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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 27, Number 3 March 2017 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Social Issues Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Biography Shelf Fiction Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Psychology Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Education Shelf Self-Help Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Relationship Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Business Shelf
Poetry Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Civil War Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Sports Shelf
Music Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Automotive Shelf
Woodworking Shelf Fishing Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Jewelry Shelf Photography Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Technology Shelf Architecture Shelf Science Shelf
Gardening Shelf Political Science Shelf Genealogy Shelf
Military Shelf African-American Studies Shelf Mythology Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Parenting Shelf Coloring Book Shelf
Art Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Fraud: An American History from Barnum to Madoff
Edward J. Balleisen
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
9780691164557 $35.00 http://press.princeton.edu

Fraud: An American History from Barnum to Madoff lives up to its title as a chronicle of American con men and their brilliant, morally bankrupt schemes throughout history. Here are the stories of Charles Ponzi, whose name has been immortalized in an entire category of pyramid schemes; P.T. Barnum, master of both the circus business and politics; Bernie Madoff, architect of the largest financial fraud in U.S. history; and much more. Researched with scholarly detail, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Fraud: An American History from Barnum to Madoff is as engrossing as it is educational! Highly recommended, especially for both public and college library history collections.

U.S. Immigration Made Easy, 18th edition
Ilona Bray, J.D., author
Richard Link, editor
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413323672, $44.99, PB, 688pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly updated and expanded 18th edition, "U.S. Immigration Made Easy" is an indispensable instructional reference that will prove to be an invaluable and reliable source of practical information for anyone seeking to qualify themselves and their your family qualify for a short-term visa, permanent U.S. residence, or protection from deportation. Also covered is how to obtain, fill out, and submit the necessary forms and documents. Of special note are the insider tips on dealing with bureaucratic officials, delays, and denials; strategies for overcoming low income and other immigration barriers, and the information on where to find the latest immigration forms online. "U.S. Immigration Made Easy" provides detailed descriptions of application processes. There's also an immigration eligibility self-quiz, which helps to match background and skills to a likely category of visa or green card, while avoiding traps that might destroy chances for success. The newly published 18th edition is completely updated to cover recent legal and fee changes including an expanded provisional waiver of unlawful presence. In view of today's national social issue over immigration, "U.S. Immigration Made Easy: 18th Edition" should be a part of every community, academic, immigration NGO group, and community center library collection in general, and every undocumented or documented immigrant's personal reading and instructional guide list.

All Ears: The Aesthetics of Espionage
Peter Szendy
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823273959, $95.00, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com

The world of international politics has recently been rocked by a seemingly endless series of scandals involving auditory surveillance: the NSA's warrantless wiretapping is merely the most sensational example of what appears to be a universal practice today. What is the source of this generalized principle of eavesdropping? "All Ears: The Aesthetics of Espionage" by Peter Szendy (Professor of Philosophy at Universite de Paris Ouest Nanterre and musicological adviser for concert programs at the Cite de la musique) traces the long history of moles from the Bible, through Jeremy Bentham's "panacoustic" project, all the way to the intelligence-gathering network called "Echelon". Together with this archeology of auditory surveillance, Professor Szendy offers an engaging account of spycraft's representations in literature (Sophocles, Shakespeare, Joyce, Kafka, Borges), opera (Monteverdi, Mozart, Berg), and film (Lang, Hitchcock, Coppola, De Palma). Following in the footsteps of Orpheus, "All Ears: The Aesthetics of Espionage" proposes a new concept of "overhearing" that connects the act of spying to an excessive intensification of listening. At the heart of listening Professor Szendy locates the ear of the Other that manifests itself as the original division of a "split-hearing" that turns the drive for mastery and surveillance into the death drive. Exceptionally well researched and written, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "All Ears: The Aesthetics of Espionage" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library collections. For personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "All Ears: The Aesthetics of Espionage" is also available in a paperback edition (9780823273966, $25.00) and in a Kindle format ($16.99).

An Introduction to Calligraphy
Veronique Sabard, Vincent Geneslay, Laurent Rebena
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764352300, $24.99, HC, 80pp, www.amazon.com

Calligraphy is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a broad tip instrument, brush, among other writing instruments. The clear instructions and 129 photos comprising "An Introduction to Calligraphy" welcomes the reader to the wonderful world of calligraphy. Starting with the pens, inks, and writing surfaces the readers are provided with everything they would need as this exceptional instruction guide and manual clearly explains the basics, from filling the pen to holding the nib at the right angle. Practice exercises help to understand upstrokes, downstrokes, the optical center, and more. Then comes a chronological introduction to each of the 5 major styles of Western script, beginning with the Roman uncial script of around 600 BCE and covering the several forms that developed in the following centuries. For each style, "An Introduction to Calligraphy" deftly explains its historical use and its characteristics, teaches the correct formation of each letter, and offers suggestions and tips. Then a practice exercise helps the readers to master the style. With "An Introduction to Calligraphy" anyone can learn the all-capital uncial script, and create a beautiful wine list with it -- for example, using Gothic textura for a calendar, or chancery for a letterhead design. Finally, a gallery of 24 masterworks by experts offers even more inspiration. Providing a complete course of thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction, "An Introduction to Calligraphy" is very highly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library calligraphy instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Keep Moving
Dick Van Dyke
Weinstein Books
259 West 57th Street, 15th Floor, NY, NY 10107
www.weinsteinbooks.com
9781602863118, $14.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Dick Van Dyke, the star of Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show, has received five Emmy awards, a Tony, and a Grammy. In 2013, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.. A genuine show-business legend, Dick Van Dyke is also living proof that life does get better the longer you live it. Who better to offer instruction, advice, and humor than someone who's entering his ninth decade with a jaunty two-step? Dick Van Dyke isn't just a born song-and-dance man; his irrepressible belief in embracing the moment and unleashing his inner child has proved to be the ultimate elixir of youth. When he was injured during the filming of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, his doctor warned him he'd be using a walker within seven years, but Dick performed a soft shoe right there and never looked back. An exceptionally well written, candid, informative, and ultimately inspiring read, "Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Living Well Longer" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Keep Moving" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

THEM: The Richer Life Found in Caring for Others
John Certalic
HenschelHAUS Publishing, Inc.
2625 S. Greeley Street, Suite 201, Milwaukee, WI 53207
http://henschelhausbooks.com
www.caringforothers.org
9781595984555, $15.95, PB, 262pp, www.amazon.com

"THEM: The Richer Life Found in Caring for Others" by John Certalic (Executive Director of Caring for Others, a missionary care ministry whose purpose is to strengthen and encourage missionaries, and those who send them) is a story of developing richer relationships by caring for others. Featuring real-life stories of people giving of themselves, expecting nothing, yet who gain everything in return that matters most, John Certalic also weaves his deeply personal story with the stories of others, to show how we can all become part of a much larger, more meaningful story than our own. Readers will be drawn into these life-giving narratives of forgiveness and reconciliation, honoring others, resolving conflict, listening well, and more. "THEM" is a story of hope found in viewing our past through the lens of grace. It is one that encourages us to recognize that when we focus on THEM, it leads to a better ME, resulting in a more fulfilling US. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "THEM" is a life affirming and a potentially life changing read that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "THEM" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.99).

Inspired Journeys
Brian Bouldrey, editor
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299309404, $24.95, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Brian Bouldrey (who teaches creative writing at Northwestern University), "Inspired Journeys: Travel Writers in Search of the Muse" is comprised of seventeen erudite essays written by contributors with a remarkable knack for travel writing in a modern age dominated by the technology (air planes, trains, cars) that simply function to get the traveler from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. Organized into two major sections (Chasing the Muse and Carry the Bones), the essays range from John Beckman's At Home and Abroad with the Marquis de Sade, to Marta Maretich's The Incompetent Pilgrim, to Raphael Kadushin's Driving the Fairy-Tale Road. Enhanced with an informative introduction by Bouldrey and a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Inspired Journeys" is an inherently engaging and consistently entertaining read from cover to cover. While unreservedly recommended for community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Inspired Journeys" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

The Great Wall of China and the Salton Sea
Russell Rathbun
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802873651, $21.99, www.eerdmans.com

The Great Wall of China and the Salton Sea: Monuments, Missteps, and the Audacity of Ambition takes place on a cross-country drive to the Salton Sea, a trip to China's Great Wall, and other journeys, and blends a travelogue with history and philosophical and social musings alike. As he views the wonders mankind has created and offers both Biblical reflections and musings on ruin, achievement, and architectural monuments, Russell Rathbun offers an excellent survey of the meaning of life and the lasting impact of human endeavor upon the world. Readers who enjoy reflections combining spiritual, philosophical, historical and travel insights will find The Great Wall of China and the Salton Sea a lively and engrossing piece.


The Social Issues Shelf

Our Bodies, Our Data
Adam Tanner
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807033340 $28.95 hc / $27.99 Kindle amazon.com

Our Bodies, Our Data: How Companies Make Billions Selling Our Medical Records reveals a disturbing trend in the modern era of computerized health care data mining. Personal medical information of patients is being collected in aggregate, at a record level, and sold for immense profits. Aggregate data is allegedly anonymized through the removal of individual patients' identities, but how effective of a privacy protection is this? Why is it easier for data miners to obtain aggregate information than for doctors to gain access to the medical records they need to treat their patients? And how can the current system be reformed with more emphasis on patients' rights? "Corporations trading patient data say they help science, but they may not offer the best approach for society as a whole. However honorable the intentions of its protagonists, the big health-data bazaar has evolved in such a way that could put patients at risk." A bibliography and an index round out this timely wake-up call to a disturbing modern trend, thoroughly accessible to lay readers and professionals alike. Highly recommended.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Animal Planet Complete Guide to Dog Training
Janice Biniok
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, Third & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
www.tfh.com
9780793837434, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

What could be better than a well-trained dog who effortlessly follows your lead? In the "Animal Planet Complete Guide to Dog Training", author Janice Biniok draws upon her more than 35 years of experience and expertise as a professional groomer and trainer to teach the non-specialist general reader on how to train a dog or puppy to sit, come, stay, and bring out his canine best. the "Animal Planet Complete Guide to Dog Training" is not just another dog training book; it provides a detailed, step-by-step illustrated instructional guide that breaks down everything from essential obedience commands to fun advanced tricks. With "Animal Planet Complete Guide to Dog Training" anyone and their canine companion will have everything they need to know right at your fingertips (or paws) to get the very best out of their mutual relationship. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Animal Planet Complete Guide to Dog Training" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library Pets/Wildlife collections in general, and dog training supplemental studies lists in particular.

Loyal
Rebecca Ascher-Walsh
National Geographic Press
101 West 104th Street, Suite 8, New York, NY 10025
www.nationalgeographic.com
9781426217739, $14.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

"Loyal: 38 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and the Devotion of Dogs" is a profusely illustrated treasury that features heartwarming photographs and touching stories of dedicated working dogs who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and proven themselves as true heroes. This very special collection of dog stories and photographs showcases four-legged heroes who have worked side by side with soldiers, searched the wreckage of natural and man-made disasters, changed families' lives through emotional support, and administered aid around the world and at home in the United States. Heart-warming photographs and touching anecdotes bring to life thirty-eight caring canines who have served the people who mean the most to them, from a German Shepherd who leads a blind man on his marathon training mission to a belly rub-loving Sheltie who supports at-risk youth in the classroom. Very highly recommended for community library Pets/Wildlife collections, for anyone who has experienced the extraordinary affection of a dog, "Loyal" is a lasting celebration of the joys of canine companionship. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Loyal" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

The Wrong Dog
David Elliot Cohen
Yellow Pear Press
9780997066418, $22.95, www.yellowpearpress.com

The Wrong Dog comes from a New York Times best-selling author who tells what happens when a small puppy turns into a giant, high-spirited Lab that engages a family for over ten years. In his waning years, Simba II is old and infirm when his family is forced to relocate across the country despite the dog's failing health. An airplane ride is not recommended, so the author and his best friend embark on a 3,291-mile road trip across America with the goal of reuniting Simba with his family. Their journey, and the dog's affect on everyone around him, makes for a poignant production hard to put down and filled with engaging moments certain to captive any dog lover.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

A Parkinson's Primer
John M. Vine
Paul Dry Books
1700 Sansom Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5214
www.pauldrybooks.com
9781589881198, $17.95, PB, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Parkinson's disease is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms generally come on slowly over time. When John Vine was first diagnosed with Parkinson's disease there was no nontechnical, personal guide on Parkinson's disease written from the patient's perspective available to him and his wife Joanne. Therefore, relying on his experiences over the past 12 years, John writes knowledgeably about all aspects of the disease in "A Parkinson's Primer: An Indispensable Guide to Parkinson's Disease for Patients and Their Families". John also interviewed other Parkinson's patients and their partners, whose stories and advice he includes throughout this informed and informative guide. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "A Parkinson's Primer" is unreservedly recommended for community library Health/Medicine collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "A Parkinson's Primer" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Urinary Tract Infections, second edition
Matthew A. Mulvey, David J. Klumpp, Anne Stapleton
American Society for Microbiology Press
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
https://www.asm.org/index.php/press
9781555817398, $150.00, HC, 600pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a completely updated and expanded second edition, "Urinary Tract Infections: Molecular Pathogenesis and Clinical Management" is a comprehensive and authoritative volume on infections of the urinary tract covers the range of the field, from molecular pathogenesis to the host response to clinical diagnosis and management. Written for microbiologists, clinical microbiologists, urologists, and pathologists interested in UTIs, "Urinary Tract Infections" is comprised of twenty-four informed and informative articles by fifty-four experts in the field that are organized into three major sections: Clinical aspects of UrinaryTract Infections; Origins and Virulence Mechanisms of Uropathogenic Bacteria; Host Responses to Urinary Tract Infections and Emerging Therapeutics. Exceptionally well organized and presented, this new edition of "Urinary Tract Infections" is a critically important and core addition to professional, medical center, college, and university library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Urinary Tract Infections supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Prostate Cancer
E. B. Harikumar, editor
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498729871, $129.95, HC, 316pp, www.amazon.com

Recent global cancer statistical data has clearly indicated that prostate cancer is currently the second most frequently diagnosed cancer (at 15% of all male cancers) and globally the sixth leading cause of cancer death in males. Compiled and edited by cancer research specialist E. B. Harikumar, "Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive Approach " is comprised of sixteen informative articles by experts that together provide a complete summary of prostate cancer, covering its incidence, epidemiology, and current treatment options. "Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Prostate Cancer" also serves as an up-to-date review of the status of currently available alternative and complementary medicines for treating prostate cancer, including various plant extracts, herbal formulations, natural products, yoga, acupuncture, Ayurveda, homeopathy, and Siddha medicines used in prostate cancer therapy. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Prostate Cancer" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to college and university library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Prostate Cancer supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Prostate Cancer" is also available in a Kindle format ($103.96).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Book Marketing: The Funnel Factor
Gisela Hausmann
Educ-Easy Books
PO Box 6366, Greenville, SC 29606
9780996897273, $19.99, PB, 164pp, www.amazon.com

Every author wants to be featured on TV and in magazines, wants their books to be available in libraries, and wants to have their books read by thousands of people. Though online marketing is a good way to draw attention to books, it's a space that authors have to share with thousands of other authors, which makes "putting the spotlight on your book" harder. In "Book Marketing: The Funnel Factor" author and media expert Gisela Hausmann draws upon her years of experience and expertise to show novice (and even experienced) authors how to get themselves and their books featured on TV, pitch the media, get invited to guest blog at famous well-read blogs, and get their self-published books into public libraries. "Book Marketing: The Funnel Factor" also includes "100 Pitches to Help You Brainstorm" for authors in the genres of: children's books, cookbooks, historic novels, horror, nonfiction, romance, humor/satire, science fiction, self-help, business, health, and sports. Of special note is the chapter on "Two Dozen Websites Every Author Needs to Know," including library websites, plus a list of "Action Steps" authors can follow to achieve results. Impressively informed and informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Book Marketing: The Funnel Factor" will prove a practical and invaluable instruction guide and manual, making it unreservedly recommended for self-published or small press author in the process of building an effective and efficient marketing plan for their book.

Writing Without a Parachute
Barbara Turner-Vesselago
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com
9781785921711, $18.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

"Writing Without a Parachute: The Art of Freefall" by published author and Freefall Writing Workshop teacher Barbara Turner-Vesselago shows both beginning and experienced writers how to get the thinking mind to step aside, so that writing becomes truly creative -- a vulnerable and open-hearted engagement with the moment. "Writing Without a Parachute" essentially presents Barbara's methods by which, for almost 30 years, she has helped hundreds of writers to publish fiction, memoir, non-fiction and poetry worldwide. By means of five simple precepts, Barbara leads the aspiring writer step by step into real trust in writing through the art of Freefall: invoking the courage to fall without a parachute into the words as they come. "Writing Without a Parachute" can be used for inspiration, as a reference, or as a sustained, twelve-month course in writing. Very highly recommended as a personal writer's reference, as well as community and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collection, "Writing Without a Parachute" will help all writers to connect with their deepest intention in writing, and to write with greater authority and grace. It should be noted that "Writing Without a Parachute" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Writing Hard Stories
Melanie Brooks
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807078815, $16.00, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

"Writing Hard Stories" by author and educator Melanie Brooks is specifically intended to encourage all aspiring writers of autobiographies and memoirs to be honest and engaging as they craft their personal stories. Featuring some of the country's most admired authors as they describe their own treks through dark memories and breakthrough moments and attest to the healing power of putting words to experience, "Writing Hard Stories" is especially commended as an addition to personal, community, academic Writing/Publishing collections, and professional writing workshop supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Writing Hard Stories" is also available in a Kindle format ($15.99).


The Cookbook Shelf

Savor: Sensational Soups to Fulfill & Fortify
Amber Locke
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784722340, $16.99, www.amazon.com

Savor: Sensational Soups to Fulfill & Fortify is the perfect item of choice for soup season, and packs in over 100 recipes and different insights into making soups, stocks, and variations on traditional themes. Readers will find the recipes go beyond the usual soup ideas and range from Carrot, Orange and Cilantro Soup to Raw Bell Pepper, Orange and Tomato Soup, Black-Eyed Bean Chili Soup, and a Fruit "Bonbon" Soup. The variety of these vegetable-emphasized dishes makes this collection a standout, with color photos illustrating finished results.

