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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Gerontocracy in America
Samuel Moyn
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
www.fsgbooks.com
9780374607647, $30.00, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Gerontocracy-America-Hoarding-Power-Wealth_and/dp/0374607648
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gerontocracy-in-america-samuel-moyn/1148252594
Synopsis: As Americans debate President Biden's infirmities and President Trump's erratic behavior, we've neglected the
bigger problem before us: a massive transfer of power and wealth to the oldest among us, and the curtailment of the
prospects of the young.
With the publication of "Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth - and What to Do About
It", academician, historian and social critic Professor Samuel Moyn offers a piercing diagnosis of our age divide and its
consequences.
Even apart from the presidency, in legislatures, businesses, and the courts, the average leader's age has risen dramatically.
The elderly predominantly fund campaigns and dominate their agendas, often with the intent to block any challenge to their
status. The tax code is rigged on their behalf, as is an economy geared to sheltering financial and housing assets. The
United States was founded on the promise of generational renovation but has become an increasingly febrile country of old
men.
But it doesn't need to be this way. With understanding and wit, Professor Moyn shows how elder power can be dismantled.
With strong safety nets in place, mandatory retirement ages can be established. The early transfer of assets between
generations could be encouraged and young voters can be granted more voice.
In such a world, the elderly themselves would be freed from power games to confront the existential opportunities of
aging, while the young would find their path to starting out in life unblocked at last.
Critique: Original, erudite, iconoclastic, thoughtfully informative and thought provoking, "Gerontocracy in America: How
the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth - and What to Do About It" is a unique and fascinating analysis of a critical
economic, cultural, social, and political issue and problem that is growing more and more severe with every passing
decade. A seminal and groundbreaking study that is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of
thirty-four pages of Notes and a twelve page Index, "Gerontocracy in America" is a specifically and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Sociology of Class and
Governmental Social/Economic Policy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, economists, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Gerontocracy in America" from Farrar, Straus & Giroux is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Samuel Moyn (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Moyn) is the Kent Professor of Law and History at
Yale University. His books include Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War, The Last
Utopia, and Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World. Cohost of the Digging a Hole podcast, he is a frequent
contributor to The New York Times and many other publications.
The Preventioneers
Barry R. Davis
The Johns Hopkins University Press
www.press.jhu.edu
9781421454337, $34.95, PB, 268pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Preventioneers-Diseases-Disasters-Discoveries-Changed/dp/1421454335
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-preventioneers-barry-r-davis/1147922122
Synopsis: What drives someone to challenge the status quo to prevent disaster? With the publication of "The
Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries That Changed Our World", Dr. Barry R. Davis chronicles the
work of bold individuals who recognized the warning signs of catastrophe and intervened before tragedy could strike. With
stories that include fire, disease, climate change, and public health, Dr. Davis illuminates the efforts of those who
confronted indifference, ignorance, and inertia to shift society's focus from reaction to prevention.
Through real-world case studies and historical research, "The Preventioneers" introduces readers to a diverse cast of
problem-solvers who identified threats, persuaded skeptics, and devised practical solutions.
In colonial Boston, a young Benjamin Franklin witnessed one of the city's most devastating fires. Haunted by that memory,
Franklin grew into a lifelong advocate for fire prevention.
Ignaz Semmelweis and Sara Josephine Baker fought to raise awareness of and prevent child and maternal mortality.
Richard Doll's work to establish the link between smoking and lung cancer revealed the danger of what many viewed as a
harmless activity.
These inspiring stories exemplify the central message of the book: Prevention is a powerful form of civic action. Their
work underscores how principles of prevention transcend fields, whether addressing maternal mortality, auto safety,
cancer, or climate change.
Dr. Davis also underscores that successful prevention requires more than knowledge; it also demands courage, strategy,
and relentless advocacy. In doing so, "The Preventioneers" introduces a framework for thinking about how societies can
act early, save lives, and build a healthier, more resilient future.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, inspiring, exceptional, "The Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries
That Changed Our World" by Dr. Barry R. Davis is an extraordinary and unique study that is especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Preventive Medicine,
Scientific Research, and Public Health Advocacy, History, and Biography collections. It should be noted that this
paperback edition of "The Preventioneers" from the Johns Hopkins University Press is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $33.20) for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist, professor emeritus, and the former Guy S. Parcel Chair
in Public Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. He has helped lead landmark clinical trials that
reshaped the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, including studies that informed national and international
guidelines. Drawing on this experience, Davis explores how early warnings are recognized or ignored and why prevention
remains one of society's most powerful yet underused tools.
The Making, The Rise, And The Future Of The Speakingman: 7th Edition
Dan M. Mrejeru
https://danmirceamrejeru.com
A Terrestral's Mind Publishing, LLC
9798995483977, $21.00, HC, 538pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Rise-Future-Speakingman-development/dp/B0GWFF83ZJ
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Making, the Rise, and the Future of the Speakingman: This edition includes a
discussion on the Cooling of Earth's climate and the development of the Information Society", "Dan M. Mrejeru (an
independent researcher in the field of neuroscience and the evolution of the human brain) offers a comprehensive theory on
how human civilization, society, technology, and culture evolved and advanced. Now in a revised and expanded seventh
edition, "The Making, the Rise, and the Future of the Speakingman" begins with humanoid predecessors evolving into
sapiens with the emergence of language and concludes with observations regarding today's 'Information Society'. Original,
exceptional, iconoclastic, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Making, the Rise, and the Future of the Speakingman"
is an a seminal, extraordinary, exhaustive, and groundbreaking study that is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Human Evolution collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Dan Mircea Mrejeru (https://danmirceamrejeru.com) was always interested in the most profound mystery
of human beings. He studied hard many sciences, becoming a multi-disciplinary scientist and independent researcher. He is
also the author of "Solovki's Ersatz". Most of his research was done for this book. But since publishing it, he found some
weak explanations in some of the chapters, so to correct this, he decided to continue writing on this topic on the Dan
Mrejeru Google profile (look for science parts only). Additionally, he is working on a novel, "The Conclave", as a
screenplay and a movie.
The AI Studies Shelf
The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book
A.G.G. Liu and Aishwary Pawar Ph.D., authors
Visible Ink Press
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578597796, $79.95, HC, 448pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Intelligence-Robots-Future-Humanity/dp/157859779X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-handy-artificial-intelligence-answer-book-agg-liu/1147857706
Synopsis: Artificial intelligence (AI) is popping up everywhere: in Google searches, calls to customer service, and in
healthcare, education, and personal assistants -- to name just five. It's rapidly changing businesses and our lives.
Covering the basics, its history, and the science behind it, "The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book" is the perfect
starting point to understanding the emerging AI revolution, what is currently possible, what might be possible in the future
-- and what's just hype.
Tackling what has been, what is, and what will be (and the "what ifs") of AI, this informative and comprehensive
introduction to AI answers more than 1,400 questions including:
What does the term "artificial intelligence" actually mean?
What real-world AI tools do people use daily, like Alexa, Netflix, and facial recognition?
How do AI algorithms adapt to changes in search trends and user behavior?
What is AI-based image stabilization in smartphones and cameras?
How does AI assist in surgical procedures and robotic surgery?
How does the use of AI in surveillance affect human rights?
What industries are most vulnerable to automation and AI-driven job loss?
How can AI recognize human emotions and adapt its responses accordingly?
What can we learn from other technologies as we consider how AI will shape our world?
And hundreds more!
Informative, provocative, and intriguing, "The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book" looks at this emerging
technology and what the past might tell us about the future, as well as the potentials and the perils of AI!
Critique: Comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Handy Artificial
Intelligence Answer Book", co-authored by A.G.G. Liu and Aishwary Pawar is the ideal introduction to the growing
phenomena that is AI. While especially and unreservedly recommended for highschool, community, and college/university
library AI reference collections and supplemental AI/Robotics/Automation curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The
Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book" from Visible Ink Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in
paperback (9781578597420, $34.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: A.G.G. Liu is a writer and online educator based in New Jersey. Liu has reached millions of online
learners on YouTube -- both as the lead script writer for the AI and futurism channel Rational Animations, and through
their own educational channel, Signore Galilei, which was started during college at Harvard. Liu co-authored the book
30-Second Space Travel with Dr. Charles Liu and Dr. Karen Masters and co-hosts the podcast The LIUniverse with Dr.
Charles Liu.
Editorial Note #2: Aishwary Pawar, Ph.D., is a Statistician in the University Decision Support office at Southern Methodist
University, where his work focuses on applying advanced data analytics and predictive modeling to improve student
retention, success, and institutional outcomes. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering with a specialization in
Operations Research and Engineering Education. Aishwary has co-authored The Handy Engineering Answer Book and is
the author of Your First Code: Python Basics for Absolute Beginners. His research interests include predictive analytics,
student success modeling, and ethical data use in higher education. He also teaches courses in data science and Python
programming as an adjunct faculty member.
Data Inspired
Sebastian Wernicke
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647127183, $29.95, HC, 346pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Data-Inspired-Building-Organizational-Transformation/dp/1647127181
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/data-inspired-sebastian-wernicke/1148377339
Synopsis: Ninety-nine percent of businesses surveyed say that data and AI are a top priority -- but two-thirds admit to
feeling stuck. What most leaders miss is that to succeed at becoming a data-driven business requires developing a nuanced
understanding of why data holds such transformative power, what a data-inspired culture looks like, and how to get
there.
With the publication of "Data Inspired: Building an Organizational Culture of Inquiry for Lasting Transformation",
professional data analyst Sebastian Wernicke shows that the secret isn't to be more data-driven, rather it is to become
data-inspired.
"Data Inspired" reveals the crucial strategic distinction between using data to optimize existing operations and using them
as a catalyst for deep transformation and innovation. Wernicke also argues that success hinges less on technology and more
on reshaping an organization's culture and decision-making habits. And with this presentation of proven principles,
real-world examples, as well as a comprehensive toolbox of methods for building a culture of evidence-based inquiry,
interested readers will learn that success means far more than just adding more data to a business: it is about creating a
thoroughly data-inspired organization with innovative work methods, new structures, and unmatched efficiency.
"Data Inspired" will help business leaders, managers, and data professionals move beyond incremental improvements to
achieve lasting, powerful change in this dawning age of AI.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study, "Data Inspired: Building an Organizational Culture of Inquiry for Lasting
Transformation" by Sebastian Wernicke is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Author's
Note, a two page listing of Acknowledgments, and a twenty-six page Index. Providing a complete course that is
specifically organized and presented as a 'real world' practical instructional guide for business professionals concerned with
data analysis and the growing role of artificial intelligence. This hardcover edition of "Data Inspired" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Business Management collections and
supplemental Generative AI curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Sebastian Wernicke (https://www.datainspired.org) is a partner at Oxera Consulting, one of Europe's oldest
economics and finance consultancies, where he leads the data science and artificial intelligence practice. For two decades,
he has guided global organizations to achieve transformative results with data and AI. His three TED Talks on data and
decision-making have been viewed by millions worldwide.
The Science Shelf
A New Theory of the Visible Universe
Joe Fisher
Leadstart Inkstate
https://www.leadstartcorp.com
9789362637581, $12.00, PB, 167pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/New-Theory-Visible-Universe/dp/9362637588
Synopsis: For over a century, physicists have upheld the belief that the universe consists of both matter and space -- two
fundamental components of existence. With the publication of A New Theory of the Visible Universe, Joe Fisher boldly
challenges this long-standing assumption, proposing a revolutionary vision of reality: there has never been any "space."
Instead, there has only ever been one infinite, visible, contrasting surface -- eternal, seamless, and continuously illuminated
by an infinite form of finite non-surface light.
Fisher's radical reasoning dismantles the core principles of modern astrophysics. He asserts that the universe cannot
expand, that Einstein's curved space-time is imaginary, and that Edwin Hubble's observations were misinterpreted. The Big
Bang, Fisher argues, was an illusion -- for an infinite universe could never have a beginning, an end, nor a period of
cooling. Infinity does not explode; it endures.
In this groundbreaking study, Fisher refutes the work of Einstein, Hubble, and Hawking, as well as the theories endorsed
by NASA, Roscosmos, and the China National Space Administration. Written with clarity, conviction, and the rare
courage to question scientific orthodoxy, "A New Theory of the Visible Universe" invites readers to reexamine everything
they believe about existence itself.
"A New Theory of the Visible Universe" is not just a book about physics -- it is a call to see the universe as it truly
appears: infinite, visible, and forever alive in contrast.
Critique: An original, seminal, and iconoclastic study, "A New Theory of the Visible Universe" by Joe Fisher challenges
established/traditional views on the nature of reality. Erudite, eloquent, and exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization
and presentation, this thoughtful and thought-provoking study is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Philosophy of Science collections and supplemental Astrophysics
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this paperback edition of "A New Theory of the Visible Universe" from Leadstart Inkstate is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.00).
The American History Shelf
A Dear-Bought Victory
Daniel T. Davis and Phillip S. Greenwalt, authors
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217834, $16.95, PB, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Bought-Victory-1775-1776-Emerging-Revolutionary/dp/1611217830
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-dear-bought-victory-daniel-t-davis/1148827431
Synopsis: "I wish we could sell them another hill at the same price we did Bunker Hill," Nathanael Greene wrote to the
governor of Rhode Island after the battle of June 17, 1775.
Fought on Breed's Hill outside Boston, Massachusetts, the Battle of Bunker Hill proved a pyrrhic victory for British forces.
Confident in their ability to overwhelm the New England militia that opposed them, long lines of neatly uniformed British
infantry and marines swept uphill toward a quickly built earthen redoubt defended by a motley collection of farmers,
shopkeepers, and tradesmen.
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" the colonials urged each other -- or did they? By the end of the fight, the
British gained the summit and Colonial forces scattered. One of the patriot leaders, Dr. Joseph Warren, lay dead -- one of
the first martyrs of the American Revolution. But for the British, the scene was far, far worse: it would be the largest
number of casualties they would suffer in any battle of the Revolution. As British General Henry Clinton commented
afterward, "A few more such victories would have surely put an end to British dominion in America."
The siege of Boston would continue, but the sobering lesson of Bunker Hill changed British strategy -- as did the arrival
soon thereafter of a new commander-in-chief of Continental forces: General George Washington.
In "A Dear-Bought Victory: The Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston, 1775-1776", historians Daniel T. Davis
and Phillip S. Greenwalt separate fact from myth as they take readers to the slopes of Breed's Hill and along the Boston
siege lines, illuminating the clash of arms, personalities, and decisions behind a battle that continues to hold a place in
popular memory unlike few others.
Critique: Informed and informative, "A Dear-Bought Victory: The Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston, 1775-
1776" is co-authored by Daniel T. Davis and Phillip S. Greenwalt and a succinct and informative introduction the one of
the key military events that launched the American Revolution the is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Revolutionary War collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Daniel T. Davis is Principal, Interpretation and Special Projects at the American Battlefield Trust. He is
a graduate of Longwood University with a bachelor's degree in public history. Dan has worked as a ranger/historian at
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park and Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and is the
author or co-author of many books on the Civil War. This is his first book in the nine volume Emerging Revolutionary
War Series.
Editorial Note #2: Phillip S. Greenwalt is the co-founder of Emerging Revolutionary War and a full-time contributor to
Emerging Civil War. He is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University with a bachelor's degree in history along with
graduate degrees in American History and International Studies and Leadership from George Mason University and
Arizona State University. He is the author or co-author of seven books on the American Revolution and Civil War.
The Visionaries
James Holland
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802168078, $28.00, HC, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Visionaries-Bretton-Marshall-Making-Post-World/dp/0802168078
Synopsis: On March 12, 1947, less than two years after the end of World War II, President Harry S. Truman gave a
seminal speech before Congress, in response to a European crisis: Greece was facing economic collapse and encroaching
Soviet ambition. Truman felt the U.S. had to give financial aid to a free people resisting attempted subjugation, which, he
emphasized, would promote "economic stability and orderly political processes".
The U.S. was the richest nation in the world, but Truman believed that shared prosperity among the democracies would
make them politically more stable and long-term peace much more likely. His momentous proposition that the U.S. bail
out Greece led in turn to the unprecedented and radical Marshall Plan itself: the decision to aid not only U.S. allies but (for
the first time in history) our former enemies as they all rebuilt from the ruins of the calamitous war. Indeed, with this aid
Germany and Japan became economic powerhouses and, with most of Europe, staunch allies of the U.S.. For almost eighty
years on the benefits of this extraordinary decision are still being felt.
James Holland's deep knowledge of WWII gives him unique insight and appreciation for its historic aftermath. In tight and
vivid prose, "The Visionaries: Bretton Woods, the Marshall Plan, and the Making of the Post-World War II Order"
chronicles the prelude to the Marshall Plan -- from Franklin Roosevelt's historic "four freedoms" speech and "Good
Neighbor Policy" towards Central and South America to the landmark Bretton Woods Conference of July 1944, which
established the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, pillars of world stability.
