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Reviewer's Choice
Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss
Asha de Vos, author
Peter Godfrey-Smith, foreword
Anthony J. Martin, Rebecca Helm, & Helen Scales, contributors
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500027554, $65.00, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Shore-Abyss-Asha-Vos/dp/0500027552
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ocean-asha-de-vos/1147800651
Synopsis: Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth but three quarters of our oceans' depths have never been explored by humans. "Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss" is simply stunning book takes the reader on a deep dive through the different depth zones ranging from the shoreline and surface, via the sunlight zone, the twilight and midnight zones, and into the abyss -- charting the richness and diversity of life in our seas.
Each chapter is centered on a different depth zone and begins with a comprehensive introduction, before exploring fifteen to twenty-five visual themes, from the smallest living things to the largest and from the familiar to the unknown. Of special note is the final chapter on the oceans revealing the visual history of human interaction with the deep blue, from discovery and mapping to current issues of the environment and preservation.
"Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss" features stunning photography throughout -- from microscopic images of tiny creatures to corals of every hue and the abstract patterns of fish scales -- shown alongside a wide range of stunning archival illustrations and specially commissioned infographics that convey complex data in a simple and elegant way.
Exploring a huge range of themes, creatures, and plants from around the world, "Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss" draws crucial attention to the importance of life in our seas and the need to preserve it.
Critique: This large format (9.4 x 1.3 x 11.3 inches, 3.63 pounds) hardcover edition of "Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss" from Thames & Hudson is visually enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of 412 color illustrations, plus a two page Glossary, a one page bibliography of Further Reading, and a six page Index. Written by Asha de Vos, featuring an informative Foreword by Peter Godfrey-Smith, along with contributions by Anthony J. Martin, Rebecca Helm, Helen Scales, and Andrew Thaler, "Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, highschool, and college/university library Marine Ecology, Natural History, and Ocean/Seas collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Asha de Vos is an award-winning marine biologist, ocean educator, and pioneer of long-term blue whale research.
Editorial Note #2: Peter Godfrey-Smith is a philosophy professor at the University of Sydney and author of the 2016 bestseller Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness.
Editorial Note #3: Anthony J. Martin is a professor of practice at Emory University.
Editorial Note #4: Rebecca Helm is a marine biologist and assistant professor of environmental science at Georgetown University.
Editorial Note #5: Helen Scales is a marine biologist, author, and broadcaster.
Empty Calories and Male Curiosity: Stories
Ted McLoof
https://www.tedmcloof.com
Cosmorama
https://www.clmp.org/readers/publisher/cosmorama
9798987040140, $17.99, PB, 132pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Empty-Calories-Male-Curiosity-Stories/dp/B0G6J6T3G4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/empty-calories-and-male-curiosity-ted-mcloof/1148262862
Synopsis: "Empty Calories and Male Curiosity: Stories" is a collection of linked stories by author Ted McLoof and are set in early-2000s New Jersey, where the suburban dreamscape of the '90s is fading and the kids left behind are trying to make sense of what's next.
Through sharply drawn portraits of friends, teachers, crushes, and burnouts, McLoof pinpoints the liminal space between adolescence and adulthood. It's funny, it's painful, and it searches for a kind of grace in between.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, clever, thoughtful and thought-provoking, the skillfully written short stories comprising "Empty Calories and Male Curiosity: Stories" showcase author and creative writing teacher Ted McLoof's impressive and narrative driven flair for the kind of creative and entertaining storytelling that keeps the reader's fully engaged attention from start to finish. A compendium of short stories 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, this paperback edition of "Empty Calories and Male Curiosity: Stories" from Cosmorama is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Short Story collections.
Editorial Note: Ted McLoof (https://www.tedmcloof.com) teaches creative writing at the University of Arizona. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Minnesota Review, Bellevue Literary Review, Monkeybicycle, Hobart, DIAGRAM, Kenyon Review, The Rumpus, Louisville Review, Ninth Letter, Los Angeles Review, and elsewhere. He's been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and a Best of the Net Award. He is also the author of "Anhedonia", a collection of short fiction that was published in 2022 by Finishing Line Press.
Fine Specimens: A Showcase of Contemporary Type Design
Elliot Jay Stocks
Rockport Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780760398913, $40.00, HC, 216pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fine-Specimens-Showcase-Contemporary-Design/dp/0760398917
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fine-specimens-elliot-jay-stocks/1148096081
Synopsis: Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. It is the foundation of visual communication, shaping everything from branding and editorial layouts to digital interfaces and environmental graphics.
Compiled and edited by Elliot Jay Stocks, "Fine Specimens: A Showcase of Contemporary Type Design" is an exquisitely curated collection that highlights the best modern typefaces from leading type foundries around the world, offering both a riveting visual exploration and an intellectual journey into the art of the letterform.
With carefully selected type specimens and striking layouts, "Fine Specimens" celebrates the versatility and impact of contemporary typography. Accompanied by insightful essays from renowned designers and writers, "Fine Specimens" also portrays the vital role of typography in today's design landscape.
"Fine Specimens" offers:
Exceptional type specimens from the most influential type foundries around the world
Thoughtful essays on typography's role in branding, editorial design, and digital interfaces
Visually stunning examples of type in action, demonstrating the power of well-crafted fonts
More than just another type specimen book, "Fine Specimens" is a visual celebration of typography as an art form -- and an essential addition to any graphic designer's library.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of six informative essays by experts in the field of Typography, and of special and particular interest to the publishing community, "Fine Specimens: A Showcase of Contemporary Type Design" from Rockport Publishers is an extraordinary large format (9 x 0.79 x 10.5 inches, 2.05 pounds) profusely illustrated hardcover volume that is unreservedly recommended as an essential and unique addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Typography, Calligraphy, and Graphic Design instructional reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Elliot Jay Stocks (https://elliotjaystocks.com) is a designer and musician, based just outside Bristol, UK. After founding the typography magazine 8 Faces in 2010, Elliot joined Typekit (now known as Adobe Fonts) as creative director and helped lead the service's transition into desktop fonts and the Creative Cloud ecosystem. He then went on to take several creative director roles, all while co-running the lifestyle magazine Lagom with his wife. In 2021, Elliot collaborated with Google to launch the typography education resource Google Fonts Knowledge. He is also the author of Universal Principles of Typography (Rockport Publishers, 2024). Today, Elliot focuses exclusively on typographic projects, as well as publishing the newsletter Typographic & Sporadic, and hosting the podcast Hello, type friends!
Finding Joy Through Food
Chiang Ching and Yanan Li
New Song Media GmbH
https://www.newsongmedia.de
9783910769106, $59.99 Paperback/$12.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Joy-through-Food-Culinary/dp/3910769101
Finding Joy through Food: A Culinary Memoir, with Recipes comes from an actor and dancer who, isolated during Covid, reinvented both herself and her relationship with food. Thus, this culinary memoir isn't just a recipe collection with a few memories attached, but represents a total reinvention of perceptions about not just food, but life. Yanan collaborates with Chiang Ching to provide important and revealing visuals that also move beyond the usual photos of finished dishes to incorporate the views of the author, ingredients, and the rivers and currents of life and death that move through those times and Chiang Ching's life.
These artistic, reflective renditions add further depth and dimension to the dishes, many of which are not the standard Chinese fare found in common cookbooks, but represent remakes due to ingredient substitutions or choices such as mushrooms, gleaned from the author's mushroom hunting activities on her private island. Such bites of life, such as Egg-Tofu with Minced Garlic and Squash, are accompanied by slices of life and connections formed against the backdrop of pandemic isolation, juxtaposing memories of the past with revised present-day situations from isolation efforts.
Draped in the clothing of a recipe collection and memoir but embedded with personal connection and reflection, Finding Joy through Food is not just about food's connection to life, but discovering new ways to reconnect with family and friends during times of crisis. These artistic visuals, appealing recipes, and even more appealing, life-affirming efforts set Finding Joy through Food apart from any other, showing how to find joy not just in food, but revised approaches to life.
Libraries seeking books that capture pandemic experience and survival traits alike will want to welcome Finding Joy through Food into their collections, highly recommending it to readers seeking more than a recipe collection alone. With its eye-catching photos of food and life engagement, Finding Joy through Food is a standout well worth its price tag. It can be gifted to anyone struggling to adapt to new circumstances by tapping into the inherent joy of not just surviving, but thriving.
The AI Studies Shelf
AI and Productivity
Donald Clark
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398623330, $69.00, HC, 312pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Productivity-Artificial-Intelligence-Processes-Potential/dp/1398623334
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ai-and-productivity-donald-clark/1148052039
Synopsis: With the publication of "AI and Productivity: Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Processes and Unlock Potential", Donald Clark (a leading AI industry expert) provides a strategic guide for senior leaders and people executives who want to harness artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, strengthen workforce capability and protect long-term business performance.
"AI and Productivity" provides proven tools for assessing where AI genuinely adds value, and where it risks undermining skills, curiosity and critical thinking. It addresses the unstructured, rapid adoption of AI, offering governance-led approaches to integrate it effectively across recruitment, HR and Learning and Development.
"AI and Productivity" covers:
Identifying high-impact AI applications that align with strategic objectives
Avoiding productivity loss from poorly targeted AI implementation
Safeguarding employee learning, problem-solving and communication skills
Balancing efficiency gains with talent development and cultural health
With real-world insights and practical frameworks, "AI and Productivity" ably equips and enables senior decision-makers to ensure AI adoption delivers measurable results while sustaining the human capabilities essential for future success.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "AI and Productivity: Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Processes and Unlock Potential" by Donald Clark will be of particular and practical value for readers with an interest in corporate and governmental AI strategy, governance, workforce capability, productivity, talent development. While especially recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library AI collections and supplemental Leadership/Management/ Human Resources curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in AI that this hardcover edition of "AI and Productivity" is also readily available in paperback (9781398623316, $42.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.80).
Editorial Note: Donald Clark has over 30 years' experience in online learning, simulations, virtual reality, mobile and artificial intelligence projects. He was a founding member of Epic Group plc and the Founder and CEO of Wildfire Learning. He is a frequent global speaker, blogger, advisor and researcher on AI in learning and is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby. (https://www.koganpage.com/authors/donald-clark)
The Science Shelf
We Dig Ammonites: Fact, Folklore, and History
Jodi Summers
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231213929, $59.95, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/We-Dig-Ammonites-Folklore-History/dp/0231213921
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-dig-ammonites-jodi-summers/1147265275
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu/book/we-dig-ammonites/9780231213929
Synopsis: Ammonites swam in Earth's ancient seas for nearly 400 million years. These prolific cephalopods diversified into more than 10,000 species before meeting their demise during the Cretaceous mass extinction.
Today, these spiral-shelled invertebrates are among the most abundant fossils in the geologic record, found from snowcapped Himalayan peaks to parched South American arroyos. People around the world have long been drawn to the mystery and beauty of ammonite fossils. These preternaturally preserved creatures have inspired age-old myths and legends, and studying their secrets has spurred crucial scientific discoveries.
With the publication of "We Dig Ammonites: Fact, Folklore, and History", Jodi Summers (an accomplished journalist and passionate fossil collector) guides readers through the entire arc of ammonite history. She explores the evolution, proliferation, extinction, and fossilization of these captivating cephalopods, situating the story in the progression of deep time.
Summers also prospects prime fossil-hunting locations, sharing tips, export legalities, and inside scoops for enthusiasts and collectors in search of notable specimens. Additionally, she takes us along on her globe-spanning journeys: from the desert to the seashore, up mountains and down canyons, to the backrooms of natural history institutions and the floors of fossil shows.
"We Dig Ammonites" features hundreds of lavish color photographs of rare specimens that showcase the splendor of these magnificent molluscs. This incredible study is an ode to one of the world's most compelling fossils and an invitation to catch a glimpse of vanished epochs.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with contributions by paleontologists Andy Secher and Neal L. Larson, as well as an illustrated five page Preface, a two page Epilogue, a thirty page Bibliography and Additional Resources, and a nine page Index, this large format (8.5 x 1.2 x 11.2 inches, 3.15 pounds) profusely illustrated hardcover edition of "We Dig Ammonites: Fact, Folklore, and History" from the Columbia University Press is an extraordinary, magnificent, and meticulously presented work of seminal and groundbreaking research that is unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Paleontology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of palenotology students, academia, practicing paleontologists, fossil collectors, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "We Dig Ammonites: Fact, Folklore, and History" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.19).
Editorial Note #1: Jodi Summers is a field associate in paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History. She was an editor for several rock music magazines and has written three books on the music industry as well as several blogs on historic landmarks and other properties. Her ammonite collection includes more than a thousand specimens.
Editorial Note #2: Andy Secher, a field associate in paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History, is the author of Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic (Columbia, 2022) and The Trilobite Collector's Guide (Columbia, 2024).
Editorial Note #3: Neil H. Landman is curator emeritus in the Department of Invertebrate Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History.
The Education Shelf
Before the Next Tragedy: Preventing Harm in School Shooting Scenarios
John Menna
Principled Safety LLC
https://principledsafety.com
9798999554925, $32.99, HC, 145pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Before-Next-Tragedy-Preventing-Scenarios/dp/B0FY5V5VX6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/before-the-next-tragedy-john-d-menna/1148361066
Synopsis: One of the great tragedies of modern life are the shootings in schools that now regularly occur on almost weekly frequency.
We can prevent casualties in school shootings -- if we change how we plan for school safety. With the right system, harm in school shooting scenarios may be prevented. This field guide adapts proven high-reliability practices to K-12 security, giving school administration a consistent, equitable way to secure schools.
Instead of focusing emergency preparedness on past shootings, John Menna (a veteran in safety engineering) in the pages of "Before the Next Tragedy: Preventing Harm in School Shooting Scenarios" presents the forward-looking Principled Safety(R) method, replacing guesswork and piecemeal "best practices" with a scenario-based planning system that increases student safety, not just those behind a locked classroom door.
Stop reacting after school shooting violence and instead learn to analyze credible threats, design layers of protective measures, and verify performances so protective measures work under pressure. Short, visual, and practical, "Before the Next Tragedy: Preventing Harm in School Shooting Scenarios" gives school administrators, boards, facility planners, parents, policy makers, and districts a consistent level of protection across every school in the system.
"Before the Next Tragedy: Preventing Harm in School Shooting Scenarios" covers:
A standards-based framework that prioritizes prevention over damage control and guides district policy.
A scenario library covering classrooms, common areas, entrances, outdoors, and off-campus spaces when threat assessments fail to foil a plot.
Clear criteria to translate best practices into tested controls for communications, access, and crisis response.
An actionable gap analysis to target budgets, strengthen plans, and document decisions for boards and communities.
Drill-ready requirements for SRO programs: coverage, keys and access, comms reliability, and time-to-engage.
If you are responsible for school safety (or advocating for it) "Before the Next Tragedy: Preventing Harm in School Shooting Scenarios" gives you a plan to invest wisely, document decisions, and protect every student, teacher, and staff member.
"Before the Next Tragedy: Preventing Harm in School Shooting Scenarios" is a disciplined, system-level approach with an emphasis on an equitable level of protection, school to school. We have the power to prevent further tragedy now -- is your school ready?
Critique: "Before the Next Tragedy: Preventing Harm in School Shooting Scenarios" by John Menna should be absolutely required reading for all school administrators, school board members, parents of school aged children, political activists, governmental policy makers, and State/Federal Department of Education personnel. Informed and informative, exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. "Before the Next Tragedy" should be a part of every K-12 school library, college/university library, and community/public library School Policies/Issues and School Safety collections and supplemental Crisis Management Counseling curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Before the Next Tragedy" from Principled Safety LLC is also readily available in paperback (9798999554925, $23.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: John Menna (www.principledsafety.com) is a veteran in safety engineering with 35+ years in DOE high-hazard operations and founder of Principled Safety LLC. He adapts safety-case methods to K-12 security and equips districts and design teams with a standards-based, prevention-focused framework for equitable, verifiable protection across every school.
Administration, Leadership, Finance, and Budgeting in Higher Education and Student Affairs
Gabriel R. Serna, Florence M. Guido, and Gabriel Pulido, authors
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094690, $44.95, PB, 450pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Administration-Leadership-Finance-Budgeting-Education/dp/0398094691
Charels C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398094690
Synopsis: With the publication of "Administration, Leadership, Finance, and Budgeting in Higher Education and Student Affairs: Integrating Theory, Research, and Practice", co-authors Gabriel R. Serna, Florence M. Guido, and Gabriel Pulido lay the foundation for neophyte student affairs administrators to understand their role more clearly in how money works and for whom.
It deftly weaves together traditionally bounded topics of administration, finance, budgeting, and even leadership and management, and shows how those aspiring to student affairs leadership roles can individually and collectively center diversity and equity using theory and research to inform their administration, leadership, finance, and budgeting practices.
It will increase your literacy in finance and budgeting and enhance your leadership in higher education and student affairs.
In the chapters about administration, you gain knowledge about administration and management in student affairs and an understanding of organizational structure in student affairs and higher education through the lens of organizational theories. Leadership theories and practice are discussed extensively and in depth in the following four chapters.
While exploring these theories, the authors skillfully integrate their own personal leadership experiences into the existing knowledge. The distinctive value of the leadership content is the inclusion of leadership at HBCU, AANAPISI, Tribally Controlled Colleges, HIS, and community colleges. In the remaining ten chapters, not only will you grasp a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical framework of finance in higher education but also acquire literacy of the nuts and bolts of finance and budgeting, including the related federal policies on finance and spending and their implementation in higher education and student affairs.
In addition, individual (i.e., reflective) and group exercises at the end of each chapter engage students who can apply this necessary knowledge to student affairs and higher education's numerous and varied contexts.
Critique: This large format trade paperback edition of "Administration, Leadership, Finance, and Budgeting in Higher Education and Student Affairs: Integrating Theory, Research, and Practice" is a complete, comprehensively informative, and seminal course of study that will prove of immense, practical value to Educational Administrators, Board Members, Policy Makers, and Financial Planners. Exceptionally in organization and presentation, This edition of "Administration, Leadership, Finance, and Budgeting in Higher Education and Student Affairs: Integrating Theory, Research, and Practice" from Charles C. Thomas, Publisher is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library collections.
Editorial Note #1: Michigan State University Assistant Professor Gabriel R. Serna passed away on Aug. 17, 2022. Serna joined the college in 2018 as a member of the Department of Educational Administration's Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (HALE) unit. His research used quantitative approaches with a deeply critical perspective to examine higher education economics, finance and policy.
Editorial Note #2: A listing of books by educator Florence M. Guido is available online at Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3239929.Florence_M_Guido)
Editorial Note #3: Gabriel Pulido (https://gabrielpulido.com) first became involved with creative writing in the youth poetry slam scene. While at UC Santa Cruz Gabriel utilized classroom lessons to fuel his creative writing endeavors. Currently, he is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Higher Education (with a double minor in African American and Diaspora Studies & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) at Pennsylvania State University. Gabriel considers himself to be a transdisciplinary scholar whose work often travels across multiple fields.
Strategies and Tools for Self-Regulation in the Classroom
Richard M. Cash
Free Spirit Publishing
c/o Teacher Created Materials
https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com
9798885549844, $39.99, PB, 184pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tools-Self-Regulation-Classroom-Professional%C2%AE/dp/B0DVNKHZFB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strategies-and-tools-for-self-regulation-in-the-classroom-richard-m-cash/1146982103
Synopsis: With the publication of "Strategies and Tools for Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Boost Student Focus and Meet Learning Goals", Richard M. Cash (Ed.D) provides resources to support students in developing self-regulation and executive-function skills they need to succeed in and beyond the classroom.
"Strategies and Tools for Self-Regulation in the Classroom" follows the four phases of Engaging in Learning, providing concrete strategies and classroom activities to help students build confidence, set and manage goals, monitor progress, and reflect on their learning. Skills covered include note taking, active listening, taking breaks, balanced technology use, positive thinking, using a study buddy, staying healthy, and many more.
Classroom teachers can easily incorporate teaching the strategies and activities into daily routines, making it easy to boost student achievement in small doses. Pick and choose the skills and activities that are most helpful for your students and most effective in your schedule.
Discover strategies to increase student self-regulation and academic success
Implement brief lessons that fit perfectly into morning meeting, advisory, or homeroom schedules
Learn how to effectively teach and continually reinforce good study habits
Improve your teaching with student-facing activities, reflection questions, and informative passages
Self-regulation is the key to effective learning. "Strategies and Tools for Self-Regulation in the Classroom" equips K-12 educators with the tools to guide students toward better outcomes and a more fulfilling learning experience.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.49 x 11 inches, 1.03 pounds) paperback edition of "Strategies and Tools for Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Boost Student Focus and Meet Learning Goals" from Free Spirit Publishing is extraordinary in its approach, organization, and presentation style -- making it ideal for use with in-service school district teacher workshop curriculums, as well as personal, professional, K-12 education, and college/university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental Lesson Planning and Student Behavior curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Dr. Richard M. Cash (https://nrichconsulting.com) is an award-winning author and educator who has worked in the field of education for over thirty years. He was the recipient of the National Association for Gifted Children's Early Leader Award (2011), recognizing his leadership in programming for gifted children. Dr. Cash is also the author of Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century (2011/2017), a finalist for the Association for Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Award and winner of the The Legacy Book(R) Award; Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Helping Students Learn How to Learn (2016); and co-author of (with Diane Heacox) Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics (2014/2020), winner of The Legacy Book(R) Award.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause
Julia Schlam Edelman
The Johns Hopkins University Press
www.press.jhu.ed
9781421452968, $59.95, HC, 536pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Savvy-Womans-Guide-Menopause-Hopkins/dp/1421452960
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-savvy-womans-guide-to-menopause-julia-schlam-edelman/1146939316
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause: Before, During, and Beyond", Dr. Julia Schlam Edelman has created the definitive guide to navigating the physical, mental, and emotional changes associated with menopause. With over 30 years of experience as a gynecologist and menopause clinician, Dr. Edelman provides evidence-based advice for managing symptoms and preventive health strategies through a variety of approaches, including lifestyle adjustments, hormonal and non-hormonal treatments, and alternative remedies.
"The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause" empowers the non-specialist general reader to understand the latest information about optimizing their health in midlife and beyond by addressing critical topics like cancer prevention and the impact of cultural, medical, and demographic factors on women's health as they relate to perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
This indispensable guide features:
Practical strategies for managing hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, memory challenges, and other common menopause symptoms.
Comprehensive insights into hormonal and non-hormonal treatments, alternative remedies, and precision medicine for personalized care.
Guidance on lifestyle choices and medical strategies to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular issues, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
Exploration of how age, sex, race, and sexual orientation influence menopause experiences and treatment options.
Whether you are seeking relief from symptoms or looking to optimize your health during menopause and beyond, "The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause" is comprised of insightful and compassionate guidance tailored to your unique journey.
Critique: "The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause: Before, During, and Beyond" is a practical, comprehensive, exceptionally informative guide to mastering menopause before, during, and beyond the change -- and thriving through the transition! "The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause" is impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, especially for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject. Although the targeted readership are women faced with the onset or going through the physical changes of menopause, "The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause" will also prove f immense value for the men in their lives concerned with the medical issues affecting the women they love. While especially and unreservedly recommended as a basic addition to personal, professional, community, health center, medical school, and college/university Women's Health & Medicine collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause" from the Johns Hopkins University Press is also readily available in paperback (9781421452975, $28.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.50).
Editorial Note: Julia Schlam Edelman, MD, FACOG, is a Yale graduate, Columbia Medical School graduate, and Harvard residency-trained gynecologist. She is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner recognized internationally for her expertise in midlife women's health. The author of Menopause Matters, she brings evidence-based, compassionate insight to helping women thrive before, during, and after menopause. (https://womenshealthne.com/julia-edelman)
Self-Defense: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health
Daniel M. Davis
University of Chicago Press
www.press.uchicago.edu
9780226839370, $26.00, HC, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Defense-Myth-Busting-Guide-Immune-Health/dp/0226839370
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/self-defense-daniel-m-davis/1146965479
Synopsis: Does orange juice help ward off colds? And how does our age affect our ability to recover from one? When it comes to immunity, are we really what we eat? Or how much we eat? We are surrounded by big questions and big claims about enhancing our immune systems, so how do we tell the fiction from the facts? And, ultimately, what can we do to reduce our chances of getting sick?
With the publication of "Self-Defense: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health", world-leading immunologist Daniel M. Davis offers answers in this authoritative, highly accessible, myth-busting guide to the effects of stress, age, exercise, weight, nutrition, sleep, vaccines, and mental health on our immune health.
Taking us to the cutting edge of immunology research and explaining both what we know and how we know it, "Self-Defense" helps the non-specialist general reader in spotting phony claims and making informed choices.
Davis shows us that everyone's immune system is entirely unique, and that's why we should be wary of one-size-fits-all "cures". We learn how exercise, for example, has all sorts of different, even opposing, short- and long-term effects on our immune health. And while our gut microbes are vitally important, it's unlikely that yogurt drinks can really boost your immune system to stop you getting ill.
Providing an amazingly informative window into some of the astonishing possibilities for the future, when it comes to distinguishing bogus and beneficial health claims about everything from vitamin D to inflammation and cancer therapies, "Self-Defense: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health" may be your best line of self-defense.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a eight page Glossary, a two page Further Reading bibliography, sixty-two pages of Notes, and a six page Index, "Self-Defense: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health" is extraordinarily 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation -- especially for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Health & Medicine collections, and supplemental Immunology & Vaccination curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Self-Defense: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health" from the University of Chicago Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.08).
