Category: Books

Ian Douglass (MSJ06)

The invasion of the U.S. pro wrestling scene by Turkish wrestling stars between 1898 and 1901 rocked the foundations of a developing entertainment industry. In that short span of time, Yousouf Ismail, Adali Halil, Kara Osman, and Nouroulah Hassan forced American sportswriters, wrestling fans, wrestlers, and even public officials to grapple with uncomfortable truths about the standing of American athletes in the world, and even the battle-readiness of American soldiers for global combat.

Capturing the core of the “Turkish Invasion” from its understated start to its unsettling finish, Douglass clarifies the historical record of what the Turkish invaders accomplished on American mats, how their intrusion reshaped the essence of professional wrestling, and how their larger-than-life statures and personas left indelible marks on professional wrestling that still carry staggering weight in the modern era.

Veronica Chapa (MSA80)

A real-life historical figure, the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin and La Malinche was the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés communicate with the native people of Mexico. When Indigenous leaders observed her marching into their cities, they believed she was a goddess—blessed with the divine power to interpret the Spaniards’ intentions for their land. Yet over the years, historians and pop culture would deem her a traitor—the woman who helped sell Mexico’s future to an invader.

In this riveting, fantastical retelling, Malinalli is all of those things and more, but at heart, she’s a young girl, kidnapped into slavery by age twelve, and fighting to survive the devastation wrought by both the Spanish and Moctezuma’s greed and cruelty. Blessed with magical powers, and supported by a close-knit circle of priestesses, Malinalli vows to defend her people’s legacy. In vivid, compelling prose, debut author Veronica Chapa spins an epic tale of magic, sisterhood, survival, and Mexican resilience. This is the first novel to reimagine and reinterpret Malinalli’s story with the empathy, humanity, and awe this intriguing woman has always deserved.

Jabril Yousef Faraj (BSJ10)

AN ADVENTURE BEYOND TIME. WHERE FRIENDSHIP AND FATE COLLIDE.

TWO FRIENDS. ONE GLOWING PORTAL

When tragedy strikes at home, teenagers Zya Nicole Jenkins and Elijah Morgan escape through a portal, once again donning their magic timepieces. The Evil Archons have reclaimed Earth, declared war on the galaxy and are rumored to be developing a weapon that will tilt the balance of power.

Dive into an adventure of epic proportions, as the Guardians brave the Greek Underworld, commune with the Oracle of Delphi and face their fate on Mount Olympus. Encounter Plato, Heracles and the ghost of Pythagoras as our champions sail the Aegean and battle mythical beings in this sprawling Young Adult Fantasy.

The highly anticipated follow-up to Faraj’s award-winning debut, Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: Wings of the Gods is a story about love, trust and blooming adolescence. Our heroes will be put to the test, pushing their bond to the limit as Zya and Elijah are forced to confront their own inadequacies.

Wings of the Gods takes us from the depths of despair to the heights of true friendship and back. Can the Guardians overcome their demons and emerge victorious? The fate of humanity depends on it.

Jabril Yousef Faraj (BSJ10)

Breathe. Listen. Surrender.

Twelve-year-old Zya Nicole Jenkins wishes for an adventure on the last night of summer. But, when she and her best friend Elijah find a glowing door in the woods, the youngsters get much more than they bargained for. Cast into the midst of a centuries-long intergalactic conflict. The Guardians will have to overcome their greatest fear, learn to trust a mysterious ally and master their new magic timepieces to save the day and free humanity from the Evil Archons.

Get swept away by this 2025 Literary Global Children’s Book Award winner and finalist for the Children’s Book International Award for Fantasy. Packed to the brim with pharaohs and zombies, twists and turns, shape-shifters and a fearsome Lizard King, Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets is a contemporary fantasy for Dreamers of all ages.

The Emerald Tablets follows two precocious young people as they break the mold, transcend expectations and grow to accept their destiny. A fast-paced story about freedom, responsibility and friendship that can’t be broken. With the fate of humanity on the line and new surprises around every corner, you’ll be on the edge of your seat until the final bell.

Andrea Bartz (BSJ08, MSJ08)

When Abby steps onto the island where her fiancée, Eszter, died in a tragic accident, she encounters a rugged landscape forgotten by tourists and populated by only a small group of residents. Racked with grief, she struggles to understand why Eszter chose to visit this remote, run-down spot.

There, she befriends Isla Colel’s alluring expats, who remember Eszter well. One of them even texts to say he knows the dark truth about Eszter’s final days—but before he can tell Abby more, he vanishes from the island.

