Reviews in Brief

The unflinching and fearless story of a dopamine-driven wanderer finding his feet in the wild world, The Traveller by Chuck Thompson is a gonzo-like novel exploring the mind of a philosophic hustler. From sleepless binges during his university days in London and conning conductors in Amsterdam to dangerous debauchery in Tokyo spice shops and life-or-death knife fights in the Saudi desert, the reckless protagonist’s diatribe feels feral and polished at once. Both a deep-dive history lesson into drug culture and a tense travelogue across Europe, this nation-leaping novel crackles with cutting observation, for a whip-smart crash course in slinging and surviving as a twenty-something vagabond.

A white-knuckle spiral down the darkest corners of addiction, dealing, and dangerous bedfellows, Back in Business: A Neo-Noir Return to Drugs, Violence, and Lunacy (The Business Trilogy Book 2) by Simon Pearce is a gleefully unapologetic spree of dope-slinging drama. A year after the explosive end of Mark’s relationship with hard drugs—and with his French girlfriend—he finds himself back in the saddle with his mysteriously discharged partner in crime. Still cooking for a killer to pay their debts and avoid an early grave, King and Casper may be off the wagon and out of their minds, but survival while getting impossibly high is what this hopped-up pair of deviant dealers does best. A second rollicking piece of unrepentant madness, this is a clever binge of seamy entertainment, and an unhinged glimpse at survival in the UK’s underbelly of vice and violence.

Sex Bytes: The F*cked-Up Truth About Tech & Sex by TechChick is a bold, blisteringly honest revival of a 2003 cult classic. Originally penned by a porn actress turned digital icon, the book mixes explicit advice, hilarious reader confessions, and raw sex commentary into a no-holds-barred manifesto. In 2025’s updated digital edition, TechChick sharpens the voice for a new generation, weaving in cultural shifts, while preserving the unapologetic candor that rattled the early internet – think Sex and the City meets Fight Club, but much dirtier. This fierce, filthy, and fearless compendium is not just erotica, it’s digital-age sexual anthropology told with humor and a whole lot of truth, which is classic and essential reading.

Dramatically examining the haunting experiences of survivors, accomplices, and casualties of the Third Reich, The Madness Locker by Eddie Russell is a powerful narrative exploration of the grim past and its ominous echoes today. Forty years after being rescued from the clutches of the Gestapo, a dormant messenger of evil reappears in Ruth’s life with an unexpected purpose. Moving smoothly between two different timelines and tales, this novel takes readers from the visceral horrors of a concentration camp to the xenophobic struggles of an immigrant, and the mystifying trauma responses of a nearly broken soul. Though there are occasional issues with narrative flow and consistency in the storytelling, this is an unpredictable drama of survival at all costs that is both touching and timely.

A powerful argument for returning to the sacred roots of Christianity and the Catholic Church, Because It’s True.: From Confusion to Communion: An Honest Search for the Church Founded by Jesus Christ by Kristie Lilley is a deeply researched and reverent testament to the origins of belief. Fearlessly sharing her own journey and exposing the dark side of modern religion where unchallenged power and dogma intersect, Lilley’s treatise is revelatory and at times radical, but also clearly grounded in hope and a commitment to Jesus’ genuine teachings. From key Scriptural passages and theological writing to a historical review of Christianity’s evolution and the unfortunate co-opting of religion in the public sphere, Lilley presents a thorough and compelling take on biblical foundations, the authentic path to salvation, and the future of faith in modern life.

Lovingly researched and compassionately penned, Pope Paul VI and His Quest for Peace: 1963-1978: Volume One: “Never Again War!” by Rev. John F. Tuohey, PhD is a timely tribute to the pontiff’s determined focus on world peace. Laying out a fascinating biography of the “forgotten pope” and detailing the events of his unprecedented visit to New York on October 4, 1965 to address the United Nations, this snapshot memoir captures a historic day for the United Nations, the United States, the Vatican, and those who value peace the world over, reaching far beyond the Catholic faith. Rounded out by an eye-opening review of Paul VI’s greatest diplomatic achievements, including his influence on ending the Vietnam War, this is an accessible and sometimes astounding account of a pontiff who can be characterized as both humble and heroic.