Indie Reviews

BOOKS IN REVIEW

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SHELF UNBOUND’S Books In Review

Self-Published & Small Press Book Reviews

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Library Lin’s Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction.

BY LINDA MAXIE

Adult

This impressive book—a veritable portable public library—offers an amazing wealth of nonfiction reading recommendations on virtually every subject.

Librarian Linda Maxie scoured best-of and award lists to find her selections, which include biographies and memoirs as well as some canonical literature. She organizes the list by the Dewey Decimal Classification system, which offers the benefit of comprehensiveness, from The Encyclopedia of UFOs (000, General Knowledge) to Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller’s Tragic Quest (995: History of New Guinea and Melanesia). Each listing is complemented by a brief synopsis of the book.

The system reflects Dewey’s cultural priorities, so certain topics are well-represented—U.S. history is by far the most populated category—although Maxie attempts to include a diversity of opinions and, where possible, non-Anglocentric perspectives, like Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. But the section 959: History of Southeast Asia, for example, contains only books about the U.S.-sponsored Vietnam war, none about the country itself. Currency is an advantage, as the majority of included titles were published in the last 20 years, but there are also influential classics like Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, and W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk.

Many of the selections are compendiums, like Perfect Party Food, or works of reference themselves, like The Slate Roof Bible or the Encyclopedia of Racism in American Films.

Whether one’s fancy is caught by The Feminist Companion to Literature in English or The People’s Chronology: A Year by Year Record of Human Events from Prehistory to the Present, there’s something here to delight every reader. Maxie’s careful, thoughtful, and thorough work is a paean to the breadth of human knowledge and to the libraries, the “gardens of thought” that foster and preserve it. The only TBR list you’ll ever need. 

PUBLISHER: SPOON CREEK PRESS

2084: Book One, 2069.

BY KADON L. PETERSON

Adult

PUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED Kadon L. Peterson’s dystopian novel, the first in a planned trilogy, follows Dune Burnswick through a world in which an authoritarian government is trying to stamp out humanity.

Dune is one of relatively few naturally born humans (Nats) left in society. The governing World Peace Authority (WPA), claiming to promote social harmony, has set a deadline of 2070 for all Nats to be modified to resemble the synthetic humans among them.

Already not much of a follower, Dune becomes a full-on rebel against the WPA after witnessing a lemming-like mass suicide. He joins a revolutionary group, eventually taking their delinquent young people under his wing. Joining him is his common-law wife, Fennec, a Nat who had surgery to make herself look like a fox when she was young. As the regime begins to crumble, Dune and Fennec fight for their lives in a suspenseful climax that ends on a cliffhanger.

2069 fits squarely among the concepts of Aldous Huxley, Ayn Rand and George Orwell, imagining a future in which humans are robbed of their individuality. Peterson’s transhumanist spin is timely given the present controversies surrounding AI and other technology.

Peterson doesn’t shy from his protagonist’s unlikeable side. Dune can be ruthless, hypersexual and bullying. Although these traits will likely bother some readers, they speak to the harsh world in which he lives. Meanwhile, Fennec begins as mostly a fantasy object (albeit a strange one), which likewise might be off-putting to some. But her character grows and deepens as the story progresses.

The novel brims with philosophical musings. Overall, these lend the book an intellectual flair often absent from post-apocalyptic thrillers. But sometimes the digressions threaten to overwhelm the story. Paring them back, especially in the book’s second half, would better maintain its momentum.

More consistent pacing would help the novel appeal to a wider audience. Still, this is an intriguing story that will leave readers curious about where its sequels lead. 

The Newlywed’s Window: The 2022 Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing .

BY CRIMSON CLOUD MEDIA

Adult

PUBLISHER: MUKANA PRESS

killer stalks his next victim. This exciting short story collection showcasing strong and emerging African writers displays a refreshing richness and depth of experience.

The stories cover an expansive range of subjects. Many feature young people learning about the world in both tender and tragic ways. In “Our Girl Bimpe,” Bimpe’s fake profile on Facebook causes her trouble, and in the compelling “This Is for My Aunt Penzi, Who—,” the narrator reflects on the judgments neighbors level on her untraditional aunt.

Several stories invoke a world full of spirits, as with “Old Photographs,” in which a young girl encounters her father through a picture, or “The Daya Zimu,” in which the narrator finds herself drawn by the new girl at school into a dangerous conjuring game. Sometimes, violence erupts, as in “Black Paw Paw,” where a young maid commits an unintended injury, or “Gasping For Air,” in which a serial

While all the stories are written with assurance and vivid imagery, the most appealing focus on the small moments that change one’s perspective: the news the young narrator learns in “A Letter From Ireland,” for example, or a moment when Mareba of “Mareba’s Tavern” understands her difficult daughter.

