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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 11, Number 5 May 2016 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Parenting Shelf Fiction Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Biography Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Travel Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Photography Shelf Automotive Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Education Shelf Activity Shelf Fashion Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf
DVD Shelf Business Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Detroit's Eastern Market, third edition
Lois Johnson & Margret Thomas, authors
Bruce Harkness, photographer
Painted Turtle
c/o Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814341599, $24.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Since 1887, Detroit's Eastern Market, the largest open-air market of its kind in the United States, has been home to an amazing community of farmers, merchants, and food lovers. Specialty shops, bakeries, spice companies, meat and poultry markets, restaurants, jazz cafes, old-time saloons, produce firms, gourmet shops, and cold-storage warehouses cover Eastern Market's three square miles. Its many streets and vendors reflect the varied cultures and ethnicities that have shaped the city of Detroit. In this newly updated and expanded third edition of "Detroit's Eastern Market: A Farmers Market Shopping and Cooking Guide", authors Lois Johnson and Margaret Thomas collaborate to informatively recount the history of the market with additional stories and personal accounts of families who have worked and shopped there for as many as four generations. These two authors have joined together to provide the reader with updated store information and added new restaurants and businesses to their original listings, reflecting the changes and additions that have taken place in Eastern Market since the previous edition published in 2005. Richly illustrated with all new photos by Bruce Harkness, "Detroit's Eastern Market" features more than a hundred pages of delightful recipes (including 17 new ones) from market retailers, farmers, chefs, and customers. Anyone who has ever availed themselves of a local farmers market will enjoy browsing through the pages of this new and highly recommended edition of "Detroit's Eastern Market: A Farmers Market Shopping and Cooking Guide"!

Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Dave Hill
Blue Rider Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
9780399166754, $27.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

With his signature matter-of-fact humor, comedian and musician Dave Hill explores his increasingly close relationship with his recently widowed father in "Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore", a series of painfully funny and truly memorable biographical essays. When Dave found himself pushing thirty while still living with his parents in Cleveland, unsuited for anything but what an "employment expert" vaguely called a career in "art, music, writing, or entertainment", he decided to visit some friends in New York for the weekend and never left. However, getting his life together wasn't as easy as he'd hoped, and even an illegally subletted, rent controlled fifth-floor walk-up studio apartment with a (for the most part) working toilet wasn't glamorous enough to erase the fact that his four siblings were all married with steady jobs and actual human offspring. And in recent years, Dave's father had grown tired of loaning him cash and living alone in the empty family home, neither of which made much sense to Dave, but whatever. Through the process of his father's eventual move to a retirement community, Dave and his dad bonded over the things in life that really matter: scorching-hot rock jams, the gluten allergy craze, eighteen-wheelers, and Italian food (pizza and spaghetti). Meanwhile, Dave discovered his late-blooming manhood via experiences as disparate and dangerous as a visit to a remote Mexican prison, where he learned that people everywhere love the Eagles, and a martial arts class that pushed his resolve and his groin to their limit. In "Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore", his voice is sharp, carefree, laced with just the right amount of profanity, and he is (seemingly despite himself) deeply empathetic as he portrays a difficult time in his family's life and grows up just enough to realize that maybe he and his dad aren't so different after all. Exceptionally well written, "Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is a compelling read that is very highly recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).


The Parenting Shelf

Geek Parenting
Stephen H. Segal & Valya Dudycz Lupescu
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
9781594748707, $15.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

It takes more than a village to raise a child. It takes a starship, or a time machine, or a tribe of elves. Fortunately, "Geek Parenting: What Joffrey, Jor-El, Maleficent, and the McFlys Teach Us about Raising a Family" by the team of Stephen H. Segal and Valya Dudycz Lupescu offers all that and more. Comprised of thoughtful mini-essays that reveal profound child-rearing advice (and mistakes) from the most beloved tales of geek culture, parental nerds and norms alike can take counsel from some of the most iconic parent - child pairings found in pop culture including Aunt May and Peter Parker, Benjamin and Jake Sisko, Elrond and Arwen, Cersei and Joffrey, and more. Whether raising an Amazon princess, a Jedi Padawan, a brooding vampire, or a standard-issue human child, "Geek Parenting" will help parents to navigate the ion storms, alternate realities, and endless fetch quests that come with their being a parent today. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it very highly recommended for community library parenting instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Geek Parenting" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).


The Fiction Shelf

Welcome Back
Lin Stepp
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781617732829, $15.00, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

When Lydia Cunningham left her husband and moved to Atlanta ten years ago, it was with equal parts sadness and certainty. She loved her home in North Carolina, with its lush green hills and crisp, clean air. And in truth, she still loved John, too. But she could no longer live with her mother-in-law's constant criticism and the distance it created in her marriage. Now, thanks to a job offer at her alma mater, Lydia is moving back, renting the old country house where she and John lived as newlyweds. She hopes to strengthen the frayed ties with her daughter, Mary Beth, and build a relationship with her grandsons. As for John -- it's clear from the moment Lydia sees him standing in her doorway that he hopes they might rekindle their bond. The spark between them hasn't dimmed -- but neither have Lydia's memories of past hurts. Yet in this magnificent landscape that's always felt like home, she might find a way to forgive and begin again. "Welcome Back" is another terrific 'Smoky Mountain' novel from the pen of Lin Stepp and continues to underscore her master of the genre and her impressive attention to character development and background detail. Very highly recommended for community library Romance Fiction, it should be noted that "Welcome Back" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Flower Plantation
Nora Anne Brown
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781846882913, $17.00, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com

Arthur Baptiste knows little of Rwanda's past and is unaware of its emerging troubles. He lives with his parents on a flower plantation where he talks to no one, not even the butterflies he collects, until one day Beni appears. Beni, the cook's daughter, is a child much like Arthur but one who lives in a world far different from his own. Their friendship will take them from innocent adventures, to sexual encounters and on towards dark revelations . When news comes that the President has been killed, Arthur is forced to leave his home, the country he knows and the people he loves. Arthur must say goodbye to Beni and leave her to a fate far worse than either could have imagined. An original and impressively well crafted novel that will hold the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end, "The Flower Plantation" by Nora Anne Brown is a terrifically entertaining read that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Flower Plantation" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.13).

A Heart Once Broken
Jerry S. Eicher
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736965873, $14.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Cousins Lydia and Sandra Troyer and their friend, Rosemary Beiler have always been close. The two cousins, however, both have eyes for handsome Ezra Wagler, leaving Rosemary to watch from the sidelines. But when the cousins' fathers face financial ruin, Lydia and Sandra make a deal as to who should have Ezra's affections -- at which point Rosemary decides to make a play for Ezra herself. "A Heart Once Broken" is the first of 'The St. Lawrence County Amish' trilogy and clearly demonstrates that Jerry Eicher has penned another terrific read that is a "must" for his legions of enthusiastic fans. While "A Heart Once Broken" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.49). Librarians should be alerted that "A Heart Once Broken" is also available in a hardcover large print edition (Thorndike Press, 9781410488466, $39.99, 467pp).

Verklempt
Peter Sichrovsky
DoppelHouse Press
https://doppelhouse.com
9780983254034, $19.95, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Peter Sichrovsky is an Austrian journalist, author, and former politician. Translated into English from the original German for an American readership by John Howard, and featuring an informative Foreword by Ari Roth, as well as an Author's Preface by Sichrovsky, "Verklempt" is an anthology of eleven short stories with Jewish love themes by a true master of the genre after his landmark books of interviews with German and Austrian children of Holocaust survivors. The love stories range from where love is a bitter pill, to a joke, a missed chance at happiness, a secret, a ghost, or a longing to be with a person one cannot even remember. Sichrovsky writes without embellishment, spare outlines of characters that feel familiar, and infuses them with dark humor and tragedy in equal force. With characteristic inquisitiveness and provocation, Sichrovsky shows he can deliver a delightful and absurd collection that entertains and inspires us to tears, laughter, revelations. Original, entertaining, memorable, and deftly crafted works of fiction, "Verklempt" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Literary Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Verklempt" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Genius: A Novel
Thomas Rayfiel
Triquarterly
c/o Northwestern University Press
629 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL 60208
www.nupress.northwestern.edu
9780810132467, $18.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Kara Bell, whose IQ is off the charts and whose sexuality is firmly in the closet, has spent her youth plotting escape from Witch's Falls, Arkansas. Relentless determination and sacrifice have led to success in the form of a scholarship at a prestigious philosophy PhD program in Manhattan. But Kara's careful plans are upended by cancer, and suddenly she is home again, where she finds herself subject to her mother's suffocating care, her brother's puzzling love life, the local doctor's meddling, and the strong gravitational pull of her old friend and obsession, Christy Lee. Will Kara find health and sanity? Will she learn what really happened to her father? Can she escape Witch's Falls a second time, or will she succumb to the slow poison of local kindness and Snickers Salad? An impressively skillful author, in "Genius" novelist Thomas Rayfiel deftly blends such diverse elements of "ordinary American life" as terminal illness, organized religion, family secrets, abortion, senility, and gossip, into a extraordinary, original, and compelling read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Genius" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.95).

Bitter Trail
Dale Graham
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444826081, $20.99, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Another terrific action/adventure western novel from the pen of Dale Graham, "Bitter Trail" is the story of Lazy Jake Fontell and his partner Buffalo Bob who have gone into the freighting business. Approaching El Paso, they have no idea of the troubles they will encounter after coming to the aid of a dying Mexican grandee. Before succumbing to his injuries, the gun shot victim gives the pair a map detailing the location of an icon that was worn by the legendary Aztec leader Montezuma. A secret revolutionary group has sworn to overthrow the Mexican government - and he who wields the headdress wields the power. To make matters even more complicated is the wife of the leader of that shadowy and lethal group who abhors what her husband is doing, two failed but vicious bank robbing outlaws, a relentless sheriff's posse, as well as the deadly natural hazards that must be gone through. This outstanding, large print edition of "Bitter Trail" is very highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of western novel buffs and community library western fiction collections. Incidentally, for those to whom "Bitter Trail" will be their first introduction to the western novels of Dale Graham, it should be noted that there is a complete listing of his eight earlier titles in the front page of "Bitter Trail" which are readily available from the Lindford Western Library.

