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Reviewer's Choice
Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss
Lisa Sugarman
Familius
www.familius.com
9798893961331, $18.99, PB, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLT6LVHW
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surviving-lisa-sugarman/1148019831
Synopsis: Suicide is a growing epidemic, with a staggering rate of 700,000 deaths per year globally. And for every suicide, an average of 135 people are directly impacted. That means that worldwide an estimated 94 million people have lost someone to suicide and are struggling to navigate the aftermath: loss, grief, unanswered questions, and how to move forward.
Drawing on her experience as a three-time survivor of suicide loss who has turned her pain into purpose, crisis counselor Lisa Sugarman offers a new resource that is raw, deeply personal, and practical in the pages of "Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss".
Far from a clinical self-help book, "Surviving: Finding Hope after Suicide Loss" not only invites readers into the intimate and poignant reality of suicide loss but offers tangible tools drawn from Sugarman's comprehensive 18-category mental health resources platform, The HelpHUB(TM).
From managing grief and overcoming mental health challenges to moving forward and rebuilding, "Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss" is a gentle resource is for anyone seeking to understand and heal from losing someone to suicide. It's an essential read for survivors, mental health advocates, and anyone touched by the ripple effects of suicide.
Lisa's message is that survival is possible, and support is always within reach.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections on the subject of coping with suicide based grief, loss, depression, and all the forms that emotional stress can take on the mind and body. Informative, insightful, exceptional, it should be noted for psychology/counseling students, academia, pastors/ministers/priests, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of how suicide impacts others, be they family or friends, that this paperback edition of "Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss" from Familius is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.09).
Editorial Note: Lisa Sugarman (https://thesurvivors.net) is a three-time survivor of suicide loss. She is also the founder of The HelpHUB (www.TheHelpHUB.co), a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, a storyteller with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a grief group facilitator for survivors of suicide loss with Samaritans, and a mental health advocate dedicated to changing the narrative on suicide and mental illness.
The Social Issues Shelf
Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity
Robert Lee Maril
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806196565, $45.00, HC, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Oklahoma-Confronting-Poverty-Insecurity/dp/0806196564
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hungry-oklahoma-robert-lee-maril/1148299019
Synopsis: Today in Oklahoma, one out of every six residents is poor. One in five children lives in poverty and faces food insecurity.
With the publication of "Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity", native son and sociologist Robert Lee Maril illuminates the currently lived experience of poverty and food insecurity in communities across the state.
Professor Maril's account is immediately personal. He begins with "guests," as shoppers are called by volunteers, waiting in line in the sweltering heat one summer for "Thy Will Be Done," a food pantry, to open. Unable to afford air conditioning, some guests don't buy foods that would spoil on the counter. One woman, Norma, carefully places only canned vegetables in her cart. When she returns to her twenty-year-old pickup, in the truck bed are lawn chairs, blankets, and pans -- everything she owns. "The landlord told us this morning we was homeless," Norma says. "I'm not thinking straight."
Drawing on interviews and participant-observation data from his volunteer work at a food pantry, as well as census and sociological data, Professor Maril documents in rich ethnographic detail the status of poverty and low-wage workers in the state today and within historical context. He also explores how institutions (such as faith-based organizations, government, and food pantries) structure and shape experiences of poverty. While Professor Maril celebrates the nonprofit and faith-based efforts that make a difference, "Hungry Oklahoma" is also critical of conditions and stereotypes that have entrenched poverty in the state.
"Hungry Oklahoma" ultimately suggests that persistent and pervasive poverty can be eliminated. Its moving accounts of real Oklahomans and their experiences make it a clarion call for not only those interested in policy issues but all Oklahomans who want a better today and tomorrow for those who call the state home.
Critique: Although focused on Oklahoma, the personal observations of local conditions in "Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity" by Professor Robert Lee Maril will have a nationwide resonance. A seminal and groundbreaking study of contemporary conditions arising from chronic poverty, "Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity" is informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twenty page Bibliography, ten pages of Notes, and a ten page Index. A timely work of meticulous research, "Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Social Issues collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in American Poverty, Human Geography, and Cultural Anthropology that this hardcover edition of "Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity" from the University of Oklahoma Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.00).
Editorial Note: Robert Lee Maril (https://leemaril.com) is Professor of Sociology Emeritus at East Carolina University. He is the author of nine books, including Waltzing with the Ghost of Tom Joad: Poverty, Myth, and Low-Wage Labor in Oklahoma.
Greater Than Gravity: How Childhood Trauma is Pulling Down Humanity
Michael J Menard, author
Allison Buehner, editor
Svetlana Hristova, illustrator
https://www.michaeljmenard.com
UACT Press
https://uactnow.com/greater-than-gravity
9781968559007, $29.99, HC, 463pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Greater-Than-Gravity-Childhood-Humanity/dp/1968559000
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/greater-than-gravity-michael-j-menard/1149557226
Synopsis: What if everything we think we know about America's health crisis is wrong?
Hidden in government data lies a shocking discovery: childhood trauma is responsible for 1,401 American deaths every single day -- more than tobacco, accidents, or stroke. Among the 11.4 million Americans who experienced severe childhood trauma, every one will die 24 years too soon. Nearly 90% of teen suicide attempts trace back to adverse childhood experiences. And this epidemic costs America $14 trillion annually -- roughly 60% of our entire GDP.
We have been counting the bodies wrong. When someone with severe childhood trauma dies of a heart attack at 55 instead of 75, we record it as heart disease. When they overdose, it's addiction. When they take their own life, it's suicide. But these aren't separate epidemics --they are symptoms of the same hidden crisis that's been destroying lives for generations.
Michael J. Menard knows this crisis firsthand. Growing up one of fourteen children in a 900 square-foot home below the poverty line, he watched childhood trauma ripple through his family -- claiming two brothers to addiction and leaving invisible wounds across generations.
Yet from these origins, Menard rose to become a world-renowned inventor with fourteen patents, advising NASA and the United Nations, and serving as Vice President of Worldwide Engineering at Johnson & Johnson.
"Greater Than Gravity: How Childhood Trauma is Pulling Down Humanity" by Michael menard isn't just another trauma book. Rather, it is a meticulously researched expose that connects dots no one else has connected -- revealing how childhood trauma alters brain development, ravages the immune system, and creates cascading destruction across mental, physical, spiritual, and social dimensions of life. Menard brings his engineer's mind to humanity's greatest unaddressed public health crisis, transforming cold statistics into compelling human stories while offering concrete pathways to healing.
With endorsements from leading trauma experts including Dr. Glenn Schiraldi, "Greater Than Gravity: How Childhood Trauma is Pulling Down Humanity" is a groundbreaking work in direct service to three specific groups of readers: survivors seeking hope and healing, loved ones who want to understand, and anyone ready to join a movement to end this epidemic.
As Menard so ably points out -- The numbers are irrefutable. The suffering is real. The time for action is now.
Critique: Iconoclastic, groundbreaking, informatively insightful, simply fascinating and consistently thought-proving throughout, "Greater Than Gravity: How Childhood Trauma is Pulling Down Humanity" is a meticulous and original work of research based scholarship that will be of special interest for readers concerned with child abuse, psychology, counseling, and trauma recovery. Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Greater Than Gravity: How Childhood Trauma is Pulling Down Humanity" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Psychology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for psychology students, academia, counselors, therapists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Greater Than Gravity: How Childhood Trauma is Pulling Down Humanity" from UACT Press is also available in paperback (9781968559014, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Michael J. Menard (https://www.michaeljmenard.com) is a visionary inventor, global business pioneer, acclaimed author, and passionate social advocate whose life exemplifies the alchemy of turning adversity into world-changing impact. At 75, he stands as a testament to resilience, having revolutionized industries while igniting a movement against childhood trauma - the silent epidemic he calls humanity's greatest threat. He is also the Founder of UACT (United Against Childhood Trauma), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, where Michael advocates for awareness, healing, and prevention -- emphasizing the "sacred 60 days" post-birth. Through keynote speaking at venues like the University of Texas School of Social Work, he inspires transformation, proving scars can become stars that light paths for millions.
The AI Studies Shelf
Thinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence Emulates Human Understanding
John MacCormick
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691191737, $29.95, HC, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-AI-Artificial-Intelligence-Understanding/dp/0691191735
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thinking-ai-john-maccormick/1147513069
Synopsis: "Can machines think?"
Ever since Alan Turing posed this question in an influential 1950 paper, it has been central to research in artificial intelligence. More than seventy-five years after Turing's paper, we grapple with it every time we wonder if Watson was actually smarter than Jeopardy! champions, or if ChatGPT really knows what it's talking about.
With the publication of "Thinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence Emulates Human Understanding", computer scientist Professor John MacCormick explores Turing's question from a perspective informed by a detailed understanding of the way modern AI systems work. Professor MacCormick explains, in accessible fashion, the ideas behind the two main pillars of the twenty-first century AI revolution: deep neural networks and reinforcement learning.
Professor MacCormick offers a tour of the most famous AI systems, including AlexNet and VGG16, deep neural networks for object recognition that led to a Nobel prize; DeepMind's AlphaGo, which shocked AI researchers with its superhuman performance in the game of Go; and OpenAI's ChatGPT, which stunned the world with its natural language capabilities. He describes how each system works, and points to parallels with human brain processes.
Both human minds and computer programs, Professor MacCormick explains, can induce intelligence through emergence: the capability for new phenomena to emerge from the interactions of many small, simple components. Does this mean that a computer program can think like a human? In many ways, Professor MacCormick argues, the answer is yes.
In "Thinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence Emulates Human Understanding", Professor MacCormick reveals a new landscape of emergent intelligence -- a world in which computer programs can emulate many or all aspects of human thinking but humanity retains its meaning and purpose.
Critique: Timely, informative, thought-provoking, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Thinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence Emulates Human Understanding" by Professor John MacCormick is an extraordinary introduction to AI which is becoming increasingly more advanced and more integrated into human activities and technologies with every passing day. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a ten page Bibliography, ten pages of Notes, and a nine page Index, "Thinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence Emulates Human Understanding" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Artificial Intelligence 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 "Thinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence Emulates Human Understanding" from the Princeton University Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17).
Editorial Note: John MacCormick (www.dickinson.edu/johnmaccormick) is Professor of Computer Science at Dickinson College. He is the author of "Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers" and "What Can Be Computed? A Practical Guide to the Theory of Computation" (both from the Princeton University Press).
The Science Shelf
Spinosaur Tales: The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs
Mark P. Witton
Bloomsbury Sigma
c/o Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781399412469, $28.00, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spinosaur-Tales-Biology-Ecology-Spinosaurs/dp/1399412469
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spinosaur-tales-david-hone/1147066661
Synopsis: Spinosaurs are the dinosaur group that includes the largest land predator of all time, the awe-inspiring Spinosaurus.
The giant sail-backed carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus is one of the most famous of all dinosaurs; a staple of documentaries, books and video games, and the beast that bested the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex in Jurassic Park III. But what do we actually know about this crocodile-headed monster and its relatives, the spinosaurs?
The spinosaurs were some of the strangest predatory dinosaurs, combining a long low skull with powerfully clawed hands. Some species had huge sails over their backs, as well as fin-like tails. A great deal of scientific mystery surrounds them. Their fossil remains are highly fragmentary, many aspects of their appearance uncertain, their evolutionary relationships elusive, and interpretations of their ecology and behaviour are hotly contested.
With the publication of "Spinosaur Tales: The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs", paleontologists David Hone & Mark P. Witton explore the exciting, sometimes controversial world of spinosaur science. Bringing these creatures back to life with stunning illustrations, "Spinosaur Tales" present the latest views on the evolution, anatomy and lifestyles of an enigmatic yet charismatic dinosaur group.
Critique: A simply fascinating and impressively informative read from start to finish, "Spinosaur Tales: The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university Dinosaur collections and supplemental Paleontology 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 "Spinosaur Tales: The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs" from Bloomsbury Sigma is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: David Hone (www.davehone.co.uk) is rapidly becoming the 'face' of dinosaur research. Based at QMW in London, where he is Lecturer in Ecology, he has published more than 50 academic papers on dinosaur biology and behaviour, with a particular interest in the tyrannosaurs, while his fieldwork has included a spell working on the famous feathered dinosaur deposits of China. He writes a regular blog for the Guardian, Lost Worlds, a major source of dino-info for the general public. David includes among his writing credits the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs.
Editorial Note #2: Mark P. Witton (www.markwitton.co.uk) is a palaeontologist based at the University of Portsmouth. Widely recognized as one of the world's leading paleoartists, he has also published dozens of scientific papers on dinosaurs and flying reptiles, as well as six well-received books on palaeontological science, history, and artistry.
The Cookbook Shelf
Chetna's 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy
Chetna Makan
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600639763, $32.99, HC, 244pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Chetnas-5-Ingredient-Indian-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0600639762
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chetnas-5-ingredient-indian-chetna-makan/1148680339
Synopsis: Cooking a delicious and authentic Indian meals from scratch doesn't have to be complicated. Not when Chetna Makan's newest cookbook, "Chetna's 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy", you can make flavorful Indian dishes with just five simple ingredients.
"Chetna's 5 Ingredient Indian" combines bold flavors and straightforward cooking methods, allowing you to enjoy delicious Indian cuisine with minimal fuss. You will be amazed at what you can do with just five ingredients for salads, dals and curries to snacks and desserts, these recipes are quick, simple and suited to every taste.
Featured are:
Spice blends such as Chaat Masala and Tandoori Masala to build your meals
Dals such as Palak Dal (Spinach Lentils) and Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentils)
Snacks such as Masala Papad and Sev (Gram Flour Noodles)
Main meals such as Cod Fish Curry and Tandoori Murg (Roast Chicken)
Critique: "Chetna's 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy" by Chetna Makan has two primary goals: For family cooks to save time and money with delicious, home-cooked Indian meals that use just five ingredients and to entertain friends and family with effortless yet impressive DIY recipes that bring an authentic taste of Indian cuisine into home meals and other dining occasions both formal and informal. Featuring full page color photos of finished dishes, "Chetna's 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy" also includes a one page listing of UK/US Terms and a four page Index. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Chetna's 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy" is a prized pick for personal, professional, and community library ethnic cuisine cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Chetna's 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy" from Hamlyn is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Chetna Makan (www.chetnamakan.co.uk) was born in Jabalpur in Central India. She has a degree in fashion and worked in Mumbai as a fashion designer before moving to the UK in 2004. Chetna was part of The Great British Bake Off in 2014 and since then has written 8 cookbooks. They range from baking, Indian street food, healthy Indian food, vegetarian and quick Indian. She also has a very popular YouTube channel 'Food with Chetna' where she shares her creative flair for all things cooking and baking.
Citrus, Illustrated: A Cookbook of 35 Sweet & Savory Recipes
George Geary, author
Rebecca Hollingsworth, illustrator
Chronicle Books
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781797235936, $19.95, HC, 168pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Citrus-Illustrated-Cookbook-Savory-Recipes/dp/1797235931
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/citrus-illustrated-george-geary/1147830161
Synopsis: From the ubiquitous navel orange to the lesser-known Fukushu kumquat to the straight-up-funky Buddha's hand citron, citrus comes in many forms. Knowing exactly how and when to best harness their bright essences can be a challenge -- until now.
"Citrus, Illustrated: A Cookbook of 35 Sweet & Savory Recipes" is handy little cookbook that offers a fascinating exploration of more than 25 citrus varieties and their many uses, ranging from enriching simple dishes to the oils of the peel and juice of the fruit.
Showcasing 35 sweet and savory recipes that will help you use up a bumper crop or make the most of the brightest fruits of the season, the recipes comprising "Citrus, Illustrated" includes:
Mojito Tea Cake with Rum Glaze
Pink Grapefruit and Tomato Salsa
Buddha's Hand Vodka Martini
Kumquat and Pineapple Chutney
Tart Lemon Curd
and more!
