 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Internet
Bookwatch |
Internet Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Unlikely Ally
Marilyn Berlin Snell
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
www.heydaybooks.com
9781597144063, $28.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
In a curious incongruity, the planet's dominant fighting machine, the US military, has taken on a
largely unrecognized yet crucial role in preserving California's cultural and ecological treasures.
Recruits learn to spot murder holes and fire assault rifles amid one of the most biologically
diverse regions in the world, and researchers look to the desert's flora and fauna for inspiration.
Environmental stewardship is law on military installations throughout the United States, but a
few bases in Southern California have taken a more comprehensive approach -- one in which
energy security and protection of natural and cultural resources are embedded in the concept of
national defense. In "Unlikely Ally: How the Military Fights Climate Change and Protects the
Environment ", investigative journalist Marilyn Berlin Snell takes the reader through these
military bases to examine Camp Pendleton's colony of endangered terns; the creation of wildlife
corridors by the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms; the Department
of Defense's research on the desert tortoise in the Mojave; innovative water conservation
practices at Fort Irwin; clean-burning rocket fuels developing at China Lake; and other strategic
imperatives given a geopolitical landscape easily destabilized by climate change. With "Unlikely
Ally" as guide, the reader will explore a culture informed as much by the natural world as by
human ideas of leadership. Impressively informative, exhaustively researched, exceptionally well
written, "Unlikely Ally" is very highly recommended for community, college, and university
library Environmental Issues collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the
personal reading list of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Unlikely Ally" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Tommy: My Journey of a Lifetime
Tommy G. Thompson & Doug Moe
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299320805, $29.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Tommy G. Thompson holds the record as Wisconsin's longest-serving governor, from 1987 to
2001, when he accepted an appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the
cabinet of President George W. Bush. Doug Moe is a longtime Wisconsin journalist and
biographer. Together they have effectively collaborated to produce an inherently fascinating and
impressively informative political biography of a man who was arguably one of Wisconsin's most
popular and effective governors. Deftly blending personal anecdotal stories articulated with
biographical details with insightful and informative policy discussions, "Tommy: My Journey of
a Lifetime" is an especially well organized and presented study that is unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Political Biography
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tommy: My Journey of a Lifetime"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Secret Destination
Sally Cullen, photographer
Meg Files, poet
Susan Reimer, artist
Imago Press
9780998179155, $20.00, HC, 50pp, www.amazon.com
A visually stunning volume of paintings, photographs, and poems chronicling three sisters'
journey to Iceland and into the territory of personal and artistic insights, and into the land of
memory, "The Secret Destination" is the collaborative work showcasing the photography of Sally
Cullen, the poetry of Meg Files, and the paintings of Susan Reimer. The result is a beautifully
and deftly interwoven experience for the reader that is as unique as it is memorable -- making
"The Secret Destination" unreservedly recommended for personal and community library
collections.
Trekking Beyond
Damian Hall, Dave Costello, and Billi Bierling, authors
Alex Treadway, photographer
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781781316962, $35.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
A stunning photographic journey to the world's most iconic walking destinations by the team of
outdoor journalist Damian Hall, film maker Dave Costello, mountaineer Billi Bierling, and
photographer Alex Treadway, "Trekking Beyond: Walk The World's Epic Trails" will prove to
be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library collections.
Readers will encounter the epic drama of mountain trails, windswept coastal paths, dense forest
walks and the immense canyons, glaciers and ocean vistas that can only be accessed on foot.
Vivid essays introduce the world's best trekking regions ranging from the Himalayas to the
Andes, the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to the dusty Australian Outback, in an exploration the
challenges of walking these paths, the history of their formation and the sense of exploration and
wonder to be found along these distinctive routes. Each showcased route is accompanied by
stunning visually memorable photography, showcasing the variety of terrains and their
magnificent vistas. An absolute 'must' for armchair travelers, aspiring mountaineers, and
ambitious world travelers, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Trekking Beyond" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.36).
The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out
Christine K. Jahnke
Prometheus Books
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633885004, $18.00
The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out: How to Use Your Voice to Drive Change comes from a speech coach who shares techniques to help women present their ideas effectively, and provides a how-to guide especially useful for women committed to advocating, running for office, or resisting; but who may not have developed the proper voice for becoming a powerful public speaker. Women are taught how to make their voices heard in a collection of insights that stem from Jahnke's direct experience working with top women in the country. Women are instructed on not just how to speak, but how to write in a more effective, powerful manner. This book will appeal to any woman who wants to cultivate a stronger voice.
A Little Rain, A Little More
Ron Czerwien
Bent Paddle Press
c/o Avol's Books LLC
https://www.jeanietomasko.com/bentpaddlepress
9781732705708, $12.99, PB, 34pp, www.amazon.com
Ron Czerwien is a professional bookseller by trade, having several decades of experience and an
unquenchable attraction to great literature and poetry. Now he has published a small volume of
his own select poetry using such inspirations and metaphors as snowflakes, owls, fathers, loves,
premonitions; and other observational experiences that the reader will find familiar but new in
his word conjured images. Ron's particular style of poetry is conversational in organization,
presentation and cadence. His verse is succinct and original. Very highly recommended for the
personal reading lists of dedicated poetry lovers and community library Contemporary American
Poetry collections, "A Little Rain, A Little More" is one of those very special volumes of poetry
showcasing verse that will linger in the mind and memory long after this slender paperback book
has been finished and set back upon the shelf. 'Three Crows': An old man wearing his only suite /
damn's the cardinal's extravagance. // The outlaw in every Western / chased by a posse of
sparrows. // The ghost of my father / eyeing my front lawn.
The Christmas Shelf
Reader's Digest Ultimate Christmas Puzzles
Reader's Digest Editors
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781621454106, $9.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Christmas is everyone's favorite time and "Reader's Digest Ultimate Christmas Puzzles: Stay
Sharp and Focused All Season Long!" is the perfect seasonal gift for puzzle fans. With this
entertaining compilation anyone can take a minute, take an hour, or take a lazy afternoon to enjoy
this copious compendium puzzle teasers that will help stay relaxed throughout the busy holiday
season. An ultimately entertaining collection, "Reader's Digest Ultimate Christmas Puzzles"
includes creative crosswords, Spot the Difference photos and illustrations, mind-bending quizzes,
tricky word searches, challenging sudokus and mazes, as well as tons of fun brainteasers, festive
trivia, word games, and so much more -- all of which are unreservedly guaranteed and
recommended to tone the brain while celebrating the holiday spirit!
A Christmas Tarot
Dinah Roseberry, author
Kesara Dennett, illustrator
Red Feather
c/o Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764355684, $24.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
For those who enjoy the holiday classic 'A Christmas Carol', they can now embark on a
metaphysical journey of discovery through "A Christmas Tarot", a Dickens's inspired 22-card
Majors-only Tarot deck by the team of author Dinah Roseberry and illustrator Kesara Dennett.
Now tarot enthusiasts can visit with interesting ghosts of the season (or any other time of year)
and connect to the spirit and magic that dwells in all our souls at Christmastime. Look inside
these curious and fashionable images to interpret your life path and make the best decisions,
receive guidance from Christmas Angels, and determine your past, present, and future through
this simple and effective divination tool. Keywords on the cards allow for quick intuitive
thinking while viewing situations that reflect daily life. Discover a special channeled Christmas
angel message for each card you choose, and learn about Christmas traditions shown on the
cards. Whether a beginner or advanced reader, anyone will be able to navigate the paths of
self-discovery through these personal Christmas Tarot interpretations. Beautifully crafted,
inspired and inspiring, "A Christmas Tarot" is unreservedly recommended for personal and
professional tarot card collections.
The Christmas Remedy
Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall
WaterBrook Press
c/o WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
10807 New Allegiance Drive Suite 500, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780735291041, $14.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Twenty-four-year-old Holly Zook lives a unique life for a young Amish woman. Years ago, her
bishop allowed her to continue her education and become the lead technician for Greene's
Pharmacy, an old-timey drugstore that looks out for the Amish community -- a group largely
without secure healthcare plans. She knows she can't marry and hold onto her professional job.
She's Amish, and she can only have one or the other, so she spurns love and works toward
addressing treatable diseases -- like the one that claimed her father's life. As long as Holly
continues to avoid Joshua Smucker, the one man who draws her like a warm hearth in winter, she
should be fine. When something unexpected threatens Greene's Pharmacy, Holly and Joshua
must work together to unravel what's happened and find the "missing" patient before the Board
of Pharmacy shuts them down. As the snows of December arrive, with Christmas in the air, will
Holly succumb to the generous spirit of the season? A wonderfully entertaining and deftly
scripted story for the Christmas season, "The Christmas Remedy: An Amish Christmas
Romance" by Cindy and Erin Woodsmall will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Christmas Remedy" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $8.99).
A Christmas by the Sea
Melody Carlson
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800722715, $16.99, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com
When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a
way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be
sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in
(temporarily, she reminds him) in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is
coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and
Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there
permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return
to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist. Another original and wonderfully entertaining
Christmas season read from beginning to end by novelist Melody Carlson, "A Christmas by the
Sea" is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended, especially for community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A
Christmas by the Sea" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781974927524, $29.99, CD).
'Twas the Knife Before Christmas
Jacqueline Frost
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683318033, $26.99, HC, 309pp, www.amazon.com
When a body turns up in a larger-than-life candy bowl filled with peppermints on the town
square, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend Caroline is the main suspect. Everyone in
town, including Mistletoe, Maine's sheriff, saw Caroline fighting with the victim on the night of
his death. Worse, a custom kitchen knife, engraved with Caroline's initials was found with him.
Now, just ten days before Christmas, Holly's up to her jingle bells in holiday shenanigans and in
desperate need of a miracle. Juggling extra shifts at her family's Christmas tree farm and making
enough gingerbread jewelry to satisfy the crowd is already more than she can handle -- and now
she has to find time to clear her best friend of murder. Add in her budding relationship with the
sheriff, and a personal stalker dressed as Santa Claus, and Holly's ready to fly south until
springtime. But her Sherpa-lined mittens come off when Caroline is taken into custody. Can
Holly wrap up the case in time for Christmas, even after she gains the true killer's attention?
"Twas the Knife Before Christmas", is author Jacqueline Frost's second pine-scented 'Christmas
Tree Farm Mystery' and once again demonstrates her mastery of the mystery genre with another
simply riveting read from beginning to end. While very highly recommended, especially for
community library collections, it should be noted for dedicated mystery buffs that "Twas the
Knife Before Christmas" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.69) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781982540357, $29.95, MP3
CD).
Santa Takes a Tumble
Len Boswell
Independently Published
9781521292570, $6.95, PB, 63pp, www.amazon.com
"Santas Takes a Tumble" by Len Boswell is for those who may no longer believe in Santa Clause
(at least not at their current age), but still celebrating Christmas, know there was a time when
they believed with all their heart, then followed a time when they weren't quite sure, and
ultimately a time when the truth became all too clear. The twelve stories comprising Santa Takes
a Tumble follow reflect a mix of those emotions and events, told by the man, then boy, who
experienced them in the early 1950s. As anyone who has experienced Christmas morning can tell
you, there will be joy and pain, disappointment and even heartbreak -- the whole panoply of
emotions on proud and not-so-proud display. Most of the stories are funny, and some are
poignant. A time trip that incorporates nostalgia with the inevitable disappointments that life is
heir to, "Santa Takes a Tumble" is one of those short story anthologies that will linger in the
mind and memory long after this little booklet has been finished and set back upon the shelf.
While very highly recommended for anyone's personal reading list this Christmas season, it
should be noted that "Santa Takes a Tumble" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$2.99) and as an audiobook.
Christmas Stories
Charles Dickens
Prairie Publications, Inc.
http://ftppublications.wixsite.com/ftpp
9780997281736, $9.95, PB, 72pp, www.amazon.com
Nearly one hundred fifty years after his death, Charles Dickens remains one of the most popular
English-language writers. As a chronicler of the human condition, he created characters (some
are kind and virtuous, many are quirky and humorous, others epitomize evil) that leave an
indelible mark on their reader. What most readers might not be aware of is that in addition to his
famous "A Christmas Carol" he wrote two other Christmas-themed short stories that are now
brought back into print for the pleasure and edification of a new generation of appreciative
readers by Prairie Publications. "Christmas Stories" consists of two pieces: "The Holly-Tree"
(1855) and "Nobody's Story" (1853). Both pieces were originally published in the Christmas
section of the journal Household Words (1850 - 1859). Household Words, of which Dickens was
both editor and a contributor, served as a platform apart from his novels in which he could
express his ideas and sentiments in a somewhat less-formalized manner and with greater
immediacy. The reader will find that both pieces in this collection, like his novels, are vintage
Dickens. "Christmas Stories" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as
community, college, and university library literary fiction collections in general, and Charles
Dickens supplemental studies lists in particular.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Hollywood vs. The Author
Stephen Jay Schwartz, editor
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
www.rarebirdbooks.com
9781945572869, $17.95, PP, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Stephen Jay Schwartz spent a number of years as the Director of Development for Wolfgang
Petersen (Das Boot, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, Troy, The Perfect Storm) where he
worked to develop screenplays for production. He also worked as a freelance screenwriter before
writing his two novels, Boulevard and Beat, which follow the journey of sex-addicted LAPD
detective Hayden Glass. The Hayden Glass series was optioned by producer Ben Silverman
(Ugly Betty, The Office, The Tudors) for development as a TV series. Stephen's short fiction was
most recently included in the collection The Los Angeles Fiction Anthology alongside T.C.
Boyle, published by Red Hen Press, as well as the short story collection Jewish Noir, published
by PM Press. He is a regular moderator at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and has
judged and been the panel chair for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the mystery/thriller
category since 2015. His film work has been exhibited in the A.F.I. Los Angeles International
Film Festival and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly
edited by Schwartz, "Hollywood vs. The Author" is a collection of non-fiction anecdotes by
authors who've had the pleasure of experiencing the development room firsthand -- some who
have successfully managed to straddle the two worlds, seeing their works morph into the kinds of
feature films and TV shows that make them proud, and others who stepped blindsided into that
room after selling their first or second novels. All the stories in this collection illustrate the great
divide between the world of literature and the big or small screen. They underscore the insanity
of every crazy thing you've ever heard about Hollywood. "Hollywood vs. The Author" should be
considered mandatory reading for any author seeking to have what they write made into a film or
television series. While very highly recommended for community, college, and university library
Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hollywood vs.
The Author" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio,
9781978638563, $15.99, MP3 CD).
The Education Shelf
Teaching on a Shoestring
Russell Grigg & Helen Lewis
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785833076, $22.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
On of America's most shameful realities is that a majority of public school budgets are
chronically underfunded -- often with classroom teachers having to dip into their own funds to
provide teaching materials for their students. Underpinned by solid theory, "Teaching on a
Shoestring: An A-Z of everyday objects to enthuse and engage children and extend learning in
the early years" investigates the learning potential of twenty-six inexpensive, readily available
resources from apples to ice cubes to zebra-patterned fabric and shows how they can be exploited
to develop in young learners the four skills widely regarded as essential in the twenty-first
century: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. "Teaching on a
Shoestring" is organized into two parts. Part 1 examines the nature of an object-rich learning
environment and discuss the benefits of enquiry-based learning, in which the emphasis is upon
promoting collaboration, dialogue and higher-order thinking in real-world contexts. Part 2
focuses upon the learning opportunities around the twenty-six objects are laid out in detail to
illustrate how they can be put into practice. While "Teaching on a Shoestring" has as its focal
point as object-based pedagogy employed with the under-sevens age category, many of the
principles can also be applied with older children. Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "Teaching on a Shoestring" is an exceptional and highly recommended addition to
school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental
studies lists. It should be noted for education students and classroom teachers that "Teaching on a
Shoestring" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Exam Literacy
Jake Hunton
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785831980, $24.95, PB, 236pp, www.amazon.com
Jake Hunton is head of modern foreign languages at Heart of England School in Solihull and
believes in combining passionate, engaging and fast-paced teaching with a focus on the highest
achievement for all students. In "Exam Literacy" he draws upon his years of research, experience
and expertise to create a guide for doing what works (and avoiding what doesn't) to better prepare
students for exams, Hunton focuses on the latest cognitive research into revision techniques and
delivers proven strategies which actually work. 'Real world practical' and 'user friendly' in
organization and presentation, "Exam Literacy" is a thoroughly and very highly recommended
addition to school district, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Exam Literacy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.09).
Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century
Engineering, and Medicine National Academies of Sciences
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309472739, $55.00, PB, 202pp, www.amazon.com
"Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century" examines the current state of U.S. graduate
STEM education. This report from the National Academies Press insightfully explores how the
system might best respond to ongoing developments in the conduct of research on
evidence-based teaching practices and in the needs and interests of its students and the broader
society it seeks to serve. "Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century" is an essential
resource for the primary stakeholders in the U.S. STEM enterprise, including federal and state
policymakers, public and private funders, institutions of higher education, their administrators
and faculty, leaders in business and industry, and the students the system is intended to educate.
While especially and unreservedly recommended for school district, state departments of
education, college, and university library collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be
noted for students, academia, educational policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $44.99).
Prevent-Teach-Reinforce
Glen Dunlap, et al.
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681250847, $49.95, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Now classroom teachers can solve serious behavior challenges in K - 8 classrooms with the
revised and updated second edition of "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce: The School-Based Model of
Individualized Positive Behavior Support" -- a practical, user-friendly guide to the
Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model. Developed by highly respected experts on positive
behavior support, this research-proven model gives school teams a step-by-step blueprint for
reducing problems unresolved by typical behavior management strategies. "Prevent-Teach-
Reinforce" provides explicit guidance and strategies for implementing all five steps of PTR: 1)
teaming and goal-setting, 2) collecting data, 3) conducting a PTR Functional Behavioral
Assessment, 4) developing a PTR behavior intervention plan, and 5) monitoring progress and
making data-based decisions. Enhanced with new research on PTR and fresh content on timely
topics like multi-tiered systems of support, "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce" is a practical and effective
guidebook will help classroom teachers and school administrators to resolve even the toughest
behavior challenges -- and improve social and academic outcomes for all students. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce" is unreservedly recommended
for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education and Education
Administration collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce" is also available in a digital book format
(eTextbook, $47.45).
Nature-Based Learning for Young Children
Julie Powers & Sheila Williams Ridge
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
9781605545967, $34.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
"Nature-Based Learning for Young Children" by educators and academicians Julie Powers and Sheila Williams Ridge is specifically designed to provide ideas for all early childhood educators ranging from novice to highly experienced in a wide range of ecosystems, including forests, cities, prairies, coastal, urban, and deserts. "Nature-Based Learning for Young Children" includes background information on a range of nature topics, reproducible parent newsletters, sample play-based lesson plans, guidance and health and safety issues related to nature activities, ideas for free/inexpensive equipment and materials and for big-ticket items, ideas for family involvement, and connections to early childhood learning standards. The individual chapters are divided by nature topic, so readers can dip in right away where they want to start exploring. Practical, original, accessible, inspired and inspiring, "Nature-Based Learning for Young Children" is an essential and core addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of education students, classroom teachers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Nature-Based Learning for Young Children" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.32).
A Think-Aloud Approach to Writing Assessment
Sarah W. Beck
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807759509 $30.95 pbk / $30.95 Kindle amazon.com
Sarah W. Beck (associate professor of English education at New York University) presents A
Think-Aloud Approach to Writing Assessment, a guide to using the "think-aloud" approach
(which includes encouraging the student to interact or engage in dialogue) to help adolescent
student writers. The "think-aloud" approach prioritizes learning over evaluation. With classroom
examples, A Think-Aloud Approach to Writing Assessment describes how to implement the
method and adapt it as needed to any writing assignment. The more individualized think-aloud
approach can also be incorporated into educational practice without abandoning the rigor of more
structurally regulated approaches. A Think-Aloud Approach to Writing Assessment is highly
recommended especially for educators and college library collections. It should be noted that "A
Think-Aloud Approach to Writing Assessment" is also available in a Kindle edition
($30.95).
Disciplinary Literacy in Action
Releah Cossett Lent and Marsha McCracken Voigt
Corwin Literacy
www.corwin.com
9781544317472, $33.95
Disciplinary Literacy in Action: How to Create and Sustain a School-Wide Culture of Deep Reading, Writing, and Thinking provides a sequel to This is Disciplinary Literacy and blends ideas for literacy teaching with a PL cycle educators can use in their schools and classrooms. From collaborative learning processes designed to maintain or encourage innovation to planning for autonomous literacy leadership teams, analyzing what matters most in a disciplinary literary community, and fostering disciplinary literacy dialogues, chapters focus on deep reading and writing strategies and pairs tips such as how to work with small groups with resources for continued learning and research-supported insights on peer coaching. The result is a wide-ranging examination of disciplinary literacy and how it functions in a broader educational context.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Asia's Wildlife
Fanny Lai & Bjorn Olesen
Periplus Editions
www.periplus.com
9780794608132, $34.99
Asia's Wildlife: A Journey to the Forests of Hope has been produced to raise funds in support of BirdLife International and its work, and comes from authors who have contributed their talents to making this publication a standout. They were tasked with visiting eight of the most remote forests in Asia, in eight different countries, photographing and describing their endangered species. Their year-long task resulted in over a hundred different species, many of which have seldom been photographed, in a bright, oversized presentation that excels in full-page color animal photo close-ups throughout. Not only are there photos of rare animals, but at least one that nobody knew existed before the book was published. The result should be in any collection strong in nature and wildlife.
