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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Evidence Explained, third edition
Elizabeth Shown Mills
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806320403 $59.95 hc / $32.95 Kindle amazon.com
Now in an updated and revised third edition, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from
Artifacts to Cyberspace is an invaluable reference not only for genealogists, but also for
historians, scientists, librarians, college students and professors, anyone and everyone who draws
upon primary sources and records, including a guidelines for citing a vast array of sources not
discussed in other citation manuals. These sources include cemetery records; census records;
church records; national government records; published maps, leaflets and videos; broadcasts and
miscellany on the world wide web; and much more. Evidence Explained goes the extra distance
in identifying information that should be recorded not just in the publication stage, but also in the
much earlier research stage, in order to preserve details crucial to evaluating the validity or
potential bias of the source. With its emphasis on proper citation, clarification, and evaluation,
Evidence Explained is an absolute "must-have" for college library collections, highly
recommended.
Holidays Around The World, sixth edition
Pearline Jaikur, editor
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold, Suite 901, Detroit, MI 48226
www.omnigraphics.com
9780780816190, $177.00, 1500pp, www.amazon.com
In a newly updated and expanded sixth edition,"Holidays Around The World" is a
comprehensive reference guide from Omnigraphics that covers more than 3,500 observances.
Featuring both secular and religious events from many different cultures, countries, and ethnic
groups, "Holidays Around The World" includes contact information for the events. Enhanced
with the inclusion of multiple appendices with background information on world holidays;
extensive bibliography; and multiple indexes, "Holidays Around The World" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library reference collections.
Life in the Marble Palace
Clifford B. Stearns
www.cliffordstearns.com
Friesen Press
www.friesenpress.com
9781460287606 $29.99 hc / $5.99 Kindle amazon.com
Life in the Marble Palace (In Praise of Folly) is by former Congressman Cliff Stearns, reflecting
on his 24 years of service in Congress (he represented Florida's 6th district from 1989 to 2013).
Stearns calls for much-needed change in the American political process, including the severe
need for campaign finance reform. Candid, insightful, and at times openly critical of Stearns'
colleagues, Life in the Marble Palace is a "must-read" blend of memoir and advocacy, highly
recommended. "It was never intended that the President could force through his own legislation
without Congress's intervening and reaction. Today, Congress pretty much follows the
President's desires almost as leadership worship, except when his party is not in power. Isn't his
job to mainly be sure that the law of the land is enforced and enact a legal foreign policy - and
nothing else?"
Styling for Instagram
Leela Cyd
St. Martin's Griffin
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250182210, $21.99, Flexibound, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Instagram is a digital wonderland of stunning photographs and inspirational images, but how can
you make sure that your own photos stand out amidst the rainbow of eye candy? To master
Instagram and earn that coveted double tap of approval, you need to have a strong personal brand
and an aspirational style that captures the viewer. "Styling for Instagram: What to Style and How
to Style It" by Leela Cyd (who is a food, lifestyle, and travel photographer and stylist with over
sixty thousand followers on Instagram.) will help you achieve both. "Styling for Instagram" is
packed from cover to cover with of Leela's expert advice on how to make the most of Instagram
ranging from practical tips on arranging the perfect composition, to styling your shots to using
natural lighting, to telling story with your work. "Styling for Instagram" is a complete course of
thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction that will enable even the most novice of Instagram users to
capture the attention of the Instagram community. While very highly recommended for personal
reading lists, as well as community and academic library Social Media instructional reference
collections.
Little by Little: People I've Known and Been
Rich Little
https://www.littlebookbylittle.com
7th Mind Publishing
c/o Dog Ear Publishing
4011 Vincennes Road, New Augusta, IN 46268-3005
www.dogearpublishing.net
9781457549571, $39.95, HC, 252pp, www.amazon.com
Richard Caruthers "Rich" Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian-American
impressionist and voice actor. He has been nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Voices". "Little
by Little: People I've Known and Been" is the story of his life and the people he's met with,
worked with, laughed with, and occasionally commiserated with. Rich Little has spent time with
such luminaries as Jack Benny, Johnny Carson, George Burns, Dean Martin, and Richard Nixon.
These and so many others were the subjects for Rich's consummate impersonations.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Little by Little: People I've Known and
Been" is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative read from cover to cover. While
very highly and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Contemporary American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Little by Little: People I've Known and Been" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781457544392, $24.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
A Small Book of Comfort
Lyn Willmott
Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740
www.ozarkmt.com
978 1940265445, $11.00, PB, 100pp, www.amazon.com
Having suffered the dark weight of depression for most of her life, Lyn Willmott was inspired to
create "A Small Book of Comfort: A Collection of Self-Help Dialogues and Methods for
Working Through Depression" -- a collection of reminder notes to herself in an effort to reduce
the stress. Eventually this attempt at self-help became the collection of dialogues that make up
this inspired and effective compendium of observations, insights, and encouragements. Lyn has
successfully used the dialogues and methods comprising "A Small Book of Comfort", and now
shares the method for the benefit others who are dealing with the ravages of depression, physical
pain, emotional torment, and/or chronic illness so that they might also gain some benefit from
them. The words on these pages not only speak to what we might be suffering in this solid,
three-dimensional world -- but at a deeper level they shine a light on the torment most of
humanity is experiencing because of loss of contact with the inner self. Unfortunately we live in
depressing times. Fortunately we now have "A Small Book of Comfort" to help us deal with that
lamentable fact. While very highly recommended for counseling center, community, and
academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Small Book of
Comfort" is available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Unblinded
Traci Medford-Rosow & Kevin Coughlin
http://www.kevincoughlinunblinded.com
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683507840, $27.95, Library Binding, 222pp, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively written by Traci Medford-Rosow and Kevin Coughlin, "Unblinded: One Man's
Courageous Journey through Darkness to Sight" is the true story of Kevin Coughlin, a resident
New Yorker who became blind at age thirty-six due to a rare genetic disorder known as Leber's
Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Twenty years later, without medical intervention, Kevin's sight
miraculously started to return. He is the only known person in the world who has experienced a
spontaneous, non-medically assisted, regeneration of the optic nerve. "Unblinded" follows
Kevin's descent into darkness, and his unexplained reemergence to sight. An inherently
fascinating read from beginning to end, "Unblinded" is an extraordinary story of an extraordinary
man and an especially recommended addition to community library Contemporary American
Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Unblinded" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781683507826, $16.95).
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
Jordan B. Peterson
Random House Canada
9780345816023 $25.95 www.penguinrandomhouse.ca
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos comes from a psychologist who considers what facts
modern folk need to know about social and scientific issues, gathering a host of rules and
writings from the intersections of faith, science, and social issues as it addresses issues of
freedom, responsibility, and the task of synthesizing world wisdom into an acceptable paradigm
for change. His interdisciplinary mix of psychology, science, politics and religion may feel
overwhelming at times, but an attention to a logical structure and progression of facts makes for
an account that is absorbing, lively, and hard to put down.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
The Copyright Handbook, thirteenth edition
Stephen Fishman, J.D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413324266, $49.99, PB, 448pp, www.amazon.com
Copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original
work exclusive rights for its use and distribution. This is usually only for a limited time. The
exclusive rights are not absolute but limited by limitations and exceptions to copyright law,
including fair use. A major limitation on copyright is that copyright protects only the original
expression of ideas, and not the underlying ideas themselves. Now in a fully updated thirteenth
edition, "The Copyright Handbook: What Every Writer Needs to Know" fully lives up to its full
title and provides writers with all the information needed to protect their work from
infringement, plagiarism, counterfeiting, or unauthorized exploitation. Compiled, written,
organized and presented by Stephen Fishman (who has dedicated his career as an attorney and
author to writing useful, authoritative and recognized guides on taxes and business law for
entrepreneurs, independent contractors, freelancers and other self-employed people, as well as
books on copyright law and the public domain) shows writers how to: register literary work;
maximize copyright protection; transfer ownership of copyright; avoid infringement; deal with
infringers; understand the "fair use" rule; obtain permission to use copyrighted work; profit from
copyright. Of special note is the inclusion of downloadable forms and that "The Copyright
Handbook" comes with an invaluable web site enabling writers to keep current with legal updates
on copyright law and access informative copyright podcasts. Simply stated, "The Copyright
Handbook" is an essential, core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic
library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading
lists. It should be noted that this new edition of "The Copyright Handbook: What Every Writer
Needs to Know" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.17).
The Dragon Grammar Book
Diane Mae Robinson
www.dianemaerobinson.com
Privately Published
9781988714011 $12.99 pbk / $3.99 Kindle amazon.com
Award-winning author and writing instructor Diane Mae Robinson presents The Dragon
Grammar Book: Grammar for Kids, Dragons, and the Whole Kingdom, an English grammar
guidebook created to be thoroughly accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds. The
fantasy and dragon motif adds a dash of tongue-in-cheek spice to the straightforward, user-
friendly descriptions of English grammar rules complete with a wealth of examples. "Participles
are adjectives ending in 'ing' or 'ed.' [...] A participle phrase is a phrase that contains a participle
and modifies the subject of the sentence. A dangling participle is when the participle modifies the
wrong thing. [...] (Wrong) 'Rushing to catch the dragon, Petra's sword fell out of its sheath.'" The
Dragon Grammar Book is an excellent tutorial or refresher for writers everywhere, and highly
recommended especially for public and school library college collections, as well as personal
reading lists.
Writing Wrongs: Common Errors in English
Robert M. Martin
Broadview Press
c/o FedEx Trade Networks
555 Riverwalk Parkway, Tonawanda, NY 14150
www.broadviewpress.com
9781554813919, $19.95, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
"Writing Wrongs: Common Errors in English" by Robert M. Martin (who after many years
retired as a Professor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada) is a concise
and thoughtful guide to common errors in English. "Writing Wrongs" covers frequently confused
and misused words along with problems of grammar, punctuation, and style, and offers a brief
and up-to-date guide to major citation styles. Though it provides guidelines and
recommendations for usage, "Writing Wrongs" acknowledges the evolution of language over
time and the fact that different contexts have different rules -- it is not narrowly prescriptive. A
friendly, flexible, and easy-to-read reference, "Writing Wrongs" will be useful to students and
general readers alike, making it unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of
aspiring writers, as well as community and academic library English language and writing
instructional reference collections.
How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book, second edition
Rudy Shur
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004308, $18.95, PB, 252pp, www.amazon.com
Rudy Shur began his work in publishing as a field representative for Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company and William C. Brown Publishing Company. He later founded Avery Publishing Group, where he was responsible for the acquisition of over 1,000 titles, many of which became bestsellers. Currently, he is the publisher at Square One in Garden City Park, New York. Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, Rudy Shur draws upon his years of experience and expertise to provide aspiring writers—who may have a great idea for a nonfiction book, but often don't know a thing about getting it published—with practical answers to such questions as: Where do you start?; What should you send?; and Are some book publishers better than others?, in the pages of "How to Publish Your Nonfiction Book: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publisher Say Yes". Providing an insider's knowledge of how publishing companies operate in this era of publishing as a rapidly changing industry, this new edition of "How to Publish Your Nonfiction Book" starts off by helping writers define their book's category, audience, and marketplace so that you know exactly where your book "fits in". Writers are guided in choosing the best publishing companies for their particular book and in writing a winning submission package. Then using the Square One System, "How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book" explains exactly how to submit a package so that chances for success are optimized while minimizing time, cost, and effort. Also included is a special section on contracts that will turn legalese into plain English, allowing even the most novice of writers to be a savvy player in the publishing business. Most importantly, "How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book" will help neophyte writers to avoid the most common errors that so often prevent them from reaching their publishing goals. Impressively written, organized and presented, "How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book" is extraordinarily 'user friendly' and an absolute 'must' for anyone wanting to write (and have published!) a nonfiction book -- and an essential, core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections.
The Business Shelf
The Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business
Jim Kim, editor
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620231616, $19.95, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com
Aptly compiled by Jim Kim, "The Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business: 101 Ideas
for Earning Cash on Your Own Terms" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide showcasing 101
specific and 'real world practical' ideas for teens and young adults to starting their own
money-making business. "The Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business" covers options
such as pet sitting, babysitting, and tutoring in great detail. Aspiring young entrepreneurs will
learn how to use the Internet to help them make money with options such as surveys, advertising,
blogs, and social media. "The Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business" not only covers
how to make one's own money, but it also teaches how to save it and how to make it grow by
creating a budget, all presented specifically with teens and young adults in mind. "The Young
Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business" contains inspiring stories from young adults who
have started their own businesses. "The Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business" as
their instructional guide any teenager or young adult can start making money on their own terms
without having to depend on their parents. While "The Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small
Business" is unreservedly recommended, it should be noted for school and community librarians
that "The Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business" is also available in a library binding
edition (9781620232316, $32.95). For the personal reading lists it should be noted that "The
Young Adult's Guide to Starting a Small Business" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $18.93).
Do Good
Anne Bahr Thompson
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9780814438398, $27.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Good works are no longer optional for any company seeking to become success in a competitive
marketplace. For many businesses, success comes in unexpected ways. For example: Toms grew
into a $600 million company by giving away 35 million pair of shoes. Patagonia's profits have
climbed year after year even as it funnels heavy investments into sustainability. And it's not just
millennials rewarding companies with causes. In every age group, people commit to brands that
show good citizenship. From CVS's destocking cigarettes to Chipotle's ethical sourcing, people
want to see fair employment practices, social responsibility, and charitable giving-and they
quickly call out negligence. Based on extensive research with thousands of consumers, "Do
Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit" by Anne Bahr Thompson
(who was named one of the 2018 Top Thought Leaders in Trust) documents this sea change and
explains how to embed social consciousness into a company's DNA. Packed with examples and
original data, the five-step model highlights the new rules of business: TRUST: Deliver on
promises; ENRICHMENT: Make daily life easier or more inspiring; RESPONSIBILITY: Treat
people and the environment with respect; COMMUNITY: Mirror values shared by customers,
employees, and partners; CONTRIBUTION: Make a difference in the world. Buyers today
demand more than half-hearted pledges. By actively linking great brands with higher purposes,
companies capture both markets and hearts. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and
thought-provoking, "Do Good" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to
corporate, community, and academic library Business Management instructional reference
collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
corporate managers, MBA students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Do Good" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Regenerative Business
Carol Sanford
Nicholas Brealey Publishing
53 State Street, Suite 9, Boston, MA 02109-3106
www.nicholasbrealey.com
9781473669109, $29.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
What if a corporate business leader stripped away all preconceptions about how business
operates, allowing his or her organization to go back to its core and build itself back up to
become something new-something so responsive, so innovative and resilient, it becomes virtually
non-displaceable in the marketplace? "The Regenerative Business: Redesign Work, Cultivate
Human Potential, Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes" by Carol Sanford (who is currently
Executive in Residence and Senior Fellow in Social Innovation at Babson College) sets the stage
for what is now only dreamt of by most of today's forward-thinking leaders and paves the path to
make it possible. "The Regenerative Business" features: Real stories from companies leading
innovation and transformation across the globe including; Google, Colgate Europe, Seventh
Generation, Nike and others; A logical, comprehensive approach that factors in the complexities
of the modern organization; Plus the work of internationally recognized leadership expert
Sanford, who for decades has been designing and leading systemic business change.
Exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, "The Regenerative Business" is
informative, thought-provoking, and occasionally iconoclastic, making it especially and
unreservedly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library Business
Management instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of business students, active entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Regenerative Business" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
The 5 Secrets of a Phenomenal Business
Howard Partridge
Sound Wisdom
167 Walnut Bottom Road, Shippensburg, PA 17257
www.soundwisdom.com
9781937879860, $24.95, HC, 255pp, www.amazon.com
Howard Partridge grew up on welfare in Alabama and moved to Houston at age 18 with only 25
cents in his pocket. He started his first business at age 23 and has transformed it into a thriving
multi-million dollar enterprise. Howard has helped small businesses all over the world
dramatically improve their businesses and lives. In "The 5 Secrets of a Phenomenal Business" he
draws upon his years of experience and expertise to help his readers understanding why they are
in business, which will help them enjoy their business more -- and will help them build the right
kind of business. Partridge explains how to stop being a slave to any business by transforming it
into a Predictable, Profitable, Turnkey Operation. Readers will learn the 5 vital components of a
system; why they are overwhelmed with their business; and how to streamline it so it runs like a
well-oiled machine. Every business enterprise is about relationships. "The 5 Secrets of a
Phenomenal Business" shows the only 3 ways to increase sales,, how to avoid the biggest
marketing mistake of all, and how to build a large network of supporters. Thoroughly 'user
friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "The 5 Secrets of a Phenomenal
Business" is unreservedly recommended reading for anyone involved in, or considering
launching, a business enterprise of any size or nature. While "The 5 Secrets of a Phenomenal
Business" should be a part of very community and academic library Business Management
instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also
available in a paperback edition (9781937879433, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$1.99).
Social Startup Success
Kathleen Kelly Janus
Lifelong Books / Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738219905, $27.00, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Kathleen Kelly Janus, is a lecturer at the Stanford University Program on Social
Entrepreneurship and the founder of the successful social enterprise Spark. When she set out to
investigate what makes a startup succeed or fail, she surveyed more than 200 high-performing
social entrepreneurs and interviewed dozens of founders. In "Social Startup Success: How the
Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference" she shares her findings for the
benefit of the legions of entrepreneurs who are working for social good and in the process,
reveals how the best organizations get over the revenue hump. "Social Startup Success" tapps
into strong connections to the Silicon Valley world where many of these ventures are started or
and/or funded, revealing insights from key figures such as DonorsChoose founder Charles Best,
charity: water's Scott Harrison, Reshma Saujani of Girls Who Code and many others. "Social
Startup Success" will be social entrepreneurship's essential playbook; the first definitive guide to
solving the problem of scale. Invaluable reading for anyone involved in starting up, maintaining,
or seeking to expand a nonprofit, "Social Startup Success" is very highly recommended and will
prove to be an enduringly appreciated and valued addition to community and academic library
Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Social Startup Success" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.99).
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
In the Shadow of Agatha
Leslie S. Klinger, editor
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681776309, $25.95, HC, 356pp, www.amazon.com
Debuting in 1920, Agatha Christie is a legendary mystery author with worldwide sales in the
billions and whose last novel was published in 1976, giving her a career longer than even Conan
Doyle's forty-year span. What is not generally known by mystery enthusiasts in general, and
Agatha Christie fans in particular, is that her success was made possible by writers like Anna
Katherine Green in America; L. T. Meade, C. L. Pirkis, the Baroness Orczy, and Elizabeth
Corbett in England; and Mary Fortune in Australia that made publishers willing to publish the
works of women crime-writers. Authors who followed them, such as Patricia Wentworth,
Dorothy Sayers, and, of course, Agatha Christie would not have thrived without the bold, fearless
work of their predecessors -- and the genre would be much poorer for their absence. So while
Agatha Christie may still reign supreme, it is important to remember that she did not ascend that
throne except on the shoulders of the women who came before her (and inspired her) and who
are now removed from her shadow once and for all by this superb new anthology of their
mysteries deftly compiled and edited by Leslie S. Klinger. While unreservedly recommended for
community libraries and the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs, it should be noted
for academia and college/university libraries that "In the Shadow of Agatha" is enhanced with the
inclusion of a four page Bibliography. For personal reading lists there is also a digital book
edition of "In the Shadow of Agatha" (Kindle, $12.99).
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
Sarah Graves
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496711281, $25.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Jake and Ellie have been through a lot together, from home repair to homicide investigation. So
when they decide to open a chocolate-themed bakery, they figure it'll be a piece of cake. With
Ellie's old family recipes luring in customers, they expect to make plenty of dough this Fourth of
July weekend. Having family home for the holiday only sweetens the deal for Jake -- until the ill
wind of an early-season hurricane blows up her plans. When the storm hits, Jake's grown son
Sam is stranded in a Boston bus station, and her husband Wade is stuck on a cargo ship. But as
bitter as the storm is, something even more sinister is brewing in the kitchen of The Chocolate
Moose -- where health inspector Matt Muldoon is found murdered. Ellie never made a secret of
her distaste for Matt, who had been raining on their parade with bogus talk of health code
violations. Now, with no alibi for the night of the murder, she's in a sticky situation with the
police -- and it's up to Jake to catch the real killer and keep Ellie living in the land of the free. A
deftly crafted masterpiece of a mystery by an author who is a complete master of the genre, Sarah
Graves' "Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake" is an inherently compelling read from cover to
cover and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated
mystery buffs that "Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media,
9781520091167, $29.99, CD).
The Perfect Victim / Winner Take All
James McKimmey
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520281, $19.95, PB, 238pp, www.amazon.com
Once again Stark House Press brings another 'time lost' author to the attention of a new
generation of appreciative readers and mystery fans with the publication of two of the late James
McKimmey's crime novel classics. "The Perfect Victim" Jackson, traveling salesman knows that
he isn't likely to get any equipment sales in Willow Creek, but he's nursing a hangover and stops
here anyway. He's a friendly guy, on the road too long, and can't help flirting with the waitress,
Grace. But Willow Creek folks don't take well to outsiders making time with their Grace. So
when she is found murdered the next morning, everyone naturally assumes that the foreigner
must have had something to do with it. And now Jackson is in jail while the town howls for
blood. Only the real murderer knows what happened - and he has no intention of letting the
salesman live to see a courtroom. Then "Winner Takes All" is about a man who shows up in a
San Francisco hotel claiming to be a man's twin and offers to switch places for ten thousand
dollars with him. Yeah, there's going to be some rough stuff when the look-alike stranger hasa
gambling debt with some very dubious characters in Reno that needs settling. But the money
looks good, as well as living the high life for awhile. But another surprise is the introduction of a
lovely woman named Linda, as well as an unexpected double-cross that involved having been
swapped for murder! Two deftly crafted noir stories under one cover, "The Perfect Victim /
Winner Take All" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community
library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Matanzas
Garry Ryan
NeWest Press
#201, 8540-109 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 1E6
www.newestpress.com
9781988732-091, $11.99, Kindle, 208 Pages, www.amazon.com
His psyche still reeling from having to kill a criminal in the line of duty, Calgary's Detective Lane
flies to Cuba to celebrate the wedding of his beloved niece. While there, though, he finds himself
drafted by the local police into investigating the murder of a Canadian tourist. Upon his return to
Calgary, links between this incident and the deaths of local elderly pensioners start to make
themselves known, drawing Lane and his partner Nigel Li further into a web of conspiracy,
politics and big money. A very highly recommended addition to the 'Detective Lane Mystery'
series, "Matanzas" is another deftly crafted novel that showcases author Garry Ryan's genuine
flair for, and total mastery of, the mystery/suspense genre.
The Moscow Code
Nick Wilkshire
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459737143, $15.99, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com
Ottawa bureaucrat turned diplomat Charlie Hillier is back in Nick Wilshire's "The Moscow
Code". Having barely survived his first posting in Havana, Charlie is eager to put what he learned
there to good use. And it isn't long before he's thrust into a fresh case -- a technical writer from
Toronto in a Moscow jail on dubious drug charges. Charlie has barely put a dent in the brick wall
that is the Russian legal system when the jailed man turns up dead, the official explanation:
suicide. And just when evidence to the contrary is discovered, the body is "accidentally"
cremated by the authorities. Undeterred by bureaucratic stonewalling and determined to help the
victim's sister get to the bottom of her brother's death, Charlie follows the sparse clues available.
But what he uncovers brings them both far too close to powers more dangerous than they could
have imagined. Suddenly, getting at the truth is less important than getting out of Russia in one
piece. Another entertaining and simply riveting read from beginning to end, "The Moscow Code"
showcases novelist Nick Wilkshire's total mastery of the mystery/suspense genre and is
unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Moscow Code" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $5.38).