Editorial Note: Daniel M. Davis is head of life sciences and professor of immunology at Imperial College London. He is the author of The Compatibility Gene, The Secret Body, and The Beautiful Cure, the last also published by the University of Chicago Press and named a Book of the Year in the Times, Telegraph, and New Scientist. His writing has appeared in the United Kingdom's leading newspapers, as well as in New Scientist, Wired, and Scientific American. In 2025, he was awarded an MBE in the King's New Years Honors list for services to science communication. (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/author/D/D/au24041260.html)
Book of Healing
Joseph Odumosu, author
Michael Oladejo Afolayan, translator
Helen Tilley, translator
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299351007, $99.95, HC, 656pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Yor%C3%B9b%C3%A1-Worlds-Joseph-Od%C3%B9m%C3%B3s%C3%B9/dp/02993 51009
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book-of-healing-joseph-odumosu/1147383032
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/B/Book-of-Healing
Synopsis: Ably translated into English by the team of Michael Oladejo Afolayan and Helen Tilley, "Iwe Iwosan (Book of Healing)" is the first book-length study of Yoruba therapeutics, encompassing thousands of remedies for more than 160 different ailments. Originally published in 1910 by Ijebu healer, politician, and public intellectual Joseph Odumosu, much of the scholarship on African healing cultures has been reconstructed from unwritten sources and texts produced by missionaries, colonial officials, and anthropologists. Of the small number of firsthand accounts in African languages (beyond Arabic) that have survived in written form, Odumosu's is the most extensive and encyclopedic.
While the existence of Odumosu's massive work is well-known in southwestern Nigeria, it has not previously been available in English. Michael Oladejo Afolayan and Helen Tilley have translated the volume in its entirety, and here use it as an entree into greater understandings of Yoruba medicine, spirituality, and print culture during a time of rapid change under British colonialism and the spread of Christianity.
Critique: Of immense relevance and a unique contribution to West African History, Customs, Medicine, and Cultural Anthropology, this large (7 x 1.5 x 10 inches, 1 pound) hardcover edition of of Joseph Odumosu's "Book of Healing" from the University of Wisconsin Press includes 18 B/W historical photos/illustrations and is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and college/university library African Medicine collections and supplemental 'History of Medicine' curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Joseph Odumosu (1863-1911) was part of a burgeoning cultural and political renaissance in southwestern Nigeria that crystallized in the wake of British conquest. He acquired the first printing press in his home district of Ijebu, launched its first magazine, spearheaded a trade boycott, and presided over a chapter of the Aborigines Protection Society. He was also a healer, exposed throughout his lifetime to different specialist groups and self-identified as an oni egun or master of medicine.
Editorial Note #2: Michael Oladejo Afolayan is an expert in systemic text linguistics with a special focus on Yoruba language and literature. He is the author of Fate of Our Mothers: The Collected Memories of an African Village Boy and the English translator of Isaac Oluwole Delano's 1953 novel Aiye D'Aiye Oyinbo (Welcome to the White Man's World). Now retired from Southern Illinois University, he works part-time as an educational consultant.
Editorial Note #3: Helen Tilley is an associate professor of history with courtesy appointments in law and anthropology at Northwestern University. She is the author of the award-winning book Africa as a Living Laboratory: Empire, Development, and the Problem of Scientific Knowledge and the editor of several volumes, including Therapeutic Properties: Global Medical Cultures, Knowledge, and Law.
The American History Shelf
Michigan's Con-Con 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961
Lynn Liberato
Michigan State University Press
https://msupress.org
9781611865530, $32.99, PB, 223pp
MSU Press
https://msupress.org/9781611865530/michigans-con-con-11
Synopsis: "Michigan's Con-Con 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961" by Lynn Liberato highlights the contributions of the eleven female delegates to the 1961-1962 Michigan Constitutional Convention.
As the first female delegates to a state of Michigan constitutional convention, these pioneers demonstrated that women were more than capable of helping to revise Michigan's highest law. Their examples encouraged other women to enter politics during a time when few women held state or federal public office.
Following the women's Con-Con journey over seven and a half months, "Michigan's Con-Con 11" provides a general overview of what a state constitutional convention is and what it means to be a delegate. Michigan's Con-Con 11 both educates the reader on constitution-making and sheds new light on an exciting moment in Michigan political history.
Critique: Unique, impressive well written and chronicled, exceptionally informative, "Michigan's Con-Con 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961" will prove to an an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended resource for readers with an interest in Women in Mid-20th American politics, Constitutional Law, and 20th Century Michigan History. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Michigan's Con-Con 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961" from Michigan State University Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.12) for personal, professional, community, and academic library collections.
Editorial Note: Lynn Liberato received a 2024 State History Award for her article "Con-Con's Petticoat Revolt: Women at the 1961 Constitutional Convention." She is a retired Michigan attorney who has written on several topics related to Michigan history and judicial commentary.
The World History Shelf
Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World
Philip Matyszak
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500298268, $16.95, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Peoples-Ancient-Philip-Matyszak/dp/0500298262
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forgotten-peoples-of-the-ancient-world-philip-matyszak/1133986696
Synopsis: The ancient world of the Mediterranean and the Near East saw the birth and collapse of great civilizations. While several of these are well known, many have been unjustly forgotten. History is overflowing with different cultures that have all evolved over time, sometimes dissolving or reforming, though ultimately shaping the way we continue to live. But for every culture that has been remembered, how many have been forgotten?
This comprehensive guide explores those civilizations that have faded from the pages of textbooks but played a significant role in the development of modern society. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World offers an alternative history focusing on the names we aren't familiar with, from the Hurrians to the Hephthalites and everyone in between, providing a unique overview of humanity's history from approximately 3000 BC - 550 AD. Specially drawn maps, artifacts, and artworks help to tell the stories of forty lost peoples, exposing a diversity of culture, influence, and achievement.
Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World is an immersive, thought-provoking, and entertaining book for anyone interested in ancient history.
87 illustrations
Critique: Offering an informative and fascinating chronicle of forty forgotten ancient civilizations and highlighting the important contributions that each has made to modern society, this paperback edition of "Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World" by historian Philip Matyszak will prove to be of immense value to readers with an interest in the antiquarian history of human civilization -- along with the relevance they have for the modern era. A deftly crafted, seminal and inherently interesting work of meticulous scholarship, this paperback edition of "Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World" from Thames & Hudson is highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Ancient History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Philip Matyszak (https://www.matyszakbooks.com) has a doctorate in Roman history from St John's College, Oxford. He also teaches and prepares courses for the eLearning program at Cambridge University. He is the author of numerous books on the ancient world, including Lost Cities of the Ancient World, The Greek and Roman Myths: A Guide to the Classical Stories, and Ancient Magic in Greece and Rome: A Hands-On Guide.
The Political Science Shelf
Dynamics of Democratic Elections
Johannes Muller, author
Volker Hosel, author
Aurelien Tellier, author
Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach, author
Chapman & Hall / CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032791883, $250.00, HC, 402pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dynamics-Democratic-Elections-Mathematical-Political/dp/1032791888
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dynamics-of-democratic-elections-johannes-muller/1148041922
Synopsis: The collaborative work of co-authors Johannes Muller, Volker Hosel, Aurelien Tellier, and Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach, "Dynamics of Democratic Elections: A Mathematical Approach to Political Science" is a seminal and groundbreaking exploration of modeling approaches to democratic elections and opinion dynamics at the intersection of mathematics, political science, and computational modeling.
The focus of "Dynamics of Democratic Elections: A Mathematical Approach to Political Science" is on relatively simple models, their analysis, and how they perform in real-world applications. In order to make the collaborative study easy to navigate, the material is divided into three major parts concerning 'The Voter Model', 'Nonlinear Election Models', and 'Game Theoretical Models'.
Although the material is unashamedly mathematical, the concepts are discussed in a way that should be accessible to anyone with a reasonably strong quantitative background and should prove interesting to a broad audience beyond mathematicians.
"Dynamics of Democratic Elections: A Mathematical Approach to Political Science" is suitable for graduate students and researchers (mathematicians, physicists, social and political scientists with a strong theoretical background), offers step-by-step data preparation and analysis, provids an abundance of exercises along with numerous color illustrations.
Critique: This large format (7 x 0.94 x 10 inches, 1 pound) hardcover edition of "Dynamics of Democratic Elections: A Mathematical Approach to Political Science" from Chapman & Hall / CRC Press is an extraordinary study and one that is exceptionally well organized and presented. An ideal textbook and tutorial on math modeling various aspects of the political process of campaigning, fund raising, policy development, and more, it should be noted that "Dynamics of Democratic Elections: A Mathematical Approach to Political Science" is also readily available in a trade paperback edition (9781032799124, $79.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $60.79) -- making it a critically important and accessible addition to persona, professional, and college/university library Political Science & Advanced Mathematics collections and supplemental Statistics, Game Theory, and Stochastic Theory curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Johannes Muller is an associate professor of mathematics at the Technische Universitat Munchen. His work bridges mathematics with the life and social sciences, focusing on dynamical systems and stochastic processes. In the social sciences, his research explores elections, opinion dynamics, and social interaction models.
Editorial Note #2: Volker Hosel studied physics and mathematics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, earning both degrees with distinction. He completed his Ph.D. in stochastic processes and habilitation in mathematics at the Technical University of Munich. Dr. Hosel specializes in applied statistics, bioinformatics, and functional analysis. He lives and works in Munich, Germany.
Editorial Note #3: Aurelien Tellier is a theoretical evolutionary biologist. Aurelien studied agronomy, plant biology, genetics, and statistics at ENITA (Bordeaux, France) and population genetics at AgroParisTech Paris, France). After obtaining his doctorate at the John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK) in 2007, he spent five years as a postdoctoral research fellow at LMU Munich. Since 2012, he has held the position of associate professor of population genetics at the Technical University of Munich. Aurelien's area of research is to develop population genetics theoretical models to comprehend genome evolution at the population or species level, aiming to bridge evolutionary and ecological time scales and processes. He also explores the importance of random processes for disease epidemiology or human choices (for example in politics).
Editorial Note #4: Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach studied Political Science, Sociology, and History at the University of Wurzburg. In his PhD thesis, he developed a new approach for measuring cleavage structures in democracies. He is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher in Comparative Politics at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Wurzburg, Germany.
The Wildlife Shelf
Predators of North America
Dave Taylor
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9780228105930, $24.95, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Predators-North-America-Dave-Taylor/dp/0228105935
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/predators-of-north-america-dave-taylor/1016314429
Synopsis: Showcasing a season-by-season look at North America's most thrilling predator species, "Predators of North America" is an exciting volume of captioned full color photos taken by renowned wildlife photographer Dave Taylor and featuring more than 300 vividly remarkable images of North American predator species in their natural habitat, with informative captions that offer notes on each animal, its behavior, the role it plays within its local ecosystem, and where and when it can best be viewed.
Though "Predators of North America" focuses on the continent's hunters and their prey, it is also book about life, not death. It depicts the intricate web of living creatures (mammals, reptiles, fish and birds) who depend upon each other for their survival. Special attention is paid to key species such as the grizzly bear, black bear, wolf, coyote and red fox.
Like Dave Taylor's previous book, "Deer World", this trade paperback volume also follows the lives of animals through a calendar year, enabling photographers, naturalists, conservationists and hunters to use it as a guide to viewing species-specific seasonal events.
Critique: Original published in a hardcover edition (September, 2009), this newly published trade paperback edition (9 x 1 x 6 inches, 2.14 pounds) of "Predators of North America" from Firefly Books is an extraordinary volume of extraordinary wildlife photos that is fascinating to browse through one informative and fascinating image at a time. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, this new paperback edition of "Predators of North American" is a welcome and recommended pick for personal and professional reading lists, as well as highschool, community, and college/university Wildlife Photography collections and supplemental North American Wildlife curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Dave Taylor (https://www.davetaylorphotography.com) is a well-known wildlife photographer, author and educator. He is the author of over 35 books on wildlife and ecology. His previous books include Deer World and Black Bears: A Natural History. He regularly guides African photo-safaris and is currently the education program director for an urban-wild park in Mississauga, Ontario.
The Mathematics Shelf
I Wish They'd Taught Me That
Robin Pemantle and Julian Joseph Gould, authors
A. K. Peters / CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032870366, $250.00, HC, 346pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Theyd-Taught-That-Recreational/dp/1032870362
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-wish-theyd-taught-me-that-robin-pemantle/1147462567
Synopsis: Co-authored by mathematicians Robin Pemantle and Julian Joseph Gould, "I Wish They'd Taught Me That: Overlooked and Omitted Topics in Mathematics" specifically addresses the topics which every undergraduate mathematics student "should" know but has probably never encountered in the course of their classroom studies. These topics are not the ones which dominate every syllabus, but those magnificent secrets that are beautiful, useful and accessible but which are inexplicably hidden away from the mainstream curriculum.
Each chapter comprising "I Wish They'd Taught Me That: Overlooked and Omitted Topics in Mathematics" concerns a different topic which even graduate and post-graduate math students will almost certainly be unfamiliar with. This seminal and groundbreaking study is written in a lively, conversational style -- and by the end of each section the reader should will equipped with the knowledge to explore the area more fully elsewhere.
"I Wish They'd Taught Me That: Overlooked and Omitted Topics in Mathematics" covers: Topics from a variety of areas of mathematics, including geometry, logic, analysis, algebra, numerical analysis, and topology; Numerous examples, diagrams, and exercises; Collections of resources where an interested reader can learn more about each topic; and Nontechnical introductions to each chapter.
Critique: This hardcover edition from A. K. Peters/CRC Press of "I Wish They'd Taught Me That: Overlooked and Omitted Topics in Mathematics" by mathematicians Robin Pemantle and Julian Joseph Gould is an invaluable, exceptional, unique, and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, professional, and college/university library Algebraic Studies and Mathematics Analysis collections and supplemental Advanced Mathematics curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and dedicated mathematicians that "I Wish They'd Taught Me That: Overlooked and Omitted Topics in Mathematics" is also readily available in paperback (9781032870342, $39.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.39).
Editorial Note #1: Robin Pemantle received his PhD in 1988, spent three years on post-doctoral fellowships in Berkeley, Ithaca and Oregon State, most of the 1990's at UW-Madison, three years at Ohio State, and has been at Penn since 2003. Robin's research focuses on two areas. Within Probability Theory, the research concerns discrete probability models, including random graph theory, processes with reinforcement, statistical models and random walks. Robin has written several books and articles on mathematics education, most recently having published a book on K-12 education, with co-author Henri Picciotto, entitled, "There is No One Way to Teach Math." (Routledge, 2024). Most recently, he was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences as a member of the class of 2024.
Editorial Note #2: Julian Gould originally planned to study homotopy type theory, but his research took a turn toward applied algebraic topology and cellular sheaf theory. Before beginning his PhD, Julian worked as an associate quantitative analyst at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore. Julian's passion for teaching began during his freshman year at Johns Hopkins, tutoring the football team in economics. He has received multiple honors for his work in the classroom, including Penn's university-wide Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate Students. He serves as a Master TA in the Penn mathematics department and helps lead the annual training for first-time teaching assistants.
ZAG Handbook of Algebraic Geometry
Ivan Cheltsov and Jesus Martinez-Garcia, editors
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032260464, $220.00, HC, 911pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/ZAG-Handbook-Modern-Algebraic-Geometry/dp/1032260467
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zag-handbook-of-algebraic-geometry-ivan-cheltsov/1148431626
Synopsis: Collaborative compiled and co-edited by academicians Ivan Cheltsov and Jesus Martinez-Garcia, "The ZAG Handbook of Algebraic Geometry" provides an extensive collection of extended summaries of all the research talks given at the worldwide ZAG (Zoom Algebraic Geometry) Seminar, as well as contributed short notes.
Featuring contributions from all continents, from some of the most respected voices in the field, "The ZAG Handbook of Algebraic Geometry" is especially relevant for researchers in algebraic geometry and related fields who want to gain a comprehensive understanding of state-of-the-art research in algebraic geometry.
Featuring a showcase of the most important worldwide trends in algebraic geometry in recent years, plus over two hundred short summaries of state-of-the-art research in algebraic geometry accessible to other mathematicians, as well as a combination of contributions by renowned mathematicians, key researchers and new talent and links to recordings of hour-long presentations for each contribution, "The ZAG Handbook of Algebraic Geometry" is broad and wide-ranging, offering material suitable to multiple levels of readership: from advanced undergraduate students in mathematics to active specialized researchers.
Critique: This large format (7 x 1.94 x 10 inches) hardcover edition of "ZAG Handbook of Algebraic Geometry" is a unique, singularly and unreservedly recommended acquisition for college and university library Advanced Mathematics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and mathematicians that this hardcover edition of "ZAG Handbook of Algebraic Geometry" from CRC Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $156.75)
Editorial Note #1: Ivan Cheltsov is Professor at the University of Edinburgh, and his research interests include birational geometry and K-stability of Fano varieties. He is author of 3 books and 126 papers written together with 52 co-authors. Ivan has organized research meetings in Auckland, Beijing, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Fuerteventura, Istanbul, Levico Terme, London, Magadan, Melbourne, Moscow, New York, Oberwolfach, Pipa, Pohang, Easter Island, Shanghai, Sochi, Spitsbergen, Stony Brook, Sydney, Tianjin, Wakkanai, Vladivostok. Since 1995, Ivan is married to Elena Cheltsova: they have three children (Ivan, Fedor, Ekaterina) and cat Kuzya. Aside of Mathematics, Ivan enjoys traveling, reading and cycling his Brompton bicycle.
Editorial Note #2: Jesus Martinez-Garcia is Senior Lecturer in Pure Mathematics at the University of Essex (UK). He obtained his PhD at the University of Edinburgh in 2013 and has held research positions at the University of Bath (UK), Johns Hopkins University (US) and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics (Germany). His research is in algebraic geometry with special emphasis on birational geometry, moduli spaces, K-stability, Fano varieties and computational algebraic geometry. Martinez-Garcia has written one book, several research articles and two software packages and he has co-organized more than 10 research meetings, including the annual international conference AGGITatE as well as several research seminars.
The Cookbook Shelf
Eggs: All Day, Every Way
Tove Nilsson
Tra Publishing
www.trapublishing.com
9781962098335, $29.00, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Eggs-All-Every-Recipes-Techniques/dp/1962098338
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eggs-tove-nilsson/1147934801
Synopsis: How do you boil an egg so the yolk stays perfectly creamy? What causes it to coagulate? And what happens when you slowly whisk in oil? An ode to the egg in all its forms, with the publication of "Eggs: All Day, Every Way", Tove Nilsson cracks open the techniques and recipes that make the humble egg the most versatile ingredient in your kitchen.
"Eggs: All Day, Every Way" is a book solely focused on eggs. They play a starring role in some of the world's tastiest dishes: egg noodles, shakshuka, huevos rancheros, Scotch eggs, eggs Benedict, tea eggs, egg custard, and the classic French omelette -- perfectly smooth and firm on the outside, creamy and tender within.
"Eggs: All Day, Every Way" showcases and demonstrates the techniques and know-how and expertise required need to master these recipes ranging from boiled and poached eggs to souffles, ramen, and tartars. With dishes like these, you can, if you want, eat eggs with every meal. And you will!
Critique: With full color, full page photos of finished dishes throughout, "Eggs: All Day, Every Way" is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation. An ideal and unique resource for planning and executing egg themed menus suitable for any and all dining occasions both formal and informal, "Eggs: All Day, Every Way" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, family, and community library Specialized Cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Tove Nilsson is a chef and food writer. Ever since Tove ate her first huevos rancheros in New York, she has wanted to make a book about eggs. A listing of her books is available at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14545544.Tove_Nilsson
The Art and Science of Tempura
Takashi Nakagawa, technical director
Hidemi Sato and Mitosi Tsuchida, authors
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319123, $29.99, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Science-Tempura-Comprehensive-Ingredients/dp/4805319127
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-and-science-of-tempura-takashi-nakagawa/1146779114
Synopsis: Tempura is a Japanese cooking style in which seafood or vegetables are dipped in batter and deep-fried.
Chef Takashi Nakagawa has devoted his life to the art of making perfect tempura. He served a 17-year apprenticeship at the renowned Tempura Mikawa restaurant in Tokyo and for the past 20 years has been at the helm of his own restaurant, Tempura Nakagawa.
With the publication of "The Art and Science of Tempura: A Comprehensive Guide to Ingredients, Techniques and Equipment" its more than 400 gorgeous color photos and informative charts and diagrams, Nakagawa and his two co-authors, Hidemi Sato and Mitose Tsuchida present the full range of tempura recipes and techniques -- from the best ingredients to use to making the perfect tempura batter and how to fry each ingredient to perfection, as well as how to present your finished tempura as part of an elegant Japanese meal.
"The Art and Science of Tempura" provides a uniquely detailed look at the art of Japanese tempura, with specific sections on:
The history and development of tempura from its introduction to Japan by the Portuguese 500 years ago
A review of the key ingredients from vegetables, fish and seafood to oils and flours - and the importance of selecting and purchasing the correct ones
Methods used by professional tempura chefs to gut and clean fish and prepare vegetables
Pans, knives and other essential equipment - how to purchase, use and maintain them correctly
How to make the perfect batter and how to fry each ingredient under optimum conditions
Critique: Featuring detailed diagrams and charts that illustrate everything from the ways seafood changes when fried, to the importance of carefully controlling the temperature of frying oil. Whether you are a professional chef, a lover of Japanese cuisine, or an avid tempura fan, "The Art and Science of Tempura: A Comprehensive Guide to Ingredients, Techniques and Equipment" is Japanese cuisine instructional cookbook that will provide fascinating insights into the world of Japan's iconic national dish. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, and ideal for inspiring authentic and memorable Japanese themed menus, this large format (7.5 x 1.2 x 10 inches, 2.6 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Art and Science of Tempura" from Tuttle Publishing is especially recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library ethnic themed cookbook collections, it should be noted that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.19).
Editorial Note #1: Takashi Nakagawa aspired to become a chef since he was a child, and trained for 17 years beginning in 1987 at Tempura Mikawa, Tokyo. He opened his own restaurant, Tempura Nakagawa, in Tokyo's Tsukiji district in 2004. The restaurant is still going strong, and has gained a coveted entry in the Michelin Guide.
Editorial Note #2: Hidemi Sato is a trained dietician and holds a doctorate in food science. After graduating from Yokohama International University, she worked in the culinary equipment industry for nine years. She then completed her Masters and Ph.D. at Ochanomizu University. She has written several books on the topic of food science.
Editorial Note #3: Mitose Tsuchida graduated from Hiroshima University before receiving her doctorate from Ochanomizu University. She worked as an editor at the Japanese food magazines Speciality Cooking and Culinary Kingdom before becoming a freelancer. She writes and edits books and features on a wide variety of food subjects.
Clodagh's Happy Cooking
Clodagh McKennz
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing Group
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804193372, $29.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Clodaghs-Happy-Cooking-Healthy-Recipes/dp/1804193372
Clodagh's Happy Cooking features a hundred healthy, easy recipes for improving mood and focuses on balance of ingredients and nourishment that encourages maximum joy from both cooking and eating the results. From an author-invented Daily Happy Juice and Almost-Instant Orange Scones (which can be made in just ten minutes) to the cheery color of The Power Soup with Power Seed Sprinkle, made from spices, beans, cabbage, and a sprinkle of sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds, Clodagh's Happy Cooking is an appealing collection of delicious old and new recipes. It promotes hearty fare and an ease of preparation that cultivates joy in cooking and eating.
Full of Beans
Amelia Christie-Miller
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing Group
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804192979, $26.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bold-Beans-Full-Delicious-Recipes/dp/180419297X
Full of Beans: Delicious Beany Recipes to Obsess Over joins many other bean cookbooks on the market, but with a few differences. It gathers recipes by the Bold Bean Company that expands the bean cook's repertoire with such innovative recipes as Carlin Pea Stroganoff, Mediterranean Cod, Chorizo and Red Bean Stew, and Smoky Kimchi Beans with Crispy Tempeh Crumbles. These dishes and others are designed not just for the newcomer to bean cookery, but also for those who have bean cooking basics down pat, and are looking for innovative new bean dishes. Bright color photos accompany a wealth of bean recipes that won't be found in competing bean cookbooks, making Full of Beans a winner that succeeds in increasing bean cooking's possibilities.
The Jane Austen Recipe Book
Robert Tuesley Anderson
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing Group
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9790600639800, $12.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Austen-Recipe-Book-Afternoon/dp/0600639800
The Jane Austen Recipe Book is a collection of recipes for picnics and afternoon teas that's inspired by the works of Jane Austen, and will make the perfect gift for any literary cook. Fiction readers well know how food-infused are Austen's scenarios. This pocket-sized hardcover uses those descriptions to create some seventy Regency-era recipes suitable for modern times. Dishes include seeded oat crackers (Dr. Frederick Wentworth's Ship's Biscuits), Cassandra's Lobster and Asparagus, and sumptuous Strawberry and Lavender Shortcakes. Chapters are introduced with black and white illustrations. No color photos, but the easy recipes don't require them. The Jane Austen Recipe Book stands out as a fun attraction for its literary connections to Austen's novels even without color displays of finished results.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life
Jimmy Hawkins
Harper Horizon
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400255108, $19.99, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Its-Wonderful-Life-Inspirational/dp/1400255104
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-heart-of-its-a-wonderful-life-jimmy-hawkins/1147142505
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life: How the Most Inspirational Movie of All Time Still Inspires the Spirit", author and former actor Jimmy Hawkins helps us focus on the true meaning behind the classic holiday movie. It's not just the message or its many famous lines but rather the motivation behind the creation of the film and director Frank Capra's unrelenting vision for what it should be.
