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Reviewer's Choice
Russia's Army
Roger R. Reese
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806192758, $34.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Russias-Army-Napoleonic-Campaigns-Commanders/dp/0806192755
Synopsis: With the invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin's Russia seems to have stepped out of time, reverting to an
imperial era of conquest and expansion. But as Professor Roger Reese points out in this comprehensive new history,
Russia's way of war has changed little from one century to the next, one regime to another, from the army of the tsar to the
army of today.
With the publication of "Russia's Army: A History from the Napoleonic Wars to the War in Ukraine", Professor Reese
reveals how the Imperial Russian Army and its successors, the Soviet Army and the army of the Russian Federation,
confronted the state's foreign policy challenges (projecting power and defending the empire) and the domestic challenge of
containing internal unrest generated by nationalism, competing ethnic and religious identities, and political discontent.
These twin challenges, in turn, drove defense policy and the planning and conduct of war.
From the beginning of the nineteenth century, the development of the army was driven by shifts in the European balance of
power and changes in global diplomacy, politics, economics, and society. Professor Reese identifies themes that weave
their way through this military history: the adoption of a strategy to maintain a defensive posture in the West, an offensive
strategy in the Balkans, and an expansionist policy in the East; maintenance of a large standing army; and a consistent
unease about the army's and non-Russian minorities' loyalty to the state. These themes, Professor Reese shows, have
emerged in times of peace and war, as heads of state have made operational and strategic military decisions while
managing civil-military relations -- from the times of tsarist Russia through the collapse of the Soviet empire, when Putin
sought to restore authoritarian rule and hegemony over the former Soviet states of the USSR.
A comprehensive account of the history of the Russian army from 1801 to 2022, "Russia's Army: A History from the
Napoleonic Wars to the War in Ukraine" Reese's is the first book to link Russian military history across three distinct eras
and to situate this history within the context of military strategy and doctrine, as reflected in specific campaigns, issues of
manning and maintaining an army, and relations between army and society, at home and in the "near abroad".
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study, "Russia's Army: A History from the Napoleonic Wars to the War in
Ukraine" by Professor Roger R. Reese is a masterpiece of historical scholarship and is informatively enhanced for the
reader's benefit with the inclusion of three maps (Imperial Russia 1914, The Soviet Union 1989, The Russian Federation
2001), an eight page Bibliography, sixteen pages of Notes, and a four page Index. A concise and documented military
history, "Russia's Army" will be of special value to readers with an interest in Russian military history and strategy. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, governmental, and college/university
library Russian Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Russia's Army"
from the University of Oklahoma Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.95)
Editorial Note: Roger Reese received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas in 1990 and joined the Texas A&M History
Department that same year. Dr. Reese specializes in Soviet social history in general, and the social history of the Imperial
and Russian Soviet militaries in particular. Dr. Reese has written seven books on the Russian and Soviet military and won
the Moncado prize from the Society for Military History for an outstanding article in military history and the Tomlinson
Book Prize from the World War One Historical Association for his book on the Russian Imperial Army. His current
research focus is on issues that span the divide between Russian and Soviet military history.
Beer, Brats, and Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip
Heather Kerrigan
University of Wisconsin Press
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299349844, $19.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beer-Brats-Cheese-Wisconsin-Road/dp/0299349845
Synopsis: As the popular PBS television series "Wisconsin Foodies" demonstrates week after week, Wisconsin's foodways
contain much more than beer, brats, and cheese. Yet these items remain at the pinnacle of the state's fame -- and rightly
so.
If you live in Wisconsin (or have simply visited) you know how hard it is to imagine tailgating, graduating, or celebrating
without the Big Three.
In 2022, Heather Kerrigan undertook a twenty-six-hundred-mile road trip crisscrossing the Badger State, seeking the
hidden gems that locals frequent. She visited Wisconsin's best restaurants, creameries, breweries, butcher shops, and
cheesemongers -- ultimately resulting in the publication of "Beer, Brats, and Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip.
Kerrigan highlights the innovative flavors and unexpected delights found in the spots she visited, while revealing why
these three foods enjoy a place of honor in the state's culinary culture. Great beer isn't made only in Milwaukee, Sheboygan
doesn't have a lock on the best bratwurst, and excellent cheeses don't just come from Monroe County. In fact, there are
towns large and small, from the far north to the Illinois border, from Door County to the Mississippi River, that produce
amazing culinary experiences.
Whether you're planning a turn-by-turn day trip or simply looking for a great place to eat or drink nearby, "Beer, Brats, and
Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip" is an ideal guide for exploring the culinary wealth Wisconsin has to offer.
Critique: Featuring a number of maps and the occasional B/W illustration, Heather Kerrigan's "Beer, Brats, and Cheese: A
Wisconsin Road Trip" from the University of Wisconsin Press is a treasured combination of Wisconsin culinary history
and food themed travel guide showcasing what Wisconsin on has to offer beyond beer, brats, and cheese -- as well as the
best of those iconic foods. Informative, exceptional, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Beer, Brats,
and Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community/academic library Travel Guide & Wisconsin History collections.
Editorial Note: Heather Kerrigan is a journalist, editor, and author who was raised in Wisconsin. She is owner of River
Horse Communications, which provides writing and editing services to publishers, professional and trade associations, and
consulting companies. (https://www.asja.org/member/heather-kerrigan)
The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball
Christian Sheppard
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.gbgpress.com
9798886453041, $27.95
https://www.amazon.com/ANCIENT-WISDOM-BASEBALL-Lessons-ODYSSEY/dp/B0DHHK19S6
The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball: Lessons for Life from Homer's ODYSSEY to the World Series is formatted as a series
of life "innings" which discuss ancient Greek virtues such as courage, prudence, and temperance. But what especially
distinguishes this book are the anecdotes and descriptions of famous baseball players and how they embody these virtues.
Ball players such as Carlton Fisk, Andre Dawson, and Ichiro Suzuki are just a few of the players held up as examples.
The philosophical question underlying all this subject matter is "How Do I Live?" This approach forms the foundation of a
personal journey that often equates the essence and nuances of succeeding in baseball with important life insights. Though
this book will obviously attract baseball fans, it holds the dual ability to reach out to non-sports audiences, from self-help
and philosophy students to introspective thinkers forging their own values in life. Indeed, young adults will be an
important audience for Sheppard's discussion as the topics unfold. The nuggets of wisdom open with the author's historical
review of his home ballpark, Wrigley Field.
This immediately represents the curious juxtaposition of spiritual and sports history that sets the tone for this appealing,
thought-provoking work: The veneration of generations that has sanctified Wrigley Field as a place that is, well, sacred.
But it emanates an odd sort of holiness. Best memories and imaginings, the famous field of dreams is also filled with boos
and booze. If the ballpark is in some way a sacred place, it is always also unapologetically profane. I may be the only one
to wonder aloud how what is, after all, only a game works for me better than any religion, but I do not feel alone.
Discussions move from Plato and baseball history to life encounters so smoothly that readers will find the celebratory
revelations not just accessible, but thoroughly engrossing because of their vivid presentation: Amor fati, as the ancient
philosopher said, love your fate! Love your home team. Love life! I had a feeling like deja vu, not an uncanny feeling, but a
feeling of things coming together, of things that were once far apart now being linked. Sheppard fosters a sense of
discovery from the outset, leading to a vibrant exploration of a wide range of existential themes.
It should be noted that The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball is not a singular personal discussion. Sheppard provides an
extensive chapter-by-chapter bibliography that points the way to further inspirational reading, including Plutarch, articles
about Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson, as well as Homer's Iliad.
Libraries that choose The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball are in for a multifaceted treat that can be highly recommended,
serve as a smorgasbord of topics for book club discussions, and is a powerful collection of observations and timeless
lessons that will attract a large audience.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
How to Submit
Dennis James Sweeney
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608689361, $18.95, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Submit-Publishing-Literary-Magazines/dp/1608689360
Synopsis: An essential and comprehensive instructional guide and 'how-to' manual, "How to Submit: Getting Your Writing
Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses" by Dennis James Sweeney is the first of its kind to chart a path to
publication that is writer led, community based, and accessible to all.
"How to Submit" speaks to aspiring and seasoned writers alike who want to publish short stories, essays, or poems in
literary magazines, as well as to those looking for a fresh route to publishing a full-length book. Whether you're a first-time
submitter or you have experience sending out your work, "How to Submit" provides you with the tools and knowledge to
successfully share your writing. It's also a manifesto for finding joy in the process, arguing that seeking publication should
give writers energy, not take it from them.
Perfect for writers of any genre, "How to Submit" demystifies the independent publishing landscape for those seeking a
place for their work that really feels like home.
Critique: Covering the Why, Where, When, and How aspects of getting your work published with a small or niche press,
or a literary or niche magazine, "How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small
Presses" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a useful Introduction, two Appendices
(Frequently Asked Questions & Directory of Additional Resources), a two page listing of Acknowledgments, and a ten
page Index. "How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses" is thoroughly
'user friendly' in organization and presentation, making it the ideal resource for any and all writers seeking to have their
work published, publicized and promoted. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing collections and writer workshop curriculum studies lists, it
should be noted that this paperback edition of Dennis James Sweeney's "How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published
with Literary Magazines and Small Presses" from New World Library is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Dennis James Sweeney (www.dennisjamessweeney.com) has been published with Autumn House Press,
Essay Press, Ricochet Editions, and Stillhouse Press, among others. His writing has also appeared in outlets such as
Ecotone, The Southern Review, Witness, and The New York Times. Sweeney lives, writes, and teaches in Amherst,
Massachusetts.
The Military History Shelf
Battle Flags of the Wars for North America, 1754 - 1783
Steven W. Hill
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
9780811776738, $70.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Flags-North-America-1754-1783/dp/0811776735
Synopsis: Flags are an important part of the military history of colonial America. Not only are they essential artifacts that
help reconstruct battles and wars and the stories of various regiments, but they are also vivid, colorful, evocative visual
depictions of wars from an era before photography. "Battle Flags of the Wars for North America, 1754 - 1783: Foreign
Armies and Regiments" is meticulously researched volume with which military flag expert Steven W. Hill displays and
explains the flags of the regiments which fought in North America in the French and Indian War and the American War of
Independence.
Comprehensive and in-depth, "Battle Flags of the Wars for North America, 1754 - 1783: Foreign Armies and Regiments"
covers the regimental flags of the major combatants in the two major wars for North American in the eighteenth century --
including flags carried by regiments from Britain, France, Germany, and Spain.
This has long been a subject surrounded by myth, legend, and inaccuracy; the last "standard" work is more than forty years
old. Hill digs deep to correct old errors and assembles a complete record of the flags, drawing from archives and artifacts,
and creates a reference that will stand the test of time - not only during the coming 250th anniversary years, but far
beyond.
Critique: This large format (8.87 x 0.79 x 11.24 inches, 2.65 pounds) hardcover edition of "Battle Flags of the Wars for
North America, 1754 - 1783: Foreign Armies and Regiments" by Steven W. Hill is profusely and beautifully illustrated
throughout in full color. Deftly organized into four major sections of regimental colors (British, French, German, Spanish)
of forces engaged in 18th Century North American conflicts, "Battle Flags of the Wars for North America, 1754 - 1783:
Foreign Armies and Regiments" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a seven page Annotated
Bibliography, and four pages of Notes. Unique, elegant, informative, and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library 18th Century North American Military History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Battle Flags of the Wars for North America, 1754 - 1783:
Foreign Armies and Regiments" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $58.26) to students, academia,
historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Steven W. Hill is a nationally recognized expert on military flags and colors, with more than fifty years of
experience in the field. He has served as curator of the flag collections for the State of Delaware and the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and as associate curator of the military flag collections in Indiana and Connecticut. A member of the
Company of Military Collectors and Historians, Hill is proprietor and flag-maker of DuPage Military Flag Company
(http://www.dupagemilitaryflag.com), which has made reproduction flags for the Smithsonian, the United States Military
and Naval Academies, the Pentagon, the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harvard University, numerous Civil War battlefields
(including Vicksburg, Chickamauga, and Petersburg), Ford's Theater, Mount Vernon, Fort Ligonier, the movie Last of the
Mohicans, and hundreds of military reenactment units.
The World History Shelf
Warriors and Wilderness in Medieval Britain
Robin Melrose
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476668260, $19.99, PB, 260pp
https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Wilderness-Medieval-Britain-Beowulf/dp/1476668264
Synopsis: With the publication of "Warriors and Wilderness in Medieval Britain: From Arthur and Beowulf to Sir Gawain
and Robin Hood", academician Robin Melrose traces the development of the King Arthur story in the late Middle
Ages.
Professor Melrose deftly explores Arthur's depiction as a wilderness figure, the descendant of the northern Romano-British
hunter/warrior god. The earliest Arthur was a warrior but in the 11th century Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, he is less a
warrior and more a leader of a band of rogue heroes.
The story of Arthur was popularized by Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his Latin History of the Kings of Britain, and was
translated into Middle English in Layamon's Brut and the later alliterative Alliterative Morte Arthure. Both owed much to
the epic poem "Beowulf," which draws on the Anglo-Saxon fascination with the wilderness.
The most famous Arthurian tale is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which the wilderness and themes from Beowulf
play a leading role. Three Arthurian tales set in Inglewood Forest place Arthur and Gawain in a wilderness setting, and link
Arthur to medieval Robin Hood tales.
Critique: A fascinating, informative, insightful, and fun read from start to finish, "Warriors and Wilderness in Medieval
Britain: From Arthur and Beowulf to Sir Gawain and Robin Hood" is an inherently interesting study that will hold special
appeal for readers with an interest in the Arthurian legend and the ancient tales and stories that shaped and influenced it.
While a choice pick for community and college/university library British Folklore/Mythology collections in general, and
supplemental Arthurian Studies curriculum lists in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Warriors
and Wilderness in Medieval Britain: From Arthur and Beowulf to Sir Gawain and Robin Hood" is also available from
McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Robin Melrose is a retired senior lecturer in English and linguistics at England's University of Portsmouth.
He lives on the Isle of Wight in southern England.
The Quest for the Hittites
Fausto Labruto
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476692395, $39.95, PB, 198pp
https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Hittites-Uncovering-Forgotten-Civilization/dp/1476692394
Synopsis: The Hittites were one of the most powerful peoples of the ancient Near East. They successfully challenged all
other nations, including almighty Egypt, from their Anatolian stronghold. Then, their empire collapsed, was consigned to
oblivion, and lay forgotten.
Three thousand years later, a motley group of scholars, archaeologists, and adventurers rediscovered the Hittites in an
archaeological enterprise spanning a century and weaving through the worlds of German kaisers, Turkish sultans, and even
the Nazis.
"The Quest for the Hittites: Uncovering a Forgotten Civilization" by Fausto Labruto is the history of the rediscovery of the
Hittites. It is a compelling story packed with intrigue and played out against a compelling historical backdrop. It involves
colorful characters like an explorer fluent in 29 languages and an archaeologist who slept in royal tombs, along with
Victorian historians, cuneiform experts, code-crackers, and grave robbers. These are the unlikely sleuths who
collaboratively uncovered the very roots of the long lost to history Hittite Empire.
Critique: Informatively enriched for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Preface, an Introduction, an Epilogue, ten
pages of Chapter Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a three page Index, "The Quest for the Hittites: Uncovering a
Forgotten Civilization" is an extraordinary and inherently fascinating read that will be of immense interest to students,
academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in Ancient History in general, and the Hittite Empire in
particular. While especially recommended for community and college/university library Archaeology and Ancient History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition from McFarland &
Company is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Based in Australia, Fausto Labruto is a medical doctor, associate professor of radiology, independent
researcher in history, and web educator in the field of ancient languages.
The German Empire, 1871 - 1918
Roger Chickering
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781107026742, $49.99, HC, 665pp
https://www.amazon.com/German-Empire-1871-1918-Roger-Chickering/dp/1107026741
Synopsis: Furious economic growth and social change resulted in pervasive civic conflict in Imperial Germany. With the
publication of "The German Empire, 1871 - 1918", Professor Roger Chickering presents a wide-ranging history of this
fractious period, from German national unification to the close of the First World War.
Throughout this time, national unity remained an acute issue. It appeared to be resolved momentarily in the summer of
1914, only to dissolve in the war that followed. This detailed historical study examines the impact of rapid industrialization
and urban growth on Catholics and Protestants, farmers and city dwellers, industrial workers and the middle classes.
Focusing on Imperial Germany's religious, regional, and ethnic reverberations, Professor Chickering also examines the
social, cultural, and political dimensions of domestic conflict. Providing multiple lenses with which to view the German
Empire, Professor Chickering's survey examines local and domestic experiences as well as global ramifications.
"The German Empire, 1871 - 1918" provides the most comprehensive survey of this restless era available in the English
language.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking work of meticulous scholarship, "The German Empire, 1871 - 1918" by Professor
Emeritus of History Roger Chickering is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of maps, a nine
page Bibliography and a fifteen page Index. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The German Empire,
1871 - 1918" must be considered as an essential and core addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library 19th & Early 20th Century European & German History collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that this hardcover edition of "The German Empire, 1871 - 1918" from the Cambridge University Press is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $49.99).
Editorial Note: Roger Chickering (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Chickering) is Professor Emeritus of History at
Georgetown University. His publications include The Great War and Urban Life in Germany: Freiburg, 1914 - 1918
(Cambridge University Press, 2007) and Imperial Germany and the Great War, 1914 - 1918 (Cambridge University Press,
3rd ed., 2014).
The Education Shelf
Meet Every Learner's Needs
Robert Barnett
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
9781394274895, $30.00, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Every-Learners-Needs-Redesigning/dp/1394274890
Synopsis: With the publication of "Meet Every Learner's Needs: Redesigning Instruction So All Students Can Succeed",
academician Robert Barnett presents a compendium of research-backed techniques to transform classrooms into dynamic
learning environments in which all students are appropriately challenged (and appropriately supported) every day.
Based on teacher and Modern Classrooms Project co-founder Barnett's experience training thousands of teachers
worldwide, "Meet Every Learner's Needs" provides a methodology for K-12 educators to design lessons and courses that
respond to individual learners' unique needs and help every learner develop authentic understanding. This approach has
empowered educators and students in all grade levels and content areas, everywhere from underperforming inner-city
public schools to elite international schools, across all fifty states and over 150 countries.
"Meet Every Learner's Needs" includes highly practical tips and templates, which busy teachers can use to provide better
instruction immediately. Throughout, readers will learn how to:
Make direct instruction accessible and engaging to all learners
Develop strong personal relationships with and between learners
Create efficient learning experiences that give learners ownership and autonomy
Share this approach with their colleagues and communities
"Meet Every Learner's Needs" will leave readers both inspired and empowered to redesign instruction in their classrooms
and communities. It will help educators, administrators, and parents take immediate action to create learning experiences
that help all students truly succeed.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative Foreword by Kareem Farah, a three page
listing of Teacher Tips showcased in the text, a Conclusion (Change Starts Every Day), four pages of Notes on Teacher
Tips, and a four page Index, "Meet Every Learner's Needs: Redesigning Instruction So All Students Can Succeed" is an
ideal textbook for school district in-service workshops and college/university Teacher Education curriculums.
Exceptionally well organized and presented, this paperback edition of Robert Barnett's "Meet Every Learner's Needs" from
Jossey-Bass is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Robert Barnett is a former teacher and the Co-Founder of the Modern Classrooms Project. He taught math,
computer science, English, social studies, and law, from the middle-school to university levels, at public and private
schools in the United States and abroad. (https://podcast.modernclassrooms.org/guests/robertbarnett)
Beyond the Science of Reading
Natalie Wexler
ASCD
www.ascd.org
9781416633563, $36.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Science-Reading-Connecting-Instruction/dp/1416633561
Synopsis: The science of reading movement has done much to improve instruction in foundational skills. But that
hard-won progress may be reversed unless we also help children acquire the knowledge and vocabulary they need to
understand complex text.
At the same time, the science of learning movement has introduced many educators to evidence-based teaching principles
that can be effective for all students. With the publication of "Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy
Instruction to the Science of Learning", Natalie Wexler addresses a missing piece of the conversation: the ways in which
typical reading comprehension and writing instruction conflict with those principles.
Wexler also offers practical solutions for bringing science-informed literacy instruction to scale and reveals why
Teaching phonics isn't enough to create proficient readers.
Building knowledge is the key to unlocking reading comprehension.
Writing instruction holds untapped potential to boost literacy and learning.
Instruction grounded in cognitive science can narrow achievement gaps.
Current curriculum evaluation methods may be steering schools wrong.
"Beyond the Science of Reading" charts a bold path forward with a new way to equip all children to read with fluency,
understanding, and joy. This is an essential resource for educators, policymakers, parents, and anyone who cares about the
future of literacy and equity in the United States.
Critique: Exceptional, impressive, thought-provoking, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning" by Natalie Wexler is
enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative six-age Introduction, a seventeen page listing of
References, a six page Index, and a two page Study Guide. Of immense interest and value to readers concerned with
promoting literacy, "Beyond the Science of Reading" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Reading/Phonics educational curricula collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, reading specialists, and members of the
publishing industry concerned with the impact of diminishing literacy levels on the use of books for recreation and
instruction, that this paperback edition of "Beyond the Science of Reading" from ASCD is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $35.10).
