Review: Death of a Billionaire, by Tucker May

28 November 2025 by Melissa

About the book, Death of a Billionaire (a murder mystery novel)

Ever dream of killing your boss? Alan Benning knows how you feel.

The problem: his billionaire boss actually winds up murdered. And the whole world thinks he did it.

When globetrotting tech billionaire Barron Fisk is found dead on the floor of his swanky Silicon Valley office, all evidence points to Alan.

Alan must venture into the glitzy, treacherous world of tech billionaires to clear his name by sorting through a long list of suspects with motive aplenty. If he can’t find the real culprit, Alan’s going down. The clock is ticking.

Who killed Barron Fisk? The truth will shock— and change— the entire world.

Fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, Carl Hiaasen’s tales of high-stakes hijinx, or Ruth Ware’s page-turning mysteries will love Death of a Billionaire.

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About the author, Tucker May

Tucker May was raised in southern Missouri. He attended Northwestern University where he was trained in acting and playwriting. He now lives in Pasadena, California with his wife Barbara and their cat Principal Spittle. He is an avid reader and longtime fan of the Los Angeles Rams and Geelong Cats. Death of a Billionaire is his debut novel.

Connect with Tucker:

Instagram | BlueSky | Facebook

My Thoughts

Tucker May’s debut leaps off the page with confidence and mischievous energy, landing squarely in that delicious space where near-future satire meets classic mystery. Set against a glitzy, tech-obsessed California that feels both familiar and uncannily heightened, Death of a Billionaire reads like a high-speed road trip with mismatched companions – equal parts detour, discovery, and delightful chaos.

The central narrator is a study in contradictions: bold one moment, rattled the next, and completely endearing throughout. He’s joined by a cast that could only exist in a world where ambition and absurdity routinely collide – a widow who could out-dramatic a telenovela star, a cop whose immaturity is both alarming and hilarious, and a parade of oddballs who keep the plot humming.

May has an instinctive feel for timing. The humor lands without undercutting the tension, and the twists snap into place just when you’ve settled into certainty. Every revelation feels earned, surprising, and – occasionally – gleefully unhinged. More than once I looked up from the book only to realize I’d sailed well past bedtime.

For a first novel, Death of a Billionaire is remarkably polished, deeply entertaining, and packed with personality. I turned the final page already hoping this is only the beginning of a long writing career for Tucker May.

Goes well with: Loaded nachos, a chilled craft soda, and a bowl of caramel-drizzled popcorn – the ideal snacks for a story that keeps you up way later than you planned.

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Review: National Geographic The Photographs: Iconic Images from National Geographic

24 October 2025 by Melissa

About the book: National Geographic The Photographs: Iconic Images from National Geographic

Publisher ‏ : ‎ National Geographic
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 464 pages

For tastemakers and citizens of the world, this iconic collection features the best of National Geographic’s world-class imagery across more than 250 cutting-edge photographs.

This glorious, large-format photography collection will immerse animal, science, and nature lovers in the unparalleled legacy of National Geographic’s best-in-class imagery. Featuring fan favorites like the Afghan girl and the sunken prow of the Titanic, as well as gems unearthed from the organization’s celebrated archive, THE PHOTOGRAPHS is for anyone passionate about discovering, protecting, and honoring the wonders of the planet.

In these pages, you’ll find dazzling images from every corner of the globe, including magnificent wildlife and human achievements in science, technology, exploration, archaeology, and adventure. Step into the lives of acclaimed National Geographic photographers like Brian Skerry, Anand Varma, and Jodi Cobb, and read interviews with legends and rising stars like Rob Clark, David Doubilet, Erika Larsen, Camille Seaman, and many more.

Both vivid and timeless, THE PHOTOGRAPHS is a must-have for anyone who loves photography, nature, and the human story.

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About the author

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC is one of the world’s leading nonfiction publishers, with an extensive list of titles in categories such as history, travel, nature, photography, space, science, health, biography, and memoir. A portion of its proceeds is used to fund exploration, conservation, and education through ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.

JIMMY CHIN (foreword) is a National Geographic photographer, award-winning film director, renowned mountain climber, and bestselling author. His photography book There and Back became a New York Times bestseller in 2021; his documentary film Free Solo won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Nyad, his first scripted feature, starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, was nominated for two Academy awards.