Vanilla Salt
Ada Parellada
Alma Books
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781846883330, $15.00, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com

Alex is a brilliant chef, but he struggles to fill his Barcelona restaurant because of his gruff, eccentric personality and his refusal to use ingredients that trace their culinary origins to America, such as potatoes and tomatoes. When he meets the young, enthusiastic, and beautiful Canadian Annette, he finds his ideas and narrow-minded outlook challenged, and discovers that they both share a painful past. A natural born native of Barcelona, Spain, author Ada Parellada is also one of the most acclaimed of the Catalan chefs and draws upon her personal experience in writing "Vanilla Salt", a sensual and mouth-watering exploration of the kitchen and the human heart, as well as a tale of simmering passions and the need to confront personal truths. Exceptionally well written, impressively original, and consistently entertaining from beginning to end, "Vanilla Salt" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Vanilla Salt" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Ballet Noir
Caroline Miller
http://booksbycarolinemiller.com
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540, Castroville, TX 78009
http://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781612966809, $16.95, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com

Experiencing her first tour in Europe, Tara Bentley is a young prima ballerina with a small Seattle dance company who watches her excitement turn to horror when she's haunted by the voice of her deceased dance teacher, Yelena Natilova. She fears she might be going mad until she meets a necromancer who assures her the voice is real. Is he a charlatan? Or, has he the power to guide her through this nightmare as she struggles to hold her career together? Their dash through the great theaters of Europe becomes the performance of a lifetime with death waiting in the wings. Another terrific read from the pen literary imagination of Caroline Miller, "Ballet Noir" is an original and compelling read that is consistently entertaining from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library collections and personal reading lists, "Ballet Noir" clearly demonstrates author Caroline Miller's impressive mastery of the Paranormal Goth Romance genre.

Freshwater Road
Denise Nicholas
Agate Bolden
c/o Agate Publishing
1501 Madison St., Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841956, $15.00, PB, www.agatepublishing.com

The debut novel of award-winning actress Denise Nicholas, Freshwater Road is a story set during the summer of 1964, about a volunteer for the civil rights movement who may be in over her head. Nineteen-year-old college sophomore Celeste Tyree travels to a small Mississippi town to organize a voter registration project, and prepare townspeople to pass the state's convoluted voting test to defy the Jim Crow laws meant to exclude black citizens from the polls. But as violence strikes members of the movement and a young girl close to her goes missing, she must recognize the ruthlessness of those who oppose change. There are no easy answers in this gripping novel about tensions drawn between lines of race, color, creed, and the power of family bonds. This 10th Anniversary edition is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Freshwater Road" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.49).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Blood Defense
Marcia Clark
Thomas & Mercer
9781503936195, $15.95, HC, 389pp, www.amazon.com

Samantha Brinkman, an ambitious, hard-charging Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, is struggling to make a name for herself and to drag her fledgling practice into the big leagues. Sam lands a high-profile double-murder case in which one of the victims is a beloved TV star -- and the defendant is a decorated veteran LAPD detective. It promises to be exactly the kind of media sensation that would establish her as a heavy hitter in the world of criminal law. Though Sam has doubts about his innocence, she and her two associates (her closest childhood friend and a brilliant ex-con) take the case. Notorious for living by her own rules (and fearlessly breaking everyone else's) Samantha pulls out all the stops in her quest to uncover evidence that will clear the detective. But when a shocking secret at the core of the case shatters her personal world, Sam realizes that not only has her client been playing her, he might be one of the most dangerous sociopaths she's ever encountered. A deftly crafted suspense thriller from first page to last, "Blood Defense" demonstrates author Marcia Clark (she was the prosecuting attorney in the O. J. Simpson trial) has truly impressive talents as a storyteller. "Blood Defense" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Blood Defense" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503954007, $15.95) and in a Kindle format ($5.99).

Pegasus Down
Philip Donlay
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608091690, $26.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

A CIA-operated jet on a clandestine mission disappears in Eastern Europe. No mayday, no wreckage, and no known survivors. No way to know if the top-secret extraction of a key American scientist from Slovakia, or his liberator, Dr. Lauren McKenna, code name Pegasus, are dead or alive. Donovan Nash's precarious world is rocked when word reaches him that his wife, Lauren, is missing in Eastern Europe. Using his millions, and fueled by the fear of losing his wife, Donovan and company cut a swath through Austria and Hungary. Desperate, Donovan leverages his lifelong secret to enlist an unlikely ally (one of his oldest friends) who may very well want him dead. As Donovan closes in on the truth, another, and more deadly, reality is revealed. A ruthless terrorist group has acquired a stealth aircraft with the ability to deliver a nuclear device. They are poised to strike -- but the question is where? What started as a rescue turns into a full-throttle aerial chase. Will Donavan be able to rescue his wife, as well as prevent a nuclear catastrophe? The sixth and latest novel in the simply outstanding 'Donovan Nash' series, "Pegasus Down" is another superbly crafted action/adventure suspense thriller from the pen of Philip Donlay and once again confirms him to be a master of the genre. While "Pegasus Down" is very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Strike a Poser
Dylan Edward Asher
Dog Ear Publishing
4011 Vincennes Road, New Augusta, IN 46268-3005
www.dogearpublishing.net
9781457540677, $12.00, PB, 172pp, www.amazon.com

Olivia, a professional con artist, is putting together a team. Along with her current accomplice, Jillian, she figures they'll need two more as they case a millionaire named Jerry Mallore, having followed him to, of all places, the theme park land of Orlando, Florida. Olivia quickly locates an old flame from way back named Jack. An ex-scammer himself, he's long since gone straight, working as a bar manager of an Irish restaurant just outside the wacky theme parks. His uniform involves kilts. She knows he'll be in. Joining up with Jack, and ultimately his younger brother Kip, they set out to get between Jerry and his shady cash transaction. The plan? Savvy. Complex. Borderline ridiculous. But it'll be flat-out brilliant if they can pull it off, creating the ultimate illusion in the land of illusions, and ultimately relieving Jerry of hundreds of thousands of dollars and leaving him, quite literally, not even sure what day it is. Original, entertaining, and deftly crafted, "Strike A Poster" by Dylan Edward Asher is a compelling, action-driven, page-turner of a read from beginning to end and very strongly recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Strike A Poser" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Beijing Red
Alex Ryan
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781629535944, $26.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

When ex-Navy SEAL Nick Foley travels to China to find purpose and escape the demons of his past, he instead stumbles into a conspiracy his Special Forces training never prepared him for. A mysterious and deadly outbreak ravages a remote area of western China, and Nick finds himself the lead suspect in a bio-terrorism investigation being conducted by China's elite Snow Leopard counter-terrorism unit. To clear his name and avoid prosecution, he must team up with beautiful Chinese CDC microbiologist Dr. Dazhong "Dash" Chen to find who is really behind the attack. As their investigation proceeds, their budding friendship is tested by nationalistic loyalties and suspicion. In a race against time, Nick and Dash must risk everything to stop a mad man before he unleashes the world's next super-weapon in Beijing. Alex Ryan's "Beijing Red" is another compelling thriller of an action/adventure novel from the pen of a true master of the genre. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Beijing Red" is also available in a paperback edition (9781629535951, $16.99) and in an MP3 CD format ($29.95).

Murder at Lambswool Farm
Sally Goldenbaum
Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
http://us.penguingroup.com
9780451471642, $25.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Birdie Favazza has long loved knitting, but lately she's taken on a new challenge -- making a family farm operational again. With help from friends, Lambswool Farm is now up and running, with thriving crops and grazing sheep. In addition, the farm will host rustic, six-course prix fixe dinners plated by local chefs and served on a gorgeous restored harvest table, decorated to perfection with colorful knitted vegetables crafted by Izzy Chambers Perry, her aunt Nell, and the other Seaside Knitters. But on the night of the first meal, everything spins out of control when one of the guests, Seaside Harbor's family physician, becomes fatally ill. It seems that behind Dr. Alan Hamilton's friendly bedside manner was a man with enemies and secrets. Soon the town is gossiping and pointing fingers at all possible suspects -- including the women at Lambswool Farm. Now the Seaside Knitters must join together to uncover the truth in Dr. Hamilton's complicated past -- and restore peace to town and country alike. The eleventh title in Sally Goldenbaum's superbly crafted Seaside Knitters Mysteries series, "Murder at Lambswool Farm" once again demonstrates this author's mastery of the Mystery/Suspense genre. Very highly recommended for community library collections, for personal reading lists it should be noted that "Murder at Lambswool Farm" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99). Librarians should be aware that Sally Goldenbaum's "Murder at Lambswool Farm" is additionally available in a large print edition (Kennebec, 9781410489166, $26.99).

Potter's Field
Chris Dolan
Vagabond Voices Publishing
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781908251329, $25.00, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com

In Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park, the bodies of two youths lie with bullet holes in their heads. Hungover, nicotine-starved, and ill-attired, procurator fiscal Maddy Shannon attends the scene, unaware that this grim morning is about to spiral out of control. The corpses have been carefully disfigured, perhaps signs of gangland revenge or, worse, ritual slayings. Motives and suspects are hard to find. As the gruesome complexities of the investigation multiply, the fragmented story of Maddy's immigrant ancestors (her grandfather Nono and his Great Adventure) emerges as a counterpoint to brutality and corruption. As she struggles to prove her worth against the darkest side of human nature, there is in here history and heartbreak that which has created this strong-willed woman. Deftly crafted and a compelling read from first page to last, "Potter's Field" is all the more impressive when considering that this Scottish author Chris Dolan' first mystery novel. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Potter's Field" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

On Edge
Gin Price
The Poisoned Pencil
c/o Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781929345205, $10.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Emanuella "LL" Harvey puts her gymnastic skills to good use as a member of her brother's Parkour group. Freerunning, jumping, and climbing over their corner of the city like it's an obstacle course gives them something to take pride in and keeps them out of trouble-sort of. But trouble finds LL when she runs into Haze, a talented graffiti artist whose sister Heather was murdered two years before. Freerunner and Writer promptly fall in love, but they decide to hide their relationship till they're sure it's the real thing-and until they can find a way to placate LL's hotheaded brother, who has it in for Haze and his gang. But when portraits of LL-done in Haze's distinctive style-start popping up on city walls, all hell breaks loose. LL's brother threatens a gang war, which LL tries to avert by identifying the Writer who is really responsible for the paintings. But when another teen is murdered, it looks bad for Haze, especially when LL discovers that Heather's killer and her portrait-painter are one and the same. An original and compelling mystery from the pen of a master of the genre, "On Edge" by Gin Price is very highly recommended for both community library Mystery/Suspense collections and the personal reading lists of mystery fans who appreciate a deftly crafted tale. It should be noted that "On Edge" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Killer Deal
Sofie Sarenbrant
Stockholm Text
19820 82nd Place NE, Kenmore, Seattle, WA 98028
www.stockholmtext.com
9789175471976, $16.95, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

