Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Best Part of Us is a contemporary literary fiction novel written by Sally Cole-Misch. Beth had always known that her mother, Kate, had expected her kids to follow the roadmaps she had charted for their futures and to see the island everyone else in her family had loved so dearly expunged forever out of their lives. Beth had gotten over losing the island and all it meant to her. It had been where she had always felt most alive until it was torn from their grasp after a massive storm and an even more massive disagreement between the First Nations people and her hot-headed grandfather. Now she faced a decision, the biggest one in her life in so many ways. What would letting the island back into her life mean to them? How could she reconcile the demands of Kate with the needs of her grandfather and her own?

Sally Cole-Misch’s novel is a lush and lovely homage to the natural places where her protagonist grew up. The careful reader won’t fail to hear the haunting cries of the loons in the early morning as Beth and her grandmother row out to catch the day’s fish or feel the sun begin to warm the chilly morning air as she and Dylan set out for that day’s painting adventure. Readers who are into the outdoors, hiking, and nature won’t be able to resist the pull of this remarkable novel, as will, no doubt, many more who’ve never quite seen the outdoors made real and tangible in such a persuasive way before. The author has done a grand job of making Beth, Dylan, Ben and a host of other original and genuine characters come to life. The plot spanning past and present kept me enthralled and engaged throughout my reading of this exceptionally good book. The Best Part of Us is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Carolina Restrepo for Readers' Favorite

Lost Girls goes through a variety of stories from different women; they range from love to heartache, to grief, to making themselves heard and the importance of leaving the past behind. An unmarried young woman finds solace and comfort in a breast feeder’s support group, a girl creates a ritual when it comes to commemorating the life of a kidnapped girl from her town, time and old age haunt and follow a woman. More than a dozen stories fill this novel with eloquent experiences that shed light on the challenges and joys of being a girl, teenager, young adult, and woman in this world. Ellen Birkett Morris gives life to stories that are typically overlooked by everyday life. These women confront their challenges and find some peace.

Ellen Birkett Morris has reminded me of how fragile and yet how strong women can be, regardless of age, economic situation, sexual orientation, and everything else. I have smiled, frowned, cried, and sighed while reading such amazing stories. There are value and importance in every woman’s story, no matter how far they are from the commercialized conventional woman. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to every single man and woman out there. Lost Girls has made me love women even more than I did before. No woman’s life is easy; we all know that there are more than enough unpleasant experiences, but thankfully there are incredible and unforgettable experiences that allow us to forget about the evil out there. Thank you, Ellen, for giving us these stories.

Reviewed by Tom Gauthier for Readers' Favorite

There are few inhabited places on earth as remote as the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Northern Scotland. A windswept victim of whatever the North Atlantic Ocean storms deliver with unchecked fury. These same storms gather the flotsam of a world far away and gently deliver it to the hightide mark of the beaches. This is the setting that Dianne Ebertt Beeaff has chosen for her cleverly composed stories of lives as disparate as a Chicago widow in Quebec and a North Carolina shrimper’s daughter in a hurricane gleaned from a discovery on a small beach on the west coast of the Isle of Harris.

A young writer, Erica Winchat, has come to this place on holiday, seeking some refuge from the stress of her first writing contract and her doubts about her ability to write more. Walking along Tràigh Lar, she stumbles on a seaweed tangle of fishnet flotsam. Idly curious she counts thirteen items in the jumble. And sees a story in each one. Who lost these? Where did they come from? Erica sets out to tell their stories and the result is a collection of stories, uniquely written around a character named for a wildflower that grows on the machair above the beach, Tràigh Lar, where she stands. Thirteen unique and compelling stories of the lives and the dramatic events that left their shadow thousands of miles away and set an item afloat into the unknown. Common items, a cigarette lighter, a jar of pickled onions, the handle of a child’s bucket, an empty ketchup holder, a green plastic laundry basket, a packet of arthritis pills … with uncommon stories. The last item, the thirteenth, a laminated badge for entrance to a rock concert, inspires Erica to write a novella with the separate first-person stories of four fans of the Scottish rock band Datha. A story that culminates in their reunion at a concert in Chicago. And a tragic ending.