Diabetes Snacks, Treats, and Easy Eats for Kids, third edition
Barbara Grunes & Linda R. Yoakam
Surrey Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572842212, $15.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

The incidence of diabetes in children continues to expand and with it the necessity for adaptive menu planning by their parents. Now in an expanded third edition, "Diabetes Snacks, Treats, and Easy Eats for Kids: 150 Recipes for the Foods Kids Really Like to Eat" showcases 150 delicious, nutritious, and kitchen cook friendly recipes for dishes that kids will accept with enthusiasm. The recipes range from Pumpkin-Face English Muffins; Spud Pancakes with Sour Cream; Chicken Fajitas; and Summer Cantaloupe Soup in a Shell; to Turkey Pick-Up Sticks; Soft Tacos; Angel Cupcakes; and No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes. An ideal culinary resource for dishes that will appeal to kids (and adults!) of all ages, "Diabetes Snacks, Treats, and Easy Eats for Kids: 150 Recipes for the Foods Kids Really Like to Eat" is very highly recommended for family and community library cookbook collections. It should also be noted for the parents of children with diabetes that "Diabetes Snacks, Treats, and Easy Eats for Kids: 150 Recipes for the Foods Kids Really Like to Eat" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).

Better Homes and Gardens 13 x 9 The Pan That Can: 150 Fabulous Recipes
Jan Miller, editor
Houghton Miflin Harcourt
3 Park Avenue, Floor 19, New York, NY 10016
9780544931862 $19.99 www.hmhco.com

"13 x 9 The Pan That Can" is a fabulous BHG collection of 150 recipes that fit perfectly in the popular cake pan. Every page of recipe is accompanied by a full color photograph of the completed dish. Beginning with pan pointers, an introduction gives tips on how to choose, use and prepare the best pan for the recipe. From meal start to finish, chapters of recipes include appetizers, coffee cakes and breakfast bakes, sweet and savory spirals, healthy comfort food, good grains, around the world flavors, one-pan dinners, oven stews and ragouts, sandwiches, sliders & pizzas, veggie fresh, bars beyond brownies, pan pies & bubbly bakes, cakes to take, and frozen. Some toothsome offerings include Bacon-Filled Medjool Dates, Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake, Cinnamon-Chocolate Rolls with Hazelnuts, Beef Stroganoff Casserole, Pork Chops with Roasted Vegetables and Balsamic Drizzle, Italian Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Toss, Gumbo Pot Pie, Vegetable Curry, Veggie Reuben Pretzel Melts, Vegetarian Lasagna, Oven Cooked Swiss Chard, Snickerooni Bars, Tangy Apricot-Rosemary Streusel Bars, Blackberry Blueberry Cobbler Supreme, Blueberry Lemonade Poke Cake, Caramel Frosted Hummingbird Cake, Frozen Neapolitans, Berry Melon Sorbet, and more. All recipes are user-friendly, tested by BHG Test Kitchens, and clearly described in step by step instructions along side the list of standard measured ingredients. Each recipe also has the nutritional information per serving listed at the end. Symbols reference recipe sidebars with special information categories, such as Make Ahead, or Healthy Choice. "13 x 9, The Pan That Can" is a practical large serving cook's new best friend.

The Classic South African Cookbook
Melinda Roodt
Penguin Random House South Africa
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781432306731, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

A profusely and beautifully illustrated culinary compendium, "The Classic South African Cookbook" offers a cornucopia of classic South African home cooking. In line with the country's diverse cultures, which often blend most harmoniously in the kitchen, "The Classic South African Cookbook" is a kaleidoscope of modern lifestyle recipes with influences from grandma's kitchen, popular Mediterranean cuisine, as well as both Indian and African culture. But no matter what the roots may be, "The Classic South African Cookbook" sets a foundation for good, honest, carefree home cooking, incorporating all the well-loved and familiar favorites. The more than 180 recipes have been refined to guarantee mouth-watering results, no matter the skill level. Only fresh ingredients are used, while the various techniques are carefully explained a genuine boon to those just setting out on their culinary journeys. With thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for authentic South African dishes ranging from Blinis with Salmon and Creme Fraiche; Spicy Butternut Soup; Steak and Onion Pizza with Rocket; and Sweet Potatoes in Butter and Ginger Syrup; to White-Wine Infused Chicken Pie; Lamb Shanks Slow Cooked in Red Wine; Honey and butter Sponge Cake; and Chocolate Praline Meringue with Cherries and Berries, "The Classic South African Cookbook" will prove to be a delight to browse and inspiring to plan menus with. While very highly recommended, especially for community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The Classic South African Cookbook" is also available in a Kindle format ($11.49).

Gateaux: 150 Large and Small Cakes, Cookies, and Desserts
Christophe Felder & Camille Lesecq
Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9780847858651, $55.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Christophe Felder is one of the world's most respected pastry chefs, authors, and teachers. He was the pastry chef at the Hotel de Crillon for fifteen years before publishing more than twenty cookbooks in France and opening his own pastry school for home cooks. Camille Lesecq was the head pastry chef at the Hotel Meurice in Paris. Together they have created "Gateaux: 150 Large and Small Cakes, Cookies, and Desserts", a beautifully illustrated, elegant, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' volume of pastry recipes that would be particularly appropriate for any celebratory dining occasion. The dishes themselves range from Chocolate-Almond Ladyfingers; Pistachio-Hazelnut Loaves; Lemon Mousse Cake; and Vanilla, Coffee, and Chocolate Eclairs; to Zurich Cake; Caramel Brownie Cake; Old-Fashioned Fruit Tart; and Baked Chocolate Tart with Chopped Caramelized Praline. Luxurious, sumptuous, opulent, "Gateaux: 150 Large and Small Cakes, Cookies, and Desserts" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Eclairs
Christophe Adam
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778805670, $24.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

An eclair is an oblong pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with icing. Over the last dozen years, luxury food purveyor Christophe Adam has perfected the eclair and has turned it into a gourmet delight which marries unconventional and imaginative fruits, flavors, colors and textures, resulting in luxe eclairs that will have you reaching for seconds and thirds. In the profusely illustrated "Eclairs: Easy, Elegant and Modern Recipes", he showcases innovative recipes (both introductory and advanced) that will be perfect for creating elegant eclair based desserts suitable for everything from casual gatherings with family and friends, to formal dining and celebratory occasions. With these easy-to-follow instructions and some practice with the basic techniques even the most novice of kitchen cooks will soon be mastering these recipes as well as inventing new ones of your own. The recipes themselves range from Chocolate Coconut Eclairs; Carmel Peanut Eclairs; and Raspberry-Cherry Sugared Almond Eclairs; to Pistachio Orange Eclairs; Red Kiss Eclairs; and Vanilla Eclairs. Of special note is the section offering basic recipes including those for creating Choux Pastry and Chocolate Shells. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections, "Eclairs: Easy, Elegant and Modern Recipes" is very highly recommended.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Green Screen Made Easy, second edition
Jeremy Hanke & Michele Yamazaki Terpstra
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932504, $24.95, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Green Screen Made Easy: Keying and Compositing Techniques for Indie Filmmakers" by film making experts Jeremy Hanke and Michele Yamazaki Terpstra is specifically designed to upgrade movie making skill sets and provide the necessary expertise to take the work of independent film makers to a new level. With "Green Screen Made Easy" film makers can see how to correctly create and set up their screen, illuminate the green screen cleanly, light subjects dynamically, and manipulate the camera to get the best visual result, master matte extraction techniques, and learn how to composite green screen footage onto a background, creating an out-of-this-world that an audience will believe! Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this new edition of "Green Screen Made Easy" is an absolute necessity for aspiring film makers and a core addition to professional, film studio, and academic library Film & Video Production instructional collections in general, and Green Screen supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Kurdish Documentary Cinema in Turkey
Suncem Kocer & Can Candan
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
www.cambridgescholars.com
9781443897983, $109.95, HC, 290pp, www.amazon.com

This decades most discussed and developed documentary productions in Turkey come from Kurdistan, a name that provokes nationalist panic in Turkey, yet delineates distinct cultural, linguistic, and political boundaries nonetheless. Documentary film productions by Kurdish filmmakers from Turkey determine the major tendencies of this emergent genre, with such productions offering a unique opportunity for a nuanced understanding of national cinema. The larger body of films, fiction and non-fiction termed as Kurdish cinema complicates the category of national cinema, a concept discussed heatedly within the field of cinema studies. Documentary film is proving to be a particularly complex tool for the Kurdish social and political existence, as Kurds lack the official tools of history-writing and cultural preservation that are categorically associated with the capacities of a state. By delving into Kurdish documentary films as products of complex societal, political, and historical processes, the twelve major articles compiled and edited by the team of Suncem Kocer (Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Communication at Kadir Has University, Turkey) and Can Candan (a documentary filmmaker and faculty member at Boazici University in Istanbul, Turkey) comprising "Kurdish Documentary Cinema in Turkey" highlight the intersections of media production, film text, and audience reception, and expand on vibrant debates in the field of film and media studies through situated case studies. Bringing these twelve studies together, "Kurdish Documentary Cinema in Turkey" will stimulate academic discussion around this emergent and lively genre of documentary film production, and encourage further research and publication, making it an unreservedly recommended addition to college and university library Theatre/Cinema/TV collections in general, and Turkish Cinematic History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

The King and I: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical
Oscar Hammerstein II, author
Richard Rogers, composer
Based on the novel "Anna and the King of Siam" by Margaret Landon
Applause Theatre & Cinema Books
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781495056093 $16.99 www.applausebooks.com

Introduced by Ted Chapin of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, "The King and I" is a complete manuscript of the famous Broadway musical production first brought to the stage in New York in 1951 and revived in multiple productions since that time. The manuscript and song lyrics are as performed in the original production. In addition to the two acts in 149 pages with song lyrics, "The King and I" contains at least 20 pages of black and white and color photographs of the principal actors of many productions of the play from 1951 to 2015, including the last production in which Yul Brynner played the part of the King of Siam, in 1985. "The King and I" is a matchless, colorful, bold, broad spectrum musical beloved of millions of Broadway musical fans and audiences.


The Biography Shelf

Eleven Months to Freedom
Dwight R. Messimer
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781682470657, $29.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

"Eleven Months to Freedom: A German POW's Unlikely Escape from Siberia in 1915" by Dwight Messimer recounts the daring World War I escape of German midshipman Erich Killinger. Falsely accused of bombing a railway station after crashing his plane at sea, he was sentenced to life in the Sakhalin coal mines. Shipped by rail with several other POWs across Russia, Killinger was determined to return home. In order to do this, though, he needed to jump from the train, cross Siberia, and make it to a German-run escape pipeline in China -- all while braving bandits, subzero temperatures, threats of starvation, the risk of capture by Japanese and Russian troops, and possible internment by the Chinese. Once he made it to China, Killinger used money and fake identity papers to survive along the 800 miles to Shanghai. Improbably playing the role of a dashing French blade, Killinger lived the high life on one ship, then later served as a humble deckhand on another. Risking discovery by the British, he made a bold and risky move as his final destination neared. A simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Eleven Months to Freedom" is an exceptional account that will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to the growing library of World War I memoirs and biographies. It should be noted for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Eleven Months to Freedom" is also available in a Kindle format ($20.93).

Billy Graham: America's Pastor
Janet Benge & Geoff Benge
Emerald Books
c/o YWAM Publishing
www.ywampublishing.com
9781624860249, $9.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

The oldest son of dairy farmers from Charlotte, North Carolina, young Billy Graham attended an evangelical revival meetings that inspired him for the rest of his life. As an ordained minister, he rose to prominence and would subsequently preach the Christian message to over 200 million people in 185 countries. Billy Graham championed civil rights, befriended US politicians and presidents, and traveled the world to places no one else dared to go. His life and ministry have shaped the spiritual life of America and offer hope for the future -- inspiring new generations of leaders willing to serve with courage, integrity, and vision. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Billy Graham: America's Pastor" is an informative and inspiring read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for community library American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Billy Graham: America's Pastor" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.50). Librarians should be aware that there is a complete and unabridged CD audio book edition of "Billy Graham: America's Pastor" (9781624860638, $21.99).

My Prospects
Boardman W. Kathan
Biographical Publishing Company
95 Sycamore Drive, Prospect, CT 06712-1493
www.biopub.us
9780997602838, $20.00, PB, 164pp, www.amazon.com

The Rev. Boardman W. Kathan grew up in the town of Prospect, graduated from Prospect Community School and Crosby High School in Waterbury, and has degrees from Wesleyan University and Yale Divinity School. He did graduate study at the University of Connecticut, New York University, and Hartford Seminary, and won a Fulbright Scholarship for a year's study at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. He was a member of the Prospect Library Board, secretary of the Bicentennial Committee, chairman and vice chairman of the Region 16 Board of Education, a member of the library/police department building committee, treasurer of the Prospect Land Trust, and historian of the Prospect Congregational Church. "My Prospects: Growing Up and Growing Old in a Small Connecticut Town" is his deeply personal memoir of being an ordained minister who served churches and organizations in Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New York City. Along the way Kathan was a national advocate for the value of public education and the importance of the objective study of religion in public schools. In his home town Kathan helped to make dramatic changes in the community, library, church, and school district, while organizing the land trust and leading in the largest celebrations in the history of the town. An inherently compelling, ultimately inspiring read, and highly recommended read, "My Prospects" is the story of what one person can achieve.


The Fiction Shelf

Orphan Train
Christina Baker Kline
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061950728, $15.99, www.harpercollins.com

Many nonfiction stories have centered around the evolution of the orphan train, but this literary fictional treatment of the orphan train experience is different, returning a New York Times best-selling story to new eyes and adding and extended scene to expand and enhance the story of a young Irish immigrant sent by rail from New York City to lead a new life in a new world, returning to her origins later in life to build a home on the shattered pieces of her life. When teen Molly helps Vivian examine these memories of the past, they discover connections that lead them to new connections through an unusual historical exploration in a vivid story of friendship and re-awakening.

For the Most Beautiful
Emily Hauser
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681773018, $25.95, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Three thousand years ago a war took place and legends were born: Achilles, the greatest of the Greeks, and Hector, prince of Troy. Both men were made and destroyed by the war that shook the foundations of the ancient world. But what if there was more to the tale of these heroes than we know? How would the Trojan War have looked as seen through the eyes of its women? Krisayis, the ambitious, determined daughter of the High Priest of Troy, and Briseis, loyal and passionate princess of Pedasus, interweave their tales alongside Homer's classic story of the rage of Achilles and the gods of Olympus. "For the Most Beautiful: A Novel of the Trojan War" by Emily Hauser is a breathtaking tale of love and revenge, destiny and the determination, as two brave women, the heroes of the Trojan War, and the gods themselves come face to face in an epic battle that will decide the fate of Troy. A richly textured novel that showcases author Emily Hauser's genuine gift for dramatic and compelling storytelling, "For the Most Beautiful" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Historical Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "For the Most Beautiful" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).

A Man Called Drifter
Steve Hayes
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444826456, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Ingrid Bjorkman had been kidnaped by Comancheros. But was she just the bait in a trap meant to snare her would-be rescuers? In their long, gunsmoke-filled lives, three men who made their living (on both sides of the law) - Gabriel Moonlight, Latigo Rawlins, and the man known only as Drifter - had made more than their fair share of enemies. But when the trio took to the trail to rescue Ingrid, they had two more shooters to back their play: Raven, the young teenaged daughter of Ingrid, - and Drifter's daughter - Deputy US Marshal Liberty Mercer. Another riveting Drifter western from a true master of the genre, this large print edition of "A Man Called Drifter" by Steve Hayes is unreservedly recommended for both the personal reading lists of western novel buffs and community library Western Fiction & Large Print collections.

The Masterman
Max Brand
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781785412257, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 246pp, www.ulverscroftusa.com

Riley "Doc" Oliver, a fugitive, has been trapping and surviving on Candy Creek in Alaska for nine years. His only friend is Bob Melville, another fugitive who has been working a gold claim for five years now. Their solitude is disrupted when an injured man seeks refuge at Doc's cabin and turns out to be the man who framed Melville five years ago. So begins an exciting pursuit which eventually involves Melville's daughter, a notorious outlaw, a U. S. Marshal, and Masterman, Doc's fabulous Wolf Husky. Now available in a large print edition, "The Masterman" is another classic from an author that is a master of the genre and very highly recommended, especially for community library collections in general, and Max Brand fans in particular.

The Great and the Good
Michel Deon
Gallic Books
www.gallicbooks.com
9781910477281 $14.95 pbk / $9.11 Kindle amazon.com

Set mostly during the 1950's, The Great and the Good is the story of Arthur, the son of an impoverished French widow, who accepts a scholarship and studies finance in the US in order to become wealthy and fulfill his mother's dreams of success. But can riches alone make for a satisfying life? Vivid, descriptive, and philosophical, The Great and the Good is a modern-day literary parable, highly recommended.

The Boy and the Dolphin
Dick Schmidt
http://dickschmidtbooks.com
Landslide Publishing
9780997501018, $26.95, HC, 300pp, www.amazon.com

Following the unfortunate death of his parents, young Toby Matthias finds himself living a carefree life on Piper Cay, an Out Island in the Bahamas, at his grandparents' inn. Isolated from children his own age, Toby develops a deep and lasting friendship with an unlikely companion: a bottlenose dolphin. A heartwarming tale, The Boy and the Dolphin follows the tropical adventures of Toby and Phinney as they make sense of life in the mid-fifties. When Toby is sent to complete his education in the States and Phinney immerses herself more deeply in her dolphin culture, the best friends experience ever-increasing separations. But even while Toby serves his country in the skies over Vietnam, the boy and the dolphin share an unbreakable, decade-long bond. Original and unfailingly entertaining, "The Boy and the Dolphin" is a consistently compelling read from beginning to end and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Boy and the Dolphin" are also available in a paperback edition (9780997501001, $15.95) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).

The Inward Journey
Kate Evans
Breakwater Books
P.O.Box 2188, St. John's, NL A1C 6E6
www.breakwaterbooks.com
9781550816587, $19.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Sylvia Bolfe sits in her nursing home, criticizes the food and the staff (all but her trusted confidant and registered nurse, Eleanor) and with humor and feistiness recounts her turbulent life. From an upper-class Irish family, Sylvia marries a young medical student beneath her station and leaves Ireland for Newfoundland. When her husband unexpectedly dies, she is left with the children to make her own way. A thoughtfully engaging and consistently thoughtful read from beginning to end, "The Inward Journey" is recommended for both personal reading lists and community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted that Kate Evans' "The Inward Journey" is also available in a Kindle format ($17.99).