But it was Truman who pushed for the Marshall Plan, which in 1948 kickstarted via economic assistance the fastest period
of growth in European history. Its low-tariff environment encouraged trade and brought prosperity and longstanding peace
throughout most of Europe and the Americas, including in the United States.
However, with the publication of "The Visionaries" Holland clearly warns that we in the West have become complacent,
less willing to safeguard the freedoms that extended prosperity has allowed; and he makes clear the remarkably far-sighted
decisions made in the wake of WWII stand in stark contrast to our transactional approach to the world today.
Critique: An extraordinarily informative and thought-provoking read from start to finish, "The Visionaries: Bretton
Woods, the Marshall Plan, and the Making of the Post-World War II Order" will hold a very special appeal and value to
readers with an interest in the Post-World War II era of American democratic diplomacy and AID programs in an effort to
defend against the encroaches of communism and other forms of fascist dictatorships in Europe and the Far East.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Visionaries: Bretton Woods, the Marshall Plan, and the Making
of the Post-World War II Order" is a seminal study that is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library 20th Century European & Post-WWII History collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this hardcover edition of "The Visionaries: Bretton Woods, the Marshall Plan, and the Making of the
Post-World War II Order" from the Atlantic Monthly Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: James Holland, one of WWII's finest historians, is the co-author of Victory '45, and author of Cassino '44,
The Savage Storm, Brothers in Arms, Sicily '43, Normandy '44, Big Week, The Rise of Germany and The Allies Strike
Back in The War in the West trilogy, Burma '44, and Dam Busters. He has written and presented the BAFTA shortlisted
documentaries Battle of Britain and Dam Busters for the BBC, and his WWII podcast, "We Have Ways of Making You
Talk," now has millions of listeners. Holland is also the founder of the annual Chalke Valley History Festival. There is an
extensive online listing of his books at Book Series in Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/james-holland
The Military History Shelf
The Bitter End
Antonio J. Munoz
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
9780811777711, $34.95, HC, 286pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bitter-End-Final-Battles-Eastern/dp/0811777715
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bitter-end-antonio-j-munoz/1147509686
Synopsis: The world had never seen anything like the Eastern Front in World War II.
In the so-called bloodlands between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union (from the Baltic in the north to the Balkans, the
Crimea, and the Caucasus in the south) the two sides clashed in a series of titanic campaigns that involved millions of
soldiers and entangled many more civilians. During the war's last year, the Eastern Front descended into cataclysm as the
Red Army forced the Germans into retreat and collapse.
With the publication of "The Bitter End: The Final Battles on the Eastern Front in World War II", Professor Antonio J.
Munoz chronicles this chaotic final stage of World War II, distilling a sprawling conflict into a concise and highly readable
narrative.
In concert with the American and British invasion of Normandy in the West, the Soviets launched the war's endgame with
Operation Bagration in June 1944 and crushed the German center. It was Barbarossa in reverse as the Red Army killed or
captured German forces by the hundreds of thousands. From there, Soviet offensives spread all along the Eastern Front
(Finland, the Baltics, the Balkans, Romania) and inflicted defeat after defeat on Germany and its Axis allies. In early 1945,
Soviet forces took Warsaw and drove the Germans westward out of Poland, along the way liberating concentration camps
including Auschwitz.
Shattered German forces attempted to regroup for a desperate showdown in Berlin, but the weight of the Red Army was
too great, and after two weeks of street fighting, the Reich capital fell. A week later Germany surrendered.
From Bagration to Berlin, from the Vistula to the Oder, from the Kremlin to Hitler's bunker, "The Bitter End" reconstructs
the final battles on the Eastern Front in a narrative covering war-defining operations but never losing sight of the human
cost paid by soldiers in the tanks and foxholes and by innocent civilians in the villages, towns, and cities of Eastern
Europe.
Critique: Informative, fascinating, and a seminal work of meticulous scholarship, "The Bitter End: The Final Battles on the
Eastern Front in World War II" by Professor Antonio J. Munoz is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library World War II History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and military history buffs that this
hardcover edition of "The Bitter End" from Stackpole Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$22.99).
Editorial Note: Antonio J. Munoz is a retired professor of history. He joined the United States Marine Corps right after
graduating from high school. He served honorably for four years, two of them with the Fleet Marine Force Atlantic. He
obtained his bachelor's and master's degree in history from Queens College. He later attended St. John's University, where
he received a doctorate in history. Before he retired, he taught at St. John's University and, later, at Farmingdale State
College. His study The German Secret Field Police in Greece, 1941-1944 was released in 2018.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/228409.Antonio_J_Mu_oz)
Life of the 381st Bomb Group
Bob Korkuc, editor
University of Missouri Press
https://upress.missouri.edu
9780826223487, $45.00, HC, 378pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-381st-Bomb-Group-Experience/dp/0826223486
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-of-the-381st-bomb-group-bob-korkuc/1149004792
Synopsis: While working on his first book, "Finding a Fallen Hero: The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner", Bob Korkuc
became intimately familiar with the 381st Bombardment Group of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and met the group's
chaplain, James Good Brown. Brown kept a diary during his time with the bomb group (1943 to 1945) in which he
chronicled the daily experiences of the men.
Years after the war, Brown self-published his diary, which today is hard to find. Through his friendship with Brown,
Korkuc gained access to and chose to edit the original document so that more readers might appreciate this insightful
wartime eyewitness account.
Serving in his early forties alongside men twenty years his junior (whom he called the "Mighty Men of the 381st") Brown
took part in morning briefings, shared meals with crews, and anxiously awaited their return from dangerous daylight
bombing missions. Flying as a noncombatant, an unnecessary eleventh crewmember, Brown describes his own
observations of a Flying Fortress combat mission over Germany.
Writing with extraordinary candor, Brown documents the inner workings of a bomb group that flew 297 combat missions
over Europe, providing vivid character assessments of his fellow airmen and capturing both their victories and devastating
losses.
In addition to judiciously editing Brown's original diary for readability, Korkuc created a unique appendix, which reveals
the fate of every airman who served with Brown. The immediacy of Brown's narration combined with Korkuc's meticulous
editing make this a promising new resource for scholars and general readers alike.
Critique: Deftly edited by Bob Korkuc and rescued from an undeserved obscurity and providing a new generation of
readers with an accurate, vividly presented 'I was there' eye-witness account of serving in American aerial bombing
missions over Europe during World War II, this hardcover edition of "Life of the 381st Bomb Group: The World War II
Diary of Eighth Air Force Chaplain James Good Brown" from the University of Missouri Press is an extraordinary,
inherently fascinating, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library World War II American Aviation History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Bob Korkuc is an electrical engineer and the author of Finding a Fallen Hero: The Death of a Ball Turret
Gunner. During the research and writing of this book, Korkuc became a student of the 381st Bomb Group and was
privileged to learn about their exploits during World War II. There is a complete listing of books by Bob Korkuc available
online Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1143049.Bob_Korkuc
Reasons We Fight: Tejanos and American Wars, 1836-1972
Alex Mendoza
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806196541, $45.00, HC, 312pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Reasons-We-Fight-American-1836-1972/dp/0806196548
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reasons-we-fight-alex-mendoza/1148299021
Synopsis: Beginning with the Texas Revolution in 1836, Tejanos have fought in American wars. Why, with sometimes
divided loyalties and ambiguous cultural status, Texans of Mexican descent would fight for the U.S. is a question Professor
Alex Mendoza takes up in "Reasons We Fight: Tejanos and American Wars, 1836-1972".
Exploring the American military experience of Tejanos over nearly two centuries, "Reasons We Fight" discovers a
complex landscape of shifting loyalties, motivations, and notions of nationalism reflecting Tejanos' conflicted relationship
with America as it changed over time.
Professor Mendoza's nuanced military and ethnic history reveals that Tejano military service since the Texas Revolution
often had less to do with nationalism or patriotism than with individual decisions. A soldier might be motivated by local
allegiances, ethnic pride, a desire to defend his home, escape poverty, or seek adventure in a foreign war.
By World War II, these notions had become stronger, and the Tejano community responded to the attack on Pearl Harbor
with the patriotic fervor of their Anglo-American neighbors.
"Reasons We Fight" also traces a growing sense of nationalism through the mid-twentieth century, as Tejanos sought to
refute their second-class status as "inferior" individuals -- and to demonstrate their warrior tradition, thus confirming their
rights to citizenship through battle.
In essence, by the Second World War, Tejanos who joined the ranks of the military adopted the characteristics of
American nationalism -- sentiments that would only expand during the Cold War era conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.
The first comprehensive record of Tejanos in war, Professor Mendoza's account documents the forces and circumstances
that shaped military attitudes among Mexican Texans, along with the challenges they faced navigating a complex of
shifting ideas about identity, community, and nationalism -- and America itself.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and the impressively informative result of exhaustive research and meticulous
scholarship, "Reasons We Fight: Tejanos and American Wars, 1836-1972" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the
inclusion of a ten page Bibliography, thirty-four pages of Notes, and a six page Index. A unique, appreciated and
unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American
Military History & Hispanic/Latino History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of
"Reasons We Fight: Tejanos and American Wars, 1836-1972" from the University of Oklahoma Press is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $32.00).
Editorial Note: Alex Mendoza is an Associate Professor of History at the University of North Texas. He is author of
Confederate Struggle for Command: General James Longstreet and the First Corps in the West and co-editor of Texans
and War: New Interpretations of the State's Military History. There is an extensive listing of books by Professor Mendoza
online at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5360516.Alex_Mendoza
The Political Science Shelf
The Future of Free Speech
Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff, authors
The Johns Hopkins University Press
www.press.jhu.edu
9781421454160, $32.95, HC, 416pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Future-Free-Speech-Reversing-Democracys/dp/1421454165
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-future-of-free-speech-jacob-mchangama/1147833598
Synopsis: Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their
opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been
recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and international human rights law.
Many countries have constitutional laws that protect freedom of speech. Terms such as free speech, freedom of speech, and
freedom of expression are often used interchangeably in political discourse. However, in legal contexts, freedom of
expression more broadly encompasses the right to seek, receive, and impart information or ideas, regardless of the medium
used. (Wikipedia)
With the publication of "The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most Essential
Freedom", co-authors Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff confront a stark truth: The right to speak freely is under
siege.
Once celebrated as a cornerstone of democratic societies, free expression is now met with growing suspicion and
retaliation across the globe. Mchangama and Kosseff present a panoramic view of how we arrived at this pivotal
moment.
"The Future of Free Speech" examines a century in which speech rights expanded dramatically (including postwar
democratic revolutions and the sweeping protections of the First Amendment) only to find those rights unraveling in the
face of new political, technological, and cultural pressures. Today, liberal democracies are imposing speech controls,
authoritarian regimes are cloaking censorship in democratic language, and digital platforms wield unprecedented power
over global discourse.
Additionally, "The Future of Free Speech" examines the backlash against free speech from all sides: governments
criminalizing dissent in the name of national security; lawmakers and activists demanding tighter controls on
misinformation, hate speech, and offensive content; and AI systems removing speech at a scale and speed that dwarfs
historical forms of censorship.
At the same time, faith in free speech itself is waning, even in the very societies that once championed it.
"The Future of Free Speech" cogently argues for a reinvigorated, global commitment to open dialogue. Co-authors
Mchangama and Kosseff advocate nonpartisan, civic-minded solutions that resist both government overreach and
corporate silencing. They offer a compelling case for how free speech can meet modern challenges without abandoning its
foundational role in sustaining democracy, human rights, and shared understanding.
Critique: A timely, seminal and groundbreaking study, "The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of
Democracy's Most Essential Freedom" is a clarion call identifying and underscoring the role of Free Speech in maintaining
and protecting democratic forms of governance against the totalitarian efforts to degrade and remove democracy in the
United States, and around the world. Exceptionally well written, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most Essential Freedom" is an
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary
Social Issues collections and supplemental Political Science curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for political science
students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most
Essential Freedom" from the Johns Hopkins University Press is also readily available in a a digital book format (Kindle,
$29.17).
Editorial Note #1: Jeff Kosseff is a nonresident senior legal fellow at The Future of Free Speech and the author of "Liar in
a Crowded Theater: Freedom of Speech in a World of Misinformation".
Editorial Note #2: Jacob Mchangama is the founder and executive director of The Future of Free Speech and a research
professor at Vanderbilt University. He is also the author of "Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media".
The Education Shelf
Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI
Cathy Collins
ISTE
www.iste.org
9798888370414, $34.99, PB, 140pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-News-Literacy-Age-Cross-Curricular/dp/B0CVN12KY5
ISTE
https://iste.org/products/a1wVb00000015gnIAA/teaching-news-literacy-in-the-age-of-ai
Synopsis: News literacy on the part of the people is essential for the preservation of democracy and collective national
decision making. News literacy is also critical to understanding the role that information and a free press play in our lives,
and to maintaining a robust democracy. However, effective news literacy education resources at the K - 12 level are hard to
find.
"Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI: A Cross-Curricular Approach" by Cathy Collins fills the gap, offering a
civic-minded and globally oriented perspective to help K-12 teachers integrate news literacy across curriculum areas to
guide students in learning about the importance of journalism in a democracy and in our world.
Through practical tools, resources and lesson plan ideas, "Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI" will help K-12
educators to create curriculums that will foster the skills students need to become discerning consumers and creative
producers of news. Educators will develop strategies for sparking meaningful classroom discussions that empower students
to evaluate, interpret and synthesize information, pushing students beyond the concept of "fake news" to become expert
critical thinkers and content creators.
"Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI" includes:
Guidance in every chapter on how to address news literacy in the context of AI.
A menu of resources for further exploration, such as podcasts, videos and digital tools, in each chapter.
Guiding and reflection questions, with a link to an online Padlet for real-time sharing.
An Action Plan Template to help teachers integrate news literacy in classrooms and learning spaces.
An introduction to tools such as the News Literacy Project's Framework for Teaching News Literacy and the MediaWise
Teen Fact-Checking Network.
The cross-disciplinary approach taken by "Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI" gives K-12 classroom teachers and
home schooling parents the knowledge and resources to help students navigate today's news and media landscape as expert
chroniclers, curators and content creators.
Critique: An ideal resource for teaching children to effectively evaluate what they are told in news publications,
broadcasts, and journalists/reporters in this age of Artificial Intelligence and political division/bias, "Teaching News
Literacy in the Age of AI: A Cross-Curricular Apprach" by Cathy Collins is an especially and unreservedly recommended
pick for personal, professional, school district, K-12, and college/university library Media/Internet Communications
Evaluation collections, In-Service Workshops, and Journalism curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for elementary
and secondary classroom teachers, library media specialists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this trade paperback () edition of "Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI" from ISTE is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Cathy Collins (https://drcathycollins.com), is a veteran library media specialist who has served as a News
Literacy Project Ambassador in Massachusetts. Collins is also the lead instructional designer for "STEM Innovations and
Global Competence," an online course for K - 12 teachers hosted by the U.S. State Department. Previously, Collins was a
Reynolds High School Journalism Institute fellow, and a project consultant for the ebook Searchlights and Sunglasses:
Journalism in the Digital Age. She received a Teachers for Global Classrooms fellowship from the U.S. State Department
in 2014, and is a recipient of an American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Intellectual Freedom Award. She was
named a Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) Super Librarian, is the recipient of an Ellen Berne Pathfinder
Award for Innovative School Library Programming, MSLA's Web Seal of Excellence, Virtual Influencer and Service
Awards. Collins was elected to the ISTE Board of Directors in December 2020. She earned a doctoral degree in
curriculum, leadership, teaching and learning, and holds master's degrees in education and library science.
The Spatial Edge
Thomas Fisher and Len Kne, authors
Esri Press
www.esri.com/esripress
9781589488960, $39.99, HC, 200pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spatial-Edge-Strategic-Advantage-Education/dp/1589488954
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spatial-edge-thomas-fisher/1149559091
Synopsis: Although GIS is now widely taught in higher education, it is typically associated with a handful of areas of
study: geography, planning, natural resources, and landscape architecture.
"The Spatial Edge: The Strategic Advantage of GIS Skills Across Higher Education" by co-authors Thomas Fisher and Len
Kne uses a series of case studies to show how integrating a geographic approach can unite campuses and address
challenges by fostering spatial thinking across academic disciplines and university operations. It highlights the expanding
role of GIS beyond traditional fields to enhance teaching, research, logistics and planning, and community engagement in
higher education worldwide.
As a guide, "The Spatial Edge" is easy to use and highly accessible, showing administrators and educators the many ways
in which their colleagues, in virtually every field, are using GIS to:
Teach students,
Conduct research,
Connect with communities,
Operate facilities, and
Produce geospatially skilled graduates, ready for the workplace.
"The Spatial Edge" is a guide that will bridge the gap between disciplines, and show how:
Educators are using GIS in the classroom in creative ways,
Researchers are using it in an array of scholarly projects,
Facilities managers are using it to operate universities more effectively, and
Community organizers are using it to engage community members.
