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Reviewer's Choice
Japan's Manga Revolution: From Painted Scrolls to Comic Books 1680-1920
Andreas Marks
Tuttle
https://www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319017 $29.99
https://www.amazon.com/Japans-Manga-Revolution-Painted-Scrolls/dp/4805319011
Synopsis: In this compelling survey, art historian Andreas Marks traces the development of Japanese illustrated books in premodern times. As early as the 17th century, Japanese publishers were producing thousands of illustrated titles on subjects ranging from religion and poetry to celebrated beauties, famous kabuki actors, farting warriors, and adventure tales. This flourishing book culture laid the foundation for the vibrant manga and comics industry of today.
Marks explores this evolution through five key works, including:
Kitagawa Utamaro's Illustrated Book of Selected Creatures (1788) - a beautifully illustrated collection of plants and animals paired with poetry.
Hokusai's Sketchbooks (early 1800s) - featuring hundreds of innovative drawing and design ideas by Katsushika Hokusai, whose work influenced many renowned European artists.
The New Illustrated Water Margin - Hokusai's adaptation of a Chinese novel about a band of fictional heroes with superpowers, offering a bold reimagining of the story.
The Tale of Shiranui (1849 - 1910) - an adventure novel serialized over six decades.
The early-20th-century Current Affairs Manga - the first periodical to use the word "manga" in its title, providing illustrated commentary on contemporary political events.
Japan's Manga Revolution offers the first comprehensive overview of Japan's rich tradition of illustrated storytelling and its lasting impact on visual culture worldwide.
Critique: Featuring full-color illustrations of classical Japanese manga on almost every page, Japan's Manga Revolution: From Painted Scrolls to Comic Books 1680-1920 is an in-depth history of comics in Japan. Tracing the evolution of the Japanese storytelling art style through the centuries with a focus on five key works, Japan's Manga Revolution is thoroughly accessible to academic and lay readers alike, and a welcome addition to public and college library comic history and literary studies collections. Highly recommended!
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
That Book Is Dangerous!
Adam Szetela
The MIT Press
www.mitpress.mit.edu
9780262049856, $29.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/That-Book-Dangerous-Remaking-Publishing/dp/0262049856
Synopsis: With the publication of "That Book Is Dangerous!: How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing", Adam Szetela shows how well-intentioned and often successful efforts to diversify American literature have also produced serious problems for literary freedom.
Although progressives are correct to be focused on right-wing attempts at legislative censorship, Szetela argues for attention to the ways that left-wing censorship controls speech within the publishing industry itself.
Szetela draws on interviews with presidents and vice presidents at the Big Five publishers, literary agents at the most prestigious agencies, award-winning authors, editors, marketers, sensitivity readers, and other industry professionals to examine the new publishing landscape.
What he finds is unsettling: mandatory sensitivity reads; morality clauses in author contracts; even censorship of "dangerous" books in the name of antiracism, feminism, and other forms of social justice.
These changes to acquisition practices, editing policies, and other aspects of literary culture are a direct outgrowth of the culture of public outcries on X, Goodreads, Change.org, and other online platforms, where users accuse authors (justifiably or not) of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other transgressions.
But rather than genuinely address the economic inequities of literary production, this current moral crusade over literature serves only to entrench the status quo. "While the right is remaking the world in its image," Szetela writes, "the left is standing in a circular firing squad."
Compellingly argued and incisively written, "That Book Is Dangerous!: How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing" is a much-needed wake-up call for anyone who cares about reading, writing, and the publication of books - as well as the generations of young readers we are raising.
Critique: Given that one of the major goals of an authoritarian regime attempts to accomplish is the control of information whether published or broadcast, "That Book Is Dangerous!: How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing" is essential reading for every concerned American -- but most especially those involved in journalism, publishing and broadcasting. The threat to American democracy is no longer theoretical, it is here and already being felt by journalists, broadcasters and publishers. Simply stated, a copy of "That Book Is Dangerous!: How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing" should be in every community, public, college and university library collection and supplemental Communications & Media curriculum studies lists. For students, academy, authors, publishers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in combating censorship and political suppression of books and journals, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "That Book Is Dangerous!: How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing" from The MIT Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Adam Szetela (https://adam-szetela.com) earned his Ph.D. in English from the Department of Literatures at Cornell University. Before that, he was a visiting fellow in the Department of History at Harvard University. He writes for The Washington Post, The Guardian, Newsweek, and other publications.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
How to Save the Amazon
Dom Phillips, et al.
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645023203, $27.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Save-Amazon-journalists-answers/dp/1645023206
Synopsis: During the dark days of the Bolsonaro administration, British journalist Dom Phillips set out to accomplish an ambitious goal: through research, interviews, and site visits deep in the rainforest, he would emerge with a book answering the question -- how can we save the Amazon?
Traveling with his companion Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, Dom's adventure includes trekking through Amazonia to see where ranching, fires, illegal fishing, mining, the drug trade, and urbanization have deforested and degraded millions of acres of important forest, degraded ecosystems, and created dangerous conditions for the Indigenous tribes who have called the Amazon home for thousands of years.
Jair Bolsonaro came into power on a platform of anti-environmental exploitation and deregulation. During his term, deforestation in the Amazon, the "lungs of Planet Earth", increased exponentially as environmental criminals took advantage of lax rules, advantageous land use policy, and the difficulty of enforcing laws in a remote area of immense size.
Lawlessness reigned and environmental activists found themselves in danger.
With the intention of discovering strategies to protect both the land and the people who inhabit it, Dom connected with politicians, farmers, and Indigenous activists to study the benefits and pitfalls of solutions like agroforestry, tourism, and the bioeconomy.
While traveling by boat in the Javari Valley, Dom and Bruno were brutally murdered. Unwilling to see her late husband's work be for naught, Dom's widow, Ale, and his literary agent assembled a team of expert writers, journalists, and activists to complete his work, with each tackling one unfinished chapter and grappling with the challenge of interpreting his field notes and discovering his conclusions.
"How to Save the Amazon: A journalist's fatal quest for answers ", therefore, is a book both by and about Dom Phillips, his quest for answers, and his search for hope.
Critique: "How to Save the Amazon: A journalist's fatal quest for answers " is absolutely essential reading for students, academia, political activists, political policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Environmental Studies and the story of a journalist's fate when investigating the corrupt Brazilian politics supporting horrific levels of environmental destruction. An unreservedly recommended acquisition for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Environmental Policy/Economics collections, "How to Save the Amazon: A journalist's fatal quest for answers" this hardcover edition from the Chelsea Green is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Dom Phillips was a British journalist working for publications like The Guardian and The Washington Post. An unconventional career path (he got his start as a journalist covering techno clubs for Mixmag and authoring Superstar DJs, Here We Go!) took him to Brazil, where he became passionate about the issues affecting the Amazon rainforest and its Indigenous populations. In 2022, while researching this topic and working on "How to Save the Amazon", Dom and his travel companion Bruno Pereira went missing in the Javari Valley in a remote part of the Amazon. Intense public interest and pressure fomented via social media, and Brazilian police eventually found the bodies of the two men and made arrests in connection to their murders. Dom was awarded an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship in 2021 and was also the 2021 Cissy Patterson Environmental Fellow. In 2019, he was nominated for a Gabo Prize (Latin America's premier journalism award) for his coverage of the Amazon "Fire Day" for Reporter Brasil.
The Science Shelf
Life's Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants
Steven Vogel
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691270586, $21.95, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Devices-Physical-Animals-Princeton/dp/0691270589
Synopsis: All life on Earth is subject to the pull of gravity, the properties of air and water, and the behavior of diffusing molecules, yet such physical factors are constraints that drive evolution and offer untold opportunities to creatures of all sizes.
With the publication of "Life's Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants", the late American biomechanics researcher and James B. Duke Emeritus Professor of Biology Steven Vogel provides a lively and instructive introduction to the science of biomechanics.
"Life's Devices" invites you to wonder about the design of the plants and animals around us. You will learn why a fish swims more rapidly than a duck can paddle, why healthy trees more commonly uproot than break, how sharks manage with such flimsy skeletons, and why a mouse can easily survive a fall onto any surface from any height.
With an illuminating foreword by Rob Dunn, this Princeton Science Library edition of Life's Devices includes examples from every major group of animals and plants along with illustrative problems and suggestions for experiments that require only common household materials.
Critique: Originally published by the Princeton University Press is 1989, this new trade paperback edition of "Life's Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants" continues to be invaluable and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Biology collections and supplemental Bioengineering curriculum studies lists. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Life's Devices" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.17, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Steven Vogel (April 7, 1940 - November 24, 2015) was James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of biology at Duke University. His books include Cats' Paws and Catapults, Glimpses of Creatures in Their Physical Worlds, and The Life of a Leaf, the latter also published by the University of Chicago Press. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Vogel)
The Education Shelf
Short Texts, Big Impact
Kim Carlton
Shell Education
c/o Teacher Created Materials
https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com
9798765929391, $31.99, PB, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Short-Texts-Big-Impact-Strengthening/dp/B0DJRNQ4TX
Synopsis: "Short Texts, Big Impact: 35 Strategies for Strengthening Reading and Writing Skills" by experienced educator Kim Carlton is a thoroughly 'teacher-friendly' resource, designed to help K-12 teachers experience instructional wins each day by using short texts in their classroom.
Divided into two main sections (short reading strategies and short writing strategies) "Short Texts, Big Impact: 35 Strategies for Strengthening Reading and Writing Skills" provides classroom-tested step-by-step directions for implementation, tips for differentiation, and creative approaches to extend learning. Whether looking to improve students' reading comprehension, refine their writing skills, or provide effective feedback, this ideal resource is packed from cover to cover with actionable strategies to help students succeed.
"Short Texts, Big Impact: 35 Strategies for Strengthening Reading and Writing Skills" covers:
Ways to maximize instructional time by focusing on short texts, allowing for more practice and feedback.
Strategies and implementation tips suitable for students at all skill levels, with particular benefits for striving learners.
Ideas for think-alouds, selecting texts, and ways to extend learning beyond the classroom.
Ways to use microwriting, mentor texts, anchor charts, sticky note revision, and writer's notebooks.
How to use real-world examples, such as social media posts, photo captions, TikToks, memes, and songs to boost student engagement.
Integrate these strategies into your teaching to engage students, build their confidence, and provide consistent, actionable feedback. Whether you're working with emerging readers or advanced writers, "Short Texts, Big Impact: 35 Strategies for Strengthening Reading and Writing Skills" is a comprehensive guide equips you with the tools to elevate your instruction and improve student outcomes in reading and writing.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Short Texts, Big Impact: 35 Strategies for Strengthening Reading and Writing Skills" by Kim Carlton is especially ideal for school district teacher in-service workshop and college/university K-12 Language Arts/Reading curriculum studies lists. This large format (0.34 x 8.5 x 11 inches, 10.7 ounces) paperback edition from Shell Education is a recommended pick for personal, professional, school district, and college/university library Teacher Education collections.
Editorial Note: Kim Carlton provides professional development for educators nationally and internationally. She spent over 15 years as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, interventionist, and director of language arts at Richardson Independent School District. Kim's goal is to empower, inspire, and partner with educators to make a difference in the lives of children. (https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/blog/author/kim-carlton)
The Empathetic Classroom
Maria Munro-Schuster
Free Spirit Publishing
www.freespirit.com
9798885549431, $34.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Empathetic-Classroom-Supports-Students_and-Professional%C2%AE/dp/B0D82FZSYS
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Empathetic Classroom: How a Mental Health Mindset Supports Your Students -- and You", educator and licensed therapist Maria Munro-Schuster helps K - 12 teachers navigate emotional stress, combat exhaustion, connect with students, and avoid burning out. She also gives tools for better teaching, for teaching that feels better, and for classrooms where emotional intelligence, safety, and empathy are embedded as a part of practice.
"The Empathetic Classroom" goes beyond typical books on teacher burnout, focusing on holistic mindsets and strategies that support your mental health and that of your students. Full of tools and strategies to incorporate into the classroom, this approachable book combines teaching best practices with research-backed techniques from the field of counseling psychology. You will find sound advice on maintaining boundaries, confronting intrusive thoughts, responding to trauma, incorporating play into classrooms, and many other methods of remaining connected to themselves and their students.
"The Empathetic Classroom" shows how to:
Create a safe space for students (and educators) to learn and grow
Understand how your past and your triggers influence your teachingand recognize trauma in students
Validate emotions to curb disruptive behaviors
By situating mental health concepts and techniques within established teaching best practices, "The Empathetic Classroom" helps you adapt your approach, your environment, and your interactions with students. And by focusing on self-regulation, boundaries, and connection, you can rediscover your inspiration. Find emotionally safer and more energizing ways of doing what you love while protecting your own mental health.
Critique: This large format (7.25 x 0.53 x 9.25 inches, 12.8 ounces) trade paperback edition of "The Empathetic Classroom: How a Mental Health Mindset Supports Your Students -- and You" by Maria Munro-Schuster is exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation. An ideal textbook for school district in-service teacher education workshops and college/university Library K-12 Teacher Education, Certification and Theory curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for student teachers and academia that his edition of "The Empathetic Classroom: How a Mental Health Mindset Supports Your Students -- and You" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.24, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Maria Munro-Schuster, M.A., M.S., LCPC, is a therapist and educator who has always been interested in the connection between the two fields. She wrote her first master's thesis on how student grief plays out in the college writing classroom. She previously taught middle-school English with a mental health focus, and she was selected as a Hatch North America honoree for teaching. She now works as a community therapist in Bozeman, Montana. (https://www.mangobeetlecounseling.com)
The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox
Dr. Erin E. Barton, et al.
Brookes Publishing Company
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681258522, $44.95, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Preschool-Inclusion-Toolbox-High-Quality-Program/dp/1681258528
Synopsis: Early childhood inclusion is a national priority -- but how can preschool programs step up the progress of inclusion and ensure that all young children learn and grow together?
Big-picture change is the answer, and this newly published and expanded second edition of "The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox: How to Build and Lead a High-Quality Program" offers programs, communities, and states a clear path forward.
Written by Dr. Erin E. Borton and a tem of top inclusion experts, "The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox" is updated with timely new topics and tools. This comprehensive resource will help readers develop program-level policies for implementing and sustaining full-scale preschool inclusion.
School leaders and administrators will learn how to overcome today's challenges to high-quality inclusion, establish a strong collaborative team, create a solid action plan for building an inclusive program, and monitor how well the plan works. This how-to guide also includes a wealth of practical tools and resources for creating supportive policies, procedures, and practices.
Great for use as a self-directed professional learning resource or as a textbook in early childhood administration courses, this toolbox of ready-to-use guidance will help program leaders promote access, participation, and belonging for all young children.
To enhance independent study or coursework, "The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox" also includes fact sheets, templates, infographics, checklists, sample materials, problem-solving tips, and reflection questions. Forms and appendixes are reproducible and available on the Brookes Download Hub.
Critique: A comprehensive and exceptionally well crafted instructional guide for the creation, updating, and expanding preschool curriculums and strategies, this large format trade paperback edition of "The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox: How to Build and Lead a High-Quality Program" from Brookes Publishing is especially appropriate and recommended for personal DIY tutorials, as well as school district in-service workshops, and college/university library Preschool Education instructional reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Dr. Erin Barton is an international educational consultant and Faculty for the Pyramid Model Consortium. She has worked in the field of education for over thirty years in many different capacities including as a special education teacher, family coach, and university professor. She has developed the training materials and coaching tools for supporting the use of evidence based practices in natural and inclusive settings.
She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and directs research projects related to evidence based practices for young children, policies and practices that support high quality inclusion, and effective professional development systems.
Dr. Barton is an active scholar with over 120 publications in major journals, multiple chapters, and several textbooks related to evidence based practices. Dr. Barton serves on several editorial boards and is the Editor-in-Chief of Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.
She has received many honors including the 2021 Peabody Faculty Excellence Award: Service to Students and 2020 Chancellor's Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University. She also was honored with the 2019 Merle B. Karnes Award for Service to the Division for Early Childhood and the 2017 Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children.
