Oxford Girls; Michaelmas ~ Alex by P.D. Kuch

Alexandra's ordinary teenage life is about to change – dramatically. Unaware of her altered DNA, Alex and her family are of interest to unethical scientists. Her parents' plane crash is just the onset of disturbing discoveries. When it becomes apparent that it wasn't an accident, Alex needs to figure out who's behind it or share a grim fate of a lab rat. The first part of this exciting adventure thriller presents the world's different faces: from beautiful to ugly, from frightening to comforting. Besides the stormy drama, the book is about friendship, intimacy and growing up – a heartening story mixed with educational, funny and even steamy threads. Full of action and with a great dose of humor, the story races to a surprising and gripping twist.

The Enlightened Spaniel - The Cat with One Life Left by Gary Heads

This is the story of two springer spaniels and their unrelenting quest towards enlightenment. Supported by their trusted companion The Bookshelf, and guided by an unwavering belief in the teachings of the Buddha, they undertake to discover the truth surrounding the reincarnation of the Buddha’s dog. The story takes an unusual twist when a mysterious cat arrives. The cat, Amara, believes he has used eight of his nine lives and is suffering from anxiety and uneasiness. He has travelled from afar to find Half-Sister in the hope that she will teach him to live in the present moment and therefore enjoy his final life on planet Earth. However, it soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems, and that Amara holds a secret that Half-Sister must unravel if the truth is to be revealed. The Enlightened Spaniel – The Cat with One Life Left is a charming story that winds its way down a path filled with ancient wisdom, humour, and compassion for all living beings.

What Happened to Coco by VB Furlong

Indie Recs Indie

When a girl disappears, long-buried secrets resurface… Coco is missing. Her room’s a mess, and her phone is left behind in her dorm at Lainsbury Hall School Ella, Coco’s childhood best friend, is desperate for her to return, although she knows that if she ever sees Coco again, there’ll be a lot of explaining to do. Bea knows that her new group of friends attracts drama, and she thinks she has the last shred of common sense between them all. Only, if that was true, she would leave Genevieve, her toxic ex, well alone. Conrad is confident that Coco will return safe and well. Only, the way his secrets are unravelling, he’s worried he won’t be when this is all over. Harrison and Coco are the perfect couple. Everyone knows that. But looks can be misleading. Even the smartest boy in school can make a terrible mistake. In order to navigate the web of secrets and lies that Coco leaves behind, her circle of friends needs to unravel a few of their own. But the question remains: What happened to Coco?

If I Lie in a Combat Zone by Will Tinkham

Ordered to inspect a suspected Viet Cong tunnel in November of 1968, Private Walt Whitman von Funck crawls inside and falls in love. And rips a hole in his foot. IF I LIE IN A COMBAT ZONE finds Zow spending eight months nursing him back to health, while her brother and grandfather conduct midnight raids and accumulate prisoners, including a general. During his convalescence, Walt and Zow wed; theirs is a love story that defies race, religion and military red tape. Upon his return to Chu Lai Air Base with his pregnant wife and six prisoners, Stars and Stripes declares Walt a hero. Awards follow. And plans for a Medal of Honor ceremony with President Nixon. Till a U.S. Army doctor declares the foot wound to be self-inflicted. Hailed, then jailed—repeatedly—Walt becomes a favorite of the anti-war crowd and a thorn in Nixon's side. Walt accepts offers to speak on college campuses. Protests involving gunfire and bombings become routine. It's almost as if they are targeting him.

Paper Castles by B. Fox

Foreclosures are hitting record highs; unemployment is skyrocketing, and the economy is in shambles. Equally broke and futureless, 28–year–old James Brooke, a graduate architect, coffee-addict, and self–described average nobody has returned to his small hometown in West Ohio. Torn between his fanciful dreams and the need to pay off bills, he struggles to find his own identity while facing a harder–than–ever reality. But living under his father’s rooftop while keeping his head in the clouds soon turns out to be a bad combination, and the mounting student debt forces him to settle for any job he can find. That’s when he stumbles across a new coffee shop, a wayward girl with a talent for storytelling, and his own unresolved past. This unexpected set of things could help him figure out what his place in the world is—if that place even exists. Paper Castles is a story about the search for meaning in times when everything seems meaningless.