The Cat Lover's Compendium
Milly Brown
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781510739093 $14.99 pbk / $9.87 Kindle amazon.com
Interspersed with gorgeous, full-color photography of fantastic felines, The Cat Lover's
Compendium: Quotes, Facts and Other Adorable Purr-ls of Wisdom lives up to its title as a
repository of true-life vignettes, cat care tips, furry folklore, paw-ful parables, and much more.
The Cat Lover's Compendium is highly recommended for delightful browsing, and also makes an
excellent giftbook for cat connoisseurs! "When you've got to know a cat well, try stroking the
base of its tail - most cats love this and will arch their backs to show their pleasure."
My Life in a Cat House
Gwen Cooper
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781946885654 $21.95 hc / $12.99 Kindle amazon.com
My Life in a Cat House: True Tales of Love, Laughter, and Living with Five Felines is a memoir
filled cover to cover with true-life stories of furry felines. From the five-week-old rescue kitten
that author Gwen Cooper adopted and gradually coaxed into trust, to a total of five adopted
friends, each with their own purr-sonality, My Life in a Cat House includes hectic trips to the vet,
games of feline fetch with a cat who taught himself to love the game like a dog, and much more.
Homer, the Blind Wonder Cat also makes a return, in this cover-to-cover must-read for
ailurophiles everywhere! Also highly recommended is author Gwen Cooper's previous cat-tale,
"Homer's Odyssey".
The Biography Shelf
Selectively Lawless
Asa Dunnington
Brown Books Publishing Group
16250 Knoll Trail Drive, Suite 205, Dallas, TX 75248-2871
www.brownbooks.com
9781612542744, $22.95, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com
In the early twentieth century, money, power, and reputation were king. With outlaws like Pretty
Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson roaming the streets, it was a lawless time, with lawless
individuals taking their fates and fortunes into their own hands. Emmett Long was one of them.
Bank robber, moonshiner, gambler, and on occasion even a killer, he made his own rules. But he
varied from the typical story. Instead of dying at the young age of thirty-something in a blaze of
guns and fury, he lived to a ripe age, reformed his ways, found Christianity, married a good
woman, raised a family, and became a successful rancher. Not the expected turn of events for
such a lawless beginning. In a new twist to the classic Great Depression outlaw narrative, author
Asa Dunnington shares the life story of his uncle in the pages of "Selectively Lawless: The True
Story of Emmett Long, an American Original". A simply fascinating read that is as deftly crafted
as it is candidly informative, "Selectively Lawless" is an extraordinary story of an extraordinary
life and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library American
Biography collections.
Charles Proteus Steinmetz
Robert W. Bly
Quill Driver Books
www.quilldriverbooks.com
9781610353267, $16.95
Charles Proteus Steinmetz: The Electrical Wizard of Schenectady presents the life of a genius who has received much less attention than Telsa and Edison, but whose inventions were just as important. It's ironic that Steinmetz's genius is even more notable than his more famous contemporaries: he made a name for himself in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; but today very few know his name, much less his contributions to science. From his development of AC electricity to his political visions and his social advocacy, Steinmetz lead a full life, and the extent of his insights are covered in a biography recommended for science and general-interest holdings alike.
The Parenting Shelf
Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right
Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP
Future Horizons, Inc.
721 West Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76013
www.fhautism.com
9781941765678, $14.95, PB, 155pp, www.amazon.com
The majority of our eating and drinking skills are developed in the first two years of life. Parents
can help with this process by using appropriate feeding techniques from birth. Every three
months from birth, a baby will have a growth spurt in the area of feeding. Parents often receive
very little instruction on ways to feed their children, yet good eating and drinking skills
encourage the best mouth development and set up patterns for life. "Feed Your Baby and Toddler
Right: Early Eating And Drinking Skills Encourage The Best Development" reveals secrets for
better breast and bottle feeding, and feeding development for babies from birth to the toddler
years. Of special note is the inclusion of baby development checklists, what to do if breastfeeding
or bottle-feeding goes wrong, what to do with problems with respect to spoon-feeding, cup-
drinking, straw-drinking, and chewing, the best feeding tools and where to find them.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right" is
unreservedly recommended for family and community library Parenting instructional reference
collections.
The Emotionally Healthy Child
Maureen Healy
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685622, $16.95, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com
While growing up has never been easy, today's world undeniably presents kids and their parents
with unprecedented challenges. The upside, cites Maureen Healy (an award-winning author,
educator and leader in the field of children's emotional health whose popular blog on Psychology
Today has reached millions of parents, and educators wanting to learn the how of raising
emotionally healthy children), is a widespread acknowledgment that emotional health, resilience,
and equilibrium can be learned and strengthened. Healy, who herself was a "wild child", the kind,
she writes who left babysitters "wondering if they wanted children" knows her subject. She has
become an expert on teaching skills that address the high sensitivity, big emotions, and hyper
energy she herself experienced. Three simple steps are key -- Stop, Calm, and Make a Smart
Choice. While not always easy, these steps are powerful and in "The Emotionally Healthy Child",
Healy shows her readers exactly how to implement them. Children move from acting out or
shutting down, experiencing frequent physical symptoms such as head and stomach aches or
hurting themselves or others, to recognizing they are being triggered, feeling their emotions, and
using strategies to respond from a calmer place. As adults learn to model these skills, both adults
and children become freer to do and be their best. An impressively accessible and 'real world
practical' descriptively instructional volume, "The Emotionally Healthy Child: Helping Children
Calm, Center, and Make Smarter Choices" is unreservedly recommended for community library
Parenting Instructional Reference collections. It should be noted that "The Emotionally Healthy
Child" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.98) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781721306916, $19.99, MP3 CD).
The Cookbook Shelf
Potluck
Editors of Food and Wine
Oxmoor House
www.oxmoorhouse.com
9780848756147, $29.95
Starters, sides, main dishes, desserts and drinks that lend to portable potlucks are the showcase of Potluck: Food and Drinks to Share with Friends and Family, and offer a range of dishes that will stand out from the crowd. Cooks won't expect some of the special approaches used here, from different and enhanced recipes that elevate the lowly mashed potato to new status to Ina Garten's recipe for Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower. Color photos throughout contribute to a powerfully appealing collection highly recommended for those who often find themselves scrambling for recipes that lend to portability and potlucks.
Cooking from Scratch
PCC Community Markets
Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Avenue, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632171887, $24.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Founded in Seattle in 1953 by 15 local families, PCC Community Markets (PCC) is the nation's
largest community-owned food market with an unmatched enthusiasm for making food from
scratch. Eating healthy, local food prepared from scratch is at the heart of their "Cooking from
Scratch" compendium of recipes best prepared from ingredients provided by local producers,
sustainable food practices, and healthful, organic seasonal foods. Showcasing 120 recipes
organized for every meal of the day, including many of PCC's most popular dishes, such as their
treasured Emerald City Salad, "Cooking from Scratch" also includes cooking, storing, and
shopping tips -- covering everything a kitchen cook needs to know in order to make the most of
the local bounty offered in their area, wherever they live. Beautifully and profusely illustrated
throughout, and very highly recommended for family, personal, professional, and community
library cookbook collections, it should also be noted that "Cooking from Scratch" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Gennaro's Fast Cook Italian
Gennaro Contaldo
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719807, $30.00, HC, 192pp, www.amazn.com
A culinary expert and chef, Gennaro Contaldo draws upon his years of experience and expertise
with Italian cuisine to create an impressive compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying,
kitchen cook friendly recipes for outstanding dishes that would make any meal memorable and
any dining occasion truly elegant. Profusely illustrated throughout, the recipes range from
Insalata Di Fave E Carciofi (Fava Bean and Artichoke Salad with Arugula and Parmesan); Zuppa
Di Pesce Veloce (Quick Fish Soup); and Risotto Con Salsiccia (Sausage Risotto); to Costollette
Di Agnello All'Accuiuga (Anchovy-Infused Lamb Chops); Bistecche In Salsa (Steaks in a Herb-
Infused Tomato Sauce); and Budino Al Cioccolato E Lamponi (Chocolate and Raspberry Pots).
Of special note is the listing of pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and fresh produce essentials for an
Italian style kitchen. "Gennaro's Fast Cook Italian" is unreservedly recommended for family,
professional, and community library cookbook collections.
From the Land of Nightingales and Roses
Maryann Sinaiee
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719678, $35.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Maryam Sinaiee was born in Tehran, Iran where she learned to cook from her mother,
grandmothers, and aunts. She studied ancient Iranian languages at Tehran University and has
contributed several articles on pre-Islamic Persian culture and religion to Iranian publications. In
2011, Maryam moved to London, where she decided to follow her life-long passion for food and
food writing. Leaving behind her career as a foreign correspondent and political analyst, she set
up her food blog, The Persian Fusion, which is now one of the most popular Persian food blogs
in English. In "From the Land of Nightingales and Roses: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen" she
draws upon her impressive expertise to create an equally impressive volume of beautifully
illustrated recipes for authentic Persian dishes organized seasonally. Of special note is the
informative introduction on Persian cooking, followed by recipes ranging from Abdugh Khiyar
(Chilled Yogurt and Cucumber Soup); Koresht-e Karafs (Lamb and Celery Stew); and Reshteh
Polo (Rice with Toasted Noodles); to Kashk-e Bademjun (Eggplant and Kash with Crispy Garlic
and Walnuts); Morgh-e Zaferani (Saffron Braised Chicken); and Sar Gonjeshki (Tiny Meatballs).
"From the Land of Nightingales and Roses" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to family, professional, and community library ethnic cookbook collections.
Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain
Lucio Galletto & David Dale
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719678, $35.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Beautifully illustrated throughout, "Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain"
by the culinary team of Lucio Galletto (who runs the Sydney restaurant Lucio's) and cookbook
author David Dale, "Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain" is an expertly
presented collection of superbly crafted recipes for authentic Mediterranean dishes that even the
most novice of kitchen cooks can now prepare for any and all dining occasions. Enhanced with
the inclusion of an informative Introduction, and a section on 'Origins & Essentials', the recipes
themselves are organized by Sauces & Dips; Snacks & Appetizers; Salads; Pasta & Rice; Bread
& Pizza; Soups & Stews; 'Simple Pleasures'; Desserts & Pastries. Of special note is 'How to
Follow the Greeks, the Romans, and the Authors, and 'Lucio's Conclusion'. Exceptionally well
organized and presented, "Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain" is fun to
browse through ideal for planning menus with, making it unreservedly recommended for family,
professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Table Tales
Ray Repp, author
Richard Alther, author
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
www.regentpress.net
9781587904530, $49.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
"Table Tales: Do-Ahead Dinner Party Menus That Whet Appetites, Loosen Tongues, and Make
Memories" is a compendium of tips on cookware, insights into keeping recipes as "green" as
possible, how to do it well beforehand, leaving the barest "finishing touches" just prior to serving
featured dishes. Presented are menu items for 15 dinner parties, from appetizers on to the
desserts. In addition to the do-ahead recipes "Table Tales" showcases suggestions about hosting
the perfect dinner party: from graciously handling early or late arrivals, handling unwanted gifts
for the hosts, when a wine glass is spilled on the table, as well as flower and candle decorations
that don't block eye contact. The recipes range from Mini Crab Cakes; Seared Tuna with Catalan
Sauce; Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Tomato Coulis; and Broiled Shrimp with Tarragon and
Garlic; to White Bean Salad with Lemon and Cumin; Sweet Potato Salad; Gooey Peach Pie; and
Cranberry Chutney with Apricots and Pecans. Beautifully illustrated throughout, and ideal for
planning party menus with, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.95), "Table
Tales" will be an enduringly valued addition to family, personal, professional, and community
library cookbook collections.
The Complete Milk Street TV Show Cookbook
Christopher Kimball
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316415842, $40.00, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com
Christopher Kimball's Milk Street is located in downtown Boston at 177 Milk Street and is home
to a cooking school, a bimonthly magazine, as well as public television and radio shows. This
newly revised edition of Christopher Kimball's "The Complete Milk Street TV Show Cookbook"
is comprised of every recipe from every episode of one of television's most popular cooking
shows. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, the recipes themselves range from
Spanish-Style Eggs with Garlicky Crumbs and Chorizo; Smashed Cucumber Salad; Indian
Tomato Rice; and Soba Noodles with Asparagus, Miso Butter and Egg; to Cape Malay Chicken
Curry; Oven-Poached Salmon with Thyme, Dill and Vermouth; Australian Oat-Coconut
Cookies; and Pistachio-Cardamon Cake. An ideal and unreservedly recommended resource for
menu planning, "The Complete Milk Street TV Show Cookbook" will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, professional, and community library
cookbook collections.
Mouneh: Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry
Barbara Abdeni Massaad
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781566560368, $50.00, HC, 592pp, www.amazon.com
"Mouneh: Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry" by food writer, TV host, and cookbook
author Barbara Abdeni Massaad is all about preserving food and culture the Lebanese way. The
reality for many of contemporary Americans is that they no longer enjoy a strong, family
originated connection to their culinary roots. For Lebanese-Americans too often the beauty and
simplicity of home-preserved pantry items, the mouneh, which they had taken for granted during
their childhood, often seems a lifetime away. "Mouneh: Preserving Foods for the Lebanese
Pantry" preserved and showcases in its pages a diligently researched volume comprised of
stunning photography combined with simply presented instructions and delightful stories.
Organized month by month throughout the calendar year, and providing step-by-step instructions
on preserving all manner of edible plants, seeds, herbs and roots, "Mouneh: Preserving Foods for
the Lebanese Pantry" will prove to be a unique and highly prized addition to personal and
community library collections.
Wholefood Baking
Jude Blereau
https://wholefoodcooking.com.au
Murdoch Books
https://www.murdochbooks.com.au
9781760634506, $27.99, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com
Jude Blereau is a natural foods chef, author, food coach, cooking teacher and real food activist
who has been involved with the organic and wholefoods industry for more than 18 years. In
1997, Jude co-founded The Earth Market, a much loved wholefood store and cafe in Perth,
Western Australia. In 2001 she founded the Whole Food Cooking school and website
(https://wholefoodcooking.com.au). In "Wholefood Baking: Wholesome Ingredients for
Delicious Results" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create a compendium
of recipes for dishes that are as palate pleasing and appetite satisfying as they are kitchen cook
friendly. Nicely illustrated throughout, the recipes ranges from Glutton Free Drop Scones; Pretty
Buttermilk Cake; and Better Buttercream; to Coffee and Walnut Cake; Vincotto Cherries; and
Balsamic Onions. A culinary compendium that begins with practical information on ingredients
and what they do, tools for the wholefood kitchen, and 'Becoming a Baker' - instinct and
techniques, "Wholefood Baking" is ideal for planning memorable menus with, and will prove to
be an enduringly popular addition to family, personal, professional, and community library
collections.
The Cheesecake Bible
Georgy Geary
Robert Rose Inc.
www.robertrose.ca
9780778806189, $24.95, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Cheesecake is a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. The main, and thickest layer,
consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cheese (typically cream cheese or ricotta), eggs, vanilla and
sugar; if there is a bottom layer it often consists of a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or
digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sponge cake. It may be baked or unbaked (usually
refrigerated). Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored or topped with
fruit, whipped cream, nuts, cookies, fruit sauce, or chocolate syrup. Cheesecake can be prepared
in many flavors, such as strawberry, pumpkin, key lime, lemon, chocolate, Oreo, chestnut, or
toffee. George Geary teaches baking and cooking techniques at more than 100 cooking schools
across North America every year. He is a food journalist and the author of five cookbooks.
Judging by the new second edition of his cookbook, "The Cheesecake Bible: 300 Sweet and
Savory Recipes for Cakes and More", Geary is also a gourmet level expert in the making of a
wide variety of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly cheesecakes for any and
all dining occasions. In addition to the recipes themselves, "The Cheesecake Bible" also includes
an informative introduction covering tools and equipment for perfect cheesecakes, common
ingredients, basic techniques for perfect cheesecakes, and 'Frequently Asked Questions form My
Cheesecake Classes'. An impressive collection, "The Cheesecake Bible" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for family, professional, and community library cookbook
collections.
The Fondue Bible
Ilana Simon
Robert Rose Inc.
www.robertrose.ca
9780778806172, $24.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Since the 1950s, the term "fondue" has been generalized from being basically a pot of melted
cheese to include other dishes in which a food is dipped into a communal pot of liquid kept hot in
a fondue pot including: chocolate fondue, in which pieces of fruit or pastry are dipped into a
melted chocolate mixture, and fondue bourguignonne, in which pieces of meat are cooked in hot
oil or broth. Fondue continues to be a popular party dining event, and is the perfect choice when
wanting to create a memorable meal experience for family and friends. Now in a revised and
expanded second edition, "The Fondue Bible" by Ilana Simon continues to be a trusted resource
on fondue cooking. In addition to traditional favorites and new twists on those classics, "The
Fondue Bible" offers a range of recipes that go well beyond the familiar cheese and chocolate
varieties, along with dozens of dips and sauces specially designed to complement the recipes. Of
special note is the inclusion of a 'Party' section. Featuring four sections of beautiful, full color
photographs, "The Fondue Bible" is a 'must have' cookbook for all fondue enthusiasts!
The Fiction Shelf
Veterans Crisis Hotline
Jon Chopan
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umass.edu/umpress
9781625343680, $24.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
The twelve stories by Jon Chopan (Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Eckerd College in
St. Petersburg, Florida) comprising "Veterans Crisis Hotline" collectively offer a meditation on
the relationship between war and righteousness and consider the impossible distance between
who men are and who they want to be. A veteran working at the hotline listens to the stories men
tell when they need someone to hear their voices, when they need to access a language for their
pain. Two men search for the head of a decapitated Iraqi civilian so that they might absolve
themselves of the atrocities of war, a Marine hunts for the man who raped his girlfriend, and a
teenage son replaces his dead father on the battlefield. With a quick wit and offbeat humor,
Professor Chopan takes his readers from the banks of the Euphrates to the bars and VFW halls of
the Rust Belt, providing insight into the Iraq War and its enduring impact on those who
volunteered to fight in it. An inherently fascinating, entertaining, thoughtful and thought-
provoking read from beginning to end, "Veterans Crisis Hotline" is unreservedly recommended
for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Contemporary Literary
Fiction collections.
River of Porcupines
G. K. Aalborg
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432838157, $25.95 HC, $7.99 Kindle, 190pp, www.amazon.com
In the Rocky Mountain fur trade of the early 1800s, the intense rivalry between the powerful
Hudson's Bay Company and the North-West Company is complicated by the arrival of Ilona
Baptiste, a lovely and much-desired Metis maiden who could become the catalyst for a bloody
trade war between two companies. Young trader Garth Cameron and the brutal H.B.C. woods
boss Louis Savard both want Ilona, and end up in thrilling, pursuit through the Rocky Mountain
wilderness, with Ilona the prize. Terrified of one pursuer, and in danger of falling for the other,
the brave young woman is dependent upon her native cunning and survival skills to save herself
and the man she comes to love. An impressively and deftly crafted novel that will hold the
reader's rapt attention from beginning to end, "River of Porcupines" is an extraordinary and
highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.
Tears Before Exaltation
Fidelis O. Mkparu
Harvard Square Editions
2152 Beachwood Terrace, Hollywood, CA 90068
www.harvardsquareeditions.org
9781941861608, $22.95, PB, 324pp, www.amazon.com
When Ben Ava, a struggling medical student facing insurmountable financial worries, receives a
scholarship offer for a Medical Center in Memphis, he thinks that his tenuous future is finally
secure. But Ben's past will not leave him alone. His fellow scholarship winner is his old friend
Brenda--a young medical student with extraordinary talent whose troubled past has made her
self-destructive and dangerous. In Memphis, their lives become increasingly tangled as Ben is
pulled into Brenda's orbit. Soon, he finds himself risking his medical education, his new
romance, and his entire future in the hopes of steering himself and Brenda through the tumult of
their shared loneliness and trauma. Drawing upon his own medical background, "Tears Before
Exaltation" by Fidelis O. Mkparu is a deftly scripted literary drama about coping with the past,
surviving the present, and the blurred lines between courage and insanity, hate and love. While
very highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tears Before Exaltation" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Cold Steel
Ben Bridges
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837247, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Professional fighting man Carter O'Brien can stick around Scot's Post, California, and risk taking
a bullet from the brother of a man he had to kill when the guy was trying to rob him in a dark
alley, or he can ride up into the treacherous winter-locked mountains with an old mountain man
named Charlie Button on an impossible mission of mercy trying to recover a stranded wagon
train of men, women and children. Because he has never been one to pass up a challenge, he
chooses the mountains. The dangers are plenty - ambushers, marauding Indians, the worst kind of
weather imaginable. In order to survive all that, O'Brien learns pretty quick that the job he's
signed on for will require all the cold steel he has in him. Author Ben Bridges is one of the best
action/adventure western novelists writing today and this large print edition of "Cold Steel" is a
riveting read that is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library western
fiction collections.
