Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / Small Press Bookwatch

Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 24, Number 1 January 2025 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Money/Finance Shelf Business Shelf
Pets Shelf Biography/Memoir Shelf General Fiction Shelf
Historical Fiction Shelf Literary Fiction Shelf Western Fiction Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Poetry Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf Wine Shelf
Autism Shelf Self-Help Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

It Was Her New York: True Stories & Snapshots
C.O. Moed
Rootstock Publishing
https://www.rootstockpublishing.com
9781578691654, $36.00, PB, 184pp

https://www.amazon.com/Was-Her-New-York-Snapshots/dp/1578691656

Synopsis: "It Was Her New York: True Stories & Snapshots" by C.O. Moed is comprised of true stories and informal photographic snapshots about undying love, old lesbians, dementia, mothers & daughters, and a disappearing city.

An engaging new collection combining personal essays and full-color photographs, Moed tells true stories of caring for her mother Florence, a broke, Julliard-trained pianist who stumbles into dementia on the Lower East Side. This funny, poignant memoir asks questions both familiar and touching: "What happened to the neighborhood?" and "What happened to my mom?"

"It Was Her New York" is especially meant for anyone who has ever experienced the aging of a parent, the gentrification of a neighborhood, or the unexpected discovery of stifled love and hidden sexuality.

Critique: Deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, especially compelling, and a very special combination of personal memoir and insightful observation, "It Was Her New York: True Stories & Snapshots" offers a perspective that is both intensely individual and universal in experience. Informative and memorable, "It Was Her New York: True Stories & Snapshots" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir and Alzheimer/Dementia collections and supplemental Adult Child/Aging Parent Relationship curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: C.O. Moed (www.comoed.net) grew up in the Lower East Side of New York when it was still a tough neighborhood. She is an alum of the WOW Cafe, a recipient of the Elizabeth George Grant for Fiction, and was a Rockefeller Media Arts nominee. Her short stories, flash nonfiction, and dramatic works have been published in several anthologies and literary reviews, including: Lilith Magazine, Sensitive Skin, Unexpected Stories, 100subtext magazine, Inspirational Art Magazine, Shades of Blue (Seal Press), and AWAKE!: Reader for the Sleepless (Soft Skull Press). An excerpt from "It Was Her New York" was included in issue #62 of Inspirational Art Magazine.


The Money/Finance Shelf

CRUSH Your Money Goals
Bernadette Joy
Adams Media
https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Adams-Media
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781507222638, $17.99, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/CRUSH-Your-Money-Goals-Fast-Track/dp/1507222637

Synopsis: When it comes to building financial health, adopting good money habits that will last (and dropping bad ones) can insure financial freedom at any stage of life. With the publication of "CRUSH Your Money Goals: 25 Smart Money Habits to Save, Invest, and Fast-Track Your Financial Freedom", Bernadette Joy shares information on the psychology behind why habits work to achieve goals, and twenty-five simple habits to adopt, and which to drop, to help you invest properly, budget, save, climb out of debt, and so much more.

An expert money coach, Bernadette Joy guides you through her C.R.U.S.H. approach to financial wellness, a program she's been using for years to help her followers get in financial shape. With C.R.U.S.H., you will learn to:

Curate Your Accounts
Reverse into Independence
Understand Your (Net) Worth
Spend Intentionally
Heal Your Money Wounds

Each letter covers 5 easy-to-implement habits you will use to take control of your finances. From trying the $1 rule and facing your financial fears to holding a digital detox and decluttering your calendar, Crush Your Money Goals will have you saving money in no time! By changing your patterns with better habits, you'll be on your way to making financial changes not just for today, but for tomorrow!

Critique: Especially and impressively written for the non-specialist general reader wanting to make good financial choices and money management decisions, "CRUSH Your Money Goals: 25 Smart Money Habits to Save, Invest, and Fast-Track Your Financial Freedom" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Money/Finance Budgeting & Management collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of Bernadette Joy's "CRUSH Your Money Goals: 25 Smart Money Habits to Save, Invest, and Fast-Track Your Financial Freedom" is also readily available from Adams Media in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9781668134184, $34.99, CD).

Editorial Note: In 2020 Bernadette Joy launched Crush Your Money Goals, a money media company to serve up practical and fun educational content. In that short time, she's taught thousands across the country her simple strategies to pay down debt, save more money, invest with confidence, and pursue financial peace. Joy paid off $300,000 of debt in three years and built her first $1 million of net worth in her thirties. Her keynotes, workshops, and classes appeal to a broad audience ranging from corporate employers like TIAA, Belk, and LPL Financial to entrepreneurial memberships, universities, and private retreats. She's been featured as a money expert on CNBC, Good Morning America, Business Insider, and named in the 25 Most Influential New Voices of Money by NextAdvisor in partnership with Time. Bernadette travels globally to make money education fun and will show you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be ready to learn! (https://www.crushyourmoneygoals.com)


The Business Shelf

Success and Self-Discovery
Steven M. Stroum
www.smstroum.com
Independently Published
9798851641992, $19.99, PB, 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/SUCCESS-SELF-DISCOVERY-INSIGHTFUL-DEVELOPMENT-ENTREPRENEUR/dp/B0CFX6DXKT

Synopsis: With the publication of "Success and Self-Discovery: An Entrepreneur's Memoir of Growth and Transformation", Steven M. Stroum unlocks the secrets to personal and professional success.

An empowering memoir, "Success and Self-Discovery" features:

An Inspiring Journey: Follow Stroum's path from humble beginnings to entrepreneurial success, overcoming emotional and business challenges along the way.

Actionable Advice: Learn practical strategies for sales, marketing, and personal growth that have transformed lives, including a reader who was ready to quit his job but secured a 36 percent raise using insights gained from Stroum's "Success and Self-Discovery".

Authentic Storytelling: Discover intimate reflections on resilience, innovation, and determination that will resonate with readers seeking independence and fulfillment.

Life-Changing Impact: Perfect for those of you who've faced low expectations or self-esteem struggles, "Success and Self-Discovery" offers hope and guidance to unlock hidden potential.

Critique: Exceptional and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, style, organization and presentation, "Success and Self-Discover" is essential reading novice and experienced entrepreneurs, as well as mid-career corporate and business professionals. An impressive and unique blend of memoir and instructional reference, "Success and Self-Discovery" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Success and Self-Discovery" is also readily available in a digital book format.

Editorial Note: Steven M. Stroum (www.smstroum.com) started his business from a spare room at his parents' home in Newton, MA with only three hundred dollars and within a few short months moved to nearby Wellesley. By the end of his first year in business his firm had ten full-time employees and hundreds of clients. In recognition of his firm's contribution to the success and growth of numerous small companies, he was selected to serve on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Small Business Task Force and was appointed one of 18 Small Business Advisors to the Governor of Massachusetts. Steve has been featured in INC Magazine, Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, Marketing Magazine, OMNI Magazine, USA Today, Business Week Exchange, The Christian Science Monitor, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Middlesex News, San Francisco Chronicle WHDH-TV, WJAR-TV, WKOX radio and others.

