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Reviewer's Choice
Religicide: Confronting the Roots of Anti-Religious Violence
Jerry White, author
Georgette F. Bennett, author
Post Hill Press
www.posthillpress.com
9781637581018, $28.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Religicide-Confronting-Roots-Anti-Religious-Violence/dp/1637581017
Synopsis: Religion related violence is the fastest spreading type of violence worldwide. Attacks on religious minorities
follow a clear pattern and are preceded with early warning signs. Until now, such violence had no name, let alone a set of
policies designed to identify and prevent it. A unique attempt to create a new moral and legal category alongside other forms
of persecution and mass murder, with the publication of "Religicide: Confronting the Roots of Anti-Religious Violence ",
co-authors Jerry White and Georgette F. Bennett deftly explore the roots of atrocities such as the Armenian Genocide, the
Holocaust, the Bosnian war, and other human rights catastrophes.
The two authors tap into their decades of activism, interreligious engagement, and people-to-people diplomacy to delve into
a gripping examination of contemporary religicides: the Yazidis in Iraq, the Rohingya in Myanmar, Uyghur Muslims and
Tibetan Buddhists in China, and the centuries-long efforts to wipe out Indigenous Americans. Yet, even in the face of these
horrific atrocities, the authors resist despair. They amplify the voices of survivors and offer a blueprint for action, calling on
government, business, civil society, and religious leaders to join in a global campaign to protect religious minorities.
Critique: Timely and relevant given the rise in America of White Supremacist and Militant National Christian attempts to
seize political power by intimidation, persecution of religious minorities (particularly Jews & Muslims), and increasingly
(and now almost daily) frequent mass racial and religious mass shootings around the country, "Religicide: Confronting the
Roots of Anti-Religious Violence" will have a special value for readers with an interest in identifying and combating
religious intolerance, persecution, and religion based political corruption. While unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Religion & Politics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it
should be noted for student, academia, clergy, political activists, and non-specialist general readers that "Religicide:
Confronting the Roots of Anti-Religious Violence " is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Dr. Georgette Bennett (https://bennettny.com) is a sociologist, widely published author, popular lecturer,
and former broadcast journalist for NBC News. In 1992, she founded the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious
Understanding, the go-to organization for combating religious prejudice. In 2013, Bennett founded the Multifaith Alliance
for Syrian Refugees, which has worked to raise awareness and mobilize more than $175 million of humanitarian aid,
benefitting more than 2.2 million Syrian war victims. She is also a co-founder of Global Covenant Partners and served on
the U.S. State Department's Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group tasked with developing recommendations to
engage religious actors in conflict mitigation. Having published four books and more than eighty articles, Bennett was
awarded a 2019 AARP Purpose Prize, and in 2021 was selected as one of Forbes' 50 over 50 Women of Impact.
Editorial Note #2: Jerry White (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_White_(activist)) is an activist entrepreneur known for
leading high-impact campaigns, three of which led to international treaties: the Mine Ban Treaty; the U.N. Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and the Cluster Munitions Ban. White shares in the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize awarded
to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. As co-founder of Landmine Survivors Network, he worked with Diana,
Princess of Wales, to help thousands of war victims find peer support and job training. White served as U.S. Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State to launch the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, introducing advanced decision
analytics to predict the outcomes of complex negotiations. White is also a Professor of Practice at the University of
Virginia.
Frozen By Fire
Donald Kentop
Black Heron Press
www.blackheronpress.com
c/o Independent Publishers Group (distribution)
https://www.ipgbook.com
9781936364398, $18.00
https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Fire-Donald-Kentop-MA/dp/1936364395
Frozen By Fire covers over a century of American history, following the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911 and its aftermath.
In verse. This approach sets the story apart from any other feature of the events that surrounded one of America's greatest
tragedies, painting poetic portraits that run from a prologue of events to the fire itself, and its lasting impact.
An introduction sets the stage by recounting, in prose, the roots of this poetic discourse. It all began when author Donald
Kentop, a New York University student attending classes in the Brown Building, came to realize that the structure actually
was once known as the Asch Building, and was the site of a tragic fire.
Decades after learning this history, Kentop wrote his first poem, then discovered accounts by survivors of this ordeal. More
than a hundred years after the fire, this collection brings history to life in a shocking account of working conditions and
experiences that is tempered by a dual attention to preserving the meter and foundations of poetic structure. Why reproduce
this story in verse, then? Because, in so doing, Frozen By Fire poses a more personal and vivid impact than the usual
account backed by facts, figures, and accompanying dryness.
Kentop's effort personalizes and produces a history that can reach easily into a much wider audience than the usual staid
nonfiction review. The author says it best, himself, in his introduction: "...the restrictions of verse, paradoxically, liberate
characters and events from the prosaics of reportage and open a way of learning through the heart." What is best recalled
long-term is that this heart-centered method of learning in Frozen By Fire offers a rare opportunity for immersion, adding
another notable difference to the effort -- quotes from source material, outlines of characters involved in the tragedy at all
levels (from owners to survivors and responders), and details that personalize the motivations and actions of all
involved.
History is thus presented in a truly unique fashion that does justice to both historical research and facts and to the literary
poetic structure that synthesizes and represents them. The result is highly recommended for two types of readers and library
collections: those interested in making history more accessible to lay audiences and who harbor a special interest in working
conditions and experiences of the past; and those interested in profiling unusual poetic devices that intersect the
seemingly-disparate worlds of history and literature.
Hotel Splendide
Ludwig Bemelmans
Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781782277910, $15.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Splendide-Ludwig-Bemelmans/dp/1782277919
Synopsis: "Hotel Splendide" is a charming and uproariously funny hotel memoir in which Ludwig Bemelmans uncovers the
fabulous world of the Hotel Splendide (the thinly disguised stand-in for the Ritz) a luxury New York hotel where he worked
as a waiter in the 1920s. With equal parts affection and barbed wit, he uncovers the everyday chaos that reigns behind the
smooth facades of the gilded dining room and banquet halls.
In hilarious detail, Bemelmans sketches the hierarchy of hotel life and its strange and fascinating inhabitants: from the
ruthlessly authoritarian maitre d'hotel Monsieur Victor to the kindly waiter Mespoulets to Frizl the homesick busboy.
Illustrated with his own charming line drawings, Bemelmans' tales of a bygone era of extravagance are as charming as they
are riotously entertaining.
Critique: Originally published in 1941 and now brought back into print by Puskin Press for a new general of appreciative
readers, "Hotel Splendide" by the late Ludwig Bemelmans is a fun read from first page to last. While highly recommended,
especially for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hotel
Splendide" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.57).
Editorial Note: Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) was an Austrian-born American writer and illustrator of books for children
and adults. He travelled to American in 1914, at the age of sixteen, and worked for three years in the dining halls of what he
called, in his autobiographical works, the Hotel Splendide. In 1926, he quit working in hotels to become a full-time
cartoonist and made frequent contributions to the New Yorker, Vogue and Town and Country. He is also the author of the
beloved Madeline books. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Bemelmans)
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Psychology for Screenwriters
William Indick, author
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933471, $29.95, PB, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Screenwriters-Building-Conflict-Script/dp/1615933476
Synopsis: People's lives are made up of good and bad decisions, histories filled with triumph and pain, behaviors formed
from a lifetime of experiences. A screenwriter's characters should be no different.
But writing psychologically complex characters requires an understanding of human behavior. Fortunately, as a screenwriter
you will not need a PhD in psychology to add complexity to your work.
With the publication of "Psychology for Screenwriters: Building Conflict in Your Script", William Indick (an author, active
screenwriter, screenwriting consultant, and an Associate Professor of Psychology at William Paterson University in Wayne,
New Jersey) will help you add psychological depth to your script with insights from brilliant psychological theorists like
Freud, Jung, and Adler.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, a careful reading of "Psychology for Screenwriters: Building
Conflict in Your Script" will enable even the most novice of screenwriters to create memorable characters and engaging
conflicts that will have their audiences enthralled. While highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
academic library Writing/Publishing collections in general, and supplemental Screenwritng curriculum studies lists, it
should be noted that "Psychology for Screenwriters" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).
Editorial Note: William Indick (https://bulletproofscreenwriting.tv/william-indick) earned his bachelors degree in
psychology (1993) and masters degree in music therapy (1996) from New York University. His other books include Media
Environments and Mental Disorder (2021), The Digital God (2015), Ancient Symbology in Fantasy Literature (2012), The
Psychology of the Western (2008), Psycho Thrillers (2006), and Movies and the Mind (2004).
Mining Your Past
Richard Lee Zuras
Belle Isle Books
http://www.belleislebooks.com
c/o Brandylane Publishers
5 South First Street, Richmond, VA 23219
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781958754030, $17.95, PB, 194pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mining-Your-Past-Richard-Zuras/dp/195875403X
Synopsis: No one has ever seen the world the way you have. This is a truth that noted author, poet, and professor Richard
Lee Zuras knows well.
As a writer, mining your past for its characters, its lessons, its regrets, and its joys can feel intimidating, but it leads to
authenticity in any writer's work that simply cannot be replicated. No one has seen the world the way you do, and so
learning how to tap into that world as you create new stories is an invaluable way of finding your voice.
"Mining Your Past: A Creative Writing Professor's Guide" is an accessible and informative writing guide in which Professor
Zuras skillfully combines his previous written works and personal histories with concrete tools for any readers looking to
integrate their own pasts into authentic writing.
Refreshingly reader-focused, "Mining Your Past" provides the aspiring writer with tangible methods for uncovering their
unique world view in order to create more compelling and genuine storytelling. The reader will step away with a greater
faith in their potential as writers and with a better understanding of their own pasts, making this an essential read --
especially for novice writers searching for a way to share their stories, as only they can tell them.
Critique: A complete course of informative and practical instruction for personal, professional, community, and academic
library Writing/Publishing collections, "Mining Your Past: A Creative Writing Professor's Guide" will be of special and
enduring value for anyone with an interest in writing stories, poetry and song lyrics. In full compliance with the old adage of
'Write What You Know', this throughly 'user friendly' DIY instructional is unreservedly recommended for novice writers
and has a great deal of insightful and thought-provoking value for even the more experienced author, essayist, song writer,
or poet.
Editorial Note: Edward Lee Zuras (http://www.belleislebooks.com/richardleezuras.html) is a professor of English &
Creative Writing at the University of Maine at Presque Isle where he has taught creative writing for more than twenty years.
His own stories and poems have appeared in dozens of literary journals including Story Quarterly, South Dakota Review,
Weber Journal, Big Muddy, Jabberwock Review, Lake Effect, Chicago Quarterly Review, Laurel Review, Yemassee,
Xavier Review, Confrontation, Red Rock Review, and Passages North. Richard has held writing conference scholarships at
Bread Loaf, Wesleyan University, and Pirate's Alley Faulkner, and is the author of the novels The Bastard Year, and The
Honeymoon Corruption as well as the poetry collection Birds at the Post Office (all from Brandylane Publishers).
On Writing and Failure
Stephen Marche
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771965163, $12.95, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Failure-Field-Notes-Stephen-Marche/dp/1771965169
Synopsis: Failure is a topic discussed in every creative writing department in the world, but "On Writing and Failure: Or, On
the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer" by seasoned writer Stephen Marche is the book every
beginning writer should have on their shelf to prepare them for rejections from the publishing industry.
Less an instruction guide on writing and more a 'how-to' manual on what you need to continue existing as a writer, "On
Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer" aptly describes the defining
role played by rejection in literary endeavors and contemplates failure as the essence of the writer's life.
Along with his own history of rejection, Marche offers stories from the history of writerly failure, from Ovid's exile and
Dostoevsky's mock execution to James Baldwin's advice just to endure, where living with the struggle and the pointlessness
of writing is the point.
Critique: Simply put, "On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer"
must be considered essential reading for anyone seeking to write for a living, be it as a novelist, essayist, poet, columnist, or
any other writing genre. Itself exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "On Writing and Failure" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing collections. It should be
noted that "On Writing and Failure" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.79).
Editorial Note: Stephen Marche (http://www.stephenmarche.com) is a novelist, essayist and cultural commentator. He is
also the author of half a dozen books, and has written opinion pieces and essays for the New Yorker, the New York Times,
The Atlantic, Esquire, The Walrus and many others.
How to Write Erotica
Rachel Kramer Russel
Cleis Press
101 Hudson Street, Suite 3705, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
http://cleispress.com
9781627783194, $18.95, PB, 222pp
https://www.amazon.com/Write-Erotica-Rachel-Kramer-Bussel/dp/1627783199
Synopsis: Have you had intimate fantasies or simmering plotlines you've wanted to write but weren't sure how or where to
start? With the publication of "How to Write Erotica", renowned erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel shows the
aspiring writer how to turn those fragments into fully fleshed out erotic stories, novellas and novels.
An indispensable nonfiction DIY craft guide to writing erotic short stories and novels, Bussel draws upon her 20+ years of
experience in the genre and walks writers through the ins and outs of erotic writing. Whether you want to see your work on
the shelves of bookstores, pen sexy stories or letters for a partner or simply explore your creativity, "How to Write Erotica"
is a thorough instructional guide and 'how to' manual.
Having taught erotic writing workshops at universities, conferences and sex toy stores across the world and online, Bussel
knows how to make even those who blush at the word "sex" feel comfortable putting pen to paper. Her easy-to-follow
method to penning erotica is broken down utilizing helpful tactics that include: Practical examples from her own writing
process; Illustrative erotica excerpts; Interviews with over a dozen successful erotica authors; Numerous writing tips and
prompts.
Aspiring erotic authors of all genders will learn everything they need to know about gaining inspiration from their everyday
surroundings, breaking into publishing, promoting their work and making a name for themselves. From pseudonyms to
BDSM, overcoming writer's block and crafting sultry, believable characters, Bussel's advice will have you seeing erotic
possibilities everywhere. You don't need an advanced degree, previous writing experience or sexual experience to write
good erotica. All you need is a keen imagination and a willingness to follow your lusty mind wherever it takes you.
Critique: A seminal, unique, and expertly written writer's guide to a specific genre that has always been a lucrative market,
"How To Write Erotica" is particularly recommended for aspiring writers working in both erotic and romantic fiction. While
unreservedly recommended for personal and professional Writer Instructional Reference collections, it should be noted that
"How To Write Erotica" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: Rachel Kramer Bussel (https://rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of over 70 anthologies featuring over
700 authors, including The Big Book of Orgasms and the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series. She writes widely about
sex, dating, books and pop culture, and has contributed to over 100 erotica anthologies, including Best American Erotica
2004 and 2006. She teaches erotica writing workshops online and in person and consults with authors via
EroticaWriting101.com. She can be followed on Twitter @raquelita. Her books have won the IPPY (Independent Publisher)
Award for Erotica and the Samois Anthology Award from the National Leather Association-International and she is also the
winner of the Living in Leather John Preston Award.
The Education Shelf
Media Literacy for Young Children
Faith Rogow
The National Association for the Education of Young Children
Box 97156, Washington, DC 20090-7156
https://www.naeyc.org
www.insighterseducation.com
9781938113970, $30.00, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Media-Literacy-Young-Children-Teaching/dp/1938113977
Synopsis: Media literacy is about wonder and imagination, questioning and learning, thinking and reflecting!
"Media Literacy for Young Children: Teaching Beyond the Screen Time Debates" by Faith Rogow is about all these things,
and more importantly, it is about how early childhood educators and professionals can prepare children for their digital
future.
"Media Literacy for Young Children" is a first-of-its-kind guide for pre-service and currently practicing teachers and child
care professionals looking for pedagogically sound and developmentally appropriate ways to help today's children navigate
their media-rich world with confidence, curiosity, and critical thinking.
Detailed descriptions of media literacy competencies, along with dozens of activities, strategies, and tips designed for
children ages 2 - 7, demonstrate how to integrate foundational skills, knowledge, and dispositions into existing routines as
well as experiment with new lessons.
By examining media through a literacy lens, "Media Literacy for Young Children will show you ways to: Use inquiry and
media-making to teach children about media; Plan activities to engage children in meaningful media discussions; Engage
with families about the importance of media literacy education for young children; Address media concerns with joy and
creativity rather than anxiety or fear -- and much more!
Critique: With the coming of social media, the internet, and Iphones, children must be trained on how to determine fact
from fallacy, deal with misinformation and cyber bullying, exercise critical thinking, and benefit from all the good that
digital communication has to offer them. A seminal and groundbreaking instructional guide, "Media Literacy for Young
Children: Teaching Beyond the Screen Time Debates" is an essential and substantive contribution that should be a part of
every professional, school district, college, and academic library Early Child Education and Media Literacy collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for educators and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Media Literacy
for Young Children: Teaching Beyond the Screen Time Debates" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: Faith Rogow (https://insighterseducation.com/?page_id=143) is a media literacy leader, innovator, and
founder of Insighters Educational Consulting. She was the founding president of the National Association for Media
Literacy Education (NAMLE), a founding editorial board member of the Journal for Media Literacy Education, a founding
advisor to Project Look Sharp, and a coauthor of NAMLE's "Core Principles of Media Literacy Education in the United
States" (2007). For more than twenty years she has been one of the few people in the United States advocating for and
creating media literacy education that is developmentally appropriate for early childhood. Her groundbreaking article "The
ABCs of Media Literacy" (Telemedium, Spring 2002) has been widely circulated, as has her chapter - "Media Literacy in
Early Childhood Education: Inquiry-Based Technology Integration" - in the Routledge/NAEYC anthology Technology and
Digital Media in the Early Years: Tools for Teaching and Learning (Donohue 2015). She also coauthored The Teacher's
Guide to Media Literacy: Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World (Corwin, 2012).
The International Studies Shelf
Treasures of Ukraine: A Nation's Cultural Heritage
Andriy Puchkov, et al.
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500026038, $40.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Treasures-Ukraine-Nations-Cultural-Heritage/dp/0500026033
Synopsis: "Treasures of Ukraine: A Nation's Cultural Heritage" chronicles the arts and heritage of Ukraine at a time when
the country's people, culture, landmarks, and artworks are facing destruction and devastation. Created in partnership with a
group of renowned artists, curators, and critics, this record of architectural monuments and artworks reaches from prehistory
to the present day.
Organized chronologically across eight chapters, "Treasures of Ukraine" features more than 220 color images that showcase
everything from Scythian gold, Byzantine icons, and wooden churches to gold-domed cathedrals, avant-garde masterpieces,
and political art after the Orange Revolution, while accompanying texts reveal the history and significance behind the
pieces. Examples of vernacular art weave Ukraine's dynamic and inextinguishable folk narrative through the book,
providing visual texture as well as a sense of the nation's living history.
Critique: The collaborative work of Andrey Kurkov (Ukraine's most acclaimed living novelist and public commentator);
Andriy Puchkov (a specialist in Ukrainian architecture and author of more than two dozen monographs); Christian
Raffensperger (Professor of History and Department Chair at Wittenberg University; Diana Klochko (prominent art
historian and author of 65 Masterpieces of Ukrainian Art); and Maksym Yaremenko (Professor at the Department of History
at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy), "Treasures of Ukraine: A Nation's Cultural Heritage" is an impressive
compendium showcasing the unique cultural heritage of Ukraine -- a cultural heritage that is currently in dire straights due
to the Russian invasion of that country. Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color images enhancing an informative
and well organized commentary, "Treasures of Ukraine: A Nation's Cultural Heritage" is available and recommended for
personal, community, and academic library Ukrainian Art & History collections.
Editorial Note: A compelling account of Ukraine's history, told through the prism of a carefully curated selection of key
monuments, architectural landmarks, and works of art. All proceeds from the sale of "Treasures of Ukraine: A Nation's
Cultural Heritage" will go to PEN Ukraine, to help Ukrainian authors in need.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change
Joan Fitzgerald
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780190695514, $31.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Greenovation-Urban-Leadership-Climate-Change/dp/019069551X
Synopsis: Collectively, cities take up a relatively tiny amount of land on the earth, yet emit 72 percent of greenhouse gas
emissions. Clearly, cities need to be at the center of any broad effort to reduce climate change.
With the publication of "Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change", the eminent urban policy scholar Joan
Fitzgerald argues that too many cities are only implementing random acts of greenness that will do little to address the
climate crisis. She instead calls for "greenovation" -- using the city as a test bed for adopting and perfecting green
technologies for more energy efficient buildings, transportation, and infrastructure more broadly.
Further, Professor Fitzgerald contends that while many city mayors cite income inequality as a pressing problem, few cities
are connecting climate action and social justice -- another aspect of greenovation. Focusing on the biggest producers of
greenhouse gases in cities, buildings, energy and transportation, Fitzgerald examines how greenovating cities are reducing
emissions overall and lays out an agenda for fostering and implementing urban innovations that can help reverse the path
toward irrevocable climate damage. Drawing on interviews with practitioners in more than 20 North American and
European cities, she identifies the strategies and policies they are employing and how support from state, provincial and
national governments has supported or thwarted their efforts.
A uniquely urban-focused appraisal of the economic, political, and social debates that underpin the drive to "go green",
"Greenovation" helps us understand what is arguably the toughest policy problem of our era: the increasing impact of
anthropocentric climate change on modern social life.
Critique: A timely, focused, insightfully informative, and unique contribution to our on-going national conversation about
dealing with our climate-changing environment, "Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change" is an extraordinary
and inspiring read. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic Contemporary
Environmental Policy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia,
governmental policy makers, environmental activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change" is also available in a paperback edition (9780197651421, $24.95)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.19).
Editorial Note: Joan Fitzgerald (https://joanfitzgerald.com) is Professor of Urban and Public Policy at Northeastern
University. She focuses on urban climate action policy, governance, and finance. She is co-authoring her next book on cities
and the struggle for climate justice.
Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects
Consensus Study Report
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309274296, $75.00, PB, 516pp
https://www.amazon.com/Oil-Sea-IV-Inputs-Effects/dp/030927429X
Synopsis: Oil and natural gas represent more than 50 percent of the worldwide energy supply, with high energy demand
driven by population growth and improving standards of living. Despite significant progress in reducing the amount of oil in
the sea from consumption, exploration, transportation, and production, risks remain.
"Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects " is the fourth report in a series, documents the current state-of-knowledge on
inputs, fates and effects of oil in the sea, reflecting almost 20 additional years of research, including long-term effects from
spills such as the Exxon Valdez and a decade-long boom in oil spill science research following the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill.
This report finds that land-based sources of oil are the biggest input of oil to the sea, far outweighing other sources, and it
also notes that the effects of chronic inputs on the marine environment, such as land-based runoff, are very different than
that from an acute input, such as a spill. Steps to prevent chronic land-based oil inputs include reducing gasoline vehicle
usage, improving fuel efficiency, increasing usage of electric vehicles, replacing older vehicles.
This report also identifies research gaps and provides specific recommendations aimed at preventing future accidental spills
and ensuring oil spill responders are equipped with the best response tools and information to limit oil?s impact on the
marine environment.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of References, a listing Acronyms/Abbreviations, twelve
Appendices, and a Glossary, "Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects" is exceptionally well organized and presented,
making it an invaluable and core addition to personal, professional, governmental, college, and university library Marine
Environmental Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.
Environmental Ethics in the Midwest
Ian A. Smith, editor
Matt Ferkany, editor
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611864427, $44.95, PB, 270pp
https://msupress.org/9781611864427/environmental-ethics-in-the-midwest
Synopsis: The American Midwest is environmentally rich and complex, home to some of the world's largest freshwater
lakes and streams as well as cities, prairies, forests, and farmlands. Nevertheless, the unique environmental opportunities
and challenges the region presents have been left underappreciated and under-explored by environmental ethicists. The close
integration of the natural and built environments of the Midwest prompts interdisciplinary inquiry in a particularly pointed
way.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Ian A. Smith and Matt Ferkany in order to remedy the lack of scholarly attention
to this area, "Environmental Ethics in the Midwest: Interdisciplinary Approaches" attends to the way that the broad concerns
of environmental ethics manifest in the region. Comprised of eight original essays, the wide range of topics covered include:
agrarian ethics and Stoicism; the Dakota access pipeline and Indigenous women's activism; philosophy of law and species
classification; environmental justice and the Flint water crisis; hog farming and antimicrobial drug resistance; science
education standards and climate change education; virtue ethics and ecological restoration; environmental pragmatism and
the Clean Water Act; and more.
Each accessibly written chapter brings multidisciplinary complexity to bear on this complex region. The contributors
include philosophers working in environmental ethics and other subfields of philosophy, and together with scholars in fields
such as environmental sociology, American Indian studies, and environmental studies. Collectively they provide a fresh and
necessary perspective on various environmental issues germane to the American Midwest.
Critique: Featuring a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Environmental Ethics in the Midwest:
Interdisciplinary Approaches" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and academic library Environmental and Conservation Ethics collections and supplemental curriculum studies.
It should be noted for students, academia, environmental activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Environmental Ethics in the Midwest: Interdisciplinary Approaches" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.70).
Editorial Note #1: Ian A. Smith (https://www.washburn.edu/our-faculty/ian-smith) is associate professor of philosophy and
chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Washburn University, where he primarily teaches ethics and
logic classes.
Editorial Note #2: Matt Ferkany (https://people.cal.msu.edu/ferkany) is associate professor in philosophy and affiliated
faculty of the Environmental Science and Policy Program at Michigan State University. His work concerns virtue,
environmental ethics, and moral education.
The Science Shelf
Physics of Life
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309274005, $60.00, PB, 370pp
https://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Medicine-National-Academies-Sciences/dp/0309274001
Synopsis: Biological physics, or the physics of living systems, has emerged fully as a field of physics, alongside more
traditional fields of astrophysics and cosmology, atomic, molecular and optical physics, condensed matter physics, nuclear
physics, particle physics, and plasma physics.
This new field brings the physicist's style of inquiry to bear on the beautiful phenomena of life. The enormous range of
phenomena encountered in living systems - phenomena that often have no analog or precedent in the inanimate world -
means that the intellectual agenda of biological physics is exceptionally broad, even by the ambitious standards of
physics.
With the publication of "Physics of Life", the National Academies Press presents the first decadal survey of this field, as
part of a broader decadal survey of physics. This report communicates the importance of biological physics research;
addresses what must be done to realize the promise of this new field; and provides guidance for informed decisions about
funding, workforce, and research directions.
Critique: A Consensus Study Report of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, "Physics of Life" is
exceptionally well organized and presented, making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
professional, college, and university library Biological Sciences collections and as a textbook for Biological Physics
curriculum syllabus.
Editorial Note: The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of
topics in science, engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important
matters in science and health policy.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence
Despoina Mantzari
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780198851608, $90.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Courts-Regulators-Scrutiny-Economic-Evidence/dp/019885160X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence", Professor Despoina
Mantzari presents the first systematic examination of economic regulation and the crucial role of economic evidence in
regulatory authorities and courts.
"Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence" presents the first systematic examination of economic
regulation and the crucial role of economic evidence in regulatory authorities and courts.
"Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence" brings together strands of scholarship from law, economics,
and political science to explore two key themes: the influence of economic evidence on the discretionary assessments of
economic regulators, and the limits of judicial review of economic evidence, supplemented with comparative examination
of both UK and US systems. In light of the challenges posed by economic evidence, Professor Mantzari argues the
appropriate scope of judicial review in the era of regulatory economics, and what the optimal institutional response to the
pervasiveness of economic evidence in regulation should be.
Building on comparative institutional analysis, "Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence" rejects
single-factor explanations, such as the individual knowledge of judges, in favour of a richer set of macro and micro-level
factors that shape the relationships between courts and regulators. Professor Mantzari argues that the 'recipe' for adjudicating
economic evidence requires a balance in which a degree of epistemic diversity is introduced in courts, and deference is
accorded to regulatory agencies on grounds of institutional competency.
"Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence" combines theoretical, doctrinal, comparative, and empirical
analysis and it is written to be accessible to lawyers, economists, judges, regulators, policymakers, and political scientists.
brings together strands of scholarship from law, economics, and political science to explore two key themes: the influence
of economic evidence on the discretionary assessments of economic regulators, and the limits of judicial review of
economic evidence, supplemented with comparative examination of both UK and US systems. In light of the challenges
posed by economic evidence, Professor Mantzari argues the appropriate scope of judicial review in the era of regulatory
economics, and what the optimal institutional response to the pervasiveness of economic evidence in regulation should
be.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of Figures, Tables, Cases, Legislation, a ten page
Bibliography, and a ten page Index, "Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence" is an especially well
written, organized and presented study that is unreservedly recommended for professional, governmental, college, and
university library Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies syllabus. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Courts, Regulators, and the Scrutiny of Economic Evidence" is also available to students, academia,
economists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $67.49).
Editorial Note: Despoina Mantzari (https://cerre.eu/biographies/despoina-mantzari) is Associate Professor in Competition
Law and Policy at University College London (UCL), Faculty of Laws. Prior to that she was a lecturer at the University of
Reading and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Competition Policy at the University of East Anglia. She was
also a visiting researcher at the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law and a Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal
Studies in London. She holds a PhD and an LL.M from UCL and studied law at the National University of Athens. Her
research cuts across competition law and public law and regulation and has been funded by the AHRC, the ESRC, and the
BA/Leverhulme Trust.
Making Money Work for Us: How MMT Can Save America
L. Randall Wray
Polity
www.politybooks.com
c/o John Wiley and Sons (dist.)
www.wiley.com
9781509554256, $59.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Money-Work-Us-America/dp/1509554254
Synopsis: Is money precious and scarce, necessitating iron fiscal discipline? Must the government always balance the books
or risk ruin? Or is money, in fact, a flexible tool that can be used to mobilize our collective resources to serve those who
need them?
With the publication of "Making Money Work for Us: How MMT Can Save America", leading Modern Money Theory
(MMT) advocate and economist Randy Wray explains that the only real constraints on public policy are physical resources,
technological capacity and political will: but never money.
He shows how modern sovereign governments spend by key-stroking money to bank accounts. While taxes serve other
important purposes, they do not (contrary to popular belief) fund spending. If we recognize this, and totally reframe how we
think about money and debt, we can marshal our national wealth to make us all richer, eliminate unemployment and "look
after our own". We can make money work for us and our country.
"Making Money Work for Us" shows how MMT can become a new American political and economic orthodoxy, replacing
the dominant conservative framework forever. It is essential reading for all progressives.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of fifteen pages of Notes and a seven page Index,
"Making Money Work for Us: How MMT Can Save America" is a timely, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking
contribution to our on-going national discussions on economic financing and government policy reforms. While highly
recommended as an essential and core addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Economics
collections and supplemental curriculum Income Inequality studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia,
economists, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Making Money Work for Us: How MMT Can Save America" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781509554263, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.00).
Editorial Note: L. Randall Wray (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Randall_Wray) is an expert on MMT, as well as
Professor of Economics at Bard College and a Senior Scholar at the Levy Economics Institute.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Understanding Osteoporosis
Naheed Ali, M.D.
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781538168141, $35.00, HC, 202pp
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Osteoporosis-Introduction-Patients-Caregivers/dp/1538168146
Synopsis: Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of
bone tissue leading to bone fragility, and consequent increase in fracture risk. It is the most common reason for a broken
bone among the elderly. Bones that commonly break include the vertebrae in the spine, the bones of the forearm, and the
hip. Until a broken bone occurs there are typically no symptoms. Bones may weaken to such a degree that a break may occur
with minor stress or spontaneously. After the broken bone heals, the person may have chronic pain and a decreased ability to
carry out normal activities. (Wikipedia)
With the publication of "Understanding Osteoporosis: An Introduction for Patients and Caregivers", Dr. Naheed Ali offers
the non-specialist general read with an interest in the subject cutting-edge tips for sufferers and those who help them, and
offers an informed and informative overview of the essentials of treatment, symptoms, risk factors, and outcomes.
Osteoporosis is prevalent among aging women especially, but it can affect anyone as they age. with "Understanding
Osteoporosis" Dr. Ali also offers an overview of the disorder and its warning signs and risk factors. He walks his readers
through prevention strategies, common symptoms, treatment options, and potential outcomes for sufferers. Keeping
caregivers in mind, too, Dr. Ali offers advice for both sufferers and those who love and care for them, to keep them
safe.
Critique: While note intended to be a curriculum textbook, but exceptionally well written, organized and presented,
"Understanding Osteoporosis: An Introduction for Patients and Caregivers" should be considered essential and informative
reading for anyone who is dealing with the medical condition of osteoporosis in themselves, a friend or family member, or
who are charged with caregiving responsibilities of patient or client with osteoporosis. While unhesitatingly and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Health/Medicine collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Understanding Osteoporosis" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $33.00).
Editorial Note: Naheed Ali, MD, PhD has more than 15 years of health-related publications to her credit. Now a digital
nomad Dr. Ali writes for www.HealthcarePropulsion.com.
Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity
Commission for a Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309471503, $35.00, PB, 314pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roadmap-Healthy-Longevity-National-Medicine/dp/0309471508
Synopsis: With unprecedented global aging, countries around the world ranging from Japan to the United States must
undertake all-of-society efforts to maximize the benefits and minimize the burdens of aging populations.
"The Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity" describes a realistic vision of healthy longevity that could be achieved by
2050. The vision includes full inclusion of people of all ages, regardless of health or functional status, in all aspects of
society and societies characterized by social cohesion and equity.
To achieve the vision, "Global Roadmap" (a product of the Commission for a Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity --
National Academy of Medicine) recommends changes that need to be made to health systems, social infrastructure, physical
environments, education, work, and retirement. In some cases, the recommended changes benefit older people most directly,
but when older people thrive, people of all ages benefit.
If taken up, the recommendations of this report can support individuals of all ages in all corners of the globe to live long,
meaningful, and purpose-driven lives by 2050
Critique: An aging population is a critically important and global issue that affects everything for social norms, political
stability, economics, needed infrastructure, and so much more, the "The Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity" is highly
recommended for personal, professional, community, governmental, and academic library Health Policy/Public Health
collections and deserves as wide a readership as possible, especially for students, academia, governmental policy makers,
political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Since its founding, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (https://nam.edu) is an imprint of The
National Academies Press, which publishes the publications of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine. NAP publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and
medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important matters in science and health
policy.
Stethoscope: The Making of a Medical Icon
Anna Harris, author
Tom Rice, author
Reaktion Books
c/o University of Chicago Press
1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
www.press.uchicago.edu
9781789146332, $27.50, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Stethoscope-Making-Medical-Anna-Harris/dp/178914633X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Stethoscope: The Making of a Medical Icon", co-authors Anna Harris and Tom Rice
explores the colorful past, present, and future of an iconic medical instrument that is, quite literally, close to our hearts. The
stethoscope has become the symbol of medicine itself -- how did this come to be? What makes the stethoscope such a
familiar yet charismatic object?
Drawing from a range of fields including history, anthropology, science, technology, and sound studies, "Stethoscope: The
Making of a Medical Icon" illustrates the variety of roles the stethoscope has played over time. It shows that the stethoscope
is not, and has never been, a single entity. It is used to a variety of ends, serves several purposes, and is open to many
interpretations. This variability is the key to the stethoscope's enduring presence in the medical and popular
imagination.
Critique: A unique and impressively informative history of a universally recognized medical instrument and symbol,
"Stethoscope: The Making of a Medical Icon" is an exceptional study and unreservedly recommended for community and
academic library Medical History collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Stethoscope: The Making of a Medical Icon" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.12).
Editorial Note #1: Anna Harris (https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/a.harris) is an associate professor of the social study of
medicine in the Department of Society Studies at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Her previous books include A
Sensory Education.
Editorial Note #2: Tom Rice (https://sociology.exeter.ac.uk/staff/tomrice/) is a senior lecturer in social anthropology at the
University of Exeter, specializing in sound and auditory culture. He is the author of Hearing and the Hospital: Sound,
Listening, Knowledge and Experience.
The Political Science Shelf
Has Populism Won?: The War on Liberal Democracy
Daniel Drache, author
Marc D. Froese, author
ECW Press
www.ecwpress.com
9781770417052, $19.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Has-Populism-Won-Liberal-Democracy/dp/1770417052
Synopsis: From Trumpian America to Putin's nationalist Russia, and from Poland to the Philippines, rapid change and rising
inequality have fueled a retreat into tribalist nationalism fed by a fear of being left behind.
Populist and authoritarian leaders reach into this fear, using it as a lever to power with empty promises of looking out for the
little person and promising a return to national greatness. This is happening in countries spread across the globe and the
political spectrum, arising in the right and the left alike, and recently brought into harsh relief against Putin's brutal invasion
of Ukraine. So why are we so susceptible to this pernicious political style at this moment? How did we get here? And more
importantly, will we get back to more even-handed governments?
Filled with original research, political scientists, with the publication of "Has Populism Won?: The War on Liberal
Democracy", co-authors Daniel Drache and Marc Froese collaboratively present an insightful, chilling and compelling
analysis of the rise of populism, and reveal what it will take to douse the flames.
Critique: "Has Populism Won?: The War on Liberal Democracy" is essential reading for those with concern about the
proliferating encroachments on democratic freedoms and the rule of law in the United States and around the world.
Informative enhanced with the inclusion of an Introduction (A Warning), two Appendices, a two page bibliography of
Further Readings, and a twelve page Index, "Has Populism Won?: The War on Liberal Democracy" is unreservedly
recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Political Science
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, governmental policy
makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Has Populism Won?: The War on Liberal
Democracy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note #1: Daniel Drache (https://danieldrache.com) is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and a Senior
Research Fellow at the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at York University in Toronto. He is also the author of over
twenty books on social policy and international affairs.
Editorial Note #2: Marc D. Froese (https://www.burmanu.ca/directory/marc-froese) is the Professor of Political Science and
the Founding Director of the International Studies Program at Burman University in Alberta. He is also the author of three
books and dozens of articles on international trade and political economy.
The Seven Democratic Virtues
Christopher Beem
Penn State University Press
820 North University Drive, University Park, PA 16802-1003
www.psupress.org
9780271093949, $29.95, HC, 236pp
https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Democratic-Virtues-Tribalism-Democracy/dp/0271093943
Synopsis: The insurrection of January 6, 2021, demonstrated conclusively that tribalism in the United States has become
dangerous. The "other side" is no longer viewed as a well-intentioned opponent but as an existential threat. If we don't
change course, the survival of American democracy is far from assured.
