To the Editors: Jed S. Rakoff’s fine review of Brad Snyder’s biography of Felix Frankfurter [NYR, November 3] is incorrect in one detail: the turn to more progressive decisions dates at least from FDR’s reconstitution of the Supreme Court in his second term, after the failure of the court-packing plan. From then on New Deal […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/11/24/the-reactionary-court/
On December 10, 1995, Felix Rosado, an eighteen-year-old living in Reading, Pennsylvania, stumbled out of a local bar, blackout drunk. He encountered a man sitting in his car and attempted to rob him; in the process, he killed him. At his trial, he pled guilty to first-degree murder—an offense that in Pennsylvania carries a life […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/11/07/clemency-under-fire-fetterman-oz/
Narrated by Lauren Fortgang & James Fouhey, Only Bad Options is the first audiobook in the Galactic Bonds science fiction romance series by Jennifer Estep. This space opera delivered suspense, romance, house politics and more. Fans of Consortium Rebellion will want to add this one to their list.
Only Bad Options
by Jennifer Estep
Series: Galactic Bonds #1
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang, James Fouhey
Length: 12 hours and 35 minutes
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.3x
A WOMAN WHO SEES EVERYTHING . . .
Few people know the name Vesper Quill. To most folks, I’m just a lowly lab rat who designs brewmakers and other household appliances in the research and development lab at the powerful Kent Corp. But when I point out a design flaw and a safety hazard in the new line of Kent Corp starcruisers, everyone knows who I am—and wants to eliminate me.
I might be a seer with a photographic memory, but I don’t see the trouble headed my way until it’s too late. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.
I don’t think things can get any worse until I meet Kyrion Coldren, an arrogant Regal lord who insists that we have a connection, one that could be the death of us both.
A MAN WHO CAN’T FORGET HIS PAST . . .
The name Kyrion Coldren strikes fear in the hearts of people across the Archipelago Galaxy. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’m used to being a villain, as well as the personal assassin of Lord Callus Holloway. Even the wealthy Regals who live on the planet of Corion are afraid of me.
But everything changes when I meet Vesper Quill. I might be a powerful psion with telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities, but Vesper sees far too many of my secrets.
Thanks to an arcane, unwanted quirk of psionic magic, the two of us are forced to work together to unravel a dangerous conspiracy and outwit the dangerous enemies who want to bend us to their will.
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We meet Vesper Quill, a seer with photographic memory who works as a lab-rat at Kent Corp. House Kent also designs star cruisers and when one crashes, it is Vesper who discovers why. When she realizes there is a coverup, she finds herself on a ship bound for danger. To survive, she’ll have to fight and place her trust in a Kyrion Coldren.
The tale that unfolds has houses fighting for more power, evil lords and a few swoons as Vesper finds herself bonded to Kyrion Coldren, the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force.
The world-building was delivered as the story unfolded and we learned about the different houses, the tech wars and the evil lord who wants Coldren bonded and in his grip.
Vesper is smart, exceptional with gadgets and leary of people. Giving her history this all makes sense. The one thing she craves is to belong. Coldren, however, watched his parents suffer because of their bonding and has shut himself off from others. He has many enemies, from those who wish for his title to those that want to use him for his lineage.
The romance will be a slow burn over the course of the series. We are already seeing character growth. Now we need trust. I loved their interaction and the denial as we witnessed the bond grow. Both deserve a happily ever after and I am rooting for them.
Lauren Fortgang & James Fouhey narrated giving us alternate POVs from Vesper and Coldren. I enjoyed listening and felt they captured the characters’ unique personalities. The two work well together, from pacing to tone.
Perfect for fans of science fiction romance, space operas and romantic suspense off planet. Estep pulls the reader in and holds them until the end. Looking forward to the next!