Editorial Note: Natalie Wexler (www.nataliewexler.com) is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap:
The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System - and How to Fix It. She is also the coauthor, with Judith C.
Hochman, of The Writing Revolution 2.0: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades
and host of "Reading Comprehension Revisited," a six-episode series for The Knowledge Matters Podcast.
The AI Studies Shelf
AI for Communication
David J. Gunkel
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032571706, $31.99, PB, 130pp
https://www.amazon.com/AI-Communication-Everything-David-Gunkel/dp/1032571705
Synopsis: With the publication of "AI for Communication", Professor david J. Gunkel provides an engaging exploration
into the diverse applications of artificial intelligence (AI) within the realm of communication. By bridging the gap between
the scientific and engineering realms of AI and communication, "AI for Communication" reveals how AI, since its
inception during the Dartmouth Summer workshop of 1956, has inherently been a science of communication.
Exploring key advancements such as machine translation, natural language processing, large language models,
computational creativity, and social robotics, "AI for Communication" shows how these innovations not only disrupt but
also actively transform human communication.
"AI for Communication" is designed for students, teachers, and general readers who want to know how the field of
communication impacts and influences the theory and practice of AI and how recent developments in AI will affect all
aspects of human social interaction.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "AI for
Communication" is the ideal introduction to the background science and development of AI technology for advancing
human communication. Of special note are the chapters on Social Robots, Computational Creativity and Generative AI,
and The Future of Communication. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.27), this paperback edition of "AI for Communication" from CRC Press is an essential and highly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library AI collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: David J. Gunkel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J._Gunkel) is Professor of Communication
Technology at Northern Illinois University (USA) and Associate Professor of Applied Ethics at Lazarski University
(Poland). He is also the author of 14 books on the social impact and significance of digital media, artificial intelligence,
and robotics.
humAIn
Don Roosan, Pharm.D; PhD
Armin Lear Press, Inc.
https://arminlear.com
9781963271515, $24.95
https://www.amazon.com/humAIn-Don-Roosan/dp/1963271513
"humAIn: Unlock Your Potential Using Artificial Intelligence" goes beyond books about AI that discuss potential threats,
focusing on solutions and strategies to employing AI in all kinds of human-supportive efforts. Don Roosan offers a breath
of fresh air that those facing AI technology and its changes will want to embrace (or, at least think about). The discussions
are geared to AI novices who have heard about the coming technology, but hold fuzzy knowledge about its actual
incarnation and applications in everyday life.
An introduction points out that many companies are involved in misinformation practices that spin AI as a product rather
than a user-controlled enhancement. Roosan refutes this style of business promotion, showing how AI may be controlled
by users -- not just sold to them as a done deal.
Discussion groups will want to wrap their debates around the introductory contention Roosan supports: ...here's the reality:
AI is just a tool. It's not an omnipotent force poised to take over the world. You can control, adapt, and utilize it to improve
your life. In fact, most people are already using AI -- perhaps unknowingly. Further knowledge about its benefits and
possibilities will add more options for taking advantage of its applications.
This contention is the crux of Roosan's discussions. humAIn is more than a technological celebration. It provides
thought-provoking discussions about the pros and cons of various approaches incorporating AI into daily life, from
education and ChatGPT (or Gemini)'s influence on student learning to adopting new critical thinking skills that can
identify and address fake news.
Roosan's purpose is twofold: to eliminate fear about AI, and to provide tools that readers can apply to incorporate AI into
their lives in ways that are rational, not reactive. Libraries will want to highly recommend humAIn not just to a wide
audience of patrons interested in AI technology and issues. It will especially appeal to classroom and book club reading
groups interested in lively debate material surrounding AI's potential and incarnation in global society. humAIn's practical
approach takes guesswork and fear away from the AI platform, opening the door to new possibilities for its use. Its
different, much-needed alternative to the fearmongering that often surrounds AI speculation is refreshing.
The Cookbook Shelf
Love Gluten-Free
Megan McKenna
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600638827, $26.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Gluten-free-delicious-recipes-together/dp/0600638820
Synopsis: In her follow-up to Can You Make That Gluten-free?, with the publication of "Love Gluten-free: Easy, delicious
recipes to enjoy together", Megan McKenna shares palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying, gluten-free recipes that will spark a
culinary joy and are perfect for sharing with loved ones at meal times and any time!
For many people, avoiding gluten can be an isolating experience, but with this compendium of kitchen cook friendly
recipes you can get together with friends and family without needing your own separate portion of gluten-free food.
The underlying message of "Love Gluten-free: Easy, delicious recipes to enjoy together" is that everyone gathering around
the dinner table can enjoying delicious gluten free food together.
Profusely illustrated with full color photos of finished dishes, "Love Gluten-free: Easy, delicious recipes to enjoy together"
includes:
Crowd-pleasing brunch recipes: Baked feta breakfast bruschetta, Honey avocado bites and Bacon & spinach egg
muffins
Romantic date night dishes: Marry me chicken, Pink sauce spaghetti with lardons & walnuts and Mini heart pizzas
Delicious home comforts: Short rib ragu of dreams, Cheesy crispy mac 'n' cheese and Flaky apple pie parcels
Fun and tasty sharing plates: Buffalo chicken bites, BBQ pulled pork & pineapple tacos and
Sweet & salty chocolate covered nachos
Solo self-love dinners: Garlic chicken Kyiv, Egg fried rice and Steak fajita loaded jacket potato
Critique: Each guaranteed gluten-free recipe includes a succinct description, number of servings, listed ingredients, and
step-by-step instructions -- guaranteeing culinary success for even the most novice of kitchen cooks. If you only have time
for one gluten-free themed cookbook, make it "Love Gluten-free: Easy, delicious recipes to enjoy together" by Megan
McKenna. Recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that
this hardcover edition of "Love Gluten-free: Easy, delicious recipes to enjoy together" from Hamlyn is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Megan McKenna is a TV personality, singer-songwriter, coeliac, home cook, Celebrity MasterChef
contestant, highly engaged influencer and brand ambassador with social media platforms totaling over 4 million
followers.
Pull Up a Chair: Recipes for Gatherings Big and Small, Morning to Night
Martha Collison
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804192429, $32.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pull-Up-Chair-Recipes-Gatherings/dp/1804192422
Synopsis: "Pull Up a Chair: Recipes for Gatherings Big and Small, Morning to Night" is a compendium of delightfully
delicious dishes where the recipes are big on flavor with minimal fuss, making sharing food with friends easier than
ever.
Whether you're looking for a weekend brunch spread, a little treat to share over coffee with a friend, a three-course
extravaganza or a weeknight winner for two, culinary expert, food writer and British baker Martha Collison has got you
covered. All of her recipes are all easy to follow, and produce delicious results without hours of effort in the kitchen.
These kitchen cook friendly recipes range from Double chocolate marmalade cookies; Hoisin Sausage Bake; Hasselback
Halloumi and Orange Salad; and Sticky Pomegranate Brisket with Vermicelli Rice; to Drunken Cherry Affogato; Sheet
Pan Pizza; Baked Camembert with Sticky Dates; and Elderflower Summer Punch Pitcher.
There are over 90 recipes organized into eight thematic chapters, taking you from breakfast through to dinners, picnics,
desserts, drinks and more. For anyone looking for easy ways to nourish and delight their friends and family, In terms of
planning memorable meals for any and all dining occasions, "Pull Up a Chair" has everything a kitchen cook would
need.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of beautiful full color photos of finished dishes, "Pull Up a Chair: Recipes for
Gatherings Big and Small, Morning to Night" by Martha Collison is an impressive and recommended pick for personal,
professional, and community library Contemporary Cookbook Collections. It should be noted that his hardcover edition of
"Pull Up a Chair" from Kyle Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Martha Collison (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Collison) is a food writer and recipe creator. In
2014, aged 17, she took part in the fifth series of The Great British Bake Off and remains the youngest ever contestant. She
has since written two cookbooks (Twist: Creative ideas to reinvent your baking and Crave: Brilliantly indulgent recipes),
established a regular column for Waitrose Weekend, built an online following of over 150k and become resident Show
Chef on the Graham Norton Radio Show with Virgin Radio. She has also appeared on BBC1's Saturday Kitchen and
regularly collaborates with household name brands. She has 150k followers on Instagram.
Feasts of Good Fortune
Hsiao-Ching Chou & Meilee Chou Riddle
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632175182, $30.00, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Feasts-Good-Fortune-Celebrations-Mid-Autumn/dp/1632175185
Synopsis: Covering everything from traditional Lunar New Year menus with recipes passed down generations to
Thanksgiving get-togethers celebrated with tantalizing side dishes, with the publication of "Feasts of Good Fortune: 75
Recipes for a Year of Chinese American Celebrations, from Lunar New Year to Mid-Autumn Festival and Beyond " the
mother/daughter team of Hsiao-Ching Chou and Meilee Chou Riddle invites you to take a seat at the Chou's warm family
dinner table.
Author and former James Beard Foundation cookbook committee chair Hsiao-Ching Chou (Chinese Soul Food) brings her
on-ramp approach to Chinese cooking full circle with fresh, uncomplicated home cooking for celebrations typical of the
Chinese American experience. Master dumplings, scallion pancakes, and more, to contribute to "tuan yuan" (the act of
coming together) that define family meals in these 75 tried-and-true recipes anyone can tackle.
Co-written with Hsiao-Ching's 17-year-old daughter, Meilee, on reconnecting with her Chinese American heritage as a
young adult, this deeply meaningful cookbook is an exploration of what it means to grow up in a "forever hyphenated
culture" and celebrates the joy of the mother-daughter bond in cooking together.
Organized chronologically with menus that'll take out the guesswork, including:
Lunar New Year (Sticky Rice with Chicken and Chinese Sausage)
Lantern Festival (Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Paste)
Honoring the Dead/Qing Ming (Steamed Spinach Dumplings)
Dragon Boat Festival (Zong Zi)
Mid-Autumn Festival (Mooncakes)
Birthdays & Party Bites (Stir-Fried Long-Life Noodles)
Side Dishes for East-meets-West Menus (Braised Kale with Dried Cranberries)
Hot Pot Parties
Critique: This large format (8.01 x 0.68 x 8.97 inches, 2.31 pounds) paperback edition of "Feasts of Good Fortune: 75
Recipes for a Year of Chinese American Celebrations, from Lunar New Year to Mid-Autumn Festival and Beyond" is a
culinary delight to browse through, plane menus with, and insure total success with its colorful illustrations, anecdotal
commentaries, and kitchen cook friendly step-by-step instructions. Authentic and genuine, the Chinese dishes comprising
"Feasts of Good Fortune" are palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health supporting, and memorable. While also available
in a digital book format, "Feasts of Good Fortune" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
and community library Ethnic/Chinese cookbook collections.
Editorial Note #1: Hsiao-Ching Chou is an award-winning food journalist and author of three cookbooks on Chinese home
cooking. Known for her potsticker classes, she has taught hundreds of students over the years. She is the past chair of the
James Beard Foundation's Book Awards Committee and serves on the board of directors for the Ballard Food Bank. When
she's not wearing her culinary hat, she makes a living as an editorial director in the tech industry.
Editorial Note #2: Meilee Chou Riddle is a student of filmmaking, writing, and music. She comes from a family of
storytellers, including her TV producer dad, Eric Riddle; cookbook author mom, Hsiao-Ching Chou; and lifestyle blogger
grandma, Ellen Chou. Meilee is always looking for ways to express her creativity. Her award-winning films have been
featured in regional and national film festivals.
LEON Big Flavours Cookbook
Rebecca Seal
Conran
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781840918267, $26.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/LEON-Big-Flavours-Cookbook-Salty/dp/1840918268
Synopsis: Why can't fast food be good food? LEON's culinary mission is to prove that it can be by serving naturally fast
food that not only tastes good but does you good too, and now, with the publication of "LEON Big Flavours Cookbook:
Salty - Sour - Spicy - Sweet" you can use these recipes to create delicious meals in the comfort of your own home.
If you love lunches which pack a punch and suppers with attitude, then this DIY collection of recipes for more than 100
flavorful dishes from LEON is the one for you. From fiery coconut noodles to miso-spiked aubergine, caramel pork to
yuzu blondies, this book is all about turning flavors up to their max - be they deliciously salty, sweet, sour or spicy.
Among this compendium of recommended recipes are included:
Sweetcorn and jalapeno breakfast fritters with avocado and salsa
LEON's Coconut Makhani
Pasta alla limone
Chicken and coconut curried noodles
Blackened trout tacos with aji verde
Potato bread with garlic and anchovy herbed butter
Miso apple tarte tatin with vanilla mascarpone
Critique: Beautifully (and deliciously) illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes, "LEON Big Flavours
Cookbook: Salty - Sour - Spicy - Sweet" by Rebecca Seal is a unique and thoroughly 'family cook friendly' compendium of
recipes that are inspirational for planning memorable meals with. An especially recommended pick for personal, family,
and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "LEON Big Flavours
Cookbook" from Conrad is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Rebecca Seal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Seal) is a former assistant editor of Observer Food
Monthly and Observer Woman and is now a cookbook author, magazine editor, and freelance journalist.
The Pickle Jar
Nick Vadasz
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804192740, $24.99, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pickle-Jar-Recipes-Pickles-Ferments/dp/1804192740
Synopsis: The positive link between great gut health and eating fermented foods is now well established. Making your own
at home is the perfect way to incorporate ferments into your diet - they're easy to create, require minimal equipment,
contain no chemicals or preservatives and taste fantastic!
With the publication of "The Pickle Jar: Recipes for Making and Using Pickles and Ferments", pickling expert Nick
Vadasz teaches you how simple it is to get pickling, and provides delicious, healthy recipes using your own creations.
The first half of "The Pickle Jar" covers how to make your own fermented and pickled products at home - including
kimchi, sauerkraut and pickles. These key base recipes combine with tips and ideas for getting inventive with your own
fermented creations. While the second half features recipes incorporating your creations, ranging from Kimchi Glazed
Aubergine to Orange, Fennel and Super Beet Salad, and from Kimchi French Toast to a Dill Pickle Martini.
Whether you want to create your own ferments from scratch or find ways to save the kimchi languishing in your fridge,
"The Pickle Jar" offers a culinary wealth of ways to incorporate fermented foods to upgrade your flavors and boost your
gut health.
Critique: Comprised of 70 distinctive and 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, "The Pickle Jar: Recipes for Making and Using
Pickles and Ferments" by Nick Vadasz offers everything needed to employ and enjoy the health and gustatory benefits of
pickling and fermenting at home! Profusely and deliciously illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes,
"The Pickle Jar" is an impressive and welcome pick for personal, professional, and community library specialized
cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Pickle Jar" is also readily available from
Hamlyn in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Nick Vadasz is known as The Picklesman. Inspired by his Hungarian heritage, he founded Vadasz in 2011
in a shipping container in Hackney, East London. He began selling his range of both fermented and vinegar brined pickles,
sauerkraut and kimchi at markets across London. Vadasz soon became the first UK based producer of pickles & ferments,
and is now stocked by restaurants and retailers including Wholefoods Market, LEON, Shake Shack, Waitrose, M&S,
Coop, Sainsbury's, Ocado and more. Vadasz have 16.6k followers on Instagram.
The Pocket Rhubarb Cookbook
Nina Mukerjee Furstenau
Belt Publishing
https://beltpublishing.com
c/o Arcadia Publishing (distribution)
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com
9781953368980, $18.00, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Rhubarb-Cookbook-Cookbooks/dp/1953368980
Synopsis: Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks (petioles) of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of Rheum in the family
Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The plant is a herbaceous perennial that grows from short, thick
rhizomes. Historically, different plants have been called "rhubarb" in English. The large, triangular leaves contain high
levels of oxalic acid and anthrone glycosides, making them inedible. The small flowers are grouped in large compound
leafy greenish-white to rose-red inflorescences. (Wikipedia)
There is a lot more to rhubarb than you would think. This distinctive plant was initially used as an herbal medicine, and it
eventually became a favorite baking ingredient and was known stateside as the "pie plant". Today in some circles it is
considered a superfood thanks to its high levels of vitamin C and K and fiber.
A compendium of more than sixty recipes, "The Pocket Rhubarb Cookbook" by food journalist and author Nina Mukerjee
Furstenau takes aspiring kitchen cooks on a journey through the extensive applications of the tart red stalk. From classics
desserts like strawberry-rhubarb pie to savory main dishes, plus preserves, relishes, and even drinks, the best-dressed
member of your garden shines in ways you never would have dreamed of.
Critique: With recipes ranging from Rhubarb Crisp, Rhubarb Marmalade, Rhubarb Almond Bars, and Rhubarb
Blueberry Barbecue Baked Beans, to Strawberry Rhubarb Daiquiris, Rhubarb Pickles, and Rhubarb Salsa, "The Pocket
Rhubarb Cookbook" is a 'must' for all dedicated rhubarb fans and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.10).
This highly portable (5 x 0.31 x 7 inches, 5 ounces) paperback edition of Nina Mukerjee Furstenau's "The Pocket Rhubarb
Cookbook" from Belt Publishing is a unique, specialized, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Nina Mukerjee Furstenau (www.ninafurstenau.com) is a food journalist and writer with interest in food,
identity, and culture. She has written five books, including her memoir, Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in
America's Heartland, which won the MFK Fisher Book Award, among other accolades. In addition to the books Green
Chili & Other Impostors, Food & Culture, Tasty! Mozambique, and Savor Missouri, her podcast, Canned Peaches, is
available through NPR. She also writes stories and essays for magazines and current media.
Oysters: Recipes that Bring Home a Taste of the Sea
Cynthia Nims
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632175250, $22.95, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Oysters-Recipes-that-Bring-Taste/dp/1632175258
Synopsis: For the benefit and enjoyment of oyster lovers everywhere, "Oysters: Recipes that Bring Home a Taste of the
Sea" by Cynthia Nims is a luscious and beautifully illustrated cookbook that includes recipes, shucking instructions, and
the local farming success story of the many delicious oysters from the Pacific Coast.
From Hangtown Hash with Fried Eggs to Half-Shell Oysters with Kimchi-Cucumber Relish, this gorgeous cookbook
features 30 recipes, ideas for what to drink with oysters, and tips for buying, storing, and shucking to bring out the "oh!" in
oysters.
Since oysters are grown and harvested in some of the most beautiful environments on earth, "Oysters: Recipes that Bring
Home a Taste of the Sea" is brimming with full color scenic and food photography. The delectable oysters grown along the
West Coast (which include Pacific, Kumamoto, Olympia, and Eastern and European Flat species) are the culinary stars of
this beautiful cookbook celebrating oysters based cuisine.
Critique: "Oysters: Recipes that Bring Home a Taste of the Sea" by Cynthia Nims is exceptionally well organized and
presented, making it an ideal resource for novice and experienced kitchen cooks alike. Originally published (2016) in
hardcover, and now available from Sasquatch Books in paperback and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) "Oysters:
Recipes that Bring Home a Taste of the Sea" is a specially recommended pick for personal, professional, family, and
community library Seafood themed cookbook collections,
Editorial Note: Cynthia Nims is a cookbook author and culinary consultant focused on food, beverages, and travel. She
studied cuisine in France, is the author of 15 cookbooks, and served on the editorial team for Modernist Cuisine.
Doughnuts: 90 Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home
Lara Ferroni
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632175243, $19.95, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Doughnuts-Simple-Delicious-Recipes-Make/dp/163217524X
Synopsis: A chocolate-glazed doughnut and cup of coffee is a match made in heaven for many North Americans, but wait!
Something new is happening in the doughnut world: boutique bakeries are popping up everywhere, and "designer
doughnuts" are all the rage.
But the best news of all is that they are actually easy to make at home! And really, is there anything more scrumptious than
a fresh doughnut?
With the publication of "Doughnuts: 90 Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home" by doughnut making expert Lara
Ferroni, prepare to be tempted by a compendium of DIY recipes, ranging from Chai, Huckleberry Cheesecake, and Red
Velvet, to Carrot Cake, Sourdough Raised, and Almond-Sea Salt Caramel Sugared.
Of course, this uniquely specialized cookbook is also presents traditional recipes for favorites like Old-Fashioned Sour
Cream and Chocolate Raised doughnuts, as well as vegan and gluten-free recipes. The mouthwatering photography and
tasty recipes will leave readers and home cooks drooling and dreaming about doughnuts.
Critique: The full page, full color photos of finished donuts will inspire and motivate kitchen cooks and their doughnut
loving families to enjoy one of America's favorite treats -- the doughnut. This DIY compendium, kitchen cook friendly,
specialty cookbook will prove to be a highly prized and enduringly popular pick for personal, family, professonal, and
community library Bakery Goods cookbook collections. Original published in 2018, this new paperback edition of Lara
Ferroni's "Doughnuts: 90 Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home" from Sasquatch Books, is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). Simply stated -- anyone who enjoys a good doughnut will prize this 'user friendly'
and inspiring collection of DIY recipes for truly memorable baked/fried goodness that is the doughnut.
Editorial Note: Lara Ferroni (https://laraferroni.com) is a tech geek turned food geek who spends her days exploring food
and cocktail culture. As a writer and photographer, you might spy her learning to make kimchi in the back room of a local
church, foraging for wild berries, or snapping away in some of the finest kitchens and bars. She is the author of five
cookbooks, including Doughnuts, An Avocado a Day, Real Snacks, and Put an Egg on It.
