This vivid and moving memoir, Dolinger’s debut, recounts a harrowing encounter with history. Dolinger traveled to Korea in the late 1970s as a Peace Corps volunteer set to treat Tuberculosis in the rural outskirts of the city of Gwangju. Falling in love with the nation and its people, and finding that Buddhist teachings connected in edifying ways to his Quaker upbringing, Dolinger immersed himself in Korean culture, and was given the name Im Dae-oon, which he came to identify with more than “David.” He reports being especially fascinated by an ethos of personal sacrifice to the benefit of others, a belief he witnessed firsthand when the nation’s bleak political landscape at the time took a turn for the worse, and the politically progressive youth of Gwangju, who gathered in protest against martial law and the coup-installed leadership of Chun Doo-hwan, were attacked by the military, resulting in hundreds—if not thousands—of deaths. Dolinger chillingly reports seeing over 100 coffins in a gymnasium at the provincial capital.

Dolinger, with co-author Matt VanVolkenburg, writes that he has set out to honor those killed in the Gwangju Uprising of May, 1980, and their stories come through here with clarity and power. Also clear is the political, cultural, and economic currents, plus the responsibility that Dolinger feels to report what he witnessed—and to give voice to others, especially in light of the disinterest of western journalists.

As a Peace Corps volunteer, Dolinger was ordered to stand down and get out of the city, but his own values simply wouldn’t allow him to do so. Instead, he observed, took photographs (included here), and helped as many citizens as he could as the violence carried on. Now, he works to ensure that the facts are known. Part fast-paced and fascinating memoir, with wrenching accounts of “terror … being rained down from the skies,” and part documentary memorial for the people of Gwangju, Called by Another Name exposes the shocking truth.

Takeaway: Gripping firsthand account of South Korea’s Gwangju Uprising and massacre.

Comparable Titles: Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-Eui, and Jeon Yong-Ho’s Gwangju Uprising, Choi Jungwoon’s The Gwangju Uprising.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Noftz showcases passion in all its complexities as two people learn to preserve love, and their urgent connection, in the face of an uncertain future. Enduring grief over the death of close friends, Vanessa “Vanity” Jane VanBuren attends a white-water rafting adventure at the prompting of her friend Annie. On this trip, she discovers not only more about her own love for passion and exhilaration, but also finds herself in love. Vanessa at first wonders if Craig, the man she’s paired with as a rafting partner, “might have hired [by Annie] as an escort to cheer me up,” but the two spend the trip completely in sync, both body and mind. Their unbeatable chemistry leads to more thrilling dates like a hot air balloon ride, skydiving, and sailing. However, their lives outside of these escapes seem incompatible, on different continents, and both know that an inevitable end is in sight for their romance.

The couple eventually makes a bold, painful decision, one that Noftz wrings for much feeling. After life-changing experiences together, they decide to “[freeze] their love in time” to let it remain as perfect and untainted as possible as they go their separate ways—“so it would live on, long after our goodbye, long after our youth faded.” Of course, the story doesn’t end there, and Vanessa, starting a new life on a horse farm, eventually meets Aubrey, a woman with a surprising connection to Craig. Noftz’s debut is a perfect example of a carefully crafted and continually surprising romantic plot, crossing over multiple seasons of life, drawn from real and poignant emotions that are felt on the page.

At times the matter-of-fact writing and quick pacing of the story come at the expense of the pleasures of lyricism. Still, it's easy to get caught up in these sweeping emotions as it all builds to an urgent choice: should these two rekindle their love and risk tampering its perfection, daring to find out if it can be sustained through all of life’s twists and turns?

Takeaway: Superbly plotted love story of passion, discovery, and reflection, spanning years.

Comparable Titles: Jill Santopolo’s The Light We Lost, Emily Henry’s Happy Place.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Buick’s searching debut, an act of love and history, finds the author seeking to reconnect with her deceased father—and draw some closure for herself—by attempting to retrace his journey through World War II. As part of the Army Air Corps (later the Air Force), her father served as a tailgunner on a bomber named “Bomb Boogie,” which was shot down over France. He was later captured and held in a prisoner-of-war camp until late in the war, when he escaped during a forced march.

