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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 12, Number 11 November 2017 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Christmas Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Music Shelf
Travel Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Automotive Shelf
Woodworking Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fiction Shelf Education Shelf Photography Shelf
Business Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf
DVD Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf
Gaming Shelf Interior Design Shelf Biography Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Technology Shelf Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf
Aviation Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Civil War Shelf Sports Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

New Views
Alastair Bonnett
Aurum Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781781316399, $35.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

From charting energy networks to revealing new and emerging lands, measuring human migration to assessing the planet's ant populations (and including the phenomena we have little control over such as lightning strikes or asteroid impact) each one of the 52 maps comprising "New Views: The World Mapped Like Never Before: 50 Maps Of Our Physical, Cultural And Political World" by Alastair Bonnett (Professor of Social Geography at Newcastle University) prompts its readers to question, wonder and look again at our rapidly changing and often surprising world. Divided into three thematic sections: Land, Air and Sea; Human and Animal, and Globalisation, "New Views" offers a fresh and truly global portrait of our intricately fascinating planet. Impressively and exceptionally informative, "New Views" is unreservedly recommended for community, school, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "New Views" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.29).

Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader
Hans Finzel
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.davidccook.com
9780781414623, $22.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Dr. Hans Finzel knows from personal experience the key success factors in every effective leader's journey. "Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader "is the sequel to his popular book, "The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make". That book is about what to avoid. This one is about what to master. In "Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader ", he outlines the positive traits and skills every new leader should master. "Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader" shows readers: The two most important words in a leader's vocabulary; The skills a leader needs to communicate effectively; Why today's effective leaders lead with vulnerability; The contrast between servant leadership and slave leadership; How to lead with both passion and humility; The difference between making a mark and leaving a legacy. Exceptionally well written, impressively 'real world practical' in scope and reference, "Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader" will prove to be of especial interest and value for new leaders in business, education, ministry, and the church with respect to how to lead well while loving what they do. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader" is unreservedly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Christmas Shelf

It's Christmas Time
Balsam Range
balsamrange.com
Mountain Home Music Company
$10.00 mountainhomemusiccompany.com

It's Christmas Time is an EP music album perfect for getting into the festive holiday spirit. Music group Balsam Range with the Nashville Recording Orchestra perform both contemporary and beloved traditional Christmas songs with aplomb. It's Christmas Time is a choice pick for playing at Christmas parties, or to liven up the holidays at home or in the car. The tracks are "Christmas Lullaby" (3:16), "The First Noel" (3:06), "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (2:13), "I'm Going Home, It's Christmas Time" (3:07), "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (2:39), and "Jingle Bells" (3:18).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market 2018
Cris Freese, editor
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440352683, $29.99, 416pp, www.amazon.com

For anyone wanting to write or illustrate books for children ranging from preschool to young adult, this new 30th edition of a true publishing industry bible, "Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market 2018" is an absolute must as practical reference and resource. Listing thousands of book publishers, magazines, contests, literary agents, and more, "Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market 2018" features a webinar by literary agent Jennifer De Chiara on writing query letters that will prove invaluable. Additionally, "Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market 2018" is replete with basic, 'real world' advice contributed by both debut writers and award-winning authors. Of special note throughout is a wealth of 'how to' tips on the craft of writing, as well as a one-year access to the children's publishing content at www.writersmarket.com. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Cris Freese (who is the managing editor for Writer's Digest Books, as well as the editor of "Guide to Literary Agents"), "Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market 2018" is unreservedly and wholeheartedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference and resource collections.

Fearless Writing
William Kenower
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440349836, $16.99, PB, 230pp, www.amazon.com

Whether you're a fledgling writer or a veteran with years of experience, fearlessness (that elusive blend of self-acceptance, confidence, and curiosity) is the defining quality of those who find fulfillment and success. Truly fearless authors banish writer's blocks with ease, receive critiques gracefully, and infuse their passion for the craft into every word they write. Filled with insightful wisdom and practical advice, "Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence" by William Kenower (who is a popular blogger and sought-after writing teacher and has inspired writers for many year) teaches aspiring writers how to thrive as a writer, no matter their genre or career path. "Fearless Writing" shows how to: Find and enter a Flow state in which writing is a natural, deeply satisfying process; Quiet both internal and external critics and embrace the inherent value in your work; Use love, emotional engagement, and curiosity as the guiding principles for what you write and how you share it with others; Overcome rejection, procrastination, and other obstacles that stifle literary creativity. From the blank page to the first draft, and from querying to marketing, the writing life is filled with challenges, roadblocks, and new experiences. "Fearless Writing" is an indispensable, 'real world practical', instructional reference for building a lifelong literary career in the process. While very highly recommended for community and academic library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fearless Writing" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Writing Voice
Writer's Digest Editorial Staff
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440349126, $18.99, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com

Writers bring a unique and diverse set of skills to their work: One author might write outstanding characters, while another might dazzle with dialogue. While it isn't necessary that a writer master every aspect of the craft in order to succeed, the one quality required of every successful writer is have a compelling, original voice. This 'writer's voice', which is often difficult to define and even more difficult to master, is what transforms writing from the pedestrian to the powerful. The collaborative project of the editorial staff of Writer's Digest Books, "Writing Voice: The Complete Guide to Creating a Presence on the Page and Engaging Readers" is an effective compendium of instruction and advice drawn from best-selling authors and instructors like Donal Maass, Adair Lara, Paula Munier, Dinty W. Moore, James Scott Bell, and many others. Also included are exercises, techniques, and examples for making prose stand out, be it fiction or memoir. "Writing Voice" explores the unique way you write; studies the distinctive styles of other writers to create your own voice; provides understanding of the nuances of voice, including the importance of word choice; will develop the right voice for working in a particular genre; enable the crafting of excellent narration that will keep readers coming back; materially aid in choosing the proper voice for nonfiction. Constructing the voice that fits your particular style as a writer, as well as your audience, is paramount to crafting memorable, original work. "Writing Voice" gives the aspiring writer the fundamental tools to not only create that voice but to perfect it. While a core addition to both community and academic library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Writing Voice" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Write Naked
Jennifer Probst
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440347344, $16.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Jennifer Probst is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. Her work has been translated in more than a dozen countries, has sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a "romance phenom" by Kirkus Reviews. In "Write Naked: A Bestseller's Secrets to Writing Romance & Navigating the Path to Success" she reveals her pathway to success, from struggling as a new writer to signing a seven-figure deal. "Write Naked" intermingles personal essays on craft with down-to-earth advice on writing romance in the digital age teaches how to: Commit to your current work-in-progress, get focused, and complete it on schedule; Reveal raw emotions and thoughts on the page to hook your readers; Assemble a street team to promote and celebrate your books; Overcome writer's block with ease; Develop themes that tie together your books and series; Write the most difficult elements of romance--including sex scenes--with skill and style. Regardless of the genre, every novelist faces the difficult task of creating authentic characters and an engaging plot. But attempting to break into the hotter-than-ever romance genre, which is constantly flooded with new titles and fresh faces can feel impossible. This is where "Write Naked" comes in with both example, advice, tips, tricks and techniques that comprise Jennifer's 'real world practical' lessons and craft advice that every writer needs in order to carve out a rewarding career -- especially as a romance novelist. While an extraordinary and specialized addition to community and academic library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all aspiring romance novelists that "Write Naked" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Cookbook Shelf

Sushi Art Cookbook
Ken Kawasumi
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805314371 $18.95 amazon.com

Sushi Art Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Kazari Maki Sushi lives up to its title as a full- color, in-depth how-to guide to creating sushi rolls that dazzle and delight with their beauty. Individual photographs illustrate virtually every step of each sushi creation (and there are often a dozen or more steps in total), breaking down the Japanese tradition of edible art into a process that is thoroughly accessible to cooks of all skill and experience levels. Additional resources include a chart of sushi rice guidelines (which lists how to create mild, standard, sweet, or strong sushi rice), a list of standard sushi ingredients with possible substitutions, and much more. Sushi Art Cookbook is a joy for connoisseurs to browse, and a "must-have" for anyone interested in trying their hand at creating sushi! Highly recommended.

MaryJane's Cast Iron Kitchen
MaryJane Butters
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423648031, $24.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

MaryJane Butters publishes MaryJanesFarm magazine, runs a successful organic farm, and manages several product lines. In "MaryJane's Cast Iron Kitchen" she draws upon her years of culinary experience and expertise to create a compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes that all have one thing in common -- being prepared with a cast iron cookware. Beautifully and profusely illustrated from cover to cover, the recipes range from Canadian-Bacon Mini Quiches; Chicken Puffs with Onion Sauce; Ham & Lima Bean Soup; and Meatloaf Patties; to Beef, Zucchini & Polenta Mini Casseroles with Marinated Broccoli Sprouts; Pan-Seared Steaks with Pomegranate Mushroom Sauce; Mini Apple Pies; and Baked Churros. A pleasure to browse through and inspiring to plan menus with, "MaryJane's Cast Iron Kitchen" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "MaryJane's Cast Iron Kitchen" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The 8G Cookbook
Dawn Russell
Random House UK
c/o Trafalgar Square Publishing
388 Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarbooks.com
9781848095076, $20.00, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

A health advocate, entrepreneur, mother, wife and former model, Dawn Russell had a family that did not want to eat its greens. So she developed 8GREENS: a blend of spinach, kale, spirulina, blue-green algae, barley grass, wheat grass, chlorella and aloe vera that tastes great and passed the test of her husband and two children. She worked with five chemists, three manufacturers and 263 prototypes to get a thumbs-up from this very picky, but very normal, focus group sitting in her own kitchen. As a result, "The 8G Cookbook" is a beautifully illustrated culinary collection that contains more than 40 delicious recipes that all incorporate this blend of greens to make everyday cooking taste fantastic and ensure that you, and those you love, are getting the most important green ingredients into your diet. It also features Dawn's own inspiring story and the hard-earned knowledge she gathered along the way. Diagnosed with stage 3 lymphatic cancer at 25, Dawn traveled the world meeting medical and nutritional experts on her journey back to health. It was this research and personal experience that led her to develop this mix of what she found to be the most important greens for internal health. "The 8G Cookbook" is the easy and delicious way to get everyone on the path to a green, happy and healthy life. Although a British publication, "The *G Cookbook" Includes U.S. measures for American kitchen cooks. Simply stated, "The 8G Cookbook" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Tapas: Classic Small Dishes From Spain
Elisabeth Luard
Grub Street Cookery
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781910690345, $17.95, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Elisabeth Luard is an award-winning food writer and a winner of the much coveted Glenfiddich Trophy and is one of the most highly respected cookery writers in Britain today. She is one of the leading authorities on European food and cooking. Her fifteen years spent living in Spain provided the experience and inspiration for "Tapas: Classic Small Dishes From Spain". Tapas are the wonderfully tempting little dishes of food that are traditionally served with sherry in southern Spain. Beautifully simple, tantalizingly delicious and easy to prepare, they are perfect for all kinds of occasions. The recipes and suggestions in superbly organized and presented culinary collection of kitchen cook friendly recipes aptly demonstrate how simple ingredients can be quickly transformed into mini feasts designed to delight the senses. Among the showcased recipes are Hot Bread with Olive Oil and Garlic; Fried Green Peppers; Monkfish Kebabs; Pork Medallions with Lemon and Marjoram; Spiced Meat Pasties; and Salt Cod Fritters.. In addition there is plenty of helpful advice including a selection of menus that show how to combine tapas to provide meals for every occasion including spring, summer, autumn and winter parties, children's tapas party, vegetarian tapas party and a no-cook tapas menu. Beautifully illustrated throughout, "Tapas: Classic Small Dishes From Spain" is a unique and very special addition to family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Tapas: Classic Small Dishes From Spain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Bollywood Kitchen
Sri Rao
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544971257, $25.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