Academic Intervention Success
Sue Strom, author
Dr. Lucy L. Payne, author
Shell Education
c/o Teacher Created Materials
https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com
9798330903740, $44.99, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Academic-Intervention-Success-Whole-Child-Achievement/dp/B0DJRN9LGC
Synopsis: With the publication of "Academic Intervention Success: A Whole-Child Approach to K-5 Achievement", and drawing upon decades of academic and action research, co-authors Sue Strom (an elementary intervention specialist) and Dr. Lucy L. Payne (education professor,) provide a comprehensive framework for developing effective intervention programs.
Incorporating real-world examples and stories from the field, this resource offers school leaders and educators insightful guidance for creating a site-based intervention program to foster academic and emotional success in their students. Using research-driven strategies for academic interventions including reading and math, the gear intervention model helps students realize their full potential in and out of the classroom by addressing academic needs alongside emotional growth, movement opportunities, and enrichment activities.
Classroom teachers can effectively implement a successful intervention program with:
Proven Research-Backed Strategies: Strom and Payne's expertise informs every aspect of developing an effective program.
The Gear Model Framework: A comprehensive approach integrating relationships, academics, emotional awareness, movement, and enrichment for balanced interventions.
Comprehensive Support Tools: Reflection questions and practical tools assist educators in applying these strategies in their intervention programs.
Whether initiating an intervention program or improving upon an existing one, educators will discover the components and support essential for driving student success.
Critique: This trade paperback (0.48 x 7.25 x 9.25 inches, 12.8 ounces) edition of "Academic Intervention Success: A Whole-Child Approach to K-5 Achievement" by education specialists Sue Strom and Lucy Payne is an ideal choice as an individual DIY tutorial or as a textbook for in-service workshops or college/university Special Educational curriculum studies lists. Exceptionally well written and impressively 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, it should be noted for individual reading lists as well as school district and college/university library Special Education collections that "Academic Intervention Success: A Whole-Child Approach to K-5 Achievement" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $44.99).
Editorial Note #1: Sue Strom, a veteran teacher and reading/math interventionist, earned her coaching certification from the National Urban Alliance. She has taught math and equity courses at the University of St. Thomas and studied youth development programs across the United States. In collaboration with Dr. Payne, she developed a unique and highly effective after-school club with partners at the University of Minnesota.
Editorial Note #2: Lucy L. Payne, Ph.D., (https://www.lucylpayne.com) has over 35 years of experience in early childhood and elementary education, with expertise in reading and math. She holds advanced degrees in education and has held leadership roles on the Minnesota teacher licensure board and various community arts boards. At the University of St. Thomas, she teaches in the Teacher Education department and is developing a new program on mental health for educators.
The Political Science Shelf
Nordic Socialism: The Path Toward a Democratic Economy
Pelle Dragsted, author
William Banks, translator
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299353605, $26.95, HC, 252pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Socialism-Toward-Democratic-Economy/dp/0299353605
Synopsis: In recent years, the Nordic countries have been the envy of the world for their economic success, institutional stability, and consistently high levels of social happiness. But are they socialist? Several prominent members of the American right think so. They may find a surprising ally in Pelle Dragsted, a member of the Danish parliament and the leader of the socialist political party Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance); contrary to most Nordic leaders, Dragsted not only accepts but embraces the charge of socialism.
In Dragsted's analysis, Denmark and the rest of the Nordic countries are already socialist, but only in part. The dangers come (and here many conservative Americans will disagree) from the unhealthy encroachment of capitalism.
Dragsted's provocative argument is that capitalism and socialism are not in fact mutually exclusive, and already Nordic economies are hybrids, a mix of decommodified, democratically governed sectors and undemocratic, privately controlled enterprises. The relevant question is the degree to which one dominates the other.
Currently, undemocratic forces are ascendant, but it need not be so. Dragsted offers both his diagnosis and his proposed solution, a comprehensive plan for a gradual (re)democratization of the economy and a move to fully and firmly embrace, and redefine, "Nordic socialism".
Critique: Of particular and special relevance to readers with an interest in European politics, economics, and leadership, "Nordic Socialism: The Path Toward a Democratic Economy" by Pelle Dragsted is remarkably timely, impressively well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. Ably translated into English for an American readership by William Banks, this hardcover edition of "Nordic Socialism: The Path Toward a Democratic Economy" from the University of Wisconsin Press is an exceptionally informative and thorough-provoking study from start to finish. This is a welcome, unique, and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, governmental, and college/university library International Political Science, collections, and supplemental Contemporary Socialism curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Pelle Dragsted (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelle_Dragsted) is the leader of the Enhedslisten party in Denmark and a representative in the Folketing. He is also the author of Nordisk Socialisme: På vej mod en demokratisk økonomi, which was first published in Danish to great acclaim.
Editorial Note #2: William Banks is the editor and translator of The Great Debate: Nietzsche, Culture, and the Scandinavian Welfare Society by Georg Brandes and Harald Høffding and Human Rights and Oppressed Peoples: Collected Essays and Speeches by Georg Brandes. (https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Contributors/B/Banks-William)
On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom
Cass R. Sunstein
The MIT Press
www.mitpress.mit.edu
9780262049771, $29.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Liberalism-Defense-Cass-R-Sunstein/dp/0262049775
Synopsis: More than at any time since World War II, liberalism is under pressure, even siege.
On the right, some have given up on liberalism. They hold it responsible for the collapse of the family and traditional values, rampant criminality, disrespect for authority, and widespread immorality.
On the left, some are turning their backs on liberalism. They think that it lacks the resources to handle the problems posed by entrenched inequalities, racism, sexism, corporate power, and environmental degradation.
But those on the right or left who are opposed to liberalism do not depict it accurately; they offer a caricature, and they neglect its history.
With the publication of "On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom", former advisor to Presidents Obama and Biden, Cass Sunstein offers a timely and clear understanding of liberalism (of its core commitments, of its breadth, of its internal debates, of its evolving character, of its promise) and why we need it more than ever.
He also shows how and why liberalism has been, and should be, appealing to both the left and the right.
"On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom" begins with a manifesto on behalf of liberalism, and then goes on to explore the central idea of "experiments of living", to which a liberal constitutional order gives pride of place. From there, it discusses John Stuart Mill and Friedrich Hayek, defining liberal thinkers; the rule of law as liberals understand it; freedom of speech (including the place of lies and falsehoods within that freedom); free markets, economic liberty, and regulation; Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Second Bill of Rights, with its social and economic guarantees; and finally, the concept of opportunity.
Never more urgently needed, "On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom" moves the conversation well beyond the reductive and inflammatory political sound bites of our moment and advances a compelling argument on behalf of liberalism as the foundation of freedom and self-government.
Critique: Simply stated, "On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom" by Cass Sunstein is essential reading for anyone alarmed at the present rise of totalitarianism and the erosion/weakening of democracy in the United States and other countries around the world. Articulate, timely, informed and informative, "On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom" from the MIT Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Cass R. Sunstein (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein) is Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard University, where he is the cofounder and codirector of the Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and the Law. Former Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, he is the author of The Cost-Benefit Revolution, How Change Happens, Too Much Information, Sludge, Climate Justice (all published by the MIT Press), Nudge (with Richard H. Thaler), and other books.
The American History Shelf
In the Days of Billy the Kid
James B. Mills
University of North Texas Press
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574419627, $40.00, HC, 640pp
https://www.amazon.com/Days-Billy-Kid-Ch%C3%A1vez-Salazar/dp/1574419625
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-days-of-billy-the-kid-james-b-mills/1146701600
Synopsis: The legend of Billy the Kid and his role in the Lincoln County War remains prominent in the annals of American frontier history, but for men like Jose Chavez y Chavez, Juan Patron, Martin Chavez, and Yginio Salazar, it was merely one famous epoch in a much broader struggle.
These four Hispanos of frontier New Mexico spent decades engaging in various forms of resistance against the corruption, exploitation, and violent oppression that frequently plagued their homeland following the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848.
With the publication of "In the Days of Billy the Kid: The Lives and Times of Jose Chavez y Chavez, Juan Patron, Martin Chavez, and Yginio Salazar", author James B. Mills provides readers with a wealth of new information in his quest to tell the Hispano side of things in a history largely centered around the lives of lawman-turned-outlaw Jose Chavez y Chavez, intellectual prodigy Juan Patron, conservative journeyman Martin Chavez, and resilient vaquero Yginio Salazar.
This is a seminal and groundbreaking study that extends far beyond the Lincoln County War and into the twentieth century, "In the Days of Billy the Kid" also explores the Horrell War, the arrival of the railroads, the rise of the Herrera brothers and Los Gorras Blancas (The White Caps), the people's movement in San Miguel County, and the infamous Vicente Silva and his Sociedad de Bandidos (Society of Bandits). Mills also casts some light on lesser-known bandidos like the dangerous Nicolas Aragon, the repentant German Maestas, and perennial jailbird Porfirio Trujillo.
Providing readers with fresh perspective, a wagonload of untapped history, and more than a hundred photographs, "In the Days of Billy the Kid" is an unprecedented study of Nuevo Mexico in frontier times and the early twentieth century that belongs on the bookshelf of any American West aficionado.
Critique: Original, unique, meticulously researched, deftly crafted, and as impressively informative as it is inherently fascinating from cover to cover, "In the Days of Billy the Kid: The Lives and Times of Jose Chavez y Chavez, Juan Patron, Martin Chavez, and Yginio Salazar" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library 19th Century American History/Biography collections. It should be noted for students, academia, western history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "In the Days of Billy the Kid" from the University of North Texas Press is readily available in a digital book format ($28.05, Amazon).
Editorial Note: James B. Mills was born in 1983 and resides in Australia. He has studied the American frontier and numerous other areas of history since childhood and is the author of the award-winning Billy the Kid: El Bandido Simpatico (UNT Press).
The World History Shelf
Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism
Julie A. Cassiday
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299346706, $79.95, HC, 270pp
https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Style-Performing-Gender-Putinism/dp/0299346749
Synopsis: In the two decades after the turn of the millennium, Vladimir Putin's control over Russian politics and society grew at a steady pace. As the West liberalized its stance on sexuality and gender, Putin's Russia moved in the opposite direction, remolding the performance of Russian citizenship according to a neo-conservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles.
By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Professor Julie A. Cassiday argues in "Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism" that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership.
However, while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity.
Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Professor Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Professor Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag.
"Russian Style" is smart, lively study that provides a critical, nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Putin's first two decades in power.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study based upon meticulous and exhaustive research, "Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism" by Professor Julie A. Cassidy provides extraordinary insights and commentaries that will prove invaluable additions to readers with an interest in Russian themed gender studies and supplemental 21st Russian Cultural History curriculum reading lists. While a unique and unreservedly addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Russian Style" from the University of Wisconsin Press is also available in paperback (9780299346744, $32.95).
Editorial Note: Julie A. Cassiday (https://russian.williams.edu/profile/jcassida) is the Willcox B. and Harriet M. Adsit Professor of Russian at Williams College. She is the author of The Enemy on Trial: Early Soviet Courts on Stage and Screen and a co-editor of Russian Performances: Word, Object, Action.
Scotland's Forgotten Past
Alistair Moffat
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500252642, $24.95, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Scotlands-Forgotten-Past-Misplaced-Misunderstood/dp/0500252645
Synopsis: While Scotland's history cannot be separated from its kings and queens, saints, and warriors, there is a rich story to tell about the country's lesser-known places, people, and events.
"Scotland's Forgotten Past: A History of the Mislaid, Misplaced and Misunderstood" is a colorful history of Scotland from writer and historian Alistair Moffat who chooses episodes that are half-forgotten or misunderstood, and that have been submerged by the wash of history.
Bringing these stories to light and to life, "Scotland's Forgotten Past" is an informative and entertaining history that reveals the richness and complexity of this nation on the northwest edge of Europe.
With "Scotland's Forgotten Past" Moffat takes us from the geological formation of the land that makes up Scotland, to the first evidence of human habitation, and then up to modern times.
In the process the discoveries comprising "Scotland's Forgotten Past" include: the cave of headless children; the origins of the Scottish kings and the real heroes of Scottish independence; the invention of tartan and the romance of the Highlands; Scotland's answer to Shakespeare; the many US presidents with Scottish heritage, and other fascinating tales brought to life by Joe McLaren's 37 attractive woodcut-style illustrations.
Even the most knowledgeable history buff will experience a sense of newfound knowledge and appreciation for this unique country, its history, and its people.
Critique: An information packed and simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "Scotland's Forgotten Past: A History of the Mislaid, Misplaced and Misunderstood" presents a unique perspective of Scotland's history (and prehistory). Simply stated, "Scotland's Forgotten Past" by Alistair Moffett is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library World History collections and supplemental History of Scotland 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 "Scotland's Forgotten Past" from Thames & Hudson is also readily available in paperback (9780500297803, $16.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Alistair Moffat (https://alistairmoffat.wordpress.com) was born in Kelso, Scotland. He is an award-winning writer and historian, was director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and is former rector of the University of St Andrews. He is founder of Borders Book Festival and cochairman of the Great Tapestry of Scotland. His many books include The Highland Clans, Before Scotland, and Scotland's Forgotten Past.
The Military History Shelf
The Raider
Stephen R. Platt
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9780525658016, $35.00, HC, 544pp
https://www.amazon.com/Raider-Untold-Renegade-Marine-Special/dp/0525658017
Synopsis: "He was a gutsy old man." "A corker," said another. "You couldn't find anyone better." They talked about him in hushed tones. "This Major Carlson," wrote one of the officers in a letter home, "is one of the finest men I have ever known."
These were the words of the young Marines training to be among the first U.S. troops to enter the Second World War -- and the Major Carlson they spoke of was Evans Carlson, a man of mythical status even before the war that would make him a military legend.
By December of 1941, at the age of forty-five, Carlson had already faced off against Sandinistas in the jungles of Nicaragua and served multiple tours in China, where he embedded with Mao's Communist forces during the Sino-Japanese War. Inspired by their guerilla tactics and their collaborative spirit (which he'd call "gung ho", introducing the term to the English language) and driven by his own Emersonian ideals of self-reliance, Carlson would go on to form his renowned Marine Raiders, the progenitors of today's special operations forces, who fought behind Japanese lines on Makin Island and Guadalcanal, showing Americans a new way to do battle.
With the publication of "The Raider: The Untold Story of a Renegade Marine and the Birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II", Cundill Prize winning historian and academician Stephen R. Platt gives us the first authoritative account of Carlson's larger-than-life exploits: the real story, based on years of research including newly discovered diaries and correspondence in English and Chinese, with deep insight into the conflicted idealism about the Chinese Communists that would prove Carlson's undoing in the McCarthy era.
Tracing the rise and fall of an unlikely American war hero, "The Raider" is a true story of exploration, of cultural (mis)understanding -- and of one man's awakening to the sheer breadth of the world.
Critique: A ground-breaking, exhaustively detailed, meticulously researched, and seminal study, "The Raider: The Untold Story of a Renegade Marine and the Birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II" by Professor Stephen R. Platt is an extraordinary contribution to the growing library of World War II Histories and Biographies. Included for the benefit of the reader is an informative Prologue (The Great Adventure), fifty-four pages of Source Notes, an eighteen page Bibliography, and a twenty-three page Index. An inherently fascinating and informative read from cover to cover, "The Raider" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library World War II Biography/History collections. It should be noted for students, historians, World War II buffs and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Raider" from Alfred A. Knopf is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Stephen R. Platt (https://www.stephenrplatt.com) is an award-winning historian of China and the West whose books include Imperial Twilight (Knopf, 2018) and Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom (Knopf, 2012), the latter of which won the Cundill History Prize. He is a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and holds a Ph.D from Yale.
Air Battles Before D-Day
Joseph T. Molyson
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
9780811777063, $29.95, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Air-Battles-Before-D-Day-Luftwaffe/dp/0811777065
Synopsis: "Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France" is groundbreaking analysis by retired Air Force Colonel Joseph T. Molyson that reveals how a year of strategic bombing and aerial warfare created the conditions necessary for D-Day's success.
Drawing on his thirty years of military intelligence experience, Molyson pieces together the complex puzzle of amphibious planning, airborne operations, and inter-Allied coordination that culminated in Operation Overlord.
