marry immediately, but he must have no romantic feelings for her and be completely trustworthy. Dan O’Malley checks all the boxes. Sure, Kat might have a little crush on Dan the Security Man. But with clear rules and a legally binding contract, Kat is certain she can make it through this debacle with her sanity—and heart—all in one piece. $7.99 on Amazon / Apple / Kobo /
Days before she's set to move across the country and start graduate school, Emmy is conned and left with nowhere to live and nothing in her bank account. Meanwhile, Beckett's fiancée called off their wedding just days before they tie the knot. Now he's single and ineligible for his place in married student housing. So what are a girl without a home and a guy without a wife supposed to do? A quickie wedding in Vegas will solve both their problems. They'll just get an annulment in a few months. What could go wrong? Free on Kobo / Amazon /
If you love action-packed sci-fi, fast-paced space operas, or simply think a snarky girl scouring the galaxy for precious artifacts with a gigantic intergalactic tiger at her side sounds like it could be a lot of fun, then this is the book for you. $4.99 from Amazon /
From the refugee camps of Greece to the mountains of Macedonia, a thirteen-year-old boy is making his way to Germany and to safety. Codenamed “Firefly,” he holds vital intelligence: unparalleled insight into a vicious ISIS terror cell, and details of their plans. When MI6 become aware of Firefly and what he knows, the race is on to find him. Starting at $7.66 from Amazon / Kobo / Google Play /
In this story about clashing values and the search for connection in a multicultural world, the drummer wakes the faithful during Ramadan in the Muslim neighborhood of Little Mecca, but wakes nonbelievers too. As anti-Muslim activists picket, shots ring out and a child is wounded. During the course of his investigation, police detective Ezra Kaufman meets reporter Aisha Hassan, an observant though liberal-minded Muslim who is covering the story. At a party, the young daughter of a prominent Muslim family initiates a sexual encounter with an older teenage boy. Somebody posts photos of the incident on Facebook, and the girl disappears. Ezra and Aisha get involved. $2.99 from Amazon /
A National Book Award nominee in 1975, Ludell is the first book in a groundbreaking trilogy about a young African American girl growing up during the 1950s in a small Georgia town. Ludell Wilson is a wisecracking bookworm and burgeoning writer who adores her best friend Ruthie Mae, her loving—but strict—grandmother, and everything about growing up. But in the still-segregated South, Ludell‘s warm community exists side-by-side with poverty and injustice. Starting at $10.69 from Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo /
Ama, Mark, and Justin have each witnessed a murder that went unpunished. In recent months, their dreams have been haunted by someone who understands their pain: a Fury who survived the witch hunts of Old Salem. She enters their dreams and summons them to be Revengers. If they abide by her seemingly simple set of rules, she promises supernatural protection. One catch: exacting revenge means becoming killers themselves. When they agree things begin to spiral out of control and they come to understand they are pawns in ancient game. As the Fury toys with them, they race against the clock, hoping to live more than just a few more days… Starting at $2.99 from Amazon / Kobo /
"Called to Be Creative" is for anyone looking to reignite that tiny spark inside of them and invite creativity back into their lives. A certified grief counselor and program coordinator for a spirituality center, Mary Potter Kenyon walks the reader through the process of exploring their true potential in this inspirational guide to embracing our innate creativity. "If you’re looking for something to feed your creative soul, this is it."—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author. Starting at $5.49 from Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Books-a-Million / Workman /
Homesick meditates on the theme of home and our estrangement from it, and what happens when the familiar suddenly shifts into the uncanny. In stories that foreground queer relationships and transgender or nonbinary characters, Cipri delivers the origin story for a superhero team comprised of murdered girls; a housecleaner discovering an impossible ocean in her least-favorite clients’ house; a man haunted by keys that appear suddenly in his throat; and a team of scientists and activists discovering the remains of a long-extinct species of intelligent weasels. Starting at $7.99 from Dzanc Books / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo /
For more than thirty years, Michael Shea has been making his own distinctive contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos devised by H. P. Lovecraft. The much-reprinted “Fat Face” takes us into the seedy underworld of prostitutes and drug dealers in San Francisco, while other tales such as “Dagoniad,” “Copping Squid,” and “Tsathoggua” vividly meld Lovecraftian cosmic horror with the contemporary world of California. The title story, “Demiurge,” is a previously unpublished novella that draws upon Lovecraft’s tales of psychic possession in its chilling portrayal of a nameless monster who may be the harbinger of the overthrow of the entire human race. Starting at $9.00 from Dark Regions Press / Amazon /
