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Library Bookwatch

Volume 11, Number 2 February 2016 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Education Shelf
World History Shelf Science Shelf Reference Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf Photography Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Poetry Shelf Gardening Shelf
Library Science Shelf Relationship Shelf African-American Studies Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Folktale/Fairytale Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Travel Shelf
Military Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Business Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Well-Armored Child
Joelle Casteix
River Grove Books
www.rivergrovebooks.com
www.WellArmoredChild.com
9781632990396 $12.95 pbk / $6.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

The Well-Armored Child: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Sexual Abuse is a book that absolutely every parent, caregiver, or professional who works with children must read. Child predators are not always strangers who abduct children off the street; sometimes they are charming sociopaths respected within a community, who "groom" children with gifts and psychologically pressure them not to talk about their abuse. Chapters discuss how to talk to young children about human sexuality in ways that will teach them how to protect themselves without destroying their innocence; how to communicate effectively with preteens and teens; common myths and stereotypes to beware of; child pornography; problems unique to the modern digital era, such as how "sexting" can all too easily morph into abuse; and more. "Tell your child that doors should always be open, unless he or she is alone in the bathroom or changing clothes. Explain to your child that he or she should never be in a room alone with another adult when the door is closed. Then tell your child that if anyone does or says anything that is definitely wrong or does not feel right, it's okay to say no and to call home right away." The Well-Armored Child is worthy of the highest recommendation, especially for public and community library collections.

Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story
James Sutherland, journal author
Roderick Sutherland Haynes, commentary
Highlander Press
www.highlanderpress.com
9781515380795 $11.95 pbk / $2.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story is the collected journal writings of James Sutherland, an agriculturist who worked at the Livingstonia Mission in British Central Africa from 1880 to 1885. The area in which Sutherland served is today known as the African nation of Malawi. Enhanced with extensive notes and commentary by Roderick Sutherland Haynes (James Sutherland was Haynes' mother's great uncle), Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story is a fascinating primary source and a descriptive window through time - for example, a section in which Sutherland describes an encounter with slave trade operations in Lake Nyasa reveals how allegations of the slave trade's demise were premature, even decades after the American Civil War removed the U.S. from the international slave market. Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story is a welcome addition to firsthand historical testimonies about Africa, and highly recommended for both college library collections and casual browsing.

Les Miserables
Victor Hugo, author
Isabel F. Hapgood, translator
Kenneth C. Mondschein, introduction
Canterbury Classics
c/o Printer's Row Publishing Group
www.printersrowpublishinggroup.com
9781626864641 $24.95 www.amazon.com

A leather-bound volume with gilded page edges and an inset ribbon bookmark, Les Miserables is a collector's edition of Victor Hugo's classic novel, and an excellent addition to both personal and public library collections. Set in France during the early 1800's, Hugo's story of the extreme hardships of poverty, the consequences of an unjust penal system, and human desperation so great it erupts into violent revolution is both a gripping, character-driven drama and an eloquent plea for the downtrodden and disenfranchised. Superbly translated into English by Isabel F. Hapgood, and enhanced with a thoughtful introduction by Kenneth C. Mondschein, Les Miserables is a "must-read" work of great literature.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Making Nonfiction from Scratch
Ralph Fletcher
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625310125, $18.50, PB, 134pp, www.amazon.com

In "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" children's book author Ralph Fletcher draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to offer a candid critique of how nonfiction writing is often taught in schools and gives teachers the inspiration and strategies they need to help their students write authentic nonfiction. Skilled nonfiction writers draw on strategies, techniques, and craft found in other genres: poetry, comedy, even mystery. Without those elements, nonfiction would be dry and dull. "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" helps bring all of those aspects together and shows how each genre can enrich nonfiction writing. Ralph emphasizes the power of choice, mentor texts, and nonfiction read-alouds in making nonfiction an everyday part of classrooms. The "Classroom Connection" sections throughout "Do you have students whose nonfiction writing is formulaic, devoid of energy and voice?" suggest immediate, practical strategies for putting the ideas in the book to use. Two case studies and a chapter on the dos and don'ts of nonfiction writing instruction round out this short, practical book. Any informational writing should be insightful, accurate, and well organized - but it doesn't have to be boring. Ralph invites you to make your classroom a place where students can create delicious nonfiction full of passion, voice, and insight. Although primarily intended as an instructional resource and reference for classroom teachers, "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" is also very highly recommended to the attention of aspiring authors seeking to write non-fiction articles or books. Simply stated, "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" should be a part of every school and community library instructional guide or curriculum manual reference collection. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.19).


The Education Shelf

Well Played
Linda Dacey, Karen Gartland, & Jayne Bamford Lynch, authors
Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, foreword author
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, P.O. Box 11020, Portland, ME 04104
9781625310347, $25.00, www.stenhouse.com

"Well Played: Building Mathematical Thinking Through Number Games and Puzzles, Grades K-2" is a clever new math educational method that uses special math games and puzzles as integral learning components for teachers of students grades K-2. "Well Played" begins with criteria for a learning definition of games, puzzles or activities, suggesting the following criteria to identify good educational games and puzzles: " It addresses important mathematical ideas. It is engaging. It offers a range of difficulty levels. It requires and stimulates mathematical insight. It supports the habits of mind essential for success with mathematics and real-world problem solving (p. 3)." Chapter 2 of the book, Supporting Learning Through Games and Puzzles, addresses approaches to help organize students' participation in games and puzzles for learning success. The remaining chapters 3 though 7 address different math concepts as follows: counting and ordering, base ten numeration, addition, subtraction, and addition and subtraction. Each chapter game summary has a highlighted section that lists the math focus, materials needed, and directions, plus a description of how it looks in the classroom, tips from the classroom, and what to look for. Also added are variations, exit question choices, and extensions, plus occasional online games and apps suggestions. A handy Appendix provides copies of game materials, puzzle solutions, and game directions. Additional suggestions for explanations to parents, and working with families to further their children's math education and learning. In summary, "Well Played" offers innovative yet tried and true approaches to math education through creative use of games and puzzles to further learning and also cooperation and social skills. (129 pages plus 83 pages of appendix and references)

The Motivated Brain
Gayle Gregory & Martha Kaufeldt
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416620488, $24.95, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com

What really motivates students to learn? What gets them interested and keeps them interested in pursuing knowledge and understanding? Recent neuroscientific findings have uncovered the source of our motivation to learn. Informed by new findings on the nature of the brain s seeking system, internationally renowned educators Gayle Gregory and Martha Kaufeldt have identified key brain-friendly strategies for improving student motivation, knowledge acquisition, retention, and academic success. In the pages of "The Motivated Brain: Improving Student Attention, Engagement, and Perseverance", readers will learn: The science behind the motivated brain and how it relates to student learning; Strategies for preparing a motivational environment and lesson; Strategies for creating engaging learning experiences that capitalize on the brain s natural ways of learning; Strategies for improving depth of knowledge, complex thinking, and synthesis to get students into the ever-desired state of flow; How attention to the neuroscience of motivation will improve the classroom environment and student learning. "The Motivated Brain" shows classroom teachers how they can harness the power of their students intrinsic motivation to make learning fun, engaging, and meaningful for them. An invaluable and highly recommended addition to student teacher curriculums, as well as having a great deal of value for even the more experienced classroom instructors, "The Motivated Brain" is especially recommended for academic library Educational Studies collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Motivated Brain" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.39).