The popularity of Indian food has grown immensely in recent years -- and for good reason. It's perfectly suited for people who love bold flavors, as well as those looking for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free meals that don't skimp on taste. But as Sri Rao points out in Bollywood Kitchen, most Americans have probably never tasted genuine Indian food. Home-cooked Indian-American food is surprisingly simple to make, using ingredients readily available in your local grocery store. In "Bollywood Kitchen: Home-Cooked Indian Meals Paired with Unforgettable Bollywood Films", Sri Rao showcases authentic Indian dinner menus and brunch menus, menus for kids and menus for cocktail parties. Along with each healthy and easy-to-prepare meal, Sri has paired one of his favorite Bollywood movies. Every one of these films is a musical, packed with dazzling song-and-dance numbers that are the hallmark of Bollywood, beloved by millions of fans all over the world. Sri will introduce each film to you, explaining why you'll love it, and letting you in on some juicy morsels from behind the scenes. "Bollywood Kitchen" will have immense appeal to film buffs and ethnic Indian cuisine enthusiasts. Featuring gorgeous film photographs and colorful tablescapes, "Bollywood Kitchen" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Bollywood Kitchen" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Leon Happy Soups
Rebecca Seal & John Vincent
Conran
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781840917598, $19.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Leon, the naturally healthy fast food chain, was founded on the twin principles that food can both taste good and do you good. In "Leon Happy Soups", culinary experts John Vincent and Jane Baxter bring together 100 all-new, all-smiles soup recipes for all the family. Alongside the recipes, the beautifully illustrated "Leon Happy Soups" is packed with tips and tricks for added extras. These simply outstanding and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' soup recipes range from Roasted Red Pepper; Sicilian-Style Spicy Chicken Meatball; and Red Lentils with Spinach, Yogurt, Pomegranate & Crispy Onions; to Perky Pea & Mint; Chilled Cherry Soup; and Cardamom-Spiced Roasted Peach. Of special note are the chapters devoted to soup toppings (Crunchy Tops & Swirly Swirls); sides (including breads and rolls); and broths. Whether it's a simple soup to take to the office, or something more elaborate for supper with friends, "Leon Happy Soups" is a must-have kitchen cookbook shelf staple and will prove to be an enduringly favorite addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

How to Help Your Friend with Cancer
Colleen Dolan Fullbright
American Cancer Society
250 Williams Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303-1002
www.cancer.org
9781604432244, $12.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Written by Colleen Doan Fullbright (who is a writer who was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer in late 2000), "How to Help Your Friend with Cancer" is specifically intended to help anyone wanting to support a friend, family member, or colleague with a diagnosis of cancer. All to often we are afraid that we will say or do the wrong thing. "How to Help Your Friend with Cancer" will provide the 'real world practical' guidance needed to be the best friend we can be, every step along the way. "How to Help Your Friend with Cancer" offers more than 100 practical tips and suggestions anyone can use to help a friend get through the cancer experience. From diagnosis, through treatment, and after treatment ends, "How to Help Your Friend with Cancer" provides tips for expressing concern and helping in practical ways throughout a friend's cancer experience. Simply stated, every hospital, medical clinic, community, and academic library should have a copy of "How to Help Your Friend with Cancer" in their collection. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "How to Help Your Friend with Cancer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

The Meaty Truth
Shushana Castle & Amy-Lee Goodman
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781629144276, $24.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of food industry and human health experts Shushana Castle and Amy-Lee Goodman, "The Meaty Truth: Why Our Food Is Destroying Our Health and Environment - and Who Is Responsible" is an impressively informed and informative expose of the massive problems caused by the American population's food supply. Water, meat, and milk and other dairy products are filled with toxins, antibiotics, untested growth hormones, ammonia, and animal pus and manure. The current conditions of the food production industry must drastically improve, and until they do, it is absolutely vital to monitor what you eat. "The Meaty Truth" takes a hard-hitting and documented look at what America is putting into its food, the negative effects this has on the world, and the best ways to make healthy, informed decisions about eating. As the antibiotic age ends, the rise of pandemic diseases is approaching. Approximately half of the illnesses that claim American lives today are related to what we eat, and our health-care system is focused on treating the sick, not preventing illnesses from occurring. To fix our health problems, to continue feeding the world's ever-growing population, and to save our planet from ecological destruction, we can no longer avoid making changes to how American meat and dairy are produced. A thoroughly 'reader friendly' guide that is applicable to anyone's lifestyle, "The Meaty Truth" is remarkably noteworthy and singularly special addition to both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for students, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Meaty Truth" is also available in a paperback edition (9781510719668, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.97).


The Music Shelf

Blues from the Bayou
Julian C. Piper
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455623099, $24.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Writer and blues guitarist Julian C. Piper is the reviews editor for Acoustic magazine. Since hearing Muddy Waters as a teenager, he has been passionate about blues music. "Blues from the Bayou: The Rhythms of Baton Rouge"is his intensely personal and entertaining account that provides the reader with a snapshot of Blues from an outsider welcomed into the inner circles of Southern Blues icons. In his early forties, Englishman Julian C. Piper spent a year abroad at Louisiana State University studying and played blues primarily at the Blues Box in Baton Rouge. There he met many of the musicians with whom he conducted interviews between 1987 and 1988. Those interviews form the basis of "Blues from the Bayou". Through his close friendship with Blues Box owner Tabby Thomas and his son Chris, Piper collected stories of blues luminaries including Silas Hogan, Robert Pete Williams, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, Lonesome Sundown, Chris Thomas King, Lightening Slim, and many more. An inherently fascinating and informative read from cover to cover, "Blues from the Bayou" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library American Music History collections in general, and American Blues Music supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for music students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Blues from the Bayou" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.14).

Billy Vera: Harlem to Hollywood
Billy Vera
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042-2677
www.halleonard.com
9781617136627, $29.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Born into a white, suburban family, Billy Vera fell for black music as a child and started down a winding performer's path that would buoy him the rest of his life. In the sixties, Vera paid his bills by songwriting (for other artists) through the day and playing mobbed up clubs at night. By 1967, as Newark burned on the other side of the Hudson, he and gospel singer Judy Clay, the first interracial duet to perform at the Apollo, tore the house down with a little ditty he wrote for himself: "Storybook Children," a commercial hit produced by Atlantic Records. Through the seventies, popular taste shifted drastically. As blue-eyed soul went out of fashion, Vera, like many other musicians, found himself scrounging for survival gigs, but one crucial difference set him apart: he abstained from the drugs and drink that fueled and eventually claimed so many of his contemporaries. As that decade sputtered to a close, a woman by the name of Dolly Parton recorded Vera's "I Really Got the Feeling" and hit number one on the charts. Riding the tide of this unexpected attention, Vera hightailed it to Los Angeles, formed a new band, Billy and the Beaters, and charted twice before the close of 1981 with songs from their eponymous album recorded live at the Roxy. Five years later, one of these minor hits, "At This Moment", was featured in several episodes of NBC's Family Ties . The song rocketed up the charts and a 42-year-old Vera found himself with his very own number one single. Nine visits to Carson and an American Bandstand appearance later, Vera tasted many other flavors of success: acting both on- and off-camera, producing records, and reissuing his own work. Today, with a star on the Hollywood Walk and Fame and a Grammy in tow, Billy Vera is finally prepared to share his journey in the pages of "Billy Vera: Harlem to Hollywood". Exceptionally well written, organized and presented (including two sections of black-and-white photos), "Billy Vera: Harlem to Hollywood" is a 'must read' for his legions of fans and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library American Music History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Billy Vera: Harlem to Hollywood" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.91).


The Travel Shelf

A Guide to Lincoln's Eighth Judicial Circuit
Guy C. Fraker
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809336166 $21.95 www.siupress.com

A Guide to Lincoln's Eighth Judicial Circuit is a unique travel guide for history scholars and enthusiasts. Chapters meticulously retrace the prairie roads Lincoln traveled and the towns he regularly visited during the twenty-three years that he practiced law on the Eighth Judicial Circuit in east central Illinois. Peppered with maps and color photographs, A Guide to Lincoln's Eighth Judicial Circuit will appeal to armchair travelers as well as tourists, and offers amazing insights into the conflicts and conundrums Lincoln confronted during his younger years, all of which would help prepare him for his years as President during the American Civil War. Highly recommended.

Cool Tokyo Guide
Abby Denson
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9784805314418 $14.99 www.tuttlepublishing.com

Thoroughly accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds, Cool Tokyo Guide: Adventures in the City of Kawaii Fashion, Train Sushi and Godzilla is a travel guide in the format of a full- color graphic novel. Chapters cover Tokyo-centric survival skills (such as how to use different types of Japanese toilets), tips for staying at a Tokyo hotel, recommended historical and cultural sites to visit, and much more. "I strongly suggest that you buy Ghibli Museum tickets. Start looking 4-5 months in advance on JTB's website. Fans of animation and comics will want to check this out for sure, and tickets sell out fast." Cool Tokyo Guide is a "must-read" for anyone planning their once-in-a-lifetime trip, and also a delightful browse for armchair travelers!


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Ancestral Medicine
Daniel Foor
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591432692, $20.00, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Offering a practical guide to understanding and navigating relationships with the spirits of those who have passed, "Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing" by Daniel Foor (who is a licensed psychotherapist and who holds a doctorate of psychology degree), details how to relate safely and effectively with your ancestors for personal, family, and cultural healing. He provides exercises and rituals, grounded in ancient wisdom traditions, to help you initiate contact with your ancestors, find supportive ancestral guides, cultivate forgiveness and gratitude, harmonize your bloodlines, and assist the dead who are not yet at peace. He explains how to safely engage in lineage repair work by connecting with your more ancient ancestors before relating with the recently deceased. He shows how, by working with spiritually vibrant ancestors, individuals and families can understand and transform intergenerational patterns of pain and abuse and reclaim the full blessings and gifts of their bloodlines. Ancestral repair work can also catalyze healing breakthroughs among living family members and help children and future generations to live free from ancestral burdens. "Ancestral Medicine" provides detailed instructions for ways to honor the ancestors of a place, address dream visits from the dead, and work with ancestor shrines and altars. "Ancestral Medicine" also offers guidance on preparing for death, funeral rites, handling the body after death, and joining the ancestors. Of special note is that "Ancestral Medicine" explains how ancestor work can help us to transform problems such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and religious persecution. While highly recommended for both community and academic library Metaphysical Studies and Contemporary Psychology Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers that "Ancestral Medicine" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, & Norse Magic
Diana L. Paxson
Weiser Publishers
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578636105, $22.95, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Odin is arguably one of the most enigmatic and complex characters in Norse mythology. Revered since the Viking Age, Odin has been called the greatest of the gods -- the god of words and wisdom, runes and magic, a transformer of consciousness, and a trickster who teaches truth. He is both war god and poetry god, and he is the Lord of Ravens, the All- Father, and the rune master. "Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Magic" by Diana L. Paxson (a writer, priestess, and teacher who has been studying and teaching Germanic mythology and religion for nearly 30 years) is the first book on Odin that is both historically sourced and accessible to a general audience. "Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, & Norse Magic" explores Odin's origins, his appearances in sagas, old magic spells, and the Poetic Edda, and his influence on modern media, such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Each chapter features suggestions for rituals, exercises, and music, so readers can comprehend and become closer to this complicated god. Based on a Viking-era mythology, "Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, & Norse Magic" provides a complete portrait of Odin and draws on both scholarship and experience to provide context, resources, and guidance for those who are drawn to work with the Master of Ecstasy today. While unreservedly and strongly recommended for both community and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Viking Mythology supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, & Norse Magic" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Keys to Perception
Ivo Dominguez Jr.
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578636204, $18.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Many different systems and traditions of magic, divination, spirituality, and esoteric religion exist, but at their core, they share the need for practitioners to safely and successfully experience the reality that lies beyond the physical senses. "Keys to Perception: A Practical Guide to Psychic Development" by Ivo Dominguez Jr. (who is currently serves as one of the Elders of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, a Wiccan syncretic tradition that draws inspiration from Astrology, Qabala, the Western Magickal Tradition and the folk religions of Europe) is a collection of proven and tested methods, rituals, and systems that will help you deepen and clarify your capacity to sense and understand the rich worlds beyond the veils of the ordinary. The material comprising "Keys to Perception" derives from decades of work by Ivo and his students and offers the reader practical techniques for increasing psychic aptitude and ability. There are also techniques to manage empathy and psychic sensitivity so that they are gifts rather than burdens. Methods featured include chanting and working with crystals, chakras, oils, herbs, and potions, as well as a variation on the Middle-Pillar Ritual. An inherently fascinating and impressively informative read from beginning to end, "Keys to Perception" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. For the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "Keys to Perception" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Automotive Shelf

