Markus Zusak’s social/historical novel, The Book Thief, follows the citizens of Himmel Street in Molching, Germany between 1939 and 1943. In particular, he logs the fortunes and misfortunes of Hans and Rosa Hubermann and their foster child, Liesel Meminger, the book thief. A town near Munich, Molching often witnesses shambles of […]
Life-Changing Love, by Theresa Linden
Theresa Linden weaves three story lines throughout this second volume of her West Brothers trilogy. At the conclusion of volume one—Roland West, Loner—Roland finds a measure of happiness with his new friends, especially Caitlyn. He and she enjoy hanging out without the pressures of a “relationship.” When Roland tells Caitlyn […]
Surviving High School, by Lele Pons with Melissa de la Cruz
Social media has become the message in several recent fictional works. The plot of Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah, for instance, recounts the development of a commercially successful blogger, with some chapters take the form of blog posts. Surviving High School traces the spectacular journey of “Vine” impresario, Lele Pons. It serves […]
Consider, by Kristy Acevedo
Acevedo dazzles with her debut YA, sci-fi novel. Imaginative, insightful and exciting, Consider draws the reader deeper and deeper through a one-way portal to another dimension—her clear and engaging style presents an open invitation to binge reading. Today’s seventeen going on eighteen-year-old high schoolers suffer the usual teen maladies of […]
CWG Book Blast: “Stay With Me,” by Carolyn Astfalk
This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Guildie Carolyn Astfalk’s book, STAY WITH ME. It is a CWG Seal of approval winner. Teaser: With the counsel of their friend Father John, can Rebecca and Chris overcome every obstacle and bridge the deepening gulf between them and her dad? Or […]
The End of the Hunt, by Thomas Flanagan
As Ireland marks the centennial of the Easter Rising, Thomas Flanagan’s nearly two thousand page trilogy—The Year of the French, The Tenants of Time, and The End of the Hunt—immerses readers in Ireland’s struggles between 1798 and 1923, culminating with the creation of the Irish Free State. The Year of […]
Lazarus of Bethany: A Novel, By E. Ann McIntyre
Fictionalized representations of biblical characters often miss the mark. Nevertheless, the Bible serves as a vast treasury of plots and characters, including intriguing hints of narratives read between the lines. One of the most fascinating but little-known characters in the New Testament is Lazarus of Bethany—The Friend of the Lord. […]
Navajo Autumn—A Navajo Nation Mystery by R. Allen Chappell
The Navajo Nation Mystery Series mixes murder with large doses of anthropology, archaeology and the survivalist lifestyle. Fans of Tony and Anne Hillerman, and James D. Doss, will welcome these jaunts to the Four Corners region of the American west. Set in and around the largest Indian reservation in the world, among […]
CWG Book Blast: The Thief, by Stephanie Landsem
This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Guildie Stephanie Landsem’s book, THE THIEF, A NOVEL. It is a SOA winner. Teaser: A woman bound by lies. A soldier haunted by fear. A sacrifice that sets them free. Summary: Nissa, is a desperate Jewish girl and Longinus is a world-weary Roman soldier. […]
A Test of Wills, by Charles Todd
In 1918, the combat-related illness known today as post-traumatic stress disorder was called “shell shock.” Its sufferers were more likely to be stigmatized than treated with compassion. In Charles Todd’s literary novel, A Test of Wills, Inspector Ian Rutledge, after four years of trench warfare in France and several months in […]