At the Heart of the Universe
Samuel Shem
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
www.sevenstories.com
9781609806415, $26.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

"At the Heart of the Universe" by Samuel Shem is set in 1991 in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, and begins as the story of a Chinese woman who abandons her one-month-old daughter in a pile of celery in a busy market. The novel then shifts to Changsha ten years later as the daughter returns with her adopted American parents. the story moves across southern China until, high atop Emei San, one of China's "sacred mountains" with a Buddhist temple, the four are brought together in the wilderness -- a perilous and explosive time that unleashes their heartbreak and suffering and, remarkably, transcends it to shared compassion, and new beginnings. A richly texture, consistently compelling read from cover to cover, "At the Heart of the Universe" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "At the Heart of the Universe" is also available in a Kindle format ($18.99).

Moonbow Night
Laura Frantz
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800728571, $25.99, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com

On the vast, uncharted Kentucky frontier of the 1770s, Temperance Tucker has learned to be fleet of foot, accurate with her rifle, and silent about the past. But her family secrets complicate her growing attraction to a handsome Virginia land surveyor with a harsh history of his own. Will the hurts and hardships of the past prevent them from a fulfilling future? A richly textured historical romance, "Moonbow Night" is a consistently compelling read from cover to cover, and an unfailingly entertaining novel by a master of the genre. While very highly recommended, especially for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Moonbow Night" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800726621, $14.99) and in a Kindle format ($8.13).

The Mule Tamer
John C. Horst
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432832780, $25.95, HC, 285pp, www.amazon.com

1896 is an election year, and the future of the fledgling Arizona Rangers, captained by Arvel Walsh and Dick Welles hangs by a political thread. The latest crisis, a greedy silver republican, bent on controlling the politics and wealth of the Arizona land and beyond, is driving a wedge between the two stellar ranger captains. Lori Parker has been savaged in a Tombstone brothel by a son of the prominent silver prospector and political operative David Gold, a well-connected businessman accustomed to buying his ne'er-do-well sons' way out of trouble as he builds his empire of corruption and avarice. Follow the Arizona Rangers as they chase deranged killers and Mexican bandits through the wilds of Arizona and Mexico, unaware that Arvel's beloved new family is to be targeted for execution. Has Gold finally met his match in the form of The Mule Tamer and his wild Mexican bride, or will this be the end of the finest law enforcement team the land has ever known? Another terrific western novel from the pen of a master of the genre, "The Mule Tamer: The Case of the Silver Republicans" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Western Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated western buffs that "The Mule Tamer" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99).

The Geiger Counter
Matt Geiger
HenschelHAUS Publishing
2625 S. Greeley Street, Suite 201, Milwaukee, WI 53207
http://henschelhausbooks.com
9781595984968, $16.95, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com

His little sister joins the circus. His parents buy a nerdy horse. He's surrounded by hundreds of men dressed up as Ernest Hemingway. He tries to order a monkey through the mail. And now his baby is eating dog food. "The Geiger Counter: Raised by Wolves and Other Stories" is an anthology of short stories showcasing an author with an impressive flair for originality and deftly crafted storytelling. Matt Geiger reveal the sublime in the mundane and the comical in the banal. There is existential dread. There is festivity amid detritus. There are moments of genuine introspection on what it means to be human. And it's all laugh-out-loud funny when told by a humorist who is determined to live an examined life, even if he's not always entirely sure what he's looking at. While very highly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Geiger Counter: Raised by Wolves and Other Stories" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

A Lady's Code of Misconduct
Meredith Duran
Pocket Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.pocketbooks.com
9781501139024, $7.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Trapped in the countryside, facing an unwanted marriage and the theft of her fortune, Jane Mason is done behaving nicely. To win her freedom, she'll strike a deal with the most dangerous man she knows - a rising star in politics, whose dark good looks mask an even darker heart. The bitter past has taught Crispin Burke to trust no one. He'll gladly help a lovely young heiress, provided she pays a price. Yet when a single mistake shatters his life, it is Jane who holds the key to his salvation. And in a world that no longer makes sense, Crispin slowly realizes that she may be the only thing worth fighting for. A master of the historical romance genre, author Meredith Duran has once again written a compelling, entertaining, original novel that will hold the reader's rapt attention from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for community library Historical Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Lady's Code of Misconduct" is also available in a Kindle format ($6.99).

Dead Mans Boot
Patrick Dearen
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432833084, $25.95, HC, 265pp, www.amazon.com

Clay Andrews is like a dead man, adrift in an uncaring dark. But he's also searching, and in 1869 he has ridden to the Pecos River to find answers. Back in Central Texas, Clay's sister has died, and only on this river might he learn why. The person perhaps responsible may have fled here, but no one enters this no-man's-land except at his own peril. Comanches are on the prowl, and across the Pecos, Mescalero Apaches range all the way to the mysterious Guadalupe Mountains. In a dead man's boot, Clay finds a map to rumored gold in the Guadalupes. When Comanches approach, he flees upriver and finds Lil Casner at a lone schooner. Long abused in an arranged marriage, she must fend for herself while her obsessed husband combs the Pecos for the very map Clay has discovered. Upstream at the Bar W Ranch, two other haunted figures await. One is an experienced cowboy who has come to the Pecos for reasons that strangely parallel Clay's. The other is a shiftless cowhand in whose mind lurks something evil and deadly. Comanche attacks, a kidnaping, a chase through Apache country to Skeleton Cave, and on to the Guadalupes, for Clay, the answers will never come unless he rides into a mountain range where Indian spirits may guard a golden hoard. Patrick Dearen is a veteran writer of action/adventure westerns and an acknowledge master of the genre. "Dead Man's Boots" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to any and all community library Western Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated western buffs that "Dead Man's Boots" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Where I Can See You
Larry D. Sweazy
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633882119, $15.95, www.seventhstreetbooks.com

Where I Can See You takes place in a Midwest vacation spot where a detective is tracking a murderer while, at the same time, he's investigating his mother's disappearance many decades ago. How can Hud investigate two mysteries at once - and when he becomes the target of the killer, will his personal goals obstruct justice itself? As Hud faces issues of cooperation, death, deputies and dangers, he discovers the small town atmosphere is anything but staid; and as his investigations threaten more than the killer, he finds himself navigating difficult territory in a place both familiar and alien at the same time. Fans of murder mysteries and intrigue will find this a riveting story.

The Sun King Conspiracy
Yves Jego & Denis Leppe
Gallic Books
www.gallicbooks.com
9781910477359, $14.99, PB, 448pp, www.amazon.com

Stolen documents have the power to change the course of history for France and the Sun King himself. The collaborative work of Yves Jego (a politician and the author of several works of fiction and non-fiction) and Denis Lepee (an environmental adviser and historical novelist) "The Sun King Conspiracy" is fast-paced historical mystery that features many real-life seventeenth-century characters including Moliere, La Fontaine, Cardinal Mazarin, and Louis XIV, as well as famous locations, including the Louvre palace, Versailles, and the chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte. A consistently compelling and unfailingly entertaining read from cover to cover, "The Sun King Conspiracy" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Sun King Conspiracy" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Mystery In The Channel
Freeman Wills Crofts
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785413032, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 324pp, www.amazon.com

In 1931 The good ship Chichester is making a routine journey across the English Channel on a pleasant afternoon in June when the steamer's crew spot a small yacht bobbing aimlessly in the water. Upon boarding the vessel, they discover two male corpses. Both must have been shot, but there is no sign of either the murderer or the pistol. Inspector French is put on the case, and soon establishes the identity of the dead men: Moxon and Deeping, the top dogs at one of the largest financial houses in the UK. What's more, the firm is on the brink of collapse. One and a half million pounds has gone missing, along with Moxon and Deeping, who seem to have been fleeing the country with their ill-gotten gains. So who killed them, and how? "Mystery In The Channel" is a truly riveting read from cover to cover and clearly showcases author Freeman Wills Crofts' mastery of the genre and genuine flair for originality. This large print edition is particular recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

The Woman on the Roof
Helen Nielsen
Black Gat Books
c/o Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520137, $9.99, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Wilma Rathjen lives above the garage with a view of the apartments below. Her brother Curtis has provided this safe haven for her after her breakdown. The last thing Wilma wants to do is go back to the institution. So when she looks out of her window and sees the body of her neighbor, Jeri Lynn, lying dead in her bathtub, she doesn't call the police. She waits if the body is really there, one of the other tenants will discover it. And discover it they do. But is this really an accident? Sergeant Osgood is not so sure. Curtis himself was known to visit Miss Lynn. The young nurse, Ann Jenner, definitely has something to hide; the old gardener, Wallace Timm, is acting evasive; and pretty-boy Tony Carmen is decidedly defensive. And then there's serviceman Phillip Blade, who shows up claiming to be Jeri's husband. Only Wilma could have seen what happened and that someone might try to kill her next! As consistently compelling a read today as it was when originally published in 1954, "The Woman on the Roof" is a time-lost classic brought back into print for the benefit of a whole new generation of dedicated mystery fans and will aptly serve to introduce the late Helen Nielsen (1918-2002) who was a true master of the genre. Of special note is the Helen Nielsen Bibliography offering a complete listing of her work. Simply stated, "The Woman on the Roof" is enthusiastically recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections and personal reading lists.

When the Grits Hit the Fan
Maddie Day
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781617739293, $7.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Before she started hosting dinners for Indiana University's Sociology Department at Pans 'N Pancakes, Robbie never imagined scholarly meetings could be so hostile. It's all due to Professor Charles Stilton, who seems to thrive on heated exchanges with his peers and underlings, and tensions flare one night after he disrespects Robbie's friend, graduate student Lou. So when Robbie and Lou go snowshoeing the next morning and find the contentious academic frozen under ice, police suspect Lou might have killed him after their public tiff. To prove her friend's innocence, Robbie is absorbing local gossip about Professor Stilton's past and developing her own thesis on the homicide -- even if that means stirring up terrible danger for herself along the way! "When the Grits Hit the Fan" is the latest addition to author Maddie Day's simply outstanding 'Country Store' series and is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "When the Grits Hit the Fan" is also available in a Kindle format ($5.99). Librarians should note that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "When the Grits Hit the Fan" (Tantor Audio, 9781515964872, $29.99, CD).

Casting Bones
Don Bruns
Severn House
110 East 59th Street, 22th Fl., New York, NY 10022
www.severnhouse.com
9780727886361, $29.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

When a prominent New Orleans judge is brutally murdered, former Detroit cop Quentin Archer is handed the case. His enquiries will lead him into a world of darkness and mysticism which underpins the carefree atmosphere of the Big Easy. Interrogating crooked police officers, a pickpocket, a bartender with underground contacts and a swamp dweller, Archer uncovers some troubling facts about the late judge's past. But it's only when he encounters a beautiful young voodoo practitioner that he starts to make headway in the investigation. Voodoo queen Solange Cordray volunteers at the dementia centre where her mother lives. When she starts reading the mind of one of her patients, she learns that a secretive organization known as Krewe Charbonerrie may be behind the murder of the judge. And the second murder. And a third... "Casting Bones" is a truly riveting read from beginning to end and clearly showcases author Don Bruns as a master of the genre. While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Casting Bones" is also available in a Kindle format ($14.99).

Riviera Blues
Jack Batten
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459733282, $16.99, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Like all the criminal messes Crang has ever found himself caught up in, this one begins in perfect innocence. As Crang is leaving for a holiday on the French Riviera with his movie-critic girlfriend, Annie, his rich-as-Croesus former father-in-law appears to ask if he'd mind checking up on an errant family member who is said to be hanging out in Monaco. Crang says he'll do the favor, a decision that drops him into a series of ever-tighter spots on the Cote d'Azur. Crang and Annie enjoy the Riviera's pleasures, but lurking in the background, gathering menace, is a piece of elaborate fraud and murder. Crang has no choice except to solve all the riddles, nail the murderer and, if he's adroit enough, eventually tip the scales of justice in the good guys' favor. A master of the genre, "Riviera Blues" is another outstanding title in Jack Batten's 'Crang Mystery' series. An authentically riveting read from cover to cover, "Riviera Blues" is especially recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Riviera Blues" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

Rush of Blood
Mark Billingham
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802125910, $25.00, HC, 480pp, www.amazon.com

Three British couples meet around the pool on their Florida holiday and become fast friends. But on Easter Sunday, the last day of their vacation, tragedy strikes: the fourteen-year-old daughter of an American vacationer goes missing, and her body is later found floating in the mangroves. When the shocked couples return home to the U.K., they remain in contact, and over the course of three increasingly fraught dinner parties they come to know one another better. But they don't always like what they find. Buried beneath these apparently normal exteriors are some unusual kinks and unpleasant vices. Then, a second girl goes missing, in Kent - not far from where any of the couples lives. Could it be that one of these six has a secret far darker than anybody can imagine? A deftly crafted and simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Rush of Blood" is a consistently compelling and unfailingly entertaining novel by a master of the genre. While highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that Mark Billingham's "Rush of Blood" is also available in a Kindle format ($14.75).

Dead Cold Brew
Cleo Coyle
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780425276112, $27.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

After everything Clare and Mike have been through, they deserve a little bit of happily ever after. So when Mike decides to put a ring on Clare's finger, Clare's eccentric octogenarian employer is there to help. She donates the perfect coffee-colored diamonds to include in the setting and the name of a world-famous jeweler who happens to be an old family friend. But while the engagement is steeped in perfection, the celebration is not long lived. First, a grim-faced attorney interrupts their party with a mysterious letter bequeathing a strange, hidden treasure to Clare's daughter. Next, the renowned jeweler who designed Clare's ring is found poisoned in his shop. Both events appear to be connected to a cold case murder involving a sunken ship, an Italian curse, a suspiciously charming jewel thief, and a shocking family secret. With deadly trouble brewing, Clare must track down clues in some of New York's most secret places before an old vendetta starts producing fresh corpses. Another riveting mystery from a true master of the genre, "Dead Cold Brew" showcases Cleo Coyle's impressive flair for original and creative storytelling. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Dead Cold Brew" is also available in a Kindle format ($13.99). Librarians should be aware that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Dade Cold Brew" (Blackstone Audio, 9781504779364, $29.95, MP3 CD).

Death in the Shadows
Paul McCusker
Lion Fiction
c/o Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9781782641223, $14.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

When Father Gilbert traded in his detective's badge for an Anglican priest's collar, he never expected that murder would follow him. Even a church conference in the quant seaside town of Englesea offers no escape. The vision of a dead woman, water dripping from her body, draws Gilbert into a mystery that seems straightforward, but soon entangles him in a power struggle between corrupt players who want to dominate the illegal sex trade in town. The victims are pawns in a game that extends to London and across international borders. The dead cry for justice and Father Gilbert fights against forces hiding in the shadows. Can he champion the truth in time to stop more people from dying? The second in the outstanding 'Father Gilbert Mystery' series, "Death in the Shadows" is a riveting read from cover to cover and showcases author Paul McCusker's complete and impressive mastery of the genre. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Death in the Shadows" is available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Dead and Breakfast
Kate Kingsbury
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683310099, $25.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Melanie West is getting her life back on track after a messy divorce when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asks her to open a B&B with her. Together, Liza and Melanie purchase a purportedly haunted mansion on the Oregon coast and jump right into clearing out the cobwebs. But while attempting to remove wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom, the new B&B owners stumble upon a very real skeleton in their closet. The police suspect the skeleton is that of the wife of the previous owner of the B&B, but no one in town seems to want to say much about her. As the inn owners try to juggle renovations with their own amateur investigations, their grand opening looms closer and closer--and a friendly ghost in their walls starts playing tricks. But it all comes crashing to a halt when a new body is found stabbed to death on the beach below the inn--the victim chillingly close in resemblance to Melanie herself. It seems someone doesn't appreciate newcomers prying into the small town's past, and now it's up to Melanie and Liza to get to the bottom of these murders to save their business...and their lives. A consistently compelling read from cover to cover, "Dead and Breakfast" is another outstanding novel in the 'A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery' series and continues to reveal author Kate Kingsbury as a master of the genre. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Dead and Breakfast" is also available in a Kindle format ($8.51). Librarians should be aware that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Dead and Breakfast" (Blackstone Audio, 9781504797986, $29.95, MP3 CD).

Marry in Haste
Susan Van Kirk
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
www.susanvankirk.com
9781432832339, $25.95, HC, 279pp, www.amazon.com

"Marry in Haste" by Susan Van Kirk is the story of two lives lived over a hundred years apart, both of which illustrate the resilience of women in the small town of Endurance. Grace Kimball, retired teacher, is writing for the Endurance Register and dating its editor, Jeff Maitlin. When he buys a huge Victorian house and borrows money from the bank, he sets off a chain of events that puts Grace in danger. Conrad Folger, the bank president, is murdered, and his wife, Emily, becomes the prime suspect. While TJ Sweeney, Grace's friend and Endurance police detective, investigates, Grace also sets out to prove her former student innocent. If Grace is right and Emily Folger is innocent, who else had a motive to kill the bank president? TJ Sweeney investigates a list of possible suspects: spurned lovers, unhappy bank clients, and even family members. Grace and Jeff also find a diary from 1893 in Lockwood House, Jeff's newly-bought mansion. Written by a naive 17-year-old who comes to Endurance from a small farm, it tells Olivia Havelock's bittersweet story. She marries a powerful judge, and what begins as a joyous event quickly turns to terror. As Grace reads the diary, she soon sees parallels to the life of Emily Folger. Can the lessons from the past help Grace clear Emily's name? And can she do it in time, before a killer strikes again? "Marry in Haste" clearly showcases author Susan Van Kirk as a master of the genre and with a genuine flair for originality. While "Marry in Haste" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Marry in Haste" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99).


The Psychology Shelf

Psychology's Dream of the Courtroom
Greg Mogenson
Spring Journal Books
38 South Roadway, New Orleans, LA 70124
www.springjournalandbooks.com
9781935528777, $32.95, PB, 227pp, www.amazon.com

Psychology and the law have long maintained a collegial association with one another as adjacent disciplines. In the criminal justice system, for example, psychologists and psychiatrists serve regularly as expert witnesses, providing insight into the motivations and mental status of accused and convicted persons. But what about the reverse of this relation? What contribution has "the law" made to the work of analyst and patient in the consulting room? And what insights may be drawn from putting psychology itself on trial? "Psychology's Dream of the Courtroom" by Greg Mogenson (a registered psychotherapist and Jungian psychoanalyst practicing in London, Ontario, Canada. He is the editor of The Studies in Archetypal Psychology Series of Spring Journal Books as well as a founding member and Vice-President of The International Society for Psychology as the Discipline of Interiority) is a ground-breaking book exploring the use of legal metaphors and the courtroom analogy by Freud, Jung, and psychology more generally and examined in relation to the practice psychotherapy and analysis. In this way, psychoanalysis and analytical psychology are shown in fresh perspective to be disciplines of truth in the spirit of a trial or court proceeding. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Psychology's Dream of the Courtroom" is a unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Psychology collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Echoes of Eternity
Hal M. Helms
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781612618401 $15.99 amazon.com

Now in its 20th anniversary edition, Echoes of Eternity is a devotional for Christians, offering a contemplation for every day of the year. Each entry is written in "the voice of God", encapsulating what the Bible tells us of God's love and wisdom in a candid, direct, first-person message. "This is my word today: carry out the gentle nudges and quiet thoughts that come to you. Do not allow your disbelief to rob you of my intended blessing. Nothing else can hinder it. Believe, act, and see." Echoes of Eternity is highly recommended as an excellent tool for making time reflect on God's will.