Formula One - The Real Score?
Brian Harvey
Veloce Publishing
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787110274, $70.00, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com

"Formula One - The Real Score?" by Brian Harvey fills the gaps in Formula 1 records. The 70 years of F1 can be neatly divided into two eras at January 1980. At that point the terms "Grand Prix" and "World Championship' became synonymous. Until then, over half of F1 races were not included in the Championship for the spurious reason that each country should have just a single race. This does a disservice to the achievements of drivers of the Fangio, Moss, Clark and Stewart era and even more-so to the four pre-championship years which began in 1946. When a commentator says "Rosberg's 16th win equals the F1 wins of Stirling Moss" this is manifestly untrue. If the same drivers, in the same cars, compete at the same tracks, and over a similar distance, then each race deserves to have its place in the records as a "Championship quality" event. "Formula One - The Real Score?" includes such races alongside contemporary Championship races and, combined with known figures since 1980, produces what can surely be accepted as "The Real Score" of Formula 1. An absolutely essential read for Formula One racing fans, "Formula One - The Real Score?" is impressively illustrated, written, organized and presented, making it unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Automotive Racing History collections in general, and Formula One supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Woodworking Shelf

Woodland Craft
Ben Law
GMC Publications
www.thegmcgroup.com
9781861089366, $35.00, HC, 216pp, www.amazon.com

Drawing upon his many years of experience and expertise as a woodsman, "Woodland Craft" by Ben Law is a profusely illustrated celebration the splendor of wood in the form of 'user friendly' wood-crafting projects that range from simple woven panels, to making a functional yurt, to an array of easy-to-follow projects that include crafts for the farm, garden, wood fuel, building and domestic use. In fact, there's something here to satisfy all your project desires! Green wood (wood that has been recently cut and is therefore still moisture-rich) is the predominant material used in the projects featured in this essential guide for craftsman of all levels. With "Woodland Craft" woodworking enthusiasts will be inspired to work with one of nature's most beautiful and classic materials with the look and feel, and even scent, that no other natural material can provide. With "Woodland Craft" woodworking enthusiasts wil learn all they need to know about tools and devices, both old and new. Of special note is the handy directory of tree species and the identification of the best uses for each. Exceptionally well written, illustrated, organized and presented, "Woodland Craft" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition for personal, professional, community, and academic library Woodworking instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for woodworking students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Woodland Craft" is also available in a paperback edition (9781784943967, $25.00).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Sputnik's Children
Terri Favro
ECW Press
www.ecwpress.com
9781770413412, $16.95, PB, 360pp, www.amazon.com

Cult comic book creator Debbie Reynolds Biondi has been riding the success of her Cold War era - inspired superhero series, Sputnik Chick: Girl with No Past, for more than 25 years. But with the comic book losing fans and Debbie struggling to come up with new plotlines for her badass, mutant-killing heroine, she decides to finally tell Sputnik Chick's origin story. Debbie's never had to make anything up before and she isn't starting now. Sputnik Chick is based on Debbie's own life in an alternate timeline called Atomic Mean Time. As a teenager growing up in Shipman's Corners (a Rust Belt town voted by Popular Science magazine as "most likely to be nuked") she was recruited by a self-proclaimed time traveller to collapse Atomic Mean Time before an all-out nuclear war grotesquely altered humanity. In trying to save the world, Debbie risked obliterating everyone she'd ever loved (as well as her own past) in the process. Or so she believes -- present-day Debbie is addicted to lorazepam and dirty, wet martinis, making her an unreliable narrator, at best. All the more impressive when considering that "Sputnik's Children" is author Terri Favro's debut as a science fiction novel, this narrative driven, remarkably original, and inherently compelling read is unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sputnik's Children" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.59).

The Sorcerer's Appendix
P. J. Brackston
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681775302, $25.95, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com

Gretel has never had any time for sorcerers, considering them nothing more than show-offs with questionable fashion sense. It is with some reluctance and a deal of grumpiness, then, that she agrees to look into the matter of a murdered magician. All that is left of him is a grisly remnant, which the police quack confirms is the murdered man's appendix. What has become of the rest of him is baffling the local constabulary, the Sorcerers' Society, and, not least, the hapless trickster's widow. As Gretel delves into the facts behind his disappearance she discovers no shortage of suspects. In fact, just about everyone she meets had reason for wanting the odious man dead. Her only clue points in one disturbing direction: the deep dark forest. So it is that Gretel, with a reluctant Hans as porter, must trek into the woods of her childhood trauma, braving all manner of discomforts and dangers -- not least of which is a terrifying reminder of her past. The latest title in author P. J. Brackston's simply outstanding fantasy action/adventure 'A Brothers Grimm Mystery' series "The Sorcerer's Appendix" is an original and unfailingly entertaining read that is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans that "The Sorcerer's Appendix" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Loved
P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781538431122, $18.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

It's Zoey's 18th birthmas and the Nerd Herd has been scattered across the country busily adulting for almost a year when Stark calls them back to Tulsa to surprise Z. But all is not well in T-town. Strange, dark signs are appearing -- could it be possible Neferet is stirring? Not willing to chance disaster striking again, Zoey calls on her newly reunited friends to circle with her and add a layer of protection over Neferet's grotto jail. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong. Nothing at the House of Night is ever as it seems. With rabid red vampyres closing in, Zoey and the Nerd Herd must come together again and battle evil. But a year is a long time. Have these old friends grown too far apart? When the world fractures and allies become enemies, will darkness devour friendships or will light save those she's loved? "Loved" is the debut first novel in what promises to be an outstanding 'A House of Night' series by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. This is the stuff of which block-buster Hollywood movies and award-winning television mini series are made of. While very highly and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Loved" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.79). Librarians should be aware that "Loved" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781538430002, $29.95, CD).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Montreal Noir
John McFetridge & Jacques Filippi, editors
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617753459, $15.95, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of John McFetridge and Jacques filippi, "Montreal Noir" is an anthology showcasing brand-new stories by Patrick Senecal, Tess Fragoulis, Howard Shrier, Michel Basilieres, Robert Pobi, Samuel Archibald, Genevieve Lefebvre, Ian Truman, Johanne Seymour, Arjun Basu, Martin Michaud, Melissa Yi, Catherine McKenzie, Peter Kirby, and Brad Smith. One of the newest additions to the outstanding Akashic Books 'Noir' series, "Montreal Noir" is a simply outstanding short story collection that will have very special appeal for dedicated mystery buffs. While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Montreal Noir" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Ploy
Marilyn Jax
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress.com
9781592987528, $26.00, HC, 296pp, www.amazon.com

Private investigators Claire Caswell and Gaston ''Guy'' Lombard have cracked many high-profile cases in the past, but when Claire's friend Charlotte dies in a mysterious car crash in Miami things get personal. With the stakes higher than ever before and only a hunch to go on, the sleuths begin a painstaking investigation by scouring the wreckage, searching for evidence of foul play where there appears to be none. When they uncover a pattern of strikingly similar incidents (and a seemingly unrelated case becomes inexplicably linked) it is up to the investigators, with the help of their intern, Jin Ikeda, to unravel this bewildering mystery. What happened to Charlotte was no accident. And as Claire and Guy get closer to the truth, their snooping efforts turn deadly dangerous. "The Ploy" is genuinely entertaining 'whodunit' that holds dedicated mystery buffs captive with a wealth of knotty twists and turns, suspects who are anything but what they seem, and answers that are just out of reach. Revealing author Marilyn Jax's genuine flair for the genre, "The Ploy" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

House of Shadows
Nicola Cornick
Graydon House
195 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007
http://graydonhousebooks.com
9781525811388, $15.99, PB, 464pp, www.amazon.com

In the winter of 1662, Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, is on her deathbed. She entrusts an ancient pearl, rumored to have magic power, to her faithful cavalier William Craven for safekeeping. In his grief, William orders the construction of Ashdown Estate in her memory and places the pearl at its center. One hundred and fifty years later, notorious courtesan Lavinia Flyte hears the maids at Ashdown House whisper of a hidden treasure, and bears witness as her protector Lord Evershot (desperate to find it) burns the building to the ground. Now, a battered mirror and the diary of a Regency courtesan are the only clues Holly Ansell has to finding her brother, who has gone missing researching the mystery of Elizabeth Stuart and her alleged affair with Lord Craven. As she retraces his footsteps, Holly's quest will soon reveal the truth about Lavinia and compel her to confront the stunning revelation about the legacy of the Winter Queen. A deftly crafted historical mystery novel by a master of the genre, Nicola Comick's "House of Shadows" is unreservedly recommended and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "House of Shadows" is also available in a digital boook format (Kindle, $9.99). Librarians should note that "House of Shadows" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, (9781538472019, $39.99, CD).

The Outfit: Blood and Ashes
Matthew P. Mayo
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432832421, $25.95, HC, 310pp, www.amazon.com

Life at the Barr-McGee ranch has settled into a pleasant lull of work and rest for members of The Outfit. Life should be good . . . but big Rafe Barr stews about his wife and son's murderer, and leaves to search for resolution, revenge, reckoning. Meanwhile, Black Jack Smith attends a high-stakes poker tournament in Santa Fe, where he encounters southern gambler Colonel Rufus Turlington the Second, and his powerful covert Brotherhood of the Phoenix. The group plans to make good on its rallying cry: "The South shall rise from the ashes, reborn!" in a brutal public lynching -- with visiting President Ulysses S. Grant as its swinging centerpiece. Returning to the ranch after dealing with the vicious killer, Knifer, and his midget partner, Plug, in Denver, Rafe and Cookie discover a cryptic telegram from Jack, something about a phoenix, a word that conjures specters from their secret-agent war days. The men ride for Santa Fe with Doc in tow, driving his latest invention, Ethel the War Wagon. Stakes are high and the men bet all in hopes they aren't too late to save the President of the United States, and prevent the rebirth of a scourge long thought dead. It's up to Rafe, Cookie, and the rest of the outfit to extinguish the rising flames of villainy and hatred. Another riveting western from the pen of Spur Award winning author Matthew P. Mayo, "The Outfit: Blood and Ashes" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Outfit: Blood and Ashes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).


The Fiction Shelf

The Western Star
Craig Johnson
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780525426950, $28.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Sheriff Walt Longmire is enjoying a celebratory beer after a weapons certification at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy when a younger sheriff confronts him with a photograph of twenty-five armed men standing in front of a Challenger steam locomotive. It takes him back to when, fresh from the battlefields of Vietnam, then-deputy Walt accompanied his mentor Lucian to the annual Wyoming Sheriff's Association junket held on the excursion train known as the Western Star, which ran the length of Wyoming from Cheyenne to Evanston and back. Armed with his trusty Colt .45 and a paperback of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express", the young Walt was ill-prepared for the machinations of twenty-four veteran sheriffs, let alone the cavalcade of curious characters that accompanied them. The photograph (along with an upcoming parole hearing for one of the most dangerous men Walt has encountered in a lifetime of law enforcement) hurtles the sheriff into a head-on collision of past and present, placing him and everyone he cares about squarely on the tracks of runaway revenge. Another terrifically entertaining read from the pen of author Craig Johnson, "The Western Star" is a 'must' for the legions of Longmire fans and is unreservedly recommended for community library fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Western Star" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should be aware that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of the "The Western Star" (Recorded Books, 9781501962592, $34.99, CD).