Critique: Charming citrus-bright illustrations by Rebecca Hollingsworth throughout this dedicated citrus resource guide (which is also packed with historical background on each fruit, attributes, nutritional and health benefits, availability, and more) by George Geary is an inspiring and 'user friendly' pick for home cooks and bakers, fruit lovers, and anyone interested in maximizing their use and enjoyment of luscious citrus fruits. "Citrus, Illustrated: A Cookbook of 35 Sweet & Savory Recipes" is a mealtime celebration of citrus fruits inspired savory and sweet dishes and drinks, including appetizers, salads, main dishes, sides, breads, desserts, and cocktails. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), "Citrus, Illustrated: A Cookbook of 35 Sweet & Savory Recipes" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: George Geary (https://www.georgegeary.com) is known for creating iconic foods for the Walt Disney Company, where he was the award-winning pastry chef for ten years, and for food on TV shows, such as the cheesecakes on the hit show The Golden Girls. George is a sought-after speaker on legendary and landmark Hollywood restaurants. "Citrus, Illustrated" is his seventeenth book.
Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration
Sophie Dupuis-Gaulier
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846016738, $29.99, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Chillies-Sophie-Dupuis-Gaulier/dp/1846016738
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chillies-sophie-dupuis-gaulier/1148313465
Synopsis: With the publication of "Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration" by Sophie Dupuis-Gaulier, novice family cooks and seasoned professional chefs alike can dive into the bold, vibrant world of chilies with Chillies, with this ultimate guide for spice lovers and culinary adventurers alike. In its pages waiting to be discovered are more than 20 varieties of chilies, each carefully classified according to the Scoville scale, from mild to fiery hot, and learn how to incorporate their unique flavors into your cooking.
Featuring nearly 80 irresistible recipes, "Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration" offers a range of dishes to suit every spice tolerance -- from the mild warmth of Basque-style piperade to the fiery heat of sausage rougail. Whether you are hosting, cooking for yourself, or simply testing your abilities with spicier and spicier options, Chillies will provide you with everything you need to know to make sure you get your spice levels just right.
Whether you are a fan of subtle heat or crave an explosive kick, "Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration" will bring new depth and excitement to your meals. It is especially relevant for those who love to experiment in the kitchen and explore the diverse flavors of this incredible ingredient.
Critique: Profusely illustrated with full page, full color photos of various chillies and finished dishes, "Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration" is exceptionally well organized and 'kitchen cook friendly' in presentation. While a very special and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration" from Mitchell Beazley is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: Sophie Dupuis-Gaulier is a culinary stylist with a remarkable website at: https://sophiedupuisgaulier.com
Editorial Note #2: Mitchell Beazley is a long established family reference publisher producing books on a wide range of subjects including cookery, gardening, reference, natural history as well as leading the way with its award winning wine titles and bestselling antiques books under the Miller brand. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Beazley)
The Parenting Shelf
The Grandparenting Blueprint
Richard Eyre
Familius
www.familius.com
9798893960648, $18.99,PB, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Grandparenting-Blueprint-Grandchildren-Important-Lessons/dp/B0FLTFV4CK
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-grandparenting-blueprint-richard-eyre/1148019823
Synopsis: Seniors all over the world are looking for practical tips and proven strategies for becoming a proactive grandparent, but what do grandchildren need the most? More important than money or fun, the best things a grandparent could leave to their grandchildren are principles for a happy and productive life.
Drawing on 12 secrets that author Richard Eyre shared with his own grandkids, "The Grandparenting Blueprint: How to Teach Your Grandchildren Life's Most Important Lessons" is a guide to sharing values and building bonds between grandparent and grandchild.
Starting with building bonds as a prerequisite, this guide moves from grandparenting basics and teamwork with the parents (your kids) to popularity and the ring of truth. With examples, questionnaires, and discussions throughout, each piece of advice is easy to use. By the end, you will have a list of personal secrets that have shaped your own life, leading to meaningful communication with grandchildren about life, living, and legacies.
Surveys show that a majority of grandparents consider their grandchildren to be the most delightful part of their lives. Yet grandparenting, and doing it well (and without stepping on parental toes) can follow a difficult and tricky path.
"The Grandparenting Blueprint" is the 'how to' manual that will help you leave your grandkids the best of yourself!
Critique: A century or two back, the nuclear family once consisted of grandparents, parents, and the children all living under the same roof. With grandparents helping parents to raise those children on an intimate and daily basis. But in today's western culture as experienced throughout the United States, that form of nuclear family is the exception -- not the rule. That's why "The Grandparenting Blueprint: How to Teach Your Grandchildren Life's Most Important Lessons" is so timely, necessary and needed. Thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in tone, comprehensiveness, style, organization and presentation, "The Grandparenting Blueprint" by Richard Eyre is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, Senior Citizen Center, and community library Parenting instructional guide collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Grandparenting Blueprint" from Familius is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.09).
Editorial Note: Richard Eyre is a New York Times #1 bestselling author with more than 50 books in print, and he speaks to audiences all over the world in more than 60 countries. He now focuses on grandparenting and the successful management of three-generation families. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_and_Linda_J._Eyre)
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Castro: A Biography by Consent
Claudia Furiati
Skyhorse Publishing
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781510779051, $35.00, HC, 720pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Castro-Biography-Consent-Claudia-Furiati/dp/1510779051
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/castro-claudia-furiati/1146675364
Synopsis: First published in Portuguese, followed by Spanish, Italian, and Chinese translations, this English translation of "Castro: A Biography by Consent" by Claudia Furiati is the definitive chronicle of Fidel Castro's life.
"Castro: A Biography by Consent" offers the most comprehensive and in-depth life history of one of the most iconic and controversial revolutionary leaders of the modern world. Respected by some, despised by others, Fidel Castro was a force to reckon with, and Claudia Furiati spent nine years of intensive research unraveling and chronicling his story through seven decades of Cuban history.
Castro granted Furiati his consent to write this biography and gave his assurance that he would not read it until the book was completed and published. He allowed her access to his personal (confidential and secret) archives and official files. Through these and multiple interviews with Castro's friends and enemies alike, Furiati fills in gaps missing from other biographies and provides, through extensive narrative and photos, a powerful portrayal of this charismatic yet enigmatic head of state.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with a section of B/W historical photos, a thirty page Postscript, a two page Bibliography, a three page Interview, four pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index, "Castro: A Biography by Consent" is the definitive biography of Fidel Castro. Comprehensive, authentic, based upon years of research and privilege of access, "Castro: A Biography by Consent" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Cuban History in general, and the life of Fidel Castro in particular that this hardcover edition of "Castro: A Biography by Consent" from Skyhorse Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Claudia Furiati is a journalist, filmmaker, and author of "ZR Rifle: The Plot to Kill Kennedy and Castro". She has written for most Brazilian newspapers, including O Globo, Jornal do Brasil, and Correio Braziliense. She wrote the original Portuguese version of Fidel Castro in 2001.
Boy From Pocatello
Alan Nichols
Regent Press
www.regentpress.net
9781587906800, $69.95, HC, 690pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Pocatello-Alan-Nichols/dp/1587906805
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boy-from-pocatello-alan-nichols/1148407836
Synopsis: "Boy From Pocatello" is Alan Nichols' lyrical, soul-stirring memoir. From the windswept streets of 1930s Pocatello, Idaho, to the remote sacred peaks of the Himalayas, Andes, Alps, the San Jacintos and many other Mountains and Mountain Ranges beyond, Alan Nichols has lived a life steeped in adventure, reverence, and wonder. This acclaimed explorer, attorney, and lifelong seeker invites readers on an unforgettable journey across continents and cultures in pursuit of what he calls "the Sacred Spirit and the Holy Mountains."
Part memoir, part human inquiry, "Boy From Pocatello" explores the mysterious power of mountains-from Mount Kailash to Machu Picchu, Mount Fuji to Shasta, Sinai to Olympus. With poetic reflection and a storyteller's flair, Nichols recounts a lifetime of climbing, cycling, and connecting with the world's most revered peaks -- often as the first Westerner or able to do so.
Organized in six captivating parts and many tales, rich with personal anecdotes, cultural insights, and even revelations, "Boy From Pocatello" is more than a travelogue -- rather it is a rare chronicle of one man's search for meaning on the majesty of the Earth's highest places.
"Boy From Pocatello" is not only a story of physical ascent -- it is a meditation on wonder. On sacredness. On the wisdom found where stone meets sky. Through six sweeping Parts, Nichols carries readers across continents and centuries, weaving history, philosophy, and personal pilgrimage into a tapestry that speaks to the timeless human yearning for meaning.
Written with clarity, wit, and a deep reverence for the Sacred, "Boy From Pocatello" is also a tribute to community-particularly the tight-knit "Seventh Avenue Gang" of his Pocatello youth, whose memory and mischief echo through the pages. His gratitude for friendship, for Mountains, for Spirit, and for learning is woven into every chapter along with many enjoyable stories and thoughtful tales.
Additionally, Nichols reflects on his extensive global explorations of Sacred Mountains, sharing the spiritual and philosophical insights and many unusual stories that he learned throughout his journeys. The narrative offers readers a profound perspective on the interconnectedness of nature, spirit, personal growth and the Sacred.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Alan Nichols' deftly crafted memoir, "Boy From Pocatello" while intensely personal, exhibits a universal resonance that reader's will remember and appreciate. A veritable saga of a life laid out in a unique six part format (then concluding with extensive End Notes, Bibliography and more), "Boy From Pocatello" is unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental Environment/Ecology studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Boy From Pocatello" from Regent Press is also available in paperback (9781587906817, $49.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Alan H. Nichols, born on February 14, 1930, in Palo Alto, California, is an American attorney, author, and explorer renowned for his originality and creativity about Sacred Mountains. Nichols contributed to many publications and authored several books, including "Journey: A Bicycle Odyssey through Central Asia" and "Letters Home from the Lafayette Flying Corps." As of April 2025, Nichols now resides back in Pocatello, Idaho, and serves as the Secretary of the Sacred Mountain Foundation, a nonprofit organization now based in Pocatello.
Black Summers: Growing Up in the Urban Outdoors
Desiree Cooper, editor
Wayne State University Press
https://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814352243, $24.99, PB, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Summers-Growing-Outdoors-Michigan/dp/0814352243
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-summers-desiree-cooper/1147922990
Synopsis: For many African-Americans, remembering frolicking outside during the long, jubilant days of summer brings a smile to their faces. Deftly compiled and expertly edited by Desiree Cooper, "Black Summers: Growing Up in the Urban Outdoors" is a vibrant collection from thirty-three contributors who collectively invites the reader to breathe deeply and return to that "carefree" season of yesteryear summers.
From riding bikes with friends through the neighborhood, to hopping the ferry to Boblo Island, catching catfish along the river, dancing on warm nights to Afrobeats and jazz music, and cooling off in the Swimmobile, those sun-drenched memories were often clouded by racism for the Detroiters in this evocative anthology.
These emerging and award-winning creators of all ages recount the struggles and triumph of staking their claim to public spaces. Ranging from poetry to essay, creative nonfiction to comics, this collection blends nostalgia with struggle and resilience. Arising from the iconic city of the African American experience comes this exploration of Black joy in the urban outdoors.
Critique: Occasionally illustrated with color photographs, "Black Summers: Growing Up in the Urban Outdoors" is part of the Wayne State University Press 'Made in Michigan Writer Series' and showcases remembered and eloquently told anecdotes of what it was like to be Black and experiencing summer in an urban environment. An inherently fascinating and informative read throughout, This paperback edition of "Black Summers: Growing Up in the Urban Outdoors" from Wayne State University Press is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library African-American Biography/History collections. It is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.74).
Editorial Note: Desiree Cooper (https://www.descooper.com) is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist. Among her literary honors is the 2018 Best Small Fictions; 2017 Midland Authors Award Winner in Adult Fiction; 2017 Michigan Notable Book; 2016 Midwest Book Award Finalist; Poets and Writers 5 Over 50; 2016 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award Finalist
I'll See You in My Dreams: A Sister's Memoir
Larkin McPhee
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798897472628, $30.95, HC, 226pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ill-See-You-My-Dreams/dp/B0GMY2QK6H
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ill-see-you-in-my-dreams-larkin-mcphee/1149450947
Synopsis: "I'll See You In My Dreams: A Sister's Memoir" is an portrait of sibling love as told by Larkin McPhee, a Peabody and Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, and her dream-expert younger brother, Charles McPhee, host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Dream Doctor Show. At forty-four, Charles's life changed forever when he was diagnosed with the fatal neurodegenerative disease ALS.
Using remembered moments, dreams, emails, and excerpts from his radio show, Larkin looks back on the years with her brother, both before his diagnosis and afterward, tracing a poignant but joyful journey across time as they encourage each other's creativity and nontraditional careers. In addition to helping his radio listeners, Charles guided Larkin through her dreams and their impact on her life, helping her discover her voice as a documentary filmmaker. And in the face of insurmountable odds, Charles finds hope and beauty, ultimately showing Larkin, and all of us, how to live.
Critique: Emotionally compelling, deftly crafted, extraordinarily inspiring, and a life story that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf, "I'll See You in My Dreams: A Sister's Memoir" by Larkin McPhee is an exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of those with an interest in true life stories of sibling friendship, love and loss, death and bereavement, that this hardcover edition of "I'll See You in My Dreams: A Sister's Memoir" from Koehler Books is also readily available in paperback (9798897472611, $20.95).
Editorial Note: Larkin McPhee (https://larkinmcphee.com) is a Peabody and Emmy award-winning producer of documentary films covering topics ranging from the environment to mental health to the cosmos. She has been writing documentary scripts for over thirty years and articles related to her films for publications including the Boston Globe and Minnesota Star Tribune. She was inspired to write I'll See You In My Dreams: A Sister's Memoir after losing her younger brother to ALS. Charles was host of a popular radio show on dream interpretation, and his story was picked up by multiple media outlets including spots on the Today Show, as well as several articles in the New York Times.
The General Fiction Shelf
Don't Stop
Bonnie Friedman
www.bonniefriedman.com
Europa Editions
www.europaeditions.com
9798889661740, $18.00, PB, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Stop-Bonnie-Friedman/dp/B0FPQ44Y18
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-stop-bonnie-friedman/1148215005
Synopsis: Ina is a 41-year-old literary scholar on the cusp of professional success. With a coveted university job, a kind husband, and a book on Eugene O'Neill due in months, her life appears enviably stable. But when an impulsive kiss with a stranger shatters her self-control, Ina finds herself plunged into an erotic and emotional freefall.
She tells herself it's research -- a brief detour before returning to real life. But what begins as a flirtation becomes a reckoning with everything Ina thought she wanted: marriage, intellect, control. As she navigates the ecstatic confusion of newfound desire, she risks upending her work, her relationship, and her understanding of who she is.
Critique: Set in Brooklyn and Manhattan at the turn of the millennium, "Don't Stop" is a riveting read from start to finish and provides her readers with an exploration of what happens when a woman dares to want more from life and from herself. As an author, Bonnie Friedman reveals a genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that raises her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Don't Stop" from Europa Editions is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Bonnie Friedman (www.bonniefriedman.com) is the author of Writing Past Dark -- named one of the Essential Books for Writers by the Center for Fiction and Poets & Writers. She is also the author of The Thief of Happiness and Surrendering Oz, a finalist for the PEN Award in the Art of the Essay. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Ploughshares and numerous other literary journals, and she has been named a notable essayist four times in The Best American Essays. She has taught writing at the University of Iowa, Dartmouth, NYU, and the University of North Texas. "Don't Stop" is her first novel.