28 Days Keto
Lisa Butterworth & Caroline Hwang
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781923049574, $19.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/28-Days-Keto-complete-lifestyle/dp/1923049577
Synopsis: Ketosis is a metabolic state characterized by elevated levels of ketone bodies in the blood or urine. Physiological
ketosis is a normal response to low glucose availability. In physiological ketosis, ketones in the blood are elevated above
baseline levels, but the body's acid - base homeostasis is maintained. This contrasts with ketoacidosis, an uncontrolled
production of ketones that occurs in pathologic states and causes a metabolic acidosis, which is a medical emergency.
Ketoacidosis is most commonly the result of complete insulin deficiency in type 1 diabetes or late-stage type 2 diabetes.
(Wikipedia)
For those having to deal with Keto imbalances, embarking on a new diet can be daunting, especially if it means drastically
changing what you eat and having to cook with ingredients that might be unfamiliar to you. "28 Days Keto: A complete
guide to living the keto lifestyle easily" takes the stress out of dieting, helping you to transition to ketosis and enjoy all the
benefits that the keto diet brings.
As well as an informative introduction to the keto diet, "28 Days to Keto" k includes everything you need to know, from
the science behind the diet and keto-friendly ingredients to meal plans, shopping lists, and easy-to-follow advice.
To help make the transition easier, "28 Days Keto" has 28 full days of recipes, from breakfast to dinner, and a shopping list
for every week -- proving that healthier decisions don't have to be difficult. With snacks, drinks, and basics included,
everything is covered to make the transition to a keto diet achievable and effortless.
Critique: More than just a cookbook, "28 Days Keto: A complete guide to living the keto lifestyle easily" by co-authors
Lisa Butterworth and Caroline Hwang is an effective 28-day DIY plan to achieving ketosis easily and enjoy the benefits of
a keto lifestyle. This large format (7.91 x 0.88 x 9.71 inches, 1.6 pounds) paperback edition of "28 Days Keto: A complete
guide to living the keto lifestyle easily" from Smith Street Books is profusely and beautifully illustrated with full color
photographic throughout. Exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "28 Days Keto". While highly
recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as professional, and community library specialized cookbook
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Lisa Butterworth (www.lisabutterworth.com) is the West Coast editor of BUST and a founding editor of
Tidal. She covers food, fashion, pop culture, women's issues, and more for outlets including Nylon, Cosmopolitan,
Women's Health, Elle, Martha Stewart Living, Time Out,and New York magazine while basking in L.A.'s eternal
sunshine.
Editorial Note #2: Caroline K. Hwang (www.carolinekhwang.com) is a Los Angeles - based food stylist and recipe
developer. She left a career in the arts to pursue her love and passion for food and cooking by way of restaurant kitchens.
She works across a range of commercial and editorial media and has worked with prestigious clients including Foodheim,
Beyond Burgers, and Stella Artois.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Billy the Kid: The Life Behind the Legend
George R. Matthews
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695266, $45.95, PB, 311pp
https://www.amazon.com/Billy-Kid-Life-Behind-Legend/dp/1476695261
Synopsis: "Billy the Kid: The Life Behind the Legend" by George R. Matthews is a new and in-depth study of the life and
times of Henry McCarty, alias Billy Bonney, alias Billy the Kid.
Fresh perspectives are offered, not only on the Lincoln County War and his boyhood in Silver City, New Mexico, but also
on his Irish mother's origins and immigration to Indiana, his public-school education in Indianapolis, the McCarty family's
moves to Wichita, Kansas, and Santa Fe, and his two-year outlaw adventures in Arizona.
For the first time, the whole person emerges in an extraordinary biography that brings together a huge amount of material,
much of it made available to researchers only in recent years. The result is an original, authoritative, and provocative
portrait of Billy the Kid as both outlaw and frontier fighter against the infamously corrupt Santa Fe Ring.
Critique: Featuring a number of B/W illustrations, this large format (7 x 0.62 x 10 inches, 1.24 pounds) paperback edition
of "Billy the Kid: The Life Behind the Legend" by George R. Matthews is a fun and fascinating read from start to finish
and a 'must' for the legions of Billy the Kid and Old West Outlaw fans. Scholastically enhanced with twenty-eight pages of
Chapter Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a six page Index, "Billy the Kid: The Life Behind the Legend" is an
extraordinary and fully recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library 19th
Century American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted that this edition of "Billy the Kid: The Life Behind
the Legend" from McFarland & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: George R. Matthews has written on the Olympics, baseball and Zebulon Pike, and is a member of
Biographers International Organization and the National Coalition of Independent Scholars.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1004362.George_R_Matthews)
Caravaggio: The Palette and the Sword: Book 1
Milo Manara
Fantagraphics Books
www.fantagraphics.com
9781683969860, $19.99, PB, 64pp
https://www.amazon.com/Caravaggio-Palette-Fantagraphics-Manara-Signature/dp/1683969863
Synopsis: "Caravaggio: The Palette and the Sword Book 1" is the first half of Milo Manara's two-volume epic biography of
the hot-tempered Italian master painter. It depicts Caravaggio's early years in Rome as he struggles to capture truth on
canvas, only to have his art condemned to be burned by the Church. He then is forced to flee the city when he kills a man
in righteous fury over the death of a prostitute.
The two volumes of Caravaggio mark the return of Manara to U.S. readers and the debut of Fantagraphics' new series, 'The
Milo Manara Signature Edition', featuring affordable paperbacks of maestro Manara's internationally acclaimed work.
(Book 2 will follow in Spring 2025.)
Readers will learn about the bawdy, swashbuckling life of one of the greatest Renaissance painters in history through
Manara's passionate, personal tribute to his artistic idol, Michelangelo Merisi, whom the world would come to know as
Caravaggio.
Critique: This large format (9.3 x 0.3 x 12.3 inches, 14.4 ounces) paperback edition of "Caravaggio: The Palette and the
Sword: Book 1" is a biographical history effectively presented to the reader in a graphic novel style and format. Highly
recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Art History/Biography collections. It should be
noted for art history students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of Caravaggio and
Renaissance artists and painting that "Caravaggio: The Palette and the Sword: Book 1" is also available from
Fantagraphics in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Milo Manara (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Manara), is an internationally acclaimed Italian comic
book writer and artist best known for his lush, expansive approach to the medium, often depicting erotic characters and
situations.
Saving the Lost Girl: A Memoir of Healing
Kelly Jean Torres
https://kellyjeantorres.co
Reaching Up Media
9798990967106, $19.99, PB, 388pp
https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Lost-Girl-Memoir-Healing/dp/B0DPGV4V51
Synopsis: Born to parents who could not escape their battles with addiction and mental illness, Kelly Jean Torres entered
foster care before her first birthday. At ten, Kelly and her two sisters were adopted by the Atwoods, who moved them from
the busy suburbs of Chicago to a remote Michigan town, where Kelly found herself trapped in an abusive home. After the
death of their adoptive mother, a darker side of their adoptive father emerged, and at sixteen, Kelly made a desperate
escape. She thought freedom meant she could leave her traumatic past behind her, but every misstep forward was haunted
by an undeniable truth: the pain from her childhood was everywhere, in everything, and threatened to destroy her chances
at the life she'd always longed for - unless she turned around to face it.
"Saving the Lost Girl" is Kelly's testament to healing, courage, and the belief that a life of peace and fulfillment is within
reach, no matter how your story began.
Critique: Articulate to the point of eloquence, emotionally engaging and compelling, "Saving the Lost Girl: A Memoir of
Healing" showcases Kelly Jean Torres as a natural born storyteller with a distinctive and memorable narrative driven style.
Impressively inspiring, candidly informative, "Saving the Lost Girl" is a very special and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir
collections. Far more than just another Self-Help/Counseling book, "Saving the Lost Girl" will prove of very special and
illustrative value to anyone striving to recover from their own abusive and abused childhood.
Editorial Note: Kelly Jean Torres (https://kellyjeantorres.co) defied the odds stacked against her from childhood, becoming
a beacon of resilience and hope. Her journey is a testament to the human spirit's capacity to overcome profound adversity.
Statistically, individuals with high Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores or histories in the foster care system often
face barriers to success in education, relationships, and mental health, but since running away from home at sixteen, Kelly
has been on a mission to rewrite her narrative, creating a life that inspires and uplifts others. Though the effects of PTSD
remain, Kelly's unwavering determination drives her to share her extraordinary story. Through her work as a writer, artist,
and advocate, Kelly is committed to proving that even the most difficult beginnings can lead to a fulfilling and meaningful
life.
Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly
Jeff Apter
Citadel Press
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9780806543529, $29.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0806543523
Synopsis: Carl Perkins was the King of Rockabilly, and one of rock and roll's true pioneers. A groundbreaking guitarist,
singer, and songwriter, Carl Perkins inspired countless musicians in country, rock, and pop music. His influence is
enormous. As Paul McCartney said, "If there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles." One Beatle was such a fan
that he gave himself the stage name Carl Harrison. Now acclaimed music writer Jeff Apter recounts Carl Perkins's
remarkable life story - the triumphs, tragedies, and career highlights that include some of the most pivotal moments in
music history.
Born in Tennessee to poor sharecroppers, Carl grew up listening to gospel and country music, learned blues guitar from a
fellow field hand, and started writing songs at age fourteen. He plied his trade in rough and rowdy honky-tonks,
performing with his brothers before beginning his recording career at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis. It was there
that Carl became a member of the fabled "Million Dollar Quartet," alongside Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee
Lewis. In 1955, he wrote and recorded "Blue Suede Shoes," the first record by a Sun artist to sell over a million copies. But
then a fateful car crash stalled his career, one of many tragedies in Carl's life.
Over the following decades, Presley, Cash, and countless other artists, from the Beatles, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan to Eric
Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, performed and recorded his songs and became Carl's friends, collaborators, and champions.
Rich with insider detail and background into Carl's private battles, humanitarian work, and personal inspirations, this is a
fascinating, in-depth look at "Mr. Blue Suede Shoes" and his one-of-a-kind legacy.
Critique: A deftly crafted and information packed biography rescuing from an undeserved obscurity one of Rock Music's
trailblaizing founding fathers, "Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly" by Jeff Apter is a fascinating and memorable read
from start to finish. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library 20th Century American Popular
Music & Musicians collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists of
fans and students that this hardcover edition of "Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly" from Citadel Press is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.54)
Editorial Note: Jeff Apter (www.JeffApter.com.au) is the author of more than 30 books about music and musicians, and
his work has been published all around the world. His subjects include Keith Urban, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, AC/DC's
Bon Scott and the Young brothers, the Bee Gees, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Cure, and Dave Grohl. He was on staff at
Australian Rolling Stone for several years. He lives on the NSW South Coast with his wife and two children, and enough
pets to fill a small zoo.
Eyes of A Different Color
Robert Jaffee, M.D.
Jaffee Publishing
9798991316101, $19.95, PB, 350pp
https://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Different-Color-Memoir-America/dp/B0DR18B5V2
Synopsis: It's 1979, and a young Israeli girl finds love with an American doctor during a brief visit and risks it all to get
married after a whirlwind romance. Now the young couple must really get to know one another post-nuptials while trying
to survive as fish out of water in rural Texas.
What could Robert 'Bob' Jaffee, a newly minted New York physician, and an 18-year-old Israeli woman, Iris, have in
common?
From New York to Tel Aviv and, finally, of all places, Odessa, Texas, they develop a mutual love. While struggling to
outline the boundaries of a marriage, Iris is determined to find her own identity, apart from just being a doctor's wife. She
must master a new language, face antisemitism, and fight the loneliness of being away from family and friends in a new
land.
Both of them experience a new culture in Texas, encountering cowboy boots, the Texas two-step, and differing religious
views. Readers will follow along with Bob and Iris as they travel from the skyscrapers and mountains of New York to the
hills of Jerusalem and on to the desert of Texas. Readers will also be introduced to the people they knew (New Yorkers,
Israelis, Texans) and the situations of marriage, culture, and self-identity that many of us share in our own lives. "Eyes of a
Different Color" is a true life story of hard-won triumphs and unexplained tragedy.
Critique: Deeply personal but with a universal resonance, "Eyes of a Different Color" is an inherently interesting and
memorable memoir by Dr. Robert Jaffee in the form and format of a true love story will carry the reader along through the
ups and downs of of their lives with this candidly detailed story of a marriage that is quite singular and like no other.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Eyes of a Different Color" is one of those personal memoirs that will
linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary American
Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Eyes of a Different Color" from Jaffee
Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Robert Jaffee, MD, received his Medical Degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.
He completed his Residency in Ophthalmology at University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT and New York University
Medical Center, New York, NY. Dr. Jaffee completed a Fellowship in Anterior Segment Surgery at Odessa Regional
Medical Center, Odessa, TX. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of
Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Wilderness Woman: A Triumphant Spirit
Diane Young
Christian Faith Publishing
https://www.christianfaithpublishing.com
9798892431903, $21.95, PB, 126pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Woman-Triumphant-Diane-Young/dp/B0D96Q8RL4
Synopsis: The summer of 1945...the Kansas City Star newspaper would have read like this: "The Division of Family
Services reports...A young female child whose identity remains anonymous. She was rescued from her grandparent's
house. The mother and father are also being investigated by the authorities. The grandparents volunteered to watch the new
baby girl. Her mother was a beauty operator down the street."
"Diane" knew the daily drill. Each morning, her grandparents greeted her eagerly with evil warm smiles. The trap was set
-- the lower cabinet file drawer, which was at her eye level. She pulled the drawer out slowly and struggled to lift the heavy
box out onto the floor. She sat cross-legged, enticed by the shiny eye-catching trinkets. She had not eaten breakfast. Her
thoughts of the yummy chocolate-covered cherries would be good for her tummy.
The best of all was a warm wiggly reddish-brown puppy. This experience lasted day after day, week after week, and year
after year. We ask ourselves how could this happen? Why? It's called insanity, which can't be explained.
The Lord brought a loving family into her young life. God's creation along with her love for horses healed her childhood
wounds and continues to heal her adult scars.
Critique: A candid and unique memoir of a troubled childhood and young adult life ultimately redeemed with maturity in
love and faith as told from a dedicated Christian perspective, "Wilderness Woman: A Triumphant Spirit" by Diane Young
is told with the narrative eloquence of literary fiction but it is, in fact, her true life story. A inherently fascinating and
ultimately inspiring memoir from start to finish, "Wilderness Woman: A Triumphant Spirit" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir
collections and reading lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Wilderness Woman: A Triumphant Spirit"
from Christian Faith Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse
Frances Welch
Short Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781780725215, $29.99 HC, $14.99 Kindle, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lives-Deaths-Princesses-Hesse-granddaughters/dp/1780725213
The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse: The Curious Destinies of Queen Victoria's Granddaughters tells of how
the Queen took a special interest in her motherless grandchildren after her favorite daughter Alice died, attempting to direct
their lives in a manner that indicated propriety even as their turn-of-the-century world was changing.
Frances Welch creates the first full-length biography of the Hesse sisters, but goes beyond social and political examination
alone to consider the personalities and evolving psyches of these young women. Hundreds of previously unseen letters of
the sisters and the Queen capture the times and special challenges which buffeted the historical status enjoyed by
royalty.
This attention to multifaceted details is why The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse proves a captivating, epic
survey that's nearly impossible to put down -- even for those with relative unfamiliarity with the times or subject. It is very
highly recommended for lending libraries strong in British and European history.
The General Fiction Shelf
Kelsey's Crossing
David Randal
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888247211, $19.95, PB, 293pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kelseys-Crossing-David-Randal/dp/B0DWVKMQ1K
Synopsis: The homeless men of the Kelsey Rescue Mission think of Greg Smith as the nice fellow serving meals on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. They don't know that Greg was once one of Washington's most powerful political operatives.
Recently released from prison for committing election fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering, he only wants to live a
quiet life away from the limelight.
But when political corruption in the city of Kelsey threatens the good work of the Mission, Greg reluctantly agrees to direct
the Mission's voter referendum campaign to oppose the city's self-serving leaders. The campaign soon results in unrest,
including a tragic shooting. compelling Greg and his army of homeless men to work in order to restore calm and prevent
further chaos.
Their success leads them to second-chance opportunities none of them imagined.
Critique: A deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, novel that is all the more impressive when considering that "Kelsey's
Crossing" is author David Randal debut as a novelist, its them is that of the past not irrevocably repeating in the future, it
about the value and necessity of second chances. Original and inherently fascinating, "Kelsey's Crossing" is a compelling
story of corruption, struggle and redemption. Of special note is how David Randal's distinctive and narrative driven
storytelling skills have raised his novel to an impressive level of literary excellence -- making it especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both community and college/university library
Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: David Randal (www.davidrandalauthor.com) is a veteran content writer and producer of educational and
advocacy films. His innovative presentations on complex concepts have won him several prestigious awards. His stories
focus on such topics as childhood cancer, the food crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, biotechnology, neuroscience, climate
change, the Camp Fire in California, life jacket safety for commercial fishermen, artificial intelligence, and more.
Natchez at Sunset
Terry Engel
Roadrunner Press
9781955196536, $18.00, PB, 252pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/natchez-at-sunset-terry-engel/1140843165
Synopsis: Author Terry Engel has set his novel, "Natchez at Sunset" in south Mississippi a few miles above the gulf
coast.
The story is told through the alternating perspectives of three characters: Caleb Vogel, in his early 40s, is a former
journalist making a living as a heavy equipment operator and raising a pair or wolves in South Mississippi, near the Gulf
Coast; his wife, Jessica, is former ship welder, now a university art professor preparing for a show featuring her metal
sculpture "Natchez at Sunset" while contemplating a divorce from Caleb; and Hubert Vogel, Caleb's father, is a cattle
rancher whose property joins Caleb's, but he is estranged from his son and has promised to kill the wolves if he ever finds
them on his property.
The story opens as Caleb drives up to his house and finds a dead coyote gutted and fitted over his mailbox, a newspaper
clipping crumpled in its mouth. He drops the clipping on the floor of the pickup along with the others he's received-threats
about his newspaper articles and opinion pieces, threats against his wolves.
The setting of the novel is contemporary, or perhaps just a few years in the future, and it imagines a Mississippi where
immigrants have been deported, assault rifles are openly carried, environmental laws have been considerably relaxed, and
discrimination against minorities is on the rise.
Critique: Original, plausible (especially given current political trends), and inherently fascinating, "Natchez at Sunset" by
Terry Engel will hold a special appeal to readers with an interest in generational familial relationships within the context of
a world in which violence and the threat of violence have become a cultural standard. Eloquent, deftly crafted, thoughtful
and thought- provoking, (and all the more impressive when considering that "Natchez at Sunset' his debut as a novelist)
with a distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, author Terry Engel raises his novel to an impressive level of
literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library
Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback
edition of "Natchez at Sunset" from Roadrunner Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$8.99).
Editorial Note: Terry Engel is a Mississippi native who grew up dreaming of white-water rivers and mountains, and he has
traveled widely and lived in Colorado and Alaska. However, his fiction and nonfiction continually wander back to the slow
rhythms of the South (Mississippi and Tennessee and Arkansas) back to the deep pine and bottomland hardwood forests,
open pastureland and fields, tannin stained and cypress lined creeks, and its people.
https://whitecountycreativewriters.org/member-profiles/terry-engel)
At the Island's Edge
C. I. Jerez
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662523427, $16.99, PB, 399pp
https://www.amazon.com/At-Islands-Edge-C-Jerez/dp/1662523424
Synopsis: As a combat medic, Lina LaSalle went to Iraq to save the lives of fellow soldiers. But when her convoy is
attacked, she must set aside her identity as a healer and take a life herself.
Although she is honored as a hero when she returns to the US, Lina cannot find her footing. She is stricken with PTSD and
unsure of how to support her young son, Teo, a little boy with Tourette's. As her attempts to self-medicate become harder
to hide, Lina realizes she must do the toughest thing yet: ask for help.
She retreats to her parents' house in Puerto Rico, where Teo thrives under her family's care. Lina finds kinship, too -- with
a cousin whose dreams were also shattered by the war and with a handsome and caring veteran who sought refuge on the
island and runs a neighborhood bar.
But amid the magic of the island are secrets and years of misunderstandings that could erode the very stability she's
fighting for. Hope lies on the horizon, but can she keep her gaze steady?
Critique: A deftly crafted novel that will be especially enjoyed by readers with an interest in original stories of war driven
trauma, recovery and redemption, "At The Island's Edge" is an emotionally compelling inherently engaging, and
memorably entertaining read from start to finish. Author C. I. Jerez's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling skills
raises this novel of personal and family relationships to an impressive level of literary excellence -- making it especially
and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "At The Island's Edge" is also readily available from Lake Union
Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: C. I. Jerez (www.cijerezbooks.com), who has a blend of Irish, Puerto Rican, and Cuban parentage, grew up
near El Paso's Mexican border experiencing a true cultural amalgamation. After graduating from the University of Texas at
El Paso, she commissioned as a signal officer in the US Army and rose to the rank of major before transitioning out of the
military. She holds an MBA from Webster University and a doctorate in international business from Liberty
University.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Writs of Possession
Clive Rhodes
https://www.cliverhodesbooks.com
Knightsbury Press
9781069034014, $15.99, PB, 334pp
https://www.amazon.com/Writs-Possession-Clive-Rhodes/dp/1069034010
Synopsis: Spring, 1519, Milano, Italy. Two centuries earlier, an obscure monk, possessed by Satan, wrote a cryptic
manuscript containing a riddle. He made a second copy that was identical, except for one page, and then sent the two
books in different directions.