Tell Me More
Deb Feder
https://debfeder.com
Grammar Factory Publishing
https://grammarfactory.com
9781998756803, $29.95, HC, 178pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tell-Me-More-Relationships-Interactions/dp/1998756807

Synopsis: With the publication of "Tell Me More: Building Trusted Client Relationships through Everyday Interactions", Deb Feder offers her readers the tools and strategies attorneys and professionals they will need in order to build a thriving business based on strong, trusted relationships with their clients.

In her first book, "After Hello: How to Build A Book of Business, One Conversation at a Time", Feder uncovered how to start curious, confident client conversations. Now, in "Tell Me More", Feder again delivers a simple yet effective plan to foster meaningful client engagement with a focus on everyday human interactions.

Readers will discover just how profound trust can transform client relationships from transactional engagements into collaborative journeys with shared goals and mutual respect. All of this starts by sitting down with your clients and saying -- Tell Me More!

Critique: Thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization, style, substance and presentation, "Tell Me More: Building Trusted Client Relationships through Everyday Interactions" by Deb Feder is an ideal primer and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management/Leadership/Development collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, business managers, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Tell Me More" from Grammar Factor Publishing is also available in paperback (9781998756780, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Deb Feder (https://debfeder.com/books) is a business development and practice management strategist and coach for lawyers and law firms. Her work focuses on helping lawyers and professionals bring in consistent clients through curious, confident conversations. For the past decade, she has committed herself to changing the way we think about work-life balance, building healthy careers, and tackling high-stakes work, allowing for big careers while enjoying our free time.


The Pets Shelf

They're All Barking: A Dog's Guide to Human Behaviour
Professor Daniel Springer-Spaniel, author
Dr. Peter Pointer, author
Ruth McDonagh, editor
Professor Daniel Publishing
https://www.professordaniel.co.uk
9781399975353, $21.99, HC, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/THEYRE-ALL-BARKING-Guide-Behaviour/dp/1399975358

Synopsis: Does your dog jump all over you? Do you dread leaving it alone? Does it have a wardrobe of outfits? Does it console you when life turns sour?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, then "They're All Barking: A Dog's Guide to Human Behaviour" must be considered as required reading for you.

In his entertaining and emotive new self-help book, Professor Daniel Springer-Spaniel, pulls no punches in telling us how life really is -- but from a dog's perspective. You will find out which type of human you are and how your behavior, emotions and lifestyle could be affecting your canine best-friend.

Professor Daniel is a Fellow of the European Trust for Canine Health (FETCH), and in consultation with his colleague Dr Peter Pointer, PhD, Philosopher of Dogs, reveals what happens when your dog has no boundaries, little training, is humanized and unsocialised.

"They're All Barking" demonstrates how a human's stress, grief, depression, anxiety and frantic living, can affect their beloved pet and features genuine case studies.

"They're All Barking" is based on fact, with a bit of fictional material added for literary effect. Former journalist turned canine massage therapist Ruth McDonagh, has acted as Professor Daniel's editor and personal assistant, typing up his wise words.

Critique: A fun, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking read, "They're All Barking: A Dog's Guide to Human Behaviour" by Professor Daniel Springer-Spaniel is all about how human behavior affects dogs and is essential reading for anyone and everyone with a canine companion of their own. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement (for both humans and their dogs) collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "They're All Barking" from Professor Daniel Publishing is also available in a paperback format (9781399972048, $16.99).

Editorial Note: Professor Daniel studies Humanology and is a Fellow of the European Trust for Canine and Hounds (FETCH). In consultation with his colleague Dr Peter Pointer, PhD (Philosopher of Dogs), he reveals what happens when your dog has no boundaries, little training, or is unsocialised. (https://www.professordaniel.co.uk)


The Biography/Memoir Shelf

Trauma Is a Thief
Neal King
Halo Publishing International
https://halopublishing.com
9781637656457, $24.95, HC, 326pp

https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Thief-Neal-King/dp/1637656459

Synopsis: "Trauma Is a Thief" is a memoir(ish) work whose author, Neal King, is a California-based, American, cisgender, a White, gay-male psychologist, professor, and a former college president who uses his own lived experiences of trauma in a very disturbed family (including sexual and physical abuse, abandonment, and multiple family addictions) to elucidate the developmental and lifelong impact of trauma.

In a deeply personal work, Neal offers his childhood as an illustrative case study as he invites the reader (applying his professional expertise as author, researcher, and clinician) inside his disturbed family and traumatic early life -- and the years since as he has struggled in the aftermath toward healing and wholeness.

Critique: Candid, descriptive, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Trauma Is a Thief" by Neal King is an extraordinary, compelling, and intensely personal life story and psychological study that will prove to be of immense value to readers with an interest regarding the subject child abuse and recovery -- as well as other relevant LGBTQ+ issues. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Trauma Is a Thief" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Trauma Is a Thief" from Halo Publishing International is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781637656457, $21.95).

Editorial Note: Dr. Neal King has served as psychologist/psychotherapist, professor of psychology, author, keynote speaker, and college president in his professional life. He has worked with multiple survivors of trauma in his clinical practice. In "Trauma Is a Thief", he applies the same case-study methodology he used in his dissertation at UC Berkeley to his own lived experience in a deeply disturbed family. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_King)

Believe: A Memoir in Stories
Christina H. Wilson
Wordeee
https://www.wordeee.com
9781959811565, $29.95, HC, 308pp

https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Memoir-Stories-Christina-Wilson/dp/1959811568

Synopsis: A sickly child, Christina spent a lot of time reading fairytales. Never would she have imagined her real life would take on the qualities of a true Cinderella story. At the age of twenty-five, Christina meets Jeffery, a Wall Street Titan. Life becomes a whirlwind. They were young, they were in love and they were rich. Life with Jeffrey, a man who lived on his own terms, was consuming and exciting until...

The morning of September 11, 2000, at 6 a.m. when the phone rang, the news on the other end of the call would change their lives forever. It was not the beginning or the end of their story but a cataclysmic moment that joined the past to the present and to the future. In this whirlwind of being, can fairytales really live up to the harsh realities and tragedies of life?

Ultimately Christina's story is about self-discovery, unconditional love, family, and her deep belief that all that happens in life is for a reason. Life, Christina states is not something to regret. It is something to experience. Every experience is a step along the path to the full realization of who we are at our core and destined to be. There should be neither judgment, explanation nor expectation because life is just what it is -- a lesson in self-discovery.

Critique: Using a unique short story format to present her life story, "Believe: A Memoir in Stories" by Christina Wilson is a simply fascinating and reader engaging read from start to finish. Featuring a 15 page section of B/W photographs, the 37 short stories comprising "Believe: A Memoir in Stories" are candid, compelling, inherently interesting, and raise this intensely personal memoir to an impressively level of literary excellence. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), this hardcover edition of "Believe: A Memoir in Stories" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: Christina H. Wilson is a first-generation ABC, otherwise known as American-born Chinese. She is one of the co-hosts of a grief-support podcast, a children's book author, and most proudly, a mother. Her life took a dramatic turn when, as the mother of two young boys, she was widowed at the age of thirty-seven. A decade later, Christina met her present husband and his three children. They fell in love and together formed a modern-day Brady Bunch family. While her life of ups and downs was fantastical and tragic, she always held true to her beliefs in faith and love.

