 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Internet
Bookwatch |
Internet Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
To Wash Or Not Wash?
Andreas Baku
Independently Published
9798285424260, $17.95, PB, 172pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wash-Not-Hygiene-Beauty-Routines/dp/B0GNMHHBRJ
Synopsis: Are we actually clean... or just well-lathered and financially endangered?
Daily showers. Multi-step skincare. Deodorant debates. "Must-have" products that somehow
expire the moment a new one
drops. Modern hygiene has become confusing, expensive, and weirdly exhausting -- and we are
all pretending that this is
normal.
With the publication of "To Wash or Not to Wash: The Truth About Hygiene, Beauty Routines,
and Myths That Make Us
Buy More", Andreas Baku takes a funny, sharp look at how "clean" turned into a billion-dollar
industry powered by trends,
guilt, and marketing that quietly whispers: -- You're one product away from being socially
acceptable.
"To Wash or Not to Wash" covers:
How often we actually need to wash (and what happens when we overdo it)
Where hygiene ends, and social pressure begins
Which routines help... and which just drain your wallet
Why the "more product" mindset keeps winning
How to simplify without feeling like you're committing a cleanliness crime
Smart, relatable, and refreshingly honest, "To Wash or Not to Wash" is part myth-buster, part
reality check, and part
permission slip to stop over-thinking your bathroom routine. If you've ever stood in an store aisle
staring at 47 versions of
"gentle" cleanser thinking, Is this necessary? -- "To Wash or Not to Wash" is the book is for
you.
Critique Original, iconoclastic, thought-provoking, humor laced, and an inherently fascinating
(and at times surprising) read
from start to finish, "To Wash Or Not To Wash: The Truth About Hygiene, Beauty Routines, and
Myths That Make Us Buy
More" by Andreas Baku is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, community, and
college/university library Human Hygiene collections and supplemental Health/Medicine
curriculum studies lists. It should
be noted for medical students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this
paperback edition of "To Wash Or Not To Wash: The Truth About Hygiene, Beauty Routines,
and Myths That Make Us
Buy More" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Andreas Baku is a humor-driven, credit-card-surviving author who turns
everyday chaos into clever
commentary. Best known for his entertaining yet insightful takes on health, hygiene, and life's
messier corners, Andreas
believes personal care should come with fewer rules and a lot more laughter.
His latest book, "To Wash or Not to Wash", was born from years of following his daughter (and
his wife) through beauty
aisles like a lost puppy. Watching them shop in a trance, testing serums like they were on a
reality game show, and casually
racking up receipts longer than a CVS coupon list, Andreas had a realization: it was time to write
a book. Not just for the
overwashed or underwashed, but for the utterly confused!
There is a compete listing of books by Andreas Baku available online at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47377585.Andreas_Baku
The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
John Seabrook
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324003526, $31.99, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spinach-King-Rise-American-Dynasty/dp/132413075X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spinach-king-john-seabrook/1146267772
Synopsis: "Having left this material for his writer son, my father must have wanted the story told,
even if he couldn't bear to
tell it himself."
So begins the story of a forgotten American dynasty, a farming family from the bean fields of
southern New Jersey who
became as wealthy and powerful as aristocrats -- only to implode in a storm of lies.
The patriarch, C. F. Seabrook, was hailed as the "Henry Ford of Agriculture". His son Jack, a
keen businessman, was poised
to take over what Life called "the biggest vegetable factory on earth." But the carefully cultivated
facade (glamorous outings
by horse-drawn carriage, hidden wine cellars, and movie star girlfriends) hid dark secrets that led
to the implosion of the
family business.
At the heart of the narrative is a multi-generational succession battle. It's a tale of family secrets
and Swiss bank accounts, of
half-truths, of hatred and passion -- along with lots and lots of liquor. The Seabrooks' colorful
legal and moral failings took
place amid the trappings of extraordinary privilege. But the story of where that money came from
is not so pretty
They say behind every great fortune there is a great crime. At Seabrook Farms, the troubling
American histories of race,
immigration, and exploitation arise like weeds from the soil. Great Migration Black laborers
struck against the company for
better wages in the 1930s, and Japanese Americans helped found a "global village" on the farm
after World War II.
Revealing both C. F. and Jack Seabrook's corruption, The Spinach King undermines the "great
man" theory of industrial
progress. It also shows how American farms evolved from Jeffersonian smallholdings to gigantic
agribusinesses, and what
such enormous firms do to the families whose fate is bound up in the land.
A true story of class and privilege, betrayal and revenge (some three decades in the making),
"The Spinach King" explores
the author's own complicated family legacy and the dark corners of the American Dream.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of 30 B/W illustrations, a one page Seabrook Family Tree,
and Introduction
(Bootstrap Village), a Coda (A New Father), and eighteen pages of Notes, "The Spinach King:
The Rise and Fall of an
American Dynasty" is multi-generational family sage that will prove to be a simply fascinating
read from start to finish for
anyone with an interest in the massing of wealth and power by dysfunctional families through
engaging in white collar
crimes. An extraordinary family history, "The Spinach King" is an unreservedly recommended
pick for community and
college/university library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this
paperback edition of "The
Spinach King" from W. W. Norton is also readily available in paperback (9781324130758,
$19.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.97).
Editorial Note: John Seabrook (https://www.johnseabrook.com) has been a staff writer at The
New Yorker for more than
three decades. The Spinach King is his fifth book.
Where Next, Columbus? A Native Punk Mixtape
Thomas Michael Swensen
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806196640, $29.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Where-Next-Columbus-Directions-American-ebook/dp/B0FR78N56X
Where Next, Columbus? A Native Punk Mixtape explores how Native America and punk
politics intersect, providing an
unusual history that presents the evolution of hardcore, thrash, metal, and punk in the Indigenous
Americas. The set list runs
across the Western Hemisphere as it traverses punk culture's presence in different nations,
drawing many unusual
connections between punk's ideology and definitions of power and the experiences and outlook
of Native peoples long
struggling with challenges to independence and identity. Those with some familiarity with punk's
concepts, from DIY to
biting humor's commentary, will find these elements expanded in new directions as Thomas
Michael Swensen documents
the historical progression of Native punk writers, artists, and movements in circles not usually
given a voice. College-level
collections interested in punk ideology or contemporary and traditional Native development will
find Where Next,
Columbus? A Native Punk Mixtape especially recommendable to discussion groups about any of
these subjects.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
The Compassionate Writer
Anne E. Beall
Beall Research
https://www.linkedin.com/company/beall-research-inc-
9798990192935, $25.99, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Writer-Voice-Enhance-Story/dp/B0FXQT8BR1
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-compassionate-writer-anne-beall/1148639042
Synopsis: What if becoming a better writer began with being kinder to yourself? Many writers
struggle with self-doubt,
perfectionism, fear of judgment, writer's block, and the feeling that their story is not important
enough to tell.
With the publication of "The Compassionate Writer: Find Your Voice, Enhance Your Story, and
Touch Lives", Anne E.
Beall offers a refreshing and powerful approach to creativity by showing how compassion can
transform both your writing
and your writing life.
"The Compassionate Writer" is a thoughtful instructional guide that deftly blends psychology,
storytelling wisdom, practical
exercises, and meaningful encouragement to help aspiring writers uncover their authentic voice,
write with emotional depth,
and create stories that truly connect with readers.
Whether writikng memoirs, fiction, essays, journaling, or are just beginning a writing journey,
"The Compassionate Writer"
will help aspiring writers to move past their fears and into creative confidence.
"The Compassionate Writer" reveals:
How to overcome self-doubt, perfectionism, and the inner critic
Ways to find your unique writing voice and tell the story only you can tell
How compassion creates stronger characters and more emotional storytelling
Techniques to work through writer's block and creative resistance
How to write about difficult memories and sensitive topics with honesty and care
Guided exercises and prompts to deepen your writing practice
Encouragement to keep going through rejection, setbacks, and uncertainty
Critique: Impressively well written, organized, presented, and an ideal curriculum textbook for
writing workshops and
classes, "The Compassionate Writer: Find Your Voice, Enhance Your Story, and Touch Lives"
by Anne E. Beall is
comprehensive, exceptional, and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and
presentation. Unreservedly
recommended for aspiring authors, memoir writers, novelists and short story writers, journalists,
creative writing students,
writing workshop participants, anyone longing to express their own stories with courage, heart,
and success, "The
Compassionate Writers" is an essential, core addition for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library
'how-to' writing instructional reference collections and supplemental Creative Writing curriculum
studies lists. It should be
noted that this hardcover edition of "The Compassionate Writer" from Beall Research is also
readily available in paperback
(9798990192928, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Anne E. Beall (https://annebeall.com) is an award-winning author and social
psychologist who writes about
the emotional undercurrents that shape our lives. Her work explores the psychology of
relationships -- between lovers,
family members, friends, and pets who believe they're in charge. She is the founder and editor of
Chicago Story Press
Literary Journal, which publishes creative nonfiction.
The AI Studies Shelf
Real Rights in the Virtual World
Riku Neuvonen and Jukka Viljanen, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035338849, $165.00, HC, 258pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Rights-Virtual-World-Intelligence/dp/103533884X
Edward Elgar Publishing
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/real-rights-in-the-virtual-world-9781035338849.html
Synopsis: "Real Rights in the Virtual World: Human Rights in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
and Virtual Reality" is a
timely book that explores the rights and principles that guide AI-based applications and their
users in virtual reality worlds.
Compiled and co-edited by the team of Riku Neuvonen and Jukka Viljanen, The contributors to
"Real Rights in the Virtual
World" collectively examine the next developmental phase of information networks, positioning
human rights at the center
of their analysis.
The chapters comprising "Real Rights in the Virtual World" assess the current problems facing
the digital world as well as
new challenges posed by virtual worlds, including access to information and privacy. Adopting a
multidisciplinary
approach, the contributors evaluate digital constitutionalism in AI-populated metaverses, the
roles of language rights and
intellectual property in the metaverse, and generative AI's impact on autonomy, truth and
equality.
Ultimately, they bring innovative research topics and ideas to the forefront of human rights
studies in the age of virtual
reality and AI.
Students and scholars of human rights law, internet and technology law, and digitalisation will
find "Real Rights in the
Virtual World" an invaluable read., and one that is also a highly informative resource for
policymakers and journalists
working in AI, the internet and other virtual worlds.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking contribution to the current national discussions
regarding AI and its social, cultural,
economic, and political impact, "Real Rights in the Virtual World: Human Rights in the Age of
Artificial Intelligence and
Virtual Reality" the twelve expert articles comprising this timely volume are expertly organized
into three major sections:
Virtual Reality And Human Rights; Legal Subjects In Virtual Worlds; Virtual World And Future
Trends. Enhanced for the
reader's benefit with the inclusion of a five page listing of the contributors and their credentials,
as well as a two page Index,
this hardcover edition of "Real Rights in the Virtual World: Human Rights in the Age of
Artificial Intelligence and Virtual
Reality" from Edward Elgar Publishing is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal and professional
reading lists, as well as community and college/university library AI collections and
supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note #1: Riku Neuvonen is Professor of Public Law, Faculty of Management and
Business, Tampere
University.
Editorial Note #2: Jukka Viljanen is Professor of Public Law, Faculty of Management and
Business, Tampere University,
Finland
The AI Security Imperative
James Blake
Networlding Publishing
https://networlding.com
9781959993452, $15.00 Paperback/$1.50 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/AI-Security-Imperative-Managing-Emerging/dp/1959993453
The AI Security Imperative: A Leader's Guide to Managing Emerging Risks focuses on all kinds
of threats to cyber-security,
from phishing and AI-powered cyber attacks to disinformation networks, digital surveillance,
challenges to AI
decision-making, and reputational threats. Each topic shifts in nature when influenced by AI's
potential, as James Blake
outlines in chapters that address incidents, potential usage, and opportunities to employ AI to
thwart many of these threats:
"AI provides another important method in establishing this with an opportunity to expand
surveillance, information
gathering, and targeting, which can be hugely important."
Blake uses risk assessment logic and techniques to link AI to better practices and bigger-picture
thinking. These embrace
not just business interests and concerns, but social and political game-changing efforts: "Those in
power have increasing
opportunities to use AI within the context of international crises - they can shape political
opinion on events through the
skillful use of social media. This has direct implications for the business sector, its strategies, and
potentially opportunities
and risks that have shaped fortunes since 2015."
Special assessments and insights focus on the use of AI for better or for worse, considering how
the usual purposes and
approaches of different interests are affected by adding AI into the picture: "AI is an essential
driver in the growth and
spread of disinformation, particularly in tactical developments, which will likely increase risks to
organizations worldwide.
This is because AI provides the means for a wider group of threat actors to have the technology
available."
The result is an important assessment that should not be limited to business interests alone, but
disseminated and discussed
in political groups, classrooms holding students of computer, political, and social science,
concerned citizens, and libraries
interested in a book that goes beyond the scope of most on the topics of security and AI
applications. Packed with historical
and social references, The AI Security Imperative draws important connections between leaders,
security assessments, AI
applications, and many different impacts of AI at all levels of business and society. It should be
considered a "must" for any
thinking leader and readers interested in how AI might work for and against humans in the
future.
The Social Issues Shelf
Beyond Bedrails and Bingo
Dave Devereaux
https://davedevereaux.squarespace.com
Layton Road Press
9798994220009, $17.95 Paperback/$24.95 Hardcover/$9.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Bedrails-Bingo-Americas-Nursing/dp/B0GXGBD6MT
Beyond Bedrails and Bingo: Myths, Truths, and the Future of America's Nursing Homes explores
nursing homes in a
manner few other books have addressed, considering the stigma and disrespect associated with
them, the hidden truths about
Medicare and Medicaid and how nursing homes are financed, and why nursing home standards,
eligibility, values, and
culture seem so broken. While Dave Devereaux doesn't let nursing homes off the hook of
accountability, he does explain
and explore why so many are viewed as detrimental and disasters. During the course of an open,
honest examination that
stems from decades as a nursing home administrator, Devereaux considers connections between
money and organizational
behavior, myths and realities, emerging trends in nursing home care, and more.
Few will know much of the information in this book. It could only be generated from an insider's
long-term experience, and
from a level of administration that ordinary workers aren't privy to. Take mattresses, for one
example ... a touchy subject:
"Caregivers are the first line of defense in assessing mattress integrity, and this is evident the
instant a bed is stripped. When
mattress integrity isn't maintained, people work harder to compensate for the problem and patient
care progress is sustained
or improved. Or they don't, and patients suffer while their health degrades. When basics like a
comfortable mattress aren't
provided, it sows distrust among hardworking nursing home staff. This further threatens the
home's credibility. If this cycle
goes unbroken, workers break. If workers break, the nursing home breaks."
Funding, reimbursement, patient litigation, and issues of law and aides are all considered in an
eye-opening inspection that
draws connections between nursing home processes and the systems that support or deter them.
All this information is key
to understanding nursing homes - and is why all health libraries and individuals considering
nursing homes need to read this
book. Broader in its coverage than most, Beyond Bedrails and Bingo considers the culture of
American care and how it is
limited, buffeted, or expanded by perception, regulations, and human affairs. Libraries need to
consider Beyond Bedrails
and Bingo an essential addition as they stock quality books on healthcare, legal regulations, and
consumer information.
The Education Shelf
Skipping School
Dixie Dillon Lane
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
www.eerdmans.com
9780802885517, $28.99, HC, 216pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Skipping-School-American-Homeschooling-Mainstream/dp/08028855
19
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/skipping-school-dixie-dillon-lane/1149321768
Synopsis: With the publication of "Skipping School: A History of American Homeschooling and
How It Went
Mainstream", interested readers will discover the untold story of why homeschooling moved
from the margins to the
mainstream of American education in a truly groundbreaking study by historian Dixie Dillon
Lane who traces the rise of the
homeschooling in the United States, from the modern movement's beginnings in the 1950s as a
fringe activity to its current
status as a widely accepted educational choice.
Drawing upon compelling nationwide data and vivid case studies from Los Angeles County,
Lane uncovers a powerful
truth: homeschooling taps into long-held American beliefs in local control and parental rights
that have shaped our nation's
schools for generations.
Writing in an engaging, accessible style, Lane demonstrates how homeschooling's rise reflects
Americans' response to the
increasing centralization of public education. As public schools have shifted toward
consolidation and away from local
oversight, parents have rediscovered their voice, choosing homeschooling as an innovative way
to renew parental influence
in education.
Unlike most authors writing on this topic, Lane writes as both a credentialed historian and an
experienced homeschooling
parent. As such, she offers an honest, balanced view that acknowledges the homeschooling
movement's challenges as well
as its strengths. "Skipping School" will be of interest to parents, historians, educators,
policymakers, and anyone seeking a
fuller understanding of American education.
Critique: An original, seminal, and groundbreaking study, "Skipping School: A History of
American Homeschooling and
How It Went Mainstream" by Dixie Dillon Lane is extraordinarily well written, organized and
presented making it an ideal
and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library American
Education/Homeschooling History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted that this
paperback edition of "Skipping School" from the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is also
readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $28.99).
Editorial Note: Dixie Dillon Lane is an American historian and homeschooling parent who lives
in rural Virginia. She holds
a PhD in history from the University of Notre Dame and serves as associate editor of Hearth &
Field.
(https://hearthandfield.com/author/dixie-dillon-lane)
Tabletop Role-Playing Games in the Classroom
Adam Watson
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476697550, $35.95 PB, $25.99 Kindle, 215pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tabletop-Role-Playing-Games-Classroom-Instruction/dp/1476697558
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/tabletop-role-playing-games-in-the-classroom
Synopsis: With the publication of "Tabletop Role-Playing Games in the Classroom: Infusing
Gameplay into K-12
Instruction", author and educator Adam Watson presents new frameworks specifically designed
by him to ease integration
and facilitation of tabletop role-playing games in an educational setting.
The "whats" and "whys" of these games, this K-12 educator accounts of implementation, case
studies, advice on partnering
with game shops and librarians, and practical classroom strategies are covered. Also feature are:
Starting Equipment,
Bulletin Board Bard, and Ritual of Reflection that describe concrete takeaways and models for
emulation, assisting
facilitators in synthesizing new information and creating subsequent action steps.
"Tabletop Role-Playing Games in the Classroom: Infusing Gameplay into K-12 Instruction" is a
critical tool for educators
wishing to integrate their pedagogy with tabletop role-playing games.
Critique: Original, unique, and an informative, thought-provoking, and fascinating read from
start to finish, "Tabletop
Role-Playing Games in the Classroom: Infusing Gameplay into K-12 Instruction" by Adam
Watson is part of the McFarland
& Company 'Studies in Gaming' series and an unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, community, and
college/university library Table Top Gaming collections and supplemental Classroom
Educational Instruction curriculum
studies list. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Tabletop Role-Playing Games in
the Classroom: Infusing
Gameplay into K-12 Instruction" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$25.99).
Editorial Note: Adam Watson began his Kentucky educational career in 2005, as a high school
English teacher, became a
district Digital Learning Coordinator, and currently is the Digital Learning Consultant for the
Ohio Valley Educational
Cooperative, a regional state agency which serves more than 150,000 students. He is a frequent
facilitator of professional
development sessions at regional and national conferences, including Gen Con and GAMA
Expo. He has written for various
prominent educational organizations, such as Next Generational Learning Challenges and the
Aurora Institute.
The Cookbook Shelf
Broke Vegan
Saskia Sidey
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600636984, $14.99, HC, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Broke-Vegan-plant-based-recipes-earth/dp/0600636984
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broke-vegan-saskia-sidey/1137304434
Synopsis: We all want to help do our bit to save the planet by moving towards a plant-based diet,
but eating vegan can be
expensive. That's where "Broke Vegan: Over 100 plant-based recipes that don't cost the earth" by
Saskia Sidey comes
in.
Showcasing more than 100 plant-based recipes using supermarket staples along with hints and
tips for making your food go
further, "Broke Vegan" will have you cooking meals time after time that save money and save the
planet. From easy
weeknight meals ready in 20 minutes to feeding a crowd on a budget or saving time and money
by batch cooking, "Broke
Vegan" has got it covered.
Whether you're making the move from veggie to vegan or just trying to make your money go
further, "Broke Vegan" will
bring variety and flavor to your meals without having to spend a fortune with:
Breakfast & Brunch recipes for:
Speedy sourdough
Any berry muffins
Frozen smoothie bowl
Batch Cooking that includes:
Confit tomatoes
Chilli con veggie
Sticky sweet aubergines
Meals Ready in 20 Minutes such as:
Kimchi pancakes with dipping sauce
Cauliflower nuggets
Back of the fridge fritters
The there are crowd pleasers such as:
Tofu tacos
Pizza 5 ways
Any vegetable tart
And don't forget for something sweet there is:
Chocolate mousse
Lemon, coconut & cardamom cake
Leftover porridge flapjacks
Critique: With full page, full color photos of finished dishes, "Broke Vegan: Over 100
plant-based recipes that don't cost the
earth" by Saskia Sidey is a treasury of inexpensive DIY vegan dishes that are as palate pleasing
and appetite satisfying as
they are fun to make and easy on a slender food budget. While unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, and
community library Vegan/Vegetarian cookbook collections, it should be noted that this hardcover
edition of "Broke Vegan"
from Hamlyn is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Saskia Sidey (https://www.saskiasidey.com) was the former brand & marketing
manager and copywriter at
LEON. She also worked in-house for cookbook publishers Octopus before leaving to train as a
chef at Leiths School of
Food and Wine. With a flare for flavor, eye for detail and practical nature, Saskia has developed
a personal style with food
that truly stands out.
Dinner Time
Zena Kamgaing
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639739455, $35.00, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Time-Deeply-Delicious-minutes/dp/1639739459
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dinner-time-zena-kamgaing/1149503085
Synopsis: From social media sensation Zena Kamgaing, "Dinner Time: Deeply Delicious Meals
in 15, 30, 45 and 60
minutes" is packed from cover to cover with lively recipes for every mood-and schedule.
With sections organized into vibrant, flavor-packed dinners that can be on the table in 15
minutes, half an hour, 45 minutes,
or later, Zena's recipes are designed to fit your busy schedule, whether you're in a hurry or have
time to savor the
process.
Featuring over 80 authentic yet innovative international classics, "Dinner Time" will delight with
meals like Creamy
Sundried Tomato & Harissa Pasta, Teriyaki Pork Miso Ramen, Gochujang Chicken Katsu,
Oven-Baked Jollof Rice, and
Tropical Tiramisu.
Zena is known for her ability to transform simple, healthy meals into flavorful heavy hitters,
using the most accessible
methods. Here, she delivers fan favorites and brand-new recipes to look forward to at the end of
the day, including
tantalizing vegetarian and vegan options.
Reinvigorating familiar ingredients and elevating the quickest of weeknight dishes, "Dinner
Time" reminds us that we can
all find the magic in preparing a delicious meal.
Critique: With thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, nutritious
and delicious recipes that
range from One-Pan Harissa Chicken & Rice; Silky Crab Linquine; Aromatic Thai Duck Soup;
and Sticky Pork Belly Banh
Mi; to Charred Corn & Kimchi Fried Rice; Aromatic Ginger & Steamed Cod; Gochujang
Braised Short Ribs; and
Caramelized Croissants with Coffee Cream, "Dinner Time: Deeply Delicious Meals in 15, 30, 45
and 60 minutes" will
prove an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, professional, and
community library cookbook
collections. It should be noted for those with an interest in vegetarian/vegan dishes and
quick/easy meals that this hardcover
edition of "Dinner Time: Deeply Delicious Meals in 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes" from
Bloomsbury Publishing is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.50).
Editorial Note: Zena Kamgaing (https://zenaskitchen.com) is a passionate home cook and recipe
creator, based in London.
Her social channels include her Instagram and TikTok @zenaskitchen, where she shares both
authentic and innovative
renditions of international culinary classics. For Zena, it's all about honouring and celebrating
culinary traditions from
around the world.
Tavern on the Green Cookbook
Bill Peet
The Globe Pequot Press
https://www.globepequot.com
9781493091249, $39.95, HC, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tavern-Green-Cookbook-Historical-Restaurant/dp/1493091247
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tavern-on-the-green-cookbook-bill-peet/1147495570
Synopsis: For nearly a century, Tavern on the Green has been Manhattan's crown jewel -- a
restaurant where celebrities,
locals, and visitors from around the world gather to create unforgettable memories. Now, with
reservations at an all-time
high, you can experience the restaurant's celebrated elegance and exceptional cuisine without
leaving home.
"Tavern on the Green Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes and Historical Treasures from New York
City's Iconic Restaurant" by
Chef Bill Peet delivers the complete Tavern on the Green dining experience through recipes
showcasing:
Signature recipes from French-trained Executive Chef Bill Peet's elegant American menu
Step-by-step instructions with stunning photography that makes every dish achievable
Behind-the-scenes secrets from one of America's most famous kitchens
Historical snapshots spanning the restaurant's remarkable 100-year legacy
Holiday entertaining tips from a team that serves 1,500 Thanksgiving meals annually
Whether you are a home cook seeking to impress dinner guests or an accomplished chef looking
to master restaurant-quality
techniques, "Tavern on the Green Cookbook is a cuisine compendium that can transform the
family kitchen into a piece of
New York culinary history. Each featured recipe captures the sophisticated flavors and visual
presentation that have made
Tavern on the Green a destination for generations of food lovers.
From intimate dinners to grand celebrations, discover why this Central Park landmark continues
to enchant diners and create
magical moments, one extraordinary meal at a time.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Tavern
on the Green Cookbook:
Seasonal Recipes and Historical Treasures from New York City's Iconic Restaurant" is a truly
extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family, professional, and community library
cookbook collections. A
simple and inspirational delight to browse through and plan menus with, it should be noted that
this hardcover edition of
"Tavern on the Green Cookbook" from Globe Pequot Press is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle,
$26.99).
Editorial Note: Bill Peet came to Tavern on the Green in 2016 as their Executive Chef with over
35 years of New York City
fine dining experience. During his extensive career, he has worked in an array of iconic
restaurants. Bill spent 15 years as
Sous Chef and Pastry Chef at the legendary Lutece with Andre Soltner. Following his departure
from Lutece, Bill was the
Chef/Owner of a critically acclaimed restaurant La Petite Rose in Westfield, New Jersey. He has
also held the positions of
Corporate Executive Chef with ARK Restaurant Group, overseeing 28 restaurants and Executive
Chef at many renowned
restaurants such as Asia de Cuba, Cafe des Artistes, and Patroon & Restaurant "44" at the
Royalton Hotel. Inspired by the
reputation of New York City's most iconic restaurant -- Tavern on the Green, this is the perfect
match with his
experience
Wine & Dine At Home
Charlotte Kristensen
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846016424, $26.99, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Dine-Home-recipes-pairings/dp/1846016428
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wine-dine-at-home-charlotte-kristensen/1149125284
Synopsis: With the publication of "Wine & Dine at Home: Easy Recipes & Perfect Pairings",
wine columnist and author
Charlotte Kristensen invites the reader to experience wine in the most joyous way possible --
sharing delicious plates with
friends.
"Wine & Dine at Home" encourages you to approach wine as a sensory pleasure and helps grow
your knowledge through
exploration and experience in three steps:
Discover: This section introduces some of the key principles of food and wine pairing,
recognizing that it blends art, science
and experience. It allows you to experiment and explore the thousands of wine varieties and food
offerings from around the
world, matching wine to key flavors of salty, sweet, spicy, bitter, acid and umami.
Pair: This section gives the opportunity to experiment and this part of the book shares 50
delectable pairings of wine and
food, with simple recipes for apero, boards and nibbles; fish and seafood; poultry and meat;
vegetarian and cheese, and
sweet treats.
Curate : The final section that offers themed menus incorporating the delicious recipes from the
second part of the
book.
"Wine & Dine at Home" is packed from cover to cover with unpretentious, practical advice on
getting the best out of every
glass of wine you drink by matching it successfully with everyday foods.
Critique: Original, exceptional, profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with color
photography, "Wine & Dine at
Home: Easy Recipes & Perfect Pairings" by wine and food expert Charlotte Kristensen is ideal
for American family cooks
wanting to plan truly elegant and memorable meals at home. While very highly recommended for
community library
cookbook collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Wine & Dine at Home"
from Mitchell Beazley is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Charlotte Kristensen (www.thelondonwinegirl.com) is a wine columnist,
communicator and educator based
in London. Prior to focusing on wine, she worked as a lawyer in the City of London. After falling
in love with the world of
wine while living in New York, Charlotte decided to leave the corporate world and made the leap
into wine. In 2018, she set
up her Instagram account @thelondonwinegirl to record her journey, and now has followers
around the world.
Hungry: Healthy and Satisfying Recipes to Eat on Repeat, Designed by a Nutritionist
Caroline Hanna
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600639831, $32.99, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Healthy-Satisfying-Designed-Nutritionist/dp/0600639835
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hungry-caroline-hanna/1148674539
Synopsis: No more coffee for breakfast and restrictions on snacking -- when you are hungry, you
should eat.
With the publication of "Hungry: Healthy and Satisfying Recipes to Eat on Repeat, Designed by
a Nutritionist", nutritional
therapist and Cordon Bleu-trained chef Caroline Hanna showcases more than 90 recipes -- each
of which are guaranteed
nutritious, well-balanced and tasty to satisfy both your hunger and your health.
"Hungry" incorporates highly nutritious ingredients in each and every dish without you noticing.
Nutritional additions to
classic favorites including:
'7 Plant Points' Chilli Con Carne
High Protein Creamy Red Pepper Pasta
Bangers and Cheese-and-Chive Mash with a Kale and Onion Gravy
A Nutritionist's Hangover Sandwich -- so much more!
An impressive compendium of recipes that celebrate and satiate appetite, "Hungry" is all about
food that feels good and
tastes good.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with full page, full color photographs of finished
dishes, "Hungry: Healthy and
Satisfying Recipes to Eat on Repeat, Designed by a Nutritionist" is an ideal resource for planning
palate pleasing, appetite
satisfying, and healthy menus for any and all dining occasions both formal and informal. While
certain to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted
that this hardcover edition of "Hungry" from Hamlyn is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Carolina Hanna (Instagram.com/healthbycaroline) is a registered nutritional
therapist and Le Cordon
Bleu-trained recipe developer and content creator based in London. Formally trained at the
College of Naturopathic
Medicine, Caroline has collaborated with brands including Nairn's, Mindful Chef, Dash Water,
ProVen and BOL Foods.
Her science-backed yet realistic approach to nutrition is a refreshing tonic to a glossy world of
perfectly curated food and
cooks, making both Caroline, her recipes, and her mission (to create well-balanced recipes that
are delicious and satisfying)
relatable to the family cook.
Taste of Home: America the Tasty
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889771784, $10.99, PB, 128pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-America-Tasty-Culinary/dp/B0FWZXP812
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-of-home-america-the-tasty-taste-of-home/1148560536
Synopsis: With the publication of "Taste of Home: America the Tasty", kitchen cooks and their
appreciative families can
discover the flavors that made man an American city famous, from Nashville Hot Chicken and
Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza to
New England Clam Chowder and Texas Pecan Pie. Whether craving hearty main courses,
comforting soups, irresistible
sides, or decadent desserts, this is a very special American cookbook that has it all.
"Taste of Home: America the Tasty" is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of:
100+ Iconic Recipes: Celebrate the tastiest dishes from every corner of the USA.
Full-Color Photos: Every recipe is paired with a vibrant photo to inspire your cooking.
Fun Food Facts: Trivia and tidbits about states, ingredients, and culinary history.
Expert Tips: Test-kitchen reviews, substitution ideas, and tricks to ensure perfect results.
Regional Chapters: Explore flavors from New England, the Heartland, the Gulf Coast, and
beyond.
Whether you are whipping up Philly Cheesesteaks for game day or baking New York-Style
Cheesecake for a weekend treat,
"America the Tasty" makes it easy to bring the nation's most-loved flavors into your kitchen. Let
your taste buds explore the
USA, one unforgettable recipe at a time!
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout "Taste of Home: America the Tasty" is an ideal
culinary resource for planning
palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health inducing menus for all dining occasions both formal
and informal. An inspiring
and mouth-watering delight to simply browse through one page and recipes at a time, "Taste of
Home: America the Tasty"
is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, family, and
community library cookbook
collections showcasing popular and delicious American cuisine. It should be noted that this
paperback edition of "Taste of
Home: America the Tasty" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is America's #1 food/lifestyle brand, inspiring togetherness
through cooking, baking and
entertaining. Featuring recipes shared by today's home cooks, Taste of Home magazine has
hundreds of thousands of
subscribers throughout North America and publishes best-selling cookbooks and newsstand
specials. The brand's web site is
a top destination, featuring kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos and more.
Taste of Home has more
than 7 million fans on Facebook, 2.1 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million Pinterest
followers and receives more than
28 million unique monthly visitors. Visit Taste of Home on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to
learn more.