In Praise of American Educators
Richard DuFour
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.solution-tree.com
9781942496571, $34.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Richard DuFour, EdD, was a public school educator for 34 years, serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. Dr. DuFour wrote a quarterly column for the Journal of Staff Development for nearly a decade. He was the lead consultant and author of ASCD's video series on principalship . "In Praise of American Educators: And How They Can Become Even Better" Dr. DuFour draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to critique the commonly presented media messages about schooling in America; consider the evidence for why the present generation of American educators has accomplished more than previous generations; evaluate the assumptions driving policies set up to improve schooling; reveal the four essential pillars of the PLC foundation; and present the essential elements of the PLC process and common mistakes in implementing that process. "In Praise of American Educators" explores the state of education today and presents a compelling case for why contemporary American educators are the greatest generation in history. Dr. DuFour carefully explains why current national reform policies have failed and presents specific steps policymakers, administrators, and teachers must take to transform American schools to meet student needs in the 21st century. "In Praise of American Educators" is a seminal contribution to academic library Educational Studies reference collections and highly recommended to the attention of academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in reforming and improving both public and private school systems and classrooms. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "In Praise of American Educators" is also available in a Kindle edition ($22.93).

Metaliteracy in Practice
Trudi E. Jacobson and Thomas P. Mackey, editors
Neal-Schuman
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838913796 $70.00 www.amazon.com

Metaliteracy in Practice is an anthology of scholarly essays by expert authors discussing metaliteracy - a term designed to encompass all "new literacies" in a single word. These "new literacies" reach beyond traditional print literacy to include media literacy (the ability distill information from hype as well as think critically about perspectives presented in modern media), digital literacy (the ability to navigate and rationally evaluate claims and statements on the Internet, such as social media messages and web videos), and more. In today's world, when lies and rumors abound online, fostering the skills to process the information contained in new media formats is more important than ever. Individual writings of Metaliteracy in Practice include "Revising for Metaliteracy: Flexible Course Design to Support Social Media Pedagogy", "Empowering Learners to Become Metaliterate in a Digital and Multimodal Age", "Promoting Empowerment through Metaliteracy: A Case Study of Undergraduate Learning Outcomes", and more. Notes and an index round out this cutting-edge resource especially recommended for educational professionals and literacy curriculum planners.


The World History Shelf

Transnational Encounters between Germany and Japan
Joanne Miyang Cho, Lee M. Roberts, and Christian W. Spang, editors
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
9781137573902 $100.00 www.palgrave-usa.com

Transnational Encounters between Germany and Japan: Perceptions of Partnership in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries is an anthology of scholarly essays by diverse authors discussing intersections and common themes between German and Japanese cultures over the past one hundred and fifty years. Individual writings include "The Myth of 'Familiar Germany': German-Japanese Relationships in the Meiji Period Reexamined", "When Jiu-Jitsu was German: Japanese Martial Arts in German Sport- and Korperkultur, 1905-1933", "A 'Penologic Program' for Japanese and German War Criminals, 1945-58", and much more. An index enhances this erudite, meticulously researched and presented compilation, highly recommended especially for college library World History or International Studies collections. "The revival of German-Japanese trade benefited particularly from the Korean War of 1950-1953, which is said to have triggered an economic boom in both countries. During this early Cold War period, the creation of two blocs in Europe was cemented, and, furthermore, West Germany's integration into the collective security system of NATO was finalized in 1954."


The Science Shelf

How the Brain Processes Multimodal Technical Instructions
Dirk Remley
Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.
26 Austin Avenue, Box 337, Amityville, NY 11701
9780895038937, $54.95 hc
9780985038944, $46.95 pbk
9780895038951, $TBA ePub
9780895038968, $TBA ePDF http://baywood.com

Written especially for communication scholars, cognitive psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists, and instructional designers/information architects (including Web designers!), How the Brain Processes Multimodal Technical Instructions is an interdisciplinary examination that draws upon multimodal rhetorical theory, multisensory neural processing theory, and case studies. At stake is the core question: exactly how does the human brain make sense of complex or technical instructions, and how can user interfaces (such as websites) be made more accessible to the human minds attempting to figure them out? A handful of black-and-white illustrations help illuminate the key principles in this thoughtful, extensively researched and meticulously presented resource. "A slide show presented as a stand-alone tool without narration assumes that the viewer will be able to fill in some blanks about the information and how it is to be 'read' or interpreted. However, a website that includes text and graphic images can better convey the instructional message." Highly recommended, especially for college library communications and neuroscience collections.


The Reference Shelf

Webster's International Atlas, third edition
Encyclopedia Britannica Editors
Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North, #277, Darien, CT 06820
www.federalstreetpress.com
9781596951372, $8.99, PB, 389pp, www.amazon.com

Webster's is an established and trusted name in connection with dictionaries and atlases. Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition in a mass market paperback book format, "About Your World" features full-color maps, flags and flag histories, plus the most current political, economic and social data. Offering an easily accessible and highly portable volume that includes a wealth of information the compact format of "About Your World" makes it particularly ideal for students. Maps of the 195 countries of the world, plus US States, territories and the District of Columbia Listing of dependencies and areas of special sovereignty Maps appear in alphabetical order by country Locator maps pinpoint each country on the globe Data includes GNP per capita, major exports, population, area, monetary unit and much more. "Webster's International Atlas" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library reference collections.

Texas Almanac 2016-2017
Texas State Historical Association
3001 Lake Austin Blvd., Suite 3.116, Austin, TX 78703
9781625110329 $39.95 www.TSHAonline.org

Illustrated with a wealth of color maps and photography throughout, Texas Almanac 2016-2017 is the latest updated edition of the complete reference book of the Lone Star State. Covering everything from Texas environment and weather to counties and government, agriculture, sports (including college and professional teams), crime, foreign trade zones and much more, Texas Almanac 2016-2017 is a welcome addition to public library reference collections. A pronunciation guide and an index round out this thoroughly "user-friendly" resource.


The Cookbook Shelf

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 16th edition
Better Homes & Gardens
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544714465, $21.99, Spiral Bound, 644pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly updated and expanded sixteenth edition, the "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" continues to be one of the best "starter cookbooks" for personal and family cookbook collections. Every recipe, ranging from all-time favorites to modern classics, has been reviewed, revised, and revamped for today's kitchen. Included is a new Holiday chapter, increased coverage of canning and grilling, and expanded information on fruits and vegetables. The "Secrets to Success" feature focuses on teaching techniques, such as making artisanal bread, while the "8 Ways With..." feature shows how to add flavor to basic items like boneless chicken breasts. With a redesigned cover to give the book a fresh, new look, over 1,200 recipes and more than 1,000 photographs, this comprehensive edition of "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" is the one reference every home cook needs and no community library cookbook collection should be without a copy for the benefit of its patrons. It should be noted that this new edition of "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" is also available in a Kindle format ($19.99).