The Captivating Lady Charlotte
Carolyn Miller
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825444517, $14.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Lady Charlotte Featherington is destined for great things on the marriage market. After all, as the beautiful daughter of a marquess, she should have her pick of the eligible nobility when she debuts. She, however, has love at the top of her list of marriageable attributes. And her romantic heart falls hard for one particularly dashing, attentive suitor. Sadly for Charlotte, her noble father intends her betrothed to be someone far more dull. William Hartwell may be a duke, but he knows he was Charlotte's father's pick, not the young lady's own choice. And the captivating Lady Charlotte does not strike him as a woman who will be wooed by his wealth or title. While she has captured his heart, he has no idea how to win hers in return--and the betrayal and scandal his first wife put him through makes it difficult for him to believe that love can ever be trusted. His only hope is that Charlotte's sense of responsibility will win out over her romantic notions. Can a widowed duke and a romantically inclined lady negotiate a future and discover love beyond duty? Will they be able to find healing and hope from the legacy of grace? Another superbly crafted Regency romance from the pen of Carolyn Miller, "The Captivating Lady Charlotte" is an extraordinary and consistently entertaining read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Captivating Lady Charlotte" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49). Librarians should be aware that there is also a large print edition of "The Captivating Lady Charlotte" (Thorndike Press, 9781432839628, $30.99, 533pp).

Just Look Up
Courtney Walsh
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496421487, $14.99, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com

After tirelessly climbing the ranks of her Chicago-based interior design firm, Lane Kelley is about to land her dream promotion when devastating news about her brother draws her back home -- a quaint tourist town full of memories she'd just as soon forget. With her cell phone and laptop always within reach, Lane aims to check on her brother while staying focused on work which her eclectic family doesn't understand. Ryan Brooks never expected to settle down in Harbor Pointe, Michigan, but after his final tour of duty, it was the only place that felt like home. Now knee-deep in a renovation project that could boost tourism for the struggling town, he is thrilled to see Lane, the girl he secretly once loved, even if the circumstances of her homecoming aren't ideal. Their reunion gets off to a rocky start, however, when Ryan can't find a trace of the girl he once knew in the woman she is today. As he slowly chips away at the walls Lane has built, secrets from his past collide with a terrible truth even he is reluctant to believe. Facing a crossroads that could define his future with Lane and jeopardize his relationship with the surrogate family he's found in the Kelleys, Ryan hopes Lane can see that maybe what really matters has been right in front of her all along if only she'd just look up. "Just Look Up" by Courtney Walsh is an compelling and consistently entertaining romance novel by a master of the genre. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Just Look Up" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.68).

The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues
Edward Kelsey Moore
Henry Holt & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400, New York, NY 10010-7725
www.henryholt.com
9781250107947, $28.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

When a late life love affair blooms between Mr. Forrest Payne, the owner of the Pink Slipper Gentleman's Club, and Miss Beatrice Jordan, famous for stationing herself at the edge of the club's parking lot and yelling warnings of eternal damnation at the departing patrons, their wedding summons a legend to town. Mr. El Walker, the great guitar bluesman, comes home to give a command performance in Plainview, Indiana, a place he'd sworn (and for good reason) he'd never set foot in again. But El is not the only Plainview native with a hurdle to overcome. A wildly philandering husband struggles at last to prove his faithfulness to the wife he's always loved. And among those in this tightly knit community who show up every Sunday after church for lunch at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, are the lifelong friends, known locally as "The Supremes" -- Clarice, facing down her longing for, chance at and fear of a great career; Barbara Jean, grappling at last with the loss of a mother whose life humiliated both of them, and Odette, reaching toward her husband through an anger of his that she does not understand. A deftly written and consistently compelling read from cover to cover, "The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues" offers a rich narrative tapestry that results in one of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should note that "The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues" is also available in a complete and unabridged audio book edition (Macmillan Audio, 9781427294920, $45.99, CD).

Fall from Grace
Libby Sternberg
Bancroft Press
PO Box 65360, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.bancroftpress.com
9781610882064, $25.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Eli Baine has sinned. Spectacularly. When he's caught using a prostitution ring, the news blasts across print and broadcast media: the son of a reality TV evangelical clan, whose Christian lifestyle is showcased regularly in Baine Family Values television episodes, is exposed as a hypocrite. Carted off to rehab, Eli chafes at being lumped in with molesters and serial adulterers. But when he escapes to visit his wife, Ruth, he finds no solace there. She can hardly bear to look at him, let alone admit him back into her life with their infant child. This sets Eli off on a hard journey toward redemption, understanding and reconciliation. His first stop is at a mainline Protestant church that embraces him with tolerance and support, but where he must endure counseling from a "she-priest" and an ultimate betrayal by someone who'd offered a helping hand. Meanwhile, Ruth herself sets out on a healing path, being counseled by a new, young pastor at her parents' fundamentalist church who offers her more than just spiritual guidance. Both Eli and Ruth wander in the wilderness of heartbreak, distrust, and eventual tragedy until they finally transform into different individuals who can see the light of hope and love in their marriage and their lives. A deftly crafted, inherently compelling, and unfailingly entertaining read by a master of the storytelling arts, Libby Sternberg's "Fall from Grace" is unreservedly recommended and certain to be an enduringly valued addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fall from Grace" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.69).

South Pole Station
Ashley Shelby
Picador USA
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10010
www.picadorusa.com
9781250112828, $26.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

These are some of the questions that determine if you have what it takes to survive at South Pole Station, a place with an average temperature of -54 degrees F and no sunlight for six months a year. Cooper Gosling has just answered five hundred of them. Her results indicate she is abnormal enough for Polar life. Cooper's not sure if this is an achievement, but she knows she has nothing to lose. Unmoored by a recent family tragedy, she's adrift at thirty and (despite her early promise as a painter) on the verge of sinking her career. So she accepts her place in the National Science Foundation's Artists & Writers Program and flees to Antarctica, where she encounters a group of misfits motivated by desires as ambiguous as her own. The only thing the Polies have in common is the conviction that they don't belong anywhere else. Then a fringe scientist arrives, claiming climate change is a hoax. His presence will rattle this already-imbalanced community, bringing Cooper and the Polies to the center of a global controversy and threatening the ancient ice chip they call home. Written with considerable humor, "South Pole Station" is an impressively crafted and consistently engaging read from cover to cover. Revealing author Ashley Shelby's genuine flair for originality and compelling narration, "South Pole Station" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "South Pole Station" is also available in a paperback edition (9781250112811, $16.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Law and Vengeance
Mike Papantonio
SelectBooks, Inc.
87 Walker Street, Suite B1, New York City, NY 10013
www.selectbooks.com
9781590794364, $24.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Gina Romano is a highly successful trial lawyer with Bergman/Deketomis, a firm dedicated to protecting the public by exposing and penalizing corporate crooks and their allies in government. Well into her thirties, Gina hasn't overcome the anger and defensiveness resulting from a bizarre and traumatic childhood. As she contemplates whether to marry solid, attractive and loyal veterinarian Bryan Penn or to send him packing, the murder of a friend and mentor, Angus Moore, turns her life into a quest for vengeance. In consort with partner Nick Deketomis, Gina runs headlong into a life and death struggle against weapons manufacturers, a gun rights lobbyist, psychopathic Chicago police, a hi-tech genius assassin, and the U.S. Department of Justice. Still, the most formidable and dangerous enemy she faces is herself. A skillfully crafted suspense novel by a gifted novelist, "Law and Vengeance" by Mike Papantonio firmly grips the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end. Simply stated, "Law and Vengeance" is an extraordinarily entertaining and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.

Something Like Happy
Eva Woods
Graydon House
c/o Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9781525811357, $26.99, HC, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Annie Hebden is stuck. Stuck in her boring job, with her irritating roommate, in a life no thirty-five-year-old would want. But deep down, Annie is still mourning the terrible loss that tore a hole through the perfect existence she'd once taken for granted -- and hiding away is safer than remembering what used to be. Until she meets the eccentric Polly Leonard. Bright, bubbly, intrusive Polly is everything Annie doesn't want in a friend. But Polly is determined to finally wake Annie up to life. Because if recent events have taught Polly anything, it's that your time is too short to waste a single day -- which is why she wants Annie to join her on a mission. One hundred days. One hundred new ways to be happy. Annie's convinced it's impossible, but so is saying no to Polly. And on an unforgettable journey that will force her to open herself to new experiences -- and perhaps even new love with the unlikeliest of men -- Annie will slowly begin to realize that maybe, just maybe, there's still joy to be found in the world. But then it becomes clear that Polly's about to need her new friend more than ever. Annie will have to decide once and for all whether letting others in is a risk worth taking! A deftly written and consistently engaging read by a genuinely gifted novelist with an impressive flair for originality, "Something Like Happy" is one of those rare novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly and very strongly recommended for community library fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Something Like Happy" is also available in a paperback edition (9781525811999, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Into a Dark Frontier
John Mangan
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092611, $26.95, HC, 323pp, www.amazon.com

In the near future, Africa collapses into an enormous failed state, leaving the continent lawless and severely depopulated. For most, the breakdown brings horror, but for others the outcast, the desperate, the criminal, and the insane -- it allows unparalleled opportunity: a new frontier of danger and unlimited possibility. In America, ex-Navy SEAL Slade Crawford, emotionally crippled after twenty years of front line combat, the dissolution of his marriage, and the accidental death of his son, is falsely accused of terrorism. Slade flees to Africa to build a new life and escape his past, but he is captured by an enigmatic American colonel, Gary Kraven, and blackmailed into tracking down a blood cult that is rampaging across the sub-Sahara. Struggling to stay alive and to free himself from Kraven's grasp, Slade pursues the cult across the lawless African frontier. He soon learns that nothing is as it seems and that he is standing at the epicenter of a global struggle that will determine the course of history. Slade must decide whether to fight for his life or his honor -- he can't have both. A simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Into a Dark Frontier" is an extraordinary novel that showcases author John Mangan's genuine flair for originality and ability to deftly construct a truly memorable story. While very highly recommended, especially for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Into a Dark Frontier" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Education Shelf

Your 2018 Guide to College Transfer: 90 School Profiles
Nancy Lee Sanchez
Kaplan Educational Foundation
750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.kaplan.com
9781506233918, $19.99, PB, 354pp, www.amazon.com

The Kaplan Educational Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity, seeks to eliminate barriers to higher education for overlooked and underserved students and develop them as world leaders and advocates for their communities by providing a comprehensive array of financial and academic support, transfer admissions, advising and leadership skills development. They have now published "Your 2018 Guide to College Transfer: 90 School Profiles" by Nancy Lee Sanchez (Executive Director for the Kaplan Educational Foundation) that profiles top transfer schools in the U.S., and also highlights the best schools for underrepresented, first-generation, non-traditional age, community college, military-affiliated, DACA, and undocumented students contemplating transfer, as well as students with children. "Your 2018 Guide to College Transfer" reveals what makes a student successful during the admissions, transfer, and enrollment processes, and how to achieve that success in transfer from one college to another. Whether a student, a parent, a guidance counselor, or a college adviser, Kaplan's map offers a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide to navigating the complex landscape of college transfer. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Your 2018 Guide to College Transfer" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and academic library Educational Resources instructional reference collections.

