We closed our annual Fall Books issue while I was in Canada during the final leg of my daughter’s school vacation. We hadn’t been to the Canadian National Exhibition, Canada’s annual swan song to summer—a festival of sugared donuts, Whack-A-Mole, and rickety carnival rides—since 2019, so as the air cooled one night, we took the streetcar to the […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/09/20/coming-fall-leanne-shapton/

Sophia Rose is here with the third novel in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries. Grab a cone and check out her thoughts on Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen.

Fatal Fudge Swirl
by Meri Allen
Series: Ice Cream Shop Mysteries #3
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:

A movie production brings drama—and murder—to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.

Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn’s kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley’s, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.

But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long—each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?

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Sophia Rose’s Review

Confession time. If I spy a mystery featuring ice cream, an ex-CIA Librarian, and Halloween, I’m going to reach for the book. Was it as delicious as my anticipation? Get your two scoops of tie-dye flavor and let’s go, kids.

Fatal Fudge Swirl is the third in the series.  I jumped into this one and did fine out of order since the author painted in the backdrop of what was going on for Riley and her small town.  That said, I did struggle to keep track of so many sub-plots and characters going on around and with Riley.

So, Riley Rhodes is content to work at her friend’s ice cream shop in her small home town.  She’s adjusting to her dad’s marriage to a woman she’s not keen on and who now is berserkers over getting into film and is shoving Riley into a romance she’s not quite ready for after her ex did a number on her.

The end of the seasonal ice cream shop work is coming up with the town’s big Halloween festivities that include a big publicity Halloween-themed wedding and a film production.  Riley’s in the middle of it because she was asked to make the wedding cake, an ice-cream Halloween theme, and asked to wrangle her friend’s diva cat who is a pet star in the film production.

Lots of drama is swirling around this festive time with the caterer for the wedding being the ex to the gold-digging groom when he leveled up, the caterer’s assistant is a slippery character, the bride’s sons who can’t stand mommy dearest and don’t seem cut up about her death.  And, really, there isn’t a soul connected to Diantha the bridezilla, who doesn’t have a reason to like her when she’s discovered dead in her inn on her wedding day.  The huge suspect and motive list is what had the mystery hard to solve.

Riley jumps in when her friend, the spurned ex, Mary Ann is tagged as suspect number one.  I liked that Riley did her sleuthing, but, when she comes up with something to share, she doesn’t hold out on the police and go it alone.  She gives the detective what she knows.  In truth, the sketchy one was her friend, Caroline, who wasn’t very bright about things much of the time and, incidentally, I could have done without her relationship drama.

I liked the gentle-pacing, visiting the ice cream shop, the fun Halloween festivities, visiting the ice cream shop, seeing Riley fleshed out as a caring person who is well-placed and good with people even when she’s doesn’t necessarily like them, and, oh, it bears repeating that part about visiting the ice cream shop.  I also loved the secondary historical mystery that does eventually tie in involving George Washington and the coded info that would be of town interest and shed light on the present.

While hooked by a few of the flashy elements that, incidentally, the fun seasonal cover captures so well, I was glad this first taste of Meri Allen’s series and her writing turned out to be a hit.  Those who enjoy seasonal cozy mysteries and foodie cozies should definitely give this a go.

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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2023/09/fatal-fudge-swirl-by-meri-allen.html

Brie whirled in a rage, pendant in hand, “It’s changing me, Cameron! Turning me into something I’m not.” He was quiet for a moment before replying, “What if it’s turning you into something you are?”

Young nurse graduate Brianna Weldon Survives a supernatural attack when a gorgeous angelic guardian, Cameron, saves her life. He promptly disappears, leaving her with nothing but questions and a mystical pendant he warns her never to remove. Five years later, on her way to a new life and a fresh start, the nightmare returns, and so does Cameron. This time, he risks everything to stay with her and keep her from harm. Together they battle speeding tickets, demonic wraiths, and their irresistible attraction to one another. The darkness closes in, forcing her into an adventure she never wanted and a battle against an enemy more powerful than either of them could have imagined — one of seven deadly fallen angels.

When destiny calls, do we have a choice? Or are we all Ruled By Fate?

Visit us at: www.ForbiddenTears.co

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/09/20/ruled-by-fate-book-1/

Delaware from Railways to Freeways by Dave Tabler is a captivating exploration of the state’s history, focusing on the period from 1800 to 1907. It’s the second installment in a three-part series that sheds light on the lesser-known aspects of Delaware’s past. This book is a treasure trove of intriguing facts about the people, places, and ideas that have shaped Delaware. The skillful pairing of these facts with illustrations and fascinating photographs makes it a delightful read for anyone residing in Delaware. History enthusiasts, in particular, will revel in the abundance of unusual facts associated with the state.