My Thoughts

Before I ever learned to read, I learned to look. My grandfather kept neat stacks of National Geographic magazines in his den — golden spines lined like treasure, each issue a portal. I remember flipping through the glossy pages, the scent of paper and ink as much a part of the experience as the photos themselves. Faces, creatures, storms, and ruins — the world felt vast and intimate all at once.

The Photographs rekindles that same sense of wonder, distilled into one breathtaking collection. Across more than 250 images, National Geographic’s legendary photographers remind us what it means to see — truly see — our planet and ourselves. There’s the iconic Afghan girl, her gaze as piercing now as it was decades ago. The ghostly prow of the Titanic resting on the ocean floor. And there — a line of surfers, tiny yet fearless, framed against an impossible blue wave. That image, especially, feels like a heartbeat: humanity poised at the edge of nature’s vastness, daring and small all at once.

What makes this volume remarkable isn’t just its scope — though it spans continents and decades — but its restraint. Each image stands almost alone: no essays, no captions beyond a name, a place, a year. That sparseness lets the photography breathe, invites silence, reflection. The book itself is beautifully made, large enough to do justice to its subjects, and designed with reverence rather than spectacle.

For anyone who grew up tracing the edges of the world through National Geographic, this collection is both time capsule and testament. For newcomers, it’s a revelation — proof that the human eye, when paired with patience, empathy, and craft, can still surprise us.

The Photographs isn’t merely a coffee-table book. It’s a reminder that beauty has always been both fragile and ferocious — and that our world, still, is worth looking at closely.

Goes well with: a strong cup of Ethiopian coffee, a lazy Sunday morning, and a window that catches the light just right.

Review: Narrow the Road, by James Wade

4 October 2025 by Melissa

About the book, Narrow the Road

Genre: Southern Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming of Age
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Pages: 306
Publication Date: 26 August 2025

In this gripping coming-of-age odyssey, a young man’s quest to reunite his family takes him on a life-altering journey through the wilds of 1930s East Texas, where both danger and opportunity grow as thick as the pines.

With his father missing and his mother gravely ill, William Carter is struggling to keep his family’s cotton farm afloat in the face of drought and foreclosure. As his options wane, William receives a mysterious letter that claims to know his father’s whereabouts.

Together with his best friend Ollie, a mortician in training, William sets out to find his father and bring him home to set things right. But before the boys can complete their quest, they must navigate the labyrinth of the Big Thicket, some of the country’s most uncharted, untamed land. Along the way they encounter eccentric backwoods characters of every order, running afoul of murderers, bootleggers, and even the legendary Bonnie and Clyde.

But the danger is doubled when the boys agree to take on a medicine show runaway named Lena, eliciting the ire of the show’s leader, the nefarious con man Doctor Downtain. As William, Ollie, and Lena race to uncover the clues and find William’s father, Downtain is closing in on them, readying to make good on his violent reputation. With the clock ticking, William must decide where his loyalties lie and how far he’s willing to go for the people he loves.

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About the author, James Wade

James Wade is the award-winning author of Hollow Out the Dark, Beasts of the Earth, All Things Left Wild, and River, Sing Out. He is the youngest novelist to win two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America, and a recipient of the MPIBA’s prestigious Reading the West Award. His work has appeared in Texas Highways, Writers’ Digest, and numerous additional publications. James lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and children.

Connect with James:

Website | Instagram | Newsletter | GoodReads

My Thoughts

James Wade has a rare knack for writing landscapes that feel lived in—haunted, even. His latest novel, Narrow the Road, doesn’t just take place in Depression-era East Texas; it breathes there. The dirt feels redder, the air heavier, and the people more worn down by life than lifted by it. That’s the first thing that struck me: the place itself isn’t just backdrop—it’s the pulse under the prose.

What’s remarkable about Wade’s evolution as a writer is how he’s learned to make that atmosphere serve the story without ever letting it smother it. His prose is taut but musical, the kind of writing that knows when to linger and when to move. Every sentence seems shaped by the weight of the times—bleak, yes, but never dull, never flat. There’s momentum here, the kind that sneaks up on you. You start reading for the language and suddenly realize you’ve been carried three chapters deep without coming up for air.