Asphalt Chasers by Bree Hall

Indie Recs Indie

Ellie and her mom were going to leave their small-town Kansas life behind and hit the road, trek over the black asphalt of Route 66, and head north when they reached the Pacific. They were going to experience all of the zany roadside attractions along the way. They were going to surf every break between Santa Monica and Rockaway Beach. Ellie promised they would climb into her mom’s ’87 VW and do all of those things. She promised. But it was too late. Ellie’s mom was already dying of cancer when she made Ellie promise and she died before their journey could even begin. Now, five months later, Ellie is haunted by the promise she made. But she is determined to get to the Oregon Coast on the route they planned, even though she’ll have to do it on her own, even though her dad forbid it. She will do anything to ensure the promise be fulfilled.Ellie isn’t the only setting out on the road.Enter Luke, the tall, handsome, basketball stud who runs in Ellie's crew. He's had a crush on Ellie since he moved to tiny Wheat Hill in the ninth grade, but when he finally gets the guts to try and tell her how he feels, she's already started her journey. Luke quickly enlists the help of his and Ellie's three kooky friends and they all hit the highway in the hopes of catching up to Ellie. Will Ellie fulfill her promise? Will Luke tell her how he feels? Or will they just keep chasing the asphalt of the road into oblivion, never reaching its end?

The Cary Grant Sanatorium and Playhouse by Will Tinkham

THE CARY GRANT SANATORIUM AND PLAYHOUSE is a screwball drama involving disgraced Hollywood starlet, Donna Darling, and two-time German Army deserter, Séamus von Funck. They meet in 1942 at an idyllic Ohio home for unwed mothers—or a Nazi abortion slaughterhouse, depending on whom you talk to. Their love endures despite the efforts of a power-hungry congressman, an overzealous religious tabloid, and Donna's Hollywood past—yes, including Cary Grant. They prevail despite Séamus being a suspected Nazi spy and America's first prisoner of the second World War—and also the first to escape. Donna returns to her chosen profession, nursing, and Séamus completes his medical training under an alias while still on the lam. Despite their early struggles, the couple raises three fine children: Frederick Douglass von Funck, Clara Barton von Funck and Walt Whitman von Funck. The family thrives until their bi-racial, eldest child runs smack into the civil rights turmoil of the 1960s.

The Rain Dancer by Alan Scott

People often take for granted the small things in life, like being able to shower and get dressed without having to convince their mind and body to get out of bed. For many, that isn’t a daily struggle. When the alarm clock rings, they turn it off, roll out of bed, and start their day. For those diagnosed and labelled with conditions such as dyslexia, however, that struggle is crippling. Branded, lazy, stupid, cheats, the world convinces millions of people every day that they are unworthy of love and unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Labelled with a learning difficulty that makes him feel inferior, 50-year-old Alan starts to reflect on his life and the world around him. Whilst working a typical 9-5 office job, he explores the facets of the world that many overlook, including an inside look at motherhood, prescription drug abuse, and roles in the workplace. From how dress code is enforced more on women than men, the unfulfillment that comes with abusing sex, alcohol, and food, to the importance and acceptance of sexuality, every bullet of truth comes to a startling realization: the world does not view everyone equally. As Alan digs deeper into his memories, regrets of the past blend with momentary victories to cast light on topics that many choose to avoid or overlook. Addiction to social media. The overwhelming noise coming from TV, songs, and news. The robotic movements of people he passes by on the street, and how taboo it is to look at nature or each other. What society classes as success. Based partly on the real-world struggles of dyslexia and the problems associated with it, The Rain Dancer takes an in-depth look at the pain and emotions caused by everyday interactions. Depression, societal expectations, and the niceties of human interactions, Alan Scott paints a vivid picture of the morals and ethics that govern life.

The Adventures of Hank Fenn by Will Tinkham

For Hank, Sam never became Mark Twain. As a riverboat pilot, Sam saved young Hank from the crushing paddlewheels as the boy stowed away on the City of Memphis. Sam returned Hank to Minnesota when news reached downriver that Hank's mother was on trial for killing the father Hank had run away from. Years later, in a barber's chair prior to his mother's funeral, Hank reads a frog story that's awful close to a tall tale Sam once told. The magazine claims it's written by a fellow named Mark Twain. THE ADVENTURES OF HANK FENN (Americana #4) sends Hank searching the West—and then the East—for Mr. Twain. All along he and Sam exchange letters and make plans that never seem to get them together—Twain always on the road or abroad. Hank does find hatred and brutality while railroading and mining throughout this new frontier. He finds Calamity Jane in a Wyoming mining camp and Custer breaking treaties. He finds the Emperor of these United States. Ultimately Hank finds love, boys to raise and gold to unearth on a Black Hills mountaintop.

