Reviews in Brief

A survival guide and collection of journal prompts for frazzled but appreciative parents, Parenting – Controlled Chaos by Floriana Luz is an innovative workbook to help navigate the daily struggles of parenthood. Colorfully and ironically designed like a children’s book, this inventive guide contains exercises, journaling ideas, witty lists, and pages of space to document parents’ daily problems and triumphs. Whether it’s dodging Legos or negotiating bedtime treaties, Luz’s manual reminds parents that they are not alone, and offers a welcome space to document the barrage of chaos in real-time so it can be referenced like a home movie when the kids are older.

With the aim of liberating readers from the frustration of excessive analysis, second-guessing, and self-doubt, From Overthinking To Happy Living: How To Stop Overthinking Everything, Manage Stress And Anxiety, Find Inner Peace Through The Bible And Quantum Physics by Olga Ogden is a relatable and practical guide for self-improvement. By outlining the root causes of overthinking, as well as the secondary factors that contribute to this unproductive cycle, the author unpacks and destigmatizes a surprisingly common mental block. Encouraging readers to connect with a higher power, while simultaneously embracing the wondrous nuance of neuroscience, this book is dually down-to-earth and far-reaching in its outlook and prescriptions, offering a comprehensive companion for anyone who struggles to understand and overcome their self-made obstacles.

Extrapolating America’s current political mire and crisis of values to the end of the 21st century, The Interchange by John Steven Welch is a trenchant philosophical dive into dystopian fiction. In New America, where gender has been redefined and natural birth prohibited, bionically enhanced Aureole Agnor is torn between the revolutionary legacy of her family and her deepest instincts as a human. Pitting bodily autonomy and radical resistance against authoritarian forces waving the banner of progress, this timely novel explores the bonds of family, the foundations of femininity, and the sacrifices required for true freedom, resulting in a heady but revealing novel about the country’s current path.

Laying out a flexible framework for success in the modern marketplace, LLC Guide For Small Businesses: Master the Essentials from Legal Set Up, Launch to Creating a Scalable, Successful and Thriving Brand…It’s Easy Once You Know How! by Joshua Jones is a quick yet comprehensive introduction to creating a new company. Impressively thorough, the book is meticulously structured with information on each inevitable step and common pitfall in building a business, whether it’s legal, financial, social, or other considerations. From protecting your intellectual property to securing your initial funding to developing a strong online presence and scaling at a realistic pace, this engaging and accessible read covers every conceivable issue and possible contingency plan for small and even large businesses.

One man’s radical thesis challenges the foundation of an entire religion in The Second Stone by Eddie Russell, a genre-bending look at the intractability of faith. Before Dr. Johan Vandermeer can release his provocative ideas on the origins of Judaism, sinister forces conspire to silence his heretical views. Bolstered by a slick cast of investigators, operatives, and problematic men of the cloth, this complex and disquieting novel has a deeper purpose than plot-driven action, resulting in a timely, educational, and provocative read. While the author may occasionally pack too much information in a sentence, this meticulously plotted thriller is an engrossing study of the contemporary ties of religion, politics, power, and belief that continue to drive much of the world today, while still reading at a blistering pace.

A cozy Nordic whodunit with an endearing amateur Sherlock at the helm, Sandbakkels and Sin by George Robstad is an unpredictable first entry in the Cash Kristiansen Mystery series. When a panicked aunt summons him back to Salt Cliff Isle, Cash leaves the concrete jungle for a refreshing taste of home, but the serene memories of his youth are overshadowed by the encroachment of the modern world, as well as a shocking murder investigation. Peeling back the facade of small-town tranquility, this savvy crime-solver must navigate the secrets simmering just beneath the island’s surface, while the clues lead him back to familiar places and faces. Suspenseful but unhurried in its storytelling, as Robstad introduces an entertaining mixture of compelling characters, this cozy island mystery is both charming and gripping, in which a tense murder mystery also feels like a vacation.