Summer State of Mind
Kristy Woodson Harvey
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781668074886, $27.99, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-State-Kristy-Woodson-Harvey/dp/1668074885
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summer-state-of-mind-kristy-woodson-harvey/1148560322
Synopsis: After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life -- and possibly new romance.
But on her first day at her "simpler" job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.
Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they've saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.
But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm.
Critique: Original, exceptionally well written, and a fun, fascinating read from cover to cover, "Summer State of Mind" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. Author Kristy Woodson Harvey's natural and accomplished flair for character and narrative driven storytelling skills raise her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Summer State of Mind" from Gallery Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9781668117255, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Kristy Woodson Harvey (www.KristyWoodsonHarvey.com) is the author of twelve novels of fiction and historical fiction, including four in the Peachtree Bluff series, which is in development for television with NBC. She is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living's Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade's Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly's Spring Reading Picks. Her writing has also appeared in online and print publications, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, and USA Today. She is also the co-creator and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
The Lifeguard
Laura Kasischke
www.laurakasischkewriter.com
Red Hen Press
www.redhen.org
9781636282893, $36.95, HC, 248pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lifeguard-Novel-Laura-Kasischke/dp/163628289X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lifeguard-laura-kasischke/1146699666
Synopsis: In the town of Mission Hills, Michigan, an elementary school child drowns in the Olympic-sized pool at a summer swim club. By most, but not all, the lifeguard on duty that afternoon (a teenage girl who becomes the town's scapegoat, bearing the weight of their grief and fears) is seen as responsible for the tragedy.
In the pages of "The Lifeguard", author and storyteller Laura Kasischke deftly weaves together overlapping narratives and shifting perspectives, gradually peeling back the layers of what really happened that day. Through poetic, sensory-rich prose, she explores the liminal spaces between memory and reality, innocence and culpability, childhood and adulthood.
The story also probes the arbitrary, inexorable nature of fate -- how a single moment can alter lives forever, and how the search for answers can reveal unsettling truths about ourselves and those around us.
Critique: An original and expertly crafted novel that will hold a very special interest for fans of small town themed fiction populated with deftly created characters and an featuring an inherently engaging story from start to finish, "The Lifeguard" by Laura Kasischke is raised to an extraordinary level of literary excellence and is unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Lifeguard" from Red Hen Press is also readily available in paperback (9781636282879, $18.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Kasischke (www.laurakasischkewriter.com) has published numerous novels and collections of poetry. She has been the recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Rilke Award for Poetry, a Guggenheim Fellowship, among other honors. Her work has been widely translated, and three of her novels have been made into feature-length films. She teaches at the University of Michigan, where she is the Theodore Roethke Distinguished University Professor in the Residential College.
Mom Brain
Nicole Hackett
Harper Muse
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400350339, $18.99, PB, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mom-Brain-Novel-Nicole-Hackett/dp/1400350336
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mom-brain-nicole-hackett/1147732359
Synopsis: Welcome to The Program, an immersive week-long experience set to the backdrop of the breathtaking island of O'ahu, where mothers in all stages of crisis can come to take control of their lives. It's not exactly the type of thing Georgia Evans (a busy working mother of two) would usually consider. However, still spiraling from a debacle that crowned her "internet's worst mom", she is desperate enough to try anything.
Once on the island, Georgia is quickly won over by the elegant (and somewhat enigmatic) founder of The Program, Cecilia Clements. Cecilia shows The Program's attendees how the biology of motherhood has imprisoned them. More importantly, she promises them freedom from that prison.
Captivated by this possibility and the compelling science behind it, Georgia grows deeply involved with Cecilia's mission, ignoring any doubt that starts to creep in. That's the whole point of The Program, after all -- you can't really trust a mom brain.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and entertaining read from start to finish, "Mom Brain" by Nicole Hackett will hold particular appeal for readers with an interest in original and deftly crafted psychological suspense thrillers. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Mom Brain" from Harper Muse is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Nicole Hackett (https://nicolehackettbooks.com) is the author of "The Perfect Ones". She can be followed online on Instagram: @nicolehackettbooks and on Facebook: @nicolehackettbooks
The Historical Fiction Shelf
With the Enduring Tides
Jane Kirkpatrick
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800747923, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Enduring-Tides-Women-Cannon-Beach/dp/0800747925
Synopsis: On the rugged Oregon coast in the early 1900s, the lives of a group of women intertwine through their shared pioneering spirit and the steadfast presence of Mary Gerritse. Struggling with her daughter Belle's desire to live with her grandparents, Mary discovers her own mother facing illness and her father hiring a caretaker with a troubled past. Despite tensions, Mary leaves Belle with her grandparents, feeling guilt and uncertainty. When past secrets bubble over into trouble in the present, Mary's identity is shaken.
As Mary seeks to heal her family (and herself) her friends provide comfort even as they face challenges of their own: Jewell explores questions about her own identity, Henrietta navigates managing a homestead, Virginia seeks refuge from an abusive situation, and Olivia faces the heartache of lost love. The women must endure to find encouragement in each other and refuge in the faith that brings strength amid great uncertainty.
Critique: A skillfully written and imaginative novel by a gifted novelist, "With The Enduring Tides" by Jane Kirkpatrick will hold a very special appeal to fans of Christian historical fiction featuring women's friendships in the face of all manner of circumstances. "With The Enduring Tides" is part of The Women of Cannon Beach series and an absorbing and compelling read from cover to cover. While unreservedly recommended as a popular pick for community library Historical Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "With The Enduring Tides" from Revell is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Jane Kirkpatrick (www.JKBooks.com) is the author of more than forty books. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, and five Will Rogers Gold Medallion Awards.
Kissing the Sky
Lisa Patton
https://www.lisapatton.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662537776, $28.99, HC, 399pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Kissing-Sky-Novel-Lisa-Patton/dp/1662537778
Synopsis: It's the summer of '69. While her peers revel in free love and rock and roll, Suzannah is home from college, sequestered inside her conservative Southern home. Her domineering father has condemned rock music and driven away her best friend. She's counting the days until fall.
But everything changes when her free-spirited best friend, Livy, resurfaces, urging Suzannah, a talented singer, to join her for three days of peace and music in upstate New York. Fed up with her father's rules and fearful for her brother's fate in Vietnam, Suzannah agrees to the road trip, sneaking off without her parents' knowledge.
Miles outside her comfort zone, the electrifying bedlam of Woodstock jolts her into a journey of self-transformation. But it's not all incense and peppermints. Suzannah's falling hard for Leon, a boy she meets at the festival, and the seductive bud of first love conceals a thorn of heartache. Lies uncover betrayal, and Livy's wild behavior leads to a startling revelation.
A nostalgic trip through the turbulent '60s, "Kissing the Sky" is the story of a lovable heroine who lets go of the girl she was to embrace the woman she's becoming while she learns to lift her voice -- for herself and perhaps for the world.
Critique: Although a deftly crafted work of fiction, "Kissing the Sky" by Lisa Patton will hold a familiar resonance with readers who lived during those turbulent years of the 1960s. Well defined characters, an original and engaging plot, "Kissing the Sky" is a fun read from start to finish and is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library 'Coming of Age' fiction collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Lisa Patton (https://www.lisapatton.com) available at Books Series In Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/lisa-patton
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Stranger Things Have Happened
Kasie West
Saturday Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
https://us.macmillan.com/saturdaybooks
9781250349163, $20.00, PB, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Things-Have-Happened-Novel/dp/1250349168
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stranger-things-have-happened-kasie-west/1147243859
Synopsis: Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she's managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone.
But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend's struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she's had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it?
Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan. -- What the hell is Sutton doing?
Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That's what she's doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing -- the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.
Critique: An original and fun read from start to finish, "Stranger Things Have Happened" by author/storyteller Kasie West will hold enormous appeal for readers with an interest in a romantic comedy arising from Fake Dating unexpectedly evolving into something a bit more authentic (and confusing!). With a distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, "Stranger Things Have Happened" is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Stranger Things Have Happened" from Saturday Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Kasie West (https://kasiewest.com) is the author of more than fifteen (and counting) young adult novels. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, Junior Library Guild Selections, and ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Kasie is also the author of We Met Like "Stranger Things Have Happened" is her adult debut as a novelist.
How Simi Got Her Groom Back
Sonali Dev
https://sonalidev.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662524301, $28.99, HC, 319pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/How-Simi-Got-Groom-Back/dp/1662524307
Synopsis: Two sisters. One fake marriage. Zero chance of keeping the truth hidden.
The Naik sisters escaped their traumatic past in Mumbai to come to the States, but their journeys have been vastly different. Simi is working toward a bright future as a pediatric nurse in a small town in Kentucky when Rupi shows up at her door in distress, on the run, and as always, dragging trouble in her wake.
With Rupi's safety in jeopardy, the sisters hatch a desperate plan to keep her in the country: Rupi must get married (and fast) even if it means Simi recruiting the man she's been secretly dating as her sister's groom. A perfect plan? Not quite. But there aren't many alternatives.
As the big day inches closer, Simi and Rupi face a storm of wedding shenanigans and romantic surprises, not to mention sisterly jealousies. As the stakes and tensions rise, will their secrets tear them apart or will they find a way to risk everything for love?
Critique: Offering the reader a deftly blended story of contemporary romance and sibling conflict, "How Simi Got Her Groom Back", novelist Sonali Dev's exceptional flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style immensely benefits the reader with its originality. An entertaining read from start to finish, and a very highly recommended pick for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "How Simi Got Her Groom Back" from Lake Union Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9781662524295, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Sonali Dev (https://sonalidev.com) writes hilarious and heartwarming stories about families without boundaries. Her novels have been named Best Books of the Year by Library Journal, NPR, The Washington Post, and Kirkus Reviews. She has won the American Library Association's award for best in genre, the RT Reviewers' Choice Award, and multiple RT Seals of Excellence, and she has been a RITA finalist and has been listed for the Dublin Literary Award.
South of Somewhere
T. I. Lowe
Tyndale House Publishers
www.tyndale.com
9798400507809, $32.99, HC, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/South-Somewhere-T-I-Lowe/dp/B0FD7PTXRM
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/south-of-somewhere-ti-lowe/1147629338
Synopsis: When Juniper Wilder's grief spiraled into addiction, leading first to an arrest for drunk driving, then jail and court-ordered rehab, she lost the most important thing in her life: her baby girl. Now, sober and on probation, Junie is determined to prove she can be the mother Fern deserves. But she's burned a lot of bridges, ones that can't be easily rebuilt.
Not every road is closed to her, however. Exiled to her late grandmother's South Carolina beach house, Junie starts over, ready to pay off her debts and prove to her brother that he can safely return custody of Fern. She works hard and finds surprising grace in an eclectic recovery community. There's an unexpected friendship, too (and maybe more) with her neighbor, Henry, a quirky college professor who helps her believe in second chances.
Still, it's hard for Junie to imagine ever forgiving herself, let alone receiving forgiveness from those she's hurt... particularly when her past rears its ugly head and threatens to undo every bit of progress she's made.
Critique: With the publication of "South of Somewhere", the extraordinary and narrative driven storytelling style of novelist T. I. Lowe raises this original work of contemporary southern romance to an impressive level of literary excellence. Deftly crafted, absorbing, and a fun read from start to finish, "South of Somewhere" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Romance fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fans of original, clean, and wholesome romance stories that this hardcover edition of "South of Somewhere" from Tyndale House Publishers is also readily available in paperback (9798400507816, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: T. I. Lowe (https://www.tilowe.com) is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She is the author of 21 novels, including "Under the Magnolias" and her debut breakout "Lulu's Cafe". Her novel "Indigo Isle" won the prestigious Christy Award in the contemporary romance category and was subsequently named Christy Award Book of the Year.
Miriam's Little Gentleman
Anne Blackburne
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9798891513679, $14.99, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Miriams-Little-Gentleman-Heart-Amish/dp/B0FW6QKYTK
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miriams-little-gentleman-anne-blackburne/1148504781
Synopsis: Miriam Zook has loved David Miller her whole life, and she confessed her feelings the night before he moved to Indiana and joined the Mennonite church. Miriam, having been baptized into the Amish faith, makes an income by painting beautiful vignettes of Amish life. She has never married, since no one ever compared to David, and, as she is an only child, this concerns the women in her family greatly. Now, seven years after leaving, David is back in Willow Creek to embrace his Amish roots and join the church. Miriam's heart awakens, but can she dare to hope that he will also embrace her?
Critique: Author and novelist Anne Blackburne (www.anneblackburne.com) is a master of the Amish Romance genre. "Miriam's Little Gentleman" is another perfect example of her gifted storytelling style that lifts her books to an impressive level of literary excellence. A fun read from start to finish, "Miriam's Little Gentleman" is the thirteenth volume in 'The Heart of the Amish' series from Barbour Publishing and unreservedly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Anne Blackburne's legions of fans that this paperback edition of "Miriam's Little Gentleman" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Anne Blackburne available online at FantasticFiction: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/anne-blackburne
The Lacemaker's Fortune
Andrea Catalano
www.andreacatalanoauthor.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662526015, $16.99, PB, 381pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lacemakers-Fortune-Novel-Andrea-Catalano/dp/1662526016
Synopsis: New York City, 1879. Eileen Maguire is a factory lacemaker limited by her humble circumstances and dreaming of a better life. Lawrence Barnard is the sole heir of one of Manhattan's wealthiest families, but his means keep him confined by the expectations of society.
When their paths cross one fateful winter night, Eileen and Lawrence become caught under the spell of the charismatic and enterprising Stanley Jones, who extolls the boundless opportunities awaiting in the West. The millinery shop Eileen dreams of owning with her sister is possible, as is the freedom to make his own choices that Lawrence so craves.
What begins as an idealistic journey westward quickly becomes something unexpected and sinister once the group lands in Leadville, Colorado, a wild silver mining boomtown high in the Rocky Mountains. A love triangle emerges, pitting promises and passion against betrayals and lies.
With their starry-eyed intentions gone terribly awry and forbidden desires threatening to undo them, it will take heartbreak and a shocking secret to shake Eileen and Lawrence out of their blinded stupors and remind them that their fortunes are entirely in their own hands.
Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, "The Lacemaker's Fortune" is a dark tale of dangerous, suspenseful seduction.
Critique: A deftly crafted and unreservedly recommended novel that will hold a special appeal to fans of 19th Century historical romances set in the post-Civil War west, "The Lacemaker's Fortune" by Andrea Catalano is a fun and fascinating read from cover to cover. Showcasing Catalano's impressive gift for imaginative and narrative driven storytelling, "The Lacemaker's Daughter" is a solid and unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Lacemaker's Fortune" from Lake Union Publishing is also easily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Andrea Catalano (www.andreacatalanoauthor.com) is the author of "The First Witch of Boston", which was a 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Historical Fiction Nominee. A historical novelist, Andrea holds a master of philosophy in historical studies degree from University of Cambridge, UK.
The Western Fiction Shelf
In the Great Quiet
Laura Vogt
https://www.lauravogt.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662535307, $16.99, PB, 331pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Quiet-Novel-Laura-Vogt/dp/1662535309
Synopsis: A cannon booms at high noon, and the race begins in the Oklahoma land rush of 1893.
Amid the crowd is Minnie Hoopes. Tenacious and fiercely independent, she is determined to endure the brutal frontier and create a life of her own. Guarding her solitude, she distances herself from bordering homesteaders and finds peace under the starry nights of the vast frontier.
But this is outlaw country, and Minnie soon has the blood of two gunfighters on her hands. After a renegade outlaw named Stot discovers her secrets, she forms an unlikely friendship with him. With each passing season, Minnie's past grows more haunting and threatens the future she has risked everything to build.
Minnie raced into the Wild West alone, but her grandest journey in the frontier wilderness is one she never saw coming.