Theologian of Resistance
Christiane Tietz, author
Victoria J. Barnett, translator
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
http://fortresspress.com
9781506408446, $23.99, HC, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Since Dietrich Bonhoeffer's death in 1945, executed by the Nazis as a political dissident, he has continued to fascinate and compel succeeding generations of readers as a theologian, witness, and martyr. Bonhoeffer's theological brilliance, committed discipleship, ecumenical insight, and courageous participation in the struggle against fascism have profoundly shaped contemporary Christian understanding and action. With his murder at the hands of the Nazi's, Bonhoeffer became the paradigmatic martyr-theologian for our time. In her new biography of Bonhoeffer, Christiane Tietz (Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Zurich and Chairperson of the German language section of the International Bonhoeffer Society) masterfully portrays the interconnectedness of Bonhoeffer's life and thought, theology and politics, discipleship, witness, and resistance, tracing the path from his childhood to his imprisonment and execution. Brief, lucid, and imminently accessible, Tietz's new account brings Bonhoeffer's story and work to life for a new generation in a vivid retelling, unfolding his important and widely read texts, and including new, previously unseen pictures. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Theologian of Resistance: The Life and Thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Christian Studies collections in general, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer supplemental studies reading lists in particular. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Theologian of Resistance" is also available in a Kindle format ($13.49).

Jesus According To Scripture, second edition
Darrell L. Bock & Benjamin I. Simpson
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801098086, $49.99, HC, 768pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, "Jesus according to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels" by evangelical New Testament scholar Darrell Bock (with the assistance of Benjamin I. Simpson) provides a coherent portrait of Jesus as it emerges from the four Gospels when these ancient accounts are taken seriously as historical documents. When read together, the Gospels provide a clear picture of Jesus and his unique claims to authority. "Jesus According To Scripture" surveys all the Gospel units and relates them to their parallel passages, showing how the literary and canonical relationships work. Offering up-to-date interaction with the latest discussions about Jesus, the new second edition includes three new chapters on how we got the Gospels. An exceptionally well written, organized and presented work of outstanding scholarship, "Jesus According To Scripture" is unreservedly recommended for church, seminary, community, and academic library Christian Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Jesus According To Scripture" is also available in a Kindle format (9781493400416, $49.99).

In Defense of Jesus
Lee Strobel
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
www.zondervan.com
9780310344681, $16.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Has modern scholarship debunked the traditional Christ? Has the church suppressed the truth about Jesus to advance its own agenda? What if the real Jesus is far different from the atoning Savior worshiped through the centuries? "In Defense of Jesus: Investigating Attacks on the Identity of Christ", award-winning legal editor Lee Strobel explores such hot-button questions as: Did the church suppress ancient non-biblical documents that paint a more accurate picture of Jesus than the four Gospels?; Did the church distort the truth about Jesus by tampering with early New Testament texts?; Do new insights and explanations disprove the resurrection?; Have fresh arguments disqualified Jesus from being the Messiah?; Did Christianity steal its core ideas from earlier mythology? Readers can evaluate the arguments and evidence being advanced by prominent atheists, liberal theologians, Muslim scholars, and others. Sift through expert testimony -- then reach their own verdict. Impressively well written, organized and presented, "In Defense of Jesus" is very highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "In Defense of Jesus" is also available in a Kindle format ($8.99).

A Faith Encouraged
Barnabas Powell
Ancient Faith Publishing
PO Box 748, Chesterton, IN 46304-0748
http://store.ancientfaith.com
9781944967154, $19.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

The journey to Orthodox Christianity for Fr. Barnabas Powell came as a result of his many years spent searching for a "lifestyle" that would be truly Christian. After years in Evangelical Protestant ministry and serving in Christian media, both radio and television, he launched Faith Encouraged Ministries to use what he learned in sharing faith through media for the Orthodox Faith. In the style of his beloved podcast, Fr. Powell offers reflections for each workday of the year to inspire us to live out our faith in the real world every day in the pages of "A Faith Encouraged: A Devotional Guide to Being Orthodox on Purpose". Comprised of brief, succinct pithy thoughts of encouragement to purposely live by each day, "A Faith Encouraged" is unreservedly recommended, especially for all members of Orthodox Christian congregations. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Faith Encouraged" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Always Discerning
Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ
Loyola Press
3441 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
www.loyolapress.com
9780829444568, $14.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Joseph A. Tetlow is a dedicated Jesuit who has practiced, taught, and written on discernment since before Vatican II. He is a spiritual director and has led numerous retreats for laypeople on the topic of discernment. Pope Francis has explicitly and repeatedly stated that discernment is essential for anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. But what, exactly, is discernment? Why must we do it? When do we do it? How should we do it? In the pages of "Always Discerning: An Ignatian Spirituality for the New Millennium ", R. Tetlow delves thoughtfully into these questions and shares how lay Christians can implement discernment into not only life's big decisions but also into the everyday, more mundane choices we constantly find ourselves having to make. Guided by Scripture, Pope Francis's own words, and Ignatian spirituality, Fr. Tetlow helps us see that the dynamic interrelationship of head, heart, and hands is crucial to the discernment process. Ultimately, "Always Discerning" provides a powerful and highly practical way for the "people of God" to pray in the new millennium, while teaching us how to recognize God's will in every area of our lives and respond to it in joy and love. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Always Discerning" is unreservedly recommended for seminary and academic library Christian Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, academics, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Always Discerning" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Christ the Merciful
Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781612617725, $16.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.cm

Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette is a Benedictine monk in residence at Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery in Millbrook, New York. In "Christ the Merciful" readers can pray with Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette through the many names of Jesus and encounter Christ in ways you never thought or imagined were possible. The mystery and abundance of God's grace is opened up through the Scriptures, and monastic writings from Western and Eastern Orthodox sources. Through these pages, each reader can find a unique facet of Christ's loving mercy with the power to transform the heart. Brother d'Avila-Latourrette's meditations on the many names of Jesus offers the opportunity to meet Christ anew every day as we are reminded of how much we long to hear Jesus and need to hear him speaking to us in all aspects of our life and faith. While very highly recommended to all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Christ the Merciful" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Called to Speak
Edna Ellison & Linda J. Gilden
New Hope Publishers
PO Box 830711, Birmingham, AL 35283-0711
www.newhopepublishers.com
9781625915115, $14.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Collaborative compiled and written by Edna Ellison and Linda J. Gilden, "Called to Speak: Practical Tips for Women's Ministry Speakers and Teachers" is a valuable collection of essential principles to help members of the Christian community grow into the effective, life-changing orators that God wants to empower. "Called to Speak" uniquely addresses the practical call of a communicator to speak for the kingdom of God. Based on years of experience by these two veteran women's ministry speakers, "Called to Speak" is replete with personal stories and encouraging Scripture. Containing practical tips, each chapter also ends with inspiring questions to help the existing women's ministry teacher and speaker hone their skills while at the same time helping novice speakers answer the call to speak or teach. Very highly recommended to all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation, it should be noted that "Called to Speak is a companion resource to "Called to Write", which is also published by the same authors with the intent of helping writers refine their mission focus through the written word.

Jesus and the Beanstalk
Lori Stanley Roeleveld
Abingdon Press
PO Box 280988, Nashville, TN 37228-0988
www.abingdonpress.com
9781501820045, $16.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Our ordinary lives are replete with problems and obstacles to sharing faith, barriers to peaceful lives, sources fear both expected and unexpected. But there are eight small secrets to unlocking a strength big enough to overcome whatever obstacle life may bring in Lori Stanley Roeleveld's "Jesus and the Beanstalk: Overcoming Your Giants and Living a Fruitful Life". Using allegory and a bit of humor, "Jesus and the Beanstalk" explores a passage in 2 Peter 1 to uncover eight truths that will help you unleash a larger-than-life faith. These are: Faith; Goodness; Knowledge; Self-control; Perseverance; Godliness; Affection for others; Love. Critique: Offering a creative and refreshing perspective on spiritual growth, readers will discover an unyielding strength when they tap into the power of a God who is stronger than any beanstalk and bigger than your biggest giants. Exceptionally well written from beginning to end, "Jesus and the Beanstalk" is a potentially life-changing read that is recommended to all members of the Christian community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Jesus and the Beanstalk" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Modern Orthodox Judaism
Zev Eleff
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor, Philadelphia PA 19103-1399
www.jewishpub.org
9780827612570, $40.00 PB, $29.60 Kindle, 570pp, www.amazon.com

"Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History" by Zev Eleff (Chief Academic Officer of the Hebrew Theological College, Chicago, Illinois) offers an extensive selection of primary texts documenting the Orthodox encounter with American Judaism that led to the emergence of the Modern Orthodox movement. Many texts in this volume are drawn from episodes of conflict that helped form Modern Orthodox Judaism. These include the traditionalists' response to the early expressions of Reform Judaism, as well as incidents that helped define the widening differences between Orthodox and Conservative Judaism in the early twentieth century. Other texts explore the internal struggles to maintain order and balance once Orthodox Judaism had separated itself from other religious movements. "Modern Orthodox Judaism" combines published documents with seldom-seen archival sources in tracing Modern Orthodoxy as it developed into a structured movement, established its own institutions, and encountered critical events and issues. A general introduction explains the rise of the movement and puts the texts in historical context. Brief introductions to each section guide readers through the documents of this new, dynamic Jewish expression. An outstanding work that is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Modern Orthodox Judaism" is an exceptional and highly recommended addition to personal, community and academic library Judaic Studies collections.

100 Jewish Things to Do Before You Die
Barbara Sheklin Davis
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455622535, $15.95, www.pelicanpub.com

100 Jewish Things to Do Before You Die comes from a New York City native and Jewish educator who offers Jewish readers a series of suggestions for routines, rituals, and activities for reinforcing their Jewish heritage. These 100 tips aren't just about religious ceremonies, but involve such diverse approaches as re-considering Jewish values in an online world, considering individual ways to make a difference through participating in social justice programs, or scouring Jewish neighborhoods in search of traditional Jewish foods. The result is a lively survey highly recommended for Jewish readers looking to re-connect to their Jewish roots and heritage with more than a spiritual focus.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Is Islam an Enemy of the West?
Tamara Sonn
Polity
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.politybooks.com
www.blackwellpublishing.com
9781509504411, $45.00, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com

New York, Washington, Madrid, London, Paris, and a growing list of other Western cities have been and are being targeted by radical Islamic terrorists waging global jihad. Does this extreme violence committed in the name of Islam point to a fundamental enmity between the Muslim faith and the West? "Is Islam an Enemy of the West?" is an informative, thoughtful, and compelling essay, by Tamara Sonn (who is the Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in the History of Islam at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University) persuasively argues that whilst the West has many enemies among Muslims, it is politics and not religion that informs their grievances. The longer these political, social, and cultural demands remain frustrated, the more the violence has escalated and recruitment to groups like Islamic State have increased. Far from quelling the spread of Islamic extremism, Western military intervention has helped to turn nationalist movements into radical terrorist groups with international agendas. Islam, Professor Sonn concludes, is not the problem, just as war is not the solution. While a timely and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library Political Science and Contemporary Islamic Studies collections in general, and Radical Islamic Terrorism supplemental studies in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Is Islam an Enemy of the West?" is also available in a paperback edition (9781509504428, $12.95) and in a Kindle format ($12.30).


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom
Dudjom Rinpoche & Jigdreal Yeshe Dorje
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
www.shambhala.com
9781611804034, $29.95, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices", a highly revered Buddhist meditation master and the leader of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, the late Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-1987) explains a key text attributed to Padmasambhava, the great Indian meditation master credited with bringing the Buddha's teachings to Tibet. The instructions here are clear, direct, and personal, illuminating the heart of Vajrayana Buddhist practice and philosophy. Included is the root text ("The Heart Essence of the Dakini") by Padmasambhava and a commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche. "A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom" (this English language edition being provided by the Padmakara Translation Group), will prove to be of immense interest to practitioners of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. While unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Buddhism collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom" is also available in a Kindle format ($19.99).


The Education Shelf

Colleges That Pay You Back: 2017 Edition
Robert Franek, et al.
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780451487490, $21.99, PB, 480pp, www.amazon.com

A college or university education is a major financial investment, and one that too many students enter into blindly. The Princeton Review erases that uncertainty with this newly updated 2017 edition of "Colleges That Pay You Back", a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide to colleges and universities where students get the best return on their tuition investment. These are the schools that offer generous financial aid, excellent academics, and valuable career-building experiences for a successful post-college outcome. "Colleges That Pay You Back" is a compendium of top-value picks which were chosen based on 40+ data points, including academics, cost of attendance, financial aid, and post-grad salary figures. Featured are Profiles of 200 schools that offer fantastic value, with insight into their career services offerings; The top 25 schools with the Best Alumni Network, Best Career Placement, Top Financial Aid, and more; The highest-paying majors and great schools that offer them; Starting and mid-career salary information for graduates of each school; Percentages of alumni who report having meaningful jobs and who majored in science/technology/engineering/math (STEM) fields. Simply stated, "Colleges That Pay You Back: 2017 Edition" is unreservedly recommended as a family, high school, and community reference collections for all college and university bound students.

Reading for Pleasure: A Passport to Everywhere
Kenny Pieper, author
Edited by Phil Beadle
Independent Thinking Press
www.indpenedentthinkingpress.com
c/o Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781781352670 $19.95 amazon.com

Part of the "How to Teach" series, Reading for Pleasure: A Passport to Everywhere is a guide by teacher Kenny Pieper filled with strategies to not only persuade kids to read, but also to get kids to enjoy reading. Chapters discuss the importance of regular library visits, the value of e-readers, constructive ways of talking and writing about reading, the especial challenges of encouraging boys to read for pleasure, and more. "Getting kids to do ream upon ream of pointless writing about books is one of the most effective ways of turning kids off reading at school. Some boys, especially, will resist reading if they're convinced that they will be asked to write a review at the end... We can assess writing in far better and more helpful ways, and we can check for understanding of reading in more appropriate ways too." Reading for Pleasure: A Passport to Everywhere is highly recommended to librarians, grade school educators, and parents.

Doing Case Study Research, third edition
Dawson R. Hancock & Bob Algozzine
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807758137, $29.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Reflecting recent knowledge and developments in the field and now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, "Doing Case Study Research: A Practical Guide for Beginning Researchers" by the team of Dawson Hancock (Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte) and Bob Algozzine Co-Director of the Behavior and Reading Improvement Center at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte) is a very practical, easy-to-use instructional guide emphasizes how to do case study research from the first step of deciding whether a case study is the way to go, to the last step of verifying and confirming findings before disseminating them. "Doing Case Study Research" show students how to: determine an appropriate research design; conduct informative interviews; record observations; document analyses; delineate ways to confirm case study findings; describe methods for deriving meaning from data; and communicate their findings. Featuring many new examples, this new third edition also offers step-by-step guidance to help beginning researchers through the stages of planning and implementing a thesis, dissertation, or independent project. This succinct how-to guide is an excellent place for anyone to begin doing case study research. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Doing Case Study Research" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Study Skills Improvement collections. For the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "Doing Case Study Research" is also available in a Kindle format ($16.17).

Performance-Based Pay for Educators
Jennifer King Rice & Betty Malen
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807758038, $98.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

In "Performance-Based Pay for Educators: Assessing the Evidence" Jennifer King Rice (Professor of Education Policy and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Faculty Affairs in the College of Education at the University of Maryland) and Betty Malen (Professor of Education Policy and Distinguished Scholar Teacher at the University of Maryland) collaborate to provide an in-depth analysis of a performance-based pay initiative and crystalizes the design issues and implementation challenges that confounded efforts to translate promising teacher compensation policies into practice. This story has much to say to academics and policymakers who are trying to figure out the combinations of incentives and the full range of resources required to establish incentive programs that promote an adequate supply and equitable distribution of capable and committed educators for our public schools. "Performance-Based Pay for Educators" uncovers the conditions that appear to be necessary, if not fully sufficient, for performance-based initiatives to have a chance to realize their ambitious aims and the research that is required to guide policy development. In so doing, Professors Rice and Malen consider the thorny question of whether performance-based pay systems for educators are worth the investment. "Performance-Based Pay for Educators" examines the use of educator compensation reform as a tool to improve human capital in chronically low-performing schools; analyzes how a theoretically promising incentive program actually plays out in schools; documents policy implementation and its impacts through the experiences and voices of teachers and school administrators; and concludes with clear and actionable recommendations for policy and research. While unreservedly recommended as a core addition to school board, college, and university library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Performance-Based Pay for Educators" is also available in a paperback edition (9780807758014, $43.95).

Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom
Jeanie M. Iberlin & Mike Ruyle
Marzano Research Laboratory
555 N. Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
http://www.marzanoresearch.com
9781943360093, $24.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Mindfulness is an effective, low-cost way for educators to help students improve their social and emotional wellness as they learn and grow. Drawing upon their many years of experience and expertise as teachers, "Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom" by Jeanie M. Iberlin and Mike Ruyle presents practical tools that align to the five key categories of mindfulness benefits -stress reduction, attention, emotional control, positive self-concept, and positive interactions- and offer a step-by-step process for establishing a formal school or classroom mindfulness program. Readers will learn to: Recognize what mindfulness is and is not, in order to use mindfulness practices in the classroom, so that students know how to cope with their emotions; Consider research that presents the benefits of mindfulness practices, to help students focus their brains for extended periods of time and increase their emotional intelligence; Get student-friendly definitions of mindfulness terms, to make students more mindful of their emotions and ultimately foster better classroom cultures and higher student achievement; Answer chapter-ending comprehension questions and compare your answers to those provided in an appendix, to examine your understanding of mindfulness. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom" is very highly recommended for college and university library Teacher Education instructional collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of education students and practicing classroom teachers that "Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom" is also available in a Kindle format ($23.70).