The Big Book of Pasta
Betty Crocker
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544579989, $19.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Pasta is the perfect dinnertime solution for busy, budget-conscious families, and "The Big Book of Pasta" from the Betty Crocker cookbook collection delivers with more than 175 delicious, creative, and foolproof recipes and more than 125 beautiful full-color photos. Information on mix-and-match recipes, working with non-wheat pastas and different cooking methods for fresh versus dried pastas helps home cooks find perfect noodle and sauce combinations for every night of the week with recipes ranging from Oven-Baked Moroccan Spinach Lasagna or Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs to simmering one-pot soups featuring tortellini and orzo. Special icons highlight Fast, Make-Ahead, and Meatless recipes. "Betty Crocker's" even includes information on making fresh pasta and gnocchi, for those cooks looking to take their pasta prep to the next level. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "The Big Book of Pasta" will easily become a family favorite and an enduringly popular addition to any community library cookbook collection.

Cook It in Cast Iron
Cook's Country, editor
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781940352480, $26.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

The cast-iron skillet is a sturdy, versatile, traditional kitchen workhorse that 85% of us own but far fewer of us reach for daily, mostly because we have one or two recipes we use it for and otherwise it stays in the back of the cabinet. In "Cook It in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All", the editors of Cook's Country will show you everything you need to know about cast-iron cookware and the many (and often surprising) dishes you can cook and bake in this multitasker of a pan, from the classic dishes everyone knows and loves like steak, perfect fried eggs, and cornbread, to innovative and inspiring recipes like skillet apple pie, pizza, and cinnamon swirl bread. Learn about this cast iron's history and what makes it uniquely American and let us show you how to shop for, season, care for, and clean this perfect pan. Beautifully illustrated in full color throughout, the recipes range from Green Chili Cheeseburger Sliders; Boneless Turkey Breasts with Cranberry Chutney; Southwestern-Style Chicken and Biscuits; and Crispy Pan-Fired Pork Chops with Succotash; to Italian-Style Sausage and pepper Subs; Fluffy Cornmeal Pancakes; Glazed Peaches with Pistachios; Hot Fudge pudding Cake; and Cinnamon Swirl Bread. A delight to browse through and an ideal reference for menu planning, "Cook It in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Cook It in Cast Iron" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.99).

Blue Ribbon Baking
Linda J. Amendt
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455619559, $26.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing more than two hundred palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes for dishes that would grace any dining occasion, "Blue Ribbon Baking" by culinary expert Linda Amendt provides beautifully illustrated instructions for baking everything from cookies, cakes, and pies, to breads, scones, and pastries. Enhanced with chapters on baking ingredients, pans, equipment, tools, and techniques, of special note is the section on 'The World of Fair Competitions and Baking Contests' which is truly unique. The recipes in this outstanding cookbook collection range from Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies; Coconut Cake; Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake; Dutch Apple Pie; and Layered Pumpkin Cream Cheese; to Apricot Muffins; Cheese and Chive Biscuits; Buttermilk Bread; Cheddar Onion Rolls; and Cream Cheese Danish. A delight to browse through and a joy to plan menus with, "Blue Ribbon Baking" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Perfect Portion Cookbook
Anson Williams, Bob Warden, Mona Dolgov
Partners In Publishing
http://theperfectportion.com
9781495179211, $29.95, 344pp, www.amazon.com

The collaboration of the culinary team of Anson Williams, Bob Warden, and Mona Dolgov, "The Perfect Portion Cookbook" showcases one hundred and fifty outstanding recipes for comfort foods using a simple 100 Calorie counting system. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from a Southwestern Skillet Scramble; a Chunky Chicken Salad; Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Gravy; and Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes; to Homemade Hummus; Spinach Pie; Strawberry Rhubarb Jam; and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Every recipes provides prep time, serving amount recommendation, a calorie count, a list of ingredients, and clear step-by-step directions. Whether watching one's weight or simply wanting some comfort cooking to deal with the ordinary stresses of daily life, "The Perfect Portion Cookbook" will prove to be an ideal menu planner and an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Italian Diabetes Cookbook
Amy Riolo
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
http://www.diabetes.org
9781580405652, $18.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

A diagnosis of diabetes does not mean having to give up an Italian cuisine that is as palate pleasing as it is appetite satisfying. "Italian Diabetes Cookbook: Delicious and Healthful Dishes from Venice to Sicily and Beyond" is a collection of wonderful dishes compiled by award-winning author, chef, cooking show host, cooking instructor, and Mediterranean expert Amy Riolo. Of special note are the chapters on 'How to Cook like an Italian'; 'The Italian Pantry'; and Amy's 'Where to Buy Guide'. The thoroughly 'kitchen book friendly' and diabetes appropriate recipes range from Spaghetti with Fresh Tuna and Fennel; Roasted Chicken with Grapes and Chestnuts; Calabrian-Style Roasted Potatoes; and Arugula Salad with Pears, Parmesan, and Cocoa Nibs; to Emilia-Romagna-Style Green Herb Sauce; Pomegranate-Orange Spice Pudding; Cinnamon-Infused Apple Cake; and Tuscan Fig, Walnut, and Fennel Seed Torte. "The Italian Diabetes Cookbook" is ideal for families having to deal with diabetes with respect to one or more of their loved ones. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The Italian Diabetes Cookbook" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Cruising Through the Louvre
David Prudhomme
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781561639908, $22.99, HC, 80pp, www.amazon.com

"Cruising Through the Louvre" by author, artist, and graphic novelist David Prudhomme meanders through the Louvre museum of Paris, France. In this immense institution, all manner of people from all over the world rub elbows quietly while examining the exhibits. So Prudhomme decides to cruise through the museum, not to look at the world famous art, but to observe the people and their interaction with it. As he wanders, he discovers a group of students somehow stuck together just as in the shipwreck on the Raft of the Medusa; a man standing behind the Seated Scribe, as if attempting to read over his shoulder; and in the hall of antiquities, a woman placing her head in a lion's mouth. "Cruising Through the Louvre" presents readers a strange, silent, and casual choreography, danced in the midst of one of the most prestigious museums in the world. An absorbing and silently thoughtful read from first page to last, "Cruising Through the Louvre" is very highly recommended for community and academic library Graphic Novels collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Cruising Through the Louvre" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Red Baron: Dungeons and Dragons
Pierre Veys and Carlos Puerta
Cinebook Ltd.
56 Beech Ave., Canterbury, Kent, CT4 7TA, UK
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849182522 $15.95 www.amazon.com