The Stakes
Ben Sanders
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250140111, $25.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Rip-offs are a dangerous game, but heist man Miles Keller thinks he's found a good strategy: rob
rich New York criminals and then retire early, before word's out about his true identity. New
town, new name, no worries. Retirement can't come soon enough, though. The NYPD is
investigating him for the shooting of a hitman named Jack Deen, who was targeting Lucy Gates a
former police informant and Miles's ex-lover. Miles thinks shooting hitmen counts as altruism,
but in any case a murder charge would make life difficult. He's ready to go to ground, but then
Nina Stone reappears in his life. Nina is a fellow heist professional and the estranged wife of LA
crime boss Charles Stone. Miles last saw her five years ago, and since then her life has grown
more complicated: her husband wants her back, and he's dispatched his go-to gun thug to play
repo man. Complicating matters is the fact that the gun thug in question is Bobby Deen, cousin of
the dead Jack Deen and Bobby wants vengeance. The stakes couldn't be higher, but Nina has an
offer that could be lucrative. Maybe Miles can stick around a while longer. Another inherently
riveting read for dedicated mystery buffs by Ben Sanders, "The Stakes" is unreservedly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Stakes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
Sunday Silence
Nicci French
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
9780062819840, $26.99, HC, 416pp, www.amazon.com
Frieda Klein is many things: a lover of London, a gifted psychologist, and a frequent police
consultant. But now she's a person of interest in a murder case. A body has been discovered in
the most unlikely and horrifying of places: beneath the floorboards of Frieda's house. The corpse
is only months old, but the chief suspect appears to have died more than seven years ago. Except
as Frieda knows all too well, he's alive and well and living in secret. And it seems he's inspired a
copycat. As the days pass and the body count rises, Frieda finds herself caught in a fatal
tug-of-war between two killers: one who won't let her go, and another who can't let her live. A
thoroughly entertaining and absolutely riveting read from cover to cover, "Sunday Silence"
showcases Nicci French (the pseudonym of the English wife and husband writing team of Nicci
Gerrard and Sean French) as a master of the psychological suspense genre. While especially
recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Sunday Silence" is also available in a paperback edition (978-0062676689, $15.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
The Identity Thief
R. Franklin James
Camel Press
PO Box 70515, Seattle, WA 98127
www.camelpress.com
9781603816717, $15.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Probate attorney Hollis Morgan is branching out into criminal law. Pardoned after serving time
for her then-husband's white-collar crime, she knows something about the workings of the
criminal mind. Hollis' first criminal case quickly gets complicated. Her client is a young man
initially accused of identity theft, but his charge soon includes murder. Hollis has a knack for
detecting lies, and although Justin Eastland lies with every breath, she doesn't believe he is a
killer. Eastland is let out on bail as bait, and Hollis struggles to keep her client alive. She enlists
the services of her young friend Vince, a former addict she helped get back on track, telling him
to not let Eastland out of his sight. At the same time Hollis is handling a sensitive probate matter
for a whistle-blower hiding from a revengeful cartel. It has not been easy for Hollis to learn to
trust again, and in both these cases, a surprising number of people are not telling her the whole
story. She thinks she can sort the truths from the half-truths and the outright lies, but how reliable
are her instincts? Hollis' sense of justice does not always consider the law. If she's wrong, her
clients aren't the only ones who could lose their lives. The sixth and final book in the Hollis
Morgan mystery series by a true master of the mystery/suspense genre, "The Identify Thief" will
prove to be an impressively and enduringly popular addition to any community library collection.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Identity
Thief" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.95).
Solving Cadence Moore
Gregory Sterner
Aperture Press LLC
201 Washington Street, Suite 533, Reading, PA 19601
www.aperturepress.net
9780997302080, $19.95, PB, 370pp, www.amazon.com
How much will one man risk to solve the unsolvable? Ten years ago, famous young singer
Cadence Moore disappeared without a trace on a remote highway in western Pennsylvania. To
this day her fate remains unknown. Was she kidnapped or murdered? Or did she simply run away
in search of a new life, leaving behind the abuse and heartbreak that haunted her? Charlie Marx,
host of the popular conspiracy radio show "Underground Broadcast," is obsessed with Cadence.
Desperate to find her after deceiving his boss to save his job, he launches an investigation of his
own, digging deep into the missing woman's past and uncovering her darkest secrets. Working
feverishly for weeks, he claims to have solved the mystery and promises to reveal Cadence's fate
at the end of a groundbreaking podcast series and live radio special. But is it all a lie? As years of
twisted details slowly unravel, Charlie races to solve the biggest mystery of the decade. If he
succeeds, it will mean closure for Cadence. If he fails, his entire world will come crashing down
live on air -- and the truth may be lost forever. A deftly crafted and compelling read from cover
to cover, "Solving Cadence Moore" by Gregory Sterner is an extraordinary and unfailingly
engaging read by a novelist with a genuine flair for narrative driven fiction and one that is
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary
Literary Fiction collections.
A Reckoning in the Back Country
Terry Shames
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633883673, $15.95, PB, 283pp, www.amazon.com
When Lewis Wilkins, a physician with a vacation home in Jarrett Creek, is attacked by vicious
dogs, and several pet dogs in the area around Jarrett Creek disappear, Police Chief Samuel
Craddock suspects that a dog fighting ring is operating in his territory. He has to tread carefully
in his investigation, since lawmen who meddle in dog fighting put their lives at risk. The
investigation is hampered because Wilkins is not a local. Craddock's focus on the investigation is
thrown off by the appearance of a new woman in his life, as well as his accidental acquisition of
a puppy. Digging deeper, Craddock discovers that the public face Wilkins presented was at odds
with his private actions. A terrible mistake led to his disgrace as a physician, and far from being a
stranger, he has ongoing acquaintances with a number of county residents who play fast and
loose with the law. Another superbly crafted novel in Terry Shames simply outstanding Samuel
Craddock Mystery series, "A Reckoning in the Back Country" is a compelling and entertaining
read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Reckoning in
the Back Country" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Enter the Ring
D. A. Horton & Elicia Horton
NavPress
www.navpress.com
c/o Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781631466953, $15.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
A book on marriage written from a distinctively Christian perspective, "Enter the Ring: Fighting
Together for a Gospel-Saturated Marriage" takes a fresh, powerful, vulnerable approach to
marriage by framing it as the fight that it is. The world uses different assaults and tactics to
distract us, tempting us to walk away, in order to destroy our marriages. But there is hope: The
constant forgiveness, grace, and intervention of God can preserve and protect us from not only
the world but also ourselves. In the pages of "Enter the Ring", authors D. A. and Elicia Horton
deftly explore the tension of two people becoming one and how spouses often fight over which
"one of us" they become. "Enter the Ring" unpack topics such as: Seasons of suffering;
Communication; Sexual and physical intimacy; The spiritual life of the home; and Money. "Enter
the Ring" approaches the traditional topics of a marriage book with the brutal and life-giving
honesty of two millennials who have fought together for their marriage. All topics are addressed
through the vulnerable lens of the authors' own struggles and mistakes. Very highly
recommended reading for all members of the Christian community, it should be noted that "Enter
the Ring" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.59) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781613759950, $14.99, CD).
Understanding and Loving a Person with Depression
Stephen Arterburn & Brenda Hunter
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
https://davidccook.org
9781434710543, $14.99, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Even in the most observant Christian families, if a loved one is depressed, others will often feel
confused, angry, and helpless. A part of The Arterburn Wellness Series, "Understanding and
Loving a Person with Depression: Biblical and Practical Wisdom to Build Empathy, Preserve
Boundaries, and Show Compassion" by Stephen Arterburn, M.Ed., (who is the founder and
chairman of New Life Ministries and the host of the nationally syndicated Christian counseling
talk show New Life Live!) and psychologist and internationally published author Dr. Brenda
Hunter is an encouraging guide will help the reader to hold on to hope while broadening their
understanding of depression and its treatment. Working from a Christian perspective and frame
of reference, "Understanding and Loving a Person with Depression" explores: The multiple
causes of depression; How men and women react to depression differently; The influence of
social media and technology on depression; The unique challenges of depression in adolescence;
How to take care of yourself while caring for someone who is depressed. While very highly
recommended for both community and church library collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Understanding and Loving a Person with Depression" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
How Well Do You Know Your Bible?
James Stuart Bell
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
www.sourcebooks.com
9781492658238, $12.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
While for Christians the Bible is a source of faith and enlightenment for millions, most people
think they know the Bible better than they really do -- especially in the faces of such questions as:
What significant event in Jesus's life happened by the brook Kidron?; Though he doesn't identify
himself in the book, who is generally considered the author of Mark?; What was Paul's side
story?; What does the name Habakkuk mean?; Why did God remove Saul as king and replace
him with David? These and some 500 more questions are explored and answered by Bible expert
James Stuart Bell who deftly presents an extensive collection of over five hundred questions and
answers designed to help readers deepen their understanding and appreciation of the essential
Bible events and lessons. Blending valuable historical context and quizzes from all sixty-six
books of the Bible, "How Well Do You Know Your Bible?" offers a variety of questions for
readers to test their knowledge and possibly learn something new along the way. Ideal for
personal or group Bible Study curriculums, "How Well Do You Know Your Bible?" is
unreservedly recommended for church, seminary, community, and academic library collections.
It should be noted for personal reading lists that "How Well Do You Know Your Bible?" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Preaching God's Word, second edition
Terry G. Carter, J. Scott Duvall, J. Daniel Hays
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
www.zondervan.com
9780310536246, $37.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Christians today are hungry for a word from God. Preachers and ministers need to prepare and
deliver sound biblical sermons that connect with their parishioners in a meaningful way. Good
preaching begins with good exegesis. The newly updated and expanded second edition of
"Preaching God's Word, Second Edition: A Hands-On Approach to Preparing, Developing, and
Delivering the Sermon" is a thoroughly user-friendly, practical, and proven textbook that walks
seminary students and novice ministers through the five steps of the "Interpretive Journey" from
the biblical text to contemporary application: Grasp the text in what it meant to the original
audience; Measure the width of time that separates the biblical context from antiquity down to
today; Identifying the timeless theological principles; Consult the biblical map; Grasp the text in
our own time. While the science of solid biblical interpretation is essential to effective preaching,
it must be married to the art of contemporary communication in order to bring the message home.
"Preaching God's Word" also shows how to understand an audience, develop powerful
applications, use illustrations well, and deliver the sermon effectively. The concluding chapters
discuss the unique preaching challenges presented by the various biblical genres, providing
interpretive keys, things to avoid, and numerous examples. A complete and comprehensive
course of instruction under one cover, "Preaching God's Word" is ideal as a seminary curriculum
textbook on the subject of pulpit preaching. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Preaching God's Word" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Long Before Luther
Nathan Busenitz
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moodypublishers.com
9780802418029, $13.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Where was the gospel before the Reformation? Contemporary Protestant evangelicals often
struggle to answer that question. As a result, many Roman Catholics are quick to allege that the
Reformation understanding of the gospel simply did not exist before the 1500s. They assert that
key Reformation doctrines, like sola fide, were nonexistent in the first fifteen centuries of church
history. Rather, they were invented by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others. That is a serious
charge, and one that evangelicals must be ready to answer. If an evangelical understanding of the
gospel is only 500 years old, Protestants are in major theological difficulty. However, if it can be
demonstrated that Reformers were not inventing something new, but instead were recovering
something old, then key tenets of the Protestant faith are greatly affirmed. Hence, the need for
"Long Before Luther: Tracing the Heart of the Gospel From Christ to the Reformation" by
Nathan Busenitz (who is the Dean of Faculty and Assistant Professor of Theology at The
Master's Seminary, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California) with which readers will:
Possess a greater understanding of church history and the role it plays in the church today; Have
a deeper appreciation for the hard-won victories of the Reformation; Be equipped to dialogue
with Catholic friends about the presence of Reformed doctrines throughout church history; Feel
renewed gratefulness for the unearned nature of grace and the power of the gospel. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "Long Before Luther" is very highly recommended for
church and seminary library collections. For theology students and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "Long Before Luther" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $8.79).
Ordinary Graces: Word Gifts for Any Season
Lucinda Secrest McDowell
Abingdon Press
2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., PO Box 280988, Nashville, TN 37228-0988
www.abingdonpress.com
9781501841828, $14.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Everyone loves to receive a gift. And God has given us many, including his grace which is the
gift we don't deserve and can never earn. God's Word will stand forever, in any season of life.
These truths prompt us to respond with compassion and courage. Through the inspiring
devotions comprising "Ordinary Graces: Word Gifts for Any Season", Lucinda Secrest
McDowell reveals biblical blessings that remind us that: God's promises give us strength, God's
grace can be most evident at our weakest points, a proper response to our abundance of blessings
is simply gratitude, and the "more" we are all looking for is the same abundant life that Jesus
came to give us. Very highly recommended for all members of the Christian community,
"Ordinary Graces: Word Gifts for Any Season" is an impressively collections of inspired and
inspiring devotional readings and short benedictions appropriate for any and every season to
explore the many facets of Grace, Strength, Gratitude, and Life. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Ordinary Graces: Word Gifts for Any Season" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Stranger No More
Annahita Parsan with Craig Borlase
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com
9780718095710, $22.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Annahita Parsan was born into a Muslim family in Iran and grew up with the simple hope of one
day finding a good husband, having children, and doing some good in the world. Married and a
mother before she turned eighteen, Annahita found herself unexpectedly widowed and trapped
for years in an abusive second marriage that she later fled -- discovering instead a God who
might love her."Stranger No More: A Muslim Refugee's Story of Harrowing Escape, Miraculous
Rescue, and the Quiet Call of Jesus" is the remarkable true story of Annahita's path from
oppression to the life-changing hope of Jesus. Fleeing Iran across the mountains into Turkey, she
spent months in the terrifying Agri prison before a miraculous release and flight to Europe, where
she and her two children knelt in a church and prayed, "God, from this day on we are Christians."
Filled with unthinkable circumstances, miraculous rescues, and the quietly constant voice of
Jesus, "Stranger No More" leads readers deep into the heart of God and draws them toward the
same call that Annahita heeds today: using her past to save others from theirs. As an ordained
minister in the Church of Sweden, Annahita has baptized hundreds of former Muslims since her
own conversion, has seen firsthand the powerful ways God is at work among those who have left
Islam behind, and is reminded every day that saying yes to God is always worth the risk. A
simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Stranger No More" is a compelling, inspiring, and
unreservedly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of
denominational affiliations. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Stranger No More"
is also available in a paperback edition (9781400207510, $10.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
No Innocent Bystanders
Shannon Craigo-Snell & Christopher J. Doucot
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396
www.wjkbooks.com
9780664262624, $16.00, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
The struggle for justice is ongoing. In answering the biblical call to act justly and love mercifully,
can Christians cross lines of privilege to walk humbly not only with God but with their
marginalized neighbors as well? "No Innocent Bystanders: Becoming an Ally in the Struggle for
Justice" by the team of Shannon Craigo-Snell (Professor of Theology at Louisville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary) and Christopher J. Doucot (Cofounder of the Hartford Catholic Worker
community in Hartford, Connecticut) looks at the role of allies in social justice movements and
asks what works, what doesn't, and why. It explains what allies legitimately can accomplish,
what they can't, and what kind of humility and clarity is required to tell the difference. "No
Innocent Bystanders" is also a start-up guide for spiritual or religious people who are interested
in working for social justice but don't know how or where to begin, drawing on the lessons of
history, the framework of Christian ideas, and the insights of contemporary activists. It offers
practical guidance on how to meaningfully and mindfully advocate alongside all who struggle for
a more just society. Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, inspired and
inspiring, "No Innocent Bystanders" is very highly recommended reading for all members of the
Christian community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "No Innocent Bystanders"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Make Your Voice Heard In Heaven
Barry C. Black
Tyndale Momentum
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496429490, $14.99, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Now more than ever, Christians are fighting for their voices to be heard on earth. Christians
march, tweet, and advocate on behalf of the voiceless, calling those in power to listen and come
alongside us. Sometimes it feels as if we're never going to be heard and nothing will ever change.
Known for his powerful prayers, in "Make Your Voice Heard in Heaven: How to Pray with
Power" Chaplain Barry Black challenges his readers, individually and collectively, to make
themselves heard in a way that really changes things -- by calling upon the One who holds
ultimate power. Through personal story and practical insight, "Make Your Voice Heard in
Heaven" will effectively help the reader learn to pray in a way that releases God's power and
unleashes His blessing. While very highly recommended to the attention of all Christians
regardless of denominational affiliations, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Make
Your Voice Heard in Heaven" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781640910058, $12.99, CD).
Called to Create
Jordan Raynor
Baker Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801075186, $15.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
We were created by an infinitely creative God to reflect his love and character to the world. One
way we do that is by continuing his creative work. In "Called to Create: A Biblical Invitation to
Create, Innovate, and Risk", experienced entrepreneur and practicing Christian Jordan Raynor
helps artists, entrepreneurs, writers, and other members of the Christian community to re-imagine
our work as service to God and others, addressing such penetrating questions as: Is my work as a
creative really as God-honoring as that of a pastor or missionary?; What does it look like to
create not to make a name for myself but to glorify God and serve others?; How can I use my
work to fulfill Jesus's command to create disciples?; Will what I make today matter in eternity?.
To answer these questions, Raynor shares compelling stories from an eclectic group of 40+
Christian entrepreneurs, including the founders of TOMS Shoes, Charity: Water, Chick-fil-A,
In-N-Out Burger, Guinness, HTC, and Sevenly, as well as nontraditional entrepreneurs such as
C. S. Lewis, Johann Sebastian Bach, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Raynor's "show" rather than "tell,"
story-driven style makes you feel as if you are sitting at the feet of some of the godliest and most
successful entrepreneurs of all time. Perfectly poised to reach today's growing creative class,
"Called to Create" is a unique work that restores God's position as the first entrepreneur, helping
Christians to see the eternal value in the work they do today. While very highly recommended for
church and community library Christian studies and Business/Entrepreneurship collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Called to Create" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $8.63) as well as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone
Audio, 9781538512159, $29.95, CD).
Making Room
Billie Jamss
New Hope Publishers
PO Box 830711, Birmingham, AL 35283-0711
www.newhopepublishers.com
9781625915351, $14.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
What is God doing in and through you? It's a question we should all ask ourselves. In Making
Room, join a spiritual journey toward the discovery of the reasons behind stagnant faith. Be
encouraged to dig deeper, and learn how to put the distractions of life into perspective as you
allow God to do more in them and through you. It's time to embrace all the meaningful life
moments God has for you to glorify Him. While most of Billie Jauss's adult life has been filled
with the adventure and excitement of being married to a professional baseball coach, it took a
quiet Sunday morning to propel her on the spiritual journey of a lifetime. Now, her passion is for
everyone to experience God's immeasurably more -- just as she has. That is her motivation for
writing "Making Room: Doing Less So God Can Do More", an inspired and inspiring volume
that is unreservedly recommended to the attention of all members of the Christian
community.
Plan of Life
Roger J. Landry
Pauline Books & Media
50 St. Paul's Avenue, Boston, MA 02130-3433
9780819860439, $13.95, PB, 150pp, www.amazon.com
In "Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God", Roger J. Landry draws upon his years
of experience as an ordained parish priest working in inner city parishes in southeastern
Massachusetts where he found that among those who had a great hunger for God, many had
attended only a few years of catechetical classes and had received very little concrete guidance on
how to grow in the love of God each day. Currently working of the Diocese of Fall Rivert,
Massachusetts and who also works for the Holy See's Permanent Observer Mission to the United
Nations, he presents an impressively inspired and inspiring volume of instructive commentary
that is unreservedly recommended to all members of the Catholic community. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.83).
Jesus Crucified
St. Dimitri of Rostov, author
John Mikitish, author
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881415780, $18.00, PB, 170pp, www.amazon.com
St Dimitri of Rostov (1651 - 1709), the "Russian Chrysostom", is well-known for his
hagiographic writings, yet his other works are almost unknown to English-speaking audiences.
For the first time in English, this translation of "Jesus Crucified: The Baroque Spirituality of St
Dimitri of Rostov" by John Mikitish (who is a doctoral student at Yale University and a priest of
the Orthodox Church in America, as well as the series editor of the Treasures of Orthodox
Spirituality Series from SVS Press) presents a broad selection of St Dimitri's prayers, poems, and
other devotional writings focusing on the Christ's Passion. Written for private devotion they
remain as relevant, inspired and inspiring to the Orthodox Christian community today as they
were some three centuries ago.
Further Up and Further In
Edith M. Humphrey
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881415971, $28.00, PB, 301pp, www.amazon.com
Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 - 22 November 1963) was a British novelist, poet,
academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian
apologist. Drawing on Lewis's broad corpus, both his beloved classics and his less well-known
writings, Edith M. Humphrey (who is the William F. Orr Professor of New Testament at
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) brings Lewis into conversation with Orthodox thinkers from
the ancient past down to the present day, on subjects as diverse and challenging as the nature of
reality, miracles, the ascetic life, the atonement, the last things, and the mystery of male and
female. An impressively informative, thought-provoking, inherently fascinating read from
beginning to end, "Further Up and Further In: Orthodox Conversations with C. S. Lewis on
Scripture and Theology" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to the personal
reading lists of all interested Christians, as well as a critically important addition seminary and
academic library Christian Studies collections in general, and C. S. Lewis supplemental studies
reading lists in particular.
Barth in Conversation: Volume 1, 1959-1962
Karl Barth, author
Eberhard Busch, editor
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396
www.wjkbooks.com
9780664264000, $40.00, HC, 350pp, www.amazon.com
Karl Barth (May 10, 1886 - December 10, 1968) is widely regarded as the most important
theologian of the twentieth century, and his observations about the church and its place in a
modern world continue to engage religious scholars nearly fifty years after his death. This
English translation of the Swiss-published Conversations is a three-volume collection compiled
and edited by Eberhard Busch and features correspondence, articles, interviews, and other
short-form writings by Barth from 1959 1962. Among them are dialogues with representatives of
the Evangelical Community Movement (1959); conversations with prison chaplains and a
question-and-answer session with the Conference of the World Student Christian Federation
(1960); discussions with Methodist preachers, Zurich pastors, and Catholic students of theology
(1961); press conferences in New York and Chicago (1962); and an interview at the United
Nations (1962). Within these pages, scholars and students will find a comprehensive view into
Barth's life and thinking about theology and its role in society today. An extraordinary first
volume of a very promising series, "Barth in Conversation" is unreservedly recommended for
seminary, college, and university library Christian Studies collections in general, and Karl Barth
supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Case for Catholicism
Trent Horn
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
www.ignatius.com
9781621641445, $19.95, PB, 342pp, www.amazon.com
Trent Horn, a convert to Catholicism, has a BA in history from Arizona State University, and an
MA in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is a regular guest on the radio
program Catholic Answers Live, and a lecturer nationwide on the Catholic faith. He is the author
and the author of Answering Atheism, Persuasive Pro-life, and Hard Sayings. "The Case for
Catholicism: Answers to Classic and Contemporary Protestant Objections" is the most
up-to-date, comprehensive, and thorough defense of the Catholic Church against Protestant
objections in print and is especially relevant as the 500th anniversary of the Protestant
Reformation draws near and discussion of the arguments made against the Church during that
time in history receive renewed interest. "The Case for Catholicism" answers arguments put
forward by early Reformers like Luther and Calvin as well as contemporary defenders of
Protestantism like Norm Geisler and R.C. Sproul. It provides a meticulous defense of the biblical
and historical nature of Catholic doctrines from Scripture and church history. Finally, in both
answering Protestant objections to Catholicism and in providing evidence for the Faith, "The
Case for Catholicism" cites modern Protestant scholars who question Reformation assumptions
and show how evidence from Scripture and church history support aspects of Catholic theology.
Divided into four sections, with each answering a key question Christians have asked about the
nature of their faith, "The Case for Catholicism" is exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, making it very highly recommended and instructive reading for all members of the
Christian community -- Catholic and Protestant alike. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "The Case for Catholicism" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.18).
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Zen Odyssey
Janica Anderson & Steven Zahavi Schwartz
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
www.wisdompubs.org
9781614292586, $17.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Ruth Fuller Sasaki and Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki were two pioneers of Zen in the West. Ruth was
an American with a privileged life, even during the height of the Great Depression, before she
went to Japan and met D. T. Suzuki. Sokei-an was one of the first Zen priests to come to
America; he brought the gift of the Dharma to the United States but in 1942 was put in an
internment camp. One made his way to the West and the other would find her way to the East,
but together they created the First Zen Institute of America and helped birth a new generation of
Zen practitioners: among them, Alan Watts, Gary Snyder, and Burton Watson. They were
married less than a year before Sokei-an died, but Ruth would go on to helm trailblazing
translations in his honor and to become the first foreigner to be the priest of a Rinzai Zen temple
in Japan. With lyrical prose, authors Steven Schwartz and Janica Anderson bring Ruth and
Sokei-an to life. Two dozen intimate photographs photos show us two people who aren't mere
historical figures, but flesh and blood people, walking their paths. Informative, engaging, and an
inherently inspiring read from cover to cover, "Zen Odyssey: The Story of Sokei-an, Ruth Fuller
Sasaki, and the Birth of Zen in America" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to both community and academic library Zen Buddhism collections and supplemental
studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Zen Odyssey: The Story of Sokei-an, Ruth
Fuller Sasaki, and the Birth of Zen in America" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.99).