Bullet Justice
Bradford Scott
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785415555, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 172pp, www.amazon.com
To some, Walt Slade is a fearless Texas Ranger. Others know him by his undercover identity, El
Halcon (The Hawk) -- a lightning-fast gunhand who pursues justice for the oppressed. Now he
must solve the puzzling and lethal mystery of who is leading a gang of killers that seem bent on
destroying the railroad connection being built into a promising town on the edge of a possible oil
field. Another deftly crafted and inherently riveting Walt Slade western by author Bradford Scott,
this large print edition of "Bullet Justice" is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to the personal reading lists of western novel fans and community library Western
Fiction collections.
Jordan's Crossing
Ethan Harker
Linford Western Library
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444838237, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Jack Denton is just another travel-stained wanderer with a tragic past when he fetches up in the
town of Jordan's Crossing. There he finds a young widow, Marion Fowler, being terrorized by
three men in her store, and kicks them out. But then the stakes are raised when her six-year-old
son is kidnapped, and she receives a note telling her to leave the key to the store on her step. Why
is there so much interest in the business -- and what cost will Denton have to pay for solving the
mystery and finding Marion's son? A simply riveting and action-packed western novel by author
Ethan Harker, this large print edition of "Jordan's Crossing" is an especially recommended
addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans and community library
Western Fiction collections.
No Quarter
John Jantunen
ECW Press
www.ecwpress.com
9781770412057, $16.00, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Rene Descartes is a recently released ex-con who is living in a ramshackle trailer only a short
distance from Hidden Cove, a secluded paradise where the country's rich and famous relax in
opulent gated summer retreats. A savage attack against Rene by the son of the fourth richest man
in the country spurns a brutal act of revenge that will ignite this paradise into a fiery vision of
hell on earth. As the flames threaten to engulf rich and poor alike, only Deacon Riis, a
small-town reporter haunted by his own past, suspects it wasn't Rene who set Hidden Cove
ablaze but someone with a far more sinister agenda: to write into life the apocalyptic world
imagined by the late George Cleary, a local novelist who was convinced that the end of times is
now. A unique and extraordinary novel by an author with a genuine flair for character and
narrative driven storytelling, John Jantunen's "No Quarter" is a simply riveting read from
beginning to end. While very highly recommended for community library Contemporary General
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "No Quarter" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.45).
Night of Miracles
Elizabeth Berg
Random House
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780525509509, $26.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Lucille Howard is getting on in years, but she stays busy. Thanks to the inspiration of her dearly
departed friend Arthur Truluv, she has begun to teach baking classes, sharing the secrets to her
delicious classic Southern yellow cake, the perfect pinwheel cookies, and other sweet essentials.
Her classes have become so popular that she's hired Iris, a new resident of Mason, Missouri, as
an assistant. Iris doesn't know how to bake but she needs to keep her mind off a big decision she
sorely regrets. When a new family moves in next door and tragedy strikes, Lucille begins to look
out for Lincoln, their son. Lincoln's parents aren't the only ones in town facing hard choices and
uncertain futures. In these difficult times, the residents of Mason come together and find the true
power of community -- just when they need it the most. Another deftly crafted gem of a novel by
an author with a genuine flair for originality, memorable characters, and inherently compelling,
narrative driven storytelling, Elizabeth Berg's "Night of Miracles" is an especially recommended
addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of Elizabeth Berg's legions of fans that "Night of Miracles" is also
available in a large print paperback edition (9780525631781, $28.00) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Crown Lord
William Sirls
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
www.rarebirdbooks.com
9781947856462, $25.95, HC, 392pp, www.amazon.com
After a successful revolt in 1846 that reversed the roles of slaves and masters, modern-day
America is now dominated by a wealthy, black ruling class and whites are dealing with decades
of oppression and prejudice. When his father, a civil rights attorney, is killed after defending a
white man, seventeen-year-old Willie Gibbons is forced to move to Michigan with his uncle and
thrust into the heart of the racial divide. The search for his father's killer lands Willie on the
wrong side of a powerful and shadowy black supremacist group known as The Crown, a
dangerous place for any man -- black or white. An 'alternate universe' what if novel, "The Crown
Lord" is the kind of dystopian novel that is as thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is engaging
and entertaining, making it unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community
library collections.
Remembrance
Mary Monroe
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496715821, $20.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
For Beatrice Powell, the holidays are usually an extra-special time to celebrate. Between her
twenty-year-plus marriage, gorgeous Berkeley, California, home, and three wonderful adult
children, she has everything she could desire. But change-of-life doubts are making Beatrice a
stranger to herself and her bewildered family. She only finds peace volunteering at the local soup
kitchen, especially helping out homeless Charles Davenport. And his sensitivity and honesty
soon comfort her in ways she never imagined. Charles thought he had it all -- until a devastating
betrayal and the shattering loss of his family drove him to living on the streets. Beatrice is the
first person who's truly cared about him in a long time. And little by little, he's finding reasons to
care about rebuilding his life -- and risking a sudden, courageous choice. Drawn to Charles and
the temptation of a second chance, Beatrice is faced with the hardest of decisions. But his insight,
secrets (and the reminder of a profound past encounter) will give her unexpected inspiration,
gratitude, and the strength she needs to find her way -- perhaps in time for Christmas!
Exceptional, original, and a seasonal delight by an author with a genuine flair for narrative driven
storytelling that is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), Mary Monroe's
"Remembrance" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading
lists and all community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
The Sacred Fury
Barton Cockey & Elizabeth Cockey
http://sacredfury.com
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781480991446, $19.00, PB, 274pp, www.amazon.com
Dylan and Sidney Greene, are a newly married couple who live in Baltimore. Dylan, who is the
Junior Editor at a local newspaper, is enticed to join an organization called G.O.O.D. whose aim
is to control all human life. But Sidney begins having bizarre prophetic dreams about graveyards,
disembodied spirits from the past and macabre visions of Samurai armor that comes to life.
Meanwhile, Dylan is drawn inexorably into the sinister organization where he realizes his job is
to write the news before it happens. At the same time, Sidney seeks an explanation for her
dreams from a local fortune teller. It is here where she learns the truth about G.O.O.D. and their
plan to excavate the grave of Edgar Alan Poe in search of the potion for eternal life. A literary
work of social criticism, "The Sacred Fury" by Barton and Elizabeth Cockey is a deftly crafted
and inherently riveting novel that is unreservedly recommended for personal and community
library collections.
A Healing Justice
Kristin Von Kreisler
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496700452, $15.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Two years ago, police officer Andrea Brady fell madly in love with a black-muzzled, slightly
rumpled German shepherd who showed up at her house one misty autumn day. Now, with the
brave and intuitive Justice as her expert K-9 drug sniffer, she's found an unbeatable partner. Then
the unthinkable happens. A savage attack leaves a teenager dead and Andie trapped in every
cop's worst nightmare. Placed on administrative leave, she's pursued by media and investigated
by a deputy sheriff whose handling of the high-profile case could earn him a coveted promotion.
Haunted by self-doubt, Andie is in danger of losing everything -- her career, her freedom, and the
critically injured dog who's her soul mate. But as she finds kind allies in her Puget Sound island
community, the road back becomes a journey of healing for both Andie and her canine
companion. And Andie learns important lessons about justice (and about Justice) as she struggles
to find the courage to forgive herself and reclaim the gift of her life. A deftly crafted novel by an
author with a genuine flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling, "A Healing Justice" is
an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community library Contemporary General
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Healing Justice" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete an unabridged audio book
(Tantor Audio, 9781977363183, $29.99, CD).
48 Hours
William R. Forstchen
Forge
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
9780765397911, $26.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
In 48 hours, the Earth will be hit by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun, a "Carrington
Event" that has the power to shut down and possibly destroy the world's electrical infrastructure.
To try and prevent permanent damage, everything goes dark prior to the hit: global
communications are shut down; hospital emergency generators are disconnected; the entire
internet, media broadcasting, and cell phone systems are turned off. Will the world's population
successfully defend itself in the wake of the CME, or will mass panic lead to the breakdown of
society as we know it? William R. Forstchen's "48 Hours" is a deftly crafted gem of an
apocalyptic novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and inherently riveting
narrative storytelling. While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "48 Hours" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781470813222, $29.95, MP3 CD).
Ways to Hide in Winter
Sarah St. Vincent
Melville House Publishing
www.mhpbooks.com
9781612197203, $25.99, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
After surviving a life-altering accident at twenty-two, Kathleen recuperates by retreating to a
remote campground lodge in a state park, where she works flipping burgers for deer hunters and
hikers -- happy, she insists, to be left alone. But when a hesitant, heavily accented stranger
appears in the dead of winter (seemingly out of nowhere, kicking snow from his flimsy dress
shoes) the wary Kathleen is intrigued, despite herself. He says he's a student from Uzbekistan. To
her he seems shell-shocked, clearly hiding from something that terrifies him. And as she becomes
absorbed in his secrets, she's forced to confront her own -- even as her awareness of being in
danger grows. Steeped in the rugged beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and playing out
against the background of America's war on terror, "Ways to Hide in Winter" is all the more
impressive considering that it is author Sarah St. Vincent's debut as a novelist with a genuine
flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling. While unreservedly recommended,
especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Ways to Hide in Winter" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99), as well as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781982590666, $29.95, MP3 CD).
The Death and Life of Strother Purcell
Ian Weir
Goose Lane Editions
www.gooselane.com
9781773100296, $22.95, PB, 380pp, www.amazon.com
In 1876, the fabled lawman Strother Purcell disappears into a winter storm in the mountains of
British Columbia, while hunting down his outlawed half-brother. Sixteen years later, the wreck
of Purcell resurfaces (derelict, homeless and one-eyed) in a San Francisco jail cell. And a failed
journalist named Barrington Weaver conceives a grand redemptive plan. He will write Purcell's
true-life story. All it requires is a final act. What unfolds is an archetypal saga of obsession, lost
love, treachery, and revenge, told in author Ian Weir's trademark funny, fast, wickedly intelligent
style. A deadpan revisionist Western, refracted through a Southern Gothic revenge tragedy, "The
Death and Life of Strother Purcell" is an inherently compelling novel about two cursed brothers,
a pair of eldritch orphans, the vexed nature of truth, and the yearnings of the treacherous human
heart. A deftly scripted novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and narrative
storytelling, "The Death and Life of Strother Purcell" will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library General Fiction
collections.
Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany's
Julie Wright
Shadow Mountain Publishing
P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0178
www.shadowmountain.com
9781629724874, $15.99, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
"Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany's" is the story of Silvia Bradshaw, a young woman who
begins her Hollywood career loving every aspect ranging from the glamour and style of Audrey
Hepburn to the behind-the-scenes filmmaking magic. Silvia is ready to prove her worth as the
newest film editor at a major production studio in Hollywood. But a studio scandal and lawsuit
jeopardizes her job and forbids her from seeing love interest Ben from a rival studio! A master of
the contemporary romance genre, Julie Wright's "Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany's" is an
extraordinary and entertaining read from first page to last. While very highly recommended,
especially for community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany's" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $10.54) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781982575755, $34.95, CD).
Maybe We're Leaving
Jan Balaban
Glagoslav Publications Ltd.
https://www.glagoslav.com
9781911414698, $24.50, PB, 166pp, www.amazon.com
A young boy from the housing estates comes across a copse of old oaks to which he can escape,
as to an oasis of calm. It will remain a locus of balance, decades later, for a single mother
struggling with the difficulties of raising the child she loves. A husband, on the lip of an ugly
divorce, drives across town in the middle of the night to rescue his wife, abandoned by her lover,
and then (as she falls asleep in the car) takes the long way home, to prolong a moment such as he
has not experienced in years. An elderly doctor, self-diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, makes
use of the few precious moments of consciousness granted him each morning to pass on to his
grandson what he has learned about life and living responsibly. Loss, and permanence, the
ephemeral and the eternal, are common themes of Jan Balaban's short stories that comprise
"Maybe We're Leaving", presented here for the benefit of an American readership in an English
translation by Charles S. Kraszewski. "Maybe We're Leaving" is an anthology of twenty-one
linked narratives featuring the lives of everyday people, with everyday problems about love and
respect for the former, and bearing up with the latter. With stories that will linger in the mind and
memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "Maybe We're
Leaving" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections and reading lists.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Six Cats A Slayin'
Miranda James
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780451491091, $26.00
Six Cats A Slayin' provides mystery and feline fans with another 'Cat in the Stacks' mystery and the tenth installment in the cozy series. Here Librarian Charlie and his Maine Coon cat Diesel are preparing for the holidays when an unexpected box of kitchens lands on their porch. A mysterious note invites investigation as Charlie faces a nosy neighbor's meddling ways, a box load of little problems, and a murder that places Charlie in a difficult position and a challenging case. Cozy mystery readers are in for a treat, here!
The Gods Help Those
Albert A. Bell, Jr.
Perseverance Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel, Publishers
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
www.danielpublishing.com
9781564746085, $15.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Pliny the Younger hoped to improve relations with his unpleasant wife and her mother by
investing in a warehouse on the Tiber with them. Now the building has collapsed due to heavy
rains. Pliny discovers several dead people inside, including a man with a narrow red "equestrian"
stripe on his tunic, indicating aristocracy. He wasn't killed by the cave-in, however, but by a knife
wound in his back. When Pliny gives the body a forensic examination, he finds two more
puzzling things: a circumcision (unusual in Rome), and thirty pieces of silver in his sewn-closed
mouth. To further complicate matters, Pliny's servant and lover, Aurora, finds a live baby in the
wreckage. What connection does the funeral of a consul have with these events? Queen Berenice
of Judaea, the mistress of the late emperor Titus, soon enters the story with her sons one of whom
is an assassin, a member of the Sicarii. He's determined to avenge the defeat of his people and the
destruction of their temple -- no matter who might get in the way. "The Gods Help Those: A
Seventh Case from the Notebooks of Pliny the Younger" by college history professor and author
Albert A. Bell, Jr. is a deftly scripted historical mystery that is certain to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Gods Help Those" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.42).
The Moscow Sleepers
Stella Rimington
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781632867971, $27.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
A Russian immigrant lies dying in a hospice in upstate Vermont. When a stranger visits, claiming
to be a childhood friend, the FBI is alerted and news quickly travels to MI5 in London. Liz
Carlyle and her colleague Peggy Kinsolving are already knee-deep in conspiracies, and as they
unravel the events that landed the man in the hospital, Liz learns of a network of Russians and
their plot to undermine the German government. Liz and Peggy set out to locate and stop this
insidious network, traveling the world from Montreal to Moscow. "The Moscow Sleepers" is a
riveting read with more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Suspense Thriller collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that Stella Riminton's "The Moscow Sleepers" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$16.82).
Let The Dead Keep Their Secrets
Rosemary Simpson
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496715739, $26.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Heiress Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter investigate crimes during the
Gilded Age of New York City in the late 19th Century in a probe that takes them from the slums
of Five Points in Lower Manhattan to the Fifth Avenue mansions of society's elite. The case
involves the death of a woman thought to die in childbirth -- but was it, as the woman's sister
thinks, a case of murder? A simply riveting read from first page to last, "Let The Dead Keep
Their Secrets" by novelist Rosemary Simpson will prove to be an immediate and enduringly
popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Let The Dead Keep Their Secrets" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Tantor Audio, 9781977361288, $29.99, CD).
Raylan Goes to Detroit
Peter Leonard
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
www.rarebirdbooks.com
9781947856219, $26.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
After an altercation with his superiors in Harlan County, Kentucky, Deputy US Marshal, Raylan
Givens is offered two choices. He can either retire or finish his career on the fugitive task force in
the crime-ridden precincts of Detroit. Acting on a tip, Raylan and his new partner, deputy
marshal Bobby Torres arrest Jose Rindo, a destructive and violent criminal. Rindo is also being
pursued by the FBI who arrive shortly after he is in custody. Raylan bumps heads with a beautiful
FBI agent named Nora Sanchez, who wants Rindo for the murder of a one of their own. When
Rindo, escapes from the county jail and is arrested in Ohio, Raylan and FBI Special Agent
Sanchez drive south to pick up the fugitive and bring him back to stand trial. Later, when Rindo
escapes again, Raylan and Nora still at odds are reunited and follow the elusive fugitive's trail
across Arizona to El Centro, California and into Mexico where they have no jurisdiction or
authority. How are they going to bring Rindo, a Mexican citizen, across the border without
anyone knowing? A deftly crafted and simply riveting read from beginning to end by an author
who is a master of narrative driven storytelling, Peter Leonard's "Raylan Goes to Detroit" is very
highly recommended and unfailingly entertaining. Certain to be an immediately popular addition
to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Raylan Goes
to Detroit" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
The Golden Havana Night
Manuel Ramos
Arte Publico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Freeway, Bldg 19, Rm 100, Houston, TX 77204-2004
www.artepublicopress.com
9781558858671, $17.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Ex-con Gus Corral is at peace with his new life as a private investigator. He's good at his job,
even if he's mostly a delivery man or a go-for guy trying to expose or protect someone else's
secrets. An unexpected visit by Joaquin Kino Machaco, the Colorado Rockies' all-star center
fielder who defected from Cuba as a teen, disrupts his routine. The famous ballplayer needs help:
His brother has a gambling problem and owes a lot of money to a Cuban criminal who's
threatening their family. He needs Gus to travel to the island with his brother to hand over half a
million dollars in cash. Not only will Gus need to keep the money safe from the inveterate
gambler, he'll have to convince the entrepreneur to leave Machaco's family alone after the
payoff. Gus' visions of relaxing on warm, beautiful beaches accompanied by Latin jazz and rum
concoctions are immediately dashed. A hail of bullets violence virtually unheard of in the
autocratic nation leaves one dead and several wounded and leads to unforeseen ramifications that
will come to a shocking, bloody conclusion in Denver. A deftly crafted and refreshingly original
mystery by an author with a genuine flair for memorable characters and a riveting narrative
storytelling, "The Golden Havana Night" is especially recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs.
The Horseman's Song
Ben Pastor
Bitter Lemon Press
www.bitterlemonpress.com
9781912242115, $14.95, PB, 376pp, www.amazon.com
In the summer of 1937 the civil war between Spanish nationalists and republicans rages on.
Situated in the bloody sierras of Aragon, among Generalissimo Franco's volunteers is Martin
Bora, the twenty-something German officer. Presently a lieutenant in the Spanish Foreign
Legion, Bora lives the tragedy around him as an intoxicating epic, between idealism and youthful
recklessness. The first doubts, however, rise in Bora's mind when he happens on the body of
Federico Garcia Lorca, a brilliant poet, progressive and homosexual. Who murdered him? Why?
The official version does not convince Bora, who begins a perilous investigation. His inquiry
paradoxically proceeds alongside that which is being carried out by an "enemy": Philip Walton,
an American member of the International Brigades. Soon enough the German and the New
Englander will join forces, and their cooperation will not only culminate in a thrilling chase after
a murderer, but also in a very human, existential face-to-face between two adversaries forever
changed by their crime-solving encounter. An expertly crafted mystery by a master of the genre,
that is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.95), "The Horseman's Song" is an
especially recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. Also very
highly recommended for dedicated mystery buffs are the other novels by Ben Pastor that feature
the character of Martin Bora including "Lumen" (9781904738664, $14.95 PB, $6.67 Kindle),
"Liar Moon" (9781904738824, $14.95 PB, $9.00 Kindle),"A Dark Song of Blood"
(9781908524300, $14.95, $9.00 Kindle), and "The Road to Ithaca" (9781908524805, $14.95 PB,
$8.40 Kindle).
Fool's Moon
Diane A. S. Stuckart
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.midnightinkbooks.com
9780738757087, $15.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Most days, Ruby Sparks feels like the sign that says "Tarot Card Reader Extraordinaire" should
say "Tarot Card Reader Fairly Competent"! But as challenging as it is to take care of her
half-sister's New Age shop (and her growing menagerie of enchanted pets) Ruby never worries
that she's bitten off more than she can chew -- until a customer wants her to divine the truth about
a murder. When her own life is threatened with a double dose of danger, Ruby begins to wonder
if she's being played for a fool. Luckily, she has Ophelia and Brandon (sibling black cats with a
talent for tarot) and a feisty pit bull friend who all lend a paw in collaring the culprit before Ruby
finds herself taking her final cat nap. A brilliantly constructed and original approach to a murder
mystery, "Fool's Moon" is the first title in Diane A. S. Stuckart's new 'A Tarot Cat Mystery'
series. A simply compelling read from beginning to end, "Fool's Moon" will prove to be an
immediate and popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Fool's Moon" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.44).