Red Baron: Dungeons and Dragons is the third graphic novel in a historical fiction series inspired by the life of Manfred von Richthofen and events of the First World War. Illustrated in full color in a vividly realistic style, Red Baron: Dungeons and Dragons reveals how Richthofen's skill and bloodthirst in airplane combat earned him the right to transfer Western Front and test himself against the finest British fighters. But one of his new colleagues is his old enemy Prince Friedrich, who is as ruthless as he is cunning! The Baron's iconic Fokker airplane makes an unforgettable appearance in this evolving story of war, intrigue, and murder most foul. Also highly recommended for connoisseurs of graphic novel historical fiction are "The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer: Plutarch's Staff" (9781849182645, $15.95) by Yves Sente and Andre Juillard, the 21st in a long-running period piece set during the dark days of World War II, and "The Marquis of Anaon: The Black Virgin" (9781849182652, $11.95) by Fabien Vehlmann and Matthieu Bonhomme, a dark murder mystery in which Jean-Baptiste Poulain must uncover who is cruelly murdering young women and leaving their corpses by a holy statue - a task made more difficult by stark tensions between the French commoners and the local gypsies, who are openly suspected of perpetrating the gruesome crimes.


The Audiobook Shelf

Judgment at Nuremberg
Abby Mann
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
www.latw.org
9781682660003, $29.95, www.amzon.com

At the end of World War II, The Nuremberg trials held in Nuremberg, Germany by the allied command brought to public attention the worst of the Nazi atrocities inflicted upon the Jews, Romani (also known as "Gypsies"), Slavs, disabled people, homosexuals, political dissidents, and others. Now in a dramatic multicast performance, "Judgment at Nuremberg" brings those trials to life in Abby Mann's riveting drama. "Judgment at Nuremberg" is only rivaled by Elie Wiesel's "Night" and Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl", as one of the twentieth century's most important records of the Holocaust. Originally written as a 1957 television play, later made into an Academy Award winning 1961 film, and available now for the first time in print (using the text of Mann's recent Broadway adaptation), this theatrically produced audio book edition of "Judgment at Nuremberg" is as potent and relevant as ever. To this day the Nuremberg trials stand as a model for international criminal tribunals, due in large measure to the spotlight thrown on them by Mann's dramatic interpretation of the historic events. Mann's overwhelming compassion strikes at the heart of human suffering and his achievement has been a reaffirmation of humanity and justice. Flawlessly produced, this production of "Judgment at Nuremberg" is an absolute "must" for community and academic library audio book collections. 2 CDs; 2 hours, 2 minutes.

The Things We Keep
Sally Hepworth, author
Read by Therese Plummer and Barrie Kreinik
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427267863 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

The Things We Keep is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a turbulent novel about coping with one's own mental degeneration. Ann Foster is only thirty-eight, but her mind and memories are gradually eroding. Her well-meaning family places her in Rosalind House, an assisted-living facility, but Anna has no intention of living out the rest of her life within its walls. An unexpected flame of love arises between her and the only other resident in her age range, Luke. Yet how can she make her own life worth living when her mind and memory steadily unravel? A compassionate single mother at Rosalind House, Eve, sympathizes with Anna and Luke; still, Eve depends heavily on her job to support herself and her daughter. A bittersweet story of love, loss, and confronting the unthinkable, The Things We Keep is highly recommended. 8 CDs, 10 hours.

Once a Crooked Man
David McCallum
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427271709 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Now available as an unabridged audiobook read by author David MCallum, Once a Crooked Man is an exciting blend of dry wit, thriller, and violent action. Criminal trio Sal, Max, and Enzo Bruschetti have earned a lifetime's worth of ill-gotten gains; now, they plan to retire and "clean house". When actor Harry Murphy overhears their plans to eliminate a London man who knows too much, he tries to warn the intended victim - an act that turns the Bruschetti brothers' neat, orderly plans into blood-spattered chaos! Packed with excitement, betrayal, and dark humor, Once a Crooked Man comes afire with the same, wicked charm that McCallum brought as an actor in the popular television series, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." 10 CDs, 12 hours.

Bran New Death
Victoria Hamilton, author
Read by Margaret Storm
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781515900337 $37.99 www.tantor.com

Bran New Death is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a cozy murder mystery. Merry has inherited a mansion from her late uncle, Melvyn, with a restaurant-quality kitchen. She plans to make a fresh start with a baking business, and the local retirement home is her first client. But Uncle Mel had enemies who turn their ire upon her - rival bakers Binny Turner and her crazed brother Tom, who blame Melvyn for their father's death. Is one of them responsible for giant dug-up holes on Merry's new property? When one of those holes is unexpectedly filled with a corpse, Merry must find the killer and prove her innocence before her muffin-making career deflates! Bran New Death is a tasty treat for connoisseurs of the genre. 9 CDs, 11 hours.

Dragon Marked
Jaymin Eve
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781511327435, $14.99, CD, www.amazon.com

As a wolf shifter with razor-sharp senses, Jessa Lebron can perceive the slightest change in the air. And her lupine instincts go into overdrive right before her mother, who abandoned her years ago, returns to the pack bearing secrets that change everything. The biggest secret of all: Jessa is dragon marked, a designation that places her in grave danger. The dragon marked are destined to resurrect the dragon king, a fearsome ancient warmonger. And they must be eliminated. Soon Jessa is locked up in Vanguard, the notorious paranormal prison that houses criminal vampires, feys, and magic users. Thankfully, she's not alone: Braxton Compass, her best friend and a dragon shifter, has her back. Jessa and Braxton must find a way to free themselves and the rest of the dragon marked. But can her pack mates help her stop the dragon king before his deadly return? "Dragon Marked" is a whole new take on shape shifters, magic users, vampires, and the whole supernatural community. A riveting and unabridged audio book production, Dara Rosenberg brings a very special dramatic narration to this outstanding first volume of Jaymin Eve's original fantasy sage, and will leave immensely entertained readers looking forward to the Brilliance Audio production of the second title in this new series "Dragon Mystics"!


The Library CD Shelf

Kindred Spirits Live at Chan's
Greg Abate & Phil Woods with the Tim Ray Trio
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
c/o Naxos (dist.)
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
c/o Mixed Media (publicity)
$17.99 www.whalingcitysound.com

Kindred Spirits Live at Chan's is a glorious, 2 CD set showcasing beloved saxophone players Greg Abate and Phil Woods. The enormously skilled and talented Woods passed on in September of 2015, making this one of his final performances captured in audio. Supporting the performance of Abate and Woods is the Tim Ray Trio (world-class music artists Ray on piano, Mark Walker on drums, and John Lockwood on bass). Soulful and captivating, Kindred Spirits Live at Chain's is an unsurpassed treasury for jazz enthusiasts, highly recommended. The tracks of Disc 1 are "Steeplechase (Thriving on a Riff)" (11:34), "A Sleepin' Bee" (11:36), "The End of a Lova Affair" (9:43), "Angel Eyes" (8:28), "Cedar's Blues" (9:12), "Willow Weep For Me" (11:47), "Steeplechase (short version)" (4:39), "Fried Clams With Bellies (spoken)" (1:34), "Phil and Sequel (spoken" (2:09), "Emotionally Involved (spoken)" (0:57), "Different Keys (spoken)" (0:14). The tracks of Disc 2 are "I'll Remember April" (9:21), "Moonlight in Vermont" (9:45), "Speak Low" (8:55), "Strollin'" (7:48), "Yardbird Suite" (9:25), "Moonlight in Vermont (short version)" (5:09) and "The First One's Free (spoken)" (1:34).