Powerful Book Introductions
Kathleen Fay, Chrisie Moritz, Suzanne Whaley
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625310507, $30.67, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Effective book introductions during guided reading set the stage for young readers to navigate new texts independently and successfully and often shape the outcome of small-group lessons. Many teachers struggle with decisions about what these introductions should address, what they should include, and how to conduct them. "In Powerful Book Introductions" literacy leaders Kathleen Fay, Chrisie Moritz, and Suzanne Whaley speak to these concerns by taking a close look at the purposeful planning that goes into preparing for this small but vital part of today's guided reading lessons. Through relatable classroom examples and the wisdom of their shared teaching experiences, the authors show you how to: Select texts for your small-group lessons specifically based on your students' needs; Amplify meaning making from the first moments of your guided reading book introductions and maintain this emphasis; Introduce visual and structural information as a way to support your readers in meaning making. No matter where you are in your understanding of guided reading, "Powerful Book Introductions" will help you as you learn to craft student-centered, meaning-driven book introductions that prepare your readers for success. The importance of instilling in a student a love of reading for both recreational and information acquiring purposes cannot be understated. Toward that ultimate educational goal, "Powerful Book Introductions: Leading with Meaning for Deeper Thinking" is unreservedly recommended for academic library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists, as well as community library collections where it can be made available to home-schooling parents.


The Photography Shelf

The Spirit of the Mountains
International Mountain Summit
Firefly Books Ltd.
50 Staples Avenue, Unit 1, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4B 0A7
www.fireflybooks.com
9781770859807, $40.00, HC, 296pp, www.amazon.com

The International Mountain Summit (IMS) is an independent and international festival of mountaineers, alpinists, climbers and other mountain enthusiasts and photographers established in 2009 by Markus Gaiser and Alex Ploner. The annual IMS Photo Contest draws participation from more than 12,000 photographers in nearly 100 countries. "The Spirit of the Mountains" is a compendium of the best photographs submitted to the International Mountain Summit (IMS) photography contest from 2011 to 2016. More than 160 stunning images display mountains around the world in their many manifestations from the violent spectacle of a volcanic eruption to a flower-painted valley. Above them all lies the eternal universe, now clouds, now stars, in darkness and light, embellished with northern lights, rainbows, or slashes of lightning. But more than all of that, "The Spirit of the Mountains" is a heart-stopping reminder that humans are absurdly insignificant in nature's design. A magnificent volume of truly memorable images, "The Spirit of the Mountains" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Photography collections.


The Business Shelf

Let the Story Do the Work
Esther K. Choy
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9780814438015, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

With respect to conducting business, if you incorporate a story, then people will remember your message. But when you get down to crafting one, there's nothing easy about it. While material for stories surrounds us, few people are skilled at sharing personal anecdotes and even fewer know how to link them to professional goals. Whether you want to stand out in the interview process, add punch to a presentation, or make a compelling case for a new initiative, "Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success" shows you how to mine your experience for simple narratives that convey who you are, what you want to achieve, and why others should care. Packed with enlightening examples, "Let the Story Do the Work" explains how to find the perfect hook, structure your story -- and deliver it at the right time in the right way. You'll discover how to use stories to: Capture attention; Engage your audience; Change minds; Inspire action; Bring facts and data to life; Clarify challenging concepts; Pitch persuasively; Fundraise effectively, and so much more. Never underestimate the power of a great story. Learn to leverage the elements of storytelling -- and turn everyday communications into opportunities to connect, gain buy-in, and build lasting relationships by giving "Let the Story Do the Work" a careful read and applying the 'real world practical' tips, tricks and techniques. While unreservedly recommended for both community, corporate, and academic library Business Management instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for business students, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Let the Story Do the Work" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). Librarians should be aware that "Let the Story Do the Work" is also available in a complete and unabridged audio book edition (Brilliance Audio, 9781536663228, $14.99, MP3 CD).

Lead Right for Your Company's Type
William E. Schneider
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9780814437995, $27.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

From turf wars to low morale, most companies attempt to cure what ails them with the latest management fad -- and fail. They are treating the symptoms while ignoring the true problem. Success starts with knowing the kind of business you're really in. In "Lead Right for Your Company's Type: How to Connect Your Culture with Your Customer Promise" William E. Schneider (a consulting psychologist and co-owner of Corporate Development Group) deftly argues that every enterprise falls into one of four categories as dictated by their customer promise: customized (e.g. ad agency), predictable and dependable (e.g utility company), benevolent (e.g. educational institution), and best in class (e.g. high-tech company like Apple). When leadership practices fit the customer promise and company type, the organization thrives. But apply the wrong practices and the mismatch pulls the enterprise apart. Example after example exposes the fallout: A small arts college destabilized by top-down rules designed for a predictable and dependable company; A mid-tier retail chain derailed by leadership demands for superior products instead of reliably low prices; A software giant brought to its knees by prioritizing profits over innovation. Insightful and 'real world' practical, "Lead Right for Your Company's Type" offers proven tools and five-step process will help any corporate executive diagnose their organization's ills -- and stop them at their source. While very highly recommended for both community, corporate, and academic library Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of entrepreneurs and business managers that "Lead Right for Your Company's Type" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.37). It should also be noted that "Lead Right for Your Company's Type" is available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781536663198, $14.99, MP3 CD).

Fearless Growth
Amanda Setili
Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
www.careerpress.com
9781632651075, $17.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Businesses today operate in a volatile and ever changing marketplace. Packed with practical examples, tools, and guidance, "Fearless Growth: The New Rules to Stay Competitive, Foster Innovation, and Dominate Your Markets" by Amanda Setili (who is President of the strategy consulting firm Setili & Associates, whose clients include Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, and Walmart) provides new rules to enable any company to adapt faster, move faster, and grow faster. Corporate executives and entrepreneurs will learn how to: Capitalize on uncertainties in their market, rather than letting those uncertainties slow them down; Leverage the talent, assets, technology, and data that exist outside the company; Get in sync with customers, gain early insight into changing needs, and bring the right solutions to market; Open the floodgates of employee creativity, empowering employees to respond quickly and effectively to emerging opportunities. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Fearless Growth" is an extraordinary and 'real world practical' read that is unreservedly recommended for anyone charged with the responsibility for a company's success in today's unstable world. While no corporate, community, or academic library Business Management instructional reference collections should be without a copy of "Fearless Growth", it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, business owners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.60). Librarians should note that "Fearless Growth" is also available in a complete and unabridged audio book edition (Brilliance Audio, 9781543639506, $19.99, MP3).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Doggy Desserts
Cheryl Gianfrancesco
Lumina Media
http://luminamedia.com
Fox Chapel Publishing Company (distributor)
9781621871712, $10.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Cheryl Gianfrancesco is an avid cook. She is also the owner of LMG1, formerly Kooper's Products, an Internet business supplying recipes and health information for dogs. In "Doggy Desserts: 125 Homemade Treats for Happy, Healthy Dogs" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to offers dog owners a compendium of easy-to-make recipes for treats to spoil (and nourish) their pampered pooches. Beautifully photographed and designed, "Doggy Desserts" presents easy-to-do, fun recipes divided into six categories: cookies, bars, drop cookies, cakes, muffins, and frozen treats. For dog owners who are concerned about controlling what's in their dogs' food or who are looking to find low-cal, low-fat options for their slightly plump pups, "Doggy Desserts" provides many tasty options. From carob peanut butter crunch balls, sweet potato biscuits and liver oatmeal bones to granola bars, apple sauce spice cake, and watermelon dog sherbet, owners will be tempted to try each of these delectable delights before serving to their dogs. Dog owners looking to feed their dogs healthy homemade treats will find: How to make your own tasty, wholesome doggie snacks and desserts; More than 125 easy-to-do recipes; Goodies your dogs will not only enjoy but are also good for them; Healthy, tasty, and easy to make with ingredients commonly found around the house; Strategies to avoid preservatives and ingredients that can irritate sensitive canine tummies and cause allergies and other health problems; Low-cal, low-fat options for overweight dogs; Sections on cookies, bars, drop cookies, cakes, muffins, and frozen treats. An absolute 'must' for anyone and everyone that has a beloved canine companion, it should be noted that "Doggy Desserts" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.73).


The Needlecraft Shelf

Radiant Quilts
Elsie M. Campbell
Landauer Publishing
3100 100th Street, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
www.landauercorp.com
Fox Chapel Publishing Company (distributor)
9781935726982, $22.95, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com

"Radiant Quilts: Stunning Quilts from Simple Shapes" by quilting expert Elsie M. Campbell offers a complete guide to making gorgeous scrap quilts using just one, two, or three simple repeated shapes. "Radiant Quilts" has a design emphasis on color and value working together to create the illusion of depth and light; offers comprehensive information about tools and techniques; features instructions on 3 cutting methods: cutting with scissors and templates, rotary cutters and rulers, and die cutters; and provides practical guidance on both hand- and machine-piecing. "Radiant Quilts" uses triangles, clamshells, half-hexagons, strips, and diamonds to make 9 start-to-finish, stash-busting projects ranging from stunning table runners to a gorgeous king-sized quilt. With simplicity as the basis for each piece or block, "Radiant Quilts" shows how color, value, and contrast can work together to create the illusion of depth and light. Of special note is Campbell's explanation of how to make fabric decisions that produce wonderfully luminescent quilts. "Radiant Quilts" provides cutting instructions for three methods: cutting with scissors and templates; rotary cutters and rulers; and die cutters. Inspired and inspiring, "Radiant Quilts" is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections for quilting enthusiasts.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Renegade: Martin Luther
Dacia Palmerino, author
Andrea Grosso Ciponte, illustrator
Plough Publishing House
151 Bowne Drive, PO Box 398, Walden, NY 12586 USA
www.plough.com
9780874862072, $19.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Told in a graphic novel format, "Renegade: Martin Luther" is the story of Martin Luther's personal battles with disillusionment and doubt culminate in a cry for freedom during a time of rampant corruption and superstition within the Roman Catholic Church. Luther's revolt against Rome with the nailing of ninety-five theses to the church door in Wittenberg; his time spent incognito at Wartburg Castle, where he famously throws an inkpot at the devil; his seditious translation and publication of the Bible in the language of the people; his scandalous marriage to former nun Katharina von Bora; and, in later years, his ugly tirades against peasants, Anabaptists, and Jews are fully recounted. Each chapter of Luther's life comes vividly to life thanks to cutting-edge graphic techniques of the impressively gifted artist Andrea Grosso Ciponte, and the meticulous historical research and compelling writing Dacia Palmerino, "Renegade: Martin Luther" is impressively informative and unreservedly recommended as an introduction to the life and work of one of the most influential leaders of the early years of the Protestant Movement and the founder of the Lutheran church.

Spooky & The Strange Tales: Monster Inn
Carine-M and Elian Black'more
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106
9781631409349 $19.99 www.idwpublishing.com

Spooky & The Strange Tales: Monster Inn is a hardcover, gothic graphic novel, set in magical kingdom of Fairy Tales, featuring the exceptionally strange princes Spooky. The cursive-style text and charming illustrations bring this fantastic story of creepy monsters and twisted fairy tales to life. Spooky & The Strange Tales: Monster Inn is highly recommended for readers of all ages, and for public library collections.

Satania
Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681121437 $24.99 hc / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Satania is a striking, full-color graphic novel that reinterprets the classic premise of descending into the layers of Hell. Charlie is a woman whose scientist brother has disappeared in his quest to prove the existence of Hell. Determined to find and rescue him, Charlie descends into the depths of the Earth with a handful of associates who have their own motives - including a clergyman and a fellow scientist eager to put her brother's theories to the test. The subterranean world they find is Satania - bizarre, horrific, multifaceted, ever-changing, and enveloped in a macabre beauty. Satania is also deadly, and pushes Charlie's survival instincts to the razor's edge! Captivating to the final page, Satania is highly recommended for older teen and adult graphic novel connoisseurs due the presence of some nudity and mature situations.