Death and Daisies
Amanda Flower
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683317814, $26.99, HC, 308pp, www.amazon.com
Fiona Knox thought she was pulling her life back together when she inherited her godfather's
cottage in Duncreigan, Scotland -- complete with a magical walled garden. But the erstwhile
Tennessee flower shop owner promptly found herself puddle boot-deep in danger when she
found a dead body among the glimmering blossoms. One police investigation later (made a trifle
less unpleasant by the presence of handsome Chief Inspector Neil Craig), and Fiona's life is
getting back on a steady, though bewitched, track. Her sister Isla has just moved in with her, and
the grand opening of her new spellbound venture, the Climbing Rose Flower Shop in
Aberdeenshire, is imminent. But dark, ensorcelled clouds are gathering to douse Fiona's newly
sunny outlook. First, imperious parish minister Quaid MacCullen makes it undeniably clear that
he would be happy to send Fiona back to Tennessee. Then, a horrific lightning storm, rife with
terribly omen, threatens to tear apart the elderly cottage and sends Fi and Isla cowering under
their beds. The storm passes, but then, Fi is called away from the Climbing Rose's opening soiree
when Kipling, the tiny village's weak-kneed volunteer police chief, finds a dead body on the
beach. The body proves difficult to identify, but Kipling is certain it's that of the parish minister.
Which makes Fiona, MacCullen's new nemesis, a suspect. And what's worse, Isla has seemed
bewitched as of late -- did she do something unspeakable to protect her sister? The last thing
Fiona wanted to do was play detective again. But now, the rosy future she'd envisioned is going
to seed, and if she and Craig can't clear her name, her idyllic life will wilt away. "Death and
Daisies" is the second enchanting Magic Garden mystery by author Amanda Flower who has a
very special flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling. Another skillful masterpiece of
mystery fiction, "Death and Daisies" is especially and highly recommended for community
library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Death
and Daisies" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.69).
The Blood
E. S. Thomson
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681778754, $25.95, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Summoned to the riverside by the desperate, scribbled note of an old friend, Jem Flockhart and
Will Quartermain find themselves onboard the seamen's floating hospital, an old hulk known
only as The Blood, where prejudice, ambition, and murder seethe beneath a veneer of medical
respectability. On shore, a young woman, a known prostitute, is found drowned in a derelict
boatyard. A man leaps to his death into the Thames, driven mad by poison and fear. The events
are linked -- but how? Courting danger in the opium dens and brothels of the waterfront, certain
that The Blood lies at the heart of the puzzle, Jem and Will embark on a quest to uncover the
truth. In a hunt that takes them from the dissecting tables of a private anatomy school to the
squalor of the dock-side mortuary, they find themselves involved in a dark and terrible mystery.
Another gem of a deftly crafted novel in author E. S. Thomson's Jem Flock mystery series, "The
Blood" is a riveting read from beginning to end. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly
popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Blood" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Death Comes to Bath
Catherine Lloyd
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496702128, $26.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
After Sir Robert's injury from the battle of Waterloo begins troubling him again, his wife Lucy
insists they relocate from the village of Kurland St. Mary to Bath, along with her sister Anna, so
that Robert can take the waters and recover. At the Roman baths, Robert befriends an elderly and
pugnacious businessman, Sir William Benson, ennobled by the Crown for his service to industry.
Their acquaintance is short-lived, however, when the man is found drowned in the baths. Robert
vows to find his killer, with Lucy's aid. The members of Sir William's family seem the most
obvious suspects to benefit from the wealthy man's death, but his will has gone missing. To
deduce who sent Sir William to a watery grave, Robert and Lucy must investigate with the
utmost discretion -- before they too find themselves in over their heads! Another deftly crafted
gem of a mystery by Catherine Lloyd, "Death Comes to Bath" is an inherently riveting read that
is unreservedly recommended for dedicated mystery buffs and community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for all Catherine Lloyd fans that "Death Comes
to Bath" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
A Knife in the Fog
Bradley Harper
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633884861, $15.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
September of 1888 finds a twenty-nine-year-old Arthur Conan Doyle practicing medicine by day
and writing at night. His first Sherlock Holmes story, "A Study in Scarlet", although gaining
critical and popular success, has only netted him twenty-five pounds. Embittered by the
experience, he vows never to write another "crime story". Then a messenger arrives with a
mysterious summons from former Prime Minister William Gladstone, asking him to come to
London immediately. Once there, he is offered one month's employment to assist the
Metropolitan Police as a "consultant" in their hunt for the serial killer soon to be known as Jack
the Ripper. Doyle agrees on the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Professor Joseph Bell
(Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes) agrees to work with him. Bell agrees, and soon the two
are joined by Miss Margaret Harkness, an author residing in the East End who knows how to use
a Derringer and serves as their guide and companion. Pursuing leads through the dank alleys and
courtyards of Whitechapel, they come upon the body of a savagely murdered fifth victim. Soon it
becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted when a knife-wielding figure approaches.
A deftly crafted and simply riveting mystery by Bradley Harper and featuring Margaret Harkness
and Arthur Conan Doyle, "A Knife in the Fog" is a 'must read' for the legions of dedicated
mystery buffs and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "A
Knife in the Fog" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781515934394, $29.99, CD).
2 Degrees
Bev Prescott
Bywater Books
P.O. Box 3671, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-3671
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612941356, $16.95, PB, 295pp, www.amazon.com
In the year 2092, climate change has transformed the face of Earth. Storms, disease, famine,
thirst and war show no mercy on the living. Sharon Clausen, a self-reliant farmer, has a secret
apple tree -- a tree that keeps Sharon and her wife, Eve, fed. The only other people who know of
her secret, or so she thinks, is Dr. Ryan, a long-time confidant, and his wife, Areva. Once a
month, Sharon and Eve travel from Maine to Boston to trade apples with Dr. Ryan for Eve's
leukemia treatment. Everything suddenly changes when Eve is kidnapped and the Ryan's are
murdered. Sharon learns that her best kept secrets are known and coveted by a coldly practical
villain known as the Strelitzia. Sharon sets out on a harrowing journey across North America to
rescue Eve. Along the way, she teams up with an Inuit refugee boy, a stray dog named Erik the
Red, an eccentric former school teacher, a jujitsu master, an Argentinian opera star, and a
brilliant scientist who leads an alliance of eclectic people known as the Qaunik. Together, this
ragtag group battle horrific storms, an unrelenting desert, terrifying criminal gangs, feral humans,
and the Strelitzia. In the end, Sharon must face her greatest challenge -- risking all that she loves
for something much greater than herself. Set against a background of climate change predictions
come to pass, "2 Degrees" by Bev Prescott is a classic and deftly crafted dystopian novel. An
inherently riveting read from beginning to end, "2 Degrees" is unreservedly recommended for
community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "2 Degrees" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
City of Secrets
Victoria Thompson
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780451491619, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Elizabeth Miles knows that honesty is not always the best policy when it comes to finding
justice. Elizabeth has discovered that navigating the rules of high society is the biggest con of all.
She knows she can play the game, but so far, her only success is Priscilla Knight, a dedicated
young suffragist recently widowed for the second time. Her beloved first husband died in a tragic
accident and left her with two young daughters--and a sizable fortune. While she was lost in
grief, Priscilla's pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her and engineered a
whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Now, about nine
months later, Endicott is dead in what appears to be another terrible accident. Everyone is
whispering, but that is the least of Priscilla's troubles. She had believed Endicott was wealthy,
too, but her banker tells her she has no money left and her house has been mortgaged. He also
hints at a terrible scandal and refuses to help. Priscilla stands to lose everything, and Elizabeth is
determined not to let that happen. But, as always, Elizabeth walks a fine line between using her
unusual talents and revealing her own scandalous past. Elizabeth soon discovers that Endicott's
death was anything but accidental, and revealing the truth could threaten much more than
Priscilla's finances. To save her new friend's future (and possibly her own) Elizabeth, along with
her honest-to-a-fault beau, Gideon, delve into the sinister secrets someone would kill to keep.
Another thriller of a mystery novel by Victoria Thompson, "City of Secrets" will prove to be an
immediately and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Victoria Thompson fans and
dedicated mystery buffs that "City of Secrets" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Weregirl: Typhon
C.D. Bell
Chooseco
PO Box 46, Waitsfield, Vermont 05673
www.weregirl.com
9781937133603 $17.99 hc / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
Weregirl: Typhon continues the "Weregirl" fantasy series, about Nessa, a young adult female
werewolf, and her family. In Weregirl: Typhon, Nessa, her two sisters, and their brother Nate are
living at their father's estate to recover from the pain of their mother's death. But their father was
a modern-day mad scientist, who created all sorts of genetic experiments in his 30,000 acre
"living laboratory" in the wilds of Oregon. The remote and beautiful land just might hide more
terrifying dangers than any of the siblings could imagine! Weregirl: Typhon is a "must-read" for
connoisseurs of lycanthrope fantasy, highly recommended.
Time and Time Again
Robert Silverberg
Three Rooms Press
www.threeroomspress.com
9781941110720 $16.00 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
Time and Time Again: Sixteen Trips in Time is an anthology of sixteen sensational sci-fi short
stories by masterful veteran of the genre Robert Silverberg. From the destructive impact a time-
traveling rival has on a marriage, to a human voyaging to the future and arriving in the mind of a
lobster, to an essay from Silverberg about how early time travel stories inspired him as a boy,
Time and Time Again is a treasury for connoisseurs of quality science fiction in general and
Silverberg's work in particular. Highly recommended for both personal and public library sci-fi
collections!
Hag
Kathleen Kaufman
Turner Publishing Company
200 - 4th Avenue North, Suite 950, Nashville, TN 37219
www.turnerpublishing.com
9781684421688, $35.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
High above the sea, hidden in the rocky Scottish cliffs, something stirs. An ancient matriarchal
power has set the wheels in motion for a long line of descendants. But to what end? Spanning
centuries of human history, these daughters of the lowland hag, the Cailleach, must navigate a
world filled with superstition, hatred, violence, pestilence, and death to find their purpose. With
pasts half remembered and destinies denied, the daughters of Cailleach are women with uncanny,
and often feared, abilities to heal, to see the future and to cause great destruction and pain when
threatened. With each passing generation, the waves crash against the shore, and the Cailleach
awaits a homecoming that will bring everything full circle. A unique and riveting novel by an
author with a genuine flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling, Kathleen Kaufman's
"Hag" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic
library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Hag" is also available in a paperback edition (9781684421671, $16.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $11.01).
Venators: Magic Unleashed
Devri Walls
Brown Books Publishing Group
16250 Knoll Trail Drive, Suite 205, Dallas, TX 75248-2871
www.brownbooks.com
9781612549873, $16.99, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com
Rune Jenkins has a long-standing infatuation with anything from the supernatural world, and
she's trying to hide it. If she doesn't, she angers her reckless twin brother Ryker, and starts feeling
like her own sanity is slipping. But the closer she gets to Grey Malteer (an old friend who waves
his fascination with fantasy like a flag) the harder it becomes to stifle her own interest. The
supernatural suddenly invades their reality when other-worldly creatures come hunting for the
three college students. With help from a mysterious savior Rune and Grey escape, but must
follow Ryker's abductors into an alternate dimension, Eon, and discover their true identities.
They are Venators, descendants of genetically enhanced protectors and sentries between Eon and
Earth. In this world of fae, vampires, werewolves, and wizards, power is abundant and always in
flux. Ryker is missing, and Rune and Grey are being set up as pawns in a very dangerous game.
The three must find their way through and out of Eon, before it consumes them! A deftly crafted,
impressively original, and inherently fascinating read from first page to last, "Venaktors: Magic
Unleashed" by Devri Walls is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community
library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated fantasy fans that "Venators: Magic Unleashed" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
Hell Divers IV: Wolves
Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781538557105, $24.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
They dive so humanity survives. Now they take to the sea. In "Wolves", the fourth installment of
the author Nicholas Sansbury Smith's 'Hell Divers' series, the Sea Wolf sets out to search for the
Metal Islands. Leading the expedition is legendary Hell Diver Xavier Rodriguez. After enduring
for a decade on the poisoned surface, his survival skills will be put to the test on the dangerous
open seas. But storms, sea monsters, and the cannibalistic Cazadores aren't the only threat to X
and his small crew. Their mission will uncover hard truths about the history of the war that left
humankind stranded in the air for centuries. And the fate of those still living on the airships
might very well rest on this fragile and perilous journey to find a new home. A 'must read' for all
Hell Diver fans, "Hell Divers IV: Wolves" is very highly recommended for community library
Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hell Divers IV:
Wolves" is also available in a paperback edition (9781538589489, $9.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $5.38).
Lies Sleeping
Ben Aaronovitch
Daw Books, Inc.
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.dawbooks.com
9780756415136, $26.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
The Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity,
has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard,
now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring him to justice. But even as the
unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that the
Faceless Man, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan
that has its roots in London's two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the
city to its knees. To save his beloved city Peter's going to need help from Lesley May, his former
best friend and colleague who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in.
And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and
agent of chaos known as Mr Punch. A simply riveting read that will have a very special appeal to
dedicated mystery buffs and fantasy fans alike, "Lies Sleeping" by Ben Aaronovitch is
unreservedly recommended, especially for community library collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Lies Sleeping" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
The Valley of Shadows
John Ringo & Mike Massa
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781481483551, $25.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
From his corner office on the forty-fourth floor of the Bank of the Americas tower on Wall
Street, Tom Smith, global managing director for security, could see the Statue of Liberty, Battery
Park -- and an oncoming ravening zombie horde. Officially, Smith was paid to preserve the lives
and fortunes of employees, billionaires, and other clients. And with an implacable virus that
turned the infected into ravenous zombies tearing through the city, the country, and the world, his
job just got a lot harder. Good thing Smith, late of the Australian special forces, isn't a man to
give up easily. But saving civilization is going to take more than the traditional banking toolbox
of lawyers, guns, and money. Smith needs infected human spinal tissue to formulate a vaccine -
and he needs it by the truckload. To get it, he will have to forge a shady alliance with both the
politicians of the City of New York and some of its less savory entrepreneurs. But all of his
back-alley dealing may amount to nothing if he can't stave off the fast-moving disease as it
sweeps across the planet, leaving billions dead in its wake. And if he fails, his only fallback is an
incomplete plan to move enough personnel to safe havens and prepare to restart civilization.
What's more, there are others who have similar plans -- and believe it or not, they're even less
charitable than a Wall Street investment banker. Sooner or later Smith will have to deal with
them. But first he has to survive the Fall! A very special treat for all zombie apocalypse fans,
"The Valley of Shadows is the sixth volume in John Ringo and Mike Massa's popular 'Black
Tide Rising' series and will prove to be a very popular addition to community library Science
Fiction & Fantasy collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated zombie themed science
fiction fans it should be noted that "The Valley of Shadows" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Shattered Sun
Rachel Dunn
Harper Voyage
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
9780062428196, $16.99, PB, 496pp, www.amazon.com
The world has been plunged into darkness and only the scheming priest Joros might be able to
bring back the sun. With his ragtag band of fighters (a laconic warrior, a pair of street urchins, a
ruthless priestess, and an unhinged sorcerer) Joros seeks to defeat the ancient gods newly
released from their long imprisonment. But the Twins have champions of their own, and powers
beyond knowing and the only sure thing is that they won't go down without a fight. The fate of
the world hangs in the balance as the Twins aim to enact revenge on the parents that imprisoned
them, and the world that spurned them. The Long Night has begun, and the shadows hide many
secrets -- including that the Twins themselves may not be as powerful as they would have
everyone think. Joros and his allies must strike now, before the Twins can consolidate their
power, and before they are allowed to shape the world in their vision. With the publication of
"The Shattered Sun", novelist Rachel Dunn's he epic sword-and-sorcery 'Bound Gods' fantasy
series comes to its dark conclusion in an inherently fascinating saga of a vibrant world whose fate
lies in the hands of vengeful gods and bold warriors. While certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy action/adventure fans that "The Shattered Sun" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Audio, 9781982601447, $55.99, MP3 CD).
Uncompromising Honor
David Weber
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781481483506, $28.00
Uncompromising Honor provides a new Honor Harrington novel in which Honor is challenged by the Mandarins, who have committed terrible atrocities and whose actions have finally mitigated Honor's tendency towards caution and leniency in dealing with them. The corrupt killers have decided the Star Kingdom of Manticore must be destroyed, and Honor faces the loss of those she loved and her own approach to military engagement as she enters the biggest battle of all. Prior fans of Honor Harrington will find this a compelling new saga that challenges her personality, military objectives, and life.
Vox
Christina Dalcher
Berkley
c/o Penguin
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780440000785, $26.00
Vox is set in the near future U.S. and pairs a thriller with a sci-fi setting as a divided nation bends towards the teachings of Reverend Carl, leader of the Pure Woman movement, and elects a new President with a dangerous perspective on the role of women and girls in America. As all women are removed from the workforce and subject to a quota that limits their words, Dr. Jean McClellan discovers she's a dangerous exception to the role and that her research might contribute to an even more repressive, terrifying future. Fans of The Handmaid's Tale are in for a treat with this disturbing, compelling story.
The Neuromorphs
Dennis Meredith
Glyphus
www.glyphus.com
9781939118240, $16.95, Print
9781939118257, $2.99, Kindle
In 2050, Helper androids have become an invaluable part of human affairs, assisting people and making their lives better. It seems inevitable that disaster will strike, and it does: somebody is programming these helpful workers to kill their rich owners; and furthermore, the androids themselves then assume the identities of their dead owners, to further plunder their wealth. The theme may sound familiar (think I, Robot and other classics of automation autonomy issues), but what sets The Neuromorphs apart from any similar-sounding futuristic scenario is an attention to both thriller elements and the specter of not just sentient artificial beings, but "hive mind" connections that form a unit of danger that extends beyond individual purpose to form a collective threat. The combination of technical description, psychological insights, and cat-and-mouse thriller components combine with a sci-fi background to make The Neuromorphs a top-notch, very highly recommended read that crosses genres. It will satisfy a range of readers, from fans of apocalyptic fiction and espionage thrillers to those who enjoy hard science sci-fi, military sci-fi, and stories of SEAL team struggles.
The Business Shelf
Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination
Deborah C. England, Attorney-at-Law
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413325584, $39.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Discrimination and harassment can poison the work environment, undermine employee morale,
and even lead to costly investigations and lawsuits. In the era of #MeToo, it's more important
than ever to take steps to prevent harassment and discrimination, as well as appropriately respond
when incidents do happen. Armed with the information and strategies presented in "Essential
Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination", company executives can protect
their businesses and employees from illegal harassment and discrimination. "Essential Guide to
Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination" shows how to: Develop policies prohibiting
harassment and discrimination; Train employees and supervisors; Handle employee complaints
and investigate claims thoroughly; Document your company's response; Take action against
wrongdoers; Prevent illegal retaliation; Respond to agency complaints, investigations, and
lawsuits. "Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination" also provides
the support company Human Resources executives need by posting significant developments on
the online legal update page. While very highly recommended for corporate, community, and
academic library Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be
noted that "Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.06).
Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn
Stephen Fishman, J.D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413324150, $34.99, PB, 43200, www.amazon.com
Stephen Fishman has dedicated his career as an attorney and author to writing useful,
authoritative and recognized guides on taxes and business law for entrepreneurs, independent
contractors, freelancers and other self-employed people, as well as books on copyright law and
the public domain. In "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn" he draws upon
his years of experience and expertise to provide an instructive and comprehensive resource for
any home business seeking to claim all the lawful tax deductions they are entitled. Claiming
those tax deductions is essential to the financial success of any home business. Entrepreneurs
will find out how to deduct: start-up costs; home office expenses; vehicles and travel expenses;
entertainment and meals; medical expenses under Obamacare; and retirement expenses. Home
business operators will also learn how to keep accurate, thorough records in case the IRS ever
comes calling. Easy to read and full of real-life examples, "Home Business Tax Deductions:
Keep What You Earn" can help even the most novice of home business operators to take
advantage of all the valuable deductions they are entitled to. Expertly written, organized and
presented, this fully updated 15th edition of "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You
Earn" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be
noted that "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Africa's Business Revolution
Acha Leke, Mutsa Chironga, and Georges Desvaux
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633694408, $35.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Simply stated, "Africa's Business Revolution: How to Succeed in the World's Next Big Growth
Market" provides the inside story on business in Africa and its future growth prospects and helps
executives understand and seize the opportunities for building profitable, sustainable enterprises.
From senior leaders in McKinsey's African offices and a leading executive on the continent,
"Africa's Business Revolution" draws on in-depth proprietary research by the McKinsey Global
Institute as well as McKinsey's extensive experience advising corporate and government leaders
across Africa. Brimming with company case studies and exclusive interviews with some of
Africa's most prominent executives, "Africa's Business Revolution" is replete with vibrant,
inspiring stories of those who have successfully navigated the many twists and turns on the road
to building successful businesses on the continent. Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "Africa's Business Revolution" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition
to corporate, community, and academic library International Business Management collections
and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, entrepreneurs, and corporate
executives that "Africa's Business Revolution" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$21.36).
Harvard Business Review Leader's Handbook
Ron Ashkenas & Brook Manville
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633693746 $29.99 pbk / $18.38 Kindle amazon.com
Ron Ashkenas (partner emeritus of Schaffer Consulting) and Brook Manville (former partner at
McKinsey & Company) present Harvard Business Review Leader's Handbook, a guide to the
practices that will help business leaders in any field or career. Chapters offer strategies for
building a unifying vision, getting quality people on board, innovating for the future, and much
more. "Leadership requires guts to seize opportunity but, in that pursuit, also the guts to trust
others and not try doing it all yourself." Harvard Business Review Leader's Handbook is highly
recommended for current and prospective business leaders, as well as college and public library
Business shelves.
