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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy
Albert N. Link, author
Martijn van Hasselt, author
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781802205589, $105.00, HC, 156pp
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Firms-U-S-Technology-Policy/dp/1802205586
Synopsis: While much has been written about the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program from both an
institutional and a policy perspective, there remains a conspicuous void of general information about firms and research
projects that are funded through the program. Providing a multi-dimensional picture of such firms and their projects, this
incisive book is designed to help the reader understand in more depth the social benefits associated with the SBIR
program.
With the publication of "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy: Social Benefits of the U.S. Small Business Innovation
Research Program", academics and co-authors Albert N. Link and Martijn van Hasselt discuss the U.S. SBIR program from
an institutional, empirical, and policy perspective, examining the policy transfer of the program to other countries, the
transfer of technical knowledge through patents and scientific publications, and the technology transfer of commercialised
research outputs. Exploring new program and project relationships, "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy" could well
serve as a springboard for future in-depth analyses about the SBIR program and its impact on economic and social
matters.
Forward-thinking in approach, "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy" provides a useful roadmap for future academic
and policy research into the SBIR program, making it a valuable read for scholars and students of business and management
studies. U.S. and international policymakers and business owners will also benefit from its discerning look into the SBIR
program.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of numerous figures, tables, a listing of abbreviations, a
six page bibliography of References, and a five page Index, "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy" is a seminal work of
meticulously researched study and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, corporate, governmental, and
academic library Contemporary Economics and Private/Public Business Research collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Albert N. Link is the Virginia Batte Phillips Distinguished Professor, Department of Economics.
Editorial Note #2: Martijn van Hasselt is an Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, University of
North Carolina at Greensboro, US.
Jean-Luc Godard: The Permanent Revolutionary
Bert Rebhandl, author
Edward Maltby, translator
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299341800, $29.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jean-Luc-Godard-Permanent-Revolutionary-Wisconsin/dp/0299341801
Synopsis: "Jean-Luc Godard: The Permanent Revolutionary" biographer Bert Rebhandl (and now translated into English for
an American readership by Edward Maltby) provides a balanced evaluation of the work of one of the most original and
influential film directors of all time: Jean-Luc Godard (3 December 1930 - 13 September 2022). In this sympathetic yet
critical overview, Rebhandle persuasively argues that Godard's work captured the revolutionary spirit of Paris in the late
1960s as no other filmmaker has dared, and in fact reinvented the medium.
Rebhandl skillfully weaves together biographical details; information about the cultural, intellectual, and cinematic milieu
over the decades; and descriptions of Godard's most significant films to support his assertion that the director was a
permanent revolutionary -- always seeking new ways to create, understand, and comment on film within a larger context.
Godard is presented as an artist consistently true to himself while never ceasing to change and evolve, often in unexpected,
radical, and controversial ways.
Critique: As a journalist and biographer, with the publication of "Jean-Luc Godard: The Permanent Revolutionary" Bert
Rebhandl is able to draw upon a wealth of material to descriptively analyze and provide comment upon such sensitive topics
as the long-standing charges of antisemitism against Godard and his oeuvre. This comprehensive and seminal biography is
an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Cinematic
History/Biography collections.
Editorial Note #1: Bert Rebhandl (https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/6058.htm) is a freelance journalist whose writings have
appeared in such venues as Frankfurter Allgemeine and tipBerlin. He is the author of several previous books written in
German.
Editorial Note #2: Edward Maltby (https://www.maltbytranslation.com) is a UK-based translator. He holds a degree in
modern and medieval languages from Cambridge University.
The Bookseller at the End of the World
Ruth Shaw
A&U New Zealand
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en.html
9781988547756, $18.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bookseller-at-End-World/dp/198854775X
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Bookseller at the End of the World", Ruth Shaw (who runs two wee bookshops in
remote Manapouri in the far south of New Zealand) weaves together stories of the characters who visit her bookshops,
musings about favorite books, and bittersweet stories from her full and varied life.
Ruth has sailed through the Pacific for years, been held up by pirates, worked at Sydney's Kings Cross with drug addicts and
prostitutes, campaigned on numerous environmental issues, and worked the yacht Breaksea Girl with her husband,
Lance.
Underlining all her wanderings and adventures are some very deep losses and long-held pain. Balancing that out is her
beautiful love story with Lance, and her delightful sense of humor.
"The Bookseller at the End of the World" will provoke the reader to sorrow and laughter -- and motivated to want to read
more books.
And there is a standing invitation for visitors to New Zealand to visit Ruth and her three wee bookshops!
Critique: A deftly presented and informative memoir certain to delight the hard core bibliophile and of compelling interest
to anyone who has ever contemplated operating a bookstore of their own, "The Bookseller at the End of the World" is a an
inherently fascinating read and a truly exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Writing/Bookseller Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted that "The
Bookseller at the End of the World" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Twice arrested and married four times, now at age 75, Ruth Shaw has led a colorful life crammed with
incredible adventure, and at times damned by terrible tragedy. There have been pirates and prostitutes, protests, and pig
farming; gold mining, gambling, and grief.
(https://www.nzedge.com/news/fiordland-bookseller-ruth-shaws-extraordinary-life)
Avocado Anxiety
Louise Gray
Bloomsbury
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472969637, $24.00
https://www.amazon.com/Avocado-Anxiety-Other-Stories-About/dp/1472969634
Avocado Anxiety and Other Stories About Where Your Food Comes From comes from the author of the best-selling The
Ethical Carnivore, and continues the dialogue surrounding food choices and making mindful decisions about eating. This
survey presents stories of how fruits and vegetables are grown, marketed, and how they affect both humans and the land,
considering wide-ranging questions from how food is foraged and whether it's more nutritious than farmed food to whether
plant protein is as good as meat. Expanding many of the concepts presented in The Ethical Carnivore, Avocado Anxiety
imbibes its approach and subjects with dialogues supported by facts, encouraging readers to both learn more about food
options and consider their planetary impact in making these choices.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders
Dr. Judith Briles
Mile High Press
http://www.milehighpress.com
9781885331915, $20.00, PB, 338pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Avoid-Book-Publishing-Blunders/dp/1885331916
Synopsis: When it comes to publishing there is no need to 'reinvent the wheel'. Not when there is "How to Avoid Book
Publishing Blunders", a DIY instructional guide and 'how to' manual that shows how to avoid the inevitable potholes that
litter what Dr. Judith Briles aptly refers to as the publishing maze.
You are writing a book (or you have one already published one) and the OMG moment hits you. You've made a mistake,
there's been screw up, or you just feel clueless in the maze of the publishing tsunami of items you unexpectedly find
yourself having to deal with. You need help and savvy guidance.
That's what "How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders" delivers, as it reveals 'real world practical' strategies, tips, and
techniques to ensure your publishing success -- and without any publishing industry gibberish. Just the facts and how-to for
your author success.
"How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders" covers: The essentials that every successful author must include in a book;
Structuring social media resources that are ideal for your book and level of expertise; Identifying readability factors to
ensure your reader ease and aha take-aways; Hot tips for creating and maintaining momentum in book marketing; Learning
what to avoid in contracts and how to end them if necessary.
With How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders, you've got book publishing and marketing expert Judith Briles (known
throughout the publishing industry as The Book Shepherd) who is also the successful author of 38 books. With her years of
experience and expertise she knows what the roadblocks and pitfalls are that authors encounter. Working with thousands of
authors who have earned book awards and bestselling status, she brings the secret sauces of the publishing world to your
ears and eyes.
Critique: It should be noted that the Midwest Book Review has a great deal of respect for the breadth and depth of Judith
Brile's expertise when it comes to the writing, publishing, and marketing of books. Reading "How to Avoid Book
Publishing Blunders" is like taking a one-on-one tutorial in DIY book publishing and is a essential reading for aspiring
authors considering self-publishing, novice publishers seeking to publish profitably. In fact, "How to Avoid Book
Publishing Blunders" has immense value for even the more experienced authors and publishing staff members. While also
readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), "How to Avoid Book Publishing
Blunders" is comprehensive, 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, and an absolutely essential addition to
personal, community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections.
Editorial Note: Dr. Judith Briles (http://www.milehighpress.com) is the author of 43 books and known as The Book
Shepherd, working with authors globally to create and publish books in all subject categories and genres.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Briles) A number of her titles have been previously reviewed and archived by the
Midwest Book Review website at
https://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=8779737&pid=r&mode=ALL&n=0&query=%22Judith+Briles%22
The Economic Studies Shelf
Reinventing the Supply Chain
Jack Buffington
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647122997, $29.95, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-Supply-Chain-21st-Century-Covenant/dp/1647122996
Synopsis: When the COVID-19 pandemic led to a global economic "shutdown" in March 2020, our supply chains began to
fail, and out-of-stocks and delivery delays became the new norm. Contrary to public perception, the pandemic strain did not
break the current system of supply chains; it merely exposed weaknesses and fault lines that were decades in the making,
and which were already acutely felt in deindustrialized cities and depopulated rural towns throughout the United States.
With the publication of "Reinventing the Supply Chain: A 21st-Century Covenant with America", Jack Buffington explores
the historical role of supply chains in the global economy, outlines where the system went wrong and what needs to be done
to fix it, and demonstrates how a retooled supply chain can lead to the revitalization of American communities. Buffington
then proposes a transformation of the global supply chain system into a community-based value chain, led by the
communities themselves and driven by digital platforms for raising capital and blockchain technology.
Critique: With Buffington's proposals of new and effective solutions to supply chain problems that have been decades in the
making, "Reinventing the Supply Chain: A 21st-Century Covenant with America" offers a clear roadmap to a more durable
and efficient system. Critically essential reading, "Reinventing the Supply Chain" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, corporate, and academic library Globalization and Business Management collections. It
should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, economists, government policy makers,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Reinventing the Supply Chain" is also available in a
paperback edition (9783319368047, $54.99) and in digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Jack Buffington (https://firstkey.com/who-we-are/leadership/dr-jack-buffington) is the director of supply
chain and sustainability at First Key Consulting and professor and academic director of the supply chain management
program at the University of Denver. He is the also author of several previously published books, including "The Recycling
Myth and Peak Plastic".
The Cookbook Shelf
The Vegan Bridge
Romain Avril, chef/author
Richelle Tablang, chef/author
Whitecap Books
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside
www.fitzhenry.ca
9781770503595, $34.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bridge-Plant-Based-Carnivores-Kitchen/dp/1770503595
Synopsis: For the meat-eater looking to incorporate vegetarian options into their repertoire; for the novice chef trying to
develop new techniques; for the home cook who wants to dazzle with recipes that are bold, flavourful, and totally unique -
French-trained chefs Romain Avril and Richelle Tablang have collaborated with the publication of "The Vegan Bridge:
Adding Plant-Based Flair to the Carnivore's Kitchen"
Comprised of recipes ranging from simple snacks and sides that add a vegan twist to a flexible meal, to showstopping vegan
mains that will captivate vegetarians and omnivores alike, chefs and co-authors Romain and Richelle demonstrate how
incorporating vegan meals into everyday life can be done easily, without sacrificing taste or presentation
Everyday staples like Vegetable Chips, Garlic Roasted Chickpeas, and an array of dips, smoothies, and salads provide the
perfect entry-point for cooks of all skill levels, while impressive entrees like Chive Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms
Florentine, Deep-Fried Tomatillo Tacos, and Cauliflower Tikka Masala bridge the gap between a garden-variety meal and
plant-based perfection
Including over 100 recipes in all, along with menu plans, pantry and kitchen tips, and unique insights from two
accomplished chefs, "The Vegan Bridge: Adding Plant-Based Flair to the Carnivore's Kitchen" is an essential (and
transitional) guide to integrating vegan cooking into family meals
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color, full page photography, "The Vegan Bridge:
Adding Plant-Based Flair to the Carnivore's Kitchen" is a very special coffee-table style paperback (8.5 x 1 x 11 inches, 1.98
pounds) that will grace any personal, professional, or community library cookbook collection -- and will be especially
appreciated by anyone wanting to sample what vegan dishes can do for their palate pleasing, appetite satisfying offerings
that will have appeal for even the most carnivore of friends and family members.
Editorial Note #1: Romain Avril is a French-trained chef, born in Paris, who is known for his creative and ambitious
cooking Since moving to Toronto in 2010, he has worked as Executive Chef at the renowned La Societe Bistro, and has
participated in the opening of such institutions as Levelle, Goldie Bar, and Neruda He operates his own organization,
Romain Avril Inc, which offers a multitude of culinary services, and maintains a YouTube channel providing tips and
recipes, while making occasional appearances on the Food Network
Editorial Note #2: Richelle Tablang was born and raised in Toronto to a family of Filipino immigrants who always
emphasized the value of food and its origins After studying baking and pastry arts in Toronto, Richelle fell in love with
French pastry, eventually moving to France to further her education. She studied at the prestigious Ecole Nationale
Superieure de Patisserie (founded by two-time Meilleur Ouvrier de France winner Yves Thuries and multiple Michelin
star-holder Alain Ducasse) and worked as a pastry commis in the South of France Richelle returned to Toronto fuelled by an
adoration for modern French pastry and a desire to mingle her knowledge of French techniques with Asian ingredients from
her family's background
Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit
Abra Bernes
Chronicle Books
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781797207148, $35.00, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pulp-Practical-Guide-Cooking-Fruit/dp/1797207148
Synopsis: "Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit" is a volume of recipes that focuses on all the ways fruit can
enhance simple, delicious mains -- for example, by elevating roasted vegetables, garnishing soup, or adding perfume to a
roasted pork or brisket. Principally,"Pulp" is about regularly incorporating fruit to add variety and seasonality to main
dishes.
Home cooks and bakers alike will appreciate the alternately sweet and savory recipes such as Roast Chicken over
Blueberries, Cornbread + Lemon; Melon, Cucumber + Chickpea Salad; and Rum-Plum Clafoutis. "Pulp" also features
helpful reference material, a Baker's Toolkit, and more than 100 atmospheric photos, delivered with the can-do attitude and
accessibility of the Midwestern United States.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized, illustrated and presented, and also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.43), "Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit" is a large format volume (7.35 x 1.65 x 9.75 inches, 2 pounds)
featuring more than 215 sweet and savory recipes and variations, making it a unique and core addition that is especially
recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library Specialty Cookbook Collections.
Editorial Note: Abra Bernes (https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/abra-berens) is a Michigan chef, author, and former
farmer. Through every recipe written and meal served, she aims to tighten the connection between eaters and growers. She
believes we can invest in a stronger, more equitable food system for everyone, from producers to grocers to consumers. She
is the author of "Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables" (a 2020 Michigan Notable Book winner and James Beard Award
nominee) and "Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Legumes". Her dinners at Granor Farm in
Three Oaks, Michigan, made her a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Chef: Great Lakes.
The Music Shelf
Extreme Music
Michael Tau
Feral House
www.feralhouse.com
9781627311243, $29.95, PB, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Music-Silence-Everything-between/dp/1627311246
Synopsis: Michael Tau had spent years obsessed by the extremes of musical expression. "Extreme Music: Silence to Noise
and Everything In Between" is the culmination of decades of research into the sounds (and silences) that comprise the outer
limits and conceptual expressions that stretch the definition of music.
Tau defines and categorizes these recorded sounds into sections that allow fans and newcomers to explore the fascinating
world of musicians who defy convention. He explores a wide range of extremes including volume, speed, and vulgarity to
packaging, recording methods, unplayable media, outdated technologies, and digital pioneers. He asks and answers the
questions: Are all sounds music? Is silence music? Is a plate of rotting food once cataloged, packaged and sold by a
distributor qualify as music?
"Extreme Music" includes over 100 interviews with makers and musicians as Tau uses his background in psychiatry to help
readers understand what motivates people to create and listen to non-mainstream music. As a fan of multiple avant-garde
musical genres, Tau uncovers the pleasures (and sometimes pain and frustration) found at the outre fringes of music.
Critique: Unique, informative, insightful, comprehensive, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Extreme Music:
Silence to Noise and Everything In Between" by Michael Tau is an impressive and unreservedly recommended Music
Recording & Appreciation guide for curious seekers, die-hard fans, and cultural investigators. Of special note are its features
of images and curated links to samples of music. While a core and valued pick for professional, community, and academic
library Music History/Technology collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of music students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Extreme Music" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.72) and would well serve for supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Michael Tau (https://feralhouse.com/extreme-music) was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. As a teenager,
he was introduced to bizarre and adventurous music via the after-hours CBC radio program, Brave New Waves, which he
recorded onto cassette to listen to the next day. In university, he attended noise shows in lofts in Montreal's quasi-industrial
districts, to the detriment of his hearing. He has since written for numerous underground music publications and has
authored several music zines.
Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983
Jen B. Larson
Feral House
www.feralhouse.com
9781627311236, $28.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Girls-Women-Punk-1975-1983/dp/1627311238
Synopsis: Women have been kicking against the pricks of music patriarchy since Sister Rosetta Tharpe first played the
guitar riffs that built rock-n-roll. The explosion of punk sent shockwaves of revolution to every girl who dreamed of being
on stage. Punk godmothers Suzy Quatro, The Runaways, Patti Smith, Poison Ivy, Tina Weymouth, Debbie Harry, The
Go-Gos, and Fanny's Millington sisters provided the template for thousands of girls and women throughout the United
States to write and record their songs.
A combination memoir and music history, "Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983" by Jen B. Larson is the story
of local and regional bands whose legacy would be otherwise lost. Despite the modern narrative labeling women as
anomalies in rock music, the truth is: women played important roles in punk and its related genres in every city, in every
scene, all over the United States. The women and bands profiled by Jen B. share their experiences of sexism and racism as
well as their joy and successes from their days on stage as they changed what it meant to be in a band. These pioneering
women were more than novelty acts or pretty faces--they were fully contributing members and leaders of mixed-gender and
all-female bands long before the call for "girls to the front".
The women of "Hit Girls" are now rightfully exalted to cult status where their collective achievement is recognized and
inspiring to new generations of women rockers. Included are interviews with: Texacala Jones, Stoney Rivera, Mish Bondaj,
Alice Bag, Nikki Corvette, Penelope Houston, and many more formidable and infamous women who made their voices
heard over the screaming guitars.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of more than 100 rare and never-before seen images, "Hit Girls:
Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983" also features a comprehensive playlist of all the artists cited. A seminal and
comprehensive history, "Hit Girls" is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Punk Music History/Biography collections in general, and Rock Band Biography reading lists in
particular. It should be noted for music history students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Hit Girls" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Jen B. Larson (https://feralhouse.com/hit-girls) is a writer, musician, and public art schoolteacher living in
Chicago. She holds a B.A. in English literature and creative writing as well as an M.Ed. in special education. Her bands,
Swimsuit Addition, beastii, and Jen and the Dots, have performed and recorded extensively over the last decade.
The Education Shelf
The Way to Inclusion
Julie Causton, et al.
ASCD
www.ascd.org
9781416631804, $30.95, PB, 137pp
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Inclusion-Leaders-Schools-Student/dp/1416631801
Synopsis: The research is clear: Including students with disabilities in general education classrooms is the most effective
way for all students (able and disabled) to learn.
With the publication of "The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs " by the team of
educators and inclusion experts Julie Causton, Kate MacLeod, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Jenna Mancini Rufo, and Paul
Gordon is an invaluable guide for for those charged with the responsibility of educator leadership..
A compendium of research, resources, and seasoned advice, "The Way to Inclusion" takes the reader, step-by-step, through
the inclusivity change process, from envisioning a path to reimagining the roles of existing staff and everything in between.
"The Way to Inclusion" also outlines seven clearly defined milestones tied to an Action Plan that will help the reader to stay
the course with so vital an initiative.
In addition to milestones and leadership questions, "The Way to Inclusion" offers: Instructions for conducting an equity
review of your system with a focus on special education; Guidance for creating and analyzing service-delivery maps,
including before-and-after examples from systems that have successfully shifted to greater inclusivity; Classroom
observation and staff survey tools; First-person accounts from educators who have undergone the change process; Best
practices for developing an inclusivity-focused vision statement; Downloadable forms and templates to help you move
forward with implementation.
Critique: Segregating students with disabilities from the rest of the student body is simply not necessary. A strongly
recommended and core addition to personal, professional, school district, college, and university library Special Education
Integration collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools
Where Every Student Belongs" is an exceptionally 'user friendly' and indispensable guide for making certain that all
students in a school system will not only learn but also thrive in the least restrictive environment possible.
Editorial Note #1: Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo is an experienced public-school leader turned inclusive education consultant.
She is the founder and owner of empowerED School Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in equity and inclusion.
Having served as an assistant superintendent, director of special education, state policy specialist, special education teacher,
and inclusion facilitator, Jenna has practical experience in leading systems change for inclusion. She has shared her
knowledge at numerous events, including The Atlantic's Education Summit, and recently launched a blog and video series.
Jenna was inspired to enter the field of education by her sister, Nina, who has multiple disabilities. She views education as
her calling and is passionate about providing high-quality programs for all students.
Editorial Note #2: Dr. Paul Gordon has spent much of his education career working for the Adams 12 Five Star School
District outside Denver, Colorado, where he served as a classroom teacher, a middle school principal, the director of
professional development, and the chief academic officer. During the last 10 years, Paul has served as the superintendent of
three school districts. Early in his career, he worked with students with significant reading challenges, which forged his path
toward creating inclusive environments for each student and understanding the impact this has on the overall system. As a
practitioner, Paul continues to learn from students, teachers, parents, and others working in inclusive classrooms about the
challenges and the incredible opportunities that inclusion offers each student.
The Handbook of Racial Equity in Early Childhood Education
Jen Neitzel, author
Ebonyse Mead, author
Brookes Publishing Company
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681257204, $39.95, PB, 200pp
https://products.brookespublishing.com/The-Handbook-of-Racial-Equity-in-Early-Childhood-Education-P1470.aspx
Synopsis: The goal of every early educator is to prepare all students for school success -- but for young Black children,
entrenched biases and racial inequities have created an achievement gap that must be closed. Now with the publication of
"The Handbook of Racial Equity in Early Childhood Education", educators can transform their practices and work for
systemic change with the help of a visionary guidebook presenting a comprehensive roadmap to promoting racial equity in
early childhood education.
The only handbook of its kind that takes a rigorous, in depth look at the historical roots of racial bias, "The Handbook of
Racial Equity in Early Childhood Education" goes beyond band aid approaches to equity and prioritizes real transformation
and healing: of adults, communities, programs, systems, and children. Grounded in research but focused on action, this
empowering guide offers both deep foundational knowledge and practical classroom strategies that promote better outcomes
for Black children and families.
Of special note are the contributions from voices of experience (influential scholars, teachers, and parents) offering
authentic perspectives on the impact of racism and the importance of anti racist practices.
Critique: Timely given the present attempts in many parts of the country to eliminate information about Black American
History, Personalities, Historical and Current Racism from elementary school curriculums, "The Handbook of Racial Equity
in Early Childhood Education" must be recognized as essential reading for classroom educators, school administrators, and
schoolboard/governmental policymakers working toward equity and justice. Simply stated, "The Handbook of Racial Equity
in Early Childhood Education" will materially help early childhood professionals to fight back and dismantle racially based
inequitable systems and ensure high quality learning experiences for every child regarding their racial identity and the
genuine history of African-Americans. While an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to school district,
college, and university library Early Childhood Education collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Handbook of Racial Equity in Early Childhood Education" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $28.99.
That Behaviour Book
Stephen Baker
Crown House Publishing
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785836688, $28.95, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/That-Behaviour-Book-teaching-children/dp/1785836684
Synopsis: What kind of teacher are you? What values, beliefs and principles do successful teachers have and how do they
sustain these in the face of challenging pupil behaviour?
In this timely book, Stephen Baker contends that rigid punishment systems weaponize young people's defiance against them
and that punishment doesn't work. He believes that teachers need to take responsibility for behaviour and to lead it, not just
'manage' it, that we need to love the kids (even if we don't like them), that children are people, that we are an event in their
lives, and that teaching is a relationship-based activity.
With each chapter followed by engaging 'takeaway tasks', That Behaviour Book will allow teachers to rapidly improve both
their practice and their relationships with pupils and classes. The book looks at the values that will sustain you as a teacher,
how routines will help you teach better and what 'positive expectations' really mean, making child-centred relational practice
easy to apply in the classroom. Teachers will have a more realistic appreciation of their own situation and of the context in
which they teach. In short, this book will help teachers learn how to get the very best out of their pupils.
"That Behaviour Book" is an essential guide for both the beginner and the more experienced classroom teacher. Its unique
tone makes it an indispensable companion for the busy teacher, providing a sense of connection, challenge and reassurance
all at once. Stephen Baker's anecdotes, drawn from his years as a pupil, teacher and trainer pack an emotional punch and are
often hilarious.
Critique: Expertly written and presented by educator and consultant Stephen Baker, "That Behaviour Book: The simple truth
about teaching children" is essential and instructive reading for every classroom teacher. Providing a wealth of engaging,
illustrative, and unique mix of anecdotes, practical strategies and moral imperatives for successful and child-centered
behavior management in an education setting, "That Behaviour Book" is a solid and recommended pick for personal,
professional, school district, and academic library Educational Instruction and Child Management collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$22.75).
Editorial Note: Stephen Baker (https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/stephen-baker) spent 17 years in teaching, before working
with local authorities and for the National Strategies as a regional adviser in Yorkshire and the Humber. He is now a
behavior consultant and trainer, passionate about helping teachers to succeed.
The American History Shelf
Our Flag Was Still There
Tom McMillan
Knox Press
c/o Permuted Press
https://permutedpress.com
9781637587331, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Flag-Was-Still-There/dp/1637587333
Synopsis: Francis Scott Key saw the original Star-Spangled Banner flying over Baltimore's Fort McHenry on September 14,
1814, following a twenty-five-hour bombardment by the British Navy, inspiring him to write the words to our national
anthem. Torn and tattered over the years, reduced in size to appease souvenir-hunters, stuffed away in a New York City
vault for the last two decades of the nineteenth century, the flag's mere existence after two hundred years is an improbable
story of dedication, perseverance, patriotism, angst, inner-family squabbles, and, yes, more than a little luck.
For this unlikely feat, we have the Armistead family to thank -- led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead, commander of
Fort McHenry, who took it home after the battle in clear defiance of U.S. Army regulations. It is only because of that quiet
indiscretion that the flag survives to this day. Armistead's descendants kept and protected their family heirloom for ninety
years. The flag's first photo was not taken until 1873, almost sixty years after Key saw it waving, and most Americans did
not even know of its existence until Armistead's grandson loaned it to the Smithsonian in 1907.
With the publication of "Our Flag Was Still There: The Star Spangled Banner that Survived the British and 200 Years - And
the Armistead Family Who Saved It", Tom McMillan tells a story as no one has before. Digging deep into the archives of
Fort McHenry and the Smithsonian, accessing never-before-published letters and documents, and presenting rare photos
from the private collections of Armistead descendants and other sources, McMillan follows the flag on an often-perilous
journey through three centuries. "Our Flag Was Still There" provides new insight into an intriguing period of U.S. history,
offering a "story behind the story" account of one of the country's most treasured relics.
Critique: The story of one of America's most iconic symbols, "Our Flag Was Still There: The Star Spangled Banner that
Survived the British and 200 Years - And the Armistead Family Who Saved It" will hold a very special interest for readers
concerned with the American Revolution and our founding history. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community, college, and university library American History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Our Flag Was Still There: The Star Spangled Banner that Survived the British and 200 Years - And the Armistead Family
Who Saved It" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Audio, 9798212341844, $31.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Tom McMillan (http://www.authortommcmillan.com) is a lifelong student of history, and has served on the
board of trustees of Pittsburgh's Heinz History Center, the board of directors of the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial,
and the marketing committee of the Gettysburg Foundation. He has written three previous books, including Flight 93: The
Story, The Aftermath, and the Legacy of American Courage on 9/11. McMillan recently retired after a forty-three-year
career in sports communications, which included twenty-five years as VP/Communications for the NHL's Pittsburgh
Penguins. He has a journalism degree from Point Park University.
Faces, Places, and Days Gone By
Mikel B. Classen
Modern History Press
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
9781615997251, $34.95, HC, 138pp
https://www.amazon.com/Faces-Places-Days-Gone-Pictorial/dp/1615997253
Synopsis: With the publication of "Faces, Places, and Days Gone By - Volume 1: A Pictorial History of Michigan's Upper
Peninsula", Mikel Classen's pictorial history is the next best thing to a time machine, as we get a front-row seat in the
worlds of shipping and shipwrecks, iron and copper mining, timber cutting, hunting and fishing and the everyday lives of
ordinary folks of Michigan's Upper Peninsula across more than 100 years.
"Faces, Places and Days Gone By" peers into our past through the lenses of those that lived and explored it. See what they
saw as time passed and how the U.P. evolved into the wondrous place we know today.
Drawn from the Classen's unique collection, "Faces, Places and Days Gone By" is comprised of newly restored images from
long lost stereoviews, cabinet cards, postcards and lithograph engravings. It takes the armchair traveler on a visual journey
to relive some of those moments, and discover a unique heritage through those faces and places from the Soo to Ironwood,
from Copper Harbor to Mackinaw Island.
Critique: A unique and exceptional pictorial history of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, each fully captioned black/white
historical photo is a treasure, with the entire "Faces Places and Days Gone By" collection being an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library American History
collection. It should be noted that "Faces Places and Days Gone By" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781615997244, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.95).
Editorial Note: Mikel B. Classen (www.mikelbclassen.com) has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in
news-papers and magazines for over thirty-five years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan's north
country. Currently he is managing editor of the U.P. Reader and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Upper
Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association.
The World History Shelf
Postcards from Congo: A Graphic History
Edmund Trueman, author/illustrator
Arsenal Pulp Press
www.arsenalpulp.com
9781551528953, $19.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Postcards-Congo-Graphic-Edmund-Trueman/dp/1551528959
Synopsis: The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa by area. It has had a fractured and
bloody history, variously undone by decades of colonialism, civil war, corruption, and totalitarian rule. The country has
played a crucial role in the economic growth of the Global North, but in doing so, has suffered immensely. So many seminal
advances in technology were possible only through the extraction of materials from Congo ranging from rubber to copper to
uranium to coltan. In each case, the Congolese people paid a great price exacerbated by the weight of colonial exploitation
and dictatorial rule.
"Postcards from Congo: A Graphic History" is comprehensive graphic style history in which author and illustrator Edmund
Trueman explores the fractious story of Congo. Through deft illustrations and storytelling, Congo's history (not widely
known to Western readers) comes vividly alive. We see how Congolese musicians have spread their language across Africa
by creating some of the most popular music on the continent, and how Congolese women have spent decades sidestepping
sexist legislation to become leaders in local business.
From resistance against colonialism to the fight for independence and the self-determination to make a life in an almost
stateless place, "Postcards from Congo: A Graphic History" depicts how the Congolese people have resisted and survived in
order to take control of their lives and the country they call home.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the Inclusion of a Foreword by historian Didier Gondola, Professor of
African History at Johns Hopkins University, "Postcards from Congo: A Graphic History" is a fascinating, informative, and
thought-provoking approach to history that takes a kind of graphic novel approach to telling a non-fiction history. While
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Postcards from Congo: A Graphic History" will
hold interest for readers wanting to know more about central African history in general, and the Republic of Congo in
particular. In a format that could well serve as a template for similar histories of other African nations, "Postcards from
Congo: A Graphic History" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library African History
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Edmund Trueman (https://arsenalpulp.com/Contributors/T/Trueman-Edmund) has been creating and
self-publishing underground comics for the last decade. He has written from his own experience about topics ranging from
the refugee crisis to the squatting movement. Postcards from Congo is his first long-form graphic non-fiction work, and his
first work dealing with African history.
Editorial Note #2: Didier Gondola (https://history.jhu.edu/directory/didier-gondola) is Professor of African History at Johns
Hopkins University. He has a PhD in African History from the Universite Paris 7 in 1993. His publications include
numerous articles and chapters on popular cultures (music, fashion, gambling, and memory), gender and postcolonial issues
in Central Africa and the African diaspora in France. His most recent book is Tropical Cowboys: Youth Gangs, Violence,
and Masculinities in Colonial Kinshasa (Indiana University Press).
Travellers of the World Revolution
Brigitte Studer
Verso
www.versobooks.com
9781839768019, $39.95, HC, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/Travellers-World-Revolution-Communist-International/dp/1839768010
Synopsis: The Communist International was the first organised attempt to bring about worldwide revolution and left a
lasting mark on 20th-century history. With the publication of "Travellers of the World Revolution: A Global History of the
Communist International", Professor Brigitte Studer offers a new and fascinating account of this transnational organization
which was founded in 1919 by Lenin and Trotsky and dissolved by Stalin in 1943 -- and telling that story through the eyes
of the activists who became its "professional revolutionaries."
Professor Studer follows such figures as Willi Munzenberg, Mikhail Borodin, M.N. Roy and Evelyn Trent, Tina Modotti,
Agnes Smedley and many others less well-known as they are despatched to the successive political hotspots of the 1920s
and '30s, from revolutionary Berlin to Baku, from Shanghai to Spain, from Nazi Germany to Stalin's Moscow.
"Travellers of the World Revolution" traces their journeys from revolutionary hope to accommodation, defeat or death,
looking at questions of motivation and commitment, agency and negotiation, of life and love, conflict and frustration. In
doing so, it reveals a forgotten Comintern, the expression of a multi-dimensional revolutionary moment, which attracted not
only working-class but feminist, anti-racist, anti-colonial and anti-imperialist activists, highlighting the role of women in the
Comintern and the centrality of anti-colonialism to the Communist project.
This outstanding study finally concludes with a reflection on the ultimate demise of a historically unique undertaking.
Critique: An exceptionally well researched, impressively written, deftly organized, accessibly presented, and comprehensive
political history, "Travellers of the World Revolution: A Global History of the Communist International" is a seminal work
of meticulous scholarship, making it a critically important and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Political Science/History collections. It should be noted for
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the 20th Century history of Communism and
Socialism, that "Travellers of the World Revolution" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Brigitte Studer (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brigitte-Studer) is a historian and professor emerita of
contemporary history at the University of Bern. A specialist in gender history and social and political history, she has written
extensively on political activism, international Communism and Stalinism, citizenship, welfare and employment protection
as well as on female suffrage and women's movements. Her books have been published in English, German, French, Italian,
Russian and Turkish. She has taught at the Universities of Geneva and Zurich and at Washington University (St.Louis,
USA). She has also been a visiting professor at the EHESS in Paris and at the University of Strathclyde, and senior visiting
fellow at the University of Vienna and at the University of London's Institute of Historical Research.
A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives
Philip Matyszak and Joanne Berry
Thames & Hudson
https://thamesandhudson.com
9780500297056, $16.95 pbk / $12.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/History-Ancient-Rome-100-Lives/dp/0500297053
Synopsis: A vibrant portrait of a lost world, A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives reveals the mightiest civilization of
antiquity through the eyes of one hundred of its citizens. The book gives a voice not just to Rome's most famous generals
and rulers, such as Caesar and Caligula, but also to its builders, sculptors, poets, historians, gladiators, shepherds, enslaved
people, and courtesans.
The book begins with Faustulus, the foster father of Romulus and Remus, and closes with the final emperor, Romulus
Augustulus. The stories of Roman women are given their due as well - from Servilia, Caesar's lover; to Agrippina, the
murderous wife of Claudius; Amazonia, the sword-swinging gladiator; and Hypatia, philosopher, astronomer, and
mathematician. Exploring every level of society and using the latest archaeological evidence as well as ancient texts, the
authors build up a picture of what it meant to live in Ancient Rome.
Critique: Now in an affordable paperback edition with 20 full-color illustrations, A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives is
an engrossing tour of the Roman Empire's centuries of grandeur and decline through the biographies of 100 individuals
ranging from rulers and generals to scholars, Christian martyrs, civil servants, and ordinary people. Thoroughly accessible to
readers of all backgrounds, A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives is a "must-have" for both personal and public library
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives is also available in a
Kindle edition ($12.99).
