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Articles by Abul Qasim
The Legend of Moura: Swallows & Vultures by Fatma Helal (Book Review #2409)
Fatma Helal’s The Legend of Moura: Swallows & Vultures is a story of transformation, freedom, and the difficult process of becoming someone different from the person circumstances once demanded you be. At its heart is Isabel, a woman who has always dreamed of a life beyond the shore, only to discover that pursuing that dream requires her to confront fear, expectations, and relationships that threaten to define her. Isabel’s journey begins with a desire for something beyond the life she knows.
The Double-Edged Sword by F. Michele Ramsey (Book Review #2408)
F. Michele Ramsey’s The Double-Edged Sword is an ambitious historical novel that places personal relationships and an emotionally charged love story against one of the most complicated political landscapes in modern history. Spanning three continents and nine turbulent years, the novel moves between intimate human experiences and the larger forces of history, exploring what happens when love, identity, loyalty, and ideals collide with political conflict.
Our Alex by David Birnie (Book Review #2406)
Grief changes the meaning of ordinary things. A football match, a family photograph, a familiar joke, or a favorite motorbike can suddenly become connected to someone who is no longer there. In Our Alex, David Birnie writes about the devastating loss of his twenty-one-year-old son, but more importantly, he writes about the young man who existed before that loss and the family determined to remember him as more than the circumstances of his death.
Jak Barley, Private Inquisitor and the Case of the Errant Demigod and other misadventures by Dan Ehl (Book Review #2404)
Some investigations are complicated. Others involve a potentially kidnapped demigod, a stolen dragon egg, a celestial conflict, an irritated goddess, and creatures that are considerably more dangerous than the average interview subject. In Dan Ehl’s Jak Barley, Private Inquisitor and the Case of the Errant Demigod and Other Misadventures, chaos is very much part of the job description.
Influenced: Serenity Acres: Where Secrets Barely Stay Hidden by Crystal Quast (Book Review #2403)
Influenced: Serenity Acres: Where Secrets Barely Stay Hidden by Crystal Quast, with illustrations by Rick Johnston, delivers a tense exploration of family control, online fame, and the dangerous consequences of living life under constant scrutiny. At the center of the story is Brook Salinger, a young woman who has spent much of her life in front of the camera. Her family’s wildly successful channel may appear glamorous from the outside, but behind the polished image is a very different reality.
Money War by Clark Wren (Book Review #2402)
Clark Wren’s Money War takes the familiar anxieties surrounding wealth, technology, and political power and pushes them into an explosive near-future dystopia where trillionaires possess greater influence than governments. At just over 100 pages, the novel wastes little time establishing a world in which money is not merely a means of acquiring power—it is the foundation upon which society itself operates. The premise is immediately provocative.
When the Noise Fades: A Novel by Chris Yiangou (Book Review #2401)
There are moments in life when nothing dramatic seems to happen, yet everything changes. The familiar roles, routines, and relationships that once gave a person a sense of identity can quietly shift until one is left wondering what remains when those definitions disappear. When the Noise Fades by Chris Yiangou explores that unsettling but deeply human transition with Claire Bennett, a woman standing at the threshold of a very different life.
My Fair Daddy by B. Robert Conklin (Book Review #2400)
My Fair Daddy by B. Robert Conklin is an emotionally charged coming-of-age story that places a teenager at the intersection of body image, family upheaval, identity, and the complicated realities of love. At the center of the novel is Maddie, a bold and outspoken teenager determined to have her body accepted exactly as it is.
I Wrote a Book About Taking Action, Then Nearly Talked Myself Out of Publishing It By Nicola Mullender
I spent nearly twenty years working in mental health and healthcare, and I’d always wanted to write a book. I’d never started one, but I’d always imagined it would be about this. Over the years I’d become almost hyper-aware of how often people wait to feel ready before doing something they want to do. Then I went on maternity leave with my son, and I felt compelled to finally do it. The title popped into my head: The Perfect Time Does Not Exist: Get On With It Anyway.
What the River Knows: Ten Lessons on Patience, Trust, and the Way Home by Aysha Khan (Book Review #2399)
Some books try to tell us how to fix our lives. Others invite us to slow down long enough to hear what our lives have been trying to tell us all along. What the River Knows by Aysha Khan belongs firmly in the second category, offering a quiet, reflective exploration of patience, trust, clarity, and the often-overlooked journey back to ourselves. At the center of the book is a simple but effective image: a seeker arrives at a river exhausted and carrying questions that cannot easily be expressed.
