Today's Featured Books

Congratulations to Ariel Peckel and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Bertram’s Emporium of Things People Say, a place where satire meets the macabre, humorously dissecting modern culture wars.

★★★★★ “Zany and off-the-wall imaginative." ~Ian M. Rogers, author of MFA Thesis Novel

Bertram’s Emporium of Things People Say

Step into the twisted corridors of Bertram’s Emporium, where the mundane meets the macabre in a carnival of unrestrained wit and biting satire.

In the madness of contemporary culture wars, the Emporium serves no ideology. It serves up iconoclasm. From hillbilly erotic philosophy to a cancel rag that declares the Sun triggering, from The Pronoun Simulator to The Abortion Avatar, from neocon unicorn princess to Antifa blackshirt, no extreme of the ideological spectrum is too self-absurd to spare. On one end, the far-right’s demands for freedom from sweeping government powers evaporate the moment their own sacred cows of religious education and fetuses are at stake. On the other, militant gender identity ideology undermines the rights of the very people it patronizingly claims to protect, with dangerous implications for women, trans people, and detransitioners. On the whole, the absurdity of those ideologies is on plain display to those residing between the extremes who long for a more reasoned approach. Bertram’s Emporium delivers one in the guise of humorist social commentary vignettes. It also delivers purely comedic pieces at a time when everybody can use a laugh.

Welcome to the Emporium. 

Praise for Bertram's Emporium
★★★★★ “Brilliant!” ~Alycia Vreeland, author of Baby Darlin'

★★★★★ “We all need to see ourselves in the mirror, so we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Get up-to-speed with this comment on our times—and for a good laugh.” ~Rusty Allen, author of Ella's War

★★★★★ “A wild philosophical ride that is as funny as it is timely and as mind expanding as it is mind bending.” ~Daria Sommers, award-winning director, writer and producer

★★★★★ “Fast-paced jabs at the excesses of 21st century cancel culture, militant ideology, and alternative facts, with plenty of plain ol’ fun thrown in for good measure.” ~Ian M. Rogers, author of MFA Thesis Novel

Free online: Perspectives is the Metropolitan Museum of Art online home for deep dives on art, interviews, personal essays, scientific discoveries, and more. Can't make it to NYC today? Visit the Perspectives website for interviews with Korean artist Lee Bul and writer Amor Towles. You can access these video and audio interviews any time, on demand! 

"Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places." ~Amor Towles

The nightmares are getting worse for crime writer Jack Rainne. He can’t shake the childhood memory of a haunting carousel ride in a desolate Missouri cornfield. The psych ward docs convinced him long ago the frightening images were all in his head. Twenty-five years later, he spots the carousel and its grizzled operator a thousand miles away from the Missouri cornfield, captured in a photo taken the night a young family vanishes from a local carnival. The problem? Jack is in the photo too! 4.9 stars, 19 ratings. From $2.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

My ex's emerald eyes pierce my soul, but there's no recognition in them. I'm Chandler Bishop, a man who has everything—except the one thing money can't buy. After years of searching, I've found Tanya—my lost love—living a simple life in a small town. But she remembers nothing of our lavish lifestyle...or of me. My world tilts on its axis. The love of my life doesn't remember me or the fact that I'm her baby’s daddy. The spark between us is undeniable, fueling my resolve to win back what I've lost. 4.4 stars, 300+ ratings. From $3.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on One Year, One Night, a recently released work of historical fiction for young adults from S.L. Roman and Red Chair Press.

"A heart-wrenching and beautiful story that inspires curiosity and empathy." ~Kirkus Reviews

BONUS: Check out the history behind the story and the video trailer for the book.

One Year, One Night

It's never easy to go back, especially when the memories you've been running from suddenly resurface.

When Annie returns to her home village after a long absence, she rediscovers the diary she kept the year she turned 16, the year that changed her life. We follow Annie as she navigates a blossoming love story with a handsome soldier and her growing affection for an evacuee child. With tender and amusing moments, this story—set in a small English village during World War II—explores love, resilience, and loss with a fresh new voice.