The Self-Help Shelf

What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone?
Rabbi Daniel Cohen
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757319518, $15.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com

At some point in their lives, everyone has confronted the concept of their own mortality. Each of us, at some point, has faced the reality that our time on Earth is limited. But how do we lead our lives with a sense of urgency every day? How do we develop the courage to make choices not based on pressure but on principle? How do we create the sacred space to reflect on who we are and who we want to be so we can realize our innermost goals and dreams? "What Will They Say About You When You're Gone?: Creating a Life of Legacy" by Rabbi Daniel Cohen points the way. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone?" will help you rise above the distractions to tap into the best version of yourself. Through a unique blend of storytelling, practical exercises, and profound wisdom, Rabbi Cohen teaches seven transformative principles to reverse engineer our lives so that we are living with purpose and passion, so that the person we are today more closely aligns with the person we aspire to be. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone?" is a potentially life-changing read that is especially recommended for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone?" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Tokyo ESP 7
Hajime Segawa
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993568 $15.95 www.vertical-inc.com

A black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) featuring striking art, Tokyo ESP 7 continues the modern-day, psychic-powered saga of a handful of heroes; a monstrous, globe-spanning cartel of villains; and everyone else caught in between. Volume 7 reveals more about Ares, the criminal, mercenary organization seeking to obtain the Ark and reawaken the "Messiah" at all costs. Ares has corrupted entire governments, and the members of its inner circle are unmatched in power and guile. The valiant "white girl" Rinka can't fight an enemy this entrenched alone; she needs to ally not only with her comrades, but also her rivals, and her fierce enemy Minami! But could there be quarrels or infighting within Ares' own ranks? A fine blend of intrigue, multifaceted characters and high-impact action, the Tokyo ESP is a "must-read"!

Mysterious Girlfriend X 4
Riichi Ueshiba
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993711 $15.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Mysterious Girlfriend X 4 is a black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) continuing the saga of first love between Tsubaki, a mostly ordinary young man, and his unusual girlfriend Urabe. Drool is their bond, and their relationship has progressed slowly... not quite to the moment of their first kiss, but could that happen soon? In volume 4, Tsubaki notices a change in Urabe's behavior; she seems to be acting a lot like a high-spirited teen idol singer instead of the somewhat moody and dour self. Could Urabe have switched bodies with her emotional opposite? Then, a girl with droopy eyes seems to be quite friendly toward Tsubaki - might Urabe have a new rival for Tsubaki's affection? An off-the-wall yet ultimately heartwarming teen love story, Mysterious Girlfriend X is highly recommended.

The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains
Jon Morris
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
9781594749322, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Jonathan Morris is a cartoonist, graphic designer, and author of "The League of Regret-table Superheroes" who now turns his attention to comic book villains in "The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains: Oddball Criminals from Comic Book History". It is a clearly established rule in comics (and all the other forms of fictional literature for that matter!) that every hero needs a villain. But not all villains are dangerous. Some are incompetent, comical, or just plain. weird. Jon Morris knowledgeably presents over a hundred of the strangest, most stupefying supervillains to ever see print in comics. Meet D-list rogues like Brickbat (choice of weapon: poisonous bricks), Robbing Hood (steals from the poor to give to the rich), Swarm (a crook made of bees; Nazi bees), and many more. Drawing on the entire history of the medium, "The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains" affectionately and hilariously profiles oddball criminals from the history of comics and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Comics/Graphic Novels collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated superhero comic book fans that "The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains" is also available in a Kindle format ($18.99).

The Story of Jezebel
Elijah Brubaker
Uncivilized Books
www.uncivilizedbooks.com
9781941250167, $19.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

"The Story of Jezebel" is an inherently fascinating and consistently entertaining graphic novel by comic artist Elijah Brubaker and that takes a modern and hilarious reveal of the Old Testament tale of paganism, murder, and sex. King Ahab is arranged to marry the beautiful Jezebel, a hip chick with a short fuse, whose interest in the pagan god Baal doesn't sit well with the people. With a mix of satirist wit and visual verve, Brubaker puts his unique twist on angels, famine, war and even bear maulings, without losing touch with the biblical source material. A consistently entertaining read from cover to cover, "The Story of Jezebel" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists as well as community library graphic novel collections.

Big Nate: What's A Little Noogie Between Friends?
Lincoln Peirce
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781449462291, $9.99, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Young Nate Wright is a winner -- at least in his own mind, anyway. So when things go wrong, Nate's at a loss to explain why. How does his soccer team manage to lose to a school with a sixty-game winless streak? What's he doing at the movies on a Friday night -- with Gina? And why, oh why is one of his classmates (hint: she's Nate's dream girl) suddenly moving 3,000 miles away? It's all enough to make a sixth-grade superstar feel not so super! But you can't keep a good man down, and Nate's still got pals like Teddy, Francis, and Chad to cheer him up. Sure, their methods aren't always warm and fuzzy, but Nate doesn't mind. After all, what's a little noogie between friends? "Big Nate: What's A Little Noogie Between Friends?" is another terrific graphic novel style comic book story by cartoonist Lincoln Pierce and unreservedly recommended for school and community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading this and all the other twelve titles in the Big Nate series are available at www.ampkids.com


The Audiobook Shelf

The Upstarts
Brad Stone
Hachette Audio
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
9781478941118, $30.00, www.hachetteaudio.com

Brad Stone's The Upstarts is read by Dean Temple and provides a close inspection of the new Silicon Valley's evolution and visions, which have led to the development of Uber, AirBnB and more. These companies represent new business models and have already changed lives and worlds, and The Upstarts uses the stories of two business powerhouses in Silicon Valley to trace the origins and evolution of renegade founders who had little more than a good idea and a vision for how it could play out. Having this story come to life in audio makes for a special treat.

It Takes a School
Jonathan Starr, author
Read by Malcolm Hillgartner
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
9781504798907 $34.95 www.BlackstoneAudio.com

It Takes a School is the unabridged audiobook rendition of the true story of Abaarso, a school built in in Somaliland, an autonomous region of Somalia in Africa, notorious for being the world's "#1 failed state" and a place where government is essentially nonexistent. The obstacles to author Jonathan Starr's dream of a successful school included cultural differences, endless broken promises, and threats to his safety and the well-being of his staff. It Takes a School is also the story of Abaarso's students, including a boy who set out on his own from a family of nomads in search of an education, and a girl who waged a hunger strike to convince her strict parents to let her attend. Abaarso has earned amazing success, placed forty graduates and counting in American universities, and stands as a shining beacon of what human beings are capable of... so if a school can thrive in Somaliland, then why schools thrive everywhere? Inspirational and uplifting, It Takes a School is highly recommended, especially for public library collections.

How To Make It in the New Music Business
Ari Herstand, author
Read by Ari Herstand with Derek Silvers
Highbridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781681683348 $39.99 www.highbridgeaudio.com

The music business of today is radically transformed from what it used to be a generation ago. The rise of digital music, streaming, and online videos has made the music trade more democratized, more "Do-It-Yourself" than ever before. How To Make It in the New Music Business is the unabridged audiobook rendition of singer/songwriter Ari Herstand's guide to navigating the new path to a lifelong music career. From how to route a tour and negotiate contracts, to getting paid for Spotify and Pandora plays, to licensing music for commercials and television, and much more, How To Make It in the New Music Business lives up to its title. An absolute "must-have" for anyone aspiring to create music for a living, How To Make It in the New Music Business is highly recommended. 12 CDs, 14.5 hours.

Zorro Rides Again
Johnston McCulley
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
9781781980194, $27.98, CD, NA0254, www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Has Zorro gone mad? That's the rumor spreading like wildfire through Reina de Los Angeles. For a dazzling swordsman wearing cape and mask is terrorizing innocent citizens. Riding with the night, he leaves the Mark of Zorro on his cruel deeds. Already the governor has placed a price on Zorro's head, dispatching a cutthroat army led by the ruthless Captain Rocha to hunt him down. But Zorro's loyal band and a gallant Indian tribe refuse to believe the foul lie. Still, only one man can expose the truth - and unmask the evil impostor. The third novella featuring Zorro, the Robin Hood of Old California, this flawless produced audio book from Naxos,"Zorro Rides Again" by Johnston McCulley is deftly narrated by Bill Homewood and provides a consistently engaging and unfailingly entertaining 'theatre of the mind' experience that is especially recommended to fans of western action/adventure stories. This four CD collection has a total running time of 4:19:32 and is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections.

One Brief Shining Moment: Remembering Kennedy
William Manchester, author
Read by Malcolm Hillgartner
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
9781455116010 $34.95 www.BlackstoneAudio.com

One Brief Shining Moment: Remembering Kennedy is the unabridged audiobook rendition of the memoirs of William Manchester (1922-2004), an award-winning American author, professor emeritus of history at Wesleyan University, and friend of President John F. Kennedy for two decades. One Brief Shining Moment is not about mourning Kennedy's death, but rather celebrating his life, and is filled with vivid details about family gatherings, arduous campaign trips, quiet evenings and a cornucopia of anecdotes about one of America's most beloved and memorable presidents. Poignant, enlightening, and ultimately joyful, One Brief Shining Moment is highly recommended. 8 CDs, 9 hours.

Right Behind You
Lisa Gardner
www.lisagardner.com
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480598751 $24.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Right Behind You is an unabridged MP3 audiobook (plays on MP3-CD enabled players or transfers to portable devices) of a dark thriller. Eight years ago, Sharlah May Nash's older brother beat their drunken father to death, in order to protect both their lives. Since then, Sharlah has been adopted by retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner Rainie Connor. Now, word comes that Sharlah's older brother may be killing people, and a massive manhunt is out for him. Is Sharlah's big brother a hero or a serial murderer? Laced with razor-edge tension to the very end, Right Behind You is highly recommended for connoisseurs of the genre. 1 disc, 13 hours 22 min.

Archangel's Heart
Nalini Singh
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781494518707, $39.99, CD, www.tantor.com

One of the most vicious archangels in the world has disappeared. No one knows if Lijuan is dead or has chosen to Sleep the long sleep of an immortal. But with her lands falling into chaos under a rising tide of vampiric bloodlust, a mysterious and ancient order of angels known as the Luminata calls the entire Cadre together to discuss the fate of her territory. Accompanying her archangelic lover Raphael to the Luminata compound, guild hunter-turned-angel Elena senses that all is not as it seems. Secrets echo from within the stone walls of the compound, and the deeper Elena goes, the uglier the darkness. But neither Raphael nor Elena is ready for the brutal truths hidden within and exposing those truths will change everything Elena thinks she knows about who she is. Nothing will ever be the same again. Another riveting story in author Nalini Singh's simply outstanding Guild Hunter series, "Archangel's Heart" is a truly riveting listening experience expertly narrated by Justine Eyre and very highly recommended, especially for community library audio book collections. (11 CDs, 13.5 Hourse, Complete & Unabridged).

Disappearing Nightly
Laura Risnick
Graphic Audio
4940 Hampden Lane, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20814
9781628513103, $19.99, CD, www.graphicaudio.net

Esther Diamond, a struggling actress in New York, seems destined to attract supernatural mayhem. When bizarre magical disappearances disrupt shows around the city, Esther receives a mysterious warning not to go on with her off-Broadway show. Desperate to stay on stage rather than resort to waiting tables, Esther turns to her new BFF, Dr. Maximillian Zadok, a 350-year-old mage whose day job is protecting New York from Evil. Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery without losing her job, Esther and Max team up with a conjuring cowboy, a banker with stage aspirations, and a flock of fearless drag queens. Also on the case is Detective Connor Lopez, a sexy cop who has a thing for Esther, but who fears that she and Max may be a bigger problem than the vanishing performers. Since the show must go on (and the astronomical New York rent must be paid) Esther, Max, and their friends pursue Evil to its lair in their fearless determination to find the missing performers and restore harmony to the city that never sleeps. "Disappearing Nightly" volume of the Esther Diamond series by Laura Risnick. With Graphic Audio's usual flawless production values, this multicast adaptation is an unfailingly entertaining, 'theatre of the mind' listening experience that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library collections -- and leave enthusiastic listeners eagerly awaiting the next Esther Diamond audio book adventure!

Gemini Cell
Myke Cole
Graphic Audio
7520 Standish Place, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20855
9781628513141, $19.99, CD, www.graphicaudio.net

US Navy SEAL Jim Schweitzer is a consummate professional warrior and a very hard man to kill. But when he sees something he was never meant to see on a covert mission gone bad, he finds himself, his wife and his young song in the crosshairs of a nameless foe. Nothing means more to Jim than protecting his loved ones, but when the enemy brings the battle to his front door, he is overwhelmed and taken down. That should be the end of the story. But Jim is raised from the dead by a sorcerer and recruited by a top secret unit dabbling in the occult, known only as the Gemini Cell. With powers he doesn't understand, Jim is called back to duty as the ultimate undead warrior. As he wrestles with a literal inner demon called up from the abyss to co-occupy his reanimated body, Jim realizes his new superiors are determined to use him for their own ends and keep him in the dark -- especially about the fates of his wife and son. The first volume in author Myke Cole's 'The Reawakening Trilogy', "Gemini Cell" is an authentic 'theatre of the mind' listening experience of flawless production values, extraordinarily talented multi-cast performances impressively augmented with sound effects and music. A superbly presented dark fantasy action/adventure story from beginning to end, "Gemini Cell" is very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections, and will leave its listeners looking eagerly toward the next to installments of this outstanding audio book trilogy.


The Library CD Shelf

Of Sea & Stars
Terra Guitarra
www.terraguitarra.com
Privately Published
$14.99 CD / $9.99 download, cdbaby.com

Of Sea & Stars is a wondrous music album by acoustic-guitar duo Terra Guitarra. Drawing inspiration from humanity's early sea voyages, navigated with aid from the stars, Of Sea & Stars captivates the listener with its mysterious stylings, enriched with contributions from additional instruments - native wood flutes, bass, congas, and other drums form an integral part of the recording. Of Sea & Stars is a uniquely captivating experience, highly recommended. The tracks are "Wave Walker" (4:25), "Estrella" (3:22), "Alegria" (5:36), "Of Wind & Wood" (4:33), "Of Sea & Stars" (5:39), "Circadia" (5:08), "Night River" (5:03), "Viracocha" (5:09), "The Veil" (5:04), "Zorbas" (3:12), "Whale Earth" (4:52), "The Messenger" (4:32), and "Aurora" (6:26).

Quiet Piano Improvisations, Volume 2
Greg Maroney
www.gregmaroney.cm
Privately Published
$9.99 CD / $9.49 digital amazon.com

Quiet Piano Improvisations, Volume 2 is the sixteenth solo piano album by Greg Maroney, and the follow-up to "Quiet Piano Improvisations, Volume 1", which was nominated for the Whisperings Album of the Year 2016. Like its predecessor, volume 2 features piano music as light as snowfall, meditative, and emotionally moving. Gentle and joyful, Quiet Piano Improvisations, Volume 2 is a treasure for connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are "My Everything" (4:52), "Melting Heart" (5:03), "Meditation" (7:07), "Daydream" (6:38), "Quietude" (5:23), "Rainbow Visions" (6:40), "Moonlight on Snow" (5:51), "Afternoon Sojourn" (4:26), "Contemplation" (5:36), "Sway" (4:33), and "With Every Breath" (5:22).

Rainbow Road
Nancy Shoop-Wu
www.nancyshoopwu.com
Privately Published
$13.99 CD / $9.99 download, cdbaby.com

Rainbow Road is the 2017 re-release of a rapturous album by violinist Nancy Shoop-Wu, reflecting both classical tradition and new age melodicism. Most songs are instrumental, although "Carry Me Home" has vocals. This edition includes bonus tracks from Shoop-Wu's first recording, "Beautiful Mana'o". A musical paradise for connoisseurs of the violin, Rainbow Road is highly recommended. The tracks are "Rainbow Road" (3:38), "Pulelehua (Mountain Butterfly)" (4:40), "Lei Hoku (Star of Love)" (4:17), "Sunrise Over Haleiwa" (3:54), "Always in My Heart" (3:33), "Lullaby" (4:26), "Waimanalo" (4:07), "Carry Me Home with vocals" (3:53), "Beautiful Mana'o" (3:54), "In Your Eyes" (4:16), "Ma'noa Rain" (4:14), and "Lele Noa (Flying Free)" (3:57).

Urban Metta Vol. 1
Anaamaly
www.anaamaly.com
Planet27Music
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

Urban Metta Vol. 1 is an instrumental album perfect for relaxing, performing morning stretches or yoga, or meditation. The gentle, soothing music embodies positive affirmations to promote wellness and healing. Highly recommended, especially for unwinding after a long, hard day. The tracks are "I Stand in My Own Power" (8:33), "I Walk Through the Fire" (6:41), "I Love in the Current Moment" (5:21), "I Embrace All Wisdom" (5:23), "I Love Unconditionally" (5:05), "I Am Grateful For..." (6:25), "I Am Lighthearted" (7:29), "I Am Perfect Either Way" (5:03), "I Am Awakened" (5:14), "I Am Surrounded by Abundance" (8:21), and "I Am Healed on All Levels" (7:34). 1 hour, 11 min.

Between the Waves and the Cardoons
Pointed Man Band
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Between the Waves and the Cardoons is a beautiful music album created especially to appeal to both adults and children. The songs draw upon the ineffable beauty of nature for inspiration, especially the majestic wild lands of the Pacific Northwest. A sweeping, joyous experience, Between the Waves and the Cardoons is highly recommended for family and public library music collections. The tracks are "The Waves", "Anchors Aweigh!", "Those Sharp Minors", "Upstream", "Interlude No. 1", "Pollination", "Owl Song", "A Bird In Hand", "A Waltz Has No Name", "The Wind", "Interlude, No. 3", and "The Cardoons".

Road to Forever
Greg Abate with the Tim Ray Trio
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos of America (dist.)
www.naxosusa.com
$TBA CD / $9.99 digital, itunes.com

Road to Forever is a smooth and sexy original jazz album with a dash of bebop. Greg Abate's alto sax complements Tim Ray's piano in this rhythmic, sensuous soundscape, a treasure for connoisseurs of the genre! The tracks are "Road to Forever" (7:06), "City of 2-5s" (8:05), "The Dancing Panda" (5:39), "Take The Crowell Train" (4:58), "Farewell Phil Woods" (8:25), "Whaling City Sound" (7:04), "Red Fish Boulevard" (5:44), "Seasons" (6:50), "Buzzardology" (6:55), and "Mr. Parker" (7:44). Also highly recommended for is the adventurous double-CD music Album Weather or Not: The Music of Weather Report ($16.99 CD / $19.99 MP3), featuring a tribute CD to fusion group Weather Report and a CD of 16 songs that musician Gerry Gibbs crafted, each with its own unique feel.