The Civil War Shelf
"If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania"
Scott L. Mingues Sr., author
Eric J. Wittenberg, author
Savas Beatie
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216110, $34.95, HC, 456pp
https://www.amazon.com/If-Are-Striking-Pennsylvania-Gettysburg/dp/1611216117
Synopsis: Award-winning co-authors Scott L. Mingus Sr. and Eric J. Wittenberg are back with the second and final
installment of "If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania". Volume 2 is " The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the
Potomac March to Gettysburg, June 22-30, 1863". A compelling study that is the first to fully integrate the military,
political, social, economic, and civilian perspectives with rank-and-file accounts from the soldiers of both armies during the
inexorably march north toward their mutual destinies at Gettysburg. Gen. Robert E. Lee's bold movement north, which
began on June 3, shifted the war out of the central counties of the Old Dominion into the Shenandoah Valley, across the
Potomac, and beyond.
The first volume "If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania": The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac
March to Gettysburg - Volume 1: June 3-21, 1863" carried the armies through the defining mounted clash at the battle of
Brandy Station, after which Lee pushed the head of his army into the Shenandoah Valley and achieved the magnificent
victory at Second Winchester on his way to the Potomac. Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, who was caught flat-footed by the
move, used his cavalry to probe the mountain gaps, triggering a series of consequential mounted actions.
The second volume "If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania": The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac
March to Gettysburg. Volume 2: June 22-30, 1863" completes the march to Gettysburg and details the actions and
whereabouts of each component of the armies up to the eve of the fighting. The large-scale maneuvering in late June
prompted General Hooker to move his Army of the Potomac north after his opponent and eventually above the Potomac,
where he is removed from command and replaced by V Corps commander George G. Meade. Jeb Stuart begins his
controversial and consequential ride that strips away the eyes and ears of the Virginia army. Throughout northern Virginia,
central Maryland, and south-central Pennsylvania, civilians, politicians, and soldiers alike struggle with the reality of a
mobile campaign and the
massive logistical needs of the armies.
Mingus and Wittenberg mined hundreds of primary accounts, newspapers, and other sources to describe the passage of the
long martial columns, the thunderous galloping of hooves, and the looting, fighting, suffering, and dying. As careful readers
will quickly discern, other studies of the runup to Gettysburg gloss over most of this material. It is simply impossible to
fully grasp and understand the campaign without a firm appreciation of what the armies and the civilians did during the days
leading up to the fateful meeting at the small crossroads town in Adams County, Pennsylvania.
Critique: A powerful, informative, and effectively presented two-volume saga is a truly seminal and ground-breaking study.
With the publication of "If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania": The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the
Potomac March to Gettysburg. Volume 2: June 22-30, 1863", no personal, professional, community, or academic library
American Civil War History collection can be considered up-to-date without the inclusion of both volumes 1 & 2 of "If We
Are Striking for Pennsylvania. It should be noted that this outstanding study is also available for students, academia, and
American Civil War buffs in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.95).
Editorial Note #1: Scott L. Mingus Sr. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmingus) is the award-winning author of more than
a dozen Civil War books, including Unceasing Fury: Texans at the Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1863 (2022).
Scott maintains a blog on the Civil War history of York County (www.yorkblog.com/cannonball).
Editorial Note #2: Eric J. Wittenberg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_J._Wittenberg) is an Ohio attorney, an
accomplished Civil War cavalry historian, and an award-winning author. He has penned more than a dozen books, including
Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions, which won the 1998 Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award, and The Devil's to
Pay: John Buford at Gettysburg, which won the Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable's 2015 Book Award.
John Brown's Raid
Jon-Erik M. Gilor, author
Kevin R. Pawlak, author
Savas Beatie
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215977, $16.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/John-Browns-Raid-Harpers-Emerging/dp/1611215978
Synopsis: It is not commonly known that the first shot of the American Civil War was not fired on April 12, 1861, in
Charleston, South Carolina, but instead came on October 16, 1859, at Harpers Ferry, Virginia -- or so it was claimed former
slave turned abolitionist Frederick Douglass. That shot went across the country like a meteor in the dark.
John Brown, the infamous fighter on the Kansas plains and detester of slavery, led a band of nineteen men on a desperate
nighttime raid that targeted the Federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. There, they planned to begin a war to end slavery in the
United States. But after 36 tumultuous hours, John Brown's Raid failed, and Brown himself became a prisoner of the state of
Virginia.
Brown's subsequent trial further divided north and south on the issue of slavery as Brown justified his violent actions to a
national audience forced to choose sides. Ultimately, Southerners cheered Brown's death at the gallows while Northerners
observed it with reverence. The nation's dividing line had been drawn.
Herman Melville and Walt Whitman extolled Brown as a "meteor" of the war. Roughly one year after Brown and his men
attacked slavery in Virginia, the nation split apart, fueled by Brown's fiery actions.
"John Brown's Raid: Harpers Ferry and the Coming of the Civil War, October 16-18, 1859" by co-authors and Civil War
historians Jon-Erik Gilor and Kevin Pawlak tells the story of the first shots that led to disunion. Profusely enhanced with
with maps and images, "John Brown's Raid" includes a driving and walking tour of sites related to Brown's Raid so visitors
today can follow the path of America's meteor.
Critique: A part of the Savas Beatie 'Emerging Civil War Series', and exceptionally well written, organized and presented,
"John Brown's Raid: Harpers Ferry and the Coming of the Civil War, October 16-18, 1859" will prove a welcome and
enduringly appreciated addition to the ever expanding library of American Civil War histories. While available for reading
lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99), "John Brown's Raid" is a fundamentally recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and academic library American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note #1: Jon-Erik M. Gilot (https://www.battlefields.org/contributors/jon-erik-gilot) has worked more than fifteen
years in the field of public history. In addition to his work as a business archivist and records manager, he also serves as
curator at the Captain Thomas Espy Grand Army of the Republic Post in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and is active in numerous
historical organizations.
Editorial Note #2: Kevin Pawlak (https://emergingcivilwar.com/contributor/kevin-pawlak) is the Director of Education for
the Mosby Heritage Area Association and works as a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield. He also
sits on the Board of Directors of the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association and the Save Historic Antietam
Foundation. Kevin also serves on the advisory board at Shenandoah University's McCormick Civil War Institute and
Shepherd University's George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War. The History Press published his first
book, Shepherdstown in the Civil War: One Vast Confederate Hospital, in 2015.
Sand, Science, and the Civil War
Scott Hippensteel
University of Georgia Press
www.ugapress.org
9780820363523, $114.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sand-Science-Civil-War-Sedimentary/dp/0820363529
Synopsis: The influence of sedimentary geology on the strategy, combat, and tactics of the American Civil War is a subject
that has been completely neglected by military historians. Sedimentary geology influenced everything from the nature of the
landscape (flat vs. rolling terrain) to the effectiveness of the weapons (a single grain of sand can render a rifle musket as
useless as a club).
With the publication of "Sand, Science, and the Civil War: Sedimentary Geology and Combat", Professor Scott Hippensteel
investigates and presents the role of sedimentary geology on the campaigns and battles of the Civil War on multiple scales,
with a special emphasis on the fighting along the coastlines.
At the start of the Civil War the massive brick citadels guarding key coastal harbors and shipyards were thought to be
invincible to artillery attack. The Union bombardment of Savannah's key defensive fortification, Fort Pulaski, demonstrated
the vulnerability of this type of fortress to the new rifled artillery available to the Union as Fort Pulaski surrendered within a
day.
When the Union later tried to capture the temporary sand fortifications of Battery Wagner (protecting Charleston) and Fort
Fisher (protecting Wilmington) they employed similar tactics but with disastrous results. The value of sand in defensive
positions vastly minimized the Federal advantage in artillery, making these coastal military strong points especially costly to
capture.
Through this geologically centered historic lens, Professor Hippensteel explores the way sediments and sedimentary rocks
influenced the fighting in all theaters of war and how geologic resources were exploited by both sides during the five years
of conflict.
Critique: A seminal, unique, impressively organized, and ground-breaking (no pun intended!) study that is informatively
enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of 'A Note about Units of Measurement', forty pages of Notes, and an eight page
Index, "Sand, Science, and the Civil War: Sedimentary Geology and Combat" is a singular and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library American Civil War histories and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academic, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Sand, Science, and the Civil War: Sedimentary Geology and Combat" is also
available in a paperback edition (9780820363530, $44.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.99).
Editorial Note: Scott Hippensteel (https://pages.charlotte.edu/scott-hippensteel) is an associate professor of earth sciences at
the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also the author of Rocks and Rifles: The Influence of Geology on
Combat and Tactics during the American Civil War.
Editorial Note: Todd E. Harburn (https://www.oupress.com/author/todd-e-harburn) is an independent scholar, an
orthopedic surgeon, and a doctor of sports medicine. He is also the co-author of "A Most Troublesome Situation: The
British Military and the Pontiac Indian Uprising of 1763-1764".
The Military Shelf
Operation Rype
Frode Lindgjerdet
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241340, $37.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Rype-Railway-Sabotage-Mission/dp/1636241344
Synopsis: To prevent German occupying forces in Norway from reinforcing their defenses during the final months of World
War II, the Office of Strategic Services launched Operation Rype, with the mission of sabotaging the Nordland Railway in
Mid-Norway. Rype was led by Major William E. Colby, later director of the CIA.
After several delays, the Norwegian Special Operations Group (NORSO) dropped over the Sn sa mountains on the night of
March 24. Out of eight B-24s, only three dropped on target. One dropped in Sweden, the remaining four returned to Britain.
Two of the B-24s crashed, killing all but one of their crews. Reinforcement and resupply of the unit failed due to extreme
Arctic conditions.
Relying heavily on help from the Norwegian resistance, NORSO managed to sever the railway at two points. On both
occasions, they withdrew with the Germans hot on their tail. On May 2, a German patrol blundered into their camp,
resulting in the killing of all of the Germans and one wounded Norwegian resistance fighter. Whether the Germans were
killed in the ensuing firefight, or were executed later, has been hotly debated ever since.
After the war ended, NORSO was allowed down from the mountains, but were sent on bogus missions by the British
commanders in Trondheim. They eventually managed to get recognition for their contribution to victory.
"Operation Rype: A WWII OSS Railway Sabotage Mission in Norway" by Frode Lindgjerdet is a new history of the
operation is based on German, Norwegian, American and Swedish sources. It examines how the outcome of the operation
was affected by the limitations of equipment in sub-Arctic conditions, and British-American rivalry and cooperation
throughout the operation.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a sixteen page set of Bibliographies, a two page
Glossary, a two page Bibliography, eighteen pages of Endnotes, and a three page Index, "Operation Rype: A WWII OSS
Railway Sabotage Mission in Norway" is an exceptionally interesting and thoroughly documented action that is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II European/Norwegian
battlefield histories. It should be noted for students, academia, and military history buffs that "Operation Rype: A WWII
OSS Railway Sabotage Mission in Norway" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.95).
Editorial Note: Frode Lindgjerdet works for Norwegian Armed Forces Museums, he is also a lecturer and author. He is an
SSGT with the Norwegian Home Guard.
First Fights in Fallujah
Lieutenant Colonel David E. Kelly, USMC (Ret.)
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636243184, $37.95, HC, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/First-Fights-Fallujah-Operation-Vigilant/dp/1636243185
Synopsis: In March 2004, the unprovoked ambush killing and desecration of the bodies of American civilian security
contractors in Fallujah, Iraq, caused the National Command Authorities in Washington, DC. to demand that the newly
arrived Marine Expeditionary Force there take action against the perpetrators and other insurgent forces. Planned Stability
and Support Operations were cast aside as insurgent fighters dared the Marines to enter Fallujah.
Marine infantrymen, tankers, helicopter crews, and amphibious vehicle drivers all pitched into high-intensity battles and
firefights during the first fights of Fallujah in April 2004. Across the board cooperation and innovation marked these
fighting Marines in combined arms fights that no one expected. Marines fought in the streets, conducted house-to-house
searches, cleared buildings of enemy, and used tank main guns in direct support of urban environment operations.
Helicopter crews supported operations on the ground with rockets and machine-gun fire, and Amtrac Marines transported
forces to face enemy RPG and machine-gun fire. Marines from infantry squad members to a battalion commander were
interviewed by Marine Corps field historians within days or weeks of the events at nearby combat outposts and camps.
With the publication of "First Fights in Fallujah: Marines During Operation Vigilant Resolve, in Iraq, April 2004", David
Kelly deftly combines these interview notes and the words of the men themselves to create a unique narrative of Marines in
this combat. Casualties only stiffened the will of the Marines to crush the enemy.
A late April political plan called for the withdrawal of Marine forces from the city, and Marines at every level, though
frustrated, understood the need to allow this attempted solution to play itself out.
Critique: Featuring the inclusion of a section of full color photos, an eighteen page Glossary, a two page listing of Sources
and Further Reading, and a six page Index, "First Fights in Fallujah: Marines During Operation Vigilant Resolve, in Iraq,
April 2004" is an inherently fascinating and detailed account of a major military operation, the first in what would become
one of America's longest lasting wars. While also available for the personal reading list of dedicated military history buffs in
a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), "First Fights in Fallujah: Marines During Operation Vigilant Resolve, in Iraq, April
2004" is a superbly crafted history that is highly recommended as a core addition to community and academic library 21st
Century American Military history collections.
Editorial Note: Lieutenant Colonel David E. Kelly received his commission in 1971, and served as an infantry officer with
Lima Company, 3rd Battalion 4th Marines with an Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG) off the coast of Vietnam in
1972-73. Prior to retirement from the Reserves in 1999 he was Operations Officer for the Marine Field History Detachment.
He volunteered to return to active duty to deploy to Iraq in 2004 as senior Field Historian in order to conduct interviews
with Marines and Navy personnel at all levels in Iraq. He is now a retired high school teacher.
(https://delco.today/2022/07/david-e-kelly-book-springfield-iraq)
Courage Under Fire
Ed Sherwood, LTC, US Army (Ret.)
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612009643, $34.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Under-Fire-Airbornes-Hidden/dp/1612009646
Synopsis: "Courage Under Fire: The 101st Airborne's Hidden Battle at Tam Ky" by retired Lieutenant Colonel Ed Sherwood
is the first history to be published about Operation Lamar Plain. After 50 years and until now, the story of the renowned
101st Airborne's major offensive near Tam Ky, South Vietnam had remained largely unknown.
Fighting at Tam Ky by the 1st Brigade began 15 May 1969 while the 101st's 3rd Brigade battled on Hamburger Hill. The
political consequences of Hamburger Hill's high casualties caused Lamar Plain and its high casualties to remain classified
and undisclosed. Decades later, the fighting at Tam Ky is mostly forgotten except by those who fought there.
Sherwood's superb research of now declassified records uncovers how such a large battle could remain hidden and
undisclosed. But that is not the heart of his story. His focus is on the courage and commitment of the young infantry soldiers
who fought. Many were sons of WWII and Korean War veterans. They had a legacy to uphold -- to honor their families, the
101st Airborne, and their nation. Most of all in the crux of battle, they would not let their fellow soldiers down.
In "Courage Under Fire", Sherwood uses actual battle records and eyewitness accounts to follow "Never Quit" Delta
Company and its sister companies through 28 days of continuous combat at Tam Ky. Delta Company's young infantry
soldiers live up to their motto despite increasing casualties, a tough enemy, harsh battlefield conditions, and loss of
leaders.
For all who fought at Tam Ky, their bravery and devotion to duty in an increasingly unpopular war is worthy to be
remembered. With veterans of Tam Ky now growing older and fewer in number, it is past time to tell their story.
Critique: Rescuing a major military action in the Vietnam War from an undeserved obscurity, "Courage Under Fire: The
101st Airborne's Hidden Battle at Tam Ky" is a carefully crafted Vietnam combat history that deserves as wide a readership
as possible. While readily available for the personal reading lists of military buffs and these Vietnam War veterans (and
their families) in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), in a paperback edition (9781636243054, $24.95), and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798212079488, $41.99, CD), "Courage Under Fire: The 101st
Airborne's Hidden Battle at Tam Ky" is an essential and core addition to community, college, and university library Vietnam
War Biography/History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Ed Sherwood (https://muckrack.com/ed-sherwood/articles) led an infantry platoon at Tam Ky in Delta
Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry, fighting with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division He was wounded in action on
June 2, 1969. After Vietnam, he continued serving as an infantry officer with multiple assignments in the 3rd Armored
Division in Germany, the US Army Infantry School, and the 197th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning, GA. Ed retired from
active duty as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1988.
Siege Warfare During the Hundred Years War
Peter Hoskins
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399074766, $34.95, PB, 252pp
https://www.amazon.com/Siege-Warfare-During-Hundred-Years/dp/1399074768
Synopsis: A great many histories of the Hundred Years War have been written, including accounts of all the famous battles,
but until the publication of "Siege Warfare During the Hundred Years War: Once More Unto the Breach" by historian and
author Peter Hoskins none of the other studies have concentrated on the sieges that played a decisive role in the protracted
struggle between England and France.
Edward III's capture of Calais in 1347 was of crucial importance for the English, and the failure of the English siege of
Orleans in 1429 was a turning point for the French after the disaster of Agincourt. Throughout the war, sieges were a major
weapon in the strategic armories of both sides, and Peter Hoskins's perceptive and graphic study is a fascinating analysis of
them.
"Siege Warfare During the Hundred Years War: Once More Unto the Breach" describes the difficulties faced by besieger
and besieged, examines the logistics and resource implications of sieges, and provides a comparative assessment of siege
warfare alongside set-piece battles and the English strategy of chevauchees. Key sieges are reconstructed in vivid detail,
other sieges are summarized, and the book is fully illustrated with photographs and plans.
Critique: Originally published in hardcover by Pen & Sword Books in 2018, "Siege Warfare During the Hundred Years
War: Once More Unto the Breach" is now available in a trade paperback format and includes maps, plans, a number of
plates, two appendices ('Summary of Outcomes of Seiges' & 'Duration of Seiges'), five pages of Notes, a three page
Bibliography, and an eight page Index. Seminal work of meticulous research, "Siege Warfare During the Hundred Years
War: Once More Unto the Breach" is highly recommended for community and academic library English/French military
history collections, and is available in a digital book format Kindle, $20.61) for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the Hundred Years War between England and France
Editorial Note: Peter Hoskins (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Peter-Hoskins/a/2392) is a former RAF pilot who writes,
lectures and gives battlefield tours. His highly praised previous books In the Steps of the Black Prince: The Road to Poitiers,
1355-1356, Agincourt 1415 and Crecy 1346 have established his reputation as an authority on the Hundred Years War.
Bronze Age Military Equipment
Dan Howard
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399023375, $29.95, PB, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bronze-Age-Military-Equipment-Howard/dp/1399023373
Synopsis: "Bronze Age Military Equipment" by historian and author Dan Howard offers an informative and fascinating
discussion of the development of the military equipment of the earliest organized armies of the Bronze Age. Howard
accurately describes the development of weapons, armor and chariots, how they were made and their tactical use in
battle.
Spanning from the introduction of massed infantry by the Sumerians (c. 26th century BC) through to the collapse of the
chariot civilizations (c. 12th century BC), this is the period of the epic struggles described in the Old Testament and Homer's
Iliad, the clashes of mighty empires like those of the Babylonians, Egyptians and Hittites.
In "Bronze Age Military Equipment", Howard draws on the latest research and archaeology, as well as his own experiences
of using and making replica weapons and armor, to challenge established views and bring fresh insights to this fascinating
period of military history.
The main regions of discussion are the Aegean, the Near East and the Middle East but some reference is also made to other
relevant cultures such as the Aryan Indians and the Shang Chinese.
Critique: Originally published in hardcover by Pen & Sword Books in 2014, this new trade paperback edition of "Bronze
Age Military Equipment" features a number of illustrations and plates, as well as four appendices (Homeric Shield; Homeric
Armour; Warriors of the Bronze Age; Typology of Bronze Age Swords), twelve pages of Notes, a two page Bibliography,
and a three page Index. An exceptional work of historical research, "Bronze Age Military Equipment" is a seminal
contribution recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Bronze Age Weapons Technology
and Warfare History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of students, academia, and military history buffs that "Bronze Age Military Equipment" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, 11.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Dan Howard (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dan-Howard/a/4645) is an historical author who offers
great insight into the Bronze Age, the battles the fought and the weapons they fought them with.
The Battle of Plassey 1757
Stuart Reid
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399020879, $29.95, PB, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Plassey-1757-Victory-Empire/dp/1399020870
Synopsis: In the 18th Century, Britain was rapidly emerging as the most powerful European nation, a position France had
long believed to be her own. Yet with France still commanding the largest continental army, Britain saw its best
opportunities for expansion lay in the East. Yet, as Britain's influence increased through its official trading arm, the East
India Company, the ruler of Bengal, Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah, sought to drive the British out of the sub-continent and turned
to France for help.
The ensuing conflict saw intimate campaigns fought by captains and occasionally colonels and by small companies rather
than big battalions. They were campaigns fought by individuals rather than anonymous masses; some were heroes, some
were cowards and most of them were rogues on the make. The story is not only about Robert Clive, a clerk from Shropshire
who became to all intents and purposes an emperor, but also about Eyre Coote an Irishman who fought with everyone he
met, about Alexander Grant a Jacobite who first escaped from Culloden and then, Flashman-like was literally the last man
into the last boat to escape Calcutta and the infamous Black Hole.
The fighting culminated in Robert Clive's astonishing victory at Plassey where just 3,000 British and sepoy troops defeated
Siraj-ud-Daulah's Franco-Bengali army of 18,000 in the space of only forty minutes. The victory at Plassey in 1757
established Britain as the dominant force in India, the whole of which gradually come under British control and became the
most prized possession in its empire. Few battles in history have ever had such profound consequences.
Critique: Originally published by Pen & Sword Books in hardcover (2017), a new trade paperback edition of "The Battle of
Plassey 1757: The Victory That Won an Empire" by author and historian Stuart Reide is now available for a new generation
of readers with an interest in 18th Century British Military History. Organized and presented in six informative chapters,
"The Battle of Plassey 1757: The Victory That Won an Empire" also features twelve Appendices, thirty pages of Notes, a
one page Bibliography, and a three page Index. While with the highest recommended for personal, professional, community,
and academic library British Military History collections, it should b noted for students, academia, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Battle of Plassey 1757: The Victory That Won an Empire" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.47).
Editorial Note: Stuart Reid (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Stuart-Reid/a/475) is a prolific and well-known writer on a
wide range of military subjects, and he is an expert on the military history of Scotland. His pioneering study Like Hungry
Wolves remains unchallenged as the best narrative account of Culloden. His other books include: The Campaigns of
Montrose, All the King's Armies: A Military History of The English Civil War, Wolfe: The Life and Career of General
James Wolfe, Wellington's Highland Warriors: From the Black Watch Mutiny to the Battle of Waterloo.
The Devils Will Get No Rest
James B. Conroy
Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781982168681, $34.00, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Will-Get-Rest-Churchill/dp/1982168684
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Devils Will Get No Rest: FDR, Churchill, and the Plan That Won the War", author
James B. Conroy provides a character-driven account of the Casablanca Conference of January 1943, an Anglo-American
clash over military strategy that produced a winning plan when World War II could have gone either way. Churchill called it
the most important Allied conclave of the war. Until now, this has never been explored in a full-length, dedicated study for
the non-specialist general reader.
In a secret, no-holds-barred, ten-day debate in a Moroccan warzone, protected by British marines and elite American troops,
Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton
Jr., Sir Alan Brooke, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Sir Harold Alexander, and their military peers questioned each other's
competence, doubted each other's vision, and argued their way through choices that could win or lose the war.
In the pages of "The Devils Will Get No Rest: FDR, Churchill, and the Plan That Won the War", the reader is treated to a
master class in strategy by the legendary statesmen, generals, and admirals who overcame their differences, transformed
their alliance from a necessity to a bond, forged a war-winning plan, and glimpsed the postwar world.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of forty-two pages of Notes, a twelve page Bibliography
of Works Frequently Cited, a two page listing of Photo Credits, and a fifteen page Glossary, "The Devils Will Get No Rest:
FDR, Churchill, and the Plan That Won the War" will have a special value to readers with an interest the military history of
World War II. While an unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library World War II Histories &
Biography collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Devils Will Get No Rest: FDR, Churchill, and the Plan That Won the War"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781797157535, $44.99, CD).
Editorial Note: James B. Conroy (www.jamesbconroy.com) is an award-winning author of narrative history. A graduate of
the University of Connecticut and the Georgetown University Law Center, Conroy has been a trial lawyer in Boston for 37
years, having first worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. as a House and Senate press secretary, speechwriter, and
chief of staff and served for six years in the United States Navy reserve as a Navy photographer and journalist in
antisubmarine aviation units.
The High Ground: Leading in Peace and War
R. D. Hooker Jr.
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242934, $24.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/High-Ground-Leading-Peace-War/dp/1636242936
Synopsis: "The High Ground: Leading in Peace and War" by R. D. Hooker Jr. draws on the author's personal experiences as
a combat leader to illustrate examples of successful and inspiring leadership in military organizations at all levels. Many of
the essays comprising "The High Ground" focus on specific military personalities that portray effective leader behaviors in
both peacetime and combat settings from the tactical to the strategic. Other essays describe key leadership characteristics
and attributes of successful leaders, from small-unit level to the Pentagon.
"The High Ground" provides specific and compelling leadership advice and suggestions to new soldiers, new lieutenants,
staff officers and commanders. Hooker served more than thirty years in the post-Vietnam Army, rising from private to
colonel and serving in the invasion of Grenada and in Somalia, the US response to the Rwandan genocide, in Bosnia and
Kosovo, in peacekeeping operations in the Sinai, and in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. He commanded a paratrooper
company, battalion and brigade and served in the continental US, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and
Southwest Asia.
"The High Ground" cogently describes his observations and interactions with military leaders at all levels, in battle and in
garrison, to describe and portray military leader development and leader excellence in all its many and varied dimensions.
Gripping and fast-paced, these leadership vignettes will carry the reader from peacetime into battle with the American
Soldier.
Critique: Informative, thoughtful, inspiring and of special relevance to readers with an interest in American military
biographies and histories, "The High Ground: Leading in Peace and War" is inherently interesting and exceptionally well
written, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic
library American Military History/Biography collections. It should be noted that "The High Ground" is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49) as well.
Editorial Note: Richard D. Hooker Jr (https://www.ausa.org/people/richard-d-hooker-jr) is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow
with the Atlantic Council and a Senior Researcher with the University of Oxford's Changing Character of War Program. A
career Army officer, his military service included combat tours in Grenada, Somalia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan,
including command of a parachute brigade in Baghdad. His military service also included tours in the offices of the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army. A veteran of three tours with
the National Security Council, he holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Virginia and previously
served as Assistant Professor at West Point, as the Army Chair at the National War College and as Dean of the NATO
Defense College in Rome.
Washington's Marines
Jason Q. Bohm
Savas Beatie
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216264, $34.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Washingtons-Marines-American-Revolution-1775-1777/dp/1611216265
Synopsis: The fighting prowess of United States Marines is second to none, but few know of the Corps' humble beginnings
and what it achieved during the early years of the American Revolution. Jason Bohm rectifies this oversight with the
publication of "Washington's Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777".
The story of the U.S. Marine Corps begins with the oppressive days that drove America into a conflict for which it was
ill-prepared, when thirteen independent colonies commenced a war against the world's most powerful military with nothing
more than local militias, privateers, and other ad hoc units. The Continental Congress rushed to form an army and placed
George Washington in command, but soon realized that, to win its freedom, America would need men who could fight on
the sea and on land. Enter the Marines. Bohm artfully tells the story of the creation of the Continental Marines and the men
who led them during the parallel paths followed by the Army and Marines in the opening years of the war and through the
early successes and failures at Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Canada, Boston, Charleston, and more.
As General Washington struggled to preserve his command after defeats in New York and New Jersey in 1776, the nascent
U.S. Navy and Marines deployed the first American fleet, conducted their first amphibious operation, and waged a war on
the rivers and seas to block British reinforcements and capture critically needed supplies. Desperate times forced Congress
to detach the Continental Marines from the Navy to join the embattled army as Washington sought an "important stroke" to
defeat his adversary.
Washington's Marines joined their fellow soldiers in a protracted land campaign that culminated in turning-point victories at
Trenton, Assunpink Creek, and Princeton. This chapter of the Continental Marines ends in Morristown, New Jersey, when
Washington granted Henry Knox's request to leverage the Marines' expertise with naval guns to fill the depleted ranks of the
army's artillery during the "Forage War."
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of several Maps, a number of Illustrations, two
Appendices, a twenty page Bibliography, and a sixteen page Index, "Washington's Marines: The Origins of the Corps and
the American Revolution, 1775-1777" is an impressively informated and comprehensive history covering the men, strategy,
performance, and personalities of the Marine Corps' formative early years into a single compelling and memorable account.
Author John Bohm's sweeping prose relies heavily on primary research and his own extensive military knowledge. Highly
recommended as one of the finest military histories of its kind, "Washington's Marines" is an important and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Colonial Military History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and military history buffs
that "Washington's Marines" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95).
Editorial Note: Major General Jason Q. Bohm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Bohm) is a Marine with more than 30
years of service. An infantryman by trade, he has commanded at every level from platoon commander to commanding
general in peacetime and war. Bohm also served in several key staff positions, including as a strategic planner with the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Director of the Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School, House Director, Marine Corps Office of
Legislative Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, and Chief of Staff of U.S. Naval Striking and Support Forces, NATO.
Jason has written several articles for the Marine Corps Gazette and won various writing awards from the Marine Corps
Association. He is also the author of From the Cold War to ISIL: One Marine's Journey (Naval Institute Press, 2019).
The Biography Shelf
Rear Admiral Schley
Robert A. Jones
Texas A&M University Press
www.tamupress.com
9781648431234, $80.00, HC, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rear-Admiral-Schley-Extraordinary-Williams-Ford/dp/1648431232
Synopsis: The career of Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley (9 October 1839 - 2 October 1911), as it unfolded on land and
sea, offers a compelling account of a pivotal time in the history of the US Navy and maritime warfare. Remembered chiefly
for his role in the in Spanish-American War, Schley led the US Navy to victory at the Battle of Santiago, was promoted to
rear admiral, then found himself accused of timidity and cowardliness in battle and subject to a controversial Court of
Inquiry. The dispute and its resolution, known as the Sampson-Schley Controversy, continue to impact the navy to this
day.
Schley graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1860 and advanced quickly through the ranks. After fighting in the Civil
War, sailing the seven seas, and visiting many foreign countries, he played a vital part in the formation of the "New Steel
Navy" as the fleet converted from the era of sail to steam.
With the publication of "Rear Admiral Schley: An Extraordinary Life at Sea and on Shore", biographer Robert A. Jones tells
a stirring tale of a remarkable commander whose cool-headed courage under fire and in hand-to-hand combat made him a
highly respected leader whom men would follow willingly. His skills and proven leadership led to his being asked to
conduct diplomatic missions in several countries, to supervise ship construction, to direct two lighthouse districts, to
intervene in a civil war in Chile, and to lead the famous mission to rescue the Greely Arctic expedition.
Critique: Serving as the ideal template for similar studies of previously lesser-known military leaders who helped to shape
the US Navy into what it is today, "Rear Admiral Schley: An Extraordinary Life at Sea and on Shore" is a seminal,
meticulously researched, comprehensive, and impressively presented biography that rescues from an undeserved obscurity a
significant figure in the 19th Century history of the US Navy. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of
four Appendices, sixteen pages of Notes, a ten page Bibliography, and a fifteen page Index, "Rear Admiral Schley: An
Extraordinary Life at Sea and on Shore" is unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
college, and university library American Military History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Robert A. Jones (1941-2022) retired as a lead software engineer from the US Naval Sea Systems Command.
He is also the author of "Confederate Corsair, The Life of Lt. Charles W. "Savez" Read".
Charlotte Cushman: A Biography and Performance History
Arthur W. Bloom
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476690872, $49.95, PB, 309pp
https://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Cushman-Biography-Performance-History/dp/1476690871
Synopsis: Charlotte Cushman (July 23, 1816 - February 18, 1876) was one of the great actors of 19th century American
theatre. She was a lesbian who kept her identity hidden by focusing her career on male characters (Romeo, Claude Melnotte,
Wolsey), and also on strong and passionate women (Lady Macbeth, Bianca in Fazio, and Queen Katherine in Henry
VIII).
With the publication of "Charlotte Cushman: A Biography and Performance History", Professor Arthur W. Bloom provides
an authoritative record of Cushman's life and performances, showing how her complex gender identity illuminates and is
illuminated by 19th century theatre critical views.
With respect to the organization and presentation of "Charlotte Cushman: A Biography and Performance History", Part One
is a biography; Part Two is a performance history listing all of Cushman's known performances, often with a description of
her role and critical commentary.
Critique: Of particular appeal to readers with an interest in 19th Century American Theatre and the life/accomplishments of
a 19th Century lesbian actress and theatrical performer, "Charlotte Cushman: A Biography and Performance History" is
informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a six page Bibliography, sixteen pages of Notes, and a twelve page Index. An
exceptional example of biographical and meticulous research, "Charlotte Cushman: A Biography and Performance History"
is a welcome and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, professional, academic, college, and university
library LBTGQ Biography and 19th Century American Theatrical History collections, as well as supplemental Women's
Studies curriculum lists.
Editorial Note: The late Arthur W. Bloom was a retired professor of theatre and administrator at several public and private
American universities. He is the author of biographies of Joseph Jefferson, Edwin Booth, and Edwin Forrest. There is a
collection of his papers on the Dartmouth Library website at
https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/984
A Life Cut Short at the Little Big Horn
Todd E. Harburn
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806191584, $34.95, HC, 260pp
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Cut-Short-Little-Horn/dp/0806191589
Synopsis: Of the three physicians at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Doctor George Edwin Lord (1846-76) was the lone
commissioned medical officer, an assistant surgeon with the United States Army's 7th Cavalry -- one more soldier caught up
in the U.S. government's efforts to fulfill what many people believed was the young country's "Manifest Destiny".
"A Life Cut Short at the Little Big Horn: U.S. Army Surgeon George E. Lord" by Todd E. Harburn tells Lord's life story for
the first time. Notable for its unique angle on what become known as 'Custer's Last Stand' and for its depiction of
frontier-era medicine, this historical biography is above all a compelling portrait of the making of an army medical
professional in mid-nineteenth-century America.
Drawing on newly discovered documents, biographer Harburn describes Lord's education and training at Bowdoin College
in Maine and the Chicago Medical College, detailing what the study of medicine entailed at the time for "a young man of
promise... held in universal esteem." Lord's time as a contract physician with the army took him in 1874 to the U.S.
Northern Boundary Survey. From there Harburn recounts how, after a failed romance and the rigors of the U.S. Army
Medical Board examination, the young doctor proceeded to his first (and only) appointment as a post surgeon, at Fort
Buford in Dakota Territory.
What followed, of course, was Lord's service, and his death, in the Little Big Horn campaign, which this biography shows
us for the first time from the unique perspective of the surgeon.
A portrait of a singular figure in the milieu of the American military's nineteenth-century medical elite, "A Life Cut Short at
the Little Big Horn" offers a unique perspective on a familiar incident in 19th Century U.S. military history, and a reminder
of the humanity lost in a battle that resonates to this day.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of numerous illustrations, sixty pages of Notes, a sixteen
page Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "A Life Cut Short at the Little Big Horn: U.S. Army Surgeon George E. Lord" is
a seminal and original work of meticulous and detailed scholarship. An inherently interesting, well organized/presented, and
a unique contribution to personal, professional, community, college, and university library 19th Century military/medical
biography collections, it should also be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, historians, and those with
an interest in the Battle of Little Big Horn, that "A Life Cut Short at the Little Big Horn: U.S. Army Surgeon George E.
Lord" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.95).
