Cooking, Poetry, Business, Fiction, Death, and More: Books by TR Contributors and Writers

| published July 15, 2025 |

By Thursday Review editors and staff

For those among our followers looking to enhance their summer and fall reading lists, consider the great range of styles and subjects found among those writers whose articles frequent the pages of Thursday Review. The stack of books shown above is a sampling of the quality stuff found among the pool of contributors to our magazine. Approachable, fun, and engaging, almost all of these books can be purchased through Amazon or through other online book retailers. And some can be purchased directly from the authors on their websites. Check out the Thursday Review Book landing page for more detailed reviews and descriptions, but here is a quick (albeit incomplete!) sampling:

One Thousand Questions (And No Good Answers): A Poetry Collection, by Sarah Herrin. This book of poetry—more than 100 in all—flashes across every part of the spectrum. Filmmaker David M. David says “Sarah’s words plunge you deep below the surface, below the roaring waves, forcing you to hold your breath and listen to the rhythm of the ocean.” Thursday Review editor Alan Clanton describes this poetry as “a study in contrasts: there are pomes told in the dark, there are poems told in the light; there are poems painted in bright colors, there are poems sketched only in charcoal, and still others rendered in ghostly shades of white.” Sarah has lived in Seattle, Colorado, and now lives in San Diego. She has written several books of poetry, including the lavishly illustrated Anti/Muse.

Storm in Shanghai, by Michael Bush. While working as a teacher and travel writer in many faraway places in Asia, Michael wrote this imaginative and mind-bending novel of a top-secret agency tasked with keeping certain kinds of magic and sorcery under wraps and under control, and effectively hidden from the world and the average Joes and Janes. But things get complicated and dangerous when a terrorist and his minions seek to use his dark magic to bring about the deliberate deaths of thousands. Available through Milk Man Publishing; written under the name J.M.Bush. Michael Bush has written dozens of food and travel articles for Thursday Review.

Firefly, by Jennifer Kilgore. The everyday world confronts a fantasy world in a quiet corner of the Deep South when college student Chloe Steele gets a job assisting a home-bound retired couple, only to meet a handsome young man whose hidden powers lure Chloe into another world where secrets and secret powers hide often in plain sight, and where beauty comes in many forms. Author Jennifer Kilgore has written numerous articles for Thursday Review ranging from books and music reviews to examinations of infamous unsolved murders. Firefly is available through Amazon.

Coco, by Kristy Webster. Teacher, artist, poet, short story writer Kristy Webster has penned scores of book, TV and film reviews for Thursday Review. Her novella Coco tells the story of two families: the Trozcos and the Fabos, and their two children, Sammy and Maribel. Though born at the exact same time on the same night, the children have very little else in common: Sammy is beautiful but has entered this world with a broken heart; Maribel is full of joy and love, but is “cursed” with an unusual birth defect, a third arm she calls “Coco.” Kristy’s work has also appeared in The Pacifica Literary Review, The Feminist Wire, and The Molotov Cocktail, along with several anthologies of work including Haunt Box.

Conversations Overheard in a Restaurant, by R. Alan Clanton. Thursday Review editor Alan Clanton’s collection of poetry is at times playful, at times moody, frequently funny and reliably atmospheric, but at all times inviting the reader the observe both the universal and the unfamiliar through the poet’s specialized lens. This sometimes cinematic poetry covers earth and nature, love found and love lost, and observations of everyday life. Author Michael Sigler says of Clanton’s poetry, “we are sure to find something of ourselves: times which have made us laugh, made us cry, and made us see how we remain woven into the fabric of life.” Clanton has been the editor of Thursday Review since its inception in July 1981. He was also an editor of Kudzu Review, and the senior writer and editor of the Thursday Review newsletter Road Show, from 1999 to 2008.

