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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 11 November 2012 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Political Science Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fiction Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf LGBT Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Criminology Shelf Photography Shelf Automotive Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Technology Shelf Memoir Shelf
Travel Shelf Poetry Shelf Marriage Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Business Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Hobby Shelf Fashion Shelf Relationship Shelf
Sports Shelf Biography Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf DVD Shelf
Parenting Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Humor Shelf
Cookbook Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Music Shelf Jewelry Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Civil War Shelf Woodworking Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Gaming Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Armed
Bruce N. Eimer
Gun Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.fwmedia.com/catalog
9781440230004, $24.99, www.amazon.com

In 2012 Wisconsin's state legislature passed into law, and Wisconsin's governor signed into law, a bill allowing Wisconsin citizens to carry guns concealed upon their person from public view. That's the principle reason why it is no hyperbolic statement that "Armed: The Essential Guide to Concealed Carry" by Bruce N. Eimer should be a part of every Wisconsin community and university library reference collection, as well as mandatory reading for every Wisconsin citizen exercising their legal right to carry a concealed hand gun. From an informative explanation as to the advisability of carrying a concealed weapon for personal safety; to the psychological perspectives of anti-gun forces; to rules of engagement for the justifiable use of force; to dealing with trauma arising from a shooting incident; to firing drills; weapon retention; avoiding the 'Hero Syndrome'; comprehensive overview of weapons gear; and common sense based solution to common personal security issues, "Armed" is exceptionally informed, informative, practical, thoughtful, and thought-provoking from beginning to end.

Unlearn, Rewild
Miles Olson
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717213, $15.95, www.newsociety.com

For some, a better society combines the knowledge of today with the harmony of the past. "Unlearn, Rewild" is a future primitive ideal guide from Miles Olson as he discusses these ideals and how they could work for our future of sustainability, and building skills that could make such things possible on many levels. "Unlearn, Rewild" is an intriguing twist with plenty to ponder for our future, very much recommended reading. Also from New Society Publishers is "Life Rules: Nature's Blueprint for Surviving Economic and Environmental Collapse" (9780865717268, $18.95), exploring the ideas of self-reliance and the natural laws that humans can adapt for survival even if the world around them collapses.

Echoes From Home
Jim Carey
Orange Hat Publishing
6204 Cart Path Road, Sheboygan, WI 53081
9781937165062, $12.99, www.orangehatpublishing.com

Youths were often conscripted before they were even fully grown in the age of the Civil War. "Echoes From Home" is a coming of age tale of the Civil War, in which Joshua Miller and his friend Monte join an Alabaman cavalry unit during the height of the conflict. War forces him to grow up quickly, and he starts to wonder if he will ever see his sweetheart when he gets back home. "Echoes from Home" is a fine pick for those who enjoy historical fiction based on the American Civil War.


The Political Science Shelf

Billionaires & Ballot Bandits
Greg Palast
With comics by Ted Rall
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
www.ballotbandits.org
9781609804787 $14.95 www.sevenstories.com

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. provides the introduction ("A Hostile Takeover of Our Country") to Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal and Election in 9 Easy Steps, a reader-friendly and nastily funny indictment of recent and ongoing ballot tampering and election fraud in the United States. Despite the humor - accentuated by the 48-page insert of black-and-white cartoons by Ted Rall summarizing the hard-hitting highlights - Billionaires & Ballot Bandits is a meticulously researched and thoroughly grounded laundry list of horrendous crimes against American democracy. Author and journalist Greg Palast berates Democrats as well as Republicans for documented instances of vote theft. Dirty tricks range from purely computerized voting systems with no paper trail (manipulating these is as easy as unplugging the computer), to secretly striking citizens from voter rolls for "no address" when their homes are foreclosed upon, disenfranchising innocent voters who happen to have a similar name to a convicted felon, not letting ex-cons know that it is legal for them to vote after their sentences have been fully served (in the majority of cases and nearly all states), the Orwellian-named, ballot-obstructing abomination that is the "Help America Vote Act", and much more. Who is behind this fraud? Mostly big money individuals and interests, looking to make their money even bigger; prime offenders include Karl Rove, the Koch brothers, Harold "Ice Man" Simmons, and Paul "Vulture" Singer. How can ordinary Americans fight back? Recommendations include "don't go postal" (i.e. don't mail an absentee ballot if possible - last election, half a million of them were never counted, often on flimsy excuses), vote early (this will give you more time to respond if you have been unjustly purged from the voter rolls), and resisting provisional ballots. "...don't accept a provisional ballot that likely won't get counted... Demand adjudication on the spot of your right to a real no-BS ballot from poll judges. Or demand a call to the supervisor of elections; or return with acceptable ID if that's the problem. And be a champ; defend the rights of others. If you've taken Step 1 above and voted early, you have Election Day free to be a poll watcher." Worthy of the highest recommendation, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits could not be more timely, and deserves to be required reading for every American citizen!

We Are Many
Kate Khatib, Margaret Killjoy, and Mike McGuire, editors
AK Press
3500 Parkdale Avenue, Building 1, #A28
Baltimore, MD 21211
9781849351164, $21.00, www.akpress.org

Oppression cannot last forever when the oppressed know the truth and are willing to fight back. "We Are Many: Reflections on Movement Strategy From Occupation to Liberation" is a collection of essays from many individuals who have come together to discuss the Occupy movement and other recent social movements that are presenting their own brand of revolution against the status quo. "We Are Many" is strongly recommended for political science and social issues collections and for those who want more perspective on these controversial movements.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Palmetto Blood
Reed Bunzel
Ingalls Publishing Group, Inc.
PO Box 2500, Banner Elk, NC 28604
9781932158441, $16.95, www.ingallspublishinggroup.com

What can invoke murder upon someone? "Palmetto Blood" is a novel from Reed Bunzel following Jack Connor, an officer with connections to the recently deceased TV reporter. Wondering on how an old love could have invoked such a response, Connor seeks the truth and finds roots deep in the South Carolina underground. "Palmetto Blood" is well worth considering for those seeking a mystery with a bit of southern flavor.


The Fiction Shelf

Coleman Springs
Glenn Dromgoole
Abilene Christian University Press
1626 Campus Court, Abilene, TX 79601
9780891123194, $12.99, www.acupressbooks.com

The small towns of America hold a flavor unlike anywhere else. "Coleman Springs" is a novel from Glenn Dromgoole set in the idyllic small town of Coleman Springs, telling the story of an upcoming Ice Cream Festival, and the events surrounding it that bring their own taste of Americana. "Coleman Springs" is worth considering for those looking for tales of small town life, recommended.

Curiosity Killed the Sphinx and Other Stories
Katherine L. Holmes
The Institute for the Study of American Popular Culture
7095-1240 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028
9780982955833, $15.00, www.americanpopularculture.com

Everyone always has questions for themselves, and the search for answers is never ending. "Curiosity Killed the Sphinx and Other Stories" is a collection of short fiction from Katherine L. Holmes, winner of Prize Americana, who explores that concept of people who face questions and come to answers that are not always desirable. "Curiosity Killed the Sphinx" is a fine collection that gives readers much to think about.

The Big Exit
David Carnoy
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781590205150, $25.95, www.overlookpress.com

One bad move and you suddenly have a murder wrap on your shoulders. "The Big Exit" is a novel from David Carnoy following confused Richie Forman, a man trying to put his life back together after a stay in prison. As his life gets back on track, a friend is murdered and he's left as the main suspect. On the run now, he has to absolve himself in a novel that draws on its Silicon Valley setting strongly. "The Big Exit" is a riveting read that should prove hard to put down for those seeking a modern read, highly recommended.

The Immanence of God in the Tropics
George Rosen
Leapfrog Press
PO Box 2110
Teaticket, MA 02536
9781935248316, $15.95, www.leapfrogpress.com

Far from our safety nets, we discover whole new things we never knew existed. "The Immanence of God in the Tropics" is a collection of short fiction from George Rosen, as he presents people far from home faced with questions about their lives, the questions of life, what's important to them, and of faith. "The Immanence of God in the Tropics" is an intriguing and riveting assortment, very much recommended reading.

The Memory Jar
Tricia Goyer
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310335108, $14.99, www.zondervan.com

Tragedy can make us lock ourselves away, but occasionally someone shows up with the key. "The Memory Jar: Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors" is an Amish romance surrounding Sarah Shelter, a woman plagued by the loss of her best friend, and about to write off the chance of ever finding love. But when this season's bout of hunters comes in, she may find someone to finally free her from her rut. "The Memory Jar" is a charming and faith-driven romance, a treasure not to be overlooked.

Accidentally Amish
Olivia Newport
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781616267124, $14.99, www.barbourbooks.com

Into the deep end of Amish culture, Annie will learn much of faith and love. "Accidentally Amish" is the first entry into Olivia Newport's Valley of Choice series, in which Annie flees the pressures of the workplace to an Amish community in the San Luis Valley. Finding an attraction with the man who takes her under his wing in the community, she finds herself split between her successful career and the man she may love. "Accidentally Amish" is a strong pick for those seeking Christian romance, highly recommended.

Under the Mound
Cynthia Heinrichs
Simply Read Books
501-5525 West Boulevard
Vancouver, BC Canada V6M 3W6
9781897476628, $17.95, www.simplyreadbooks.com

In a darker era, uncertainty was the only thing that was certain. "Under the Mound" is a historical novel from Cynthia Heinrichs, a dramatization of the Orneyinga Saga where a snowstorm leads to madness and tragedy. Setting the story behind Malcolm, an unwarlike individual in a time of war, sees much of the world in this oft forgotten era. "Under the Mountain" is a choice pick for fans of historical fiction, highly recommended.

The Celestial Sea
Marina De Nadous
Matador
c/o Troubadour
9781780882116, $17.95, www.troubadour.co.uk

We may be satisfied by our life, but something may shake what we think is the good life. "The Celestial Sea: A Sacred Romance and Moral Quest" is a novel about an English housewife who finds herself uplifted and changed forever as she meets a Kiwi man and their life spills over into something between reality and fantasy. "The Celestial Sea" is a literary romance that explores the reality of life and what we seek it to be, and how love can ultimately change it all, highly recommended.

The Visionary
Pamela S. Thibodeaux
Gale
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
9781432825492, $25.95, www.cengage.com

With unique talents, Taylor Forrestier is challenged with using them. "The Visionary" is a novel from Pamela S. Thibodeaux, following the unusually gifted Taylor as she turns to faith in what to do with her abilities, and healing God's call to heal, Taylor must face not only her own darkness, but the darkness of those around her. "The Visionary" is a riveting work of literary fiction, and a core addition to any contemporary collection.

Godsent
Richard Burton
Arcade Publishing
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781611457063, $24.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

The power to help also comes with the power to harm. "Godsent" is a religious thriller, as Kate Skylar, a seventeen year old virgin, becomes pregnant with what many believe may be the second coming...and others believe may be the Antichrist. Ethan, her son, grows up in a world where his true nature is unknown. As he learns of it, and those out to end him, the decisions he make hold the fate of the world in his hands. "Godsent" is a riveting read that will prove hard to put down, highly recommended.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Records Of North American Whitetail Deer
Boone and Crockett Club Collection
250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
www.booneandcrockettclub.com
9780940864849, $34.95, www.amazon.com

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States (all but five of the states), Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru. In North America, the species is most common east of the Rocky Mountains, and is absent from much of the western United States, including Nevada, Utah, California, Hawaii, and Alaska (though its close relatives, the black-tailed or mule deer Odocoileus hemionus, can be found there). It is also found in aspen parklands and deciduous river bottomlands within the central and northern Great Plains, and in mixed deciduous riparian corridors, river valley bottomlands, and lower foothills of the northern Rocky Mountain regions from South Dakota and Wyoming to southeastern British Columbia, including the Montana Valley and Foothill grasslands. The conversion of land adjacent to the northern Rockies into agriculture use and partial clear-cutting of coniferous trees (resulting in widespread deciduous vegetation) has been favorable to the white-tailed deer and has pushed its distribution to as far north as Prince George, British Columbia. Populations of deer around the Great Lakes have also expanded their range northwards, due to conversion of land to agricultural uses favoring more deciduous vegetation, and local caribou and moose populations. The white-tailed deer is well-suited for its environment and is a prized prey each autumn for some 13 million hunters throughout North America. A 384 page compendium, "Records of North American Whitetail Deer: Decades of Trophy Listings for Wild, Free-Ranging Whitetails" is authoritatively compiled by the Boone and Crockett Club and offers a detailed tabular listing of 12,254 whitetail trophics ranked according to their all-time Boone and Crocket scores. Comprised of 4,692 entries, "Records of North American Whitetail Deer: Decades of Trophy Listings for Wild, Free-Ranging Whitetails" is informed, informative, definitive, comprehensive, illustrated, clearly delineated, and a core addition to professional and academic library reference collections.