Business Creation
Paul D. Reynolds
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781788118347, $110.00, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Business creation, or entrepreneurship, is a major source of national economic growth and
adaptation as well as an important career choice for millions. "Business Creation: Ten Factors for
Entrepreneurial Success" by Paul D. Reynolds (an entrepreneurial scholar and researcher for
some 30 years now) is insightful book presenting an informed and informative overview of the
major factors associated with contemporary business creation, reflecting representative samples
of US early stage nascent ventures, and emphasizing the unique features of the one-third that
achieve profitability. "Business Creation" will prove to be a useful resource for scholars
concerned with business creation. "Business Creation" also makes an engaging supplementary
course textbook for upper division and graduate courses in business plan creation and research
methods. Policy analysts and corporate executives emphasizing programs and policies to enhance
business creation will also find it enlightening. Impressively informative, expertly written,
accessibly organized, and effectively presented, "Business Creation" is especially recommended
for personal, professional, community, corporate, college, and university library Business
Management and Entrepreneurial Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.
The Military Shelf
The World of the Battleship
Bruce Taylor, editor
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9780870219061, $76.95, HC, 440pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by military historian Bruce Taylor, "The World of the Battleship: The
Design and Careers of Capital Ships of the World's Navies, 1900-1950" is a volume comprised
of twenty-one articulate, informative, and chronologically presented articles intended to present a
global vision of the development of the world's battleships. The nationality, the design, the
building, and the career of a significant battleship from each of the world's navies is deftly
explored in a way that illuminates not just the ships but also the communities of officers and
individuals that served in them and, more broadly, the societies and nations that built them. Each
individual chapter explains the origins of a ship, her importance as a national symbol, and her
place in the fleet. A very highly original, profusely illustrated, and significant volume showcasing
the great capital battleships of the world, "The World of the Battleship" will prove to be an
enduringly popular and valued addition to personal, community, college, and university library
Naval Military History collections and supplemental studies lists.
Aircraft Carrier Victorious
David Hobbs
Seaforth Publishing
c/o Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781526737342, $48.95, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com
The technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders
on completion of every ship. Known as the "as fitted" general arrangements, these drawings
represented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Intended to provide
a permanent reference for the Admiralty and the dockyards, these highly detailed plans were
drawn with exquisite skill in multi-colored inks and washes that represent the acme of the
draughtsman's art. HMS Victorious was a ship with two almost separate incarnations - as built in
1941 she was one of a new type of armored aircraft carrier which saw arduous wartime service;
post-war the ship underwent a massive reconstruction lasting nearly eight years that saw her
recommission in 1958 as one of the best equipped carriers in the world. It is interesting to note
that David Hobbs, the author of "Aircraft Carrier Victorious: Detailed in the Original Builders'
Plans", is a retired Fleet Air Arm pilot, is the acknowledged expert on British naval aviation, the
author of more than twenty published works, and having served in Victorious, is supremely
qualified to write "Aircraft Carrier Victorious", making it an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library 20th Century
British Naval History collections and supplemental studies lists.
The Technology Shelf
The Laser That's Changing the World
Todd Neff
Prometheus Books
www.prometheus.com
9781633884663, $19.00
The Laser That's Changing the World: The Amazing Stories Behind Lidar from 3D Mapping to Self-Driving Cars gathers lively accounts of an advanced technology that's changing the world, and considers Lidar's growth, applications, and the history of its development over the years. One might expect a strictly scientific perspective, but Neff focuses on product lines, challenges that fostered competition over Lidar development, and individuals who were pioneers in the industry. The result is a coverage not just of the technological advancements surrounding Lidar, but the underlying influences on its past, present and future development.
Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems
Eyal Weiss & Roger Alimi
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630812430, $159.00, HC, 302pp, www.amazon.com
"Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems" by the team of Eyal Weiss
(manager and leading scientist of the R&D Systems Department of Soreq NRC) and Roger Alimi
(senior scientist and project manager of Soreq NRC) is comprehensive new resource analyzes
sources of noise and clutter that magnetic sensing system developers encounter. "Low-Power and
High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems" guides practitioners in designing and building
low noise and low power consumption magnetic measurement systems. Various examples of
magnetic surveillance and survey systems are provided. "Low-Power and High-Sensitivity
Magnetic Sensors and Systems" will also enable system designers to obtain an all-inclusive
spectral understanding of typical sources of noise and clutter present in the system and
environment for each application, in order to successfully design stable and sensitive low power
magnetic sensing devices. Detection and localization methods are explored, as well as
deterministic and heuristics algorithms which are an integral part of any magnetic sensing
system. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic
Sensors and Systems" is very highly recommended for corporate, college, and university library
Contemporary Science & Technology collections in general, and magnetic sensor systems
supplemental studies lists in particular.
Basic Radar Tracking
Mervin C. Budge, Jr. & Shawn R. German
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630813352, $149.00, HC, 360pp, www.amazon.com
Detailed closed-loop bandwidth and transient response approach is a subject rarely found in
current literature. "Basic Radar Tracking" by the team of Mervin C. Budge (who is chief scientist
of Dynetics where he is responsible for overall technical quality and who has served as an
Adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama Huntsville since 1973, teaching courses in radar,
tracking and Kalman filters) and Mervin C. Budge (who is chief scientist of Dynetics where he is
responsible for overall technical quality and who has served as an Adjunct Professor at the
University of Alabama Huntsville since 1973, teaching courses in radar, tracking and Kalman
filters) is innovative resource offers practical explanations of closed-loop radar tracking
techniques in range, Doppler and angle tracking. To address analog closed loop trackers, a review
of basic control theory and modeling is included. In addition, control theory, radar receivers,
signal processors, and circuitry and algorithms necessary to form the signals needed in a tracker
are presented. Digital trackers and multiple target tracking are also covered, focusing on g-h and
g-h-k filters. Expertly and collaboratively well written, organized and presented, "Basic Radar
Tracking" is a complete and comprehensive volume that would aptly serve as a curriculum
textbook on the subject and is unreservedly recommended for both college and university library
Science & Technology collections in general, and Radar supplemental studies lists.
The Journalism Shelf
A NewsHound's Guide to Student Journalism
Katina Paron & Javier Guelfi
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9781476675916, $19.99, PB, 206pp, www.amazon.com
Covering the basics of media arts values and practice, "A NewsHound's Guide to Student
Journalism" by the team of by Katina Paron (who is a Brooklyn-based journalism educator, has
created byline opportunities for teens worldwide for more than 25 years, and directs the NYC
High School Journalism Collaborative at Baruch College) and Javier Guelfi (who is an
Argentine-born and -based cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer and has worked for such
companies and NGOs as BuzzFeed, Univision, Unicef, The Women's Building, and many local
and international media outlets) is graphic textbook that offers cub reporters a primer on the
drama, adventure and ethical conundrums that make journalism rewarding and fun. Using
ripped-from-the-headlines examples, Paron and Guelfi challenge students to engage with the big
issues. The stories revolve around a diverse newspaper staff at an urban high school who find
themselves in a series of teachable moments. Packed with reporting exercises and fundamentals
of the craft, woven into engaging narratives, each comic also gives readers a look at the real-life
event that inspired the tale. In our present culture of honest journalism being propagandized
against as 'fake news" by Donald Trump and his supporters, "A NewsHound's Guide to Student
Journalism" should be a part of every community, college, and university library Contemporary
Journalism collections -- as well as the personal reading lists of journalism students and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World
John Witte Jr. & Amy Wheeler, editors
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396
www.wjkbooks.com
9780664264154, $40.00, PB, 302pp, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by John Witte Jr. and Amy Wheeler, "The Protestant
Reformation of the Church and the World" is a volume of erudite contributions drawn from a
distinguished assembly of twelve internationally acclaimed scholars. This rich, interdisciplinary
study deftly explores the Protestant Reformation and its revolutionary impact on the church and
the world. The Reformation revolutionized the church and spiritual life as well as art, music,
literature, architecture, and aesthetics. It transformed economics, trade, banking, and more --
transformations that shifted power away from the church to the state, unleashing radical new
campaigns for freedom, equality, democracy, and constitutional order. An authoritative but
accessible study, "The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World" deftly analyses the
kaleidoscopic impact of the Reformation over the past 500 years for better or worse, for richer or
poorer, for the West and increasingly for the world. As informed and informative as it is
thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World" is
an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to church, seminary, community, and
academic library Contemporary Christian Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of clergy, seminarians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $25.45).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Zealous for Good Works
Todd A. Wilson
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moodypublishers.com
9780802416896, $13.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Todd Wilson's church was devoted to the gospel and had long aspired to be the kind of city on a
hill Jesus talks about in the Sermon on the Mount. They wanted their hurting neighbors to see the
light of Christ and be drawn to meet Jesus. But how? What practices actually make something
like that possible? They found the answers they were looking for in Titus. In that often
overlooked book of the Bible, they discovered a call to be zealous for good works -- the kind of
good works that are like a bright light shining in the darkness. "Zealous for Good Works:
Mobilizing Your Church for the Good of Your Community" is an exposition of Titus with a
particular focus on mobilizing the church towards acting in kindness and goodness toward her
neighbors. "Zealous for Good Works" is for anyone who's ever wanted to make a difference in
the world, and see their church do the same, but wondered how to make it happen. "Zealous for
Good Works" offers field-tested, scripturally-based, practical answers that all Christians and their
church leaders will get excited about putting into practice. While very highly recommended for
personal, church, seminary, and community library Contemporary Christian Studies collections,
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Zealous for Good Works" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.97).
Blind Spot, War and Christian Identity
Dorothy Garrity Ranaghan
New City Press
202 Cardinal Rd., Hyde Park, NY 12538
www.newcitypress.com
9781565486638, $16.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Dorothy Ranaghan is the author of several books and writes for various Christian magazines. She
co-authored Catholic Pentecostals, the first book detailing the history of this renewal movement
and articulating its theological implications. Dorothy holds an MA in Theology from the
University of Notre Dame and was a founding member of the People of Praise, a charismatic,
ecumenical Christian covenant community. Now in a newly revised second edition, "Blind Spot,
War and Christian Identity" she tackles the complex subject of war and Christian identity in a
straightforward and thought-provoking way which will bring the reader face to face with this
reality. Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring,
"Blind Spot, War and Christian Identity" is very highly recommended reading for all members of
the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Blind Spot, War and Christian Identity" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Biblical Authority after Babel
Kevin J. Vanhoozer
Brazos Press
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9781587433931, $24.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
In "Biblical Authority after Babel: Retrieving the Solas in the Spirit of Mere Protestant
Christianity", Kevin Vanhoozer (Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical
Divinity School), suggest that it is appropriate to seriously consider if the 500-year experiment
called the Protestant Reformation has gone wrong. Ultimately his answer is no arguing that while
recent critiques of the Protestant Reformation are legitimate, by retrieving the Reformation's core
principles to critics of Protestant biblical interpretation are corrected."Biblical Authority after
Babel" deftly explores how a proper reappropriation of the five solas: sola gratia (grace alone),
sola fide (faith alone), sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (in Christ alone), and sola
Deo gloria (for the glory of God alone). "Biblical Authority after Babel" offers the tools to
constrain biblical interpretation and establish interpretive authority, offering a positive
assessment of the Protestant Reformation, showing how a retrieval of "mere Protestant
Christianity" has the potential to reform both contemporary Christian beliefs and practices.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Biblical Authority after Babel" is very
highly recommended for clergy and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Biblical Authority after Babel" is also available
in a paperback edition (9781587434235, $21.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.84).
Saint Oscar Romero
Kerry Walters
Franciscan Media
https://info.franciscanmedia.org
9781632532657, $15.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
"Saint Oscar Romero: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr" by Kerry Walters (Professor Emeritus of
Philosophy and Peace and Justice Studies at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania) is a new
biography offering an inspiring look at St. Oscar's life, starting in childhood and then tracing his
evolution from a conscientious but unremarkable (and at times curmudgeonly) priest to a heroic
prophet and (finally) a martyr, gunned down in 1980 while celebrating mass. Informative,
insightful, inspiring, "Saint Oscar Romero" is especially recommended reading for all members
of the Catholic community. While very highly recommended for church and seminary
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Saint Oscar Romero" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Judaic Studies Shelf
The Jewish Spiritual Path
Rabbi Dr. Joshua Golding
Urim Publications
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242805, $25.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
There is a leading belief in Kabbalah that the Tetragrammaton, the four lettered Hebrew name of
God, serves as a model for the ideal of spiritual living. Each letter of the Name corresponds to a
certain aspect of God and a specific phase of spiritual growth. At the same time, the four letters
correspond to the four stages of the traditional Jewish morning prayer. This prayer serves as a
spiritual exercise through which a person may cultivate the spiritual virtues associated with each
of the four letters of God's Name. In "The Jewish Spiritual Path: The Way of the Name" by Rabbi
Joshua Golding (Professor of Philosophy specializing in Philosophy of Religion and Jewish
Philosophy at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky) combines a theoretical presentation
of Kabbalistic concepts with practical guidance rooted in prayer to cultivate a deep spirituality
based on the moral and mystical teachings of Judaism. "The Jewish Spiritual Path" provides both
an extended commentary on prayer and an intellectually rigorous spiritual self-help book.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Jewish Spiritual Path" is an
extraordinary study that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking,
making it an valued and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, rabbinical, community,
and academic library Judaic Studies collections and supplemental studies lists.
The Second Generation: R. Dovber of Lubavitch
Yosef Y. Schneersohn
Kehot Publication Society
770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213
www.kehot.com
9780826608048, $14.95, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com
The fourth installment of Historical sketches, "The Second Generation: R. Dovber of Lubavitch -
Historical Sketches: From the Diary of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch" by Rabbi Yosef
Yitzchak Schneersohn (6th Lubavitcher Rebbe) focuses on the life of R. DovBer Schneuri,
second Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. During the years of his leadership, the sun of
chabad Chasidism shone with all its might and glory, as this was a time marked by tranquility
from opposition and extensive efforts in studying and disseminating the teachings of Chasidut.
"The Second Generation: R. Dovber of Lubavitch" is a monograph that records R. DovBer's
concern with the economic plight of the Jewish masses, which had been ravaged by the
Napoleonic Wars, and how he encouraged his Jewish brethren to engage in agriculture and basic
trade, even petitioning the Czar to improve the Jews' financial position by granting then parcels
of land to cultivate and settle thereon. The monograph also describes the events surrounding the
arrest and liberation of R. DovBer, toward the end of his life. An especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, rabbinic, and academic library Judaic Studies collections and
supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Second Generation: R. Dovber of Lubavitch" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.95).
The Activity Shelf
Geometrics
Babs Ward
B.E.S. Publishing.
www.bes-publishing.com
9781438012414, $12.99, PB, 32PP, https://bes-publishing.com/1438012411.html
Color by sticker enthusiasts will enjoy "Geometrics" which offers them a new set of exciting
challenges that will take their observation skills and artistic pursuits to a whole new level!
Illustrated by Babs Ward, "Geometrics" includes 12 striking portraits to complete with sticker
shapes. The numbered shapes on each page can be filled with the corresponding stickers to create
sophisticated works of art that are a delight. Ten pages of sticker shapes at the back of the book
lead on a quest to complete a wide variety of portraits, including a bear or a panther, a monkey or
a unicorn, a kingfisher sitting on a branch or a hot air balloon sailing across the desert sky.
Intricate, complex, absorbing, and very highly recommended "Geometrics" provides hours of fun
piecing together sticker puzzles and creating something beautiful and unforgettable.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Gone With The Goof
Andre Franquin
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184090, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
Among all the things that make Gomer the Goof such a lovable rascal, there are two that are
instantly recognizable: his car, and his goofophone. His old lemon, (the favorite target of the
local constabulary and every pedestrian's nightmare), is responsible for half the pollution in town
-- as well as many of the more exotic accidents! Then there are the numerous catastrophic results
of the terrible 'musical' instrument invented by Gomer -- stiff competition for the Trumpets of
Jericho! "Gone With The Goof" is the latest collection of Gomer calamities (one per page) and
the result is another hilarious read from first page to last. An absolute 'must read' for the legions
of Andre Franquin fans and very highly recommended for community library Graphic Novel
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Gone With The Goof" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
An Electric Monkey
Fabien Vehlmann, author
Ralph Meyer, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183710, $11.95, PB, 56pp, www.amazon.com
Ian (Intelligent Artificial Neuromechanoid) is the name of the newest recruit in Team 21 of the
SRS - the 'Special Rescue Section'. Ian is an android, impossible to tell from a human being with
the naked eye, and his creators claim that he's controlled by a true artificial intelligence that is
capable of learning, adapting, and even of experiencing emotions. Not every member of the team
is happy about their new partner, but their higher-ups aren't giving them a choice -- and the
mission comes first. The first volume in a new science fiction graphic novel series by the team of
author Fabien Vehlmann and illustrator Ralph Meyer, "An Electric Monkey" is a deftly scripted
and visually engaging read from first page to last. Highly recommended for community library
graphic novel collections, "An Electric Monkey" should be considered a 'must read' for all
dedicated science fiction fans.
Distant Worlds: Episode 1
Leo, author
ICAR, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183758, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
In search of his missing father, Paul Clauden makes a long journey on the planet Altair-3,
accompanied by an extraterrestrial being with impressive intelligence and strength named
Stepanerk. A superbly illustrated and inherently riveting graphic novel that will have tremendous
appeal for all dedicated science fiction fans, "Distant Worlds: Episode 1" will prove to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal and community library graphic novel
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Distant Worlds: Episode 1" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
The O.K. Corral
Xavier Fauche, author
Eric Adam, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184175, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
Everyone's heard of the Gunfight at O.K. Corral: the most famous shootout of the Old West,
between the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday on the side of law and order, against the Clanton
brothers and their gang. While it is a legend told many times in books and films (in sometimes
contradictory versions), fortunately, here is the definitive version at last, restoring the
unvarnished truth the role played by Lucky Luke! Another rollicking hilarious graphic novel of a
man who could draw a gun faster than his own shadow, "The O.K. Corral" is the latest Lucky
Luke story (and number 70 in the series) from the team of author Xavier Fauche and illustrator
Eric Adam. While unreservedly recommended as a 'must read' for the legions of Lucky Luke
fans, and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library graphic novel
collections, it should be noted that "The O.K. Corral" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $8.14).
When the Lamps Are Lit
Rodolphe, author
Leo, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183864, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
The life of a Canadian Mountie is a lonely one, always on the road while normal people go home
to their loved ones. Time has passed since Trent met Agnes, and the sergeant finally decides to
propose to her. But he's too late -- his beloved is gone, already married to another. The news
sends Trent into a downward spiral of self-destruction, and it's a drunken wretch who, a few
weeks later, finds himself in a small town harried by brutal bandits. With one completely
unforseen plot twist that turns the entire story upside down, "When the Lamps Are Lit" is a
unique and inherently riveting graphic novel by the team of author Rodolphe and illustrator Leo.
While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.46), this
extraordinary and unique addition to the Trent series is unreservedly recommended for
community library graphic novel collections.
Skating on Thin Ice
Cauvin, author
Laudec, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184083, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
Cedric is a young boy whose life is a series of triumphs and disasters. If one day he manages to
impress his sweetheart Chen, the next his own obsessive jealousy will earn him a mighty slap. He
can surprise his parents with tender, generous gestures, then bring them on the verge of a heart
attack with his calamitous school reports. As for his grandfather, he's built along the same lines.
The trick is to enjoy the good parts -- and survive the rest! The sixth volume in an outstanding
graphic novel series by the team of Cauvin and Laudec, "Skating on Thin ice" is consistently
laugh out loud funny from first page to last and will prove to be a welcome and appreciated
addition to personal reading lists and community library graphic novel collections.
Before The Midnight Child
Fabien Vehlmann, author
Bruno Gazzotti, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184106, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
In the arenas, the Campton kids have won their 'citizenship' of the In-Between-World's strange
society. Now free to come and go as they please, they've left town for the mountains, following
Dodzi without really knowing why. When the young boy explains to them that he is in fact trying
to discover whether he is the herald of Evil known as the Midnight Child a violent dispute
ensues. Meanwhile, hidden nearby, the soldiers of the First Families await an opportunity to
attack. The ninth volume in the 'Alone' series of graphic novels by the team of author Fabien
Vehlmann and illustrator Bruno Gazzotti, "Before The Midnight Child" continues to be an utterly
engaging page turner of a read from beginning to end, leaving the reader looking eagerly toward
the next installment of this original science fiction/fantasy saga. While highly recommended for
community library Graphic Novel collections it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Before The Midnight Child" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Bear's Tooth: Hanna
Yann, author
Alain Henriet, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183352, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
While above him a British night raid is torn to shreds by some of the Luftwaffe's 'wunderwaffen',
Max is airdropped into Poland and taken in by local resistance. His specific mission is, with the
assistance of the Polish resistence, infiltrate the nearby German base posing as a replacement
pilot, locate Hanna Reitsch -- and then kill her! This same Hanna who as his childhood friend
wears the same bear tooth pendant he does. Hanna, his childhood friend who has become a
legendary figure of the Nazis as an exceptional test pilot and a lethal fighter pilot. "Hanna" is the
second volume of a simply outstanding 'Bear's Tooth' trilogy by the team of Yan and Henriet. Of
special note is the now revealed back story of how the bear's tooth become the shared totem of
Max, Hanna, and Werner. While very highly recommended for personal and community library
Graphic Novel collections, it should be noted that "Bear's Tooth: Hanna" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Volume 0 - The Many Lives of Doctor Who
Created by Richard Dinnick and Giorgia Sposito
Illustrated by Pasquale Qualano
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785868726 $7.99 amazon.com
Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Volume 0 - The Many Lives of Doctor Who is a grpahic
novel celebrating the many lives of the resourceful Time Lord from BBC's beloved, long-running
science fiction drama series "Doctor Who". As the Doctor regenerates from his Twelfth
incarnation to her Thirteenth, she relives memories from her previous incarnations. This sets the
stage for a showcase of never-before-seen adventures spanning the breadth of the Doctor's grand
existence. "The Many Lives of Doctor Who" is a "must-read" for fans of the show and a choice
pick for sci-fi graphic novel connoisseurs, highly recommended.