The Miracles by Will Tinkham

Brinda Miracle (not her real name) steals out of Redding, Connecticut in the spring of 1911 in charge of an orphan train. Though an accredited nurse and teacher, Brinda is fleeing trumped-up allegations stemming from the crib death of a baby in her care as a nanny. An orphan herself, Brinda arrives at an orphaned orphanage in St. Paul, Minnesota with three children still in her care: Nicholas, twelve, with special needs and special talents—most notably those of a pickpocket; Maxine, eight, with seemingly no need for anyone and no discernible talent; and Zane, six, whose amber eyes instill fear in those who fail to look deeper. The Miracles (Americana #7) is a historical crime satire set in a gangster haven that welcomed criminals into St. Paul as long as they didn't commit crimes in St. Paul. The novel follows the four orphans as they are welcomed into a neighborhood featuring Nina Clifford's fashionable whorehouse on one side and the Bucket of Blood Saloon down the block. Brinda and the children grow into their own niches to survive amid Prohibition Era corruption while dabbling in a little bootlegging of their own through the early years of the Great Depression.

The First Stain by Various

The world isn’t black and white. Why should our stories be? There is often a moment when we discover the world is nothing like the fairy tales we grew up with. It’s grittier, darker, more complex. Perception isn’t always reality. Sometimes there’s another layer, another angle that demands acknowledgement. Each tale within The First Stain peels back those preconceived layers to expose the cracks in our not-so-perfect world. The First Stain showcases stories with a twist—from haunted visions to heartbreaking omens; vigilante justice to survival amidst metaphysical hellscapes. Enter a fantastical world where karma is Law—merciless and unforgiving. Discover the addiction of memory, and the regrets secreted therein. Within The First Stain, fears become nightmares. Nightmares become reality, and sometimes, the worst that could happen, comes to pass. These thirteen short stories by new and published authors delve into the themes of death, justice, family, redemption, and ugly truths bound in beautiful lies.

More Time: A Brief Anthology of Indie Author Short Fiction by R. Tim Morris (editor)

We might have made better decisions if we'd only had more time. Maybe more time would have been all we needed to love them right. More time could have fixed our mistakes. More time might have only made things worse. More time could have meant a bigger love, but eventually, it might have proven to be a lesser one. And even when the measure of time itself is altogether powerless, love will inevitably find us and leave us in so many more ways. In this short fiction anthology, a global collection of rising talents explore the connection between love and time. Their stories will take us from cancer wards to small town bakeries. From retirement communities, to parkade rooftops, to paranormal phone booths. Love will bloom beneath meteor showers, endure through the magic of mythical creatures, and elude us within the veils of memory. These twelve tales touch on the supernatural, the psychological, and secrets just beneath the surface, teasing our vulnerabilities. Eventually, love may end up being defined by nothing more than a pair of men's slippers, a pilfered hoodie, or a body on the sidewalk. And in all of these stories, one question could be asked: What if we had More Time? Featuring stories by Eloise Archer, Ioanna Arka, Emma Deshpande, Zev Good, R.Tim Morris, Natalie Pinter, Justine Rosenberg, Chet Sandberg, Abby Simpson, Isana Skeete, Lior Torenberg, and Perry Wolfecastle.

To Be Honest by R. Tim Morris

Chester K. Eddy isn't completely honest. But he's trying to be. When the struggling New York stage actor decides being totally open and honest is exactly the change he needs in his life, Chester doesn't expect being so obnoxiously transparent will only make things worse. After his brother kicks him out, his favorite bar cuts him off, and his best pal Melissa tells him she needs a break from their friends-with-benefits relationship, Chester quickly has few people left who still want to listen to him and his self-professed Honesty Movement. Along his way to newfound self-discovery, Chester will finagle his way into the tenuous role of Director's Assistant for a small-time theatre's production of an unknown play; he'll accidentally attend Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings; he'll find himself in the company of suspected serial killers; he'll drink a bit too much. And he might even have an eye-opening encounter with a talking dinosaur. But there's one truth Chester realizes he hasn't been capable of admitting: he's in love with Melissa. And he can't be completely honest until he's ready to tell her as much.