To solve the puzzle that is the plot of "Writs of Possession" by Clive Rhodes, the reader must compare the two
manuscripts.
One copy is in Amboise, France with the dying Leonardo da Vinci, who placed some clues in The Last Supper to entice the
holder of the other to bring it to him. That is now the mission of the fifteen-year-old Nostradamus, who embarks on a
perilous journey over the Alps, unaware that he is triggering a global apocalypse.
Critique: An original, fun and fascinating read from start to finish, (and all the more impressive when considering that it is
author Clive Rhodes' debut as a novelist), "Writs of Possession" is a deftly crafted Historical Fiction that will hold a
special appeal to readers with an interest in stories of the supernatural and paranormal laced with satire, mystery, history,
suspense, puzzles, and more thrilling plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. Clive Rhodes' "Writs of
Possession" is a skillfully written and riveting read that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library
Historical Fiction and Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Writs
of Possession" from Knightsbury Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Clive Rhodes (https://www.cliverhodesbooks.com) is the author's pen name. He is a lawyer and professor
who taught Social Media and Comparative Freedom of Speech Law in Italy and Canada. He is currently writing the
sequel.
Boys
Roger Newman
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888245712, $29.95, HC, 332pp
https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Roger-Newman/dp/B0DLLJRZR5
Synopsis: Brotherhood born of battle is more than skin-deep.
After Alex's family is killed by the Ku Klux Klan during the Great Depression, he takes refuge in the barn of a nearby dairy
farm. The family that owns the dairy, including their young son Pete, take in Alex and raise the boys together. Pete and
Alex consider themselves brothers and together they navigate the Jim Crow racial intolerance of the rural South, a
challenge experienced differently because Pete is White and Alex is Black.
Anticipating European war, Pete and Alex join a segregated US Army. The brothers discover their own identities amid the
crucible of battle, leading them to separate for many years as they continue their careers in the Army. They finally reunite
at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in 1969. Confronting escalating racial and civilian hostility in response to the Civil Rights
and antiwar movements, Alex must find those responsible for the brutal off-base beating of Pete. He must also re-engage
with his childhood and what it means to be a Black man with a White brother.
Critique: In his new novel, "Boys", author Roger Newman raises his story about two men, one white, one black, who come
together to deal with the racial intolerance so endemic in the rural southern communities of the American South, the U.S.
Army in World War II, the impact of the Civil Rights and Anti-Vietnam movements on American race relations to an
impressive level of literary excellence. Inherently fascinating, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, ultimately inspiring,
"Boys" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction,
Southern Fiction, and Military Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition
of "Boys" from Koehler Books is also readily available in paperback (9798888245699, $20.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Roger Newman (https://rogerbnewman.com/home) is the author of a series of medical thrillers, Occam's
Razor, Two Drifters, and What Becomes, and the historical fiction novel Will O' the Wisp: Madness, War, and
Recompense. Dr. Newman is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, specializing in the care of women with
multiple gestations. He has authored almost two hundred scientific papers, a dozen book chapters, and the award-winning
and bestselling When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads; Fourth Edition.
The Rabbi's Suitcase
Robert Kehlmann
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888246993, $30.95, HC, 374pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rabbis-Suitcase-Robert-Kehlmann/dp/B0DWV8QXBJ
Synopsis: Although a work of fiction, "The Rabbi's Suitcase" is inspired by author Robert Kehlmann's family history and a
trove of love letters from his mother.
"The Rabbi's Suitcase" recounts how, in the early 1880s, a battered steamship, overcrowded with Orthodox Jewish
travelers, makes a treacherous journey from Lithuania to Jerusalem, the home of their patriarchs. On board, Yosef Siev, a
twelve-year-old mystic, is entranced with wild-haired Chana. Their story is told against a backdrop of Ottoman rule, the
privations of WWI, and British Mandatory uprisings.
In 1926 Yosef and Chana's seventeen-year-old granddaughter, Zipora, enters into a forbidden relationship with Reuven, a
young Lithuanian immigrant destined, as a close ally of David Ben Gurion, to become a founder of the State of Israel. The
liaison extracts a heavy toll. With dreams of self-discovery and a better future for herself and her family, Zipora travels to
America determined to contribute to Reuven's studies at the Sorbonne.
Conflicts arise over issues of politics, gender inequality, and fidelity, forcing heart-wrenching decisions.
Critique: Emotionally compelling, skillfully narrated, impressively original, "The Rabbi's Suitcase" by Robert Kehlmann is
an inherently fascinating read from start to finish. One of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory of the
reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "The Rabbi's Suitcase" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Rabbi's Suitcase" from Koehler Books is also readily available
in paperback (9798888246979, $21.95).
Editorial Note: Robert Kehlmann (www.robertkehlmann.com) is an internationally acclaimed glass artist and art critic
whose glasswork has been acquired by major museums and showcased in prestigious exhibitions and publications. An
honorary lifetime member of the Glass Art Society, he has authored two books of art criticism and been awarded NEA
grants for both his artwork and critical writing. The Rakow Library at the Corning Museum of Glass houses Kehlmann's
artist and art critic archives. Research materials and early drafts of "The Rabbi's Suitcase", his debut novel, are preserved at
New York's YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
A Tiny Piece of Blue
Charlotte Whitney
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647428365, $17.99, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Piece-Blue-Novel/dp/164742836X
Synopsis: Rural Michigan, 1934. During the throes of the Great Depression, thirteen-year-old Silstice Trayson finds herself
homeless, abandoned by her parents after a devastating house fire. Nearby, aging midwestern farmers Edna and Vernon
Goetz are pillars of the community, but when do-gooder Edna takes up Silstice's cause, Vernon digs in his heels,
displaying his true nature as an ornery curmudgeon.
Theirs is a quiet-seeming community, but danger lurks beneath the bucolic facade. With so many youngsters leaving home
to make it on their own, child trafficking has grown rampant, and Silstice and her two spirited young brothers soon find
themselves in the sights of a ring of kidnappers that's exploiting local children into forced labor -- and worse. Meanwhile
Vernon finds himself at risk of losing everything.
Narrated by Silstice, Vernon, and Edna, "A Tiny Piece of Blue" sets the customs and traditions of rural Michigan against a
backdrop of thievery, bribery, and child-trafficking -- weaving a suspenseful yet tender tale that ultimately winds its way to
a heartwarming conclusion.
Critique: An emotionally compelling and inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "A Tiny Piece of Blue" by
Charlotte Whitney will prove to be especially prized by readers with an interest in rural historical fiction set in the era of
the Great Depression. As a author, Charlotte Whitney has a distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style that raises her
novel to an impressive level of literary excellence making it a prime and recommended addition to community and
college/university library American 20th Century Historical Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that this paperback edition of "A Tiny Piece of Blue" from She Writes Press is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Charlotte Whitney (https://charlottewhitney.com) is the author of the widely acclaimed debut historical
novel, Threads: A Depression Era Tale, which was followed by the historical mystery The Unveiling of Polly Forrest,
which won multiple awards. She is also the author of two nonfiction books and a romance novel, I Dream in White.
Charlotte received a master's degree in English from the University of Michigan and spent much of her working career in
higher education.
Hold Strong
Robert Dugoni
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662516313, $28.99, HC, 555pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Strong-Novel-Robert-Dugoni/dp/1662516312
Synopsis: Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious black and white --
for him and for his sweetheart, college-bound math whiz Sarah Haber. But when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Sam
is sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. Brutalized but unbroken by the Bataan Death March and POW camps,
Sam is one of eighteen hundred starved and weakened prisoners herded into the cargo hold of a barbaric hell ship called
the Arisan Maru -- his survival doubtful.
Determined to use her math skills on the home front, Sarah is recruited to Washington, DC, into the covert field of code
breaking. When Sarah intercepts a message about a Japanese convoy, the US Navy's mission is clear: sink the Arisan Maru
and send it to the bottom of the South China Sea. Now, the lives of the two young lovers are about to inadvertently collide
in one of the most shocking acts of World War II.
Anchored in an extraordinary true story and breathlessly re-created, "Hold Strong" is a singular novel that explores faith,
courage, survival, and coming home against insurmountable odds.
Critique: Although a work of deftly crafted fiction, "Hold Strong" by Robert Dugoni is inspired by real events played out
in the Pacific Theater of World War II. With great attention to historical detail, and the compelling creation of memorable
characters and dramatic events, "Hold Strong" is an inherently compelling read from start to finish. Raised to an
impressive level of literary excellence by the narrative driven storytelling skills of Robert Dugoni as a novelist, "Hold
Strong" is unreservedly recommended as a pick for community library World War II fiction collections. For the personal
reading lists of the legions of Robert Dugoni fans, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Hold Strong" from
Lake Union Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9781662516306, $16.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Robert Dugoni (www.robertdugonibooks.com) is the author of the Tracy Crosswhite series; the Charles
Jenkins series; the David Sloane series; several standalone novels, including A Killing on the Hill, The World Played
Chess, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell; and coauthor of the nonfiction expose The Cyanide Canary, a Washington
Post Best Book of the Year. Dugoni is also the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction, a multi-time winner of
the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest, and a finalist for many other
awards. His books are sold in more than twenty-five countries, have been translated into more than thirty languages, and
have reached millions of readers worldwide.
Payback
Penny Mickelbury
Bywater Books
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612943039, $23.95, PB, 436pp
https://www.amazon.com/Payback-Penny-Mickelbury/dp/1612943039
Synopsis: World War II ended less than 10 years ago, and the Korean War less than one. But no one has recovered from
wartime privations, especially the Colored soldiers who fought a ruthless enemy on foreign lands, expecting to return home
with all the rights and privileges of American citizenship.
But those rights and privileges remain few and far between, and in her novel, "Payback", author Penny Mickelbury's cast of
characters find themselves reflecting on the Harlem they call home: they are educated and unschooled; wealthy and
desperately poor; committed to improving circumstances for Negroes and abjectly hopeless. They create a family of and
for themselves -- women, men, children, gays, and the proudly self-named. They commit themselves to helping create a
world to benefit their people based on hard work, artistic expression, and faith in their community.
They have learned to live in the larger world by two guiding principles: Each One Teaches One, and Harm to One is Harm
to All -- because in this neighborhood, payback will always be swift and painful.
Critique: Original, skillfully crafted, memorably entertaining, "Payback" by Penny Mickelbury is an extraordinary novel
that while a work of fiction, accurately presents a very particular segment of 20th Century African-American history --
Americans of color who served at their peril in America's wars and still were subject to racism and discrimination upon
their return home. One of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book is finished and set back
upon the shelf, "Payback" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library
Contemporary African-American Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that his
paperback edition from Bywater Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Penny Mickelbury (https://pennymickelbury.com) is a trailblazing journalist, author, and award-winning
playwright. She is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, was a writer in residence at Hedgebrook Women Writers
Retreat, and a recipient of the Audre Lorde Estate Grant. In 2020 she was awarded the Alice B. Medal for her body of
work. Before focusing on literary pursuits, Penny was a pioneering newspaper, radio, and television reporter based
primarily in Washington, D.C. In 2019 she joined other Washington Post Metro Seven members as an inductee into the
National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
Mutual Interest
Olivia Wolfgang-Smith
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639733323, $28.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mutual-Interest-Olivia-Wolfgang-Smith/dp/1639733329
Synopsis: At the turn of the 20th century, Vivian Lesperance is determined to flee her origins in Utica, New York, and
avoid repeating the dull, limited life of her parents. When she meets Oscar Schmidt, a middle manager at a soap company,
Vivian finds a partner she can guide to build the life she wants-not least because, more interested in men himself, Oscar
will leave Vivian to tend to her own romances with women.
But Vivian's plans require capital, so the two pair up with Squire Clancey, scion of an old American fortune. Together they
found Clancey & Schmidt, a preeminent manufacturer of soap, perfume, and candles. When Oscar and Squire fall in love,
the trio form a new kind of partnership.
Vivian reaches the pinnacle of her power building Clancey & Schmidt into an empire of personal care products while
operating behind the image of both men. But exposure threatens, and all three partners are made aware of how much they
have to lose.
Critique: A novel of queer romance, empire, and power by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith, "Mutual Interest" is an emotionally
engaging, exceptionally well written, and impressively original, told with the author's genuine flair for narrative driven
storytelling. A LGBTQ themed novel raised by Oliva Wolfgang-Smith to a dramatic level of literary excellence, "Mutual
Interest" is a very special and unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Mutual Interest" from Bloomsbury Publishing is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.29).
Editorial Note: Olivia Wolfgang-Smith (https://wolfgangsmith.squarespace.com) is the author of Glassworks, which was
longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. She is a 2024 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Fiction from The
New York Foundation for the Arts.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
The Continental Divide: Stories
Bob Johnson
Cornerstone Press
c/o University of Wisconsin Press
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9781960329646, $24.95, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Continental-Divide-Stories-Bob-Johnson/dp/1960329642
Synopsis: "The Continental Divide: Stories" is a collection of fourteen short stories by Bob John and includes: A country
woman who makes a kind of Sophie's Choice regarding her family's survival. A small town marshal hunts his own son for
murder; A former football hero must face his role in a brutal locker room ritual; and twelve other original tales both
ferocious and real. These stories comprising "The Continental Divide" from Cornerstone Press deftly explore the undertow
of violence and sin along the St. Lawrence Divide in northern Indiana, where men, women, and children struggle to find
their way in the darkness... of the divide.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that while having won awards for individual literary projects, "The
Continental Divide: Stories" from Cornerstone Press is Bob Johnson's debut as a published author. His skillfully crafted,
memorably entertaining, and original tales raises his short story collections to an impressive level of literary excellence --
making it especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary
American Literary Fiction & Short Story collections.
Editorial Note: Bob Johnson (https://www.bobjohnsonwriter.com) is an award-winning short story writer and graduate of
the Iowa Writers Workshop. His work has been published by The Common, Philadelphia Stories, Vol. 1. Brooklyn, The
Barcelona Review, and elsewhere. His story "The Continental Divide" was named Short Story of the Year in The Hudson
Review. He lives in South Bend, Indiana.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Only Light in London
Lily Graham
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781538770559, $17.99, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Only-Light-London-Lily-Graham/dp/1538770555
Synopsis: London, 1939. When Finley offers her spare room to refugee Sebastien, she sees relief in his haunted eyes.
Forced to flee the hatred in Germany, Sebastien has been desperately lonely in his adopted country. Finley lost her father in
the last war and feels a stab of empathy for the pain of this thin stranger, separated from his loved ones, far away from
home.
At first, Finley and Sebastien are like ships in the night, exchanging bashful goodnights in the corridor. But Finley quickly
realizes that Sebastien is too terrified to sleep, plagued by thoughts of his smiling little sister being snatched by soldiers. As
the London sky darkens with enemy planes, he slowly opens up to her over cups of cocoa in the kitchen.
Every time Sebastien speaks to Finley, she finds herself inching closer to him, and soon love begins to grow. But when he
tells her he wants to join the English army, to fight the people who have forced his family to face such horror, she must
silence the devastation in her heart. She knows if she were in his shoes, she would do the same thing, and she must be
brave too. She will stay in London, waiting for Sebastien, and helping other refugees like him.
As the bombs rain down, and the London streets empty, she knows she faces grave dangers. But she can't hide away while
the man she loves risks his life. She needs to do anything she can to defeat the enemy they all share. But the last war cost
Finley so much. What will this one take?
Critique: A deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, memorably entertaining read from start to finish, "The Only Light in
London" will hold a very special attraction for readers with an interest in wartime romance played out against the backdrop
of World War II aerial bombings of London by the Germans. An historical romance elevated to an impressive level of
literary excellence by the narrative driven storytelling styles of author Lily Graham, "The Only Light in London" will prove
a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Romance collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Only Light in London" is also available from Bookouture in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Lily Graham (https://lilygraham.net) is the author of the bestselling, The Child of Auschwitz, The Paris
Secret, and The Island Villa, among others. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, including French,
Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish. She lives now in the Suffolk coast with her husband and English bulldog,
Fudge.
Whispers of Fortune
Mary Connealy
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244391, $17.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Fortune-Christian-Historical-Adventure/dp/0764244396
Synopsis: In 1875 California, Brody MacKenzie arrives at the Two Harts Ranch on a mission to find his runaway brothers,
worried they may have fallen into harm. Instead, he discovers them thriving at the ranch's school and orphanage under the
care of Ellie Hart, a woman with a heart as resilient as the land she calls home.
His options limited, Brody reluctantly takes on the role of ranch doctor, and he forms an unexpected bond with Ellie, who's
kept a steady eye on Brody's two rapscallion brothers. When the boys show him a mysterious journal that has been guiding
their travels and may hold the key to a lost treasure, Brody and Ellie are captivated by the possibility of a thrilling
adventure.
With winter approaching and his brothers threatening to bolt again, Brody and Ellie race against time to decipher cryptic
clues and unearth the hidden fortune. But along the way, old adversaries resurface, threatening their newfound affection
and the safety of those at the ranch.
Critique: The debut novel for author Mary Connealy's new 'Golden State Treasure' series,
"Whispers of Fortune" is especially and unreservedly recommended to the attention of readers with an interest in western
historical romance novels that are laced with wit, adventure, adversity, and a happily-ever-after ending. A fun and
engaging read from start to finish, "Whispers of Fortune" is wholeheartedly recommended, especially for personal reading
lists and community library historical romance collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Whispers of
Fortune" from Bethany House Publishers is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99) and in a Library
Binding edition (Thorndyke Press, 9781420522259, $34.99, Large Print).
Editorial Note: Mary Connealy (www.MaryConnealy.com) writes "romantic comedies with cowboys" and is celebrated for
her fun, zany, action-packed style. She is the author of the popular series A Western Light, Wyoming Sunrise, and many
other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.
Cupid on the Loose
John J. Jacobson
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9798200960552, $28.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cupid-Loose-John-J-Jacobson/dp/B0D7J4NLSK
Synopsis: Aspiring author Billy Spiers tends to fall passionately in love, but soon, finding something missing, fall quickly
out again. His grandmother, who raised him, thinks he needs to settle down and find a mate. When Billy's on the verge of
ending yet another relationship, his grandmother decides to do some well-intentioned meddling.
Kari Porter is not only smart and beautiful but also a writer with passions and sensibilities similar to Billy's. She loves the
same kind of stories, quotes lines from his favorite old poems and songs, and has similar unique takes on Shakespeare -- is
this the kindred spirit he's been longing for? Sparks fly, and soon the two are lingering over dinner and taking romantic
sunset bike rides along the California coast. They even manage to matchmake their four closest friends.
But artistic types can be overly sensitive. As their relationship rapidly progresses, they become afraid of moving too fast --
and of getting hurt. Kari becomes distant, dealing with a crisis she feels she can't share with Billy, while Billy responds
with crazy drastic actions that he thinks might salvage the relationship.
Billy's grandmother can't help meddling again, sending all three couples to a magical mountain lodge where she and her
husband fell madly in love decades before. Mayhem ensues when the enigmatic and impish proprietor of the lodge
introduces passion-fueled havoc, pushing the young lovers (inadvertently) in bizarre directions.
Critique: With the publication of "Cupid on the Loose", novelist John J. Jacobson offers his readers a kind of twenty-first
century twist on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. A fun read from start to finish, "Cupid on the Loose" will
hold a ver special appeal for readers who enjoy stories involving the all-to-human foibles of infatuation, lust, and romantic
love. Highly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans that this hardcover edition of "Cupid on the Loose" from Blackstone
Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9798212630986, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$5.99).
Editorial Note: John J. Jacobson (https://johnjacobsonwrites.com) is the author of three novels, including All the Cowboys
Ain't Gone and California Fever. Born in Nevada, he grew up in the West, surfed big waves in Hawaii, circled the world
thrice, and survived the sixties and seventies, corporate America, and grad school. Among other degrees he has an MA in
Renaissance literature from Claremont Graduate University.
Dream Girl Drama
Tessa Bailey
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063380776, $30.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Girl-Drama-Rom-Com-Unconventional/dp/0063380773
Synopsis:When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier's car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private
country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who
captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.
Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can't wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to
meet his dad's new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe's mother. Oh,
and they're engaged.
Sig's dream girl is his future stepsister.
Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her
controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston -- but not inside his bedroom.
They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be
stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they
were meant for so much more...
Critique: The stuff of which Hallmark Movie Channel Rom-Coms are made, "Dream Girl Drama" by Tessa Bailey is a fun,
laugh-out-loud read from start to finish. Unequivocally recommended for community library Contemporary Romance
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Rom-Com fans that this hardcover edition of
"Dream Girl Drama" from Avon Books is also readily available in paperback (9780063380783, $18.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Tessa Bailey (https://www.tessabailey.com) can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those
efforts on stubborn, fictional blue-collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a
guaranteed happily ever after.
