For such a concise and compact little guidebook, Offbeat Journeys by Marie Pordel offers intriguing variety, practical information, deep-seated wonder, and armchair adventure even before one undertakes the journeys described. This is a quirky and wonderful book! Whether one is a seasoned […]

Suppose you think you’re too old to satisfy a curious mind, believing you already know all the essential truths. In that case, you might consider this opening gem in Seraphina Lewis’s book Curiosities Revealed: “[Did you know] that you can’t hum while […]

It’s funny about connoisseurship, regardless of the specialty concerned—the demarcation line is stark: either you know, or you don’t. Dismissing outside judgments from those who don’t know should be axiomatic. One without experiential knowledge adds no substance to one’s opinions. Many accept […]

One should approach Is This Seat For Me? by Sheila M. Buswell (a collection of narratives collated by the author, including her own) as a kind of “confessional forum” rather than the academic work suggested by its more formal subtitle: Overcoming Imposter […]

Before I comment on this surprisingly fun and provocative read, I must clarify my inherent bias as the editor of a profound series on consciousness/existence/bliss that deals with the same issues on a high-brow level. The message in Error is equally profound, […]

When it comes to academically treating something as controversial as Artificial Intelligence, especially when applied to something as intimate as personal health, nothing is more refreshing or productive than the kind of thoughtfulness, balance, and humility that Carisa Carlton brings to this […]

Giridhara R. Babu’s treatment of global population trends and consequences in The Last Generation? must be regarded as a relatively simple introduction to the subject, perhaps an overarching examination of the elements involved and a speculative offering about the potential outcomes. This […]

Dichotomous things often attract us the most. Maybe that’s why we stare so puzzled as kids cry on Santa’s lap. Perhaps that is why the title When Santa Made Me Cry draws one’s attention so quickly to this collection of short narratives […]

Vivid Visions, a collection of surreal romantic tales by Seyed Mosayeb Alam, may target teenage girls caught in the angst of their youthful dreams and expectations. These stories resonate with the wistful nostalgia of unrequited love and faded opportunities. However, what might […]