The Inevitable Fall of Tommy Mueller by R. Tim Morris

The four of them walked slowly towards the Canal Street Station. Tommy in his bulky Empire State Building costume; Kate in mint green hospital scrubs; Jesse disguised as a superhero; and Patrick dressed as a frog. It was Halloween night, and Tommy made note of all the other ghosts, spirits and specters drifting around them. He didn't feel all that different from any of them at that moment, haunting a world they were only temporarily part of. But what brought the four together in this place at this moment? THE INEVITABLE FALL OF TOMMY MUELLER tells the story of four friends - Tommy, Kate, Jesse and Patrick - and how New York City has watched closely as each of them hit their lowest points. KATE PRINCE had dreams of being a writer and living a life free of regrets. But she's been stuck for years in a dead-end editing job and married to a man she's never loved. JESSE CLASSEN aspired to be an artist with the hopes of one day meeting the girl of his dreams. Instead, he found himself lost, falling into an affair with an older woman and floating directionless through the miserable world of comic book retail. PATRICK KOHN thought he was making the right decision when he left New York to marry an old girlfriend. But now his wife has died, and Patrick must raise a son he's never been comfortable around while facing the reality of returning to the city and the friends he once left behind. And yet, whether by fate or simply good fortune, TOMMY MUELLER has managed to build the perfect life for himself. Since he was a child he had always dreamed of living in New York City and he did so upon graduating from high school. He became a published author and stumbled upon the perfect apartment in Morningside Heights. He met Rachel, his long-time girlfriend, during the catastrophe of September Eleventh. Tommy Mueller's life is exactly as he planned it. But the great city awaits the falling of all its inhabitants, because the fall is inevitable.

Molt by R. Tim Morris

Isabelle Donhelle is a professor of ornithology at the prestigious Hawthorne University in Boston. It's Isabelle's twenty-ninth birthday, and after escaping from a party she never wanted to be a part of, she has come to the conclusion that her life so far has lacked any significant, meaningful change. But following a chance encounter, Isabelle falls for a struggling student of hers. But things are not always what they seem, and this newfound relationship is much more than Isabelle wanted to believe it was. Now she must realize that change, whether desired or not, is always more complicated after the fact.

This Never Happened by R. Tim Morris

Cepik Small doesn't belong here. Around Coney Island, he's known as "Epic" but his life could not be less so. And no matter how hard he tries, he can't shake the feeling that he was born in the wrong place, at the wrong time. The cocktail of drugs he takes daily doesn't help and the face-blindness from which he suffers only adds to his feeling of isolation. In his dreams, Epic lives in the countryside with the girl he loves. In his dreams, Epic is the cherished son of proud and ever-present parents. In his dreams, Epic is everything he was meant to be. But nobody ever lives their dreams, do they? Just as he begins seeing a new and unorthodox therapist, Epic also meets the bold and blithe Abigail Ayr. And when a novel found on the subway begins to strangely mirror events in his own life, the mysteries of Epic Small's dreams quickly and uncontrollably begin to unravel.

Bury The Lead by Cassondra Windwalker

Weekly newspaper editor Jeff Paine's mind is filled with the detritus of newspaper clippings, presidential tweets, crossword puzzles, and horoscopes. When his artist girlfriend Ada Grigori announces her intention to leave him, he becomes obsessed with finding—or manufacturing—connections between otherwise unrelated events. Driven by professional curiosity and unrelenting cynicism, Paine uses his newspaper to manipulate the people of his hometown of Brisby, Colorado into revealing the ugliness lurking beneath their placid exteriors. A series of gruesome dog mutilations already have the town on edge when Paine’s carefully worded and technically factual stories stir up vigilante justice against a harmless old homeless man. Spurred on by the unexpected ease of his success, Paine sets his sights on exploiting the town’s hidden prejudices for financial gain and his own amusement. Meanwhile, no-one but Paine notices that a young transient man has gone missing. Exasperated with the plasticity of public sentiment and consumed by his own search for truth, Paine creates a trail of evidence that will ultimately both convict him of murder and set him free on appeal. The public will never know the truth of what became of Ada or of the young transient Brett, but the reader will have all the answers…if she can decipher them. Bury The Lead draws readers into the mind of a brilliant but highly unreliable narrator, forcing them to question their own perceptions of objective truth and the existence of a free press in a world where an unsubstantiated tweet can carry more power than an investigative report.

Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography by Cendrine Marrouat, David Ellis, Hadiya Ali

The medium of limitless possibilities that is photography has been with us for almost 200 years. Despite its great advancements, its early days still influence and dazzle a majority of professional photographers and artists. Such is the case of Cendrine Marrouat, Hadiya Ali and David Ellis, three members of the PoArtMo Collective. The result? "Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography." This unique collection of artistic styles brings together different innovative concepts of both gripping writing and stunning visual imagery. In the first part of the book, photographer and painter Ali introduces us to two of her favorite photographers by reimagining and recreating images in the nature of her photographic idols — Irving Penn and Karl Blossfeldt. In the second part, photographer, poet, and author Marrouat shares a selection of her reminigrams, a digital style that she personally created to honor and pay homage to the early days of photography. Author and poet Ellis rounds things off with a series of pareiku poems (the poetry form he co-created with Marrouat), offering fresh outlooks for his sincere, heartfelt adoration of photography of the past. A fascinating and compelling book, "Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography" will leave you with a deep sense of appreciation and a greater understanding of photography. PoArtMo Collective is a gathering of inspirational artists, writers and photographers that combine their talents to produce positive, mixed media projects that stimulate the minds of the people who delve into them.

Around Midnight by Zarina Macha

Musical Megan falls for the local bad boy in this romantic teen drama. A young-adult story packed with emotion, desire, and pain of first love. The harder you love, the higher the stakes. Jazz is everything to Megan Hollis. When her hands clasp the saxophone, melodies flow with each breath. Music carries her from Copperwood to London, with university on the horizon. Set on attending London’s prestigious School of Jazz, all elements of her life harmonize. Then she meets Vincent Turner, the mysterious guy with a dangerous reputation. Intoxicated by his possessive charms, Megan’s love shifts from melodic bliss to a dissonant nightmare. While the future promises stardust dreams, her new relationship takes a turn for the worse. Megan becomes caught between what she wants and what everyone believes is best for her. Will Megan learn to dance to the beat of her own rhythm? Recommended for those looking for realistic stories about following your heart and standing on your own two feet.

The Dancing Turtle by AJ Stiles

An intoxicating novel set during a hot and sultry Brazilian summer. After a series of heart-breaking tragedies, Marcus disappears to sail around Brazil in an attempt to heal. There he meets Miguel, a local fisherman. What follows is the unraveling of dark past family secrets and a profound insight into the ways of the world.

Cornflakes by Christiane Tann

William Lucky stumbles into the chance of a lifetime when he meets racing car owner, Mr. Lovitz. Soon, he wins the most prestigious racing event of the year 1924, the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Lucky's fame expands. There is no party without him and he no longer remembers a time when he raced sober. Barely surviving a racing accident Lucky must face the consequences of his actions. Mr. Lovitz's underage daughter, Nina, has issues of her own. A victim of a treacherous crime and unable to confide in her emotionally fragile mother, she runs away from home. She finds new friends who introduce her to a new and glittery party scene--but there is a catch. Old traumas resurface and Nina is haunted by her past worse than ever before.

Call Numbers: The Not So Quiet Life Of Librarians by Syntell Smith

Life is a book... and every person is a chapter. Everything's looking up for Robin Walker. It's 1994 in New York City, and he's been transferred downtown to the 58th Street Branch Library. Ready to move up the ladder, Robin is excited about the opportunities that await him. But success, personal or professional, is as elusive as a first-edition rare book. Robin struggles with his strange new work environment as this motley crew of employees generates more drama than a runaway bestseller. He doesn't know who to believe - or who to let in. And as potential romance mingles with devious machinations, there's no telling where Robin's story will go. All he knows is that he must see it through to the very last page. Call Numbers is a captivating and multilayered adult drama. Through realistic dialogue and situations, author Syntell Smith has crafted a modern-day classic about the trials and tribulations of adulthood. Because a library is usually the last place you'd expect high drama, but for these characters...it's long overdue.