Streak of Chalk
Miguelanxo Prado
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681121161 $19.99 amazon.com

Streak of Chalk is an award-winning, full-color graphic novel by celebrated Spanish comic artist Miguelanxo Prado. Now in a re-released edition with new pages and a gallery of never-before- seen material, Streak of Chalk follows a lone traveler who visits a nearly-deserted island. He becomes intensely smitten with a beautiful, mysterious woman; he instinctively feels wary of the local innkeeper's reserved son; and he befriends a seagull, naming it "Lucas". Then two callous, aggressive louts arrive to stir up trouble. But how much of the lovestruck traveler's perceptions are real, and how much are simply his imagination run wild? Vivid and compelling, Streak of Chalk keeps the reader fascinated to the very end. It should be noted that Streak of Chalk is intended for mature readers due to scenes of nudity, sexual situations, and violence.


The Audiobook Shelf

Seeing Red: A Novel
Sandra Brown, author
Read by Victor Slezak
Hachette Audio
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781478916826 $35.00 amazon.com

Now in an unabridged audiobook rendition brought to life through the superb performance of Victor Slezak, Seeing Red: A Novel is a modern thriller brimming with twists and turns. Kerra Bailey is a television journalist seeking an interview with Major Franklin Trapper, a reclusive national hero. She induces The Major's son, former ATF agent John Trapper, to make it happen... but when the interview turns into a weaponized ambush, Kerra and John must search for the killers before both of them are silenced for good! Exciting and suspenseful, with a taut dynamic between the two lead characters, Seeing Red is highly recommended for connoisseurs of the genre. 12 CDs, 13 hours.

Ripper
Stefan Petrucha
Graphic Audio
7520 Standish Place, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20855
www.graphicaudio.net
9781628514476, $19.99, CD, www.graphicaudio.net

Carver Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him. But when he is adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency, Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter panic. When the case begins to unfold, however, it's worse than he could have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons comes into question. As the body count rises and the investigation becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies. Full of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New York City Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, "Ripper" is an audio book edition of a unique novel by Stefan Petrucha that challenges everything you thought you knew about the world's most famous serial killer. Acted out with an enormously talented caste whose performances are enhanced further with the inclusion of music and sound effects, this Graphic Audio edition of "Ripper" is a flawless produced, compelling and unfailingly entertaining 'theatre of the mind' experience from beginning to end, making it unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections. (7 CDs, 8.5 Hours).


The Music CD Shelf

Bahaghari
Lea Salonga
GLP Music
https://www.glpmusic.nyc
$14.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

Bahaghari (meaning "Rainbow") is an album of traditional songs from the Philippines, representing the island nation's three cultural regions and numerous languages. Singer and Broadway star Lea Salonga, who speaks Tagalog fluently, brings these beautiful pieces to vivid life with a stellar vocal performance. Bahaghari is a treasure for both personal and public library multicultural music collections, highly recommended. The tracks are "Pobreng Alindahaw" (3:08), "Paruparong Bukid" (1:55), "Tinikling" (2:37), "Atin Cu Pung Singsing" (2:31), "Bahay Kubo" (2:38), "Magtanim ay di Biro" (2:24), "Ili Ili Tulog Anay" (2:33), "Matud Nila" (3:46), "Sarung Banggi" (3:02), "Leron Leron Sinta" (2:04), "Pamulinawen" (3:29), "Si Filemon" (1:35), "Sitsiritsit Alibangbang" (1:37), "Sampaguita" (3:16), and "Waray Waray" (2:49).

Onwards
Mile Twelve
www.miletwelvebluegrass.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

Boston-based quintet Mile Twelve (guitarist Evan Murphy, bassist Nate Sabat, banjo player BB Bowness, award-winning fiddle player Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and mandolin player David Benedict) present their debut full-length album Onwards, a celebration of Appalachian bluegrass. The original songs energize the spirit, embodying the joy of country bluegrass while borrowing a smattering of inspiration from indie rock, old-school jazz, or other stylings as suits the moment. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Onwards", "Call My Soul", "Sunny Side of Town", "The Mararet Keene", "Soldiers and Sailors", "Wickwire", "The Day You Left", "Ace of Hearts", "In the Shade", "You Don't Even Know It Yet", "Old Tom", and "Settle Down Blues".

River of January
Dave Zinno Unisphere
Whaling City Sound
$TBA whalingcitysound.com

River of January is a Latin jazz album that adventures off the beaten path, sweeping the listener away in a stellar journey. Lively and exciting, the songs rouse the listener's spirit and showcase the performers' talents for creativity and improvisation. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Babycakes" (8:27), "Remember When" (7:54), "Feir a Hippie" (6:43), "Inverno Sem Rio" (7:39), "Little Lilli" (10:52), "Recife Blues" (6:45), "Wichita Lineman" (6:47), "South End Blues" (6:08), "Rapanui" (3:41) and "Um a Zero" (3:28).

Stone & Sky
Crowd Company
Vintage League Music
$TBA vintageleaguemusic.com

Critically acclaimed eight-member funk soul group Crowd Company presents Stone & Sky, a resonating funk soul album distinguished by smooth, powerful vocals supported by heady funk rhythms. Rapturous and richly textured, Stone & Sky is a "must" for connoisseurs of the genre, highly recommended. The tracks are "Take Off The Crown" (3:23), "Saw You Yesterday (4:33), "Can't Get Enough" (3:36), "Soar" (5:19), "Fever" (3:14), "Away With You" (3:23), "Let Me Be" (4:25), "Getting The Groove" (2:08), "Fast Forward" (3:25), "Summer" (4:07), "The Spark" (6:20), "Blind Pig" (2:56), and "Station 77" (3:28).

Solstice/Equinox
Diana Panton
www.dianapanton.com
Privately Published
$12.99 CD / $9.99 download

Solstice/Equinox is the eighth album by two-time JUNO award-winning jazz artist Diana Panton. Featuring Panton's ethereal vocals and haunting solos, the original songs revolve around the themes of turning seasons, reflecting the cycles of love and life. An enriching, vibrant soundscape, Solstice/Equinox is enthusiastically recommended to connoisseurs of quality original jazz. The tracks are "They Say It's Spring", "The Heather on the Hill", "Up Jumped Spring", "That Sunday, That Summer", "Estate (Summer)", "Manhattan", "La Fin Des Vacances", "September in the Rain", "Tis Autumn", "September", "Cloudy Morning", "I Like Snow", and "By the Fireside".


The DVD Shelf

The Good Karma Hospital, series 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 DVD / $39.99 Blu-ray www.acornonline.com

The Good Karma Hospital, series 1 is a medical drama set in a vibrant coastal town in southern India. Dr. Ruby Walker (played by Amrita Acharia) has taken a job in a foreign land to escape a ruined relationship and a stressful career in the UK. Instead of a modern urban clinic, she is assigned to the overcrowded, underfunded Good Karma Hospital run by the imposing Dr. Gabriel Varma (Amanda Redman). The eccentric locals, including her secretive colleague and the nearby beach bar owner, do little to put her mind at ease! But the Good Karma Hospital just might be the new turn in life that she needed. The Good Karma Hospital is recommended for mature viewers due to strong language, nudity, and graphic medical situations. Bonus material includes 21 min. of behind-the-scenes featurettes and a photo gallery. 6 episodes, 287 min. plus bonus.

Humans 2.0
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 DVD / $39.99 Blu-ray www.acornonline.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Humans 2.0 is the uncut, complete United Kingdom broadcast version of a science fiction drama (based on the Swedish science fiction saga "Real Humans"), set in a near-future world where artificial humans ("synths") have begun to gain consciousness, and a mysterious organization is hunting them. Can the remaining self-aware synths be protected, and if so, how? Contemplative and compelling, Humans 2.0 induces the viewer to think carefully about the true nature of consciousness. Bonus material includes 56 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes. Humans 2.0 is enthusiastically recommended for science fiction connoisseurs, and sure to prove a popular public library lend. 8 episodes on 3 discs, approx. 394 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Vera, set 7
Starring Brenda Blethyn
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$59.99 www.acornonline.com

Vera, set 7 continues the long-running, smash hit British detective drama series, featuring the ill- tempered female detective Vera and her efforts to solve vicious murders in rural Northumberland. Set 7 consists of four episodes, each one a self-contained mystery - "Natural Selection", about the death of a wildlife ranger; "Dark Angel", in which DCI Vera Stanhope seeks justice for a dead drug addict; "Broken Promise", about the suspicious falling death of a gifted university student; and "The Blanket Mire", where Vera must unearth the life secrets of an 18-year-old found buried in the moors, in order to track down the killer. Vera, set 7 is a "must- see" for connoisseurs of the genre, highly recommended. Vera, set 7 is suggested for mature viewers, due to scenes of violence. 4 episodes on 4 DVDs, 372 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Marcella, season 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com

Marcella, season 1 is the DVD debut of a British detective drama, featuring a separated female detective who has returned to the force after a career break to raise her children. Detective Sergeant Marcella Backland is troubled by the seeming resurface of a serial murderer, known as the Grove Park Killer. But the tumultuous changes in Marcella's personal life, culminating in the abrupt end of her marriage, have left her devastated and prone to bouts of extreme rage. When a person close to her estranged husband is murdered, Marcella fears that she could have been involved! Suspenseful to the end, Marcella, season 1 is highly recommended for connoisseurs of the genre. It should be noted that Marcella, season 1 is intended for mature viewers due to coarse language, graphic violence, disturbing images, and sexual situations. 8 episodes on 2 DVDs, 378 min., SDH subtitles.

Tendu Toning: Ballerina Strong
Featuring Rachel Speck
SpeckFitness
$19.99 speckfitness.com

Tendu Toning: Ballerina Strong is the second fitness DVD by Rachel Speck that shows viewers how to combine the toning of ballet with the strength of body building to sculpt a superb physique without investing in years of ballet training (ballet shoes are not required either). Simple ballet steps along with the use of inexpensive weights and resistance make for a superb body-shaping experience! Tendu Toning: Ballerina Strong includes squats, pulses, plies, cursty lunges, arabesque penches, chest presses, and combinations to work as many muscles as possible. Highly recommended for fitness buffs! 1 hour.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Worn Out by Obedience
Ron Moore
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moodypublishers.com
9780802415387, $14.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Many Christians have a deep desire to "turn the corner" in their walk with Jesus. Some don't know where to start, others are held back by the past, and still others are blinded or calloused by sin. King David, the man after God's own heart, experienced this very thing, and in "Worn Out by Obedience: Recovering from Spiritual Fatigue" he is presented as a spiritual mentor. David is both flawed and on fire. He is the person we are and the person we want to be. In studying his extended stay in Ziklag (1 Samuel 27 - 30), readers will see how God often molds our hearts in seasons of brokenness, loneliness, and disappointment -- sometimes even in our disobedience. Written specifically for members of the Christian community who find themselves spiritually weary, discouraged, or exhausted, "Worn Out by Obedience" will help them to keep going -- or start moving. Of special note are the signs of spiritual fatigue and instructions on how to avoid them. God uses all our experiences both good and bad to form Christ in us. With its message of God's great grace of rescue, recovery, and restoration, "Worn Out by Obedience" is unreservedly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation. It should be noted that "Worn Out by Obedience" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.01).