Cooking With Judith
Judith Briles
https://thebookshepherd.com
Mile High Press, Limited
https://rebfink50.wixsite.com/mile-high-press/about
9781885331991, $20.00, PB, 104pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Judith-Comfort-Create-Eating/dp/1885331991
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cooking-with-judiithcomfort-foods-create-wow-eating-judit
h-briles/1146946338
Synopsis: With the publication of "Cooking with Judith: Comfort Foods Create WOW Eating",
Judith Briles shares over 50
of her recipes that she casually put together, sometimes with the opening of the refrigerator
asking What can I do tonight?
Sometimes to the pantry with thoughts ranginf from What can I make for tonight to What's in
here?
All with a handful here and a few tablespoons there. Usually, the goal was a tasty, easy peasy
concoction of some sort that
was not complicated and didn't take a lot of work.
For Judith, cooking has always been a way for her to "re-root" when she returns home from a
speaking gig on one of her
books. A few hours in the kitchen erased the hassles of travel.
With this slender culinary compendium, what you have available are many of her friends'
favorites -- some everyday
comfort like Chili Relleno Chowder or Italian Tortellini Soup. Salads are welcome anytime.
Favorites include Avocado
Corn Salad, Apple or Pear Pecan Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing and Summer Beet Salad.
For dessert, a slice of
Kahlua Cake with amazing creme is a gift to your taste buds.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, every palate pleasing, appetite satisfying,
nutritionally healthy, and
kitchen cook friendly recipe has a color photo of the finished dish. An ideal resource and
inspiration for menu planning and
a culinary treat just to page through, "Cooking with Judith: Comfort Foods Create WOW Eating"
by Judith Briles is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community
library cookbook
collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Cooking with Judith" from Mile
High Press is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Judith Briles (https://thebookshepherd.com) is the author of 48 books and known
as The Book Shepherd,
working with authors globally to create and publish books they will never regret.
Rome: Classic Recipes from the Eternal City
Lucia Tersigni & Audrey Cosson
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846017308, $32.99, HC, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Classic-Recipes-Eternal-recipes/dp/1846017300
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rome-lucia-tersigni/1149207328
Synopsis: Italian dishes are consistently ranked one of the most popular cuisines in the world.
"Rome: Classic Recipes from
the Eternal City" is cookbook comprised of many of the classics Italy is known for ranging from
bruschetta al pomodoro to
spaghettoni a la carbonara and penne all'arrabiata.
Complete with stunning photography of Rome and its environs, this is the eternal city as you
have never tasted it before.
With the inclusion of every essential, authentic recipe made easier than ever before, and
restaurant recommendations off the
traditional tourist path, Rome transports readers to all the delicious sights, smells and flavors of
Italy's oldest city.
"Rome: Classic Recipes from the Eternal City" showcases more than 200 authentic recipes
including recipes for antipasti,
pane (bread), pastas, carne (meat), pesce (fish), verdue (vegetables), and dolci (desserts).
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with full page, full color photography and with each
recipe thoroughly 'kitchen
cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Rome: Classic Recipes from the Eternal City" is
a culinary pleasure to
browse through, inspiring to create menus with, and unreservedly recommended for personal,
family, professional, and
community library Italian themed cookbook collections. It should be noted that this large format
(8.5 x 0.73 x 10.25 inches,
2.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "Rome: Classic Recipes from the Eternal City" from Mitchell
Beazley is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note #1: Originally from Ciociara (just south-west of Rome), but Roman by adoption,
Lucia Tersigni has lived in
Rome for forty years. After studying literature at the university of Sapienza, she decided to
transform her passion for food
into an exciting career. Desserts are her first love, vegetables her second, but little by little she
has let herself be transported
by the unique force of all flavors. There isn't a dish she won't try - for her it is always essential to
taste and smell.
Editorial Note #2: Audrey Cosson (https://www.audreycosson.com) is fond of delicious food, in
love with beautiful
tableware and fabrics, and passionate with photography. Thus, she naturally became a Food &
Prop Stylist & Food Writer.
Based in Paris -- but always happy to travel, She has worked with various magazines, publishers
and brands and is the
author of several cookbooks and food & travel articles for press.
How to Make Food Your Kids Will Actually Eat
Anouska Emily Mauree
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600639602, $19.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Emilys-Cooking-Actually-snacktivities-lunchboxes/dp/0600639606
How to Make Food Your Kids Will Actually Eat: Over 100 Snactivities, Lunchboxes and Food
Hacks comes from internet
website EmilysCooking and surveys recipes for all meals of the day. These blend international
influences with kid-friendly,
kid-tested flavors. Each recipe is easy to fix, good for lunchboxes or meals the entire family can
enjoy, and provides variety
many won't see in any other cookbook directed to kids' interests. Recipes ranging from Pancake
Muffins to Chicken Tortilla
Samosas made from leftovers are accompanied by step-by-step and finished dish color photos,
making for an exceptionally
attractive, kid-appealing collection.
Chillies
Sophie Dupuis-Gaulier
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846016738, $29.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Chillies-Sophie-Dupuis-Gaulier/dp/1846016738
Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration is more than a cookbook, combining a history that
blends botanical and culinary
insights into the choices for using chillies in different ways. It features some twenty varieties of
the pepper, categorizing
them by heat level to make it easy for cooks to choose the type amenable to their palates and
recipes, and accompanies
nearly a hundred recipes with a timeline of culinary discovery that will intrigue and delight food
historians. The result, with
its lovely presentation and color photos, is as suitable for gift-giving as for a home cook's
explorations.
The American History Shelf
The Boss in American Government
Mark Thompson
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476698533, $49.95, PB, 298pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Boss-American-Government-Successors-Corruption/dp/1476698538<
br>
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boss-in-american-government-mark-thompson/1147002
308
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-boss-in-american-government
Synopsis: From 1863 to 1871 in New York City a bank of four banditti politicians led by
William M. Tweed reigned
supreme. Popularly known as the "Tweed Ring", this trail-blazing and iconic political machine
unashamedly bribed
newspapers and legislatures, stole elections and and immense amounts of money.
Its thefts from the City have been estimated at between 20 and 200 million 1870 dollars: 500
million to 5 billion 2025
dollars. Tweed boasted of having amassed a personal fortune of $20 million -- but died miserably
in prison at age
fifty-five.
Many of his modes of governmental corruption have thrived into the twenty-first century. The
Ring of Tweed had
significant connections with the five U.S. Presidential elections between 1864 and 1880. Later
Presidents notably influenced
by their dealings with political bossses (often referred to as "Tweeds") and their machines have
included Theodore and
Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Donald Trump.
"The Boss in American Government: William M. Tweed and His Successors in Corruption from
the 1860s to Today" by
Mark Thompson is history of Boss Tweed and his influence on the American government
resonates deeply as an analysis of
political corruption and its legacy.
Critique: Original, exceptional, timely, "The Boss in American Government: William M. Tweed
and His Successors in
Corruption from the 1860s to Today" by Mark Thompson is a seminal, informative, and deftly
crafted study that is
informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of twenty-eight pages of
Chapter Notes, a six page
Bibliography, and a seven page Index. While this trade paperback (7 x 0.6 x 10 inches, 1.15
pounds) edition of "The Boss in
American Government" is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and
college/university library American History and Political Science collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists, it
should be noted for students, academia, political activists/reformers, and the non-specialist
general reader with an interest in
the subject that "The Bos in American Government from McFarland & Company is also
available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Thompson was a full-time professor at Harvard University from 1975 to
1983 and has been a visiting
professor at the Universite de Paris and the Universitat Bielefeld in North Rhine-Westphalia in
Germany. He taught courses
on decision science, game theory, and social program evaluation. He lives in Lexington,
Massachusetts.
The Ragged Edge of Freedom
Matthew E. Stanley
Monthly Review Press
www.monthlyreview.org
9781685901547, $99.00, HC, 464pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ragged-Edge-Freedom-Capitalism-Borderland/dp/1685901549
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ragged-edge-of-freedom-matthew-e-stanley/1148674641
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Ragged Edge of Freedom: Race, Capitalism, and Class
Struggle in Slavery's
Borderland", Professor Matthew E. Stanley explores the long shadow of slavery in the Lower
Midwest.
In the decades after the Civil War, elites in southern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois constantly raised
the specter of "cheap"
Black labor to divide workers, discipline markets, and gain political advantage. At the same time,
powerful outsiders
depicted the borderland as dirty and degraded, pathologizing the region's working poor through a
rising capitalist ideology
that linked a human's worth to their economic productivity. Desperate to maintain their
precarious standing and avert the
phantasma of "negro invasion," countless Lower Midwesterners envisioned a republic of "free
white labor" predicated on
the ruthless exclusion of Black "competition."
Yet, as Professor Stanley demonstrates, racial division is only one part of this story, as
class-based interracialism
materialized in unlikely places and against impossible odds. In the heat of border-making and
white supremacist violence,
ordinary people challenged the free white labor consensus -- through bottom-up struggle over
shared material goals.
From settler dispossession through the age of mass incarceration and deindustrialization, this
absorbing study recounts
dramatic and previously neglected clashes between workers and the formidable bastions of
wealth and power.
Professor Stanley shares the stories of abolitionists, freedpeople, agrarian populists, militant coal
miners, and socialists,
Black and white, who risked everything in defiance of the region's restrictive boundaries and its
racial capitalist grip.
Against a backdrop of blood-stained civil wars and riveting industrial battles in a pivotal yet
often overlooked American
region, "The Ragged Edge of Freedom" is a people's history -- one of inspiration and urgency and
complex resistance from
below.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study, "The Ragged Edge of Freedom: Race,
Capitalism, and Class Struggle in
Slavery's Borderland" is informative enhanced for the reader by Professor Matthew E. Stanley
including a thirty-five page
Introduction (Border Thinking), and eight page Epilogue (The Present State), seventy-seven
pages of Notes, and an eighteen
page Index. Exceptionally well written, documented, organized and presented, "The Ragged
Edge of Freedom" is an deftly
crafted and unreserved recommended addition to community and college/university library
American Political/Economic
History collections and supplemental African-American History curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this hardcover
edition of "The Ragged Edge of Freedom" from the Monthly Review Press is also available in
paperback (9781685901530,
$35.00).
Editorial Note: Matthew E. Stanley is associate professor of history at the University of
Arkansas, and the author or editor of
four books, including the award-winning, The Loyal West: Civil War and Reunion in Middle
America. There is an
extensive online listing of his books at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16341187.Matthew_E_Stanley
The Civil War History Shelf
Buckeye Odyssey
Samuel H. Fink
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476697468, $49.95, PB, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Buckeye-Odyssey-History-Volunteer-Infantry/dp/1476697469
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/buckeye-odyssey-samuel-h-fink/114714314
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/buckeye-odyssey
Synopsis: Recounting the remarkable odyssey of the 82nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry through the
Second Manassas,
Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Chattanooga, as well as the Atlanta, Savannah, and Carolina
campaigns, "Buckeye
Odyssey: A Civil War History of the 82nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Through the Stories of Six
Men" by Samuel H. Fink is a
Civil War regimental history that reconstructs the fascinating lives of six of its soldiers whose
stories were little known or
long forgotten.
What is the real story behind a poignant Walt Whitman poem? How did an American treasure
barely escape destruction and
disappear for more than half a century? What obscure congressman was a ground-breaker in
admitting African Americans to
West Point? What influential late nineteenth-century Ohio politician was consigned to historical
oblivion?
These and other tales from the lives of brave men who served in the 82nd Ohio provide
compelling reading.
Critique: A unique and welcome contribution to the growing library of American Civil War
histories and biographies,
"Buckeye Odyssey: A Civil War History of the 82nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Through the
Stories of Six Men" by Samuel
H. Fink is occasionally illustrated with B/W historical photos and maps. A deftly crafted work of
meticulous scholarship,
"Buckeye Odyssey" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of four
Appendices, sixteen pages
of Chapter Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a five page Index. While an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War
collections, it should be
noted for students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers that this trade
paperback (7 x 0.58 x 10
inches, 1.12 pounds) edition of "Buckeye Odyssey" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Samuel H. Fink is a retired psychologist who practiced and taught psychology in
the state of Minnesota for
34 years. He lives in historic Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Retreat from Victory
Francis Augustin O'Reilly
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217674, $39.95, HC, 464pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Retreat-Victory-Battle-Malvern-Seven/dp/1611217679
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/retreat-from-victory-francis-augustin-oreilly/1148428250
Synopsis: Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862, marked the climax of the Seven Days' Battles around
Richmond, Virginia. For the
first time since the Civil War began, the full might of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Union
Army of the Potomac and
Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia met on one field. The world
watched and wondered as this
high-stakes combat played out on the doorstep of the Confederate capital.
The Union army emerged victorious with its superior positions and overwhelming artillery
firepower, yet McClellan
retreated from victory to establish a safe base on the James River. Lee's army secured a default
victory simply by holding the
battlefield and saving Richmond from capture.
Francis Augustin O'Reilly's long-awaited study, "Retreat from Victory: The Battle of Malvern
Hill and the End of the Seven
Days, July 1, 1862" is the first book-length treatment of this critical and pivotal combat.
O'Reilly examines the singular struggle at Malvern Hill in depth and from a wide variety of
perspectives, including its
implications for the war, the armies, the opposing governments, the people, and slavery. He
pieces together the tactical
movements of troops on the battlefield and the intentions of leaders on the front lines and in the
halls of government in
Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia. Above all, he gives voice to the soldiers, sharing
their experiences in combat
and on campaign.
Two decades in the making, "Retreat from Victory draws" on hundreds of primary sources (many
previously unused)
including official records, diaries, newspapers, and regimental histories. O'Reilly's sound and
reasoned conclusions are
grounded in his deep archival research and keen understanding of the complex terrain.
This climactic Civil War battle elevated General Lee's career and marked the beginning of the
end of General McClellan's. It
was a watershed moment when the Civil War transformed from a rebellion into a revolution. The
conflict grew
exponentially larger and more brutal, and ultimately doomed slavery in America. O'Reilly's
"Retreat from Victory" provides
a definitive account of the Battle of Malvern Hill and sets a standard that will endure for the
foreseeable future.
Critique: A seminal and exhaustive study of one of the truly influential of the American Civil
War battles between the
Union and the Confederacy, "Retreat from Victory: The Battle of Malvern Hill and the End of
the Seven Days, July 1, 1862"
by Civil War historian Francis Augustin O'Reilly is informationally enhanced for the reader's
benefit with B/W historical
photos and maps, a seventeen page Prelude (Malvern Hill: Haunted by Victory), three
Appendices, a twenty page
Bibliography, and a twelve page Index. Exceptionally well written and thorougly 'reader friendly'
in organization,
documentation, and presentation, "Retreat from Victory" is an acclaimed and unreservedly
recommended addition to
community and college/university library American Civil War History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War buffs, and
non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Retreat from Victory" from Savas
Beatie is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note: Francis Augustin O'Reilly (www.librarything.com/a/81323) is an author and
historian who can often be
found on the Civil War battlefields of Virginia and, occasionally, on the battlefields of Europe.
O'Reilly wrote the
award-winning The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock (2003), which
was nominated for the
Pulitzer Prize. Military history is his passion, and he has had a lifelong fascination with how
soldiers conduct themselves
under extreme duress. O'Reilly has been a professional battlefield guide for forty years. He has
led tours and staff rides from
Manassas to Appomattox and has lectured around the world on topics of war and leadership.
Frank lives in Fredericksburg,
Virginia, with his wife and soulmate Amy, and their Black Lab/Great Dane/Clydesdale puppy
named Miles.
The Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign: February 6-16, 1862
Steven E. Woodworth & Charles D. Grear, editors
Southern Illinois University Press
www.siupress.com
9780809339983, $48.00, HC, 164pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Forts-Henry-Donelson-Campaign-Campaigns/dp/0809339986
Southern Illinois University Press
https://www.siupress.com/9780809339976/the-forts-henry-and-donelson-campaign
Synopsis: In early 1862, the Civil War had been raging for almost ten months, and the
Confederacy had enjoyed virtually
uninterrupted success. From seizing federal property to early battlefield victories, Southern forces
had effectively expelled
Union authority from nearly all of the Confederacy's eleven states. The Union suffered repeated
setbacks, while modest
victories in western Virginia and Kentucky had little strategic impact. By the end of February,
however, much had
changed.
On February 6, Union gunboats under the joint command of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant
and Flag Officer Andrew H.
Foote captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, opening a crucial waterway into the
Confederacy. Just days later, Grant
moved against Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River. After several days of fighting, the fort
surrendered on the 16th,
along with more than 13,000 Confederate troops -- the largest surrender in US history to that
point.
These twin victories shattered Confederate control of Kentucky and western Tennessee, allowing
Federal soldiers and
sailors to use the rivers to threaten the Confederacy's interior. This first major strategic
breakthrough of the war signaled a
dramatic shift in momentum and elevated Grant's national profile.
Knowledgeably compiled and co-edited by the team of Civil War historians Steven E.
Woodworth and Charles D. Grear,
"The Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign: February 6 - 16, 1862" is a compendium of
informative essays from leading and
emerging scholars that collectively provide in-depth analyses of previously overlooked aspects of
the Forts Henry and
Donelson campaign.
The contributors examine how ecological forces influenced the campaign, the effectiveness of
the joint command between
the Union army and navy, and Union brigadier general Charles F. Smith's assault that doomed
Fort Donelson. They also
explore the battle's impact on the military career of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the effects of
surprise during the Confederate
breakout attempt from Fort Donelson, Confederate colonel Gabriel Wharton's memoir, and how
the loss of the forts showed
Texans that the fight to preserve the enslaved South would cost them more than they had
imagined.
In the aftermath of the Forts Henry and Donelson campaign, most of the Civil War still lay
ahead. The Confederacy would
have many opportunities to regain its momentum and exhaust the Union will to prevail.
However, with a few key
exceptions, for the rest of the war, the Confederacy fought to defend itself rather than to take new
territory. It was in this
massive shift of momentum during ten days in 1862 that the war's military outcome was
foreshadowed.
Critique: With contributions by Michael Burns, Sheilah R. Elwardani, Blakeney K. Hill,
Jonathan M. Steplyk, and Brian S.
Wills, "The Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign: February 6-16, 1862" is a seminal
compendium of impressively
informative accounts and commentaries of two key and significant battles that were critical to the
ultimate Union victory
over the Confederacy. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit, "The Forts Henry and
Donelson Campaign: February
6-16, 1862" includes maps and B/W illustrations, a two page listing of the contributors and their
credentials, and a five page
Index. An important and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university
library American Civil War
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War
buffs and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Forts Henry and
Donelson Campaign:
February 6-16, 1862" from the Southern Illinois University Press is also readily available in a
paperback edition
(9780809339976, $24.95).
Editorial Note #1: Steven E. Woodworth has authored, co-authored, or edited more than thirty
books, including Manifest
Destinies: America's Westward Expansion and the Road to Civil War and Nothing but Victory:
The Army of the Tennessee,
1861-1865.
Editorial Note #2: Charles D. Grear is the author of Why Texans Fought in the Civil War and an
extensive list of other
publications on the state's involvement. Together, Woodworth and Grear have edited several
books in the Civil War
Campaigns in the West series, including The Vicksburg Assaults, May 19-22, 1863, and
Vicksburg Besieged.
The Military History Shelf
USCG Cutter Eagle: The Legacy of the Coast Guard's Flagship
Will Sofrin
The Lyons Press
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493092628, $24.95, PB, 232pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/USCG-Cutter-Eagle-Legacy-Flagship/dp/1493092626
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/uscg-cutter-eagle-will-sofrin/1148151386
Synopsis: The USCG Cutter Eagle has been an integral part of the United States Coast Guard
since her commissioning in
1946, serving as both a training ship and a representation of the Coast Guard's commitment to
excellence. Originally built in
Germany as the Horst Wessel and sailed under the Nazi flag, she was taken as a war prize after
World War II and
transformed into a vessel that reflects America's democratic ideals. Eagle trains USCG Academy
cadets, offering instruction
in navigation, ship handling, and the rigors of life at sea. She embodies the hard work, discipline,
and sacrifice that members
of the Coast Guard dedicate to protecting the nation, often in less publicized yet critical
roles.
With the publication of "USCG Cutter Eagle: The Legacy of the Coast Guard's Flagship", Will
Sofrin traces Eagle's history
from her origins in WWII through nearly eight decades of U.S. service, told through the lens of
cadet and crew experiences.
It captures the transformative nature of life aboard, where young men and women confront the
sea while learning to lead,
endure hardship, and work together as a team.
Leadership is a central theme in Eagle's mission. Serving as a floating classroom, the ship
cultivates leadership skills in
future officers by teaching them to lead under pressure, make critical decisions, and motivate
others in a demanding
environment. Training aboard goes beyond military command -- it prepares cadets for roles in
diverse sectors, helping them
meet the challenges of teamwork, resilience, and communication. The lessons prepare leaders for
any career that requires
purpose and the ability to guide others toward a goal.
The USCG Cutter Eagle also represents a unique intersection between leadership and
international diplomacy. She sails to
ports around the world, participating in goodwill missions that promote cultural exchange,
mutual respect, and cooperation
among nations.
As tensions rise and new challenges emerge, the need for skilled leaders has never been more
pressing. The USCG Cutter
Eagle is more than a symbol of the Coast Guard's legacy; she is a tool for shaping leaders who
can contribute to
peacekeeping, crisis management, and cooperation across borders. In this sense, the USCG
Cutter Eagle embodies not just
national pride but also a broader vision of global leadership and diplomacy.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with historical color photos throughout, "USCG Cutter Eagle:
The Legacy of the Coast
Guard's Flagship" by Will Sofrin is an impressive maritime military history focused on the
singular ship that was
transformed from a World War II captured prize to an iconic American Coast Guard training
vessel still operational today.
This large format (7 x 0.6 x 10 inches, 1.25 pounds) trade paperback edition of "USCG Cutter
Eagle: The Legacy of the
Coast Guard's Flagship" from Lyons Press is unreservedly recommended as a unique pick for
personal, professional,
community, and college/university library American Maritime Military History collections. It
should be noted that it is also
readily available for students, academia, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in
the subject in a digital book
format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note #1: Will Sofrin is a master shipwright who has taught at MIT and has built boats
for Billy Joel and Estee
Lauder. As a former professional sailor and licensed captain, he has tracked more than 30,000
blue-water miles. Today he is
a freelance writer for numerous maritime periodicals, continues to race sailboats, and explores
the coast of California with
his wife and daughter. He is the author of All Hands on Deck (Abrams) and an advisor on the
exhibit committee for the
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.
Editorial Note #2: From its founding in 1887 through today, the USCG Alumni Association
connects Coast Guard Academy
alumni across the generations to further their philanthropy and engagement with the Academy
and beyond. Their proud and
connected alumni, cadet, and Academy communities thrive as leaders of character in service to
their peers, the Coast Guard,
and humanity.
The Political Science Shelf
A Case for Congress
Francis Lee
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806196756, $29.95, HC, 220pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Congress-Julian-Rothbaum-Distinguished-Lecture/dp/0806196750
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-case-for-congress-frances-lee/1148336597
Synopsis: Polarized. Dysfunctional. Toxic. Broken. These are only some of the negative words
Americans use to describe
the United States Congress. Nowadays hardly anyone has something good to say about either the
House of Representatives
or the Senate, the two bodies that make up Congress. But is this common viewpoint too negative,
too one-sided? And is it
based on solid evidence or reasonable expectations?
With the publication of "In A Case for Congress", political scholar Frances Lee provides a more
balanced assessment,
arguing for the enduring worth and importance of the representative assembly.
As one of the three branches of the US government, Congress stands at the heart of our liberal
democracy. This continues to
be true even when Congress is divided and fractious. Lee draws from a wide range of scholarship
and current data to
highlight three important functions that Congress continues to serve, as envisioned by the authors
of the Constitution:
representing the American people along multiple dimensions, lawmaking even in the face of
persistent disagreement, and
holding executive branch officials accountable.
While Congress never fully achieves any of its functions, it still serves them.
Written in a clear and engaging style, "A Case for Congress" challenges readers to think against
the grain and appreciate the
Congress we have, not an ideal Congress that never in fact existed. "The bathwater is dirty,"
Professor Lee acknowledges,
"but there is a baby in there."
It turns out that a complex, polarized, distrustful republic of some 340 million Americans needs
Congress more than
ever.
Critique: Original, timely, informative, insightful, inspirational and aspirational, "A Case for
Congress" is enhanced for the
reader's benefit with the inclusion of a sixteen page Introduction (A Spirit of Appreciation),
fourteen pages of Notes, an
eighteen page Bibliography, and a six page Index. Impressively well written, organized and
presented, "A Case for
Congress" is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library
Contemporary American Democracy/Congressional Politics collections and supplemental
Political Science studies lists.
Offering a reasoned and documented support for the institution of Congress as a third branch of
government, "A Case for
Congress" is highly recommended reading for students, academia, aspiring and practicing
politicians, political activists, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Frances Lee (https://franceslee.scholar.princeton.edu) is Professor of Politics and
Public Affairs at the
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. She is the author or editor of numerous
books, including Insecure
Majorities: Congress and the Perpetual Campaign and Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and
Partisanship in the U.S.
Senate.
Jefferson and Hamilton Try to Save America
Roger P. Mourad, Jr.
https://rogermouradwrites.com
Liminal Books
9781965059920, $14.99, PB, 166pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Jefferson-Hamilton-Save-America-Rick/dp/1965059929
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jefferson-and-hamilton-try-to-save-america-with-rick-and-le
w-roger-p-mourad/114962
3899
Synopsis: When Washington, D.C. spirals toward chaos, two of its most illustrious Founding
Fathers are summoned from
their graves.
Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton reappear in present-day America at the desperate
request of President Duck, a
commander-in-chief facing mass protests, political meltdown-and a baffling condition that limits
him to walking only
backward.
Escorted by Rick and Lew, a pair of over-the-hill potheads, the two constantly quarreling
Founder Fathers blunder through
the modern capital, colliding with Supreme Court justices, mobs of protesters, tourists, and an
unhinged English soccer fan
club.
As tensions rise and rival demonstrators converge on the White House steps, Jefferson and
Hamilton must confront a nation
that has taken their ideas to absurd extremes. With time running out and reality unraveling, they
help Duck hatch a last-ditch
plan to save the republic -- assuming they don't tear it apart first!
Critique: Original, iconoclastic, and timely, "Jefferson and Hamilton Try to Save America with
Rick and Lew" by Roger
Mourad, Jr. will hold an immense interest for readers with an appreciation of deftly crafted and
impressively presented
contemporary political satire. As it demonstrates so aptly, "Jefferson and Hamilton Try to Save
America with Rick and
Lew" skewers the current day disregard so many in political office (and those who support them)
for the political traditions
and unwritten norms that are essential to preserving and protecting our American style
democracy. While unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library
Political Science & Humor
collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Jefferson and Hamilton Try to Save
America with Rick and
Lew" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Roger P. Mourad Jr. (https://rogermouradwrites.com) is an academic author from
Ann Arbor, Michigan who
has made an exciting leap into fiction writing. His scholarly background enriches his imaginative
stories with profound
depth and creativity, promising readers captivating and intellectually stimulating narratives.
The Book of Don: A Sacred Chronicle of the Trump Era
T. B. Calder
Granite Ridge Press
9798995393719, $26.95, HC, 232pp
9798995393702, $17.95, PB, 232pp
9798995393740, $9.95, Kindle, 232pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Don-Sacred-Chronicle-Trump-ebook/dp/B0GX3GNZQN
Synopsis: He came down from the tower, and America called it politics.
With the publication of "The Book of Don: A Sacred Chronicle of the Trump Era" by T. H.
Calder, the Trump era is recast
as sacred history: the rise of a man who turned fame into power -- and power into myth.
Told in a voice that echoes scripture while refusing to worship it, "The Book of Don" is an
original work of literary satire
that transforms recent political history into something older, stranger, and more revealing.
Towers become temples. Campaigns become crusades. Television becomes prophecy. And the
line between performance
and power disappears entirely.
"The Book of Don" is not a conventional political book. It is not journalism. It is not neutral.
It is a chronicle of how spectacle became authority -- and how a nation learned to speak its
language.
"The Book of Don" reveals:
The making of a public figure as origin myth.
The art of the deal recast as doctrine.
The media age rendered as gospel.
The descent into politics told as prophecy fulfilled.
A narrative voice that is equal parts reverent, ironic, and unflinching.
Some will read this as satire. Some will read it as commentary. Some will recognize it as
something closer to mythmaking
in real time. Everyone will recognize the story.
If you're looking for a standard political analysis/commentary study, "The Book of Don" isn't it.
But if you're looking for
something that you will underline, quote, and come back to again and again, that's just what "The
Book of Don" is -- from
cover to cover.
Critique: Original, iconoclastic, timely, irreverent, and deftly crafted with an impressively
memorable satirical irony and
inescapable resonance, "The Book of Don: A Sacred Chronicle of the Trump Era" by T. B.
Calder is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and
college/university library Political Science
& Human collections.
Editorial Note: T. B. Calder studied history and law at American universities, which was either
excellent preparation for this
book or a complete waste of time. Calder writes satire and fiction exploring power, authority, and
the myths we build
around them. This is Calder's first book.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Pick Money: Five Years to Financial Freedom
Shawn Meaike
Matt Holt Books
c/o BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637749203, $27.00, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Money-Years-Financial-Freedom/dp/1637749201
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pick-money-shawn-meaike/1148560229
Synopsis: Shawn Meaike, founder and CEO of a billion-dollar business, will be the first to tell
you he's not some flashy
guru, born with a silver spoon. He grew up poor, went to college just to play football, and spent
his early twenties
partying.
The journey to turn his life around taught him that building lasting wealth requires a wholesale
change in perspective: you
have to pick money.
Guiding you through a focused five-year journey, with the publication of "Pick Money: Five
Years to Financial Freedom",
Meaike gives you the tools and tips you need to create wealth and provides the foundation you
need to use those tools for
the right results.
Here are the five simple steps, when rigorously applied, will enrich your life and your bank
account:
Know Your "Whys"
Know Your Budget
Set Your Money Goals
Do the Math
Hone Your Skills
Putting an end to excuses and second-guessing, "Pick Money" is effectively designed to instill
clarity, discipline, and
accountability to help you get what you want: financial independence for the rest of your
life.
Critique: Successful entrepreneur Shawn Meaike wrote "Pick Money: Five Years to Financial
Freedom" to equip the reader
with the mindset and tools you will need to become financially successful and have what you
need for the life you want to
live. Exceptionally well written, thoroughly 'real world' practical, accessible organized and
'reader/user' friendly in
presentation, "Pick Money" is a fundamental life changing instructional guide and unreservedly
recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Money/Finance collections and
supplemental Economics curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that
this hardcover edition of "Pick Money" from Matt Holt Books is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: Shawn Meaikeis (https://shawnmeaike.com) is the founder and president of
Family First Life, a multimillion
dollar independent marketing organization launched in late 2013. Prior to launching Family First
Life, Shawn worked as an
independent insurance agent, selling final expense and mortgage protection life insurance at a
high level. Shawn earned a
bachelor's degree in applied social relationships and a master's degree in criminal justice
psychology, which led to a 13-year
career in the State Department of Children and Families.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
George Washington: Citizen, Soldier, Statesman
Gary L. Gregg II
South Dakota Historical Society Press
https://www.sdhspress.com
9781941813706, $14.95, PB, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/George-Washington-Citizen-Statesman-Biography/dp/B0GZR8GVW
C
South Dakota Historical Society Press
https://www.sdhspress.com/books/george-washington
Synopsis: When he died in 1799, George Washington was eulogized as "first in war, first in
peace, and first in the hearts of
his countrymen."
As commander in chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, president of the
Constitutional Convention
in 1787, and the nation's first president from 1789 to 1797, Washington emerged not only as the
United States' leading
statesman and foremost Founding Father, but as the living symbol of the American
Revolution.
It was the strength of his character that enabled him to triumph over challenges no other
American has faced and to resist
temptations few other historical figures have refused. His name and his image are now so
ubiquitous, his legacy and his
legend so much larger than life, that it may seem like he was destined to defeat the world's most
powerful empire and unify
a sprawling new nation.
"George Washington: Citizen, Soldier, Statesman" by Gary L. Gregg II is a timely reminder that
contrary to his grand visage
on Mount Rushmore, Washington was not born to greatness -- he earned it.
The third son in a family of middle-class farmers, young George was left with inferior lands and
no prospect of receiving a
formal education when his father died while he was just a boy. Knowing that he would have to
make his own way in the
world, Washington worked to better himself, built a vast personal fortune, dedicated his life to
public service, and seized
opportunities few others would have dared to embrace.
"George Washington: Citizen, Soldier, Statesman" highlights the crucial moments of
Washington's career to demonstrate
that he was not just a great man, but a good one, who set an example worthy of emulation.
Critique: Featuring B/W illustrations, "George Washington: Citizen, Soldier, Statesman" is a
seminal biography that
includes twenty-four pages of Notes and a seven page Index. Exceptionally well written,
organized and presented, this
paperback edition of "George Washington: Citizen, Soldier, Statesman" from the South Dakota
Historical Society Press is
an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library
American Biography/Memoir
collections and the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the life
and history of George Washington -- an ideal citizen, and triumphant solider, and a successful
statesman.