Key revelations include:
How the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic enabled the crucial flow of American resources
The strategic bombing campaign's dual role in weakening both German industry and Luftwaffe capabilities
The intricate coordination between British night raids and American daylight bombing missions
Previously overlooked connections between air superiority and the success of the D-Day landings
Critically important for military history enthusiasts and World War II scholars alike, "Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France" is meticulously researched account offers fresh insights into the aerial strategy that changed the course of history.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous maps, a two-age Introduction, four Appendices, twenty-four pages of Notes, an eighteen page Selected Bibliography, and a sixteen page Index, "Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France" by Joseph T. Molyson, Jr. is a seminal, deftly written, extraordinary history that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library World War II history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of 'Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France" from Stackpole Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.28, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Colonel Joseph T. Molyson Jr., USAF (Ret), served 32-years in the United States Air Force as a career intelligence officer. He was a Squadron and Wing Chief of Intelligence during Desert Storm and Air Force Reserve Command Senior Crisis Action Team Director during operations responding to the September 11, 2001, attacks. He also served on the USAF Doctrine Working Group. His last assignment was Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations (Intelligence), Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command. He has trained with and supported the US Army, Navy, and Marines. At various times he was a liaison officer with the Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe, Danish Air Force and Danish Navy. His first book was Six Air Forces Over the Atlantic (2024).
The Civil War Shelf
Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command
Dennis B. Conklin II
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217339, $32.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Conflict-Controversy-Confederate-High-Command/dp/1611217334
Synopsis: The Atlanta Campaign of 1864 played a pivotal role in shaping the outcome of the American Civil War and bolstering Abraham Lincoln's reelection in November, securing the path to eventual Union victory. Long overshadowed, this Georgia campaign has experienced a resurgence of interest over the past decade.
With the publication of "Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command: Davis, Johnston, Hood and the Atlanta Campaign of 1864", Dennis B. Conklin contributes to this growing body of American Civil War history and scholarship.
Conklin's account (originally a Ph.D. dissertation), examines the dysfunctional relationships that plagued the Confederate high command, contributing to the defeat of the Army of Tennessee and the loss of Atlanta, a vital logistical rail hub. He highlights critical flaws in Jefferson Davis's leadership and the deep mutual distrust between the Confederate president and Joseph E. Johnston, commander of the Army of Tennessee, which led them to work at cross purposes. As the campaign slowly unfolded and William T. Sherman's advancing armies claimed vast swaths of territory, tensions escalated among Davis, Johnston, corps commander John Bell Hood, and Georgia Governor Joseph Brown, further compounding the Confederacy's strategic woes.
Davis's initial unease with Johnston's leadership partly explains why he promoted Hood to command an infantry corps in the principal Western army before the campaign began. Hood, who had honed his skills as a tactical commander under the aggressive Robert E. Lee in the Army of Northern Virginia, grew increasingly exasperated by Johnston's repeated withdrawals.
This tension, Conklin argues, culminated in their inevitable clash at Cassville -- a pivotal dispute driven by inconsistent maps and divergent battlefield philosophies. The ensuing correspondence among key figures in Richmond further eroded Davis's confidence in Johnston, paving the way for Hood's eventual rise to command the Army of Tennessee.
"Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command" offers a compelling and briskly paced exploration of command politics, human nature, and the pressures of war, illuminating how these forces shaped the outcome of one of the Civil War's most consequential campaigns.
Critique: A meticulously researched, impressively detailed, and exceptionally well written study, "Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command: Davis, Johnston, Hood and the Atlanta Campaign of 1864" is an extraordinary contribution to Confederacy themed American Civil War Histories & Biographies. Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of eleven Maps, and eight page Bibliography, and a twenty-one page Index, "Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command: Davis, Johnston, Hood and the Atlanta Campaign of 1864" is a welcome and highly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War/Confederacy collections and supplemental American Civil War curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command: Davis, Johnston, Hood and the Atlanta Campaign of 1864" from Savas Beatie is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95) for students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Dennis B. Conklin II earned a B.A. in political science from Blackburn College, a J.D. from Loyola University in New Orleans, and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Southern Mississippi. He has taught at the University of Southern Mississippi, William Carey University, and Jackson Academy in Mississippi.
The Invincible Twelfth
Benjamin L. Cwayna
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217360, $34.95, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Invincible-Twelfth-Carolina-Infantry-Gregg-McGowan/dp/1611217369
Synopsis: At a regimental reunion in 1880, former Confederate Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan lauded the 12th South Carolina as "The finest of that immortal army," "foremost in the charge," and "the invincible Twelfth."
The regiment, along with four others, served under McGowan from early 1863 through the end of the war. The aging brigadier, wounded four times in combat, was an authority on the regiment's reputation. "It would be impossible on an occasion of this kind, to give anything like a history of the Twelfth Regiment, or tell half of its gallant deeds. That," he declared, "would require a volume."
With the publication of Benjamin L. Cwayna's new civil war history, "The Invincible Twelfth: The 12th South Carolina Infantry of the Gregg-McGowan Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia", that volume has finally arrived.
The regiment's career commenced with an ignominious defeat in its initial engagement on the South Carolina coast at Port Royal Sound in 1861. This demoralizing event could have set the regiment on a trajectory of self-fulfilling failure and catastrophe. A change in leadership from a perpetually absent political appointee to a tenacious legislator born and bred in the upcountry, however, altered its course. Dixon Barnes instilled discipline and robust leadership in the unit, initiating a transformational process that molded the raw recruits into some of the Confederacy's most dependable soldiers.
The 12th was transferred to what would become Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and was brigaded with four other regiments from the Palmetto State. Together, they participated in nearly every major engagement of the war in the Eastern Theater. The 12th earned a sterling reputation within the army for its drill and discipline and was renowned for its impetuous, devastating, and occasionally reckless attacks and counterattacks. This proclivity for taking the fight to the enemy exacted a heavy toll. By war's end, only about 150 of the nearly 1,400 men who served in the regiment's ranks surrendered at Appomattox Court House.
Cwayna based his study on years of research, exhaustively mining primary sources to reconstruct the 12th South Carolina's history from its formation in 1861 until its final official reunion in the 1880s and beyond. Through the words of its soldiers and officers, the narrative of protracted and arduous marches, scarcity of provisions, horrific and unimaginable carnage in battle, and an unwavering determination to persevere in the bitter struggle for independence at any cost and against insurmountable odds takes form. "The Invincible Twelfth: is the story of a remarkable regiment that has long merited having its tale told.
Critique: An extraordinary and unreservedly recommended contribution to the growing library of American Civil War Histories/Biographies, "The Invincible Twelfth: The 12th South Carolina Infantry of the Gregg-McGowan Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous maps, a six page Bibliography, and a nine page Index. While an essential addition to personal, community, and college/university library American Civil War/Confederacy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Invincible Twelfth" from Savas Beatie is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.95).
Editorial Note: Benjamin L. Cwayna is an attorney in private practice and a prominent leader in the Civil War reenacting and living history community. For many years, Ben commanded the 12th South Carolina/4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Inc., a nationally recognized reenacting organization. He has been featured on the "Addressing Gettysburg Podcast" with Matt Callery and has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the Civil War through living history demonstrations, presentations, and tours on numerous battlefields.
The Pets Shelf
War Dog Heroes
Ben Holt
Summerdale
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781837993857, $13.99, PB, 208pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/war-dog-heroes-ben-holt/1147082498
Synopsis: We all know that a dog is a human's best friend, but they are even more than that. The truth is that these courageous canines have been a lifeline for us during some of the toughest times in history. In fact, we might not be where we are today without them.
From Sergeant Stubby to Antis the radar dog, in the pages of "War Dog Heroes: Inspirational True Stories of Real-Life Military Canine Heroes", author Ben Holt introduces the reader to a series of heroic hounds who, on the battlefields of history, put their lives on the line in this inspiring compendium of real-life war dog stories.
Filled with inspirational tales, "War Dog Heroes" is a moving tribute to the noble war dogs who supported their human comrades throughout the world's most challenging conflicts. Whether serving as sentries, messengers or trackers, the dogs within these stories all share three things in common: bravery, intelligence and unwavering loyalty.
Many of their efforts were rewarded with medals and titles at the time, but it is their legacies that will live on forever in our hearts. "War Dog Heroes" reveals just how special, unique and essential to us our four-legged friends really are.
Critique: Exceptional, informative, deftly crafted, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, this paperback edition of "War Dog Heroes: Inspirational True Stories of Real-Life Military Canine Heroes" from Summerdale will hold a very special appeal to readers who have canine companions of their own. "War Dog Heroes" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university Pet/Dog themed collections and supplemental Military History curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Ben Holt is a writer and animal lover from West Sussex, UK. When he is not researching stories about our furry friends he enjoys long walks in nature. He is also the author of Animal Heroes. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4904254.Ben_Holt)
The Business Shelf
Power Up Product Management
Allison J. Taylor & Chris Naunheimer
Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032950259, $190.00, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Up-Product-Management-Quick/dp/1032950250
Synopsis: "Power Up Product Management: A Quick Start Guide" by co-authors Allison J. Taylor and Chris Naunheimer delivers a compact guide with expert guidance, tools, and exercises that empower new product managers to excel in their first weeks in their new position. Learn what it takes to build and sell outstanding products, how to define product value to impact product success, and why real-world product managers have failed or succeeded in gaining market traction.
The first in a series, "Power Up Product Management: A Quick Start Guide" helps anyone new to product go-to-market to quickly understand the overall product management function, including common product development methodologies, the criticality of "voice of customer," product stage definitions, and other PM essentials.
The co-authors bring over 20 years of experience delivering software and hardware products globally for Fortune 500 companies and high-tech start-ups. Insights are delivered through real-life PM vignettes and to-the-point structured sections, making the quick start guide practical for both working PMs and new grads, or those considering a future PM or go-to-market career path. Executive leadership also benefits from the curated view into product management, which helps to develop a shared organizational-wide vision to guide improvements in people, process, and technology.
"Power Up Product Management: A Quick Start Guide" nicely fills a gap in the market as an essential job companion with a fresh combination of knowledge, fun, and hands-on exercises to rapidly upskill or cross-skill in one of the most in-demand job areas today.
Critique: Impressively comprehensive, exceptionally well written, thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Power Up Product Management: A Quick Start Guide" is an ideal DIY tutorial and an essential addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management/Marketing collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, business managers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Power Up Product Management: A Quick Start Guide" from Productivity Press is also readily available in paperback (9781032939520, $42.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.67, Amazon).
Editorial Note #1: Allison J. Taylor is a Silicon Valley technology go-to-market strategist and entrepreneur who has brought over 20 enterprise software solutions and services to market across 35 countries, representing over $3 billion in revenue. An award-winning cybersecurity veteran, Allison consults international senior leadership and their diverse cross-generational teams on growth strategies as Founder and CEO of consulting firm Thought Marketing. She is also a co-founder of AI tech start-up Discerna.ai. She has co-authored two Routledge, Taylor & Francis books, with a third on the way for Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Cybersecurity, in close collaboration with a global cross-discipline team of experts in law, medicine, and engineering. Allison founded her first company at age 24 and is a former Middle East journalist and New York City trade press editor. Allison speaks multiple languages and holds an M.S. from San Jose State University (technology diffusion among software developers) and a B.A. in Spanish and Journalism from the University of Richmond, Virginia in addition to many domain-specific certifications.
Editorial Note #2: Christopher Naunheimer is an adjunct faculty member and a capstone project advisor at Northwestern University in the Masters of Product Design and Development Management program. He has more than 20 years of experience at multi-national Fortune 500 industrial companies with leadership roles in engineering, R&D, strategic marketing, new product ventures, and user-centered design. He holds an M.S. in Product Design and Development Management from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
The Cookbook Shelf
The Farm Kitchen
Abby Allen
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804193075, $34.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Kitchen-Seasonal-Recipes-Garden/dp/1804193070
Synopsis: Taking inspiration from the farm, the field, the hedgerow and the coast, Pipers Farm offers seasonal, sustainable, carefully crafted, wholesome and uncomplicated recipes that celebrate simple, honest ingredients. The chapters comprising "The Farm Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes from Field, Coast and Garden" are organized by season and include recipes ranging from broad bean, pea and sheep's cheese toasts, and New England-style lobster rolls, to Field Mushroom Rarebit, A South-West Bouillabaisse, a Seafood Tagine, and so much more!
Filled with common sense, timeless values around the food we grow and eat, each chapter also includes feature essays on key considerations around food and farming in the UK at present, from chalk streams to regenerative farming, how our chicken consumption can be more ethical, growing your own veg to food diversity, all of which will provide talking points for the publicity campaign around the book.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color, full page photos of finished dishes, the large format (7.75 x 0.81 x 10 inches, 2.12 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Farm Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes from Field, Coast and Garden" by Abby Allen is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation. A pleasure to browse through and create menus with, "The Farm Kitchen" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this edition of "The Farm Kitchen" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note #1: Abby Allen is a food writer and ardent campaigner for slow, seasonal produce. Living in rural Devon Abby has spent the last 10 years behind the scenes of some of the country's most recognizable ethical food brands including River Cottage and Pipers Farm. Her passion for sustainability, and specifically seasonality, is at the heart of everything she does, using her words to persuade others to reconnect with small-scale family farms and enjoy the magic of nature. As a small child, growing up surrounded by farming families, Abby's love affair with local, seasonal food was instilled in her by her Grandparents who gently encouraged her to cultivate her talents for turning seasonal gluts into wholesome family feasts.
Editorial Note #2: Pipers Farm is a farm in Devon which was founded as a reaction to the industrialization of meat in the 1970s and 80s. What started out as a farm and a small butchers' shop serving a loyal tribe of regular customers is now a thriving national online delivery service for truly artisan, sustainably produced British meat. The livestock is reared through regenerative farming techniques that work in harmony with nature, and this special place in Devon now counts over 40 like-minded small scale family farms as part of the Pipers Farm community.
They are passionate about animal welfare, reducing food waste, rearing grass-fed native breeds and nourishing the land they work on, and ensuring that the rural communities they live and work with are given a sustainable future. It's all about family farms, not factory farms.
The Boston Chef's Table
Clara Silverstein
The Globe Pequot Press
https://www.globepequot.com
9781493087617, $29.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Boston-Chefs-Table-Extraordinary-Beantown/dp/1493087614
Synopsis: With the publication of this new second edition of "The Boston Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Beantown", Clara Silverstein brings more than 50 recipes drawn from the best chefs in the Boston area individually customized for home cooks. Included are favorites ranging from chefs Lydia Shire, Joanne Chang, Jody Adams, and more.
Far from being standard, contemporary recipes represent the very best Boston has to offer, from Roasted Pear and Goat Cheese Salad to Swordfish with Apple Caponata to the classic Hot New England Lobster Roll.
"The Boston Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Beantown" features:
Savory color photos of recipes and the chefs who invented them
Contact information and profiles on famous chefs and restaurants in Boston
Sidebars spotlighting the city's culinary history and ethnic food enclaves
Of special note is the section that focuses on nine desserts ranging from Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (Verrill Farm) to Toasted Banana Nut Bread with Date and Cinnamon Butter (Zaftigs Delicatessen).
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with color photography, "The Boston Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Beantown" is a delight to browse through and inspiring to plan memorable menus with. While highly recommended for personal and community library regional cookbook collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Boston Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Beantown" from Globe Pequot is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.21, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Clara Silverstein (https://www.clarasilverstein.com) is a former food writer at the Boston Herald who has contributed articles to the Boston Globe and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America and is coauthor of the New England Soup Factory Cookbook. The author of five additional books, she has taught writing at Grubstreet and presented food history talks around New England.
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Click, Bid, Collect: The Modern Guide to Online Art Buying
Simone Falanca
Goff Books
https://goffbooks.com
9781961856967, $30.00, PB, 104pp
https://goffbooks.com/product/click_bid_collect
https://www.amazon.com/Click-Bid-Collect-Modern-Online/dp/1961856964
Synopsis: With the online art market projected to exceed $13.5 billion in sales by 2027, with the publication of "Click, Bid, Collect: The Modern Guide to Online Art Buying" art auction expert Simone Falanca combines practical advice with thoughtful analysis to explore this exciting and growing space.
From navigating online auctions to discovering digital galleries, "Click, Bid, Collect: The Modern Guide to Online Art Buying" provides readers with the tools to confidently engage with the art market from the comfort of their screens.