With much of the documentation of his wartime service and imprisonment destroyed by a fire, her hunt is at first slow and halting, until she comes across others doing similar research. Readers interested in personal stories about World War II will be fascinated by Buick's depth of research imagining what her father went through in training, in combat, as a prisoner of war, and being processed back home. Buick notes that she faced a serious generation gap with her father growing up and rarely thought of him as a veteran in the way that soldiers returning from Vietnam were. His alcoholism made him difficult to deal with, though she later came to understand this as a likely coping mechanism for PTSD.

Through her memories of her father's occasional light-hearted stories, documentation and memories from others, and actual visits to sites in Europe, Buick is able to cobble together a likely timeline for her father's experiences. While a full picture is impossible, Buick compensates by imagining likely outcomes and sharing her own feelings about her father, and how they have transformed, throughout the experience of her research and writing the book. The result is another tile in the mosaic of the personal memories and stories of those who shaped history in the war, a generation that's rapidly disappearing. Buick brings that abstract generational reality to life by documenting the mundane, the exceptional, the exciting, and the horrific alike.

Takeaway: A daughter’s probing investigation into her father’s World War II experience.

Comparable Titles: Richard Carlton Haney’s When Is Daddy Coming Home?, Jonathan Gawne’s Finding Your Father's War.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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Wallfisch’s sharp-elbowed debut collection comprises a hundred easily digestible flash fictions that examine intersections of religion, race, class, politics, and more, at times employing stereotypes in order to subvert them. Many of the stories are lightly comic, like “In the Garden of Olives,” in which a Christian man tries to convert his rabbi friend while they’re out to dinner at Olive Garden, but Wallfisch pokes fun as a way to address serious issues, like American antisemitism. In “Dry Goods,” a Klu Klux Klansman’s threats against a Jewish fabric shop owner are thwarted when the shop owner points out that without him, KKK members would have nowhere to buy sheets.

A New Orleans native, Wallfisch’s stories take place for the most part in Louisiana and neighboring states, touching on the region’s political climate, dialects, and history, offering a progressive take on a place where “Republican Roger” brings up Critical Race Theory to “Democratic Dave” by saying “I don’t know what the hell it is. But it’s gotta be bad.” (Dave’s response: “I don’t know what the hell it is, either, but I think it’s probably good.”) Though not every story is memorable, and some edge into caricature, the best of these glimpses into complex American life entertain and provoke with a welcome concision and some striking insights: a white couple seizes their guns when they hear Black protesters in the streets; criminal justice grad students aren’t quite prepared for their visit to a penitentiary; a husband’s rebuke of his wife's stacking of matzos lingers painfully in her heart.

Supplementing Wallfisch’s tone of pained levity are minimalist, line-work illustrations accompanying each chapter heading that relate some aspect of the coming story and add an engaging visual element. The author also includes an interactive social media component to “I Want to Be Alone,” in which characters come up with famous movie quotes to describe the human experience during COVID-19. The collection amuses most as a book to sample over time rather than rush through.

Takeaway: Ironic flash fiction using dark humor to make political, social commentary.

Comparable Titles: Kathy Fish; Tom Hazuka’s Flash Fiction Funny.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Moore (author of The Black Market) delivers a penetrating memoir of his journey to become a world-class marathoner. “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to win at everything” Moore writes, though he did not start running until age 40. That later-in-life start never slowed him down, however, and he shares with readers his intense path to completing over 20 marathons in a handful of years, including the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors—six marathons in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo. As he digs into the behind-the-scenes training that went into each race, Moore also hones in on his experiences as a Black runner, revealing the lack of diversity in the sport and his own efforts to change that.

The candid style that Moore uses to recount his own experiences is refreshing, as is his commitment to sharing the history behind marathoning. He chronicles the background of running as an “elitist” sport, covering notables who broke through the barriers—like Marilyn Bevans, the first Black woman to win a United States marathon—and shares his own rules to ensure he feels safe as a Black runner, including only running outside on an actual race day. Moore documents the statistics behind the sport as well, highlighting the shockingly low number of Black marathon finishers both in the United States and internationally.