Keepsakes in the Attic
Jeff Bjorck
Pure Piano Music
purepiano.com
$14.99 CD / $TBA digital www.cdbaby.com

The sixth CD by musician, photographer, poet, and psychologist Jeff Bjorck, Keepsakes in the Attic is a solo piano performance of original compositions. Bjorck's deep spiritual convictions, love of beauty, and high-flying passion for life shine through this soul-stirring, inspirational collection. Highly recommended, especially to connoisseurs of piano playing at its finest. The tracks are "Afternoon Reverie" (3:49), "Returning Home" (4:19), "Mother's Hymnal" (4:37), "Grandad's Rocker" (4:02), "Unrequited" (4:43), "Hearts Far Apart" (4:25), "Groom's First Waltz" (3:33), "Midnight in Moscow" (4:26), "Hope in the Heartache" (4:45), "Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara" (3:30), "Playing Catch With Dad" (3:41), "Justine of County Clare" (5:26), and "Nana's Music Box" (1:48).


Library DVD Shelf

Getting Into Grammar
Lynne Dorfman & Diane Dougherty
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310552 $195.00 www.stenhouse.com

Getting Into Grammar is a DVD by professional educators, for professional educators, created to demonstrate techniques for teaching English grammar and literacy to students in grades 1-6. Viewers witness Lynne Dorfman and Diane Dougherty in second and fifth-grade classrooms, engaging students with techniques that stimulate their comprehension of essential language skills. They also confer with student writers and discuss the lessons with other teachers. The specific lessons involve an explanation of prepositional phrases in the first half of the program, and exploring the ramifications of paragraph breaks in the second half of the program. A study session is worth a thousand words; Getting Into Grammar is highly recommended as an invaluable resource for teachers, and a "must-have" for college School of Education DVD collections, professional study groups, and staff development programs. Getting Into Grammar can be used by itself or along with Dorfman's and Dougherty's book "Grammar Matters" (9781571109910 $24.00 pbk / $15.39 Kindle). 1 DVD, 1 hour 40 minutes runtime.

Scorpions Forever and a Day
MVD Entertainment Group
203 Windsor Road, Pottstown, PA 19464
www.scorpions-derfilm.de
$19.95 DVD / Blu-ray www.MVDb2b.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Scorpions Forever and a Day is a documentary about the legendary German rock band (originally formed in 1965), showcasing their final three-year tour begun in 2010. Including never-before-seen Super 8 films from the Scorpions' personal archive, Scorpions Forever and a Day reveals the strong personal ties between members of the band, and their love for their fans. Bonus features include a trailer and an excerpt over ten minutes long from a classic interview from "Night Flight" in June of '85. A "must-see" for anyone with a passion for rock 'n' roll! 100 min., color with some black & white footage segments, German language, English and French subtitles.

The Irish RM: The Complete Collection
Starring Peter Bowles
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
$59.99 www.acornonline.com

The Irish RM: The Complete Collection is an upbeat, witty drama series on DVD, based on the turn-of-the-century stories by Somerville and Ross. Major Sinclair Yeates is a retired English army officer turned Resident Magistrate in pre-independence West Ireland. Living in a run-down country house, surrounded by a quixotic community, Yeates tries to make lawful sense of one illogical situation after another! Shot entirely on location in the beautiful County Kildare in Ireland, this drama (originally shown on PBS "Masterpiece Theatre") vividly recreates life in rural Ireland at the dawn of the 20th century. A 26-minute bonus "making of" featurette is also included. Quirky and charming, The Irish RM: The Complete Collection is a treasure for connoisseurs and an excellent addition to public library DVD collections. 18 episodes on 6 DVDs, 16 hours plus bonus, full screen, SDH subtitles.


The Photography Shelf

Seven Continents
Mohan Bhasker
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764349805, $50.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Los Angeles-based Mohan Bhasker is a landscape photographer and practicing physician. He owns a gallery in Los Angeles where he exhibits his photography work from all over the world, including remote regions where few travelers venture. Showcasing the truly exceptional photography of Mohan Bhasker, "Seven Continents: Photography of Mohan Bhasker" takes the armchair traveler on a round-the-world journey to some of Earth's most exquisite sites. Browsing through Bhasker's full color images, readers will vicariously traverse a Laos jungle, kayak among Antarctica's icebergs, trek through Nepal's Himalayan mountain range and Brazil's scorching sand dunes, and come upon impossibly blue lagoons tucked into the rugged Argentine terrain. Interspersed with the images are adventure travel stories about close calls with nature, opportunities missed, serendipitous timing, and the payoff of persistence. The camera lens lingers on everything from pristine panoramas to quiet coves and closeups of penguin chicks. Very highly recommended for personal, community and academic library Photography collections, "Seven Continents: Photography of Mohan Bhasker" is a fifteen-year collection of more than 220 photographs, visually celebrating the beauty, history, and significance of some of the most remote places on Earth.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS, third edition
Joel Gallant, MD
Jones & Bartlett Learning
5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803
www.jblearning.com
9781284089868, $19.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Despite there having been major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV infections resulting in AIDS, it continues to be a serious health issue in this country and around the world. Whether you're a newly diagnosed patient or a friend or relative of someone suffering from HIV or Aids, this newly updated and expanded third edition of "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" can be of substantial help. Offering both doctor and patient perspectives, :100 Questions & Answers About HIV and Aids" by Dr. Joel Gallant (Medical Director of Specialty Services, Southwest CARE Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico) provides authoritative and practical answers to the most commonly asked questions by patients and their loved ones. "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" covers such concerns as: What is the difference between HIV and Aids?; How can HIV infection be prevented?; How do I find the right medical care?. Along with the answers to these and other questions, "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" provides information on diagnosis, treatment, living with HIV and more. Written by experts in the field "100 Questions & Answers About HIV and Aids" is an invaluable resource for non-specialist general readers having to cope with the physical and emotional uncertainty of this critically serious and infectious disease. Simply stated, a copy of "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" should be a part of every community and academic library, health care center, and HIV/AIDS outreach program's reference collection.