Tabler introduces readers to a wealth of information, from the development of railways to the emergence of freeways, unveiling lesser-known facets of Delaware’s history. Notably, he delves into the unique Delaware tradition of Return Day, providing insights into its origins. Additionally, he explores valuable resources found in Delaware, such as the versatile Bald Cypress Tree, which played a pivotal role in various aspects of daily life. One captivating highlight in the book is the development of Duck decoys during the early 19th century and its intriguing connection to steamboats and punt guns in Delaware. Such revelations add depth and intrigue to the state’s historical tapestry. While the book brims with captivating facts, images, and illustrations, I would’ve liked a more explicit connection between these fascinating tidbits and their unique significance within Delaware’s history. Such contextualization could have elevated the book from feeling like a trivia collection to a more engaging historical exploration.

Delaware from Railways to Freeways offers readers a captivating journey through Delaware’s lesser-known history. It is an excellent choice for those who relish reading about unusual facts and harbor a passion for history, even if it occasionally leans toward trivia. This book provides a valuable contribution to understanding Delaware’s rich heritage.

Pages: 110 | ASIN : B0C9NKB828

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/09/20/delaware-from-railways-to-freeways-first-state-second-phase/

New Beginnings by Helen C. Kelly intertwines the journeys of Lacy and David in a story of resilience, love, and personal growth. Lacy, emerging from a broken engagement, bravely embraces a fresh start. As her path crosses with David’s, he becomes a charming love interest and a source of support and transformation. Through a fateful encounter at an engagement party, David’s perspective shifts, leading him to recognize the value of joy and love beyond professional success. Together, their stories weave a narrative of strength, second chances, and the pursuit of happiness.

The narrative is engaging and emotive, drawing readers into the characters’ lives and emotions. The chapters are well-structured, and the use of dual perspectives offers a deeper connection to both Lacy and David. While the book starts at a measured pace, it meticulously sets the stage for Lacy’s transformation. The story’s rich detail helps immerse readers into the world and emotions of the characters, enhancing the overall reading experience.

The exploration of relationships, personal development, and resilience is commendable in this work. The portrayal of James’ character, although not as overtly dramatic as some may expect, still serves to showcase Lacy’s journey toward self-discovery. The dynamic between James and his family provides a unique angle, shedding light on their loyalty while also hinting at the complexities of family dynamics. The progression of Lacy and David’s relationship, although seemingly swift, is a testament to their emotional connection. Lacy resonates with readers who appreciate the complexities of human emotions.

New Beginnings by Helen C. Kelly offers readers a captivating and heartwarming exploration of resilience, love, and the transformative power of embracing fresh starts. With its relatable characters, engaging narrative, and themes of personal growth, the book presents a compelling journey that reverberates with the human experience. Whether you’re drawn to stories of second chances, the healing journey after heartbreak, or the enchantment of newfound love, this book delivers an inspiring and uplifting tale that will leave you turning its pages long into the night.

Pages: 242 | ISBN : 1739607430

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/09/20/new-beginnings-a-greengrove-novel/

Run! is an engaging memoir where you share not just the highlights of your political career but the struggles you faced because of being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. How hard was it to put this story out in the world for people to read?

Given my own circumstances of coming out, it was not hard for me to put my story out to the world. For many queer people, coming out is a slow and laborious process involving one-on-one conversations with family and friends. I chose a different path. On a March 1984 morning, I came out to the entire readership of the San Jose Mercury News when I wrote an opinion piece denouncing the statements of an anti-gay state legislator. While I might have trouble telling people individually about my sexual orientation, I was comfortable notifying the whole town.
Another reason I was okay with telling my story is from being an elected official for 26 years. When I first ran, I knew there would be a spotlight on my personal and professional life. Most people want to protect their privacy and shun publicity. For whatever reason, I accepted the public exposure because of what I wanted to accomplish once in office.

For all these reasons, I was comfortable telling my story. That isn’t to say I wasn’t nervous about it. I didn’t know if colleagues would agree with my version of history or if critics would find fault with my political strategies. Ultimately, I decided to tell my story as accurately as possible, remembering things as they were without a revisionist history.

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

One main reason for writing Run! was to show that regardless of how bleak things look politically, a group of like-minded people can make a difference over time, even if it takes years. To bring about social change, you have to be in the fight for the long haul. For me, that meant the last 40 years.

Also, I wanted to demystify running for office. I do this by covering all aspects of my four competitive races so others can learn how it’s done. In the chapter titled “Run, Baby, Run: Planning and Executing a Winning Campaign,” I offer advice for how LGBTQ+ candidates can survive negative attacks against them by deploying various strategies to attract voters’ support.

Last, I wanted to emphasize that winning isn’t enough. It’s what you do while in office that matters most. Many elected officials serve for years and never leave a mark. This should never be the fate of queer politicians. I think one reason why LGBTQ+ officials can be so successful is due to the discrimination and stereotypes that they have to overcome to win elections in the first place.

What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?

I’m not sure it was ever articulated to me, but looking back, I think one thing that saved me from doing or saying any number of stupid things was surrounding myself with people I trusted and could bounce ideas off of. Politics can be a pretty unforgiving profession, and mistakes aren’t always forgiven or forgotten. To avoid that, be sure to talk things through with your advisors. Once everyone agrees on the appropriate action, you can go forward with confidence.