Editorial Note: Gary L. Gregg II (https://www.dr2g.com) is the Mitch McConnell Chair in
Leadership at the University of
Louisville and the Director of the McConnell Center. He is the author or editor of a dozen
nonfiction books, including
Reflection and Choice: The Federalists, the Anti-Federalists and the Debate that Defined
America (McConnell Center
Books, 2020), and Patriot Sage: George Washington and the American Political Tradition (ISI
Books, 1999), which Human
Events magazine named as one of the top ten books of that year. A prolific public speaker, he has
also authored nearly a
hundred op-eds and essays as well as the young adult novel The Stag and the Spear (Butler
Books, 2024). He has served on
numerous educational boards, including those of The Philadelphia Society, Air University (which
oversees all educational
programs of the U.S. Air Force), and the University Bookman. Since 2014, he is the Director and
Lead Faculty for the U.S.
Army's Strategic Broadening Seminar at the University of Louisville, which affords him ample
opportunity to discuss
George Washington's leadership lessons and other topics.
Defiance of Gravity: Adventures of a Baby Boomer
Frank X. White
Independently Published
9798246330944, $24.99, HC, 220pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Defiance-Gravity-Adventures-Baby-Boomer/dp/B0GKZXN5NF
Synopsis: Branded an "Ivy League 1976" destiny as a defenseless toddler, "Defiance of Gravity:
Adventures of a Baby
Boomer" is the coming-of-age memoir of Frank X. White is presented as a series of short stories
and charts a life defined by
the irreconcilable tension in Franks's psyche in contrast to his well-meaning parents.
From enduring a severe case of dyslexia, a forty-foot plummet from a treehouse, and other
unusual tribulations during
childhood, to embarking on an adventurous overland journey from England to India as a college
student, Frank sought
authentic experience and his idea of fun throughout his life.
As a postgrad in New York City, he rejected the corporate path after an existential sojourn as a
savings bank manager,
finding pure liberation as a Checker Cab driver, legal proofreader, and an aspiring graduate
student.
Guided by his mother's "wallflower rule" and reading of the Stoics, this long road of physical and
philosophical trials
gradually reveals that life is part of a continuum, leading to wisdom and enlightenment
considered more valuable than
wealth and success.
Critique: Exceptionally candid, impressively well written, organized and presented, "Defiance of
Gravity: Adventures of a
Baby Boomer" is an emotionally engaging, intellectually fascinating, humor laced, and
authentically interesting coming of
age and beyond life story. While "Defiance of Gravity: Adventures of a Baby Boomer" is
unreservedly recommended for
community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir
collections, it should be noted that
this hardcover edition of "Defiance of Gravity: Adventures of a Baby Boomer" is also readily
available for personal reading
lists in paperback (9798246330913, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Editorial Note: Frank X. White (https://www.facebook.com/fxwhite) is a self-identified and
aspiring connoisseur of the
human condition, knowledge worker, writer, father, and so on...
Raised in Silence
Maria Gallucci
Independently Published
https://raisedinsilence.com
9798274357593, $17.99, HC, 180pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Raised-Silence-Lessons-Listening-Dinners/dp/B0G2HLCR8Q
Synopsis: What if your first language wasn't spoken, but signed?
Do you have friends, family, or clients who feel stuck on the outside? Do you long to cultivate
inclusive, compassionate
relationships both personally and professionally?
With the publication of her personal life story, "Raised In Silence: Lessons on Listening, Love,
and Loud Family Dinners
From a Child of Deaf Adults", Maria Gallucci invites you into the vivid, rarely seen world of
growing up as a CODA (Child
of Deaf Adults). Written with humor, heart, and unflinching honesty, she shares what it's like to
bridge the gap between
cultures from the moment you can walk: the Deaf world of her parents and the hearing world
outside their door.
From interpreting medical diagnoses before she could spell "mortgage" to building a thriving
career as a top-producing real
estate professional, Maria's journey is both deeply personal and universally inspiring. Her life
motto, "Just Try," echoes
through every page, offering readers the courage to step into discomfort, embrace resilience, and
connect across
differences.
"Raised in Silence" is offers:
Stories that will make you laugh, cry, and think; from childhood antics in a signing household to
the heartbreak of
interpreting her mother's terminal cancer diagnosis.
A living guide to Deaf culture and ASL, filled with insights, respectful communication tips, and
ways to foster true
inclusion.
Universal lessons in love and identity, showing how humor, empathy, and pride transcend
language, culture, and who you
love.
Business and leadership wisdom drawn from Maria's success in real estate and advocacy, proving
that listening deeply is the
foundation of trust and growth.
Reflection prompts and motivational takeaways designed to help you put empathy into action in
your own life and
work.
Warm, wise, and wildly relatable, "Raised in Silence" also serves as a kind of cultural guide, a
motivational handbook, and a
business playbook, all rooted in one woman's extraordinary story, one that celebrates diversity,
intersectionality, and the
power of authentic connection
If you are ready to see the world through new eyes, bridge divides with courage, and discover
what can happen when you
just try, then "Raised in Silence" offers to share a journey toward deeper connection, inclusive
leadership, and a more
compassionate world.
Critique: Original, exceptional, informative, thought-provoking, and inspirational, "Raised In
Silence: Lessons on Listening,
Love, and Loud Family Dinners From a Child of Deaf Adults" by Maria Gallucci is impressively
well written and
thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. A remarkable memoir, "Raised In
Silence" will hold a special
interest for members of the deaf community, Children of immigrants, bi-cultural families,
professionals seeking inclusive
leadership inspiration, especially in fields like business, education, and healthcare. While an
especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Contemporary American
Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Raised In
Silence" is also readily available
in paperback (9781967587162, $12.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Editorial Note: Maria Gallucci (https://raisedinsilence.com) is a multi-award-winning real estate
agent, a proud CODA
(Child of Deaf Adults), and a lifelong advocate for inclusive communication. Growing up as one
of six hearing children
raised by Deaf parents, Maria learned American Sign Language before English and acted as an
unofficial interpreter, helping
her parents buy a home when she was 12 years old. Her childhood shaped her passion for helping
people feel seen and
respected, especially those who are often overlooked or misunderstood. For more than 30 years,
Maria has supported
homebuyers from all walks of life with a special focus on serving the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and
LGBTQ+ communities.
She's the founder of Uptown Realty Group and Gallucci Homes, a top-producing agent at
Compass Real Estate, and among
the top 1.5% of agents nationwide. She also founded ASL @ Compass Affinity group and ASL
Realty, a national platform
connecting Deaf and Hard of Hearing clients with agents who communicate in American Sign
Language. Outside of real
estate, Maria serves on the boards of the Rocky Mountain Deaf School, DOVE (Deaf
Overcoming Violence through
Empowerment), and CAD (Colorado Association of the Deaf).
The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Deroine
Greg Olson
University of Missouri Press
https://upress.missouri.edu
9780826223494, $30.00, HC, 180pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Life-Jeffrey-Deroine-Enslaved/dp/0826223494
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-amazing-life-of-jeffrey-deroine-greg-olson/1148345413
Synopsis: Born into slavery in St. Louis in 1806, Jeffrey Deroine (pronounced de-roh-NAY)
worked and lived in the heart
of a rapidly changing nation. Forced to work as a slave in the fur trade on the Missouri River, he
experienced Missouri's
rapid transformation from territory to statehood. As a trader, he helped his hometown grow from
a small trading center into
a large river town. Later, he participated in the founding of the frontier city of St. Joseph,
Missouri.
Though scraps of his life are still present in the historical record, specifics have proven elusive.
Still, it is important to tell
Deroine's life story, as it is presented in "The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Deroine: Enslaved Trader,
Prairie Diplomat, and
Missouri Settler" by Greg Olson gives us a look both into the life of an enslaved man and the
struggles of a free person of
color in pre-Civil War Missouri. His life spanned a critical point in the history of the state, and he
seems to have spent most
of it at the very heart of the action.
Though not well known, the story of Jeffrey Deroine is significant because it illustrates the
nuanced intersectionality of lives
on the American frontier. Deroine was a man of both French and African descent who lived
much of his life among
Indigenous people. Born into slavery, he became a free person of color who was a businessman,
owned property, and
enslaved others. His life defied expectations and stereotypes, and a consideration of it allows us
to better understand the
history of Missouri and the West.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of B/W illustrations,
and Introduction (A Piture of
a Man), an Epilogue (Family and Legacy), twenty pages of Notes, and an eleven page Index,
"The Amazing Life of Jeffrey
Deroine: Enslaved Trader, Prairie Diplomat, and Missouri Settler" by author and archivist Greg
Olson is an extraordinary,
seminal, and groundbreaking study that is unreservedly recommended for personal, community,
and college/university
library African-American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental 19th Century
African-American History
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the
subject that this hardcover edition of "The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Deroine" from the University
of Missouri Press is also
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.50, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Greg Olson served as the Curator of Exhibits and Special Projects at the Missouri
State Archives from 2000
- 2018 and is the author of six books, including, The Ioway in Missouri; Voodoo Priests, Noble
Savages, and Ozark
Gypsies: The Life of Folklorist Mary Alicia Owen; and Indigenous Missourians: Ancient
Societies to the Present.
Ulysses's Odyssey
Louis L. Picone
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217650, $33.95, HC, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ulyssess-Odyssey-Ulysses-Grants-American/dp/1611217652
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ulyssess-odyssey-louis-l-picone/1148428251
Synopsis: In May 1877, Ulysses S. Grant, newly departed from two terms in the White House,
embarked on an
extraordinary three-year journey that defined a pivotal moment in the Gilded Age. Driven by a
lifelong passion for travel
and unburdened by a fixed itinerary, Grant set out to explore the world, his wanderlust sustained
by modest means.
With the publication of "Ulysses's Odyssey: Ulysses S. Grant's World Tour at the Dawn of
American Empire", biographer
Louis L. Picone masterfully chronicles this unprecedented adventure, illuminating its historical
significance and Grant's
enduring legacy.
Grant's odyssey spanned continents, from Europe's capitals to uncharted terrain for an American
president, including Egypt,
the Holy Land, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, India, Siam, Saigon, China, and Japan where he was
welcomed by throngs and
honored by monarchs, kings, queens, emperors, and heads of state. Grant immersed himself in
local cultures: He scaled
Mount Vesuvius, sailed the Nile, rode elephants in India, and strolled the streets of Sicily, where
he was cautioned about the
mafia. Throughout, his curiosity and humility shone, revealing the man behind the myth.
In September 1879, thousands greeted Grant's return at San Francisco heralding him as a national
hero. His journey
continued across the United States via the Transcontinental Railroad, culminating in
Philadelphia's grandest reception,
where his global voyage was celebrated with unparalleled fervor.
But his travels were not yet over. Weeks later he ventured south to Cuba, Mexico, and the
Southern states, where former
Confederates and the formerly enslaved alike cheered his presence. Returning to Illinois just
before the 1880 Republican
convention, Grant entered the presidential race for a third time, his global perspective newly
sharpened. Contemporaries
marveled, declaring, "Nothing like this has ever been seen before in history!"
"Ulysses's Odyssey" is a triumph of research, drawing upon Grant's extensive papers, accounts of
fellow travelers, letters,
diaries, historic newspapers, and myriad other sources. Picone reveals Grant's personality, core
decency, and sense of
humor, and explores the trip's significance at the time before it faded from public memory. With
sweeping prose, Ulysses's
Odyssey captivates history buffs and adventure enthusiasts alike, offering fresh insights into
Grant's legacy and the dawn of
American empire.
"Ulysses's Odyssey" is essential reading for anyone interested in the biographies of American
presidents, the Gilded Age, or
19th Century foreign policy and restores a pivotal chapter of the life and times of Ulysses S.
Grant to its rightful place in
history.
Critique: Meticulously researched, exceptionally well written, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
organization and presentation,
"Ulysses's Odyssey: Ulysses S. Grant's World Tour at the Dawn of American Empire" is a
seminal and groundbreaking
study of Grant's transformative three-year world tour, showcasing his travels, what and who he
encountered, and is a
significant part of enduring legacy. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the
inclusion of a two page
Introduction, B/W historical illustrations, a six page Bibliography, and a fifteen page Index,
"Ulysses's Odyssey: Ulysses S.
Grant's World Tour at the Dawn of American Empire" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, community, and
college/university library 19th Century American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be
noted for students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the life and accomplishments of Ulysses S.
Grant that this hardcover
edition from Savas Beatie is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Editorial Note: Louis L. Picone (https://www.louispicone.com) is the award-winning author of
"Grant's Tomb: The Epic
Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Making of an American Pantheon" and "The President Is
Dead! The Extraordinary Stories
of the Presidential Deaths, Final Days, Burials, and Beyond". Louis is the committee Chairman
of the Grover Cleveland
Presidential Library at his birthplace in Caldwell, NJ. He holds a master's in history and teaches
at William Paterson
University. Louis has spoken widely about the presidents, including at the General Grant
National Memorial, James A.
Garfield National Historic Site, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, and the White House
Historical Association. He has
been featured on C-SPAN, BBC News, NPR, the Travel Channel, and in Time magazine and the
Washington Post.
Lovely Lena Zavaroni
Daniel Selby
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887719818, $42.00, HC, 178pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Lena-Zavaroni-Daniel-Selby/dp/B0GX1T8M3X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lovely-lena-zavaroni-daniel-selby/114990988
Synopsis: At ten years old, Lena Zavaroni captivated the world with an extraordinary
voice that belied her age. From a fish and chip shop on Scotland's Isle of Bute, she skyrocketed to
international stardom --
performing for presidents and queens, topping the UK charts, and becoming the youngest person
ever to headline at the
London Palladium.
But behind the glittering success lay a devastating reality. Separated from her family, placed on a
diet at age ten, and thrust
into an industry that valued her marketability over her well-being, Lena developed anorexia
nervosa at thirteen -- a disease
that would torment her for twenty-two years until her death at thirty-five.
"Lovely Lena Zavaroni" is the unflinching story of a child star failed by those meant to protect
her. Daniel Selby chronicles
Lena's rise, her suffering, and the systemic failures that allowed a talented little girl to be
exploited, pressured, and
ultimately destroyed.
This is Lena's (4 November 1963 - 1 October 1999) all too short story -- but it also a celebration
of her remarkable gift and
an urgent demand that we protect the vulnerable children who entertain us.
It is also a testament revealing that Lena Zavaroni deserved so much better. That her beautiful
voice will never be
silenced.
Critique: Original, definitively researched, featuring occasional B/W and color illustrations,
exceptionally well written,
informative and emotionally engaging, "Lovely Lena Zavaroni" by biographer Daniel Selby is the
extraordinary story of
woman with an extraordinary talent -- and how she was detrimentally exploited by those
responsible for her welfare and
well-being. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university
library Women's
Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover
edition of "Lovely Lena
Zavaroni" from BearManor Media in paperback (9798887719801, $30.00) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: There is an extensive online listing of books by Daniel Selby available at
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/20763450.Daniel_Selby
The Life and Art of Thomas Nast
Patrick Hoeppner
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476697864, $47.50, PB, 277pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Art-Thomas-Nast-Cartoonist/dp/1476697868
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-life-and-art-of-thomas-nast-patrick-hoeppner/114700231
5
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-life-and-art-of-thomas-nast
Synopsis: German-born artist and cartoonist Thomas Nast (September 26, 1840 - December 7,
1902) learned that caricatures
could be used to influence politics, leading him to develop such ubiquitous symbols as the
Republican Party elephant and
the personified Uncle Sam. Famous for his unusual pairing of humor and political journalism,
Nast affected the fortunes of
his nation through his strong hold over public opinion, taking on William "Boss" Tweed and
New York's Tammany Hall in
his satirical illustrations.
"The Life and Art of Thomas Nast: America's Iconic Cartoonist of the 19th Century" by Patrick
Hoeppner is a detailed study
that covers Nast's life and art, including discussion of the personages and events that appeared in
his artwork. It also
describes his art, late-in-life political career, and lasting legacy in the creation of American
cultural symbols.
Critique: An exceptional, original, and informative biography that is enhanced throughout with
B/W historical illustrations,
"The Life and Art of Thomas Nast: America's Iconic Cartoonist of the 19th Century" is a two
page Preface, a three page
Introduction, a one page Summary, eleven pages of Notes, an eleven page Bibliography, and a
five page Index. Thoroughly
'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Life and Art of Thomas Nast" is highly
recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Biography
collections and supplemental 19th
Century American Journalism & Political Science currciulum studies lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this trade paperback (7 x 0.56 x
10 inches, 1.07 pounds)
edition of "The Life and Art of Thomas Nast" from McFarland & Company is also available in a
digital book format
(Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Patrick Hoeppner (https://phoeppner7.wixsite.com/patrick-hoeppner) discovered
a love for writing while
creating horror stories during his senior year of high school. He studied English and received an
undergraduate degree in
creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Belmont,
Massachusetts.
Bridge from Saigon: A Viet-American Memoir of Family and Mind
Hoangmai H. Pham
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476698496, $29.95, PB, 247pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Bridge-Viet-American-Memoir-Family/dp/147669849X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bridge-from-saigon-hoangmai-h-pham/1148063448
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/bridge-from-saigon
Synopsis: As a young Vietnamese refugee, Hoangmai Pham suddenly lost her sense of safety and
belonging when her
family fled Saigon at the end of the war. Later her success in navigating life in America as a
physician and health policy
leader at the top of her profession paradoxically triggered a psychological unraveling during
middle age.
"Bridge from Saigon: A Viet-American Memoir of Family and Mind" is her unusual memoir and
depicts her struggle in
confronting her hidden multiple personalities to heal, luring the reader into parallel slipstreams of
discovery -- one of family
secrets and epic history before and during the Vietnam War, the other of traumas masked behind
a child's vivid
imagination.
"Bridge from Saigon" by Hoangmai H. Pham is a compelling memoir that includes stories of
ghostly ancestors, a fraught
return to Vietnam as an adult, and her kaleidoscopic inner characters unfurl in a voice that is at
once dreamlike and brutally
incisive. It is also a testament to her final triumph crystallizes the immense price that immigrants
pay for a chance at a better
life, and their resilience in achieving every sense of integration.
Critique: Emotionally compelling, intellectually candid, impressively informative, "Bridge from
Saigon: A Viet-American
Memoir of Family and Mind" by Hoangmai H. Pham is a deftly crafted and inherently fascinating
read that will prove to be
a welcome and appreciated addition to personal, community, and college/university library
American/Vietnamese History,
Biography, and Memoir collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Bridge
from Saigon" from McFarland
& Company is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: An immigrant and national physician leader in healthcare policy based in
Washington, DC, Hoangmai H.
Pham founded and leads the Institute for Exceptional Care, a nonprofit making healthcare better
for people with disabilities.
She has published numerous articles about healthcare and her personal journey.
The Art of Becoming a Citizen: A Memoir
Gail Godwin
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639738748, $25.99, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Becoming-Citizen-Memoir/dp/1639738746
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-becoming-a-citizen-gail-godwin/1148072321
Synopsis: "He just had the presidency stolen from him."
Gail Godwin first heard these words in November 1960, one of a crush of reporters eagerly
awaiting the first postelection
meeting between Kennedy and Nixon. Hearing an uncanny echo in the aftermath of the 2020
presidential election, Godwin
embarks on a project to reflect on that long-ago moment and offset a mounting pressure of dread
about the looming election
ahead.
In looking back at her life as a young woman-her travels abroad, early marriage, friendships with
Kurt Vonnegut and John
Irving-juxtaposed with the lead-up to the recent election, she discovers an under-story that
surprises her. She asks herself,
"What, at this late date, did I still want to become?"
With urgency and a yearning so many now feel, Godwin's blend of history and memoir is both
inspirational and rousing,
encouraging readers to engage in their own reflection on the art and meaning of being a
citizen.
Critique: Timely, exceptional, well written, organized and presented, "The Art of Becoming a
Citizen: A Memoir" is a
fascinating, informative, memorably thoughtful, and thought-provoking read from start to finish.
Of special and particular
relevance for readers interested in politically themed true life stories, "The Art of Becoming a
Citizen: A Memoir" by Gail
Godwin is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as
well as community and
college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be
noted that this hardcover
edition of "The Art of Becoming a Citizen: A Memoir" from Bloomsbury Publishing is also
readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $18.19).
Editorial Note: Gail Godwin (www.gailgodwin.com) is a three-time National Book Award
finalist and the author of twelve
critically acclaimed novels, including Violet Clay, Father Melancholy's Daughter, Evensong, The
Good Husband and
Evenings at Five. She is also the author of The Making of a Writer, her journal in two volumes
(ed. Rob Neufeld). She has
received a Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts grants for both fiction and
libretto writing, and the
Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Working with My Heroes: A Life in Music
John L. DeMain & Greg Hettmansberger
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299352202, $29.95, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Working-My-Heroes-Life-Music/dp/029935220X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/working-with-my-heroes-john-l-demain/1147788218
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/W/Working-with-My-Heroes
Synopsis: A Grammy and Tony Award - winning conductor, John DeMain has been a fixture of
Madison, Wisconsin, for
more than three decades, serving as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and
artistic director of the Madison
Opera. Before and since then, he has been an internationally recognized conductor, equally at
home in the worlds of
classical music, opera, and Broadway.
With the publication of "Working with My Heroes: A Life in Music" (which he wrote with the
late Greg Hettmansberger)
DeMain recounts incredible experiences ranging from his days studying piano in Youngstown,
Ohio, to his years as an
undergraduate and graduate student at Julliard, to his early jobs in summer stock productions, to
numerous acclaimed
productions -- all without ever losing sight of the wonder and awe he felt as a young musician
first learning his way in the
world.
With warmth and humor, he provides valuable insight into the business of music making, while
also sharing
behind-the-scenes stories of entertaining situations he found himself in throughout the years --
from playing piano at a
gangster's wedding, to an unexpected dressing room encounter with a Broadway star, to
conducting an opera with circus
elephants.
DeMain has had many career-defining moments behind the podium, conducting world premieres
of Leonard Bernstein's A
Quiet Place, John Adams's Nixon in China, and Jeanine Tesoro's Blue, as well as the U.S.
premiere of Philip Glass's
Akhnaten, among others. He guest-conducted symphonies and operas in New York, Chicago,
Los Angeles, and elsewhere.
DeMain cemented his reputation with the 1976 Houston Grand Opera performances of George
and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and
Bess, establishing its stature as a quintessentially American opera. The singers, musicians, and
composers DeMain has
worked with over the past six decades are a veritable Who's Who of American classical
music.
This is a memoir that places the readers by his side, allowing them to experience all the wonders
and joy of a life spent
making music.
Critique: Featuring B/W historical images and an informative Editor's Note by Gayle Worland,
"Working with My Heroes:
A Life in Music" co-authored by John L. DeMain and the late Greg Hettmansberger is a truly
extraordinary account of an
extraordinary life of a man focused on contemporary classical music performance and its
business side -- this last a subject
that is too often left out of personal biographical accounts. Exceptionally well written, organized
and presented, "Working
with My Heroes: A Life in Music" is a fascinating and deftly crafted read from start to finish and
a welcome addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university Contemporary American
Biography/Memoir collections. It should
be noted that this hardcover edition of "Working with My Heroes: A Life in Music" from the
Wisconsin University Press is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: John DeMain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeMain) is an
internationally acclaimed Grammy and
Tony Award - winning conductor. He has served as music director of the Madison Symphony
Orchestra and artistic director
of Madison Opera. A graduate of Julliard, he spent seventeen seasons at the Houston Grand
Opera. He also led the St. Paul
Chamber Orchestra, Opera Omaha, Opera Pacific, and more.
Editorial Note #2: Greg Hettmansberger (July 7, 1955 - December 1, 2020) was a Madison-based
writer and journalist who
specialized in classical music concert reviews.
Son of the Secret Service: A Memoir
Clint McCown
The University Press of Kentucky
www.kentuckypress.com
9781985904330, $29.95, HC, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Son-Secret-Service-Clint-McCown/dp/1985904330
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/son-of-the-secret-service-clint-mccown/1148054307
Synopsis: Clint McCown grew up among men who cast very long shadows. His father was a war
hero who rose to become a
command-level special agent in the US Secret Service. As a teenager, McCown worked as a yard
boy on the Gettysburg
farm of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who imparted lessons in both hunting and battle
strategies. With such
formidable role models, young McCown felt pressured to prove himself, which led to impulsive
and reckless decisions as a
teenager, such as jumping the fence into East Germany during the Cold War, right under the nose
of a machine-gun
tower.
His daring eventually found purpose in investigative journalism, where his reporting helped
thwart a Mafia plot to seize
control of the Alabama state government -- earning him an Associated Press Award after he
survived an assassination
attempt.
"Son of the Secret Service: A Memoir" is a collection of his award-winning essays, three of
which received Notable Essay
citations in the Best American Essays series. From civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham to
a nudist colony in New
Mexico and even a small-town department store funeral, McCown recounts encounters with
figures as varied as a Puerto
Rican terrorist, a poisoned dog, well-known actors and politicians, and a giant shark.
Through masterful storytelling and vibrant prose, these personal essays capture a rich tapestry of
life experiences, each
rendered with striking beauty, clarity, and depth. In these poignant snapshots of an extraordinary
existence, McCown
examines the evolving nature of the world, highlighting the profound and valuable lessons woven
into our defining
moments.
Critique: To state that Professor Emeritus Clint McCown has lived a colorful life is a decided
understatement. The account
of an truly extraordinary life, "Son of the Secret Service: A Memoir" is a simply fascinating read
from start to finish.
Exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly in organization, presentation, and
storytelling style, "Son of the
Secret Service: A Memoir" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
community and college/university
library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "Son of the Secret Service: A Memoir" from the University Press of
Kentucky is also readily available
in paperback (9781985904347, $19.95) and in digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note: Clint McCown (https://grokipedia.com/page/clint_mccown) is an acclaimed
novelist, poet, essayist, and
teacher. He is the only two-time recipient of the American Fiction Prize and has also received the
S. Mariella Gable Prize, a
Barnes & Noble Discover Great Writers designation, a National Endowment for the Arts grant,
the Midwest Book Award,
and an Academy of American Poets Prize. He is the author of the novels The Member-Guest,
War Memorials, The
Weatherman, and Haints, a collection of short stories, a craft book on writing fiction, and several
poetry books. He is
professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University and former faculty member at the
Vermont College of Fine Arts.
In 2021 he was inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame at Wake Forest University.
After Jail, Before Freedom
David Coogan, et al.
Brandylane Publishers
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781966369059, $18.95, PB, 202pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/After-Before-Freedom-David-Coogan/dp/1966369050
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-jail-before-freedom-david-coogan/1149942604
Synopsis: "After Jail, Before Freedom" tells the story of five men (Kelvin Belton, Stanley
Craddock, Ronald Fountain, Naji
muhahid, Dean Turner) who get out of prison and try to stay out.
Joined together by their experience in a writing class at the Richmond City Jail, which led to
their first book, "Writing Our
Way Out: Memoirs from Jail", David Coogan presents as a sequel, "After Jail, Before Freedom"
which picks up where their
stories had left off.
With each man trying to figure out how to stay free.
Their stories are honest accounts of an onerous journey that is marked by the stigma of a felony
conviction, racial
discrimination, unstable living conditions, the allure of addiction, enduring trauma, ongoing
problems with the criminal
justice system, the promise of change, and, at times, the reality of it.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, candid, "After Jail, Before Freedom" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended
pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary
African/American
Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental Contemporary Judicial/Penology curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Writing Our Way Out is a book, a podcast, and a mission led by Dr. David
Coogan in the Department of
English at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The mission now includes a college
program at the jail where the
first class was held and a criminal justice diversion program where low-level offenders come to
VCU to write their life story
instead of going to jail. (https://writingourwayout.com/mission)
The General Fiction Shelf
The Time of the Seventh Angel
David Gurr
Privately Published
9781067581633, $14.49 pbk / $3.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Time-Seventh-Angel-David-Gurr/dp/1067581634
Synopsis: Can Revelation's prophecy be defied?
At 90, Silver Dagger finalist (1979) David Gurr returns with a final novel that rewards patience
and attention. Although
begun half his lifetime ago, The Time of the Seventh Angel foretells the events of the September
11, 2001 attacks and
beyond. It stands today at the rare intersection of literary fiction and thrilling geopolitical
suspense. Gurr brings a seasoned,
unmistakably authoritative voice to a story that shatters the fault lines of global power, nuclear
brinkmanship, medical
certainty, and spiritual belief.
It begins with a disturbance no intelligence system can explain. A mysterious stranger appears in
Ukraine. The secret police
fall to their knees. When an impregnable US nuclear command center is breached, the
unthinkable follows. In Washington,
Moscow, and Jerusalem, those entrusted with power are forced to confront a possibility they
cannot contain or define.
The simultaneous, inexplicable Russian release of a Nobel Prize winner bringing a possible cure
for cancer raises further
questions, unsettling political, medical, and religious circles alike. As tensions escalate, the US
Constitution and
thermonuclear grand strategy collide with an ominous warning from antiquity.
Awakening the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, Gurr crafts a narrative that is as
intellectually ambitious as it is
suspenseful. This is a work for readers who appreciate fiction that challenges, provokes, and
lingers - where the ultimate
stake is nothing less than the future of our humanity itself.
An ancient warning that feels closer than ever.
Critique: The Time of the Seventh Angel is a dark contemporary novel begun before the fall of
the Berlin Wall, and recently
completed by nonagenarian author David Gurr. Steeped in scriptural prophecy, The Time of the
Seventh Angel examines
how geopolitical unrest, international violence, extreme ideological purity, and insufficiently
secured nuclear weapons can
push human civilization to the brink of Biblical Armageddon.
Individuals navigating the unfolding chaos range from a mysterious agent in Ukraine, to a
charismatic young President
insulated by manipulative advisors, to ordinary American Pete Mathias, a divorced father and
lapsed Catholic, who is forced
to shift his priorities from the minutiae of everyday life to speaking out on behalf of
humanity.
Terrifying, precognizant, and a grim reflection of the modern era, The Time of the Seventh Angel
is an utterly riveting read
to final page. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Time of the Seventh Angel is
also available in a Kindle
edition ($3.99, or free with Kindle Unlimited).
Editorial Note: David Gurr is the author of Troika, which was short-listed for the prestigious
CWA British Silver Dagger
(1979). Also, the Canadian Governor General's Literary Award (for The Ring Master, 1987), and
the Commonwealth
Writers' Prize (Caribbean and Canada, 1990, for The Voice of the Crane).
The Seaside Book Club
Helen Rolfe
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781806578528, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 404pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/the%20seaside%20book%20club
Synopsis: Welcome to a very special book club - where stories are shared, secrets kept, and
friendships found.
Howard, newly retired to Dorset, joins the club because he can't sleep; the weekly sessions give
him an opportunity to
connect. Margot logs into the club only after her husband's fallen asleep - her life has grown
small, and the club is the one
place she can still be herself. And on the other side of the world, Faye joins the club to escape her
sister's latest crisis and
feel, for an hour, that she belongs somewhere.
For each of them, the book club is more than a hobby - it's a lifeline.
So when Howard suddenly disappears from the meetings, everything changes. Determined to be
there for their friend, Faye
and Margot must step out of their own troubled lives and travel to Dorset -- where the truth
behind Howard's silence may
turn out to be the most unexpected story of all!
Critique: An original, memorable, and deftly crafted work of heartfelt fiction, with the writing of
"The Seaside Book Club",
author Helen Rolfe has raised her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. A fun and
engaging read from start to
finish, "The Seaside Book Club" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended as an
enduringly popular addition to
community library Contemporary Women's Fiction collections. It should also available that this
large print paperback
edition of "The Seaside Book Club" is also available in a complete and unabridged CD
(9781806578443) & MP3-CD
(9781806578450) complete and unabridged audio book format ($86.95$73.91 each).
Editorial Note: There is a lengthy online listing of books by Helen Rolfe available at Book Series
In Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/helen-j-rolfe
Old Girls Go Off The Rails
Maddie Please
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836560371, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 441pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/old%20girls%20go%20off%20the%20rails
Synopsis: When Lizzie Stevens was eighteen, life took a wrong turn. While her best friends
Harriet and Anna went
interrailing across Europe, Lizzie stayed behind -- shunted into a dusty bank job and a sensible
life that never quite got back
on track.
Now sixty-four, freshly divorced from terminally dull Freddie and wondering how she ended up
here, Lizzie is unexpectedly
reunited with the friends who left her behind. This time, she's not missing the train.
Their plan? A gloriously reckless rail adventure across Europe. The women are older, allegedly
wiser, and considerably less
flexible -- but their bags are packed and they're ready to depart.
Yet once the train pulls out of Worcester, it's clear this journey won't be smooth. Old secrets
derail fond memories, Harriet
and Anna barely tolerate each other, and Lizzie discovers the trip she idolized for decades wasn't
quite first-class.
As they rattle from city to city (Paris to Venice before embarking on a cruise along the Croatian
coast) the old girls are
fueled by laughter and questionable decisions. And Lizzie begins to realize that it's never too late
to change direction -- and
that the best adventures are the ones without a timetable.