Reverend of Silence by Pamela Sparkman

A coming of age story about faith, love, and overcoming society's prejudices during the American Antebellum period. In 1810, Lucy Hallison suffered from a severe illness at the age of three, and later recovered, a deaf-mute. Unable to relate to the world in which she lives, she’s often ignored and sometimes treated with cruelty. Until a boy, Samuel Burke, steps into her life at the tender age of seven, coloring her world and showing her what it means to be seen, to not be invisible, to be understood. The two become inseparable childhood friends, and as they grow and mature, there is the promise and hope of something more that also grows between them. But the hope of something more is put on hold so she can attend The American Asylum at Hartford for the Deaf and Dumb, the first of its kind, requiring her to leave the only home she’s ever known and the only boy she’s ever loved. But while she is away, tragedy strikes, and Samuel is now the one unable to relate to the world in which he lives, unable to find his own voice, and withdrawing from everyone and everything he’s ever known. When Lucy returns home from school, she has one goal in mind—to put color back into his world the way he had once put color into hers. Because Samuel Burke had been her voice when she had needed him most. Now, she is determined to be his. Note: Inspired by real people and true historical accounts.

When Words Grow Fangs by Chase Connor

All Jude wants to do is play Bandits online with his friends, write articles for his blog, get good grades, and hopefully, get accepted into a university with a decent journalism program. After all, his dream is to become a first-rate journalist, writing about the issues the young people of the world deal with every day. As far as he’s concerned, he’s crushing his goals. When the typically liberal administration at his school decides they won’t allow a student to start an LGBTQ+ after school club, Jude’s track to achieving his goals suddenly veers off course. No one is standing up for what’s right and everyone seems to accept that an LGBTQ+ club just isn’t appropriate for the students of Whitmer Central High. Jude tries to talk some sense into the principal, but he quickly finds that finding an ally to help him reverse the decision about the club will be difficult. One night, in a fury over what is going on at his high school, Jude writes a scathing, yet fair, rebuke of his school’s decision. The next thing Jude knows, he’s the subject of a national news article, he’s gone viral on the internet, and he’s become both a hero and a pariah at his school. Quickly, he starts to realize that his dream career may not be as honorable and honest as he once thought, universities will avoid students who rock the boat, friends don’t always stick up for friends, and adults don’t always know what’s best. What’s Jude to do? His moms couldn’t be prouder of him, but what does all of this mean for a teen who hasn’t quite figured out his own sexuality?

The Gravity of Nothing by Chase Connor

All stories start with "once upon a time" and end with "happily ever after." Except for Tom's. Tom's story ends with "happily never after." But a life is full of "once upon a times" because a life is full of stories. Everything in between the "once upon a times" is just details. Two boys met on a bus. Two boys went to summer camp. Two boys walked into the woods together. Two boys swam in the lake. One boy was assaulted. One boy was frozen with fear. One boy became overwhelmed by everything. One boy was dragged down by the gravity of nothing. This is a story of two boys. They met. They became best friends. And now one of them is dead. Over the course of this book, Tom tells a story to the other people in his therapy group. But, whose story is he telling?

A Tremendous Amount of Normal by Chase Connor

Noah is normal. He’s full of normal. His older brother Will tells everyone all of the time. Even if they don’t believe him. Noah doesn’t understand why kids in school call him a “retard." He’s not intellectually disabled. In fact, he’s very smart. But a lot of people call Will a fag—so maybe it’s kind of like that. Neurotypical people don’t always make sense. Noah doesn’t understand love in the same way that his brother Will does. But maybe that’s because neurotypical people don’t understand love as deeply as Noah does? Noah is full of understanding. And so is Will. Noah wants a girlfriend. His brother Will may never be able to have a boyfriend. Maybe they need to redefine normal?

Between Enzo & the Universe by Chase Connor

Indie Recs Indie

If Enzo listed his problems, being single wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list. It might not even be in the top twenty list of problems that he faces on a daily basis. His grandmother is dead. His parents are dead. His sister and brother are dead. He has no money. No friends. No job. He's all alone in a country that will always seem strange. Soon, he might not even have a home. And he's so angry. At life. Himself. God. The universe. Everyone. Except for the man he sees in the market. Something about the man with the red hair (who only speaks English) tells Enzo that the universe might not be completely against him for once. 'Between Enzo & the Universe' is a story about a boy who emigrates from France with his family to Canada in the hopes that a better life might be found. Enzo arrives in Canada as a boy with a happy, healthy family...and ends up a young man with no one left in the world. How does the universe apologize for that? Enzo meets an American at the autumn festival and over the course of a night, they will share their dreams, their passions, and the events that made them the people they are. They will eat, laugh, talk...and come to realize that they both share a dream for the future.