"The Spatial Edge" shows how you can use GIS to proactively solve challenges at your campus to benefit management,
students, and staff.
Critique: Thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "The Spatial Edge: The Strategic Advantage of
GIS Skills Across Higher Education" is an exceptional, timely and instructive Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
resource for college/university curriculum planners, administrators, education theorists, and classroom instructors.
Informative and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Spatial Edge is unreservedly recommended for
college/university library Education Theory & Practice collections and supplemental Geographic Information Systems &
Remote Sensing curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of educators and curriculum
developers that this hardcover edition of "The Spatial Edge" from Esri Press is also readily available in paperback
(9781589488953, $24.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note #1: Thomas Fisher, is Director of the Minnesota Design Center, and Dayton Hudson Chair in Urban Design,
He is a graduate of Cornell University in architecture and Case Western Reserve University in intellectual history, was
previously the Editorial Director of Progressive Architecture magazine. Recognized in 2005 as the fifth most published
writer about architecture in the United States, he has written 9 books, over 50 book chapters or introductions, and over 400
articles in professional journals and major publications. Named a top-25 design educator four times by Design Intelligence,
he has lectured at 36 universities and over 150 professional and public meetings. He has written extensively about
architectural design, practice, and ethics. His newest book is Designing our Way to a Better World (University of
Minnesota Press, 2016).
Editorial Note #2: Len Kne is the director of U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota, an internationally recognized center
that supports the geospatial needs of over 2,000 researchers across 150 departments and centers. He brings extensive
experience with GIS and Information Technologies in higher education, private sector, government, and non-profit
organizations to his work at U-Spatial and is on the faculty of the Master of Geographic Information Science program. He
is looking forward to the day when everyone is thinking spatially.
The Cookbook Shelf
Emily's Cooking: How to Make Food Your Kids will Actually Eat
Anouska Emily Mauree
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600639602, $19.99, PB, 176pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Emilys-Cooking-Actually-snacktivities-lunchboxes/dp/0600639606
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/emilys-cooking-anouska-emily-mauree/1148804093
Synopsis: With more than 100 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for ingenious food hacks, lunchboxes, snacktivities, and
flavor-saving strategies, "Emily's Cooking: How to Make Food Your Kids will Actually Eat: Over 100 Snacktivities,
Lunchboxes and Food Hacks" by Anouska Emily Mauree is an ideal parental go-to cookbook for the kind of child-friendly
foods that make every mealtime fun for the whole family.
Emily's recipes are fun to make, simple to prepare and crucially, your kids will actually eat them. Whether you need food
that's perfect for a party, easy to pack into a lunchbox or guaranteed to keep the whole family happy at dinner the recipes
comprising "Emily's Cooking" include:
Breakfast: Shakshuka-style Egg in a Boat; Little Chick Egg; Terrific Toast
Lunchbox Lifesavers: Corn Dogs; Potato Skin Crisps; Mango Clusters
Dinnertime: Chicken Shawarma; Keem Shepherd's Pie; Butter Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
Fun with Fruit & Veg: Orange Butterflies; Avocado Roses; Crunchy Chickpea Snacks
Sweet Treats: Chocolate Flower Pops; Banana Sushi; Pancake Mix Muffins
Holiday Helpers: Chocolate Christmas Trees; Pretzel Bunnies; Halloween Tortillas
From the easiest snacks to reach for in a pinch to simple lunchbox solutions, these are recipes that kids of all ages will
truly love!
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout in full color, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly in organization and presentation,
and an ideal resource for planning 'kid friendly' menus for any and all dining occasions formal and informal, "Emily's
Cooking: How to Make Food Your Kids will Actually Eat: Over 100 Snacktivities, Lunchboxes and Food Hacks" is a
uniquely themed and unreservedly recommended pick for family and community library cookbook collections. A
compendium of recipes that are quick, easy, and budget friendly, it should be noted that this trade paperback (7.5 x 0.44 x
9.75 inches, 1.15 pounds) edition from Hamlyn is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Anouska Emily Mauree (Instagram.com/emilyscooking_ ) is a Mauritian-British mother of two who loves
making mealtimes fun. With a background in childcare, she has always loved helping kids find the fun in food but she got
into her channel in earnest in lockdown when she started to grow a following for her brilliantly simple food hacks. She has
gone viral for food that is both fun and delicious, such as her Disney-inspired Bluey toast, has worked with brands such as
Tesco, Lidl, Nestle, Waitrose, OXO, Maggi and Quorn, and is a judge for UK Quality Foods Awards.
Taste of Home Summer Potlucks Cookbook
Taste of Home (Editor)
Taste of Home (Publisher)
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889771760, $10.99, PB, 128pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Summer-Potlucks-Crowd-pleasing/dp/B0FWZX5WC5
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-of-home-summer-potlucks-taste-of-home/1148560537
Synopsis: An ideal culinary resource for planning summertime menus for truly memorable dining both formal and
informal, "Taste of Home Summer Potlucks Cookbook: Easy Summer Meals And Crowd Pleasing Recipes For BBQs And
Picnic Dishes" is certain to be a family cookbook shelf favorite. Especially for those bring-a-dish events or hosting a
backyard bash, easy summer meals inside or outside.
"Taste of Home Summer Potlucks Cookbook: Easy Summer Meals And Crowd Pleasing Recipes For BBQs And Picnic
Dishes" features:
105 mouthwatering summer recipes with a full color photo for every dish so finding your next favorite meal is easier than
ever before.
Recipes specifically designed to feed a large group and travel beautifully making them the perfect potluck ideas for your
next family reunion or event.
Quick and easy callouts to help you whip up last minute summer cooking creations without spending hours in the kitchen
preparing food.
A handy bonus chapter dedicated entirely to large batch recipes to make feeding an extra big crowd simple and completely
stress free.
Helpful cooking tips clever shortcuts and smart ingredient substitutions that round out the barbecue recipes and give you
the upper hand.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated in full color throughout, each recipe presented in thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' layouts,
this large format () trade paperback format of "Taste of Home Summer Potlucks Cookbook: Easy Summer Meals And
Crowd Pleasing Recipes For BBQs And Picnic Dishes" will prove to be an especially welcome addition to personal,
family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that the "Taste of Home Summer Potlucks
Cookbook" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Taste of Home (https://www.tasteofhome.com) is America's #1 food/lifestyle brand, inspiring togetherness
through cooking, baking and entertaining. Featuring recipes shared by today's home cooks, Taste of Home magazine has
hundreds of thousands of subscribers throughout North America and publishes best-selling cookbooks and newsstand
specials. The brand's web site is a top destination, featuring kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos and
more. Taste of Home has more than 7 million fans on Facebook, 2.1 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million Pinterest
followers and receives more than 28 million unique monthly visitors.
The Wildlife Shelf
Cormorant: A Cultural History of Greed and Prejudice
Gordon McMullan
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781009652988, $45.00, HC, 450pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cormorant-Cultural-History-Greed-Prejudice/dp/1009652982
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cormorant-gordon-mcmullan/1148263758
Synopsis: How does prejudice grow and mutate? What does intolerance, when transferred from human beings onto
animals, do to those creatures? And what, in return, does it do to us?
"Cormorant: A Cultural History of Greed and Prejudice" by Professor Gordon McMullan is the gripping story of a 'greedy'
bird hated across the world, the object of global conflict between the fishing industry on the one hand and environmental
science on the other.
Professor McMullan reveals that cormorants have been loathed for centuries, a detestation that has metamorphosed over
time. Drawing on fields which include literature, art history and zoology, and ranging from America to China and from
Britain to Peru, Cormorant explores racism, xenophobia and capitalism through the remarkable story of a bird. Professor
McMullan argues that if in the present we are to recognize prejudicial attitudes towards animals and our fellow human
beings, then we need to look to the past to understand how those viewpoints have taken hold.
Critique: A seminal and ground breaking study into the nature of prejudice and intolerance, "Cormorant: A Cultural
History of Greed and Prejudice" is an extraordinary and fascinating read from start to finish. With a truly impressive work
of meticulous scholarship and informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a thirty-two page
Bibliography, sixty-seven pages of Notes, and a seven page Index, "Cormorant: A Cultural History of Greed and
Prejudice" is an extraordinary, original, and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library collections and supplemental curriculum collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of
"Cormorant: A Cultural History of Greed and Prejudice" from the Cambridge University Press is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $42.75).
Editorial Note: Gordon McMullan is Professor of English at King's College London. He has written about early modern
drama, late-life creativity and cultures of commemoration and has edited plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. He
is a recipient of the Sam Wanamaker Award from Shakespeare's Globe and is a Fellow of the English Association and of
the Royal Society of Arts. (www.goodreads.com/author/list/350759.Gordon_McMullan)
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
A Look Back in Time Memoir of a Military Kid in the Sixties
Bernard N. Lee
https://bernardleejr.com
Emerald Books
9781967628162, $24.95, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Look-Back-Time-III/dp/1967628165
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-look-back-in-time-volume-iii-bernard-n-lee/1149697842
Synopsis: "A Look Back in Time Vol. III" by Bernard N. Lee Jr. is the personal life story of a military kid living on post at
Ft. Sill, while attending Lawton High School in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Bernard had promised his dad he will pursue a career as an officer in the Army. That promise weighed heavily on his mind.
Bernard knows he will have to excel in his classes to realize his dreams of attending college. If he is successful, he will be
the first in his family to do so. The stakes are high, almost as high as the hurdles that are sure to get in his way.
Will Bernard be accepted by the local teens who attend the recently integrated high school? Can Bernard excel at school
while working at a challenging job at the restaurant on post? Will Bernard succeed at integrating the morning math table?
Will he pay dearly for contradicting a teacher in his American History class? Will Bernard find sports is an equalizer or
will his contributions be swept to the side? Will he find an ally in his new job and avoid being fired? Will Bernard
disappoint his dad if he can't keep his promise?
"A Look Back in Time" is a true story of the courage it takes to be the first, overcome the challenges, and succeed against
the odds. The obstacles are many, but this military kid was determined to overcome them all!
Critique: A unique 'coming of age' African-American memoir, Bernard Lee's this third installment of his life as the son in a
U.S. military family as laid out in "A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kids in the Sixties, Volume 3" is an
extraordinary, deftly crafted, and inherently fascinating read from start to finish. With a special appeal to readers with an
interest in the life experiences of an adolescent African-American young man in the tumultuous 1960s, "A Look Back in
Time" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library Contemporary
American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental 20th Century African American History/Biography curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Bernard N. Lee, Jr. (https://bernardleejr.com) grew up in the fifties and sixties, following World War II and
the Korean Conflict. Those times had a profound impact on his family, and his father's career in the US Army. Bernard
kept a mental diary of people and places, during his father's tours of duty, at military posts throughout the United States
and Europe. Those stories form the basis for his memoir series, "A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the
Fifties, Vol. I & II" which was a 2019 Best Book Awards Finalist and a 2020 International Best Book Awards
Finalist.
Calling Out the Shadows
Neal Winsomer
Neal Winsomer Publishing
https://nealwinsomerpublishing.com
9798995335177, $TBA pbk / $9.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Calling-Out-Shadows-Transparency-Structure-ebook/dp/B0GX7VHVXC
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/calling-out-the-shadows-neal-winsomer/1149965203
Synopsis: What happens when silence protects the wrong person?
"Calling Out the Shadows: A Father's Stand Against the Current" by Neal Winsomer is the documented account of one
father's decision to respond to chaos with clarity, to meet secrecy with transparency, and to choose love over anger for his
daughter's sake. This memoir and practical guide does not tell you what to do. "Calling Out the Shadows" shows what one
person did, why it held up, and how the framework behind it can be applied.
"Calling Out the Shadows" is not about revenge. Rather it is a blueprint for those navigating high-conflict custody, broken
communication, or the quiet erosion of truth in family relationships. It offers structure for protecting your story, restraint
for telling it, and faith that patience and documentation can outlast distortion.
"Calling Out the Shadows" is a memoir and a practical guide manual that is deliberately non-prescriptive. It is one father's
account: subjective, imperfect, and written from a single vantage point. No claim is made here to expertise, to knowing
your situation, or to telling you what you must do. The narrative, the appendices, the frameworks, and the tools are offered
in love, hope, and humility.
What you take from it, and what you do with it, is entirely yours.
Critique: "Calling Out the Shadows: A Father's Stand Against the Current: Clarity over comfort. Transparency over
secrecy. Structure over spin. Love over anger" by Neal Winsomer features ten appendices of practical tools that follow the
narrative and include: 24 deflective and evasive communication patterns identified and defined, an A-to-Z behavioral
reference, and a framework for building court-ready documentation with AI support. Also included are structured prompt
preparation protocols, guidance on filing bar complaints without retaliation risk, a nonprofit concept for co-parenting
support, and restricted language frameworks for organizing, telling, and protecting a sensitive story. Original, exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "Calling Out the Shadows is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir and Self-
Help/Self-Improvement collections. It is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of
parents, family members, psychology students, academia, family law professionals, family counselors and therapists,
co-parenting advocates, anyone having to navigating high-conflict communication or are working to bring a sensitive story
forward with clarity and protection, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Neal Winsomer (https://nealwinsomerpublishing.com) is a father, author, and creator of Protected
Narrative Pathway Solutions, a structured approach to helping individuals share sensitive stories with security and
authenticity.
Naked Out Loud
Machan Taylor
https://www.machantaylor.com
New Haven Publishing Ltd
https://www.newhavenpublishingltd.com
9781915975287, $28.99, PB, 204pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Out-Loud-Machan-Taylor/dp/191597528X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/naked-out-loud-machan-taylor/1148736010
Synopsis: Machan Taylor sang with some of the biggest names in the world of rock music. Now with the publication of
"Naked Out Loud: From Yokohama to Pink Floyd and Beyond" she reveals her personal story behind the music.
Her years of touring with Pink Floyd, Sting, and Pat Benatar brought private jets, bright lights, and the illusion of having
"made it". But behind the glamour, Machan Taylor was quietly unraveling and searching for the self she was yet to
find.
"Naked Out Loud" is a raw, soul-baring ride of unflinching honesty and luminous grace about fame, reinvention, and
ultimately finding peace. It is also the story of a woman who turned heartbreak into healing -- and learned that the greatest
performance is living your own truth.
Critique: Impressively candid, exceptionally well written, remarkably informative, and a simply fascinatingly detailed life
story from start to finish, "Naked Out Loud: From Yokohama to Pink Floyd and Beyond" is essential reading for the
legions of Machan Taylor fans and an unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library
Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. The personal memoir of a remarkably talented whose career
ranges from a popular rock singer, to achieving a Master's Degree from the New York University in music and
composition, to becoming an NYU Adjunct Professor. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback
edition of "Naked Out Loud" from New Haven Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Machan Taylor (https://www.machantaylor.com) is a lifelong artist whose four-decade career has taken her
from world tours and major recordings to creative mentorship and teaching. A singer, songwriter, and performer, she has
shared the stage with artists including Sting, Pink Floyd, Pat Benatar, George Benson, Gov't Mule and more, and was the
lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated group Hiroshima. Her solo album Machan debuted #35 on the Billboard
Contemporary Jazz Charts, and her compositions have appeared on television and in award-winning films. Equally at
home in the classroom as on the stage, Machan is a NCVS Certified Vocologist and sought-after voice teacher who helps
singers develop healthy and authentic artistry. She holds a Master's Degree in Music Theory and Composition from New
York University. She served as Vocal Coach and Associate Producer for Vera Farmiga's film Higher Ground and is
currently an Adjunct Professor at NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. She continues to create, teach, and
inspire as a performer and now as an author.
The General Fiction Shelf
For Love of Billie
Patricia Vido
https://patriciavido.com
Grunge Muffin Press
https://www.grungemuffinpress.com
9781971167008, $19.99, PB, 244pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Billie-Patricia-Vido/dp/1971167002
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-love-of-billie-patricia-vido/1149176664
Synopsis: When twelve-year-old Finn Maguire is smitten by the beautiful Billie (his dad's young coworker and subsequent
lover) he is thrust into a rivalry with the father he idolizes and a tragedy that tears him away from her.
At nineteen, unmoored by his mother's cancer diagnosis, Finn seeks consolation from Billie, convinced she's been waiting
for him. Tempted, will he consummate the relationship that's preoccupied him for years, or overcome his obsession and
choose love with an age-appropriate partner?
Critique: An original and deftly crafted blending of a 'coming of age' story, an intergenerational familial love triangle, and
psychological suspense thriller, "For Love of Billie" by Patricia Vido is an extraordinary and riveting read from start to
finish. Showcasing Vido's impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that readers will
find riveting, "For Love of Billie" is unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "For Love of Billie" from Grunge
Muffin Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Patricia Vido (https://patriciavido.com) honed her writing and editing skills as a reporter, features writer,
and features editor at newspapers in western Pennsylvania. She was always most interested in stories that explored (and
tried to explain) why people do what they do. She has won writing awards from three Pennsylvania press associations.