This book moves the way real life moves when choices are scarce and hope is a luxury. It’s not a gallop; it’s a steady, purposeful walk into whatever comes next. The characters—men and women alike—live with the kind of quiet desperation that feels heartbreakingly familiar. Wade writes them without judgment, just empathy and precision, as if he’s holding a lantern for them while they figure out whether to run or rest.

He’s been compared to the great chroniclers of the American undercurrent—Steinbeck, McCarthy, Grubb—but what separates Wade from those heavyweights is his restraint. He doesn’t wallow in the mud or linger on the dust. He gives you just enough—the smell of rain before it breaks, the rough edge of a prayer half-remembered—and trusts you to fill in the rest. That confidence makes the world he builds more immediate, more human.

The result is a novel that hums with tension but never forgets its heart. Wade’s sense of justice and mercy, his understanding of grief and endurance, give the story an emotional ballast that keeps it grounded even in its darkest turns. He’s writing about survival, but also about grace—the tiny kind that hides inside ordinary acts.

Narrow the Road feels like the work of a writer at full command of his gifts. It’s intimate and immense, brutal and quietly hopeful.

Goes well with: black coffee gone cold, a record that crackles between songs, and the sound of wind pushing through pine trees just before the rain.

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Review: Irresistible Calling by Sean Mitchell

29 September 2025 by Melissa

About the book, Irresistible Calling

Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 15, 2025
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 302 pages

Sean Mitchell was teaching English at a private school in Ohio when the New Journalism piqued his interest and lured him toward a profession that was much harder to crack than he imagined. After an editor in Washington, D.C. finally gave him a chance, he found a calling that would require and reveal multiple skills: editing an “underground” newspaper in his hometown of Dallas, writing magazine length stories about long distance truckers and Z.Z. Top, serving as the Dallas Times Herald’s first rock critic and then its theatre critic, winning national recognition for his reviews.

Moving to Los Angeles to cover Hollywood for the strangely singular and doomed Herald Examiner and then the Los Angeles Times, he profiled stars like Clint Eastwood, Ann-Margret and his irascible former St. Mark’s School of Texas soccer teammate Tommy Lee Jones. While examining the nation’s preoccupation with celebrity, he wondered if journalists like him were part of the problem or part of the solution?

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About the author, Sean Mitchell

Sean Mitchell grew up in Dallas, where he was editor of the city’s first alternative weekly, then a reporter and cultural critic for the Dallas Times Herald, before moving to Los Angeles to cover Hollywood for the Herald Examiner and Los Angeles Times. A graduate of St. Mark’s School of Texas and Brown University, he has also worked as an English teacher, videographer, and designer of custom wood fences.

My Thoughts

Some memoirs are pleasant enough to skim with a cup of coffee. This one? I devoured it in a single greedy gulp. Irresistible Calling is witty, engaging, and brimming with the kind of lived-in detail that makes you laugh, tear up, and—without even noticing—learn a lot.

Sean Mitchell may technically be a boomer, but his story is timeless. This GenXer found myself nodding along, hooked from page one. He opens in childhood, when a glossy holiday travel magazine inspired his parents to trade a fading Bethlehem, Pennsylvania steel town for the sun-soaked suburbs of Dallas. The 1950s details are spot-on, yet instantly relatable: family yearning for more, neighbors measuring success in conformity, and kids caught in the in-between.

Mitchell’s own path takes him from a prestigious Dallas boy’s school (where he forged friendships with classmates like Tommy Lee Jones) to college during the heyday of the 1960s, and eventually into journalism. His career arc—covering theater, film, and music in D.C., Dallas, and Los Angeles—offers a front-row seat to cultural history. The Hollywood interviews sparkle, but it’s his long, thorny, and wildly entertaining relationship with Jones that steals the show.

Threaded through the anecdotes is a thoughtful meditation on American life: the promise and collapse of the counterculture, the longing of his parents for “something more,” and his own drive to make a mark in the shifting world of newspapers. I especially loved his mother’s journey toward joy and passion, and felt the weight of his father’s quiet disappointment.

Mitchell writes with humor, candor, and a critic’s eye for the telling detail. The result is more than one man’s life story—it’s a cultural time capsule of America from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Verdict: Highly recommended for fans of memoirs, American cultural history, or simply anyone who appreciates a smart, funny, beautifully written life story.

Goes well with: A bottomless diner mug of coffee and a Sunday paper, spread all over the table.