Looking Backward, Going Forward: Reflections on a Writer's Life
Jan Yager
Hannacroix Creek Books
www.hannacroixcreekbooks.com
9781938998942, $19.95, PB, 353pp
https://www.amazon.com/Looking-Backward-Going-Forward-Reflections/dp/1938998944
Synopsis: From the first novel she wrote at the age of ten to her most recent books published by commercial houses "When
Friendship Hurts", (Simon & Schuster); "Essentials of Victimology" (a textbook published in 2022 by Aspen Publishing),
"How to Promote Your Book" (Square One Publishers, February 15, 2023), or through her own small press, Hannacroix
Creek Books, Inc ("Friendgevity"; "Work Less, Do More"; "On the Run"; and "Friendshifts") Jan Yager is a prolific and
award-winning writer has done it all.
Starting off by working full time in such amazing publishing companies as Macmillan (2 years) followed by learning
everything about trade book publishing as she worked alongside Barney Rosset (the legendary founder of Grove Press) for a
year, Jan has a lot to share about writing, getting published, and some of the adventures she has had going on cross country
and even international author tours.
With the publication of her memoir, "Looking Backward, Going Forward: Reflections on a Writer's Life", Jan shares her
insights and experiences about interviewing everyone from puppeteer Jim Henson to playwright Harold Pinter. Her memoir
covers working with and in a range of genres that include nonfiction, fiction, and illustrated children's books. She's been on
several 5 to 18-city cross-country author tours in the U.S. as well as international author tours throughout the UK, Sweden,
Australia, and New Zealand.
Critique: A fascinating, informative, and articulate memoir that will have a very special interest to aspiring authors,
publishers, booksellers, literary publicists, amateur and professional book reviewers, students of the publishing industry, and
dedicated bibliophiles. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Writing/Publishing and American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted that "Looking
Backward, Going Forward: Reflections on a Writer's Life" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.95).
Editorial Note #1: Jan Yager (https://www.drjanyager.com) has published 50+ books in several genres including nonfiction,
fiction, poetry, and children's books, with one or more titles translated into 35 languages. She worked in publishing, first at
Macmillan, then at Grove Press; she went on to publish her own books with major houses including Scribner, Simon &
Schuster, Doubleday, Wiley, Grove Press, and Penguin Random House. In 1996, she founded Hannacroix Creek Books, Inc.
Jan holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the CUNY Graduate Center. Since August 2014, she has taught in the Sociology
Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she is an Adjunct Associate Professor.
WanderLOST
Jacob Daniel Sims
https://www.jdanielsims.com
Circle Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785359774, $21.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/WanderLOST-stories-winding-toward-significance/dp/1785359770
Synopsis: Deftly blending a global travel adventure with an exuberant coming of age story, "WanderLOST: Stories from the
Winding Road Toward Significance" by Jacob Sims charts one millennial's decades-long globetrotting adventure in pursuit
of meaning, significance, and belonging.
With each intriguing anecdote, harrowing encounter, and entertaining mishap Jacob Sims challenges his readers to reckon
with accepted notions of freedom and identity as he expertly melds his personal memoir with observations of moral
philosophy as he weighs the costs of a life in pursuit of liberty and happiness. In the void left from this path,
"WanderLOST" offers readers glimpses of wholeness in the deeper journey of learning to love.
Critique; Absorbing, thought-provoking, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "WanderLOST: Stories from
the Winding Road Toward Significance" will be of immense interest to readers of contemporary memoirs, true-life travel
adventures, and Christian social issues dealing with globalization and politics. Also available for personal reading lists in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "WanderLOST" will prove an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to
community and academic library Contemporary History/Memoir collections.
Editorial Note: Jacob Sims (https://www.jdanielsims.com) currently serves as Country Director of International Justice
Mission (IJM) Cambodia where he leads a team of investigators, lawyers, social workers, programmatic and operational
staff in the fight against violent labor exploitation. Concurrently with his role at IJM, he serves as a Non-Resident Fellow at
Duke University's Center for Reconciliation, a leading institute bridging the worlds of research and practice in the global
peace-building and justice space. Sims is frequently drawn upon for expert commentary on various human rights and global
development challenges. His analysis has featured recently in The Economist, The Guardian, Forbes, The LA Times, Al
Jazeera, VICE World News, Sydney Morning Herald, ProPublica, The American Interest, Plough, The Hill, and World
News Group amongst many others.
One Long Listening
Chenxing Han
North Atlantic Books
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623177850, $17.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/one-long-listening-friendship-spiritual/dp/1623177855
Synopsis: Immigrant daughter, novice chaplain, bereaved friend, with the publication of "One Long Listening: A Memoir of
Grief, Friendship, and Spiritual Care", author Chenxing Han takes us on a pilgrimage through the wilds of grief and
laughter, pain and impermanence, reconnecting us to both the heartache and inexplicable brightness of being human.
Eddying around three autumns of Han's life, "One Long Listening" journeys from a mountaintop monastery in Taiwan to
West Coast oncology wards, from oceanside Ireland to riverfront Phnom Penh. Through letters to a dying friend, bedside
chaplaincy visits, and memories of a migratory childhood, Han's startling, searching memoir cuts a singular portrait of a
spiritual caregiver in training.
Just as we touch the depths, bracing for resolution, Han's swift, multilingual prose sweeps us back to unknowingness: not
knowing is most intimate. Chinese mothers, hillside graves. A dreamed olive tree, a lost Siberian crane. The music of scripts
and silence. These shards (bright, broken, giddy, aching) are mirrors to our own lives in joy and sorrow.
A testament to enduring connection by a fresh and urgent new literary voice, "One Long Listening" asks fearlessly into the
stories we inhabit, the hopes we relinquish, and what it means simply to be, to and for the ones we love.
Critique: Articulate, eloquent, absorbing, thought-provoking, memorable, "One Long Listening: A Memoir of Grief,
Friendship, and Spiritual Care" raises this real life memoir and autobiography to a literary excellence that is typically only
associated with with internationally acclaimed fiction. Of special appeal to readers with an interest in Asian American
Studies, Grief and Bereavement, "One Long Listening" is a strong and unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library Contemporary Biography/Memoir and Buddhist Philosophy collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "One Long Listening" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Chenxing Han (https://www.chenxinghan.com) is the author of "Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian
American Buddhists" (North Atlantic Books, 2021). She is a regular contributor to Lion's Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma,
and other publications, and a frequent speaker and workshop leader at schools, universities, and Buddhist communities
across the nation. She has received fellowships from Hedgebrook, Hemera Foundation, the Lenz Foundation, and the
Institute of Buddhist Studies. Chenxing holds a BA from Stanford University and an MA in Buddhist Studies from the
Graduate Theological Union. Her chaplaincy training began in Cambodia and continued in the San Francisco Bay Area,
where she completed a year long residency on an oncology ward. She is a co-teacher of Listening to the Buddhists in Our
Backyard at Phillips Academy Andover and a co-organizer of May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial for Asian
American Ancestors.
Troubles and Triumphs: The Robert Young Story
Dan McGuire
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887710778, $35.00, HC, 230pp
https://www.amazon.com/Troubles-Triumphs-hardback-Robert-Young/dp/B0C19GQD7C
Synopsis: An introvert by nature, Robert Young found that he could overcome his shyness by taking on other personalities
when he performed with his high school's drama group.
Further schooling in theatre arts at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he appeared in many productions, led to a screen test and
a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Louis B. Mayer, the top man at MGM, said, "Young has no sex appeal." Yet during
his years with the studio Robert starred in dozens of films and had prime supporting roles in many others.
After leaving MGM to freelance for several years, he branched out into radio and starred on the popular series Father Knows
Best. He then repeated his parental role in its television adaptation, followed by Marcus Welby, M.D., both highly
acclaimed series for which he won several awards. But for most of his adult years, unknown to all but his family and some
close friends, Robert suffered from a chronic illness-one that almost killed him.
Supported by his beloved wife Elizabeth, he persevered, entertaining millions of moviegoers, radio listeners, and television
viewers well into his senior years. "Troubles and Triumphs: The Robert Young Story" by author and biographer Dan
McGuire is his story.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of numerous black/white historical photos, "Troubles and Triumphs (hardback): The
Robert Young Story" is an inherently interest read and will have a very special appeal for readers with an interest in the life
and achievements of Robert Young (February 22, 1907 - July 21, 1998). Meticulously researched and exceptionally well
written, organized and presented, "Troubles and Triumphs: The Robert Young Story" is an ideal and unreservedly
recommended addition to community and academic library American Actor/Entertainer and Television Performer
Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Robert Young fans that this impressively
informative life story of Robert Young is also readily available in a paperback edition (9798887710761, $25.00) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
The Literary Studies Shelf
Poets of the Round Table
Jidi Majia, author
Huang Shaozheng, translator/editor
Regent Press
https://www.regentpress.net
9781587906503, $36.00, HC, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Poets-Round-Table-Conversations-Eco-Writing/dp/1587906503
Synopsis: "Poets of the Round Table: Jidi Majia in Conversations with Sixteen World Poets on Poetics, Poetry and
Eco-Writing" is collection of interviews, spanning eight years, and consists of dialogues with 16 world poets, revealing Jidi
Majia as an internationalist, well steeped in the played-out values of the Enlightenment civilization of the West, its latest
strands of eco-enterprise, land ethics and cultural diversity, modernist poetics and post-contructionist rhetorics.
In "Poets of the Round Table" we are shown, for the first time, that much of Jidi Majia's theme, thinking and inspiration is
drawn from Hispanic, Russian, Eastern European and African literary heritages (in order of importance and weight to his
poetic oeuvre). The questions and answers, taken together, form a truthful profile of the heart and soul of China's most
celebrated ethnic poet who has achieved world renown through his quasi-epic writings (running to 200-400 lines) like "I,
The Snow Leopard" (2010), "The Great River" (2014), "To Mayakovsky" (2015), "The Belated Dirge" (2016), "The Split
Planet" (2021), "The Promised Land" (2022), etc. in recent years.
The international poets who have been interviewed here are: Simon J. Otiz (USA); Yevgeny Yevtushenko (Russia); Peter
Racz (Hungary); Graham Mort (England); Adonis (Syria); Tomas Venclova (Lithuania); Chehem Watta (Djibuti); Zdravka
Evtimova (Bulgaria); Mark Tredinnick (Australia); Philippe Tancelin (France); Yvon Le Men (France); Cassian Maria
Spiridon (Romania); Guido Oldani (Italy); Ataol Behramglu (Turkey); Eduardo Espina (Uruguay); Freddy Nanez
(Venezuela).
These are veritably 16 exceptional excerpts of literary history. 16 exceptional poets, recalcitrant, dismissive, depressed
about the status quo, in a spirit of mutually affirming comradeship, unveil their intriguing life experience, dubious opinions,
political fury, eco-fervor--montages that constitute an engaging record of modern poetry, furnishing a valuable look into the
minds and work of a wide spectrum of great writers and poets (Non-western sources in particular) on earth.
Critique: A seminal, ground-breaking, informative, well organized and presented study, "Poets of the Round Table: Jidi
Majia in Conversations with Sixteen World Poets on Poetics, Poetry and Eco-Writing" is ably translated into English for an
American readership by Huang Shaozheng and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, college, and
university library Literary Studies collections in general, and supplemental Contemporary Chinese Poetry curriculum lists in
particular.
Editorial Note: Jidi Majia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jidi_Majia), is one of the most eminent poets and the sole cultural
activist initiating several cultural events in China today. He was born into a great family of Yi nobility in the Daliangshan
Highland, west of Sichuan Province. With a four-year formal schooling in Chinese language and world literatures, he
graduated from Southwest Nationalities University. At the age of 24, he was the recipient of the highest state honors, much
coveted by any would-be literary aspirants. Instant formal recognition has ensued. Sustainable quality output, with over 80
publications of poetry and prose, translated into over 40 languages, home and abroad, distinguishes him as a cultural icon
across the Yi community (and indeed, the whole ethnic community) as well as one of the leading poetic voices of
international status in contemporary Chinese poetic writing.
The General Fiction Shelf
Into the Desert
Xuemo, author
Howard Goldblatt, translator
Sylvia Li-Chun Lin, translator
Long River Press
c/o China Books & Periodicals, Inc.
www.chinabooks.com
9781592652549, $18.95, PB, 274pp
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Desert-Xuemo/dp/1592652549
Synopsis: "Into the Desert" is the story of two women in Western China in the 1990s, and takes place on the edge of the
Gobi Desert, near the site of the ancient Silk Road. Bound together by both poverty and tradition, they embark upon a
perilous journey to change their lives.
With the publication of "Into the Desert" by Long River Press, acclaimed Chinese author Xuemo has recreated a bygone
village in Gansu province in Western China, a place where camels are as common as automobiles and potatoes replace rice.
With his discerning eye for desert landscape, a fine ear for colorful local expressions, and an acute sensitivity to the inner
world of his characters, the reader is led on a fantastic journey where hope and tragedy go hand in hand, and where centuries
of tradition both suppress and compel the forces of change.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read from first page to last, and ably translated from the Chinese in English by the team
of Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin (whose previous work includes numerous works of fiction by popular Chinese
writers), "Into the Desert" is certain to ignite interest in Xuemo's other works in the English language and is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, college, and university library International Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: XueMo, (https://bytethebook.com/listing/xuemo) formerly known as Chen Kaihong, is a renowned cultural
scholar and a leading contemporary Chinese writer, He is also the founder of BeiJingRuXue MediaCo.,Ltd, Dean of The
Guangzhou Research Institute for Xiangba Culture, and Humanities Tutor at Fudan University.
Black Girls Must Have It All
Jayne Allen
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063296640, $30.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Girls-Must-Have-All/dp/0063296640
Synopsis: After a whirlwind year, Tabitha Walker's carefully organized plan to achieve the life she wanted (perfect job,
dream husband, and stylish home) has gone off the rails. Her checklist now consists of diapers changed (infinite), showers
taken (zero), tears cried (buckets), and hours of sleep (what's that?).
Don't get her wrong, Tabby loves her new bundle of joy and motherhood is perhaps the only thing that's consistent for her
these days. When the news station announces that they will be hiring outside competitors for the new anchor position,
Tabby throws herself into her work. But it's not just maintaining her position as the station's weekend anchor that has her
worried. All of her relationships seem to be shifting out of their regular orbits!
Best friend Alexis can't manage to strike the right balance in her "refurbished" marriage with Rob, and Laila's gone from
being a consistent ride-or-die to a newly minted entrepreneur trying to raise capital for her growing business. And when
Marc presents her with an ultimatum about their relationship, coupled with an extended "visit" from his mother, Tabby is
forced to take stock of her life and make a new plan for the future.
Consumed by work, motherhood, and love, Tabby finds herself isolated from her friends and family just when she needs
them most. But help is always there when you ask for it, and Tabby's village will once again rally around her as she comes
to terms with her new life and faces her biggest challenge yet -- choosing herself.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by author Jayne Allen, "Black Girls Must Have It All" will hold a very special appeal to
readers with an interest in African-American Fiction, Women's Domestic Life Fiction, and Domestic Fiction. Entertaining,
original, compelling, and memorable, "Black Girls Muse Have It All" is a highly recommended pick for community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections and is also readily available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition
(9780063137943, $18.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Audio, 9798212214230, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Jayne Allen is the pen name of Jaunique Sealey (https://www.jaunique.com), a graduate of Duke University
and Harvard Law School. An avid traveler, she speaks three languages and has visited five continents. Drawing from her
unique experiences as an attorney and entrepreneur, she crafts transcultural stories that touch upon contemporary women's
issues such as workplace and career dynamics, race, fertility, modern relationships and mental health awareness. Her writing
echoes her desire to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to a rich and colorful cast of characters inspired by
the magic uncovered in everyday life.
The Womanpriest
Stafford Betty
Roundfire Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781803411248, $18.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Womanpriest-Novel-Stafford-Betty/dp/1803411244
Synopsis; Macrina McGrath is a young Catholic woman, 22-year-old ex-Marine and unwed mother, begins to see cracks in
the Church she grew up loving. Bad priests preying on children, harsh treatment of the divorced, a deep-seated and toxic
sexism toward the LGBTQ., and archaic dogmas force her to choose between leaving the Church or trying to make it
better.
Graduate school in theology at Georgetown and a trip to India help form her resolve: She will stop at nothing to take the
Church out of the Middle Ages and deliver women from their abject status. She joins and soon heads the excommunicated
Womanpriest movement and with help from the Archbishop of Boston becomes the leader of disaffected Catholics who
want change.
The world notices the indomitable American willing to take on the Vatican, and she achieves a spiritual stardom the equal
of the pope. Where will all this lead? Meanwhile she contacts the daughter she gave up to adoption; and Ezra, the man she
has long loved since their teaching days together at Amherst, reaches out to her one last time.
Now she must choose between family life with him and the new Catholicism she helped create, where women and men
minister on an equal basis. Her choice will affect world history.
Critique: Simply stated, "The Womanpriest" by novelist Stafford Betty is a riveting read that will have special and particular
appeal to readers with an interest in Christian/Religious mysteries in general, and the tensions within the contemporary
Catholic Church in particular. An original, entertaining, thought-provoking, and iconoclastic work of fiction, "The
Womanpriest" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99) and is a highly recommended pick for community
and academic library Contemporary Fiction collections and personal reading lists.
Editorial Note: Stafford Betty is an author of fiction and non-fiction. Professor of religion at California State University,
Stafford earned his PhD in theology from Fordham University.
(https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/roundfire-books/authors/stafford-betty)
The Marriage Box
Corie Adjmi
https://corieadjmi.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647420796, $17.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Box-Novel-Corie-Adjmi/dp/1647420792
Synopsis: Casey Cohen, a Middle Eastern Jew, is a sixteen-year-old in New Orleans in the 1970s when she starts hanging
out with the wrong crowd. Then she gets in trouble and her parents turn her whole world upside down by deciding to return
to their roots, the Orthodox Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn.
In this both new and foreign world, families gather weekly for Shabbat dinner; parties are extravagant events at the Museum
of Natural History; and the Marriage Box is a real place, a pool deck designated for teenage girls to put themselves on
display for potential husbands.
Casey is at first shocked by this unfamiliar culture, but after she meets Michael, she's enticed by it. Looking for love and a
place to belong, she marries him at eighteen, believing she can adjust to Syrian ways. But she begins to question her
decision when she discovers that Michael doesn't want her to go to college; he wants her to have a baby instead.
Can Casey integrate these two opposing worlds, or will she have to leave one behind in order to find her way?
Critique: Original, entertaining, thought-provoking, and showing author Corie Adjmi's impressive and genuine flair for the
kind of narrative driven and descriptive storytelling style that fully engages the reader's attention from first page to last, "The
Marriage Box" is all the more impressive when considering that it is Corie Adjmi's debut as a novelist. A compelling read
for those interested in Jewish culture, family life, and women's issues and also available for personal reading lists in a digital
book format (Kindle, $8.49), "The Marriage Box" is a very highly recommended acquisition choice for community library
General Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Corie Adjmi is the author of the short story collection Life and Other Shortcomings, which won an
International Book Award, an IBPA Benjamin Franklin award, and an American Fiction Award. Her essays and short stories
have appeared in dozens of journals and magazines, including HuffPost, North American Review, Indiana Review,
Medium, Motherwell, Kveller, and others.
The Summer Place
Jennifer Weiner
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501133572, $28.99, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Place-Novel-Jennifer-Weiner/dp/1501133578
Synopsis: When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah
Danhauser is shocked. But the wheels are in motion. Headstrong Ruby has already set a date (just three months away!) and
spoken to her beloved safta, Sarah's mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the family's beach house in Cape Cod.
Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house
on the market.
But the road to a wedding day usually comes with a few bumps. Ruby has always known exactly what she wants, but as the
wedding date approaches, she finds herself grappling with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a
baby. Veronica ends up facing unexpected news, thanks to her meddling sister, and must revisit the choices she made long
ago, when she was a bestselling novelist with a different life.
Sarah's twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss, and confronting big questions about who he is - questions he
hopes to resolve during his stay on the Cape. Sarah's husband, Eli, who's been inexplicably distant during the pandemic,
confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. And Sarah, frustrated by her husband,
concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by challenges of life during quarantine, faces the alluring reappearance of
someone from her past and a life that could have been.
When the wedding day arrives, lovers are revealed as their true selves, misunderstandings take on a life of their own, and
secrets come to light. There are confrontations and revelations that will touch each member of the extended family, ensuring
that nothing will ever be the same.
Critique: A deftly crafted and fully entertaining novel with a special appeal to readers with an interest in Family/Domestic
Life issues and stories from a woman's perspective, "The Summer Place" is a 'must' for the legions of JenniferWeiner fans.
While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Summer Place" is also available in a paperback edition (9781501133589, $18.99), in a
digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Simon & Schuster Audio,
9781797138381, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Jennifer Weiner (JenniferWeiner.com) is the author of twenty-one books, including The Summer Place, That
Summer, Big Summer, Mrs. Everything, In Her Shoes, Good in Bed, and a memoir in essays, Hungry Heart. She has
appeared on many national television programs, including Today and Good Morning America, and her work has been
published in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, among other newspapers and magazines.
Back to the Dirt
Frank Bill
FSG Originals
c/o Farrar, Straus & Giroux
www.fsgbooks.com
9780374534431, $18.00, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Back-Dirt-Novel-Frank-Bill/dp/0374534438
Synopsis: Miles is a Vietnam veteran who's worried he's going to lose his job (and with it his tenuous grasp on a stable life)
over a fight with a coworker. His PTSD and struggles to control his steroid-fueled violent tendencies also complicate his
relationship with his girlfriend, Shelby, a stripper who only occasionally displays the proverbial heart of gold.
But she is certainly kinder and more generous than her brother, Wylie, who has been implicated in the deaths of two local
Oxy dealers and is currently on the run. When Wylie kidnaps Shelby and holes up in Miles's country lair, it all threatens to
become a bit too much for Miles.
As the layers of Miles's personal history are peeled away, going deep into his memories of the Vietnam War, "Back to the
Dir"t gets to the root of the traumas that have caused Miles and his community so much adversity.
Critique: "Back to the Dirt" is blistering and original story of trying to abide by core values (living close to the land,
working with your hands) that all to often been obscured by neglect, drug abuse, and desperation. What remains is a
profound and important novel of an America that is only now beginning to get its due attention -- and author/novelist Frank
Bill is its most visceral, essential chronicler. While "Back to the Dirt" is a riveting and recommended addition to community
library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in
action/adventure with a critically important underlying message showcasing a dark underbelly of American life for so many
PTSD veterans today, that "Back to the Dirt" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Frank Bill (https://us.macmillan.com/author/frankbill) is the author of "The Ravaged", with co-author
Norman Reedus; the novels The Savage and Donnybrook, the latter of which was turned into a film in 2018; and the story
collection Crimes in Southern Indiana, one of GQ's favorite books of 2011 and a Daily Beast best debut of 2011.
The Bird Hotel
Joyce Maynard
Arcade Publishing
www.arcadepub.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781956763737, $29.99, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Hotel-Novel-Joyce-Maynard/dp/1956763732
Synopsis: After a childhood filled with heartbreak, Irene, a talented artist, finds herself in a small Central American village
where she checks into a beautiful but decaying lakefront hotel called La Llorona at the base of a volcano.
"The Bird Hotel" by novelist Joyce Maynard tells the story of this young American who, after suffering tragedy, restores and
runs La Llorona. Along the way we meet a rich assortment of characters who live in the village or come to stay at the hotel.
With a mystery at its center and filled with warmth, drama, romance, humor, pop culture, and a little magical realism,
Critique: A truly 'must read' pick for the legions of Joyce Maynard fanst, "The Bird Hotel" is a sweeping saga of a novel
spanning four decades, and offering lyricism, whimsy, and local color drawn from the author's more than twenty years in
which she has spent a significant amount of her time in a small Mayan indigenous village in Guatemala. As original as it is a
fun read from cover to cover, "The Bird Hotel" is an particularly recommended addition for community library collections.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of those who are interested in 'magical realism' fiction, Hispanic American
fiction, and Rural/Small Town fiction, that "The Bird Hotel" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Joyce Maynard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Maynard) has published hundreds of essays as well as
eighteen books, both fiction and non-fiction, including the memoir At Home in the World and the novels To Die For and
Labor Day, both adapted for film. Her novel, Count the Ways, was recently awarded the Grand Prix Literaire in France.
Every winter for over two decades, Maynard has led the Lake Atitlan Memoir workshop, Write by the Lake, in
Guatemala.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Basque Poppies: Survival Under the Swastika
Francine Kosla
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9798887290201, $19.00, PB, 234pp
https://www.amazon.com/Basque-Poppies-Survival-Under-Swastika/dp/B0BZXZH459
Synopsis: Joseph Vienney, his wife and teenaged daughters were patiently resigned to wait out the German occupation until
conscience, opportunity and the enemy arrived at their door. Shackled by the Nazis living under his own roof, Joseph
engineered one of the most ingenious missions of WW II. But unless he could flawlessly choreograph events, the reprisals
against the Basque population could only result in its genocide.
Critique: Although a work of fiction, "Basque Poppies: Survival Under the Swastika" by Francine Kosla is based on the true
accounts of a French Basque family during World War II. Enhanced for the reader with a section of black/white photos,
"Basque Poppies" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and, given today's resurgence of neo-Nazi and ethnic driven
genocides, is a novel that holds lessons of the past that must not be forgotten least they drown the world in war once again.
Of special value to readers with an interest in World War II Histories & Biographies, "Basque Poppies: Survival Under the
Swastika" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/academic library
Historical Fiction collections.
The Old Lion
Jeff Shaara
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250279941, $30.00, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Old-Lion-Novel-Theodore-Roosevelt/dp/1250279941
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt" author Jeff Shaara accomplishes what
only the finest historical fiction can do -- he brings to life Theodore Roosevelt who was one of the most consequential
figures in U.S. history and peels back the many-layered history of the man, and the country he personified.
From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, from the waning days of the rugged frontier of a young
country to the emergence of a modern, industrial nation exerting its power on the world stage, Theodore Roosevelt
embodied both the myth and reality of the country he loved and led.
From his upbringing in the rarefied air of New York society of the late 19th century to his time in rough-and-tumble world
of the Badlands in the Dakotas, from his rise from political obscurity to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from national hero
as the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War to his accidental rise to the Presidency itself, Roosevelt
embodied the complex, often contradictory, image of America itself.
In gripping prose, Shaara tells the story of the man who both defined and created the modern United States.
Critique: Although a work of biographical fiction, Jeff Shaara's "The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt" stays true
to the non-fiction elements of the life, problems, and achievements of Theodore Roosevelt. The result is a riveting and
memorable read and one that is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Biographical/Historical
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jeff Shaara (https://jeffshaara.com) is the author of seventeen novels, including Rise to Rebellion and The
Rising Tide, as well as Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure - two novels that complete his father's Pulitzer
Prize-winning classic, The Killer Angels.
Through Bitter Seas
Phillip Parotti
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636243085, $24.95, PB, 286pp
https://www.amazon.com/Through-Bitter-Seas-Casemate-Fiction/dp/1636243088
Synopsis: Assigned to U.S. Navy Rescue Tug, the ATR-3X, not long after the German surrender in North Africa, Ensign
Hal Goff and four other officers must support the Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy, shepherding navy ships to and from the
bitter fighting. With the Allied advance finally stopped cold along the Winter Line beneath Monte Cassino, Hal and his ship
become part of the grueling invasion of Anzio and the seemingly endless stalemate across Anzio's bloody beaches.
Critique: With an impressive and genuine flair for a distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, Phillip Parotti's new
novel, "Through Bitter Seas" will provide his readers with deftly crafted and gripping World War II naval action thriller set
in the Mediterranean Sea. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49), "Through
Bitter Seas" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library World War II historical fiction
collections.
Editorial Note: Phillip Parotti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Parotti) grew up in Silver City, New Mexico, graduated
from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1963, and served four years at sea on destroyers, both in the Pacific and the Atlantic,
before exchanging his regular commission for a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In addition to a number of short
stories, essays, and poems, Parotti has published three well received novels about The Trojan War.
Starring Adele Astaire
Eliza Knight
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063209206, $18.99, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Starring-Adele-Astaire-Eliza-Knight/dp/0063209209
Synopsis: Adele Astaire was a glittering, glamorous star, dancing with her brother, Fred, endearing herself to audiences
from New York to London. But although she is toasted by royalty and beloved by countless fans, Adele Astaire has dreams
of a loving husband and a houseful of children. And when she meets Lord Charles Cavendish, her wishes may just come
true -- but at what cost?
Ever since Violet Wood could walk she's wanted to dance on the London stage. Befriended by Adele, filled with ambition,
she is more than willing to make the sacrifices it will take to becomes a star herself, and her rags-to-riches hopes are within
reach. But the road to fame is never easy.
From the fast-paced world of roaring 20s New York to the horrors and sacrifice of wartime London, Adele's and Violet's
lives intertwine, and each must ask themselves is fame worth the price you must pay?
Critique: A masterpiece of biographical fiction based on the life of the legendary Fred Astaire's relatively obscure sister,
"Starring Adele Astaire" author Eliza Knight plays fair with the non-fiction aspects of Adele's life. An entertaining, even
fascinating read from cover to cover, "Starring Adele Astaire" is an especially recommended addition to community library
Historical/Biographical Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in
women's fiction that "Starring Adele Astaire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212689946, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Eliza Knight (https://elizaknight.com) is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author. She is a
member of the Historical Novel Society and Novelists, Inc., and the creator of the popular historical blog, History
Undressed.
In Feast or Famine
Mesu Andrews
WaterBrook Press
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780593193785, $17.00, PB, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Feast-Famine-Novel-Egyptian-Chronicles/dp/0593193784
Synopsis: After four-year-old Asenath's mother is murdered by Egypt's foreign rulers, the child is raised to be a priestess by
her overprotective father who is the high priest of Ra, Egypt's sun god.
For fifteen years, Asenath is sequestered in the upper levels of Ra's temple, convinced it is her destiny to heal the land by
becoming queen to the next Egyptian pharaoh. But when Egypt's foreign king instead gives her as a bride to the newly
appointed vizier (a Hebrew named Joseph) her entire world is shaken.
Beyond the walls of her tower, Asenath discovers treachery, deceit, and conspiracy that combine in forcing her to redefine
her destiny and weigh where her true loyalties lie. Can she still trust the gods of Egypt? Or is Elohim, the foreign God of her
husband, the one who will heal her nation during the feast and famine to come?
Critique: The newest addition to novelist Mesu Andrews simply outstanding 'The Egyptian Chronicles' series, "In Feast or
Famine" is a compelling and inherently fascinating story that will have a particular appeal to readers with an interest in
Biblical Fiction. Deftly crafted, entertaining, memorable, "In Feast of Famine" is unreservedly recommended, especially for
community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "In Feast or Famine" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Mesu Andrews (https://mesuandrews.com) is the Christy Award-winning author of numerous inspirational
novels including the Treasures of the Nile series, the Prophets and Kings series, and "Potiphar's Wife", the first book in the
Egyptian Chronicles series. Her deep understanding of and love for God's Word help her to bring the biblical world alive for
readers.
Shadows We Carry
Meryl Ain
https://merylain.com
SparkPress
c/o Spark Point Studio
www.gosparkpress.com
9781684632008, $17.95, PB, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-We-Carry-Meryl-Ain/dp/1684632005
Synopsis: "Shadows We Carry" is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Meryl Ain's award-winning post-Holocaust novel "The
Takeaway Men". It follows Bronka and JoJo Lubinski as they find themselves on the cusp of momentous change for women
in the late 1960s. With the United States in the grip of political and social upheaval, the twins and a number of their peers,
including a Catholic priest and the son of a Nazi, struggle with their family's ancestry and how much influence it has on
their lives. Meanwhile, both young women seek to define their roles as women, and as individuals.
Critique: Enlightening and evocative, "Shadows We Carry" by Meryl Ain deftly explores the experience of navigating
deeply held family secrets and bloodlines, confusing religious identities, and the scars of World War II in the wake of
revolutionary societal changes. Original, exceptional, fully engaging from cover to cover, "Shadows We Carry" is a
compelling, thought-provoking, and entertaining read from cover to cover and unreservedly recommended for community
library Jewish literature, family/women's domestic life fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Shadows We Carry" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Meryl Ain (https://merylain.com) is a writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. "The Takeaway Men"
(her award-winning post-Holocaust debut novel), was published in 2020. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous
publications and she is the author of two nonfiction books. A member of The International Advisory Board for Holocaust
Survivor Day, she is the host of the podcast People of the Book, and the founder of the Facebook group "Jews Love To
Read!" She holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Columbia University, and a doctorate in education from Hofstra
University.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea
Patti Callahan Henry
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781668011836, $28.99, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Book-Flora-Lea-Novel/dp/1668011832
Synopsis: In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to
escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a
charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister,
including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone -- a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can
escape to that is all their own.
But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered,
Hazel blames herself for her sister's disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she
deserves.
Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby's.
With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel's future seems determined. But her tidy life
is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of
Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to
Flora's disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?
As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her
career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly
original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of
storytelling.
Critique: Original, eloquent, riveting, memorable, "The Secret Book of Flora Lea" deftly showcases author Patti Callahan
Henry's literary talents as a novelist with a genuine and impressive flair for the kind of narrative driven and imaginative
storytelling talents that keep the reader's rapt and compulsive page turning attention from cover to cover. A novel that will
linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after th book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "The
Secret Book of Flora Lee" is highly and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library History
Fiction and Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted that "The Secret Book of Flora Lee" is also available in a
paperback edition (Simon & Schuster, 9781668023136, $24.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), and as a
complete an unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797156002, $44.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Patti Callahan Henry (https://www.patticallahanhenry.com) is the author of fifteen novels, including the
historical fiction (writing as Patti Callahan) Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C.S.
Lewis". In addition, she is the recipient of The Christy Award -- A 2019 Winner "Book of the Year"; The Harper Lee
Distinguished Writer of the Year for 2020 and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year for 2019, and the RNA
UK finalist for Romantic Historical Fiction. She is also the co-founder of the Facebook weekly show Friends and
Fiction.
Finding Home (Hungary, 1945)
Dean Cycon
Koehler Books
3705 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888240755, $21.95, PB, 378pp
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Home-Hungary-1945-Cycon/dp/B0BYTPXKT1
Synopsis: For nine months in Auschwitz, eighteen-year-old Eva Fleiss clung to sanity by playing piano on imaginary
keyboards. After liberation, Eva and the five remaining Jews of Laszlo, Hungary, journey home, seeking to restart their
lives. Yet the town that deported them is not ready to embrace their return. Their former neighbors and friends resist
relinquishing their newfound status and property, and they struggle with their roles as perpetrators, enablers, and bystanders
during the Holocaust.
Longing for connection to her old life, Eva agrees to clean her former home, now the mayor's home, in return for practice
time on her piano. As her profound experiences allow her to access music at a depth she didn't know existed, Eva's
performances begin to affect those around her - with unexpected consequences.
Critique: Original, intriguing, deftly crafted, "Finding Home (Hungary, 1945)" is all the more impressive when considering
that this is author Dean Cycon's first novel. With a special appeal to readers with an interest in World War II fiction and
Jewish literature, "Finding Home (Hungary 1945)" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college,
and university library literary fiction collections. A novel that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been
finished and set back upon the shelf, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Finding Home (Hungary 1945)" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.49).
Editorial Note: Dean Cycon (https://www.koehlerbooks.com/writer/dean-cycon) is an author, lawyer, human rights
advocate, and social entrepreneur who has lived and worked in over sixty countries. A passionate explorer of culture and
history, Dean seeks out unexamined corners that illuminate the human condition. He has previously published Javatrekker:
Dispatches from the World of Fair Trade Coffee, which was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Travel Essay by the
Independent Publishers Association and has been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
The LGBT Fiction Shelf
Chef's Choice
TJ Alexander
Emily Bestler Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781982189105, $17.99, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chefs-Choice-Novel-Kiss/dp/198218910X
Synopsis: When Luna O'Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she's
a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings
don't pay the bills.
Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire -- which he will only inherit if he can
jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path.
First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play -- for the right price. She's got rent to pay, after all!
Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that
Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir.
Admittedly, Luna doesn't even know how to crack an egg, but she's not going to let that (or any pesky feelings for
Jean-Pierre) stop her.
Critique: Original, fun, and deftly crafted, "Chef's Choice" by TJ Alexander is another of those 'swoon-worthy' and
heartwarming LGBTQ love stories that will have both a special attraction and universal value for readers with an interest in
contemporary romantic comedy. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and
as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797160894, $39.99, CD), "Chef's Choice" is a unique
and unreservedly recommended pick for community library LGBTQ Fiction and Contemporary Romance collections.
Editorial Note: TJ Alexander (https://tjalexander.com) is an amateur baker and author who writes about queer love.
Originally from Florida, they received their MA in writing and publishing from Emerson College in Boston. They live in
New York City with their wife and various houseplants. They are represented by Larissa Melo Pienkowski of Jill Grinberg
Literary Management (https://jillgrinbergliterary.com).
Love at First Set
Jennifer Dugan
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063307483, $18.99, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-at-First-Set-Novel/dp/0063307480
Synopsis: The gym is Lizzie's life -- it's her passion, her job, and the only place that's ever felt like home. Unfortunately, her
bosses consider her a glorified check-in girl at best, and the gym punching bag at worst.
When their son, Lizzie's best friend, James, begs her to be his plus one at his perfect sister Cara's wedding, things go wrong
immediately, and culminate in Lizzie giving a drunken pep talk to a hot stranger in the women's bathroom -- except that
stranger is actually the bride-to-be, and Lizzie has accidentally convinced her to ditch her groom.
Now, newly directionless Cara is on a quest to find herself, and Lizzie (desperate to make sure her bosses never find out her
role in this fiasco) gets strong-armed by James into "entertaining" her. Cara doesn't have to know it's a setup; it'll just be a
quick fling before she sobers up and goes back to her real life. After all, how could someone like Cara fall for someone like
Lizzie, with no career and no future?
But the more Lizzie gets to know Cara, the more she likes her, and the bigger the potential disaster if any of her rapidly
multiplying secrets get out. Because now it's not just Lizzie's job and entire future on the line, but also the girl of her
dreams.
Critique: A deftly crafted and fun read from cover to cover, "Love at First Set" by novelist Jennifer Dugan will have a very
special appeal to readers with an interest in contemporary and romantic LGBTQ comedy. While also available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Love at First Set" is a recommended pick for community library
Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Jennifer Dugan (https://jldugan.com/about) is the author of the young adult novels Melt With You, Some
Girls Do, Verona Comics, and Hot Dog Girl. She is also the author of the YA graphic novel Coven.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
The Ice Harp
Norman Lock
Bellevue Literary Press
www.blpress.org
9781954276178, $17.99, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ice-Harp-American-Novels/dp/1954276176
Synopsis: In 1879, toward the end of his life, Ralph Waldo Emerson, known throughout as the Sage of Concord, has lost his
words. Beset by aphasia and grief, Ralph Waldo Emerson is scarcely recognizable as America's foremost essayist and
orator.
To the dismay of his wife, he frequently entertains the specters of his fellow transcendentalists, including Whitman,
Thoreau, John Muir, and Margaret Fuller, and frets about the future of humankind and the natural world. Does the present
displace the past? Do ideas always precede actions? What responsibility does each of us bear for the downtrodden, the
preservation of liberty, and the Earth itself?
These metaphysical concerns become concrete when Emerson meets a Black soldier accused of killing a white man who
abused him. The soldier's presence demands a response from Emerson, an action outside the parlors of philosophy and
beyond the realm where language and logic hold sway.
"The Ice Harp", the tenth stand-alone book in The American Novels series by author Norman Lock is a poignant portrayal of
a literary luminary coming to terms with the loss of memory, the cost of inaction, and the end of life.
Critique: A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating fictional biography featuring American literary legend Ralph Waldo
Emerson, "The Ice Harp" is a memorable read and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic
library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for readers with an interest in an intriguing and philosophical work
that is as intellectually entertaining as it is memorably thought provoking, "The Ice Harp" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $17.09).
Editorial Note: Norman Lock (https://normanlock.com) is the author of novels, short fiction, and poetry, as well as stage and
radio plays. He has won The Dactyl Foundation Literary Fiction Award, The Paris Review Aga Khan Prize for Fiction, and
has been longlisted twice for the Simpson/Joyce Carol Oates Prize. He has also received writing fellowships from the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Second Star
Phillippe Delerm, author
Jody Gladding, translator
Archipelago Books
https://archipelagobooks.org
9781953861542, $18.00, PB, 164pp
https://www.amazon.com/Second-Star-other-reasons-lingering/dp/1953861547
Synopsis: Ably and expertly translated into English for an American readership by Jody Gladding, "Second Star: And Other
Reasons for Lingering" by French author Philippe Delerm is an impressive anthology of fourteen succinct short stories
offering literary snapshots.
Whether biting into a bitter turnip or savoring a summer evening in June, Philip Delerm's literary snapshots transport us to
simple, often overlooked sensations and pleasures, and, pausing, expand a moment or emotion outwards in concentric
circles.
These evocative literary vignettes invite us to linger, to "savor the few moments of silence" -- as if each bite of a ripe
watermelon, each exhaled breath on a bitterly cold day, each cloudy evening on the beach, were our last.
Critique: A master of the short story format, Philip Delerm pursued literary studies at Nanterre before becoming a teacher
himself. In 1975 he taught French Literature at the Marie Curie College (Secondary School) in Bernay. Ironically, the first
manuscripts which Delerm submitted for publication from 1976 were refused by publishers. But eventually with success as
an author, Delerm ended his teaching career in 2007 in order to concentrate on his writing full-time. With the publication of
an English edition of "Second Star: And Other Reasons for Lingering" from Archipelago Books, this literary short story
collection is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library Contemporary Literary
Fiction collections. An inspiring series of lyrical meditations on life's smallest moments, from peeling a clementine,
drinking a cold mojito, to washing your window, it should be noted that "Second Star" is also available for students,
academia, and the general public in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note #1: Philippe Delerm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Delerm) was born in 1950 in a suburb of Paris.
Delerm writes fiction, essays, and children's books. His collection of essays La Premiere gorgee de biere et autres plaisirs
minuscules sold more than one million copies in France and became a #1 bestseller. Delerm has published eleven books,
including "Autumn" which won the Prix Alain-Fournier in 1990.
Editorial Note #2: Jody Gladding (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/jody-gladding) has translated the works of
Elizabeth Deshays, Herve This, and Jean Giono, among others. She has written several books of poetry, including the
spiders my arms (2018). Gladding has been honored with a Whiting Writers' Award, an Academy of American Poets Prize,
a Centre National du Livre de France Translation grant and a French-American Foundation Translation Award, along with a
MacDowell Colony fellowship, a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford, and a residency at The Frost Place.
Sidle Creek
Jolene McIlwain, author
https://www.jolenemcilwain.com
Melville House
https://www.mhpbooks.com
9781685890414, $17.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sidle-Creek-Jolene-McIlwain/dp/1685890415
Synopsis: With the publication of "Sidle Creek" (a compendium of twenty-two short stories), author Jolene McIlwain
skillfully interrogates the myths and stereotypes of the mining, mill, and farming towns where she grew up.
Jolene's stories take place in diners and dive bars, town halls and bait shops, In her writing Jolene explores the themes of
class, work, health, and trauma, and the unexpected human connections of small, close-knit communities. All the while, the
wild beauty of the natural world weaves its way in, a source of the town's livelihood -- and its vulnerable to natural resource
exploitation.
Critique: Original and carefully crafted with 'an alchemic blend of taut prose, gorgeous imagery, and deep sensitivity for all
of the living beings' "Sidle Creek" each featured short story showcases author Jolene McIlwain's impressive narrative driven
storytelling skills. An entertaining, thought-provoking, and memorable read with each story being an extraordinary and
memorable literary experience, "Sidle Creek" is especially and particularly recommended for personal, community, and
academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction and Short Story Anthology collections. It should be noted that "Sidle
Creek" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Jolene McIlwain (https://www.jolenemcilwain.com) has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and appeared
in numerous literary journals, and in 2019's Best Small Fictions Anthology. Her work was named finalist for 2018's Best of
the Net, Glimmer Train's and River Styx's contests, and was a semifinalist in Nimrod's Katherine Anne Porter Prize. She's
taught literary theory/analysis at Duquesne and Chatham Universities.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
A Stranger Comes
Ewan Smith
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444851052, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 252pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-stranger-comes-ewan-smith/1143106034
Synopsis: Velma is a lively young widow who runs a thriving inn in the bustling port of Evenmouth. Her reputation as a
hostess is unrivaled, and even Lady Osanna and Lord Durwin at the castle often seek her help when putting on their
banquets. Now, she watches with interest as a curious ship from distant parts comes in with the tide. She will soon find that
there is something oddly familiar about the intriguing stranger who arrives with it!
Critique: As a novelist, Ewan Smith is exceptionally adept at crafting memorable characters and a fully engaging romance
plot laced throughout with unexpected twists and turns. This large print paperback edition of "A Stranger Comes" from the
Linford Romance Library is a solid and recommended pick for both the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans and
community library Historical Romance collections.
Editorial Note: Ewan Smith (https://www.literaturewales.org/lw-blog/from-now-on-ewan-smith) has worked as a journalist,
house-husband, child-minder, teaching assistant and primary school teacher. In 2016, he retired to the seaside in North
Wales where he and his wife, Anna, are currently living the dream. He writes poetry, short stories and pocket novels for
women's magazines and is keenly learning Welsh. He won the poetry prize for Welsh learners at the National
Eisteddfod.
Beth And The Captain's Ghost
Victoria Garland
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444851076, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 312pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beth-and-the-captains-ghost-victoria-garland/1143106033
Synopsis: After the sudden death of her lacklustre husband, Beth is desperate to get away from his overbearing sisters.
Clifftop Cottage seems to be the perfect escape -- until she discovers its resident ghost, Captain Daniels! But the Captain
takes a shine to Beth and her two children, and is happy for them to stay. In fact, he helps her get her life together again - not
to mention giving a spiritual helping hand to Beth's fledgling romance with his grandson Mike.
Critique: With a very special appeal to fans of romance and the supernatural, "Beth And The Captain's Ghost" is an original,
deftly crafted, and wonderfully entertaining story by novelist Victoria Garland. This large print paperback edition from
Linford Romance Library is especially commended for inclusion into community library Romance Fiction collections and
personal reading lists.
Editorial Note: Victoria Garland (http://victoriagarland.com) is a romantic novelist who lives and works in Dorset, England.
She is the author of Briefs (a collection of quirky short stories) and is currently working on A Month of Secrets, a full length
novel which she is writing for RoNA's New Writers' Scheme. She also writes children's stories under her maiden name -
Paula Haughey.
The Boyfriend Candidate
Ashley Winstead
Graydon House
http://graydonhousebooks.com
9781525804960, $18.99, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Boyfriend-Candidate-Novel-Ashley-Winstead/dp/1525804960
Synopsis: As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she's dumped for
being too meek (in bed!) she decides she needs to change. And what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life
than with her first one-night stand?
Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis's
opposite -- and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she's about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak
lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with
cameras. Cameras Logan promptly (and shockingly!) flees.
Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. Turns out Logan is
none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor's seat. The salacious scandal is poised
to sink his career (and jeopardize Alexis's job) until a solution is proposed: he and Alexis could pretend to be in a
relationship until election day... in two months. What could possibly go wrong?
Critique: The stuff of which Hallmark Channel Rom-Com movies are made, "The Boyfriend Candidate" by Ashley
Winstead is an original and fun read from cover to cover. While unreservedly recommended and popular pick for
community library Contemporary Romance collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of fans with an
interest in romantic comedies that "The Boy Friend Candidate" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$10.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212658386, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Ashley Winstead (www.ashleywinstead.com) is an academic turned novelist with a Ph.D. in contemporary
American literature.
Seven Exes
Lucy Vine
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063299849, $17.99, PB, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Exes-Novel-Lucy-Vine/dp/0063299844
Synopsis: Esther is nearing thirty, with a great job and a flat she shares with her two best friends, Bibi and Louise. But her
life is missing that special someone. Tired of being single and sick of bad date after bad date, she thinks she's found the
answer to her romance problem in an old women's magazine.
According to the magazine's dating column, there are seven archetypes a woman will date before finding Mr. Right. It all
seems silly at first, until Esther realizes she has exactly seven exes that match the profiles: The First Love, The Work
Mistake, The Overlap, The Friend with Benefits, The Missed Chance, The Bastard, and The Serious One. Is it so hard to
believe that perhaps one of them is The One?
Deciding she must have left her true love in the reject pile, Esther contacts each of her old boyfriends. But finding her
soulmate isn't as simple as she hoped it would be. Madness, mayhem, laughs, and tears ensue as she valiantly works her way
through her past love life and faces up to her previous mistakes. It's an odyssey of the heart that will teach her a lot about
herself -- and just might lead her to the man of her dreams!
Critique: "Seven Exes" by novelist Lucy Vine is an original, memorable and fun read from cover to cover -- especially for
fans of contemporary romantic comedies. Exceptionally well written and oh-so-familiar to anyone who has labored hard to
find Mr. Right, "Seven Exes" will prove to be an immediate and popular addition to community library Romance Fiction
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Rom-Com fans tht "Seven Exes" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lucy Vine (https://lucyvine.co.uk) is a writer, editor and the author of Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell, Are We
Nearly There Yet? and Bad Choices. Her books have been translated into sixteen languages around the world, with Hot
Mess optioned for a TV series. She has been nominated twice for the Comedy Women In Print Award and hosts the podcast
and live event series Hot Mess Clubhouse, celebrating funny women. Her journalism has appeared in international
publications, including Grazia, Stylist, heat, Fabulous, New, Now, Marie Claire, Glamour Online, Cosmopolitan, The Daily
Telegraph, The Sun, and The Mirror.
The Secret to Happiness
Suzanne Woods Fisher
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800743154, $29.99, HC, 294pp
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Happiness-Cape-Cod-Creamery/dp/0800743156
Synopsis: Fired from her dream job after making a huge mistake, Callie Dixon lands at her aunt's Cape Cod ice cream shop,
hoping that in time, she'll bounce back. But she made that mistake for a reason that time won't help. When her cousin drags
her to a class on happiness, the instructor (curiously gloomy and demanding) has a way of turning her feelings upside
down!
Critique: Original, memorable and a fun read from first page to last, "The Secret to Happiness" showcases author Suzanne
Woods Fisher's natural flair for originality and the kind of deftly scripted and narrative driven storytelling style that keeps
her reader's rapt and entertained attention from cover to cover. While highly recommended for community library
Contemporary Romance collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of those seeking clean and wholesome
Christian romance novels that "The Secret to Happiness" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800739485,
$16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, 9.99).
Editorial Note: Suzanne Woods Fisher (www.suzannewoodsfisher.com) is the author of more than 30 books, including The
Moonlight School, Anything but Plain, The Sweet Life, and The Secret to Happiness, as well as the Three Sisters Island,
Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop's Family, The Deacon's Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is
also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs. She lives in
California. She can be followed on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and on Twitter @suzannewfisher
The Front Porch Club
Michelle Major
Canary Street Press
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781335430656, $9.99, Mass Market PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Front-Porch-Club-Carolina-Girls/dp/1335430652
Synopsis: The downside to having a picture-perfect life is that there's nowhere to go but down -- and Annalise Haverford is
falling fast. Once, she was the self-proclaimed queen bee of Magnolia, North Carolina. Now her husband has been arrested
for fraud, and she's become an outcast in the shallow circles she used to rule. There's only one affordable rental in town, and
it's owned by the woman Annalise got fired from a lucrative job.
Much as single mother Shauna Myer would like to refuse Annalise, who treated her like dirt on the bottom of her red-soled
shoe, she needs that rent money. But when Shauna's first love arrives in town, unraveling secrets she'd hoped to keep,
Annalise becomes her unlikely defender. Meghan Banks, an elementary school art teacher whose quiet existence suddenly
descends into chaos, is thrown an unexpected lifeline by Annalise, too.
As spring ripens into a sultry summer, the three spur each other on to share their fears and dreams, face new challenges, and
seize second chances. Because no matter how turbulent life may be, it's much easier to navigate those choppy waters when
you're buoyed by true friendship.
Critique: Also featuring a bonus novella (A Carolina Dance), "The Front Porch Club" by Michelle Major will have an
immense appeal to fans with an interest in small town/rural fiction in general, and Contemporary Romance in particular.
With a decided flair for originality, creating memorable characters and the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that
keeps the reader's invested from beginning to end, "The Front Porch Club" is unreservedly recommended as a popular
addition to community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Front
Porch Club" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Audio, 9798212224314, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Michelle Major (www.michellemajor.com) writes contemporary romance stories with a focus on hope,
humor and a place to call home -- stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after.
Man of Shadow and Mist
Michelle Griep
Barbour Publishing
1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
Oasis Audio
www.oasisaudio.com
9781636095653, $15.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Shadow-Mist-Monsters-Men/dp/1636095658
Synopsis: England, 1890. Vampires are alive and well in North Yorkshire, leastwise in the minds of the uneducated.
Librarian Rosa Edwards intends to drive a stake through the heart of such superstitions. But gossip flies when the
mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his shadowy manor. The townsfolk say he is cursed.
James hates everything about England. The weather. The rumours. The scorn. Yet he must stay. His mother is dying of a
disease for which he's desperately trying to find a cure -- an illness that will eventually take his own life.
When Rosa sets out to prove the dark gossip about James is wrong, she discovers more questions than answers. How can
she accept what she can't explain -- especially the strong allure of the enigmatic man? James must battle a town steeped in
fear as well as the unsettling attraction he feels for the no-nonsense librarian.
Can love prevail in a town filled with fear and doubt?
Critique: Deftly crafted and impressively original, "Man of Shadow & Mist" by author Michelle Griep that will have special
and enduring appeal to readers with an interest in historical Christian romance novels. A fun and fascinating read from
cover to cover, "Man of Shadow & Mist" will prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular pick for
community library Romance Fiction collections and is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as
a complete and unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781685924034, $37.99, CD)
Editorial Note: Michelle Griep (https://michellegriep.com) is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A
Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper's Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart,
Brentwood's Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary
with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan.
The Weaving of Life
Linda Byler
Good Books
www.goodbooks.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781680998603, $16.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Weaving-Life-New-Directions/dp/1680998609
Synopsis: Susan Lapp is a hardworking Amish woman in her early twenties. She enjoys the financial independence that
working two jobs (one as a house cleaner and the other in a local deli in Lancaster) affords her. And based on her sisters'
tumultuous experiences with their husbands, she has no interest in dating or marriage. She's perfectly content with her life as
it is, thank you very much.
When Susan's best friend Beth begins to date Susan's brother Mark, the couple is determined to play matchmaker for Susan.
Susan begrudgingly agrees to humor them and soon finds herself caught between an undeniable attraction for one of Mark's
coworkers and her unflinching commitment to staying single.
Soon, her complicated feelings take her in directions she once couldn't have imagined. She experiences hardship like she
never has before, including homesickness, miserable weather in a place that feels so foreign, and an incredibly challenging
job. And despite her attempts to escape romantic entanglements, she finds herself longing for the stability and familiarity of
a committed relationship back home.
Still, she wrestles with fear and uncertainty. How is she to know God's will for her life?
Critique: Of special and particular appeal to readers with an interest in Christian Romance fiction, "The Weaving of Life" is
the debut volume of novelist Linda Byler's 'New Directions' series. A deftly crafted, fun, and inherently interesting read
from beginning to end, "The Weaving of Life" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community
library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Weaving of Life" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), while librarians should be advised that it is also available in a Library
Binding edition (Thorndike Press, 9798885791502, $32.99, Large Print).
Editorial Note: Linda Byler (https://broadview.org/linda-byler-amish-author) grew up Amish and is an active member of the
Amish Church today. Well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper, she is also
the author of the Amish romance novel series, Lizzie Searches for Love.
Twelve Hours in Manhattan
Maan Gabriel
https://www.maangabriel.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647423957, $17.95, PB, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Hours-Manhattan-Maan-Gabriel/dp/1647423953
Synopsis: Two worlds. One heart. Twelve hours.
Bianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the
famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min, and he's in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From
walking along Fifth Avenue to eating ice cream at Serendipity to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State
building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. In that time, they
talk about the big stuff: love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.
But real life is more than just a few exhilarating stolen moments in time.
As the clock strikes the twelfth hour, Bianca returns back to the life she detests to face a tragedy that will test her strength
and resolve -- and the only thing she has to keep going is the memory of a man she loves in secret from a world away.
Critique: An original and fun novel by Maan Gabriel, "Twelve Hours In Manhattan" is especially recommended to the
attention of readers with an interest in coming of age novels and stories of contemporary big city romance. Memorable
characters set in a storyline that has more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster, "Twelve Hours In Manhattan"
is especially recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be
noted that "Twelve Hours In Manhattan" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Maan Gabriel (https://www.maangabriel.com) is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women's
stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica's College in Manila and MPS in public
relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She is also the author of the novel "After
Perfect".
The Tapestry of Grace
Kim Vogel Sawyer
WaterBrook Press
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780593194386, $17.00, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tapestry-Grace-Kim-Vogel-Sawyer/dp/0593194381
Synopsis: With classes paused for the planting season, Alexandertol's schoolteacher Augusta Dyck is glad for some
meaningful work to occupy her time. She even knows exactly who their town's benevolence society should help first: quiet,
reserved widower Konrad Rempel and his young twin sons.
Konrad Rempel, however, is adamant that he doesn't want help. His boys are mischievous but good-hearted. And though
Konrad may be struggling, he doesn't want anyone else sticking their nose in and telling him what his sons need. Or what he
needs.
For her part, the charity's founder Martina Krahn is relieved to have a reason to spend time outside her unhappy home. It
even occurs to her that she may, through her work, encounter a boy in need of a family and so find a son for her husband
since they have no children of their own.
Augusta, Konrad, and Martina each have deep needs and desires, and each imagines how they should be met: by reaching
out or by being left alone. But God, indeed, knows best. Will the competing agendas of Alexandertol's residents prevent
them from receiving God's help? Or will the members of this small Mennonite community find the answers to their prayers
in the very last place they expect -- in one another?
Critique: An impressively written novel of historical Christian romance by veteran author Kim Vogel Sawyer, "The
Tapestry of Grace" is the stuff of which Hallmark Movies are made and is unabashedly recommended reading for the
growing legions of Kim Vogel Sawyer fans. While with the highest recommendation, "The Tapestry of Grace" will prove a
welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Tapestry of Grace" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99). Librarians
should be aware that there is a large print edition for "The Tapestry of Grace" (Thorndike Press, 9798885788694, $33.99,
Library Binding).
Editorial Note: Kim Vogel Sawyer (https://kimvogelsawyer.com) is a highly acclaimed author with more than 1.5 million
books in print in seven languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the
Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.
Love Buzz
Neely Tubati Alexander
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063292918, $17.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Buzz-Novel-Neely-Tubati-Alexander/dp/0063292912
Synopsis: A wretched maid of honor. A hangover from hell. Raucous Mardi Gras crowds. There isn't much Serena Khan is
enjoying about this four-day New Orleans destination bachelorette party for her semi-estranged cousin, the bride-to-be.
That is until sparks fly with a handsome stranger, at the ladies' last stop of the evening in a Bourbon Street bar. He (like
her) is also from Seattle. After their conversation is cut short, Serena is overwhelmed by the desire to find the charming man
with the brooding eyebrows, but her list of clues is pretty short -- His name is Julian. He lives on Chamber Hill. He works at
a tech company. He loves Lil Wayne and Nirvana.
The need to find him is, for Serena, both irresistible and totally irrational. In a few short weeks, her college alumni magazine
is featuring her in a "Life at Thirty" feature, cementing her as a success story. She will have officially achieved the safe,
stable life her late mother insisted upon. Julian is not part of the plan.
As she combs Seattle for her New Orleans flame, stripping away the perfectly curated life that would have made her mother
proud, Serena must decide if the pursuit of real passion is worth it, and fast, before she destroys the life she always thought
she wanted.
Critique: Funny, thoughtful, original, and romantic, "Love Buzz" is an deftly crafted novel by Neely Tubati Alexander that
will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Rom-Com style contemporary romance. The stuff of which
Hallmark Movies are made, "Love Buzz" is unreservedly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections
and is also readily available for the personal reading lists of dedicated Rom-Com fans in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.99).
Editorial Note: Neely Tubati Alexander (https://www.neelytubatialexander.com) is the author of women's fiction with
rom-com feels you can escape into with a smile.
Come November
Scott Lord
https://scottlord.com
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9798886450521, $28.95, HC, 424pp
https://www.amazon.com/Come-November-Scott-Lord/dp/B0BZNNNHZ1
Synopsis: November 1947: Jeanne and John, two newspaper journalists, fall in young love as they travel from Chicago to
New York to witness the momentous vote of the United Nations to partition Palestine and create the State of Israel. When
they discover an assassination plot meant to swing the outcome, they must put their personal lives on hold and race the
clock to stop it, uncovering elaborate details of international politics along the way.
Fifty years later, having gone their separate ways, the two reconnect in Italy. Set against a stunning pastoral backdrop,
Jeanne and John relive those turbulent days together and explore whether their love has stood the test of time.
Critique: "Come November" by novelist Scott Lord will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in an operatic
Italian romance, politics, family bonds, misunderstandings, and second chances, and international thrillers. With more plot
twists than a Disneyland roller coaster, "Come November" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community
library Historical Romance and Suspense Thriller collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Come
November" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, 16 Hours, 5 Minutes).
Editorial Note: Scott Lord (https://www.audible.com/author/Scott-Lord/B0C36JNHNY) is a longtime Los Angeles trial
lawyer, writer, and librettist. He is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz and Santa Clara University School of Law.
In This Moment
Gabrielle Meyer
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764241796, $29.99, HC, 390pp
https://www.amazon.com/This-Moment-Timeless-Gabrielle-Meyer/dp/0764241796
Synopsis: Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861
Washington D.C., 1941 Pearl Harbor, and 2001 DC. Each night, she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in
another. Until she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives (and everyone she knows in them)
forever.
In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of a senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and
wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she joins a hospital ship
going to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon.
While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era, only
complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer. With so much on the line, how can Maggie
choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose?
Critique: A deftly penned and strikingly original novel that will have a special appeal to readers with an interest time travel
romances, "In This Moment" by Gabrielle Meyer will prove to be a an inherently fascinating and simply riveting novel and
one that will be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "In This Moment" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764239755, $17.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Gabrielle Meyer (www.gabriellemeyer.com) has worked for state and local historical societies and loves
writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides along the banks of the Mississippi River in
central Minnesota with her husband and four children. By day, she's a busy home schooling mom, and by night she pens
fiction and nonfiction filled with hope.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Aces Wild
E. Jefferson Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850123, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 239pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Aces%20Wild
Synopsis: They were an odd pair, the one-time Union captain and the former Confederate sergeant. They'd fought each other
during the Battle of Pea Ridge -- and then ended up fighting shoulder to shoulder when a common enemy showed his face.
Bo Rangle, leader of the guerilla force known as Rangle's Raiders, took advantage of the slaughter to steal what the two
opposing forces had been fighting for - two hundred thousand dollars' worth of Confederate gold. Hank Brazos and Duke
Benedict never forgot that day, or each other. And when, by chance, their trails crossed again after the War, they decided to
team up, find Rangle and reclaim that gold for themselves. And while they were at it, they swore to get revenge for all of
their comrades who'd died that day back in 1862.
Critique: E. Jefferson Clay's western novel "Aces Wild", begins the story for fans of our two unlikely (and reluctant) heroes
as once again they are involved in gunplay aplenty as they return to their quest for that treasure of Confederate gold"
continued in "A Badge for Brazos" . A fun, action packed, and simply riveting read from cover to cover, this large print
paperback edition of "Ace Wild" from the Linford Western Library collection is especially and unreservedly recommended
reading for all dedicated western novel fans and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: E. Jefferson Clay (www.fantasticfiction.com/c/e-jefferson-clay) is one of the many pseudonyms for
Australian author, comic book writer and illustrator Paul Wheelahan.
Escape from the Casa Grande
P. J. Gallagher
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850154, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 222pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Escape%20from%20the%20Casa%20Grande
Synopsis: Josh Martin has headed West seeking adventure. He finds it -- and also finds a life and death situation, becoming
marooned in a lonely desolate valley with no hope of remaining alive unless he can employ the few skills that he possesses.
To add to his problems, he also has to care for Ellie, a girl who is the sole survivor of an Apache raid.
Critique: A riveting survival story set in the Old West, "Escape from the Casa Grande" showcases the narrative driven
storytelling talents of western novelist P. J. Gallaher. Originally published as A Black Horse Western in 2020, this new large
print paperback edition of "Escape from the Casa Grande" is fully recommended for both community library Western
Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated western novel fans.
Editorial Note: P. J. Gallagher served in the British Army. He has written and had published close to 20 articles for The
Journal of the Royal Artillery, competed for the past 20 years in Cowboy Action Shooting, and is a collector of antique
firearms. There is an extensive listing of his books at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/281621.Paul_Gallagher
Shiloh
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850116, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 233pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Shiloh
Synopsis: When Martha Pootes watched the three Union soldiers approach her parent's farm in Kentucky, she had no inkling
of the stark horror they would bring. Raped and left for dead, the young woman manages to impart a very sketchy
description of her attackers before breathing her last. Returning to General Grant's Army Of The Tennessee, the men believe
that they are in the clear. Unfortunately for them, Martha's uncle just happens to be a Deputy United States Marshal.
Knowing only that one of the rapists has a powder burn under his right eye, the marshal joins Grant's forces. But being part
of an invading army means that he is not only in mortal danger from the fugitives. There is also the very real risk that in
pursuing them, Pootes could be shot by the Confederates defending Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. And that's only the
start of it all!
Critique: A classic revenge quest western set against the background of the American Civil War, "Shiloh" by novelist Paul
Bedford is an inherently fascinating and carefully crafted, compulsive page-turner of a read from beginning to end.
Originally published as A Black Horse Western, this new large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library
series is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Paul Bedford (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/paul-bedford) has a strong interest in the history of the
American frontier and specifically strives to make his western novels as factually accurate and realistic as possible.
Enemies of Medicine Feather
Will DuRey
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850142, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 221pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Enemies%20of%20Medicine%20Feather
Synopsis: A renowned hunter, tracker and guide, few white men know the land west of the Missouri like Weston Gray. The
Arapaho and Lakota Sioux people with whom he's lived from time to time call him Medicine Feather and he's acted as
interpreter and spokesman for them to avert trouble with the military and at treaty meetings with Washington delegates.
Among the people he calls 'friend' are army officers and tribal chieftains who, in order to maintain peace, listen to his
advice. But the discovery of gold in the Black Hills has changed the mood on both sides and now, in the summer of 1876,
Wes no longer knows if he has any friends along the frontier. He does know that he has enemies.
Critique: With a very special appeal to western fans with an interest in the impact that gold fever had on White and Indian
relations, "Enemies of Medicine Feather" by Will DuRey is an original, deftly crafted, action packed read from first page to
last. With painstaking attention to getting historical details correct, "Enemies of Medicine Feather" will prove a welcome
addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Will DuRey (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/will-durey) is a life-long student of the history and legends
of the Old West. He has been writing western fiction for more than a decade and lives in Northumberland, UK.
The Valerons - Honor Bound
Terrell L. Bowers
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850192, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 258pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-valerons-honor-bound-terrell-l-bowers/1136491101
Synopsis: Nothing grabs a man's total attention like being shot at! Jared Valeron learns that an unknown gunman has
tarnished the family reputation by killing a man while impersonating his cousin Wyatt. In trying to track down the culprit,
Jared is drawn into an odd mystery at a gold-mining town. Solving the riddle of the killer's target requires discovering a
motive for the murder. When his investigative efforts propel him deep into a hole, only his cousins can help dig him out.
Before the folly ends, guns will be drawn and bullets will fly. Family honor sometimes comes at a high price!
Critique: Another terrific Valeron western novel from the pen of Terrell L. Bowers, "The Valerons - Honor Bound" deftly
combines all the western elements with a puzzle mystery to solve -- if Jared Valeron can stay alive long enough! Highly
recommended to the personal reading lists of the legions of Terrell Bowers fans, "The Valerons - Honor Bound" is highly
recommended for all community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: A lengthy listing of available novels by western author Terrell L. Bowers can be found at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/102448.Terrell_L_Bowers
Halliday
Adam Brady
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850178, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 216pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/halliday-adam-brady/1136815778
Synopsis: Judge Cowper of Shimmer Creek hires Buck Halliday to take care of a problem. Jason Henley has taken over the
town lock, stock and barrel, and now expects every other businessman to pay him protection money. Halliday might have
dealt out death before, but he isn't a killer for hire. Still, maybe he can convince Henley that it might be better for his health
if he makes dust and heads for someplace else. Trouble is, Henley has more lives than a cat. And to get to him, a feller first
has to go through his pet gunman, the notorious Rafe Murchison. It appears to Halliday that he really is going to earn his
money on this job...
Critique: A riveting read that launched a popular series of westerns by novelist Adam Brady featuring Buck Halliday, this
large print paperback edition of "Halliday" from the Linford Western Library collection will leave enthusiastic readers and
community librarians looking up the other novels comprising the 'Halliday' series!
Editorial Note: There is a substantial listing of Adam Brady westerns available at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4832559.
Outlaw
Philip McCormac
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850161, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 300pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/outlaw-philip-mccormac/1136775906
Synopsis: Blain Larkin and his brother Moylan run afoul of Verne Lecroy, son of a powerful banker. When Lecroy kills
Moylan in a gunfight, Blain tries to avenge his brother's death, but only manages to wound Lecroy. When youngster is
sentenced to hang for attempted murder, Blain goes on the run, and joins an outlaw gang led by Robert Sturdy. Though he's
resigned to leading the life of an owlhoot, when he meets Robert's sister, the delightful Emelie, he resolves to lead a better
life. But meanwhile, he must battle to survive!
Critique: A fun and riveting read from cover to cover, "Outlaw" by novelist Philip McCormac is a non-stop, action packed
western of the first order and this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is certain to be a
welcome addition to the personal reading lists of western buffs and a singularly popular pick for community library Western
Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Philip McCormac is the author of sixteen Black Horse Westerns, ten as P.McCormac and six using various
pseudonyms. He has also published crime thrillers, historical thrillers, supernatural thrillers as well as short stories in
various genres. Philip was born in Northern Ireland. (https://www.fictiondb.com/author/philip-mccormac~84842.htm)
Rod Wilson's Challenge
Terry Murphy
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444850185, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 252pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rod-wilsons-challenge-terry-murphy/1136775905
Synopsis: The arrival of Rod Wilson in the New Mexico town of Cabbana, a place of lawlessness, is welcomed by most but
greeted with hostility by a few. Along with two fellow lawmen from his past, Wilson sets about bringing order to the place.
With the added complication of two women vying for his attention, he has to deal with the constant threat of being killed by
outlaws employed by a businessman who wants rid of him, leading to a confrontation with a man he knows to be a fast gun.
Only then will Wilson learn whether or not he can be quickest on the draw.
Critique: With the publication of "Rod Wilson's Challenge", novelist Terry Murphy showcases his considerable storytelling
talents with a story that has everything a dedicated western fan could want -- a just cause and life-or-death gunplay with the
outcome hanging in the balance. This large print paperback edition of "Rod Wilson's Challenge" is a riveting read and
highly commended for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: A complete listing of available large print paperback westerns can be found at:
https://www.librarything.com/nseries/273883/Linford-Western-Library
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Covert in Cairo
Kelly Oliver
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781804831717, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 426pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/covert-in-cairo-kelly-oliver/1142980902
Synopsis: Cairo. December 1917 -- Following a tip-off from notorious spy Fredrick Fredricks, Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane of
British Intelligence find themselves in the hustle and bustle of Egypt. But ancient mummies aren't the only bodies buried in
the tombs of Cairo.