Something Like Fate
Amy Lea
www.amyleabooks.com
Skyscape
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662517600, $16.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Fate-Amy-Lea/dp/1662517602
Synopsis: For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen's family have foreseen The One (the great loves of
their lives) before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a
lot of poor judgment when it comes to love. -- Until now.
When Lo finally has the vision she's been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she'll meet The One on her
backpacking trip in Italy. 'Vero amore', here she comes.
Along for the summer is Lo's best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice,
Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It's a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with
each destination, Lo's complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome
to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.
Critique: An impressively well crafted coming-of-age novel of romance and emotional adventure, "Something Like Fate"
by novelist Amy Lea is a fun and memorable read from start to finish. With the author's distinctive and narrative driven
storytelling style, "Something Like Fate" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists
and community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for readers of all ages that this paperback
edition from Skyscape is also currently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Amy Lea (www.amyleabooks.com) is the author of romantic comedies for adults and teens, including
Woke Up Like This, a Mindy Kaling's Book Studio selection; The Catch; Exes & O's; and Set on You. They have been
optioned for film and sold to over a dozen foreign territories. Amy's writing has also been featured in USA Today,
Entertainment Weekly, and Cosmopolitan, among others.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Four Queens of Crime
Rosanne Limoncelli
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420600, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Four-Queens-Crime-Rosanne-Limoncelli/dp/B0D6TWDHNY
Synopsis: 1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and
Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women's Voluntary Service to help Britain prepare for war.
Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event, and all the elites of London society are attending.
The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library.
Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a
cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancee, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but
protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary.
Quietly recruiting the four queens of crime, DCI Wyles must sort through the messy aftermath of Sir Henry's death to solve
the mystery and identify the killer.
Critique: A fun read for fans of classic 'whodunnit' mysteries from start to finish, author Rosanne Limoncelli's brilliant
novel, "The Four Queens of Crime" does full homage to the genre once dominated by crime novelists Agatha Christie,
Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. While strongly recommended as an enduringly popular pick for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of
"The Four Queens of Crime" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in paperback (9798892422277, $19.99)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Rosanne Limoncelli is an author, filmmaker, and storyteller living in Brooklyn. She has written, directed,
and produced short narrative films, documentaries, and educational films. Rosanne also writes plays, screenplays, poetry,
games, mysteries, and science fiction. Her short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Suspense
Magazine and Noir Nation, and her short films have been screened in festivals around the world. Dr. Limoncelli has taught
writing and filmmaking for more than three decades and is the Senior Director for Film Technologies at the Kanbar
Institute and the NYU Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center.
(https://blog.librarything.com/2025/02/author-interview-rosanne-limoncelli)
Pro Bono
Thomas Perry
The Mysterious Press
www.mysteriouspress.com
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613166161, $27.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Bono-Thomas-Perry/dp/1613166168
Synopsis: Charles Warren is a tenacious Los Angeles attorney who has dedicated his career to aiding people in financial
straits. He is particularly skilled at the art of recovering assets that have been embezzled or hidden. In his newest case,
helping a beautiful young widow find the money missing from her late husband's investment accounts, Charlie recognizes
a familiar scheme -- one that echoes the con job that targeted his own widowed mother many years before, and that led
him, as a teenager, to commit a crime of retribution that still weighs on his conscience.
Charlie can't get the present case out of his mind, but within hours of starting his investigation, he is followed, shot at, and
has his briefcase stolen. It's clear that someone doesn't want him following the trail of the missing money but, as Charlie
continues to pursue answers, he quickly becomes too entangled in the web of fraud, betrayal, and career criminals
surrounding the theft to escape its deadly snare.
Critique: As a novelist, Thomas Perry's newest novel, "Pro Bono" once again demonstrated that he is a master of the
suspense/thriller genre creating his own distinctive style of mystery that is packed with suspense and the kind of
unexpected twists and turns that keep the readers steady and rapt attention from start to finish. An original, memorable, and
fun read from cover to cover, "Pro Bono" is unhesitatingly recommended for community library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Thomas Perry fans that this hardcover
edition of "Pro Bono" from The Mysterious Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228371545, $45.95, CD)
Editorial Note: Thomas Perry (www.thomasperryauthor.com) is the prolific author of over thirty- two novels, including
Murder Book, the critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series, The Old Man, and The Butcher's Boy, which won the Edgar
Award. He lives in Southern California.
Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder
Bellamy Rose
Atria/Emily Bestler Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668075654, $27.99, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668075652
Synopsis: When Pomona Afton, Upper East Side hotel heiress, stumbles out of a gala and upon the scene of her
grandmother's murder, her first thought is that the society queen won't be missed for her kind, cookie-baking ways. In fact,
she was mean, greedy, and paranoid -- so paranoid that she secretly slipped a clause into her will mandating that, should
she die an unnatural death, all the family assets get frozen. And if the "unnatural death" isn't explained? Those accounts
stay frozen.
Practically overnight, Pomona is locked out of her penthouse with no other option than to move in with a roommate: Gabe,
the irritable (yet handsome) son of her former nanny. Not only is his apartment cramped, it doesn't even have a doorman.
Or a chef! Pom needs someone to solve this murder, like, yesterday, so she can get her trust fund back.
And Gabe? He needs this murder solved because that's the only way his mother, who toiled for the Afton family for years,
will ever get the retirement money she deserves. As Pom's family clams up, blocking the police at every turn, Pom quickly
realizes that if she wants her glamorous life back, she's going to have to put on her big-girl Manolos and do it herself...
with the help of Gabe, who she's falling for more and more by the day.
Can Pomona Afton (who previously couldn't solve a crossword in the bath on a hungover Sunday) actually solve this
murder? And if she does return to her former life of luxury, will it be worth the possibility of losing Gabe?
Critique: Wickedly funny, impressively original, deftly scripted, "Pomona Afton Can So Solve A Murder" by author
Bellamy Rose is a terrifically entertaining and compulsive page turner of a read from start to finish. Ideal for the personal
reading lists of those legions of cozy mystery fans, "Pomona Afton Can So Solve A Murder" will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover
edition from Atria/Emily Bester Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Bellamy Rose (https://www.amandaelliotbooks.com) is the pen name of an author of romantic
comedy/murder mysteries. She has never solved an actual murder. She has also published non-murdery rom-coms as
Amanda Elliot.
I Died for Beauty
Amanda Flower
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593816462, $19.00, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Died-Beauty-Emily-Dickinson-Mystery/dp/0593816463
Synopsis: Amherst, 1857. The Dickinson family braves one of the worst winters in New England's history. Trains are
snowbound and boats are frozen in the harbor. Emily Dickinson and her maid, Willa Noble, have never witnessed anything
like it. As Amherst families attempt to keep their homes warm, fears of fire abound.
These worries prove not to be unfounded as a blaze breaks out just down the street from the Dickinson in Kelley Square,
the Irish community in Amherst, and a young couple is killed, leaving behind their young child. Their deaths appear to be a
tragic accident, but Emily finds herself harboring suspicions there may be more to the fire than meets the eye. Emily and
Willa must withstand the frigid temperatures and discover a killer lurking among the deadly frost.
Critique: A skillfully crafted and fully engaging cozy mystery, "I Died For Beauty" is a part of gifted storyteller Amanda
Flower's 'An Emily Dickinson Mystery series'. Original, fun and a simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "I Died for
Beauty" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for community library History Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for the legions of cozy mystery fans that this paperback edition of "I Died for Beauty" from Berkley Books
is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Amanda Flower (http://www.amandaflower.com) is award-winning mystery author of over forty novels,
including the nationally bestselling Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, Magical Bookshop Mysteries, and, written under
the name Isabella Alan, the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Jovian Madrigals
Janneke de Beer
Owlish Books
9789083386911, $12.99, PB, 351pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jovian-Madrigals-Symphony/dp/9083386910
Synopsis: "The Jovian Madrigals" by Janneke de Berr is set in 2193, almost a century since scientists on Callisto
discovered immortality. Every year, the Party sends a group of Earth's best and brightest to receive this immortality. No
one ever comes back.
Four people are making the journey to Callisto to receive immortality. Padraig, a brilliant physicist, dying of cancer.
Cassandra, an orphan from the irradiated ruins of New York. Jocasta, a veteran of the Yugoslav Wars. Gautier, whose
presence on Callisto no one will adequately explain. Immortality is meant to change them for the better.
But once they're on Callisto, what happens when they just want to go home?
Critique: Original, skillfully crafted, a fun and fascinating read from start to finish, "The Jovian Madrigals" by novelist
Janneke de Beer will prove of immense appeal to the legions of classic science fiction with a contemporary flair. With its
new twist on the ancient theme of immortality, "The Jovian Madrigals" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all science fiction fans
that this paperback edition of "The Jovian Madrigals" from Owlish Books is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note #1: English is the lingua franca aboard Callisto Station, and in this book - thus, the thoughts and words of
viewpoint characters are presented in English. However, words and phrases in languages that are unfamiliar to the
characters are left untranslated, to reflect both the diversity of cultures and histories aboard the station, and the experience
of the characters whose viewpoints are expressed in the story.
Editorial Note #2: Janneke de Beer (https://jannekedebeer.com) wrote her first book at four years old and has been writing
continuously ever since. The world of 2193 is one of many worlds dancing around in her head - - all she's missing is the
time to write them. She is the primary singer and songwriter for her band Some Unknown Fraudster, and also maintains a
video game review blog and a vegan recipe blog. She lives in Amsterdam with her partner, Zach, and more pigeons than
she cares to comment on.
Whatever Happened To Uncle Ed?
Eric Miller
Big Time Books
http://bigtimebooks.com
9798992397109, $17.99, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Happened-Uncle-Eric-Miller/dp/B0DTF5LVHW
Synopsis: When his mysterious Uncle Edward disappears, former high school basketball star Max Brown inherits a fortune
in cash, a creepy mansion, and a family curse.
He discovers a mind-bending arena under the house, where he and his feuding allies battle shapeshifting demons to rescue
people trapped in the cavern of horrors. But there are more than just lives at stake -- the losers forfeit their very souls.
Max is driven to the edge of madness by playing the increasingly deadly games, the lingering pain of losing his mother
years before, and the mind-numbing terrors of falling in love.
He will risk everything to end the curse and solve the mystery that haunts him most of all: Whatever Happened to Uncle
Ed?
Critique: Original, skillfully crafted, surprising plot twists, memorable characters, all delivered in author Eric Miller's
distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, "Whatever Happened to Uncle Ed?" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Horror/Fantasy Fiction collections. A fun read from start to finish, it should be noted
for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fiction fans that this paperback edition of "Whatever Happened to Uncle
Ed?" is also readily available from Big Time Books in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Eric Miller (http://bigtimebooks.com) is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor of the horror anthology
"Hell Comes to Hollywood", "Hell Comes to Hollywood II" and the trucking-themed anthologies "18 Wheels of Horror"
and 18 Wheels of Science Fiction. His short fiction has appeared in various magazines, anthologies, and websites,
including Galaxy's Edge Magazine and Hot Valley Writers. He is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association.
The Legend of Meneka
Kritika H. Rao
Harper Voyager
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780063349186, $30.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Meneka-Divine-Dancers-Duology/dp/0063349183
Synopsis: Across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers known as apsaras are revered for their beauty, allure,
and enchanting magic. But Meneka knows that is not all they are. Trained as a weapon, as a warrior, Meneka despises
leaving each of her marks in thrall to her potent illusions. With every seduction Lord Indra, king of heaven, demands of her
for his political gain, she craves her freedom more and more.
When a mortal sage's growing powers threaten Indra's supremacy in his own realm, Meneka seizes a rare opportunity. She
strikes a deal -- if she can seduce this dangerous man, Indra will allow her to forgo future missions. But upon meeting the
sage, Kaushika, Meneka finds herself captivated by his energy, ignited by his empathy and passion, even though he
challenges everything she's ever known. Can she overthrow the man who she is (little by little) falling for, or is Kaushika
seducing her instead? As war looms in the skies, Meneka must choose between her duty to protect her home and the
thrumming of her own heart.
Critique: An original and deftly blended story of romance, seduction, fantasy, Hindu mythology, and epic adventure, "The
Legend of Meneka" debuts novelist Kritika H. Rao's new 'Divine Dacers' duology'. A fun and riveting read from start to
finish, "The Legend of Meneka" is an inherently fascinating and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Epic Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of mythology and fantasy fans that this
hardcover edition of "The Legend of Meneka" from Harper Voyager is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798874873769, $45.95,
CD).
Editorial Note: Kritika H. Rao (https://www.kritikahrao.com) is a speculative and children's fiction author, who has lived
in India, Australia, Canada, and The Sultanate of Oman. Whether writing for younger audiences or adults, Kritika's stories
are influenced by her lived experiences, and explore themes of self vs. the world, identity, and the nature of
consciousness.
A Circle of Uncommon Witches
Paige Crutcher
St. Martin's Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/stmartinspress
9781250905543, $19.00, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Circle-Uncommon-Witches-Novel/dp/1250905540
Synopsis: If she can't break the centuries old curse placed on her family, Doreen MacKinnon is doomed to die of a broken
heart.
Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch, fell in love with a MacKinnon. And when the
MacKinnon witches forbade him from seeing his love, by secretly hiding her away, he retaliated by cursing the family and
its future generations to never find love. But it wasn't without a cost. Now, Ambrose is imprisoned by those same witches,
trapped in a tempest and doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved.
But Doreen isn't like the other MacKinnon witches. As the 13th generation of the MacKinnon line, Doreen is one of the
most powerful witches in centuries... and one of the loneliest. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she
releases him to help her break the curse, once and for all. Ambrose agrees to help, but with his own motive: vengeance. He
plans to use her as bait to enact his revenge on her family.
Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their
wildest dreams. As they work together, sparks start to fly, but soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to
break the curse, and what she's willing to sacrifice.
Critique: Of special and particular interest for readers who appreciate a deft blending of fantasy and romance, Paige
Crutcher's new novel, "A Circle of Uncommon Witches" is a compelling adventure of romance, magic, and an ultimate
inquiry into the question -- is true love worth the cost? An original and fun read from start to finish, "A Circle of
Uncommon Witches" is an ideal and recommended pick for personal and community library Romance & Fantasy
collections. it should be noted that this paperback edition of "A Circle of Uncommon Witches" from St. Martin's Griffin is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Paige Crutcher (https://paigecrutcher.com) is the author of The Orphan Witch and The Lost Witch. She is a
former journalist, and her work appears in multiple anthologies and online publications.
The Beauty of the End
Lauren Stienstra
https://www.laurenstienstra.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662525650, $28.99, HC, 351pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-End-Novel-Lauren-Stienstra/dp/1662525656
Synopsis: Charlie Tannehill and her twin sister, Maggie, are just eight years old when an unfortunate scientific discovery
upends their world -- and the world order. The revelation? Extinction, encoded in every creature's DNA. The expiration
date for humans? Only four generations away.
A decade later, unsure of what tomorrow holds, Charlie and Maggie enroll as counselors in a government-run
human-husbandry program. By offering cash rewards for reproduction, they hope to forestall humanity's decline and
discover a genetic mutation that might defeat it. While Charlie struggles with the ethical implications of the work, Maggie
makes unspeakable sacrifices to improve her odds of success -- but such unchecked ambition could come at a greater cost
than even she realizes.
Torn between her own morality, her love for her sister, and the pressures of a vanishing civilization, Charlie must search
deep within to decide what she's willing to sacrifice -- for herself, for Maggie, and for society -- in order to salvage hope
for the whole of humankind.
Critique: Carefully crafted, impressively original, "The Beauty of the End" by novelist Lauren Stienstra will hold a special
attraction to science fiction fans with an interest in dystopian fiction raised an epic status of literary excellence. While
strongly commended for community and college/university library Science Fiction & Literary Fiction collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Beauty of the End" from Little A is also readily
available in paperback (9781662525667, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Lauren Stienstra's (www.laurenstienstra.com) professional life in government has been instrumental in
shaping her literary voice. From the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response to addressing the critical issue of
climate change, Stienstra's lived experiences and deep-rooted commitment to public service have informed and inspired
her prose. She holds degrees in physiology and crisis management, has studied creative writing at UCLA Extension, and is
currently completing her doctorate in public health at Johns Hopkins University. These endeavors have not only broadened
her understanding of the world's most pressing challenges but also fueled her passion for resonant stories that weave
together the complexities of the world she knows so intimately.
The Borealis Queen
Henry Guard
Independently Published
9798992606508, $14.95, PB
9798308487791, $3.99, Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Borealis-Queen-Henry-Guard/dp/B0DWKPBGW3
Synopsis: Long ago, in the primeval Americas, a tribe of hunters excelled in bringing down the mighty beasts now long
extinct. From this tribe emerged a strong-willed girl who, defying all odds, became the most powerful and revered woman
of the Ice Age.
"The Borealis Queen" follows her journey from a playful child who befriended and petted some of the most fearsome
prehistoric predators to a unique, young, beautiful, and free-spirited woman who conquered the hearts and goodwill of her
contemporaries.
She brought down enemies and prey alike with the expert use of her sling weapon and the help of the animal allies she
sheltered as younglings. This is the story of a young woman whom all her people hailed as the "Borealis Queen" -- Queen
of the North!
Critique: A deftly blended work of historical action/adventure with elements of epic fantasy, "The Borealis Queen" is a
fascinating, compelling, and fun read from start to finish. Author Henry Guard's narrative driven and memorably
entertaining storytelling style is original, skillfully crafted, and ideally suited to the heroic fantasy genre. "The Borealis
Queen" is a unique coming of age fantasy that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Fantasy Fiction collections for all dedicated fantasy fans.
Editorial Note: All the more impressive when considering that "The Borealis Queen: The Epic Journey That Forged The
Ruler" is Henry Guard's debut as a novelist, it should be noted that this epic saga is also available for personal reading lists
in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
The Pendragon Cycle series
Stephen R. Lawhead
Baen Books
www.baen.com
Three new titles in The Pendragon Cycle series are top recommendations for fantasy readers of King Arthur times,
presenting an alternate in-depth vision of Merlin, Arthur, and other characters such as Prince Taliesin who emerge with
new high drama and intrigue in this world-building series.
https://www.amazon.com/Taliesin-Pendragon-Cycle-Stephen-Lawhead/dp/1982193859
Begin with Taliesin (9781982193850, $18.00), which takes place after Atlantis is destroyed. Surviving ships bring a king
and his daughter to a new life in a world where Celtic chieftains are taking over as Rome's stranglehold dwindles. The
magic, heroism, and struggles that emerge from this introduction build characters and politics that are realistic and
thoroughly engrossing.
https://www.amazon.com/Merlin-Pendragon-Cycle-Stephen-Lawhead/dp/1982193867
This leads to Book Two, Merlin (9781668072370, $18.00), son of the bard Taleisin who is also tasked with a mission
fraught with hardship and impossible scenarios. As a magician, he seems to have the power to effect change ... but not
before his own heart and ability to create alternative paths comes into play to threaten his life's work - to prepare for the
coming of the Pendragon, which involves all of Britain in anticipation and struggle.
https://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Pendragon-Cycle-Stephen-Lawhead/dp/1982193875
Arthur is the final book (9781668072387, $18.00) which centers on Arthur's mandate to move from lower-class beginnings
to become a force of power and change. His charge, to bring the Kingdom of Summer to the realm, requires him to unite
the country under impossible conditions, then follow Merlin's counsel to build upon chaos against all odds.
Readers who love world-building intricacy, powerful characters, and twists on the typical Merlin/Arthur mythology will
welcome the fast pace, compelling action, and continually immersive battles and events that emerge in a series that is
nearly impossible to put down, making it a "must have" acquisition for any library seeing patron interest in Athurian
fantasy creations. Stephen Lawhead's stands out from the crowd in many satisfyingly unexpected ways.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Orisha, Volume 1: With Great Power
Huzayfa Umar
Saturday AM
https://www.saturday-am.com
c/o Rockport Publishers
c/o The Quarto Group
quarto.com
9780760390320 $13.99 pbk / $13.29 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Orisha-Great-Power-Saturday-TANKS/dp/0760390320
Nigerian author Huzayfa Umar presents Orisha, Volume 1: With Great Power, an action-packed, shonen manga-style
graphic novel about an young African man who unexpectedly inherits a fragment of divine power. Aboki is an ordinary
villager who is reluctant to stand up for himself; his life changes forever when he receives a celestial seed that bestows
incredible power. The seed transforms him into an Orisha, a human wielding godlike abilities. But Aboki's seed came from
a murdered Orisha; who could have slain the seed's original holder, and why? Other Orisha are suspicious of Aboki, so
Aboki sets out on a quest to prove his honorable intentions by sealing a rift between the world of humans and the world of
dangerous voodoo beings! The dynamic, black-and-white art makes fantastic clashes of fists and magic all but leap off the
page, in this grand adventure steeped in West African culture and mythology. Highly recommended!
Life Sucks
Jessica Alba & Gabe Soria, authors
Warren Pleece, illustrator
Fantagraphics Books
www.fantagraphics.com
9781683969969, $19.99, PB, 188pp
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Sucks-Jessica-Abel/dp/1683969960
Synopsis: Life sucks for Dave Miller - he's broke, girlfriendless, and stuck in a dead-end job. Really dead-end: Dave is the
night manager at the Last Stop, LA's finest vampire-owned and operated, all-night convenience store. Facing an eternity of
turning hot dogs and restocking blood broth for his crappy boss and Vampire Master, the future looks about as appealing as
the sunrise.
