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Reviewer's Choice
The Gales of Alexandria
Ehab Elgammal
Escape Editions
9781069167415, $31.99 hc
9781069167446, $TBA pbk
9781069167408, $8.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Gales-Alexandria-Ehab-Elgammal-ebook/dp/B0DYFRBFSF
Synopsis: Rooted in Alexandria, Egypt, and set against the backdrop of the attack on the United States known universally
known as 9/11, the wars that followed, and the phenomena of the Arab Spring, in his original and compelling novel, "The
Gales of Alexandria", author Ehab Elgammal is an extraordinary work of political fiction that deftly explores the
devastating ripple effects of a young man's mysterious disappearance culminating in his death.
The body of a young man, Nasser, is returned home -- draped in silence and unanswered questions. Was he an Islamic
terrorist, or something more?
It's 2014, Alexandria, Egypt, and history professor Omar El-Mohammedi (Nasser's father) has no time to mourn. CIA agent
Matt is demanding that he decode Nasser's journal, which may stop a terrorist attack. As Omar unravels its brutal passages,
he is forced to confront family truths, his failings as a father, and the question: Was Nasser radicalized by faith, or was he a
casualty of a fractured world that rarely seeks to understand?
Amid the aftermath of 9/11, the ensuing wars, and the Arab Spring, The Gales of Alexandria follows those left behind.
Nasser's sister turns to faith, his fiancee to activism, and his closest friends (from Egypt to the U.S.) are caught in global
tides. Meanwhile, Matt, torn between duty and doubt, and Risa, a Jewish woman in a failing marriage to Nasser's best
friend, find themselves drawn into Nasser's fate.
As Omar confronts unforgiving family revelations and his own failings as a father, "The Gales of Alexandria" challenges the
comforts of rigid judgment in the wake of political upheaval and personal tragedy. It asks: Why do we stray from our ideals?
Can reconciliation emerge from echoes of loss, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
Critique: As an author, "The Gales of Alexandria" effectively demonstrates Ehab Elgammal's distinctive and narrative
driven storyteller style and his passionate ability to weave background details into the emotionally engaging characters and
entertaining plot lines, twists and turns -- all of which works together to raise his unique, compelling and thought-provoking
novel to an impressive level of literary excellence.
A novel of conflicting faith, fevered politics, and the often painful pursuit of justice, this is one of those books that will
linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. "The Gales of
Alexandria" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary
Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Gales of Alexandria" from Escape
Editions is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, 9781069167408, $8.99) and has a forthcoming paperback
edition (9781069167446, $TBA).
From Tuscany with Love
Lauretta Avina
MSI Press
http://msipress.com
9781957354637, $35.00, PB, 194pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tuscany-Love-Lauretta-Avina/dp/1957354631
Synopsis: Lauretta Avina's "From Tuscany with Love" is an emotional memoir capturing the life journey of a scared, little
girl from the rolling hills of Lucca to the bustling life in America. Through evocative stories and cherished family recipes,
Lauretta pays tribute to the rich culture, love, and flavors that shaped her life. This unusual and unique memoir beautifully
blends personal reflections on family, resilience, and the timeless traditions of Tuscan cuisine, offering readers a deeply
personal and flavorful look at an immigrant's path to finding a home and a sense of belonging in a new world.
Critique: A fascinating combination of cookbook and memoir, "From Tuscany with Love" is an extraordinary read from
start to finish. The recipes are as authentic as Lauretta Avina's life lessons learned as she relates her personal life story and
the role that family ethnicity and Tuscan approach to food played in that story. The recipes are 'kitchen cook friendly' in
organization and presentation, the life story parts and eloquent and emotionally engaging. The result is the Laurette Avina
memoir, "From Tuscany With Love" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library
Biography/Memoir and Ethnic Cookbook/Italian collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "From
Tuscany With Love" from MSI Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lauretta Avina is an Italian American immigrant who has a deep passion for sharing good food with family
and friends. Her first cookbook, Ricette del Mio Paese, came out in 2011. Lauretta is the founder and president of the Franca
Barsi Memorial Scholarship, created to honor her late sister, a victim of domestic violence. In addition to her advocacy for
domestic violence victims, she is a staunch supporter of military veterans and their families. She also advocates for students
in her role as a Guidance Technician at her local high school. Lauretta enjoys preparing delicious meals, often using
vegetables and spices from her husband's garden. She is well-known in her community especially for her Lasagna alla
Lucchese and her Biscotti.
PATRICK SWAYZE: Still Inspiring!
Sue Tabashnik
Passion Spirit Dreams Press
www.likedirtydancing.com
9780989408684, $24.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Patrick-Swayze-Inspiring-Sue-Tabashnik/dp/098940868X
PATRICK SWAYZE: Still Inspiring! is an unabashed testimony to the actor's ongoing relevance and importance long after
his death. It gathers memories, stories and tributes from the entertainment industry and those who participated in his life.
Sue Tabashnik reveals, from the opening lines of her exploration, that: "When I remember Patrick Swayze, the first thing I
think of is not Johnny Castle, the sizzling dance instructor in Dirty Dancing; Sam Wheat, the loving spirit in Ghost; James
Dalton, the Zen bouncer in Road House; or Bodhi, the rogue skydiver and surfer in Point Break.
"What comes to mind, first and foremost, is what I hold most dear about Patrick: his strength of character and spirituality
that still shine so bright."
This comment sets the stage for chapters which delve into Patrick's life and impact through a diverse set of personal
associations, from childhood friends to acting and beyond. The breadth of memories come from many walks of life and
reflect Patrick's expansive interests, from Arabian horses to stage productions, movie-making, dance, and more. This paints
an unrestrained portrait of the "Renaissance Man"'s creativity and ability to engage with life and individuals on many from
many walks of life.
Take the reflection by stunt skydiving cameraman Tom Sanders, which was written in 2013 and updated in 2023. Sanders
points out just why Patrick's unusual insistence on doing many of his own stunts sans a double was so memorably
outstanding: "It is a BIG deal that Patrick trained and became a proficient skydiver to do some of the actual stunts involving
skydiving. This is unheard of in Hollywood. I have been a SAG stunt skydiving cameraman for nearly forty years and he and
Tom Cruise (Tom in recent history) are the only ones I recall doing their own stunts. They all say they do, but they don't.
Patrick was a skydiver. He was the REAL DEAL in all aspects of life."
Contrast this with Tabashnik's in-depth interview with Swayze's lifelong friend Larry Ward. The long-term nature of their
relationship provides many insights about "Buddy" and his early years, from why and how they formed such a strong bond
to Swayze's early participation in martial arts, dance, boxing, and more.
Each individual contributes a different piece to the complex life of Swayze that highlights his personality, talents, and
choices. Each reviews the many transformations Swayze undertook in his life and career, providing a full-bodied, admiring
view of the man which goes beyond the typical coverages of his fame profiled in other publications.
Sue Tabashnik has written a number of books on Swayze, but PATRICK SWAYZE: Still Inspiring! is, by far, the most
wide-ranging for its inclusion of all kinds of adjunct friendships and relationships that reflected his life.
Libraries adding to their Hollywood biography collections in general and looking at surveys of Swayze in particular will
find PATRICK SWAYZE: Still Inspiring! a vivid, inspirational collection addition. It should intrigue both fans of Swayze
and readers who might know relatively little about the man; especially with its inclusion of some 19 rare photos.
Readers will find the juxtaposition of relationships, stories of growth and achievement, and sense of fun and discovery
major draws to a biography embedded in real experiences and powerful memories. Lively, informative, and multifaceted,
PATRICK SWAYZE: Still Inspiring! is a "must have" for Hollywood historians and Swayze fans.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
How to Get Published in the Best Management Journals, third edition
David J. Ketchen Jr., Timothy Clark, and Mike Wright, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035322428, $170.77, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Published-Best-Management-Journals/dp/1035322420
This revised and extended third edition of "How to Get Published in the Best Management Journals" is collaboratively
compiled and co-edited by the team of David J. Ketchen Jr., Timothy Clark, and Mike Wright. It draws on a wealth of
knowledge and 'real world' expertise from leading scholars and journal editors to showcase the latest advice in securing
publication in the world's top management journals.
The contributors expand on the impact of research, explain how to attract and retain co-authors and provide guidance for
positioning research papers for publication within journals of various disciplines within the management field. They also
delve into the intersection of management journal publishing and psychology, the ethics and integrity in the industry, and
explore the nuances of special issues and open access publications.
Of special note are the chapters offering guidance on effectively developing the front end of your research paper,
constructing a successful research portfolio and pipeline, and managing a career in business research which have been added
to this latest edition of "How to Get Published in the Best Management Journals".
Critique: Comprised of 40 informative articles deftly organized into three major sections (The Publishing Process;
Resolving Practical Key Issues, Publishing Across Disciplinary Boundaries), this third edition of "How to Get Published in
the Best Management Journals" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with a ten page listing of the contributors
and their credentials, a one page Preface, and a sixteen page Index. Impressively comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Get Published in the Best Management Journals: 3rd Edition" from
Edward Elgar Publishing is an ideal for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Business &
Academic Writing collections, and supplemental MBA & Creative Writing Composition studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: David J. Ketchen, Jr. is a Harbert Eminent Scholar and Professor of Management, Raymond J. Harbert
College of Business, Auburn University, USA, (https://harbert.auburn.edu/directory/dave-ketchen.html)
Editorial Note #2: Timothy Clark, Provost and Professor, Singapore Management University, Singapore.
(https://www.smu.edu.sg/about/smu-leadership/provosts-profile)
Editorial Note #3: Mike Wright (1952 - 25 November 2019) was Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director, Centre for
Management Buyout Research, Imperial College Business School, London, UK
(www.imperial.ac.uk/news/194251/business-school-honours-life-work-professor)
The Profitable Author
Sharon Woodhouse
Everything Goes Media, LLC
www.conspirecreative.com
9781734145274, $24.95, PB, 508pp
https://www.amazon.com/Profitable-Author-Build-Business-Around/dp/1734145277
Synopsis: The message from Sharon Woodhouse in "The Profitable Author: 1,001 Ways to Build a Business You Love
Around Your Books" is to stop dreaming about making it as an author and start building a sustainable business you love
from the books you write.
It's critically important reading for aspiring and practicing authors who are tired of earning meager royalties or Amazon
deposits. For authors who want to turn their passion for writing into a profitable business. In the pages of "The Profitable
Author", successful publishing veteran Woodhouse reveals her insider secrets to creating a multi-faceted author career that
goes beyond book sales.
Drawing on over 25 years of experience as an independent publisher, Woodhouse provides a practical framework for
building a sustainable and rewarding author life. This isn't about chasing bestsellers or landing a movie deal (though those
are nice when they happen). It's about understanding the business of being an author, implementing proven DIY strategies
(over 1,001!) to generate multiple streams of income from your books, expertise, and experience, and empowering you to
take charge of your author journey.
"The Profitable Author" guides writers step-by-step through:
Identifying 15 different author income streams, from ebook sales and events to services, merch, and rights sales.
Designing a customized author business model that aligns with your goals, values, and lifestyle.
Unlocking creative financing hacks to fund your dreams.
Finessing author events (and getting paid!).
Unleashing your inner entrepreneur and monetizing your expertise.
Embracing the power of non-bookstore and volume sales.
Mastering essential business skills (without losing your creative spark), including marketing, sales, negotiating, networking,
and mindset.
Crafting a fabulous sales and marketing plan tailored to YOU and your books, whether you're a fiction writer, a nonfiction
expert, a cookbook queen, or a children's book hero.
Cultivating a network of support to help you thrive as an authorpreneur.
Packed from cover to cover with real-world examples, actionable advice, and inspiring insights, "The Profitable Author" is
an essential guide to creating the author life and revenue generating business you deserve. Stop waiting for success to find
you -- take charge and build the profitable author business you love with "The Profitable Author".
Critique: Far more than just another 'how to get published and sell a lot of books' instructional guide, "The Profitable
Author: 1,001 Ways to Build a Business You Love Around Your Books" is a compendium of practical, proven, DIY actions
and activities that you can use from a business perspective on what you write and the audiences you write for. Exceptionally
well organized and presented, "The Profitable Author" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and
workshops, it should be noted that this paperback edition from Everything Goes Media, LLC is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Sharon Woodhouse (www.conspirecreative.com/sharon-woodhouse) is an author, former indie book
publisher, and current owner of Conspire Creative -- a book business agency that offers coaching, consulting, project
management, and business support services for authors and indie publishers. She writes about all aspects of creating holistic,
income-generating author businesses you love and finding your place in the vibrant ecosystem of books. She has helped tens
of thousands of other authors and publishers through her teaching, group coaching, and writing.
In 1994, Woodhouse founded her first publishing company and created with a small staff the beloved Chicago brand of
Lake Claremont Press. LCP published over 500,000 books of 80 different titles in its 25 years and won 30 small press
awards. In 2011, she started Everything Goes Media, LLC, to encompass her growing range of book industry activities,
including consulting, coaching, mediation, print brokering, private publishing, and project management, adding the
Conspire Creative name in 2015.
1000 Words
Jami Attenberg
Simon Element
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668023600, $24.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/1000-Words-Writers-Creative-Productive/dp/1668023601
Synopsis: In 2018, novelist Jami Attenberg, faced with a looming deadline, needed writing inspiration. Using a bootcamp
model, she and a friend set out to write one thousand words daily for two weeks straight. They opened this practice to
Attenberg's online community and soon hundreds then thousands of people started using the #1000WordsofSummer hashtag
to track their work and support one another. What began as a simple challenge between two friends has now become a
literary movement -- write 1,000 words per day without judgement, or bias, or concerns about writer's block, and see what
comes of it.
"1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round" is the book-length extension
of this movement. It is about becoming (and staying) motivated to write, discovering yourself and your creative desires, and
approaching your craft from a new direction. It also features advice from more than fifty well-known writers, including New
York Times bestsellers, Pulitzer Prize winners, and stars of the literary world. Framing these letters are words of wisdom
and encouragement, plus specific strategies, from Attenberg on how to carve out a creative path for yourself all year
round.
Paired with vibrant word art illustrations, "1000 Words" is an accessible and motivational craft book that allows you to open
any page and get a quick and fulfilling hit of inspiration.
Critique: Unique, invaluable, fascinating, thought-provoking, practical and inspiring, "1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to
Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round" is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it an
invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections. Ideal for writer workshops, it should be noted for aspiring and
experienced writers that this hardcover edition of "1000 Words" from Simon Element is also available in paperback
(9781668023617, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Jami Attenberg (https://www.jamiattenberg.com) has written about food, travel, books, relationships, and
urban life for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times (London), The
Guardian, and others. She is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books of fiction, including The Middlesteins
and All Grown Up, and, most recently, a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You. Her work has been published in
sixteen languages. She is also the founder of the annual #1000WordsofSummer project, and maintains the popular Craft
Talk newsletter year-round.
Editorial Note #2: Contributors to "1000 Words" include Roxane Gay, Bryan Washington, Susan Orlean, Maris Kreizman,
Sara Novic, Rumaan Alam, Lauren Oyler, Emma Straub, Christopher Gonzales, Benjamin Percy, Mira Jacob, Laura van den
Berg, Carmen Maria Machado, Courtney Sullivan, Rebecca Carroll, Ada Limon, R.O. Kwon, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney,
Elissa Watusha, Alexander Chee, Maggie Shipstead, Deesha Philyaw, Jasmine Guillory, Kristen Arnett, Attica Locke,
Megan Abbott, Min Jin Lee, Lauren Groff, Andrew Sean Greer, Camille Dungy, Megan Giddings, Isaac Fitsgerald, Hannah
Tinti, Michael H. Weber, Celeste Ng, Elizabeth McCracken, Will Leitch, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Morgan Parker, Kiese
Laymon, Melissa Febos, Alissa Nutting, Liz Moore, Laila Lalami, Megan Mayhew Berman, Rebecca Makkai, Meg
Wolitzer, Mychal Denzel Smith, Josh Gondelman, and Dantiel W. Moniz.
The Science Shelf
A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology
Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
The National Academies Press
www.nap.edu
9780309711357, $25.00, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vision-Continental-Scale-Biology-Research-Multiple/dp/0309711355
Synopsis: Our planet is facing many complex environmental challenges, including the loss of biodiversity and rapidly
changing climate conditions, driven by intensifying human-nature interactions worldwide.
Dramatic advances in the biological sciences over recent years are made possible by new tools to study life at many scales,
from identifying mutations in a single gene to monitoring changes in plants, animals, and microbes over an entire continent.
These tools have the potential to usher in a new era of continental-scale biology (CSB) in which researchers can combine
data from various realms across organizational, spatial, and temporal scales, addressing questions on biological processes
and patterns that cannot be answered by observations at either small or large scales alone.
"A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales" is a report that was prepared at the request of
the National Science Foundation, and sets out a vision for the development of CSB and identifies the research areas that
could most benefit from multi-scale approaches. Advancing the use of CSB to address a wide range of biological and
societal challenges will require the development of integrated conceptual frameworks and theories to guide research,
deployment of emerging technologies, and development of a skilled workforce to synthesize the vast amounts of data from
various sources.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of information boxes, figures, tables, two
appendices (Committee Member Biographical Sketches & Public Meeting Agendas), and a listing of acronyms and
abbreviations, "A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales" is organized into six major
sections: Introduction; Themes for a Continental Scale Biology; Theoretical Underpinnings for a Continental-Scale Biology;
Research Infrastructure that Enables Continental-Scale Biology; Training and Capacity Building to Enable
Continental-Scale Biology; Overarching Recommendations and Vision.
"A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales" is a seminal and groundbreaking summary of
current research relevant to understanding and studying biology on a continental scale in view of critically important trends
that will have a significant impact upon the impact of environment changes and human responses.
Editorial Note: The US National Academies Press (NAP) was created to publish the reports issued by the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (formerly known as the National Research Council), the National
Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine.
The World History Shelf
Ancient Thrace and the Classical World
Jeffrey Spier, et al.
J. Paul Getty Museum
c/o Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606069400, $65.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Thrace-Classical-World-Treasures/dp/1606069403
Synopsis: The Thracians (a collection of tribal peoples who inhabited territories north of ancient Greece, an area that
comprises present-day Bulgaria, much of Romania, and parts of Greece and Turkey) were renowned for their skill as
warriors and horsemen, as well as for their wealth in precious metals.
Thracians left few written records, and knowledge of their history and customs has long been dependent on brief accounts
from ancient Greek authors. They appeared in Greek myth as formidable adversaries in the Trojan War, cruel kings, and
followers of the ecstatic god Dionysos. Spectacular archaeological discoveries made in Thracian lands during modern times,
however, have provided firsthand evidence of this remarkable culture, illuminating Thrace's interactions with Greece,
Persia, and Rome.
"Ancient Thrace and the Classical World: Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece" reproduces more than two
hundred glorious objects dating from the end of the Bronze Age, around 1200 BC, to the end of the first century AD, when
Thrace became part of the Roman Empire. Experts explore topics such as Thracian royal tombs, the Greek colonization of
the Black Sea coast, Thracian religion, and more, placing Thracian culture in a broader historical context that highlights its
complex relationships with the surrounding region.
It should be noted that "Ancient Thrace and the Classical World: Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece" is being
published to accompany an exhibition that was on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa from November 6,
2024, to March 3, 2025.
Critique: This large format (9.5 x 1.3 x 11.5 inches) hardcover edition of "Ancient Thrace and the Classical World:
Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece" from the Getty Museum collection is a massive and magnificently
illustrated volume that was collectively co-edited by the team of Jeffrey Spires, Timothy Potts, Sara E. Cole, and Margarit
Damyanov. In addition to informative commentary accompanying the visual impressive full color photos of the antiques and
archaeological objects showcases in this exceptional catalogue, "Ancient Thrace and the Classical World: Treasures from
Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Foreword by
Timothy Price, Maps, a Chronology, a listing of lenders to the exhibition, a twenty-seven page listing of References Cited, a
two page listing of Contributors, a two page listing of Illustration Credits, and an eleven page Index. Especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art and Thracian History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Ancient Thrace and
the Classical World: Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece" from Getty Publications is also readily available for
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle,
$61.75).
Editorial Note #1: Jeffrey Spier is former Anissa and Paul John Balson II Senior Curator of Antiquities at the J. Paul Getty
Museum.
Editorial Note #2: Timothy Potts is Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Editorial Note #3: Sara E. Cole is assistant curator of antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Editorial Note #4: Margarit Damyanov is associate professor in the Department of Thracian Archaeology at the National
Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia.
Remaking the World
Jerrold Seigel
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781009541664, $44.99, HC, 378pp
https://www.amazon.com/Remaking-World-European-Distinctiveness-Transformation/dp/1009541668
Synopsis: How should we understand Europe's special role in world history, and the enduring impact it made on the rest of
the globe?
With the publication of "Remaking the World: European Distinctiveness and the Transformation of Politics, Culture, and
the Economy" Professor Jerrold Seigel traces both the positive and negative sides of the continent's special role to its
absence of effective central authority, the division and competition between its states and peoples, and its propensity for
developing autonomous spheres of activity.
"Remaking the World" also analyzes how these features fostered Europe's characteristic preoccupation with a politics of
liberty, its evolution of an aesthetic sphere animated by values specific to itself, its singular capacity to revolutionize
scientific understanding, and its ability to prepare and carry out the first transition to a modern industrial economy.
Extended and substantive comparisons with Africa, India, China, and the lands that came under the rule of the Ottomans
demonstrate the absence of similar phenomena elsewhere, whereas in Europe they also helped generate the malign force of
imperial expansion.
Critique: Seminal, groundbreaking, exceptionally informative, impressively organized and presented history, "Remaking the
World: European Distinctiveness and the Transformation of Politics, Culture, and the Economy" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library European History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Remaking the World: European Distinctiveness and the
Transformation of Politics, Culture, and the Economy" from the Cambridge University Press is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $40.60, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Jerrold Seigel is the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of History Emeritus at New York University. His work
ranges from intellectual and cultural history to the evolution of society and politics. Previous publications include The Idea
of the Self: Thought and Experience in Western Europe Since the Seventeenth Century (2005), and Modernity and
Bourgeois Life: Society, Politics and Culture in England, France, and Germany since 1750 (2012), which won the 2014
Laura Shannon Prize.
Ancient Roman Villas: The Essential Sourcebook
Guy P. R. Metraux
J. Paul Getty Museum
c/o Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606069370, $55.00, PB, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Roman-Villas-Essential-Sourcebook/dp/1606069373
Synopsis: While the term villa is generic today, its meaning extended across the entirety of ancient Roman life: Villas
supplied food, oil, and wine to towns and cities and produced raw materials for craft industries and building construction.
Villas were also venues for pleasure, relaxation, and the cultivation of friendships and the mind. Many were known for their
spectacular sites, architecture, decoration, and furnishings. They came to be ubiquitous throughout ancient Rome's European
and Mediterranean rural hegemony.
Deftly edited by Professor Guy P. R. Metraux, "Ancient Roman Villas: The Essential Sourcebook" is impressive and
informative volume that compiles a wealth of newly translated Latin and ancient Greek sources (treatises, letters, poems,
histories, biographies, and other works of literary art) to vividly convey the architectural, economic, social, political, and
cultural significance of ancient Roman villas, from their Greek antecedents through the early Christian period.
Thematic chapters reveal ancient Roman attitudes on villa architecture, agricultural operations, and the practices of buying,
building, and decorating villas as well as entertaining and pursuing leisure there. References to family, gender relations, and
the lives of enslaved persons aim to situate, if only indirectly, a broad range of experiences within villas.
Supplemented by generous commentaries, copious annotation, a comprehensive bibliography, and a glossary, this definitive
sourcebook equips scholars and students alike for further research and makes for fascinating reading.
Critique: Fully living up to its subtitle, "Ancient Roman Villas: The Essential Sourcebook" is a massive contribution to
Roman history, archaeology, art and architecture. A meticulous study that is deftly translated and edited by Professor
Emeritus Guy P. R. Metraux, "Ancient Roman Villas" is authoritative compendium of newly translated primary sources
revealing ancient Roman attitudes on every aspect of villas, from selection of place and construction activities to day-to-day
management and lived experiences. Simply stated, "Ancient Roman Villas" is an extraordinary and imperatively necessary
addition to professional and college/university library Roman Cultural/Architecture History collection and supplemental
curriculum studies list. It should be noted by students, academia, archaeologists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Ancient Roman Villas: The Essential Sourcebook" is also available from Getty Publications in a
digital book format (Kindle, $52.25).
Editorial Note: Guy P. R. Metraux (www.researchgate.net/profile/Guy-Metraux) is Professor Emeritus in the Department of
Visual Art and Art History at York University in Toronto, Canada.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Green and Sustainable Finance
Simon Thompson
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609266, $229.00, PB, 664pp
https://www.amazon.com/Green-Sustainable-Finance-Principles-Investment/dp/1398609242
Synopsis: To achieve society's goals, as set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, the
finance sector has a crucial role to play in driving sustainable business and the transition to a net zero economy.
To achieve this change, it is vital for the finance sector to allocate capital to the firms, investments and activities looking to
create a more sustainable world. this new second edition of "Green and Sustainable Finance: Principles and Practice in
Banking, Investment and Insurance" offers a comprehensive guide to green and sustainable principles and practice in
banking, investment and insurance to help finance professionals manage sustainability risks and support their clients and
customers in transition. Given the need for urgent, rapid and sustained change, it is essential that all finance professionals
understand and apply these principles so that every professional financial decision takes account of sustainability.
Ably written by Simon Thompson (the CEO of the Chartered Banker Institute), "Green and Sustainable Finance: Principles
and Practice in Banking, Investment and Insurance" is fully updated and expanded in this second edition that includes the
most recent assessments of climate science from the IPCC, extended coverage of sustainability reporting and carbon
accounting, and regulatory and market developments in sustainability risk management.
"Green and Sustainable Finance" also features material on the rapid growth of sustainable lending and investment and the
latest finance sector alliances and initiatives. Endorsed by the Chartered Banker Institute as the core text for the global
benchmark Certificate in Green and Sustainable Finance, this book is essential reading for finance professionals, university
students and individuals working to embed sustainability in business, finance, policy and regulation.
Critique: An ideal addition to personal, professional, corporate, governmental, and college/university library Sustainable
Business, Banks/Banking, and Environmental Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be
noted that this paperback edition of Simon Thompson's "Green and Sustainable Finance: Principles and Practice in Banking,
Investment and Insurance" is also available in paperback (9781398609242, $69.99).
Editorial Note: Simon Thompson is the Managing Director of the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC). Launched at
COP 28, the GCBC is an unprecedented alliance of UN agencies, multilateral development banks, private finance and others
encompassing more than 5,000 public and private financial institutions, 160 financial centres and exchanges and millions of
finance professionals in almost every country in the world. Simon was previously Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker
Institute, the oldest professional body of bankers in the world with more than 35,000 members worldwide. He was also the
Founding Chair of the UK's Sustainable Finance Education Charter and a former Vice President of the European Bank
Training Network.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners
Chad K. Smith
Independently Published
9798312465228, $19.99, HC, 166pp
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Real-Estate-Investing-Beginners/dp/B0DYYQ98PP
Synopsis: "Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners: 9 Steps to Build Passive Income, Learn How to Avoid Costly
Mistakes, and Understand Property Value, Even If You Have No Money!" by Chad K. Smith was specifically written and
intended for those like yourself who are tired of living paycheck to paycheck and watching others build financial freedom
through real estate while you are stuck on the sidelines. Successful real estate investing means being able to earn money
while you sleep, growing your real estate portfolio, and securing assets that appreciate over time -- even if you're starting
with little to no capital.
"Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners" is your comprehensive step-by-step DIY guide to mastering the fundamentals of
real estate investing, navigating the real estate market, and building a profitable portfolio -- all while minimizing risk and
maximizing returns.