Kindness, Dignity, and Respect
Robert S. Brown, MD, PhD
Independently Published
https://meaningfulwordswork.com
9798394287695, $19.95, PB, 261pp

https://www.amazon.com/Kindness-Dignity-Respect-Dignify-Another/dp/B0C5P9TVXG

Synopsis: With the publication of "Kindness, Dignity, and Respect: Kind Ways to Dignify, Respect, and Love One Another", Dr. Robert S. Brown presents true stories about and examples of how treating others with kindness, dignity, and respect improved the lives of people with different views of life, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and religion.

"Kindness, Dignity, and Respect" is Dr. Brown's Christian testimony presented as if in a court of law. Consider your own testimony, reflect on spiritual self-examination and share your faith and insight with others.

A self-actualized person treats others with kindness, dignity, and respect. Jesus commanded us "to love one another" (John 15:12). Apostle Paul wrote a detailed blueprint for building loving relationships with one another (1 Corinthians 13). Dr. Brown persuasively argues that these two New Testament scriptures compel us to weigh their meaningfulness. They urge us to start now to love one another. This commandment was crucial to Jesus. He knew that loving one another would help us flourish spiritually and survive as humanity.

Critique: Part memoir, part Christian treatise, part self-help/self-improvement inspirational guide, "Kindness, Dignity, and Respect: Kind Ways to Dignify, Respect, and Love One Another" by Dr. Robert S. Brown is instructive, interesting, inspiring, and the kind of life story with illustrative examples that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.95), "Kindness, Dignity, and Respect: Kind Ways to Dignify, Respect, and Love One Another" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: Dr. Robert S. Brown served his country as a soldier, a doctor, and a university professor. He graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School and holds a PhD in education. He has forty years of experience in private psychiatric practice and university professorship. He is also the author of Textbook for Mental Health and has won numerous awards, including the Army's Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Life Fellowship of the American Psychiatric Association.

My Grief Jar: Still Growing After the Loss of My Daughter
Deborah Waffle
Independently Published
9798340068385, $21.99, HC, 309pp

https://www.amazon.com/My-Grief-Jar-Growing-Daughter/dp/B0DHY34W92

Synopsis: Debbie Waffle's happy childhood, loving marriage, and successful career as an elementary school teacher all prepared her for a joyful, trouble-free path in motherhood. But early on, her firstborn child, Kelsey, developed medical problems that left Debbie both anguished by her daughter's chronic pain and determined to find the doctor, diagnosis, and treatment that would cure her.

Instead, Kelsey's symptoms worsened. And as Kelsey's ability to feel well and live independently vanished, Debbie began to unravel -- even as she continued to hunt for answers. When the unthinkable happened, Debbie blamed herself.

The grief of losing a child never goes away. But in the metaphor about the "grief jar", the space around that heartache eventually can grow -- so there's more room to have other things in there, too.

For Debbie, that was Kelsey's young retriever, Brody, a canine companion who helps counter her despondency. Living out Kelsey's dream for Brody to become a therapy dog and help others in distress, Debbie felt (and still feels) her daughter's spirit infusing her new life with purpose and even happiness again.

Critique: Emotionally engaging, and as intensely personal as it is universal in experience, "My Grief Jar: Still Growing After the Loss of My Daughter" is especially commended to the attention of anyone who is experiencing a similar tragedy in their lives and families. A cathartic and deftly crafted memoir of love, loss, and bereavement from a Christian perspective, "My Grief Jar" is unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "My Grief Jar" is also readily available in paperback (9798337896892, $12.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).


The General Fiction Shelf

The Anatomy of Exile
Zeeva Bukai
Delphinium Books
https://www.delphiniumbooks.com
9781953002464, $28.00, HC,

https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Exile-Novel-Zeeva-Bukai/dp/1953002463

Synopsis: In the wake of the 1967 Six Day War, Tamar Abadi's world collapses when her sister-in-law is killed in what appears to be a terror attack but what is really the result of a secret relationship with a Palestinian poet.

Tamar's husband, Salim, is an Arab and a Jew. Torn between the two identities, and mourning his sister's death, he uproots the family and moves them to the US. As Tamar struggles to maintain the integrity of the family's Jewish Israeli identity against the backdrop of the American "melting pot" culture, a Palestinian family moves into the apartment upstairs and she is forced to reckon with her narrow thinking as her daughter falls in love with the Palestinian son.

Fearing history will repeat itself, Tamar's determination to separate the two sets into motion a series of events that have the power to destroy her relationship with her daughter, her marriage, and the family she has worked so hard to protect.

Critique: "The Anatomy of Exile" is a novel about the struggle to an immigrants's family intact in American, given the violence in their homeland between the Israelis and the Palestinians where love between a Jewish woman and a Palestinian man is socially, culturally, and political forbidden -- and how exile in sectarian and multicultural America compels them to reshape their identities and destinies. All the more impressive when considering that "The Anatomy of Exile" is author Zeeva Bukai's debut as a novelist, this original, fascinating, deftly crafted novel is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Anatomy of Exile" from Delphinium Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Zeeva Bukai (www.zeevabukai.com) was born in Israel and raised in New York City. Her honors include a Fellowship at the New York Center for Fiction and residencies at Hedgebrook, and Byrdcliffe Artist In Residence program. Her work has been featured on the Stories on Stage Davis podcast. She is also the Assistant Director of Academic Support at SUNY Empire State University.

Exposure
Ava Dellaira
Zibby Books
https://www.zibbyowens.com/zibby-books
9781958506677, $27.99, HC, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Exposure-Novel-Ava-Dellaira/dp/1958506672

Synopsis: In 2004, Juliette Marker, a white college freshman, and Noah King, a Black high school senior, are two lonely souls who enter each other's orbit, forge a connection, and go home together after a night out.

Twelve years later, Noah has done the impossible and made it in Hollywood. His first film is about to be released, and he and his beloved wife Jesse, a successful writer herself, have just had a baby. Meanwhile, Juliette's best friend Annie is back in LA for the first time in more than a decade, and makes a startling discovery about Juliette that will threaten to blow up the life Noah has struggled to build.

Spanning decades, from LA to Chicago, and told through Annie, Juliette, Noah, and Jesse's varied perspectives, author Ava Dellaira's "Exposure" is a powerful and provocative novel delving into one fateful night and the people affected by it, while exploring how race, artistic ambition, and grief expose different versions of the same story.

Critique: Some writers seem to have a natural gift for eloquently crafted, distinctively effective, and original storytelling. With the publication of "Exposure", author Ava Dellaira has demonstrated just such qualities as novelist. A fascinating, entertaining, thought-provoking, and memorable read from start to finish, this paperback edition of "Exposure" from Zibby Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of those with an interest in psychological fiction that "Exposure" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).

Editorial Note: Ava Dellaira (https://avadellaira.com) is the author of the critically acclaimed young adult novels In Search of Us and Love Letters to the Dead, which was named Best Book of the Year by Apple, Google, BuzzFeed, the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow, and the University of Chicago. She grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and now lives in Altadena, CA with her husband and their two young children.

Run to The Rio
Joe Egan
https://www.joeeganbooks.com
Independently Published
9798325895043, $19.99, PB, 344pp

https://www.amazon.com/Run-Rio-Joe-Egan/dp/B0D4HGS7Q1

Synopsis: In "Run to The Rio", novelist Joe Egan writes: "The sane man would have opted to sober up quick and head upstairs to Mia. He would apologize, and she would be upset. But at the end of the day, he would be able to spend the second night of his newborn son's life as a present dad. He would be able to look into the eyes of his wife and say with utter confidence, 'I can do better, and I am sorry.' Too bad I'm not the sane man."