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

From the beginning, I saw my audience being two groups of people: First, younger queer people who are just starting out and want to take up the mantle to fight social and political injustices. It can often be hard to know how to go about that, especially in more rural or suburban towns without a large queer community. I hope the book inspires them to take action either by forming a political organization, working to elect allies to office, or running for office themselves.

Second, I want Run! to serve as a recollection for older queer folx of how far we have all come. Our battles may have been different depending on our cities and states, but we were all headed in the same direction. This led to the legalization of same-sex marriages and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, along with many other significant victories both large and small. I don’t want any of that history to be lost or go untold.

Author Links: GoodReads | Website

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/09/20/fighting-for-the-long-haul/

Baby Senses: A Sensory Neuroscience Primer for All Ages shares with readers the world of nervous systems and how they have developed into the senses we have. Why was this an important book for you to write?

Thank you for this great question! I’ve always been passionate about making science engaging, relatable, and accessible to the interested lay audience. As an artist, I’ve also found the actual forms in biology incredibly complex and beautiful. As a tutor with Reading Partners, I wanted to share my love of neuroscience, art, and reading with the kids I was tutoring, but a search of the existing neuroscience books for children left me disappointed in the lack of truly engaging neuroscience content for beginning/emerging readers. And there a germ of an idea was born – to illustrate and write a children’s neuroscience book with accurate visual representations of sensory systems. I wanted my book to also impart fundamental principles of the scientific endeavor, for example, to convey that knowledge is built over time, with many researchers from diverse backgrounds working together (or apart) to gather facts in small steps. Related to this was my desire for Baby Senses to be a stand-alone educational resource for classrooms and families laid out in a scientific format. I think than an early introduction to how diversity in nature makes all animals special is important to encourage an appreciation of our ecosystem and why its delicate balance needs to be conserved. This was coupled with the intent to spread the subtle message that what makes us different is often our strength and neurodiversity is to be celebrated.

How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?

As an auditory and visual neuroscientist, I was already very familiar with several sensory systems before I decided to write Baby Senses. Some of the facts included in the glossary are in fact inspired by my doctoral dissertation. There were some systems I was less familiar with before writing my book, and for these I read several research articles and textbooks to gain a deeper understanding of each of these systems. I then condensed them down into narratives and ‘fun facts’ to highlight, as well as how contemporary research into these areas relate back to the lay audiences’ daily lived experiences.

The idea of writing Baby Senses really crystallized for me during the COVID-19 global pandemic. I’d been working on creating a series of neuroart paintings since 2018. The realization that I’d created a series of paintings that tied together into a narrative about the beauty and complexity of the many ways in which brains have evolved to do extraordinary things, coupled with the realization that there are not many neuroscience books available to early readers, really motivated me to sit down and start working on this project. I took about 8 months to finish my first draft of the book including the expanded glossary, the rhyming dialogues, and all the illustrations. I then spent several months researching publishing options and timelines, choosing my publisher, revising my book, and working on the cover images. Overall, it took a year and 5 months for my book to be published from when I started working on it.

What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?

In my experience, children are easily inspired or discouraged from pursuing further learning in topics based on demographics and gender, as well as how scientific topics are taught. An important goal for me was to make neuroscience engaging and intuitive so that children are inspired to pursue it, regardless of gender or demographics. When I take a step back to look at the bigger picture, the challenges facing neuroscientific endeavors are complex and large. To solve them requires team-science efforts, new ideas, collaboration within and across diverse teams, and an open-science, data sharing approach. All of these require that people from diverse backgrounds are drawn to and remain in research careers, and in the long-run, I hope that Baby Senses will contribute to that goal.

Another major goal for me in writing Baby Senses was to use multi-modal ways to engage diverse minds (neurotypical and neuroatypical), and of all ages. I wanted to maintain the balance between writing an engaging and relatable narrative while not shying away from scientific terminology. To do so, I used subtle cues like the parent-child bond as the context of these question-and-answer conversations to make the content relatable. More scientific choices like including the full references list were also deliberate. A related goal for me was to dispel scientific misconceptions, such as the all-pervasive idea that humans only have ‘5 senses’ and that having a ‘6th sense’ was somehow an anomaly. As humans, we have more than 5 ways to sense our internal and external environments, with research still ongoing to better characterize all the ways in which we sense our environment; for instance, how our gut microbial environment influences our brains through the gut-brain axis is an active area of research.

What is the next book that you are writing, and when will that be published?

I would certainly like to write more – I’ve a couple of ideas I’m playing around with right now. As a first-time indie author, I’ve learned a lot about the publishing process and am still learning so much with Baby Senses, so I am not ready to completely move onto the next project yet. I also have ideas about further expanding the reach of Baby Senses by for example, turning it into a sing along project. A lack of ideas has never been an issue for me so stay tuned for updates on my website https://babysensesbook.com/, where you can also sign up to receive my newsletter with events and updates or follow me on social media platforms!

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/09/20/making-neuroscience-engaging-intuitive/