This isn't just another book filled with complicated jargon or outdated theories. "Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners"
is a clear, action-packed, user friendly roadmap that will show you exactly how to find, finance, and profit from real estate
deals, whether you're looking at rental properties, flipping houses, or commercial real estate investments.
With "Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners" you will:
Learn why real estate investing is one of the safest ways to build wealth, how to develop an investor mindset, and the power
of real estate as a financial asset.
Understand how to locate real estate opportunities, perform real estate analysis, and use the 1% rule and cap rates to assess
cash flow potential before making a purchase.
Creative real estate lending & financing strategies (such how to invest with little to no money down using house hacking,
seller financing, real estate syndication, partnerships, and other creative financing strategies).
Master real estate negotiation tactics, learn how to secure off-market real estate deals, and structure rental property
investments that generate consistent passive income.
Set the right rental rates, reduce vacancies, and use tax benefits to boost cash flow, while diversifying your portfolio to
balance residential and commercial real estate investments.
Use the BRRRR strategy (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) to grow your real estate portfolio and build lasting wealth
without taking unnecessary risks.
Minimize financial losses, use LLCs and insurance to protect your assets, and create an exit strategy that ensures maximum
return on investment.
"Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners" cuts through the noise, providing proven strategies, real estate investing
fundamentals, and expert insights to help you make smart investment decisions, grow your portfolio, and achieve financial
independence through real estate.
Critique: The road to creating what's known as 'generational wealth' begins with a judicious investment of whatever
financial resources and capital you have to begin with -- including starting from financial scratch with limited or even no
assets. "Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners: 9 Steps to Build Passive Income, Learn How to Avoid Costly Mistakes,
and Understand Property Value, Even If You Have No Money!" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented for
anyone considering or becoming involved in real estate investing as their road to financial well being and wealth building
accumulation. An ideal introduction to real estate investing and entrepreneurship, "Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners:
9 Steps to Build Passive Income, Learn How to Avoid Costly Mistakes, and Understand Property Value, Even If You Have
No Money!" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Money/Financial Management and Real Estate Investment collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that this hardcover edition of "Easy Real Estate Investing for Beginners: 9 Steps to Build Passive Income, Learn How to
Avoid Costly Mistakes, and Understand Property Value, Even If You Have No Money!" is also available in paperback
(9798312465242, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Chad K. Smith, an inspiring self-published author who brings over 25 years of experience in the finance
industry to help others take control of their financial future. Armed with an MBA and a passion for teaching, Chad is on a
mission to make personal finance, investing, and wealth-building accessible to everyone, no matter where they start.
Dedicated to making financial education fun and approachable, Chad's books have become go-to resources for readers ready
to take action, build wealth, and create a brighter future. Let his excitement inspire you to start your journey toward financial
freedom today!
The Cookbook Shelf
The Modern Mountain Cookbook
Jan A. Brandenburg
The University Press of Kentucky
www.kentuckypress.com
9781985901766, $21.95, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Mountain-Cookbook-Plant-Based-Celebration/dp/1985901765
Synopsis: Between soup beans seasoned with bacon grease, pot roast, and gravy-drowned meatloaf, Appalachian cuisine is
known for featuring plenty of meat. Even seemingly innocent sides like potato salad and mac & cheese often contain animal
products.
Adopting a plant-based diet comes with life-changing benefits, but it has also stopped many people from enjoying the food
they were raised on.
Embracing her grandmother's fearless approach to cooking while staying true to her own beliefs, Appalachian vegan Jan A.
Brandenburg has diligently worked to create a cookbook that captures the flavor and comfort that came with every bite of
her favorites from back home.
With the publication of "The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia", Brandenburg
updates the meals of her eastern Kentucky childhood to make them accessible to everyone (including cooks of any skill
level) who are wanting to incorporate more veg-friendly fare into their rotation.
From eggless scramble for breakfast to fried chick'n for supper, "The Modern Mountain Cookbook" is innovative culinary
guide to providing kitchen cooks with an extensive menu of delicious, cruelty-free dishes fit for all occasions. Brandenburg
feeds both body and soul as she folds in lessons learned from generations of women and memories of family gatherings
around the table with sure-to-please recipes, including creamy potato soup, country-fried steak, roasted jalapeno pimento
cheese, hash brown and broccoli casseroles, and bourbon pecan pie.
Appalachian and plant-based cooking are no longer at odds -- people who love country classics can preserve their culinary
traditions while eating a healthier, more ethical diet. With "The Modern Mountain Cookbook" in one hand and a cast-iron
skillet in the other, anyone can have their pineapple upside-down cake and eat it, too!
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of
Appalachia" is a unique and ideal pick for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. Perfect for
planning memorable menus with a distinctively Southern flair, "The Modern Mountain Cookbook" is an impressive
compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health promoting dishes that are as nutritious as they are delicious. It
should be noted for kitchen cooks that this hardcover edition of "The Modern Mountain Cookbook" from the University of
Kentucky Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.85).
Editorial Note: Jan A. Brandenburg is a cook, digital content creator, and pharmacist from eastern Kentucky. Wanting to
enjoy the flavors of her childhood without supporting the meat industry, she has spent years developing plant-based
alternatives to traditional Appalachian dishes. She can be found on Instagram @appalachianvegan
Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup
Megumi Fujii
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319055, $18.99, HC, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Onigiri-Rice-Miso-Soup-Superfoods/dp/4805319054
Synopsis: Onigiri rice and miso soup are Japan's answer to the classic soup and sandwich combo - but a whole lot
healthier!
"Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup: The Perfect Pairing" is comprised of 100 amazing recipes by Japanese nutritionist Megumi
Fujii who combines fresh seasonal ingredients with traditional Japanese superfoods to create deeply nourishing meals -- the
perfect antidote to modern ultra-processed foods.
In the illustrated pages of "Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup - the Perfect Pairing", you will find 48 delicious and easy-to-prepare
meals like:
Broccoli and Salmon Onigiri + Miso Soup with Clams and Mushrooms
Onigiri Rice with Nori and Sesame + Mackerel and Kimchee Miso Soup
Hijiki Seaweed Onigiri + Miso Soup with Ground Chicken and Carrots
Bright Green Onigiri + Miso Soup with Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms
Oyster Onigiri + Pork and Turnip Miso Soup
Plus 43 other incredible combinations!
Enhanced with beautiful photographs of finished dishes, "Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup - the Perfect Pairing" showcases the
limitless possibilities of two classic Japanese homestyle dishes. Japanese culinary expert Fujii highlights the nutritional
benefits of the ingredients in each recipe and introduces to all sorts of ways to use healthy Japanese superfoods like seaweed
and miso that are now available everywhere.
Critique: Fascinating and inspiring to browse through one page at time, "Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup - the Perfect Pairing" is
an ideal, authentic, and 'kitchen cook friend' resource for planning and creating palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, physical
health inducing menus for any and all formal and informal dining occasions. With its clear ingredient lists, step-by-step
cooking instructions, and serving number estimates, "Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup - the Perfect Pairing" is an ideal and
unhesitatingly recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library Ethnic/Japanese Cuisine
cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Megumi Fujii is a registered dietician and recipe developer in Japan. A graduate of Kagawa Nutrition
University, she has worked on television cooking programs and as a food coordinator. Her books include Warming Sauces
to Boost Your Immune System, Two-Dish Meals to Stay Healthy After 50, Main Dish Salads, Super Tasty Low-Cal
Appetizers, 200 Essential Homestyle Recipes, and 100 Simple Bentos, all from Shufu to Seikatsu Sha Co.
Zareen's Pakistani Kitchen
Zareen Khan & Umair Khan
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632175298, $35.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Zareens-Pakistani-Kitchen-Well-Fed-Childhood/dp/1632175290
Synopsis: Showcasing 95 recipes specifically designed for American cooks, "Zareen's Pakistani Kitchen: Recipes from a
Well-Fed Childhood" is an ideal introduction to Pakistani cooking from the folks behind Zareen Khan's Michelin Guide
approved restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.
A unique culinary compendium featuring the most beloved dishes from the popular California restaurants, Zareen's favorite
home-cooked comfort foods, and street fare from growing up in Karachi, "Zareen's Pakistani Kitchen" include:
An introduction to the Desi pantry, with substitutes, common methods, and equipment
Popular street food like Paratha Rolls, Bun Kabab, and Chaat.
Entree staples like the famous Beef Nihari, Biryani, and specialties from Zareen's Memoni community like Memoni Crispy
Fried Chicken
Vegetarian-friendly mainstays like Tarka Daal and Bhindi Masala
Handmade breads like Naan, Roti, and Laccha Paratha
Sweet treats like Kulfi and Burfi, and even Zareen's riot-inducing Doodh Patti Chai
Menu planning section with special occasions including Eid and Diwali
Spotlights on inspiring women (including poet Rupi Kaur and food blogger Michelle Tam), with a portion of the proceeds
going to select charities.
Zareen's goals are threefold: first, to make authentic Pakistani food simple and accessible; second, to share their sheer foodie
joy and vibrant Pakistani culture; and third, to inspire women (especially other immigrant women) to entrepreneurship and
activism.
Critique: Perfect for the culinary adventurous with an interest in authentic Pakistani cuisine (as well as Pakistani-American
seeking the comfort of nostalgic recipes from their youth), and co-authored by Zareen Khan and Umair, "Zareen's Pakistani
Kitchen: Recipes from a Well-Fed Childhood " is beautifully illustrated throughout with full page, full color photos of
completed dishes -- making it especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library
Ethnic/Pakistani cookbook collections. It should be noted for family cooks and restaurant chefs that this hardcover edition
of "Zareen's Pakistani Kitchen: Recipes from a Well-Fed Childhood" from Sasquatch Books is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Zareen Khan was born in Karachi, and specializes in Pakistani and North Indian food while celebrating
the cuisine of the Memons, an ethnic community hailing from Gujarat, India, and Karachi, Pakistan, to which her family
belongs. Zareen started her restaurant business at 43, shortly after winning her battle with oral cancer in 2012. Now a
celebrated restaurateur, Zareen has a global following for her eponymous Bay Area restaurants.
Editorial Note #2: Umair Khan was also born in Karachi and co-founded Zareen's with his wife. He is also the founder of
Folio3 Software, a global tech services firm, founding partner at Mentors Fund, an early stage tech investment firm, and was
a visiting professor at UC Berkeley.
The Green Slow Cooker Cookbook
Saskia Sidey and Libby Silbermann
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600638667, $19.99
https://www.amazon.com/Green-Slow-Cooker-Cookbook-vegetarian/dp/0600638669
Saskia Sidey and Libby Silbermann's The Green Slow Cooker Cookbook: 80 Easy and Delicious Vegan and Vegetarian
Recipes gives busy vegan cooks quick meals for not just dinner main dishes, but breakfasts and desserts. The wide-ranging
scope of the dishes in this vegan cookbook provides a wide range of appeal, from Squash Moussaka and Creamy Orzo With
Green Veg to Vibrant Beetroot Curry and Corn Chowder. Color photos accompany recipes, adding eye-catching value to the
variety featured, making The Green Slow Cooker Cookbook a top recommendation for busy vegan and vegetarian cooks
looking to make the most of their crock pots.
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
A new hardcover series of affordable ($12.99 each) small-format cookbooks is perfect for gift-giving and for building basic
home libraries of classic fare from different countries. Yes, there are plenty of competing cookbooks that cover these
nations, but having this smaller-scale series represents a compact, affordable, and colorful invitation that will especially
appeal to newcomers to world cuisine and cooking.
https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Spanish-Recipes-signature-dishes-ebook/dp/B0D8Q21PX7
Elisabeth Luard's Classic Spanish Recipes: 75 Signature Dishes (9780600638940) surveys the classic recipes that define
Spanish cooking, from Venison Stewed with Chocolate to a Seafood Paella and Octopus With Onions and Potatoes.
https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Italian-Recipes-signature-dishes-ebook/dp/B00H6SLVIY
Access to fresh seafood will enhance appreciation of the range of Spain's appealing cuisine. Anna DelConte's Classic Italian
Recipes: 75 Signature Dishes (9780600638902) achieves the same for Italy, profiling uncomplicated classic recipes that best
represent the nation's unique cuisine. From Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca to Beef Braised in Milk and Vinegar, both common
and uncommon dishes will excite a wide audience just beginning to delve into the diversity of Italian fare.
https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Indian-Recipes-Signature-Dishes/dp/060063888X
Chetna Makan's Classic Indian Recipes: 75 Signature Dishes (9780600638889) achieves the same varied focus as the other
books, showcasing Indian cuisine in a broad manner that couldn't have been easy, considering the vast regional differences
in Indian fare. From Spinach and Coconut Dal to a classic Masala Chicken, the book's inviting color photos and easy dishes
that stay true to classic tastes and traditions makes for a winning introduction.
https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Chinese-Recipes-Signature-Dishes-ebook/dp/B00H6SIXQC
Don't forget Ken Hom's Classic Chinese Recipes: 75 Signature Dishes (9780600638926), which also represents a fine
introduction made all the more important for its synthesis of various broad regional Chinese influences under one cover.
Newcomers who try Sweet and Sour Spareribs or Sichuan Chicken will find these dishes surprisingly easy to duplicate at
home, virtually foolproof, and representative of China's diversity.
All are wonderful acquisitions; especially for libraries and gift-givers looking for inviting basic cookbooks that are easy to
absorb and invitingly colorful.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin
Andrea Dubus III
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324105046, $14.99, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Dogs-Andre-Dubus-III/dp/1324105046
Synopsis: During childhood summers in Louisiana, Andre Dubus III's grandfather taught him that men's work is hard. As an
adult, whether tracking down a drug lord in Mexico as a bounty hunter or grappling with privilege while living with a rich
girlfriend in New York City, Dubus worked -- at being a better worker and a better human being.
With the publication of "Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin", Dubus's storytelling skills are on full display in his memoir
recounting his personal and professional successes, failures, triumphs, and pain.
In his longest essay, "If I Owned a Gun," Dubus reflects on the empowerment and shame he felt in keeping a gun, and his
decision, ultimately, to give it up. Elsewhere, he writes of a violent youth and of settled domesticity and fatherhood, about
the omnipresent expectations and contradictions of masculinity, about the things writers remember and those they
forget.
"Ghost Dogs" renders moments of personal revelation with emotional generosity and stylistic grace, ultimately standing as
essential witness and testimony to the art of the essay.
Critique: A fascinating, compelling, engaging, candid, and unusual life story, "Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin" by Andre
Dubus III is a simply riveting read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of those interested, that this paperback edition of "Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin" from W.W. Norton is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Andre Dubus III (https://www.andredubus.com) is the author of Such Kindness and eight other books,
including the bestsellers Townie and House of Sand and Fog, a National Book Award Finalist in Fiction and an Oprah's
Book Club selection.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Family Recipe
Carolyn Huynh
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668033043, $28.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Family-Recipe-Novel-Carolyn-Huynh/dp/1668033046
Synopsis: Duc Tran, the eccentric founder of the Vietnamese sandwich chain Duc's Sandwiches, has decided to retire. No
one has heard from his wife, Evelyn, in two decades. She abandoned the family without a trace, and clearly doesn't want
anything to do with Duc, the business, or their kids. But the money has to go to someone.
With the help of the shady family lawyer, Duc informs his five estranged adult children that to receive their inheritance, his
four daughters must revitalize run-down shops in old-school Little Saigon locations across America: Houston, San Jose,
New Orleans, and Philadelphia -- within a year. But if the first-born (and only) son, Jude, gets married first, everything will
go to him.
Each daughter is stuck in a new city, battling gentrification, declining ethnic enclaves, and messy love lives, while
struggling to modernize their father's American dream. Jude wonders if he wants to marry for love or for money -- or
neither.
As Duc's children scramble to win their inheritance, they begin to learn the real intention behind the inheritance scheme --
and the secret their mother kept tucked away in the old fishing tackle box, all along.
"The Family Recipe" is a novel by Carolyn Huynh about rediscovering one's roots, different types of fatherly love, legacy,
and finding a place in a divided country where the only commonality among your neighbors is the universal love of
sandwiches.
Critique: Original, skillfully crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, "The Family Recipe" showcases author Carolyn
Huynh's impressive and genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling that offers the reader memorable characters
and an inherently fascinating multi-threaded plot. An especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The
Family Recipe" from W.W. Norton is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book.
Equation
Hubert-Richard Clarke
Afterlife Publishing
9781068651502, $11.99, PB, 230pp
https://www.amazon.com/Equation-Hubert-Richard-Clarke/dp/1068651504
Synopsis: Caitlyn Colburn is a caring lawyer and mother of two. Isaiah Carpenter is a mild-mannered Catholic doctor. Then
we have Harold Mansfield, a well-renowned head scientist working at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company.
Three complete strangers. Each of them commits the unspeakable, something truly heinous and totally out of character. The
connection between these bizarre occurrences is a mathematical formula left at each crime scene.
What is the equation? Is it a cult, psychotic delusions, or something much more sinister?
Detective Jaydon Lynch is a man on the edge, a man consumed by pain, rage and loss, a man who needs to find a way out.
He needs to solve this puzzle. The further down the rabbit hole Jaydon dwells, the closer he comes to unravelling an
earth-shattering discovery. The solution to this enigma might just be himself.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fascinating read from cover to cover, it is all the more impressive when considering
that "Equation" is author Hubert-Rchard Clarke's debut as a novelist. Memorable characters, a riveting plot laced with
unexpected twists and turns, with Clarke's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, "Equation" is one of those
novels that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon
the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction &
Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Equation" from
Afterlife Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Hubert-Richard Clarke (https://equationnovel.wixsite.com/my-site-5) is a filmmaker, actor, musician,
martial artist, yogi and writer. When not teaching yoga, or practicing Kung Fu. He will most likely be studying
philosophical scriptures, learning piano pieces on his old Korg Trinity, or enmeshed in one creative endeavour or another.
Hubert-Richard has a Film-Making and Creative Digital Media degree from the University of Worcester.
Garbage Town
Ravi Gupta
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9798886453133, $27.95, HC, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Garbage-Town-Ravi-Gupta/dp/B0DHHL3LTN
Synopsis: Raj Patel grew up in the shadow of Fresh Kills, the largest landfill the world has ever seen. At sixteen, he's
watched the Staten Island crime family tighten its grip on his town's lucrative trash business, but he's kept his distance from
their dirty trade -- until now.
When Raj and his friends make a chilling discovery deep within the dump, they embark on a search for answers. But they
aren't the only ones looking for the truth, and their pursuers will stop at nothing to guard their secrets. Faced with an
impossible choice (protect themselves or expose what they've found) Raj and his friends quickly realize there's no one left to
trust. And the deeper they dig, the higher the stakes. Soon, they're in way over their heads, and the only way out might be
through.
Critique: With the publication of "Garbage Town", novelist Ravi Gupta deftly weaves a riveting suspense thriller of a
mystery with the raw intimacy of a hard life coming-of-age story. Original, compelling, emotionally engaging, skillfully
crafted, and a thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover, "Garbage Town" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that this hardcover edition of "Garbage Town" from Greenleaf Book Group Press is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Ravi Gupta (https://www.ravimgupta.com) is a serial social entrepreneur dedicated to reforming civic
institutions. He is the cofounder and CEO of The Branch, a media company committed to combating online polarization. At
The Branch, Ravi hosts several shows, including The Lost Debate and Majority 54 (two podcasts focused on bridging the
political divide) and Killing Justice, a collaboration with Crooked Media investigating an alleged political murder in
India.
White Line Fever
K.C. Jones
Tor Nightfire
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250792716, $18.99, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/White-Line-Fever-KC-Jones/dp/1250792711
Synopsis: At a passing glance, County Road 951 is an entirely unremarkable stretch of blacktop, a two-lane scar across the
Cascade foothills of Central Oregon. But the road is known by another name, coined by locals who've had to clean up after
all those scenic detours went horribly wrong: The Devil's Driveway.
When Livia and her long-time friends take the Driveway as a shortcut to a much-needed weekend getaway, what begins as a
morning joyride quickly becomes anything but. Soon, they're driving for their lives, pursued by a horror beyond anything
they ever imagined.
The Devil's Driveway might be only 15 miles long, but with danger at every turn, it will take the four women to the very
limits of their friendships and their sanity. -- And there's no telling what else lies in wait just beyond the bend.
Critique: Of particular appeal to readers with an interest in ghosts, the occult, and murder, "White Line Fever" by K. C.
Jones is a simply riveting read from start to finish. An original masterpiece of white knuckle suspense by a novelist with a
distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, "White Line Fever" is a strongly commended pick for community library
Suspense/Thriller Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "White Line
Fever" from Tor Nightfire is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: After graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in film production, KC Jones
(https://www.kcjonespnw.com) returned to the Pacific Northwest to focus on a career in screenwriting, before making the
leap to novels. He is also the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of "Black Tide".
The Baker of Lost Memories
Shirley Russak Wachtel
https://www.shirleywachtel.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662525674, $28.99, HC, 317pp
https://www.amazon.com/Baker-Lost-Memories-Novel/dp/1662525672
Synopsis: Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World
War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It's as if
everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena's life, Lena
forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the
hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena's happiness - and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to
come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents' anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a
family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and engaging read from cover to cover, "The Baker of Lost Memories" by author Shirley
Russak Wachtel will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Family Life/Women's Friendship novels.
Showcasing novelist Wachtel's genuine flair for the kind of deftly crafted narrative fiction that will hold the reader's full
attention from start to finish, "The Baker of Lost Memories" is especially recommended as an enduringly popular pick for
community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "The Baker of Lost Memories" from Little A is also available in paperback (9781662527609, $16.99)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Shirley Russak Wachtel (www.shirleywachtel.com) is the author of A Castle in Brooklyn. She is the
daughter of Holocaust survivors and was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Shirley holds a doctor of letters degree
from Drew University and for the past thirty-five years has taught English literature at Middlesex College in Edison, New
Jersey. Her podcast, EXTRAordinary People, features inspiring individuals who have overcome obstacles to make a
difference.
Shadows of Tehran
Nick Berg
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9798991971409, $27.95, HC, 300pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Tehran-Conflict-Iranian-American/dp/B0DMHKHY6L
Synopsis: Raised in Tehran but torn between two worlds, Ricardo's young life is thrown into chaos when his American
father abandons the family just as the Islamic Revolution of 1979 breaks out. As fundamental human rights are washed
away in a tide of religious, anti-Western fanaticism, Ricardo's mother remarries, introducing a stepfather with a dark
secret.
At only 14 years old, Ricardo vows to take back what was stolen under the oppressive, authoritarian rule. He quickly
becomes a rebel leader, earning himself renown as the Shadow Rider of Tehran. When his name is leaked and an execution
order issued, he must flee the only country he has called home. But the fight is not over. Blessed with an indomitable will
and unbreakable spirit, Ricardo becomes a US Special Forces soldier, and in a surprising turn of events, lands right back
where he started.
Spanning continents and infused with heart-pounding action, "Shadows of Tehran" is more than just another story of a war.
It is an exploration of one man's refusal to break under abuse, abandonment, and loss -- an affirmation that we, not the
events in our lives, determine whether to be a victim or survivor.
Critique: Although a compelling work of fiction, "Shadows of Tehran" by Nick Berg is based on a true story. Of immense
appeal to readers with an interest in deftly crafted stories of 'resilience, rebellion, and the enduring human spirit', author
Nick Berg's genuine flair for compelling and narrative driven storytelling makes "Shadows of Tehran" especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Military/War themed action/adventure collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Shadows of Tehran" from the Greenleaf Book Group is also available
for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Born to an Iranian mother and American father, Nick Berg experienced firsthand Iran's vibrant culture and
violent political upheavals. He served in US Special Operations before transitioning to a successful tech executive career. In
his novel, "Shadows of Tehran", Nick mirrors his own life through Ricardo, bridging cultural gaps and emphasizing
resilience and hope. (https://www.pnberg.com)
Overheard
Dominik Barta, author
Gary Schmidt, translator
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299351540, $17.95, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Overheard-Dominik-Barta/dp/0299351548
Synopsis: In his early thirties, Kurt Endlicher has finally settled down, with a steady job as a teacher and a small flat to call
his own. But the walls are thin, and he and his neighbors can overhear every cough, footstep, and toilet flush. Initially
annoyed by the intimacy, he gradually learns to appreciate the value of community and discovers the key to his own
happiness.
"Overheard" is a novel by Dominik Barta that is set in Vienna in the mid-2010s -- a time of significant social change and
political conflict, with tens of thousands of Middle Eastern refugees arriving and protests taking place over a cafe's
expulsion of two women who greeted each other with a kiss. Kurt is gay, but his best friend is not. He has a soft spot for the
city's newcomers as well as its longtime residents. He's a sympathetic listener, leading him (and the reader) to revisit and
reevaluate assumptions.
Critique: Originally published as Tur an Tur (literally "door-to-door" but more accurately "next-door neighbors"), Dominik
Barta's novel is ably translated into English for an American readership by Gary Schmidt. A fun, fascinating, and
thought-provoking read from start to finish, "Overheard" is laced throughout with humor, insight, memorable characters,
and a suspenseful plot. This is an original and compelling novel that deftly combines visions of, in the author's words,
present an 'idealized past and a longed-for future to create a present that we all want to inhabit'. This paperback edition of
"Overheard" from the Wisconsin University Press is a confidently recommended addition to community and
college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Overheard" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.05).
Editorial Note #1: Dominik Barta was born in Upper Austria and studied in Vienna, Bonn, and Florence. In addition to Tur
an Tur, he published the award-winning Vom Land.
Editorial Note #2: Gary Schmidt (https://people.wright.edu/gary.schmidt) is a Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Wright
State University. He is also the author of The Nazi Abduction of Ganymede: Representations of Male Homosexuality in
Postwar German Literature, translator of The Summers, co-translator of What Makes a Man: Sex Talk in Beirut and Berlin,
and co-editor of Quertext: An Anthology of Queer Voices from German-Speaking Europe.
Three Mothers
Hannah Beckerman
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662523366, $16.99, PB, 351pp
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Mothers-Hannah-Beckerman/dp/166252336X
Synopsis: When seventeen-year-old Isla Richardson is killed in a hit-and-run incident, a community's lives are thrown into
disarray. For Isla's mum, Abby, it is her second devastating bereavement, having lost her husband five years ago. As Abby
begins to uncover secrets about Isla's life, she's forced to rethink everything she thought she knew about her family.
For Abby's best friend, Nicole, the tragic death sets in motion a chain of events that will have irreparable consequences for
her husband and her two teenage sons.
For Jenna, Isla's death threatens to expose secrets about her son's past that she has done everything in her power to hide, to
secure him a better future.
Tackling friendship, family, social prejudice and the pressures facing young women, Three Mothers asks: how well do we
really know our children? And how far would any of us go to protect the people we love?
Critique: A deftly crafted and emotionally engaging novel of how tragedy affects the lives of those left behind, "Three
Mothers" by Hannah Beckerman will be of particular appeal to readers with an interest in domestic suspense thrillers
populated by memorable characters and riveting plot twists and turns. A fascinating and compelling read from cover to
cover, "Three Mothers" is a well recommended pick for community library Contemporary American General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Three Mothers" from Lake Union
Publishers is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Hannah Beckerman (www.hannahbeckerman.com) is an author, journalist and broadcaster. She is a book
critic and features writer for a range of publications including the Observer, the Guardian and the FT Weekend Magazine,
and was the book pundit on the Sara Cox show on BBC Radio 2. A regular chair at festivals and events across the UK, she
has interviewed a range of writers and celebrities from Graham Norton and Nigella Lawson to Maggie O'Farrell and Kate
Atkinson. She has judged numerous book prizes including the Costa Books Awards. "Three Mothers" is her fifth novel.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Budapest Noir: Ilona Gets A Phone
Alison Langley
Dedalus Limited
c/o Dedalus Books
https://www.dedalusbooks.com
9781915568427, $15.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Budapest-Noir-Ilona-Gets-Phone/dp/1915568420
Synopsis: In "Budapest Noir" 1945, 1956 and 1974 merge into 1991 and a nation is allowed to remember the dark days of
its past and come to terms with its history before seeking to move on to a different future.