This is the story of Scott Sharpe who is a deeply flawed thirty-something. Scott's deranged actions jeopardize the safety of his wife Mia and their two young sons. Can Scott and his father-in-law Ramon navigate the perils of corporate corruption, the mob, and the demons within themselves to protect those they love the most?

Critique: In "Run to The Rio", novelist Joe Egan writes: "The sane man would have opted to sober up quick and head upstairs to Mia. He would apologize, and she would be upset. But at the end of the day, he would be able to spend the second night of his newborn son's life as a present dad. He would be able to look into the eyes of his wife and say with utter confidence, 'I can do better, and I am sorry.' Too bad I'm not the sane man."

Raised by the author to an impressive level of literary excellence, "Run to The Rio" is a compelling page turner of an action/adventure novel laced with unexpected plot twists and turns. Deftly crafted characters and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "Run to The Rio" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community library Mystery/Suspense and Contemporary Action/Adventure collections. It should be noted that "Run to The Rio" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Joe Egan (https://www.joeeganbooks.com) is a Minnesotan who resides in the heartland with his wife, daughter, and son. His literary journey began at the age of seven crafting short stories and creating student newspapers. He's been hooked to the pen ever since.


The Historical Fiction Shelf

Jeep Show
Robert B. O'Connor
OKPI Publishing
https://jeepshowbook.com
9780990888451, $15.99, PB, 348pp

https://www.amazon.com/Jeep-Show-Trouper-Battle-Bulge/dp/0990888452

Synopsis: The story of an ordinary soldier in World war II who is tasked with an extraordinary mission, "Jeep Show: A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge" is a novel by Robert B. O'Connor who chronicles the astonishing journey of Jim Tanzer, a thirty-year-old dance instructor who enlists in the Army in 1943 to fight the Nazis. Jim's showbiz background lands him in the Morale Corps as an Entertainment Specialist.

Shipped to Europe and tasked with performing in Jeep shows (small variety acts put on for combat infantry just behind the front lines) Jim travels throughout the Combat Zone with squad leader Mickey Rooney -- the Hollywood movie superstar who was also in the Morale Corps (as he was in real life).

Their performances, more than just entertainment, are a beacon of hope, bringing brief moments of song, dance, and laughter to weary troops, letting them know they are not forgotten.

Jim's story becomes intertwined with history when he is caught in the Battle of the Bulge. In Bastogne, he joins Team SNAFU, a makeshift unit supporting the 101st Airborne Division. Jim's courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds is a testament to the human spirit.
Jeep Show is fiction based on little-known aspects of the U.S. World War II effort seen through the eyes of an unlikely hero.

As a novelist, Robert B. O'Connor skillfully intertwines Jim's personal journey with the broader canvas of World War II, shedding light on the Army's extensive morale-boosting efforts.
O'Connor peppers the narrative with fascinating details about the show business world of the 1920s, 30s, and early 40s, while also capturing the grim realities of war.

Critique: Although a work of fiction, "Jeep Show: A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge" brilliantly draws upon real people, places, and events drawn from the European theatre of World War II. A fun and fascinating read from start to finish, one one that rises to an impressive level of literary excellence, "Jeep Show" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university World War II themed fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of the "Jeep Show" from OKPI Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Robert B. O'Connor is also the author of the non-fiction "Gumptionade - A Booster for Your Self-Improvement".


The Literary Fiction Shelf

The Errors of Mankind
Curt A. Canfield
Independently published
9798333420428, $25.50, HC, 387pp

https://www.amazon.com/Errors-Mankind-Mistaking-Conditions-Well-Being/dp/B0D9TSK7YM

Synopsis: "The Errors of Mankind" by novelist Curt A. Canfield is a philosophical inquiry into human nature and what gives rise to its evil side as well as the possibility of its redemption. This inspirational saga addresses both personal and national struggles to find a place in the world. On the national level, it probes into the roles that geopolitics, globalism and international finance played in American policy that led up to World War II, the Vietnam Conflict and the many military campaigns that followed. On a personal level, it speaks to the need for empathy, self-awareness, and morality, aka the role of God, as individuals progress through their lives.

"The Errors of Mankind" is an historical fiction novel that unfolds in a Socratic dialogue between three main characters: Will, a retired consultant who served in the Marines during the Vietnam conflict; Johann, a distant relative of Will's who fought for Nazi Germany in the Waffen-SS during World War II; and Lena, an Auschwitz survivor who lived through the Holocaust. Will is still struggling to find his purpose in life after a stroke seven years ago while Johann strongly holds onto his beliefs in the discredited regime he once fought for. The two begin an uneasy collaboration to deconstruct their disastrous past and overcome the trauma imposed on them by their government, culture, and family but ultimately it is Lena who shows them the way to redemption.

The story is structured around four cycles of increasing self-awareness expressed at the personal level by Will and at the national level for Nazi Germany by Johann. As the two men interact with one another and later with Lena, they reconcile their limited understanding of the world with the infinitude of the divine reason that created it. The characters are fictional, but the historical events relayed are real; both provide the reader with a view of history and human nature that is frequently not explored.

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, inherently fascinating, and told with a distinctive and reader engaging storytelling style, "The Errors of Mankind: Mistaking the True Conditions for our Well-Being" is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Curt A. Canfield's debut as a novelist. "The Errors of Making" is raised to an impressive level of literary excellence that makes it especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Errors of Mankind" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9798328660907, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Curt A. Canfield (www.curtcanfield.com) grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, where he acquired most of his beliefs as a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and a Church Youth Group Leader. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam conflict. During his three-year enlistment, he earned two meritorious promotions, traversed most of Southeast Asia and lost most of those beliefs. Drawing upon his years of research into history, philosophy and religion, his next novel will be "Better is the End", a sequel to "The Errors of Mankind".


The Western Fiction Shelf

The Big Dry
Patrick Dearen
https://patrickdearen.com
TCU Press
https://www.tcupress.com
9780875658872, $24.95, PB, 182pp

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Dry-Novel-Patrick-Dearen/dp/0875658873

Synopsis: Zeke Boles, a black cowhand, awaits hanging in North Texas for a murder he didn't commit. His white friend Will Brite, with whom he rode in the Big Drift blizzard, has exhausted virtually all avenues to get Zeke exonerated. Will's only hope is to set out for the faraway Devils River to find the actual culprit, a man with a missing finger.

But Will has his own legal issues. He has married Jessie, a young woman of mixed race who often passes for white, and a grand jury is sure to return an indictment of miscegenation that could land Will in prison.

Readers will fully engage as they follow the exploits of Will and his friend Arch Brannon who join a cattle drive through a searing land between the Devils and Pecos rivers. This hellish trail is destined to be marked with carcasses and a lonely grave, and the elusive possibility of finding hope at the end.