NOW I SAY GOODBYE TO YOU by Brooks Wright

The story of a man who tries to lose himself during the recent Great Recession only to discover how hard it is not to care. KIRKUS REVIEW A homeless man comes tantalizinglyclose to his old life and happiness only to question that joy. In this novel, Wright (The Sky IsFar Away, 2018, etc.) gives readers a homeless, nameless man trying tosurvive after the Mother of All Housing Bubbles has burst. He is somewhere inFlorida, breaking into foreclosed houses in search of food. He has bottomedout: He's lost his job and his family and even spent a year in prison. He hasalso lost all hope and wants only to be left alone. Then he comes upon a littlegirl--as hungry and thirsty as he is--in an abandoned house. Try as he might, hecannot bring himself to desert her. He finds an abandoned cabin and a job witha guy who is scrapping a nearby defunct amusement park, Fun-O-Rama (a wonderfulmetaphor). The girl, whose name readers finally learn is Jessie, is severelytraumatized and mute. Ever so slowly, she begins to trust the man (her firstwords to him: "Are you Jesus?"). When she falls sick, he gets her to ahospital. She recovers, but now the police are very interested in hisrelationship with this kid and with his past. Many more things happen, but itis his need for Jessie that drives it all. The ending is artistically risky buttruer than the conclusion readers will probably crave. Wright is a flat-outwonderful writer. The prose is crisp ("Unhappy should be a weather forecast like rainor snow"), the details spot on, and the slowdevelopment meticulous. The nameless man--the first-person narrator--is anunforgettable character, always talking about the stories in life, like the "IWork Out and Exercise" and "Never Feed a Stray Animal" tales. He is in lovewith his bitterness but, try as he might, can't excise his basic decency. Thispainful novel delivers heartbreak--but no sentimentality--and consummatethaumaturgy or, in the narrator's words, "I'm both the magician and the trick." This tale of two survivors shouldmove you, cajole you, upset you, and seduce you.

The Spirit of the Waynes (The Business Cycle) (Volume 5) by Ethan Cooper

At the behest of his stepmother, Charlie Wayne, an unemployed banker and baby boomer, visits his 93 year-old father in Florida. Initially, the wealthy and independent Wriston Wayne, the former CEO of a major regional bank, seems as sharp and tenacious as ever. But then Wriston, while parking his Cadillac, loses control and the tippling Charlie, a dutiful son, is obliged to raise this issue: Should his father continue to drive? Subsequent interaction in the Wayne family reveals patterns of tenacity, chicanery, love, and denial, as the men and their wives bargain about the future. This family interaction is The Spirit of the Waynes. Recommended to readers coping with the gradual diminishment of elderly parents or who wonder about the stress of revitalizing a stalled career.

Eisenstein's Monster by A.V. Bach

A novel in montage, Eisenstein’s Monster is a wild romp through the terrains of our consciousness. A man with terminal cancer in the language centers of his brain meets a young woman he hopes will facilitate an existence beyond the dwindling limits of his body. What follows is a psychedelic odyssey exploring consciousness and identity through language and montage, placing seemingly disparate chapters together to create a stitched-together being and a one-of-a-kind reading experience: The Tibetan Book of the Dead for the Information Generation. Spanning a wide array of locales—from Eden to Ingolstadt, Soviet Odessa to Los Angeles circa 2025, the Pacific Islands of WWII to an Alaskan mountain expedition, a Hellish Chicago to a lonely space station—and featuring a cavalcade of unforgettable characters—from amateur dentists to Tokyo Rose, from an aging cowboy film composer to a four-legged space spider—the novel is a meeting of East & West, light & dark, the comic & the tragic, using ancient symbolism and new-age signs to explore the familiar, the strange, and the strangely familial, with brows high, low, and shaved. And at the Monster’s heart is a novel about our own humanity—always forced to define itself in the space between birth and death, while contemplating the spaces tangential and beyond. A little dangerous, a little mystical, and entirely an adventure: Eisenstein’s Monster is like a new drug whose trip will take you to the edges of the universe or the fringes of your soul, and one whose effects will last long after the final page is turned. One thing’s for sure: you’ll never look at a tow truck or microphone quite the same.

Merchant of Dreams by Anita Tsianina Briggs

Walking up a lonely moonlit road over the moor, young musician Felicity Godwin has no premonition of the radical changes coming to her life. Devastated by the loss of her parents, unexplained cancellations of professional engagements, and the boating death of her famous aunt Ciara Rossi, she flees to Yorkshire to seek an elusive comfort in Rossi’s final home. Here she finds kindness, companionship, and an intriguing but uneasy relationship with Richard D’Annunzio, one of the great pianists of the age. But what was intended as a journey of memories and healing turns to chilling nightmare as the warm intimacy of like minds morphs into duplicity and terror. Felicity must call upon all her courage and intellect to save her music - and her life.