Starlight
The Right Now
therightnow.com
$15.00 CD / $20.00 vinyl / $8.00 digital

Starlight is an astonishingly beautiful album blending elements of soul, R&B, disco, and pop into a resounding masterpiece. Vocalist Stefanie Berecz sings with unforgettable passion, and the music's rhythms captivate the body and the spirit. Starlight is an immersive treasure, highly recommended. The tracks are "Love You Better", "Postcard", "Up All Night", "LOVE (Lets Me Know)", "If It Was You", "Too Late", "Starlight", "That's Enough", "Everything Is Broken", and "Hooked".

Build Music
Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang
JankaNabay.com
Luaka Bop, Inc.
LuakaBop.com
$13.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Superbly performed by Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang, Build Music draws upon the rich heritage of Bubu Music, a traditional form of folk music practiced by the Temne people of Sierra Leone. Some tracks re-imagine songs that Nabay originally recorded in the 1990's, while others have original vocals sung over "riddims" created by collaborators in Sierra Leone. Janka's unique, adventurous stylings make for a creative blend of ancient and modern, in this choice pick for world music collections. The tracks are "Kadlatu" (0:31), "Build Music" (3:32), "Santa Monica" (4:55), "Popeneh" (2:50), "Bubu Dub" (4:00), "Angbolleh" (4:25), "Game Ova" (4:46), "Sabanoh (Interlude)" (0:32), "Sabanoh 2017" (3:29), "Stop Jealous" (3:54), "Tek Lak la ghen ba Kun" (2:09), and "Combination" (3:15).


The Library DVD Shelf

A Place to Call Home, Season 4
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$59.99 www.acornonline.com

Set in 1950s Australia, A Place to Call Home, Season 4 continues the story of Sarah Nordmann (played by Marta Dusseldorp) who becomes entangled in the affairs of the wealthy Bligh family. Episodes reflect the social changes and fears of the time, as the malicious Regina (played by Jenni Baird) marries into the Bligh family and plots against Sarah, using the mounting fear of Communism as a weapon. Sarah allies with the strong-willed dowager Elizabeth (played by Noni Hazlehurst) to expose Regina, while James (played by David Berry) and his estranged wife Olivia (played by Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood) form a tenuous peace, and Anna (played by Abby Ear) struggles earn success in a literary career. A complex web of relationships between multifaceted people, A Place to Call Home is a "must" for connoisseurs of fine drama. It should be noted that A Place to Call Home is recommended for older teen or adult viewers due to the presence of violence, sexual situations, and nudity. 12 episodes on 3 DVDs, 630 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.


The Relationship Shelf

The Two-Minute Secret for Staying in Love
Heidi Poelman
Familius
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
www.familius.com
9781945547058, $15.99, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

We all want to marry the one we love, and love the one we marry. But that's just the beginning. Staying in love after being married turns out to be a whole lot different than just falling in love in the first place. In a world of constant distraction, marriage experts agree that the little things matter a lot. An informed and informative instruction guide to having an amazing, fantastic, loving, playful, intimate, and happy marriage, Heidi Poelman's "The Two-Minute Secret for Staying in Love" explores the little things couples think, say, and do to stay in love for the long haul. Supported by expert studies, interviews with happily married couples, and years of personal experience, Poelman shares the simple secrets that keep love alive. Whether it's choosing an attitude of gratitude, leaving a love note, giving a welcome-home hug at the door, or calling just to say "The Two-Minute Secret for Staying in Love" is packed from cover to cover of simple, practical, effective ways to love the one you married -- two minutes at a time! Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Two-Minute Secret for Staying in Love" is very highly recommended for both community library collections and personal reading lists of any seeking to keep love alive after years and even decades of married life.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Big Knit Love: 20 Chunky Knit Fashions
Linda Zemba Burhance
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631864513, $24.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Linda Zemba Burhance is a knitwear designer, pattern writer, and owner of Apparel Development Consulting, a product development apparel consulting business. In "Big Knit Love: 20 Chunky Knit Fashions" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to introduce to newbies and experienced knitters alike to knitting with big needles and bulky, super bulky, and jumbo yarns with 20 patterns for gorgeous wearables. Called one of the most important knitting trends by Lion Brand Yarn, knitting with chunky yarns is less structured than knitting with standard-sized needles and yarns, making it perfect for anyone who wants to make simple yet stylish patterns in no time. In addition, this stunning and instructional collection includes a comprehensive, photograph-rich section on tools, materials, and step-by-step techniques, ensuring each pattern knits up perfectly. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Big Knit Love: 20 Chunky Knit Fashions" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com

Katja Marek's The New Hexagon Coloring Book (9781604688610, $10.99) isn't a needlework book per say, but it will reach quilter and needleworker audiences who are particularly fond of and used to using hexagons in their work. Colorers receive some sixty designs inspired by English paper-pieced quilts from Katja Marek, who specializes in and holds a special affection for hexagons. Quilters thus have a special reason for considering a venture into the world of coloring with this book, which can be used to design a hexagon quilt. Kathleen Tracy's Small & Scrappy: Pint-Size Patchwork Quilts Using Reproduction Fabrics (9781604688252, $24.99) uses reproduction fabrics and traditional patterns to teach the basics of creating blocks that apply to small, fast projects. Quilters will find it easy to create these quick small quilts, which hold the look of antiques and use applique, blocks, hexagons, and various patchwork piecing in their projects. Maaike van Koert's 9 Months to Crochet (9781604688191, $22.99) provides 25 projects that apply to a baby on the way, creating nine months of crocheting ideas for infant outfits, nursery decor, blankets, toys and more. A basic knowledge of crochet instruction abbreviations and assembly will lend to this fun collection of crochet projects for expectant mothers and babies-to-be.


The Business Shelf

Product Management For Dummies
Brian Lawley & Pamela Schure
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
http://www.dummies.com
9781119264026, $26.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Product management is an organizational lifecycle function within a company dealing with the planning, forecasting, and production, or marketing of a product or products at all stages of the product lifecycle. Similarly, product lifecycle management (PLM)[1] integrates people, data, processes and business systems. It provides product information for companies and their extended supply chain enterprise. That's why product management plays such a pivotal role in corporate organizations. In fact, it's now considered the fourth most important title in corporate America. And yet only a tiny fraction of product managers have been trained for this vital position. "Product Management For Dummies" provides the tools required to for anyone charged with product management responsibilities to increase their skill level and manage products like a professional. "Product Management For Dummies" defines what product management is and isn't; explores the rising importance of product management in the corporate world; offers plain-English explanations of the product life cycle, market research, competitive analysis, market and pricing strategy, product roadmaps, the people skills it takes to effectively influence and negotiate; enables the creation a winning strategy for a product; gathering and analyzing customer and market feedback; prioritizing and conveying requirements to engineering teams effectively; maximizing revenues and profitability. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Product Management For Dummies" is unreservedly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library Business Management collections in general, and Product Management supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Product Management For Dummies" is also available in a Kindle format ($14.39).

The Sustainability Edge
Suhas Apte & Jagdish N. Sheth
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
www.utppublishing.com
9781442650688, $32.95, HC, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Business leaders need to embrace sustainability in order to ensure the lasting success of their organizations. Co-authors Suhas Apte (a former Sustainability Officer and senior executive for the Kimberly-Clark Corporation who is also President of Apte Consultants, LLC) and Jagdish Sheth (the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing in the Gozuieta School of Business at Emory University, as well as the Founder and Chairman of Sheth Leadership Academy) bring their expertise from practice and from academia to illustrate how business leaders can embed sustainability in a truly holistic and transformative way in "The Sustainability Edge: How to Drive Top-Line Growth with Triple-Bottom-Line Thinking". Through an examination of such companies as Walmart, AT&T, IKEA and the Tata Group, Professor Apte and Professor Sheth have developed a proven and actionable framework rooted in the real world success of these companies. The case studies reveal just how business leaders proactively engage, energize and promote market sustainability to all of their stakeholders including customers, employees, suppliers, investors and the government. "The Sustainability Edge" enables companies to critically engage their stakeholders and influence them to accept sustainability as part of their core mission. While unreservedly recommended for community, corporate, and academic library Business Management collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students, corporate managers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Sustainability Edge" is also available in a Kindle format ($18.12).


The Poetry Shelf

Dead Man's Float
Jim Harrison
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.coppercanyonpress.org
9781556594458 $23.00 hc / $8.54 Kindle amazon.com

Dead Man's Float is an anthology of free-verse poetry by the candidly honest author Jim Harrison, who reflects upon the challenges of survival, and the inevitably impending end of life - whether by crime, sickness, or old age. Raw and heartfelt, Dead Man's Float resonates with the reader, and is highly recommended. "'Daylight': Did you notice the daylight today? / These days are short in December. / It comes before dark. Sometimes it passes / in a hurry to get someplace else / more friendly, perhaps. Fiji, maybe. / We become forgetful and miss it some days."

One Man's Dark
Maurice Manning
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.coppercanyonpress.org
9781556594748, $23.00, HC, 110pp, www.amazon.com

Maurice Manning is the author of five previous books of poetry, including The Common Man, a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Lawrence Booth's Book of Visions, winner of the 2000 Yale Younger Poetry Series Award, selected by W.S. Merwin. A 2011 Guggenheim Fellow, he currently teaches at Transylvania University and is on the permanent faculty of Warren Wilson College. "One Man's Dark" is his latest volume of poetry that searches through layers of dreams, imagination, and memory to reconnect with ourselves and our place in the cosmos. Drawing deep from his Kentucky roots, Manning's poems are peopled with ordinary and extraordinary rural characters, as he gives voice to a region well-loved and full of tradition. 'The Gods': If you were once just a word, once, / then, by force or by force of / strange decisions you leapt into / being real, a Kind of / proof with a starry exclamation / mark and maybe then some silence, / so whatever else there was up there / could notice exceeding change - if that / tis sort of how you did it, without / a reason, fine; then verily - / if you approve that word - I say / to you, it must be dark, something / unknowable behind the word, / whatever one you were. That's one, / one thing i wanted to say, and also / one more: Sometimes I think you might / have multiplied yourself, a second / proof, a slash and plink, and maybe / other times since then, as if you / raised you by the power of you, / which is a coincidence, because / I tried to do that, too, when I / was a boy, and one time I did.


The American History Shelf

The Hippies: A 1960s History
John Anthony Moretta
Marketing Department
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786499496, $45.00, PB, 428pp, www.amazon.com

Among the most significant subcultures in 20th Century American history, the hippies had a far-reaching cultural and political impact. Their influence essentially defined the 1960s -- hippie antifashion, divergent music, dropout politics, and a "make love not war" philosophy that extended to virtually every corner of the world and remains influential to this day. The political and cultural institutions that the hippies challenged, or abandoned, mainly prevailed. Yet the nonviolent, egalitarian hippie principles led an era of civic protest that brought an end to the Vietnam War. Their enduring impact was the creation of a 1960s frame of reference among millions of baby boomers, whose attitudes and aspirations continue to reflect the hip ethos of their youth. Impressively informative and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Hippies: A 1960s History" by John Anthony Moretta (Professor of History, Houston Community College) is very highly recommended, especially for community and academic library 20th Century American History collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Hippies: A 1960s History" is also available in a Kindle format ($14.74).

John McDonald and the Whiskey Ring
Edward S. Cooper
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
www.fdupress.org
9781683930129, $75.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

The most flamboyant, consistently dishonest racketeer was Supervisor of Internal Revenue John McDonald, whose organization defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars. When President Grant was asked why he appointed McDonald supervisor of internal revenue he responded, "I was aware that he was not an educated man, but he was a man that had seen a great deal of the world and of people, and I would not call him ignorant exactly, he was illiterate." McDonald organized and ran the Whiskey Ring but he always credited Grant with the initiation of the Ring declaring that the president "actually stood god-father at its christening." The demise of the Ring rivals anything that the real or fictional Elliot Ness and his "Untouchables" ever accomplished during the prohibition era in America. "John McDonald and the Whiskey Ring: From Thug to Grant's Inner Circle" by independent historian and author Edward S. Cooper is an impressively in-depth study that is exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented. While unreservedly recommended for community and academic library 19th Century American History collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "John McDonald and the Whiskey Ring" is also available in a Kindle format ($71.25).

Abraham Lincoln as a Man of Ideas
Allen C. Guelzo
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809335824 $22.50 www.siupress.com

Abraham Lincoln as a Man of Ideas is an anthology of ten scholarly essays about President Abraham Lincoln, exploring the foundations of Lincoln's beliefs as well as how Lincoln's convictions affected his decisions throughout the American Civil War. Individual writings include "Abraham Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessity", "Abraham Lincoln's Reluctant Embrace of the Abolitionists", "Lincoln and the 'War Powers' of the Presidency", and much more. Abraham Lincoln as a Man of Ideas is not unvarnished praise of Lincoln, but rather considers all aspects of his complex character. "In the backwash of the civil rights movement, embittered dissenters within the African American world brooded over the casual racism which accompanied Lincoln's prewar utterances on slavery and wondered why they should offer homage to a white man whose principal act of emancipation was limited to slaves he could not free, while ignoring the plight of the slaves he could." Thoughtful and meticulously documented with a wealth of notes, Abraham Lincoln as a Man of Ideas is a welcome contribution to public and college library American History collections.

Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents, revised edition
Cormac O'Brien
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
9781594749353 $16.95 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com

Now in a revised edition, Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents: Strange Stories and Shocking Trivia from Inside the White House lives up to its title as a cornucopia of uncensored, little- known anecdotes about America's most powerful men. From the punch that nearly got young Donald Trump expelled from the second grade, to Gerald Ford's work as a "Cosmopolitan" magazine cover model, to Ulysses Grant's relentless drinking and smoking, to the indolence of Chester A. Arthur (likely attributed to his secret diagnosis of Bright's disease), Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents is a fascinating expose from cover to cover. Highly recommended!

Eavesdropping on Texas History
Mary L. Scheer, editor
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
9781574416756 $29.95 www.untpress.unt.edu

Eavesdropping on Texas History is an anthology of essays by learned historians written in response to the question: what moment in Texas of history would choose to witness as a "fly on the wall", and why? Individual writings reflect on the fall of the Alamo, the moment Sam Houston refused to take a Loyalty Oath to the Confederacy, the day Lyndon Johnson became president, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs, extensive notes, and an index rounds out this thoughtful, engrossing, and highly recommended contribution to public and college library American History shelves.

Sutherland Springs, Texas
Richard B. McCaslin
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
9781574416732 $24.95 www.untpress.unt.edu

Researched with scholarly precision, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Sutherland Springs, Texas: Saratoga on the Cibolo details aspirations, rise, and fall of a rural community near San Antonio. Around the turn of the twentieth century, Texas real estate developers sought to take advantage of local mineral water springs and transform the farming settlement into a resort town. But when water tables declined in the late twentieth century and reduced mineral water flows, the town's influence and population faded. Sutherland Springs, Texas provides a complete history of the community from its early settlement days through the Civil War and the twentieth century, enriched with endnotes, a bibliography, and an index. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library American History collections.

Arlington: A Color Guide to America's Most Famous Cemetery
James Gindlesperger
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
www.blairpub.com
9780895876775, $24.95, PB, 242pp, www.amazon.com

"Arlington: A Color Guide to America's Most Famous Cemetery" by civil war historian James Gindlesperger tells the stories of 250 different people buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Each individual entry is accompanied by a color photograph and GPS coordinate to aid in location. The entries are about battlefield heroes, people who survived the war to achieve major accomplishments, the well-known like President John Kennedy, the unknown soldiers, and the lesser-known who still led fascinating lives. A fascinating and informative volume to browse through, "Arlington: A Color Guide to America's Most Famous Cemetery" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library American History collections.


The World History Shelf

Cold War: An International History, second edition
Carole K. Fink
Westview Press
www.westviewpress.com
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
9780813349824 $32.00 pbk
9780813350622 $22.99 ebook

Now in an updated second edition reflecting the latest scholarship and including additional information about the post-Cold War period, Cold War: An International History is a studious examination of the decades-long Cold War between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., spanning events from the Russian Revolution to World War II to the present. The Cold War influenced nations worldwide, including developments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; understanding it is crucial to understanding modern world history. A handful of black-and-white photographs, a bibliography, and an index round out this excellent addition to public and college library collections.

Losing Binh Dinh
Kevin M. Boylan
University Press of Kansas
2501 West 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66049
www.kansaspress.ku.edu
9780700623525 $34.95 hc / $19.99 Kindle amazon.com

Part historical analysis, part political and philosophical critique, Losing Binh Dinh: The Failure of Pacification and Vietnamization, 1969-1971 directly challenges the "lost history" hypothesis - the belief that America won the Vietnam War after the 1968 Tet Offensive, only to squander the victory due to lack of political will. Author and history instructor Kevin M. Boylan (University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh) focuses upon the strategically crucial province of Binh Dinh, the second- most populous in Vietnam and a hub for transportation. Losing Binh Dinh reveals a fundamental flaw in the "lost victory" hypothesis: that the American goals of "Vietnamization" and "pacification" directly contradicted one another, to the extent of being mutually exclusive. The South Vietnamese government was so monstrously corrupt and inefficient that progress in pacification was impossible, except in situations when America took the lead - the literal opposite of Vietnamization. Extensive notes and an index round out this heavily researched, accessibly presented, and highly recommended contribution to world history shelves.

The Canal Pioneers
Anthony Burton
Pen & Sword
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
1473860490 $39.95 hc / $23.97 Kindle amazon.com

Illustrated with vintage black-and-white or color photography on almost every page, The Canal Pioneers: Canal Construction from 2,500 BC to the Early 20th Century lives up to its title as an expertly researched, in-depth history of canals used for transport and the people who built them, from the dawn of civilization to the modern day. An extraordinary, world-spanning tour of human ingenuity, engineering, and marvels, The Canal Pioneers is an excellent addition to both public and college library world history shelves. Highly recommended.