As a boy, Jimmy played George Bailey's youngest son, Tommy. And he has spent the eight decades since living out the heart of the story and becoming arguably the world's foremost expert on the movie. Filled with unpublished facts that the Jimmy has collected over the years about the cast and crew, "The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life: How the Most Inspirational Movie of All Time Still Inspires the Spirit" gives a clearer understanding of what they all brought to the scripted pages.
Through excerpts from the screenplay, never-before-seen photos, and a lifetime of friendship with both Frank Capra and the stars of the movie, Hawkins guides us to discover why this story still touches the spirit decades after its release. Because It's a Wonderful Life is not just George Bailey's or Frank Capra's story -- it's the story of all of us, and of many generations to come.
Critique: Offering a true 'insider' perspective, insights, and experiences, "The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life: How the Most Inspirational Movie of All Time Still Inspires the Spirit" is a unique and simply fascinating study of an iconic movie, the people who made it, and the impact it has had on generations of viewers. This hardcover edition of "The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life: How the Most Inspirational Movie of All Time Still Inspires the Spirit" from Harper Horizon is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, film buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life: How the Most Inspirational Movie of All Time Still Inspires the Spirit" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Jimmy Hawkins played Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed's son, Tommy Bailey, in the classic Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life, as well as appearing in over forty movies and more than three hundred TV shows. Along with his many other credits as producer, he produced the all-star television special for PBS based on the Lux Radio Theater's version of It's a Wonderful Life in celebration of its fiftieth anniversary. Jimmy is the author of five popular It's a Wonderful Life books and served on the advisory boards of the Jimmy Stewart Museum, the Donna Reed Foundation, and the Seneca Falls It's A Wonderful Life Museum. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/385857.Jimmy_Hawkins)
Bloody Broadway
Amnon Kabatchnik
https://amnonkabatchnik.com
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887718132, $45.00, HC, 446pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Broadway-Menace-Mystery-1900-1930/dp/B0FMX39G7V
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bloody-broadway-plays-of-menace-murder-and-mystery-volume-1-1900-1930-amnon -kabatchnik/1148076976
BearManor Media
https://www.bearmanormedia.com/products/bloody-broadway
Synopsis: The entity known as Broadway began with several stage contributions by the American playwright-actor-director William Gillette. Gillette's major success was Sherlock Holmes, a compilation of half-a-dozen short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle into a cohesive plot line. It played at Manhattan's Garrick Theatre, garnered positive reviews, and ran for 256 performances.
During the decade of 1900-1910, a number of prolific melodramatists whipped up various four-act plays featuring plays of crime and punishment populated by flamboyant villains, brawny heroes, and damsels in distress. Hal Reid's heroines went through dangerous cliffhangers. Clyde Fitch introduced elements that became hallmarks of detective fiction - the innocent party entrapped by circumstantial evidence as a murder suspect, the lack of alibi, and the sharp cross-examination of the suspect before the attorney of the defense agrees to take on the case.
In Owen Davis's Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Girl (1906), an inheritor of a fortune goes through a series of attempts on her life, by knives, pistols, and bombs. George M. Cohan set the frightening action of Seven Keys to Baldpate (1913) in a vacant lodge during a stormy night. Elmer Rice inserted in On Trial (1914) cinematic flashbacks to cover the events that preceded a murder trial. John Willard was hailed for the ingenious use of secret panels and sliding doors in The Cat and the Canary (1922).
Acts of crime began to emerge in the works of notable playwrights, albeit in a more subtle approach (August Strindberg, Maxim Gorky, Bertolt Brecht) providing psychological insights. From England came to Broadway plays of betrayal, violence, and detection by W. Somerset Maugham, J. B. Priestley, and Daphne du Maurier, followed by the French Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Jean Genet, the Hungarian Laszlo Fodor, the German Ernst Toller, the Spanish Garcia Lorca, and the Italian Ugo Betti.
Also, mixing their ink with blood were the American novelists Damon Runyon, James Baldwin, Arthur Miller, and William Faulkner, as well as the Nobel Prize winners Eugene O'Neil, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway.
The entries comprising "Bloody Broadway - Plays of Menace, Murder, and Mystery - Volume 1 1900-1930" are presented chronologically and include a plot synopsis, production data, opinions by critics, and biographical sketches of playwrights and key actors-directors.
Critique: "Bloody Broadway - Plays of Menace, Murder, and Mystery - Volume 1 1900-1930" by Professor Amon Kabatchnik is an extraordinarily comprehensive and meticulously research theatrical history for the first three decades of the 20th Century. An invaluable contribution to the history of the American theatre in general and the murder/crime themed theatrical plays in particular, this hardcover edition of "Bloody Broadway - Plays of Menace, Murder, and Mystery - Volume 1 1900-1930" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Drama 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 "Bloody Broadway - Plays of Menace, Murder, and Mystery - Volume 1 1900-1930" is also available in paperback (9798887718125, $35.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Amnon Kabatchnik (https://amnonkabatchnik.com), now retired, was the Professor of Theater at SUNY Binghamton, Stanford University, Ohio State University, and Elmira College. He directed numerous dramas, comedies, thrillers, and musicals in New York and across the United States. He is also the author of Sherlock Holmes on the Stage, Courtroom Dramas on the Stage, Horror on the Stage, Murder in the East End, as well as the seven-volume series, Blood on the Stage.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World
Ruth Shaw
Isis Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399195904, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 276pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399195904
Synopsis: "The Bookseller at the End of the World" described the first part of Ruth Shaw's tumultuous life, touching readers in powerful ways. It became an international bestseller, translated into eleven languages.
Now "Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World" picks up Ruth's story with more charming, heartbreaking, brave and funny tales. Having found the love of her life, Lance, she tells of their sailing adventures together, world travels, conservation efforts and their wee bookshops.
Life has never been easy for Ruth but, despite that, her memoir is full of extraordinary people and situations -- many of them being laugh-out-loud funny. Tales from the bookshops are interwoven with Ruth's story, along with expert book recommendations.
Written in Ruth's characteristic style, this is an absorbing memoir that traverses the highs and lows of a life lived to the full, creating another deeply satisfying read.
Critique: Of special and particular interest to readers who enjoy stories involving the writing, publishing, the operations and eccentricities of managing an independent book store (or bookshop as the English have it), the "Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World" will prove to be a deftly crafted, fun and informative read from start to finish. Of special appeal to dedicated bibliophiles (and anyone who has ever daydreamed of owning their own little bookstore), this large print paperback edition of "Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World" from Isis Books is especially recommended for personal and community library Contemporary and International Biography & Memoir collections.
Editorial Note: Ruth Shaw runs a cluster of three wee bookshops in remote Manapouri in the far south of New Zealand. She lives with her husband, Lance. In 2022 she published her first memoir, The Bookseller at the End of the World, which has since become a critically acclaimed national and international treasure. It has been translated into Italian, Dutch, German, Turkish, Chinese, Swedish, Russian, Slovakian, Korean, Spanish and Arabic. She is also the author of Bookshop Dogs.
My Ride Through Life
Anthony Beckwith
https://www.abeckwith.net
Independently Published
9798993108704, $9.99, PB, 228pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/My-Ride-Through-Life-Cambridge/dp/B0FV1JKDGJ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-ride-through-life-anthony-beckwith/1148424096
Synopsis: "My Ride Through Life: A Cambridge Kid Finds Identity in Dirt Lots, City Schools, and Reggae Beats" traces the family roots of Anthony Beckwith and follows the winding path of his early life, transporting the reader back to the world of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the 1960s and '70s, and navigating the neighborhoods of Boston in the 1980s and '90s.
Along the way, Anthony raises important and universal questions: How do our families and communities influence our views on race and rights, class and culture? In what ways do our curiosities and insecurities affect the direction we take in life? What aspects of our identities are essential to who we are?
In this fun, honest, and thought-provoking memoir, Anthony uses lively anecdotes and a conversational style to share his story and invite readers to reflect on the sources of their own identities. Insightful, warm, and full of unexpected turns, "My Ride Through Life" will resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds.
Critique: Deftly crafted, impressively insightful, candidly interesting, and with an impressive flair for the kind of storytelling style that is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style, organization and presentation, "My Ride Through Life: A Cambridge Kid Finds Identity in Dirt Lots, City Schools, and Reggae Beats" is an extraordinary life story that is a fascinating, thoughtful, and engaging 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 personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "My Ride Through Life" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Anthony Beckwith (https://www.abeckwith.net) spent decades as a high school teacher in Massachusetts and a keyboard player in reggae bands. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics and an Masters in Education. Beckwith is also an amateur genealogist and avid bicycler who lives in Arlington, Massachusetts with his wife and three cats.
Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights
Kathleen Spaltro
The University Press of Kentucky
www.kentuckypress.com
9781985903418, $40.00, HC, 312pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ethel-Barrymore-Empress-Footlights-Classics/dp/1985903415
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ethel-barrymore-kathleen-spaltro/1147033419
Synopsis: Born in Philadelphia in 1879, Ethel Barrymore would eventually prove herself a vital actor who was suited to radio, stage, and screen. After breaking out with Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines (1901), she performed in many plays, including Alice-Sit-by-the-Fire (1905), Declassee (1919), and The Corn Is Green (1943), before investing her energies in films such as The Spiral Staircase (1946) and Portrait of Jennie (1949). Barrymore ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in None but the Lonely Heart (1944) opposite Cary Grant. She knew Hollywood's fickle nature all too well, and she remained committed to the Drew and Barrymore stage acting legacy up until the time of her passing in 1959.
With the publication of "Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights" author and biographer Kathleen Spaltro emphasizes how Barrymore's career was born from "duty, not desire."
"Ethel Barrymore" traces Barrymore's story back to her Drew grandparents' emergence as a tour de force in nineteenth-century US theater. Along the way, Spaltro examines the multifaceted relationship the "First Lady of the American Theater" had with stardom, detailing such disappointments as having to relinquish her childhood dream of being a concert pianist in order to pursue acting.
Spaltro also pulls directly from interviews to illustrate how Barrymore, often misinterpreted as demure, was exhausted by the stage she so masterfully commanded.
With far more depth than a typical "rise and fall" narrative, this detailed biography of Ethel Barrymore paints an empathetic picture of the struggles Barrymore faced, from her ascension to stardom to her "abdication of the throne". Spaltro's comprehensive and nuanced approach recontextualizes Barrymore's career, showcasing just how much her dogged allegiance to the Drew-Barrymore legacy cost her.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, biographically detailed, and a work of meticulously, exhaustive research, "Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights" will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in 19th & 20th Century American Theater/Cinema history and biographies in general, and the Barrymore family of distinguished actors in particular. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Theatre/Cinema History and American Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights" from the University of Kentucky Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.00).
Editorial Note: Kathleen Spaltro is the author of :Lionel Barrymore: Character and Endurance in Hollywood's Golden Age" and "The Great Lie: The Creation of Mary Astor", as well as many biographical articles. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1030221.Kathleen_Spaltro)
Champagne Girl in a Budweiser Family
Suzanne Weerts
https://www.suzanneweerts.com
Independently Published
9798999497901, $5.99 eBook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Champagne-Girl-Budweiser-Family-Stories-ebook/dp/B0FQWJP2C7
Champagne Girl in a Budweiser Family: A Memoir in Stories is a memoir told in vignettes that chronicles the culture and trials of coming of age in the 1970s South. These tales from a simpler era held underlying, streamlined guidelines for girls of those times - which was all fine and good until a family experienced a rebel in their midst. Such was Suzanne Weerts, who details the music, atmosphere, and pastimes of a family in bygone times: "Daddy and Mom have made buckets from Maxwell House coffee tins with wire coat hangers, and we each grab one off the handlebars and begin filling the cans with blackberries, the dark purple juice dripping down our arms. Mom knew this would happen so she made sure we dressed in our oldest clothes."
The memoir helps readers understand the 1970s milieu from the perspective of both a child's eye and the seasoned hindsight of an adult writer. It captures moments of kindergarten, play, friendships, and fitting in (or not): "This was a tragic, heartbroken, miserable-but-supportive bunch, yet what were we supposed to say when they got to us? They were all one-upping each other with stories of flying plates and brandished weapons. We might have participated in a food fight with Planters Cheez Balls after over-indulging on some Boone's Farm Tickle Pink at the Lake Johnson dam, but no one got hurt. We didn't belong here."
From secret societies and buckets of fried chicken to learning to fire a gun at a party, recovering from emotional and physical setbacks, and interacting with the greater world outside of the town she was born in, Weerts presents her life as snapshots of experience that draw readers into the backdrop of her world and young wisdom. Libraries seeking memoirs that hold a firm foundation of place in general and the South in particular will welcome how vividly Champagne Girl in a Budweiser Family depicts the emotional growth and forays of not just the author, but everyone around her. Embellished with descriptive interactions and the satisfaction of humor juxtaposed with life lessons, the story embeds philosophical and social reflection in a simple, fun read that is hard to put down and filled with thought-provoking reflections: "Time flies and bands break up./Flashlights lose their juice./Friends lose touch./People die."
The General Fiction Shelf
Golden Girls on the Run
Judy Leigh
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781785132629, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 476pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781785132629
Synopsis: When octogenarian sisters-in-law Sadie and Bronagh find themselves at the centre of a scandalous (and slightly explosive) bake-off fiasco, there's only one thing to do -- steal Sadie's grandson's gleaming red Ferrari and make a run for it.
Sadie is the practical one, all cardigans and contingency plans. Bronagh treats rules as loose suggestions - especially if mischief or wine is involved.
What begins as a quick getaway across Ireland soon spirals into a wild, cross-country adventure filled with fake identities, unexpected friendships, and more than a few brushes with the law.
Sadie and Bronagh may be on the run, but what they find at the journey's end might just be what they were missing all along...
Critique: A fun and energetic read from cover to cover, "Golden Girls on the Run" by Judy Leigh is especially commended to the attention of readers with an interest in novels with a contemporary women's friendship theme. Memorable characters, unexpected plot twists, this large print paperback edition of "Golden Girls on the Run" from Boldwood Books is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Judy Leigh is a British author currently residing in the UK. After teaching theatre, writing lyrics for a punk band and setting up Shakespeare Festivals, she completed an MA in Professional Writing. Since then, she has been writing stories that feature characters of all ages, but focus on the lives of older people. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/judy-leigh)
Madness In Memphis
Patricia Gordon Stevens
https://www.patriciagordonstevens.com
Hembury Books
https://hemburybooks.com.au
9781923517400, $22.99, HC, 252pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Madness-Memphis-Patricia-Gordon-Stevens/dp/1923517406
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/madness-in-memphis-patricia-gordon-stevens/1148771116
Synopsis: Morgan Sage is a mother of two who has been divorced and remarried. She is savvy, bright, successful and sensitive and she loves her kids more than anything on Earth. She thought that bringing a man and a father figure into the fold of her family was just what they needed to be whole again. She had no idea that the man she delivered to her children would be a monster.
As Morgan faces her hardest battle yet and struggles to escape her predator, her mum, best mate, outstanding colleague and attorney stand beside her. She gets away, seeking refuge with the people who care about her.
However, the monster is not ready to let Morgan go and constantly shocks the people around her at the extremes he will go to cause terror. It is the day-to-day battles that prove to be harrowing. Everyone needs a safe place to nest; getting there is the unknown.
Critique: An original, crafted psychological thriller that is a simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Madness in Memphis" is all the more impressive when considering that it it author Patricia Gordon Stevens' debut as an author. Showcasing a distinctive and emotionally engaging style of narrative driven storytelling by Stevens, this hardcover edition of "Madness in Memphis" from Hembury Books is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community/public library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Madness in Memphis" is also readily available for personal reading lists in paperback (9781923517332, $21.30) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.83).
Editorial Note: Patricia Gordon Stevens (https://www.patriciagordonstevens.com) is a writer from Memphis Tennessee now living in South Australia with her British husband. She spends her time putting pen to paper in the beautiful, peaceful landscape between the Barossa and Clare Valleys. Her debut fictional novel, 'Madness in Memphis', exposes the reality of living with domestic violence and the challenges many women face when they attempt to escape.
Soft Launch: A Coming-of-Adulthood Novel
Sarah Vacchiano
https://www.sarahvacchiano.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662536908, $28.99, HC, 315pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Launch-Coming-Adulthood-Novel/dp/1662536909
Synopsis: When Sam walked herself down the aisle at the age of twenty-two, she never imagined wanting more than the life she had in that moment. Seven years later, with the ink still drying on both her law degree and her divorce papers, she arrives in Manhattan ready to start adulthood over and chase her dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer, determined to prove to herself that upending her life was worth it.
As Sam navigates the high-pressure world of Big Law (heady and demanding, and full of magnetic and powerful people) she finds an unexpected ally in her charming, supportive officemate, Charlie. But just as he begins to tear down the walls Sam has built around herself, she lands her first big client, a "Poker Princess" facing federal charges for running high-stakes games for Hollywood's elite, and discovers just how high stakes "fake it till you make it" can be when you've given up everything to become someone new.
Critique: With a deftly blended storyline of workplace romance and emotional self-realization, "Soft Launch" is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Sarah Vacchiano's debut as a novelist. Original, emotionally engaging, deftly crafted, and a simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Soft Launch", with its themed of starting over and finding yourself, is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Soft Launch" from Little A is also readily available in paperback (9781662536885, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah Vacchiano (https://www.sarahvacchiano.com) is an entertainment lawyer based in Los Angeles. A graduate of Duke Law School, she began her legal career as a litigator representing Molly Bloom (the subject of the Oscar-nominated biopic Molly's Game, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin) and other high-profile clients in the media and entertainment space. Sarah has also served as an adjunct professor of entertainment law at Duke and is a frequent guest lecturer for NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and Stern School of Business.
Loon Point
Carrie Classon
https://www.carrieclasson.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662530449, $16.99, PB, 284pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Loon-Point-Novel-Carrie-Classon/dp/1662530447
Synopsis: Alone in the Northwoods, Norry Last settles in for another springtime lull at the remote resort she inherited from her father. She's content with the solitude, maybe resigned. But when a blizzard hits, those little cabins by the lake start to fill up fast.
First to arrive is Lizzie, an eight-year-old with resilience and wisdom beyond her years, neglected by a mother struggling with addiction. Next comes Wendell, a cantankerous old fellow whose house collapses in the storm, the same way hope collapsed inside him long before. And then there's Bud, the helpful handyman who's always buzzing around, his kindness thawing something Norry thought she'd buried deep in the Minnesota snow.
As white melts to green, the Last Resort's unlikely companions learn to share space, stories, and quiet comforts -- an unexpected family that makes perfect sense. After all, Lizzie needs to be cared for. Wendell needs to care. Norry needs to open up. And Bud? Bud just might fix everything.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun and engaging read from start to finish, "Loon Point" is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Carrie Classon's debut as a novelist. Carefully scripted characters, interesting plot lines, and the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that raises her family life fiction themed novel to an impressive level of literary excellence, "Loon Point" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Loon Point" from Lake Union Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Carrie Classon (https://uptales.com/u/carrie-classon) is a performer and a nationally syndicated columnist with Andrews McMeel Universal. Born in Minnesota, she had a fourteen-year career in theater, performing in dozens of shows from Oregon to Maine. After founding and running a professional Equity theater for seven years, Carrie earned her MBA and began working in international business. She also holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of New Mexico and has written a memoir and over six hundred columns.
Singing to the Sun
Regina Rodriguez Sirvent, author
Beth Fowler, translator
Amazon Crossing
9781662532443, $16.99, PB, 431pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Singing-Sun-Regina-Rodr%C3%ADguez-Sirvent/dp/166253244X
Synopsis: After Rita Racons fails her college's required English course and her plans for a summer with friends are ruined, she loses all sense of direction. Until Rita heeds her free-spirited grandmother's advice to get off their roof terrace and go out and find her place in the world.
Boarding a plane from Barcelona to New York is just the beginning. Fate eventually lands Rita in Atlanta as an au pair with two questions: What is an au pair, and where the hell is Atlanta?
The Booklands, a cultured, well-read, picture-perfect American couple, have hopes that Rita will be up to the standards set by their three intellectually gifted children. She won't be. Entirely. But Rita can brush up on her English, the kids can refine their Spanish -- and what's more, during Rita's sometimes-chaotic stay in America, her charges will experience a life beyond books and privilege.
As for Rita, her grandmother's words have never sounded truer: "You don't go travelin' to escape. You go travelin' to find yourself." Rita is well on her way.
Critique: An original, fun, fascinating, absorbing, and deftly crafted novel from start to finish, "Singing to the Sun" by Regina Rodriguez Sirvent is aptly translated into English by Beth Fowler for an American readership. Part coming of age story and part contemporary romance, "Singing to the Sun", with its author's genuine flair for the kind of distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style is a strongly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction & Romance collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Singing to the Sun" from Amazon Crossings is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note #1: Regina Rodriguez Sirvent was born in Puigcerda, Spain. A graduate in psychology, Regina studied screenwriting at Escola Superior de Cinema and creative writing at Ateneu Barcelones. She has written for various newspapers and media outlets. Singing to the Sun, a literary sensation in Spain and winner of the L'Illa dels Llibres popular-vote award, is her first novel to be translated into English.
Editorial Note #2: Beth Fowler (https://www.transitbooks.org/beth-fowler) has been a translator since 2009, working from Spanish and Portuguese to English. She won the Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize in 2010, and her published translations include Open Door and Paradises by Iosi Havilio; Ten Women by Marcela Serrano; and We All Loved Cowboys by Carol Bensimon. She lives in the west of Scotland.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Cleansing
Victoria Alvear
https://vickyalvearshecter.com
Hypatia Press
https://www.hypatiapress.org
9781839196348, $14.99, PB, 318pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cleansing-Novel-Ancient-Rome-story/dp/1839196343
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cleansing-victoria-alvear/1148655937
Synopsis: Although a deftly crafted work of fiction, "The Cleansing" by Victoria Alvear is based on a true story. It does not take place in an enlightened Rome of myth. Rather, this is an empire dominating city choking on fear, where blood flows on both the battlefield and altar, and where generals and politicians alike are desperate to appease rageful gods.
When 50,000 Romans fall in a single day at the Battle of Cannae, priests claim there can be only one reason the gods abandoned Rome: a Vestal Virgin has broken her vow of chastity. And they accuse Opimia (Mia), the strongest, most defiant of the six sacred Vestal priestesses.
Forced as a child into serving Vesta, the goddess of fire, Mia has always chafed against Rome's control of her every move - - especially after being separated from her childhood love, Attius. Now, accused of a crime she did not commit, she must defend herself in a hostile court to avoid being buried alive for her "crime".
Betrayed by the high priestess, hunted by Rome's political and religious elite, Mia must either accept her fate -- or join with the Sybil of Cumae to expose the truth behind a world built on superstition, fear, and lies.
A story of personal awakening amid public catastrophe, "The Cleansing" is a haunting journey through a city at war with itself -- and a woman who risks everything to survive it.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted and a simply riveting read from cover to cover, "The Cleansing" will hold a very special attraction for readers with an interest in a suspense thriller set in an ancient Rome where the game of thrones is a blood sport -- and there's no guarantee of fairness or success.
With the publication of "The Cleansing", author Victoria Alvear reveals a genuine flair for the kind of eloquently descriptive attention, and narrative driven storytelling style that raises her historical thriller to an impressive level of literary excellence. While this hardcover edition of "The Cleansing" from Hypatia Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Victoria Alvear (https://vickyalvearshecter.com) is the author of multiple books set in or about the ancient world. She writes as Vicky Alvear Shecter for children and as Victoria Alvear for adults. A lifelong fascination with ancient history led to her first book credit when she co-wrote the (very) adult book Alexander the Fabulous: The Man Who Brought the World to Its Knees in 2004.
Heartache on West India Dock Road
Renita D'Silva
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836172857, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 416pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836172857
Synopsis: 1941 - Amid the bombs falling over London's East End, the residents of West India Dock Road endure wartime with courage, defiance and a good dose of humour.
From nights spent sheltering together in the Underground station to sharing gossip, pastimes and meals, they lean on each other as their world is turned upside down.
Since the bombing of her family's boarding house, Charity has held her loved ones together, and now, with her heart set on becoming a 'sugar girl' working for Tate & Lyle, she's determined to forge a new path, despite prejudice about her relationship with the Indian soldier she loves.
Her best friend Divya serves up warmth and spice in her beloved curry house, but is hiding a secret that grows more urgent with each passing day. What will happen when it is revealed?
Ruth is a newcomer, recently arrived from wartorn Europe and haunted by the atrocities she's experienced. On West India Dock Road she finds not just refuge but an unlikely family.
As heartache affects them all and bonds are tested, can these three women find hope and happiness, even in the darkest of times?
Critique: As an author, Renita D'Silva demonstrates and impressive eloquence and genuine flair for the kind of original and narrative driven storytelling that makes her novel, "Heartache on West India Dock Road" such an engaging and entertaining read from cover to cover. It should be noted that large print, trade paperback edition of "Heartache on West India Dock Road" is an exceptional and highly recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library Historical Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Renita D'Silva (https://www.renitadsilvabooks.com) loves stories both reading and creating them. Heartache on West India Dock Road, the third book in her historical saga series set on West India Dock Road. Her books have been translated into several languages. Her short stories have been published in The View from Here, Bartleby Snopes, this zine, Platinum Page, Paragraph Planet,
Ashes and Ruins
K. Lang Slattery
https://klangslattery.com
Pacific Bookworks
9798986201313, $19.98, PB, 408pp
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashes-and-ruins-k-lang-slattery/1148283684
Bookshop.org
https://bookshop.org/p/books/ashes-and-ruins-k-lang-slattery/35dfb50d54aa5c77
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Ruins-Love-Home-Front-ebook/dp/B0FQZ4Z693
Synopsis: After years in a loveless marriage, recently widowed Clara finds comfort in music and memory. But as life for Jewish families in Nazi Germany becomes more perilous, she discovers unexpected romance and a renewed sense of self.
