The General Fiction Shelf

Mortal Things
Ned Bachus
Tree of Life Books
https://treeoflifebooks.org
9781734956382, $19.95, PB, 462pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Things-Ned-Bachus/dp/1734956380

Synopsis: Told in alternating perspectives against the vibrant backdrop of = one of Philadelphia's most distinctive neighborhoods known for its diversit=
y of ethnicity, race, and social-class, "Mortal Things" is a powerful refle= ction that in a time of changing values and belief, it's the transient ties=
that can bind or break us as individuals and as a community.

Critique: Erudite, insightful, deftly crafted, entertaining, thoughtful and=
thought-provoking, "Mortal Things" by author Ned Bachus is one of those no= vels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has=
been finished and set back upon the shelf. Of special merit, "Mortal Thing=
s" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, a=
s well as community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction coll= ections.

Editorial Note: The stories of Ned Bachus (https://nedbachus.com) have been=
anthologized and featured in literary magazines. He has won fellowships fr=
om the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and had been awarded two artist res= idencies at Cill Rialaig Project in Ireland. Bachus received a BA from Temp=
le University, an MA from Gallaudet University and an MFA from Vermont Coll= ege. During his nearly four-decade career at Community College of Philadelp= hia, he has won multiple teaching awards and has spoken at colleges, librar= ies, and bookstores about the art and science of teaching and learning.

The Auction
Elci North
Independently Published
9798412323121, $18.99, PB, 502pp

https://www.amazon.com/Auction-Elci-North/dp/B09RM5XK2C

Synopsis: America 2272 - Women are dominated by the government Office of Re= productive Oversight. They must give birth to their babies and then surrend=
er them to "The Auction". The wealthy bid on the healthiest babies and the = poor take out predatory government loans to afford the sickest.

Critique: A chilling dystopian novel that rivals such classics as George Or= well's "1984", Elci North's "The Auction" is an inherently fascinating and = all-too-plausible glimpse of America 150 years from now given the anti-abor= tion politics of today. While also available for personal reading lists in =
a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99), and unreservedly recommended for com= munity, college, and university library collections, "The Auction" will hav=
e a special appeal for readers with an interest in dystopian and political = fiction.

Chocolate Burnout: Chocolate 4 Life
Emunah La-Paz
Little Ant Productions LLC
https://littleantproductions.com/index.html
9780578994857, $15.99, PB, 330pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chocolate-burnout-emunah-la-paz/1140518491= ?ean=3D9780578994857

Synopsis: Chantel Reed is a successful, single African American woman who h=
as given up on romance to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a master- c= hocolatier. Chantel's best friend Astrid, a prosperous, single white woman = who sacrificed relationships to conquer her dream job as a certified chocol= atier, is the owner of Sweet Indulgence, one of the most popular Chocolate = shops in downtown Seattle. Chantel drifts back and forth between her obsess= ion with chocolate, and her obsessive-compulsive desire to find the perfect=
romance. After the sudden death of their close friend Allison, Chantel and=
Astrid start to drift apart. Astrid dives into her chocolate business, whi=
le Chantel, engages in mortifying relationships.

Chantel's oldest sister, Daria, the family's maternal figure, is prickly an=
d controlling; and she finally breaks up with her slacker boyfriend, Camero=
n after she finds him cooking dinner for another woman in her apartment. As= trid has a sweet plan concerning how Chantel should move on after the break= up. Chantel, who has always dated black men, is initially hesitant when Bra= ndon, a white guy, asks her out. She quickly falls for him and they come cl= ose to marriage despite the push back and racism from both sides of the fam= ily.

But when Brandon and Daria team up together and ask an attractive black man=
to test Chantel's loyalty, her trust in everyone is shattered.

Chantel's spiritual friend Serenity, a black woman, with a flamboyant sense=
of nature and style, tries numerous methods to try and heal Chantel's love=
wounds. Serenity's bizarre healing attempts, causes Chantel to seek out he=
r own therapy and healing.

Chantel's believes that her newfound chocolate healing therapy, ignites mor=
e joy than romance ever could. Chantel knows that eventually she will have =
to ditch her chocoholic addiction, and face her life, even if she must dig = deep into her past and prod into Allison's death, to heal. But for now, Cha= ntel is testing how far she can go before her Chocolate Burnout, sets in.

Critique: A deftly scripted, reader engaging novel that will have a special=
appeal to readers with an interest in interracial friendships and relation= ships between women, "Chocolate Burnout: Chocolate 4 Life" by Emunah La-Paz=
is the stuff of which Hallmark Movies are made. While highly recommended f=
or community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading l= ists that "Chocolate Burnout: Chocolate 4 Life" is also available in a digi= tal book format (Kindle, $5.99, Amazon). Librarians should note for their c= ollections that there is a large print edition of "Chocolate Burnout: Choco= late 4 Life" (Hubbard Small Press Publications, 9798985769814, $33.95, 330p= p).

