LITTLE BOY, I KNOW YOUR NAME
FULL BOOK TITLE: Little Boy, I Know Your Name: A Second-Generation Memoir from Inherited Holocaust Trauma
AUTHOR NAME: Mitchell Raff
PUBLISHER NAME: River Grove
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Know-Your-Name-Second-Generation/dp/1632997630/
A Testament to Survival and the Shadows of the Past.
In Little Boy, I Know Your Name, Mitchell Raff delivers a haunting and deeply introspective memoir that spans decades of personal and inherited trauma. From the very first pages, it is clear that this is more than just a life story—it is an exploration of the weight of history.
Raff was raised by four Holocaust survivors, each carrying wounds too deep to articulate. His early years were shaped by their suffering, their unspoken grief, and their desperate attempts to shield him from horrors they themselves could not escape. But the past does not simply fade. When his mother—whom he barely remembered—suddenly reappeared and took him from the fragile stability he had known, his life veered into chaos. What followed was a harrowing journey that spanned continents, disrupted identities, and left lasting scars.
One of the most striking aspects of this memoir is its structure. Rather than unfolding in a linear fashion, Raff moves fluidly between past and present, mirroring the way trauma refuses to stay confined to any one moment in time. Flashbacks intertwine with flash-forwards, offering glimpses of what is to come before revealing the painful steps that led there. The effect is both disorienting and immersive, pulling readers into Raff’s fractured reality, where the past is never truly in the past.
His adulthood, though seemingly a world away from his childhood turmoil, is still shaped by the damage done. Addiction, loss, and self-destructive behaviors become recurring cycles, even as he builds a life as a husband and father. Yet amid the darkness, there is a persistent thread of hope. Through therapy, self-reflection, and an unrelenting will to survive, Raff slowly begins to unravel the tangled web of pain he inherited and inflicted.
At its core, Little Boy, I Know Your Name is not just about one man’s struggles—it is about the generational impact of trauma and the ways in which suffering manifests differently for each person who carries its weight. Raff does not offer easy answers or neatly tied resolutions, but he does offer truth—the kind that is raw and deeply affecting. His willingness to confront the most painful corners of his life makes this memoir a powerful and necessary read. This is a story of survival, but more than that, it is a story of reckoning. It is about finding a way to live with the past without being consumed by it, about confronting demons that have been left unnamed for too long. Through his unflinching honesty and evocative storytelling, Raff reminds us that while pain may be inherited, so too is resilience.
Author Bio:
A second-generation Holocaust survivor who grew up in Los Angeles. As a child, he was kidnapped and taken to Israel where he lived for a year and a half before the private investigator hired by his family located him. This led to a lifelong connection with the Jewish homeland, and as a young man, he returned to Israel to serve in the Israeli Defense Force.
A former business owner, Mitchell now resides in Southern California and is the owner and director of an outreach charity, Clothing the Homeless. Little Boy, I Know Your Name: A Second-Generation Memoir from Inherited Holocaust Trauma is his first book, and it is an intensely personal examination of how he survived being the child of survivors.
AUTUMN IN WOLF VALLEY
FULL BOOK TITLE: Autumn in Wolf Valley
AUTHOR NAME: Ed A. Murray
PUBLISHER NAME: Ed A. Murray
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZJ59Q18/
Autumn in Wolf Valleyby Ed A. Murray is a haunting, introspective novel that explores grief and the fragile process of healing in the aftermath of tragedy. This is a work of fiction that feels so much like the real thing, a testament to Murray’s immersive style.
The prologue sets the story’s deeply personal tone, introducing Howard Lynch, a man recently bereaved by the death of his wife, Amber. What begins as a routine assignment to write an anniversary article on a forgotten flood tragedy slowly morphs into a more profound and unsettling journey—one of rediscovery and confronting the painful remnants of a life shattered.
Murray’s writing has a literary quality that gives Autumn in Wolf Valley a Southern Gothic feel. The story smoothly shifts from a journalistic assignment to a personal journey through grief, making Howard’s emotional struggles feel natural and compelling. What sets the novel apart is how it blends Howard’s personal loss with the valley’s history of flooding, showing the connection between individual and collective trauma. As he uncovers the town’s past, he also begins to make sense of his own pain. His realization that Amber once rescued their dog, Coby, from the same farm as another stray he later encounters highlights the novel’s themes of fate and connection. These discoveries unfold gradually, just as Howard pieces together both the town’s history and his own sense of self.