Her daughter Edith, unwilling to endure further persecution, leaves her first love behind and escapes to England, stepping into the uncertain world of a WW2 era England.
Reunited just before the war begins, Clara and Edith rebuild their lives amid the dangers of a World War 2 homefront fiction, where emotional survival matters as much as physical safety. Will mother and daughter weather the stress of air raids, the mood swings of Edith's erratic husband, and the demands of house and childcare? Will their bond sustain them, or will it crack under the pressure of wartime traumas?
Critique: Of special note is that although a work of historical fiction, "Ashes and Ruins" by K. Lang Slattery is based on the true story of the author's own grandmother and aunt. Showcasing her impressive flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling that keeps her readers fully invested in this inherently fascinating and original novel from cover to cover, "Ashes and Ruins" offering a poignant blend of love & loss fiction, deep family ties, and everyday courage. Deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, and a simply compelling read from start to finish, "Ashes and Ruins" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Women's Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Ashes and Ruins" from Pacific Bookworks is also readily available in a digital format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: A listing of books by K. Lang Slattery is readily available online at Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13502735.K_Lang_Slattery).
The Star Society
Gabriella Saab
Harper Muse
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400351312, $32.99, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Star-Society-Historical-Novel/dp/1400351316
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-star-society-gabriella-saab/1147137182
Synopsis: A new name, a new country, and a coveted title as Hollywood's newest rising star: by 1946, actress Ada Worthington-Fox has discarded the life she left in war-torn Arnhem, where she worked for the Dutch resistance before Gestapo imprisonment prompted her to flee after release. But that life is thrust back into the spotlight when Ingrid (the sister she believed dead) shows up on her doorstep.
Politically-minded Ingrid escaped the Nazi invasion of Arnhem and fled to Washington, DC, where she became a private investigator. Now, she has been sent to root out Communist influences in Hollywood. Her target: Ada Worthington-Fox, the sister she long thought lost to her. Ingrid must hide her true purpose as she shields Ada from sneaky reporters, damaging rumors, and increasing threats, all while fighting to uncover which side her sister is truly on before Ingrid's efforts to help her are too late.
Yet, Ada has her own mission: locating the Gestapo agent who terrorized her hometown and bringing him to justice. But delving into her past would risk alerting the press to a life too personal to expose. As the rising fear of Communism threatens everyone, she turns to her sister, believing Ingrid's ties to Washington may be her only hope for success.
But the connections between Ada's elusive Nazi and Ingrid's Communist witch hunt might be stronger than they realize. Both sisters share the darkest secret of all, one that risks their very lives if ever exposed. As they come closer to identifying Ada's target and as Ingrid's investigation intensifies, they will need to decide what is more important: justice or safety, keeping silent or taking a stand, and, above all, if their loyalty to one another is worth risking the post-war lives they've fought to build.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by Gabriella Saab, "The Star Society" is a riveting read from start to finish and will hold a very special appeal to fans of WWII era themed historical fiction. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Star Society" from Harper Muse is also readily available in paperback (9781400351305, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Gabriella Saab (www.gabriellasaab.com) is an acclaimed author of historical fiction. Her first two novels, The Last Checkmate and Daughters of Victory, have been published in multiple languages and various countries. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of business administration in marketing and lives in her hometown in Alabama. Connect with her online at Instagram: @gabriellasaab_; Facebook: @GabriellaSaabAuthor; X: @GabriellaSaab_
The Other Moctezuma Girls
Sofia Robleda
https://sofiarobleda.com
Amazon Crossing
9781662532504, $16.99, PB, 349pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Other-Moctezuma-Girls-Novel/dp/1662532504
Synopsis: Tenochtitlan, 1551. Thirty years after the Spanish Conquest destroyed everything she loved, the last Aztec empress has passed and left behind a pristine yet tenuous legacy for her children. As her last will and testament is read out, her daughter Isabel suspects that another account of her mother's life may exist, hidden away, chapter by chapter, in the Valley of Mexico.
Following each clue, Isabel is determined to find out who her mother really was and to discover the secrets she buried in order to survive.
Joined by her siblings and a handsome young cook named Juan, Isabel embarks on a perilous journey to piece together the past -- a journey that will force the party to brave the brutal viceroyal court, face fearsome legends in mystical chinampas, and trek through desert, fire, and snow.
As Isabel's feelings for Juan grow, she confronts everything she thought she knew about her Spanish father, her empress mother, and herself. Facing everything from the tunnels of ancient pyramids to the summit of an active volcano, Isabel will meet every challenge to fulfill an epic quest for the truth.
Critique: Impressively original, featuring deftly crafted characters and an inherently fascinating, multifaceted storyline, "The Other Moctezuma Girls" by novelist Sofia Robleda will hold an immense attraction to readers with an interest in novels that are a blending of magical realism and indigenous themed historical fiction. Certain to be an extraordinarily enduring popular pick for community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Other Moctezuma Girls" from Amazon Crossing is also in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Sofia Robleda (www.sofiarobleda.com) is a Mexican writer and author of Daughter of Fire. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, and completed her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in psychology at the University of Queensland, Australia. She currently lives in the UK with her husband and son, and splits her time between writing, raising her son, and working as a psychologist, supporting people with brain injuries and neurological conditions.
Land of Dreams
Gian Sardar
https://www.giansardar.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662526800, $16.99, PB, 299pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Dreams-Novel-Gian-Sardar/dp/1662526806
Synopsis: It's 1933, and though the country is stuck in the Great Depression, movies are the ultimate escape. But Hollywood is skilled at selling lies, and nothing is as it seems.
Frankie Donnelly is scrappy, smart, and ambitious. Her knack for spinning any story into stellar publicity has made her an invaluable "fixer" at RCO Studios, where she works under the tutelage of powerful Nico Marconi. Frankie's latest fix is the upcoming marriage of Hollywood royals Jack Sawyer and June Finney, and millions of fans can't wait to see their favorite silver-screen lovers tie the knot. But Frankie knows the truth: The marriage is an artful cover for Jack and June's darkest secrets.
When a shocking murder occurs, allegiances fracture, the tabloids go wild, and a devastated public is left reeling. Frankie uncovers new layers of scandal and deception and is forced to choose which Hollywood player to protect and who to destroy. Now, more than ever, the country needs a happy ending -- but at what cost?
Critique: Original, exceptional, cleverly scripted, engaging, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Land of Dreams" by gifted author Gian Sardar is a deft blending of murder mystery and historical romance -- all set in a vividly portrayed 1930s yesteryear Hollywood. Certain to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular pick for both personal reading lists and community library Historical Mystery/Romance Fiction themed collections.
Editorial Note: Gian Sardar (www.giansardar.com) is the author of the novels Land of Dreams, When the World Goes Quiet, Take What You Can Carry, and You Were Here, and is the coauthor of the memoir Psychic Junkie. She studied creative writing at Loyola Marymount University, and her work has appeared in the New York Times and Confrontation Magazine and on Salon.com, among other places.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
The Bridge
Ashley N. Hudson
Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com
9798385255498, $38.00, HC, 226pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Ashley-N-Hudson/dp/B0FW8QB4W4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bridge-ashley-n-hudson/1148476417
Synopsis: When ten-year-old Ethan Russell loses his parents in a tragic accident, the world goes silent. Brilliant but nonverbal, Ethan does not cry. He does not scream. He builds. What begins as a machine to find his parents becomes a gateway into the unknown, pulling him into a realm suspended between life and death.
In this mysterious world of flickering shadows and whispering winds, Ethan meets a gentle guide who offers no easy answers. With logic as his compass and grief as his fuel, he must surrender control to discover a truth that cannot be measured or solved. A truth that healing, faith, and love remain possible, even when nothing makes sense.
Blending emotional realism with spiritual allegory, "The Bridge" is a deeply moving novel about guilt, grief, and grace. Told through the internal world of a neurodivergent child, it invites readers into a layered journey across memory, sorrow, and the unseen. As Ethan navigates the world he has built, he uncovers a truth greater than any theory: that even in silence, love speaks -- and even in loss, he is not alone.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted with an impressive level of literary excellence, "The Bridge" is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Ashley N. Hudson's debut as a novelist. Emotionally engaging, intellectually compelling, and dealing with eternal truths, metaphysical questions, and ultimate hopes, "The Bridge" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Bridge" from Wipf & Stock Publishers is also readily available in paperback (9798385255481, $23.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Ashley N. Hudson (https://www.ashleynhudson.com) is an award-recognized screenwriter, filmmaker, and professional stuntwoman with more than fifteen years of experience in film and television. Her work combines emotional depth with cinematic vision, often exploring the unseen truths that shape human experience. The Bridge is her debut novel and began as a screenplay -- and marks her transition into literary fiction.
The Hollywood Fix
Richard Kirshenbaum
https://www.northbayroadnovel.com
Post Hill Press
www.posthillpress.com
9798895652848, $21.00, HC, 400pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Fix-Richard-Kirshenbaum/dp/B0F316G1SB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hollywood-fix-richard-kirshenbaum/1147211234
Synopsis: During Hollywood's Golden Age, a destitute young man, Bartie Maddox, journeys to Los Angeles and, through his wits, hard work, and talent, becomes the PR fixer to the most important film studio and its studio chief, Solomon Myers. Through his experienced specialized lens, Bartie influences the lives and creation of some of the world's greatest stars: Duke Drake, Carroll Madison, Mirielle Montaigne, and the heiress, Grace Greystone, La Marquise de Faucigny, exposing how their images are created, managed, and intersect through the Great War and glamor of Tinseltown.
This masterful and sweeping novel by Richard Kirshenbaum, although a work of fiction, is based on true stories from the studio system era and PR machines which have not only created legends but exposed the dirty business of keeping the stars shiny and clean. Bartie's intricate fixes involve endless scandals of money, sex, captivating personas and even the cover-up of death. But in the end, Bartie's own studio fix becomes the greatest fix of all.
Critique: Deftly crafted, inherently fascinating, and a memorable read from start to finish, "The Hollywood Fix" showcases author Richard Kirshenbaum's originality and impressively flair for the kind of imaginative and narrative driven storytelling style that will keep the reader's full engagement and make it an enduringly popular pick for community library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Hollywood Fix" from Post Hill Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Richard Kirshenbaum (https://www.northbayroadnovel.com) is the author of "Isn't that Rich", "Rouge", and "North Bay Road". An accomplished entrepreneur and author, he has been inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame and has written comedy for the legendary Joan Rivers and Us Weekly's Fashion Police.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Fireworks at Pennycress Inn
Sarah Hope
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836174653, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 410pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836174653
Synopsis: After years of juggling teaching with volunteering, Polly is finally ready for a change. When she lands her dream job at Meadowfield Nature Reserve with the promise of a promotion in three months time she trades in the stress of the classroom for the beautiful autumn days of the Cotswolds countryside.
Pennycress Inn is the perfect base for her fresh start: charming, cosy and filled with friendly faces. But everything changes when Zac, her attractive but infuriating ex-colleague, arrives. He's here to take up a post at the reserve too and is also staying at the inn! Worse still, the promotion Polly was counting on is suddenly up for grabs and Zac's her biggest rival.
With three months to prove herself, Polly must navigate village life, unexpected emotions and a career-defining challenge. As tension simmers and fireworks fly, will Meadowfield become the place she truly finds where she belongs or will she be forced to walk away from everything she's dreamed of?
Critique: With the publication of "Fireworks at Pennycress Inn" it is clear that author Sarah Hope is a master of the romance genre and a gifted flair for the kind of storytelling style that keeps her readers fully engaged from start to finish. Original, clever, and a fun read from cover to cover, this large print trade paperback edition of "Fireworks at pennycress Inn" from Boldwood Books is an extraordinary and clearly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community/public library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted that "Fireworks at Pennycress Inn" is also available as a complete and unabridged CD or MP3-CD audio book ($100.95/$85.81).
Editorial Note: Sarah Hope (https://www.sarahhopeauthor.com) is the author of of five heartwarming and uplifting contemporary romance series. Her books are brimming with smalltown charm, quirky characters and Happy Ever Afters. From friends to lovers, second chance romance and enemies to lovers, you're bound to discover a book you fall in love with.
Mending Lost Dreams at the Highland Repair Shop
Kiley Bunbar
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836566779, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 478pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836566779
Synopsis: After a gruelling few years in city hospitals, trainee doctor Alice hopes a new, small-town post will bring quiet to her racing mind. Instead, she finds a place brimming with eccentricity and curiosity, and people who seem to see straight through her carefully controlled facade.
Murray has returned to his hometown with a broken heart and his tail between his legs. Volunteering at the family-run repair shop is meant to be temporary -- until a chance encounter starts to crack his emotional armour.
Meanwhile, mountain ranger Finlay lives for solitude and the wild and rugged scenery. But when a broken compass draws him reluctantly into town life, he finds himself pulled not just into a community project, but into the kind of tangled feelings he's spent a lifetime avoiding.
As a new garden is built and winter weather rages, lives will be patched, polished and set on entirely new courses. Can these lonely hearts be mended, and finally find happiness and love?
Critique: Now available for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, this deftly scripted, impressively original, and fully engaging novel by Kiley Dunbar is now readily available in a large print paperback edition from Boldwood Books. A fun and memorable read from cover to cover, it should be noted for dedicated romance fans that "Mending Lost Dreams at the Repair Shop" is also available as a complete and unabridged CD or MP3- CD audio book ($100.95/$85.81).
Editorial Note: Kiley Dunbar (http://www.kileydunbar.co.uk) writes uplifting romance novels centering radical kindness and community. She is a Scot over the border in North England and an academic with a doctorate degree.
Heirs and Graces at Highland Hall
Hannah Lynn
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836038726, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 342pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836038726
Synopsis: Rebecca Barker thought she'd left Highland Hall - and a certain brooding Scotsman - firmly in the past. Back in London, her life is orderly, focused and heartbreak-free. Long-distance love didn't work, and she's convinced it was the right call.
But when beloved laird Fergus passes away, his will contains one final surprise: a personal request for Bex to return to the Highlands and help settle his affairs. Reluctantly, Bex finds herself back at the estate that once felt like home. But returning means facing Duncan (her ex) and the sparks that never quite went out.
As they navigate old wounds, village gossip and Fergus's final wishes, it becomes clear that the unfinished business Bex must deal with in the Highlands isn't just her work. Can she keep things strictly professional this time? Or, with a big Burns Night party approaching, will the romantic Scottish air weave its magic once more?
Critique: Heartfelt and emotionally engaging, this large print paperback edition of "Heirs and Graces at Highland Hall" by Hannah Lynn is a delightfully fun read from start to finish. While very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition from Boldwood Books is also readily available as a complete and unabridged audio book in a CD and MP3-CD formats ($83.95/71.36).
Editorial Note: Hannah Lynn (https://www.hannahlynnauthor.com) is a multi award winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments - a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015. Her second book, The Afterlife of Walter Augustus - a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist - went on to win the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Best Adult Ebook. With over 20 publications spanning a number of genres and translated into half a dozen languages, Hannah has proven herself to be both an accomplished and prolific author.
Bluebird Gold
Devney Perry
https://devneyperry.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662536724, $16.99, PB, 319pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bluebird-Gold-Devney-Perry/dp/1662536720
Synopsis: Living in Dalton, Montana, was not what Ilsa had planned for this winter. But after her father's sudden death, she uprooted her life to move into his tiny lakeside cabin and settle his estate. Her friends told her to sell his place and move on. But this winter is Ilsa's chance to say goodbye. To remember a man who'd loved tales of Montana lore.
Taking a temporary teaching job seemed like the perfect way to keep herself busy on lonely days. Cleaning out the cabin should have been simple. Except the more she learn about her father's life, the more questions she had about his death.
The last thing Ilsa needed was a crush on Sheriff Cosi Raynes. Not only is his son Ilsa's student, but his life is rooted in Montana, while hers was headed... anywhere else.
Yet as Ilsa uncovered a trail of strange clues her father had left behind about a lost legend of Montana gold, staying away from Cosi is not an option.
Ilsa had come to Montana to bury the past. Now she finds herself falling for the man who might just be her future. And either Ilsa will solve this mystery, or the person in Dalton determined to hide the truth will make sure she dies trying.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and deftly scripted from start to finish, "Bluebird Gold" by experienced and prolific novelist Devney Perry is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community/public library Contemporary Romance collections. A prized pick for the personal reading lists of dedicated fans of romance laced with an on-going element of suspense, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Bluebird Gold" from Montlake is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Devney Perry (https://devneyperry.com) is the author of over fifty romance novels. A complete listing of her published novels is available online at Books Series in Order -- https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/devney-perry
The Slow Burn
Ali Rosen
https://ali-rosen.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662535963, $16.99, PB, 316pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Burn-Ali-Rosen/dp/1662535961
Synopsis: Between a breakup and a burned-down restaurant, there's nothing left in New York for Kit Roth except the ashes of her success.
Needing distance and distraction, she agrees to work for her best friend's pasta-making nonna in the Italian countryside. But instead of providing a quiet sabbatical to eat up time while her kitchen is rebuilt, the small town of Manciano keeps pulling Kit into its rituals and rhythms. And before long, it shows her everything she's been missing. Simpler cooking, community... and Nico Ruspoli, an olive oil producer with his own scorched past.
But with Kit determined to leave after three months, and Nico rooted to his grove, their growing chemistry is at odds with what they both want for their future.
Yet with each passing week, Kit finds herself measuring less and tasting more. And when it's time to go back to her life in New York, she doesn't know what (or who!) she's willing to leave behind.
Critique: A fun read from cover to cover for fans of contemporary romantic comedies, "Slow Burn" by Ali Rosen will prove to be a prized and enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community/public library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Slow Burn" from Montlake is also available to Rom-Com fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Ali Rosen (www.ali-rosen.com) is the author of four novels plus three cookbooks, including the bestselling 15 Minute Meals. She has been featured everywhere from The Today Show to The New York Times and has written for Bon Appetit, The Washington Post, and New York magazine. She can be connect with online at via Instagram @Ali_Rosen
Still Waters
Patricia Johns
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244186, $16.99, PB, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Still-Waters-Christian-Community-Shepherds/dp/0764244183
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/still-waters-patricia-johns/1147013283
Synopsis: Unsure of her future within the Amish community, Beth Peachy arrives in Lancaster County for the summer to care for her ailing grandmother. Yet with dementia threatening to steal away Mammi's memories, Beth's visit quickly evolves into an urgent search for answers to questions that her relatives seem determined to avoid. How can Beth possibly make a lifelong vow to the Amish church when her own family is concealing so much of the past from her?
Beth's childhood friend Danny Lapp faces his own dilemma as his ex-Amish older brother turns his back on their family upbringing, dishonoring his Plain heritage. Struggling to find some sort of connection with his brother despite their deep difference of opinion, Danny is determined to find a solution before church leadership becomes involved.
As Beth and Danny reconnect and seek to help each other in their search for answers, they find themselves stirring up not only surprising revelations about the past, but questions about a possible future -- together.
Critique: A perfect pick for fans of Amish romance stories, "Still Waters" by accomplished novelist Patricia Jones is original, engaging, and a fun read from cover to cover. Unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community library Contemporary Christian Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the legions of Patricia Jones fans that this paperback edition from Bethany House Publishers of her latest Amish/Mennonite novel is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Patricia Johns (www.PatriciaJohns.com) is the author of more than fifty books. She writes Amish fiction with tight communities, outspoken heroines, and the handsome men who fall in love with them.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Cougar Valley
David Whitehead
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444857061, $25.00/$21.25, Large Print, PB, 264pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444857061
Synopsis: "Cougar Valley is the story of three ill-matched hunters who rode into Redbird Valley, seeking both a savage cougar and a murderous man.
For Marshal Cord, it wasn't only duty, it was personal. Charlie Pearson had something to prove - and not only to himself. As for Jack Sumlock... well, he tagged along because the human quarry was his own grandson Reuben.
Up in the isolated high country, all three had to face their own demons. To make matters worse, while they fought among themselves, something unusual started to happen. Someone was hunting the hunters...
Critique: Deftly written, impressively original, cleverly scripted, and an inherently riveting read from first page to last, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library of "Cougar Valley" by novelist David Whitehead is an extraordinary story and a welcome addition to both community library Western Fiction collections and personal reading lists.
Editorial Note: A prolific writer, the western novels by David Whitehead are listed online at FantasicFiction. (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/david-whitehead).
Montana Gunsmoke
Carter West
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444857085, $25.00/$21.25, Large Print, PB, 224pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444857085
Synopsis: A desperate telegram from young Lane Jenkins brought Flint McKay north to Montana, where Randolph Billington was using every dirty trick in the book to take over the territory.
But what could Flint do about it? He was just an ageing drifter with failing eyesight. He had no home and no kin, just a horse, a saddle, and a pistol he'd won in a bunkhouse poker game.
To Lane, though, Flint was the only man who could stand up to the buzzards who'd killed his father...
Critique: A classic action/adventure set in the Old West, "Montana Gunsmoke" by Carter West is a thrill of a read from cover to cover. Deftly crafted, original, and the stuff of which western movies are made, this large print paperback edition of "Montana Gunsmoke" from Linford Western Library is a very highly commended addition to community/public library Western Fiction collections, as well as the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans.
Editorial Note: Carter West is also the author of "Apacheria" and "Lockwood's Law". (https://www.fictiondb.com/author/carter-west~30689.htm)
Storm in the Saddle
Matt Logan
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444857078, $25.00/$21.25, Large Print, PB, 264pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444857078
Synopsis: In the scorching summer of 1878 a bitter range war between the Stock Growers' Association, with its fifty-strong army of guns, and a handful of settlers threatens to blow Montana Territory sky-high.
The Association is slowly but surely winning, by stealing the settlers' stock, burning them out and shooting them down -- until Ash Colter happens along.
Colter really is the fastest gunfighter in the west, and the Association soon learns to its cost that you don't mess with the man they call the Gunsmoke Legend.
Critique: A perfect pick for fans of gunslinger action/adventure westerns by a true master of the genre, this large print paperback Linford Western Library edition of"Storm in the Saddle" by Matt Logan is a simply outstanding and iconic pick for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Matt Logan (https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL3575675A/Matt_Logan) is a pseudonym of David Whitehead, a British writer of westerns, science fiction, romance and thrillers.
Blood on the Tracks
Ben Bridges and Alfred Wallon, authors
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444857054, $25.00/$21.25, Large Print, PB, 272pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444857054
Synopsis: They came from all over -- those tough and courageous men who drove Union Pacific's railroad construction forward.
Their leader, General Jack Casement, had his work cut out for him when the crew reached Julesburg, a place full of shady characters who all wanted to take the railroad workers' hard-earned money away from them any way they could.
When the first deaths occurred, General Casement knew that something had to be done. Julesburg needed cleaning out. So he called his men together and they marched on the town...
Critique: Riveting, original, a true good guys vs bad guys western, "Blood on the Tracks" by co-authors Ben Bridges and Alfred Wallon is a fun read from cover to cover. This large print paperback edition of "Blood on the Tracks" from the Linford Western Library publishers is an extraordinary and highly recommended pick for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note #1: Ben Bridges (http://www.benbridges.co.uk) is a prolific author whose western novels are listed on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/683372.Ben_Bridges
Editorial Note #2: There is an extensive listing of books by Alfred Wallon available online at Goodreads. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5823413.Alfred_Wallon)
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Book Club Killer
Ross Greenwood
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836178057, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 490pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836178057
Synopsis: The annual December gathering of the local book club is usually a relaxed affair, a chance for old acquaintances to catch up. But this year, the convivial evening takes a sinister turn. Detective Inspector Barton is called to investigate and quickly uncovers a web of dark secrets and long-held resentments hidden beneath the club's friendly facade.
When murder is confirmed, Barton finds himself in a race against time to unmask the killer before they strike again. But with every clue he uncovers, the truth becomes more twisted than he could ever have imagined.
In a group where everyone knows everyone, trust is a dangerous game, and this cold-blooded killer is ready to fool them all!
Critique: Simply stated, author Ross Greenwood is a master storyteller and holds a special gift for creating riveting thrillers that hold the reader's rapt and total attention from first page to last. His latest novel, "The Book Club Killer" is fully comparable to the best of Agatha Christy or Conan Doyle. Deftly crafted and original, this large print, trade paperback edition of "The Book Club Killer" from Boldwood Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated 'whodunnit' mystery fans. It should be noted that "The Book Club Killer" is also available as a complete and unabridged CD and MP3-CD audio book ($107.95/91.76).
Editorial Note: There is an extensive listing of novels by Ross Greenwood online at Goodreads -- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7999731.Ross_Greenwood
The Don
Gillian Godden
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835614907, $42.00/$35.70, Large Print, PB, 453pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781835614907
Synopsis: Every crown is paid for in blood...
It's the final showdown for the Lambrianu family, but will bad boy Adam reclaim his birthright or will the family face their downfall once and for all?
Once dismissed as the family's spoiled playboy, Adam Lambrianu is done being underestimated. He's ready to prove he's no pretender. He's the heir. The boss. The Don.
But in the world of the Lambrianus, loyalty is fragile and betrayal is inevitable.
To reclaim the empire, Adam must show the underworld he's as ruthless as the man who raised him. Every alliance will be tested. Every weakness will be punished. And when the streets run red, only one truth remains -- power isn't given. It's taken.
Critique: A simply riveting read from first page to last, "The Don" by Gillian Godden is an extraordinarily original story of an organized crime family. Memorable characters, unexpected plot twists, and a cliff-hanger of a finale, "The Don" will hold immense appeal for readers with an interest in suspense thriller action in an extended organized crime scenario. This very special, large print, trade paperback edition of "The Don" will prove a welcome and prized addition to both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Gillian Godden (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/gillian-godden) is an author of Gangland Crime Books. The Lambrianu series (six books in all) and the Diamond Series. Diamond Geezer. Rough Diamonds. Queen of Diamonds and Forever Diamonds. Gold Digger and Fools Gold.