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Between the Lines of the Bible: Exodus
Yitzchak Etshalom
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655241174, $26.95, HC, 220pp, www.amazon.com
"Between the Lines of the Bible: Exodus: A Study from the New School of Orthodox Torah
Commentary" is a rich volume in which Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom (who is a leading teacher of
the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, in North America, having received his rabbinic ordination from the
Chief Rabbinate of Jerusalem) demonstrates the methodology through which traditional study
meets academic rigor, a methodology that can offer new insights into the meaning of the Tanakh.
Yitzchak Etshalom also describes the way in which fields such as anthropology, archeology,
philology, and literary analysis have allowed students of the Tanakh to understand, with greater
depth and insight, the stories, laws, prophecies, and poems that have formed the backbone of the
Jewish faith for thousands of years. A model of rabbinic scholarship, "Between the Lines of the
Bible: Exodus" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, synagogue,
community, and academic library Judaic Studies collections and supplemental studies reading
lists.
Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Exodus
Rabbi Francis Nataf
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655240375, $21.95, HC, 138pp, www.amazon.com
"Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Exodus: Explorations in Text and Meaning" was written
by Rabbi Francis Nataf specifically for those who feel that there is nothing new to learn from
reading the Book of Exodus again; that attempts at finding relevant meaning for today wallow in
superficiality and flightiness. As he did with the Book of Genesis, veteran educator and Bible
teacher Rabbi Francis Nataf shows us that careful and creative analysis of the text can still reap
completely new and provocative insights geared to the intelligent modern reader. In a series of
sophisticated yet readable essays, Rabbi Nataf uses his literary awareness and profound
knowledge of text, Midrash and commentaries to come up with refreshingly original readings of
some of the major stories in Exodus. The centrality of exile and alienation, national memory, the
significance of clothing and how to relate to the "other" are only some of the topics that he
discusses via the Biblical text's treatment of Moshe, Moshe's family and the Jewish nation as a
whole. While "Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Exodus" is must-read for anyone looking to
appreciate how we should study Exodus in our time, it will also prove to be an enduringly valued
and appreciated addition to synagogue, community, and academic library Contemporary Judaic
Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Fiction Shelf
The Black Rocks of Morwenstow
John Wilcox
Magna Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780750545464, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 384pp, www.amazon.com
The year is 1832 and great change and reform are sweeping England, but 23-year-old Joshua
Weyland is languishing in Key West, USA. He was third mate on the schooner Jessica, which
had run aground in suspicious circumstances and the skipper has been arrested on charges of
deliberately wrecking his ship. Josh is desperate to get back to England to marry his fiance, so he
ships as second mate on a small brig bound for Bristol. But when the ship founders on rocks off
the coast of Cornwall, it's clear it's been deliberately wrecked, and it's just a question of time
before they seize the cargo -- can Joshua stop them? Now in a large print edition from Magna,
"The Black Rocks of Morwenstow" by John Wilcox is a superbly crafted and unfailingly
entertaining read from cover to cover. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community
library Historical Fiction collections, "The Black Rocks of Morwenstow" is especially
commended to the attention of readers requiring a large print format.
The Last Ride
Les Savage, Jr.
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785413940, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 252pp, www.amazon.com
Pothook Marrs is the day cook at the Cattleman's Rest, a small cafe in Dallas. He was once a
top-hand cowboy and expert roper. He was also a mavericker, suspected of mavericking after it
was outlawed in Texas. Above all, he was believed to have shot his best friend in the back. He
had been arrested, tried, convicted, and sent to prison, and he had escaped. He was just a youth
then, and time has changed how he looks, although it cannot hide the scars from the rope burns
on his hands. A deftly crafted and gripping story from beginning to end, "The Last Ride"
showcases author Les Savage's total master of a narrative driven western novel replete with
unexpected plot twists and a truly riveting conclusion. Especially appropriate for personal
reading lists and community library collections, this large print edition of "The Last Ride" is very
strongly recommended.
The Killing Of Jericho Slade
Paxton Johns
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444834154, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 256pp, www.amazon.com
When Jericho Slade, the five-year-old son of Senator Morton J. Slade, is killed in Dodge City
during a botched bank robbery, someone's neck is bound to be stretched. One of the gang, Billie
Flint, makes a likely suspect -- but when Born Gallant drifts into Dodge and sees the innocence
on the accused's face as he is being escorted to the gallows by the town sheriff and his deputy, he
reacts impulsively and snatches young Flint from certain death. Setting out to hunt down the real
killer of the child, Gallant will soon learn that being the hero does not always mean doing what's
right. An original and riveting western by a master of the genre, and replete with unexpected plot
twists and turns, this large print edition of Paxton Johns' "The Killing Of Jericho Slade" is
unreservedly recommended for community library collections and the personal reading lists of
dedicated western action/adventure fans.
Ms Ice Sandwich
Mieko Kawakami
Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781782273301, $13.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
A novella is a text of written, fictional, narrative prose normally longer than a short story but
shorter than a novel, somewhere between 7,500 and 40,000 words. Mieko Kawakami is a master
of the novella format and "Ms Ice Sandwich" is her latest literary work which is ably translated
into English for an American readership by Louise Heal Kawai. A boy is obsessed with a woman
who sells sandwiches. He goes to the supermarket almost every day, just so he can look at her
face. She is beautiful to him, and he calls her "Ms Ice Sandwich", and endlessly draws her
portrait. But the boy's friend hears about this hesitant adoration, and suddenly everything
changes. His visits to Ms Ice Sandwich stop, and with them the last hopes of his childhood. A
moving and surprisingly funny tale of growing up and learning how to lose, it is no overstatement
to assert that "Ms Ice Sandwich" is Mieko Kawakami at her very best. While very highly
recommended, especially for community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Ms Ice Sandwich" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Gift: The Amish of Hart County
Shelley Shepard Gray
Avon Inspire
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
www.harpercollins.com
9780062469144, $12.99, 272pp, www.amazon.com
The Schwartz family is happy to be spending Christmas on their new farm in Hart County. But
when Susanna Schwartz hears gunshots that causes her buggy to overturn, and then her little
sister falls through a wooden bridge into the icy creek, it becomes clear from these dangerous
"accidents" that someone wants them gone. Neil Vance has been heartbroken ever since his
parents lost their family farm. He knows it's not the Schwartz family's fault, but he can't help but
be resentful. Until he meets Susanna. She is kind-hearted and bold, and Neil can't stop thinking
about her pretty green eyes. Neil thinks the accidents are just that, but Susanna's father is
convinced the Vance family is responsible. Susanna refuses to believe Neil would do anything to
harm her. She's fallen in love with him and knows he is a good man. But her family is ready to
pack up and move, and time is running out to uncover the truth before someone gets hurt...or
worse. A simply riveting and thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover, "The Gift: The
Amish of Hart County" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community
library General Fiction collections. For the personal reading lists of author Shelley Shepard Gray,
"The Gift: The Amish of Hart County" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99)
while librarians should note that "The Gift: The Amish of Hart County" is available in a
hardcover edition (William Morrow, 9780062697851, $25.99, 272pp).
The Night Child
Anna Quinn
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781538434345, $24.99, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Nora Brown teaches high school English and lives a quiet life in Seattle with her husband and
six-year-old daughter. But one November day, moments after dismissing her class, a girl's face
appears above the students' desks. Twenty-four hours later, while on Thanksgiving vacation, the
face appears again. Shaken and unsteady, Nora meets with neurologists and eventually, a
psychiatrist. As the story progresses, a terrible secret is discovered -- a secret that pushes Nora
toward an even deeper psychological breakdown. All the more impressive when considering that
"The Night Child " is author Anna Quinn's debut novel, this original and compelling story deftly
examines the impact of traumatic childhood experiences and the fragile line between past and
present. Exquisitely nuanced and profoundly intimate, "The Night Child" is a compelling novel
of resilience, hope, and the capacity of the mind, body, and spirit to save itself despite all odds.
While very highly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Night Child" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.24). Librarians should be aware that there is also a complete
and unabridged audio book edition "The Night Child" (Blackstone Audio, 9781538422366,
$34.95, CD).
Uncertain Weights and Measures
Jocelyn Parr
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
www.gooselane.com
9780864929822, $22.95, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com
The place is Moscow. The year is 1921. Tatiana and Sasha meet in a bookstore the night it is
bombed. In the aftermath of the explosion, Sasha grabs Tatiana's hand and together they run to
safety. They fall in love. A promising young scientist, Tatiana follows her mentor, Dr. Bekhterev,
to the Institut Mozga, established to study the source of genius. She thrives in the state-sponsored
research institute, but Sasha, an artist, feels left behind in this new world where his art seems
without place or function. A rift between them grows. When Bekhterev suddenly dies, Tatiana is
prompted to speculate about the shadowy circumstances of his death. Disconcerted and unable to
find answers to her questions, she plunges into doubt - about her work as a scientist, her naivete
about the Revolution, her faith in the state, and her relationship with Sasha. "Uncertain Weights
and Measures" is a story that takes place in the heady days of post-Revolution Russia, when
belief in a higher purpose was everything. Novelist Jocelyn Parr vividly captures the ambiance of
1920s Moscow and the frisson of real-life events while also spinning a captivating tale of a love
torn apart by ideology and high-stakes politics. The result is a novel that is unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Uncertain Weights and Measures"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95).
ActivAmerica
Meagan Cass
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle, #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574416947, $14.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Drawing from fairy tales, ghost stories, and science-fiction, the short sports themed stories
comprising Meagan Cass' "ActivAmerica" anthology explore how we confront (and exert) power
and re-imagine ourselves through sports and athletic activities. A group of girls starts an illicit
hockey league in a conservative suburb. A recently separated woman must run a mile a day in
order to maintain her new corporate health insurance. Children impacted by environmental
disaster create a "mutant soccer team". Two sisters are visited by an Olympic gymnast who
demands increasingly dangerous moves from them. Sports allow the characters to form
communities on soccer fields and hidden lakes, in overgrown backyards and across Ping-Pong
tables. Throughout these original and deftly crafted tales, however, athletic risk also comes with
unexpected, often unsettling results. Winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize In Short Fiction,
Meagan Cass exhibits a natural flair for thoroughly entertaining her readers while subtly lacing
underlying messages that are both reflective and thought-provoking. While "ActivAmerica" is
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Literary Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.57).
The Sasquatch Murder: A Love Story
Jeffery Viles
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress.com
9781592987696, $19.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
"The Sasquatch Murder: A Love Story" by Jeffery Viles is an imaginative, tightly woven tale
novel the reveals just how these 'Bigfoot' creatures came to be traipsing around in the big trees
surrounding Mount St. Helens. While local oddballs and elbow-benders talk Bigfoot and relate
their peculiar yarns at Hee-Haw's Tavern, Jake Holly and Jessica O'Reilly are falling in love
despite an age difference that Jessica's powerful father cannot abide. When Sasquatch enters the
picture, a tripwire is broken and every preconceived notion is instantly turned upside down. A
deftly written and complex multilayered narrative driven story satirically featuring intricate
details and language that's often dressed up in literary lipstick, "The Sasquatch Murder: A Love
Story" superbly crafts a fast-moving story of events that consume the town of Aurora, a story that
reverberates into the White House and around the world. A unique and unfailingly entertaining
story that will hold the reader's rapt attention from cover to cover, "The Sasquatch Murder: A
Love Story" is very highly recommended reading and certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to community library fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"The Sasquatch Murder: A Love Story" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Sleepytime Down South
C. W. Cannon
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama, Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
www.livingstonpress.uwa.edu
9781604891997, $23.95, HC, 142pp, www.amazon.com
When Chicago Jazzman Maz Mazewski journeys to New Orleans one last time. he visits some
old friends, blows a couple of notes, and hears music that changes him again -- but this time is
forever. A deftly crafted and inherently engaging novel that evokes the feel and spirit of the Big
Easy, "Sleepytime Down South" reveals author C. W. Cannon has having a genuine flair for
narrative driven fiction populated by truly memorable characters. Very highly recommended,
especially for community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sleepytime Down South" is also available in a
paperback edition ( 9781604891980, $14.95).
The Liars' Asylum
Jacob M. Appel
Black Lawrence Press
http://www.blacklawrence.com
9781625579751, $16.95, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com
Jacob M. Appel is a physician, attorney and bioethicist based in New York City. He is also the
award-winning author of more than two hundred published short stories. Now the Black
Lawrence Press has published an anthology of eight of the best of Appel's short stories that
includes: Bait and Switch; Good Enough for Guppies; Prisoners of the Multiverse; The Frying
Finn; Picklocks in Oblivion; The Summer of Interrogatory Subversion; When Love Was an
Angel's Kidney; and the title piece, The Liars' Asylum. Taken collectively, these eight short
stories reveal Appel's genuine gift for narrative driven storytelling that borders on a kind of prose
poetry delivered with humor, irreverence, and a very special linguistic vibrance. While very
highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Liars' Asylum" is also available
in an inexpensive digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Comanche Captive
D. Laszlo Conhaim
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432837396, $25.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Scott Renald is an Indian agent searching for white captives. Laura Little is a former captive
seeking her Comanche-born son. They meet unexpectedly on the high plains. Touched by her
story, Renald leads Laura's search while hostile tribesmen pursue them. Word of their
predicament reaches Fort Sill, and agents are dispatched to grab her and recall him. Meanwhile,
the army prepares for war with the Comanche. Circumstances propel all into a heart-wrenching
and bloody conflict of competing loyalties and surprising discoveries against the scorched
backdrop of the Staked Plain. How does a captive eventually become a willing tribal member?
Can rescue and return be a crueler form of abduction? A deftly crafted and simply riveting read
from cover to cover, "Comanche Captive" by D. Laszlo Conhaim depicts a compelling account
of what happens after the taken has been found such as in Laura's case with its forced separation
from her child, the imposition of unwanted psychiatric care, and finally the deadly consequences
of her quest for her lost son. While very highly recommended, especially for community library
Western Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Comanche
Captive" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Hope in the Valley
Penny Heggie Austin
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Dr. Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781480939240, $14.00, PB, 146pp, www.amazon.com
Tom and Ellen have both had their share of struggles, but from the moment they meet, they can't
help their strong attraction to each other. As their love grows, the world around them becomes
more complicated with a past that won't leave Tom alone. With the help of family, friends, each
other, and God, Tom and Ellen will find the happiness for which they've been searching. A deftly
written, reader engaging novel that showcases author Penny Heggie Austin's genuine flair for
narrative driven and unfailingly entertaining storytelling, "Hope in the Valley" is an extraordinary
and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hope in the Valley" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.00).
A Hero Dreams
Mark Ristau
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress.com
9781592988037, $19.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Devastated by his father's sudden death, eight-year-old Ricky begins to see things -- a ghostly
silhouette in his bedroom window, a gruesome train accident involving four local teenagers, a
terrorist attack that won't occur for another twenty-five years. After a traumatic incident at a New
England summer camp, the visions become more frequent, more vivid, and more disturbing. A
mysterious voice assures him everything will be okay if he crosses the ''threshold.'' But just what
is the threshold? And what lies beyond? In the pages of "A Hero Dreams", novelist and
consummate storyteller Mark Ristau takes his reader on an epic journey along the furthermost
frontiers of human consciousness and into a miraculous realm where anything is possible. An
inspiring tale of hope, faith, courage, and profound self-discovery, "A Hero Dreams" is
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections.
Yipee's Gold Mountain
Raquel Rivera
Red Deer Press
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited
195 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario, Canada, L3R 4T8
www.reddeerpress.com
9780889955509, $14.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Set in the Wild West of 1860s Arizona, "Yipee's Gold Mountain" is the story of Yip Yee, an
orphaned Chinese ex-railway laborer who dreams of being a cowboy, and Na-tio, an Apache
warrior-apprentice who is recovering from his first botched raid. Through alternating chapters
both narrators reveal different sides of the story, as their initial and mutual suspicion evolves into
true friendship. Together, Na-tio and Yip Yee face down a wolf attach, a sinister bounty hunter
and even greater challenges in the hard scrabble world of fortune-seekers, soldiers and warriors.
And through all of these adventures and trials, Na-tio must cope with a terrible crisis for his
people, and Yip Yee must carefully guard a very important secret. A deftly crafted and original
story by novelist Raquel Rivera, "Yipee's Gold Mountain" also features an informative interview
with the author in which she discusses the historic background and setting of "Yipee's Gold
Mountain" as well as the inclusion of a list of books and periodicals along with notes from a
research trip to Arizona. A riveting and entertaining read from cover to cover, "Yipee's Gold
Mountain" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, and especially for community
library collections.
Best of Luck
Corinne Scott
Camel Press
PO Box 70515, Seattle, WA 98127
www.camelpress.com
9781603813839, $14.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Crew Costa isn't Irish, but for a kid from the school of hard knocks, he's had the luck of the Irish
with his chain of faux-Irish pubs, O'Shaughnessy's Shenanigans. Number 13 is set to open in time
for St. Patrick's Day. The Bronx is already the site of several authentic Irish pubs, including The
Lion O'Brien. Started by Liam O'Brien, the pub is now managed by his youngest daughter
Siobhan, but only after her four older brothers refused the job. Now Siobhan has to prove she is
worthy. Siobhan falls for Crew, literally, after they collide while he is moving into her apartment
building. Their attraction is immediate and powerful, but they are rivals. Siobhan is counting on
the Lion winning the St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl, which Crew has entered as well. The lead-up
to the event involves "pranking" your competition, and the older pubs band together against the
gaudy newcomer, with its McNaughty the Leprechaun and other cultural stereotypes. For Crew
and Siobhan, the pranking quickly gets personal and expensive. Siobhan and Crew can't resist the
electricity between them, but can Siobhan trust this streetwise charmer? Can Crew trust this
daddy's girl whose overriding passion is her pub? And will the rage brewing among the other pub
owners put their lives in danger? Another deftly crafted and unfailingly entertaining novel by
Corinne Scott, "Best of Luck" is the second title in the author's simply outstanding O'Briens
series and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction
shelf. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Best of Luck" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $4.95).
Making Space
Sarah Tierney
Sandstone Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781910985441, $16.00, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Miriam is twenty-nine years old, a temp worker, who is living with a roommate who is no longer
a friend, and still trying to find her place in life. She falls in love with Erik after he employs her
to clear out his paper-packed home. They are worlds apart: he is forty-five, a successful
photographer and artist, and an obsessive hoarder still haunted by the end of his marriage.
Miriam has an unsuccessful love life and has just got rid of most of her belongings. Somehow,
she and Erik must find a way to reach each other. All the more impressive when considering that
"Making Space" is author Sarah Tierney's debut as a novelist, this is a simply riveting and
unfailingly entertaining read that showcases her genuine flair for a narrative driven fiction
populated by deftly crafted and memorable characters. "Making Space" will prove to be an
enduringly popular and appreciated addition to personal reading lists and community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections.
Escape To Fort Abercrombie
Candace Simar
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432838188, $25.95, HC, 279pp, www.amazon.com
His mother and little sister Elsa have been kidnaped by Indians and his father lies dying, when
fourteen-year-old Ryker Landstad promises to take the nine-year-old twins to safety and rescue
Mama and Elsa. It takes all Ryker's gumption, to reach the fort, only to discover that Fort
Abercrombie is besieged by 500 warriors. Another simply riveting read from a master of the
western fiction genre, "Escape To Fort Abercrombie" is certain to be an enduringly popular and
appreciated addition to any community library collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated western novel buffs that "Escape To Fort Abercrombie" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Beyond His Mercy
Johnny Neil Smith & Susan Cruce Smith
Sunstone Press
PO Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
www.sunstonepress.com
9781632931870, $22.95, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com
The American Civil War claimed and destroyed lives, stealing fathers and sons from those they
loved. The horror caused many returning to cry out for death. They carried the festering scars of
battle and were unable to overcome the torment of their souls. "Beyond His Mercy" by Johnny
and Susan Smith is the story of Thomas Wilson, a soldier who returns home haunted by the
destruction and devastation he both witnessed and caused. Although his regiment respects and
reveres him as a sharpshooter, each man he has killed condemns him to a life of terrifying dreams
and troubled days where forgiveness can never be obtained. Neither the love of his family nor the
affection of a woman with sparkling dark eyes and soft black hair can chase his war demons
away, for he is beyond mercy. Of special note is the inclusion of a Readers Guide. A deftly
written, entertaining, and ultimately thought provoking read, "Beyond His Mercy" is
unreservedly recommended for community library Western Fiction collection. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Beyond His Mercy" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $4.99).
Lacemaker
Laura Frantz
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800734824, $25.99, HC, 418pp, www.amazon.com
On the eve of her wedding, Lady Elisabeth Lawsons world is shattered, as surely as the fine glass
windows of her colonial Williamsburg home. In a town seething with Patriots ready for rebellion,
her protection comes from an unlikely source; now if she could only protect her heart.
"Lacemaker" is another perfectly crafted and immensely entertaining novel by a master of the
historical romance genre. Author Laura Frantz has once again created what will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fiction fans that "Lacemaker" is also
available in a paperback edition (9780800726638, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$1.59). Librarians should note that "Lacemaker" is also available as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781974905829, $24.99, CD).
Holding the Fort
Regina Jennings
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764231193, $25.99, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
When dance hall singer Louisa Bell visits Fort Reno to see her brother, she is mistaken for the
governess that the harried Major Daniel Adams is waiting for. Between his rowdy troops and his
two daughters, he has more responsibility than he can handle alone. Eager for the opportunity,
Louisa sets out to show the widower that she is a perfect fit. "Holding the Fort" is another deftly
crafted and unfailingly entertaining romance novel by Regina Jennings -- who a true and tested
master of the genre. While "Holding the Fort" is very highly recommended, especially for
community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available
in a paperback edition (9780764218934, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$1.59).
Postcards from the Canyon
Lisa Gitlin
Bywater Books
P.O. Box 3671, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-3671
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612941110, $16.95, PB, 360pp, www.amazon.com
Faced with the sudden and unexpected death of her mother, disillusioned novelist Joanna Jacobs
begins chronicling her willful childhood in 1960s Cleveland, Ohio. But the writing exercise that
starts out as a means to reflect and refocus becomes a journal of Joanna's rebellious existence.
Jewish and gay, yet unwilling to expose herself to the accompanying scrutiny and rejection,
Joanna spends much of her youth fostering chaos and embracing self-denial, even while
celebrating an affirming commitment to the psychiatric ward. After an inadvertent bomb threat to
a conservative talk-show host brings the FBI knocking on her door, Joanna finds herself
navigating an unexpected immigrant invasion, a crew of juvenile delinquents in her living room,
and a never ending low-pressure system. When the going finally gets too tough to wrangle alone,
Joanna turns to her lifelong friends for emotional support -- but this comfort is tempered by a
confusing cocktail of lingering hurts, unresolved anger, and resurgent disappointment, making it
even more difficult for Joanna to put her life to paper. A deftly crafted and compelling read from
cover to cover, "Postcards from the Canyon" is another extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended novel by Lisa Gitlin. While certain to be a welcome addition to community library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Postcards from the Canyon" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Black Moon Astrology Cards
Susan Sheppard & Jane Marin, authors
Blue Angel
c/o Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738757599, $23.95, Cards, www.amazon.com
Drawing on the ancient discipline of interpreting the night sky, the Black Moon Astrology Cards
is the collaborative work of Susan Sheppard and Jane Marin who seek to give access to the
tangible wisdom contained in the heavens above. Aspiring students and practitioners don't need
to be an astrologer to read these cards. With a divinatory meaning, key words, and tarot
correspondence for each card, this deck of 52 cards, along with its accompanying guidebook
makes the principles and revelations of astrology accessible to all. Visually impressive and
inherently fascinating, "Black Moon Astrology Cards" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for novice and seasoned astrology practitioners alike.
