Novels, short stories, and fictional narratives
Three Sticks is a self-published coming-of-age fantasy novel — the first in a planned three-book series — written by David R Anderson, illustrated by Tim Cleary, and edited by Steve Anderson. Told through the eyes of Sten, a self-conscious seventeen-year-old half-elf navigating a childhood injury, village life, and an unexpected journey into the Wild, the book draws on Anderson's decades of love for the genre, rooted in his Dungeons & Dragons-playing teenage years in small-town Minnesota. Reader reactions on Amazon point to an entertaining cast, a well-paced plot, and a tone that balances heroic adventure with humor and heart.
Jul 15, 2026
Now in its third edition, The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Bruce M. Hyman, PhD, LCSW, and Cherlene Pedrick, RN, is a structured, evidence-based self-help workbook published by New Harbinger Publications, designed to guide people living with OCD through cognitive behavioral strategies — particularly exposure and response prevention — to reclaim their daily lives. This review covers the workbook's content and published reception; hands-on clinical outcomes depend on individual use and are not assessed here.
Jul 16, 2026
The Ballad of Falling Dragons is the second book in Sarah A. Parker's Moonfall series and the sequel to the New York Times bestselling When the Moon Hatched. Published by Avon in May 2026, it continues the story of assassin Raeve — revealed at the close of the first book to be the reincarnated Elluin Neván — and Kaan Vaegor, as they navigate a brewing civil war, a ruthless Scavenger King, and a love that has persisted across lifetimes. One source describes it as "bigger, louder, sadder, and more confident than its predecessor" — though also a touch messier in places. This review covers the book's content, structure, and published reception; it does not reflect hands-on reading or use.
Jul 16, 2026
This twentieth anniversary edition of Brain Lock by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., published by Harper Perennial in December 2016, brings back the definitive self-directed behavioral therapy guide for OCD — updated with new material — that has helped more than 400,000 people address obsessive-compulsive behavior. This review covers the book's content, structure, and published reception; it does not reflect hands-on clinical use or testing of the method.
Jul 16, 2026
A Stolen Life is Jaycee Dugard's firsthand memoir of being kidnapped at age eleven in 1991 and held captive by Phillip and Nancy Garrido for more than eighteen years — published by Simon & Schuster on July 12, 2011, and an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Written entirely in Dugard's own words, the book is a documented account of survival, psychological endurance, and the slow reclaiming of self, drawing critical praise from major outlets including The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. This review covers the book's content, structure, and reception as documented by published sources, not hands-on use or reading.
Jul 15, 2026
This Penguin Classics edition of Dubliners presents James Joyce's fifteen-story collection in a text authorized by the Joyce estate and collated from all known proofs, manuscripts, and impressions — making it the standard scholarly edition of one of the most celebrated short story collections in the English language. This review covers the book's content, structure, and published critical reception, not hands-on use.
Jul 14, 2026
Kazuo Ishiguro's Booker Prize-winning novel follows Stevens, a devoted English butler at Darlington Hall, on a 1956 road trip that becomes an aching reckoning with loyalty, self-deception, and a life lived in service to others — widely regarded as one of the finest post-war British novels ever written.
Jul 15, 2026
Junot Díaz's debut novel follows Oscar de León — a lovesick, sci-fi-obsessed Dominican-American from New Jersey — alongside his fiercely resilient sister Lola and their scarred mother Belicia, tracing the family's turbulent arc between Santo Domingo and the United States. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award, the novel is widely recognised as a landmark of contemporary American literature, praised for its adrenaline-powered prose, its panoramic sweep of Dominican history, and its unflinching examination of love, diaspora, and survival.
Jul 15, 2026
Clare Marchant's The Mapmaker's Daughter is a dual-timeline historical fiction novel published by Avon, set partly in 1569 and following Freida Ortelius, a young Dutch Protestant refugee who uses her exceptional mapmaking skills to build a new life in London — and is ultimately drawn into the dangerous orbit of Queen Elizabeth I. NetGalley reviewers and fellow historical fiction authors alike praised its intertwining storylines and depth of research, positioning it as a strong entry in the tradition of Lucinda Riley and Kathryn Hughes.
Jul 15, 2026
Taylor Jenkins Reid's Malibu Rising centers on the four famous Riva siblings — Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit — and the single, explosive summer night at which their glamorous lives, and the legacy of the parents who made them, collide. Published by Ballantine Books, this paperback edition includes an author interview and book club discussion questions, and drew broad acclaim from outlets including The Washington Post, the Associated Press, and Oprah Daily. It is a novel built on propulsive dual timelines, vivid Malibu atmosphere, and the kind of generational family drama that Reid has become known for across her career as a #1 New York Times bestselling author.
Jul 15, 2026
A #1 New York Times bestseller and debut novel from queer Vietnamese-American author and YouTuber Cindy Pham, The Secret World of Briar Rose is a Sapphic retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" published by Kokila that weaves together mental health, grief, identity, and the seductive danger of escapism through a layered dreamworld narrative aimed at readers aged 14 and up.
Jul 15, 2026
Jonathan Thomason's Ann Widdecombe: A Life in Politics is a concise Kindle biography covering the career of one of British conservatism's most recognisable and polarising figures — from her two decades as MP for Maidstone to her late-career return as a Brexit Party MEP. At 42 pages, it is an accessible entry point rather than a definitive study, best suited to readers seeking a structured overview of Widdecombe's political journey.
Jul 11, 2026Search
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