The morning after an open-house showing in a posh Stockholm suburb, a father is found dead by his six-year-old daughter Astrid. There are no signs of a break-in, and the murder weapon is one of the family's own kitchen knives. The only hint that someone from the outside might be involved is that Astrid claims a strange man stroked her cheek during the night. Police Inspector Emma Skold takes up the case. She suspects that the man's wife could be the culprit, but when more murders occur tied to open-house showings, her theory is turned on its head. What's the truth behind the events in the ostensibly idyllic and prosperous residential area? And what is the connection between the victims? Sofie Sarenbrant has established herself as one of Sweden's most popular crime fiction authors. In "Killer Deal" she has once again demonstrated her complete master of the mystery genre. Ably translated into English by Paul Norlen, this Stockholm Text edition of "Killer Deal" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of mystery buffs it should be noted that "Killer Deal" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Red Nocturne
Bill Mullen
Roundfire Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785352799, $19.95, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Lilly Rebeck finds herself completely alone in the wake of her father's death in Afghanistan, her mentor's abandonment, and her mother's growing detachment, her only solace being her violin. Driven by loneliness, curiosity, and a unique musical connection, Lilly befriends a mysterious Russian tenant upstairs, unaware that her newfound friendship with this woman would plunge her into a world of arson, murder, and fleeing both the FBI and Chechen mafia. When her world collides with Alexei Volkov, a Russian immigrant paying off an old debt to Chechen mafia, and Anna Stern, a tormented and overworked FBI agent, Lilly must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice for a woman that she has grown to love as a mother, a woman that could be a spy. A riveting and compelling read from first page to last, "Red Nocturne" showcases author Bill Mullen's impressive mastery of the action/suspense genre and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Red Nocturne" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.49).

Horsefever
Lee Hope
www.leehopeauthor.com
New Rivers Press
1104 Seventh Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56563
www.newriverspress.com
9780898233322, $17.00, PB, 355pp, www.amazon.com

Nikole Swensen has the drive and raw talent to compete in the rigorous sport of horse eventing -- and win. But fear holds her back from realizing her full potential. So her husband, a wealthy Vermont landowner, hires Gabe, a gifted former eventer, half paralyzed from a jumping accident. Before long, a powerful spiritual and physical attraction develops between Nikki and Gabe amid the sensual world of horses and riding. As Nikki moves to higher levels of competition, their respective spouses, Cliff and Carla, grow jealous. The two couples become lost in a tangle of ambition and passion, lust and suspicion. Inspired by an actual murder case, "Horsefever" by Lee Hope will prove to be of immense interest to fans of deftly crafted suspense novels, horse enthusiasts, and any who is drawn to the connections between animals and humans. Original, exceptional, and a riveting read from beginning to end, "Horsefever" is all the more impressive considering that it is author Lee Hope's debut as a novelist. "Horsefever" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections.

A Fine Line
Gianrico Carofiglio
Bitter Lemon Press
www.bitterlemonpress.com
9781908524614, $14.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

When Judge Larocca is accused of corruption, Guerrieri goes against his better instincts and takes the case. Helped by Annapaola Doria, a motorbike-riding bisexual private detective who keeps a baseball bat on hand for sticky situations, he investigates the alleged links to the mafia. Of course Guerrieri cannot stop himself from falling for Annapaola's exotic charms. The fifth in the best-selling Guido Guerrieri series "A Fine Line" is another deftly crafted and consistently entertaining read from the pen of Gianrico Carofiglio. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, and for the personal reading lists of Gianrico's fans, it should be noted that "A Fine Line" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.89).

Original Cyn
Sylvia Dickey Smith
www.sylviadickeysmith.com
White Bird Publications
P. O. Box 586, Diana, TX 75640
www.whitebirdpublications.com
9781633631496, $18.99, PB, 350pp, www.amazon.com

Drowning in the lack of identity beyond the one assigned by her preacher-husband, Cynthia wonders whether she should stay in the relationship, but before she can decide, events force her to flee. If she goes far enough fast enough, those back home will have to deal with the chaos they created. Deal with it or go to hell in their sanctimonious handbaskets. Until a phone conversation leaves her with even more difficult choices. "Original Cyn" is a compelling and original story penned by Sylvia Dickey Smith, a truly gifted writer that will leaving her enthusiastic readers looking eagerly toward her next novel. While very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Original Cyn" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).

Tumbled Graves
Brenda Chapman
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459730960, $14.99, PB, 392pp, www.amazon.com

When Adele Delaney and her daughter, Violet, go missing, Jacques Rouleau is called upon to investigate. However, struggling with the impending death of his ill ex-wife, he sends Kala Stonechild and Paul Gundersund instead. Stonechild has been trying to adapt to life as her young cousin Dawn's guardian, and even though Gundersund has offered support, Stonechild is at risk of losing custody. On the second day of the investigation, Adele's body turns up, dumped on the shoulder of the highway with no sign of her daughter. Her husband, Ivo, denies any involvement with either his wife's death or their child's disappearance, but not everyone is convinced. As the investigation unfolds, Stonechild learns that Adele was once entangled with a Montreal biker gang and heads to Quebec to investigate further. As Stonechild and Gundersund juggle personal troubles and a complicated, dangerous case, they find themselves piecing together a chain of disasters leading back to a single betrayal. A terrific read from beginning to end, "Tumbled Graves" is the third novel in author Brenda Chapman's outstanding 'Stonechild & Rouleau mystery series ("Cold Morning" & "Butterfly Kills"). Very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Tumbled Graves" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Don't Speak
J. L. Brown
www.jlbrownauthor.com
JAB Press
PO Box 9462, Seattle, WA 98109
9780996977210, $14.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Ambitious, twenty-something FBI Special Agent Jade Harrington cuts her vacation short to investigate the murder of a conservative radio personality only to discover that he may be the victim of a serial killer. Whitney Fairchild, the elegant and charismatic Democratic senator from Missouri, campaigns in a cutthroat race for president of the United States. Cole Brennan, the most popular conservative talk-show host in the nation, battles nightly to save his country and help the incumbent Republican president maintain his 'inner conservative' to win re-election. The lives of Jade, Whitney, Cole, and the killer (who has an agenda of his own) are on a collision course. That course will not just impact them each in ways they could never have foreseen, but also the future of the United States of America. Amidst a backdrop of contemporary power politics driven by the influence of talk radio and social media, "Don't Speak" deftly explores many of the complex issues facing Americans today in a fictional format that is drawn from the realities of what we see on the nightly news and read in the daily newspaper. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction and Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Don't Speak" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).


The Biography Shelf

The Crippler
Chris Leben
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781634505666, $24.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Chris Leben is a ten-year veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and "The Crippler: Cage Fighting and My Life on the Edge" is the inherently fascinating story of his life with an emphasis on his being a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Leben's reputation started when he appeared on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality show and competition where hopeful fighters live together and vie for a UFC contract and a path to greatness. He quickly made a name for himself with his controversial and abrasive behavior. During his subsequent ten-year career in ultimate fighting, Leben became one of the most recognized figures in the sport, enthralling audiences around the world with his wild, head-first style of fighting as he took on some of the world's best fighters, including Anderson Silva, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Wanderlei Silva. But Leben's success in the ring and international fame hid a troubled background. Abandoned by his father at a young age, Leben's mother worked long hours to raise him and his two siblings, and Leben learned early he had to be tough to fend for himself. For most of his life, Leben struggled with alcohol and narcotics, and he was suspended by the UFC for nine months for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Written with the assistance of Daniel J. Patinkin, "The Crippler" is not just an exciting account of his rise to prominence within the UFC; it's the incredible story of a renowned wild man dealing with his personal demons and learning that the toughest opponent is always yourself. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library American Biography and Mixed Martial Arts collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Crippler" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.99).

1969 and Then Some
Robert Whitner
Yucca Publishing
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
http://www.yuccapub.com
9781631580192, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

1969 was that pivotal year for the baby boomers. Young and innocent, they were given the ultimate freedoms and were faced with growing up. "1969 and Then Some" is Robert Whitner's touching and hilarious memoir relating the true story of a late sixties grand tour of Europe -- a life-defining parable, for those who remember and for those who can't. Never before and not since have a handful of seasons so exquisitely defined the difference between right and wrong. With the gift of youth the youth of that generation saw, sensed, and savored the laughably clear distinction between profit motive and greed, between truth and propaganda, between national interest and defense contractors, between a lovely cloud of smoke and the smoke of napalm, and between the phantoms of security and the dangers of complacency and atrophy. Stoned to the gills and then some, these adventurers saw and felt and knew things that no generation before did. Some fully engaged in the counterculture while others merely observed, sticking a left foot in, pulling a left foot out, but not quite jumping to the full hokeypokey. It was an incredible time of self-discovery, of love, and of finding out what you were made of. Compelling, nostalgic, entertaining, extraordinary, "1969 and Then Some" will prove to be an exceptionally and impressively popular addition to community and academic library American Biography collections. For academia and the non-specialist general reader it should be noted for their personal reading lists that "1969 and Then Some" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.49).


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Astrology, Plain & Simple
Cass & Janie Jackson
Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781571747471 $14.95 pbk / $9.49 Kindle www.amazon.com

Astrology, Plain & Simple presents the basics of Western zodiac astrology in plain terms, accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Readers will learn about the characteristics of each sun sign, how to create a birth chart, how to find one's riding and moon signs, and more. A few of the more advanced astrological topics are also discussed, such as trines, aspects, and conjunctions. Easy to use, Astrology, Plain & Simple is a choice pick for beginners, or anyone curious in learning more about what goes into their daily horoscope.

Dance of Heavenly Bliss
Garnet Schulhauser
Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740
www.ozarkmt.com
9781940265322, $14.25, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com

"Dancing on a Stamp" and "Dancing Forever with Spirit" were the first two volumes in author Garnet Schulhauser's series. Now his third book, "Dance of Heavenly Bliss: Divine Inspiration for Humanity", was specifically written to instill in his readers a recognition of the urgent need to discard their negative emotions and embrace love and compassion for one another, for Mother Earth, and for all the creatures who share our planet. "Dance of Heavenly Bliss" reveals that we are all eternal souls traveling on unique journeys on Earth designed to help us grow and evolve as souls. And when our physical bodies perish we will all return to the spirit side where we will be welcomed back with unconditional love, as we eagerly plan the next steps in our evolution. Very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of the non-specialist general reader with an interest in metaphysical and spirituality studies, it should be noted that "Dance of Heavenly Bliss" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).