For Moore, running is a way to challenge himself while connecting to a community—“not just a familiar face but of someone facing an uphill battle alongside me, facing the prospect of failure just as I was.” He details how, thanks to his competitive spirit, he finds and builds that community, even inspiring Black friends and family to take up the sport. Potential long distance runners—and those interested in the experience of Black marathoners—will embrace this inspiring memoir.

Takeaway: Inspiring memoir of competitive long distance running.

Comparable Titles: Alison Mariella Désir’s Running While Black, Meb Keflezighi and Scott Douglas’s 26 Marathons.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

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Lankford (author of Something Great) takes an intriguing look at life after death in this engrossing fantasy. When Marcus dies, he finds himself in the “Admissions” line at heaven’s gates (which, contrary to popular opinion, are not pearly— they’re black and impenetrable to those applicants who aren’t approved). He makes the initial cut, only to end up at the start of a long journey, with several challenging levels that will need to be cleared before he reaches his end destination—a heaven, of sorts, full of thought-provoking experiences.

Marcus is up for the challenge, especially after meeting Wes and Trudy, two fellow humans seeking their own paths into heaven. The three immediately bond, and Marcus wonders from the start if there’s sex in heaven, given Trudy’s good looks. That camaraderie serves them well, as their road is decidedly strenuous: from hiking over endless mountains, to navigating a sticky candy land that uses what people are holding onto to keep them imprisoned, to being exposed to their darkest moments on earth, the trio have their work cut out for them. Through it all, Marcus keeps an open mind, a choice that often nets him early wins, even when he runs into his father, who has taken on the form of a sad-eyed armadillo and is floundering in an area called “Stuckees” due to his serious case of “Identity Lock”—an inability to understand viewpoints different from your own.

Lankford gently draws attention to similarly weighty concepts throughout Marcus’s journey, making the novel as philosophical as it is fantastical. There’s plenty of entertainment to keep readers invested in Marcus’s story, though, particularly the fun details about what his life really is like after death: his body doesn’t need to eat or drink (sniffing food instead is always an option for enjoyment) and sex with “virtual bodies” is “Heaven indeed!” This is both immersive and insightful.

Takeaway: Immersive story of life after death, with philosophical leanings.

Comparable Titles: Catriona Silvey’s Meet Me in Another Life, Shehan Karunatilaka’s The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

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Snelling and Tompkins join forces in this down-to-earth offering aimed primarily at relationship success for Christian women. The authors clarify that current marital status shouldn’t limit their audience’s expectations, writing that “Whether you are engaged, married, single, newly divorced, or re-entering the dating scene, God has a plan”— and that plan involves a fruitful, Christ-centered marriage. To that end, they outline several “survival tips” designed to help women (and men) thrive in their relationships with each other. Each tip comes with meaningful anecdotes and questions designed to spark personal reflection, along with relevant biblical verses, and both authors draw from their own marriage successes, and failures, to illustrate the guide’s advice.

“The reality of marriage is that it is hard work,” Tompkins writes, and that mantra holds steady throughout, as the authors delve into the mechanics that can make marriage challenging. The first and most urgent survival tip they offer is “It’s not about you,” as they make the case for dropping expectations of what relationships “should” look like and instead choosing to live a life dedicated to serving others. Further survival tips all build on that premise, including providing mercy and grace to significant others, building friendships before marriage, and more. A close relationship with God is the undercurrent behind every hint, and the authors consistently urge readers to turn to the Bible and make God a priority in their lives.

The authors’ willingness to examine their own relationship setbacks is refreshing, and they take on heavy hitter topics in the context of biblical relationships, including intimacy in marriage and relational abuse. To increase retention, they share acrostics for several of the guide’s main concepts (goodness = God Over and Over Daily No Evil Stepsister Stuff) and sprinkle hands-on activities throughout. There are some theological asides that detract from the overarching message, but it’s obvious the heart of this guide is to produce thriving Christian marriages.

Takeaway: Heartfelt guidance on producing a loving Christian marriage.

Comparable Titles: Gary Chapman’s The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, Edward and Beth Sri’s The Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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Jack the pony lives on a desert ranch in Arizona, surrounded by rolling red hills and swanky Arabian horses. Though Jack is friends with the Arabians and enjoys watching them jump high fences in the exercise pen, he doesn’t really fit in. He can sense storms on the horizon and isn’t afraid of a little rain, unlike the Arabian horses, and Jack never gets to compete in the horse competition alongside the award-winning Arabians. Despite those differences, Jack admires the horses’ elegant beauty, wishing he could be an Arabian, too, instead of “a simple desert pony.”