Author Alison Langley's novel, "Budapest Noir: Ilona Gets A Phone" starts with Ilona getting a phone installed in 1991.
This banal act has huge significance as before the fall of the Communist government Ilona was not allowed to have a phone
as her husband took part in the 1956 Uprising and her son escaped in 1974.
In 1991 with the aid of a Fullbright Scholarship with his wife and small child Ilona's son Emil returns to Budapest for the
first time to create an exhibition about Hungary's transition to democracy. Ilona wants her son to get back what had been
stolen from them by the Communists and make them rich while Emil just wants to make art and learn about the past. This
clash of values nearly spells disaster.
There are flashbacks to the Russian army arriving in 1945 and the uprising in 1956 as the novel recounts the dark and tragic
events which took place. What Ilona and her family had to endure may be fictional, but it is also an accurate reflection of
life under communism and its aftermath.
Ilona's story is one that she shared with countless others in Budapest and Hungary during those dark days. Ilona never
complains and never talks about the past, it is a weight she carries in silence.
Critique: "Budapest Noir: Ilona Gets A Phone" is a deftly crafted, skillfully written historical novel. The distinctively
impressive and narrative driven storytelling style of author Alison Langley raises this yesteryear historical novel to a
memorable level of literary excellence, It is all the more interesting when considering that "Budapest Noir: Ilona Gets A
Phone" is Langley's debut as a novels. This paperback edition of "Budapest Noir: Ilona Gets A Phone" from Dedalus
Limited is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university
Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Alison Langley was born in Missouri, but grew up in Minnesota. After graduating from the University of
Minnesota, she worked as a journalist in Connecticut and Maryland before moving in 1986 to Europe, where she covered
events in Germany, Hungary, Austria and Switzerland. Most recently she taught journalism in Vienna. She lives in the
Swiss Alps with her Irish husband and their dog Guido. Budapest Noir is her first novel.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Three Guesses
Chris McClain Johnson
Regal House Publishing
https://regalhousepublishing.com
9781646036172, $18.95, PB, 198pp
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Guesses-Chris-McClain-Johnson/dp/1646036174
Synopsis: Three strangers from Memphis, Phoenix, and New York City, connected only by a mesmerizing painting named
Three Guesses, embark on an extraordinary journey of friendship in this charming epistolary novella.
Over the years, their letters reveal intimate details about their lives and loves, dreams, trials and triumphs, and a shared
desire to find their places in the world -- deepening their bond without ever having met in person. Then, as each contends
with critical turning points, the unlikely trio considers breaking their mail-only pact to meet at the Outer Banks of North
Carolina.
Humorous and heartbreaking, soulful and breathtaking, Chris McClain Johnson's new novel, "Three Guesses" celebrates
love, friendship, hope, and the life-changing power of human connection through the old-fashioned art of letter-writing.
Critique: Original, eloquent, engaging, and an entertainingly memorable read from cover to cover, "Three Guesses" by
novelist Chris McClain Johnson introduces her readers to the power of mutual friendship and what it offers us in good times
and bad, in whatever our circumstances are or become. Told in the author's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style
laced with humor and insight, "Chris Johnson's "Three Guesses" is especially and unreservedly recommended novella for
community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Three Guesses" from Regal House Publishing is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Chris McClain Johnson (https://www.chrismcclainjohnson.com) is an award-winning Southern author who
started writing stories as a child, inspired by the beauty and wonders of her family farms in Mayfield, Kentucky. After
graduating from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, she settled in Memphis, Tennessee, where she continues to
write stories, poems, music and essays. Her debut epistolary novel "Three Guesses" is the recipient of Regal House
Publishing's 2023 Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas.
Such a Good Man
Dustin M. Hoffman
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299352448, $18.95, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Such-Good-Man-Dustin-Hoffman/dp/0299352447
Synopsis: "Such a Good Man" is an anthology of inventive and formally daring short stories by Dustin M. Hoffman in
which he shines a literary light into the dark corners of American suburbia.
The housepainters, contractors, formerly incarcerated carnival workers, and fathers that populate the short stories
comprising "Such a Good Man" are doing their best to overcome life's brutal indifference. Hoffman's characters sometimes
face unusual situations: one plays infinite games of Monopoly with God, while the Man in the Yellow Hat must decide how
to react when a window washer is hospitalized with serious injuries. Mostly, though, they navigate the challenges of grief,
poverty, and arguments with siblings that many of us will find all too familiar.
With brilliance and perception, Hoffman interrogates the intersections of labor and masculinity, peeling back the spackled
facades of class, family, and domesticity. "Such a Good Man" depicts darkness, cruelty, and absurdity without flinching --
and reveals the eternal human desire for intimacy, especially when it remains just out of reach.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, memorable, fun and fascinating, the twenty-one eloquent and riveting short stories
comprising Dustin M. Hoffman's "Such a Good Man" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading
lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Studies and Short Story
Anthology collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Such a Good Man" from the University of
Wisconsin Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Dustin M. Hoffman (https://dustinmhoffman.com) is the author of the story collections
One-Hundred-Knuckled Fist, winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize, and No Good for Digging, as well as the fiction
chapbook Secrets of the Wild. He spent ten years painting houses in Michigan before earning his MFA in fiction from
Bowling Green State University and his PhD in creative writing from Western Michigan University. He lives in South
Carolina and teaches creative writing at Winthrop University.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
If It Wasn't for the Orange Grove
Dana Gradaya Farrell
Amai Publishing
9798218580315, $15.99, PB, 262pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wasnt-Orange-Grove-Gradaya-Farrell/dp/B0DX1H4NC1
In 1988, the bright Florida sun produces sweet oranges near a small town and is the setting of author Dana Gradaya Farrell's
novel about two young people who embark on a blossoming relationship that challenges the rigid confines of social class,
wealth, and status.
Theirs is a love for nature that brings them ever closer despite their differences. Together they daringly discover passion and
sensuality with the exciting Florida landscape as their backdrop.
While on the other side of town, a troubled married couple is adversely affected by past traumas and instances of infidelity.
Their tumultuous relationship reaches a dangerous boiling point as notions of love, family, and loyalty are defied.
Ultimately, the lives of the town residents intertwine as faith is explored in this quest for joy and fulfillment in human
interpersonal relationships be they a couples romance, a marriage, family relations, or friendships.
Critique: Original, exceptional, memorable, and all the more impressive when considering that it is author Dana Gradaya
Farrell's debut as a novelist, "If It Wasn't for the Orange Grove" is a fun and fascinating read from cover to cover.
Exceptionally well written, emotionally engaging, and fully showcasing author Dana Gradaya Farrell's distinctive, effective,
and narrative driven storytelling style, "If It Wasn't for the Orange Grove" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated romance fans and readers with an interest in friendship fiction and psychological novels that this paperback
edition of "If It Wasn't for the Orange Grove" from Amai Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: With multi-generational roots in Louisiana and Mississippi dating back at least as
far as the 1800s, Dana Gradaya Farrell is proud of her Southern heritage. When she's not writing, she likes painting and
works as an adjunct professor. She enjoys spending time with her
husband and children and as a self-described "foodie," finds delight in baking sweet
desserts.
Coteau
Michael Tidemann
Independently Published
9798311713269, $20.00, HC, 207pp
https://www.amazon.com/Coteau-Mr-Michael-Harris-Tidemann/dp/B0DY65JQ3J
Synopsis: Veteran Phil Davis comes to the small town of Pinnacle to bring his best friend's dying words to his widow: "Tell
my wife I know she's been faithful and I love her." Little does Phil realize what impact his message will have on her, and
how their mutual grief will draw them together.
Carissa Thorson welcomes Phil's message, but finds him reawakening long-forgotten passions she had thought had died
with her husband. But first she must help Phil overcome his own trauma over the death of her husband Robert, a trauma far
greater than her own.
Critique: Written with authentic emotional eloquence and a fascinating read from cover to cover, "Coteau" by Michael
Tidemann is an original and compelling novel that will be of particular appeal to readers with an interest in contemporary
romance set in a small town and laced with elements ranging from military induced trauma to grief born loss -- and with an
ultimately satisfying conclusion. Raising his novel to an impressive level of literary excellence by the author's deftly crafted
and narrative driven storytelling style, "Coteau" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library
Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Coteau" is
also available in paperback (9798305168167, $10.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Michael Tidemann lives and works in Estherville, Iowa where he's a journalist, freelance writer, and adjunct
college instructor. His fiction has appeared in The Longneck, Black Hills Monthly Magazine, Struggle, and
www.thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org. His nonfiction in Overdrive, Snowmobile, Western Business, the San Diego
Union-Tribune, Trucker News, Truckers USA, and the Des Moines Register.
Walking by Your House: A Wholesome Christian Romance
A. W. Anthony
https://awanthonybooks.com
Independently Published
9798991037129, $14.99, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Your-House-Wholesome-Christian/dp/B0DTGC5WGJ
Synopsis: Alan Weiss has a big problem -- he doesn't know how to express romantic feelings to a girl. In the pages of
"Walking By Your House", fans of true romance will fully enjoy following Alan's misadventures as he struggles to find a
way to say the things a girl wants to hear.
Alan embarks on a topsy-turvy, humorous journey filled with mistakes, pitfalls, disappointments, and laughter. One
moment, he stammers and flees from her presence. The next, he thinks shooting basketball with a girl is the key. Readers
will feel his pain as he fails again and again.
But finally, Alan comes up with a strategy he hopes will allow him to succeed over his rivals.
Critique: A deftly crafted romance novel with wholesome values and laced throughout with humor, charm, and a valiant
young man who faces life's emotional ups and downs, "Walking By Your House" by A. W. Anthony showcases his
distinctive, emotionally engaging, memorably entertaining, and narrative driven storytelling style. "Walking By Your
House" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance collections and the
personal reading lists of those with an interest in, and appreciation for, romance novels with solid Christian and Family
Values.
Editorial Note: A. W. Anthony (https://awanthonybooks.com) has an appreciation for small-town life. As a person of faith,
he has discovered the value of a healthy relationship with God. At heart, he is a romantic and an idealist, which has helped
him craft stories about Finding Love in the Heartland. He bases his stories on his observations in life and a tremendous dose
of imagination.
Desert Brave
Gin Coleman
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685134426, $19.95, PB, 403pp
https://www.amazon.com/Desert-Brave-Born-Gin-Coleman/dp/1685134424
Synopsis: Kira Fontaine comes to Arabia with only one thing in mind (to find a legendary lost river) never realizing her life
is about to change forever.
When she crawls from the wreckage of her plane, she finds herself stranded in a vast, unforgiving desert. Relying on her
Native American ancestral knowledge and skills, and her faith, she searches for a way home.
Along the way, she saves a mythical golden horse who, in turn, saves her. Her journey becomes more difficult when she
discovers a hidden valley with an ancient mystery.
Cast adrift in a world of treachery and murder, lust and love, Kira follows a dangerous path that leads her to two men -- one
who wants her dead and one who doesn't know she exists.
Will she survive the dangers of the desert and find a way home? Or will she choose to remain and become one of the desert
born?
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, a fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, "Desert Brave" is the first title in author
Gin Coleman's new 'Desert Born' series and will prove of particular and special appeal to fans of romance novels laced with
action, adventure, and mystery. Of special note is Coleman's impressively genuine, exceptionally distinctive, and narrative
driven storytelling style. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Romance
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Desert Brave" from Black
Rose Writing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Gin Coleman (https://gincoleman.com) was born in the United States but calls no state home. It is said the
night Gin was born, her mother reported a green light at the window and a crop circle in the backyard. A story-telling
tumbleweed, she currently parks her trusty computer in the wilds of Mississippi where she surrendered her garage to her
husband's beloved bass boat but maintains a She-Shed for her riding mower. A lifelong lover of horses and dogs, she grew
up in the Ozarks, was raised by wolves, and her favorite car is a truck. Gin is the proud mother of the Desert Born Series
and will soon give birth to the Lost and Found in the Lone Star State Series.
Unlikely Story
Ali Rosen
https://ali-rosen.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662527920, $16.99, PB, 318pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Story-Ali-Rosen/dp/1662527926
Synopsis: As a relationship therapist, Nora helps patients explore their feelings honestly. But she's hiding an embarrassing
relationship secret of her own: she's in love with someone she's never even met.
J edits the advice column Nora's been writing anonymously for the last seven years. He's in London, she's in New York, and
they communicate solely through shared files. When he confides that his girlfriend's out of the picture, and her boss asks her
to come to London, Nora takes both as a sign.
But that's not the only thing on her mind. A client's ex-boyfriend just moved into her co-op, directly beneath her. Eli blames
Nora for his breakup and seems determined to make her life miserable, gleefully planning a noisy renovation.
Yet despite all his bluster, Nora eventually starts to see the softness behind Eli's brusque, charming exterior... and after a
slipup reveals a startling secret, Nora wonders whether someone can be two things at once.
Critique: A deftly crafted and original novel that will hold a very special appeal for readers with an interest stories of
contemporary workplace romance and romantic comedies, "Unlikely Story" by Ali Rosen is a fun read from cover to cover.
Exceptional and memorable, "Unlikely Story" is a very highly recommended and popular pick for community library
Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for all dedicated romance fans that this paperback edition of
"Unlikely Story" from Montlake is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Ali Rosen (http://ali-rosen.com) is the author of Recipe for Second Chances, a novel. Her second novel,
Alternate Endings, was named an Amazon Editors' Pick. Rosen is also the Emmy- and James Beard Award - nominated host
of Potluck with Ali Rosen on NYC Life, as well as the author of cookbooks like the bestselling Modern Freezer Meals, 15
Minute Meals, and Bring It! Rosen has been featured everywhere from the Today show to the New York Times, and she has
written for Bon Appetit, the Washington Post, and New York Magazine.
The Usual Family Mayhem
HelenKay Dimon
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063427594, $24.95, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Usual-Family-Mayhem-Hilarious-Suspenseful/dp/0063427591
Synopsis: Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for
investors -- her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags' Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her
grandma Mags and live-in "best friend" Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a
word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal...
and now she has a problem.
Mags and Celia aren't interested, which isn't a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets.
Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they're hiding is big.
As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface - all in households that recently received a delivery from
Mags' Desserts -- Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.
As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia's nephew and Kasey's long-time crush, as her reluctant
investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey's boss and gather
intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping
two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands (even if those husbands deserve it) might be impossible...
but Kasey never shied away from a challenge.
Critique: Of special appeal to readers with an interest in romance, mystery, complicated family life, and a fun read from
cover to cover, "The Usual Family Life" is anything but! Author HelenKay Dimon's new novel is original, clever, skillfully
crafted, and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Usual Family Life" from Avon Books is also readily available in
paperback (9780063240582, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: HelenKay Dimon (www.helenkaydimon.com) is a former divorce lawyer with a dual writing personality.
Her books have been featured in numerous venues, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and
Cosmopolitan. Her most recent release, Moorewood Family Rules, has been optioned by Paramount for television. She also
writes thrillers as Darby Kane and is a #1 international bestseller in that genre. Two of her thrillers have been optioned for
television, including her debut, Pretty Little Wife.
Fake It Like You Mean It
Megan Murphy
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892422291, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fake-Like-You-Mean-Novel/dp/B0DLMXYTHN
Synopsis: Elle's grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her for as long as she can remember. But remembering is just
the problem. With Lovie's Alzheimer's progressing fast, it's Elle's turn to step up.
Leaving Chicago behind, the last thing she expects when she walks through the door of her childhood home is Adam
Wheeler -- in her bed. Live-in nurse and pain in the ass, Adam is here to do his job. Eat, sleep, nurse, repeat.
Thrown together to care for Lovie, tensions rise and lines are drawn, but there's a bigger problem: in her Alzheimer's riddled
mind, Lovie's convinced that Elle and Adam are madly in love.
Certain she'll forget by morning, Elle and Adam play along. The only snag? She doesn't forget.
Lovie is the only person who thinks this fake dating scheme is real... so why is Elle fantasizing about Adam when he's not
around? And why is it getting harder to pretend?
Critique: An original, fun and funny read from cover to cover, it is all the more impressive when considering that "Fake It
Like You Mean It" (a memorably crafted story of romance, comedy, and heartbreaking beautiful moments) is author Megan
Murphy's debut as a novelist. The stuff of which Hallmark Channel Rom-Com Movies are made, "Fake It Like You Mean
It" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans that this hardcover edition of "Fake It Like You Mean It" from
Alcove Press is also readily available in paperback (9798892420648, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: When Megan Murphy is not writing (or reading) swoony, laugh-out-loud contemporary romances, she works
as a business analyst. Megan's most at home with her husband and rescue dog, Captain, or enjoying a concert or local
festival. Whilst she now lives in a small-Kentucky town, a two-year stint in Northern Indiana became the inspiration and
setting for, (https://www.meganmurphywrites.com)
Hardly a Gentleman
Eloisa James
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063347465, $9.99, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hardly-Gentleman-Novel-Eloisa-James/dp/0063347466
Synopsis: Desperate after her Season comes to a spectacularly disastrous end, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a
carriage hired to take a housekeeper to Scotland.
The laird of Castle CaerLaven has no interest in a wife, especially a love match -- but when Caelan sees his new
housekeeper, he changes his mind. Marriage to a delectable bookworm strikes him as a perfect arrangement.
To his surprise, Clara refuses his proposal once... and again... yet again.
When her true identity is revealed, and they are forced to marry, Caelan realizes he has a far more crucial challenge. He
finally has Clara's hand -- but how will he ever win her heart?
Critique: With the publication of "Hardly A Gentleman", author Eloisa James demonstrates a complete mastery
of the Regency Romance genre. Original, deftly crafted, memorable characters and a skillfully scripted story replete with
unexpected plot twists and turns, the paperback edition of "Hardly A Gentleman" from Avon Books is an especially
recommended and fun read for historical romance fans and a welcome addition to community library collections.
Editorial Note: Eloisa James (https://eloisajames.com) is a professor of English literature, who lives with her family in New
York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a
romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.
Green Pastures
Patricia Johns
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244544, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Green-Pastures-Amish-Shepherds-Hill/dp/076424454X
Synopsis: Tabitha Schrock's return to Lancaster County shakes the foundations of her family and community. After her
departure during rumspringa and a recent divorce, Tabitha faces the challenge of reintegrating into Amish society while
pursuing her dream of working as a veterinarian.
Meanwhile, her sister Amanda, whose own prospects were dimmed by Tabitha's leaving Shepherd's Hill, decides to seize
her chance at love by pursuing a man with a shadowed past. And their youngest sister, Rose, despite her beauty and
romantic hopes, faces the harsh realities of matrimony, grappling with the weight of vows made before Gott and her
community.
As the sisters navigate the intricacies of love, faith, and tradition, they are bound by their commitment to uphold their Amish
way of life. But as they strive to keep their promises, how much are they willing to sacrifice to remain true to themselves
and their community?
Critique: A Christian novel of 'Sisters, Love, and Redemption', "Green Pastures" by novelist Patricia Johns is a skillfully
crafted and original story that is an inherently fascinating as it is emotionally engaging for the reader. A fun and absorbing
read from cover to cover, "Green Pastures" is an ideal and recommended pick for community library Contemporary
Romance collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Amish/Mennonite Romance fiction that his
hardcover edition of "Green Pastures" from Bethany House Publishers is also readily available in paperback
(9780764244179, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Patricia Johns (www.PatriciaJohns.com) is the author of more than 50 books. She writes Amish fiction with
tight communities, outspoken heroines, and the handsome, rugged men who fall in love with them.
(www.goodreads.com/series/list?id=6902850.Patricia_Johns)
Love, The Duke: Say I Do
Amelia Grey
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781250850454, $9.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Duke-Say-Amelia-Grey/dp/1250850452
Synopsis: When the Duke of Hurstbourne receives a letter from his childhood friend asking him to marry his sister Ophelia,
Hurst declines. He's not adverse to taking a bride, but he believes in love at first sight that stirs his desire - not marriage
sight-unseen.
Adhering to society's strict propriety for ladies, Ophelia Stowe has no choice but to present herself as a man to seek the
Duke of Hurstbourne's favor. If not for the dire situation she finds herself in, she wouldn't have asked for help from the
handsome man who had rebuffed her. When the alluring duke's response is a plan of his own, Ophelia never dreams it
would be a proposal of a marriage of convenience.
But the stakes are high, and the good name of the Stowe family will be damaged if a missing antiquity isn't found. When she
accepts his offer, she quickly finds she isn't immune to the passion building between her and her new husband--or how real
the marriage begins to feel.
Critique: The concluding book in author Amelia Grey's 'Say I Do' trilogy, "Love, The Duke" once again demonstrates her
complete mastery of the Regency Romance genre. Original, engaging, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Love, The
Duke" is an ideal pick for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections. It should be noted
that this mass market paperback edition of "Love, The Duke" from St. Martin's Press is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212172141, $35.99,
CD).
Editorial Note: Amelia Grey is the author of over twenty-five books, including the Heirs' Club trilogy and the Rakes of St.
James series. An up-to-date listing of her books is available at https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/amelia-grey
The Western Fiction Shelf
A Tuft Of Thistledown
L.Z. Rose
Caturro Publishing
www.caturropublishing.com
9781068309502, $12.99, PB, 332pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tuft-Thistledown-Anon/dp/1068309504
Synopsis: In the early 1800s, a time when people in parts of the world did things that their souls wouldn't want them to, two
children, John Lucas Jnr. and Horse Song, find themselves caught up in the brutal western expansion of America; a place
where for some to survive and live was all in the undying consequences of choice.
Later, in 1839, after being officially tasked to clear all Cherokee still living in hiding east of the Mississippi, John Lucas Jnr.
finds Horse Song, the woman whose hands he once wanted to hold forever. Torn by their shared past and love that couldn't
be had, Horse Song and the Cherokee she is hiding with are forced into deciding that when it comes to duty, land, horses
and the right way to be, can John Lucas Jnr. be trusted or not?
Critique: A deftly crafted historical novel set in the American West as the backdrop to the clash between Native Americans
and the every increasing forces of the Whites for how the land should be governed and who had the right to govern it, "A
Tuft Of Thistledown" is an original, inherently fascinating and emotionally engaging action adventure from start to finish.
Showcasing author L.Z. Rose's distinctive, effective, and reader engaging storytelling skills, "A Tuft Of
Thistledown" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Western & Historical Fiction collections.
It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition from Caturro Publishing is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $3.79).
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Obelists En Route
C. Daly King
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613166208, $25.95, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Obelists-En-Route-Daly-King/dp/1613166206
Synopsis: The magnificent Transcontinental Express, showcasing the cutting edge of mid-1930s luxury train travel, is
making its first trip from New York to San Francisco. For its record-breaking maiden voyage (coast to coast in three days
with no passenger stops) the express carries only invited guests, among them renowned businessmen, physicians,
psychologists, and even a high-ranking member of the NYPD.
Among refined staterooms, an elegant dining car, and a "recreation room" for bridge, ping-pong, and dancing, the vehicle's
most lauded feature is the swimming pool car -- which is precisely where the waterlogged corpse of a prominent banker is
discovered just one day into the journey. Uncertain of the cause of death and fearing negative publicity, the conductor drives
on for the West Coast, charging a select group of passengers, including the sharp-witted Dr. Pons, with the task of
uncovering what has occurred -- even as every new piece of evidence seems to suggest more perplexing possibilities.
Critique: Originally published in 1934, this new hardcover edition of "Obelists en Route" from American Mystery Classics
brings out of an undeserved obscurity a brilliantly complex Golden Age mystery from C. Daly King -- one of the greatest
American authors of the period. Besides having intriguing 'whodunit murder mystery plot, the period detail and locomotive
setting of Obelists en Route" make it a welcome rediscovery for a new generation of cozy mystery, traditional detective, and
private eye mystery enthusiasts. Of special note is the inclusion of an informative introduction by Otto Penzler, a list of
questions for book club discussion groups, and two appendices (Bibliography of References & The Clue Finder).
Comparable to Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express", this is a 'must' for the legions of mystery fans and an ideal
acquisition for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It is also readily available in paperback (9781613166192,
$15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.95).
Editorial Note #1: C. Daly King (1895-1963) was an American psychologist and detective story writer. He was born in New
York City and educated at Yale University. After fighting in World War I, he worked in textiles and in advertising before
returning to school to study psychology, with a particular focus on sleep and consciousness. In the 1930s, King published
nine books that quickly established him as a master of the Golden Age mystery, but ceased writing fiction with the advent of
World War II.
Editorial Note #2: Otto Penzler (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Penzler), the creator of American Mystery Classics, is
also the founder of The Mysterious Press (1975); MysteriousPress.com (2011), an electronic-book publishing company; and
New York City's Mysterious Bookshop (1979). He has won a Raven, the Ellery Queen Award, two Edgars (for the
Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection, 1977, and The Lineup, 2010), and lifetime achievement awards from NoirCon and
The Strand Magazine. He has edited more than 70 anthologies and written extensively about mystery fiction.
The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets
S. K. Golden
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420266, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Socialites-Sleuthing-Secrets-Pinnacle-Mystery/dp/B0D6VBPK3X
Synopsis: New York, 1958. When Evelyn's mail is delivered during a luncheon in the Gold Room, she's surprised to find
she has received a diamond tiara, which catches the attention of a costume jewelry sales team lunching nearby. Their leader,
Lois Mitchel, is especially interested, but by the end of the lunch, Lois has choked and fallen into Evelyn's lap -- and by the
end of the day, she's dead.
The papers report on the death the next day, while also spreading news of a Gentleman Thief who's been leaving behind a
red pocket square after robbing the city's wealthiest. Determined to figure out what happened to Lois, Evelyn devotes herself
to the investigation.
The truth is as rare as a diamond and just as hard to crack, and Evelyn swiftly discovers that this particular mystery is
multifaceted, too. From costume jewelry hawkers to wannabe Robin Hoods and a detective in residence at the Pinnacle,
nothing is simple. But neither is Evelyn -- and this case is hers to solve.
Critique: One of the distinguishing characteristics of the cozy mystery is the development of an amateur female sleuth
caught up on a 'whodunnit' murder mystery involving a friend, neighbor, relative, or 'innocent accused' -- as well as a threat
to themselves from the unknown killer. Clearly, with the publication of "The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets"
author S. K. Golden clearly demonstrates that she is a master of the cozy mystery genre. An original and fun read from cover
to cover, "The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets" is highly recommended reading and an ideal pick for community
library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the growing legions of cozy mystery fans that this hardcover
edition of "The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets" from Crooked Lane Books is also available for personal reading
lists in paperback (9798892422284, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah K Golden (www.skgoldenwrites.com) was born and raised in the Florida Keys and married a
commercial fisherman. The two of them still live on the islands with their five kids (one boy, four girls - including identical
twins!), two cats, and a corgi named Goku. She graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor's degree in Human
Services and Administration and has put it to good use approximately zero times. She's worked as a bank teller, a pharmacy
technician, and an executive assistant at her father's church. Sarah is delighted to be doing none of those things now.
Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)
Jessie Q. Sutanto
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593546246, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vera-Wongs-Guide-Snooping-Novel/dp/0593546245
Synopsis: Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She's surrounded by
loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend
is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse
murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is
slightly...bored.
Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is
looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena's
briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer -- who also happens to be the friend that the young
woman was looking for.
Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media
influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him.
Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his
parents.
Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing
she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.
Critique: A genuine treat for the legions of cozy mystery fans, once again in the pages of author Jessie Q. Sutanto's new
novel, "Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)" we following the elderly and amateur female sleuth that was so
entertaining in "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers". A classic cosy mystery that is a deftly crafted and fun read
from cover to cover, "Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)" is a solid and enduringly popular pick for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all cozy mystery fans in
general, and 'Vera Wong' enthusiasts in particular, that this hardcover edition of "Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a
Dead Man)" from Berkley Books is also readily available in paperback (9780593549223, $19.00) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Jesse Q. Sutanto (https://jesseqsutantoauthor.com) is the award-winning author of the Aunties series, Vera
Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, I'm Not Done with You Yet, and You Will Never Be Me. Her young adult titles
include The Obsession and Well, That Was Unexpected, and her children's fantasy series is Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit.