Pacific Salmon Flies
Cecilia "Pudge" Kleinkauf
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82113, Portland, OR 97282
9781571884893, $19.95, www.amatobooks.com

The Pacific Salmon is the staple of any northwestern fisherman. "Pacific Salmon Flies: New Ties & Old Standbys" is a guide to capturing the attention of the salmon to help fly fishers catch bigger and more fish as they wade out into the lake. Discussing many fly designs and how to get the most out of them, each entry is accompanied by many full color photos. "Pacific Salmon Flies" not to be missed by any enthusiastic fly fisher.

The Gun Book for Boys
Silvio Calabi, Steve Helsley, & Roger Sanger
Shooting Sportsman Book
c/o Down East Books
PO Box 679
Camden, ME 04843
9781608931996, $24.95, www.downeastbooks.com

For some, hunting is a rite of passage. "The Gun Book for Boys" is a hunting guide for those who embrace the sport of hunting, outlining the game and the tools of their destruction. With a bit of history surrounding the creation of guns through history, their advancement, the essential gear of history, and much more. "The Gun Book for Boys" is a fun and practical read with plenty of references and black and white photography throughout, highly recommended.


The LGBT Shelf

Coming Around
Anne Dohrenwend, PhD
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669
Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823935, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

A child's revelation of sexuality can be devastating to many parents. "Coming Around: Parenting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Kids" is a guide for parents who have experienced this revelation, and how to be a better parent in what may be a tough time for both parent and child. From dealing with religious prejudices, homophobia, and remembering to still be a parent through it all, "Coming Around" is a strongly recommended pick for parents who are struggling to cope during tough times.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

50 Monologues for Student Actors
Mary Depner
Meriwether Publishing
PO Box 7710
Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7710
9781566081887, $16.95, www.meriwether.com

Monologues are excellent practice for aspiring actors. "50 Monologues for Student Actors II: 100 More Monologues for Guys and Girls" is an expanded collection of theatrical practice monologues from Mary Depner and Meriwether Publishing, presenting scenes to act out alone and in front of the class to help their furthered education. "50 Monologues for Student Actors II" is an excellent pick for theatre and acting collections, not to be missed.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Revelation To John
Stephen S. Smalley
InterVarsity Press
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
www.ivpress.com
9780830829248, $40.00, www.amazon.com

'Apocalypse' translated literally from Greek refers to a revelation of something hidden, although this sense did not enter English until the 14th century. In the contexts of Christian Theology, Apocalypse is a prophecy of hidden meaning found in the Revelation of John, the last book of the New Testament. This apocalyptic revelation which John received describes the ultimate victory of good over evil and the end of the present age. Today, it is commonly used in reference to any prophetic revelation or so-called End Time scenario, or to the end of the world in general. "The Revelation to John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse" by Stephen S. Smalley (Johannine scholar and Dean Emeritus of Chester Cathedral, England) is a 651 page compendium offering a detailed commentary on the imagery and historical context of the Johannine community which gave rise to the Gospel of John, several of the New Testament Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. An erudite and comprehensive work of truly impressive biblical scholarship, "The Revelation to John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse" is a highly recommended core addition to personal, academic, and seminarian New Testament Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Jonathan Edwards And The Gospel Of Love
Ronald Story
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umass.edu/umpress
9781558499836, $22.95, www.amazon.com

Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 - March 22, 1758) was a Christian preacher and theologian who is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian. Edwards's theological work is broad in scope, but he is often associated with Reformed theology, the metaphysics of theological determinism, and the Puritan heritage. Recent studies have emphasized how thoroughly Edwards grounded his life's work on conceptions of beauty, harmony, and ethical fittingness, and how central The Enlightenment was to his mindset. Edwards played a critical role in shaping the First Great Awakening, and oversaw some of the first revivals in 1733 - 35 at his church in Northampton, Massachusetts. One of the latest of these studies is "Jonathan Edwards And The Gospel Of Love" by Ronald Story (Professor of History Emeritus, University of Massachusetts - Amherst), a 176 page compendium drawing upon Edwards' sermons and personal notebooks that showcases him as a profoundly social minister who preached a Christian gospel of charity and a Christian community bound by love. Deftly written and superbly presented, enhanced with a list of abbreviations, notations, an index of Edward's writings, and a comprehensive general index, "Jonathan Edwards And The Gospel Of Love" is a seminal work of outstanding scholarship and a highly recommended addition to seminary, church, and academic library Christian Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Peaceful Meditations
Rev. Warren J. Sacage & Mary Ann McSweeny
Liguori
1 Liguori Drive, Liguori, MO 63057-9999
9780764821424, $8.99, www.liguori.org

A time of peace can clear much in one's soul. "Peaceful Meditations for Every Day in Ordinary Time" is a collection of musings on spirituality and life from Warren J. Sacage & Mary Ann McSweeny as they present their collection of scripture driven thoughts on meditation and better becoming the bringer of God's joy and peace through their lives "Peaceful Meditations for Every Day in Ordinary Time" is a strong addition to Christian and spirituality collections.

The Way Opened Up By Jesus
Jose A. Pagola
Convivium Press
7661 N. W. 68th Street, Suite 108, Miami, FL 33166
9781934996287, $36.99, www.conviviumpress.com

Jesus cared little for the established religion, and instead sought to encourage people to follow his path. "The Way Opened Up by Jesus: A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew" discusses the tale of Christ's life, and Matthew's Chronicle of Christ's journey and the people he inspired and led throughout this tumultuous period. With much to ponder from Christian thinkers, "The Way Opened Up by Jesus" is a must for Christian studies collections, a core addition to those focusing on commentary and new opinions.

Bless These Lips
Sharla Fritz
Concordia Publishing House
3558 South Jefferson Avenue
Saint Louis, MO 63118-3968
9780758638083, $12.99, www.cph.org

Our biggest sinner is often the same thing we use to praise the lord. "Bless These Lips: 40 Days of Spiritual Renewal" is a guide to improving our interpersonal relationships, designed for study among a small women's Bible study group. Drawing much on faith, Sharla Fitz advises readers to take scripture into mind and keep it there. "Bless These Lips" is a strong addition to spirituality and Christian studies collections, much recommended.

Dust & Breath
Kendra G. Hotz
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802867797, $14.99, www.eerdmans.com

A healthy body needs a healthy mind. "Dust & Breath: Faith, Health, and Why the Church Should Care About Both" is a guide to Christian ministry from Kendra G. Hotz as she advises pastors on how to embrace good health and wellness as part of their church's doctrine, exploring the concept of the faith based health organization. Exploring real life examples of ministers who have taken the initiative, "Dust & Breath" is well worth considering for ministers who want to take another step for improving their community, highly recommended.

Unabashedly Episcopalian
Andrew Doyle
Morehouse Publishing
c/o Church Publishing Incorporated
1637 Beechwood Ave #1
Louisville KY 40204
9780819228086, $16.00, www.churchpublishing.org

Faith should be something you love, not dread. "Unabashedly Episcopalian: Proclaiming the Good News of the Episcopal Church" is an advocacy and call to love for Episcopalians to further embrace the faith of their lives with love, and spread that love to others, embracing the Church's gifts, its story, and how to share it all. "Unabashedly Episcopalian" has a strong message that is strongly recommended and not to be overlooked for Christian readers.

Loving Work
Mike Hayes
Orbis Books
PO Box 308
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759888, $16.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Happiness in life is rarely found when you despise eight hours of each day. "Loving Work: A Spiritual Guide to Finding the Work We Love and Bringing Love to the Work We Do" is an inspirational guide from Mike Hayes as he brings faith to the workplace, and encourages readers to remember God when their looking for purpose in their daily work, and using that knowledge to find their meaning in what they may think is a dreadful career. "Loving Work" is a strong addition to spirituality and Christian faith collections, not to be overlooked.

Which Bible Translation Should I Use?
Andreas J. Kostenberger & David A. Croteau
B&H Publishing Group
127 Ninth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37234-0143
9781433676488, $14.99, www.bhpublishinggroup.com

Translation isn't a perfect science by any interpretation. "Which Bible Translation Should I Use?: A Comparison of 4 Major Recent Versions" is a study of recent translations of the two thousand year old originally in Aramaic book, as four individuals make their cases for four recent translations, their uses, accuracy, and their applications to faith and Bible studies in general.

How to Deal with Difficult Relationships
June Hunt
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736928168, $14.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

There are many things that divide us, and breaking those divisions can lead to more harmonious relationships. "How to Deal with Difficult Relationships: Bridging the Gaps That Separate People" is a Christian self-help guide as June Hunt advises readers on how to best piece together their lives when faced with tough times in their family, friendships, and other interpersonal issues. With much to consider driven from faith and spirituality, "How to Deal with Difficult Relationships" shouldn't be overlooked for those who want to keep that bond strong.

How to Pray the Dominican Way
Angelo Stagnaro
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568
Orleans, MA 02653
9781612611655, $16.99, www.paracletepress.com

We seek faith in many ways, but there are teachings to help us find our way. "How to Pray the Dominican Way: Ten Postures, Prayers, & Practices That Lead Us to God" is a Catholic faith guide to following the ways of St. Dominic, and taking his cues of spiritual tradition to bring oneself closer to God's mercy. "How to Pray the Dominican Way" is a strong addition to any Christian spirituality collection with a focusing on Catholic ritual.

24/6
Matthew Sleeth
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414372280, $12.99, www.tyndale.com

Rest is this strange concept where one doesn't do anything and lets their body and mind recover. "24/6: A Prescription for a Happier, Healthier Life" is an inspirational Christian read as Matthew Sleeth, MD, suggests people once again achieve rest by fully embracing the Sabbath, and allowing themselves some down time instead of going full force 24/7. "24/6" is a wise and recommended read for Christian and inspirational collections, not to be missed.

Growing Into God
John R. Marby
Quest Books
c/o The Theosophical Publishing House
PO Box 270
Wheaton, IL 60189-0270
9780835609012, $17.95, www.questbooks.net

Their is a mysticism to Christianity that is often unstated. "Growing Into God: A Beginner's Guide to Christian Mysticism" is an introduction to Christian mysticism and how to better understand this rarely discussed topic. From the long standing traditions, understanding them, as well as thoughts from followers of modern mysticism, "Growing Into God" is a strong pick for those who want to study further into the Christian traditions, very much recommended.

Angels All Around Us
Anthony DeStefano
Image
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780385522229, $14.99, www.randomhouse.com

For one to fully believe in Christ, you must also believe the denizens of the heavens and the hells. "Angels All Around Us: A Sightseeing Guide to the Invisible World" is an exploration of the angels and demons throughout Christian canon as Anthony DeStefano presents an intriguing breakdown of these aspects of faith usually forgotten. "Angels All Around Us" is well worth considering for Christian Studies collections, not to be overlooked for those who want to learn more about the angels.