The New Sirian Revelations
Patricia Cori
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623171711, $18.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Patricia Cori is an internationally acclaimed author and spiritual lead. In July 1996, during an
extraordinary out-of-body journey through the Milky Way and other galaxies, she was
reconnected and attuned to a group of interdimensional light beings that she and her many
readers came to know, through the first Sirian Revelations transmissions, as The Sirian High
Council. During her remarkable mission as their Scribe, she has shared the insights of
six-dimensional Sirian Light Emissaries through the books and teachings that have transformed
readers over the past decades. Now, twenty years from the date of the first transmission, Cori
shares new revelations that affirm the veracity of past prophecies and transmit new visions for
the human race as we ascend through the outer reaches of the fourth dimension into new levels of
conscious awareness and parallel realities as we prepare for our imminent emergence. Also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), "The New Sirian Revelations: Galactic
Prophecies for the Ascending Human Collective" will prove to be a popular addition to
community library Metaphysical Studies collections and a 'must' for the legions of Patricia Cori
fans.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Sharks: A 400 Million Year Journey
Ted Rechlin
Rex Tooth Studios
www.rextooth.com
c/o Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781591522133, $19.95, HC, 96pp, www.amazon.com
In "Sharks: A 400 Million Year Journey", author and illustrator Ted Rechlin visually presents an
inherently fascinating and impressively informative epoch-spanning evolutionary adventure
Sharks in the format of a life-science graphic novel adventure. Sharks have been cruising our
planet's waters for some 400 millions years. They even pre-date the dinosaurs. In "Sharks: A 400
Million Year Journey", Rechlin deftly weaves a captivating history of strange and ancient shark
species while sharing insights into the distant past of life on Earth. The engaging and
action-packed art teaches readers of all ages how these legendary ocean dwellers got their start
and how they developed into the sharks we know today. Educational, fascinating, and beautifully
produced, "Sharks: A 400 Million Year Journey" is a memorable introduction to the history of
sharks for budding marine biologists, graphic novel fans, and all enthusiasts of these ancient apex
predators of the deep. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to both school and community
library Pets/Wildlife collections, "Sharks: A 400 Million Year Journey" is unreservedly
recommended.
Hercules: Wrath of The Heavens
Jean-David Morvan, author
Looky, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785855863, $19.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
A stunningly illustrated, science fiction retelling of the Hellenic legend of Hercules and his 12
labors by multi award-winning writer, Jean-David Morvan and featuring the unique artwork of
self-taught French comic book illustrator Looky, "Hercules: Wrath of The Heavens" takes place
when a seemingly endless war rages across the galactic frontier. Hercules is a one half-human,
half-god super-soldier who faces his greatest enemy in the form of his own demons in a complex
tale of truth, redemption and revenge. An inherently fascinating and unrelentingly entertaining
read from cover to cover, "Hercules: Wrath of The Heavens" will leave the reader looking
eagerly toward the next installment of the adventures of Hercules as reinterpreted by the team of
Movan and Looky! While unreservedly recommended for community library graphic novel
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hercules: Wrath of The Heavens" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
The Chronicles of Corum: The Knight of Swords
Michael Moorcock, author
Mike Baron, author
Mike Mignola, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781782763253, $24.99, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, who while having published literary novels, is
primarily known for his science fiction and fantasy. He is best known for his 'sword & sorcery'
novels about the character Elric of Melnibone, who was a seminal influence on the field of heroic
fantasy in the 1960s and 1970s. Another of his action/adventure fantasy characters is Prince
Corum Jhaelen. In "The Chronicles of Corum: The Knight of Swords" the Vadhagh prince of the
scarlet robe embarks on an epic journey of fate and vengeance through all the fifteen planes of
Earth, even to the very center of Time-the still, blue city of Tanelorn. Superbly adapted by author
Mike Baron to a graphic novel format that is exquisitely illustrated by Mike Mignola, Michael
Moorcock once again weaves stunning blend of magic, heroism, and wonder for a whole new
generation of appreciative readers. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal
and community library graphic novel collections, it should be noted that "The Chronicles of
Corum: The Knight of Swords" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
The True Death of Billy the Kid
Rick Geary
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681121345, $15.99, HC, 56pp, www.amazon.com
One of the great folk legends of the Wild West, William H. Bonney, alias Bill the Kid, went from
cowboy and rancher's gunslinger to a pure outlaw, forever dodging justice in New Mexico before
it was even a state. On the one hand, he was charming, fun-loving, often present at social events,
quite appealing to the ladies. Also conversant in Spanish, "Billito" was popular with the Spanish
speaking crowd. On the other hand, he had no compunction to coldly kill a man, a sheriff, a
deputy -- anyone who got in the way of his rustling cattle or horses for an illicit living. He also
proved hard to keep in jail once he was caught. It is probably his daring escapes from jails that
made him most famous, and this is the main subject of this graphic novel biography, which traces
his story up through his death by a gunshot in the pitch darkness, fired by lawmen obsessed with
getting rid of him. Written and illustrated by Rick Geary, "The True Death of Billy the Kid" is an
unabashedly entertaining read from cover to cover and will prove to be an enduringly popular
addition to personal and community library graphic novel collections.
It's a Van Goof
Andre Franquin
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183659, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
The latest addition to Andre Franquin's graphic novel cartoon 'Goomer Goof' series, "It's a Van
Goof" continues the calamitous actions and adventures of one of the world's most accident prone
characters. As for his best friend, his girlfriend, and assorted associates, to work in the same
building as a walking disaster like Gomer is no picnic. Between his 'fun' chemistry experiments
and his attempts at amateur rocketry, no one is spared, be it co-workers, secretaries, bosses,
neighbors. In "It's a Van Goof" we also discover that he's just as dangerous outside of work: day
at the beach or in the country, weekend between friends or romantic outing - there's nowhere safe
from the undisputed master of the goof! Laugh-out-loud funny from cover to cover, "It's a Van
Goof" is very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly favorite addition to personal
and community library Comix/Graphic Novel collections. For the personal reading lists of the
legions of Van Goof fans, it should be noted that "It's a Van Goof!" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $7.55).
Robotech Vol. 1: Countdown
Brian Wood, author
Marco Turini, artist
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785859137 $16.99 pbk / $9.59 Kindle amazon.com
Robotech Vol. 1: Countdown collects the issues of "Robotech" #1-4 into a single, full-color
graphic novel adapting the classic anime sci-fi "Robotech" television series of war, love, and
loss. The stylistic tone of the art is closer to Western comics rather than Japanese anime or
manga, adding a new and different visual dynamic to the faithfully retold story. In volumes #1-4,
the "robotechnology" within a crashed an alien ship on a remote island has transformed
humanity's way of life, and spurred the genesis of the supersized SDF-1 starship. Ten years later,
a warlike alien force arrives intent on reclaiming robotechnology - and testing the mortals who
wield it with fire and blood! Hotshot pilot Rick Hunter and aspiring singer Lynn Minmei are
swept up in the chaos of the invasion, while SDF-1 captain Henry Gloval must make a pivotal
decision with the fate of all humanity in the balance. Robotech Vol. 1: Countdown is a "must-
read" for fans of both anime and science fiction, highly recommended.
Mandrake the Magician
Lee Falk, author
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781782766926, $49.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Mandrake the Magician is a syndicated newspaper comic strip created by Lee Falk. Mandrake
began publication on June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while
Falk continued to script. The strip is distributed by King Features Syndicate. The look of
Mandrake the Magician was updated to conform to the 1960s in terms of being hipper and cooler
than the 1930s incarnation thanks to the art stylings of Fred Fredricks. And yet, both Fredericks
and Mandrake's creator Lee Falk managed to land our top-hatted hero into some pretty outlandish
and action packed adventures on this Earth and beyond! "Mandrake the Magician: Fred
Fredericks Sundays Volume 1: The Meeting of Mandrake and Lothar" includes the unwelcome
return of Mandrake's arch enemy, The Cobra, the introduction of a sinister new crime syndicate
called The Underworld, and the creation of counter crime organization called Inter-Intel, headed
up by Mandrake. Especially recommended for both community and academic library Graphic
Novel/Comics collections, this beautifully reproduced edition of "Mandrake the Magician"
should be considered a 'must' for the legions of dedicated Mandrake the Magician fans!
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter
Dan Abnett, author
Tom Mandrake, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785861338, $16.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Created by novelist and award-wining comic book writer Dan Abnett and dramatically drawn by
Tom Mandrake, "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" features the rebirth of one of the most iconic
and much loved characters from Hammer Comic and Titan Comics. This time Kronos and his
two trusted companions, the seasoned old vampire hunter Grost and the lethal young Carla, find
themselves fighting vampires that seem immune to silver, garlic, and sunlight! Then there is the
massive vampire leader Slake to contend with. But the real vampiric villains lay disguised.
"Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" is a graphic novel 'must read' for all dedicated vampire
fantasy fiction fans. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Captain Kronos: Vampire
Hunter" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Fighting American
Gordon Rennie, author
Joe Simon, creator
Jack Kirby, creator
Duke Mighten, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785862106, $16.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
When Johnny Flagg (the secret identity of the superhero known as Fighting American) and his
young teenage sidekick, Speedboy find themselves marooned in the 21st Century with no way to
return they do the only thing they can do. They carry on fighting against the Commies regardless.
Bringing some much-needed two-fisted justice and home-spun 1950s attitudes to a modern,
media-obsessed cynical world as they battle a gang of villains plucked from their past and a
mysterious villainess known only as Lady Chaos. Providing an enormous amount of
tongue-in-cheek fun, "Fighting American" is a wonderfully entertaining read from beginning to
end and does full justice to the comic book legacy of the legendary Jack Kirby and Joe Simon
and is very highly recommended for all personal and community library graphic novel
collections.
Babylon Berlin
Arne Jysch, author/illustrator
Volker Kutscher, creator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785866357, $24.99, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Following an unfortunate incident of manslaughter and at a moment of radical change in
Germany, Detective Inspector Gereon Roth moves from his old position in Cologne to a new
appointment in Berlin. There he stumbles into an ever-growing criminal investigation into a
pornographic sex ring, and discovers the hard way that he can trust no one -- not even the other
members of the Berlin police force. Set in the 1920s, at the birth of the Weimar Republic amid
great economic and political difficulties that would eventually give rise to the Nazis, "Babylon
Berlin" is a graphic novel tale of corruption, trafficking, and scandal. An inherently fascinating
mystery with many an unexpected twist and turn leading to a dramatic confrontational
conclusion, "Babylon Berlin" is a very highly recommended and certain to be a perpetually
popular addition to personal and community library Graphic Novel collections.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Steig Larsson, author
Sylvain Runberg, author
Jose Horns, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785863455, $19.99, PB, 136pp, www.amazon.com
In the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital, Lisbeth Salander is a young woman who lies
in critical condition due to a bullet wound to her head. She's fighting for her life in more ways
than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three
murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to
prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the
vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge --
against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly
destroyed her life. Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back. A
complex many threaded novel of intrigue, suspense, and murder, "The Girl Who Kicked the
Hornet's Nest" is an inherent compelling read from cover to cover as Spanish illustrator Jose
Horns does full and impressive justice to a noir style tale of political cabals and intrepid
journalism leading to a dramatic and unexpected final confrontation. "The Girl Who Kicked the
Hornet's Nest" is 'Hard Case Crime' graphic novel storytelling at its very best!
The Audiobook Shelf
Desperate Remedies
Thomas Hardy, author
Read by Anna Bentinck
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
9781781981108 $89.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com
The debut novel of author Thomas Hardy, originally published in 1871, Desperate Remedies is a
classic Victorian novel now available in a "Naxos Complete Classics" unabridged audiobook
rendition, superbly performed by BBC Radio professional Anna Bentinck. Set in the Victorian
era, the story follows the impoverished young woman Cytheria Graye, who by necessity takes a
job for the wealthy and eccentric Miss Aldclyffe. Aldclyffe deliberately grooms and pressures
Cytheria into a love affair and potential engagement with her charismatic steward Aeneous
Manston, but malicious secrets lurk beneath the surface. Did Aeneous' previous wife truly perish
in an accidental fire? A tangled tale of love, lust, crime, and blackmail, Desperate Remedies is as
captivating today as it was nearly 150 years ago. Highly recommended, especially for public
library audiobook collections. 14 CDs, 17 hours 41 min. 48 sec.
Noumenon
Marina J. Lostetter, author
Celesta Ciulla, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com
ASIN: B0748W35GS, $35.95, CD, www.amazon.com
In 2088, humankind is at last ready to explore beyond Earth's solar system. But one uncertainty
remains: Where do we go? Astrophysicist Reggie Straifer has an idea. He's discovered an
anomalous star that appears to defy the laws of physics and proposes the creation of a deep-space
mission to find out whether the star is a weird natural phenomenon or something manufactured.
The journey will take eons. In order to maintain the genetic talent of the original crew,
humankind's greatest ambition - to explore the furthest reaches of the galaxy - is undertaken by
clones. But a clone is not a perfect copy, and each new generation has its own quirks, desires, and
neuroses. As the centuries fly by, the society living aboard the nine ships (designated "Convoy
Seven") changes and evolves, but their mission remains the same: to reach Reggie's mysterious
star and explore its origins - and implications. A mosaic novel of discovery, "Noumenon" is
comprised of a series of vignettes over the space of the interstellar expedition journey to and
from their objective that examines the dedication, adventure, growth, and fear of having your
entire world consist of nine ships in the vacuum of space. The men and women, and even the AI
called ICC, must learn to work and live together in harmony, as their original DNA is
continuously replicated and they are born again and again into a thousand new lives. With the
stars their home and the unknown their destination, they are on a voyage of many lifetimes - an
odyssey to understand what lies beyond the limits of human knowledge. Impressively narrated by
Celesta Ciulla, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of Marina J. Lostetter's superbly
crafted and unfailingly entertaining science fiction saga is unreservedly recommended for
community library collections and should be considered a 'must' for all dedicated science fiction
fans. (15 Hours, 5 Minutes, 12 CDs).
Burn the Business Plan
Carl J. Schramm, author
Performed by Tom Parks
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781511307505 $24.99 www.brillianceaudio.com
Burn the Business Plan: What Great Entrepreneurs Really Do is an unabridged audiobook on
MP3-CD (plays on MP3-CD enabled players or transfers to portable devices) of author Carl
Schramm's guide to starting a successful company. A "plan" is not necessarily the first or the
right step to starting a business, Schramm argues; successful companies that launched without a
plan include Apple and Google. What is required? Innovation, adaptation, and awareness of
common mistakes, misconceptions, and pitfalls, which Burn the Business Plan describes at
length. Packed with candid, real-world advice, Burn the Business Plan is a "must" for anyone
considering going into business for themselves. Highly recommended. 1 MP3-CD, 8 hours 2
min.
Now That You Mention It
Kristan Higgins, author
Narrated by Xe Sands
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781490641003 $TBA www.recordedbooks.com
Now That You Mention It is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a novel about learning to roll
with the punches thrown by life itself. Nora Stuart had earned a Tufts scholarship and was on the
path to becoming a Boston medical specialist when she was hit by a car. The severe injuries were
bad enough; hearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she feared she was on the verge of
dying was arguably worse. Nora retreats home to the close-knit Maine community she left fifteen
years ago - a community that rejects her and blames her for virtually every disappointment or
drama. Her tough, islander mother is as distant as always; her wild-child sister is in jail; and her
withdrawn teenage niece years to escape the island as badly as Nora once did. Can Nora find a
way to mend her troubled family? Heartfelt and engaging to the very end, Now That You
Mention It is highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook collections. 9
CDs, 11 hours.
A Man of His Word
Kathleen Fuller
Read by Callie Beaulieu
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781541419445 $37.99 amazon.com
A Man of His Word is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a dramatic novel set in an Amish
community. The story follows pregnant young newlywed Moriah Miller, who is devastated when
her husband Levi suddenly abandons her, his family, and their faith. The community strives to
aid her, and one among them - Gabriel Miller, Levi's twin brother - yearns to become more than a
friend in her time of need. Poignant, thoughtful, and spiritual, A Man of His Word is highly
recommended, and brought to life with a superb performance by classically trained actress
Kathleen Fuller. 7 CDs, 8.5 hours.
Chili Con Corpses
Ellery Adams, author
Read by Karen White
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
9781541415263 $34.99 www.BlackstoneAudio.com
Skillfully performed by Karen White, Chili Con Corpses: A Supper Club Mystery is the
unabridged audiobook adaptation of the third "Supper Club Mystery" featuring the amateur
sleuthing of the Flab Five. When the supper club members join a Mexican cooking class at
Lindy's suggestion, their education is marred by the murder of a classmate (one of two twin
sisters with supermodel physiques). Worse, still is that Lindy is a prime suspect! Investigation,
complex family and romantic relationships, and the challenge of reducing salt intake intertwine
into a mouth-watering mystery that connoisseurs of the genre will savor! 7 CDs, 8.5 hours.
Sunburn: A Novel
Laura Lippman, author
Performed by Susan Bennett
Harper Audio
195 Broadway, Floor 2, New York, NY 10007-3132
9780062390127 $39.99 www.harperaudio.com
Sunburn: A Novel is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a dramatic, suspenseful story about a
passionate love affair between two people harboring potentially deadly secrets. The intense
redhead Polly and the reserved Adam meet in a small-town tavern. Each claims that they are only
passing through, yet they remain there, ensnared in the flames of their attraction. Then an
unexpected death threatens to tear their fragile bond apart. Intense and riveting to the very end,
Sunburn: A Novel is highly recommended. 8 CDs, 9 hours.
The Library CD Shelf
A Piano Story
Jim Pearce
JimPearceMusic.com
Oak Avenue Publishing
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Pianist and synthesist Jim Pearce, whose credentials include composing and recording music for
more than 300 television shows, presents A Piano Story, his first new age/neo-classical album
(he has previously created seven jazz recordings and won numerous award competitions). A
piano story revels in the depth and breadth of the acoustic piano, enhanced with highlights of
synthesizer sounds, cello, violin, percussion, cymbals, and woodwinds. The result is a mind-
expanding soundscape that evokes a resonating atmosphere, promoting contemplation and
insight. A Piano Story is highly recommended for neo-classical connoisseurs, public library
collections, and gift-giving. The tracks are "Tender Story", "Uplifting Piano", "The Old
Neighborhood", "Beautiful Moment", "A Leap of Heart", "Preludial Moon", "The Years Gone
By", "Deep In Your Eyes", "Hymn to Rain", "Ecstatic Musing", "Twilight Reverie", "My Heart Is
Yours", "Clouds and Bicycles", "Dark Mood Sets", "You Are My Sun and Moon", and "Hope
Breaks Out".
Acoustic Music Seminar Selections from 2012-2016
Seminar created by Mike Marshall
Privately Published
www.adventure-music.com
$15.99
Acoustic Music Seminar Selections from 2012-2016 is a music album of songs featuring
highlights from the first five years of an artist development program created by Mike Marshall
for young musicians at the Savannah Music Festival. In each year of the program, young music
artists have the opportunity to workshop their original compositions, receive professional
mentoring, and showcase their creations. Acoustic Music Seminar Selections from 2012-2016
brims with vibrant, blossoming talent from a diversity of budding creators, and is enthusiastically
recommended especially for acoustic connoisseurs and public library music collections. The
tracks are "Expatiation", "Gas Station Caviar", "Legend of the Ear", "Mona", "Paradise Fell",
"Bubbles", "Seaweed", "Bourbon Barrel", "Mr. & Mrs. Wilson", "Ill at Ease", "Dislocation", and
"Untitled 8".
Drum Distillery
James Asher and Arthur Hull
james-asher.co.uk
villagemusiccircles.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $11.49 MP3 amazon.com
Drum Distillery is an instrumental album featuring the collaboration of professional drummer
James Asher (who regularly performs with multiple bands in the UK) and Arthur Hull, who is
well-known in America as a drum circle facilitator. The result is rich collection of rhythms
ranging into tone from soul-charging percussive to thoughtful and atmospheric. Drum Distillery
is a unique showcase of the wide range of emotions that drumming can convey, and is highly
recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are "Circadian
Spirals", "Helix Rising", "As We Grow Forward", "Giving Thanks", "Breathdub", "Mystic
mambo", "Guarana Gazelles", "Billy Bravado", "Sandless Desert", "Absorbing the Moment",
"Deep Valleys", "Global Samba", and "Infiniterium".
Your Sound: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
Jay Rodriguez
www.jayrodriguez.com
Whaling City Sound
c/o Naxos (distribution)
$12.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com
Your Sound: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola is a jazz album featuring the musical genius of
master performer Jay Rodriguez, who showcases his gift on the tenor saxophone, alto saxophone,
flute, and bass clarinet. Additional musicians are Billy Harper on tenor saxophone; Larry Willis
on piano; Eric Wheeler on acoustic bass; Billy Marton on percussion; and J.T. Lewis on drums.
Most of Your Sound features Rodriguez' original work, although the final track is a soulful cover
of "Kiss and Say Goodbye". Brimming with the bottled-lightning energy and passion that only a
live performance can bring, Your Sound: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola is a "must" for jazz
connoisseurs and highly recommended for both personal and public library collections. The
tracks are "Ghost Dancer/Congo Call", "Golden Earring", "Clouds", "All of You", "Your Sound",
"When the Stars Fell", "Spirits", "Inolvidable", "Lover", and "Let's Just Kiss and Say Goodbye".
(61:37).
Tour Guide
Cheri Magill
www.cherimagillmusic.com
Red Shoe Records
$12.97 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
Tour Guide is an album of ten original songs by award-winning independent singer/songwriter
Cheri Magill. The central theme of the music is motherhood - from the joys of nurturing children
and helping them grow, to how the pressures of being a parent can push one to the brink of crazy,
to the priceless treasure of unconditional love. The original genesis of Tour Guide came when
Cheri composed a song for each of her three children; that seed blossomed into this warmhearted,
mellifluous celebration, highly recommended for both personal and public library music
collections. The tracks are "Tour Guide", "Lasso the Moon", "You Are Here", "Crazy", "Brave",
"Still", "Don't You Forget", "Better", "Unconditionally", and "Chopsticks Lullaby". 31 min.
Time Is Everything
Vivian Leva
Free Dirt Records
freedirt.net
$TBA vivianleva.com
Time Is Everything is a music album steeped in the roots of American culture, drawing upon
elements of classic country, honky tonk, contemporary Americana and more. Up-and-coming
performer Vivian Leva showcases her vocal and guitar talent with these expressive, soul-stirring
original songs. Time Is Everything is highly recommended for connoisseurs and public library
collections, and also makes an excellent gift for music lovers everywhere. The tracks are "Bottom
of the Glass", "Time Is Everything", "Sturdy as the Land", "No Forever", "Wishes and Dreams",
"Cold Mountains", 'Why Don't You Introduce Me as Your Darlin", "Last of My Kind", "Every
Goodbye", and "Here I Am".
Aonki: Gateway of Love
Anaya Music
www.anayamusic.com
$15.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Aonki: Gateway of Love is a new age album by award-winning Brazilian music artist Anaya
Music. Balancing Anaya's talent is a live virtual symphony orchestra, recorded in the Czech
capital of Prague. The original songs cascade with a passionate aspiration to reach for the stars,
and enrapture the listener in their melliflous soundscape. Highly recommended, especially for
personal and public library new age collections. The tracks are "Laman Song", "Breath", "Gate",
"Over the clouds", "Because of You", "Aonki Mov I", "Aonki Mov II", "Extase II", "Just for
you", and "A Path to the Infinite". (48:18).
Soft Spot of My Heart
Eleanor Dubinsky
Privatley Published
$TBA www.eleanordubinsky.com
Soft Spot of My Heart is an emotional, Lisbon-inspired music album by jazz songwriter Eleanor
Dubinsky. The original songs reflect on the difficulties and the delicate balance of human
relationships, from friendships to family bonds to love. Soft Spot of My Heart is sweeping,
inspirational, and rapturous to experience, highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of
the genre. The tracks are "Turn It Around", "Soft Spot Of My Heart", "Wind Won't Knock It
Down", "Wait For You", "Free Again", "El Sabor De La Vida", "Morning Song", "I Let Go",
"Cuando Voy A Mi Trabajo", and "You Are Special, You Are Beautiful".
Kiss The Quiet
Michael Whalen
www.michaelwhalen.com
Michael Whalen Music, Ltd.
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com
Kiss The Quiet: Meditations on Life & Love is an album from ambient music creator Michael
Whalen, featuring his masterful touch on ambient piano, synthesizers, and electronics. The gentle
flow of the instrumental music soothes the mind and stirs the spirit. Kiss The Quiet is a choice
pick for meditation, reflection, or simply winding down after a long day. Highly recommended,
especially for personal and public library ambient music collections; Kiss The Quiet also makes
an excellent gift for connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are "Kiss The Quiet", "Heart So Full of
Joy", "Full Moon Dance", "Almost Touching Heaven", "The Prayer Box", "No More Secrets",
"Window To the Soul", "My Obsequious Tear", "Hush The Night", and "Ever Closer Ever
Nearer Ever Sooner".