Review: The Girl Who Trusted Ghosts, by K.C. Tansley

16 September 2025 by Melissa

About the book, The Girl Who Trusted Ghosts

Series: Unbelievables (Book 4)
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beckett Publishing Group LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 2025
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 344 pages

The key to my future is hidden in the past. But can I face the dark family secrets buried in 1591 and make it back in time to save everyone I love?

The Kingsley, Mallory, Radcliffe heirs and I (the Langley heir) journey to our family estates on a mission. We must each gather a unique ingredient tied to our family’s elemental abilities for a long hidden incantation that will reveal what bound our families together centuries ago.

Across the ages, I’ve seen firsthand how dark magic has attacked our families and grown more powerful every time it hurts us. We need this vicious cycle to end, and the key to fighting our enemies is hidden in our history. Danger stalks us at every turn, and someone I love is kidnapped. I have no idea who took my loved one or where they went. But I know how far my enemies will go to prevent me from casting this spell, so I must do it.

The spell unexpectedly transports us back to 1591 England. To a time when our ancestors worked together with the Fitzgeralds to reseal an ancient evil, the Dark One. Can we unlock our families’ hidden histories and uncover how to fight this enemy, along with the Fitzgerald’s dark warlock back in our own time?

If you’re seeking magical family sagas that stretch across a thousand years and will keep you reading past midnight, love that endures for centuries, and exciting quests through time, join Kat on her next pulse-pounding adventure!

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About the author, K.C. Tansley

K.C. Tansley lives on a hill somewhere in Connecticut with her guardian Shih tzus, Bentley and Akira, who alert her to every squirrel and delivery person who dares to enter their domain. She tends to believe in the unbelievables–spells, ghosts, time travel–and writes about them.

Never one to say no to a road trip, she’s climbed the Great Wall twice, hopped on the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, and danced the night away in the dunes of Cape Hatteras. She loves the ocean and hates the sun, which makes for interesting beach days.

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts is her debut YA time-travel murder mystery novel. As Kourtney Heintz, she also writes award winning cross-genre fiction for adults.

Connect with Kourtney:

Website | Newsletter Signup | Facebook

My Thoughts

I’ve been following Kat Preston and her friends since the very beginning of K.C. Tansley’s series, and I’m always glad to step back into their world of haunted heirlooms, family curses, and time slips that send you tumbling into history before you’ve quite caught your breath.

This fourth installment, The Girl Who Trusted Ghosts, wastes no time plunging Kat, Evan, and the other heirs into danger. Their task sounds deceptively straightforward: gather the ingredients needed for a long-hidden spell that might finally reveal what bound their families together centuries ago. Of course, nothing is ever simple in Kat’s world. Dark magic stalks their every move, kidnappings raise the stakes, and one ill-fated incantation hurls them straight into 1591 England — a time when their ancestors faced off against the Dark One himself.

What I continue to love about this series is the sense of continuity. Each book has its own adventure, but the threads of family history, betrayal, and legacy weave tighter and tighter the further we go. You can read this one on its own, but the experience is infinitely richer if you’ve been along for the whole ride.

Kat herself is growing in fascinating ways. She’s braver, more determined, and her connection to both her ancestors and her own abilities deepens here. Evan, too, comes into sharper focus, and their relationship—complicated by curses and centuries-old secrets—adds both tenderness and heartbreak. Watching them together makes the looming question of whether they’ll ever get a happy ending all the more poignant.

Tansley keeps the pacing taut, but what lingers for me are the details: the way ancestral ghosts become guides, the discovery of why some of the original families were destroyed, and the truth behind the split from six to four. These moments give the story weight, reminding us that the battle against darkness is never just about spells and enemies; it’s about the choices people make, generation after generation.

By the time I turned the last page, I felt like I’d been on a roller coaster—twists, plunges, and breathless pauses where you’re sure the next drop will finish you, only to find you’re strapped in for one more plunge. It’s exhilarating, and it leaves me more than ready for the conclusion in Book Five.

A great read, thoroughly engaging and captivating. If you’re looking for a magical family saga with stakes that stretch across a thousand years, and a heroine who has truly come into her own, this series delivers. I’m already signed up for wherever Kat’s journey takes us next.