Critique: "The Big Dry" is the deftly crafted, standalone sequel to author Patrick Dearen's first novel, "The Big Drift" which won five awards including the Spur Award of Western Writers of America. In "The Big Dry", novelist Patrick Dearen explores race relations against the backdrop of was called the Big Dry, a devastating drought in the 1880s in Texas. A simply riveting read from first page to last, "The Big Dry" once again showcases author Patrick Dearen's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style. A memorable and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Big Dry" from TCU Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.95).

Editorial Note: Inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, Patrick Dearen is author of eighteen novels and ten nonfiction books. His writing has been honored by Western Writers of America and several other organizations. A ragtime pianist and backpacking enthusiast, he makes his home in Texas.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Overture to Murder
Erica Miner
Level Best Books
https://www.levelbestbooks.us
9781685127817, $16.95, PB. 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/Overture-Murder-Julia-Kogan-Mystery/dp/1685127819

Synopsis: The curtain comes down on murder in "Overture to Murder", the third novel of the Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series by author Erica Miner.

Julia heads to the San Francisco Opera, this time with her significant other, former NYPD detective Larry Somers, and their five-year-old daughter Rebecca. Julia is under inordinate amounts of pressure as she replaces the ailing concertmaster, Ben, who has suffered serious injuries in a suspicious hit-and-run accident, which Julia suspects might not have been accidental.

Then, one prominent company member becomes the victim of a grisly murder, and Julia cannot resist becoming involved in the investigation. As in her previous sleuthing at the Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera, Julia once again discovers that fiery artistic temperaments, and danger lurking in the dark hallways and back stairways of an opera house, provide a chilling backdrop for murder.

This time, however, it's not only her own life that is in peril!

Critique: Some authors just seem to have a natural knack for storytelling -- and when it comes to a classic cozy mystery (amateur female sleuth and a murder to be solved) Erica Miner is clearly one of those fortunate novelists -- fortunate for all cozy mystery fans! An impressively riveting and fun read from start to finish, "Overture to Murder" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans that this paperback edition of "Overture to Murder" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) from Level Best Books.

Editorial Note: Novelist, poetry, and screenwriter Erica Miner (www.ericaminer.com) believes opera theatres are the perfect places for creating fictional mischief! Drawing on her 21 years as a violinist at the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera, Erica balances her reviews and interviews of real-world musical artists with fanciful plot fabrications that reveal the dark side of the fascinating world of opera, guiding readers through a dramatized version of the opera world in her Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series.

Mademoiselle le Sleuth
Theasa Tuohy
Francehousepress
9798985077155, $29.95, HC, 218pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mademoiselle-Sleuth-Theasa-Tuohy/dp/B0DKRRJJDJ

Synopsis: "Mademoiselle le Sleuth" by Theasa Tuohy is simply delightful tale of a quirky American actress in Paris and her adorable 4-year-old niece who fancies herself a detective.

A cozy mystery that deftly blends comedy with chaos as the two entangle their ex-pat friends in the latest Sarah Bernhardt backstage murder. A stalker has his sights on the two, enticing the child with a red slicker that morphs her into a grim Red Riding Hood.

Etched in the vibrant colors of Paris streets and neighborhoods "Mademoiselle le Sleuth" ranges from the Skeleton Museum to the zoo and carousel of extinct animals in the Jardin des Plantes, as young Miranda and her aunt take the reader on a thrilling romp through Paris -- every tourist's favorite city.

Critique: Original, clever, engaging, and a fun read from start to finish, novelist Theasa Tuohy's "Mademoiselle le Sleuth" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery fans that this hardcover edition of "Mademoiselle le Sleuth" from Francehousepress is also available in a paperback edition (9798985077131, $14.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).

The Glass
Harry Navinski
https://harrynavinski.com
Independently Published
9798528160375, $19.99, HC, 346pp

https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Scottish-Police-Mystery-Suzanna/dp/B0DNLSX625

Synopsis: DCI Suzanna McLeod is a fighting fit and highly intelligent detective. Her Edinburgh-based team is legendary for being the UK's best, so she has a reputation to live up to and a team to lead when shots have been fired in Edinburgh.

Will her team catch them before they strike again? But the Chief Superintendent is a by-the-book meddler and McLeod's team members have personal problems that need her help.

Under pressure to catch armed robbers before they strike again, Suzanna's focus is challenged when her inherited magnifying glass is stolen -- a cherished item that helped shape her life.

As the chase is underway, Suzanna takes on the most dangerous of the criminals. But even after the case appears to be drawing to a close, something is nagging at Suzanna's gut. What could they have missed?

Critique: A fun read from start to finish for fans of police procedurals and suspense thrillers with female sleuths, "The Glass" introduces the DCI Suzanna McLeod crime-fighting series from author Harry Navinski. Deftly crafted and including fast-moving police investigations, distinctive characters, riveting action, and unexpected plot twists"The Glass" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Glass" is also readily available in a paperback (9798667924340, $14.99) and digital book formats (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: Harry Navinski (https://harrynavinski.com) wrote short pieces for the RAF Wyton station magazine. Many years later, he created and edited the RAF's magazine, for sports and adventurous activities, 'RAF Active'. Harry's articles, written from his experience of sports and adventurous activities, included: skiing, sailing, judo, and scuba diving, to name a few.
He attended a creative writing course, and became inspired to write his first novel - 'The Glass'.

My Bonney Lies Under
Susan Cummins Miller
Artemesia Publishing
https://www.apbooks.net
9781951122997, $16.95, PB, 292pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bonney-Under-Susan-Cummins-Miller/dp/1951122992

Synopsis: Aboard the steamship Oceanic in 1885, 15-year-old Keridec Rees is carrying her father's ashes home when her friend and companion, Anne Bonney, disappears. Is Anne hiding among the passengers in steerage? Has she fallen overboard? Or was she murdered? Keri has no answers. But when she's attacked with a dagger, she gets the message: Someone is determined she will never reach port.

Keri searches for clues to who has placed her in the crosshairs and why. Her only weapons on this quest are the support of her guardians and an unlikely assemblage of allies, an analytical approach to solving problems, artistic proficiency, tenacity, and an aptitude for shooting targets. She will need them all if she's to solve her mystery, reach America alive, and lay the foundations of a new life.

But just one misstep, and the ocean will silence her forever.

Critique: A gripping suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "My Bonney Lies Under" showcases author/novelist Susan Cummins Miller's impressively effective and narrative driven storytelling style. With well defined characters, a memorably effective plot with many an unexpected twist and turn, this paperback edition of "My Bonney Lies Under" from Artemesia Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Susan Cummins Miller (https://www.susancumminsmiller.com) is a former field geologist, vertebrate paleontologist, and educator. She is also the author of award-winning mysteries, two poetry collections, and the nonfiction anthology. She has been writer-in-residence at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, CA and the Pima County Public Library, Tucson, AZ.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Artificial Agent
J. W. Jarvis
https://www.authorjwjarvis.com
Big Dee Books
ASIN: B0DGZ886T1, $5.99, Kindle

https://shop.authorjwjarvis.com

https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Agent-J-W-Jarvis-ebook/dp/B0DGZ886T1

Synopsis: Loyalty runs through Michael Cooling's veins. Abandoned by his father as a kid and devoted to his mother, the highly decorated Navy SEAL gladly leads a mission to extract two Ukrainian generals held by Russia. But after falling into the hands of a brutal Russian officer and nearly killed, the heroic patriot ends up comatose in a hospital bed... and unknowingly paralyzed.