She has a master's degree from Oxford University and a bachelor's from the University of California, Berkeley. She
currently lives in Jakarta, Indonesia with her husband and two young daughters.
Seems Perfect
Rebecca Hanover
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662520501, $18.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Seems-Perfect-Novel-Rebecca-Hanover/dp/1662520506
Synopsis: Emily Hawthorne lives in the well-heeled Noe Valley of San Francisco... but just barely. With less work than she
would like at the yoga studio, a pile of debt, and a fraught past, she can no longer afford her tiny condo. When she meets the
charming Penelope "Pip" Stone and her young daughter, also beset by financial woes, she agrees to take them in as
roommates.
But Emily's stroke of luck turns out to be another twist of the knife: Pip is a professional squatter who has no intention of
paying rent. And Pip doesn't want to share the condo.
She wants the whole thing.
Their domestic standoff only intensifies when a downstairs neighbor is murdered. Both women become suspects, not to
mention each other's mistrustful alibis.
Emily feels the walls closing in. Is she trapped with a vulnerable grifter (who, like her, may have good reasons for making
bad decisions) or is Pip just a cold-blooded killer?
Critique: A deftly crafted combination of psychological thriller and murder mystery, "Seems Perfect" by Rebecca Hanover is
an original, fascinating and entertaining read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "Seems Perfect" from Lake Union Publishing is also available in paperback (9781662509308, $16.99)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Rebecca Hanover (https://prabook.com/web/rebecca.hanover/1938716) is the author of the young adult
series the Similars. After graduating from Stanford University with a BA in English and drama, Rebecca joined the writing
team of the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light, where she earned an Emmy Award. She now writes novels full time from
her home in San Francisco, where she enjoys matcha lattes and a complete lack of seasons. "Seems Perfect" is Hanover's
second novel for adults, following The Last Applicant (2023).
What She's Hiding
Art Bell
Ulysses Press
www.ulyssespress.com
9781646047512, $28.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-Shes-Hiding-Art-Bell/dp/1646047516
Synopsis: The day Henry Gladstone, a lawyer at a white-shoe Manhattan law firm, met Leslie Dunlop, he knew she was
trouble -- but he couldn't say no. Their steamy affair became a marriage filled with secrets and lies that collapsed as
spectacularly as it began.
Cut to today: Leslie, who Henry hasn't heard from since their divorce, bursts into his office and announces that if he doesn't
hand over a quarter-million dollars, they'll both be killed. Henry dismisses her story as a stupid attempt to steal his money
and (despite his still-smoldering desire for her) tells her to get lost. But when he comes home to find his apartment
ransacked, he begins to think this time Leslie may be telling the truth. And now that he desperately needs to find her -- but
she has disappeared again!
In a harrowing journey through the glittering heights and shadowy corners of New York City, where the legal world meets
the dark underside of the city, Henry assembles a team that includes his best friend Aiden, a private investigator named
Gabriella, and Aiden's ex-wife Emma, to track down a missing engagement ring, stay one step ahead of the Russian mob,
and uncover the secrets of Leslie's past. As the screws turn tighter and tighter, Henry must learn who he can trust to uncover
the truth... before it's too late.
Critique: Original and all the more impressive when considering that "What She's Hiding", is author Art Bell debut as a
novelist, this deftly crafted story of organized crime, murder and suspense is a simply riveting read from cover to cover.
Showcasing Art Bell's natural flair for kind of narrative driven, plot twisting, and reader engaging storytelling, "What She's
Hiding" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of noir thriller fiction that this hardcover edition of "What She's Hiding" from Ulysses
Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Art Bell (https://www.artbellwriter.com) is a writer and former television executive known for developing
and launching the Comedy Channel (later Comedy Central) while at HBO; and, as president of Court TV, overseeing daily
live courtroom coverage and the production of hundreds of hours of original true-crime television series, documentaries, and
movies. His memoir Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor, was a finalist in the
2020 Best Book Awards in both the memoir and business categories. Bell has had short stories, nonfiction, and satire
published in several journals. What She's Hiding is his first novel.
On the Cusp
Erik Erickson
Regent Press
www.regentpress.net
9781587906909, $19.95, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cusp-International-Murder-Mystery/dp/1587906902
Synopsis: Someone is trying to kill Andreas... or are they? His psychiatrist has doubts, and so does Vanessa, his
dancer-turned-actress girlfriend. After a series of seemingly close encounters, the 25-year-old high school teacher ditches his
job and flees the Big Apple on a Morocco-bound freighter. From there, along with a shifting cast of fellow travelers,
skeptical friends, and globe-trotting eccentrics, he embarks on a drug-and-alcohol-fueled trip-of-a-lifetime throughout North
Africa, Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. Manfully, he tries to keep his sanity (and his vows to Vanessa -- but the scent of
impending demise and temptation persists.
Critique: Laced throughout with author Erik Erickson's singular style of dark humor, murder mystery, all laid out against a
vividly written travelogue style backdrop, "On The Cusp" is an original and fun read from cover to cover. With its
distinctive flair for narrative driven and reader engaging storytelling, "On The Cusp" is especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. as well as the personal reading lists of fans of
international mystery and intrigue.
My Sister's Shadow
January Gilchrist
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420587, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/My-Sisters-Shadow-January-Gilchrist/dp/B0D3YDNVQX
Synopsis: England, 1904. Mirror twins Adelaide and Victoria have spent their lives in orbit of each other. Each doomed to
be in the other's shadow, their lives are intertwined and inextricable as each other's identical inverse. Adelaide is dutiful and
reserved, happy to remain in her childhood home, Harewood Hall, forever. Victoria wishes for a thrilling life, exploring the
world and finding a great romance -- but the twins cannot live apart.
Visiting Lord Stanley bewitches Victoria with his talk of a life of luxury in New York, but it is obedient Adelaide whom he
marries against her will and to Victoria's fury. Together, they all move to New York and begin a new life.
Adelaide finds herself trapped in a gilded cage on Fifth Avenue with no one but her angry and tempestuous twin for
company. Amid the glamor of the upper class, Adelaide is captivated by the independent and educated women of the elite
social circle Mrs. Astor's 400. As Adelaide's star rises, tensions begin to surface between the sisters, and as Adelaide grows
apart from her twin for the very first time, Victoria descends into a rage-fueled darkness that threatens everything and
anyone standing in her way.
Critique: Original, skillfully written, and with a special appeal to readers with an interest in Gothic mystery, crime, and
suspense, "My Sister's Shadow" by January Gilchrist is an especially compelling and deftly presented story from start to
finish. A riveting read, "My Sister's Shadow" is highly recommended, especially for community library collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "My Sister's Shadow" from Crooked Lane Books is also
available in paperback (9798892422321, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: January Gilchrist is a historical writer with a passion for mystery, and when she's not found soaking up the
Queensland sun with her two young sons, she can be found eavesdropping on conversations in cafes and making up entire
backstories (and murderous intents) for unsuspecting bystanders. When she grows up, she'd like to be Miss Marple.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49765624.January_Gilchrist)
Shadow of the Solstice
Anne Hillerman
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063344853, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Solstice-Leaphorn-Manuelito-Novel/dp/0063344858
Synopsis: The Navajo Nation police are on high alert when a U.S. Cabinet Secretary schedules an unprecedented trip to the
little Navajo town of Shiprock, New Mexico. The visit coincides with a plan to resume uranium mining along the Navajo
Nation border. Tensions around the official's arrival escalate when the body of a stranger is found in an area restricted for
the disposal of radioactive uranium waste. Is it coincidence that a cult with a propensity for violence arrives at a private
camp group outside Shiprock the same week to celebrate the summer solstice?
When the outsiders' erratic behavior makes their Navajo hosts uneasy, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is assigned to monitor
the situation. She finds a young boy at grave risk, abused women, and other shocking discoveries that plunge her and Lt. Jim
Chee into a volatile and deadly situation.
Meanwhile, Darleen Manuelito, Bernie's high spirited younger sister, learns one of her home health clients is gone - and the
woman's daughter doesn't seem to care. Darleen's curiosity and sense of duty combine to lead her to discover that the client's
grandson is also missing and that the two have become ensnared in a wickedly complex scheme exploiting indigenous
people. Darleen's information meshes with a case Chee has begun to solve that deals with the evil underside of human
nature.
Critique: Another riveting addition to the impressively popular Leaphorn Navaho Police mystery series by an author at the
top of her game, the newly published "Shadow Of The Solstice" by Anne Hillerman is a 'must' for her legions of fans.
Original, riveting, authentic, and a fun read from cover to cover for fans of mystery, suspense and drama played out in a
Native American reservation. An essential acquisition for community and public libraries, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Shadow OF The Solstice" from Harper is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99) and in a large print edition (9780063433557, $34.00, PB, 480pp).
Editorial Note: Anne Hillerman (https://www.annehillerman.com) is the author of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito
mysteries. The series was created by her father, Tony Hillerman. She is also an executive producer of the Dark Winds
television series on AMC. A listing of her books in order is available at
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/anne-hillerman
Hidden in Smoke
Lee Goldberg
https://leegoldberg.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662526466, $28.99, HC, 300pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Smoke-Sharpe-Walker-Goldberg/dp/1662526466
Synopsis: After dozens of Hollywood apartment buildings erupt in flames during a single night of terror, arson investigators
Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker are assigned to catch the serial torcher and end his spree. But then a catastrophic fire
destroys a major freeway, crippling the city and forcing Sharpe and Walker to take on another massive case.
Desperate for help, they know exactly who to call: homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone. Together the four
detectives must quickly figure out whether the freeway disaster was a tragic accident... or the work of a mastermind with a
horrific plan.
As the investigations collide, an old foe with a revenge scheme enters the fray, igniting a race against time to stop a
conspiracy of deception, corruption, and murder.
Critique: An original, riveting read from cover to cover, "Hidden in Smoke" by Lee Goldberg is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library collections. Deftly crafted in Goldberg's distinctive, narrative driven, and reader
engaging storytelling style, it should be noted for readers with an interest in police procedural murder mysteries that this
hardcover edition of "Hidden in Smoke" from Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in paperback (9781662526442,
$16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Lee Goldberg (www.leegoldberg.com) is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award finalist and
the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including the Eve Ronin series, the Ian Ludlow series,
the Sharpe & Walker series, and seven books in the Fox & O'Hare series, which he coauthored with Janet Evanovich. He
has also written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and is the co-creator
of the Hallmark movie series Mystery 101. As an international television consultant, he has advised networks and studios in
Canada, France, Germany, Spain, China, Sweden, and the Netherlands on the creation, writing, and production of episodic
series.
The Peacemaker
Wanda E. Brunstetter
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636099200, $16.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Peacemaker-Mifflin-County-Mystery/dp/1636099203
Synopsis: Ada's best friend, Rosa, disappeared a year ago and still has not been found. In their grief and confusion, Ada and
Rosa's boyfriend, Ephraim, have grown very close. But some in the community feel Ephraim is responsible for Rosa's
disappearance. Now Rosa's younger sister is making accusations against Ephraim that can't be true, and he pulls away from
Ada, feeling betrayed. A fire set by an arsonist might finally be the thing to reveal secrets that have long been dividing this
community of friends and family. But will it be too late for love between the peacemaker and the suspect?
Critique: Another gem of a Amish themed novel by Wanda E. Brunstetter, "The Peacemaker" combines romance with
mystery in this second installment of 'The Mifflin County Mystery' series from Barbour Publishing. A fun and engaging read
from cover to cover, "The Peacemaker" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Amish Romance collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Wanda Brunstetter fans that
this paperback edition of "The Peacemaker" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). Also highly
recommended is the first title in this new series, "The Protector" (9781636097602, $11.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle) and readers
will be looking forward to they yet-to-be-releases third and final installment of 'The Mifflin County Mystery' trilogy.
Editorial Note: Wanda E. Brunstetter (www.wandabrunstetter.com) is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She
has written more than 100 books translated in four languages. With over 12 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently
earn spots on the nation's most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards. Wanda's ancestors were part
of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life.
Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people
and their customs.
When She Was Gone
Sara Foster
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781094094052, $26.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/When-She-Gone-Sara-Foster/dp/1094094056
Synopsis: Former London police officer Rose Campbell has been estranged from her daughter, Lou, for almost a decade.
But when Lou disappears from a remote beach in Western Australia (and the police suspect her of kidnapping the two young
children in her care) Rose is asked to help bring Lou home.
This is the final case in DSS Mal Blackwood's illustrious career -- and there's a lot riding on it. The missing children are
heirs to the Fisher property empire, and while their multimillionaire grandfather is breathing down Blackwood's neck, the
media storm is intensifying. Faced with a deluge of evidence and accusations, Blackwood doesn't know who he can
trust.
Rose arrives in Australia intent on proving her daughter's innocence, but how can she be sure of that when she's no longer
part of Lou's life? Meanwhile, as Blackwood begins to expose the Fishers' secrets, the investigation takes a dark turn.
Shadows of the past gather around the Fishers, and Rose, and soon it's clear that every hour is critical. What has happened to
Lou and the children? And can Rose and Blackwood find them in time?
Critique: A deftly crafted, reader engaging, riveting read from cover to cover, "When She Was Gone" by author Sara Foster
will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in tightly woven psychological suspense thrillers laced throughout
with memorable characters and unexpected plot twists. Showcasing Foster's distinctively impressive and narrative driven
storytelling talents, "When She Was Gone" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "When She Was Gone" from
Blackstone Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9798212175296, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Sara Foster (https://www.sarafoster.com.au) has published six other novels: Come Back to Me, Beneath the
Shadows, Shallow Breath, All That Is Lost Between Us, You Don't Know Me, and The Hidden Hours. She lives near Perth,
Western Australia, with her husband and two daughters, and is a doctoral candidate at Curtin University.
The Dredge
Brendan Flaherty
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802164377, $17.00, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dredge-Brendan-Flaherty/dp/0802164374
Synopsis: After some traumatic teenaged years in rural Connecticut, Cale and Ambrose Casey had nothing left to say to each
other. Cale ran off to Hawaii to sell luxury real estate. Ambrose stayed behind and built up his construction company.
Estranged brothers, neither one thought they would ever be in touch again and were glad for it -- until they learned of a real
estate developer's plan to drain and expand Gibbs Pond.
Nearly 30 years before, the Casey brothers buried a secret in that pond, which fell somewhere between self-defense and
family preservation.
Lily Rowe, the contractor in charge of the dredging, can also trace her roots (and her trauma) to the banks of Gibbs Pond.
After a childhood that saw her and her brother yanked across the country by her abusive father, it was here where she finally
stayed put, even if they didn't. But as ambitious as Lily is, and as much as she wants answers of her own, her family also has
secrets to protect.
Now, the haunted lives of Cale, Ambrose, and Lily collide once more as they reunite to unearth the devastation of the
past.
Critique: A riveting suspense thriller of a read from cover to cover, "The Dredge" by author Brendan Flaherty is all the more
impressive when considering that it is his debut as a novelist. Of particular appeal to readers with an interest in crime and
family in a small town, "The Dredge" showcases Flaherty genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling that fully
captures the reader's attention from start to finish and leave them looking eagerly toward the next novel. Originally
published in hardcover (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024), "The Dredge" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a
popular pick for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this newly published
paperback edition of "The Dredge" from Grove Press is also now available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Brendan Flaherty (https://www.bflah.com) is from outside Hartford. He went to Washington University in
St. Louis, and received his MFA from Boston University.
Don't Turn Around
Harry Dolan
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802162823, $27.00, HC, 384pp\
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Turn-Around-Harry-Dolan/dp/0802162827
Synopsis: When Kate Summerlin was eleven years old, she climbed out her bedroom window on a spring night, looking for
a taste of freedom in the small college town where she was living with her parents. But what she found as she wandered in
the woods near her house was something else: the body of a beautiful young woman, the first of Merkury's victims. And
before she could come to grips with what she was seeing, she heard a voice behind her -- the killer's voice saying: "Don't
turn around."
Now, at the age of twenty-nine, Kate is a successful true crime writer, but she has never told anyone the truth about what
happened on that long-ago night. When Merkury claims yet another victim (a college student named Bryan Cayhill) Kate
finds herself drawn back to the town where everything started. She sets out to make sense of this latest crime, but the deeper
she gets into the story, the more she comes to realize that it's far from over. Her search for the truth about Merkury is leading
her down into a dark labyrinth, and if she hopes to escape, she'll have to meet him once again -- this time face to face.
Critique: A simply riveting thriller of a read from start to finish, "Don't Turn Around" by novelist Harry Dolan will hold
special appeal to readers with an interest in deftly crafted psychological suspense laden murder mysteries. With an original
plot laced with unexpected twists and turns, and populated by solid and memorable characters, "Don't Turn Around" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Don't Turn Around" is also available in paperback (Grove
Press, 9780802165206, $17.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Harry Dolan (https://www.harrydolan.com) is the author of the mystery/suspense novels Bad Things Happen
(2009), Very Bad Men (2011), The Last Dead Girl (2014), The Man in the Crooked Hat (2017), and The Good Killer
(2020). He graduated from Colgate University, where he majored in philosophy and studied fiction-writing with the novelist
Frederick Busch.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Petrina Chronicles
Victoria Randall
Independently Published
ASIN: B0DYY1P8XX, Kindle, $0.99, PB $12.95, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Petrina-Chronicles-Victoria-Randall-ebook/dp/B0DYY1P8XX
Synopsis: Orphaned when her parents vanished in deep space, Petrina dreamed of one day piloting a ship to explore the stars
for the Intergalactic Coalition of Planets.
But when she learns that her four-times-great grandfather has been trapped at the edge of a black hole for a century, she
knows she has to rescue him. Family is the one missing element in her life, and her grandpa is the only family she has
left.
For the rescue, she will need to steal a starship. The one she chooses is home to Selka, an AI who isn't thrilled with being
stolen.
In journeys of adventure, danger and amazement, the youngest pilot in the Coalition Space Force takes on alien life forms
from Slithones, snake-like creatures who love causing trouble; to sea-warriors in an underwater world; space pirates; a
murderous Tree; lethal asteroids; ghosts inhabiting a derelict freighter; and an emotibomb ferocious enough to destroy a
space station.
Whatever the challenge, Petrina and her allies are willing to run risks no one else would dare.
Critique: Original, clever, exceptionally well written, and a fun read from start to finish, science fiction fans will fully enjoy
the escapades of Petrina and her grandpa in Victoria Randall's new action/adventure sci-fi novel, "The Petrina Chronicles".
Memorable characters and a plot laced with unexpected twists and turns, "The Petrina Chronicles" showcases Randall's
distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style. This ebook Kindle edition is specially and unreservedly recommended for
the personal reading lists of all dedicated science fiction fans and community library Science Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Victoria Randall she wrote the fantasy The Witchstone in 1974. Her novel, "The Ring of the Dark Elves" (a
retelling of the story of Sigurd Fafnirsbane) came out in 2003. The Children in Hiding series includes "Get on Board Little
Children", "Come on Home Children", and "City of Hidden Children". These are dystopian thrillers which explore the
problems created by a society of high tech surveillance which considers an unlicensed pregnancy a felony. She also has two
collections of fantasy and sci-fi short stories, "Shadowcat" and "The Golden Helm".
Touch of the Elegrian
Cheryl A. Arko
Pax Aire Press
https://www.paxairepress.com
9798992390919, $27.99, HC, 376pp
https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Elegrian-Legacy-Cheryl-Arko/dp/B0DZZ8YGL4
Synopsis: Erys carries a secret that could shatter his world. The telepathic Elegrian has spent his life atoning for his dead
father's role in humanity's disastrous first contact. Now, as a tech specialist for the Earth-led alliance, he serves in silence --
until sabotage threatens the lives of dozens of human children. And the traitor is one of his own.
Forced to work with a brilliant but hostile human engineer, Erys must dismantle not only the deadly conspiracy but also the
deep-seated mistrust between their peoples. With time running out, he faces an impossible choice: break the fragile
Elegrian-Human treaty and invite the death penalty to forge a forbidden mind link with a human... or let innocent lives be
lost!
Two worlds on the brink. A single act of defiance. Can compassion rewrite a doomed future?
Critique: Original, imaginative, deftly crafted, compelling, and a thoroughly fun read from cover to cover, "Touch of the
Elegrian" is elevated by author Cheryl Arko's genuine flair for the kind of distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style
that keeps the reader's rapt attention from start to finish -- raising this extraordinary science fiction novel to an impressive
level of literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Science
Fiction collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Touch of the Elegrian" from Pax Aire Press is also
readily available for SciFi fans with a special interest in well spun tales of Galactic Empire, Space Colonization, and Alien
Invasion in paperback (9798992390902, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Cheryl Arko (https://www.cheryl-arko.com) is a science fiction author, senior data scientist, and seasoned
dog trainer. She channels her creativity into writing stories that take her to the stars, imagining who we might find out there.
With her novel, "Touch of the Elegrian" she invites readers to come along for the ride to visit new worlds and their people.
To explore what makes us different -- and what makes us the same. And to discover the inherent good that exists in the
universe to balance against darkness, no matter how far we travel.
The Soul's Awakening
Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy
SA Jeejeebhoy, publisher
9781738678846, $16.99, PB, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Souls-Awakening-qZamta-Trilogy/dp/1738678849
Synopsis: What if the afterlife is just the beginning? "The Soul's Awakening", by author Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy, is a
deeply moving journey through life, death, and the realms beyond.
It's the story of Charlotte Elisabeth, a woman who has chosen to end her suffering through euthanasia, only to awaken in an
unfamiliar, soul-stirring space-caught between life and death in the Earth-Heaven Interdimensional Expanse. Disoriented
and disillusioned, she is confronted by the horrifying realization that death is not the escape she expected.
In this strange new realm, Charlotte must face the Distortans - mysterious, otherworldly beings that challenge her very
essence with unrelenting, probing questions. As she is pushed to confront her past, her choices, and her deepest fears,
Charlotte's survival depends on her ability to embrace the truth of who she is, and to answer the questions that hold her
prisoner.
Can Charlotte find peace and acceptance, or will she remain forever lost in the endless questions of the afterlife?
Critique: "The Soul's Awakening", is the first of a metaphysical trilogy by Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy, is an inherently
fascinating and original novel that will hold a very special and particular appeal to readers with an interest in
speculative/metaphysical stories of metaphysical transformation, and the spiritually perilous quest for an ultimate
redemption. With the author's well crafted, distinctive, and narrative driven storytelling style, "The Soul's Awakening" is
raised to an impressive level of literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
community, and college/university library Literary Fiction and Metaphysical Fantasy collections, it should be noted that this
paperback edition of "The Soul's Awakening" from SA Jeejeebhoy is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$5.99).
Editorial Note: Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy (https://jeejeebhoy.ca/about) received a B.Sc. in psychology from the University of
Toronto. Her first book, "Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story," won the 2008 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award for best
biography. Her first novel "She" was a finalist for the 2012 The Word Guild Awards, Novel - Futuristic Category.
"Concussion Is Brain Injury: Treating the Neurons and Me" was a finalist for the 2018 The Word Guild Awards, Memoir.
She expanded on this book during the COVID-19 pandemic into a full-fledged website on brain injury -- what it actually is,
how to diagnose it properly, and how to treat it using latest neuroscience. (https://concussionisbraininjury.com)
Ageless
Renee Schaeffer
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744310023, $18.99, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ageless-Ren%C3%A9e-Schaeffer/dp/0744310024
Synopsis: Naissa Nolan is a happy child in 1850s Philadelphia -- until tragedy strikes while she and her family are on
holiday. Alone and heartbroken, she is thrust into an immortal life she never bargained for or imagined.
Naissa spends the next few centuries on Earth (and beyond) desperate to learn more about her condition. While working
with the esteemed Oberlin Institute in Vienna, she makes an important discovery that could change everything.
But trusting the wrong people is a mistake, and Naissa's immortal life enters a new chapter she never anticipated.
Critique: Immortality isn't all its cracked up to be! Especially if you don't understand why you keep living while those
around you inevitably do not. A deftly crafted, fun and fascinating read from cover to cover (and all the more impressive
considering that it is her debut as a novelist), "Ageless" by Renee Schaeffer is a blend of romance, genetical engineering,
and the effects of immortality that will hold an enormous appeal for readers with an interest in this genre of science fiction.
Strongly recommended, especially for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of speculative science fiction fans that this paperback edition of "Ageless" from CamCat Books is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Renee Schaeffer (https://go.authorsguild.org/members/6711) has always been fascinated by technology and
where it may lead us. A lifelong New Yorker, she has been found reading her prose at open mic nights in Manhattan. She
married her childhood sweetheart and raised three happy, successful children. Her favorite author's moment is the time she
met famed science fiction writer, Olivia Butler, in a Greenwich Village bakery specializing in goods made by the homeless,
and discussed with Ms. Butler the inspirations behind her books.
Love and Other Paradoxes
Catriona Silvey
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063206441, $18.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Other-Paradoxes-Catriona-Silvey/dp/0063206447
Synopsis: Cambridge University, 2005: Student Joe Greene scribbles verses in the margins of his notebook, dreaming of a
future where his words will echo through the ages, all while doubting it could ever happen.
Then, the future quite literally finds him -- in the form of Esi. She's part of a time-traveling tour, a trip for people in the
future to witness history's greatest moments firsthand. The star of this tour? Joe Greene. In Esi's era, Joe is as renowned as
Shakespeare. And he's about to meet Diana, a fellow student and aspiring actress, who will become his muse and the subject
of his famous love poems.
But Esi is harboring a secret. She's not here because she idolizes Joe -- actually, she thinks his poetry is overrated.
Something will happen at Cambridge this year that will wreck Esi's life, and she's hell-bent on changing it. When Esi goes
rogue from her tour, she bumps into Joe and sends his destiny into a tailspin. To save both their futures, Esi becomes Joe's
dating coach, helping him win over Diana. But when Joe's romantic endeavors go off-script (and worse, he starts falling for
Esi instead) they both face a crucial question: Is the future set in stone, or can we pen our own fates?
Critique: A deftly blended combination or romance and science fiction, "Love and Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey is an
impressively original and thoroughly fun read from cover to cover. While a unique and highly recommended pick for
community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance and science fiction fans
that this paperback edition of "Love and Other Paradoxes" from William Morrow & Company is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing,
9798874876678, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Catriona Silvey (https://catrionasilvey.com) is a novelist and author whose short stories have been performed
at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and short listed for the Bridport Prize. She was born in Glasgow, grew up in
Scotland and England, and earned degrees from the universities of Cambridge, Chicago, and Edinburgh.
Scorched Skies
E. J. Mellow
https://www.ejmellow.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662526848, $28.99, HC, 541pp
https://www.amazon.com/Scorched-Skies-Way-Wings-Mellow/dp/1662526849
Synopsis: In the divided world of Cadra, where the winged Volari rule over the earthbound Sura, Tanwen has never relished
her life of secrecy, but hiding is her only means of survival. As the child of a forbidden union, her very existence is
punishable by death.
As the Crown Prince, Zolya is forced to fulfill his father's every whim. Acting on orders, he captures Tanwen's father and
brother, whisking them away to his kingdom in the sky. Determined to save her family, Tanwen infiltrates the royal court
disguised as a servant.
Amid the palace's intrigue, she realizes there's more to save than just her family and more to Prince Zolya than meets the
eye. As their worlds collide, their star-crossed relationship intensifies under the king's oppression. With their loyalties
pulling them in opposite directions, Tanwen and Zolya must decide if their love can bridge the divide or if they have flown
too close to the sun.