Critique: Original, exceptional, laced throughout with humor, friendship, and adventure, "Old
Girls Go Off The Rails" by
Maddie Please is a compelling page-turner of a read from cover to cover. Showcasing her
impressive storytelling style, and
populated by memorable characters and featured a number of unexpected plot twists, this large
print paperback edition of
"Old Girls Go Off The Rails" from Boldwood Books is an ideal and recommended pick for
community library
Contemporary Women's Fiction collections. "Old Girls Go Off The Rails" is also available in a
CD (9781836560302) &
MP3-CD (9781836560319) complete and unabridged audio book format ($86.95$73.91
each).
Editorial Note: There is an extensive listing of books by Maddie Please available online at Book
Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/maddie-please
Bacatown Blues
Patrice Williams
Outskirts Press, Inc.
www.outskirtspress.com
9781977289940, $24.95, PB, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bacatown-Blues-Patrice-Williams/dp/1977289940
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bacatown-blues-patrice-williams/1149840352
Synopsis: Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans reignites Tamara Mitchell's love of her
hometown along with an
old grudge against a rich and powerful white developer, Joe Pacello, whom she blames for her
father's suicide when she was
a teenager. She breaks her engagement to an unsympathetic Philadelphia man, intending to return
home to use her MBA
experience to contribute to the city's rebuilding as she watches for chances to pursue revenge
against Pacello.
She approaches the FBI and they agree she will be an ideal mole for their planned undercover
operation that will ferret out
and stop corruption by Pacello and the politicians who plan to rip off the federal recovery funds.
Her co-informant will be a
handsome banker, Clint Johnson, whose motive for joining the sting is unclear and whose marital
status is murky.
Working incognito, Tamara meets an inspiring black minister (Clarence Washington) who is
trying to save his
Katrina-battered minority neighborhood, Bacatown, from redevelopment for affluent, mostly
white office employees in the
nearby CBD. Tamara admires the reverend and she must decide whether to pursue her original
objectives or assist the
reverend in reviving Bacatown. Or can she do both?
Tamara and Johnson must maintain their undercover identities as they work to expose corruption
while dealing with their
strong mutual attraction.
When the Mob's top man, Nick Ricci, suspects New Orleans has been infested by an FBI mole or
maybe two, both Tamara
and Johnson are in jeopardy of ending up in the Mob's local body-dumping spot, the Alligator
Hole. Tamara learns shocking
information from her mother about the relationship between her father and Pacello. She confronts
Pacello and their mutual
revelations lead both in new directions. Tamara must redirect conflicting paths of revenge,
romance, and justice for the
beleaguered Bacatown and its minister.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish,
"Bacatown Blues" is all the more impressive when considering that this novel with its
memorable blending of romance,
crime, and suspense is author Patrice Williams' debut as an author. Revealing a genuine flair for
the kind of character and
narrative driven storytelling style that keeps the reader fully engaged, "Bacatown Blues" is an
especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for community library Contemporary Fiction collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists
that this paperback edition of "Bacatown Blues" from Outskirts Press is also readily available in
a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Patrice Williams grew up in Uptown New Orleans and she, like Tamara in her
debut novel, "Bacatown
Blues", learned to love regional music, especially blues. In her professional career, she arranged
financing for many
controversial inner city projects similar to the one in the story. Her MBA in real estate finance
enabled her to distinguish the
good from the bad in this fraught world where wrongdoing is often masked by self-serving
claims of the public interest. She
now resides in Baton Rouge with her husband, two rescued dogs, and a large collection of blues
CDs.
ADHD in D Minor: A Collection of Short Stories
Zoe Mahfouz
North Meridian Press
9798991952576, $15.00, PB, 155pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/ADHD-Minor-Collection-Stories-Meridian/dp/B0GZH5T4N3
Synopsis: With the publication of "ADHD in D Minor: A Collection of Short Stories", author
Zoe Mahfouz has created a
high-speed, television-flavored mixtape of sketches, manifestos, character monologues, rage
letters, and love notes that orbit
the unhinged core of a mind too fast for traditional structure.
As it turns out, Zoe did not come to literature to heal. She came to dominate.
Zoe was raised by a Montessori mom, groomed by reruns of Frasier, Will & Grace and Family
Guy, and diagnosed with a
God Complex, the self-declared long-lost third Coen Brother (or Sister) believes in scenes, not
chapters, and punchlines, not
conclusions.
"ADHD in D Minor" is not a work of autobiographical fiction. Rather, it is Zoe Mahfouz's
multiverse. A dramatic
reenactment written with the rhythm of a cold open and the philosophy of a sugar-high Woody
Allen character. Every
chapter is a freeze frame. Every voice sounds like it might burst into a song from Cats or yell
"Cut!" mid-sentence.
"ADHD in D Minor" is not something you simply read so much as attend. Take your seat.
Silence your phone. The curtain
rises on the inner life of someone who can't stop noticing, narrating, overthinking, oversharing,
or auditioning for roles she
made up herself.
And yes, it's in D Minor, the funniest of all the melancholy keys!
Critique: Original, exceptional, memorable, unique, wicked funny, and a simply fascinating read
from cover to cover,
"ADHD in D Minor: A Collection of Short Stories" by Zoe Mahfouz is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended
pick for personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary Satirical/Comedic
Fiction collections. It should
be noted that this paperback edition of "ADHD in D Minor" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Zoe Mahfouz is a multi-talented French artist: an award-winning bilingual
Actress, Comedy Writer,
Screenwriter, and Content Creator, whose work spans fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. An alumna
of the London Film School
with a Master's degree in Screenwriting, her style is often described as "very tongue-in-cheek,"
"kookie," and
"random."
Her sitcom scripts have received praise from major international film festivals, including the
Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay
Awards, Hollywood Comedy Shorts, and the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival, a
Canadian Screen
Award-qualifying event.
Her other writing has appeared in more than 80 literary magazines and best-of anthologies
worldwide, including Cleaver
Magazine, Dr. T.J. Eckleburg Review, OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters, NUNUM, and
respected Japanese publications
such as Ginyu (avant-garde poetry) and The Asahi Shimbun (a major national newspaper).
She is also the author of the chapbook Borges Must Be Rolling in His Grave (Dancing Girl Press,
2025).
Accumulation
Aimee Pokwatka
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9798217047628, $30.00, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Accumulation-Aimee-Pokwatka/dp/B0FLD42T2Z
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/accumulation-aimee-pokwatka/1148002750
Synopsis: When documentary filmmaker turned stay-at-home mom Tennessee Cherish moves
into the dream house her
husband bought for her, a brighter future seems to be on the horizon. Even if her husband is
frustratingly absent due to his
new high-paying job. Even if their two young children begin acting out in strange ways. Even if
she feels lonelier than
ever.
Distracted by the endless details that come with moving into a new town, a new house, and new
schools, Tenn doesn't notice
when odd things begin happening at home. The faucet that runs at all hours. The creepy doll that
seems to show up in every
room. The human tooth they found in the floorboards.
As the kids' outbursts and the strange events start to escalate, the family finds themselves
increasingly caught in loops,
repeating everyday actions with dangerous (and then devastating) effects. Tenn realizes she must
find the source of what is
haunting her family, before it kills them all.
Taut and twisty, scary and searing, Aimee Pokwatka's "Accumulation" is a story that lays bare
the high price women pay for
the promises of domesticity and motherhood, and the many ways in which families can be
haunted.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "Accumulation"
by novelist Aimee
Pokwatka is an extraordinary and memorable supernatural suspense thriller of a ghost story. An
especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for community/public library contemporary Pyschological Horror/Suspense
Thriller Fiction collections,
it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Accumulation" from
G. P. Putnam's Sons is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Aimee Pokwatka (http://www.aimeepokwatka.com) is the author of Self-Portrait
with Nothing and The
Parliament. She grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, and received her MFA in creative writing
from Syracuse University.
Her work has been published in Fairy Tale Review, Outlook Springs, Hunger Mountain, and
elsewhere.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Our Fallen Woman
Steven Habbi, author
Kate Taylor, editor
Graeme Haig, illustrator
Soler Coaster Ltd.
https://www.ourfallenwoman.com
9781066666508, $15.95, PB, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Fallen-Woman-Survival-Cracks/dp/1066666504
Synopsis: A striking work of Irish historical fiction, "Our Fallen Woman: Survival in the Cracks
of Empire" by Steven
Habbi draws its readers into a world shaped by hunger, faith, and impossible choices.
Set against the harsh aftermath of Ireland's Great Hunger and the pull of emigration, "Our Fallen
Woman" is the story of
young Erin, a child born into poverty and heartbreak, whose life is altered by forces far beyond
her control.
From the windswept shores of Galway to the unforgiving streets of Dublin, London, New York
and beyond, her life unfolds
alongside others caught in the machinery of empire, survival, and ambition as they intersect
across class and continent,
revealing a society marked by injustice, resilience, and quiet acts of sacrifice.
With elements of historical drama, romance, and crime woven through its pages, "Our Fallen
Woman" is a deeply human
tale of endurance and transformation. It explores what is lost when survival demands everything
and what remains when
faith, identity, and hope are tested to their limits.
Rich in atmosphere and emotional depth, "Our Fallen Woman" will appeal to readers of
female-driven historical fiction who
seek a story both intimate and sweeping, grounded in history yet alive with urgency.
Critique: Original, exceptional, compelling, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, author
Steven Habbi's natural
and impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style raises his
historical novel and fictional
biography to an impressive level of literary excellence. Edited by Kate Taylor and illustrated by
Graeme Haig, and a truly
memorably engaging read from start to finish, "Our Fallen Woman: Survival in the Cracks of
Empire" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary
American Literary Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Our Fallen
Woman" from Soler
Coaster Ltd. is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49). Of special note is
the author's unique creation
of a video trailer for his novel which is readily available online for free at
https://www.ourfallenwoman.com
Editorial Note: Steven Habbi is a Canadian author and creative producer based in London. Born
on Prince Edward Island,
his Maritime roots shape a storytelling style grounded in resilience, place, and lived history. He
built his career inside the
Omnicom Group and Publicis Groupe networks before leading global brand and creative
transformation at HSBC and the
London Stock Exchange Group. Drawing on over two decades of shaping global brands and
immersive storytelling, his
debut novel "Our Fallen Woman" brings that cinematic sensibility to historical fiction blending
emotional depth with the
untold realities of the past.
Ernie's Bleachers
Tim Pareti
Independently Published
www.Erniesbleachers.com
9798218003012, $17.95, PB, 314pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ernies-Bleachers-Tim-Pareti/dp/B0B4HJSKQ4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ernies-bleachers-tim-pareti/1141688671
Synopsis: The Chicago Cubs in 1945 are heading to the World Series, and Eddy sneaks into
games and brushes up against
baseball legends, including stars of the Negro League. But he runs into trouble with a bookie who
wants him to shoot a
deadbeat gambler. He takes the mayor's car for a spin with his buddies, and (hold your horses!)
he crashes a stagecoach on
State Street.
Eddy's Italian-American family (who are already battling Chicago's machine politics and the
Mafia) think he's going astray.
Fed up, his parents make a decision that will change Eddy's life -- but street-smart Eddy has other
plans. And thus begins a
journey that takes him to places he's never been.
He encounters a strange religious cult that plays baseball on donkeys, and makes his home under
the stars. Along the way,
he learns a lifelong lesson about home, family, and responsibilities.
Based on a true story, "Ernie's Bleachers" by novelist Tim Pareti is a coming-of-age saga of
baseball, family, and the
American spirit that intersects on the corner of Sheffield and Waveland avenues -- a vintage tale
that explores the classic era
of our National Pastime, the ravages of war, the end of the Depression, and the city of big bets
and big shoulders.
Critique: "Ernie's Bleachers" is the riveting story of Eddy Pareti, a boy who lives under the
shadow of his older brother and
sister -- straight A students who are the apple of their parent's eye. Eddy is clearly the black sheep
of the family, a boy who
dodges duties at his family's tavern (called Ernie's Bleachers), ditches school, fails seventh grade,
and runs away from home.
An original, exceptional, and deftly crafted novel that is based on a real historical character and
family, author Tim Pareti's
genuine flair for the kind of narrative and character driven storytelling style has created a simply
fascinating and memorable
story -- one that is especially and unreservedly recommended for highschool and community
library sports/baseball and
coming-of-age themed fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this
paperback edition of "Ernie's
Bleachers" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Tim Pareti (https://midlandauthors.org/bio-pareti) was born and raised on the
north side of Chicago. An
award-winning journalist, he worked as a reporter and editor for Scripps newspapers, and was a
freelance writer for the
Chicago Tribune. He enjoys playing jazz and blues guitar and softball. "Ernie's Bleachers" is his
breakout novel based on a
true tale about an Italian-American family that lives across the street from Wrigley Field, -- home
of the Chicago Cubs.
Leonor
Catherine Mathis
Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592117680, $19.99, PB, 400pp
Publishing Release Date: October 27, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Leonor-Queens-Portugal-Catherine-Mathis/dp/1592117686
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leonor-catherine-mathis/1149520252
Synopsis: Portugal, 1367.
The royal court is a powder keg, and Leonor Teles de Meneses is the spark. Born noble, married
off for duty, Leonor aches
for more -- freedom, passion, a place at the heart of power. Her wit is sharp, her enemies sharper.
Her king? He's both lover
and battleground.
As the crown changes heads and alliances shift like sand, Leonor fights for a voice in a world
that wants her silent. She's
hemmed in by jealous sisters, a mother-in-law from hell, and a husband who'd rather write poetry
than rule. But when the
king's eye lands on her, the stakes soar. Now, every whispered rumor, every stolen glance, every
calculated risk could mean
everything -- or nothing.
Palace intrigue, forbidden love, and betrayal pulse through every corridor. In this world, trust is a
luxury, and secrets are
currency. Leonor's choices will tip the scales of dynastic conflict and decide the fate of a
kingdom hungry for an heir.
Critique: The Queens of Portugal Trilogy by author Catherine Mathis which began to "Inez",
continues with the publication
of "Leonor". It's said that the game of thrones is a blood sport and this deftly crafted story of
court intrigue and the
competition to dominate (and staying alive) is as intense as it is convoluted is a fun read from
start to finish. Catherine
Mathis has once again demonstrated the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style
that pays great attention to
detail, unexpected plot twists, and leaves her readers looking eagerly towards the third and final
volume of this original
compelling historical trilogy. While an unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Historical Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Leonor"
from Histria Books is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Catherine Mathis (https://www.catherinemathis.com) took a trip to Portugal,
where inspiration struck
unexpectedly. In the historic Abbey of Alcobaca, she discovered the tombs of Pedro and Ines --
often called Iberia's Romeo
and Juliet. This discovery sparked a fascination with medieval legends, leading her to explore
further tales of the next
generation, including the remarkable Queen Philippa, daughter of John of Gaunt. Catherine is a
dedicated member of the
Historical Novel Society, the Atlanta Writers Club, and the Authors Guild. In her free time, she
enjoys spending time with
family and friends, collecting folk art, reading, and exploring new destinations. Catherine
encourages readers to explore the
extensive reviews available on the Historical Novel Society's website
(https://historicalnovelsociety.org).
The House of Boleyn
Tracy Borman
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802167859, $28.00, HC, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/House-Boleyn-Novel-Tracy-Borman/dp/0802167853
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-house-of-boleyn-tracy-borman/1148205515
Synopsis: When nobleman Thomas Boleyn, lord of Hever Castle, is called to London in 1509 to
present himself to a newly
anointed King Henry VIII, he sets in train events that ensure the Boleyn name will never be
forgotten. His daughters Mary
and Anne were young then, and though he was ambitious for his family to prosper, he could not
imagine what would
transpire in the two decades to come.
Blending the history she knows so well with the creativity of her imagination, historian and
novelist Tracy Borman brings
the Boleyn family's three-decade rise and precipitous fall to vivid life with the publication of
"The House of Boleyn".
Borman surrounds the main dramatic events of the Boleyn saga with a colorful tableau in which
familial and inter-familial
rivalries threaten and true love often loses out to keen ambition. Anne's ever-loyal attendant
Esther Frideswide and Thomas
Boleyn's perfidious steward Robert Cranwell are as memorable as Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas
Cromwell, or anyone in the
increasingly dangerous orbit of the royal court.
Henry VIII pursues Anne relentlessly, showering her with gifts as the Boleyns are catapulted to
political prominence. But
when she can't give him the son and heir he desperately seeks, the family faces a terrible and
bloody fate.
With lavish and compelling historical detail, Tracy Borman once again displays her keen gift for
storytelling in this resonant
renaissance era novel of family, fate, and intrigue.
Critique: Exceptional, deftly crafted, fascinating, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style and
substance, "The House of
Boleyn" by Tracy Borman is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
community and college/university
library British themed historical fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of historical fiction fans
that this hardcover edition of "The House of Boleyn" from Atlantic Monthly Press is also readily
available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Tracy Borman (https://www.tracyborman.co.uk) is Chief Historian of Historic
Royal Palaces, Chief
Executive of the Heritage Education Trust, and Chancellor and Professor of Tudor History at
Lincoln Bishop University.
She is also the author of many highly praised books, including The Stolen Crown; Anne Boleyn
& Elizabeth I; Crown and
Sceptre; Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him; The Private Lives of the Tudors; Thomas
Cromwell; Queen of the
Conqueror; Elizabeth's Women; Witches; as well as the trilogy of novels The King's Witch, The
Devil's Slave, and The
Fallen Angel. Borman is also a regular broadcaster and accomplished public speaker. She was
awarded an OBE in the
King's Birthday Honours 2024 for services to heritage.
Frontier Man
Bonnie J. Flessen
https://www.bonniejflessen.com
Resource Publications (CA)
9798385239160, $31.40, HC, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Man-Bonnie-J-Flessen/dp/B0F1X9JQ91
Synopsis: Somewhere along the coast of ancient Asia Minor, Batos quietly slips a rope off the
neck of a captive goat and
watches the goat disappear into the heat. His memories of the desert heat are never far behind
him, even though he no longer
serves in the Roman cavalry on the North African frontier.
Now traveling with a theater troupe as their watchman, Batos rides along the dusty roads with a
new mission. He is to keep
the troupe safe as they proclaim the good news of Jesus of Nazareth.
When a play erupts into a riot in Pergamum, he encounters Domitia, a wealthy widow, and
Virgos, an intersex person
known to most as Eunuch. The troupe urges the three of them to go to Thessalonica, where they
can hear Paul's teachings
for themselves. Saddling three trusted horses, Batos agrees to travel with them.
Along the way, his mysterious past will be revealed. Each traveler will see new visions of
freedom and community. And
each will discover that resisting Roman rule and following Jesus might be one and the same.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply fascinating read from cover to cover
"Frontier Man" is an
extraordinary Christian themed historical adventure novel by Bonnie J. Flessen. The author's
natural gift for the kind of
character and narrative driven storytelling style will keep her readers emotionally involved and
intellectually engaged from
start to finish. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Historical
Fiction collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Frontier Man" from
Resource Publications (CA) is
also readily available in paperback (9798385239153, $15.00) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Bonnie J. Flessen (https://www.bonniejflessen.com) is also the author of An
Exemplary Man: Cornelius and
Characterization in Acts 10 (2011). She taught as an adjunct instructor at Carthage College in
Kenosha, Wisconsin, and at
the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Her research explores the intersection of
masculinity and resistance to the
Roman Empire.
The Little French Cafe
D. R. Ghirlando
Austin Macauley Publishers
https://www.austinmacauley.com
9781037107139, $12.95, PB, 168pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Little-French-Cafe-D-Ghirlando/dp/1037107136
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-little-french-cafe-d-r-ghirlando/1148020605
Synopsis: At first, "The Little French Cafe" by D. R. Ghirlando can seem light-hearted, but it
gradually takes a darker turn
as the story unfolds. At its core, "The Little French Cafe" is about human acceptance, examining
love, emotion, trauma, and
the lasting weight of the past.
The only thing keeping the main character going is his love for his daughter. Without her, he
might have given up
altogether.
Although the story is set in the 1960s, the protagonist often reflects on his experiences during the
Second World War,
especially the tragedy of losing his wife, who was murdered by the Nazis in occupied France.
Running his own cafe and
working for himself were key to his hopes for the future, allowing him to escape the control of
any oppressive forces.
"The Little French Cafe" reveals that no matter how hard we try to avoid trouble, it so often has a
way of finding us.
Critique: Impressively original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and showcasing the character and
narrative driven storytelling
style of author D. R. Ghirlando, "The Little French Cafe" raises this emotionally gripping and
intellectually engaging novel
to an impressive level of literary excellence. While an unreservedly recommended pick for
personal reading lists as well as
community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be
noted that this paperback
edition of "The Little French Cafe" from Austin Macauley Publishers is also readily available in
a digital book format
(Kindle, $4.50).
Editorial Note: Derek Ghirlando (www.austinmacauley.com/author/ghirlandodr) was born in
Tripoli Libya on the 1st
August 1955. He is the son of a Scottish/Irish mother and a British/Maltese father, who owned a
highly successful shipping
agency. He now lives with his partner Nancy, in England, Italy and Malta.
Mile High Press
https://thebookshepherd.com
http://www.milehighpress.com
Book publishing expert and coach, Judith Briles is also the author of 48 books and known is
known throughout the
publishing industry as The Book Shepherd, having worked with thousands of authors. She is also
the co-author with Brian
Barnes of the three volume historical fiction 'Harmonie Books Series' that includes:
Book #1: The Secret Journey (9781959737964, $22.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 480pp)
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Journey-Harmonie-Books-BOOK1/dp/1959737961
Synopsis: When her father Alexander is murdered, Lisa's safe, carefree world unravels. At 16,
her only escape is to flee
from the mayhem and chaos that promises to come crashing down on her very being. From her
wicked mother. From her
drunken stepbrother. And from the greedy church. The year was 1,000 AD.
Bright and clever, she becomes the eyes and ears of her papa's many enterprises. Lisa is his
confidant and the son he desires
as an heir. Afraid for his own daughter's future, Alexander shares a plan to her to follow upon his
death.
Within days of Alexander's murder, the plan is put into motion. The map created for her has
instructions and a special key. It
will guide Lisa hundreds of miles from her papa's villa in Marseilles to Paris, where his business
partner Ezra lived.
Her possessions were the tunic on her back, a cloak, Papa's jeweled dagger, and the coin that he
asked her to hide away. And
a mysterious voice that forewarns and guides her.
Lisa's travel mode was her feet.
Her stepbrother follows her in hot pursuit, filled with anger, hate, and revenge. Fredric's desire is
to rightfully assume his
inherited status as heir - a status that requires items whose whereabouts only Lisa knows.
Will Lisa get to Paris? Will Ezra welcome and help her? Will she discover who killed Papa? Will
the Voice that invades her
sleep continue to guide her? Will she ever feel safe and loved again?
Book #2: "The Secret Hamlet" (9781959737933, $22.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 430pp)
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Hamlet-Harmonie-Books-ebook/dp/B0CRXRD3JH
Synopsis: It's the 11th century and Nichol with an infant daughter must escape Paris with her
extended family. In Book 2 of
the Harmonie series, The Secret Hamlet, the power of Nichol is turned loose. At her side is
Shadow, her wolf-dog. In the
bitter winter, she has become the target of the ruthless priest Loupe and her evil brother Fredric,
both in pursuit of her and
her daughter, Lucette.
With her expanding vision and skills coupled with the guidance of the Lady, Nichol leads her
family, and those in need, to
the creation and development of Harmonie. Hidden within the Kingdom of Normandy, Harmonie
abuts No Name, another
hidden hamlet.
Will the jeweled dagger stay in the hands of the rightful owner?
Will Nichol's friendship with the new Queen of England benefit both?
Will the alliance with the Duke of Normandy protect the Harmonites?
Will more secrets be revealed by Nichol, Robert, Ezra, Helene, and Timo?
And... will the alliances last? Will the Lady stay by Nichol's side?
Book #3: "The Secret Rise" (9781959737902, $22.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 540pp
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Rise-Harmonie-Books/dp/1959737902
Synopsis: Nichol's story was introduced in Book 1, The Secret Journey when her beloved papa is
murdered by her mother in
the year 1000 AD. The darkening cloud spiraling around her made her the next target.
Fleeing Marseilles, she develops new powers, a vision of the future, and trusts the Lady's voice.
For those around her, a new
world unfolds and carries them forward.
Overflowing with scandal, tragedy, and triumph, Book 3, "The Secret Rise" carries Nichol's
strengths to a higher level.
Again, she must outsmart and outmaneuver those connected with the church. Now the mother of
three, her children begin to
display powers she doesn't possess and Shadow brings wolf pups to the mix.
Will Nichol continue to be hunted by Fredrik, her evil half-brother?
Does Duke Richard have hidden motives in seeking Nichol's advice?
Can the village of Harmonie become the model for hamlets within the Kingdom of
Normandy?
Do Nichol's children have the skills that she has, or do they have new ones?
Will the Kingdom of Normandy accept her family and their rising status?
Critique: It's clear that as the co-authors of the three volume Harmonie Books Series (The Secret
Journey; The Secret
Hamlet; The Secret Rise), Judith Briles and Brian Barnes are imaginative and master storytellers
with a genuine and
impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that is perfectly
suited to the creation of a
Medieval World filled with memorable characters, deftly woven plots, and is a fun read from
start to finish. This three
volume series is especially and unreservedly recommended picks for personal reading lists and
community library Historical
Fiction collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by Judith Briles available on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/348653.Judith_Briles
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books by Brian Barnes available on Goodreds:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1064173.Brian_Barnes
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Bread of the Ravens
Aksil Azergui, author
Hamid Ouyachi, translator
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647126797, $19.95, PB, 112pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bread-Ravens-Amazigh-Studies-Azergui/dp/1647126797
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bread-of-the-ravens-aksil-azergui/1148352751
Synopsis: Written by Aksil Azergui and translated into English for an American readership by
Hamid Ouyachi, "Bread of
the Ravens" is the story of a nameless Amazigh journalist, who is imprisoned and tortured after
publicly critiquing the
violence and immiseration his people are enduring. His bravery comes at the cost of his freedom
and nearly his life.
Told through a series of dizzying fever dreams, fragmented and discontinuous, scarred by torture
and historical trauma, the
Amazigh novelist Aksil Azergui delivers a harrowing narrative of the state violence, religious
intolerance and terror, and
repression of the Amazigh people.
Hamid Ouyachi's deft and visceral translation is razor-sharp in its specificity; it carries the reader
into the journalist's altered
reality, as he scrambles across unforgiving landscapes -- real or imaginary, obsessed with writing
the story of the
Imazighen.
"Bread of the Ravens" takes its place in a worldwide tradition of literature as means of resistance
and a reclamation of
language and identity.
Critique: Impressively original, deftly crafted, ably translated, and a simply fascinating read from
start to finish, "Bread of
the Ravens" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community and
college/university library
Contemporary International Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies. It
should be noted for personal
reading lists that this paperback edition of "Bread of the Ravens" from the Georgetown
University Press is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note #1: Aksil Azergui is a native of Tinejdad in Southeast Morocco. His most notable
books in Tamazight
include Is nsul nddr? (Are We Still Alive?, 2010), Igd n tlelli (Ashes of Liberty, 2012), Imggura
g Yimazign (The Last of
the Imazighen, 2014), and an adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, Asefru n Ilyun d Usikel n Ulis
(2021).
Editorial Note #2: Hamid Ouyachi, a native of the Goulmima region of Southeast Morocco and a
native speaker of
Tamazight, is a writer and translator. His works have appeared in Rusted Radishes, Tamazgha
Studies Journal, and Words
without Borders.
Seeing Sunny Again
Paul Clayton
Independently Published
ASIN: B0H61J9YKR, $12.99, pb, 187PP
ASIN: B0H61T2TZ3, $6.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Sunny-Again-Paul-Clayton-ebook/dp/B0H61T2TZ3
Synopsis: "Seeing Sunny Again" is a collection of seventeen short stories by Paul Clayton
including:
The Trick -- a lonely teen is fooled into asking out a girl he otherwise would not have.
Fly Sense -- a young soldier seems incapable of accepting the senseless death of war. A man goes
to China with his live-in
girlfriend in From China with Love and discovers how little he knows about her.
The Ledger -- a dying man refuses to accept his limitations, making his adult caretaker son's life
difficult.
Two, Too, To -- a destitute Asian woman immigrant must choose one of two American men to
help her raise her child.
Sunday Evening Comin' Down -- a clueless divorced dad strives to connect with his estranged
six-year-old daughter.
Critique: These five eloquent and engaging short stories, plus twelve more deftly crafted tales
comprising "Seeing Sunny
Again", offer compelling insights into 20th century middle class America and evoke an
immediately experienced and
universal resonance. They also showcase author Paul Clayton's genuine flair for the kind of
character and narrative driven
storytelling style that elevates his stories to an impressive level of literary excellence. "Seeing
Sunny Again" is an inherently
fascinating read and is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as
community and college/university
library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Paul Clayton at Book Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/paul-clayton
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
A French Fling for the Golden Gals
Judy Leigh
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781785132711, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 460pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/a%20french%20fling%20for%20the%20golden%20gal
s
Synopsis: Sixty-one-year-old Maxine Sweet has a new life stretching in front of her. Her
longed-for retirement is finally
here and she's ready to enjoy it with partner Russell. Ready that is, until she gets home early to
find Russell in flagrante
delicto with a female friend.
With her best laid plans in tatters, Max has a choice to make -- mope at home or spread her
wings. And when a chance
comes to bask in the French sun for a glorious month, there's only one thing for it. Suitcase
packed, Max heads off to the
Brittany town of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer - home of tempting boulangeries, breath-taking beaches,
not to mention some rather
fine looking men of the perfect vintage.
As the irresistible French joie de vivre takes over and new friends welcome her, Max realises that
perhaps it's not too late
for a whole new life. A new future full of adventure and maybe even some romance is just one
brave decision away...
Critique: A novel of love's disappointment, love's rediscovery, and love achieved in the later
years of one's life, "A French
Fling for the Golden Gals" by Judy Leigh is an extraordinary and entertaining tale of adventure,
humor, friendship, and
later-in-life romance. While this large print paperback edition of "A French Fling for the Golden
Gals" is especially
recommended for community library Contemporary Romantic Fiction collections, it should be
noted that it is also readily
available for dedicated fans of happy-ever-after romance novels that "A French Fling for the
Golden Gals" is also available
in a CD (9781785132650) & MP3-CD (9781785132667) complete and unabridged audio book
format ($86.95$73.91
each).
Editorial Note: There is an extensive listing of books by Judy Lieght available online at
FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/judy-leigh
The Villa of Secrets
Emma Burstall
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835615584, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 309pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/the%20villa%20of%20secrets
Synopsis: When Cleo arrives at Villa Ariadne on the sun-drenched island of Crete, she's hoping
for space to breathe - and
perhaps some clarity about the life she no longer recognizes. Newly divorced and estranged from
one of her children, she's
not sure what comes next.
Sharing the villa with a small group of women, each carrying their own private heartaches, Cleo
is drawn into the gentle
rhythm of island life. Beneath the lemon trees and endless blue skies, friendships begin to form
and long-buried hopes
stir.
But when an unexpected event shakes their peaceful escape, the women are forced to come
together in ways none of them
anticipated. And as Villa Ariadne works its quiet magic once more, Cleo may discover that even
in uncertainty, second
chances are still possible.
Critique: Showcasing her impressive and genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative
driven storytelling style, "The
Villa of Secrets" by novelist Emma Burstall is the tale of a one week, life-changing, romance
restoring, holiday in Greece
who was not looking for love -- but would find it anyway. A deftly crafted and fun read from
start to finish, this large print
edition paperback edition of "The Villa of Secrets" from Boldwood Books is an extraordinary
and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance
Fiction collections. It should
be noted that "The Villa of Secrets" is also available in a CD (9781835615515) & MP3-CD
(9781835615522) complete and
unabridged audio book
format ($86.95$73.91 each).
Editorial Note: There is a listing of books by Emma Burstall online at FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/emma-burstall
A Summer Wedding at Pennycress Inn
Sarah Hope
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836174752, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 377pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/a%20summer%20wedding%20at%20pennycress%20in
n
Synopsis: Ellie thought she was starting over. After her long-term relationship collapses and her
career implodes, she was
braving a new chapter on her own, setting up a wedding planning business in her beautiful
Cotswold village.
But when her ex walks away with almost everything she owns, Ellie's carefully rebuilt world
begins to crack. Just as she's
clinging to her last lifeline, planning her first wedding at the idyllic Pennycress Inn when fate
throws the biggest
complication yet into her path.
It's Murray. The man who broke her heart. The love she never truly let go.
Murray is back, working as a carpenter at the inn, and determined to 'clear the air'. As the days
tick forwards towards the
Pennycress wedding, Ellie must juggle the needs of her clients with new revelations from her old
love, and a fresh spark of
hope...
Could first love finally become forever love?
Critique: A deftly crafted, utterly charming, and emotionally engaging story of love once lost
then found again, "A Summer
Wedding at Pennycress Inn" by Sarah Hope is a deftly crafted and fun read from start to finish for
the romantically inclined!
