Book Reviews

4.8

Lysa TerKeurst's It's Not Supposed to Be This Way is a Christian nonfiction book published by Thomas Nelson in November 2018 that draws on TerKeurst's own experiences of her husband's infidelity and her battle with breast cancer to help readers reframe disappointment as a path toward deeper faith. A New York Times bestseller, the book is structured around Scripture, personal narrative, and chapter-ending reflection sections designed for both individual and group use.

The Kybalion: Centenary Edition by Three Initiates

4.8

The Kybalion: Centenary Edition, published by Tarcher in 2018, is a commemorative hardcover reissue of the enduring occult classic attributed to "Three Initiates," enriched by a new introduction from mysticism scholar Richard Smoley — making it an essential acquisition for serious students of Hermetic philosophy and esoteric tradition.

The Sense of Wonder: A Celebration of Nature for Parents and Children by Rachel Carson

4.7

Rachel Carson's The Sense of Wonder is an award-winning essay-turned-book that has endured for decades as a foundational guide to sharing the natural world with children, pairing Carson's luminous prose with color photography by Nick Kelsh in an edition designed to inspire parents and caregivers alike.

The Wayward Pines Trilogy Series 3 Books Set by Blake Crouch

4.7

Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines Trilogy — comprising Pines, Wayward, and The Last Town — is a mystery/thriller/science fiction series that follows U.S. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke as he wakes in the remote Idaho town of Wayward Pines after a car accident and discovers a community of residents who cannot leave, cannot speak of their pasts, and are watched at all hours. The series earned strong critical praise for its first installment, a Booklist starred review, a Bloody Disgusting Top 10 of 2012 placement, and an M. Night Shyamalan–produced television adaptation, while critics noted that momentum and characterization become uneven as the trilogy reaches its conclusion. For readers who enjoy boundary-crossing genre fiction rooted in paranoia, isolation, and dystopian revelation, this boxed set offers an immersive start-to-finish experience.

Apr 18, 2026

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by Dalai Lama

4.7

Co-authored by the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, and psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living is a work of practical philosophy structured around extended interviews and public presentations. Originally published by Riverhead Books in 1998, it spent ninety-seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has since been translated into fifty languages. This review is based on published sources and public record, not hands-on reading.

Apr 18, 2026

Sin City Treachery: An AJ Docker and Banshee Thriller by Gary Gerlacher

4.6

Sin City Treachery is the third entry in Gary Gerlacher's AJ Docker and Banshee Thriller series, published by Black Rose Writing on June 13, 2024. Set against the backdrop of Las Vegas's first Formula 1 race, the novel follows AJ Docker, his reporter girlfriend Lana Hearn, friend and colleague Rick, and trained ex-police dog Banshee as they untangle a terrorist plot after a bomb detonates in a parking garage. Gerlacher, a pediatric emergency physician, brings authentic medical credibility to the action, and the series is designed so that each installment can be read independently or in sequence.

The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (Popular Culture by William Irwin

4.6

Edited by William Irwin and published by Open Court in 2002, this anthology marshals a team of academic philosophers to probe the deepest questions raised by the Wachowskis' landmark film — from Cartesian skepticism and Platonic allegory to questions of mind, matter, fate, and existential authenticity — making it a substantial entry point for readers who want rigorous philosophical engagement with popular cinema.

Shield of Sparrows: An Enemies-to-Lovers Epic Romantasy by Devney Perry

4.6

Shield of Sparrows is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling romantasy from Devney Perry, published by Entangled: Red Tower Books on May 6, 2025. Set on the monster-plagued continent of Calandra, it follows Princess Odessa — an overlooked royal thrust into deadly politics when she is claimed as a bride prize — as she transforms from forgotten daughter to warrior. With a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, high-stakes monster hunting, and sweeping worldbuilding, it opens a planned trilogy and has earned recognition across major bestseller and "best of year" lists, along with a feature film adaptation now in development at Amazon MGM Studios.

Apr 18, 2026

I See You (Pax Arrington Mysteries Book 1) by Elle Gray

4.5

Elle Gray's I See You launches the Pax Arrington Mysteries with a tightly wound premise: a former cop turned private investigator whose first case—a family kidnapping—pulls him into the crosshairs of a serial killer who wants not to be caught, but to recruit him.

The Zen Monkey and the Lotus Flower: 52 Stories to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Thoughts, by Tenpa Yeshe

4.5

Tenpa Yeshe's independently published collection delivers 52 short Buddhist-inspired stories, each followed by a practical reflection connecting ancient wisdom to contemporary life — a compact, accessible guide designed for readers seeking mindfulness, stress relief, and a gentler relationship with their own thoughts.

Apr 16, 2026

The Things We Cannot Say by Mitch Sebourn

3.5

The Things We Cannot Say is a horror fiction debut by Mitch Sebourn — a high school English teacher, licensed attorney, and self-described horror writer — published in Kindle edition in January 2021. Rooted in the genre that Sebourn credits R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series with sparking for him in childhood, the novel runs to approximately 198 pages and has attracted enough reader interest to generate a dedicated SuperSummary study guide. It is a title aimed squarely at horror fiction fans looking for a tight, character-focused read from an emerging voice in the genre.

The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't by Mel Robbins

Mel Robbins' The Let Them Theory is a #1 New York Times bestseller and one of the most commercially successful nonfiction releases in recent memory, built around a deceptively simple two-word framework — "Let Them" — designed to help readers stop expending energy on other people's opinions, behavior, and drama, and redirect that energy toward their own goals and lives.