Praise for One Year, One Night
2024 Literary Titan GOLD Book Award Winner

2024 International Book Awards: Finalist for Best in Children's Fiction

"A smartly plotted middle grade novel set during WWII with a strong, likeable protagonist." ~The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

"An authentic portrayal of juvenile sentiments." ~Tripti Kandari for Feathered Quill Reviewer's Choice award

"A powerful meditation on the ever-changing nature of human relationships over time." ~Jason Street for Reedsy

"A touching story set in a rural village during the beginning of WWII. It is laced with humor and includes many heart-warming scenes. Highly recommended." ~Edith Wairimu for Reader's Favorite

"The story centralizes a female perspective on war, focused on what girls and women had to do to survive during such times, making it accessible and relatable to a young female readership. A vivid chronicle of the lives of girls and women during World War II." ~Kirkus Reviews

"Despite the book's discussion of serious themes, it is an easy and entertaining read with a subtle touch of humor. The characterization is top-notch, and the storyline is amazing, straight to the point, and kept me engaged throughout without being overwhelming. I highly recommend One Year, One Night to young adults looking for a short and interesting fictional story." ~Thomas Anderson, for Literary Titan

    

We have a new giveaway to announce, but first...

Congratulations to Amber K. of Bay City, Michigan, on winning the LitNuts Fall Giveaway! The prize was s Stained Glass Book Table Lamp or a $75 Amazon.com Gift Card, and Amber chose the lamp. Congratulations to Amber, and a big "thank you" to all who entered. 

Also, the LitNuts Holiday Giveaway is now live! The prize is a Beginner Biography Set for young readers or a $75 Barnes & Noble Gift Card. Enter now through December 15 for a chance to win.

"One of the greatest gifts adults can give—to their offspring and to their society—is to read to children.” ~Carl Sagan

When Emily and Luna, two sisters from Los Angeles, hear about paranormal activity on Frazier Mountain, they decide to see if the stories are true. Armed with a camera and a tripod, they are ready to capture footage that will go viral and jump-start their fledgling social media careers. But when they find themselves surrounded by dark woods and horrible creatures, will they fight the evil and save the mountain before it's too late? Rent a cabin on the mountain. Come for the fresh air. Stay for the monsters. 4.4 stars, 13 ratings. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

Uxia is a mystical martial artist and fierce warrior who travels across the world of magic oceans in pursuit of profits. She is no peacemaker: profit is her true purpose. She rolls the discovery dice in a risky ritual to reveal her next nemesis. Above all else, this warrior is a gambler. Listen to the music of Potion Voyages on SoundCloud to experience the magic. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is sharing the work of Jason Stocks, a writer and teacher living in south Florida. Before becoming a teacher, Jason worked in a chicken house, washed dishes, bagged groceries, waited tables, and sold cars.

Jason's first full-length poetry collection, Blameforest, was a finalist in the American Legacy Book Awards for contemporary poetry. His most recent poetry collection, Laughing is Forever, was released earlier this year. 

"These mercurial poems surprise, thrill, and move in equal measure. They’re dying to be read." ~Independent Book Review

Blameforest

Finalist in the 2024 American Legacy Book Awards

"Provocative, explicit poetry written with muscular swagger." ~Kirkus Reviews

"Fierce, bold, and self aware...steeped in the Gothic hauntings of Deep South life." ~Jenifer DeBellis, author of Blood Sisters

"Stocks captures the rhythms of a vibrant vernacular that is original and authentic...a layered and nuanced work of innovative literature to be read in one sitting, and then over and over again." ~Jacob M. Appel, author of The Cynic in Extremis

Laughing is Forever

"Stocks's writing has a powerful immediacy, and his poems are packed with both profanity and pop-culture references." ~Kirkus Reviews

"This collection is brave, unflinching and hits you like a punch in the jaw. It is at times brutal and vicious but also tender and intelligent." ~Sam Szanto, author of If No One Speaks

"These are the kind of tattered, beautiful poems I often search for and rarely find." ~Sean Thomas Dougherty, author of Death Prefers the Minor Keys

"Jogging from detritus-ridden, Bukowski-inspired free verses to Lowell-style observations of the inner life, this hardtack collection of poetry runs the gamut. A rugged, sinuous voice drives the free verse narratives." ~Independent Book Review

More about the Author

  

Free online: Strong Women, Strange Worlds. Join for a tasting menu of science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories from six authors who will each have 8 minutes to tempt and tantalizing you with their reading. Friday, November 1, 11 AM CDT. 

“We’re only different from the bacteria because we are able to ask what the hell this is all about. Not answer, just ask.” ~Carolyn Ives, “Umbernight”