Determined to escape a wheelchair-bound existence, the wounded warrior undergoes surgery to integrate an untested hi-tech endoskeleton into his ravaged human flesh. And as he trains tirelessly to adapt to his new synthetic body, he develops an unprecedented strength and speed he hopes will help him crush those who would see the USA fall.

Yet as old hatreds come home to roost, will his newfound powers be enough to stop the world being brought to its knees?

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an inherently riveting science fiction technothriller of a read from start to finish, "Artificial Agent" by J. W. Jarvis will have a particular interest for fans of stories about resilient heroes, vicious villains, and one unexpected plot twist after another. This digital book edition from Big Dee Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Editorial Note: J.W. Jarvis (https://www.authorjwjarvis.com) lives in sunny California but is originally from the suburbs of the Windy City. When he's not thinking of ways to create inspiring characters for adventure-seeking minds, you can find him reading, golfing, traveling, or just sipping a hot vanilla latte.


The Poetry Shelf

The Four Faces of Eve: A Tribute to Survival
Constance E. Boyle, Petra Perkins, Brooke Granville, and Gail Waldstein
Golden Antelope Press
https://goldenantelope.com
9781952232930 $18.95

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Faces-Eve-Tribute-Survival/dp/1952232937

Synopsis: Though Constance E. Boyle, Brooke Granville, Petra Perkins and Gail Waldstein have different faces, personalities, and life experiences, they all share qualities implied by the name, "Eve," a word with roots in "life" and "breath". They have worked together as poets for many years, each distilling her own life experiences and helping the others to hone poems which pay tribute to resilience, love, survival and spirit in a world where abuse, betrayal, death and grief are also deeply rooted.

Taken together, in their poetry Boyle, Granville, Perkins and Waldstein give their women readers memorable tributes to (1) shared pain; (2) complicated love; (3) motherhood; (4) resilience; (5) grief; and (6) an enduring and empathetic spirit.

Critique: Among the purposes of poetry is for it to emotionally engage and connect with the reader. Showcasing the distinctive poetry of Constance Boyle, Petra Perkins, Brooke Granville, and Gail Waldstein, "The Four Faces of Eve" is a memorable collection of original and deftly crafted verse that will linger in the mind of the reader long after this slim book of poetry is finished and set back upon the shelf. This paperback edition of "The Four Faces of Eve" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Poetry collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Constance E. Boyle earned an MFA from Goddard in 1994. Her chapbook Double Exposure placed first in the 2005 Plan B Press competition. Her poems have appeared in literary journals including poem memoir story, Sliver of Stone, Melusine, Green Fuse anthologies, and The Human Touch. Connie is an Associate Clinical Professor Emeritus at University of Colorado Medical Campus. Currently, she writes poetry and fiction, teaches writing workshops for adolescents and adults, and edits.

Editorial Note #1: Petra Perkins is a Colorado author of poetry, fiction, memoir, essay, humor, screen and stage play. After a 25-year career in aerospace engineering and management, she became immersed in more creative pursuits, especially writing.

Editorial Note #2: Brooke Granville is a Denver native, has been focused on the Denver real estate market for over thirty years, offering expertise in the ever-changing dynamics of the inventory, the infill in the established neighborhoods and the vertical growth the city is adopting. She has been writing poetry for fifty years--about nature, family and relationships. An adoptee, she eventually met her birth mother. It led to connecting with two half-siblings, two aunts and twelve first cousins. She is writing her memoir on finding this family, the reactions and interactions of three generations on both sides of the story.

Editorial Note #3: Gail Waldstein M.D. was a pediatric pathologist for over 35 years, working at Children's Hospital, Denver most of that time. She also single-parented three children for fifteen of those years. She began creative writing in the late '90s, winning awards for fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. She received fellowships from Colorado Council for the Arts, Helene Wurlitzer Foundation and Rocky Mountain Women's Foundation.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

How Joyous Effort Works: The Energy to Benefit Others
Janet Kathleen Ettele
https://janetettele.com
Karuna Publications
http://karunapublications.org/books.html
9781939839060, $16.00, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Joyous-Effort-Works-Benefit/dp/1939839068

Synopsis: Troy, a young man in his early twenties who has struggled with substance abuse and a quick-fisted temper, seeks to extinguish his habits of the past under the guidance of a Buddhist sage.

Continuing his journey with the theme of the previous three books: "When the student is ready the master appears," it's in the thick of a New England summer when Troy meets Jules, a wise teacher and a master luthier (builder of string instruments).

Using the luthiers' skills as metaphor and meditative support, Jules guides Troy as he takes on the challenge of integrating the deeper points of the Buddhist view with every aspect of his own life. This includes navigating the death of his uncle, and balancing his spiritual practice with his relationship with Maggie, a young art student who works with him at the local diner.

As Troy strives to truly comprehend what it means to develop wisdom, equanimity, and compassion, will he be able to gain mastery over his inner demons when things go dreadfully wrong?

"How Joyous Effort Works: The Energy to Benefit Others" by Janet Kathleen Ettele is touching story of Troy's journey presents one of the world's most profound teachings on compassion and wisdom. Set in present day New England where the characters' ordinary lives and challenges are recognizable as being similar to our own, we find that it is not necessary to be Buddhist to benefit from the teachings in this story.

Critique: Featuring a Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How Joyous Effort Works: The Energy to Benefit Others" offers an inspiring and memorable story of how Buddhism can apply to dealing with life's secular and emotional issues and losses. A welcome addition to personal, community, and college/university library Buddhism collections, "How Joyous Effort Works: The Energy to Benefit Others" is especially and unreservedly recommended.

Editorial Note: Janet Kathleen Ettele (https://janetettele.com) is an author, musician, teacher, coach, mother and grandmother residing in Connecticut. As a student of Buddhist dharma, she brings its teachings into contemporary practice through her writing and music.


The Political Science Shelf

Direct Democracy
Joseph Jenkins
Joseph Jenkins Inc.
https://www.josephjenkins.com
9781733603560, $29.00, HC, 299pp
9781733603577, $19.00, PB, 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/Direct-Democracy-Curse-Boiled-Frogs/dp/1733603573

Synopsis: Just as technology, science, and medicine have advanced, so too must our government evolve to meet the needs and demands of our time. The "Constitutional Republic" envisioned by our founding fathers 250 years ago is now outdated. It was designed for a fledgling nation with the population of modern-day Chicago, Illinois. Our Constitution remains the bedrock foundation of our nation, but its application needs to be reformed to reflect the realities of today's United States.

With the publication of "Direct Democracy and the Curse of the Boiled Frogs", Joseph Jenkins presents a bold vision for Direct Democracy, offering a clear path to reclaim our nation's future. Together, we can create a government that truly serves its people. We can fix it, we the people, and the time is now.

Critique: From elected democratic governments beginning with the ancient Roman senate whose corruption and civil wars were to give way to a monarchial empire, to the brief and financially bankrupt German Weimar Republic that was to give way to the totalitarian dictatorship of Hitler and the Nazis, to our current transition of an American style democracy to an autocratic government ruled over by Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, all that stands between democracy and tyranny are we the people -- but wee seem to have become a people who have forgotten how they can be numbed into acceptance of anti-democratic behaviors in their political leadership and slowly lose what their forebears fought and died to achieve.