Critique: Original, imaginative, skillfully written, and of immense interest to fans of historical fantasy novels with romance,
memorable villains, and reader engaging adventure, "Scorched Skies" by M. J. Mellow is a fun and riveting read from start
to finish. Certain to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated heroic fantasy fiction fans that this hardcover
edition of "Scorched Skies" from Montlake is also readily available in paperback (9781662515439, $16.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: E. J. Mellow (https://www.ejmellow.com/books-copy) is an award-winning author specializing in magical
mayhem. Her work has been translated into multiple languages and has appeared on best-of lists such as BuzzFeed and
Gizmodo, reaching number one on multiple Amazon charts and receiving medals from eLit Book Awards and Next
Generation Indie Book Awards. Readers have said her "lyrical, vibrant, and imaginative" writing sweeps them into
"stunning worlds." Mellow is also the cofounder of She Is Booked, a literary-themed fundraising organization that supports
women's charities: https://www.sheisbooked.com
The Bane Witch
Ava Morgyn
St. Martin's Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250835451, $19.00, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bane-Witch-Novel-Ava-Morgyn/dp/1250835453
Synopsis: Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things -- plants and men. From the pokeweed berries she
consumed at age five that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to the husband whose dark proclivities have become...
concerning, poison has been at the heart of her story.
But when she fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her volatile marriage and goes to stay with her estranged great
aunt in the mountains, she realizes her predilection is more than a hunger -- it's also a birthright because Piers comes from a
long line of poison eaters called Bane Witches -- women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of
evil men.
Piers sets out to earn her place in her family's gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle's cafe and
perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she's been leaving in
her wake. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one
thing -- it's time to feed.
Critique: Once again, with the publication of her newest novel, "The Bane Witch", author Ava Morgyn demonstrates her
ability to create a theater of the mind style experience for her readers. With her original and distinctive storytelling style, her
protagonist is as unusual as she is fascinating with a compelling and emotionally engaging story replete with unexpected
plot twists and turns to a simply riveting conclusion. A fun and memorable read from cover to cover for those with an
interest in romance, suspense, and contemporary witchcraft, "The Bane Witch" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Bane
Witch" from St. Martin's Griffin is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: As a reader, Ava Morgyn (www.avamorgyn.com) grew up falling in love with all the wrong characters in all
the wrong stories. Then she went on to study English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward's University. She is a lover of
witchcraft, tarot, and powerful women with bad reputations, and she currently resides in Houston with her family,
surrounded by antiques and dog hair. When not at her laptop spinning darkly hypnotic tales, she writes for her blog on child
loss, hunts for vintage treasures, and reads the darkest books she can find. She is the author of YA novels Resurrection Girls
and The Salt in Our Blood.
The Mythology Shelf
Achilles: New & Ancient Greek Tales
Jonathan S. Burgess, et al.
Flame Tree Publishing
https://www.flametreepublishing.com
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781835622629, $30.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Achilles-Ancient-Greek-Tales-Immortals/dp/1835622623
Synopsis: Featuring an impressive Flame Tree Publishing cover treatment, and comprised of new stories from open
submissions alongside the classic stories and fascinating background, "Achilles: New & Ancient Greek Tales" is gorgeous
new book that reveals the man behind the myth of Achilles, the great warrior of the Trojan War. Considered the epitome of
heroism in Greek mythology, Achilles' bravery in combat is famously depicted in Homer's Iliad, but every hero has their
flaws.
Seventeen authors drawn from classical times all the way through to late Antiquity and the modern era have interpreted his
character in a multitude of ways, and "Achilles: New & Ancient Greek Tales" continues the tradition, exploring everything
from his exploits in the war and interactions with Agamemnon, Patroclus, Hector and more, back to his early days as an
infant dipped into the River Styx, exposing one vulnerable heel.
Critique: Readers of all ages will enjoy learning all about the history of Achilles in history and myth, folklore and legend. Of
special note is the inclusion of new stories that inspire new perceptions, imagining alternative paths, deeper backgrounds
and different viewpoints on the man and legend know to history as Achilles! This hardcover edition of "Achilles: New &
Ancient Greek Tales" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, highschool, community, and
college/university library Myth/Folklore collections.
Editorial Note: Jonathan S. Burgess (https://utoronto.academia.edu/jonathanburgess) has a BA in American Studies from
Colby College, an MA in Classical Studies and Literature from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, and a PhD in
Classical Studies from the University of Toronto. Since 1995 he has taught at the Department of Classics at the University
of Toronto. His major publications are The Tradition of the Trojan War in Homer and the Epic Cycle (2001), The Death and
Afterlife of Achilles (2009) and Homer (2015).
Morgana le Fay: New & Ancient Arthurian Tales
Pamela Koehne, et al.
Flame Tree Publishing
https://www.flametreepublishing.com
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781835622636, $30.00, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Morgana-Fay-Ancient-Arthurian-Immortals/dp/1835622631
Synopsis: Morgana le Fay is a mysterious figure of Arthurian legend, found in Gawain and the Green Knight and Le Morte
d'Arthur. She is variously described as half-sister of King Arthur, jilted lover of Lancelot, a foil of Merlin.
A witch, a healer, Morgana has deep roots in Celtic mythology and offers a fascinating canvas for the many writers
contributing their stories to "Morgana le Fay: New & Ancient Arthurian Tales".
Critique: Created through open submissions and supported by an extensive introduction examining the origins of Morgana
le Fay, this is inherent and unique anthology that is part of the Flame Tree Publishing simply outstanding 'Myths, Gods,
Immortals' series. A fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, this hardcover edition of "Morgana le Fay: New &
Ancient Arthurian Tales" is a solid and recommended pick for the personal reading lists of all fans of the King Arthur
mythos, as well as community, and college/university library Myth/Folklore collections.
Editorial Note: "Morgana le Fay: New & Ancient Arthurian Tales" is comprised of an Introductory essay by Pamela
Koehne-Drube, and a foreword by Dr Marta Cobb. The modern authors whose stories feature in this book include: K. Blair,
Chris A. Bolton, Courtney Danielson, Evan Davies, Caroline Fleischauer, Micah Giddens, Lyndsay E. Gilbert, Liam Hogan,
Larry Ivkovich, Alexis Kaegi, Damien Mckeating, Nico Martinez Nocito, John J. O'Hara, M.R. Robinson, C.J. Subko, Lana
Voos, and Holly Lyn Walrath.
The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf
Supernatural Korea
Im Bang, et al.
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804858038, $19.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Korea-Magical-Goblins-Dragons/dp/0804858039
Synopsis: From spooky tales of shape-shifting beasts and vengeful demons to romantic stories of enchanted love, the 19
stories comprising "Supernatural Korea: Magical Tales of Goblins, Dragons, Demons and More" bring together the best of
Korea's supernatural folklore. Thirty-six gorgeous watercolor paintings and pencil drawings by artist Marco Furlotti bring
the stories from co-authors Im Bang, Horace Newton Allen, and James Gale vividly to life.
Included in this unique and outstanding fantasy and folklore anthology are:
The Hen and the Centipede: A poor man marries his wealthy employer, only to find she is an otherworldly centipede locked
in a deadly battle with a ferocious white rooster
How Chin Outwitted the Devils: A clever policeman tricks hell's emissaries, who trap the souls of the dying in earthenware
bottles
The Swallow King's Rewards: A kind man gains magical riches for helping an injured swallow, while his greedy brother
suffers bizarre curses
Yun Se-Pyong, the Wizard: Two rival magicians clash in an epic duel -- one transformed into a beetle, the other into a
bee
Plus 15 more supernatural tales to captivate readers of all ages!
These are classic tales are retold by authors who traveled to Korea and fell in love with the rich culture they encountered.
This deluxe hardcover volume from Tuttle Publishing will be treasured by fans of Korean culture, as well as anyone who
enjoys a good demon story.
Critique: Authentic, entertaining, absorbing, fascinating, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Supernatural Korea: Magical
Tales of Goblins, Dragons, Demons and More" is especially and unreservedly recommended reading for anyone with an
interest in Korean historical and popular cultural folklore and mythology. This edition of "Supernatural Korea" will prove a
welcome and unique pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Mythology/Folklore
collections and supplemental Korean Popular Culture curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Marco Furlotti is an Italian artist and illustrator of books for children and adults. His children's books
include the internationally successful series The Dragon and the Mouse (NuiNui) and Keb Mo's Life is Beautiful (Flowerpot
Press). He is the creator of illustrated adaptations of Frankenstein, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula.
He produced the illustrations for this book using watercolor on paper, surrounded by his three little girls, their animals, and
the soft Apennine hills of Parma, Italy.
Editorial Note #2: Im Bang was born in Korea in 1640. A disciple of the writer Song Si-yol, his writings have long been
revered in Korea, and his reputation as a great scholar has endured for centuries. Late in life, he served as governor of Seoul
before being exiled to the north, where he died.
Editorial Note #3: Horace Newton Allen, an American physician, missionary and diplomat, arrived in Korea in 1884 to
serve as doctor to foreign legations and the Korean royal family. In 1897 he was appointed U.S. ambassador to Korea, a
position he held until 1905. He is the author of four books, including Korean Tales.
Editorial Note #4: James Gale was a Presbyterian minister who arrived in Korea in 1888 to teach English and help translate
the bible into Korean. His books include History of the Korean People and Korean Folk Tales, in which he translated the
writings of Im Bang and 15th century scholar Yi Ryuk.
Editorial Note #5: William Elliot Griffis was an American minister and author with a lifelong interest in East Asian culture.
His numerous books include volumes of folklore from Europe, Japan and Korea as well as books on Korean and Japanese
history.
Editorial Note #5: Homer Hulbert was an American missionary, scholar, and editor of the monthly magazine Korea Review.
Hulbert moved to Korea in 1886 and spent two decades there preaching, teaching, writing, and pressing unsuccessfully for
Korean independence during negotiations with Japan. Among the wide-ranging articles in his magazine were many folktales
that he collected and translated.
The Photography Shelf
Getting Closer
Paul Sorrell
Exisle Publishing
www.exislepublishing.com.au
9781925820638, $27.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Closer-Rediscovering-Through-Photography/dp/1925820637
Synopsis: The introduction to "Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature Through Bird Photography" by Paul Sorrell makes the
case for reconnecting with nature in a way that will draw in a wide range of readers, not just photographers. Sorrell
maintains that we have to reconnect, as most of us have lost the spontaneous bond with nature we enjoyed as young children
and, in the face of impending ecological disaster, reconnecting with nature is our most urgent task. And that is the purpose
behind the publication of "Getting Closer"
In "Getting Closer" Sorrell offers a simple, practical path for readers to begin to & rewild' themselves. This is the focus of
the second part of this beautifully illustrated volume, where Sorrell explores ways of becoming attentive to the natural world
around you, wherever you may live.
Through self-contained spreads on topics ranging from 'the four seasons' and 'winds and tides' to 'flight shots' and 'colour
and texture', Sorrell introduces basic, hands-on techniques that, with practice, will enable readers and aspiring
photographers to both deeply connect with their environment and become proficient wildlife photographers. 'Top tips' on
each spread provide technical information aimed at more serious photographers.
Critique: This large format (10.3 x 0.65 x 10.3 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of "Getting Closer: Rediscovering
Nature Through Bird Photography" by experienced nature photographer Paul Sorrell illustrates an informative commentary
with full page, closely taken, full color photos of birds that is a informative and enjoyable pleasure to browse through one
page at a time. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature Through Bird
Photography" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Avian Wildlife Photography collections. It should be noted for photographers and bird fanciers
that this hardcover edition of "Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature Through Bird Photography" from Exisle Publishing is
also readily available in a flexibound edition (9781923011168, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Paul Sorrell took up photography in the early 2000s, giving him a new form of creative engagement with his
longstanding interest in wildlife and the natural world. His images have featured on a range of platforms, from international
wildlife photography competitions to Tourism New Zealand's website (https://www.newzealand.com/us).
Calling the Shots
Zorian Clayton, author
Lydia Caston & Hana Kaluznick, contributors
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500480960, $60.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Calling-Shots-History-Photography-Museum/dp/0500480966
Synopsis: Drawing on one of the oldest and largest photography collections in the world, "Calling the Shots: A Queer
History of Photography" offers an unprecedented view of photographic history through a queer lens. It includes a broad
range of global LGBTQIA+ representation from the mid-nineteenth century to now, presenting images from pioneering
LGBTQIA+ photographers and subjects alongside work documenting activism and hard-won legal battles, over a century of
performance, nightlife, and diverse queer communities, collectives, and subcultures.
Following an informative introductory essay by Zorian Clayton, images are presented in six thematic chapters: Icons,
Staged, Body, Liberty, Making a Scene, and Beyond the Frame. Each chapter opens with a short introductory essay,
followed by an extended plate section. Expanded captions highlight key images, and "artist in focus" inserts draw on the
work of selected photographers to illuminate particularly rich moments in LGBTQIA+ history.
Bold proclamations of queer identity and community sit alongside personal explorations of self; documentation of struggle,
joy, and everyday life is considered side-by-side with performances and photographic fictions that continue to challenge the
bounds of gender and sexuality. A vital, accessible volume, "Calling the Shots: A Queer History of Photography" offers an
exciting, expansive appraisal of photography's role in expressing, documenting, and celebrating queer life. It will be
essential for all with an interest in the history of photography, but especially for those with an interest in LGBTQIA+
history.
Critique: This large format (9.4 x 1 x 11.2 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of "Calling the Shots: A Queer History of
Photography" by the team of V&A curators, Zorian Clayton, Lydia Caston, and Hana Kaluznick features 200 impressively
memorable and captioned illustrations, 50 of which are in color. Enhanced for the reader's benefit with informative
commentary, "Calling the Shots: A Queer History of Photography" will be of immense value and appeal to readers with an
interest in photography and the LGBTQIA+ community. Exceptional in organization and presentation, "Calling the Shots: A
Queer History of Photography" is a unique and high value contribution to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library LGBTQIA+ and History of Photography collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note #1: Zorian Clayton is a curator of prints in the art, architecture, photography, and design department of the
V&A. (https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/author/zorian-clayton)
Editorial Note #2: Lydia Caston is exhibition project curator in the art, architecture, photography, and design department of
the V&A. (https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/author/lydia-caston)
Editorial Note #3: Hana Kaluznick is assistant curator in the art, architecture, photography, and design department of the
V&A. (https://research.vam.ac.uk/our-people/hana-kaluznick)
The Native American Studies Shelf
The Canoe: A Living Tradition
John Jennings
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9780228105510, $39.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Canoe-Living-Tradition-John-Jennings/dp/022810551X
Synopsis: The native American canoe is a lightweight, narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top,
propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles.
The canoe was essential to the early exploration of North America. Today, it is a vital link to the natural environment and
vast wilderness, still widely used for recreation, transportation and sport.
"The Canoe: A Living Tradition" by Professor John Jennings is the definitive history of the construction and use of the
canoe, kayak, dugout and umiak in North America. Professor Jennings covers the canoe's origins among Native peoples, its
quick adoption by European settlers, its development from a working vessel to a recreational craft. Rare archival images,
maps, artwork and stunning photographs of vintage canoes are included.
Produced with the support and collaboration of scholars and museums throughout the world, "The Canoe: A Living
Tradition" also features:
High-tech sport canoes and kayaks used in contemporary Olympic Games
400 beautiful images of canoe craftsmanship
Step-by-step photos and explanations for building a traditional bark canoe
Profile of the famous model-builder, Tappan Adney
Detailed maps, glossary, source list and index.
Critique: This large format (10.63 x 10.63, 3.65 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Canoe: A Living Tradition" is a
profusely illustrated coffee-table style volume effectively organized into three major sections (The Native Craft, The
Recreational Canoe, Preserving the History of the Canoe). This simply beautiful, informative, and elegant volume includes a
number of Maps, a two page Glossary, a three page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a seven page Index.
Of particular and immense value to readers with an interest in Native American culture and the history of the North
American canoe, "The Canoe: A Living Tradition" is an ideal Library Memorial Fund acquisition and a core addition to
community and college/university library Native American Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It should
be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that this hardcover edition
"The Canoe: A Living Tradition" from Firefly Books is also available in paperback (9781554070800, $29.95).
Editorial Note: John Jennings is co-editor of The Canoe in Canadian Cultures and a professor at Trent University. With
support from the Canadian Canoe Museum, he brought together 12 experts in canoe and kayak scholarship and culture
including Eugene Arima, Hallie E. Bond, Steven C. Brown, David Finch, Don Gardner, Gwenyth Hoyle, Fred Johnston,
John Jennings, Kenneth R. Lister, Ted Moores, Rick Nash, and James Raffan to create this book. He was one of the 2019
Appointees to the Order of Ontario. (www.trentu.ca/researchinnovation/story/28893)
Haudenosaunee Women Lacrosse Players
Sharity L. Bassett
Michigan State University Press
https://msupress.org
9781611865073, $79.95, HC, 200pp
https://msupress.org/9781611864991/haudenosaunee-women-lacrosse-players
Synopsis: Since the 1970s lacrosse has become one of the fastest-growing sports in North America, and the Native
American Haudenosaunee communities have worked at the international level to claim lacrosse as an important part of
Haudenosaunee culture and tradition.
Lacrosse is also known as the medicine game as it is part of a medicine ceremony named in creation narratives and the Great
Law of Peace that binds the six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Six Nations. The number of Haudenosaunee
women and girls playing the sport has burgeoned since the 1980s.
"Haudenosaunee Women Lacrosse Players: Making Meaning through Rematriation" by Professor Sharity L. Bassett studies
lacrosse as a Haudenosaunee sport both within and outside of these communities. It shows how the concept of rematriation
(a culturally relevant framework that articulates the work Haudenosaunee peoples are doing to reconnect to the power
imbued with matrilineal and matrifocal societies) situates Haudenosaunee women who play lacrosse within a complex
understanding of contemporary, traditional, and medicinal lacrosse.
Because they cannot seamlessly claim this as their medicine game, as the Haudenosaunee Nationals and other men's teams
do, Haudenosaunee women players must articulate some of the most nuanced understandings of tradition and medicine.
These articulations connect to larger conversations within Haudenosaunee communities regarding the power that women
hold and the rematriation of that power to define and uphold tradition.
"Haudenosaunee Women Lacrosse Players" demonstrates how the cycle of action and articulation (with the
intergenerational help of female leadership) firmly roots lacrosse within Haudenosaunee cultural fabric.
Critique: An original, meticulous, comprehensive, informative, and detailed work of seminal and groundbreaking
scholarship, "Haudenosaunee Women Lacrosse Players: Making Meaning through Rematriation" by Professor Sharity L.
Bossett is an extraordinary study that is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a four page
Glossary, twenty pages of Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a fourteen page Index. Exceptionally well organized and
presented, "Haudenosaunee Women Lacrosse Players: Making Meaning through Rematriation" is especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Native American
Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject of Lacrosse and its history that this hardcover edition of "Haudenosaunee Women
Lacrosse Players: Making Meaning through Rematriation" from Michigan State University Press is also available in
paperback (9781611864991, $39.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.95).
Editorial Note: Sharity L. Bassett is assistant professor of women's and gender studies and associate director of the Electa
Quinney Institute for American Indian Education at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). She has been involved in
collaborative research with Haudenosaunee communities in New York State, Ontario, and Montreal since 2011. She earned
her PhD in global gender studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a recipient of the faculty impact
award through the Honors College and the Award for Outstanding Service for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social
Sciences at South Dakota State University.
Bassett is working with tribal nations to create interactive databases and curriculum using historical records and oral history.
She is also crafting her experiences in various archival spaces into an autoethnographic work that analyzes the barriers to
archival knowledges. Bassett teaches courses for UWM's women's and gender studies and American Indian studies
programs, including Indigenous feminisms, Indigequeer theory and praxis, critical disability studies, and feminist research
methods.
The Art Shelf
About Face: Contemporary Portrait Painting
Amber Creswell Bell
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9781760764685, $50.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Contemporary-Portrait-Painting/dp/176076468X
Synopsis: Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait
painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and
private persons, or they may be inspired by admiration or affection for the subject. Portraits often serve as important state
and family records, as well as remembrances.
Historically, portrait paintings have primarily memorialized the rich and powerful. Over time, however, it became more
common for middle-class patrons to commission portraits of their families and colleagues. Today, portrait paintings are still
commissioned by governments, corporations, groups, clubs, and individuals. In addition to painting, portraits can also be
made in other media such as prints (including etching and lithography), photography, video and digital media.
(Wikipedia)
A portrait is no longer expected to be a realistic rendering of a person -- artists experiment with numerous techniques, even
approaching abstraction, to convey the personality and character of their subjects. "About Face: Contemporary Portrait
Painting" by Amber Creswell Bell explores the rich diversity of contemporary portraiture via the diverse practices of
thirty-nine portrait painters -- and in the process unveils a vibrant part of the art world informed by a rich history. Many of
these artists use their portraiture to engage with social, political, or environmental issues or to convey a narrative, and the
complexity of the human experience; others are simply fascinated by human faces.
Whatever the artist's motivation, every work makes clear that portraiture has always been a powerful means of telling stories
and exploring our individual and collective identities.
Critique: This large format (9.4 x 1.2 x 11.8 inches, 3.98 pounds) hardcover edition of "About Face: Contemporary Portrait
Painting" features 229 magnificently colored illustrations supported by informative commentaries and captions. With the
publication of "About Face", artist and curator Amber Creswell Bell has created an original, seminal, and ground breaking
study that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Art History & Portraiture collections and supplemental art school curriculum studies lists. It is particularly appropriate
reading for art students, academia, aspiring and practicing artists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject.
Editorial Note: Amber Creswell Bell (www.ambercreswell.com) is a Sydney-based arts, design, and lifestyle writer and
curator. With a passion for art, Bell champions emerging and unrepresented artists, curating exhibitions both independently
and in collaboration with well-established commercial galleries. She is currently the director of emerging art for Michael
Reid galleries. Her previous books include Clay: Contemporary Ceramic Artisans, Still Life, and Abstract Painting:
Contemporary Painters.
Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical Anime Besties
Naomi Lord
Rock Point
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781577154532, $21.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cute-Fantasy-Art-Class-Characters/dp/1577154533
Synopsis: With the publication of "Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical Anime Besties - Learn to Draw over 50 Charming
Characters", the prolific artist Naomi Lord, seeks to teach aspiring and practicing artists and illustrators her signature style
of anime drawing in the form of charming, mystical characters. Get ready to expand your portfolios and sketchpads with
adorable characters who wield swords, axes, and wands! Through easy-to-follow tutorials, all that is needed is to grab your
pens, markers, or digital programs, and start drawing!
The DIY lessons for for drawing honorable or mischievous characters from:
The Enchanted City (Adventurer, Pirate, Wizard, Princess)
The Ancient Forest (Gnome, Fairy, Elves, Druid)
The Moonlit Mountains (Troll, Skeleton, Orc, Witch)
The Wild Hamlet (Architect, Warrior, Archer, Magician)
"Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical Anime Besties" also includes how to customize your drawings with simple tips and tricks
on how to add accessories, clothing, and hairstyles. Once you're done, not only do you have the freedom to color your
characters however you want, you can also explore the bonus 'Character Familiars' chapter and give your characters a trusted
companion for their adventures.
With Naomi's artistic knowledge, "Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical Anime Besties " will become a solid and 'user friendly'
go-to reference whenever creative inspiration through the cutest art in needed.
Critique: This large format (8 x 0.6 x 9.9 inches, 1.05 pounds) paperback edition of "Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical
Anime Besties - Learn to Draw over 50 Charming Characters" by Naomi Lord is an ideal combination of tutorials and a
'how-to' manual for anyone seeking to acquire and/or hone their artistic skills when creating/drawing anime characters in a
manga style. This paperback edition of "Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical Anime Besties - Learn to Draw over 50 Charming
Characters" from Rock Point is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.89) and is strongly recommended
for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Anime/Cartton/Pencil Drawing
instructional art collection.
Editorial Note: Naomi Lord (www.etsy.com/shop/NaomiLordArt) is a prolific artist with a strong signature style. Her
artwork has attracted a large following on Instagram @naomi_lord and she has made a career of selling her work online and
partnering with retailers like Hot Topic. Naomi's creatures are both adorable and imaginative, and include a range of anime
and kawaii characters inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, popular anime, Game of Thrones, and Greek mythology, as well
as witches, goth characters, and her own creations. She is also the author of Cute Creature Art Class.
Creepy Cute Drawing Class
Marcie Driessen
Rock Point
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9781577154808, $21.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Creepy-Cute-Drawing-Class-Characters/dp/1577154800
Synopsis: "Creepy Cute Drawing Class: Learn to Draw 70 Sweetly Spooky Characters and Cozy Creatures" by Marcie
Driessen is comprised of 71 step-by-step DIY drawings for creating eerily cute creatures.
Learning to draw may seem scary, but this collection of monsters and creatures is not. Dive into creepy and moody drawings
with the most unexpectedly cute characters that will elicit the cozy mood of spooky season. Whether you're a budding artist
or a drawing master, Creepy Cute Drawing Class includes fun and easy drawings of spooky creatures getting up to all sorts
of mischief.
Whenever you're in the mood for something spooky, curl up with a copy of charmingly creepy characters, including:
Animals of the Mulberry Forest such as Skeleton Dog, Badger's Bewitching Bath, Pumpkin Peekaboo, and Hocus Pocus
Possum
Creatures of the Gourd Hamlet such as Baby Yeti, Vincent Van Plague, Ghoul Scout, and Supernatural Sleepover
Spooky locations on Hollow Lanes such as Bootique, Baba Yaga's Place, Ghost Roast Cafe, and Eerie Eats
Confectionery
Events that occur during Spooky Celebrations such as Jack-o-Lantern, Spookmas Tree, Easter Reaper, and Birthday
Skeleton
In this comprehensive guide you will find easy-to-follow instructions, tips, and tricks that will walk you through Marcie
Driessen's signature drawing style and coloring techniques. The perfect mix of creepy and cute, "Creepy Cute Drawing
Class" will inspire and delight your inner ghoul!
Critique: The ideal DIY instructional guide for novice (and even experienced) illustrated wanting to create a series of
creatures that are spooky, cozy and fun, "Creepy Cute Drawing Class: Learn to Draw 70 Sweetly Spooky Characters and
Cozy Creatures" is especially and unreservedly recommended. It should be noted for art students, professional illustrators,
and anyone with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "Creepy Cute Drawing Class: Learn to Draw 70
Sweetly Spooky Characters and Cozy Creatures" from Rock Point is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$20.89, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Marcie Driessen (https://marciesart.com) is a chronically ill artist from the Netherlands. She grew up in a
small village in the woods where she spent most of her time reading and drawing, or on her good days, exploring the forest
and marsh near her house. When creating art, she finds inspiration in the things that bring her joy, including the little
creatures she visited in the marsh. Most often she works with traditional art supplies of pencils, pens, ink, watercolor paints,
and markers. In 2018, she started her Instagram account (@marcies_art), and a year later, she opened her Etsy shop
(@MarciesArtPlace) where she sells stickers, art prints, and mystery bags. Marcie's Art is now her brand that allows her to
show her art to the world. She also loves to hike and play board games.
The Crafts Shelf
One Fold at a Time Origami
Paul Jackson
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318997, $16.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Fold-Time-Origami-First-Time/dp/4805318996
Synopsis: Paul Jackson has been teaching origami for 40 years and knows from experience that many people struggle to
follow the folding instructions for origami models. With the publication of "One Fold at a Time Origami: 36 Easy Models
for First-Time Folders ", he has created an all-new collection of original designs specifically aimed at first timers.
These "pureland" models feature only simple mountain and valley folds and each step is shown in a separate diagram so that
the instructions are exceptionally clear -- for virtually guaranteed results!
For anyone who has been wanting to try origami but has been put off by the "difficulty factor", "One Fold at a Time
Origami" is the ideal DIY introduction to the joy and fun of origami.
The 36 hassle-free models comprising "One Fold at a Time Origami" include:
Paper Jumping Jacks with built-in springs, ready for the next jump!
The Shadow Dog, which reveals its form when held up to the light
A stylish paper Baseball Cap that you can actually wear!