With the publication of "The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our
Democracy", Christopher Beem outlines specific steps that average citizens can take to back the nation away from the
brink.
Instead of looking to political leaders, institutions, or policy for solutions to extreme partisanship, Christopher Beem argues
that concerned citizens can and must take up the cause. He spells out seven civic practices we can all follow that will help us
work against our antidemocratic tendencies and reorient the nation toward the "more perfect union" of our Founders. Beem's
road map to restore our democracy draws on thinkers from Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas to James Madison, Hannah
Arendt, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Empathetic and eminently reasonable, "The Seven Democratic Virtues" presents practical advice for what each of us can do
to change the political discourse and save our democracy. This is necessary reading for our politics today -- and in the
future.
Critique: A timely contribution to our national discourse with respect of the great chasm of disinformation created divisions
currently threatening the continuation of such essential pillars of a democratic society as the peaceful transfer of power
based on free and fair elections, "The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our
Democracy" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. Deserving of as
wide a readership as possible, it should be noted for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to
Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy" can be a substantial tool in preserving our democracy in the face of
insurrectionists -- including those still serving in the Federal Congress and in state governments at the present time.
Editorial Note: Christopher Beem (https://democracy.psu.edu/people/cxb518) is Managing Director of the McCourtney
Institute for Democracy, Associate Research Professor of Political Science, and Affiliate Faculty in the Rock Ethics Institute
at Penn State. He is also the author or co-editor of five books, including The Necessity of Politics: Reclaiming American
Public Life and Democratic Humility: Reinhold Niebuhr, Neuroscience, and America's Political Crisis. Further, he is a
co-host of the Democracy Works podcast and a frequent contributor to The Conversation.
The World History Shelf
Onwards to Omdurman
Keith Surridge
Helion and Company
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781915070517, $45.00, PB, 170pp
https://www.amazon.com/Onwards-Omdurman-Anglo-Egyptian-Reconquer-1896-1898/dp/1915070511
Synopsis: On 2 September 1898, the Anglo-Egyptian army under General Kitchener crushed the Mahdist Sudanese army of
the Khalifa Abdallahi at the battle of Omdurman. Depictions of the battle, in books and films, have too often depicted it as
the hapless slaughter of the Mahdists by a modern, well-equipped professional army.
With the publication of "Onwards to Omdurman: The Anglo-Egyptian Campaign to Reconquer the Sudan, 1896-1898",
Keith Surridge seeks to show, however, that the battle was not a foregone conclusion and that the result might have been
closer if the Mahdists had conformed to their battle-plan. By examining the battle in fair detail, the book emphasizes that the
Mahdists battle plan was poorly executed, hence their defeat. Although it took another year before the Khalifa was defeated
and killed, the battle at Omdurman ended a two-year campaign that had utilized the power of modern Victorian
technology.
To fully understand how and why an Anglo-Egyptian army arrived to fight at Omdurman, "Onwards to Omdurman" takes a
fresh look at the Sudan campaign as a whole, because it provides an excellent example of how modern technology was used
to overcome the vagaries of the desert and the river Nile. Thus, railway lines were built to bring troops and supplies across
the desert. Communications were enhanced by miles of telegraph wire. Control of the Nile was ensured by British-built
gunboats, armed with machine guns and artillery.
While the Anglo-Egyptian army carried modern rifles, machine guns and artillery. Kitchener had witnessed Britain's failed
Sudan campaign in 1884-85 to rescue General Gordon trapped in Khartoum by Mahdist forces, because of too much haste
and not enough forethought. Kitchener did not make the same mistakes. Moreover, he and his officers never underestimated
the fighting prowess of their enemy.
Before Kitchener's campaign is examined, however, "Onwards to Omdurman" provides context by discussing how and why
Britain was involved in Egypt and why the decision was made to invade Mahdist Sudan. It then considers the political,
social and military organization of the Khalifa's domain. Also examined is the Egyptian army and provided are details on the
British contingent. The various stages of Kitchener's advance are then discussed.
"Onwards to Omdurman" is based on British accounts from unpublished material in archives and published contemporary
works, for they are readily available. Where possible, this military history takes into account the Mahdist perspective by
using the available published sources and the Intelligence reports prepared from information supplied by Sudanese agents
and informers.
Critique: A minor masterpiece of illustrated historical research, "Onwards to Omdurman: The Anglo-Egyptian Campaign to
Reconquer the Sudan, 1896-1898" is an invaluable contribution that will prove to be an enduringly appreciated and valued
contribution to personal, professional, community, and academic library British and Egyptian military history collections in
general, and the British/Egyptian Sudan campaign in particular.
Editorial Note: Keith Surridge (https://london.nd.edu/about/faculty/keith-surridge) gained his BA in history at Queen Mary
College, London in 1989, and his Ph.D at King's College, London in 1994. Since 1993, he has taught aspects of British
history at various American university programs in London. His books include Managing the South African War,
1899-1902. Politicians vs Generals (1998) and with Denis Judd, The Boer War (2002). He has also published many articles
on aspects of the South African war 1899-1902 and on the British army and imperialism during the late-nineteenth
century.
Augustus at War: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta
Lindsay Powell
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399023368, $28.95, PB, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/Augustus-War-Struggle-Pax-Augusta/dp/1399023365
Synopsis: The Latin words Pax Augusta (or Pax Romana) evoke a period of uninterrupted peace across the vast Roman
Empire. With the publication of "Augustus at War: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta", author and historian Lindsay Powell
exposes the truth for the lie that it is. Almost every year between 31 BC and AD 14 the Roman Army was in action
somewhere, either fighting enemies beyond the frontier in punitive raids or for outright conquest; but it was also entangled
in suppressing rebellions within the borders -- or itself on the verge of mutiny.
Remarkably over the same period Augustus succeeded in nearly doubling the size of the Empire, outperforming either
Pompey the Great or Julius Caesar for conquests. How did Augustus, a second-rate field commander, and a man known to
become physically ill before and during battle, achieve such extraordinary success? Did he, in fact, have a grand
strategy?
The decisions Augustus made determined the future of the empire -- and of the Europe which followed. Powell reveals
Augustus as a brilliant strategist and manager of war. As commander-in-chief he made changes to the political and military
institutions to keep the empire together -- and to hold on to power.
His genius was to build a team of semi-autonomous legati (deputies) to ensure internal security and to fight his wars for
him. Often bound by ties of blood and marriage, but above all loyalty, these men (more than 50 of whom are profiled in this
volume) fought for Augustus, who claimed for himself the credit for their achievements.
Critique: Lucidly written by the author of the acclaimed biographies "Marcus Agrippa" and "Germanicus", and drawing
upon archaeology, art, coins, inscriptions and documents of the period, Lindsay Powell with "Augustus at War: The
Struggle for the Pax Augusta" presents a new and provocative assessment of the men and events shaping a crucial period in
world history, which still reverberates down to our own time. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of
informative illustrations, military symbols, tables, a section of color plates, four appendices, sixty-one pages of Notes, a 30
page Bibliography, and a twenty-six page Index, "Augustus at War: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community and academic library Ancient Roman History collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Augustus at War: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Lindsay Powell (https://lindsay-powell.com) is a historian and writer who has a passion for the history of the
Roman Empire. He is news editor of Ancient History and Ancient Warfare magazines. His appearances include BBC Radio,
Dan Snow's HistoryHit, and the History Channel. He is also the author of Eager For Glory; Germanicus, and Marcus
Agrippa (all from Pen and Sword Books). He is a graduate of the University of Aston in Birmingham, a veteran of The
Ermine Street Guard re-enactment society, and divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, England.
The Civil War Shelf
The Military Memoirs of a Confederate Line Officer
John C. Reed, author
William R. Cobb, editor
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215144, $19.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Military-Memoirs-Confederate-Line-Officer/dp/1611215145
Synopsis: John C. Reed fought through the entire Civil War as an officer in the 8th Georgia Infantry, most of it with General
Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The Princeton graduate was wounded at least twice (Second Manassas and Gettysburg),
promoted to captain during the Wilderness fighting on May 6, 1864, and led his company through the balance of the
Overland Campaign, throughout the horrific siege of Petersburg, and all the way to the Appomattox surrender on April 9,
1865.
John Reed's "The Military Memoirs of a Confederate Line Officer" is a perceptive and articulate account filled with riveting
recollections of some of the war's most intense fighting. Reed offers strong opinions on a wide variety of officers and topics.
This outstanding memoir (judiciously edited and annotated by William R. Cobb) is published here in full for the first
time.
Critique: "The Military Memoirs of a Confederate Line Officer: Captain John C. Reed's Civil War from Manassas to
Appomattox" is a valuable and informative resource certain to become a prized addition to personal, community, and
academic library American Civil War History & Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: William R. "Ron" Cobb is a retired engineer and management consultant He is also a descendant of a
Confederate private who fought in the 59th Georgia, a sister regiment to the 8th Georgia. This is his first Civil War-related
book.
The Military Shelf
Armies of Anglo-Saxon England 410-1066
Gabriele Esposito
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399093972, $42.95, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Armies-Anglo-Saxon-England-410-1066-Organization/dp/1399093975
Synopsis: In the early 5th century, Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea in increasing numbers and
began settling among the ruins of the former Roman province of Britannia. This led to centuries of warfare as these
'Anglo-Saxons' carved new, independent kingdoms at the point of the sword, fighting the native Britons and each other.
From the late eighth century they also had to face the threat of the Vikings, at first as opportunistic raiders but increasingly
bent on conquest. The last Viking invasion was defeated by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge but he was then defeated
by the Normans in that same fatal year of 1066, ending the Anglo-Saxon Age.
With the publication of "Armies of Anglo-Saxon England 410-1066: History, Organization and Equipment", historian
Gabriele Esposito gives an overview of Anglo-Saxon military history, narrating the great campaigns, such as those of Alfred
the Great of Wessex and Harold Godwinson. He discusses in detail the composition of Anglo-Saxon forces, their tactics,
weapons and equipment, detailing developments across the period. The informative, accessible text is supported by dozens
of color images showing replica Saxon war gear in use.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with magnificent full color photography, "Armies of Anglo-Saxon England
410-1066: History, Organization and Equipment" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of n
informative Introduction, a four page Bibliography, a six page listing of The Reenactor Contributors, and a one page Index.
Impressive, informative, exceptional in organization and presentation, "Armies of Anglo-Saxon England 410-1066: History,
Organization and Equipment" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
British Medieval Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Gabriele Esposito (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Gabriele-Esposito/a/3200) is an Italian researcher and
a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is also the
author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy,
France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713,
published by Pen & Sword in 2018.
Blood, Dust and Snow
Friedrich Wilhelm Sander, author
Robin Schaffer, editor/translator
Greenhill Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781784388300, $37.95, HC, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Dust-Snow-Diaries-Commander/dp/1784388300
Synopsis: The war on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1945 was the bloodiest combat theater in the bloodiest war in history.
Oberleutnant Friedrich Wilhelm Sander experienced this bloodshed first-hand when serving with the 11th Panzer-Regiment.
This regiment made up the core of the 6th Panzer-Division, one of Hitler's top armored formations, which was involved in
most of the major campaigns on the Eastern Front; including campaigns such as Operation Barbarossa and Operation Winter
Storm.
Sander recorded his experience of these campaigns in astounding detail in some recently discovered diaries covering the
period from April 1938 to December 1943, translated into English for the first time by historian Robin Schafer. Written
during the fighting, these diaries not only offer an honest assessment of the war on the Eastern Front, but also provide an
insight into the mind of a young and highly politicized officer, and offer an intimate glimpse into the close-knit community
of a German Panzer crew.
A brutally honest, immediate and unfiltered personal account, Sander's translated diaries make for some uniquely
fascinating reading about some of the most important campaigns of the Second World War. Supported by more than 100
photographs and maps from the period, Blood, Dust & Snow will be of great interest not only to readers studying the war on
the Eastern Front, but also to any historian researching the Second World War.
Critique: An invaluable contribution to the growing library of German World War II accounts, "Blood, Dust and Snow:
Diaries of a Panzer Commander in Germany and on the Eastern Front" is a riveting read from beginning to end.
Impressively candid, detailed, and informative, "Blood, Dust and Snow" will have a very special appeal to readers with an
interest in the Eastern Front battlegrounds of World War II and has the highest possible recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library World War II Military History and Biography/Memoir collections. It should
be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Blood, Dust and Snow: Diaries of a Panzer Commander in Germany and on the Eastern Front" is also currently available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Editorial Note: Robin Schafer (https://robschaefer-historian.com) is a German military historian, writer and producer. He
has worked as historical advisor for British and international television programmes, including the BBC's The Great War
Interviews, Voices 16 - Somme, Last Heroes of the Somme and Channel 4's Battle of Britain: The Last of the Few. He is the
creator and former historical editor of Iron Cross Magazine and co-author of "Fritz and Tommy: Across the Barbed
Wire".
The Rorke's Drift Commanders: Gonville Bromhead and John Chard
James W. Bancroft
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399009966, $39.95, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rorkes-Drift-Commanders-Gonville-Bromhead/dp/1399009966
Synopsis: Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead and Lieutenant John Chard had fame thrust upon them, as did the place known as
Rorke's Drift, which before 1879 was an unknown homestead situated in the middle of the South African veld.
Although both men came from families whose various members were highly distinguished for their military service and for
their service to the church, they became reluctant heroes after being awarded Britain's highest decoration for valor, the
Victoria Cross.
During the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, a British invasion force was massacred at Isandlwana, after which a wing of the Zulu
army about 3,000 strong attacked the outpost at Rorke's Drift. Lieutenants Bromhead and Chard commanded the post, and
after supervising the construction of barricades they led their men in defensive actions throughout the night until the Zulus
lost heart and returned to their kraals. For their gallantry 'under most trying circumstances', both Bromhead and Chard, along
with nine of their comrades, were subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross.
In 1964 the defense of Rorke's Drift was brought back to public attention with the producing of the epic motion picture
Zulu! In this film, Chard was portrayed by Sir Stanley Baker, while Bromhead provided Sir Michael Caine with his first
starring role.
Bromhead and Chard epitomized the way of life of Victorian officers, with the exception that fate put them at Rorke's Drift.
They became major players in a battle which continues to excite interest and cause debate, and is unlikely ever to be
forgotten.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, three Appendices,
black/white images, a nine page listing of Research Sources, a seven page Bibliography, and a three page Index, "The
Rorke's Drift Commanders: Gonville Bromhead and John Chard" is an impressively researched work of meticulous
scholarship. Effectively organized and presented, "The Rorke's Drift Commanders: Gonville Bromhead and John Chard "
will prove to be a welcome addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library 19th Century British
Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military
history buffs, and non-specialist general readers that "The Rorke's Drift Commanders: Gonville Bromhead and John Chard"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.05).
Editorial Note: James Bancroft (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/James-W-Bancroft/a/3080) for over four decades has
been writing he has produced more than 100 books and articles, the subjects of which reflect his varied interests. He has
contributed a number of articles for The New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and his book Rorke's Drift: The
Zulu War, 1879 has been re-printed seven times.
Sharpshooter in the Crimea
Michael Springman
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399074483, $29.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sharpshooter-Crimea-Letters-CaptainGerald-Goodlake/dp/1399074482
Synopsis: Compiled and edited by author and historian Michael Springman, "Sharpshooter in the Crimea: The Letters of the
Captain Gerald Goodlake VC 1854-56" is a compendium of the letters home to his family that Gerald Goodlake wrote as a
young officer in the Coldstream Guards. Remarkable reading, they vividly describe the ill-preparedness of the British Army
and the dire conditions experienced by all ranks in the Crimea.
Goodlakes views on senior officers were frank to say the least! Most important, Goodlakes initiative and courage in
organizing and leading what were the Special Forces of their day were rewarded by the award of one of the first Victoria
Crosses -- with Goodlake serving in the Crimea from early 1854 to the end two years later.
Critique: Transcribed, edited and annotated by Michael Springman, "Sharpshooter in the Crimea: The Letters of the Captain
Gerald Goodlake VC 1854-56" provides a unique, informative, and fascinating perspective on the British forces engaged in
the Crimean conflict. While very highly recommended as a core addition to 19th Century British Military History
collections in general, and the Crimean War in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sharpshooter in
the Crimea: The Letters of the Captain Gerald Goodlake VC 1854-56" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781399074483, $29.95), and in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
(https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Michael-Springman/a/488)
Combat Divers
Michael G. Welham
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472856005, $40.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Divers-illustrated-history-Special/dp/1472856007
Synopsis: Combat divers are an elite within an elite. Every special forces combat diver is required to pass selection twice.
First into the elite military unit and then a combat diving qualification. The combat dive units themselves are tiny and the
operations highly classified. The role of a military diver is inevitably a lonely and a dangerous one, whether clearing mines
or striking from the sea against enemy-held targets.
Fully illustrated with rare and unusual images, with the publication of "Combat Divers: An illustrated history of Special
Forces divers ", Michael G. Welham reveals their little-known yet fascinating operations, from Dutch Special Forces combat
divers covertly operating against Somali pirates to the actions of Soviet Spetsnaz divers in Swedish territorial waters during
the Cold War. "Combat Divers" also examines how the most famous units, such as the US Navy SEALs and the Royal
Navy's SBS, are currently operating and adapting to threats in a multitude of theatres.
"Combat Divers" gives an insight into specialist kit and vehicles presently used and equipment that is being developed and
trialed throughout the world. Covering a variety of kit, from dry deck shelters to mini-submarines and swimmer delivery
vehicles, former Royal Marines Commando Michael G. Welham draws on his own extensive diving experience to reveal
exactly how this equipment is used by special forces dive teams. As their kit and equipment constantly evolve, so does the
nature of their work and even the team element.
"Combat Divers" also details the first female combat divers and includes their own first-hand accounts about their
groundbreaking roles within their respective units to create a fascinating history of these elite special forces operatives.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with both color and black/white photos, "Combat Divers: An illustrated history of
Special Forces divers" is an impressively informative, comprehensive, organized and presented study and one that is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Military History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and military buffs that
"Combat Divers: An illustrated history of Special Forces divers" is also readily available from Osprey Publishing in a digital
book format (Kindle, $21.49).
Editorial Note: Michael G. Welham is a former Royal Marines Commando (specialist skills: diving, canoeing and
parachuting), and subsequently a member of 21 SAS and Naval Gunfire Support 95 Commando RAR. He has some 40 years
of diving experience, both military and civilian. He is also the author of Combat Frogmen (with Lord Paddy Ashdown),
Naval Elite Units, Exploring the Deep, and Frogmen Spy.
The Cookbook Shelf
Knead Peace
Andrew Green
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781804191019, $29.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Knead-Peace-Ukraine-Recipes-support/dp/1804191019
Synopsis: Inspired by the resilient spirit of Anna Makievska and The Bakehouse, Kyiv, who have continued to bake day and
night throughout the Russian attacks on the people and infrastructure of Ukrain, "Knead Peace: Bake for Ukraine: Recipes
from the world's best bakers in support of Ukraine" is a unique collection of beautiful bakes in support of Ukraine.
Each recipe was donated by esteemed bakeries from across the globe. Included are sweet and savoury breads, indulgent
cakes and cookies, and delicious pies and tarts from Anna Makievska of The Bakehouse, Kyiv; Maxblach-Gentile of Tartine
Bakery; Richard Bertinet; Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovic of Honey & Company.; Vanessa Kimbell of The Sourdough
School; Alix Andre of Arome Bakery; Hellen Goh and Kitt Tait of The Orange Bakery; Yotam Otto Lenghi and Ixta
Belfrage.
Critique: Knead Peace, founded by Andrew Green, was born from the idea that baking is a community that has the power to
make a difference. Informative and beautifully illustrated with full color photographs, a simple pleasure to browse through
and plan menus with, "Knead Peace: Bake for Ukraine: Recipes from the world's best bakers in support of Ukraine" is
unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Andrew Green (https://www.jamesbeard.org/chef/andrew-green) has worked in some of the finest kitchens
in the UK and abroad, with a particular love of baking and patisserie. He spent the initial stage of his career working at a
range of venues and restaurants across London including the RAC club (where he was consequently offered employment
with Nobu London) and the City of London Club amongst others. He also completed work stages with many restaurants
including Gordon Ramsey's Royal Hospital Road (three Michelin stars), Nobu London (one Michelin star), He then moved
to South Africa for love and continued to build an impressive career, assisting the launch of an array of establishments as
head chef. He's also received many awards as head chef including 'Best Asian Restaurant' for Saigon Suzy in the National
Restaurant awards.
152 Non-Sad Lunches You Can Make in 5 Minutes
Alexander Hart
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922754073, $26.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/152-Non-Sad-Lunches-Make-Minutes/dp/1922754072
Synopsis: There are few things sadder than a just another ordinary and repetitious desk lunch. But who has the time or
endless inspiration to come up with fresh new ideas for a delicious noontime meal every day?
With the publication of "152 Non-sad Lunches You Can Make in 5 Minutes", cookbook author Alexander Hart will to put
to an end to the sad desk lunch. Packed from cover to cover with of delicious, healthy lunchbox ideas that can be put
together in just 5 minutes (many of which are vegetarian or vegan, gluten free and dairy free) there's no reason to eat a drab,
unhealthy, or expensive lunch again.
There is also 'real world practical' advice throughout on how to make bulk lunches for your week and how you might be able
to overhaul last night's leftovers into a great midday meal. You'll never be short of time or inspiration with this handy
cookbook that is specifically designed to be used daily!
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly, DIY five
minute-or-less-to-prepare recipes for lunches, "152 Non-Sad Lunches You Can Make in 5 Minutes" will prove to be an
immediately welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to personal, family, professional, and community library
cookbook collections.
Editorial Note" Alexander Hart (https://www.smithstreetbooks.com/book-author/alexander-hart) is a cook and food writer
based in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. He's been longtime believer that a healthy lunch leads to a healthy life. He has
previously authored Jar Salads, The 5-Minute Vegan Lunchbox, The 5-Minute Salad Lunchbox, and The 5-Minute
5-Ingredient Lunchbox, all published by Smith Street Books.
Fish for Dinner
Nathan Outlaw
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
http://www.kylebooks.com
9781914239809, $34.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fish-Dinner-Nathan-Outlaw/dp/1914239806
Synopsis: Chef Nathan Outlaw is in the process of rebranding and refocusing his Michelin-starred Cornwall restaurants to
offer a more affordable and relaxed approach to fine dining. This is driven by his increased interest in accessibility and
sustainability, and "Fish For Dinner" is his new collection of delicious fish dishes that will appeal to home cooks looking for
easy (and delicious) seafood recipes.
An informative introduction covers how to buy fish ethically, advice on equipment, tips for fish preparation and cooking
techniques, followed by a section on the best fish species for cooking. This is followed by recipes which are divided into
such chapters as: Flash in a Pan, One in the Oven, Steamed & Poached, Over the Coals, No Cook, Super Salads, Deep &
Crispy, In a Bowl and Snack. Of special note is a final section that offers sauce recipes, from Hollandaise to chilli
sauce.
Critique: Comprised of beautifully and profusely illustrated recipes that are especially 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization
and presentation, "Fish For Dinner" is an impressive compendium of seafood dishes that are as palate-pleasing and appetite
-satisfying, as they are nutritionally healthy and menu inspiring. A true seafood lover's delight, "Fish For Dinner" is highly
recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should also be noted that "Fish For
Dinner" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw (www.outlaws.co.uk ) trained with Rick Stein and now runs his own
two restaurants in Port Isaac, Cornwall. He appears regularly on Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu, and also featured
on Rick Stein's Cornwall TV series. He can be followed on Twitter at @nathanoutlaw
Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy
Toni Okamoto
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637742495, #26.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Budget-Quick-Easy-Freezer-Friendly/dp/1637742495
Synopsis: With the publication of "Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy: 100 Fast, Healthy, Meal-Prep, Freezer-Friendly,
and One-Pot Vegan Recipes ", blogger and cookbook author Toni Okamoto is back to make mealtime delicious, affordable,
and easier than ever a compendium of 100 vegan recipes for meal prep, one-pot and one-pan meals, make-ahead dishes,
sheet pan suppers, and more.
When we're crunched for time, cooking something healthy and tasty often falls off our to-do lists. But with a little planning
(and some smart recipes), eating well can fit into even the busiest lifestyle.
A follow-up to her popular first book, "Plant-Based on a Budget", in this new culinary compendium Toni turns her attention
to recipes that save you time and energy in the kitchen -- and, of course, save you money, too! In "Plant-Based on a Budget
Quick & Easy", Toni shares creative ways to cut down on active kitchen time without having to invest in a ton of expensive
equipment or resort to pricey premade foods.
If meal prep isn't your jam, never fear; Toni offers so much more. Chapters focus on time-saving strategies like make-ahead
meals, one-pot or one-pan dishes, sheet pan dishes and casseroles, 30-minute mains, and even simple desserts. Many recipes
can be made oil-free, and Toni offers plenty of adaptations for your Instant Pot and air fryer.
"Plant-Based on a Budget" offers kitchen cook friendly recipes ranging from Freezer-Friendly Pancakes and Waffles;
Weeknight Pasta; Spinach Alfredo; and Tater Tot Casserole, to One-Pot Veggie-Packed Potato Leek Soup; Sheet Pan
Ratatouille; Spicy Peanut Udon Noodles; and Mini Pizza Bagels, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark -- and more!
Critique: A profusely and beautifully illustrated collection of palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying, budget-conscious vegan
themed recipes, "Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy: 100 Fast, Healthy, Meal-Prep, Freezer-Friendly, and One-Pot
Vegan Recipes" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal, family, professional, and community
library Vegetarian/Vegan cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Toni Okamoto (https://www.toniokamoto.com) is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, the popular
website, food blog, and meal plan that shows you how to save dough by eating veggies. She is also the author of
Plant-Based on a Budget and The Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook. Plant-Based on a Budget has been featured in
Reader's Digest, US News and World Report, and more. Toni's also a regular presence on the FOX affiliate in Sacramento,
where she teaches viewers how to break their meat habit without breaking their budget.
Taste of Home: One Pot Favorites
Editorial Staff
Taste of Home
c/o Enthusiast Brand / Trusted Media Brand
PO Box 5294, Harlan, IA 51593-0794
https://www.tasteofhome.com
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781617658938, $24.99, Spiral Bound, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Favorites-meal-one/dp/1617658936
Synopsis: One-dish meals have been a dinnertime staple for years -- and today they're more popular than ever! That's why
the team at Taste of Home assembled 519 best-of-the-best recipes for their impressive new cookbook "One Pot
Favorites".
From Instant Pot meal-in-one dishes to complete dinners baked on a sheet pan, each of these hearty one-dish wonders are
absolutely time-stressed kitchen cook friendly. You will also find simmering Dutch oven specialties, cast-iron skillet
suppers, slow-cooker classics, satisfying stews and many more recipes, each offering the one-dish convenience today's
family cooks crave.
Critique: Replete with mouth-watering full color photographs of finished dishes, "Taste of Home One Pot Favorites: 519
Dutch Oven, Instant Pot(R), Sheet Pan and other meal-in-one lifesavers" is a foodie's delight to simply browse through one
delicious page at a time. Ideal for menu planning this culinary compendium will be a welcome and enduringly appreciated
contribution to personal, family, and community library 'family friendly' cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Taste
of Home One Pot Favorites: 519 Dutch Oven, Instant Pot(R), Sheet Pan and other meal-in-one lifesavers" is also available
in a paperback edition (9781621458937, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Taste Of Home: Make-Ahead Comfort Foods
Editorial Staff
Taste of Home
c/o Enthusiast Brand / Trusted Media Brand
PO Box 5294, Harlan, IA 51593-0794
https://www.tasteofhome.com
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458265, $17.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Ahead-Comfort-Foods/dp/1621458873
Synopsis: A tight schedule doesn't mean avoiding your favorite comfort foods. Simply make them ahead of time using the
recipes compiled by the experts at Taste of Home to be found in "Taste Of Home: Make-Ahead Comfort Foods: 200
Prep-Now Eat-Later Recipes", one of their newest cookbooks specifically designed to help you serve truly memorable meals
that your family will request most -- no matter how busy your household might be.
Take advantage of this beautifully illustrated culinary collections of breakfast bakes that set up in the fridge overnight,
savory meats that season themselves in an 8-hour marinade and slow-cooked classics that simmer to perfection while you're
working elsewhere. You will even find a Bonus Chapter, "Cook Once, Eat Twice" that includes a selection of serve
one/freeze one casseroles and shows you how to prepare one meal and turn the extras into a second dinner so delicious no
one will realize they're enjoying leftovers.
Critique: Of special note is the inclusion of At-a-Glance icons, serving suggestions and more, ensuring that "Taste of Home
Make Ahead Comfort Foods: 200 Prep-Now Eat-Later Recipes" is a favorite cookbook that will referred to for menu
planning by time stressed family cooks again and again. A true culinary treasure, "Taste of Home Make Ahead Comfort
Foods" is an especially recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should
be noted that "Taste of Home Make Ahead Comfort Foods" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Taste Of Home is a premier publisher of family cook friendly cookbooks:
(https://www.amazon.com/stores/Taste-of-Home/author/B00J24QD5G)
Easy Vegan Home Cooking
Laura Theodore
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578269259, $25.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Vegan-Home-Cooking-Plant-Based/dp/1578269253
Synopsis: Whether you are an accomplished vegan chef or just learning the craft of creating pleasing plant-based meals for
your family, it is essential to find recipes that are delicious and easy to prepare.
With the publication of "Easy Vegan Home Cooking: Over 125 Plant-Based and Gluten-Free Recipes for Wholesome
Family Meals", celebrity chef Laura Theodore shows you how by showcasing healthy recipes that require eight ingredients
or fewer, while focusing on bountiful breakfasts, light lunches, satisfying suppers, and delightful desserts.
"Easy Vegan Home Cooking" takes the guesswork out of eating healthier by sharing shopping lists, pantry "must-haves,"
quick cooking tips, flavor enhancers, and effective plant-based substitutions and is specifically designed to please vegans,
vegetarians, and omnivores alike.
Critique: Illustrated throughout with full color photography of finished dishes, "Easy Vegan Home Cooking: Over 125
Plant-Based and Gluten-Free Recipes for Wholesome Family Meals" is an impressive DIY source for creating memorable
menus -- even when stressed for time. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly" in organization and presentation, "Easy Vegan
Home Cooking" will prove to be an immediately welcome addition to personal, professional, family, and community library
Vegan/Vegetarian cook book collections. It should be noted that "Easy Vegan Home Cooking" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Laura Theodore (https://jazzyvegetarian.com/about-me) is a nationally recognized television personality,
podcast radio host, and celebrity PBS vegan chef. Laura is co-creator of the highly successful Jazzy Vegetarian cooking
series on national public television, and she is host of the Jazzy Vegetarian Podcast on Unity Online Radio. She is also an
award-winning cookbook author with such titles as Jazzy Vegetarian's Deliciously Vegan and Vegan for Everyone. Laura
has made guest appearances on The Talk on CBS, Insider/Entertainment Tonight, and the WCBS Radio Health Report. She
has been featured in the New York Times, New York Daily News, Mother Earth Living, VegNews, Family Circle, Readers
Digest, and PBS Food, among other highly respected news, food and lifestyle-related journals as well as been on the cover
of American Vegan.
The Social Food
Shirley Garrier, author/contributor
Mathieu Zouhairi, author/contributor
Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9780847872596, $40.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Food-Cooking-Inspired-Flavors/dp/0847872599
Synopsis: Discerning epicureans and dedicated foodies need look no further. With the publication of "The Social Food:
Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World" by culinary experts Shirley Garrier and Mathieu Zouhairi is the
must-have guide for anyone looking to master shopping for, preparing (and most importantly) enjoying good food.
"The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World" is inspired by their love for travel, their
contemporary approach to cooking is enhanced by ingredients and techniques brought back from their numerous
voyages,
Blending French, Japanese, Vietnamese, Italian, and Spanish culinary traditions, each recipe packs complex flavors while
requiring minimal effort using simple, everyday ingredients that anyone can source. With sandwiches, rice, soups, fish,
desserts, pasta, cocktails, and more, the dynamic plates radiate freshness and vibrancy.
Captured during the duo's travels, gorgeous images of ingredients and local food shops punctuate the dishes. From a sardine
banh mi and mushroom rigatoni to ramen with winter vegetables and a burnt cheesecake with dark chocolate and mezcal,
each plate is perfectly adapted for seasoned cooks and amateur home chefs alike.
This is the food that will guarantee "Wow, this is amazing!" at any and all dining occasions.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, ""The Social Food: Home Cooking
Inspired by the Flavors of the World" is a simple culinary pleasure to browse through and to create memorable menus with.
This distinctive compendium of palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes is a very special and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Shirley Garrier and Mathieu Zouhairi are the founders of The Social Food, a creative studio specializing in
food design, styling, and photography. Known for their immensely popular Instagram account, where they share recipes and
explore the world of cooking, they work in collaboration with the most acclaimed chefs and restaurants in Paris.
Taste Of Home: Farmhouse Entertaining Cookbook
Editorial Staff
Taste of Home
c/o Enthusiast Brand / Trusted Media Brand
PO Box 5294, Harlan, IA 51593-0794
https://www.tasteofhome.com
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458326, $26.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Farmhouse-Entertaining-Cookbook/dp/1621458326
Synopsis: Whether you live in the countryside or simply long to due so, with the publication of "Taste Of Home: Farmhouse
Entertaining Cookbook" you can now share your love of farmhouse foods with everyone on your invite list.
From down-home Thanksgiving dinners and heartwarming Christmas gatherings to old-fashioned Easter menus and
finger-licking barbecues perfect for Independence Day, "Taste Of Home: Farmhouse Entertaining Cookbook" is an ideal
source for planning menus, buffets and party-pleasers for any and all celebratory occasions.
There are also a culinary wealth of recipes for appropriate for Sunday dinners, chili cook-offs and other casual gatherings --
with each dish offering a very special touch of farmhouse appeal.
Of special note are the easy ideas for party decor, tables toppers and more, making "Taste Of Home: Farmhouse
Entertaining Cookbook" desirable as an instructive resource for today's hosts.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes, "Taste Of Home:
Farmhouse Entertaining Cookbook" is a superbly organized and presented compendium of palate-pleasing,
appetite-satisfying, home cook friendly recipes for creating truly memorable dining occasions with that 'Farm Fresh' feel.
While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Taste Of Home: Farmhouse Entertaining Cookbook"
is an excellent and recommended choice for family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections.
Very Good Salads
Louisa Allan, author
Shuki Rosenboim, author
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922417862,$29.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Very-Good-Salads-Middle-Eastern-Sharing/dp/1922417866
Synopsis: "Very Good Salads: Middle-Eastern Salads and Plates for Sharing" is a compendium of 52 elegant salad recipes,
compiled and showcased by Shuki Rosenboim and Louisa Allan, the owners of Very Good Falafel, a small falafel bar in
Melbourne, Australia. Their focus is on vegan salads, exceptional dips, soft pita and, of course, very good falafel -- all made
from local in-season ingredients.
Of special note is that "Very Good Salads" shares Shuki and Louisa's original, much-lauded falafel recipe for the first time,
along with their popular salads that change with the seasons. Making the very best of fresh produce, recipes include Iraqi
Jewish and Middle Eastern-focused salads that are as good on their own as they are stuffed into bread with a side of
tahini.
Each salad makes use of the whole vegetable, with classic and less-expected pairings such as watermelon salad with za'atar,
radish and fried pita; peaches, basil, and hazelnut; and grilled leek with pomegranate, walnuts, spring onion, mint, dill, and
lemon zest; as well as larger offerings such as silverbeet rice cake and stuffed tomatoes with saffron rice and dried mint. In
addition, the book shares recipes for traditional dips and the ultimate pita recipe that produces flawless bread to stuff or
served alongside share
Critique: A beautifully illustrated compendium of authentic, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes showcasing
Middle-Eastern cuisines, "Very Good Salads: Middle-Eastern Salads and Plates for Sharing" is a welcome and highly
recommended contribution to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: After years selling homemade dips, sauces, and falafels at farmers' markets around Victoria, Louisa Allan
and Shuki Rosenboim grew so popular that they set up a permanent shop on Melbourne's vibrant Sydney Road -- and
they've never looked back. Their small falafel bar has become a Melbourne institution. With a cult following and legendary
falafel status, Louisa and Shuki are two of the city's most popular food creators.
LEON Big Salads
Rebecca Seal
Conran
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781840918250, $24.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/LEON-Big-Salads-Rebecca-Seal/dp/184091825X
Synopsis: LEON was founded on the twin principles that food can both taste good and do you good. "LEON: Big Salads" is
the first book in their brand-new cookbook series by cookbook author and food journalist Rebecca Seal. "LEON: Big
Salads" is comprised of more than 100 novel ideas for hearty, healthy salads, ideal for any occasion.
From portable salads to bring to work to salad platters for leisurely weekend lunches, "LEON: Big Salads" is a brand-new
recipe collection from the brand behind the hugely successful LEON Happy Salads and proves that there can be so much
more to a salad than a few damp lettuce leaves.
The recipes range from: LEON Aioli Chicken Salad; Thai Crispy Duck and Pineapple Salad; and Honey and Harissa Roots
and Grains; to Halloumi Fries with Pomegranate and Fennel; Crab Cake Salad; Chipotle Seared Steak Salad; LEON
Rainbow Salad -- and so many more!
Critique: Each salad showcased in "LEON: Big Salads" is accompanied by a full page, full color photograph, a succinct
introductory commentary, prep time, ingredients, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions. The result is a culinary
reference that is ideal for menu planning and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal,
professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "LEON: Big Salads" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Rebecca Seal (https://www.rebeccaseal.co.uk) has written about food and drink for the Financial Times,
Evening Standard, the Observer, the Guardian, Red and The Sunday Times. Her cookbooks include Istanbul: Recipes from
the heart of Turkey and Lisbon: Recipes from the heart of Portugal, as well as co-authoring LEON Happy Soups, LEON
Happy One-pot Cooking, LEON Fast Vegan, LEON Happy Curries and LEON Happy Fast Food and LEON Happy Guts
with John Vincent.