I was immediately drawn to Dianne Ebertt Beeaff’s writing style in On Tràigh Lar Beach. It is free, fresh, and spontaneous yet peppered with crisp particulars of setting and people. A stream of consciousness that reflects how real people actually think and brings her characters to the front, shoulder to shoulder with me as I read. Each of the characters that Diane introduces through Erica is dealing with their own unique demons. She is masterful in allowing them, in the first person, to slowly reveal their circumstance and ability to deal – or not deal – with it. Especially with the four rock star fans, we see a range from dangerous addictive personality to devil-may-care/comme ci comme ça flings, delivered without pop-psych analysis. Just allowing us to be there, feel, see, hear, and care about each individual as they experience elation and despair, soaring and plunging through their lives. Dianne Ebertt Beeaff deserves every accolade for On Tràigh Lar Beach.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

On Swift Wings: The Travails of Cygnus by Brett Wiens is a meld of adventure, fantasy, and humor, a novel filled with humor and fun moments. The protagonist is Cygnus, a young man who survives a plane crash in the ocean, and unwittingly finds himself stranded on an island inhabited by a race of horses that holds humans captives, and the humans do not look normal. It's just the beginning of an adventure that leads to an encounter with unusual situations and peoples - immortals of Loogenage, sorcerers, magicians, giants, and miniature creatures. He goes through heart-wrenching experiences and encounters with strange races. The conclusion to his adventures is as exciting as it is revealing of the mysteries of life. Rollicking and fun!

On Swift Wings: The Travails of Cygnus is a deftly written story that is most appealing to fans of the classic Gulliver's Travels and it is designed to offer pure entertainment. The imaginative character of this novel is noticeable from the way the setting is described and how the author brings to life geography that is fictional and races that are imaginary. However, the sense of realism and humanity is apparent, perhaps because the protagonist is a character like any of us. And I like how the author creates rules in this world. I am writing this review after a good sleep that followed my reading of this book and the world this author created inhabited my dreams. Readers will feel like they are waking from a dream with a "Wow" after reading this book. It is well-plotted and the characters intelligently developed. Brett Wiens has a strong imagination but apart from that, the author is a great storyteller. This is a must-read for anyone looking for a good adventure.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Sweet Jane is a work of literary, character-led fiction penned by author Joanne Kukanza Easley. It is written for adults due to some mature themes such as alcohol abuse, but also for mild use of explicit language and some sexual situations. The plot follows our titular character Jane from her early childhood when the drunken rages and ramblings of her vodka-addicted Mama lead her to run away as soon as she is old enough to fend for herself. Although Jane’s life looks like she’s achieved a lot and is on top of things, a visit home for Mama’s funeral sends her on a journey back through the stages that have made her into the woman she is.

Author Joanne Kukanza Easley really knows how to tell a story deep from the heart, with a raw and well-considered emotional makeup that makes her characters realistic, interesting and also easy to relate to. Jane has a hard life with many concealed secrets, and the plot is extremely well designed to unveil these moments in connection to her past. In true literary fiction fashion, this plot moves slowly and steadily, and the focus is very much on the character as we see the effects of Jane’s present and past colliding, and those clashes which will ultimately shape her future. What results is a well written and well told biographical narrative, deep in its description and psychology as it is in atmosphere, charm, and heart. Sweet Jane is a highly recommended literary read.

Reviewed by Jon Michael Miller for Readers' Favorite

In Beena Khan’s The Name of Red, a beautiful, sexy woman in a tight red dress walks into a busy bar, orders a vodka, opens a book, and starts reading. She shuns the advances of all admirers. She returns each night. Kabir, the owner, is entranced and begins leaving books for her with little notes. Their relationship weaves and grows from there at a slow, intimate pace. The characters are mid-Eastern, giving us a peek into this under-exposed minority—their speech, their internal struggles, their hearts. “We’re all people who life has messed up,” the bartender explains. Beena Khan’s first novel is an in-depth exploration of how love relationships begin from nothing and grow in small steps to overwhelming importance in our lives. And the novel deals also with how they end.

I loved Beena Khan’s The Name of Red. First of all, it’s about readers—two at least. Second, it’s a powerful look into how love starts and how it grows. The insights reach our innermost being. Third, the writing is innocent and engaging, especially in that it is unabashedly English as a second language, which, though not always “correct,” gives us the feeling that we are glimpsing into a sub-culture. I’m glad the “mistakes” were not edited out. The read is quick and easy, always clear. There’s an innocence about the writing that grows in intensity, even passion, to a deeply moving climax. I recommend this novel to anyone who has been hurt in love and yet realizes that after all the hurts we may suffer, love, with all its difficulties, is what matters most. Bravo, Ms. Khan, for a triumphant debut as an author!

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Threads: A Depression Era Tale by Charlotte Whitney is the story of murder, love, and survival as three sisters make a startlingly disturbing discovery on their farm and realize that things are far bleaker than they thought. The Great Depression hit everyone hard and Nellie’s family is no different. They have a humble farm that is getting by, but young Nellie believes that if they find buried treasure, all their troubles will be solved. With that in mind, 7-year-old Nellie finds a blue-black hand of a dead baby. Little did she know, this would be the start of a mystery begging to be solved and she and her sisters might be the only people to solve it. Can she, Irene and Flora find out how that baby got there on their farm and why the baby was killed?