Freedom Quest: A Love Story
Debora Masterson, author
Mary Quinlan, illustrator
https://deboramasterson.com
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798901741269, $18.99, PB, 302pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Quest-Story-Debora-Masterson/dp/B0GRKG1DHW
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/freedom-quest-debora-masterson/1149640063
Synopsis: Michael Griffin is a gifted musician whose journey through the Southern California music scene of the
1960s-80s becomes a cautionary tale about artistic integrity, the pursuit of stardom, and the cost of chasing dreams. From
backing up strippers in North Beach, San Francisco, to nearly landing a Capitol Records deal, from fronting his band
Freedom Quest to losing the love of his life, Grace, Michael's story captures the raw reality of what it means to live and
breathe music.
It all begins in 1965, when an instant spark ignites between the two of them in a San Fernando Valley music shop. As
Michael chases his musical destiny amid the counterculture revolution, Grace becomes his anchor, his muse -- and the love
he can't live without. But the struggle between artistic integrity and commercial success, betrayal, and the chaos of the
times tear them apart, sending each down separate and often harrowing paths of self-discovery.
Critique: An original, deftly crafted, impressively sweeping and engagingly emotional odyssey, "Freedom Quest: A Love
Story" by novelist Debora Masterson is a an inherently fascinating story a love and relationship that, while surviving
separation, success, failure, and illness, goes on to reveal the redemptive power of music - and that timeless truth that true
love does exist in the world. Masterson's exceptional and genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven
storytelling style is perfectly suited to creating a 'Rockstar Romance' in the musical culture of the late 20th Century. While
unreservedly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance & Historical Fiction
collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Freedom Quest: A Love Story" from Atmosphere Press is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Debora Masterson (https://deboramasterson.com) is a writer, educator, producer, musician and
Francophone. Her writing has appeared in the Off-Campus Writers Workshop "About Write" publication and she is an
editor for the Chicago Writers Association "Windy City Review". Her career in the arts began in her youth as a
singer/dancer. She was recruited by Sammy Davis, Jr. as a dancer & background singer performing in major cities
throughout the USA. She transitioned into the agency business setting up Working Artists Agency. WAA was the first
boutique talent agency to represent post-production clients and expanded into developing film and television programs. As
an educator, she has taught tap, jazz and modern dance. With an MA in French, she taught high school, community college
and adult French classes and tutored Nestle executives in accent reduction. She has taught presentation skills and business
writing to CBRE management as a corporate trainer and taught a master class about the agency business to students at the
Columbia College Chicago Los Angeles location.
Promising Young Man
Elias Axel
https://eliasaxel.com
My Delightful Life Press
https://www.mydelightfullife.com
9798992065602, $17.99, PB, 239pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Promising-Young-Man-Elias-Axel/dp/B0DVQ7LLG6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/promising-young-man-elias-axel/1146973363
Synopsis: Oscar Danielsson is eighteen, brilliant, ADHD, and about to ruin his life -- again.
He looks like a promise waiting to be kept. His biggest fear is everyone discovering he's not what they expect at all.
Between his spectacular mistakes, self-medicating, and overwhelming existential dread, hiding in his room feels safe, even
if it means blowing high school graduation.
Then, one hazy mistake too many launches Oscar on a mysterious cross-country road trip with his free-wheeling Grammy,
who's done playing by the rules... and living a lie. Leaving behind his girl crush, beloved dog, and all his comforting vices
is torture. But Grammy's secret changes everything -- and Oscar discovers one of his own!
Oscar is the defiant anti-hero you can't stop rooting for. Grammy's his unlikely wingman.
Together they're almost okay.
Critique: Deftly edited by Julian Josip, "Promising Young Man" is a simply fascinating, original, and exceptional 'coming
of age' novel by Elias Axel and showcases the author's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven
storytelling style that makes for a great read. Laced throughout with satire and dark humor, "Promising Young Man" is a
fun, deftly crafted, and thought-provoking novel that is especially and unreservedly recommended for highschool and
community library Contemporary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback
edition of "Promising Young Man" from My Delightful Life Press is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Alias Axel has a high value website (https://eliasaxel.com) that will interest his readers as features his blog,
a section called 'Get Involved', and more.
The Boy with the Butterfly Mind
Lorelei Brush
https://loreleibrush.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896363644, $17.99, PB, 312.00
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Butterfly-Mind-Novel/dp/B0FWZZ39BH
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boy-with-the-butterfly-mind-lorelei-brush/1148560732
Synopsis: When Julie Crawford's whirlwind four-year-old is kicked out of preschool, suspected of having ADHD (likely
genetic) her husband moans from his recliner that "even my genes are failures."
At work, Julie is a high school math teacher who requires her students to solve complex problems. But faced with an
unsafe daycare home and no other daycare openings, a husband who hates the idea of labeling their son as a "problem",
and a supervisor who's angry at the amount of time she's taking off school, she's at a loss for how to come up with a
solution to this particular dilemma.
Julie's struggle to help her son ultimately demands a number of mindset shifts: a willingness to become a student and ask
for help, a humble acceptance of her errors, a burgeoning strength to reckon with a dominant father and retreating husband
-- and the self-confidence to trust her instincts when it comes to deciding on the best next steps for her son.
Critique: With her original, exceptional, and deftly crafted novel, "The Boy with the Butterfly Mind", author Lorelei Brush
demonstrates a truly impressive, eloquent, character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideal for engaging her
readers in this quiet saga of a novel of a mother's dilemma with the pressures of a job, a special needs (ADA) son, and a
clinically depressed husband. An inherently fascinating story that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually engaging
from start to finish, "The Boy with the Butterfly Mind" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Boy with the Butterfly
Mind" from She Writes Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
Editorial Note: Lorelei Brush (https://loreleibrush.com) is a college mathematics major, a former assistant professor of
child development, and the parent of a neurodivergent child. The story in her novel, "The Boy with the Butterfly Mind"
deftly mixes elements of all three life experiences to describe the struggles and triumph of a young family dealing with
neurodivergence. Her previous novels include Uncovering, about the trials of a nurse practitioner in northwest Pakistan,
and Chasing the American Dream, about the quest of a disappointed WWII spy to be a hero in 1950s Cleveland.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Last Lady B
Eloisa James
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668200056, $19.00, PB, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Lady-B-Eloisa-James/dp/1668200058
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-lady-b-eloisa-james/1146890378
Synopsis: In the depths of winter, Lady Genevieve Hughes, her pet piglet, and her septuagenarian husband travel to a
haunted abbey in the Scottish Highlands. Evie is excited to meet a ghost (perhaps one of her husband's three previous
wives), but didn't expect the funny, quirky guests to become the friends she's never had. And she certainly didn't imagine
meeting Sir Godric Everly, a sardonic, witty solicitor who loathes her husband.
Yet as secrets and lies turn Evie's world upside down, Sir Godric becomes the one person whom she can trust.
When ghosts, multiple wills, and a shocking marriage certificate bring Lord Burnsby's past crashing into his present,
Burnsby promptly dies, leaving Evie free to remarry... though as a virgin wife, now a virgin widow, she is more unnerved
by the marriage bed than a spectral visit.
More importantly, she has to figure out whose identity is false, whose vows are dishonorable, whose truths could destroy
her reputation -- and where her heart belongs.
Critique: "The Last Lady B" by author Eloisa James is a truly extraordinary, original, and deftly crafted novel that
showcases her genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that makes for a simply fun and riveting read
from start to finish. While an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community library romantic fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Last Lady B" from Gallery
Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Eloisa James (www.EloisaJames.com) an author of historical romance novels. Her books have been
translated into twenty-six languages. As Mary Bly, she is a Shakespeare professor at Fordham University. She currently
resides in New York City and Florence, Italy.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Sermon
Kurtis Redding
Goat Milk Press
https://goat-milk-press.com
9798950158001, $22.99, PB, 442pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sermon-Kurtis-Redding/dp/B0GY3Y1VDX
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sermon-kurtis-redding/1149959732
Synopsis: Imprisoned within his own languishing body, is the story of an invalid who records the impressions that come to
him in sleep, wakefulness, and the states in between. The result of these recorded musings is a rumination on the universe
as it flows through the soul of a diseased and rarefied conduit of a man.
Critique: Original, exceptional, emotionally engaging and intellectually absorbing, "Sermon" by Kurtis Redding is a unique
and deftly crafted novel told in fragments and presented as a life in visions. Showcasing author Kurtis Redding's genuine
flair as a novelist for the kind of imaginative and narrative driven storytelling style that lifts "Sermon" to an impressive and
memorable level of literary excellence, this unique novel is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that this paperback edition of "Sermon" from Goat Milk Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$6.99).
Editorial Note: Kurtis Redding is a co-owner, webmaster, editor, and author for Goat Milk Press. His is the author of
"Autocremation" (a collection of three short stories) and "Hyperstigmata" (a play in one act). He is also professional
scientist who holds a B.S. in physics and mathematics. He is passionate about literature, history, philosophy, art, black
comedy, and the hierophanic.
War at Home
Troy R. Ray
Independently Pubished
9798998884306, $17.95, PB, 430pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/War-at-Home-Troy-Ray/dp/B0FGSD9XGR
Synopsis: The war in Vietnam torments thirteen-year-old Mark Thomas. Like the rest of the Thomas family, Mark fears for
his older brother Jack, a Special Forces soldier caught up in the fighting. Mark has a tight bond with Jack who has taught
Mark how to fish, how to drive stick-shift, and how to think like a soldier.
Mark is a kind-hearted boy with a gift for understanding wild animals, very unlike his hot-headed younger brother, Petey,
who has a talent for speed and plans to one day be a Navy pilot.
The brothers, along with a cabal of friends, investigate the late night disappearance of an armored car transporting a
shipment of gold and the murder of the driver and guards. The boys plot missions from their underground fort.
Mark and Petey have a wrench thrown into their wild and free ways when their older sister, Ruth, returns from studying
abroad in France. With the kindly yet stern Mrs. Thomas distracted by her concerns for Jack's safety, Ruth takes it upon
herself to reign in Mark and Petey.
Sparks fly with the arrival of Sgt. Michael Minnetti, a combat friend of Jack's suffering from PTSD. Against the wishes of
the passionate war-protesting Ruth, the Thomas family takes in Sgt. Minnetti and the mysterious, ever-calm, eye patched
Mr. Thomas provides guidance.
With the boys' investigation closing in on a murderous band of outlaws, their survival will depend on their skills and
experience of growing up wild and free, as the war in Vietnam shakes the foundation of family.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a welcome addition to community and college/university library American Literary
Fiction collections, the character and narrative driven storytelling style of Troy Ray in "War at Home" raises his novel to
an impressive level of literary excellence. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of readers with an interest in
'coming of age' fiction set in the Vietnam War era that this paperback edition of "War at Home" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Troy Ray is a veteran high school English teacher. He enjoyed an adventurous and free childhood. He is
fond of both raccoons and beagles because of their mischievous personalities. He is married and has four children.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Days of the River Rider
David L. Fleming
TCU Press
https://tcupress.tcu.edu
9780875659480, $24.99, PB, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Days-River-Riders-David-Fleming/dp/0875659489
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/days-of-the-river-rider-david-l-fleming/1150067888
Synopsis: At the height of a foot-and-mouth cattle quarantine along the Rio Grande, John Bearman patrols the river as an
isolated rider, armed only with books, a Victrola, and his duty to protect the borderlands. His solitary existence is
interrupted when he meets Annie Tinsley, a rancher's wife whose resilience and pain mirror the rugged land they both
inhabit.
What begins as an unlikely bond quickly unfolds into a story of smuggling, survival, and forbidden connection -- where
loyalty is tested, violence is close at hand, and the unforgiving desert reveals both its harshness and its grace.
From Annie's struggle with a traumatic birth to Bearman's deadly clash with the ruthless Emilio Ornelos, "Days of the
River Rider" explores themes of isolation, resilience, love, loss, and redemption.
Told through vivid journal entries that give voice to Bearman's inner battles, "Days of the River Rider" offers its readers a
deeply character-driven western that balances gritty action with moments of profound tenderness.
Ideal for fans of Yellowstone:1923 and 1883; for readers of historical fiction, westerns, and literary fiction, particularly
those interested in the Southwest, World War II - era Texas, and Rio Grande border history.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and set against the stark beauty of Texas' Big Bend country in 1943, "Days
of the River Rider" by David L. Fleming is comprised of a compelling blend of historical western fiction with a classic
western storytelling style that makes is an inherently fascinating and truly memorable read from start to finish. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library collections, it should be noted for personal reading
lists that this paperback edition from TCU Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: David Fleming (https://www.flemfile.com) is a fourth-generation Texan whose roots run deep in the San
Marcos area. A graduate of Texas State University with degrees in Liberal Arts and Creative Writing (MFA), Fleming
devoted more than three decades to teaching English and Creative Writing at Seguin High School. He also served as pastor
of New Hope Baptist Church in San Marcos for twenty-five years. Fleming is the author of Summertime and Border
Crossings, both published by TCU Press, and his writing reflects his lifelong connection to Texas culture, faith, and
storytelling.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Shark's Protege
Bob Rothman
https://bobrothmanauthor.com
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685137427, $20.95, PB, 316pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sharks-Prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9-Bob-Rothman/dp/1685137423
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sharks-prota-a-a-ga-a-a-bob-rothman/1149152239
Synopsis: Unemployed after barely graduating from high school, Bud Boyer's fortunes suddenly change when he flattens two knife-wielding thugs trying to rob him. Moogie, a part-time loan shark, spots the altercation outside the tavern he owns in a Georgia mountain town. Immediately, he hires Bud to collect from deadbeat borrowers. All goes well until Bud falls for the daughter of the town's police chief, and sensing the relationship is getting serious, Moogie reluctantly fires him.
Months later, when Moogie unexpectedly announces he's going to close his tavern, Bud persuades Moogie to sell it to him instead and to serve as his business consultant for one year. After Moogie suddenly vanishes, Bud is shocked to learn Moogie has been charged with arranging for the murder of a man who conned him out of $250,000 in a phony horseracing ownership syndicate.
When Moogie decides to surrender, he unexpectedly shows up at the tavern and asks Bud to call the police chief, who is now Bud's father-in-law. Their relationship takes another shocking turn when Bud is called as a witness at Moogie's murder trial.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "The Shark's Protege" showcases author Bob Rothman's impressive and character driven storytelling style that is ideal for the suspenseful organized crime/murder mystery genre. Especially considering that in "The Shark's Protege" Rothman features the a series of unexpected plot twists and cliff hanger turns that are especially well done. While "The Shark's Protege" from Black Rose Writing is a solid and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading list of dedicated legal thriller fans that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: After six years as a newspaper journalist and thirty-eight years as a lawyer, Bob Rothman (https://bobrothmanauthor.com) starting writing novels. His debut novel, A Terrible Guilt, was published in September 2024. In the 1970s, Bob reported on the resumption of capital punishment and later, as a lawyer, led a legal team representing a death row inmate in his habeas corpus proceeding. He has served on the American Bar Association Board of Governors, as Chair of the ABA Litigation Section, and as Chair of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project.
Turning the Page on Murder
Vanessa Westermann
www.vanessa-westermann.info
Cormorant Books
https://www.cormorantbooks.com
9781770868403, $24.95, PB, 318pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Page-Murder-Book-Mysteries/dp/1770868402
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/turning-the-page-on-murder-vanessa-westermann/1148487486
Synopsis: Bookstore owner and armchair sleuth Kate Rowan loved a good murder mystery -- until she fell for an actual
killer.
Once, she had hoped her fling with security expert Gary Fenris would lead to something more, but then he confessed his
secret: To avenge a deceased lover, he took someone's life. Now, Kate can't even crack the spine on a cozy, let alone a noir.
Meanwhile, Gary resolves that protecting others from danger (and protecting Kate from himself) is his best shot at
atonement.
But when Kate's Great-Aunt Roselyn is found with a bloody knife over her neighbor's dead body, on a property guarded by
Fenris Securities, Kate and Gary must work together to solve the case.
Their sleuthing sends them on a high-stakes treasure hunt from their little neighbourhood of Willowsend to the busy streets
of London. Back in forced proximity with her killer ex, Kate can't help but wonder if, this time, she can convince Gary to
turn the page on murder.
Critique: Offering a perfect blend of 'whodunnit' mystery', action/adventure, suspense/thriller murder mystery, "Turning the
Page on Murder" by Vanessa Westermann is an impressively original and especially well crafted novel that will prove a
fun and intellectually engaging read from cover to cover. Certain to be an immediately and enduringly popular addition to
community/public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated murder mystery fiction fans that this paperback edition from Cormorant Books is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Vanessa Westermann (www.vanessa-westermann.info) writes mysteries that combine the heartbreak of
murder with the joy of feel-good romance. She is a former Arthur Ellis Awards judge, holds an M.A. in English Literature,
as well as a Bachelor of Education, and teaches creative writing. When she's not searching Canada's cottage country for her
next small-town setting, she's plotting a fictional crime from the comfort of an Adirondack chair.