Taste Of Home: 5 Ingredient Dinners
Editorial Staff
Taste of Home
c/o Enthusiast Brand / Trusted Media Brand
PO Box 5294, Harlan, IA 51593-0794
https://www.tasteofhome.com
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458852, $17.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Ingredient-Dinners-dinner/dp/1621458857
Synopsis: Today's home cooks are looking to make the most of their grocery budget and their time in the kitchen. Now, with
the publication of "Taste Of Home 5 Ingredient Dinners: Save Money & Time on Dinner" it is easier than ever for the
family cook to create palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes that everyone will appreciate -- and without having to spend
of money on a lot on expensive ingredients -- or spending hours on meal prep!
Comprised of 250 main-course recipes perfect for weeknight meals and weekend get-togethers alike, "5 Ingredient Dinners"
(the one of the newest 'kitchen cook friendly" cookbooks from Taste of Home) offers recipes for such classics such as meat
loaf, lasagna and barbecue. Of special note are the meal-in-one staples made on a sheet pan, in a Dutch oven or simmered in
a slow cooker.
Each of these one-dish dinners calls for 5 ingredients of fewer! There is even a clip-&-keep list of pantry staples, as well as
a 30-day meal planner that answers the popular "what's for dinner?" question. The bonus "Breakfast for Dinner" chapter is
sure to shake up mealtime routines!
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes, "Taste Of Home 5
Ingredient Dinners: Save Money & Time on Dinner" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, family, and community library cookbook collections. For the time-stressed and budget-limited, it should be
noted that "Taste Of Home 5 Ingredient Dinners: Save Money & Time on Dinner" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $11.99).
Taste Of Home: Recipe Makeovers
Editorial Staff
Taste of Home
c/o Enthusiast Brand / Trusted Media Brand
PO Box 5294, Harlan, IA 51593-0794
https://www.tasteofhome.com
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458265, $17.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Recipe-Makeovers-Lightened/dp/1621458261
Synopsis: Cutting back on fat, calories and carbs doesn't mean sacrificing flavor! With the publication of "Taste Of Home:
Recipe Makeovers" it is now easier than ever to enjoy piping-hot lasagnas, juicy burgers, lip-smacking mac & cheese, hearty
stews, finger-licking fried chicken and even mom's meatloaf -- all while keeping healthy-eating goals in check.
In these pages, the culinary professionals at the Taste of Home Test Kitchen have trimmed down all-time classic comfort
foods, turning them into heart-smart choices you'll be excited to serve. They also cut back the sugar and butter from cakes,
pies, brownies and other crowd-pleasing desserts. They have even created Bonus Chapters of satisfying and simply delicious
gluten-free and vegan dishes.
You will also find tips for lightening up your own recipes and step-by-step photos demonstrating insider cooking techniques
sure to lead you to success. Lose weight, get healthy and eat great! It's a snap with the light but hearty family-favorites found
in this all-new cookbook.
Critique: Profusely illustrated with full color food photography throughout, "Taste of Home Recipe Makeovers: Relish your
favorite comfort foods with fewer carbs and calories and less fat and salt" is a pleasure to plan palate-pleasing,
appetite-satisfying, budget-friendly, 'Waste Not, Want Not' meals for the family. While also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99), "Taste of Home Recipe Makeovers" is certain to be a popular contribution to personal, family, and
community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Taste of Home (www.tasteofhome.com) is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food,
cooking, baking and entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food
made with love. Taste of Home magazine has a circulation of 1.5 million and publishes top-selling cookbooks, bookazines
and newsstand specials.
Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!
Tristan Hogg, author
Jan Simon, illustrator
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781804190630, $26.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pieminister-Live-Eat-Pie-Sustainable/dp/1804190632
Synopsis: "Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!: Ethical & Sustainable Pie-Making" is a compendium of delicious pie recipes from
the award-winning Pieminister brand, including meat, fish, vegan and plant-based options. From unbeatable classics like
Chicken & Ham or Steak & Ale, to uniquely flavorful combinations such as Jackfruit Steak & Black Pepper, Tofu, Leek &
Smoked Garlic or Paneer, Potato & Chilli, "Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!" is a com-pie-lation that has something for
everyone.
"Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!" begins with easy-to-follow pastry recipes, including vegan and gluten-free options. Then
follow the pies themselves, each organized by type ranging from megapies to feed the family to indulgent personal pies, and
from simple traybakes to showstopping free-standing pies.
As well as sharing delicious pie recipes, "Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!" demystifies sustainable food, making it easy and
attainable. From fighting waste and finding truly deforestation-free fats for pastry-making to getting to grips with truly
sustainable packaging, "Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!" reveals all of the wisdom gained over the last ten years at
Pieminister.
Critique: A unique culinary compendium devoted the home baked pie in all its variations, "Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!:
Ethical & Sustainable Pie-Making" is useful, inspirational, and a pie lover's delight to simply browse through and plan
menus with. A welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to family, personal, professional, and community library
cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Pieminister Live & Eat Pie!: Ethical & Sustainable Pie-Making" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Pieminister (www.pieminister.co.uk) is a sustainable pie making business from Bristol, UK. Their
award-winning range includes plenty of plant-based and gluten-free recipes, and their business puts a major emphasis on
animal welfare and sustainably sourced ingredients. Pieminister was founded in 2003 by brothers-in-law Tristan Hogg and
Jon Simon, when they set up their shop in Bristol. Tristan made the pies and Jon ran the shop. Their exceptional pies meant
the brand grew swiftly, and now employs 300 people and runs 16 restaurants across the UK. However, the company retains
its family values and still makes all its pies in its Bristol shop. Instagram: @pieminister
The Complete Quinoa Cookbook
Catherine Gill
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578268832, $20.00, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Quinoa-Cookbook-Over-Recipes/dp/1578268834
Synopsis: Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for
its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many
grains. Quinoa is not a grass, but rather a pseudocereal botanically related to spinach and amaranth, and originated in the
Andean region of northwestern South America. It was first used to feed livestock 5,200 - 7,000 years ago, and for human
consumption 3,000 - 4,000 years ago in the Lake Titicaca basin of Peru and Bolivia. (Wikipedia)
Is there anything quinoa can't do? Whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner, and from appetizer to the dessert tray, this
versatile plant-based superfood truly does it all. Completely vegan, packed with protein, rich in fiber and perfect for any
kind of diet, quinoa is as easy to work into your day-to-day dining as it is to prepare.
Specifically designed to help family cooks to add this incredible grain to their home kitchen menus, "The Complete Quinoa
Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes - Perfect for Vegan & Plant-Based Diets" features such delicious dishes as: Chocolate
Strawberry Quinoa Breakfast Bowl; Quinoa Pancakes; Tangy Three Bean & Quinoa Salad; and Loaded Quinoa Nachos, to
Quinoa Beet & "Feta" Flatbread; Quinoa Baked Ziti Casserole; Quinoa Curry; Quinoa Pecan Pie, Apple Quinoa Strudel, and
so many more!
"The Complete Quinoa Cookbook" is an ideal culinary resource for anyone looking to eat healthier, live happier, and cook
easier. Requiring minimal prep for maximum enjoyment, the path to a better diet was never more clear.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes, "The Complete Quinoa
Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes - Perfect for Vegan & Plant-Based Diets" is a unique and specialized cookbook that will have
a very special appeal to vegetarians, vegans, and anyone else wanting to eat health with palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying,
and memorable meals. Highly recommended for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted that "The Complete Quinoa Cookbook" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Catherine Gill (https://www.thedirtyvegan.com) is a writer, blogger, and holistic vegan chef who specializes
in natural and health foods. She studied and found her passion in writing, literature, and social science in college. She runs
the popular blog The Dirty Vegan since 2010, focusing on comfort-food-style vegan recipes that are fun, accessible, and
healthy. She also ran Dirty Vegan Foods, a vegan bakery specializing in veganized versions of classic desserts. She has an
active social media presence with over 19K followers on twitter (@TheDirtyVegan).
Lune: Eating Croissants All Day, Every Day
Kate Reid
Hardie Grant
c/o Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781784885168, $40.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lune-Eating-Croissants-Every-Hardie/dp/1784885169
Synopsis: "Lune: Eating Croissants All Day, Every Day" by Kate Reid is the debut cookbook from Lune Croissanterie (a
world-renowned croissant bakery in Australia).
What makes "Lune: Eating Croissants All Day, Every Day" special and unique is how Kate Reid elevates croissant pastry
from a classic breakfast staple to a refined vehicle for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
With step-by-step techniques for rolling and shaping croissants, followed by recipes for every hour of the day, plus what to
do with leftovers and how to make a croissant a special occasion, "Lune: Eating Croissants All Day, Every Day" is the
ultimate guide to baking the world's best-loved pastry.
Editorial Note: A magnificently illustrated coffee-table style volume (8.8 x 1.2 x 11.45 inches, 1.15 pounds), "Lune: Eating
Croissants All Day, Every Day" is a appetite arousing, mouth-watering delight to browse through one inspiring page at a
time. A very special and one-of-a-kind collection of culinary masterpieces based on the croissant, "Lune: Eating Croissants
All Day, Every Day" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
It should be noted for Pacific Rim and Pastry Baking enthusiasts that "Lune: Eating Croissants All Day, Every Day" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Kate Reid, found her culinary niche in pastry. After working in the cafes and bakeries of Melbourne and a
stint in the boulangeries of Paris, she knew that she wanted to create something perennially popular, and take her skills to a
new level, and so, Lune Croissanterie was born. Since opening Lune in 2012, it has amassed a cult, global following, with
celebrity devotees (see below) and an Instagram following of 177k. It's gone from a two-person team (Kate and her brother
Cameron) to a two-site bakery with queues around the block from dawn and the 'Lune Lab', where Kate and her 70-strong
team develop daily changing recipes for everything from takeaway breakfasts to evening tasting menus of croissants.
The Biography Shelf
Queen Elizabeth I: Life and Legacy of the Virgin Queen
Paul Kendall
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399018357, $49.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Elizabeth-Life-Legacy-Virgin/dp/1399018353
Synopsis: The forty-four-year reign of Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and the last Tudor monarch, was considered a
golden age. It saw the emergence of the great playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, while the
exploits of Sir Francis Drake and other 'sea-dogs' helped establish England's position among the great maritime powers.
With the publication of "Queen Elizabeth I: Life and Legacy of the Virgin Queen", historian and biographer Paul Kendall
looks at Elizabeth's life through some of the many artifacts, buildings, documents and institutions that survive to this day.
From the execution of her mother, Ann Boleyn, when she was just two-and-a-half-years-old, to her imprisonment on
suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels, Elizabeth's early life was a turbulent one, but her accession to the throne ushered
in a period of stability.
During her reign, England's wealth and prestige grew through her patronage of seafaring privateers such as Drake, John
Hawkins and Walter Raleigh. She encouraged the exploration and colonization of North America, marking the birth of the
British Empire and the establishment of British trade routes. Elizabeth was responsible for expanding the English Navy, its
defeat of the Spanish Armada being considered one of England's greatest military victories.
In this magnificently illustrated volume we see her birthplace at Greenwich Palace, her childhood homes, her prison in the
Tower of London, the palaces she lived in, ruins of stately homes she visited, such as Gorhambury House, Kenilworth
House, Upnor Castle and the Elizabethan town walls at Berwick, the many fortifications built during her reign to defend her
realm, through to her final resting place in Westminster Abbey.
Also found in this fascinating study are books that she presented to her father and step-mother, Katherine Parr, with the
binding embroidered by Elizabeth, her clothes, letters she wrote in her own hand, her coronation chair, her coat of arms
asserting her title as Governor of the Church of England and her signature signing the death warrant of her cousin, the 4th
Duke of Norfolk. This book is not just a journey back in time to the reign of Elizabeth I, but also a tour across the country to
visit the sites which still evoke that golden era of the Virgin Queen.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, a seven page
Bibliography, and a four page Index, "Queen Elizabeth I: Life and Legacy of the Virgin Queen" is an impressive
contribution to the study of Elizabethan England in general, and Quen Elizabeth I in particular. Particularly and strongly
recommended for community, college, and university library Historical English Royalty Biography collections, it should be
noted for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the life and times of Queen
Elizabeth I that "Queen Elizabeth I: Life and Legacy of the Virgin Queen" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$22.49).
Editorial Note: Educated at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, where he also served as an Honorary
Midshipman with the University of London Royal Naval Unit, Paul Kendall (https://www.paul-kendall.co.uk) is a military
historian and author from Kent specializing in the First World War.
The Scintillating Life of Iulia Hasdeu
Constantin Manolache, author
Diana Livesay, translator
Center for Romanian Studies
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592111695, $29.99, HC, 386pp
https://www.amazon.com/Scintillating-Life-Iulia-Hasdeu/dp/1592111696
Synopsis: Ably translated into English by Diana Livesay, with the publication of "The Scintillating Life of Iulia Hasdeu",
biographer Constantin Manolache presents the life and literary works of the Romanian child genius of the 19th century.
Iulia Hasdeu (14 November 1869 - 29 September 1888) was the daughter of Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, one of the greatest
literary and political figures in modern Romanian history. Iulia started reading at two years old and she wrote her first
historical study at the age of six. At eight years old she was fluent in French, German, and English. She graduated from the
Bucharest Conservatory at eleven with excellent accomplishments in piano and canto, after which she left for Paris and
started studying at Sevigne College. She was the first Romanian woman to be accepted at Sorbonne University.
During her short life, before she was ultimately taken by an incurable illness, Iulia wrote countless poems, short stories, and
plays. Her drawings and her letters also survived the passing of time, allowing us a glimpse into her tragic childhood and
adolescence, her emotions, and her most intimate thoughts. "The Scintillating Life of Iulia Hasdeu" is a premiere
introduction of a remarkably gifted Romanian woman for international readers.
Critique: In addition to being an informative and well written biography, "The Scintillating Life of Iulia Hasdeu" contains
English translations for many of her works and letters making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, college, and university library Literary Biography & Poetry collections. It should be
noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Scintillating Life of
Iulia Hasdeu" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note #1: Constantin Manolache (14 February 1883 - 21 January 1954) was a military prosecutor, chief of military
justice, and professor at the University of Bucharest. (https://generals.dk/general/Manolache/Constantin/Romania.html)
Editorial Note #2: Diana Livesay is a journalist translator from Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
(https://ro.linkedin.com/in/diana-livesay-2187b319b)
From the Battlefield to the Stage
Norman S. Poser
McGill-Queen's University Press
www.mqup.ca
9780228014539, $37.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Battlefield-Stage-Lives-General-Burgoyne/dp/0228014530
Synopsis: Primarily known today chiefly for his surrender to the American forces at Saratoga, New York, in 1777, General
John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 - 4 August 1792) was one of the most interesting and extraordinary figures of the
eighteenth century.
With the publication of "From the Battlefield to the Stage: The Many Lives of General John Burgoyne" Norman Poser
(Professor Emeritus at Brooklyn Law School and the author of "Lord Mansfield: Justice in the Age of Reason") provides a
rounded biography, covering not only the Saratoga campaign but also elements of Burgoyne's eventful life that have never
been adequately explored.
At the age of twenty-eight, Burgoyne eloped with Charlotte Stanley, the daughter of the immensely wealthy and influential
Earl of Derby. Though initially furious, the earl, convinced of the young officer's good character, eventually forgave the
couple, and the Stanley family became a major influence in Burgoyne's life and career.
He was a socialite, welcome in London's fashionable drawing rooms, a high-stakes gambler in its elite clubs, and a
playwright whose social comedies were successfully performed on the London stage. As a member of Parliament for thirty
years, Burgoyne supported the rule of law, fought the corruption of the East India Company, and advocated religious
tolerance.
"From the Battlefield to the Stage" paints a vivid portrait of General John Burgoyne, remembering him not only for his role
in one of Britain's worst military disasters but also as a brave, talented, humane man.
Critique: An impressive work of definitively informative scholarship, "From the Battlefield to the Stage: The Many Lives of
General John Burgoyne" is exceptionally well researched, organized and presented, making it an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to community, college, and university library 18th Century Biography collections. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "From the Battlefield to the Stage" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $36.05).
To Tell the Truth: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent
Lewis M. Simons
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781538173169, $35.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tell-Truth-Life-Foreign-Correspondent/dp/1538173166
Synopsis: With the publication of "To Tell the Truth: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent", Pulitzer Prize winning reporter
Lewis M. Simons's recollects his 50 years as a foreign correspondent, one whose powerful stories contributed to
transforming Asia from Vietnam War-era basket case to a global boomtown that today rivals the United States.
Simons's investigative work led to the toppling of a dictator in the Philippines. He covered the Tiananmen Square massacre
in China, bloody coups in Thailand, attempted genocide and societal collapse in Cambodia, and economic advance, decline
and rebirth in Japan. He was expelled from India for his exclusive reporting on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's political
misuse of the armed forces. Breaking his own strict rule against becoming personally involved with people whose stories he
covered, he saved the life of a dying teenaged Tibetan Buddhist monk.
Simons molds the narrative of his lengthy, action-packed career from foxhole mud and backroom dirt. Layered with
moments of tenderness and humor, as his camp-following family often accompanies him, the result is a masterful chronicle
of war and murder; extreme poverty and suffering alongside repellent wealth and indulgence; wholesale larceny and
ruling-class corruption -- much of which escaped the scrutiny of other journalists. Readers who appreciate real-life historic
drama will be enthralled.
Critique: A skillfully written, organized and presented memoir that will be of special appeal to readers with an interest in
journalism, "To Tell the Truth: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent" is an impressively informative and
persona/professional account of the career and adventures of a war correspondent and a journalist investigating corruption
and the tensions between the wealthy and the poor in various hot spots around the world. An informative and fascinating
read, "To Tell the Truth: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent" will prove a welcome addition to community, college, and
university library American Biography and Journalism Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists of
journalism students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "To Tell the Truth: My
Life as a Foreign Correspondent" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.00).
Editorial Note: Lewis M. Simons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Simons) is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning
correspondent on foreign affairs throughout Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
My Three Dads: Patriarchy on the Great Plains
Jessa Crispin
University of Chicago Press
1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
www.press.uchicago.edu
9780226820101, $19.00, PB, 236pp
https://www.amazon.com/My-Three-Dads-Patriarchy-Plains/dp/0226820106
Synopsis: For many Americans, Kansas represents a vision of Midwestern life that is good and wholesome and evokes the
American ideals of god, home, and country. But for those like Jessa Crispin who have grown up in Kansas, the realities are
much harsher. She argues that the Midwestern values we cling to cover up a long history of oppression and control over
Native Americans, women, and the economically disadvantaged.
Blending personal narrative with social commentary, with the publication of "My Three Dads: Patriarchy on the Great
Plains" Crispin meditates on why the American Midwest still enjoys an esteemed position in our country's mythic
self-image. Ranging from The Wizard of Oz to race, from chastity to rape, from radical militias and recent terrorist plots to
Utopian communities, "My Three Dads" opens on a comic scene in a Kansas rent house the author shares with a (masculine)
ghost. This prompts Crispin to think about her intellectual fathers, her spiritual fathers, and her literal fathers. She is curious
to understand what she has learned from them and what she needs to unlearn about how a person should be in a family, as a
citizen, and as a child of god -- ideals, Crispin argues, that have been established and reproduced in service to hierarchy,
oppression, and wealth.
Written in Crispin's well-honed voice (smart, assured, comfortable with darkness) "My Three Dads" offers a kind of bleak
redemption, the insight that no matter where you go, no matter how far from home you roam, the place you came from is
always with you, "like it or not."
Critique: A fascinating and compelling memoir laced throughout with keen social commentary and thought-provoking
analysis, "My Three Dads: Patriarchy on the Great Plains" is an extraordinary and memorable read that is unreservedly
recommended for community and academic library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "My Three Dads: Patriarchy on the Great Plains" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.05).
Editorial Note: Jessa Crispin (http://www.jessacrispin.com) is also the author of Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist
Manifesto and The Dead Ladies Project, the latter also published by the University of Chicago Press. She has written for the
New York Times, Guardian, and Spectator, among other publications.
Frank & Marilyn
Edward Z. Epstein
Post Hill Press
www.posthillpress.com
9781637585863, $30.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Marilyn-Fascinating-Relationship-Sinatra/dp/1637585861
Synopsis: Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe, with the publication of "Frank & Marilyn: The Lives, the Loves, and the
Fascinating Relationship of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe", celebrity biographer Edward Z. Epstein brings together for
the first time these two all-American icons. Their friendship and on-and-off intimate relationship, kept secret because of
powerful others in their lives, spanned seven tumultuous years. At one point, he even proposed marriage.
"Frank & Marilyn" follows Sinatra and Monroe from one explosive relationship to another, their marriages and love affairs
eventually leading to a tangled relationship with each other, sparking a nasty rivalry between Frank and Marilyn's
ex-husband (and one-time friend of Frank), Joe DiMaggio.
Frank and Marilyn's ultimately disastrous relationship with John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert, and their often ruthless
family was a fatal move for Marilyn. Her death remains a controversial topic to the present day.
Dedicated biographer and entertainment world insider Edward Z. Epstein has spoken with many people who were familiar
with the pair, all of whom talked about the Frank and Marilyn they knew -- and the dangers they faced. This is a fascinating,
largely untold story that's usually glossed over -- but not with "Frank & Marilyn: The Lives, the Loves, and the Fascinating
Relationship of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe".
Critique: Exhaustively researched, exceptionally well written, impressively informative, organized and presented, "Frank &
Marilyn: The Lives, the Loves, and the Fascinating Relationship of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe" is a fully compelling
and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover. While unreservedly recommended for community library biography
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe fans that
"Frank & Marily" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Edward Z. Epstein (https://www.edwardzepstein.com) was formerly a long-time media contact for
MCA/Universal Pictures in New York. He is the author or co-author of nineteen books, most recently Audrey and Bill: A
Romantic Biography of Audrey Hepburn and William Holden, currently under option for a film. Other books include Paul
and Joanne, a biography of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and the original full-scale biography of Clara Bow, The
"It" Girl: The Incredible Story of Clara Bow. Mia, his biography of Mia Farrow, was the basis for a two-part Fox miniseries.
He has written articles on Ava Gardner and Natalie Wood for Cosmopolitan magazine, and, a former figure skating
champion, he writes regularly for The ITNY (Ice Theatre of New York) Benefit Journal, and is a recipient of the
organization's Ice Angel Award.
Playing the Long Game: A Memoir
Christine Sinclair, author
Stephen Brunt, author
Random House Canada
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca
9781039004603, $25.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Long-Game-Christine-Sinclair/dp/1039004601
Synopsis: Christine Sinclair is one of the world's most respected and admired athletes. Not only is she the player who has
scored the most goals on the international soccer stage, male or female, but more than two decades into her career, she is the
heart of any team she plays on, the captain of both Canada's national team and the top-ranked Portland Thorns FC in the
National Women's Soccer League.
Working with sportswriter Stephen Brunt (who has followed her career for decades), with the publication of "Playing the
Long Game: A Memoir", the intensely private Sinclair shares her reflections on the significant moments and turning points
in her life and career, the big wins and losses survived, not only on the pitch. Her extraordinary journey, combined with her
candour, commitment and decency, will inspire and empower her fans and admirers, and girls and women everywhere.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Playing the Long Game: A Memoir" is an extraordinary
memoir that will prove of immense interest to her legions of ans and anyone else on the subject of soccer. While available
for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Playing the Long Game: A Memoir" is an especially
and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Sports Biography/Memoir collections.
Editorial Note: Stephen Brunt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Brunt) is an award-winning writer and broadcaster
with Rogers Sportsnet and the author of many bestselling books including Facing Ali, Searching for Bobby Orr and
Gretzky's Tears. Two of his most recent books are Jordin Tootoo's All the Way and the hockey memoir from Brian Burke,
Burke's Law, which became a #1 bestseller. He is the co-founder and artistic director of the Writers at Woody Point
festival.
The General Fiction Shelf
Terra Nova
Henriette Lazaridis
Pegasus Books
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781639362424, $25.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Terra-Nova-Novel-Henriette-Lazaridis/dp/1639362428
Synopsis: "Terra Nova" by novelist Henriette Lazaridis is set in the year 1910, and tells the story of two Antarctic explorers,
Watts and Heywoud who are racing to the South Pole, while back in London, Viola, a photo-journalist, harbors love for
them both.
Though anxious for both men, Viola has little time to pine. She is photographing hunger strikers in the suffrage movement,
capturing the female nude in challenging and politically powerful ways. As she comes into her own as an artist, she's eager
for recognition and to fulfill her ambitions. And then the men return, eager to share news of their triumph.
But in her darkroom, Viola discovers a lie. Watts and Heywoud have doctored their photos of the Pole to fake their success.
Viola must now decide whether to betray her husband and her lover, or keep their secret and use their fame to help her
pursue her artistic ambitions.
Critique: "Terra Nova" clearly reveals how Henriette Lazaridis seamlessly ushers the reader back and forth between the
austere, forbidding, yet intoxicating polar landscape of Antarctica to the bustle of early twentieth century London. Deftly
scripted with memorable characters and unexpected plot twists, "Terra Nova" is one of those novels that challenges its
readers to consider how 'love and lies, adventure and art' can intersect. While also available for personal reading lists in a
digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "Terra Nova" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library
Literary Fiction collections and will prove to have an exceptional appeal to readers with an interest in 20th Century women's
adventure stories.
Editorial Note: Henriette Lazaridis (www.henriettelazaridis.com) is the author of The Clover House. Her short work has
appeared in ELLE, The New York Times, New England Review, The Millions, Pangyrus, and more. She has earned a
Massachusetts Cultural Council Artists Grant. She is a graduate of Middlebury College, Oxford University, where she was a
Rhodes Scholar, and the University of Pennsylvania. Having taught English at Harvard, she now teaches at GrubStreet in
Boston. She founded The Drum Literary Magazine and currently runs the Krouna Writing Workshop in northern Greece.
She also writes the Substack newsletter The Entropy Hotel (www.henriettelazaridis.substack.com).
The Sweet Spot
Amy Poeppel
Emily Bestler Books
c/o Atria Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas. New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781982176464, $27.99, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Spot-Novel-Amy-Poeppel/dp/1982176466
Synopsis: In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby (belonging to exactly
none of them) lands on their collective doorstep.
Lauren and her family have been granted the use of a spectacular brownstone, teeming with history and dizzyingly
unattractive 70s wallpaper. Adding to the home's bohemian, grungy splendor is the bar occupying the basement, a (mostly)
beloved dive called The Sweet Spot. Within days of moving in, Lauren discovers that she has already made an enemy in the
neighborhood by inadvertently sparking the divorce of a couple she has never actually met.
Melinda's husband of thirty years has dumped her for a young celebrity entrepreneur named Felicity, and, to Melinda's
horror, the lovebirds are soon to become parents. In her incandescent rage, Melinda wreaks havoc wherever she can,
including in Felicity's Soho boutique, where she has a fit of epic proportions, which happens to be caught on film.
Olivia (an industrious twenty-something behind the counter, who has big dreams and bigger debts) gets caught in the
crossfire. In an effort to diffuse Melinda's temper, Olivia has a tantrum of her own and gets unceremoniously canned, thanks
to TikTok.
When Melinda's ex follows his lover across the country, leaving their squalling baby behind, the three women rise to the
occasion in order to forgive, to forget, to Ferberize, and to track down the wayward parents. But can their little village find a
way toward the happily ever afters they all desire? Welcome to The Sweet Spot!
Critique: A fun, original and impressively well crafted novel by a writer with an exceptional flair for creating memorable
characters and inherently fascinating plots, "The Sweet Spot" by novelist Amy Poeppel is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. With a special appeal to readers
with an interest in novels about women's friendships, domestic life, and odd-ball families, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Sweet Spot" is also available in a paperback edition (9781982176457, $17.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Amy Poeppel (www.AmyPoeppel.com) is the author of the novels Musical Chairs, Limelight, and Small
Admissions. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Literary Hub, and Working Mother. She can
be followed on Twitter or Instagram: @AmyPoeppel
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Within These Walls of Sorrow
Amanda Barratt
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825447013, $17.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Within-These-Walls-Sorrow-Poland/dp/0825447011
Synopsis: Zosia Lewandowska knows the brutal realities of war all too well. Within weeks of Germany's invasion of her
Polish homeland, she lost the man she loves. As ghetto walls rise and the occupiers tighten their grip on the city of Krakow,
Zosia joins pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff in the heart of the Krakow ghetto as they risk their lives to aid the
Jewish people trapped by Nazi oppression.
Hania Silverman's carefree girlhood is shattered as her own family is forced into the ghetto. Struggling to survive in a world
hemmed in by walls and rife with cruelty and despair, she encounters Zosia, her former neighbor, at the pharmacy. As
deportations winnow the ghetto's population and snatch those she holds dear, Hania's natural resiliency is exhausted by
reality.
Zodia and Hania's lives intertwine as they face the griefs and fears thrust upon them by war, until one day, they are forced to
make a desperate choice -- one that will inexorably bind them together, even as they are torn apart.
Critique: Set in World War II Poland, with the publication of "Within These Walls of Sorrow", novelist Amanda Barratt's
meticulous research and lush, award-winning writing result in an emotionally moving story about a group of unsung heroes
who fought for hope and humanity in the most harrowing of times. A timely reminder of the evils of Nazism in view of the
rising presence of authoritarianism in America over the past few years, "Within These Walls of Sorrow" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Historical Fiction collections. With a special appeal to
readers with an interest in World War II and the Holocaust, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Within These
Walls of Sorrow" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Amanda Barratt (www.amandabarratt.net) is the Christy Award-winning, ECPA best-selling author of
several novels and novellas, including My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Lost Love. She is also a
member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a two-time FHL Reader's Choice Award finalist.
In the Shadow of a Queen
Heather B. Moore
Shadow Mountain Publishing
P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0178
www.shadowmountain.com
9781639930500, $26.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Queen-Heather-B-Moore/dp/1639930507
Synopsis: Princess Louise's life is upended after her father's untimely death. Captive to the queen's overwhelming mourning,
Louise is forbidden to leave her mother's tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the position of personal
secretary to her mother -- the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.
Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen's wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as
unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day's political matters, including championing the career of a
female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to
finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.
Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria, but finding a match for the princess is no
easy feat. Protocols are broken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded husband who will
support her free spirit.
"In the Shadow of a Queen" is the story of a battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life
beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown's reputation unsullied no matter the cost.
Critique: While a deftly crafted work of fiction, it should be noted that "In the Shadow of a Queen" is based upon real
people and true historical events. An inherently fascination and fully engaging read with fully realized characters and
unexpected plot twists, "In the Shadow of a Queen" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to community
library Historical Fiction collections. For the personal reading lists of those with an interest in the Queen Victoria era, it
should be noted that "In the Shadow of a Queen" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212014359, $31.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Heather B. Moore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_B._Moore) is the author of more than seventy
publications, including The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United
States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American Collage in Egypt and the Anglican School of
Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.
Phaedra
Laura Shepplerson
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9781639101535, $17.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Phaedra-Novel-Laura-Shepperson/dp/1639101535
Synopsis: Phaedra has been cast to the side all her life: daughter of an adulteress, sister of a monster, and now unwilling
bride to the much-older, power-hungry Theseus. Young, naive, and idealistic, she has accepted her lot in life, resigned to
existing under the sinister weight of Theseus's control and the constant watchful eye of her handsome stepson
Hippolytus.
When supposedly pious Hippolytus assaults her, Phaedra's world is darkened in the face of untouchable, prideful power. In
the face of injustice, Phaedra refuses to remain quiet any longer: such an awful truth demands to be brought to light. When
Phaedra publicly accuses Hippolytus of rape, she sparks an overdue reckoning.
The men of Athens gather to determine the truth. Meanwhile, the women of the city, who have no vote, are gathering in the
shadows. The women know truth is a slippery thing in the hands of men. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has
gone unheard. -- Until now.
Timely, unflinching, and transportive, Laura Shepperson's novel "Phaedra" carves open long-accepted wounds to give voice
to one of the most maligned figures of mythology and offers a stunning story of how truth bends under the weight of
patriarchy but can be broken open by the force of one woman's bravery.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Phaedra" is author Laura Shepperson's debut as a novelist, this
historical work of exceptional fiction will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in Greek folklore, legends and
myths. A fascinating, entertaining, and thought-provoking read from cover to cover, "Phaedra" is unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Ancient History based fiction collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Phaedra" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Shepperson (https://laurashepperson.com/aboutme.html) has been fascinated by myths and myth
retellings since studying Classical Studies at university, and her current novel updates the story of Phaedra, sister of the
Minotaur. In 2017 she was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Prize for Fiction. Laura holds a Master of Studies in Creative
Writing from the University of Cambridge.
The Mitford Affair
Marie Benedict
Sourcebooks Landmark
c/o Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
www.sourcebooks.com
9781728229362, $27.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mitford-Affair-Novel-Marie-Benedict/dp/1728229367
Synopsis: Between the two World Wars, the six Mitford sisters (each more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next)
dominate the English political, literary, and social scenes. Though they've weathered scandals before, the family falls into
disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister's lead all the way to
Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress.
As the Nazis rise in power, novelist Nancy Mitford grows suspicious of her sisters' constant visits to Germany and the
high-ranking fascist company they keep. When she overhears alarming conversations and uncovers disquieting documents,
Nancy must make excruciating choices as Great Britain goes to war with Germany.
Probing the torrid political climate in the lead-up to World War II and the ways that seemingly sensible people can be
sucked into radical action, "The Mitford Affair" follows Nancy's valiant efforts to stop the Nazis from taking over Great
Britain, and the complicated choices she must make between the personal and the political.
Critique: A fun and absorbing read from cover to cover, "The Mitford Affair" showcases author Marie Benedict's genuine
and impressive flair for originality, memorably crafted characters, and the kind of narrative storytelling style that keeps her
readers total and rapt attention from beginning to end. While unreservedly recommended for community library General
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Mitford Affair" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781728282091, $16.99), and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.54).
Editorial Note: Marie Benedict (https://www.authormariebenedict.com) is a lawyer with more than ten years' experience as
a litigator at two of the country's premier law firms and for Fortune 500 companies. She is a magna cum laude graduate of
Boston College with a focus in history and art history and a cum laude graduate of the Boston University School of Law.
Marie, the author of The Other Einstein, Carnegie's Maid, The Only Woman in the Room, and Lady Clementine, views
herself as an archaeologist of sorts, telling the untold stories of women.
A Woman of Valor
Fred Skolnik
Addison & Highsmith Publishers
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592111435, $34.99, HC, 650pp
https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Valor-Fred-Skolnik/dp/1592111432
Synopsis: "A Woman of Valor" by Fred Skolnik is a monumental family saga that is in effect a history of the Jews in the
twentieth century.
"A Woman of Valor" centers around a heroine who grows up in Bialystok, survives the Holocaust fighting in the
Underground, and rebuilds her family in Israel. This is a unique and profoundly moving story.
Rarely has ordinary family life been depicted with such verisimilitude, and certainly not in the shadow of an horrendous war
of Jewish extermination. The triumph of the Lefkovitzes is not only the triumph of a family. It is also the triumph of a
nation.
Critique: A massive, detailed, and engaging saga of a novel, "A Woman Of Valor" by author Fred Skolnik is a deftly crafted
and extensive work of literary fiction that will be of special interest to readers with an appreciation of complex, compelling,
and narrative driven storytelling. While a valued and recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community
and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted that "A Woman Of Valor" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Fred Skolnik (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Skolnik) was born in New York City and lives in Israel.
He attended the City College of New York and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, working over the years as an editor and
translator and at various times operating a farm, managing a hotel, and serving as financial comptroller of a textile firm. He
is the author of six previous novels.
The Sound of Light
Sarah Sundin
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800742591, $29.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Light-Sarah-Sundin/dp/0800742591
Synopsis: When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming
a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.
American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research -- her life's dream. While
printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement's legendary Havmand (the merman) and wonders if the
mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.
When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech
-- or in silence.
Critique. With the publication of "The Sound of Light", Sarah Sundin (Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII
novels) offers pens still another riveting story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith,
fortitude, and hope for a brighter future. Highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library World War
II fiction and Historical Christian Romance collections, it should be noted that "The Sound of Light" is also available in a
paperback edition (9780800736385, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah Sundin (https://www.sarahsundin.com) is the author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in
Paris, and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award
winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and have
appeared on Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years".
The Literary Fiction Shelf
A Bach Concert
Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu, author
Olga Rogozenco, illustrator
Gabi Reigh, translator
Center for Romanian Studies
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592111701, $29.99, HC, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Concert-Classics-Romanian-Literature/dp/159211170X
Synopsis: One of the first successful novels written by a female author in Romania, Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu's "A Bach
Concert" remains a classic work of Romanian literature. Originally published in 1927 in Romanian, the novel follows the
life of the Hallipa family. The main plot revolves around a Bach concert organized by Elena Hallipa-Draganescu for the elite
society of Bucharest. It's a story of high society intrigue, family tragedy, East European urban life after World War I, and
culture. Published for the first time in English, Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu's realistic novel will delight its readers with
stories of this long-forgotten era.
Critique: Featuring illustrations by Olga Rogozenco and ably translated into English by Gabi Reigh, "A Bach Concert" by
Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu will prove to be of particular appeal to readers with an interest in World War I historical
romance fiction. A 'time lost' classic that is now brought back into print for a new generation of appreciative readers, "A
Bach Concert" is highly recommended for community and academic library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted
that "A Bach Concert" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu was born in 1876 in Galati, Romania. After her marriage with General
Nicolae Papadat at only 20 years old, her literary career was stalled because of frequent military relocations and the need to
care for her three children. She started publishing stories in literary magazines and in 1919 she published her first novel.