No Pressure
Hot Club Sandwich
Acoustic Oasis
$TBA www.hotclubsandwich.com
No Pressure is an original music album touching upon an eclectic diversity of styles, from jazz
manouche to bolero romantico to Peruvian waltz and more. The fifth album of performance
group Hot Club Sandwich, No Pressure showcases their signature quality - arrangements with
memorably contrasting instrumental interplay. No Pressure is a joy to experience, highly
recommended. The tracks are "Swang Thang", "No Pressure", "New Gravy Waltz", "Winter
Rain", "Melancholy April", "Rockin' Chair", "Odiame", "Blackpot Coozie", "What A Pretty
Miss", "Palm Springs Jump", "It Ain't Right", "Lilly's Bolero", "The Other Side of the Pillow",
and "St. James Infirmary".
The Library DVD Shelf
Reclaiming Life
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781640600638 $69.95
Reclaiming Life Faith, Hope, and Suicide Loss is a DVD providing first-hand testimonies and
theological insights into the world-shattering experience of losing a loved one to suicide. Kay
Warren and Marjorie Antus speak openly about the deaths of their children; and Fr. Ronald
Rolheiser (President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio) shares insights from years
of service to families devastated by this tragedy. Reclaiming Life is profound, uplifting, and
highly recommended, especially for public library and church DVD collections. 90 min.
Rebecka Martinson, series 1
Starring Ida Engvoll
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com
A gripping Swedish crime drama with subtitles in English, Rebecka Martinson, series 1 follows
Rebecka Martin a successful Stockholm lawyer, who returns to her remote hometown near the
Arctic Circle to discern the truth behind a violent death. Although the tragedy has been ruled an
accident, Rebecka suspects foul play. As Rebecka's detective skills are put to the test, she must
decide whether or not her destiny lies in a return to the big city. Set amid a landscape of
breathtaking beauty, Rebecka Martinson, series 1 is highly recommended to connoisseurs. It
should be noted that Rebecka martinson, series 1 is intended expressly for adult viewers, due to
the presence of strong language, nudity, sexual situations, violence, and disturbing images. 8
episodes on a 2-disc DVD set, 370 min., SDH subtitles.
It Takes From Within
Written and directed by Lee Eubanks
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Filmed in stark and surreal black-and-white, It Takes From Within is a modern movie inspired by
arthouse films of the 1960s. Set in a desolate town where an unnamed man and woman prepare
to attend a burial, It Takes From Within gradually builds tension as increasingly bizarre and
disturbing events happen, reflection manifestations of dread, despair, and the terror of death itself
as the moment of internment draws ever closer. Emphasizing memorable cinematography and
minimal spoken dialogue, It Takes From Within peers into the abyss that gnaws at the human
soul, and the lingering chill that remains after the first wave of fear passes. Highly recommended,
especially for connoisseurs of surreal suspense. This DVD version includes commentary from
director Lee Eubanks. 95 min., black-and-white, widescreen.
Qigong for Women
With Daisy Lee
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594395611 $29.95 www.ymaa.com
Daisy Lee (certified as an advanced qigong instructor and clinical practitioner by the National
Qigong Association of America) guides the viewer to the exercise movements of qigong in
Qigong for Women: Lotus Rises Through the Water Medical Qigong Form (40 min.), an
instructional DVD that is thoroughly accessible to beginners. These movements and forms are an
excellent way to promote better physical and mental health, by increasing energy flow and
exercising the body's muscles. Each Qigong movement is presented as a stand-alone exercise on
its own DVD track, so that the movements may be easily practiced in any combination or all in
sequence. The routine on this DVD is designed specifically to benefit women, but practicing
Qigong in general is highly beneficial to both sexes. Qigong for Women is a choice addition to
women's health and fitness DVD collections. Also highly recommended are two previous DVDs
featuring Daisy Lee: "Beginner Qigong for Women: Radiant Lotus Qigong Exercises" ($29.95)
and "Beginner Qigong for Women: Radiant Lotus Medical Qigong Forms" ($29.95).
The Multimedia Shelf
Moonlight In Empty Rooms
Heidi Breyer
www.heidibreyer.com
Winterhall Records
www.moonlightalbum.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Moonlight In Empty Rooms: A Musical Study of the Art of Alexander Volkov is a double CD-
DVD of musical pieces by talented composer Heidi Breyer, inspired by the artwork of her
husband, world renowned realist painter Alexander Volkov. Moonlight In Empty Rooms
ensorcells the senses with mellifluous piano and violin, drawing the listener on a transcendental
journey. A choice pick for connoisseurs of original artistry, Moonlight In Empty Rooms is highly
recommended for both personal and public library collections. The tracks are "Unfinished
Conversation", "Autumn Snowfall", "Autumn in Bruges", "Christian's Workshop", "Moonlight In
Empty Rooms", "Eastertide", "Rainy Day", "The Sound And The Fury", "Winter Rose", "Half
Hour Before Spring", "Faith", and "End Of Summer".
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Becoming John Wayne
Larry Powell & Jonathan H. Amsbary
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476664132, $35.00, PB, 193pp, www.amazon.com
"Becoming John Wayne: The Early Westerns of a Screen Icon, 1930-1939" by Larry Powell
(Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama-Birmingham) and Jonathan
H. Amsbary (Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama-Birmingham)
exploring the early westerns of John Wayne from his first starring role in the The Big Trail
(1930) to his breakthrough as the Ringo Kid in John Ford's Stagecoach (1939). "Becoming John
Wayne" traces the actor's transformation from Marion Mitchell Morrison, movie studio prop
man, into John Wayne, a carefully crafted film persona of his own invention that made him
world famous. Wayne's years of training went well beyond honing his acting skill, as he
developed the ability to do his own stunts, perfected his technique as a gun handler and became
an expert horseman. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
academic library American Cinematic History collections in general, and John Wayne
supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated John Wayne fans that "Becoming John Wayne" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.99).
The Lone Ranger on Radio, Film and Television
Ed Andreychuk
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9780786499724, $29.95, PB, 188pp, www.amazon.com
The Lone Ranger has endured as an iconic figure in American popular culture, from his 1933
premier as a radio serial hero through a highly-rated television series (1949-1957) to a 2013
feature film. Created by script writer Fran Striker and radio station owner George W. Trendle, the
character was meant to embody courage, fair play and honesty, and writers had to adhere to
specific guidelines: "he never smokes ... he uses precise speech ... he never shoots to kill." The
popularity of the Ranger, along with his great horse Silver and his Indian companion Tonto
inspired later crime fighting duos like Batman and Robin, and The Green Hornet and Kato. "The
Lone Ranger on Radio, Film and Television" by western film buff and historian Ed Andreychuk
examines the Lone Rancher franchise in detail, providing summaries and production details of
the original radio episodes. An inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "The Lone
Ranger on Radio, Film and Television" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both
community and academic library Television History and Popular Culture collections. An absolute
'must read' for the legions of Lone Ranger fans, it should be noted that "The Lone Ranger on
Radio, Film and Television" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Jess Franco
Kristofer Todd Upjohn
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520601, $15.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Jess Franco (12 May 1930 - 2 April 2013) was a director, cinematographer, writer, composer,
editor, producer and actor in more than 150 fiercely independent films he made from 1959 to
2013. Born in Madrid, Spain, he was declared one of the most dangerous filmmakers by the
Spanish Catholic Church. He was also one of the most prolific directors of Spanish cinema. His
underground classics include Christina, Princess of Eroticism, Vampyros Lesbos, Daughter of
Dracula, Tender Flesh, The Awful Dr. Orloff, Venus in Furs, Marquis de Sade's Justine, Revenge
in the House of Usher and many others. Kristofer Upjohn celebrates Jess Franco in a collection
of essays that examines his individual movies for the first time not just an artistic perspective but
also with a subtextual psychological analysis as well from Count Dracula and Jack the Ripper, all
the way to The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein and Countess Perverse. There has never been a low
budget maestro like Jess Franco. All of his life's work is faithfully recorded in the pages of "Jess
Franco: The World's Most Dangerous Filmmaker" by Kristofer Todd Upjohn, and is very highly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library History of Cinema collections in
general, and Jess Franco supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Mr. Novak
Chuck Harter
BearManor Media
P. O. Box 1129, Duncan, OK 73534-1129
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629331645, $40.00, HC, 376pp, www.amazon.com
The Mr. Novak television series was a landmark in the development of dramatic television. It
starred James Franciscus with Dean Jagger and featured cutting-edge scripts, first-class
production values and exceptional acting. It was the first program to portray teachers and
students realistically. "Mr. Novak: An Acclaimed Television Series" by author, musician and
popular culture consultant Chuck Harter is a profusely illustrated study that features:
Comprehensive coverage of the original filming and air dates; An episode guide with vintage
reviews and fresh perspectives; Interviews with over 35 actors who appeared on the show
including Walter Koenig, Martin Landau, Beau Bridges, Tony Dow, Ed Asner, June Lockhart,
and Sherry Jackson; Archival interviews with the series' stars and producers; A complete list of
the many awards the series received, and so much more. Exceptionally well researched, written,
organized and presented, "Mr. Novak" provides the reader with a complete and comprehensive
profile of one of the finest TV series that ever aired. "Mr. Novak" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Television History collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Mr. Novak" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781629331638, $30.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Thompson Method of Bodywork
Cathy Thompson and Tara Thompson Lewis
Healing Arts Press
9781620556641 $35.00 www.healingartspress.com
The Thompson Method of Bodywork presents techniques developed by co-author Cathy
Thompson during her years as a bodywork therapist, and blends Zen shiatsu, rolfing, yoga, and
psychotherapy to address the kinds of emotional blockages that often lead to chronic pain,
tension, and other physical issues. From explorations of how to understand the body's signals and
its link to mental wellbeing to how to change physical conditions to correct subconscious issues
and visa versa, this offers illustrated instructions for some 90 exercises that lend to corrective
alignment, showing how to use the bodywork routines to release tension and promote
healing.
Dr. Colbert's Keto Zone Diet
Don Colbert, MD
Worthy Publishing
One Franklin Park, 6100 Tower Circle, Suite 210, Franklin, TN 37067
www.worthypublishing.com
9781683970248, $21.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
"Dr. Colbert's Keto Zone Diet" is specifically recommended for men and woman wanting or
needing to lose weight. "Dr. Colbert's Keto Zone Diet" reveals that the answer to weight loss and
weight control is not a pill, medication, or surgery. The answer is a nutritional one. Dr. Don
Colbert has been practicing medicine for 30 years. In the pages of "Dr. Colbert's Keto Zone Diet"
he has taken his nutrition, cancer treatment, and weight loss training to a whole new level. Dr.
Colbert's instructional guide and manual will not only helps you lose weight, but will also help
you plan out a healthy life that you can enjoy! Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Dr.
Colbert's Keto Zone Diet" is unreservedly recommended for community library Health &
Medicine instructional reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Dr. Colbert's Keto Zone Diet" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Biography Shelf
The Woman Who Fought an Empire
Gregory J. Wallance
Potomac Books, Inc.
c/o University of Nebraska Press
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
www.potomacbooksinc.com
9781612349435 $32.95 hc / $27.96 Kindle amazon.com
The Woman Who Fought an Empire: Sarah Aaronsohn and Her Nili Spy Ring is the biography of
Sarah Aaronsohn (1890-1917), a member of the Nili Spy Ring, a network of Jewish spies that
smuggled vital information to British forces, hastening the end of the Ottoman Empire. The
daughter of Romanian-born Jewish settlers in Palestine, Sarah witnessed firsthand the horrific
mass slaughter of the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottomans. Believing that only the
defeat of the Ottoman Empire could protect Palestinian Jews from a similar fate, she joined the
Nili spy ring and eventually became the organization's leader. She would pay for her courage
with her life, when the Turks intercepted a carrier pigeon and crushed the spy ring; after days of
torture, she killed herself to protect her secrets. Her legacy was contested long after her death;
Jewish settlers regarded Nili survivors harshly for years, yet over time Sarah came to be regarded
as a war hero. A bibliography and an index round out this expertly researched, thoroughly
accessible biography of a courageous and capable woman. Highly recommended, especially for
public and college library biography collections.
Piercing the Horizon
Sunny Tsiao
Purdue University Press
504 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2058
www.thepress.purdue.edu
9781557537911 $29.95 amazon.com
Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Piercing the Horizon: The Story of
Visionary NASA Chief Tom Paine is a biography of Thomas O. Paine (1921-1992), the man who
would serve as the third administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA). Under his direction, seven Apollo flights orbited the Earth, five visited the moon, and
the first of twelve men set foot on the moon. In 1985, Paine would answer the call of the Regan
administration to chair America's first-ever National Commission on Space. Author Sunny Tsiao
(who has over thirty years' experience in aerospace and defense, including service as a Space
Shuttle mission training instructor) offers a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse not only into
Paine's life, but also into the evolution of the "space race". Notes, a bibliography, and an index
around out this engaging saga of literally reaching for the stars. Piercing the Horizon is highly
recommended, especially for public and college library biography shelves.
Alastair Denniston
Joel Greenberg
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781526709127 $50.00 hc / $10.17 Kindle amazon.com
Alastair Denniston: Code-breaking From Room 40 to Berkeley Street and the Birth of GCHQ is
the expertly researched biography of the man who created and led the British intelligence
organization best known for cracking the Nazi's codes in World War II, although its operations
stretch back to the First World War, and its legacy continues to this day. Author and historian
Joel Greenberg draws the reader into the complex world of intelligence, cryptography, and
politics. Written with a scholar's attention to detail, yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds,
Alastair Denniston is highly recommended especially for public and college library Biography
collections as well as personal reading lists.
Life: A Temporary Title
Irit Amiel, author
Anna Blasiak, translator
Vallentine Mitchell
International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781910383476, $18.95, PB, 138pp, www.amazon.com
Born in 1931 to a secular Jewish family in Poland, Irit Amiel grew up in the city of Czestochowa
with its significant Jewish community of 30,000. She survived the Second World War having
escaped from the ghetto and living under false Aryan papers, in various places. In the autumn of
1945 and at the age of 14, she set on a brave journey to the Middle East. She escaped from
Europe via illegal smuggling routes and displaced persons camps in Germany, Italy, and Cyprus,
finally reaching Eretz Israel in December 1947. She settled in a kibbutz and participated in the
joint effort of building the country with native Israelis and Shoah survivors. There she met the
love of her life, a charming Israeli Palmachnik of Moroccan heritage, Chuzy Amiel. Together
they started a new life and raised a family. Only when her grandchildren reached their teens was
she ready to tell her story, understanding her experiences are unique and that the passage of time
will erase the memories of yesterday. Irit talks to herself throughout this intensely personal
memoir, and in her unique style of writing each chapter is both part of the whole and an
individual story at the same time. In this way her individual voice becomes the voice of her
generation. Ably translated into English by Anna Blasiak for an American readership, "Life: A
Temporary Title" is a simply extraordinary and inherently moving true life story that is especially
and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary
Biography collections in general, and Holocaust Studies supplemental reading lists in
particular.
Captain Jack Helm
Chuck Parsons
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
9781574417180 $29.95 www.untpress.unt.edu
Captain Jack Helm: A Victim of Texas Reconstruction Violence is the true-life biography of
Texan lawman Captain Jack Helm. Once a Confederate soldier, Helm switched his allegiance
and became a passionate Unionist. He dedicated his life to establishing law and order in Central
and South Texas, first as deputy sheriff, then as a Regulator and leader of a group of vigilantes.
Helm was ruthless in the pursuit of his duty; after arresting suspected lawbreakers, he would
often kill his prisoner before reaching a jail for "attempting to escape." His unfettered aggression
would ultimate contribute to his downfall in a confrontation with two enemies amidst the Sutton-
Taylor Feud. Extensive endnotes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this in-depth biography
that reads like a Western! Highly recommended, especially for public library biography
collections.
Everything's Bigger in Texas
Mary Lou Sullivan
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042-2677
www.halleonard.com
9781495058967, $29.99, HC, 344pp, www.amazon.com
Kinky Friedman has always maintained his Kinkster persona and hidden Richard Friedman from
the public eye. Using one-liners, humor, and occasional rudeness, he follows the advice of his
friend Bob Dylan to keep an aura of mystery. Author and biographer Mary Lou Sullivan spent
many contentious days and nights at Kinky's Texas Hill Country ranch before he trusted her
enough to open up and speak candidly. Best known as an irreverent cigar-chomping Jewish
country-and-western singer, turned author, turned politician, Kinky has dined on monkey brains
in the jungles of Borneo, supped with presidents, and vacationed with Bob Dylan in the tiny
fishing village of Yelapa, Mexico. A satirist who loves pushing the envelope, he's been attacked
on-stage, received bomb threats, and put on the only show in Austin City Limits' history deemed
too offensive to air. From the 1970s music scene in L.A. with Tom Waits and the Band, to
political platforms advocating legalized marijuana, to friendships with John Belushi, Joseph
Heller, Don Imus, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, and Billy Bob Thornton, "Kinky Friedman
has always maintained his Kinkster persona and hidden Richard Friedman from the public eye.
Using one-liners, humor, and occasional rudeness, he follows the advice of his friend Bob Dylan
to keep an aura of mystery. Author Mary Lou Sullivan spent many contentious days and nights at
Kinky's Texas Hill Country ranch before he trusted her enough to open up and speak candidly.
Best known as an irreverent cigar-chomping Jewish country-and-western singer, turned author,
turned politician, Kinky has dined on monkey brains in the jungles of Borneo, supped with
presidents, and vacationed with Bob Dylan in the tiny fishing village of Yelapa, Mexico. A
satirist who loves pushing the envelope, he's been attacked onstage, received bomb threats, and
put on the only show in Austin City Limits' history deemed too offensive to air. From the 1970s
music scene in L.A. with Tom Waits and the Band, to political platforms advocating legalized
marijuana, to friendships with John Belushi, Joseph Heller, Don Imus, Willie Nelson, Dwight
Yoakam, and Billy Bob Thornton, "Everything's Bigger in Texas: The Life and Times of Kinky
Friedman" is the candid account based on dozens and years of interviews of the larger-than-life
Texan who is still writing books and songs, recording albums, and performing for enthusiastic
audiences throughout the world. "Everything's Bigger in Texas" is candid biographical account
based on dozens and years of interviews of the larger-than-life Texan who is still writing books
and songs, recording albums, and performing for enthusiastic audiences throughout the world.
While strongly recommended, especially for community and academic library Contemporary
American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Everything's
Bigger in Texas" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.44).
The American History Shelf
The Commanders
Robert M. Utley
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806159782 $29.95 www.oupress.com
The Commanders: Civil War Generals Who Shaped the American West chronicles the military
history of the post-Civil War West with particular emphasis on the contributions of seven
military leaders who served as major generals for the Union in the Civil War, then progressed to
commanding the U.S. Army's western departments. The seven leaders, each of whom has a
chapter dedicated to them, are Christopher C. Augur, George Crook, Oliver O. Howard, Nelson
A. Miles, Edward O.C. Ord, John Pope, and Alfred H. Terry. Some of them are well-known
today; others have been largely overlooked by history. All played pivotal roles in the subjugation
of American Indian tribal groups, and postwar army doctrine. Notes, a bibliography, and an index
round out this thoroughly accessible study, highly recommended especially for public and college
library American History shelves.
American Sea Power in the Old World
William N. Still Jr.
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591146186 $24.95 www.nip.org
American maritime historian William N. Still Jr. presents American Sea Power in the Old World:
The United States Navy in European and Near Eastern Waters, 1865-1917, a studious, in-depth
military history of the U.S. Navy in Europe and the Near East from the end of the Civil War to
America's declared entry into World War I in 1917. Here are true-life stories of individual ships,
detached units, and special squadrons; as well as the new navy's response to the Turkish Crisis
(1889-1895) and the evacuation of thousands of refugees, American tourists, Armenians, Jews,
and Italians after Italy entered WW I on the side of the Allies. Scholarly, attentive to detail, yet
thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, American Sea Power in the Old World is
highly recommended and a welcome contribution to public and college library collections.
Organized Labor and the Black Worker, 1619-1981
Philip S. Foner
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
www.haymarketbooks.org
9781608467877, $22.00, PB, 520pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The late Philip S. Foner (1910-1994) was an American historian and professor who
taught and lectured all over the world. He wrote and edited more than a hundred books, including
the ten-volume "History of the Labor Movement in the United States" and "The Black Panthers
Speak". In the pages of "Organized Labor and the Black Worker, 1619-1981", Professor Foner
deftly traces the radical history of Black workers' contribution to the American labor movement.
Now brought back into print for the benefit of a new generation of readers, "Organized Labor and
the Black Worker, 1619-1981" is an extraordinary and comprehensive history that should be a
part of every community, college, and university library American Labor History collection in
general, and Black Studies reading lists in particular.
The Great Water
Matthew R. Thick, editor
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611862676, $26.95, PB, 298pp, www.amazon.com
Michigan's location among the Great Lakes has positioned it at the crossroads of many worlds.
Its first hunters arrived ten thousand years ago, its first farmers arrived about six thousand years
after that, and three hundred years ago the French expanded into the territory. "The Great Water:
A Documentary History of Michigan" by Matthew R. Thick (who is a Lecturer for the
Department of History at the University of Michigan - Flint and an Adjunct History Instructor at
Delta College and Lansing Community College) is a small sample of the words of Michigan's
people as presented in a collection of stories, letters, diary entries, news reports, and other
documents that give personal insights into important aspects of Michigan's history. Designed to
provoke thought and discussion about Michigan's past, the documents in this reader are
expressions of past ideas, markers of change, and windows into the lives of the people who lived
during well-known events in Michigan history. An impressively informative work of original
scholarship, "The Great Water" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to
community, college, and university library Michigan History collections and supplemental
studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Great Water" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.95).
Presidents Who Shaped the American West
Glenda Riley and Richard W. Etulain
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806159072 $24.95 pbk / $23.70 Kindle amazon.com
Historians Glenda Riley and Richard Etulain present Presidents Who Shaped the American West,
a historical study of how American presidents directly affected the development of the nation's
Western frontier. Each chapter includes a brief biography of an influential president, the political
context of their time in office, and their actions and policies that directly impacted the region,
from Abraham Lincoln's Homestead Act to Theodore Roosevelt's conservation efforts to Franklin
Roosevelt's New Deal and much more. Expertly researched, analytically presented, yet
thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Presidents Who Shaped the American West
is highly recommended especially for public and college library American History
collections.
Chicago Flashback
Chicago Tribune Staff
Agate Midway
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572842359, $35.00, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com
The devoted journalists at the Chicago Tribune have been reporting the city's news for 170 years.
As a result, the paper has amassed an inimitable, as-it-happened history of its hometown, a city
first incorporated in 1837 that rapidly grew to become the third-largest city in the United States.
Since 2011, the Chicago Tribune has been mining its vast archive of photos and stories for its
weekly feature Chicago Flashback, which deals with the significant people and events that have
shaped the city's history and culture from the paper's founding in 1847 to the present day. Now
the editors of the Tribune have carefully collected the best, most interesting Chicago Flashback
features into a single coffee-table volume. Each individual story is accompanied by at least one
black-and-white image from the paper's fabled photo vault located deep below Michigan
Avenue's famed Tribune Tower. Chicago Flashback offers readers a unique perspective on the
city's long and colorful history. An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Chicago
Flashback" would well serve as a template for similar newspaper based city histories. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and academic library American
History and Journalism collections in general, and Chicago History supplemental studies lists 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 "Chicago Flashback' is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $19.25).
Lone Star Books/TwoDot/Globe Pequot
www.globepequot.com
Two fine history books are recommended picks for history collections. Howard Kazanjian and
Chris Enss' The Trials of Annie Oakley (9781493017461, $24.95) provides a biographical
coverage that focuses on the feisty independent woman who advanced the image of women in
American history both through her performances in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show and in
her advocacy efforts. The latter - which included advocating for the US military and fighting for
orphans - may be lesser-known episodes in her life, but here they are brought to the forefront in
an account that reads with the lively immediacy of fiction but gathers a range of facts about
Oakley's performances and life. Bill Groneman's Eyewitness to the Alamo (9781493028429,
$18.95) gathers over a hundred descriptions of the Battle of the Alamo by those who were
eyewitnesses, and traces the legends, realities and events of one of the most famous battles in
American history. Discussions comment on reviews of the Alamo's struggles and add the social
and political background necessary to place these events in proper historical perspective. Both
are recommended picks for any American history holding.