Critique: Although a deftly crafted work of fiction, "In The Great Quiet" by Laura Vogt is based on the true story of her own great-great-grandparents in inherently fascinating story of one woman's intense connection with the land, her future threatening past, and an elemental search for a home against all odds. Original, compelling, and a riveting read from start to finish, "In The Great Quiet" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists as well as community library Historical Fiction/Romance/Western fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "In The Great Quiet" from Lake Union Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Vogt (https://www.lauravogt.com) is a historian, storyteller, and poet.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Murder by Design
Lee Goldberg
www.leegoldberg.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662533594, $28.99, HC, 239pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Design-Thriller-Edison-Bixby/dp/1662533594
Synopsis: Edison Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and, due to a traumatic brain injury, impulsively rude. He's also a brilliant insurance investigator who solves baffling crimes by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible.
Enter Wally Nash: a struggling actor hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.
Their first case together looks like a simple accident. Caroline Crowley took a nasty fall down a staircase at a shopping mall in front of dozens of witnesses. Video clearly shows the deadly misstep. But Bixby is certain she was murdered by design, subtly manipulated into causing her own demise. The mall itself made the crime intentional, if not inevitable.
Now Bixby must prove his outrageous theory before a very cunning killer gets others on his hit list to murder themselves, too.
Critique: A deftly crafted mystery of conspiracy and a police procedural style suspense thriller, "Murder By Design" is an exceptional, original, and fun read from start to finish. Author Lee Goldberg has an extraordinary character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideal for the 'whodunnit' murder mystery genre. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans that this hardcover edition of "Murder By Design" from Thomas & Mercer is readily available in paperback (9781662533617, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Lee Goldberg (www.leegoldberg.com) is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award finalist and the author of more than sixty novels, including the Eve Ronin series, the Ian Ludlow series, the Sharpe & Walker series, and five books (and two novellas) in the Fox and O'Hare series, which Lee coauthored with Janet Evanovich. He has also written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and is the co-creator of the Hallmark movie series Mystery 101. As an international television consultant, he has advised networks and studios in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, China, Sweden, and the Netherlands on the creation, writing, and production of episodic series.
Dear Mother
Rea Frey
www.reafrey.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662532283, $16.99, PB, 253pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Mother-Rea-Frey/dp/1662532288
Synopsis: After a childhood riddled with trauma and unanswered questions, Isabelle Archer vows to chase down the truth. So when her estranged mother dies, the investigative journalist returns to the one story that still haunts her.
Isabelle was thirteen when her three foster siblings died tragically in a fire. The blaze was ruled an accident, and despite the neglect, Isabelle never wanted to believe her mother was a killer. But twenty-five years later, the accusations linger.
Back in Cedarloch to settle the estate, Isabelle revisits her childhood home. A familiar dread permeates the surrounding woods. And when autopsy reports cast new suspicions, Isabelle unearths much more than just terrifying memories.
With help from her ex, Isabelle frantically digs for answers. What really happened the night of the fire? How did her mother die? And are the two somehow connected? What they find could poison long-held memories - and incinerate everything she thought to be true.
Critique: A deftly crafted and original psychological suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "Dear Mother" by Rea Frey exhibits the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that raptly engages the reader full attention. While a highly recommended addition to community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Dear Mother" from Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Rea Frey (www.reafrey.com) is the author of several suspense, women's fiction, and nonfiction books. Known as a "book doula," she also helps other authors birth their books into the world.
Smoke and Embers
John Lawton
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802164896, $28.00, HC, 416pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Embers-Inspector-Troy-Novel/dp/0802164897
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/smoke-and-embers-john-lawton/1146314109
Synopsis: "Smoke and Embers" is the ninth installment of the beloved Inspector Troy series by author John Lawton and opens in 1950, when Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz.
Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz's second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived Nazi concentration camps -- yet he lacks proof beyond his word.
Critique: So begins "Smoke and Embers", another simply riveting novel by John Lawton. A deftly crafted story that references the Holocaust, and the reinvention of identities in the aftermath of World War II, "Smoke and Embers" exhibits a compelling complex storytelling style replete with compellingly original dialogue, humor, and the recurrence of characters from previous Inspector Troy novels comprising Lawton's popular series. While a highly recommended and popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of mystery and espionage thriller fans that this hardcover edition of "Smoke and Embers" from the Atlantic Monthly Press is also readily available in paperback (9780802167446, $18.00), in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.10).
Editorial Note: John Lawton has written eight previous Inspector Troy thrillers, four Joe Wilderness novels, a standalone novel, and a volume of history. His Inspector Troy novels have been named best books of the year by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times Book Review. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/john-lawton)
Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit
Tom McAndrew
Camel Press
www.camelpress.com
9781684923304, $18.95, PB, 282pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Doocey-Half-Sees-Whodunnit-Tom-McAndrew/dp/1684923301
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/doocey-half-sees-whodunnit-tom-mcandrew/1149617379
Synopsis: Okay, his superiors might think him a clown, and okay, he might be secretly battling his diminishing eyesight, but Shamie Doocey is determined to prove that he's still a seriously good detective with a twenty-twenty mind's eye by solving his first big case: the disappearance of an uptight crime writer's wife.
"Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit" is more than just another cosy mystery with lots of intriguing twists. You as the reader will struggle alongside Doocey to see matters clearly right up to the very end. It's the story of human courage, Irish drollness, resilience, and ultimately transformation, in the face of adversity.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover for fans of humor laced 'whodunnit' murder mysteries "Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit" by Tom McAndrew features a unique and memorable sleuth. While particularly and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans, as well as community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit" from Camel Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Tom McAndrew (https://tommcandrewwriter.com) is an Irish mystery writer who grew up in a little village (of about twelve houses) on the very edge of the West of Ireland. He has written a series of funny whodunnits which feature a scruffy, oddball detective named Doocey who starts losing his sight just as he's assigned his first big case.
Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch a Killer
Bellamy Rose
Emily Bestler Books
c/o Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781668075685, $18.00, PB, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pomona-Afton-Totally-Catch-Killer/dp/1668075687
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pomona-afton-can-totally-catch-a-killer-bellamy-rose/1147556595
Synopsis: Pomona Afton knows how to throw a memorable party. After all, for her twenty-fifth birthday, she hosted a global extravaganza that included a masquerade ball in a Scottish castle, clubbing in Ibiza, and skinny dipping on a private island. So, throwing a gala for her fledgling nonprofit should be a breeze.
Unfortunately, she has to navigate the high-stakes (and snobby) world of philanthropy, a beloved boyfriend who just can't seem to fit in, and of course, her dysfunctional family, all while planning a party that won't only affect the future of her charity, but her own future in society.
But Pom is no quitter. She pushes forward and perseveres... until, right in the middle of her party, she discovers the body of one of her biggest donors. Suddenly all her hard work is going up in flames. If she's going to salvage her new life path, she must put on her (incredibly stylish) detective hat again and figure out who wants to bring her down. One more measly little murder mystery shouldn't be that hard, right?
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a fun read from start to finish, "Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch a Killer" features a very clever 'whodunnit' complete with an amateur female sleuth, a plethora of unexpected plot twists, and presented with author Bellamy Rose's impressively distinctive storytelling style. Highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch a Killer" from Emily Bestler Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9781668118481, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Bellamy Rose (www.amandaelliotbooks.com) is the pen name of the author of a romantic comedy/murder mystery. She has never solved an actual murder. She published non-murdery rom-coms as Amanda Elliot.
The Roaring Ridleys
K. M. Colley
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662536113, $16.99, PB, 283pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Roaring-Ridleys-Novel-K-M-Colley/dp/1662536119
Synopsis: In the glittering world of 1920s New York, the seven Ridley heirs seem to have it all: wealth, status, and protection as the city's most powerful family. But when notorious gossip columnist Dale Caimen is found dead during their family's renowned summer soiree, their carefully constructed world begins to crack.
Behind the champagne and jazz, each adopted Ridley sibling harbors secrets that could destroy them. There's Amelia, the responsible eldest trying to hold it all together; Adesua, whose artistic ambitions in the Harlem Renaissance threaten her family's expectations; and wild child Kavita, whose dangerous nights in speakeasies may have finally caught up with her.
As the murder investigation intensifies, long-buried tensions surface and family loyalties unravel. Someone knows the truth about the Ridleys -- and they're willing to kill to expose it. In a world where appearance is everything and power comes at a deadly price, the siblings must decide what matters more: protecting the family name or each other.
Critique: Carefully crafted, impressively original, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "The Roaring Ridleys" by K. M. Colley is especially recommended for readers with an interest in novels that skillfully blend a murder mystery thriller with romantic suspense against the background of the Roaring Twenties with all of its excesses and changing norms for young women. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99), this paperback edition of "The Roaring Ridleys" from Thomas & Mercer will prove a welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: K. M. Colley writes thrillers, contemporary mysteries, and cinematic stories that explore legacy and ambition. Her work often centers around powerful families, glamorous settings, and complex characters.
Cat on a Hot Tin Woof
Spencer Quinn
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250331779, $28.00, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Hot-Tin-Woof-Mystery/dp/1250331773
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cat-on-a-hot-tin-woof-spencer-quinn/1147537814
Synopsis: Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency's next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person -- only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.
Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors, a high-powered agent, and all the tools needed to thrive online, and real money is flowing in. At least, it was. With Miss Kitty gone, the family's income is on the line.
The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Senor Piggy who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice -- and there's evidence implicating Bernie in the crime!
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a fun read for mystery fans from start to finish, "Cat on a Hot Tin Woof" is the sixteenth titles in author Spencer Quinn's 'Chet & Bernie Mystery' series. A compulsive page turner of a 'whodunnit' that takes on the darker aspects of the internet, "Cat on a Hot Tin Woof" is a riveting and recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the growing legions of Spencer Quinn fans that this hardcover edition of "Cat on a Hot Tin Woof" from Minotaur Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Spencer Quinn (www.peterabrahams.com) is the pen name of Peter Abrahams, the Edgar-award winning author of many novels, including the Chet and Bernie mystery series, Mrs. Plansky's Revenge, The Right Side, and Oblivion, as well as the New York Times Bowser and Birdie series for younger readers. A listing of his books is available online at Book Series in Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/spencer-quinn
The Bookshop of 99 Doors
Jaime Jo Wright
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764243813, $18.99, PB, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bookshop-99-Doors-Timeline-Christian/dp/0764243810
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bookshop-of-99-doors-jaime-jo-wright/1147595924
Synopsis: In 1888, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the dark superstitions that envelop the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain haunts the house and worried by her father's rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home's fraught past in an effort to bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie's own sanity.
In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss's dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother's team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door (a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion) results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to hunt down the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "The Book of 99 Doors" by Jaime Jo Wright will hold a great appeal for fans of Christian historical mystery novels with a deft blending of suspense and romance. As an accomplished author, Jaime Jo Wright demonstrates a genuinely impressive flair for the kind of imaginative storytelling talents that are ideal for the genre. While highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition from Bethany House Publishers is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Jaime Jo Wright (www.JaimeWrightBooks.com) is the author of more than fifteen novels and three novellas, including Christy Award-winner The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill, Christy Award-winner Night Falls on Predicament Avenue, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond.
Kill Dick
Luke Goebel
https://www.lukegoebel.com
Red Hen Press
www.redhen.org
9781636284651, $26.95, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Kill-Dick-Novel-Luke-Goebel/dp/1636284655
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kill-dick-luke-goebel/1147711140
Synopsis: At nineteen, Susie Vogelman should be coasting: she's an NYU dropout with no responsibilities, endless prescription pills, and a Brentwood estate to waste away in. But Los Angeles has other plans. A string of brutal murders targeting addicts spreads through the city, and Susie's ivory tower begins to crumble. The headlines point too close to home: her father's ties to an opioid empire, a sinister secret society, and her own complicity in the systems holding it all together.
Then there's Peter Holiday, a disgraced professor running a rehab scam so audacious it's almost admirable. When their lives collide, Susie and Peter are dragged into a web of privilege, corruption, and violence, where every escape leads deeper into the rot.
Dark, satirical, and razor-sharp, "Kill Dick" by Luke Goebel is a modern literary thriller that unflinchingly dissects wealth, exploitation, and the perilous line between survival and self-destruction.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, author Luke Goebel's distinctive, character and narrative driven style brings his novel, "Kill Dick", to an impressive level storytelling excellence and one that will hold a very special appeal to fans of contemporary suspense thrillers set against a framework of violence, addiction, and murder. Highly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Kill Dick" from Red Hen Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Luke Goebel (https://www.lukegoebel.com) is an acclaimed author and screenwriter celebrated for his unflinching honesty and innovative storytelling. A recipient of the prestigious Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize and the Joan Scott Memorial Fiction Award, his debut novel, Fourteen Stories, None of Them Are Yours, garnered critical acclaim for its innovative and precisely lyrical, profoundly resonant exploration of love, grief, and the restless search for identity. Goebel also co-wrote Eileen, starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie, and Causeway, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry (who received an Oscar nomination for his performance). He is known as well as his role as co-editor at The New York Tyrant and work with Tyrant Books.
The Teacher
Tim Sullivan
Atlantic Crime
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802168238, $27.00, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-DS-George-Cross-Mystery/dp/080216823X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-teacher-tim-sullivan/1148205512
Synopsis: Detective Sergeant George Cross has always been a good student -- attentive, methodical, and careful to double-check his work. So when an elderly schoolteacher is found dead at home in southwest England, Cross knows the math isn't adding up. The angle of the man's neck suggests he fell down the stairs. But the stab wound on his body changes the equation.
In the weeks before his murder, the reclusive Alistair Moreton seemed different. He had always kept to himself, but people swear someone else was in the house when they checked on him. There was a reason he wouldn't let them inside.
DS George Cross has a long list of suspects. Prickly and miserable, Moreton made life hell for his neighbors and former pupils. But every victim deserves justice -- even one who never learned an important truth: If you go through life making enemies, you shouldn't be surprised when someone decides to teach you a lesson.
Critique: The sixth title in author Tim Sullivan's 'DC George Cross Mystery' series, "The Teacher" is a deftly scripted and original story that will hold a special appeal for readers with an interest in Police Procedural themed murder mysteries. An inherently riveting read from start to finish, "The Teacher" is a very highly recommended pick for the personal reading lists of suspense/thriller fans and a welcome addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Teacher" from Atlantic Crime is readily available for Tim Sullivan fans in paperback (9780802167750, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Tim Sullivan (https://timsullivanusa.com) is an author and acclaimed screenwriter whose credits include A Handful of Dust, Where Angels Fear to Tread, Jack and Sarah, and Letters to Juliet. He is also a television director whose credits include Sherlock Holmes and Cold Feet. There is an online listing of his books available at Book Series in Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/tim-sullivan
The Bookseller
Tim Sullivan
Atlantic Crime
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802168214, $27.00, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bookseller-DS-George-Cross-Mystery/dp/0802168213
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bookseller-tim-sullivan/1148205514
Synopsis: Detective Sergeant George Cross has a knack for dismissing red herrings: He goes by the cold hard facts, and nothing else. But with a concerning development in his personal life, Cross is hopelessly distracted. He needs to rely on those around him: an entirely foreign concept.
When the body of a bookseller is discovered lying in a pool of blood in his Bristol bookshop, the police have one question: How did the man meet such a violent, murderous end in this peaceful place?
Bookselling may be a quiet profession, but it's full of ambitious characters who know the value of a rare book and the importance of careful plotting. With their extensive reading, they might know enough to get away with murder. But will book learning be enough to fool the tenacious DS George Cross?