Critique: A complete and instructive DIY 'how to' guide, "Click, Bid, Collect: The Modern Guide to Online Art Buying" is simply packed from cover to cover with expert insights and real-world examples, this is a valuable resource for both new and experienced collectors. "Click, Bid, Collect: The Modern Guide to Online Art Buying" An essential read for any aspiring and even experienced art collector and investor looking to understand how online computer technology is shaping and reshaping the way works of art are being discovered, acquired, and appreciated. Exceptionally well organized and presented, this paperback edition of "Click, Bid, Collect: The Modern Guide to Online Art Buying" from Goff Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Online Marketing collections in general, and Art Acquisition instructional reference guides in particular.
Editorial Note: Simone Falanca is an Italian author and investigative writer, currently based in Belgium, known for his incisive exploration of political and financial intrigue. He authored the book "Banche Armate alla Guerra: L'intrigo politico-finanziario dietro la guerra infinita," which critically examines the connections between financial institutions and military conflicts, shedding light on the political and financial complexities that drive global wars.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Behind Closed Doors: Memoirs Of an American Call Girl
E. S. Silversmith
Independently Published
9798218627645, $15.99, PB, 324pp
https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Doors-Memoirs-American/dp/B0F227XPLL
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/behind-closed-doors-e-s-silversmith/1146829194
Synopsis: Young, broke, in college. What's a girl to do?
With the publication of "Behind Closed Doors: Memoirs of an American Call Girl", E. S. Silversmith shares her unusual life story and in the process, gives her readers a darkly humorous peek inside the world's oldest profession.
Told through a series of encounters with real clients, "Behind Closed Doors" is deftly crafted and presented nonfiction memoir recounting the misadventures of a socially awkward college student as she fumbles her way through the salacious world of escorting.
While recalling unforgettable stories, Silversmith also shares her unique insight into the business practices of call girl agencies and the everyday lives of American sex workers.
Critique: "Behind Closed Doors: Memoirs of an American Call Girl" is both tragic and funny. It is also unique, candid, insightful, fascinating, exceptionally well written, thought-provoking, entertaining, informative, and one of those riveting life stories that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Behind Closed Doors" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Long since retired from her days moonlighting as an entertainer, E. S. Silversmith can be found in the sleepy pine forests of the Pacific Northwest. When she isn't working her dream job in the medical field, E. spends her time gardening, playing Magic the Gathering, and enjoying the peaceful solitude of the damp, mossy woods. She can be followed on social media at @bcdmemoir
The Apprenticeship that Saved My Life
Cory McCray
Morgan James Publishing
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781636986890, $14.95, PB, 180pp
https://www.amazon.com/Apprenticeship-that-Saved-Life-Earn-While-You-Learn/dp/1636986897
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-apprenticeship-that-saved-my-life-cory-mccray/1147015788
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Apprenticeship that Saved My Life: Guidebook to Navigating the Earn-While-You-Learn Opportunity of a Lifetime", Cory McCray tells the inspiring story of his remarkable and fascinating journey from Baltimore's tough streets to a life of purpose, stability, and impact.
McCray was on a path many young men know all too well -- one shaped by struggle and limited opportunity. But when a single decision led him into an apprenticeship program, everything changed. Through hands-on training, grit, and an unshakable commitment to growth, he found a way to rewrite his future.
"The Apprenticeship that Saved My Life" is candidly presented memoir in which McCray shares the highs and lows of his journey, illustrating the transformative power of skilled labor and mentorship. Individuals will discover how his experiences as an apprentice shaped not just his career but his life, providing him with the foundation to become a Maryland State Senator dedicated to empowering his community.
Alongside these personal stories, "How an Apprenticeship Saved My Life" also delves into the lasting impact apprenticeships can have, particularly for those who might be overlooked by traditional educational paths.
For anyone who believes in the power of second chances and the untapped potential within every community, "How an Apprenticeship Saved My Life" is a powerful reminder that sometimes the right opportunity can change everything. Dive into this transformative story and explore how one apprenticeship not only saved a life but sparked a movement.
Critique: Candid, informative, articulate, insightful, inspiring, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "The Apprenticeship that Saved My Life: Guidebook to Navigating the Earn-While-You-Learn Opportunity of a Lifetime" is a unique story that is both intensely personal and yet universal in its implications for any who find themselves having to struggle to succeed, who find themselves requiring 'second chances', and make a positive contribution to those around them and who depend upon them. This trade paperback edition of "The Apprenticeship that Saved My Life" from Morgan James Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections and personal reading lists.
Editorial Note: Cory McCray (https://corymccrayformaryland.com) is a Maryland State Senator and journeyman electrician whose journey from electrical apprentice to public servant demonstrates the transformative power of skilled trades and second chances. A proud graduate of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers apprenticeship program, McCray has leveraged his training to become a champion for working families and underserved communities. His leadership has driven over one hundred legislative wins focused on economic empowerment, public safety, and community revitalization. McCray's story has been featured in The Washington Post and on MSNBC and C-SPAN. He resides in Baltimore with his family, where he continues to serve as a voice for change.
The General Fiction Shelf
Her Holiness
Dustin Dunbar
https://www.dustin-dunbar.com
River Grove Books
c/o Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781966629245, $24.95, PB, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Her-Holiness-Novel-Dustin-Dunbar/dp/1966629249
Synopsis: Young Kate Murphy (adopted by a loving Irish couple against the picturesque backdrop of ancient Rome) finds herself tormented by nightmarish visions that defy comprehension.
One fateful day, in her mother's cherished Catholic Church, a compassionate priest lays his hands upon Kate's brow, invoking a blessing that unleashes a torrent of mystical imagery. The priest is thrown into turmoil as he witnesses chilling visions of an old man hanging upside down on a cross. News of the powerful girl spreads like wildfire, igniting the fears of an extreme sect entrenched in the Vatican.
Simultaneously, thousands of miles away in Brazil, the cunning Edhir Souza is assembling an army of evangelical warriors, intent on dismantling the Catholic Church's stronghold and siphoning its wealth and influence for himself.
As Kate matures, her visions intensify, propelling her toward an archaeological treasure that has eluded the world for centuries. With the Church, Souza, and a watchful world scrutinizing her every move, Kate's newfound fame and visions become her double-edged sword. She yearns to advocate for women's equality within the Church, but challenging entrenched patriarchal tradition and the deadly shadows of power may come at a harrowing cost.
Critique: A simply riveting saga of a novel, "Her Holiness" by Dustin Dunbar is original, complex, deftly scripted, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish. The stuff of which block-buster movies have been made, "Her Holiness" is a blend of mystery, suspense, the suppression of women by a religious patriarchy, adventure and metaphysical/visionary fiction. A unique novel that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "Her Holiness" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Her Holiness" from River Grove Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Dustin Dunbar (https://www.dustin-dunbar.com) holds a doctorate in psychology. He currently applies his expertise as a coach at AlcoholFreeRevolution.org, a nonprofit online community focused on supporting individuals struggling with alcohol addiction and raising consciousness. Dunbar pursues his interests in writing, sports, and global geopolitics. He is also the author of "You're Doing Great! And Other Lies Alcohol Told Me!"
The Brushy Ridge Militia
Roger Chiocchi
WanderlustLit
9798218666835, $16.95, PB, 370pp
https://www.amazon.com/Brushy-Ridge-Militia-Roger-Chiocchi/dp/B0F92RD89S
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-brushy-ridge-militia-roger-chiocchi/1147444349
Synopsis: After progressing through the many stages of grief, the parents of the deceased children of Brushy Ridge, Ohio High School lobby Congress to pass tighter gun control legislation. When they attempt to meet with conservative Speaker of the House, Fred Grantham, he refuses and walks right by, emotionless, as they stand outside his office, displaying pictures of their precious children.
At that point, they conclude enough's enough.
Upon return to their hometown, the parents feel like they've banged their heads against a wall. Why when over half of Americans want stricter gun laws, even after the tragedies of Sandy Hook, Columbine, Marjory Stoneman Douglas and, now, Brushy Ridge, why won't Congress budge?
Hank Patrick, an attorney and father of one of the deceased students, tells them it's because of twenty-seven ambiguous words called the Second Amendment. While many gun advocates hide behind those words to protect their right to unfettered access to guns of all types, those words say nothing of the sort, Patrick explains. What they do say is that Americans have the right to form citizen militias to fight a government that has become tyrannical.
They decide to be true to the words of the Second Amendment as originally intended and form a citizen's militia, The Brushy Ridge Militia, and scheme to take Speaker Fred Grantham hostage until he agrees to bring more reasonable gun legislation to the floor.
By surreptitiously following Grantham's moves and cleverly evading the FBI, the parents intercept Grantham at an apartment building in DC and bring him to a spot in rural West Virginia where no radio transmissions are allowed. For four days, they force him to watch the security cam video of the shooting and morgue shots of their cherished children.
Finally, he agrees, but shortly after, recants.
The parents are arrested and convicted. Some go to jail. They appeal and the Circuit Court refuses to overturn their conviction. Finally, the issue goes to the Supreme Court where Hank Patrick makes an impassioned plea on behalf of his daughter and her fellow deceased students and exposes the true meaning of the Founders, forcing the Supreme Court to rule on the real intention of the Second Amendment.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, timely, and which will resonate with what we see happening to real families, real children, and genuine political impotence in our world today, "The Brushy Ridge Militia" by novelist Roger Chiocchi is a riveting fictional story about how overwhelming grief, anger, disillusion, and seeming helplessness in the face of entrenched political corruption and ineptitude leads a group of parents to become so outraged after still another mass shooting (a condition (which seems to be happening again and again all around the country and now here at home) to conclude that they have no remaining recourse but to take justice into their own hands and manifest it through a major act of civil disobedience. Emotionally engaging and inherently fascinating, and all too believable, "The Brushy Ridge Militia" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and public library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Brushy Ridge Militia" from WanderLit is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Roger Chiocchi has had a passion for writing throughout his life. In his spare time he wrote the fictional ghost story Mean Spirits which rose to number one in its genre on Amazon.com. He is the author of the non-fiction, "Baby Boomer Bust?: How the Generation of Promise Became the Generation of Panic", detailing the impact of the 2008/2009 recession on that generation. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/913603.Roger_Chiocchi)
The Battle of the Bookshops
Poppy Alexander
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063436619, $30.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Bookshops-Heartwarming-Enemies-Lovers/dp/0063436612
Synopsis: The cute, seaside town of Portneath has been the home of Capelthorne's Books for nearly a hundred years.
The bookshop, in the heart of a high street that stretches crookedly down the hill from the castle to the sea, may be a tad run-down these days, but to Jules Capelthorne, the wonky, dusty world of literary treasures is full of precious childhood memories. When her great-aunt Florence gets too frail to run it alone, Jules ditches her junior publishing job in London and comes home to make the bookshop's hundredth birthday a celebration to remember.
Jules quickly discovers things are worse than she ever imagined: The bookshop is close to bankruptcy, unlikely to make it to its own centenary celebration, and the lease on the building is up for renewal. With a six-figure sum needed, the future looks bleak.
To make matters worse, the owner of the property is the insufferable Roman Montbeau, from the posh, local family who owns half of Portneath. The Montbeaus and Capelthornes have feuded for years, and Roman has clearly not improved since he tormented Jules as a child. Fresh from a high-flying career in New York, he is on a mission to shake things up, and (unforgivably) proves his point about Capelthorne's being a relic of the past by opening a new bookshop directly opposite -- a shiny, plate-glass-windowed emporium of books.
Jules may not be able to splash the cash on promotions and marketing like the Montbeaus, but she's got some ideas of her own, plus she has a tenacity that may just win the hardest of hearts and the most hopeless of conflicts.
Let the battle of the bookshops commence!
Critique: A unique and original novel that will have immense interest for fans of deftly crafted contemporary romance, small town tales of feuds and competition, and bibliophiles who enjoy browsing old bookstores and comparing them with new ones, "The Battle of the Bookshops" by Poppy Alexander is a charming 'enemies-to-lovers' story of Novel of romance, rivalry, and the fight to save a cherished bookstore in a quaint seaside town'. A fun read from start to finish, "The Battle of the Bookshops" is an extraordinary and recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Battle of the Bookshops" from Avon Books is also readily available for personal reading lists in paperback (9780063340671, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Poppy Alexander (https://poppy-alexander.com) is also the author of The Littlest Library, Storybook Ending, and 25 Days 'Til Christmas. She wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying, and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends, and life in her West Sussex village where she lives with her husband, children, and various other pets.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Shakespeare Secret
D. J. Nix
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892421522, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Secret-D-J-Nix/dp/B0DLFG28YS
Synopsis: Everyone knows of William Shakespeare, the rakish former actor and famous playwright. But few know the three women writing every word of his plays: Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, a frustrated poet; Emelia Bassano, a court musician with a passion for complex stories; and Jane Daggett, a seamstress with an impressive ability to spin fantastic plots. Frustrated by the patriarchal restrictions of their sixteenth-century society, they come together to write anonymously.
Soon the three women come under the scrutiny of one of the Queen's spies, who notices their surreptitious meetings and odd behavior and suspects they are involved in an ongoing plot to kill the Queen. To help guard their secret as they face inquisition, they hire an actor named Will Shakespeare to be the face of their endeavor and divert attention.
As the plague deepens its grip on London and the Queen's man traces their every move, the women are forced to choose between admitting what they've done and betraying each other to the Crown or hiding the truth at risk of endangering the Queen herself.
The Shakespeare Secret is a thrilling feminist tale of perseverance, justice, and freedom where friendship and trust are put to the test.
Critique: Original, clever, imaginative, and a fun read from cover to cover, "The Shakespeare Secret" by D. J. Nix is a truly unique, extraordinary, and memorable work of deftly crafted historical fiction and one that is especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Shakespeare Secret" from Alcove Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in paperback (9798892422529, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: D. J. Nix (https://www.davidjnix.com) is a member of Regency Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of Central Texas, female-centered organizations that have taken him under their wing and shared their collective wisdom. He broke into traditional publishing in 2020 writing historical romance for Entangled Publishing under the pseudonym Sawyer North.
Maria La Divina
Jerome Charyn
Bellevue Literary Press
www.blpress.org
9781954276482, $17.99, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Maria-Divina-Jerome-Charyn/dp/1954276486
Synopsis: Maria Callas, called La Divina, is widely recognized as the greatest diva who ever lived. in his novel, "Maria La Divina", Jerome Charyn's Callas springs to life as the headstrong, mercurial, and charismatic artist who captivated generations of fans, thrilling audiences with her brilliant performances and defiant personality.
Callas, an outsider from an impoverished background, was shunned by the Italian opera houses, but through sheer force of will and the power and range of her voice, she broke through the invisible wall to sing at La Scala and headline at the Metropolitan Opera, forging an unforgettable career. Adored by celebrities and statesmen, the notable and notorious alike, her every movement was shadowed by both music critics and gossip columnists -- until, having lost her voice, she died alone in an opulent, mausoleum-like Paris apartment.
In Charyn's inimitable and distinctive style, "Maria La Divina" humanizes the celebrated diva, revealing the mythical artist as a woman who survived hunger, war, and loneliness to reach the heights of acclaim.
Critique: A deftly crafted work of historical biographical fiction, "Maria La Divina" once again showcases author Jerome Charyn as a novelist of extraordinary literary ability. A simply fascinating and engaging read from start to finish, "Maria La Divina" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this trade paperback edition of "Maria La Divina" from the Bellevue Literary Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.09, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Jerome Charyn (http://www.jeromecharyn.com) is the author of more than fifty works of fiction and nonfiction, including Ravage & Son; Sergeant Salinger; Cesare: A Novel of War-Torn Berlin; In the Shadow of King Saul: Essays on Silence and Song; Jerzy: A Novel; and A Loaded Gun: Emily Dickinson for the 21st Century. Among other honors, his work has been longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award and PEN Award for Biography, shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Christian Gauss Award, and selected as a finalist for the Firecracker Award and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Film Culture at the American University of Paris, Charyn has also been named a Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture and received a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
Windlass
Anna Burke
Bywater Books
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612943190, $23.95, PB, 410pp
https://www.amazon.com/Windlass-Seal-Cove-Romance-3/dp/1612943195
Synopsis: Stevie has everything she wants, except the one thing that matters most: her friend and roommate, Angie. But the shadows of Angie's past have a long reach, and even though everyone in the small town of Seal Cove knows Stevie and Angie have been in love for years, none of that matters if Angie herself isn't willing to take the risk.