When a young French archeologist is found dead in a tomb in the desert with his head bashed in, and an undercover British
agent goes missing, the threat moves closer to home.
As they dig deeper, soon Fiona and Kitty uncover a treasure trove of suspects, including competing excavators, jealous
husbands, secret lovers, and belligerent spies! Fiona wonders if the notorious Fredrick Fredricks could be behind the
murders? Or is the plot even more sinister?
One thing is clear -- If Fiona and Kitty can't catch the killer, they might end up sharing a sarcophagus with Nefertiti!
Critique: Also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (9781804831656, $97.95), and enthusiastically
recommended for community library collections, "Covert in Cairo" by novelist Kelly Oliver is another original and deftly
crafted 'Fiona Figg & Kitty Lane Mystery' and a fun read for dedicated cozy mystery fans from first page to last!
Editorial Note: Kelly Oliver (www.KellyOliverBooks.com) contemporary Jessica James Mysteries have won the IPPY
Award for BEST Mystery, The Silver Falchion Award for BEST Suspense, the Mischief and Mayhem Award for BEST
Mystery, the E-Lit Award for BEST Suspense, and the New York Book Award for BEST Crime Novel. Her cozy historical
mystery series, The Fiona Figg Mysteries are set in WW1 and follow plucky file clerk turned spy Fiona Figg from London
to Paris, Vienna, New York and Cairo. The first, Betrayal at Ravenswick, won a Reader's Choice Award for Historical
Mystery. The second, High Treason at the Grand Hotel, was chosen by Mystery Tribune Magazine as one of the most
anticipated mysteries of January 2021. Other books in the series include Covert in Cairo and Mayhem in the Mountains.
Kelly is also the author of The Pet Detective Middle Grade Mysteries, including Cub Reporter, Treasure Hunter, and
Geocacher. The Pet Detective Mysteries have won a Reader's Choice Award for Children's Mystery, been a finalist for a
Silver Falchion Award for Children's Mystery, and won a New York Book Award for BEST Children's Book.
Below the Line: A Hollywood Crime Novel
Lowell Cauffiel
Arcade Publishing
www.arcadepub.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781956763485, $29.99, HC, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Below-Line-Hollywood-Crime-Novel/dp/1956763481
Synopsis: Former Detroit homicide detective Edwin Blake broke into show business as a script consultant on cop movies.
Now living in Los Angeles five years later, Blake is suffering from clinical depression, is no longer in demand in film and
TV - and money is short. But things look up when Blake gets a call from wealthy, oddball producer, Jason "JP" Perry,
telling him he wants to hire him for a future cable TV series. But there's a catch. First he wants Blake to locate the missing
ex-wife of a "friend of a friend" from Chicago. Blake will be working for free on a promise - a typical Hollywood hustle.
But Blake's not the only one on the case. Hired gun Warren Poole has also been contracted to find the woman.
When a corrupt Hollywood producer, an ex-cop with a conscience, and a career criminal without one all have the same
quarry, trouble is bound to ensue. And it does, with remarkably satisfying results, thanks to Blake's girlfriend, Carla, a
former roller derby queen who has turned more than her own life around.
Critique: Filled with rich characters both easy to love and hate, "Below The Line" skewers Hollywood in a deliciously fresh
way. With his expert eye for true crime detail and his prowess at executing elaborate plot, Cauffiel gives us a thrilling ride
on the dark side of Hollywood that lingers long after the credits roll. "Below The Line" is a hard-boiled private eye murder
mystery fully in the Sam Spade, Mickey Spillane, John D. McDonald tradition. Very highly recommended for community
library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated crime novel fans that
"Below The Line" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Lowell Cauffiel (https://www.lowellcauffiel.com) is the author of nine books and an award-winning veteran
investigative reporter. Cauffiel's three crime novels have explored diverse characters and settings that range from a Detroit
shakedown crew in Marker to the glitzy, corrupt underworld of the National Football League in Toss, which he co- authored
with former Superbowl quarterback Boomer Esiason. His five nonfiction crime books have covered a monstrous, homicidal
patriarch in the New York Times best-selling House of Secrets; a pair of female serial killers in Forever and Five Days, and
a calculating criminal justice instructor who tried to design the perfect crime with the murder of his TV anchorwoman wife
in Eye of the Beholder. Cauffiel's first true crime book, Masquerade, the story of a Grosse Pointe psychologist's deadly
double life, was a national best seller.
The Last Drop of Hemlock
Katharine Schellman
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250831842, $28.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Drop-Hemlock-Katharine-Schellman/dp/1250831849
Synopsis: Life as a working-class girl in Prohibition-era New York isn't safe or easy. But Vivian Kelly has a new job at the
Nightingale, an underground speakeasy where the jazz is hot and the employees look out for each other in a world that
doesn't care about them. Things are finally looking up for her and her sister Florence -- until the night Vivian learns that her
friend Bea's uncle, a bouncer at the Nightingale, has died.
His death is ruled a suicide, but Bea isn't so convinced. She knew her uncle was keeping a secret: a payoff from a mob boss
that was going to take him out of the tenements and into a better life. Now, the money is missing.
Though her better judgment tells her to stay out of it, Vivian agrees to help Bea find the truth about her uncle's death. But
they uncover more than they expected when rumors surface of a mysterious letter writer, blackmailing Vivian's poorest
neighbors for their most valuable possessions, threatening poison if they don't comply.
Death is always a heartbeat away in Jazz Age New York, where mob bosses rule the back alleys and cops take bootleggers'
hush money. But whoever is targeting Vivian's poor and unprotected neighbors is playing a different game. With the
Nightingale's dangerously lovely owner, Honor, worried for her employees' safety and Bea determined to discover who is
responsible for her uncle's death, Vivian once again finds herself digging through a dead man's past in hopes of stopping a
killer.
Critique: A cozy mystery involving an amateur female sleuth and set in the violence of the Roaring Twenties, "The Last
Drop of Hemlock" by author/storyteller Katharine Schellman is an impressively riveting and non-stop fun read from first
page to last. With more plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster, "The Last Drop of Hemlock" is especially and
unreservedly recommended as a popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of those with an interest in historical mysteries and plucky if imperiled amateur female murder
mystery solvers that "The Last Drop of Hemlock" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666634211, $22.99, CD) deftly narrated by Sara
Young.
Editorial Note: Katharine Schellman (https://www.katharineschellman.com) is a former actor and one-time political
consultant who currently lives and writes in the mountains of Virginia. She is also the author of Last Call at the
Nightingale.
The Murder Of Madison Garcia
March McCreary
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744308303, $26.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Madison-Garcia-Family-Mystery/dp/0744308305
Synopsis: Detective Susan Ford notices a missed call on her phone from a number she doesn't recognize, and when Madison
Garcia, a woman with past ties to the town of Monticello, New York, is found stabbed to death the next morning, Susan
realizes that Madison was the one who had called her. But why?
Susan teams up with her father, retired Detective Will Ford, to find the killer, and their investigation soon threatens to
uncover Madison's family secrets - an inheritance, accidental death, money laundering, extramarital affairs, and family
rivalries, just to name a few and they don't appreciate the Fords digging into their business.
As the investigation twists and turns, the Fords discover that Madison was planning to confess to a long-kept secret, but
someone brutally silenced her. Everyone she knew is a suspect. Anyone could be her killer.
Critique: With a very special appeal to fans of police procedurals and murder mystery solving amateur female sleuths, "The
Murder Of Madison Garcia" by novelist Marcy McCreary is a classic 'whodunnit' that is a fun read for dedicated Cozy
Mystery enthusiasts and Police Procedural fans. The second book in the author's 'A Ford Family Mystery' series, and very
highly recommended as a pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading
lists that "The Murder Of Madison Garcia" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780744308419, $19.99) and in
a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Marcy McCreary (https://www.marcymccreary.com) worked for several years as a marketing and sales
executive at various magazine publishing companies and content marketing agencies before turning to fiction writing. She is
the author of "The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon" the first of her 'A Ford Family Mystery' series published by CamCat
Books.
Never Sleep
Fred Van Lente
Blackstone Publishing
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9798200813490, $27.99, HC, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Sleep-Fred-Van-Lente/dp/B0B5P7FDMT
Synopsis: The year is 1861, the eve of Abraham Lincoln's inauguration. For Kate Warn, the first female private detective in
American history, the only assignment tougher than exposing a conspiracy to assassinate the new president is training her
new mentee, Hattie McLaughlin, in the art of detection. The two women's mission to save the president takes them from the
granges of rural Maryland to the heart of secessionist high society, and sets them on a collision course that could alter the
course of history. When Kate's cover is blown, Hattie must choose between saving her new friend, and her country.
Critique: Although a work of finely written fiction, "Never Sleep" by novelist Fred Van Lente is actually based on a true
story. Readers with a interest in novels featuring women sleuths and historical mysteries will find "Never Sleep" a fun and
interesting read from first page to last. While a very highly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Never Sleep" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200813001,
$31.95, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Fred Van Lente (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Van_Lente) is a six-time New York Times bestseller for
his graphic novels, including a number one with Dean Koontz's Odd Is on Our Side. His original graphic novel Cowboys &
Aliens was adapted into a major motion picture starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig. His fifteen years in comics have
garnered him many awards, including an American Library Association Best Graphic Novel for Teens for Action
Philosophers! Ten Speed Press published his latest non-fiction book, The Comic Book Story of Basketball.
Cherokee Emerald
R. M. Morgan
https://rmmorgan.com
3rd Coast Books
www.3rdCoastBooks.com
9781946743541, $15.95, PB, 333pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cherokee-Emerald-Gannon-Murder-Mystery/dp/1946743542
Synopsis: In the 1830s a tragedy was inflicted upon the Native American nations in the south-eastern USA. Sometimes
called the Indian Removals -- the Cherokee, Muskogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations were moved from their
ancestral homelands to areas west of the Mississippi River designated Indian Territory. The Cherokee were the last to be
displaced in 1838, following the discovery of gold in Georgia. This displacement is known as the Trail of Tears.
A newlywed Cherokee huntsman named Waya discovered a magnificent natural treasure, a large Emerald of the deepest
green. News of Waya's discovery quickly spread around Macon County. Knowing he would be soon forced to march
westwards, Waya and his trusted friend Ian McDonald bury the treasure on the McDonald farm, hoping that someday Waya
would be able to return and unearth it. Sadly, Waya never returned.
163 years later, the McDonald farm is burglarized and beset by night-time trespassers digging holes in a field. In desperation
the McDonald's turn to the Roth Detective Agency for protection and answers. Harriet Roth, the master sleuth, assigns the
case to Don Gannon her primary investigator and right-hand man.
Critique: With more plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster, "Cherokee Emerald" by R. M. Morgan will prove
to be of particular interest to fans of the Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer style detective murder mystery. A 'whodunnit' of
the first order, "Cherokee Emerald is a fun and riveting read from first page to last. While readily available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99), "Cherokee Emerald" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended
pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: R. M. Morgan (www.rmmorgan.com) worked as an engineer in both the U.S. government and academia. In
his job, he investigated mysteries like a detective, unraveling the physics of car crashes to establish how to save drivers and
passengers. After years of writing articles in that world, R. M. Morgan discovered the joy of writing mystery novels.
Currently, he lives in Southern California and is writing the fourth book in the Roth/Gannon series.If you enjoy detective
mysteries, give R. M. Morgan novels a read. The books that keep the reader guessing whodunit right up to the end.
The Pigeon
David Gordon
The Mysterious Press
http://mysteriouspress.com
9781613164051, $17.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pigeon-Joe-Bouncer-Novel/dp/161316405X
Synopsis: Harvard dropout and ex-Special Forces operative Joe Brody is climbing the ranks in the criminal underworld.
After successfully executing multiple missions for the various crime syndicates that run New York City, he has come to earn
the trust and respect of the city's most dangerous denizens. Which is why his newest task (retrieving a pet pigeon snatched
from a rooftop coop in Brooklyn) has Joe puzzled -- until he learns that the bird is valued at close to a million dollars.
Joe hatches a plan to sneak into the luxury park-side apartment building where the pigeon is held captive. But that simple
plan takes a deadly turn when he stumbles upon a nest of international war criminals and a ruthless building manager
overseeing the nefarious operation. Fearing that Joe's entry into the building has somehow compromised the scheme, they
put a bounty on his head. In New York, Joe is untouchable, but his new foes come from outside the flock, and he'll need a
wing and a prayer to elude their assassins.
Critique: With a series of impressive high-stakes action sequences that are punctuated by laugh out loud humor, "The
Pigeon" by novelist David Gordon will have be of special and particular interest to fans of organized crime thrillers and
hard-boiled mystery novels. A part of Gordon's 'Joe the Bounder' series, "The Pigeon" is readily available for dedicated
crime novel buffs in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49) and a prime pick for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections.
Editorial Note: David Gordon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gordon_(novelist)) is the author of "The Serialist",
which won the VCU/Cabell First Novel Award and was a finalist for an Edgar Award. It was also made into a major motion
picture in Japan. His work has also appeared in The Paris Review, The New York Times, Purple, and Fence, among other
publications.
The House on Prytania
Karen White
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593334621, $28.00, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/House-Prytania-Royal-Street-Novel/dp/0593334620
Synopsis: Nola Trenholm may not be psychic herself, but she's spent enough time around people who are to know when
ghosts are present, and there are definitely a few lingering spirits in her recently purchased Creole cottage in New Orleans.
Something, or someone, is keeping them tethered to this world. And not all of them are benign.
But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan's long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly
housemates. Especially when the tempting (yet firmly unavailable) Beau, wanting to mete out justice to those he blames for
Sunny's kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to derail her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backward. He
asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola's bruised heart. Beau is
convinced that Michael's powerful family was behind Sunny's disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting
information the police won't be able to ignore -- if Nola is willing to risk everything for which she's worked so hard.
Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn't realize until it's almost too late why the ghosts are haunting
her house -- a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get
Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him, because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake!
Critique: A deftly blending of the supernatural with mystery and suspense, "The House on Prytania" is a 'must' for the
legions of Karen White fans. Original, fun, populated by deftly crafted and memorable characters, and with a narrative
driven plot that has more twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster, "The House on Prytania" will prove to be a high
demand and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense and Supernatural Fiction collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists that "The House on Prytania" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99). Librarians should note that there is also a large print paperback edition of "The House on Prytania" (Random House
Large Print, 9780593676752, $29.00, 560pp).
Editorial Note: Karen White (https://www.karen-white.com) is the author of more than thirty-two novels, including the
Tradd Street series, The Shop on Royal Street, The Last Night in London, Dreams of Falling, The Night the Lights Went
Out, Flight Patterns, The Sound of Glass, A Long Time Gone, and The Time Between. She is the co-author of The Lost
Summers of Newport, All the Ways We Said Goodbye, The Glass Ocean, and The Forgotten Room with New York Times
bestselling authors Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig.
The Way of the Bear
Anne Hillerman
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780062908391, $30.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Bear-Novel-Leaphorn-Manuelito/dp/0062908391
Synopsis: An unexpected death on a lonely road outside of Utah's Bears Ears National Monument raises questions for
Navajo Tribal Police officers Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito. Why would a seasoned outdoorsman and well-known
paleontologist freeze to death within walking distance of his car? A second death brings more turmoil. Who is the
unidentified man killed during a home invasion where nothing much seems to have been taken? Why was he
murdered?
The Bears Ears area, at the edge of the Navajo Nation, is celebrated for its abundance of early human habitation sites and the
discovery of unique fossils which revolutionized the scientific view of how early animals dealt with their changing world.
Chee and Manuelito appreciate the area's scenery and wealth of human and scientific resources, but their visit to this
achingly beautiful place is disrupted by a current of unprecedented violence that sweeps them both into danger.
Illicit romance, a fossilized jawbone, hints of witchcraft, and a mysterious disappearance during a blizzard add to their peril.
It will take all of Manuelito's and Chee's experience, skill, and intuition to navigate the threats that arise and see justice
served.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the growing legions of Anne Hellerman fans, "The Way of the Bear" is a riveting,
compulsive page turner of a read from beginning to end. Of special appeal to readers with an interest in Native American
themed suspense thrillers, as well as police procedural murder mysteries, "The Way of the Bear" is an unequivocally
recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated mystery buffs that "The Way of the Bear" is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (HarperAudio, 9780063291898, $34.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Anne Hillerman (https://www.annehillerman.com) is the gifted author of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito
series. "The Way of the Bear" is her eighth novel in the series, which was originally created by her novelist father, Tony
Hillerman. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, and is hard at work on her next novel.
Sawdust Joint
Bob Adamov
Packard Island Publishing
https://packardislandpublishing.com
9798985359336, $28.00, HC, 266pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sawdust-Joint-Emerson-Moore-17/dp/B0C4G6DBZD
Synopsis: From Jamaica to Put-in-Bay to Wooster to Tulare to Las Vegas to London to Morocco to the French Riviera to
Norway to New Orleans, what's killing dairy cows?
Investigative reporter Emerson Moore's search for the source takes a deadly turn when he focuses on infiltrating a British
biotechnology company suspected to be involved with the deaths of the dairy cows and several humans.
Following the unexpected death of a close colleague, Moore faces his most formidable challenge yet as he embarks on a
James Bond-like international odyssey with the help of a technological genius and a Royal Canadian Mountie as his unlikely
wingman to confront a vengeful nemesis bent on bioterrorism.
Critique: A deftly scripted novel that includes casino action, a bevy of beautiful femme fatales, dangerous mountain road
chases, treacherous cliff face climbing, incarceration in a Moroccan prison and high technology, and a diabolical villain,
"Sawdust Joint" is the newest Emerson More adventure series by Bob Adamov. With more plot twists and turns than a
Coney Island roller coaster, "Saw Dust Joint" has a special appeal to readers with an interest in action/adventure
Technothriller crime novels. A fun read for mystery fans, "Sawdust Joint" is highly recommended addition to personal
reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Bob Adamov (www.BobAdamov.com) is an award-winning, Ohio mystery adventure author whose stories
are based in the Lake Erie South Bass Island resort village of Put-in-Bay, the "Key West of the Midwest." His novels (with
the exception of Memory Layne) follow the adventures of investigative reporter Emerson Moore, and are written in the style
of Adamov's favorite author, Clive Cussler.Adamov was the featured author at the 2006 Ernest Hemingway Days' Literary
Festival in Key West and named Writer of the Year by the University of Akron's Wayne College in 2010. Adamov has also
presented for several of the Clive Cussler Collectors' Society conventions.
The School of Homer
Alexander Marriott
Vanguard Press
c/o Pegasus Publishers
https://pegasuspublishers.com
9781800164208, $18.99, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/School-Homer-Alexander-Marriott/dp/1800164203
Synopsis: Virgil Colvin, a retired homicide detective, leaves his hometown Chicago to resurrect his honeymoon memories
with his dead wife in Ithaca, Greece. There, he befriends the Vathy police chief, Costas Pantakalas, over stories of a shared
profession and countless cups of ouzo.
One day, Virgil wakes to the violent tremors of the earth to find Ithaca has just had an earth quake. But that is not the only
unusual occurrence. In the city's public square, at the feet of Odysseus, someone has dumped the body of a British tourist in
the small hours of the morning.
He ran to the ends of the earth to escape his former life, but murder had other plans for Virgil Colvin. Together, Virgil and
Costas join forces to track down a killer. But in their quest to find the murderer, will they unearth an even more astounding
secret?
Critique: Fun, original, and a welcome addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated crime thriller 'whodunnit' fans,
"The School of Homer" is a riveting read that showcases the impressive storytelling talents of novelist Alexander Marriott.
Simply stated, "The School of Homer" is an unreservedly recommended addition to both personal reading lists and
community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Alexander Marriott (www.historymystery.blog) is a trained historian and amateur world traveler who writes
on topics in American intellectual and political history, as well as contemporary culture and society. He also publishes
detective novels featuring his sleuth from Chicago (where Marriott hails from originally), Virgil Colvin, transplanted for
life's second act in Greece.
Liquid Shades of Blue
James Polkinghorn
Oceanview Publishing
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608095506, $27.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Shades-Blue-James-Polkinghorn/dp/1608095509
Synopsis: When hungover ex-lawyer and Key West bar owner Jack Girard groggily wakes up one morning, he's greeted by a
beautiful woman lying next to him and a shrill, ringing telephone. Seeing the call is from his father, Claude "The Duke"
Girard, Jack answers. Within seconds, he learns that his mother is dead in an apparent suicide, and Jack hits the road,
heading back to his childhood home in Miami to face his tyrannical father.
The death of his mother brings up haunting memories from Jack's past -- memories of his brother Bobby's suicide when they
were in college together. Being back in Miami only continues to dredge up his family traumas, but things grow more
complicated when The Duke suggests that his estranged wife's alleged suicide may have been a murder.
As Jack begins to uncover the truth about his mother's death, including the secret she had revealed to only two people (the
same secret Bobby had taken with him to his grave) he finds himself in imminent danger. Can Jack reveal the true story
before it's too late? He has to act quickly, or he fears he may be the victim of the next Girard family tragedy.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Liquid Shades of Blue" is author James Polkinghorn's first novel,
this psychological suspense thriller of a read will hold a special appeal for readers with an interest in carefully crafted
amateur sleuth stories that come with more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado. Original,
fascinating, memorable, "Liquid Shades of Blue" is highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections and is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49).
Editorial Note: James Polkinghorn is a lawyer and partner in a national law firm specializing in labor and employment law.
He has extensive trial and litigation experience accumulated in multiple jurisdictions throughout the country. A Pittsburgh
native, Polkinghorn moved with his family to Florida in high school, where he has since stayed. He has a degree in political
science as well as a law degree from the University of Florida. He now lives in Key West with his wife, Becki, and their
dog, Major Tom.
Summer Rental
Rektok Ross
Ic13 Books
https://feedyourfictionaddiction.com/reviews/publishers/ic13-books
9780988256828, $17.99, PB, 266pp
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Rental-Rektok-Ross/dp/0988256827
Synopsis: Riley March and her friends are headed to ritzy, remote Palm Key Island for one last blow-out party weekend
before college. It's the vacation of a lifetime: beautiful beaches, epic nightlife, and hot guys like Riley's crush-superstar
soccer player Sebastian Ramos. There's just one catch. Everyone on this trip is hiding something. Riley is hiding her past in
order to fit in. Sebastian is hiding his feelings for Riley. And someone is hiding what really happened to Jordyn Chang, a
classmate that mysteriously died last summer.
Things take a dark turn after one of their friends goes missing, and a hurricane cuts the group off from civilization. Trapped
inside their rental house, a killer stalks them one by one. No one is safe. Everyone's a suspect. As the body count rises, Riley
and her friends will have to confront the secrets they've been keeping if they want to stay alive.
Critique: With the publication of "Summer Rental", suspense thriller novelist Rektok Ross reveals a genuine flair for
originality, deftly crafted characters, and the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that keeps the reader's riveted
attention from first page to last. A compelling read with more plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster,
"Summer Rental" will have a particular appeal to adolescent and young adult readers with an interest in coming of age
stories blended with serial killer murder mysteries. The kind of novel that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader
long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf, "Summer Rental" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, highschool, and community library Mystery/Suspense collections for ages 16 to 26.
Editorial Note: Rektok Ross (https://rektokross.com/about) is an expert on young adult literature who has worked as a
columnist for the national online magazine The Examiner, reporting on news and trends in YA. Her articles have also been
featured in popular literature websites such as Frolic, SheWrites.com, and SheReads.com. Ross also has a successful book
blog with a robust social media following on Instagram and Twitter and a popular Facebook group for readers and writers
called The Book Nook. Most recently, she can be found hosting the popular weekly chat "Level Up Writers" on the
Clubhouse app with her co-hosts Mary Weber and Sorboni Banerjee, teaching the business of being a writer.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Immortal Detective
D. B. Woodling
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744308013, $26.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Detective-D-B-Woodling/dp/0744308011
Synopsis: Celeste Crenshaw has survived her parents' grisly murders, grueling and gender-biased police training, a battle
with rogue vampires, and even her own death. While immortality might seem a dream come true, can she accept the strings
attached?
Celeste spends the start of her immortal life being mentored by the Elders of the Hollow Earth. They release her once they
feel certain Celeste has honed her supernatural powers. But little do they know, Celeste isn't wholly committed to granting
eternal life to those deserving.
Upon a return home to her immortal lover, and the Kansas City Detective Squad, she battles mortal foes, not so unlike the
demonic undead. And when a fellow detective falls victim to a murderous gang member, Celeste faces a gut-wrenching
decision and the possible wrath of the Elders.
Critique: A new, original, fresh, fascinating and fun take on the Vampire genre, "The Immortal Detective" by D. B.
Woodling is a 'must read' pick for the legions of vampire fiction fans and an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
community library Fantasy Fiction collections. Exceptionally well written, (and leaving readers with an interest in vampire
mysteries and paranormal urban fantasies looking eagerly toward the next installment from the mind and imagination of D.
B. Woodling) it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Immortal Detective" is also available in a paperback
edition (9780744308037, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: D. B. Woodling (https://dbwoodling.com/index.html) is the author of two historical fiction novels:
"Shannon's Revenge: Broken Promises" and "Retribution: A Lover's Tale"), and The Detective Mike Malone series.
The Meister of Decimen City
Brenna Raney
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744307702, $27.99, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Meister-Decimen-City-Brenna-Raney/dp/0744307708
Synopsis: Supergenius and quasi-villain Rex normally can't go a week without accidentally endangering Decimen City with
her Mad Scientist shenanigans. It's been two weeks since her genetically engineered dinosaurs rampaged through town (a
good streak for her) but the peace is broken when actual villain Last Dance sets his sights on Decimen. And he wants Rex's
help.
Before Rex can say "I didn't do it", superheroes who have dragged her to jail on her worst days are crowding her lab to
conscript her into quasi-herodom.
Rex would rather stay out of it and deal with the dinosaurs that keep calling her Mom, but she can't ignore that she was
somewhat responsible for Last Dance's villainy. She'd kept a very disorganized lab. And he was such a nosy brother. She
failed to help him back then, but maybe if she stops him now (and keeps the heroes fooled) she can finally set things
right!
Critique: Original, fun, and with a special appeal for anyone who has ever sided with the Mad Scientist in a superhero
movie, "The Meister of Decimen City" by novelist Brenna Raney is a welcome and mandatory addition to highschool and
community library Science Fiction collections for supervillain and superhero fans of all ages. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Meister of Decimen City" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49) and in a
paperback edition (9780744307726, $21.99).
Editorial Note: Brenna Raney (https://www.brennaraney.com) began her writing career with Amelia Bedelia fan-fiction on
hand-stapled printer paper. Her early original work was entrusted to gel pens and floppy disks, then ballpoint pens and flash
drives, and briefly, receipt paper from her first job. In her Academic Period, she produced dry and esoteric works for which
she was awarded a master's degree. She has also dabbled in visual media, and her minimalist comic, Ice Cream Money from
Grandma, hangs proudly on her grandmother's refrigerator. She resides in Texas, where she bakes bread, kills plants, and
teaches anthropology.
Into Shadow: The Tallan Chronicles
Morgan Daimler
Cosmic Egg Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781803412184, $20.95, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Shadow-Chronicles-Morgan-Daimler/dp/1803412186
Synopsis: Muireann spent six months planning to kill the dragon that killed her family. Now the dragon is dead, and she's
realized that it was actually the lesser threat guarding a devastating weapon that, if it falls into almost anyone's hands, will
bring war and destruction to her world. It can't be left where it is. It can't be hidden. It can't be trusted in the hands of anyone
in power or who seeks power.
Muireann's only option becomes a reluctant quest with the elf she rescued from the dragon, a would-be knight, a selkie, and
an elven mage to find out as much as she can about the weapon and seek a way to understand the magic that created it.
Pursued by a dragon-worshipping cult bent on revenge and a hidden enemy that will do anything to remake the world, the
five friends must try to find answers before all is lost.
Muireann thought that killing a dragon was going to be impossible. Saving the world is going to be much harder.
Critique: A deftly crafted and epic fantasy saga, "Into Shadow: The Tallan Chronicles" by Morgan Daimler is a swiftly
paced action adventure that showcases the author's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling
style that keeps the reader's rapt attention from first page to last. While available for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated fantasy fiction fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99), "Into Shadow: The Lallan Chronicles" is a highly
recommended addition to highschool and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.
Editorial Note: Morgan Daimler (https://www.facebook.com/Morgandaimler) is a blogger, poet, teacher of esoteric subjects,
witch, and priestess of the Daoine Maithe. Morgan is a prolific pagan writer, having published more than a dozen books
under Moon Books alone, and she is one of the world's foremost experts on all things Fairy!
Assassin's Creed: The Golden City
Jaleigh Johnson
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082214, $16.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Golden-Jaleigh-Johnson/dp/1839082216
Synopsis: Constantinople, 867 - A murderous plot is afoot. Assisted by the Order of the Ancients, the emperor schemes to
assassinate his own son and throw the city into chaos. In response, the Hidden Ones have dispatched Assassin acolyte
Hytham to join his mentor, Basim Ibn Ishaq, to infiltrate the palace and foil the emperor's plan.
But that is not his only mission. Hytham's brotherhood have also entrusted him with uncovering where Basim's true loyalties
lie and whether the master Assassin's personal obsessions outweigh his sense of duty. For Hytham to succeed, he must tread
carefully, for Constantinople is a city of shadows, and danger hides in all of them.
Critique: Another riveting addition to the Assassin's Creed action/adventure fantasy saga, "The Golden City" by Jaleigh
Johnson is a riveting read and of special interest to dedicated fans of heroic historical fantasy. While available to the legions
of Assassin's Creed fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Assassin's Creed: The Golden City" is a deftly crafted
and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.
Editorial Note: Jaleigh Johnson (http://www.jaleighjohnson.com/index.html) is an avid gamer and a fantasy author. Her
middle grade debut novel The Mark of the Dragonfly is a New York Times bestseller, and her other books from Delacorte
Press include The Secrets of Solace, The Quest to the Uncharted Lands, and The Door to the Lost. In addition to the Marvel
novel Triptych for Aconyte Books, she has also written several novels and short stories for the Dungeons and Dragons
Forgotten Realms fiction line published by Wizards of the Coast.
The Tyrant Skies
David Annandale
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839081958, $16.95, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tyrant-Skies-Marvel-Untold-Novel/dp/1839081953
Synopsis: The infamous villain Victor Von Doom has many enemies, but he has a special loathing for another equally
infamous villain called the Red Skull.
When the Red Skull creates a flying haven for the billionaire elite who share his deplorable values, Doom prepares himself
for the worst. When Latveria is beset by a rash of terrorist attacks, his suspicions are confirmed: the Red Skull is coming for
Doom's homeland.
Now he must infiltrate the shielded microstate drifting in the skies above Latveria to save his people from annihilation. But
finding a way on board the floating city is just the first in a series of trials that will test Doctor Doom to the limits of his
beliefs, his strength and his powers.
Critique: With a very special appeal to fans of Super Hero (and in this case Super Villains) stories set in the Marvel
Universe, "The Tyrant Skies" by David Annandale is an original and fun read from beginning to end by an author with a
complete mastery of the genre. While also available for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Marvel Universe fans in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "The Tyrant Skies" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for
highschool and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.
Editorial Note: David Annandale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Annandale) is a Canadian writer of Doctor Doom,
Arkham Horror and Legend of the Five Rings fiction for Aconyte, and Horus Heresy, Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar
and Warhammer Horror fiction for Black Library. Among his recent novels are Reign of the Devourer and The Harrowing
of Doom. He is also the author of the horror novel Gethsemane Hall and the Jen Blaylock thriller series. He is also the
Senior Instructor in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media at the University of Manitoba, where he specializes
in genre film and video games -- as well as a co-host of the Hugo-nominated podcast The Skiffy and Fanty Show.
Into the Dark Dimension
Stuart Moore
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839081972, $16.95, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Dark-Dimension-Marvel-Protocol/dp/183908197X
Synopsis: Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension has almost completed his conquest of Earth, with a stranglehold on the
minds of its citizens. Only a few have managed to resist him. To free the world, Doctor Strange must reassemble his
Shadow Avengers, while Tony Stark and a team of amoral tech geniuses cook up a tech defense to break the mind control.
As the Shadow Avengers defend Earth, even against those heroes under Dormammu's influence, Ms Marvel must enlist an
unlikely ally to destroy the evil lurking within the Dark Dimension.
Critique: A fun and riveting read that is a 'must' for the legions of Doctor Strange fans and firmly set within the Marvel
Universe, "Into the Dark Dimension" is a Marvel Crisis Protocol novel by veteran comics writer and editor Stuart Moore.
Also avalable for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Into the Dark Dimension" is unreservedly
recommended for highschool and community librry Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.
Editorial Note: Stuart Moore (https://stuartmoorewriter.com) is a writer, fiction editor, and a multiple award-winning
comics editor. His many novels include X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga, The Zodiac Legacy (created and cowritten by Stan
Lee), and Thanos: Death Sentence. He has recently written comics such as Deadpool the Duck, Batman, and EGOs. Stuart is
the former editor of the Marvel prose novel line, founding editor of Vertigo, and of several other comic imprints.
Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedy
Michael Simms
Madville Publishing
PO Box 358, Lake Dallas, TX 75065
www.MadvillePublishing.com
9781956440041, $19.95, PB, 282pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bicycles-Gods-Divine-Michael-SIMMs/dp/1956440046
Synopsis: In "Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedy" by novelist Michael Simms, the main character, Jesse, presents an
earthly incarnation of Jesus Christ come to earth in the body of a 12-year-old boy in the company of Xavi, who is the earthly
incarnation of Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds, also a 12-year-old boy.
The pair of young reincarnated gods stand on a hilltop above the city of Los Angeles contemplating how best to destroy it as
a precursor to destroying the entire world to rid it of humanity so it can refresh and rebuild. Xavi is ready to get on with the
task The Big Guy, God, has assigned them, but Jesse has a problem. He isn't sure that everyone deserves to be
destroyed.
Critique: Especially recommended to the attention of readers with an interest in satire, religious and post-apocalyptic
science fiction/fantasy, "Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedyd" is original, witty, compulsive reading from first page to
last, and especially impressive when considering that it is Michael Simms debut as a novelist. An inherently riveting and
simply fascinating story laced with black humor and philosophical intimidations, "Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedy"
is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49), and a welcome pick for community and
academic library Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Michael Simms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Simms_(publisher)) is a poet, writer, editor,
publisher, teacher, blogger and entrepreneur. Three full-length collections of his poetry and two widely-adopted poetry
textbooks have been published. He has also been the lead editor of over 100 published books, including the bestselling
Autumn House Anthology of Poetry, now in its third edition. In 2011, Autumn House was awarded a certificate of
recognition from the Pennsylvania state legislature. Simms has taught at a number of universities, including Chatham
University's MFA program from 2005-2013.
The Poetry Shelf
Distillations: New Poems
E. Smith Dunlap
Regent Press
www.regentpress.net
9781587906459, $20.00, PB, 84pp
https://www.amazon.com/Distillations-New-Poems-Smith-Dunlap/dp/1587906457
Synopsis: Published by the Regent Press, "Distillations" new book of poetry by Elaine Smith Dunlap provides memorable
verse that burnishes the gleam on even quotidian objects and moments. Like the poet author, the poems comprising
"Distillations" are unabashedly curious, hearty, and wise.
As a poet, Elaine has taken her time to publish this collection of her verse -- but her timing is good and her memory is ripe.
As she expresses, "My shelves are full / Stocked with experience / Bought with choices / And ready / For whatever
comes."
Critique: Original, eloquent, lyrical, memorable, "Distillations: New Poems" perfectly showcases the poetry and verse of
Elaine Dunlap and is a welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university
library Contemporary American Poetry collections.