The conclusion of Autumn in Wolf Valley brings Howard’s journey to a quiet but powerful close. As he walks through the woods with Coby and rebuilds his home, he clings to the familiar in a world forever changed. His determination to restore his house isn’t just about reclaiming a space—it’s about finding stability after loss. As the town slowly recovers, so does Howard. The floodwaters may have receded, but their impact lingers, much like the grief he carries. Yet, in the small moments of survival—the rescued books in his attic and Coby’s steady companionship—he finds a path forward.
Tender and introspective, Autumn in Wolf Valley explores the quiet strength it takes to move forward—reminding us that healing lies not in forgetting, but in carrying memory with grace.
Author Bio:
Ed A. Murray is an author, ghostwriter, business leader and University of Michigan alumnus. Autumn in Wolf Valley (2025) is his fourth book, all of which are set at least partially in his home state of Michigan, where he lives with his wife, two daughters and their mini Australian shepherd.
I BLEW MY DIET! NOW WHAT?
FULL BOOK TITLE: I Blew My Diet! Now What?: The Easy, Proven 21-Day Plan to Drop Pounds & Bounce Back Boldly
AUTHOR NAME: Connie Bennett
PUBLISHER NAME: Greenleaf Book Group
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Blew-My-Diet-NowWhat/dp/B0DHWG5QHZ/
I’ve read plenty of diet books, but I Blew My Diet! Now What? by Connie Bennett is something entirely different—it’s a refreshing, deeply insightful, and incredibly comprehensive guide to reclaiming control over food, emotions, and overall well-being. At 359 pages, this book is packed with a plethora of information, complete with an extensive index, valuable resources, and even original cartoons that bring humor and levity to a serious topic.
Bennett, a former carb-addicted journalist and bestselling author, knows firsthand how even the most dedicated health-conscious individuals can fall off track. After over a decade of eating clean, she found herself spiraling following the devastating loss of her mother. The weight gain, the guilt, the frustration—it all became overwhelming. But instead of staying stuck, she embarked on a seven-year journey to uncover the real reasons why we overeat and, more importantly, how we can truly bounce back boldly without shame or deprivation.
The book takes readers through a fascinating exploration of what happens when we "blow our diet," offering powerful insights into why we fall off track in the first place. Bennett goes deep into the emotional, psychological, and physiological triggers that lead to bingeing and unhealthy eating habits. This isn’t just about willpower—she explains how real-life stressors, ingrained habits, and even biochemical reactions make it incredibly difficult to stick to a diet without the right tools and mindset shifts.
What makes this book stand out is the Bounce Back Boldly Plan, a science-backed, easy-to-implement strategy designed to help readers regain control. The FEASTS (Fast, Easy, Awesome, Simple, Tested Strategies) approach provides practical, real-world solutions to help navigate cravings, emotional eating, and the rollercoaster of motivation. Bennett also includes guidance on blood-sugar-balanced, modified ketogenic (KetoMod) meal plans, making it easier to transition back into a healthy, sustainable way of eating.
But this isn’t just a book about food—it’s about emotions. Bennett introduces techniques to boost oxytocin (the feel-good hormone), reduce stress, and develop a mindset that fosters long-term success.
If you’ve ever struggled with dieting, this book is a game-changer. It’s not about guilt or failure—it’s about learning and bouncing back stronger. Bennett provides the tools, encouragement, and insight needed to heal both body and mind, making this a must-read for anyone looking to build a healthier, happier relationship with food.
Author Bio:
I'm a self-mocking, former sugar-and-carbs-addicted journalist, certified health coach, DreamBuilder coach, life coach, and bestselling author of Sugar Shock! (Berkley Books) and Beyond Sugar Shock (Hay House). My latest book, I Blew My Diet! Now What? (Greenleaf Book Group) was inspired my own experiences. I'm sure many of you will relate. After losing my dear mother, I overloaded on carbohydrate garbage (carbage), packed on 21 pounds, and felt like a big fraud. Now I'm is back to help readers like you discover why you, eat badly, how to make peace with food and yourself, and learn simple, science-based tools to Bounce Back Boldly™.
VINCIBLE
FULL BOOK TITLE: Vincible: A New Adult Comedy
AUTHOR NAME: Jay Jameston
PUBLISHER NAME: Dirty Kermit Press
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Vincible-Adult-Comedy-Jay-Jameston/dp/B0DVFSL17V/
Jay Jameston’s VINCIBLEis a razor-sharp and delightfully messy debut that captures the spirit of modern adulthood in all its cringe-inducing glory. With the wit of a stand-up comic and the soul of someone who’s been knocked down enough times to appreciate a good landing, Jameston delivers a novel that is laugh-out-loud funny, painfully honest, and sneakily profound.