That's why "Direct Democracy: and the Curse of the Boiled Frogs" by Joseph Jenkins is so urgently needs to be addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists in the hope that Joseph Jenkins's message can help turn the tide and restore American confidence in our democratic political systems and avoid the fate of so many republics and democracies that have proceeded us.

Editorial Note: Joseph Jenkins (https://www.josephjenkins.com) is the author of several award-winning independently self-published books, including The Humanure Handbook, The Slate Roof Bible, The Balance Point, The Compost Toilet Handbook, and Self Publishing: Top Ten Tips.


The Wine Shelf

Sipping Sense
Stephanie Browne
Sipping Sense
https://www.sippingsense.com
9798990600904, $24.99, PB, 167pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sipping-Sense-Uncorking-Flavors-Entertaining/dp/B0D92KVDJP

Synopsis: With the publication of "Sipping Sense: Uncorking the Flavors of Wine, Entertaining and Healthy Cooking" by Stephanie Browne, wine lovers can embark on a delectable adventure where the harmonious union of flavors meets the warmth of family traditions. In "Sipping Sense: Uncorking the flavors of Wine, Entertaining and Healthy Cooking," the reader is invited to discover the art of entertaining with finesse, savoring family recipes reimagined with a healthy twist, and unlocking the secrets of wine pairing like never before.

Within these pages, there is a veritable treasure trove of culinary delights, each recipe carefully crafted to tantalize taste buds with custom wine recommendations. From hearty mains to tantalizing desserts, our collection showcases the vibrant spectrum of flavors, ensuring there's something for every palate and every dining occasion.

But what truly sets "Sipping Sense" apart from other culinary guides and cookbooks is its innovative approach to wine pairing. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned oenophile, "Sipping Sense" provides an easy-to-follow DIY blueprint will demystify the process empowering the creation of unforgettable dining experiences with confidence. No more guesswork -- just simple, foolproof guidance on selecting the perfect wine to complement every dish.

Picture this: a beautifully set table adorned with sumptuous dishes, each paired with a meticulously chosen wine to enhance its flavors and elevate the dining experience. With its expert tips and tricks, even the most novice of family cooks will learn how to curate stunning presentations that are as visually appealing as they are delicious, leaving their guests awestruck and eager for more.

But "Sipping Sense: Uncorking the flavors of Wine, Entertaining and Healthy Cooking" is far more than just another cookbook. It is also a vibrant celebration of culinary heritage, a testament to the joy of sharing scrumptious food, good wine and great company. Whether hosting a cozy family gathering or a lavish dinner party, its recipes and pairing guide will ensure every moment is infused with warmth and hospitality.

Critique: This rectangular shaped (8.25 x 0.38 x 6 inches, 10.2 ounces) paperback edition of Stephanie Browne's "Sipping Sense: Uncorking the Flavors of Wine, Entertaining and Healthy Cooking" is exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. Featuring illustrations of finished dishes, ingredient lists, directions, recipe notes, and a Nutrition Facts box, "Sipping Sense" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook and wine/liquor reference book collections. It should be noted that "Sipping Sense" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Author, wine industry veteran and lover of all things cooking, cocktail, and dining, Stephanie Browne loves helping others to set-up a well-curated, fun, and unique learning experiences for food, wine, and cocktail personalities and businesses.

Exploring Wine Regions - Mexico
Michael C. Higgins
International Exploration Society
https://internationalexplorationsociety.org
9780996966061, $34.95, PB, 340pp

https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Wine-Regions-Discovering-Phenomenal/dp/0996966064

Synopsis: Exploring Mexico's Quality Wines and Phenomenal Cuisine is the fourth book in the award-winning series, now exploring the Mexico Wine Regions. Does Mexico make wine? Yes. Any good? Very good. While Mexico is famous for producing Tequila, this wine oriented travel guide opens our eyes to high-quality Mexican wines. And the phenomenal cuisine and extraordinary tourism. "Exploring Wine Regions: Mexico" takes you on a journey to discover these amazing wines; combining wine education, an insider travel guide and spectacular photography. Higgins again dazzles his audience with another informative and beautiful book.

Tourism in Mexico is outstanding. And the Mexican wine regions are no exception. Wine regions are always very beautiful places. Here, the mountains and valleys are ever so enchanting. The wineries are engaging, have lots of tourism activities available, and are especially inviting and friendly with their warm Mexican hospitality. Both connoisseurs and novices turn to "Exploring Wine Regions: Mexico" for insider information and inspiration. It is a must-have planning resource for expanding your knowledge of Mexico and its wines. With 340 full-color pages and over 600 photographic images, this fourth edition explores Mexico's regions of Valle de Guadalupe (including Ensenada), Guanajuato (including San Miguel de Allende) and Queretaro (with its rich history).

With breathtaking photography and personal commentary, readers are mesmerized by the world of wine, food and travel. Extensive resources are provided for wine lovers who want to know where to go, what to look for, and how to discover their favorite wines.

Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches, 2.2 pounds) paperback edition of author/photographer Michael C. Higgins' "Exploring Wine Regions: Mexico" from the International Exploration Society is an informative and inspiring pleasure to browse through for the armchair traveler and wine connoisseur, and for planning itineraries for the on-site traveler. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Exploring Wine Regions: Mexico" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Mexico Travel Guide collections. It should be noted that "Exploring Wine Regions: Mexico" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: For more than twenty years, author, photographer and wine expert Michael C. Higgins has been the publisher of Flying Adventures, a lifestyle travel magazine for food and wine lovers who own and travel on private airplanes. As a private pilot, travel enthusiast, and food and wine lover himself, Higgins continues to live the story he's been sharing for decades. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15349798.Michael_C_Higgins)


The Autism Shelf

My Friend's Autism
Pauly & Cindy Montgomery
Independently Published
9798332435393, $19.99, PB, 199pp

https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Autism-Classmates-Teammates-Elementary/dp/B0D9FGTGZ3

Synopsis: One day you will meet someone with autism, and you will, whether you are aware of it or not.

Written by the mother/son team of Pauly and Cindy Montgomery, and 23 of Pauly's friends, "My Friend's Autism: Advice From Someone Who Is Autistic, His Friends, Classmates, Teammates, Mentors, and Family From Elementary School Through the College Years" will help you to communicate when it happens.

If you're well-intentioned but afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing when you first meet someone with autism, or any disability, then this DIY instructional guide book for you in order to take the potential awkwardness out of any encounter with an autistic person.

Helpful hints from "My Friend's Autism" include:

It's okay to feel uncomfortable when you first meet someone.
Avoiding them is the worst thing you can do.
Have a calm demeanor. Talk slowly and have patience and give them time to respond.
In advance and together, decide on a word or phrase to be used if they need a break in the conversation.