The Good Book
Deron Spoo
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.davidccook.com
9780781414418, $22.99, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

"The Good Book: 40 Chapters That Reveal the Bible's Biggest Ideas" by Deron Spoo (who is the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma) offers a user-friendly guide to the Bible's biggest ideas. A chapter from the Bible accompanies each chapter of the book, which helps readers understand the context and content of the Scripture passages in a way that can open the whole Bible. Designed as a forty-day journey through forty key chapters of the Bible, "The Good Book" will appeal to those who already love and read the Bible regularly as well as to those who are just beginning their Christian journey. "The Good Book" is a great evangelism tool for explaining the major themes of Scripture to those who want to know more about God, Jesus, and the core beliefs of Christianity; gives new believers an overview of the Bible and lays a framework to help them understand Scripture passages; helps longtime Christians rediscover the basic themes of Scripture and experience these truths in a new way; and encourages Scriptural literacy as it pushes readers to read both one chapter of the book and one chapter of the Bible each day for forty days. "The Good Book" is ideal for individuals, and it can also be used by small groups in an eight-week church-wide program or a forty-week journey that focuses on one Bible chapter each week. "The Good Book" will help people understand and live by the transformative truths of the Bible. While very highly recommended for all members of the Christian community, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Good Book" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

In the Beauty of Holiness
David Lyle Jeffrey
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.eerdmans.com
9780802874702, $49.00, HC, 448pp, www.amazon.com

Beauty and holiness are both highly significant subjects in the Bible. "In the Beauty of Holiness: Art and the Bible in Western Culture" by David Lyle Jeffrey (Distinguished Professor of Literature and the Humanities at Baylor University, Waco, Texas) is comprehensive study of Christian fine art and explores the relationship between beauty and holiness by integrating aesthetic perspectives from the ancient Hebrew Scriptures through Augustine, Aquinas, and Kant, down to contemporary philosophers of art. From the walls of the Roman catacombs to the paintings of Marc Chagall, visual art in the West has consistently drawn its most profound and generative inspiration from biblical narrative and imagery. Jeffrey guides readers through this artistic tradition from the second century to the twenty-first, astutely pointing out its relationship not only to the biblical sources but also to related expressions in liturgy and historical theology. Lavishly illustrated throughout with 146 masterworks, reproduced in full color, "In the Beauty of Holiness" is ideally suited to students of Christian fine art, to devotees of biblical studies, and to non-specialist general readers wanting to better understand the story of Christian art through the centuries. A masterpiece of religious and artistic scholarship, "In the Beauty of Holiness" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a twelve page listing of images, a twenty-seven page bibliography, and a fourteen page index. Exceptionally informative and impressively well organized and presented, "In the Beauty of Holiness" is unreservedly recommended for personal, church, seminary, community, and academic library Christian Studies, Biblical Studies, and Art History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Paulos Mar Gregorios: A Reader
K. M. George
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
http://fortresspress.com
9781506430164, $79.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

K. M. George served as moderator of the WCC Programme Committee (1998-2006), as executive secretary of the NCC-India, and as principal and professor at the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam, India. He was also professor at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute, Switzerland (1989-94). He is a priest of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in India and is currently director and Dr. Paulos Mar Gregorios Chair of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam as well as director of the Sopana Orthodox Academy, Kottayam, India. In "Paulos Mar Gregorios: A Reader" he has compiled selected writings of Paulos Mar Gregorios, a metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India and a former President of the World Council of Churches. "Paulos Mar Gregorios: A Reader" deals with his thought in the areas of ecumenism, orthodox theology, philosophy, interfaith dialogue, and philosophy of science. "Paulos Mar Gregorios: A Reader" will be of special value to the students of ecumenism, Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, Indian philosophy, interdisciplinary studies, and holistic education. Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Paulos Mar Gregorios: A Reader" is unreservedly recommended for personal and academic library Orthodox Christian collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Political Science Shelf

In America: Tales from Trump Country
Caitriona Perry
Gill Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9780717179534, $36.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Becoming news herself after her encounter with Trump in the Oval Office, Caitriona Perry is an award-winning Irish journalist and Washington correspondent who has earned a reputation as a reliable source of truth. In "In America: Tales from Trump Country", she goes beyond the news reports and delves into the American heartland where she witnessed the rise of Trump at first hand. Bringing to the table the voices of those who voted for Trump, Hillary Clinton's so-called 'basket of deplorables', the ones whose opinions didn't coalesce with acceptable mainstream discourse, Perry reveals just what is really happening in America right now. You may already know why some people didn't vote for Donald Trump; by reading "In America: Tales from Trump Country", you will now find out why some people did. It is interesting to note that Perry was one of the first journalists to suggest that Trump could actually win. Impressively informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "In America: Tales from Trump Country" is a timely and much appreciated contribution to the growing library of Trump Era political science studies. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "In America: Tales from Trump Country" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.49).


The Gaming Shelf

A Taste of Bridge
Jeff Bayone
Master Point Press
205-214 Merton Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4S 1A6
www.masterpointpress.com
9781771400343, $19.95, PB, 215pp, www.amazon.com

Jeff Bayone is the owner of Honors Bridge Club in New York, which may be the world's biggest club. He has been teaching bridge for more than 40 years. With "A Taste of Bridge" Jeff draws upon his years of experience and expertise to create a comprehensive instructional for beginners that consists of a series of six lessons that have started thousands of people on the road to enjoying the world's most popular card game. "A Taste of Bridge" is intended to give the reader a taste of bridge, and whet the appetite for more. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A Taste of Bridge" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal and community library Bridge instructional reference collections.


The Interior Design Shelf

Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book
Better Homes and Gardens
c/o Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9781328944986, $25.00, HC, 432pp, www.amazon.com

The "Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book", was originally published in 1956 and would go on to another ten editions over the years, becoming the new home bible for injecting class, style (and the occasional misguided cowboy wallpaper) into American homes. While exploring numerous styles, the main theme of the book is the on-trend mid-century modern sensibility, a style as appropriate today as it was six decades. Based upon the classic design concepts, "Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book" is once again available to a new generation of appreciative homeowners and is filled from cover to cover with hundreds of full-color period photos, dozens of adorable illustrations, and decorating tips and tricks that are both helpful and nostalgic. "Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book" remains a fun classic that is here reproduced exactly as it looked and read in the 1950s, making everything old, new once again. While very highly recommended, especially for community and academic library Interior Design reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Biography Shelf

The Ranger Ideal Volume 1
Darren L. Ivey
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574416909 $39.95 hc / $31.96 Kindle amazon.com

The Ranger Ideal Volume 1: Texas Rangers in the Hall of Fame, 1823-1861 is an extensively researched biography of the first seven inductees into the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Each individual served honorably in Texas before the Civil War; volume 1 examines the lives of Stephen F. Austin, "the Father of Texas" who established the fundamentals of Ranger service; John C. Hays, Ben McCulloch, Samuel H. Walker, William A. A. "Bigfoot" Wallace, John S. Ford, and Lawrence Sul Ross. The Ranger Ideal Volume 1 draws upon primary sources and secondary sources known for their veracity, and does not include apocryphal stories with little or no supporting evidence. A vivid glimpse into a dangerous, bygone era that required men of courage and valor to step forth, The Ranger Ideal Volume 1 is sure to enthrall lay readers and historians alike. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library American History collections.

Red Robinson: The Last Deejay
Robin Brunet
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.harbourpublishing.com
9781550177695, $29.95, HC, 196pp, www.amazon.com

"Red Robinson: The Last Deejay" by Robin Brunet details the life and career of Red Robinson, wh was one of Canada's most celebrated pioneers of rock and roll. Robinson began spinning hits while in high school in the early 1950s, laying the foundation for what would become a glamorous, impossible-to-stop and ultimately fulfilling career that has made him a household name west of the Rockies. Raised by a single mother, Robinson worked as a delivery boy to help support the family. From such humble beginnings, he developed a strong work ethic and unflappable moral core that enabled him to pursue a career that has endured. Here is the account of how Robinson pranked his way into his first radio job. Readers will be delighted by behind-the-scenes stories from close encounters with Vancouver's visiting celebrities, like the time Robinson spent an hour with Elvis Presley in the BC Lions dressing room talking cars, women, movies and opera, or when Robinson nearly killed Roy Orbison and Bobby Goldsboro in a 1962 Grand Parisienne convertible while speeding to catch the Nanaimo ferry. Robinson's vast career highlights are remarkable, from introducing The Beatles to the stage, ushering Randy Bachman to the status of superstardom, and as part of EXPO '86, presenting The Legends of Rock'n'Roll featuring Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Righteous Brothers. Red Robinson recalls the highs, hurdles and triumphs of a celebrated time in rock-and-roll history, presented by the man who dug into the guts, glory and glitz that only a champion of the frontlines of music really can. An exceptionally informative, impressively well organized and presented account of an inherently interesting man, "Red Robinson: The Last Deejay" is an unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Red Robinson: The Last Deejay" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).

High School Dropout
Butch Rutt
Waldorf Publishing
2140 Hall Johnson Road 102-345, Grapevine, TX 76051
www.waldorfpublishing.com
9781944783532, $16.95, PB, 424pp, www.amazon.com

In his autobiography "High School Dropout: Stories of a Navy Pilot", Butch Rutt takes the reader through the stories of his life. These are stories of family, friendship, and fortitude. Against all odds, being a high school dropout from a broken family, Butch earned his College Degree and Navy Pilot Wings within a four and a half year period. He flew P-3 Orion airplanes during the Cold War, joined the U.S. Customs Service as a Special Agent and Pilot fighting in the war on drugs in Central and South America, and later flew commercially for Northwest Airlines. Butch takes the reader on journeys through difficult and trying times, while showing them that there is no substitute for hard work and perseverance. Exceptionally well written, impressively candid, and ultimately inspiring, "High School Dropout: Stories of a Navy Pilot" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "High School Dropout: Stories of a Navy Pilot" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Playing with Dynamite: A Memoir
Sharon Harrigan
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
http://tsup.truman.edu
9781612482101, $16.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Sharon Harrigan's father was larger than life, a brilliant but troubled man who blew off his hand with dynamite before she was born and died in a mysterious and bizarre accident when she was seven. The story of his death never made sense. How did he really die? And why was she so sure that asking would be dangerous? A series of events compel her to find the answers, collecting other people's memories and uncovering her own. Her two-year odyssey takes her from Virginia to Detroit to Paris and finally to the wilds of northern Michigan where her father died. There, she discovers the real danger and has to confront her fear. "Playing with Dynamite: A Memoir " is about the family secrets that can distance us from each other and the honesty that can bring us closer. It's about a daughter who goes looking for her father but finds her mother instead. It's about memory and truth, grieving and growing, and what it means to go home again. An inherently compelling read from cover to cover, "Playing with Dynamite: A Memoir" is an extraordinary, exceptional, deftly crafted and multilayered account that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Playing with Dynamite: A Memoir" is available from the Truman State University Press in a digital book format (Kindle, 9781612482118, $9.99).


The Self-Help Shelf

The Decision Makeover
Mike Whitaker
http://mikewhitaker.com
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781626344266, $21.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com

In "The Decision Makeover: An Intentional Approach to Living the Life You Want", by Mike Whitaker (a lifelong and successful entrepreneur who is an expert on personal and professional decision-making, turnarounds, and strategic planning) offers a thoughtful and strategic approach for choosing wisely in all aspects of your life whether it's about money, career, education, health, friends, or family. With his background in both business and psychology, Whitaker deftly lays out a decision-making process that gives you the power to achieve your dreams. He even explains what to do if you've made some poor decisions along the way, so that you can move ahead without regret. Whitaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the difference between small and big decisions, and shows why defining your essential goals is the key to overcoming the roadblocks that can derail your progress. He reveals: Why your next decision could change your life forever; Why you make bad decisions; How to avoid self-destructive decision-making; How to proceed confidently toward future decisions. Filled with engaging anecdotes and interactive exercises, "The Decision Makeover" provides all the tools required to finally achieve all that you want. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Decision Makeover" is unreservedly recommended as a life-changing, life-enhancing read from cover to cover. While especially appropriate for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Decision Makeover" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Thinly Effect: Lighten Up Your Life
Kristin Sollenne
Waldorf Publishing
2140 Hall Johnson Road 102-345, Grapevine, TX 76051
www.waldorfpublishing.com
9781684192540, $18.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

As a culinary star and Food Network Judge, chef and nutritionist, Kristin Sollenne has made headlines for her contemporary food philosophy, lightened-up Italian fare, and approachable cooking tips, with regular appearances on CBS, NBC, Food Network and FOX. Kristin hosts her own show on the Health and Wellness Network, called Wellness Confidential. Sollenne, a honoree of Zagat's Top 30 under 30, has cooked for Taylor Swift, Seth Rogan, Ed Sheeran and the entire SNL cast. Kristin is the founder of Thinly, a healthy sustainable lifestyle company empowering everyone to feel their best. In "The Thinly Effect: Lighten Up Your Life" Kristin maintains that 'Thinly' is a mindset. It's how you think, eat, feel and love. By thinking Thinly you ll have clarity, confidence and an overwhelming sense of empowerment to design the life you ve always dreamt of. Thinly was born out of a desire to help people become their best self. In "The Thinly Effect" Kristin takes you along on her own personal transformation journey, and in doing so, guides you to become the best version of yourself. "The Thinly Effect" teaches you various states of complete physical, mental and social well being as Kristin shares personal stories and brings humor and life to "The Thinly Effect". While very highly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Thinly Effect" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).