The Christian Studies Shelf

Essential Expositions of the Psalms
Saint Augstine, author
Michael Cameron, selection & introduction
Maria Boulding, translator
Boniface Ramsey, editor
New City Press
202 Cardinal Rd., Hyde Park, NY 12538
www.newcitypress.com
9781565485105, $39.95, PB, 514pp, www.amazon.com

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is one of the greatest thinkers and writers of the Western world. After he converted to Christianity he became bishop of Hippo in North Africa, where he was influential in civil and church affairs. His writings have had a lasting impact on Western philosophy and culture. This New City Press edition of "Essential Expositions of the Psalms" is a collection distilled by Michael Cameron from the 6-volume set in the Works of Saint Augustine. As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo. Ably translated into English for the benefit of an American readership by Maria Boulding, "Essential Expositions of the Psalms" is very highly recommended for both seminary and academic library Roman Catholic Theological Studies reference collections in general, and Augustinian Theology supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

The Spirituality of Parenting
Kathy Hendricks
Twenty-Third Publications
1 Montauk Avenue, #200, New London, CT 06320
www.23rdpublications.com
9781627851275, $12.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

Popular speaker, catechetical leader, and consultant Kathy Hendricks is the author of numerous books, including "Prayers and Rituals for the Home" (9781585959419, $12.95, 112pp) and "Forming Families in Faith: Cultivating Catechesis in the Home" (9781627850957, $9.95, 80pp) both of which are highly recommended and available from Twenty-Third Publications). Now in her third family oriented titles for a Christian readership she has written "The Spirituality of Parenting: Connecting Heart and Soul" which has as its focus the message that parents should reflect upon their role responsibilities for the sake of their children, and to nourish their own spirituality while in the midst of their busy and complicated lives. It is critically important for parents to be vigilant in caring for their own spiritual needs, even as they engaging in challenges and experiencing the blessings of family life. "The Spirituality of Parenting" deftly examines four states of the heart: vigilance, joy, heaviness, and hope, and how each of these conditions are founded in stories found in Christian Scriptures, and underscored by Kathy's own family life experiences. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented in a thoroughly 'reader friendly' tone, "The Spirituality of Parenting" is both inspired and inspiring, making it very highly recommended for personal and church library Christian Parenting Skills instructional reference collections.

The Bible in the Literary Imagination of the Spanish Golden Age
Terence O'Reilly
Saint Joseph University Press
5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131
www.sjupress.com
9780916101633, $65.00, HC, 303pp, www.amazon.com

In "The Bible in the Literary Imagination of the Spanish Golden Age", author Terence O'Reilly considers, in a sequence of six informed and informative studies, some of the ways in which the biblical culture of Spain left its impress on the literature and art of the time. It does so by tracing the presence of biblical images in a selection of works composed between the reigns of Ferdinand and Isabella and Philip IV. Together these works represent some of the major genres, literary and artistic, that flourished in the Golden Age, including travelogues, works of devotion, narrative fiction, biblical exegesis, poetry, popular drama, and religious painting. They also illustrate the role played by ancestral images in a period of cultural change. Enhanced with the inclusion of illustrations, a 'Note on Biblical References', an enlightening preface, an instructive introduction, an epilogue, forty-two pages of notes, a forty-eight page bibliography of works cited, a four page biblical index, and an eight page index, "The Bible in the Literary Imagination of the Spanish Golden Age" is an exceptional work of original and illuminating scholarship that is a very highly recommended addition to personal, seminary, church, and academic library Christian Studies collections.

Building Bridges, Not Walls / Construyamos puentes, no muros
John Francis Burke
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500
Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814648087, $24.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

John Francis Burke, PhD, is an author and scholar in political science and religious studies who has taught at Texas State University, Delta State University, the University of Houston-Downtown, the University of St. Thomas, Texas, Cabrini College, and St. Mary's Seminary, Houston, Texas. Professor Burke has extensive experience dealing with social justice and intercultural issues at the parish level, especially from his many years in Texas. In particular, he has a facility for cultivating multicultural/multilingual church choirs. In his bilingual (English/Spanish) "Building Bridges, Not Walls / Construyamos puentes, no muros" he has written an informed and informative work specifically intended for all members of a Roman Catholic parish who are wrestling with how to go about bridging the multiple ethnic, linguistic, and racial communities that increasingly comprise an American parish? With these cultural backgrounds frequently come diverse perspectives on everything from how to communicate with each other to how to understand God. In addition, such cultural divisions all too often manifest differences in the access these communities have to parish decision-making structures. "Building Bridges, Not Walls / Construyamos puentes, no muros" highlights the dramatic impact the growing Latino presence is having in parishes across the country, considers the theology of inculturation and intercultural ministry, and provides practical pastoral ministry suggestions on doing intercultural ministry. Exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, the inspired and inspiring text in presented in both English and Spanish, making it an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, clerical, church, community, and academic library bi-lingual Christian Studies reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Transforming the World
Leo Dee
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242140, $25.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Currently now residing in Efrat, Israel, Leo Dee is a former director at a private equity fund who received his rabbinical ordination in Israel. He was a also community rabbi in a British village in South Hertfordshire where he explored the importance of Judaism. Using history and logic, Rabbi Dee explains in "Transforming the World: The Jewish Impact on Modernity" how Judaism enhances daily life to make it more meaningful. Addressing the fundamental question of why bother being Jewish in a modern world, "Transforming the World" focuses on the tolerance and equality of all mankind that is fundamental in Judaism. With a combination of commandments, traditions, and history, Rabbi Dee shows how Jewish culture transforms a human life and the wider world for the better. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Transforming the World" is very highly recommended for personal, synagogue, community, and academic library Contemporary Judaic Studies reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Political Science Shelf

Grumpy Old Party
Constantinos E. Scaros
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.westbowpress.com
9781512713244, $28.95, HC, 134pp, www.amazon.com

"Grumpy Old Party: 20 Tips on How the Republicans Can Shed Their Anger, Reclaim Their Respectability, and Win Back the White House" by Constantinos E. Scaros (a presidential historian specializing in voter behavior, a political analyst, and an academician who has taught history, political science, law, criminal justice, and journalism for over twenty years at numerous colleges and universities) is a kind of instruction manual for Republican party bosses and conservative activists alike. As vividly manifested by the current chaos and internecine warfare of the Republican presidential nomination race, the party has fractured with an overt hostility of a significant percentage of the Republican base against its own traditional party leadership within congress and without. Deftly organized into four major sections (Foundations; Basic Dos and Don'ts; Reclaiming; Winning), "Grumpy Old Part" offers a practical, principled, effective, reality based approach to reforming the Grand Old Party and increasing its influence with respect to national policy making and securing the loyalty of a voting majority of the American public. "Grumpy Old Party" is very highly recommended for conservative political activists and GOP party leaders. It should be noted that "Grumpy Old Party" is also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781512713251, $11.95) and in a Kindle format ($8.99).


The Needlecraft Shelf

Sewing Happiness
Sanae Ishida
Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Ave, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781570619953, $22.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

When Sanae Ishida was diagnosed with a chronic illness and lost her corporate job, she thought her life was over. But these challenges ended up being the best thing that ever happened to her because they forced her to take stock of her life and focus on the important things, and enabled her to rediscover sewing -- her true passion. "Sewing Happiness: A Year of Simple Projects for Living Well" is comprised of twenty simple sewing projects are tied together with a thread of memoir that tells the story of how sewing brought Sanae profound happiness. Each seasonal project is specially designed to promote health, creativity, relationships and more. Each seasonal project provides gentle inspiration to live your best life. Inspired to succeed at just one thing, Sanae vowed to sew all of her daughter's clothes (and most of her own) for one year. "Sewing Happiness" showcases twenty 'user friendly' projects plus variations (including Japanese-inspired home goods and children's and women's clothing) organized by season, and stitched together with Sanae's own charming and personal story. "Sewing Happiness" is very highly recommended for community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sewing Happiness" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).

Jelly Roll Jazz
Jean Ann Wright
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
www.landauercorp.com
9781935726838, $14.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com

Quilting expert Jean Ann Wright has provided still another outstanding quilting project book with the publication of "Jelly Roll Jazz". Showcasing eight all new and thoroughly 'user friendly' quilting projects made with precut jelly roll strips, "Jelly Roll Jazz" offers easy to follow step-by-step, illustrated instructions that include detailed diagrams that each make each of these quilts a perfect weekend project. Of special note is how Jean Ann is able to consistently create interesting and unique quilt designs to ensure that the quilts comprising "Jelly Roll Jazz" won't look anything like a typical precut quilt! "Jelly Roll Jazz" is very highly recommended for personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Never Again
Heather Starsong
Barking Rain Press
c/o BRP Publishing Group
PO Box 822674, Vancouver, WA, 98682
www.barkingrainpress.org
9781941295267, $13.95, PB, 186pp, www.amazon.com

Struck by lightning on her annual birthday hike to a favorite mountain meadow in Colorado, 80-year-old Clara Norwood closes her eyes, expecting to die. Instead, she wakes up on an Elirian spaceship. When she is returned to Earth, however, Clara realizes that the Elirians did more than simply heal her injuries. They also reversed all the ravages of aging, and she is once again a beautiful young woman. At first Clara rejoices in her newfound strength and energy, but before long her 80-year-old spirit begins to feel at odds with her youthful body. She is uncomfortable with the all the electronic gadgets of the 21st century and dreads the prospect of outliving her friends and family. She is also mystified by the unexpected attention she receives from men who are younger than her own adult children -- and completely unprepared for the new realities of modern dating and romance! Original, deftly crafted, absorbingly entertaining from beginning to end, Heather Starsong's "Never Again" is a compelling read and clearly establishes this author as an impressively talented storyteller who will leave her readers looking eagerly toward her next novel. Very highly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Never Again" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.95).

PSI Explorers
J. Patrick Conlon
America Star Books
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0184
http://store.americastarbooks.pub
9781627720885, $27.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

After an extensive period of healing from the almost fatal attack of the mad ethereal entity, three sets of triplets set out to explorer the world around them to include anomalies within our solar system. Their genetic design is following their programmer's design which includes them growing to adulthood at eight years old. Then it's get pregnant or the girls, who are earth's primary defenders, will lose their powers. An original and deftly crafted novel by gifted storyteller J. Patrick Conlon, "PSI Explorers" is a compelling and entertaining read from beginning to end and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "PSI Explorers" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).