Goes well with: beef and barley stew, rustic bread, and a strong mug of black tea.

Review: The Bulls of Bashan, by Jodi Lea Stewart

8 September 2025 by Melissa

About the book: The Bulls of Bashan

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Action and Adventure, Quest Fiction
Publisher: Progressive Phoenix Rising
Publication Date: June 17, 2025
Scroll down for giveaway.

In a diner on the edge of a dusty Texas border town, a young waitress’s life takes an unexpected turn when she is swept into a high-stakes adventure. Recruited by a charismatic former World War II Army major, a glamorous New York socialite, and a charming daredevil who effortlessly flies planes and rides bulls, she embarks on a shadowy mission that promises both wealth and danger.

This unlikely team will plunge into the heart of the perilous Amazon rainforest, navigate the depths of the world’s most treacherous canyon, brave the open seas, and traverse the ruins of postwar Europe. Their quest? To retrieve a set of mysterious keys while evading a relentless pursuer who seems to be one step ahead at every turn. Who is this enigmatic figure stalking them, and what sinister agenda does he have planned in Budapest?

As they race against time, each member of the team must confront his or her own demons and hidden truths. With the fate of their mission hanging in the balance, they inch closer to the elusive head of operations—the only one who can unlock the secrets of The Bulls of Bashan.

Prepare for a suspenseful journey filled with danger, intrigue, and self-discovery, a globetrotting historical thriller with evocative international settings, strong female arcs, and cross-generational themes.

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About the author: Jodi Lea Stewart

Jodi Lea Stewart is a multi-award-winning fiction author who believes in and writes about the triumph of the human spirit despite adversity through grit, humor, and stubborn tenacity. Her lifetime friendships with all nationalities, different social stratas, cowpunchers, the Southern gentry, the California crazies (she was once one, too … well, sort of, LOL!), not to mention outliers, allow Jodi to write comfortably about, oh … practically anything.

Connect with Jodi:

WEBSITE | BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | MEDIUM

LINKEDIN | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON

My Thoughts

First-person narration can be tricky to pull off, but Jodi Lea Stewart absolutely nails it in The Bulls of Bashan. From the very first pages, Savannah’s voice is strong, vivid, and engaging—equal parts vulnerable and determined. The novel blends coming-of-age with classic adventure, striking a balance that kept me turning pages late into the night.

The story, set in the 1950s, follows Savannah and a small group of companions as they set out on a quest to recover keys scattered around the world. At the start, Savannah reflects that her dreams and desires shifted seemingly out of nowhere—a moment I found instantly relatable. Sometimes, life really does veer off its expected path without warning.

Savannah herself is a compelling character. She comes from a rough background, but instead of letting that define her, she seizes the chance to change her destiny. Her impetuous choices could have led anywhere, and while danger lurks, the world of the novel has a kind of mid-century innocence that makes her boldness feel both risky and exhilarating. I especially enjoyed the way her hidden talents—like her skill with a gun—come into play when least expected.

In contrast, I struggled more with Shifrah. At first she comes across as the quintessential socialite: spoiled, self-absorbed, and quick to assume the world owes her. But Stewart doesn’t let her stay flat. Over the course of the novel, Shifrah matures, revealing layers of insecurity and secrets that make her more sympathetic, even if she still wasn’t my favorite.

The group’s dynamic is rounded out by Monroe, the well-connected leader, and Reno, his capable second with military experience. Together, they form a found-family of sorts, each with their own strengths and blind spots.

One of the novel’s delights is how well-researched it feels. Details like buttons once being made from mussel shells (something I confirmed with my sewist mother, who shared that these were sturdier than traditional abalone) stood out, and the vivid descriptions of settings made me feel immersed in every stop along the journey. I especially appreciated the maps at the start of each chapter, tracing the path from Texas outward, and the way the key-collecting framework gave the narrative shape.

In the end, The Bulls of Bashan turned out to be a much richer and more interesting read than I expected. It’s adventurous, thoughtful, and deeply human. If you enjoy stories that blend history, heart, and a touch of danger, I highly recommend giving this one a chance.

Goes well with: a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate malt at your favorite hometown diner.

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Review: Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons, by Lori Tchen

5 August 2025 by Melissa

About the Book, Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wise Wolf Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 24, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 214 pages

Embark on an exhilarating and unforeseen odyssey alongside witch hunter Sterling Fierce as he undertakes a perilous quest to protect the balance of power in the lands of Everen.