Abandoned by an eccentric father on the eve of her twelfth birthday, Justine has lived with unanswered questions. Ten years later she leaves her life in Michigan and heads north to the mysterious town of Lantern Creek after seeing his picture in a local newspaper. When a local girl who looks like Justine is mysteriously murdered, she joins forces with sheriff's deputy Dylan Locke to capture the killer. The more they dig for clues, the closer they come to discovering a secret someone will kill to protect. Justine begins to show signs of supernatural power and eventually must stop an immortal enemy that has hunted her family for generations. $2.99 from Amazon /
A father who lost his 20-year-old son to an overdose and refused to stay silent. A mother who fulfilled a promise to write an honest obituary if her 20-year-old daughter died from an overdose—and hasn’t stopped telling their heartbreaking story. Carmen Capozzi and Michelle Schwartzmier are linked in a way that no parents ever should be. What happened to them can happen to anyone and their stories epitomize the tragedy and inspiration that author Scott Brown found while chronicling the opioid epidemic for almost a year. Their stories will make you cry, smile, question—and can help you save someone you love. From $6.99 on Barnes & Noble / Amazon /
Emery Smith, a Chicago-born workaholic, wants to prove herself as a strong female leader in a male-dominated company. Assigned a task that would affect the lives of coffee farmers, she travels to Colombia for negotiations. Meanwhile, Luca Mendoza’s coffee plantation is on the brink of bankruptcy, but his plans to confront the bigwigs are set aside when he rescues an enchanting American from an uprising led by his unhinged brother. Along the way, Emery finds love, passion, and inspiration that could help the Colombian farmers…but to save them, she must risk the career she has worked so hard to build. $2.99 at Amazon /
Thom Elliott is a venture capitalist with a mission: Create a new world order with humanity ruled by Sekai, the most powerful artificial intelligence ever created. His secret weapon is Glorp, a nutritional energy drink beloved by the tech community that includes genetically engineered microbes to transform human gut flora, making people compliant and ready to be ruled by Sekai. When Finder, a brilliant but misanthropic detective, uncovers Elliott's plot, he wages a guerrilla war against Elliott and Sekai. But will he be able to save humanity from subjugation? $2.99 at Amazon /
Crushing the Red Flowers is the story of how two ordinary boys cope under the extraordinary circumstances of Kristallnacht. Emil and Friedrich couldn't have less in common, but in the summer of 1938, they must both deal with the changes steamrolling through Germany. Friedrich struggles with an uncle in jail and a cruel Hitler Youth leader, while Emil does his best to avoid the blistering anti-Semitism that's threatening his family. Then in the late hours of November 9th, their world explodes, and the two boys are forced together in a race against time that requires Friedrich to risk his life in order to save Emil and his family. Starting at $8.49 at Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo /
On the morning of her 55th birthday, Audrey takes stock of her life and finds it lacking. While she’s done well, she’s missing something important – a mate. She is also rocked by the 2016 election and wonders if it’s possible to be a feminist in the current political environment. In a fit of desperation, she ponders adopting a cat…but comes home with an iguana named Newt instead. Next door, Frank, a widow, lives with his six parakeets. He develops a crush on Audrey, but is at a loss as to how to approach her. Birds, a lizard, a man, a woman…what happens is magic. $5.99 on Amazon /
A completely original guide to the screenwriter’s art–as only the writer of Blade Runner could conceive it. In short paragraphs–oracular and enigmatic, hard hitting and concrete–Fancher writes a guide book like none other for the aspiring screenwriter. Learn how to write living, breathing characters, exciting action and plot, and develop your own artistic vision. And learn how to never compromise that vision, most importantly, with yourself. $10.99 on Amazon / Kobo /
A sweet and beautiful story of a man, a dog, and the redemptive nature of a good walk from award-winning author David W. Berner. A man, his dog, and a long walk can lead to unexpected discoveries. In the tradition of many literary walkers, David W. Berner sets out on foot hoping to reexamine his life, look back and forward, and most importantly, through the help of his young dog. $7.99 at Amazon / Author /
All My Heroes are Broke is a poetry collection written from the perspective of a first generation American coming to terms with the implicit struggles and disillusionment of the “American Dream.” Using short, image driven poems inspired by the works of Robert Bly and Po Chu-I, and longer narrative poems that reveal more personal information, Ariel Francisco is a poet of witness and compassion, whose voice is a necessary tonic for these disheartening times. $9.99 at Amazon /
Street kids are dying. Does anyone care? Born with a crooked foot, Jarka is granted a chance to get off the streets and apprentice as the king's advisor. But when Jarka starts suspecting that someone in the castle is responsible for the disappearances of kids he left behind, he finds himself scavenging through a history of long-hidden evils, desperate to unveil the truth and figure out where the king's true loyalties lie, before the magic can be beat and bled out of him. $3.99 from Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Inspired Quill / Author /