The Civil War Shelf

"No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar"
Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky
Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781611212860 $29.95 hc / $17.97 Kindle amazon.com

Now in a completely revised and updated edition, "No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar": Sherman's Carolinas Campaign from Fayetteville to Averasboro, March 1865 details an aspect of General William T. Sherman's service to the Union during the Civil War that has received minimal attention from historians. Yet the Carolinas campaign was undoubtedly a crucial blow, and a fierce follow-up attack after his infamous "March to the Sea". At Averasboro, Confederate General Hardee battled Sherman's troops to a standstill, until a flank attack brought victory to the Union. Expertly researched, yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds, "No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar" meticulously reconstructs the entire campaign, enriched with a handful of black-and-white maps and photographs, appendices, and an index for quick and easy reference. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library Civil War collections.

Florida's Civil War: Terrible Sacrifices
Tracy J. Revels
Mercer University Press
1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207-0001
9780881465891 $29.00 www.mupress.org

Tracy J. Revels (Professor of History, Wofford College) presents Florida's Civil War: Terrible Sacrifices, examines the social factors shaping Florida during the Civil War. Florida was the third state to secede from the Union, yet remained ignored and largely unprotected by the Confederacy. Raids and guerilla attacks inflicted suffering upon civilians, and while Middle Florida was fiercely loyal to the Confederacy, other areas had more apathy or Union sympathies. Florida's Civil War explores perspectives of all types of Floridians - Confederate patriots, Unionists, slaves, women, and more. A bibliography and an index round out this excellent, thoroughly accessible contribution to public and college library Civil War collections. Highly recommended.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Chinese Astrology
Jonathan Dee
Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781571747563 $14.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Professional astrologer, tarot card reader, and clairvoyant Jonathan Dee presents Chinese Astrology, Plain & Simple: The Only Book You'll Ever Need, a straightforward, thoroughly accessible, and easy-to-use guide. Chapters discuss the animal signs of the Chinese zodiac for each birthday year, month, and hour, as well as the personality traits common to each sign, how compatible signs are with one another, and the broad strokes of fortune (or misfortune) that those born under one sign may experience in everyday life during the year of another sign. Highly recommended for astrology enthusiasts of all backgrounds!

Consciousness Becomes You
Angie Aristone & Roderick Alan
www.angiearistone.com
O Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785351334, $25.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Imagine for a moment that your consciousness could leave your brain. What could you learn and discover? What could you accomplish if your mind could travel wherever you focused it, to understand anything you desire, directly, from the inside out? How would your relationships improve? What would the world look like if we could all understand one another on such an intimate level? What if you were told that your consciousness not only can leave your brain, but that it already does, and that we are all immersed in a telepathic experience of the world, though few of us realize it? In "Consciousness Becomes You", the authors, Angie Aristone and Roderick Alan, share personal stories, grounded conversation, and scientific research to explain that part of our minds, the connected mind, is connected to everyone and everything. Beginning with how we already experience this connection in life, "Consciousness Becomes You" explores how this connection functions, its uses, and the myriad of ways we all already receive and share telepathic information. An inherently fascinating and impressively informative read from beginning to end, "Consciousness Becomes You" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Psychology collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Consciousness Becomes You" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.99).


The Sports Shelf

Sports Business Unplugged
Rick Burton & Norm O'Reilly
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu
9780815634768, $19.95, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com

For more than seven years, the incisive commentary of Rick Burton and Norm O'Reilly has graced the pages of Sports Business Journal, the industry's leading trade journal. Now in "Sports Business Unplugged: Leadership Challenges from the World of Sports", fifty of their most recent columns are collected in one volume, providing thoughtful and deeply knowledgeable insight into many of the sport industry's most contentious issues. Covering an era in sports that has experienced rapid change, the two knowledgeable and articulate authors discuss such topics as gender equity, corporate sponsor-ship, collegiate athletics, diversity, and the future of sports. As two of the leading scholars in the business of sports, Burton and O'Reilly also draw upon their many years of experience and expertise to give both students and industry professionals a dual perspective on the role sports play in a healthy, thriving society. Enhanced with the inclusion of ten illustrations and a thirteen page index, "Sports Business Unplugged" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Sports collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Sports Business Unplugged" is also available in a Kindle format ($17.95).

Strength Training, second edition
Lee E. Brown, editor
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781492522089, $24.95, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "Strength Training" is an instruction guide and manual that is safe, effective, and evidence-based science, and based on recommendations and guidelines set out by the National Strength and Conditioning Association -- the world's leading organization in strength and conditioning. Written by a team of experts chosen by the NSCA, Strength Training combines the most valuable information with best instruction for proven results: Assessing strength to personalize programs; Incorporating new exercises and equipment for increased intensity; Increasing muscle mass as well as strength, power, and muscular endurance; Preventing injuries; Improving performance. Whether launching a lifting program or fine-tuning a serious training regimen, "Strength Training" will fill any knowledge void and correct the misconceptions to ensure proper technique, safety, and progressions. Multiple program options for specific machines, free weights, body weight, and other types of apparatus provide the flexibility to tailor a training regime to personal preferences or needs. Simply stated, "Strength Training" is the authoritative guide from the world's authority on strength training, making it unreservedly recommended for personal, community, academic, and professional sport organization's instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Strength Training" is also available in a Kindle format ($23.70).

Athletic Movement Skills
Clive Brewer
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781450424127, $29.95, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com

The unifying theme of every elite athlete and every spectacular performance is movement. It's the basis for what we recognize as athleticism. It's the foundation for athletic skill and the essential ingredient to excellence. "Athletic Movement Skills: Training for Sports Performance" by Clive Brewer (who works across Canada and the United States with the Toronto Blue Jays baseball organization) sets a new standard for athletic assessment and development. "Athletic Movement Skills" is authoritative work that presents proven protocols for evaluating, correcting, training and translating athletic movement to athletic dominance. Combining the latest science and research with cutting-edge techniques and strategies, Athletic Movement Skills will show how to develop multidirectional speed and power for any sport and any position; improve jumping and agility with effective plyometric progressions; harness and apply power in critical game or match situations; evaluate and correct posture and body position; reduce injuries and expedite rehabilitation; create functional strength progressions that will directly translate to on-field performance. Profusely illustrated throughly, "Athletic Movement Skills" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, making it an ideal and highly recommended addition to professional, community, and academic library Physical Education & Sports instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of individual athletes and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Athletic Movement Skills" is also available in a Kindle format ($21.34).

Ed Bolden and Black Baseball in Philadelphia
Courtney Michelle Smith
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786478491, $29.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

For nearly forty years, Ed Bolden dominated black baseball in Philadelphia. He owned two teams, the Darby-based Hilldale Club and the Philadelphia Stars, and briefly led the Eastern Colored League, which he founded. Winner of two championships (one with each team) Bolden experienced the highs and lows of the Negro Leagues. He remained with the Stars until his death in 1950, which foreshadowed the dissolution of the Negro Leagues in the face of Major League Baseball's integration. "Ed Bolden and Black Baseball in Philadelphia" by Courtney Michelle Smith (a native of the Philadelphia area, an avid Philadelphia sports fan, and an Associate Professor of History and Political Science at Cabrini University in Radnor, Pennsylvania) deftly examines Bolden's leadership of both teams through economic downturns, racial discrimination and two world wars. Remarkably well researched, written, organization and presented, "Ed Bolden and Black Baseball in Philadelphia" is an impressive and seminal study that is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Black History collections in general, and American Baseball History supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated baseball fans that "Ed Bolden and Black Baseball in Philadelphia" is also available in a Kindle format ($17.99).

The Life and Trials of Roger Clemens
Hansen Alexander
McFarland
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476665764 $29.95 pbk / $17.99 Kindle amazon.com

The Life and Trials of Roger Clemens: Baseball's Rocket Man and the Questionable Case Against Him is a fascinating biographical profile of Roger Clemens (b. 1962), a legendary pitcher who amassed 4,672 strikeouts during his professional career. Yet Clemens was also known for his high-strung temper; he got into a barroom brawl during his first semester of the University of Texas, and once he even punched out a Houston police officer, briefly landing him in jail. When he retired in 2007 at age 45, he was beset with allegations of performance- enhancing drug use. A Congressional committee questioned him about his alleged use of steroids; he was accused of perjury but later acquitted. The Life and Trials of Roger Clemens examines all of these events and more in thorough detail. Expertly researched, yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Life and Trials of Roger Clemens is a welcome contribution to sports biography collections and highly recommended.


The Music Shelf

A Grammy Salute to Music Legends
David Konjoyan, editor
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781495045202, $29.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Each year, The Recording Academy (the organization behind the Grammy Awards) honors a handful of musical giants through its Special Merit Awards, which include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award, and Technical Grammy Award. And each year, artists and others in the music-making community are invited to write heartfelt tributes to the honorees. These tributes are published in the exclusive Grammy Awards program book distributed to the stars and VIPs in attendance at the Grammy Awards telecast. Sometimes the relationship is obvious (Quincy Jones honoring Michael Jackson), and sometimes the influence is more indirect (Queen's Brian May paying tribute to Doris Day or Patti Smith writing on Jefferson Airplane). Now with the publication of "A Grammy Salute to Music Legends", all that 'music industry insider information' is made available to everyone through captivating compendium deftly edited by David Konjoyan and which gathers under one cover nearly 20 years' worth of these sometimes touching, sometimes humorous, always inspiring essays. For music fans of all kinds, these essays offer a glimpse into how artists are personally affected by their musical heroes, and the debt of gratitude, influence, and inspiration they owe each other. Nicely illustrated throughout, "A Grammy Salute to Music Legends" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library American Music History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Judas!
Clinton Heylin
Route Publishing
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781901927689, $25.00, PB, 318pp, www.amazon.com

In 1966 the sell-out tour to end all tours took place. That is also when Bob Dylan and The Hawks found themselves at the epicenter of a storm of controversy. Their response? To unleash a cavalcade of ferocity from Melbourne to Manchester, from Forest Hills to the Free Trade Hall. Told from eye-witnesses galore; from timely reports, both mile-wide and spot on; and from the participants themselves for the first time, the full story is now presented in the pages of Judas!: From Forest Hills to the Free Trade Hall". For this informed and informative history there is better guide than Clinton Heylin, the esteemed Dylan biographer and one of the world's leading rock historians. An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Bob Dylan fans, "Judas!" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library 20th Century Music History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Judas!" is also available in a Kindle format ($8.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

1636: The Ottoman Onslaught
Eric Flint
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781476781846, $26.00, www.baen.com

1636: The Ottoman Onslaught continues the ongoing saga of the time-displaced Grantville, which has moved from modern West Virginia to continental Europe. In this story they're facing the Ottoman Empire's invasion - but the Turks are now armed with advanced technology from the Americans of Grantville, and they are able to capture Vienna with this new technology in hand. Fans of European history and alternative sci-fi history, as well as timeslip adventure readers familiar with Flint's prior 1636 stories, will find this story a delightful new take on "what could" happen.

Parallels
Cassandra Lynn King
CSJ King Publishing
www.csjkingpublishing.com
9780985622008, $24.99 PB, $6.99 Kindle, 748pp, www.amazon.com

Special Agent Shawn Perry of the FBI is called to Philadelphia to help with a bank robbery case. He quickly realizes there are some unusual circumstances surrounding the robbery, and begins to uncover evidence of murder conspiracies, genocide, and people with unbelievable abilities. Trusted colleagues soon come forward to admit secret connections to the main suspect, Hara, a teenage girl. As Perry uncovers more and more seemingly impossible secrets, he realizes he has walked into a battle between two mysterious societies which have been at war for decades. His investigation eventually uncovers a decades-long secret that will threaten the lives of everyone around him, and force Perry to see the world in a different light. As the clock ticks down to zero, he comes to understand that guilt and innocence, and right and wrong, are not always as clear as black and white. A simply riveting saga of a read, "Parallels" showcases author Cassandra Lynn King as an original and genuinely gifted novelist who is able to completely engage her readers attention from beginning to end. The first volume of a trilogy, "Parallels" will prove to ben an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Science Fiction collections.

O Negative
Cassandra Lynn King
CSJ King Publishing
www.csjkingpublishing.com
9780985622022, $19.99 PB, $6.99 Kindle, 344pp, www.amazon.com

It's the year 2018, and an attempt at genetic engineering at a Philadelphia laboratory creates a virus that targets those with O negative blood. The virus quickly spreads, and those infected begin to develop superhuman abilities. While the rest of humanity begins to see the mutated individuals as a threat to them, the O Negatives, led by 18-year-old Walter Reifert, must flee from government lockup and experimental laboratories before they are annihilated by the humans. The survivors must deal with the heartbreak of losing the ones they love; but in despair there is always hope -- hope for new love, new life, and a better future for all. In this hope, the survivors discover new relationships and the true meaning of family. This sequel Cassandra Lynn King's debut novel "Parallels" is very highly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections..

A Negative
Cassandra Lynn King
CSJ King Publishing
www.csjkingpublishing.com
9780985622039, $19.99 PB, $6.99 Kindle, 438pp, www.amazon.com

Three years have passed since a man-made virus targeting O negative blood created a new divergent species of humans, the Colicians. Now, further attempts at genetic engineering have created a new virus, the Caiten Strain, which targets those with A negative blood. As more and more people are infected in a laboratory experiment gone out of control, Austin Rockwell and Miriam Lobner attempt to flee the experimentation and start a new life together. They both learn they must make personal sacrifices for a cause greater than themselves: to protect their friends and family, and to make the world safer and more peaceful for everyone. The third volume of an imaginatively original science fiction series by Cassandra Lynn King, "A Negative" continues the saga of Cassandra Lynn King's novel "Parallels" and its sequel, "O Negative", and like the first two volumes is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of all science fiction fans and community library science fiction collections.


The Automotive Shelf

Muscle Cars in Detail series
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com

CarTech is the premier publisher of books on and about cars. They have now launched a new and impressively informative series called "Muscle Cars in Detail" that features an in-depth and profusely illustrated study of some of the most popular and legendary muscle cars. Each individual volume in the "Muscle Cars in Detail" series provides an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today. Also included are paint and option codes, VIN and build-tag decoders, as well as production numbers. The first three titles comprising this outstanding new series include "1970 Chevrolet Chevell SS" (9781613253175, $18.95, PB, 96pp) which has one of the largest followings of any of Detroit's muscle cars; "1971 Plymouth 'Cuda'" (9781613252970, $18.95, PB, 96pp); and "1968 Shelby Mustang GT350, GT500 and GT500 KR" (9781613252925, $18.95, PB, 96pp). Impressively informed and informative, this new series from CarTech is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Automotive History reference collections in general, and the supplemental studies reading lists of dedicated Muscle Car enthusiasts in particular.


The Woodworking Shelf

Stanley Decks
David Toht
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631864506, $24.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Building a deck is one of the most popular outdoor projects for amateur do-it-yourself homeowners. The job takes time and effort, but anyone having some basic carpentry skills and the right tools, and willing to work slowly, carefully, and safely, can produce a great-looking deck that you can be proud of with David Toht's "Stanley Decks: A Homeowner's Guide". Drawing upon his many years of experience and expertise as a contractor and builder, Toht takes the through every illustrated step of the way, from design and planning, to choosing tools and materials, to installing footings and ledgers, to framing, to installing decking, to building stairs and railings, to adding benches, planters, and other built-ins. The heart of "Stanley Decks" is a step-by-step guide to building four different types of deck including a patio deck, a first-story deck, a raised deck, and a multi-feature deck -- which include a range of decking and railing types and special features. "Stanley Decks" concludes with a an invaluable chapter on deck maintenance and repair. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Stanley Decks" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library woodworking instructional reference collections.


The Fishing Shelf

Fly Fishing for Trout: The Next Level
Tom Rosenbauer
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811713467, $29.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Tom Rosenbauer has been a fly fisher for fifty years and was a commercial fly tier by age fourteen. He has fished extensively across North America and has also fished on Christmas Island, in the Bahamas, Belize, Kamchatka, Chile, and on the fabled English chalk streams. He has been with the Orvis Company for forty years, and while there, has been a fishing-school instructor, copywriter, public relations director, merchandise manager, and was editor of The Orvis News for ten years. He is currently marketing manager for Orvis Rod and Tackle. In "Fly Fishing for Trout: The Next Level" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to instruct fly fishers on how they can step up their game and take their angling to the next level. Tom answers the top questions asked by anglers looking to take that next step. He offers advice on casting and rigging techniques that are beyond the basic level taught in fly-fishing schools but are essential to becoming more successful. Of special note is the inclusion of QR codes for videos of his teaching tips in action. Exceptionally well written, illustrated, organized and presented, "Fly Fishing for Trout: The Next Level" is unreservedly recommended for community library Hunting/Fishing instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated anglers that "Fly Fishing for Trout" is also available in a Kindle format ($15.65).


The Philosophy Shelf

Deadpool and Philosophy
Edited by Nicolas Michaud and Jacob Thomas May
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601
www.opencourtbooks.com
9780812699494 $19.95 amazon.com

Part of the "Pop Culture and Philosophy" series, Deadpool and Philosophy is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors discussing the implications of Deadpool - a comic book villain-turned-anti-hero known for his snarky attitude, and for being fully aware that he is in a comic book (and more recently, a movie), thus utterly demolishing the fourth wall. Individual writings include "Good Citizen Deadpool?", "How to Solve the Contradictions in Deadpool", "Deadpool Kills God", and much more. As irreverent and boundary-pushing as the comic itself, Deadpool and Philosophy is highly recommended to both fans of the character and connoisseurs of critical thinking!


The Jewelry Shelf

Pearl Buying Guide, sixth edition
Renee Newmann GG
www.reneenewman.com
International Jewelry Publications
PO Box 13384, Los Angeles, CA 90013-0384
9780929975528 $19.95 amazon.com

Now in an updated sixth edition, Pearl Buying Guide: How to Identify and Evaluate Pearls features full-color photography on every page, complementing the masterful, exacting details about how to evaluate pearls, identify fake pearls, recognize pearl treatments, care for pearls, and more. Accessible to lay readers and professional gemologists alike, Pearl Buying Guide is a "must-have" for anyone intending to personally acquire or professionally work with pearl jewelry.


The Photography Shelf

Small Dreams
Jeffrey Milstein
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764352478 $14.99 www.schifferbooks.com

Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes is a full-color photographic display of fifty selected and beloved mobile or trailer homes. Each is embellished with the residents' personal decorations, many so lavishly as to effectively disguise their mobile origins. There is little text, other than a brief foreword and introduction; the emphasis here is on the photographs themselves, one for each home. Small Dreams is a delight to browse, highly recommended.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Greening Your Hospitality Business
Jill Doucette and JC Scott
Self-Counsel Press Inc.
4152 Meridian Street, Suite 105-471, Bellingham, WA, 98226
www.self-counsel.com
9781770402508 $14.95 pbk / $8.99 Kindle amazon.com

Greening Your Hospitality Business For Accommodations, Tour Operators, and Restaurants lives up to its title as a practical guide to making one's hospitality business more environmentally friendly. The advantages to "going green" including savings on one's energy bill, good PR, and of course, the satisfaction of knowing one is doing one's part for the planet and for future generations. Chapters discuss tips, tricks, and techniques for water conservation, waste management (including food waste and kitchen waste), how to make guest accommodations green, and much more. Greening Your Hospitality Business is a "must-read" for anyone in the industry! "It is common in many kitchens to thaw food under running water. This can waste hundreds of gallons each time it is done. Instead, move frozen foods to the refrigerator to thaw."