It's bad enough that Dave is clinging to his days as a vegetarian and refusing to feed off humans, leaving him weak as a
kitten. But when he finds himself competing with psychotic surfer-vamp Wes for the affections of Rosa, a beautiful mortal
flirting with the dark side, unlife gets about as sucky as it possibly can.
Critique: Originally published in 2008, Fantagraphics is bringing this YA classic back into print with a new edition.
Veteran comics creators Jessica Abel (Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars), Gabe Soria (Batman '66), and Warren Pleece
(Incognegro) have crafted a timeless goth love triangle/coming-of-age story.
With full color illustrations by graphic artist Warren Pleece once more bringing to life the original and noir style
storytelling by co-authors Jessica Alba and Gabe Soria for a new generation of vampire novel enthusiasts, it should be
noted for personal reading lists and community library graphic novel collections that this new paperback edition of "Life
Sucks" is also readily available from Fantasgraphics in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Author and coach Jessica Abel is the author of many books, including the graphic novels La Perdida and
Out On the Wire and two textbooks about making comics. She is Chair of the Illustration Program at the Pennsylvania
Academy of Fine Arts.
Editorial Note #2: Gabe Soria writes books, comics, role-playing games, album liner notes, and assorted other things. He is
the creator of the Sword & Backpack RPG, the Midnight Arcade series from Penguin Workshop Books.
Editorial Note #3: Warren Pleece is a British comics artist who has contributed to comics titles such as Hellblazer, The
Invisibles, 2000 AD, and many others.
Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History, 3rd Edition
William Bryan Jones, Jr.
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476688329, $75.00, PB, 472pp
https://www.amazon.com/Classics-Illustrated-Cultural-History-ed/dp/147668832X
Synopsis: In its expanded third edition, "Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History" by William Bryan Jones, Jr. is the
definitive work on Classics Illustrated exploring this iconic and enduring series of comic-book adaptations of literary
masterpieces in even greater depth, with twice the number of color plates as in the second edition.
Drawing on interviews, correspondence, fanzines, and archival research, this newly updated and expanded third edition of
"Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History" covers in full detail the work of the artists, editors, scriptwriters, and publishers
who contributed to the success of the "World's Finest Juvenile Publication". Many previously unpublished reproductions of
original art are included, along with new chapters covering editor Meyer Kaplan, art director L.B. Cole, and artist John
Parker; additional information on contributions from Black artists and scriptwriters such as Matt Baker, Ezra Jackson,
George D. Lipscomb, and Lorenz Graham; and a complete issue-by-issue listing of significant international series.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.94 x 11 inches, 2.55 pounds) paperback edition of "Classics Illustrated: A Cultural
History" from McFarland & Company is a 'must have' history and reference for the legions of Classic Illustrated fans.
Profusely illustrated with informative commentary throughout, This third edition of William Bryan Jones, Jr.'s "Classics
Illustrated" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Comics & Graphic Novels literary history/criticism and American Popular Culture collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $45.99) as well.
Editorial Note: William Bryan Jones, Jr. (https://www.williambjonesjr.com) is the author of Petit Jean: A Wilderness
Adventure; the editor of Robert Louis Stevenson Reconsidered: New Critical Perspectives; and a contributor to The
Oxford Handbook of Adaptation Studies and Icons of the American Comic Book. He has written introductions for more
than 100 reissued titles in the revived Classics Illustrated and related series.
Captain America For Dummies
Stuart Moore
For Dummies
https://www.dummies.com
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
9781394299447, $29.99, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Dummies-Stuart-Moore/dp/1394299443
Synopsis: With roots dating back to World War II, Captain America reigns as one of the most iconic and enduring heroes
in the Marvel Comics universe. With the publication of "Captain America For Dummies", Marvel Universe authority Sturt
Moore provides an essential and illustrated guide to getting to know this popular and enduring super hero.
Produced in partnership with Marvel Comics and featuring full-color art taken directly from the comic books, "Captain
American For Dummies" is a fun and friendly guide that will help fans of all ages to understand how Captain America
gained his powers and evolved over the years, including the range of characters who have wielded the shield.
"Captain America For Dummies" reveals what inspired the creation of the character, explores Captain America's friends
and foes, and digs into the teams that Captain America has fought alongside. Also featured are the major storylines that
turned Cap into one of the most well-known and enduringly popular super heroes of all time!
With "Captain America For Dummies", fans will:
Get to know Captain America, his creators, and origin story
Meet Captain America's allies and enemies
Learn more about others who have carried Captain America's shield
Explore major storylines and battles
Discover the teams Captain America has fought alongside
Critique: Impressively informative, expertly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, "Captain America
For Dummies" by Stuart Moore is the ideal introduction and reference guide to the lore, legend, and history of one of the
Marvel Universe's most enduringly popular characters. "Captain America For Dummies" is expressly recommended for
personal reading lists and community/academic library Comics/Graphic Novels collections and supplemental
Contemporary American Popular Culture curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition of
"Captain American For Dummies" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Stuart Moore (https://stuartmoorewriter.com) is a writer, book editor, and award-winning comics editor.
He's the author of Target: Kree, Into the Dark Dimension, and three volumes of the bestselling The Zodiac Legacy, which
was created and co-written by Stan Lee.
Marvel Comics For Dummies
Troy Brownfield
For Dummies
https://www.dummies.com
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
9781394299294, $29.99, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Comics-Dummies-Troy-Brownfield/dp/139429929X
Synopsis: Consumers of American popular culture is very familiar with iconic super-hero characters from Marvel Comics
like Black Panther, Iron Man, Spiderman, and Wolverine, or super-villains like Loki and Thanos. But how much do
Marvel Comics fans know about the more obscure characters like Squirrel Girl, Cyclops, or the Leader?
With over 85 years of comics published since their founding, the Marvel Comics archive is a vast universe of iconic stories
and legendary characters. But with the publication of "Marvel Comics For Dummies", comic writer and content creator
Troy Brownfield provides Marvel fans with a shortcut to navigating this immense collection of heroes and their
adventures.
Marvel fans and readers will learn the background of key characters, explore essential storylines, and discover the
interconnectedness of the Marvel universe. Created in collaboration with Marvel Comics, this full-color guide contains
striking comic book artwork along with interesting insights that serve as an exciting map to the Marvel universe.
"Marvel Comics for Dummies" will enable Marvel fans of all ages to:
Uncover Marvel's origin story
Get to know iconic Marvel super heroes and villains
Tour the Marvel Comics Multiverse
Make sense of Marvel's many super-hero teams
Explore definitive storylines that span the history of Marvel Comics
Critique: From curious newbie to the Marvel Universe to long-time readers and dedicated fans, "Marvel Comics For
Dummies", truly brings the Marvel Multiverse to life with full color illustrations, and is exceptionally 'reader friendly' in
detail, organization and presentation. While this paperback edition of "Marvel Comics For Dummies" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Comics/Graphic Novels collections
and supplemental Contemporary American Popular Culture studies lists, it should be noted for fans, students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Marvel Comics For Dummies" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Troy Brownfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Brownfield) is Executive Editor of the The Saturday
Evening Post and kid's magazines Jack & Jill and Humpty Dumpty. He has written and created content for DC Comics,
Comiccon.com, Fangoria Comics/Graphix, and comics for Zenescope Entertainment.
Understanding Superhero Comic Books
Alex Grand
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476690391, $39.95, PB, 358pp
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Superhero-Comic-Books-Controversies/dp/1476690391
Synopsis: With the publication of "Understanding Superhero Comic Books: A History of Key Elements, Creators, Events
and Controversies", Alex Grand informatively presents the origin and growth of superhero comic books, including their
major influences, and the creators behind them.
Grand demonstrates how Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and many more stand as time capsules of their eras,
rising and falling with societal changes, and reflecting an amalgam of influences.
"Understanding Superhero Comic Books" also covers in detail the iconic superhero comic book creators and their unique
contributions in their quest for realism, including Julius Schwartz and the science-fiction origins of superheroes; the
collaborative design of the Marvel Universe by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Steve Ditko; Jim Starlin's incorporation of the
death of superheroes in comic books; John Byrne and the revitalization of superheroes in the modern age; and Alan
Moore's deconstruction of superheroes.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, this large format (7 x 0.72 x 10 inches, 1.45 pounds) paperback edition of
"Understanding Superhero Comic Books: A History of Key Elements, Creators, Events and Controversies" by Alex Grand
is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twenty-page Bibliography, twenty-four pages of Notes, and a
fifteen page Index. A masterpiece of literary scholarship, "Understanding Superhero Comic Books" is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Comics/Graphic
Novels Literary Criticism/History collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists. It should be noted that this
paperback edition of "Understanding Superhero Comic Books" from McFarland & Company is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Alex Grand is an internationally established comics historian, founder of the Comic Book Historians, and a
regular panelist at Comic Con International: San Diego, Wonder Con, and San Diego ComicFest. He has been featured in
comics-based documentaries, television, and radio programs and has appeared or been published in The Wall Street
Journal, Hollywood Reporter, The Comics Journal, The Jack Kirby Collector and Alter Ego. He lives in Sacramento,
California
The Library CD Shelf
Griot Songs
Omar Thomas
www.omarthomasmusic.com
Omar Thomas Music
$40.00 double LP / $9.03 MP3
https://www.omarthomas.com/griot-songs
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJ4LZ9QY
West Africa has an ancient tradition of "griots" - historians, storytellers, poets, and/or musicians who fulfill a vital
community role in preserving collective memory and sometimes in dispute mediation as well. Griot Songs is the third
album by the Omar Thomas Large Ensemble, led by award-winning composer Omar Thomas and featuring soloists Jason
Palmer, Mark Zaleski, Alex Brown, Mark Cocheo, and more. Griot Songs blends elements of the big band jazz with
multicultural inspiration, and is a unique treasure for international music connoisseurs. The tracks are The Sun In
September; Sail To The Moon; Obeah Woman; Nothing There; Episode D'Azur; The Path; and A Touch of Obsidian, A
Flash of Scarlet.
Altitude 1100 Meters
Satoko Fujii GEN
Libra Records
https://librarecords.com
$TBA CD / 1,000 JPY digital
https://satokofujii.bandcamp.com/album/altitude-1100-meters-2
Satoko Fujii GEN ("gen" meaning "string" in Japanese) is a six-person string ensemble consisting of Satoko Fujii on piano,
Yuriko Mukoujima on violin, Ayako Kato on violin, Atsuko Hatano on viola and electronics, Hiroshi Yoshino on bass,
and Akira Horikoshi and on drums. Altitude 1100 Meters is the ensemble's debut album, an original suite written by Fujii.
Inspired by mountain views, stirring breezes, and the changed feeling of the air itself at high elevations, Altitude 1100
Meters is an extraordinarily beautiful performance and a treasure for connoisseurs of international jazz. Highly
recommended! The tracks are Morning Haze, Morning Sun, Early Afternoon, Light Rain, and Twilight.
What Happened There?
Keiji Haino and Natsuki Tamura
Libra Records
https://librarecords.com
$TBA CD / 1,000 JPY digital
https://natsukitamura.bandcamp.com/album/what-happened-there
What Happened There? is a collaborative, instrumental album by trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and guitarist Keiji Haino. In
their debut duo performance, they weave an extraordinary, full-length performance with elements of jazz, free
improvisation, subversive inflection, and original genius. What Happened There? is an extraordinary musical journey and
highly recommended for connoisseurs of avante-garde soundscapes. The tracks are What Happened There? part one (9:16),
What Happened There? part two (7:59), What Happened There? part three (9:21) and What Happened There? part four
(09:07).
Soft Light
Mark Scott III
Miller Three Publishing
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTKS15FZ
Austin, Texas-based music artist Mark Scott III presents Soft Light, an original jazz album debut showcasing his
exceptional guitar talent with support from Ben Triesch on bass and Mike Gordon on drums. Ranging in emotion from
lighthearted to wistful to optimistic for the future, Soft Light is a treasure for jazz guitar connoisseurs and highly
recommended. The tracks are Carpals, Food Court, Rhythm-Ding, News Blues, Sneak Peak, Monster Best, Soft Light,
Smile, Warmth, Tomorrow, and The Sun Behind a Cloud.
Small Things
Jackson Potter
www.jacksonpottermusic.com
Shifting Paradigm Records
https://www.shiftingparadigmrecords.com
$11.79 CD / $8.91 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Things-Jackson-Potter/dp/B0DNRFR27P
New York City based guitarist and composer Jackson Potter presents his sophomore album Small Things, a jazz guitar
showcase featuring tracks composed by Potter and others, and performed by the talented quintet of Jackson Potter on
guitar, Alex Ridout on trumpet and flugelhorn, Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone, Hamish Smith on bass, and Marcello
Cardillo on drums. Drawing upon both new and old jazz styles, Small Things is a smooth delight for genre connoisseurs
and highly recommended. The tracks are Trams (Troy Roberts); Small Things (Jackson Potter); Mr. M (Jackson Potter);
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Jerome Kern); Hey, It's Me You're Talking To (Victor Lewis); Background Noise (Jackson
Potter); The Duke (Dave Brubeck); Everything I Love (Cole Porter); and Sophia's Waltz (Jackson Potter).
Danser avec le feu
Ariane Racicot
arianeracicot.com
Privately Published
$20.00 CAD CD / $10.00 CAD digital
https://arianeracicot.bandcamp.com/album/danser-avec-le-feu
Danser avec le feu (French for "Dancing with Fire") is the second album of prize-winning Montreal jazz pianist Ariane
Racicot. All songs are composed by Racicot, who showcases her extraordinary piano talent supported by Antoine
Rochefort on electric bass and Guillaume Picard on drums. The songs have a charged message about resilience,
environmental anxiety, and the importance of listening to one's instincts. Several pieces of Danser avec le feu are through-
composed music - created to be continuous, non-sectional, and non-repetitive (as opposed to many compositional styles
that use a repetitive chorus or refrain). The result is a captivating and immersive soundscape that invites the listener to
explore new horizons. Danser avec le feu is a choice pick for connoisseurs of original piano jazz, highly recommended.
The tracks are Avant la tempete, Going For A Walk, Dancing With Fire, There Is Some Hope, Chez-moi, Canicules, I
Have Doubts, and Apres la Tempete.
Kind as the Shade
The Bentley Project
www.Bentleyguitars.com
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQ92XX3W
Kind as the Shade is an "ambient tone poem" of original music expressing love for the Earth itself, inspired by American
poet John Neihardt and his poem "The Sound My Spirit Calls You". An instrumental new age CD featuring Theresa
Bentley on harp, vocalizations, synth keys, and piano; Mark Bentley on guitars; Dana Woolard on cello; and Amado
Espinosa on quena (a traditional flute of the Andes), Kind as the Shade invites the listener to experience a musical journey
of tranquility, reflection, and wonder. A beautiful album ideal for meditation, creative inspiration, or gift-giving, Kind as
the Shade is highly recommended. The tracks are Distant Thunder, Chant of the Sunset, Kind As The Shade, Morning
Shall Sing For You, Dance Of The Rose, Earth's Fragrance Remembered (Eolyn), My Whisper To You, Language Of The
Hills, and Kiss Of The Stars.
Iota
AeTopus
Spotted Peccary Music
www.spottedpeccarymusic.com
$16.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://aetopus-spm.bandcamp.com/album/iota
Iota is a new-age, avante-garde style album and the stylistic evolution of music artist AeTopus' previous album Cup. The
original, ambient songs engage in polyrhythmic percussion and creative exploration, encouraging the listener to expand
their horizons. Iota is inspirational, dynamic, and highly recommended. The tracks are Museum, Why Not Now, Mohhu,
Finespun, Level, Wave Hello, Tell_Us, Subsystem, Probe, Accent, Sunny, and Decima Milia.
The Library DVD Shelf
Without Arrows
A film by Delwin Fiddler Jr., Jonathan Olshefski, and Elizabeth Day
First Run Features
https://www.firstrunfeatures.com
$19.95
Synopsis: Filmed over 13 years, Without Arrows chronicles three generations of a Lakota family as Delwin Fiddler Jr., an
acclaimed grass dancer, returns to his ancestral home on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota.
After 11 years of living in Philadelphia, he leaves his big city life behind, aiming to reconnect with his mother and father
and learn more about their family history.
A portrait of the Fiddlers, Without Arrows begins as Delwin works to rebuild his life and sense of identity while
navigating within his family and within the larger culture of the reservation. Delwin experiences struggles and frustrations
as he attempts to rekindle an interest in traditional Lakota lifeways while healing from the trauma that caused him to leave
home in the first place. Through tenderness and tragedy Without Arrows celebrates the emotional arcs and hidden longings
of the Fiddler family as they strive to carry on the legacy of their ancestors to the next generation.
Critique: Without Arrows is an up-close and personal documentary of three generations of a Lakota family on the
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota. Filmed during the passage of 13 years, Without Arrows
portrays Delwin Fiddler Jr.'s reunion with his parents after 11 years of city life in Philadelphia, and his desire to learn more
about his family and cultural history. An intimate portrayal of emotional ups and downs, Delwin's personal dedication to
learn more about Lakota traditions, and the practical realities of everyday life on a reservation, Without Arrows is highly
recommended for both public and school library DVD collections. 93 minutes.
Cat City
cat-city.org
First Run Features
https://www.firstrunfeatures.com
$19.95
https://firstrunfeatures.com/catcityvod.html
Synopsis: Cat City chronicles Chicago's love/hate relationship with feral cats. It tells the story of Chicago's outdoor cats
and the communities who look after them.
What is the right way to care for feral cats and who gets to decide? A ground-breaking 2007 ordinance protects feral cats in
Chicago that have been trapped, neutered and returned ("TNR") to their neighborhoods. Dubbed community cats, they
control rats and provide love and meaning to their caretakers. There are now thousands of cat colonies in Chicago, many
with only a single cat, but some with more than 40. These colonies are fed by volunteer caretakers who report on their
well-being. Many ferals succumb to the elements, but the most hardy, tough and careful survive many seasons and become
legends in their neighborhoods.
Critique: Cat City: A Documentary About The Feral Side of Chicago Policy is a thoughtful documentary about Chicago's
semi-wild outdoor cats. Feral cats sometimes have people who feed them or look after them, but they aren't truly pets and
don't have owners per se. A humane 2007 law protects feral cats that have been trapped, neutered and returned to their
communities. Feral cats help control the rat population, and the trap-neuter-return policy avoids the expense of more
labor-intensive catch-and-kill solutions. But bird lovers detest how cats kill and eat birds, especially young birds that can't
fly yet. Balanced and compassionate, Cat City is captivating portrait of work with feral cats and highly recommended
especially for public and school library DVD collections. English language, optional English and Spanish subtitles, 76
minutes.
The Blu-ray Shelf
Levels
Starring Cara Gee and Peter Mooney
Written and directed by Adam Stern
RLJE Films
https://www.amcnetworks.com
$15.39 Blu-ray
https://www.amazon.com/Levels-Blu-Ray-Adam-Stern/dp/B007RH6ZFI
Levels is a science fiction mystery-thriller movie set in the near future. Joe's peaceful life comes crashing down in
heartbreak when a stranger kills Ash, the woman he loves. Overcome with grief, Joe tries to end his own life - yet time and
again he fails. Reality frays about the edges, and the world around Joe might not be what it seems. Could Ash still be
alive? Edge-of-seat suspense and intense twists and turns of plot keep the viewer enthralled and second-guessing to the
very end. Highly recommended! Special features include a "Behind the Scenes of Levels" showcase. Levels is rated R due
to language, violence, and suicide. English language with English subtitles and English audio description track, 92
min.
The World is Still Beautiful Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$59.98, Blu-ray, 2 discs
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726020372-the-world-is-still-beautiful-complete- collection-blu-ray
The World is Still Beautiful Complete Collection is a Japanese anime set amid fictional kingdoms with an 18th century
vibe, about an arranged marriage between a princess and the Sun King. Princess Nike did not expect to have an easy time
with her betrothed, but neither did she expect to be suddenly thrown into jail! Is her brief imprisonment just a rough start?
Can the royal couple tame their personality clashes in time to stop the sinister forces threatening to destroy both of their
kingdoms? The World is Still Beautiful Complete Collection weaves a serious political plot with elements of fourth-wall
breaking romantic comedy, and features a very strong-willed couple (who each need to work on their own shortcomings).
Highly recommended! The World is Still Beautiful Complete Collection is rated TV-14 due to mature situations such as
kidnapping and the threat of worse. 12 episodes on 2 Blu-ray discs, Japanese audio only, English subtitles, 300 min.
The Gardening Shelf
Birds & Blooms Beauty in the Backyard
Birds & Blooms, author
Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889771074, $19.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Blooms-Beauty-Backyard-APPRECIATE/dp/B0D87QSJ27
Synopsis: You can relish nature's beauty all year long when you create a backyard that celebrates everything nature has to
offer. From landscaping with color and texture to attracting favorite fliers in every season, the secrets to creating your own
sanctuary are shared in the illustrated pages of "Beauty in the Backyard" from the team at Birds & Blooms magazine.