Natale (author of Hu & Lei Rescue Ba) carries that theme of self-worth throughout this gentle picture book, as readers get a chance to watch Jack find out just how special he really is. When the rancher loads up Jack and his Australian shepherd pal Lucky for an epic road trip, Jack’s nervous but excited. That excitement’s warranted, as Jack gets to experience new sights and much-loved treats, including the rancher’s favorite traveling snack, cactus candy. When they reach their destination of Wyoming, Iowa, Jack is thrilled to see it’s Christmas time, with the town decked out in twinkling lights. In a surprising twist, Jack gets to star in a Christmas parade with the other “Ponies of the Americas.”

Vincze draws out the landscape’s color palette in the story’s spirited illustrations, and the maps of Jack’s road trip progress offer younger readers an opportunity to learn about new cities and states. Back matter offers vocabulary from the story—including interesting facts on ponies of the Americas—as well as a fun recipe for homemade cactus candy. Ultimately, Jack gets his much-coveted chance to show off, and the payoff is a Scandinavian Christmas celebration with the rancher and his family. This is a memorable holiday treat.

Takeaway: A desert pony learns what makes him special in this holiday treat.

Comparable Titles: Edward Hemingway’s Tough Cookie, Riel Nason’s The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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“What uncomfortable moment do you need to embrace next week?” Windsor asks deep into Uncommodified, a provocative but inviting guide to seizing one’s full uniqueness and power—and not being limited by fear, shame, or a desire to fit in. Windsor warns that it’s easy to let one’s self be “commodified,” a term he applies to “anything readily available and accessible in multiple places,” rather to take the sometimes daunting steps to stand out, to speak truths, to become unforgettable, and to “break the evil spell of sameness.” Drawing on the examples of “uncommodified” mentors who have inspired him over decades and around the world, Windsor—a coach, consultant, author, podcaster, and more—urges readers to break from conformity in work and in life and to “make a powerfully positive, unforgettable impact on others.”

Windsor writes with welcome verve, his prose continually backing up his arguments in favor of standing out. “Rage at the cage,” he writes, of the individual prisons in which our true selves may languish, “And annoy the hell out of your prison guards.” The advice is warm and frank, as Windsor acknowledges the hard work of leaving one’s comfort zone and tasks readers with taking an unflinching look at themselves, their choices, and the “untruths” that we may tell ourselves to justify not making changes, like “Just keeping your head down will get you noticed.” With persuasive power Windsor anticipates and addresses excuses that readers might muster.

Much of the book covers the traits of the “uncommodified.” They’re unconditionally accountable, never making excuses, and adept at telling the truth gently and with empathy—a quality most readers will recognize is much too rare. They’re undeniably present, don’t waste people’s time, give of themselves, and have worked to learn how to paint a persuasive picture with words. Above all, through fresh tools (like the three Rs, “Reality, Responsibility, and Response”) and probing questions, Windsor convincingly champions standing out from the crowd in a positive way.

Takeaway: Unorthodox but inspiring guide to standing out rather than being a “commodity.”

Comparable Titles: Dorie Clark’s Stand Out, Meredith Whipple Callahan’s Indispiensibe.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about UNCOMMODiFiED

Aimed at readers learning or practicing digital design or managing a product or design team, this illuminating, highly practical guide to digital product design stands out for its clarity, flexibility, and blending of excellent nuts-and-bolts advice with approachable, creativity-nourishing practices. Heinz draws on more than two decades of design work and teaching to lay out a sturdy and adaptable framework— the 4D Thinking model—that splits product design into manageable parts, emphasizing the “threads, impressions, interactions, and memories” of the “product experience” and a “mulitdimensional” understanding of the way the product will be experienced, in 2D (focusing on the words, images, layouts), 3D (focusing on the “usability, flexibility, personalization, and inclusivity” of the product, in physical and artificial environments), and 4D (“the moments, paths, patterns, and relationships that occur over short or long time frames.”)