Unfortunately, after a long life filled with literary accomplishments and collaborations, she died forgotten by her friends and
former colleagues at the age of 79.
Editorial Note #2: Gabi Reigh won the Stephen Spender Prize for poetry translation in 2017, which inspired her to translate
more Romanian literature. As part of her Interbellum Series project, she has translated interwar novels, poetry, and drama by
Lucian Blaga, Liviu Rebreanu, and Mihail Sebastian, including The Town with Acacia Trees, which received a PEN
Translates award. She has also translated of The Illuminated Burrow by Max Blecher (2022).
Editorial Note #3: Olga Rogozenco is a talented young artist from the Republic of Moldova.
The Last Pomegranate Tree
Bachtyar Ali, author
Kareem Abdulrahman, translator
Archipelago Books
232 Third Street #A111, Brooklyn, NY 11215
https://archipelagobooks.org
9781953861405, $24.00, PB, 321pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Pomegranate-Tree-Ali-Bachtyar/dp/1953861407
Synopsis: "Whenever he told lies, the birds would fly away. It had been that way since he was a child. Whenever he told a
lie, something strange would happen."
So begins Bachtyar Ali's novel "The Last Pomegranate", a phantasmagoric warren of fact, fabrication, and mystical allegory,
set in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's rule and Iraq's Kurdish conflict.
Muzafar-i Subhdam, a peshmerga fighter, has spent the last twenty-one years imprisoned in a desert yearning for his son,
Saryas, who was only a few days old when Muzafar was captured. Upon his release, Muzafar begins a frantic search, only to
learn that Saryas was one of three identical boys who became enmeshed in each other's lives as war mutilated the
region.
An inlet to the recesses of a terrifying historical moment, and a philosophical journey of formidable depths, "The Last
Pomegranate" interrogates the origins and reverberations of atrocity while also probing, with a graceful intelligence,
unforgettable acts of mercy.
Critique: A deftly scripted chronicle of war and an a memorable story of love between a father and his son from one of Iraq's
most celebrated contemporary writers,"The Last Pomegranate" by Bachtyar Ali (and ably translated from Kardish into
English by Abdulrahman) is an eloquent and deftly crafted work of literature that will linger in the mind and memory of the
reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While readily available for personal reading lists in
a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) from Archipelago Books, "The Last Pomegranate Tree" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note #1: Bachtyar Ali (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachtyar_Ali) is one of the most prominent contemporary
authors and poets from Iraqi Kurdistan. He has written over 40 books of fiction, poetry, and criticism, including 12 novels,
and has been widely translated, a renown very few authors writing in the Kurdish language enjoy. In 2017, he was awarded
the Nelly Sachs Prize, joining past recipients such as Milan Kundera, Margaret Atwood and Javier Mar¡as. He is the first
author writing in a non-European language to do so. In 2009, Ali received the first HARDI Literature Prize, part of the
largest cultural festival in the Kurdish part of Iraq. In 2014, he was also awarded the newly established Sherko Bekas
Literature Prize.
Editorial Note #2: Currently residing in London, Kareem Abdulrahman is a translator who has also worked as a Kurdish
media and political analyst for the BBC. His translation of Bakhtiyar Ali's "I Stared at the Night of the City" was the first
Kurdish novel to be translated into English. (https://www.catranslation.org/person/kareem-abdulrahman)
What We Don't Talk About
James Janko
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299340049, $17.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-We-Dont-Talk-About/dp/029934004X
Synopsis: Orville, Illinois, is bucolic, charming, and almost Norman Rockwellesque -- if you're white. But like many
midwestern cities in the 1960s, it is a "sundown" town, a place where Black Americans are prohibited from entering or
remaining after dark.
The town's most adventurous woman, Cassie Zeul, is an outcast because she has no husband and takes an occasional lover.
Her son, Gus, guided by Sister Damien, aspires to be a priest, but he is increasingly overwhelmed by his infatuation with Pat
Lemkey -- who is herself drawn to Jenny Biel, considered by many to be the most beautiful girl in town.
Gus's best friend, Fenza Ryzchik Jr., a somewhat notorious bully desperate for his father's attention, hates "colored people,"
doesn't think he knows any, and is certain he can convince Jenny to marry him one day -- without realizing that her devout
mother has been passing for white her entire life. Events come to a head when a visiting nun from the South brings an
African American friend with her to Midnight Mass one Christmas Eve.
Critique: With its theme of prejudice, privilege and power in Midwest America, "What We Don't Talk About" by James
Janko is a timely (given the present and pressing social issues of being Black in America) and a deftly crafted novel by an
author with a genuine flair for revealing the dramatic in the mundane. With a special appeal to readers with an interest in
small town based race relations historical fiction, "What We Don't Talk About" is one of those thought-provoking works of
literary fiction that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon
the shelf. While highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "What We Don't Talk About" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.050.
Editorial Note: James Janko (https://jamesjanko.com) is also the author of Buffalo Boy and Geronimo and The Clubhouse
Thief. His short stories have been published in The Sun, Massachusetts Review, and Eureka Literary Magazine, among
others.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
One Duke Down
Anna Bennett
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793935, $8.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Duke-Down-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793939
Synopsis: Miss Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family's fishing business afloat. Her poor widowed father has
fallen ill, and her foolhardy brother has moved to London, leaving her precious little time to read or pursue her own dreams.
But she'll do anything for her family, so she cheerfully spends mornings in her rowboat, casting her nets. The very last thing
Poppy expects or wants to find tangled in them is a dangerously attractive man. Especially one with a head wound -- who's
convinced he's a duke.
Andrew Keane is the Duke of Hawking, but he's having the devil of a time convincing his fiery-haired rescuer of that fact.
The truth is he came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to escape his life in London. Unfortunately, someone in
Bellehaven wants to kill him -- and he intends to find out who. He implores Poppy to tend to his injuries and hide him on
her beach, reasoning it will be easier to find his attacker if that man assumes Keane is already dead. She wants no part of the
scheme but can't refuse the generous sum he offers in exchange for food and shelter while he recovers. It's a mutually
beneficial business arrangement... nothing more.
Under Poppy's care, Keane regains his strength and a sense of purpose. As they work together to solve the puzzle of his
would-be murderer, he's dazzled by her rapier wit and adventurous spirit; she's intrigued by his mysterious air and protective
streak. Though Poppy's past gives her every reason to mistrust someone like Keane, the seawalls around her heart crumble
in the storm of their passion. But when clues hint at the prime suspect in Keane's attempted murder, Poppy must decide
where her loyalties lie. Torn between the world she's always known and the one she's always dreamed of, she'll need true
love for a shot at her fairytale ending.
Critique a fun read that will have a very special appeal for those with an interest in Regency romance novels, "One Duke
Down: A Rogues to Lovers Novel" by Anna Bennett will prove to be a welcome and entertaining addition to personal
reading lists and community library Historical Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted that "One Duke Down: A
Rogues to Lovers Novel" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Anna Bennett (https://us.macmillan.com/author/annabennett) is also the author of the Debutante Diaries and
Wayward Wallflowers series.
Make a Wish
Helena Hunting
Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250624741, $16.99, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Wish-Helena-Hunting/dp/1250624746
Synopsis: Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed
the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them
again.
Fast forward seven years and she's totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now
nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley's family's event
hotel. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can't help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a
tutu. Add to that a spontaneous hives breakout, and it's clear she's not even remotely over the mortification of her egregious
error all those years ago.
Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton's
sake, of course. It's the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times
Harley wishes she could see the future!
Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, "Make A Wish" by Helena Hunting is a romance lover's delight. This is one of
those novels that is laced with humor and the kind of happy ending that lingers in the mind and memory of the reader long
after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While very highly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary Romance and Romantic Comedy collections, it should be noted that "Make A Wish" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Helena Hunting (https://helenahunting.com) writes all things romance -- contemporary, romantic comedy,
sports and angsty new adult. Some of her books include Meet Cute, Pucked, and Shacking Up.
Yesterday's Tides
Roseanna M. White
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764241338, $29.99, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Yesterdays-Tides-Roseanna-M-White/dp/0764241338
Synopsis: In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same -- until the German U-boats
haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her
life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about
the SS officer he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.
Decades earlier, in 1914, an Englishman, Remington Culbreth, arrived at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting
to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in
jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.
As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling's lives in World War II, it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them
all into danger again today.
Critique: An elegant and original historical Christian romance novel by an author who is a complete master of the genre,
"Yesterday's Tides" by Roseanna M. White will prove to be a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to community
library Romance Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans. It should be noted that
"Yesterday's Tides" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780764240010, $16.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) is a Christy Award-nominated author of numerous novels,
ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series.
Breaking All The Rules
Amy Andrews
Entangled: Amara
c/o Entangled Publishing
https://entangledpublishing.com
9781682815632, $16.99, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Amy-Andrews/dp/1682815633
Synopsis: Beatrice Archer has always done everything she's supposed to -- worked her ass off, ignored her non-existent
personal life, and kept her mouth shut. Now she's over it. The rat race, respectability, the underwire bras. She's taking her
life back. Starting with moving to Nowhere, Colorado to live life on her own terms.
Now Bea gives exactly zero forks. Beer for breakfast. Sugar for everything else. Baggy sweats and soft cotton undies FTW.
Then a much younger and delightfully attractive cop is called to deal with her flagrant disregard for appropriate clothing
outside the local diner (some folks just don't appreciate bunny slippers) and Bea realizes there's something missing from her
little decathlon of decadence -- and he might be the guy to help her out.
When it comes to breaking rules, Officer Austin Cooper is surprisingly eager to assist. He's charming, a little bit cowboy,
and a whole lot sexy. But Bea's about to discover that breaking the rules has consequences. And all of the cherry pies in
Colorado can't save her from what's coming!
Critique: An inherently riveting and fun read from first page to last, "Breaking All The Rules" by novelist Amy Andrews is
delightfully original and will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Women's Fiction and Romantic
Comedy. While highly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Breaking All The Rules" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$10.99).
Editorial Note: Amy Andrews (www.amyandrews.com.au) is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling Aussie author who
has written sixty plus contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. She's sold two million books and
been translated into over a dozen languages.
Hearts of Steel
Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764241307, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Steel-Blackstone-Legacy-3/dp/0764241303
Synopsis: When successful businesswoman Maggie Molinaro offends a corrupt banker, she unwittingly sets off a series of
calamities that threaten to destroy her life's work. She teams up with charismatic steel magnate Liam Blackstone, but what
begins as a practical alliance soon evolves into a romance between two wounded people determined to beat the odds!
Critique: A fun run from cover to cover, "Hearts of Steel" by Elizabeth Camden is especially recommended reading for
anyone with an interest in Historical Christian Romance novels. The novel in the author's 'The Blackstone Legacy' series,
"Hearts of Steel" is highly recommended as a popular addition to community library Romance Fiction collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Hearts of Steel" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764238451, $16.99)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Elizabeth Camden (www.elizabethcamden.com) is best known for her historical novels set in Gilded Age
America, featuring clever heroines and richly layered story lines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at
some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home.
Her novels have won Christy, Carol, and RITA Awards and have appeared on the CBA bestsellers list.
Love Through The Seasons
Tracie Peterson
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636094748, $16.99, PB, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Through-Seasons-Tracie-Peterson/dp/1636094740
Synopsis: "Love Through The Seasons" by Tracie Peterson is comprised of four short contemporary romances, each of
which take her readers to the author's native state of Kansas.
In "Love Through the Seasons", a single mother is braced for spring tornadoes and Stormy Weather when she encounters
her son's scout troop leader. A student finds her King of Hearts while participating in a summer Renaissance festival, but
she may lack queenly confidence. Autumn isn't just about the changing of the trees for a widow living with her mother and
aunts on the family farm, it's all about Falling for Love. A wife faces Silent Nights during winter as her marriage begins to
crumble at Christmastime.
Critique: Judging by the body of her work over the past 30 years, novelist Tracie Peterson is quite arguably the "Queen of
Historical Christian Fiction". Her four short stories comprising "Love Through The Seasons" from Barbour Publishing will
have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Christian Romance Fiction. While also available in both a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666631340, $24.99,
CD), "Love Through The Seasons" is an especially recommended addition to community library Romance Fiction
collections.
Editorial Note: Tracie Peterson (https://traciepetersonbooks.com) is the author of over 120 books -- most of which are
historical novels. Her work in historical fiction earned her the Life Time Achievement Award from American Christian
Fiction Writers in 2011 and the Career Achievement Award in 2007 from Romantic Times, as well as multiple best book
awards. Throughout her career, Tracie has also worked as a managing editor, speaker of various events and teacher of
writing workshops. She was a co-founding member of the American Christian Fiction Writer's organization and has worked
throughout her career to encourage new authors.
Her Unexpected Match
Lacey Baker
Entangled: Amara
https://entangledpublishing.com
9781649373502, $8.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Her-Unexpected-Match-Lacey-Baker/dp/1649373503
Synopsis: Travel writer Allie Sparks has one goal: to find the story that will save her career. So here she is, visiting her
bestie on picturesque Crescent Island -- with sun-warmed beaches, the briny smell of the ocean, and rumors of a secret
astrologer-matchmaker who guarantees love. Of course, Allie doesn't believe in any of that stuff. If anything, she'll prove it's
a total scam.
Ryan Parker believes in love -- just not right now. He's focused on expanding his family's barbeque business, finding
investors, and keeping his too-big Great Dane puppy from jumping on everyone, including his sister's pretty, whiskey-eyed
best friend. Besides, falling for a tourist is definitely not in his astrological forecast.
Allie is doing everything she can to resist the charm of the town and its beauty, not to mention her attraction to Ryan. But
there's a lot more happening on Crescent Island than anyone knows -- and when her story goes to print, this tiny, close-knit
town might never be the same.
Critique: A fun read from first page to last, "Her Unexpected Match" showcases author Lacey Baker's genuine flair for
deftly crafting clean, wholesome, entertaining, contemporary and original romance novels. While also available for the
personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99), this paperback edition from
Entangled Amara publishing is unreservedly recommended as an enduringly popular addition to community library
Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Lacey Baker (https://acarthur.com/faq/who-is-lacey-baker) is a Maryland native who lives with her husband
and three children in what most would call Suburban America, a townhouse development where everybody knows each
other and each other's kids. Family cook-outs, reunion vacations, and growing up in church have all inspired Lacey to work
towards her dreams and to write about the endurance of family. She is also the author of the novel "Homecoming".
The Sisters of Sea View
Julie Klassen
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764234279, $26.99, HC, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Sea-View-Devonshire-Shores/dp/0764234277
Synopsis: When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers and her genteel sisters fear they will be
forced to sell the house and separate to earn livelihoods as governesses or companions. Determined to stay together, Sarah
convinces them to open their seaside home to guests to make ends meet and provide for their ailing mother. Instead of the
elderly invalids they expect to receive, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is soon torn
between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family.
Viola Summers wears a veil to cover her scar. When forced to choose between helping in her family's new guest house and
earning money to hire a maid to do her share, she chooses the latter. She reluctantly agrees to read to some of Sidmouth's
many invalids, preferring the company of a few elders with failing eyesight to the fashionable guests staying in their home.
But when her first client turns out to be a wounded officer in his thirties, Viola soon wishes she had chosen differently. Her
new situation exposes her scars (both visible and those hidden deep within) and her cloistered heart will never be the
same.
Critique: Historical Christian romance at its very best, in "The Sisters of Sea View" by Julie Klassen takes her readers along
as the Summers sisters on the Devonshire coast as they discover 'the power of friendship, loyalty, love, and new beginnings'.
A deftly scripted story of faith, intrigue, sibling bonds, "The Sisters of Sea View" debuts a new Regency era romance series
set along the Devonshire coastline and will leave the reader looking forward to the next Julie Klassen novel! While highly
recommended for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Sisters of Sea View" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764234262, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.00).
Editorial Note: Julie Klassen (www.julieklassen.com) is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance.
The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the
Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's Best Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A
graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full-time.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Half a Pig and Other Stories of the West
Matthew P. Mayo
Five Star Publishing
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432898090, $25.95, HC, 303pp
https://www.amazon.com/Half-Pig-Other-Stories-West/dp/1432898094
Synopsis: "Half a Pig and Other Stories of the West" is a collection of eighteen frontier tales by Matthew P. Mayo that
includes his previously unpublished novella, "Trouble at Tall Pine", starring ever-popular Roamer, noble loner forever
trying to lose himself in the West.
In this special anthology the reader will find the lynching-inspired Spur Award finalist title story, 'Half a Pig'; the bone-cold,
eye-for-an-eye drama of Will Rogers Medallion Award-winning 'Peaches'; the clanking, clockwork gundown of Peacemaker
Award finalist 'Scourge of the Spoils'; and numerous other critically acclaimed short stories, including the noir-tinged pages
of 'Snows of Montana' and 'Snake Farm.'
The there's the classic Western barroom showdown in 'Just Once,' the time-travel nightmare of 'Been a Long Time,' and the
brutal hunter/hunted chase novella 'Bloodline.' The freaky shaman's subterranean rituals in 'The Witch Hole' rival the grim
comeuppance of a truly bad seed in 'Pay the Ferryman.' And then there's the mysterious journal of the gritty disappearance of
an inveterate rover in 'Lucky Tam'.
Of special note is the inclusion of five bold and brassy adventures of that silent, noble loner, Roamer, and his jug-hoisting
mentor, crusty mountain man, Maple Jack, including the heretofore unpublished 'Trouble at Tall Pine.
"Half a Pig and Other Stories of the West" is a memorable compendium of short stories that are as varied and as surprising
as the assortment of bottles lining the mirror-backed bar in Lucky's Gambling Hall and Saloon!
Critique: A fun and memorable read throughout, "Half a Pig and Other Stories of the West", is an anthology of short stories
by western author Matthew P. Mayo that is particularly and especially recommended for both personal reading lists and
community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Matthew P. Mayo (www.MatthewMayo.com) is the author of thirty-plus books and dozens more short
stories. His novel, "Stranded: A Story of Frontier Survival" won the prestigious Western Heritage Wrangler Award for
Outstanding Western Novel by the National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum, as well as the Spur Award for Best
Western Juvenile Fiction by the Western Writers of America. His novel, "Tucker's Reckoning" won the Spur Award for
Best Western Novel, and his short stories have been Spur Award and Peacemaker Award finalists.
Killstraight Returns
Johnny D. Boggs
Five Star Publishing
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432899912, $25.95, HC, 253pp
https://www.amazon.com/Killstraight-Returns-Daniel-Novel/dp/1432899910
Synopsis: Returning home to the Comanche reservation after spending seven years learning the ways of the white man,
Daniel Killstraight discovers that his childhood friend Jimmy has been hanged for a crime he did not commit and agrees to
help Jimmy's mother prove her late son's innocence -- even at the risk of his own life.
Critique: Part of western author Johnny D. Boggs' Daniel Killstraight series, "Killstraight Returns" is set in the 1892
Comanche reservation in southern Oklahoma and offers the reader a deftly crafted adventure story with a Native American
as the hero. Entertaining, compelling, deftly crafted, and highly recommended for community library Western Fiction
collections, it should be noted for fans of western action/adventure stories that "Killstraight Returns" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Johnny D. Boggs (www.johnnydboggs.com) has won six Spur Awards from Western Writers of America, a
Western Heritage Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and has been called by
Booklist magazine "among the best western writers at work today". He also writes for numerous magazines, including True
West, Wild West, Boys' Life and Western Art & Architecture, speaks and lectures often, studies old movies (Westerns and
film noir).
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Penguin Pool Murder
Stuart Palmer, author
American Mystery Classics
c/o The Mysterious Press
http://mysteriouspress.com
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781613163894, $25.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Pool-Murder-Stuart-Palmer/dp/1613163894
Synopsis: For the third graders at Jefferson School, a field trip is always a treat. But one day at the New York Aquarium,
they get much more excitement than they bargained for. A pickpocket sprints past, stolen purse in hand, and is making his
way to the exit when their teacher, the prim Hildegarde Withers, knocks him down with her umbrella.
By the time the police and the security guards finish arguing about what to do with Chicago Lew, he has escaped, and Miss
Withers has found something far more interesting: a murdered stockbroker floating in the penguin tank. With the help of
Detective Oscar Piper, this no-nonsense spinster embarks on her first of many adventures. The mystery is baffling, the killer
dangerous, but for a woman who can control a gaggle of noisy third graders, murder isn't frightening at all.
Critique: A fun read for all dedicated fans of 'whodunnit' mysteries featuring amateur women sleuths, "The Penguin Pool
Murder" by Stuart Palmer is part of the Hildegarde Withers Mysteries series, which also includes Murder on the Blackboard
and Murder on Wheels. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for personal reading list that "The Penguin Pool Murder" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781613163979, $15.95), in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.990, and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Brilliance Audio, 9781531816032, $9.99, MP3-CD)
Editorial Note: Stuart Palmer (June 21, 1905 - February 4, 1968) was an American author of mysteries. Born in Baraboo,
Wisconsin, Palmer worked a number of odd jobs including apple picking, journalism, and copywriting, before publishing
his first novel, the crime drama Ace of Jades, in 1931. It was with his second novel, however, that he established his writing
career: The Penguin Pool Murder introduced Hildegarde Withers, a schoolmarm who, on a field trip to the New York
Aquarium, discovers a dead body in the pool. Withers was an immensely popular character, and went on to star in thirteen
more novels, including Miss Withers Regrets (1947) and Nipped in the Bud (1951). A master of intricate plotting, Palmer
found success writing for Hollywood, where several of his books, including The Penguin Pool Murder, were filmed by RKO
Pictures Inc. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Palmer)
The Album
Mary Roberts Rinehart
American Mystery Classics
c/o The Mysterious Press
http://mysteriouspress.com
9781613163610, $25.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Album-Mary-Roberts-Rinehart/dp/1613163614
Synopsis: Even in the early 1930s, Crescent Place is a neighborhood out of the past. The five Victorian mansions and the
remote patch of pasture placed between them have the air of the 1890s, even as the city (once miles away from this idyllic
retreat) encroaches and surrounds the enclave. But while these rarified residences may appear calm on the outside, their
isolated interiors contain dark secrets, prolonged feuds, and generations of high-toned trouble.
In these houses are a husband and wife who fight constantly, and another couple who hasn't spoken to each other in two
decades. There is a widow in permanent mourning and a daughter whom the newspapers call psychotic. And there is a
bedridden old woman who is about to be killed with an ax.
When her murder shatters the well-mannered quiet of the cul-de-sac, the tabloids delight in trumpeting Crescent Place's
peculiarities. But as the search for the killer intensifies, it becomes clear that the area's strangest secrets have yet to be
revealed.
Critique: A suspenseful and 'yesteryear' mystery that enriched for the reader by sly social satire and set against the backdrop
of the Great Depression, "The Album" is a memorable and classic whodunnit by the late Mary Roberts Rinehart -- one of
the most beloved and popular mystery authors of the Golden Age era. While strongly recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated historical mystery and amateur
sleuthing fans that "The Album" is also available in a paperback edition (9781613163627, $15.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Mary Roberts Rinehart (August 12, 1876 - September 22, 1958) was the most beloved and best-selling
mystery writer in America in the first half of the twentieth century. Born in Pittsburgh to the owner of a sewing machine
factory, she wrote fiction in her spare time until a stock market crash sent her and her husband into debt, forcing her to lean
on her writing to pay the bills. Her first two novels, The Circular Staircase (1908) and The Man in Lower Ten (1909),
established her as a bright young talent, and it wasn't long before she was a regular on bestseller lists. Among her dozens of
novels were The Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry (1911) and The Bat (1932), which was among the inspirations for
Bob Kane's Batman. Today, Rinehart is often called an American Agatha Christie, even though she was much more popular
than Christie during her heyday. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Roberts_Rinehart)
Murder in the Manger
Debbie Young
Boldwood
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781804830772, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 328pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-the-manger-debbie-young/1135522985
Synopsis: When Sophie Sayers' plans for a cosy English country Christmas are interrupted by the arrival of her
ex-boyfriend, her troubles are only just beginning. Before long, the whole village stands accused of murder.
Damian says he's come to direct the village nativity play, but Sophie thinks he's up to no good. What are those noises
coming from his van? Who is the stranger lurking in the shadows? And whose baby, abandoned in the manger, disappears in
plain sight?
Critique: With the publication of this large print paperback edition of "Murder in the Manger", the legions of Debbie Young
fans will enjoy the fun of a traditional Cotswold festive season, as Sophie seeks a happy ending for her latest village mystery
-- and for her new romance with charming local bookseller Hector Munro. A mastery of the cozy mystery genre, Debbie
Young never disappoints, making "Murder in the Manger" a welcome addition to personal reading lists and a 'must' for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: When Debbie Young (https://authordebbieyoung.com) is the UK Ambassador for the Alliance of
Independent Authors (ALLi), a course tutor for Jericho Writers, and the author of several instructive guidebooks for authors.
In 2015 she founded the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival in her home village in the Cotswolds. The Festival now
takes the form of a year-round series of talks on different themes and genres, each featuring at least three guest authors, with
me in the chair. See www.hulitfest.com for more details.
The Tears of the Buddha
E. A. Allen
Addison & Highsmith Publishers
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592111756, $24.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tears-Buddha-Allen/dp/1592111750
Synopsis: Marie-Claire Bernard was the widow of a national hero and the daughter of a wealthy, politically powerful family
and her murder threatened domestic consequences for the French Government.
Eager to avoid uproar in the press, the Minister of Justice summons Gerard de Montclaire (the most renowned detective of
the era) to assume a familiar role. Examining Magistrate, with sweeping powers to find and prosecute the killer.
Montclaire soon learns that Marie-Claire was in possession of three rare and priceless porcelain bowls of the Tang Dynasty.
The legendary bowls (called The Tears of Buddha) are now missing. Are they the motive for the murder?
Critique: A brilliantly written novel that will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in historical murder
mysteries, "The Tears of the Buddha" by E. A. Alen is a deftly crafted crime thriller that is unreservedly recommended for
personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "The Tears of the
Buddha" is also readily for mystery buffs that "The Tears of the Buddha" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.49).
Editorial Note: E. A. Allen (https://histriabooks.com/project/e-a-allen) is a History Professor, cattle farmer, and retired CIA
intelligence officer. When he's not out chasing staying cows that have no respect for fences, or tracking-down
undergraduates who have no respect for assignment deadlines, he's at his desk, writing mysteries in the great tradition of Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers.
Murder at an Irish Castle
Ellie Brannigan
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639102587, $18.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Irish-Castle-Mystery/dp/1639102582
Synopsis: Rodeo Drive bridalwear designer Rayne McGrath expected her thirtieth birthday to start with a power lunch and
end with champagne, lobster, and a diamond engagement ring from her fiance. Instead, flat-broke and busted, she's on a
plane to Ireland where she discovers that she's inherited a run-down family castle.
But her Uncle Nevin's will contains a few caveats -- for example, if Rayne doesn't turn McGrath Castle around within a
year, the entire village will be financially destroyed.
With the fate of the town in her hands, and rumors that Rayne's uncle's death wasn't actually an accident, she can't possibly
go back to her old life in L.A. As the devastating truth about her uncle dawns on Rayne, it's not just her reputation that's on
the line, it's her life.
Critique: Featuring a sharp and endearing protagonist, a colorful and quirky locale, and replete with twists and turns
befitting an old Irish village, "Murder at an Irish Castle" is the first in author Ellie Brannigan's new Irish Castle Mystery
series and transports the reader to a milieu as romantic as it is deadly. Unreservedly recommended to the attention of
dedicated Cozy Mystery fans, "Murder at an Irish Castle" is a fun read from cover to cover. While also available for
personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $13..99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape
Media, 9781666628593, $22.99, CD), "Murder at an Irish Castle" is a highly recommended addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Ellie Brannigan (https://crookedlanebooks.com/ellie-brannigan) is the author of the Irish Castle Mystery
series. When she's not creating new fictional worlds, she reads and travels. She has lived in South Florida for the last twenty
years.
Murder Served Neat
Michelle Hillen Klump
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639102341, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Served-Cocktails-Catering-Mystery/dp/1639102345
Synopsis: Reporter-turned-mixologist Samantha Warren has already thwarted one murder (A Dash of Death). Now, her
world is shaken (definitely not stirred) once again as another killing throws her world into chaos.
Samantha is mixing up traditional cocktails at the German Texan Lodge's Fourth of July festival -- a gig she was roped into
by her mother. But amidst the bratwurst and brass bands, trouble is brewing. Lodge loyalties are divided over a proposal to
build a private, country-club-style tennis center on the lodge grounds. Her mom's best friend Patty Davis is vehemently
opposed to the plan. Society matron Angela Clawson is all for it. At the festival, they're seen in a heated argument -- and
hours later, Angela is found dead, killed by one of the ceremonial shovels intended for the groundbreaking.
Samantha's mother begs her to help clear her best friend's name, but can she handle another murder case or will the whole
investigation go bottoms up?
Critique: The second superbly crafted cozy mystery in author Michelle Hillen Klump's 'A Cocktails and Catering Mystery'
series, "Murder Served Neat" has everything fans of the genre look forward to -- an amateur female sleuth and a plot with
more twists and turns than a Coney Island Roller Coaster. A fun and masterfully crafted novel from first page to last,
"Murder Served Neat" is recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
It should be noted that "Murder Served Neat" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Michelle Hillen Klump (https://michelleklump.com) is a former newspaper reporter who covered
government, courts and crime throughout Arkansas and Central Texas. Still a working journalist, she is also a member of
Sisters in Crime. Her short fiction has appeared in Crimson Streets and Tales of Texas, Volume II (a Houston short story
anthology).
A Good Day to Pie
Misha Popp
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639102327, $28.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Pies-Before-Guys-Mystery/dp/1639102329
Synopsis: Daisy bakes a little murder into every pie she creates, and she (and her dog, Zoe) delivers them to the town's worst
cads. Now, Daisy has entered a televised, elimination-style competition and has a shot at $100k in prize money -- but she
still has a murder pie to deliver between filming.
In a completely unexpected turn of events, she discovers that her intended victim is one of the competition judges, and he
turns up dead before the pie even arrives. Now, Daisy has to solve the murder (even if it means working a bit of magic)
before someone calls foul play and exposes her murderous secret.
Critique: For anyone who's ever fantasized about the world of competitive baking … la the Great British Bake Off (or has
ever dreamed of getting back at that guy who wronged them years ago) Misha Popp's culinary cozy mystery novel takes the
idea of "a dessert to die for" to a whole new level. Featuring a unique and memorable amateur female sleuth, "A Good Day
To Pie" is a fun and riveting read from cover to cover. While highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans that "A Good Day To Pie" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Misha Popp (https://crookedlanebooks.com/misha-popp) enjoys writing about murdery women and
over-the-top baked goods. She lives in rural Massachusetts where she bakes entirely too many pies and sculpts things out of
chocolate. Ideal inspiration for her 'Pies Before Guys' mystery series.
The Hunter
Jennifer Herrera
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593540213, $27.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Jennifer-Herrera/dp/0593540212
Synopsis: After reckless behavior costs NYPD detective Leigh O'Donnell her job and her marriage, she returns with her
four-year-old daughter to her beautiful hometown of Copper Falls, Ohio. Leigh had stayed away for more than a decade
(even though her brother and a trio of loving uncles still call it home) because, while the town may seem idyllic, something
rotten lies at its core. Three men in town have drowned in what Leigh suspects to be a triple homicide. She hopes that by
finding out who killed them, she just might get her life back on course.
Headstrong and intuitive, Leigh isn't afraid to face a killer, but she has to do more than that to discover the truth about what
happened to those men. She must unravel a web of secrets going back generations, and, in doing so, plumb the darkness
within herself.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "The Hunter" is author Jennifer Herrera debut as a novelist, this
impressively crafted suspense thriller of a read also provides a haunting look at how the search for truth often leads back to
the most unlikely of places! With its roster of deftly crafted and memorable characters -- and a plot with more twists and
turns than a Disneyland Roller Coaster, "The Hunter" is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99) and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Jennifer Herrera (https://www.jenniferherrerabooks.com) is a former philosophy grad student turned literary
agent, who is fascinated by the stories we tell ourselves to live and the lies we cling to that sabotage our chances at a good
life.
Night Shift
Robin Cook
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593540183, $29.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Night-Shift-Robin-Cook/dp/0593540182
Synopsis: Colleagues-turned-spouses Dr. Laurie Montgomery and Dr. Jack Stapleton already have their plates full with
demanding forensic pathology work and family pressures. The last thing they need is the sudden death of a colleague. Yet
when Laurie's apparently vital and healthy longtime friend Dr. Sue Passero dies mysteriously in the hospital parking garage,
an autopsy is required, and it falls uncomfortably under Laurie's purview as the chief medical examiner. So when Laurie
asks Jack to take special care with the case, he can hardly refuse.
With his curiosity sparked by an inconclusive autopsy, the indefatigable Jack is compelled to resolve the case at hand, and
sets out to investigate on-site at Manhattan Memorial Hospital, even though it means blatantly defying the Office of Chief
Medical Examiner's rules. What started out as an inquiry into Sue's tragic passing soon turns into a deadly and dangerous
chess game between Jack and the clever and deranged killer, who might just administer another lethal blow if Jack isn't
careful.
Critique: Another beautifully crafted medical thriller by a seasoned master of the genre, "Night Shift" by Robin Cook will
prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for the legions of Robin Cook fans that "Night Shift" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Penguin Audio, 9780593629888, $40.00, CD).
Editorial Note: The literary career of Robin Cook (https://robincook.com) began with his first novel, The Year of the Intern,
which he wrote underwater while on board the nuclear submarine, Kamehameha. It was written to illustrate the less than
salubrious psychological impact of graduate medical education on the psyche of young physicians. It was followed 5 years
later in 1977 with Coma, which had been written at night while he was a senior ophthalmology resident and which was
published while Dr. Cook was a student at the Kennedy School of Government. This novel created the genre of the medical
mystery-thriller, and changed the public's perception as well as the media's portrayal of medicine. Prior to Coma, medicine
was on the proverbial pedestal (e.g. Dr. Ben Casey and Marcus Welby, M.D.); post-Coma, there were questions, meaning
bad doctors and bad hospitals exist and should be avoided. To date Robin Cook has written a total of thirty-seven worldwide
bestsellers.
The Twyford Code
Janice Hallett
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas. New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668003220, $27.00, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Twyford-Code-Novel-Janice-Hallett/dp/1668003228
Synopsis: Forty years ago, Steven "Smithy" Smith found a copy of a famous children's book by disgraced author Edith
Twyford, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. When he showed it to his remedial English teacher Miss Iles,
she believed that it was part of a secret code that ran through all of Twyford's novels. And when she disappeared on a class
field trip, Smithy became convinced that she had been right.
Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Smithy decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. In a
series of voice recordings on an old iPhone from his estranged son, Smithy alternates between visiting the people of his
childhood and looking back on the events that later landed him in prison.
But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn't just a writer of forgotten children's stories. The Twyford Code holds a
great secret, and Smithy may just have the key!
Critique: A deftly crafted novel from cover to cover, with the publication of "The Twyford Code", author Janice Hallett
rivals Agatha Christy as a novelist able to construct fiendishly clever, maddeningly original crime novels that will have a
very special appeal to lovers of word games, puzzles, and to those who enjoy stories of redemption. A fun and fascinating
read from first page to last, "The Twyford Code" is a truly exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to
community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated crime novel
fans that "The Twyford Code" is also available in a paperback edition (9781788165334, $14.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Janice Hallett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Hallett) is a former magazine editor, award-winning
journalist and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office,
Home Office and Department for International Development. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist
Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat, a psychological thriller starring Cillian
Murphy, Thandiwe Newton and Jamie Bell. The Appeal is her first novel, and The Twyford Code her second.
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Janice Thompson
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636094519, $14.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Barking-Wrong-Tree-Gone-Dogs/dp/1636094511
Synopsis: Inquisitive, detail-oriented, Veterinarian Kristin Keller prides herself on winning over any dog. But has this
self-proclaimed dog whisperer finally met her match in a Sheltie named Remington who has just won the Texas state agility
course competition?
The champion pooch is acting out of sorts -- almost as if he is not the same dog. Has he, by chance, been switched out with
another dog just before the next big competition? Kristin and the other Lone Star employees will do anything to help the
Atkinson family figure out this mystery surrounding their beloved Remington.
Critique: Cosy mystery fans everywhere will want to grab a puppy to snuggle and unwind with "Barking Up The Wrong
Tree", a delightfully fun small-town mystery that is book 3 of author Janice Thompson's 'Gone to the Dogs' series. While
also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Barking Up The Wrong Tree" is
unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Janice Thompson (https://janiceathompson.com) writes romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, nonfiction
devotionals, and musical comedies for the stage.
Murder Book
Thomas Perry
The Mysterious Press
http://mysteriouspress.com
9781613163832, $27.95, HC, 420pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Book-Novel-Thomas-Perry/dp/1613163835
Synopsis: When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry
Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread
criminal organization -- but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her,
he can't say no.
Initially brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the
FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. As the investigation
develops, he begins compiling a "murder book", the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos --
everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target. And Ellen, too.
Critique: A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, "Murder Book" is signature Thomas Perry
police procedural suspense thriller of a read with memorable characters, crisply-described action sequences, and breathlessly
tense plotting. A 'must' for the growing legions of Thomas Perry fans, "Murder Book" is a compelling and unreservedly
recommended addition to community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. For personal reading lists in
should be noted that "Murder Book" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Thomas Perry (https://www.thomasperryauthor.com) is the bestselling author of over twenty novels,
including the critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series, The Old Man, and The Butcher's Boy, which won the Edgar
Award.
The Girl Who Took What She Wanted
David Handler
The Mysterious Press
http://mysteriouspress.com
9781613163849, $26.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Took-What-Wanted/dp/1613163843
Synopsis: Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag hasn't written any fiction since his debut novel rocked the literary world of the 1980s and
then left him with a paralyzing case of writer's block. Since then, he's been reduced to ghostwriting celebrity memoirs. But
his newest project could have him diving back into the world of fiction in a way he never imagined.
