Reviews in Brief

An educational, intelligent, and comprehensive guide to the vast spectrum of queer identity, 104 Pride Flags by Matti Charlton is an exhaustive record of queer representation. While most readers will recognize the main rainbow flag, this fifth edition is freshly updated to reflect the ever-growing number of flags standing for different facets of queer life and expression – from aromantic and quantum gender to polyamorous and intersex, and more. Boasting vibrant images and succinct explanations of the significance behind each flag’s colors, designs, and symbols, this is an endlessly useful pocket guide to the exceptional diversity of queer life.

A chaotic outlaw and a drug-addled genius slip into the circle of a savage killer in Taking Care of Business: A Neo-Noir Tale of Drugs, Chaos, and Death (The Business Trilogy Book 1) by Simon Pearce, a raunchy romp of strange trips, risky living, and taking delight in deviance. Mark and Toby are edgy entrepreneurs, cooking up product and slinging substances for the masses, with one eye perpetually peeled for the cops. If that isn’t precarious enough, a serial killer cannibal, an ultimatum-wielding girlfriend, and the dead gangster at the bottom of the stairs are seriously complicating their maverick enterprise. Laced with acerbic wit, macabre romance, and sharp dialogue that reflects the ongoing madness, this short novel is an authentically funny and original ride through the occupational hazards of hedonism.

An exploration of core spiritual principles from an educator, scholar, and seasoned man of the cloth, Striving to be Perfect as the Heavenly Father is Perfect: Reflections on Christian Maturity in Decision-Making, Forgiving, and Reconciliation by Fr. John F. Tuohey is a short collection of revelatory essays on contemporary faith. Focusing on the importance of maturity as an avenue to achieve grace, health, stability, and closeness to God, the author dissects fundamental but nuanced subjects such as fairness, justice, accountability, responsibility, generosity, forgiveness, and self-reflection, for a fully rounded assessment of fostering and maintaining a religious life. Filtered through the variable lens of a clergyman who recognizes his own weaknesses, this is a concise but powerful companion for anyone on the journey toward spiritual wellness.

A wide-ranging compendium of insight regarding the diagnosis and treatment of common neurological and psychiatric conditions, Neurology and Psychiatry: Lectures and Clinical Pearls by Lawrence Robbins, M.D. is a concise and essential guide. Reading like shorthand notes from a less accessible medical textbook, the tone is primarily authoritative, but peppered with conversational passages that confidently point out important gaps in subject knowledge and common practice for everything from headaches and tinnitus to chronic depression and Munchausen’s Syndrome. Rather than bowing to the standard canon of medical guidance, Robbins shares nuanced advice based on his lived experience as a career expert in these fields, adding significant gravitas to an already compelling collection of analysis.

A mind-bending, heartwrenching, and often hilarious ride, Saving Maria by Truant Memphis is a penetrating crime satire with a touch of Vonnegut’s whimsy and Murakami’s surreal introspection. Truant Delighted Memphis, the author, actor, alter-ego, fictional character, adventurer, sloppy guitar player, martial artist, husband, and father tells the story of Littlethumb Brooks, a reclusive artist haunted by his past and drawn into a dangerous mystery involving stolen children, underground rebels, and a strange device that could change everything. Equal parts action thriller, philosophical meditation, social critique, and absurdist comedy, Memphis’ novel is shrewdly insightful and unforgettable.

Composed with the gritty edge of Deep South sorrow, I Wanted to Be a Bluesman by David Joseph is a stirring reflection on how music permeates every corner of our lives. From haunted record shops and Eric Clapton’s dire warnings to soul-selling crossroads and the darker sides of life as a vagabond musician, this collection of stories is simultaneously casual, intimate, delicate, and heavy – covering the gamut like an eclectic record. Brought to life with an unflinching style of prose that leaves no emotion untapped, and an inventive use of language, these tales are comprised of venerative recollections about seminal music and musicians, making the stories a poignant, long-form love note to an era that still echoes today.