Sticks by Pippa Greene

Damnable, broom-handle-sized sticks keep tumbling out of Nowhere and materializing into wretched Barbara's, Spartan apartment. But why? Before the appearance of the sticks, Barbara, was already far too anxious. Now she is losing sleep and, as a consequence, has grown decidedly snappish at work. Barbara's boss directs her to the "company" psychiatrist, a charming man, who, quite predictably, prescribes talk therapy and a dose of anti-depressants. Nevertheless, other pestering apparitions begin to present themselves--even in spite of Barbara's determination to live a quiet, utterly predictable, and rigidly unvaried life. Ultimately, the ghost of Barbara's father appears, rapping on the walls of Barbara's apartment, issuing orders via the "Ouija Board," and worse, using Barbara as a means of satisfying its own carnal appetites. Then one night unexpectedly, Father declares that he had never ever engineered his own presumptive suicide. Now had he? Father demands, therefore, that Barbara uncover his murderer. As Barbara begins to unmask the past, Barbara is faced with disturbing realities. In fact, one of these, in human form, is plotting to bludgeon Barbara to death...

Until My Soul Gets It Right (The Bibliophiles Book 2) by Karen Wojcik Berner

From the author of "A Whisper to a Scream" comes a story about growing up, making peace with your past, and finding a little love along the way. In her first novel, Karen Wojcik Berner introduced book club members Sarah and Annie. Now, it’s time for another bibliophile to take center stage. Catherine Elbert has never been good at making decisions, whether it was choosing an ice cream flavor as a small child, or figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. The only thing Catherine knew for sure was there had to be more to life than being stuck on her family’s farm in Wisconsin. While watching a PBS travel show, Catherine becomes entranced by Portland, Maine. The ocean. The lobsters. The rugged coast. Nothing could be more different from the flat, nondescript farmlands of Burkesville. Despite her parents threatening to disown her and her brothers taking bets on how many days until she comes home, Catherine settles on Peaks Island, off the coast of Portland. She was finally free. Or so she thought. “Until My Soul Gets It Right” is the second book in Berner’s Bibliophiles series. Unlike most series that follow one character through various adventures, each Bibliophiles novel focuses on one or two members of a fictional suburban classics book club, revealing their personal stories while the group explores tales spun by the masters. This edition contains a Reader's Guide and book club discussion questions.

The Lies We Live - A Corner Confessions Novel (book 2 of 3-book series) by Kiersten Hall

Meet 16 more people who have the need to rid their closets of at least one skeleton... if not more. Some people are still living their confessions although they know it’s very unethical. Others will share how they were done wrong by the people they love and aren’t sure if they should reveal the information they know to their ne’er do well family member or friend, or simply keep living the lie. While still others have discovered absolute down and dirty secrets about other people and are wondering what they should do with the premium gossip they possess? Confessions include divisive religious issues, government scandals, and greed that could literally blow a small town off the map. Make a new pot of coffee and get ready for another round of jaw-dropping confessions from The Lies We Live. Everyone has a secret. What’s yours? **THE CORNER CONFESSIONS 3-BOOK SERIES** Corner Confessions - A Novel (2016) The Lies We Live (2018) 'Final Book' (2021)

Corner Confessions - A Novel (book 1 of 3-book series) by Kiersten Hall

Everyone has that one secret… that one skeleton in their closet… which will never see the light of day. No psychiatrist, priest, spouse, or best friend will ever hear this secret, yet the urge to share this information can be found in most people's natural psyche… People want to share their experience with others… They want to tell someone their deep, dark secret. Although this secret rides on the subconscious - scratching at the surface to be revealed, it’s most often too embarrassing, or horrifying, or scandalous... What better way to get that secret off the mind, and out of the closet than to tell someone who is a complete stranger? Someone who will not judge what has been said, and what has been done? This method is safe, anonymous, and there is no accountability or judgment - and if there is, the keeper of the secret can simply walk away. Meet fourteen individuals who have decided to clean at least one skeleton out of their closet by confiding in a complete stranger whom they meet at a local coffee shop. Unassuming and safe with no judgments passed, learn about these secrets first hand, as if you were a fly on the wall listening in during their confession. Everyone has a secret. What’s yours?