Dreadful Summit
Stanley Ellin, author
Andrew Klavan, introduction
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613167687, $27.95, HC, 216pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dreadful-Summit-Stanley-Ellin/dp/1613167687
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreadful-summit-stanley-ellin/1001077143
Synopsis: Every sports fan in New York knows Al Judge, the hard-bitten reporter whose column is the scourge of
gamblers, gangsters, and corrupt players across the city. Sixteen-year-old George LaMain is Judge's biggest fan -- until the
night when his own father becomes the target of the journalist's attacks, taken down in a public spectacle of violent
humiliation.
Reeling from a moment that upends his whole worldview, George takes his father's gun and sets out into the night on a
quest for revenge. But before he can achieve the vigilante justice he seeks, the young man will make a series of discoveries
that reveal an unsettling truth about the family he thought he knew.
Critique: Featuring an informative Introduction by Andrew Klavan, "Dreadful Summit" by the late Stanley Ellin is another
time lost classic brought back into print for a new generation of mystery fans. This noir-tinged coming of age novel by the
master of the hard-boiled mystery story featuring amateur sleuths is a simply riveting, atmospheric revenge novel that was
included in the Haycraft-Queen cornerstone list of the greatest mysteries of all time, and inspired the 1951 Joseph Losey
film The Big Night. While a very highly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections,
"Dreadful Summit" from The Mysterious Press is also available for personal reading lists in paperback (9781613167687,
$15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note #1: Stanley Bernard Ellin (1916-1986) was an American mystery writer born in Brooklyn, New York. His
first short story, titled "The Specialty of the House" appeared in 1948 in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. He was a
three-time winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award, for his short stories "The House Party" in 1954 and "The Blessington
Method" in 1956, and for his novel The Eighth Circle in 1959. His novels Dreadful Summit, House of Cards, and The
Bind were each adapted into feature films. A longtime member of the Mystery Writers of America, Ellin was awarded the
group's Grand Master Award in 1981.
Editorial Note #2: Andrew Klavan (https://www.andrewklavan.com) is the author of numerous crime novels including
True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood; Don't Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas;and the Cameron Winter
series. He has been nominated for the Edgar Award six times and has won twice. Aside from penning bestselling fiction
and nonfiction and screenplays to blockbuster films, Klavan's political satire videos have been viewed by tens of millions
of people, and he currently hosts the popular podcast The Andrew Klavan Show at The Daily Wire.
Poppy Montgomery Gets Even
Gordon Jack
The Mysterious Press
www.mysteriouspress.com
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613167748, $26.95, HC, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Poppy-Montgomery-Gets-Even-Gordon/dp/1613167741
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poppy-montgomery-gets-even-gordon-jack/1148582379
Synopsis: Eighty-year-old Poppy Montgomery has always taken a negative view of her life. Her father? A bully. Her
husbands? Losers. Her daughter and grandson? Well, they're probably her fault. And now the police have taken away her
license, her daughter wants to put her in a retirement home, and the bossy new fitter-than-thou attendee at water aerobics is
taking over her favorite class.
But enough is enough, and when her new friend, Ginny, is scammed on a dating site for seniors, Poppy decides it's time to
finally get even. With the help of Jeremy, her tech-savvy grandson, Poppy launches a vindictive little caper, scamming the
scammers that prey on the elderly online.
But when two women at Ginny's retirement home seemingly meet unnatural ends and her newest target is implicated in the
murder, suddenly Poppy's fun online con job becomes a matter of life or death. It's going to take the whole gang (Poppy's
two new best friends, her in-recovery daughter, and her basement-dwelling grandson) to pull off one last job, before one of
them becomes the next victim.
A charmingly cozy crime story brimming with laughs and heart, Poppy Montgomery Gets Even shows that it's never too
late to turn over a new leaf, make new friends, and scam an international crime ring while solving some murders along the
way.
Critique: "Poppy Montgomery Gets Even" by novelist Gordon Jack is a unique and original cozy mystery starring an 80
year old amateur female sleuth, and featuring an engaging story laced with unexpected plot twists, an international gang of
criminals, and dark humor. A fun and deftly crafted read from cover to cover, "Poppy Montgomery Gets Even" will prove
to be a very special and enduringly popular pick for community/public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery fans that this hardcover edition of
"Poppy Montgomery Gets Even" from The Mysterious Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.99).
Editorial Note: Gordon Jack (https://gordon-jack.com) has been a high school librarian for thirty years. In that time, he did
his best to keep kids reading, including writing two young adult novels, The Boomerang Effect and Your Own Worst
Enemy. Now that he's about to retire, he figured he should write for people closer to his own age, which is why he's
suddenly interested in the lives of octogenarian crime fighters.
Blunt Instrument
Amy Bloom
The Mysterious Press
www.mysteriouspress.com
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613167601, $28.00, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1613167601
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blunt-instrument-amy-bloom/1148582382
Synopsis: The case of the bludgeoned lecturer has all of Cromwell University reeling, even though the elderly Professor
Bullfinch wasn't particularly well-liked. His ornery nature and Old World approach to campus politics ruffled more than a
few feathers over the years, and present tensions within his department mean there are more suspects than mourners in the
wake of his death. And the murder weapon (a bronze bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne) does seem to indicate that the attack
may have been academically motivated.
Enter Dell Chandler, the failed English professor turned self-taught private detective whom Dr. Cutty calls in to investigate
the crime. She has the background to tease out the motives among the staff and just enough experience to conduct a
thorough inquiry. If she solves the case before the cops do, the university could keep the whole thing quiet, avoiding
sensational media about the dark side of campus life. But to do so, she'll have to dodge her own demons from her past life
as a disgraced academic.
Critique: An impressively original, intellectually engaging, deftly crafted, and entertaining cozy mystery featuring
interesting characters and a number of unexpected plot twists and turns, "Blunt Instrument" by Amy Bloom is a fun read
from start to finish. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community/public library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans that this
hardcover edition of "Blunt Instrument" from The Mysterious Press is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Amy Bloom (https://www.amybloom.com) is the author of several novels, short stories, a memoir, and
nonfiction. She has written for magazines such as The New Yorker, New York Magazine, The New York Times
Magazine, Vogue, Elle, The Atlantic, Slate, and Salon. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages. "Blunt
Instrument is her first crime novel". Amy recently retired as Wesleyan University's Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of
Creative Writing, while continuing to work as a psychotherapist and a novelist
More Than You Know
Anne Canadeo
https://www.annecanadeo.com
Level Best
c/o Historia Press
9798898201616, $17.95, PB, 290pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-You-Know-Suspenseful/dp/B0GNZQ2NTB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-than-you-know-anne-canadeo/1149499859
Synopsis: New York City in the Spring of 1947: The dark clouds of WWII have scattered, and America revels in the
sunshine of a new day. Heroes have returned to marry their sweethearts, and the best jobs must go to them. Or so Grace
Russo is told. But the typing pool is not for her and never will be.
Working for Harry Shaw is not her first choice either, but she persuades the skeptical private detective to give her a
chance. Soon after, her brother Joe, a troubled vet and jazz musician, is charged with the murder of a beautiful, Black
nightclub singer, Lana Delmar.
Despite a truckload of evidence against him, Grace knows Joe is innocent and helps Harry dig for the truth. When her boss
suddenly disappears to chase down demons of his own, she pursues the trail alone to a glamorous supper club, The
Starlight Room. A glittering but dangerous world where no one can be trusted, and every smile hides secrets.
Her wits sharpened and courage tested, Grace is determined to unveil the elusive killer and win justice for Joe and Lana.
Even when her stubborn heart marks her as the next victim.
Critique: Especially recommended for fans of murder mysteries involve an amateur woman sleuth, an original plot riddled
with unexpected twists and turns, and deftly crafted, memorable characters, "More Than You Know" by talented novelist
Anne Canadeo is a fun 'whodunnit' read from cover to cover. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for
community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "More Than You
Know" from Level Best/Historia Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$6.99).
Editorial Note: Anne Canadeo (https://www.annecanadeo.com) is the author of over forty books, including The Black
Sheep & Company Mysteries, and the bestselling Cape Light and Angel Island novels, written under the pen name,
Katherine Spencer. She loves to hear from readers. She can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Blue
Sky.
Back in the Wilds
Glen Maxwell Scott
Outskirts Press, Inc.
www.outskirtspress.com
9781977288271, $24.95, PB, 278pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Back-Wilds-Mayhem-Pennsylvania/dp/1977288278
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/back-in-the-wilds-glenn-maxwell-scott/1150065474
Synopsis: Jimmy Maxwell is riding cross-country with no set destination - working odd jobs, fishing quiet streams, and
chasing the open road on his motorcycle. When a letter from a lawyer draws him back to the remote Pennsylvania region
known as the Wilds, Jimmy returns home and finds far more than he bargained for.
Inheriting his late Uncle Eddie's cabin and land, Jimmy sets out to reconnect with the rhythms of rural life and the local
community. But as he forms new friendships and settles in, he unknowingly steps into a tangled web of criminal
activity.
At the center is Ken Baker, a small-time operator with big problems. Alongside a ragtag crew, Baker runs drugs, agitates
local biker groups, and orchestrates a bizarre bear-poaching scheme tied to an underground bile trade for a Chinese crime
outfit based in Pittsburgh. Shielded by a right-wing militia, a corrupt sheriff and judge, and a compromised game warden,
the operation seems untouchable.
That is, until Jimmy and his friends (through a series of chance encounters and unintended interference) begin to unravel it
all.
What follows is a fast-paced blend of backwoods intrigue, dark humor, and escalating tension, as loyalties are tested and
the walls close in. With the DEA and Pennsylvania State Police circling, Baker's carefully constructed enterprise starts to
collapse - often in ways no one sees coming.
Set against the rugged backdrop of the Pennsylvania Wilds, "Back in the Wilds: Mayhem in the Wilds of Pennsylvania" is
a story of homecoming, unlikely alliances, and how ordinary people can upend even the most entrenched criminal
schemes.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and fun read from start to finish, "Back in the Wilds: Mayhem in the Wilds of
Pennsylvania" by Glen Maxwell Scott is an extraordinary and original novel that is wickedly funny, replete with
unintended irony, and a deftly crafted, imaginative, and narrative driven storytelling style that keeps the reader fully
engaged throughout. While this paperback edition of "Back in the Wilds" from Outskirts Press is an especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections, it should be noted for fans of original, humor laced,
suspense thriller, odd-ball crime novels that "Back in the Wilds" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Glenn Maxwell Scott is a retired military officer whose lifelong passions for motorcycle restoration and fly
fishing have shaped both his experiences and his storytelling. With decades spent riding backroads and casting lines across
the country, he draws on a rich well of firsthand adventure to inform his work. Deeply connected to his native
Pennsylvania, Glenn brings the rugged beauty, mystery, and distinctive local character of the Pennsylvania Wilds vividly to
life. His writing blends authenticity with intrigue, offering readers a compelling sense of place and spirit.
Cats Don't Need Coffins
Dolores Hitchens, author
Otto Penzler, introduction
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613167458, $25.95, HC, 216pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cats-Coffins-Rachel-Murdock-Mysteries/dp/1613167458
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cats-dont-need-coffins-dolores-hitchens/1147418882
Synopsis: When sisters Rachel and Jennifer Murdock receive a letter from Miriam Hamilton, the daughter of the man who,
decades earlier, swindled their father, inviting them to her luxurious home and offering financial amends, the sisters accept
and head off with their beloved cat, Samantha, in tow.
Shortly after they arrive, they meet their host -- or rather, her body. Miriam has been murdered in her bed, and two things
become clear: their invitation came with strings attached, and around the many corners of Miriam's capacious home,
strange things are afoot.
There is no shortage of possible motives for Miriam's murder, given her ruthless business practices and greedy nature. The
appearance and subsequent disappearance of a bloodstained doll, which Miriam's two grown stepchildren from previous
marriages seem to know more about than they want to let on, raises Rachel's suspicion, but the involvement of the local
sheriff investigating the case is what ultimately throws Rachel for a loop.
No matter -- together with the reluctant Jennifer and curious kitty Samanatha, amateur sleuth Rachel is going to make
sense of this befuddling case, even if things aren't what they seem.
Critique: Another time-lost treasure brought back into print for the benefit of a new generation of mystery fans, "Cats Don't
Need Coffins" by Dolores Hitchens is a delightful Golden Age cozy mystery from a master of mid-century domestic
suspense. It is the seventh novel in Hitchens' long-running Rachel Murdock series (originally published under the name
D.B. Olsen), which can be read in any order. Of special note is the informative introduction by Otto Penzler about Dolores
Hitchens and her contribution to the mystery genre. While 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 "Cats Don't Need Coffins" from American Mystery Classics is also readily available in paperback
(9781613167465, $15.95).
Editorial Note #1: Dolores Hitchens (1907-1973) was a highly prolific mystery author who wrote under multiple
pseudonyms and in a range of styles. A large number of her books were published under the D. B. Olsen moniker (under
which her "Cat" series was originally published), but she is perhaps best remembered today for her later novel, Fool's Gold,
published under her own name, which was adapted as Bande a part by Jean-Luc Godard.
Editorial Note #2: Otto Penzler, the creator of American Mystery Classics, is also the founder of the Mysterious Press
(1975); Mysterious Press.com (2011), an electronic-book publishing company; and New York City's Mysterious Bookshop
(1979). He has won a Raven, the Ellery Queen Award, two Edgars (for the Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection, 1977,
and The Lineup, 2010), and lifetime achievement awards from Noircon and The Strand Magazine. He has edited more than
80 anthologies and written extensively about mystery fiction.
Murder on the Set
James Gilbert
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798891329294, $17.99, PB, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Set-Amanda-Pennyworth-Mystery/dp/B0G87FDWB6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-on-the-set-james-gilbert/1148977119
Synopsis: A famous movie company, glamorous actors, a distinguished director, and a celebrated screenwriter descend on
Puerto Vallarta to shoot a romantic film. Amanda Pennyworth, the American Consul to that Mexican city, is asked to act
as liaison with local officials and help out however she can. It's an exciting opportunity -- what could go wrong?
Almost immediately, an expat who volunteered as an extra on the film is brutally murdered. Then his wife is bludgeoned to
death. The police are intimidated and baffled by the Hollywood crew, and Amanda is called upon to help find the
killer.
But her own life is complicated: her assignment in this beautiful resort city is ending, and her next posting may be in a
dangerous Middle Eastern zone. Everything is suddenly in turmoil. Amanda must catch the killer before he strikes again --
and decide what path her career and future will take. All of her ingenuity and daring may not be enough!
Critique: A cozy mystery with all the makings (an amateur female sleuth having to solve a dangerous 'whodunnit' murder
mystery), "Murder on the Set" by author James Gilbert is an extraordinary entertaining read and a 'must' for the legions of
cozy mystery fans. As a novelist, Gilbert has a genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style
that is required for creating and crafting an original and compelling suspense thriller of a read from start to finish.
Memorable characters, original storyline, unexpected plot twists, all concluding with a satisfying reveal, "Murder on the
Set" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Murder on the Set" from Atmosphere Press is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: James Gilbert has published eleven history texts, one of them, "Perfect Cities" was named a New York
Times notable book of the year in 1986. While teaching American history was his profession, literature has always been
his passion, and since retiring, he has written and published seven novels (three of them mysteries featuring the sleuth,
Amanda Pennyworth) two books of short stories, and a legal thriller set in Chicago.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Weight of Dreams: An Ancient Saga of Myth and Magic
Nicole Sorrell
https://nicolesorrell.com
MindStir Media
https://mindstirmedia.com
9781968485375, $23.99 pbk / $2.99 Kindle / $24.95 audiobook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Dreams-Ancient-Saga-Magic/dp/1968485376
Synopsis: In a time lost to memory, Etana is born with the Sight and a rare gift whispered through her bloodline: she can
speak with elephants. When her father promises her in marriage to an older man, Etana chooses the unthinkable - she flees.
Escaping the ritual that broke her sister, she slips into the wilderness under the watchful eyes of the Beastgod.
Alone but guided by ancestral spirits and a bond with a mysterious elephant, Etana journeys into the realm of myth. A
powerful ruler summons her to tame a ferocious elephant meant for war. But to claim her future, she must master more
than beasts - she must face enemies, survive betrayal, and confront a court that thrives on secrets and blood.
As kingdoms clash and gods murmur in dreams, Etana rises from fugitive to warrioress, from outcast to commander. In a
world where loyalty is eternal and power demands sacrifice, who will she become when everything she loves is
threatened?
Told through the rhythms of oral tradition and infused with magic, myth, and cultural memory, this is a luminous tale of
spiritual resilience, feminine power, and the living bond between human and nature.
Readers of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, The Famished Road by Ben Okri, or Babylonia by Costanza Casati
will be enchanted by the magical realism and lyricism of The Weight of Dreams. Because the past still speaks - and
sometimes, it sings.