Lessons Learned
John M. Duffey
Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401
9781608996643, $27.00, www.wipfandstock.com

Exorcism has faded into ridicule for some, but for others it is a very real memory. "Lessons Learned: The Anneliese Michel Exorcism" delves into the recent history surrounding this 1976 true story of a troubled girl with mental and physical illness as two priests tried to use faith to heal her condition, a black mark on modern Christianity. An intriguing study of the modern implications of exorcism and the reflections of history, Revered Father John Duffey offers an educated look at this ethical issue. "Lessons Learned" is a strong addition to any Christian Studies collection, highly recommended.

Trophy Child
Ted Cunningham
David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9780781407632, $14.95, www.davidccook.com

A child's life is there own, and too many parents tend to try to live vicariously through others. In "Trophy Child", author Ted Cunningham advises parents on how to avoid the sin of vanity parent, and offers Christian parenting advice on how to overcome the impulse to try to force their child into their image instead of God's image for them. With sage advice on being a leader for your children without trying to turn them into you, "Trophy Child" is a strong pick for parenting and Christian life collections.

2013: A Book of Grace-Filled Days
Elizabeth M. Briel
Loyola Press
3441 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
9780829436259, $11.95, www.LoyolaBooks.org

Everyday, a bit of thought can clear the mind. "2013: A Book of Grace-Filled Days" is a daily devotional calendar book, as Elizabeth M. Briel compiles scripture passages as well as a bit of thought to ponder along with the passage. Geared towards Catholics, there is something to consider for anyone who calls themselves a Christian. "2013" is a strong pick for Christian devotional collections, highly recommended.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

The Triumph Of Mercy
Mohammed Rustom
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438443416, $80.00, www.amazon.com

S.adr ad-Di-n Muh.ammad Shi-ra-zi-, also called Mulla Sadra (c. 1572 - 1640), was an Iranian Shia Islamic philosopher, theologian and 'A-lim who led the Iranian cultural renaissance in the 17th century. According to Oliver Leaman, Mulla Sadra is arguably the single most important and influential philosopher in the Muslim world in the last four hundred years. Though not its founder, he is considered the master of the Illuminationist, or (Ishraghi or Ishraqi) school of Philosophy, a seminal figure who synthesized the many tracts of the Islamic Golden Age, and Andalusian, philosophies into what he called the Transcendent Theosophy or al-hikmah al-muta'liyah. Mulla Sadra brought "a new philosophical insight in dealing with the nature of reality" and created "a major transition from essentialism to existentialism" in Islamic philosophy,[3] although his existentialism should not be too readily compared to Western existentialism. His was a question of existentialist cosmology as it pertained to Allah, and thus differs considerably from the individual, moral, and/or social, questions at the heart of Russian, French, German, or American Existentialism. "The Triumph of Mercy: Philosophy and Scripture in Mulla Sadra" by Mohammed Rustom (Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada) is a 243 page compendium focusing upon Mulla Sadra's philosophy, scriptural exegesis, and mysticism which ultimately posited the salvation of all men and women in the afterlife. Informed, informative, and a superb example of seminal scholarship, "The Triumph Of Mercy" is a highly recommended and core addition to academic library Islamic Studies and Philosophy Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Heart-Mind Matrix
Joseph Chilton Pearce
Park Street Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774881, $16.95, www.innertraditions.com

We can live by our minds, and our hearts. "The Heart-Mind Matrix: How the Heart Can Teach the Mind New Ways to Think" is a spirituality guide from Joseph Chilton Pearce as he presents a new age spiritual guide to living our lives and finding greater understanding of ourselves. Key concepts include exploring where we came from, and discerning a better place for ourselves and our descendants in the future. "The Heart-Mind Matrix" shows plenty to ponder on spiritual evolution, highly recommended.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Impossible Realities
Maureen Caudill
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Ste. 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781571746634, $18.95, www.hrpub.com

What may be unbelievable may be truer than we think. "Impossible Realities: The Science Behind Energy Healing, Telepathy, Reincarnation, Precognition, and Other Phenomena" is Maureen Caudill's personal evidence on the realities of paranormal topics, and what she believes is evidence of their existence, discussing many events, and why she holds them to be true events. "Impossible Realities" is a worthy consideration for those who want to believe there is something more to the world than simply the mundane.

American Vampires
Dr. Bob Curran
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632296, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

The legend of vampires fascinates us like no other, of monsters that are people, until the truth of their atrocity comes to light. "American Vampires: Their True Bloody History from New York to California" is an exploration of American supernatural folklore, as Dr. Bob Curran presents a picture of American vampire mythology, showing the many shapes and sizes of vampires that exist throughout the country, be they in reality or simply imagination. A riveting read, "American Vampires" is not to be overlooked and is much recommended.

Beyond the Source
Guy Steven Needler
Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 754
Huntsville, AR 72740
9781886940338, $17.00, www.ozarkmt.com 1-800-935-0045

To some, there are many more things to our world than simply science and God. "Beyond the Source" is a deeply metaphysical read from Guy Steven Needler as he presents his own takes on the new age spirituality, exploring God and the multiverse and trying to bring it all together for ourselves to have a better understanding through it all. With plenty to ponder on the nature of the universe and energy and what lies beyond our sight, "Beyond the Source" is worth considering for metaphysical individuals, recommended.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Vintage Football Cards
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781440232893, $27.99, www.krausebooks.com

Collectibles and history often go together well. "Standard Catalog of Vintage Football Cards: The World's Biggest and Best Price Guide" is a comprehensive guide to the legendary football cards throughout the game's history from 1894 up to 1991, covering each entry with values for most cards throughout the history, with black and white photography for easier identification of each card. A choice reference for those who enjoy collecting, "Standard Catalog of Vintage Football Cards" is an excellent pick that should not be overlooked.

Collectible Movie Posters
Jim Halperin & Hector Cantu, editors
Whitman Publishing, LLC
3101 Clairmont Road, Suite C, Atlanta, GA 30329
9780794831424, $19.95, www.whitmanbooks.com

The pulpy movie posters of the past are ideal collectors pieces. "Collectible Move Posters" delves into the hobby of movie poster collecting, as Jim Halperin & Hector Cantu compile a collection of the rarest posters throughout the 30s, 40s, and 50s in particular, showing the unique art of the many posters of the era, ranked in rarity, discussing their prices and what they were auctioned off for in recent history, be they from classic horror films, the animated features of the era, or otherwise. "Collectible Movie Posters" is presented in full color and is highly recommended for the driven collector.


The Criminology Shelf

Dear Dawn
Lisa Kester & Daphne Gottlieb
Soft Skull Press
1919 - 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1916
www.softskull.com
9781593762902, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Aileen Carol Wuornos (February 29, 1956 - October 9, 2002) was an American serial killer who killed seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990. Wuornos claimed that her victims had either raped or attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute, and that all of the killings were committed in self-defense. She was convicted and sentenced to death for seven of the murders and was executed by the State of Florida by lethal injection on October 9, 2002. A movie was made of her life and death. "Dear Dawn" is her autobiography largely in the form of personal correspondence with her childhood friend Dawn Botkins. Now published by Soft Skull Press with the editorial assistance of Lisa Kester and Daphne Gottlieb, "Dear Dawn" is a compelling and informative read which is highly recommended for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in the life story of Aileen Carol Wuornos, and a unique contribution to academic library 20th Century American Criminology reference collections.


The Photography Shelf

The Jungle At The Door
Joan Myers
George F. Thompson Publishing
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781938086069, $45.00, www.amazon.com

Send a master photographer like Joan Myers into the jungles of the Indian subcontinent and you will be treated to superbly crafted images of a vanishing wilderness and the wealth of live it gave support to. Enhanced with an informative essay by William deBuys, "The Jungle At The Door" is a 96 page, hardcover, coffee table book showcasing full color photographs of wild places that will be forever lost when the jungle is no more due to the encroachments of human activity -- including climate change -- upon wildlife habitats. A beautifully composed and superbly presented collection, "The Jungle At The Door" is a highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library photography reference collections.

Imagining Winnipeg
Esyllt W. Jones
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College
Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
www.uofmpress.ca
9780887557354, $44.95, www.amazon.com

Lewis Benjamin Foote (February 6, 1873 - April 22, 1957) was a Canadian photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs of early Winnipeg, including royal visits, the Winnipeg General Strike, and slums. He was born in 1873 in Foote's Cove, Newfoundland and worked on the Summerside Journal where he first became a photographer. He moved to Winnipeg in 1902, where he became the city's best known commercial photographer. For more half a century his photographs chronicled the development of the city. He is most well known for his photographs of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike and was active until 1947. "Imagining Winnipeg: History through the Photographs of L.B. Foote" by Esyllt W. Jones (a history teacher at the University of Manitoba) is 168 page compendium showcasing the historical photos Lewis Foote took of the citizenry of early twentieth century Winnipeg. Enhanced with an extensively informed and informative introduction by Esyllt Jones, "Imagining Winnipeg" is an impressive collection of Foote's photography and highly recommended for personal and academic library 20th Century Canadian Photography reference collections.

Shooting in Sh*tty Light
Linsay Adler & Erik Valind
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321862693, $34.99, www.peachpit.com

Perfect situations for photography rarely exist, more often, you're left with chances for everything to go wrong. "Shooting in Sh*tty Light: The Top Ten Worst Photography Lighting Situations and How to Conquer Them" is a photography instructional guide as Lindsay Adler and Erik Valind advise readers on how to best piece together the best out of bad photography situations, from almost no light, inconsistent lighting, choosing the right equipment, and using the lighting you do have to its best effect. "Shooting in Sh*tty Light" is a full color manual, and a must for anyone who wants to get more involved with the field of photography, highly recommended.

Georgia Unforgettable
Robb Helfrick & James Randklev
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630
Helena, MT 59604
9781560375418, $32.95, www.farcountrypress.com

The beauty of Georgia is all too often understated by many. "Georgia Unforgettable" is a collection of high quality photography in coffee table book form from Robb Helfrick and James Randklev as they seek to share well over one hundred photographs of Georgia's beauty both natural and man made, including its forests, historic sights, modern cities, and much more. In brilliant full color, each entry is described by a note on the nature of the photo. For anyone who enjoys Georgia as a patriot, or simply enjoys excellent landscape photography, "Georgia Unforgettable" is a must, enthusiastically recommended.


The Automotive Shelf

Chevelle Performance Projects
Cole Quinnell
CarTech
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781934709795, $29.95, www.cartechbooks.com

Keeping a classic car going requires a bit of expertise. "Chevelle Performance Projects: 1964-1972" is an auto care project guide from Cole Quinnell as he advises readers on improving the performance of the classic muscle car in order to keep it running as it passes its fortieth birthday. With plenty of technical know how to help readers push themselves and their vehicle further, "Chevelle Performance Projects" is presented in full color, and shouldn't be overlooked by those who love their Chevelle.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Smithers' Mammals Of Southern Africa, updated edition
Petter Apps
Struik Nature
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781770079137, $31.00, www.amazon.com

Southern Africa is home to a wide and profuse diversity of animal life. Now in a newly updated and expanded edition by Peter Apps, "Smithers' Mammals of Southern Africa: A Field Guide" is a 364 page, superbly illustrated compendium showcasing more than 220 land and nine marine mammal species. In addition to full color and line drawings for each species, "Smithers' Mammals of Southern Africa: A Field Guide" also features a full description of each animal that includes not only its physical characteristics and life history, but also behavior, field signs and even its conservation status. Of special note is the inclusion of up-to-date animal distribution maps, spoor illustrations. Enhanced with symbols showing conservation status, time of activity, and other significant data, the text commentary is thoroughly accessible by the non-specialist general reader and ideal as an identification reference for tourists, wildlife enthusiasts, and sportsmen.