At its core, VINCIBLE is a story of a guy trying—and frequently failing—to make sense of his career, relationships, and identity in a world that often feels rigged against sincerity. The protagonist is a modern everyman: flawed, often self-deprecating, but deeply relatable. Whether navigating HR disasters, dating-app drama, or café espresso machines, he moves through life like someone doing their best to swim through molasses—with charm, panic, and surprising bursts of insight.
Jameston has a gift for turning mundanity into comedy gold. His prose is punchy and his characters fully alive—even when they’re falling apart. The humor feels earned, often stemming from the protagonist’s inner contradictions and the absurdity of adulting in a hyper-connected, emotionally disorienting world. Think High Fidelity meets Fleabag, only with more bad coffee and worse decisions.
And yet, VINCIBLE isn’t content to coast on laughs alone. Beneath the jokes lies a thoughtful exploration of vulnerability, accountability, and the quiet resilience it takes to keep showing up—especially when nothing is going according to plan. The final chapters, particularly, encapsulates what makes this debut sing: an awkward reunion, workplace drama, lingering romantic tension, and moments of unexpected connection—all while grinding coffee beans by hand. It’s hilarious, cinematic, and strangely moving.
A standout entry into the canon of twenty-/thirty-something fiction, VINCIBLE is for anyone who’s been ghosted, fired, or just spectacularly misunderstood—and still managed to laugh about it later. Jay Jameston proves himself not just a keen observer of contemporary life, but a refreshingly original voice in fiction.
Highly recommended.
Author Bio:
If the name Jay Jameston sounds made up, that’s because it is. Jay was mocked in ninth-grade English class for pronouncing the “P” in pseudonym. Following university, Jay pursued a career in Human Resources to follow his lifelong passion of treating human beings like reusable resources. Jay Jameston was once invited to "Late Night with Seth Meyers" by a friend. They sat in the audience. Vincible is Jay’s first novel.
AN INNOCENT WORLD
FULL BOOK TITLE: An Innocent World
AUTHOR NAME: Douglas A. King
PUBLISHER NAME: Tellwell Talent
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Innocent-World-Douglas-King/dp/0228828880/
In this provocative work of Christian nonfiction, King poses a bold theological question: What if Adam and Eve had never eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? From this foundational thought experiment, An Innocent World explores an alternate moral framework in which humanity remains “Innocent,” choosing harmony and eternal life over suffering and mortality.
With a mix of philosophical speculation, biblical analysis, and accessible prose, King constructs a dualistic model of “Innocents” and “Guilty,” suggesting that free will and suffering are not punishments, but divine choices made before birth. He argues that sin arises not from inherent evil but from the acquisition of the knowledge of good and evil —and that God, too, has suffered, empathizing with the human condition. These conclusions, while unorthodox, are presented with a tone of reverence and intellectual curiosity, designed to challenge rather than dismantle traditional Christian beliefs.
King’s narrative voice is engaging and reflective, more akin to that of a thoughtful seminar leader than a polemicist. He weaves theology with discussions of politics, family, art, and culture, consistently returning to the central premise: that pain, growth, and divinity are intertwined in complex, preordained ways. While some readers may question the speculative leaps, others will find his metaphors—ranging from scriptural to sci-fi—refreshingly imaginative.
This ambitious volume invites readers of faith, philosophy, and spiritual inquiry to reconsider long-held assumptions. Though its scope is vast and its ideas unconventional, An Innocent World ultimately succeeds as a conversation-starter, encouraging reflection on suffering, salvation, and what it means to choose a life of meaning.
Author Bio:
Douglas A. King was born in 1948, the eldest of what he initially believed to be three children. Later in life, he discovered he had an older sister who had been given up for adoption—making him the first child his parents decided to keep. His early years were marked by instability; he was fostered out three times, the first before his first birthday. When he returned home after the third fostering, he had stopped speaking and carried the lasting effects of trauma.
Raised in a household overshadowed by his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s emotional detachment, he struggled with deep-seated neglect. His experiences led to a decades-long battle with depression, a condition he would later understand intimately. It wasn’t until he discovered antidepressants that he found relief, awakening to a newfound sense of purpose and determination. Despite academic struggles in his youth, he eventually found solace in mathematics, a subject that once eluded him but later became a source of joy. He pursued higher education in computer systems and developed a passion for learning. His journey took a transformative turn when he had a profound encounter with Jesus, bringing him a lasting sense of peace. Married to Marion, a woman whose resilience and composure in the face of adversity deeply influenced him, he found stability and strength. Their shared experiences, including advocating for their daughter against school bullying, shaped his perspective on confrontation and emotional control. His writing, including An Innocent World, draws from his life’s struggles and triumphs, offering readers an honest and deeply personal account of overcoming adversity. Today, he continues to write, reflect, and inspire others with his journey of resilience, faith, and self-discovery.