It should be noted for personal and community library Contemporary Romance Fiction
collections that this large print trade
paperback edition of "A Summer Wedding at Pennycress Inn" from Boldwood Books is also
available in a complete and
unabridged CD (9781836174691) & MP3-CD (9781836174707) audio book format
($93.95/$79.86 each).
Editorial Note: There is an extensive online lists of books by Sarah Hope at FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/sarah-hope
Falls The Apple: The Family O'Connor
James Charles Adams
www.jamescharlesadams.com
Independently Published
9798258534170, $20.00, PB, 319pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Falls-Apple-James-Charles-Adams/dp/B0GY95S4GX
Synopsis: At 45, Liam O'Connor is in the family way.
A man befuddled by women and afraid of commitment, he seems an unlikely candidate for his
first real relationship, and
even more unlikely as a first-time father -- but here he is. You might say it's Liam's rebirth
moment, but he's breech.
"Falls the Apple: The Family O'Connor" by James Charles Adams is a twenty-year saga, a wild
ride punctuated by Liam's
relationship with that baby aptly named Maeve ("she who intoxicates" or "she who rules"), as she
grows into a precocious,
headstrong young woman who stands toe to toe with her father and gives as good as she
gets.
But "Falls the Apple" is far more than just a father-daughter tale. It also plumbs the depths of
family identity, including the
tug and pull of biological versus chosen relationships, and the intersection of business and
friendship in day-to-day life and
in the crises that inevitably interrupt our lives.
Critique: Impressively original, deftly crafted, James Charles Adams' genuine flair for the kind of
character and narrative
driven storytelling style that makes for an emotionally engaging and inherently fascinating read
from start to finish, making
his novel, "Falls the Apple", an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for
community library collections with
its blending of contemporary romance and suspense. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that this paperback edition
of "Falls the Apple" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: James Charles Adams (https://www.jamescharlesadams.com) "Falls the Apple:
The Family O'Connor" is the
follow-up to Jim Adams' debut novel, "Liam's Lady". Jim has an undergraduate degree in English
from Michigan State
University and law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
The Last Page
Katie Holt
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892424097, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Page-Novel-Katie-Holt/dp/B0FCRWPTD2
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-page-katie-holt/1147568331
Synopsis: Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City
where she now works. Her first
kiss was in the women's health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a
second father to her and has
begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged
grandson is left everything in the
will, Ella is devastated.
Henry doesn't know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in
Tennessee, he plans to stay in
New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home.
What he never could have
counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in
the world -- and who sees
him as the villain who's come to ruin her life.
But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are
both at risk of losing
everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up -- despite the
inconvenient chemistry
blossoming between them.
Critique: The stuff of which Hallmark Channel rom-com movies are made, "The Last Page" by
Katie Holt is a fun read from
cover to cover and a 'must' for all dedicated romantic comedy fans. Original, clever, deftly
crafted, while this hardcover
edition of "The Last Page" from Alcove Press is unreservedly recommended for community
library Contemporary Romance
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also readily available in
paperback (9798892424103,
$19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle $14.99).
Editorial Note: Katie Holt (https://katieholtwriting.weebly.com/about.html) studied English with
a concentration in creative
writing at NYU and fought with every professor to prove that romance novels were worthy of
their time. Katie is also the
author of her debut novel "Not in My Book".
Where We Belong
Kim Vogel Sawyer
WaterBrook Press
c/o WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
https://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780593600856, $18.00, PB, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Where-We-Belong-Orphan-Train/dp/0593600851
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-we-belong-kim-vogel-sawyer/1147870126
Synopsis: The life of Hester Haak, a widow with no children of her own, takes an unexpected
turn when she opens her
Kansas home to children from the bustling streets of New York City.
An orphan asylum has entrusted her with two sisters and a young boy, and Hester is determined
to provide a safe and loving
environment for them. Despite the looming uncertainty of their stay, she rises to the challenge,
embracing the opportunity to
make a difference in their lives.
Meanwhile, Callum Holbrook is grappling with the loss of his wife and the despair that followed.
Unable to provide for his
family, he made the heart-wrenching decision to place his daughters in an orphanage, promising
it was only temporary.
Now, with a stable job and a renewed sense of purpose, Callum is horrified to learn that his
daughters have been sent
halfway across the country. Fueled by determination and love, he embarks on the difficult
journey to bring them back.
Through their struggles and triumphs, Hester and Callum discover that family and love can be
found in the most surprising
places -- and that the journey home is paved with hope.
Critique: Part of the simply outstanding 'Orphan Train' series of historic romance novels from
WaterBrook Press, "We
Belong Here" by Kim Vogel Sawyer is impressively original, deftly crafted, and emotionally
engaging read that is especially
and unreservedly recommended for both the personal reading lists of the growing legions of Kim
Vogel Sawyer fans, and
community library Historical Romance collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition
of "We Belong Here" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and in a large print hardcover edition
(Thorndike Press Large Print,
9781420535358, $36.00).
Editorial Note: Kim Vogel Sawyer (https://kimvogelsawyer.com) is an award-winning,
bestselling author with more than
1.5 million books in print in seven languages. Her work has received numerous awards, including
the ACFW Carol Award
and the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award. A complete listing of her books is available online
at Books Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/kim-vogel-sawyer
The Bachelor Spy
Pepper Basham
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9798891513693, $15.99, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bachelor-Spy-Freddie-Grace-Mystery/dp/B0FW6QR8K2
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bachelor-spy-pepper-basham/1148504802
Synopsis: Stephen Blake's life goal is to protect people, especially those closest to him, but war
in 1914 England doesn't
follow any rules. When Blake is informed that a noted German spy may have taken up residence
at Havensbrooke Hall (his
cousin Lord Astley's estate, which is being used as a convalescent war hospital) he's sent there to
uncover the plot.
Lady Grace Astley has become a force to be reckoned with while Frederick is out on the war
front. With Havensbrooke as a
hospital, she's shocked by the devastation the war is bringing home; but ever hopeful, she is
determined to help these weary
soldiers find some relief. However, not everything is as it seems inside Havensbrooke. Precious
items soon start
disappearing... and not just the kind that are worth a lot of money.
Through a case of mistaken identity, a comedy of errors, a kidnapping, and a race for time within
the crumbling
subterranean passageways beneath Havensbrooke, can Blake and Gracie work together to root
out the criminals, thieves, and
spies before time runs out?
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "The Bachelor Spy" is the
fifth title in author
PepperBasham's 'A Freddie & Crace Mystery' series. Once again author Pepper Basham's
impressive and genuine flair for
the kind of character and narrative plot driven storytelling style proves ideal for the Christian
Romance genre. Absolutely
and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/public library
Historical Romance collections, it
should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Bachelor Spy" from Barbour Fiction is also
available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $15.19).
Editorial Note: Pepper Basham (www.pepperdbasham.com) is an award-winning author who
writes romance peppered with
grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels
have garnered recognition in
the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer,
was a finalist in the 2018
RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red
Ribbon, and her
contemporary novels, the Mitchell's Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her
Appalachian heritage, as well as her
love for humor and family.
The Melody of Love
Wanda E. Brunstetter and Lorine Brunstetter Van Corbach, authors
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9798891513280, $16.99, PB, 32pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Melody-Love-Wanda-Brunstetter/dp/B0FPYDX8J3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-melody-of-love-wanda-e-brunstetter/1148152379
Synopsis: A widowed mother, Amelia Miller never thought of finding love again -- until she
meets Christian Yoder while
on a sisters' trip to Ohio. When Christian suddenly has the opportunity to move to Indiana near
Amelia, what started as a
spark grows to a flame... but there are complications.
Amelia's son, who is on the autism spectrum, doesn't like the new man who has been coming
around, and he often acts out
in tantrums. Amelia's love for her son is her priority, so romance may have to be sacrificed.
Christian, though, is determined
to find a connection with the boy.
Critique: Co-authored by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Lorine Brunstetter Van Corbach, "The
Melody of Love" is Christian
romance fiction at its emotionally engaging best. Original, deftly crafted, and a truly memorable
read from start to finish,
"The Melody of Love" is unreservedly endorsed as a popular pick for community library Amish
Romance Fiction
collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Melody of Love" from Barbour
Publishing is also
available for the personal reading of dedicated Wand Brunstetter fans in a digital book format
($16.99) and for library
collections in a large print hardcover edition (Thorndike Press, 9781420535433, $36.00).
Editorial Note #1: Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led
millions of readers to lose their
heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 100 books with more than 12 million copies
sold. Many of her books have
landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's
Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD.
Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre.
Editorial Note #2: There is a listing of books by Lorine Brunstetter Van Corbach at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40129863.Lorine_Brunstetter_Van_Corbach
Not Good Neighbors
Violet Lumani
www.violetlumani.com
Entangled: Amara
https://www.entangledpublishing.com
9781682816677, $17.99, PB, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Good-Neighbors-Violet-Lumani/dp/1682816672
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/not-good-neighbors-violet-lumani/1148298076
Synopsis: Thanks to a tragically thin wall in their NYC apartment building, Penny knows far too
much about Jack -- like his
taste in too-loud music, the noxious fumes from his kitchen, and his habit of suspiciously
aggressive vacuuming. And she
knows all about the tearful brunette fleeing his apartment the day he moved in -- the one crying
about her cheating ex.
Not even Jack's piratical charm can undo what Penny knows: the man is bad news.
When her attempt to get the wall soundproofed literally blows a hole in it, the two are forced into
a DIY disaster that traps
them in each other's lives... and spaces. With eviction looming, prank wars escalating, and
unexpected sparks flying, Penny
starts to suspect her insufferable neighbor might just be the unexpected plot twist her love life
needs!
Critique: Original, deftly crafted characters, unexpected plot twists, sizzling passion, laced
throughout with wicked humor,
"Not Good Neighbors" is a fun and memorable read from cover to cover. In her debut novel,
"Not Good Neighbors", author
Violet Lumani demonstrates a genuine and unique flair for the kind of storytelling style that is
perfectly suited for an
entertaining, off-beat, contemporary, comedy themed romance novel. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for
community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated
RomCom fans that this
paperback edition of "Not Good Neighbors" from Entangled: Amara is also readily available in a
digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Violet Lumani (www.violetlumani.com) writes romantic comedies with just
enough heat to make you want
to text your ex (don't). She has degrees from Barnard College of Columbia University and
UCONN and lives in Connecticut
with her family. When she's not writing, she's probably plotting global (marketing) domination,
rearranging her
bookshelves, or spinning chaos into comedy.
Love on the Shelf
Sheila Roberts
Mira Books
www.mirabooks.com
9780778307426, $30.00, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Shelf-Enemies-Lovers-Bookseller/dp/0778307425
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-on-the-shelf-sheila-roberts/1149889316
Synopsis: The battle lines are drawn -- between a romance-loving bookseller and the shock jock
determined to tear
happily-ever-afters apart.
Alice Willoughby and her mom run HEA Books, a cozy shop devoted to love stories and the
people who crave them. Alice
is great at matching customers with their perfect happily-ever-after... she just can't seem to find
her own.
Enter Parker Black, a disillusioned radio host who's reinvented himself as a romance-bashing
shock jock. Bitter from his
breakup with a romance author who turned love into a four-letter word, Parker takes aim at the
entire genre - and his on-air
rants start stirring up trouble for Alice's loyal customers and their partners. He's arrogant,
aggravating, and absolutely not
book-boyfriend material.
Parker's crusade leads to spirited debates and bookstore protests, but when unexpected sparks fly
between the two of them
Alice begins to wonder if her favorite trope - enemies to lovers - might actually be playing out in
real life. Parker may claim
romance is a lie... but is he protesting a little too much?
With sharp wit and plenty of charm, USA Today bestselling author Sheila Roberts delivers a
modern battle of the sexes
where the biggest question is simple:
Are romance novels ruining love - or rewriting it?
Critique: Another original and fun read from the mind and imagination of novelist Sheila
Roberts, "Love on the Shelf" is an
extraordinary, deftly crafted, and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Contemporary Romance Fiction
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Sheila Roberts fans
that this hardcover edition
of "Love on the Shelf" from MIRA is also readily available in paperback (9780778305828,
$18.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Sheila Roberts (https://sheilasplace.com) lives in the Pacific Northwest. To date,
she has seen over three
million books sold both at home and abroad. Several of her books have been adapted for film by
Hallmark, Lifetime, and
GAF, including her holiday perennial, On Strike for Christmas, The Nine Lives of Christmas,
with a sequel The Nine
Kittens of Christmas, and most recently, Christmas on Candy Cane Lane.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Murder on Heartbreak Trail
D. W. Maroney
State of Mind Publishing
9781966224327, $11.99, PB, 159pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Heartbreak-Trail-Airstreams-Apparitions/dp/196622432X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-on-heartbreak-trail-d-w-maroney/1148432942
Synopsis: When Violet Hartwell's FBI agent husband, Mason, dies under suspicious
circumstances the night before their
long-dreamed-of Airstream adventure, her world shatters. Fleeing the suffocating wake in a haze
of grief, Violet hits the
road alone -- only to land in the middle of a murder investigation, with her own name at the top
of the suspect list!
But Violet isn't truly on her own. Mason's ghost lingers at her side, and a band of spirited women
campers rallies around her
like sisters she never knew she needed. Together, they untangle a web of secrets, lies, and danger,
proving that friendship
(and maybe even a little afterlife meddling) can catch a killer.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a fun read from start to finish, "Murder on Heartbreak Trail"
by D. W. Maroney is a
deftly scripted blend of murder, mystery, and the supernatural. With all the elements of a
gripping cozy mystery, the
imaginative, character and narrative driven storytelling style of Maroney is especially suited to
fans of the genre and
unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be
noted that personal reading
lists that this paperback edition of "Murder on Heartbreak Trail" is also available in both a digital
book format (Kindle,
$0.99) and for community/public libraries, a large print hardcover edition (9781966224341,
$29.99).
Editorial Note: D. W. Maroney (https://dwmaroney.com) is a member of The Authors Guild,
Liberty State Fiction Writers,
and Sisters in Crime. Her books are listing online at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18841960.D_W_Maroney
Temperature Rising
Joel Burcat
Milford House Press
c/o Sunbury Press
https://www.sunburypress.com/collections/milford-house-press
9798888193587, $24.95, PB, 316pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Rising-Joel-Burcat/dp/B0H3QFWZXV
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/temperature-rising-joel-burcat/1150318580
Synopsis: Anna Freeman never expected a routine errand to change everything. But when the
ambitious law student and
environmental activist retrieves a harmless videotape on energy policy, she unknowingly steps
into the heart of a ruthless
conspiracy. Powerful lobbyists, corrupt politicians, and billion-dollar interests will do whatever it
takes to keep their secrets
buried -- and now, Anna is in their crosshairs.
Before she realizes it, she's pulled deep into the very system she once despised, embraced and
seduced by those
orchestrating the cover-up. They think she's one of them. But Anna has other plans. Working
undercover for The New York
Times, she's determined to expose the truth - no matter the cost. The only problem -- she falls in
love with the industry's
most trusted lobbyist.
With every step she takes, the danger intensifies. Lies mount. The deeper she infiltrates, the
harder it becomes to save
herself and her friends from the ultimate outcome. When the threats turn personal, Anna faces an
impossible choice: Will
she risk everything (her career, her relationships, her friendships, even her life) to bring the truth
to light? Or will she be
silenced before she has the chance?
As Anna races against time, one thing becomes clear -- some secrets are worth killing for.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, compelling, and a wild ride of a suspense thriller from start to
finish, "Temperature
Rising" by Joel Burcat blends a political action thriller with riveting elements of suspense,
forbidden romance, and
high-stakes deception. Author Joel Burcat's genuine flair for the kind of character and plot driven
storytelling style engages
the reader's rapt attention. A fun and engaging read from cover to cover, "Temperature Rising" is
unreservedly
recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense Fiction collections while
it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of political suspense thriller fans that this paperback edition of
"Temperature Rising" from Milford
House Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Joel Burcat (https://joelburcat.com) is an award-winning author of four
environmental legal thrillers: Drink
to Every Beast (about illegal dumping of toxic waste), Amid Rage (about a coal mine permit
battle), Strange Fire (about a
fracking dispute), and Reap the Wind (an action/adventure thriller). He has written numerous
short stories. Burcat's books
are infused with realism developed over a forty plus year career as an environmental lawyer.
Burcat worked in government
as an Assistant Attorney General and in a private law practice. He was selected as the 2019
Lawyer of the Year in
Environmental Litigation (for Central Pa.) by Best Lawyers in America. He has retired from the
practice of law and works
full-time as a novelist. He is an active member of the International Thriller Writers and
PennWriters.
Rich Little Liars
A.J. Carter
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781807343149, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/rich%20little%20liars
Synopsis: After surviving a house fire that killed her husband, Kelly Reynolds vanishes into the
East Hamptons, a world of
gated estates, pristine lawns and neighbors who smile like they have nothing to fear. Here, money
buys discretion, and the
past is supposed to stay buried.
But when anonymous notes begin appearing at her door, Kelly realizes that someone knows what
really happened the night
of the fire. With each message, the East Hamptons' flawless facade starts to crack, and the quiet
judgement in her neighbors'
eyes feels less imagined.
As suspicion tightens and danger creeps closer, Kelly's carefully rebuilt life begins to unravel.
Because some secrets don't
stay hidden -- and the truth is far more dangerous than the lies that protect it.
Critique: Exceptionally well crafted and a simply fascinating read from start to finish, this large
print paperback edition
from Boldwood Books of "Rich Little Liars" by A. J. Carter is a welcome and unreservedly
recommended addition to the
personal reading lists of dedicated mystery enthusiasts in general, and A. J. Carter fans in
particular -- as well as community
and public library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by A. J. Carter available at Fantastic/Fiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/aj-carter
Murder in the Reading Room
Anita Davison
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836783657, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/murder%20in%20the%20reading%20room
Synopsis: Aunt Violet and her niece Hannah have a bookshop to run. But after a customer comes
in asking for a rare book,
Hannah takes a visit to the reading room of the British Library (a glorious domed building in the
middle of the British
Museum courtyard) to find out more
Hannah has barely finished making her request when a man at one of the hundreds of desks
slumps over his work. Within
moments, it becomes clear he is dead, stabbed in broad daylight, in the middle of the reading
room surrounded by oblivious
academics.
The reading room is an exclusive space where no one can enter or leave without detection. Yet
the initial investigation
yields no weapon, no witnesses, and no apparent motive.
But then Aunt Violet discovers the victim had been researching the unearthing of a lost piece of
Italian sculpture. And
Hannah (despite her new husband's firm insistence that she let the police do their job) finds
herself unable to resist the
temptation of investigating just one more murder!
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of cozy mystery fans, "Murder in the Reading Room"
is a part of novelist Anita
Davison's always entertaining 'A Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery' series. A deftly crafted,
fun and memorable read
with many an unexpected plot twist and turn, this large print paperback edition of "Murder in the
Reading Room" from
Boldwood Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for both the personal reading lists
of dedicated 'whodunnit'
mystery buffs and community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Anita Davison available at Books Series In
Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/anita-davison
Murder at the Palace
Frances Evesham
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781806584659, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/Murder%20at%20the%20Palace
Synopsis: When Libby Forest and her husband Max accidentally gatecrash a house-warming
party at Priory Manor, the
Somerset home of Major Chalfont-Smythe and his wife Dawn, they discover an odd mix of local
characters.
Why has the new owner, a retired army major, invited this peculiar combination of family, old
friends and new neighbors to
the party?
When one of the partygoers unexpectedly dies at one of Somerset's loveliest beauty spots, Libby
finds her murder antennae
quivering insistently.
Who has a motive and are more murders planned? Can Libby and Max uncover the secrets
behind the crime?
Critique: In "Murder at the Palace", author/storyteller Frances Evesham has created a compelling
murder mystery and a fun
read for her growing legion of fans. Part of Evesham's successful 'Exham-on-Sea Murder
Mystery' series, this large print
paperback edition of "Murder at the Palace" from Boldwood Books is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended pick
for the personal reading lists of 'whodunnit' mystery fans and an enduringly welcome addition to
community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: There is an extensive online listing of books by Frances Evesham available at:
FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/frances-evesham
The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair
Kelly Oliver
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836175766, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/The%20Case%20of%20the%20Christie%20Weddi
ng%20Affair
Synopsis: Scotland, 1930.
Agatha Christie is getting married. She invites fellow members of the Detection Club to the
windswept Isle of Skye for a
quiet break while the banns are read. But tranquility proves elusive when the formidable Lord
Blackwood, leader of a
hunting party sharing their lodge, vanishes from the moors.
Sharp-eyed assistant to the Detection Club secretary, Eliza Baker, suspects foul play as the
strange occurrences pile up: a
mysterious grave in the churchyard, a missing rifle, and late-night excursions across the rugged
island. There may be no
body (yet) but someone at Dunmara Lodge is hiding a deadly secret.
As a storm cuts them off from the mainland, Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate lies,
half-truths, and a treacherous
landscape... but can they uncover the killer in the stalking grounds... or will the moors keep their
secrets forever?
Critique: Another gem of a 'whodunnit' mystery starring Agatha Christie and her friends, "The
Case of the Christie Wedding
Affair" by Kelly Oliver continues the always entertaining 'A Detection Club Mystery' series.
Original, exceptional, and a fun
read from cover to cover, this large print paperback edition of "The Case of the Christie Wedding
Affair" is a solid and
enthusiastically recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of the books by Kelly Oliver available at Book Series in
Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/kelly-oliver
A Dangerous Justice
John Pilkington
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781807345990, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781807345990
Synopsis: England, 1616.
Ex-magistrate Robert Belstrang, bored with country life, comes to London to investigate the
strange disappearance of
Thomas Jessop, son of a poor Catholic neighbour. He finds the youth in Bedlam asylum, silent
and starving himself. But
when he tries to free Jessop Belstrang finds himself the target of a dark plot to silence him... by
any means necessary.
But Robert Belstrang is a stubborn man, and with the help of ex-soldier Daniel Oldrigg he sticks
doggedly to his purpose.
Their investigations take them deep into the fear-ridden Catholic underworld - where Belstrang
soon uncovers a plan with
its roots in the Gunpowder Plot of more than a decade ago.
The underbelly of London is a murky place, but Belstrang will strain every sinew to out the
corruption... or die trying.
Critique: Another gem of an historical murder mystery set in Renaissance England by novelist
John Pilkington, "A
Dangerous Justice" is a simply riveting read from start to finish. A part of Pilkington's 'Justice
Belstrange Mystery' series,
this large print trade paperback edition of "A Dangerous Justice" from Boldwood Books is
unreservedly recommended for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections and a 'must' for the growing legions of John
Pilkington fans.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by John Pilkington available at Book Series in
Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/john-pilkington-historical-fiction
Fatal Castle: A Modern Day Siege Warfare Thriller
David Boito
https://davidboito.com
Wise Media Group
9781629673097, $18.99, PB, 258pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Castle-Modern-Warfare-Thriller/dp/1629673099
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fatal-castle-david-boito/1148401019
Synopsis: Ashley Bellamy, a diamond enthusiast, visits her estranged father Clive (the Tower of
London's Chief Yeoman
Warder) and becomes trapped when ex-bomb disposal expert Richard Bindar leads a brutal heist
disguised as an act of
terrorism. Their target: the cursed Kohinoor diamond, said to doom any man who possesses
it.
With police forces deliberately misdirected and innocent lives at stake, Ashley and Clive must
use their intimate knowledge
of the fortress's secret passages and medieval defenses to fight back. Armed with ancient
longbows against modern
weapons, they turn murder holes and centuries-old tactics against their ruthless enemies.
As the Tower faces its most devastating siege in history, this fractured father-daughter duo must
reconcile their past and
uncover Bindar's true motives before the diamond's curse claims new victims -- and London's
greatest fortress falls.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting suspense thriller of a read
from start to finish, "Fatal
Castle" showcases author David Boito's impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative
driven storytelling style that
fully engages the reader. An especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community
library action/adventure
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of British themed heist/terrorism
suspense novels that this
paperback edition of "Fatal Castle" from the Wise Media Group is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle,
$4.99).
Editorial Note: David Boito (https://davidboito.com) is a screenwriter and author who wrote the
award-winning eco-thriller
"Bee Conspiracy" and the YA suspense novel "Valley Fliers". "Fatal Castle" is his third
novel.
This Never Happened
Jessica Clem
Rowan Prose Publishing, LLC
https://www.rowanprosepublishing.com
9781971276038, $TBD
9798231516957, $4.99, Kindle, E-Book, November 3, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/This-Never-Happened-Jessica-Clem-ebook/dp/B0G1Q7CSYZ
Synopsis: When former best friends Sam and Rebecca reunite at their college reunion, they
decide to repair their fractured
relationship and start over.
But then Sam finds out Rebecca is dating Adam, a man she'd had an intense relationship with
two years ago. She vows to
keep it a secret, lest it sever their newly mended bond.
Sam soon realizes she can't outrun her and Rebecca's imperfect past, nor can she ignore her and
Adam's desire for one
another.
As Sam struggles between loyalty and lust, she realizes that vengeance can make monsters out of
all of us.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "This
Never Happened" showcases
author Jessica Clem's genuine flair for her character and narrative driven storytelling style that is
so perfectly suited to the
domestic thriller genre. Particularly appealing to fans of love and loss, loyalty and betrayal
themed novels, "This Never
Happened" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "This Never Happened" from Rowan Prose Publishing, is also
available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $4.99).
River Deep
Bryan Gruley
Severn House
www.severnhouse.com
9781448316120, $29.99, HC, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/River-Deep-Bitterfrost-Thriller-2/dp/144831612X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/river-deep-bryan-gruley/1149187696
Synopsis: Attorney Devyn Payne expects a quieter life when she returns to her hometown of
Bitterfrost. Until the bodies of
two eight-month-old boys are pulled from the icy depths of the local river. Was it a tragic
accident or something more
disturbing?
The twins' distraught parents survived the car crash, but their mother, Catriona Dulaney, was
driving. Now she's charged
with killing her babies, and her admission of guilt has leaked online. It should be the most
straightforward case Devyn
prosecutes all year. And yet, to her, it doesn't add up.
With time dwindling ahead of the trial, Detective Garth Klimmek questioning Cat's role in the
tragedy, and a suspicious
outsider loitering around town, this crime might just be the tip of an iceberg. Devyn's put two
Dulaneys behind bars before.
This time, whose side will she take -- and what will it cost?
Critique: A carefully crafted, suspense thriller of a read, "River Deep" by Bryan Gruley is the
second volume in the author's
Bitterfrost Thriller series. Showcasing novelist Bryan Gruley's exceptional flair for the kind of
storytelling style that is
particularly well suited for a wickedly gripping murder mystery complete with memorable
characters and unexpected plot
twists, "River Deep" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "River
Deep" from Severn House is
also currently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Editorial Note: Bryan Gruley (https://bryangruley.com) is the Edgar-nominated author of six
novels and one award-winning
work of nonfiction. A lifelong journalist, he shared in The Wall Street Journal's Pulitzer Prize for
coverage of the September
11 terrorist attacks.
Our Marriage Is Murder
Carol Goodman
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063398825, $30.00, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Marriage-Murder-Carol-Goodman/dp/0063398826
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/our-marriage-is-murder-carol-goodman/1148569438
Synopsis: Fred and Thea Morgan-Lane are the envy of the mystery community, the perfect
partners in life and in writing.
Together they coauthor the wildly successful Death Takes a Holiday series, and they've been
invited to the Italian castle
where it all began for a mystery conference celebrating their first novel, Death Takes the
Castle.
But their story isn't quite the fairytale it seems to outsiders. Twenty years and twenty books after
they met, Thea wants out.
Their marriage and partnership haven't been working for some time, and what better place to
announce the end of the series
than where it started?
Except shortly after their arrival at the beautiful Castellarosa, a shocking death takes place when
the wrong person drinks a
cocktail meant for Thea. The stunned conference-goers put it down to an unknown allergy, but
Thea isn't so sure.
Could someone be trying to kill her? Perhaps her loving husband isn't as ok with their series
ending as he pretends, or
maybe Nadine, the upstart young author who is vying to take Thea's place, wants her out of the
way. Suddenly, it seems like
everyone has a motive, and when a second death occurs, a disturbing pattern emerges -- these
deaths aren't random, they are
following the murders in Death Takes a Castle exactly. Murders that Thea and Fred wrote!
In order to save the day (and maybe even their marriage) the unhappy couple will have to work
together to figure out who is
using their book as a blueprint for a killing spree. That is, if they can trust the person they've
spent twenty years plotting
murders with!
Critique: A riveting and fun read from start to finish, "Our Marriage Is Murder" by Carol
Goodman is a 'must' for the legions
of suspense thriller 'whodunnit' mystery fans. While this hardcover edition from William Morrow
is unreservedly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of
mystery buffs and Carol Goodman fans that it is also available in paperback (9780063398788,
$18.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Carol Goodman (https://carolgoodman.com) There is an online listing of her
books at Book Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/carol-goodman
Don't Upstage the Body
Naomi Stephens
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764242489, $18.99, PB, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Upstage-Body-Historical-Whodunnit/dp/0764242482
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-upstage-the-body-naomi-stephens/1148520077
Synopsis: It is 1957, and Hippolyta Halfpenny and her family have mastered the business of
bereavement. As professional
mourners, they are so accomplished that even Lord Basil Monfort, the famous and wealthy
recluse, engages the family's
services for his own funeral. Tired of disguises and aliases, Hippolyta vows it will be her last
performance. Then she
discovers the undertaker's body during the wake and finds herself cast in the role of an amateur
sleuth in an increasingly
unpredictable investigation.
Soon rain washes away the roads, trapping the funeral party at Lord Monfort's estate -- with an
unidentified killer in their
midst. Bound by her father's wishes to maintain their charade, Hippolyta navigates a web of
secrets spanning decades. But
sorting truth from deception proves even more difficult when Lord Montfort's charming yet
perceptive heir suspects
Hippolyta is not all she appears to be.
Concealing her family's true identities while unraveling secrets might be a role Hippolyta is
hesitant to play, but with a
murderer among them, she must unmask the truth before the final curtain falls.
Critique: A classic cozy mystery with all the trimmings, "Don't Upstage The Body" demonstrates
author Naomi Stephens
true mastery of the genre. A fun and riveting read from start to finish, "Don't Upstage The Body"
is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans that this paperback edition of "Don't Upstage The
Body" from Bethany House
Publishers is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99) and in a large print edition
(Center Point Large Print,
9798900820408, $40.95).
Editorial Note: Naomi Stephens (www.NaomiStephens.com) is a bookworm turned teacher
turned writer. She authored The
Burning of Rosemont Abbey, which won a Daphne du Maurier Award, and Shadow among
Sheaves, which was an INSPY
Award shortlist contender and the winner of the 2020 Carol Award in Debut Fiction.
Hot Wings and Homicide
Carmela Dutra
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892424417, $29.99, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Homicide-Food-Truck-Mystery/dp/B0FM74MCM6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-wings-and-homicide-carmela-dutra/1148401834
Synopsis: Business at Kluckin' Good is smoking hot. To keep momentum going, Beth and her
twin brother, Seth, just scored
a prime spot at the Flavors of the Bay Food Festival. For three and a half days, food lovers will
flock to the Bay Area's
biggest culinary event to enjoy gourmet food trucks, cook-offs, and live music, but this recipe for
success is also the perfect
setup for murder.
When the infamous food critic Brad Dawson (also Beth's ex) turns up dead, the only clue at the
scene of the crime is a
Kluckin' Good tumbler mug. The timing couldn't be worse. Beth and Brad were seen in a heated
altercation, and days prior,
witnesses saw Seth punch Brad. Suspicion naturally falls on the twins. With the cops hot on their
trail, Beth will have to
avoid the flames to clear their names and save her food truck's reputation.
But the chickens are out of the coop, and as Beth digs into Brad's final hours, she will uncover
rivalries, grudges, and a
different side of Brad she never knew. If she doesn't crack the case soon, she might be the next
one to get cooked. Best of
cluck!
Critique: A fun, expertly crafted, and laced with humor read for cozy mystery fans from start to
finish, "Hot Wings And
Homicide" by Carmela Dutra is part of the author's Food Truck Mystery series and is certain to
be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to community and public library Mystery/Suspense Fiction
collections. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of cozy mystery readers that this hardcover edition of "Hot Wings And
Homicide" from Crooked
Lane Books is also features recipes and is available in paperback (9798892424424, $19.99) and
in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Carmela Dutra (https://carmeladutra.com) is a writer from the Bay Area who
loves food trucks, family, and
cozy mysteries. Her debut novel was "A Murder Most Fowl". She is a fan of humor, quirky
characters, and all things geeky.
There is a listing of her books online at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7356830.Carmela_Dutra
The Last Book Club
Joanne Rock
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892424806, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Book-Club-Novel/dp/B0FNVY7VTG
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-book-club-joanne-rock/1148118197
Synopsis: Making friends in a new town can be murder, so when Jordyn is invited to attend a
book club meeting in her new
Saratoga Springs neighborhood, it's safe to say she's excited. But she has no intention of making
friends with the tight-knit
group -- she has plans for revenge.