You will learn how to enhance small yards, turning shady spots into stunning areas, and get the most bang for your buck
with oversized plants and blooms. You will even find expert advice on house plants, front-porch decor, crafty ideas using
nature's bounty and so much more. "Beauty in the Backyard" features more than 300 no-fuss tips, hints and suggestions
make it easy!
Best of all, hundreds of magnificent and inspiring full color photos make "Beauty in the Backyard" a joy to page through
all year long. Whether you're an experienced gardener or working on your first yard, whether you own acres of land or a
tiny city plot, "Beauty in the Backyard" is an ideal instructional guide and 'how to' manual.
Critique: Mandatory reading for both novice and experienced gardeners wanting to create the backyard of their dreams,
who seek to increase curbside appeal with seasonal flair, to attract birds and butterflies to their backyard, to landscape with
color, keep houseplants healthy, to make the most of small and shady spaces, this large format (8.6 x 0.8 x 10.9 inches,
1.65 pounds) paperback edition of "Beauty in the Backyard" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in and inspiring in both
organization and presentation, making it especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Gardening &
Domestic Landscaping collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Beauty in
the Backyard" from Birds & Blooms is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Birds & Blooms (https://www.birdsandblooms.com) features incredible nature photography, expert
gardening advice and detailed accounts that are adored by today's bird and butterfly enthusiasts, Birds & Blooms magazine
and books are cherished by readers throughout North America. With more than a million followers on social media, Birds
& Blooms prides itself on inspiring a lifelong love of birding, gardening and nature by celebrating beauty in the backyard
and beyond.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Flower Embroidery: Over 100 Floral Motifs and Projects to Create
Susie Johns
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946814, $27.95, PB, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Foolproof-Flower-Embroidery-Stitches-Combinations/dp/1617459747
Synopsis: From delightful daffodils to cheerful cherry blossoms, with the publication of "Flower Embroidery: Over 100
Floral Motifs and Projects to Create", needlecraft expert Susie Johns introduces her readers to a range of fundamental
embroidery techniques and best practices through easy-to-follow instructions, clearly defined tips and step-by-step
photography.
Each page features beautifully photographed projects which vary from pillowcases, table cloths and cutlery wraps, to
aprons and picnic cloths. The projects comprising "Flower Embroidery: Over 100 Floral Motifs and Projects to Create)
will appeal to both beginners and more experienced embroiderers.
Whether you're a seasoned needlework enthusiast or a budding embroidery artist, "Flower Embroidery: Over 100 Floral
Motifs and Projects to Create" offers a bouquet of inspiration and step-by-step guidance to create stunning floral
masterpieces.
The projects include: Lavender pouches, Buttercups and Daisies Cutlery Wrap, Summer Bouquet Cushion, Honeysuckle
Apron, Poppy Picnic Cloth, and more!
Critique: This large format (7.9 x 0.5 x 9.9 inches, 1.15 pounds) paperback edition of "Flower Embroidery: Over 100
Floral Motifs and Projects to Create" by Suzie Johns will hold a very special appeal to needlecrafters with an interest in
embroidery as an art form, the creation of embroidered flowers and plants. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Flower Embroidery: Over 100 Floral Motifs and Projects to Create" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecrafting collections.
Editorial Note: Susie Johns (https://susieatthecircus.typepad.com) is an artist and designer who has written dozens of craft
books, including Circus Embroidery, Knitted Woodland Creatures, How to Embroider, Fat Quarter: Bags & Purses and Fat
Quarter: Vintage. Her patterns and designs appear regularly in consumer craft magazines in the UK, such as Let's Knit,
Sew and Let's Get Crafting, and she has written numerous patterns for suppliers such as DMC. She has also demonstrated
various crafts on television. She lives in London.
Crocheted Mythical Creatures
Jacki Donhou
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946876, $26.99, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Crocheted-Mythical-Creatures-Folklore-Fairytales/dp/1784946877
Synopsis: From ferocious dragons to mischievous fairies, "Crocheted Mythical Creatures: 15 Makes from Legends,
Folklore and Fairytales" by Jacki Donhou is the perfect combination of instructional guide and "how-to" manual for novice
and experienced needlecrafters who are looking to ignite their imagination by creating fantastical projects from their stash
of colorful yarn. Each project comes with detailed and easy-to-follow instructions, perfect for beginner and more
intermediate crocheters alike!
Inspired by the Japanese crochet style of amigurumi, each project in "Crocheted Mythical Creatures: 15 Makes from
Legends, Folklore and Fairytales" (which includes a Unicorn, a Dragon, a Mermaid, a Banshee, a Genie, and more!) is
quick and fun to make. The smaller size of each project makes for the perfect decoration or toy. Needlecrafters will be able
to create creatures straight from the pages of a fairy tale or from myths across the world -- from a genie to Medusa,
needlecrafters will be guided through step-by-step instruction and photography as their magical projects come to life!
Critique: Beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions guarantee success for even the most novice of crochet beginners
with Jacki Donhou's "Crocheted Mythical Creatures: 15 Makes from Legends, Folklore and Fairytales". Impressively 'user
friendly' in organization and presentation, this exceptional and step-by-step guide will prove to be an immediately and
enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Crochet instructional reference
collections.
Editorial Note: Jacki Donhou (https://www.dearjackistitchery.com) taught herself to crochet as a hobby to pass the time
alongside bringing up her three children, and she has been designing amigurumi and plush patterns ever since. Her passion
is to bring something unique to the crochet and yarn community that children and adult collectors alike will enjoy.
Vintage Granny Squares
Emmy Varnam
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946791, $26.99, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Granny-Squares-author/dp/1784946796
Synopsis: Granny squares are a thrifty, fun and fashionable way to use up your yarn stash by creating adorable items to
wear and to decorate your home. "Vintage Granny Squares: 20 Crochet Projects with a Retro Vibe" by needlecraft expert
Emma Varnam is comprised of colorful and cheerful creations which have an appealing retro vibe, taking you back to the
feel-good comfort of home-made furnishings and accessories. A handy techniques section explains all the basic skills
needed, making this book appealing to beginners and more experienced crocheters alike.
Patterns are based around the classic granny square, but with a modern twist. They won't take long to make and are quick
and easy to complete once you know the basics of crochet. Each project has detailed color photography and clear, concise
instructions to follow. From gorgeous blankets to colorful cushions, to stylish scarves, shrugs and mittens, "Vintage
Granny Squares: 20 Crochet Projects with a Retro Vibe" is packed with inspiring DIY projects that are guaranteed to get
you reaching for your crochet hook, and they'll make charming gifts too.
Critique: Profusely illustrated, featuring thoroughly 'user friendly' instructions, and unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, and community library collections, "Vintage Granny Squares: 20 Crochet Projects with a Retro
Vibe" will have a particular and very special appeal to both novice and experienced needlecrafts with an interest in fun,
practical, and creative DIY crochet projects.
Editorial Note: Emma Varnam (http://emmavarnam.co.uk) has written several popular crochet books, Crocheted Flowers,
10,000 Crocheted Hats, Cute Crocheted Food, Crocheted Houseplants, Crocheted Succulents, Cute Crocheted Animals,
How to Crochet, Granny Squares Home and Granny Squares Weekend, (all published by GMC Publications). She has also
had a number of successful collaborations with the celebrated knitwear designer Debbie Bliss. Emma regularly shares her
design inspiration on her award-winning knitting and crochet blog.
Cute Plushies and Mochi Dolls
Eriko Teranishi
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857871, $18.99, HC, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cute-Plushie-Mochi-Dolls-Manga-style/dp/0804857873
Synopsis: Plushies are squishable, stuffed dolls. Mochi are the cute, limbless little dolls that are shaped like a bread loaf.
Dress them, squeeze them, display them, hang them on your computer and carry them around with you. Cute Plushie and
Mochi Dolls will turn everyone into a plushie doll expert quickly with:
One easy-to-sew basic body pattern
Templates for 27 different dolls based on this body
Patterns for 10 adorable palm-size mini mochis
Templates for an array of hairstyles and facial features
Small enough to be handstitched using very simple techniques, these little dolls make perfect gifts for manga, anime and
kawaii fans of all ages. Designing their wild hairdos is easy and fun. Try different faces and hair and clothing combinations
to create dolls that resemble your friends-they will love it! And the adventure doesn't stop there, with "Cute Plushies and
Mochi Dolls: Sweet Manga-style Kawaii Characters to Sew" by Eriko Teranishi you will be able to make over 50
mix-and-match outfits and accessories for everything, from everyday clothes to cosplay costumes.
Illustrated instructions, patterns and templates take you all the way from start to finish. Whether you are a seasoned sewing
enthusiast or a novice just beginning to explore the world of plush toy crafting, let "Cute Plushies and Mochi Dolls: Sweet
Manga-style Kawaii Characters to Sew" be your guide to some seriously creative fun!
Critique: This large format (7.5 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches, 1.45 pounds) hardcover edition of Eriko Teranishi's "Cute Plushies
and Mochi Dolls: Sweet Manga-style Kawaii Characters to Sew" from Tuttle Publishing is thoroughly needlecrafter
friendly in organization and presentation. Profusely illustrated instructions and featuring full color photos of finished dolls,
"Cute Plushies and Mochi Dolls" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community
library Needlecraft instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Cute Plushies and Mochi Dolls" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Eriko Teranishi (www.youtube.com/@ErikoTeranishi) is a toy designer and prolific author of craft books
in her native Japan. Many of her books are written especially for children, introducing them to handicrafts such as sewing,
embroidery, knitting, crochet, felting and paper crafts; others are written with kid-lovers in mind, featuring toys and
accessories kids love. She is the author of the popular book Finger Knitting for Kids (Tuttle Publishing).
Crochet Cute Amigurumi Animals with Mix-and-Match Outfits
Written by The Halations
Introduction by Gayle Roehm
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857864, $17.99, HC, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Crochet-Amigurumi-Animals-Outfits-follow/dp/0804857865
Synopsis: With the publication of "Crochet Cute Amigurumi Animals with Mix-and-Match Outfits: 76 Easy-to-follow
Patterns Using Clear Japanese-style Crochet Charts", the needlecraft team of The Halations shows novice and experienced
crocheters how to make endearing animal dolls with a fabulous array of fun fashions to dress them in.
One basic ragdoll body shape is used to make a bunny, a bear, a dog, a cat, and many other animal cuties. And here's where
the real fun starts -- creating a mix-and-match wardrobe of outfits and accessories that all your dolls can share!
You can dress your handmade toys in:
Classy sweaters and frilly skirts
Pretty tops and casual pants
Adorable sneakers, flats or boots
A huge range of accessories from jaunty hats to a backpack with bunny ears and a tail!
Plus enchanting costumes for every occasion
These outfits can be used for any ragdoll of a similar body size. An illustrated step-by-step lesson in making the doll body
is included. Project instructions are presented in the charts-and-symbols style pioneered by Japanese amigurumi
artists.
"Crochet Cute Amigurumi Animals with Mix-and-Match Outfits: 76 Easy-to-follow Patterns Using Clear Japanese-style
Crochet Charts" is a great way to expand your crochet skills and join the growing number of crocheters enjoying this clear
"visually-oriented" instructional method -- and a great way to delight amigurumi doll lovers of all ages!
Critique: Fun and inspiring for crocheting needlecrafters of all ages and levels of experience, this large format (7.48 x 0.63
x 10 inches, 1.35 pounds) hardcover edition of "Crochet Cute Amigurumi Animals with Mix-and-Match Outfits: 76
Easy-to-follow Patterns Using Clear Japanese-style Crochet Charts", which is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $17.99), is a unique, inspired, highly recommended, and thoroughly welcome addition to personal, professional,
and community library DIY Crochet/Needlecrafting instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: The Halations is a collaboration of four talented crafters. Creating amigurumi since 1998, andeBoo
specializes in using different materials and colorful designs with a touch of whimsy. Green Bear went independent
focusing on easy-to-crochet amigurumi and small accessories designs after working as a planner for a handicraft supplies
manufacturer for 12 years. Takagi Yuki is involved with craft and doll knit brands in Japan, actively participating in craft
events and providing designs for handicraft books. MIYA is a teacher and writer of books on crocheted toys, clothes and
accessories. She is the author of the popular Crochet Cute Dolls with Mix-And-Match Outfits (Tuttle Publishing).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Animal Theology
Andrew Linzey
University of Illinois Press
www.press.uillinois.edu
9780252064678, $22.00, PB, 224pp
9780252097805, $19.95, Kindle
https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p064678
Synopsis: "Animal Theology" was originally published in 1994 by the ethicist and theologian Andrew Linzey. The work
explores how traditional Christian doctrines and practices have approached animal ethics and argues for a reassessment of
animals' moral and spiritual status. Linzey builds his case around principles of reverence, responsibility, and rights,
suggesting that Christian theology provides the tools for a more compassionate relationship with animals.
Summary
"Animal Theology" is divided into two sections. The first establishes theological principles, discussing key concepts like
the intrinsic value of creation and the moral responsibilities humans hold toward animals. Linzey critiques historical
perspectives, including those of theologians such as Karl Barth and Thomas Aquinas, which he views as overly
anthropocentric. He engages with Albert Schweitzer's idea of Reverence for Life and proposes a theocentric framework
where all creatures are valued as part of God's creation.
The second section addresses ethical issues, including animal experimentation, hunting, vegetarianism, and genetic
engineering. Linzey examines these practices through a theological lens, questioning their alignment with Christian values
such as mercy, stewardship, and justice. He suggests that humans, as part of creation, have a duty to act as caretakers rather
than exploiters, reflecting a model of service and compassion.
Critique: Now brought back for a new generation of appreciative readers by the University of Illinois Press in a paperback
format, "Animal Theology" is especially and unreservedly recommended for readers with an interest in animal welfare and
animal/human relationships within the context of Christian theology and philosophy. Also now available in a digital book
format (Kindle), "Animal Theology" is an inherently interesting read and recommended for clergy, seminary students,
community and college/university library Christian Theology/Animal Welfare collections and curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Andrew Linzey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Linzey) is an English Anglican priest, theologian,
and prominent figure in Christian vegetarianism. He is a member of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oxford,
and held the world's first academic post in Ethics, Theology and Animal Welfare, the Bede Jarret Senior Research
Fellowship at Blackfriars Hall. Linzey is also the founder and director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, an
independent academic centre opened in November 2006 to promote the study and discussion of animal ethics.
The Art Shelf
Artists' Journeys That Shaped Our World
Travis Elborough
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711268708, $18.99, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Journeys-That-Shaped-World/dp/0711268703
Synopsis: Some of the most awe-inspiring works of art have been created by artists who stepped beyond their usual
surroundings and ventured into the world in search of beauty, meaning, and creative power. Comprised of the travels that
inspired the artistic greats, "Artists' Journeys That Shaped Our World" offers invigorating accounts revealing how those
journeys impacted the artists' personal lives and shaped the broader cultural landscape.
From the obscure to the iconic, pop culture historian Travis Elborough shares fascinating insights into the stories behind
the creation of some of the world's most celebrated works, including Katsushika Hokusai's woodblock prints of Mount Fuji
in Japan, Marianne North's paintings of India, and David Hockney's California pool scenes.
From Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo to Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp, "Artists' Journeys That Shaped Our
World" is an original and seminal study that invites its readers to follow in the footsteps of artists who made it their
mission to live and work beyond the boundaries of their walls.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color throughout, "Artists' Journeys That Shaped Our World" by
Travis Elborough is an original and impressively informative study that will prove to be of immense appeal and value to
readers with an interest in Art History/Criticism deftly explored along paths taken by some of the greatest artists in history.
This paperback edition of "Journeys That Shaped Our World" from White Lion Publishing is informative enhanced for the
reader's benefit with the inclusion of a six page Selected Bibliography and a five page Index -- making it a particularly and
specially recommended pick for personal reading lists and community/academic library Art & Artist History collections
and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Travis Elborough is the British author of The Bus We Loved: London's Affair With the AEC Routemaster
(Granta Books, 2005); The Long-Player Goodbye: The Album From vinyl To iPod And Back Again (Sceptre 2008); and
Wish You Were Here - England on Sea (Sceptre 2010) and A Walk in the Park (Jonathan Cape, 2016). He reviews for The
Guardian, and has contributed to New Statesman, The Sunday Times, Zembla and The Oldie. He has written for the Times,
Sunday Times, New Statesman, BBC History Magazine and Kinfolk among others, and is a visiting lecturer at the
University of Westminster, where he teaches creative writing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_Elborough)
The Business Shelf
Certainty: How Great Bosses Can Change Minds and Drive Innovation
Mike Mears
Fast Company Press
www.fastcompanypress.com
9781639081325, $28.95 HC, 290pp
https://www.amazon.com/Certainty-Mike-Mears/dp/1639081321
Synopsis: With the publication of "Certainty: How Great Bosses Can Change Minds and Drive Innovation", author Mike
Mears reveals how great leaders draw out the best of human nature in themselves and in others.
The dilemmas that our Stone Age brains are hardwired for survival and programmed to fear the unknown, yet the work
world demands constant innovation. Therefore the enemy of better leadership is uncertainty deeply buried in the minds of
your workforce.
The solution Mears lays out in "Certainty: How Great Bosses Can Change Minds and Drive Innovation" offers the answer:
understand human nature. Work with it rather than pushing against it.
Mears draws on neuroscience and psychology, as well as compelling stories from his career-to offer practical leadership
advice, including:
Entertaining, science-backed explanations of how our brains think and how our primitive brains are colliding with the
demands of the modern workplace
New feedback, change management, and delegation tools to build an environment of certainty rather than of fear
Fresh insights to overcome innate change resistance in yourself and others
Time-saving ideas to empower yourself while empowering your employees
With Mears's guidance, you can identify the limitations and strengths of the human mind and create a dynamic and
innovative workplace.
Critique: Not just another business manager's self-help book for increasing personal or worker productivity, in the pages of
"Certainty: How Great Bosses Can Change Minds and Drive Innovation", Mike Mears offers a distinctively original,
neuro-science based approach to management that will be of special appeal and value to readers with an interest in
leadership and motivation. Impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Certainty: How Great Bosses
Can Change Minds and Drive Innovation" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for entrepreneurs, MBA students, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that this hard cover edition of "Certainty: How Great Bosses Can Change Minds and Drive
Innovation" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Mike Mears (https://www.mikemears.biz) retired as the CIA's Chief of HR (Human Capital) and founded
and headed the CIA Leadership Academy. He trains and consults on advanced leadership and management approaches for
government and private sector organizations. In the military, Mike served as commander of a nuclear missile site and a
general's aide and was decorated for valor as a U.S. Army combat platoon leader. Mike teaches or lectures on leadership at
the Department of Defense, Georgetown University, University of Salzburg, University of Maryland, and the National
Intelligence University. He is a former Senior Fellow at The Conference Board.
SHIFTS
Sam Adeyemi
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
9781394277728, $30.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/SHIFTS-Transform-Mindset-Elevate-Leadership/dp/1394277725
Synopsis: With the publication of "SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership", Dr. Sam
Adeyemi provides a step-by-step blueprint for leaders that seek to create lasting positive change with respect to their
organizations be they social, religious, or commercial.
Drawing from his more than 30 years of leadership coaching experience, Dr. Adeyemi teaches readers the importance of
personal development, cultural awareness, and leading effectively in a globalized world. This essential read introduces the
SHIFTS framework, a unique methodology that guides leaders through six transformative steps:
1. See: Cultivate vision to recognize opportunities and challenges.
2. Hear: Listen deeply to understand spoken and unspoken messages.
3. Insight: Synthesize information to gain clear perspectives for decision-making.
4. Formulate: Develop innovative and practical strategies from insights.
5. Transform: Implement strategies to drive change and achieve goals.
6. Succeed: Sustain positive change and inspire continuous growth.
Critique: Practical, informative, instructive, and impressively organized and presented for the reader's benefit, Dr. Sam
Adeyemi's "SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership" must be considered essential
reading for both current and aspiring leaders seeking to develop essential leadership skills applicable to any role and
industry. While this hardcover edition of "SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership"
from Wiley is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Business Management/Leadership collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted
for students, academia, corporate executives, business managers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Dr. Sam Adeyemi (https://samadeyemi.com) has over 30 years' experience teaching leadership and
providing solutions to global leaders and organizations. He is an internationally renowned speaker and has spoken at global
events including Horasis and GLS.
Inspire
Adam Galinsky
Harper Business
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063294677, $32.00, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Inspire-Universal-Transforming-Yourself-Leading/dp/0063294672
Synopsis: Whether you're a leader, a member of a team, a spouse, or a parent, "Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading
Yourself and Others" by social psychologist and leadership expert Adam Galinsky is an engaging and rigorous exploration
that unpacks the science of inspiration. Through compelling stories, fascinating research, and practical tips for addressing
the common dilemmas we face daily, "Inspire" reveals how all of us, regardless of status or circumstance, can be more
inspiring more often.
Professor Galinsky has spent three decades building a method for determining when we are inspiring versus infuriating,
and where various leaders (presidents, CEOs, coaches, teachers, parents, and a wealth of others) currently land on that
spectrum.