Editorial Note: Emunah La-Paz (https://www.emunahlapaz.com) is an American = author whose first book Chocolate Burnout embraces multi-cultural heritage,=
and is recognized in the Mavin foundation database of books by authors who=
touch on interracial relationships. In 2011, La-Paz published the book, Wh=
y Do Married Men Cheat with Unattractive Women?, a story based on real life=
events about a beautiful supermodel that becomes baffled when her husband = leaves her for a so-called "unattractive woman".

Holy Parrot
Angel A
Angel's Leap
www.angelsleap.com
9780987622259, $5.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8SL82J6

In Holy Parrot, Maria is a pregnant teen virgin and the possible future mot= her of a legend. Angel A sweeps readers into this multifaceted story with a=
plethora of insights that reveal just how special Maria is, opening with M= aria's pregnancy and thwarted attempt to marry in order to preserve her rep= utation and name.

As events unfold in Buritaca, a small fishing village in Columbia, they are=
narrated from the point of view of Leonard Lumiere, an undergrad science s= tudent who meets Maria and comes to adore her. Leo's job is to "to discover=
something special in the region," but he had no clue that this special dis= covery would involve both genetic research and a possible religious second = coming event. Leo's initial mission is clear: he's to find out why the peop=
le of this particular village live so long.

The answer is not the science-based reality he's come to embrace, but offer=
s powerful insights into life, death, and spirituality as Leo probes this "= blue zone" for its secrets (blue zones are defined here as "regions where t=
he resident population appeared to live long, healthy lives beyond the norm=
al expectations of other world territories.").

As Leo's involvement with Maria challenges his science, his perceptions of = God, and his other relationships, Holy Parrot embraces a myriad of thought-= provoking themes that weave an intense story of closely-held secrets, truth=
s and lies, social and cultural changes, and one young girl's world-changin=
g mystery. Maria's evolving mystique captivates a growing, wide audience as=
Leo learns from her, supports her, and takes bigger risks than he's ever m= ade before in his life.

Angel A creates a compelling story replete with life-changing moments and r= evelations. The tension is as well-developed as the captivating aura surrou= nding Leo and Maria and the paths they forge that change belief systems and=
values alike. Spiritual readers who enjoy stories of beacons of hope, para= digm-changing experiences, and social and personal transformation will find=
Holy Parrot vivid and involving.

While libraries strong in spiritual novels will be the ideal audience for H= oly Parrot, it should also assume an active role in any book club or reader=
group interested in the intersection between science and faith, the result= ing drive for a better life, and the miracles that can power such convictio= ns.

Lying Eyes
A.K. Kulshreshth
Balestier Press
www.balestier.com
9781913891374, $13.99 USD/$11.99 GPB

https://www.amazon.com/Lying-Eyes-K-Kulshreshth/dp/1913891372

It's easy to see why Lying Eyes was longlisted for the Epigram Fiction Priz=
e 2022. It represents the intersection between past and present worlds whic=
h brings narrator Ah Ding into new possibilities at a pivot point which may=
portend the end of life. The culture, atmosphere, and backdrop of Singapor=
e permeate this story with a sense of place and purpose that draws even tho=
se unfamiliar with the region into the fold of realization and understandin=
g.

As the past returns to suffocate Ah Ding, an uncertain future looms, negati=
ng the thought that he will simply "glide into a peaceful death." The proce=
ss of his self-inspection moves between first-person observation and third-= person description. As Ah Ding moves through past and present and negotiate=
s revised perceptions of his love, life connections, and life's meaning, re= aders are brought into a milieu of festering secrets and evolving conundrum=
s.

Lying Eyes cultivates the ability to inspect one man's life trajectory thro= ugh various intersections of experience. It is especially strong in its rep= resentations of different characters and cultures that interconnect and gro=
w, from Ah Ding to the Chengs, Colonel Oishi, and others who confront and i= nfluence the changing face of Asia from the 1940s to the 1970s.

From inequality and racism to relations between men and women and the persp= ective of hindsight provided by an elderly narrator, A.K. Kulshreshth provi= des a vivid inspection of a region buffeted by the tides of change.

Readers of Asian fiction and culture will find the emotional, cultural, and=
political tides of the region are astutely represented as the novel traces=
the changes characters experience as their world vacillates flux: "Singapo=
re in those years was no place for kind men." The mirror Ah Ding looks into=
is one that affects not just his perception, but proves to be a looking gl= ass that also reflects a changing world.

Libraries who choose Lying Eyes for its astute historical journey through S= ingapore and Asia's changing socio-political milieu will find this story a = literary achievement of social inspection that provides enlightening, thoug= ht-provoking, and hard to put down.