The Martial Arts Shelf

Judo: Seven Steps To Black Belt
Rodolfo Tello
Amakella Publishing
www.amakella.com
9781633870017, $14.99, PB, 121pp, www.amazon.com

Displaying the most impressive throws, decisive armbars, dominant pins, and effective chokes, judo is a particularly powerful sport and martial art that can bring opponents into submission in highly assertive ways. With determination and perseverance, such tremendous power could be yours. Designed with safety considerations in mind, judo allows people of all ages to be involved in a long-term fitness activity with opportunities for continuous improvement. The practice of judo is a way of life that promotes physical and mental harmony, which contributes to a balanced lifestyle. It is also an Olympic sport that has been gaining increasing worldwide visibility. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Judo: Seven Steps To Black Belt" by Rodolfo Tello is impressively 'user friendly in tone, commentary, and content, making it extraordinarily informed and informative. Very highly recommended for personal, dojo, community, and academic library Martial Arts instructional reference collections in general, and Judo Studies reading lists in particular.


The Cookbook Shelf

Israel Eats
Steven Rothfeld
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423640363, $35.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Steven Rothfeld is a world-class photographer specializing in luxury imagery. So it is no surprise to find that his first cookbook should be graced by absolutely gorgeous full color images throughout. The result of having spent several months traveling through Israel to explore the vibrant food scene, and with the locals guiding him from one great restaurant to another, as well as to the Israeli growers and producers of fine foods as well, "Israel Eats" is a delicious compilation of stories and recipes showcasing Israel's food culture today. It should be noted that in "Israel Eats", Rothfeld's friend Nancy Silverton contributes ten dishes inspired by the delicious fusion styles that are taking the Israeli culinary community by storm. Featuring thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, the dishes range from Mushroom Falafel with herb Tabouleh and Sweet and Spicy Yogurt Sauces; Carrot, Cilantro, and Preserved Lemon Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing; and Galilean Kugel; to Glazed Burrata with pumpkin Carpaccio, Pumpkin Seeds, and Fried Sage; Tel-Aviv Style Ashkenazi Knafeh; Broccli Pie; and Pan-Fried Grouper with Jerusalem Artichoke Stew and Clams. As much a pleasure to browse through as it is to plan authentic Israeli menus with, "Israel Eats" is very highly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.

A Taste of Torah
Aviv Harkov
Gefen Publishing House
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789652296672, $29.95, HC, 216pp, www.amazon.com

Aviv Harkov is a twenty-two-year-old amateur cook who started cooking, perched on a stool, as her mother's sous chef. Raised on the principles and love of Shabbat described in the pages of "A Taste for Torah", she has since gone from sous chef to local caterer and the head chef at home as she prepares for Shabbat each week. In "A Taste of Torah" she has compiled a culinary wealth of beautifully illustrated recipes that are ideal for planning a Shabbat menu with. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, the recipes are arranged by courses and include appetizers, salads, side dishes, main courses, and desserts. With appetite-satisfying and palate-pleasing dishes ranging from Roasted Red Pepper Soup; Rustic Grape Salad; and Shepherdess Pie; to Lamb and Mint Stew; Almond-Crusted Salmon with Lemon, White Wine and Scallion Sauce; and Chocolate-Covered Sea Salt Caramel Matzo, "A Taste of Torah" will prove to be a highly prized and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library Ethnic Cuisine cookbook collections.

Fire Pit Cooking
Vanessa Bante
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423641728, $15.99, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Vanessa Bante is a baking and pastry chef with a strong culinary background. In her travels across the United States, she has learned about different styles of food and enjoys creating new deconstructed recipes from what she has tasted along the way. With "Fire Pit Cooking", she focuses on dishes that are cooked on an open fire. With one or a few fun-to-use tools (pie irons, foil, Tarts on Fire, sweet sticks or simply a dowel) by following the thoroughly 'user friendly' recipes that comprise "Fire Pit Cooking", anyone can make family-friendly dishes over a backyard fire pit or at a campground. With 75 scrumptious recipes ranging from Apple and Cheese Quesadillas; Spaghetti Pie Iron Sandwiches; Maple Chicken with Sweet Potatoes in Foil; and Pretzel Sticks with Beer Cheese Sauce; to Blueberry and Chocolate Iron Sandwich; Fire-Roasted Ratatouille; Rustic White Pizza with Scallops and Pancetta; Lemon Mousse in Phyllo Cups; and Bite-Sized Strawberry Angel Food Cake with Chocolate will satisfy any appetite and please any palate. Beautifully illustrated throughout, Vanessa Bante's "Fire Pit Cooking" is enthusiastically recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Dry Aging Meat at Home
Warren R. Anderson
Burford Books, Inc.
101 East State Street, #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.burfordbooks.com
9781580801799, $16.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Drying meat is the oldest known form of food preservation known to human history and every aboriginal culture. Today dry-aged meat is a meat lover's dream, featuring succulence and flavor that no other meat can match. Typically such meats are available only in elite steakhouse restaurants or high-end specialty butcher shops, at a cost far beyond the pocketbook of most consumers. But now this ultimate expression of meaty flavor is available to all, with the surprisingly simple but detailed instructions in this handy guide. All that's needed is a small refrigerator, a fan, a remote thermometer, and a copy of Warren Anderson's "Dry Aging Meat at Home: A Complete Guide for Dry Aging Beef, Duck, Game, and Other Meat". With these tools anyone can dry age beef, duck, goose, lamb, goat, venison and other game, and more. "Dry Aging Meat at Home" examines the cuts of meat to choose and how to trim them. Exact, step-by-step instructions for dry aging each kind of meat are covered in full detail. "Dry Aging Meat at Home" also addresses health and food-safety concerns in detail, and gives guidelines for how long each meat should be aged. Cooking notes are also included. "Dry Aging Meat at Home" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library Food Preparation & Cookbook collections.


The Travel Shelf

Lonely Planet USA
Regis St Louis, et al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781743218617, $29.99, PB, 1216pp, www.amazon.com

Simply stated, "Lonely Planet USA" is the premier travel guide and a kind of passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await the traveler throughout America from the mile-deep chasm of the Grand Canyon, to iconic cities like New York, to sultry southern music and food stir your soul, and so very much more. "Lonely Planet USA" features: Color maps and images throughout; Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests; Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots; Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices; Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss; Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including history, art, literature, cinema, music, architecture, politics, landscapes, national parks, wildlife, cuisine and wine; Over 96 maps. Covering New England, New York, the Mid-Atlantic, Florida, the South, Great Lakes, Great Plains, Texas, Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Pacific Northwest, California, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, "Lonely Planet USA" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library American Travel Guide collections. It should be noted for the active traveler that "Lonely Planet USA" is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.43).

Canoeing & Kayaking Georgia, second edition
Suzanne Welander & Bob Shelinger
Menasha Ridge Press
2204 - 1st Avenue South, Suite 102, Birmingham, AL 35233
www.menasharidge.com
9781634040068, $18.95, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

Covering thousands of miles of Georgia's waterways, and collaboratively compiled by the team of Suzanne Welander and Bob Shelinger, "Canoeing & Kayaking Georgia" is the ideal guide to Georgia's whitewater to wilderness swamps -- and pretty much everything in between. Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "Canoeing & Kayaking Georgia" incorporates the exhilarating new urban whitewater course in Columbus, and the recently established water trails that actively welcome recreational paddlers throughout the state. Now expanded to cover more waterways in Southwest Georgia, including the Kinchafoonee, Muckalee, and Ichawaynochaway Creeks, canoe and kayaking enthusiasts will only need their personal copy of "Canoeing & Kayaking Georgia" to figure out where to float, no matter what type of boat they paddle. An ideal travel guide profusely enhanced with maps and charts, "Canoeing & Kayaking Georgia" is very highly recommended for community library Travel Guide and Water Sports reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Canoeing & Kayaking Georgia" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands
Gertrude Hirschi
Weiser Publishers
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578631391, $16.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Mudras (also playfully called "finger power points") are yoga positions for your hands and fingers. They can be practiced sitting, lying down, standing, or walking, at any time and place. Schooled in the traditional knowledge of this eastern art of healing, well-known Swiss yoga teacher, Gertrud Hirschi, shows how these easy techniques can recharge personal energy reserves and improve quality of life. These mysterious healing gestures can calm the stress, aggravations, and frustrations of everyday life. Readers will learn how to apply these simple exercises to prevent illness and support the healing of a great variety of physical and emotional problems; use mudras to promote spiritual development; and additionally intensify the effect with breathing exercises, affirmations, visualizations, herbs, nutrition, music, and colors. Also included are several full-body mudras and exercises to enhance any meditation and yoga practice. Helpfully illustrated with line drawings throughout, "Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands" by Gertrude Hirshi (an experienced yoga instructor with her own yoga school in Zurich, Switzerland) is especially 'user friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, making it an ideal addition to personal, community, and academic library Yoga Exercise instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.98).


The Photography Shelf

Kentucky: A Photographic Journey
Linda Doane
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560375906, $12.95, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com

Linda Doane has worked as a commercial and assignment photographer for 29 years. Her powerful images have won awards at the local and national levels as well as featuring in many magazines and books. She has assisted in photographic workshops in Alaska, Africa, and Indonesia. In the pages of "Kentucky: A Photographic Journey", armchair travelers will traverse the Bluegrass State with Linda as she takes them to not only the heart of horse country, but through miles of scenic lakes and rivers, cities and towns, historic Civil War sites and Shaker villages. Along the way, "Kentucky: A Photographic Journey" provides an unforgettable glimpse of Kentucky's bourbon culture, farmers markets, and its many festivals, including the celebrated Kentucky Derby. "Kentucky: A Photographic Journey" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary American Photography collections.