Avenging The Dead
R. T. Lund
Little Creek Press
https://littlecreekpress.com
9781969183041, $17.95, PB, 236pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Avenging-Dead-Lake-Superior-Mystery/dp/1969183047
Little Creek Press
https://littlecreekpress.com/product/avenging-the-dead-book-three-in-a-lake-superior-mystery-series
Synopsis: "Avenging The Dead" is the third title in author R. T. Lund's 'Lake Superior Mystery' series and addresses the cliffhangers and unresolved issues in the first to titles "Who Are You?" and "The Ghost" that now come to a head with sometimes deadly consequences.
"Avenging the Dead" is the final installment of a Lake Superior Trilogy and sees that Judge Robin Gildemeister's return to the North Shore creates a dilemma for Detective Lincoln Barnes when she learns the truth about the Kate Patterson murder, and she and Lake County Sheriff Sam MacDonald are confronted with new challenges from nefarious bankers, mysterious deaths on a Great Lakes cruise, and the evil machinations of a billionaire heiress.
In the end, Barnes is desperate to avenge a handful of victims, but the price of justice may be too high!
Critique: As documented by his Lake Superior Mystery series, author R. T. Lund has a genuine flair for originality and the kind of deftly crafted and narrative driven storytelling style that fully engages his readers from cover to cover. Clever, exceptional, memorable, "Avenging The Dead" is a simply riveting read and will prove to be a welcome and enduringly appreciated pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated suspense thriller fiction fans that this paperback edition of "Avenging The Dead" from Little Creek Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: R. Tl Lund (https://www.rtlundauthor.com) is a native of Duluth and a lifelong explorer of the North Shore of Lake Superior as a hiker, skier, kayaker and observer. A Minnesota mystery writer, Lund has always loved to write but didn't think he could make a living at it. He was right. Nonetheless, Avenging the Dead is his fifth novel and the third and final installment of his Lake Superior Trilogy.
Murder in Fifth Position
Lori Robbins
https://www.lorirobbins.com
Level Best Books
https://www.levelbestbooks.us
9798898200718, $17.95, PB, 268pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Fifth-Position-Pointe-Mystery/dp/B0FZF6J2C5
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-fifth-position-lori-robbins/1148655695
Synopsis: Ballerina Leah Siderova has a lot in common with Superman. They both wear tights, perform for a fickle crowd, and worry about the state of the world. Unfortunately, only one of them can fly. And he wasn't available the night Leland Vanderhof fell sixteen stories from his penthouse apartment to the pavement below.
The scene of the crime was a glittering party, where two hundred dressed-to-kill guests gathered to celebrate three finalists for the Vanderhof Prize for Choreography. All profess shock at the tragic end of Leland's life. One of them knows exactly how it happened.
A second murder and a mysterious disappearance (or two) are bad enough. But when her extremely significant other, homicide detective Jonah Sobol, shows up with a glam new partner, Leah has to come up with a whole new set of moves.
Can Leah find the killer, get the guy, win the prize, and rescue her career?
Critique: Original, clever, deftly crafted with memorable characters and with a fully engaging cozy mystery style plot, "Murder in Fifth Position" is the fifth title in author/novelist Lori Robbins' On Pointe Mystery series and a fun read from cover to cover. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections in general, and cozy mystery fan personal reading lists in particular, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Murder in Fifth Position" is also currently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Editorial Note: Lori Robbins (https://www.lorirobbins.com) is the author of the On Pointe and Master Class mystery series and a contributor to The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers Cookbook. She is also the recipient of three Silver Falchion Awards, the Indie Award for Best Mystery, and a silver medal in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Mystery and Suspense.
Edge
Tracy Clark
https://tracyclarkbooks.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662517358, $16.99, PB, 332pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Detective-Harriet-Foster-Tracy-Clark/dp/1662517351
Synopsis: Chicago's finest are scouring the city for a tainted new opioid making the rounds, but they're coming up empty. With five people already dead (a college kid, a new mother, and three poker players) all they really know is the drug's name: Edge. Where it's coming from is still anyone's guess.
Detective Harriet Foster doesn't have time for guessing games. She needs answers. And when the next overdose hits Homicide where it hurts most, Harri is determined to get what she wants. But keeping her eyes squarely on the prize proves harder than expected.
Still reeling from her last case (and the stain of suspicion it left on her career), Harriet finds herself at a tipping point. The drug isn't the only edge she needs to worry about. If she can't come back from her own, there's no telling whether this investigation will lead to a satisfying conclusion... or her own demise.
Critique: An original, cleverly scripted, and simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Edge" by novelist Tracy Clark is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fans of action packed police procedural mysteries feature a female detective that this paperback edition of "Edge" from Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Tracy Clark (https://tracyclarkbooks.com) is the author of the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery and Detective Harriet Foster series, award-winning books that feature tough, smart, Black female characters working the mean streets of the Windy City. Her debut novel, Broken Places, was CrimeReads' Best New PI Book of 2018 and made Library Journal's Best Crime Fiction list that same year. A finalist for Anthony, Lefty, Macavity, Edgar, and Shamus Awards, Tracy has won two G. P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Awards and one Sara Paretsky Award. She is a proud member of Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime and sits on boards at Bouchercon and the Midwest Mystery Conference.
Watch Us Fall
Christina Kovac
Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781501141720, $28.00, HC, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Us-Fall-Christina-Kovac/dp/1501141724
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/watch-us-fall-christina-kovac/1146889567
Synopsis: Lucy and her three best friends share a glamorous but decaying house in the heart of Georgetown. They call themselves "the Sweeties" and live an idyllic post-grad lifestyle complete with exciting jobs, dramatic love lives, and, most importantly, each other.
But when Addie, the group's queen bee, discovers that her ex-boyfriend Josh has gone missing, the Sweeties' worlds are turned upside down. In the days leading up to his disappearance, Josh, a star investigative journalist from a prominent political family, was behaving erratically -- and Lucy is determined to find out why. All four friends upend their lives to search for him, but detectives begin to suspect that the Sweeties might know more than they're letting on.
As the investigation unfolds, Lucy's obsession with the case reaches a boiling point, and with it, her own troubling secrets begin bubbling to the surface of her carefully curated life.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, reader engaging, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Watch Us Fall" by author Christina Kovac is a absorbing mystery of psychological suspense. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Watch Us Fall" from Simon & Schuster is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9781668100059, $34.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Christina Kovac (https://christinakovac.com) is also the author of The Cutaway. She worked for seventeen years managing Washington, DC, newsrooms and producing crime and political stories in the District. Her career as a television journalist began with Fox Five's Ten O'Clock News, and after that, the ABC affiliate in Washington and then at NBC news.
A Field Guide to Murder
Michelle Cullen
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892424622, $29.99, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Murder-Novel/dp/B0F6MKQCMB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-field-guide-to-murder-michelle-l-cullen/1147348102
Synopsis: Once a globe-trotting anthropologist, Harry Lancaster is now certain that all his grand adventures are behind him. Recently widowed and suffering from a fractured hip, Harry spends his days and nights behind a pair of binoculars, nose-deep in his neighbors' affairs. His millennial caregiver, Emma, is determined to get him out of his armchair and back into the world.
Fate intervenes when Harry's mysterious neighbor, Sue, phones, pleading for help. But instead of rescuing her, Harry and Emma find Sue dead: poisoned, days after a break-in at Sue's house. Harry resolves to find out what happened, and Emma insists on going along for the ride.
Together, they discover motives and suspects abound in Harry's quaint condominium community... putting them both in the crosshairs of a cold-blooded killer.
Readers of Kristen Perrin and Deanna Raybourn will be charmed by this quirky, cross-generational murder mystery.
Critique: An original, cross-generational, deftly crafted, murder mystery by an author with a genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that fully engages the reader from start to finish, "A Field Guide to Murder" by Michelle Cullen is an extraordinary and inherently fascinating read. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery buffs that this hardcover edition of "A Field Guide to Murder" from Crooked Lane Books is also easily available in paperback (9798892424639, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Michelle L. Cullen (https://mlcullen.com) has lived, traveled, and studied all over the world: from working as a bilingual secretary in Paris; to backpacking around Europe, Central America, and Southern Africa; to helping rebuild communities after war throughout Africa, East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific. She earned her master's degree in anthropology at Melbourne University in Australia and her PhD in sociology at the London School of Economics in England. She currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where she's either doing yoga, playing outside, or plotting murder.
A Grave Deception
Connie Berry
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892422093, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Grave-Deception-Kate-Hamilton-Mystery/dp/B0DZWRRFCD
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-grave-deception-connie-berry/1147464277
Synopsis: Kate Hamilton and her husband, Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, have settled into married life in Long Barston. When archaeologists excavating the ruins of a nearby plague village discover the miraculously preserved body of a fourteenth-century woman, Kate and her colleague, Ivor Tweedy, are asked to appraise the grave goods, including a valuable pearl. When tests reveal the woman was pregnant and murdered, the owner of the estate on which the body was found, an amateur historian, asks Kate to identify her and, if possible, her killer. Surprised, Kate agrees to try.
Meanwhile, tensions within the archaeological team erupt when the body of the lead archaeologist turns up at the dig site with fake pearls in his mouth and stomach. Then a third body is found in the excavations. While Kate's husband Tom is tracking the movements of a killer of his own.
With the help of 700-year-old documents and the unpublished research of a deceased historian, Kate must piece together the past before the grave count reaches four.
Critique: The sixth title in novelist Connie Berry's outstanding Kate Hamilton cozy mystery series, "A Grave Deception" is an original and riveting read from cover to cover that features an amateur female sleuth who is married to a British detective. An original and simply riveting read from start to finish, as well as a 'must' for all dedicated cozy mystery fans, "A Grave Deception" will prove to be an immensely popular pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that this hardcover edition of "A Grave Deception" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in paperback (9798892422932, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Connie Berry (https://connieberry.com) is the author of the Kate Hamilton mysteries, which is a series of cozy mysteries set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Like her protagonist, Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, and travel. In 2019 Connie won the IPPY Gold Medal for Mystery and was a finalist for the Agatha Award's Best Debut. She is also a member of Mystery Writers of America and serves on the board of the Guppies and her local Sisters in Crime chapter.
The Devil in the Details
Vicki Delany
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892422116, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Details-Sherlock-Bookshop-Mystery/dp/B0F3W68CSY
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-devil-in-the-details-vicki-delany/1147464374
Synopsis: Gemma Doyle is excited about celebrating Jayne Wilson's big day. It's supposed to mark not only the birthday of Jayne, her partner in crime, but also that of the Great Detective himself. Following the festivities at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, Gemma heads for the Blue Water Cafe, the site of Jayne's party. To make things even better, Jayne's wedding is only a week away.
But the much-anticipated affair quickly turns to disaster with the presence of the bride and groom's respective exes in attendance and other unruly guests. With drama at every corner, Gemma and Jayne take a break on the chilly deck overlooking the ocean when they spot the body of a party attendee floating in the water below.
As Detective Ryan Ashburton takes a closer look at the guest list, Jayne's wedding is in peril, especially when it is revealed that her fiance, Andy, is a prime suspect. With the police closing in and more lives on the line, it's up to Gemma to keep Andy from prison and save Jayne's wedding day from ruin.
Critique: "The Devil in the Details" is a classic cozy mystery 'starring' an amateur female sleuth having to solve a puzzling 'whodunnit' murder mystery if a friend is to be saved from a crime he didn't do! Author and storyteller Vicki Delany is a true master of the cozy mystery genre and her latest novel, "The Devil in the Details" is a fun read from cover to cover. Unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of cozy mystery fans that this hardcover edition of "The Devil in the Details" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Vicki Delany (https://vickidelany.com) is one of Canada's most prolific and varied crime writers. She has written more than fifty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals to historical fiction to novellas for adult literacy. She is also a past chair of the Crime Writers of Canada, as well as cofounder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. She is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
A Deadly Clue
Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892422154, $29.99, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Clue-Hunter-Clewe-Mystery/dp/B0F6MKQJSD
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-deadly-clue-victoria-gilbert/1147464287
Synopsis: Cameron Clewe and Jane Hunter, lovers of all things bookish, are slowly cataloging Cam's private collection of first edition books acquired from the deceased patriarch of the wealthy Stewart family. When Jane finds a note from Kimberly Stewart Ward, one of the daughters of the Stewart patriarch - who supposedly committed suicide - she discovers someone was actually targeting her with the intention of killing her.
Jane and Cam decide to look into the supposedly closed case, but their investigation becomes urgent when another member of the Stewart family is found dead from a drug overdose. The victim's friends claim he'd been clean and sober for years and refuse to accept the cause of death.
Believing both cases to be connected, Jane and Cam are determined to solve them before any other direct heirs of the family are targeted.
Critique: The growing legion of author Victoria Gilbert fans will be excited to learn that Hunter and Clewe are back in "A Deadly Clue", the third title in the simply outstanding Hunter and Clewe mystery series from Crooked Lane Press. For Hunter and Clewe, when a closed case is reopened after another member of a prominent family is murdered, it becomes a matter of separating genuine clues from red herrings in a true cozy mystery approaching to solving still another puzzling 'whodunnit'. A fun, original, and deftly crafted novel from start to finish, "A Deadly Clue" is unreservedly recommended as a prized pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all cozy mystery fans that this hardcover edition of "A Deadly Clue" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Raised in a historic small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Victoria Gilbert turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. Now retired after over thirty years in the library field, she's worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and university library director. Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library mystery series, the Booklover's B&B mystery series, and the Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/victoria-gilbert)
Behind These Four Walls
Yasmin Angoe
https://yasminangoe.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662529696, $28.99, HC, 367pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Behind-These-Four-Walls-Novel/dp/1662529694
Synopsis: Isla Thorne had a rough start in life. Orphaned young, she spent her formative years in a group home where she met her best friend, Eden Galloway. At sixteen, they decide to run away to LA... but Eden never makes it.
It's been ten years since Eden vanished. And Isla's determined to find her.
She begins at the last place Eden visited: the Corrigan mansion in Virginia. Eden claimed to have unfinished business there. Posing as an aspiring journalist, Isla insinuates herself into the wealthy family's home and begins searching for the truth.
The more she digs, the more Isla discovers Eden isn't who she thought she was. Was she even a victim, or did Eden plan this all along? Desperate for answers and to keep her identity hidden, Isla finds an ally in one of the Corrigan sons. But as she wades deeper into this power-hungry family's secrets and lies, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a bloodline that's more lethal than loyal.
Critique: As a novelist, in her novel "Behind These Four Walls", Yasmin Angoe demonstrates a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that keeps the reader totally engaged from first page to last. A novel of suspense and mystery, "Behind These Four Walls" will be especially appreciated by fans of deftly crafted psychological thrillers. While a highly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Behind These Four Walls" from Thomas & Mercer is also available in paperback (9781662529672, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Yasmin Angoe (https://yasminangoe.com) is also the author of Her Name Is Knight. She has served in education for nearly twenty years and works as a developmental editor. Yasmin received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, was a Goodreads 2024 People's Choice nominee for Mystery & Thriller, and was a finalist for the Library of Virginia's People's Choice Award for Fiction. She's a member of several organizations like Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.
The Water Lies
Amy Meyerson
www.amymeyerson.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662531972, $28.99, HC, 347pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Lies-Amy-Meyerson/dp/1662531974
Synopsis: Heavily pregnant with her second child, Tessa Irons has enough on her mind without her toddler throwing tantrums at the local coffee shop. The boy is inconsolable, shouting "Gigi!" to a woman Tessa's never seen before -- and never will again. Because the next morning, the woman's body is dredged up from the canal outside the Ironses' posh Venice Beach home, and Tessa's gut tells her it's no coincidence.
Barb Geller refuses to believe that her daughter's death was just some drunken accident. She heads to California for answers, where she crosses paths with Tessa. Together they hunt for the truth, certain they'll find a connection between their children.
But the police don't believe them. Tessa's husband dismisses her worries as pregnancy jitters, and even though people are always watching along the canals, no one saw a thing. Tessa and Barb only have each other, their intuition, and the creeping sense of danger that grows with every shocking revelation.
Critique: An original, deftly crafted, and inherently fascinating read that will be immensely appreciated by the legions of psychological thriller and murder mystery fans, "The Water Lies" by novelist Amy Meyerson is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community and public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Water Lies" from Thomas & Mercer is also available in paperback (9781662531989, $16.99) and currently in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Amy Meyerson (www.amymeyerson.com) is the author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays, The Imperfects, and The Love Scribe. Her books have been translated into eleven languages and are frequently chosen for best-of lists, including lists from Good Morning America, Publishers Weekly, The Christian Science Monitor, Library Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Texas Library Association's Lariat List, among others. Meyerson completed her graduate work in creative writing at the University of Southern California, where she now teaches in the writing department.
The Final Score
Don Winslow
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063450424, $30.00, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Final-Score-Thrillers-Back_Revealing-Betrayal/dp/0063450429
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-final-score-don-winslow/1147047543
Synopsis: The multi-million-dollar casino heist is impossible -- it can't be done. And that's just what makes it irresistible to a legendary robber facing the rest of his life in prison for his "Final Score."
An ambitious, hard-working college-bound teenager has a side job delivering illegal booze to "The Sunday List" until a crooked cop, a seductive customer, and a fake guru threaten to end his dreams.
Two wise guys tell each other a "True Story" over breakfast at a diner. It's all bullshit and laughs until someone else has to pick up the check.
An otherwise honest patrolman has to make an excruciating choice between his loyalty to the job and his love for a ne'er-do-well cousin in "The North Wing."
The entitled, substance-addicted movie star that surfer/PI Boone Daniels and his crew are hired to babysit in "The Lunch Break" is a problem.
She also has a problem -- someone wants her dead.
Finally, the one terrible, momentary mistake that a devoted family man makes sends him to prison and on a "Collision" course between the man he wants to be and the killer he's forced to become to survive.
"The Final Score" is a propulsive, perceptive, and deeply immersive book of crime fiction and the ultimate testament to novelist Don Winslow's prowess as a living legend of the genre.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an exceptionally compelling read from start to finish, "The Final Score" is a 'must read' pick for the growing legions of dedicated Don Winslow fans and a perfect introduction to this master of the suspense/thriller genre for those new to his work. A riveting, fascinating, and fun, "The Final Score" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Final Score" from William Morrow & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and in a large print edition (9780063475915, $34.00, 416pp).
Editorial Note: Don Winslow (https://www.donwinslow.com) is the author of twenty-six novels (Savages, The Kings of Cool, The Cartel, The Force, The Border, City on Fire, City of Dreams and City in Ruins). He has also written a series of award-winning short stories for Audible narrated by four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris. A former investigator, anti-terrorist trainer and trial consultant, Winslow lives in California and Rhode Island.
Two Bodies Are Better Than One
Erica Ruth Neubauer
https://ericaruthneubauer.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662535949, $16.99, PB, 347pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bodies-Better-Lorraine-Highsmith-Mysteries/dp/1662535945
Synopsis: Until 1989, the wildest thing to happen in the sleepy town of Sheboygan Bay was surfers catching waves on frigid Lake Michigan. Then one summer morning, Lorraine Highsmith wakes up to find a corpse on her lawn.
Detective Michaela "Mike" Zenoni is on the case immediately, eager to make a name for herself in a male-dominated precinct. And Lorraine is close behind -- as the local advice columnist, she's always looking for a scoop.
What they don't know is that Lorraine once had ties to the mob, and those connections could be coming back to haunt her. A recent transplant to Wisconsin, she keeps her past shrouded in mystery, and she'd like to keep it that way.
Mike might be working with her to find the killer, but Lorraine knows that alliances can change on a dime. She needs to get ahead of this story... no matter who's trying to put an end to hers.
Critique: As an author of suspense thriller mysteries, Erica Ruth Neubauer has a very special and genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven, laced with gallows humor, and imaginatively clever storytelling style that keeps the reader's fully engaged attention throughout. A fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, "Two Bodies Are Better Than One" is an unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans that this trade paperback edition of "Two Bodies Are Better Than One" from Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Erica Ruth Neubauer (https://ericaruthneubauer.com) is the Agatha Award winning author of the Jane Wunderly Mystery series. She spent eleven years in the military, nearly two as a Maryland police officer, and one as a high school English teacher before finding her way as a writer. For several years, she was a reviewer of mysteries and crime fiction for publications such as Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene magazine. She is currently a member of the Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America organizations. Erica Ruth lives outside Madison, Wisconsin, although her heart will always be in Milwaukee.
Enigma Girl
Henry Porter
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802164438, $27.00, HC, 448pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Enigma-Girl-Henry-Porter/dp/0802164439
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/enigma-girl-henry-porter/1145543161
Synopsis: Slim Parsons is all but burned. When her last deep-cover job for MI5 ended with a life-and-death struggle on a private jet, she went on the run from her deadly target -- a conniving businessman and money launderer codenamed "Hagfish." Now she's back at home, in hiding from her angry bosses in the Security Service, who have accused her of being overly violent and unsuitable for the role of an MI5 operative.
But after several months off the grid, Slim is called back to another job named Operation Linesman -- where she is asked to infiltrate a news website Middle Kingdom whose explosive articles clearly show that they've hacked into the most high-security government databases. She accepts the assignment on condition that the Security Service searches for her missing brother.
But Linesman turns out to be anything but simple. Slim uncovers a curious connection between the Middle Kingdom hackers and the legendary Bletchley Park codebreakers. Her new colleagues are becoming suspicious of her intentions, and Hagfish is out for revenge and threatening MI5 itself as it all comes together in a shocking crescendo.
And all the while she is being watched by someone even deeper in the shadows than she is.
Critique: A riveting suspense thriller of a read from cover to cover, "The Enigma Girl" showcases author Henry Porter's genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven, plot twisting, pulse-pounding action adventure storytelling that will be of special appeal to fans of political and espionage themed novels. While very highly recommended as a popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Enigma Girl" from Atlantic Monthly Press is also readily available in paperback (Atlantic Crime, 9780802166548, $17.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.16).
Editorial Note: Henry Porter has written eight internationally bestselling thrillers, including Brandenburg Gate, which won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and The Bell Ringers, which was also nominated for the award. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/henry-porter)
Dark Dream / Sleep, My Love
Robert Martin, author
Gary Warren Niebuhr, introduction
Stark House Crime Classics
c/o Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886011043, $19.95, PB, 340pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Dream-Sleep-My-Love/dp/B0DHJDF1BQ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-dream-sleep-my-love-robert-martin/1146319104
Synopsis: DARK DREAM
Agency detective Jim Bennett is sent to Wheatville at the request of lawyer Sam Algood. Someone is taking potshots at Allgood on the golf course and he'd like to know who it is. While Bennett is investigating the golfing situation, he is also hired by Pete Donati, owner of Armand's Beauty Salon. Someone is sabotaging his curling process and burning his customer's heads. Between the two cases (and in spite of Allgood's flirtatious wife) Bennett figures to have an easy week of it, wrapping things up in no time. Then he meets the beautiful but scarred Marianne, Donati's wife and the real power behind Armand's. A man might very well murder for her. And in no time at all, someone does.
SLEEP, MY LOVE
Detective Jim Bennett is saddened to hear about his best friends' divorce. He'd grown up with Dan and Kay. On the rebound, Dan marries a gold-digger named Louette. It's not a happy marriage. In fact, Dan confesses that he came home early and caught her with another man, and roughed him up. But when he and Dan go back to his apartment, they find Louette with a knife in her chest. And Dan becomes the only suspect. Then Bennett finds himself entangled in another crime when he receives a desperate plea for help from Dan's womanizing boss, Roger Quinn, whose lover is murdered in their hotel room. Both men claim innocence. But the odds are against at least one of them.
Critique: Two time lost mysteries by the late Robert Martin (October 16, 1908 - February 1, 1976) have now been brought back into print (and under one cover) for a new generation of appreciative readers in the Stark House Crime Classics series. This two story sampling of the kind of crime novels that were Martin's particular style will leave fully entertained readers wanting to seek out other titles by this master of the genre. Of special note is the informative Introduction provided by crime fiction enthusiast, Gary Warren Niebuhr. While especially commended for community and public library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated crime novel fans that this paperback edition of "Dark Dream / Sleep, My Love" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note #1: Robert Lee Martin wrote 23 detective novels between 1951 and 1964, including the Jim Bennett series under his own name, and various other mysteries as by "Lee Roberts".
Editorial Note #2: Gary Warren Niebuhr (https://www.garywarrenniebuhr.com/author) is an author, artist, photographer, and holds a Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Amoran
Debra Koehler
https://www.debrakoehler.net
Crescent Place Press
9798990742901, $15.99, PB, 422pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Amoran-Contemporary-Fantasy-Romance-Chronicles/dp/B0FS1ZWKDM
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amoran-debra-koehler/1148370788
Synopsis: Kerrin Scott's life juggling work and family may be hectic, and she might occasionally forget about a school bake sale, but there's no way she could overlook an alternate life. And saving the world? Seriously? She barely has time to get the laundry done! Getting sucked through a portal in her family room was definitely not on her To Do List.
But when it happens, she finds herself on Amoran, where the vortex Guardians insist she's crucial to rescuing the Seventh Vortex from implosion before it crushes both worlds. They stretch time so Kerrin can make secret, daily trips to Amoran during her lunch hours to prepare for her perilous role.
But ping-ponging between dimensions wreaks havoc on her Earth life, upends her sense of self, and leaves her wondering if her real home is the one where it only rains at midnight, flowers are sentient, boats run on thought, and Love is paramount. And then there is the one Guardian she is increasingly drawn to -- who is doing his best to avoid her and their complicated cosmic history.