I Just Kept Going: brick by brick… by Tony DeChico (Book Review #2398)
Some stories of transformation begin with a dramatic revelation. Others begin much earlier, with a child learning that survival means figuring things out alone. In I Just Kept Going: brick by brick…, Tony DeChico presents a candid account of a life shaped by instability, ambition, addiction, crime, loss, and ultimately the difficult work of rebuilding. Leaving home at fourteen with one dollar is a striking beginning, but what follows is far more complicated than a simple story of hardship overcome.
Legendary: Help Unwanted by A.M. Mirabella (Book Review #2397)
Legendary: Help Unwanted by A.M. Mirabella is a charming cozy fantasy that combines adventure, humor, magic, and an unexpectedly relatable exploration of what happens when a capable person refuses to let anyone else carry the load. At the center of the story is Jhunpri, the Legendary Hero who has already proven herself more than capable. She has rescued her prince from kidnappers, assassins, and magical catastrophes, yet there is one thing she refuses to do: hire an assistant.
Adhara by A.J. Ripin (Book Review #2396)
Some lives become public through a single moment, while the years that came before it remain largely invisible. Adhara by A.J. Ripin begins with that tension, exploring the distance between the person the public thinks it knows and the much more complicated human being behind the record. The story begins with a television report seen from a coffee shop. There are fragments of information: an emergency, a sequence of numbers, and one life still registering.
The Celestial Shot by A. J. Ullman (Book Review #2395)
A. J. Ullman’s The Celestial Shot delivers a compelling murder mystery built around an audacious crime, a determined detective, and a killer whose patience may be more dangerous than the weapon itself. The third installment in the A True North Murder Mystery series, the novel combines traditional investigative suspense with a deeper examination of violence, memory, and the long reach of the past.
The Journey of a Hidden Life
On June 8, 2026, I was in bed recovering from a five-part foot reconstruction surgery. Six weeks with my foot above my heart in bed. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t do the thing I had done my whole life, which was keep moving. So I picked up my phone, opened a dictation app, and started talking. I’d never written a book. I’d spent decades making sure nobody saw too much of me. I left home at fourteen. I learned early that the safest version of me was the one I controlled.
Kimberly Ferrato Author of The Ground Keeps Its Own
When Tennessee Inspired a Story I Never Expected to Write By Kimberly Ferrato I grew up in Southern California, so Tennessee was completely different from anything I was used to. I honestly never imagined that I would spend part of my life there, and I definitely never imagined it would inspire me to write my first novel. When I started spending more time in Tennessee, I fell in love with the small towns, back roads, old houses, churches, and cemeteries.
The Change: A Novel by Joseph Valerri
Growing up I had a singular dream of building software. For the last 30 years that’s what I did. Now I’m a science fiction writer with the release of my first novel The Change. This transition may seem unnatural, but I don’t see it as a transition but an evolution. I became a technology entrepreneur when software was still something you installed from a floppy disk.
The Novel I Started Writing in Washington — and Finished Three Decades Later
Some novels begin with a plot. Others begin with a character who refuses to leave the writer alone. Mine began with homesickness. In 1994, I was living in Washington, D.C., with my American husband. I had spent several years in the United States, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the Middle East. I missed its sounds, its colours, its aromas, its contradictions, its history—and the extraordinary mixture of cultures, religions and nationalities that had always fascinated me. So I began writing.
Navigating life’s punctuation by David Sunderland
As writers, we spend a surprising amount of time thinking about endings. Where should the exposition stop? What should remain unresolved? Does a full stop really mark an ending, or simply make space for whatever comes next? These questions have increasingly followed me beyond the page.
The Last Movement by Robert Seethaler (Book Review #2394)
The Last Movement by Robert Seethaler is a beautifully crafted and deeply introspective novel that imagines the final months of composer Gustav Mahler’s life with remarkable sensitivity and grace. Translated by Charlotte Collins, this slim yet emotionally resonant work offers readers an intimate portrait of a man confronting mortality while reflecting on the triumphs, disappointments, and complexities that have shaped his existence.