Sterling Fierce is the ultimate guardian in the enchanted realm of Everen. As the sole survivor of the ancient witch hunters, he holds the key to preserving the delicate balance of power. In a shocking revelation, he discovers that a wicked curse has befallen all the majestic dragons, with one exception—the extraordinary dragon child, a rarity beyond imagination.

Time is of the essence as Sterling and his newfound companions race against the clock to evade the clutches of malevolent creatures lurking in the shadows. Failure to act swiftly will result in the demise of Sterling, his courageous allies, and the last remaining dragons.

Unlock a mesmerizing tale filled with courage, magic, and the boundless wonders of Everen. Join Sterling Fierce in this epic battle against dark forces and embark on a thrilling journey like no other. Grab your copy now and immerse yourself in a spellbinding adventure that will leave you breathless!

Can Sterling summon the inner strength to combat the relentless forces of darkness? Get your copy and discover the answer today!

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About the Author, Lori Tchen

Lori Tchen was born and raised in the Texas hill country where shaking out one’s shoes for scorpions was part of the daily norm. She writes fiction in the evenings, her highly prized downtime outside of work while raising her two sons.

Lori’s career began in criminology, working deep nights in a detention facility, then investigating crimes as a Texas State Enforcement Agent. After observing the underbelly of society, her fantasy stories allow her and her readers to escape into imagined worlds and inspire bravery in children (and adults alike) to face some of life’s evil characters.

Connect with Lori

Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Thoughts

It’s rare to stumble upon a middle-grade fantasy that hits all the sweet spots—clean prose, crisp pacing, and a heartfelt emotional core—but Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons absolutely delivers. Lori Tchen’s novel doesn’t just check boxes; it creates its own niche, where high fantasy meets emotional maturity in a story that’s as much about inner growth as it is about outward adventure.

Sterling, our young witch hunter, is no moody teen stereotype. He’s perceptive, principled, and refreshingly sincere. There’s a quiet emotional intelligence pulsing through this book, and it’s most evident in how Sterling learns to let others in. Found family is a well-worn trope, but here it feels honest and unforced—organic, even. Tchen doesn’t rush her character dynamics. The bonds between Sterling and his companions bloom with subtle tension and believable warmth. You feel the stakes, not just in the looming magical threat, but in the fragile trust these characters extend to one another.

This is also one of those rare books where the world-building serves the story instead of overshadowing it. Everen is lush without being overwhelming, magical without becoming saccharine. Tchen strikes a fine balance between wonder and danger; every enchanted glade feels like it could turn deadly at a moment’s notice. And the dragons—ah, the dragons—are treated with reverence and gravitas, never reduced to mere plot devices. The result is a setting that feels as alive as the characters who populate it.

For all its action (and yes, there are sword-swinging, spell-slinging battles galore), the novel’s strength lies in its heart. Courage here isn’t brute force—it’s vulnerability, connection, the willingness to admit you can’t do it alone.

If you’re looking for a richly imagined fantasy that respects its audience—young or not—and you’re a sucker for stories where magic is matched by emotional depth, Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons deserves a spot on your shelf. I, for one, can’t wait to see where Sterling’s story takes him next.

Goes well with: chicken pot pie and apple cider.

Review The Rise of the Mad March by Robert Espenscheid, Jr.

2 June 2025 by Melissa

About the book, The Rise of the Mad March

Genre: New Adult / Coming of Age / Friendship
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
Pages: 374
Publication Date: May 9, 2025

This one is for all the rock bands who never headlined the big stage, who never needed protection getting to the limo, who never made any money, who never got signed, who had no answer to the cry of “why aren’t you guys famous?” It’s for those who wrote killer songs never heard on the radio, who never made a Rolling Stone cover—or even a mention inside. It’s for those whose collars were always blue, who were promised this and wound up with that, who always opened and never closed.

America, 1973. Christine on lead, Henry on rhythm, Gretchen on bass and Melissa on drums. A chaotic rise, fighting amongst themselves, battling self-destruction, finding their sound, learning to trust, finding a helping hand, overcoming convention (girls can’t play guitar) to become one band, on one tour, for one month – New York to LA and all the stories in between.