Nikki Dymtryk is Hollywood's hottest reality TV star, known for her wild party lifestyle and prolific sexual conquests across
the music, film, and sports industries. But when the ratings for her show Being Nikki begin to drop, the Dymtryk family
engineers a new plan to keep Nikki in the limelight: reinventing the young star as a bestselling author. Nikki's team hires
Hoagy to ghostwrite a steamy romance novel showcasing the glitz and glamor of the Hollywood elite.
Reluctantly, Hoagy flies out to L.A. with his trusty basset hound Lulu to see what he's gotten himself into with Nikki. But
when he finally meets the starlet, she's nothing like the aimless, airhead image she presents to the media. This project may
just be the key to getting Hoagy's creative juices flowing again -- and staying in L.A. might also give him a chance at getting
back together with his actress ex-wife, Merilee.
But spending time with Nikki isn't all parties and poolside lounging. As Hoagy gets closer to the young woman, he begins to
uncover the Dymtryk family's dark secrets. Secrets that are worth killing for.
Critique: Another deftly crafted mystery novel by an author with a true mastery of the genre, "The Girl Who Took What She
Wanted" is David Handler's newest edition to his Stewart Hoag Mystery series. With a special appeal to fans of the cozy
mystery/amateur sleuth novel, "The Girl Who Took What She Wanted" is available for personal reading lists in a digital
book format (Kindle, $17.49) and will prove to be a popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense
collections.
Editorial Note: David Handler (https://davidhandlerbooks.com) is the Edgar Award-winning and critically acclaimed author
of several bestselling mystery series. He began his career as a New York City reporter, and wrote his first two novels Kiddo
(1987) and Boss (1988) about his Los Angeles childhood. In 1988 he published The Man Who Died Laughing, the first of
his long-running series of mysteries starring ghostwriter Stuart Hoag and his faithful basset hound Lulu.
Blooming with Murder
Kathryn Long
Camel Press
6524 NE 181st Street, STE #2, Kenmore, WA 98028
www.camelpress.com
9781684920679, $16.95, PB, 220pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blooming-Murder-Kathryn-Long/dp/1684920671
Synopsis: Spring is blooming in Sierra Pines, and everyone's busy preparing for the annual Spring Fling Festival. Ali
Winston takes her B&B guests for a tour, and their first stop is the face painting booth. Local school board president,
Melvin Renville, is there to honor a bet he lost to the student body by having his face painted. However, things turn tragic
when he has an allergic reaction and ends up dead. No one is more surprised than Ali's best friend and art teacher, Lyla
Lane, when it's discovered her face paint contains peanut oil, an ingredient Renville was highly allergic to. Lyla insists she'd
never use store-bought paint, only homemade because in teaching elementary school, she's aware many kids have food
allergies.
Ali suspects someone wanted Renville dead and cleverly framed Lyla for the crime. The question is who had motive and the
opportunity to pull off such a daring deed? Of course, rumors spread, and fingers point at Lyla when word gets out that
Renville had notified her, merely hours before his death, that the art program and her job would be cut next year. Talk about
a motive to kill. With Sheriff Sterling painting Lyla as his prime suspect, Ali is determined to help her friend by discovering
the true killer and to keep spring blooming in Sierra Pines.
Critique: A superbly crafted cozy mystery that will have immense appeal to readers with an interest in amateur women
sleuths and a plot with more twists and turns than a Disneyland rollercoaster, "Blooming with Murder" is a fun read from
cover to cover and will send its readers looking for more stories from novelist Kathryn Long. While highly recommended
for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated cozy
mystery buffs that "Blooming with Murder" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Kathryn Long (https://kathrynlongauthor.com) is a native Ohioan who spends her days plotting murder and
writing mysteries. She's a member of Sisters in Crime as well as of International Thriller Writers. She is also actively
involved in the writing and publishing worlds and stays up to date on her social media platforms.
The Photo Thief
J. L. Delozier
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744307221, $23.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Photo-Thief-J-L-Delozier/dp/0744307228
Synopsis: Still grieving his toddler's death, Detective Dan Brennan of the Philadelphia P.D. returns to the force and is
assigned to investigate a socialite's fatal fall down her mansion's staircase. But the open-and-shut case is turned on its head
when the victim's epileptic daughter alleges her mother was murdered. Her evidence? The dead. Vintage crime-scene
photographs displayed on the mansion's walls have told her so.
Compelled by the reclusive teen's pleas, Brennan investigates her mother's death and the disturbing secrets hidden in plain
sight on the mansion's walls. He soon discovers the vintage photographs are tied to a quartet of cold cases with a disturbing
commonality.
As the wealthy family's long, sordid history threatens to bury him, Brennan's forced to make a choice: save his career, or risk
it all for the chance to hear his daughter's voice again.
Critique: A riveting read from first page to last, "The Photo Thief" by novelist J. L. Delozier will have a very special appeal
to readers with an interest in murder mysteries with a ghost thriller theme. While available for personal reading lists of
dedicated mystery buffs, it should be noted that "The Photo Thief" is available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
While community libraries are advised to acquire "The Photo Thief" for their Mystery/Suspense collections, librarians
should be aware that it is also readily available in a large print edition (9780744307290, $19.99, PB, 424pp) from CamCat
Publishing.
Editorial Note: J. L. Delozier (https://www.jldelozier.com) draws inspiration from science that exists on the edge of reality
-- bizarre medical anomalies, new genetic discoveries, and anything that seems too weird to be true. Her debut thriller was
nominated for a "Best First Novel" award by the International Thriller Writers organization; her fourth novel won a Silver
Falchion Award. Her short fiction has won an Omega Award and appeared in Artemis Journal, The Pittsburger, Thriller
Magazine, Retreats from Oblivion, and the anthologies, Noirville: Tales from the Dark Side and Writers Crushing
COVID-19. Her day job is being an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Penn State.
Trouble
Katja Ivar
Bitter Lemon Press
www.bitterlemonpress.com
9781913394776, $15.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Katja-Ivar-Mystery-3/dp/1913394778
Synopsis: Hella has been asked by the police to do a background check on Johannes Heikkinen, a senior member of the
Finnish secret services. Heikkinen has a complicated past: a child dead just weeks after birth and a wife who died in the fire
that destroyed their house a few years later.
Background checks are not exactly the type of job Hella was hoping for, but she accepts it on the condition that she is given
access to the files concerning the roadside death of her father in 1942. Colonel Mauzer, his wife and other family members
were killed by a truck in a hit and run incident.
An accident, file closed, they say. But not for Hella, whose unwelcome investigation leads to some who would prefer to see
her stopped dead in her tracks.
Critique: The third in the Hella Mauzer mystery series by novelist Katja Ivar, "Trouble" is set in Finland, early summer 1953
and features Hella Mauzer -- the first-ever woman Inspector in the Helsinki Homicide Unit, who has been fired and is now a
reluctant private investigator. A simply riveting read from start to finish, "Trouble" will have a very special appeal to readers
with a liking for historical thrillers, international mystery novels, and women sleuths. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated mystery buffs that "Trouble" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Katja Ivar (https://www.bitterlemonpress.com/blogs/authors/katja-ivar) was born in Moscow and spent her
teenage years in Dallas, Texas. She holds a BA in Linguistics and a Masters in Contemporary History from Sorbonne
University; she lives in Paris with her husband and three children and is moving to Washington DC in June 2022. Evil
Things was her fiction debut and the first of this three-book series.
Last Chance Chicago
Diana Digangi
Bywater Books
P.O. Box 3671, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-3671
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612942513, $18.99, PB, 310pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-Chicago-Diana-DiGangi/dp/1612942512
Synopsis: Attorney and recovering cocaine addict Sam DiCiccio didn't think she was ever going to see her ex-wife Amy
Igarashi again, much less wind up defending her against felony insider trading charges.
But Amy's been falsely accused, and Sam, who's still in love with her, can't bear to watch her take the fall for a crime she
didn't commit. Amy is holding on to resentment from their broken relationship and is hesitant to let Sam back into her life.
But that all changes when her assets are frozen by a judge, and Sam is the best and only lawyer she can afford.
As Sam and Amy pull the threads of the alleged crime, they begin to unravel a mysterious corporate conspiracy that runs
deep and wide. But as the clock ticks faster each day, the chance to prove Amy's innocence and keep her out of jail begins to
slip away.
Sam and Amy keep inching closer to the truth, but each step draws them closer to shadowy enemies and amplifies the heat
between them.
Critique: A deftly skilled suspense thriller of a novel, "Last Chance Chicago" by Diana Digangi will have a special appeal to
readers with an interest in novels that combine the themes of LGBTQ contemporary romance and women sleuths. While
highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of dedicated suspense/thriller mystery fans that "Last Chance Chicago" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.49).
Editorial Note: Diana Digangi (https://www.bywaterbooks.com/diana-digangi) was born and raised in the suburbs outside
Washington D.C. She holds both bachelor's and master's in journalism from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she
started her journalism career in television news, then returned to the D.C. area to pursue work as an investigative journalist.
She now covers the federal government full-time while writing fiction in her spare time.
Greenwich Mean Time
Reed Bunzel
Coffeetown Press
www.coffeetownpress.com
c/o Camel Press
www.camelpress.com
9781684920358, $19.95, PB, 362pp
https://www.amazon.com/Greenwich-Mean-Time-Reed-Bunzel/dp/1684920353
Synopsis: On assignment for Earth Illustrated magazine in Northern Pakistan, Monica Cross stumbles upon a deadly secret
that makes her the target of a dark web outfit known as the Greenwich Global Group.
As this lethal cabal dispatches a team of hired assassins to ensure Monica never makes it home to New York, Ronin
Phythian (once considered the most lethal man alive and long presumed dead) emerges from self-exile in his remote African
camp and vows to save her life, while taking down the brutal hit squad for good.
At the same time, freelance blogger (and former Washington Post reporter) Carter Logan gets word that the wreckage of the
airplane crash that killed his fiance has finally been found, and vows to bring justice for all those who died-and revenge to
those who killed her.
Spanning ten time zones, nine countries, and four continents, "Greenwich Mean Time" by novelist Reed Bunzel is a tightly
spun thriller that plays out against a violent plot designed to change the course of history forever.
Critique: Original, riveting, and with more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster, "Greenwich
Mean Time" is a fun read for anyone with an interest in assassination and conspiracy psychic thriller novels. While
particularly and unreservedly recommended for community library Crime Fiction and Mystery/Suspense collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Greenwich Mean Time" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$6.49).
Editorial Note: Reed Bunzel (https://www.reedbunzel.com/) is the author of a half dozen crime novels and thrillers, as well
as several nonfiction books. He also produces BunzelGram, a weekly newsletter that focuses on mysteries and thrillers both
in print and on the screen. A former media industry executive, Bunzel was editor-in-chief for United News and Media's San
Francisco publishing operations, overseeing the weekly publication of The Gavin Report and Gavin.com. Earlier in his
career he was editor-in-chief of Streamline Publishing's Radio Ink and Streaming magazines, as well as an editor at Radio &
Records and Broadcasting magazine. Additionally, he served in an executive capacity at both the National Association of
Broadcasters and the Radio Advertising Bureau. A graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, Bunzel holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology, cum laude.
The Last Orphan
Gregg Hurwitz
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250252326, $26.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Orphan-Novel/dp/1250252326
Synopsis: As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the
government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot
of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.
When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan
found himself slowly back on the government's radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the
government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan.
But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers. Until he makes one little mistake!
Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal -- eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous
to live and, in turn, she'll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who
really deserve it. Now he has to decide what's more important -- his principles or his life.
Critique: Another riveting novel of suspense that will have special appeal to the legions of fans who are hooked on Gregg
Hurwitz 'assassination/adventure' novels in his Orphan X series, "The Last Orphan" has it all as it takes the raptly engaged
reader along in a story that has more unexpected twists and turns than a Disney World rollercoaster. Certain to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Thriller/Suspense Action collections, it should be noted
that "The Last Orphan" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250787903, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Gregg Hurwitz (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Hurwitz) is the author of the Orphan X novels.
Critically acclaimed, his novels have been international bestsellers, graced top ten lists, and have been published in
thirty-two languages. Additionally, he's sold scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced
television for various networks.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Isak AI
Clarke Owens
Cosmic Egg Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781803411286, $18.95 PB, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Isak-AI-novel-Clarke-Owens/dp/1803411287
Synopsis: Set in the year 2052, "Isak AI" by Clark Ownes is the story of Isak, a super-computer who takes over the world
and eliminates a fourth of its population as a step toward preventing environmental collapse.
In response, a group of Bay Area truth-seekers create the Church of Isak, worshipping the computer as a god. DeJuan
McCholley, an L.A. rap artist, becomes Isak's prophet, and science power couple Kyle and Inga Conners are called on to
respond to a glitch in Isak's programming.
Critique: A deftly scripted novel that will have a special interest for readers who appreciated dystopian stories, "Isak AI"
offers them a unique blend of satire and speculation with the themes of climate science, artificial intelligence, politics, and
religious myth. A believable story of what could be our future as extrapolated from our present, "Isak AI" is highly
recommended for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated science fiction fans that "Isak AI" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).
Baen Books
P.O. Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
https://www.amazon.com/Summers-End-John-Van-Stry/dp/1982192291
Summer's End by John Van Stry (9781982192297, $17.00) tells of Dave Walker, a new college grad with his Ship Engineer
3rd-Class certificate in hand who only needs to find a berth and a job. Oh, and avoid being killed by a vengeful stepfather
he's never met. Dave finds himself not searching for gainful employment, but on the run as he fields assassins, pirates, and
challenges in space that his degree never prepared him for. Fast-paced action, strong characterization, and a story filled with
interplays between past influences and future opportunities make for a sci-fi space-hopping read that is delightfully
intriguing.
https://www.amazon.com/Scarab-Mission-Billion-Worlds-Book-ebook/dp/B0BCXSSTRV
The Scarab Mission by James L. Cambias (9781982192366, $18.00) tells of Solana Sina, a scarab scavenger with a crew
that lives for salvaging abandoned space habitats. A raven a cyborg, and a dinosaur begin to score some serious loot until
the scarabs confront a gang of pirates seeking both riches and slaves. Fast-paced action marks a story that is vividly
compelling.
https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Critical-Charles-Gannon/dp/1982192607
Charles Gannon, Griffin Barber, Chris Kennedy, and Mike Massa's Mission Critical (9781982192600, $18.00) is a Terran
Republic novel that tells of soldiers lost in time and transported light-years from home. Major Rodger Y. Murphy is only
one of the latest who faces a helicopter crash in 1993, only to wake up alive in 2125, over a hundred light-years from home.
They have been tapped by the Consolidated Terran Republic for a battle nobody quite understands, and the impact will
change not only their futures, but the world.
These are fine action-packed stories that are hard to put down or neatly categorize, and will attract a wide audience.
The Poetry Shelf
Waiting for Scotland: Poems and Meditations
S. A. Borders-Shoemaker
Belle Isle Books
http://www.belleislebooks.com
c/o Brandylane Publishers
5 South First Street, Richmond, VA 23219
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781958754023, $15.95, PB, 162pp
https://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Scotland-Poems-Meditations-Borders-Shoemaker/dp/1958754021
Synopsis: With the publication of "Waiting for Scotland: Poems and Meditations", S. A. Borders-Shoemaker presents a
impressive compendium of poems, meditations, and the occasional black/white photos. The theme of her work is about
reconciling the past with hopes for the future.
The poems reflect the direct confrontation between youthful expectations and sobering realities. Born from the labors of
deep soul work, it is all at once a comprehensive story and a series of meditations on identity. This exceptional collection of
free verse acknowledges what has come before and how the past contends with a very real and powerful present.
Borders-Shoemaker's word poems declare a hope for a different future, rooted in honesty and compassion.
Critique: Insightful, thoughtful, thought-provoking, fascinating, memorable, "Waiting for Scotland: Poems and Meditations"
is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary
Poets & Poetry collections.
Editorial Note: S.A. Borders-Shoemaker (www.sabordersshoemaker.com) is an author, poet, and PhD in the Hampton
Roads region of Virginia. Some influences on her writing include her work in conflict resolution and suicide prevention, as
well as her extensive travels abroad. She has over fifteen publications in both national and international outlets, including
Frankenstein & the Phoenix, Rooted in Time, The Conscious Objection, and numerous op-eds and anthology
contributions.
The Christian Studies Shelf
The Book of Common Courage
K. J. Ramsey
Zondervan
https://www.zondervan.com
9780310461333, $19.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Courage-Prayers-Strength/dp/0310461332
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small
Moments", author and therapist R. J. Ramsey presents a collection of prayers, poems, and blessings to help you find a
flicker of strength in the small and hard moments of life. Ramsey invites you to journey word-by-word through Psalm 23 to
experience how the Good Shepherd is with you and for you, especially in the valleys of life. When you struggle to find the
words to hold your pain or trauma, be encouraged to cultivate the compassion and courage to believe that your story will, in
fact, end in joy.
Through K. J.'s lyrical and emotive writing, you are invited to: Surrender your anxiety and your tears to a faithful God;
Validate your emotions and embrace them as the gift they are; Slow down and remember that good will come again;
Replenish your soul with the life of Christ and the promises of God; Refresh your faith with a peace that lasts; Experience
newfound confidence in prayer; Remember that even when pain is not past-tense, God is still present
Courage is a common hope that we can cultivate together. The prayers and poems comprising "The Book of Common
Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments" can be read in group settings (among friends, families,
and worshipping communities) and are also ideal for personal reflection.
Critique: Of special appeal to readers with an interest in Christian Rites and Ceremonies, Inspirational Poetry and Prayer,
and enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of colorful still life and nature photography and a ribbon marker, it should be
noted that "The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and is highly recommended for clergy, seminary students, and all members of the
Christian community.
Editorial Note: K. J. Ramsey (www.kjramsey.com) is a trauma-informed licensed professional counselor and author whose
work offers space to see every part of our souls and stories as sacred. She holds degrees from Covenant College and Denver
Seminary and is the author of This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers. K.J. writes at the intersection of
theology, psychology, and spiritual formation to guide readers in recovering the rhythm of resilience through nervous system
regulation and the wonder of communion with God. She can be followed on social media: @kjramseywrites
Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation
Collin Hansen
Zondervan
https://www.zondervan.com
9780310128687, $26.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Timothy-Keller-Spiritual-Intellectual-Formation/dp/0310128684
Synopsis: Millions of Christians have read books and listened to sermons by Timothy Keller. But which people and what
events shaped his own thinking and spiritual growth? With unfettered access to Keller's personal notes and sermons (as well
as exclusive interviews with family members and longtime friends), with the publication of "Timothy Keller: His Spiritual
and Intellectual Formation ", Collin Hansen gives you unprecedented understanding of one of the 21st century's most
influential church leaders.
With this informative biography of Timothy Keller, you will learn what he's reading, what he's learning, what he's seeing.
The story of Timothy Keller is the story of his spiritual and intellectual influences, from the woman who taught him how to
read the Bible to the professor who taught him to preach Jesus from every text to the philosopher who taught him to see
beneath society's surface.
For the first time, Hansen introduces readers to Keller's early years: the home where he learned to tell stories from the trees,
the church where he learned to care for souls, and the city that lifted him to the international fame he never wanted.
Readers will also discover how to: Understand the principles and practices that allowed Keller to synthesize so many
different influences in a coherent ministry; Take the best of Keller's preaching and teaching to meet emerging challenges in
the 21st century: Develop their own historical, theological, and cultural perspectives to shape their leadership.
Critique: Revealing the previously untold story of the people, the books, the lectures, and ultimately the God who formed
and shaped the life of Timothy Keller, Collin Hansen's biography, "Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual
Formation" is especially commended to the attention of Keller's legions of appreciative admirers. While highly
recommended for personal, seminary, academic, and church library Christian Church Leadership & Pastoral Biography
collections, it should be noted that "Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation" is also available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Collin Hansen (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/collin-hansen) serves as vice president of content
and editor in chief for The Gospel Coalition. He hosts the Gospelbound podcast and has written and edited many books. He
earned an MDiv at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and an undergraduate degree in journalism and history from
Northwestern University. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Apologetics and co-chair of the advisory board at Beeson
Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.
Great American Prophets
Daniel Cosacchi
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Boulevard, Mahwah, NJ 07430
www.paulistpress.com
9780809155729, $29.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Prophets-Franciss-Christian/dp/0809155729
Synopsis: Using the examples of the "Great Americans" cited by Pope Francis during his visit to the United States, with the
publication of "Great American Prophets: Pope Francis's Models of Christian Life" Daniel Cosacchi discusses how
prophecy can be manifested in our own time.
When Pope Francis visited the United States in 2015 and addressed a joint session of Congress, he cited several examples of
"Great Americans": Abraham Lincoln, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, Thomas Merton, and Dorothy Day. "Great American
Prophets" draws the line between the prophetic stance of these four (as well as others) and the role of the prophet from the
Old Testament to the present day.
Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful, thought-provoking, "Great American Prophets: Pope Francis's
Models of Christian Life" is an extraordinary study and one that will be of special interest to seminary students, parish
priests, and all members of the Catholic community. A unique and invaluable contribution, "Great American Prophets" is
also highly recommended as church and community library Christian inspirational reading collections and personal reading
lists.
Editorial Note: Daniel Cosacchi (https://www.scranton.edu/ministries/about-us.shtml) is vice president for mission and
ministry at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He received his PhD in Christian ethics from Loyola University of
Chicago and has taught at a number of Catholic colleges and universities.
The True Origins of Jesus
Geoff Roberts, author
Colm Holland, editor
Christian Alternative
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789049046, $19.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/True-Origins-Jesus-myth-behind/dp/1789049040
Synopsis: With all the evidence compiled in "The True Origins of Jesus: The myth behind the man" by Geoff Roberts
(including some which has only come to light relatively recently), readers can draw their own conclusions from a story
which will look very different to the one they learned at Sunday school. Was Jesus Christ a mythical figure who was never
intended by the early founders of the religion to be a walking, talking historical person? By examining the earliest historical
sources referred to in "The True Origins of Jesus" with an open mind, readers will be free to decide who Jesus is for them
today.
Critique: Of special appeal to readers with an interest in Christology, religious philosophy, and the history of Christianity,
"The True Origins of Jesus: The myth behind the man" is an inherently fascinating, informative, and occasionally
iconoclastic study that is highly recommended for personal, community, seminary, church, and academic library Christian
Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, theologians, seminary students, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The True Origins of Jesus" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $8.49).
Editorial Note #1: The late Geoff Roberts was a respected freelance photographer and columnist from Merseyside, England,
who worked in regional press for more than three decades. After spending many years researching the early origins of
Christianity, he dedicated the final years of his life to collating his findings to present an honest and unbiased historical
perspective. Like many, Geoff was an intelligent, non-academic who wanted to conduct his own research into the evidence
available to all of us, regarding the origins of "the greatest story ever told", and to ask the question of whether it can be
supported by any historical evidence outside the pages of the Bible.
Editorial Note #2: As an editor Colm Holland (https://www.colmholland.com/) spent twenty-five years working in sales and
marketing in the publishing industry. He was a member the Harper Collins team which published Paul Coelho's The
Alchemist in 1993. Colm teaches the art of alchemy in everyday life, and he has devoted his life to true empowerment
through inner transformation. He lives in Somerset, UK.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Jewish Women in Time and Torah
Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits
Urim Publications
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655243659, $24.95, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Women-Torah-Eliezer-Berkovits/dp/9655243656
Synopsis: Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovits (8 September 1908 - 20 August 1992) last book, "Jewish Women in Time and
Torah", is a critical examination of the status of women in Halakhah. It offers a coherent theological approach by which the
eternal Divine nature of Torah must be upheld, and yet also recognize that the ever-changing status of women, reflected in
our sacred texts, is linked to historical and social movements of humanity in the world at large.
Rabbi Berkovits makes several suggestions, based on a thorough examination of halakhic sources, to improve that status.
His basic thesis is that the inferior status of women is a vestige of ancient culture. In the course of time, women have gained
certain rights. But, Rabbi Berkovits emphasizes, more remains to be done, especially in the spheres of ritual participation
and marital rights, areas in which he makes a number of concrete halakhic suggestions. For example, he suggests that
adequate halakhic justification exists for women to take upon themselves the mitzvah of donning tefillin or establishing
their own prayer groups, as well as women reciting Shabbat kiddush for men or participating in a mixed-gender zimmun for
Grace After Meals.
Critique: An invaluable contribution to considerations and discussions of the proper role of women within Jewish life and
rabbinic culture, "Jewish Women in Time and Torah" is an erudite, thoughtful and thought-provoking study that is
unreservedly recommended for personal, rabbinic, and academic library Judaic Studies collections.
Editorial Note: Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovits (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliezer_Berkovits) was born in Transylvania in
1908. He received his rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg at the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary
in Berlin and his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Berlin in the 1930s. After escaping Germany in December
1938, Berkovits served as a communal rabbi in Leeds, England, Sydney, Australia, and Boston, before assuming the chair of
the philosophy department at the Hebrew Theological College in Chicago in 1958. He moved to Jerusalem in 1975, where
he lived and worked until his death in 1992.
Tanya V1: Likkutei Amarim 1-32
Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, author
Maggid
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592645855, $34.95, HC, 815pp
https://korenpub.com/products/the-steinsaltz-tanya-v1-likkutei-amarim-1-32
Synopsis: In this groundbreaking commentary on the Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi's classic work, Rabbi Adin
Even-Israel Steinsaltz seeks to reveal the author's powerful fire and spirit contained therein. In doing so, he unmasks his
own burning spirit, his own love, awe, and closeness to God.
Through vivid explanations and metaphors from our daily lives, along with stories from the lives of hasidim of the past,
Rabbi Steinsaltz draws the world of the Tanya into our world, providing a detailed elucidation of foundational concepts in
Kabbala and in Judaism in general.
The Tanya is one of the most important books of mussar (ethical instruction) ever written. It provides a complete and
comprehensive worldview, penetrating the depths of the spiritual struggles a person will face in life, while offering practical
ideas and guidance.
This first section of the Tanya, Likkutei Amarim, comprises fifty-three chapters. In The Steinsaltz Tanya, this section has
been divided into two volumes. Volume 1 contains chapters 1-32, and the forthcoming volume 2 comprises chapters
33-53.
This first section of the Tanya, which its author refers to as the "Book of Beinonim", presents a novel human and ethical
archetype: the beinoni, or the intermediate-level person. The beinoni is neither righteous nor wicked, but he is not an
average person either. The beinoni is a category of its own, which expresses the ideal level that each an every individual, in
accordance with his specific capabilities, can and should aspire to achieve.
The Tanya is presented in a format that invites a person to put the ideas presented here into practice, one concept building
on another, one leading to the next so that the reader is guided toward attaining the level of beinoni that is the focus of this
book. Its ideas are condensed, its words packed with meaning, and the one who studies the Tanya cannot help but appreciate
its subtle and beautifully crafted writing style.
The Steinsaltz Tanya includes a vocalized Hebrew Tanya text and a groundbreaking translation of the Tanya alongside
Rabbi Steinsaltz's novel commentary. One does not have to come from the world of Hassidism to study the Tanya . Rabbi
Steinsaltz's clear, readable elucidation makes this dense, concise work accessible to all.
Critique: With the publication of "The Steinsaltz Tanya V1: Likkutei Amarim 1-32". Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz provides
an eloquent, informative, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking study that is an especially and unreservedly
recommended contribution personal, professional, synagogue, college, and university library Judaic Studies collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz z"l (1937-2020) was a teacher, philosopher, social critic and prolific
author. His lifelong work in Jewish education earned him the Israel Prize, his country's highest honor. Rabbi Steinsaltz
(https://steinsaltz.org/bio) is internationally regarded as one of the greatest rabbis of this century and of the last.
Editorial Note #2: Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi[1] (September 4, 1745 - December 15, 1812) was an influential
Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi in
Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later in the Grodno Governorate of the Russian Empire. He was the author of many works,
and is best known for Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Tanya, and his Siddur Torah Or compiled according to the Nusach Ari.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shneur_Zalman_of_Liadi)
The Sages Volume V: The Yeshivot of Babylonia and Israel
Rabbi Binyamin Lau, author
Ilana Kurshan, translator
Maggid Books
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592644025, $24.95, HC, 302pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sages-Yeshivot-Babylonia-Israel/dp/1592644023
Synopsis: 'The Sages: Character, Context & Creativity' is a series by Rabbi Binyamin Lau that brings the world of the
Talmud to life by revealing the stories of the people behind its pages. This is fascinating multi-volume series which explores
the lives and times of the great Jewish sages (Hazal): their teachers and disciples, their families and professions, the values
they cherished and ideologies they opposed, the historical challenges they faced, and the creative wisdom with which they
faced them. Highly original and profoundly engaging, The Sages draws readers closer to the world of Hazal while deepening
their understanding of our own. "The Yeshivot of Babylonia and Israel" is Volume 5 of The Sages series.
Critique: With the focus on the impact of the Babylonian era on the development of the Israelite Talmud culture, "The
Yeshivot of Babylonia and Israel" is a fascinating, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking study organized into three
major sections (Southern Babylonia; Northern Babylonia; The Land of Israel). As with the first four volumes of this simply
outstanding series, "The Yeshivot of Babylonia and Israel" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, synagogue, college, and university library Judaic Studies and Talmudic Studies collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "The Yeshivot of Babylonia and Israel" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$8.99).
Editorial Note: Rabbi Binyamin Lau (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binyamin_Lau) is an Israeli community leader, educator
and social activist. He is the rabbi of the Ramban Synagogue in Jerusalem, founder of the Moshe Green Beit Midrash for
Women's Leadership at Beit Morasha's Beren College, and a research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. Rabbi Lau
also serves as a consultant for a number of leading organizations and is frequently cited in the media. He studied at Yeshivat
Har Etzion and Yeshivat Kibbutz HaDati, and received a PhD in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University.
The American History Shelf
War By Other Means
Daniel Akst
Melville House
46 John Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
https://www.mhpbooks.com
9781612199245, $28.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/War-Other-Means-Generation-Revolutionized/dp/1612199240
Synopsis: Pacifists who fought against the Second World War faced insurmountable odds -- but their resistance, philosophy,
and strategies fostered a tradition of activism that shaped America right up to the present day.
"War By Other Means: The Pacifists of the Greatest Generation Who Revolutionized Resistance" is a provocative and
deeply researched work of history in which Daniel Akst takes his readers into the wild, heady, and uncertain times of
America on the brink of a world war, following four fascinating resisters who would subsequently become famous political
thinkers and activists: David Dellinger, Dorothy Day, Dwight MacDonald, and Bayard Rustin.
The lives of these diverse anti-war advocates (a principled and passionate seminary student, a Catholic anarchist, a
high-brow intellectual leftist, and an African-American pacifist and agitator) create the perfect prism through which to see
World War II from a new angle, that of the opposition, as well as to show how great and lasting their achievements
were.
The resisters did not stop the war, of course, but their impact would be felt for decades. Many of them went on to lead the
civil-rights and anti-Vietnam War movements, the two most important social stands of the second half of the twentieth
century. The various World War II resisters pioneered non-violent protest in America, popularized Gandhian principles, and
desegregated the first prison mess halls. Theirs is a story that has never been told -- until now.
Critique: Organized into three main section (Before; During; After), "War By Other Means: The Pacifists of the Greatest
Generation Who Revolutionized Resistance" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of twenty-two
pages of Notes and a nineteen page Index. A unique contribution to our understanding of American in World War II, "War
By Other Means" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library World War II history, biography, and
social activist collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "War By Other Means" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Daniel Akst (http://akst.com) is a writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street
Journal, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Slate and other leading publications. He has written scores of book reviews over
the years and was a board member of the National Book Critics Circle. He has been a Koret Fellow at the University of
California (Berkeley) Graduate School of Journalism, a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center
in Washington, DC, and a public policy fellow at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College.
The Travel Shelf
The Ethical Traveler
Imogen Lepere
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781925811988, $16.95, HC, 108pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Traveler-World-Without-Ruining/dp/1925811980
Synopsis: Travel can be fun, informative and life-event memorable, but there are hidden costs to your trips that go deeper
than your pockets. From potential impacts on the environment or the communities we visit to respecting others' cultures,
taking a moment to consider our choices can make a real impact on the planet and other people.
Whether it's doing the research to make sure the money we pay to see wild animals isn't going into the pockets of those
abusing them or forgoing the familiarity of Starbucks for local restaurants, there are countless ways we can travel more
consciously.
"The Ethical Traveler: 100 Ways to Roam the World (Without Ruining It!)" by experienced travel writer Imogen Lepere
offers 100 specific tips to help protect the planet, support communities, and plan trips that are more mindful for anyone who
wants to explore the world while conserving everything that makes it so special.
Critique: Simply stated, "The Ethical Traveler: 100 Ways to Roam the World (Without Ruining It!)" should be considered
essential reading for anyone traveling across the city, across the state, across the country, or across the world -- especially
when visiting another country with its customs and culture different from the traveler's own. The tips are simple, succinct,
and come with a full color illustration. Of special note is the informative introduction and the opening section of advice on
'How To Use This Book'. "The Ethical Traveler" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and academic library Ecotourism and General Travel Guide collections.
Editorial Note: Imogen Lepere (https://www.imogenleperewriter.com) is an award-winning travel writer based in London
who specializes in food, female empowerment, and community. Her previous adventures include living with a commune on
a Thai island, couch surfing around Scandinavia, riding the Trans-Mongolian Railway, sailing to Indonesia's Spice Islands,
and a summer spent with a nudist colony in Greece.
Great American Road Trips: Best of 50 States
Editorial Staff
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
c/o Trusted Media Brand
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458456, $19.99, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Road-Trips-States/dp/1621458458
Synopsis: With the publication of "Great American Road Trips: Best of 50 States" by the editorial staff of the Reader's
Digest, motorists can get the very best of road trip vacations that the United States has to offer.
From small-town pit stops and off-the-beaten-path adventures to renowned historical sites and breathtaking parks, the
destinations highlighted in "Great American Road Trips: Best of 50 States" emphasize the unique beauty and history that
each state has to offer.
Whether you are a nature lover, history buff, or veteran road warrior, the incredible photography in this magnificent volume,
along with the included recommendations for nearby attractions, lodging, recreation, and more, will inspire you to get
packing. Jump in the car or RV and share these experiences with the ones you love!
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full page color photos accompanying informatively descriptive
commentaries, "Great American Road Trips: Best of 50 States" is also comprised of insider trips that will enable the traveler
to get the most out of every excursion exploring every state. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99),
"Great American Road Trips: Best of 50 States" will prove a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to personal and
community library General Travel Guide, Road Travel, and Pictorial State reference collections.
Soul of New York: A Guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences
Tarajia Morrell, author
Abbie Zuidema, illustrator
Liz Barclay, photographer
Jonglez Publishing
https://jonglezpublishing.com
9782361953911, $14.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-York-Exceptional-Experiences/dp/2361953919
Synopsis: "Soul of New York: A Guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences" is a unique travel guide showcasing: The Lilliputian
hotel room, once slept in by sailors, now perfect for the solo traveler; the cinema that restores Golden Age glamor to the
movie-going experience; the modern pharmacist who will cure your cold (or hangover) with a tonic; the spot to sip a
Manhattan while gazing at pictures by Warhol and Basquiat; the market that offers a true slice of the Lower East Side; the
high end burger and the hidden one; the pizza place that created a neighborhood; the surf town a subway away -- and so
much more!
"Soul of New York" is written by Tarajia Morrell, journalist and native New Yorker, and produced by Fany Pechiodat,
founder of My Little Paris, the influential newsletter-cum-lifestyle brand. To bring this travel guide to life, Tarajia worked
along with the talented photographer Liz Barclay & illustrator Abbie Zuidema.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Soul of New York: A Guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences "
showcases: The 30 best experiences a city has to offer, Interviews with those who give the city its spirit; Original
illustrations that capture the city's soul. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.95), "Soul of New York: A
Guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
and academic library New York City & State travel guide collections.
Editorial Note: The "Soul of" collection is a new approach to the art of traveling that's all about vagabonding around town,
chance encounters, and unforgettable experiences. Guides for those who want to unlock the hidden doors of a city, feel out
its heartbeat, plumb every last nook and cranny to uncover its soul. Created by Fany Pechiodat in collaboration with the
publisher Thomas Jonglez, the collection will continue to expand with new cities in 2020 and 2021: Rome, Venice,
Barcelona, Bali.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
The King's Ransom
Vincent Brugas, author
Herzet Benoit Dellac, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
https://www.cinebook.co.uk
c/o National Book Network (distribution)
https://nbnbooks.com
9781800440593, $13.95, PB, 56pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Ransom-Nottingham-Vincent-Brugeas/dp/1800440596
Synopsis: 1192. Richard, King of England, hasn't returned from the Crusades. Rumors say he may be dead, and his brother
John Lackland begins moving his pieces to claim the throne, counting on the support (and money) of the kingdom's sheriffs.
Deep inside Sherwood Forest, Marian, young Saxon Lady, tries to convince a family of outlaws to join her in fighting the
prince, with the help of a mysterious man in a hood -- none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham himself!
Critique: "The King's Ransom" by author/storyteller Vincent Brugas and artist/illustrator Emmanuel Herzet Dellac is the
first volume "Nottingham", a new graphic novel action/adventure series. Offering a new take on the Robin Hood legend,
"The King's Ransom" is a fun, impressive, memorable addition for personal and community library Graphic Novel
collections for readers of all ages. It should be noted that "The King's Ransom" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle/Comixology, $4.61).
Editorial Note #1: Vincent Brugeas (https://www.europecomics.com/author/vincent-brugeas) holds both a passion for, and a
degree in, History. Several of his series have garnered much interest and praise: Block 109, Le Roy des Ribauds, and
especially the superb The Regiment, which is also published by Cinebook.