The Weight of Dreams has been shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize; earned Honorable Mention for
Historical Fiction, the Eric Hoffer Book Award; and earned Silver Winner, IBPA Book Award.
Critique: An epic prehistorical fantasy inspired by African oral storytelling traditions and mythology, The Weight of
Dreams is a rapturous adventure about a strong-willed woman's quest to find her place amid a chaotic and dangerous world
of warring kingdoms. Her extraordinary bond with nature, ancestral spirits, and a mysterious elephant lend her power,
which is in turn coveted by a powerful ruler. Her perilous journey from fugitive and outcast to warrior and commander
leads her to a fateful crossroads, in this "magical realism" saga highly recommended for both personal and public library
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Weight of Dreams is also available in a Kindle edition
($2.99) and as a digital audiobook ($24.95, or free with an Audible subscription).
Portraits of Decay
J. R. Blanes
Ruadan Books
https://ruadanbooks.com
9798991258760, $16.99, PB, 388pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Portraits-Decay-J-R-Blanes/dp/B0FJS3SK51
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/portraits-of-decay-j-blanes/1147900603
Synopsis: Up-and-coming young artist Jefferson Fontenot has everything going for him: The hot New Orleans art scene
has noticed him, and he's finally found his true love, Nevaeh Parker. But Fontenot's bright future hides a darkness known
as Gemma Landry -- the artist's lover and art scene influencer.
Gemma believes Jefferson's talent holds the key to her seizing control of the popular Carondelet Street Gallery. But when
Gemma discovers Jefferson's infidelity, she enslaves the artist with a poison she acquired from swamp-dwelling witch
Mirlande St. Pierre.
Now trapped in a rotting body and plagued by hellish visions, Jefferson finds himself reduced to a zombie-like servant for
his unhinged ex, while Nevaeh is forced to embrace her past, hoping to save the man she loves. As the dark curse courses
through Jefferson's veins, everyone involved soon discovers (in the most brutal of fashions) the terror that awaits when you
cross Gemma Landry.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and the kind of novel one reads with the lights on, "Portraits of Decay" by J. R. Blanes will
hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Supernatural/Psychological Horror Fantasy. An inherently
fascinating read from start to finish, "Portraits of Decay" is all the more impressive when considering that it is J. R. Blanes
debut as a novelist, his genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style is ideal for the horror
fantasy genre. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Fantasy
Fiction/Horror collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Portraits of Decay"
from Ruadan Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: J.R. Blanes (https://jrblanes.com) is the author of short fiction which has been published in several
anthologies, magazines, and podcasts such as Winter in the City, Tales to Terrify, The NoSleep Podcast, Thirteen, and
Creepy, among others.
A New Witch in the Northwoods
Elise Posledni
https://www.epwrites.com
Ten16 Press
9781645386667, $16.99, PB, 380pp
Publishing Release Date: September 22, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/New-Witch-Northwoods-Elise-Posledni/dp/164538666X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-new-witch-in-the-northwoods-elise-posledni/1149731702
Synopsis: When Mary Matherson moved into her late grandfather's house in a small town located in northern Wisconsin,
she was prepared to deal with the prying locals while digging for clues about her grandfather's curious death. What she was
not prepared for was the veil between the supernatural plane practically in her backyard.
It turns out, Mary is a witch. Her new boyfriend is a demon. The Other world is hard to resist and Mary wants to learn the
magic her grandfather kept secret from her. Instead of nosy neighbors and coffee shop gossip, Mary must deal with
supernatural politics and a threat that has hunted her family's magic for generations.
Small town life in the Wisconsin Northwoords is not like anything Mary expected.
Critique: An original and fun read from cover to cover, "A New Witch in the Northwoods" by novelist Elise Posledni will
be especially appealing to readers with an interest in contemporary romance deftly blended with fantasy and the
supernatural. With Posledni's impressive and consistent character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideal for a
deftly crafted 'romantacy', "A New Witch in the Northwoods" is an unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "A New Witch in the
Northwoods" from Ten16 Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Elise Posledni (https://www.epwrites.com) is currently a bookkeeper by day and writer by weekend and
very early mornings. She has short stories featured in the Creative Wisconsin Magazine and A Wisconsin Harvest of
Horror anthology. "A New Witch in the Northwoods" is Elise's debut novel. Having lived in Wisconsin for most of her
life, she enjoys incorporating the lifestyles of the small towns and truly spectacular natural areas into her writing.
Fast Food Heroes
Krk Patterson
Double Negative Publishing
https://www.doublenegativepublishing.com
9781959147169, $14.95, PB, 383pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Heroes-Krk-Patterson/dp/1959147161
Synopsis: What if superheroes also got superhero fatigue?
A ring of garbage orbits the Earth. But that's normal. Is it good, is it bad? Who knows. Don't look too long. Like time,
judgement continues to pass. In an apathetic, cynical world, who can be a hero? Without hope, should we settle for the
absence of boredom?
Mr. Hugues' adopted children encounter many questions but like the rest of us, grow up without answers. Super powers,
access to government secrets and the ability to travel through dimensions just serve to split their path. A maze filled with
hostile aliens, killer robots, nuclear Armageddon and vengeful corpses come to life to widen the epic scope of author Krk
Patterson's "Fast Food Heroes".
Critique: "Fast Food Heroes" by Krk Patterson is a unique, action/adventure novel that deftly blends a new take on
'superheroes' in a dystopian science fiction story that is richly imaginative, exceptionally well written, and a compulsive
page-turner of a read from cover to cover. An original, "Fast Food Heroes" will linger in the mind and memory of the
reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While highly recommended as an addition to
community library Science Fiction/Dystopian Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this
paperback edition of "Fast Food Heroes" from Double Negative Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Krk Patterson was born in 1975, in Southeastern Wisconsin. He lived there until 1998 when he moved to
Minneapolis, Minnesota. While in the Twin Cities, he worked as a coop president, childcare worker at a children's shelter,
and a computer consultant at the University of Minnesota where he earned his degree in English. After earning his degree
in 2003, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he currently resides, writing novels and working in accounting. He has a
blog at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/31376843.Krk_Patterson/blog
Cuckoo-spit and the Froghoppers
Krk Patterson
Double Negative Publishing
https://www.doublenegativepublishing.com
9781959147091, $14.95, PB, 286pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cuckoo-spit-Froghoppers-I-III-Krk-Patterson/dp/1959147099
Synopsis: Traeih, a planet terraformed eons ago, now hosts two distinctly different species of humans. The jovial,
subterranean livelihood of the Perigiens contrasts a cultural extreme to the sanatorium obsessed Apogiens, who reside
above ground.
Centuries of technological differences defined inside and outside the human body, stretch the species further apart. At
stake in "Cuckoo-spit and the Froghoppers" are the connections we hold to humanity, individuality and love.
Carrie-Anne, a young Apogien woman, escapes authorities and is subsequently kidnapped by the Froghoppers, a secret
fringe group of Perigiens. On Perigiee, separated from home, she is thrust between worlds. Renamed and swifted away, her
disappearance spurs political upheaval and upsets the balance of power in a way not seen on Apogee for several
millennia.
Literally defying gravity, the Froghoppers introduce their new inductee to a mind-bending tour of perception to change her
thinking forever.
Critique: With the publication of "Cuckoo-spit and the Froghoppers: Act I-III", author Krk Patterson demonstrates his
storytelling skills as he creates an original, deftly crafted, fun and fascinating novel that will hold a very special appeal for
fans of Cyberpunk/Genetic Engineering themed science fiction. Erudite, imaginative and memorable, "Cuckoo-spit and the
Froghoppers: Act I-III" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community and college/university
library Science Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Cuckoo-spit
and the Froghoppers: Act I-III" from Double Negative Publishing is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.95).
Editorial Note: Krk Patterson was born in 1975, in Southeastern Wisconsin. He lived there until 1998 when he moved to
Minneapolis, Minnesota. While in the Twin Cities, he worked as a coop president, childcare worker at a children's shelter,
and a computer consultant at the University of Minnesota where he earned his degree in English. After earning his degree
in 2003, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he currently resides, writing novels and working in accounting. He has a
blog at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/31376843.Krk_Patterson/blog
Demiurge
Krk Patterson
Double Negative Publishing
https://www.doublenegativepublishing.com
9781959147015, $14.95, PB, 428pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Demiurge-Krk-Patterson/dp/1959147013
Synopsis: When Haot-fote brings home a lost artifact with the power to grant immortality, his city faces destruction by a
siege of marauders. Forced to protect the mysterious relic, Haot-fote must escape and leave behind a militaristic brother
and ailing grandmother. Disconnected from familiar land, joined by a possessed assassin, he begins to unravel a world
wounded by a millennium of corruption. Along the way, they find where immortality is introduced, destruction
follows.
"Demiurge" by Krk Patterson is a deftly crafted fantasy novel about corrupted pacifists and noble cannibals join each other
in the crossing -- a place with metal and magic but set apart, where redemption and hardship are never what they seem,
where the true challenges lay in what we can and cannot accept. Spanning generations, multiple dimensions and the
transcendence between life and death, Demiurge erupts to a world of contrasts.
Critique: Original, exceptional, fascinating, "Demiurge" by Krk Patterson is an authentically extraordinary and inherently
fun read for dedicated action/adventure fantasy fans from start to finish. Patterson natural flair for the kind of imaginative
storytelling is on full display as "Demiurge" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science
Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Demiurge" from
Double Negative Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Krk Patterson was born in 1975, in Southeastern Wisconsin. He lived there until 1998 when he moved to
Minneapolis, Minnesota. While in the Twin Cities, he worked as a coop president, childcare worker at a children's shelter,
and a computer consultant at the University of Minnesota where he earned his degree in English. After earning his degree
in 2003, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he currently resides, writing novels and working in accounting. He has
an online blog at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/31376843.Krk_Patterson/blog
Beneath the Crescent Shadow
Stephanie Cotta
https://sdaniellacotta.com
Bloom & Nectar Books
c/o Monarch Educational Services
https://monarcheducationalservices.com/bloom-nectar-books
9781971855042, $27.99, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Crescent-Shadow-Stephanie-Cotta/dp/1971855049
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beneath-the-crescent-shadow-stephanie-cotta/1149956141
Synopsis: In the jungle village of Karahvel, every life is bound by a sacred weave of fate. Naja, a fierce young warrior, has
fought to carve her own path -- until a shipwreck under a blood moon brings her an omen. Naja dives into the sea and
rescues a mysterious albino woman who is with child.
Rowan is born, but his ashen skin bears the cursed mark of the red crescent -- a harbinger of ruin.
As tragedy begins to shadow his every step, the village shaman demands his life's weave be severed before his curse
dooms everyone. Faced with an impossible choice, Naja must decide: surrender Rowan to death, or sacrifice her life's
weave to protect him.
"Beneath the Crescent Shadow" is a story of sacrificial love, devastating loss, and the razor-thin line between fate and
choice.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, imaginative, and a fun read from start to finish, "Beneath the Crescent Shadow"
showcases author Stepanie Cotta's impressive gift for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style reveals a
true mastery of the heroic fantasy genre. Exceptional, compelling, and a genuine treat for dedicated Epic Fantasy fans,
"Beneath the Crescent Shadow" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community/public library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Beneath
the Crescent Shadow" from Bloom & Nectar Books is also readily available in paperback ($18.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Stephanie Cotta (https://sdaniellacotta.com) writes epic fantasy and is the author of the young adult fantasy
novels The Conjurer's Curse and The Wraiths of Arjun. An editor, proofreader, and illustrator, Stephanie's world revolves
around books and storytelling. Her love for Sci-Fi/Fantasy began after discovering Star Wars and Narnia at a young age.
She loves crafting stories of hope amid impossible odds and creating realistic characters who inspire readers to discover
their inner strength. Stephanie co-hosts the fantasy-centered podcast The Ink Mages, where she shares writing tips and
interviews fellow fantasy authors. As an illustrator, she has published one picture book, The Mountain of Gold.
Metanoia Cave
Ken Adams
Outskirts Press, Inc.
www.outskirtspress.com
9781977282477, $44.95, HC, 412pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Metanoia-Cave-Ken-Adams/dp/1977282474
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/metanoia-cave-ken-adams/1148085018
Synopsis: What happens when solving one mystery creates another?
Disillusioned with the rat race of modern life and the state of society in general, 42-year-old Devin Allen trades in most of
his worldly possessions for a simple life in Belize. But then his world is forever and further changed when an eccentric
billionaire buys an old treasure map at an estate sale, unwittingly setting off a life-altering chain of events for a group of
scientists and explorers.
"Metanoia Cave" is a thrilling suspenseful science fiction novel by Ken Adams that spans the globe, from the heartland of
the USA to Belize to one of the most remote places on the planet. A deep dive into the heart of the ocean as well as human
psychology, this adventurous tale explores the personal transformations of researchers unraveling a mystery as well as the
far-reaching ramifications of split-second decisions made outside the parameters of society.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, with the publication of "Metanioa Cave"
author Ken Adams demonstrates a genuine flair for the kind of imaginative and narrative driven storytelling style that is
ideally suited to science fiction themed adventure and engages the full attention of the reader from beginning to end. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated SciFi & Technothriller fans that this hardcover edition of "Metanoia Cave" from
Outskirts Press is also readily available in paperback (9781977282217, $28.98) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Ken Adams hails from Queens, New York. He is a big fan of the New York Knicks and loves backpacking
across eastern Europe.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Manga Classics: King Lear - Full Original Text Edition
Written by William Shakespeare
Adapted by Crystal S. Chan
Illustrated by Julien Choy
Manga Classics Inc.
https://www.mangaclassics.com
9781947808317 $24.99 hc / $19.99 pbk
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Classics-Diamond-Comic-Distributors/dp/1947808311
Synopsis: "I love your Majesty according to my bond; no more nor less."
The aging King Lear of Britain has decided to abdicate his throne and divide his realm among his three beloved daughters.
The largest share shall go to the one who loves him best - unfortunately, Lear mistakes empty, overblown flattery for true
devotion. His error plunges the realm into war and drives Lear to rain-drenched madness.
Manga Classics is proud to bring you an unabridged manga adaptation of Shakespeare's beloved tragedy, considered to be
one of the greatest works of literature ever written!
Critique: Manga Classics: King Lear - Full Original Text Edition is a black-and-white, manga-style graphic novel
adaptation of one Shakespeare's best-known and greatest tragedies. Set in pre-Roman Britain, the story opens with the
aging King Lear preparing to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, two of which are married. But the king craves
flattery; when his unmarried daughter Cordelia refuses to ply him with false expressions of devotion, pointing out that half
her love and loyalty must necessarily belong to her future husband, the king disinherits her in a mad rage. This foolish act
sets the stage for an unfolding tragedy of greed, betrayal, murder, and war.
The Full Original Text Edition of Manga Classics: King Lear pairs the original dialogue of Shakespeare's play - resonant,
lyrical, yet potentially difficult for modern English students to follow - with gorgeous artwork vividly illustrating the
character's expressions and actions; even the metaphors are often given visual interpretations. The result is a brand new
way for readers of all backgrounds to better understand, appreciate, and study Shakespeare's classic work. A character
guide and a brief postscript describing the adaptation process round out this "must-have" for Shakespeare fans! Manga
Classics: King Lear is worthy of the highest recommendation for school, public, and college library collections as well as
personal reading lists. Manga Classics: King Lear is recommended for readers ages 13+ due to violence and a certain
degree of required reading comprehension.
The Audiobook Shelf
Robin Hood and the Heretic Prince
Angus Donald, author
Mike Rogers, narrator
Ulverscroft Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9780750556286, $116.95 / $99.41, CD, (10 Hours 10 Minutes)
9780750556293, $116.95 / $99.41, MP3-CD, (10 Hours 10 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/robin%20hood%20and%20the%20heretic%20prince
Synopsis: AD 1209: When a robbery in Sherwood goes wrong, Robin Hood, Sir Alan Dale and a handful of their outlaw
friends are forced to flee their homes to escape the wrath of a vengeful King John and his iron-hearted Sheriff of
Nottinghamshire.
After travelling to the Languedoc, a land of good food, fine wine, elegant love poetry and religious tolerance, the
Sherwood men find themselves caught up in a blood-soaked crusade launched by Pope Innocent III. Robin Hood and his
band become mercenaries in the employ of the Count of Toulouse, tasked with protecting his people, whom the Pope has
condemned to death as Cathar heretics.
At the Castle of Beziers, besieged by an army of fanatical Catholic crusaders, the Sherwood heroes vow to hold its walls
against these northern French knights until the Heavens fall. But one member of their company has other ideas!
Critique: A part of author Angus Donald's 'Outlaw Chronicles' series of medieval adventures, this complete and unabridged
audio book edition of "Robin Hood and the Heretic Prince" from Ulverscroft Audio is capably and deftly brought to life in
a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by the narrative talents of Mike Rogers. A brilliant and entertaining contribution to
the growing library of Robin Hood myths, legends and stories, "Robin Hood and the Heretic Prince" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal and community/public library historical action/adventure themed audio book
collections.