Critique: The seventh title in author Tim Sullivan's popular DS George Cross Mystery series, his novel, "The Bookseller", once again demonstrates his master of the 'whodunnit' murder mystery and suspense thriller genre. Defined characters, a fascinating plot with many an unexpected twist and turn, "The Bookseller" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the growing legions of Sullivan fans that this hardcover edition of "The Bookseller" from Atlantic Crime is also readily available in paperback (9780802167699, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Tim Sullivan (https://timsullivanusa.com) is an author and acclaimed screenwriter whose credits include A Handful of Dust, Where Angels Fear to Tread, Jack and Sarah, and Letters to Juliet. He is also a television director whose credits include Sherlock Holmes and Cold Feet. There is an online listing of his books available at Book Series in Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/tim-sullivan
Obelists Fly High
C. Daly King, author
Otto Penzler, introduction
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613167472, $25.95, HC, 312pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Obelists-High-American-Mystery-Classics/dp/1613167474
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/obelists-fly-high-c-daly-king/1000527371
Synopsis: 1935: A surgeon, the appropriately named Dr. Cutter, is preparing to fly cross-country in a two-propeller plane to perform a life-and-death surgery on his brother, the Secretary of State. Just before boarding, he receives an anonymous note that says, You will die April 13th at Noon exactly Central Time. It seems to be an absurd threat because he is scheduled to be in mid-air in the company of a small number of passengers at that hour.
Of course, he is murdered and the only suspects are in a confined area, all swearing that they saw nothing. This is the conundrum facing NYPD Detective Michael Lord before he, too, is threatened. Fortunately, he is accompanied by his friend, Dr. Rees Pons, who attempts to aid him by calling on his knowledge and experience as a psychologist.
As one of the most creative writers of impossible Golden Age detective stories, C. Daly King incongruously begins with an epilogue, concludes with a prologue, and even provides a "Clue Finder" that reveals all the hints that would have helped the astute reader solve the crime that could not possibly have been perpetrated.
Critique: Another 'time-lost' and treasured mystery from the literary legacy of C. Daly King, "Obelists Fly High" is now back in print to the delight of a new generation of 'whodunnit and how did they do it' murder mystery fans. Of special note is the informative introduction by Otto Penzler. A fun read from start to finish, "Obelists Fly High" is a guaranteed popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of traditional yesteryear detective novel enthusiasts that this hardcover edition of "Obelists Fly High" from American Mystery Classics is also readily available in paperback (9781613167489, $15.95) and in a digital format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note #1: C. Daly King (1895-1963) was an American psychologist and detective story writer. He was born in New York City and educated at Yale University. After fighting in World War I, he worked in textiles and in advertising before returning to school to study psychology, with a particular focus on sleep and consciousness. In the 1930s, King published nine books that quickly established him as a master of the Golden Age mystery, but ceased writing fiction with the advent of World War II.
Editorial Note #2: Otto Penzler, the creator of American Mystery Classics, is also the founder of the Mysterious Press (1975); MysteriousPress.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.
Robert B. Parker's Booked: A Sunny Randall Novel
Robert B. Parker and Alison Gaylin
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593854402, $30.00, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Parkers-Booked-Sunny-Randall/dp/0593854403
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/robert-b-parkers-booked-alison-gaylin/1146606009
Synopsis: World famous author Melanie Joan Hall asks for Sunny's help in tracking down Book Babe, the screen-name of an enormously popular book reviewer, who has trolled her with a deeply insulting one-star review. This usually wouldn't matter except that Book Babe has thousands of followers, and her unwarranted blast has Melanie's publisher threatening to pull all her books.
But Sunny's investigation reveals that the reviewer and Melanie have a rich history -- in fact, she may even have good reason to hate the torn-up author. And when Book Babe suddenly turns up dead, casting Melanie as a possible suspect, Sunny finds herself in a complicated web, which, if she can't untangle fast enough, might just put a target on her back.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "Robert B. Parker's Booked: A Sunny Randall Novel" by the late Robert B. Parker and Alison Gaylin is one 'can't stop' compulsive page turner of a novel that will have immense appeal to readers with an interest in traditional detective stories of murder and mystery. Memorable characters, a storyline with many an unexpected plot twist and turn, "Robert B. Parker's Booked" is a fun read and a prized pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists and Robert B. Parker fans that this hardcover edition of "Robert B. Parker's Booked" from G. P. Putnam & Sons is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Robert B. Parker (September 17, 1932 - January 18, 2010) was the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, the novels featuring Police Chief Jesse Stone, and the acclaimed Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch Westerns, as well as the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction.
Editorial Note #2: Alison Gaylin (https://www.alisongaylin.com) is an author whose novels have won the Edgar and Shamus awards. Her work has been published in numerous countries and has been nominated for many awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Macavity, Anthony, ITW Thriller and Strand Book Award.
Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie
James Lee Burke
Atlantic Crime
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802167453, $18.00, PB, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Forget-Little-Bessie-Holland-Family/dp/0802167454
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-forget-me-little-bessie-james-lee-burke/1146316241
Synopsis: At the beginning of the twentieth century, as America grapples with forces of human and natural violence more powerful than humanity has ever seen, Bessie Holland yearns for the love that she has never known. She finds a soulmate and mentor in a brilliant but tormented suffragette English teacher, who inspires Bessie to fight the forces of evil that permeate her world.
Watching the vast Texas countryside being destroyed by an oil company and a menacing figure with a violent past, Bessie is prepared to defend her home and her family. But when she accidentally kills an unarmed man to defend her father Hackberry, she must flee to New York. There, her older brother introduces her to boys who will grow into gangsters, but as children admire and respect Bessie's spirit and fortitude as she is cast into a gangland that yearns for justice and mercy.
Critique: "Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie" is the epic story of a remarkable young girl who must struggle against seemingly overwhelming forces and is author James Lee Burke's welcome return to his popular Holland series which is, once again, deftly populated with memorable characters that are both inspiring and despicable. Showcasing his genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that has won him legions of dedicated fans, "Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie" by James Lee Burke will prove an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Suspense/Thriller collections. It should be noted that "Don't Foreget Me, Little Bessie" was originally published in hardcover (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2025) and is now also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.40).
Editorial Note: James Lee Burke (www.jamesleeburke.com) is a two-time winner of the Edgar Award, winner of the CWA Gold Dagger and the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, and the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction. He has authored forty novels and two short story collections.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Wings of Life
Meghan Le Fay
https://meghanlefay.com
Page & Vine
https://www.pageandvine.com
9781964264578, $32.99, HC, 512pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Life-Limited-Dragonbound-Chronicles/dp/196426457X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wings-of-life-meghan-le-fay/1148965753
Synopsis: Too sharp-tongued and too curious, I am my mother's greatest lament and my father's constant frustration. Unwilling to bow to their will, I've become expendable, worth sending on a mission doomed to fail.
Armed with nothing but a coded journal, a quill, and my wits, I'm thrust into the kingdom of our oldest enemy (a land of storms and warriors) to wed their high dane's son. Trapped on their ruthless continent, I am no blushing bride. I'm a spy sent to unlock Rihtlond's weaknesses... a cuckoo in the robin's nest.
But my heart still bleeds red when the weapon master of these strange people steals it away. Through him, I learn to unlock their secrets. What I uncover is more dangerous than I ever imagined: magic thrumming in the roots of Rihtlond, a dragon hidden in plain sight, and a love I was never meant to feel. Holding this knowledge, I am meant to return home and bind myself to a future I was given long ago.
Now, as war rises and alliances crumble, I must choose between duty and desire, between the family who cast me aside and the bond that awakens who I truly am. To protect what I've found (and who I become) I must risk everything. Even if it brands me a traitor. Even if it costs me my life.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "Wings of Life" impressively demonstrates author Meghan Le Fay' extraordinary character and narrative storytelling style that is ideal for creating memorable fantasy worlds that will be of special interest to fans of Sword & Sorcery Fantasy laced thoroughly with romance, suspense, and action. While this hardcover edition of "Wings of Life" from Page & Vine is unreservedly recommended for community library Heroic Fantasy/Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Meghan Le Fay (https://meghanlefay.com) hails from present-day Earth, despite her lifelong dream of being born as an elf in Middle-earth. A constant and consummate fan of fantasy, she lives, breathes, and dreams in the spidery language of the magic. Her works are inspired by her obsessions with mythology, medieval history, and all things magical and mystical -- especially dragons.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Lost Marvels No. 3: Savage Tales of the 1980s
Archie Goodwin &Michael Golden, authors
John Severin & John Buscema, artists
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001390, $65.00, HC, 544pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Marvels-No-Savage-Tales/dp/B0F1DYXGBZ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-marvels-no-3-archie-goodwin/1147137223
Synopsis: For 13 months in the mid-1980s, Marvel assembled some of its strongest artists and writers to tell gritty, harrowing, and blackly humorous adventure stories ranging from gangster noir to historical battlefields to the deadly old West to post-apocalyptic futures.
Unseen for nearly 40 years, "Lost Marvels No. 3: Savage Tales of the 1980s" presents some of the most shocking work of artists John Severin, John Buscema, Sam Glanzman, Val Mayerik, Ron Wagner, Gray Morrow, Wayne Vansant, Herb Trimpe, Michael Golden, Joe Jusko, Mary Wilshire, Arthur Suydam, Will Jungkuntz, Vincent Waller, and Ken Steacy, and writers Chuck Dixon, Bill Wray, Don Kraar, Robert Kanigher, Denny O'Neil, Doug Murray, and Archie Goodwin.
The stories comprising Lost Marvels No. 3: Savage Tales of the 1980s" include Severin and Dixon's "By Rail to Vladivostock," Murray and Golden's "The Nam, 1967," Glanzman's "Of War and Peace: The Trinity," Jungkuntz's Blood & Gutz series, and Trimpe's Skywarriors series. With a remembrance by Savage Tales editor Larry Hama.
Critique: The latest large format (8.8 x 1.9 x 11.7 inches, 5.34 pounds) hardcover volume in Fantagraphics' Lost Marvels series, and an impressive compendium of all eight issues of the long-out-of-print, tough-minded 1980s run of Savage Tales from Marvel Comics is a literary goldmine for the time-lost action adventure comic book fans. "Savage Tales of the 1980s" deftly reprints all 8 issues of the magazine's run. These are issues that have been out of print since 1986 -- nearly 40 years ago! They are reproduced in facsimile format, including color covers. The illustrations are in B/W with inclusion of 8 full color covers. While an absolute 'must' for dedicated comic book fans and historians, as well as community and college/university library Graphic Novel/Comic Book collections and supplemental Graphic Novel History curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Lost Marvels No. 3: Savage Tales of the 1980s" from Fantagraphics is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $45.99).
Editorial Note #1: Archie Goodwin (1937 - 1998) is best known as an editor and writer for Warren, DC, and Marvel Comics. He co-created, with Walter Simonson, Luke Cage and Spider-Woman, and rebooted the Vampirella character. He also wrote newspaper comic strips, notably Star Wars, drawn by Al Williamson. He won multiple awards and authored the first graphic novel on the NYT Best-Seller list.
Editorial Note #2: John Powers Severin (1921 - 2012), who had a "realistic" comics style, specialized in war, western, and humor comics. One of Mad's founding artists, he worked for with Cracked magazine for forty-five years.
Editorial Note #3: John Buscema (1927 - 2002) was an American comic book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop-culture conglomerate.
Editorial Note #4: Michael Golden is an American comic book artist and writer. He co-created characters Bucky O'Hare with Larry Hama, and Rogue with Chris Claremont. He is known for his extensive work with Marvel and DC as a cover artist and an interior artist, and for his work on series The 'Nam and The Micronauts.
Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories
Jamie Hernandez
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001727, $49.99, HC, 720pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Locas-Maggie-Hopey-Stories-Rockets/dp/B0FDFDYVVF
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/locas-jaime-hernandez/1140046350
Synopsis: "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" is one of the truly great American graphic novel sagas. One of the most imaginatively and seemingly inexhaustible artist in American popular culture, with the publication of "Locas", author/illustrated Jamie Hernandez tells the story of Maggie Chascarrillo, a bisexual, Mexican-American woman attempting to define herself in a community rife with class, race, and gender issues.
Maggie's story begins in the early-1980s Southern California rock scene, when it was shifting from the excesses of the 1970s to the gritty basics of punk and new wave. Hardcore punk rock came to the fore, and the teenage Maggie finds herself drawn to the anarchy, energy, and diversity of the scene, which in Jaime's hands becomes a very real, habitable place populated with authentic human beings rather than stereotypes. She quickly befriends Hopey Glass, a feisty anti-authoritarian punkette who quickly becomes Maggie's on-again, off-again lover and a constant presence in her life as they navigate a devastatingly naturalistic world.
Created over 15 years from 1981-96 in the pages of the legendary comic book series Love and Rockets Vol. I #1-50, this new deluxe hardcover edition from Fantagraphics includes three stories that were not included in the previous edition.
Critique: Deftly illustrated in B/W, this large format (8.8 x 2.5 x 11.3 inches, 6.29 pounds) edition of "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" by Jaime Hernandez is a simply fascinating and fun read from start to finish. A massive saga of a graphic novel that first saw publication in the 'alternative comic book series Love and Rockets, "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" is a unique and unreservedly commended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Graphic Novel collections and supplemental American Literary Graphic Novel curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this edition of "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" from Fantagraphics is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.99).
Editorial Note: There is an extensive listing of books by Jaime Hernandez available online at Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4766238.Jaime_Hern_ndez).
The Music CD Shelf
TERR
Emie R Roussel Trio
emierroussel.com/en/home
UNI Musiqc
unimusiqc.com/en/home
$17.00 CAD CD / $10.00 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://emierrousseltrio.bandcamp.com/album/terr
The Emie R Roussel Trio consists of Emie Rioux-Roussel on piano & keyboards, Nicolas Bedard on electric bass, and Dominic Cloutier on drums. Together they present their sixth album, TERR, an original creation that transcends the boundaries of traditional styles. Fusing both acoustic instruments and electric sounds into a creative whole, TERR invites the listener on a grand journey that explores wild heights and introspective plateaus. TERR is highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of avant-garde modern jazz. The tracks are TERR; Trois lunes; L'echo des brumes; John reve en noir et blanc; Sous une odeur d'ozone; Lueur des feuilles ouibliees, and Klara Fardiga Ga.
Gargantua
Simon Hanes
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://simonhanes.bandcamp.com/album/gargantua
Inspired by the work of 16th century novelist Francois Rabelais, Gargantua is an extraordinary, original album composed by Simon Hanes and featuring three drum sets, three electric basses, three trombones, three French horns, and three soprano voices. Bold, over-the-top, dramatic, and resonant, Gargantua is a choice pick for connoisseurs of adventurous music, highly recommended. The tracks are A Series Of Waves Tremble In A Sea of Blood; Gigantes; Knockandrow; Lacerated By A Flying Shard; The Number Of The Beast Is 666; Submit To The Fabulosity; Moirai; Lucifer / Aurem Chaos; I Am; and Hekla 1970.
Jackson Plays Dylan
Javon Jackson
https://javonjackson.com
Solid Jackson Records/Palmetto Records
$16.98 CD / $9.49 digital
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Jackson-Plays-Dylan-Javon/dp/B0GJTT1WVG
Jackson Plays Dylan is an extraordinary tribute album to one of America's greatest songwriters. Performed by saxophonist Javon Jackson with Jeremy Manasia on piano and Fender Rhodes, Isaac Levien on bass and electric bass, and Ryan Sands on drums, as well as guest vocalists Lisa Fischer and Nicole Zuraitis, Jackson Plays Dylan renders ten of Dylan's classic songs plus an original introduction "One for Bob Dylan". Jackson Plays Dylan is a treat for connoisseurs of Dylan's classic music, highly recommended. The tracks are One for Bob Dylan; Blowin' in the Wind; Hurricane; Gotta Serve Somebody (featuring Lisa Fischer); Lay, Lady, Lay; The Times They Are A-Changin'; Forever Young (featuring Nicole Zuraitis); Tombstone Blues; Like a Rolling Stone; Mr. Tambourine Man; and Make You Feel My Love.