Stay Healthy During Chemo
Mike Herbert, ND
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781573246750, $18.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Chemotherapy works to beat cancer, but it also takes its own toll on the cancer patient's body and health. During treatment, it is more important than ever to do what can and must be done to keep cancer patients strong and healthy. The best way of doing that is to work with the body's innate healing powers. "Stay Healthy During Chemo: The Five Essential Steps" by Mike Herbert (a naturopath with more than 15 years in practice as a wellness consultant, with a particular emphasis on nutrition and natural healing) offers a treasure chest of practical guidance for feeling good during chemo and beyond. And it does so through 5 basic steps to: Change your thinking and develop an attitude focused on healing; Detoxify with therapeutic baths to promote healing from the inside out; Eat the best foods to create a healing chemistry in your body; Supplement your diet to support healing momentum; Exercise and rest to speed the healing process. It should be noted that "Stay Healthy During Chemo" is enhanced with the inclusion of more than a hundred simple recipes, as well as a menu-planning guide. Packed from cover to cover with relevant, practical, insightful, useful, and effective information that is specifically written for the benefit of the non-specialist general reader having to deal with cancer within themselves or a loved one, "Stay Healthy During Chemo" should be considered an essential instructional guide and reference. Simply stated, "Stay Healthy During Chemo" should be a part of every community and academic library's Health & Medicine collection. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Stay Healthy During Chemo" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Poetry Shelf

A Girl From There
Chava Nissimov
KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225
c/o Independent Publishers Group (dist.)
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
9789655242218 $19.95 www.ktav.com

Enriched with simple, color illustrations by prize-winning artist Ofra Amit, A Girl From There is a poetry book describing a young girl's adolescence amid war and persecution. Author Chava Nissimov was born in 1939 in Warsaw, Poland, and miraculously escaped the ghetto with her mother during World War II; today, one of her callings is to work in an organization that helps Holocaust survivors claim their reparations. Harsh yet poignant, A Girl From There is unforgettable. "Skates: I am very thin and refuse to eat. / Because my face is pale and greenish, some call me, 'Green Frog'. / When I don't eat, Aunt curses and hits me. / Uncle takes me to bed and consoles me / and promises me a shilling for every slice of bread that I eat. / I eat. I save up money for skates. / I race on my skates over the hill-sides of the city for days on end. / When I return home Aunt curses me and hits me."

The Multitude
Hannah Faith Notess
www.hannahnotess.com
Southern Indiana Review Press
University of Southern Indiana
Orr Center #2009, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712
https://www.usi.edu/sir
9781930508330, $14.95, 76pp, www.amazon.com

Hannah Faith Notess is the author of Ghost House, a chapbook of poems (Floating Bridge Press, 2013), and Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical (Wipf and Stock, 2009). Her poems have appeared in Rattle, Slate, Los Angeles Review, and Image, among other journals. She is the managing editor of Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine. We move through life haunted by a multitude of people and places that exist only in memory, by ancestors we never knew, and by myths we're not sure we can believe. Even our video game avatars are chased by ghosts. The poems comprising "The Multitude" are Hannah's exploration spaces of everyday life that intersect with both sacred places and fantastical realms. "The Multitude" is an absorbing read throughout and very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as the Contemporary Poetry collections of community, college, and university libraries. 'Compliment': You said my naked back looked strong to you. / My sloped, hunched shoulders flickered in my brain, / but then I thought of the junior high girl / I briefly became -- who cut the pictures out / of her ballet books, who rewound the tape / of Fonteyn draping her back like silk across / Nureyev's arm, then turned her own small back / to the bathroom mirrors. Every variation / of that shape she could think of, she practiced, / till her muscles tensed like twisted swing chains / on the playground. Unwound, stretched to her limit, / she pushed against the future and reached me, / her future. I arched my back, a bridge to her, / and said, half to her, half to you. Thank you.


The Gardening Shelf

How to Plant a Garden
Matt James
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781845339845, $34.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Matt James is a garden designer, broadcaster and senior lecturer teaching on horticulture degree programs at Duchy College, Cornwall, where he also runs an HND in Garden & Landscape Design. This follows five years of teaching on the renowned Garden Design degree course at University College, Falmouth (now Falmouth University). With "How to Plant a Garden: Design Tricks, Ideas and Planting Schemes for Year-Round Interest", he has created a complete and profusely illustrated course of instruction in the designing of gardens that will enable even the most novice of aspiring gardens to successfully produce gardens of style, elegance, imagination, complexity, variety, utility, and joy. Of special note is the chapter dedicated to 'A Design for Life'. An inherently fascinating browse, as well as a thoroughly practical instruction manual and guide, "How to Plant a Garden" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community gardening collections, and an ideal textbook for college and university Gardening & Agricultural Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Gardening with Less Water
David A. Bainbridge
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612125824, $14.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

"Gardening with Less Water: Low-Tech, Low-Cost Techniques; Use up to 90% Less Water in Your Garden" by gardening and irrigation expert David A. Bainbridge will prove of immense practical value for any gardener facing drought or water shortages. "Gardening with Less Water" offers simple, inexpensive, low-tech techniques for watering your garden much more efficiently -- using up to 90% less water for the same results. With illustrated step-by-step instructions, "Gardening with Less Water" shows how to install buried clay pots and pipes, wicking systems, and other porous containers that deliver water directly to a plant's roots with no or minimal evaporation. These systems are available at hardware stores and garden centers; are easy to set up and use; and work for garden beds, container gardens, and trees. No personal, professional, community, or academic library Gardening instructional reference collection should be without a copy of "Gardening with Less Water"! It should be noted that "Gardening with Less Water" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.69).


The Library Science Shelf

Foundations of Library and Information Science, fourth edition
Richard E. Rubin
Neal-Schuman
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838913703 $85.00 www.amazon.com

Now in a "reorganized, rewritten, and extensively updated" fourth edition, Foundations of Library and Information Science is the quintessential resource for library science students and professionals alike. Chapters cover the history and mission of libraries; the impact of digital devices, social networking, and digital publishing including ebooks; policy issues connected to broadband access and net neutrality; the real-world implementation of intellectual freedom; initiatives to integrate libraries, archives, and museums; and much more. An index rounds out this excellent resource for students or professionals in the field, especially recommended for college library information science collections.

Digital Photo Magic
Ernest Perez
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
www.infotoday.com
9781573875134, $49.50, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

In "Digital Photo Magic: Easy Image Retouching and Restoration for Librarians, Archivists, and Teachers", longtime news librarian Ernest Perez (Houston Chronicle, Chicago Sun- Times) draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to showcase the best of easy-to-use, free, and inexpensive software products for retouching, restoring, and manipulating digital photo images. "Digital Photo Magic" is specifically designed for librarians, educators, curators, and archivists who want to enhance photographic images without the steep costs and learning curves associated with high-end graphic software packages such as Adobe Photoshop. Whether for use online or in print-based collections, exhibits, and archives, you'll learn to easily bring images up to acceptable quality without wasting time or money. Perez provides step-by-step guidance for a range of programs he has personally vetted, highlighting their best features and offering tips and shortcuts you can put to immediate use. A primer on graphic image formats, a guide to image scanning tools and techniques, and an extensive listing of specialized websites, blogs, user forums, and other author-recommended resources are also included. Absolutely 'user friendly' in content and presentations, no public, private, corporate, academic, or governmental library of informational archive should be without a copy of "Digital Photo Magic" in their instructional reference collection.