Editorial Note: Angus Donald (https://angusdonaldbooks.com) is the author of the Outlaw Chronicles, a series of twelve
novels set in the 12th/13th centuries and featuring a gangster-ish Robin Hood and his loyal lieutenant Sir Alan Dale. Angus
has also written the Holcroft Blood trilogy about a mildly autistic 17th-century artillery officer, son of notorious Crown
Jewel thief Colonel Thomas Blood, and the five-book Viking Fire Born series, which kicks off with The Last Berserker.
His latest novel, Templar Traitor, is the first in the Mongol Knight trilogy published by Canelo Adventure and based on the
extraordinary true story of an Englishman who fought for Genghis Khan. He is always happy to chat to readers on
Facebook, Threads, Twitter/X.
Operation Berlin
Michael Ridpath
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781807030025, $111.95 / $95.16, CD (9 Hours 40 Minutes)
9781807030032, $111.95 / $95.16, MP3-CD (9 Hours 40 Minutes)
9781807030100, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/operation%20berlin
Synopsis: Berlin, 1930. -- Historian Archie Laverick, scarred mentally and physically by the Great War, travels to Berlin to
research a famed Prussian general. His quiet study is shattered when he crosses paths with Esme Carmichael, a spirited
young American intent on making her name as a foreign correspondent.
When a shooting at a Saxon castle leaves a young Jewish woman accused of murder, Archie and Esme are drawn into a
perilous hunt for the truth.
Their investigation cuts through the glittering facades and lingering scars of a nation still reeling from war -- where
resentment simmers, political alliances shift, and the first shadows of a new conflict fall across Europe.
Amid whispers of blackmail and betrayal, the pair must navigate intrigue and danger to unmask a killer hiding in plain
sight.
Critique: A riveting and deftly crafted novel by Michael Ridpath, "Operation Berlin" is now available as a complete and
unabridged audio book that is brought to life in a very special 'theatre of the mind' experience by the narrative storytelling
talents of Simon Mattacks. Of special appeal to fans of 20th Century historical suspense thrillers, "Operation Berlin" is
very highly recommended for both personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Michael Ridpath is the author of over 20 crime novels and thrillers which are listing online at Book
Series in Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/michael-ridpath
Editorial Note #2: There is an extensive online listing of books narrated by Simon Mattacks at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16142312.Simon_Mattacks
A Midsummer Murder
Kate Wells, author
Helen Keeley, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836781509, $116.95 / $99.41, CD (8 Hours 40 Minutes)
9781836781516, $116.95 / $99.41, MP3-CD (8 Hours 40 Minutes)
9781836781561, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/a%20midsummer%20murder
Synopsis: Jude Gray is delighted to hear that her friend Kerry is setting up a wellness retreat with her new boyfriend. If
anyone deserves to find peace and happiness, it's Kerry and a retreat at the foot of the Malvern Hills sounds perfect. So
Jude (as any good friend would) offers to pitch in.
But the appearance of charismatic keynote speaker Inigo Sage sets Jude's instincts on edge. With his mystical mantras and
too-perfect smile, he strikes her as more showman than spiritual guide. Still, he keeps the guests happy, and with a few
unexpected extra arrivals, Jude and Kerry certainly have their hands full.
When a fatal accident shatters the peace, the weekend of relaxation descends into anything but tranquility. And Jude learns
that Inigo's connections to many of those at the retreat go back decades, and their shared secrets have been deeply
buried.
As tensions flare and old resentments bubble to the surface, can Jude find the truth before someone else gets hurt?
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of suspense/thriller themed 'whodunnit' murder mysteries involving an amateur
female sleuth and set in a small town, "A Midsummer Murder" by novelist Kate Wells is now available as a complete and
unabridged audio book, capably and professional narrated by vocal actor Helen Keeley. Deftly scripted and performed, "A
Midsummer Murder" is an ideal addition to personal and community library Mystery/Suspense themed audio book
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Kate Wells (https://www.katewellscrime.co.uk) is the author of the Malvern Farm Mystery series for
adults. She also writes books for children as Kate Poels.
Editorial Note #2: There is an extensive online listing of books narrated by Helen Keeley at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17214937.Helen_Keeley
Sacrilege
Keith Moray, author
John Telfer, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837034369, $111.95 / $95.16, CD (8 Hours 50 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/Sacrilege
Synopsis: Marske, 1361. Sir Ralph de Mandeville with his assistants Peter and Merek have recently come from Reeth to
hold a court session in Marske but are pulled away at the news of a most heinous crime having been discovered further
down the River Swale.
A boat has been found, floating down the river. Inside is a truly horrifying scene - the body of a nun, her wrists cut and her
hands fixed in the sign of benediction... As Ralph uses his astute skills of inspection, his mind asks a most difficult
question - is this self-murder or murder most foul? Were her last moments spent in benediction prayer... or malediction
warning? With both Marrick Priory and Easby Abbey within a stone's throw of Marske, it appears something is not quite
right in the house of God...
When the body of a priest is found mutilated as if by a wild animal, the villagers fear the nun's body has opened the gates
and let loose a monster from Hell... but Ralph starts to wonder if something much more human is at the root of these
evils.
As he follows the grim clues, he fears he knows where this miserable sacrilegious journey will end. The question is, can he
catch the murderer and prevent more grisly deaths - his own included?
Critique: With his 'Ralph De Mandeville Mystery' series, author Keith Moray reveals himself as a master of the medieval
murder mystery genre. His latest novel, "Sacrilege" is a true suspense thriller that is brought to life with the storytelling
talents of professional narrator John Telfer in this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Boldwood Books.
Fascinating, fun, and highly recommended, "Sacrilege" is an ideal addition to personal and community library
mystery/suspense historical murder mystery audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Keith Moray (https://keithmorayauthor.com) is a part-time doctor, medical journalist and novelist.
Editorial Note #2: There is an extensive online listing of books narrated by John Telfer at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2777803.John_Telfer
Storm of Mercia
M.J. Porter, author
Sean Barrett, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836175292, $111.95 / $95.16, CD (10 Hours)
9781836175308, $111.95 / $95.16, MP3-CD (10 Hours)
9781836175353, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/storm%20of%20mercia
Synopsis: Wessex, AD836 -- The Viking raiders' devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as
opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.
King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking
ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Aelfstan warriors to do his King's
bidding. However, Icel's quest is beset with many more obstacles and it's not all about the sea and shield.
Worrying news from home overshadows Icel's every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he
time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?
With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia's shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian
kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Viking historical novel fans, "Storm of Mercia" is part of M.J. Porter's 'The
Eagle of Mercia Chronicles' series is brought to life in a complete and unabridged audio book edition featuring the
professional and effective storytelling talents of narrator Sean Berrett. A memorably fascinating story of British Antiquity
in a time of Viking, Saxon, Dane, Angle, and British struggles for control of what the Roman's had left behind, "Storm of
Merica" is an unequivocally recommended selection for personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: M J Porter (https://www.mjporterauthor.com) is the acclaimed author of historical fiction set in early
age of the English, the Saxons and the Vikings (set as a whole before the Norman Conquest), as well as five 20th-century
historical mysteries and a fantasy.
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of book narrated by Sean Barrett available at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/sean-barrett-narrated
Woden's Vengeance
Donovan Cook, author
Sean Barrett and David Thorpe, narrators
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836563402, $111.95 / $95.16, CD (10 Hours 45 Minutes)
9781836563419, $111.95 / $95.16, MP3-CD (10 Hours 45 Minutes)
9781836563464, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/woden's%20vengeance
Synopsis: Prince Vortimer has imprisoned his father, King Vortigern - The High King of Britain. With Woden's spear,
Vortimer believes God has chosen him to lead an army south to banish the Jutes once and for all from Britain's shores.
Triumphant after the first battle, Prince Vortimer lays siege to the Jutes, but the war is far from over.
In a desperate fight for survival, Octa and the Jutish warlords, Hengist and Horsa, are trapped on Thanet, their island home,
as Prince Vortimer's army surrounds them. With dwindling numbers, their only hope is to send for reinforcements, but
winter is upon them, and the journey will be perilous.
In a race against time and his own wishes, Octa leads the expedition to recruit Saxon and Jutish warriors. But will they
follow young Octa the Coward? To prove himself, Octa must confront his past and seek vengeance on those who wronged
his family, all while being mindful of Woden's wrath.
Can Octa stand strong as the fires of war rage around him? And will warriors pledge their allegiance to a man known as
Octa the Coward?
Critique: A deftly crafted story set in an historical time and setting of Viking war, bloodshed, betrayal, and conquest with
sword and spear, axe and shields, "Woden's Vengeance" is the third installment in author Donovan Cook's 'The First
Kingdom Series'. Narrator Sean Barrett's exceptional performance brings this riveting story and its characters to life in a
very special theatre of the mind experience for the listeners. These complete and unabridged audio book editions are
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series, drawing inspiration from
Norse mythology and a deep passion for medieval history, Donovan's writing blends historical accuracy with gripping
adventure.
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of book narrated by Sean Barrett available at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/sean-barrett-narrated
Tribune and the Sword
Adam Lofthouse, author
David Thorpe, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836785453, $130.95 / $111.31, CD (11 Hours 20 Minutes)
9781836785460, $130.95 / $111.31, MP3-CD (11 Hours 20 Minutes)
9781836785514, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 500pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/tribune%20and%20the%20sword
Synopsis: A part of the Shadow of Rome series by historical novelist Adam Lofthouse, "Tribune and the Sword" is set in
383 AD when Flavius Maximus declared himself emperor and crossed into Gaul. A story of Roman era combat, betrayal,
and military friendships in a time when Rome was beginning to decline as an empire.
Critique: Brought vividly to life by the impressive storytelling skills of narrator David Thorpe, this complete and
unabridged CD and MP3-CD audio book editions from Boldwood Books of "Tribune and the Sword" by Adam Lofthouse
will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library. Two other highly recommended titles in
the simply outstanding Shadow of Rome audio book series from Boldwood Books includes "Wolf and the Crown" and
"Eagle and the Flame". The next book in the series, "Barbarian and the Throne" is scheduled for release in August,
2026.
Editorial Note #1: Residing in Kent, UK, Adam Lofthouse has for many years held a passion for the ancient world. After
ten years of immersing himself in stories of the battles that forged our history, he decided to have a go at writing one for
himself. He is the author of the Path of Nemesis trilogy and the Enemy of the Empire trilogy.
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by David Thorpe available at Goodreads
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18994915.David_Thorpe)
The Library CD Shelf
Awakening
Chris Andrew
chrisandrewmusic.live
Chronograph Records
chronographrecords.com
$TBA CD / $12.99 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://chrisandrewmusic.bandcamp.com/album/awakening
Awakening is a solo piano album composed by pianist Chris Andrew, except for two tracks created by other music artists.
Andrew's piano playing is a rapturous experience. The smoothly flowing music beckons the listener to embark on a
journey through carefully crafted melody, harmony, and rhythm. Introspective, creative, and inspirational, Awakening is
highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Out the Door; Choro Para
Oscar; Awakening; Minority (Gigi Gryce); Coastal Mist; Digging; Reverence; Letters for Millie; In My Mind; Like
Someone in Love (Van Heusen/Burke); and Illumination.
Through the Thought Horizon
David Helpling and Scott Reich
Spotted Peccary
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.00 CD / $10.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://davidhelpling.bandcamp.com/album/through-the-thought-horizon
Through the Thought Horizon is an original, ambient electronic music album featuring piano, guitar, and synthesizer
melding into a quiescent tribute to sacred spaces. Beautiful, rejuvenating, and mind-expanding, Through the Thought
Horizon is highly recommended for personal and public library collections. The tracks are The Simplest of Miracles; Into
Our First World; Source of the Longest River; Shadows, Stars and Dreams; Breath of a Flower; Dream of the Last
Morning; Fallen Skies, Remember Me; The Primordial Tower; and Through the Thought Horizon.
Bern
Roy Hargrove
Time Traveler Recordings
$19.98 CD / $5.99 MP3
Amazon CD
https://www.amazon.com/Bern-Roy-Hargrove/dp/B0GM846HW6
Amazon MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GP9XRT29
Roy Anthony Hargrove (1969-2018) was a legendary, Grammy-award winning trumpeter and bandleader. Bern is a
previously unreleased performance of Hargrove and an all-star quintet, released by Time Traveler Recordings in
partnership with the Roy Hargrove estate. Originally recorded on May 4, 2000 at International Jazzfestival Bern in
Switzerland, Bern showcases Hargrove's incredible mastery of the trumpet and flugelhorn; the other, highly talented
members of the ensemble are Sherman Irby on alto saxophone, Larry Willis on piano, Gerald Cannon on bass, and Willie
Jones III on drums. Bern is a treasure rescued from the archives, highly recommended for both personal and public library
collections, and also makes an excellent gift for jazz connoisseurs! The tracks are Stranded; Depth; Never Let Me Go;
Caryisms; and Circus.
The Button Jar
Yvonne Rogers
yvonnerogersmusic.com
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://yvonnerogers.bandcamp.com/album/the-button-jar
Pianist and composer Yvonne Rogers presents The Button Jar, a new progressive jazz solo piano album of original music
inspired by her childhood in rural Maine. Inspired by a stockpile of mundane buttons that Yvonne's mother kept for
crafting or creativity, The Button Jar embodies the wonders and delights of childhood discoveries. A beautiful album
through and through, The Button Jar is a choice pick for both personal and public library music collections, highly
recommended. The tracks are Luster; The Button Jar; Cloud Chorale, Scatter and Sort; Monkey's Fist; Avid Risks; Little
Dance; Thread the Needle; Linear Gel; Puzzle Building; The Craft Room; Mismatch; First Attempt; and Exhale.
The Architecture Shelf
Seeking Abundance
Alan Ricks & Sierra Bainbridge
Axiomatic Editions
c/o ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781966515029, $50.00, HC, 360pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Abundance-Design-Ecology-Flourishing/dp/1966515022
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seeking-abundance-sierra-bainbridge/1147188837
Synopsis: Regenerative design is a way of building that heals our planet and our communities by halting biodiversity loss,
reversing climate change, and improving social equity.
Over the last decade, the nonprofit design practice MASS has proven that we can yield positive social, environmental, and
economic results through a series of projects in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
With the publication of "Seeking Abundance: Design, Ecology and a Flourishing Planet" the authors and contributors
eloquently argue for reducing the harm our building activities wage in our environments and that we can (and must) help
people and the planet thrive together.
The proof? -- MASS' projects represent a coherent and replicable philosophy that responds to local ecologies and
transforms lives. Deftly co-edited by Sierra Bainbridge and Alan Ricks, "Seeking Abundance" is a profusely illustrated and
groundbreaking new volume whose contributors informatively examines how the power of multidisciplinary collaboration,
regenerative practices, and community engagement can actively contribute to a healthier, more harmonious world.
Critique: This large format (9 x 2 x 11 inches, 2.6) hardcover edition of "Seeking Abundance: Design, Ecology and a
Flourishing Planet" from Axiomatic Editions will prove an enduringly poplar addition to personal, professional,
community, and college university library Regional Architecture collections and supplemental Sustainability/Green Design
Architecture curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Alan Ricks is Co-Executive Director and Founding Principal and Sierra Bainbridge is a Senior Principal
and Managing Director of MASS Design Group, a design firm that focuses on creating spaces that foster human
flourishing while considering the needs of the environment. Their work spans a variety of sectors, including education,
healthcare, and conservation, with a commitment to using architecture as a force for positive change.
The Parenting Shelf
The Miswired Child
Dr. Kimberly Idoko
https://drkimberlyidoko.com
Alcyone Books
https://alcyonebooks.com
9798994340608, $24.99, HC, 180pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Miswired-Child-Dr-Kimberly-Idoko/dp/B0GVGC3P5Y
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-miswired-child-kimberly-idoko/1149794203
Synopsis: Your child didn't change overnight. The systems didn't fail all at once.
Before diagnosis, there is a loss of rhythm and a narrowing tolerance. A child's developing brain is forced to expend more
energy to achieve the same function. These early shifts are biological warning signs of a nervous system under
pressure.
With the publication of "The Miswired Child: How Modern Childhood Harms The Brain", Dr. Kimberly Idoko exposes
what unfolds beneath symptoms that are routinely misread. She traces how neurological load accumulates inside the
developing brain, then shows how modern systems compound it: Big Food that destabilizes physiology. Big Pharma that
suppresses signals without asking why. Big Medicine that waits for collapse. Big Government that enforces delay. Big
Media that profits from confusion.
Clear-eyed and unsentimental, "The Miswired Child" by neurologist Kimberly Idoko reveals why delay is never neutral,
and why a parent's noticing of pattern and loss may be the only data that arrives in time.