Amazon | Audible
Only Bad Options by Jennifer Estep delivered from action to a slow burning romance. I cannot wait for more. #audiobook #LaurenFortgang #JamesFouhey #GalacticBonds
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Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin adult urban fantasy series for Pocket. Books in the series are SPIDER’S BITE, WEB OF LIES, VENOM, TANGLED THREADS, SPIDER’S REVENGE, BY A THREAD, WIDOW’S WEB and DEADLY STING. THREAD OF DEATH, an e-novella, is also available. HAINTS AND HOBWEBS: AN ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SHORT STORY can be found in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF GHOST ROMANCE. Jennifer also writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington.
James Fouhey is an actor and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator living in New York City. He received classical training at Boston University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He has recorded more than 150 audiobooks across a variety of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, YA/teen, and biography and other nonfiction. James has even voiced a rapping kid dinosaur, much to the delight of his mom.
Lauren Fortgang is a New York City–based actor whose voice-over work includes video games, commercials, and live announcing. She has narrated roughly 160 unabridged audiobooks and has received recognition from AudioFile magazine, the Audio Publishers Association, the American Library Association, the Young Adult Library Services Association, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/11/only-bad-options-by-jennifer-estep.html
Dear Radiant One tells your emotional recovery story and provides readers with guidance they can use to transform their life. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
Generally, it was just being so raw and vulnerable. I knew I had to be authentic in order for the power of my story to be fully received. I also knew it could not be raw or unprocessed so that I could effectively communicate my message to be of service to the readers and not just for my own healing. It took me years to get to that place and I am really grateful I was patient with myself and the process. I think if it came out anytime before it did I would not have been grounded enough or emotionally ready to handle it. The day it was shared with others, I felt a huge weight of my past was lifted off my heart. There were no more secrets or playing roles I no longer wanted to play for others.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The main idea is that we get to choose how we dance with life. All the roller coasters of obstacles that come our way, are opportunities to see how we choose to respond (or not respond) to them. The second idea is intimately wrapped up with the first idea being how we acknowledge (or don’t acknowledge) our emotions ultimately leads us to the choices we make to life’s challenges. If we don’t allow ourselves to sit with our emotions and process them in a healthy way, they lead to choices that create more obstacles for ourselves.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
My hope for the reader is they receive whatever they need to receive. It might be that they need to receive a story about someone who came out on the other side of a traumatic childhood that inspires hope for themselves. It might be that they need to receive an understanding of their own emotional landscape that has hindered them in some way. It might also be that they receive tangible practices to befriend their emotions and make changes in how they relate to them. They might just need to simply receive a new perspective. My hope for the reader is they find whatever they need in this book is some kind of elixir for living the human experience.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
This book shares vulnerable and honest interactions with emotion through letters that give you direct access to your own internal landscape. Phoebe provides specific practices that are an open invitation to explore your own vulnerability and the honest experiences of your emotional body. If you are ready to dance with your radiance—and you always have a choice—this book will be your best friend to guide you along the way.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/07/there-were-no-more-secrets/
Give Me Shelter follows a group of people living through the Cuban missile crisis and a number of other personal struggles who must rely on each other to get through. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I was thinking about the pandemic at the time and assumed lots of writers would be writing about it. So, I decided to write about a parallel experience, a time when something that seemed beyond our control posed a significant risk to millions of people. I grew up in the 1960s and remember the Cuban Missile Crisis very well. I was almost 12 and, much like Willie, I experienced high anxiety as the crisis unfolded. That is where I got the idea for the story. In fact, the first chapter, where Willie is hiding behind a couch with his dog during an air raid drill is something that I actually did at the time.
What was the inspiration for the relationship that developed between the characters?