Always Ever
Alister Spence
alisterspence.com
Alister Spence Music
$20.00 AUD CD / $20.00 AUD digital
Bandcamp
https://alisterspence.bandcamp.com/album/always-ever
Australian pianist and composer Alister Spence presents Always Ever, a daring, entirely improvised piano album with a dash of percussive flair. Drawing upon jazz traditions and taking its signature flair for improvisation to the logical extreme, Always Ever is wild and free, consisting of sixteen relatively brief tracks that each take a different approach. Always Ever is a choice pick especially for avant-garde music connoisseurs. The tracks are Mystic; Determination; Play of Light; Distant Cousins; Afternoon at Rancom Street; Begin from the Middle; Rain Phase; Semi-Formal Garden; Tonal Dance; Halo; Sparkler; Searchlight; Top Spinner; Random Access Counterpoint; Talking Slowly with Lorikeets; & Scrape Rattle Strike.
The Vigil and the Sleeping Giant
Ron Wilkins & Rebecca Patterson
https://www.ronwilkins.com/index.html
Adhyaropa Records
www.adhyaroparecords.com
$20.00 CD / $15.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://rebeccapatterson.bandcamp.com/album/the-vigil-and-the-sleeping-giant
The Vigil and the Sleeping Giant is an original music album consisting of a four-movement suite composed by Ron Wilkins followed by three reflective tracks composed by Rebecca Patterson, and a final track by Ron Wilkins and Morgan King. Different songs in The Vigil and the Sleeping Giant feature contributions and solos from a wide variety of talented music artists, in addition to Ron Wilkins' & Rebecca Patterson's stellar performances (a highlight is the fourth movement of the suite, which has Wilkins' vocals). Imaginative, immersive, and inspirational, The Vigil and the Sleeping Giant is highly recommended for connoisseurs of creative music. The tracks are Covid Suite Movement 1; Covid Suite Movement 2; Covid Suite Movement 3; Covid Suite Movement 4; Sulk City; Near East; Waltz Someday; and Like A Brother.
Thank You Notes: The Music of Gregg Hill
The Paul Keller Orchestra
www.gregghilljazz.com
Cold Plunge Records
www.coldplungerecords.com
$17.95 CD
Gregg Hill Jazz
https://www.gregghilljazz.com/product-page/paul-keller-orchestra-thank-you-notes
Thank You Notes: The Music of Gregg Hill celebrates the storied life and works of jazz music artist Gregg Hill through the extraordinary talent of The Paul Keller Orchestra. Featuring a vast array of masterful performers on piano, vibraphone, drum set, saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and vocals, Thank You Notes: The Music of Gregg Hill is an elevated homage worthy of the highest recommendation for both personal and public library collections. The tracks are Bopportunity; Dollah Hollah; Thank You Notes; Pop Tune; Cadillac Club; The Speckled Frog; Summer Nights; Jer's Latin Tune; La Playa; and Sister Sue.
State of Garden and Shadow
Valerie Lacombe
www.valerielacombe.com
Rhea Records
$20.00 CAD CD / $9.00 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://valerielacombe.bandcamp.com/album/state-of-garden-and-shadow
Named after a quote from Clarice Lispector's novel "Agua Viva", State of Garden and Shadow is the debut album of original music composed by Montreal-based jazz drummer, and bandleader Valerie Lacombe. Featuring Valerie Lacombe on drums, Caoilainn Power on alto sax, Camille Thurman on tenor sax, and Ira Coleman on bass, State of Garden and Shadow is a soundscape that invites reflection on cultivation, growth, development, and creative transformation. State of Garden and Shadow is uplifting, inspiring, and highly recommended. The tracks are Jupiter; Persona; I Found A Friend Here; Who's Afraid Of Clarice Hana; In Case I Forget You; Out Of The Past; Later For That; and Dean Of All Deans.
The Sanctity of Rust
Hollan Holmes
Spotted Peccary
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.00 CD / $10.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://hollan-holmes.bandcamp.com/album/the-sanctity-of-rust
Composer and electronic music artist Hollan Holmes presents The Sanctity of Rust, a groundbreaking music album crafted through his mastery of hardware and software tools including Korg MS20, Oberheim Matrix 12, DSI Pro-2, DSI Prophet 12, Reason Parsec, and much more. Notably, absolutely no AI (artificial intelligence) was used in the creation of The Sanctity of Rust; all music is composed and performed by Holmes (with electric guitar contributions from Bill Porter in the title track). The Sanctity of Rust is a cutting edge, avant-garde experiment that pushes the limits of the possible, generating a soundscape that invites the listener to test their own boundaries. Highly recommended! The tracks are The Sanctity of Rust; The Unstoppable March of Time; Once More Unto The Breach; Moebius Trip; Triumph Over Tragedy; Night Sky; So Far Away; Spellbound; One Door Closes Another Opens; The Fantastic Journey; Battle Scars; and Here at The End of All Things.
The Travel Shelf
Hiking Oregon's Fire Lookouts
Cheryl Hill
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680517088, $26.95, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Oregons-Fire-Lookouts-Cheryl/dp/1680517082
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hiking-oregons-fire-lookouts-cheryl-hill/1147936715
Synopsis: "Hiking Oregon's Fire Lookouts" is a comprehensive guide to 40 still-standing lookouts and 5 scenic former lookout sites. In it, author and fire lookout enthusiast Cheryl Hill has combined detailed trail write-ups, maps, and stunning photography with her deep knowledge of Oregon's fire lookout history.
Each entry includes everything hikers need to plan a successful outing: driving directions, trail maps, GPS coordinates, elevation details, permit info, and notes on wildflowers, wildlife, and wildfire history. Whether you're trekking to a panoramic perch in the Cascades or uncovering a hidden site in the Coast Range, this guide reveals the beauty, stories, and sweeping views found at these unique destinations.
Critique: Comprised of hikes to 45 fire lookouts across Oregon and featuring detailed maps, hike write-ups, and beautiful photographs, this trade paperback (6.6 x 0.4 x 8.7 inches, 1.3 pounds) edition of "Hiking Oregon's Fire Lookouts" by Cheryl Hill also includes a four page listing of Resources, an Appendix on how to rent or stay in a fire lookout, and a five page Index. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photographs, "Hiking Oregon's Fire Lookouts" is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Oregon themed travel guides. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Hiking Oregon's Fire Lookouts" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.14).
Editorial Note: Cheryl Hill (https://www.cherylhill.net) has worked as a librarian in the Portland area for nearly two decades. A writer, photographer, and avid hiker, Hill volunteers as an ambassador for Trailkeepers of Oregon, educating hikers about hiking etiquette and Leave No Trace principles. She can be followed on Instagram @justpeachy
The Sports Shelf
American Soccer Nation
Mark C. Franek
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637748640, $21.95, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/American-Soccer-Nation-Remarkable-150-Year/dp/1637748647
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/american-soccer-nation-mark-c-franek/1148099572
Synopsis: Soccer is the most popular game in the world, but does it truly belong in the heart of American sports culture? The answer is a resounding yes -- and the 150-year journey of elite men's soccer in the US is filled with drama, surprises, reversals, and triumphs that rival any world-class match.
"American Soccer Nation: The Remarkable 150-Year History of Yanks on a Roll, from Mob Football to the Modern Game", soccer enthusiast and historian Mark C. Franek delivers a fast-paced, foundational American soccer history that also serves as a celebration of the sport in America.
In brisk, punchy prose that moves in a confident tiki-taka style, Franek explores:
The soccer-like games played by Native Americans long before the arrival of Europeans
How organized soccer predates gridiron football, started in American colleges, and was carried forward by immigrant communities
Why soccer has always been more inclusive and immigrant-friendly than other professional sports
The rise and fall of the original ASL and the Golden Age of American soccer
America's Olympic and World Cup highs and lows dating back to the early 20th century
Soccer's growing popularity today, from MLS and USL to elite youth academies
The accordion-like journey of the USMNT over the past 40 years, leading to the USA's co-hosting of the 2026 World Cup
A roadmap for how the US can go from good to great on the international stage -- based on firsthand accounts from professional athletes and experts in the sport
With forewords by Cavan Sullivan and Tim Howard, "American Soccer Nation" is the definitive affirmation that the US really is a soccer nation.
Critique: An original, comprehensive, seminal, and groundbreaking study, "American Soccer Nation: The Remarkable 150-Year History of Yanks on a Roll, from Mob Football to the Modern Game" by Mark C. Franek is essential reading for the growing legions of American soccer fans, players, parents, coaches, and professionals. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "American Soccer Nation" is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Sports/Soccer collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "American Soccer Nation" from BenBella Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Mark C Franek is an American sports writer, former attorney, and educator. Franek (JD and EdD) has published over 75 opinion-editorials on a variety of educational and human interest topics, and has taught writing pedagogy and sportswriting electives at the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, and Cabrini College. He currently teaches English classes and a series of electives, including a History of US Soccer course, at YSC Academy, an independent, college-preparatory school embedded completely within Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union franchise.
The Needlecraft Shelf
100 Essential Embroidery Motifs
Susie Johns
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784947057, $24.99, PB, 128pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/100-Essential-Embroidery-Motifs-Stitches/dp/B0DZN59KND
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/100-essential-embroidery-motifs-susie-johns/1147882982
Synopsis: "100 Essential Embroidery Motifs" by Susie Johns is a collection of 100 colorful motifs to decorate any crafting project.
With "100 Essential Embroidery Motifs", even the most novice of needlecrafters can create beautiful motifs to embellish any project, big or small, with this directory of 100 embroidery designs.
Grouped by theme, the designs comprising "100 Essential Embroidery Motifs" include animals (mammals, birds and insects), plants (flowers, fruits and vegetables), the sea, home, mythical creatures as well as some popular decorative patterns. An ideal DIY instructional guide for adding these motifs to a patchwork quilt, gifts, framed pictures, or greetings cards, "100 Essential Embroidery Motifs" is a perfect resource for novices, and an inspirational reference guide for more experienced embroiderer.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 2 x 10.8 inches, 1.22 pounds) paperback edition of Suzie Johns' "100 Essential Embroidery Motifs" from The GMC Group is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation making it unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft & Embroidery instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing books by Susie Johns available at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/166687.Susie_Johns
The Art Shelf
Flowers in Watercolour
Lois Davidson & Morgaine Davidson
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784947132, $17.99, PB, 96pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Flowers-Watercolour-Techniques-Tutorials-Complete/dp/178494713X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flowers-in-watercolour-lois-davidson/1147882940
Synopsis: Offering essential advice, techniques and inspiration presented through step-by-step instruction and a variety of templates, "Flowers in Watercolour: Techniques and Tutorials For The Complete Beginner" by Lois and Morgaine Davidson is comprehensive guide that is specifically designed to teach aspiring artists how to paint flowers with confidence.
"Flowers in Watercolour: Techniques and Tutorials For The Complete Beginner" includes 10 subjects to paint, including wildflowers, garden favorites and exotic blooms. It also contains 'focus on' spreads that provide greater detail and more advanced techniques to try. It is designed to act not only as a guide to flower painting, but an introduction to the medium of watercolor.
The tutorials comprising "Flowers in Watercolour: Techniques and Tutorials For The Complete Beginner" include daisies, peonies, lilies, ferns, ivy, wildflowers, and poppies.
Critique: This large format (8.62 x 0.35 x 10.79 inches, 14.8 ounces) paperback edition of "Flowers in Watercolour: Techniques and Tutorials For The Complete Beginner" by the team of Lois and Morgaine Davidson is an ideal and unreservedly recommended DIY instructional guide and 'how to' manual for painting in watercolor all manner of flowers. "Flowers in Watercolour: Techniques and Tutorials For The Complete Beginner" is an ideal addition to personal, professional, community, and art school collections and supplemental art classroom curriculums.
Editorial Note: Lois and Morgaine Davidson have an informative YouTube website at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxOwiRkms9atuVFiYORU9SA
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Japan's Anime Revolution!
Jonathan Clements
Tuttle
https://www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319246, $19.99 pbk / $18.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Japans-Anime-Revolution-Animated-Changed/dp/4805319240
Synopsis: Twenty pivotal moments in anime filmmaking - and the untold drama behind them. From secret production battles to box-office triumphs, Japan's Anime Revolution reveals how each landmark film transformed Japanese animation
Anime expert Jonathan Clements presents game-changing moments in Japanese film history, from Japan's first black-and-white animated feature to modern blockbusters which have redefined the art form. From box-office hits to career-threatening flops, each of these case studies has changed the anime world in its own unique way, influencing developments in content, production methods, or distribution, capturing all the vibrancy and diversity of this world-beating medium.
This illuminating book describes the twenty most notable films in anime history, including:
Momotaro: Released at the end of World War II, this was Japan's first feature-length anime
My Neighbor Totoro: Miyazaki's iconic work, consciously created as an alternative to formulaic animated films with no conflict or antagonist
Ghost in the Shell: The influential sci-fi feature that inspired The Matrix
Spirited Away: The first Oscar-winning anime and highest-grossing Japanese film of all time!
A Silent Voice: Adapted from a popular manga, an essential entry from a woman director
Street Fighter II: Proved that movies based on video games have the potential for popular and box office success
Plus 14 other landmark films!
Clements reveals behind-the-scenes decisions that changed the course of Japanese animation. Which movie was finished by a staff of out-of-work waitresses? Which animator hated his work so much that he threatened to shave off his own eyebrows? How did a maverick producer enlist fans to drive his movie to box-office gold? Which director learned his trade by watching The Bad News Bears ten times?
Illustrated with full-color images, this fascinating book is a must-read for every devoted anime fan!
Critique: Japan's Anime Revolution! Twenty Animated Films That Changed the World lives up to its title as a thoughtful discussion of how twenty select, enduring, and iconic anime (Japanese animated movies) transformed cinema worldwide. Author and professional anime translator/voice actor/dubbing director Jonathan Clements provides his unique insights into the evolution of an artistic medium. Thoroughly detailed yet accessible to all backgrounds, and replete with fascinating, little-known vignettes about historic anime and the people who created them, Japan's Anime Revolution! is a "must-read" for anime connoisseurs and highly recommended for both personal and public library theatre/cinema studies shelves. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Japan's Anime Revolution! is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.99).
Editorial Note: Jonathan Clements is the author of Anime: A History and A Brief History of Japan. He's a contributing editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and has worked on dozens of anime films as a translator, voice actor, or dubbing director - including Grey: Digital Target, Sol Bianca, and Musashi: Dream of the Last Samurai. He has provided commentary tracks to films including Vexille, Golgo 13, and Weathering with You, and has been jury chairman at the Scotland Loves Anime film festival for the last decade.
Twin Peaks: Through the Red Curtain
Scott Ryan
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887719016, $37.00, HC, 196pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Peaks-Through-Red-Curtain/dp/B0G2JD7Q9W
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twin-peaks-through-the-red-curtain-scott-ryan/1148767805
Synopsis: Ever since Twin Peaks aired on television in 1990, fans and critics have been discussing who killed Laura Palmer, what the ceiling fan means, and wondering when that gum we like is going to come back in style.
But with the publication of "Twin Peaks: Through the Red Curtain", it is the cast and crew that get to do the talking about what it was like to work with David Lynch and Mark Frost on one of the most influential series of all time.
On-screen stars Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Piper Laurie, and Sherilyn Fenn join behind the scenes participates of Mark Frost, Jennifer Lynch, and Sabrina S. Sutherland, who mix with The Return stars of George Griffith, Amy Shiels, and Clark Middleton to bring together their shared memories of Twin Peaks, Fire Walk With Me, and The Return.
With "Twin Peaks: Through the Red Curtain", Scott Ryan has compiled over sixty interviews drawn from ten years of research to tell the story of the pop culture phenomena of Twin Peaks through the words of the people who created it. Readers will learn how the famous Red Room was created, how the feature film got greenlit, and how the Showtime reunion series of 2017 was created.