Risk, as far as Angie is concerned, equals loss. She once risked everything by telling the truth -- and that ended badly. Very badly. Friendship is the only thing that has ever worked out for her. She can't afford to lose Stevie -- even at the expense of her own happiness.
However, when their other roommates move out of the house, each finds it harder and harder to resist their feelings. Angie must decide if the scars of her past will dictate her future, and Stevie will need to accept that sometimes, people need to save themselves.
Critique: A deftly crafted LGBTQ novel of love, longing, and the risk of loss, "Windlass" is the third novel in author Anna Burke's 'A Seal Cove Romance' series. An original, memorable, fun and fascinating story from start to finish, "Windlass" is especially and unreservedly recommended for fans of lesbian romances and a prized pick for personal and community library collections. It should be noted that this trade paperback edition of "Windlass" from Bywater Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Anna Burke (https://annahburke.wordpress.com) is author of seven novels, including Nottingham, which was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and winner of Foreword Reviews INDIES LGBTQ+ Book of the Year (Silver Medal), and Thorn, which received an IPPY Silver Medal in Fantasy, a Foreword Reviews INDIES LGBTQ+ Book of the Year (Gold Medal), and was long-listed for the ALA Over the Rainbow Fiction Award. Her other novels include In the Roses of Pieria, Compass Rose and Sea Wolf, and the two previous Seal Cove Romance series. Her writing interests include feminist retellings and queer fiction.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Ekaterina
Thomas H. Brillat
Stillwater River Publications
https://stillwaterpress.com
9781960505040, $20.00, PB, 427pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ekaterina-Thomas-H-Brillat/dp/1960505041
Synopsis: Ekaterina is the saga of a precocious child who matures into a strong-willed, beautiful, and talented White Russian emigree who fights for the freedom to live her own life amidst war, bigotry, and personal loss.
Challenged from the moment of her birth, Ekaterina travels from Russia to China to the Philippines and eventually the United States. At each step of her journey, she alternates between victim and heroine but remains a perpetual foreigner in strange lands. Banishment, an unplanned child, men - kind and cruel - death, war, communism, and civil rights consume her.
Although a work of fiction and a story of loyalty, love, and survival, "Ekaterina" is based on a true story. Her's is tale is one of tragedy and triumph within the sweeping global political, military, and social changes of the 20th Century.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that this is author Thomas H. Brillat's debut as a novelist, "Ekaterina" is original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish. The narrative driven storytelling skills of author Thomas H. Brillat has created a memorable work of impressive literary excellence. "Ekaterina" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Ekaterina" from Stillwater River Publications is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Thomas H. Brillat (https://www.tombrillat.com) has been a naval officer, life insurance representative, coastal planner, harbormaster of a major commercial seaport, Rainbow salesman (yes - Rainbows), square-rig sailor, air freight manager, non-profit executive, professional storyteller, adult educator, and maritime museum professional.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Give Me a Reason
Jayci Lee
St. Martin's Griffin
c/o Macmillan
https://us.macmillan.com/st-martins-griffin
9781250907783, $17.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Reason-Jayci-Lee/dp/1250907780
Synopsis: For ten years, Anne Lee told herself that Frederick Nam was her past. To save her father from bankruptcy, she dropped out of UC San Diego to pursue an acting career in Korea. Anne had to stop Frederick from following her and ruining his future. Breaking up with him was the best way she could love him.
After Anne left him, Frederick spent years loving her, missing her, and hating her until he decided to live his life for himself. He followed his dream and became a firefighter in Culver City. He didn't need romance. He had his work and his friends.
When she returns to Los Angeles, Anne and Frederick find themselves in the same wedding -- she as her cousin's bridesmaid and he as his friend's groomsman. Even though he is cold and distant with her, Anne can no longer deny that she never got over him. Not even close. As for Frederick, needing to take care of Anne is a habit he can't seem to kick, but that doesn't mean he has to forgive her.
Critique: Original, clever, compelling, fun and fascinating, "Give Me A Reason" by novelist Jayci Lee is an extraordinarily entertaining story of romance loved, lost, and second chances when found again. A welcome and highly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Give Me A Reason" from St. Martin's Griffin is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Jaycie Lee (https://www.jaycilee.com) writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance featuring Korean American main characters. Her books have been in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, E! News, and Women's World. Jayci is retired from her fifteen-year career as a litigator because of all the badass heroines and drool worthy heroes demanding to have their stories told.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Bury Them Deep in War Smoke
Michael D. George
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855241, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 280pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855241
Synopsis: Just after undertaker Sam Foster receives a letter telling him to have three fresh graves dug, a mysterious man in black arrives in War Smoke with revenge in his heart. Jonas Ward has travelled all the way from the eastern seaboard to fulfil the dying wishes of his late brother Lucas: to kill the three people blamed for Lucas' death. Marshal Matt Fallen enlists the aid of hillbilly Heck Longfellow to try to get to the bottom of the labyrinth of puzzles he is faced with. But can Fallen figure it out in time?
Critique: Deftly blending western vengeance with a suspense thriller them, "Bury Them Deep in War Smoke" by Michael D. George is an inherently fascinating, deftly scripted, and compelling read from start to finish. The stuff of which Clint Eastwood western movies were made, this large print paperback edition of "Bury Them Deep in War Smoke" from the Linford Western Series is a firmly recommended choice for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Michael D. George has written more than 100 western novels under his real and several pen names, including Bury Them Deep in War Smoke, Dry Gulch Outlaws, and Shadow Shooters. There is a website dedicated to the books of Michael D. George at https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/michael-d-george
A Gold Half Eagle
Brad Fedden
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855333, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 280pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855333
Synopsis: At the age of 22, Hal Chesterton's world is turned on its head. He could never have guessed a blocked watercourse heralded such a disastrous change to his life. His pa's lucky coin, a gold half eagle, responsible for a stroke of good luck, now bears a bitter fruit. For the first time, Hal has to stand on his own two feet, and the prospects don't look good. Gunfights, loose women, and deception play havoc with his search for the culprit. Hot-headed and vengeful, he is not so easily deterred, but falling for a beautiful young woman clouds his judgment.
Critique: As an author of western action/adventure novels, with the publication of "A Gold Half Eagle", Brad Fedden demonstrates his full mastery of the genre. A entertaining, revenge-themed and fully engaging read from cover to cover, this large print paperback edition of "A Gold Half Eagle" from the Linford Western Library series will prove to be an immediately and enduringly popular selection for the personal reading lists of western fans and a prized pick for community library Western Fiction collections.
Bone Treasure
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855289, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 240pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855289
Synopsis: In a sheltered basin, high up in Colorado's remote Rocky Mountains, two field collectors discover an awesome array of dinosaur bones. Knowing that two competing and irreconcilably hostile paleontologists will pay big money for knowledge of such a find, the men know that they have struck bone treasure.
Unfortunately for all concerned, a supposedly extinct race of Anasazi Indians regard these relics as sacred and are prepared to slaughter anyone who tries to remove them. Only one of the men makes it back to Denver, his hair turned prematurely white by his horrifying experiences, but what he brings with him touches off an unstoppable chain of events.
Joe Eagle, a frontiersman desperately in need of money, agrees to lead a large party into the Rockies to plunder the fossil beds, but word of the find has got around and their ruthless competitors are never far away. And, somewhere up ahead, the terrifying Anasazi await them all.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, this large print paperback edition of author Paul Bedford's "Bone Treasure" from the Linford Western Library series is an ideal and highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Editorial Note: Paul Bedford is the author many western novels including: "Death on the Bozeman" and "The Lord of the Plains". A complete listing is available online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4575218.Paul_Bedford
Hunter's Moon
Ty Walker
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855302, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 208pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855302
Synopsis: Hunter Lane Chandler returns to Rattlesnake Valley with fresh game to sell to the townsfolk, only to discover the place is seemingly empty. In the sheriff's office, he finds the veteran lawman has been killed. Then he discovers the slaughtered body of the blacksmith. Soon he finds out that a deadly bunch of outlaws known as Corbin's Raiders have not only killed several of the townsfolk, but have also taken schoolteacher Molly Drew with them. Chandler sets out to rescue Molly. But hunting men is far more dangerous than hunting animals!
Critique: With all the elements of a riveting action/adventure western, "Hunter's Moon" by Ty Walker is a fun and engaging read from cover to cover. Original, deftly crafted, and unreservedly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections, this large print paperback edition of "Hunter's Moon" from Linford Western Library will introduce western fans to one of western novelist Ty Walker's best efforts and sending them looking for his other titles including "Harps for a Wanted Gun" and "Kid Cheyenne".
Editorial Note: Ty Walker is a pseudonym for author Michael D. George, who also wrote under other pen names such as Boyd Cassidy, John Ladd, Dean Edwards, Dale Mike Rogers,and others: (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15556593.Ty_Walker)
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Death and the Librarian
Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420464, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Librarian-Ridge-Library-Mystery/dp/B0DJQDLV2K
Synopsis: Library director Amy Muir has always been suspicious of wealthy art dealer Kurt Kendrick. As a close family friend, the ties that bind them are strong, but his murky past is concerning, especially since he is the godfather to Amy and her husband Richard's six-year-old twins. When a visitor to their small, historic Virginia town is found dead after publicly accusing Kurt of committing a decades-old murder, Amy is determined to prove that Kurt didn't kill anyone, in the past or the present. But the evidence Kurt's accuser sent to Sheriff Brad Tucker before her untimely demise indicates otherwise.
With Amy's own aunt and other older town residents corroborating some of the details related to the first murder and a witness placing Kurt near the scene of the second crime, it seems Kurt is doomed to swift and severe justice. Amidst the fun and excitement of an arts festival that features the premiere of Richard's new dance company, Amy faces her own challenging performance --balancing her work and family life while dancing on the edge of danger.
With family and friends harboring suspicions about Kurt and Amy bedeviled by her own wavering trust in his innocence, she must fight to uncover the truth before a hidden killer strikes again.
Critique: Another 'Blue Ridge Library Mystery' series entry, "Death and the Librarian" by cozy mystery novelist Victoria Gilbert is original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover. With an impressive authenticity to its background setting and library theme as the author herself, a long and successful career as a librarian, mystery lovers be warned! Cozy mysteries by Victoria Gilbert are as addictive as potato chips -- you won't be able to stop at just one! Beautifully plotted with memorable characters and many an unexpected plot twist, "Death and the Librarians" is highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the growing legions of Victoria Gilbert fans that this hardcover edition of "Death and the Librarian" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Media, 9798228612037, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Victoria Gilbert (https://victoriagilbertmysteries.com) turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. Now retired after over thirty years in the library field, she's worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and university library director. Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library mystery series, the Booklover's B&B mystery series, and the Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.
The Labyrinth House Murders
Yukito Ayatsuji, author
Ho-Ling Wong, translator
Pushkin Vertigo
c/o Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781805335276, $18.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Labyrinth-House-Murders-Yukito-Ayatsuji/dp/1805335278
Synopsis: Miyagaki Yotaro is one of Japan's most famed mystery writers, but several years ago he put down his pen and left the Tokyo literary world for a life of seclusion in the remote Labyrinth House, built by the notorious architect Nakamura Seiji.
When four of the country's most exciting up-and-coming crime writers are invited to the house for Yotaro's birthday party, they are honoured to accept. But no sooner have they arrived than they are confronted with a shocking death, then lured into a bizarre, deadly competition with each other...
As the competition proceeds, and murder follows murder, the brilliant Kiyoshi Shimada investigates. Can he solve the mystery of the house before all those trapped in its labyrinth are dead? And can you as the reader guess the solution before he does?
Fans of Japanese crime classics and clever puzzle mysteries will appreciated "The Labyrinth House Murders" like a 'whodunnit' magic trick -- with one of Japanese novelist Yukito Ayatsuji's trademark breathtaking reveals at the end.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Ho-Ling Wong, this trade paperback edition of "The Labyrinth House Murders" by Yukito Ayatsuji is a fascinating, deftly crafted, and simply riveting read from cover to cover. Of special interest for readers of psychological thrillers and puzzle solving 'whodunnit' murder mysteries, "The Labyrinth House Murders" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Labyrinth House Murders" from Puskin Vertigo is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798228563773, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note 31: Yukito Ayatsuji is a Japanese writer of mystery and horror novels. He is one of the founders of the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan, dedicated to the writing of fair play mysteries inspired by the Golden Age greats. In 1992 he won the Mystery Writers of Japan award for his novel The Clock Mansion Murders. The Decagon House Murders was Ayatsuji's debut novel and is the first of his works to be translated into English. A complete listing of his books is at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3201493.Yukito_Ayatsuji
Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing
Nicholas Meyer
The Mysterious Press
www.mysteriouspress.com
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613166567, $26.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Thing-Nicholas-Meyer/dp/1613166567
Synopsis: In 1890s London, the great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards and Sherlock Holmes is bored to distraction. It would take a miracle to bring a case to the detective's door.
What arrives is not promising: a landlady who complains her artist tenant is behind on rent. Not exactly the miracle for which Holmes was hoping. But, next thing you know, there are several corpses and Sherlock Holmes and his biographer, John H. Watson, MD, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective's career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery and mendacity (and cut throats) proliferate.
What makes a work of art worth killing for? Is it the artist, his mistress, his dealer, or his blackmailer? The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices, or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?
Oh, and there's one other problem: Is this a genuine Holmes case or a clever forgery? Is this the real thing? -- And if you can't tell the difference, what is the difference?
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans, with the publication of "Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing", novelist Nicholas Meyer has written an adventure by the world's most famous detective that is fully in accord with the character as created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, and a welcome addition to the every growing number of his criminal sleuthing adventures, "Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing" from Mysterious Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.73, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Nicholas Meyer (https://www.nicholas-meyer.com) is the "editor" of several Watson manuscripts, including The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. His screenplay of the film received an Oscar nomination. His film credits include writing and directing Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. He wrote and directed Time After Time, co-created Medici: Masters of Florence, and directed The Day After.
Leverage
Amran Gowani
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781668076422, $28.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Leverage-Novel-Amran-Gowani/dp/166807642X
Synopsis: Ali "Al" Jafar is a rising star at Prism Capital (a notorious hedge fund) but fortunes change fast on Wall Street.
When his biggest investment goes up in smoke, Al loses $300 million (and his fragile sense of self-worth) in a single afternoon. He's certain he'll be fired, but Prism's obscenely rich and politically connected founder isn't that merciful. Instead, he gives Al an impossible ultimatum: recover the lost money in three months or become the fall guy for the government's insider-trading investigation into the firm.
Desperate and depressed, Al turns to high finance's dark side, where he battles back-stabbing coworkers and cutthroat competitors and digs himself into an even deeper hole. As the clock winds down, and the pressure mounts, Al's mental health deteriorates. To survive, he'll have to outfox one of the world's most powerful men and decide if he values the dearest asset of all: himself.
Critique: A simply riveting suspense thriller set in the treacherous world of High Finance, "Leverage" is a fun read from start to finish. As an author, Amran Gowani has drawn upon his years of experience and expertise working on Wall Street to bring an exciting authenticity to his original and compelling novel. "Leverage" is all the more impressive when considering that it is Gowani's debut as a novelist. Original, deftly crafted, and a compelling read from cover to cover, "Leverage" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Leverage" from Atria Books is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9781668119587, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Amran Gowani (www.AmranGowani.com) is a former Wall Street analyst who lives in Chicago with his wife and two children. He's a prolific content creator and writes a cult favorite email newsletter. Leverage is his first novel.
Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library
Amanda Chapman
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593818817, $29.99, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Christie-Mystery-Guild-Library/dp/0593818814
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mrs-christie-at-the-mystery-guild-library-amanda-chapman/1146606000
Synopsis: Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan's Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she's left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she's not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library's Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she's there to help solve a murder-- one that has not yet happened.
But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.
Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths (including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits) Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer's devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple -- "murder is never simple."