Robotech Archives: The Macross Saga, volume 3
Created by Markalan Joplin and Diana Schutz
Illustrated by Mike Leeke, Howard Bender, and Bill Anderson
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785862960 $24.99 pbk / $15.55 Kindle amazon.com
Robotech Archives: The Macross Saga, volume 3 continues the full-color, omnibus graphic
novel reprint of classic comics adapting the animated science fiction Robotech Macross series.
Volume 3 collects issues 24 to 36 of "The Macross Saga" (originally published in the 1980's),
and depicts the shocking conclusion to the war between humans and the spacefaring Zentraedi,
with the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance. Glorious, full-page reproductions of the original
cover artwork intersperse this "must-have" for connoisseurs of the Robotech series, beloved by
generations for its complex characters and its serious-minded depiction of the grim toll of war.
Highly recommended, along with the previous Volume 1 (9781785862946, $24.99) and Volume
2 (9781785862953, $24.99).
Robotech Volume 3: Blind Game
Written by Simon Furman
Art by Marco Turini
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785865473 $16.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com
Robotech Volume 3: Blind Game continues the modern graphic novel adaptation of the classic
animated "Robotech" sci-fi series. Unlike previous adaptations, the full-color artwork is
deliberately in a more realistic "western" style, rather than Japanese anime-style. The result is
Robotech like fans have never seen it before, and a whole new way to immerse onself in this saga
of galactic powers that menace Earth in search of a technological secret of great power, and the
valiant human defenders aboard the SDF-1 battleship. Volume 3: Blind Game collects issues 9
through 12 of the comic book; the title reflects the stories in multiple ways, as Rick Hunter
struggles with a sudden loss of vision, and the enemy enacts a hidden scheme with murderous
consequences! Highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of the Robotech series, as are
the previous graphic novels "Robotech Volume 1" (9781785859137) and "Robotech Volume 2:
Bye Bye Mars" (9781785859144).
Dark Souls Omnibus
Created by George Mann
Art by Alan Quah
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785868757 $24.99 pbk / $15.55 Kindle amazon.com
Dark Souls Omnibus is a full-color graphic novel, collecting the first three volumes of the Titan
Comics "Dark Souls" comic series. Here are tales of betrayal, murder, undeath, and twisted
mystery, set in the fantastic yet grim and merciless realm of the challenging Dark Souls video
games: "The Breath of Andolus", "Winter's Spite", and "Legends of the Flame". Fantasy-horror
connoisseurs as well as fans of the games will find Dark Souls Omnibus a "must-read" from
cover to cover! Highly recommended.
Emma G. Wildford
Zidrou, author
Edith, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785869280, $24.99, HC, 104pp, www.amazon.com
It's been fourteen months since Emma G. Wildford's fiance, Roald Hodges, a member of the
National Geographic Society board the good ship Kinship and set sail for Norway and she has
had no news of him since. Every day, she questions the other members of the Society about his
whereabouts, and his current situation, whether good or ill, but to no avail. Before he left, Roald
gave Emma a mysterious envelope to open, but only in case something happened to him.
Rejecting the very thought of Roald's death, Emma decides to leave behind everything - her life,
her comfort, her England, to go to Lapland in pursuit. Along the way, Emma's certainties and
beliefs will be challenged in every way, changing this quest for her fiance into a quest for her
true, essential self. Beautifully illustrated by the artwork of Edith and rivetingly written with
some unexpected plot twists and turns by Zidrou (Benoit Drousie), "Emma G. Wildford" is an
extraordinary story that lends itself perfectly to a graphic novel format. While very highly
recommended for community library graphic novel collections for an adult readership, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Emma G. Wildford" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.91).
The Prague Coup
Jean-Luc Fromental, author
Miles Hyman, illustrator
Lara Vergnaud, translator
Jonathan Stevenson, editor
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785868870, $24.99, HC, 96pp, www.amazon.com
The time is Winter 1948. The place is the Czech capital is under occupation by the allied powers.
Debriefed by London Films, Graham Greene works on the writing of his next feature film that
would be released as 'The Third Man'. Assisted by the enigmatic Elizabeth Montagu, the
seemingly peaceful mission involves secret agents and a roster of shady characters, and
encountering the Communist takeover of Eastern Europe that history will remember as the "coup
de Prague" and the beginning of the Cold War. Superbly illustrated, a complex and riveting story
that is a deftly crafted mix of historical fact and rational speculation, "The Prague Coup" is an
extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community library graphic novel collections.
Of special note is the informative articles in the back of the book on 'Graham Green: The Enemy
Within'; 'Elizabeth Montagu: The Honorable Rebel'; 'The Third Man' by Jean-Luc Fromental; an
'Afterword' by Nicholas Dennys; 'The Third Man Movie'; and 'Four in a Jeep'. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "The Prague Coup" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $15.67).
McCay
Thierry Smolderen, author
Jean-Philippe Bramanti, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785868856, $49.99, HC, 232pp, www.amazon.com
A collaborative graphic novel project by author Thierry Smolderen and illustrator Jean-Philippe
Bramanti, "McCay" is an invented biography chronicling authentic (though only partially true)
stories of the life of the future creator of Little Nemo, Winsor McCay -- in which McCay's life is
enriched by an imaginary encounter with British mathematician and science fiction writer
Charles Hinton. Hinton, as a mathematician and philosopher, postulates the existence of a fourth
spatial dimension and seeks an artist capable of representing it, one with an innate sense of
perspective and a limitless imagination. In Winsor McCay, Hinton finds such a man, and when
their imaginations combine, an entirely new world opens up to them both. An inherently
fascinating and beautifully presented read from first page to last, "McCay" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $29.87) and will prove to be a valued and enduringly appreciated
addition to personal reading lists and community library graphic novel collections.
The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Colin Lorimer
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785859151 $16.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com
The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine is a full-color graphic novel collecting issues #1-4 of the
new comic book series based on the classic 1960s British television drama. The Uncertainty
Machine builds on the core dynamics of the series to spin a tale both uniquely new and eerily
familiar. In "The Uncertainty Machine", M15 agent Breen is under orders to break into the most
secure prison complex and secret intelligence location in the world, known as "The Village"; his
task is to either rescue or eliminate a fellow agent and lover named Carey, before she reveals
vital information. Yet The Village itself is a mystery that defies comprehension, where reality
folds like paper and the line between jailers and inmates is excessively blurred. Can Breen truly
trust his own senses, when the institution holding him captive has the power to invade his mind
and memories? The climax reveals a tantalizing glimpse into The Village's inner workings, and
keeps the reader riveted to the final, shocking page. The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine is
highly recommended for fans of the show and of surreal mystery-drama.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Molecule of More
Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD and Michael E. Long, authors
Performed by Tom Parks
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781978643734 $36.99 amazon.com
George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman and Georgetown
University lecturer Michael E. Long present The Molecule of More, now in an unabridged
audiobook rendition. The Molecule of More examines how a single chemical in the human brain,
dopamine, pushes people to crave more than what they have - to create more, to collect more, to
push for social change, or to engage in gambling. It is a driving force of ambition, but also
addiction; vital for survival yet potentially also destructive. Those who naturally have more
dopamine are more likely to be politically liberal, and advocate progressive ideals for a better
tomorrow; those who naturally have less dopamine are more likely to be politically conservative,
and advocate for contentment with the status quo (or more concerned about dangerous threats,
such as crime or war). Utterly fascinating, and thoroughly accessible to readers of all
backgrounds, The Molecule of More is highly recommended for both public library audiobook
collections and personal reading lists. 7 discs, 8 hour 15 min.
A History of France
John Julius Norwich
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com
9781977317889 $44.99 amazon.com
Read aloud by author John Julius Norwich, A History of France is the unabridged audiobook
rendition of a chronicle of France's often turbulent and violent history, from Julius Caesar's
conquest of Gaul in the first century BC to the end of the Second World War. Thoroughly
accessible to listeners of all backgrounds, A History of France tells the fascinating true stories
behind legendary historical figures including Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc,
Marie Antoinette, and many more. A History of France is highly recommended, especially for
public library audiobook collections, and also makes an excellent gift to anyone with an interest
in learning more about France's storied past. 13 CDs, 15 hours.
The Day Wall Street Exploded
Beverly Gage, author
Pam Ward, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com
9781977350176, $29.99, CD, www.amazon.com
In "The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in Its First Age of Terror ", Beverly Gage
(who teaches U.S. history at Yale University) tells the story of a once infamous but now largely
forgotten terrorist attack. Based on thousands of pages of Bureau of Investigation reports, this
historical detective saga traces the four-year hunt for the perpetrators, a worldwide effort that
spread as far as Italy and the new Soviet nation. It also takes listeners back into the decades-long
but little-known history of homegrown terrorism that shaped American society a century ago.
"The Day Wall Street Exploded" delves into the lives of victims, suspects, and investigators:
world banking power J. P. Morgan, Jr.; labor radical "Big Bill" Haywood; anarchist firebrands
Emma Goldman and Luigi Galleani; America's foremost detective William J. Burns; and even a
young J. Edgar Hoover. It grapples as well with some of the most controversial events of its day,
including the rise of the Bureau of Investigation, the federal campaign against immigrant
"terrorists", the grassroots effort to define and protect civil liberties, and the establishment of
anti-communism as the sine qua non of American politics. Many Americans saw the destruction
of the World Trade Center as the first major terrorist attack on American soil, an act of evil
without precedent. "The Day Wall Street Exploded" reminds us that terror, too, has a previous
and violent history in American politics. Deftly narrated by Pam Ward, this complete and
unabridged audio book edition of "The Day Wall Street Exploded" is unreservedly recommended
for personal, highschool, community, college, and university library American History
collections.
Heads You Win
Jeffrey Archer, author
Read by Richard Armitage
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781427299222 $39.99 amazon.com
Expertly performed by Richard Armitage, Heads You Win is a sweeping original novel by author
and former British Parliament member Jeffrey Archer. The saga follows Alexander Karpenko, a
child destined for greatness, forced to escape from Russia in 1968 with his mother. A chance flip
of a coin determined whether young Alexander would flee to America or Great Britain; as an
immigrant, he seeks his fortune and struggles to survive as the decades unfold. Yet he ultimately
realizes that he must return to the Russian homeland he left behind so long ago. Captivating to
the very end, Heads You Win is a welcome addition to public library audiobook collections,
highly recommended. 13 CDs, 16 hours.
The Rain Watcher: A Novel
Tatiana de Rosnay, author
Read by Simon Vance
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250298751 $39.99 amazon.com
The Rain Watcher: A Novel is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a dramatic story by Tatiana
de Rosnay, bestselling author of "Sarah's Key". A grand family reunion in Paris is marred by
tensions and more - Paul, the internationally celebrated arborist cares for little other than the
study of trees; his American wife is perhaps a little too focused on making the gathering a
success; and their children each hold their own inner conflicts. Then a natural disaster prompts
the Seine river to flood its banks, forcing the entire family to confront both external and internal
turmoil. A story of danger, love, and the search for redemption, The Rain Watcher is highly
recommended especially for personal and public library audiobook collections. 7 CDs, 8
hours.
Unsheltered: A Novel
Barbara Kingsolver
Harper Audio
195 Broadway, Floor 2, New York, NY 10007-3132
www.harperaudio.com
9780062865663 $55.99 amazon.com
Expertly performed aloud by author Barbara Kingsolver, Unsheltered: A Novel is the unabridged
audiobook rendition of two tales, told in parallel. One saga in the present day is of a down-on-
their-luck family burdened by debt, and living in a house that is falling apart. The second story
takes place in the same town but a century previous, where the local science teacher, Thomas
Greenwood, yearns to speak openly of exciting discoveries published by Charles Darwin yet risks
the wrath of his employer, his young bride, his social climbing mother-in-law and more if he
does. A complex, interlayered tale of uncertainty and repercussions, Unsheltered: A Novel is
highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook collections. 14 CDs, 16 3/4
hours.
Competence
Gail Carriger, author
Moira Quirk, narrator
Hachette Audio
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781549169083, $30.00, CD, www.amazon.com
Accidentally abandoned and alone in Singapore, the proper Miss Primrose Tunstell must steal
helium to save her airship, the Spotted Custard, in a scheme involving a lovesick werecat and a
fake fish tail. When she uncovers rumors of a new kind of vampire, Prim and the Custard crew
embark on a mission to Peru. There, they encounter airship pirates and strange atmospheric
phenomena, and are mistaken for representatives of the Spanish Inquisition. Forced into extreme
subterfuge (and some rather ridiculous outfits) Prim must also answer three of life's most
challenging questions: Can the perfect book club give a man back his soul? Will her brother ever
stop wearing his idiotic velvet fez? And can the amount of lard in Christmas pudding save an
entire vampiric species? Ably narrated by Moira Quirk who does full and complete justice to this
third volume in fantasy author Gail Carriger's 'The Custard Protocol' series, "Competence" is a
flawless produced entertainment that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to personal and community library audio book collections and is a 'must' for the legions
of Gail Carriger fans!
Hachette Audio
www.hachetteaudio.com
Five new audio listens will attract leisure listeners with astute stories and readers that bring them to life. Sally Field's autobiography In Pieces (9781549143076, $40.00) is narrated by Field, who tells her story for the first time. Although this is available in book format, the audio in her own voice truly brings out the underlying tension, currents, and revelations that adopt a confessional tone as Field reviews her childhood, how she made a name for herself, and how she became a star. Wednesday Martin's Untrue: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free (9781478914426, $30.00) is narrated by the author, whose background as a cultural critic lends to an inviting analysis of social science, women's history, cultural anthropology, and more. This observational piece about women considers faithlessness, sexuality, and commitment in a survey that reconsiders female infidelity and sexuality alike. Joyce Meyer's Healing the Soul of a Woman (9781478985235, $30.00) is read by Jodi Carlisle, who adds spark and drama to this story of how Christ's love can bring added healing to a woman's life; especially if she's facing heartache, abuse, and abandonment. How such positive perspectives can be cultivated in a religious environment is explored in a discussion backed by Meyer's own experience and analysis. James Patterson and Nancy Allen's Juror #3 (9781478974512, $35.00) is narrated by Megan Tusing, who brings to life the vivid story of a new attorney in Mississippi who becomes the defense counsel in a racially charged felony case surrounding the murder of a woman from one of the small town's oldest families. As prosecutors hunt for blood over justice, Ruby Bozarth finds her skills sorely tested in a vivid investigative drama that comes to life in audio. Monica Hesse's The War Outside (9781549142000, $25.00) receives multiple voices of Christie Moreau, Allison Hirot, and the author herself as it tells of 1944 Texas, where Margo and Haruko are thrown together after a dust storm and evolve a secret friendship against all odds. Their time together and the desert prison camp that interns them makes for a vivid story that celebrates life, discusses betrayal and injustice, and creates a vivid story hard to stop listening to. All are satisfying, superior productions.
The Library CD Shelf
Little Red Boat
Mary Lydia Ryan
www.iammarylydiaryan.com
Privatley Published
$15.00
Little Red Boat is an award-nominated solo piano album by creator Mary Lydia Ryan, who draws
upon her own life experience and the mysteries of the sea to create an enchanting, emotionally
moving experience. The naturally flowing sparkles, lending delight to the ear and a sense of
wonder to the mind. Little Red Boat is a treasure for connoisseurs of solo piano, highly
recommended. The tracks are "Little Red Boat", "Woman in the Moon", "floating on a Gentle
Breeze", "The Joy of Ten Knots", "In Wonder", "Sailing this Sea Alone", "How Did I End Up
Here", "Gentle Sunshine", "Waltz Under the Sun", "A Song About Sea Turtles", "Sparkle on the
Water", and "Ocean of My Soul". 43 min.
Leaning Toward Home
Holland Phillips
www.musicbyholland.com
Ageless Records
$9.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Leaning Toward Home is an album of new age and contemporary instrumental music by creator
Holland Phillips. Holland's seventh album, Leaning Toward Home engages and supports the
spirit, subtly encouraging the listener to broaden their mental scope and imagine new horizons.
The result is breathtaking, joyous, and highly recommended. The tracks are "Prelude to a Dance",
"Before the Epilogue", "Roadside Brew", "Time Travels", "A Sip of Potion", "Moving Forward",
"Leaning Toward Home", "Full Circle", "Surprising Turns", "Along the Way", and "Bedtime
Stories".
Martha Spencer
marthaspencermusic.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Appalachian songwriter and performer Martha Spencer presents her self-titled album, a
collection steeped in country roots. Some songs have the support of guest performers; all are
ablaze with joy and passion. Highly recommended, especially for country music enthusiasts. The
tracks are "Blue Ridge Mountain Lullaby", "My Heart Says Yes", "Hard Headed Woman", "The
Last Leaves", "Let the Wild Stay Free", "Chickens Coming Home to Roost", "Rambling
Woman", "Wishful Thinking", "Ruby", "Cold Winter Lingers On", "Jonah", "No Help Wanted,
"Tree of Heaven", and "Ramblin Hobo".
Hard Way to Go
Jimmy Charles
www.jimmycharlesmusic.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $6.93 digital amazon.com
Hard Way to Go is a seven-song EP album featuring guitar player and singer/songwriter Jimmy
Charles, who co-wrote all but one of the tracks. The collection ranges in tone from hard rock to
acoustic guitar and mandolin performances that reflect the abiding depths of love and faith.
Brimming with an uplifting message of hope, Hard Way to Go lingers in the heart and is highly
recommended. The tracks are "Blue Spaces", "She's Where I Belong", "Rollin's On", "God and a
Woman", "Superman", "I Am Not Alone", and "Hard Way to Go".
Evening Star
Kitka
Privately Published
https://www.kitka.org/shop/evening-star
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital bandcamp.com
Evening Star is an album celebrating the winter season by Bay Area women's vocal ensemble
Kitka, known for their research and reinvention of traditional songs from Eastern Europe and
Eurasia. Here are songs grounded in the traditions of Balkan, Slavic, and Caucasian lands;
different songs are performed in different languages, including Bulgarian, Russian, Romanian,
Yiddish, Serbian, Ukrainian, Greek, and many more. Rich, soul-stirring, and extraordinarily
beautiful, Evening Star is a most wondrous way to welcome the snowy season. Highly
recommended, especially for international music collections.
Dreams Beyond Terra
Eleon
Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
$15.98 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Dreams Beyond Terra is an electronica music album, crafted to be "chill" and inspired by the
aesthetics of electronic dance music. Some songs feature vocals; all are steeped in mind-
expanding rhythms that call to the listener with the indefinable timbre of a state just past the edge
of consciousness. Sweeping and beautiful, Dreams Beyond Terra is highly recommended
especially for connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are "Species Communicating", "Terra
Sanctuary", "Sandbox in the Rain", "Carbon Beings", "Digital Environment", "Bionic Travelers",
"The Approach", "Dreams Beyond Terra", "Earth to Heavenly Places", "Will Yur Heart Dance
With Mine", "I Touch the Sky", and "All Patterns Lead To This Point".
The Library DVD Shelf
Elizabeth I And Her Enemies
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
athenalearning.com
$34.99 www.acornonline.com
Elizabeth I And Her Enemies is a DVD docu-drama about Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603).
Here is the story of Elizabeth's journey from princess to queen, and the many perils she faced.
Her own mother was executed after losing the king's favor. Elizabeth survived assassination
attempts, rebellions, accusations of treachery, and the threat of foreign invasion; her long reign
provided England desperately needed stability. She never married, despite numerous courtships,
and was known as the "Virgin Queen". As fascinating as it is educational, Elizabeth I And Her
Enemies is highly recommended, especially for public library DVD collections. 6 episodes on 1
DVD, 141 min., SDH subtitles.