Jordyn's foster sister was a member of the book club until she was killed in a hit-and-run after a
meeting one year prior.
Members of the book club had serious motives, and Jordyn is determined to read between the
lines and find their secrets...
and her sister's killer.
When the book club hosts a murder mystery party, secrets begin bubbling to the surface -- and
the murder part of the game
becomes stranger than fiction.
Critique: With all the elements of a great cozy mystery (amateur female sleuth, abundant plot
twists, dramatic reveal), "The
Last Book Club" by Joanne Rock is a bookish mystery will thrill cozy mystery fans looking for
stories full of twists, turns,
and tantalizing secrets. While highly recommended, especially for community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Last Book Club" from Crooked
Lane Books is also
available in paperback (9798892424813, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Joanne Rock at Book Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/joanne-rock
Voted Most Likely to Murder
Lacey Moone
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892425674, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Voted-Most-Likely-Murder-Novel/dp/B0FM6T8D6X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voted-most-likely-to-murder-lacey-moone/1148039616
Synopsis: Belinda Bishop is unemployed and single. At thirty-two, her journalism career feels
stuck, and let's not even
speak about her love life, which isn't helping her look forward to her upcoming high school
reunion. Stuck working at her
parents' seaside cottage and RV park in Nova Scotia for the time being, she needs time to regroup
and come up with a killer
story to get her career and her life back on track.
When she literally stumbles across the dead body of the philandering class jock at the reunion,
the party quickly comes to a
stop. At first, it seems like the perfect opportunity for Belinda to channel her inner Christianne
Amanpour, until her
childhood-best-friend-turned-nemesis, Jolene Dexter, is declared the prime suspect. Despite their
falling out, Belinda is
convinced the former pageant queen is innocent.
As the two women struggle to put aside their differences, they have to work together to catch the
real murderer before this
sleepy coastal town is rocked to its foundations.
Critique: The stuff of which Hallmark Mystery Movies are made, "Voted Most Likely to Murder"
by Lacey Moone is a
deftly crafted and fun read for 'whodunnit' murder mystery fans from start to finish. Unreservedly
recommended, "Voted
Most Likely to Murder" will prove an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community
library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover
edition of "Voted Most Likely
to Murder" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in paperback (9798892425681, $19.99)
and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Lacey Moone (https://laceymoone1.ca) was born and raised on the south shore of
Nova Scotia, Canada. As a
former military spouse, she has lived from one end of the country to the other, even as far north
as the Northwest Territories.
She currently resides in Alberta. She loves to write mysteries starring tenacious women who are
as clever as they are
sarcastic, with a focus on strong female friendships.
The Memory Foundation
Amanda West
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892425704, $29.99, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Foundation-Novel-Amanda-West/dp/B0FNVXK58J
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-memory-foundation-amanda-west/1148118254
Synopsis: Struggling new single mom Natasha Walker is desperate to get back to her job as an
investigative journalist.
When she receives an anonymous tip about the Memory Foundation, a secretive research clinic
that promises the cure for
memory loss, she is instantly intrigued. Given her mother's dementia diagnosis, the story hits
close to home. Despite the
perilous snowbound location, she's determined to uncover the truth about the mysterious
founders and their patients.
Meanwhile, Lydia Hunter has faithfully worked alongside her husband, Wade, the founder of the
Memory Foundation, to
revolutionize the way the world understands memory. But the research is expensive, and they're
hemorrhaging money. In
order to gain more financial support, they open up the facility to an exclusive group of wealthy
guests, promising that each
one will experience a "memory flight" that will allow them to relive precious memories.
But when the wealthy clients arrive at the Memory Foundation, set high in the Alps in an area
prone to avalanches, all is not
what it seems. And when the weather takes a turn for the worse and power outages and a growing
sense of paranoia begin
affecting everybody, it becomes clear that no one at the Memory Foundation will ever be the
same -- and not everyone will
survive the week.
Critique: An original, deftly crafted, and simply riveting speculative and science fiction themed
suspense thriller of a read
from start to finish, "The Memory Foundation" by Amanda West is especially and unreservedly
recommended for
community library psychological suspense collections and the personal reading lists of readers
with an interest in a science
fiction 'locked room' style mystery novel. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The
Memory Foundation" from
Crooked Lane Books is also available in paperback (9798892425728, $19.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: Amanda West is the pen name of Amanda Reynolds, whose debut novel, Close to
Me, was published in
2017 by Headline and was adapted in 2021 by NENT Studios UK as a major TV series starring
Connie Nielsen and
Christopher Eccleston, which aired worldwide (Channel 4 in the UK and Sundance AMC in the
US). Since then, she has
published five more psychological thrillers as Amanda Reynolds, two more with Headline and
three with Boldwood Books.
Her Husband's Lie, published in 2024, spent two months in the Kindle Top 100 and has hundreds
of five-star reviews. Her
books are translated into multiple languages with bestsellers in Finland, Brazil, and Poland.
Invitation to Murder
Carol Floriani
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892425377, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Invitation-Murder-Killer-Event-Mystery/dp/B0FNVVVPSH
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/invitation-to-murder-carol-floriani/1148118198
Synopsis: After inheriting her mother's printing and party-planning business, Lacey Langdon
moves back to her sleepy
hometown of Willow Bluffs, perched on New Jersey's Palisades. When her great-aunt, Tessa
Langdon Vander Horn, a
well-known and beloved soap opera star, sells her nineteenth-century estate and donates ten acres
to the development of a
community park, Lacey's new venture is put at the helm of the opening ceremony. But the
festivities quickly come to an end
when the body of town councilman Glenn Hartman is found on the bank of the Hudson
River.
Partnering with her former classmate, lawyer Derek Conover, they dig deep into the case to find
out who is behind the
murder. Suspicions abound, but Lacey and Derek hit a snag when one of their prime suspects
drops dead at Lacey's next
event. With a second body added to the count, tensions rise in Willow Bluffs.
Caught in the cross fire when remnants of a family tragedy resurface, Lacey and Derek must act
swiftly before another body
drops dead.
Critique: While nothing spoils a party like an uninvited corpse, it's the perfect format for the
deftly crafted cozy mystery,
"Invitation to Murder" by Carol Floriani. Featuring memorable characters, unexpected plot twists
leading to the 'Big Reveal',
"Invitation to Murder" showcases Floriani's impressive flair for originality and for the kind of
character and narrative driven
storytelling style is ideal for the cozy mystery genre. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community and
public library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated cozy mystery fans
that this hardcover edition of "Invitation to Murder" from Crooked Lane Books is also available
in paperback
(9798892425384, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: After studying at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and graduating from
Rider University, Carol
Floriani (https://carolflorianiauthor.com) worked for many years in the editorial and publicity
departments of a Big Five
publisher before ultimately embarking on her writing career. In addition to Invitation to Murder,
she is the author of two
previously published young adult novels.
The Black Cat Detectives
Kit Gray
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892425520, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Cat-Detectives-Mystery/dp/B0FNW3NQ3C
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-black-cat-detectives-kit-gray/1148401839
Synopsis: Precocious kittens Bippity, Boppity, and Boop are exceedingly loyal to their human,
the twenty-eight-year-old
up-and-coming magician Mila. She saved them from starving to death in a dingy Corvin's
Crossing alleyway and has been
nothing but loving ever since, even though her own life is in shambles.
So when Mila's sketchy boyfriend and business manager turns up dead at the end of her big
magic show she us the prime
suspect! With evidence mounting, there's nothing stopping the sheriff from hauling away Mila to
the human pound. Unless
the kittens can solve the crime and clear her name.
The kittens will have to use their dubious control over the laws of physics and every whisker of
know-how they've got to
catch the real killer if they want to save their happy home with Mila. This is one meow-stery
more tangled than any ball of
yarn they've encountered yet.
Critique: Original, clever, deftly crafted and a simply fun read from cover for cat lovers and
mystery buffs alike, "The Black
Cat Detectives" showcases author Kit Gray's exceptional flair for the kind of imaginative and
character driven storytelling
style that is ideal for the animal/cozy mystery genre. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly
popular pick for community
library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be note for personal reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "The Black
Cat Detectives" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in paperback
(9798892425537, $19.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Kit Gray (https://www.kitgrey.com) draws inspiration from their lived
experiences of queerness, disability,
neurodivergence, fat positivity, and petting three cats with two hands. Their life has been an
adventure, from facilitating
equine therapy for trauma survivors to counseling at-risk youth with the aid of an inordinately
large subwoofer and beyond.
They earned their BA from Mount Holyoke and their MS from Capella University. Kit is a
full-time writer/mom and is
honored to be represented by Marisa Corvisiero and Ciara Smith at Corvisiero Literary Agency.
Kit is a third-place winner
of the Not Quite Write Prize and a Best of the Net 2025 nominee. Their work has appeared or is
forthcoming in The
Advocate, Choices: An Anthology of Reproductive Horror, The Not Quite Write Anthology
2025, The B'K, Five Minutes,
High Shelf, HerStry, Knee Brace, All Existing, and Quibble, among others.
A Thousand Cuts
Gregory Poirier
Diversion Books
https://www.diversionbooks.com
9798895150900, $18.99, PB, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Cuts-Max-Starkey-Thriller/dp/B0FFTGTGGR
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-thousand-cuts-gregory-poirier/1147732818
Synopsis: Meet Max Starkey -- a disgraced CIA operative turned underworld fixer whose past
loves, rivals, and
indiscretions are closing in on him in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
Seven years after a CIA mission in Laos went sideways, Max lives in the gray spaces between
criminals and justice,
recovering stolen goods for villains who don't ask questions. But when he's lured to Bangkok
under false pretenses, his past
catches up with him.
The setup: an old flame, Kelly Riggs, now married to his CIA rival.
The job: steal $130 million in dictator-owned gold before a coup ignites.
The problem : everyone plans a double-cross -- and Max is the mark.
Then there's Giuliana Abara, Max's sharp-tongued "companion", an undercover FBI agent with
secrets of her own, who
further proves that trust kills and redemption demands blood in this high-octane debut thriller
spanning the streets of
Bangkok to the Laotian rainforest.
Critique: An impressive blending of action, adventure, suspense, and a very special heist, "A
Thousand Cuts" by author and
screenwriter Gregory Poirier is an impressively original, deftly crafted, and thoroughly
entertaining read from start to finish.
Poirier demonstrates a genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling
style that is perfect for a noir
crime novel with a dramatic and memorable conclusion. While an especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that this paperback edition of
"A Thousand Cuts" from Diversion Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$8.99).
Editorial Note: Gregory Poirier (https://gregorypoirier.com) is an acclaimed screenwriter,
director, and producer whose
work spans film and television. His credits include National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Knox
Goes Away, and Rosewood.
A graduate of the USC School of Theater and the UCLA Masters program in screenwriting, he
brings a sharp, cinematic eye
to fiction. His debut novel A Thousand Cuts is the first in the Max Starkey series.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Sinuous Bargain of a Cowardly Prince
Kayliani Shi
www.kaylianishipr.com
Candescent Ink Press
https://kaylianishipr.com/candescent-ink-press
9798218579487, $24.99, PB, 484pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sinuous-Bargain-Cowardly-Shadowed-Chronicles/dp/B0FLDFZ7TR<
br>
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sinuous-bargain-of-a-cowardly-prince-kayliani-shi/1148
007287
Synopsis: Prince Ramiel Faundor is a bastard. His entire existence is the second best-kept secret
in a kingdom built on
blurred lines. But when his dragon-slaying brother dies in battle, Ramiel must stand in his place
in the kingdom's coronation
duel. There's just one problem: thanks to the king's intimidation, no noble or soldier dares to train
him.
Ether Malaphon is a cutthroat elven warrior. Her hatred for humanity is etched into her soul,
second only to her resentment
for the fairies who killed her parents. Her world unravels when she's dragged from her village to
be sacrificed to a long-dead
monarch. But fate intervenes when a certain desperate prince strikes a bargain that might save her
life. If he rescues her, she
must agree to train him for his duel.
As time runs out and enemies close in, Ramiel and Ether must navigate dark curses, buried
secrets, and a history determined
to repeat itself. But in a kingdom shaped by betrayal, victory may come at the ultimate cost.
Critique: A classically original and deftly crafted epic of sword and sorcery, "The Sinuous
Bargain of a Cowardly Prince" by
Kayliani Shi is Book 1 in the author's new 'The Shadowed Throne Chronicles' series that ably
blends heroic fantasy and
adventure with romance and suspense. The character and narrative driven story telling style of
Kayliani Shi lifts her fantasy
novel to an impressive level of literary excellence and will leave her reader's looking eagerly
toward the next volume in the
series continuing the adventures of Prince Faundor and the elven warrior Ether Malaphon. While
an especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it
should be noted for the personal
reading lists of heroic fantasy fans that this paperback edition of "The Sinuous Bargain of a
Cowardly Prince" from
Candescent Ink Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Kayliani Shi (www.kaylianishipr.com) is an avid reader, artist, and writer. Raised
in northern Idaho, she now
lives in Michigan with her husband, daughter, two cats, and dog. When not huddled in a blanket
writing, Kayliani enjoys
taking walks in the sun, visiting local cafes, and listening to her favorite J-ROCK band, Official
Hige Dandism.
What the Gods Left Behind
Zephyr Trillian
https://zephyrtrillian.com
Independently Published
9789083700601, $29.99, HC, 329pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/What-Gods-Left-Behind-Severed/dp/9083700607
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-the-gods-left-behind-zephyr-trillian/1149208429
Synopsis: When Wisterly escapes her lord's service, she can't stay visible for long. Her silver
collar marks her as an Acolyte.
If the guards see her, they'll drag her back -- and she'd rather not discover what punishment
awaits.
Desperate and hunted, she runs into Mordred, a Guild thief with his own troubles. He offers to
help after one last job:
stealing the Box of Pathways, a divine Artifact only the godblooded can handle without going
mad. With few other choices,
Wisterly accepts.
But some treasures are better left alone. When she touches the Box, something wakes inside and
takes control. Even worse,
the heist goes sideways, leaving them hunted by the Grand Council and the Guild alike.
Now Wisterly and Mordred are fugitives with a capricious power. To stay free, they must outwit
their pursuers and discover
if the Box will save them -- or destroy them both!
Critique: Original, deftly crafted with memorable characters and unexpected plot twists, "What
the Gods Left Behind" by
Zephyr Trillian (and the first book of the author's 'The Severed Age' series) is a fun and engaging
read from start to finish
and of very special interest for dedicated fans of Heroic Fantasy Adventure Fiction. Forgotten
gods, sacred bloodlines,
swords and sorceries, "What the Gods Left Behind" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for highschool and
community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that this hardcover
edition of "What the Gods Left Behind" is also readily available in paperback (9789083700618,
$19.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Zephyr Trillian (https://zephyrtrillian.com) tells stories about broken worlds,
forbidden magic, and hope in
unlikely places. When not writing, she can be found wandering the Netherlands, devouring
books, or immersing herself in
RPGs. She also works as an independent fiction editor.
Somed.ai
Gabriel Mejia Mory
Independently Published
https://www.somed.ai
9798197302083, $29.05, HC, 484pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Somed-ai-Gabriel-Mejia-Mory/dp/B0H2528FB5
Synopsis: Aden and Irene are drawn into a secret effort that is pushing intelligence toward a
historic threshold. What begins
as an attempt to understand reality more deeply than any institution or ideology ever could soon
reveals far wider
consequences. A system with enough predictive depth will not only change knowledge. It will
change power.
The project is not public, but it is not isolated. Others are also searching for the same threshold,
and they understand its
stakes before the rest of the world ever will. If intelligence reaches the point where the future can
be modeled with enough
precision, then the question is no longer only what can be known, but who will use that
knowledge, and for whose
benefit.
As forces begin closing in, Aden and Irene remain at the center of something that could
transform civilization while also
placing it in terrible danger!
Critique: Original, exceptionally well crafted, and a timely extrapolation of AI's impact on
humanity, "Somed.ai" by Gabriel
Mejia Mory is a deftly blending of philosophy with an imaginative and riveting techno-thriller
plot about AI, grimly
imposed secrecy, personal and collective morality, and the prevention of a horrific artificial
information manipulation and a
dominated future for mankind. Exceptionally impressive when considering that "Somed.ai" is
Gabriel Mejia Mory's debut as
a novelist and showcases a quite genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative storytelling
style that is ideal for the
hard science fiction genre. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and
community library Science
Fiction collections, it should be noted for the reading lists of all dedicated fans of dystopian
fiction that "Somed.ai" is also
readily available in paperback (9798197297235, $17.05) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.05).
Editorial Note: Gabriel Mejia Mory is a Guatemalan author and civil engineer. His work is
shaped by an interest in
technology, power, ethics, and the hidden structures that influence human life.
The Ephemeral Species
Patrick Smith
Patrick D. Smith Science Fiction
https://ephemeralspecies.com
ASIN: B0H5FTLCPK
9798996202423, $9.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5FTLCPK
Synopsis: All species go extinct and for we humans, our time has come.
Astrobiologist Nisha Chandra's discovery of life on Mars is only the beginning. The sophisticated
life form she unearths
next forces her daughter, Priya, into the center of the most significant change in the human
genome in a million years -- a
genetic leap that offers a future for the planet, but ensures the self-chosen extinction of the
human species within three
centuries.
In nature, every extinction is an opportunity. This is the story of ours.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish,
"The Ephemeral Species"
showcases author Patrick Smith's remarkable flair for the kind of imaginative and narrative
driven storytelling style that is
ideal for the science fiction genre. "The Ephemeral Species" is not a typical dystopian future
novel of a disastrous extinction
event wiping out the human race but rather a fresh new take on human evolution. Enhanced with
110 high-resolution
illustrations, "The Ephemeral Species" is especially and unreservedly recommended for both
personal reading lists and
community library Science Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Patrick D. Smith is a database and algorithm programmer working in the field of
birth defects research at
The University of California, San Francisco. He is also a landscape photographer and has written
two books. His photos
have been viewed over 150 (b)illion times. See my blog URL for my photography.
https://profiles.google.com/patricksmith1. His current passion is the future and he writes science
fiction reflecting the rapid
advances in genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and other scientific disciplines. In 30-50
years or so, computers and
the software running them will match our intelligence, then surpass it. What then?
Pastborn
Mihail Baesu
Independently Published
9798197695420, $16.00, PB, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pastborn-Other-worlds-magic-within/dp/B0H2NQ57VV
Synopsis: "Pastborn: Other Worlds And The Magic Within Them" by Mihail Baesu is the
singular story of the man born in
the past but living in the future -- The Pastborn!
After a very long slumber, Adam Connor finds that everything's a total mess: the world is ruled
by robots, humans have
been declared illegal (the audacity! do these robots know no shame?) and the Apocalypse is
coming. Also, magic is real.
The fate of the world is in Adam's unprepared hands.
Will he rise up to the challenge, after he finishes his beer?
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "Pastborn:
Other Worlds And The Magic
Within Them" by Mihail Baesu is modern fairy tale that will hold a special appeal for readers
with an interest in myths,
legends, folklore and fantasy. Author Mihail Baesu demonstrates a genuine flair for the kind of
eloquent and character
driven storytelling style that elevates his unique and epic fantasy novel to an impressive level of
literary excellence. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library
Historical Fantasy Fiction
collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Pastborn" is also readily available
through IngramSpark with a
55% wholesale, non-returnable discount (9789730443653) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.71).
Editorial Note: As a programmer, Mihail Baesu focuses on producing working code. As a writer,
his interest lies in creating
timeless stories, devoid of fleeting cultural references, that remain relevant to both present and
future generations. In his
own words he is -- "An artist's soul, trapped in a programmer's body."
The Color of Silence: A Dreamers' Dragon Novel
C. J. Gryffin
https://www.cjgryffin.com
CJ Gryffin Enterprises LLC
9798995438304, $29.99 HC, 368pp
9798995438311, $19.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Color-Silence-Dreamers-Dragon-Novel-ebook/dp/B0GPSVSBGG
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-color-of-silence-c-j-gryffin/1149896504
Synopsis: In 1930 Atlanta, five-year-old Darius Turner lives in a world that does not understand
him.
Labeled broken in a world that dismisses him, a nonverbal boy discovers the dream realm where
he's not damaged. He's
destined.
Darius lives inside a silence no one knows how to enter. His mother, Sadie, loves him fiercely,
but love doesn't stop the
stares, the whispers, or the cruel certainty that something in her son must be wrong. Darius can't
explain the storms inside
him. He can only endure them.
Then sleep opens a door.
In a hidden realm where rules bend, and color tells the truth, Darius meets Azure -- a wise
Dreamers' Dragon who doesn't
demand words, only courage. Night after night, Azure teaches Darius to shape what he can't say,
regulate emotions, and turn
patterns and drawings into a language the waking world can finally recognize.
But Darius's dreams aren't only a refuge. As Darius begins to learn, find friendship, and a fragile
foothold in his own life,
something waits in the shadows of Somnoria and the seam between worlds starts to strain.
Because Darius isn't broken. He's being called. And in the shadow beyond, a patient darkness
takes notice.
The veil between dreams and waking life is weakening, and a force long hidden is beginning to
reach for the world Darius
calls home. To survive what is coming, Darius must take his first steps toward trust, language,
courage, and learn that the
very things others fear in him may be the key to saving far more than himself.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a simply fascinating and engaging read from start to finish,
"The Color of Silence" by C.
J. Gryffin is Book One of her new 'A Dreamer's Dragon' series and is a deftly crafted and unique
fantasy novel with the
themes of family, resilience, autism, and the transforming power of being truly seen. Gryffin's
genuinely exceptional flair for
the kind of imaginative, character, and narrative driven storytelling style raises her novel to an
impressive level of literary
excellence. While an unreservedly recommended pick for community library Fantasy Fiction
collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Color of Silence" from CJ Gryffin
Enterprises LLC is also
available in a paperback edition and in a digital book (Kindle) format.
Editorial Note: C. J. Gryffin (https://www.cjgryffin.com) author, dragon enthusiast, and someone
who believes the most
powerful voices are often the quietest ones. As a special education teacher, she works with young
people who experience
the world differently. Students who are nonverbal, who process sensory information uniquely,
who notice connections and
patterns others miss. They are complex, vivid, and deeply misunderstood by a world that does not
always make space for
them. She draws upon her years of experience and expertise in writing her 'A Dreamer's Dragon'
series beginning with "The
Color of Silence".
The Delivery
Gregg Hurwitz
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662539343, $19.99, HC, 251pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Delivery-Novella-Gregg-Hurwitz/dp/1662539347
Synopsis: Rebecca and Mark Higgins are doing their best to hold their family together. She's
healing from the pain of a
miscarriage, he's drowning in pressure at work, and their neurodivergent daughter, Maddy, needs
all the care she can
get.
So when a cutting-edge tech company offers the perfect solution, they jump at the chance. And
they welcome "Mr. Man" (a
humanoid AI companion) into their home.
Designed to anticipate their needs, he is like a miracle at first. The house runs like clockwork.
Meals appear on the table.
And Maddy thrives under his patient attention. But when inexplicable tragedies start to strike the
neighborhood, Rebecca
glimpses a darker pattern at play.
Each incident is an answer to an unspoken fear, each kindness shadowed by violence. Mr. Man
isn't just following
instructions -- he's anticipating what they want. Even the things they never dared to say. And if
he's executing their darkest
desires, it's their responsibility to stop him... at any cost!
Critique: It's not the machines that corrupt we humans. It's we humans who corrupt the machines.
That message was first
send out in the 1950s with the science fiction film "Forbidden Planet". Now more than seven
decades later we find it
updated and refined in author Greg Hurwitz's masterpiece of science fiction "The Delivery". A
fun, riveting, and deftly
crafted read from start to finish, "The Delivery" is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to community
and college/university library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated SciFi
fans that this hardcover edition of "The Delivery" from Thomas & Mercer is also available in
paperback (9781662537660,
$12.99) and currently in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Gregg Hurwitz is the author of 23 thrillers, including the Orphan X series, and
two award-winning thriller
novels for teens. His novels have won numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have
been published in 33
languages. Gregg currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW). A
listing of his books is
available online at Book Series in Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/gregg-hurwitz
Isis of Egypt: Goddess of Thrones
Malayna Evans
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892424172, $22.99, HC, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Isis-Egypt-Goddess-Thrones-Novel/dp/B0FSCK5M4Q
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/isis-of-egypt-malayna-evans/1148361554
Synopsis: Isis, goddess of thrones and magic, steals the crown of Egypt and hands the power to
her husband, Osiris.
Together, Isis and Osiris live an idyllic life, ruling justly until the god of chaos, set on revenge for
a crime Isis knows
nothing about, traps Osiris in a box -- a box that quickly vanishes.
Driven by rage and desperation, Isis spends decades disguised as a human woman, isolated from
home and family as she
searches for her lost love. When she finally uncovers the box, what she finds will change her life
(and the fate of gods and
mortals) forever.
Unless Isis can right the wrongs of a betrayal she didn't commit and deliver Egypt into the hands
of a worthy leader, Egypt
will fall into chaos.
Critique: A truly memorable, inherently fascinating, and thoroughly entertaining read from start
to finish, "Isis of Egypt:
Goddess of Thrones" by Malayna Evans is a deftly crafted feminist retelling about the female
Egyptian goddess behind one
of the ancient world's most widespread and enduring cults that would expand out of Egypt and
into the Empire of Roman
and elsewhere in the Mediterranean world of antiquity. Isis is an ancient goddess whose message
of empathy and resilience
still resonate down the generations of time. While an especially and unreservedly recommended
pick for community/public
library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Isis of
Egypt: Goddess of Thrones"
from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available for personal reading lists in paperback
(9798892424189, $19.99) and in
a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Malayna Evans (www.malaynaevans.com) was raised in Utah and spent her
childhood climbing mountains
and reading sci-fi. She moved to Chicago in her early twenties, where she earned MAs in the
ancient history of the
Mediterranean and the Near East and a PhD in ancient Egyptian history. She enjoys sharing her
passion for the ancient
world with readers, adores travel, and plays a mean game of cards.
Sweep of Stars
Maurice Broaddus
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250264947, $19.99, PB, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sweep-Stars-Astra-Black-1/dp/1250264944
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweep-of-stars-maurice-broaddus/1139211785
Synopsis: The Muungano galactic empire strived and struggled to form a utopia when they split
away from old earth.
Freeing themselves from the endless wars and oppression of their home planet in order to shape
their own futures and create
a far-reaching coalition of city-states that stretched from Earth and Mars to Titan.
With the wisdom of their ancestors, the leadership of their elders, the power and vision of their
scientists and warriors they
charted a course to a better future. But the old powers could not allow them to thrive and have
now set in motion new plots
to destroy all that they've built.
In the fire to come they will face down their greatest struggle yet.
Amachi Adisa and other young leaders will contend with each other for the power to galvanize
their people and chart the
next course for the empire.
Fela Buhari and her elite unit will take the fight to regions not seen by human eyes, but no
training will be enough to bring
them all home.
Stacia Chikeke, captain of the starship Cypher, will face down enemies across the stars, and
within her own vessel, as she
searches for the answers that could save them all.
Critique: Science fiction action adventure involving the clash of galactic empires and individual
heroism, "Sweep of Stars"
by Maurice Broaddus is a fun read from cover to cover. With the publication of "Sweep of Stars",
Broaddus reveals a
genuine flair for the kind of storytelling that is essential for a galactic space opera style tale.
While highly recommended,
especially for the personal reading lists of dedicated SciFi fans and community library Science
Fiction collections, it should
be noted that this paperback edition of "Sweep of Stars" from Tor is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
Editorial Note: Maurice Broaddus (https://mauricebroaddus.com) is a fantasy and horror author
best known for his short
fiction and his Knights of Breton Court novel trilogy. He has published dozens of stories in
magazines and book
anthologies, including in Asimov's Science Fiction, Black Static, and Weird Tales.
A Treason of Magic
Melissa Marr
www.melissamarrbooks.com
47 North
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662536939, $16.99, HC, 315pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Treason-Magic-Melissa-Marr/dp/1662536933
Synopsis: Gabrielle is the first woman in Alveus to carry the mantle of Hunter, which comes with
an obligation to kill the
faery beasts murdering travelers in Brimmond Wood. Wary of the power she wields as guardian
of her people, Gabrielle is
summoned by her first love, a seductress who shattered her heart into pieces a decade ago.
Isabeau is the rarest of nobility -- a lady duke. She is also afflicted by a curse that leaves her in a
deep sleep between the
gloaming and daylight. How can she begin her tenure as protector when she can't keep her village
safe from whatever stalks
its darkest hours? For that, she needs the help of the Hunter.
Against her will, Gabrielle is falling in love all over again. But what new threats will arise when
Gabrielle and Isabeau's
star-crossed destinies collide with the beast of Brimmond Wood?
Critique: "A Treason of Magic" by Melissa Marr is the deftly crafted story of two young women.
Heirs to altogether
different hereditary burdens. Yet each is bound by a monstrous threat to their village. Of
particular appeal to readers with an
interest in romance, historical fantasy, and folklore, "A Treason of Magic" is a fun and riveting
read from start to finish.
Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and
community library collections, it
should be noted that this paperback edition of "A Treason of Magic" from 47 North is also
available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $3.99). Also highly recommended is author Melissa Marr's first book in the series, "A
Treason of Curses"
(9781662536953, $16.99 PB, $3.99 Kindle, 299pp).
Editorial Note: Melissa Marr (www.melissamarrbooks.com) is the author of the Wicked Lovely
series, among many other
novels, short stories, and fiction for teens and children. Her books have been translated into
twenty-eight languages.
The Dark Mirror
Samantha Shannon
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639735945, $21.99, PB, 576pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Mirror-Bone-Season-Novel/dp/1639735941
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-mirror-samantha-shannon/1145294954
Synopsis: Everything is about to change.
Paige Mahoney is outside the Republic of Scion for the first time in more than a decade -- but she
has no idea how she got
to the free world. Half a year has been wiped from her memory.
Her journey back to the revolution takes her to Venice, where the Domino Programme has
uncovered evidence of a secret
Scion plan. Before Paige can return to London, she must help the network unravel the sinister
Operation Ventriloquist,
which threatens to bring Europe to its knees in weeks.
And it soon becomes clear that the one person who could recover her memories - Arcturus
Mesarthim - might also hold the
key to thwarting Scion, allowing the revolution to strike an unprecedented blow...
Critique, Author Samantha Shannon's genuinely impressive and imaginative flair for the kind of
character and narrative
driven storytelling style that is ideal for the contemporary fantasy genre is on full display in the
pages of her latest novel --
"The Dark Mirror". A deftly crafted blend of romance, suspense, and dark fantasy, "The Dark
Mirror" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be
noted for the growing
legions of Samantha Shannon fans that this paperback edition of "The Dark Mirror" from
Bloomsbury Publishing is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.59).
Editorial Note: Samantha Shannon (https://www.samanthashannon.co.uk) is the author of The
Bone Season and The Roots
of Chaos series. Her work has been translated into twenty-eight languages.
Baen Books
www.baen.com
Baen's titles are packed with action, strong characters, and involving sci-fi scenarios that will
attract readers seeking
memorable stories.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Apogee-Ballistic-Travis-S-Taylor/dp/1668073188
Travis S. Taylor's Apogee (9781668073186, $28.00) is the second book in the Ballistic series,
and takes place two years
after the Battle for the International Space Station. The world is still recovering and rebuilding
from that confrontation when
Marcus Dorman, who has been part of the rebuilding process, moves to link human minds with
technology in a further bid
for control over reality itself. Vivid action, high-tech possibilities, and the fate of a universe
where one man is changing
everything accompanies a setup for a final war over a deadly upgrade.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Star-Mike-Kupari/dp/1668073242
Mike Kupari's Twin Star: From High Society to High Frontier (9781668073247, $18.00) tells of
well-off young Eddy
Lancaster, who is enjoying a leisurely life when his adventurous uncle sends him and his twin
sister on a quest away from
their homeworld which might involve contact with an alien race. His sister Effie, who is
dedicated to science, sees this as an
opportunity to cement her worth beyond her upbringing by making a new scientific discovery in
another star system that
holds a dangerous secret. Young adult and adult readers alike will appreciate how vividly the
story moves into new
opportunities and possibilities, and how unpredictable the plot's evolution as Effie and Eddy
confront their dreams, lives,
and futures together. Both are involving, creative productions that should reach a wide
audience.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
How I Make Comics
Kim Deitch
Fantagraphics Books
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001673, $24.99, HC, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Comics-Kim-Deitch/dp/B0FDZNV9VD
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-i-make-comics-kim-deitch/1147696104
Synopsis: How I Make Comics is not just about how Kim Deitch makes comics, but about how
comics made him. Presented
in a B/W graphic novel format, it pinwheels between real autobiography and imagined comics
history, but it begins in 1952
with a true story of eight-year-old Kim Deitch appearing in the audience of the Howdy Doody
Show with eight-year-old
Donnie Trump.
Following Donnie's attempt to rig an election among the audience (no kidding!), Deitch relates a
famous newspaper account
of a diminutive wife who valiantly defends her equally diminutive husband in court, who just
happens to be the inspiration
of Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie.