Editorial Note: Elaine Dunlap has a great deal to say about a great many things and much of it appears in her poetry. 30
years teaching cultural history at a community college in California was only one facet of her quest for experience. Widely
traveled in all the usual places, she went further than most exploring India, Antarctica and following the Silk Road from
China to Uzbekistan. She now divides her year between London and a suburb of San Francisco fostering a uniquely
bi-cultural perspective on her two worlds, especially the difference between traveling by cars or buses. Not a day goes by
without her submerging herself in some notable theater, art or musical event. In 2012-13 she was an Olivier judge for
alternative theater in London and still enjoys writing unpublished theatre reviews. Current technology makes it possible for
her to indulge in frequent photography some of which appears in the pages of her poetry.
This Far North
Jason Tandon
Black Lawrence Press
https://blacklawrencepress.com
9781625570482, $16.95, PB, 85pp
https://www.amazon.com/This-Far-North-Jason-Tandon/dp/1625570481
Synopsis: Poetry (derived from the Greek poiesis, "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and
often rhythmic qualities of language (such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre) to evoke meanings in addition
to, or in place of, a prosaic ostensible meaning. A poem is a literary composition, written by a poet, using this principle.
(Wikipedia).
"This Far North" is a slender volume of eloquent, elegant, deftly crafted poems on such sensitive topics of the human
experience as death, loss, and grief, as well as imageries ranging from flowers, showers that don't work right, back fences,
and a host of other ordinary and familiar things now noticed as extraordinary elements of our lives.
Critique: Now with the publication of poet Jason Tandon's "This Far North (his fifth volume of verse) by a premier publish
of contemporary poetry, the Black Lawrence Press, once again he cements his credentials as one of the truly talented
contemporary poets of our time. "This Far North" is an especially and unreservedly recommended and endorsed additions
to personal reading lists and community/academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jason Tandon (https://jasontandon.com) is the author of five books of poetry, including This Far North, The
Actual World, Quality of Life, and Give over the Heckler and Everyone Gets Hurt, winner of the St. Lawrence Book Award
from Black Lawrence Press. His poems have appeared in Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, The Southern Review, Alaska
Quarterly Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, and Barrow Street, among others. He earned his B.A. and M.A. from Middlebury
College, and his M.F.A. from the University of New Hampshire. Since 2008, he has taught in the Arts & Sciences Writing
Program at Boston University.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
The Lost Journals of Phineas Finke
Stephen Barnwell, author/illustrator
Joan Barnwell, editor
Antarctica Arts
https://www.antarcticaarts.com
9781733964982, $29.95, HC, 130pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Journals-Phineas-Finke/dp/1733964983
Synopsis: In 1906, photographer Phineas Finke discovered a new emulsion for his glass plates. It was sensitive to a very
special frequency of light that allowed him to see into another dimension.
At first, he was excited and fascinated by the intriguing images and bizarre creatures that his New Emulsion captured. Soon,
however, enthusiasm turned to terror, as horrific beings from another dimension began to infest the countryside, the nearby
town of Arkham, and finally his own home.
What unspeakable horrors might still be surrounding us at all times, unseen and invisible?
Critique: With the publication of "The Lost Journals of Phineas Finke" will be able to join Phineas Finke on his journey into
madness in a Victorian Gothic tale worthy of H. P. Lovecraft.
A unique and chillingly illustrated graphic novel by author/illustrator Stephen Barnwell, and deftly edited by Joan Barnwell,
"The Lost Journals of Phineas Finke" features 92 soul-chilling images -- purportedly the actual wet plate photographs made
in 1906 by Phineas Finke with his New Emulsion. Macabre, original, and entertaining, "The Lost Journals of Phineas Finke"
is highly recommended for the personal reading lists and community library graphic novel collections for ages 14-18 and
older.
Editorial Note: Stephen Barnwell (https://www.stephenbarnwell.com/cv.htm) is a professional artist, working in
printmaking, illustration, and book design. His prints have been exhibited internationally in museums including the Palais
de Tokyo Contemporary Art Museum in Paris, the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art in California, the Altmarkisches
Museum in Stendal, Germany, and the Lahti Art Museum in Lahti, Finland.
Sons of Ashgard: Ill Met in Elmgard
Chad Corrie, et al.
Dark Horse Comics
10956 SE Main Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222
www.darkhorse.com
9781506733616, $19.99, PB, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sons-Ashgard-Ill-Met-Elmgard/dp/1506733611
Synopsis: With bloody hands and sorrowful heart / I set my sails and soon depart. / For a brighter day my soul does long. / A
place to hope where I can belong.
Erick Redfur seeks a new life. Exiled from his homeland he craves a fresh start, but has yet to find it. Hopeful of a better
fate in Elmgard he soon finds himself embroiled in a series of troubling events that quickly escalate into a near
kingdom-wide war.
Yet even as he attempts a remedy through fast thinking and the aid of some new companions, he risks jeopardizing his
chance for a more peaceful future. But in so doing he'll find his redemption along with new hope for the days ahead.
Critique: "Sons of Ashgard: Ill Met in Elmgard" by the team of author Chad Corrie, line artist Matt Wendt, colorist Hi-Fi,
and with lettering by Taylor Esposito, is an original and compellingly impressive graphic novel that is a fully entertaining
blend of action, adventure, comedy, and heart. It is an anthropomorphic saga that follows a group of adventurous squirrels
across a Norse-flavored landscape finding commonality in a bond birthed through mutual struggle and discovery. Each story
is stand-alone incident that also ties into a larger narrative woven between each tale. While also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99), "Sons of Ashgard: Ill Met in Elmgard" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community
library Graphic Novel collections.
Editorial Note: Chad Corrie (https://chadcorrie.com) has written comics, graphic novels, prose fiction of varying lengths,
and an assortment of other odds and ends. He's been an editor and writer for an online magazine, owned his own publishing
company; worked as a bookseller and magazine/book merchandiser.
New Realities: The Comics of Dash Shaw
Greg Hunter
Uncivilized Books
www.uncivilizedbooks.com
9781941250471, $22.99, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/New-Realities-Comics-Dash-Shaw/dp/1941250475
Synopsis: Dash Shaw is one of the most restless cartoonists of recent decades, constantly evolving in how he approaches the
comics page. In the years since his breakthrough graphic novel Bottomless Belly Button, he has continued to create
acclaimed, idiosyncratic comics, varying his uses of line and color as well as shifting from domestic realism to sci-fi farce to
historical fiction.
But some concerns in Shaw's work remain constant. His characters live within their own personal realities, often failing to
connect or even communicate. Comics as different as the dystopian spectacle BodyWorld and the geek-culture comedy
Cosplayers become sites of clashes between incompatible mindsets -- with Shaw adapting his cartooning to capture new
varieties of confusion, alienation, and more.
With the publication of "New Realities: The Comics of Dash Shaw" critic Greg Hunter (The Comics Journal) follows the
through-line across this adventurous body of work.
Critique: A 'must read' study for the legions of Dash Shaw fans, "New Realities: The Comics of Dash Shaw" is an
impressive presentation of the graphic novel style artwork of this unique and iconoclastic artist. "New Realities: The Comics
of Dash Shaw" is an especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Comics/Graphic Novels literary criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Literary critic Greg Hunter has a web page on The Comics Journal website at
https://www.tcj.com/author/greg-hunter
Destroyer Duck: Graphite Edition
Steve Gerber, author
Jack Kirby, illustrator
John Morrow, editor
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605491172, $31.95, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Destroyer-Duck-Graphite-Steve-Gerber/dp/1605491179
Synopsis: In the 1980s, writer Steve Gerber was embroiled in a lawsuit against Marvel Comics over ownership of his
creation Howard The Duck. To raise funds for legal fees, Gerber asked Jack Kirby to contribute to a benefit comic titled
Destroyer Duck. Without hesitation, Kirby (who was in his own dispute with Marvel at the time) donated his services for
the first issue, and the duo took aim at their former employer in an outrageous five-issue run.
With biting satire and guns blazing, Duke "Destroyer" Duck battled the thinly veiled Godcorp (whose infamous credo was
"Grab it all! Own it all! Drain it all!"), its evil leader Ned Packer and the (literally) spineless Booster Cogburn, Medea (a
parody of Daredevil's Elektra), and more!
Now, all five Gerber/Kirby issues are collected in "Destroyer Duck: Graphite Edition" but relettered and reproduced from
JACK'S unbridled, uninked pencil art! Also included are select examples of Alfredo Alcala's unique inking style over Kirby
on the original issues, Gerber's script pages, an historical Introduction by Mark Evanier (co-editor of the original 1980s
issues), and an Afterword by Buzz Dixon (who continued the series after Gerber)!
Dedicated comic history fans will discover all the hidden jabs they might have missed when Destroyer Duck was first
published, and experience page after page of Kirby's raw pencil art!
Critique: Informative enhanced with an Introduction by Mark Evanier, an Afterword by Buzz Dixon, deftly edited by John
Morrow, and expertly reproducing a truly fascinating bit of 'protest' comic book art history, "Destroyer Duck: Graphite
Edition" will be of immense interest to fans of comic book legends Steve Gerber and Jack Kirby. This informative and fun
hardcover edition is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library Supherhero
comics/graphic novel collections.
Editorial Note #1: Steve Gerber (September 20, 1947[1] - February 10, 2008) was an American comic book writer and
creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. Other works include Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown,
Marvel Spotlight: "Son of Satan", The Defenders, Marvel Presents: "Guardians of the Galaxy", Daredevil and Foolkiller.
Gerber (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Gerber) was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of
Fame in 2010.
Editorial Note #2: Jack Kirby (August 28, 1917 - February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor,
widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. In 1940, he
and writer-editor Joe Simon created the highly successful superhero character Captain America for Timely Comics,
predecessor of Marvel Comics. During the 1940s. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kirby).
Editorial Note #3: John Morrow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TwoMorrows_Publishing) is a publisher of magazines about
comic books (TwoMorrows Publishing) founded in 1994.
The Audiobook Shelf
Visionary: The Mysterious Origins of Human Consciousness
Graham Hancock, author/narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713631828, $29.99, MP3-CD (21 Hours 41 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/visionary-graham-hancock/1140141902
Synopsis: Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking.
Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history" -- all the skills
and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden
powers. Humankind discovered the pathway to the gods.
In "Visionary:, Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "before-and-after moment" and to discover the truth
about the influences that gave birth to modern human mind. His quest takes him on a journey of adventure and detection
from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy to remote rock shelters in the mountains
of South Africa, where he finds a treasure trove of extraordinary Stone Age art.
Hancock uncovers clues that lead him to travel to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful plant
hallucinogen ayahuasca with Indian shamans, whose paintings contain images of "supernatural beings" identical to the
animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves and rock shelters. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce
visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to
consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other "dimensions."
Could the "supernaturals" first depicted in the painted caves and rock shelters be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it
be that human evolution is not just the "blind," "meaningless" process that Darwin identified, but something more purposive
and intelligent, something that we have barely even begun to understand?
Critique: Previously published as "Supernatural" (2015), this new definitive edition of Visionary" includes a new
Introduction by Graham Hancock as well as restored chapters that were omitted from the original paperback release. This
complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio is deftly narrated by Hancock and will have a very special
appeal to students and non-specialist general readers who are interest in anthropology, prehistory, and human evolution. It is
an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, college, and university library audio book collections.
Editorial Note: Graham Hancock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Hancock) is a British writer who promotes theories
involving many ancient civilizations and lost lands. Hancock speculates that an advanced ice age civilization was destroyed
in a cataclysm, but that its survivors passed on their knowledge to hunter-gatherers, giving rise to the earliest known
civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica.
Scarlet Carnation
Laila Brahim, author
Bahni Turpin, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713651802, $14.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 56 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scarlet-carnation-laila-ibrahim/1140145941
Synopsis: It's 1915. May and Naomi are extended family, their grandmothers' lives inseparably entwined on a Virginia
plantation in the volatile time leading up to the Civil War. For both women, the twentieth century promises social
transformation and equal opportunity.
May, a young white woman, is on the brink of achieving the independent life she's dreamed of since childhood. Naomi, a
nurse, mother, and leader of the NAACP, has fulfilled her own dearest desire: buying a home for her family. But they both
are about to learn that dreams can be destroyed in an instant. May's future is upended, and she is forced to rely once again on
her mother. Meanwhile, the white-majority neighborhood into which Naomi has moved is organizing against her while her
sons are away fighting for their country.
In the tumult of a changing nation, these two women (whose grandmothers survived the Civil War) support each other's
quest for liberation and dignity. Both find the strength to confront injustice and the faith to thrive on their chosen paths.
Critique: Set in an early twentieth-century America roiling with racial injustice, class divides, and WWI, two women fight
for their dreams in author Laila Brahim's novel "Scarlet Carnation". Impressively performed by the truly exceptional and
award-winning story telling skills of narrator Bahni Turpin, This complete and unabridged edition from Brilliance Audio is
a perfect pick for personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Laila Ibrahim (www.lailaibrahim.com) is also the author of Golden Poppies, Paper Wife, Mustard Seed,
and Yellow Crocus. She spent much of her career as a preschool director, a birth doula, and a religious educator. That work,
coupled with her education in developmental psychology and attachment theory, provided ample fodder for her novels.
Editorial Note #2: Bahni Turpin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahni_Turpin) is an American audiobook narrator and stage
and screen actor based out of Los Angeles. She has won 9 Audie Awards, including Audiobook of the Year for Children of
Blood and Bone; 14 Earphone Awards; and 2 Odyssey Awards. Turpin has also earned a place on AudioFile magazine's list
of Golden Voice Narrators, and in 2016, she was named Audible's Narrator of the Year. In 2018, Audible inducted her into
the Narrator Hall of Fame.
A Piece of Heaven
Barbara O'Neal, author
Raquel Beattie, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713645672, $14.99, MP3-CD (14 Hours 8 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-piece-of-heaven-barbara-oneal/1120664599
Synopsis: In the sun-baked hills of New Mexico, Luna McGraw has lived a lifetime of regrets, struggling to conquer the
demons that destroyed her marriage and caused her to lose custody of her beloved daughter. But as Luna fights to rebuild a
relationship with the troubled teenager, she remains haunted by images of her own childhood and the father she barely
knew.
Strong and resilient as the houses he builds, Thomas Coyote comes into Luna's life one extraordinary night when his
grandmother nearly dies while conjuring a fiery brew of spiritual enchantment. Luna does not need a man (especially one
with a needy ex-wife) to complicate her fragile dreams of the future.
Yet their attraction pushes them both beyond reason into a place where there is only possibility. It will take more than
passion to recover the tattered pieces of Luna's soul, more than time to forgive the sins of an offending husband, and more
than promises to mend the broken heart of a child.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted story by Barbara O'Neal, "Piece of Heaven" is an irresistible novel full of colorful
characters and lush settings of the American Southwest laid out in a brilliant tapestry of romance and magical realism. A
complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio, "Piece of Heaven" is brilliantly narrated by Rawuel
Beattle and is recommended as a favorite pick for both personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Barbara O'Neal (www.barbaraoneal.com) is the author of more than a dozen award-winning, bestselling
novels, including "When We Believed in Mermaids".
Editorial Note #2: Raquel Beattie (https://raquelbeattie.com), who also narrates as Allie Lake. speaks conversational
Spanish and French. She can do a range of voices and select accents, including American Southern and Mexican. She has
narrated over 85 books from her home studio..
No Rings Attached
Rachel Lacey, author
Zara Hampton-Brown, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713652014, $14.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 51 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-rings-attached-rachel-lacey/1140146883
Synopsis: Lia Harris is tired of being the odd one out. She's never quite fit in with her uptight family, and now that her
roommates have all found love, she's starting to feel like a third wheel in her own apartment. Fed up with her mother's
constant meddling in her love life, Lia drops hints about a girlfriend she doesn't have. But with her brother's London nuptials
approaching, she needs to find a date to save face. Lia turns to her best friend, Rosie, for help, and Rosie delivers -- with the
fun, gorgeous Grace Poston.
Grace loves to have a good time, hiding her insecurities behind a sunny smile. Her recent move to London has provided her
with a much-needed fresh start. Grace isn't looking for love, and she hates weddings, having weathered more than her fair
share of heartache. Friendships are different, though, so for Rosie's sake, she reluctantly agrees to pose as Lia's adoring
girlfriend for the wedding festivities.
Both Grace and Lia are prepared for an awkward weekend, complete with prying family members and a guest room with
only one bed. As it turns out, they get along well -- spectacularly, in fact. Before they know it, the chemistry they're faking
feels all too real. But is their wedding weekend a fleeting performance or the rehearsal for a love that's meant to last?
Critique: "No Rings Attached" by author Rachel Lacey comes the second installment in her Ms. Right series. An original
lesbian romance about a reluctant bookseller finding love in unexpected places, Deftly narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown,
"No Rings Attached" will have a special attraction for those in the LGBTQ community and this complete and unabridged
audio book edition from Brilliance Audio is especially commended for personal and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Rachel Lacey (www.RachelLacey.com) is an award-winning contemporary romance author who can be
followed on Twitter @rachelslacey; and on FaceBook at Facebook.com/RachelLaceyAuthor. She has a newsletter for news
and giveaways at: http://www.subscribepage.com/rachellaceyauthor
Editorial Note #2: Zara Hampton-Brown is a London based narrator who lives and breathes all things romance. She is
consistently in the Bestseller lists on Audible, and enjoys nothing more than breathing life into a love story.
https://podiumaudio.com/performer/zara-hampton-brown
Everything Must Go
Camille Pagan, author
Ready by Amy McFadden and Laural Merlington
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713656005, $24.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 4 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everything-must-go-camille-pag-n/1140198884
Synopsis: Laine Francis believes there's a place for everything -- and New York (where her family lives), isn't her place. But
no sooner does the professional organizer's marriage begin to unravel than her sisters drop another bomb on her -- their
mother, Sally, may have dementia, and they need Laine to come home.
Laine agrees to briefly return to Brooklyn. After all, bringing order to chaos is what she does best. To Laine's relief, Sally
seems no more absentminded than usual. So Laine vows to help her mother maintain her independence, then hightail it back
to Michigan.
Except Laine's plans go awry when she runs into her former best friend, Ben, and realizes she finally has a chance to repair
their fractured relationship. Then she discovers that memory loss isn't the only thing Sally's been hiding, forcing Laine to
decide whether to reveal a devastating truth to her sisters -- and whether to follow her heart when it means breaking her
mother's.
Critique: Brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by the narrative talents of Amy McFadden and
Laural Merlington, "Everything Must Go" is author Camille Pagan's warm, wry, and original novel about secrets, second
chances, and the unbreakable bonds between mothers, daughters, and sisters. Highly recommended for both personal and
community library audio book collections "Everything Muse Go" is a flawlessly produce, complete and unabridged audio
book from Brilliance Audio.
Editorial Note #1: Camille Pagan (www.camillepagan.com) is the author of eight novels, including Don't Make Me Turn
This Life Around, This Won't End Well, I'm Fine and Neither Are You, Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties, and Life and
Other Near-Death Experiences, which has been optioned for film. Her work has also been published in the New York
Times; O, The Oprah Magazine; Real Simple; Time; and many others.
Editorial Note #2: Amy McFadden (https://www.amymcfadden.com) Has been doing voice-over work for the last 10 years
for commercials and industrial films ranging from FORD (Fusion), to The Great American Cookie Company.
Editorial Note #3: Laural Merlington (https://tantor.com/narrator/laural-merlington.html) has recorded well over one
hundred audiobooks, and is the recipient of several AudioFile Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, and has also
directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In
addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, Laural teaches college in her home state of Michigan.
Cleopatra's Dagger
Carole Lawrence, author
Kate Rudd, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713646778, $14.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 12 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cleopatras-dagger-carole-lawrence/1139960818
Synopsis: New York, 1880. Elizabeth van den Broek is the only female reporter at the Herald, the city's most popular
newspaper. Then she and her bohemian friend Carlotta Ackerman find a woman's body wrapped like a mummy in a freshly
dug hole in Central Park -- the intended site of an obelisk called Cleopatra's Needle. The macabre discovery takes Elizabeth
away from the society pages to follow an investigation into New York City's darkest shadows.
When more bodies turn up, each tied to Egyptian lore, Elizabeth is onto a headline-making scoop more sinister than she
could have imagined. Her reporting has readers spellbound, and each new clue implicates New York's richest and most
powerful citizens. And a serial killer is watching every headline.
Now a madman with an indecipherable motive is coming after Elizabeth and everyone she loves. She wants a good story?
She may have to die to get it.
Critique: The riveting story of a female journalist in nineteenth-century New York who must match wits with a serial killer,
"Cleopatra's Dagger" by Carole Lawrence is a vivid murder mystery thriller that is superbly performed by the narrative skills
of vocal actor and storyteller Kate Rudd. This complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio is a fine and
recommended pick for community library audio book collections and the personal lists of fans historical mysteries featuring
a female sleuth trying to catch a killer in spite of the misogyny that surrounds her in latter decades of the 19th Century.
Editorial Note #1: Carole Lawrence (http://www.celawrence.com) is an award-winning novelist, poet, composer, and
playwright. Among her published works are eleven novels, six novellas, and dozens of short stories, articles, and poems,
many of which appear in translation internationally. She is a two-time Pushcart Poetry Prize nominee and winner of the
Euphoria Poetry Prize, the Eve of St. Agnes Poetry Award, the Maxim Mazumdar playwriting prize, the Jerry Jazz Musician
award for short fiction, and the Chronogram Literary Fiction Award. She also writes under the names C. E. Lawrence and
Carole Bugge
Editorial Note #2: Kate Rudd (https://www.kateruddreads.com) is the winner of 2013 Audie and Odyssey Awards for
narration of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, and has been performing audiobooks for nearly a decade. A ten time
Audiofile Magazine Earphones Award recipient, Kate's performances have garnered inclusion in Audiofile's Best
Audiobooks of the Year 2012/2017/2018 and Best Voices of the Year 2012. She has narrated more than 450 titles across a
variety of genres. She Kate here can be followed on: Twitter @katerudd
Murder in Florence
T. A. Williams
Boldwood Books
Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
BN ID: 2940178038390, $20.99, MP3-CD (6 Hours 42 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-florence-t-a-williams/1143244724
Synopsis: Life as a private investigator in the suburbs of Florence isn't always as glamorous as Dan Armstrong imagined it
to be, until he is asked to investigate a recent spate of violent attacks on a Hollywood movie set in Florence. The star of the
show, movie-star royalty Selena Gardner, fears her life is in imminent danger.
As Dan investigates, he discovers secrets and scandals are rife within the cast and crew. But with no actual murder, Dan
believes these attacks could simply be warnings to someone -- until the first body is found.
Now Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar are in a race against time to catch the murderer. But the more Dan uncovers, the
more the killer strikes and Dan finds himself caught in the line of fire too! Is this one case Dan and Oscar will regret?
Critique: A fun cozy mystery set in Tuscany, "Murder In Florence" by T. A. Williams is a mystery buffs delight. Memorable
characters, a plot with more twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster, and ably brought to life in a true 'theatre of the
mind' listening experience with the storytelling talents of professional narrator Simon Mattachs, "Murder In Florence" is an
openly and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library Mystery/Suspense audio book
collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is a website dedicated to listing all the published works of T. A. Williams at
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/t-a-williams
Editorial Note #2: Simon Mattacks (https://www.simonmattacks.com) has been a prominent voice over narrator for over 30
years working in adverts, cartoons, corporate videos, and video games.
The Library CD Shelf
Mystic Voyager
Peter Sterling
Harp Magic Music
www.harpmagic.com
$TBA
https://harpmagic.com/playlist/mystic-voyager
Mystic Voyager is a beautiful new age album by world-class harpist and composer Peter Sterling, accompanied by Richard
Hardy on flutes and soprano sax, Seay on vocals, Grammy-winning pianist Darlene Koldenhoven, Grammy-nominated
Renaissance flute player David Young, and guitarist Steve Oliver. Extraordinary, mind-expanding, and unforgettable,
Mystic Voyage is an utterly rapturous soundscape, worthy of the highest recommendation for new age connoisseurs. The
tracks are Invocation, Nightwind, Cosmic Lover, Across The Great Divide, Bahia Del Sol, The Long Cold Winter, Light Of
Your Love, Angels Ascending, and Wings of Light.
Fire & Rain
Tim Ray Trio
AgitatedCatMusic.com
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos (dist.)
https://www.naxos.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C21LNGHN
Fire & Rain is a jazz piano album by the Tim Ray Trio, which consists of Tim Ray on piano and keyboards, John Lockwood
on acoustic and electric bass, and Mark Walker on drums and percussion. The trio combine their talents to perform selected
songs by standout music artists, as well as three original pieces and a collective improv track. Vibrant, flowing, and
unforgettable, Fire & Rain is a treasure for jazz connoisseurs and public library music collections. The tracks are Bye-Ya,
Stolen Moments, NO Worries, The Meeting: The Jbug and the Kman, Mojave, Theodore the Thumper, Fire and Rain,
Lawns, Moon in the Sea, Improv #1 (for Chick), Nighttime, The Windup, and Fire and Rain (radio edit).
I Thought About You
Jan Cronin
jancronin.com
Scootermusic
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6898B42
Jan Cronin beautifully sings selections from The Great American Songbook in her album I Thought About You, with
support from Andy Reiss on guitar and Jim Ferguson on bass. Jan Cronin's heartfelt compassion and decades of experience
shine through her extraordinary vocals, in this treasure for connoisseurs of world-class singing. Highly recommended! The
tracks are S'wonderful, The Shadow of Your Smile, The Night We Called It a Day, I Thought About You, The Scent of
Breakfast and You, My Foolish Heart, Peel Me A Grape, Cry Me A River, Lullaby of Birdland, and Some Other Time.
Keturah
Keturah
Hen House Studios
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Keturah/dp/B0BXTR92C4
Keturah is the self-titled debut CD by Keturah herself, a 27-year old music artist from the Malawi village of Monza whose
talent brought her to Malawi's second-largest city, then to Hen House Studios in Venice, California. Her music interweaves
genres from afro-folk-funk to Americana-inspired and more. Keturah is an extraordinary listening experience, highly
recommended especially for world music collections. The tracks are Ku Nyumba, Mvula, Kwanumkwanu, Nchiwewe (Ode
to Willie Nelson), All the way from Africa, Sukulu, Udzafele Zina, Samala, Chimbalame, and Wewe.
In Reel Time
Mira Choquette
mirachoquette.bandcamp.com
Privately Published
$15.00 CAD digital
https://mirachoquette.bandcamp.com/album/in-reel-time
In Reel Time is a jazz album featuring the dulcet vocals of Mira Choquette, accompanied by Ewen Farncombe on piano,
Josh Goldman on bass, and Morgan Childs on drums and percussion. As the title indicates, In Reel Time was primarily
created with everyone playing alive, plus some vocal overdubs. The result is a passionate, enthralling album reflecting the
spontaneity of the moment. In Reel Time is pure auditory pleasure, highly recommended especially for jazz connoisseurs!
The tracks are No Moon at All, Just One of Those Things, Love Crime, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, What is This
Things Called Love?, Overjoyed, Jump in the Line, Ne me quitte pas, and The Old Country.
Sum // Parts
Dhaivat Jani PLUS
www.dhaivatjani.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $7.92 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZLK7VW5
Composer, drummer, and tabla (Indian twin hand drums) player Dhaivat Jani presents Sum // Parts, a music album gathering
the talents of various performers on the saxophone, vibraphone, guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals, and more. The original
compositions blend contemporary jazz, Indian classical music, elements of rock and more into an extraordinary voyage of
sound and rhythm. Highly recommended! The tracks are Day 21, Putwama, Even If, change is the only constant, It Might
Rain, Kaleidoscope, Peshkaar, and Unchain.
Projet Seb Parent
Seb Parent
projetsebparent.bandcamp.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $10.00 CAD digital
https://projetsebparent.bandcamp.com/album/projet-seb-parent
Projet Seb Parent is the self-titled debut album of Sebastien Parent, a virtuoso of drums, percussion, and synthesizers with
additional contributions from other music artists on woodwinds, trumpet, trombone, piano, electric guitar, electric bass, and
double bass. Most of the original compositions were created by Seb Parent; the entire album was created during the COVID-
19 pandemic, a time when each of the eighteen involved musicians had to record their parts separately, in isolation at home.
Projet Seb Parent draws upon influences from an immense diversity of inspirations including rock, classical, neo-soul,
country, trap, and bossa nova; each song represents a unique period in Seb Parent's life and development. Projet Seb Parent
is an extraordinary work that entices the listener into a journey of the mind, highly recommended. The tracks are Grande
Sainte-Marie, Nuage Industriel, Tome 3, Station du College, Echec Crucial, Mont Saint-Bruno, Rat Pack, and Bling
Bling.
Blue House
Marc Ciprut
marcciprut.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $8.01 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4YJ9BDX
Blue House is a music album showcasing the guitar talents of Marc Ciprut. All the songs are Marc's original creations
except for "Cissy Strut" by The Meters; the two vocal songs were co-written with Steven Santoro. More music artists
contribute their talent on wurlitzer, organ, bass, drums in this resonant, immersive, and thoroughly captivating listening
experience. Blue House is a treasure for personal and public library collections, and also makes an excellent gift! The tracks
are Roll It Out, Jack the Nimble, Shaggy, Closer, Smooth, Greasy Weasel, Take A Cip, Cissy Strut, and Kiss You
Again.
The Peplowski Project
David Larsen
Larsen Jazz
www.larsenjazz.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXN2DKG
The Peplowski Project is a music album featuring beloved jazz favorites and three original compositions by David Larsen.
Ken Peplowski performs on the clarinet and tenor sax; David Larsen plays baritone, alto, tenor sax and clarinet; Jake
Svendsen plays piano; Josh Skinner plays bass; and Brendan McMurphy plays drums. The vivacious, captivating songs are
wonderful to experience; The Peplowski Project is highly recommended for connoisseurs of jazz and public library music
collections. The tracks are All The Things You Are, Black Nightgown, Doodle Oodle, He Who Getz the Last Laugh, In a
Sentimental Mode, Into the Mild, Jazz Line Blues, Love Me or Leave Me, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Tenor for
Dinner, and Two Funky People.
The Library DVD Shelf
Hope Lives in Hohenwald
Vision Video
P.O. Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490
https://www.visionvideo.com
$14.99 DVD
https://www.visionvideo.com/dvd/502032D/hope-lives-in-hohenwald
Synopsis: When people in a rural middle Tennessee community decided "enough is enough" as drugs and alcohol took a
heavy toll, they united with the determination that "Hope Lives in Hohenwald."
Tired of family and friends dying and lives shattered from the effects of drugs and alcohol, pastors and ministries from
Hohenwald and Lewis County churches came together as partners with local law enforcement. They prayed. They were
unified. They held a rally in fall 2021, walking through downtown Hohenwald. It has led to extraordinary changes.
This is the miracle story of how a community of believers stepped up to fight and is winning the war on drugs and drawing
many to Jesus Christ!
Critique: Hope Lives in Hohenwald is the profound true story of a rural community in Tennessee and their efforts to heal
lives shattered by drugs and alcohol. Pastors and ministries from Hohenwald and Lewis County churches worked with law
enforcement, prayed, and held a rally in fall 2021. Hope Lives in Hohenwald is an inspirational story about faith, trust, love,
and a community's impassioned efforts to change for the better. Highly recommended! The DVD has both 91-minute and
28-minute versions, and optional English subtitles.
Adeline
Starring David Chokachi, John Schneider, and Jane Mowder
Vision Video
https://www.visionvideo.com
$14.99 DVD
https://www.visionvideo.com/dvd/10422D/adeline
Synopsis: Based on true events, this movie tells the inspiring story of Adeline, a therapy healing horse and her abilities to
help people. When Adeline is brought to town, many are amazed and astonished but a few are skeptical and
unbelieving.
The healing is put on hold when Adeline is injured after saving the lives of twelve people during a tornado. The community
rallies together to save the much loved horse that touched them. Starring David Chokachi, John Schneider, and Jane
Mowder.
Critique: Inspired by true events, Adeline is a captivating DVD about the positive effects that Adeline, a therapy healing
horse, brings to a town. During a tornado, Adeline labors to save the lives of twelve people, but suffers an injury. Fearing
that Adeline could perish or be euthanized (as injured horses often are), the people whose lives were saved and changed for
the better organize a community effort to save Adeline. Emotional and poignant, with a core message of spiritual faith,
Adeline is a heartwarming movie and highly recommended for both personal and church library collections. 95 min.
The Business Shelf
A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising
Shailin Dhar, author
Scott Thomson, author
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609693, $126.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marketers-Guide-Digital-Advertising-Transparency/dp/1398609692
Synopsis: With contradictory rules surrounding data privacy, measurement constraints, changes to supply chains and other
complexities often too difficult to approach, the world of marketing is more complex than ever before. With the publication
of "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising: Transparency, Metrics and Money", co-authors Shailin Dhar and Scott
Thomson will help marketers navigate the complicated world of digital advertising by diving into the metrics, money and
technology fueling the marketing industry.
In "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising", digital advertising consultants Shailin Dhar and Scott Thomson collaborate
to outline the forces shaping the current digital landscape and the common responses from advertisers trying to design their
digital strategy. Walking readers through the common missteps made within digital advertising, they provide useful insight
into measurement and thoughtful alternatives to practices often found lower on a company's priorities list.
"A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising" offers ways to minimize waste and improve outcomes for brands and their
business partners. It also illuminates the gap between in-house marketing teams, agency professionals and tech partners
whilst helping readers make sense of the way money flows through the global ad industry.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an eight page Glossary, a listing of the authors and
their credentials, and a ten page Index, "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising: Transparency, Metrics and Money" is an
ideal textbook on the subject of digital marketing and a well advised addition to personal, professional, community,
corporate, and academic library Direct Marketing and Web Marketing instructional reference collections. It should be noted
for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising: Transparency, Metrics and Money" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781398609662, $39.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.99).
Editorial Note #1: Shailin Dhar (https://goldendrum.com/speakers/shailin-dhar) is the founding partner of Method Media
Intelligence (MMI), a measurement consultancy and technology provider. A board member for the Programmatic & Data
Center at IAB, he previously served as Chief Strategist for Adsiduous Media, Director of Business Development at Darcher
Media and Business Development and Operations Manager at DOL Marketing. Dhar is a media, web-technology and
ad-technology expert who is focused on helping companies confirm digital ad efficacy, secure validity, evaluate viewability
and support brand safety. He is based in New York City, NY.
Editorial Note #2: Scott Thomson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrst) is a partner at Method Media Intelligence (MMI),
a measurement consultancy and technology provider. After working with a Ministry of Defence contractor in the UK,
helping design user-friendly control systems, he has spent over two and a half decades with companies like Publicis,
Nielsen, Media Audits, Naked Communications and Dentsu. He helps brands devise, design and measure successful
marketing strategies, and he has helped numerous global brands take on the challenges currently plaguing the advertising
industry today. He is based in London, UK.
Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation
Michael Lenox
Stanford Business Books
c/o Stanford University Press
www.sup.org
9781503635197, $26.00, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Digital-Age-Mastering-Transformation/dp/1503635198
Synopsis: In today's business environment, digital transformation is much more than building a digital infrastructure to
gather and process data. It's about understanding how digital technologies enable the creation of innovative services and
products. It is also about identifying new competitive positions and business models and thinking critically about how to
both create and capture value.
With the publication of "Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation", by strategy expert Michael Lenox
directly engages these concerns and provides a comprehensive roadmap for planning a successful digital strategy and
executing a digital transformation in organizations.
Covering major topics such as big tech, data analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, autonomy,
cybersecurity, data privacy, and antitrust, "Strategy in the Digital Age" outlines a set of novel, original frameworks to help
those undertaking digital transformation at their organization devise their strategy. Readers will also come away with a
greater understanding of how to navigate the human dimension of digital transformation and tackle the numerous social and
policy challenges raised by digital technology.