This was more of an evolution than an inspiration. When I started, I had the title, Give Me Shelter, Willie and nothing else. Since my novels are character driven, I started thinking about who would be important people in his life. I gave him an older brother who was leaving home for college. I gave him a grandfather who took the boys in after an awful tragedy. I also wanted Willie to have friends that he was close to, Lucy and Pres (who then had their own stories). That helped me develop the coming-of-age aspects of the story. While I am writing a novel, other characters appear, for lack of a better explanation. I didn’t plan on Lucy’s mother, Trish, being a character, but then I got interested in what her life story was about, so I broadened her characterization. I created Robert, the neighbor, because I wanted to have a character that represented that segment of the population that was so convinced nuclear war was coming that they built bomb shelters in their basements or backyards. I assumed that Denny, because of the tragedies in his life, would be sheltered, inexperienced when he went to college. As a consequence, he might have trouble meeting people. Then he runs into Becky, who is lively and unique. I wanted her to have her own story and not just be an appendage to Denny, so I thought of a disability that she would be addressing throughout the story.
Usually, when I am creating characters, I want to do two things. First, I want them to be connected in some way to the central plot of the book. Second, I want them to have a story of their own, a rich subplot. This novel had two main stories—the missile crisis and the mystery about what happened to Wille and Denny’s parents. All the subplots had to have a life of their own, but still be connected in some way to the two main stories. I think this process gives my characters believability and makes for a richer story.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The key themes in the Give Me Shelter are loss, coming-of-age, friendship, uncertainty, danger, second chances, and the need for some form of safety or shelter.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have recently started writing a novel entitled Until It Was Gone. I am only about 50 pages in, but I am enjoying the characters I’ve created so far. In the opening scene a husband and wife are at a restaurant celebrating their fortieth anniversary when the wife announces “I’m leaving. Forty years is enough.” That scene gave me a lot of options for what could come next. My books usually come out every two years, so I anticipate this one coming out in 2024.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Willie, Denny and their grandfather, Pop, have lived together for nine years, ever since the boys’ parents died in an accident that remains a mystery to the boys. Denny reluctantly leaves for college, while Willie enters sixth grade, fearful of the menacing missile crisis and curious about his parents’ fate.
Willie’s best friends are Lucy and Preston. Lucy wonders about the ‘man in the suit’ who seems to be everywhere she goes. Her mom, Trish, grapples with unemployment. Preston is burdened by the trauma his father is experiencing due to his military service. Denny meets his first-ever girlfriend at college, Lucy, who has one leg that’s shorter than the other. Good neighbor, Robert, is building a bomb shelter in the back yard. Muriel, his mother is a shoot-from-the-hip older adult with dementia.
Over time, the connections between them create the shelter they need for their common journey. Seaburn again tells a story of human vulnerability, endurance, secrets, truth, loss, humor, resilience and love.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/07/more-of-an-evolution-than-an-inspiration/
Will Horner, a sixteen-year-old boy who loves filmmaking, is beginning a new year at a new school. His parents are anxious for him to settle in and make friends at Pinehurst Academy, an art school. The warm-hearted ‘coreless’ take him under their wing, and Will feels happier at Pinehurst than he has in a while. Working on an end-of-year movie with his friends, he feels more himself when he’s able to film with his camera. However, he hides parts of his life from his understanding friends and takes on the responsibility of working on his mental health by himself.
Freeze Frame by Tyler Beauchamp is a story of teenagers struggling with trauma, mental health, and with the stigma of it all. Beauchamp has perfectly captured the overwhelmingness that is attached to social life as a teenager and how situations can magnify in our heads, as it does in Will when he fears his past at Redboro School coming to light. It’s also a story of lighthearted moments, friendships, belief, and creative passion, and of navigating these along with parental love and concern that manifests as anger.
Beauchamp skillfully weaves in relevant arguments about creativity, social media, mental health, and reality in a world filled with media and camera lenses. Will loves to make films and loves the power they have to make people feel, but also believes in experiencing the moment. Will is in therapy for PTSD and is making progress with his dissociations between reality and film-like scenes.