The Relationship Shelf

Confused Woman
Melanie Reitz
Privately Published
9780692567609 $15.99 www.confusedwoman.com

Confused Woman: Tales & Advice on Love, Dating & Relationships is a cozy collection of practical relationship lessons learned the hard way. As a divorced single mother, author Melanie Ritz faced an uphill battle in her search for love. She shares her experiences in "The Bubonic Plague of Online Dating"; matchmaker websites tended to generate one disaster after another... until she was fortunate enough to connect with a genuinely good, kind, and honest boyfriend. Confused Woman blends practical tips with slice-of-life wisdom and a heaping helping of humor. Insightful, at times acerbic, and always just plain funny, Confused Woman is highly recommended for readers of all walks of life. One doesn't have to be looking for love in all the right-or-wrong places to enjoy Confused Woman from cover to cover! "How to Avoid Less-than-Desirable Guys Online #4: Profiles with pictures of him with his shirt off, with other women, or in a bar drinking. Party boy is not looking for the wedding march and more than likely, likes the horizontal mambo."


The African-American Studies Shelf

Between Fetters and Freedom
Edward R. Crowther and Keith Harper, editors
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207-0001
9780881465402 $35.00 www.mupress.org

Between Fetters and Freedom: African-American Baptists Since Emancipation is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors scrutinizing life among the Baptists after the Civil War, a time when their ranks swelled with newly freed slaves. But life after the war was far from easy, and resources were strictly limited, and racism remained widespread, especially in the South. Individual writings include "From Cary to Colley: The Ethiopian Factor in the Formation of the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention", "'The Holy Spirit Come to Us': Black Baptist Organizations and Cultural Practices from Reconstruction to the Rise of Gospel Music", "'That the Rules be Suspended': Denominational Political Culture and Schism within the National Baptist Convention, 1895-1962", and more. Extensive footnotes and an index round out this welcome contribution to African-American History and Religious Studies shelves.

Black Freemasonry
Cecile Revauger
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781620554876 $29.95 www.innertraditions.com

Black Freemasonry: From Prince Hall to the Giants of Jazz is a studious, in-depth history of black members of the Freemasonry organization. In the early 18th century, black Freemasons were not eligible for membership in existing American lodges; meanwhile, 18th century Paris had integrated memberships, and the Grand Lodge of England was the first chapter to grant an official charter for an exclusively black lodge. African-Americans eventually had greater opportunity to become Freemasons, including many of the most notable jazz musicians of the 20th century such as Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Cab Calloway. Author and historian Cecile Revauger (professor at the University of Bordeaux) draws upon privileged access to archives maintained by Grand Lodges, Masonic libraries, and museums in both the United States and Europe to craft this meticulous, in-depth, and amazingly insightful history. Black Freemasonry is especially recommended for public and college library World History and African-American studies shelves.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu
Vasudev Murthy
http://vmurthy.blogspot.com
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464204524 $26.95 hc
9781464204548 $15.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

In Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective stories starring Sherlock Holmes, little is ever said of how the master sleuth spent his days between his alleged demise at Reichenbach Falls in 1891, and his reappearance in 1894. Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu is an original novel by set during these years - a time when the world thought Holmes was dead and gone - penned by Delhi native and superb storyteller Vasudev Murthy. In Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu, Holmes has faked his death in order to pursue an undercover quest to track down the missing half of an ancient parchment, which carries a cryptic note written by legendary explorer Marco Polo. Holmes journey takes him from Venice to the Sahara desert to Timbuktu and beyond. A shocked yet steadfastly reliable Dr. Watson aids Holmes, and the callous hand of Moriarty manipulates enemies in the shadows. Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu is enthusiastically recommended to mystery connoisseurs in general, and fans of the quintessential detective in particular!


The Fiction Shelf

Union Pacific: A Western Story
Zane Grey
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781634504348 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Union Pacific: A Western Story is a classic western novel by enduringly popular author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Set in the era of the historic construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, the story features Warren Neale, a brilliant civil engineer plagued with construction problems; his Texas gunfighter friend Larry Red King; and Allie Lee, the sole survivor of an Indian raid in the Black Hills, whose mind has nearly shattered from the terror. In the wild town of Benton, which sprang up to serve the vices of the railroad workers, the only law is what the soldiers impose - and all they care about is ensuring the supply trains run on time. Intrigue, violence, and adventure abound in this sweeping odyssey, sure to prove a popular library lend to fans of the genre!


The Literary Studies Shelf

Agamemnon
Aeschylus
Introduction, notes, & translation by David Mulroy
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299306342 $12.95 www.uwpress.wisc.edu

Agamemnon is a new verse translation of the first play in the classic trilogy of Greek tragedies known as "Orestia", written by Aeschylus (525/524 - 456/455 BC). Skilled translator David Mulroy (professor emeritus of classics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) enhances the accessible English verse with a thoughtful introduction, a pronunciation guide for proper names, and extensive notes that clarify historical or cultural references. Particularly notable is Mulroy's use of end rhyme and meticulous metrics to recreate the oscillating lyricism of the original Greek text, without sacrificing the material's accessibility to readers (or performers!) of all backgrounds. The play itself is a dark work about revenge and fatalism, set during King Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War. Yet all is not well at home; the King's wife Clytemnestra is bitter that the King previously sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia for the fair winds that would enable the Greeks to sail to Troy. The King's concubine Cassandra foretells both his and her own murder at the hands of Clytemnestra, but will anyone believe her? Agamemnon is a "must-have" for college library collections of classic literature.


The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

Yurei: The Japanese Ghost
Zack Davisson
Chin Music Press
1501 Pike Place #329, Seattle, WA 98101
www.chinmusicpress.com
9780988769342 $22.95 hc / $13.77 Kindle www.amazon.com

Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost is a treasury for connoisseurs of horror, Japanese mythology, or ghost stories. Author Zack Davisson shares his lifelong fascination with Japanese folklore about these (often female) vengeful spirits. Yurei: The Japanese Ghost includes Davisson's suspenseful retellings of more than a dozen ancient, never-before-translated Japanese ghost stories, and a handful of striking color plates of classic Japanese artwork portraying ghosts and spirits. A brief glossary and a list of references round out this superb addition to folklore shelves, and highly recommended for public and college library collections.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

The Job Search Navigator
Matt Durfee
B2 Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841857 $17.95 www.agatepublishing.com

The Job Search Navigator: An Expert's Guide to Getting Hired, Surviving Layoffs, and Building Your Career lives up to its title as a practical, accessible, "must-read" for virtually everyone in the workforce today. Chapters cover how to cope with sudden job loss, the art and science of networking, interview and negotiation skills, and tips, tricks, and techniques for adapting to the "new reality" in which being laid off not due to poor performance, but solely because one's employer is "downsizing" or "rightsizing" is more common than ever. "...most Americans have to move quite fast to find gainful employment before the financial toll [of sudden unemployment] wreaks havoc on their savings and lifestyle. If you fall into this category, begin developing your job search skills so you will be ready to deal with any unexpected periods of unemployment without delay." An excellent gift especially for college graduates or anyone else entering or re-entering the workforce, The Job Search Navigator is a "must-read" no matter how secure one thinks one's job is!


