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BLIND EYE

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“Something bad” has happened on the ranch of Sam Duff, “the big name T.V. broadcaster and part time rancher.” The bodies of foreman Luke Pruitt and his third wife, Deona, have been found in a manure pit while their two children, Leeland, 14, and his preteen sister, Karmen, are missing. Chapters of Burns’ compelling book alternate between Deputy Rob Greenwood’s investigation and the perspectives of the principals and participants involved in the case. These include the ill-fated Luke, who, like … Read the rest

ON MY PAPA’S SHOULDERS

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In an endearing homage to fathers and sons, a boy relates his daily routine of walking to school with different family members. Our young narrator tells us that walks to school with Mama take them past the rumble and flash of fast traffic, cars and trucks and feet moving to their own beats; walks to school with Mama always end with kisses. When he walks with Gogo, they veer off the beaten path to avoid the busy roads, and with … Read the rest

FROM BRICK & DARKNESS

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In St. Louis, Missouri, Baxter “Bax” Allen is a sophomore at Truman High School. His parents split up 13 years ago, and he lives with his mother, Sara, who supports them with two jobs. He also suffers from episodes in which stress causes him to faint. One night, on his way back from his best friend Jason Franklin’s house, Bax meets a stranger who insists that Bax give Greg, the teen’s estranged father, a gaudy ring with a purple gem. … Read the rest

THE WAR OF THE WOODS

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Gravely injured, 18-year-old Ivy Lovely lies hidden in the halls of her former school. She was saved thanks to the brave sacrifice of her friend Rimbrick and the protection of a dragon that was believed to be long extinct. However, Ivy is still marked for death by the Dark Queen—a malignant creature who has terrorized Croswald for 200 years. With every passing day, the Queen’s power grows, and the corrupted Bitter Forest where her castle stands (known to most as … Read the rest

BACK TO THE PRAIRIE

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In 2020, Gilbert and Busfield left their New York City apartment to live full time in their rural “Cabbage,” a cross between a cabin and a cottage. They renovated the house, started raising chickens, and began farming the land, all while trying to adjust to the slower pace of life outside of Manhattan. That transition began in 2013, when they married and moved to Michigan. “Life was simple, personal, intimate, and very different from LA,” writes Gilbert. “I melted right … Read the rest

THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS

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A hidden love connects two young White men from Chicago in Oclon’s Vietnam War–era novel. Their relationship is put to the test by time, distance, and circumstance, as Anthony, an Italian American mechanic, enlists in the Army to serve in Vietnam and Sam leaves for college to work toward his dream of becoming a professor. Sam, who reads as White, edges into campus activism at the urging of a friend, while Anthony experiences the unpredictable, dangerous life of a soldier. … Read the rest