For a digital design to succeed over time, designers must “be choreographers, party planners, and urban planners,” Heinz writes, a statement capturing the book’s inviting, bottom-line-minded approach and tone. Breakdowns of how to apply 4D thinking, from vision to prototype and beyond, are both lucid and inspiring, and Heinz’s insistence on a “low-fidelity” approach to design—working at first with “writing, sketching, and wireframing”—convincingly “focuses the work and its viewers on essential elements.” That emphasis also makes the book likely to endure: none of its scrupulous guidance (“visual hierarchy sorts and exemplifies experiences”; “See components, not screens ”) feels tied to one technological moment or trend.

Instead, Heinz offers hard-won wisdom, fresh tools, and a wealth of pragmatic advice and best practices for planning, designing, laying out, testing, and maintaining digital products that succeed, covering the big-picture work, including ethical considerations and team management, but also the logic behind crucial UI design choices, when to bold text, how much customization to encourage and allow, and how to hunt for “leverage points, where small changes can tip much larger shifts.” And, as befits the subject, the book is laid out with wit, verve, and eye-pleasing simplicity. This product experience is first rate.

Takeaway: First-rate guide to designing digital products that will endure.

Comparable Titles: Michael Youngblood and Benjamin J. Chesluk’s Rethinking Users, Susan Weinschenk’s 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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“Would you be willing to destroy David to get them back?” one woman says to another in this pained, aggrieved romance from Crawford (author of Mariner Valley). “An accusation can work wonders.” The woman considering an accusation is BMW-driving yacht-seller Kim Lecture, seeking revenge and custody of the children after her divorce from David Nobile, a blue-collar single-dad who loves Hemingway, opera, and squirreling away what little money he earns to send his and Kim’s 12 year-old son to hockey camp. Kim has wanted to bring their pre-teen daughter, Breanna, to live with her, but that’s not the final impetus for her eventually leveling at David a formal accusation of sexual abuse of the children.

What sets her off is David’s surprising first post-divorce romance, with an up-and-coming singer with a breakout radio hit and a soft spot for soulful David and his “‘man muscles,’ built up from hard work.” Crawford dramatizes that burgeoning romance with warmth and wit, and scenes between David and Riley, the singer, pulse with longing and the pleasures of an unexpected connection. Also strong are moments showcasing David’s efforts to balance work and parenting, a portrait of a man doing his best even when overwhelmed. David’s eventual handling of son Nick’s refusal to get out of bed in the morning evinces a charming shrewdness.

But as David Nobile’s name suggests, he’s too good for this world, and so he’s smeared by Kim Lecture, whose own improbable name suggests, accurately, that she’s a caricature, powering the plot out of pique but rarely coming across as convincingly human. Even hockey coach Hank turns on David once Kim makes her outrageous accusations, but David has true support from Riley, who believes him—she notes that lies like Kim’s “just makes the next legitimate case that much harder to prosecute.” A tragedy late in the book reveals new layers in Kim and stands, besides David’s first encounter with Riley, as the strongest, most engaging passages of this lengthy novel.

Takeaway: Clean romance and unjust accusations power this unexpected love story.

Comparable Titles: Ken Jones’s Guilty Until Proven Innocent, Karen Robards’s One Summer.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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Scientist and seeker Hayter’s debut tackles quantum physics and mysticism to explain our world with a refreshing tour beyond our perceptions. It’s a challenging endeavor she meets with grace. She started this journey, young, after reading Capra’s The Tao Of Physics, which piqued her curiosity. Then, while enrolled in a physical chemistry PhD program, she immersed herself in contemplative practices, and ever since has sought the truth through scientific foundation while simultaneously experiencing her spiritual side to discover how the two worlds connected. Now, she invites readers to explore those intersections, to “play” with physics, entanglement, and more “in a friendly way and begin to unpeel the congealed edges around our hearts, awaking the mystic within our being who can begin to sense its meaning for us.”