Andrew Lyght: Full Circle
L. H. Roper, et al.
Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art
c/o State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9780692405925, $45.00, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com

A compendium of flawlessly reproduced photography, "Andrew Lyght: Full Circle" is a venture into the departures, encounters, discoveries, and transgressions that inform Andrew Lyght's artistic practice and life. While living and working for decades in various cultural contexts such as Guyana, Canada, and the United States, Lyght has pursued an extensive inquiry into the mechanics of art making. Curated by Tumelo Mosaka, "Andrew Lyght: Full Circle" is the artist's first museum exhibition since he moved to Kingston, New York in 2006. Best known for his flexible and volumetric forms, vibrant paintings, and abstract linear drawings, Lyght creates a wide range of works that analyze the structural properties of painting and reanimate pictorial space as an open system. Over the many years he has developed an art form that explores the built environment as a dynamic pictorial subject, introducing new ways of seeing the world around us. In addition to an informed and informative commentary, each individual photographic image is captioned for the benefit of the reader. "Andrew Lyght: Full Circle" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Photography reference collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Automotive Shelf

Sox & Martin
Jim Schild
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613252147, $34.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

As the sport of drag racing exploded in the 1950s, two young men from North Carolina rose through the ranks racing Chevrolets. It didn't take long for Buddy Martin to realize that if he couldn't beat Ronnie Sox it was best to join him. So Martin approached Sox about campaigning a 1963 Z-11 Chevy; and with that partnership, the most dominant duo in the history of drag racing was formed. "Sox & Martin: The Most Famous Team in Drag Racing" is a comprehensive archival recap of straight-line racing's greatest duo. Historic and modern photos recapture the celebrated Plymouth race cars campaigned by Ronnie and Buddy throughout their legendary partnership. Also chronicled are the lesser-known Oldsmobile, Ford, Pontiac, Chevrolet, and Mercury mounts predating their time with Chrysler. The races, the cars, the events; all of it is covered here during this golden age of drag racing. Impressively informative and exceptionally well organized and presented, "Sox & Martin" by Jim Schild (with the help of Buddy Martin, Herb McCandless, Jake King, Diane Sox, and others) is a "must read" for all drag racing enthusiasts and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library Automotive History reference collections.

Pontiac Concept and Show Cars
Don Keefe
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613252161, $39.95, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing Club De Mer, Banshee, GTO Flamme, Cirrus, Firebird Pegasus and more iconic Pontiac concept cars, "Pontiac Concept and Show Cars" by automotive expert Don Keefe, car enthusiasts will learn how Pontiac did such a great job of distinguishing itself from the other GM brands. Not only did it create the GTO, Firebird, Trans Am and Bonneville, but the company's dedicated staff designed, developed, and built some of the most audacious and progressive experimental and concept cars. Informed and informative, profusely illustrated, and a pure pleasure to browse through "Pontiac Concept and Show Cars" is very highly recommended for community and academic library Automotive History collections, as well as the personal reading lists of dedicated car fans.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Coffee Break Screenwriter, second edition
Pilar Alessandraw
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932429, $26.95, PB, 270pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of this newly revised and expanded second edition of "The Coffee Break Screenwriter: Writing Your Script Ten Minutes at a Time" by Pilar Alessandra (who is the director of the writing program On the Page, and host of the popular On the Page Podcast), the aspiring screenwriter will receive invaluable guidance and practical tips at every stage of the often intimidating writing process with a relaxed, "ten minutes at a time" method that focuses the writer and pushes him or her forward. At each step, writers are encouraged to "Take Ten" and tackle an element of their script using the templates and tools provided. "What You've Accomplished" sections help writers review their progress. And "Ten-Minute Lectures" distill and demystify old school theory, allowing the writer to unblock and get writing. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "The Coffee Break Screenwriter" will prove to be an enduringly valued and useful addition to personal, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections.

Scenes and Sequels
Mike Klaassen
www.mikeklaassen.com
BookBaby
www.bookbaby.com
9781682229071, $14.99, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Most books about the craft of writing fiction don't even define a scene, much less describe how to write one. Even fewer address sequels. Scenes are the exciting, turbocharged parts of fiction, driving the story forward. Sequels provide a breather, where the focal character can celebrate or lick his wounds and plan his next move. Together, scenes and sequels help create page-turning fiction. The concept of scenes and sequels were championed by Dwight V. Swain (1915-1992) and Jack M. Bickham (1930-1997). In "Scenes and Sequels: How to Write Page-Turning Fiction" published author Mike Klaassen deftly builds on the work of Swain and Bickham to create the most comprehensive and concise explanation of scenes and sequels anywhere. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Scenes and Sequels" is enhanced for the aspiring author with the inclusion of a seventeen page glossary of fiction-writing terms; a four page bibliography; a four page index, and eight pages of end notes. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content, and presentation, "Scenes and Sequels" will prove to be an invaluable instruction guide and reference. Very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing reference collections, it should be noted that "Scenes and Sequels" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Education Shelf

Leadership And Soft Skills For Students
Cary J. Green
Dog Ear Publishing
4011 Vincennes Road, New Augusta, IN 46268-3005
www.dogearpublishing.net
9781457539190, $19.99, PB, 164pp, www.amazon.com

In today's competitive landscape truly successful students and young professionals exhibit certain skills that make them really stand out from the crowd. They communicate well, dress and act professionally, solve problems, and seem to be natural leaders. Now anyone can acquire these important leadership and soft skills with "Leadership And Soft Skills For Students: Empowered To Succeed In High School, College, And Beyond" by Cary J. Green. An accomplished academician, Green draws upon his many years of teaching and mentoring students to show how students can thrive in their education and in their career by applying the three Rs: Readiness, Relationships, and Results. Readiness teaches you self-awareness. Relationships teaches you to communicate effectively and connect with others in your personal and professional life. Results teaches you to be future-oriented and to set and achieve your goals. "Leadership And Soft Skills For Students" will prove to be an invaluable and instructive advisory whether the reader is in high school, college, or graduate school, or is beginning a post-school career. Very highly recommended for highschool, community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Leadership And Soft Skills For Students" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

1,138 GMAT Practice Questions, third edition
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780375427480, $21.99, PB, 768pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated third edition, "1,138 GMAT Practice Questions" helps to prepare students for every kind of question they will encounter when taking the GMAT. Each section is tackled by drilling down to core concepts and problem types, so that students can approach the test with confidence and practice their way to perfection! Features include: Extensive Practice with Integrated Reasoning Questions: 100 multi-part practice problems, including online questions for a realistic testing experience; Hands-on experience with table analysis, two-part analysis, graphics interpretation, and multi-source reasoning. Everything You Need to Know about Quantitative Questions: Tips and techniques for dealing with tricky "trap" answers; Subject-specific drills to strengthen algebra, arithmetic, geometry, and statistics skills; and Essential Exposure to Verbal Questions: Tactics for dealing with various passage types, including social sciences and business; Grammar-enhancing drills to prepare for sentence corrections; Clear and concise ways to approach the challenges of critical reasoning. "1,138 GMAT Practice Questions" is an essential and core addition to highschool and community library college preparatory instructional reference collections. Highly recommended!


The Activity Shelf

Magical Abstracts Coloring Book: Magical Designs
Samantha Snyder
Doodle Art Alley Books
c/o AKA Associates
www.akabooks.com
9780997102154, $9.95, PB, 104pp, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to Samantha Snyder's outstanding "Doodle Art Alley Books series of coloring books for adults, "Magical Abstracts Coloring Book: Magical Designs" features 50 stress relieving, fun and relaxing abstract design patterns organized from simple to more intricate so that anyone can create their own beautiful pictures from swirling forms, symmetrical patterns, and other amazing abstract designs. Each individual designs is printed on one side of the page. This fifth volume in the Doodle Art Alley Books is a lot of fun and highly recommended as being perfect for adults and older teens (along with younger kids).

Train Your Brain Puzzle Book: Perplexing Puzzles
Tasha Percy, editor
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438008462 $7.99 www.barronseduc.com

Train Your Brain Puzzle Book: Perplexing Puzzles is a consumable activity book for all ages, packed with 84 word, maze, logic, and math puzzles (note that only simple math skills are required, not algebra). Bring a pencil and get to thinking! The colorful pages are easy on the eyes, and answers are in the back of the book - the reader is on the honor system. "Puzzle 25: Which number comes next in the following sequence? 30, 24, 19, 15, 12, 10, ?" Train Your Brain Puzzle Book is a treat for puzzle fans, and a great way to keep one's brain engaged during downtime. Also highly recommended are the other volumes in the Train Your Brain Puzzle Book series: "Cranium Crunchers" (9781438008455), "Brain-Scrambling Challenges" (9781438007663), "Mind-Melting Conundrums" (9781438007670), "Mind-Twisting Puzzles" (9781438005379), "Brain-Bending Challenges" (9781438005386), and "Super-Tricky Teasers" (9781438005393).


The Fashion Shelf

The Finest Menswear in the World
Simon Crompton
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500518090, $40.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

With impeccable taste and an unerring eye for quality, connoisseur Simon Crompton (a writer and editor best known for his hugely popular blog Permanent Style and for being editor-at-large of The Rake) seeks out the world's most beautifully crafted contemporary menswear, item by item, from the Panama hat to the Milanese buttonhole and presents them with erudite commentary in the pages of "The Finest Menswear in the World: The Craftsmanship of Luxury". In profiles of fourteen distinguished companies that design, make, and sell their own products, "The Finest Menswear in the World" tells the story of how each luxury item is crafted, explaining the subtle but crucial difference a hand-stitched seam, perfectly cut sleeve, or screen-printed silk can make. Augmented by extensive, specially commissioned photographs, "The Finest Menswear in the World" deftly delves into every element of the well-dressed man's wardrobe, both business and casual, from shirts to shoes, suits to scarves, and bags to umbrellas. With Crompton's expert and informative guidance comprising "The Finest Menswear in the World", the discerning gentleman can dress himself head to toe in the finest menswear in the world. Enhanced with the inclusion of 350 illustrations, "The Finest Menswear in the World" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Fashion History reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

What Did You Eat Yesterday? 10
Fumi Yoshinaga
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993247 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com

What Did You Eat Yesterday? 10 continues a unique culinary manga (Japanese comics) series. The story follows the everyday lives of an eclectic set of characters, but the common thread lies in their appreciation of masterful cooking; every chapter devotes several pages to describe the preparation, service, and enjoyment of a specific dish, in such detail as to encourage the reader to try making it at home! The context of these delicious meals is quite varied, as a restaurant heiress contemplates her engagement to a man who rejected her advances ten years ago; the senior member of a gay couple reflects that he isn't as focused on the future as he thought he was; and visits with family and friends reveal unexpected secrets. Connoisseurs of manga and fine food alike will fiend What Did You Eat Yesterday? a delectable delight!

