John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A masterful strike of symbolic storytelling, Death of a Cigarette: A Story of Survival, Memory, and Legacy by Timothy Webber captures the courage of service and the interconnectedness of memory. Imaginatively recounting the long journey of a sentient cigarette as it’s harvested in the tobacco fields of Virginia, assembled to life in a crowded factory, deployed overseas as a K-ration, and left miraculously unsmoked on the death-strewn beaches of Normandy, the author has cleverly crafted a silent but wise spectator to history in the making. Linguistically rich, this strange but affecting novel is a haunting testament to sacrifice, selflessness, and […]

A tongue-in-cheek but informative retelling of the Good Book, The Bible in Tweets by Willie Jones is a Twitterverse translation that leaves no Scripture untouched or parable untweaked. Balancing a healthy dose of humor with clever close reading, this contemporary conversion makes the densely packed tome more accessible and undeniably entertaining. From hilarious handles and shorthand hashtags to ungodly replies and self-aware snark, Jones faithfully recounts the sacrifices, marriages, and miracles that form the foundation of Christian faith. While the tone shift may seem a step too far to some, this sardonic restyling of the Bible pokes fun at dogma […]

An explosive third chapter of a razor-sharp series, O’Shaughnessy Investigations Inc.: Leave Murder to the Professionals by A.G. Russo takes the story full circle, for a gripping, multifaceted thriller that brings out all the old knives. Still reeling from grief and the enveloping weight of World War II, Maeve and Vic are tasked by some familiar feds to investigate potential Nazi terrorists on American soil, while simultaneously unraveling a shady robbery scheme for a distant relative. When their covert sting turns out to be a setup, bitter old enemies come to the surface, still hungry for revenge, and relentlessly obsessed […]

A blunt and detailed account of survival after catastrophic brain trauma, Cerebral Eruption in Paradise by Fran Feavel Merkel is a harrowing memoir of healing and the myriad challenges of American healthcare. Just months after retiring in Arizona, Francine Merkel experienced a ruptured brain aneurysm, plunging her into a shocking spiral of emergency treatment and an arduous journey of recovery. Merkel’s book chronicles both the how and why of her life-altering condition, as well as the nuances of her essential day-to-day care in the months and years that followed, which makes for intense but sympathetic reading. Whether you are a […]