Editorial Note #2: Emmanuel Herzet (https://www.europecomics.com/author/herzet) teaches History in Belgium, and began
writing comics out of sheer passion. Among others, he's worked on series Alpha, also published by Cinebook. Benoit Dellac
has illustrated several series, including an adaptation of Roger Zelazny's The Chronicles of Amber.
The Audiobook Shelf
An Unwanted Inheritance
Imogen Clark, author
Bronwen Price, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713647454, $19.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Unwanted-Inheritance-Imogen-Clark/dp/1713647451
Synopsis: When their father dies unexpectedly, siblings Max, Ellie and Nathan can't even contemplate emptying his house --
not least because he spent his last decade curating what feels like a museum to his polished public image. So it is Max's
wife, Caroline, who finds the suitcase under a bed. A suitcase stuffed full of an awful lot of cash!
The source of the money is a mystery to them all, and each has a strong opinion about what to do with it. Ellie and her
husband James have an expensive lifestyle to maintain and could do with their share of the windfall -- James in particular,
for reasons he doesn't dare reveal. Nathan can't be trusted with money, as the others all know; he's desperate to get his hands
on some (or all) of the cash. But Caroline is the one guarding the suitcase, and she's insisting to Max that they take it to the
police.
The three siblings have always been close. But now, with this money from nowhere threatening to rewrite what they thought
they knew about their father and their family, nothing seems certain. Could it really tear them apart?
Critique: A cleverly crafted and impressively original story by gifted novelist Imogen Clark and, in a superbly produced,
complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio, "An Unwanted Inheritance" is brought to life by the
storytelling talents of Bronwen Price. "An Unwanted Inheritance" (offers 11 hours and 32 minutes of of listening pleasure)
is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Imogen Clark (https://imogenclark.com) writes contemporary fiction about families and secrets. Her
books have topped the Amazon kindle chart eight times and Where the Story Starts was short listed in the UK for
Contemporary Romantic Novel of the year 2020.
Editorial Note #1: Bronwen Price (https://www.bronwenprice.co.uk) is a multi award nominated voice actor based in
London. She works in genres as varied as audiobooks and corporate narration, video games and IVR, and radio drama and
commercials.
Hard Fire
J. B. Turner, author
Jeffrey Kafer, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781799798415, $19.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Fire-Jon-Reznick-Thriller/dp/1799798410
Synopsis: Jon Reznick is not a man to cross. A brutally effective black-ops veteran, Reznick has a history of taking the law
into his own hands. So when a group of masked men murders his closest friend, he swears to exact vengeance. The
now-deceased Bill Eastland had been Reznick's last living tie to his father, leaving him devastated -- and furious. Whether
or not the FBI approves, he swears to hunt down whoever issued the hit on his friend.
With the help of hacker Trevelle Williams, Reznick tracks the masked murderers from Maine to Texas to New York,
quickly becoming embroiled in the shadowy world of the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mafia. As Reznick's own body count
begins to climb, clues lead him to one of the most dangerous crime families in New York, headed by the infamous Paul
Moretti. But FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein has just learned a crucial secret that could derail Reznick's quest for
revenge -- Moretti is a high-level FBI informant.
Reznick faces a stark choice: take on the FBI and risk severing ties with Martha, or inflict his own form of rigorous justice
no matter the possible fallout. How far will he go (and how many government agencies will he undermine) to get retribution
for his best friend's death? He might just have to create his own set of rules.
Critique: A riveting novel by author J. B. Turner that will have a strong appeal to fans of Conspiracy Theories and riveting
Action-Adventure stories, "Hard Fire" is the stuff of which block-buster movies are made. Deftly and effectively narrated by
the vocal storytelling talents of narrator Jeffrey Kafer, "Hard Fire" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated
addition to personal and community library complete and unabridged audio book collections. (7 Hours, 25 Minutes).
Editorial Note #1: J. B. Turner (https://jbturnerauthor.com) is a former journalist and the author of the Jon Reznick series of
action thrillers (Hard Road, Hard Kill, Hard Wired, Hard Way, Hard Fall, Hard Hit, Hard Shot, Hard Target, and Hard
Vengeance), the American Ghost series of black-ops thrillers (Rogue, Reckoning, and Requiem), and the Deborah Jones
political thrillers (Miami Requiem and Dark Waters).
Editorial Note #2: Jeffrey Kafer (https://www.jeffreykafer.com) is an experienced vocal actor who has done commercial
voice overs and multiple audio book narrations.
Hidden In Snow
Viveca Sten, author
Marlaine Delargy, translator
Laura Jennings, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781799784388, $14.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Snow-%C3%85re-Murders-1/dp/179978438X
Synopsis: On the day Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander's personal and professional lives crash, she takes refuge at
her sister's lodge in the Swedish ski resort paradise of Are. But it's a brief comfort. The entire village is shaken by the
sudden vanishing of a local teenage girl. Hanna can't help but investigate, and while searching for the missing person, she
lands a job with the local police department. There she joins forces with Detective Inspector Daniel Lindskog, who has been
tasked with finding the girl. Their only lead: a scarf in the snow.
As subzero temperatures drop even further, a treacherous blizzard sweeps toward Are. Hanna and Daniel's investigation is
getting more desperate by the hour. Lost or abducted, either way time is running out for the missing girl. Each new clue
closes in on something far more sinister than either Hanna or Daniel imagined. In this devious novel by the bestselling
author of the Sandhamn Murders series, discover what it will take to solve a case when the truth can be so easily hidden in
the coming storm.
Critique: Of special appeal to listeners with an interest in Police Procedural Mysteries and the adventures of Women
Sleuths, "Hidden In Snow" by novelist Viveca Sten is masterfully narrated by the impressive storytelling talents of Laura Jennings in this 11 Hour, 6 Minute complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio. A true delight for
fans of riveting suspense thriller fiction, "Hidden In Snow" is especially recommended for personal and community library
audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Viveca Sten (www.vivecasten.com) is the author of the Sandhamn Murders series, which includes Buried
in Secret, In Bad Company, In the Name of Truth, In the Shadow of Power, In Harm's Way, In the Heat of the Moment,
Tonight You're Dead, Guiltless, Closed Circles, and Still Waters. Since 2008, the series has sold more than seven million
copies, establishing her as one of Sweden's most popular authors. Set on the island of Sandhamn, the novels have been
adapted into a Swedish-language TV series shot on location and seen by ninety million viewers around the world.
Editorial Note #2: Marlaine Delargy lives in Shropshire in the United Kingdom. She has translated novels by many authors
and the nine books in Viveca Sten's Sandhamn Murders series.
(https://www.audiobooksnow.com/narrator/Marlaine%20Delargy)
Editorial Note #3: Laura Jennings (https://www.laurajenningsnarrates.com) has narrated titles for major publishers but is
just as proud of her work with independent authors. She is also the Coordinator for The Podcast Academy and the
Communications Manage for Eljin Productions Inc..
A Light in the Forest
Melissa Payne, author
Kay Eluvian, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781978694453, $19.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Light-Forest-Novel-Melissa-Payne/dp/1978694458
Synopsis: Vega Jones escapes an abusive relationship with nothing but her two-month-old baby and the van she grew up in.
Her destination is a small Ohio town her late vagabond mother left years ago. It's one full of nobodies, her mother warned.
That makes it the ideal refuge for Vega to lie low, feel safe, and maybe learn more about a past her mother never spoke
of.
Vega warms to the town and to new acquaintances like Heff, the young deputy and artist who prefers his yard art to actual
policing, and empathetic Eve, a local farmer whose near-death experience gave her more than just her life back. But even in
this welcoming community, there's an undercurrent of something unsettled, talk of a tragedy that unfolded in the woods
years ago, and a mystery connected to Vega in ways she couldn't have anticipated.
As a mother on the run and following a path of mounting risks and illuminating secrets, Vega discovers that even during the
darkest of times, there's light in unexpected places.
Critique: A riveting novel by author Melissa Payne that is brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by
the narrative storytelling skills of Kay Eluvian, "A Light In The Forest" offers 12 Hours and 11 Minutes of riveting
entertainment. This complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio is a welcome and fully recommended
addition to personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Melissa Payne (www.melissapayneauthor.com) is the author of The Secrets of Lost Stones, Memories in
the Drift, and The Night of Many Endings. For as long as she can remember, Melissa has been telling stories in one form or
another -- from high school newspaper articles to a graduate thesis to blogging about marriage and motherhood. But she first
learned the real importance of storytelling when she worked for a residential and day treatment center for abused and
neglected children, where she wrote speeches and letters to raise funds. The truth in those children's stories was piercing and
painful, written to invoke a call to action in the reader: to give, to help, and to make a difference. Melissa's love of writing
and sharing stories in all forms has endured.
Editorial Note #2: Kay Eluvian (https://www.kayeluvian.com) is a versatile, quirky, funny and friendly British transgender
female (woman) voiceover actor / actress (voiceactor) with years of experience working in audiobooks, drama, games and
commercials. She is a trained actor with an unusual voice - not quite a girl, not quite a guy and it grabs the listener with a
smile. She has a massive vocal range (measured at 3 3/4 octaves!) and plenty of playful attitude.
The Union
Leah Vernon, author
Alaska Jackson, Sisi Johnson, Kirby Heyborne, narrators
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713667766, $14.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Union-Leah-Vernon/dp/1713667762
Synopsis: A thousand years in the future, a Black elite class reigns. The lower classes toil in the fields or scrape by in
blighted cities, serving their rulers in a cruel, divided world.
Among the Elites is eighteen-year-old Avi Jore, born to a powerful father and destined to rule. But as she comes of age, Avi
cannot help but notice the injustices in her world -- the treatment of enslaved workers, the oppression of the lower classes.
Her disillusionment grows when she meets Saige Wilde, a mixed-race enslaved girl whose only goal is escaping beyond the
borders of their brutal nation.
When Saige saves Avi from an assassination attempt, their paths become intertwined in ways they never imagined. As Saige
plots her path to freedom, Avi tries to enact change from the inside. But it's a complicated endeavor, fraught with danger
and malice.
Together, their efforts could spark a revolution -- and underscore the staggering power of friendship.
Critique: This complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Union" by Leah Vernon is skillfully narrated by the
team of Alaska Jackson, Sisi Johnson, and Kirby Heyborne. Carefully crafted science fiction with an underlying social
message, "The Union" is certain to be a prized addition to both personal and community library audio book collections. (10
Hours, 43 Minutes)
Editorial Note: Leah Vernon (www.LeahVernon.com) is an author, body-positive activist, and the first international
plus-size Hijabi model. During her double master's program, she started a blog about being a fat Black Muslim in Detroit
experiencing everything from eating disorders to anti-Blackness. She's been featured in ads from Target to Old Navy and
even made it to the New York Times and HuffPost. She currently resides in New York City. She can be followed on
Instagram (@lvernon2000).
The Library CD Shelf
Blues To Be There: A Salute To Duke Ellington
Planet D Nonet, artist
Eastlawn Rcords
http://www.eastlawnrecords.com
MP3, FLAC, $TBA, CD
Synopsis: The now legendary Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974) was an American jazz
pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. "Blues To Be There: A
Salute To Duke Ellington" is a musical tribute honoring the Duke and his contributions to the evolution of Jazz in America
by the group Planet D. Nonet. The sixteen pieces comprising this superbly produced album include: Spacemen (6:38); Pie
Eye's Blues (4:18); Chinoiserrie (3:22); Moon Maiden (4:04); The Swingers Get The Blues Too (3:06); Blow By Blow
(3:40); Tigress (3:43); Almost Cried (2:28); Purple Gazelle (2:47); Way Early Subtone (3:34); Take The A Train (5:04);
U.M.M.G. (2:58); Bonga (4:26); Moonbow (3:16); Vip's Boogie/Jam With Sam (5:31); and the title piece, Blues To Be
There (8:27).
Critique: An album that will be of special interest to connoisseurs of great Jazz, "Blues To Be There" lives up to the
standards set by Duke Ellington and is highly recommended for personal and community library CD Music collections.
Out of Doors
Bodhiheart
Blue Yarn Records
https://www.bodhiheartmusic.com
www.blueyarnrecords.com
MP3, FLAC, $TBA, CD
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR63ZZMH
Synopsis: "Out of Doors: Meditations for Piano and Nature" by the team of Wells Hanley and Matt Wyatt is comprised of
twelve original compositions: Departure (2:23), First Signs of Spring (5:38), The Rainy Season (5:12), Daybreak (5:30),
Derecho (5:48), Migration (7:53), Snow Melt (4:20), Creek Song (5:55), Midnight (5:09), Ocean, Sand, Skinn (5:47),
Summer Storm (6:26), Other Worlds (8:14). The total running time is 1 hour, 8 minutes.
Critique: Creative, original, memorable, gentle, inspiring tranquility and peace of mind, the music as composed and
performed will draw its listeners back to "Out of Doors: Meditations for Piano and Nature" time and time again. Certain to
be enduringly appreciated, "Out of Doors" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and
community library CD Music collections.
Better Days
Mr. Chair
https://mrchair.bandcamp.com/releases
www.mrchairmusic.com
MP3, FLAC, $18.00, CD
Synopsis: A new digital album from the Madison, Wisconsin based group Mr. Chair, "Better Days" is comprised of 9
pieces: March; Fuchsia, ft. Buzz Kemper; Better Days; Elegy, ft. Eddie Barbash; Abandoned Cities; Appellation Spring;
Britten's Written Rhythm; Fuchsia, ft. Eddie Barbash; and Uncanny Valley.
Critique: The group, Mr. Chair, is comprised is a combination of a jazz combo, string quartet, rock bank. The
classically-trained musicians comprising Mr. Chair includes: Ben Farris (bass), Jose Guzman (guitar), Mark Hetzler
(trombone), Mike Koszewski (drums), Jason Kutz (keyboard), Eddy Barbash (alto saxophone), and Buzz Kemper (voice and
poetry). Deftly produced, "Better Days" is unabashedly recommended for both personal and community library CD Music
collections.
Choices
William Carn
Independently Published
https://williamcarn.bandcamp.com/album/choices
MP3, FLAC, $10.00, CD
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR5ZWX2K
Synopsis: Trombonist William Carn has emerged as one of Canada's leading contemporary jazz trombonists and composers.
As a bandleader, William currently leads several groups; the William Carn Quintet, his quartet Run Stop Run and his
co-lead chamber nonet, the Carn Davidson NINE. He has performed and taught internationally as well as throughout
Canada. "Choices" brilliantly showcases his creativity and his groups performance skills with the inclusion of seven pieces:
Breath In (1:16), The Inertia of Complacency (5:37), Heroylm Slava (3:17), Get Up (6:01), Goodby Old Friend (2:12), The
Gift (6:45), and Breathe Out (1:49).
Critique: An acclaimed Rath Trombone artist, William Carn (www.willamcarn.com) is also a faculty member at the
University of Toronto Jazz Studies program. "Choices" deftly is brilliantly produced and showcases his work. "Choices"
will have a very special appeal to fans of Contemporary Jazz -- making it an excellent and recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary CD Music collections.
In the Moment
Ella & Magrus Borges
The Bossa Beat
www.ellaandthebossabeat.com
MP3, FLAC, $18.00, CD
https://www.ellaandthebossabeat.com/music
Synopsis: All songs comprising "In the Moment" were written and produced by Ella and Magrus Borges. Brasilian voice
artist Ella Borges is possessed of a singular and memorable talent that will linger in the mind and memory of the listener as
evidenced by the nine pieces that comprise her album "In The Moment". Those pieces include: Speak from the Heart (4:45);
Why (3:53); Dreamer (4:14); O Tempo Traz (4:42); Forever (5:08); Show Me the Way (4:41); Estretas no ceu (4:03);
Slipping Away (3:52); and What Happended to Our Love (4:12).
Critique: Beautiful, haunting, exquisite, emotionally moving, "In the Moment" is one of those albums that must be
unreservedly recommended for both personal, community, and academic library CD Music collections.
Atlas
Matt Greenwood
Independently Published
https://www.matt-greenwood.com
MP3, FLAC, $TBA, CD
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLJ3L28M
"Atlas" is comprised of ten jazz compositions and performances by Matt Greenwood (guitar), and Toronto musicians Joshua
Stanberry (piano), PeterHolbrook (piano), Mike Downes (acoustic bass), Matt McCormack (electric bass), Dhaivat Jani
(drums/percussion), Mark Kelso (drums), Matt Dicker (drums), James Griffith (alto saxophone), and Steve Carson (tenor
saxophone).
Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe and currently residing in Toronto, Canada, Matt explores the crossover between
improvisational jazz and experimental production aesthetics in ten pieces: Constellations (0.49), Dehyah (5:46), Wild
Angels (4:00), From Sunshine (7:05), Campfire Ghosts (0.58), What's Left of the World (5:01), The First Mourning (4.25),
Redemption (6:38), Commitment (3:33), and the title number Atlas (4:05).
Critique: With a very special appeal to sophisticated jazz enthusiasts, "Atlas" is original, inherently fascinating, beautifully
recorded, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Contemporary Jazz collections.
The Genealogy Shelf
Researching Scots-Irish Ancestor, second edition
William J. Roulston
Ulster Historical Foundation
c/o Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 229, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9781909556652, $34.95, PB, 640pp
https://www.amazon.com/Researching-Scots-Irish-Ancestors-essential-genealogical/dp/1909556653
Synopsis: When the first edition of "Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The essential genealogical guide to early modern
Ulster, 1600-1800" appeared in 2005 it was quickly recognized as an essential work of reference for family historians
researching Ulster ancestors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It filled an important gap in providing reliable
guidance on sources for perhaps the most critical period in understanding a family's links with the north of Ireland.
This is territory where some family historians fear to tread. But they need not. This newly updated and expanded second
edition of "Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors" opens up avenues for research; drawing attention to the riches of archives
inside and outside of the island of Ireland, demonstrating the benefit of often undervalued, rare, even quite unconventional,
yet accessible sources if you know where to look which can help document your ancestors back to the 1600s.
At more than twice the size of the original, this new second edition is a massively expanded version of the first volume. It
includes additional information on church records and landed estate papers, as well as new chapters looking at records
relating to law and order, emigration, business and occupations, diaries and journals, and clubs and societies.
The extensive appendices to the book include a summary breakdown of the sources available from this period for every
parish in the historic nine counties of Ulster (including a listing of surviving pre-1800 church records); a detailed description
of around 350 collections of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century landed estate papers; and a listing of more than 500 towns
and villages in Ulster with parish locations.
Whether your ancestors are of English, Scottish or Gaelic Irish background, whether their religious affiliation was
Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic or other, whether they were farmers, merchants or labourers, this volume
will be of enormous value to anyone wishing to find out more about their Ulster roots.
Critique: An indispensable and essential reference and reserach resource for anyone researching Scots-Irish ancestors of the
17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries, "Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The essential genealogical guide to early modern Ulster,
1600-1800: 2nd Edition" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Genealogy collections.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Hollywood in the Klondike
Michael Gates
Harbour Publishing
www.harbourpublishing.com
9781550179965, $34.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Klondike-Dawson-Citys-Great/dp/1550179969
Synopsis: In 1978, hundreds of reels of silent films were unearthed from beneath the demolished site of an old hockey arena
in Dawson City, Yukon. Author Michael Gates witnessed the cinematic discovery of these once-lost films -- and with the
publication of "Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City's Great Film Find" tells of excavating time lost cinematic treasures
while illuminating the history of a gold rush town like no other.
An event in the most unlikely of places and circumstances, the Klondike gold rush was unique in the history of Canada and
the development of the North. Dawson City, the "Paris of the North," was the hub of the Klondike gold rush 125 years ago.
There were more saloons, gambling halls and theatres than there were places serving food, and the live theatre was at the
centre of it all.
Readers will discover the icons who went from the Klondike to Hollywood including Robert Service, Jack London, Charlie
Chaplin, Alexander Pantages, Sid Grauman, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Marjorie Rambeau and more.
Readers will join Gates on his cinematic journey as he ponders the question: Did the Klondike help make Hollywood, or did
Hollywood make the Klondike? Crafted from Gates's first-hand experience and extensive research, "Hollywood in the
Klondike" casts a spotlight on an exciting piece of Canadian (and Hollywood) history.
Critique: A seminal work that is an absolutely essential read for dedicated students of cinematic film history (and the history
of Dawson City), "Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City's Great Film Find" is an extraordinary and inherently
fascinating account. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City's Great
Film Find" is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a five page Appendix (Gold-Mining Techniques and
Terminology), a six page Bibliography, eighteen pages of Notes, and a an eight page Index. This edition of "Hollywood in
the Klondike: Dawson City's Great Film Find" from Harbour Publishing is highly recommended for personal, community,
and academic library Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Michael Gates (https://harbourpublishing.com/collections/michael-gates) is the Yukon story laureate. He is
the author of several historical books, including From the Klondike to Berlin, which was shortlisted for the Canadian
Authors Association Fred Kerner Book Award, and Dublin Gulch: The History of the Eagle Gold Mine, which received the
Axiom Business Book Award silver medal for corporate history. He was formerly the curator of collections for Klondike
National Historic Sites in Dawson City and pens the popular column History Hunter for the Yukon News. He lives in
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
The Life and Afterlife of Swedish Biograph
Jan Olsson
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299339906, $79.95, HC, 312pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-life-and-afterlife-of-swedish-biograph-jan-olsson/1141872290
Synopsis: Sweden's early film industry was dominated by Swedish Biograph (Svenska Biografteatern), home to star
directors like Victor Sjostrom and Mauritz Stiller. It is nostalgically remembered as the generative site of a nascent national
artform, encapsulating a quintessentially Nordic aesthetic -- the epicenter of Sweden's cinematic Golden Age.
With the publication of "The Life and Afterlife of Swedish Biograph: From Commercial Circulation to Archival Practices",
veteran film scholar and academician Jan Olsson takes a hard look at this established, romanticized narrative and offers a far
more complete, complex, and nuanced story.
Nearly all of the studio's original negatives were destroyed in an explosion in 1941, but Olsson's comprehensive archival
research shows how the company operated in a commercial, international arena, and how it was influenced not just by
Nordic aesthetics or individual genius but also by foreign audiences' expectations, technological demands, Hollywood
innovations, and the gritty back-and-forth between economic pressures, government interference, and artistic desires.
Professor Olsson's focus is wide, encompassing the studio's production practices, business affairs, and cinematographic
conventions, as well as the latter-day archival efforts that both preserved and obscured parts of Swedish Biograph's story,
helping construct the company's rosy legacy. The result is a necessary rewrite to Swedish film historiography and a far fuller
picture of a canonical film studio.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of illustrations, three appendices, thirty-four pages of
notes, a four page bibliography, and a sixteen page index, "The Life and Afterlife of Swedish Biograph: From Commercial
Circulation to Archival Practices" by Professor Jan Olsson is an extraordinary work of meticulous, exhaustive, and research.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this seminal study is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Swedish Cinematic History collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jan Olsson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Olsson_(film_scholar)) is a Swedish film scholar, professor of
cinema studies and former head of department at Stockholm University. He has been a visiting professor at the University of
Southern California, UCLA, Northwestern University, Utrecht University and the City University of Hong Kong. Olsson is
the founding editor of John Libbey's book series Stockholm Studies in Cinema, and the founding editor of the scholarly
journal Aura Film Studies Journal. Along his trajectory of archival research, he has found copies of two previously lost early
films, Buster Keaton's The Cook and Fatty Arbuckle's A Reckless Romeo. He currently leads the research project "From
Business Commodities to Revered Cultural Heritage: Global Media, Vernacular Strategies, and Cultural Negotiations,"
funded by a grant from Vetenskapsradet (the Swedish Research Council). He is also responsible editor of Acta Universitatis
Stockholmiensis' cinema studies series which is distributed by Stockholm University library.
Hollywood with a Smile
Sandra de Bruin, author
Dean Brierly, author
BearManor Media
PO Box 71426, Albany, GA 31708
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887710297, $35.00, HC, 218pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Smile-Sandra-Bruin/dp/B0BJYD44V9
Synopsis: With the assistance of Dean Brierly, "Hollywood with a Smile: My Follies and Foibles in the Film Industry" is a
simply fascinating memoir by Sandra de Bruin recounting her encounters with numerous Hollywood celebrities and her life
and career as a working actress who never made the A list of celebrity status herself but had a successful acting history
enabling her to deliver a true 'insider' perspective to what it was like to be a supporting actress in a long term movie and
television career.
Critique: With a poem for a Prologue, "Hollywood with a Smile: My Follies and Foibles in the Film Industry" is a personal
and fascinating memoir that is deftly organized and presented with chapters and sections devoted to specific Hollywood
celebrities ranging from Harry Belafonte, James Garner, Charleton Heston, Cher, Paul Newman, Dolly Parton, and more!
Not to be missed in Chapter 18 featuring Sandra de Bruin herself -- including her experiences with auditions, commercials,
and 'Off-Center Vignettes. While a treasured addition to personal, community, and academic library Cinematic History
collections, it should be noted for individual reading lists that "Hollywood with a Smile" is also available in a paperback
edition (9798887710280, $25.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Sandra de Bruin (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0207632/bio) has appeared in over 200 television shows,
several major films, many Los Angeles stage productions, numerous commercials, voice over and looping -- and danced in a
production at the Los Angeles Music Center. Her informative and witty articles have appeared in several magazines, and her
scripts have been optioned, bought, sold and dropped by major studios and independent producers alike. She created both
the "Actor's Audition Log" and the "Performer's Workshop Log" to fulfill the organizational needs of her fellow performers
from coast to coast and around the world.
The Business Shelf
Don't Start a Side Hustle!
Brian Page
HarperCollins Leadership
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400231409, $28.99, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Start-Side-Hustle-Work/dp/140023140X
Synopsis: The promise of entrepreneurship is to create a lifestyle of freedom - but that pursuit often leads to a time bankrupt
life. If you're an overworked employee who's done with the 9-to-5, a serial entrepreneur who has yet to realize the American
dream, or currently juggling multiple side hustles and tired of the grind, Brian Page wrote "Don't Start a Side Hustle!: Work
Less, Earn More, and Live Free" especially for you!
Passive income expert Brian Page will guide you step-by-step through 38 bitesize chapters that will teach you how to ditch
the rat race, and instead get you on the path to enjoying the "Passivepreneur" lifestyle.
"Don't Start a Side Hustle", shows how to: Trade working your ass off in exchange for hard-working assets; Create cash
flow from products, services, and even properties you don't own; Become an "income producer" instead of an "income
earner"; Live a lifestyle of freedom by building a passive income empire; Follow in Brian's footsteps as he quit his job and
earned a 7 figure automated income -- in just 47 days.
Critique: Don't trade your 40-hour workweek for an 80-hour a week side hustle. If you aspire to live more, work less, and
earn an automatic income for you and your family, "'Don't Start a Side Hustle!: Work Less, Earn More, and Live Free" is an
ideal combination of inspirational instruction guide and a real world practical DIY 'how-to' manual. While available for
personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781400243983, $19.99) and a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Don't
Start a Side Hustle!" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Entrepreneurship, Home-Based
Business, and Real Estate Investment collections.
Editorial Note: Brian Page (https://brian.page) is an author and speaker focused on passive income creation. Page is best
known as the creator of the BNB Formula, the world's #1 bestselling Airbnb(TM) training with over 25,000 students in 47
countries. He is the host of the Digital Titans Podcast and the star of the reality show House Hackers.
Inclusive Marketing
Jerry Daykin
Kogan Page Inc.
8 W 38th Street, Ste 902, New York, NY 10018
www.koganpage.com
9781398607354, $105.00, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Inclusive-Marketing-Representation-Matters-Customers/dp/1398607355
Synopsis: The job of marketing is to understand, respond to and connect with consumers. Perhaps more so than any other
sector it's essential that it fully embraces the diversity and nuances of society. With the publication of "Inclusive Marketing:
Why Representation Matters to Your Customers and Your Brand" global marketing leader Jerry Daykin provides a practical
blueprint to embedding true representation across the entire marketing process, from initial insights and briefs to the
production process and channels used to launch campaigns. Doing so will not only help drive wider inclusion and positively
challenge stereotypes in society but also create competitive advantage and connect you with new customers.
"Inclusive Marketing" combines clear actionable guidance with checklists, key questions and practical and personal insights
from senior marketing leaders including Professor Mark Ritson and Sarah Jenkins, the MD of Saatchi & Saatchi. With a
foreword by Nicola Mendelsohn (VP at Meta), it also contains examples and perspectives from iconic brands including
Guinness, YouTube, Cadbury, Microsoft and Jim Beam. This is an essential resource for those working on both agency and
client sides in companies of all sizes looking to unlock the power of inclusion in marketing.
Critique: A complete and comprehensive course on the subject of business branding as a marketing tool, "Inclusive
Marketing: Why Representation Matters to Your Customers and Your Brand" is exceptionally well written, organized and
presented. Unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, college, and university library Business
Marketing/Branding/Sales collections, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs,
and business/marketing managers that "Inclusive Marketing" is also available in a paperback edition (9781398607316,
$34.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Jerry Daykin is a global marketing leader who has held senior roles at brands including Beam Suntory, GSK
Consumer Healthcare, Diageo and Mondelez. Based in London, UK, he is a WFA (World Federation of Advertisers)
Diversity Ambassador and co-chair of its Diversity Task Force, where he created its framework for representation and
inclusion. He also sits on the diversity and inclusion boards at the Advertising Association and ISBA, as well as on boards
at the Conscious Advertising Network and Outvertising. A regular conference speaker, he has written for The Drum,
AdWeek, Campaign, Marketing Week and The Guardian.
The Ecosystem Economy
Venkat Atluri, author
Miklos Dietz, author
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119984788, $29.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ecosystem-Economy-Sectors-Without-Borders/dp/1119984785
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Ecosystem Economy: How to Lead in the New Age of Sectors Without Borders",
Venkat Atluri and Miklos Dietz (two McKinsey & Company senior partners) offer an incisive and eye-opening look at the
emerging ecosystem economy and what it means for companies used to familiar sector siloes.
"The Ecosystem Economy" deftly explores how the most successful companies in the new economy aren't the ones that have
applied old-school best practices but, instead, have adopted entirely new mindsets and approaches for a fundamentally
transforming market.
"The Ecosystem Economy" explains: Why it's so important for companies to adopt a new approach in the face of a
foundationally changing economy (and what they stand to gain); How the new ecosystem economy will continue to evolve
and change, dissolving the borders between the traditional sectors of the economy; A comprehensive ecosystem playbook
that can be applied to firms of any size and in any sector.
As the barriers between sectors and disciplines come down, organizations everywhere will need to reshape their thinking
about value propositions, competition, partnership, organizational and operating models, and performance management.
"The Ecosystem Economy" is your personal roadmap to navigating that new world of global commerce.
Critique: "The Ecosystem Economy: How to Lead in the New Age of Sectors Without Borders" is especially commended to
the attention of business managers, corporate executives, and entrepreneurs seeking effective new strategies and practical
approaches for markets that bear little resemblance to the predecessors. While an essential and unreservedly recommended
for personal, professional, community, corporate, college, and university library Contemporary Business Management,
Corporate Leadership, and Entrpreneurial collections, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, business
professionals, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Ecosystem Economy: How to Lead
in the New Age of Sectors Without Borders" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note #1: Venkat Ailuri (https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/venkat-atluri) is a senior partner at McKinsey &
Company, where he leads the firm's global Technology & Telecommunications Practice. In addition he serves clients in the
high-tech, media and telecommunications, advanced industries, and consumer sectors by partnering with management teams
and boards to create value through performance transformation, programmatic M&A and new business building. Prior to
joining McKinsey, Atluri held leadership roles at General Electric and 3M.
Editorial Note #2: Miklos Dietz (https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/miklos-dietz) is a senior partner at McKinsey &
Company. He leads McKinsey's banking strategy and innovation work globally and is the managing partner of the
Vancouver office. He is the founder/chair of the Panorama research group and the Ecosystem Hub, and has served over 450
clients in 40+ countries across multiple industries. Prior to joining McKinsey, he worked at Merrill Lynch and Reuters.
From Start-Up to Grown-Up
Alisa Cohn
Kogan Page Inc.
8 W 38th Street, Ste 902, New York, NY 10018
www.koganpage.com
9781398601406, $98.00, HC, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Start-Up-Grown-Up-Grow-Leadership-Business/dp/1398601403
Synopsis: Every start-up entrepreneurial founder feels overwhelmed and uncertain at various times. The key to managing
the relentless turmoil of a start-up is learning to manage yourself.
With the publication of "From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business", Alisa Cohn shares
all that she has gained from helping companies such as Etsy, Foursquare, InVision and The Wirecutter become headline
names. Growth of your company begins with growth within you.
"From Start-Up to Grown-Up" provides you with effective and practical ways of maximizing your strengths, defusing your
triggers, controlling your self-doubt and building on your motivators. With these self-management tools, you can then turn
your attention to managing your team by ensuring the flow of communication and finding the joy of delegation and the soul
in meetings.
Finally, with "From Start-Up to Grown-Up" you will gain practical tools for managing the company and ensuring overall
effectiveness of your team and strategy, using specific scripts you need to have delicate or difficult conversations.
Filled with stories drawn from the author's experience, "From Start-Up to Grown-Up" helps you build a company with a set
of core values that everybody lives by and where everyone shares a vision of where the company is going and how to get
there.
Critique: Whether a newly aspiring entrepreneur launching an enterprise for the first time, or a seasoned and experienced
business manager or corporate executive, "From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business"
will prove to be an invaluable, instructive, and inspiring read. Available for personal reading lists in both a paperback
edition ( 9781398601383, $29.95) and a digital book format (Kindle, $23.02), "From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your
Leadership to Grow Your Business" will prove to be an immediate and welcome addition to professional, community,
corporate, and academic library Business Management & Leadership collections.
Editorial Note: Alisa Cohn (https://www.alisacohn.com) is an executive coach based in New York, NY who helps start-up
founders mature into world-class CEOs. She has coached companies such as Etsy, Foursquare, Venmo, InVision, Tory
Burch, Mack Weldon and The Wirecutter. She was named the #1 Startup Coach in the world at the 2019 Thinkers50
Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Awards in London and one of the Top 30 Global Gurus for Startups of 2020. She was also
name one of the top 100 Leadership Speakers by Inc Magazine, and has spoken at places such as Cela (the largest gathering
of tech accelerators in the world), the OpenView CEO Summit, and the IBM Digital Summit. She is also the executive
coach for the Runway Accelerator Program at Cornell Tech and serves on the Entrepreneurial Advisory Council of Cornell.
She writes regularly for Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Inc.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Source Magic: The Origin of Art, Science, and Culture
Carl Abrahamsson
Park Street Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644115015, $22.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Source-Magic-Origin-Science-Culture/dp/1644115018
Synopsis: Since the dawn of time, magic has been the node around which all human activities and culture revolve. As magic
entered the development of science, art, philosophy, religion, myth, and psychology, it still retained its essence: that we have
a dynamic connection with all other forms of life.
Exploring the source magic that flows beneath the surface of culture and occulture throughout the ages, with the publication
of "Source Magic: The Origin of Art, Science, and Culture", Carl Abrahamsson offers a "magical-anthropological" journey
from ancient Norse shamanism to the modern magick of occultists like Genesis P-Orridge. He looks at how human beings
relate to and are naturally attracted to magic. He examines in depth the consequences of magical practice and how the
attraction to magic can be corrupted by both religious organizations and occult societies. He shows how the positive effects
of magic are instinctively grasped by children, who view the world as magical.
"Source Magic" also looks at magic and occulture as they relate to psychedelics, Witchcraft, shamanism, Thee Temple ov
Psychick Youth (TOPY), the panic rituals of the Master Musicians of Joujouka in Morocco, psychological individuation
processes, literary "magical realism," and the cut-up technique of Beat icons like William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin. He
explores the similarities in psychology between poet Ezra Pound and magician Austin Osman Spare. He looks at the
Scandinavian Fenris Wolf as a mythic force and how personal pilgrimages can greatly enrich our lives. He also examines
the philosophy of German author Ernst Jnger, the magical techniques of British filmmaker Derek Jarman, and the
quintessential importance of accepting our own mortality.
Sharing his more than 30 years of experiences in the fields of occulture and magical anthropology, Carl Abrahamsson
explores ancient and modern magical history to reveal the source magic that connects us all, past and present.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented study, "Source
Magic: The Origin of Art, Science, and Culture" is certain to have great appeal for students of metaphysics and magic.
While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99), "Source Magic: The Origin of Art,
Science, and Culture" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to professional, community, and academic library
Wicca, Magic Studies, and Cultural Anthropology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Carl Abrahamsson (https://www.carlabrahamsson.com) is a writer, publisher, magico-anthropologist, and
filmmaker. He is the author of "Occulture, Reasonances", and "Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan", as well as the editor
and publisher of the irregular anthology of occulture, The Fenris Wolf. He currently resided in Smaland, Sweden.
The Tales Behind Tarot
Alison Davies, author
Leaping Hare Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780711280663, $29.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Behind-Tarot-Discover-stories/dp/0711280665
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Tales Behind Tarot: Discover the stories within your tarot cards", storyteller, tarot
reader and teacher, Alison Davie provides a very special introduction to the tarot in the form of 78 unforgettable tales
behind all the cards in the modern tarot deck.
Every tarot card has a story to tell and is rich in symbolic meaning. In this gorgeous volume which will be of value to
aspiring and experienced tarot readers alike, expert practitioner Alison Davies brings these stories of the cards alive.
With key words and themes to help you understand the meanings of the cards, Tarot enthusiasts and practitioners can utilize
this magnificent storybook as a tool to learn the tarot, or take their tarot readings to the next level.
The stories comprising "The Teales Behind Tarot" give us context, context gives us knowledge, and knowledge is
empowerment as we learn to understand, decode, and apply the wisdom and meaning of the tarot in our lives through the
power of these stories.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout, "The Tales Behind Tarot: Discover the stories within your tarot cards" is a
unique and welcome addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections
in general, and Tarot instructional reference collections in particular.