The Human Half of Dog Training
Rise Vanfleet
Dogwise Publishing
403 South Mission Street
Wenatchee WA 98801
9781617811036, $17.95, www.dogwisepublishing.com

It takes a certain type of person to be a successful dog trainer, especially when you bring business into it. "The Human Half of Dog Training: Collaborating with Clients to Get Results" analyzes how to better communicate with dog trainers and vice versa. From forming a better understanding of what you want out of a trainer, dealing with conflicting opinions, and much more, "The Human Half of Dog Trainer" is a must for anyone who wants to hire a dog trainer and get more effective results.

The Truth About Wolves & Dogs
Toni Shelbourne
Hubble & Hattie
9781845844271, $24.95, www.hubbleandhattie.com

The same methods of learning don't work on every human, so why do we expect as such for the canine world? "The Truth About Wolves & Dogs: Dispelling the Myths of Dog Training" is a dog training guide from Toni Shelbourne, who argues that the traditional method of training dogs is outdated and founded on ancient research that has been superseded by modern studies of canine psychology. Presenting ideas about wolves and dogs, their differences, and how this applies to modern dog training and realizing that not every dog desires to be an alpha, "The Truth About Wolves & Dogs" is a strong addition to pet training collections, complete with full color photography all throughout.

Heaven Bound
Paraclete Press
P.O. Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
9781612612447 $15.99 www.paracletepress.com

"Heaven Bound: Creating a Funeral or Memorial Service for Your Pet" is a gentle guidebook for those who mourn a deceased beloved pet. Filled with quiet suggestions for ways to honor your pet, share memories, create a meaningful ritual, and express feelings. Relevant quotations, a simple order of service, and encouraging quotations from Bible scriptures are included, along with practical suggestions for the bereaved. "Heaven Bound" is meant for compassionate animal owners who seek to deal with their grief over the loss of a beloved animal companion. It will leave the reader with a feeling of calm and a sense of restored order, without negating the deep pain of breaking the life bond with a beloved pet.


The Technology Shelf

The Vacuum Cleaner
Caroll Gantz
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786465521, $45.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

When cleaning became easier, the world changed ever so slightly. "The Vacuum Cleaner: A History" explores this quiet revolution of the household, as Caroll Gantz tells the story of how the physical labor of house cleaner was improved by technology, following the progression of technology from the broom to the top of the line vacuum cleaners of the modern day. An intriguing look into the cultural changes with this device, "The Vacuum Cleaner: A History" is complete with black and white photography throughout, very much recommended reading.


The Memoir Shelf

The Knock At The Door
Margaret Ajemian Ahnert
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102
New York, NY 10011
9780825306839, $15.95, www.beaufortbooks.com

Genocide is terrifying, to be marked for death for who you are above all else. "The Knock At the Door: A Mother's Story of Surviving the Armenian Genocide" is a memoir from Margaret Ajemian Ahnert's story of her own mother facing the terror of the genocide in Turkey in 1915, and how it steeled her for the rest of her life and her flight from the Middle East to America. A poignant take on this tragic tale, "The Knock At the Door" is a strong addition to historical memoir collections.

One Day I Will Write About This Place
Binyavanga Wainaina
Graywolf Press
250 Third Avenue North, Suite 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781555976248, $15.00, www.graywolfpress.org

We remember our youths, be it fondly or with dread, we remember them. "One Day I Will Write About This Place" is a memoir from Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina, as he shares his memories of his youth and of his life throughout Africa, bringing light to the modernized African upbringing, he also speaks on serious issues that the Kenyan nation faces and its future. "One Day I Will Write About This Place" has plenty to ponder the world international, highly recommended reading.


The Travel Shelf

Mexico
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
9781742200163, $26.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Mexico is rich with culture and sights, one would be overwhelmed trying to find the best of it alone. "Mexico" is a Lonely Planet travel guide, an up-to-date edition of the best selling series for those who want to see anything and everything throughout the country, from its history to its modern culture, and embracing the true tastes of Mexico. With a pull out map of Mexico City, "Mexico" is a strong pick for anyone who wants to get the most out of their south of the border visit.


The Poetry Shelf

Charms Against Lightning
James Arthur
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556593871, $16.00, www.coppercanyonpress.org

What we don't understand often frightens us, but just as may entice us. "Charms Against Lightning" is a collection of poetry from James Arthur as he seeks the spirit of the world through his own experiences and ponders the many topics that unite us all in our searches for knowledge. "Charms Against Lightning" is an excellent work to add to any contemporary poetry collection. "Oysterville": Beside your trinket house/the garden gathered rain./I pulled pears/from the pear tree, and saw a few things/grow (the wise, dumb pumpkins/engorged below the gate...)./I split a stump, wrote letters, gathered/oysters, ate the rain.

Down in the Bottom of the Bottom of the Box
Jonarno Lawson
The Porcupine's Quill
68 Main St., PO Box 160
Erin, ON Canada N0B 1T0
9780889843547, $16.95, www.porcupinesquill.ca

By throwing everything out of whack, everything can be much easier to understand. "Down in the Bottom of the Bottom of the Box" is a collection of offbeat poetry from Jonarno Lawson, who presents his own take on the world, skewing life as we know it, and shoving it out under a different lens of the world. "Down in the Bottom of the Bottom of the Box" is an excellent work of poetry to consider, and is not to be missed. "The Human Being": Bombard its brain with cosmic rays./redden its eyes with Mars --/set its tiny heart ablaze/upon a heap of stars.

Blokelore & Blokesongs
Robert Conquest
The Wayweiser Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781904130482, $18.95, www.dufoureditions.com

We share a conversation with our elders, and what comes may as well be poetry. "Blokelore & Blokesongs" is a collection of poetry from Robert Conquest as he explores the ideas of life and learning he picked up from his conversations with 'Old Fred', as he explores the ancient battle of the sexes with new perspectives. "Blokelore & Blokesongs" is an enticing addition to any international poetry collection. "Fred for the Defence": My wife's a bourgeois philistine,"/A lefty said to Fred,/Fred stopped him: chaps who take this line/Make him see fairly red.//This was a girl it chanced he knew/No lowbrow Tory but/Bohemian, intellectual too,/ and merely not a slut.

The Malarkey
Helen Dunmore
Bloodaxe Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781852249403, $21.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Our mistakes haunt us, even if they aren't truly there. "The Malarkey" is a collection of poetry from Helen Dunmore who presents a collection of poetry that explores the ideas of the past, our memories, and how they impact us, with a unique and captivating style that makes it hard to put down. "The Malarkey" is a strong addition to any contemporary poetry collection, recommended. "Pianist, 103,": looks at the morning/where she will play/from nine to one/and says how beautiful/each note, each sun.//Such scales of suffering -/no one can weigh them,/she says how beautiful each smile, each footfall/each startled face/in the heat of love--

Song & Spectacle
Rachel Rose
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219
Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9781550175851, $18.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

We live, we love, with lose, we look for something to live for once more. "Song & Spectacle" is a collection of poetry from Rachel Rose as she ponders this aspect of life, and how to piece it all together and make life all the more worth living and enjoying. With plenty to ponder and seek to love, "Song & Spectacle" is a much recommended addition to modern poetry collections. "What the Universe Perhaps Heard": Beluga banter, tongue of stars/white noise: wonder what we are.//No atmosphere, clouds undone,/the fire-pop plasma of newborn suns.//Silent vacuum, blush of snow/hush now, thrum light undertow.

Tremolo
Alice Derry
Red Hen Press
PO Box 3537
Granada Hills, CA 91394
9781597092326, $17.95, www.redhen.org

We are but one aspect of the portrait of life, and understanding beauty is understanding it all. "Tremolo" is a collection of poetry from Alice Derry, who explores her own life, as well as the lives of others to gain a greater picture of the human condition with her work. "Tremolo" is a fine collection, a top pick for modern poetry collections. "Nootka": I'm learning to balance/on the roadside bank,/teetering at the edge/where the bramble sprawls,/and the full force/of the roses' scent/can reach me.//After I'm quiet enough,/the swallows -- gray, blue, gold --/resume their swoop and dive for insects.//One petal near me loosens to fall: in the thick of bloom, one bud unfolds.//I'm suspended/as neither bird nor flower/seems to be.


The Marriage Shelf

Catholic & Newly Married
Kathy and Steve Beirne
ACTA Publications
4848 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
9780879464936, $6.95, www.actapublications.com

New marriage is the start of the rest of your life if you wish it to be. "Catholic & Newly Married: 5 Challenges & 5 Opportunities" is a guide to forging a marriage of a lifetime between couples, Catholics in particular, as Kathy and Steve Beirne draw from their own experiences in life and how to create a more effective partnership and family, by realizing what's in your way and what's there to help you along. "Catholic & Newly Married" is a fine addition for newlywed Catholic couples who want their faith to carry them to decades of happiness.


The Self-Help Shelf

Get What You Want
Tony Burroughs
Viva Editions
2246 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710-2219
9781936740208, $16.95, www.vivaeditions.com

Knowing what you want is harder than most really understand. "Get What You Want: The Art of Making and Manifesting Your Intentions" discusses how to personally find one's own intentions, as Tony Burroughs provides a motivational guide to find one's direction, realizing it, and understanding that pursuing that goal freely brings one closer to the idea of good. "Get What You Want" is a strong addition to inspirational and personal growth collections, for those who want help in finding what will truly bring them happiness.


The Business Shelf

Think Like a Furturist
Cecily Sommers
Jossey-Bass/Wiley
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
978118147825, $27.95, www.josseybass.com

A good business person doesn't just follow the crowd, they anticipate it, and potentially forget the whole thing. "Think Like A Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn't, and What's Next" is a business advisory from Cecily Sommers advises how futurist ideas and philosophy can be wisely applied to the business world. With ideas to revolutionize the approach to business, break the boom and bust cycle, establish a permanent present, and much more, "Think Like a Futurist" is an insightful and scholarly take on the advancement of business management and why it may be different than anything else before it, much recommended.

No More Pointless Meetings
Martin Murphy
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
9780814431689, $17.95, www.amacombooks.org

No one likes meetings. So why do we have them? "No More Pointless Meetings: Breakthrough Sessions That Will Revolutionize the Way You Work" is a business management advisory from Martin Murphy who advises how to improve business communication without employing the dreaded meeting that kills productivity and no one truly enjoys. Murphy outlines the purpose of meetings and suggests solutions that improve relations within the office as well as organization. "No More Pointless Meetings" is an important addition to general business management collections, highly recommended.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Believable Hope
Michael Cartwright
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757317309, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

Addiction is most firmly rooted in the mind. "Believable Hope: Five Essential Elements to beat Any Addiction" is an inspirational guide for greater health as Michael Cartwright and Ken Abraham advise readers on how to battle their addictions through his five step program that is approaching almost two decades of success. With plenty of resources to help one pull themselves out of life's hole, "Believable Hope" is a strong addition to general health and wellness collections, especially those with a focus on addiction and related ailments.

The Cure for Alcoholism
Roy Eskapa
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781937856137, $16.95, www.benbellabooks.com

Alcoholism is a serious problem that destroys families. "The Cure for Alcoholism: The Medically Proven Way to Eliminate Alcohol Addiction" is an advisory guide for those who want to better control the problems surrounding this plague on many people. Dr. Roy Eskapa elaborates on this method which has a high success rate in helping people conquer their addiction on many levels, rewiring the brain and enabling people to reclaim their lives. "The Cure for Alcoholism" is very much recommended for those who want to purge the poison from their life.


The Hobby Shelf

Modeling Airliners
Aaron Skinner
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890248447, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Airplanes have soared across the sky for the past century, and many have looked on with wonder for the whole time. "Modeling Airlines" is a guide for model plane hobby enthusiasts as Aaron Skinner walks readers through on how to embrace the latest happenings in the field and how to embrace it, and create things beyond simply what is contained a prebought kit. From construction to painting to making models last a life time, "Modeling Airlines" is presented in full color, a strong pick for those who want to take their model aircraft further.