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About the Author, Robert Espenscheid Jr.

Rob Espenscheid, Jr. is a Connecticut native and a 1966 Wake Forest College graduate. After an Army RVN stint in 1969, Rob pulled up stakes and moved to the rural Midwest, settling in southern Iowa in the early 1970s. Prairie life provided a career tuning and repairing pianos from cattle country small towns to collegiate concert halls. When not tinkering on a piano, he can usually be found either on a golf course or working on a manuscript. In 1998, family connections led to a move, with his wife Sharon, to Smithville, Texas.

Connect with Rob:

Website | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

My Thoughts

It’s hard for me to consider a book that takes place after I was born “historical,” but apparently The Rise of the Mad March, which takes place in 1973 is in that class now.

Categorization aside, this book is a fascinating romp through the creation and early touring years of a rock band.

The creation part, which is set in a halfway house, introduces us to Henry the piano tuner who dumps an out-of-fashion beast of a piano on the premises on the condition that he’ll come and repair it as necessary. It’s there that he meets two of the criminal residents, Melissa – mostly referred to as Mel – on drums, and Gretchen on guitar. We meet Christine both before and after these initial coming together scenes, but we meet her separately.

As a musician myself, these early scenes were some of the most interesting for me, because I got to see each character’s first wobbly attempts to play, and then to improve, and finally to mesh with the others.

When the book shifts from the creation of the band to the band touring, I was interested for other reasons. Certainly, the name dropping of all the real people – 70s icons like Billy Crystal and The Ramones – they encountered was fun. Each name was a little like an easter egg, but also a glimpse into what and who resonated with the author. More than that, every now-famous person or group they encountered affected their band’s own future.

And speaking of the author, Robert Espensheid, Jr, has a gift for dialogue and I really appreciated how natural all of the characters sounded, but especially that Mel, Gretchen, and Christine sounded like real women and not manic-pixie-dreamgirl prototypes or mindless, jaded, old-beyond-their-years women. The male characters were drawn equally well.

I also appreciated the interstitial scenes with thirteen-year-old high school journalist Jersey Moon who was given the gift of keeping a tour journal of the band. I identified with her far more than someone in their fifties ought to, even though we didn’t see that much of her.

Overall, this is a solid novel if you like the feel of behind-the-scenes music dramas, or the 70s music scene.

Goes well with: rice pudding and strong coffee, served in heavy porcelain with faint blue or green lines around the rims. Preferably at 2 am in a vintage diner.

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Review: The Calendar, by WM Gunn – with Giveaway

23 May 2025 by Melissa

About the Book, The Calendar

Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 302
Publication Date: April 3, 2025
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Long-range monitors detect a massive rock plunging through space on a path toward Earth. Will it miss our planet, deliver a glancing blow, or destroy Mankind? And how will people react to an uncertain future? Or will they be told?

What if everything and everyone you cherish vanished in a heartbeat? What if you knew the very day your world would cease to exist? What if you could not save those you love? What if all your dreams and hopes of a brighter tomorrow would never be realized? How would you react if there was nothing you could do to delay it or prevent it? What would you do?

Prepare yourself for the upcoming end of all that is right and wrong. Prepare yourself for the fear and uncertainty of the unknown. Prepare to feel the tension grow and grow.

Prepare to read The Calendar.

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About the author, WM Gunn

WM Gunn is a native Texan who spent many years in the pharmaceutical industry in sales, sales management, and training and development. He is active in writing groups and volunteering with non-profit groups. He lives in his hometown in Texas with his high school sweetheart bride of many years. To date, he has written hundreds of short stories, three novellas, and two novels. Holmes, Moriarty, and the Monkeys and Chasing the Sun are two novellas released earlier in 2024. His debut full-length novel The Two Terrors of Tulelake was released in October 2024, as an e-book and as a paperback. The Calendar is his newest novel available in April 2025 as an e-book and in paperback

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My Thoughts

Part thriller, part human drama, The Calendar is a truly original novel about a classic science fiction trope: what would you do if you knew a giant meteor was about to slam into the Earth.

But in WM Gunn’s deft hands, this book defies the tropes, forgoing (mostly) the expected flash and bang for quieter moments. The plot progresses not with one protagonist, but in a series of vignettes told over the course of a calendar year, showing us not only who changes when faced with impending doom, and who stays the same.

