This monograph of wet-on-wet watercolor paintings features dynamic urban scenes in which light operates without conventional logic: “Broad swaths of light sweep and swoop down and across and up and away,” lending skyscrapers, bridges, and monuments “a friendly but fierce and almost otherworldly energy.” The artist’s loose, gestural approach offers a refreshing departure from the rigid linear representations that typically characterize urban landscapes. LePan’s “mind’s-eye painting” philosophy—in which visual perception mingles freely with emotion and memory—is reminiscent of artists like David Hockney, Raoul Dufy, and Oskar Kokoschka. The approach yields consistently vibrant results; outstanding examples include his breakthrough Chicago (1994), in which the Sears Tower and Merchandise Mart pulse with raw metropolitan energy, and New Orleans (2007), which captures both post-Katrina devastation and the city’s irrepressible vitality through bold color contrasts and flowing forms. While the majority of works depict North American cityscapes and baseball stadiums—the artist’s twin passions—the collection also includes more intimate European city scenes and occasional bucolic landscapes that demonstrate his range beyond urban subjects, though the author’s text accompanying the images proves uneven. It provides valuable historical context about urban development and architectural history, enriching readers’ understanding of landmarks from the Woolworth Building to Calgary’s Petro-Canada Centre, and its insights into the artistic process offer genuine illumination for those interested in watercolor technique. However, the autobiographical framework grows repetitive, with frequent accounts of conference travels and hotel stays. Compelling personal details—family relationships, career tensions, emotional responses to urban environments—rarely cohere into insightful reflections. Readers will want to learn more about how the artist sees his personal life and experiences reflected in his work.

After a meteor crashes near Vincennes, Indiana, a cockroach-like, gigantic kaiju crawls out and starts causing mayhem; the U.S. military dubs it the Palmetto Bug Monster. A second behemoth soon appears in Alaska—a massive creature akin to a gecko, which surfaces in a dormant volcano. It’s the latter kaiju—regrettably referred to by authorities as “He-Knew-Pat-Sajak,” an ignorant mispronunciation of an Unangax̂ term—that catches the attention of TV news reporter Eve Sanderborn, self-proclaimed cryptozoologist Usotsuki Shirinigatsuku, and retired U.S. Army Gen. Buchanan Richardson. The second kaiju heads towards an unpopulated peninsula; it will soon face the Palmetto Bug Monster, which flies to Alaska, intent on battle. An alien android comes to Alaska in a silver droplet-shaped spaceship, claiming that the titanic lizard is a specifically designed “countermeasure.” These aforementioned Earthlings, along with local innkeeper Gustav Bishop and teenage bellhop Bugsy Morton, can help the android establish a link with the creature and take down the other kaiju. Sumac’s tongue-in-cheek story tends to focus on the cast’s quarrels and heated discussions. The various characters are an unusual bunch: Eve’s cameraman, Bernie, may have a drinking problem; Usotsuki, who has ties to organized crime, likely derives his expertise from Godzilla movies; and Bugsy fights off bullies with his martial arts skills. Even the giant monsters prove distinctive, as one is ridiculously ferocious while the other, which ultimately has a voice (of sorts), may be the humans’ ally. The satire, though overt, is never overwhelming, with barbs that target a largely incompetent U.S. military and presidential administration. The unraveling story takes some surprising turns, including an unexpected character death and a surprising missing-person subplot.

Bridget Higgins is only 7 when she loses her mother and her stepfather in an explosive fire at an Arkansas law firm. Thirtysomething Claire Foster’s parents died in the same fire, which she survived, although her memory of the night is foggy, and her suspicious cop boyfriend is certain that she’s faking her amnesia to hide her culpability. Sometime later, Claire has a fateful run-in with successful wellness media influencer Barbara O’Malley, just after the latter killed a man who was stalking her. As a result, the pair shares a dark secret. Tech-savvy Claire becomes Barbara’s assistant; it’s a “job of a lifetime,” but Claire’s growing envy of her wealthy, glamorous boss eventually sullies it. As the years pass, Bridget aspires to be a brand influencer, which she hopes to jump-start by sharing her original horror stories online. She idolizes Barbara, whom she one day gets the chance to meet—although not in a way that readers will anticipate. Fontainne and Emmes’ narrative features a good deal of murky backstory, including the largely mysterious fire. Nevertheless, the novel’s engaging character development, which builds over more than a decade, makes the wait for big reveals worthwhile. The three main characters, who alternate first-person narration, are all fascinating in their own ways, and more than one of them dabbles in blackmail. The story opens on a somber note and somehow gets gloomier as it goes along, with character-centric chapters highlighting a variety of pitfalls, including resentment, vanity, and a craving for fame. The authors maintain a steady pace until the sensational final act, which is drawn out to great effect and closes the novel with a satisfying punch.

This book begins with some personal comments from authors Fern (a trauma and relationship expert and psychotherapist) and Cooley (a professional restorative justice facilitator and diversity awareness trainer) explaining where the ideas for the titular “Shame Triangle” originated. Fern recalls an anecdote from her personal life in which her “competing needs” reminded her of how often she thinks about herself in terms of “parts” that seem to have their own “concerns, priorities and desires.” What follows is a breakdown of the authors’ views on the key components of shame and its impact on people and relationships. They posit that shame is viewable through a triangular framework based on psychiatrist Stephen Karpman’s Drama Triangle, which includes the roles of Victim, Persecutor, and Rescuer. Fern and Cooley’s Shame Triangle, however, includes slightly different roles, as it applies to both internal and external conflicts; these roles are the Inner Critic, Shame, and Escaper. The authors detail the strategies and behavioral impacts of each part of the triangle: Where do they come from? Why do they exist? How can we begin to address them? Each of these ideas is effectively supported by humanizing personal anecdotes and peer-reviewed academic literature. Fern and Cooley have prepared this book with accessibility in mind, seeking to ensure that even readers with limited knowledge of psychology and medicine will be able to use these strategies to start the journey toward self-understanding. They make it clear that the goal is not necessarily to change the self, but rather to work with natural inclinations to find healthier ways to resolve conflicts, both within and outside the mind. This book will be appreciated by anyone searching for new ways of understanding shame and trauma, especially for the purpose of enhancing mental stability and relationships.

Thanks to her best friend and crush, Blake Abrams, who performs CPR, 16-year-old Altagracia “Grace” Martínez is revived. While she’s recovering, Grace, who’s a bisexual filmmaker and musician, finds her world forever altered when she begins seeing the dead everywhere. Most notably, a ghostly teen named Mohammad Ahmadi, who died in 1987, appears in her bedroom wearing a noose. Grace, who’s grieving her mother’s suicide two years earlier, starts investigating Mohammad’s death. She faces skepticism from her friends, self-absorbed father, and judgmental stepmother, all while decoding Mohammad’s messages, which he delivers via retro song lyrics. Her search for the truth uncovers buried family secrets, political corruption, and even La Llorona herself. The author offers an original premise with cultural depth, high emotional stakes, and intriguing themes of grief, family legacy, and identity, which ground the supernatural elements. However, deeper exploration of fewer plot points would have led to a richer reading experience. The key relationships, especially that between Grace and Blake, would also have benefited from more depth. The cast of characters, which is diverse in both ethnic background and sexuality, adds richness to the narrative. Grace presents Mexican American, Blake is Jewish, and Mohammad is Afghan American.