Mademoiselle Paradis
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
www.firstrunfeatures.com
$24.95 www.mademoiselle-paradis.com
Based on a true story, Mademoiselle Paradis is a historical drama on DVD about a gifted piano
player and friend of Mozart, who lost her eyesight as a child. Under the treatment of Dr. Franz
Mesmer (known for his theories about animal magnetism), she begins to recover her sight - at the
price of losing her talent for music. Ultimately, she must choose between a normal life with
vision or a virtuoso's life in darkness. A deep, thought-provoking tale, Mademoiselle Paradis is
highly recommended especially for public library DVD collections. 97 min., German & French
language with English subtitles.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Starring Natalie Dormer
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 DVD / $39.99 Blu-ray www.acornonline.com
Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Picnic at Hanging Rock is a dramatic mini-series
adaptation of the classic Australian novel by Joan Lindsay. On Valentine's day 1900, three
schoolgirls and a teacher mysteriously vanish from a field trip to Hanging Rock, and search after
search finds no trace of them. The repercussions of their disappearance sparks paranoia, hysteria,
and accusations; parents pull their children from the school and staff members resign. Tensions,
fear, and shame mount, with irrecoverable effects in this suspenseful period piece, highly
recommended. Bonus materials include cast interviews (20 min.), crew interviews (24 min.) and
behind-the-scenes footage (39 min.). 2 DVDs or Blu-ray discs, 319 min. plus bonus, SDH
subtitles.
No Offence, series 2
Written by Paul Abbott
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com
Written by Paul Abbott, the BAFTA Award-nominated creator of "Shameless" and other shows,
Series 2 of No Offence continues this dark humor, comedy-drama police procedural featuring an
atypical team of female police in Manchester. In Series 2, DI Vivienne Deering (played by
Joanna Scanlan) returns to work after bereavement leave for her husband's death, but her
impetuous subordinate DC Dinah Kowalska (played by Elaine Cassidy) know the cruel truth of
what really happened. Then a bomb blast kicks off a gang war perpetrated by a crime family
matriarch (played by Rakie Ayola)! Sharp-edged wit pervades this engaging series with strong
female characters, highly recommended for crime drama connoisseurs. 7 episodes on 2 DVDs,
337 min., SDH subtitles.
The Psychology Shelf
Clinical Handbook of Emotion-Focused Therapy
Leslie S. Greenberg & Rhonda N. Goldman, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433829772, $99.99, HC, 534pp, www.amazon.com
Through Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), clients learn to rule their emotions, instead of letting
their emotions rule them. With guidance from a skilled EFT therapist to help them identify,
experience, accept, and tolerate difficult emotions, people can learn to regulate, explore, make
sense of, transform, and flexibly manage their emotions. As a result, they become more skilled in
responding adaptively to situations as they arise. EFT therapists help individuals and couples
engage in productive emotional processing. They also offer methods to help clients become
aware of their emotional needs. In this book readers will learn to: Conceptualize clients' core
emotions in order to form a focus of therapy; Guide clients through the process of emotional
change; Structure therapy in an ongoing fashion; Recognize key emotional markers; Facilitate the
tasks needed to move to the next phase. This handbook knowledgeably compiled and
collaborative co-edited by the team of Rhonda N. Goldman (Illinois School of Professional
Psychology-Argosy university, Schaumbur, and The Family Institute at Northwestern University,
Evanston, Illinois) and Leslie S. Greenberg (York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) offers a
comprehensive tour of EFT research and applications for all common mental health issues
including depression, anxiety, interpersonal trauma, personality disorders, and eating disorders.
Comprised of twenty-three erudite articles by experts in the field (as well as a twelve page listing
of the contributors and their credentials), the "Clinical Handbook of Emotion-Focused Therapy"
is seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, college, and university
library Contemporary Psychology collections and Therapy/Counseling supplemental studies
reading lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that the "Clinical Handbook of Emotion-Focused Therapy" is also available
in a digital book format (eTextbook, $73.31).
The Agriculture Shelf
Blueberries, second edition
Jorge B. Retamales & James F. Hancock, authors
CABI
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781780647265, $75.00, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a new and updated edition second edition, "Blueberries" covers major topics of interest
to blueberry breeders and researchers: botany, physiology, nutrition, growth regulation,
photosynthesis, environment, weeds, pests, diseases and postharvest management. The focus is
on the highbush blueberry, though information on other blueberries and related species is also
provided. Blueberries are cultivated worldwide and "Blueberries by the team of Jorge B.
Retamales and James F. Hancock explores plantings in a great diversity of environments,
reflecting on the development of innovative cultural practices and conditions. It examines the
increased scope and depth of research activities related to this crop and brings together the
current status of knowledge on blueberry science and management. Explaining in an
understandable manner the basic science behind the growth and development of blueberries, their
botanical characteristics, as well as the implications and effects of various management practices
and environmental conditions, "Blueberries" also: Highlights emerging genetic information on
the blueberry; Includes new information on pruning, grafting and irrigation; Covers current and
potential uses of plant growth regulators; Gathers new information on fruit quality and consumer
acceptance. "Blueberries" is the definitive guide to blueberry cultivation for researchers, growers
and breeders, updated to reflect the latest developments in the industry, provides comprehensive
coverage of botanical, physiological and management of cultivated blueberries, making it an
indispensable and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, community, corporate,
and academic library Horticulture collections in general, and Blueberry agricultural supplemental
studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Blueberries"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $60.10).
Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species
Saul Burdman & Ronald R. Walcott, editors
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890546055, $249.00, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Horticultural research goes back more than 100 years for some genera of plant-pathogenic
bacteria, and a lot is known about the diseases they cause, including how to manage them. The
opposite is true of the genus Acidovorax. Acidovorax pathogens and diseases which have only
recently been considered as economically important threats to food crops worldwide among
them, cereals such as corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rice. Thus, little is known about Acidovorax
pathogens, and options for managing the diseases they cause are limited. Collaboratively
compiled and co-edited by plant-pathogenic bacteria experts Saul Burdman and Ronald R.
Walcott, "Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species" is the first comprehensive effort to collate
information on these pathogens. "Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species" provides an up-to-date
overview of plant diseases caused by Acidovorax species, addressing taxonomy, epidemiology,
diagnosis, and management. Comprised of twelve erudite and informative articles by experts in
the field, "Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species" also considers nonpathogenic plant-associated
or free-living species of Acidovorax.
Diseases and Pests of Soybean DVD-ROM
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890545942, $209.00, CD-ROM, www.amazon.com
Educators and extension professionals can use "Soybean Rust: The Life Cycle of Phakopsora
pachyrhizi" as a CD-Rom video tool to teach the complex life cycle of the fungus Phakopsora
pachyrhizi, an aggressive disease capable of causing defoliation and significant yield loss.
"Soybean Rust: The Life Cycle of Phakopsora pachyrhizi" is an authoritative presentation of the
disease that is found in most soybean growing regions worldwide, making it an critically
important and unreservedly recommended addition to corporate, governmental, college, and
university library Horticultural collections in general, and soybean supplemental studies lists in
particular.
The Photography Shelf
Into the Light: The Photography of Jerome Brunet
Jerome Brunet
Insight Editions
PO Box 3088, San Rafael, CA 94912
https://insighteditions.com
9781683836896, $50.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Simply stated, in the pages of "Into the Light: The Photography of Jerome Brunet" is an
impressive compendium of photographic images, as music photographer Jerome Brunet
informatively reflects on twenty years of photographing some of the world's biggest musicians.
Getting his start in the music world early, playing cello at four years old and continuing on to the
guitar in his teens, Brunet's early passion for music translated easily to another artistic pursuit --
photography. Brunet's breathtaking style of shooting "contre-jour" or "into the light," in which
the photographer shoots toward a light source, has earned him numerous accolades and awards,
including a Worldwide Photography Gala Award in 2001, first place at the 2012 International
Photo Awards, and the Graphis Photo Annual Silver Award in 2017. "Into the Light: The
Photography of Jerome Brunet", is an intimate retrospective on the last twenty years in which the
photographer deftly showcases his curated collection of visually arresting photography of the
most important names in music. An exceptional body of work, "Into the Light: The Photography
of Jerome Brunet" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library
Contemporary History of Photography collections -- and would be an ideal Memorial Gift
acquisition selection.
The American History Shelf
Rangers, Trappers, and Trailblazers
John Fraley
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560377320 $14.95 amazon.com
Written with scholarly attention to detail, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds,
Rangers, Trappers, and Trailblazers: Early Adventures in Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness
and Glacier National Park gathers true-life stories of people who lived among some of the
wildest lands in Montana during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Here are tales of Glacier Park
Ranger Clyde Fauley and his family, who used a cable bucket to reach their isolated cabin;
trapper Slim Link, who encountered a grizzly bear in deep woods; ranger Henry Thol, who
patrolled the South Fork wilderness on snowshoes in -40 degree cold; and many more. A wealth
of historic black-and-white photographs, many never before published, illustrate this engaging
window into wilderness life in days gone by. Highly recommended, especially for public and
college library American History collections.
The Last Weeks of Abraham Lincoln
David Alan Johnson
Prometheus Books
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633883970, $28.00
The Last Weeks of Abraham Lincoln: A Day-by-Day Account of His Personal, Political, and Military Challenges joins many other accounts of Lincoln's life and battles. There have been so many books about Lincoln, and so many different historical analyses, that one might wonder about the need for yet another; but this narrative history offers a livelier tone than most, includes excerpts from press reviews of his address and reports of his military and personal life, and offers supporting analyses that explain his choices and approaches: "President Lincoln probably did not understand every detail of the reports he read, most of which involved troop movements and strategy, and he may not even have read all of the telegrams in their entirety." Anyone interested in inspecting Lincoln's life, times, and influences will find this a thought-provoking study livelier in tone and delivery than most.
The World History Shelf
The Allies Strike Back, 1941-1943
James Holland
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802125606, $32.00, HC, 720pp, www.amazon.com
The second volume in historian, writer, and broadcaster James Holland's 'World War II in the
West' series, "The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943" offers fascinating new perspective on the
critical middle years in World War II's western theatre, as the advantage between Axis and Allied
forces swung back and forth on the Atlantic and eastern front, and in north Africa and Europe.
Acclaimed historian James Holland has spent years conducting original research and interviews,
mining newly available archives, visiting battlefields and uncovering letters and diaries
previously unread. Acknowledging that strategy and tactics have been the focus of previous
histories, he gives equal space to the logistics and supply of men and materiel without which no
war can be fought. Allied and Axis leaders criss-cross Holland's narrative, but he also memorably
introduces readers to heretofore unknown participants: Sgt. Ralph Schaps, who experienced the
Louisiana Maneuvers that propelled him into Europe; Colonel Hermann Balck, in command of a
German panzer regiment in Africa; U-boat captain Teddy Suhren, operating against Allied
shipping in the Atlantic; Billy Drake, squadron commander in Britain's Desert Air Force that
helped turn the tide in North Africa; and many others. An impressively informative,
exceptionally well researched, written, and organized history, "The Allies Strike Back,
1941-1943" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library World War
II military history collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943) is also available in a paperback edition (Grove
Press, 9780802128577, $20.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.72).
Ancient Rome: A New History
David Potter
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500294123, $70.75, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Praised for its beautiful visuals, use of primary sources, and coverage into the early medieval
period, and now in a fully updated and revised third edition, "Ancient Rome: A New History" by
David Potter (who is the Francis W. Kelsey Collegiate Professor of Greek and Roman History,
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, and Professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Michigan)
includes a more student-friendly approach. With new chapter-opening maps, new family trees,
more subheadings, and even more color images, the text is certain to increase student
engagement. Of special note is a new People of Ancient Rome online resource that offers the best
guidance for understanding the context of primary sources. Expertly written, organized and
presented, this new third edition of "Ancient Rome: A New History" will prove to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to community, college, and university library Roman
History collections, as well as the supplemental studies reading lists of students and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity
Hugh Elton
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9780521899314, $390.59, HC, 366pp, www.amazon.com
In "The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity: A Political and Military History", Hugh Elton
(Professor and Program Coordinator in the Program of Greek and Roman Studies at Trent
University, Peterborough, Ontario) offers a detailed and up to date history of the last centuries of
the Roman Empire. Beginning with the crisis of the third century, Professor Elton (a scholar of
Late Roman political and military history who has directed two archaeological projects in
Turkey. He is the author of Warfare in Roman Europe, AD 350-425 in1998, and Frontiers of the
Roman Empire in 2012) covers the rise of Christianity, the key Church Councils, the fall of the
West to the Barbarians, the Justinianic reconquest, and concludes with the twin wars against
Persians and Arabs in the seventh century AD. Professor Elton isolates two major themes that
emerge in this period noting that a new form of decision-making was created, whereby
committees debated civil, military, and religious matters before the emperor, who was the final
arbiter. Professor Elton also highlights the evolution of the relationship between aristocrats and
the Empire, and provides new insights into the mechanics of administering the Empire, as well as
frontier and military policies. Supported by primary documents and anecdotes, "The Roman
Empire in Late Antiquity" is specifically designed and intended for use in undergraduate courses
on late antiquity and early medieval history. While unreservedly recommended for community,
college, and university library History of Rome collections and supplemental studies lists, it
should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781108456319, $29.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.00).
Journey Among Brave Men
Dana Adams Schmidt
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802125903, $17.00, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
The late Charles Glass (1915-1994) was ABC News Chief Middle East Correspondent from
1983 to 1993. On July 4, 1962, near the beginning of the First Iraqi-Kurdish War, Schmidt left
his post in Beirut to be voluntarily smuggled into Iraqi Kurdistan. It was the beginning of a nearly
two-month journey that would climax in a days-long visit with the leader of the Kurdish
rebellion, the most loved and feared man in Kurdistan, Mullah Mustafa Barzani. Accompanied
by armed Kurdish guides and a 72-year-old Turkish interpreter, the six-feet-three-inch,
seersucker-suit-clad Schmidt traveled, often at night, a secret route by foot, mule, horse and, on
two occasions, jeep into the high Kurdish mountains to report on "the fightingest people in the
Middle East" as no foreign journalist had done before. The physical dangers were acute -- his
group was strafed more than once by the Iraqi air force. Along the way, Schmidt learned about
the history and culture of the Kurds, whose cause Barzani hoped Schmidt could convey to the
world. Originally published in 1964 and now back in print with a new foreword by historian
Charles Glass for the benefit of a new generation of appreciative readers, "Journey Among Brave
Men" is an enduring testament to the power of audacious journalism and to the strong will of the
Kurds, an embattled people who remain in search of an independent state today. An inherently
fascinating and informative read throughout, "Journey Among Brave Men" is unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library 20th Century
History collections in general, and Iraqi-Kurdish War supplemental studies lists in
particular.
The Civil War Shelf
The Real Horse Soldiers
Timothy B. Smith
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214284, $32.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Benjamin Grierson's Union cavalry thrust through Mississippi is one of the most well-known
operations of the Civil War. The last serious study was published more than six decades ago.
Since then other accounts have appeared, but none are deeply researched full-length studies of
the raid and its more than substantial (and yet often overlooked) results. The publication of "The
Real Horse Soldiers: Benjamin Grierson's Epic 1863 Civil War Raid through Mississippi" by
Timothy B. Smith (who a veteran of the National Park Service and currently teaches history at
the University of Tennessee at Martin) amply rectifies this historical oversight. Impressively
informed and informative, exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, "The
Real Horse Soldiers" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of maps, illustrations, a sixteen
page bibliography, a twelve page list of acknowledgments, and an eleven page index. A valued
and significant addition to the growing library of American Civil War Histories, "The Real Horse
Soldiers" is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic
library collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
James T. Holmes, author
Garth D. Bishop, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9781476673127, $29.95, PB, 163pp, www.amazon.com
Deftly edited by Garth D. Bishop (the great-grandson of Col. James Taylor Holmes) and
featuring an informative Introduction and Annotations by Mark A. Smith (Professor at Fort
Valley State University in Georgia), "Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw
Mountain" is the Civil War combat memoir of Lieutenant Colonel James Taylor Holmes of the
52nd Ohio Volunteers. This is a richly detailed firsthand account of the action on Cheatham's
Hill during the June 1864 Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Written in 1915, Holmes insightful
narrative, with original hand-drawn diagrams, differs on key points from the accepted scholarship
on troop movements and positions at Kennesaw, and contests the legitimacy of a battlefield
monument. Professor Smith provide a brief yet comprehensive overview of the battle and places
Holmes document in historical context. A welcome and appreciated contribution to the growing
library of American Civil War literature, "Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw
Mountain" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic
library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading list of Civil War buffs and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Movements and Positions in the
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain: The Memoir of Colonel James T. Holmes 52d Ohio Volunteer
Infantry" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Civil War Barons
Jeffry D. Wert
Da Capo Press
c/o Hachette Book Group
53 State Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02109
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306825125 $30.00 hc / $16.99 Kindle amazon.com
Civil War historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist Jeffry D. Wert presents Civil War Barons: The
Tycoons, Entrepreneurs, Inventors and Visionaries Who Forged Victory and Shaped a Nation,
which examines the lesser-known yet extremely vital contributions that nineteen Northern
businessman made to the Union war effort. From Henry Burden, who invented a horseshoe-
making machine that could craft a horseshoe every second and supplied the Union army with 70
million horseshoes over the course of four years, to John Deere's plows that aided the Union's
harvests, to Jay Cooke's skillful marketing of government bonds, these visionaries and
businessmen helped shape history with their masterful mental mettle. Notes, a bibliography, an
index, and a handful of black-and-white photographs round out this welcome contribution to
public library American History and Civil War shelves.
The Art Shelf
50 Contemporary Women Artists
John Gosslee & Heather Zises, editors
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764356537, $45.00, HC, 360pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by "50 Contemporary Women Artists: Groundbreaking Contemporary Art
from 1960 to Now" by John Gosslee (who is the editor-in-chief of New York City based art
magazine Quiet Lunch) is one-of-a-kind compendium serves as a reminder of women's strength
in the contemporary art market place, and acts as testament to the innovation, power, and
necessity of women's art and its influence. Featuring a select group of living women artists and
architects who have made significant and groundbreaking contributions to contemporary art, the
volume profiles an international cross-section of women artists (from the emerging to the
established) who address critical, social, environmental, psychological, historical, and social
issues through their art. Included are works by five MacArthur Foundation Fellows. Ultimately,
"50 Contemporary Women Artists" promotes women artists in an ongoing dialogue through the
exploration of their work and process, while offering fresh perspectives on feminism and notions
of cultural power. Readers will receive a unique glimpse of seminal works such as Judy
Chicago's The Dinner Party, as well as brand new pieces inspired by The Women's March on
Washington in 2017. Complete with an informative foreword by Elizabeth Sackler, "50
Contemporary Women Artists" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic
library Contemporary Art History collections and should be considered a 'must' for educators,
students, curators, collectors, non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of
women and the arts.
Japanese Prints: The Collection of Vincent van Gogh
Louis van Tilborgh
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500239896, $45.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
One hundred and fifty years ago, the French artist Vincent van Gogh fell under the enticing spell
of Japanese printmaking while working in Paris. He bought over six hundred Japanese prints and
displayed them in his studio as inspiration. Van Gogh admired the prints' mastery of strong
colors, everyday subjects, unusual spatial effects, and delicate details from nature. When Van
Gogh purchased the prints, he was just beginning to develop his own style as a painter, trying to
find a modern yet also more primitive kind of painting that engaged directly with the viewer.
These Japanese prints helped him find his now legendary style, with nature as a mutual starting
point. Presented in association with the Van Gogh Museum, "Japanese Prints: The Collection of
Vincent van Gogh" by Louis van Tilborgh (who is the Senior Researcher at the Van Gogh
Museum and Professor of Art History at the University of Amsterdam) is a beautiful exploration
of Van Gogh's fascination with Japan and Japanese artwork. This beautifully illustrated volume
of more than 170 images reveals a selection of prints, all from the museum's collection, that Van
Gogh owned during his lifetime and presents them with the works they inspired. "Japanese
Prints: The Collection of Vincent van Gogh" provides a very special opportunity to share Van
Gogh's vision gives a compelling glimpse into one of the most powerful creative influences
behind his art, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
community, college, and university library Art History collections in general, and Vincent van
Gogh supplemental studies lists in particular.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Dance Movement Therapists in Action, third edition
Edited by Robyn Flaum Cruz and Cynthia F. Berrol
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398092450 $44.95 pbk
9780398092467 $44.95 ebook
Now in an updated third edition, Dance Movement Therapists in Action is an anthology of essays
written by a diversity of expert authors about research in dance/movement therapy. Although
research protocols are followed meticulously, the writings are designed to be practical and
accessible, not requiring technical background to clearly understand. Individual essays include
"Embodying Difference: Addressing Diversity and Social Justice in Dance/Movement Therapy
Research", "Issues of Validity and Reliability in the Use of Movement Observations and Scales",
"How to Mix Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in a Dance/Movement Therapy Research
Project", and much more. Dance Movement Therapists in Action is an welcome addition to
public and college library physical therapy shelves, highly recommended.
