Michael’s Reviews of Other Works

Out Front the Following Sea By Leah Angstman Reviewed by Michael J. Coffino “Out Front the Following Sea” is historical fiction set amid the war between French and English settlers in late seventeenth century New England. The author employs two main characters—an...

Blood at the Root by Ciahnan Darrell Reviewed by Michael J. Coffino Blood at the Root uses the power of a video event—the sacrificial torture and racial atonement of the scion of a white billionaire—to weave interrelated stories with constantly changing community...

The core beauty of Ms. Leicher’s brilliantly written Acts of Atonement lies in how deftly it draws us into the pain, irrationality, and joy of family, captures the nuances of love between two women, and tests our personal capacity for tolerance, acceptance, and...

The hallmark of a successful “how-to” book, particularly one about self-empowerment, is a blend of author credibility, writing clarity, reader-friendly exercises, meaningful takeaways, and relatable storytelling that brings home the teaching. Harness Your Inner CEO by Rebecca Powers checks the box on each—and provocatively so. In a literary world flooded with books about how to grab the reins of your life and change it for the better, this one distinguishes itself.

As a former and long-time basketball coach, I bring a bias to books about youth sports. I favor values-based content, explorations into how athletics prepare young athletes to become contributing citizens, coveted work colleagues, cherished life partners, and, fundamentally, kind human beings.