Last month, her biggest problem was being cut off in the school pick-up line. Now she's on a deadline to face-off a spiraling tunnel of energy which could end her life -- or worse!
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Amoran" is the first title in author Debra Koehler's new science fiction and fantasy series 'The Amoran Chronicles'. With a genuine flair for the kind of imaginative and humor laced storytelling that will appeal to fans of fantasy, romance, and unlikely heroines drafted to save the universe, "Amoran" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Amoran" from the Crescent Place Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Debra Koehler (https://www.debrakoehler.net) is a member of the California Writers Club and the Authors Guild. She also writes songs, poems, and the occasional memoir piece, and has been published in the anthology Vintage Voices and the poetry anthology And the Beats Go On.
Maiden Tomb
Cynthia Sally Haggard, et al.
https://cynthiasallyhaggard.com
Independently Published
9798276909875, $15.99, HC, 298pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Tomb-stranger-sisters-imprisonment/dp/B0DNXKZ8NV
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maiden-tomb-cynthia-haggard/1147422505
Synopsis: Bone-weary war veteran Nobody just wants to return home to his wife. He's really not interested in a gaggle of teenaged girls who are angling for a husband.
Sixteen-year-old Justice isn't looking for a marriage partner either. She just wants to release her sisters from her Father's imprisonment in his tallest tower. The easiest way would be to find suitors for them.
However, that is not so easy, for Justice's elder sisters are strange. What with All-Gifted's madness, Protectress's hair writhing with snakes, Death-Bringer's grief (not to mention her strange name), Shining's too-overt sexuality, Maiden's tart tongue, Shadow's crippling shyness, no sensible man would want her sisters as wives. Which leaves Justice, the seventh daughter, the one who possesses a quiet authority.
It's been a long time since Nobody last saw his wife. But things keep happening to prevent him from going home. The latest obstacle is when he blunders into a mystery about King Silver-Tongued's twelve daughters, who mysteriously disappear each night only to reappear at dawn with their slippers in shreds.
Nobody is really not interested in any of this. But he needs the King's favor to give him money so that he can buy passage on a ship to get home. But will King Silver-tongued actually help? A strange attraction to one of the King's daughters keeps him lingering in Sikelia, despite the fact that he is old enough to be her father...
Justice has noticed the admiration in Lord Nobody's eyes. Recently, he even proclaimed his undying love for her. But what does he really want? And doesn't he have a wife already?
Critique: Book 1 of the new 'Twelve Cursed Maidens' fantasy series by Cynthia Sally Haggard, "Maiden Tomb: Would you marry a stranger to free your sisters from imprisonment?" is an impressively well written and thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover. Certain to be of immense interest to dedicated fans of fairytale inspired historical and romantic fantasy, "Maiden Tomb" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Maiden Tomb" is also readily available in paperback (9798341210417, $9.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Cynthia Sally Haggard (https://cynthiasallyhaggard.com) graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University, Cambridge MA, in June 2015. Her first publication, Thwarted Queen, the true story behind Season One of "Game of Thrones" won the 2021 IPPY Gold Medal for audiobook. Her second publication, a series of four novellas that forms, The Grace Miller series, a Cinderella-ish tale with not-so-charming princes who inhabit the edgy setting of 1920s Berlin, won the 2021 Independent Press Award for Women's Fiction. Her third publication is another series of four novellas that forms The Twelve Cursed Maidens series, a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses folk tale, with elements of Greek Mythology woven in.
The People's Library
Veronica G. Henry
www.veronicahenry.net
47 North
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662520297, $16.99, PB, 303pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Library-Veronica-G-Henry/dp/1662520298
Synopsis: Echo London never wanted to be the curator of the People's Library, a digital collection of human consciousness. But when she's assigned as its head librarian, Echo is entrusted with humanity's greatest minds and historical figures, all of whom have been recreated through controversial consciousness-capturing technology that lets visitors interact with the dead.
But an anti-tech rebellion is stirring. When a rebel attack results in tragedy, a mysterious woman wearing an ancient death mask leaves behind cryptic final words for Echo: It all begins with nothing. Caught between the resistance and a potentially virtual evolution, Echo begins to fear that there's more to her job than meets the eye and the mind. There are secrets here. And the People's Library may be less of a promise of things to come than a warning of the danger that lurks beneath the surface. Now the fate of humanity lies in uncovering the truth.
Critique: Original, imaginatively clever, a fun read from cover to cover, and one that will hold a special attraction for deftly crafted science fiction, "The People's Library" is an extraordinary and memorable story by Veronica G. Henry, whose dramatic, eloquent, and narrative driven storytelling style elevates her science fiction novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that this paperback edition of "The People's Library" from 47 North is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Veronica G. Henry (www.veronicahenry.net) is also the author of Bacchanal, The Quarter Storm and The Foreign Exchange in the Mambo Reina series, and The Canopy Keeper (a Silver Falchion Award finalist) and A Breathless Sky in the Scorched Earth series. Her work has She is a Viable Paradise alum and a member of SFWA and Crime Writers of Color (CWoC). Her stories have appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Many Worlds, and FIYAH literary magazine.
Midnight Somewhere: A Short-Story Collection
Johnny Compton
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9798228364790, $29.99, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Somewhere-Short-Story-Johnny-Compton/dp/B0FBBYBGCY
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-somewhere-johnny-compton/1147504830
Synopsis: "Midnight Somewhere" is comprised of horror fantasy short stories by Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Johnny Compton. The stories include:
A man gets into a car that can take him anywhere he can imagine--including the past, into the worst mistake of his life, a memory he does not want to relive, cannot escape, and is even more afraid to alter...
A seemingly harmless, forgettable film about "alien hand syndrome" inspires a wave of self-harm among viewers--and even stranger things among those who become obsessed with it ...
A woman tries to bring her dead lover to life through a macabre ritual that requires attacking his corpse. Is it because she longs to be with him again... or because the two of them have unfinished business?
All the assorted characters in this thrilling collection encounter horrors that range from mysterious to murderous, discovering that darkness can find anyone, anywhere, at any hour of the day. After all, it's always Midnight Somewhere...
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a riveting read from cover to cover, "Midnight Somewhere: A Short-Story Collection" showcases author/storyteller Johnny Compton's impressively imaginative, exceptional, and narrative driven style. Especially and unrservedly recommended for both the personal reading lists of dedicated supernatural horror fantasy fans, and community library Occult/Horror Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Midnight Somewhere" from Blackstone Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (9798228364851, $35.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Johnny Compton (https://johnnycompton.com) is also the author of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated The Spite House. His short stories have appeared in PseudoPod, Strange Horizons, The NoSleep Podcast, and many other outlets. He is a Horror Writers Association member and creator and host of the podcast Healthy Fears.
Baen Books
www.baen.com
Two new Baen titles are solid picks furthering the careers of notable writers, and are highly recommended for libraries that have enjoyed patron interest in prior books.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Jungle-Shadows-Path-Book-ebook/dp/B0FBMNRV3Y
John Ringo works with Casey Moores in Welcome to the Jungle (9781668072899, $28.00), an explosive story of Michael Edwards, who was raised in a dangerous inner city and has developed streetwise smarts combined with unusual abilities to survive his world. All these influences saved him once: now he's back in New York City to claim his inheritance, facing down The Society, an evil force which runs most of the world. Used to not just surviving, but winning, can teenage Michael pose a formidable threat to such a pervasive, powerful enemy? Nonstop urban action makes this story a winner.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Challenges-Worlds-Honor-Weber-David/dp/1668072955
David Weber's Challenges: Tales From the Earliest Days of the Star Kingdom (9781668072950, $30.00) adds the eighth book to the Worlds of Honor series and is especially recommended for prior fans, offering a collection of new short stories by Weber, Marisa Wolf, and other Baen authors. Combat action and top characterization run hand in hand as Honor Harrington and others face the People's Republic of Haven and other forces, learning how to both ally with them and defy them in unusual ways. Both are action-packed winners.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Sailing Alone Around the World
Joshua Slocum, author
Jon Buller, illustrator
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001833, $30.00, HC, 160pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/B0FM7L32HS
Fantagraphics
https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/sailing-alone-around-the-world
Synopsis: In April of 1895, Captain Slocum took off from Boston aboard a 36 foot wooden sloop that he renovated himself and proceeded to sail around the world (a three-year voyage of more than 46,000 miles!), thereby becoming the first person to single-handedly circle the globe.
Upon his return, he wrote a memoir of his voyage recounting his adventures including hair-raising encounters with pirates off Gibraltar, raging tempests, and treacherous coral reefs, and more.
All of which are brought to vivid graphic life in the pages of "Sailing Alone Around the World" by the B/W illustrations of cartoonist Jon Buller.
Critique: "Sailing Alone Around the World" is cartoonist Jon Buller's truly impressive and inherently fascinating B/W graphic novel adaptation of Joshua Slocum's eponymous memoir of his 19th Century voyage around the world in an era of wooden boats manned by men of iron. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99), this hardcover edition of "Sailing Alone Around the World" from Fantagraphics is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community and college/university library graphic novel style Biography/Memoir and Marine History themed collections.
Editorial Note #1: Jon Buller has created over thirty children's books with his wife, Susan Schade, and illustrated several by other writers. His interest in drawing was first sparked by comics, and their career has gradually turned towards graphic novels for younger readers, including the Anne Of Green Bagels and The Fog Mound series, and Scarlett: Star On The Run. This is their first comic book/graphic novel for adults.
DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
Bobbi JG Weiss & John Lustig, authors
Cosme Quartieri & Ruben Torreiro, illustrators
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875000959, $34.99, HC, 212pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/DuckTales-Treasure-Disney-Afternoon-Adventures/dp/B0DMCXLBCB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ducktales-bobbi-jg-weiss/1146531892
Synopsis: "DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp" is the one-and-only graphic novel adaptation of DuckTales: The Movie.
Uncle Scrooge's quest for Collie Baba's treasure gives Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby a genie of their own... but wicked wizard Merlock wants the magic and power for himself, and he'll stop at nothing to get it!
Then Baloo, Becky, and the TaleSpin crew seek their own lost treasure beyond "The Gates of Shambhala" -- not knowing Don Karnage and the Air Pirates have joined the expedition in disguise!
And in "Watts the Problem," supercharged scoundrel Megavolt becomes a human battery... sucking the power out of St. Canard! Can Darkwing and Launchpad pull the plug? All this and Gummi Bears, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Goof Troop too!
Critique: Featuring full-color illustrations throughout, this large format hardcover edition of "DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp" from Fantagraphics is a 'must' for the legions of Disney fans in general, Uncle Scrooge enthusiasts in particular. A fun and funny read from cover to cover, "DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a high priority pick for personal and community library Comics/Graphic Novel collections for readers of all ages. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note #1: Bobbi JG Weiss (https://www.weisswriters.com/about), is a pop culture writer and a children's author who has written hundreds of books and comics featuring Disney, Warner Bros., and DreamWorks properties.
Editorial Note #2: John Lustig (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lustig), has written outrageously silly comics for Marvel, Viz, and more. In addition to writing Disney comics for 25 years, Lustig is best known for his Last Kiss comics, which feature vintage romance art with witty new dialogue.
Editorial Note #3: Cosme Quartieri is an Argentine cartoonist and colorist who created Disney comics and contributed to Disney Adventures magazine throughout the 1990s. (https://www.lambiek.net/artists/q/quartieri_cosme.htm)
Editorial Note #4: Artist Ruben Torreiro was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has worked for decades as an inker and occasional pencil artist on Disney and Looney Tunes properties for DC, Egmont, and others. (https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/torreiro_ruben.htm)
Disney Epic Mickey: The Comics Collection
Peter David, et al.
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875000966, $29.99, HC, 176pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Disney-Epic-Mickey-Collection-Originals/dp/B0DLZBF39J
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disney-epic-mickey-peter-david/1146513388
Synopsis: With the publication of "Disney Epic Mickey: The Comics Collection", Mickey Mouse fans can dive into graphic novel re-tellings of the video game classics Epic Mickey and Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two -- and the "Tales of Wasteland" miniseries that came first! Readers will fully enjoy joining Mickey Mouse for wild thrills in Wasteland, a parallel Disney world where Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Gremlin Gus are the big stars... and Donald Duck, Daisy, and Goofy are animatronics!
Mickey unwittingly upends Oswald's world by accidentally unleashing the Shadow Blot -- a monstrous, magical version of Mouseton's Phantom Blot. Can Mickey join forces with Oswald to defeat this colossus and its minions... or will the shady Mad Doctor and an entire family of Peg Leg Petes drive them apart?
With full color illustrations throughout, comics legend Peter David (The Incredible Hulk, X-Factor, The Little Mermaid, Star Trek novels) and Italian Disney artists Claudio Sciarrone (Duck Avenger), Paolo Mottura, and Fabrizio Petrossi bring us an amazing series of Wasteland adventures!
Critique: A 'must' for the legions of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse fans, this large format (7.8 x 0.7 x 10.6 inches, 1.6 pounds) hardcover edition of "Disney Epic Mickey: The Comics Collection" from Fantagraphics is truly extraordinary and a fun read from cover to cover. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99), "Disney Epic Mickey: The Comics Collection" by the team of author/storyteller Peter David and illustrators Paolo Mottura, Claudio Sciarrone and Fabrizo Petrossi is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal, community, and college/university library Disney themed graphic novel collections.
Editorial Note #1: Peter David is the author of numerous Star Trek novels. David is also well known for his comic book work, particularly his award-winning run on The Incredible Hulk. He recently authored the novelizations of multiple Spider-Man and Hulk motion pictures. He is famed among Disney comics fans for his Epic Mickey and Little Mermaid comics adaptations.
Editorial Note #2: Paolo Mottura, born in Pinerolo, Italy, began drawing for Disney comics in 1989. He is best known for the X-Mickey supernatural adventure series, numerous Duck Avenger adventures, and other stories drawn in an engrossing, modern style at once futuristic and gothic.
Editorial Note #3: Claudio Sciarrone is among the most celebrated modern Italian Disney comics artists. He is especially noted for his work on Duck Avenger and W.I.T.C.H. stories, for which he pioneered a detail-rich, cutting-edge style.
Editorial Note #4: Fabrizio Petrossi is a celebrated Disney comics artist. Starting with work in 1993 for The Walt Disney Company Italia, Petrossi has drawn for French, Nordic, and American publishers. In 2004, Petrossi teamed with writer David Gerstein to create the official comics adaptation of the feature film Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers.
Petra Cherie
Attilio Micheluzzi, author
Jamie Richards, translator
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001048, $34.99, HC, 312pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ch%C3%A9rie-Fantagraphics-Attilio-Micheluzzi-Library/dp/B0DKH8QPPG
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/petra-cherie-attilio-micheluzzi/1146479432
Synopsis: Set during World War I and originally published in serial format from 1977-1982, Petra Cherie follows the adventures of Petra De Karlowitz, "Cherie" to creator Attilio Micheluzzi, who addresses her throughout the book. Born to a Polish businessman and the most beautiful woman in Paris, raised in Canton, China, and now based in neutral Holland, she is a spy who answers only to herself. Evoking but cleverly eschewing stereotypes of the femme fatale, Petra is equally at home in the cockpit of an airplane and behind the wheel of a motorcar. More than that, she is an endlessly fascinating enigma and one of the most iconic characters in Italian comics.
In short, thrilling tales across sky, sea, and land, zipping from Northern Europe to Mitteleuropa, from the Balkans to the Bosphorus to the nascent Soviet Union, Micheluzzi grapples with an era when Europe's borders were in flux and battle lines were often blurred. Petra steps in where national allegiances come into conflict with our common humanity.
Attilio Micheluzzi was an architect by training who grew up between Istria, Libya, and Naples, brings his international experiences and his keen sense of perspective to his work. In the tradition of the Corto Maltese adventures and stylish look of Guido Crepax's Valentina, Petra Cherie was prepared in collaboration with the author's daughter Agnese Micheluzzi.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership, this large format (8.3 x 1.2 x 10.8 inches, 2.85 pounds) hardcover edition of the late Attilio Micheluzzi's massive graphic novel "Petra Cherie" from Fantagraphics is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library historical fiction and biographical fiction themed graphic novel collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Petra Cherie" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note #1: Attilio Micheluzzi (1930-1990) was an Italian comics artist. In the early 1970s, in 1972 he started collaborating with the magazine Corriere dei Piccoli, often under the pen name Igor Arzbajeff. Among the best-known comics created by Micheluzzi, there were the science fiction series Roy Mann, with texts by Tiziano Sclavi, and the adventure series Petra Cherie and Johnny Focus. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attilio_Micheluzzi)
Editorial Note #2: Jamie Richards (http://www.richwords.net) is an Italian-to-English translator from Southern California currently based in Milan, Italy. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Literary Translation from the University of Iowa.
Shadows of the Sea
Cathy Malkasian
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001376, $24.99, HC, 168pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Sea-Cathy-Malkasian/dp/B0DXSSLMVN
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-the-sea-cathy-malkasian/1147029165
Synopsis: On the lonely road meet two outcasts - Doris, a small but spitfire woman and Stanwick, a shy and sensitive dog. Each of this unlikely pair harbors grief, and must decide whether to stay with the pain or run from it. On their journey, the two travel through lush forests, to the eerily abandoned town of echoes, clear to the "mudder" sea, where they finally confront the unbearable trauma of their pasts.
Cartoonist Cathy Malkasian's graphic novels are known to be crafted with layered, affecting allegory and metaphor, and "Shadows of the Sea" is no exception. In this story, shadows become characters themselves, weighed down with painful truth. They cannot be released until their owners acknowledge, reflect, and heal. Charged by the magic of the "mudder" sea, the shadows reveal the loss Doris and Stanwick have been carrying (a husband and a child) and sets them free at last.
Critique: Original, engaging, deftly crafted, "Shadows of the Silence" by storyteller and illustrator Cathy Malkasian is an extraordinary, compelling, and simply fascinating read from start to finish. A masterpiece of graphic novel storytelling, "Shadows of the Silence" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted for fantasy graphic novel fans that this hardcover edition of "Shadows of the Silence" is also readily available from Fantagraphics in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Cathy Malkasian (https://www.percygloom.com) is an animation director and cartoonist. Her credits include Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys film (for which she received a British Academy Award nomination), and most recently, over 20 episodes of Curious George for PBS since 2008. Fantagraphics has released several of her graphic novels including Percy Gloom (2007), Temperance (2010), Eartha (2017), and NoBody Likes You, Greta Grump (2021).
The Audiobook Shelf
Death In Ambush
Susan Gilruth, author
Charlotte Strevens, narrator
Soundings Audio Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399194105, $107.95/$91.76, 9 CDs (8 Hours 36 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399194105
Synopsis: In a tranquil Kentish village, Dr Sandys and his wife are preparing for Christmas with their guest, Liane 'Lee' Crauford. Festivities start badly when their party is spoiled by an enigmatic widow new to the village, and the atmosphere hits rock bottom when the pompous local nobleman and ceramic-collector Sir Henry Metcalfe unexpectedly dies.
Sensing potential villains among Metcalfe's circle, Lee teams up with Detective-Inspector Hugh Gordon to discover the killer playing merry hell with her holiday.
Critique: A 'lost Christmas' murder mystery by Susan Gilruth, "Death in Ambush" is a deftly crafted cozy mystery featuring an amateur female sleuth having to make her way through an extraordinary series of clues and 'red herrings' in a vividly narrated audio book edition by vocal actress Charlotte Strevens is non-stop audio book entertainment at its very best. A fun, 'theatre of the mind' experience from start to finish, this complete and unabridged CD audio book edition of "Death in Ambush" is also available in an MP3-CD format, and highly recommended for both personal and community library Mystery/Suspense Audio Book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Susan Gilruth was the pen name used by the English writer Susannah Margaret Godley (1911-1992) for her seven crime and detective novels published between 1951 and 1963. While her 1956 novel A Corpse for Charybdis was adapted for the radio and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1968 and The Snake is Living Yet (1963) was reprinted in a Japanese series alongside titles by Michael Innes and E. C. R. Lorac in the 2000s, her books have become rare collector's items, and her stories gems to be rediscovered by a new readership.
Editorial Note #2: Charlotte Strevens (https://www.cstrevens.com) is a UK-based audiobook narrator and voice artist, with a career spanning over 400 audiobook titles.
The Algernon Blackwood BBC Radio Collection
Algernon Blackwood, author
Full Cast of Narrators
BBC Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781529985498, $126.95/$107.91, 11 CDs (12 Hours 10 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781529985498
Synopsis: "The Algernon Blackwood BBC Radio Collection" is comprised of radio play productions of strange and fantastical tales from Algernon Blackwood, plus bonus documentaries
Throughout his lifetime, Blackwood wrote 14 novels, several children's books, a number of plays, and over 200 short stories. This anthology opens with a selection of stories featuring his most influential character, occult detective Dr John Silence.
It is followed by four chilling dramatisations starring Malcolm Hayes as Silence. In The Nemesis of Fire, the psychic doctor investigates eldritch events at an English manor house; while Secret Worship is a chilling tale of haunting and evil in a Bavarian forest. A wilderness trip turns terrifying in The Camp of the Dog, and in The Empty Sleeve, a virtuoso violinist's desire for a rare instrument has dire consequences.
Next up are three gripping standalone dramas: The Decoy (starring George Baker and Susan Jameson); Keeping His Promise (starring Eric Deacon and Christopher Neame) and The Human Chord (starring Philip Skale). Also included is Violet Pearn's captivating fantasy play The Starlight Express, adapted from Blackwood's imaginative children's novel A Prisoner in Fairyland and starring Denis Dowling, Patrick Barr and Cecile Chavreau. This is followed by The Willows, read by Roger Allam: a claustrophobic tale of suspense and terror, as two companions camp on a remote island and become convinced they see a body in the water.
Of special note is that three of the eerie supernatural stories are narrated by Blackwood himself in long-lost gems from the BBC Archive. They centre around mysterious encounters with a depressed Englishwoman ('The Occupant of the Room'), a man who was frightened to death ('The Woman's Ghost Story'), and the spectral presence of a town ('The Destruction of Smith'), and are followed by a quartet of strange stories ('Algernon Blackwood Tells a Strange Story').
To conclude, two bonus documentary programmes, presented by Blackwood, delve into his life and career. The Genesis of Ideas sees him revealing the sources of his material, while the reflective On Being Eighty finds him looking back on his many years of experience and experiment.
Critique: Exceptionally well produced, "The Algernon Blackwood BBC Radio Collection" is exceptional, entertaining, and a 'must' for Algernon Blackwood fans and listeners who enjoy tales of the supernatural, action/adventure heroism, and stories so well crafted that they rise to an impressive level of literary excellence. The full cast performance is impeccable and brings these short stories vividly to life in a true theatre of the mind experience. While also readily available in an MP3-CD format from BBC Audio, this CD edition of "The Algernon Blackwood BBC Radio Collections is a treasured and recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Literary Audio Book collections.
Editorial Note: BBC Audio Books has an online website listing all of their titles at https://www.bbc.com/audio/series/p02nrsfl
The First Murder on Mars
Sam Wilson, author
Stephanie Cannon, narrator
Christopher Ragland, narrator
Isis Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399198714, $126.95/$107.91, 12 CDs, (13 Hours 11 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399198714
Synopsis: This is the story of the first human being born on Mars: Rose Fuller, who saw a better future than the one that came to pass.
It's also the story of Dylan Ward, a woman raised in the vast wilderness of the frontier, who will find her way back to it.
It's a story about a man who went missing, and the man who wants to find out what he knew.
It's a story about what makes us human - and how we might live once we leave our home.
It's also the story of the first murder to take place on the planet Mars.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted novel that blends science fiction with a murder mystery, "The First Murder on Mars" by novelist Sam Wilson is brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by the flawless narrative storytelling talents of vocal actors Stephanie Cannon and Christopher Ragland. This complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The First Murder on Mars" from Isis Audio comes in a hard plastic clamshell casing for extended shelf life and is unreservedly recommended for community and public library audio book collections. It should be noted for personal listening that "The First Murder on Mars" is also available in an MP3-CD format (9781399198721, $126.95/$107.91).
Editorial Note #1: Sam Wilson (https://www.samwilsonwriting.com) is a writer and director living in Cape Town. He has written on over 30 TV shows and directed the hit animated series Munki and Trunk. His first novel Zodiac is a crime thriller set in a world segregated by astrological signs, and has been translated into seven languages so far.
Editorial Note #2: Stephanie Cannon (https://sparkthecannon.com) is in love with storytelling since I was a little girl. She studied acting at University and now work across voiceover, theatre, film and television which, for her, really is a dream come true.
Editorial Note #3: Christopher Ragland (https://christopherragland.com) is a UK based voiceover artist and actor, with a home recording studio. His animation work includes Percy in Thomas and Friends, Wilfried the White in My Knight and Me, and Rhino in Incredible Ant, among others and he can be heard in countless video games, including Lego Marvel Superheroes 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Lego The Incredibles, Terminator: Resistance, and Star Wars Battlefront. He has also narrated scores of audiobooks, both fiction and non-fiction, including the Iron Druid Chronicles, I am Pilgrim, and World War Z.
Pilgrim's War
Michael Jecks, author
David Thorpe, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837032860, $112.95/$96.01, CD (12 Hours 52 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781837032860
Synopsis: France, 1096. Crowds gather in Sens, Northern France, to hear the man known as the Hermit speak. He talks of a great pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a quest filled with promise for those Christian soldiers who march with him.
Sybill knows the perils of the road ahead, but follow it she must. Her husband is a reckless gambler, easily swayed by the Hermit's words.