With insights from major companies such as Spotify, Facebook, and Uber, Lenox delivers a compelling volume that offers
both a foundational understanding of this dynamic environment and an action plan for those seeking a path to digital
strategy implementation for their organization.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a number of figures, a ten page Glossary, twelve pages
of Notes, and a ten page Index, "Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation" will have a special value
for anyone with an interest in the evolving impact on corporate and business competition and management in the Digital
Age of automation and robotics. While also available for personal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate
executives, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle,
$21.99), "Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition
to community, corporate, and academic library Contemporary Business Management collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Michael Lenox (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lenox) is the Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business
Administration at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. He is the coauthor of The Decarbonization
Imperative: Transforming the Global Economy by 2050 (Stanford, 2021) and Can Business Save the Earth: Innovating Our
Way to Sustainability (Stanford, 2018).
The Content Strategy Toolkit
Meghan Casey
New Riders
c/o Peachpit Press
https://www.peachpit.com
9780134105109, $34.99, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Content-Strategy-Toolkit-Guidelines-Templates/dp/0134105109
Synopsis: "The Content Strategy Toolkit, The: Methods, Guidelines, and Templates for Getting Content Right" is an
essential guide in which Meghan Casey outlines a step-by-step approach for doing content strategy, from planning and
creating your content to delivering and managing it.
With "The Content Strategy Toolkit", as a DIY instructional guide and 'how-to' manual, you can confidently tackle difficult
activities like telling your boss or client what's wrong with their content, getting the budget to do content work, and aligning
stakeholders on a common vision.
Reading The Content Strategy Toolkit is like having your own personal consulting firm on retainer with a complete array of
tools and tips for every challenge you'll face, including:
Identifying problems with your content and persuade your bosses it's worth the time and resources to do it right; Making
sense of your business environment and understand your audience; Getting stakeholders aligned on business goals and user
needs; Setting your content strategy and decide how to measure success; Creating, maintaining, and governing on-strategy
content. -- You'll learn to control your content and not have that content control you.
Critique: A complete and comprehensive course of methodical DIY instruction, "The Content Strategy Toolkit, The:
Methods, Guidelines, and Templates for Getting Content Right" is exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation. Highly recommended for professional, college and university library Computer Science & Technology
collections, and while readily available for personal and professional reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.39),
"The Content Strategy Toolkit" will have a special value for anyone with an interest in Content Management, Computer
Graphics, and Software Design.
Editorial Note: Meghan Casey (https://www.braintraffic.com/authors/meghan-casey) is the lead content strategist at Brain
Traffic, the world's leading agency devoted exclusively to content. She helps a wide variety of clients (startups, nonprofits,
colleges and universities, Fortune 50 companies, and everything in between) to solve the messy content problems most
organizations encounter every day. She has also helped The Nerdery, a software development shop, build content strategy
into their User Experience practice. Meghan is a regular trainer and speaker on content strategy topics and once inspired
workshop participants to do the wave.
Spark the Heart: Engineering Empathy in Your Organization
Dr. Nicole Price
Forbes Books
18 Broad Street, Suite 300, Charleston, SC 29401
https://books.forbes.com
9798887500966, $27.99, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Heart-Engineering-Empathy-Organization/dp/B0BHNZ4WST
Synopsis: One of the fundamental responsibilities of corporate managers is how to leverage the benefits of empathy to get
the results wanted for their company.
The idea that there was no place for empathy in business was a belief that Dr. Nicole Price, (a logical, results-focused
engineer) held onto tightly, until a cascade of life-altering events provided her a new perspective. A perspective that
recognized empathy as a critical skill that every leader must develop and employ to achieve success.
Dr. Price's empathetic leadership journey has been a multi-year process, one that continues today, and one that she willingly
shares with the publication of "Spark the Heart: Engineering Empathy in Your Organization".
Dr. Price dispels common empathy myths including the notions that: Empathy is a trait that you're born with or not
(everyone can develop the skill of empathy); Empathy requires you to take on the other person's beliefs and values (empathy
is understanding why another person believes what they believe and values what they value, even if it's different from your
own); Empathy means you don't have accountability, high expectations, or stretch goals (empathy can fuel expectations and
aspirations in new ways).
Empathy and accountability can and should exist in tandem.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Spark the Heart: Engineering Empathy in Your
Organization" provides clear actionable steps for beginning a personal empathy journey or bolstering an existing empathy
practice. For corporate leaders and ready to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between themselves and those they choose
to lead and to leverage that understanding for greater success, "Spark the Heart" is available for personal reading lists in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and is a solid, practical, and highly recommended addition to professional, community,
corporate, and academic library Business Management, Leadership, and Motivational collections and supplemental MBA
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Trained as an engineer, Dr. Nicole Price (https://drnicoleprice.com) later found her true calling: Leadership
Development. As a highly sought-after keynote speaker, training leader, and as the CEO of Lively Paradox, Price believes
that leadership is personal and requires a balance of empathy and accountability.
Decision Sprint
Atif Rafiq
McGraw Hill Professional
www.mhprofessional.com
9781264609598, $28.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Decision-Sprint-Innovate-Strategy-Action/dp/1264609590
Synopsis: Managing a business has become dramatically more complex and uncertain in our modern era. Constant
exploration of new territory by teams is the name of the game. Yet most companies are stuck with yesterday's approach to
problem solving. Problem solving needs to be reinvented to meet today's challenges. The future of business depends on
it.
Having reached the highest levels of the Fortune 500, digital disrupter Atif Rafiq has written "Decision Sprint: The New
Way to Innovate into the Unknown and Move from Strategy to Action" in order to pull the curtain back on the hidden
management systems within your organization that impact how people think, collaborate, and make decisions.
Talent is vital to any company's advancement, but it's the collaboration and problem solving systems that separate industry
leaders from the rest. Systems designed to embrace unknowns are the quickest, most enduring way to foster growth,
continuous innovation, and results. Learn how teams begin with upstream work (the phase of a promising idea or initiative
where the unknowns predominate) to problem solve anything, thus unlocking downstream actions from alignment to
decision making to execution.
With Rafiq's guidance, you will overtake your competitors by moving upstream, embracing workflows that convert
unknowns to clear recommendations, alignment, and action. In addition, you'll receive direct advice from the
CEOs/presidents of H&R Block, Volvo, Peacock, Restaurant Brands, Orange Theory Fitness, among others and learn from
in-depth case studies such as Amazon's disruption of publishing, the massive digital transformation of McDonald's, the
secret of launch of Apple Pay, Volvo's push for sustainability, and more.
Critique: A complete and comprehensive course of DIY instruction, "Decision Sprint: The New Way to Innovate into the
Unknown and Move from Strategy to Action" is essential reading for anyone in charge of corporate or entrepreneurial
decision making/problem solving. While also available for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate
executives, business managers, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital
book format (Kindle, $20.99), "Decision Sprint" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to professional,
community, corporate, and academic library Business Leadership & Management collections and supplemental MBA
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Atif Rafiq has blazed trails in Silicon Valley and the Fortune 500 for over 25 years. After rising through
digital native companies like Amazon, Yahoo!, and AOL, Atif held C-suite roles at McDonald's, Volvo, and MGM Resorts.
Rafiq was the first Chief Digital Officer in the history of the Fortune 500, a pioneering role he held at McDonalds, and he
rose to the president level in the Fortune 300.
Sparking Success
Adam Kingl
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609600, $56.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sparking-Success-Develop-Creative-Mindset/dp/1398609609
Synopsis: Contemporary studies show that 80% of people feel an increasing pressure to be productive rather than creative at
work. "Sparking Success: Why Every Leader Needs to Develop a Creative Mindset" by Adam Kingl not only demonstrates
how a creative mindset can be instilled in your business; it also highlights how creativity is a hugely valuable tool for
productivity and innovation.
Whether you're running a small team or a multinational corporation, the art of leadership has transformed dramatically. The
traditional approaches to corporate leadership lack the innovation and fluidity required for success in modern-day disruptive
markets. In order to succeed, you need to spark a creative outlook that will allow you to adapt to fast-moving trends and
innovations.
"Sparking Success" investigates the leaders and businesses across a range of industries who are effectively adopting a
creative mindset. From media powerhouses such as Netflix and Disney to major manufacturers such as Bosch and
Panasonic, "Sparking Success" clarifies the importance of creativity and innovation for business leaders across all
sectors.
Each of the core chapters comprising "Sparking Success" poses a challenge or opportunity that will trigger an innovative
mindset, before providing insights from notable leaders who have overcome creative challenges. "Sparking Success" is a
groundbreaking leadership guide which highlights an innovative approach that will build you into a dynamic, creative and
empathetic leader.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Sparking Success: Why Every Leader Needs to Develop a Creative
Mindset" in an invaluable source of 'real world' relevant information, insight, and instruction for maximizing employee
productivity and success that is unreservedly recommended as essential reading for corporate executives and business
managers. While highly recommended for professional, community, corporate, and academic library Business
Leadership/Motivation collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia,
management leadership, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Sparking
Success" is also available in a paperback edition (9781398609587, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.39).
Editorial Note: Adam Kingl (https://adamkingl.com) is an author, speaker, educator and adviser. He specializes in the areas
of leadership creativity, innovation and adaptability. His previous book, Next Generation Leadership (HarperCollins, 2020)
was focused on the work and leadership paradigms of millennials. Adam also holds the position of adjunct faculty member
at the University College London School of Management and at Hult Ashridge Business School. He is also an instructor at
Imperial College London, Sauder Business School, the Irish Management Institute at University College Cork, and at
Headspring Executive Development (a joint venture between the IE Business School and the Financial Times). He is an
Associate of the Moller Leadership Institute at Churchill College, the University of Cambridge.
The Christian Studies Shelf
Trust
Henry Cloud
Worthy Books
c/o Worthy Publishing
www.worthypublishing.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781546003373, $28.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Knowing-When-Withhold-Broken/dp/1546003371
Synopsis: Trust (noun): Reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. The
confident expectation of something -- hope.
Trust is the fuel for all of life. We are wired biologically, neurologically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically to
trust. Trust is the currency that drives every relationship, beginning with the foundational bond between infants and their
mothers, extending to the trust networks that undergird every human endeavor (art, science, commerce) and binding
together every relationship we have ever had or ever will have. Nothing in our world works without trust.
It is tempting to think that trust is simple, that we should be able to spot a lack of trustworthiness relatively easily. But we
all have our stories about misplaced trust. We either missed clear or subtle warning signs or there just were not any warning
signs to see. Everything looked good on the surface, and maybe it was. But we got burned anyway.
And sometimes we struggle to earn and keep the trust of those around us when trust bonds fail to form or are broken. When
trust breaks down, so does our ability to move forward.
With the publication of "Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It
Gets Broken", Dr. Cloud explores from a Christian perspective the five foundational aspects of trust that must be present for
any relationship to function successfully and helps us to understand how to implement them. He also guides us through the
difficult process of repairing trust when it has been violated and broken, even when restoring trust feels impossible.
Rich with wisdom drawn from decades of experience in clinical practice, business consulting and research, Trust is the
ultimate resource for managing this most complex and fundamental of human bonds, allowing us to experience more
fruitful and rewarding relationships in every area of our lives.
Critique: Deftly organized into five major sections (Trust Makes Life Work; The Five Essentials of Trust; Growing in Trust;
The Model for Repairing Trust; Moving Forward), "Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It,
and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken" will have a very special value for readers with an interest in Christian oriented
personal growth, and transformative self-help. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, seminary, and academic library Christian Studies and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be
noted that "Trust" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Audio, 9781668630549, $40.00, CD).
Editorial Note: Dr. Henry Cloud is (https://www.drcloud.com) us an acclaimed leadership expert, a clinical psychologist and
a New York Times bestselling author. His 45 books, include the iconic Boundaries. He has an extensive executive coaching
background and experience as a leadership consultant, devoting the majority of his time working with CEOs, leadership
teams, and executives to improve performance, leadership skills and culture.
Acts: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching
David Gentino, author
John Harvey, editor
Kregel Ministry
c/o Kregel Publications
www.kregel.com
9780825458293, $41.99, HC, 576pp
https://www.amazon.com/Acts-Commentary-Biblical-Preaching-Teaching/dp/0825458293
Synopsis: With the publication of "Acts: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching" author David Gentino and
editor John D. Harvey tease out the multifaceted yet compatible purposes apparent in Acts: showing God the Holy Spirit in
action as Jesus's disciples undertook the commission that he gave them; presenting Jesus as Messiah and the source of
salvation for all people groups; addressing objections to and accusations against the Christian movement; validating the
Gentile mission; and providing models for public proclamation and apologetical defense. Their preaching commentary
explores contrasts and corollaries between the church in Acts and the church today, encouraging believers who have the
same commission, same empowering Spirit, and same challenges of opposition to the faith and cultural boundaries as did
the early church.
Critique: Offering a complete course of instruction that will have a very special value for seminary students and clergy,
"Acts: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making
it ideal as a DIY independent studies or formal classroom textbook -- as well as being unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, church, seminary, college, and university library Christian Theology collections in
general, and New Testament curriculum studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note #1: David Gentino (MDiv, Columbia Biblical Seminary) is the church planting pastor of Columbia
Presbyterian Church PCA in South Carolina. David and his wife, Julie, have four children and have served in several church
plants in the United States and in South Asia and are active in training planters in the Middle East.
Editorial Note #2: John D. Harvey (ThD, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) professor of New Testament and the
PhD program director at Columbia Biblical Seminary in Columbia, SC. His works include Interpreting the Pauline Letters:
An Exegetical Handbook, A Commentary on Romans, Listening to the Text: Oral Patterning in Paul's Letters, Greek is
Good Grief: Laying the Foundation for Exegesis and Exposition, and Anointed with the Spirit and Power: A Biblical
Theology of Holy Spirit Empowerment. He is an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and has
served cross-culturally in Europe and Africa.
An Untidy Faith
Kate Boyd
Herald Press
www.heraldpress.com
9781513811802, $31.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Untidy-Faith-Journeying-Following-Jesus/dp/1513811800
Synopsis: In the wake of church scandals, culture wars, and clergy abuse of parishioners and children, many Christians are
wondering whether the North American church is redeemable -- and if not, whether they should even stay. While many are
answering no to those questions, "An Untidy Faith: Journeying Back to the Joy of Following Jesus" by Kate Boyd is for
those who long to disentangle their faith from all the cultural baggage and seek to recapture the joy of following Jesus.
Through personal anecdotes, encounters with the global church, deep dives into Scripture, and helpful historical context
about Christianity, "An Untidy Faith" takes readers on two journeys. The first journey lays out the grand vision of
Christianity and the legacy passed on to us by the early believers in hopes of renewing readers' belief in the church writ
large. The second journey helps believers understand why they feel distant from their church settings and provides a
reorientation drawn from Scripture of God's vision for community.
A gentle companion, Kate Boyd metaphorically walks alongside those who have questions but can't ask them for fear of
being labeled by or cast out of their communities. Think of "An Untidy Faith" as a guidebook for those who want to be
equipped with practices to rebuild their faith and shape their communities to look more like Jesus and what He taught.
Critique: Exceptionally inspiring, insightfully informative, motivating and faith sustaining, contemporarily relevant, "An
Untidy Faith: Journeying Back to the Joy of Following Jesus" must be considered essential reading for all members of the
Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation. For the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students,
and anyone who is struggling to maintain their Christian faith when confronted with examples of hypocrisy, corruption, and
criminality within the Christian church and community, it should be noted that "An Untidy Faith: Journeying Back to the
Joy of Following Jesus" is also available in a paperback edition (9781513811796, $18.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99). Indeed, if you see a family member, friend, or congregational colleague struggling with disillusionment
and trying to rebuild their Christian faith, considering gifting them with a copy of "An Untidy Faith by Kate Boyd -- it could
well be vital for the beginning of their reconciliation with God and the Church.
Editorial Note: Kate Boyd (https://www.kateboyd.co) is a writer, speaker, and Bible teacher. She helps believers who find
themselves in the messy middle between conservative and progressive navigate the tensions of the Christian life so they can
more confidently walk the lines between doubt and certainty and faith and action with love and grace for all. She graduated
cum laude with a BS in journalism and soon found her way to marketing and storytelling. She has traveled the world to
interview and tell the stories of believers on mission, and she has written copy that has created millions in revenue for non-
profits and small businesses. She is currently studying theology with an emphasis in church history and biblical languages at
Perkins School of Theology.
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
The Language of Flowers in the Time of COVID
Joan D. Stamm
Mantra Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781803411903, $15.95, PB, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Language-Flowers-Time-COVID-Finding/dp/1803411902
Synopsis: In 2020, as COVID-19 spread from Asia to North America, Zen Buddhist and ikebana practitioner Joan Stamm
was forced to cancel her long-anticipated trip to Japan, where she had planned to research a flower temple pilgrimage and
learn the deeper meaning of flowers known as "little Buddhas".
But with lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, Stamm, who lives on a mountain on an island in the Salish Sea, sequestered
herself like a hermit and turned to her own flower garden for solace and meaning as the pandemic engulfed the world
around her.
"The Language of Flowers in the Time of COVID: Finding Solace in Zen, Nature and Ikebana" tells the story of Stamm's
life and spiritual journey as a Buddhist through these difficult times. Using traditional Japanese flowers as seasonal
indicators, Stamm speaks the poetic language of flowers to explore ancient flower metaphor as it relates to the pandemic
and the many manifestations of impermanence in one of the most tumultuous years in American history.
Critique: Fascinating, inspiring, eloquent, contemplative, thought-provoking, "The Language of Flowers in the Time of
COVID: Finding Solace in Zen, Nature and Ikebana" is offers a combination of personal memoir, Buddhist philosophy, and
the biological science/metaphorical interpretation of flowers in a time of universal crises. While available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99), "The Language of Flowers in the Time of COVID: Finding Solace in
Zen, Nature and Ikebana" will prove a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community, college, and university
library Contemporary Buddhism, Biography/Memoir, and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.
Editorial Note: Joan D. Stamm (https://joandstamm.com) is the author of A Pilgrimage in Japan: the 33 Temples of Kannon,
and the award winning Heaven and Earth are Flowers: Reflections on Ikebana and Buddhism. She is also the co-founder of
Cold Mountain Hermitage, a Zen Buddhist study and practice group, and a certified teacher of the Saga School of
Ikebana.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Awakening Osiris
Normandi Ellis
New Page Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781637480106, $18.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Osiris-Spiritual-Keys-Egyptian/dp/1637480105
Synopsis: The Egyptian Book of the Dead is one of the oldest and greatest classics of Western spirituality. With the
publication of "Awakening Osiris: The Spiritual Keys to the Egyptian Book of the Dead", spiritualist minister and certified
clairvoyant medium Normandi Ellis has transformed the ancient stories told through hieroglyphs for modern readers. She
approaches the Book of the Dead as a profound spiritual text capable of speaking to us today.
These writings suggest that the divine realm and the human realm are not altogether separate; they remind us that the natural
world (the substance of our lives) is fashioned from the stuff of the gods. This new paperback edition from New Page Books
features a new introduction and study guide by the author.
Critique: Fascinating, iconoclastic, informative, challenge, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Awakening Osiris: The
Spiritual Keys to the Egyptian Book of the Dead" is an extraordinary and welcome contribution to the personal reading lists
of anyone with an interest in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted for students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in New Age Mythology & Mysticism that "Awakening Osiris: The
Spiritual Keys to the Egyptian Book of the Dead" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Normandi Ellis (https://normandiellis.com) is an award-winning writer, workshop facilitator, and
archpriestess of the Fellowship of Isis. She leads tours to Egypt and is the author and co-author of several books, including
Hieroglyphic Words of Power, The Union of Isis and Thoth, and Imagining the World into Existence.
Communicating with Plants
Jen Frey
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591434597, $24.00, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Communicating-Plants-Heart-Based-Practices-Connecting/dp/1591434599
Synopsis: The underlying message from Jen Frey, the author of "Communicating with Plants: Heart-Based Practices for
Connecting with Plant Spirits" is that everyone has an innate ability to consciously communicate with Plants. Jen maintains
that if we are willing to listen, we can hear the Plants speaking to our Hearts and teaching us how to heal. With the support
of our Plant allies, we can be our truest selves and remember our intrinsic wholeness.
Presenting a step-by-step guide, "Communicating with Plants" shows how to awaken your ability to directly receive the
unique wisdom and healing gifts that the Plants want to offer you. Exploring how communicating with Plants is more like a
communion than an exchange of words, "Communicating with Plants" describes how the primary language we share with
Plants is through the Heart, and shows how Plant communication brings an expansion of Heart intelligence and emotional
growth.
In the pages of "Communicating with Plants", Jen goes on to explain the synergistic process of moving into intimacy with a
Plant Spirit and shares how the Plants help us overcome anxiety, grief, fears, and limiting beliefs and teach us to trust,
forgive, embrace self-love, and enjoy the sweetness of life.
Sharing teachings she has received from a variety of Plants such as Yarrow, Mugwort, Maple, Dandelion, Poison Ivy, and
Japanese Hops, Jen follows each Plant ally's wisdom with a step-by-step activity or practice that allows you to actualize the
teaching in an immediate way. She includes both native and invasive Plants because the concept of "invasive" is alien in the
context of Plant Spirits and each of them has valuable lessons to share. She then concludes with Tulsi, showing how this
Plant is essential to helping us recover our sacred nature, especially in a time of great Earth changes.
The promise is that through the skills taught in this DIY guide, we each can connect our Hearts with the wisdom of Plant
Spirits, have support and guidance whenever we need it, and learn new ways of living in a co-creative partnership with
Nature.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, insightful, inspiring, "Communicating with Plants: Heart-Based Practices for Connecting
with Plant Spirits" is an original, distinctive, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
and academic library New Age Metaphysical Studies collections. For anyone with an interest in the subject of plants, herbal
remedies and spiritual/metaphysical oriented self-help/self-improvement, "Communicating with Plants: Heart-Based
Practices for Connecting with Plant Spirits" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Jen Frey (https://www.brigidsway.com/meet-jen-frey) is a healer and mentor with more than 20 years of
experience with Plant essences, energy work, and herbal practices. The founder of Brigid's Way and co-steward of Heart
Springs Sanctuary, she has dedicated her life to the spiritual path of Plant work.
Tarot Magick
Lindsay Squire, author
Viki Lester, illustrator
Leaping Hare Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711280649, $20.00, Card Deck, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Magick-Discover-yourself-through/dp/0711280649
Synopsis: The ever expanding world of tarot cards is swirling with rich meaning, symbolism and secrets waiting to reveal
themselves. Whether you're new to witchcraft, tarot, or both, "Tarot Magick" by the team of tarot authority Lindsay Squire
and artist/illustrator Viki Lester is an ideal beginner's guide to the study of tarot magick.
Included are stunning illustrations from The Witch of the Forest's very own Tarot Magick deck visually enhancing the
easy-to-learn information, the in-depth exploration of meanings and symbolism of every card, the develop your intuitive
tarot skills, and the improvement of your wellness practice through the power of witchcraft and tarot.
Tarot students and novice practitioners will learn how to: Interpret all 78 cards in the modern tarot deck; Understand the
difference between the 'Major' and 'Arcana' cards, including the difference between a pentacle, wand, sword and cup card;
Note the importance of the element, zodiac signs and planet in astrology associated with each card; Explore the significance
of numerology in tarot; Practice a tarot 'spread' and give yourself a tarot reading; Incorporate tarot into your witchy and
wellbeing practice; Give a tarot reading for friends and family -- and so much more!
The book's jacket can also be flipped and used to practice a simple three-card-spread.
With recipes, rituals and tips and tricks taken from The Witch of the Forest's personal grimoire, with "Tarot Magick" you
can learn how to use the cards as part of spells, to help you understand yourself better, and to improve your self-love
practice.
Critique: Providing the perfect introduction to Tarot and underscored by enchanting, empowering, and featuring
spellbinding museum quality artwork, "Tarot Magic" is part of The Witch of the Forest's Guide to... series from Leaping
Hare Press covering everything you need to know to begin and thrive on your own tarot driven Wiccan and metaphysical
journey. It should be noted that "Tarot Magick" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Lindsey Squires (https://thewitchoftheforest.co.uk) is a practitioner of eclectic Witchcraft and has been
walking her own spiritual path for nearly 15 years. A Witch, an author, a professional tarot reader, a spiritual advisor, and
the face behind the Instagram account, The Witch of the Forest (an account dedicated to helping those at the beginning of
their Witchcraft journey), she has come to find a deep passion for helping Witches find empowerment through nature and
the practice of magick.
Editorial Note #2: Vicki Lester (https://www.instagram.com/forensicsandflowers) is a veteran illustrator of metaphysical
and other genre works.
Flower Magic of the Druids
Jon G. Hughes
Destiny Books
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644116395, $22.99, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Magic-Druids-Potions-Enchantments/dp/1644116391
Synopsis: Flowers are found in magic traditions around the world, ranging from those in ancient Egypt, China, and India to
the traditions of the Norse and Native Americans. Yet many of today's well-established flower traditions (like bridal
bouquets) originated in the Druidic magical lore of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.
With the publication of "Flower Magic of the Druids: How to Craft Potions, Spells, and Enchantments", fifth-generation
Druid Jon G. Hughes explains that flowers hold a preeminent position in Druidic folk magic with their own special branch
of magical workings. In this practical guide, Hughes details how to use flowers in magical practice, focusing on flowering
plants with a long history of magical use going back to Druidic times yet many of which are commonly found throughout
the world, such as buttercup, blackberry, and dog rose.
He also discusses what type of flower and form of flower magic is best for specific enchantments and rituals in the areas of
love and sex magic, well-being and good fortune, and protection. He looks at the magical use of fresh flowers and provides
detailed instruction on every stage of the harvesting, crafting, and practical use of flower magic potions, including a
comprehensive herbarium of all the flowers that may be used.
Examining the complex relationship between flowers and bees, the author looks at the physical and spiritual gifts of bees,
such as honey, propolis, and beeswax, and the importance of bee culture in Druidic flower magic, including the tradition of
the honeymoon, the significance of the hexagon, and medieval beekeeper lore. Inviting you into the gentle yet powerful
realm of Druidic flower magic, "Flower Magic of the Druids" also details how to plan, plant, and take care of your own
magical flower garden with all the botanicals you will need to pursue the path of flower magic.
Critique: Of special interest to students of flower based magic in general, Druid magic in particular, "Flower Magic of the
Druids: How to Craft Potions, Spells, and Enchantments" by Jon G. Hughes is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of
a section of full color photographs and is deftly organized into three major sections: The Ancient Art of Flower Magic;
Flower Magic Workbook; The Druid's Garden. Exceptionally well written and presented, "Flower Magic of the Druids" is
an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college library Metaphysical Studies
collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and Druid practitioners that "Flower Magic of the Druids" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Jon G. Hughes (https://www.innertraditions.com/author/jon-g-hughes) is part of a lineage of Druids that has
been practicing for five generations in a remote area of Wales. He teaches the tradition in Ireland and gives workshops and
seminars throughout Europe. He is the director of the Irish Centre for Druidic Practices and the author of several books,
including A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants and The Druidic Art of Divination. He lives in Killarney,
County Kerry, Ireland.
The Travel Shelf
Hidden Japan
Alex Kerr
Tuttle
https://www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805317518, $15.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Japan-Astonishing-Thatched-Villages/dp/4805317515
Synopsis: In Alex Kerr's critically acclaimed Lost Japan and Dogs and Demons, he documented the decline of the traditional
landscapes of Japan, his adopted home of many years. Here, in Hidden Japan he makes a journey of rediscovery to find the
wonders that still remain.
Originally published in Japanese as a call to preserve disappearing facets of Japan's rich and ancient culture, Hidden Japan
records Kerr's travels to various remote and lesser-known places where pockets of traditional culture can still be found.
Some are faraway--like Aogashima Island, 200 miles south of Tokyo--while others are easy to reach, such as Mii-dera
temple just east of Kyoto. The ten engaging essays in this book describe surprising remnants of Japan's fragile physical and
cultural environment, including:
Avant-garde Butoh dancing in the remote village of Tashiro in Akita Prefecture
How shochu liquor is distilled from tropical ferns on the Pacific island of Aogashima
An austere but delicious kaiseki meal in rural Tottori Prefecture composed of local herbs and meats
Anecdotes relating to Kerr's childhood growing up in Japan and his passion for restoring old houses
The damage caused by governmental infrastructure and reforestation policies, as well as by tourism
Plus many other topics!
Kerr's sharp eye for detail and exquisite descriptions of Japanese, arts, architecture and foods will inspire readers who
already appreciate his unique look at the "reality" of Japan beyond the romance. His personal involvement and obvious love
for his subjects encourage us all to think more carefully about our own traditions and environment, and to challenge
ourselves to search for better solutions to preserve what is of value all around us.
Critique: Black-and-white and an inset section of full-color photographs enrich this travelogue of Japan's beautiful and
storied cultural legacy. Alex Kerr (author of "Lost Japan" and "Dogs and Demons") tells of his journeys to remote and little-
known regions that preserve cultural traditions including dance, cuisine, and more. Hidden Japan also calls for the
preservation of Japan's cultural legacy, and criticizes government infrastructure and reforestation policies. Hidden Japan is
not a travel guide, but is highly recommended as a supplementary read for anyone interested in vicariously or personally
traveling to Japan. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Hidden Japan is also available in a Kindle edition
($11.99).
Day Hiking Central Cascades, second edition
Craig Romano
www.CraigRomano.com
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680515572, $21.95, PB, 376pp
https://www.amazon.com/Day-Hiking-Central-Cascades-Wilderness/dp/1680515578
Synopsis: With some of the largest tracts of wilderness to be found in the Pacific Northwest, the Central Cascades are
packed with wildlife, geological diversity, and opportunity for adventure.
Using US Highway 2 as its primary organizing principle, this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Day Hiking
Central Cascades" by Craig Romano focuses on the best day hikes to be found between the Sultan Basin and Wenatchee,
and around Blewett Pass, Chelan, and the Stehekin and Entiat River Valleys.
In this new edition, travel expert Romano covers everything from leisurely strolls close to town to all-day treks (with
overnight backpacking options) deep into the Alpine Lakes, Glacier Peak, Henry M. Jackson, and Wild Sky Wilderness
Areas. Scenery, destinations, and highlights vary too--included are hikes along rivers; to lakes, mountain tops, and fire
lookouts; and through old-growth forests or alpine meadows.
There are hikes that are well known and popular, hikes that are a bit more obscure and remote, and hikes that are perfect to
explore with kids or dogs. In "Day Hiking Central Cascades: 2nd Edition", Craig Romano has selected and showcases his
favorite trails for escaping crowds, spotting wildlife, and (in his words) getting the best bang for your boot!
Critique: A profusely illustrated, succinctly compact (5 x 1 x 6.75 inches), and informatively comprehensive paperback that
is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this new second edition of "Day Hiking Central Cascades"
from Mountaineers Books is an indispensable resource for planning truly memorable excursions in the Central Cascades
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Range) and thoroughly recommended for personal, community, and academic
library Travel Guide & Resources collections. It should be noted that this new edition of "Day Hiking Central Cascades" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.49).
Editorial Note: Craig Romano is an award winning author or co-author of more than twenty books. Romano also writes for
numerous publications, tourism websites, and for www.HikeoftheWeek.com. He can be visited online at
www.CraigRomano.com or on Facebook @craigromanoguidebookauthor
The Architecture Shelf
A. A. Fischer's St. Louis Streetscapes
Nancy Moore Hamilton
Missouri Historical Society Press
PO Box 775460, St. Louis, MO 63177
https://mohistory.org/publications
9798985571622, $50.00, HC, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fischers-St-Louis-Streetscapes/dp/B0BFD4LMCN
Synopsis: Though few people in contemporary St. Louis likely know his name, it is indisputable that builder A. A. Fischer
left an indelible mark on the city's residential architecture. Between 1894 and 1929, Fischer was responsible for the
construction of more than three hundred houses and apartment buildings in St. Louis and nearby University City, Missouri.
His trademark was the broken frieze, whose wreaths and swags descend into the spaces between the upper-story windows,
rather than extending straight across the fa ade below the cornice, as is traditional. Today, you can still see homes and
commercial buildings across the St. Louis area bearing Fischer's trademark.
With the publication of "A. A. Fischer's St. Louis Streetscapes", Nancy Moore Hamilton has provided the first biography of
this unsung urban builder. Hamilton delves into Fischer's life and work, exploring not only his prolific construction career
but also his other related business ventures, dabbling in speculation, buying and selling real estate, and producing
architectural plans. Featuring more than four hundred images and a full-color fold-out map showing all of Fischer's homes,
"Nancy Moore Hamilton" is sure to bring attention to a builder who quietly shaped a midwestern metropolis.
Critique: A seminal work of simply outstanding research and meticulous scholarship, "A. A. Fischer's St. Louis
Streetscapes" rescures from an undeserved obscurity an ground-breaking late 19th Century and early 20th Century American
architect. The informative and exceptionally well organized and presented large format volume is a substantial, singular, and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library American Architecture and
American Biography collections.
Editorial Note: Nancy Moore Hamilton is a longtime resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, whose writing has appeared in The
Society of Architectural Historians - Missouri Valley Chapter newsletter.
(https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/author/H/N/au196850221.html)
Cottages, Cabins, and Unique Retreats
Fine Homebuilding Editorial Staff
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781641551977, $34.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cabins-Cottages-Editors-Fine-Homebuilding/dp/1641551976
Synopsis: Smaller = Smarter.
Smaller homes like cabins and cottages are becoming more popular due to economic factors, smaller family sizes, tighter
building lots, and the desire to use fewer natural resources and build sustainably. These days, builders and designers alike
are getting creative and employing all their best tricks to help homeowners get the most out of their small spaces, whether
they be part of a primary residence or weekend vacation home.
"Cottages, Cabins, and Unique Retreats" from the pages of Fine Homebuilding magazine features useful and beautiful small
spaces that are built to fit the lifestyles and aspirations of their homeowners. The reader will get inspired and enjoy the
design styles and construction types showcased here in hundreds of beautiful photographs.
Each page showcases gorgeous photographs of inspiring, exciting small spaces. The featured authors/contributors focus on
homes both new and remodeled, urban and rural, traditional and modern, and even a few quirky spaces like nooks, butler's
pantries, and attic offices.
Critique: An inspirational pleasure to browse through one page at a time, "Cottages, Cabins, and Unique Retreats" is a very
special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Contemporary Architecture collections and supplemental curriculum Residential & Small Home/Cottage Design studies
lists.
Editorial Note: All contributing authors to "Cottages, Cabins And Unique Retreats" are seasoned professionals whose
articles have appeared in Fine Homebuilding magazine. Since 1981 the Fine Homebuilding magazine has been providing
information and inspiration to everyone who cares about quality home improvement and construction. The magazine is
arguably the best source of home improvement information and helps readers build projects better, faster, and more
efficiently. The farmhouses have been selected from the pages of Fine Homebuilding magazine.
The Botany Shelf
Plants of the Pineywoods of East Texas & Wester Louisiana
Dr. James Van Kley, author
Bruce Lyndon Cunningham, illustrator
Bruce Lyndon Cunningham Publications
www.forester-artist.com
9780934115186, $110.00, PB, 464pp
The "Pineywoods" represent the forested eastern edge of Texas along with the the ecologically-similar forests of adjacent
northwestern and central Louisiana. Markedly different from most of Texas, tall stands of pines and broad-leaved deciduous
trees cover much of the gently rolling landscape.
There is a rich variety of natural habitats: dry sandy upland pine-oak communities, remnants of once-extensive longleaf pine
woodlands, pine-deciduous mixed forests, vast "bottomland hardwood" forests on the floodplains of the region's numerous
rivers, baldcypress swamps, and much more. The climate is warm and humid; some areas experience as much as 50" (1270
mm) of rainfall a year. Much of the Pineywoods remains relatively free from urbanization.
"Plants of the Pineywoods of East Texas & West Louisiana: Part 1: Herbaceious Eudicotyledoms - Herbaceious, Magnoliids
& Nymphaeiids by Dr. James Van Kley and deftly and profusely illustrated by Bruce Lyndon Cuningham is a massive,
detailed and comprehensively descriptive compendium informatively listing all of the plants to be found in this region of the
country.