TwoDot/Globe Pequot
www.globepequot.com
Sherry Monahan with Jane Perkins' The Golden Elixir of the West: Whiskey and the Shaping of
America (9781493028498, $24.95) could have been featured in our Food and Wine section, but
is reviewed here for its larger and central theme on the shaping of the West and how liquor -
whiskey, in particular - played a big role in that history. From the evolution of the saloon
business in the booming West to how California merchants became big whiskey shippers and
how opulence developed in places whiskey was consumed, this provides a lively and
thought-provoking story of the history of booze in the west. Sherry Monahan's Tinsel,
Tumbleweeds, and Star-Spangled Celebrations: Holidays on the Western Frontier from New
Year's to Christmas (9781493018024, $24.95) provides a lively history of holidays on the
Western frontier and covers everything from traditions surrounding gifts and events to songs,
poems, decorations and food and drink recipes. These come from firsthand stories of parties and
events culled from journals, memorabilia, and newspaper reports, and covers the six major yearly
holidays from New Year's and Easter to Christmas and home-cooked to restaurant fare. Few
books provide such an inviting approach as this; especially given the wealth of vintage
illustrations throughout. Charlie Seemann's Way Out West: Photographs from the Farm Security
Administration 1936-1943 (9781493027279, $24.95) provides a lively history of the American
ranch in the West, and is a 'must' for any Western Americana collection. While vintage black and
white images are the backbone of this discussion, equally powerful and hard-hitting are surveys
of dude ranches, individuals in the Farm Security Administration, bunkhouses and automobiles,
and more. These are all top recommendations for any holding strong in Western Americana and
American history.
The World History Shelf
The History of Modern Spain
Adrian Shubert & Jose Alvarez Junco, editors
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472591982, $108.00, 504pp, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Adrian Shubert (Professor of History at York
University, Toronto, Canada) and Jose Alvarez Junco (Professor of History at the Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Spain), "The History of Modern Spain: Chronologies, Themes,
Individuals" is a comprehensive examination of Spain's history from the beginning of the 19th
century to the present day. Bringing together an impressive group of leading figures and
emerging scholars in the field from the UK, Canada, the United States, Spain and other European
countries, "The History of Modern Spain" combines a strong and clear political narrative with
chapters exploring a wide range of thematic topics, such as gender, family and sexuality, nations
and nationalism, empire, environment, religion, migrations and Spain in world history. "The
History of Modern Spain" also includes a series of biographical sketches of influential Spaniards
from intellectual, cultural, economic and political spheres which provides an interesting,
alternative way into understanding the last 220 years of Spanish history. Enhanced for academia
with the inclusion of a glossary, a chronology and a further reading list, "The History of Modern
Spain" should be considered essential reading for all students of the modern history of Spain.
While unreservedly recommended for both community, college, and university library
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The History of Modern Spain" is also available in a
paperback edition (9781472591975, $36.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.65).
Atlas of Empires
Peter Davidson
CompanionHouse Books
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781620082874, $19.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
In Peter Davidson is a freelance writer and has been, among other things, a restorer of antiquities
from around the world, a writer and director of documentaries on World War II and related
subjects for the History Channel, and a tutor on the Politics, Philosophy and History degree at
Birkbeck College, University of London. In "Atlas of Empires: The World's Great Powers from
Ancient Times to Today", Davidson tells the story of how and why the great empires of history
came into being, operated and ultimately declined, and discusses the future of the empire in
today's globalized world. Featuring 60 beautiful and detailed maps of the empires' territories at
different stages of their existence and organized thematically to reflect the different driving
forces behind empires throughout history (such as faith, nomadic culture, nationhood and
capitalism), each individual section discusses the rise and fall of the empires that existed in a
region: their government and society, wealth and technology, war and military force, and
religious beliefs. From the earliest empires of the Sumerians and the Pharaohs to the modern
empires of the USSR and the European Union, "Atlas of Empires" is a compelling story that
reveals how empires are created and organized, how later empires resolve the problems of
governance faced by earlier empires, and how the political and cultural legacies of ancient
empires are still felt today. On a par with the late English historian Edward Gibbon's "The Rise
and Fall of the Roman Empire", Davidson's "Atlas of Empires" is especially recommended for
the personal reading lists of dedicated history buffs, and should be considered an essential and
core addition to both community and academic library World History collections and
supplemental studies lists.
God's City: Byzantine Constantinople
Nic Fields
Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473895089, $39.95, HC, 296pp, www.amazon.com
Scholars and historians have long debated whether Byzantium was a Greek or Roman city,
familiar or hybrid, barbaric or civilized, Oriental or Western? In the late eleventh century
Constantinople was the largest and wealthiest city in Christendom, the seat of the Byzantine
emperor, Christ's vice-regent on earth, and the center of a predominately Christian empire,
steeped in Greek cultural and artistic influences, yet founded and maintained by a Roman legal
and administrative system. Despite the amalgam of Greek and Roman influences, however, its
language and culture was definitely Greek. Constantinople truly was the capital of the Roman
empire in the East, and from its founding under the first Constantinus to its fall under the
eleventh and last Constantinus the inhabitants always called themselves Romaioi, Romans, not
Hellenikes, Greeks. Over its millennium long history the empire and its capital experienced many
vicissitudes that included several periods of waxing and waning and more than one 'golden age'.
Its political will to survive is still eloquently proclaimed in the monumental double land walls of
Constantinople, the greatest city fortifications ever built, on which the forces of 'barbarism'
dashed themselves for a thousand years. Indeed, Byzantium was one of the longest lasting social
organizations in history. Very much part of this success story was the legendary Varangian
Guard, the elite body of axe-bearing Northmen sworn to remain loyal to the true Christian
emperor of the Romans. There was no hope for an empire that had lost the will to prosecute the
grand and awful business of adventure. The Byzantine empire was certainly not of that stamp.
Exceptional historical scholarship at its very best, "God's City: Byzantine Constantinople" by Nic
Fields (a freelance author and researcher based in southwest France, specializing in ancient
military history) is impressively informative and expertly written, organized and presented.
While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library World History
collections in general, and Byzantium History supplemental studies lists in particular, it should
be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "God's City: Byzantine Constantinople" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $23.97).
The Cinderella Campaign
Mark Zuehlke
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771620895 $37.95 amazon.com
The twelfth installment of the Canadian Battle Series, The Cinderella Campaign: First Canadian
Army and the Battles for the Channel Ports is an in-depth study of how the First Canadian Army
(a.k.a. the "Cinderella Army"), assigned to the left flank of the Allied advance toward German
near the close of World War II, undertook the arduous task of opening the Channel ports from Le
Havre to Ostend in Belgium. They battled fierce German resistance on the way to the ports, and
confronted entrenched fortresses upon arrival. This "Cinderella Campaign", waged with scant
supplies, was pivotal to ending the war before Christmas. Extensive notes, a bibliography, and an
index round out this detailed yet accessible chronicle, highly recommended especially for college
and public library military history shelves.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Bear: Myth, Animal, Icon
Wolf D. Storl
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623171636, $21.95, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Since the beginning of human history, bears have been regarded as animals of great power.
Ethnobotanist and cultural anthropologist Wolf Storl has spent years in the wilderness with bears,
and in "Bear: Myth, Animal, Icon" draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to
explore the fascinating relationship between bears and humans, including the history, mythology,
healing lore, and biology of this formidable creature. Storl takes the reader from the bear caves of
the Neanderthals to the bear-worshipping Siberian tribes of today, from the extinct cave bear to
the modern teddy bear. Bears were traditionally seen as a kind of "forest human" under whose
shaggy fur a king or a god was hidden, he explains. Vividly illustrating the power of myths and
fairy tales to reveal more than scientific treatises about the true nature of beings (especially in the
case of bears) Storl restores this magnificent animal to its rightful place at the forefront of the
human imagination as well as among the dwellers of the forest. An inherently fascinating and
impressively informative study, "Bear: Myth, Animal, Icon" is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to both community and academic library Pets/Wildlife collections in
general, and Ursine Studies supplemental reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest the subject
that "Bear: Myth, Animal, Icon" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Dog Tales
Andrea Hayes
Gill Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9780717179480, $30.00, HC, 326pp, www.amazon.com
"Dog Tales: Heart-warming Tales of Rescue Dogs who Rescued Their Owners Right Back" by
Andrea Hayes is comprised of thirteen heart-warming stories of dogs that have been given a
second chance at happiness, and of the dedicated owners who found a place in their hearts and
homes for the abandoned and often traumatized animals. Filled with touching stories of love, loss
and transformation, these dog tales will uplift the reader's soul, as they laugh, cry and fall in love
with these amazing animals who often rescue their new owners right back. Inspired and inspiring,
"Dog Tales" is an absolute 'must read' for anyone who has cherished a canine companion of their
own. While unreservedly recommended for community library Pets/Wildlife collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dog Tales" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Needlecraft Shelf
Oh, Scrap!
Lissa Alexander
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604688948, $27.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
"Oh, Scrap!: Fabulous Quilts That Make the Most of Your Stash" by needlecraft expert Lissa
Alexander will be of special interest and value for anyone wanting to be a scrap quilter and take
advantage of their inevitable collection of leftover scraps from previous quilting projects. Lissa
Alexander has spent three decades honing her scrap-quilting talents, and in this, her debut
quilting book, she draws upon her experience and expertise to offer page after page of practical
tips for making dazzling scrap quilts saturated with color, print, and texture. Aspiring quilters
will learn how to make insightful decisions about which fabric combinations work (and
understand why others don't). Best of all, discover how to (finally!) use their unique stash to
make scrap quilts that will uniquely stand out and serve both practical and ornamental purposes.
Of special note is the inclusion of a preface by renowned quilt historian Barbara Brackman.
While unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Needlecraft instructional
reference collections, it should be noted that "Oh Scrap!" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99).
The Cookbook Shelf
Mildreds Vegan Cookbook
Daniel Acevedo & Sarah Wasserman
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784723736, $29.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Veganism is both the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet,
and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. Bursting with clever
ideas for feasts with family and friends, as well as for delicious, simple everyday meals,
"Mildreds Vegan Cookbook" is comprised of punchy flavored, satisfying dishes with a dash of
urban cool and a refreshing take on the conventional stereotype of vegan food. Beautifully
illustrated throughout with mouthwatering full color photography, the vegan dishes themselves
range from Pan-Fried Girolles with Vegan Hollandaise; Butternut Squash and Pistachio Borek;
Brazilian Black Bean Soup with Raw Corn Salsa; and Malaysian Red Curry with Toasted
Macadamia Nuts and Mango; to Grilled Courgettes with Almond and Pine Nut Pesto; Roast
Pumpkin with Savoury Sages and Pumpkin Seed Granola; Smoked Chilli Jam; and Bourbon
Barbecue Sauce. Inspiring to plan menus with and a thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' experience
to prepare and service for any and all dining occasions, "Mildreds Vegan Cookbook" is
unreservedly recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal,
family, and community library Vegan/Vegetarian cookbook collections.
Retro Recipes from the '50s and '60s
Addie Gundry
St. Martin's Griffin
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250146328, $19.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
A beautifully and profusely illustrated compendium of truly nostalgic recipes, "Retro Recipes
from the '50s and '60s: 103 Vintage Appetizers, Dinners, and Drinks Everyone Will Love"
compiled and presented by Addie Gundry serves up 'yesteryear' recipes associated with the rise of
a post-World War II home entertainment culture made for prettier, more complex food. With
French influence from Julia Child, and elegant aspirational figures like Jacqueline Kennedy,
suburban dinner parties went glamourous, including the emergence of backyard barbecues,
fondues gathering everyone around a table, and cocktail parties. With each recipe being paired
with a full-color, full-bleed finished dish photo, the 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes range from
Three Cheese Souffles; Old-Fashioned Potato Salad; Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole; and
Turkey Tetrazzini; to Classic Corn Pudding; Beef Wellington; Hot Milk Cake; and a Vodka
Gimlet. A pleasure to browse through and inspiring to plan menus with, "Retro Recipes from the
'50s and '60s: 103 Vintage Appetizers, Dinners, and Drinks Everyone Will Love" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and an especially recommended addition to
family and community library cookbook collections.
Breakfast Is Served
Laura Ascari & Elisa Paganelli
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784723378, $14.99, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
While acknowledged to be 'the most important meal of the day', all too often the breakfast menu
is a traditionally restricted one. Now anyone tired of the usual breakfast fare can forget such
attempts at variety as poached eggs and avocado on toast, because they will find "Breakfast is
Served" is cookbook that will inspire even the most novice of kitchen cooks with new breakfast
and brunch recipes drawn from around the world. From Canada for Pumpkin Pie and Ecuador for
Bolon de Verde, to Lebanon for Labneh and Germany for Pumpernickel, these thoroughly 'user
friendly' recipes take inspiration from the four corners of the globe to make sure that weekend
breakfasts and brunches are no longer stereotyped and repetitive dishes. Aspiring cooks will learn
how to make the perfect Pain au Chocolat, delight friends with colorful doughnuts, or indulge in
comforting Miso Soup. From a sociable brunch with friends, to the ultimate hangover cure, to
meals that fill you up all day, to indulgent sweet treats, there's a recipe in the pages of "Breakfast
Is Served" for every morning occasion. While highly and unreservedly recommended for family
and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Breakfast Is Served" is also
available for personal cookbook reference lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
The Dirty Vegan Cookbook
Catherine Gill
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578267125, $20.00, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
A writer, blogger, and holistic vegan chef who specializes in natural and health foods, Cath4erine
Gill's draws upon her experience and expertise in "The Dirty Vegan Cookbook: Your Favorite
Recipes Made Vegan" lets even the most novice of kitchen cooks to prepare delicious vegan
cuisine that anyone and everyone can enjoy, and showcases the sheer variety of amazing recipes
you can create, all while remaining vegan. Providing healthy, vegan alternatives to the sorts of
delicious comfort foods that everyone craves, "The Dirty Vegan Cookbook" makes it easier than
ever to live the vegan lifestyle, featuring delicious recipes that use common ingredients available
in any grocery store. Features over 100 rich, indulgent recipes ranging from Vegan Ravioli
Dippers; Avocado and "Bacon" Cheesy Cheddar Bread Ring; and S'mores Pancakes; to "Steak"
Tips and Sweet Potatoes; Italian Wedding Soup; and Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
Blossoms, "The Dirty Vegan Cookbook" is a compendium of more than one hundred palate
pleasing, appetite satisfying, easy to prepare dishes that will be enjoyed by vegans and
non-vegans alike! Beautifully illustrated throughout, "The Dirty Vegan Cookbook" is
unreservedly recommended for personal, family, and community library collections. It should be
noted that "The Dirty Vegan Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Vegan for One
Ellen Jaffe Jones with Beverly Lynn Bennett
http://vegcoach.com
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
www.BookPubCo.com
9781570673511, $17.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Nicely illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Vegan for One:
Hot Tips and Inspired Recipes for Cooking Solo" showcases essential strategies for the single
vegan cook, including how to set up a kitchen for one, plan exciting meals and menus, shop for
fresh produce, choose the right tools and equipment, trim prep time, and save money. Both
neophytes and experienced cooks will benefit from the valuable tips for extending the shelf life
of produce, determining which canned goods and packaged items to buy, and transforming
leftovers into appetizing meals. Cooking solo doesn't mean cutting corners when it comes to
flavor and satisfaction. With more than 100 eye-appealing, innovative recipes perfectly portioned
for singles, "Vegan for One" proves that cooking and eating alone can be both pleasurable and
gratifying with dishes ranging from Sweet Cinnamon Baked Tortilla Chips; Taco Salad;
Portobello Mushroom Burgers; and Indian-Style Millet; to Tuscan Tempeh with Onion and Bell
Pepper; Nut Butter Cookies; Tropical Chia Pudding Parfait; and Fruit Galette for One. "Vegan
for One" will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to personal and
community library vegan cookbook collections.
Fertility Foods
Elizabeth Shaw & Chef Sara Haas
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578267033, $20.00, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Elizabeth Shaw is a nutrition expert, adjunct professor of nutrition and owner of a nutrition
communications consulting business. With "Fertility Foods" she teams up with Chef Sara Hass, a
food and nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts, to create an impressive
compendium of more than 100 recipes for dishes that are unfailingly palate pleasing, appetite
satisfying, and conducive to enhancing and fortifying fertility. Profusely and beautifully
illustrated throughout, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Ricotta, Fruit
and Nut Toast with Honey; Fast Veggie and Hummus Sandwich; 3-Cheese Baked Penne Lasagna
with Fresh Arugula Salad; and French Lentil Salad with Spinach and Feta; to Protein Packed
Freezer Burritos; Sauteed Mushrooms with Thyme and Bulur; Rustic Apple Galette; and
Berrylicious Fruit Crumble. Of special note are the four appendices: Dietary Reference Intake;
Building a health Kitchen - The Staples; Cooking Techniques and Terms; Food Safety
Recommendations. A unique and unreservedly recommended addition to family and community
library cookbook collections, it should be noted to couples dealing with fertility issues that the
"Fertility Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Super Fast Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook
Heather Rodino & Ella Sanders
Castle Point Book
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250149237, $19.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Ideal for the time-stressed kitchen cook and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Super Fast Instant
Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 100 Easy Recipes for Every Multi-Cooker" is the collaborative
work of editor, writer and food lover Heather Rodino and comfort food enthusiast Ella Sanders.
Specifically designed to be prepared with a multi-cooker and on the dinner table in 60 minutes or
less, the thoroughly kitchen cook friendly recipes range from Kielbasa Potato Soup; Hearty Beef
and Bean Chili; Mediterranean Chicken with Olives; and Sirloin Tips in Mushroom and Onion
Gravy; to Moo Shu Pork; Creamy Mashed Butternut Squash; Maple-Glazed Carrots; and Dark
Chocolate Pudding. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), the "Super Fast
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition
to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.
Delights from the Garden of Eden
Nawal Nasrallah
Equinox Publishing
https://www.equinoxpub.com
9781781794579, $45.00, 440pp, www.amazon.com
Beautifully illustrated throughout, and displaying the diversity of Iraqi traditional culinary
practices and cuisine, "Delights from the Garden of Eden" showcases 300 original and authentic
Iraqi recipes that are tested, easy to follow, and covers all food categories. Ingredients and
cooking techniques indigenous to the region are fully explained, with practical ways for making
them in the convenience of a modern kitchens, such as baking the Iraqi flat tannour bread and
sammoun, and grilling fish masgouf way. "Delights from the Garden of Eden" uniquely traces the
genesis and development of the Iraqi cuisine over the centuries, starting with the ancient
Mesopotamians, through medieval times and leading to the present, aided throughout by the
author's intimate native knowledge of cookery. Of particular interest is the inclusion of numerous
food-related folkloric stories, reminiscences, anecdotes, songs, poems, excerpts from narratives
written by foreign visitors to the region, and cultural explications of customs, all interwoven with
the recipes. "Delights from the Garden of Eden" features a comprehensive glossary that will help
familiarize American kitchen cooks with the indigenous ingredients used in creating authentic
Iraqi meals, with substitutes suggested without compromising taste or tradition. "Delights from
the Garden of Eden" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, family,
professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.
The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Tarek Malouf
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781845978310, $27.95, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Deciding to open the first Hummingbird Bakery in 2004 in London's Notting Hill, Tarek Malouf
now draws upon his experience and expertise to produce "The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook",
a culinary compendium that allows anyone to step produce in their own family kitchens such
culinary delights as the Hummingbird Baker trademark butter cream swirls, sprinkles, and
layer-cake slices. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, this superbly organized and
presented cookbooks offers the recipes for creating Hummingbird's Vanilla Cupcake topped with
candy-colored butter cream frosting and scattered with sprinkles; Red Velvet Cupcakes; Carrot
Cupcakes; Lemon Meringue Pies; Pecan Pies; Rocky Road Brownies: Muesli Bars; and a big,
chewy cookie studded with chocolate chunks. A do-it-yourself cookbook compendium of 50
simple recipes of palate pleasing, sweet-tooth satisfying treats, "The Hummingbird Bakery
Cookbook" is wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family,
and community library cookbook collections.
Twodot Books/Globe Pequot
www.globepequot.com
Gail L. Jenner's Sourdough Biscuits and Pioneer Pies: The Old West Baking Book
(9781493029709, $24.00) covers Dutch oven and outdoor cooking methods for producing cakes,
breads, pies, cookies, waffles and more, and blends old-fashioned recipes from early cookbooks
with historic discussions that range from how the introduction of new technology, such as
leavening, produced new opportunities to cooks that modified tastes and cooking techniques
alike to how these recipes from different pioneer families reflected collections and approaches
that made the most of ingredients at hand and less than modern conditions. From Bernice's
Brown Bread, made with graham flour, chopped fruits and nuts, molasses and buttermilk to the
story of Crisco, this blend of culinary history and recipes is not to be missed by any cook who
looks for more than recipes alone. Sherry Monahan & Nancy Plain edit the Western Writers of
America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom (9781493024940,
$19.95), a survey that pairs over a hundred recipes with anecdotes and stories from a range of
popular American writers, providing lively discourses that include ingredients that might not
normally be in a supermarket (i.e. "1 adult but young opossum, killed in the depth of winter").
The result is a fun and delicious history that will interest anyone who delights in culinary affairs
and American history.
The Travel Shelf
Secret Montreal: An Unusual Guide, third edition
Philippe Renault
Jonglez Publishing
http://www.jonglezpublishing.com
9782361951870, $19.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Philippe Renault, based in Montreal since 2006, has taken every opportunity to delve into the
complexities of his adopted city, for both work and pleasure. Given his dedication to architecture
and history, he was instantly seduced by the concept of a "Secret Montreal" guide. For several
years he has sought out easily accessible features that few people know about including little
museums, hidden gardens, overlooked buildings, enigmatic statues, and more. Now in a fully
updated and expanded third edition, "Secret Montreal: An Unusual Guide" continues to be a
premier resource for planning sightseeing trip itineraries for anyone seeking a truly memorable
visit to Montreal, Canada. Profusely illustrated, impressively informative, exceptionally well
organized and presented, thoroughly 'user friendly' and easily portable, "Secret Montreal: An
Unusual Guide" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library
Travel Guide collections.
Women's London
Rachel Kolsky
Lifestyle Books
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781504800822, $19.99, PB, 260pp, www.amazon.com
London Blue Badge Guide Rachel Kolsky runs Go London Tours. Her wide range of walks and
visits specializes in exploring Jewish heritage, discovering women's history, and uncovering the
human stories behind London's buildings. In the pages of "Women's London: A Tour Guide to
Great Lives" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to produce a thoroughly 'user
friendly' and informative guidebook that celebrates to the women pioneers, suffragettes and
scientists who helped to shape London down through the centuries to the present day. Profusely
illustrated, expertly organized and presented, an inherently fascinating and informative reade
from cover to cover, "Women's London" is an ideal reference and resource for planning
sightseeing trips and tours of the great city of London with a unique and special reference to the
role women have played in its formation.