Professor Galinsky also shows how inspiring leaders can fill us with a wellspring of hope and possibility as they guide us
to become better versions of ourselves. In contrast, infuriating leaders disappoint and annoy, fueling seething cauldrons of
rage. But both types of leaders are deeply connected - together, they represent a universal continuum that is rooted in the
very architecture of the human brain. This means that inspiring leaders aren't born - instead, we can inspire or infuriate in
any given moment through our behavior, words, or presence.
In his fascinating study, Professor Galinsky identifies the three universal archetypes of truly great leaders and explains how
each of us can develop these characteristics within ourselves to become more inspiring:
Visionaries offer a big-picture, optimistic, and engaging vision of the future;
Exemplars are courageous and calm protectors who authentically express their passion while remaining consistent in word
and deed;
Mentors encourage, empower, and elevate others while challenging them to reach their potential.
"Inspire" is an essential guide to becoming not only a better leader but also an effective decision-maker, a dynamic
problem-solver, a value-creating negotiator, and an inclusive innovator.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and
Others" by Professor Adam Galinsky must be considered essential reading for anyone charged with a position of
importance and responsibility in their professional career and in their personal life. Informatively enhanced for the reader's
benefit with the inclusion of an eleven page Introduction, twenty-two pages of Notes, and an eleven page Index, "Inspire:
The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management/Leadership collections and
supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, entrepreneurs, and corporate executives that
this hardcover edition of "Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others" from Harper Business is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing,
9798874873738, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Adam Galinsky (https://adamgalinsky.com) is the Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Business and Chair of the
Management Division at the Columbia Business School at Columbia University. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton
University.
The Architecture Shelf
Fountain Safari
James Garland
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781961856196, $55.00, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fountain-Safari-James-Garland/dp/1961856190
Synopsis: We build elaborate water fountains (those vibrant symbols of life and physical embodiments of beauty) to mark
and celebrate our favored places and histories.
The creation of a fountain is act is an honor to all, and like listening to music, it is understood on an intuitive level. We
also build fountains to commemorate life. Water is the basis for, and the symbol of, life. Many fountains are articulated to
recognize some person, institution, or idea. Those particular recognitions are fused with water's deeper symbolism to
convey everlastingness to the identities being celebrated.
"Fountain Safari" by James Garland places on the shelf a sharply focused, comprehensive, useful, entertaining, and
hopefully lasting survey aimed to provide a panoramic portrait of the fountain class of artistic endeavor. The material
attends especially to the aesthetics of water expression by examining numerous esteemed examples. In the process, a
sketch is roughed out of the evolution of fountains over some two millennia and across several cultures.
Ultimately, the work attempts to deepen the understanding and appreciation of water features by identifying and clarifying
their most essential aesthetic qualities. Fountain Safari is written for design professionals, architects, landscape architects,
urban designers, planners, students of the arts or the built environment -- and everyone else interested in the engaging,
one-of-a-kind subject of fountains.
Critique: This large format (9781961856196, 3.94 pounds) paperback edition of "Fountain Safari" by James Garland is a
massive pictorial compendium of fountains from around the world. With beautiful and captioned photos augmented by
erudite and descriptive commentary, this coffee-table style volume is exceptionally well organized and presented, making
it a unique and invaluable addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Landscape
Architectural Ornament & Decoration collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: James Garland is an architect with a thirty-five-year career specialization in water design. In 2002, he
founded Fluidity Design Consultants, an international water feature design and engineering firm, based in Los Angeles,
where he continues to work, today. (https://www.fluidity-design.com/studio)
The Travel Shelf
A Guide to America's World Heritage Sites
Robert Manning
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493081417, $26.95, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Americas-World-Heritage-Sites/dp/1493081411
Synopsis: There are twenty-five World Heritage Sites scattered across the United States. World Heritage Sites are the most
important natural and cultural areas around the world; these are the places that the United Nations, and the 167 countries it
represents, have recognized as the most important contributions to the heritage of humanity.
World Heritage Sites are premier visitor destinations, yet most people are not familiar with the World Heritage Site
designation and many of the places included on the World Heritage List.
With the publication of "A Guide to America's World Heritage Sites: The Heritage of Humanity", Professor Robert
Manning describes these twenty-five sites, including why they are so important, the visitor attractions they feature, and
logistical advice on how to visit, appreciate, and protect them.
Critique: Featuring a 'user friendly format (6.5 x 0.5 x 8.6 inches, 1.05 pounds), this paperback edition of Professor Robert
Manning's "A Guide to America's World Heritage Sites: The Heritage of Humanity" from Globe Pequot will be highly
prized for the armchair traveler and productively informative for on-site visitors. While also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.19), this exceptionally well organized and presented travel guide is a very highly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library National Travel Guide collections in general,
and World Heritage Site travel guide collections in particular.
Editorial Note: Robert Manning is Professor Emeritus at the University of Vermont, where he taught the history,
philosophy, and management of national parks and conducted a long-term program of research for the US National Park
Service. He has written a dozen books on managing of national parks and related issues and three guidebooks (with his
wife, Martha Manning) on walking and hiking, including the award-winning Walks of a Lifetime in America's National
Parks: Extraordinary Hikes in Exceptional Places (Falcon Guides), which offers descriptions of the natural and cultural
history of all the national parks and firsthand descriptions of the very best hikes in each park.
(www.uvm.edu/rsenr/profile/robert-manning)
Women's Home Museums of the Northeast: A Guidebook
Marlene Wagman-Geller
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493086283, $19.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Home-Museums-Northeast-Guidebook/dp/1493086286
Synopsis: With the publication of "Women's Home Museums of the Northeast: A Guidebook" by Marlene
Wagman-Geller, readers will discover the rich tapestry of New England's history through the lives and legacies of thirty
remarkable women.
The "Women's Home Museums of the Northeast" is the ultimate guide to exploring these iconic home museums. Each
individual chapter is singularly dedicated to a trailblazing woman who left an indelible fingerprint on her region's
past.
Offering more than just a series of on-site descriptions, biographer and travel writer Marlene Wagman-Geller invites you
to step into the shoes of history's larger-than-life ladies as she presents vivid portraits of pioneering women and the secrets
of their residences. These historic homes, preserved as three-dimensional diaries, bring their stories to life.
In addition to captivating biographies, there are practical details to help plan your visit including: nearby attractions,
parking tips, admission costs, and visiting hours. Whether you're a history buff, a cultural enthusiast, or simply looking for
a unique travel experience, "Women's Home Museums of the Northeast: A Guidebook" is the key to unlocking the stories
behind these iconic addresses.
Critique: Deftly organized and presented by state (New York, New Jersey, Conneticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
Maine), "Women's Home Museums of the Northeast: A Guidebook" is impressively informative and ideal reading for both
the armchair traveler with an interest in American Women's History, as well as an on-site planning trip itinerary resource.
Highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Women's History and Travel
Guide collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of Marlene Wagman-Geller's "Women's Home Museums
of the Northeast: A Guidebook" from Globe Pequot is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95) as
well.
Editorial Note: Marlene Wagman-Geller is a writer whose eleven books have been reviewed in the New York Times, the
Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, HuffPost, and dozens of other newspapers as well as national magazines. There is
a listing of her books online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2120381.Marlene_Wagman_Geller
Tar Heel Traveler
Scott Masun
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493085477, $34.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tar-Heel-Traveler-Landmarks-Attractions/dp/1493085476
Synopsis: With the publication of "Tar Heel Traveler: 201 North Carolina Landmarks and Attractions", tour guide Scott
Masun celebrates the many great and notable places to visit across North Carolina, ranging from historic landmarks to little
known nooks and crannies.
Also featured are museums, gardens, bakeries, theaters, lighthouses, even cemeteries -- attractions that Scott has
showcased on his popular TV show, his nightly series which has aired since 2007 on WRAL-TV and features colorful
characters and fascinating locations across the state.
Mason writes about these unique places in "Tar Heel Traveler" and includes their contact information as well as photos of
each landmark and attraction.
Critique: A lingering pleasure for the armchair traveler to browse through, a valued informational resource to plan trip
itineraries with, profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Tar Heel Traveler:
201 North Carolina Landmarks and Attractions" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library North Carolina travel guide and history collections. It should be noted that this
hardcover edition of "Tar Heel Traveler" from Globe Pequot is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$26.89).
Editorial Note: Scott Mason (https://www.thetarheeltraveler.com/about) is known as North Carolina's Tar Heel Traveler.
His nightly series is in its 16th year on WRAL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Raleigh, and features colorful characters and
fascinating locations across the state. On average, 82,000 viewers watch the Tar Heel Traveler each night, and more than
30,000 people follow him on social media.
The Self-Help Shelf
The Overthinker's Guide to Joy
Jackie de Crinis
jackiedecrinis.com
JDC Press
9798990952003, $16.95 Paperback/$7.99 eBook/.99 Audiobook
https://www.amazon.com/Overthinkers-Guide-Overachievers-People-Pleasers-Perfectionists/dp/B0DJRYNQJN
The Overthinker's Guide to Joy: A Handbook for Overachievers, People-Pleasers, and Perfectionists is a guide based on
author Jackie de Crinis's own life and search for success. It outlines the consequences of identifying success too rigidly,
addressing how perfectionists work until they run on empty (and then some).
This is not original news to those who approach life in this manner, but what is especially revealing are tips on how to
identify and overcome these ingrained patterns of behavior. Self-help audiences willing to participate in the work of
self-examination and attitude adjustment will find its focus on achieving joy especially inviting -- especially given that
most books about overachievers adopt a pragmatic approach that misses the ultimate goal of joy in the pursuit of
pattern-busting.
Readers won't find graphs, pie charts, and academic credentials here. What they will find is a tried-and-tested series of
insights based on de Crinis's thirty years in the television industry, whose pressures and expectations supported
perfectionist attitudes and habits. This, in turn, leads to the kinds of analytical insights that draw connections between
relationships in life, surveying the kinds of approaches that tend to stymie relaxation, creative ideals of life, and,
ultimately, joy.
How de Crinis emerged from a restrictive world to develop more open holds much promise for all kinds of readers -- even
those who might think they are "too old" to change:
At the age of fifty-five, I started meditating, blogging, podcasting, and coaching. I have just turned sixty, and this is my
first book. So, if nothing else, please remember: You're not broken, you're not too old, and it is never too late to start living
the life you want... instead of just surviving the one you have.
The adjustments in habits that better support physical health may be unexpected, but one goal of The Overthinker's Guide
to Joy is to point out how to better integrate mind and body. And so the health pointers are but one pathway to revising
daily life in a way that supports the goal of joy. Tips on adopting practices that build positive neurochemicals,
understanding the subconscious rationale behind people-pleasing coping mechanisms, and embarking on guided
conversations between conscious and subconscious thinking all lend to building new choices in relationships and life.
Supportive examples range from de Crinis's life experiences and life coaching efforts to the writings and contentions of
others. Tips come from behavioral adjustment approaches in a range of disciplines, including cognitive behavior therapy:
Humans love to assume that our thoughts are facts, particularly negative ones. When we have a negative thought, looking
for evidence to support it is natural. Once we find evidence, that becomes a magnet for another negative thought. And
before you know it, you're in a negative thought loop. This is another example of negativity bias. There's a tool based on a
cognitive behavioral therapy technique that teaches us how to reframe our thoughts and break free from negative thought
patterns.
Libraries seeking self-help books that promote joy and make it an accessible (rather than an ethereal or impossible) goal
will find The Overthinker's Guide to Joy an acquisition that stands out from similar-sounding approaches to perfectionism
and self-examination. The book began as a podcast of the same title, and is well worth the time taken to listen and think:
We need to become joy hunters and gratitude gurus. Becoming a joy hunter means simply being mindful of what is going
right. It means focusing on the most minor details that bring you pleasure or peace.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Essence of Tarot
Mary K. Greer
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578638529, $18.95, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Essence-Tarot-Essential-Rituals-Readings/dp/1578638526
Synopsis: The ancient art of fragrance has long been a component of magical and spiritual practice and rituals. With the
publication of "Essence of Tarot: Using Essential Oils, Magic, and Rituals to Empower Your Readings", tarot master Mary
K. Greer demonstrates how this primordial art can be used to enhance modern tarot practices, whether for divination,
meditation, or affirmations. Greer (among the world's foremost authorities on the topic), demonstrates how essential oils
can enrich the tarot experience, as well as empower tarot readers.
Readers will learn how to create a more magical life through the union of tarot and aromatherapy. No previous experience
with essential oils is needed, as Greer offers a crash course, along with details about the historical role of scent and
perfumery in magical and divinatory rituals. Greer provides oils and scents to correspond with each of the seventy-eight
cards of the tarot.
"Essence of Tarot" may be used in daily rituals and as a reference guide for tarot lovers. Instructions for crafting tarot oils
are included, as well as detailed instructions for using them to maximize the tarot experience.
Originally published as The Essence of Magic, this new edition of the beloved classic includes a new foreword by Judika
Illes and retains the botanical illustrations by Ed Buryn, creator of the William Blake Tarot, photographer, and
vagabonding pioneer.
Critique: Thoroughly 'reader/user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Essence of Tarot: Using Essential Oils,
Magic, and Rituals to Empower Your Readings" by Mark K. Greer is essential reading for tarot students and practitioners
alike. A deftly crafted combination of instructional guidebook and 'how to' manual, "Essence of Tarot" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies reference
collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Essence of Tarot" from Weiser Books is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone
Publishing, 9798228449756, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Mary K. Greer (www.marykgreer.com) is an independent scholar, writer, teacher, and professional tarot
consultant. She has an MA degree in English literature from the University of Central Florida where she also first taught
tarot in 1974. For eleven years, she was a teacher and administrator at New College of California in San Francisco. In
2007, she received the International Tarot Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Tarot Studies. She also
received the 2006 Mercury Award from the Mary Redman Foundation for excellence in communication in the
metaphysical field, and the 2006 Coalition of Visionary Resources award for best divination book. She is an ordained
priestess in the Fellowship and Church of Isis.
Archetypal Astrology Oracle: A 55-Card Deck and Guidebook
Jonathan Waller
Findhorn Press
www.findhornpress.com
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9798888500927, $30.00, Cards, Boxed Set, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Archetypal-Astrology-Oracle-55-Card-Guidebook/dp/B0CY9LLNCK
Synopsis: The "Archetypal Astrology Oracle: A 55-Card Deck and Guidebook" by Jonathan Waller is ideal for Intuitively
learning and working with Archetypal Astrology
This boxed set includes 55 full-color cards featuring each planetary archetype (the Sun, Moon, and planets individually) as
well as each aspect or pairing of two celestial bodies
It provides an in-depth guidebook with interpretations for each planet or aspect, explaining the core meanings, potential
gifts and challenges, and how to navigate their transits
It also explores different ways to work with the deck: as a divination oracle, as a part of a daily spiritual practice, as an aid
with dream work, or by creating a tableau of your Archetypal Astrology birth chart for deep insight
Vividly bringing the planetary archetypes to life, the "Archetypal Astrology Oracle" deck from Findhorn Press invites you
to explore and deepen your relationship to self and cosmos in a new and inspiring way.
The 55 full-color cards feature every planetary archetype individually and offers interpretations exploring how the cosmic
bodies or aspects can positively or negatively affect your life, how to integrate their lessons, and how to navigate their
transits.
Drawing insights from Jungian and contemporary psychology, current psychedelic therapy research, and the work of
Stanislav Grof, this oracle card set can be used for divination, aiding dream work, or creating a tableau of your archetypal
astrology birth chart for deeper insight.
Critique: Beautiful, inspirational, ideal for both the aspiring novice and the experienced divination and astrology
practitioner, the "Archetypal Astrology Oracle: A 55-Card Deck and Guidebook" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies Astrology &
Divination collections.
Editorial Note: Jonathan Waller (https://www.jonwallercoach.com) is a respected archetypal astrologer, life coach, visual
artist, essayist, and poet. The co-host of Awakenings - The Archetypal Astrology Podcast, Jonathan currently resides in
southwest England.
Tarot and Other Meditation Decks, 2nd Edition
Emily E. Auger
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476686790, $39.95, PB, 276pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Other-Meditation-Decks-Aesthetics/dp/1476686793
Synopsis: Arthur E. Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith's Rider-Waite Tarot (1909) is the most popular Tarot in the
world. Today, it is affectionately referred to as the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in recognition of the high quality of Smith's
contributions. Waite and Smith's deck has become the gold standard for identifying and analyzing contemporary Tarot and
other meditation decks based on archetypes.
Developments in both visual and literary history and theory have influenced Tarot since its fifteenth-century invention as a
game and subsequent adaptations for esotericism, cartomancy, and meditation. Now in an updated and expanded second
edition, "Tarot and Other Meditation Decks: History, Theory, Aesthetics, Typology" by Emily E. Auger considers Tarot in
relation to established modern and postmodern art movements, such as Symbolism, Surrealism, and Pattern and
Decoration Art, as well as the concepts and theories informing both the dominance and the dissolution of the modernist
"grid" and hierarchical priorities.
This seminal work also explores the close connection between Tarot and the invention of the literary novel and includes
new material on the representation of Tarot in film and fiction. A new chapter addresses the growing influence of the
archetypal "shadow" and "shadow work" on Tarot as an artistic form, narrative genre, and practice in the new
millennium.
Critique: This large format (7 x 0.55 x 10 inches, 1.1 pounds) paperback edition of "Tarot and Other Meditation Decks:
History, Theory, Aesthetics, Typology: 2nd Edition" by Emily E. Auger is illustrated throughout in black/white images,
and is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twenty-four page Appendix featuring individual card
imagery, sixteen pages of Chapter Notes, a two page listing of Meditation and Other Decks Cited, a thirteen page
Bibliography, and a nine page Index. Extraordinarily well organized and presented, "Tarot and Other Meditation Decks:
History, Theory, Aesthetics, Typology, 2nd Edition" is an ideal and recommended pick for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Folklore & Tarot collections, as well as supplemental Metaphysical Studies
curriculum reading lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Tarot and Other Meditation Decks: History,
Theory, Aesthetics, Typology, 2nd Edition" from McFarland & Company is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$25.99).
Editorial Note: Emily E. Auger (https://emilyeauger.weebly.com) is a retired art historian and author of numerous reviews,
articles, and books. She is the founder and chair of the "Tarot and Other Divination Methods" area at the Popular Culture
Association/American Culture Association (2004-2020).
Dream It to Do It: The Science and the Magic
Howard Eisenberg
Syntrek(r) Inc.
9781737916901, $24.95, HC, 136pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Do-Science-Howard-Eisenberg/dp/1737916908
Synopsis: Physician and scientist Dr. Howard Eisenberg is a long-time explorer of the various realms of consciousness.
With the publication of "Dream It to Do It: The Science and the Magic", he shares his recent awe-inspiring revelation of
our dream-like entrapment in a virtual reality of toxic divisiveness -- and the potential underlying infinite 'field of
consciousness' that connects and empowers all.
By integrating indigenous wisdom, spiritual experience, and the leading-edge scientific discoveries, "Dream It to Do It" is
designed to reshape your understanding of reality by revealing the magical-like formula between envisioning the
impossible and manifesting it into our external world.
A powerful book of spiritually and scientifically integrated revelations, with "Dream It to Do It" you will:
Learn to unlock the secrets of reality itself
Discover who you really are - beyond your 'ego mind' and brain
Harness your potential powers for real magic - the kind that transforms physical reality!
"Dream It to Do It: The Science & the Magic" is the multi award-winning guide to unlocking the secrets that can transform
your life and restore your deeper connection to others and our World.
Critique: A seminal and ground breaking study and instructional guide, Howard Eisenberg's "Dream It to Do It: The
Science and the Magic" will be of special appeal to readers with an interest in parapsychology, the role and utilization of
dreams and dreaming, and a 'New Age' approach to self-help/self-improvement. Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, this hardcover edition of "Dream It to Do It: The Science and the Magic" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections. It should be noted that
"Dream It to Do It: The Science and the Magic" is also readily available in paperback (9781737916925, $18.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Howard Eisenberg, M.Sc. (Psych), M.D., is a medical doctor with additional postgraduate training in
psychology and psychiatry. He has been a lecturer at the University of Toronto and an associate professor of Medicine at
the University of Vermont. He is also the CEO of the international consultancy Syntrek(R) Inc.On a more personal level,
he's been on a passionate lifelong quest to discover the true nature of reality. He was awarded the first postgraduate degree
in Canada at McGill University for his highly successful research on Telepathy. He then pioneered the instruction of
Parapsychology as a regular credit course at the University of Toronto.
The Criminology Shelf
Mafia and Britain
Ross Kemp
Cassell
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781788405638, $26.99i HC, $12.99 Kindle, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ross-Kemp-Mafia-Britain-Hiding/dp/1788405633
Mafia and Britain comes from an investigative journalist who focuses on the Mafia's influence in Britain... a surprising
subject for readers who have traditionally viewed the Mafia as an American affair.
Ross Kemp does more than focus on the UK. He moves from Britain to the U.S. and then to different countries around the
world as he traces the evolution of 100 years of Mafia influence. Readers of organized crime history will especially
appreciate the global threads of connection which emerge in Mafia and Britain, making for a much more dynamic,
revealing read than the typical localized American Mafia focus.
Libraries will find it a 'must have' addition to their true crime collections.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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