Critique: Autism is not a deficiency in intelligence. It's a neurological condition of how the brain is wired -- creating a deficiency in social and communication skills. It can be accommodated and ameliorated by parenting, training, and teaching coping skills and awareness both on the part of the autistic child, their parents, their teachers, their community, and their friends. Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style, organization and presentation, "My Friend's Autism: Advice From Someone Who Is Autistic, His Friends, Classmates, Teammates, Mentors, and Family From Elementary School Through the College Years" is filled with instructional examples ranging from the K-12 years through college/university experiences. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "My Friend's Autism' is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school, middle school, high school, community, and college/university library Autism collections. It is also a high value pick for supplemental Autism curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: As a wife, parent and professional Cindy Montgomery has written several books relating to autism. One offers advice in a heavily researched book that shows how to strengthen your marriage as you raise your valuable autistic child, another offers friendship advice for all to avoid that sometimes awkward stage when making friends with someone who is autistic, and yet another that teaches autistic children and their parents how to cope with new experiences like going on a plane, going to a dentist, or going skiing.

With over seven years of leadership in nonprofit organizations and recent ventures into independent publishing, my career is marked by a commitment to inclusivity and social impact. At the City of Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, Children's Home+ Aid Society (now Brightpoint), Ravinia Women's Board, TeachAbility, LLC, Illinois Partners in Policymaking, Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE) and the UPenn Social Impact Program, and an MBA in Finance from DePaul University, collaboration and strategic fundraising have been cornerstones of Cindy's initiatives to improve accessibility for all citizens.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Way of the Wave
Daniel A. Miller
www.danielamiller.com
Ebb and Flow Press
9780982893074, $15.95 pbk, $2.99 Kindle, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Way-Wave-Natures-Navigating-Currents/dp/0982893078

Synopsis: Despite our best- laid plans and intentions, we cannot predict or control what might happen to us at any given moment.

"Go with the flow," we're often told, and it feels good thinking or saying it when dealing with our daily challenges. But how do we actually do that?

This is what Daniel A. Miller set out to learn after a series of traumatic events brought him to his knees. Drawing inspiration from ocean waves and body-surfing in California and their close parallel to the unpredictable flow of life's currents, with the publication of "The Way of the Wave: Nature's Model for Navigating Life's Currents ", Miller shares insights and practices from his nearly forty-year journey of trying to "Go with the Wave" in all aspects of his life. "The Way of the Wave" offers its readers tools and strategies, coupled with inspiring true stories, to help others:

Overcome Wave Obstructors-patterns of behavior that hinder both our ability to navigate life's challenges with assurance and the open flow of ideas and choices-including the greatest obstructor of them all: control, as well as other powerful deterrents to going with the flow: high expectations, limited thinking, failure to set boundaries, and judging.

Embrace the Wave Enhancers of trust, humility, truthfulness, intuition, and self-care to help navigating life's currents more fully.

Enjoy greater trust, openness, and intimacy with others while practicing acceptance to align with the flow.

Navigate the troubled waters of addiction, combativeness, and the Tidal Wave of our times: the political/cultural Great Divide in our country.

Deeply insightful and practical, "The Way of the Wave" offers hope for not only individuals but for our turbulent nation.

Critique: Inspirational, aspirational, motivational, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, substance, organization and presentation, "The Way of the Wave: Nature's Model for Navigating Life's Currents" by Daniel A. Miller is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.

Editorial Note: Daniel A. Miller, JD (www.danielamiller.com) is a poet, painter, keynote speaker, and the author of "Losing Control, Finding Serenity" and "The Gifts of Acceptance". It was through letting go of control and embracing life as it is, Danny found a different and more gratifying kind of corporate success -- an internal, core sense of well-being. He now writes and speaks about the profound benefits of letting go of control and practicing acceptance.

Common Wisdom Journal
Laura Gabayan, MD, MS
https://lauragabayan.com
Redwood Publishing LLC
https://www.redwooddigitalpublishing.com
9781966333036, $5.99, PB, 78pp

https://www.amazon.com/Common-Wisdom-Journal-Laura-Gabayan/dp/196633303X

Synopsis: Do you want to increase your joy, happiness, success and inner peace? If yes, the "Common Wisdom Journal" by Physician and Researcher Dr. Laura Gabayan can help you start your journey to living your best life! Within its pages you will discover the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life using the tips and thought-provoking questions in this new self-guided journal.

The "Common Wisdom Journal" is based on a new study and the "Common Wisdom" book by Dr. Gabayan, who scientifically defined wisdom as 8 elements (Resilience, Kindness, Positivity, Spirituality, Humility, Tolerance, Creativity, Curiosity This journal can help you enhance these skills, provide eye-opening insights and move your life forward in every aspect - relationships, career and self-care.

Within the "Common Wisdom Journal" there is a summary of each of these 8 must-have life skills in this easy-to-use journal with journaling questions. These skills are not taught in school.

This new "Common Wisdom Journal: provides readers with new self-study tools to help you: Take a deeper dive into your personal development journey; Answer questions in a self-paced way that can ultimately increase your joy, happiness, success and inner peace; Gain instant knowledge and insights into the 8 must-have life skills; Enhance essential life skills by answering thought-provoking questions about each of the 8 elements of wisdom; Return to this timeless self-reflection journal periodically to re-evaluate your progress and continuously enrich your life.

This paperback edition of "Common Wisdom Journal: can be used by itself or in conjunction with the famous life-changing book "Common Wisdom" -- a book that unveils the discoveries of The Wisdom Research Project, which was a fascinating journey led by Dr. Gabayan to explore the timeless question: What is Wisdom? These 8 elements are the secrets to mastering life, and this journal will serve as a quick guide for understanding these 8 elements.

Critique: A 'fill in the blank' consumable, Dr. Laura Gabayan's "Common Wisdom Journal" is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal use of anyone seeking to improve the quality of their mental health and emotional well-being.

Editorial Note: Laura Gabayan (https://lauragabayan.com) is a world-renowned physician and researcher. She is regarded internationally as an expert in research. In her book, "Common Wisdom", she scientifically defines wisdom as 8 elements. She emigrated to the US at the age of 6 and attended UCLA for all her schooling.

The Book of Choice
Kim DeYoung
https://kimdeyoung.com
Ninth House Press
9798987780008, $17.49, PB, 252pp

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Choice-Mapping-Life-Understanding/dp/B0C6W15KWV

Synopsis: Specifically recommended reading for anyone who has struggled with making a decision, or for whom transitions or choices overwhelm them, or who would like to have an easy way to map your choices, Kim DeYoung's "The Book of Choice: Mapping the Life You Want by Understanding the Life You Have" will to guide them on a transformative journey of self-discovery.

"The Book of Choice" is an impressive and effective self-help/self-improvement study that offers a new understanding of how choices shape our lives. Drawing on years of experience and research, Kim unveils a fresh approach to making meaningful choices that will revolutionize your thinking. Through her wisdom and insights, you will learn to tap into your own inner guidance to overcome indecision and make decisions aligned with your values and goals.

With an innovative Choice Mapping technique, you will gain a structured and creative approach to making choices with confidence and clarity. Don't let the fear of making the wrong decision paralyze you. "The Book of Choice" will become a trusted guide on the journey to self-discovery and personal growth.

Critique: Exceptionally well crafted and thoroughly 'reader/user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Book of Choice: Mapping the Life You Want by Understanding the Life You Have" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections. For more effective decision making in business and in life, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Book of Choice" from Ninth House Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Kim DeYoung (https://kimdeyoung.com) is a seasoned choice coach, entrepreneur, and author dedicated to helping individuals make meaningful choices. With over two decades of coaching visionary entrepreneurs, Kim empowers people to bring their ideas to life through intentional decision-making.


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design