In Nicole Eisenman’s paintings and sculptures, a system’s impending demise may reveal itself in feverish hilarity.

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/05/09/the-must-also-haves-nicole-eisenman/

At the start of last October over 200,000 Palestinians worked in Israel. Mostly they labored in construction and, to a lesser extent, in agriculture: leaving their homes in the morning, showing their work permits at checkpoints, building houses and roads, harvesting fruit and vegetables, then returning in the evening. At least 150,000 were from the […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2024/04/21/migrant-workers-in-their-own-land/

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Overnight the trees have leaves, and everything is green. To my surprise, the A/C even kicked on. My flip-flops and shorts got pulled out and I am ready for my “healthy season” to begin. But not this weekend as we have a cold snap with freezing lows in the 20s. Have Mercy! LOL Stay Caffeinated.

Last Week on the Blog

• Only Hard Problems By Jennifer Estep (audiobook review)
• Indian Burial Ground By Nick Medina (book review)
• Dream Town By Lee Goldberg (guest post/ book review}
• Gray Seas By Hailey Edwards (audiobook review)

This Week on the Blog

• The Stranger I Wed By Harper St. George (book review)
• Funny Story By Emily Henry (book review)
• Archangel’s Lineage by Nalini Singh (guest post/ book review}
• Aftermarket Afterlife Seanan McGuire (audiobook review)

New Arrivals at the Caffeinated Cafe

Learn more:

• One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

A special thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio

Around The Blogosphere

• A Beginner’s Guide to Reviewing Books from @ Read All The Things

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Link Up Your Edition Of The Sunday Post

Before you link up: Please be sure your weekly post includes a link back to Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Post

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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/04/sunday-post-624-its-green-everywhere.html

Houdini’s Last Handcuffs follows three friends from Manhattan in the 1950s who are contacted by Houdini through a set of handcuffs and asked to go on a mission to find his hidden journal. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Perhaps oddly, the first inspiration for the novel came from our father’s obituary in the New York Times. Douglas Martin wrote about a third of a page about our family, its magic, and related interests as well as the connection to Houdini. Upon reading that, it was perhaps the first time I realized I grew up in an unusual family.

I began writing what was essentially a memoir. I was aware that my high school English teacher had gone on to become Editor-in-Chief at Random House (Daniel Menaker), I sent it off to him asking for his thoughts…even though I was now about 50 years old. He was kind enough to send it back with a critique, handwritten, on company letterhead. Ultimately with that, and having inherited from my father the last handcuffs to leave the brothers Houdini and Hardeen’s estate, my imagination began turning a memoir into a historical fiction. Houdini’s Last Handcuffs was born.

Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable drawing in readers of all ages. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?

Absolutely, as the characters are reflections of ourselves, events we were involved in, and family and family friends, we wanted our characters to be true to ourselves, even as we delved into areas of fiction wherein we wanted them to respond how we might have responded. Most of the events, places, and people are drawn from the crucible of our memories along with a healthy dose of fiction and fantasy.

Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing or did it come out organically as you were writing?

We both “lived” with the characters in our minds as we wrote about them.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

We are in the process of writing a sequel. The expected release date is October 31, 2026, the 100th anniversary of Houdini’s death.

Author Links: GoodReads | Book Trailer | Website | Amazon

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/04/21/healthy-dose-of-fiction-and-fantasy/

Rise Above: Overcoming the challenges of small business is an insightful exploration of the challenges faced in entrepreneurship, skillfully intertwining your personal experiences with broader business wisdom. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I am passionate about assisting small business owners in navigating the ins and outs of the maze of the small business world. Providing them with guidance and advice to help them on their journey.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

Having my clients give their own accounts of some of their challenges was very important as this can help new business owners feel that they are not alone and are not the only ones experiencing these issues.

What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were starting out your business?

Don’t compare yourself to others. Just do you.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?

Running a business is not easy but you are not alone, there is lots of help out there.

Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/04/21/93732/

Tribal Logic follows a group of people who find themselves struggling to survive in a world plagued by political turmoil and shifting loyalties. Could you please share what inspired the initial idea for this series and how it evolved as you were writing it?

Well, um…that’s a big question. I’ve been writing the series for over three decades. And maybe I learned how to write! The situations and characters get better with each book.

Political turmoil is a big theme in the series. In the previous book HOME RULE, the tribes gain a new leader and feel that they are united. With TRIBAL LOGIC, we expand the worldview to include a military coup at Stargate Junction and a rescue mission into the asteroid field.

I like to think that the action reflects moments in our own world, like when the cosmonauts were in space for over a year and returned to find a dismantled Soviet Union.

For evolving themes, we added more magic into TRIBAL LOGIC. Characters begin to meet others from an elusive tribe with skills in making wards, charms, scripts, and hexes – mostly to defend themselves. One new character is a young healer named Opin who can lay-on-hands for relief from a bleeding wound. I researched Indian and Middle Eastern traditions of healing and learned a great deal about our larger world too.

Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel?