For Odo, the pilgrimage provides the chance to demonstrate his unshakeable piety, while his brother Fulk craves adventure and excitement.
Jeanne and Guillemette have been mistreated by the men in their life but this is their chance for redemption and a brighter future. But life on the road for two women alone will be full of perils...
As the lines between love and hate, virtue and sin, good and evil become blurred, each must survive as best they can. Who will live to reach the holy city, and will the sacrifices they make to get there be worth the price they all must pay?
Critique: With the publication of "Pilgrim's War", author and storyteller Michael Jecks proves himself to be a gifted novelist with a genuine flair for historical action/adventure set in the era of the great Crusades of Europe. "Pilgrim's War" features deftly crafted characters, an inherently interesting series of intertwining story plots -- and all brought vividly to life by the narrative storytelling skills of David Thorpe. Complete and unabridged, this CD edition of "Pilgrim's War" from Boldwood Books will prove to be an enduringly welcome selection for community library Historical Fiction audio book collections. It should be noted for personal lists that "Pilgrim's War" is also readily available in an MP3-CD format (9781837032877, $112.95/$96.01) and in a large print paperback edition (9781837032938, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note: In 1994, Michael Jecks had a brilliant idea for a story which became his novel "The Last Templar". Since then he has become a full-time author, writing over 50 novels, 6 novellas, a series of collaborative novels, including "The Sinking Admiral", along with the Detection Club, and 6 Medieval Murderers stories, as well as one "How To" book, "Howdunit" with the Detection Club.
Editorial Note #2: David Thorpe is a professional narrator known for his work on various audiobooks, including titles like "John Milton" and "The Norfolk Murders." He has narrated numerous works across different genres, showcasing his versatility as a voice artist. (https://masternarrators.com/experience-the-magic-of-david-thorpes-audiobook-narrations)
Death of a Stranger
John Pilkington, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781806008674, $90.95/$77.31, CD (7 Hours 55 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781806008674
Synopsis: 1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London.
Within the walls and without, unease and uncertainty lurk beneath the noise and bustle of a smoky, teeming city.
Matthew Cutler, newly widowed and caring for two spirited daughters, takes his position as constable for the parish of Spitalfields very seriously. So when Paulo Brisco, a quiet Venetian perfumer is found brutally murdered in his own shop, Cutler throws himself into his first major crime, and one which threatens to set all Bishopsgate alight.
Being a humble parish constable, Matthew Cutler's powers are slight - and yet he possesses a skill which most others do not. As a former actor he can employ disguise, to considerable effect and to his unique advantage...
Plunged into a treacherous world of notorious rakes, angry tradesmen and a community seething with anti-foreigner sentiment and suspicion, Cutler must decipher shattered clues and confront a killer whose motive remains a baffling mystery - until the very last.
Critique: A 'must' for fans of deftly crafted historical murder mysteries, "Death of a Stranger" by John Pilkington is extraordinarily 'brought to life' by the vocal talents of experienced and gifted narrator Simon Mattacks. Providing a fully engaging, complete and unabridged 'theatre of the mind' experience for the listener, this CD edition of "Death of a Stranger" from Boldwood Books is an extraordinary and recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections. It should be noted for personal lists that "Death of a Stranger" is also readily available in an MP3- CD format (9781806008681, $90.95/$77.31) and in a large print paperback edition (9781806008742, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: John Pilkington (www.johnpilkington.co.uk) has been a writer for over thirty years. He has written plays for radio and the theatre, as well as television scripts for the BBC. He is also the author of more than twenty books including the popular Thomas the Falconer and Betsy Brand historical mysteries for adults, and the Elizabethan Mysteries for children. His last series, set in the early 17th century, features government spy or 'intelligencer' Martin Marbeck, a kind of seventeenth century version of James Bond.
Editorial Note: Simon Mattacks (https://www.simonmattacks.com) has been doing voice over and narrator work for advertisements, cartoons, corporate videos, video games, and audio books for more than 30 years.
Murder in Venice
T. A. Williams, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837031214, $90.95/$77.31, CD (6 Hours 30 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781837031214
Synopsis: Former British Chief Inspector and now private investigator Dan Armstrong cannot believe his luck when he's invited to the luxury villa of none other than Alice Graceland, movie legend and queen of the silver screen. Could this be his big break -- a chance to schmooze with stars and pitch his own murder mystery series? He's already imagining red carpets and a golden Oscar to accompany his faithful canine companion, Oscar the Labrador...
But when he gets there, things start to look far from magical ...
Alice isn't looking to bankroll Dan's writing, but instead she wants him to play host at a murder mystery evening with a glamorous (but suspiciously tense) collection of Hollywood royalty. It should be a meeting of old friends - but just how friendly are they? There's champagne, candlelight, and an increasing number of grudges floating beneath the surface.
As the murder mystery evening takes a sinister turn, Dan and Oscar find themselves navigating more than the city's canals to find the truth.
Critique: T. A. Williams is a gifted and imaginative writer, as well as a master of the cozy mystery genre as readers of his previous novels in the Armstrong and Oscar series. "Murder in Venice" is the latest addition to this series of memorable cozy mysteries and arguably the best one yet! Now available for the legions of T. A. Williams fans, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Murder in Venice" is expertly narrated by vocal actor Simon Mattacks is certain to be an enduringly popular pick. It should be noted for Williams fans, cozy mystery enthusiasts, and community/public library collections that this CD edition of "Murder in Venice" is also available in an MP3-CD format (9781837031221, $90.95/$77.31) and in a large print paperback edition (9781837031283, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: An extended listing of books by T. A. Williams can be found on a website dedicated to his work at https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/t-a-williams
Editorial Note: Simon Mattacks (https://www.simonmattacks.com) has been doing voice over and narrator work for advertisements, cartoons, corporate videos, video games, and audio books for more than 30 years.
The Library CD Shelf
Flute Passion - Hommage a Claude Bolling
Nadia Labrie
https://nadialabrie.com/en
ATMA Classique
atmaclassique.com
$40.00 CAD
Musician's Website
https://nadialabrie.com/en/produit/flute-passion-hommage-a-claude-bolling-3cd-2
Award-winning flautist Nadia Labrie presents Flute Passion - Hommage a Claude Bolling is a 3-CD set created in tribute to legendary jazz pianist and composer Claude Bolling (1930-2020). An ambitious project to record Bolling's complete works for flute and jazz piano trio, Flute Passion - Hommage a Claude Bolling features Nadie Labrie on flute, Jonathan Turgeon on piano, Dominic Gerard on double bass, Bernard Riche on drums, and Hugo Larenas on guitar. The three included CDs are "Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio", "Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio No. 2", and "Picnic Suite". Performing Flute Passion - Hommage a Claude Bolling was an extraordinary departure from the norm for Nadia Labrie, who had never before played with jazz musicians; she engaged in intensive study to thoroughly understand Bolling's work and the nuances of "classical-jazz". Flute Passion - Hommage a Claude Bolling is "must" for genre connoisseurs and a treasure for public library collections, highly recommended.
Simply Classic
Nancy Hays
www.nancyhays.com
Nancy Hays Entertainment, Inc.
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B00169J3UM
Stage performer and superbly talented vocalist Nancy Hays presents Simply Classic, an album in which she performs treasured and timeless songs by a variety of great composers, accompanied by Robert Benson on grand piano. Hays' singing is pure auditory bliss. A treasure for personal and public library collections that also makes an excellent gift, Simply Classic is highly recommended. The tracks are Makin' Whoopee (G. Kahn, W. Donaldson); Someone to Watch Over Me (George & Ira Gershwin); I've Got You Under My Skin (Cole Porter); Over the Rainbow (H. Arlen & E. Harburg); Dream a Little Dream (W. Schwandt, F. Andree, & G. Kahn); I'll Be Seeing You (Irving Kahal & Sammy Fain); What's New (Bob Haggart & Johnny Burke); I'll Never Be the Same (M. Malneck, G. Kahn, & F. Signorelli); When I Fall in Love (Victor Young, Edward Heyman); You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby (Johnny Mereer, Harry Warren); Lost in a Fog (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh); and Until the Real Thing Comes Along (M. Holiner, S. Cahn, A. Nichols, S. Chaplin, & L.E. Freeman).
Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Resonance Records
https://resonancerecords.org
$18.99 CD
Resonance Records
https://resonancerecords.org/product/rahsaan-roland-kirkvibrations-in-the-village-live-at-the-village-gate-cd
Released in cooperation with Dorthaan Kirk of the musician's estate, and also available as a deluxe two-LP set, Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate is a deluxe CD of a live performance featuring multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977), originally recorded in 1963 for a documentary film. The music captures Rahsaan on tenor saxophone along with pianists Horace Parlan, Melvin Rhyne, and Jane Getz. This deluxe CD of a legendary music artist comes with an extensive booklet of extensive liner notes by multiple parties (including newly commissioned liner notes), interviews, and rare photographs. Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate is a historic treasure for personal and public library jazz collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Jump Up And Down - Fast; Ecclusiastics; All the Things You Are; Laura; Kirk's Delight; Oboe Blues; Blues Minor at the Gate; Falling In Love With Love; and Three For the Festival.
Lasting Impression
Brandon Sanders
brandonsandersmusic.com
Savant Records Inc.
$13.99 CD / $7.99 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lasting-Impression-Brandon-Sanders/dp/B0FP5QTVD3
The third music album of drummer Brandon Sanders, Lasting Impression features two original songs composed by Sanders ("Lasting Impression" and "Tales of Mississippi") and six renditions of beloved favorites. The scintillating music is performed by Sanders on drums, Warren Wolf on vibraphone, Stacy Dillard on saxophone, Eric Scott Reed on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass; Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn lends a special guest performance on two tracks. Lasting Impression is a vibrant, harmonious album that lives up to its title and is highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are 8/4 Beat (Bobby Hutcherson); Lasting Impression (Brandon Sanders); Our Love Is Here to Stay (George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin); Shadoboxing (Eric Scott Reed); Tales of Mississippi (Brandon Sanders); Soul Eyes (Mal Waldron); No BS for B.S (Eric Scott Reed); and Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) (Stevie Wonder, Clarence Paul, & Morris Broadnax).
End of Something
Sara Serpa and Matt Mitchell
Privately Published
$15.00 CD / $15.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://saraserpamattmitchell.bandcamp.com/album/end-of-something
End of Something is a duo album of original music by composer/vocalist Sara Serpa and pianist/composer Matt Mitchell, inspired by and including text from poets/writers Sonia Sanchez, Sofia de Mello Breyner, Virginia Woolf, and Luce Irigaray. Only one track, a captivating rendition of Olivier Messiaen's "Les Bergers", features music created an artist other than the duo. End of Something is beautiful, creative, and ideal for fostering an inspirational environment during work, travel, or simple relaxation. End of Something is highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections, and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are News Cycle; Diction; Hyper Pathos; The Future; Trouvaille; Les Bergers; Gluey Clamor; Carry You Like A River; Fettleau; Elegiac Foldouts; Ar e Vento; Tooth Helmet; End of Something; Dead Spirits; and Hypo Bathos.
Heart's Pace
Joshua Rager Quartet
Bent River Records
$20.00 CAD CD / $10.00 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://joshrager.bandcamp.com/album/hearts-pace
The Joshua Rager Quartet consists of Joshua Rager on piano, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Alec Walkington on bass, and Rich Irwin on drums. Together they present Heart's Pace, a jazz album of five original compositions and two arrangements of cherished favorites. The quartet's seamless The songs span a variety of tempos, drawing the listener into a delectable jazz smorgasbord. A choice pick for connoisseurs of the genre, Heart's Pace is highly recommended. The tracks are I've Grown Accustomed to her Face (Lerner/Loewe); Centered (J. Rager/SOCAN); Heart's Pace (J. Rager/SOCAN); Intro; Fathers and Sons (J. Rager/SOCAN); Ebb and Flow (J. Rager/SOCAN); Within Reach (J. Rager/SOCAN); and Dreamsville (Mancini).
lofi at lowlands 2
Kevin Sun
Endectomorph Music
www.endectomorph.com
$12.00 CD / $12.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://thekevinsun.bandcamp.com/album/lofi-at-lowlands-2
lofi at lowlands 2 is the second music CD in an instrumental jazz series that uses extensive post-production to transform live music into a work of avant-garde auditory art. The brainchild of Kevin Sun, lofi at lowlands reworks the artistry of Kevin Sun on tenor saxophone, Walter Stinson on bass, and Kayvon Gordon on drums, applying dynamic panning, overlaid performances, and more to create the impression of overlapping timelines that phase in and out. lofi at lowlands 2 is a direct continuation of the previous album, lofi at lowlands 1; the tracks of both albums flow together into a multilayered experience, like movements of a symphony. lofi at lowlands 2 and its predecessor are a "must" for connoisseurs of bold, cutting-edge experimentation, highly recommended. The tracks are "shimmering"; "darksome"; "shimmering i"; "happenstantial"; "shimmering ii"; "if that"; and "shimmering iii".
Confluence
Jung Stratmann Quartet
www.sujaejungmusic.com
www.wolfrobertstratmann.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $15.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://jungstratmann.bandcamp.com/album/confluence
The Jung Stratmann Quartet consists of Sujae Jung on piano, Wolf Robert Stratmann on double bass, Steve Cardenas on guitar, and Marko Djordjevic on drums. Together they present Confluence, an original jazz EP of original, instrumental songs inspired by themes ranging from a whale's ocean journey to a tribute to the New York City music scene. Confluence is an immersive delight for jazz connoisseurs, highly recommended. The tracks are Tree Huggers (Jung); Summer Whale (Jung and Stratmann); This Wine Tastes Very Dry (Stratmann); The Pull (Stratmann); and After Sunset (Jung).
Burning Wick
Satoko Fujii
Libra Records
www.librarecords.com
$TBA CD / 1,200 Japanese yen digital
Bandcamp
https://satokofujii.bandcamp.com/album/burning-wick
Pianist-composer Satoko Fujii presents Burning Wick, a jazz album of Fujii's original compositions with vocals, performed by Fujii on piano and voice, Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Hayakawa Takeharu on bass and voice, and Tatsuya Yoshida on drums and voice. Originally founded in 2001, the all-star quartet has reunited to perform a breathtaking, exuberant, and immersive new collection. Burning Wick is a treasure for connoisseurs of international jazz, highly recommended. The tracks are Solar Orbit; Rain in the Wee Small Hours; Walking through the Border Town; Neverending Summer; Mountain Gnome; Three Days Later; and Burning Wick.
Searching for Solace
Jon Dahlander
www.jondahlander.com
Blackdog in Snow (BMI)
$TBA
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/37DSbndnjzkqDs0UzS7rOq
The fifth solo piano project by Jon Dahlander, Searching for Solace encompasses a broad range of emotions in its original music. The thoughtful, gently flowing songs express longing, loss, love, hope, nostalgia, tranquility, wistfulness, and more. Searching for Solace is a delight for solo piano connoisseurs, highly recommended! The tracks are osage; fog; forsaken; zig; unspoken; hollow; squall; miss; cherry; plainview; wave; carolina; and remnant.
Late Nights
Brad Schrader
Privately Published
www.latenightsjazz.com
$20.00 CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://bradschrader.bandcamp.com/album/latenights-2
Jazz vocalist Brad Schrader presents Late Nights, an album where Schrader performs beloved favorite songs with the smooth, easy listening quality one would expect in a laid-back nightclub. Supported by Jerry Vezza on piano and music direction, Alex Claffy on bass, Andrew Van Tassell on sax, and Khary Abdul-Shahid on drums, Late Nights is a choice pick for connoisseurs of the genre. Highly recommended! The tracks are Time After Time (Jule Styne); I Wish I Knew (Harry Warren); It's All Right With Me (Cole Porter); It Never Entered My Mind (Richard Rogers); Quiet Nights With Quiet Stars/Corcovado (Antonio Carlos Jobim); You Do Something To Me (Cole Porter); and Skylark (Hoagy Carmichael).
The Road to Trantor
Carl Schultz
Origin Records
$17.98 CD / $9.49 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Trantor-Carl-Schultz/dp/B0FRY5CKSN
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Carl Schultz presents The Road to Trantor, an instrumental album of original songs that unfold like the soundtrack to an imaginary science fiction movie. Drawing inspiration from classic science fiction novels such as Isaac Asimov's "Foundation", but not intended as a soundtrack for any specific work, The Road to Trantor pushes creative boundaries and inspires the listener to explore their own storytelling dreams. Performed by Carl Schultz on saxophone and flute, Tim Wendel on guitar, Adam Benjamin on piano and rhodes, Zack Teran on bass, and Alwyn Robinson on drums, The Road to Trantor is an exciting soundscape adventure, highly recommended. The tracks are Journey; Psychohistory; Caves of Steel; Ecumenopolis; Gladia; Unsettled Worlds; Crystalline Desolation; and the Spirit of Adventure.
Love Makes the Changes
Maria Corsaro
mariacorsaro.com
Lola Records
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTWNV98W
Jazz vocalist Maria Corsaro presents Love Makes the Changes, a music album where she beautifully performs classic works by a variety of composers. Supported by Skip Ward on bass, David Silliman on drums, and Mark Feinberg on sax and flute, Maria Corsaro lends passion and heart to these timeless songs about the many forms of love. A treasure for connoisseurs of smooth vocal jazz, Love Makes the Changes is highly recommended. The tracks are If You Never Fall in Love with Me (Del Sasser); In April (For Nenette); Secret Love / Never Said (Chan's Song); (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am; No More Blues; You Taught My Heart to Sing; Love Makes the Changes; Portrait in Black and White (Zingaro); Stolen Moments; Walkin' Shoes; I Have the Feeling I've Been Here Before; and That Day.
The Art Shelf
Art of the Nordic Nations
Serge Fauchereau
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500029565, $60.00, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Nordic-Nations-Modernism-1870-1950/dp/0500029563
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/art-of-the-nordic-nations-serge-fauchereau/1147407607
Synopsis: Modern art from the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland) tends to be represented by a few famous artists, and an aesthetic known for combining originality and continuity of tradition. Although influenced by the wider international art movements of the time, modern Nordic artists were also independently creative, developing styles unique to the region.
"Art of the Nordic Nations: Modernism, Freedom, & Identity 1870-1950" by Serge Fauchereau is extensively illustrated survey that ranges from impressionism to the mid-twentieth century, reveals a new art history of the region, encompassing a surprisingly broad range of artists both familiar and unknown: Anders Zorn and Hilma af Klimt, Vilhelm Hammershoi and Franciska Clausen, Edvard Munch and Harriet Backer, Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Fanny Churberg, Finnur Jonsson and Oyvind Fahlstrom.
Providing a detailed overview of the greatest artworks of the period, "Art of the Nordic Nations" also places the work in the context of each Nordic country as well as in the broader art world of the time. It also examines the significant role of women artists in the story of modern Nordic art, chronicling their significant artistic legacy as well as their key contribution to the women's rights movement in Scandinavian society. The result is a comprehensive account of modern Nordic art in one impressive volume that is sure to be a definitive account on the subject.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with some 300 color illustrations, this large format (8 x 1.7 x 10.3 inches, 4.63 pounds) hardcover edition of "Art of the Nordic Nations: Modernism, Freedom, & Identity 1870-1950" from Thames & Hudson is an extraordinary study that is methodically laid out sectionally by country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) and is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a three page Foreword and a seven page Index. A seminal, groundbreaking, meticulous, and detailed study, "Art of the Nordic Nations" is exceptionally well written, organized, and presented -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library European Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Serge Fauchereau has taught American Literature at New York University and been a curator at the Centre Pompidou in Paris where he oversaw major exhibitions such as Paris-New York, Paris-Berlin, Paris-Moscow, and Les Realismes. He is the author of more than twenty books including monographs on Braque, Jean Arp, and Malevich. His books are listed on Goodreads -- https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/239039.Serge_Fauchereau
Winslow Homer In Watercolor
Winslow Homer, artist
Christina Michelon with Annette Manick, contributors
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
www.mfa-publications.org
9780878469062, $35.00, HC, 160pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Winslow-Homer-Watercolor/dp/0878469060
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winslow-homer-in-watercolor-winslow-homer/1147266521
Synopsis: The iconic American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was born in Boston and apprenticed to a commercial lithographer. He taught himself painting while working as a freelance illustrator for Harper's and other magazines. In 1883 he moved into his permanent home and studio in Prouts Neck, Maine, but continued to find inspiration in his travels to Canada, Cuba, the Bahamas, Key West and the Adirondacks.
Said American artist Winslow Homer, "You will see, in the future I will live by my watercolors."
From his early forays into pastoral landscapes to his more mature works encompassing the maritime scenes for which he is best known, Homer's watercolors are most remarkable for their reverence of nature and the people who thrive within its conditions -- sketches that are both quaint and sublime in scope.
Boasting one of the most significant collections of Homer's watercolors in the United States, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has now published "Winslow Homer in Watercolor", a luminous collection of nearly 50 works that demonstrate the artist's mastery of the medium.
In its beautifully illustrated pages, readers will be transported to the rugged Maine coast, the rivers and streams of the Adirondacks, the weathered shores of seaside England and the bright beaches of the Caribbean. The many facets of these environments (ecological, artistic, social and economic) are reflected in Homer's thoughtful compositions that, though more than 100 years old, shine with a modern effervescence.
Critique: An unadulterated delight to simply browse through one page at a time, "Winslow Homer in Watercolor" is an informative showcase exhibition of the best of what Winslow Homer has left us as his visual legacy. A compendium of captioned and flawlessly reproduced paintings and with informative commentary contributed by Christina Michelon, this large format (10 x 0.87 x 10.63 inches, 2.43 pounds) hardcover edition of "Winslow Homer in Watercolor" from MFA Publications is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university 19th Century American Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 - September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters of 19th-century America and a preeminent figure in American art in general. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winslow_Homer).
Editorial Note #2: Christina Michelon is the Pamela and Peter Voss Curator of Prints and Drawings for the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston.
Light and Color in the Watercolor Landscape
Vladislav Yeliseyev
Rockport Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780760399255, $26.99, PB, 160pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Light-Color-Watercolor-Landscape-Principles/dp/0760399255
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/light-and-color-in-the-watercolor-landscape-vladislav-yeliseyev/1147519088
Synopsis: With the publication of "Light and Color in the Watercolor Landscape: Essential Principles and Techniques" aspiring artists can discover the secrets to capturing depth, atmosphere, and emotion in their watercolor landscapes. Profusely illustrated throughout, acclaimed artist and instructor Vladislav Yeliseyev shares his proven techniques for harnessing light and shadow, creating luminous colors, and refining compositions to enhance realism and impact.
With step-by-step guidance, detailed demonstrations, and QR codes linking to exclusive video tutorials, "Light and Color in the Watercolor Landscape" provides a deep dive into the fundamental and advanced methods needed to create stunning paintings. Yeliseyev draws on his experience as an architectural illustrator and fine artist to teach:
How to compose compelling landscapes using focal points, balance, and perspective.
Techniques for layering washes to build depth and vibrant color harmony.
The role of values in creating striking, realistic lighting effects.
How to capture reflections, shadows, and atmospheric conditions in both plein air (outdoor) and studio settings.
Essential watercolor techniques, including wet-on-wet blending, dry-brush detailing, and edge control.
Whether you're an advanced beginner refining your techniques or an experienced watercolorist seeking new inspiration, "Light and Color in the Watercolor Landscape" is the ideal DIY instruction guide to elevating watercolor landscapes with confidence and creativity.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches, 1.43 pounds) paperback edition of "Light and Color in the Watercolor Landscape: Essential Principles and Techniques" from Rockport Publishing will prove to be of special and particular value to aspiring artists wanting to paint various landscape themed images in watercolor. Thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Light and Color in the Watercolor Landscape" is an excellent choice for personal, professional, community, and art school watercolor painting instructional reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Light and Color in the Watercolor Landscape" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.99).
Editorial Note: Vladislav Yeliseyev (www.yeliseyevfineart.com ) is a highly respected watercolor artist, architectural illustrator, and sought-after workshop instructor. He is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society, the American Impressionist Society, and the Florida Watercolor Society, and has been invited to participate in many plein air and landscape events as both a teacher and a juror. His articles have been published in Watercolor Artist, Plein Air Magazine, The Art of Watercolour, and other publications, which have also featured his work on their covers. Through his international workshops and online classes, Vlad shares his passion for capturing the beauty of landscapes with expressive brushwork and a masterful command of light and color. He can be followed on: Instagram: @vladislavyeliseyev, Facebook: @vladislav.yeliseyev, @ArtistYeliseyev, and YouTube: @VladislavYeliseyev
Drawing Class: Cats at Home and in the Wild
Heegyum Kim
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9781577156277, $17.99, PB, 128pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Class-Tutorials-tutorials-drawings/dp/1577156277
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drawing-class-heegyum-kim/1147794869
Synopsis: Now aspiring artists and art students can learn to draw 60 cats with step-by-step lessons and video tutorials with "Drawing Class: Cats at Home and in the Wild" by Heegyum Kim who breaks down each drawing into easy-to-follow steps, making it perfect for beginners.
With 60 unique drawing lessons, you will learn how to sketch everything from playful kittens to regal tigers and lions. Each step-by-step tutorial is specifically designed to help you build confidence in your drawing abilities. Of special note is the inclusion of QR codes throughout the book and linked to exclusive video tutorials, allowing you to follow along in real time.
"Drawing Class: Cats at Home and in the Wild" is comprised of:
Step-by-step demonstrations for drawing 60 different cats, from fluffy Persians to sleek Siamese to wild cats like cheetahs and tigers, and even domestic cat friends like dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs.
A simple shape-based drawing method that makes sketching accessible and stress-free.
Video tutorials accessible via QR codes for every drawing lesson.
Full-color variations of every subject for extra inspiration.