The Fashion Shelf

The King of Style
Michael Bush
Insight Editions
PO Box 3088
San Rafael, CA 94912
9781608871513, $45.00, www.insighteditions.com

Michael Jackson was never one for subtlety. "The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson" is a fashion chronicle of Michael Bush as he tells the story of he and partner Dennis Tompkins as they were charged with helping the King of Pop put together his eye-catching outfits for his videos and live performances across the world. The styles took many common outfits and elaborated on them exponentially, turning simple leather jackets into stunning things that only Jackson could pull off. With full color photography of Jackson's many outfits throughout, "The King of Style" is a choice pick for fans of Michael Jackson's music and coffee table fashion collections in general.


The Relationship Shelf

Dating and the Single Parent
Ron L. Deal
Bethany House
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 E Fulton
Ada, MI 49301
9780764206979, $15.99, www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

If a relationship doesn't work, or worse, tragedy strikes, one is sentenced to life alone with their kids. "Dating and the Single Parent" is a guide for those single parents who want to restore their family to a more complete state, facing the fears behind dating while being a parent and how to adapt to the looming threat of a stepfamily. With advice for those dating single parents as well, "Dating and the Single Parent" is a strong pick for relationship collections, highly recommended.


The Sports Shelf

Jaw Dropping Hockey Trivia
Don Weekes
Greystone Books
c/o Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781926812984, $12.95, www.douglas-mcintyre.com

Ice, punching, and loss of teeth are only some of the aspects of the beloved sport of Hockey. "Jaw Dropping Hockey Trivia" is an activity and trivia book aimed at those who love hockey and everything else surrounding the game. Fuel for fun for any dedicated hockey enthusiast and their peers, the trivia is reinforced with game ideas and much more. "Jaw Dropping Hockey Trivia" is a must for sports enthusiasts, highly recommended.


The Biography Shelf

The Reverend Jacob Bailey
James S. Leamon
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umass.edu/umpress
9781558499423, $27.95, www.amazon.com

Jacob Bailey, (16 April 1731 - 26 July 1808), a Church of England clergyman and author, was born in the United States and was married with at least six children. He started his career in the ministry as a Congregational preacher in New Hampshire but converted and became an Anglican clergyman in 1760. Bailey moved to Nova Scotia in 1779 because the political unrest in the colonies was spilling over to the Church of England. He served in the parish of Cornwallis for a period and then moved to Annapolis Royal where he remained for the rest of his life. It is through his writings that Bailey's place in Canadian history was assured. His poetry was widely known and his verse satire was considered to be styled like that of the English poet, Samuel Butler. He wrote a considerable amount of prose as well and much of this can contribute to historians studies of those times. "The Reverend Jacob Bailey, Maine Loyalist: For God, King, Country, and for Self" by academician and historian James S. Leamon (Professor of History Emeritus, Bates College), is a 296 page study of Reverend Jacob Bailey as an example of the complex and complicated nature of political loyalty and personal sacrifice in the Revolutionary War era from a Tory perspective. "The Reverend Jacob Bailey, Maine Loyalist: For God, King, Country, and for Self" is an impressive work of seminal scholarship and a very highly recommended addition to academic library American Revolutionary Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Boy Governor
Don Faber
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
9780472051588 $26.95 www.press.umich.edu

Don Faber, winner of the 2009 Michigan Notable Book Award, presents The Boy Governor: Stevens T. Mason and the Birth of Michigan Politics, a thoughtful biography of the youngest chief executive in any American state's history. Stevens T. Mason was appointed Secretary of the Michigan Territory at the tender age of 19, two years before he could vote, and did everything in his ability to advance his territory's case for statehood, even without congressional authorization. He also strongly supported the Michigan Territory's expansion via its annexation of the Upper Peninsula, prior his official election as Michigan's first governor at age 24. The Boy Governor reveals Mason's upbringing, his identity and strong sense of patriotism, his desires, and his role in Jackson-era political wrangling. Notes and an index round out this excellent addition to American political biography shelves.

Antony Bashir: Metropolitan & Missionary
Constantine Nasr
St. Vladimir's Seminary Press
575 Scarsdale, Road
Crestwood, NY 10707-1699
www.svspress.com
9780881414066, $20.00, www.amazon.com

American Orthodox bishops are men serving as bishops in some capacity, whether with dioceses or exercising authority of some kind in the United States and Canada. Antony Bashir was a devout man of action and vision with the Orthodox Christian community who, in addition to opening churches, was a primary force in establishing the framework for the expansion and growth of today's Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. "Antony Bashir: Metropolitan & Missionary" by Constantine Nasr is a 210 page biography providing interested readers with an informed and informative 'window' into an critically important period of history in the establishment of the Orthodox faith in America. Beginning with a brief overview of early Arab Christians in America, this superbly written biography covers Bashir's early life, arrival in the United States, becoming a parish priest, his election to a metropolitan bishopric, his career within the Orthodox Christian Church, and his unexpected and untimely demise. Of special note is the concluding section of personal remembrances by those who knew him best and commentary on his enduring legacy. Enhanced with the inclusion of a selected bibliography, "Antony Bashir: Metropolitan & Missionary" is an impressive and highly recommended reading for any and all members of the Orthodox Christian community.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Siri & Me: A Modern Love Story
David Milgrim
Blue Rider Press
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
sirianddave.com
9780399161599 $15.95 http://us.penguingroup.com

Siri & Me: A Modern Love Story is a graphic novel featuring alternating pages of brief text followed by minimalist cartoons to tell a most atypical love story for the twenty-first century. Dave is a fairly ordinary man, perhaps a little obsessed with technology and awkward around the opposite sex. But when he meets the smartphone Siri, he falls head over heels in love - with the AI of his own mobile device! "'All that stuff on your blog about being in love with your phone is really funny. It's so deadpan!' 'No, not anymore. I don't love her anymore - not for 6 hours and 14 minutes....'" At times whimsical, at times heartrendingly sympathetic to the lovelorn ("...what is up with Valentine's Day? Whose brilliant idea was it to make a special day just to mock those of us who don't have a sweetheart?") Siri & Me perfectly the technology-driven postmodern era, but also offers a ray of hope that perhaps humans everywhere aren't destined to forsake other humans for devices and gadgets, at least in the long term. At times so funny it hurts, Siri & Me is highly recommended especially as a giftbook for technology-savvy friends with a keen sense of humor!


The Audiobook Shelf

Riders Of The Silences
Max Brand
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887 Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781441804570, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Along with Zane Grey and Louis Lamour, Max Brand continues to be one of the most popular authors of western adventure novels. Superbly narrated by Dick Hill, "Riders Of The Silences" is a complete and unabridged audio book production from Brilliance Corporation that enjoys flawless technical production values. This is the story of Red Pierre, a man dedicated to avenging the death of his outlaw father. Circumstances find him riding with an outlaw gang for six years while seeking the target of his vengeance. Both blessed and cursed by a cross he wears around his neck, Pierre's draw is lightening fast. There is an outlaw's daughter and an honest woman involved in and complicating his life. The action is fast, the complications unexpected, and the conclusion a real cliff hanger. "Riders Of The Silences" is classic Max Brand and highly entertaining listening for anyone who enjoys a great western action/adventure yarn.

Ruby Nine
ZBS Foundation
174 North River Road, Fort Edward, NJ 12828
www.zbs.org
1931654557, $22.50, www.amazon.com

Ruby the 'Intergalactic Detective' is back in "Ruby Nine: Masque Of The Red Moon". A two CD disk, 2.5 hour, audio book that offers the listener a fabulous 'theatre of the mind' science fiction adventure experience. Superbly enhanced with music and special sound effects, the story finds Ruby hired out to investigate a plague inflicted upon the city of Aberdeen Dundee on Victoria Moon. She rounds up the usual crew of Teru, Rodant Kappor, and other family voices to follow a complex story of surprises and extraordinary adventure. "Ruby Nine: Masque Of The Red Moon" is a 'must' for the legions of Ruby fans who will welcome still another unique adventure brought to life by truly talented vocal actors and the fertile imagination of author Meatball Fulton!

The Dive Bomber
L. Ron Hubbard
Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200
Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com
9781592122301, $9.95, www.amazon.com

"The Dive Bomber" by that master storyteller L. Ron Hubbard first saw print in the July 1937 issue of pulp magazine 'Five-Novels Monthly'. Now it has been brought to life as a complete and unabridged, 2 CD, 2 hour audio book production by Galaxy Press. This technically flawless production includes a superb multicast performance enhanced with music and sound effects throughout. The story is an action/adventure yarn set in the early days of aviation when Lucky Martin, a daredevil test pilot, finds himself struggling to build a new and improved dive bomber plane. His foe is a man intending to sell Martin's dive bomber to foreign powers in direct violation of U. S. law and determined to kill anyone, including Martin's fiancee, who gets in the way of his nefarious plans. With thrills a plenty, "The Dive Bomber" is a riveting 'theater of the mind' experience that does full justice to the literary skills of L. Ron Hubbard and is whole heartedly recommended to anyone who enjoys action/adventure stories at their very best.

Dream More
Dolly Parton
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
9781611761542 $19.95 http://us.penguingroup.com

Legendary celebrity and philanthropist Dolly Parton presents Dream More, the unabridged audiobook version of her uplifting self-help guide. Drawing upon her own life from her childhood in the hills of Tennessee to her work as a singer, songwriter, and performer today in order to generate examples, Dream More focuses upon the importance of expanding one's boundaries and reaching for the stars. The central tenet is to dream more, care more, learn more, and be more. A work of inspiration enlivened with original music, Dream More is an excellent and motivational read especially recommended for fans of Dolly Parton's work and legacy. 2 CDs, 1 1/2 hours.

Return of the Thin Man
Dashiell Hammett, author
Peter Ganim, Nicola Barber, Scott Brick, et. al, performers
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781611749090 $34.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

Return of the Thin Man is the unabridged audiobook rendition of two never-before-published "Thin Man" novellas from hard-boiled mystery master Dashiell Hammett. Both novellas were originally written as screen stories for the popular sequel films "After the Thin Man" and "Another Thin Man". Return of the Then Man brings back the lush ex-detective Nick Charles and his ex-debutante wife Nora, in a gritty world filled with crime, punishment, thugs and con artists. Caustic dialogue, shocking plot twists, and edge-of-one's-seat suspense characterize these masterpieces of crime fiction, brought vividly to life with a stellar full-cast performance. Return of the Thin Man is an absolute "must-have" for fans of Hammett's work. 6 CDs, 7 1/4 hours.

Hidden
P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, authors
Caitlin Davies, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427226433 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Award-winning author P.C Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast team up to present Hidden, the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a tense installment in chilling and sultry House of Night dark fantasy series. Set in world haunted by a vampire society, Hidden follows the consequences of Zoey's quest to expose the evil of Neferet. The High Council no longer support Neferet, but a fire of unknown origins devastates the stables, and Neferet still has a deadly card to play. Zoey and her friends' efforts to contain the spread of Darkness strains their friendships as never before, in this taut saga of disguised machinations and power struggles under a pale moon. Highly recommended especially for fans of vampire stories! 9 CDs, 11 1/2 hours.

Hand Me Down World
Lloyd Jones, author
Humphrey Bower, narrator
Bolinda Publishing
186 S Long Swamp Rd
Jackson, ME 04921
9781742149264 $93.95 www.bolinda.com

Hand Me Down World is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a North African woman's determined search for her son, whose father spirited him away to Berlin when he was just an infant. Upon reaching Sicily, she proceeds her search with the aid of strangers - some kind and generous, some manipulative and exploitive. Each has their own perspective to tell of the mysterious, quiet woman in a blue coat, with little more than a maid's uniform and a stashed knife to her name. Not all of the narrators are fully reliable; the truth can have a hundred shades, but the overall story of a mother's resolute courage shines strongly through. Brought to life by the narrative performance Audie Award-winning actor Humphrey Bower (who is especially talented at speaking in a wide variety of accents), Hand Me Down World is highly recommended. 9 CDs, 10 hours 20 min, bookmarking tracks every 3 min.

