“Horses All Over Hell” by Ryan Blacketter
“Horses All Over Hell” is a book of short, interconnected stories set in a small Idaho city on the Snake River in the early ’90s. The tales begin with the twin tensions of Joanna’s newfound religious sobriety and her husband Marty’s drinking. In “Starlings” Joanna’s sobriety is threatened by Marty and Aunt Darlene when they sneak a case of beer into her room in an attempt to return her to her former self. “They Work at Night” follows Marty’s struggle with drinking and Joanna’s new friendship with Lucy. “Sending Those People Home” follows the struggles of a 10-year-old boy, Cory, who realizes his mother is not like the other church mothers. Author Ryan Blackletter grew up in Lewiston and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He works as a mentor for PEN America’s Prison Writing Program and is also the author of “Down in the River.” He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. — Jennifer Bauer
“The Ounce a Day Man” by Robert Fulton
“The Ounce A Day Man” is an action-packed adventure novel for young adults that is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy, Theodore “Teego” Chalmers, who accompanies his archeologist uncle to study the site of a Chinese massacre in Hells Canyon. Teego faces hardships that threaten his life and test his courage, but he also learns a lot about himself, boats and the power of water. Author Fulton has lived in Lewiston since 1982 and is now retired. This is his first young adult novel, self-published in 2019. “The Ounce A Day Man” is available for purchase at And Books Too in Clarkston. — Annabelle Ady
