New books to chat about!

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Wanted to share some brand new titles, so I hurried up and read them just for you!



 The Last Session is a fun story about a group of friends who starting hanging out in high school, when they turned their GSA into a Dungeons and Dragons role playing space (though they call it something else due to copyright).  They never finished the adventure and years later are finally making time to finish.  However, things are different as none of them are the same and one of them has brought in someone new....his new girlfriend.  She really wants to be part of the group but not everyone likes all the changes to the game, or to their lives.

This is a fun and light hearted story but with a grain of a serious conversation about handling change, being kind and welcoming to new people (especially in a gaming space but honestly....I wish kindness happened more everywhere).  Even though everyone is in their early 20's, this book can be enjoyed by anyone, especially as they constantly flashback to their teen years.



Ren's last memory is running away from home in 1996 but he wakes up in 2122 and is told he is part of a time travel project.  Students are supposed to question the travelers about their lives and interests before they are sent home in a week with no memory of anything happening.  Ren really isn't sure about anything, but then he starts to catch wind of trouble, maybe ChronoTech isn't telling the complete truth about everything....and if they are lying, what does that mean for him?

This is a fun SF/Mystery/Thriller with lots of twists and turns.  I really like the artwork and the story was engaging and interesting.  I definitely didn't see all the twists (but called a few as the reader knows a bit more than the characters).  If you want something a bit different, definitely recommend giving this a try.




The author, Bill Campbell did exhaustive research into the subject & background of this book.  He then made a fictionalized story highlighting the details and provides not only a powerful story of a moment in history but also a peek into how things today aren't so very different in some ways (sadly).

It's 1923, and the Ku Klux Klan has decided to host a rally, that really was meant to destroy the small town of Carnegie, PA (outside of Pittsburgh).  Why there?  It was a small town with a diverse population of immigrants and African Americans who are working together (and separately---it is still 1923) and making their lives better.  The KKK really wanted to show them the error of their ways and prove the superior nature of the white race.  However, the townspeople banded together and attacked the KKK marchers when they came to town;  leaving them no choice but to retreat without having accomplished their mission of destruction (as well as hushing up the embarressment).

This is not an easy book, as you can tell based on the content...but Campbell shows us multiple points of view for the townsfolk and each person's background and reasons to resist.  He also shows us the viewpoint of the various KKK leaders and its members.  Khodobandeh's art brings the story to life with realistic black and white drawings.  I love finding stories of triumph amongst all the terror and fear and Campbell has provided readers with both some forgotten history and some inspirational storytelling that reminds us that we are all stronger together.



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