Your Best Year Yet: Weekly Personal Growth Challenges to Unlock Your Best SelfBy Linda Kneidinger (Book Review #2393)
Your Best Year Yet by Linda Kneidinger is a structured personal development guide designed around 52 weekly challenges intended to support gradual, sustainable self-improvement over the course of a year. The book focuses on helping readers move out of stagnation and into intentional living through small, consistent actions. At its core, the book is built on the idea that meaningful change does not require dramatic transformation, but rather steady, repeatable habits that accumulate over time.
T.V. Holiday’s Vendetta By T.V. Holiday (Book Review #2392)
Vendetta: Legend of The Iron Warrior Vol. 3 continues the dark superhero saga of Travis Holiday, a fractured hero returning from exile into a world that no longer trusts him. Set in the war-torn Carnage Coast, the novel blends supernatural action with psychological conflict, focusing as much on internal struggle as external battles.
Underdog By Anne Joyce (Book Review #2391)
Underdog by Anne Joyce is a tense and emotionally charged novel that explores loyalty, moral conflict, and the consequences of desperation. At its core, the story examines what happens when family ties collide with ethical boundaries, and how far a person can be pushed before choosing between blood and conscience. The narrative follows Travis, a man who, after losing his job and facing financial instability, is drawn into his brother Ethan’s illicit business.
This Book Found You Because Your Soul Whispered By Beronica Parham (Book Review #2390)
This Book Found You Because Your Soul Whispered is a reflective and emotionally centered guide to healing, designed for readers navigating emotional pain, self-disconnection, or long-standing survival patterns. Beronica Parham approaches healing not as a problem to be fixed, but as a process of remembering wholeness that already exists beneath layers of experience and conditioning.
THINK LEAD REPEAT By London Porter (Book Review #2389)
THINK LEAD REPEAT is a structured leadership development guide designed as a year-long series of short, daily lessons aimed at strengthening influence, communication, and execution in modern professional environments. London Porter presents the material in a micro-learning format, making it accessible for busy leaders who prefer consistent, incremental growth over long-form study.
The Rise of Lazarus By B. W. Jackson (Book Review #2388)
The Rise of Lazarus is a mystery-thriller that blends historical reflection with layered storytelling to explore memory, identity, and the weight of inherited history. B. W. Jackson constructs a narrative that moves between academic mentorship, family storytelling, and personal revelation, gradually drawing the reader into a deeper and more emotionally charged mystery.
The Promise Jar By H. K. Sharma (Book Review #2387)
The Promise Jar is a quiet, lyrical work of magical realism that explores loneliness, renewal, and the slow, delicate emergence of connection in later life. H. K. Sharma tells the story of Nora Calloway, a 52-year-old woman recently retired and uncertain of what comes next, who begins a small, ritualistic exchange with the natural world behind her home.
The Monsters No Grownup SeesBy Jennifer Iacono (Book Review #2386)
The Monsters No Grownup Sees is a charming and imaginative children’s picture book that addresses nighttime fears with humor, creativity, and reassurance. Jennifer Iacono uses a playful “kid science” approach to help young readers understand and manage their fear of the dark in a way that feels empowering rather than dismissive. At the heart of the book is the idea that children often perceive things—like monsters at bedtime—that adults cannot see.
The Extraordinary Dreams of Cynthia Peabody By Lynne Marshall (Book Review #2385)
The Extraordinary Dreams of Cynthia Peabody: Book One: Arthur is a heartfelt and emotionally rich blend of contemporary fiction, magical realism, and character-driven storytelling. Lynne Marshall crafts a deeply personal narrative centered on grief, renewal, and the unexpected ways meaning can re-enter a life that feels suspended in loss. At the heart of the story is Cynthia Peabody, a recently widowed woman struggling to navigate the quiet emptiness left behind by her husband’s death.
The Die of Death By Kenneth B. Andersen (Book Review #2384)
The Die of Death: The Great Devil War II continues Kenneth B. Andersen’s darkly humorous fantasy saga with a fast-paced blend of mythology, moral conflict, and supernatural adventure. As the second installment in The Great Devil War series, the novel builds on the foundation laid in The Devil’s Apprentice, expanding both its world-building and its emotional stakes. The story follows Philip, whose time serving as the Devil’s apprentice has reshaped his understanding of both Hell and Earth.
