“Where readers come to discover.”
That’s BookTrib’s new tagline, effective with our redesigned website launching today. BookTrib’s editors have the privilege of helping readers discover hundreds of authors who hardly are household names, in many cases have just written their first books, and in all cases are worthy of your consideration if you are as curious and diverse in your reading interests as we are.
One of the great joys of being part of BookTrib is getting a chance to be the first kid on the block to grab a book by an unknown author and fall madly in love with it. It doesn’t happen every time, but when it does, it truly is something special.
In the spirit of “coming to discover,” here is my annual list of favorite books we covered this year that you probably haven’t heard of but probably should have.
Hell of Hosanna by Kip Langton
Hell of Hosanna by Kip Langton (Koehler Books)
I loved this debut dystopian novel for so many reasons: the frightening but well-conceived vision, the marvelous writing, the creativity it took to develop the overall concept in the first place, and the ability to play off that theme and imagine an entire world and society structured around it. It already has been compared with Brave New World, 1984 and Citizen Kane. Our review comes out next week, but for now, learn more here.
The College Shrink by William Haylon
The College Shrink by William Haylon
The College Shrink in great part is about whether an entourage of amusing, heartwarming, intelligent and sensitive characters — most of them patients of university therapist Dr. Emily Metcalf — will journey over the threshold of stain-filled lives, conquer their personal demons, and emerge as whole and happy individuals. They are at that uncomfortable age of being unsure of themselves, burdened by parents’ expectations, learning who they are, experimenting and hopefully coming out the other end with dignity, degrees and direction. Our full review.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (William Morrow)
We’re cheating a little — you may be familiar with this one. It made the New York Times bestseller list, was named a book of the month by Jenna Bush’s book club, and the author has appeared on Good Morning America and been interviewed everywhere. But we feel a special connection to Nikki, who was completely unknown less than a year ago, save for her wonderful reviews written for BookTrib. Nikki has taken a completely unthinkable theme and turned it into gold. Our full review.
Delphic Oracle, U.S.A. by Steven Mayfield
Delphic Oracle, U.S.A. by Steven Mayfield
I was prowling around John Irving’s website to remind myself how addicted I was to his early works, with marvelous descriptions and settings, stories that go off on tangents simply for the sake of creating magnificent literary tributaries, and the quirkiest of characters doing quirky things. Within that context, Irving introduced us to small towns with quirks of their own, where the land and the locale were as much characters as the characters. I needed a refresher in my love for Irving because I was so reminded of his work in this brilliant novel, which at the same time is funny, poignant, and occasionally tragic. Our full review.
Stand a Little Out of My Sun by Angelyn Christy Voss
Stand a Little Out of My Sun by Angelyn Christy Voss
“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.” So said Indira Gandhi. So just how forgiving, and brave, are the characters in this award-winning book, a beautifully written saga of a multigenerational American Greek family making ends meet in industrial Chicago in the Fifties and Sixties. That’s the main storyline, fueled by a riveting mid-book event that changes the course and tone of what starts as a lyrical and descriptive telling of a loving immigrant family finding their way and seeking the American Dream. Our full review.
The Sand Fiddlers by Les Burns
The Sand Fiddlers by Les Burns
“War is not something left behind, like a bad relationship. It’s a curse that attaches itself to you and never goes away.” That message comes through loud and clear in this riveting, deeply moving and beautifully written novella. It paints a vivid, uncomfortable portrait of a man confronting a new battle — the difficult transition back to civilian life with a mind forever affected by his Vietnam experience. Our full review.
Crossing The Pressure Line by Laura Anne Bird
Crossing The Pressure Line by Laura Anne Bird
“Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” Young Clare Burch was doing some fishing of her own, in this delightful and meaning-laden middle-grade novel. And while part of her quest was in fact the rare musky fish in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, that quote, from Henry David Thoreau, couldn’t be truer for her. Our full review.
Lover Child by Stephen Kronwith
Lover Child by Stephen Kronwith
It is the great pleasure of discovering an author so in tune with your tastes — for swift plot, stylish writing, spicy humor and all-around pure craziness – that keeps us coming back for more. In Kronwith, I’ve found my joyous match — this is his third book to make our list in three years. Our full review.
A Cape Town Decameron by Stanislas Yassukovich
A Cape Town Decameron by Stanislas Yassukovich (Austin Macauley Publishers)
Like Kronwith above, Yassukovich is a three-time member of this list. This collection of short stories and this author are my reading treasure. Once again, Yassukovich brings intelligence, insight, intrigue and strength of the written word to every passage. If you marvel at language used wisely and melodically, and thirst for good tales, here’s your invitation. Our full review.
The Glimpse by Lis Bensley
The Glimpse by Lis Bensley (Troubador Publishing)
Liza Baker’s struggle during the ’50s and ’60s for stardom in the competitive world of art. It segues through her occupational decisions and descriptions about tension and flatness, depth and perspective; to the chatty bars and artist hangouts of New York City where late-night colleagues congregate to unwind, be seen and grasp a contact or idea; to the apartments and bedrooms of friends, lovers and one-night diversions. A fascinating look into the mind and thought process of an artist — gripping, deeply moving, contemplative and well-written. Our full review.