The good news is that, in Hayter’s hands, understanding the full complexities of string theory, M Theory, the Luminous Web of Barbara Brown Taylor, or Indra’s Net, isn’t required to appreciate the hyper dimensional interwoven universe. Her explanations dig into these topics, expanding the mind, but also explore what she has found in her “‘extracurricular’ Wisdom studies,” drawing from a host of spiritual and religious traditions, to make the case that teachings like “I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” suggest that Jesus knew more about quantum physics than most of the world today. In her Cosmic Web of Life, there is no separation between the spiritual and the scientific.

While some science-first readers may balk at the mysticism, Hayter stands as a clear, impassioned, open-minded guide, demonstrating throughout the value of setting aside preconceived notions. This bold, compact book asks probing questions (“What events in your life remind you of the glistening “spider’s web” of connection, beyond limitations of time and space?”) while arguing, with warmth and in inviting clarity, that science only bolsters the conviction that we share “an inherent oneness with all beings, and with the Source.”

Takeaway: A scientist’s inviting uniting of the quantum and the mystic.

Comparable Titles: Sabine Hossenfelder’s Existential Physics, Tara Swart’s The Source.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Cosmic Web: Hope for Our World Through Science and Spirituality

Adam (author of How to Become An Intelligence Analyst) delivers an action-packed race against the clock in his fiction debut. Abu Ishmael al-Rashid, Muslim leader of the terrorist group Al-Baghdadi Brigade (ABB), is on a quest to restore the Islamic Caliphate’s power in the Middle East. As he recruits followers in Syria and Iraq, and the resources to construct a dirty bomb capable of mass destruction, al-Rashid lands in the crosshairs of the United State Government and President Addison Hopewell, who must decide whether a strike on ABB is warranted.

The narrative, set in the not-so-distant future of 2026, is starkly realistic. Thanks to his background as an intelligence officer, Adam delivers behind-the-scenes footage of military intelligence, political warfare, and White House situation room meetings that feel intensely authentic. As President Hopewell and her advisors keep tabs on the action happening in the Middle East—and try to devise a plan that avoids “policy indecision on how to counter Islamic fundamentalism”—newly appointed IC worker Jaylen Hayes stumbles onto evidence of ABB’s activities. When he starts digging deeper, he’s shocked to discover his childhood friend Amit Masry appears to be working for the ABB, and their connection may cause him problems. The chase that ensues builds nail-biting tension, with thousands of lives at stake, and Adam masterfully delivers a climactic conclusion that is both shocking and a realistic outcome of war.

Though brimming with violence, death, and high risk missions, Deadly Sands is fueled just as much by Adam’s inside knowledge of the tough, on-the-spot decisions American military personnel and the commander-in-chief must make in the midst of war. As the story unfolds, and ABB’s zone of terror expands into Israel and potentially beyond, the stakes become increasingly dangerous. Fans of military and tactical thrillers will be captivated by the ever-moving plot and rich characters in this engaging actioner.

Takeaway: A true-to-life, rapid-fire story of terrorism and military action.

Comparable Titles: Tom Young's The Warriors, Alex Ryan's Beijing Red.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Deadly Sands

Markus’s debut imagines the life of Jason Albright, a young man whose face was “torn apart by scar tissue” at age nine from debris falling after he visited his father at the World Trade Center on 9/11.Years later, Jason’s life of “lots of people that cared deeply for me, but no lovers” takes an unexpected turn when he meets Ling Chen, a visually impaired woman. Between lunch dates and museum outings, they fall deeply in love, embracing and accepting their insecurities and imperfections. However, when Ling undergoes a procedure to regain her sight, Jason grapples with the question of whether he loves her for who she is or if he was drawn to her because of her blindness, which means she can’t see his scar.

Markus employs the motif of dreams to symbolize the impact of Jason’s scar on his psyche. Jason, who works at an investment firm, has a recurring dream of “living on the dark side of the moon,” which serves as a metaphor for his dual life—one with loved ones who accept him beyond his scar and another with the outside world, where he believes he’s only noticed for his scar. While Markus’s heartfelt narrative is engaging, and the self-loathing question of whether Jason should “spare her the trauma of seeing my face, seeing the ugly creature she thought she could love” has power, the storytelling edges toward the philosophical and allegorical, with details about life and work presented somewhat flatly.