The language throughout is bright and engaging, the bits of dialect adding a textured rhythm while fresh metaphors leap off the page, as when Laila, the young narrator watching life go on about her in Stonetown through “The Newlywed’s Window,” thinks “The streets were thick sponges; all their secrets lay secure, but a little squeeze and their lives would overflow the way streets do in the monsoon season” or the young woman looking after her family in “How Are You?” who imagines her mother worrying of “the future clothed in many coats of fears.”

In all, this is an impressive display of talent, and proof that the short story genre is alive and well in fresh and interesting ways. 

The Blood Trials.

BY N.E. DAVENPORT

Adult

PUBLISHER: HARPER VOYAGER

pushups. The word I’d use to describe Nia Davenport’s debut novel The Blood Trials is ‘ambitious.’ It combines many elements to create a story about a headstrong female protagonist is training to be a military elite all so she can get closer to the man that assassinated her grandfather. It’s sci-fi; it’s fantasy. It’s a battle against prejudice, but also strong enemies. It’s an action adventure and murder mystery.

Overall, The Blood Trials feels much like a young adult novel with its general structure, characters, and style, but the violence – and Ikenna’s predilection for profanity – makes it feel more ‘adult.’ The presence of the violence and language adds to the brutality of Praetorian trails, like when drill sergeant detonates an explosive on a recruit’s back because they didn’t do enough

The key thing to praise is that Ikenna has a lot of what I look for in a female protagonist. She’s headstrong, confident and not fully equipped to face everything in her path. Whether it’s racism, sexism, or people actively trying to kill her because of her family ties, she faces plenty of challenges that force her to grow. Even when she fails, Ikenna isn’t afraid to keep on fighting against the people and institutions that oppress her and those like her. I like that.

I also liked how deeply ingrained sexism and racism is woven into the story. Many of Ikenna’s battles Ikenna are against people, but they’re varied between action sequences and having to face the brutal reality of discrimination.

To me, The Blood Trials is exactly what it tries to be: an exciting read about a badass woman fighting against deep-seated prejudice and bad guys. And for those of you who love your series, book two is on its way. 

Fire Summer.

BY THUY DA LAM

Adult

Published by Red Hen Press on September 17, 2019, Fire Summer is Thuy Da Lam’s debut novel. The story itself is a literary tale of familial duty and the nuances of war, with the back cover putting it best: “Fire Summer, an interplay of the fantastic and philosophical, illuminates the interconnectedness of lives, following four characters and a cat as they journey through an enduring land, from their fortuitous first meetings to love’s final acts.”

In terms of narrative, I enjoyed how the experiences of Vietnam’s living and dead are interwoven, overlapping with one another and bringing more insight and empathy to the war’s different facets. By the end, I found that all the characters were people I was rooting for, to some extent – Thuy Da Lam does a good job of revealing the relational interconnectedness between all the people she introduces.

My main reservation, though, is that I wish I’d known more about the central characters earlier on, especially Maia (the protagonist). We are thrust into the action from the beginning, and while everyone’s backstories and motivations are revealed in the final third, the beginning feels like you’re whitewater rafting with a bunch of secretive strangers. You never got the chance to chat before jumping into the boat, and now you’re careening down a waterfall together. There’s a part of that that would be exhilarating for some – for me, though, I wish I’d gotten to know Maia a little better before going on this adventure with her.

Overall, Fire Summer is an enjoyable read, coming across as both heartbreaking and hopeful – it holds a lot of heart and a lot of history. I am excited to read whatever Thuy Da Lam writes next! 

PUBLISHER: RED HEN PRESS

Unsettled Ground.

BY CLAIRE FULLER

Adult

PUBLISHER: TIN HOUSE

As a 2021 winner of the Costa Novel Award, Unsettled Ground is Claire Fuller’s fourth novel. It is literary fiction about family life with a bit of mystery thrown in. When their mother Dot dies unexpectedly, 51-yearold twins, Jeanie and Julius, must deal with the aftermath of her death. Living in a rural area in the modern time, they are stuck with lots of debt, which includes trying to bury their mom and looking for a new place to live. As the story unfolds, Jeanie and Julius are thrown out of the only place they have ever lived, and they must find ways to continue making money to pay for the numerous debts Dot left behind. I like the way Claire uses two points of view, so I could see how each twin was feeling and acting throughout the novel. Jeanie had her own health issue and couldn’t read or write while Julius struggled with wanting to help his sister and discovering his independence. While Unsettled Ground isn’t a true mystery, it sure felt like it at times, starting at the beginning with Dot’s death. As I continued reading, I learn she hadn’t been as honest with her children as they had thought. The clues continue until the end when the truth comes out. Throughout Unsettled Ground, music played a big role in the story. Jeanie plays the guitar, and Julius plays the fiddle. They use music to help them cope with their mother’s death, and Julius eventually talks Jeanie into doing a gig. Even though Jeanie didn’t want to play in front of others, I see what a great musician she is. Despite the slowness at times with all the descriptions, Unsettled Ground gives us a good idea of what it is like in a rural place in modern times. If you haven’t read anything like this before, I suggest you give this book a try. 