A cute kaiju Foldzilla ready to create monster mayhem!
The mind-bending optical illusion Mirror Collage
Unusual models like Sneakers and cute Funny Faces
And many more!
These paper models are not only easy -- they are incredibly beautiful and playful -- offering hours of fun folding them and
displaying them.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "One Fold at a Time Origami: 36 Easy Models for
First-Time Folders" by origami expert Paul Jackson is the perfect 'how-to' introduction to this artistic paper folding craft that
is as fun as it is instructive. Ideal for the absolute beginner and the not-so-experienced novice, this paperback edition of
"One Fold at a Time Origami" from Tuttle Publishing will prove an enduringly welcome addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Origami collections. It should be noted that "One Fold at a Time Origami" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Paul Jackson (https://origamimuseum.org/paul-jackson) has been a professional paper folder and paper craft
artist since 1982. He is the author of 30 books on paper arts and crafts and has taught over 100 university-level paper folding
courses in the UK, Germany, Belgium, the US, Canada and Israel. These include paper design courses in the fields of
Architecture, Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Textile Design, Jewelry, Product Design, Packaging, Ceramics, Industrial
Design, Fine Art, Basic Design and Interior Design. He gives workshops at museums, arts centers and festivals, and has
worked as "folding consultant" for companies like Nike and Siemens.
Healthy Brain Origami
Mayumi Ohara & Katsushi Yokoi
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318959, $19.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Brain-Origami-Decorative-Healthier/dp/4805318953
Synopsis: As we age, keeping our minds sharp becomes a priority, and studies have shown that cognitive function is
enhanced by activities like the meditative art of origami. "Healthy Brain Origami: Fold Decorative Paper Models that Boost
Mental Acumen and Keep Your Brain Active!" by co-authors Mayumi Ohara and Professor Katsushi Yokoi offers a fun way
to engage your brain by the Japanese practice and art of Origami (the folding paper models) which is an easy and fulfilling
activity that encourages focus, persistence and spatial visualization.
Mayumi Ohara is a noted origami designer who has written this unique DIY guide under the supervision of Professor
Katsushi Yokoi at Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences in Japan. Her simple instructions and colorful models teach
the brain-training art of modular origami, where small paper squares are folded then assembled into large and spectacular
models.
The basic modules on their own form charming Pinwheels, Butterflies, Maple Leaves, Hearts and Tulips. When combined
into larger projects, they form dramatic rings and wall hangings celebrating the passage of the seasons.
The more than 100 paper models comprising "Healthy Brain Origami: Fold Decorative Paper Models that Boost Mental
Acumen and Keep Your Brain Active!" include:
Springtime wall decorations including a Fairytale Castle and a wreath with Butterflies
Summer-themed pieces like the word LOVE written in Hearts and a Samurai Helmet
Autumn decorations like a lattice composed of Maple Leaves with Acorns and Mushrooms
Wintertime pieces, including Christmas Pine Trees and a festive Ornaments Garland
Perfect for adults and ideal for seniors, "Healthy Brain Origami" is packed from cover to cover with paper folding ideas and
activities to keep your mind healthy, vibrant and active!
Critique: With colorfully and profusely illustrated step-by-step instructions for each individual Origami project, this large
format (7.32 x 0.55 x 9.84 inches, 14.4 ounces) paperback edition of "Healthy Brain Origami: Fold Decorative Paper
Models that Boost Mental Acumen and Keep Your Brain Active!" from Tuttle Publishing is an enthusiastically
recommended pick for personal, professional, community, senior center, and college/university library Alzheimer's and
Dementia Activities collections -- as well as an addition to 'just for fun' lists for those legions of dedicated Origami
fans.
Editorial Note #1: Mayumi Ohara is a sculptor and graphic designer. In addition to editing and designing books, she creates
handmade crafts. She began with kirigami and expanded her repertoire to include origami, beadwork, ceramics and flower
arrangements. She has written many books on origami, papercrafts and puzzles.
Editorial Note #2: Professor Katsushi Yokoi is Vice Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Morinomiya
University of Medical Sciences in Osaka, Japan.
The Music Shelf
Southern Mountain Music
Wayne Erbsen
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476696461, $39.95, PB, 210pp
https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Mountain-Music-Contributions-Appalachian/dp/1476696462
Synopsis: The 56th title in McFarland & Company's 'Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies' series, "Southern
Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen" represents a lifetime of research by Wayne Erbsen, professor of
old-time and bluegrass music at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, who interviewed many legendary figures in
Appalachian music. Often the first and only scholar to ever collect their stories, Professor Erbsen provides his readers with
an indispensable history of bluegrass and old-time music in Appalachia that will continue to be revered for generations to
come.
"Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen" begins with stories featuring many pioneers of
old-time and bluegrass music. Next are chapters on brother duets from the 1930s, legendary banjo pickers and fiddle
players, plus tales of 19th-century songwriters whose songs still populate bluegrass music. Also covered are wide-ranging
and whimsical topics such as the Ghost of Scotty Stoneman, cowboys in bluegrass music, Charlie Cline's powerful snoring,
a near-encounter with Bigfoot, and Hoss Cartwright's hat.
Critique: An impressively organized, presented, fun and informative read from start to finish, "Southern Mountain Music:
The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of B/W historical photos.
This large format (7 x 0.42 x 10 inches, 13.3 ounces) paperback edition of "Southern Mountain Music" from McFarland &
Company is a unique and strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university
library American Music History collections in general, and Appalachian History/Culture/Music curriculum studies in
particular. It should be noted that "Southern Mountain Music" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$25.99).
Editorial Note: A professor of old-time and bluegrass music at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Wayne Erbsen
(https://nativeground.com/about/wayne-bio) has spent most of his life playing, teaching, researching, publishing, and
broadcasting southern Appalachian and bluegrass music. He has written 38 books of songs, folklore, and music instruction.
He divides his time between his home in Asheville, North Carolina and his family's Civil War era log cabin in Elk Creek,
Virginia.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Crocheting the National Parks
Krista Ann
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760395608, $24.99, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Crocheting-National-Parks-Patterns-Accessories/dp/0760395608
Synopsis: With the publication of "Crocheting the National Parks: 20 Patterns for Accessories, Home Decor, Plushies, and
More Inspired by Natural Wonders" by Krista Ann, needlecrafters can Immerse themselves in the beauty of America's
national parks with an enchanting collection whose every project twists the spirit of nature into each stitch, offering a
delightful array of crochet projects inspired by the diverse landscapes and wildlife of iconic parks like Yosemite,
Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon. Each project captures the essence of these natural wonders, from serene coastal scenes
to majestic mountain vistas, blending creativity with the awe-inspiring beauty of the great outdoors.
Curated by renowned designer Krista Ann of @explorewithknitsy, "Crocheting the National Parks" showcases 20 unique
patterns, including contributions from renowned crochet artists. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, you'll find
projects that suit every skill level, allowing you to explore new techniques.
"Crocheting the National Parks" features:
20 park-inspired projects: Crisscross the United States and visit iconic parks from the East Coast to the West Coast.
A wide range of designs for all skill levels: From cozy blankets and squishy cowls to playful amigurumi and home decor,
each pattern is thoughtfully designed, with something for everyone.
Tips and techniques: Whether you're looking for ways to make stitching on the go easier or need step-by-step guidance on
working your first stitches, Krista Ann is your expert tour guide!
Breathtaking photos and detailed illustrations: Scenic landmarks from the national parks let you enjoy majestic landscapes
as you stitch projects from the comfort of your home.
"Crocheting the National Parks" is a needlecrafters' ticket to a creative journey through America's most treasured natural
landscapes. Craft your way through these stunning parks and bring the beauty of the outdoors into your home!
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.36 x 11 inches, 1.3 pounds) paperback edition of Krista Ann's "Crocheting the National
Parks: 20 Patterns for Accessories, Home Decor, Plushies, and More Inspired by Natural Wonders" is beautifully and
informatively illustrated throughout and is impressively 'user friendly' in organization and step-by-step presentation. A
highly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Crocheting collections, it should be
noted that this paperback edition from Quarry Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.74,
Amazon).
Editorial Note: Krista Ann (https://easycrochet.com) is a professional crocheter, knitter, and world traveler. She enjoys
teaching aspiring makers how to create a flawless piece. Krista has professionally knit (and crocheted) pieces that have
appeared in many major television shows and movies, including Hocus Pocus 2, The Mindy Project, Stranger Things, and
Annabelle Comes Home. You can follow her adventures across the USA on Instagram @explorewithknitsy
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
The Career of John Wayne - Films, Radio, Television
Randy Bonneville
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887716886, $39.00, HC, 252pp
https://www.amazon.com/Career-John-Wayne-Films-Television/dp/B0DZ34W3YV
Synopsis: There have been numerous biographies about the legendary film star John Wayne, but with the publication of
"The Career of John Wayne: Films, Radio, Television", author Randy Bonneville focuses exclusively on his work in every
movie, golden age radio appearance and tv guest turn..
For example, the Duke bantered with Bing Crosby on NBC's Kraft Music Hall. He was film's number one cowboy and
introduced Gunsmoke to the viewing audience before its premiere in 1955. All this and a wealth of John Wayne career trivia
is contained in this informative volume.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of John Wayne fans, "The Career of John Wayne - Films, Radio, Television" is
an original and impressively comprehensive compendium that is the result of meticulous research that is thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and presentation. This historical/biographical study is a prized pick for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Cinematic History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists. It should be noted for John Way fans that this hardcover edition of "The Career of John Wayne - Films, Radio,
Television" from BearManor Press is also available in paperback (9798887716879, $28.00).
Editorial Note: Randy Bonneville is also the author of "Destry - The TV Series".
The Greatest Gangster Movie You've Never Seen
Danny Stewart, author
Brad Stevens, contributor
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887716985, $37.00, HC, 194pp
https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Gangster-Movie-Youve-Never/dp/B0DXC7S6BM
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Greatest Gangster Movie You've Never Seen: Abel Ferrara's The Funeral", author
and cinema historian Danny Stewart delves deep into the shadows of cinema to unearth the buried gem that is Abel Ferrara's
"The Funeral." Through a captivating blend of interviews, analysis, and exploration of the gangster genre, Stewart offers an
unparalleled look into the making of a film often overlooked but undeniably powerful.
At its heart, "The Greatest Gangster Movie You've Never Seen" presents a comprehensive examination of "The Funeral,"
dissecting its narrative intricacies, thematic resonance, and visual aesthetics. Through exclusive interviews with the key
creative minds behind the film, including filmmaker Abel Ferrara, cinematographer Ken Kelsch, production designer
Charlie M. Lagola, and costume designer Mindy Eshelman, readers gain invaluable insights into the artistic choices that
shaped this cinematic masterpiece.
Ken Kelsch provides illuminating commentary on the film's striking cinematography, detailing the techniques employed to
capture the gritty essence of the narrative. Charlie M. Lagola offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation of the
film's immersive world, from meticulously crafted sets to atmospheric details that transport viewers to 1930s New York
City. Meanwhile, Mindy Eshelman sheds light on the sartorial choices that define the characters, enriching their
personalities and grounding them in the era's distinct aesthetic.
In addition to its focus on "The Funeral" this cinematic study widens its scope to explore the broader landscape of the
gangster genre and Abel Ferrara's influential career. Drawing parallels between "The Funeral" and other iconic gangster
films, "The Greatest Gangster Movie You've Never Seen" also examines recurring motifs, narrative tropes, and thematic
preoccupations that define the genre's enduring appeal. Through insightful analysis, readers gain a deeper understanding of
Ferrara's unique vision and his contributions to the cinematic landscape.
"The Greatest Gangster Movie You've Never Seen" is more than just a tribute to a forgotten masterpiece; it's a celebration of
cinema's power to captivate, provoke, and endure. With its blend of scholarly rigor and cinematic passion, "The Greatest
Gangster Movie You've Never Seen" offers an indispensable resource for cinephiles, scholars, and anyone intrigued by the
art of storytelling on the silver screen.
Critique: The result of impressively meticulous and exhaustive research, "The Greatest Gangster Movie You've Never Seen:
Abel Ferrara's The Funeral" will be of particular and especial interest to fans of the gangster/mob film noir genre. It will
motivate film buffs and students who have not yet seen "The Funeral" to seek it out. It will inspire those who have seen it in
the past to see it again against Danny Stewart's informative and comprehensive study of the film and cinematic history with
respect to the lesser known and more obscure (but highly entertaining) gangster themed movies. Recommended for
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for film students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Greatest Gangster Movie You've Never Seen: Abel Ferrara's The Funeral"
from BearManor Press is also available in paperback (9798887716978, $26.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.95).
Editorial Note: Danny Stewart (www.goodreads.com/author/list/6277047.Danny_Stewart) been nominated for the Rondo
Hatton Award for Book of the Year (Non-Fiction) for his work on Soldier: From Script to Screen. Additionally, He was the
executive producer of the documentary Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters. Notably, he was also involved
in the documentaries Brothers in Arms, which explores the making of the Academy Award-winning film Platoon, and
American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective, a comprehensive look at Michael Madsen's life and film career. He is
the author of Silent Trigger: Shooting the Film which focused on the 1996 Dolph Lundgren film, directed by the filmmaker
behind Highlander. Meanwhile, Saluting the Blood of Heroes: Behind the Apocalyptic Film delves into apocalyptic cinema
and literature, with a central interview featuring director and screenwriter David Webb Peoples, discussing his 1989 cult
post-apocalyptic film The Salute of the Jugger. These projects offer an in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes processes and
stories of their respective films.
The Business Shelf
How to Be Sustainable
Paolo Taticchi, author
Melina Corvaglia-Charrey, author
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398618541, $92.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Sustainable-Strategies-Overcoming/dp/1398618543
Synopsis: While over 90% of business leaders recognize the importance of sustainability, only 60% have a strategy in place.
And many of these strategies are inefficient, ineffective, or simply don't go far enough to address the global challenges we
are facing at home and abroad.
Leading sustainability expert Paolo Taticchi and his co-author Melina Corvaglia-Charrey have interviewed some of the
world's leading Chief Sustainability Officers from various sectors and businesses including Enel Group, Microsoft, Canon,
and Sage. Guided by expert insights and real-world examples of sustainable practices, "How to Be Sustainable: Business
Strategies for Leading Change" explores the impact and significance of sustainability in business, offering practical
strategies and tools that will allow you and your business to make a positive impact.
Whether you're an experienced corporate leader, an aspiring CSO, or passionate about sustainability, the insights shared in
the pages of "How to Be Sustainable: Business Strategies for Leading Change" will empower and inspire you to shape a
better world for future generations.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "How to Be Sustainable: Business Strategies for Leading
Change" by the team of Paolo Taticchi and Melina Corvaglia-Charrey is an especially and particularly recommended pick
for readers with an interest in Green Business practices, sustainable business development, and adapting to changes in
contemporary national and international governmental economic policies. Informed, informative, comprehensive, and
timely, it should be noted for personal reading lists, as well as corporate and college/university library collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists that this hardcover edition of "How to Be Sustainable: Business Strategies for Leading
Change" from Kogan Page is also readily available in paperback (9781398618527, $25.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $24.69).
Editorial Note #1: Paolo Taticchi (https://www.paolotaticchi.com) is Professor in Strategy and Sustainability and the
Co-Director of the Centre for Sustainable Business at University College London, School of Management. He is a
prominent sustainability expert, speaker and consultant working with corporates and governments around the world. He is
based in London, UK.
Editorial Note #2: Melina Corvaglia-Charrey is a Researcher at University College London, School of Management. She has
over 15 years of experience as a senior marketing leader in the media industry, and also works as a consultant supporting
small-to-medium size businesses with their sustainability reporting efforts. She is based in Toronto, Canada.
Prepare to Tack
Brian O'Riordan
Paramount Books
c/o Paramount Market Publishing
https://www.paramountbooks.com
9781941688878, $24.95, PB, 148pp
https://www.amazon.com/Prepare-Tack-Managing-Business-Leadership/dp/194168887X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Prepare to Tack: Lessons for Managing a Growing Business - A Leadership Story"
author Brian O'Riordan brings a fresh and compelling approach to business leadership, blending timeless maritime
principles with real-world strategies to help leaders overcome challenges and steer their organizations toward sustainable
success.
Through the engaging story of three struggling entrepreneurs guided by the wisdom of a seasoned sailor, O'Riordan reveals
the four critical phases of navigation (Appraisal, Planning, Execution, Monitoring) and demonstrates how they can
transform the way businesses operate. With a focus on aligning vision, fostering teamwork, and making intentional course
corrections, "Prepare to tack" provides actionable insights for leaders at all levels.
Drawing from his extensive experience as a Navy veteran, executive, business consultant, and inventor, O'Riordan offers
readers a practical roadmap for mastering the art of leadership. He emphasizes the importance of understanding your team,
adapting to uncertainty, and staying the course in the face of obstacles.
Packed from cover to cover with vivid storytelling, relatable lessons, and proven strategies, Prepare to Tack is more than a
guide -- it is an invitation to rethink how you lead, plan, and grow your own company and career. Whether you're an
entrepreneur, a manager, or a CEO, "Prepare to Tack" will inspire you to take control, chart your course, set goals, and reach
them.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Prepare to Tack: Lessons for Managing a Growing Business - A
Leadership Story" is Brian O'Riordan's debut as an author, this part business memoir, part leadership instructional guide is
exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, business school, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, entrepreneurs, and anyone in a position of corporate
responsibility that this paperback edition of "Prepare to Tack" from Paramount Books is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Brian O'Riordan is an extensive traveler who has visited more than 80 countries, all 50 U.S. states, and has
been in or on all five oceans. His diverse career has spanned several decades as a business professional, consultant, coach,
and inventor. With a focus on operational excellence and solution seeking, Brian has worked with both public and private
organizations, from Fortune 50 and 500 companies to small privately held enterprises, in a variety of leadership roles.
Projects have spanned industries and included the Alaska Pipeline, Aerospace, UPS, The Smithsonian, NASCAR,
architectural product development, building materials solutions and a host of retail products for big-box stores and specialty
companies.
Warehouse Management
Gwynne Richards
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398618725, $232.00, HC, 608pp
https://www.amazon.com/Warehouse-Management-Definitive-Efficiency-Minimizing/dp/1398618721
Synopsis: As the modern warehouse continues to capitalize on cutting-edge technologies to maximize its role in the supply
chain, corporate executives, business managers, and entrepreneurs will be able to fully understand how to successfully
manage these warehouses with this newly updated and expanded fifth edition of "Warehouse Management: The Definitive
Guide to Improving Efficiency and Minimizing Costs in the Modern Warehouse" by Gwynne Richards.
The fifth edition of "Warehouse Management" includes the most current information from across the warehouse industry. It
also explores emerging technologies, like AI, robotics and automation and how they are shaping today's warehouse
operations. There are new real-world examples from companies who have achieved improvements and cost savings through
the introduction of new technology and equipment, leaner processes and environmental initiatives.
"Warehouse Management" also covers an extensive range of key topics from defining the modern warehouse, detailing
management processes, strategies and practices to outlining how to tackle environmental challenges to ensure a sustainable
supply chain. With practical insights and real-world examples into how to improve operating costs, "Warehouse
Management" continues to be essential reading for optimizing warehouse performance. Of special note is the availability of
online resources that include videos and PowerPoint slides.
Critique: Beginning with the role of the warehouse and the warehouse manager, "Warehouse Management: The Definitive
Guide to Improving Efficiency and Minimizing Costs in the Modern Warehouse" covers various warehouse processes,
information technologies, layout, equipment, automation/robotics, costs, health/safety issues, environment, and outsourcing.
Of special interest in the concluding chapter on 'The Warehouse of the Future'. Comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and presentation, this new fifth edition of "Warehouse Management" is the ideal textbook for
curriculum studies lists, and an essential addition to professional, corporate, and college/university library
Business/Warehouse Management Operations collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover
fifth edition of"Warehouse Management" is also readily available in paperback (9781398618701, $65.00) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $61.75).
Editorial Note: Gwynne Richards has over thirty years' experience in warehouse management and logistics. As well as
running his own successful logistics consultancy, he provides a number of courses on warehouse and transport management
for practitioners. He is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Warwick and the University of Aston. He is the author of
Warehouse Management and The Logistics and Supply Chain Toolkit, published by Kogan Page.
Account-Based Marketing
Bev Burgess
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398619159, $130.00, HC, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Account-Based-Marketing-Definitive-Handbook-Marketers/dp/1398619159
Synopsis: From explaining how to design the right ABM strategy, to exploring the five types of ABM and how to decide
which type to use with which customers, "Account-Based Marketing: The Definitive Handbook for B2B Marketers" is a
DIY guide that will help you to build your company's ABM capability through the right structure, processes and
organization to deliver the best results.
Knowledgeably written by the leading practitioner in ABM, Bev Burgess, "Account-Based Marketing: The Definitive
Handbook for B2B Marketers" will also help you prepare for the future of ABM as the world of marketing evolves with the
introduction of generative AI, helping you to stay at the forefront of your professional practice.
With real-world examples and perspectives from companies such as Accenture, NTT, Salesforce and Vodafone,
"Account-Based Marketing: The Definitive Handbook for B2B Marketers" is a key resource for Account-Based Marketers
everywhere, providing an up-to-date view of best practices in ABM globally and a look at how these practices are
evolving.
Whether you're a novice B2B marketer learning about account-based marketing (ABM) for the first time, or an experienced
account-based marketer who wants to keep up to date with the latest advances in the field, "Account-Based Marketing: The
Definitive Handbook for B2B Marketers" is the perfect guide to using ABM effectively in your business.
Critique: With each of the eleven chapters comprising "Account-Based Marketing: The Definitive Handbook for B2B
Marketers" including a Summary and Notes for the benefit of the reader, this comprehensive and 'reader friendly'
instructional guide is a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Global Marketing, Direct Marketing, and Sales Accounting instructional reference collections and supplemental MBA
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Account-Based Marketing: The Definitive
Handbook for B2B Marketers" from Kogan Page is also readily available in paperback (9781398619135, $38.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $38.99).
Editorial Note: Bev Burgess, based in Kent, UK, is Founder and Managing Principal at Inflexion Group. She has held senior
marketing roles at British Gas, Epson and Fujitsu and headed ITSMA's global Account-Based Marketing (ABM) practice
and European business. Since she codified ABM in 2003, she has personally helped over 40 of the world's most influential
firms accelerate account growth using ABM techniques through her consulting, training and thought leadership. She is also
the author of "Account-Based Growth" and 'A Practitioner's Guide to Account-Based Marketing" (both from Kogan
Page).
The Power of HR
Joey Price
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398618978, $109.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Power-HR-Organizational-Impact-Professional/dp/1398618977
Synopsis: How can I influence the business and drive meaningful change as an HR professional? How can I improve
organizational performance and showcase my value? How can I prove that HR professionals are key to company
success?
With the publication of "The Power of HR: How to Make an Organizational Impact as a People Professional", Joey Price
draws upon his years of experience and expertise to provide a practical guide that answers all these questions and equips HR
professionals with everything they need to make an impact on the organization.
"The Power of HR" outlines the key aspects of the HR role, examines how they add value to the business and explains how
practitioners can demonstrate this value to the organization. It includes coverage of the importance of attracting and hiring
the people with the skills the business needs to meet its objectives, effective onboarding of these staff as well as guidance on
how to communicate the value of this to the business.
Also covered is HR's essential role in company culture and why people professionals are integral to fostering diversity,
equity, inclusion and belonging at work and the corresponding effect this has on company performance. "The Power of HR"
also has a dedicated chapter on using insights from data and analytics in HR activity to provide people professionals with
the evidence they need to make an impact and influence business priorities.
Full of real-world examples from companies such as Adobe, Google, LexisNexis, Jumpstart HR and NPR as well as
interviews from HR professionals and industry experts including Dave Ulrich, Lars Schmidt and Adonica Black, "The
Power of HR" is ideal reading for all HR professionals wanting to demonstrate their value to the organization, drive change
and influence business decision making.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Power of HR: How to Make an Organizational Impact
as a People Professional" by Joey Price is comprehensively informed and informatively -- ideal as an MBA curriculum
textbook on corporate HR responsibilities, and an ideal introduction to anyone newly assigned to serve in or manage a
corporate HR department. Highly recommended for professional, community, corporate, and college/university library
Human Resources & Personnel Management collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover
edition of "The Power of HR: How to Make an Organizational Impact as a People Professional" from Kogan Page is also
readily available in paperback (9781398618954, $34.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.24).
Editorial Note: Joey Price is CEO of Jumpstart HR (https://jumpstart-hr.com) where he works with companies to
accomplish their strategic business aims and enhance employee experience. He leads a team of HR professionals and
support staff who provide award-winning HR, Recruiting, Payroll and Learning & Development Solutions to local
businesses and multinational firms. Based in Maryland, USA, he is an international HR keynote speaker, advisory board
member, thought leader and TEDx speaker.
Outgrow
Alex Goldfayn
Matt Holt Books
c/o BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637746394, $30.00, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Outgrow-Expand-Market-Outsell-Competition/dp/1637746393
Synopsis: In business, the top predictor of growth is not hiding in your sales numbers but in your sales behaviors.
Your competition is making a big mistake: they only communicate with their customers when something is wrong or urgent.
But you can unlock organic revenue expansion by enabling your team to consistently make lightning-fast proactive
communications with customers and prospects.
Although we cannot control if we will make the sale, we can control our sales-generating behaviors. Based on tens of
millions of Outgrow behaviors logged, tracked, and analyzed over 15 years, revenue growth consultant and speaker Alex
Goldfayn has developed an actionable system of proactive growth that is statistically proven to succeed.
With the publication of "Outgrow: How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition", Alex shares this system,
which more than 300 corporate clients have implemented to generate 20 to 30 percent annual sales growth year after year.
His readers can learn how to easily implement this process and unlock the power of:
Focusing on the customers you don't interact with regularly to significantly expand your wallet share with them
Logging and tracking lightning-fast revenue-generating behaviors
Generating analytics that will arm with you with predictors of coming sales growth
Guiding salespeople through a powerful mindset shift from selling to customers to helping them
Packed with practical tools such as action planning and tracking forms, scorecards, call scripts, and communication
strategies, the Outgrow system will arm you with a detailed cadence of sales-growth play calling and tracking that will help
you coach your people on how to create new sales and gain buy-in from your salesforce.
"Outgrow: How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition" is your practical DIY playbook for outgrowing
old, limiting sales beliefs and creating predictable, sustainable, measurable, organic sales growth.
Critique: Exceptional, practical, effective, and thoroughly 'user/reader' friendly in organization and presentation, "Outgrow:
How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition" is a complete course of instruction that should be considered
essential and high priority reading for entrepreneurs, business managers, and corporate executives. Unreservedly
recommended for community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental
MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, and all others who would be interested in the
subject that this hardcover edition of "Outgrow: How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition" from Matt
Holt Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Alex Goldfayn (https://goldfayn.com/books) is a three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author and one of
the most sought-after sales speakers in the world. He is the CEO of The Revenue Growth Consultancy which is one of the
top-grossing solo consulting firms in America. Combined, his clients have generated billions of dollars in new sales which
can be tied directly to the systems and techniques detailed in "Outgrow: How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your
Competition".
The Audiobook Shelf
The Broken Kingdom
Angus Donald, author
Mike Rogers, narrator
Soundings
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399182454, $126.95, CD
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399182454
Synopsis: The Broken Kingdom is a gripping, action-driven Arthurian historical fantasy set in a post-Roman Britain riven
with strife and warfare. The petty kingdoms battle constantly with each other for supremacy and only one man, a young
Dumnonian warrior, the son of Uthur the Pendragon, can hope to unite them. His name is Arthur.
As well as endless warfare, the Island of Britain is suffering an influx of thousands of desperate Saxon refugees, fleeing
their homelands as the world warms and the waters rise. And worst of all, an evil sorceress has awoken a great and terrible
dragon from the once-frozen North, a creature known as Cythraul, whose lust for human flesh is insatiable.