Nichijou My Ordinary Life 2
Keiichi Arawi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993315 $10.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Nichijou My Ordinary Life 2 continues the lighthearted, humorous, mixed-up manga (Japanese comics) medley of grade school students and their allegedly "ordinary" lives. Even though one of them is a robot. And one of them can only express her hidden crush through increasingly fantastic displays of artillery. And then the child-scientist who built the robot invents a device that enables her newly-adopted cat to speak! (Cat: "How old are you kids?" Scientist: "I'm 8...". Robot: "I'm 1." Cat: "Well, I'm 20 in cat years. So call me... Mr. Sakamoto.") Loopy escalation and gentle humor are the order of the day! The episodic, slice-of-weird-life format of Nichijou My Ordinary Life makes volume 2 (or any volume) an accessible jumping-on point to comedy connoisseurs.

Mysterious Girlfriend X, volume 1
Riichi Ueshiba
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993452 $15.95 www.vertical-inc.com

The debut volume of Mysterious Girlfriend X is an ever-so-slightly off-kilter romance/comedy/daily life manga (Japanese comics). Akira Tsubaki is a more-or-less ordinary high school boy, who has never had a serious girlfriend before. He finds the new transfer student Mikoto Urabe sleeping on her desk at the end of her school day; after waking her up, he touches and tastes the drool she left behind on a whim... that ends up changing his life! A connection blossoms between Akira and Mikoto, but even though Akira cares about his new girlfriend, he doesn't completely understand her, or her obsession with scissors, or her high level of caution about progressing their romance. And could the power of Urabe's drool-bond affect other people as well? Alternately weird, wacky, sexy, and heartwarming, Mysterious Girlfriend X is enthusiastically recommended.

Cinebook Ltd.
56 Beech Ave., Canterbury, Kent, CT4 7TA, UK
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com

Brimming with intense action and drama, three full color Cinebook graphic novel serials captivate the reader's imagination - and their sense of fear. "Namibia Episode 1" (9781849182812 $11.95) begins a five-volume sci-fi series following Kathy Austin, a British secret agent dispatched to Africa, where she discovers that humans may not be the most dangerous things on earth! "Spooks 6: Seth" (9781849182881, $15.95) concludes an arc in which turn-of-the-century agents are caught between a woman with psychic powers and a malicious alternate personality, the obsessive father who believes that the only way to stop her alter ego is to kill her, and her megalomaniacal grandfather. "Insiders 5: Destination Gulag" (9781849182898, $11.95) continues the story of Najah, an undercover agent sent to infiltrate a global mafia that threatens to corrupt and seize control of entire nations. But how can Najah undermine the criminal cartel's roots in Russia, when she herself is arrested and sent to a forced-labor camp? All three titles are highly recommended for older teen and adult readers (ages 15+).


The Audiobook Shelf

Never Sleep Alone
Dr. Alex Schiller
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
9781504710787 $19.95 www.BlackstoneAudio.com

Writer, performer, and producer Dr. Alex Schiller (not a medical doctor) presents Never Sleep Alone, a sex and dating guide that blends tongue-in-cheek humor with a deep understanding of sociosexual desire. Now in an unabridged audiobook rendition read by Schiller herself, Never Sleep Alone offers basic principles for building connections, so that dedicated listeners will never sleep alone - unless they choose to! Delightfully witty and insightful, Never Sleep Alone is utterly fascinating whether or not one is actively participating in the dating game. Highly recommended. 3 CDs, 3 1/2 hours.

Fire Touched
Patricia Briggs
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781455820139, $24.99, MP3, www.amazon.com

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae. Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched? "Fire Touched" is another outstanding action/adventure fantasy story from the pen of Patricia Briggs. The ninth and newest addition to the Mercy Thompson series, this complete and unabridged audio book edition is ably narrated by Lorelei King who gives a truly impressive performance. "Fire Touched" is very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections. (1 disc, 10 hours, 8 minutes).

The Midnight Assassin
Skip Hollandsworth, author
Read by Clint Jordan
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427261779 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Award-winning journalist Skip Hollandsworth presents The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer, a true crime saga about a nightmarish killer who committed grisly murders in Austin, Texas during the late 1800's. Now available as an unabridged audiobook, The Midnight Assassin recounts the gruesome details of a murderer who preferred to strike while his victims were asleep in their beds, and who carried out brutal mutilations. The killer targeted mostly women (both black and white), but men were also victimized. Panic eventually escalated to nighttime vigilante patrols, and the string of murders ended after a year. Speculation remains to this day concerning who the killer was and what became of him, including a theory that he traveled to England and became Jack the Ripper. Horrifying in the extreme, The Midnight Assassin is a "must" for true crime enthusiasts... just don't listen to it right before bedtime! 8 CDs, 9 hours.

Marine Cadet
Tim C. Taylor, author
Tom Zingarelli, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781515950202, $24.99, 12 CDs, www.amazon.com

"Marine Cadet" is set in the year 2565 AD. That's when seventeen-year-old Marine cadet Arun McEwan forges an unlikely friendship with an alien scribe, he crashes into a world of treachery and conspiracy. How can he possibly survive three more years until graduation when every day brings a new deadly threat? But survive he must because his new alien allies show him glimpses of his destiny-a vision of a better future that only he can forge. A dream called the Human Legion. "Marine Cadet" is the first volume of a new and outstanding science fiction series that will prove to be a "must" from the pen of Tim Taylor, who has proven to be a master of the genre. This complete and unabridged audio book production is dramatically narrated by veteran voice actor Tom Zingarelli. The result is some ten and a half hours of pure 'theatre of the mind' listening pleasure. "Marine Cadet" is very highly recommended for personal and community library science fiction audio book collections.

Being True
Tami Simon
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781622036134 $29.95 www.soundstrue.com

Tami Simon, the founder of the Sounds True multimedia publishing house, presents Being True: What Matters Most in Work, Life, and Love. Offering a lifetime's worth hard-learned lessons about the facing obstacles to work, love and relationships, and the pursuit of happiness, Being True discusses five keys for living with integrity; how to apply one's highest spiritual values to both at the workplace and at home; Simon's encounters with wise and enlightened teachers; and more. A boundless font of inspiration and encouragement, Being True is highly recommended. 4 CDs, 4 hours 38 min.

Finding God in the Hard Times
Matt and Beth Redman
Read by Reed Walker
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781613757567 $12.99 www.oasisaudio.com

Finding God in the Hard Times is the unabridged audiobook Matt and Beth Redman's guide to keeping one's heart and soul pious no matter how difficult one's road happens to be. It can be difficult to remember God's love when one experiences hardship and suffering; Finding God in Hard Times shows how to draw comfort from psalms, which often reflect upon terrible or tragic circumstances, and how one's personal choices set a path that embraces God or turns away from Him. Profound and thoughtful, Finding God in the Hard Times is highly recommended especially for personal reflection and church library audiobook collections. 2 CDs, PDF included.


The Music CD Shelf

Strange Monsters: A Music & Words Collaboration
Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam and Peter Brewer
bonniejostufflebeam.com
EasyBrewStudio.com
$9.99 CD / $7.99 download www.cdbaby.com

Strange Monsters: A Music & Words Collaboration is a unique hybrid of audiobook anthology and music CD. Each track consists of a brief fiction story (or poem) set to contemporary jazz music and performed by actors. The tales meld elements of surreal fantasy and fearful suspense: Rumpelstiltskin's wife is questioned by police over the disappearance of a local boy; a cursed ballerina who yearns only to dance must deal with an obsessive fan and the hatefully jealous director of her ballet company; a group of do-nothing friends in love with the same woman discover disturbing skeletons of extinct animals on a treacherous camping trip; and more. Haunting, ethereal, and unforgettable, Strange Monsters is music-storytelling fusion experience like no other. Highly recommended. The tracks are "The Stink of Horses", "Mrs. Stiltskin", "Skeletons", "No Eyes", "Selected Poems", and "Where You Came From".

Funk 'n' Feathers
Cha Wa
UPT Music
$12.97 CD / $9.99 download www.cdbaby.com

Funk 'n' Feathers is the debut full-length CD of Mardi Gras Indian funk band Cha Wa. Known for their exciting live performances, Cha Wa kicks it up a notch with percussive frenzy, joyful vocals, booming bass, alluring guitar and more. A vibrant balance between Mardi Gras Indian traditional music and unfettered street funk, Funk 'n' Feathers is a "must" for fans of the genre! The tracks are "Injuns, Here They Come" (4:11), "Ooh Na Nay" (3:39), "UPT" (3:20), "Shallow Water" (5:11), "Jock-A-Mo" (3:47), "Hold 'em Joe" (3:59), "All on a Mardi Gras Day" (4:13), "Li'l Liza Jane" (4:38), "Tootie Ma" (4:05), and "Cha Wa Got Fiya" (3:34).

Petal
Avataar
sundarmusic.com
$12.97 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

Petal is an album that fuses East Indian classical music with jazz, ambient music, and more. Indian elements include the tabla, a type of Indian drum, and mesmerizing vocals. An extraordinary, rich sensory cultivation, Petal is especially recommended for world music collections. The tracks are "Agra" (6:57), "Banda Aceh (6:58), "Monsoon" (3:48), "The Long Dream" (6:19), "Infinite Open" (5:28), "Raudra" (7:29), "Petal (the space betwen)" (5:50), "Ishwar" (5:45), "Annapoorna" (7:52), and "Petal (ephemerata)" (5:43).

Monistic Theory
Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate
www.joeandsekou.com
Cumbancha
www.cumbancha.com
$11.99 CD / $7.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Folk/funk/hip-hop musician Joe Driscoll and Guinea-born musician Sekou Kouyate have created their second album as a duo, Monistic Theory. Kouyate's skill with the kora (a 21-stringed West African harp) is superbly balanced with Joe Driscoll's guitar in this original showcase of entrancing songs with stirring vocals. A "must" for world fusion connoisseurs! The tracks are "Tamala" (3:31), "Just Live" (3:39), "Tokira" (4:16), "Monistic Theory" (3:60), "Batafa" (3:49), "Barra" (4:21), "Rising Tide" (3:34), "Wama" (4:34), "Badiya" (4:17), and "Master Blaster (Live)" (3:48). Also highly recommended is the Haitian roots music album "Wa Di Yo" ($11.39 CD / $7.99 MP3), an extraordinary expression of courage and hope by the multigenerational collective group Lakou Mizik.

Cosmic Connections Live
Deva Premal & Miten with Manose
White Swan Records
$16.99 CD www.amazon.com

Cosmic Connections Live is an album recorded live during the 2014-2015 world tour of Deva Premal & Miten with Manose, featuring a glorious concert of tanpura, keyboard, guitar, wood flute, and dulcet singing. The songs are spiritually inspired, and encourage the listener to seek peace through meditation and forming bonds. Cosmic Connections Live is a transcendental experience, highly recommended. the tracks are "OM sahana vavtu mantra", "mangalam", "nam myoho renge kyo mantra", "OM kumara mantra", "rang de""white cloud white swan", "native son", "audience OM", and bonus studio track "OM mantra (the cosmic yes)".