Critique: There is only one way to describe "Mrs. Christie and the Mystery Guild Library" by novelist Amanda Chapman -- A deftly crafted, clever, memorable, and fun read from cover to cover that will leave the mystery fan looking eagerly toward the next installment of this new 'whodunnit' mystery series! Simply stated, "Mrs. Christie and the Mystery Guild Library" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that this hardcover edition of "Mrs. Christie and the Mystery Guild Library" from Berkley Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Amanda Chapman (https://amandachapmanauthor.com) is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith. An enthusiastic fan of traditional mysteries and of New York City she found herself wondering, "What if someone recreated Agatha Christie's personal library - - even to the furnishings and architecture -- in New York City? What would happen in that space?" And thus "Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library" -- the first in a new series, was born.
Stillwater
Tanya Scott
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802164605, $27.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Stillwater-Thriller-Tanya-Scott/dp/0802164609
Synopsis: When Jack Quinlan's mother dies of a drug overdose, it's not his father that raises him, but Gus -- a ruthless crime boss who sees Jack for what he is: a whip-smart kid with untapped potential. It doesn't take long for Gus to forge Jack into a weapon.
But Jack was also self-aware enough to know where this sort of life was going to lead him. When the time was right, he got out. Or so he thought.
Seven years later, Jack is now Luke Harris, a regular guy putting himself through college and aiming for a real job and a real future. Falling in love. But Jack's past isn't so easily forgotten, and the bodies in his closet won't forgive him.
When Luke's newfound life collides with Gus's underworld, survival becomes a deadly game. Luke must resurrect his dormant skills and confront the demons that threaten to consume him.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, riveting, "Stillwater" by novelist Tanya Scott is a masterpiece of gripping suspense from first page to last. Of particular and special interest to readers who appreciate action packed organized crime thrillers, "Stillwater" is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should e noted that this hardcover edition of "Stillwater" from the Atlantic Monthly Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.65, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Tanya Scott (https://tanyascott.au/about.html) is a writer, doctor and medical educator based on the Victorian Surf Coast. She has been writing for many years, including using narrative therapy as a tool to make sense of the world, both personally and with her patients. Many of the ideas for Stillwater stem from her work helping patients with childhood trauma -- acknowledging that in reality, recovery is a long and incomplete path.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Tides of Innsmouth
Jonathan Green
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839083358, $18.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tides-Innsmouth-Arkham-Investigators-Gamebook/dp/1839083352
Synopsis: Welcome all Paranormal Investigators to "The Tides of Innsmouth" by Jonathan Green!
Innsmouth is awash with sightings of a mysterious sunken pirate junk near the treacherous Devil Reef. Those rumors are an irresistible lure, drawing the Investigators of Arkham to the fog-laden Massachusetts town. But the thrill of discovery quickly wanes when you are faced with hostile locals, a missing marine archaeologist, and a family curse with tendrils that haunt your waking days.
Solve the riddles, overcome tests, and wish for luck as you navigate the rotten streets of the decrepit town and beyond to save the world as you know it. However... choose wisely, Investigator, for betrayal lurks around every corner and the path you choose might awaken horrors from beneath the sea to sink us all.
Critique: In a kind of 'choose your own adventure' format, "The Tides of Innsmouth" by Jonathan Green is a paranormal fantasy based interactive action/adventure in which the reader will be fully engaged in a true theatre of the mind experience as choices are made and results experienced. Fun and fascinating from cover to cover, "The Tides of Innsmouth" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Gamer themed Horror/Fantasy collections.
Editorial Note: Jonathan Green is a freelance writer. He has written for various science fiction and fantasy franchises, including Arkham House/Aconyte Books, Doctor Who, Fighting Fantasy, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Games Workshop's Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 game universes: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Green_(speculative_fiction_writer)
The Twilight Magus
Tim Pratt
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839083143, $18.95, PB, 322pp
https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Magus-Arkham-Horror-Sandford/dp/183908314X
Synopsis: Carl Sanford, once the Silver Twilight Lodge's great leader and now presumed dead, lives in anonymity in Spain, plotting revenge against those who betrayed him.
Alone, he calculates his first move to achieve power abroad is by being initiated into the mysterious ancient society called the Red Coterie to secretly take it over.
Despite Sanford's reputation, the Red Coterie demands proof of his occult prowess, sending him on a quest to vanquish The Blood Moon, a reclusive blood magus manipulating humans and monsters alike to achieve their own ends.
As Sanford uses every scrap of cunning he possesses to outwit his enemies and prove his worth, old foes from Arkham have discovered his existence and are coming to finish him off once and for all.
Critique: Simply stated, author and novelist Tim Pratt is a complete and accomplished master of the fantasy genre in general, and the Arkham style horror fantasy subgenre in particular. "The Twilight Magnus" is a 'must' for the growing legions of Tim Pratt fans and will prove a welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library fantasy fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Twilight Magnus" from Aconyte Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Tim Pratt (http://www.timpratt.org) is a Hugo Award-winning SF and fantasy author, and has also been a finalist for the World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Stoker, Mythopoeic, and Nebula Awards, among others. He is the author of over twenty novels, and scores of short stories. Since 2001 he has worked for Locus, the magazine of the science fiction and fantasy field, where he currently serves as senior editor.
Dwellers of the Deep / Gather in the Hall of the Planets
Barry N. Malzberg
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886011166, $15.95, PB, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dwellers-Deep-Gather-Hall-Planets/dp/B0D8X6CVW6
Synopsis: Stark House Press reprints of some of the best in crime fiction, mystery and suspense, fantasy, and classic supernatural fiction in attractive trade paperback editions -- most with a new introductions. A new edition to their Science Fiction line is two short stories under one cover -- "Dwellers of the Deep / Gather in the Hall of the Planets" by Barry N. Nalzberg.
"Dwellers of the Deep"
Izzinius Fox is a particularly avid collector of Tremendous Science Fiction magazine. He is also in regular contact with the Rhelm, who repeatedly zap him instantaneously up to their ship and try to convince him to part with a highly collectible edition of Tremendous, the May 1950 issue to be exact. This issue has a non-fiction article by Cupboard called "Engineering and Science of the Mind" and the aliens need it. But Fox is a stubborn man. He knows that as reasonable as the Arch-Leader is, the aliens' ultimate plan is to take over mankind, and he simply won't be a party to that. Can a science fiction collector really save mankind? Well, maybe...
Gather in the Hall of the Planets
The aliens have disguised one of themselves and will be at the world science fiction convention in New York. All Kvass has to do to prevent the destruction of mankind is locate the alien - who will look just like someone he knows - and shout "Unmask!" And humanity will be saved. Kvass, a science fiction writer currently suffering writer's block, feel like he's encountered this plot before. But he figures, "If a group of aliens comes into your room in the strange hours of the night and talks to you about large issues seriously, it makes sense to deal with them on their own terms." Which is precisely what he does.
Critique: Two 'time lost treasures' of science fiction combined under one cover, "Dwellers of the Deep / Gather in the Hall of the Planets" is a fun read and underscores the storytelling talents and originality of Barry N. Malzberg as a science fiction writer. This paperback edition of "Dwellers of the Deep / Gather in the Hall of the Planets" is guaranteed to be a welcome and entertaining pick for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans and a popular acquisition for community library Science Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Barry Nathaniel Malzberg was born July 24, 1939, attended Syracuse University from 1956 to 1960, where he was awarded a Schubert Foundation Playwriting fellowship. In 1965 he began working for the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, publishing his first story in March, 1966, and his first sf story the following August. Since then, he has published crime fiction, erotica, film and TV tie-ins, men's adventure, satire, science fiction and approximately 1000 stories and essays under his own name and variety of pseudonyms. His science fiction novel Beyond Apollo was awarded the John W Campbell Memorial Award. A listing of his books is available online: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/76288.Barry_N_Malzberg
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Manga Edition
Sun Tzu, author
Yoshihiro Watanabe, adapter
Takashi Momonari, illustrator
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319543, $19.99, PB, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Tzus-Art-War-Masterpiece/dp/4805319542
Synopsis: "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu is one of the world's great and iconic masterpieces -- presenting as it does a compendium of timeless strategies that are as important in the boardroom as on the battlefield. Now, contemporary readers can experience Sun Tzu's classic as never before in "Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Full Story Behind Sun Tzu's Masterpiece!" -- a simply riveting graphic novel format that is brimming with battles, betrayals and political intrigues.
"Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Full Story Behind Sun Tzu's Masterpiece!" recounts the conflict between the kingdom of Wu as they plot to attack the far more powerful state of Chu, with both leaders navigating internal plots and power struggles that will forever alter the fate of China.
The fascinating accounts in this manga edition include:
The story of Sun Tzu, who became a trusted advisor to the powerful Wu clan and then a master military strategist, capturing the attention of Wu Zixu, the clan's most formidable general
The creation of the military strategies in The Art of War, as Sun Tzu develops his revolutionary philosophy of asymmetrical warfare
The high-stakes Battle of Boju where Sun Tzu's teachings take center stage, shaping a battle that will become legendary in the chronicles of military history
And many other fascinating stories!
The manga edition of "Sun Tzu's Art of War" brings to life not only the tactical brilliance of Sun Tzu's teachings but also the human drama behind them -- the ambition, sacrifice and the relentless pursuit of victory.
Critique: In a graphic novel format that is as entertaining as it is informative, "Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Manga Edition: The Full Story Behind Sun Tzu's Masterpiece!" is truly extraordinary, informative, and fascinating from cover to cover. Note that this trade paperback edition from Tuttle Publishing is in the Japanese style of being read from back to front, right to left. Unique and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library collections, it should be noted that "Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Manga Edition: The Full Story Behind Sun Tzu's Masterpiece!" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Sun Tzu was the ancient Chinese military strategist, philosopher and author of The Art of War, a timeless treatise on warfare and strategy. Serving as an advisor to the Wu leaders during the fractious Warring States period, his insights helped secure military victories for all who followed them. Revered for his profound understanding of leadership, tactics and human psychology, Sun Tzu's teachings continue to influence military and business strategists today.
Editorial Note #2: Yoshihiro Watanabe is a professor in the School of Culture, Media and Society at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.
Editorial Note #3: Takashi Momonari is a manga artist from Narita, Japan. He has illustrated several best-selling manga including The Rise and Fall of the Three Kingdoms and a two-part biography of Sun Tzu.
Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Tales of Andold Wild Duck
Marco Rota
Fantagraphics Books
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875000447, $34.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disneys-Donald-Duck-Collection/dp/B0D79Z8RHD
Synopsis: It's Donald Duck's fierce ancestor Andold "Wild Duck" Temerary (played by Donald himself) versus evil medievals in a much-requested graphic style miniseries!
When Viking raids capture half of Scotland, it's up to Commander Andold "Wild Duck" Temerary, his super-strong knightly pal Little Bo, and his brainy fiancee Lady Aydis to keep the peace. But with cursed runestones, lurking longboats, and barbarians at the gates, our heroes better grab their swords and shields!
Along with four awesome Andold epics (some new to North America readers!) "Tales of Andold 'Wild Duck' is Viking-size collection includes modern-day Donald and Uncle Scrooge thrills and spills, including manic McDuck treasure hunts and "Commuter Crisis"... the tale of Duckburg's most ridiculous rush hour!
Critique: With full-color illustrations throughout, this delightful and fun compendium of a beloved Disney character is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, academic, and community library cartoon-based and Disney themed Graphic Novel collections. A fun read from cover to cover, Vol. 26 of The Disney Masters Collection" from Fantagraphics Books, "Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Tales of Andold Wild Duck" is is a 'must read' for the legions of Donald Duck fans of all ages.
Editorial Note: Marco Rota (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Marco_Rota) is a celebrated comics artist who served as editor-in-chief for Disney's Italian office from 1974 to 1988. Rota's first Disney art was created for the publisher Mondadori in 1971. He is acclaimed for his highly detailed Scrooge McDuck adventures "The Money Ocean" and "Night of the Saracen," as well as his many tales of Donald's medieval ancestor Andold Wild Duck.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Excalibur Codex
James Douglas, author
John Telfer, narrator
Isis Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399188692, $126.95/$107.91, 11 CDs (11 Hours 37 Minutes)
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399188692
Synopsis: For countless generations the legendary sword called Excalibur had been kept hidden, ready for a time of need. But not hidden well enough, because on one warm July night in1937 it vanished -- its disappearance swallowed up in the storm clouds of war that would soon engulf the world.
1941 - Twelve SS generals gather at a castle in East Prussia to re-enact an ancient rite and call on the spirits of Europe's mightiest warriors to aid them in the coming battle in the East. At the heart of the ritual is a pentagram formed by five swords. One of them is Excalibur, the mythical weapon pulled from a stone by King Arthur.2010 -
Art recovery expert Jamie Saintclair laughs when he reads the codex to a German war veteran's will, the strange ritual it describes and the mention of a sword named Excalibur. But collector Adam Steele is convinced -- and if Jamie can find the legendary sword, he will pay a small fortune for it.
The hunt for Excalibur takes Jamie from Germany to eastern Poland and a deadly encounter in Hitler's Wolf's Lair. The castle has been destroyed down to the last stone and the only clue to the sword's fate is the strange tale of a wartime partisan unit murdered by its own commander.
With a team of international assassins on his trail and the distinction between friend and enemy a blur, Jamie finally makes it back to a Britain under siege, where the last piece of the puzzle falls into place and he discovers that the line between obsession and madness is gossamer thin!
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a first class historical thriller of a read, "The Excalibur Codex" by author James Douglas has been turned into an equally thrilling 'theatre of the mind' experience with the CD audio book edition brilliantly narrated by professional narrator and actor John Telfer. Complete, unabridged, and unreservedly recommended, it should be noted for personal and community library audio book collections that this audio book edition of "The Excalibur Codex" from Isis Audio is additionally available in an MP3-CD format (9781399188708, $126.95/107.91.
Editorial Note #1: James Douglas is the pen name of an author of successful historical fiction novels. The Doomsday Testament is the first in a series of thrillers featuring art recovery expert Jamie Saintclair. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/james-douglas)
Editorial Note #2: John Telfer is an AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator, and an actor best known for playing the character of Willy Pettit in five seasons of Bergerac. He has appeared many times in various television dramas, while his parallel theatrical career has involved him in leading roles at the Bristol Old Vic, the Royal National Theatre, the Old Vic in London, and many regional theaters. He has made hundreds of radio broadcasts, and he plays the part of Alan, the vicar, in The Archers. (/www.learnoutloud.com/Results/Narrator/John-Telfer/21587)
Death At Fakenham Races
RossGreenwood, author
David Thorpe, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836177890, $126.95/$107.91, 11 CDs (13 Hours 20 Minutes)
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836177890
Synopsis: A brutal attack at Fakenham Racecourse plunges DI Ashley Knight into the competitive world of horse racing, where fortunes are won and lost in the blink of an eye. As the investigation unfolds, a chilling discovery reveals a darker side to this glamorous sport. In these high-stakes arenas, where winning is everything and everyone has something to hide, a few are willing to cross the ultimate line.
Can Ashley, an outsider in a world of whispers and long-held grudges, unmask the murderer before they kill again? Because when everyone is lying, how do you catch a killer?
Critique: A thrilling mystery by novelist Ross Greenwood, this complete and unabridged audio book edition featuring the impressive narrative storytelling talents of David Thorpe is a riveting, fully engaging, and original theatre of the mind experience from start to finish. While also readily available in an MP3-CD format (9781836177906, $126.95/$107.91) from Boldwood Books, "Death at Fakenham Races" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal and community library Mystery/Suspense themed audio book collections. It should be noted that "Death at Fakenham Races" is also available in a large print paperback edition (9781836177951, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: Ross Greenwood (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/ross-greenwood) is a crime thriller author known for his works such as "The Snow Killer" and "Death at Paradise Park". He previously worked as a prison officer, which influences the themes in his writing.
Editorial Note #2: David Thorpe is a professional narrator known for his work on various audiobooks, including titles like "John Milton" and "The Norfolk Murders." He has narrated numerous works across different genres, showcasing his versatility as a voice artist. (https://masternarrators.com/experience-the-magic-of-david-thorpes-audiobook-narrations)
Dead Reckoning
Rob Sinclair, author
David Thorpe, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835618370, $107.95/$91.76, 9 CDs (10 Hours 35 Minutes)
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781835618370
Synopsis: Simon Peake does care... he just isn't sure about what right now. The ex-soldier's life is as close to rock bottom as it gets. He needs a job and he needs a quiet life. What he gets is a whole load of mess working for New York-based Irish mobster Harry Lafferty.