Periodically, Kim asks his own wife for her critique and advice of the stories he's told so far,
which he takes into account for
future tales that include revenge-driven circus performers, fairytale mural painters, sordid comic
book lore, comics readers
creating real-life superheroes, impossibly old cats issuing supernatural judgments and inhabiting
the bodies of humans.
"How I Make Comics" culminates in the real-life story of Kim's mother hitchhiking across
country and being picked up by
none other than Forrest J. Ackerman, the sci-fi, fantasy, and monster aficionado, who takes her to
a convention where she
meets a teenaged Ray Bradbury.
"How I Make Comics" is a creatively kaleidoscopic, non-stop exploration of how Deitch's
imagination turns ideas,
influences, and irritations into comics in his inimitable style. Snippets of behind-the-scenes
explanations of his notes and
sketches expand into cascading short stories. Each section goes freewheeling from notion to
notion, quietly building themes
and reveling in its own wild-eyed imaginative capacities across 180 pages to form both an
intimate graphic memoir and an
eye-popping graphic novel.
One of the most prolific artists of his generation, Deitch is now entering his 60th year of
cartooning more inventive than
ever and showing no signs of slowing down.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Kim Deitch fans, "How I Make Comics" is an
extraordinarily unique, truly
fascinating, enduringly interesting, and a simply riveting read from start to finish. While highly
recommended as a prime
pick for personal, community, and college/university library memoir themed Graphic Novel
collections, it should be noted
that this hardcover edition of "How I Make Comics" from Fantagraphics is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle,
$17.99).
Editorial Note: Kim Deitch (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Deitch) lives in New York, NY,
with his wife, the artist
Pamela Butler. His books include The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Shadowland, Alias the Cat,
and The Search for Smilin'
Ed!
Reincarnation Stories
Kim Deitch
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9781683962618, $29.99, HC, 260pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Reincarnation-Stories-Kim-Deitch/dp/1683962613
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reincarnation-stories-kim-deitch/1130520020
Synopsis: "Reincarnation Stories" is legendary underground cartoonist Kim Deitch's magnum
opus, a sprawling odyssey of
reincarnation presented in a graphic novel format.
Deitch's quest to piece together the cosmic jigsaw puzzle of creation and reveal his past lives
weaves through time and
space, encompassing a dizzying array of oddball characters, including aspiring screenwriter
Sidney Pincus, a tribe of
moon-dwelling Native Americans, a feline YouTube star, a has-been silver screen cowboy, Frank
Sinatra, and the awesome
Monkey God!
Featuring Deitch's surreal scenarios and eye-popping psychedelia, "Reincarnation Stories" is a
gripping yarn and a
cartooning tour de force presented with B/W illustrations.
Critique: Original, iconoclastic, and a fun, fascinating read from start to finish, "Reincarnation
Stories" by author/illustrator
Kim Deitch is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community,
and college/university library
Contemporary Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of
"Reincarnation Stories" from
Fantagraphics Books is also readily available in a Flexibound edition (9798875001734, $29.99)
and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Kim Deitch (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Deitch) lives in New York, NY,
with his wife, the artist
Pamela Butler. His books include The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Shadowland, Alias the Cat,
and The Search for Smilin'
Ed!
Mister Magic: The Graphic Novel
Written by Kiersten White
Adapted by Scott Peterson
Illustrated by Veronica Fish and Andy Fish
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Ten Speed Press
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9781984863355, $24.99, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mister-Magic-Graphic-Scott-Peterson/dp/1984863355
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mister-magic-kiersten-white/1148264004
Synopsis: Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children's
program Mister Magic, the five
surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly
devoted fans still cling to the
lessons they learned from the show, the cast have spent their lives searching for the happiness
they felt while they were on
it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.
But with no surviving videos or scripts, no evidence of who directed or produced the show, and
no records of who (or what)
the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former circle of friends has. In Val's case,
kidnaped by her father and in
hiding ever since, she doesn't even have those.
A surprise encounter with Val's old castmates brings them all together for a reunion. Back to the
remote desert filming
compound that feels like it's been waiting for them all this time. Back among friends they haven't
seen for years, but who
somehow understand one another better than anyone has since.
After all, they're the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in
his infinitely black cape,
and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as Val reclaims
parts of her past, she wonders:
Are they there by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?
Because magic never forgets the taste of friendship...
Critique: Deftly blending the themes of homophobia, sexism, and racism, with an original
suspense thriller presented in a
graphic novel format, "Mister Magic" by the team of author Kiersten White, adaptor Scott
Peterson, and illustrators
Veronica Fish and Andy Fish is a fun and engaging read from start to finish. While an especially
and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Graphic Novel
collections, it should be noted
for dedicated graphic novel fans that this paperback edition of "Mister Magic" from Ten Speed
Graphic is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note #1: Kiersten White is a Bram Stoker Award-winning, critically acclaimed author
of many books, including
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, the And I Darken trilogy, the Slayer series, the
Camelot Rising trilogy, Star
Wars: Padawan, Hide and Hide: The Graphic Novel, Mister Magic, Lucy Undying: A Dracula
Novel, and The Fox and the
Devil.
Editorial Note #2: Scott Peterson is an American editor at WildStorm Productions, an imprint of
DC Comics, and a writer
of comic books and children's books.
Editorial Note #3: Veronica Fish is a comic book artist and painter best known for her work with
Marvel Comics and Archie
Comics. She received a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. She
currently lives with her
husband and collaborator, Andy Fish in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Editorial Note #4: Andy T. Fish is a graphic novelist, comic book artist, and educator. He is best
known for his graphic
novels with Archie Comics and Dark Horse Comics, as well as and his How to Draw series. He
is currently an adjunct
professor of art at Emerson College and lives in Worcester, Massachusetts with his wife and
fellow artist, Veronica
Fish.
The Book of Murmurs
Candice Purwin
Fantagraphics Books
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001765, $18.99, PB, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Murmurs-Candice-Purwin/dp/B0FDZFL9J2
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-book-of-murmurs-candice-purwin/1147696106
Synopsis: When tragedy strikes her household and her book of spells is stolen, Little Moon is
spirited away to the strange,
shimmering world of The Fault. In this land rich in lore and crackling with magic, she must find
allies, discover her true
name, and channel the stories of her matrilineal line to battle the fearsome Shenk.
A fantastical tale crafted as supple and strong as spider silk, "The Book of Murmurs" by Candice
Purwin is a fascinating
graphic novel that weaves together powerful themes of grief, friendship and identity. Featuring
full-color illustrations
throughout, "The Book of Murmurs" takes the reader on an adventurous journey through what it
is to be lost, and what it
means to be found.
Critique: "The Book of Murmurs" by author/illustrator Candice Purwin is fun read from start to
finish. A fantasy adventure
in a graphic novel format, this is the story of a young girl who must brave a magical world of
strange creatures and shivering
landscapes to find her slain parents and defeat a monster who feeds off fear. Certain to be an
immediate and enduringly
popular pick for personal, middle school, highschool, community, and college/university library
graphic novel collections
for readers 14 to 44, it should be noted that this trade paperback (6.6 x 1 x 9 inches, 1.68 pounds)
edition of "The Book of
Murmurs" from Fantagraphics is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Candice Purwin (https://www.candicepurwin.com) is a graphic novelist living
and working in Edinburgh.
Her debut graphic work, Idle Women on the Water, came out in 2020, and she has had short
comics published in Neon
Literary Magazine and the Geometry Literary Journal. She was shortlisted for the Jonathan Cape
Graphic Novel
Competition in 2015 and 2016.
War of the Worlds: Thunder Child
Matthew Hardy and Rob Jones, authors
Kevin Castaniero, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787749597, $24.99, HC, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/War-Worlds-Thunder-Matthew-Hardy/dp/1787749592
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/war-of-the-worlds-matthew-hardy/1149516494
Synopsis: Co-authored by Matthew Hardy and Rob Jones, "The War of the Worlds: Thunder
Child" is illustrated by Kevin
Castaniero and follows the exploits of the crew of the eponymous ironclad torpedo ram, the HMS
Thunder Child.
Sitting alongside the events of Wells' novel, the story takes place against a backdrop of strange
occurrences and creeping
terror, all leading up to the Thunder Child's final heroic showdown with the invaders from
Mars.
Presented in a graphic novel format, "War of the Worlds: Thunder Child " is a terrifying and
thrilling tale soaked in blood,
recriminations, sacrifice and loss, the first act in a new take on the well-known science-fiction
classic with a unique cast and
its own story to tell. A story of the horrors and conflicts of the crew as they experience the first
desperate days of the
Martian invasion and face the possible collapse of the British Empire and civilisation itself --
threatened both from the
stars... and from within.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for science fiction enthusiasts in general, and War of the Worlds
fans in particular, this large
format (8.38 x 0.53 x 11.15 inches, 9 ounces) hardcover edition of "War of the Worlds: Thunder
Child" from Titan Comics
is a fun read from start to finish, as well as an unreservedly recommended pick for personal and
community library Science
Fiction themed graphic novel collections. It should be noted that "War of the Worlds: Thunder
Child" is currently available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.74).
Editorial Note #1: Matthew Hardy's writing credits include Cadavers, Last Exit to Brighton,
Madhouse, Murder Most
Mundane and the upcoming Vehi-Killer. A graduate of Andy Schmidt's Comic Experience class
and founder of Mad Robot
Comics, he can be found on X at @MattPHardy
Editorial Note #2: Rob Jones has lettered work for comic publishers such as Image Comics, Dark
Horse, Scholastic, Harper
Collins, Penguin, Humanoids, Heavy Metal, DC Thomson, Markosia, Amigo Comics, Madius
Comics and has co-written
Hell in Stalingrad and Thunder Child. He can be found on X at @RobJonesWrites
Editorial Note #3: Kevin Castaniero is a freelance illustrator hailing from Atascadero, California,
he has done backup stories
for several books including The Reason for Dragons, Cocaine Disco and Death Saves II. He can
be found on Instagram as
countpagan.
Craniacs: Volume 1
Sholly Fisch, author
Joe Simko, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787748606, $17.99, PB, 112pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Craniacs-Sholly-Fisch/dp/178774860X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/craniacs-sholly-fisch/1148419525
Synopsis: In the Craniacs universe of skull-headed folks, two planets collide and force two very
different societies
(Stone-Aged Retrovia and ultra-futuristic Futerra) to figure out how they are going to make this
new planet-sharing world
order work!
Innovative high-octane action, wacky physical comedy and outrageous competitions will be at
the heart of every issue,
alongside the importance of friendship, fraternity and family.
This graphic novel collection from Titan Comics is comprised of all four issues of the Craniacs
comic book series and
includes an exclusive bonus of interviews and additional artwork.
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for the growing legions of graphic novel fans (especially those
who enjoy author and
storyteller Sholly Fisch wicked sense of humor and artist/illustrator Joe Simko's unique and
eccentric and colorfully visual
storytelling style), "Craniacs: Volume 1" is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, community, and
college/university library Comics/Graphic Novels collections. It should be noted that this
paperback edition of "Craniacs:
Volume 1" from Titan Comics is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note #1: Sholly Fisch (www.fictiondb.com/author/sholly-fisch~77810.htm) has written
everything from Batman to
Bugs Bunny, and from Spider-Man to Star Wars to Scooby-Doo. His comics for kids have won a
Ringo Award, a Comics
Buyer's Guide Fan Award, and been nominated for an Eisner Award and four Diamond Gem
Awards. Some of Sholly's
Superman stories for older readers appeared in two #1 New York Times bestselling graphic
novels, and one of his Batman
stories was adapted to become an episode of the television series Batman: The Brave and the
Bold. By day, Sholly is a
mild-mannered developmental psychologist who has helped produce numerous educational TV
shows and games, including
Sesame Street, Cyberchase, and The Magic School Bus Rides Again.
Editorial Note #2: Joe Simko (https://www.joesimko.com) is a New York City based illustrator
who is the current lead
artist/writer to Topps' Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages trading cards. He is the producer
and co-director of the
Garbage Pail Kids documentary film, 30 Years of Garbage. He was the illustrator/author of the
book series, The Sweet Rot,
and has designed artwork for bands, creating album covers, tour posters and concert shirts for
such acts as Metallica, Gwar,
Misfits, The Vans Warped Tour, etc. His Cereal Killers trading cards set was released May 2,
2011 with Joe writing and
painting all 55 cards. A second series was released through Wax Eye in June 2012.
Strange Pictures 1
Story by Uketsu
Manga by Kikou Aiba
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787749313, $12.99 pbk / $8.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Pictures-Vol-1-Uketsu/dp/1787749312
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strange-pictures-vol-1-uketsu/1148469243
Synopsis: From Japan's breakout horror sensation comes a chilling new manga experience.
Strange Pictures is the spine-tingling manga adaptation of Uketsu's bestselling novel, brought
vividly to life by artist Kikou
Aiba. Uketsu - the enigmatic masked writer who has become one of Japan's most talked-about
authors - first captivated
readers with a novel that sold in the millions. Now, the terror unfolds panel by panel.
At its core lie nine childlike sketches. A pregnant woman's doodles on her blog conceal a dire
warning. A boy's simple
drawing of his home hides a message no child should know. A murder victim's final sketch
becomes a clue that drags an
amateur sleuth into a labyrinth of secrets. Each picture is innocent at first glance - yet when
pieced together, they reveal a
web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.
For fans of Junji Ito and modern psychological horror, Strange Pictures transforms the mundane
into the macabre. Some
images fade, but these horrors will be etched in your memory.
Critique: Strange Pictures 1 is the first volume of the black-and-white manga (Japanese comics)
adaptation of the bestselling
murder mystery/psychological suspense novel "Strange Pictures" by Japanese author Uketsu. The
expressive art of manga
creator Kikou Aiba transforms "Strange Pictures" from its original format of text with a handful
of visual images that the
reader can process as clues, into a riveting, almost cinematic graphic novel adaptation. The first
volume of Strange Pictures
covers the opening chapters of the multilayered story, which follows different interconnected
characters. In Strange Pictures
1, two friends discover a disturbing online blog illustrated with pictures that hide a terrible secret;
then the focus shifts to a
struggling single mother, who may or may not be tracked by a stalker. (The series is destined to
be continued with Strange
Pictures 2 and presumably more installments, until the intricately connected mystery of Uketsu's
"Strange Pictures" novel is
complete.) Strange Pictures 1 is a "must" especially for fans of complex solve-it-yourself
mysteries, highly
recommended.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Fourth Queen
Nicola Cornick, author
Helen Stern, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781785137341, $104.95 / $89.21, CD, (9 Hours 26 Minutes)
9781785137358, $104.95 / $89.21, MP3-CD, (9 Hours 26 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/the%20fourth%20queen
Synopsis: When Jenna arrives at Winterhill House, she's instantly transported back in time to the
priory that stood there
before, the life she lived before, and the secret she kept in her past life for the fourth queen of
despotic King Henry
VIII.
It's 1539 and the king is intent on destroying the Catholic church, and with the dissolution of the
monasteries, beautiful
young prioress Marris is about to lose everything. She knows she has to do whatever it takes to
keep her sisters safe, even
agreeing to marry the wealthy man who has been gifted the priory land.
But when she marries him, she also finds herself catapulted into the court of the king. And her
mastery of the German
language makes her an ideal companion for his new queen, Anna of Cleves. It's destined to be a
short marriage -- but after
the divorce, when Anna finds herself in trouble, it will be Marris she turns to.
Will Marris risk her life to help the fourth queen? Because defying the king is the highest
treason, and keeping this secret
will put everything Marris has fought to keep safe in the gravest danger...
Critique: Two timelines, one queen, and a suppressed incident involving 16th Century British
Royalty, "The Four Queen" by
novelist Nicola Cornick is an original and unique novel involving time travel, historical romance,
and a hazardous court
ruled by dangerous king. This complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Four Queen's
is brilliantly narrated by
the storytelling talents of Helen Swain. Very highly recommended as a welcome addition to
community library Historical
Fiction themed audio book collections, it should also be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Fourth Queen" is also
available from Boldwood Books in a large print paperback edition (9781785137419, $43.50 /
$36.98).
Editorial Note #1: There is an extensive online listing of books by Nicola Cornick available at
Book Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/nicola-cornick
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by Helen Stern available at Book
Series in Order:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Helen+Stern
Murder in Rome
T. A. Williams, author
Simon Mattachs, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837031467, $104.95 / $89.21, CD, (6 Hours 41 Minutes)
9781837031474, $104.95 / $89.21, MP3-CD, (6 Hours 41 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/murder%20in%20rome
Synopsis: Former DCI Dan Armstrong has been living and working in Florence for nearly three
years -- yet somehow, Rome
has always eluded him. That is, until glamorous TV celebrity Tamsin Goodfaith turns up with a
request he can't refuse:
investigate her uncle's suspicious death in the Eternal City.
Philip Hastings was a billionaire financier, found dead at his magnificent (if slightly spooky)
medieval castle in the Roman
hills. Dan and his faithful canine companion, Oscar, soon find themselves surrounded by luxury,
secrets and more suspects
than sightseeing opportunities.
But when a second murder follows close behind, the case turns dangerously personal. With
whispers of ghosts and
crumbling alibis, Dan and Oscar must sniff out the truth before he becomes the next victim.
Harder to crack than castle
walls (and harder still than stopping Oscar from stealing snacks) this Roman holiday is anything
but relaxing!
Critique: An absolute must for the legions of T. A. Williams fans in general, and cozy mystery
enthusiasts in particular,
"Murder in Rome" is the fifteenth murder mystery needing to be solved by retired British copy
and now Italian based private
eye Dan Armstrong and his faithful (and every hungry) dog Oscar. Brought vividly to life in a
true theatre of the mind
experience for the listener, this complete and unabridged audio book of "Murder in Rome" is
absolutely guaranteed to be an
immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense themed audio
book collections. It should
also be noted that "Murder in Rome" is also available from Boldwood Books in a large print
paperback edition
(9781837031535, $43.50 / $36.98).
Editorial Note #1: There is an extensive online line listing of books by T. A. Williams available
at Books Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/t-a-williams
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by Simon Mattacks available at
Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Simon+Mattacks
Death on the Norfolk Express
Ross Greenwood, author
David Thorpe, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836178095, $104.95 / $89.21, CD, (11 Hours 44 Minutes)
9781836178101, $104.95 / $89.21, MP3-CD (11 Hours 44 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/death%20on%20the%20norfolk%20express
Synopsis: When a man is found dead on a steam train the tranquil nostalgia of the North Norfolk
Railway is shattered. To
add to the disquiet, while the police are investigating the death, another man is spotted bound to
the tracks. A pattern of fear
is emerging on the Poppy Line and the pressure is on DI Ashley Knight's struggling team to
deliver answers.
With the body count rising along the once peaceful coastal route, Knight must find a way to stop
a killer before they reach
their final destination. Because Ashley knows if she doesn't, for someone it's the end of the
line.
Critique: A deftly crafted and original 'whodunnit' crime thriller that will hold a special interest
for fans of police procedural
themed hardcover murder mysteries, this audio book edition narrated by vocal actor David
Thorpe brings author/storyteller
Ross Greenwood's "Death on the Norfolk Express" vividly to life. While highly recommended
for personal and community
library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections, it should also be noted that "Death of a
Fugitive" is also available from
Boldwood Books in a large print paperback edition (9781836178156, $43.50 / $36.98).
Editorial Note #1: There is an extensive online listing of books by Ross Greenwood available at
Book Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/ross-greenwood
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by David Thorpe at Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=David+Thorpe
Death of a Fugitive
John Pilkington, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781806009473, $104.95 / $89.21, CD, (7 Hours 45 Minutes)
9781806009480, $104.95 / $89.21, MP3-CD, (7 Hours 45 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781806009541
Synopsis: 1595, Bishopsgate Ward, London, England
Matthew Cutler, constable for the parish of Spitalfields, prides himself on always being on the
side of justice. So when a
young man on the run, whose only 'crime' was protesting about high prices and corruption, hides
out in Bishopsgate, not for
the first time Cutler finds his duties as constable at odds with his gut feeling. He feels compelled
to help him, and not just
because his daughter Jane is smitten with the plucky lad.
Meanwhile there is trouble in Bishopsgate as fake coins keep turning up, convincing enough to
fool many. Tensions rise and
people are in fear of a brutal yet shadowy figure: the 'coiner' Thomas Gunnell, who seems to have
eyes everywhere. Cutler
must once again fall back on his skills of disguise, and risk his own life to root out Gunnell's
gang before they bring chaos to
Bishopsgate Ward -- and danger to everything he holds dear.
Critique: Simply stated, John Pilkington is a master of the Medieval Mystery genre and his novel
"Death of a Fugitive" is
brought to vivid life with the talented narrative storytelling style of Simon Mattacks in this
complete and unabridged audio
book edition from Boldwood Books. Original, extraordinary, and entertaining from start to
finish, "Death of a Fugitive" is
unreservedly recommended for personal and community library collections. It should also be
noted that "Death of a
Fugitive" is also available from Boldwood Books in a large print paperback edition
(9781806009541, $43.50 / $36.98).
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by John Pilkton available at Books Series in
Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/john-pilkington-historical-fiction
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by Simon Mattacks available at
Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Simon+Mattacks
A Murder in Hollywood
Michael Crichton, author
Ray Porter, narrator
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonepublishing.com
9798200965694, $29.95, MP3-CD (4 Hours 30 Minutes)
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Hollywood-Michael-Crichton/dp/B0FXY6T3W7
Synopsis: In the glitz and decadence of 1970s Hollywood, an era when sex and drugs are readily
available on any movie set,
the writer of the next Western blockbuster, Bloodrock, has just been found dead in his motel
bathtub. Now publicist Harvey
Jason is desperately trying to keep the project on track while the famed Harlow Perkins, a
brilliant and ruthless investigator,
begins to unravel the mystery and hunt the killer down.
From scorching-hot desert locations to sleazy motel bars, the members of the cast and crew (each
one with a very dark
secret of their own) will send this case deeper and deeper into a maze of confusion and shadows
until the shocking truth is
revealed.
Will the murderer be found? Or will the true identity of the killer turn out to be just another
Hollywood illusion?
Critique: The late Michael Crichton was a master of the suspense thriller mystery genre and "A
Murder in Hollywood" was
one of his best. The impressive narrative storytelling skills of Ray Porter bring this
action/adventure murder mystery to life
in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience. This complete and unabridged MP3-CD audio book
edition of "A Murder in
Hollywood" is an expressly and unreservedly recommended pick for personal and community
library Mystery/Suspense
themed audio book collections. There is an online listing of books by Michael Crichton at Book
Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/michael-crichton
Editorial Note: Michael Crichton (1942-2008) is one of the most prolific bestselling authors of
all time with over 200
million copies sold worldwide, in forty languages, including Jurassic Park, The Lost World,
Sphere, Next, Prey, Disclosure,
Eaters of the Dead, and Congo. His books have been adapted into fifteen films, most notably
Jurassic Park directed by
Steven Spielberg which launched one of the highest-grossing entertainment franchises of all
time. A remarkable and
versatile talent, Crichton wrote and directed several films including Westworld, The Great Train
Robbery (based on his
novel), and Coma and created the television series ER. He received his MD from Harvard
Medical School and was a
postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. After writing novels under the
pseudonyms John Lange and
Jeffery Hudson while he was still a medical student, his first bestseller as Michael Crichton, The
Andromeda Strain, was
adapted into a classic film.
The Library CD Shelf
A Marvelous Party
Duchess
www.duchesstrio.com
Anzic Records
$15.00 CD / $30.00 vinyl / $9.99 digital
Bandcamp
https://duchesstrio.bandcamp.com/album/a-marvelous-party
The Duchess trio consists of jazz vocalists Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, and Melissa Stylianou.
Supported by talented
musicians on piano, guitar, bass, drums, saxophones, trumpet, and trombone, The Duchess trio
presents their fourth album,
A Marvelous Party, where they exuberantly perform beloved vintage songs of celebration and
joy. A Marvelous Party lives
up to its title and is highly recommended for both public library collections and connoisseurs of
upbeat jazz. A Marvelous
Party also makes a wonderful gift for any festive occasion! The tracks are This Could Be the
Start of Something Big; Lucky
Day; Are You Having Any Fun?; Ain't That a Kick in the Head; Enjoy Yourself; Hey, Look Me
Over; It's All Right With
Me; I Went to a Marvelous Party; Champagne; Put On a Happy Face; Is That All There Is? and
Danke Schoen.
Prism of Existence
Soojin Suh
Endectomorph Music
$20.00 CD / $15.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://soojinsuh.bandcamp.com/album/prism-of-existence
Korean music artist and drummer Soojin Suh presents Prism of Existence, an extraordinary new
album or original songs
from her Coloris Trio - Soojin Suh on drums, Hoo Kim on double bass, and Jaehun Kang on
piano. All songs are composed
by Soojin Suh except for "Network Song" and "There Is No Evil in Pain" by Hoo Kim, and
"Ecnad" by Jaehun Kang.
Intensely rhythmic, and revolutionary in its approach toward melody and form, Prism of
Existence is a choice pick for
personal and public library collections of avant-garde international music, highly recommended.
The tracks are Uncertainty I
- Everlasting Peace; Uncertainty II - Faith in Fate; Network Song; Sailors; The Doors of
Perception; Eyes of Little One;
Uncertainty III - Beginnings and the Endings; Fragments of Memory; There Is No Evil in Pain
(For Chick Corea); and
Ecnad.
Girl Talk
Jennifer Madsen
JenniferMadsen.com
Jennifer Madsen Music
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6GBJSMW
Jazz vocalist and producer Jennifer Madsen presents Girl Talk, a big band jazz album produced
by Madsen and Sam
Cardon. Supported by a masterful ensemble of performers on piano, bass, drums, guitar, trumpet,
trombone, sax, and more,
standout instrumental solos in each track and Madsen's shining vocals are the highlights of Girl
Talk. A treasure for
connoisseurs of big band jazz and lively classic songs, Girl Talk is highly recommended for both
personal and public library
collections. The tracks are Besame Mucho; Girl Talk; You Turn Me On Baby; You and the Night
and the Music; There's
Gotta Be Something Better Than This; Misty; My Funny Valentine; Any Place I Hang My Hat is
Home; Comin' Home
Baby; Spinning heel; and The Look of Love.
In Real Life
JabFung
jabfung.bandcamp.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $10.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://jabfung.bandcamp.com/album/in-real-life
In Real Life is an instrumental jazz album by collaborative group JabFung, led by bassist Julian
Anderson-Bowes and
drummer Anthony Fung, with members Luis Deniz on alto saxophone, Adam O'Farrill on
trumpet, and Rafael Zaldivar on
piano. All songs are the original creations of JabFung, recorded immediately after a spring tour;
the music flows into natural
duets and balanced soundscapes inspired by both the connectivity and the atomization of the
modern world. Inspired and
inspiring, In Real Life is a groundbreaking musical commentary on the transformations of the
twenty-first century, highly
recommended especially for avant-garde jazz connoisseurs. The tracks are Changes; Stronger
Still; Respite Piano Smash; In
Transit, Undefined; Skander; Methadone for Doomscrolling; Future Tense; and Woven.
Let's Take a Trip
Anthony Caceres, et. al.
www.anthonycaceres.com
$TBA CD / $11.61 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Take-Trip-Anthony-Caceres/dp/B0GP8X78JD
Jazz vocalist, upright bassist, and bandleader Anthony Caceres presents Let's Take a Trip, a jazz
album featuring three songs
composed by Caceres and six songs created by a variety of other music artists. Let's Take a Trip
is masterfully performed by
Caceres on upright bass and vocals, Tamir Hendelman on piano, Jostein Gulbrandsen on guitar,
and Joe Farnsworth on
drums. Let's Take a Trip is a smooth-flowing treasure and a choice pick for connoisseurs of vocal
jazz, highly
recommended. The tracks are What a Little Moonlight Can Do; Elevators and Escalators Let's
Take a Trip; Sebastian's
Waltz; Blinding Lights; Strangelove; Stolen Moments; A Slow Hot Wind; and I Just Dropped By
to Say Hello.
Keep Holding On
Leigh Pilzer with Paul Bratcher and Greg Holloway
leighpilzer.com
Strange Woman Records
www.strangewomanrecords.com
$20.00 CD / $11.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://leighpilzer.bandcamp.com/album/keep-holding-on
Bariton saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Leigh Pilzer presents Keep Holding On, a lively
album of original jazz
music. All songs are composed by Pilzer except for "Zingamomma" by Paul Bratcher and "G's
Bop" by Greg Holloway.
Performed by Pilzer on bariton saxophone, Greg Holloway on drums, Paul Bratcher on
Hammond B3 organ, Jen Krupa and
Joe Jackson on trombones, and Kenny Rittenhouse and Ally Hany Albrecht on trumpets, Keep
Holding On is brimming
with intense, rhythm-propelled momentum and the sheer passion of the moment. Keep Holding
On is a treasure for
connoisseurs of original jazz, highly recommended. The tracks are Swinging at the Station; Js
and Ks; Musing Music;
What's Up, Puppy; Keep Holding On; When It's Gone; Zingamomma; Just Another Pretty Song;
East Coast Andy;
Sideburns; and G's Bop.
Tomorrow Is Today
The Phoenix Trio
Giant Step Arts
giantsteparts.org
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://joemartin3.bandcamp.com/album/the-phoenix-trio-tomorrow-is-today
Tomorrow Is Today is the striking debut album of The Phoenix Trio (tenor saxophonist Mark
Turner, bassist Joe Martin,
and drummer Marcus Gilmore). The original, instrumental songs showcase the trio's mastery of
both music craft and finely
balanced collaboration. Bold and adventurous, Tomorrow Is Today inspires the listener to meet
the future's challenges
head-on. Highly recommended! The tracks are The Fencer (Joe Martin); Lioness(Martin); 1946
(Mark Turner); Harvest
(Marcus Gilmore); Tomorrow Is Today (Martin); and Safe (Martin).
Bass & Face
Chuck Bergeron and vocalists
Summit Records
www.summitrecords.com
$12.99 CD
Summit Records
https://summitrecords.com/release/bass-face-duets-with-ten-premier-vocalists-chuck-bergeron
Bass & Face: Duets with Ten Premier Vocalists is an extraordinary music CD featuring storied
bassist Chuck Bergeron
performing duets with ten world-class vocalists: Janis Siegel, Sheila Jordan, Kevin Mahogany,
Pete McGuinness, Roseanna
Vitro, George Rabbai, Deobrah Silver, Lisanne Lyons, Kate Reid, and Nicole Yarling. The
curated selection of classic songs
is vivaciously brought to life through memorable, emotional performances, in this choice pick for
bass and vocal jazz
connoisseurs. Highly recommended! The tracks are An Occasional Man; Emily; Devil May Care;
I Thought About You;
When I Drink; Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West; Detour Ahead; Audubon Zoo / Iko-Iko;
Fair Weather; Take the
Wrinkles Out Your Birthday Suit; Analog; Duke Ellington's Sound of Love; and Do You Know
What It Means.
Global Prayer
Ize Trio
Privately Published
$20.00 CD / $20.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://chasemorrin.bandcamp.com/album/ize-trio-global-prayer
The multicultural Ize Trio consists of American pianist Chase Morrin, Cypriot percussionist
George Lernis and Palestinian
cellist Naseem Alatrash. Together with an array of special guests for the tracks "From the Stars"
and "Snaefellsjokull", they
present Global Prayer, an album encapsulating a heartfelt prayer for peace. Composed entirely by
Chase Morrin, the songs
of Global Prayer embody the search for answers, the yearning to communicate, and the hope for a
brighter future. Highly
recommended! The tracks are Flying; From the Stars; Splashes of the Future; Snaefellsjokull;
Global Prayer; The New
Order; Jam for the End of the World; Taqsim; and Epilogue.
The Gaming Shelf
Race and Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons
Christopher LeCluyse
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476692128, $39.95 PB, $15.99 Kindle, 245pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Monstrosity-Dungeons-Dragons-Studies-Gaming/dp/1476692122
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/race-and-monstrosity-in-dungeons-dragons-christopher-leclu
yse/1147273762
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/race-and-monstrosity-in-dungeons-dragons
Synopsis: "Race and Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons" by Christopher LeCluyse examines
how ideas of race in
Dungeons & Dragons are rooted in more than 2,000 years of history, from ancient Greek
depictions of "monstrous races"
through early modern Europe.
It also shows how D&D co-creator Gary Gygax formalized fantasy creatures using frameworks
based on scientific
taxonomy and nineteenth-century racial theory. These influences continue to shape how race
functions in the game,
especially in the depiction of orcs and drow -- two groups identified by publisher Wizards of the
Coast as particularly
problematic.
Additionally, "Race and Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons", provides an historical overview,
case studies in racial
representation of orcs and drow, and interviews with players of color that provide insight into the
experience of race during
play.