Freeze Frame by Tyler Beauchamp is a coming-of-age fictional novel that also explores the psychological mindset of teenage life. It is excellent for talking to teenagers about issues they face and about understanding their points of view. I especially liked the list of mental health resources given at the end of the book. Having understanding people and a good support system along with therapy can truly go a long way in helping mental health, and this book shows that in a very relatable way.
Pages: 258 | ASIN : B0BG6DC9D9
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/07/freeze-frame/
Pantheon is the first of a two-part novel by Joshua Landeros. It takes place in the world of Avah, which has known peace for a generation after the devastating Hollow Wars. However, when a chieftain of the Midland Plains on the continent of Sebel tracks down bandits who’d raided his village’s crops, he finds hints of a conspiracy and a heretical cult that are plotting to overturn the peaceful world order. The story is told through the eyes of the chieftain’s daughter Athalia as she travels around Sebel and through Yaphet Orinse, an orphan raised by the venerable Asum of Giganato Shrine, who has seen disturbing visions of war.
Among Pantheon’s highlights is Landeros’ impressive world-building. He gives us enough information about Avah and Sebel that it feels like a real place without overwhelming the reader with a deluge of unneeded history and geography. He’s especially good at letting the reader know that there’s more to the world than what we see – for instance, Yaphet is close to the Asum of Giganato but not a member of the inner circle of the shrine the Asum leads, meaning that he and the reader have an almost but not quite insiders’ view of this part of the story.
The plot moves at a moderate pace. Much of the novel is spent accompanying Athalia on her travels and Yaphet in his training. These chapters make the reader invested in these characters’ lives. Still, Landeros regularly gives us a glimpse of the larger story, so no chapter is wasted space, and the reader always feels like he’s progressing. Landeros’ prose is serviceable; there are no Shakespearean turns of phrase, but it’s never awkward or unclear, either, and he excels at describing the action. However, readers should be aware that the novel does end on a cliffhanger, so those wanting the complete story will need to continue to the second novel.
Pantheon is a captivating dark fantasy novel that immerses the reader into a new world without feeling overwhelmed. The exciting adventure that the two protagonists undertake will give readers a feeling of horror as they encounter strange and dangerous beasts, and at times there is a sense of the more significant danger brewing under the surface as the delicate balance of peace is being disrupted.
Pages: 268 | ASIN : B088SY6PF4
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/07/pantheon/
Minotaur’s Lair – Servant of the Gods – Book Three by Luciana Cavallaro is the final installment in the trilogy, which follows Evan, who must face Queen Antioche and stop the Dark Master from becoming a deity. If the Dark Master successfully gains this power, Evan and his alliances face an uncertain future. There are many unexpected twists throughout his journey and fate, making this book an incredible read.
The story maintains a consistent pace that conjures excitement from the start. Cavallaro creates an action-packed tale with elements of ancient mythology and mystical places, contrasting with time travel and modern technology. Evan must quickly adapt and learn how his quest shifts from one challenge to the next, whether Queen Antioch attempts to entice him with tempting gifts and promises or he becomes face-to-face with a new enemy. He must also follow his father’s legacy by locating a sacred artifact while defeating his captors.
Cavallaro’s fantastic writing style is sharp and descriptive without slowing the story’s pace. The author thoroughly researches the architecture, landscapes, and scenarios in mythology. It’s a fantastic adventure full of exciting developments and lively characters. As the story delves into the thrilling mythology of an ancient world, Evan becomes eager to find a way home to his time in the future.
I found this book, and the trilogy, an excellent story that’s engaging and enjoyable from start to finish. The author does a fantastic job of creating an intricate world with layers of fascinating developments and characters that keep the reader moving from one chapter to the next. Minotaur’s Lair – Servant of the Gods – Book Three by Luciana Cavallaro is an excellent read for science fiction and fantasy fans. I recommend the trilogy and look forward to more books from this author.
Pages: 396 | ASIN : B0BFGW1Z6S
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/07/minotaurs-lair/