Critique: A seminal study and a fun read from cover to cover, "Twin Peaks: Through the Red Curtain" by Scott Ryan is a 'must' read for the legions of Twin Peaks fans and an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Television History/Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Twin Peaks: Through the Red Curtain" from BearManor Media is also readily available in paperback (9798887719009, $26.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.950.
Editorial Note: Author Scott Ryan has danced with Ray Wise, sang at the RR Diner, and been Sheryl Lee's bodyguard. He also wrote a few David Lynch books, but none of that is better than drinking with Charlotte Stewart after a late night Eraserhead screening. A listing of his books is available online at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/9830799.Scott_Ryan
The New Peplum
Nicholas Diak, editor
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476667621, $39.95, PB, 242pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/New-Peplum-Essays-Television-Programs/dp/1476667624
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-new-peplum
Synopsis: Peplum or "sword-and-sandal" films (an Italian genre of the late 1950s through the 1960s) featured ancient Greek, Roman and Biblical stories with gladiators, mythological monsters and legendary quests.
The new wave of historic epics, known as neo-pepla, is distinctly different, embracing new technologies and storytelling techniques to create an immersive experience unattainable in the earlier films.
"The New Peplum: Essays on Sword and Sandal Films and Television Programs Since the 1990s", deftly edited by Nicholas Diak, is comprised of eleven new essays that explore the neo-peplum phenomenon through a range of topics, including comic book adaptations like Hercules, the expansion of genre boundaries in Jupiter Ascending and John Carter, depictions of Romans and slaves in Spartacus, and The Eagle and Centurion as metaphors for America's involvement in the Iraq War.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking collection of eloquent and knowledgeable essays from experts in their subjects, "The New Peplum: Essays on Sword and Sandal Films and Television Programs Since the 1990s" is an extraordinary and collective body work that will prove to be of immense value to readers with an interest in how historical action/adventure stories have been brought back into popularity through the improved movie and television storytelling technologies, adaptations, and expansions into modern fable/mythology treatments in the contemporary popular culture. Eloquent, informative, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The New Peplum" is a simply fascinating read from start to finish and will prove to be an enduringly popular pick for the personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Cinematic History/Criticism 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 paperback edition of "The New Peplum" from McFarland & Company is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Nicholas Diak (https://nickdiak.com) is a pop culture scholar specializing in Italian spy films, post-industrial and synthwave music, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. He has contributed essays, editorials and reviews to a variety of books, journals, and pop culture websites.
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide
T. N. Pollio
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476673851, $49.95, PB, 180pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Rings-Illustrated-Collectors-Guide/dp/1476673853
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/ancient-rings
Synopsis: Ancient finger rings made of base metals and low-grade silver alloys are increasingly being unearthed and sold through a growing assortment of marketplaces worldwide. Reference material on ancient rings has focused mainly on historic and "high-end" pieces (the precious metals and stones of royalty and the wealthy) while little has been written on the evaluation of common rings.
With the publication of "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide", T. N. Pollio has created a comprehensive guide that describes their composition, structure and imagery, thus providing merchants, collectors and researchers with a comprehensive reference on these ancient artifacts that, until now, have gone unexamined.
Critique: Profusely illustrated with B/W photos, "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide" is a seminal and groundbreaking study that begins with the basics of ring collecting, terminology, materials used in ring construction, and decorative additions. While presenting the history of rings from the neolithic period to the industrial age of modern times, ring types by period ranging from the Bronze & Iron ages to the industrial age of modern times, and cleaning/conservation information for silver, copper, bronze and brass rings, "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide" also includes for the reader's benefit a two page Epilogue, a fourteen page Glossary, five pages of Notes, a three page Bibliography, and a three page Index. This trade paperback (7 x 0.36 x 10 inches, 11.5 ounces) edition of "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Collectibles/Antiquities instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: T. N. Pollio is a researcher and historian. His two previous books are "The Art of Medieval Jewelry" and "Voices from Early American". Member of the Archaeological Institute of America, and participant in a number of online history, antiquities and artwork forums.
The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf
Flower Fables
Louisa May Alcott
Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9780789346193, $29.95, HC, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Fables-Louisa-May-Alcott/dp/0789346192
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flower-fables-louisa-may-alcott/1100088659
Synopsis: Step into a world of wonder with this deluxe illustrated edition from Rizzoli of the fairy tales and fables by Louisa May Alcott -- an American literary icon and the beloved author of "Little Women". Celebrated for her timeless stories of kindness, friendship, and self-discovery, Alcott's storytelling continues to inspire readers of all ages -- and her magical collection of fairytales, "Flower Fables", is no exception.
First published in 1854, "Flower Fables" was Alcott's very first book. This beautifully produced collection from Rizzoli brings together nine enchanting allegorical tales that remain as meaningful today as when they were first written. This new edition features full-color illustrations for the first time, along with luxurious design details including sprayed edges, a foiled case, and an elegant ribbon marker, making it a perfect keepsake or gift.
Through vivid imagery and captivating storytelling, you will follow sprites and fairies who wander through a richly imagined natural world. Explore dappled woodlands filled with ferns and wildflowers, sunlit meadows, sparkling streams, and majestic mountains. Each story celebrates the magic of nature while gently conveying enduring lessons of kindness, love, imagination, and self-improvement. Perfect for adults, children, and fans of classic literature alike, this collector's edition of "Flower Fables" is an ideal gift for readers who treasure illustrated classics, fairy tales, and beautifully designed books.
Critique: As popular today as they were almost two hundred years ago, this exceptional and beautifully illustrated edition of Louisa May Alcott's "Flower Fables", newly published by Rizzoli, is truly extraordinary and unreservedly recommended for personal, school, community, and college/university library Folklore & Fairytale collections and supplemental Louisa May Alcott curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was an American novelist and short story writer. In addition to the beloved classic Little Women, she wrote a variety of works, including fairy tales and other novels for young readers. Her legacy continues to endure, and her work is still cherished by readers of all ages. Her writings remain a cornerstone of American literature and are often celebrated for their exploration of themes like personal growth, independence, and the complexity of family life.
The Business Shelf
Collaborating with the Enemy, 2nd edition
Adam Kahane
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
www.bkconnection.com
9798890571175, $24.95, PB, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Collaborating-Enemy-Second-People-Agree/dp/B0DYHQKRGB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/collaborating-with-the-enemy-second-edition-adam-kahane/1147327887
Synopsis: In today's fractured and heavily politicized world, collaboration is increasingly difficult yet more crucial than ever. Often, to get something done that really matters, we need to work with people we don't agree with, like, or trust.
Drawing from thirty-plus years of experience working with leaders in over fifty countries, with this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don't Agree with or Like or Trust", Adam Kahane shows why conventional collaboration (requiring harmony and agreement) is simply obsolete. Instead, he provides a groundbreaking approach that embraces discord, experimentation, and genuine co-creation.
Kahane introduces three key stretches to navigate difficult collaborations:
Stretch to embrace conflict and connection
Stretch to experiment and learn
Stretch to step into the game
This substantially revised second edition adds multiple new chapters exploring how to work across deepening divides and with those we may never agree with. Using new case studies, a discussion guide, and frameworks for navigating permanent plurality in our polarized times, Kahane continues to offer essential tools for transforming conflict into positive change.
Critique: Working with disagreeable colleagues is an experienced almost everyone has had to do sometime (and often many times) in the course of their work career. Now in a newly expanded, updated, and revised second edition, "Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don't Agree with or Like or Trust" continues to be an ideal 'how-to' manual on dealing successful with those colleagues so that necessary business can be done -- and done well. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don't Agree with or Like or Trust, 2nd edition" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, business school, college and university library Business Management & Conflict Resolution/Mediation collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this paperback edition from Berrett-Koehler is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Ascent Audio, 9798228675285, $19.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Adam Kahane (www.adamkahane.com) is a Director of Reos Partners (www.reospartners.com), an international social enterprise that helps people move forward together on their most important and intractable issues.
The Interior Design Shelf
The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon: Paintings by Snowy Campbell
Nancy Collins, et al.
Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9780847876358, $60.00, HC, 160pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Enchanting-Interiors-Bunny-Mellon-Paintings/dp/0847876357
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-enchanting-interiors-of-bunny-mellon-charlotte-moss/1147885140
Synopsis: The houses of Bunny Mellon and her husband Paul have become icons in the field of interior decoration, filled with fine antiques, blue-chip works of art (a Van Gogh left unframed and propped on a mantel), personal mementos, and exquisite objets d'art, all displayed in Mellon's inimitably sophisticated yet charming way.
Snowy Campbell was employed by Mellon in 1970 for six years, just after college, to document in paint several residences of the Mellons. With the publication of "The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon: Paintings by Snowy Campbell" they are presented to the public as a group for the first time.
"The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon: Paintings by Snowy Campbell" (a project that was started by Mellon but never realized until now) presents Campbell's paintings that capture the colors, light, and ambiance of rooms and gardens, as well as intricate patterns and details of furnishings in spaces put together with help from renowned decorators John Fowler and Bruce Budd. Three residences (in New York City; Washington, DC; and Upperville, Virginia) are the focus, with texts by society chronicler James Reginato describing Mellon's decorating style and the ways the Mellons used each property. Opening the doors to a life of superb connoisseurship, this volume is an homage to the interiors of a renowned couple and the extraordinary work of a young artist.
Critique: This large format hardcover edition of "The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon: Paintings by Snowy Campbell" beautifully showcase the refined rooms of American philanthropist and aesthete Bunny Mellon (1910 - 2014). The interiors were especially influential for their ability to combine magnificent collections of fine and decorative art with an ambiance of comfort and ease and were each documented by artist Snowy Campbell. The result is a magnificent and lasting tribute to Mellon's impeccable taste. Bringing new meaning to Interior Design As Art, "The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon: Paintings by Snowy Campbell" is an especially and unreservedly recommended acquisition choice for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Interior Design & Home Decorating collections and supplemental Residential Architecture/Interior Design curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Charlotte Moss is an interior designer and philanthropist.
Editorial Note #2: Peter Crane is president of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation.
Editorial Note #3: Frank Langella is an actor and longtime friend of Bunny Mellon.
Editorial Note #4: James Reginato is writer-at-large for Vanity Fair.
The Gardening Shelf
Flowering Outdoors: Gardens & Parties
Margot Shaw with Lydia Somerville, authors
Bunny Williams, foreword
Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9780847876303, $50.00, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Flowering-Outdoors-Gardens-Inspiring-Entertaining/dp/0847876306
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flowering-outdoors-margot-shaw/1147885126
Synopsis: "Flowering Outdoors: Gardens & Parties: Inspiring Floral Touches for Outside Spaces and Entertaining" by Margot Shaw (Editor-n-Chief of Flower Magazine) is a simply gorgeous coffee table style volume full of inspirational ideas as tastemakers share their joy of flowers outdoors in such spaces as terraces, dining pavilions, and loggias in a variety of locations ranging from city balconies and country patios to mountain and seaside settings.
Such interior designers and floral and design experts as Meg Braff, Kate Rheinstein Brodsky, Zeze, Bettie Bearden Pardee, India Hicks, and others show how to incorporate flowers in outdoor “rooms” in terra-cotta containers, metal urns, and other types of pots, and present numerous ways to entertain alfresco with flair.
This beautifully photographed book concludes with a primer on garden elements, including architecture, statuary, furniture, and live sculpture, as well as advice on assembling simple arrangements for parties. Inspirational and instructive, it is a must-have for flower enthusiasts, home decorators, gardeners, and haute hosting.
Critique: This large format (8.92 x 1.02 x 11.3 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "Flowering Outdoors: Gardens & Parties: Inspiring Floral Touches for Outside Spaces and Entertaining" from Rizzoli is an impressively informative and inspiring compendium of the interior and exterior use of flowers and flower arrangements to enhance a wide variety of living spaces. Profusely and beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Flowering Outdoors: Gardens & Parties: Inspiring Floral Touches for Outside Spaces and Entertaining" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Interior Design, Recreational Gardening, and Flower Arranging collections.
Editorial Note: Flower Magazine (https://flowermag.com) was founded by Margot Shaw, who has also been the editor in chief since 2007. It has a readership of over 475,000 and is the leading authority on all things floral -- from flower arrangements to gardens and inspired botanical decorating. Lydia Somerville is a contributing editor for Flower magazine.
Editorial Note #2: Bunny Williams, considered one of the most talented names in design, is an accomplished businesswoman and philanthropist. She is the author of "Bunny Williams: Life in the Garden" (Rizzoli, 2024).
The Self-Help Shelf
Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony
Tara Mae Temple
Tara Sweet Awakening Press
9781069901903 $13.99 pbk / $3.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Hacks-Healing-Harmony-Strategies/dp/1069901903
Synopsis: Imagine a life where you don't dwell on problems, conflict, and hardship. Can you reimagine a new reality of self-compassion, replacing your harsh inner critic? The result? Inner calm becomes your default state. What if the secret to joy and contentment isn't hidden at all but waiting to be unlocked through a simple, transformative framework? The Three-Elements-of-Ease will show you how to Change Your Environment to Promote Healing, Reframe Your Mindset, and Nurture Compassion for Yourself and Others.
Whether you’re at rock bottom after a recent life crisis or you’ve grappled with it and are ready to heal, this book is for you. Maybe you struggle with mild to moderate mental and emotional issues like anxiety, burnout, or self-limiting beliefs. Perhaps you are riding an emotional rollercoaster of inner turmoil, or you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Do you ruminate over unhelpful thoughts? Are you in a career rut? Are you searching for a purpose? Are you struggling with complex culture dynamics, complicated parent-child relationships, invisibility, self-image issues, or a desire for approval? Are you having an identity crisis, wrestling with your shadow self, or experiencing fear, illness, or grief? Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony tackles all these issues head-on—to help you suffer less from distorted thinking and rise to life’s challenges.
Author Tara Mae Temple has experienced the trials and tribulations she addresses in this book. She implemented the strategies she shares and shows how they have awakened her spiritually and changed her life for the better. Trained in sociology and human behavior, Tara is on a mission to help women attain peace. She offers tried-and-true coping strategies and practical tips backed by research, her own experiences, and her innate wisdom.
By the end of this book, you will feel fulfilled, renewed, empowered, and at peace. You will gain valuable tools to help you overcome mental and emotional struggles, discover your most authentic self, prioritize self-care, embrace a new identity, channel love and acceptance, and develop a disciplined mindset.
Whether you're a mother or a woman rediscovering yourself, a professional seeking purpose beyond burnout, someone searching for meaning, or an individual navigating family and cultural expectations, Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony shows that wherever you are in your journey, now is the time to be brave and reach for peace.
Critique: Approaching life's difficult problems and challenges with a clear mind is the first step to solving them. Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony is an accessible self-help guide that focuses upon learning how to stabilize and strengthen one's mindset. Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony is not simply about controlling emotions; it is about accepting and integrating emotions, but not letting emotions dominate when remaining balanced is vital. It is a path to peace for physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being, the better to enjoy life, practice compassion, and work toward achieving one's goals with inner discipline.
Chapters discuss techniques and exercises for controlling social anxiety, repairing complicated relationships, navigating an identity crisis, coping with the grief of losing loved ones, preventing fear paralysis, and much more. Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony is intended for extensive personal use, offering sections for journaling or other exercises where the reader is invited to write in the book to foster their own personal reflection, insight, and growth.
A standout quote from the chapter "Becoming Visible - Conquering Invisibility" is representative of the positive, self-empowering message of Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony: "No matter how maddening people's comments or actions may be, you have the choice not to let their behavior bother you. Walk away. Say to yourself, 'It's not about me, it's about them.' Those who utter insulting comments do it to mask their own pain. They're human too, so try to put yourself in their shoes. Of course, there is no excuse to treat another human poorly, but you can choose to be better."
Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony lives up to its title and is highly recommended as an excellent contribution to Self-Help/Self-Empowerment shelves. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).
Editorial Note: Tara Mae Temple has over fifteen years of success in advertising, communications, and healthcare fundraising and marketing. She holds an honors Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Communications, reflecting her lifelong interest in human behavior from a sociological perspective. Tara is dedicated to finding evidence-based strategies to help people navigate life's challenges. A nonfiction writer and the author of Life Hacks for Healing & Harmony, she is also a developmental editor and enjoys helping other authors create their best nonfiction work. During her healing journey, Tara discovered coping strategies that helped her navigate serious life struggles. Applying these methods, along with wisdom, faith, and life lessons, led her to a more harmonious life, making her feel inspired for the first time in four decades. Now, she is a passionate advocate for women's issues and committed to serving others through her writing. She is Filipino Canadian, and as a member of an ethnic minority, Tara brings a fresh, uplifting, and insightful voice to the self-help genre.
Rules of Resilience
Valorie Burton
Tyndale Refresh
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
www.tyndale.com
9798400510724, $29.99, HC, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Resilience-Successful-People-Stronger/dp/B0DJY611GB
Synopsis: Resilience: the ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, adversity, major life changes, etc.; buoyancy.
No matter what it is you want in life, the difference between success and failure is resilience. Fortunately, the skills of resilience can be learned. With the publication of "Rules of Resilience: 10 Ways Successful People Get Better, Wiser, and Stronger", Valorie Burton, (author of Successful Women Think Differently and CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute) teaches her readers how to build or strengthen their own personal resilience system. She also offers practical strategies you can employ immediately to conquer obstacles, overcome setbacks, achieve greater happiness, and succeed at higher levels than ever before.
Drawing on more than two decades of experience as a personal and executive coach, and her extensive work in the pioneering field of applied positive psychology, Valorie Burton:
Reveals how to build a level of mental and emotional fitness and strength that will transform your work, relationships, finances, and health.
Consolidates intriguing research into easy-to-remember rules that can be put into practice right away.
Guides readers through any current or potential challenge -- enabling them to conquer obstacles and achieve their life goals in a healthy and meaningful way.
Once you know the rules of resilience and start practicing them, you will discover that it's possible to learn how to grow through challenges and not just go through them. If you are ready to learn the secrets of life-changing resilience, let Valorie Burton's "Rules of Resilience" be your guide.
Critique: Extraordinarily well written and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in style, organization and presentation, "Rules of Resilience: 10 Ways Successful People Get Better, Wiser, and Stronger" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Foreword by John C. Maxwell, an informative Introduction, a four page Epilogue (Rules as Tools), a four page listing of Acknowledgments, and eight page of Notes. Life changing, life enhancing, life celebrating, "Rules of Resilience" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections and Christian Personal Growth reading lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Rules of Resilience" from Tyndale Refresh is also readily available in paperback ( 9798400505256, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Valorie Burton (https://valorieburton.com) is an author, speaker, and life coach who dedicated herself to helping people get unstuck and be unstoppable in every area of life. She is also the founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and has served as a Certified Personal and Executive Coach to hundreds of clients in over 40 states and ten countries. For nearly 20 years, Valorie's books, speaking engagements, and coaching programs have helped people.
Can't Break Me
Kevin "KAYR" Robinson with Elijah Anderson
https://www.kayrmotivates.com
Morgan James Publishing
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781636988412, $18.95, PB, 220pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Break-Me-Shifted-Overcame/dp/1636988415
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cant-break-me-kevin-kayr-robinson/1148540335
Synopsis: With the publication of "Can't Break Me: How I Shifted My Mindset and Overcame the Odds", Kevin "KAYR" Robinson shares how he navigated poverty, instability, and limited opportunity to build real financial independence and take control of his life. "Can't Break Me" is not about motivation -- it's about structure, decision-making, and doing what's required when the odds are against you.
Through hard-earned lessons on sacrifice, self-worth, and accountability, KAYR (pronounced KAY-R) breaks down what it actually takes to move from survival to ownership. Along the way, he shows how discipline - not circumstance - is the foundation for lasting success.
With insights shaped by Sterling Professor Dr. Elijah Anderson, "Can't Break Me" offers readers a clear, grounded perspective on how to think differently, act decisively, and build a life defined by results.
The primary message of "Can't Break Me" is that it's not where you start in life -- it's where you finish.
Critique: Part memoir, part self-help guide, "Can't Break Me: How I Shifted My Mindset and Overcame the Odds" is original, deftly crafted, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and inspiringly motivational. An extraordinary life story combined with insights into breaking free of generationally enforced habits, life styles, and dysfunctional ideas, "Can't Break Me" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community African-American Biography/Memoir and DIY self-help/self-improvement lists collections.
Editorial Note: Kevin "KAYR" Robinson (https://www.kayrmotivates.com) is a business strategist, investor, entrepreneur, and KAYJAY Consulting cofounder who has benefitted from working on Wall Street and building a multimillion-dollar real estate investment company from scratch. He has held positions at Goldman Sachs, Sirios Capital Management, and Truist Securities and is a board member of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Grove Collective Foundation, and The Great Young Society II organization. He has been featured on MarketWatch FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early), and KBS (Korean Broadcasting System).
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Book of Astrological Returns
Theresa Reed
Weiser Publishers
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578639007, $19.95, PB, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Astrological-Returns-Complete-Guide/dp/157863900X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-book-of-astrological-returns-theresa-reed/1147729646
Synopsis: "The Book of Astrological Returns: Your Complete Guide to Every Life Cycle from the Sun to Pluto" by Theresa Reed is the DIY instructional manual every astrology enthusiast needs. No more searching through multiple titles to get the info -- with this single volume it's all in one place as it fills in the gaps, empowering us with knowledge to navigate all crucial life stages and prepare for the future.
You will experience many planetary returns in a lifetime, and, depending on your age, each return will be unique. As you delve into each chapter, you'll find "Cosmic Tips" that provide actionable insights and strategies for making the most of each return, such as how traveling on a significant return like your birthday can change your luck. These insights are designed not only to deepen your understanding of the return but also to empower you. No more astro-excuses!
While most of the book focuses on the personal birth chart, Reed also shows us how the outer planetary returns have profound implications for cities, countries, and even civilizations. For example, the United States finished its first Pluto return, a 248-year cycle that saw events rotating from the Revolutionary War to the well-known contemporary political stirrings.
"The Book of Astrological Returns" also shows how a birth chart is a living thing that matures and ages along with you, as well as with our society at large.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Book of Astrological Returns: Your Complete Guide to Every Life Cycle from the Sun to Pluto" is the ideal 'how to' instructional guide and 'how to' manual for novice astrology students and experienced practitioners alike. A solid and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies lists, it should be noted that this trade paperback (9781578639007, 8.1 ounces) edition of "The Book of Astrological Returns: Your Complete Guide to Every Life Cycle from the Sun to Pluto" from Weiser Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Theresa Reed (https://www.thetarotlady.com), is a professional tarot reader and the author of multiple books. There is an online listing of her books available at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7397863.Theresa_Reed
Witchitorium: A Glossary of Magic, Witchcraft, and Spirituality
Nixie Vale
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781917704380, $15.95, PB, 152pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Witchitorium-Glossary-Magic-Witchcraft-Spirituality/dp/1917704380
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchitorium-nixie-vale/1148559795
Synopsis: With the publication of "Witchitorium: A Glossary of Magic, Witchcraft, and Spirituality", practicing witch Nixie Vale has created a unique combination of dictionary and lexicon of metaphysical terminology associated with the manifold practices of witchcraft both ancient and contemporary. Whether you are new to witchcraft or an experienced veteran, at times there are words and terms that catch you off guard. "Witchitorium" brings together in a single volume a diverse collection of terms that you may come across on your path through the craft to provide insight and understanding.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with an extensive Bibliography (which includes a listing of Online Resources), "Witchitorium: A Glossary of Magic, Witchcraft, and Spirituality" by Nixie Vale is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical/Witchcraft collections. It should be noted for novice and experienced students of magic that this paperback edition of "Witchitorium: A Glossary of Magic, Witchcraft, and Spirituality" from Moon Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Nixie Vale has been a practicing Witch for 20 years and created Ramblings of a Rainbow Witch in 2012. She has a love and passion for writing and has written for Magical Recipes Online and The Spooky Isles magazines. She is a certified crystal Healer, meditation instructor, and a High Priestess ordained to do marriages and funerals. She lives in Leicestershire, UK. (www.goodreads.com/author/show/17422680.Nixie_Vale)
Supernatural Woman and the Male Initiate
Angel Millar
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9798888503621, $19.99, PB, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Woman-Male-Initiate-through/dp/B0FRSNZJ9W
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/supernatural-woman-and-the-male-initiate-angel-millar/1148324912
Synopsis: Dealing with the metaphysical subject of spiritual transformation through sex with transcendent beings, with the publication of "Supernatural Woman and the Male Initiate: Bonded through Dreams" Angel Millar:
Explores the supernatural woman as the active agent of the male initiate's spiritual transformation
Traces the supernatural woman's presence in ancient Greek and Zoroastrian traditions, the Eddas, the Icelandic sagas, and the works of the great medieval English poet and author Geoffrey Chaucer
Details the similarities between sexual ecstasy and the mystical state by exploring the role of ecstasy in magical and spiritual practice
The phenomenon of the relationship between the feminine force and her male devotee is documented in myth, religion, and art, but the spiritual woman herself remains a mystery. As muse, sorceress, and Valkyrie, she guides the man's development and tests his resolve. She converses through dreams, bestows poetry and prophecy, and initiates spiritual transformation through sexual encounters.
In this study, Angel Millar explores this magical relationship by drawing upon ancient Greek and Zoroastrian traditions, Scandinavian Eddas and sagas, and Chaucer's tale of the Wife of Bath. Millar traces evidence of the supernatural woman's presence in fine art, ancient sexual symbolism, Wicca, Freemasonry, and psychology -- most notably Jung's theory of the anima and animus and Freud's life and death instincts.
Comparing sexual ecstasy and the mystical state, Millar reveals the unique role of ecstasy in magical and spiritual practice. Bringing in feminine perspectives on this radical transformation, he looks at the religious eroticism of St. Teresa and 13th-century English Christian mystic Margery Kempe as well as Aleister Crowley's Lust tarot card, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris. Millar then breaks down the fundamental aspects of initiation depicted in these wide-ranging examples, showing how to welcome this mystical muse to unlock the inspiration she offers and the heroic drive within.
Critique: An original, seminal, and groundbreaking study, "Supernatural Woman and the Male Initiate: Bonded through Dreams" by Angel Millar is an extraordinary, informative, thought-provoking, and deftly crafted contribution to the growing body of Metaphysical Literature. Of special and particular value to readers with an interest in sacred sexuality, ritual, mysticism, and the supernatural, "Supernatural Woman and the Male Initiate: Bonded through Dreams" is an unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. This paperback edition of "Supernatural Woman and the Male Initiate: Bonded through Dreams" from Inner Traditions is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Angel Millar (https://angelmillar.com) is a certified consulting hypnotist and lecturer on spirituality, sorcery, and self-transformation. Studying magic and trance as a young man, in 1990 he was initiated into the Illuminates of Thanateros and is a Fellow of the Philalethes Society for Masonic Research. He is the author of The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality, The Path of the Warrior Mystic, and Transcend the Chaos.
Love Philtres
Jon G. Hughes
Destiny Books
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9798888501696, $32.99, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Philtres-Magicis-Materiae-Conjurors/dp/B0FJ7DN26W
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-philtres-jon-g-hughes/1147859944
Synopsis: A 'reader/user' friendly guide to the history and practical use of love magic, "Love Philtres: The Magicis Materiae of Witches, Cunning Folk, Druids, and Conjurors" by Jon G. Hughes:
Explores the use of love magic since prehistoric times, throughout the ancient cultures of Babylon, Greece, and Rome, as well as among medieval European alchemists
Presents methods for using Magicis Materiae of active botanicals, minerals, magic soil, and animal products, as well as incantations, periapts, amulets, and poppets
Describes the rites and rituals of love magic and practices to protect oneself from love spells and counter the effects of aphrodisiacs
"Love Philtres" is specifically designed to b a practical guide to one of the most ancient and widely used magical and metaphysical practices in the world -- the use of devices and potions to find and keep love. From aphrodisiacs and amulets to philtres and potions, the use of love magic dates back to the ancient civilizations of Babylon, Greece, and Rome, throughout Hindu and Islamic cultures, and among the alchemists and occultists of medieval Europe.
With the publication of "Love Philtres", practicing Druid Jon G. Hughes explores the history of love magic, focusing on the unique magical and druidic cultures of the British Isles and teaching readers how to carry on this tradition. Presenting how to use the Magicis Materiae of active botanicals, minerals, magical dirt, and animal products, the author explains how to identify these materials, details the methods to extract their potent effects, and shares the incantations and spells that accompany their use.
Hughes also explores how to harvest materials and prepare a wide range of potions in the form of electuaries, tinctures, elixirs, oils, and ointments. He describes the appropriate rites and rituals of love magic, including the arcane Sweaty Cake love charm. Additionally, he also shares methods that you can use to protect yourself against love spells and how to counteract their magical effects.
Critique: Original, fascinating, informative, thought-provoking, "Love Philtres: The Magicis Materiae of Witches, Cunning Folk, Druids, and Conjurors" by the modern Druid, Jon G. Hughes, is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, coven, and college/university library Magick & Metaphysical Studies collections. Of special note is the inclusion of an Introduction (Everyday Magic Performed by Ordinary People), four pages of Conclusion and Recommendations, two pages of Notes, a two page Bibliography, and a seven page Index. For metaphysical students and practitioners it should also be noted that this hardcover edition of "Love Philtres" from Destiny Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).
Editorial Note: Jon G. Hughes is part of a lineage of Druids that has been practicing for five generations in a remote area of Wales. He teaches the tradition in Ireland and gives workshops and seminars throughout Europe. He is the director of the Irish Centre for Druidic Practices and the author of several books, including A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants and The Druidic Art of Divination. He lives in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland.
The Many Veils of the Moon
Mitchell King
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803419947, $21.95, PB, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Many-Veils-Moon-Grimoire-Lunar/dp/1803419946
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-many-veils-of-the-moon-mitchell-king/1147738194
Synopsis: "The Many Veils of the Moon: A Grimoire of Lunar Magic for the Green Witch" by Mitchell King is a unique and personal collection of spells, rituals, and incantations that blends Traditional Witchcraft with the author's original Twin Moons system.
Inspired by a deeply personal journey into Green Witchcraft, this grimoire honors the light and shadow of the Full Moon and New Moon, offering a balanced approach to magic. Rooted in the legacy passed down from the author's mother and the sacred cycles of nature, this work invites witches to deepen their connection to the natural world and walk the Green Path.
With practical spells for protection, beauty, and nature's enchantments, this seminal grimoire serves as a powerful tool for witches looking to explore both the light and dark aspects of magic in harmony with the moon.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Many Veils of the Moon: A Grimoire of Lunar Magic for the Green Witch" by Mitchell King is an exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students and practitioners of witchcraft, magic, and pagan beliefs, that this paperback edition of "The Many Veils of the Moon: A Grimoire of Lunar Magic for the Green Witch" from Moon Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Mitchell King (www.baestjournal.com/mitchell-king) is a poet and educator living in Kansas City. He completed his B.A. at Rockhurst University and received his MFA through Stony Brook University. His work has appeared online and in print at BOAAT, The Adroit Journal, Gigantic Sequins, Baest, Rust+Moth, Nat. Brut and more. He is also the author of The Mostly True Memoirs Of A Witch, Stubborn Mule Press 2020.
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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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