The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf
Wild Wine Making
Richard W. Bender
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612127897, $19.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Boutique wine making for personal consumption and celebrations with friends has grown in
popularity throughout the United States. Making wine at home just got more fun, and easier, with
Richard Bender's "Wild Wine Making: Easy & Adventurous Recipes Going Beyond Grapes", a
compendium of wine making experiments with a variety of ingredients ranging from Apple
Champagne, Ginger - Green Tea Sake, Key Lime - Cayenne Wine, and 142 more non-grape
sources. Whether new to wine making or a seasoned pro at it, "Wild Wine Making" will find this
innovative and thoroughly 'user friendly' manual fully accessible and immense practical, thanks
to its focus on small batches that require minimal equipment and use an unexpected range of
readily available fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. The ingredient list is irresistibly curious
and features such unusual alcoholic beverages as banana wine, dark chocolate peach, plum
champagne, sweet potato sake, Thai dragon, and even cannabis rhubarb wines! A unique,
unusual, inspiring, "Wild Wine Making: Easy & Adventurous Recipes Going Beyond Grapes"
will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to personal and community
library collections. It should be noted that "Wild Winemaking: Easy & Adventurous Recipes
Going Beyond Grapes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Japanese Whisky
Brian Ashcraft, Idzuhiko Ueda, Yuji Kawasaki
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805314098, $19.99, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
A unique and specialized study, "Japanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most
Desirable Spirit with Tasting Notes from Japan's Leading Whisky Blogger" features
extraordinary archival images and informative interviews deftly chronicling the forgotten stories
of Japan's pioneering whisky makers. "Japanese Whisky" reveals the unique materials and
methods used by the Japanese distillers including mizunara wood, Japanese barley, and novel
only-in-Japan production methods. It also examines the close cultural connections between
Japanese whisky drinkers and their favorite tipples. For the first time in English, "Japanese
Whisky" presents over a hundred independently scored whisky tastings from leading Japanese
whisky blogger, with contributor Yuji Kawasaki shedding new light on Japan's most famous
single malts as well as grain whiskies and blends. Japan expert Brian Ashcraft and photographer
Idzuhiko Ueda crisscrossed Japan visiting all the major makers to talk about past and present
whisky distillers, blenders and coopers. This unique Japanese whisky 'bible' features their
exclusive interviews with the people involved in the early beginnings of the Japanese whisky
industry over seventy years ago. "Japanese Whisky" not only explains how the country's
award-winning whiskies are made but also the complete whisky history and culture, so readers
can truly appreciate the subtle Japanese whiskies they're drinking and buying. Beautifully
illustrated throughout, "Japanese Whisky" is an inherently fascinating read and very highly
recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated whiskey fans and Japanese popular culture buffs that
"Japanese Whisky" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
The Sports Shelf
No Other Home
Matt Besler
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781449479770, $19.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler has achieved something extraordinary in the least
extraordinary way. At every level of his athletic career, Besler has heard the same questions and
initial dismissal of his talent. Even as he made his slow, steady progression into the
consciousness of his coaches, opponents, and fans, then onto the national and world soccer stage,
he heard it still. How does a normal guy like Matt Besler end up playing in the World Cup, one
of the most exclusive competitions in international sports? In the pages of "No Other Home:
Living, Leading, and Learning What Matters Most", he offers an honest, first-person perspective
into exactly what it takes to reach the highest levels of the sporting world. Matt shares his stories
ranging from growing up in a loving but fiercely competitive family, to climbing through the
ranks of high school, club, and college athletics, to dealing with injuries and professional
setbacks, and even to his own rather extraordinary experience of becoming a father. The poignant
lessons he's learned so far hold value for soccer fans and non-fans alike. "No Other Home" is a
book to be shared among family members, young and old. And for parents looking for positive
influences in professional athletics, they will find no better role model than Matt, for example, a
portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the nonprofit charity, the
Besler Family Foundation. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community
and academic library Sports/Athletics and Contemporary American Biography collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "No Other Home" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Gardening Shelf
Beginner's Garden
Alex Mitchell
IMM Lifestyle Books
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781504800983, $16.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Aimed at complete beginners, "Beginner's Garden: A Practical Guide to Growing Vegetables &
Fruit without Getting Your Hands Too Dirty" by journalist, author and dedicated gardener Alex
Mitchell, deftly de-mystifies the gardening process with sound practical and seasonal advice, lots
of hints and tips for successful growing, delicious recipes, and fun weekend projects to help you
make the most of your outdoor area, however small. A completely new kind of gardening book,
"Beginner's Garden" is especially ideal for first-timers who have busy working lives but still want
to grow their own produce -- without spending all weekend digging! Profusely illustrated and
thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Beginner's Garden" will prove to be
an enormously popular and appreciated addition to personal and community library Gardening &
Horticulture instructional reference collections.
Landscaping Ideas That Work
Julie Moir Messervy
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781600857805, $21.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Julie Moir Messervy's vision for composing landscape of beauty and meaning is furthering the
evolution of landscape design and changing the way people create and enjoy their outdoor
surroundings. In the profusely illustrated pages of "Landscaping Ideas that Work" she draws
upon her more than 30 years of experience and expertise to provide DIY homeowners the most
comprehensive resource of inspired design ideas and practical solutions for all landscaping and
outdoor living spaces. With practical design advice as well as over 350 innovative ideas and
photographs, "Landscaping Ideas That Work" is the only sourcebook ever needed for smart
design, buying, and installation decisions for your outdoor digs, showing how to fully design a
landscape as well as create: Spaces that work; Open air rooms; Fences, walls, and hedges; Paths
and walkways; Plantings; Details in the landscape. In to being a thoroughly 'user friendly' and
practical guide to landscaping materials and design considerations, "Landscaping Ideas That
Work" also includes a number of practical tips for working with professionals. While very highly
recommended for personal and community library Gardening & Landscaping instructional
reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Landscaping Ideas That
Work" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.79).
The Woodworking Shelf
Traditional Wooden Handplanes
Scott Wynn
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781565238879, $19.99, PB, 204pp, www.amazon.com
A fourth generation craftsman, Scott Wynn brings a lifetime of involvement in craft, art, and
design to his work. He has a broad base of hands-on experience as a carpenter, cabinetmaker,
woodcarver, luthier, building contractor, and architectural designer. Scott has maintained a
professional shop providing furniture, cabinetry, and woodcarving since 1976. In the profusely
illustrated pages of "Traditional Wooden Handplanes" he draws upon his years of experience and
expertise to provide the non-specialist general reader and aspiring woodworker with an essential
reference for hand tool enthusiasts. In "Traditional Wooden Handplanes " he also: Explains how
to restore, make, modify & use traditional wood handplanes; Provides step by step instructions
for making a set of 6 types of this style of plane; Teaches how traditional wood planes work;
Shows how to set up a flea market find; Instructs on how to tune up a new plane to get the best
performance. Novice woodworkers will learn about the different types and how to use them to
their best advantage; which blades angles are best, which blade steel you might want to use, and
finally, how to make your own set of planes using some modern techniques that simplify
construction and improve performance. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented,
"Traditional Wooden Handplanes" is the ideal instruction guide and manual and unreservedly
recommended for personal, highschool woodshop, and community library Woodworking
instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Built-Ins, Cabinets & Shelves
Fine Homebuilding Editors
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631869129, $24.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Every homeowner always seems to need more storage whether for household items and
kitchenwares, books and other media, or just plain stuff. That's why built-ins and cabinets are so
popular among do-it-yourself home carpenters and amateur woodworkers, whether the project is
a simple shelved built-in or a high-style cabinet. Although building a basic box is fairly easy,
constructing one that will hold a heavy load and has style takes some design savvy. The team
effort of the editorial staff of 'Fine Homebuilding' magazine, "Built-Ins, Cabinets & Shelves" is a
collection of 25 articles from 'Fine Homebuilding' and 'Fine Woodworking', in which America's
most accomplished carpenters and woodworkers contribute their advice on building sturdy
cabinets, built-ins, and bookcases. Profusely illustrated with thoroughly 'user friendly'
step-by-step instructions, "Built-Ins, Cabinets & Shelves" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, highschool woodshop, and community library
Woodworking instructional reference collections.
The Gaming Shelf
Demystifying Defense
Patrick O'Connor
Master Point Press
205-214 Merton Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4S 1A6
9781771400411, $16.95, PB, 140pp, www.masterpointpress.com
With the publication of A First Book of Bridge Problems" and "A Second Book of Bridge
Problems", and winner of the American Bridge Teachers Association Book of the Year award in
2012, Patrick O'Connor has clearly established himself as a leading author for beginning players.
Now in "Demystifying Defense" the addresses the hardest aspect of card play in Bridge: defense.
After carefully explaining the basic concepts, O'Connor takes the reader through forty illustrative
problems, using an over the shoulder style, and explaining every play as it is made. Beginners
typically have more trouble with defense than any other part of the game, and "Demystifying
Defense" will go a long way towards removing their unease. Exceptionally well written,
organized and presented, "Demystifying Defense" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, community, academic, and senior center library Bridge
instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Coloring Book Shelf
Look for Rainbows: Coloring Quote Journal
Samantha Snyder
AKA Associates
www.akabooks.com
9780998832258, $9.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com
The fifteenth and newest title in Samantha Snyder's outstanding 'Doodle Art Alley Books' series
of adult coloring books, "Look for Rainbows" is a 52-week coloring journal that shares more
than 75 beautiful doodle designs of quotes, sayings, and seasonal images. Included are
inspirational quotes from famous authors include Louisa May Alcott, George Eliot, William
Shakespeare, Henry David Thoreau, Oscar Wilde, and more. There are also numerous sayings
drawn from Believe in Your Dreams, Count Your Blessings, and Laugh Often to Stand a Little
Taller, Take Time to Listen, and Wish Others a Great Day. Also featured are dozens of beautiful
doodle designs and seasonal themes ranging from dream catchers, hearts, and flowers, to
rainbows, stars, and waves. This coloring journal has more than 100 lined pages organized so
that you begin and finish each and every week of the month and year with plenty of enjoyment,
inspiration, and relaxation. Offering hours and hours of quite, contemplative, Journaling
opportunities, "Look for Rainbows: Coloring Quote Journal" is especially and unreservedly
recommended.
The Education Shelf
Literacy Essentials
Regie Routman
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625310378, $54.67, PB, 482pp, www.amazon.com
Regie Routman is a mentor teacher, coach, and author who works side-by-side with teachers and
principals in diverse schools and districts. She is dedicated to increasing and sustaining reading
and writing achievement across the curriculum for all learners. She draws upon her years of
experience and expertise in "Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence and Equity for All
Learners" to address a fundamental question: How do we ensure that all students are engaged
each day in meaningful, challenging, and joyful work and have equal opportunity to learn?.
Routman's response is that such an outcome is only possible within a culture of empowerment in
which all students and teachers feel encouraged and supported to let their voices be heard,
explore their passions and interests, develop deep knowledge, and become their fullest and truest
selves. Based on her ongoing teaching, leading, and coaching in diverse schools and districts,
Regie offers K-12 teachers and leaders practical, easy-to-implement tools to help students
develop as self-determining readers, writers, and learners including: Take Action sections with
specific suggestions for authentically teaching, assessing, and learning; Extensive research that is
easily accessible and actionable; Personal stories that connect to literacy teaching and learning;
Rich online resources including a comprehensive lesson plan, an easy-to-use study guide,
downloadable Appendices, and more. "Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence and Equity
for All Learners" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal and
unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher
Education instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program: Grades K-1
Joyce VanTassel-Baska & Tamra Stambaugh
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618217240, $39.95, PB, 175pp, www.amazon.com
The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in
high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to
critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted
Education at William & Mary. Students in grades K-1 will learn to comprehend and analyze any
reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades K-1 by Joyce
VanTassel-Baska (Professor Emerita at The College of William and Mary where she founded the
Center for Gifted Education) and Tamra Stambaugh (Assistant Research Professor in Special
Education and Executive Director of Programs for Talented Youth, Vanderbilt University).
Specifically developed for students in grades K 1, "Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension
Program: Grades K" includes stories and ladder tasks carefully selected for young children to
develop oral communication and listening skills in addition to the other ladder goals. This level
provides stories focused on picture analysis, read alouds, classics, and original works. Also very
highly recommended for school district in service teacher training programs, as well as college
and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections, is the companion
title scheduled for release by Prufrock Press in April 2018, "Jacob's Ladder Reading
Comprehension Program: Grades 1-2" (9781618217264, $39.95, PB, 176pp).
Fast and Effective Assessment
Glen Pearsall
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416625339, $31.95, PB, 211pp, www.amazon.com
If teachers dramatically reduced the amount of time they spend reviewing and correcting student
work, would that result in better student learning? That's the question Glen Pearsall ( a teacher at
Eltham High School and a board member of the Curriculum Assessment Authority in Victoria,
Australia), addresses while sharing dozens of classroom-tested strategies that lessen teachers'
workload while increasing students' class participation and improving their understanding in
"Fast and Effective Assessment: How to Reduce Your Workload and Improve Student Learning".
Classroom teachers will learn how to: Refine their classroom questioning techniques to
continually check students' progress and provide instant feedback; Encourage students to
internalize learning goals so they better understand what is expected of them; Use fast, formative
assessment strategies to check and correct during class time; Modify traditional
summative-testing strategies to monitor student progress in a formative way; Speed up the
correction process via student self-proofing, representative sampling, and helpful technology
tools; Engage students in becoming actively involved in assessing their own work. Drawing from
his own experience as a teacher and coach, Pearsall offers a compendium of practical, real-world
advice in the form of techniques that are both effective and sustainable in the everyday
classroom. The result is smarter assessment for both teachers and students. Exceptionally well
organized and effectively presented, "Fast and Effective Assessment" is unreservedly
recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional
reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Vocabulary in a SNAP
Angela B. Peery
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.solution-tree.com
9781945349058, $37.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com
Developing a vocabulary is a core and essential aspect of true literacy. "Vocabulary in a SNAP:
100+ Lessons for Secondary Instruction" by education consultant, author, classroom teacher
Angela B. Peery offers one hundred effective, practical, and fun classroom vocabulary exercises
that take 20 minutes or less. Designed specifically for middle school and high school teachers of
grades 6-12, each mini-lesson can be easily modified to fit a curriculum and students' needs.
"Vocabulary in a SNAP " is a reliable resource for refining classroom instruction and strengthen
students' vocabulary, their interest in reading, and their likelihood of success in the 21st century.
"Vocabulary in a SNAP" shows how to increase vocabulary for high school and middle school
students by: Exploring more than 100 short, memorable mini-lessons for teaching vocabulary
that can be adapted to fit diverse curricula; Obtaining suggestions for scaffolding and
accelerating each short vocabulary activity to meet students' individual needs; Targeting
vocabulary words with the most crucial root words, prefixes, and suffixes in the English
language to best employ instructional time; Finding helpful resources on how to teach
vocabulary, such as websites and applications; Gaining research-based vocabulary learning
strategies used in the mini-lessons. Impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Vocabulary in a SNAP" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university
library Teacher Education instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of classroom teachers and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Vocabulary in a SNAP" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $36.99).
Don't Pay for Your MBA
Laurie Pickard
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9780814438480, $17.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Each year, the nation's top business schools are flooded with applications from people eager to
pursue their MBA dreams. But those aspirations come at a steep price. The average debt load for
graduates of NYU's Stern School of Business, MIT's Sloan School of Management, and other top
business schools exceeds $100,000. Author Laurie Pickard couldn't shoulder that kind of debt,
but she faced a dilemma: despite two degrees and a Peace Corps stint, she needed a business
education to land her dream job in international development. She decided to take her education
into her own hands, and found that some of those same prestigious business schools offer
MOOCs (massive online open courses) for low or even no cost. By picking the right classes from
the best schools, she gained the skills -- without all the debt. In "Don't Pay for Your MBA: The
Faster, Cheaper, Better Way to Get the Business Education You Need", Pickard shows
self-starters, career changers, and budding entrepreneurs how to navigate the expanding universe
of online education. Building on her popular No-Pay MBA blog, Pickard reveals how to: Define
your goals and tailor a curriculum that works for you; Master the language of business; Build a
strong network; Choose a concentration and deepen personal expertise; Showcase nontraditional
education in a way that attracts offers. Self-directed learning fills gaps in MBA training, positions
for promotions, and opens up new opportunities. Why pay exorbitant tuition when you can
MOOC your way to success? Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation,
thoroughly 'real world practical' in content, "Don't Pay for Your MBA" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted for
aspiring MBA students that "Don't Pay for Your MBA" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
The Automotive Shelf
The Definitive Firebird & Trans Am Guide: 1970 1/2 - 1981
Rocky Rotella
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613253212, $34.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Profusely illustrated throughout, "The Definitive Firebird & Trans Am Guide 1970-1/2-1981" by
Pontiac expert and historian Rocky Rotella examines each production year of the second
generation of Firebirds. Production figures, option codes, running changes, model-year changes
and variances, rarity, collectability, interviews with engineers, and more are thoroughly covered.
This is sure to become the ultimate second-generation Firebird reference book. Complementing
the detail and year-by-year analysis is a combination of archival photography from the
development of these cars as well as beautiful color photos of original and restored examples
today. "The Definitive Firebird & Trans Am Guide: 1970 1/2 - 1981" aptly tells the entire story
of these immensely popular cars, whether you are into the second generation of F-Body regular
models, Formula 400 performance models, the Super Duty Trans Ams, or the cars of Smokey
and the Bandit fame. An impressively informative addition to any pony car, muscle car, or any
enthusiast's library, "The Definitive Firebird & Trans Am Guide: 1970 1/2 - 1981" is very highly
recommended for both community and academic library's Automotive History collection.
The Technology Shelf
The GIS 20: Essential Skills, third edition
Gina Clemmer
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
www.esri.com/esripress
9781589485129, $49.99, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com
Gina Clemmer, president of the research and training company New Urban Research Inc., has
trained thousands of new GIS users from across the US. Clemmer holds a master's degree in
urban planning from the University of Iowa. Now in a thoroughly updated third edition of "The
GIS 20: Essential Skills", Clemmer presents step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and practical
tips on how to perform the top 20 skills needed to successfully use a geographic information
system (GIS). These skills include finding and editing data, querying GIS maps, creating reports,
and sharing and publishing maps. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The GIS
20: Essential Skills" is especially and unreservedly recommended to community, corporate,
college, and university library GIS 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 GIS
20: Essential Skills" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $29.99).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Neogenesis
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Baen Books
9781481482783 $25.00 www.baen.com
Neogenesis tells of sentient space ships long made illegal by the Complex Logic Laws, the
mentors who help new smart ships take their places in this constructed universe, and particularly,
Theo, the captain of an intelligent ship, and her brother, whose household employs an AI butler.
As mentors, masterminds, and those with visions of new laws and new boundaries clash, there's a
new breed of self-aware AI influencers on the market that could change everything. This
powerful story of emergent intelligences and special interests who would exploit or help them
makes for an engrossing story that's unpredictable and hard to put down.
The Gone World
Tom Sweterlitsch
Putnam
9780399167508 $27.00 www.penguin.com
The Gone World crosses the line between sci-fi, a thriller, and a murder mystery, and combines
high technology with a gripping story set in 1997, when the Navy's newfound time travel ability
results in the discovery of a cataclysmic event which destroys humanity. The Navy has charged a
secret investigative service with thwarting this destiny - and that's where Special Agent Shannon
Moss comes in, as her investigation of a Navy SEAL's murder dovetails with a horrific future
event. Gripping and tense, this thriller is hard to put down and will satisfy readers of all three
genres.
In Search of the Unknown / Police!!!
Robert W. Chambers
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520380, $17.95, PB, 292pp, www.amazon.com
Robert William Chambers (May 26, 1865 - December 16, 1933) was an American artist and
fiction writer, best known for his book of short stories entitled The King in Yellow, published in
1895. Now the Stark House Press has brought two of his superbly crafted supernatural fiction
stories back into print and under one cover for the benefit of what will prove to be a whole new
generation of appreciative readers. With "In Search of the Unknown" readers will journey with
members of the Bronx Park Zoological Gardens as they search out exotic and seemingly extinct
creatures like the dingue, the auk and the ux, wooly mammoths and even a prehistoric
thermosaurus. Travel with them around the world as they dodge selkies and ekaf-birds in a series
of adventures to tracks the weirdest creatures they can find. And then readers will join them
again in "Police!!!" when they encounter amphibious humanoids, giant minnows, fire weasels
and more! Of special note is the inclusion of a complete bibliography of the literary works of
Robert W. Chambers, making "In Search of the Unknown / Police!!!" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library collections.
Battlefield Earth
L. Ron Hubbard
Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200, Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com
9781592129577, $22.95, PB, 1072pp, www.amazon.com
In the year A.D. 3000, Earth is a barren wasteland, plundered of its natural resources by alien
conquerors known as Psychlos. Fewer than thirty-five thousand humans survive in a handful of
communities scattered across the face of a post-apocalyptic Earth. But from the ashes of
humanity rises a young hero, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler. Setting off on an initial quest to discover a
hidden evil, Jonnie unlocks the mystery of humanity's demise and unearths a crucial weakness in
their oppressors. Spreading the seeds of revolt, Jonnie and a small band of survivors pit their
quest for freedom in an all-out rebellion that erupts across the continents of Earth and the cosmic
sprawl of the Psychlo empire. For the fate of the Galaxy lies on the Battlefield of Earth. An
extraordinary and legendary classic, this new edition of L. Ron Hubbards science fiction saga
"Battlefield Earth" is enhanced with the inclusion of an author interview and a discussion guide,
making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic
library Science Fiction collections.
The Homeowner Shelf
Complete Book of Outdoor DIY Projects
Penny Swift & Janek Szymanowski
Creative Homeowner
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781580118002, $19.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
The work of DIY and how-to specialist Penny Swift in collaboration with professional
photographer Janek Szymanowski, "Complete Book of Outdoor DIY Projects: The How-To
Guide for Building 35 Projects in Stone, Brick, Wood, and Water" is the ultimate resource for
constructing a wide variety of professional-looking, stylish structures, using stone, brick, wood or
water. With step-by-step instructions and clear color photographs, all that a DIY homeowner
needs is basic equipment and easy-to-learn skills. Projects include stone paths, garden archways,
Japanese stone gardens and bamboo fountains, raised and free standing brick planters, pavers,
decorative screen walls, rustic benches, and much more. Each individual yard and/or garden
project is accompanied by detailed information on which tools to use, exactly what materials are
required, how long it will take to make, and the level of difficulty involved, along with handy tips
and time-saving techniques. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content organization, and
effectively illustrated presentation, "Complete Book of Outdoor DIY Projects" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal and community library DIY yard and garden project
instructional reference collections.
The Parenting Shelf
Parenting is Forever
Elizabeth Green
UWA Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781742589565, $34.99, PB, 440pp, www.amazon.com
Believe and trust in your children. But most of all, be kind. Parents ask, 'Why are children so
anxious?', 'Has my child got autism?' 'How do I calm a screaming baby, yelling child or angry
teenager?' and 'What can I do when my child wants to die?' Anxiety, autism, ADHD, and
learning problems make school hard. Depression, self-harm, cyberbullying and eating disorders
are part of our complex lives. Stress, busyness, and a digital world have changed parenting.
"Parenting is Forever: A Paediatrician's Tips For Parents, Teachers And Carers" reflects the
ongoing conversations of pediatrician, Dr. Elizabeth Green, with those who care for children. It is
influenced by her experience as a parent and from helping more than 30,000 families over
twenty-five years. Dr. Green shares her practical tips for navigating the developmental stages of
childhood. From before birth, through early childhood and adolescence to adulthood. Parenting is
not a competition. It's okay to fail and try again. That's what makes us better parents.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Parenting is Forever " is an invaluable
resource, especially for new parents and parents of children with behavioral issues. Thoroughly
'parent friendly' in tone and commentary, "Parenting is Forever" will prove to be an enduringly
appreciated and valued addition to personal reading lists and community library Parenting
instructional reference collections.
The Music Shelf
Rhinestones and Twanging Tones
Jim Washburn & Mac Yasuda
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
PO Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781495088131, $29.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Country may be the plainspoken music of rural America, but it certainly got gussied up on its
way to the hit parade. In "Rhinestones and Twanging Tones: The Look and Sound of Country
Music" the team of Jim Washburn (a published expert on music and popular culture) and Mac
Yasuda (one of the world's foremost guitar experts and collectors) show in glittering detail how
most classic country stars traded in their overalls for sequined and spangled outfits that shone
from a mile away, and strummed guitars that were often just as ornately bedecked, or customized
by decades of road wear. These musical accouterments demanded attention, and certainly
captivated young country fan Mac Yasuda as he was growing up in Japan. A Hank Snow record
set Yasuda on a musical path that led to him becoming friends with many of his heroes and
performing alongside them on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Along the way, he amassed the unique
collection shared here of their signature guitars and suits (most of the latter made by the famed
"rodeo tailor" Nudie), including ones played and worn by Hank Snow, Porter Wagoner, Jim
Reeves, Ferlin Husky, and other classic country stars. Those include Snow's famed "Snow Job"
custom Martin D-45, Hank Thompson's Paul Bigsby-modified Gibson SJ-200, Carl Smith's Gay
guitar, and others, depicted here in lavish detail. "Rhinestones and Twanging Tones" is a unique
bundling of the sartorial and six-stringed equipage that defined the look and sound of a
generation of country music. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Rhinestones and
Twanging Tones" offers a unique perspective on the evolution of country music performers and
performances. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and
academic library Popular Culture and Music History collections, "Rhinestones and Twanging
Tones" is unreservedly recommended.