Fast-paced and incredibly well-written, this is a story that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and wanting more. I enjoyed how all three girls had their own chapters with very distinctive narratives; it made it easier for me to connect with them and enjoy the story more. Nellie’s narrative is so innocent yet intelligent, Irene’s is smart and very mature and Flora’s is exceptionally witty and intelligent. All three of them complement the others very well; they set the tone for the plot and kept the story going in their own unique way. The mystery of the story is well-preserved until the end. I couldn’t guess why the baby was buried and who was behind every mysterious and sinister thing that was happening to these kids. This is an entertaining story because the descriptions are incredible. I enjoyed it immensely.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Llywelyn by Michael Hill is an interesting story set in a small, beautiful valley in Wales. Llywelyn has lived and farmed in this village all his life, but now he is about to lose everything and he is helpless about it. The valley has been taken over for a reservoir and no matter how much fight he puts up, he knows he is losing the battle. His daughter, Nerys, has issues of her own and while taking care of her son, Davie, she still has to help her father keep his sanity. The father of her son wants to save their relationship but, being a violent man, his influence on Llywelyn scares Nerys. While the work on the reservoir continues, a lot of drama takes place and the reader wonders if there can be any hope for the farmer.

Michael Hill captures the experience of change in a rural setting with intelligence and infuses the writing with a lot of realism. The characters are real and it is interesting to follow the many relationships happening between characters, the jealousies, the hatred and the kind of insanity that happens when change is introduced into a rural setting. The prose is beautiful and the author captures stunning images of the locales and gives readers an idea of the strong relationship between the protagonist and the earth he has worked all his life. Themes of change, family, love, and the struggle for survival are ingeniously woven into this exciting story. It's an engaging read with characters that are tangible and memorable.

Reviewed by Charles Remington for Readers' Favorite

Mazie sits on the swing on the porch of her family home, she is alone but comfortable and happy to be there. Her senses are alive to her surroundings; the clanking of the chain holding the swing, the warm balmy weather, the earthy smells from the nearby orchard - an orchard located in such an odd, inhospitable part of the farm. Her mind drifts back to her early life, then on to her teens when she first became involved with a boy called Sean. The Rocky Orchard by Barbara Monier tells how one morning Mazie is interrupted in her musings and recollections by an elderly female marching through her orchard and across her land. Surprised but glad of the company, she engages the elderly woman in conversation which prompts regular morning visits. Mazie discovers that the woman’s name is Lula and, like her, she likes to play card games. So, every day they sit on the porch with Mazie reflecting on episodes from her life while Lula deals the cards. As Mazie’s reflections become increasingly vivid, some happy, some sad, some disturbing, she starts to wonder what is actually going on. Why is she there? How did she arrive? Who is Lula? Is there some purpose to this seemingly innocuous daily routine?

Barbara Monier is a talented author who has crafted an enthralling dreamlike tale that gently picks apart the central character’s life. Her fears and longings, joys and sorrows are brought to life by way of the author’s eloquent prose. Though grounded in Mazie’s family home, an otherworldly atmosphere permeates the narrative. Well-written and peopled with solid believable characters Ms. Monier’s descriptions are a joy. I find it hard to pigeonhole The Rocky Orchard in any particular genre but can honestly say that I enjoyed it. Intriguing from the very start, it was an excellent read. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Poignant and lyrical, Guesthouse for Ganesha: A Novel by Judith Teitelman is a debut novel with strong spiritual underpinnings, a story narrated by a Hindu god that features a Jewish mortal on a journey through difficult and challenging historical time. Esther Grünspan arrives in Köln with "a hardened heart as her sole luggage." Apart from the challenges in language, she is confronted with the social upheavals resulting from the war and has to hide her origins in order to survive the Holocaust. Thanks to her gift of tailoring, she can pass unnoticed. Accompanied by the Hindu god, Ganesha, she survives the complexities and the harshness of a world shattered by war and follows a trail that leads to India. What is it that keeps her safe and where does she find the hope to live, one day at a time?

Guesthouse for Ganesha is a huge literary success, from the skillful handling of plot elements to the meticulous weaving of historical elements into the story to the gorgeous prose. Judith Teitelman comes across as a great storyteller. The unusual pairing of a Hindu god and a Jewish woman creates a unique kind of interest for the reader and I enjoyed how the author allows popular Eastern beliefs and hints of the Jewish culture to come out in the narrative. The backdrop against which the story takes place is real and it reflects the social climates of a world waking up from the trauma of war — the insecurity, the sense of fear, and the protagonist's search for a peaceful abode are themes that dominate the writing. There is a deeper meaning in the story, one that indicates that peace isn't based on some human feeling, but is a spiritual gift.