Critique: An informative introduction for parents and members of the medical community with an interest in the learning
disorders found in children of all ages, "The Miswired Child: How Modern Childhood Harms The Brain" by Dr. Kimberly
Idoko is especially noteworthy for its 'reader friendly' organization and presentation for the non-specialist general reader
with an interest in the subject. While this hardcover edition of "The Miswired Child" from Alcyone Books is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Parenting collections and supplemental
Nervous System Disease curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for parents, teachers, caregivers, and school counselors
that "The Miswired Child" is also readily available in paperback (9798994340615, $16.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Kimberly Idoko (https://drkimberlyidoko.com) is a Yale-, Penn-, Columbia-, and Stanford-educated
neurologist and attorney who works with families navigating neurodevelopmental differences. She brings a rare
combination of clinical neuroscience, systems literacy, and lived experience as a mother to the question parents are rarely
given time to ask: what is actually happening inside my child's brain? She is also a board-certified physician who cares for
thousands of patients each year. Additionally, she founded Special Parent Coach, where she helps parents interpret early
neurological signs and understand how modern systems shape outcomes.
The Mathematics Shelf
Everyday Life is Full of Math
Jun Mitani
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781041135388, $126.99, HC, 210pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Life-Peters-Recreational-Mathematics/dp/1041135386
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everyday-life-is-full-of-math-jun-mitani/1148301599
Synopsis: With the publication of "Everyday Life is Full of Math", Professor Jun Mitani explores how mathematics
appears in our ordinary lives daily. It presents math in a fun and beautiful way using knowledge at the junior high and high
school level. It is written for general readers, not for experts.
"Everyday Life is Full of Math" avoids difficult math and instead focuses on how new ways of thinking and careful
observation can reveal interesting math ideas. It is divided into 33 topics. These include familiar recreational math like
tournament games, magic squares, and math tricks, as well as unique ideas like the geometry of origami and toy train
tracks.
Some of the topics in "Everyday Life is Full of Math" may be unfamiliar to readers outside Japan, as they are based on
things Professor Mitani has observed in daily life in Japan. However, this is also one of the unique features of "Everyday
Life is Full of Math". It offers readers a glimpse into everyday life in Japan. The goal is to help readers feel closer to math,
rather than to provide deep academic content.
"Everyday Life is Full of Math" is:
Easy to understand with junior high or high school level math knowledge.
Introduces math found in real life, like origami.
Includes many topics based on the author's popular social media posts.
Connects math topics with hands-on activities and experiences.
Helps readers see the world in a new way through a "mathematical way of thinking".
Focuses on intuitive and visual understanding, not difficult formulas or theories.
Provide links (with QR codes) to puzzle apps developed by Professor Mitani
Critique: An original and ideal introduction for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of
mathematics as exemplified in the ordinary aspects of daily life, "Everyday Life is Full of Math" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, highschool, and college/university library
Mathematics collections and supplemental Introductory Applied Mathematics curriculum studies lists. It should be noted
by students, academia, and anyone with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Everyday Life is Full of
Math" from CRC Press is also readily available in paperback (9781041133490, $32.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $18.14).
Editorial Note: Jun Mitani (https://mitani.cs.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/id_writer.html) is a professor of Information and Systems at
University of Tsukuba, JAPAN. He received his Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Tokyo in 2004. He has been
present post since April 2015. His research interests center on computer graphics, particularly geometric modeling
techniques and their application to origami design. The origami artworks created by him have features that are
three-dimensional shapes with smooth curved surfaces. His main books are "3D Origami Art (2016)" and "Curved-Folding
Origami Design (2019)". His unique origami has been well received around the world and he had received invitations to
hold workshops and exhibitions in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Israel and many other countries. His work had inspired the
design of the trophy for the Player of the Match winner of each game at the Rugby World Cup 2019.
The Art Shelf
The Secrets of Painting
Lachlan Goudie
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025116, $50.00, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Painting-Evolution-Materials-Techniques/dp/0500025118
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secrets-of-painting-lachlan-goudie/1149277377
Synopsis: When looking at a work of art, the first question that painter Lachlan Goudie considers is not why but how was
it created?
Goudie knows from experience that masterpieces don't simply emerge from an artist's studio. They are the result of a long
tussle between dirty hands and crushed pigment, hog's-hair brushes and linseed oil, rabbit-skin glue and pulverized chalk.
Great paintings are the product of a struggle involving artists and their materials, one that pushes the practitioner to the
very limits of technical ability.
Above all else, the secrets of painting lie in the physical elements from which an image is crafted. The nature of these
elements has changed over time and across continents. And as each generation of painters exploits the new materials and
technical innovations of their era, they define the essence of their work and shift the course of art history.
Goudie traces this story all the way back to the original "big bang" in the story of art: the very first painting pigments,
made from charcoal and minerals, and used to paint extraordinary art on the walls of the caves at Chauvet thirty-six
thousand years ago. He goes on to explore the impact of numerous new inventions and discoveries over the centuries,
including ink, fresco, egg tempera, oil paint, canvas, watercolor, gouache, impasto, tubes of manufactured oil paint,
collage, household gloss, acrylic, digital media, and AI. Each chapter focuses on a technical turning point, as embodied in
the work of artists including Giotto, Artemisia Gentileschi, Alma Thomas, Anselm Kiefer, David Hockney, and many
more.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of 220 color illustrations, eight pages of Notes, a five page
Selected Bibliography, a two-page listing of Acknowledgments, and an four page Index, "The Secrets of Painting: The
Hidden Art of the Masterpiece from Prehistory to Today" is a comprehensive, informative, and engaging history of
painting from neolithic antiquity as told through the eyes and hands-on insights of a contemporary and practicing artist.
Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, this hardcover edition of "The Secrets of Painting" is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art History/Appreciation
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Lachlan Goudie (https://lachlangoudie.com) is a Scottish painter and arts broadcaster. He has presented
many BBC documentaries and is the author of "The Story of Scottish Art".
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
From Pain to Peace
Mel Harkrader Pine
https://melpineauthor.com
Prospecta Press
https://eastonstudiopress.com/prospecta-press
9781632261786, $18.00, PB, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Peace-Trauma-Tragedy-Compassion/dp/1632261782
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-pain-to-peace-mel-harkrader-pine/1149676856
Synopsis: "From Pain to Peace: How Trauma and Tragedy Teach Us Compassion and Wisdom" is the powerful spiritual
memoir of Mel Pine -- a Buddhist practitioner with nearly eight decades of life experience. In the page of "From Pain to
Peace" Mel opens his heart to share how a lifetime of traumas became stepping stones to wisdom, compassion, and
ultimately, joy.
From early childhood losses to violent crises, from caring for loved ones with mental illness to confronting his family's
Holocaust history, Pine's journey is raw, honest, and deeply human. Yet "From Pain to Peace" isn't a story of mere survival
-- rather it is a testament to transformation.
Alternating between memoir chapters and "Spiritual Interludes," Pine deftly weaves Buddhist teachings with hard-won life
lessons, showing how concepts like impermanence, equanimity, and self-compassion become practical tools for
healing.
"From Pain to Peace" offers a hopeful message: The path to peace is available to everyone.
So whether you are navigating your own grief, seeking spiritual guidance, or curious about how one man turned tragedy
into grace, "From Pain to Peace" speaks to the universal longing for healing and wholeness.
Critique: Exceptional, eloquent, deeply personal but with a universal resonance, "From Pain to Peace: How Trauma and
Tragedy Teach Us Compassion and Wisdom" is singularly extraordinary and an unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections and the
personal reading lists of those with an interest in Tibetan Buddhism, love, loss, and the psychology of trauma. It should be
noted that this paperback edition of "From Pain to Peace: How Trauma and Tragedy Teach Us Compassion and Wisdom"
from Prospecta Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Mel Pine (https://melpineauthor.com) has as his end-of-life mission the sharing of the wisdom he has
gained over almost eight decades of life and four decades of Buddhist practice to relieve the suffering of others. He is a
seasoned writer, Buddhist practitioner, and spiritual communicator with six decades of experience in clear nonfiction
writing. Through his blogs and teachings, he has cultivated a substantial following across the United States and
internationally, offering accessible teachings and practices drawn from his extensive spiritual journey and Buddhist
practice.
The Self-Help Shelf
Creative Optimum Self: Transform Your Life and Your World
Costantino Delli
COS Books
9780979623721. $18.00, PB, 157pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Optimum-Self-Transform-Collection/dp/0979623723
Synopsis: Most of us move through life as the actor in every scene -- reacting to circumstances and navigating the highs
and lows of experience. Yet with greater awareness, something begins to shift. You step back from the stage and begin to
observe the story of your life as it unfolds.
The primary message of "Creative Optimum Self: Transform Your Life and Your World " by Costantino Delli is that you
become both the actor in the moment and the observer behind the camera.
"Creative Optimum Self" is reflective and grounded work in which Delli reveals how inner clarity reorganizes outer
results. Drawing from lived experience and decades of reflection, "Creative Optimum Self" presents a disciplined
architecture for integrating who you are with how you live, work, and relate to the world.
At the heart of "Creative Optimum Self" is a practical structure designed to align awareness with execution. The journey
unfolds through ten stages (five Inner Steps and five Outer Steps) guiding you toward a life rooted in presence,
responsibility, and steady self-observation.
The Inner Steps cultivate clarity through reflection, embodied awareness, and a deepening relationship with the
intelligence within.
The Outer Steps translate that clarity into action through completion, relational stewardship, warmth, gratitude, and
disciplined leadership.
At the center of this process is what the author calls Integrated Being Intelligence - the alignment of thought, feeling, and
action that emerges when awareness becomes intentional and embodied.
As this awareness deepens, life reveals itself differently.
Moments gain meaning.
Choices become clearer.
Relationships grow more intentional.
Over time, you begin to see your life unfolding scene by scene - aware of the role you are playing and the larger awareness
observing it.
You begin to experience your life as a lens through which existence observes itself -- your eyes and ears quietly becoming
part of how the universe comes to know its own story.
Critique: Original, exceptional, thought-ful, life enhancing, life changing, "Creative Optimum Self: Transform Your Life
and Your World" by Costantino Delli is an extraordinary and unique approach to self-transformation and self-knowledge.
An extraordinary and recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as professional, and community library Self-
Help/Self Help and Applied Psychology collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Creative Optimum
Self: Transform Your Life and Your World" from COS Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$4.99).
Editorial Note: Costantino Delli is the founder of the COS philosophy and the architect of Integrated Being and Leadership
Intelligence. There is an online listing of his books at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1317542.Costantino_Delli
48 Answers for My Son: An Architecture of Integrated Leadership Intelligence
Costantino Delli
COS Books
9780979623745, $21.00 PB / $9.99 Kindle, 225pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Answers-Son-Architecture-Integrated-Intelligence/dp/097962374X
Synopsis: With the publication of "48 Answers for My Son: An Architecture of Integrated Leadership Intelligence", author
Costantino Delli offers a rare fusion of cinematic memoir and applied philosophy -- a life examined through forty-eight
decisive moments that reveal a coherent architecture of leadership, responsibility, and becoming.
Structured as forty-eight Q&A scenes (each paired with reflection and key takeaways) "48 Answers for My Son" unfolds as
both narrative and transmission, grounded by photographs from real moments with each moment stands on its own.
Together, they form a pattern: how a life is shaped, tested, and integrated.
Costantino Delli's journey begins in Taranto, Italy.
A child survives a life-threatening surgery. An immigrant learns to navigate a new world. A young man rises through the
intensity of Wall Street and enterprise leadership. A creative chapter unfolds in Hollywood. A son becomes a caregiver. A
man stands alone at midnight -- questioning everything, and realizing that the same architecture that built a career must
now sustain a soul.
Through these lived scenes, Delli reveals something deeper than ambition: an inner architecture that determines whether a
person fractures under pressure or rises with coherence.
What distinguishes this work is its experience is that "48 Answers for My Son" offers two reading paths. Read straight
through, it unfolds as a cinematic memoir -- intimate and complete.
Read with the Reflections and Key Takeaways and it becomes a disciplined leadership framework with each moment
distilled.
Both approaches are fully realized and over time, a pattern becomes visible: leadership is not a title -- it is the result of
accumulated decisions, aligned awareness, and lived responsibility.
By the final chapters, the architecture behind Delli's life is revealed -- offering a transferable model of Integrated
Leadership Intelligence, where inner awareness and external execution operate as one coherent system.
"48 Answers for My Son" is more than just a memoir. It is an example of a disciplined synthesis of life and philosophy --
bridging experience and application. For readers seeking not only inspiration, but understanding (not only story, but
clarity) Delli offers something rare: A way to see your life as it unfolds, and the awareness to shape it with intention.
Critique: A deft blending of personal memoir, leadership skills instructional, and a DIY self-help/self-improvement
manual, "48 Answers for My Son: An Architecture of Integrated Leadership Intelligence" is original, deftly crafted,
inherently fascinating, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While unreservedly recommended
for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Biography/Memoir,
Leadership/Motivation, and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition from
COS Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Costantino Delli is the founder of the COS philosophy and the architect of Integrated Being and Leadership
Intelligence. There is an online listing of his books at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1317542.Costantino_Delli
The Criminology Shelf
Transnational Environmental Crime
Lorraine Elliott
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035374359, $139.21, HC, 210pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Transnational-Environmental-Crime-International-Political/dp/1035374358
Synopsis: With the publication of "Transnational Environmental Crime: An International Political Economy of Illicit
Markets and Criminal Networks", Lorraine Elliott (Professor Emerita of International Relations, College of Asia and the
Pacific, The Australian National University, Australia) investigates the global markets, supply chains, and networks of
criminality that make transnational environmental crime (TEC) a highly lucrative business. Three case studies are at the
core of this analysis: the illicit market in ozone-depleting substances, timber trafficking, and the international illegal
wildlife trade.
Through an innovative international political economy (IPE) lens, Elliott shows how TEC enterprise functions through
illicit commodity chains and production networks that are shaped as much by material factors of supply, production and
labour as by criminal practices. She demonstrates the nature and extent of fluid, porous and co-constituting links between
licit and illicit economies.
Finally, she points to the importance of a political economy of the everyday to understand how local spaces and local
actors are embedded in global TEC markets and supply chains.
"Transnational Environmental Crime" is a valuable resource for scholars and students of international relations,
international political economy, criminology, political and conservation ecology, economic geography and economic
sociology. The evidence-based insights into TEC markets and trade, commodity chains and production networks that
comprise "Transnational Environmental Crime" will also find a readership in international and non-governmental
organizations with a TEC research and policy focus.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study, "Transnational Environmental Crime: An International Political Economy
of Illicit Markets and Criminal Networks" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented -- making it an ideal
informational resource for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject. This hardcover edition of "Transnational Environmental Crime: An International
Political Economy of Illicit Markets and Criminal Networks" is a unique unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Environmental & International Crime collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Lorraine Elliott is Professor Emerita, Department of International Relations, College of Asia and the
Pacific, The Australian National University, Australia.
What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption
Paige Towers
University of Iowa Press
https://uipress.uiowa.edu
9781685970673, $27.50, PB, 390pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/What-They-Stole-Familicide-Intercountry/dp/1685970672
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-they-stole-paige-towers/1148709894
Synopsis: In 1955, following the devastation of the Korean War, Bertha and Harry Holt made headlines for adopting eight
Korean children. Driven by evangelical convictions and emboldened by a special act of Congress, the couple founded the
Holt Adoption Program, which would facilitate the migration of tens of thousands of Korean children to the United States
over the following decades.
The Sueppels were among the families profoundly shaped by the legacy of the Holt Adoption Program. To their suburban
Iowa City community, Steven and Sheryl Sueppel were kind and charitable, humble yet magnetic -- seemingly ideal
candidates to adopt.
But in 2008, when Steven found himself facing federal embezzlement and money laundering charges, he murdered Sheryl
and their adopted children before ending his own life.
With the publication of "What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption", author Paige Towers traces the
interwoven histories of the Holts and the Sueppels, exploring the deeper, often hidden complexities of intercountry
adoption: the ethical gray zones, the influences of religion and race, and the global inequalities that made such large-scale
child migration possible.
Meticulously researched and sensitive with its storytelling, "What They Stole" informatively examines how good
intentions can coexist with systemic harm -- and how the consequences of systems like the Holts' can reverberate across
generations.
Critique: An original, informative, detailed and deftly crafted study from start to finish, "What They Stole: A Familicide
Rooted in Intercountry Adoption" is an extraordinary history of a specific crime and its resonating relevance with respect
to the social and cultural issues that are unavoidable in the adoption of children from foreign countries with respect to
American values, expectations, and related issues. An extraordinary story told with total candor and honesty, this
hardcover edition of "What They Stole" from the Iowa University Press is an unreservedly pick for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library True Crime collections and supplemental International Adoption curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Paige Towers (https://www.paigetowers.com) is also author of The Sound of Undoing: A Memoir in
Essays. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, McSweeney's, and Harvard Review.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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