Live by Night
Dennis Lehane, author
Jim Frangione, narrator
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062204790 $39.99 www.harpercollins.com

Set in Boston during the roaring 20's, when Prohibition fueled immense corruption through gang alcohol sales, Live by Night is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel about a police captain's son gone down a criminal path. From childhood petty theft to an adult mob career, Joe Coughlin makes the most of being an outlaw - but for all his power and notoriety, he is still subject to betrayal, the pains of love, and the brutality of revenge. An exciting saga of one man's willful determination to blaze his own path, laws and consequences be damned, Live by Night is thrilling to the very end. 12 CDs, 14 3/4 hours.

Call for the Dead
John le Carre, author
Michael Jayston, narrator
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
9781611760972 $29.95 http://us.penguingroup.com

The internationally renowned author of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" John le Carre presents Call for the Dead: A George Smiley Novel, now as an unabridged audiobook featuring actor Michael Jayston's enthralling performance. Call for the Dead follows the innocuous George Smiley's investigation of a man from the Foreign Office who appears to have shot himself in the head, only hours after a routine security interview. Set amid a tense interplay of cold tensions between hardened human beings, Call for the Dead is a keenly suspenseful masterwork to the very end. 4 CDs, 5 hours.

The Cocktail Waitress
James M. Cain, author
Amy Rubinate, narrator
Harper Audio
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062209061 $39.99 www.harpercollins.com

The Cocktail Waitress is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the late James M. Cain's long-lost final novel. Joan Medford has the misfortune of becoming a widow all too soon, and must work as a cocktail waitress to support herself and her child. A beautiful and passionate woman, Joan becomes romantically entangled with two enormously different men - a handsome yet duplicitous young man whose touch excites her, and a wealthy older man whose touch she can barely endure (yet the lure of being comfortable for life nonetheless makes him a tempting catch). As the lustful love triangle deepens, the power of human emotions unleashed threaten bloodshed - but will the guilty or the innocent suffer the most? Highly recommended for fans of erotically charged suspense! 8 CDs, 9 hours.

Blackberry Winter
Sarah Jio, author
Tara Sands, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781469217352 $19.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Blackberry Winter is the unabridged audiobook version of an emotionally moving novel by Sarah Jio. In 1933, Vera Ray struggles to make ends meet by working the night shift. While she is away at her job, her three-year old son Daniel disappears during a freak "blackberry winter" snowstorm - all she has left of him is his teddy bear left face down in the snow. The police conclude that he ran away. Decades later, in present-day Seattle, reporter Claire Aldridge is assigned to cover another freak "blackberry winter" snowstorm; as she researches the previous storm, she learns of Daniel's unsolved abduction, and discovers that she has an uncanny connection to Vera. At times heartbreaking, at times involved and intriguing, Blackberry Winter is a poignant and unforgettable testimony to a mother's love. 9 CDs, 10 hours 6 min.

Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse
James Wesley Rawles, author
Phil Gigante, narrator
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781455847082 $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Former U.S. Army intelligence officer James Wesley Rawles presents Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse, unabridged audiobook adaptation of a near-future dystopia in which hyperinflation, government corruption, and crumbling infrastructure bring about the end of America as we know it. Following nonlinear threads of time, Founders reveals not only the seeds of the darkness, but also the machinations of a silent coup leaving America run by a false government, and the struggles of brave individuals caught in the middle. Only a few of stout heart and strong spirit dare to fight back, attempting to return America to a land its founders could once again be proud of. Superbly performed by Phil Gigante, Founders is an excellent addition to Rawles' all too real and all too chilling series, highly recommended. 8 CDs, 8 hours 52 min.


The Music CD Shelf

Smile
Andrea Marcovicci
Andreasong Recordings
c/o Miller Wright & Associates (publicity)
1650 Broadway, Suite 1210
New York, NY 10019
www.millerwright.com
$19.99 www.marcovicci.com www.cdbaby.com

Andrea Marcovicci, acclaimed as "The Queen of Cabaret", presents Smile, her first CD of new material in five years. A captivating, easy-on-the-ears album in which Marcovicci's melodious voice is supported by a medley of guest performers' masterful talent with the guitar, cello, saxophones, and much more, Smile lives up to its title by prompting strong feelings of warmth and joy in the listener. Smile is "must-have" for fans of cabaret music, highly recommended. The tracks are "It's Only A Paper Moon" (2:37), "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries Are You Havin' Any Fun?" (3:15), "Ain't We Got Fun" (2:56), "12th Street Rag" (1:56), "Umbrella Man" (2:40), "Isn't This A Lovely Day? Pick Yourself Up" (3:20), "Zing A Little Zong Mairzy Doats" (3:22), "Beyond Compare" (2:57), "If I Had You It Had To Be You" (5:11), "(I Asked) The Moon Sometimes I'm Happy It All Depends On You" (5:04), "Shakespeare Lied" (2:59), "Look At Those Eyes" (2:50), "Glitter In The Air" (3:38), "You Make Me Feel So Young" (2:50), and "Smile" (3:13).

Seinn
Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac
Privately Published
c/o Hearth Music (publicity)
maryjaneandwendy.com
$15.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Gaelic vocalist Mary Jane Lamond and expert fiddle player Wendy MacIsaac present Seinn, an album reflecting their love of Celtic music, Nova Scotia tradition, and Cape Breton's cultural legacy. The rich and wondrous traditions of Highland art are given a new and original vibrancy in this superb two-woman performance that revels in the beauty of Gaelic lyrics and the high emotion of the fiddle. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Yellow Coat" (4:24), "It Is The Lad That I Love" (4:57), "The Soldier's Song" (4:28), "Keeping Up With Calum" (2:59), "I Travelled More Than Nine Miles" (3:23), "Angus Blaise" (5:57), "Hoireann o Rathill iu o" (4:26), "Jewels Of The Ocean" (5:27), "The Thief's Song" (4:37), "Boise Monsters" (3:14), "The Blue Mountain's Lullaby" (6:20), and "If You Were Mine" (3:27).


The DVD Shelf

Bringing Up Bobby
Written & directed by Famke Janssen
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
www.bringingupbobbyfilm.com
$26.95 www.montereymedia.com

Bringing Up Bobby is a thought-provoking movie about parenting, with a twist - single mother Olive (played by Milla Jovovich) has a felonious past as a European con artist, but now she is simply trying to be a good mother to her 10-year-old American-born son Bobby (Spencer List) in a conservative Oklahoma neighborhood. But Bobby acts out in ways that prompt her concern, and after he has a bad encounter with local wealthy businessman Kent (Bill Pullman), Olive can no longer hide from her own criminal past. A dramatic movie of hard choices and life-changing consequences, Bringing Up Bobby is an excellent choice for both personal and public library movie collections. 95 minutes, rated PG-13.

Creating Still Lifes
Peggy Flores
Crystal Productions
PO Box 2159
Glenview, IL 60025-6159
9781562906894 $29.95 www.crystalproductions.com

Creating Still Lifes is a user-friendly DVD guide to drawing striking still life pictures, and transforming pencil sketches into vibrant displays through the use of watercolor, tempera, markers, or colored pencils. Flores demonstrates basic still life drawing techniques with a variety of subjects, including a coffee pot, tea pot, vases, candlesticks, bottles, and fruit, with tips on displaying ordinary items for optimal perspective. An excellent "hands-on" how-to guide, Creating Still Lifes is a choice pick especially for aspiring artists. Also highly recommended is Flores' instructional DVD "Creating Circular Art" (9781562906887, $29.95), which walks the viewer through creating a circle with a protractor, and applying paper arrow templates for distinctive results; mandala art and intertwined circles in the style of Celtic design are also covered.

Canyon Ranch: Yoga for Strength & Energy
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
$16.99 www.acacialifestyle.com

Canyon Ranch: Yoga for Strength & Energy is the second fitness DVD from the award-winning resort of Canyon Ranch, offering two 20-minute yoga routines designed to promote muscle tone and flexibility. Led by a professional Canyon Ranch instructor, these user-friendly workouts are an excellent way to burn calories, boost muscle conditioning, release tension, and invigorate the body as a whole. Three bonus segments hosted by Canyon Ranch health experts suggest healthier ways to prepare the foods of one's diet, tips and techniques for more restful sleep habits, and more. Canyon Ranch: Yoga for Strength & Energy lives up to its title and is a choice pick for fitness DVD collections; either of its 20-minute routines can also double as a solid warm-up or cool-down for an aerobic workout. 57 min. plus bonus, widescreen.

Sparkpeople Total Body Sculpting with Coach Nicole
c/o Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.acacialifestyle.com
9781598287653 $16.99 SparkPeople.com

Sparkpeople Total Body Sculpting with Coach Nicole is a well-rounded DVD workout, performed by three trainers who demonstrate beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions. A high-aerobic experience, Total Body Sculpting includes a ballet-inspired barre routine (done with an ordinary chair), an energetic cardio blast, and an invigorating dumbbell workout. The only equipment needed to fully enjoy the entire experience are light hand weights, a mat, and a simple chair. Bonus features include leg toning exercises one can do anytime (even at work!), select recipes from The SparkPeople Cookbook, and more. An excellent pick for fitness enthusiasts! 69 min., widescreen.

Dance Off the Inches Latin Cardio Party
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
$14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Dance Off the Inches Latin Cardio Party is a user-friendly DVD that helps make getting fit into pure fun. Anyone can follow the "Dance Off the Inches Step Guide", which breaks down the ten different steps and mini combinations needed to enjoy the entire program. Samba, Cumbia and Reggaeton rhythms make Latin Cardio Party live up to its title and then some! The result is an invigorating, high-energy workout, enthusiastically recommended especially for anyone who loves Latin music. 44 min. workout program plus 21 min. step guide, closed captioned, widescreen.

Ultimate Kettlebell Workouts for Beginners
Paul Katami, instructor
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
9781598289497 $16.99 www.acacialifestyle.com

Veteran fitness professional Paul Katami (certified by the American Council on Exercise and other organizations) hosts Ultimate Kettlebell Workouts for Beginners, a fitness DVD that lives up to its title. Ultimate Kettlebell Workouts for Beginners features three 25-minute workouts, which require one fitness kettlebell as their only equipment. The first workout has a tutorial emphasizing the proper technique for performing a kettlebell workout; the second is packed with easy-to-follow drills and combinations; and the third focuses upon core strength. A solid blend of muscle strength and aerobic endurance training accessible to fitness buffs of all experience levels, Ultimate Kettlebell Workouts for Beginners is a great choice for learning firsthand the benefits of this excellent and inexpensive fitness tool. 79 min., widescreen.

10 Minute Solution series
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Two new fitness DVDs in the "10 Minute Solution" series are perfect picks for women (and men!) who need to fit exercise into their busy schedules. "10 Minute Solution Tighten & Tone Pilates" (57 min., $16.98) includes a resistance band along with five complete, ten-minute workouts that can be rearranged to one's tastes. Instructor and Pilates Method Alliance Gold-Certified Pilates expert Lara Hudson guides the viewer through these mix-and-match segments: "Tightened & Toned Core", "Defined Arms & Shoulders", "Trim & Slim Lower Body", "Total Body Toner", and "Long & Lean Stretch". For those seeking a schedule-friendly workout that concentrates on vigorous cardio, "10 Minute Solution Cardio Hip Hop" (55 min., $14.98) delivers the punch! Professional dancer Heather Graham leads the viewer through five different and solidly fun segments: "Hip Hop 101", "House Party", "Signature Moves", "Hip Hop Jam", and "Street Style". Both DVDs come with the ability to program their five segments in any desired order, and both are excellent choices for keeping fit no matter how hectic one's day has been. Closed captioned, widescreen.

inControl Pelvic Exercise for Women, revised edition
Karen Armstrong
Cricket Productions
c/o 411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.incontrolworkout.com
www.collegevideo.com
$19.95 www.411videoinfo.com

Created and developed by Karen Armstrong, inControl Pelvic Exercise for Women is a women's DVD guide to strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Pilates routines and therapeutic exercise form the core of these simple routines ideal for enhancing muscle strength, as well as the physical control to isolate specific muscles as needed. A seven-minute introduction with graphics followed by two different exercise routines with verbal and visual instructions make this resource easy to follow. inControl Pelvic Exercise for Women is indispensable for women who are pregnant or contemplating having a child, but women who do not plan to have children in the near future can also benefit greatly from improved pelvic health, which is solidly linked to greater sexual health and enjoyment. Highly recommended. 30 min.