Tuscan Son by Robert Berne
Tuscan Son by Robert Berne (Moonshine Cove Publishing)
A fast-moving story combining two worlds with seemingly no connection — a tight plot with strong storylines and plenty of twists, particularly as our narrator, a university administrator, continues to peel away the onion to get at the truth. “Faculty members are by their nature an odd lot … We can be irreverent, opinionated, passionate and quirky. The best among us love to teach, learn and discover. As quirky as Olmsted seems now, it is normal compared to being imprisoned in a Panamanian jail.” Say no more. Our full review.
Dear Franklin by Jake Ryan
Dear Franklin by Jake Ryan (Arbitrary Press)
This middle-grade novel, by a middle-aged man, is written in the voice of 11-year-old Hannah Brody, whose father suddenly collapses on a gym floor and is in need of serious medical attention. The book is written in diary format, which gets readers deep inside the head and heart of its young adolescent protagonist and whose tone and thoughts are marvelously captured by the author. Great story and great message for kids. Our full review.
Against The Grain by Anne Dimock
Against The Grain by Anne Dimock (Woodhall Press)
The way we experience our lives and what becomes our collective history is impacted in no small part by our position within society. Against the Grain explores a tumultuous time in U.S. history from a variety of viewpoints to show how the same sequence of events can impact different lives in enormously different ways. Carefully constructed, alternating points of view show that, for some characters, race relations are a persistent background topic, while for others they are at the center of everything — their happiness, their dignity and their livelihood. Our full review.
Visions of Johanna by Peter Sarno
Visions of Johanna by Peter Sarno
Ok, so we’re cheating again. Even though this book is already out, our review won’t appear until the new year. The author does a masterful job of dissecting love to its barest roots and greatest pains in this complex novel. In his relatable, vulnerable and moving account of a love affair that doesn’t end under a suburban roof with two kids, a dog, and mortgage, he takes us inside the souls of two young career-seeking people in the 1980s – Johanna, a troubled artist trying to find her way, and Matt, a slightly younger writer and our narrator seeking the same. Learn more.
The Offering by Salah el Moncef
The Offering by Salah el Moncef (Penelope Books)
Should a book ever win a prize for its unreliable narrator, bet on this one. The narrator in question is Tariq Abbassi, a lapsed Muslim who leaves Tunisia to study philosophy at the Sorbonne but ends up running a successful Middle Eastern restaurant in Bordeaux while aspiring to be a poet. Who better than a poet to spin a twisty tale of mysteries within mysteries? Our full review.
Far Less by Kathy Wollenberg
Far Less by Kathy Wollenberg (Humboldt State University Press)
There’s something magical about observing the beauty of nature from the vantage point of a large redwood tree high above a California forest, looking down at the tranquility and the possibilities the world has to offer. There’s something more poignant when the person on that perch is a homeless 17-year-old who lives in the forest and camps with his younger sister and drug-addicted mother. Jesse’s plight is overlaid with angst, deficiency, secrecy and isolation in this touching coming-of-age debut novel. Our full review.
Social Hill by Jason Hill
Social Hill by Jason Hill
What makes the protagonist of this riveting autobiographical novel so rare is that the same person capable of gravitating to life’s dark corridors also possesses, through the author, has a beautiful and exceptional ability to express himself with the written word — poignantly, insightfully and humorously. This makes Social Hill a different yet brilliant literary work, an important social commentary and an up-close account of the mind of a troubled man struggling with his self-image. Our full review.
Siciliana by Carlo Treviso
Siciliana by Carlo Treviso (Trevixo Originale Books)
The author’s debut novel takes a historic event and infuses it with heroic characters of near-mythic proportions in a book that educates as much as it entertains. It does so in high, swashbuckling style through the eyes of one fictional Sicilian family. Our full review.
Powerballs by Jimmy Clifton
Powerballs by Jimmy Clifton
“Being a billionaire ain’t for the faint of heart.” But it’s the defining event in this fun-drenched and suspenseful novel. Henry and Rose Ball have drifted apart in their marriage. Henry wants to kill his boss and Rose wants an affair with hers. They are both unhappy, have both resigned themselves to a breakup, are financially and emotionally challenged, and then, something incredible happens — Henry purchases a winning Powerball lottery ticket. Our full review.
Walking On Eggshells? by Marli Rusen
Walking On Eggshells? by Marli Rusen (Brilliant Idea Books)
The title alone should draw you into this one. “It’s impossible for everyone to get along all the time, but it is possible to sort out most differences in an early and constructive manner.” It’s not fun to have to walk on eggshells. Here’s your ticket out of that feeling. The author, a noted workplace arbitrator, investigator and mediator, knows a thing or two about that expression, and she has thoroughly and convincingly dissected the topic in her new self-help book. Our full review.
Available for purchase here.