The Science Shelf
Particle Physics Brick by Brick
Ben Still
Cassell Illustrated
c/o Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9781844039340, $24.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Dr Ben Still is a Physicist at the University of London. Alongside his research career, Ben has
been an advocate of new methods of communicating physics. He has worked with artists,
designers, and illustrators to show complex physics research topics in a new light. With the
publication of "Particle Physics Brick by Brick" Dr. Still draws upon his experience and expertise
to use LEGO blocks to create a uniquely visual and clear depiction of the way our universe is put
together. It turns out that this is offers a perfect and 'student friendly' introduction to the
enigmatic and fascinating world of Quantum Physics. "Particle Physics Brick by Brick" starts
with the Big Bang, and along the way, the constructs and interactions within and among atoms
and sub-atomic particles, and the forces that play upon them, are clearly explained, with each
LEGO block representing a different atomic or sub-atomic particle. The different colors and sizes
denote what that particle is and its relationship with the other 'building blocks'. Each individual
chapter is presented in digestible chunks, using toy building blocks to illustrate the ideas and
experiments that have led to some of the biggest discoveries of the past 150 years. Soon readers
will be able to construct every element in the Universe using a box of LEGO and Dr. Still's
"Particle Physics Brick by Brick", making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to
both community and academic library General Science collections, as well as Particle Physics
supplemental studies reading lists.
Electrical Engineering Experiments
G. P. Chhalotra
Mercury Learning
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.merclearning.com
9781683921141, $49.95, PB, 274pp, www.amazon.com
Specifically written and designed to be a hands-on guide for labs, the hobbyist, or for the industry
professional, "Electrical Engineering Experiments" by G.P. Chhalotra covers instructions and
methods for doing experiments with currents and magnetism. "Electrical Engineering
Experiments" includes 49 separate experiments on electricity, magnetism, currents, voltage,
generators, transformers, relays, alternators, resistance, gaps, and more. Each individual
experiment covers: the object, method, result, and questions with answers on the experiment
under discussion. Of special note is a separate chapter at the end of the "Electrical Engineering
Experiments" has over 175 questions with answers to test the reader's knowledge of electricity
and electronics. Exceptionally well organized, "Electrical Engineering Experiments" is an ideal
and very highly recommended for personal, professional, highschool, community, college, and
university library Science & Technology collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It
should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Electrical Engineering Experiments" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$29.95).
Particle Physics: An Introduction
Robert Purdy
Mercury Learning
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.merclearning.com
9781683921424, $49.95, PB, 418pp, www.amazon.com
Professor Robert Purdy is a lecturer in Physics at the University of Leeds. He has taught modules
in classical mechanics, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, nuclear physics, particle physics,
quantum field theory, and mathematics for physicists. In the pages of "Particle Physics: An
Introduction" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to designed as a brief
introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the matter in our universe. Numerous
examples, figures, and simple explanations enable general readers and physics students to
understand complex concepts related to the universe. Selected topics include atoms, quarks,
accelerators, detectors, colliders, string theory, and more. Impressively informative, expertly
organized and presented, "Particle Physics: An Introduction" is an ideal textbook choice for a
college or university library physics curriculum and unreservedly recommended for community
and academic library Science instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading
lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Particle Physics: An Introduction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$21.95).
The Military Shelf
Operation Fall Weiss
Stephan Janzyk
Pen & Sword Books
9781473894617, $32.95, HC, 184pp, www.amazon.com
While the fledgling German paratroop operations in Belgium and the Netherlands in 1940, and
on Crete in 1941, attracted worldwide attention, what is not as well known is that the use of
paratroopers was planned for the invasion of Poland in 1939, in an act that began the Second
World War. This has given rise to the myth that Adolf Hitler wanted to keep this new, and
hitherto little-known, branch of the armed services secret for future projects. However, on several
occasions the men of Parachute Regiment 1 were sat ready in their Ju52 transport planes, fully
equipped and ready to go. "Operation Fall Weiss: German Paratroopers in the Poland Campaign,
1939" by Stephan Janzyk (who is an officer in the parachute regiment, and who has been
interested in military history for many years, particularly the formation and early years of the
German paratrooper units) deftly and informatively describes the role of the German paratroopers
in the Polish campaign using war diaries, maps, contemporary documents and photographs --
including those from various private collections around the world. A remarkably informative and
invaluable contribution to the growing library of World War II history collections, "Operation
Fall Weiss" is extraordinary and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic
library collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated military history buffs that "Operation Fall Weiss" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
SAS Zero Hour
Tim Jones
Frontline Books
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781526713513, $22.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Britain's elite Special Air Service Regiment, the SAS, is one of the most revered and feared
special-ops units in the world. Its high-profile operations include the spectacular storming of the
Iranian Embassy in London on 5 May 1980 and the hunt for Osama bin Laden in southern
Afghanistan following 9/11. The regiment has become a byword for the highest possible
standards in both conventional and unorthodox methods of warfare. But where did it all begin? In
"SAS Zero Hour: The Secret Origins of the Special Air Service", military historian and SAS
expert Tim Jones tackles this fascinating question from a fresh perspective. It is commonly held
that the regiment was the brainchild of just one man, David Stirling. While not dismissing
Stirling's considerable contribution to the regiment's genesis, Jones's insightful investigation
identifies all of the major factors that played a part in shaping the SAS, including the role of such
notables as Dudley Clarke, Archibald Wavell and Claude Auchinleck, among others. Drawing
extensively on primary sources, as well as reassessing the more recent regimental histories and
memoirs, "SAS Zero Hour" is an illuminating, provocative, informed and informative account of
how this renowned regiment came into being. While unreservedly recommended as an addition
to community, college, and university library Military History collections in general, and SAS
History supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students and military history buffs that
"SAS Zero Hour" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.77).
The Psychology Shelf
Indigenous Healing Psychology
Richard Katz
Healing Arts Press
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620552674, $29.95, PB, 480pp, www.amazon.com
Connecting modern psychology to its Indigenous roots to enhance the healing process and
psychology itself, "Indigenous Healing Psychology: Honoring the Wisdom of the First Peoples"
by Richard Katz (Professor Emeritus at the First Nations University of Canada and an adjunct
professor of psychology at the University of Saskatchewa) shares the healing wisdom of the
Indigenous people Professor Katz has worked with, including the Ju/'hoansi of the Kalahari
Desert, the Fijians of the South Pacific, Sicangu Lakota people, and Cree and Anishnabe First
Nations people. :Indigenous Healing Psychology" explains how Indigenous perspectives can help
create a more effective model of best practices in psychology and explores the vital role of
spirituality in the practice of psychology and the shift of emphasis that occurs when one
understands that all beings are interconnected. An exceptionally informative and inherently
fascinating read from beginning to end, "Indigenous Healing Psychology" would be an
appropriate and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library
Alternative Medicine, Psychology, and Spirituality collections and supplemental studies lists. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Indigenous Healing Psychology" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
The Instant Company Secretary
David Martin
Thorogood
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781854189004, $116.00, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com
"The Instant Company Secretary: An A-Z Guide to Duties and Responsibilities" by David M.
Martin (who runs his own successful consultancy and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Secretaries, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Institute of Directors)
deals with the latest requirements regarding Registers of Persons of Significant Control. It
provides essential practical, easily accessible advice and guidance to the wide range of important
company secretarial duties and regulations that must be adhered to. The refreshing no-nonsense
approach tackles these challenges making it an indispensable and practical guide to the whole
range of issues with which the person performing the legally required duties of the Company
Secretary must comply. The duties covered in "The Instant Company Secretary" include:
Compliance by the company and its officers with all statutory and other regulatory requirements;
Maintenance of the statutory records and filing data with Companies House within specified time
limits; Interfacing with the shareholders or guarantors, convening general meetings, drafting and
recording resolutions, dealing with shares etc.; Servicing board meetings and compiling the
legally required minutes; Providing a company-wide focal point for legal matters and
interpretation, and a logical point of contact for third parties; Providing the board with accurate
and timely advice; Anti-bribery; Modern slavery; Gender pay reporting; Tax evasion legislation.
Unique, comprehensive, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The
Instant Company Secretary" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to
professional, corporate, community, and academic library Business Management collections and
supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Instant
Company Secretary" is available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.61).
Mastering Stand-Up
Stephen Rosenfield
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781613736920, $16.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
"Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian" is an
entertaining and sharply written guide by Stephen Rosenfield (who is a pioneer in the field of
teaching comedy and founder of the American Comedy Institute, a premier stand-up comedy
school in the United States, in 1989) is specifically intended for both beginners breaking into
comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers. "Mastering
Stand-UP' examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie
Izzard, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, Richard Pryor, and more as a means
of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up. In the pages of
"Mastering Stand-Up", Rosenfield deftly lays out a clear plan for achieving success, candidly
explaining what works, what doesn't, and why. Of special note is the inclusion of a 12-item
"Successful Comedian's To-Do List". An absolutely essential instructional guide and reference
for anyone aspiring to a career as a comedian, "Mastering Stand-Up" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Performing Arts
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mastering Stand-Up" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Poetry Shelf
The President of Planet Earth
David Wheatley
Wake Forest University Press
PO Box 7333, Winston-Salem, NC 27109
www.wfu.edu/wfupress
9781930630833, $15.95 PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
'It's War': Man against man. / Man against sheep. / Sheep against man. / Sheep against grass. /
Sheep against sheep. / Mountain against sky. / Grass against mountain. / Sheep against sky. / Sky
against nothing. David Wheatley is an accomplished poet whose previous collections are Thirst
(1997; Rooney Prize for Irish Literature), Misery Hill (2000), Mocker (2006) and A Nest on the
Waves (2010). His work has appeared in numerous anthologies, including The Penguin Book of
Irish Poetry, and has been awarded a variety of prizes, including the Vincent Buckley Poetry
Prize and first prize in the Friends Provident National Poetry Competition. "The President of
Planet Earth" is his latest (and arguably his best yet) anthology of original verse and one that is
unreservedly recommended for personal reading list, as well as both community and academic
library Contemporary Poetry collections. It should be noted that "The President of Planet Earth"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Art Shelf
A Chronology of Art
Iain Zaczek, editor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500239810, $29.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Most surveys of the history of art are divided into historic periods, artistic schools, and
movements. In reality, movements and artists' careers overlap and intertwine, reacting to events
in the world around them. By prioritizing a purely chronological approach, "A Chronology of
Art" illuminates these relationships from a fresh perspective and places the developments of the
art world into context with one another. Structured around a central timeline covering Ancient &
Medieval, Renaissance & Baroque, Rococo & Neoclassicism, Romanticism & Beyond, and The
Modern Era, "A Chronology of Art" features lavish illustrations of artworks, together with
commentaries, and lively "In Focus" features with information about the social, stylistic,
technical, political, and cultural events of each period. This approach reveals little- known
connections: the most illustrious Neoclassical painting (David's Oath of the Horatii) was
executed just a couple of years after one of the best-known Romantic scenes (Fuseli's The
Nightmare); and American artist James Whistler, who had attended West Point Military
Academy, was creating his finest work in Europe at the very time when his homeland was being
torn apart by civil war. Beautifully and profusely illustrated with 350 images, "A Chronology of
Art" is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative study that is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library Art History collections and
supplemental studies reading lists.
Pictographs
Mishibinijima
The Porcupine's Quill
http://porcupinesquill.ca/index.html
9780889844056, $24.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
In "Pictographs", Ojibway artist James Simon Mishibinijima brings to life the legends of his
people passed down to him by generations of his tribal and clan Elders. In this simply
outstanding collection of his pictographic drawings, each individual image tells its own particular
story, silently communicating lessons of harmony, interconnectedness and peace. Unique and an
inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Pictographs: The Graphic Art of James Simon
Mishibinijima" is an uncommon and very special addition to personal, community, and academic
library Canadian Art History collections in general, and Ojibway art and cultural history
supplemental reading lists in particular.
Wearable Art
Anne Lee and E. Ashley Rooney
Schiffer Publishing
9780764353994 $34.99 www.schifferbooks.com
Wearable Art is the third volume in the Artistry in Fiber three-book series, and discusses
different aspects of making fiber art. Various artists contribute their fiber art works which are
wearable explorations of knit, felting, stretch yarns, rayon hand block prints, and even jewelry
embellishments to fabric shawls, dresses, jackets, and more. The result is a blend of visual
displays and artist insights on the creation, art, and form of wearable art and how wearers
influence the fiber art approach by their choices and fashion senses.
The Philosophy Shelf
Philosophical Imagination and the Evolution of Modern Philosophy
James P. Danaher with Wiliam K. Pottinger
Paragon House
3600 Labore Road, Suite 1, St. Paul, MN 55110-4144
www.paragonhouse.com
9781557789303, $17.95, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com
Throughout modern history, the philosophical imagination has created the philosophical
perspectives of modern materialism, rationalism, empiricism, phenomenalism, historicism,
existentialism, pragmatism, hermeneutics, and feminism. Although these schools of thought have
their origin in the imagination, we all too often believe these perspectives give us access to truth
itself, rather than being ways to make sense of our experience. Truth as something to know will
always be relative to the imagination and the perspectives it creates. However, another notion of
truth as something to be has emerged over the history of philosophical thought from Socrates to
the present that is not relative to the changing perspectives of truth as something to know.
"Philosophical Imagination and the Evolution of Modern Philosophy" by James P. Danaher
(Professor of Philosophy, Nyack College) offers a narrative of how the modern mind evolved
through the philosophical imaginations of certain individuals who provided new perspectives in
order to make sense of emerging data and circumstances of which the inherited philosophical
perspectives of the day were unable to explain. Unreservedly recommended for both academia
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "Philosophical Imagination and
the Evolution of Modern Philosophy" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Philosophy collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Philosophical Imagination and the Evolution of
Modern Philosophy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
The Native American Studies Shelf
Black Elk
Joe Jackson
Picador USA
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10010
www.picadorusa.com
9781250141255, $20.00, PB, 640pp, www.amazon.com
"Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary" is the definitive biographical account of Black
Elk (December 1, 1863 - August 19, 1950), a figure whose dramatic life converged with some of
the most momentous events in the history of the American West. Born in an era of rising
violence between the Sioux, white settlers, and U.S. government troops, Black Elk killed his first
man at the Little Bighorn, witnessed the death of his second cousin Crazy Horse, and traveled to
Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Upon his return, he was swept up in the
traditionalist Ghost Dance movement and shaken by the Massacre at Wounded Knee. But Black
Elk was not a warrior, instead he accepted the path of a healer and holy man, motivated by a
powerful prophetic vision that he struggled to understand. In "Black Elk: The Life of an
American Visionary", author and biographer Joe Jackson has deftly crafted a truly epic Native
American biography, restoring our understanding of Black Elk in the context and richness of his
times. "Black Elk" reveals a life of heroism and tragedy, adaptation and endurance, in an era of
permanent crisis on the Great Plains. While an absolute 'must' for both community and academic
library Native American Biography collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Black Elk" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
On Religion
Benjamin Constant
Translated by Peter Paul Seaton, Jr.
Liberty Fund, Inc.
11301 N. Meridian Street, Carmel, IN 46032-4564
9780865978966 $30.00 hc
9780865978973 $14.50 pbk www.libertyfund.org
Benjamin Constant (1767-1830) was a Swiss-French political activist, author, and philosopher,
who among many other ideals, drew a distinction between "Liberty of the Ancients" in which the
people directly participated in politics, and "Liberty of the Moderns" where people elected
representatives, since greater population sizes made direct participation by all people impossible.
On Religion: Considered in Its Source, Its Forms, and Its Developments is the first full-length
English translation of Constant's massive study on humanity's religious forms and development,
originally published in five volumes between 1824 and 1831. Constant appraises religion with
the eye of scientist, but not dispassionately so. On Religion was written in the aftermath of the
French Revolution, a time when Constant sought to convince partisans of the new order that
religious impulses were a natural impulse, and to attempt to purge all religion would only bring
suffering. At the same time, Constant chastised religious reactionaries and perceived
"spirituality" unfettered to find new ways of expression as the future. On Religion also embraces
a central tenet of liberalism: the separation of church and state. On Religion is as invaluable a
read today as it was hundreds of years ago, and this edition enhanced with an extensive index is
highly recommended especially for public and college library collections.
Stories with Intent, second edition
Klyne R. Snodgrass
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.eerdmans.com
9780802875693, $58.00, HC, 912pp, www.amazon.com
Now in an updated and expanded second edition, "Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide
to the Parables of Jesus" offers pastors and students a comprehensive and accessible guide to
Jesus' parables. Klyne Snodgrass (Professor Emeritus of New Testament at North Park
Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illinois) deftly explores in vivid detail the historical context in
which these stories were told, the part they played in Jesus' overall message, and the ways in
which they have been interpreted in the church and the academy. Professor Snodgrass begins by
surveying the primary issues in parables interpretation and providing an overview of other
parables (often neglected in the discussion) from the Old Testament, Jewish writings, and the
Greco-Roman world. He then groups the more important parables of Jesus thematically and
offers a comprehensive treatment of each, exploring both background and significance for today.
This tenth anniversary edition includes a substantial new chapter that surveys developments in
the interpretation of parables since the book's original 2008 publication. Featuring bibliographies
of both primary and secondary sources, an index of authors, and an index of ancient sources,
"Stories with Intent" continues to be a seminal work of outstanding biblical scholarship and
unreservedly recommended for church, seminary, community, and academic library
Contemporary Christian Studies collections.
The Judicial Studies Shelf
A Handbook on Aviation Law
George McKeegan & William Ranieri
ABA Publishing
c/o American Bar Association
321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610
https://www.americanbar.org
9781634259538, $92.00, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of aviation law experts George McKeegan and William Ranieri, "A
Handbook on Aviation Law" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' handbook that is replete with
interesting and provocative accident accounts and liability outcomes, many of which are the
subject of significant court cases. "A Handbook on Aviation Law" includes (but is not limited to)
acts of terrorism, slip and falls on airport premises, baggage and cargo loss, cancellation and
delay, refusal to transport, aircraft turbulence, communicable diseases, and more. The legal
outcomes and rationales of these cases are included and explained. The topics covered with "A
Handbook on Aviation Law" include: Montreal and Warsaw Conventions; Airport security;
Accidents and attacks; Discrimination; Product liability issues; Emotional support animals;
Drones ; and Communicable diseases. Thoroughly up to date and impressively comprehensive,
"A Handbook on Aviation Law" is unreservedly recommended for professional, community, and
academic library collections and Aviation Law supplemental studies reading lists.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Invaders of the Great Lakes
Karen R. Hollingsworth, author
Wildlife Forever, editor
Adventure Publications
www.adventurepublications.net
9781591937708, $6.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com
"Invaders of the Great Lakes: Invasive Species and Their Impact on You" is handy, full-color
guide by Wildlife Forever spotlights 44 aquatic invasive species which are divided into three
categories: invertebrates, plants, and fish. "Invaders of the Great Lakes" provides details on how
these invasive species live, grow, reproduce, and spread. "Invaders of the Great Lakes" also
reveals how these invasive species impact people, the environment, and the economy. "Invaders
of the Great Lakes" also offers tips for stopping aquatic hitchhikers, features QR Codes that link
to web pages with even more details, as well as other important information. Armed with this
knowledge, the reader can then help to protect our inland waters collective referred to as the
Great Lakes, including keeping favorite fishing spots and lakeshores healthy. Impressively
informative, profusely illustrated, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Invaders of the Great Lakes" is an extraordinary 'pocket size' field guide that is highly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library collections.
The Genealogy Shelf
Through the Tax Assessor's Eyes
Noreen J. Goodson & Donna Tyler Hollie
Clearfield
9780806358581 $37.95 www.genealogical.com
Through the Tax Assessor's Eyes: Enslaved People, Free Blacks and Slaveholders in Early
Nineteenth Century Baltimore comes from a native Baltimorean and retried professor of history
who works with a retired public school teachers and long-time family history researcher to
provide a powerful, specific set of profiles of people from the tax assessor's records. The focus
on Baltimore reveals much of its hidden slavery history and issues and thus makes this a
recommendation beyond the usual genealogical circles reaching into civil rights and
Afro-American history holdings with a reference piece that not only provides a narrowed focus
on assessor's ledgers from 1813 and 1818, which identified citizens by race and nationality; but
supplements this data from that culled from city directories, census records, and books and
articles about 19th century Baltimore and Maryland. The result is highly recommended for
regional collections and nation-wide studies in black history alike.
The Library Science Shelf
Information Systems: Process and Practice
Christine Urquhart, Faten Hamad, Dina Tbaishat, and Alison Yeoman, editors
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783302413 $87.10
Information Systems: Process and Practice is an anthology of scholarly essays by expert authors
about library and information architecture. Written especially for professionals in the field, with
analysis of methods, tools, techniques, and trends, Information Systems offers theory and
supporting case studies. Individual writings include "Workflow analysis and process mapping in
US academic libraries", "The enterprise website and its information structures", "Increasing
social connection through a community-of-practice-inspired design", and much more.
Information Systems: Process and Practice is an excellent reference and resource, highly
recommended especially for Library Science collections.
The Gun Shelf
Armed in America
Patrick J. Charles
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633883130 $28.00 / $12.99 amazon.com
Historian and legal scholar Patrick Charles presents Armed in America: A History of Gun Rights
from Colonel Militias to Concealed Carry, an unbiased and nonpartisan history of the lawful
right to bear arms and the gun-rights movement in America, from the inception of the Second
Amendment to the rise and evolution of the National Rifle Association, to the modern day.
Armed in America is a "must" read for anyone who wants to learn about the facts and history
surrounding this contentious issue, unclouded by the shrill rhetoric of either side, and is a "must-
have" for public and college library collections. Highly recommended.
The Criminology Shelf
Supermax Prison
Larry L. Franklin & Rakesh Chandra, MD, JD
History Publishing Company, LLC
PO Box 700, 15 Heyhoe Woods Road, Palisades, New York 10964-0700
www.historypublishingco.com
9781933909837, $19.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively written by Larry L Franklin (who is the author of "The Rita Nitz Story: A Life
without Parole" published by Southern Illinois University Press; "Cherry Blossoms & Barron
Plains: A woman's journey from mental illness to a prison cell," published by Chipmunka
Publishing Company) and Dr. Rakesh Chandra (who provided input based upon his years of
experience and expertise working with mentally ill inmates in a supermax prison setting),
"Supermax Prison: Controlling The Most Dangerous Criminals" provides a penetrating look at
the violence that swept prisons in the 1980's and 1990's and the organizational structure
mirroring the Mafia that erupted in them. The inmates had to make a choice between joining a
gang that offered protection, friendships, financial rewards, access to drugs and other contraband
or serving as a lone inmate in a dangerous, even lethal world. The worst in this violent world
were sent to the Illinois supermax prison called Tamms. "Supermax Prison" the inherently
fascinating and illustrative story of life in that prison. Impressively informative, exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, ""Supermax Prison: Controlling The Most Dangerous
Criminals" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Penology
Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and
non-specialist readers with an interest in the subject that ""Supermax Prison: Controlling The
Most Dangerous Criminals" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Crescent City Crimes
Charles Cassady Jr.
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764354083, $16.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
In the first 200 years of New Orleans history, the Crescent City has earned a reputation for sin,
temptation, intrigue, lawlessness, ritual-magic, and ghosts. Step back in time to the city's first few
crime-stained centuries from 1718 - 1918 to explore the classic tales of mischief, mayhem, and
skullduggery comprising "Crescent City Crimes: Old New Orleans 1718 - 1918" compiled by
Charles Cassady Jr. Arranged by topic appreciative readers will be compelled to find out whether
the heart of Dixie truly beats with wicked rhythms; Meet a cast of rascals and ruffians in the era
of American piracy and smuggling; Discover legendary sorcery and unspeakable rumors
surrounding Voodoo and ghosts; Examine ritual violence, as well as the largest mass-lynching
ever on US soil and a unique red-light district. Deftly combining historical fact and popular
folklore, "Crescent City Crimes: Old New Orleans 1718 - 1918" is an inherently fascinating read
from cover to cover, making it an unreservedly recommended and enduringly popular addition to
personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic library American History
collections in general, and the History of New Orleans supplemental studies lists in
particular.
No Hope for Heaven, No Fear of Hell
James C. Kearney, Bill Stein, and James Smallwood
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574417111 $21.95 pbk / $20.85 Kindle amazon.com
No Hope for Heaven, No Fear of Hell: The Stafford-Townsend Feud of Colorado County, Texas,
1871-1911 is a meticulously researched chronicle of the blood-soaked family feud that festered in
Texas for decades after the close of the Civil War. Here are true-life stories of ruthless
assassination, gun battles, revenge, juries and law enforcement turning a blind eye, and long-
lasting bitterness. No Hope for Heaven, No Fear of Hell is absolutely compelling from cover to
cover, and an invaluable addition to public and college library collections, highly
recommended.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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