Qigong for Women
Lisa B. O'Shea
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392566 $29.95 www.ymaa.com

Certified qigong master, qigong therapist, reiki practitioner and hypnotherapist Lisa B. O'Shea presents Qigong for Women, a DVD guide designed to help women engage in the healthful Chinese practice of qigong ("energy work"). It should be noted that Qigong for Women is not an aerobic workout; the program can be practiced while seated, as its emphasis is upon energy flow rather than vigorous exercise. Part one covers the five elements theory of traditional Chinese Medicine; part two guides the viewer through basic energy cultivation, with particular emphases on health issues pertaining to women (PMS and menopause, sex drive, bone density, etc.), and part three covers yin essence meditation for longevity and improved well-being. Thoroughly accessible to women of all ages and backgrounds, Qigong for Women is an excellent way to become acquainted with this centuries-old practice for improving one's health. 217 minutes.


The Parenting Shelf

Straight Talk With Your Kids About Sex
Josh & Dottie McDowell
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736949927 $11.99 www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Straight Talk With Your Kids About Sex is a Christian parenting guide offering practical, level-headed advice for teaching children what they need to know about human sexuality. In congruence with Christian practices, Straight Talk With Your Kids About Sex emphasizes the importance of teaching young people that sex is a gift from God, meant to be shared within a loving marital relationship. Topics covered include "Doesn't Talking About It Encourage It?" (the authors stress that real-world experience proves that no, it doesn't), "How Often Should I Talk to My Kids About Sex?", "What Sexual Rules or Boundaries Do I Set for My Child?", "What About 'Sexting,' and What Can I Do About It?", "How Does a Sexually Active Young Person Find a Clean Heart for a New Start?", "Most Kids Don't Believe Oral Sex Is Having Sex. How Do I Correct Their Misconception?", and much more. "...the truth is kids who feel their parents speak openly about sex and listen to them carefully are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. So it really comes down to your kids getting the right information about sex from you or misinformation from others." Although Straight Talk With Your Kids About Sex is written especially for Christian parents, its practical wisdom about a difficult subject can prove valuable to parents of all faiths; just about the only subject not significantly covered is homosexuality. Highly recommended.

Top Drawer Dads
Dr. Thomas F. Mahan and Marjie Aldom Smith
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000
Nashville, TN 37214
www.topdrawerdads.com
9781449743147 $29.95 www.westbowpress.com

Although Top Drawer Dads may appear to be a picturebook at first glance, it is actually an all-ages celebration of the positive side of fatherhood, emphasizing the joys, rewards, accomplishments and generational legacy of loving and dedicated fathers. Full color photographs on practically every page illustrate anecdotes about fathers as protectors, teachers, and role models. Parents and children may enjoy sharing Top Drawer Dads; it also makes an excellent giftbook for brand new dads or anxious fathers-to-be! Highly recommended.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Tolkien's World
Gareth Hanrahan and Peter McKinstry
Insight Editions
PO Box 3088
San Rafael, CA 94912
9781608871803 $24.99 www.insighteditions.com

Tolkien's World: A Guide to the People and Places of Middle-earth is an unofficial and unauthorized yet spectacularly beautiful coffee table book filled with artistic imagining of the wondrous creatures, mortals, and civilizations of Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy world. Every two-page spread features captivating original art, some in black and white but most in vivid color, accompanied by brief captions placing the image in Middle-earth's narrative context. Any fan of Tolkien's fantasy novels will find Tolkien's World an immersive and captivating visual reminder of the highlights from his classic stories. Highly recommended, especially as a giftbook for Tolkien fans.


The Humor Shelf

Scribbles at an Exhibition
Rick Kirkman & Jerry Scott
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449409722 $12.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

The twenty-ninth "scrapbook" of the widely popular Baby Blues cartoon strip, Scribbles at an Exhibition continues the series' tradition of laugh-out-loud funny humor based on the joys, trials, and tribulations of raising young children. Two harried parents have their hands full with a daughter who thinks she knows everything, a rambunctious boy, and infant baby girl. "'Please, Mom? Please?' 'No! We are not shopping for flesh-eating garden gnomes, if there even were such things! Honestly! That's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard!' 'Really? I guess you haven't spent much time on elementary school playgrounds, have you?'" Reproduced in black-and-white with color Sunday strips, Scribbles at an Exhibition is exuberantly funny from cover to cover, and an excellent giftbook to brighten any beleaguered parent's day.


The Cookbook Shelf

Super Snacks for Super Kids
Sarah Fox MD and Julie Stephenson, authors
Lesley Stephenson, illustrator
Little Creek Press
5341 Sunny Ridge Road, Mineral Point, WI 53565
9780984924554 $18.95 www.littlecreekpress.com

"Super Snacks for Super Kids" is an enlightened cookbook for making healthy snacks for kids, to help them learn, grow and enjoy living. Filled with easy to prepare snacks that can be made by children age 6 and up (with minimal supervision), "Super Snacks for Super Kids" teaches that the best foods are unprocessed, fresh foods, presented in six color photo-illustrated chapters, including super snacks for focus, after school, play, after play, and for a crowd. Ending with a chapter titled Super Staples, this fine collection of healthy snacks suggestions for kids is a sure crowd pleaser appealing to both young and mature audiences. Some tasty snack preparation suggestions and recipes include Maple Nut Granola, Fruit Salsa, Asian Peanut Dip, Hummus, Extra Special Egg Salad, Banana Strawberry Freezies, Apple Oat Bars, Kohlrabi Rounds, Creamy Fruit salad, Peanut Butter Pita Pockets and more. Recipes begin with a short list of ingredients followed by simple, easy to understand instructions for preparation. In addition, information about food allergies, recipe modifications, and special diets is included at the end of the book. 100% of the profits from "Super Snacks for Super Kids" will be donated to fund wellness projects in the Mineral Point School District. To maximize children's learning abilities and increase their overall health profile, invest in "Super Snacks for Super Kids" and learn how easy it can be to encourage healthy snacking.

The Lazy Gourmet
Robin Donovan & Juliana Gallin
Viva Editions
2246 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710-2219
9781573446532 $15.95 www.vivaeditions.com

The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy is exactly what its title suggests - a resource packed with recipes to satisfy a connoisseur's palate, yet which require a minimum of preparation time. An introductory section filled with practical cooking advice for aspiring time-strapped gourmets enhances this user-friendly culinary resource. "...you don't need to follow any recipe (except when you're baking) precisely as written. If a recipe calls for three dried herbs and you've only got two of them, you don't need to run out to the market for those you don't have on hand. Just use what you have, increasing their quantities to make up for the missing flavors. You can even swap one dried herb for another - just sniff around your spice rack until your nose finds a good substitute." Written to appeal to busy cooks of all skill and experience levels, The Lazy Gourmet is highly recommended, especially for anyone newly tasked with cooking duties (whether for themselves, for roommates, or for family).

The Picky Palate Cookbook
Jenny Flake
Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
picky-palate.com
9781118095126 $24.99 www.wiley.com

A spiral-bound hardcover designed to lay flay for easy reference, The Picky Palate Cookbook lives up to its title as a one-stop-shop reference and resource for busy moms (and dads!) trying to get their families to eat nutritious meals. Grounded in the popular "Picky Palate" blog by busy mother Jenny Flake, all the dishes are family-tested for approval! Full color photographs pepper the simple, easy-to-follow recipes for delicious creations such as Crispy Buttermilk Parmesan Chicken Tenders, Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps, Shrimp Linguini in Tomato Cream Sauce, Black Bean Guacamole Burgers, Cinnamon Swirl Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce, and much more. Highly recommended.

Tomatoes
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
5-22 46th Ave, Ste 200
Long Island City, NY 11101
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578264117, $5.95, www.amazon.com

The tomato has become a staple of both American and European cuisines since the original explorers first discovered them in the New World and brought them back as culinary curiosities to the Old World kingdoms. Part of the simply outstanding 'Farmstand Favorites" cookbook series from Hatherleigh Press, "Tomatoes: Over 75 Farm Fresh Recipes" showcase a wonderfully delicious variety of 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for healthy dishes that are guaranteed to please any palate and satisfy any appetite. These tomato-centric recipes range from Tomato, Cheddar, and Mushroom Breakfast Squares; Fire-Roasted Mussels with Fresh Tomato Salsa; and Best Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomato Crowns; to Pasta with Tomato Meat Sauce; Summer Tomato Pie; and Warm Roasted Tomato Bruschetta. "Tomatoes" is an ideal and strongly recommended addition to any and all personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. Also very highly recommended from the Hatherleigh Press 'Farmstand Favorites' cook collections is "The Complete Home Guide to Canning & Preserving" (9781578264155, $5.95) which features more than seventy-five simple and easy recipes for home-made jams, jellies, pickles, sauces and more!

Chaga: King of the Medicinal Mushrooms
David Wolfe
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583944998 $15.95 www.northatlanticbooks.com

Chaga: King of the Medicinal Mushrooms features a range of tasty recipes using these healthful edible mushrooms, as well as a wealth of information about their history, their uses, how to properly prepare and store them, and their nourishing benefits. Herbalist David Wolfe touts this value of this wonderful "superfood" that can be used in teas, tortes, or even exfoliating body scrubs! A handful of color illustrations pepper this excellent guide. Although Chaga: King of the Medicinal Mushrooms is more devoted to spreading the good word about chaga than listing recipes, anyone who wants to add this nutritious food to their diet will find it absolutely invaluable for its cooking advice.

Healing Foods
Margaret Roberts
Briza Publications
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781875093861, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Throughout the history of the human race, plants have been a source of preventative and applied medicinal treatments for illnesses and injuries. Drawing upon her many years of experience and expertise, South African organic farmer, physiotherapist, herbalist, and author Margaret Roberts, has written "Healing Foods", profusely and superbly illustrated, 272 page compendium showcasing more than 150 common and lesser-known vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, and other food plants that are especially beneficial for human health and well-being. Each plant's origin and history is covered, including instructions on growing the plant, its medicinal uses and major nutrients, suggestions on including the plant in our diet (including recipes), as well as ancillary uses such as cosmetics and household cleaning. Informed, informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly' from beginning to end, "Healing Foods" is strongly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Holistic Health & Medicine Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The American History Shelf

The Early Resorts Of Minnesota
Ren Holland
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress.com
9781592984374, $34.95, www.amazon.com

From the days of the French fur trappers down to the present day, Minnesota reputation as a land of ten thousand lakes has drawn visitor seeking to enjoy the simple outdoor pleasures and adventures that are offered. Superbly illustrated with historic photography throughout, "The Early Resorts of Minnesota: Tourism in the Land of 10,000 Lakes" by Minnesota native son Ren Holland is a 480 page compendium showcasing the history of Minnesota's famed resorts including the earliest family resorts that were the beginnings of a robust tourist industry for the state. Of special note is the inclusion of a web site that will enable the reader to explore in even more comprehensive detail the history of what Minnesota has offered in the past -- and continues to afford today's visitors. Informed, informative, and enhanced with the inclusion of two appendices ('Minnesota's Scenic Byways' and 'Hospitality Hall of Fame and Resorter of the Year Awards'); an Index of Web Maps; and a comprehensive index, "The Early Resorts of Minnesota - Tourism in the Land of 10,000 Lakes" is a seminal work that should not only be a part of every Minnesota community and university library collection, but would also serve as an admirable template or example of what could be done to create similar resort histories for other states.