The early chapters introduce us to the characters – lawyers with marital issues, doctors with challenging patients, criminals, do-gooders, and world leaders faced with what to tell their various constituents. As the novel progresses, details are filled in both with the external crises of the traveling asteroid, nicknamed Goliath, and the more immediate goings-on at home. Each flip of the calendar page (or new chapter) heightens the tension and makes the characters increasingly more dimensional, until they are as real as anyone we readers might know.

The story of the pizzeria owner, Max, who offers free pies to his city’s unhoused population, really struck a chord with me, reminding me of my own local pizza maker who fired up her oven in a shop without electricity to feed first-responders and those who’d lost their homes after last year’s back-to-back hurricanes on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s that kind of resonance that makes this novel so compelling.

One detail that makes it even more relatable is the addition of a song that goes with each month, with lyrics quoted in the text and a playlist provided at the end. It’s a nice touch and really added to my appreciation of the author’s work.

It’s not a spoiler to say that this book doesn’t have a happy ending. We’re told in the blurb that Earth won’t survive. But despite the fact that there’s no neat sci-fi solution, this book isn’t sad. It’s uplifting. It’s hopeful. In a world that seems increasingly dark, it reminds us that there are good people all around us. The Calendar should be on every discerning reader’s summer TBR list.

Goes well with: pizza, obviously, the Neapolitan kind with a crispy crust and blistered cheese, and beer or sweet tea, your choice.

To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLTheCalendar on your preferred social media platform.

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Review: Houston Skyline, by Carol A. Taylor

14 May 2025 by Melissa

About the book, Houston Skyline: Selected Poems

Houston Skyline by Carol A. Taylor is a collection of poetry inspired by a life filled with change and growth. From her humble beginnings in rural Texas, where her family lived simply, to her career in the high-rises of the business world, and later to her years as a language teacher, Carol’s journey is one of perseverance and self-discovery.

Her poems reflect her experiences, blending memories of her childhood with reflections from her later years. Through themes of family, identity, and place, Carol shares her story in a way that is both personal and relatable.

This collection offers a thoughtful look at how life shapes us, showing how Carol found her voice through poetry and her love for storytelling.

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My Thoughts

Carol Taylor’s volume of poems, Houston Skyline gives us glimpses into the author’s life in the form of a collection of her poems and short bits of transitional prose. Some of the pieces have been published before, others are new, but every one was a treat to be savored.

At times gentle, wry, poignant, and wistful, this collection is well-crafted without feeling crafty. It’s sometimes very candid (“Hard Times” is a recollection about a damaged toilet seat!) and often tied to the weather, which makes sense, because the weather in Texas changes on a dime and is never without drama.

“You seldom see downpours like that ay more, like the deluge the day they buried old Berry, rain blowing sideways and dark coming down,” she writes in “Funeral in the Rain,” and immediately you can feel it, smell it, taste it.

Taylor’s word-choices are delicious, and her descriptions are cinematic. Because it’s poetry, it’s an easy book to pick up, put down, read through, and then revisit, which is what I did.

If you love poetry, in general, and Texas in particular, you will love this book. If you merely love either one of those things, I feel Houston Skyline will make you love them.

Goes well with: sweet tea, fresh strawberries, and a summer rainstorm.

FictionAdvent 04: Snowglobe

The lights above them pulse, soft as breathing. She remembers that first storm — the fear of the power failing, the scramble to secure the greenhouse domes, the way they’d worked side by side in the cold until dawn. That was when it began, really: not the flirtation or the laughter, but the quiet respect that came from surviving something together.

FictionAdvent 03: “Orbit”

Below her, ribbons of green and violet curl across the poles, shimmering like breath against the night. It’s not the first aurora she’s seen from orbit, but this one feels different — brighter, alive. She thinks of the Christmas lights her father used to hang along the eaves of their house, blinking patterns that never quite synced. He’d laugh every year and say, “Perfection’s overrated, sweetheart. Just make it shine.”

FictionAdvent 02: “Hearth”

Inside the café, the world softens around the edges. The espresso machine has gone quiet, its metal belly releasing one last sigh of steam. She wipes down the counter in slow, practiced circles. When she finishes, she pours herself a small mug from what remains in the pot — lukewarm, but still comforting — and brings it with her as she turns.