Of special note is are the concluding chapter notes progress and limitations in recent revisions to
the game's treatment of
race. Even as terms shift from "race" to "species", Christopher LeCluyse argues, the foundational
logic of classification
remains embedded in the fantasy genre.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and essential reading for the legions of D&D players, "Race and
Monstrosity in Dungeons &
Dragons" by Professor Christopher LeCluyse is a part of the outstanding 'Studies in Gaming'
series from McFarland &
Company. Featuring a twenty-two page and informative Introduction, a four page Appendix
(Interview Methods), twenty
pages of Chapter Notes, a ten page Bibliography, and an eight page Index, "Race and Monstrosity
in Dungeons & Dragons"
will prove a unique and appreciated addition to personal, community, and college/university
library D&D collections and
supplemental Gaming Theory curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading
lists of those with an interest
in D&D gaming and racial discrimination, that "Race and Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons"
is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Christopher LeCluyse (https://christopherlecluyse.com) is a professor of
literature, media, and writing at
Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Fishing Shelf
The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing
Marc Fryt
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781645023173, $29.95, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Urban-Fly-Fishing-Explore/dp/1645023176
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-guide-to-urban-fly-fishing-marc-fryt/1147382987
Synopsis: While city dwellers often turn to hiking, biking, or simply enjoying a local park as
healthy pastimes that don't
come with high costs or distant travel, one rewarding pursuit remains largely untapped in urban
environments: fly
fishing.
For over a thousand years, fly fishing has been more than a method of harvesting food; it's a
source of immense joy, a
pathway to understanding nature intimately, and a tradition that connects us to water and wildlife.
But why should this
enriching experience be confined to remote waters and rural landscapes? Why can't we cast a line
right in the heart of our
cities?
With the publication of "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing: How to Explore and Enjoy Your Local
Waters", Marc Fryt
shatters the stigmas and preconceptions (elitism, exclusivity, and notions of purity) that have kept
fly fishing from thriving
in urban settings, revealing how the sport is truly accessible to all. It also introduces angling
knowledge within the unique
ecosystems that cities offer, ecosystems that have evolved dramatically over the past 150
years.
But more than just a DIY how-to book, "The Guide to Urban Fly-Fishing" provides the tools,
resources, and diverse stories
to help us discover the vibrant community and joy of urban fly fishing. It's also about joining a
broader ecological
movement that's redefining how we live, relate, and recreate in our cities.
"The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" answers both the why and how questions of urban fly
fishing.
Why fish in your city? Because of the accessibility, affordability, community, and unique
adventures that urban waters offer.
A fishing rod transforms city landscapes into engaging playgrounds, turning anglers from mere
observers into active
participants.
Why fly fishing in particular? This method of fishing is highly versatile and effective for the
diverse ecosystems found in
urban areas.
"The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" serves as the first comprehensive urban guide for those new to
fly fishing in general, as
well as for anglers who have yet to explore urban waters. It's filled with practical insights, tips,
and uplifting stories from
experienced urban anglers from several cities, including Los Angeles, Denver, Minneapolis,
Boston, New York City, and
Columbus. Additionally, it provides readers with the resources and inspiration to explore their
city's waters, overcome
challenges, and discover personal rewards and a sense of community.
Critique: Nicely illustrated throughout, this trade paperback (9781645023173, 13 ounces) edition
of "The Guide to Urban
Fly Fishing: How to Explore and Enjoy Your Local Waters" by Marc Fryt is informative
enhanced for the reader's benefit
with the inclusion of a Foreword by Tom Rosenbauer, a Preface by Dr. Brandon Dale, a twelve
page Introduction (Fly
Fishing Right Outside Your Door), a Conclusion (Making Your Cast), a four page listing of
Further Resources, a four page
Bibliography, and a six page Index. A highly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and
college/university library Fishing & Hunting collections, it should be noted for aspiring and
practicing fly fishing anglers
that this edition of "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing: How to Explore and Enjoy Your Local
Waters" from Chelsea Gree
Publishing is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).
Editorial Note: Marc Fryt, a US Army veteran, discovered fly fishing as a way to decompress and
explore mountain rivers
and streams during his military service as a helicopter pilot and operations officer. After leaving
the service and moving to
Columbus, Ohio, he took up urban fly fishing with the encouragement of local anglers and
mentors. He is now an urban
fly-fishing guide in Spokane, Washington State's second-largest city. He brings years of writing
and photography
experience, having been published in numerous fishing and hunting magazines such as The
Drake, Flyfish Journal,
Backcountry Journal, Fly Culture, Covers, Project Upland, Kayak Angler, and American Fly
Fishing.
The Gardening Shelf
Garden for Life
Rhonda Fleming Hayes
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781645023258, $29.95, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Strategies-Greener-Gardening/dp/1645023257
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/garden-for-life-rhonda-fleming-hayes/1148002816
Synopsis: With the publication of "Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful
Gardening as We Age",
expert gardener Rhonda Fleming Hayes draws upon a lifetime of gardening experience,
research-based advice, and
collective wisdom to older gardeners who are looking for inspiration and practical strategies.
"Garden for Life" is a delightfully comprehensive DIY guide that presents new techniques and
tools to make gardening less
strenuous, and highlights plants that "multitask" to make a garden more sustainable -- for both
the aging gardener and the
environment. It also advises on how and when to ask for help to lighten the load so we can focus
on the life-enhancing
aspects of spending time in the garden.
"Garden for Life" reminds us that gardening is a simple way to answer the human need to
connect with nature, a craving
called biophilia, while highlighting its many proven health benefits. Gardening offers a
low-intensity workout with a variety
of natural movements, provides a sense of purpose while nurturing a meditative state that
decreases stress, fosters improved
nutrition and better brain health, and grows social connection and community. In short, gardening
is excellent for health and
longevity!
Critique: Beautifully and inspiringly illustrated, this trade paperback (7 x 0.49 x 9.96 inches, 1.36
pounds) edition of
"Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age" by Rhonda
Fleming Hayes is
exceptionally informative and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation.
An ideal and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal DIY reading lists for aspiring and practicing gardeners, as well
as community library and
Senior Center gardening book collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of
"Garden for Life" from Chelsea
Green Publishing is also easily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).
Editorial Note: Rhonda Fleming Hayes is the author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening
for Bees, Butterflies, and
Other Pollinators and an award- winning writer and photographer applying her passion to all
things plant-related.
Combining a lifetime of gardening experience with wit and solid research-based advice, her
stories can be found in the
Minnesota Star Tribune, Northern Gardener, and Mpls/StPaul Magazine. She has volunteered as
an Extension Master
Gardener since 2000. She is also a member of GardenComm, the Minnesota State Horticultural
Society, the Herb Society of
America, and is a past trustee of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
Flower Power
Jac Semmler
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9781760765200, $65.00, HC, 480pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Power-Designing-Planting-Year-Round/dp/1760765201
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flower-power-jac-semmler/1148062593
Synopsis: An ideal instructional guide for any gardener wanting to successfully grow flowers,
this abundantly illustrated
edition of "Flower Power: Designing Gardens for Year-Round Wonder" by gardening expert Jac
Semmler is the ultimate
guide to flower-planting design and composition.
"Flower Power" breaks down the processes, techniques, and thinking in planting design and
garden-making, including a
how-to on categorizing and understanding plants; a detailed guide to designing your garden
considering color, composition,
texture, and layers; and how to achieve your garden design with easy techniques, photography,
and the proper tools.
Fun charts and layouts showing color palettes, flowering calendars, planting forms, density, and
distribution are also
featured.
"Flower Power" will take your gardening to the next level, using up-to-the-minute international
thinking in design translated
into an accessible and immersive reference for anyone who wants to try something new in their
garden. Critically praised
garden designer and flower expert Jac Semmler provides readers with the know-how to bring
together a successful and
thriving garden.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with exceptional colored photography, "Flower
Power: Designing Gardens for
Year-Round Wonder" by Jac Semmler is an ideal and unreservedly recommended instructional
guide for novice and
experienced flower gardeners alike. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this
large sized (8.7 x 1.4 x 10.2
inches, 4.24 pounds) hardcover edition of "Flower Power" from Thames & Hudson is an
extraordinary pick for personal,
professional, and community library Gardening & Garden Design collections.
Editorial Note: Jac Semmler is foremost a plant lover. Known for her big laugh, Jac tends to
Super Bloom
(www.thesuperbloom.com.au) -- a creative plant practice that brings dynamic, living beauty and
diversity to landscapes,
places, and creative projects, exploring gardening as an immersive art form. Her first book was
"Super Bloom: A Field
Guide to Flowers for Every Gardener" (2023). Jac is a respected horticulturalist and recognized
innovator in dynamic
planting design. As a plant advocate, she shares garden dreams and schemes as a regular
contributor, curator, and "gardener
in residence" to institutions, festivals, radio, podcasts, and publications, including
Wonderground.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
A Sudden Flicker of Light: A Revisionist History of Movies
David Thomson
Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668205730, $30.00, HC, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668205734
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-sudden-flicker-of-light-david-thomson/1148560014
Synopsis: Arguably one of cinema's wisest and most penetrating observers, David Thomson has
now published "A Sudden
Flicker of Light: A Revisionist History of Movies", a one-volume history of film and screens that
is as illuminating and
provocative as it is exceptional and thought-provoking. Thomson traces the progress, from the
Lumiere Brothers to the
Coens.
Thomson glories in the great movies, but admits to increasing unease over what the medium has
done to us -- promoting
fantasy, misleading models of sexual identity, the cult of authority, power, and happy
endings.
"A Sudden Flicker of Light" is an authentic and fascinating revisionist history that is as alert to
technology and business as it
is to art and fun in tracing our pursuit of the lifelike instead of life.
By turns trenchant, lyrical, and comic, Thomson uncovers our addiction to voyeurism and
villainy, and a habit of passivity
that has betrayed our political and cultural identity. In a survey that reaches from Metropolis to
Rear Window to Anora, "A
Sudden Flicker of Light" will redirect ideas about film everywhere.
Critique: Original, iconoclastic, exceptional, and a fascinating read from cover to cover, "A
Sudden Flicker of Light: A
Revisionist History of Movies" must be considered an essential and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History/Criticism collections
and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, film buffs, and non-specialist
general readers with an
interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "A Sudden Flicker of Light" from Simon &
Schuster is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone
Publishing,
9781668141731, $39.99).
Editorial Note: David Thomson is the author of more than twenty books, including biographies
of David O. Selznick and
Orson Welles, and The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. His writing and his books have
been featured in The New
York Times, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, Slate, and many
more. He lives in San Francisco.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/16462792.David_Thomson)
The Business Shelf
The Problem-First Method
Kevin Scott Dias
https://www.kevinsdias.com
Independently Published
9798274840347, $24.00, HC, 248pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Problem-First-Method-Framework-Innovative-Builders/dp/B0GXWR
BX3N
Synopsis: Late 2023. Kevin Dias is on a video call with a practice owner who was about to walk
away from a deal. She
leans forward: "Do you have Autopay?"
Kevin freezes. His competitor just launched it. Every lost deal mentions it. So he says what any
founder under pressure says:
"We can build that."
Three months later, Kevin ships. Nobody cares.
He had solved the wrong problem!
Solo practitioners needed Autopay (set it, forget it, charge cards automatically). His customers,
multi-provider practices
juggling insurance, exceptions, and staff who needed control, needed something completely
different.
That mistake cost Kevin Scott Dias three months. But it taught him something worth far more:
the most expensive thing you
can build is the right solution to the wrong problem.
Experienced based, "The Problem-First Method: A Framework for Innovative Product Builders"
by Kevin Dias is about the
discipline of resisting that mistake, even when the pressure is on, the competitor is shipping, and
everyone's waiting for you
to make a call.
Kevin is not a founder with billion-dollar exits to his name. His Ambiki is a niche vertical SaaS
serving pediatric therapy
practices, not exactly TechCrunch headline material. But Kevin has spent a decade making
mistakes, recognizing patterns,
and learning to tell the difference between real problems and imaginary ones.
"The Problem-First Method" covers:
The traps smart teams fall into (Autopay, Safe Oasis, the API mirage) and why "competitor has
it" is never a good enough
reason.
Real frameworks that make problem-first thinking repeatable: the Feature Alignment Document,
the 10-Question Validation
Checklist, the Problem Atlas that replaces traditional roadmaps.
How Kevin and his team built his teletherapy platform three weeks before COVID hit the US,
and what that taught them
about sitting with a problem long enough for the right solution to emerge.
And the hardest lesson of all: How to maintain discipline when customers hand you solutions,
sales wants features by
Friday, and your ego whispers that of course you can build that.
Every page comprising "The Problem-First Method" comes from practice. The messy,
uncomfortable work of sitting with
problems longer than feels natural, especially when momentum makes it feel like you're still on
track.
If you have ever shipped something clever and polished that nobody used, "The Problem-First
Method" is meant for you.
And if you have ever wondered why problem-first thinking is so hard when everyone already
knows they should do it -- you
are not alone.
But knowing the trap and avoiding it are two different skills. "The Problem-First Method will aid
you in building the second
one.
Critique: Timely, exceptional, informative, and groundbreakingly original, "The Problem-First
Method: A Framework for
Innovative Product Builders" by Kevin Scott Dias is exceptionally well written and impressively
'reader/user' friendly in
organization and presentation. Of special and particularly interest to readers concerned with
Business Decision Making,
Product Management, and Strategic Business Planning, "The Problem-First Method: A
Framework for Innovative Product
Builders" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
and college/university library
Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted for MBA students,
academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that this
hardcover edition of "The Problem-First Method: A Framework for Innovative Product Builders"
is also readily available in
paperback (9798255168392, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Kevin Scott Dias (https://www.kevinsdias.com) didn't set out to build software
for speech therapists. Before
joining Sidekick Therapy Partners as CTO, he built tools for professional translators, taught
English in Japan, and worked in
investment banking. The industries changed, but the pattern didn't: Kevin had a knack for
understanding and solving
problems. Kevin and his family currently reside in Oyama.
The Christian Studies Shelf
How Then Shall We Read?
Max Botner
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
www.eerdmans.com
9780802883841, $24.99, PB, 275pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/How-Then-Shall-Read-Interpreting/dp/0802883842
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-then-shall-we-read-max-botner/1147848763
Synopsis: With the publication of "How Then Shall We Read?: A Student's Guide to Interpreting
the New Testament",
Professor Max Botner equips students of the New Testament with the interpretive tools they need
to engage the Bible
faithfully.
This innovative textbook bridges the gap between two traditionally separate fields: New
Testament introduction and biblical
hermeneutics. It invites students to reflect critically on how their own traditions, experiences, and
theological commitments
shape their encounter with the biblical text, while underscoring the value of both scholarly
analysis and personal spiritual
growth. In doing so, it addresses a common challenge in biblical studies courses: helping
students see connections between
rigorous academic work and meaningful personal engagement with Scripture.
"How Then Shall We Read?: A Student's Guide to Interpreting the New Testament" begins by
exploring why interpretation
matters, both practically and theologically, before guiding readers through key aspects of biblical
interpretation. Students are
introduced to the historical process by which the Bible came to be, the importance of
historical-critical methods, and the
New Testament's cultural and literary contexts.
"How Then Shall We Read?: A Student's Guide to Interpreting the New Testament" also includes
a fresh, reader-friendly
approach to questions of genre and language, as well as a model for embracing the unity and
diversity of the canon.
Additionally, it incorporates insights from across Christian traditions and global contexts,
inviting students into a rich,
ongoing conversation about what it means to read the Bible today.
Written specifically for the newest generation of undergraduate students, "How Then Shall We
Read?: A Student's Guide to
Interpreting the New Testament" provides an up-to-date and accessible entryway into academic
biblical interpretation -- one
that is grounded in the conviction that the ultimate aim of studying Scripture is to grow in the
knowledge and love of
God.
Critique: Thoroughly and impressive 'reader friendly' in style, organization and presentation,
"How Then Shall We Read?: A
Student's Guide to Interpreting the New Testament" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended
pick for church, seminary,
community, and college/university library New Testament Studies collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and all members of
the Christian Community
regardless of denominational affiliation that this paperback edition of "How Then Shall We
Read?: A Student's Guide to
Interpreting the New Testament" from the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is also readily
available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Max Botner is associate professor of biblical studies at Jessup University. He also
directs the Center for
Bible Study, a nonprofit initiative to expand accessibility to biblical studies, and hosts the
center's On the Way podcast. His
first book, Jesus Christ as the Son of David in the Gospel of Mark, won the Manfred
Lautenschlaeger Award for
Theological Promise. Botner is also the author of Beyond the Greek New Testament: Advanced
Readings for Students of
Biblical Studies.
The Self-Help Shelf
The Unfollow Effect: Intentional Living in a Digital Age
Emily Feldpausch
www.emilyfeldpausch.com
Keep Moving Press
9798994342923, $24.99, HC, 231pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Unfollow-Effect-Intentional-Living-Digital/dp/B0GQ7Z26KW
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-unfollow-effect-emily-feldpausch/1149563879
Synopsis: Feeling overwhelmed by screens -- but unsure how to live without them?
With the publication of "The Unfollow Effect: Intentional Living in a Digital Age", educator,
parent, and business owner
Emily Feldpausch offers a grounded alternative to digital detox culture -- an alternative rooted in
intentional choices, small
experiments, and real life with kids, work, and responsibilities.
"The Unfollow Effect" isn't about abandoning technology. It's about 'unfollowing' what no longer
serves you so you can
show up more fully for the people and values that matter most.
"The Unfollow Effect" shows how to:
Unfollow distractions that pull you out of real life
Protect your mental health from scrolling-induced anxiety and comparison
Break validation addiction without deleting every app
Build healthier tech habits at home - for yourself and your children
Model intentional technology use as a parent or educator
Replace guilt and rigidity with curiosity and continuous experimentation
Each of the twenty-two chapters comprising "The Unfollow Effect" blends personal narrative,
research-backed insight, and
simple 'Protect Simplicity' action steps you can actually try.
Steps that are derived from lived experience -- not theory.
Drawing on years as a special education teacher, mother of three, and digital native, Emily
Feldpausch deftly explores how
technology shapes families, classrooms, and inner lives - and what happens when we start paying
attention.
If you liked Digital Minimalism or want to learn How to Break Up with Your Phone, "The
Unfollow Effect" offers a gentler
approach focused less on quitting technology and more on aligning it with your values, season of
life, and mental
health.
"The Unfollow Effect" is essential reading if you want to:
Be more present without going offline
Create healthier screen habits for your family
Feel calmer, clearer, and more intentional
Use technology on purpose - not by default
You don't have to unplug from the world to live well. -- Sometimes, you just need to
unfollow.
Critique: Original, exceptional, timely, inspiring, 'real world practical', and thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and
presentation, "The Unfollow Effect: Intentional Living in a Digital Age" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended
pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement and Time/Digital
Management collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Unfollow Effect"
from Keep Moving Press
is also readily available in paperback (9798994342916, $14.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Emily Feldpausch is an academician (Elmira College) who approaches digital
wellness through lived
experience-as a teacher, parent, and business owner navigating screens in real time.
(https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZ3OyqDFa0)
The Peace Guidebook
Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino and Dr. Katie Eastman, authors
Health Communications, Inc.
https://hcibooks.com
9780757326080, $17.95, PB, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Guidebook-Cultivate-Healing-Humankind/dp/0757326080
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-peace-guidebook-elizabeth-hamilton-guarino/11475589
20
Synopsis: In a world that often feels divided, noisy, and uncertain, "The Peace Guidebook: How
to Cultivate Hope, Healing,
and Harmony for the Good of Humankind", co-authored by the team of Elizabeth
Hamilton-Guarino and Dr. Katie Eastman,
is a soul-stirring invitation to return to what truly matters: a quieted soul, a love that reaches
outward, and a life guided by
collective compassion.
"The Peace Guidebook" is far more than a just another book on how to live peacefully in an
unpeaceful world -- rather it is a
clarion call to action. A blueprint for change. A spark for a global peace movement.
Rooted in Hamilton-Guarino's and Eastman's decades of work helping people through grief,
change, and transition, and
inspired by the Percolate Peace Project, "The Peace Guidebook" delivers Ten Principles of Peace
that will help you:
Heal what's unresolved within you
Navigate conflict with courage and grace
Create partnerships rooted in values and vision
Lead from love, even when the world forgets how
Build real, resilient, peace-filled communities
With practical tools for real transformation (including reflective prompts, authentic stories, and
accessible daily practices)
"The Peace Guidebook" becomes more than just another motivtional read. It is a steady
companion, a well of wisdom, that
you will return to again and again as you uncover your most peaceful, purpose-driven self.
Critique: Original, exceptional, inspiring, motivational, "The Peace Guidebook: How to Cultivate
Hope, Healing, and
Harmony for the Good of Humankind" by co-authors Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino and Dr. Katie
Eastman will hold a special
appeal and value for readers with an interest in emotional mental health and stress management.
While an especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community
and college/university library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "The
Peace Guidebook" from
Health Communications is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note #1: Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is the founder of The Best Ever You Network
and host of The Best Ever
You Show, a top-ranked podcast with over 5 million global downloads. She is also the
co-founder of Compliance4, a
consulting firm providing strategic solutions in regulatory compliance, leadership, and business
excellence. A Master Life
Coach and bestselling author, Elizabeth is widely recognized as one of America's leading voices
in personal development,
leadership, and mindset transformation. She is the author of The Change Guidebook and The
Success Guidebook, and
co-author (with Dr. Katie Eastman) of Percolate - Let Your Best Self Filter Through (Hay House)
and the forthcoming The
Peace Guidebook. She also co-authored award-winning children's books with Sally Huss.
Editorial Note #2: Dr. Katie Eastman is a nationally respected grief and change expert with over
three decades of experience
helping people turn heartbreak into healing and trauma into transformation. A psychotherapist,
master grief coach,
organizational consultant, and cofounder of Recreate Coaching and Counseling, Dr. Katie brings
deep emotional insight,
spiritual awareness, and practical tools to life's most profound challenges. Trained in the
integration of psychology and
spirituality, she infuses every aspect of her work with compassion, presence, and purpose.
Your Royal Nature: Inspiring Essays to Find Your Way Home
Alice McDowell
www.alicemcdowellauthor.com
Luminare Press
https://www.luminarepress.com
9798900710440, $14.95, PB, 204pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Royal-Nature-Inspiring-Essays/dp/B0GV1KLB45
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-royal-nature-alice-mcdowell/1149803705
Synopsis: "Your Royal Nature: Inspiring Essays to Find Your Way Home" by Alice McDowell
was written for readers who
want to grow spiritually and experience the oneness and liberation that is their true royal nature.
Those who lead busy and
complicated lives will find the short chapters offer a meditative reading experience with
guidance, support, and spiritual
sustenance.
Wide-ranging and thought-provoking, the essays comprising "Your Royal Nature" will help you
find your life purpose,
break negative habits, cope with world crises, and find deep abiding love.
McDowell draws from spiritual wisdom traditions and personal experiences to take you beyond
everyday challenges and
give you a larger perspective on life as you cultivate your essential nature.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Your Royal Nature:
Inspiring Essays to Find Your Way Home" by Alice McDowell is a truly original, impressively
exceptional, and
inspirationally motivational read from start to finish. Potentially life changing, life enhancing,
and life celebrating, "Your
Royal Nature" is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community
library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement/Personal Transformation collections. It should be noted that this
paperback edition of "Your
Royal Nature" from Luminare Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$4.99).
Editorial Note: Alice McDowell (www.alicemcdowellauthor.com) is an author, spiritual director,
workshop leader, retreat
guide and founder of the Hidden Treasure Program -- a three-year training in personal and
spiritual growth. She co-founded
Light on the Hill Retreat Center in 1991 where she continues to guide individuals and groups on
their spiritual journeys. She
is author of Hidden Treasure: How to Break Free of Five Patterns that Hide Your True Self (She
Writes Press, 2017) and
Dance of Light: Christian, Sufi and Zen Wisdom for Today's Spiritual Seeker (Wisdom Editions,
2022). As a professor of
religious studies at Ithaca College for eighteen years, she taught courses in mysticism, world
religions, depth psychology,
and women's studies, and received the Dana Fellow for Excellence in College Teaching.
McDowell has a Ph.D. in theology
from Fordham University and has trained with Sufi and Buddhist teachers, Christian
contemplatives, and humanistic and
transpersonal psychologists. She has been a member of the Inayatiyya Sufi Order for forty
years.
Lasting Wellbeing
Matt Bloom, PhD
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637748787, $29.95, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lasting-Wellbeing-Science-Based-Tranquility-Authenticity/dp/163774
8787
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lasting-wellbeing-matt-bloom-phd/1148561303
Synopsis: Simply stated, whether you are looking for more joy in your life or sustainable ways to
thrive in hard times,
"Lasting Wellbeing: Science-Based Practices for Tranquility, Authenticity, Meaning, and Joy" by
Professor Matt Bloom will
help you assess your well-being in five essential dimensions and identify which research-backed
practices will open up your
life to long-term happiness, clarity, and peace of mind.
Drawing on data collected from more than 10,000 people across 25 countries, psychologist and
academician Matt Bloom,
PhD distills three decades of research into clear, science-backed strategies for coping with the
stress, burnout, and anxiety in
our increasingly demanding world.
"Lasting Wellbeing" explores dozens of practices to build a tailored wellness toolkit that will
empower you to:
Boost resilience and cognitive flexibility with exercises like conscious disobedience or strategic
self-distancing.
Re-engage your focus in positive, meaningful activities through mental tricks like temptation
bundling or mental
contrasting.
Uphold your core convictions through dedicated practices like centered prayer or drafting a table
of contents for your
autobiography.
Cultivate daily calm and release stress through walking meditation or breathing exercises
Create joy by learning to more intentionally savor moments of wonder and pleasure
Today, prioritizing self-care can take many forms. "Lasting Wellbeing" isn't a one-size-fits all
wellness approach, rather it is
a repository of time-tested, easy-to-adopt mental health practices, and a guide to finding your
individual path to true
wellbeing.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and fully accessible for the non-specialist general reader with an
interest in aging/longevity
and emotional healing from life's inevitable stresses, "Lasting Wellbeing: Science-Based
Practices for Tranquility,
Authenticity, Meaning, and Joy" by Professor Matt Bloom is enhanced for the reader's benefit
with the inclusion of
twenty-two pages of Notes, a two-page Index of Wise Practices, and a seven page General Index.
Impressively well written,
organized and presented, "Lasting Well Being" is an unreservedly recommended pick for
community and college/university
library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections and supplemental Mental Health curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted
for personal and professional reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Lasting Well Being"
from BenBella Books is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Matt Bloom (https://mattbloom.org/index.html) is a Professor Emeritus of
Business at the University of
Notre Dame. He has a PhD in psychology from Cornell University. For nearly thirty years, he and
his research team studied
the well-being of people who work in the helping and healing professions including physicians,
humanitarian workers,
clergy and public school teachers. Matt is cofounder of Ritual, a mobile app that offers a living
library of evidence-based
well-being practices created in partnership with wise guides including Barbara Brown Taylor,
Kate Bowler, Steve Kerr,
Nedra Glover Tawaab, and Anne Lamott.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Tarot of the Unconscious
Aliza Einhorn
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578638956, $21.95, PB, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Unconscious-Uncovering-Between-Psychoanalysis/dp/15786389
5X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tarot-of-the-unconscious-aliza-einhorn/1147729638
Synopsis: Inspired by Sigmund Freud and the deep-diving talk therapy of psychoanalysis, "Tarot
of the Unconscious:
Uncovering the Hidden Link Between Psychoanalysis and the Cards" is a unique exploration of
the tarot.
Author and tarot expert Aliza Einhorn brings a rare perspective to the subject, both as a seasoned
tarot professional and a
psychoanalyst-in-training, probing the uncanny correspondences between the mysterious tarot
and the groundbreaking ideas
of Freud.
Einhorn created new tarot spreads especially for this book -- and offers interpretations of each,
teaching readers how to
interpret cards as well as how to hone and rely upon their intuition.
Furthermore, Einhorn guides readers to bravely create their own spreads.
"Tarot of the Unconscious" is suitable for tarot readers of any level -- transforming nervous tarot
novices into confident,
creative tarot practitioners, while offering new thought-provoking perspectives to seasoned tarot
experts as well.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Tarot of the Unconscious:
Uncovering the Hidden Link
Between Psychoanalysis and the Cards" should be considered essential reading for aspiring and
practicing tarot readers and
a critically important pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Tarot collections and
supplemental Metaphysical Studies curriculum lists. It should be noted for personal use that this
paperback edition of "Tarot
of the Unconscious: Uncovering the Hidden Link Between Psychoanalysis and the Cards" from
Weiser Books is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.95).
Editorial Note: Aliza Einhorn (https://alizaeinhorn.com) holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers
Workshop. She is also the
author of The Little Book of Saturn and A Mystical Practical Guide to Magic. Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17403557.Aliza_Einhorn
The Criminology Shelf
What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption
Paige Towers
University of Iowa Press
https://uipress.uiowa.edu
9781685970673, $27.50, PB, 363pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/What-They-Stole-Familicide-Intercountry/dp/1685970672
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-they-stole-paige-towers/1148709894
Synopsis: In 1955, following the devastation of the Korean War, Bertha and Harry Holt made
headlines for adopting eight
Korean children. Driven by evangelical convictions and emboldened by a special act of
Congress, the couple founded the
Holt Adoption Program, which would facilitate the migration of tens of thousands of Korean
children to the United States
over the following decades.
The Sueppels were among the families profoundly shaped by the legacy of the Holt Adoption
Program. To their suburban
Iowa City community, Steven and Sheryl Sueppel were kind and charitable, humble yet magnetic
-- seemingly ideal
candidates to adopt. But in 2008, when Steven found himself facing federal embezzlement and
money laundering charges,
he murdered Sheryl and their adopted children before ending his own life.
Withe the publication of "What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption",
Paige Towers traces the
interwoven histories of the Holts and the Sueppels, exploring the deeper, often hidden
complexities of intercountry
adoption: the ethical gray zones, the influences of religion and race, and the global inequalities
that made such large-scale
child migration possible.
Meticulously researched and sensitive with its storytelling, "What They Stole" examines how
good intentions can coexist
with systemic harm -- and how the consequences of systems like the Holts' can reverberate across
generations.
Critique: An original, seminal, informative, and groundbreaking study, "What They Stole: A
Familicide Rooted in
Intercountry Adoption" by Paige Towers is an extraordinary examination that will prove
emotionally engaging and
intellectually compelling. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "What They
Stole" is a unique and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university
library collections. It should
be noted for those with a particular interest in True Crime stories and the issues surrounding the
adoption of children from
another country, that this paperback edition of "What They Stole" from the University of Iowa
Press is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $27.50).
Editorial Note: Paige Towers (https://www.paigetowers.com) is also the author of "The Sound of
Undoing: A Memoir in
Essays". Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, McSweeney's, and
Harvard Review.
JonBenet Ramsey: Prostitution of Justice
Doc Miller
https://docthomasmiller.com
Pearl Street Press Inc, LLC
9798218945848, $27.95, HC, 308pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/JonBenet-Ramsey-Prostitution-Doc-Miller/dp/B0GNTXCJZ1
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jonbenet-ramsey-doc-miller/1149445363
Synopsis: Whoever killed JonBenet Ramsey got away with murder.
Decades later, the mystery still circles the same two possibilities: a family member or an intruder
so invisible that he left not
even a shadow behind. In the landscape of American true crime, her murder stands as one of the
most infamous cases of the
20th century-a criminal investigation that grew more tangled the longer it went.
When Boulder police zeroed in on the parents, John Ramsey countered by hiring one of the most
formidable criminal
defense firms in the country -- Haddon, Morgan and Forman. From that moment, the
investigation shifted. Evidence that
should have anchored the case (like the three page ransom note many experts linked to Patsy
Ramsey) was pushed to the
margins.
The Ramsey's legal team transformed the murder investigation into a full blown circus.
Detectives stumbled like clowns,
attorneys roared like lions, and John and Patsy hovered above the chaos like trapeze artists who
never missed a beat. The
press, wary of lawsuits, kept their reporting safe and sanitized, placing a quiet thumb on the
scales of justice.
Now, after years of missteps, media fog, and legal maneuvering, with the publication of
"JonBenet Ramsey: Prostitution of
Justice", author Doc Miller reveals that the so-called Holy Grail of this true crime saga has been
reduced to a single spec of
unidentified DNA.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, iconoclastic, and a simply riveting read from start to finish,
"JonBenet Ramsey:
Prostitution of Justice" by Doc Miller is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick
for community and
college/university library American True Crime collections and supplemental Criminology
curriculum studies lists. It should
be noted for personal reading lists for readers with an interest in criminal procedure law and
ethics, and with sensational true
crime murder mysteries that this hardcover edition of "JonBenet Ramsey: Prostitution of Justice"
from Pearl Street Press is
also readily available in paperback (9798218945855, $17.95) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Thomas C "Doc" Miller (https://docthomasmiller.com) was the only person
charged with a crime in the
JonBenet Ramsey case who refused a plea bargain, went to trial, and was found not guilty after
the jury deliberated for only
20 minutes. Charged with a felony, Commercial Bribery, for his part in finding a copy of the
ransom note and identifying
Patsy Ramsey as the author, the decision was a stinging rebuke of a criminal justice system that
ignored the heinous murder
of JonBenet Ramsey.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design