I see TRIBAL LOGIC as a pair to the next book UTCAN’S TALISMAN that will be released in August 2024. The story arch is satisfied over the two books. There are many characters, but we mostly follow the urge to connect between Jesse Hartley and Hershel Henry. Jesse is a flawed character – high-handed and a poor negotiator. We love to hate her and wonder how she will make a place for herself.

Dr. Greensboro is a primary character still, married to General Shaw. Her research has led her to a remote fishing village called Sergiio, but events bring the world to her door.

My principle is to show women in more roles than newlyweds or evil queens. I keep exploring how relations operate over time and how women make choices to keep the marriage fresh and manage the decades for child raising. The stories tend to stretch out rather than being satisfied with winning the day.

What was one of the hardest parts of Tribal Logic for you to write?

Each book section has its own narrator, so we see the world through the eyes of Jesse Hartley, then Dr. Greensboro, then Hershel Henry, then Bybiis el Putuki. Developing the individual voices so each section is personal and conversational with a specific point-of-view can be a challenge – and a reward.

After spending a hundred pages with Henry’s voice, we are jolted to encounter Bybiis’s view of him as a feckless philanderer, for example.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

UTCAN’S TALISMAN is Book Five in the series and slated for release in August 2024. Utcan is from the tribe with magic. His talisman is modeled after a found-in-nature “mermaid’s purse” that’s actually a folded seaweed frond where a shark has inserted a fetus for extra incubation. For sci-fi, I was able to embellish that idea to a talisman where the holder can peer through a hole in the head of a dead serpent and talk with another holder. Ha, ha…I love magic.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website | Bookbub

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/04/21/political-turmoil/

Journey of Awakening and Higher Consciousness, by Jane Kim Yu, is a compelling self-help book that delves into personal development with a focus on spiritual enlightenment. Using anecdotes from her own path to spiritual awareness, Kim Yu bridges the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of spirituality and meditation. This dual approach helps demystify the intellectual and experiential aspects of achieving higher consciousness.

Kim Yu advocates for spirituality as an integral part of one’s essence, a view that permeates the text and enriches the reader’s understanding of their own spiritual journey. Her assertion, “Being spiritual is not a label or an idea, phrase or phase, philosophy, ideology…It is who you are,” encapsulates the core philosophy presented in her book.

The narrative style in this spiritual self-help book is reminiscent of a personal journal, which makes the content relatable and straightforward. The book is well-organized, with clear chapters and headings that facilitate easy navigation for readers looking to revisit specific concepts. A distinctive feature of Kim Yu’s approach is her acknowledgment of different personality types and how they intersect with spiritual practices. This consideration adds a layer of inclusivity which allows for a diverse readership to connect with the material and apply it in their own lives.

Journey of Awakening and Higher Consciousness offers insightful perspectives and practical advice for anyone interested in exploring deeper spiritual awareness and self-discovery. It serves as a thoughtful resource for readers seeking to enhance their understanding of spirituality as an innate component of their identity.

Pages: 235 | ISBN :  978-1649539113

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/04/21/journey-of-awakening-and-higher-consciousness/

In Yes, You Matter, Rolland B. presents a compelling guide for personal growth and self-discovery, exploring the depths of human potential. Central to the book’s thesis is the belief that self-reflection is crucial to avoid stagnation and to continuously evolve in understanding oneself. By asking challenging existential questions, the book doesn’t just ponder life’s mysteries but also propels readers to critically assess their own existence and life choices.

The author skillfully intertwines philosophical concepts, psychological theories, and spiritual insights to create a robust framework for readers. Drawing on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the Japanese concept of Ikigai, and the Greek philosophy of Eudaimonia, Rolland B. constructs a multi-faceted approach towards finding and nurturing one’s purpose. The book’s practicality is one of its strengths, offering actionable exercises and strategies to help readers build self-worth, confront self-doubt, and follow their passions with conviction. Rolland B.’s encouraging tone is another highlight of the book. He engages readers with empathy, understanding, and a shared sense of struggle, making the journey of self-discovery feel like a communal experience. This approach makes the book not only informative but also deeply relatable. The author’s real-life experiences with societal pressures, self-doubt, and challenging relationships lend authenticity and depth to his guidance, positioning him as a credible and experienced voice on the subject. The book’s nuanced handling of sensitive topics, such as ethnicity and toxic relationships, is noteworthy. The author navigates these subjects with care and insight, reflecting his deep understanding and experience in self-reflection. The use of metaphors adds an element of elegance and further depth to the narrative.

Yes, You Matter is an inspiring call to action in a world often dominated by social media trends and the threat of conformity. It’s a book that not only encourages self-assessment and personal growth but also champions the importance of charting one’s unique path in life. With its blend of philosophical depth, practical advice, and empathetic tone, the book stands as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand themselves better and forge a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Pages: 230 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CTWHW6TS

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/04/21/yes-you-matter-your-purpose-awaits-you-2/

If Israel is to survive, physically and spiritually, it needs to undergo, collectively, a sea change in its vision of reality and face some unpleasant though obvious facts.

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/05/09/israel-the-way-out-david-shulman/

Antonio Canova’s clay models reveal the creative struggle behind the classical perfection of his marble sculptures.

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/05/09/natures-rival-canova-sketching-in-clay/