Deadly Setup.

BY LYNN SLAUGHTER

Young Adult

Released on July 5, Lynn Slaughter’s Deadly Setup is her newest young adult thriller. It’s also a dark, coming-of-age story with a bit of hope.

Seventeen-year-old Samantha, or Sam, isn’t happy when she finds out her mom becomes engaged to a man whose last wife died under mysterious circumstances. When her mom’s fiancé is murdered, Sam is accused of doing it. Now she has to prove her innocence, and she gets help from her boyfriend’s dad, who is an ex-police officer.

Deadly Setup got my attention right from the beginning and never let up throughout the novel. Lynn does a great job of keeping the suspense going. I don’t think I’ve read a thriller or suspense novel like this in quite a while. The story kept me guessing as to who the murderer was. As I read, questions kept popping up in my head--Was Sam really the one who killed her mom’s fiancé? I didn’t think so, and I thought that from the very beginning. But if not her, then who did? I had a couple of guesses, and I kept turning the pages until the end.

While some readers may not like a first person narrative, I think some novels need to be written that way. Deadly Setup is no exception. Lynn does a good job of telling Sam’s story through a first person point of view. At times, I even felt like I was right there either in Sam’s shoes or right next to her seeing what she was doing and hearing her words. Lynn also did a good job conveying Sam’s thoughts and feelings. I almost felt like the story was more real than it is.

Even though I am past my young adult years, I have always enjoyed reading young adult books. Sometimes they are as good, if not better, than adult books. And in this case, Deadly Setup is better than a few adult thrillers I have read. 

PUBLISHER: FIRE & ICE YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Harry & Grace A Dakota Love Story

BY VICKI TAPIA

Adult

I don’t follow many authors on social media, so I was thrilled when, while scrolling, I saw that one of my favorite writers, Vicki Tapia, had a new book out. Tapia’s work is part historical fiction and part memoir. She draws on family stories told to her over the years and then fills in the gaps with her imagination.

Harry & Grace A Dakota Love Story is a beautifully written tale about a carnival worker (Harry) and a woman (Grace) who is determined never to marry. You can guess from the title that these two find one another. Set in the early 1900s in the Dakotas, this book had me on the edge of my seat. Tapia has a way of reminding me that events in this period have a way of going awry. Would Grace survive childbirth? How would the family survive if Harry was drafted?

Written in alternating POVs, there are twists and turns in this book that I didn’t see coming. Emotions run high and a thread of perseverance weaves its way through Harry and Grace’s love story.

Tapia is skilled at setting her readers on a journey back in time, not only in Harry & Grace, but in her book Maggie: A Journey of Love, Loss and Survival as well. If you haven’t yet read one of Tapia’s novels, I encourage you to pick up a copy. 

PUBLISHER: INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED

Moth.

BY MELODY RAZAK

Adult

PUBLISHER: WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON MOTH is Melody Razak’s debut novel. The story follows an upper caste family in 1946 Dehli, leading up to the 1947 separation of Pakistan from India. The book’s blurb says it best: “Set during the most tumultuous years in modern Indian history, Melody Razak recreates the painful turmoil of a rupturing nation and its reverberations across the fates of a single family. Powerfully evocative and atmospheric, MOTH is a testament to survival and a celebration of the beauty and resilience of the human spirit.”

MOTH is one of those rare stories that sucks you in, breaks your heart, and makes you never want to read it again … and yet you probably will. It’s good, but it hurts. From the beginning, I lost track of space and time and found myself completely engrossed in the story. Every time I stepped away, I felt a noticeable heaviness – I could feel myself grieving, which is rare for me in fiction (including historical fiction). In Razak’s tale, the character are ordinary people trying to cope with extraordinary circumstances.

Razak’s writing is poetic and ethereal, to the point where I would regularly stop midparagraph to mull over a particular sentence, because I wanted taste the words again. Her descriptions are concise but sharp, and I appreciate that she never shied away from the atrocities and desperation that occur in the wake of war. She could’ve sugar-coated it, but she didn’t. Razak was able to invoke in me a simultaneous sense of hope and dread, which I haven’t felt from a book in a while.

I also found the story to be very educational. This is good, because it means the book could open the door to conversations and learning – however, it’s also discouraging, because it indicates a failure on the part of the American education system. I’m embarrassed to say that, until reading this book, I did not know that Pakistan was a result of Partition, and I learned more about India in this book than I ever did in school. I hope that books like this will spark discussion, not only about history, but also about the responsibility of schools to teach history outside of its Western lens.

MOTH is an incredibly impressive debut, one that I plan to reread in the future. I look forward to discovering whatever Razak writes next! 