The Cycle of the Serpent By V.W. Black (Book Review #2383)
The Cycle of the Serpent is an ambitious and unsettling work of speculative fiction that spans more than 12,000 years of human history, weaving together a cyclical narrative of civilization, collapse, and consequence. V.W. Black constructs a vast, interconnected structure in which humanity repeatedly rises, fails, and is judged by forces beyond its understanding. At the core of the novel is the idea that history is not linear but repetitive.
The Arts CouncilBy Dolly Gray Landon (Book Review #2282)
The Arts Council is a sharp, darkly satirical literary novel that dissects the power structures behind cultural funding and artistic legitimacy. Dolly Gray Landon constructs a psychologically intense and often unsettling portrait of an arts funding body where influence, ideology, and ambition collide under the polished surface of institutional respectability. At the center of the novel is the idea that control over culture is itself a form of power.
Star Empress Trine By Timothy Morigeau (Book Review #2281)
Star Empress Trine: The Search for Unity – Volume 1: Freedom is an ambitious science fiction and fantasy novel set in a distant, dystopian future where Earth has been reshaped by centuries of alien occupation and environmental collapse. Timothy Morigeau constructs a richly imagined universe beginning in the year 3101, where a force known as Chaos has dominated the planet, reshaping geography, societies, and the remnants of human civilization itself.
Playing A Poor Hand Well By John Stephen Wilson (Book Review #2380)
Playing A Poor Hand Well is a richly detailed narrative nonfiction work that traces the extraordinary life of Scots-Irish immigrant William John Wilson, weaving together personal history, genealogical research, and broader 19th-century social context. John Stephen Wilson constructs a sweeping historical account that follows one man’s journey through famine, poverty, institutional corruption, and ultimately, reinvention in the American frontier.
One More for the Ditch: A Triptych By Eric McLaughlin (Book Review #2379)
One More for the Ditch: A Triptych is a darkly comic and provocative collection that examines cultural collapse, personal breakdown, and the search for meaning in an increasingly fractured world. Eric McLaughlin presents a triptych of interconnected narratives that move through themes of addiction, grief, satire, and rebellion, offering a raw and unsettling exploration of modern life under strain. The book is unified by its central concern with instability—both internal and societal.
NAUGHTY THOUGHTS & CROSSES By Nik Steven (Book Review #2378)
Naughty Thoughts & Crosses is a surreal and eccentric journey through memory, imagination, and exaggerated autobiography. Nik Steven presents a loosely structured narrative that blends humour, absurd encounters, and celebrity-infused anecdotes into a playful exploration of curiosity and lived experience. At the center of the book is Nick, a narrator whose “survival kit” consists of naïve trust in humanity, an insatiable curiosity, and a persistent sense of humour.
Wisdom from My Grandmothers By Jo Ann Fawcett (Book Review #2377)
Wisdom from My Grandmothers: How messages from the past shed light on your life today is a reflective and spiritually infused memoir that blends personal transformation, ancestral storytelling, and intergenerational wisdom. Jo Ann Fawcett invites readers into a deeply introspective journey where the voices and experiences of past generations are used as a guide for understanding present-day struggles, especially those faced by women navigating identity, relationships, and personal growth.
Love in the Time of America By Matt Snee (Book Review #2376)
Love in the Time of America is an ambitious and unconventional collection of interconnected stories that explores love, identity, and consequence across different eras of American life. Matt Snee brings together a series of narratives that shift in tone, setting, and perspective, yet remain unified by a central question: what is the true cost of love in a society shaped by freedom, contradiction, and desire?
Letters from Lesotho By R.F. Cook (Illustrations by Beverly McKay) (Book Review #2375)
Letters from Lesotho is a charming and insightful memoir that captures the rewards and challenges of living abroad during a period of significant political and social change in Southern Africa. Through a blend of personal reflection, travel writing, and cultural observation, R.F. Cook offers readers a vivid account of his family’s experiences after leaving Canada in 1989 to teach science in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
Go Big or Go F*ck Yourself By Kevin Ladd (Book Review #2374)
Go Big or Go Fck Yourself: The Earnest Pursuit of Personal Growth* is an engaging blend of memoir, reflection, and life philosophy that celebrates curiosity, resilience, and the courage to embrace life’s uncertainties. Rather than presenting a conventional self-help formula, Kevin Ladd offers something more personal and relatable: a collection of experiences and lessons drawn from a life lived with enthusiasm, determination, and a willingness to step beyond the familiar.