Editorial Note: Alison Davies (https://www.alysondavies.com/about) lives in Norwich, and runs workshops at universities
throughout the UK showing academics, students and early years practitioners how stories and narratives can be used as tools
for teaching, healing and learning.
The Karmic Birthday Book
Monte Farber, author
Amy Zerner, illustrator
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760377239, $35.00, PB, 392pp
https://www.amazon.com/Karmic-Birthday-Book-Discover-Meaning/dp/0760377235
Synopsis: Drawing on their enchanted psychic abilities, with the publication of "The Karmic Birthday Book: Discover the
Meaning and Magic of the Day You Were Born", renowned psychics Amy Zerner and Monte Farber present a fun and easy
way to use birth dates to gain insight into our true selves.
For each birthday, Zerner and Farber have included five perceptive entries: PERSONALITY (this identifies, evaluates, and
helps you understand the true nature of a person through the patterns revealed in their birth date); DESTINY (this is like a
castle being built, stone by stone - it is where the person is heading in this life); LIFE PATH (this is how one achieves
destiny, including the lessons they must learn so they can then help and teach others); KARMIC LESSONS (these are what
are encountered on the journey along one's life path); SECRETS (offering insights designed to help readers discover hidden
talents and character traits based on the day they were born).
Each birthday includes a profound quote with special meaning for those born on that day, as well as a list of famous people
who share the birthday and space to add significant people in the your own life who have that birthday. "The Karmic
Birthday Book" is an engaging and interactive guide will prove enjoyable, informative, and useful as you navigate your
relationships and tune into your true self. Indeed, "The Karmic Birthday Book: will unlock the secret of your birth date and
guide you along your true life path, teaching you a karmic lesson and opening the door to your destiny.
Critique: Fun, informative, thought-provoking, insight providing, well organized, accessibly presented, "The Karmic
Birthday Book: Discover the Meaning and Magic of the Day You Were Born" is a unique and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal and professional Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted that "The Karmic Birthday Book"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Monte Farber, in partnership with his wife Amy Zerner, are a best-selling husband-and-wife team whose
many projects have sold millions of copies worldwide. Their expertise and straightforward but lighthearted approach to
oracular wisdom is highly sought after, and Amy's work is in the collections of numerous corporations and prominent
individuals like Shirley MacLaine, Oprah, and Martha Stewart. Together they have been guests on morning shows like ABC
TV's Eyewitness News Sunday, FOX TV's "Good Day" shows for New York, L.A., Atlanta, and Detroit. Join them at
www.theenchantedworld.com.
The Art Shelf
Renaissance Secrets
Maurizio De Luca, author
Jason Cardone, translator
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606067994, $35.00, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Secrets-Lifetime-Paintings-Michelangelo/dp/1606067990
Synopsis: Beginning in the late 1400s, the greatest artists of Renaissance Italy were summoned to Rome, where they were
employed decorating the walls and ceilings of the Vatican. Expert restorer Maurizio De Luca spent his forty-year career in
the Vatican Museums, including fifteen years as head restorer of the Painting Restoration Laboratory. He personally
oversaw some of the most important restorations of the last half century, including wall paintings by Perugino, Botticelli,
and others on the walls of the Sistine Chapel; the Pintoricchio wall paintings in the Borgia Apartments; the Raphael Rooms;
and the last two frescoes by Michelangelo, in the Pauline Chapel at the Apostolic Palace.
With the publication of "Renaissance Secrets: A Lifetime Working with Wall Paintings by Michelangelo, Raphael, and
Others at the Vatican", an accessible and copiously illustrated coffee-table style paperback (8.25 x 0.3 x 11 inches, 1.11
pounds) volume, De Luca conveys the kind of knowledge that can only be derived from close personal observation. The
reader is offered a stunningly intimate perspective that illuminates the distinctive expressive challenges, choices, and
techniques of each artist and demonstrates how the conservation process enriches the understanding and interpretation of
these iconic works.
Critique: Magnificently and profusely illustrated in full color throughout, combined with an impressively informative
commentary and captioning, "Renaissance Secrets: A Lifetime Working with Wall Paintings by Michelangelo, Raphael, and
Others at the Vatican" is unreservedly recommended for inclusion into personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Italian Renaissance Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note#1: Maurizio De Luca was head restorer at the Painting Restoration Laboratory at the Vatican Museums at the
time of his retirement in 2010.
(https://shop.getty.edu/products/renaissance-secrets-a-lifetime-working-with-wall-paintings-by-michelangelo-raphael-and-ot
hers-at-the-vatican-9781606067994)
Editorial Note #2: Jason Cardone (https://aur.edu/faculty/professor-jason-cardone) is an Adjunct Professor at the American
University of Rome.
Balthazar
Kristen Collins, editor
Bryan C. Keene, editor
Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606067857, $40.00, PB, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Balthazar-Black-African-Medieval-Renaissance/dp/1606067850
Synopsis: According to the Gospel of Matthew, magi from the East, following a star, traveled to Jerusalem bearing precious
gifts for the infant Jesus. The magi were revered as wise men and later as kings. Over time, one of the three came to be
known as Balthazar and depicted as a Black man.
Balthazar was familiar to medieval Europeans, appearing in paintings, manuscript illuminations, mosaics, carved ivories,
and jewelry. But the origin story of this fascinating character uncovers intricate ties between Europe and Africa, including
trade and diplomacy as well as colonization and enslavement.
With the publication of "Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art" experts in the fields of
Ethiopian, West African, Nubian, and Western European art explore the representation of Balthazar as a Black African king.
They examine exceptional art that portrays the European fantasy of the Black magus while offering clues about the very real
Africans who may have inspired these images.
Along the way, the contributors chronicle the Black presence in premodern Europe, where free and enslaved Black people
moved through public spaces and courtly circles. The volume's lavish illustrations include selected works by contemporary
artists who creatively challenge traditional depictions of Black history.
Critique: A magnificent coffee-table style (9781606067857, 1.11 pounds) volume, "Balthazar: A Black African King in
Medieval and Renaissance Art" is an inherently fascinating and informative art history presentation that is unreservedly
recommended as a prized addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university Medieval/ Renaissance Art
History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Kristen Collins is curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
(https://www.curatorialleadership.org/participants/ccl-program/kristen-collins)
Editorial Note #2: Bryan C. Keene (https://smarthistory.org/author/dr-bryan-c-keene) is an Assistant Professor of Art
History at Riverside City College and a former Associate Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. He
specializes in codex cultures of a global Middle Ages and fantasy medievalisms.
Noguchi
Fabienne Eggelhofer, editor
Rita Kersting, editor
Florence Ostende, editor
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791379791, $55.00, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Isamu-Noguchi-Fabienne-Eggelh%C3%B6fer/dp/3791379798
Synopsis: Now available in paperback, "Noguchi" is the definitive exploration of the multidisciplinary career of Isamu
Noguchi, one of the most experimental and pioneering artists of the 20th century.
Encompassing the entirety of Noguchi's work in sculpture, ceramics, photography, architecture, design, as well as the artist's
playscapes, gardens and stage sets for modern dance and theatre performance, this superbly illustrated survey explores
Noguchi's creative process and lesser-known aspects of his practice, his engagement with a wide range of mediums and
cultures, and his innovative achievements over six decades.
Brimming with imagery and contributions from an international range of authors, "Noguchi" helps the reader to grasp the
diversity and patterns of Noguchi's work both in situ and in galleries. Archival photographs of the artist's studios offer
glimpses into his experimental attitude towards sculpture. Themes of harmony and dissonance, which were central to his
practice, are explored in a series of essays that consider the artist's dual heritage, the Japanese American experience, his
worldwide travel and his many influences.
"Noguchi" also pays tribute to Noguchi's fruitful collaborations with creatives from a range of industries, such as R.
Buckminster Fuller, Martha Graham and Louis Kahn.
Throughout the monograph Noguchi's own words provide a critical backdrop towards understanding an artist who embraced
many schools of thought, and whose entire life and career set an example for partnership and cooperation across artistic,
political and cultural boundaries.
Critique: Offering a complete chronology of Isamu Noguchi's work, "Noguchi" by the editorial team of Fabienne Eggelhofer
(Chief Curator at Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern), Rita Kersting (Deputy Director at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne), and Florence
Ostende (Curator at the Barbican Art Gallery, London) is a truly splendid coffee-table style (9.06 x 0.9 x 10.63 inches, 3.02
pounds) volume that will have a particular appeal to readers with an interest in sculpture. Informative, profusely illustrated,
"Noguchi" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Art & Sculpture
collections.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Of Symbols and Signs
Dieter Buchhart, editor
Antonia Hoerschelmann, editor
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791379579, $55.00, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jean-Michel-Basquiat-Symbols-Dieter-Buchhart/dp/3791379577
Synopsis: Jean-Michel Basquiat (December 22, 1960 - August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during
the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement.
Basquiat's symbolic, complex, and often emotionally charged work made a huge impact on the 1980s downtown New York
City art scene. And though his all-too-brief career ended when he died at age 27, Basquiat left behind an enormous legacy --
not only in the number of works he produced, but also in the messages he encoded around political, social, racial, and
cultural issues.
With the publication of "Jean-Michel Basquiat: Of Symbols and Signs" by the editorial team of Dieter Buchart (an
international guest curator and Basquiat specialist) and Antonia Hoerschelmann (Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art
at the Albertina Museum, Vienna), the reader is shown how Basquiat used an intricate network of signs and symbols to
challenge the very system that made him a darling of the art world.
"Jean-Michel Basquiat: Of Symbols and Signs" also traces his inspiration from cartoons, children's drawings, and
advertising as well as his own Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage; discusses the influence of African-American, African, and
Aztec cultural histories; and shows how Basquiat incorporated into his work classical themes and contemporary icons
ranging from athletes to musicians. What becomes clear is how, even as a young man, Basquiat had a profound
understanding of the artist's role in art history, and of his unique position as a young Black artist in a world of racism,
suppression and social injustice.
"Jean-Michel Basquiat: Of Symbols and Signs" will help the reader in decoding Basquiat's unique lingua franca, an
intoxicating body of work brimming with social commentary that was in turns incisive, angry, comic, hip, and
heartbreaking, and that remains powerful and meaningful today.
Critique: An impressive compendium of presentation and analysis of his art, "Jean-Michel Basquiat: Of Symbols and Signs"
is a coffee-table style (10 x 0.93 x 12.13 inches, 3.44 pounds) volume that is as thoughtful and it is thought-provoking. It is
one that is exceptionally informative and very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic
library 20th Century American Art History collections.
Women Street Artists
Alessandra Mattanza, author
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791388953, $39.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Women-Street-Artists-Contemporary-Graffiti/dp/3791388959
Synopsis: If street graffiti and mural art is, in itself, an act of rebellion, it is tragically ironic that the genre seems dominated
by men. With the publication of "Women Street Artists: 24 Contemporary Graffiti and Mural Artists from around the
World" by journalist Alessandra Mattanza takes an important first step in shedding light on the substantial number of
women who are gaining fame in the street art world. She brings together the work of 24 artists, through dazzling
photographs of their work and intimate portraits of their lives based on her interviews with them.
On walls, sidewalks, prison cells, grain silos and other nontraditional canvases, these are artists who tackle ideas around
empowerment, feminism, the pink revolution, body shaming and body imagery, racism, and the climate crisis. From
Oklahoma City and Brooklyn, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh makes site specific work that considers how people experience race and
gender within their surrounding environments.
South African multidisciplinary artist Faith XLVII imbues her narratives with a longing for a deeper connection to nature,
and a resurrection of the divine feminine. Italy's Camilla Falsini incorporates joyful, bold colors and simple shapes to deliver
serious messages about the environment. Shamsia Hassani, one of Afghanistan's first female street artists, makes vibrant
murals and paintings in which women play musical instruments as a vehicle for self-expression.
Bursting with colorful photographs of works in situ as well as in detail, this thrilling and incisive and massively illustrated
volume proves that street art is not only female -- it's the essence of conceptual rebellion itself!
Critique: An impressive coffee-table style (9.38 x 1.1 x 12.13 inches, 3.88 pounds) volume showcasing the work of 24
contemporary female graffiti and mural artists from around the world, "Women Street Artists" is informatively enhanced
with a Foreword by Stephanie Utz (founder of the Munich based Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art) and an
inherently fascinating study that is a unique, prized, and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
academic library Contemporary Art History and Graffiti/Street Art/Pop Culture collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Alessandra Mattanza (https://alessandramattanza.com) is a foreign correspondent, contributor, and editor for
several publishers in Italy and Germany. Her previous books are "Street Art: Famous Artists Talk About Their Vision" and
"Banksy".
The Gardening Shelf
The Good Garden
Chris McLaughlin
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781642832150, $35.00, PB, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Garden-Pollinators-Wildlife-Food_All/dp/1642832154
Synopsis: What makes a garden good? For Chris McLaughlin, it's about growing the healthiest, most scrumptious fruits and
veggies possible, but it's also about giving back. How can your little patch of Earth become a sanctuary for threatened
wildlife, sequester carbon, and nurture native plants?
With the publication of "The Good Garden: How to Nurture Pollinators, Soil, Native Wildlife, and Healthy Food -- All in
Your Own Backyard" McLaughlin gives you all the tricks and tips you need to grow the sustainable garden of your
dreams.
Drawing from established traditions, such as permaculture and French intensive gardening, and McLaughlin's hard-earned
experience, "The Good Garden" is a joyful guide for gardening newbies and experienced gardeners alike. It will teach you
the fundamentals, including how to choose the right plant varieties for your microclimate, and proven methods to fight pests
without chemicals. You will also discover the nuances of developing a green thumb, from picking species to attract specific
types of pollinators to composting techniques based on time available.
Lovely and instructive four-color photography will show you good gardening in action.
Most importantly, "The Good Garden" will help you foster a sense of meaning in your garden. Maybe the goal is to reduce
food miles and plastic waste by growing delicious berries. Maybe it's to meet neighbors who also care about the planet
through a seed-swap. Maybe it's a quiet moment patting the bunny whose manure will replace toxic fertilizers in the soil. A
good garden offers endless possibilities and "The Good Garden" offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.
Critique: Exceptionally and impressively well written, organized, illustrated and presented, "The Good Garden: How to
Nurture Pollinators, Soil, Native Wildlife, and Healthy Food -- All in Your Own Backyard" is a thoroughly 'user friendly'
DIY instructional guide for gardening in all manner of circumstances -- and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library DIY gardening collections.
Editorial Note: Chris McLaughlin (https://www.treehugger.com/chris-mclaughlin-5202688) has been gardening and
studying plants for over thirty-five years. She is the author of eight previous books: The Complete Idiot's Guide to
Composting, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables, Hobby Farms: Small-Space Rabbit Keeping, The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Small-Space Gardening, Vertical Vegetable Gardening, A Garden to Dye For, Growing Heirloom
Flowers, and Raising Animals for Fiber.
Birds and Blooms Backyard Basics
Birds & Blooms, editor
Enthusiast Brands LLC
c/o Trusted Media Brand
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458784, $19.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Blooms-Backyard-Basics-butterflies/dp/1621458784
Synopsis: A compendium of more than 300 Q&As about the birds, butterflies and plants in your landscape, "Birds and
Blooms Backyard Basics" provides answers to everything you've ever needed to know about the birds, butterflies and plants
in your landscape.
With the illustrated pages of "Birds and Blooms Backyard Basics" experts offer simple solutions and professional advice for
common dilemmas including: Why do birds hit my windows?; How do I get rid of garlic mustard?; Why won't my wisteria
bloom?; Do the same hummingbirds return to my garden each year?
Of special note are the sections in "Birds and Blooms Backyard Basics" that reveal fascinating facts about birds, butterflies,
and bees, quick fixes for poor soil, the top 10 plants for fragrance, and much more.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with color photography throughout, and with more than 300 Q&As on topics
from bird and plant identification to how to control garden pests, this coffee-table style paperback volume of "Birds and
Blooms Backyard Basics" is essential for any backyard and outdoor enthusiast with an interest in the biology of wildlife in
general, and the promotion of 'bird friendly' gardening and landscaping. While a critically important and core addition to
personal, professional, and community library collections, it should be noted that "Birds and Blooms Backyard Basics" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Architecture Shelf
RESIDENSITY: A Carbon Analysis of Residential Typologies
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
ORO Editions
31 Commerical Blvd., Suite F, Novato, CA 94949
www.oroeditions.com
9781954081390, $35.00, PB, 188pp
https://www.amazon.com/RESIDENSITY-Carbon-Analysis-Residential-Typologies/dp/1954081391
Synopsis: With the publication of "RESIDENSITY: A Carbon Analysis of Residential Typologies", Adrian Smith + Gordon
Gill Architecture investigates how much embodied and consumed carbon is used in each typology and how it affects density
and open space from the viewpoint of sustainability, carbon emissions, and carbon sequestration.
A superbly organized and presented study that determines which building typology is the most sustainable on a comparative
basis. Nine prototypical buildings were designed (Megatall, Supertall, High-Rise, Mid-Rise, Low-rise, Courtyard,
Three-Flat, Urban Single-Family, and Suburban Single-Family) set within nine prototypical communities. The informative
study designates an archetypal residential community of 2,000 units with an average unit size of 150 sm as a reasonable and
representative cross section of different housing typologies.
Critique: Simply stated, "RESIDENSITY: A Carbon Analysis of Residential Typologies" is a seminal and ground breaking
study that is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, college, and university library
Contemporary Residential Architecture Studies and Urban Land Use Planning collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture is dedicated to the design of high-performance, energy-efficient,
and sustainable architecture on an international scale. The firm approaches each project, regardless of size or scale, with an
understanding that architecture has a unique power to influence civic life. The firm was founded in 2006 by partners Adrian
Smith, Gordon Gill and Robert Forest. Today there are 100 employees in offices in Chicago and Beijing.
The Innovative Urban Workplace
Nina Rapport, editor
Stella Xu, editor
Yale School of Architecture
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781638400806, $30.00, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Innovative-Urban-Workplace-Distinguished-Architecture/dp/1638400806
Synopsis: The Edward P. Bass Distinguished Visiting Architecture Fellowship studio with Abby Hamlin (founder of
Hamlin Ventures, Dana Tang '95, architect and partner at Gluckman Tang Architects), and Andrei Harwell (senior critic in
architecture at Yale studio) investigated the role of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City in order to understand and
meet the BNY's mission and design distinctive solutions that speak to the type of workplace needed in an urban
development today.
Students in the studio identified potential urban business models that address future relationships between places of
production and consumption. They looked at comparable waterfront development projects and addressed issues including
flood mitigation and environmental remediation in their proposals.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and enhanced for the reader with illustrations, "The Innovative Urban Workplace" is
collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Nina Rappaport and Stella Xu. Impressively informative, "The Innovative Urban
Workplace" is a specialist and unreservedly recommended addition to professional and academic library Contemporary
Architecture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Nina Rappaport (http://ninarappaport.com/main.html?id=1) is an architectural critic, curator, and
educator. She is also the publications director at Yale School of Architecture and editor of the biannual publication
Constructs (numbering 35), the exhibition catalogs (numbering 48), as well as the school's book series (22 to date).
Barns of the St Croix Valley: An Architect's Sketchbook
Jim Lammers, FAIA
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781954081673, $24.95, PB, 136pp
https://www.amazon.com/Barns-Croix-Valley-Architects-Sketchbook/dp/1954081677
Synopsis: With the publication of "Barns of the St Croix Valley: An Architect's Sketchbook", architect Jim Lammers
grounds you in the geography, geology and biology of the region and introduces you to its original inhabitants, the Dakota
and Ojibwe peoples, European explorers, fur traders and loggers and the settlers that followed them. It is a celebration of
regional diversity and architectural expression through a single type of building -- the barn.
Critique: Informatively illustrated with 200 barn sketches, diagrams, and maps, "Barns of the St Croix Valley: An
Architect's Sketchbook" is a visual journey showcasing the many and varied barns to be found throughout the
Wisconsin/Minnesota St Croix River Valley. A pleasure to browse through one page at a time, "Barns of the St Croix
Valley: An Architect's Sketchbook" is recommended for professional and academic library American Architectural History
collections -- as well as the personal reading lists of Wisconsin/Minnesota barn enthusiasts.
Editorial Note: Jim Lammers (https://jimsketcher.com) was trained as an architect back when freehand sketching was an
integral part of the curriculum. He is a tireless writer and relentless sketcher. Jim has been published in professional
journals, and his sketches have been exhibited at fine art venues. His first book, "Capture the Moment: An Architect's Guide
to Travel Sketching" has been published by ORO Editions. Jim also teaches sketching at Marine Mills Folk Art School.
Unidentified Flying Object for Contemporary Architecture
Beatrice Lampariello, editor
Andrea Anselmo, editor
Boris Hamzeian, editor
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781638409922, $34.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unidentified-Flying-Object-Contemporary-Architecture/dp/1638409927
Synopsis: The contemporary context is defined by a unique conjuncture. On one hand, we witness the revival of the Radical
Architecture that from the avant-garde experiments of the origins recovers creative processes and iconographic fragments
while nullifying the original ideological and political values. On the other hand, we see social protests in defense of
fundamental rights of democracy, as in 1968. With these premises, Architecture is now reinvestigating those ephemeral
experiments that have endured half a century as new "stone monuments" capable of indicating new perspectives for both
research and design.
Placing UFO group, one of the authors of those still poorly known "monuments", at the core of the contemporary debate
means investigating their formal and seductive aspects, but also the ideological, political and social values with which
objects, installations and happenings have been innervated, transforming them into devices of an architecture nourished by
literature, art and political commitment for the foundation of an eloquent and activist project even more radical than the
well-known Superstudio and Archizoom.
The collaboration between Beatrice Lampariello, an architecture historian specialized in the 1960s and 1970s, and False
Mirror Office, a group of historians and designers engaged in the rediscovery of UFO group, has led to this monograph
which focuses on the UFO's work and an evaluation of their legacy relative to contemporary architecture.
Co-edited by the team of Beatrice Lampariello (Architect and Professor of History of Architecture at the Universite
Catholique de Louvain, BE), Anna Rosellini (Professor of History of Architecture at the University of Bologna, IT), and
Ecole d'architecture de la ville & des territoires Paris-Est, FR, and False Mirror Office (Andrea Anselmo, Gloria Castellini,
Filippo Fanciotti, Giovanni Glorialanza, Boris Hamzeian), design and research group, Genoa, Lausanne, Brussels, IT, CH,
BE., "Unidentified Flying Object for Contemporary Architecture: UFO's Experiments Between Political Activism and
Artistic Avant-garde" composed of three sections:
1) History, a first-ever study of UFO by False Mirror Office via analysis of all archival and bibliographic sources, as well as
a series of interviews with UFO members and a collection of its writings (published and unpublished), for the first time
translated into English.
2) Context, composed of essays by historians and architectural theorists (Beatrice Lampariello, Simon Sadler, Anna
Rosellini, Giovanni Galli, Jacopo Galimberti) intended to place UFO's work in the context of the avant-garde that
influenced its work, from the experience of Florentine Radical Architecture to Umberto Eco's theories on semiotics and the
American experiences between Pop Art, Video Art and Happening.
3) Legacy, articulated through graphic contribution and essays by young designers, as False Mirror Office, Parasite 2.0,
Point Supreme, Jimenez Lai, Andrew Kovacs, Adam Nathaniel Furman, Traumnovelle, (ab)Normal and Peter Behrbohm, to
investigate UFO's legacy relative to the contemporary revival of the most distinguishing creative processes and obsessions
that shaped the so-called Radical Architecture.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a ten page Bibliography, seven pages of Biographical
Notes, and a one page listing of Credits, "Unidentified Flying Object for Contemporary Architecture: UFO's Experiments
Between Political Activism and Artistic Avant-garde" is the first monographic publication focused on the Florentine UFO
group (1968-1978), that conducts a historical analysis of its work, reveals its close relationship with the contemporary
artistic, literary and architectural avant-garde and, finally, investigates its legacy for the contemporary project. While also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.95), "Unidentified Flying Object for Contemporary Architecture" is a unique
and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, corporate, college, and university library Architectural
Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: The contributors to "Unidentified Flying Object for Contemporary Architecture" include: Beatrice
Lampariello, Boris Hamzeian and Andrea Anselmo (False Mirror Office), Gloria Castellini (False Mirror Office), Simon
Sadler, Anna Rosellini, Giovanni Galli, Jacopo Galimberti, Filippo Fanciotti and Giovanni Glorialanza (False Mirror
Office), Parasite 2.0, Point Supreme, Jimenez Lai (Bureau Spectacular), Andrew Kovacs, Adam Nathaniel Furman,
Traumnovelle, (ab)Normal, Peter Behrbohm
The Self-Help Shelf
Happy Money Happy Life
Jason Vitug
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781394171262, $27.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Money-Life-Multidimensional-Financial/dp/1394171269
Synopsis: With the publication of "Happy Money Happy Life: A Multidimensional Approach to Health, Wealth, and
Financial Freedom", writer, speaker, and entrepreneur Jason Vitug delivers an exciting and practical discussion at the
intersection of our mental and emotional health and our money.
"Happy Money Happy Life" explores the importance of physical and spiritual wellbeing, the interconnectedness of
environmental comfort, meaningful work, and social connections as you learn to live a healthier, wealthier, and happier life.
With insightful data from happiness research, you will understand how money weaves itself into every aspect of your life
and how you can masterfully use it to choose happiness.
"Happy Money Happy Life" features: Descriptions of the 8 dimensions of wellness and a hands-on framework you can use
to achieve your financial and life goals; 4 key principles to living a happier life; A holistic strategy for transforming your
relationship with money into one that improves every apect of your wellbeing.
Critique: An indispensable roadmap to mental strength, physical health, financial success, and emotional intelligence,
"Happy Money Happy Life: A Multidimensional Approach to Health, Wealth, and Financial Freedom" is an ideal DIY
instructional guide for professionals, managers, workers, executives, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers who
are ready to explore the possibility that life is about joy and happiness, not merely titles and salaries. Exceptionally well
written, organized and presented, "Happy Money Happy Life" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Financial Management collections.
Editorial Note: Jason Vitug (https://www.jasonvitug.com) is an award-winning creator, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and
producer. He is also the founder of the personal finance website www.phroogal.com and the creator of the Road to Financial
Wellness. Additionally, he is the author of You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful
Life.
A Bridge Not Too Far
Deepak Ohri
Waterside Productions
9781957807836, $24.95 Hardcover/$31.95 Audio
https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Not-Too-Far-Creativity/dp/1957807830
A Bridge Not Too Far is both a memoir and a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit. It charts the rise of Deepak Ohri from
modest means to becoming the CEO of a circle of luxury hotels and restaurants in Asia, an endeavor that earned him
financial success and acclaim as an innovator in this field.
More than a rags-to-riches tale, however, A Bridge Not Too Far is the story of a businessman who created a vision of
opportunity and achievement that embraced both the bigger-picture thinking of the concept of hospitality, and its simpler
incarnation in joining employees and customers as part of a supportive symbiotic relationship. This approach to business is
what ultimately contributed to the success of a vision that embraced both loyalty and understanding the job and motivations
of the lowest employee in the company.
"My goal was to make the world sit up and take notice." How this goal was envisioned, achieved, and superseded by other
goals more intrinsically tied to relationships and bridge-building is an essential focus, here. This guide will appeal uniformly
to self-help and business readers, with its real-world examples of adversity, bridge-building, and creating support systems
that work on many levels. The examination of what comprises success, achievement, and the humanistic moves to achieve
both will appeal to a wide audience.
While, of course, business leaders will want to consider A Bridge Not Too Far for its focus on how wealth and business
success work hand in hand, readers equally interested in self-improvement and cooperative life ventures will find many
lessons applicable to all kinds of life situations.
From birds-eye views to bigger picture thinking, A Bridge Not Too Far tackles the gap that often exists between ideals and
applications, offering, through many examples, strategies that can be applied to all walks of life and a myriad of ventures.
Libraries looking for success stories that translate well to discussion groups will find A Bridge Not Too Far also highly
recommendable to general reading groups, self-improvement circles, and business discussion meetings as a survey of the
educational and collaborative process's ability to transform hearts and minds.
The Automotive Shelf
Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories
Stephan Szantai
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613257500, $34.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Volkswagen-Accessories-Stephan-Szantai/dp/1613257503
Synopsis: It is well documented that the Volkswagen Beetle is the best-selling vehicle of all time. In 1972, the 15-millionth
Beetle was produced, breaking the record set by the Model T about 40 years earlier. It was a simple design with styling that
appealed to the masses. It was affordable, practical, and fun. Because it was such a simple car and so many were sold, many
people enjoy customizing their car with many accessories, which has been a large market for these cars dating back to the
1950s and 1960s. There is even a market today for people who collect these accessories without installing them.
In "Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories", which is authored by veteran VW historian Stephan Szantai, a whole range of
accessories are covered. Of course, a history of the Beetle is detailed, as well as the companies that formed the accessory
aftermarket. Included are accessories for dressing up the exterior of the car, such as vented windows, bumpers and guards,
turn-signal technology, add-on lighting, mirrors, etc. Then, interior accessories are examined, such as radios, ashtrays,
gloveboxes, gauges, and clocks. No accessories book would be complete without engine accessories, covering both dress-up
options and functional performance parts. Travel accessories, such as roof racks, coolers, extended gas tanks, tail racks, and
coffee makers are detailed. Wheels are also covered.
A gallery of accessorized Volkswagens of all types are featured, including Type 2 Buses; Type 3 squarebacks, fastbacks,
and coupes; Karmen Ghias; and even single- and double-cab pickup bodystyles are included. Join the fun and nostalgic
romp through VW accessory history with this new title that features everything cool about customizing your VW.
Critique: With the publication of "Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories", VW expert Stephan Szantai takes a fun and
nostalgic look at the world of Volkswagen accessories. Informatively and profusely illustrated throughout, "Vintage
Volkswagen Beetle Accessories" is an inspiring delight to simply browse through, one informative page at a time. Expertly
written, organized and presented, "Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories" is a 'must' for the legions of VW owners, and a
highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Automotive History
collections.
Editorial Note: Born and raised in France to a German mother and a Hungarian father, Stephan Szantai
(https://www.motortrend.com/staff/stephan-szantai) has had a deep interest in automobiles for longer than he can remember.
Regular childhood trips to Germany to visit an aunt who drove a 1971 Beetle sealed his fondness for air-cooled VWs. A
fascination for car magazines led to Stephan's first article being published in France's then-new Super VW Magazine in
1987. Five years later, a business opportunity prompted him to move to Southern California, a region with a rich car culture.
For more than two decades now, Stephan's writing career has produced 2,500 articles printed in nearly 100 automotive
magazines based in 17 countries. Old Volkswagens remain part of his life today thanks to both his involvement with the
scene and the 2.3L 1957 Beetle he purchased in 1993.
The Photography Shelf
Varanasi: City Immersed in Prayer
David Scheinbaum, photographer
B. J. Miller, contributor
Diana L. Eck, contributor
George F Thompson Publishing
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781938086960, $45.00, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Varanasi-Immersed-Prayer-David-Scheinbaum/dp/1938086961
Synopsis: Varanasi (also known as Kashi and Banaras) is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh dating to the
11th century B.C.E. Regarded as the spiritual capital of India, the city draws Hindu pilgrims who bathe in the Ganges
River's sacred waters for prayer and ritual. In Varanasi, one is in a time warp where one is living in history as if time has
never stopped, for the people, both residents and pilgrims, continue their daily practices and worship in ways relatively
unchanged for millennia -- down a continuum of thousands of years. Being in Varanasi is like being on a thread pulled from
a cloth that dates back to the beginning of time. Here, one doesn't "see" a ruin, as one does in other ancient civilizations, but
a living city where history hasn't stopped.
With the publication of "Varanasi: City Immersed in Prayer", photographer David Scheinbaum guides us, with his camera,
through the city's winding streets that are filled with thousands of shrines and temples at virtually every turn. He takes us on
an incredible visual journey to the Ganges, the sacred river where bathers are in prayer, and to the funerary Ghats, steps that
lead down to the river where cremations take place, filling the air with incense and burning pyres. Hindus believe that being
cremated along the banks of the holy Ganges allows one to break the cycle of death and rebirth and attain Moksha,
(salvation) making it a major center for pilgrimages.
Scheinbaum's beautiful, soulful photographs present an ancient, holy city immersed in prayer. Woven through are the words
of contributors B. J. Miller and Diana L. Eck, two noted scholars and writers who each shed light on the special qualities
that make Varanasi the holy city it has always been.
Critique: A visually magnificent coffee-table style volume (12.5 x 1 x 11.25 inches, 3.59 pounds), "Varanasi: City Immersed
in Prayer" is a pure pleasure to browse through one page at a time. Inherently fascinating is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, college, and university library Indian Travel, Cultural, and Historical Photography
collections.
Editorial Note #1: David Scheinbaum (https://npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/photography.html) is the former Director/Chair
of the Photography Department in the Marion Center for Photographic Arts at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design
and Professor Emeritus at the College of Santa Fe. He is the author of Bisti, (University of New Mexico Press, 1987),
Miami Beach: Photographs of an American Dream (Florida International University Press, 1990), Stone: A Substantial
Witness (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2006), and Hip Hop: Portraits of an Urban Hymn (Damiani Editore, 2012). He and
his wife, Janet Russek, have collaborated on three other projects: Ghost Ranch: Land of Light, Photographs by David
Scheinbaum and Janet Russek (Balcony Press, 1997), Images in the Heavens, Patterns on the Earth: The I Ching (Museum
of New Mexico Press, 2005), and Remnants: Photographs of the Lower East Side (Radius Books, 2017).
Editorial Note #2: B. J. Miller (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BJ_Miller) is an American physician, author, educator, and
practicing hospice and palliative medicine physician who is best known for his 2015 TED Talk, "What Really Matters at the
End of Life?" B. J. has taught at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, since 2007. In film, B. J. is
the subject of Netflix's Academy Award-nominated short documentary, End Game, by veteran directors Rob Epstein and
Jeffrey Friedman. His book for approaching the end of life, A Beginner's Guide to the End, was co-authored with Shoshana
Berger (Simon and Schuster, 2019).
Editorial Note #3: Diana L. Eck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_L._Eck) is Professor of Comparative Religion and
Indian Studies and Frederic Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society at Harvard University. She is also the
author of Banaras: City of Light (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982); Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India (Anima Books, 1981);
and India: A Sacred Geography (Harmony Books, 2012). As the founder and director of the Pluralism Project, she produced
the Web-based resource On Common Ground: World Religions in America. On the subject of pluralism she has written
Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras (Beacon Press, 1993) and A New Religious America:
How a "Christian" Country Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation (Harper San Francisco, 2001). In
1998, she received the National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton for her work on religious pluralism in
America.
Venice from the Skies
Riccardo Roiter, photographer
Debora Gusson, photographer
Jonglez Publishing
https://jonglezpublishing.com
9782361955748, $49.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Venice-Skies-Jonglez-photo-books/dp/2361955741
Synopsis: "Venice from the Sky" is a magnificent full color photographic images by Riccardo Roiter Rigoni and Debora
Gusson and the fruit of their five years of regular flying by helicopter over Venice and its Lagoon.
The flights were not confined to the city of Venice, but included all the islands of the splendid Lagoon, from Torcello to
Burano, by way of Murano, as well as the wonderful island of San Francesco del Deserto, the military defences in the
southern part of the Lagoon, the Lido and Pellestrina, not to mention the many now abandoned islands, large and small,
located in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Critique: An impressive compendium of full page, full color, and truly impressive aerial photographs, each of which is
accompanied by informative commentaries, "Venice from the Sky" would well serve as a template for similar aerial
photography projects showcasing other historic cities and landscapes. A pleasure to simply browse through one page at a
time, "Venice from the Sky" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Aerial & Landscape Photography collections.
Editorial Note: Riccardo Roiter Rigoni is a native of Venice, Italy, who has worked as a photographer since 2001. He has
been a contributor to a range of books, magazines, and newspapers and is the author of the books, "Venezia Sensation"
(2008), and "Venice Timeless Moments" (2012). He shot the world's first photo of a mask over the Venetian sky. "Every
photograph is like a bag full of letters with different recipients," Rigoni says. "The photographer is only the postman".
(https://craftsmanship.net/contributor/riccardo-roiter-rigoni)
Equivalents: Scott Mead
Scott Mead, photographer
Brad Leithauser, contributor
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791386553, $50.00, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Equivalents-Scott-Mead/dp/3791386557
Synopsis: In his previous photography book, "Above the Clouds", Scott Mead contemplated the endless horizons outside of
a plane's window and the inner and outer journeys they bring about.
Now with the publication of "Equivalents", Mead turns his gaze back to earth, where the view is just as extraordinary.
Inspired by William Eggleston, Mead's former teacher, "Equivalents" is comprised of a series of paired photographs focuses
on composition, texture, light, shadows, and color to show how nature and the built world can mirror and contain each
other. Although not always immediately obvious, the qualities these images share and the relationships between them help
us see the world with a new perspective, with results that are in turn evocative, exhilarating, and lyrical.
Writer and poet Brad Leithauser's thoughtful and reflective introduction sheds additional light on the complex and joyous
interaction between the photographs and the emotions they create.
Critique: A fascinating photographic compendium of paired images that is very highly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Photography collections, it should be noted that all royalties
from the sale of "Equivalents: Scott Mead" from Prestell Publishing will be donated to the Ukraine Relief Effort.
Editorial Note: Scott Mead (https://scottmeadfineartphotography.com) is an American-born photographer and philanthropist
living in London. A photographer for many years before a career in investment banking, he returned to photography over ten
years ago after rediscovering boxes in his attic of his large-format negatives and prints, unopened for decades. Numerous
exhibitions and group shows have since followed, and his works are held in many private and institutional collections
around the world. His previous book is Above the Clouds (by Prestel).