As her quest for the truth unearths chilling secrets, shady pasts, and a web of lies, Abby grows more determined than ever to find out what happened to the woman she loved. And the deeper she gets in the close-knit expat community, the more she becomes convinced that one of them is Eszter’s killer—and will do anything to keep the truth buried. But can Abby discover who it is before she becomes the island’s next victim?

Justin Baer (MSJ97)

House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dynasty and the Company That Changed American Investing is the gripping, definitive account of the private family behind one of the most powerful financial institutions in the world.

When Edward C. Johnson 2d founded Fidelity in 1946, investing was a pursuit reserved for the elite. Today, more than $18 trillion flows through Fidelity’s customer accounts and investment funds—touching the lives of one in five American adults. Fidelity helped invent modern retail investing: democratizing access to mutual funds, introducing the 401(k), and upending the need for traditional brokers. But behind the scenes of this financial juggernaut is a family saga unlike any other.

In House of Fidelity, veteran journalist Justin Baer tells the definitive story of the Johnsons—a New England dynasty that fiercely guarded control of their company while reshaping Wall Street. From the founder’s bold leap into Boston’s insular investing circles, to the meteoric rise of Peter Lynch, to behind-closed-doors battles over succession and legacy, Baer reveals a company and a family locked in a delicate balance of innovation, influence, and internal power struggles. House of Fidelity is a sweeping history of American investing—and the dynasty that came to define it.

Rin-rin Yu (MSJ01)

Rin-rin Yu just published her debut fiction novel for middle grade readers, called Goodbye, French Fry. When 10-year-old American-born Chinese Ping-Ping is exhausted from all the trials of her life: a schoolyard bully, potential overseas move, a troubling taekwondo move, piano recital mistakes, and a need for glasses – she learns to give her frustrations a big kick and people a second chance. The book is based loosely on her own childhood growing up in suburban New York. More info at rinrinyu.com and on instagram @rinrinyutheauthor

Nina Mandell (BSJ07)

When the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School gymnastics team competes in the Ohio High School Athletic Association state gymnastics meet, they’re expected to win. That’s because they’ve won each year—since 2004. And as the streak builds, there’s more pressure each year on the public school’s team to continue that tradition. No year was more tense than the year that they were hoping to take home their 20th straight title.

A Fraction of a Point follows the Bees throughout the intense 2022–2023 season as the team works toward the state meet. During one of their most competitive seasons in recent years, sports journalist Nina Mandell explores the gymnasts’ backstories and traces the legacy of the Ganim family, the team’s longtime coaches. Initially led by husband and wife Joan and Ron Ganim, their daughter, Maria Schneider, then became coach. In a sport that has been plagued by scandal—especially for the mistreatment of athletes—the Ganims represent a changing face of gymnastics by emphasizing their players’ well-being and mental health.

Throughout A Fraction of a Point, the players and coaches frequently question if they’re good enough to keep the winning streak alive and if the gymnasts will be able to rise to the challenge. But this isn’t just a story about one historic season. At its heart, it’s also about the teenagers balancing athletics with high school life, the larger community that supported the team, what it means to compete for the joy of the sport, and the athletes’ and coaches’ dedication even while facing immense pressure.

David Bernknoph (BSJ80)

A novel about a down-on-his-luck journalist who accepts the challenge of packing up his entire life and moving to Alaska, where he’s isolated from the people and patterns he’s familiar with . Not everyone he works with shares his somewhat snobby sense of how things should work. And they often don’t get the jokes he thinks are comic gold. It’s a workplace comedy….’Northern Exposure’ in a TV newsroom, if you will.

Elizabeth Dougherty (MSJ88)

Many experts dream of writing a nonfiction book. Few do it. The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide: How to Plan, Write, and Publish Your Nonfiction provides a clear road map for turning expertise into a well-crafted book that can transform readers’ lives. Based on decades of publishing experience, book editors Elizabeth Dougherty (MSJ, 1988) and Marisa Solis provide a step-by-step methodology for writing advice-based nonfiction (the reader has a problem, and the author has a solution).

The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide covers what most writing guides don’t and what most aspiring authors skip: key foundational work that saves time, effort, and sanity. From refining the concept and organizing the content, to identifying the target audience and building an authentic author platform, this guide details what needs to happen to publish a book. Twenty-five hands-on assignments help authors stay focused and move forward with confidence, empowering them to complete their manuscript and get their message out into the world.
Solis and Dougherty are the cofounders of Book Structures Pro, a boutique editorial services firm that specializes in working with subject matter experts writing consumer and professional advice-based nonfiction.