The Technology Shelf

Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology, second edition
Phillip A. Laplante, editor
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781482208191, $23.95.00, HC, 2 Volumes, 1500pp, www.amazon.com

Expertly compiled and edited by Phillip A. Laplante Professor of Software Engineering at Pennsylvania State University's Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies), the two volume compendium, "Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology", is an exceptionally well organized, presented, and comprehensive reference now in a fully updated second edition. This new edition of the "Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology", features a multi-disciplinary scope, drawing together comprehensive coverage of the inter-related aspects of computer science and technology. The subjects covered include: General and reference; Hardware; Computer systems organization; Networks; Software and its engineering; Theory of computation; Mathematics of computing; Information systems; Security and privacy; Human-centered computing; Computing methodologies; Applied computing; Professional issues; and Leading figures in the history of computer science. The encyclopedia is structured according to the ACM Computing Classification System (CCS). This classification system is the most comprehensive and is considered the de facto ontological framework for the computing field. The encyclopedia brings together the information and historical context that students, practicing professionals, researchers, and academicians need to have a strong and solid foundation in all aspects of computer science and technology. Unreservedly recommended, the "Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology" should be considered a core reference work for personal, professional, corporate, community, college, and university library Computer Science collections.

Industrial Automation and Robotics
Ak. K. Gupta, S. K. Arora, J. R. Westcott
Mercury Learning
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781938549304, $59.95 HC, $29.95 Kindle, 400pp, www.amazon.com

The dedicated purpose "Industrial Automation and Robotics" by mechanical engineering instructor A. K. Gupta, university instructor and researcher S.K. Arora, and technology writer Jean Riescher Westcott is to present an informed and informative introduction to the multidisciplinary field of automation and robotics for industrial applications. The companion files include numerous video tutorial projects and a chapter on the history and modern applications of robotics. "Industrial Automation and Robotics" initially covers the important concepts of hydraulics and pneumatics and how they are used for automation in an industrial setting. It then moves to a discussion of circuits and using them in hydraulic, pneumatic, and fluidic design. The latter part of "Industrial Automation and Robotics" deals with electric and electronic controls in automation and final chapters are devoted to robotics, robotic programming, and applications of robotics in industry. "Industrial Automation and Robotics"covers introductory concepts on automation, hydraulics, and pneumatics, sensors, PLC's, microprocessors, transfer devices and feeders, robotic sensors, robotic grippers, and robot programming. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Industrial Automation and Robotics" is unreservedly recommended for professional, college, and university library Automation & Robotics Technology collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Applications of Energy Harvesting Technologies in Buildings
Joseph W. Matiko & Stephen P. Beeby
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781608079810, $149.00, HC, 230pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Joseph W. Matiko (an assistant lecturer in the department of Electronics and Telecommunication, Dares Salaam Institute of Technology) and Stephen Beeby (an advanced research fellow at the School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton), "Applications of Energy Harvesting Technologies in Buildings" is new and invaluable resource that deftly explores the available energy sources within commercial and residential buildings and the available technologies for energy harvesting. Energy harvesting within built environments is presented using strong research and commercial examples. "Applications of Energy Harvesting Technologies in Buildings" includes clear and concise case studies on solar cell powered sensor nodes for emotion monitoring systems in ambient assistive living environments and inductive/RF power transfers. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Applications of Energy Harvesting Technologies in Buildings" is unreservedly recommended for corporate and academic library Building Technology & Architectural Studies reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Applications of Energy Harvesting Technologies in Buildings" is also available in a Kindle format ($149.00).

Reflectionless Filters
Matthew A. Morgan
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630813277, $139.00, HC, 258pp, www.amazon.com

"Reflectionless Filters" by Matthew A. Morgan (a scientist/research engineer at the Central Development Lab (CDL) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, VA.) is a practical resource that introduces progressive techniques in the creation of sophisticated reflectionless filter topologies in order to optimize filter responses. Real-world applications and implementations of reflectionless filters are explored including, up/down converters, multiplier chains, broadband amplifiers, slope equalizers, and time domain applications. Passive microwave networks including, two-port, filter transfer functions, and transmission lines are also explained. Enhanced throughout with diagrams, as well as three appendices (Delta-Wye Transformations; Zolotarev Filter Prototypes; Transmission-Line Identities), and a five page Index, "Reflectionless Filters" is unreservedly recommended, especially for academic library Microwave Engineering instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Reflectionless Filters" is also available in a Kindle format ($115.12).

Industrial Engineering Foundations
Farrokh Sassani
Mercury Learning
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781942270867, $49.95, www.merclearning.com

Industrial Engineering Foundations: Bridging the Gap Between Engineering and Management examines industrial engineering and basic qualities that engineers need to know in order to be effective, from handling schedules and quality control standards to forecasting and handling reliability concerns. Charts, graphs, equations, statistics, and supporting references pepper a survey designed to teach engineers basic management concepts, and managers basic engineering concerns. Chapters are well detailed in their discussions of technical aspects of both jobs, and teach both principles and their real-world applications. College-level engineering and business studies collections will find this an important, specific acquisition.


The Architecture Shelf

Precast Concrete Structures, second edition
Kim S. Elliot
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498723992, $99.95, HC, 732pp, www.amazon.com

Dr. Kim S. Elliott, is a consultant to the precast industry in the UK, Malaysia and Korea. He was Senior Lecturer at Nottingham University, UK from 1987-2010 and formerly at Trent Concrete Structures Ltd. He is also a member of the British Precast Federation's Technical Committees on frames and flooring. In this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Precast Concrete Structures", Professor Elliott draws upon his many years of research, experience, and expertise to introduce conceptual design ideas for the prefabrication of concrete structures and presents a number of worked examples of designs to Eurocode EC2, before going into the detail of the design, manufacture, and construction of precast concrete multi-storey buildings. Detailed structural analysis of precast concrete and its use is provided and some details are presented of recent precast skeletal frames of up to forty storeys. The theory is supported by numerous worked examples to Eurocodes and European Product Standards for precast reinforced and prestressed concrete elements, composite construction, joints and connections and frame stability, together with extensive specifications for precast concrete structures. Illustrated with more than 500 photographs and line drawings, "Precast Concrete Structures" is a critically important and core addition to professional and academic library Architectural Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of architectural students and professionals that "Precast Concrete Structures" is also available in a Kindle format ($92.10).


The Science Shelf

Amazing Stories of the Space Age
Rod Pyle
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633882218, $18.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Amazing Stories of the Space Age gathers some unusual and thought-provoking insights of projects not realized, space dreams envisioned and achieved, and major achievements in space flight, and is recommended leisure reading for anyone with an affinity for space travel and technology. From partnerships that brought the first space shuttle into being and crafted the first manned orbiting laboratory to the idea of inflatable habitats in orbit around Earth and the moon, the U.S. Air Force's orbit program and various proposals for Skylab, these gather a wealth of revealing stories in a collection highly recommended for any astronomy collection and many a general-interest audience with an interest in the history and science of space endeavors.

Making Sense of Weather and Climate
Mark Denny
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231174923, $35.00, HC, 312pp, www.amazon.com

In our on-going national dialogue about climate change it is quite clear that climate change deniers consistently confuse climate with weather. In "Making Sense of Weather and Climate: The Science Behind the Forecasts" by science writer Mark Denny begins by explaining the essential mechanics and characteristics of this fascinating science. Denny also defines the crucial differences between weather and climate, and then develops from this basic knowledge a sophisticated yet clear portrait of their relation. Throughout, Denny elaborates on the role of weather forecasting in guiding politics and other aspects of human civilization. He also follows forecasting's effect on the economy. Denny's exploration of the science and history of a phenomenon we have long tried to master makes "Making Sense of Weather and Climate" a unique and accessible study for anyone desiring a complete and accurate picture of the environment's individual, societal, and planetary impact. Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Making Sense of Weather and Climate" is enhanced with the inclusion of a six page Glossary, twenty-eight pages of Notes, a twelve page Bibliography, and an eleven page Index, making it unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections. For students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "Making Sense of Weather and Climate" is also available in a Kindle format ($19.24).


The Gardening Shelf

Your First Garden
Judith Adam
Firefly Books Ltd.
50 Staples Avenue, Unit 1, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4B 0A7
www.fireflybooks.com
9781770857087, $19.95, PB, 120pp, www.amazon.com

Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Your First Garden: A Landscape Primer for New Home Owners" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Ideal for the novice gardening homeowner wanting to create truly lovely and climate appropriate landscaping, "Your First Garden" covers: How property improvements build value into your new purchase; Tips on budgeting garden improvements over several seasons; Scale and balance in the garden; Planting style and succession planting; A landscaping plan checklist; Evaluating soil with a tip sheet explaining soil chemistry and PH; The science and art of fertilization, including organic humus; The 10 critical gardening tools; How to create garden beds from nothing; Calculating soil and mulch quantities; Planting suggestions for foundation, perennial and shrub beds; Getting the best performance out of your plants with the least amount of work; Best practices for planting perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees; Tips on pruning and weeding. Comprehensive and exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Your First Garden: A Landscape Primer for New Home Owners" is especially commended for personal reading lists and community library Gardening instructional reference collections.


The Political Science Shelf

Exploitation: From Practice to Theory
Monique Deveaux & Vida Panitch, editors
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781786602039, $125.00, HC, 298pp, www.amazon.com

Contemporary theoretical discussions of exploitation are dominated by thinkers in the liberal and Marxian traditions. Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Monique Deveaux (Professor of Philosophy at the University of Guelph, Canada) and Vida Panitch (Associate Professor of Philosophy at Carleton University, Canada), "Exploitation: From Practice to Theory" pushes past these traditional and binary explanations, to focus on unjust practices that both depend on and perpetuate inequalities central to exploitation. Using real-world examples, the twelve articles comprising this collection address key questions, including, in what ways are exploitation practices globalized, radicalized and gendered? How do cases of organ selling, price gouging and commercial gestational surrogacy change our understandings of exploitation? What possible social and economic remedies do these new conceptions prescribe? These featured case studies span the globe, dealing with developed and developing countries alike and in a variety of national and transnational contexts. A model of seminal scholarship, "Exploitation: From Practice to Theory" is enhanced with the inclusion of an eighteen page Bibliography, a ten page Index, and a three page listing of the contributors and their credentials, making it unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Political Science & Philosophy collections. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Exploitation: From Practice to Theory" is also available in a paperback edition (9781786602046, $41.95) and in a Kindle format ($40.99).


The Genealogy Shelf

American Settlements and Migrations
Lloyd de Witt Boekstruek
Clearfield Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
9780806358314, $18.95, PB, 108pp, www.genealogical.com

In "American Settlements and Migrations: A Primer for Genealogists and Family Historians" by award winning genealogist and historian Lloyd de Witt Boekstruek gives a synopsis of settlement and migration patterns throughout the U.S. The main focus is on the states and territories established between the colonial period and the mid-19th century. The information provided includes settlers' origins, reasons for settlement, places of settlement, names of early families, migrations across and between states, and more. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "American Settlements and Migrations" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Genealogy reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Military Shelf

The Chosen Few
Gregg Zoroya
ChosenFewBook.com
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306824838 $27.00 hc / $17.99 Kindle amazon.com

Award-winning journalist Gregg Zoroya presents The Chosen Few: A Company of Paratroopers and Its Heroic Struggle to Survive in the Mountains of Afghanistan, the true story of the struggle and sacrifice endured by a single company of approximately 150 US paratroopers who served in Afghanistan in 2007-2008. They were isolated, exposed, almost always outnumbered by Taliban fighters, and all but ignored as America's focus and military resources shifted to Iraq. The Chosen Few draws upon both official accounts and investigations, and hundreds of interviews with former members of Chosen Company (as well as the family and friends of those who didn't come home). Riveting and heart-rending, The Chosen Few is highly recommended for both personal and public library collections.


The African-American Studies Shelf

Famous Firsts of Black Women, second edition
Martha Ward Plowden, author
Ronald Jones, illustrator
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
1565541979 $18.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Now in an updated second edition, Famous Firsts of Black Women profiles twenty courageous women who changed American history, from the 1700s to the present day. They include Shirley Chisholm, first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968; Mary Bethune, the first African-American woman to head a federal office; abolitionist Sojourner Truth; and Althea Gibson, the first woman to overcome the race barrier and win Wimbledon. A handful of black-and-white illustrations and a list of suggested further reading round out this inspirational anthology, enthusiastically recommended especially for high school and public library collections.


The Mythology Shelf

Maya Gods & Monsters
Stories by Carol Karasik
Illustrations by Alfonso Huerta
Thrums Books
ThrumsBooks.com
9780997216851 $16.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Featuring stylized color illustrations on almost every page, Maya Gods & Monsters: Supernatural Stories from the Underworld and Beyond retells myths, stories, and legends from Mayan civilization and religion. Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Maya Gods & Monsters has stories about the God of Death (who is fairly affable, and a friend to all merchants); a farmer and a buzzard who trade places; the uncontrollably destructive Serpent of Fire, and much more. A brief history of the Maya people, a glossary, a pronunciation guide, and an index round out this captivating collection.

Norse Mythology
Neil Gaiman
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393609097, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

Norse Mythology comes from an author best known for his award-winning fiction and fantasy; but here he departs somewhat from his approach of creating original works of fantasy to embellish his favorite traditional Norse myths, adding new life to these tales. One might expect that a prior understanding of these myths would be required in order to fully appreciate these retellings; and while that might be the case for some, it should be advised that Norse Mythology is entirely accessible to newcomers who hold not a shred of former familiarity with mythology in general or Norse stories in particular. Neil Gaiman's skill has already been evident in his ability to embed ancient mythology into his fantasy worlds, but here it shines as he presents tales of Odin, Thor, Loki, and more. Readers will find these lively, contemporary productions that stay true to the original characters while adding an extra dimension that provides additional food for thought and much leisure reading delight.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Better Homes and Gardens Flea Market Style
Better Homes & Gardens
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544931879, $21.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Flea markets, Craigslist, and even a neighbor's curb can yield vintage treasures that make a house sparkle. But knowing what to do with those pieces can be intimidating. "Better Homes and Gardens Flea Market Style" is an innovative instruction manual and guide that shows homeowners how to use flea market treasures to transform a home. Readers will learn how to seamlessly combine pieces into a cohesive space that truly reflects their style, whether Cottage, Bohemian, Midcentury Modern, or something else. "Better Homes and Gardens Flea Market Style" also includes helpful information on how to display and use esoteric, fun, and one-of-a-kind collections. Several DIY projects explain how to create fun new pieces from flea market finds, such as wall frames from vintage hand mirrors. Informed, informative, profusely illustrated, and thoroughly 'user friendly" in organization and presentation, "Better Homes and Gardens Flea Market Style" is very highly recommended for community library Antiques/Collectibles instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated flea market enthusiasts that "Better Homes and Gardens Flea Market Style" is also available in a Kindle format ($11.99).


The Parenting Shelf

Enjoying the Parenting Roller Coaster
Marie Masterson & Katharine Kersey
Gryphon House, Inc.
PO Box 10, 6848 Leon's Way, Lewisville, NC 27023
www.gryphonhouse.com
9780876590485, $19.95, PB, 205pp, www.amazon.com

Parenting isn't always the joy it's made out to be. On the contrary, many parents feel they are struggling to maintain their sanity and control of their young children's behaviors. "Enjoying the Parenting Roller Coaster: Nurturing and Empowering Your Children Through the Ups and Downs" by Marie Masterson (Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois) and Katharine Kersey (Professor of Early Childhood Education and Director Emeritus of the Child Study Center, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia) offers realistic, practical advice for parents who want the joy back in parenting. Instead of getting bogged down in negative cycles, "Enjoying the Parenting Roller Coaster" will help parents leave those behavior struggles behind and turn children on to cooperation and respect. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Enjoying the Parenting Roller Coaster" is very highly recommended for community library Parenting Skills collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Enjoying the Parenting Roller Coaster" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Coloring Book Shelf

Boudoir Coloring Book
Laurie Treifeldt
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
9781610352864, $14.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

Boudoir Coloring Book: A Cultural Cornucopia of Romance and Beauty offers some 70 images to color and joins other adult coloring books: this one appealing to women who enjoy coloring images of flowers, showy bedrooms, and more. Thick paper, printed on only one side, makes for a superior coloring book experience while and detailed images of women, flowers, and patterned interior designs such as drapes are designed to attract female coloring fans with familiar, warm images. The result is a recommended for any coloring book enthusiast.

The Healthy Coping Colouring Book and Journal
Pooky Knightsmith and Emily Hamilton
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781785921391, $16.95, www.jkp.com

The Healthy Coping Colouring Book and Journal: Creative Activities to Help Manage Stress, Anxiety and Other BIG Feelings packs in coping strategies and combines a colouring book with a journal designed for those who would work through their feelings and stress in a variety of ways. Journaling and drawing are seldom seen under one cover, but the pleasure in The Healthy Coping Colouring Book and Journal is that it encourages both in a format that directs activities for active analysis. While the format is designed for parents to give to their children, it also can readily apply to older kids into adult and special needs audiences.


The Art Shelf

Tham Ma Da: The Adventurous Interiors of Paola Navone
Spencer Bailey
Pointed Leaf Press
136 Baxter Street, Suite 1C, New York, NY 10013
9781938461385, $85.00, www.pointedleafpress.com

Tham Ma Da: The Adventurous Interiors of Paola Navone offers a survey of Italian architect and designer Paola Navone's work, which reflects her world travels through Asia and Africa, where her inspirations have been translated into various architectural and design approaches. Her interior projects have appeared throughout the world and she's received much acclaim over the years, but this book is a showcase of all her amazing achievements and comes from the editor-in-chief at Surface magazine, who has a strong background in design. Over 200 illustrations pack a gathering that includes accessories by major brands to pair with bold and different interiors ranging from hotels to private residences in Europe. The result is a gorgeous catalog her works and an architectural and interior design production highly recommended for any arts collection.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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