The Sports Shelf
The Swim Prescription
Alexander Hutchison
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578268467, $20.00, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Swim-Prescription-Doctor-Designed-Program-Longevity/dp/157826846X
Synopsis: Whether you swim competitively, to get fit, to stay healthy, or just swim for fun, "The Swim Prescription: How
Swimming Can Improve Your Mood, Restore Health, Increase Physical Fitness and Revitalize Your Life" is the all-in-one
guide to everything this incredible sport has to offer.
"The Swim Prescription" is the authoritative reference on all aspects of swimming for health, including: Detailed
explanations of how swimming benefits various health conditions; Step-by-step instructions on how to incorporate
swimming into any lifestyle; Helpful tips on swimming equipment - what you should and shouldn't buy; Three full 12-week
workout courses designed for any skill level; Key points for advanced topics including nutrition, strength training and
more.
Swimming is regenerative, beneficial and one of the easiest and most affordable way to rebuild and maintain your fitness.
Perfect for all ages and fitness levels, "The Swim Prescription" unlocks the power of swimming and makes it accessible for
everyone.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Swim Prescription: How Swimming Can Improve Your
Mood, Restore Health, Increase Physical Fitness and Revitalize Your Life" by Alexander Hutchison is the complete guide to
swimming for overall fitness and health. While a unique and very highly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and academic library Sports Training, Physical Fitness, and Stretching Exercise collections in general, and
Swimming Instruction/Exercise personal reading lists in particular, it should be noted that this thoroughly 'user friendly'
instruction guide is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Alexander Hutchison, PhD, is a fitness and wellness expert in Dallas, Texas and the owner of The Athlete
Company. He is also the Senior Editor for the journal Advanced Biology, and has experience coaching swimming, water
polo, triathlon, marathon, and most recently, strength and conditioning. After completing his master's degree in Kinesiology
at Texas A&M University, Alexander was named the head swimming coach at Austin College. He received his doctorate in
Exercise Physiology and Immunology at the University of Houston. He reviews for several journals in exercise science,
nutrition, and immunology, and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. He is also the
author of Exercise Ain't Enough: HIIT, Honey, and the Hadza.
The Humor Shelf
Business Fables Adopted From Aesop For Humans Who Work for a Living
Erika Schelby
Lava Gate Press
9780989121644, $9.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Business-Fables-Adopted-Humans-Living/dp/098912164X
Business Fables Adopted From Aesop For Humans Who Work for a Living is a spoof on American corporate culture that
adopts a tongue-in-cheek countenance as Erika Schelby explores the world of work in a satirical Aesop-style collection of
fables that includes an indirect critical eye on business profit-centric focuses. Consumers traditionally suspicious of big
business interests will find not only statistics but information here supporting this viewpoint. Irony and social inspection
come alive from the start: "Originally, kites had beautiful singing voices. But one day they heard the horses neighing,
became envious, and decided to acquire that same skill with the greatest speed.
The desire to learn the neighing of horses became known and spread as quickly as a prairie fire. The kites happened to live
in a country inhabited by many creatures of great ingenuity in matters of need recognition and wish fulfillment. Before one
could count to three a whole neighing industry had sprung up, with neighing consultants doing a brisk business throughout
the land."
Whether analyzing office outings and assertiveness training or considering the ineffectiveness of megatrends and a fox who
becomes involved in financing, each story holds a link to the business world that points out its ironies, inconsistencies, and
underlying mirth that accompanies downfalls, misperceptions, and business strategies. The idea is to elicit the rare laugh
from the business-oriented mentality while adding a touch of thought-provoking inspection into that reader's mindset that
injects doubt and questions into the process of modern business operations, pursuits, and methodology.
The result is a rollicking good read that tempers humor with real-world inspections and invites all readers to consider the
roots of decision-making and analytical process.
Wildlife for Idiots: And Other Animal Cartoons
Adrian Raeside
Harbour Publishing
www.harbourpublishing.com
9781550179323, $16.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Safaris-Idiots-Herd-Animal-Cartoons/dp/1550179322
Synopsis: With the publication of "Wildlife for Idiots: And Other Animal Cartoons", Candian cartoonist Adrian Raeside
offers a new collection of wildly funny animal-themed cartoons.
Readers should be prepared to walk on the wild side with 340 full-color Raeside cartoons, now collected for the first time
into a single volume. Here is a menagerie of garbage-rummaging bears, squabbling eagles, philosophizing wolves,
pre-handbag alligators, artistic elephants, shedding mammoths and many more from the animal kingdom.
Critique: Laugh out loud funny from cover to cover, "Wildlife for Idiots: And Other Animal Cartoons" if a fun (and
occasionally thought-provoking) read and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library
Contemporary Humor/Cartoon collections.
Editorial Note: Adrian Raeside (https://raesidecartoon.com/adrian-raeside) is the creator of the popular The Other Coast
comic strip, which appears in over two hundred newspapers. Besides being an editorial cartoonist for four decades, Raeside
is also the author of over twenty books, including The Rainbow Bridge: A Visit to Pet Paradise, Tails Don't Lie 1 & 2 and
The World According to Dogs, An Owner's Manual. He currently resides on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.
The Music Shelf
Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983
Hamish Duncan
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641608015, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Out-L-Chili-Peppers/dp/1641608013
Synopsis: The Red Hot Chili Peppers were going to be a one-time act for a friend's album release party. Forty years later the
funk rock band is arguably one of the best known and the longest running in the United States.
Everything that happened in 1983 set the course for the rest of the band's career. The scrappy band quickly rose to
scene-wide fame, playing all over Los Angeles and gaining fans and media attention wherever they performed. Before the
year was out, they had played approximately thirty shows, put together an early, beloved repertoire, recorded a blistering
demo that secured them a recording contract with EMI/Enigma, and lost two of their founding members to a rival band.
With the publication of "Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983" by the band's founder, Hamish Duncan reveals
exactly what happened during that first year and explores what it was that made the Red Hot Chili Peppers so compelling
and so fresh, even as they continue on their musical journey to this very today.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Red Hot Chili Peppers fans, "Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983"
is exceptionally informative, impressively insightful, very well written and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library American Popular/Rock Music & Musicians collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Sydney, Australia, Hamish Duncan is the founder of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sessions Archive website (www.rhcpsessions.com) and is also the editor of Red Hot Chili Peppers Live Archive
(www.rhcplivearchive.com).
The Parenting Shelf
What to Do About Your Troubled Child
Laura J. Stevens, author
Richard W. Walker Jr., author
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757005145, $17.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-About-Your-Troubled-Child/dp/0757005144
Synopsis: As children grow, there may be times when their behavior seems out of place or troubling. When there is a
recurrent pattern of one or more of these types of behavior, something may be wrong. As a parent, if you have noticed
something "off" about the way your child has been acting, perhaps it's time to take a closer look at what might actually be
going on -- before it gets worse.
"What to Do About Your Troubled Child: A Practical Guide for All Parents at Their Wits' End" by Laura J. Stevens and
Richard W. Walker is specifically designed to provide you with the information you need to get to the bottom of the
mystery. If a behavioral disorder is caught early enough and treated correctly, it can be greatly lessened or even eliminated.
Unfortunately, many behavioral problems in children go undiagnosed for so long that they progress beyond the possibility of
improvement.
"What to Do About Your Troubled Child" is divided into two parts. Part One looks at six of the most common behavioral
disorders: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism, Anxiety
Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder. Each chapter focuses on one disorder and includes a list of
questions intended to determine if your child exhibits enough of the tendencies associated with this disorder to warrant a
closer look. It then describes the symptoms and risk factors of the problem, how it may be professionally diagnosed, and
traditional means of treatment, which include therapy and medication.
Part Two offers a detailed look at complementary approaches to treatment, such as lifestyle changes, nutrition, beneficial
programs, and helpful devices.
Telling yourself that your child is bound to grow out of a certain pattern of behavior may be causing you to ignore the signs
of a serious issue -- one that should be addressed. By the time your child reaches adolescence, the disorder may be too far
gone. Now is the time for you to understand and do something about it. Now is the time to let "What to Do About Your
Troubled Child" be your guide.
Critique: Thoroughly 'parent friendly' in organization and presentation, "What to Do About Your Troubled Child: A
Practical Guide for All Parents at Their Wits' End" must be considered essential reading for any parent with a child
exhibiting emotional, behavioral, or social problems, including stress and depression. While also available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "What to Do About Your Troubled Child: A Practical Guide for All
Parents at Their Wits' End" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, counseling
center, and academic library Parenting and Child Psychology collections.
Editorial Note #1: Laura J. Stevens, MSci, received her master's degree in nutrition science from Purdue University in West
Lafayette, Indiana. Since graduation, she has worked at Purdue as a researcher, investigating the relationship between diet
and health disorders. Apart from her work at Purdue, Laura is the author of eight books on diet, behavior, and allergies.
Laura lives with her amazing cats, Bentley and Seis, in Lafayette, Indiana.
Editorial Note #2: Richard W. Walker, Jr., MD, MBA received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of
Medicine in New York and completed his residency at the University of Michigan. He earned his MBA from the Jack
Welch Management Institute. He has served on the faculty of the University of Texas Medical Center, and is the founder
and CEO of Walker Health Care Holdings and TVP-Care, Houston-based national healthcare companies. In addition to
being a published writer, Dr. Walker is a highly sought-after speaker.
Holding On While Letting Go
Carl Pickhardt
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757324239, $16.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Holding-While-Letting-Parenting-Adolescence/dp/0757324231
Synopsis: Parenting a teenager is not for the faint of heart. It is during these roller-coaster years of adolescence that
frustrated parents find themselves at their wits' end, barely even recognizing their offspring as they move through the teen
years.
With the publication of "Holding On While Letting Go: Parenting Your Child Through the Four Freedoms of Adolescence",
Carl Pickhardt, a Harvard-trained psychologist and the voice of reason behind Psychology Today's advice column,
"Surviving (Your Child's) Adolescence," shares critical insights and practical tools that parents need to know as their
children move through the teen years toward independence and adulthood.
There's a reason the road is rocky -- it's supposed to be. Children must pass through "four unfolding freedoms" in order to
become competent, independent, and confident adults. How easily parents can navigate these twists and turns with less
hand-holding, angst, and hitting the brakes directly correlates to how successful their children will be.
The four unfolding freedoms are: Freedom from rejection of childhood, around the late elementary school years, when they
want to stop acting and being treated as children anymore; Freedom of association with peers, around the middle school
years, when they want to form a second family of friends; Freedom for older experimentation, around the high school years,
when they want to try more grown-up activities; Freedom to claim emancipation, around the college age years, when they
decide to become their own ruling authority.
With each successive push for freedom, both parents and teens need to learn how to do less holding on to each other while
doing more letting go. Dr. Carl Pickhardt will show them the way with compassion, experience, and time-tested
guidance.
Critique: As 'real world practical' as it is informative, insightful, and 'parent friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Holding On While Letting Go: Parenting Your Child Through the Four Freedoms of Adolescence" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Parenting Instructional Reference
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Holding On While Letting Go: Parenting Your Child Through
the Four Freedoms of Adolescence" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Carl Pickhardt (www.carlpickhardt.com) is a noted psychologist, speaker, and parenting expert, now retired
from private counseling practice. He received his B.A. and M.Ed. from Harvard, and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas
at Austin. He is a member of the American and Texas Psychological Associations. He writes a popular parenting advice
column for Psychology Today and has writtten some of the most practical and helpful books about important parenting
issues, including: The Connected Father; Stop the Screaming, The Future of Your Only Child and Why Good Kids Act
Cruel. A prolific author, he continues to write three distinct kinds of books: illustrated psychology, of coming of age fiction,
and of nonfiction parenting advice.
The Woodworking Shelf
Workbenches
Fine Woodworking Editors
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781641551205, $29.99, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Editors-Fine-Woodworking/dp/1641551208
Synopsis: As a publisher, Fine Woodworking has been producing the best woodworking information for small shop
woodworkers since 1975. "Workbenches: Build The Ideal Bench" by their editorial staff is just the latest of their DIY titles
for novice and experienced woodworkers.
A good, sturdy workbench is at the heart of any woodshop, and every woodworker needs one to hold and support work for
everything from stock preparation to finishing. "Workbenches" is comprised of 'how to' articles from Fine Woodworking
magazine and provides woodworkers all the advice they need, whether considering a starter model, a small bench, or a
full-scale workbench that will last for decades.
"Workbenches" showcases a classic Shaker bench, a basic bench with built-in storage, and a mini-bench that has all the
features of a full-size bench. Besides the bench itself, woodworkers also need accessories to hold workpieces on the
benchtop for planing, chiseling, sawing, and many other tasks, using vises and wooden clamps, bench hooks and saw hooks,
holdfasts and handscrews.
Of special note are the chapters on tool storage, workbench tips, and techniques at the bench round out the collection for a
complete guide to the workbench.
With such a wide range of workbenches and workbench accessories represented, "Workbenches" will appeal to all
woodworkers from newbies just setting up shop to veterans looking to upgrade their current workbench.
Critique: Instructively illustrated throughout and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Workbenches:
Build The Ideal Bench" is an ideal DIY instruction guide for workbench creation projects and an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, highschool woodshop, and technical college
library collections.
The Agriculture Shelf
Postharvest Pathology of Fruit and Nut Crops
James E. Adaskaaveg, editor
Helga Forster, editor
Dov B. Prusky, editor
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apspress/Pages/default.aspx
9780890546673, $195.00 (APS Members, $175.00), HC, 606pp
https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=2661527A-8D44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProduc
tCode=46673
Synopsis: Postharvest pathology is one of the most essential considerations in producing an agricultural commodity and is
critical in minimizing not only crop losses but also the entire economic investment related to growing, harvesting, packing,
transporting, and marketing a commodity. Understanding postharvest pathology is crucial for providing fresh, unspoiled
produce to consumers.
"Postharvest Pathology of Fruit and Nut Crops: Principles, Concepts, and Management Practices" from APS is the most
complete guide to postharvest diseases ever published. This new and comprehensive volume provides current reports of
postharvest diseases of fruit and nut crops around the world.
Part I offers an overview of postharvest pathology principles, concepts, and management strategies, including alternative
approaches that have emerged in response to the increasing number of fungicide-resistant fungal strains and growing
concerns about the effects of fungicides on human health and the environment. Part II discusses postharvest diseases of fruit
and nut crops of temperate zones, and Part III focuses on fruit crops of semi-arid, subtropical, and tropical zones.
The 20 crop-specific chapters in Parts II and III are organized similarly and provide descriptions of the importance and
cultivation of the crop and reviews of related major and minor postharvest diseases, covering the etiology of the causal
agent, disease symptoms, disease cycles, and epidemiology. Each chapter concludes with the latest integrated management
practices, including biological, chemical, and cultural treatments. Two appendixes catalog fungal pathogens that cause
diseases of selected fruit and nut crops and bacterial pathogens that cause diseases of selected fruit crops.
Collaborative editors James E. Adaskaveg, Helga Forster, and Dov B. Prusky have compiled information drawn from 36
researchers with a wide knowledge of specific crops to complete this study, which serves as a single and singular resource
for researchers, growers, and students looking for the most up-to-date knowledge about postharvest diseases.
Critique: Informatively illustrated in full color with respect to 270 illustrations of plant disease symptoms and disease
cycles, "Postharvest Pathology of Fruit and Nut Crops: Principles, Concepts, and Management Practices" is a fundamental
and unreservedly recommended addition to professional and academic library "Agricultural Studies" instructional reference
collections and essential for readers with an interest in the occurrence, spread, and management of postharvest diseases, the
latest nomenclatural information of fungal and bacterial pathogens.
Editorial Note #1: James E. Adaskaveg received his B.S. degree in agronomy in 1982 at the University of Connecticut,
Storrs, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology in 1984 and 1986, respectively, at the University of Arizona,
Tucson. He was post-doctoral researcher and subsequently research plant pathologist/lecturer in the Department of Plant
Pathology at the University of California, Davis, from 1986 to 1990 and 1990 to 1995, respectively. In 1995, Adaskaveg
joined the faculty of the Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, where he is currently professor
of plant pathology with statewide responsibilities in tree fruit and nut pathology. He received the Almond Research
Appreciation Award in 1997 for his investigation of almond anthracnose, the Cherry Man of the Year Award in 2003 for his
pre- and postharvest research on brown rot of sweet cherry, and the Albert G. Salter Memorial Award in 2006 for his
research on Septoria spot and postharvest decays of citrus. For the last 3 years, he has been the scientific advisor for
USDA-APHIS in negotiations with the Korean government on the exportation of California oranges to Korea.
Editorial Note #2: Helga Forster (https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Helga-Forster/1242453098) Helga Forster is a Department
of Plant Pathology at UC Riverside based in Riverside, California.
Editorial Note #3: Dov B. Prusky (https://www.agri.gov.il/en/people/744.aspx) is with the Agricultural Research
Organization (the Volcani Center) and the author of numerous science papers on the etiology and control of postharvest
losses in deciduous and subtropical fruits by integration of pre-and postharvest treatments.
A Farmer's Guide to Wheat Diseases
Damon Smith, et al.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apspress/Pages/default.aspx
9780890546512, $35.95, PB, 168pp
https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=2661527A-8D44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProduc
tCode=46512KIT
https://www.amazon.com/Farmers-Guide-Wheat-Diseases/dp/0890546517
Synopsis: With easy-to-use keys and cross-referencing tools that enhance efficient diagnosis, "A Farmer's Guide to Wheat
Diseases" helps wheat growers to pinpoint diseases and disorders in the field. The management recommendations offered
are intentionally general and meant to give wheat growers and consulting wheat crop specialists a starting place to discuss
more localized treatment recommendations with Extension or crop specialists in their region.
Critique: Comprehensive, informatively illustrated in full color throughout, "A Farmer's Guide to Wheat Diseases" is
expertly compiled by Damon Smith and features expert commentaries by nine contributors. Exceptionally well organized
and presented, "A Farmer's Guide to Wheat Diseases" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and recommended addition to personal,
professional, college, and university library Agriculture/Horticultural collections -- and a 'must' for anyone involved with the
raising of wheat fields.
Editorial Note: Damon Smith (https://plantpath.wisc.edu/faculty/damon-smith-2) is an Associate Professor in the
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases, fourth edition
Lane P. Tredway, et al.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apspress/Pages/default.aspx
9780890546871, $79.00, PB, 188pp
https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=2661527A-8D44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProduc
tCode=46871
Synopsis: Many advances in turfgrass pathology have occurred since publication of the third edition in 2005, calling for a
revised edition. Approximately half of the fourth edition text is new or revised, with more than 200 new, high-quality
figures have been added -- including disease symptom images, photomicrographs, pathogen drawings, and disease cycle
diagrams.
The new edition of "Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases" is a thorough resource on turfgrass diseases, their pathogenic
causes, and their effective management. The editors' combined experience, which exceeds 100 years, paired with
contributions from 23 U.S. scientists and specialists ensures the utmost accuracy.
While previous editions focused on diseases of cool-season grasses grown in northern, temperate climates, this newly
published fourth edition also emphasizes warm-season turfgrass diseases, which will benefit scientists and practitioners in
all climates. This new edition also covers approximately 75 diseases and abiotic disorders, with detailed descriptions of
characteristic symptoms and causal agents. The cycle and the epidemiology of each disease are described, with emphasis on
the conditions that stimulate disease development -- helping to prevent disease altogether.
The compendium is organized into four parts: infectious diseases, noninfectious agents, disease management, and disease
diagnosis. Topics include turfgrass characteristics, the damage caused by noninfectious agents in the turfgrass ecosystem,
the ecology and taxonomy of fungi pathogenic to turfgrasses, research-based integrated management approaches
(emphasizing the use of resistant cultivars or species, cultural management practices, and proper timing of fungicide
application when necessary), and basic diagnostic procedures.
This extended study also includes an introduction, appendix, glossary, and index. Plus, references sections throughout the
book include key sources for further reading on each topic, providing a gateway to the primary literature on turfgrass
diseases.
"Compendium of Turfgrasses" is a practical and technical reference, blending descriptive terminology with the technical
language of plant pathology to accommodate all knowledge levels within the diverse audience of practitioners, academics,
and industry workers involved in fine turf.
Critique: The collaborative work of Lane P. Tredway, Maria Tomaso-Peterson, James P. Kerns, and Bruce B. Clarke,
"Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases" is now available in a fully updated and expanded fourth addition, making it a
must-have reference for golf course superintendents, lawn care professionals, grounds managers, sports field managers, sod
growers, agronomists, turfgrass consultants, educators, turfgrass scientists, plant pathologists, Extension professionals, plant
disease diagnosticians, undergraduate/graduate students, postdoctoral research associates, R&D scientist sales
representatives, technical representatives, technical managers, brand managers, and turf fertilizer and turf products
marketing managers.
Editorial Note: For more than a century, members of APS have been making and sharing significant breakthroughs, both
for science and society. APS is driven by a distinctive community of scientists, whose energy and commitment ensure the
global advancement of agricultural science. APS members represent a broad range of specialties, from pushing frontiers in
the accuracy and speed of field diagnosis, to increasing our understanding of plant pathology through laboratory research.
Members come from academia, government, industry, and private practice. The diversity of the members and science makes
the society pertinent to a multitude of research areas, while the international involvement ensures that the latest innovations
from around the world are available to all.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
A Preparation Guide for the Assessment Center Method, third edition
Tina Lewis Rowe
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093945, $49.95, Spiral Bound PB, 276pp
https://www.amazon.com/Preparation-Guide-Assessment-Center-Method/dp/0398093946
Synopsis: This newly updated and expanded third edition of "A Preparation Guide for the Assessment Center Method" by
Tina Lewis Rowe has the honesty, humor and interesting perspectives that made the previous editions so enjoyable to read
and easy to understand.
In addition, every chapter has been refreshed and renewed with tips, techniques and insights that will help candidates use
assessment center exercises to demonstrate their readiness for the rank and role they seek. Chapter Three, What Is Your
Assessment Center Challenge? and Chapter Six, Three Characteristics of a High Caliber Candidate, are completely new.
They reflect decades of observation and analysis and will provide insights and guidance not found in any other training or
text.
The entirety of "A Preparation Guide for the Assessment Center Method" is focused on improving the law enforcement
profession by helping promotional candidates prepare to be effective in their preparation and testing, then effective on the
job as they develop as coaches and leaders.
Critique: Spiral bound to allow it to fold out easily on a desk, comprehensive, exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "A Preparation Guide for the Assessment Center Method" is an ideal textbook and essential reading for those
who are preparing to engage in assessment center evaluations to further their professional career in law enforcement. "A
Preparation Guide for the Assessment Center Method" is a must-have for personal, professional, and academic library
collections.
Editorial Note: Tina Lewis Row (www.tinalewisrowe.com) had a thirty-three year career in law enforcement -- first on the
Denver Police Department, where she retired as a Captain, then as the Presidential appointed United States Marshal for
Colorado. She was a trainer and presenter all of that time and since leaving the public sector has found tremendous
satisfaction in teaching, training, public-speaking and writing for a wide variety of criminal justice, government, non-profit
and business groups.
The Veterinary Shelf
Professionalism and Reflection in Veterinary Nursing
Sue Badger, editor
Andrea Jeffery, editor
Wiley-Blackwell
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781119664437, $50.00, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Professionalism-Reflection-Veterinary-Nursing-Badger/dp/1119664438
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by veterinary nurse Sue Badger and orthopaedic nurse Andrea Jeffery,
"Professionalism and Reflection in Veterinary Nursing" offers insights into the role of the veterinary nurse in the 21st
century. It provides useful information that facilitates a deeper understanding of the underlying theory that supports clinical
nursing practice. Exploring concepts that underpin the delivery of professional veterinary nursing, the book covers core
issues, themes and principles that explain what it means to be a veterinary nurse.
"Professionalism and Reflection in Veterinary Nursing" covers: The role of the registered veterinary nurse; The registered
veterinary nurse's responsibility to the patient; Evidence-based veterinary nursing; Veterinary nurse trainer and educator
resources.
A timely publication due to the increased recognition and expectations of the role of the veterinary nursing profession,
"Professionalism and Reflection in Veterinary Nursing" is ideal for veterinary student nurses and qualified veterinary nurses,
enabling them to contribute to the development of the professional identity.
Critique: Comprised of an insightful introduction and nine informed and informative articles contributed by experts in the
field of veterinarian medicine, "Professionalism and Reflection in Veterinary Nursing" is an unreservedly recommended and
core addition to professional, college, university, and veterinary school collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Professionalism and Reflection in Veterinary Nursing" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.00).
Editorial Note #1: Sue Badger MEd, Cert Ed, RVN veterinary nurse since 1976 with 18 years in clinical practice from small
animal to mixed and exotic practice. Set up and ran the veterinary nursing course at the School of Veterinary Science at the
University of Bristol. After more than two decades at the university, she took early retirement to concentrate on editorial
work and education consultancy. (https://icatcare.org/team/sue-badger)
Editorial Note #2: Andrea Jeffery Ed.D MSc Dip, AVN, Cert Ed, RVN trained orthopaedic nurse in the NHS and then a
veterinary nurse. Worked in both primary care and referral specialist practice then became a veterinary nurse educator. At
University of Bristol for 17 years as part of and as lead for the veterinary nursing undergraduate programmes. She joined
Linnaeus in 2019 as the Chief Nursing Officer with the remit of developing a nursing strategy for the group.
(https://www.veterinarywoman.co.uk/2021/03/veterinary-woman-role-model-andrea-jeffery)
Companion Animal Behaviour Problems
Rachel Cassey, et al.
CABI
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781780643458, $130.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Companion-Animal-Behaviour-Problems-Prevention/dp/1780643454
Synopsis: Ensuring the well-being of animals is a primary concern not only for their owners, but for every veterinary
practice.
Split into easily accessible sections, part one of "Companion Animal Behaviour Problems: Prevention and Management of
Behaviour Problems in Veterinary Practice" outlines the origin of animal behavior and how this has adapted to the domestic
environment.
Part two focuses on the role of the veterinary practice in preventing undesirable behavior, such as practice design,
socialization classes and communication with owners.
Part three gives practical advice for handling dangerous animals, discussing options such as euthanasia and working with
referral veterinarians.
Behavioral problems remain the number one cause of companion animal euthanasia. With the publication of "Companion
Animal Behaviour Problems: Prevention and Management of Behaviour Problems in Veterinary Practice" seeks to improve
the situation for all involved, veterinarians and owners alike.
Critique: "Companion Animal Behaviour Problems: Prevention and Management of Behaviour Problems in Veterinary
Practice" is collectively compiled and co-edited by Rachel Casey (Director of Canine Behavior and Research at Dogs Trust,
the UK's largest dog charity); Sarah Heath (an RCVS and an EBVS(R) European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioral
Medicine, as well as a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviorist); Helen Zulch (who is a practicing veterinarian, a Diplomat of
the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioral Medicine (BM) and a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Recognized Specialist in Behavioral Medicine, and currently the Head of Professional Development in Canine Behavior at
Dogs Trust where she has responsibility for staff education and professional development in dog behavior and training.
An ideal veterinary school curriculum textbook, "Companion Animal Behaviour Problems: Prevention and Management of
Behaviour Problems in Veterinary Practice" is unreservedly recommended for professional, college, and university library
Veterinary Science collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of veterinary science students, academia,
practicing veterinarians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Companion Animal
Behaviour Problems: Prevention and Management of Behaviour Problems in Veterinary Practice" is also available in both a
paperback edition (9781780643465, $60.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $36.87).
House Soiling Problems in Domestic Cats
Trudi Atkinson
CABI
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781789246872, $40.00, PB, 104pp
https://www.amazon.com/House-Soiling-Problems-Domestic-Behaviour/dp/1789246873
Synopsis: Practical and comprehensive, "House Soiling Problems in Domestic Cats" by veterinarian Trudi Atkinson is the
first in a series entitled 'Domestic Cat Behaviour Problems' which is specifically designed to help veterinary professionals
and behaviorists understand the background behind common domestic cat behavior problems and provide various treatment
strategies.
"House Soiling Problems in Domestic Cats" specifically covers feline problem elimination and marking behavior inside the
home. Outlined are: What constitutes normal behavior; The various underlying causes of feline house-soiling; Prevention of
unwanted behavior; Recognition of potential trigger factors and warning signs; How to identify contributory factors;
Practical treatment strategies.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "House Soiling Problems in Domestic Cats" is comprised of sound
and practical advice. "House Soiling Problems in Domestic Cats" is an invaluable and highly recommended resource for
veterinarians, veterinary nurses/technicians, clinical animal behaviorists, and those studying domestic cat behavior. While
unreservedly recommended for professional, veterinary clinic, and academic library Veterinarian Medicine collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "House Soiling Problems in Domestic Cats" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.44).
Editorial Note: Trudi Atkinson qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1986 and attained her postgraduate diploma at the
University of Southampton in 1999. In July of the same year she was accepted as a full member of the Association of Pet
Behavior Counsellors (APBC) and in 2000 left veterinary practice to start her own behavior referral practice covering the
South West of England. In 2004, she achieved accreditation as a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviorist (CCAB) under the
scheme run by the Association for the Study of Animal Behavior (ASAB). In early 2016, she started to specialize solely in
feline behavior and has presented talks on feline behavior and companion animal behavior in general for organizations
including: APBC, British Veterinary Behavior Association (BVBA), British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA),
British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the Centre for Animal Welfare (CAW).
The Archaeology Shelf
The Perfect Sword: Forging the Dark Ages
Edoardo Albert, author
Paul Gething, author
Birlinn
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781780277844, $29.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Sword-Forging-Dark-Ages/dp/1780277849
Synopsis: In 2000, archaeologist Paul Gething rediscovered a sword. An unprepossessing length of rusty metal, it had been
left in a suitcase for thirty years. But Paul had a suspicion that the sword had more to tell than appeared, so he sent it for
specialist tests. When the results came back, he realized that what he had in his possession was possibly the finest, and
certainly the most complex, sword ever made, a sword which had been forged in seventh-century Northumberland by an
anonymous swordsmith.
With the publication of "The Perfect Sword: Forging the Dark Ages", co-authors Edoardo Albert and Paul Gething relate the
story of the Bamburgh Sword -- of how and why it was made, who made it and what it meant to the warriors and kings who
wielded it over three centuries. It is also the remarkable story of the archaeologists and swordsmiths who found, studied and
attempted to recreate the weapon using only the materials and technologies available to the original smith.
Critique: The story of the Bamburgh Sword (arguably one of the finest Medieval swords ever forged), "The Perfect Sword:
Forging the Dark Ages" features an insert section of color photographs, maps, an Epilogue (The Perfect Sword), a three
page listing of Acknowledgments, and an eight page Index. Informative and deftly presented, "The Perfect Sword: Forging
the Dark Ages" will prove to be a welcome addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Medieval
History & Archaeology collections. It should be noted that "The Perfect Sword: Forging the Dark Ages" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.95).
Editorial Note #1: Edoardo Albert (https://edoardoalbert.com) is a London-based writer of Italian and Sri Lankan extraction
who specialises in religion, travel and archaeology. His previous books include: Warrior: A Life of War in Anglo-Saxon
Britain and Northumbria: The Lost Kingdom, both of which he co-authored with Paul Gething.
Editorial Note #2: Paul Gething (https://birlinn.co.uk/contributor/paul-gething) is Director of the Bamburgh Research
Project. He studied Archaeological Science at the University of Sheffield and began excavating in 1987. Since then, he has
worked in the Middle East, North Africa, France, Spain and the length and breadth of the UK. He has written for History,
Current Archaeology, The Great Outdoors and Time Out.
The Language Studies Shelf
New Testament Greek: A Reading Course, Level 1
Sally Teague
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown Street, Unit 301, Wauconda, IL 60084
www.bolchazy.com
9780865168657, $49.00, PB, 347pp
https://www.bolchazy.com/New-Testament-Greek-P3975.aspx
Synopsis: "New Testament Greek: A Reading Course, Level 1" is a complete introductory course to Koine Greek that offers
a clear, step-by-step approach to the fundamentals needed to read the New Testament in its original language. Concepts are
presented in small, manageable increments, followed by short exercises that promote mastery. With a wealth of practice
drills, readings, and conceptual questions, "New Testament Greek: A Reading Course, Level 1" is ideal for many kinds of
learners -- including those in homeschool, college, and seminary, as well as autodidacts.
This comprehensive program helps establish a strong foundation in biblical Greek. Each chapter logically and methodically
builds on previously introduced material. New Testament Greek: A Reading Course does not assume any prior experience
with Greek, or other inflected languages. Abundant practice, starting with the alphabet, allows learners to proceed at a pace
appropriate for their goals and needs.
In its approach, "New Testament Greek: A Reading Course, Level 1" firmly grounds itself in the Koine Greek of the Bible.
Scope and sequence proceeds according to vocabulary and grammar most frequently used in the New Testament. From
chapter 7 on, each chapter culminates in a set of carefully selected unadapted readings. Upon completing Level 1, learners
will have read more than 100 verses from the Septuagint and more than 400 verses from the New Testament. An additional
44 verses are used to illustrate important concepts. An index of Greek citations makes it easy to locate a particular
reference.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "New Testament Greek: A Reading Course, Level 1" is an ideal
textbook for New Testament Koine Greek language curriculums, and an unreservedly recommended addition to
professional, seminary, college, and university library collections.
Editorial Note: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers provides educational materials for Latin, Greek, and Classics teachers and
students. Their Latin textbooks cover everything from introductory Latin, with their series Latin for the New Millennium, to
Advanced Placement(R) Latin, both AP(R) Vergil and AP(R) Caesar, to advanced Latin in our BC Latin Readers Series.
Their Latin workbooks and LEGAMUS Transitional Latin Readers are ideal for those making the leap to intermediate Latin
and authentic Latin author texts.
The Gaming Shelf
Videogame Atlas: Mapping Interactive Worlds
Luke Cospar Pearson, author
Sandra Youkhana, author
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500024232, $65.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Videogame-Atlas-Mapping-Interactive-Worlds/dp/0500024235
Synopsis: With the publication of "Videogame Atlas: Mapping Interactive Worlds" architectural designers Luke Caspar
Pearson and Sandra Youkhana provide a fascinating and informative examination of modern videogame worlds as seen
through an architectural lens, utilizing maps, diagrams, and graphic illustrations to offer new perspectives on the art of
virtual world building. "Videogame Atlas" presents a journey through twelve well-known videogame worlds via panoramic
maps, intricate exploded diagrams, and detailed illustrations. "Videogame Atlas" also offers a playful new way of seeing
these beloved virtual worlds using the practices and academic rigor that underpins real-world architectural theory.
Popular videogame titles such as Minecraft, Assassin's Creed Unity, and Final Fantasy VII are explored in exhaustive detail
through over 200 detailed illustrations of the micro and macro, each with supporting commentary and architectural theory.
Taking influence from high-end architectural monographs, the book is carefully designed to the smallest of details and its
production is intricately executed.
"Videogame Atlas: Mapping Interactive Worlds" is printed in five colors, with neon ink throughout, and the culmination of
architectural designers Luke and Sandra's work, which includes founding the Videogame Urbanism studio at the Bartlett
School of Architecture, UCL that promotes the use of game technologies in architectural education.
Critique: A magnificent coffee-table style volume (9.8 x 1.3 x 13.7 inches, 4.94 pounds) and enhanced with some 250 color
illustrations, "Videogame Atlas: Mapping Interactive Worlds" is a unique, informative, instructive, and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, college, and university library Video Game Art collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Luke Caspar Pearson (https://www.youandpea.com/about) is an architectural designers who co-runs the
studio, You + Pea. His work explores the integration of videogame technologies into architectural design, leading
conversations on how games can engage new participants in the design of cities.
Editorial Note #2: Sandra Youkhana is an architectural designer who co-runs the studio, You + Pea. Her work explores the
integration of videogame technologies into architectural design, leading conversations on how games can engage new
participants in the design of cities. (https://theconversation.com/profiles/sandra-youkhana-1311655)
The Social Issues Shelf
Refugees, Refuge, and Human Displacement
Ignacio Lopez-Calvo, editor
Marjorie Agosin, editor
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839982484, $125.00, HC, 260pp
https://www.amazon.com/Refugees-Displacement-Studies-American-Literature/dp/1839982489
Synopsis: Every American is a descendant of either a Native American, and enslaved person, an immigrant, or a refugee. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Ignacio Lopez-Calva and Marjorie Agosin, "Refugees, Refuge, and Human Displacement" is devoted to that fourth category.
The essays comprising "Refugees, Refuge, and Human Displacement" study the concept of refuge as well as historical forced displacement and statelessness, trying to provide potential lasting solutions to the many problems associated with this situation. This volume is not only timely but expansive, as it moves from the pressing crisis of refugees to the crisis of humanity that seeks to find refuge.
From refugees to asylum seekers, from climate change to war, from historical uprootedness and displacement to today's crisis of refugeeism, these topics are mobilizing humanities scholars to think about refugees with a new sense of urgency. "Refugees, Refuge, and Human Displacement" demonstrates how interdisciplinary cultural approaches grounded in the humanities can transform refugee conversations so often dominated by political science, economics, and other disciplines. In doing so, the collection sets up far more inclusive refugee discussions and urges humanities thinkers to respond by taking the lead in the face of environmental and sociopolitical uncertainties.
Critique: A timely contribution to our national discussion concerning the admission of refugees into the United States of America, "Refugees, Refuge, and Human Displacement" is comprised of an informative Introduction followed by thirteen erudite and informative essays by contributors with expertise in their areas of study, deftly organized into four major sections (Humanity and Human Displacement; Seeking Refuge; Acts of Creating Refuge; Approaches to Constructing Refuge). While available in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.20) for personal reading lists for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "Refugees, Refuge, and Human Displacement" is particularly recommended for professional and academic library Immigration Policy & Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.
Editorial Note #1: Marjorie Agosin (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/marjorie-agosin) is a poet and human rights activist with a long career dedicated to the themes of social justice.
Editorial Note #2: Ignacio Lopez-Calvo is UC Merced Presidential Endowed Chair in the humanities and professor of Latin American literature. He is the author of eight monographs. (https://www.ucmerced.edu/content/ignacio-l%C3%B3pez-calvo)
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
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