Still, Markus conjures many engaging characters and situations, plus purr-y encounters with the cat Ms. Knuckles and probing talk with a therapist, whom Jason asks, point-blank, ““Do you think I will ever be able to see anything but the scar?” Living on the Dark Side of the Moon offers a moving exploration of love, identity, and the perception of scars—both physical and emotional. The novel leaves readers pondering the complexities of human relationships and the ways in which our past experiences shape our present and future.

Takeaway: Touching story of a scarred man, his blind love, and how we see ourselves.

Comparable Titles: Kalyn Fogarty’s What We Carry, Carian Cole’s Tied.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Living on the Dark Side of the Moon

Young readers will delight in Marlys Gadow’s charming holiday debut, edited by Carl Gadow, that follows Santa and his reindeer as they diligently work to deliver Christmas gifts on time. It’s Christmas Eve, and while Santa doublechecks his nice list, Mrs. Claus worries—she’s concerned the list is too long for Santa to handle this year, and she wonders if the reindeer can manage the workload. “What if you have to wait until they eat and rest? If you’re not home by dawn, I’ll worry,” she tells Santa. But Donner is quick to reassure her the team is up for the challenge, and off they fly into the night.

Mrs. Claus was right—there has been an unusually high number of nice kids this year, and Santa has his work cut out for him. His cheerful attitude keeps the reindeer (and this sweet story) going, but when the last toy is delivered, they’re desperate for a break. Santa agrees to a short rest, but, of course, the reindeer are understandably exhausted and fall into a deep sleep. Santa sets about unwrapping a present hidden in the bottom of his bag—a present with no name tag—which turns out to be a winsome rocking horse, just his size. Gadow’s story invites readers to join Santa in the fun surprise of anticipating and discovering a gift, and the rocking horse turns out to have some Christmas magic in it—a lucky break, given the reindeer are too sleepy to fly him home on time.

Arif’s brightly hued illustrations paint a pretty picture of snow-covered hills and twinkling stars while Santa and his crew fly all over the world, and kids will chuckle at the story’s festive ending. A hand-quilted wall hanging served as inspiration for the story’s background, a fun touch that gives the book extra meaning. For those little ones with vivid imaginations, this holiday story will warm hearts.

Takeaway: Even Santa needs some Christmas magic in this warmhearted holiday tale.

Comparable Titles: Caroline Crowe’s Santa’s New Beard, Laura Bunting’s Another Book About Santa.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B+

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Jacobson’s debut is an elegant, engaging account of her life as a wife and mother facing a harrowing marriage, then as a single parent and eventual successful business executive. Unappreciated, obese, and struggling with an undiagnosed eating disorder, Marsha accepts Peter’s proposal even when she knows instinctively that “this marriage would nail me into a very bad box.” Later, even while dealing with divorce and a vengeful Peter, and mothering two little girls, she joins Harvard Business School. Though plagued by illness, she completes her course as “a decent student … but not a star,” and then starts work, happy to provide for her daughters. (Promised support from Peter never comes.) She marries longtime friend Jay, who is recovering from his wife’s suicide, but Jay’s traumatic childhood comes to haunt their marriage.

Jacobson’s excellent storytelling skills make the memoir riveting. She plunges us straight into the heart of things right from the beginning and is able to maintain this steady pace through the book. At the same time, the narrative is thoughtful and reflective when the story demands. Unpredictable and domineering, Peter is the most interesting character in the book, though for negative reasons. So is Judge Samuel. Marsha’s second husband Jay, meanwhile, endures the far-reaching consequences of childhood abuse, sensitive material that Jacobson handles with insight and empathy. Minnie and Julia, Marsha’s grandmothers, are incredibly strong and empathetic women who with their kindness and help support their neglected grandchild.

Jacobson’s career takes her to fascinating places, such as Mattel headquarters in Japan, and she captures them and their cultures with nuance and welcome bursts of wit. She addresses work challenges and the several ways in which she tackled them. Her obvious passion for her chosen career is evident in these anecdotes. Jacobson’s never-say-die attitude, her immense love for her two girls, and her strong narrative skills make this memoir an absorbing and rewarding read.

Takeaway: Compelling memoir of breaking free of a controlling relationship to find business success.

Comparable Titles: Anne Theroux’s The Year of the End, Indra Nooyi’s My Life in Full.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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