Killing Kennedy
Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Henry Holt & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400
New York, NY 10010-7725
9780805096668 $28.00 www.henryholt.com

Celebrated pundit of "The O'Reilly Factor" Bill O'Reilly and bestselling author Martin Dugard present Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot, a reader-friendly tell-all of the shocking events, aftermath, and legacy of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this meticulous account that is firmly grounded in historical fact, yet flows as fluidly as a novel. An index allows for quick and easy cross-referencing. Written primarily in the present tense (which heightens its strong sense of immediacy), Killing Kennedy makes a dark moment in America's history accessible to readers of all backgrounds, and is an excellent pick especially for public library collections. Also highly recommended is O'Reilly's previous nonfiction narrative, "Killing Lincoln" (9780805093070, $28.00).


The World History Shelf

Wartime In West Suffolk
Robert Malcolmson & Peter Searby, eds.
Suffolk Records Society
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843837022, $60.00, www.amazon.com

Winifred Challis (1896-1990) was active during the early years of World War II (1942-1943) with the bury St. Edmunds for the Public Assistance Committee and kept a daily dairy for Mass Observation, a social research organization. Her entries produced descriptive and perceptive observations of daily life around her. The result is an informed, informative, absorbing, and often insightful record. The collaborative editorial work of Robert Malcolmson (Professor Emeritus of History, queen's University, Kingston, Ontario) and Peter Searby (Former Fellow at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge), "Wartime in West Suffolk: The Diary of Winifred Challis, 1942" is a 256 page compendium of Winifred Challis' two year diary. Enhanced with footnotes, an Afterword, three appendices, a People & Places index, and a Subjects index, "Wartime in West Suffolk" is a very highly recommended addition to mid-20th Century English History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Music Shelf

The Disney Song Encyclopedia
Thomas S. Hischak & Mark A. Robinson
Taylor Trade Publishing
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781589797130, $18.95, www.amazon.com

From Walt Disney's first animated production 'Steamboat Willie", to today's Disney Studios productions both live action and animated, original music has been a hallmark of every theatrical work however large or small. The collaborative work of Thomas S. Hischak and Mark A. Robinson, "The Disney Song Encyclopedia" is a 400 page encyclopedic compendium showcasing succinct descriptions of more than 900 Disney film associated songs -- many of which made significant popular cultural impacts in their day. Enhanced with an introduction offering a brief history of Disney music; as well as appendices comprised of a list of alternate song titles; a songwriters directory; a guide to recordings, videos, and DVDs; academy awards for Disney songs and scores; a glossary of song terms; a bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "The Disney Song Encyclopedia" is a unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library Music History and Disney Studies reference collections.

Not Only Women Bleed
Dick Wagner
Desert Dreams Productions
10645 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 200
Phoenix, AZ 85028
www.desertdreamsllc.com
9780985684303, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Dick Wagner (born December 14, 1942, in Oelwein, Iowa) is an American rock music guitarist, songwriter and author best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and KISS. "Not Only Women Bleed: Vignettes from the Heart of a Rock Musician" is a 281 page compendium of Dick Wagner's often colorful life experiences as a working musician and performer. Readers will learn of his encounters with such music legends as Little Richard, Roy Orbison, BB King, Les Hall, and a great many others. Informed, informative, entertaining, and candid, "Not Only Women Bleed" is highly recommended for personal and community library collections in general, and a 'must read' to the legions of Dick Wagner fans with an interest in his life and times!


The Jewelry Shelf

Push Jewelry
Arthur Hash
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
www.larkcrafts.com
9781454703686, $24.95, www.amazon.com

The 'Push' series from Lark Books is unique as they showcase works from cutting-edge artists from around the world. One of the newest titles in this outstanding and elegant series is PUSH Jewelry: 30 Artists Explore the Boundaries of Jewelry" by Arthur Hash. This superbly illustrated, 176-page provides a full color photograph of each distinctive work of jewelry, along with informative commentary by the artist of the work. Also very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library reference collections are "PUSH Print: 30+ Artists Explore the Boundaries of Printmaking" (9781454703280, $19.95) by Jamie Berger; "PUSH Paper: 30 Artists Explore the Boundaries of Paper Art" (9781600597886, $19.95) and "PUSH Stitchery: 30 Artists Explore the Boundaries of Stitched Art" (9781600597879, $19.95) by Jamie Chalmers.


The Philosophy Shelf

Jeopardy! and Philosophy
Shaun P. Young, editor
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
9780812697995, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

The quiz show has allowed knowledge its own pedestal in popular culture. "Jeopardy! and Philosophy" is a philosophical analysis of the famed decades long running game show, taking note of the show's staying power, the place of the quiz show in American culture, and the questions it asks us beyond finding the answer for the Potpourri Question for $400. "Jeopardy! and Philosophy" is well worth considering for modern philosophy collections, a fine addition to Open Court's long running Pop Culture and Philosophy Series.


The Civil War Shelf

Louis Trezevant Wigfall
Edward S. Cooper
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
The Gatehouse M010C
285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
www.rowman.com
9781611475647, $70.00, www.amazon.com

Louis Trezevant Wigfall (April 21, 1816 - February 18, 1874) was an American politician from Texas who served as a member of the Texas Legislature, United States Senate, and Confederate Senate. Wigfall was among a group of leading secessionists known as Fire-Eaters, advocating the preservation and expansion of an aristocratic agricultural society based on slave labor. He briefly served as a Confederate Brigadier General of the Texas Brigade at the outset of the American Civil War before taking his seat in the Confederate Senate. Wigfall's reputation for oratory and hard-drinking, along with a combative nature and high-minded sense of personal honor, made him one of the more imposing political figures of his time. "Louis Trezevant Wigfall: The Disintegration of the Union and Collapse of the Confederacy" by independent scholar and biographer Edward S. Cooper is a detailed, 212 page biography showcasing the colorful life of a man who was instrumental in the eventual collapse of the Confederacy. A masterful work of seminal scholarship, "Louis Trezevant Wigfall: The Disintegration of the Union and Collapse of the Confederacy" is enhanced with the inclusion of an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index making it a very highly recommended contribution to academic library Civil War Studies and 19th Century American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Untried Life
James T. Fritsch
Swallow Press
c/o Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19, Athens, OH 45701
www.ohioswallow.com
9780804011396, $34.95, www.amazon.com

With the onset of the American Civil War, the Twenty-Ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was founded by radical abolitionist Congressman J. R. Giddings. The enlisted men were picked to especially ensure each solider of the 29th OVI strongly held anti-slavery beliefs. "The Untried Life: The Twenty-Ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War" by James T. Fritsch is the cumulative result of some fifteen years of research. The result is a 512 page, detailed history of what it was like to live and fight as a member of the 29th OVI. Replete with vividly described individuals and events, "The Untried Life" is an impressive work of considerable scholarship. Enhanced with the inclusion of an extensive bibliography, a profusion of footnote documentation, an index roster of the 29th OVI, and a comprehensive general index, "The Untried Life: The Twenty-Ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War" is a welcome and seminal addition to the growing library of Civil War literature. Highly recommended for academic library Civil War Studies" reference collections and Civil War enthusiasts supplemental reading lists.


The Woodworking Shelf

Turning Modified Slimline Pens
Don Ward
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764341694, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Turned wooden pens have been available to the general public for decades and are especially valued in calligraphy and other forms of creative art work. Currently these pens are available in a wide diversity of technological forms from simple pencils, to ballpoints, roller balls, and fountain pens. In "Turning Modified Slimline Pens: Beyond the Basics", Don Ward draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to create a superbly illustrated, 96 page, step-by-step instructional compendium on how to make beautiful, functional, elegant pens. Of special note is the informed and informative introduction, as well as the pictorial gallery of pens. Thoroughly 'user friendly' and superbly presented, "Turning Modified Slimline Pens: Beyond the Basics" is a very highly recommended instructional reference.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Ink Trails
Dave Dempsey & Jack Dempsey
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
www.msupress.msu.edu
9781611860603, $19.95, www.amazon.com

The state of Michigan has long been home to an impressive roster of nationally prominent novelists, poets, essayists, and writers. The collaborative work of Dave and Jack Dempsey, "Ink Trails: Michigan's Famous and Forgotten Authors" is a 200 page compendium showcasing an imposing list of seventeen writers deftly organized regionally within the states and range from Southeast Michigan's George Matthew Adams (Today's Talk); to Central/South Central Michigan's William McKendree Carleton (Verse Virtuoso); to Southwest Michigan's Liberty Hyde Bailey (A Bountiful Life); to Southern Lower Michigan's Charles Bruce Catton (American's Civil War Storyteller); to the Upper Peninsula's Caroll Walker Rankin (Northern Lights). Of special note is the chapter dedicated to Carl Sandburg (Sandman). Highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library American Literary Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Ink Trails" would also serve quite well as a model for other state-wide collections honoring native sons and daughters of significant literary accomplishment.


The Gaming Shelf

Internet Hold'em Poker
Avery Cardoza
Cardoza Publishing
5473 South Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119
www.cardozapub.com
9781580422161, $9.95, www.amazon.com

The growth and expansion of online poker has been nothing short of phenomenal. "Internet Hold'em Poker: Plus 7-Card Stud, Omaha, and Other Games" by poker expert, author, and publisher Avery Cardoza is a 176 page instructional compendium of on-line poker oriented strategies that will enable even the most novice of players to get started and play smarter. Deftly organized into six major sections, aspiring players are provided at the beginning with an overview of online poker that includes security issues and choosing the right site. The next two sections provide basic instruction on playing different types of on-line poker as well as tournament play. The fourth section is devoted game play strategies for both Limit and No-Limit Texas Hold'em, Seven-Card Stud and Five-Card Stud, Omaha Hig Low 8-or-Better. Also included are strategies for Sit-and-Go games and for Multi-Table Tournaments. The fifth section showcases twenty-five on-line poker tells and strategies. Of special note is the final section of 'Extras' which includes money management, bankrolling, a poker glossary, and internet poker acronyms. Informed, informative, thoroughly 'user friendly', and replete with seasoned, professional insights, "Internet Hold'em Poker: Plus 7-Card Stud, Omaha, and Other Games" should be considered absolutely mandatory reading for beginners, and will prove an enduringly valuable reference for even the more experienced online poker players.

Street Fighter x Tekken Artworks
UDON Entertainment Corp.
118 Tower Hill Road, C1, PO Box 20008
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4K 0K0
9781926778518 $39.99 www.UDONentertainment.com

Street Fighter x Tekken Artworks continues UDON Entertainment's glorious tradition of bringing high-quality, full-color, superbly translated Japanese video game artbooks to American shores. In addition to striking water-themed character portraits capturing dynamic moments of intense action, Street Fighter x Tekken Artworks is filled with comments and interviews with the designers, animators, and artists who helped bring this dream-crossover fighting game to life. The artworks prominently feature every Street Fighter x Tekken character (except for DLC-only characters), including pictures from the prologues and ending sequences of each, costume swap art, and early concept art! It should be noted that Street Fighter x Tekken Artworks is not a gameplay or strategy guide, but rather a collector's showcase and behind-the-scenes look, sure to delight fans of the characters from both the Street Fighter and the Tekken fighting game series. Also highly recommended for video game (and comic book!) art connoisseurs is UDON's "Marvel vs. Capcom: Official Complete Works" (9781926778495, $44.99), a gigantic collection of art by the creators of the immensely popular Marvel vs. Capcom series and related video games.


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


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