BookTrib’s Bites: Four Books About Crisis, Courage and Consequence

As flooded streets fill with electric eels and homes begin crumbling like sandcastles, Anthony teams up with Grace and Duck to find the mysterious lighthouse keeper, Captain David, who may hold the key to saving the town. Meanwhile, budding podcaster J.R. gets caught up chasing a big story and must decide whether popularity is worth risking real friendships.

Fast-paced, funny and faith-filled, this illustrated middle-grade adventure helps young readers discover what it means to build life on a solid foundation.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/the-captains-clue.

“Ashes of the Republic” by James Chesterton

In this chilling speculative thriller, America in 2046 is a nation transformed by surveillance technology, artificial intelligence and an increasingly authoritarian government. Former engineer Lily Osbourne knows this world better than most: years earlier, she helped create the technology that now monitors citizens, suppresses dissent and keeps those in power firmly in control.

Forced to abandon her former identity after falling out of favor with the ruling Dennison family, Lily discovers firsthand what happens to those who challenge the system. As she watches her inventions weaponized against ordinary people, she is compelled to confront her own role in creating the future she once helped build.

Blending high-stakes suspense with timely questions about power, responsibility and personal freedom, “Ashes of the Republic” is a thought-provoking cautionary tale that feels less like distant science fiction than a warning about the world taking shape around us.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/ashes-of-the-republic.

“The Peace Guidebook: How to Cultivate Hope, Healing, and Harmony for the Good of Humankind” by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino and Dr. Katie Eastman

In a divided and uncertain world, “The Peace Guidebook” offers a practical path toward personal healing, compassionate leadership and meaningful collective change. Inspired by the global Percolate Peace Project, Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino and Dr. Katie Eastman draw on decades of work helping people navigate grief, transition and transformation to present Ten Principles of Peace for everyday life.

Blending reflection, storytelling and accessible daily practices, the book invites readers to quiet what is unsettled within, move through conflict with courage and grace, lead from a place of love, and build relationships rooted in shared values. The book’s prompts and exercises make the journey interactive, encouraging readers not only to think about peace but to practice it in their homes, workplaces and communities.

Part guidebook, part call to action, “The Peace Guidebook” is a steady companion for anyone seeking a more grounded, purpose-driven life — and a more compassionate world.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/the-peace-guidebook.

“The Alpha Trace” by J. Mayberry

A string of murders. A cryptic symbol. A small town where everyone seems to be hiding something.

True-crime podcaster Elena Coleman has spent years digging into the questions Millbrook Falls wants left alone — a decades-old serial killer known as the Alpha, a suspicious police shooting and the local forces determined to keep both stories quiet. When Elena is found dead in her apartment with the Alpha’s chilling mark left behind, Detective James Rios is pulled into a case that refuses to stay cold.

Then more bodies appear. Each one bears the killer’s signature. Each one pulls Rios deeper into a pattern of violence that grows more disturbing with every turn. To solve it, he must untangle a web of police corruption, family loyalties and evidence that refuses to point in only one direction.

A tense serial murder investigation full of twists and turns, “The Alpha Trace” is a psychological crime thriller where every clue raises new questions — and no one is above suspicion.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/the-alpha-trace.