The Aging Brain
Timothy R. Jennings, MD
Baker Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801075223, $16.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
In "The Aging Brain: Proven Steps to Prevent Dementia and Sharpen Your Mind ", Christian
psychiatrist and certified master psychopharmacologist Timothy R. Jennings reveals that while
growing older is inevitable, many of the troubles we associate with aging (including dementia,
disability, and an increased dependence on others) are not. The choices we make now can help us
to maintain our vitality, a sharp mind, and our independence as we age. Filled from cover to
cover with simple, everyday actions we can take to avoid disease, promote vitality, and prevent
dementia and late onset Alzheimer's, "The Aging Brain" is an easy-to-use guide to maintaining
brain and body health throughout our lives. Based on solid, up-to-date scientific research, the
interventions explained in this book not only prevent progression toward dementia even in those
who have already shown mild cognitive impairment, they also reduce disability and depression
and keep people living independently longer than those who do not practice these methods.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Aging Brain" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Health &
Medicine collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of non-specialist general
readers seeking to slow the aging process, as well as anyone who acts as a caregiver to someone
at risk of or already beginning to suffer from dementia and other age-related diseases, that "The
Aging Brain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.00) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Mission Audio, 9781545903759, $19.98, CD).
The Social Issues Shelf
Romancing the Sperm
Diane Tober
Rutgers University Press
106 Somerset St., 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
9780813590783 $29.95 pbk / $28.45 Kindle amazon.com
Romancing the Sperm: Shifting Biopolitics and the Making of Modern Families is a scholarly
evaluation of how advances in science have revolutionized family formation. Starting in the
1990's, increased access to sperm donations enabled single women, lesbian couples, and other
women not in heterosexual married relationships to have children entirely on their own terms.
Although insurance companies and some sperm banks acted as gatekeepers, refusing to extend
their services to women not in a heterosexual marriage, feminist-run sperm banks appeared to fill
the demand and provide services to all, regardless of marital status, gender identity, or sexual
orientation. Author Diane Tober (assistant adjunct professor, University of California, San
Francisco Institute for Health and Aging) examines how sperm donation and the social and
political environment of "modern families" have drastically changed. Written with scholarly
attention to detail, and including a wealth of firsthand testimonies from women who have chosen
to use sperm banks, Romancing the Sperm is fascinating and insightful from cover to cover.
Highly recommended.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Seduction
Karina Longworth
Custom House
customhousebooks.com
c/o William Morrow
www.harpercollins.com
9780062440518 $29.99 hc / $14.99 Kindle amazon.com
Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood is a close examination of
Hollywood through the stories of dozens of actresses pursued by sex-obsessed millionaire
Howard Hughes. Some were trapped or abused; some stalled out and faded from the limelight;
others benefitted enormously or became silver screen stars. Hughes was instrumental in crafting a
sexualized vision of womanhood in American culture, that has persisted long after his personal
wealth diminished. Author Karina Longworth is sharply skeptical, bringing to light the negative
side of Hollywood's so-called golden era. Riveting from cover to cover, seduction is highly
recommended for both personal and public library Theatre/Cinema collections.
The Architecture Shelf
Constructability: A Tool for Project Management
Sharmin Khan
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138586758 $70.00 hc / $25.00 Kindle amazon.com
Constructability: A Tool for Project Management is a studious guide written especially for
professionals in the field of architecture and construction. Chapters discuss the concept of
"constructability" as a means to promote sustainable architecture practices. How can buildings be
planned so that they won't unduly tax local utilities and resources, and so that recycling and waste
management are performed as efficiently as possible? (Construction and demolition waste is
estimated to form 10% to 20% of municipal waste). Methodical and scholarly, Constructability is
a "must" for college and professional library Architecture shelves, highly recommended.
"Sustainable development does not require a different method of construction [...] It is unique
characteristic of the building, which can be realized by its working efficiency and the remarks of
its end users. Such buildings will use optimum resources, be workable, consume less energy, use
renewable sources of energy, and bring comfort to its users."
The Sports Shelf
'Sox' Gary Hocking - The Forgotten World Motorcycle Champion
Roger Hughes
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787114142 $30.00 amazon.com
'Sox' Gary Hocking - The Forgotten World Motorcycle Champion is a biography of Gary
Hocking (1937-1962) of Southern Rhodesia, a Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing world champion
who also competed in automobile racing. He was one of the best and most talented racers of his
generation, with the potential to become the first world champion "on both two wheels and four."
A sudden accident while practicing for an automobile race ended his brief yet brilliant life at the
young age of 25. This is the first book devoted entirely to his career, complete with vintage
black-and-white photographs, an appendix of Hocking's race results, and an index. Thoroughly
engaging and accessible from cover to cover, 'Sox' Gary Hocking - The Forgotten World
Motorcycle Champion is an excellent addition to sports biography shelves, highly recommended
for both public library collections and personal reading lists.
The Philosophy Shelf
The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594396199 $29.95 pbk / $1.99 Kindle amazon.com
The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation is a guide to understanding the classic philosophic text
"Dao De Jing", written by the legendary Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism Lao Tzu.
The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation particularly examines the influence that the practice of
qigong (a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation
used for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial arts training) had upon Lao Tzu, and
therefore on his timeless text. Indeed, many chapters in the Dao De Jing speak of qigong and the
practices of regulating the body, breathing, mind, qi, and spirit. A translation and glossary of
Chinese terms as well as an index round out this thoughtful, in-depth study. The Dao De Jing: A
Qigong Interpretation is a "must-read" for anyone interested in the study of Taoism, highly
recommended.
The Gardening Shelf
Living with Air Plants
Yoshiharu Kashima (Protoleaf), author
Yukihiro Matsuda (Brocante), author
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804851046, $17.99, HC, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Yoshiharu Kashima is a botanist and media commentator on air plants, succulents and other
forms of indoor gardening in his native Japan. He directs purchasing and sales at the Tamagawa
branch of Protoleaf Garden Island and manages the Chofu branch of tukuribaGREEN, a
specialist plant boutique. Stylist Yukihiro Matsuda (Brocante) is a gardening and lifestyle author,
landscape architect, and owner of BROCANTE -- a Yokohama shop selling antique furniture and
home furnishings. Together they have collaboratively in "Living with Air Plants: A Beginner's
Guide to Growing and Displaying Tillandsia" to provide the novice 'air plant' gardeners the
perfect instructional introduction to the world of Tillandsia and the many ways they can be used
to design and upgrade a home or work space. These endearing plants are friendly to seasoned
gardeners and beginners alike, and easy to grow and care for, once you know how. This reference
and growing guide covers over 100 different Tillandsia varieties, and gives you all the
information you need to select your plants and make them thrive. "Living with Air Plants"
covers: The various types of Tillandsia plants and their characteristics; Growth cycles and
preferred environments; Air plant care and selection; Propagating/dividing plants from cuttings;
Enjoying and displaying Tillandsia in all sorts of spaces. Beautifully illustrated throughout,
"Living with Air Plants" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
and community library Contemporary Gardening instructional reference collections.
The Railroading Shelf
Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World
Anthony Lambert
White Lion
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781781317471, $35.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
From the great cathedral-like railways stations of the steam age to obscure lines built through
spectacular landscapes to open up countries before the advent of motorized road transport, "Lost
Railway Journeys from Around the World" by railroading historian and enthusiast Anthony
Lambert is an impressively informative and visually thrilling celebration of our lost railway
heritage and the lines that can no longer be traveled. Through truly stunning photographic
images, "Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World" evokes the romance and drama of these
journeys, taking the reader as close as they can possibly get to this lost world of dining cars,
sleeping cars, station porters and international rail travel. Organized by continent, all of these
long lost routes have fascinating stories to tell and the lost journeys are wonderfully captured in
the old postcards and posters that accompany photographs drawn from collections and archives
across the world. An absolutely 'must' for all dedicated railroad buffs, "Lost Railway Journeys
from Around the World" is an unabashedly, enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended for
personal, community, and academic library History of Railroading collections and supplemental
studies lists.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
How to Use a Crystal
Richard Webster
Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738756707, $16.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com
All the metaphysical practitioner needs is a single crystal to deepen their magical practice and
reach their personal or professional goals. In "How to Use a Crystal: 50 Practical Rituals and
Spiritual Activities for Inspiration and Well-Being", psychic expert Richard Webster presents an
accessible and inspiring instructional guide filled with practical rituals and spiritual activities that
can be performed with a single stone. Readers will discover how to choose, cleanse, and energize
your crystal. Once they have prepared their chosen crystal, they can then explore fifty ways to use
it including: attract love, control stress, bless your home, enhance creativity, deal with regrets,
communicate with spirit guides, recall past lives, make crystal elixirs, find forgiveness, and much
more. "How to Use a Crystal" is the ideal guide to greater health and happiness through crystal
work and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal,
professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be
noted by dedicated metaphysical students and practitioners that "How to Use a Crystal" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.01).
Manifesting Your Greatness: An Oracle Deck
Amy E. Chace
Red Feather
c/o Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764356391, $34.99, PB, 104pp, www.amazon.com
Amy Chace has been a painter and illustrator for more than ten years and has worked on various
books and publications. When a Tarot reader told her that she saw her artwork talking, Amy
realized that speaking from her learning and living was what she wanted to share. Now in her
"Manifesting Your Greatness: An Oracle Deck" she offers pearls of wisdom like "Explore Your
Depths" or nuggets of truth like "It's Not Even about You". Comprised of exciting cards that are
just what is needed to see through our hectic, question-filled lives, "Manifesting Your Greatness"
requires no rules, offers no confusion, and needs no memorization approach, making it easy for
oracle deck enthusiasts to get a message they can connect with right away. "Manifesting Your
Greatness" reads effortlessly with prominent advice that is clear and concise. The accompanying
guidebook provides gentle advice to further interpret the cards' messages and then takes it to the
next level by delivering helpful ideas for solving problems and exploring passions. Fun,
informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Manifesting Your Greatness: An Oracle Deck"
is a unique and highly recommended for personal and professional Metaphysical Studies
collections.
Doors in the Walls of the World
Peter Kreeft
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
www.ignatius.com
9781621642282, $15.95, PB, 127pp, www.amazon.com
In "Doors in the Walls of the World: Signs of Transcendence in the Human Story", Peter Kreeft
(Professor of Philosophy at Boston College, and one of the most respected Christian authors of
our time) addresses -- The Absolute Good, Platonic Forms, God, gods, angels, spirits, ghosts,
souls, Brahman, Rta (the Hindu ontological basis for cosmological karma), Nirvana, Tao, 'the
will of Heaven', The Meaning of It All, Something that deserves a capital letter. With razor-sharp
reasoning and irrepressible joy, Professor Kreeft helps us to find the metaphysical doors in the
walls of the world. Drawing on history, physical science, psychology, religion, philosophy,
literature, and art, Professor Kreeft invites his readers to welcome what lies on the other side of
these doors, and to begin living the life of Heaven in the here and now. An inherently fascinating
and exceptionally informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking read, "Doors in the Walls of the
World" is unreservedly recommended for community, seminary, and academic library
Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of students, clergy,
seminarians, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that it is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.22).
The Self-Help Shelf
Step into Your Moxie
Alexia Vernon
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685585, $15.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
"Step into Your Moxie: Amplify Your Voice, Visibility, and Influence in the World" by
leadership coach and public speaker Alexia Vernon is a soul-stirring call to action to speak up for
yourself and the ideas and issues that matter most to you. Dubbed a "Moxie Maven" by President
Obama's White House Office of Public Engagement for her potent approach to women's
empowerment, Alexia Vernon has helped thousands of women (and men) slay diminishing
self-talk and cultivate confidence. She has created a timely, refreshingly playful guide for women
to communicate with candor, clarity, compassion, and ease every time they open their mouths to
speak whether it be in their careers, their communities, and their homes. "Step into Your Moxie"
is the instruction and motivation manual women want by their side as they have that daring
conversation, give an important presentation, run for office, or simply tell the people closest to
them to step back from the boundaries they've trespassed. Effective and exceptional, thoroughly
'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Step into Your Moxie" is unreservedly
recommended for community, college, and university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Step into Your Moxie" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.42).
The Poetry Shelf
Achill: The Island
John F. Deane, poet
John Behan, artist
Currach Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781782188995, $40.00, HC, 50pp, www.amazon.com
Comprised of the poetry of John F. Deane and the paintings of John Behan, "Achill: The Island"
is a very special publication that presents and showcases an insightful and in-depth awareness of
the island of Achill, its heritage, its spirit, its physical wonder and its magical light and seas.
"Achill: The Island" deftly brings together two acknowledged masters in their respective
individual arts, and is a unique tribute to an island that is close to their hearts -- and where every
grain of sand seems to whisper a story. A beautifully elegant volume from beginning to end,
"Achill: The Island" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic
library collections.
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide
T. N. Pollio
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9781476673851, $55.00, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com
Ancient finger rings made of base metals and low-grade silver alloys are increasingly being
unearthed and sold through a growing assortment of marketplaces worldwide. Reference material
on ancient rings has focused mainly on historic and "high-end" piece (the precious metals and
stones of royalty and the wealthy) while little has been written on the evaluation of common
rings. "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide" by researcher and historian T. N. Pollio
is profusely illustrated and impressively informative guide that accurately describes their
composition, structure and imagery, thus providing merchants, collectors and researchers with a
definitive and comprehensive reference on these ancient artifacts that, until now, have gone
unexamined. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated
Collector's Guide" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college,
and university library Antiques & Collectible collections and supplemental studies lists.
The Needlecraft Shelf
I Love My Dog Embroidery
Oksana Kokovkina
Quarry
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781631596131, $19.99, PB, 120pp, www.amazon.com
Born in St. Petersburg, she currently lives in Vienna, Austria, Oksana Kokovkina (better known
to her fans as MakikoArt) is a textile artist and jewelry designer noted for her naive and
whimsical animal embroidery motifs, especially her hand-stitched custom pet portrait brooches.
Showcasing 380 do-it-yourself stitch Motifs for dog owners and fanciers, "I Love My Dog
Embroidery" is an impressive "dog fanciful" collection of stitch motifs that are a needlecraft
celebration all things canine. With this lovely embroidery guide, even the most novice of
needlecrafters can create all manner of pups, including: The sweet Labrador retriever, fluffy
poodle, noble German shepherd, and many others; Dogs doing what they do best with classic
poses, postures, and tricks (like "roll over", "give me your paw", and the ever-popular "rub my
tummy"); Pooches disguised as people (the farmer, the artist, the businessman) and who can
resist the sneaky but lovable mailman?; Mutts in different styles and shapes, including borders,
frames, and alphabets. "I Love My Dog Embroidery" also provides guidance on how to
customize a motif to fit a favorite canine companion, plus a gallery of project ideas for
showcasing the completed stitch motive. With profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly'
step-by-step instructions, "I Love My Dog Embroidery" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference
collections.
Cute Needle Felted Animal Friends
Sachiko Susa
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805314999, $14.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Teaching and publishing extensively in her native Japan, Sachiko Susa is a master felter and
prolific designer of stuffed toys, specializing in expressive little animals both realistic and novel.
In "Cute Needle Felted Animal Friends: Adorable Cats, Dogs and Other Pets" she draws upon
her very special expertise to show even the most novice of needlecrafters how to create lifelike
felted figures using a little wool roving, a felting needle, and a few basic tools and techniques.
Even more than this, "Cute Needle Felted Animal Friends" shows how to capture their adorable
expressions when they're playing hard, napping, or just happy to see you. Easy step-by-step
instructions and photos shows how to make the basic shapes and components, then how to add
details like long or curly hair, spines, and stripes, as well as little faces that are utterly irresistible.
With a bit of practice, any needlecraft enthusiast will be able to portray the unique poses and
expressions of beloved pets from your own life. Even the most basic of beginning felters will
have no trouble making these miniature animal figures, including: A perky Yorkshire Terrier; An
elegant Russian Blue Cat; A playful Tabby; A sleepy Mottled Cat; A Holland Lop Rabbit; A
curly Toy Poodle; A fluffy Pomeranian; A dapper French Bulldog; Matching mom-and-pup
Chihuahuas; A sweet Pygmy Hedgehog; and many more! Simply stated, "Cute Needle Felted
Animal Friends" is unabashedly and enthusiastically recommended for personal and community
library Contemporary Needlecrafting instructional reference collections.
Hand Sewing Magic
Lynn Krawczyk
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781589239685, $24.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Hand Sewing Magic by Lynn Krawczyk (a mixed-media surface design artist who focuses on
pattern and color and whose work features painting, drawing, and hand stitching on both fabric
and paper) is a modern, all-in-one guide for hand stitchers of all levels of skill and experience,
and for all applications. A unique instructional guide, "Hand Sewing Magic" provides an
in-depth overview of essential tools and materials, including thread, needles, fabric, and other
key supplies. Aspiring needlecrafters will also: Explore a comprehensive visual dictionary of 35
stitches plus dozens of variations, from basic mending to stylish decorative embellishment to
unique art stitching; Discover key techniques, from starting and ending threads to the right way
to use an embroidery hoop, from stitching curved shapes to color shading, and more; Learn
essential tips and tricks from influential and innovative stitchers, including Joanne Sharpe,
Allison Aller, and Catherine Redford. "Hand Sewing Magic" also showcases 10 simple and
stunning projects show unique ways to use stitches and techniques, enabling even the most
novice of needlecrafters to make the most of their hand stitching and give all their projects a
beautiful handmade look. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in profusely illustrated organization and
presentation, "Hand Sewing Magic" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community
library Needlecrafting instructional reference collections.
The Woodworking Shelf
The Craft of Veneering
Craig Thibodeau
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631869006, $29.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Craig Thibodeau has been a professional furniture maker specializing in veneering and
decorative inlay for the past 16 years and has won numerous awards for this furniture -- his work
can be seen at www.ctfinefurniture.com. In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood,
usually thinner than 3 mm (1/8 inch), that typically are glued onto core panels (typically, wood,
particle board or medium-density fiberboard) to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and
panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. In "The Craft of Veneering", Craig
draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to show aspiring woodworkers why and
how to use veneer including how to combine various techniques to create exciting new work.
Profusely illustrated throughout, "The Craft of Veneering" offers a step-by-step instructional
introduction for the novice or professional woodworker as it deftly presents a range of veneering
techniques ranging from simple to complex, and that can be used to produce stunning patterns
that would be impossible to achieve with solid wood. Outlines all the tools and techniques
needed to work with veneer (including vacuum bagging and using clamps and cauls) are
provided, as well as chapters on the fascinating arts of marquetry and parquetry. An illustrated
appendix presents enlarged photos of 37 species of wood veneer. "The Craft of Veneering" is the
perfect introduction to this specialized facet of woodworking and is unreservedly recommended
for personal, professional, community, trade school, and technical college Woodworking
instructional reference collections.
Handmade: A Hands-On Guide
Asa Christiana
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631869341, $24.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
The author of "Build Stuff With Wood" (9781631867118, $21.95 PB, $12.06 Kindle), and with a
background in engineering, woodworking, and journalism, Asa Christiana hit the ground running
when he arrived at Fine Woodworking magazine in 2000, rising to become chief editor, a job he
held for 8 years. Along the way, he helped launch StartWoodworking.com, a free website for
beginning woodworkers. After stepping down in 2013 from his position, Asa continues to build
furniture and works as a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. In "Handmade: A Hands-On
Guide" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to provide aspiring woodworkers
with a profusely illustrated instruction manual for making 25 accessible projects with a modest
collection of simple tools and made from all sorts of materials including concrete, leather, digital
tools, Arduino, welding, casting, and printing. Perfect for aspiring do-it-yourself people of all
ages who enjoy making things with their own hands, "Handmade: A Hands-On Guide" will prove
to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, technical college, and community library do-it-
yourself handicraft instructional reference collections.
The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf
Whiskey America
Dominic Roskrow
Mitchell Beazley
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784724351, $29.99
Whiskey America: The Essential Guide to the US Distilling Revolution covers new whiskies and distillers in the U.S. and combines discussions of different approaches with tasting notes and surveys of new whiskey styles across the country. Notes on different styles, interviews with leading individuals responsible for making spirits, and surveys of distilleries across the country are complimented by color photos of distilleries, products and individuals in a survey that includes tips on how to use the new whiskies, while notes on distilleries in other countries round out the information provided in an authoritative guide recommended for any collection strong in food and wine.
The Criminology Shelf
Applied Criminal Psychology
Richard N. Kocsis, editor
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398092368, $55.95, PB, 404pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Richard N. Kocsis, and now in a newly revised and updated second
edition, "Applied Criminal Psychology: A Guide to Forensic Behavioral Sciences" is a collection
of fifteen erudite and insightful articles that collectively provide a comprehensive and practical
guide to psychological research and techniques. "Applied Criminal Psychology" is introductory
and wide-ranging and covers important forensic aspects of psychology, psychiatry, and
behavioral sciences. Many key forensic issues are covered, including personality disorders, risk
assessment, the forensic psychologist as an expert witness, detecting deception, eyewitness
memory, cognitive interviewing, forensic hypnosis, false confessions, criminal profiling, and
crisis negotiation. With this new edition and starting with the first two chapters, significant focus
has been placed upon Psychopathy and the closely associated DSM category of Anti-Social
Personality Disorder. Another new chapter has also been included dedicated to the principles of
law associated with an accused person's mental status. "Applied Criminal Psychology" is
international and interdisciplinary in its scope and focus. Many of the contributors are well
known scholars and/or practitioners. "Applied Criminal Psychology" will be of particular interest
to psychologists, psychiatrists, criminologists, legal professionals, law enforcement personnel
and students who are planning careers in forensic psychology, criminology, and policing --
making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended curriculum textbook and core addition to both
college and university library Criminology collections and supplemental studies lists.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design