The Technology Shelf

Nanotechnology: Synthesis to Applications
Sunipa Roy, Chandan Kumar Ghosh, Chandan Kumar Sarkar
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138032736, $159.95, HC, 350pp, www.amazon.com

Nano particles have created a high interest in recent years by virtue of their unusual mechanical, electrical, optical and magnetic properties and find wide applications in all fields of engineering. "Nanotechnology: Synthesis to Applications" is an edited volume that presents the latest trends and updates in nanogenerators, thin film solar cells and green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles with a focus on nanostructured semiconductor devices. Of special note is an exclusive chapter on electrical transport of nanostructure explains device physics for material properties for reduced dimensions. Additionally, the text of "Nanotechnology: Synthesis to Applications" deftly describes the functionality of metallic nanoparticles and their application in molecular imaging and optical metamaterials. Piezoelectric nanogenerators has been touched upon from the energy perspective as well. Key features of "Nanotechnology: Synthesis to Applications" include: Organized contents on Nanogenerators, VOC sensing, nanoelectronics, and NEMS; Discusses eco-friendly green synthesis methods for metallic nanoparticles; Touches upon low power nano devices (e.g. nanogenerators) for energy harvesting with quantum mechanical study; Thin film/heterojunction based high efficiency solar cell addressed aimed at reducing global energy consumption. Comprised of eighteen erudite articles by experts in their fields, "Nanotechnology: Synthesis to Applications" is unreservedly recommended as a vital and core addition to professional, corporate, college, and university library Nano Technology collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Nanotechnology: Synthesis to Applications" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $146.41).

Power Grid Resiliency for Adverse Conditions
Nicholas Abi-Samra
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630810177, $124.00, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com

Nicholas Abi-Samra is the president of Electric Power & Energy Consulting (EPEC) and an adjust professor at University of California San Diego. He received his engineering degree from American University of Beirut. In "Power Grid Resiliency for Adverse Conditions" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of extreme weather and the possible effects of climate change on the power grid. The impact and restoration of floods, winter storms, wind storms, and hurricanes as well as the effects of heat waves and dry spells on thermal power plants is explained in detail. Power Grid Resiliency for Adverse Conditions" explores proven practices for successful restoration of the power grid, increased system resiliency, and ride-through after extreme weather and provides readers with examples from super storm Sandy. Exceptionally informative and deftly organized, "Power Grid Resiliency for Adverse Conditions" is unreservedly recommended as an essential, core addition to professional, governmental, corporate and academic library Power Engineering & Technology collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

From LTE to LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G
Moe Rahnema & Marcin Dryjanski
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630814533, $137.52, HC, 372pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Moe Rahnema (who has served as the lead R&D engineer, design and development engineer, technical trainer and consultant for GTE Labs, Motorola, Hughes Network Systems and LCC International and Marcin Dryjanski (who is the cofounder of Granmetric and currently serves as an external contractor at Huawei Technologies), "From LTE to LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G". a practical 'hands-on' new resource that presents LTE technologies from end-to-end, including network planning and the optimization tradeoff process. "From LTE to LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G" examines the features of LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro and how they integrate into existing LTE networks. Students and professionals will find in-depth coverage of how the air interface is structured at the physical layer and how the related link level protocols are designed and work. "From LTE to LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G" is a complete and comprehensive resource that highlights potential 5G solutions as considered in releases 14 and beyond, the migration paths, and the challenges involved with the latest updates and standardization process. The latest volume in the simply outstanding Artech House 'Mobile Communications' series, "From LTE to LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G" is a critically important and highly recommended addition to professional, corporate, governmental, and academic library instructional reference collections.


The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf

The Way of Whisky
Dave Broom
Michael Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784721428, $50.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Since 2002 (the year it appeared on export markets) Japanese whisky has been consistently winning major international spirits awards. As export production increases and export markets (the USA and France in particular) open up to embrace the quality of these fine malt whiskies, all eyes are on Japan. Award-winning author and internationally recognized whisky expert Dave Broom has visited Japan 25 times in the past 12 years, studying and learning about its whiskies. In this major study he shares his personal journey around Japan's whisky distilleries and the unique whisky culture of the country. Each individual chapter details the history of the distillery in question, its production and current whiskies (with tasting notes). "The Way of Whisky: A Journey Around Japanese Whisky" considers along the way why Japanese whisky is different, questions of tradition vs innovation, and how whisky links with many aspects of Japanese culture. Breathtaking photography from Kohei Take leads the reader deeper into the philosophy behind the drink, making "The Way of Whisky" is a must read for any whisky lover, whisky drinker, whisky collector or Japanophile. Simply stated, "The Way of Whisky" is unreservedly recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library Food & Beverage collections.

Larousse Wine
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600635093, $60.00, HC, 656pp, www.amazon.com

A beautifully and profusely illustrated volume, "Larousse Wine" provides comprehensive coverage of the wine-producing regions of the world. Each individual section begins with it a informatively descriptive presentations of the area, with the major districts, rivers, and cities being highlighted. A short history and analysis of each region follows, with a discussion of the types of wines produced in each district, the specific oenological properties that make the region unique, and the appellations of the area. Boxes and features throughout also cover a vast range of subjects such as the origins of wine, how to read a wine label, how to choose and buy a wine, whether to decant wine, the proper storage of wine, how to taste wine, and even the great wine waiters of the world. An absolute 'must' for novice wine enthusiasts and seasoned wine aficionados, there is something if significant information value for everyone in the pages of "Larousse Wine". Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Larousse Wine" is unreservedly and wholeheartedly for personal, professional, community, and academic library Food & Beverage collections.


The Aviation Shelf

Boeing 737: The World's Jetliner
Captain Dan Dornseif
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764353253, $59.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

First launched in 1965, the Boeing 737, by many measures, is the most successful and long-standing jetliner in the history of aviation. Profusely illustrated from cover to cover, "Boeing 737: The World's Jetliner" by Dan Dornseif (a Boeing 737 captain for a major airline, with nearly seventeen thousand hours in aircraft ranging from jetliners to small antique aircraft) provides an in-depth look into the story of this extremely significant jetliner and the environment that has contributed to this amazing story. Many of the actual people who designed, marketed, and flew this airplane have contributed greatly to this aviation history, with widespread quotes throughout. "Boeing 737: The World's Jetliner" is a definitive study that is enriched with many photographs and drawings that are published for the first time and take the reader deeper into the story. Included in "Boeing 737: The World's Jetliner" is a technical chapter that defines the systems and provides a detailed pilot's walk-around. For the hobbyist, a well detailed, pictorial chapter demonstrates the building of airliner models, and provides many techniques for new and experienced modelers alike. An extraordinary and exceptionally informative read from beginning to end, "Boeing 737: The World's Jetliner" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Aviation History collections in general, and Boeing 737 supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

The Hunting Book
Oliver Dorn
teNeues Publishing
350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 301, New York, NY, 10011
www.teneues.com
9783961710171, $95.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

While a necessity in earlier times, hunting today provokes heated discussion between people for and against this most ancient of activities. Regardless, the cadre of hunters only seems to grow. "The Hunting Book" by Oliver Dorn (the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the hunt magazine, Halali) brings the passion and excitement that fills the heart of the hunter. An acknowledged a specialist in hunting-related matters, Dorn provides unique photos and informative text as he discusses the historical origins of the hunt and explains its place in today's world. "The Hunting Book" introduces well-established top companies (as well as newcomers) to the industry and shares top tips for hunting equipment and accessories ranging from handmade guns, to custom-fitted hunting clothing. "The Hunting Book" also covers the best hunting grounds around the world and why various VIPs enjoy the sport of hunting. Selected tasty wild game dishes underscores the message that hunting also serves a culinary purpose. "The Hunting Book" invites the reader to experience everything special about the hunt and share the fascination that it still inspires today. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, impressively informed and informative, expertly written, organized and presented, "The Hunting Book" is an extraordinary read from cover to cover -- and would be an appropriate and highly recommended selection as a community or academic library Memorial Fund acquisition selection.


The Money/Finance Shelf

The Capitalist Code
Ben Stein
Humanix Books
www.humanixbooks.com
9781630060848 $19.99 amazon.com

The Capitalist Code: It Can Save Your Life and Make You Very Rich! is a financial self-help guide by conservative economist Ben Stein, known for his professional writings on finance, his deadpan acting in television and movies, and for being one of the major busters of the junk-bond frauds of the 1980s. Stein sharply disputes liberal claims that "capitalism is evil" or "the system is rigged against the middle class", and instead emphasizes the importance of taking full advantage of capitalism in order to secure a comfortable retirement. Under the capitalist system, any individual can invest money in stocks of limited-liability corporations, and the individual investor will not be held liable for any of company's debt - only the money spent to purchase the stocks is at risk, nothing more. This simple and elegant system allows people of all walks of life to benefit from investing in stocks and bonds (a diversified portfolio is crucial, so that one bad stock choice won't necessarily wipe out one's entire investment fund). Stein emphasizes the importance of investing for the long term, and not trying to use the stock market as a get-rich- quick scheme. Also present are tax-saving tips, pitfalls to avoid when preparing for retirement, lies that economics professors commonly tell their students, a glossary and index, and much more. Highly recommended!


The Civil War Shelf

Texans at Antietam
Joe Owen, Philip McBride, and Joe Allport
Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781625450227 $28.95 $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Texans at Antietam: A Terrible Clash of Arms, September 16-17, 1862 offers a wealth of primary sources written or spoken by Confederate soldiers of Hood's Texas Brigade, who fought for the Confederacy in the battle of Antietam during the American Civil War. Here are official reports, diary entries, interviews, newspaper articles, letters to family at home, and even testimonials of Union soldiers who fought against soldiers of Hood's Texas Brigade. A handful of black-and-white photographs, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this superb historical treasury, highly recommended for public and college library Civil War shelves.


The Sports Shelf

Amazing Tales from the Chicago Bears Sideline
Steve McMichael, Phil Arvia, and John Mullin
Sports Publishing
www.sportspubbooks.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781683581192 $19.99 hc / $0.99 Kindle amazon.com

Former Chicago Bears defensive player Steve McMichael, award-winning author Phil Arvia, and award-winning sports journalist John Mullin present Amazing Tales from the Chicago Bears Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Bears Stories Ever Told, an anthology of highlights from the celebrated football team that lives up to its title. From tense overtime games to Ditka's notorious locker room tirades to behind the scenes glimpses of a dedicated and driven team, Amazing Tales from the Chicago Bears Sideline is a "must-read" for Bears fans! Highly recommended.


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


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