Critique: Sword & Sorcery at its best, "The Broken Kingdom" by Angus Donald is original, memorable, and great fun.
Brought to life in a true 'movie of the mind' style narration by Mike Rogers, this Arthurian tale is a brilliant and appreciated
addition to the mythos of one of England's iconic and legendary figures. Set deep into a framework of medieval Britain after
the Romans left and before a united Britain took form, "The Broken Kingdom" is a thriller of an experience and a welcome
addition for personal lists and community library audio book collections. It should be noted that this complete and
unabridged CD edition of "The Broken Kingdom" (12 Hours, 22 Minutes, 11 discs) from Soundings is also available in an
MP3-CD format (9781399182461, $126.95, 1 disc).
Editorial Note #1: Angus Donald (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Donald) is the author of the Outlaw Chronicles, a
series of nine novels set in the 12th/13th centuries and featuring a gangster-ish Robin Hood and his loyal lieutenant Sir Alan
Dale. His latest Outlaw Chronicles instalment is "Robin Hood and the Caliph's Gold". Angus has also written the Holcroft
Blood trilogy about a mildly autistic 17th-century artillery officer, who was the son of notorious Crown Jewel thief Colonel
Thomas Blood, and an epic Asian fantasy novel "Gates of Stone" under the pseudonym Angus Macallan.
Murder As A Fine Art
Carol Carnac, author
Mark Meadows, narrator
Soundings
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399187022, $100.95, CD
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399187022
Synopsis: When a civil servant at the newly formed Ministry of Fine Arts is found crushed beneath a monstrous marble bust
after dark, it appears to be the third instance in a string of fatal accidents at the department.
Already disturbed by rumours of forgeries and irregularities in the Ministry's dealings, Minister Humphry David is soon
faced with the possibility that among his colleagues is a murderer - though how the bust could have been made an
instrument of death is a masterstroke of criminal devilment.
Taking charge of the case, Inspector Julian Rivers of Scotland Yard enters a caustic world of fine art and civil service
grievances to unveil a killer hiding in plain sight.
Critique: With a total running time of 7 Hours, 51 Minutes spread over 8 discs, this CD edition of novelist Carol Carnac's
British murder mystery, "Murder As A Fine Art" is expertly narrative by the vocal acting talents of narrator Mark Meadows.
A deftly crafted 'whodunnit' with a number of unexpected plot twists and turns, "Murder As A Fine Art" is a flawless and
fully entertaining listening experience. The complete and unabridged CD edition of "Murder As A Fine Art" is an
extraordinary and very special pick for community library Mystery Audio Book collections. It should be noted for personal
lists that "Murder As A Fine Art" is also available in an MP3-CD edition (9781399187039, $100.95) and (available for
uLibrary members only) in a Audio Download format (DL-SOUND, 9781399187046).
Editorial Note #1: Edith Caroline Rivett (6 May 1894 - 2 July 1958) wrote under the pseudonyms Carol Carnac, Carol
Rivett, E.C.R. Lorac, and Mary le Bourne as a British crime writer. She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a
very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She
was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. ((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._C._R._Lorac)
Editorial Note #2: Mark Meadows is an actor and audiobook narrator. He can be heard on the radio broadcasts of Lost Souls
and The Worst Journey in the World, both first aired for BBC Radio. On television, he has appeared as Reverend Wallace in
EastEnders. He also has extensive credits as a composer and arranger.
(www.storytel.com/in/narrators/mark-meadows-11301)
Falconer's Crusade
Ian Morson, author
Mark Meadows, narrator
Soundings
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399186681, $83.95, CD
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399186681
Synopsis: Winter 1264. England is in turmoil. King Henry III's reign is under threat. In Oxford the barons prepare to
challenge his rule.
Searching for his lodgings down a dark alley, young student Thomas Symon hears a scream. It's a young girl, her throat slit.
Mistaken for the fleeing killer, Thomas is saved from a vengeful town mob by a stranger pulling him into a dark
passageway. The man is his new university tutor, renowned academic Regent Master William Falconer.
Falconer's fascination with academic puzzles has given him a reputation for unpicking the most complex problems. Now, to
save his student, he must find a killer. But murder is the most baffling puzzle yet. Then the bodies of three students are
discovered strewn across the town.
Time is running out for Falconer. This is a killer on a quest. He must find the link between the murders. Before he finds
another victim.
Critique: With his fascination for the obscure and an unusual interest in scientific experiments and keen logic drawing him
into curious murder cases, William Falconer is the original Oxford detective! A deftly crafted and authentic medieval era
English 'whodunnit' historical murder mystery by novelist Ian Morson, "Falconer's Crusade" is superbly narrative by the
vocal acting skills of Mark Meadows. The result is a perfectly rendered, complete and unabridged audio book with a total
running time of 6 Hours 16 Minutes spread over 6 discs in this CD edition from Soundings. Highly recommended,
especially for community library Historical Mystery audio book collections, it should be noted that "Falconer's Crusade" is
also available from Soundings in an MP3-CD format (9781399186698, $83.95, 1 Disc).
Editorial Note #1: Ian Morson (www.ianmorson.com) is a self-identified 'Medieval Crime Fighter". As well as Falconer
books series, Ian has written crime stories about a Venetian explorer in the mold of Marco Polo whose name is Nick
Zuliani. He has also written short stories for anthologies put together by a fellow group of crime writers calling themsevles
The Medieval Murderers!
Editorial Note #2: Mark Meadows is an actor and audiobook narrator. He can be heard on the radio broadcasts of Lost Souls
and The Worst Journey in the World, both first aired for BBC Radio. On television, he has appeared as Reverend Wallace in
EastEnders. He also has extensive credits as a composer and arranger.
(www.storytel.com/in/narrators/mark-meadows-11301)
Death Comes In Threes
Michael Jecks, author
Kris Dyer, narrator
Soundings
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399186049, $112.95 CD
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399186049
Synopsis: August, 1558. As London is bustling with growing trade from foreign lands, and Queen Mary's health is once
again a hot topic, Jack Blackjack has much to keep him busy. And that's before his new tenant - a Dutch merchant -
disappears under a cloud of suspicion, quickly presumed murdered, and Jack's latest female companion's body is found mere
streets from her dwelling place.
People around Jack keep inconveniently getting murdered, and he seems to be the most likely culprit! With both the
authorities and the unsavory echelons of London on his tail, nowhere is safe for Jack to hide. He must go about proving his
innocence - and uncovering the murky truth - while ensuring he doesn't find himself dancing the Tyburn jig!
The question is - can he rely on friends in high (and very low) places to get him out of this ever-increasing mess?
Critique: Brilliantly narrated by Kris Dyer who brings author Michael Jecks' historical mystery to life in a true 'theatre of the
mind' experience, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Death Comes In Threes" from Soundings has a total
running time of 11 Hours, 7 Minutes. This 10 disc CD format is especially and unreservedly recommended for community
library collections and the personal audio book lists of all dedicated historical mystery fans. It should be noted that an
MP3-CD edition of "Death Comes In Threes" (9781399186056, $112.95) is also available from Soundings.
Editorial Note #1: Michael Jecks (https://michaeljecks.co.uk) is the author of more than thirty novels in the Knights
Templar medieval mystery series, and four previous Bloody Mary Tudor mysteries. He is also a former Chairman of the
Crime Writers' Association.
Editorial Note #2: Kris Dyer (https://krisdyer.co.uk) is co-founder of Rakkit Productions Ltd and an award-winning voice
actor and audiobook narrator, who has worked on over 300 audiobooks, including many bestsellers. Kris is also writer of
scripts for radio, and co-creator of a BBC Radio sitcom.
The Library CD Shelf
Remains to Be Scene
The Seldom Scene
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
https://folkways.si.edu
ASIN: B0DQQFHHLY, $13.99, CD (1 disc)
https://www.amazon.com/Remains-Be-Scene-Seldom/dp/B0DQQFHHLY
Synopsis: The Seldom Scene is a bluegrass institution. Since 1972, the group has remained quintessential bearers of the
tradition, releasing nearly two dozen albums that cast a wide net for inspiration and repertoire. There newest release,
"Remains to Be Scene" is no exception, delivering stirring takes on bluegrass standards and providing their signature
interpretations on deep cuts from the likes of The Kinks, Bob Dylan, and Jim Croce.
"Remains to Be Scene" is the first album to be released since the passing of The Seldom Sciene founding member and
trailblazing banjo player Ben Eldridge, who contributes impassioned liner notes to the release. Beneath the album's title lies
a plain truth: more than fifty years in, The Seldom Scene are looking ever forward.
Critique: A must for the legions of The Seldom Scene fans and unreservedly recommended as a pick for personal and
community library Country Music collections, it should be noted that this CD edition of "Remains to Be Scene" includes
eleven songs:
1. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains
2 Crossroads
3 A Good Time Man Like Me Ain't Got No Business (Singin' the Blues)
4 Hard Travelin'
5 Farewell, Angelina
6 Walking Down the Line
7 Lonesome Day
8 I Could Cry
9 White Line
10 Show Me the Way to Go Home
11 The Story of My Life
It should also be noted that this CD edition of "Remains to Be Scene" from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is also
available in an MP3-CD format ($9.49) as on Vinyl ($17.99)
Editorial Note: The Seldom Scene (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seldom_Scene) is an American bluegrass band with
an original line-up that was comprised of John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone
vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gray on double bass, and John Duffey on mandolin; the latter three also provided
backing vocals. Together they released their debut studio album, Act I, in 1972, followed by both Act II and Act III in
1973.
On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocoo
Freddie Hubbard
Resonance Records
$25.99 CD / $12.99 digital
https://freddiehubbard.bandcamp.com/album/on-fire-live-from-the-blue-morocco
On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocoo is a previously unissued 1967 performance by legendary trumpet master Freddie
Hubbard (1938-2008). Meticulously remastered from the original tapes, On Fire was produced with the full endorsement of
Freddie Hubbard's son and estate representative Duane Hubbard. Brimming with energy and excitement, On Fire lives up to
its title as a smoking hot performance that transcends time and generations. The individual songs are quite extensive,
making On Fire a full-length double CD album despite its small number of tracks. On Fire is "must-have" for trumpet jazz
connoisseurs and a choice pick for public library collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Crisis (18:40), Up
Jumped Spring (17:23), Echoes of Blue (15:42), and True Colors / Breaking Point (13:32) on disc 1; and Bye Bye Blackbird
(23:54), Summertime (16:54), and Breaking Point (7:01) on disc 2.
The River
Silvano Monasterios (Venezuelan Nonet)
https://www.silvanomonasterios.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQLZJD64
Venezuela-born virtuoso jazz pianist and composer Silvano Monasterios presents The River, an extraordinary original
album performed by the Venezuelan Nonet: Silvano Monasterios on piano; Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone; Nestor Torres
on flute; Alex Norris on trumpet and flugelhorn; Jeff Lederer on bass clarinet and clarinet; Ricky Rodriguez on contrabass;
Luisito Quintero on percussion; Jimmy MacBride on drums; and Juan Diego Villalobos on vibraphone. The rich,
interconnected musical tapestry is a treasure for connoisseurs of orchestra jazz, and also makes an excellent gift. Highly
recommended for personal and public library music collections. The tracks are The River (Opening); Dance On The Wire;
Against The Current; Carmen Elena; Ambar; Ambar's Courage; and The River Between Us.
Roots
Ostara Project
www.ostaraproject.ca
Rhea Records
www.rhearecords.com
$TBA CD / $TBA digital
https://ostaraproject.ca
Roots is an instrumental jazz album by The Ostara Project, an all-star gathering of top-tier female Canadian music artists:
Jodi Proznick on bass; Amanda Tosoff on piano; Allison Au on alto sax; Rachel Therrien on trumpet; Shruti Ramani on
vocals; and Valerie Lacombe on drums. The track list consists of songs created or arranged by different members, resulting
in an eclectic, effervescent, and thoroughly captivating artistic medley, highly recommended for both personal and public
library collections. The tracks are Dreams and Olive Trees (A. Tosoff); 2601 (A. Au); What A Moonlit Night (A.
Voloshchenko / V. Ovchynnikov, arranged by J. Proznick); Rajalaskhmi (S. Ramani); Papa (R. Therrien); Voyage Sans
Retour (R. Therrien, poem by Charles Lebel Therrien); and Raven Haven (V. Lacombe).
how strange the road should be so easy
Harvey Diamond and John Lentz
Orchard of Pomegranates Records
$15.00 CAD CD / $7.00 CAD digital
https://johnlentz.bandcamp.com/album/how-strange-the-road-should-be-so-easy
"how strange the road should be so easy" (the title is written in all lower case) is a jazz album featuring arrangements of
beloved classics. All arrangements are by John Lentz and Harvey Diamond; John Lentz performs smooth vocals while
Harvey Diamond masterfully plays the piano. An immersive and transformative way to re-experience classic jazz favorites,
"how strange the road should be so easy" is a treasure for both personal and public library collections. The tracks are Detour
Ahead; Somewhere Over the Rainbow; Duke Ellington's Sound of Love; Don't You Know I Care; You Don't Know What
Love Is; Ain't Misbehavin'; On the Sunny Side of the Street; Our Love Is Here to Stay; Fair Weather; You Taught My Heart
To Sing; and Blue in Green.
Cosmic Cliffs
Whispering Worlds
aaronshragge.com
Adhyaroparecords
adhyaroparecords.com
$20.00 CD / $15.00 digital
https://aaronshragge.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-cliffs
Cosmic Cliffs is an instrumental contemporary jazz album by the electronic-acoustic quartet Whispering Worlds: Aaron
Shragge on trumpet, electronics, and shakuhachi (Japanese end-blown flute); Luke Schwartz on guitar and electronics;
Damon Banks on bass; and Deric Dickens on drums. Whispering Worlds originally formed in 2022 to pay tribute to late
composer and trumpeter John Hassell; a few tracks are inspired arrangements or covers of John Hassell's work. The rest are
original compositions that explore the grace of the shakuhachi, the gentle side of the trumpet, and the rapturous depths of
ambient electronics. Cosmic Cliffs is creative, inspirational, and highly recommended for both personal and public library
collections. The tracks are Cosmic Cliffs; Pillars; Vernal Equinox/Hex/Caracas Night; Seen By The Moon/Secretly Happy;
Light Echoes; Reionization; Reflection Nebula; Crystals; and Serpentine Suspension.
Still
Composed and performed by Ann Sweeten
AnnSweeten.com
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Tom Eaton
www.thomaseaton.com
Orange Band Records
$15.98 CD / $TBA digital
https://www.amazon.com/Still-Ann-Sweeten/dp/B0F1DLL1SZ
Still is an original, instrumental piano album composed and performed by Ann Sweeten, with collaboration by guest music
artists. Inspired by the beauty of nature and cycle of the seasons, Still is an extraordinarily beautiful treasure ideal for
meditative contemplation or creative inspiration, and also makes an excellent gift. Highly recommended! The tracks are
Distant Clouds; Whispers of Spring; Still; Ebony Light; Waiting for Fireflies; Heaven's Stardust; The River Bleeds The Sky;
The Crossing; Autumnal Breeze; and When Winter Comes. 49 min.
Translucent
The Choir
Galaxy21 Music
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPNN8R3P
Translucent is an original, instrumental album of ambient rock composed and performed by Grammy-nominated band The
Choir. An artistic weaving of guitar, synthesizer, tenor saxophone, bells, and percussion, Translucent is a choice pick for
meditation, mindfulness, and fostering creativity. Highly recommended! The tracks are Fire In The Heavens; You Don't
Have To Smile; Slippery Moss; The Bravest Mind; Cool Black Water; Take To The Sky; Plastic Swords; Chariot Race;
Nobody's Angel; and Watching Feathers Float. 43 min.
Bone Bells
Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson
Pyroclastic Records
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
https://sylviecourvoisier.bandcamp.com/album/bone-bells
Pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and guitarist Mary Halvorson present Bone Bells, their third album as a duo. Bone Bells is a fine
balance between contemporary chamber music and avant-garde jazz, that takes the listener on a lively auditory tour. Highly
recommended! The tracks are Bone Bells; Esmeralda; Folded Secret; Nags Head Valse; Beclouded; Silly Walk; Float
Queens; and Cristellina e Lontano.
Every Journey
Ensemble C
clairecopemusic.com
Adhyaropa Records
adhyaroparecords.com
$20.00 CD / $40.00 vinyl / $15.00 digital
https://ensemblec.bandcamp.com/album/every-journey
Every Journey is a stunning, original album by British composer and pianist Claire Cope and her Ensemble C - a grand
gathering of talented individuals performing vocals, trumpet, trombone, tenor sax, guitar, double bass, drums, and more. An
extraordinary orchestral tapestry, Every Journey embodies the drive to seek out new horizons and take control of one's
direction in life. A vibrant, beautiful, and motivational concert, Every Journey is highly recommended for both personal and
public library music collections and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are Every Journey (Has a Beginning); Flight;
The Birch and the Larch; Isabel; The Light of the Dark; Amboseli; That Nabongo Feeling; and Home.
Ballads
Noah Preminger
noahpreminger.com
Chill Tone Records
$TBA CD / $7.00 digital
https://chilltonerecords.bandcamp.com/album/ballads
Ballads is a jazz album of four original compositions as well as covers of selected standards by Brooklyn-based saxophonist
Noah Preminger, performed along with pianist Julian Shore, bassist Kim Cass and drummer Allan Mednard. Ballads is
immersive and resonant, inexorably drawing the listener in to its rapturous soundscape. Highly recommended! The tracks
are Stan's Mood; Carry Me Ohio; Unfair World; In Our 20's; Democracy; PNEU; and Someone To Watch Over Me.
Conceptions
Geoffrey Dean Quartet
www.geoffreydeanmusic.com
Cellar Music
$14.99 CAD CD / $9.99 CAD digital
https://geoffreydean.bandcamp.com/album/conceptions
Conceptions is a jazz piano album of original compositions by members of the Geoffrey Dean Quartet: Geoffrey Dean on
piano; Harish Raghavan on bass; Eric Binder on drums; and Justin Copeland on trumpet. Adventurous and vivaciously
intense, Conceptions showcases a diversity of uptempo jazz styles and is a choice pick for connoisseurs of the genre. The
tracks are Came and Went (Geoffrey Dean); Phoenix Rising (Justin Copeland); Amdist A Dream (Eric Binder);
Conflagration (Geoffrey Dean); Road To Somewhere (Justin Copeland); Song For Hannah (Geoffrey Dean); Spiral
(Geoffrey Dean); Prism (Geoffrey Dean); Arrival (Justin Copeland) and What May Come (Eric Binder).
Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill
Rodney Whitaker
rodneywhitaker.com
Origin Records
gregghilljazz.com
$17.98 CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Mosaic-Music-Gregg-Rodney-Whitaker/dp/B0DRGZ9SPQ
Bassist extraordinaire Rodney Whitaker presents Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill, the fourth collaboration between
Whitaker and Hill. The songs of Mosaic are composed by Gregg Hill and arranged by Rodney Whitaker; lyrics are by
Rockelle Whitaker (tracks 5, 7, 9) and Randy Napoleon (track 2). Rodney Whitaker's masterful bass performance
intertwines with a medley of additional talented musicians: Terrell Stafford on trumpet and flugelhorn; Tim Warfield on
tenor and soprano saxophone; Rick Roe on piano; Dana Hall on drums; and Rockelle Whitaker on vocals. Mosaic: The
Music of Gregg Hill is a choice pick for jazz connoisseurs and a "must-have" for admirers of Gregg Hill's immersive jazz,
highly recommended. The tracks are Mosaic; Unknown Ballad; Claxilever; Katie's Tune; Moonscape; Ray-Dias; Still Life
with Tuba; Sloe Gin Fizz; Stargazer; and Sunday Special.
Exits
Strat Andriotis
stratmusic.net
Dekatria Records
$TBA CD / $7.00 digital
https://stratandriotis2.bandcamp.com/album/exits
https://music.apple.com/us/album/exits/1765436907
Exits is an original, instrumental jazz album composed by masterful guitarist Strat Andriotis and performed by Andriotis on
guitar, Tom Altobelli and Joel Banks on bass, and Vincent Walters and Alex Karcza on drums. The five collaborators form
two contrasting trios - Andriotis, Altobelli, and Walters on tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8; and Andriotis, Banks, and Karcza on tracks 2,
5, 6. Exits is an extraordinary soundscape that draws the listener into its unique, resonant style, and highly recommended
especially for connoisseurs of exquisite guitar jazz. The tracks are Dominions; Far Away Tears; Replaced; Between You
and I; While We Wait; Timer; Will It Ever Be The Same; and Exits.
Mi Hogar II
Rachel Therrien
racheltherrien.com
Lula World Records
lulaworldrecords.ca
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://racheltherrien.bandcamp.com/album/mi-hogar-ii
Mi Hogar II (the title translates to "My Home II") is the eighth album by trumpeter Rachel Therrien, along with an extensive
assembly of collaborators lending their talent for vocals, violin, sax, trombone, piano, bass, and percussion. Four of the
Latin jazz tracks are Therrien's original compositions; three were composed by others. A vibrant blend of traditional Latin
rhythms and modern jazz, Mi Hogar II is an exuberant, multifaceted celebration and highly recommended especially for
genre connoisseurs. The tracks are Fiestas Campesinas (John Benitez); Orun (R. Therrien); Back Home (R. Therrien);
Suenos de Cambios (R. Therrien); Soucy (R. Therrien); Mambo 'Chucho' Influenciado (Chucho Valdes/Paquito D'Rivera);
and Beauty Free (Mireya Ramos).
The Gardening Shelf
Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass
Liz Primeau, author
Andrew Leyerle, photographer
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9781552976654, $24.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Front-Yard-Gardens-Growing-Grass/dp/1552976653
Synopsis: Although upkeep is labor intensive and often requires an arsenal of dangerous chemicals to keep it free of weeds
and pests, the appeal of a manicured lawn is almost irresistible. But more people are discovering a very attractive
alternative.
Packed from cover to cover with practical tips and beautiful photographs, "Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass"
by Liz Primeau explores the history of the lawn and our attachment to it. It features a wealth of examples of front yard
gardens from more than seventy gardens from across North America. It also provides step-by-step instructions to start and
grow your own front yard garden.
Primeau transformed her lawn in a quiet suburb to a mixed garden with a profusion of flowering plants, shrubs, and cacti.
She now enjoys an eye-catching front garden that requires no chemicals and less watering than her lawn.
"Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass" includes overall planning and design, and outlines the steps for removing
the grass, enriching the soil, and planting. It is divided into several types of front yard gardens, including cottage,
minimalist, secret, neighborhood, downtown, and natural. "Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass" also discusses
the key elements of each style, gives tips on how to create and maintain the garden, and provides a list of complementary
plants.
With more than two hundred beautiful photographs taken expressly for this volume by Andrew Leyerle, "Front Yard
Gardens: Growing More Than Grass" is a veritable compendium of tips, tricks and ideas for the gardening and lawn-loving
homeowner.
Critique: This large format (8.75 x 0.75 x 10.75 inches, 2.26 pounds) hardcover edition of "Front Yard Gardens: Growing
More Than Grass" is an ideal DIY introduction and 'how-to' guide for homeowners wanting to make their front yards stand
out against their neighbors more traditional manicured mono-grass lawns. Practical, informative, impressive, and inspiring,
"Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass" is wholeheartedly recommended as an immediately and enduringly
popular pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Lawn Gardening & Landscaping
instructional reference collections. It should be noted for homeowners and amateur gardening enthusiasts that this hardcover
edition of "Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass" from Firefly Books is also readily available in paperback
(9781552976654, $21.99).
Editorial Note #1: Liz Primeau was a gardening magazine journalist for 30 years and now gives regular lectures on gardens
and garden design, including a special presentation on front yard gardens. She has led many gardening seminars and is a
featured speaker at gardening events. Liz Primeau is the founding editor of Canadian Gardening magazine and host of her
own television program. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/112153.Liz_Primeau)
Editorial Note #2: Andrew Leyerle is a professional photographer. He has provided the photographic illustrations for two
volumes by Lorraine Johnson: "100 Easy-To-Grow Native Plants: For American Gardens in Temperate Zones" and "Grow
Wild!: Low-Maintenance, Sure-Success, Distinctive Gardening with Native Plants"
Gardener Scott's Guide to Raised Bed Gardening
Scott A. Wilson
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9780228105367, $24.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gardener-Scotts-Guide-Raised-Gardening/dp/0228105366
Synopsis: Raised-bed gardening is a form of gardening in which the soil is raised above ground level and usually enclosed
in some way. Raised bed structures can be made of wood, rock, concrete or other materials, and can be of any size or shape.
The soil is usually enriched with compost. Vegetables are grown in geometric patterns, much closer together than in
conventional row gardening. The spacing is such that when the vegetables are fully grown, their leaves just barely touch
each other, creating a microclimate in which weed growth is suppressed and moisture is conserved. (Wikipedia)
As a homeowner and amateur gardener, imagine growing thriving vegetable plants, fragrant herb gardens, robust perennials
and stunning annuals. It's time to think inside the box -- especially one that's filled with good-quality soil teeming with
beneficial soil organisms.
Raised bed gardening is a wildly popular method that gardeners everywhere can take advantage of, no matter your space or
the quality of your native soil. Raised bed gardening has numerous benefits for both the beginner and expert gardener, but
chief among those is the ability to build the best soil for your plants.
"Gardener Scott's Guide to Raised Bed Gardening" is a no-fuss, step-by-step guide to planning, building and growing in
your first raised bed. With his signature approachable, easy-to-follow style, YouTube's Gardener Scott shepherds you
through every stage of creating a thriving, productive raised bed garden -- from the crucial planning phases where you'll
consider the design and how you're going to use your raised bed, to building your first raised bed, filling it with soil and
growing your dream garden.
"Gardener Scott's Guide to Raised Bed Gardening" features:
Seven detailed, step-by-step building projects to try at home
Excellent advice on building good soil and creating the best soil blends for your raised bed
Information on garden planning, including successional planting and intensive planting
Expert recommendations on growing and garden maintenance, such as watering, weeding, trellising and harvesting
Advice for protecting your plants from the wrath of pests, diseases and extreme weather
Guidance on planning and maintaining your garden year-round
Money-saving tips and informative features.
"Gardener's Scott's Guide to Raised Bed Gardening" is replete with hundreds of beautiful, full color photos that will both
instruct and inspire you to explore the wonderful world of raised bed gardening.
Critique: An ideal DIY introduction to raised box gardening, this large format (7.79 x 0.74 x 9.38 inches, 1.92 pounds)
paperback edition of "Gardener Scott's Guide to Raised Bed Gardening" from Firefly Books is informatively enhanced for
the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a stwo page listing of Resources and a nine page Index. Thoroughly 'user friendly'
in organization and presentation, "Gardener Scott's Guide to Raised Bed Gardening" is a solid and highly recommended
pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Home Gardening collections and supplemental
Agricultural Studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Scott A. Wilson (better known as YouTube's Gardener Scott), is a Colorado-based Master Gardener. Scott's
videos have drummed up millions of views and he has more than 400,000 YouTube subscribers. A retired U.S. Air Force
Command Pilot, Scott began teaching gardening classes for the Master Gardener program in 2004 and has educated
thousands of gardeners since. For four and a half years, beginning in 2014, he oversaw the development of 105 raised
garden beds and 20,000 square feet of garden space for the Galileo Garden Project in Colorado Springs, teaching hundreds
of students about gardening and growing more than 2,000 pounds of produce for the school district each year.
Horti Curious
Ann Treneman
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784729639, $24.99
https://www.amazon.com/Horti-Curious-Miscellany-Fascinating-Remarkable/dp/1784729639
Horti Curious: A Gardener's Miscellany of Fascinating Facts & Remarkable Plants pairs beautiful colorful illustrations with
facts and celebrations of plants and gardening which packs a wide range of botanical topics under one cover. From fantasy
and practicality to plant hunting, the development of the first garden gnome, recipes for flower usage, and tropical cascades,
an attention to lively detail and absorbing illustrations results in a book that excels in delightfully unexpected forays into
colorful botanical topics. General-interest as well as botany libraries will find Horti Curious lively, absorbing, and
accessible to a wide audience.