Ten Thousand Rocks
Ndirangu Githaiga
Bon Esprit Books
9781735041728, $12.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook/$19.95 audio

https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Thousand-Rocks-Ndirangu-Githaiga-ebook/dp/B092LC= 8H7K

Ten Thousand Rocks opens with a thought-provoking prologue in which Will an=
d Laura comment on the logic of a man convinced the ocean is evaporating be= cause the earth is heating up. Additionally, he believes that dropping a ro=
ck into the ocean daily can save these vanishing seas, empowering his belie=
f with a special flavor of wild explanation that pairs brilliance with illo= gic.

This peculiar form of life inspection is also what drives the characters in=
Ten Thousand Rocks with a unique transformation that takes place when Will=
and Laura move to his hometown to confront in-laws who didn't even know he=
'd been married for eight years, much less to a white woman. The sounds of = pebbles and rocks striking the wider oceans and undercurrents of change con= tinue as an accident both brings together and threatens to separate an alre= ady-divided family and couple teetering on the brink of emotional disaster.

As Ndirangu Githaiga pursues this saga of lives under siege, readers receiv=
e an intensely emotional and reflective story of divisions, reunification e= fforts, and unexpected changes in life that continue to resonate with chall= enge. Pushed to extend their strengths and abilities beyond their comfort z= ones, each character finds a way of coping with life's adversity. As recove=
ry on a physical and emotional level evolves, readers are treated to an abs= orbing story of transformation that operates on psychological, philosophica=
l, and creative levels, bringing each character full circle into a differen=
t way of viewing and interacting with one another.

These psychological observations are nicely presented, with the growing ten= sion between Will and Laura illustrated in realistic detail that draws read= ers into their thoughts and dilemmas. Disability heightens dangerous underc= urrents of anger and resentment, and is portrayed with a sensitive and enli= ghtening hand that keeps readers immersed in the various life changes that = force the characters to adapt. As the tides of a threatened ocean move thro= ugh these experiences, readers will appreciate the literary reflections tha=
t supplement these psychological conundrums.

On its surface, Ten Thousand Rocks would seem to be about a couple's tempes= tuous transformation. But, look beneath these stormy waters to find a summa=
ry of life encounters that is compellingly presented and thought-provokingl=
y analyzed. Libraries looking for inviting stories of cross-cultural encoun= ters and family ties will find Ten Thousand Rocks a winning acquisition.

The Prodigal Daughter
Maria Ereni Dampman
Lickenpoodle Press
9781737177029, $19.95 Paper/$9.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-Daughter-Daughters-American-Revolution/dp/1= 737177021

Book 2 of the Daughters of the New American Revolution series, The Prodigal=
Daughter, opens with a potent first-person sense of place and purpose that=
will draw prior fans who have read The Governor's Daughter to Emma's new d= ilemma: "I'm face-down in slimy, putrid mud with the thick sole of a soldie= r's boot lodged between my shoulders. A dozen or so sweating, panting servi= cemen surround me, their weapons aimed and ready to fire. Judging by their = muttered oaths and eager taunts they can't wait to pull their triggers and = reduce me to a wet stain on an already sloppy and water-logged mountainside=
.. Part of me understands their fury. They believed us to be easy pickings. = They thought we would just politely give ourselves up without a fight. They=
never expected us to run. They never dreamed I'd give myself up to save th=
e men I was with."

Readers will welcome the ongoing mix of dystopian setting and the political=
and social struggles that have led Emma to sacrifice herself to allow her = brother and husband to escape. Emma is realistic about her prospects for su= rvival. But, within the tumultuous world of this dystopian future lays the = lure and cross-connections of political purpose that offers new promises, p= ossibilities, and different anguish to a prodigal daughter. Even one who re= sists her heritage and the efforts of her angry father, Interim Supreme Arc= hon Edward James Bellamy, to draw her back into the fold of an increasingly=
repressive regime.

Readers of The Governor's Daughter will find this sequel thoroughly engross= ing, expanding Emma's character, intentions, and the choices and consequenc=
es that bind her to her father. The question of whether she will cave in an=
d sacrifice an entire community to save those she loves injects moral and e= thical conundrums into a plot that is nicely entwined with many surprises r= eaders won't see coming. As Emma's courses of action changes lives and hear= ts, readers will be drawn to a world replete in not just adversity, but lov=
e. Steamy sexual scenes, graphic battles, and psychological twists mark a t= ale that grips strongly on different levels.

Readers of The Governor's Daughter who appreciated its special delivery of =
a dystopian power struggle will find The Prodigal Daughter marked by the sa=
me attention to juxtaposing strong characters and political processes as it=
s predecessor. Libraries strong in dystopian political fiction who look for=
engaging and powerful female characters will welcome The Prodigal Daughter=
's opportunity to involve a wide audience in new dilemmas, action, and love=
..

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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