The Travel Shelf

Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia
Ian Burnet
www.ianburnetbooks.com
Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd.
www.rosenbergpub.com.au
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
9781925078602 $39.95 www.isbs.com

Interspersed with stunning, full-color photography, Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia is an armchair traveler's delight. Author Ian Burnet recounts his journey across this archipelago nation, as well as the heritage and culture of peoples who have made it their home across the centuries. The next best thing to touring Indonesia in person, Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia is a "must-read" for travel literature connoisseurs, and highly recommended for public and community library collections.


The Military Shelf

An American Solider In The Great War
Elmer O. Smith, author
John DellaGiustina, editor
Hellgate Press
c/o L & R Publishing LLC
PO Box 3531, Ashland, OR 97520
www.hellgatepress.com
9781555718213, $21.95, PB, 356pp, www.amazon.com

In 1917, U.S. military forces deployed to France and contributed significantly to the Allied defeat of Imperial Germany along the Western Front in 1918. World War I (which at the time was called "The War to End All Wars") was the largest, most destructive war in human history up to that point. More than a century later, as the country looks back, it is important to develop a deeper connection to the hearts and minds of the two million American soldiers sent overseas to fight in this major conflict. Private First Class Elmer O. Smith of Michigan was one of those brave soldiers. United States Army Private Elmer O. Smith kept a diary and wrote letters home about what he and his military unit saw, heard and did in combat against the Germans and the devastation and carnage of the Western Front. "An American Soldier in the Great War: The World War I Diary and Letters of Elmer O. Smith" is an edited compilation of Private Smith's writings and is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to the growing library of World War I literature. Very highly recommended, especially for academic library 20th Century American Military reference collections in general, and World War I supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "An American Solider In The Great War" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.06).


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Peter in Early Christianity
Helen K. Bond and Larry W. Hurtado, editors
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802871718 $40.00 www.eerdmans.com

Peter in Early Christianity is an anthology of studious essays by a variety of learned authors about the apostle Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and a leader of the early Christian Church. Overshadowed by the apostle Paul, and perhaps best known for denying Jesus three times (presumably because he was afraid of being arrested and possibly executed), Peter nonetheless played a major role in early Christian communities, and very likely suffered martyrdom for his faith. Individual writings include "Was Peter behind Mark's Gospel?", "Moving the People to Repentance: Peter in Luke-Acts", "Peter in Noncanonical Traditions", "Traces of Peter Veneration in Roman Archaeology", and more. A close scrutiny of both scriptural and historical sources, Peter in Early Christianity is a welcome addition to scholarly Religious Studies shelves.


The Business Shelf

101 Crucial Lessons They Don't Teach You in Business School
Chris Haroun
Business Career Coaching
www.BusinessCareerCoaching.com
9781518830501 $9.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Award winning business school professor and venture capitalist Chris Haroun presents 101 Crucial Lessons They Don't Teach You in Business School, a guide that lives up to its title with brief yet invaluable pieces of advice gathered from the author's decades of experience. "Lesson #43: How to Protect Your Family. Don't set your company up as a sole proprietorship. Rather, set it up as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Setting up an LLC is not expensive and if for some crazy reason your company gets sued, then the liabilities are limited to the assets of the company and not your house." Candid, accessible, and absolutely vital, 101 Crucial Lessons They Don't Teach You in Business School is a "must-read" for anyone in the business world, especially for anyone going into business for themselves!


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
9781594748899 $14.95 www.quirkbooks.com

What if Jane Austen's classic novel about love, marriage, upperclass culture, and respectability in Victorian England took place amid a savage zombie attack? Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a tongue-in-cheek re-imagining of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", in which a horrific plague has descended upon the English village of Meryton, and the dead rise from their graves to devour the living! Peppered with swordfights and zombie-cannibalism as well as courtship and willful egos, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has become a major motion picture; this movie tie-in edition of the ghoulishly fun novel features a handful of inset color plates that vividly portray key movie scenes. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a "must-read" for zombie fans, and a new way to experience Austen's beloved work of literature.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Tips on Auditioning: Ideas for Actors
Jon Jory
Smith & Kraus Publishers
177 Lyme Road, Lyme NH 03755-6610
9781575258959 $19.95 www.smithandkraus.com

Jon Jory shares wisdom from his fifty-year career as a playwright, director, producer, teacher and theater commentator in Tips on Auditioning: Ideas for Actors. Though written especially to be accessible to younger or beginning actors, Tips on Auditioning is filled with valuable material for aspiring performers of all ages and backgrounds, whether pursuing a cherished role in community theater or a professional career in Hollywood. Audition recommendations specific to television/movie roles, plays, and musical theater roles are all discussed. In addition to a wealth insights into the competitive process of "audition acting", Tips on Auditioning also offers 75 new audition pieces, with suggestions on ways to perform each. "It is a kindness to mention your name as in 'Hi, I'm Carla' because your auditioners are desperately trying to locate you on their list. Keep in mind that most people don't shake hands anymore, but if a hand is offered steel yourself and shake it." Tips on Auditioning: Ideas for Actors is a "must-have" for anyone contemplating breaking into the business, highly recommended.

Sci-Fi Scenes and Monster Dreams
Jan Peterson Ewen
Meriwether Publishing
c/o Pioneer Drama Service
PO Box 4267, Englewood, CO 80155
www.pioneerdrama.com
9781566081979 $17.95 www.amazon.com

Sci-Fi Scenes and Monster Dreams: 16 Comedy Scenes for Student Actors is an anthology of brief yet delightfully funny theater scenes that parody popular sci-fi movies, television shows, and books. From mad scientists to superheroes to socially awkward robots, the characters in these easy-to-stage scenes are ideal for encouraging student actors to develop their talent. Drama instructors or community theater actors on a budget will be happy to know that "The rights to unlimited amateur performances of these scenes at one location are granted with the purchase of this book. For performances at another location, a royalty fee of $10 per scene per location must be remitted to Pioneer Drama Service, Inc (address above). Permission to reproduce copies of individual scenes included in this text is granted to amateur groups with the purchase of this book." Sci-Fi Scenes and Monster Dreams is an excellent, user-friendly resource of silly scenarios that are just plain fun to act out! Also highly recommended especially for budding and ambitious actors and anyone working with them are Gavin Levy's "112 Acting Games, second edition" (9781566082006, $19.95) and Mick Napier's "Behind the Scenes: Improvising Long Form" (9781566081993, $19.95).


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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