This is a job that requires him to use his special skills on some very unsavory people. His relationship with Harry's niece isn't exactly conducive to a quiet existence either...
As Peake tries to walk the fine line between surviving in this new life, and atoning for his old one, he struggles on both counts. And when his past comes back to bite him, and those closest to him are threatened, the reckoning will be merciless for anyone who stands in his way.
Critique: The storytelling expertise of narrator Davied Thorpe brings author Rob Sinclair's special blending of suspense/thriller and action/adventure novel, "Dead Reckoning" to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience. Complete and unabridged, this Boldwood Books audio book CD edition of "Dead Reckoning" comes in a sturdy plastic shell casing and is an especially recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted that, as an Boldwood audio book, "Dead Reckoning" is also readily available in an MP3-CD format (9781835618387, $107.95/$91.76). For personal reading lists it should also be noted that "Dead Reckoning" is also in a large print paperback addition (9781835618431, $42.00/$35.70) from Boldwood Books
Editorial Note #1: Rob Sinclair (https://www.robsinclairauthor.com) specialised in forensic fraud investigations at a global accounting firm for thirteen years. He began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen an 'unputdownable' thriller. Since then, Rob has sold over a million copies of his critically acclaimed and bestselling thrillers in the Enemy, James Ryker and Sleeper series. His work has received widespread critical acclaim with many reviewers and readers.
Editorial Note #2: David Thorpe is a professional narrator known for his work on various audiobooks, including titles like "John Milton" and "The Norfolk Murders." He has narrated numerous works across different genres, showcasing his versatility as a voice artist. (https://masternarrators.com/experience-the-magic-of-david-thorpes-audiobook-narrations)
The Library CD Shelf
Kind Words
Raquel Marina
raquelmarina.com
Independently Published
$15.00 CAD CD / $10.00 CAD digital
https://raquelmarina.bandcamp.com/album/kind-words
Kind Words is the debut album of vocalist and composer Raquel Marina, also featuring Kae Murphy on trumpet, Reuven Grajner on piano, Julien Bradley-Combs on guitar, Chris Adriaanse on bass, and Alyssa Giammaria's contributions to vocals and composition. Raquel Marina's beautiful voice is a wonder to experience; the original songs of Kind Words blend romantic storytelling, smooth melody, and modern jazz into a rapturous soundscape. Kind Words is a wonderful addition to personal music collections and also makes an excellent gift. Highly recommended! The tracks are All of It; Thoughts of You; May You Know; My Bohemian Hour; Call Me by My Name; Kind Words; and The Way You Look at Me.
Time Shift
Tim Jago
timjagomusic.com
Bespoke Jazz
$20.00 CD / $15.00 digital
https://timjago.bandcamp.com/album/time-shift
Time Shift is an album of six original songs and two arrangements by guitarist Tim Jago, performed along with Mark Small on saxophone, Martin Bejerano on keyboards, Dion Kerr on electric and upright bass, and David Chiverton on drums. Intense, with unexpected tempo shifts and standout solo moments, Time Shift is an exciting musical adventure, highly recommended. The tracks are Time Shift (Tim Jago); Calypso'ish (Tim Jago); Soil to Sky (Tim Jago); Major (Tim Jago); Bernie's Tune (Bernie Miller); Body and Soul (Johnny Green); Fine Line (Tim Jago); and Kind Minded (Tim Jago).
Camera Obscura
Felipe Salles
sallesjazz.com
Tapestry Records
$16.99 CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Obscura-Felipe-Salles/dp/B0F34KCCHL
An entirely original album composed, arranged, and orchestrated by Felipe Salles, Camera Obscura combines jazz and chamber music, featuring both Felipe Salles' quartet (Felipe Salles on multiple instruments, Nando Michelin on piano, Keala Kaumeheiwa on bass, and Steve Langone on drums) and The Cushman Quartet (Laura Arpiainen on violin, Amanda Stenroos on violin, Anton Boutkov on viola, and Karl Knapp on cello). Inspired by the concept of "camera obscura" image projection, the music explores complex rhythms, intricate harmonies, and free-flowing improvisation. Camera Obscura is an extraordinary collaboration and a treasure for both personal and public library music collections. Highly recommended! The tracks are Camera Obscura; Remembrance (for David Liebman); Perspective; Memory (for my mother); Rooms; A Deriva (Adrift) (Feat. Tatiana Parra); Perception; Platus; Lucidity (for my mother); and Trem de Prata (Silver Train).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Transformed by Grace: A Scriptural Path to Sobriety
Rodney V. Corriveau
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com
9798385245123, $15.00, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJX9CTTL
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/transformed-by-grace-rodney-v-corriveau/1147883528
Synopsis: With the publication of "Transformed by Grace: A Scriptural Path to Sobriety", Rodney Corriveau offers a bold, faith-driven approach to breaking free from addiction. This is a powerful guide specifically designed from a Christian perspective to help complement other recovery programs.
In the pages of "Transformed by Grace", Rodney invites readers to embark on a life-changing journey rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, whose promise of everlasting healing leads to true restoration. Whether readers are taking a first step toward recovery, have years of sobriety behind them, or are still struggling to break free, this book is for all.
In addition to supporting those battling addiction, "Transformed by Grace" provides spiritual guidance for anyone seeking to deepen their relationship with the LORD. Each individual chapter reveals biblical truths and practical tools to empower readers to overcome addiction, build resilience, and experience divine renewal.
The reflective questions, insights, and the "Faith in Action" sections comprising "Transformed by Grace" will help its readers to apply God's word to their lives, offering steps to embrace his transformative power and align with his perfect plan for healing and growth.
More than just a path to sobriety, this journey promises wholeness of body, mind, and spirit. The past does not define a person -- God's grace does. "Transformed by Grace" embraces his love and is a step into a life of freedom and purpose.
Let "Transformed by Grace" be the guide to a new life in Christ!
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Transformed by Grace: A Scriptural Path to Sobriety" by Rodney V. Corriveau is exceptionally well written, soundly based in Christian beliefs, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. Life changing, life enhancing, "Transformed by Grace" is an ideal and informatively eloquent spiritual tutorial in overcoming any and all addictions through the transformed power of faith and God's grace. This paperback edition of "Transformed by Grace: A Scriptural Path to Sobriety" from Resource Publications is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, church, seminary, and college/university library Christian Theology and Addiction Treatment collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Rodney V. Corriveau is a community planner for a local government in Florida, where he works to address urban challenges and help shape the city's future. He is also a life coach, driven by a passionate for assisting others in living purpose-filled lives. Outside of his professional roles, Corriveau enjoys volunteering, exploring nature, and staying active through mountain biking. Grateful for the gift of sobriety, he approaches each day with faith and a deep commitment to living out God's plan for his life.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Peyote Politics
Lisa D. Barnett
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806195384, $45.00, HC, 262pp
https://www.amazon.com/Peyote-Politics-American-1880-1937-Directions/dp/080619538X
Synopsis: Peyote is a small, spineless cactus which contains psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline.
Regarding peyote use among Native Americans, an ethnologist noted in 1891: "The ceremonial eating of the plant has become the great religious rite of all tribes of the southern plains." But, as Professor Lisa D. Barnett observes in Peyote Politics: The Making of the Native American Church, 1880 - 1937, Peyotism quickly came under scrutiny, with opponents, both non-Native and Native, seeking to prohibit the religious practice by transforming peyote into a narcotic, thereby drawing Indigenous people into the emerging radicalized campaign against drugs.
A history of the rise of Peyotism and the Native American Church from the 1880s to the 1930s, Professor Barnett's work details the ensuing struggle and its significance in reshaping Peyotists' identity as "Native" and "American" and establishing their place in the American political and legal systems.
Professor Barnett also describes the strategies of resistance that Peyotists employed against opponents of their religious practice, including incorporating in 1918 as the Native American Church. In doing so, they secured their religious freedom but also formed a new, hybrid cultural sense of "Native American" that emphasized the reality of honoring both Native identity and American identity on the path to citizenship status.
Placing the story of Peyotism within the broader historical context of federal Indian policy and Progressive Era politics, "Peyote Politics" shows how, despite their minority status in the American religious landscape, Peyotists were determined to secure constitutional protections for their religion and its rituals. Through their tireless efforts to protect their religion within the legal and political system, these Native Americans, many of whom were not yet American citizens, proved to be the true proponents of the constitutional idea of religious freedom.
Critique: Original, unique, a meticulous, seminal, and groundbreaking study, "Peyote Politics: The Making of the Native American Church, 1880 - 1937" by Professor Lisa D. Barnett is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Native American History & Religion collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Peyote Politics" from the University of Oklahoma Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $36.95) to students, academia, governmental policy makers, Native American political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Lisa D. Barnett (https://ptstulsa.edu/lisa-barnett-2) is the Assistant Professor of American Religious History at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Art Shelf
The Art of Fantasy
Meng Zi
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800922679, $40.00, HC, 292pp
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fantasy-step-step-characters/dp/1800922671
Synopsis: Astonishing in detail and staggeringly conceived, Meng Zi's fantasy characters are a masterclass in conceptual design. Whether you're looking for a practical reference or an idea generator, as an instructive 'how-to' guide, "The Art of Fantasy: A complete step-by-step guide to drawing characters and concept design" is sure to spark your creativity.
Filled from cover to cover with artistic insights and practical exercises, "The Art of Fantasy" is comprehensive guide that will teach you basic anatomical structure, help you to finesse your own design ideas, and then improve your aesthetic prowess through observation and practice.
With the publication of "The Art of Fantasy", Meng Zi covers:
Design and drawing: A technical overview of conceptual design and drawing, including point, line and plane, geometry and various forms of perspective, all explored visually, and critical for breathing life into your characters.
Human anatomy and kinetics: Understand the structure and movement that serve as the foundation for all character design. The skeletal and muscular systems are explored in a number of ways, from traditional musculo-skeletal illustrations to line and cube forms. Also included is a guide to creating hands, feet, limbs and facial features full of character and expression
Animal anatomy: Discover the real-world building blocks that will shape your mythical creatures, including skeletal form and musculature as well as features such as wings, spines, horns and tails
Fantasy fusion: Merge reality with imagination as you design fantastical beings, from fire-breathing dragons and elegant centaurs to robots, aliens and demons
Conceptual design for game and animation: Develop unique characters with guidance on body shapes, lines, and personality-infused accessories.
Practical exercises throughout: Hone your skills with practical exercises that reinforce each lesson and inspire growth throughout the book
A huge range of illustrated characters: Learn from detailed archetypes, including ghosts, demons, goblins and mechwarriors, to inform and enhance your own designs
Whether you are seeking a practical reference or an idea generator, "The Art of Fantasy: A complete step-by-step guide to drawing characters and concept design" is certain to spark your creativity and take your fantasy character design to new heights.
Critique: This large format (8.56 x 1.25 x 11.5 inches, 3.45 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Art of Fantasy: A complete and 'novice artist friendly' step-by-step guide to drawing characters and concept design" by Meng Zi is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it the ideal DIY instructional guide for aspiring artists of fantasy and science fiction figures and background art. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Art of Fantasy" from Search Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.28, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Meng Zi is a freelance illustrator with a growing following of 21,000 fans on social media platforms. He has over a decade of experience in character design and 7 years in educational work. Renowned in the field of gaming and animation design, Meng Zi has contributed to numerous 3D animation projects, involving character conceptualization, poster design, and promotional illustrations. 'The Art of Fantasy' is his first book, summarizing his creative experiences and techniques from the perspective of an industry practitioner. Meng Zi possesses exceptional hand-drawing skills, specializing in creature design and demonstrating proficiency in human and animal anatomy, as well as dynamic human kinetics.
Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists
Steve Forster
Rockport Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780760395622, $26.99, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Painting-Luminous-Portraits-Artists-Fleshtones/dp/0760395624
Synopsis: With the publication of "Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists: An Essential Guide to Painting Facial Features, Fleshtones, Light, and Form", Steve Forster (an award-winning portrait artist and co-director of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art) presents a complete instructional guide to painting portraits in oils in a series of essential lessons on how to paint a radiant likeness in oils in ten comprehensive chapters, each with skill-building exercises and QR codes to instructional videos:
With "Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists", aspiring and practicing artists will:
Discover fundamental materials, techniques, and basic anatomy and feature development for creating an underdrawing.
Explore color theory and color palette structures.
Learn painting techniques, including different shape and lighting approaches.
Consider creative strategies for portraits.
See how digital painting techniques can be used to support and enhance traditional painting techniques.
An ideal and comprehensive guide for artists at all skill levels who want to explore capturing form and light through realistic painting techniques, "Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists" shows how to capture the human portrait from a diverse range of perspectives, flesh tones, and light effects.
Critique: A part of the 'For Artists' series of expert instructional and 'how-to' guide books for artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art, "Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists: An Essential Guide to Painting Facial Features, Fleshtones, Light, and Form" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, art class/school, and college/university library Art Portrait/Figure Drawing instructional reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this large format paperback edition of "Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists: An Essential Guide to Painting Facial Features, Fleshtones, Light, and Form" from Rockport Publisher is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.64, Amazon).
Editorial Note #1: Steve Forster (www.steveforster.net) received his MFA in Painting from the New York Academy of Art (NYAA), and also attended the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, where he met his wife, Rebecca. Since 2014 Steve and Rebecca have been Co-Directors of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art (LIAFA) in Glen Cove, New York. He currently teaches painting at LIAFA and previously taught painting at NYAA for almost 15 years. Steve blends digital painting and a love of traditional media to create unique contemporary portrait stories. His paintings are regularly exhibited in solo and group shows nationally.
Editorial Note #2: Also available from the 'For Artist' series from Rockport Publishers are: "Drawing the Head for Artists", "Essential Human Anatomy for Artists", "Figure Drawing for Artists", "Life Drawing for Artists", "Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists", "Dynamic Still Life for Artists", "Facial Expressions for Artists", "Landscape Painter's Workbook", "Plein Air Techniques for Artists", and "Sketching Techniques for Artists".
Wildflowers of the West: An Artist's Guide
Molly Hashimoto
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680516937, $26.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-West-Artists-Molly-Hashimoto/dp/1680516930
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wildflowers-of-the-west-molly-hashimoto/1147066084
Synopsis: With the publication of "Wildflowers of the West: An Artist's Guide", professional artist Molly Hashimoto brings her unique blend of vibrant illustration, engaging natural history, and intimate personal reflection to the Western landscape as she explores the ephemeral beauty of wildflowers.
Organized by habitat, "Wildflowers of the West" showcases flora from wetlands, shorelines, and prairies to deserts, forests, and alpine meadows.
Accompanying each piece with natural history and stories of her own outings to find flowers, Hashimoto captures individual species through different media, from quick sketches with pen and ink to detailed watercolors and carefully planned block prints.
Featured are exquisite golden columbines emerging from talus slopes, vast meadows of sky-blue lupine, scarlet displays of ocotillo in the southwestern deserts, and sunny blooms of glacier lilies as they herald the approach of spring. Weaving in the history of wildflowers in art along with sidebars offering practical techniques for artists,
Paging through "Wildflowers of the West" is an inspiration for anyone who would like to try their hand at capturing the delicate beauty of wildflowers they encounter or simply an armchair album for those who appreciate the natural beauty of the American West.
Critique: In addition to being an ideal instructional guide and introduction to painting wildflowers, "Wildflowers of the West: An Artist's Guide" will also be of immense interest to hikers and nature lovers, as well as aspiring artists. This large format (7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d), 1.74 pounds) hardcover edition of Molly Hashimoto's "Wildflowers of the West: An Artist's Guide" from Mountaineers Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library instructional Watercolor Painting collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Molly Hashimoto (www.mollyhashimoto.com) is dedicated to connecting people of all ages to nature through hands-on art experiences. She teaches and leads plein air watercolor workshops around the West, including at the North Cascades Institute, Yellowstone Forever Institute, and Sitka Center for Art and Ecology.
The Genealogy Shelf
Genealogy in Reverse
Cheri Hudson Passey
Genealogical Publishing Company
www.genealogical.com
9780806321516, $19.95, PB, 56pp
https://www.amazon.com/Genealogy-Reverse-Finding-Practical-Genealogists/dp/0806321512
Synopsis: Learning how to find living relatives is a valuable skill to help aspiring genealogists in connecting with living family and descendants of their ancestors who may have the information being looked for, or be able to put in touch with those who do.