Believe
Take 6
http://take6.com
Sono Recording Group
sonorecordinggroup.com
$11.92 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com

African-American a cappella group Take 6 has earned an immense reckoning of prestigious awards, including ten Grammys, ten Dove Awards, a Soul Train music award, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and much more. Their latest album is Believe, featuring songs about love, grief, hope, and remembrance. An absolute "must have" for a cappella connoisseurs, Believe is a showcase of consummate vocal talent, and includes a guest appearance by Stevie Wonder. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Beautiful Day", "Reset", "You Know You're in Love", "When Angels Cry", "here in L.A.", "Walk Away", "Statistic", "You Make Me Happy", "On Your Side", "Keep the Faith", "You're All I Need", "Song For You", "5 Minutes with God", and "When Angels Cry (A Cappella)".

Jupiter
Silva
Six Degrees Records
www.slapmusica.com
$9.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com

Brazilian singer Silva presents his third full-length album Jupiter, a music CD mystical pop drawing elements from bossa nova, R&B, electronica, and hip-hop, performed in melodic Portuguese. Hypnotically lilting, Jupiter balances its smooth, resonating vocals with shifting soundscapes, and is a choice pick for world music aficionados. The tracks are "Jupiter", "Sufoco", "Eu sempre quis", "Feliz e ponto", "Io", "Sou desse jeito", "Nas horas", "Se ela voltar", "Marina", "Deixa eu te falar", and "Noticias".

The Art of Balance
Mighty Mystic
mightymystic.com
$9.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com

Reggae artist Mighty Mystic (a.k.a. Kevin Holness) presents his third album The Art of Balance, which draws upon his Jamaican and American roots. The songs revolve around the central theme of balance, not only in the arts but in everyday life, whether between laughter and tears or hard work and play. Free-spirited and adventurous, The Art of Balance is a unique experience for fans of original reggae, highly recommended. The tracks are "How I Rock", "Rebels", "Something Bout Mary", "Red Light Girl", "How Many Miles", "Fast Car", "Woman", "Easy", "Solid As A Rock", "Boys In Blue", "Only Birds", "High Grade", "Is Not Gold", "Only the Strong", and "Blackened".

Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
www.amazon.com www.cdbaby.com

Three New Age CDs from Heart Dance Records soothe the spirit and enrich the psyche, each in its own way. Michelle Qureshi's "Scattering Stars" ($14.99 CD / $9.49 MP3, michellequreshi.com) is an ambient, instrumental album, drawing inspiration from Sufi mysticism and the writing sof Rumi and Hafiz. "Eterna" ($14.99 CD, davidwdonner.com) is the debut solo finger-style guitar album of David W. Donner, primarily played on the first guitar he ever owned - a gift from his grandmother twenty years ago, and the age of its wood lends a unique quality to Donner's original compositions. Flautist Sherry Finzer, guitarist Darin Mahoney, and Grammy-nominated percussion artist Will Clipman combine their talents in "Trialogue" ($14.99 CD / $9.49 MP3, sherryfinzer.com, darinmahoney.net, willclipman.com), a soaring soundscape with a motivating beat that enlivens the imagination and invites the listener to move with the music. All three soul-stirring creations, highly recommended especially for connoisseurs.


The DVD Shelf

And Then There Were None
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$34.99 www.acornonline.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, And Then There Were None is the mini-series adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic mystery-thriller. Set just before the outbreak of World War II, the story unfolds as ten strangers are lured to an isolated island, each under different pretenses. Each has a dark secret in their past... and when one of them is suddenly found dead, the true reason for their invitation becomes horrifyingly clear. Superb performances by a cast of talented actors and actresses distinguish this suspenseful saga of murder and revenge. Bonus features include a behind-the-scenes featurette (43 min.), an interview with screenwriter Sarah Phelps (15 min.), and a photo gallery. And Then There Were None is an absolute "must-have" for connoisseurs of Agatha Christie's novels! It should be noted that And Then There Were None contains strong language, graphic violence, disturbing images, and sexual situations. 3 episodes on 2 discs, SDH subtitles, widescreen.

19-2 Season 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com

19-2 Season 1 is a Canadian crime/police drama on DVD. The saga follows Officer Nick Barron (played by Adrian Holmes), who is back on Montreal street patrol after a shooting incident, despite his lingering guilt. His new partner is Ben Chartier, whose zeal for the job is about to crash headfirst into the stark reality of brutal criminals and their violent crimes. A talented ensemble cast distinguishes this excellent series, highly recommended for connoisseurs of the genre (including fans of other classic crime/police dramas such as "Hill Street Blues" or "N.Y.P.D. Blue"). It should be noted that 19-2 Season 1 contains coarse language, graphic violence, sexual content, nudity, and disturbing images. 10 episodes on 3 DVDs, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Prisoners Wives
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
9781621721567 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

Encompassing both Series 1 and Series 2, Prisoners Wives is a British drama on DVD about the wives, girlfriends, daughters, and mothers left behind to carry on when the men they care about are imprisoned. Together, they form an unusual sorority to help and support one another. Stellar performances distinguish this show about hard times, sisterhood, and hope in the unlikeliest places. A "must-see" for connoisseurs of quality drama, Prisoners Wives invites a favorable comparison with "Orange is the New Black". It should be noted that Prisoners Wives contains violence, coarse language, nudity, and sexual situations. 10 episodes on 4 DVDs, 608 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

A Place to Call Home, Season 3
Starring Marta Dusseldorp
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$59.99 www.acornonline.com

A Place to Call Home, Season 3 continues the popular period drama on DVD, set in post-World War II Australia. Actress Marta Dusseldorp plays the role of Sarah Adams, a nurse connected to the wealthy Bligh family. Emotionally, Sarah is torn between her traumatized husband Rene and her handsome ex-fiance George Bligh. Meanwhile, the Blight family struggles with its own dilemmas; the recent marriage between young lovers Anna and Gino is on shaky ground, and new mother Olivia hides a potentially destructive secret from her husband, James. Matriarch Elizabeth considers leaving Ash Park indefinitely, and the selfish Regina has no qualms about tearing the family apart to get what she wants. A Place to Call Home is riveting, superbly performed, and unforgettable. Bonus features include the original cliffhanger ending to Season 2 (4 min.) and a photo gallery. It should be noted that A Place to Call Home contains violence, sexual situations, and nudity. 10 episodes on 3 discs, 505 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Find Me
GlobalStory2 Films
c/o Vision Video
P.O. Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490
$19.99 www.visionvideo.com

Find Me is a documentary on DVD, following three Christian families who seek to adopt children from China. Both sides of the adoption journey are explored; not only the children's transition to a new home and a new country, but also the story of biological parents who could not afford to raise them, and the orphanage nannies or foster families who took care of them before their adoption. Deeply spiritual and inspirational, Find Me is ultimately about God's love and how adoption profoundly transforms lives. Highly recommended, especially for church library DVD collections. 77 min., widescreen, optional English subtitles.


The Business Shelf

Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver
Ron Wallace
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
9781626566880, $24.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Ron Wallace was a UPS delivery driver for six years before he began rising through the ranks, ultimately becoming president of UPS International. In other companies, that might be extraordinary, but at UPS it's par for the course. UPS has a unique corporate culture. It's like a family. Package loaders call executives by their first names and vice versa. The company almost always promotes from within. Lifetime employment is common. Most employees own UPS stock. Wallace credits the company's success (and his own) to its culture of "we, not me". As Wallace puts it, working at UPS gave him a PhD in teamwork. Instead of writing a typical business memoir that celebrates the leader as celebrity, in the pages of "Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver", Wallace shares vivid stories that focus on the people he worked with, the challenges they overcame, and the simple principles and practices that make up the UPS way. He exhorts his readers to grow their people, not just their business plans. The leadership style described in "Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver" is simple, direct, and effective. The straightforward and easy-to-understand lessons provide a blueprint for an individual or company to build on past successes and adapt to future challenges. Very highly recommended for personal, corporate, community, and academic library Business Management instructional reference collections, "Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver" is a must-read for anyone aspiring to become a great leader -- especially in any kind of business enterprise. It should be noted that "Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99) and in an audio book format (9781520004655, $19.99).


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The Official Overstreet Identification and Price Guide to Indian Arrowheads, 14th edition
Robert M. Overstreet, author
Sam W. Cox & Steven R. Cooper, editors
House of Collectibles
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780375724039, $29.99, PB, 1392pp, www.amazon.com

Simply stated, this newly updated and expanded fourteenth edition of "The Official Overstreet Identification and Price Guide to Indian Arrowheads" is the professional standard reference for collectors of Native American arrowheads. This newly revised edition is packed with thousands of photographs of arrowheads from all over the United States, including Alaska. Illustrations guide the reader to the understanding of arrowhead types, manufacturing, grading, materials, and more. It is a hands-on education to everything about arrowheads all in one book. For almost three decades, there has been only one authoritative resource for experienced enthusiasts and beginners, professional dealers, and Native American Studies historians, and that reference is "The Official Overstreet Indian Arrowheads Identification and Price Guide" The features include more than 12,000 actual-size photographs covering hundreds of point types; a full color section with photographs of some of the finest points; special sections on how to grade, identify, and catalog your points; revised pricing to reflect the current marketplace; an expanded tour of the Museum of Native American History; an introduction to arrowhead hunter-collector "Turtleman" who is the star of the Animal Planet TV series Call of the Wildman; and an inspiring survey of several collectors and their personal collections. "The Official Overstreet Identification and Price Guide to Indian Arrowheads: 14th Edition" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Native American Studies reference collections.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO
Beverly E. Jones
Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
9781632650177 $15.99 www.careerpress.com

Fortune 500 energy executive Beverly Jones presents Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO: 50 Indispensable Tips to Help You Stay Afloat, Bounce Back, and Get Ahead at Work, a compilation of tips, tricks, techniques, and strategies that lives up to its title. Chapters discuss how to recover from stress or setbacks, how to smoothly transition between jobs (a valuable skill in today's era of high workforce turnover), how to maximize the return one gains from spending hours at other people's meetings, and much more. "Be prompt. By typically being there at the appointed hour, you can help to set a more productive tone. And once you're there, you can make use of any delay by reviewing the materials or networking with the crew." Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO is a superb supplementary resource for career professionals of all walks of life.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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