Success Principles: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges, Creating Success Habits, and Leaving a Legacy, by Robert A. Tighe. There are no magic formulas and no single unified theory of business success or of effective leadership, according to Bobby Tighe. But, there are many paths to success in life and in business, and almost anyone—given the wherewithal and the ability to develop good habits—can find their way to “success,” regardless of how one defines it. Tighe’s highly readable, brisk book helps readers to understand some of the basic keys: time management, setting goals daily, weekly, monthly, networking, physical health, emotional balance. Bobby’s book is also packed with his own personal examples of some the challenges he has faced and some of the obstacles he overcame to reach his own place of success. Bobby’s book is available on Amazon.

Tales From The Frying Pan, by Michael Sigler. Michael has been writing for Thursday Review for many years, but for even more decade she has been a sort of Renaissance man: author, writer, radio personality, community volunteer, church leader, food critic, all-around mentor to other writers, and not the least, chef. His many food articles have been among some of the most popular on the Thursday Review website. His first book, My Life in a Frying Pan, sold widely in several countries (it is currently out-of-print, though he and his wife Jeanne plan to republish in the near future). His chapter “recipes” are really personal stories—packed with humor, spiced with fun facts and erudition, and simmering with emotion—that give the reader much more than simply another recipe for meatloaf or peach pie. Published by The Image Agency, it is available through Amazon, or through Thursday Review.

Haunt Box: A Poetry Collection, by Kristy Webster, Lori Garrett, Victoria Betzel, Sarah Herrin. All four authors have contributed to Thursday Review over the years, and all have had their works published elsewhere. As TR editor Alan Clanton wrote, the poems in this book “dig deeply into the human condition, inviting the reader to participate in the fearless illumination of the heart, the body, and the soul.” Author Jeremy Tolbert writes, “all four poets are apologetically honest, raw, and at time hauntingly real with their emotions and with each piece that they write.” Available on Amazon.

Naturally Sweet Blender Treats, by Deborah Takua. A 90-page book filled with some 50-plus recipes—and from title you guessed right that these can all be prepared using your blender—which include drinks, shakes, smoothies, desserts, and even coffees. Deborah is a writer for the chiropractic community, writing professional profiles and marketing materials for chiropractors. She has also written hundreds of articles for magazines, newsletters and websites, including Thursday Review. She also writes for the Farmers’ Almanac. Deborah’s book is available through Amazon.

The Oceanography of Her, by Sarah Herrin. A prolific poet, this is one of Sarah’s several collections of poetry, a small book packed with an expansive range of emotions, richness, taut imagery, and stories of love and of loss. Published by Papeachu Press in 2019, this book will be hard to put down once you’ve begun reading it. As author Lyn Patterson says, “Herrin has always used an intimate inner voice to tell stories through her poetry, but this collection feels distinct. The poems initially pull you in, enticing you to be present. Then they push you, with unexpected features and mechanics which command your attention.”

Some Perfect Tomorrow: True Stories of Hope in Loss, Love in Grief, and Life in Death, by Craig R. Seaton. Freelance writer, musician, songwriter, speaker, and frequent contributor to Thursday Review, the title of Craig’s recently-published book sort of sums up these nearly 200 pages. A remarkable set of stories, these very personal and evocative chapters retell many of Craig’s most interesting and memorable encounters from his decades of work as a caregiver, mentor, counselor, and planner to many hundreds of families and individuals. One of the most recent books published by a TR writer, Craig’s book is sure to be successful, for death is a certainty in life. As Alan Clanton writes in the book’s Foreword, “though it is tempting to see the process as linear—as if the straight highway of time alone will do the healing—in reality how we deal with death is much more akin to a tapestry.” No two of Craig’s chapters are alike, and no two stories repeat. This is a remarkably approachable book with the singular ability to find meaning and hope in the face of mourning. Craig’s book is also available through Amazon.

Related Thursday Review articles:

That Bright Yellow Adirondack Chair; R. Alan Clanton; Thursday Review; May 8, 2024.

Success Principles; Thursday Review editors; Thursday Review; May 17, 2018.