Critique: Profusely illustrated from cover to cover, "Drawing Class: Cats at Home and in the Wild" is thoroughly reader/user friendly in organization and presentation, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended DIY instructional resource for anyone seeking an easy way to start drawing, or who is an already experienced artist looking for fresh, fun inspiration. Absolutely recommended for personal, professional, community, and college Art Instruction collections, and art school/art class curriculum studies lists, "Drawing Class: Cats at Home and in the Wild" provides everything required to bring domestic and feral felines to life on paper.
Editorial Note: Heegyum Kim is a graphic designer and illustrator. Also very highly recommended are two other DIY art instruction titles by Kim: "Drawing Class: Animals" and "Drawing Class: Flowers and Friends in the Garden".
Editorial Note: Heegyum Kim (www.mrfox.nyc) is a graphic designer and illustrator. She holds a Master of Science in Communication Design from Pratt Institute and is the author of two illustrated books featuring Mr. Fox, the charming and humorous character whose activities and musings drive her popular Instagram account and make her followers giggle, as do a menagerie of other delightful animal friends. She is also the author and illustrator behind several titles published by Quarry Books: the Drawing Class series, which presents step-by-step illustrated instruction for 60 subjects along with video tutorials accessible via QR codes; and the Draw 62... and Make Them Cute series, which provides step-by-step illustrations for drawing different types of cute characters.
The Mythology Shelf
Folklore in the Nordic World
Thomas A. DuBois
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299347048, $16.95, PB, 120pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Folklore-Nordic-World-Thomas-DuBois/dp/0299347044
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/folklore-in-the-nordic-world-thomas-a-dubois/1143790638
Synopsis: In seven concise chapters that document both the history of Nordic folkloristics and the ongoing vivacity of Nordic folklore today, with the publication of "Folklore in the Nordic World", author and academician Thomas A. DuBois demonstrates how the informal, traditional elements of a culture or subculture are an integral and vibrant part of the Nordic world.
From methods of preparing suovabiergu (smoked reindeer meat) in Sapmi, to celebrating graduation by "running the falls" at Uppsala University in Sweden, to massive folk music festivals in Finland and tales of supernatural visitors bestowing baby names in Iceland, folklore offers unique insights into the everyday life of Nordic society.
The study of Nordic folklore began in the nineteenth century, when early folklorists imagined that the true character of a nation could be found among the tales of the peasantry. Today, the theories, tools, and institutions developed by influential folklorists in the Nordic region continue to lead the way in documentation, preservation, and analysis of folklore.
Critique: Original, succinct, informative and fascinating, this paperback edition of Professor Thomas A. Dubois' "Folklore in the Nordic World" from the University of Wisconsin Press is especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Nordic Folklore & Mythology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Thomas A. DuBois (https://tadubois.com) is the Halls-Bascom Professor of Scandinavian Studies, Folklore, and Religious Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books include Sacred to the Touch, Sami Media and Indigenous Agency in the Arctic North (coauthored with Coppelie Cocq), and Songs of the Finnish Migration (coedited with B. Marcus Cederstrom)
Editorial Note #2: A complete list of The Nordic World series is available online at: https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Series/T/The-Nordic-World
Aine: Goddess of the Sun, Fairy Queen of Ireland
Kelle BanDea
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803419428, $12.95, PB, 104pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Goddess-Fairy-Ireland/dp/1803419423
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pagan-portals-aine-kelle-bandea/1146850782
Synopsis: Aine is a popular Irish goddess known for her associations with love, fertility and the sun, celebrated at the height of summer and at the first harvests. A fairy queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, she is beloved both by the Irish people whose land she is entwined with and by neopagans across the world. Even her name means 'bright.'
But she also has a dark side. Caution may be advised. For Aine is also known as a dark muse in Victorian fairytales, a neopagan goddess who seeks justice and revenge for trauma survivors, and a powerful queen of the hollow hills in native Irish folklore.
Critique: Part of the Pagan Portals mythology series from Moon Books, "Aine: Goddess of the Sun, Fairy Queen of Ireland" is an ideal introduction for modern readers to Aine and also suggests ways to honor her in as a practitioner, as well as exploring her deep and complex history within the Irish pantheon of supernatural beings. Fun, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Aine: Goddess of the Sun, Fairy Queen of Ireland" is an ideal and solidly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Irish Mythology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Aine: Goddess of the Sun, Fairy Queen of Ireland" 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 currently lives in Warwickshire in the UK with her partner, children and a varied assortment of animals. She has postgraduate degrees in Feminist Theology and Creative Writing and you can find more of her work at kellebandea@substack.com
The Sports Shelf
Baseball As It Was
John Ferling
Tatra Press
http://tatrapress.com
9798992215045, $32.00, HC, 391pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Baseball-As-Was-Champions-Everything/dp/B0G4GZH6S6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baseball-as-it-was-john-ferling-phd/1148854376
Synopsis: With the publication of "Baseball As It Was: Building Champions Before Free Agency Changed Everything", historian and baseball fan John Ferling delves into baseball in the fascinating dozen years following World War II, when baseball ruled as the national pastime, and the names of the game's principal stars were known even by those who were not fans of the sport.
The racial integration of major league baseball in 1947 also ushered in a pivotal transition, and within a decade only one team did not have a Black player on its roster.
Portraits and stories of the performances of several Hall of Fame players are also chronicled, including Bob Feller, Larry Doby, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, and Henry Aaron among many others.
"Baseball As It was" is the fascinating story of dramatic pennant races, late season collapses, epic performances, successful and unsuccessful managers, even an insurrection by players on the 1949 Boston Braves.
It of special note that while "Baseball As It Was" examines the game in this specific time period, its cornerstone is an exploration of how teams were assembled in the era before free agency.
"Baseball As It Was" zeroes in on the Cleveland Indians and the Boston/Milwaukee Braves between 1946 and 1957.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a seminal, groundbreaking study of meticulous research, "Baseball As It Was: Building Champions Before Free Agency Changed Everything" by John Ferling is a truly extraordinary, impressively informative, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Sports History/Baseball collections and supplemental curriculum studies list.
Critique: John Ferling (https://johnferling.com) is a leading authority on late 18th and early 19th century American history and professor emeritus of history at the University of West Georgia. He is the author of sixteen previous books, mostly on the American Revolution, including Shots Heard Round the World, Almost a Miracle, Independence, The Ascent of George Washington, and Setting the World Ablaze. He is also a life-long baseball fan.
The Business Shelf
Digital Marketing Strategy, fourth edition
Simon Kingsnorth
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398622074, $69.00, HC, 440pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Marketing-Strategy-Integrated-Approach/dp/1398622079
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/digital-marketing-strategy-simon-kingsnorth/1123181023
Synopsis: Now in a newly updated and expanded fourth edition, "Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing" by Simon Kingsnorth is a practical DIY guide specifically designed for mid-career professionals seeking to build credibility and lead with confidence. This new edition of Simon's 'how to' manual offers detailed models and frameworks to help you apply strategic principles across AI integration, marketing automation and digital analytics. With fresh real-world examples and actionable tools, "Digital Marketing Strategy" empowers you to optimize your digital marketing efforts and deliver measurable impact.
This new edition of "Digital Marketing Strategy" covers:
Developing a strategic digital marketing plan using proven frameworks
Implementing AI-driven tools to enhance campaign efficiency
Optimizing marketing performance with data-backed decision making
Building career credibility through advanced digital marketing skills
Of special note is that this new edition features using AI to build a strategy, the metaverse, Web3 and NFTs, plus updates to data points, platform features and real-world examples
With comprehensive chapters and supportive online resources, "Digital Marketing Strategy" is an informative guide equipping you to navigate emerging digital trends while driving tangible results in your organization and career.
Critique: Of special and relevant value for readers with an interest in creating viable digital marketing strategy, AI integration and marketing automation, practical frameworks and tools, career development and impact, and illustrative real-world case studies, "Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing, fourth edition" by Simon Kingsnorth is thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation making it an invaluable and extraordinary pick for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Marketing/Sales collections. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone else with an interest e-commerce, website based marketing, and internet search engine optimization that this hardcover edition of "Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing" from Kogan Page is also available in paperback (9781398622067, $41.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.90).
Editorial Note: Simon Kingsnorth (https://simonkingsnorth.com) is a nationally recognized digital marketing expert with over 20 years of industry experience, he was formerly the Global Head of Digital Marketing at Citi Bank and has provided consultancy services to leading brands such as Vodafone, Asda and Lloyds TSB. He is currently the Founder and CEO of SK, which is a Strategic marketing company that supports small and large businesses around the world to build and execute highly successful marketing strategies.
AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing, second edition
Katie King
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398622357, $69.00, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Sales-Marketing-Connecting-Experience/dp/1398622354
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ai-strategy-for-sales-and-marketing-katie-king/1139571699
Synopsis: Now in an updated and expanded second edition, "AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing: Connecting Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience" by Katie King offers proven frameworks and expert insights to help senior professionals harness artificial intelligence for customer-centric sales growth.
This new edition of "AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing" continues to be an authoritative guide that blends the latest research with practical tools, enabling informed leadership to navigate AI-driven personalization, team upskilling, omnichannel experiences and ethical governance.
Featuring exclusive interviews with executives from L'Oreal, Salesforce and UOB, "AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing" fully equips leaders to deliver sustained ROI in an evolving landscape.
"AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing" covers:
Applying strategic models to integrate AI across marketing and sales functions
Utilizing data-led decision making to enhance customer experience and loyalty
Driving organizational change with AI-driven team development and productivity tools
Managing AI governance and ethical considerations to build consumer trust
Additionally, this new second edition of "AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing" includes fresh interviews and real-world examples, new research illustrating the impact of AI in CX, actionable strategies to improve team productivity, updates to the ethical landscape globally and the introduction to a new framework called the AI Playbook.
Specifically designed for senior marketing and sales executives, this updated edition of "AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing" is an invaluable guide empowering you to lead AI adoptions that align with business objectives and delivers lasting results.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this newly expanded and updated second edition of "AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing: Connecting Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience" by Katie King is an ideal instructional reference and 'how to' manual that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Sales/Marketing/Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, business executives, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in AI advances with respect to business applications including customer relations and strategic business planning, that this hardcover edition of "AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing: Connecting Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience" from Kogan Page is also readily available in paperback (9781398622333, $42.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.84).
Editorial Note: Katie King is CEO of AI in Business, a firm that specializes in AI consultancy and training. With over 30 years' experience, she has advised many of the world's leading brands and business leaders, including Richard Branson/Virgin, o2, Orange and Accenture. Based in Kent, UK, she is a member of the UK Government All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) task force for the enterprise adoption of AI and an Editorial Board Member of the journal AI and Ethics. A regular international keynote speaker, she has also delivered TEDx talks and is a frequent commentator on BBC TV and radio. (https://www.aiinbusiness.co.uk/katieking)
Reaching the Chasm
Edward Amoroso
Columbia Business School Publishing
c/o Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231219839, $26.00, HC, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Chasm-Drive-Early-Stage-Start-Up/dp/0231219830
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reaching-the-chasm-edward-amoroso/1147401532
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu/book/reaching-the-chasm/9780231219839
Synopsis: One of the greatest challenges facing any start-up is "crossing the chasm" -- meaning bridging the gap between early adopters and mass-market buyers. Yet many promising businesses struggle even to reach the chasm. Often, founders leap in with money and a dream, only to hit a wall. How can start-up founders diagnose and fix problems in order to arrive at this critical point?
With the publication of "Reaching the Chasm: How to Drive Your Early-Stage Start-Up to Scale", Edward G. Amoroso provides an indispensable guide for start-ups looking to get off the ground and scale up to the next level.
'Getting to the chasm', as he illustrates through dozens of real-world case studies, requires long-term vision.
Founders must focus on their core belief system - not simply what they do but why they are in business in the first place. Buyers connect with start-ups based on shared beliefs, and any founding team that does not understand this secret will struggle to build relationships with customers.
Amoroso also shares field-tested guidance for businesses in different spaces and stages on crafting a compelling message, understanding customers, benchmarking against competitors, and leveraging what makes a company irreplaceable. For founders, venture capital teams, private equity firms, investors, and readers with an interest in entrepreneurship, "Reaching the Chasm" is the road map for early-stage start-up success.
Critique: Essential reading for entrepreneurs and anyone new to operating a commercial venture of any kind, "Reaching the Chasm: How to Drive Your Early-Stage Start-Up to Scale" is an ideal introduction to strategic business planning and strategies. Exceptionally well written and impressively effective in organization and presentation, "Reaching the Chasm" is an especially and unreservedly recommended -- especially for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, entrepreneurs, and anyone new to business systems planning, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Reaching the Chasm" from Columbia Business School Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.33).
Editorial Note: Edward G. Amoroso is the founder and CEO of TAG Infosphere, a global cybersecurity research and advisory firm, and a distinguished research professor in the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University. The author of several books, he is a former senior vice president and chief security officer at AT&T and has served on major corporate boards.(https://www.hipconf.com/leader/edward-amoroso)
The Music Shelf
Intimate Conversations
Larry Ruttman
Torchflame Books
https://torchflamebooks.com
9781611535051, $50.00, HC, 440pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Intimate-Conversations-Face-Matchless-Musicians/dp/1611535050
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intimate-conversations-larry-ruttman/1145966116
Synopsis: "Music is life. Music is a reflection of who we are as humans." -Susan Graham, renowned American mezzo-soprano
With the publication of "Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians", a compendium of revealing and genuine interviews, interviewer Larry Ruttman converses with world-renowned musicians of the 21st century and engages them in an approachable manner.
Readers will dive into the recesses of the minds of a series of musicians to discover the influences and inspiration behind classical music and other popular genres such as pop, jazz, folk, Americana, and many other genres impacting today's musical culture.
The interviews comprising "Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians" include: John Harbison, Joan Tower, Robert Levin, Unsuk Chin, Osvaldo Golijov, Matthew Aucoin, Harry Christophers CBE, Charles Dutoit, Gil Rose, Martin Pearlman, Benjamin Zander, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Susan Graham, Kim Kashkashian, Laurence Lesser, Cecylia Arzewski, Aiko Onishi, Ran Blake, Eden MacAdam-Somer, Monica Rizzio, and Mark Volpe.
"Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians" is ideal and informative reading for dedicated fans, determined music students, and the casually interested listener to music of all genres, "Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians" is certain to inspire, fascinate, and entertain its readers.
Critique: Original, unique, informative, fascinating, this large format (8 x 1.4 x 10 inches, 2.88 pounds) hardcover edition of "Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians" by Larry Ruttman is extraordinary, exceptional, and an outstandingly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Music History & Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, musicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians" from Torchflame Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Larry Ruttman (https://www.larryruttman.com) is an author, historian, podcaster, and teacher. His podcasts, His papers have been collected and disseminated worldwide by the New England Historical Genealogical Society, he is a Fellow of the Mass. Historical Society, and has a Wikipedia article. Larry's previous work includes American Jews and America's Game, chosen as best in America in 2013 by Sports Collectors Digest.
The Interior Design Shelf
The Quiet Home
Michelle Halford
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781784729820, $32.99, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Home-Hushing-Intentional-Living/dp/1784729825
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-quiet-home-michelle-halford/1147212565
Synopsis: A beautiful, authoritative guide to the concept of house hushing, "The Quiet Home: House Hushing for Calm and Intentional Living" by Michelle Halford incorporates design principles and strategies for dialing down the visual noise in your home, and creating serene interiors that promote calm and wellbeing. It takes a pared-down, thoughtful approach to home interiors and explains how to create spaces that whisper rather than shout.
"The Quiet Home" takes as its starting point the idea that everything in an interior has a voice and creates noise. By reducing this visual noise through thoughtful design principles and strategies we can create a more serene living environment that in turn increases our wellbeing. A concept that delves deeper than aesthetic principles and how a home looks, quietening the spaces we live in can greatly affect how we feel.
"The Quiet Home" also offers a guide to hushing our homes covering mindful minimalism, the art of editing, spatial design, and room-by-room strategies. Furthermore it provides insights for both creating a quiet home and adopting a more considered way of life.
"The Quite Home" begins with five key principles that provide a framework for the concept - Soothing Color, Natural Elements, Tactility, Soft Shapes and Flexibility, then, chapter by chapter, presents detailed methods for cultivating quiet spaces. with chapters on Mindful Minimalism, The Art of the Edit, Room by Room and Quiet Perspectives. Analysis of the work of renowned designers and brands offers further insights, along with beautiful imagery that takes the reader on a global journey of inspiring homes and design.
A comprehensive guide to read cover to cover, the chapters comprising "The Quiet Home" can also be read in any order, providing clear reference points for a range of home projects, large or small.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color and full page photo illustrations throughout, "The Quiet Home: House Hushing for Calm and Intentional Living" is an extraordinary study that is impressively well written, organized and presented for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Interior Design & Decorating. As informative as it is inspiring, "The Quiet Home" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Interior Design collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Quiet Home" from Mitchell Beazley is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Michelle Halford (https://www.thedesignchaser.com) is an interior stylist, writer, and designer based in Auckland, New Zealand, with over 300k followers across social media. She works on creative projects with local and international brands, including Dulux, Samsung, Pernod Ricard, BoConcept, Nespresso, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts NZ, and consults with clients on residential spaces. With a focus on holistic design, she has been creating quiet spaces for 12 years, and her work has been featured in many publications. Most recently, she has moved into product design with a homeware collaboration and the launch of her own furniture brand.
The Genealogy Shelf
Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch
Dana Ann Palmer
Genealogical Publishing Company
www.genealogical.com
9780806322094, $60.00, PB, 238pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Mastering-FamilySearch-Palmer/dp/0806322098
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultimate-guide-to-mastering-familysearch-dana-ann-palmer/1148623798
Genealogical Publishing Company
https://genealogical.com/mastering-familysearch-by-dana-ann-palmer
Synopsis: FamilySearch.com is a vast treasure trove of genealogical sources from North America and around the world containing over 20 billion records with 2.5 billion new records added annually.
With the publication of the "Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch", genealogist Dana Ann Palmer provides a DIY guide that will teach anyone and everyone how to find records and other resources they need to be successful on this extraordinary website.
The individual chapters are organized topically, with a focus on finding people in historical records, the FamilySearch catalog, images, full-text search, the FamilySearch Research Wiki, the FamilySearch TREE, and more.
Palmer also shares the search tips and tricks she has devised over her decades of experience and expertise using FamilySearch. This guide contains step-by-step instructions for successfully applying Ms. Palmer's methodology to find your own ancestors.
Critique: Unique, informative, expertly written, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch" by Dana Ann Palmer is a critically important, essential, and core addition to personal, family, professional, community, and college/university library Genealogical Research collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this large format (8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches, 1.24 pounds) paperback edition of "Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch" is also available in a digital book format (eBook, $29.95) from the Genealogical Publishing Company.
Editorial Note: Dana Ann Palmer, CG (R), CGL (R) has taught genealogy since 1996, including over a decade of courses at Sinclair Community College. Her live sessions at RootsTech, the National Genealogical Society Conference, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, and the International German Genealogy Partnership Conference are consistently standing-room-only. A respected professional genealogist, Dana specializes in Ohio research, lineage-society applications, and publishing family history books. She also serves on the General Society of Mayflower Descendants' Silver Books team.
The Photography Shelf
The Camera at War
Hilary Robets
Ilex Press
www.ilex.press
c/o Octopus Publishing Group
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781781579657, $49.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Camera-War-years-weaponising-photography/dp/1781579652
If only one history or photography book representing war were chosen for a collection, it should be The Camera at War: 150 Years of Weaponising Photography. This archive of images gathered by former Imperial War Museum curator Hilary Roberts follows some 150 years of war journalism, with specific attention on how images can be manipulated for a desired reaction in the viewer. This focus on how photos of war can be used to boost morale of soldiers and nation and how they can be distorted and changed should be on the reading lists of any aspiring documentary photographer. Far more than just gathering a collection of war imagery, The Camera at War provokes more thought-provoking insights and discussions into how photography can be used to enhance, spread, or alter the truth.
The Language Studies Shelf
Spanish QuickStart Guide
Maria Block
ClydeBank Media LLC
https://www.clydebankmedia.com
9781636100937, $36.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-QuickStart-Guide-Simplified-Conversational/dp/1636100937
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spanish-quickstart-guide-maria-block/1148705580
Synopsis: Spanish is spoken by over half a billion people in more than 20 countries around the globe and is considered an easy language for English speakers to learn.
With the publication of "Spanish QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner's Guide to Learning Essential Vocabulary, Building Practical Grammar Skills, and Mastering Conversational Spanish" by Maria Block, anyone can master the conversational fundamentals of Spanish -- one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet.
With the "Spanish QuickStart Guide" as their DIY instruction manual, students of any age or background will learn quickly and easily with a proven, progressive structure and a real-life conversational approach for maximum utility and retention.
Critique: Impressively comprehensive, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Spanish QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner's Guide to Learning Essential Vocabulary, Building Practical Grammar Skills, and Mastering Conversational Spanish" by Spanish langauge professor Maria Block (drawing upon more than of decade of experience and expertise in teaching Spanish as a second language) is an ideal and unreservedly recommend pick for anyone wanting to learn Spanish in order to travel, study abroad, take advantage of career opportunities, converse with friends, colleges or family members in their native tongue, or simply to expand your cultural horizons by becoming conversationally fluent in another language. Simply stated, the "Spanish QuickStart Guide" from ClydeBank Media is unreservedly recommended DIY instructional guide and manual to master the Spanish language. Ideal as a classroom textbook, the "Spanish QuickStart Guide" is perfect for personal, professional, highschool, community, and college/university library Spanish Language collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Maria Block is an instructional designer and Spanish professor with more than a decade of experience in language education. She has taught Spanish to learners of all ages and levels through K-12, higher education, and private tutoring. Combining her curriculum design expertise, broad teaching experiences, and time living in Mexico, Maria equips learners with practical tools to communicate confidently in Spanish.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Living Folk Magic: Crafting Your Own Magical Life
Mary-Grace Fahrun
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
www.redwheelweiser.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781578638871, $18.95, PB, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Folk-Magic-Crafting-Magical/dp/1578638879
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-folk-magic-mary-grace-fahrun/1146811772
Synopsis: Folk magic exists in every culture and has been practiced since the dawn of time. Folk magic is far more than the casting a spell or the creation a ritual. It is a way of life, a way of living, a way of perceiving the world and all within it.
With the publication of "Living Folk Magic: Crafting Your Own Magical Life", Mary-Grace Fahrun explains how to build an entire folk magic practice, ranging from cleansing and protecting to blessing and cursing, as well as providing instructions on how to build altars (whether openly or secretly), practice divination, communicate with spirits, and more.
Supported by the "four pillars of magic," these elements serve to provide stability, structure, and protection:
Cleansing: to remove negative energy
Blessing: to imbue with love
Protecting: to charge with energy that repels evil
Defending: to combat evil
With "Living Folk Magic: Crafting Your Own Magical Life", Mary-Grace Fahrun shares her magical perspective and processes in the hope of inspiring both beginners and experienced practitioners of Folk magic.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, impressively insightful, thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Living Folk Magic: Crafting Your Own Magical Life" offers a full and complete course of instruction in a DIY format that is an ideal instructional guide and 'how-to' manual for both novice and experienced folk magic enthusiasts alike. Of special note are the chapters on Common Folk Magic Spells From Around The World and Unearthing Roots: A Practical Guide To Finding Information. While highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Living Folk Magic: Crafting Your Own Magical Life" from Weiser Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228724891, $36.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Mary-Grace Fahrun (www.rueskitchen.com) is the author of the influential book "Italian Folk Magic: Rue's Kitchen Witchery" and also the creatrix of Rue's Kitchen, her website dedicated to the preservation of Italian folk practices. Residing in British Columbia, Canada. Mary-Grace can be visited at Instagram @rueskitchen, and YouTube @MaryGraceFahrun
Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide
Ivy Corvus
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803418728, $12.95, PB, 136pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Chaos-Complete-Beginners/dp/1803418729
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pagan-portals-chaos-magic-ivy-corvus/1147738197
Synopsis: Chaos magic emerged in England in the 1970s as part of the wider neo-pagan and esoteric subculture. It drew heavily from the occult beliefs of artist Austin Osman Spare, expressed several decades earlier. Magical organizations within this tradition include the Illuminates of Thanateros and Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth.
Part of the simply outstanding "Pagan Portals' series from Moon Books, "Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide" is divided into two parts (Theory and Praxis) and is a basic primer for those seeking to explore the philosophies of chaos magic, its principles and practical applications.
In Part One, you will learn to harness the power of intention, belief, and creativity not only to shape your reality according to your desires but also to decondition your mind, remove limiting beliefs, enter altered states of consciousness, achieve gnosis, and more.
In Part Two, you will learn to work with sigils, hypersigils, and magical entities, as well as explore powerful techniques, such as visualization and invocation, and the controversial realm of pop-culture magic.
Presenting an understanding of the core concepts of chaos magic, "Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide" provides insight into how to embrace chaos and unleash the mad scientist within. With it, your reality is yours to create.
Critique: "Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide" is an ideal introduction to the metaphysical concepts that have collectively become known as 'Chaos Magic', this exceptionally well written, organized and presented paperback edition from Moon Books is especially appropriate for community and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections. For the benefit of aspiring students and practitioners of Chaos Magic, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Ivy Corvus is an American occultist, chaote, witch and psychic with a history of ceremonial magic, paganism, and Zen Buddhism. She is both a healthcare practitioner and an undergraduate student: double-majoring in psychology and molecular biosciences. Her passion lies in understanding the interconnectedness of the universe and guiding others along their spiritual journeys. (https://www.youtube.com/@IvyTheOccultist)
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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