Critique: A major and seminal work that is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a illustrated glossary
of 350 terms, this substantial paperback edition of "Plants of the Pineywoods of East Texas & West Louisiana" is a unique
and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, college, and university library Regional Herbaceous and
Horticultural reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. Also highly recommended from Bruce Lyndon
Cunningham Publications is "Gymnosperms of the United States & Canada".
Editorial Note #1: Dr. James Van Kley (https://james-vankley.com/index.html) is the Professor of Biology, Stephen F.
Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA.
Editorial Note #2: In 1982, the National Hardwood Lumber Association in Memphis, TN, commissioned Bruce Lyndon
Cunningham (https://forester-artist.com/about-me) to illustrate 16 different trees in the hardwood industry. In 1990, the
Society of American Foresters in Washington D. C. commissioned him to create the painting of the historic Wye Oak Tree,
Quercus alba, in Wye Mills, Maryland.
The Sports Shelf
Play Pickleball
Sydney Steinaker
Rock Point
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781631069406, $16.99, HC, 160pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/play-pickleball-sydney-steinaker/1142514929
Synopsis: Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two players (singles), or four players (doubles), hit a
perforated hollow plastic ball over a 36-inch-high (0.91 m) net using solid-faced paddles. Opponents on either side of the
net hit the ball back and forth until one side commits a rule infraction. Pickleball was invented in 1965 as a children's
backyard game on Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States. In 2022, pickleball was adopted as the official state sport
of Washington and is currently the fastest growing sport in America.
Now with the publication of "Play Pickleball: From the Local Court to the Pro Circuit, An Insider's Guide to Everyone's
Favorite Sport" by Sydney Steinaker, you can learn the ins and outs of the sport that is taking the world by storm.
Pickleball insider Sydney Steinaker travels all over the country playing the sport, and in this guide, in her instructional guide
she takes you on a journey through the pickle-dome, from the amateur scene and casual play, to leagues and pro-level
tournaments.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'player friendly' in organization and presentation, "Play Pickleball: From
the Local Court to the Pro Circuit, An Insider's Guide to Everyone's Favorite Sport" is a handsomely designed 'how-to' guide
for beginner as well as experienced players, and covers: The different types of paddles and equipment; The rules of play;
Pickle terminology and etiquette; Game strategies and techniques; Advice from some of the biggest pros on the scene -- and
so much more! While highly recommended as a core addition to family, school, community, and academic library
Contemporary Sports/Athletics collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of aspiring and practicing
Pickleball players that "Play Pickelball" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Sydney Steinaker is an amateur pickleball player and content creator. She began playing pickleball in
October 2020 as a beginner and quickly became determined to become the best player she could be. Follow her pickleball
adventures as an amateur in one the fastest growing sports in world on TikTok and Instagram @sydneysteinaker. She has a
YouTube website at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO1vW7UrZBIq0_ILigv8MHw
Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks
Mark T. Faila
Arcadia Publishing
www.arcadiapublishing.com
9781467109109, $23.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pittsburghs-Historic-Ballparks-Images-Baseball/dp/146710910X
Synopsis: Pittsburgh has an incredible baseball history filled with great players, teams, and historic moments, but few
realize that Pittsburgh has often been in the lead in ballpark design and development.
Showcased in "Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks" by Mark T. Faila, yesteryear photographs chronicle the nine ballparks that
hosted major league baseball in Pittsburgh between 1876 and the present, including the Negro Leagues. Here are the design
and construction phases, the major changes as parks expanded and aged, and eventually, their demolition.
Here also are the monuments, details, and the surrounding neighborhoods that became part of the fan experience, along with
rare glimpses of behind-the-scenes areas. The great players, teams, and moments are not the focus.
While there are many other books to tell their individual stories. Here in the pages of "Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks", those
players, teams, and moments are seen only as they illustrate the look and condition of the ballparks themselves.
Critique: A fascinating and informative read replete with historic black/white photographs, "Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks"
is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Sports
History collections in general, and the personal reading lists of dedicated Pittsburgh baseball fans in particular.
Editorial Note: Mark T. Fatla (https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467109109) is a local writer and lifelong
baseball fan searched a wide variety of sources for photographs to illustrate this history, including team archives, museums,
newspapers, and private collections. Included are rarely seen images and several that have never been published, providing a
unique perspective on the rich history of Pittsburgh's ballparks.
The Art Shelf
Palette Knife Painting
Lisa Elley
Walter Foster
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780760382165, $22.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Palette-Knife-Painting-beautiful-masterpieces/dp/0760382166
Synopsis: Professional artist Lisa Elley works from her studio in the San Francisco Bay Area with the purpose of inspiring
and bringing joy to people through her art. With the publication of "Palette Knife Painting: Deep Impasto: Paint beautiful
masterpieces using a palette knife and the impasto technique", Lisa shares her techniques with aspiring artists through
easy-to-follow step-by-step projects.
Using her palette knife technique, readers can learn to paint: Art inspired by Vincent van Gogh; Seascapes and landscapes;
A Tuscan vineyard; Flower fields; Wet-into-wet (alla prima); With texture -- and so much more!
Also included in "Palette Knife Painting" are: Primers on the best palette knives and paints to use; Color mixing and color
theory instructions; Beautiful, textured artwork that seems to lift off the page .
Critique: "Palette Knife Painting: Deep Impasto" is an ideal, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY course of
instruction for artists of all skill levels looking to learn to paint and scrape with oil paint. Also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99), " Palette Knife Painting: Deep Impasto" is highly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and art school instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note #1: Lisa Elley (www.lisaelley.com.) is an award-winning palette knife artist who works from her studio in the
San Francisco Bay Area. Lisa's pieces are lively, uplifting, colorful, and highly textured. Her paintings hang on the walls of
private and corporate collectors across the United States, as well as around the world. In addition to selling her art through
her website and other online platforms, Lisa hosts live painting events, teaches workshops, designs wine labels, and
more.
Editorial Note #2: It should be also be pointed out that other titles in the Paint with Me series from Walter Foster
(https://walterfoster.com) highlights well-known artists and their work in visually appealing and instructive books.
Draw Chibi Style
Piuvvy
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760381410, $19.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Chibi-Style-Step-Step/dp/0760381410
Synopsis: With the publication of "Draw Chibi Style: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide for Drawing Adorable Minis - 62
Lessons: Basics, Characters, Special Effects", chibi artist Piuuvy is the ideal DIY guide to:
Chibi Essentials. The first 18 lessons teach solid drawing fundamentals that demonstrate how to draw chibi characters from
the ground up and will help you build the skills you need to create your very own supercute characters.
Chibi Characters, Step by Step. Through step-by-step drawings, from rough sketch to finish, discover the drawing process
for 44 adorable characters in a range of genres and themes, including a witch, a butterfly fairy, a shark, a shadow knight, and
an action hero, each presented in a different pose.
Critique: Whether you're just beginning to draw, trying your hand at chibi for the first time, or looking for ideas and
guidance for bringing your own chibi characters to life, "Draw Chibi Style: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide for Drawing
Adorable Minis - 62 Lessons: Basics, Characters, Special Effects" is an ideal DIY instructional guide, 'how-to' manual, and
visual reference for aspiring artists and illustrator wanting to familiarize themselves with this distinctive Manga Comics
style of drawing. This large format paperback style (7.99 x 10 x 1.85 inches, 1.2 pounds) is especially recommended for
personal, professional, community, and art school library collections. It should be noted that "Draw Chibi Style" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Chibi artist Thao Vy (aka Piuuvy) creates K-pop fanart, anime and manga characters, and private
commissioned portraits and icons. Based in Vietnam, see more of her work at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaovynguyen418, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter @piuuvy
Abstract Expressionists: The Women
Ellen G. Landau and Joan M. Marter
Merrell Publishers
www.merrellpublishers.com
9781858947037, $65.00
https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Expressionists-Ellen-G-Landau/dp/1858947030
Abstract Expressionists: The Women covers a key art movement of New York and San Francisco in the mid-twentieth
century (now described as being the first major art movement in America to gain international status). Because key artists
chosen for profile in this movement have typically been men, Ellen G. Landau and Joan M. Marter's survey is particularly
notable in focusing its coverage on the many women who were also part of the exhibits and movement that fostered this art
form. The heart of this exposure is the holdings in the Levett Collection, a private gathering of art by female Abstract
Expressionists. Art history essays by Landau and Marter accompany the color illustrations packed into this celebration,
which include paintings, collages, and sculptures and accompany over thirty artist biographies. Any definitive library of
American art and women's contributions should make Abstract Expressionists: The Women a mainstay.
The Crafts Shelf
Linocut
Sam Marshall
Herbert Press
c/o Bloomsbury
www.bloomsbury.com
9781789940701, $26.00
https://www.amazon.com/Linocut-Creative-Making-Beautiful-Prints/dp/1789940702
Linocut: A Creative Guide to Making Beautiful Prints features eighteen projects that can be adapted to a variety of subjects,
and shows how to create unique prints suitable for cards and other applications. Everyday life subjects encourage budding
artists to draw their inspiration from familiar ideas and experiences, fostering the fine art of observational drawing, while
step-by-step instructions use low-cost materials and experimental techniques for superior results. Examples from Marshall's
own efforts as well as those of five other printmakers contribute to a crafts guide embedded with easy approaches that
encourage both linocut art and creative effort, making for a top recommendation for libraries and artists alike.
The Library Science Shelf
From Cataloguing to Metadata Creation
Mauro Guerrini
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783306282, $40.00, PB, 154pp
https://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/page/detail/from-cataloguing-to-metadata-creation/?k=9781783306282
Synopsis: Cataloging has always produced a catalog, while the creation of metadata has produced the metadata of given
resources. However, in this digital age, the two are more connected than ever. A catalog is made up of metadata that can be
searched, identified, structured, and selected. This then means the metadata creation process is adopted as a part of
cataloguing.
With the publication of "From Cataloguing to Metadata Creation: A Cultural and Methodological Introduction" Library
Science Professor Mauro Guerrini's has written a cultural and methodological introduction to the evolution of cataloging
towards metadata creation process in the digital era. It is a journey through the founding principles and the objectives of the
"information organization" service that libraries offer.
"From Cataloguing to Metadata Creation" outlines the new library context, highlighting continuities and innovations
compared to traditional cataloging and intends to trace the path from traditional cataloging to the new metadata creation
process.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for librarians and library students with a listing of Acronyms, a number of Figures, an
Afterword by Geovanni Bergamin, four pages of Endnotes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "From
Cataloguing to Metadata Creation: A Cultural and Methodological Introduction" must be considered a core and critically
essential addition to professional, community, college, and university Library Science collections and an ideal textbook for
librarian in-service training curriculums.
Editorial Note: Mauro Guerrini (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mauro-Guerrini) is Professor of Library Science,
Cataloging, Metadata and Classification, and Dean of the Master on Cataloging in Archives, Library Science and
Codicology at the University of Florence, Italy. He obtained the Diploma of Librarianship and the Diploma in the
Conservation of Manuscripts at the School for Archivists and Librarians at the University of Rome La Sapienza, and later
gained the Archivist's Certificate from the State Archive in Florence. Mauro is author of numerous publications on
cataloguing, ethics, open access and the history of librarians, in particular Antonio Panizzi. He is member of the editorial
board of Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, AIB Studi, Biblioteche Oggi, and other journals, and Chair of the series
Libraries and Librarians (Florence University Press); he is also Founder and Editor in Chief of JLIS.it: Italian Journal of
Library and Information Science.
Integrated Library Planning
Myka Kennedy Stephens
ACRL Books
c/o American Library Association
https://www.ala.org
9780838939376, $62.00, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Integrated-Library-Planning-Management-Assessment/dp/0838939376
Synopsis: Many library project plans, from small projects to institution-wide strategic planning committees, follow a linear
trajectory: create the plan, implement the plan, then review the outcome. While this can be effective, it can also sometimes
leads to disregarding new information that emerges while executing the plan, making the outcome less effective. Planning
processes can also feel forced and predetermined if stakeholder feedback is not seriously considered. When this happens too
many times, people stop offering their honest opinions and new ideas because they have learned that the planners do not
really want to hear them.
In a concise seven chapters offering illustrations, charts, sample outlines, and many tools and resources, "Integrated Library
Planning:: A New Model for Strategic and Dynamic Planning, Management, and Assessment" by librarian Myka Kennedy
Stephens offers a different kind of approach to planning that is both strategic and dynamic. It is fueled by open
communication, honest assessment, and astute observation. Voices at the table, near the table, and far from the table are
heard and considered. Its perpetual rhythm gives space to consider new information when it emerges and freedom to make
changes at a time that makes sense instead of when it is most convenient or expected.
The era of fixed-length strategic plans is coming to an end. As five-year strategic plans have already given way to three-year
strategic plans, and now we find ourselves needing to plan and function when nothing is certain beyond the present moment.
The components of this model might look deceptively similar to the strategic planning practices used in libraries and
organizations for decades; however, when implemented as a whole, with a monthly review cycle on a rolling planning
horizon and space for regular analysis of information needs and behavior, it has the potential to shatter any previous notions
of planning that serve only to satisfy administrators.
Most importantly, "Integrated Library Planning" can help libraries and librarians to effectively navigate and become agents
of change.
Critique: Exceptional, comprehensive, data driven, impressive, informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization
and presentation, "Integrated Library Planning:: A New Model for Strategic and Dynamic Planning, Management, and
Assessment" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended Library Science acquisition for personal, professional,
community, and academic library collections, as well as being an ideal textbook for in-service librarian training programs,
and college/university library science curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Myka Kennedy Stephens (https://www.atla.com/person/myka-kennedy-stephens) is Seminary Librarian and
Associate Professor of Theological Bibliography at Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She
provides oversight for theological library collections and services for Lancaster Theological Seminary and Moravian
Theological Seminary, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Myka is also Founder and CEO of Fosgail, providing executive
coaching and consulting services to professionals in libraries and related fields. She is fascinated by theories of human
information behavior and their practical applications for library leadership and administration. She is also a strong advocate
for open-source software for libraries and writes and presents widely on these topics.
The Photography Shelf
A Face in Time: Egypt Photo Studios, 1865-1939
Sherif Boraie, editor
Zeitouna
c/o American University in Cairo Press
www.aucpress.com
9789775864321, $120.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Face-Time-Egypt-Studios-1865-1939/dp/9775864321
Synopsis: From the invention of the camera, photographers, like painters, have sought to portray other people, and the early
studio photographs, with their highly stylized props, poses, and costumes, provide today's readership with a beguiling
window onto the prevailing fashions, tastes, and attitudes of their time.
The portraits in comprising "A Face in Time: Egypt Photo Studios, 1865-1939" are Egyptian studio photos ranging from the
mid-nineteenth century to the opening of Second World War, represent/illustrate their popularity and art of photography
which was then driven by the burgeoning presence of photo studios across the country.
In their rich variety, these photographic images offer vivid evidence of the democratization of the photograph as access to
this new technology spread from members of Egypt's royalty to an ever-wider circle of subjects. But, more than that, they
freeze time, by capturing human subjects that are no longer there.
These photographic portraits compiled in "A Face in Time: Egypt Photo Studios, 1865-1939", and the studios that created
them, evoke haunting fragments of a vanished past and invite us to endless speculation and contemplation. In the age of the
selfie, their power to speak to us from the mists of time cannot be overstated.
Critique: In a large hardcover, coffee-table style format (13 x 0.5 x 12 inches, 4.98 pounds), "A Face in Time: Egypt Photo
Studios, 1865-1939" features more than 200 visually stunning, informatively captioned, full page images, drawn from the
work of 81 Egyptian photographic studios. A seminal body of work, "A Face in Time: Egypt Photo Studios, 1865-1939" is
highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library History of Photography collections, and
will be of particular and special interest to readers with respect to Egyptian History and Portraiture Photography,
Editorial Note: Sherif Boraie is an editor and publisher based in Cairo. He founded his imprint, Zeitouna, in 1988, under
which he has published forty highly illustrated books on Egyptian history, from the pharaohs to modern times.
Michael Freeman on Color & Tone
Michael Freeman
Ilex Press
www.ilex.press
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781781578711, $29.99
https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Freeman-Color-Tone-Photography/dp/1781578710
Michael Freeman on Color & Tone: The Ultimate Photography Masterclass is the third book in a series of his photography
guides, employing an original perspective and instructions to approaching color and tone in a 'masterclass' guide that
reviews and promotes the new artistic license granted by technological developments in sensors and processing software.
Chapters explore this topic with an eye to developing creative connections between color manipulation and management
and the possibilities for photographic enhancements that stem from them. From discussions of vision changes as light
moves through the day to processing issues and photographic technique, Freeman's guide is an outstanding survey that
places creative power in the hands of those who aspire to construct more than ordinary photos. Michael Freeman on Color &
Tone should be in any serious photographer's collection, and in libraries catering to them.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Lady Director: Adventures in Hollywood, Television and Beyond
Joyce Chopra
City Lights Publishers
www.citylights.com
9780872868687, $17.95, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Director-Adventures-Hollywood-Television/dp/0872868680
Synopsis: Joyce Chopra came of age in the 1950s, prior to the dawn of feminism, and long before the #MeToo movement.
As a young woman, it seemed impossible that she might one day realize her dream of becoming a film director -- she
couldn't name a single woman in that role. But with her desire fueled by a stay in Paris during the heady beginnings of the
French New Wave, she was determined to find a way.
Chopra got her start making documentary films with the legendary D.A. Pennebaker. From her ground-breaking
autobiographical short, "Joyce at 34" (which was acquired for NY MoMA'S permanent collection), to her rousingly
successful first feature, Smooth Talk (winner of the Best Director and Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1985), to a series of
increasingly cruel moves by Hollywood producers unwilling to accept a woman in the director's role, Chopra's career
trajectory was never easy or straightforward.
"Lady Director: Adventures in Hollywood, Television and Beyond" is engaging, candid memoir, in which Chopra describes
how she learned to navigate the deeply embedded sexism of the film industry, helping to pave the way for a generation of
women filmmakers who would come after her. She shares stories of her bruising encounters with Harvey Weinstein and
Sydney Pollack, her experience directing Diane Keaton, Treat Williams, and a host of other actors, as well as her deep
friendships with Gene Wilder, Arthur Miller, and Laura Dern.
Along with the successes and failures of her career, "Lady Director" provides an intimate view of a woman's struggle to
balance the responsibilities and rewards of motherhood and marriage with a steadfast commitment to personal creative
achievement. During a career spanning six decades, Joyce Chopra has worked through monumental shifts in her craft and in
the culture at large, and the span of her life story offers a view into the implacable momentum of the push for all womens'
liberation.
Critique: Simply stated, no personal, professional, community, college, or university film school's Cinematic History
collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without including "Lady Director: Adventures in Hollywood,
Television and Beyond" by Joyce Chopra. Enhanced for the reader with the inclusions of a section of black/white historical
photographs, "Lady Director" is as fascinating a read as it is informative. It should be noted for film history students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Lady Director" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Joyce Chopra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Chopra) has produced and directed a wide range of
award-winning films, ranging from Smooth Talk, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at the Sundance
Film Festival, to the A&E thriller The Lady in Question with Gene Wilder. She has received American Film Festival Blue
Ribbon and Cine Golden Eagle Awards for her numerous documentaries, including That Our Children Will Not Die, about
primary health care in Nigeria, and the autobiographical Joyce at 34, which is in the permanent collection of the Museum of
Modern Art.
Goin' Crazy with Sam Peckinpah and All Our Friends
Max Evans, author
Robert Nott, author
University of Nevada Press
www.unpress.nevada.edu
9780826365026, $19.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Goin-Crazy-Sam-Peckinpah-Friends/dp/0826365027
Synopsis: Almost as famous for the legendary excesses of his personal life as for his films, Sam Peckinpah (1925-1984)
cemented his reputation as one of the great American directors with movies such as The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett and
Billy the Kid.
Max Evans, one of Peckinpah's best friends, experienced the director's mercurial character and personal demons firsthand.
In this enthralling memoir we follow Evans and Peckinpah through conversations in bars, family gatherings, binges on
drugs and alcohol, struggles with film producers and executives, and Peckinpah's abusive behavior -- sometimes directed at
Evans himself.
Evans's stories comprising "Goin' Crazy with Sam Peckinpah and All Our Friends" (most of which previously unpublished)
provide a uniquely intimate look at Peckinpah, their famous friends (including Lee Marvin, Brian Keith, Joel McCrea, and
James Coburn), and the business of Hollywood in the 1960s and 1970s.
Critique: Original published in hardcover in 2014, this newly published paperback edition of "Goin' Crazy with Sam
Peckinpah and All Our Friends" from the University of Nevada Press will be of special appeal to academia and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in American Cinematic History in general, and the movie director Sam Peckinpah
in particular. While highly recommended for both community and academic library American Biography/Memoir
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Goin' Crazy with Sam Peckinpah and All Our Friends" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Max Evans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Evans_%28writer%29) was the author of over thirty
works of fiction and nonfiction. He was the recipient of the Spur, Wrangler, and Owen Wister awards, and he was the
subject of the biography Ol' Max Evans: The First Thousand Years and a documentary film of the same title. Evans made
his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for over fifty years.
Editorial Note #2: Robert Nott has been a reporter for the Santa Fe New Mexican for more than fifteen years. Among his
previous books are The Films of Randolph Scott and He Ran All the Way: The Life of John Garfield.
The Psychology Shelf
The Anxiety Audit
Lynn Lyons, LICSW
Health Communications, Inc.
https://hcibooks.com
9780757324253, $16.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Audit-Lynn-Lyons-LICSW/dp/0757324258
Synopsis: Ask people to describe anxiety and they will start with the familiar physical symptoms: racing heart, sweaty
palms, difficulty breathing. Anxiety, they might add, is "freaking out", a panic attack, or a frightening loss of control. But
anxiety isn't always what we think it is, especially now.
Anxiety has become the new normal, constant and simmering, disguising itself in patterns and responses we don't even
recognize as anxiety. These patterns include: Ruminating and worrying (and mistaking it for problem solving); Going
global, or seeing the world through an overwhelming, all-or-nothing lens; Isolating and disconnecting, all too common in
our "new normal"; Creating chaos and "busy-ness", for example, over-scheduling and multitasking; Embracing your
irritability; Confusing self-medication with self-care.
"The Anxiety Audit: Seven Sneaky Ways Anxiety Takes Hold and How to Escape Them" is a practical and effective guide
for us all. It's a kind of 'how-to' manual with no overly scientific or diagnostic language -- just real talk and time-tested
tactics from a respected therapist. It is a relatable and practical guide to untangling yourself from the grips of worry and
fear.
Using stories, real-world examples, and helpful dialogues to retrain the way you think and react, trusted anxiety expert Lynn
Lyons helps you recognize the sneaky ways these anxious patterns and cycles of worry take hold in your life. By making
small and consistent adjustments, you can reverse their negative impacts and move forward with renewed clarity and
confidence.
Critique: An informative, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring read, "The Anxiety Audit: Seven Sneaky Ways
Anxiety Takes Hold and How to Escape Them" will have a very special appeal and value for non-specialist general readers
with an interest in dealing with obsessive/compulsive behavior, anxieties and phobias, and all manner of anxiety disorders.
While readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), "The Anxiety Audit: Seven
Sneaky Ways Anxiety Takes Hold and How to Escape Them" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Psychology and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.
Editorial Note: Lynn Lyons (https://www.lynnlyons.com) is psychotherapist in Concord, New Hampshire. She has been in
practice for 30 years specializing in the treatment of anxiety in adults and children. She travels internationally as a speaker
and trainer on the subject of anxiety, its role in families, and the need for a preventative approach at home and in schools.
With a special interest in breaking the generational cycle of worry in families, she authored several books and articles on
anxiety, including with co-author Reid Wilson Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise
Courageous & Independent Children, and the companion book for kids, Playing with Anxiety: Casey's Guide for Teens and
Kids.
The Interior Design Shelf
The Handbook of Home Design
Laura Jane Clark
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781914239267, $26.99
https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Home-Design-step-step/dp/1914239261
The Handbook of Home Design: An Architect's Blueprint for Shaping Your Home offers budget-minded home designers
solutions to common remodeling and building issues. It represents architect Laura Jane Clark's years of working within
budgets of all kinds. Clark takes a step-by-step approach to the process, teaching new homeowners and budding designers
the basics of reading a plan, sketching a workable design, understanding technical requirements, and using the appropriate
language and instructions to get the most from the home renovation effort. Full-page color photo examples accompany
considerations of flow, zoning spaces, and tackling ancillary spaces in homes, and are powerful keys to understanding the
basics of home remodeling options and the revitalization processes that work. Libraries and homeowners alike will find The
Handbook of Home Design an empowering guide.
Create at Home With Old & New
Ali Heath
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784728557, $39.99
https://www.amazon.com/Create-At-Home-Old-New/dp/1784728551
Create at Home With Old & New will reach interior design artists and collections catering to them with a focus on
juxtaposing antiques with modern pieces to create displays that seamlessly integrate and old new design pieces and
concepts. Specially commissioned photography provides a visual key to understanding and absorbing these concepts, which
appear in three sections: Establishing Your Style, Developing Your Eye, and Inspiring Your Journey. These neatly separate
the basic concepts of employing Ali Heath's unique style, allowing readers to easily identify and tap into their creative
impulses to get started on their own projects, define unique approaches to mixing antique and modern pieces, and learn from
others who have successfully integrated these ideas. The colorful approach and displays make Create at Home With Old &
New a delightful display and a lesson that should be in any arts library.
The Philosophy Shelf
Befuddled: The Lives & Legends of Ancient Philosophers
David Birch
Iff Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789048261, $19.95, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Befuddled-Lives-Legends-Ancient-Philosophers/dp/1789048265
Synopsis: A book for aspiring philosophers of all ages, with the publication of "Befuddled: The Lives & Legends of Ancient
Philosophers", David Birch takes the read on a journey back in time to explore the lives, legends and ideas of ancient
philosophers.
Theories on the origin of the universe, the nature of the mind, and a great deal more are presented alongside bizarre stories
of mad emperors and talking skulls. Featuring an array of iconic figures, including Socrates, Pythagoras and the Buddha,
"Befuddled" superbly illustrates how lives devoted to confusion and wonder not only give rise to fascinating ideas about
reality, they also brim with wild moments and remarkable tales.
As an author David Birch invites you to add your own life to the collection. With questions and activities designed to start
you on your own extraordinary explorations, "Befuddled" will help you discover your own powers of thought while you
experience for yourself the freaky thrills of befuddlement.
Critique: Fun, informative, exceptional, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Befuddled: The Lives & Legends of Ancient
Philosophers" is a splendid introduction to philosophy and the philosophers of old. Exceptionally well written, organized
and presented, "Befuddled" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and is a welcome and recommended
addition to personal, professional, highschool, community, and academic library History of Philosophy collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: David G.W. Birch (https://dgwbirch.com) is a director of Consult Hyperion, an IT management consultancy
that specializes in electronic transactions. Dave is a member of the editorial board of the E-Finance & Payments Law and
Policy Journal, a columnist for SPEED and well known for his blogs on digital money and digital identity. He is a media
commentator on electronic business issues (having appeared on BBC television and radio, Sky and other channels around
the world).
The Self-Help Shelf
Quitting: A Life Strategy
Julia Keller
Balance
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781538722343, $29.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Quitting-Strategy-Perseverance_and-Science-Giving/dp/1538722348
Synopsis: Simone Biles quit the Olympics. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit The Firm. Millions of people have quit
their jobs, seeking happiness and defining success on their own terms. Is it a mistake? With the publication of "Quitting: A
Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseverance -- and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free", Pulitzer
prize-winning journalist Julia Keller reveals that it's not! And, in fact, it might even save your life.
Diving into the neuroscience of nope and the cultural messages that drive our reluctance to throw in the towel, Keller
dismantles the myth of perseverance once and for all. Because grit isn't always great. Sticking it out doesn't always pay off.
And quitting can be an unexpected act of self-love.
"Quitting: A Life Strategy" humanely reminds us that, in order to live meaningful, satisfying lives, sometimes we have to
say "no" -- full stop. With Keller's guidance, readers will learn the art of the quasi quit, see how quitting makes space for
key breakthroughs, navigate the relationship between quitting and our public lives, manage quitter's guilt, and more.
As she weaves reportage from the front lines of scientific research, incisive pop culture commentary, and conversations with
people who have made profound change in their own lives, Keller gives her readers the rationale and confidence they need
to pull the plug. Ultimately, quitting becomes a chance to shape our lives without fear -- at work, at home, in our
relationships, and beyond.
Critique: An original, thought-provoking, deftly written, and iconoclastic contribution to the every expanding library of self-
help books, "Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseverance -- and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You
Free" stands out. With a very special recommendation as a pick for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, "Quitting: A Life Strategy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99) for readers with an interest in success/motivation/happiness DIY instructionals. It should also be noted for librarians
and the general public that "Quitting: A Life Strategy" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Audio, 9781668631058, $40.00, CD).
Editorial Note: Julia Keller (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Keller) is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a former
cultural critic at the Chicago Tribune. She is the author of many books for adults and young readers, including A Killing in
the Hills, the first book in the Bell Elkins series and winner of the Barry Award for Best First Novel (2013); Back Home;
and The Dark Intercept.
The Well-Lived Life
Gladys McGarey, MD
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781668014486, $27.99, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Well-Lived-Life-102-Year-Old-Doctors-Happiness/dp/1668014483
Synopsis: Dr. Gladys McGarey (co-founder of the American Holistic Medical Association), began her medical practice at a
time when women couldn't even own their own bank accounts. Over the past sixty years, she has pioneered a new way of
thinking about disease and health that has transformed the way we imagine health care and self-care around the world.
With the publication of "The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age",
Dr. McGarey shares her six actionable secrets to enjoying lives that are long, happy, and purpose-driven:
1. Spend your energy wildly: How to embrace your life fully and feel motivated every day.
2. All life needs to move: How to move - spiritually, mentally, and physically - to help let go of trauma and other
roadblocks.
3. You are here for a reason: How to find the everyday "juice" that helps you stay oriented in your life's purpose.
4. You are never alone: How to build a community that's meaningful to you.
5. Everything is your teacher: Discover the deep learnings that come from pain and setbacks.
6. Love is the most powerful medicine: Learn to love yourself - and others - into healing.
Here Dr. McGarey shares her own extraordinary, practical, and inspiring stories providing the reader with a kind of 'eternal
wisdom' drawn from her early childhood in India and a chance encounter with Mahatma Gandhi, to her life as a physician
and a mother of six, to her survival of both heartbreak and illness. And she doesn't just look backwards, she looks forward.
At over a one hundred years old, Dr. McGarey has an inspiring plan for a healthier and more joyful future for all.
Critique: A simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to
Health and Happiness at Every Age" by Dr. Gladys McGarey is an extraordinary, unique, and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, community, and academic library American Biography and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Well-Lived Life" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797162591, $39.99, CD).
The Inward Outlook
Laura Basha, PhD
www.whitebirdrising.com
She Writes Press
https://www.shewrites.com
9781647424732, $16.95
https://www.amazon.com/Inward-Outlook-Conscious-Choice-Practice/dp/1647424739
The Inward Outlook: Conscious Choice as a Daily Practice promotes a new outlook on life based on intersecting personal
messages and perspectives with influences from within. It advocates tapping into internal thinking, data, and information
which belays repetitive automatic thinking routines in favor of a more mindful approach to life. The exploration and
definition of an "inward outlook" and how it can appear on many different levels (through interactions that become more
compassionate and kind to self as well as others) creates an invaluable dialogue that leads to new insights and focusing
methods. Self-help libraries interested in transformational encouragement and processes that support it will find The Inward
Outlook a fine catalyst for supporting and identifying revised and more effective approaches to life and self.
Finding Clarity
Marc Lesser
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608688333, $18.95
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Clarity-Compassionate-Accountability-Relationships/dp/160868833X
Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful
Lives considers professional communication and basic concepts key to fostering compassion and accountability, using
mindful concepts as a building block for facing and directing emotional conflicts for long-term benefit. From understanding
and honing new values and approaches and supporting them to engaging readers on the subject of personal and professional
communication breakthroughs, Marc Lesser creates a method for getting unstuck. This opportunity promotes a new vision
of interpersonal and business communications, drawing important links between achieving clarity and being more effective
in the world. Business and self-improvement libraries alike will find these processes invite discussion and change.
The Criminology Shelf
Hall of Mirrors, second edition
C. Arthur Ellis, Jr.
Gadfly Publishing
https://gadflypublishing.us
9780982094082, $53.71, PB, 206pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hall-Mirrors-Confirmation-Presentist-Continuing/dp/0982094086
Synopsis: Ruby McCollum was a wealthy African-American woman who shot and killed her white physician and state
senator elect lover, Dr. C. LeRoy Adams in 1952.
This full color and updated second edition of "Hall of Mirrors : Confirmation and Presentist Biases in Continuing Accounts
of the Ruby McCollum Story" is the most thoroughly researched work on the Ruby McCollum story published since the
work of William B. Huie.
Written by C. Arthur Ellis Jr. (the author who first published the annotated transcript of the murder trial), "Hall of
Mirrors" explores recent attempts to revise Ruby McCollum's story to suit the motives of various authors, academics and
film producers. "Hall of Mirrors" avoids the confirmation and presentist biases found in other works and presents this
inherently fascinating story within its proper historical context.
"Hall of Mirrors" contains the full text of Ruby McCollum's letters from prison, and from the Florida State Mental Hospital,
which are highly revealing of her personality. It also publishes, for the first time, the letters of Adams's nurse, Edith Park,
who exposes Live Oak's dirty little secrets within the medical community.
A "must read" selection for readers who are seriously interested in the facts of the case, be forewarned that this new second
edition of "Hall of Mirrors" is certain to offend those who steadfastly deny Ruby McCollum's guilt and her role in the affair
with Adams.
Critique: A model study of criminology, this newly expanded and updated second edition of "Hall of Mirrors : Confirmation
and Presentist Biases in Continuing Accounts of the Ruby McCollum Story" by C. Arthur Ellis Jr. is meticulously
researched, impressively detailed, exceptionally well written, deftly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly in
presentation. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a four page Preface, a two page Afterword, three
Appendices ('Edith Park Notes and Letters'; 'Letters Written by Ruby McCollum; Deed Transferring House from Hopps to
McCollum), and a six page Index. Especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, community, college, and
university library Criminology and True Crime collections, this paperback coffee-table style (6 x 0.49 x 9 inches, 13.8
ounces) volume is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: As a first effort to explore the story of Ruby McCollum, Dr. C. Arthur Ellis discovered that the trial
transcript was no longer in the Suwannee County courthouse and that portions of the microfilm record at the State of Florida
archive were missing. After years of research, he managed to compile a close facsimile of the transcript from two different
sources, annotated the transcript, and published several works on the Ruby McCollum story. He then donated a copy of his
version of the transcript to the Florida Collection at the University of Florida where it is archived in the Smathers
Library.
His ten-year research effort of restoring the trial transcript also involved reviewing hundreds of newspaper and magazine
articles, interviewing many of the characters in the story, recording his own memories, including drawing a floor plan of
Adams' office where the murder took place. He also commissioned over 50 oil paintings of the places and characters central
to the Ruby McCollum story to preserve the "look" of this historical event for future generations. Finally, he documented
information contributed by his father who worked with Dr. Adams at the Suwannee County hospital.
For his work on Ruby McCollum, Dr. Ellis was a featured guest speaker at Miami Book Fair International, and was invited
to speak on the Ruby McCollum story by LA Theatre Works on the anniversary of William Huie's investigative work on the
same case. He has also been a featured guest speaker on the Ruby McCollum story at the Florida Historical Society and the
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society.
In 2014, Dr. Ellis worked with Ms. Ramona Ramdeen to complete a feature documentary on the Ruby McCollum story,
entitled, CURTAIN OF SECRECY. In this film Dr. Ellis is joined by his wife, who offers her analysis of the characters of
the story from her point of view as a forensic psychologist.
Also, in the fall of 2014, Drs. Ellis appeared on A Crime to Remember in the season episode, The Shot Doctor, featuring the
Ruby McCollum story.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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