This process, known as reverse genealogy, aims to help genealogists at every level learn to trace descendants of ancestors, both direct line and collateral. With step-by-step guidance, methodologies, and practical examples, "Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living. A Practical Guide for All Genealogists" is instructional 'how-to' guidebook will give genealogists the tools and confidence necessary to connect with living family members.
Critique: Unique, expertly written, comprehensively informative, impressively organized, and thoroughly 'reader/users' friendly in presentation, "Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living. A Practical Guide for All Genealogists" this paperback edition from the Genealogical Publishing Company is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Genealogy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Cheri Hudson Passey (https://www.carolinagirlgenealogy.com) has been researching her family and helping others start their research since the early 1980s. Cheri is the owner of Carolina Girl Genealogy, LLC. In addition to traditional client research, her Genealogy 1-on-1 Research Services include classes that provide individual and group instruction and coaching for all levels and needs.
Cheri is also an instructor with the Salt Lake Genealogical Institute and the Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research, hosts the YouTube Genealogy Chat Show GenFriends, and is a member of a team of genealogical researchers for the U.S. Army in their effort to repatriate Soldiers who have been listed as Killed in Action. Additionally, Cheri is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Association of Professional Genealogists, APG-SL Chapter, where she serves as the chapter liaison, the South Carolina Historical Society, the South Carolina Genealogical Society, the North Carolina Genealogical Society, and several South Carolina Genealogy Societies. She serves on the Salt Lake Institute for Genealogy (SLIG) Committee and is on the board of the National Genealogical Society.
The Architecture Shelf
Everyday Architecture: A Vast Wasteland?
Kenneth M. Moffett
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781961856875, $30.00, PB, 120pp
https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Architecture-Wasteland-Kenneth-Moffett/dp/1961856875
Synopsis: "Everyday Architecture: A Vast Wasteland?" by Kenneth Moffett is the account of a project that began with an essay on the "McMansion" phenomenon, a study that grew to become a meditation on the assorted different building types that are found in every American city and suburb.
While it's true that good buildings do exist for each of those categories, they are very much the exception, these buildings more typically ranging from dull to assertively ugly. "Everyday Architecture" is meant to be a fairly pitiless and revealing look at this "vast wasteland," with an architect's hat on but without resort to the profession's fads and verbiages.
Several natural categories inform the organization of the contents, including commercial, residential, and institutional, even including cars and other manifestations of "architecture on the move" that have also lost their way in stylistic terms.
"Everyday Architecture" includes capsule histories of many of the building types included, plus some lesser-known facts and some sidebars on sociocultural aspects which make up much of one's experience of these places. Stylistically, a bit of an acerbic tone makes for diverting as well as informative reading.
Critique: Original, informative, insightful, exceptional, iconoclastic, and unique, this large format (8.4 x 0.5 x 10.9 inches, 1.05 pounds) paperback from Oro Editions of "Everyday Architecture: A Vast Wasteland?" by Kenneth M. Moffett is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and college/university library Contemporary Architectural Studies collections and supplemental Architectural Criticism curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Kenneth M. Moffett, following a year abroad as a Paris Prize scholar and interning with The Architects Collaborative, is a co-founder of the award-winning Tennessee architecture firm BullockSmith, where he spent his architectural career as design director. (https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/moffett-kenneth-m)
Dispositional Intelligence in Architecture
Jose Araguez
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638401322, $49.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dispositional-Intelligence-Architecture-Jos%C3%A9-Arag%C3%BCez/dp/1638401322
Synopsis: With the publication of "Dispositional Intelligence in Architecture" architect Jose Araguez proposes a contemporary theory of spatial organization in architecture through original research into a particular kind of hybrid design production (inherently architectural yet strongly driven by modes of intellection traditionally associated with engineering) which surfaced between the mid-1950s and the mid-2000s.
Three highly important yet radically overlooked bodies of work are examined here: those of the Italian architect and artist Vittorio Giorgini (1926 - 2010), the Israeli architect, engineer, and geometer Michael Burt (b. 1937), and Sri-Lankan-born, London-based engineer and theorist Cecil Balmond (b. 1943).
Giorgini was a trailblazer in incorporating surface topology into architectural thinking with a considerable level of scientific self-awareness.
Burt's body of work proves to be one of the earliest, most thoroughgoing investigations into the discovery and visualization of three-dimensional models for the subdivision of space based on patterns of configurational continuity.
Balmond pioneered the translation of aspects of nonlinearity into design moves of significant architectural consequence as well as the application of design frameworks thus initiated to the conception of entire buildings.
By combining granular historical analysis of these bodies of work with advanced theoretical investigation, "Dispositional Intelligence in Architecture" substantially expands the distinct dispositional possibilities for architecture enabled by the deep scientization of design that unfolded across the West over the course of the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. In so doing, "Dispositional Intelligence in Architecture" also addresses the urgent need to extend the boundaries of architectural thinking in a fundamental fashion (beyond conventional models of three-dimensional articulation) and it contributes not only a new mode of thought to the history of architecture, but also novel critical and design frameworks to today's discourse and practice culture.
Critique: This large format (7.9 x 1.3 x 9.5 inches, 2.25 pounds)) hardcover edition of "Dispositional Intelligence in Architecture" by Jose Araguez is profusely illustrated, exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, making it an ideal selection for personal, professional, academic, and college/university library Architectural Criticism & Studies collections, as well as for Architecture Theory & Practice curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jose Araguez (https://www.josearaguez.com) is a licensed practicing architect, author, and educator. He teaches at Yale University, having previously led graduate studios and seminars at Columbia University GSAPP from 2013 - 20, and having held the 2020 - 21 H. Deane Pearce Endowed Chair at Texas Tech. Araguez obtained a PhD in the History and Theory of Architecture from Princeton University. Earlier he graduated with a Master of Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Granada, Spain (Honorable Mention, University Graduation Extraordinary Award, and 1st National Prize in Architecture) and, from Columbia GSAPP, with a post-professional Master's degree (Honor Award for Excellence in Design) and a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Architectural Research. Araguez has lectured extensively across Europe and North America (including most of the top schools) in addition to the Middle East and Japan.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Forgotten Disney: Essays on the Lesser-Known Productions
Kathy Merlock Jackson, editor
Carl H. Sederholm, editor
Mark I. West, editor
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476689395, $49.95, PB, 262pp
https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Disney-Essays-Lesser-Known-Productions/dp/1476689393
Synopsis: This work demonstrates that not everything that Disney touched turned to gold. In its first 100 years, the company had major successes that transformed filmmaking and culture, but it also had its share of unfinished projects, unmet expectations, and box-office misses. Some works failed but nevertheless led to other more stunning and lucrative ones; others shed light on periods when the Disney Company was struggling to establish or re-establish its brand. In addition, many Disney properties, popular in their time but lost to modern audiences, emerge as forgotten gems. By exploring the studio's missteps, this book provides a more complex portrayal of the history of the company than one would gain from a simple recounting of its many hits. With essays by writers from across the globe, it also asserts that what endures or is forgotten varies from person to person, place to place, or generation to generation. What one dismisses, someone else recalls with deep fondness as a magical Disney memory.
Critique: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of academicians Kathy Merlock, Jackson, Carl H. Sederholm, and Mark I. West, with the publication of "Forgotten Disney: Essays on the Lesser-Known Productions" from McFarland & Company demonstrates that not everything that Disney touched turned to gold.
In its first 100 years, the company had major successes that transformed filmmaking and culture, but it also had its share of unfinished projects, unmet expectations, and box-office misses. Some works failed but nevertheless led to other more stunning and lucrative ones; others shed light on periods when the Disney Company was struggling to establish or re-establish its brand.
In addition, many Disney properties, popular in their time but lost to modern audiences, emerge as forgotten gems.
By exploring the studio's missteps, "Forgotten Disney" provides a more complex portrayal of the history of the company than one would gain from a simple recounting of its many hits. With essays by writers from across the globe, it also asserts that what endures or is forgotten varies from person to person, place to place, or generation to generation. What one dismisses, someone else recalls with deep fondness as a magical Disney memory.
Critique: Comprised of an informative Introduction and twenty-two seminal essays, a twelve page Bibliography, a four page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a three page Index, "Forgotten Disney: Essays on the Lesser-Known Productions" is of special value to general readers and students with an interest in the history of Disney's Cinematic History and Animation Graphic Design. While this trade paperback (7 x 0.53 x 10 inches, 1.05 pounds) edition of "Forgotten Disney" is a solid pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History & Disney 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 edition of "Forgotten Disney" from McFarland & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note #1: Kathy Merlock Jackson is a professor of media and communication at Virginia Wesleyan University, where she teaches courses in media studies and children's culture. She is the author of over a hundred articles, chapters, and reviews and has published thirteen books. She is a former editor of The Journal of American Culture and a past president of the Popular Culture Association. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/350819.Kathy_Merlock_Jackson)
Editorial Note #2: Carl H. Sederholm is a professor of interdisciplinary humanities at Brigham Young University. He is the editor of The Journal of American Culture and has co-authored or co-edited three books as well as published essays on authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Jonathan Edwards, Lydia Maria Child, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5766779.Carl_H_Sederholm)
Editorial Note #3: Mark I. West is the former chair of the English department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has written or edited nineteen books on children's literature and culture and is a former president of the Children's Literature Association. A complete listing of his books is at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7200.Mark_I_West
The Self-Help Shelf
Dealing with Uncertainty
Laurie Bowman
Synchrony Projects
9781764157902, $18.99, PB, 257pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dealing-Uncertainty-science-resilience-decision-making/dp/1764157907
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dealing-with-uncertainty-laurie-bowman/1147719264
Synopsis: With the publication of "Dealing with Uncertainty: The Art and Science of Resilience and Decision-Making", Laurie Bowman has created an effective DIY transformative guide to building clarity, calm, and confidence in the face of the unknown. Drawing on decades of experience in risk management and complex projects, as well as insights from neuroscience, systems thinking, and behavioural science, Bowman helps you tap into strategies you may already possess -- often without even realizing it.
"Dealing with Uncertainty" shows how to:
Apply simple yet powerful decision-making frameworks in uncertain environments
Use practical strategies to manage different types of uncertainty without losing focus
Make confident personal and professional decisions - even with incomplete information
Filter through noise and information overload with clarity and purpose
Build emotional and financial resilience using tailored tools and exercises
Navigate both everyday challenges and high-stakes moments with greater ease
Backed by real-world case studies, reflection prompts, and actionable tools, "Dealing with Uncertainty" offers a pragmatic approach and not just inspiration.
"Dealing with Uncertainty" will help you shift from fear to focus and from indecision to informed action is anyone finding themselves at a career crossroads or leading teams through change.
Critique: Exceptionally and effectively well written, impressively 'real world' practical, thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Dealing with Uncertainty: The art and science of resilience and decision-making" by Laurie Bowman is of particular relevance and value for readers with an interest in business and personal life decision making and problem solving. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement and Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Dealing with Uncertainty" from Synchrony Projects is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Laurie Bowman is a risk management specialist, trainer, and speaker specializing in project governance, decision-making under uncertainty, and resilience. With a background in engineering, neuroscience, and business strategy, Laurie helps individuals and organizations tackle complex challenges confidently and clearly. His career spans complex infrastructure projects, corporate leadership, and mentoring, giving him a unique blend of technical expertise and human-centred leadership insights. Passionate about lifelong learning and adaptability, Laurie integrates scientific principles, real-world experience, and personal transformation to help others thrive in uncertainty. (https://projectcontrolexpo.com/aus/laurie-bowman)
The Criminology Shelf
O'Hara's Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation, tenth edition
DeVere D. Woods, Jr.
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094553, $44.95, 631pp
https://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398094553
Synopsis: "O'Hara's Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation" has been the "Bible" of criminal investigation for many years. This newly updated and expanded tenth edition reflects new developments in forensic science, criminology, computerization, electronic databases, and the Internet while remaining focused on the fundamentals of criminal investigation to help investigators build a solid foundation of investigative skills.
Readers of the tenth edition will find, throughout the text, numerous edits and refinements to the presentation to improve clarity and comprehension, along with many updates. Updated crime trends and statistics include missing persons cases, vehicle thefts, larceny thefts, burglary studies, violent crime, robberies by locations, robbery losses, murder weapons by type, murder by victim-offender relationships, drug arrests and trends, heroin and opioid use, and drug trafficking patterns.
Updated and revised techniques and procedures include a Means, Motive, and Opportunity model, documenting and using recording devices and cell phones, crime scene searching procedures, recording fingerprints, Rapid Fingerprint Identification Search, bullet holes in glass, bite marks, collecting mobile devices, Rogues Gallery, social media posts, interviewing various types of witnesses, using informants, vehicle surveillance techniques, note taking and digital photography, confidence games, stalking, determining motive and intent, drug decriminalization, hydrocodone, MDMA ecstasy, hallucinogens, designer drugs, drug investigation methods, drug labs, and privileged communications.
The new tenth edition of "O'Hara's Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation" is especially commended to the attention of criminology academicians, criminal justice practitioners, criminology students, instructors, researchers, criminal justice practitioners (especially law enforcement), attorneys, judicial reform advocates -- as well as journalists and reporters.
Critique: This newly updated and revised tenth edition of "O'Hara's Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation" is specifically designed as a textbook for college/university level criminology curriculums and reference collections. Comprehensive and exceptionally 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "O'Hara's Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation: 10th Edition" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Criminology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "O'Hara's Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation" from Charles C. Thomas Publisher is also readily available in a digital book format (9780398094560, $44.95).
Editorial Note: DeVere Woods received his bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, a master's degree from Saginaw Valley State University, and a doctoral degree from Michigan State University. He was a police officer in the state of Michigan where he served as a patrol officer, detective, and crime scene investigator.
The Fort Bragg Cartel
Seth Harp
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
www.penguin.com
9780593655085, $30.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fort-Bragg-Cartel-Trafficking-Special/dp/0593655087
Synopsis: In December 2020, a deer hunter discovered two dead bodies that had been riddled with bullets and dumped in a forested corner of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
One of the dead men, Master Sergeant William "Billy" Lavigne, was a member of Delta Force, the most secretive "black ops" unit in the military. A deeply traumatized veteran of America's classified assassination program, Lavigne had done more than a dozen deployments in his lengthy career, was addicted to crack cocaine, dealt drugs on base, and had committed a series of violent crimes before he was mysteriously killed.
The other victim, Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Dumas, was a quartermaster attached to the Special Forces who used his proximity to clandestine missions to steal guns and traffic drugs into the United States from abroad, and had written a blackmail letter threatening to expose criminality in the special operations task force in Afghanistan.
As soon as Seth Harp, an Iraq war veteran and investigative reporter, begins looking into the double murder, he learns that there have been many more unexplained deaths at Fort Bragg recently, other murders connected to drug trafficking in elite units, and dozens of fatal overdoses.
Drawing on declassified documents, trial transcripts, police records, and hundreds of interviews, with the publication of "The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces", Harp tells a scathing story of narco-trafficking in the Special Forces, drug conspiracies abetted by corrupt police, blatant military cover-ups, American complicity in the Afghan heroin trade, and the pernicious consequences of continuous war.
Critique: A classic (if not iconic) example of investigative journalism at work, "The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces" by Seth Harp is a simply riveting, detailed account that is impressively well documented and presented. Deftly organized in to five major sections, beginning with chapter one (Kill People for a Living) and concluding with chapter twenty-four (The Third Man), "The Fort Bragg Cartel" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a five page Epilogue, a four page listing of Acknowledgments, twenty-six pages of Notes, and a twelve page Index. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community library True Crime collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Fort Bragg Cartel" from Viking Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Seth Harp is an investigative reporter and foreign correspondent. A contributing editor at Rolling Stone, he has reported from countries including Iraq, Syria, Mexico, and Ukraine for Harper's Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Columbia Journalism Review, The Intercept, The Daily Beast, and The Texas Observer. His work has been supported by residencies at MacDowell and Yaddo, and he is a 2025 ASU Future Security Fellow at New America. Before becoming a journalist, Harp practiced law for five years, and was an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Texas. During college and law school, he served in the United States Army Reserve and did one tour of duty in Iraq.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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