marinadoramartino

A Sip of Magic by Kate Swansea is an enthralling work of romantic fantasy with a delightfully unique premise. Serena is a witch who wants to open a tearoom in Pembrooke, but she doesn’t get the welcome she had hoped – Jared, a handsome but strict member of the Magic Council, is trying to sabotage her in order to protect the secret of magic from the rest of the community. Can Serena and Jared see eye to eye, and can magic ever exist in the open? With effervescent prose, an enchanting backdrop, and an original cast of characters, the novel […]

The Moon Behind the Clouds by Vasilis Taouxis is a heartbreaking feminist novel set in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Since her mother and brother’s sudden death, Azadeh’s father has spiraled down into depression and has stopped caring for her. When Azadeh becomes a victim of rape, the trauma triggers an early onset of her bipolar disorder, and her position in her radicalized community becomes extremely fragile. Inspired by a true story, Taouxis’ novel is a brutal, honest, and vivid account of the horrors and injustices suffered by a young girl believed to be guilty simply because she’s a woman, […]

Written clearly and empathetically, Healing Cancer: The Complete Way by Lawrence Doochin is a guide to healing from cancer and other major health threats, but also an invitation for everyone to reconsider their habits of body and mind. What does it mean to be sick or to be healthy? What does it mean to be happy, and how can that impact our bodies? These and other questions are treated by the author with exquisite care and a vast realm of references, from philosophy to quantum physics, which are both comforting and informative. Told through the authoritative lens of the author’s […]

Following in the tradition of Animal Farm, but with a lighter touch, The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge is an enchanting fable for all ages, full of poetry and wit. Gavin, a young raccoon, wakes up after a storm to find Earthwood changed into a desert of mud and fog, offering a not-so-subtle allegory to our current living conditions. Gavin knows he needs to take responsibility for his brothers and for all wood creatures in the difficult journey ahead that will redefine what home means for everyone, illustrating how best to act in a time […]