From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust By Taylor Lane (Book Review #2373)
From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust is an empowering and practical self-development guide designed to help women cultivate confidence, strengthen self-belief, and make decisions with greater clarity and conviction. Taylor Lane presents a thoughtful roadmap for readers who are ready to move beyond constant self-questioning and develop a more trusting relationship with themselves.
ADHD Men in Relationships By Ivy Castillo and Julian Cruz (Book Review #2372)
ADHD Men in Relationships is a practical and compassionate guide that explores how ADHD can influence romantic relationships and offers readers tools for building stronger, healthier connections. Written by Ivy Castillo and Julian Cruz, the book seeks to bridge the gap between understanding ADHD and applying that understanding in everyday relationship dynamics. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its approachable and nonjudgmental tone.
Don’t Make Yourself Optional By Mohamed B. Aboulfotouh (Book Review #2371)
Don’t Make Yourself Optional: The Meaning Crisis When AI Takes Everything Else is a timely and thought-provoking exploration of one of the most pressing yet often overlooked consequences of technological change: the impact on human identity and purpose. Rather than focusing on the technical capabilities of artificial intelligence or predicting future job markets, Mohamed B. Aboulfotouh turns his attention to the deeply personal question many people face when their work no longer defines them.
Bootstrapped Startup Funding Playbook By Muema Lombe (Book Review #2370)
Bootstrapped Startup Funding Playbook is a practical and highly accessible guide for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build successful technology companies without relying on venture capital. In a startup landscape often dominated by stories of massive funding rounds and investor-backed growth, Muema Lombe offers a refreshing alternative focused on sustainability, independence, and customer-driven success.
Bob’s Trumpet Trembles By Susan D. Elliott (Book Review #2369)
Bob’s Trumpet Trembles: Taking on Perry Dime and the Fear of Making Mistakes is a heartwarming and encouraging children’s book that addresses one of the most common challenges young readers face: the fear of failure. Through an engaging story filled with valuable life lessons, Susan D. Elliott offers children a positive and accessible guide to building confidence, persistence, and resilience. The story follows Bob, a young trumpet player who is determined to perform perfectly.
Black River By Yvonne Osborne (Book Review #2368)
Black River is a compelling novel that skillfully blends romance, family conflict, social commentary, and suspense into a story that examines the consequences of greed, integrity, and silence. Set against a rural farming backdrop, Yvonne Osborne crafts a narrative that explores both the beauty and hardship of agricultural life while highlighting the tensions that arise when competing values collide.
Birth Right By Christophe Medler (Book Review #2367)
Birth Right, the second installment in the Closely Guarded Secret series, is a historical mystery set against the turbulent backdrop of Tudor London during the reign of King Henry VIII and the English Reformation. The novel blends political intrigue, religious conflict, and personal discovery into a narrative that explores faith, identity, and hidden truths at a time when belief itself could determine life or death.
Beyond Grimm: Stories & Rhymes from the Dark Corners of Fairyland By Alan S. Kessler (Book Review #2366)
Beyond Grimm: Stories & Rhymes from the Dark Corners of Fairyland (Not for Children) is a darkly imaginative collection that reclaims the brutality and unsettling edge of traditional fairy tales, reworking familiar Grimm-inspired narratives into adult-oriented stories filled with horror, satire, and twisted humor. Alan S.
Best Practice or Pitfall? By Greg Mickelsen (Book Review #2365)
Best Practice or Pitfall?: The Ultimate Playbook for Transformative Leadership is a practical and experience-driven leadership guide aimed at professionals seeking measurable results rather than abstract theory. Greg Mickelsen draws on over two decades of experience in sales and executive leadership to present a structured, results-oriented approach to modern leadership challenges.
Battle Beyond the Veil By Cassie Sanchez (Book Review #2364)
Battle Beyond the Veil is an engaging urban fantasy that skillfully blends supernatural conflict, ancient mysteries, and emotional character development into a fast-paced and immersive adventure. Cassie Sanchez creates a compelling world where the boundaries between the human and spiritual realms are constantly tested, delivering a story filled with danger, intrigue, and high emotional stakes.
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