The Interior Design Shelf
Cocoon: Creating Homes with Heart
Ali Heath
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781784729721, $39.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cocoon-Creating-Homes-Ali-Heath/dp/1784729728
Synopsis: With the publication of "Cocoon: Creating Homes with Heart", professional interior stylist, designer and writer
Ali Heath invites her readers to create a home sanctuary that focuses on the human touch, as an antidote to our fast-paced,
tech-driven modern world.
This way of interior decorating is so much more than just a look or style -- it's about taking a holistic approach that draws
upon all our senses, not just the visual, and connects us more meaningfully to ourselves and our surroundings.
In the past creating a sanctuary was about the decoration of a few key rooms, now it is about how the home as a whole
makes us feel. Cocooning is not about isolation or shutting down and does not have to mean going off-grid - it is simply
about tuning back into our emotions, creativity and curiosity to satisfy our need for shelter, comfort and wonder.
Beautifully photographed in inspirational homes around the world ranging from small inner-city sanctuaries to spacious
island retreats, "Cocoon" celebrates a design approach that truly speaks to the heart.
Critique: Inspiring, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Cocoon: Creating Homes with Heart" by Ali Heath is
an invaluable contribution to the growing library of Interior Design books created for benefit of professionals and
non-professionals alike. This large format (8.75 x 0.81 x 9.25 inches, 2.72 pounds) hardcover edition of "Cocoon: Creating
Homes with Heart" from Mitchell Beazley is an inherently fascinating read that is impressively enhanced with full page, full
color photography throughout. Extraordinary, inspirational, visually eloquent, "Cocoon: Creating Homes with Heart" is an
ideal acquisition for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Interior Design collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for interior design students, academia, interior designers, and the
non-specialist general reader with an interest in interior design that "Cocoon: Creating Homes with Heart" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Ali Heath (www.aliheath.co.uk) is a UK-based journalist, stylist, interior designer and author and has over
20 years freelance experience, working with prestigious interior magazines, newspapers and private clients. Her work is
featured regularly in many titles that include Country Living, Elle Decoration, Elle Decoration Country, Homes and
Gardens, House & Garden, Livingetc, Modern Rustic, Red, the Telegraph and YOU Magazine. Ali collaborates with many
leading photographers and her work is represented internationally by Living Inside agency, in Milan. Her first bestselling
book, Curate, with Australian interior stylist, Lynda Gardener, was published by Mitchell Beazley in 2020 and Ali is
Contributing Editor and Creative Consultant for the new book from The White Company, The Art of Living with White
(Mitchell Beazley, September 2022).
The Agriculture Shelf
The Complete Handbook of Poultry
Phillippe B. Wilson & Stuart Kay
Wiley-Blackwell
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781119765189, $204.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Handbook-Poultry-Philippe-Wilson/dp/1119765188
Synopsis: Co-authored by poultry experts Phillippe Wilson and Stuart Kay, "The Complete Handbook of Poultry" is the
authoritative and comprehensive reference on all aspects of poultry for the professional poultry breeder and
veterinarian.
Responding to the need for a multidisciplinary text, "The Complete Handbook of Poultry" will appeal to all fields aligned
with rearing, breeding, feeding, and keeping poultry. Example species covered include chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, quail,
turkey, and pigeons, with entries on a full range of breeds.
Readers will also find entries for relevant farming, medical, descriptive, and industry terms encountered when keeping and
treating poultry. Every entry in "The Complete Handbook of Poultry" covers the topic in depth and the text is accompanied
by up-to-date photographs, and historical images to show the development of poultry breeds.
"The Complete Handbook of Poultry" also includes up-to-date information on:
Aspects of the farming of poultry which have developed dramatically in recent years
Production methods, maintenance practices, and poultry stocks
The aims of the commercial poultry industry, exhibition poultry fanciers, and garden poultry keepers
Genetics and diversity in global poultry production and sustainable poultry production
With its scope and depth of coverage, "The Complete Handbook of Poultry" is an essential reference text for a wide range of
audiences, including smallholders, feed producers, farmers, agriculturists, veterinarians, and industrial scientists. The text is
also highly applicable for courses on animal science, husbandry, food science, and agriculture.
Critique: This large print (8.7 x 0.8 x 10.9 inches, 2.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Complete Handbook of Poultry"
is alphabetically organized and features full color photos of individual poultry breeds throughout. Thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Complete Handbook of Poultry" is a vital, essential, and unreservedly
recommended pick for professional and college/university library Agriculture/Poultry collections and Veterinarian
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for poultry farm managers, veterinary students, and veterinary medicine
practitioners that this hardcover edition of "The Complete Handbook of Poultry" from Wiley-Blackwell is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $164.00).
Editorial Note #1: Philippe B. Wilson is the Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Knowledge Exchange and a
Professor of One Health at York St John University, and Chief Scientific Officer at Willows Health under NHS
Leicestershire in the UK. They were a Trustee of the Poultry Club of Great Britain from 2017-2023, Chairman of the Rare
Poultry Society from 2019-2020 and are currently and an accredited Panel B Judge by the Poultry Club of Great
Britain.
Editorial Note #2: Stuart Kay is owner of Perfect Poultry breeders in the UK. They are the past Editor and owner of Fancy
Fowl, and a current contributor to Practical Poultry magazine.
The Library Science Shelf
Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management, Fifth Edition
Peggy Johnson & Mary Beth Weber
ALA Editions
www.alastore.ala.org
9798892555654, $79.99, PB, 480pp
https://alastore.ala.org/FCDM5
Synopsis: Now in an updated and expanded fifth edition, "Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management"
serves as the perfect instructional guide for beginners and a quick reference tool for seasoned professionals. For this new
fifth edition, expert instructor and librarian Peggy Johnson is joined by technical services expert Mary Beth Weber and
together thy have compiled case studies exploring the issues and suggestions for further reading, each chapter comprising
"Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management" provides in-depth coverage of one aspect of collection
development and management.
Librarians and library science students will gain a thorough understanding of:
Traditional management topics such as organization of the collection, staffing, planning, and policymaking;
The continuing relevance and importance of the discipline in an increasingly digital environment;
Open access, the Big Ten Open Books collection, and moving toward a digital library ownership model;
E-book lending, including purchasing models (PDA, DDA, EBA) and controlled digital lending;
Collaborative collection development and management;
Licenses, negotiation, contracts, maintaining productive relationships with vendors and publishers, and other important
purchasing and budgeting topics;
Self-published books and their path into library collections;
Collection analysis and weeding, including both print and e-resources;
Timely issues such as the ways in which collecting practices have changed post-pandemic, the evolving needs and
expectations of library users, diversity in library collections, and ensuring accessibility, all illustrated using updated
examples and data; and
Marketing, liaison activities, and outreach, through coverage expanded for this edition.
Examination copies are available for instructors who are interested in adopting this title for course use. An e-book edition of
the text will be available shortly after the print edition is published.
Critique: Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Fundamentals of Collection Development and
Management: 5th Edition from ALA editions and a comprehesnive and ideal textbook for college/university Library Science
collections, Library Scince curriculums, and community/academic library in-service training programs and workshops.
Editorial Note #1: Peggy Johnson is a frequent speaker and trainer on collection development and management. She has
published several books, including ALA Editions' Developing and Managing Electronic Collections: The Essentials, and
numerous journal articles. She edited the peer-reviewed journal Library Resources & Technical Services for more than nine
years and continues to edit Technicalities: Information Forum for the Technical Services Professional. Prior to retiring from
the University of Minnesota Libraries, she served as associate university librarian. During more than thirty years at the
University of Minnesota, her responsibilities focused on collection development and management, technical services,
institutional planning, grants management, and budgeting. A past president of the Association for Library Collections and
Technical Services (ALCTS), she received the ALCTS Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Peggy has
consulted on library development in Uganda, Rwanda, Senegal, Morocco, and China.
Editorial Note #2: Mary Beth Weber has worked in library technical services in academic libraries for over thirty years. She
has held various technical services positions, and is an expert on cataloging nonprint materials, acquisitions workflows, and
non-MARC metadata for digital collections. She also has extensive managerial experience. Weber has authored numerous
books, including Virtual Technical Services: A Manual and Rethinking Library Technical Services: Redefining Our
Profession for the Future. She has given presentations on cataloging, mentoring, and publishing for various organizations.
She chaired Rutgers University Libraries' Faculty Mentoring Program Committee for two years, and participated in ALCTS'
inaugural mentoring program. Weber is an active member of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a division of ALA.
She served as editor-in-chief of Library Resources and Technical Services (LRTS) for nine years and helped transition the
journal from ALCTS to Core. Weber was awarded the ALCTS Presidential Citation in 2011 for her service as the ALCTS
Newsletter Editor. She received the ALCTS Honors award in 2015 for her contributions as LRTS Editor. Weber is currently
the head of central technical services at Rutgers University Libraries and oversees resource description (MARC and
non-MARC) for all four of Rutgers' campuses.
The Dance Shelf
Behind the Red Velvet Curtain
Joy Womack, author
Elizabeth Shockman, narrator
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781538199374, $27.95, HC, 274pp
https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Red-Velvet-Curtain-Ballerina/dp/1538199378
Synopsis: In 2012 Joy Womack made history when she became the first American ballerina to sign a contract with the
Bolshoi Ballet Theater in Moscow, Russia.
Dancing in Moscow was not the Onion Dome fairy tale she'd hoped for. The Bolshoi and its school were filled with
cutthroat competition, acts of violence, and coaches who encouraged obsessive devotion. They sent her on stage with broken
bones, helped her forge immigration paperwork, and encouraged her to toe a dangerous political line - all for the privilege of
dancing on one of the world's most storied stages.
As Joy's career took off and she made a name for herself in the Russian ballet world, she had to face a hard choice. Were the
growing dangers of a professional lifestyle descending into corruption worth the realization of her life's dream?
Critique: Vivid, compelling, fascinating, candid, unique, and exceptionally well written and presented, "Behind the Red
Velvet Curtain: An American Ballerina in Russia" is the simply riveting life story of Joy Womack and her experiences
living and working in Russia as a professional ballerina for the world famous Bolshoi Ballet theater in Moscow as related to
journalist and biographer Elizabeth Shockman. Of special and particular interest to fans of ballet and soviet culture, this
deftly crafted and articulate memoir is a highly recommended pick for community and college/university library
Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover
edition of "Behind the Red Velvet Curtain: An American Ballerina in Russia" from Rowman & Littlefield is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.69)
Editorial Note #1: Joy Womack (https://www.joywomack.com) is a ballerina, currently working at the Paris Opera. She has
a combined social media following of approximately 75,000 across all platforms, was featured in a 2021 independent
documentary, Joy Womack: The White Swan, and is also the subject of a biopic film, Joika, set to premiere in 2023. Her
story has been followed by news outlets around the world, including The New York Times, The Moscow Times, Reuters,
Time Magazine, the L.A. Times, NBC News.
Editorial Note: Elizabeth Shockman (www.mprnews.org/people/elizabeth-shockman) is a public radio journalist based in
Minnesota with nationally and internationally published work at NPR, PRI, MPR, Reuters, The Moscow Times, BBC, and
many other publications. Elizabeth met Joy while working for Reuters in Moscow and has spent more than 12 years
interviewing her for this book.
The Autism Shelf
Talking the Talk About Autism
Haley Moss
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
https://us.jkp.com
9781839978562, $19.95
https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Talk-About-Autism-Share/dp/1839978562
Talking the Talk About Autism: How to Share and Tell Your Story considers an autism diagnosis and how best to
self-advocate for better understanding, overcoming adversity, and receiving support.
Anyone who has wondered about the best approach to disclosing their new diagnosis (or that of another) will find this book
encourages overall dialogues about neurodivergence. It profiles special ways to talk to different people, from siblings and
family members to telling other kids, involving romantic partners, and more.
Its first-person insights about trust, isolation, the politicalization of neurodivergency, and how others started conversations
that led to better understanding provide invaluable resources, tips, and insights that no library or general-interest reader
should be without. There are very few guides to raising conversations that support and encourage, as well as disseminating
invaluable information about experiences and diagnosis.
Talking the Talk About Autism falls into the category of a must-have approach that ideally will draw readers, psychology,
and healthcare groups into avid discussions.
The Geology Shelf
Roadside Geology of Arizona
Stephen J. Reynolds & Julia K. Johnson
Mountain Press Publishing Company
www.mountain-press.com
9780878427192, $32.00
https://www.amazon.com/Roadside-Geology-Arizona-Stephen-Reynolds/dp/0878427198
Roadside Geology of Arizona is the perfect take-along tote for anyone interested in exploring the Grand Canyon and
lesser-known geologic wonders of the state. It's designed for those planning an Arizona sojourn, pairing geological
assessments and science with tips on routes to take, spectacular parks and environments to visit, and a wide range of
attractions on and off the beaten path.
The second edition of this guide, which is written by geologists with the general public in mind, includes colorful geologic
maps, road condition assessments, good-sized color photos throughout, and an attention to capturing Arizona's exciting
geologic wonders. With so many attractions reviewed in depth, the impetus to go and visit them is high.
Taking Roadside Geology of Arizona along for the ride assures an easy, engrossing journey, while libraries looking for
practical discussions that aid in traveler destination plans will find it an essential acquisition.
The Christian Studies Shelf
A Beautiful Second Act
Maria Morera Johnson
Ave Maria Press
www.avemariapress.com
9781646803774, $16.95, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Second-Act-Saints-Sisters/dp/1646803779
Synopsis: As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation (those balancing
the needs of both children and parents) are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce
and into the promise of retirement.
"A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to (Be a Badass) Age with Grace" by Maria Morera
Johnson contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges
during their transition to midlife and beyond and offers insight into the aging process.
Chapter after chapter, these inspiring saints and contemporary changemakers from all over the world will help you, too,
embrace your second half and the changes it brings to our health, our personal relationships, our responsibilities, our work,
and our faith.
The Benedictine mystic Hildegard of Bingen, whose knowledge of natural sciences led her to create "nerve cookies" to help
you "open your heart and impaired senses, and make your mind cheerful."
Religious sister and educator Marianne Cope, who at fifty pivoted as an educator of children of German immigrants in New
York to tend to the patients of a Hawaiian leper colony.
Women of resilient faith like Elizabeth Leseur, whose faithfulness in marriage led to her husband's conversion after her
death.
Extraordinary artists like Anna Mary Robertson "Grandma" Moses, whose advanced arthritis drove her to use her creativity
to overcome her age-related limitations.
Champions of social justice like Dorothy Day, whose conversion drove her to devote her life to a Christ-centered
advocacy.
Second-act soul sisters like Josephine Bakhita, whose passion for freedom and spiritual insights raised a new generation of
evangelists for her homeland.
Each chapter comprising "A Beautiful Second Act" offers experiences of female saints and soul sisters as they illuminate
different aspects of this season of aging: physical changes in the body, shifts in work and purpose, dealing with aging
parents and end-of-life issues, the need for strong spiritual friendships, and the importance of mercy.
Drawing from a diverse range of occupations, races, times, and outcomes, Johnson writes about her own struggle to redefine
her second act and what it means to trust God as our lives begin to wind down and our ultimate purpose comes into
crystal-clear focus.
Critique: Fun and fascinating, interesting and inspiring, "A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me
to (Be a Badass) Age with Grace" by Maria Morera Johnson is exceptional and extraordinary -- and very specifically
recommended reading for Christian women dealing with the inevitable problems, responsibilities, and opportunities of
becoming older. For personal reading lists it should be noted that this paperback edition of "A Beautiful Second Act" from
Ave Maria Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.10).
Editorial Note: Maria Morera Johnson (https://mariamjohnson.com) is the media editor at Catholicmom.com and author of
the award-winning books My Badass Book of Saints, Super Girls and Halos, and Our Lady of Charity. She also contributed
to The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion, Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary, and Gaze Upon Jesus. In
2016, Johnson retired from her role as a professor of composition and literature. Johnson speaks at a number of events,
retreats, and conferences, including the National Council of Catholic Women, Austin Women's Conference, and the
Catholic Press Association. She's also been featured on CatholicTV and Busted Halo as well as in Catholic Digest and St.
Anthony Messenger.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Witch of the Forest's Earth Oracle Deck
Lindsay Squire, author
Viki Lester, illustrator
Leaping Hare Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781836004080, $19.95, Cards, 64pp
https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Forests-Earth-Oracle-Deck/dp/1836004087
Synopsis: Author Lindsey Squire and illustrator Viki Lester collaborated to create "The Witch of the Forest's Earth Oracle
Deck: 78 oracle cards & green magick guide" for students and practitioners of metaphysics and Tarot who are wrestling with
a difficult decision, embroiled in a thorny situation, or just want to add a sprinkle of magick to their day.
Working with "The Witch of the Forest's Earth Oracle Deck" is thoroughly 'user friendly'. Simply shuffle the deck and pick
a card, then find its meaning in the accompanying booklet and discover a practical activity that will help you embody its
wisdom.
"The Witch of the Forest's Earth Oracle Deck" draws on the symbolism and energy of:
The phases of the moon;
Crystals and metals;
Herbs, flowers, and spices;
Animals;
The four elements; and
The four seasons,
This unique and very special deck will help to find relaxation, positivity, transformation, release - or anything else that is
desired.
The underlying message of "The Witch of the Forest's Earth Oracle Deck" is that the Earth is brimming with magickal
potential -- so immerse yourself in its energy, uncover new ways to flourish and bloom, and embrace Witchcraft as a tool for
self-discovery with this enchanting deck.
Critique: Exceptionally impressive, inherently fascinating, and a prized pick for personal and professional Tarot/Oracle card
deck collections, this edition of "The Witch of the Forest's Earth Oracle Deck: 78 oracle cards & green magick guide" from
Leaping Hare Press is very highly recommended for novice and experienced practitioners alike.
Editorial Note #1: Lindsay Squire is a practitioner of eclectic Witchcraft and is the Witch behind the popular Instagram
account, @thewitchoftheforest. She has been walking her own spiritual path for over a decade, and is passionate about
helping and empowering Witches at the beginning of their Witchcraft journeys. She is the author of The Witch of the
Forest's Guide to... series: Natural Magick, Astrology Magick, Natural Magick, Earth Magick, Tarot Magick, and Folklore
Magick; The Witch's Book of Spells; and two magickal decks including The Witch of the Forest's Tarot Magick Deck.
(Instagram: @witchoftheforest / TikTok: thewitchoftheforest1)
Editorial Note #2: Viki Lester of Forensics & Flowers is an illustrator from London. Her work inspires people to feel
magical, and features positivity with a dark botanical twist. She has previously illustrated Practical Crystals, The Witch of
the Forest's Tarot Magick Deck, and Practical Symbols. (https://www.forensicsandflowers.com)
Pagan Portals - Modron
Kelle BanDea
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803417189, $12.95, PB, 104pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Modron-Meeting-Goddess/dp/1803417188
Synopsis: In the flow of healing waters and the urgent cry of the Earth, we hear the voice of the Celtic mother goddess
Modron, also known as Matrona. A goddess of fertility, abundance and healing, but also of grief and loss and ancestral
wisdom, she is still present, although hidden, in today's world.
We find her myths in the tales of the Mabinogi, the Welsh Triads and modern tales of Avalon, and her image and veneration
in the ancient religions of Celtic Gaul, where she first emerged as a river goddess. We can trace echoes of her in ancient
Indo-European texts and possibly even further back to the agricultural myths of the Neolithic. She is even present in the
stars.
A part of the Pagan Portals series from Moon Books, "Modron - Meeting the Celtic Mother Goddess" by Kelle BanDea
takes a deep dive into this often overlooked goddess who has inspired our modern myths, combining solid academic
research with suggestions for personal practice and ritual, from a modern day dedicant and scholar of Goddess veneration.
Modron is emerging from the depths. Will you answer her Call?
Critique: A succinctly informative introduction of Modron, "Pagan Portals - Modron: Meeting the Celtic Mother Goddess"
is a fascinating study that is extraordinarily well written, organized and presented for the benefit of the reader. Highly
recommended, especially for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Metaphysical
Studies collections and supplemental Celtic Mythology/Folklore curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this
paperback edition of "Pagan Portals - Modron: Meeting the Celtic Mother Goddess" from Moon Books is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Kelle BanDea is a neurodivergent mother of three with Traveller heritage. She is a writer, psychotherapist,
member of the Druid Network, and a trained spiritual celebrant.
Storytelling for Magic
Halo Quinn
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803414065, $10.95, PB, 120pp
https://www.amazon.com/Storytelling-Magic-Bardic-Ritual-Craft-Witches/dp/1803414065
Synopsis: The underlying message of "Storytelling for Magic: Bardic Skills and Ritual-Craft for Witches and Pagans" by
Halo Quinn is that In your own hands lay the keys to bringing the gifts of the ancient magic-weavers, the storytellers, into
your life.
The ancient Bards of old wove magic with their words. Through myth and legend, history and inspiration, they shaped the
world around them. Today, just like them, you can connect with the magic of storytelling to create powerful change. With
professional performer, ritualist, bard, and witch Halo Quin's "Storytelling for Magic: Bardic Skills and Ritual-Craft for
Witches and Pagans", you will learn how to use your voice in magic, how to unravel the secrets of stories, how to craft your
own rituals to bring the power of myths and folk tales into your life, and how to find, learn, and tell stories to enchant the
world inside and outside the circle.
Critique: Unique, unusual, informative, thought-provoking, and a simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "Storytelling
for Magic: Bardic Skills and Ritual-Craft for Witches and Pagans" by Halo Quin must be considered essential reading for
anyone with an interest in paganism, Wiccan spirituality, and the role of song and storytelling in the practice of magic.
Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, it should be noted for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections that "Storytelling for Magic: Bardic Skills and Ritual-Craft for
Witches and Pagans" is also available from Moon Books in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Halo Quin is a practicing witch, storyteller, author, philosopher, and a lifelong lover of magic. She is a
devotee of the Faery Queen, a lover of the Welsh gods and myths, and sensual witch exploring the divine erotic and sacred
nature of pleasure and beauty, and working to (re)enchant the world. She lives in Aberystwyth, UK.
Celtic Hedge Witchery: A Modern Approach
Joey Morris, author
Weiser Publishers
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578638673, $18.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Hedge-Witchery_A-Modern-Approach/dp/1578638674
Synopsis: With the publication of "Celtic Hedge Witchery: A Modern Approach", priestess of the Morrigan Joey Morris
presents a revolutionary take on hedge witchery that focuses on what it means to reconnect with the sacred hedge in a
modern world. The approach taken in "Celtic Hedge Witchery: A Modern Approach" teaches the ways, ideas, and methods
of the hedgerow, so they become accessible even to those who cannot visit the physical locations themselves.
Delving into secret liminal spaces, Morris expands the knowledge and understanding of what it means to truly embody the
witchcraft life. She connects readers to the wildcrafting elements of plants and natural remedies, realigning the soul to the
vibrations of the spiritual ecosystem to reconnect with the Earth and all her spirits. In a time when modernity, technology,
and disconnection from the land has caused so many of us to feel lost and disheartened, Morris helps foster our kinship with
the land.
Weaving together Morris's personal witchcraft gnosis, "Celtic Hedge Witchery: A Modern Approach" focuses on embracing
the shadows within ourselves as a reflection of sacred spaces. Morris offers a revolutionary take on what it means to be a
hedge witch in the modern era and empowers us to "come home" to both the Earth and to ourselves. Spell work, recipes,
meditative guides, and evocative poetry help guide us in connecting with Celtic deities of land, sea, and sky and in crossing
the hedge into the Otherworld.
With "Celtic Hedge Witchery: A Modern Approach" the reader will:
Learn how to connect to your own natural witchcraft.
Find the sacred landscape within yourself.
Connect with plant and animal spirit allies within the hedge and benefit from their spiritual power.
Critique: Featuring an informative Foreword by Courtney Weber, six pages of Notes, and a three page Bibliography, "Celtic
Hedge Witchery: A Modern Approach" an exceptionally well written, comprehensive, organized and presented resource for
anyone aspiring to become an effective hedge witch in their own right. While very highly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Wiccan and Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted
that this paperback edition of "Celtic Hedge Witchery: A Modern Approach" from Weiser Books is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Joey Morris (www.starryeyedsupplies.com) is a priestess of the Morrigan and a hedge witch who has been
on the path of Celtic witchcraft for over twenty-five years. She specializes in spirit work, shadow work, and healing. For the
past thirteen years, she has run the popular Starry Eyed Witch YouTube channel, which boasts over 17,000 subscribers, as
well as her own blog and witch supply store, Starry Eyed Supplies.
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
Do Not Cry When I Die
Renee Salt & Kate Thompson
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892420792, $29.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Cry-When-Die-Bergen-Belsen/dp/B0D9XX9GCY
Synopsis: When German soldiers invaded Poland in September 1939, it began a six year journey for then-ten-year-old
Renee Salt and her mother Sala. Until their liberation in 1945, Renee and Sala were imprisoned in ghettos and concentration
camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen. The only light in the darkness and brutality for Renee was the
unwavering grasp of her mother's hand in hers -- enduring, against all odds.
It was this unbreakable bond, along with a few miracles, that kept Renee alive. Sala's staggering courage to defy the will of
SS guards saved both her and her daughter from the gas chambers, and the pair survived the deadliest days in Auschwitz's
history.
After suffering the nightmarish conditions at Bergen-Belsen, Renee and her mother were liberated in April 1945 -- but Sala
died soon after they were saved. To this day, Renee attributes her survival to the love and bravery of her beloved
mother.
"Do Not Cry When I Die" is an incredibly moving and deeply crucial book that tells the shocking story of one of the oldest
Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen survivors - and the mother's love that saved her life.
Critique: The publication of "Do Not Cry When I Die: A Holocaust Memoir of a Mother and Daughter's Survival In Jewish
Ghettos, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen" is in response to the cry of 'Never Forget' in an effort to prevent the Holocaust
from every occurring again. But with the current climate of anti-Semitism and the recent re-emergence of Holocaust deniers
in both Europe and the U.S., "Do Not Cry When I Die: A Holocaust Memoir of a Mother and Daughter's Survival In Jewish
Ghettos, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen" by now 86 year old Holocaust survivor Renee Salt is an especially timely and
valued contribution to the growing library of Holocaust Studies, Biographies, and Memoirs. Especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Holocaust Studies and Jewish
Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Do Not Cry When I Die: A Holocaust
Memoir of a Mother and Daughter's Survival In Jewish Ghettos, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen" from Alcove Press is also
available for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in paperback
(9798892421546, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Renee Salt, BEM, was born Rywka Ruchla Berkowitz in Zdunska Wola, Poland, in 1929, and is a
Holocaust survivor and educator. Renee and her mother survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After the Holocaust,
Renee returned to Poland to try and find any surviving members of her family and found an aunt who was living in Lodz,
who she moved in with. From there they moved to Paris, where Renee met her husband Charles, who was a British military
policeman who helped to liberate Bergen-Belsen. They married in 1949 and had two children. Renee lives in northwest
London and has 5 grandchildren. She regularly speaks in schools, to organizations, and to the government about her
experiences during the Holocaust.
Editorial Note #2: Kate Thompson is a journalist and bestselling author. As well as being passionate about capturing lost
voices and untold social histories, Kate's also a library campaigner. Her 100 libraries project celebrates the richness and
complexity of librarians' work and the vital role of libraries in our communities. Alongside her journalism and writing, Kate
is also a podcaster and recently launched her own podcast, From the Library With Love. You can find Kate at her website:
www.katethompsonmedia.co.uk, on Facebook @KateThompsonAuthor, on X @katethompson380 and on Instagram
@katethompsonauthor
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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