michellehogmire

An open-ended, self-guided journal that focuses on combating feelings of emptiness through self-awareness and personal authenticity, Robin Shukle’s Creating Clarity and Connection: A Self-Guided Journal to Inspire A Positive and Purposeful Life is a refreshing workbook that encourages readers to define their own path to happiness, as opposed to following other people. Shukle highlights the surprising importance of metaphorical “crumbs,” or day-to-day occurrences that we’ll notice if we start to pay attention, as a path forward to discovering purpose and direction. The book contains plenty of journaling sections for readers, who will no doubt be inspired by the text’s compass-driven […]

Ravenous animals aren’t the biggest danger in the jungle – it’s the humans you must watch out for – in Philippe’s gorgeously descriptive work about murder, love, and lust between two ancient tribes, Spirits of the Sun. When the chief of the Java tribe declares his desire to marry a much younger woman from the Malay tribe, the Malay reject the proposal, and a callous killing complicates matters further. Meanwhile, a developing relationship between a young Malay man and a banished Java woman spells trouble for both groups. Some of the novel’s crueler scenes of violence are difficult to […]

A refreshingly honest and personal guide to love and relationships, Feeling Like Your Marriage Is Dead?: A Divorce Mediator’s Guide to Ensuring a Lifetime of Love by Staci Bartley focuses on the importance of treating emotional pain as seriously as physical pain. The book begins with the provocative premise that “Marriage is dead,” referring to the idea that marriage alone can’t save a relationship. From there, Bartley tracks the history of marriage to show that the practice is malleable and urges readers to accept the fact that love can be temporary, for a down-to-earth perspective on modern romance. This succinct, […]

The first title in a series based on Celtic mythology, Corina Douglas’ Daughter of Winter sets the stage for a battle between the descendant of a winter goddess and a vengeful immortal Druid in this strong first installment to an elaborate series. Brydie MacKay is shocked when her estranged grandmother wills her a Scottish estate, but it turns out she’s inherited something far more dangerous. A cursed prophecy, impacting the next female in line, means that Brydie must travel to Scotland with a mysterious guardian and learn how to wield her magic. While repeated scenes from multiple points of view […]

Two teenagers, Beth and Cameron, can see into each other’s minds, a skill that comes in handy when Cameron is kidnapped by a nefarious company, in Phill Featherstone’s gripping young adult thriller I Know What You’re Thinking. In a near future where all adult human genomes are public knowledge, a famous corporation decides to secretly use living organ donors for their rich clientele. When Cameron is targeted, Beth – alongside close friends and family – must race against the clock to try to locate and save him. The mixture of sci-fi elements with the high-stakes premise of mind reading […]